bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of functional relaxation on the quality of life in patients with periprosthetic joint infection: Protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Walter Nike , Loew Thomas , Alt Volker , Rupp Markus
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication in orthopaedic and trauma surgery, which puts a high burden on the patients involving recurrent hospitalisation, prolonged courses of antibiotic medication, severe pain and long periods of immobility as well as high levels of psychological distress. Thus, this multicentre study aims at implementing body-oriented psychotherapy in clinical practice and evaluating its therapeutic effect on the quality of life.

Methods and analysis

A prospective, parallel two-armed randomised controlled trial with approximately n=270 patients with verified PJI treated surgically with a one-staged exchange, or a two-staged exchange will be conducted. Functional relaxation (FR) therapy will be implemented as a group therapy. FR originally belongs to the psychodynamically based body-oriented psychotherapy. Intervention techniques consist of minute movements of small joints, which are performed during relaxed expiration accompanied by an exploration of differences of body feelings. A group will include 3–8 patients, led by a specialist physiotherapist certified in FR once a week. The participants are consecutively admitted to the class and participate in 12 sessions. The control group will consist of patients receiving an unspecific ‘placebo relaxation’ intervention for the same duration. The primary efficacy endpoint is the mental component summary and physical component summary of quality of life assessed by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) after 6 months. Secondary outcomes include SF-36 scores after 12 months, consumption of pain medication, mobility measured by the Parker mobility score and the physical activity measured by daily steps with an accelerometer (actibelt).

Ethics and dissemination

Approval from the Ethical Committee of the University Hospital Regensburg was received (file number: 21-2226-101). Written, informed consent to participate will be obtained from all participants. Results will be made available in the form of peer-reviewed publications and presentation in congresses.

Trial registration number

DRKS00028881; German Clinical Trials Register.
Sexual harassment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Nairobi, Kenya: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Bevilacqua Kristin G , Williams A , Wood Shannon N , Wamue-Ngare G , Thiongo Mary , Gichangi P , Decker Michele R
Published: October 2022

Objectives

Sexual harassment among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) is a prevalent and understudied form of gender-based violence (GBV) with negative impacts on health and well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic raised global concern about GBV within homes; less is known about how it affected GBV in public spaces.

Methods

Present analyses use cross-sectional data from a cohort of adolescents and young adults residing in Nairobi, Kenya, restricted to female participants. Data were collected August–October 2020 via phone after implementation of COVID-19 restrictions. Prevalence of past-year sexual harassment and harassment relative to COVID-19 restrictions were calculated for overall sample, and by individual, household, and pandemic-related factors. Multivariate negative binomial regression models examine correlates of (1) past-year sexual harassment and (2) increases in sexual harassment relative to COVID-19 restrictions.

Results

Overall, 18.1% of AGYW experienced past-year sexual harassment at the 2020 survey. Among this group, 14.6% experienced sexual harassment pre-COVID-19 only, 18.8% after only and 66.6% at both time points. Among the latter group, 34.9% reported more occurrences following COVID-19 restrictions, 20.5% reported less occurrences and 44.7% reported no change in occurrence. Overall, 42.0% of AGYW experienced an increase in sexual harassment while 58.0% experienced no increase since COVID-19. In adjusted models, past-year sexual harassment was associated with higher educational attainment (adjusted risk ratio, aRR 2.11; 95% CI 1.27 to 3.52) and inability to meet basic financial needs (aRR 1.67; 95% CI 1.05 to 2.66). Increased sexual harassment since COVID-19 was associated with having full control to leave the home (aRR 1.69; 95% CI 1.00 to 2.90).

Conclusions

Sexual harassment among AGYW in Nairobi, Kenya was prevalent before and during COVID-19 restrictions. Safety in public spaces remains a highly gendered issue that impacts women’s safety and ability to participate in public life. Prevention and support services to address sexual harassment remain an important element in ensuring safe, sustainable public spaces.
Bet-hedging bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) recruit episodically over a 127-year timeframe in Saskatchewan
Authors: Lackmann Alec R. , Sereda Jeff , Pollock Mike , Bryshun Reid , Chupik Michelle , McCallum Katlin , Villeneuve James , Bielak-Lackmann Ewelina S. , Clark Mark E.
Published: October 2022

The bigmouth buffalo ( Ictiobus cyprinellus) is an iconic freshwater fish native to North America that is in decline. Recent studies have revealed bigmouth buffalo exhibit a slow pace of life, yet demographic information on bigmouth buffalo outside of North Dakota and Minnesota is lacking. We used otoliths to investigate population demographics of bigmouth buffalo in Canada, and also monitored bigmouth buffalo spawning frequency and reproductive success in the wild. From a sample of 52 fish collected during 2018–2021 we found bigmouth buffalo from the Qu'Appelle system more than 125 years old. Only 13 year classes ranging from 1894–1997 were evident with one year class since 1948, indicating recruitment has been episodic. During the past decade (2013–2022) bigmouth buffalo have spawned only once (May 2013) in Buffalo Pound Lake. This spawning effort culminated in recruitment failure because the water-level recession rate was too rapid. Our findings indicate that bigmouth buffalo spawning attempts as well as recruitment occur within a narrow range of water-level fluctuations that may rarely occur, which is enabled by their supercentenarian lifespan, and has direct implications for the conservation of this species.
Vector leptoquark $$U_3$$ and CP violation at T2K, NOvA experiments
Authors: Majhi Rudra , Singha Dinesh Kumar , Deepthi K. N. , Mohanta Rukmani
Published: October 2022

