bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coupling analysis of public health resource allocation and economic growth with spatial-temporal variation: a case study in China 2017- 2021
Authors: Mao Xiuhua , Xie Jiamei , Lin Xiaodan , Jia Mingfang , Yao Weiguang
Published: October 2023

Background China currently faces a formidable challenge regarding the inadequate and uneven allocation of resources in the public health sector. The increasing impact of economic and health crises stemming from public health emergencies highlights the crucial relationship between public health resource allocation (PHRA) and economic growth (EG). This study sought to investigate the Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) and the spatiotemporal variations between PHRA and EG, expecting to provide guidance for future public health and economic resource allocation and development planning.Methods By establishing a comprehensive evaluation-indexing system, we applied the polar, entropy, and linear weighting methods to calculate the comprehensive indices of PHRA and EG from 2017 to 2021. Subsequently, we empirically evaluated the CCD using the CCM model. Trend surface analysis and exploratory spatial data analysis were employed to assess the spatiotemporal variations of the CCD.Results The comprehensive indices for PHRA, EG, and the CCD exhibited a gradual upward trend from 2017 to 2021, although most provinces remained in the basically balanced or moderate unbalanced stage. In the eastern region, coordinated development was hindered primarily due to lagging HPAG, while the central and western regions faced challenges due to lower levels of EG. Furthermore, we observed significant spatial heterogeneity in the CCD, reflecting a stable pattern of "high in the East and low in the West, high in the South and low in the North", with a growing gap between southern and northern regions. Additionally, the CCD transitioned from a random distribution to spatial clustering, with hot and cold spot areas centered around the Yangtze Plain and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Notably, areas with hotspots exhibited remarkable spatial diffusion effects.Conclusion The PHRA and EG have not achieved a high-quality coordination stage and remain out of sync across provinces. Moreover, substantial disparities and reinforced spatial agglomeration patterns were observed in the CCD. Consequently, it is imperative to implement additional administrative measures to promote both PHRA and EG. Tailored policies considering regional characteristics should also be implemented to bridge development gaps between regions, considering the spatial differences and correlations among them to optimize the spatial linkage environment.
Triazenolysis of Alkenes: Aza-version of Ozonolysis
Authors: Gandelman Mark , Koronatov Aleksandr , Sakharov Pavel , Kaushansky Alexander , Fridman Natalia
Published: October 2023

Numerous applications of alkenes exist due to their abundance and versatility in chemical transformations. In this study, we present a unique and novel chemical transformation of alkenes, the aza-version of canonical ozonolysis reaction, which we termed as triazenolysis. This process offers a non-trivial and previously unfeasible synthetic disconnection, allowing the cleavage of a C=C double bond into two new C-N bonds in a reductive manner. We carefully examined the applicability of the reaction, finding that diverse cyclic alkenes are suitable for the developed process. Furthermore, we present an example of an acyclic alkene, illustrating the potential for expanding triazenolysis to other acyclic counterparts. Through DFT calculations, we explored the mechanism of the key step and demonstrated the significance of Lewis acid catalysis in achieving the desired transformation.
Morphological Entropy Encodes Cellular Migration Strategies on Multiple Length Scales
Authors: Liu Yanping , Jiao Yang , Fan Qihui , Li Xinwei , Liu Zhichao , Hu Jun , Liu Liyu , Shuai Jianwei , Li Zhangyong
Published: October 2023

Cell migration is crucial for numerous physiological and pathological processes. A cell adapts its morphology, including the overall and nuclear morphology, in response to various cues in complex microenvironments, such as topotaxis and chemotaxis during migration. Thus, the dynamics of cellular morphology can encode migration strategies, from which diverse migration mechanisms can be inferred. However, deciphering the mechanisms behind cell migration encoded in morphology dynamics remains a challenging problem. Here, we present a novel universal metric, the Cell Morphological Entropy (CME), developed by combining parametric morphological analysis with Shannon entropy. The utility of CME, which accurately quantifies the complex cellular morphology at multiple length scales through the deviation from a perfectly circular shape, is illustrated using a variety of normal and tumor cell lines in different in vitro microenvironments. Our results show how geometric constraints affect the MDA-MB-231 cell nucleus, the emerging interactions of MCF-10A cells migrating on collagen gel, and the critical transition from proliferation to invasion in tumor spheroids. The analysis demonstrates that the CME-based approach provides an effective and physically interpretable tool to measure morphology in real time across multiple length scales. It provides deeper insight into cell migration and contributes to the understanding of different behavioral modes and collective cell motility in more complex microenvironments.
Laser harmonic generation with independent control of frequency and orbital angular momentum
Authors: Trines Raoul , Schmitz Holger , King Martin , McKenna Paul , Bingham Robert
Published: October 2023

