bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomic and Transcriptomic Characterization of Pre-operative Chemotherapy Response in Patients with Osteosarcoma
Authors: Yang Yongkun , Huang Zhen , Yuan Mingming , Chen Rongrong , Jin Tao , Sun Yang , Deng Zhiping , Shan Huachao , Niu Xiaohui , Liu Weifeng
Published: July 2023

Osteosarcoma is a heterogeneous disease with regard to its chemotherapy response and clinical outcomes. This study aims to investigate the genomic and transcriptomic characteristics related to pre-operative chemotherapy response. Samples from 25 osteosarcoma patients were collected to perform both whole exome and transcriptome sequencing. Osteosarcoma had the relatively high level of chromosomal copy number variant (CNV) burden. Chemotherapy responders showed the higher chromosomal CNV burden than non-responders (p = 0.0775). The percentage of COSMIC signature 3, associated with homologous recombination repair deficiency, was higher in responders (56%) than in non-responders (45%). Transcriptomic analysis suggested that 11 genes were significantly up-regulated in responders and 18 genes were up-regulated in non-responders. Both GSEA and KEGG enrichment analysis indicted that four pathways related to cardiomyopathy were up-regulated in responders, while neuroactive ligand−receptor interaction was up-regulated in non-responders. Finally, a random forest-based classifier was developed to classify chemotherapy response using 23 differentially expressed genes, with the area under the curve of 0.843 (95% CI, 0.654-1.000). Osteosarcoma had the heterogeneous mutational profile with frequent occurrence of CNVs. Transcriptomic analysis identified several signaling pathways associated with chemotherapy responsiveness to osteosarcoma. Transcriptomic characteristics classifier provides a potential research direction for predicting the chemotherapy response.
Cognitive Dynamics Estimation: A whole-brain spatial regression paradigm for extracting the temporal dynamics of cognitive processes
Authors: Chikazoe Junichi , Koyama Yutaro , Yamamoto Tetsuya , Hirayama Jun-ichiro , Jimura Koji , Sadato Norihiro
Published: July 2023

Functional MRI (fMRI) has been instrumental to understanding how cognitive processes are spatially mapped in the brain, yielding insights into brain region and function. Here we propose a different approach to fMRI analysis, called Cognitive Dynamics Estimation (CDE), that models how cognitive processes occur over time. Conventional analysis regresses cognitive events across time to estimate voxel activity. CDE transposes this regression and uses spatial maps of cognitive processes from meta-analysis as regressors, estimating their activity over time. We show that CDE successfully estimates cognitive processing activity while demonstrating advantages over the conventional brain mapping paradigm. CDE can chart the time series of virtually any cognitive process without the need for experimental event logs that assume their onset and offset. It also alleviates the problem of multicollinearity in conventional analysis, dissociating temporally correlated processes across time. Evaluating CDE models showed its estimated time series captured the trial-by-trial fluctuation of intensity and timing of cognitive processes, including predicting participants’ task ability. As an addition to our fMRI analytic toolkit, these results suggest the potential for CDE to elucidate underexplored cognitive phenomena in the temporal domain.
Ocean Microplastic Footprint and Potential Exposure Index for Coastal Indigenous Communities
Authors: Moreno-Baez Marcia , Alava Juan José , Tekman Mine , Bergmann Melanie , Barrows Abigail , Parra-Salazar Ivan , McMullen Karly , Cisneros-Montemayor Andrés , Ota Yoshi , Vandenberg Jessica
Published: July 2023

Plastic pollution is of growing concern, especially regarding plausible microplastic exposure with relevance to vulnerable communities’ well-being. A microplastic potential exposure index (MPEI) was developed by mapping microplastic concentration in the ocean followed by calculating the potential exposure through food consumption with implications for Indigenous coastal Peoples that are heavily reliant on seafood. The countries that comprise communities with high maximum values of MPEI are Kiribati, Greenland, the USA, Canada, and Cape Verde. This approach provides a powerful tool for decision-makers tasked with establishing precautionary public ocean policies and allocating equitable interventions for plastic waste management and pollution mitigation in exposed coastal communities.
Optimizing of ajoene and 2-vinyl-4H-1,3,dithiin synthesis during the preparation of garlic (Allium sativum L.) mustard (Brassica nigra L.) oil macerate using response surface methodology
Authors: Singha Joydeep , Dutta Nipu , Saikia Jyoti Prasad
Published: July 2023

The optimization of ajoene and 2-vinyl-4H-1,3, dithiin during the garlic mustard oil macerate (GMM) preparation was carried out using response surface methodology. The independent variables were time of heating, temperature of heating and amount of mustard oil. The optimum preparation condition for ajoene was a temperature of 55 oC, a reaction time of 4.5 hours, and an oil volume of 2.00 factor of weight of garlic; and for 2-vinyl-4H-1,3, dithiin, the conditions were a temperature of 77.51 oC, a reaction time of 2.22 hours and oil volume of 2.25 factor of weight of garlic. The predicted value of ajoene and 2-vinyl-4H-1,3, dithiin were 2387.24 µg/ml of GMM and 4806.11 µg/ml of GMM respectively. The experimental values were found to be 2186.58 µg/ml of GMM and 4363.27 µg/ml of GMM for ajoene and 2-vinyl-4H-1,3, dithiin respectively.
addition of histidine and L-tyrosine to maturation and culture media on IVM, IVF and IVC of buffalo oocytes and embryos
Authors: El-Naga Eman M Abu , Ali Montaser Elsayed , Sindi Ramya A , Hussein Hassan A
Published: July 2023