In the current epoch of neutrino physics, many experiments are aiming for precision measurements of oscillation parameters. Thus, various new physics scenarios which alter the neutrino oscillation probabilities in matter deserve careful investigation. In this context, we study the effect of a vector leptoquark which induces non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI) that modify the oscillation probabilities of neutrinos in matter. We show that such interactions provide a relatively large value of NSI parameter $$\varepsilon _{e \mu }$$

ε

e
μ

. Considering this NSI parameter, we successfully explain the recent discrepancy between the observed $$\delta _{CP}$$

δ

CP

results of T2K and NOvA.
A Optimized BERT for Multimodal Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Wu Jun , Zhu Tianliang , Zhu Jiahui , Li Tianyi , Wang Chunzhi
Published: October 2022

Sentiment analysis of one modality (e.g., text or image) has been broadly studied. However, not much attention has been paid to the sentiment analysis of multi-modal data. As the research on and applications of multi-modal data analysis are becoming more and more broad, it is necessary to optimize BERT internal structure. This article proposes a hierarchical multi-head self-attention and gate channel BERT, which is an optimized BERT model. The model is composed of three modules: the hierarchical multi-head self-attention module realizes the hierarchical extraction process of features; the gate channel module replaces BERT’s original Feed Forward layer to realize information filtering; and the tensor fusion model based on a self-attention mechanism is utilized to implement the fusion process of different modal features. Experiments show that our method achieves promising results and improves accuracy by 5–6% when compared with traditional models on the CMU-MOSI dataset.
What Is Wrong with Corporate Law? The Purpose of Law and the Law of Purpose
Authors: Mayer Colin
Published: October 2022

Corporate purpose should be at the heart of corporate law. This article addresses objections that corporate law already permits firms to determine their purposes, and companies would not in any event do more than at present in formulating their purposes. It argues, first, that critics of the law of corporate purpose have failed to recognize that purpose can address divergences of private interests of corporations from public interests of society and the natural world. Second, the law provides a means of commitment to delivery of long-term prosperity. At present, the law fails to protect companies seeking to create long-term prosperity through committing to other parties’ interests. It can and should ensure alignment of corporations’ incentives with individual, societal, and planetary interests and enable firms to commit credibly to resolution of their problems.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue: subtypes and morphological features affecting prognosis
Authors: Matsuo Katsuhisa , Akiba Jun , Kusukawa Jingo , Yano Hirohisa
Published: October 2022

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common histological type of mobile tongue carcinoma. The incidence of mobile tongue carcinoma is decreasing in some countries owing to decreasing exposure to risk factors, but it has been reported to be increasing in younger people. The majority of mobile tongue cancers are conventional SCCs. Pathological diagnosis of conventional SCC is relatively easy. However, mobile tongue SCCs involve several subtypes that have distinct pathological features and biological behaviors. Some subtypes are relatively rare, and the pathological subtype influences treatment decision-making. Therefore, the recognition of SCC subtypes is crucial for proper treatment. In this review, we summarize nine SCC subtypes, including conventional SCC and highlight their pathological characteristics. We also report some morphological factors, such as the pattern of invasion, budding, desmoplastic reaction, lymphovascular invasion, and perineural invasion, which could be predictive of prognosis. As some morphological factors are closely associated with prognosis, pathologists may need to evaluate additional factors in pathological reports of near features. In summary, we highlight the basic knowledge of mobile tongue SCC with an emphasis on pathological subtypes, morphological features, and their relationship. We provide information to further elucidate SCC in the oral region.
Whole blood transcriptome characterization of young female triathlon athletes following an endurance exercise: a pilot study
Authors: Bácsi Attila , Penyige András , Becs Gergely , Benkő Szilvia , Kovács Elek Gergő , Jenei Csaba , Pócsi István , Balla József , Csernoch László , Balatoni Ildikó
Published: October 2022