The non-linear laser-driven process of high harmonic generation (HHG) enables the creation of high quality pulses of extreme-UV and X-ray radiation, which have many potential uses at the frontiers of experimental science, ranging from lensless microscopy to ultrafast metrology and chiral science. Although many of the promising applications are enabled by generating harmonic modes with orbital angular momentum (OAM), independent control of the harmonic frequency and OAM level remains elusive. Here we show, through a novel theoretical approach, validated with 3D simulations, how unique 2-D harmonic progressions can be obtained, with both frequency and OAM level tuned independently, from tailored structured targets in both reflective and transmissive configurations. Through preferential selection of a subset of harmonic modes with a specific OAM value, a controlled frequency comb of circularly polarised harmonics can be produced. This new approach to describe HHG, which simplifies both the theoretical predictions and the analysis of the harmonic spectrum, is directly applicable across the full range of HHG mechanisms and can be readily applied to investigations of OAM harmonics in other processes, such as OAM cascades in Raman amplification, or the analysis of harmonic progressions in nonlinear optics.
Stress-activated brain-gut circuits disrupt intestinal barrier integrity and social behaviour
Authors: Russo Scott , Chan Kenny , Li Long , Parise Lyonna , Cathomas Flurin , LeClair Katherine , Shimo Yusuke , Lin Hsiao-yun , Cuttoli Romain Durand-de , Aubry Antonio , Alvarez Johana , Drescher Tory , Osman Aya , Yuan Chongzhen , Fisher-Foye Rachel , Price Gabrielle , Schmitt Yasemin , Kaster Manuella , Furtado Glaucia C. , Lira Sergio , Wang Jun , Han Wenfei , de Araujo Ivan
Published: October 2023

Chronic stress underlies the etiology of both major depressive disorder (MDD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), two highly prevalent and debilitating conditions with high rates of co-morbidity. However, it is not fully understood how the brain and gut bi-directionally communicate during stress to impact intestinal homeostasis and stress-relevant behaviours. Using the chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model, we find that stressed mice display greater intestinal permeability and circulating levels of the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) compared to unstressed control (CON) mice. Interestingly, the microbiota in the colon also exhibit elevated LPS biosynthesis gene expression following CSDS. Additionally, CSDS triggers an increase in pro-inflammatory colonic IFNγ+ Th1 cells and a decrease in IL4+ Th2 cells compared to CON mice, and this gut inflammation contributes to stress-induced intestinal barrier permeability and social avoidance behaviour. We next investigated the role of enteric neurons and identified that noradrenergic dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH)+ neurons in the colon are activated by CSDS, and that their ablation protects against gut pathophysiology and disturbances in social behaviour. Retrograde tracing from the colon identified a population of corticotropin-releasing hormone-expressing (CRH+) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) that innervate the colon and are activated by stress. Chemogenetically activating these PVH CRH+ neurons is sufficient to induce gut inflammation, barrier permeability, and social avoidance behaviour, while inhibiting these cells prevents these effects following exposure to CSDS. Thus, we define a stress-activated brain-to-gut circuit that confers colonic inflammation, leading to impaired intestinal barrier function, and consequent behavioural deficits.
45 years of tetracycline post exposure prophylaxis for STIs and the risk of tetracycline resistance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Vanbaelen Thibaut , Manoharan-Basil Sheeba Santhini , Kenyon Chris
Published: October 2023