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of amino acid addition (histidine and L-tyrosine) to the oocyte maturation medium on in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro fertilisation (IVF), cleavage (CR) rates, and in vitro embryonic cultivation (IVC; Morulla and Blastocyst stage) in buffaloes. Histidine (0.5, 1, and 3 mg/ml) or L-Tyrosine (1, 5, and 10 mg/ml) were added to the synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) and Ferticult media. Within two hours, the ovaries were collected and transported to the lab. Follicles with a diameter of 3 to 8 mm were aspirated to recover the cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs). The IVM, IVF, CR, and IVC (Morulla and Blastocyst) rates were evaluated. The results showed that SOF maturation media containing histidine at 0.5 mg/mL could significantly (P ≤ 0.01) improve oocyte IVM when compared to control and other concentrations. The addition of histidine to FertiCult media at 0.5, 1, and 3 mg/mL did not improve the IVM, IVF, CR, or IVC percentages. However, the embryos in the control group were unable to grow into a morula or blastocyst in the SOF or Ferticult, whereas adding L-tyrosine to the SOF or Ferticult at various concentrations improved IVC (morula and blastocyst rates). There was a significant (P ≤ 0.01) increase in IVM when hisitidine was added to SOF medium at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml compared with L-tyrosine. Also, there were significant (P ≤ 0.01) increases in IVC when L-tyrosine was added to SOF medium at concentrations of 1 and 10 mg/ml compared with histidine. In conclusion, the supplementation of the SOF and FertiCult with the amino acids histidine and lysine could improve the maturation rate of oocytes and development of in vitro-produced buffalo embryos; however, further research is needed to examine their effects on the fertilization rates of oocytes and embryonic growth at different age categories and seasonal localities for future perspectives.
Influence of air mass trajectories on precipitation stable isotopes in Damascus, Syria – Statistical analysis of daily and monthly rainfall sampling
Authors: Kattan Zuhair , Nasser Saeid
Published: July 2023

Ratios of the stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) and deuterium excess (d-excess) values in daily and monthly composite rainwater (RW) samples collected at the Damascus area over a period of 12 years were determined to evaluate the influence of air mass trajectories on their variability. The HYSPLIT model was used for simulating the back air mass trajectories and computation of the key meteorological parameters along the trajectory path of the air masses producing single rain events. Eight major trajectory classes were distinguished for the potential rain events occurred during the studied period. The fractions of the trajectories came from the North Atlantic Ocean (AO), North Pole (NP) and the Mediterranean Sea (MS) were the highest (total ≈ 85%), whereas those of the trajectories came from the Black Sea (BS), Arabian Sea (AS) and Arabian Gulf (AG) were the lowest (each class is < 5%). The daily RW samples associated with the Siberian plateau (SP), AO, NP, MS and to some extent north Africa (NA) air masses were isotopically the most depleted (δ18O <–4‰, δ2H <–25‰, and d–excess > 10‰), whereas those coupled with the trajectories came from the BS, AS, and AG were isotopically the most enriched ​​(–2.5‰ < δ18O < − 1.0‰ and d-excess < 10‰). The findings from this study may offer new insights to better understand the effects of air mass trajectories on precipitation stable isotopes in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
“Bone in the penis” or fasciitis ossificans of the penis – a first time description of a pseudo-tumor at an extraordinary site
Authors: Lenart Sebastian , Koperek Oskar , Scharrer Anke , Comperat Eva
Published: July 2023

Background: Fasciitis ossificans is a rare subtype of nodular fasciitis, a benign soft tissue tumor of reactive character. It is often misdiagnosed as a malignant tumor due to its rapid growth. Most commonly fasciitis ossificans originates from the subcutis with appearance throughout the whole body, but it may arise from extraordinary sites, too.
Case presentation: We report the first case ever described of this entity deriving from the penis in a male patient presenting with a tumor on the glans penis. The tumor was resected because of a suspicion of penile cancer. Initial histopathological analysis misled to diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. Pathologic counseling finally led to the diagnosis of fasciitis ossificans of the penis deriving from the glans penis by showing ossification.
Conclusion:This case shows that diagnosis of fasciitis ossificans can originate from any soft tissue, even from penile soft tissue.
Evaluation of crestal sinus floor elevation in cases exhibiting an oblique sinus floor with a residual bone height of 4.0-7.0 mm using densah burs with simultaneous implant placement. A prospective clinical study
Authors: Shalash Mahmoud , Mounir Mohamed , Elbanna Tala
Published: July 2023