The vast majority of studies focusing on the effects of endurance exercise on hematological parameters and leukocyte gene expression were performed in adult men, so our aim was to investigate these changes in young females. Four young (age 15.3 ± 1.3 yr) elite female athletes completed an exercise session, in which they accomplished the cycling and running disciplines of a junior triathlon race. Blood samples were taken immediately before the exercise, right after the exercise, and then 1, 2, and 7 days later. Analysis of cell counts and routine biochemical parameters were complemented by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to whole blood samples. The applied exercise load did not trigger remarkable changes in either cardiovascular or biochemical parameters; however, it caused a significant increase in the percentage of neutrophils and a significant reduction in the ratio of lymphocytes immediately after exercise. Furthermore, endurance exercise induced a characteristic gene expression pattern change in the blood transcriptome. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) using the Reactome database revealed that the expression of genes involved in immune processes and neutrophil granulocyte activation was upregulated, whereas the expression of genes important in translation and rRNA metabolism was downregulated. Comparison of a set of immune cell gene signatures (ImSig) and our transcriptomic data identified 15 overlapping genes related to T-cell functions and involved in podosome formation and adhesion to the vessel wall. Our results suggest that RNA-seq to whole blood together with ImSig analysis are useful tools for the investigation of systemic responses to endurance exercise.
Extracellular vesicle-mediated transfer of lncRNA CLDN10-AS1 aggravates low-density lipoprotein-induced vascular endothelial injury
Authors: Fu Xiaoyang , Liu Heng , Fan Yulong , Yuan Ji
Published: October 2022

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) stimulation impairs the oxidation-reduction equilibrium in vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and contributes to atherosclerosis (AS). This study probed the mechanisms of extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated transfer of lncRNA CLDN10 antisense RNA 1 (CLDN10-AS1) in ox-LDL-induced VEC injury. Initially, VEC injury models were established by treating human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with ox-LDL. EVs were isolated from HUVECs (HUVECs-EVs) and identified. CLDN10-AS1, microRNA (miR)-186, and Yin Yang 1 (YY1) expressions in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs and EVs derived from these cells (ox-EVs) were measured. HUVECs were incubated with EVs, after which the cell viability, apoptosis, and concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers were measured. We discovered that CLDN10-AS1 and YY1 were upregulated in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs, whereas miR-186 was downregulated. ox-EVs treatment elevated CLDN10-AS1 expression in HUVECs and ox-EVs overexpressing CLDN10-AS1 promoted VEC injury. Besides, CLDN10-AS1 is competitively bound to miR-186 and promoted YY1 expression. Rescue experiments revealed that miR-186 overexpression or YY1 suppression partially reversed the roles of ox-EVs overexpressing CLDN10-AS1 in ox-LDL-induced VEC injury. Lastly, clinical serum samples were collected for verification. Overall, CLDN10-AS1 carried by HUVECs-EVs into HUVECs competitively bound to miR-186 to elevate YY1 expression, thereby aggravating ox-LDL-induced VEC injury.
Supervised and Semisupervised Manifold Embedded Knowledge Transfer in Motor Imagery-Based BCI
Authors: Xu Yilu , Yin Hua , Yi Wenlong , Huang Xin , Jian Wenjuan , Wang Canhua , Hu Ronghua
Published: October 2022

A long calibration procedure limits the use in practice for a motor imagery (MI)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) system. To tackle this problem, we consider supervised and semisupervised transfer learning. However, it is a challenge for them to cope with high intersession/subject variability in the MI electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. Based on the framework of unsupervised manifold embedded knowledge transfer (MEKT), we propose a supervised MEKT algorithm (sMEKT) and a semisupervised MEKT algorithm (ssMEKT), respectively. sMEKT only has limited labelled samples from a target subject and abundant labelled samples from multiple source subjects. Compared to sMEKT, ssMEKT adds comparably more unlabelled samples from the target subject. After performing Riemannian alignment (RA) and tangent space mapping (TSM), both sMEKT and ssMEKT execute domain adaptation to shorten the differences among subjects. During domain adaptation, to make use of the available samples, two algorithms preserve the source domain discriminability, and ssMEKT preserves the geometric structure embedded in the labelled and unlabelled target domains. Moreover, to obtain a subject-specific classifier, sMEKT minimizes the joint probability distribution shift between the labelled target and source domains, whereas ssMEKT performs the joint probability distribution shift minimization between the unlabelled target domain and all labelled domains. Experimental results on two publicly available MI datasets demonstrate that our algorithms outperform the six competing algorithms, where the sizes of labelled and unlabelled target domains are variable. Especially for the target subjects with 10 labelled samples and 270/190 unlabelled samples, ssMEKT shows 5.27% and 2.69% increase in average accuracy on the two abovementioned datasets compared to the previous best semisupervised transfer learning algorithm (RA-regularized common spatial patterns-weighted adaptation regularization, RA-RCSP-wAR), respectively. Therefore, our algorithms can effectively reduce the need of labelled samples for the target subject, which is of importance for the MI-based BCI application.
Identification of lncRNAs Associated with the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Retinopathy: From Sequencing Analysis to Validation via In Vivo and In Vitro Experiments
Authors: Luo Cheng-ping , Chen Jia , Zou Yu-ling
Published: October 2022