There is considerable interest in the use of doxycycline post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to reduce the incidence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs). An important concern is that this could select for tetracycline resistance in these STIs and other species. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar, (1948–2023) for randomized controlled trials comparing tetracycline PEP with non-tetracycline controls. The primary outcome was antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to tetracyclines in all bacterial species with available data. Our search yielded 140 studies, of which three met the inclusion criteria. Tetracycline PEP had no effect on the prevalence of tetracycline resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in any of the three trials or the pooled estimates. PEP did, however, have a marked effect on the tetracycline MIC distribution in the one study where this was assessed. Prophylactic efficacy was 100% at low MICs and 0% at high MICs. In the one study where this was assessed, PEP resulted in a significant increase in tetracycline resistance in commensal Neisseria species compared to the control group but no significant effect on the prevalence of tetracycline resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. The available evidence suggests that PEP with tetracyclines could be associated with selecting tetracycline resistance in N. gonorrhoeae and commensal Neisseria species.
Three-dimensional deviation analysis and digital visualization of shape change before and after conservation treatment of historic kiln site
Authors: Jo Young Hoon , Kim Young Hwan , Lee Hae Soon
Published: October 2023

The Gangjin Celadon Kiln, after its excavation in 1982, was relocated and restored in 1987 and subjected to primary conservation treatment in 2007. However, many problems such as soil disintegration and cavitation occurred in the kiln until recently. In this study, the shape changes due to the conservation treatment in 2020, which was performed to maintain the original shape of the kiln site, were recorded via three-dimensional (3D) scanning, and a numerical analysis was conducted. From the results of this study, the locations and ranges of shape changes before and after the conservation treatment of the kiln site were identified through root-mean-square (RMS) deviation analysis and visualization, and the ranges of reinforcement and soil mulch removal were quantified through the deviations at different points. In particular, the most noticeable changes due to the conservation treatment were around 15 mm, and many relative changes of 40 mm or more were also observed. In addition, on the floor of the working space, a reinforcement at least about 40 mm thick and a flattening was prominent; the inside of the combustion chamber was visualized with a reinforcement of at least about 50 mm. This study is of great importance as the shape changes were analyzed and monitoring data were constructed using the 3D scanning technology of the kiln site subjected to conservation treatment. The shape of the kiln site is predicted to change minutely hereafter because of natural or intended factors. Therefore, if the monitoring cycle and effects are derived through regular 3D scanning, it is judged this step will greatly contribute to expanding the applicability of the time series analysis of similar cultural heritage structures.
Protocol for the Evaluation of Data-Related Processes and Challenges at Level 1‒4 Trauma Centers in Arkansas: A Mixed-Methods Case Study
Authors: Conner Cara L. , Redding Mersady C. , Seker Emel , Greer Melody L. , Garza Maryam Y.
Published: October 2023

Background:In the following manuscript, we describe the detailed protocol for a mixed-methods, observational case study conducted to identify and evaluate existing data-related processes and challenges currently faced by trauma centers in a rural state. The data will be utilized to assess the impact of these challenges on registry data collection.
Methods:The study relies on a series of interviews and observations to collect data from trauma registry staff at level 1‒4 trauma centers across the state of Arkansas. A think-aloud protocol will be used to facilitate observations as a means to gather keystroke-level modeling data and insight into site processes and workflows for collecting and submitting data to the Arkansas Trauma Registry. Informal, semi-structured interviews will follow the observation period to assess the participant's perspective on current processes, potential barriers to data collection or submission to the registry, and recommendations for improvement. Each session will be recorded and de-identified transcripts and session notes will be used for analysis. Keystroke level modeling data derived from observations will be extracted and analyzed quantitatively to determine time spent performing end-to-end registry-related activities. Qualitative data from interviews will be reviewed and coded by 2 independent reviewers following a thematic analysis methodology. Each set of codes will then be adjudicated by the reviewers using a consensus-driven approach to extrapolate the final set of themes.
Discussion:We will utilize a mixed methods approach to understand existing processes and barriers to data collection for the Arkansas Trauma Registry. Anticipated results will provide a baseline measure of the data collection and submission processes at various trauma centers across the state. We aim to assess strengths and limitations of existing processes and identify existing barriers to interoperability. These results will provide first-hand knowledge on existing practices for the trauma registry use case and will provide quantifiable data that can be utilized in future research to measure outcomes of future process improvement efforts. The potential implications of this study can form the basis for identifying potential solutions for streamlining data collection, exchange, and utilization of trauma registry data for clinical practice, public health, and clinical and translational research.
The effect of obstacle length & height in subcritical free-surface flow
Authors: Michalski Hugh , Mattner Trent , Balasuriya Sanjeeva , Binder Benjamin
Published: October 2023