Purpose
To evaluate the efficacy of using Densah burs in lifting the maxillary sinus membrane in cases with an oblique sinus floor with a residual bone height (RBH) of 4–7 mm.
Methods
The study was conducted on 16 patients (9 males and 7 females, ages 25–60 years). Sinus floor elevation was achieved using Densah burs utilizing the osseodensification concept (OD), with dental implants placed simultaneously. The sinus membrane integrity was checked clinically and confirmed with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).
Results
Out of 16 cases, 1 case exhibited sinus membrane perforation confirmed clinically at the time of operation. A mean lift of 4.42 mm was achieved in all cases. A mean final seating torque of 35.5 N/cm was achieved for all implants. At the one-year follow-up, all cases exhibited clinical success with no signs of sinus pathology or complications.
Conclusion
In moderately atrophic posterior maxilla with a RBH 4–7 mm, OD proved to be a safe and effective method in performing sinus lift procedures in cases with oblique sinus floors.
Measuring satisfaction with public bike sharing services via rating transformation methods
Authors: Manzi Giancarlo
Published: July 2023

Respondents’ perception of survey questions is the results of a cognitive process linked to the will of responding and the decision-making process at the moment of providing answers. Some respondents appear to be more able to analyse and inter- pret questions, resulting in more reliable answers, compared to other respondents who are less prone to cooperate. Methodological tools can reduce the indeter- minacy of the questionnaires and in some cases limit the predicted errors that can occur. Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis (NLPCA) and Combination of Uniform and Binomial (CUB) models provide a receptive instrument for sur- vey analysis especially for evaluating satisfaction with the public sector which is guided by different mechanisms with respect to those in the private sector. There- fore, it is important to establish to what extent the positive results are real or just ephemeral and bounded to certain circumstances. In this article we analyse this phenomenon by using the data of an online questionnaire on the satisfac- tion achieved between customers of the public bicycle sharing system ’BikeMi’ in Milan, Italy, at a time when mobile technologies were introduced for speed up the service. On the surface, overall satisfaction was very high. However, our goal was to look for potential ’darker’ sides of service to detect possible components of hidden satisfaction. To this end, we used a statistical technique, namely the nonlinear CUB model, to build up a new composite satisfaction indicator. We compared the performance of this new indicator to that of another satisfaction indicator based on NLPCA.
Self-calibrating sensor based on S-CNF/Au NSs for the detection of malondialdehyde levels in the serum of patients with gastric cancer
Authors: Wang Wenxi , Han Sirui , Ren Junjie , Xiao Xiufeng , Chen Jingbo , You Ruiyun , Zhang Guifeng , Lu Yudong
Published: July 2023

Cellulose-gold nano stars 2D substrates (S-CNF/Au NSs) with outstanding homogeneity and stability were prepared. S-CNF/Au NSs were modified with PATP, and the ratio of I1655 (the C = N bond produced by the Schiff base reaction with MDA) to I1078, whose intensity was almost unaffected under acidic conditions, was further ensured by self-calibration to ensure the substrate homogeneity and credibility, while ensuring the simplicity of the portable SERS instrument. The impact of the portable Raman instrument on the study due to the variation of peak intensity without the use of microscope focusing was reduced, and a linear detection range of 2.5 × 10− 2~2.5 × 10− 4 mM and a LOD of 9.14 × 10− 11 mM were achieved. This SERS substrate also has the ability to sensitively differentiate between serum of gastric cancer patients and healthy individuals (p < 0.0001), which is superior to colorimetric analysis (p < 0.01).
Development of MoS2Flowers Adorned Pencil Graphite Electrode for Electro-Kinetic Investigations and Voltammetric Quantification of Anti-Epileptic Drug Levetiracetam
Authors: Agarwal Rinky , Jhankal Deependra , Yadav Rajesh , Jhankal KK
Published: July 2023

The fast, accurate, and affordable determination of anti-epileptic drug levetiracetam (LEV) is the need of time for human health. In this study, an electrochemical sensor platform was proposed for the cost-effective and sensitive determination of the levetiracetam based on molybdenum sulfide nano-flowers adorned pencil graphite electrode (MoS2/PGE). The nano-flowers of MoS2 were prepared by a cost-effective one-step facile hydrothermal method and the morphology of synthesized MoS2 micro-flowers was characterized via FESEM, XRD, and EDS techniques. Under the optimized experimental conditions, cyclic, linear sweep, and square wave voltammograms of LEV were recorded. The diffusion-controlled electrochemical oxidation of LEV produced one well-defined irreversible peak in all voltammograms. The various electro-kinetics parameters like diffusion coefficient (Do =1.41×10− 5 cm2s− 1), heterogeneous rate constant (Kh=9.04×10− 4 cms− 1), electron transfer coefficient (α = 0.66), the surface area of the fabricated electrode (A = 0.0767 cm2) and surface coverage (Γo = 2.98×10− 11 molcm− 2) were evaluated for the oxidation of LEV at MoS2/PGE. The square wave stripping voltammetry (SWSV) method was optimized for the quantification of LEV in pharmaceutical samples. The oxidative peak current in SWSV methods varies linearly with LEV concentration within the range 72.0 to 130.0 µmolL− 1 with detection limit (LOD) value of 14.20 µmolL− 1. The proposed MoS2/PGE platform provides a sensitive, low cost and eco-friendly tool for the rapid detection of LEV in clinical samples.
Application of similarity optimization deep forest in the classification of unbalanced datasets
Authors: Chen Hongwei , Zhang Fengzhou , Peng Zihong , Wang Han
Published: July 2023