This study is aimed at screening for differentially expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and verifying the role of lncZNRD1 in high glucose-induced injury of retinal microvascular endothelial cells. The retinal tissues of normal and diabetic rats were collected for high-throughput sequencing of differentially expressed lncRNAs. Retinal microvascular endothelial cells were treated with 50 mM glucose for 4 h, 8 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. Our results showed that compared with the control group, there were 736 differentially expressed lncRNAs in the retina tissue of the model group, including 226 upregulated genes and 736 downregulated genes. Based on the differentially expressed lncRNAs, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that the ErbB signaling pathway, transforming growth factor- (TGF-) β signaling pathway, PI3K − Akt signaling pathway, cyclic adenosine 3,5-monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway were likely involved in the regulation of diabetic retinopathy. Compared with the control group, the expression of lncZNRD1-AS1 was significantly increased in retinal microvascular endothelial cells after treatment with high glucose for 24 h. Silencing lncZNRD1 promoted high glucose-induced apoptosis of microvascular endothelial cells. Additionally, silencing lncZNRD1 increased the expression levels of ALDH7A1 and ALDH3A2. In conclusion, lncZNRD1-AS1 demonstrated potentially beneficial function against high glucose-induced retina cell injury by regulating ALDH7A1 and ALDH3A2 expressions.
A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis of the Tumorigenic Effect of Leucine-Zipper-Like Transcription Regulator (LZTR1) in Human Cancer
Authors: Zhou Bo , Ying Xinyu , Chen Yingcong , Cai Xingchen
Published: October 2022

The elucidation of the action site, mechanism of Leucine-Zipper-like Transcription Regulator-1 (LZTR1) and its relationship with RAS-MAPK signaling pathway attracts more and more scholars to focus on the researches of LZTR1 and its role in tumorigenesis. However, there was no pan-cancer analysis between LZTR1 and human tumors reported before. Therefore, we are the first to investigate the potential oncogenic roles of LZTR1 across all tumor types based on the datasets of TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus). LZTR1 plays a double-edged role in tumor development and prognosis. We found that the high expression of LZTR1 brings better outcomes in esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) but brings worth outcomes in uveal melanoma (UVM), adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD). Moreover, the expression of LZTR1 also strongly associated with pathological in ACC and bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA). We also found that the LZTR1 expression was associated with some immune cell infiltration including endothelial cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), T cell CD8+, natural killer cells (NK cell), macrophages, neutrophil granulocyte, and cancer-associated fibroblasts in different cancers. Missense mutation in LZTR1 was detected in most cancers from TCGA datasets. Finally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Body (GO) method was used to explain the pathogenesis of LZTR1. Our pan-cancer study provides a relatively comprehensive understanding of the carcinogenic role of LZTR1 in human tumors.
The Viral Load of Human Cytomegalovirus Infection in Children following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant by Chip Digital PCR
Authors: Wang Wen-Jun , Feng Miao , He Feng , Song Juan , Song Qin-Qin , Xia Dong , Liu Rong , Yao Hai-Lan , Han Jun
Published: October 2022

Objective. To detect viral load in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection children after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) by chip digital PCR (cdPCR). Methods. The plasmid pUC57-UL83 containing the HCMV-UL83 gene and HCMV AD169 strain were used to evaluate the sensitivity of cdPCR. Either HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV, HHV-6, or HHV-7 was used to evaluate the specificity of HCMV cdPCR. The cdPCR was compared with quantitative PCR (qPCR) by detecting HCMV infection in 125 children's whole blood samples following HSCT. Results. The limit of detection (LOD) of HCMV cdPCR was 103 copies/ml and the qPCR LOD was 297 copies/ml for plasmid pUC57-UL83. The result of HCMV cdPCR was 146 copies/ml for the HCMV AD169 strain, indicating that the sensitivity of cdPCR was higher than that of qPCR. There is no cross-reaction between HCMV cdPCR and other herpes viruses. The incidence of HCMV infection was 30.40% in 125 children following HSCT by cdPCR. The range of the HCMV viral load was from 107 copies/ml to 6600 copies/ml by cdPCR. Conclusions. cdPCR is more sensitive than qPCR for detecting HCMV viral load. Furthermore, the cdPCR could be used to detect the viral load of HCMV infection before or after HSCT in children.
Dynamic Monitoring of Serum Protein in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Based on Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Zhou Zhihui , Long Yi
Published: October 2022

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the more serious diseases in human lung disease. Reducing its incidence rate is an important task in current clinical research. Dynamic monitoring of serum protein in patients will help to achieve the early diagnosis and treatment of ARDS. In this study, a protein monitoring model based on artificial neural network is proposed. First, surface enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry is used for protein detection, and then BP neural network is used for protein classification and content analysis. In the experimental analysis, serum samples from patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome in our hospital from November 2020 to August 2021 were selected for experimental testing. The experimental results show that the serum protein monitoring model based on BP neural network has low error and high convergence ability and can monitor individual protein in protein monitoring, and the area under the ROC curve in diagnostic performance reaches 0.854. The above results show that the artificial neural network has a good effect on the dynamic monitoring of serum protein in acute respiratory distress syndrome, and the diagnostic performance evaluation can reach 0.854, which has the ability to significantly improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Optimal Fuzzy Proportional‐Integral‐Derivative Control for a Class of Fourth‐Order Nonlinear Systems using Imperialist Competitive Algorithms
Authors: Hadipour Lakmesari S. , Safipour Z. , Mahmoodabadi M. J. , Ibrahim Yousef , Mobayen Saleh
Published: October 2022