Two-dimensional free-surface flow past a submerged rectangular disturbance in an open channel is considered. The forced Korteweg-de Vries model of Binder et al, Theor. Comput. Fluid Dyn. 20, 125–144, (2006) is modified to examine the effect of varying obstacle length & height on the response of the free-surface. For a given obstacle height and flow rate in the subcritical flow regime an analysis of the steady solutions in the phase plane of the problem determines a countably infinite set of discrete obstacle lengths for which there are no waves downstream of the obstacle. A rich structure of nonlinear behaviour is also found as the height of the obstacle approaches critical values in the steady problem. The stability of the steady solutions is investigated numerically in the time-dependent problem with a spectral method.
Development of Eco-friendly Flame-retardant Cotton Fabric using Chitosan Nanoparticles and Phosphate: Characterization and Process Optimization by Taguchi Method
Authors: Hossain Ismail , Alim Md. Abdul , Uddin Nayeem , Parvez Md. Shohan , Maniruzzaman Md.
Published: October 2023

Textile manufacturers have recognized the growing importance of health and environmental regulation, focusing on developing policies for manufacturing cost-effective and eco-friendly flame-retardant textiles. They were corresponding to these objectives, this study aimed to optimize the Flame Retardant (FR) properties of cotton woven fabrics through the application of Chitosan Nanoparticles (CNPs) and Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) by the Taguchi Method (TM). An L9 orthogonal array design was employed to conduct the experiments, consisting of nine experiments with three runs each. The study successfully identified the optimal conditions for the treatment process as a DAP concentration of 6%, CNPs concentration of 5g/L, and curing temperature of 160 ℃. Subsequently, the treated fabric samples were investigated to assess flame spread times and various mechanical characteristics, namely, tensile strength and material stiffness. The chemical characterization of the finished fabrics was carried out further using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The attachment of CNPs and DAP to the hydroxyl groups of the fabric sample surfaces was also confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Finally, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) were done to measure the size of the nanoparticles and the percentage of weight loss of the fabric samples, respectively.
Enhancing Quality Characteristics of Cold-Pressed Sesame Oil with Ethanolic Extract of Quince (Cydonia oblonga) and Exploring the Interaction of Trans Fatty Acids with Key Pro- inflammatory Cytokines via Molecular Docking
Authors: Mirzaei Hamed , Salehi Khayyam , Jafari Ameneh , Chaleshtori Reza Sharafati
Published: October 2023

Currently, there is a growing trend of replacing synthetic antioxidants with natural alternatives to delay or prevent the oxidation of edible oils. In this paper, we assessed the phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of ethanolic extracts obtained from Cydonia oblonga (SQ). Furthermore, we incorporated SQ at two different concentrations (1% and 2%) into cold-pressed sesame oil, storing it for 30 days under ambient conditions. We then assessed the peroxide value (PV), acid value (AV), oxidative stability using the Rancimat apparatus, and the fatty acids (FAs) composition. Additionally, we conducted molecular docking analyses to explore the interaction between trans fatty acids (TFAs; C18:1 and C18:2) and key pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP). The total phenol, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity of SQ were found to be 95.33 ± 5.03 mg GAE/g, 343.67 ± 16.44 mg QE/g, and 465.67 ± 5.51 mmol Fe2+/g, respectively. The presence of SQ exhibited a significant impact on reducing PV and AV when compared to the control group. Furthermore, the addition of SQ resulted in a significant increase in the induction period (IP) compared to the control. The predominant FAs in the samples were 18:2n-6, 18:1n-9, 16:0, and 18:0, respectively. The levels of TFAs in all samples at 30 days were higher than those at 0 days. TNF-α and IL-6 showed a higher binding affinity for the trans-C18:1 ligand, with a docking score of -6.81 and − 5.82, respectively, compared to the trans-C18:2 ligand. In this context, SQ can be proposed as a natural antioxidant to enhance the oxidative stability of sesame oil. Additionally, the binding preferences and specific interactions of TFAs with these pro-inflammatory cytokines indicate their potential role in modulating inflammation.
Acute Kidney Injury Developed in the Intensive Care Unit: A Population-based Prospective Cohort Study in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Melo Fernando de Assis Ferreira , Burdmann Emmanuel de Almeida , Macedo Etienne , Mehta Ravindra , Zanetta Dirce Maria Trevisan
Published: October 2023