In fields such as computer vision, information security, and healthcare, data classification faces the challenge of uneven data distribution. To address this problem, the academic community has proposed the Deep Forest algorithm, which combines random forest and extremely random forest techniques. However, in random forests, there are differences in the classification performance of decision trees, and it is not possible to control the diversity of decision trees, which may affect the algorithm’s performance. This paper proposes a method called LCHCDF (Low-Coupling and High-Cohesion Deep Forest) classifier to address these issues, which uses AUC evaluation and inner product comparison strategies to handle them. Experimental validation on UCI datasets shows that LCHCDF has good classification accuracy and scalability and performs well in large-scale imbalanced network attack datasets. In addition, we also propose a distributed improvement algorithm that divides the random forest into sub-forests for parallel computation. The experimental results demonstrate that the LCHCDF algorithm performs well in terms of scalability and classification accuracy.
Industrial Utilization or Storage of CO2? A Compound Real Options Valuation for the Retrofitting of Coal-Fired Power Plants
Authors: Yu Qinghan , Madlener Reinhard
Published: July 2023

We investigate the sequential investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS), i.e., the case of retrofitting a coal-fired power plant, and then in carbon capture and utilization (CCU) for methanol production. A (nested) compound real options model based on a backward recursive dynamic programming algorithm is used for the analysis. The options to invest in CCS and CCU are investigated individually first, and then sequentially, leading to a hybrid CCUS plant that enables both methanol production and CO2 storage. The prices of electricity, carbon and methanol are considered as stochastic and correlated with each other. Managerial flexibility exists regarding a postponement of the investment decision and the real-time optimization between selling methanol to the market or storing CO2 for earning carbon credits after establishing the CCUS plant. We find that at today’s relatively high CO2 prices CCS investment is economically rational, whereas CCU for methanol is not. Combining CCS with CCU increases the overall investment probability and potential for larger profits. Since methanol is more valuable than CO2, CCU can be expected to dominate the value of the compound option for the case of favorable market conditions (i.e., sufficiently high methanol and CO2 prices).
JEL Classification Nos.: C61, G11
Relationship between Disgust and Orthorexia Nervosa and psychometric properties of the Italian Dusseldorf Orthorexia Scale in a general population sample
Authors: Aloi Matteo , Moniaci Martina , Rania Marianna , Carbone Elvira Anna , Martino Gabriella , Segura-Garcia Cristina , Liuzza Marco Tullio
Published: July 2023

Background
It remains unclear among clinicians and researchers whether Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a part of the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) spectrum or eating disorders (EDs). Disgust seems to be a shared psychopathological factor in these clinical presentations, indicating a potentially crucial role in ON. On the other hand, numerous psychometric tools have been developed to evaluate ON. The Dusseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS) was recently validated in an Italian sample. However, the study's primary limitation was that the scale was only administered to undergraduate university students. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties (including factorial structure, reliability, and measurement invariance conditional on sex) of the Italian version of the DOS (I-DOS) on a sample from the general population. Additionally, the study sought to determine the nomological validity of the I-DOS by examining its relationship with disgust sensitivity.
Methods
A sample of 521 participants took part in this study and completed a battery that assessed ON and disgust sensitivity. To assess the I-DOS structure, reliability, and measurement invariance we respectively conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), computed McDonalds’s omega, and performed hierarchical series of multigroup CFAs. Then, we tested the relationship between ON and disgust sensitivity.
Results
CFA confirmed the unifactorial model of I-DOS and it respected the configural, metric, and strict invariance while a partial scalar invariance was achieved. It also showed good reliability with an omega of 0.87. In addition, we found a positive relationship between ON and disgust sensitivity, thus confirming the nomological validity of I-DOS.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that the Italian version of the Dusseldorf Orthorexia Scale (I-DOS) exhibits strong psychometric properties and can be an effective instrument for assessing ON in a general population sample. Notably, the most significant and innovative outcome was the positive correlation between ON and disgust sensitivity. As disgust has been linked to other clinical presentations, this preliminary result could serve as a foundation for future research exploring this phenomenon in greater detail.
Posterior Central Laminectomy for Bilateral Decompression under a Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic approach for Multi-segmental Cervical Stenosis: Anatomic and Technical note
Authors: Fu Hao , Hu Yutong , Tang Ziheng , Xu Weibing , Yang Dongfang
Published: July 2023