The proportional integral derivative (PID) controller has gained wide acceptance and use as the most useful control approach in the industry. However, the PID controller lacks robustness to uncertainties and stability under disturbances. To address this problem, this paper proposes an optimal fuzzy‐PID technique for a two‐degree‐of‐freedom cart‐pole system. Fuzzy rules can be combined with controllers such as PID to tune their coefficients and allow the controller to deliver substantially improved performance. To achieve this, the fuzzy logic method is applied in conjunction with the PID approach to provide essential control inputs and improve the control algorithm efficiency. The achieved control gains are then optimized via the imperialist competitive algorithm. Consequently, the objective function for the cart‐pole system is regarded as the summation of the displacement error of the cart, the angular error of the pole, and the control force. This control concept has been tested via simulation and experimental validations. Obtained results are presented to confirm the accuracy and efficiency of the suggested method.
DNA Topoisomerase II-α Regulated by miR-22-5p Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Invasion and Migration through the Hippo Pathway
Authors: Zhao Haichao , Chen Changzhou , Song Huangqin , Qin Rongyi , Wang Xiaoxiao , He Qizu , Li Feng , Zhao Haoliang , Li Yanjun
Published: October 2022

DNA topoisomerases (TOPs) are dysregulated in various types of cancer. However, how TOP II-alpha (TOP2A) contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains elusive. Cohort analysis revealed that the increased expression of TOP2A was associated with poor clinical outcomes and TOP2A was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. In vitro, TOP2A expression level is related to cell invasion and migration, which may be due to the alteration of epithelial-mesenchymal transition by the TOP2A. Moreover, we used verteporfin (a Hippo inhibitor) to test how the Hippo pathway promotes the effect of TOP2A on the HCC phenotype and found that TOP2A induces tumor progression through the Hippo pathway. Finally, miR-22-5p inhibited tumor progression by sponging TOP2A.
Cellular Landscaping of COVID-19 and Gynaecological Cancers: An Infrequent Correlation
Authors: Bhattacharjee Rahul , Das Debanjan , Bhadhuri Radheka , Chakraborty Srija , Dey Tanima , Buragohain Rupam , Nath Asim , Muduli Kartik , Barman Pranjan , Gundamaraju Rohit
Published: October 2022

COVID-19 resulted in a mortality rate of 3–6% caused by SARS-CoV-2 and its variant leading to unprecedented consequences of acute respiratory distress septic shock and multiorgan failure. In such a situation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and care for cancer patients are difficult tasks faced by medical staff. Moreover, patients with gynaecological cancer appear to be more prone to severe infection and mortality from COVID-19 due to immunosuppression by chemotherapy and coexisting medical disorders. To deal with such a circumtances oncologists have been obliged to reconsider the entire diagnostic, treatment, and management approach. This review will provide and discuss the molecular link with gynaecological cancer under COVID-19 infection, providing a novel bilateral relationship between the two infections. Moreover, the authors have provided insights to discuss the pathobiology of COVID-19 in gynaecological cancer and their risks associated with such comorbidity. Furthermore, we have depicted the overall impact of host immunity along with guidelines for the treatment of patients with gynaecological cancer under COVID-19 infection. We have also discussed the feasible scope for the management of COVID-19 and gynaecological cancer.
An Improved PSO Algorithm for Optimized Material Scheduling in Emergency Relief
Authors: Li Tang , Yaping Li
Published: October 2022

Efficient emergency material dispatch, amid the aftermath of an emergency event, can help control the spread of the disaster and reduce disaster losses. Herewith, we propose a model with the urgency of material demand as the target coefficient, and the minimum load time and the minimum transportation cost as the total cost. For this model, an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed as the means to optimize the initial positions of particles with good point sets and improve the convergence speed with adaptive dynamic weights to improve the optimization of the emergency material dispatch model. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm improvement strategy, the experimental results are verified by means of simulation experiments and algorithm comparison experiments, which show that the proposed emergency material dispatch model and the improved PSO algorithm cannot only solve the post-disaster relief material distribution and dispatching problem but also effectively reduce the total cost of emergency material dispatching.
Physico-Mechanical Characterization of Plastic (Polyester) Reinforce With Palm Kernel Shell
Authors: Bisong Mbelle Samuel , Mbeng Andy , Njock Bayock F. , Lepov Valeriy V. , Pierre Kisito
Published: October 2022