Background
The Brazilian Amazon is a vast area with limited health care resources and scarce data on the epidemiology of acute kidney injury (AKI). We aimed to assess the epidemiology of critically ill AKI patients in this area.
Methods
This was a prospective cohort study of patients aged > 18 years with residential addresses in the Acre state who stayed ≥ two days in one of the three intensive care units (ICUs) of Rio Branco city, the capital of Acre state. The incidence, risk factors and outcomes of AKI (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria) developed in ICU were evaluated. Admitted patients were followed for up to seven days or until discharge or death, whichever occurred first.
Results
Of 1,494 patients admitted, 1,029 met the inclusion criteria. The incidence of AKI was 53.3% (37.8% had maximum KDIGO stage 3); 7.7% received kidney replacement therapy. Most cases of incident ICU AKI (74.1%) developed in the first three days of ICU hospitalization, and 68.1% were transient. The majority of patients (84.5%) had at least one comorbidity, 19.6% were hemodynamically unstable, and 15.3% had respiratory failure at ICU admission. Only 1.7% of the patients had tropical diseases. Risk factors for AKI included higher age, nonsurgical patients, admission to the ICU from the ward, higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores at ICU admission, and positive fluid balance > 1500 ml/24 hours in the days before AKI development in the ICU. AKI was associated with higher ICU mortality (adjusted odds ratio 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30–3.18). AKI mortality was independently associated with higher age, nonsurgical patients, sepsis at ICU admission, mechanical ventilation and mean positive fluid balance in the ICU > 1500 ml/24 hours during ICU follow-up. Adjusted hazard ratios for AKI mortality 30 and 180 days after ICU discharge were 2.52, 95% CI 1.39–4.56 and 2.01, 95% CI 1.05–3.85, respectively.
Conclusions
AKI incidence was strikingly high among critically ill patients in the Brazilian Amazon. Hospitalizations due to tropical diseases were rare. The AKI etiology, risk factors and outcomes were similar to those described in high-income countries, but mortality rates were higher.
Mental health profile in adolescents with Gender Dysphoria requiring Gender Affirmation: the experience of the University Hospital of Bari
Authors: Petruzzelli Maria Giuseppina , Furente Flora , Annecchini Federica , Tarantino Fabio , Legrottaglie Anna Rosi , Margari Francesco , Lavorato Elisabetta , Matera Emilia
Published: October 2023

Over the past twenty years the age at first visit in Gender Identity Clinics decreased and the number of adolescents referred to such Services appears to be increasing. Moreover, a growing body of research reveals that youths with Gender Dysphoria (GD) experience a range of psychiatric disorders at higher rates than the general population, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and self-harm. The objective of this study was to clinically describe a sample of adolescents with GD seeking Gender Affirmation (GA) who referred to the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatry Units, Translational Biomedicine and Neurosciences (DiBraiN), University of Bari, Italy, in the attempt to better characterize internalizing symptoms, emotion regulation ability, and emotional investment in the body, depending on whether the GD onset was early or late in life and whether GD is associated with self-harm or not. A total of 66 adolescents with a GA request with an average age of 14.6 (SD±1.68) were included in this study. the comparison according to the GD onset shows significant differences in the emotion dysregulation profile in the total score (p=0.018) and in non-acceptance and strategies scales (p=0.030; p=0.41) with higher scores in the adolescent onset group. The comparison according to the presence of SA behaviors shows statistically significant differences in YSR internalizing symptoms with higher scores in SA behaviors group in almost all dimensions investigated. Lastly, in this group, statistically significant higher scores were found in BIS dimensions Care and Protection (p=0.013; p=0.006).
PosMLP-Video: Spatial and Temporal Relative Position Encoding for Efficient Video Recognition
Authors: Hao Yanbin , Zhou Diansong , Wang Zhicai , Ngo Chong-Wah , He Xiangnan , Wang Meng
Published: October 2023