Background
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) caused by multi-segment cervical stenosis is a common spinal surgery disease with severe neurological dysfunction. The surgical goal was to achieve full canal decompression while minimizing damage to the normal structures. Unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE), due to its good visualization, independent view-working portals, and wider instrument availability, can be utilized to efficiently and safely complete a laminectomy under endoscopy.
Objective
This study was to determine the efficiency and safety of a novel cervical laminectomy technique and introduce some new endoscopic anatomic concepts.
Methods
We report on 3 cases of multi-segment of cervical stenosis. The author attempted combinations of "laminectomy", "hemilaminectomy", and "ligamentum flavum resection" under UBE for different cervical cases. The postoperative neurological improvement and perioperative complications were used to determine the efficiency and safety.
Results
All 3 patients got significant improvement after surgery. And no complication was observed. This study described in detail the surgical steps and introduced new anatomic concepts that "infraspinous absence range (IS-AR)" and "ligamentum flavum-interspinous space (LF-IS space)".
Conclusion
Central laminectomy for bilateral decompression (CLBD) under UBE is an effective surgical method for the treatment of CSM caused by multi-segment cervical spinal stenosis. It can achieve the same decompression effect as traditional open cervical laminectomy while protecting the paraspinal muscles and posterior ligament complex which can avoid postoperative axial symptoms and cervical stiffness. However, due to the small size of the spinal canal and the small perturbation tolerance of the cervical spinal cord, the learning curve will be slightly high.
China Clinical Trial registration number：ChiCTR2200065144.
Porous Asphalt Mixtures Enriched with Bamboo Fibers as a New Approach for Future Sustainable Construction
Authors: Jaya Ramadhansyah Putra
Published: July 2023

Porous Asphalt (PA) is a highly permeable asphalt surface used to create and maintain permeable pavements for storm water management and runoff reduction. Under the impacts of repetitive vehicle loads, warm weather, and heavily rainfall, the structure was vulnerable to deterioration from cracking, rutting, stripping, and quick ageing. This research aims to examine the role of bamboo fiber in improving the physical and mechanical properties and overcome the issue related to PA. Among the tests involve are Cantabro loss, permeability, binder draindown, stability and resilient modulus. Two types of PA gradation involved with four different proportion of bamboo fiber (0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%). From the findings, it could be conducted that the existence of bamboo fiber can significantly improve the PA performance for both gradations. From this study, the sustainable development for flexible pavement is also has been promoted by using natural fiber as an additive.
Origin-Destination Demand Prediction for Ride-sharing with Deep Bayesian Learning
Authors: Zhou Shen Eric
Published: July 2023

With the rise of ride-sharing services, accurately predicting origin-destination demand has become a critical task for ensuring efficient allocation of resources and enhancing the overall user experience. Traditional demand prediction methods often rely on deterministic models that fail to capture the inherent uncertainty and variability in travel patterns. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for origin-destination demand prediction in ride-sharing using deep Bayesian learning techniques. By leveraging the power of deep neural networks and the flexibility of Bayesian modeling, our method not only provides accurate demand estimates but also quantifies the associated uncertainties. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through extensive experiments on a real-world ride-sharing dataset, comparing it with several baseline methods commonly used in the field. The experimental results showcase the superior performance of our proposed method in accurately predicting the origin-destination demand in ride-sharing. Our approach achieves significantly lower mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) compared to the baseline methods, indicating its improved accuracy. Moreover, our method demonstrates a higher coverage probability, highlighting its better reliability and uncertainty estimation capabilities. The key contributions of our paper include the development of a deep Bayesian neural network for demand prediction, the introduction of probabilistic layers to capture uncertainties, and the utilization of dropout regularization for improved uncertainty estimation. Our proposed approach offers a robust and scalable solution for accurate origin-destination demand prediction in ride-sharing, providing valuable insights for decision-making and resource allocation.
Characterizing (non-)Markovianity through Fisher information
Authors: Abiuso Paolo , Scandi Matteo , De Santis Dario , Surace Jacopo
Published: July 2023

A non-isolated physical system typically loses information to its environment, and when such loss is irreversible the evolution is said to be Markovian. Non-Markovian effects are studied by monitoring how information quantifiers, such as the distance between physical states, evolve in time. Here we show that the Fisher information metric emerges as a natural object to study in this context; we fully characterize the relation between its contractivity properties and Markovianity, both from the mathematical and operational point of view. We prove, for classical dynamics, that Markovianity is equivalent to the monotonous contraction of the Fisher metric at all points of the set of states. At the same time, operational witnesses of non-Markovianity based on the dilation of the Fisher distance cannot, in general, detect all non-Markovian evolutions, unless specific physical postprocessing is applied to the dynamics. Finally, we show for the first time that non-Markovian dilations of Fisher distance between states at any time correspond to backflow of information about the initial state of the dynamics at time 0, via Bayesian retrodiction. All the presented results can be lifted to the case of quantum dynamics by considering the standard CP-divisibility framework.
Principios antropológicos de las ideas neoclásicas en economía de empresa a la luz del bien común
Authors: Reyes Sahagún Carlos A.
Published: July 2023