The main objective of this research paper is to contribute to the characterization of a composite material with a polymer matrix reinforced with a palm kernel shell fiber for its application in the naval or aeronautic industry. To achieve this objective, it first opted for the fabrication of this composite by molding with different grain sizes (0.5 mm and 1.25 mm) and at different percentages of sand and PVC with the following proportions: (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%), then subjected the sample pieces to physical and mechanical testing such as (three-point bendings, resilience and compression tests). The physical characterization allows us to obtain an experimental volumetric mass for the 0.5 mm sample varying between 1.72 and 1.59 kg/m3 and for the sample 1.25 mm, varying between 1.66 and 1.61 kg/m3 that is the more the percentage of palm kernel powder increases, the lighter our material becomes. The mechanical characterization shows a Young’s modulus in bending varying between 3199.06 and 3236.16 MPa for the 0.5 mm and from 31,881.87 to 3244.03MPa for 1.25 mm that is the palm kernel powder and grain size make the material more rigid, normal stress due to compression varying between 32.05 and 56.41 MPa for 0.5 mm and from 44.8246 to 62.028 MPa for 1.25 mm. A resilience test varies between 0.61 and 2.00 J/cm2 for 0.5 mm and from 0.94 to 2.39 J/cm2 for 1.25 mm that is the more the percentage of palm kernel shell and particle size, the more the material becomes more resilient.
Comparative Performance Study of Difference Differential Amplifier Using 7 nm and 14 nm FinFET Technologies and Carbon Nanotube FET
Authors: Kumar Anand , Janakirani M. , Anand M. , Sharma Sudeep , Vivekanand Chettiyar Vani , Chakravarti Ankit
Published: October 2022

Difference differential amplifiers (DDA), which were built on FinFET and carbon nanotube FET (CNTFET), are frequently used for signal processing owing to their advantages of low‐power dissipation and reduced device dimension. In this work, high‐performance DDA was established using CNTFET model parameters as well as FinFET 7 nm and 14 nm technology. The DDA circuit used in this scenario was identically the same to the one used previously. With the use of Verilog AMS code‐based Stanford model parameters applied CNTFET and 7 nm and 14 nm FinFETs, schematic capture and simulations of the DDA were carried out in the Symica environment. The mostly used measurements for assessing the performance of operational amplifiers were also adopted for DDA. The CNTFET‐based difference differential amplifiers have slew rates of 10.8 V/femtosecond and 11.2 mV/femtosecond, respectively, with settling times of 0.65 femtosecond and 0.43 femtosecond, respectively. The power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) is 2.53 dB with a dynamic range of 198 mV and 6 mV for CNTFET DDA operating at 0.6 V DC. The incentives of CNTFET appropriateness for DDA designed in this study for any analogue front end were further demonstrated by using CNTFET for DDA with the achievement of open loop differential gain of 116.03 dB with BW of 4 GHz and phase margin of 270 and common mode gain of ‐28.65 dB with BW of 55.14 MHz and phase margin of 270.
Fusobacterium and Colorectal Cancer: Important Association or Random Coincidence?
Authors: Sanders Blake E. , Qiao Guanxi , Hirschman Jodi , Meyerson Matthew
Published: October 2022

The role of the microbiome in human cancer has become an area of intensive research and controversy. Many reports have highlighted the physical association of Fusobacterium with colorectal cancer. This association has provided diagnostic and therapeutic promise but has also given rise to several controversies regarding the influence of Fusobacterium species on human colorectal cancer. Here, we discuss two areas of controversy surrounding this emerging pathogen: the influence of Fusobacterium on colorectal cancer proliferation and the effect of Fusobacterium on the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer.
The Dawn of the Antibody–Drug Conjugates Era: How T-DM1 Reinvented the Future of Chemotherapy for Solid Tumors
Authors: Tarantino Paolo , Tolaney Sara M.
Published: October 2022

Delivering targeted chemotherapy through antibody–drug conjugates (ADC) has emerged as an extremely effective therapeutic strategy for multiple types of cancer. The first agent of this class to be established for treating a solid tumor was trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), approved in 2013 for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Much of the knowledge that led to this approval came from the landmark Cancer Research publication by Lewis Phillips and colleagues in 2008, where they described the in vitro and in vivo efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of T-DM1, demonstrating its relevant preclinical activity against HER2-positive breast cancer models. In this article, the authors also explored the use of different linkers to conjugate the cytotoxic payload to the trastuzumab vehicle, demonstrating improved stability, efficacy, and tolerability of the compound when adopting a specific thioether linker. The findings from this work not only set the stage for the clinical development of T-DM1, but also highlighted the modularity of ADCs, with small changes in their components able to dramatically impact their activity and toxicity. This finding would prove key for the development of novel ADCs, several of which are now reshaping the way we treat breast cancer and other cancer types. In this commentary, we discuss the key implications of the work by Phillips and colleagues, putting it in context of the current and anticipated expansion in the use of ADCs to treat cancer.

See related article by Phillips et al., Cancer Res 2008;68:9280–90.
Revisiting Antiangiogenic Multikinase Inhibitors in the Era of Immune Checkpoint Blockade: The Case of Sorafenib
Authors: Duda Dan G. , Jain Rakesh K.
Published: October 2022

The successful development of multikinase inhibitors over the last two decades has revolutionized the management of many malignant cancers. Agents such as the antiangiogenic kinase inhibitor sorafenib have certain advantages such as a broad spectrum of activity against cancer cells, vascular endothelial cells, and pericytes, and are the mainstay of treatment in diseases such as advanced renal or liver cancer. The more recent emergence of immunotherapy—using immune checkpoint blockade—in some of the same diseases has raised important questions about the treatment interaction with antiangiogenic drugs, seven such combinations have been approved for lung, liver, kidney, and endometrial cancers, and multiple combination therapies are being aggressively pursued in the clinic. Thus, revealing mechanisms of action of antiangiogenic kinase inhibitors in combination with immune checkpoint blockade is critical to improving the treatment outcome further. This Landmark commentary on sorafenib in cancer therapy highlights these important questions.

See related article by Wilhelm et al., Cancer Res 2004;64:7099–109.
Withaferin A Inhibits Fatty Acid Synthesis in Rat Mammary Tumors
Authors: Singh Krishna B. , Hahm Eun-Ryeong , Kim Su-Hyeong , Singh Shivendra V.
Published: October 2022

Withaferin A (WA), which is a small molecule derived from a medicinal plant (Withania somnifera), inhibits growth of human breast cancer xenografts and mammary tumor development in rodent models without any toxicity. However, the mechanism underlying inhibition of mammary cancer development by WA administration is not fully understood. Herein, we demonstrate that the fatty acid synthesis pathway is a novel target of WA in mammary tumors. Treatment of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells with WA resulted in suppression of fatty acid metabolizing enzymes, including ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), fatty acid synthase (FASN), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A). Expression of FASN and CPT1A was significantly higher in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea–induced mammary tumors in rats when compared with normal mammary tissues. WA-mediated inhibition of mammary tumor development in rats was associated with a statistically significant decrease in expression of ACC1 and FASN and suppression of plasma and/or mammary tumor levels of total free fatty acids and phospholipids. WA administration also resulted in a significant increase in percentage of natural killer cells in the spleen. The protein level of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1) was decreased in MDA-MB-231 cells after WA treatment. Overexpression of SREBP1 in MDA-MB-231 cells conferred partial but significant protection against WA-mediated downregulation of ACLY and ACC1. In conclusion, circulating and/or mammary tumor levels of fatty acid synthesis enzymes and total free fatty acids may serve as biomarkers of WA efficacy in future clinical trials.

Prevention Relevance:

The present study shows that breast cancer prevention by WA in rats is associated with suppression of fatty acid synthesis.
Adjuvant Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin for Elderly Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Okamoto Kazuaki , Nozawa Hiroaki , Emoto Shigenobu , Murono Koji , Sasaki Kazuhito , Ishihara Soichiro
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Adjuvant chemotherapy improves the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) following radical resection. However, the safety and efficacy of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapeutic regimens for elderly patients remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to examine the tolerability and efficacy of adjuvant CAPOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) therapy for elderly patients in comparison with young patients. Methods: We examined 138 Japanese patients who received adjuvant CAPOX therapy for high-risk stage II or III CRC between July 2010 and June 2021 at our hospital. Patients were divided according to an age of 70 years. Treatment details of CAPOX therapy were analyzed in association with age. Moreover, prognosis of stage III CRC was compared between the patient groups. Results: Twenty-three patients (17%) were ≥70 years old. Male patients were predominant in the ≥70 years group (p = 0.006). Patients ≥70 years old had more comorbidities (diabetes, p = 0.014; cardiovascular disease, p < 0.001; renal disease, p = 0.042) than patients <70 years old. There were no age-dependent differences in dose intensity, the number of cycles, or DLTs of CAPOX therapy. CSS and RFS were also similar between the ≥70 and <70 years old patients with stage III CRC. Conclusions: Adjuvant CAPOX therapy was tolerable in elderly Japanese patients. The prognosis of elderly patients with stage III CRC was similar to that of their younger counterparts. Advanced age itself may not be a contraindication for adjuvant chemotherapy in CRC. Future studies with a larger patient cohort are required to confirm the present results.
Determinants and perception of postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device services in Maharashtra, India
Authors: Doke Prakash Prabhakarrao , Pore Prasad Dnyandeo , Mahajan Sudhanshu Ashok , Gothankar Jayashree Sachin , Narula Arvinder Pal Singh , Deshmukh Rupeshkumar Balasaheb
Published: October 2022

Undesired and unintended pregnancies increase unwanted births or induced abortions, consequently increasing maternal morbidity and mortality. Postpartum insertion of the intra uterine contraceptive device (PPIUCD) is an effective method for population control. The researchers conducted the study to assess the determinants of PPIUCD services by identifying beneficiaries and healthcare workers' perceptions. We conducted this study in Maharashtra state, India having five geographical divisions and 36 districts. The researchers visited 10 primary health centers and three community health Centers from five districts, randomly selecting one from each division. We interviewed 45 women who had undergone insertion one day to one year prior and 17 health care workers. About one-third of women received counseling during pregnancy. The medical officers obtained the consents mostly during delivery. They inserted about 85% of devices within one hour of delivery. About 38% of women had at least one complication. Lower abdominal pain (22.22%), irregular bleeding (20.00%), the expulsion of CuT (13.33%), pain during periods (13.33%) were common. The removal rate was 6.67%. The complication rates observed in the present study are comparable to the hospital studies. Thus, the study reassures that the services in small institutions are very safe, and governments can fearlessly implement the program.
Depression, anxiety, coping strategies, quality of life of the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Iswatun Iswatun , Yusuf Ah. , Susanto Joko , Makhfudli Makhfudli , Nasir Abd. , Mardhika Amellia
Published: October 2022