En el presente artículo se analizan los principios económicos que más han influido en la forma de organizar y dirigir a la empresa, estas ideas proponen que el mercado es la mejor forma de conducir a la sociedad y a la empresa hacia su finalidad. Asimismo, se analizan estas ideas con la ayuda de los conceptos de naturaleza humana y bien común desde la tradición Aristotélico-Tomista, para así enriquecer el debate sobre cuál sería la finalidad de la empresa. La metodología utilizada es de tipo bibliográfico. Las ideas plasmadas en este artículo son responsabilidad del autor con profundo agradecimiento a D. Rafael Alvira.
Association between Maternal FUT2 204A>G (rs492602) Genetic Polymorphism and Congenital Heart Disease in the Indian Population: A Study in Maternal-fetal Dyads
Authors: Tella Sunitha , Chukkayapalli Sowmya Gayatri , Akka Jyothy , Uppala Satyanarayana
Published: July 2023

Background: FUT2 secretor genetic variants are strongly associated with absorption and circulatory levels of vitamin B12, thereby affecting folate metabolism pathway. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between maternal FUT2 204A>G (rs492602) genetic polymorphism and CHD in the Indian population.Materials and method: One hundred and ten pregnant women who were vitamin B12 deficient with fetuses diagnosed with CHD were included in the case group and an equal number of healthy pregnant women with normal fetuses were selected as the control group. DNA was extracted from blood and umbilical cord tissue samples, and genotyped for FUT2 rs492602 polymorphism using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium test was used to calculate allele and genotype frequencies.Results: Significant increase in the frequency of AG (odds ratio=2.25; 95% CI: 1.25–4.05; p=0.009) and GG (odds ratio=3.51; 95% CI: 1.47-8.43; p=0.006) genotypes as well as G allele of FUT2 rs492602 were observed in the maternal case group. Furthermore, in the fetus case group, there was a significantly higher incidence of GG genotype (odds ratio=2.87; 95% CI: 1.26–6.57; p=0.018) and G allele (odds ratio=1.70; 95% CI: 1.15–2.53; p=0.009).Conclusion: FUT2 rs492602 are associated with CHD in the Indian population. Maternal genetic polymorphism that regulates vitamin B12 metabolic pathway might influence fetal cardiac development, thus serving as a predictor for CHD.Keywords: congenital heart disease, FUT2, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), vitamin B12
Integrative Bioinformatics Reveals the Lactate Dehydrogenase B (LDHB) Significance in Colon Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wulandari Febri , Hanifa Mila
Published: July 2023

Background: Lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB), a typical oxidoreductase for converting lactate to pyruvate in the glycolysis process, takes a complex function in the progression of cancer cells. Even so, the profile of LDHB relevance in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) remains ambiguous. Hence this study analyzed the expression and co-expression profile of LDHB, and its immune correlation in COAD.Materials and method: The mRNA expression and co-expression of LDHB in COAD were retrieved from UALCAN. The immune infiltration levels of LDHB from B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells in COAD were assessed using the TIMER database. For assessing gene ontology and the KEGG pathway, DAVID v6.8 was utilized. The protein-protein interaction of LDHB-correlated genes was analyzed using STRINGDB and Cytoscape.Results: Significantly high expression of LDHB in COAD was spotted in several sample types and associated with a poor overall survival rate. Further, LDHB corresponded to the level of CD4+, macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) immune infiltrating cells. The co-expression of LDHB was associated with several essential genes for cell cycle progression.Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate an upcoming involvement of LDHB in COAD tumorigenesis and prognosis. Additionally, this study highlights the immune correlation of LDHB in COAD as preliminary data in developing diagnosis and treatment with a novel immune checkpoint in COAD.Keywords: lactate dehydrogenase, colon adenocarcinoma, expression, survival, immune
In-vitro Evaluation of Triazine Scaffold for Anticancer Drug Development:
A Review
Authors: Dubey Pragya , Pathak Dharam Pal , Ali Faraat , Chauhan Garima , Kalaiselvan Vivekanandan
Published: July 2023

Introduction:

The widespread importance of the synthesis and modification of anticancer
agents has given rise to many numbers of medicinal chemistry programs. In this regard, triazine derivatives
have attracted attention due to their remarkable activity against a wide range of cancer cells.
This evaluation covers work reports to define the anticancer activity, the most active synthesized
compound for the target, the SAR and, when described, the probable MOA besides similarly considered
to deliver complete and target-pointed data for the development of types of anti-tumour medicines
of triazine derivatives. Triazine scaffold for the development of anticancer analogues. Triazine
can also relate to numerous beneficial targets, and their analogues have auspicious in vitro and in vivo
anti-tumour activity. Fused molecules can improve efficacy, and drug resistance and diminish side effects,
and numerous hybrid molecules are beneath diverse stages of clinical trials, so hybrid derivatives
of triazine may offer valuable therapeutic involvement for the dealing of tumours.

Objective:

The objective of the recent review was to summarize the recent reports on triazine as well
as its analogues with respect to its anticancer therapeutic potential.

Conclusion:

The content of the review would be helpful to update the researchers working towards
the synthesis and designing of new molecules for the treatment of various types of cancer disease with
the recent molecules that have been produced from the triazine scaffold. Triazine scaffolds based on
1,3,5-triazine considerably boost molecular diversity levels and enable covering chemical space in key
medicinal chemistry fields.
Virus-like Particles for Disease Diagnosis and Drug Delivery Applications
Authors: Sharma Rishav , Malviya Rishabha
Published: July 2023

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are nanoscale, self-assembling cage structures made out of
proteins with practical uses in biomedicine. They might be used to create better vaccinations,
imaging equipment, gene and drug therapy delivery systems, and in vitro diagnostic equipment.
VLPs are nanostructures that might be used in medicine, immunization, and diagnostics, among
other areas. Many VLPs-based vaccines are now in use for the treatment of infectious diseases,
and many more are on their way to clinical testing thanks to recent advancements in biomedical
engineering. Although VLPs exhibit promising qualities in terms of efficacy, safety, and diversity,
they may become more widely used in the future. Vaccines based on virus-like particles
(VLPs) might serve as an effective addition to current immunization strategies for the prevention
and treatment of emerging infectious diseases. The growing field of healthcare prevention has
become increasingly interested in VLPs, leading to the discovery of various VLP-based candidate
vaccines for vaccination towards a wide range of infectious pathogens, one of the most
recent that has been developed is the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the effectiveness of that is
now being tested. VLPs can elicit both antibody and cell-mediated immune responses, unlike
standard inactivated viral vaccines. However, several problems persist with this surface display
method and will need fixing in the future. VLPs-based medicinal delivery, nanoreactors for
treatment, and imaging systems are being developed with promising results. The latest developments
in the generation and fabrication of VLPs involve explorations of several expression systems
for their creation and their application as vaccines for the avoidance of infectious diseases
and malignancies. This manuscript offers the most advanced perspective on biomedical applications
based on VLPs, as well as details innovative methods for manufacturing, functionalization,
and delivery of VLPs.
Virtual Screening, ADMET Analysis, and Synthesis of 2-(1H-benzotriazol-
1-yl) N- substituted Acetohydrazide that Binds to the Glycoprotein B of
Herpes Simplex Virus-I (HSV-I)
Authors: Mali Dhanashri Revannath , Amrutkar Sunil V.
Published: July 2023

Background:

Herpes simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a contagious human pathogen causing severe infection. In recent decades, the virus has become dormant and resistant to available treatment creating the need for the development of new therapeutic agents against it. Benzotriazole is a versatile molecule with a wide range of activities like antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antiulcer, anthelmintic, and antiproliferative activity.

Methods:

A series of 2-(1H- benzotriazole-1-yl) N- substituted acetohydrazide derivatives were synthesized using the method given in the literature. The derivatives were obtained in good yield and characterized by spectral methods of analysis. The antiviral activity against the glycoprotein B of Herpes Simplex Virus-I (HSV-I) was determined using molecular docking (2GUM).

Result:

All compounds had strong binding affinity over the standard Acyclovir. Compound 5h had the highest binding affinity and the highest inhibitory activity.

Conclusion:

The Benzotriazole-N- substituted acetohydrazide derivatives has the highest bind-ing affinity and good inhibition of glycoprotein B of Herpes Simplex Virus-I (HSV-I), which makes it a good antiviral agent.
Using Autoethnography in e-Tandems for Fostering Glocal Cultural Awareness: An Irish-German Virtual Exchange
Authors: Schrage-Früh Michaela , Wehrmann Jürgen
Published: July 2023

Autoethnography, the narrative exploration of one’s own cultural context and experience, has been proposed as a pedagogical method of tapping the knowledge of diverse groups of students for mutual cultural learning (Kumaravadivelu, 2008). With this in mind, we set up a virtual exchange (VE) between second-year students from the University of Galway, Ireland, preparing for their Erasmus year in Germany, and students studying Irish literature and culture in their final year at a northern German grammar school. In this exchange the students themselves were to complete an autoethnographic task. The VE showed that autoethnography can serve as an instrument to address some of the problems that O’Dowd (2006) identified while using ethnographic methods in telecollaboration: the emergence of an asymmetrical relationship with conflicting roles and communicative styles, overgeneralisation, and the inability to suspend judgement. Furthermore, autoethnography as a dialogic form appears to be moreappropriate than traditional ethnographic methods for Global Education, which, in contrast to Intercultural Learning, does not mainly aim at understanding other cultures distinct from one’s own, but at preparing students for “effective interactions across cultures” (OECD, 2018, p. 10, our emphasis) in a highly connected, endangered global society. By moving between the individual and the cultural, students can become aware of different but also interdependent local, national, transnational, and global cultural structures in which they live, partly connecting them to and partly distinguishing them from each other.
Experiences and Perceptions of Telehealth Visits in Diabetes Care During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes and Their Providers: Qualitative Study
Authors: Sun Chun-An , Shenk Zachary , Renda Susan , Maruthur Nisa , Zheng Stanley , Perrin Nancy , Levin Scott , Han Hae-Ra
Published: July 2023

Background

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has been widely adopted in outpatient settings in the United States. Although telehealth visits are publicly accepted in different settings, little is known about the situation after the wide adoption of telehealth from the perspectives of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and their providers.