The occurrence of COVID-19 has a psychological impact on the elderly which will affect mental health and quality of life. This study aimed to identify the relationship between depression, anxiety, coping strategies with the quality of life of the elderly. This cross sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cluster sampling technique was used to select 232 sample. This study employed geriatric depression scale (GDS 15) to measure depression, the geriatric anxiety inventory (GAI) to measure anxiety, brief resilient coping skala (BRCS) to measure coping stratecgies,  and the WHOQOOL-BRIEF questionnaire to measure quality of life among the elderly. Data analysis used Multiple Linear Regression statistical test. This study showed that there is a correlation between depression and quality of life (p=0.000), anxiety and quality of life (p=0.000) with coping strategies and quality of life (p=0.027). This study recommended the provision of appropriate psychological interventions to improve and maintain the quality of life among the elderly.
 
Informational and instrumental support related to menstruation: adolescents’ perspective
Authors: Kurniawati Eighty Mardiyan , Rahmawati Nur Anisah , Safitri Cahyani Tiara , Hanum Safa Salsabila
Published: October 2022

Adolescent girls can experience puberty and menstruation in their school environment, especially when they decide to study in a boarding school for girls. The study aimed to describe the adolescent perception of informational and instrumental support related to menstruation. The descriptive study was conducted at a single institution-boarding school for girls in East Java, Indonesia. There were 236 students in junior high school were asked to fill out a questionnaire. Absenteeism due to menstruation was experienced by 35 students with 1-2 days of absence. In terms of informational support, more than 50% of students received information related to menstruation from their teachers. The school did not provide materials on menstrual hygiene on the toilet walls. In terms of instrumental support, most adolescents reported that clean water was available but soap for washing hands was not always available. Closed trash cans and access to a sanitary pad are available. According to most of the adolescents, the latrines in their school were easy to clean, but there were still around 10% who stated that the latrines were difficult to clean. Schools need to evaluate and improve support for students who are menstruating at school. Teachers' knowledge of reproductive health is a major concern.
Bacterial and parasitic contamination of raw vegetable: potential risk for food-borne diseases
Authors: Mufida Diana Chusna , Armiyanti Yunita , Putri Elvia Rahmi Marga , Agustina Dini , Suswati Enny , Shodikin Muhammad Ali , Utami Wiwien Sugih , Hermansyah Bagus , Raharjo Angga Mardro
Published: October 2022

Food-borne diseases can be transmitted through raw vegetables contaminated with bacteria and intestinal parasites. The study aimed to determine bacteria and intestinal parasites that contaminate raw vegetables in traditional markets. In this study, we collected raw vegetables from eight traditional markets. We chose randomly at each market five samples of vegetables that usually consumed in raw, like lettuce, tomato, cabbage, basil, long bean, and cucumber. The bacteria were identified by culture and microbiological test and the intestinal parasites were identified using sedimentation and floatation methods. This study showed that all of raw vegetables were contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) (91%), Staphylococcus aureus (84%), and Vibrio cholera (79%). Besides bacteria, 36% of samples were contaminated by soil-transmitted helminths (STH), and intestinal protozoa contaminated 27% of samples. Lettuce was the most contaminated vegetable with bacteria and intestinal parasites. The results of this study proved that there was bacterial contamination as well as intestinal parasites in raw vegetables sold in traditional markets which could be a source of spread of food-borne diseases. Therefore, handling raw vegetables properly is needed as an effort to prevent it.
Influence of social media exposure on knowledge and behaviour of COVID-19 preventive measure: a cross sectional study
Authors: Indrayathi Putu Ayu , Pradnyani Putu Erma , Januraga Pande Putu , Ulandari Luh Putu Sinthya , Koloszvari Laszlo Robert , Tjahjono Benny , Kurniati Desak Putu Yuli , Yuliarti Monika Sri
Published: October 2022

A lot of misinformation about COVID-19 on social media possibly hinder the practice of healthy behaviors that are essential to protect individuals. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of health literacy in Indonesia. This study aimed to determine the influence of social media information exposure on the knowledge and behavior of Indonesians in compliance with COVID-19 protocols. An online survey of 909 people was conducted from July 2 to August 10, 2020. The data collected were knowledge and behavior of preventing COVID-19, while independent variables were socio-demographic characteristics and exposure to social media information. Inclusion criteria were defined as follows: minimum age of 18 years and domiciled in the country during the data collection period. The analysis used for the data collected were univariate and multivariate. The result showed that gender, age, marital status, and social media presence significantly affect a person's knowledge about COVID-19 with a p-value less than 0.05. Enforcement behavior of health and healthy living protocols is significantly influenced by the respondent’s gender, marital status, education level, the island of residence, and exposure to online information. The frequency of exposure to information affects people's knowledge and behavior to implement health protocols and healthy living in the COVID-19 era, and it is further influenced by socio-demographic characteristics.