Objective

This study aims to identify barriers and facilitators of maintaining continuity of care using telehealth for patients with T2D in a diabetes specialty clinic.

Methods

As the second phase of a multimethod study to understand missed appointments among adults with T2D, we conducted semistructured, individual, in-depth phone or Zoom interviews with 23 adults with T2D (14/23, 61% women; mean age 55.1, SD 14.4, range 35-77 years) and 10 providers from diabetes clinics in a tertiary academic medical center in Maryland. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic content analysis by the research team.

Results

Adults with T2D and their providers generally reported positive experiences with telehealth visits for diabetes care with some technical challenges resulting in the need for in-person visits. We identified the following 3 themes: (1) “perceived benefits of telehealth visits,” such as convenience, time and financial efficiencies, and independence from caregivers, benefits shared by both patients and providers; (2) “perceived technological challenges of telehealth visits,” such as disparities in digital health literacy, frustration caused by unstable internet connection, and difficulty sharing glucose data, challenges shared by both patients and providers; and (3) “impact of telehealth visits on the quality of diabetes care,” including lack of diabetes quality measures and needs and preferences for in-person visits, shared mainly from providers’ perspectives with some patient input.

Conclusions

Telehealth is generally received positively in diabetes care with some persistent challenges that might compromise the quality of diabetes care. Telehealth technology and glucose data platforms must incorporate user experience and user-centered design to optimize telehealth use in diabetes care. Clinical practices need to consider new workflows for telehealth visits to facilitate easier follow-up scheduling and lab completion. Future research to investigate the ideal balance between in-person and telehealth visits in diabetes care is warranted to enhance the quality of diabetes care and to optimize diabetes outcomes. Policy flexibilities should also be considered to broaden access to diabetes care for all patients with T2D.
Determinants of Inadequate Health Literacy Among Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences Students in Albania: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)
Authors: Rustami Etleva , Toçi Dorina , Poshi Klodiana , Peka Elida , Pano Irida , Pula Alma
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND

Health literacy (HL) refers to people’s ability to find, understand, and use health information in order to make appropriate health decisions. Health literacy among students is important so that tomorrow’s health professionals can deliver high-quality health care and enhance patient education and communication.

OBJECTIVE

In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the HL level of Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences (FMTS) students in order to shed light on this underresearched topic in Albanian settings.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study involving 193 FMTS students of various study branches (nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, and laboratory technician) was carried out during June 22-29, 2022, on the premises of the FMTS Faculty in Tirana, Albania. The international European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q) standardized questionnaire, validated in Albanian, was used to collect information about FMTS students’ general HL through a face-to-face interview. Basic sociodemographic information was collected as well. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the factors associated with inadequate, problematic, or limited HL.

RESULTS

The mean level of general HL was 37.2 (on a scale from 0 [minimum HL] to 50 [maximal HL]). About one-quarter of FMTS students had inadequate (9/193, 4.7%) or problematic (38/193, 19.7%) HL, 51.3% (99/193) had sufficient HL, and 24.4% (47/193) had excellent HL. The prevalence of limited HL (inadequate and problematic HL) was higher among male than female students (6/12, 50% vs 41/181, 22.6%, respectively) and those with lower social and economic status. Upon adjusting for confounding effects, the only factor significantly increasing the likelihood of limited HL was male gender (odds ratio 8.13, 95% CI 1.68-39.39). Findings suggested that low social and economic status also increased the likelihood of limited HL, but such associations did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first study exploring the level of HL and its associated factors among FMTS students in Albania. The prevalence of limited HL was relatively high among FMTS students. There is a need for targeted interventions to increase the HL of nursing and midwifery students, such as the inclusion of HL subjects in the nursing curriculum.
Netnografi: Perspektif Netizen Terhadap Kenaikan Tarif PPN 11%
Authors: Faisol Moh. , Norsain Norsain
Published: July 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine netizens' perceptions of the 11% increase in the VAT rate.
Methodology/Approach: The researcher uses a qualitative approach using the netnographic method because it is relevant to the discussion of netizen responses originating from social media. Research data collection used observation and documentation on the twitter account (#PPNNAIK) with the NCapture for Nvivo application, then analyzed using qualitative data analysis and NVivo R1 software.
Findings: The results of this study state that there are pros and cons related to the 11% VAT increase policy that must be understood broadly and fundamentally so that it is wiser to react to it and does not cause speculation in the community. Those who are against say that an 11% VAT increase along with an increase in the prices of other necessities amid the COVID-19 pandemic is inappropriate because it will burden the people in meeting their daily needs. Meanwhile, those who are pro argue that the goods/services that are subject to 11% VAT are not goods/services that are basic needs of the community, such as rice, sugar, and the like, which are consumed by the lower middle class. However, the increase in the imposition of taxes on goods consumed by the upper middle class, so that the 11% increase in VAT has proven to increase state revenues and return to the community.
Practical and Theoretical contribution/Originality: The implication of this research is that it is important for the public to understand each "PPN 11%" policy comprehensively so as not to cause uproar in the community.