In recent years, vision Transformers and MLPs have demonstrated remarkable performance in image understanding tasks. However, their inherently dense computational operators, such as self-attention and token-mixing layers, pose significant challenges when applied to spatio-temporal video data. To address this gap, we propose PosMLP-Video, a lightweight yet powerful MLP-like backbone for video recognition. Instead of dense operators, we use efficient relative positional encoding (RPE) to build pairwise token relations, leveraging small-sized parameterized relative position biases to obtain each relation score. Specifically, to enable spatio-temporal modeling, we extend the image PosMLP’s positional gating unit to temporal, spatial, and spatio-temporal variants, namely PoTGU, PoSGU, and PoSTGU, respectively. These gating units can be feasibly combined into three types of spatio-temporal factorized positional MLP blocks, which not only decrease model complexity but also maintain good performance. Additionally, we improve the locality of modeling using window partitioning and enrich relative positional relationships using channel grouping. Experimental results demonstrate that PosMLP-Video achieves competitive speed-accuracy trade-offs compared to the previous state-of-the-art models. In particular, PosMLP-Video pre-trained on ImageNet1K achieves 59.0%/70.3% top-1 accuracy on Something-Something V1/V2 and 82.1% top-1 accuracy on Kinetics-400 while requiring much fewer parameters and FLOPs than other models. The code will be made publicly available.
Knowledge on HIV postexposure prophylaxis and associated factors among healthcare
workers in the Kigoma Region, Tanzania
Authors: Lyatula Zekky Mussolini , Mwanga Hussein
Published: October 2023

Background
HIV infection remains a major public health challenge globally. Healthcare workers are at a potential risk, and hence, adequate knowledge on HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) is imperative to prevent HIV infection postexposure to blood and body fluids. To break the chain of infection after potential exposures, extensive case management with HIV PEP is required to minimize chances of acquisition of the infection.
Aim
The aim of this study is to assess the level of knowledge on HIV PEP and associated factors among health care workers in the Kigoma Region, Tanzania.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 377 health care workers at Maweni Hospital, Kibondo District Hospital and Kasulu Town Council Hospital from November to December 2022. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists version 23.0. Adequate knowledge was defined as an overall score of 50% and above. A bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association between dependent and independent variables and determine the strength of the association between independent and dependent variables, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results
Out of 377 study participants, the majority 234 (62.1%) had adequate knowledge of HIV PEP. Health care workers from Kasulu District Hospital were more likely to have adequate knowledge on HIV PEP (AOR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.02–8.73) than health care workers from other health facilities. Almost 4-fold increased odds of having adequate knowledge on HIV PEP were observed among health care workers from facilities with HIV PEP services (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI: 2.41–6.29).
Conclusion
A significant proportion of study participants had adequate knowledge of HIV PEP. Working in Kasulu District Hospital and in facilities with HIV PEP service was associated with adequate knowledge on HIV PEP. Therefore, healthcare authorities in the Kigoma region should strengthen the implementation of formal HIV PEP. trainings, 24-hour HIV PEP service, and dissemination of updated information education communication materials alongside protocol guidelines to improve the overall adequate knowledge of health care workers in all health care facilities.
Morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) genotypes to water deficit
Authors: Gabira Mônica Moreno , Bergeron Yves , Duarte Manoela Mendes , de Aguiar Natália Saudade , Kratz Dagma , Silva Magali Ribeiro da , Wendling Ivar , Girona Miguel Montoro
Published: October 2023

Severe drought is expected to increase in frequency and intensity in South America, likely causing decreased plant productivity and altering species distributions. Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a tree species native to South America and has an ecological, social, and economic importance in several countries. Natural forests and cultivated areas of yerba mate will be endangered by climate change because of the expected reduction in water availability. Here we determined how four clonal genotypes of yerba mate (BRS BLD Yari, BRS BLD Aupaba, BRS 408, and EC40) respond to water deficits by evaluating the plants’ morphophysiological and biochemical characteristics when subjected to four levels of soil water holding capacity (WHC at 100%, 80%, 60%, or 40%) over 60 days. We observed a reduction in plant height and biomass accumulation related to the decrease in water availability; physiological and biochemical parameters indicated that water-deficit stress reduced the plants’ C assimilation and increased their production of bioactive compounds. BRS BLD Yari and BRS BLD Aupaba had a higher tolerance to low water availability, whereas the EC40 and BRS 408 genotypes experienced a more pronounced reduction in growth and biomass accumulation. Understanding how different yerba mate genotypes respond to water deficit is essential for favoring species conservation and developing climate-adapted breeding programs.
Transcriptomic Insights into the Antitumor Mechanism of Bufalin in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell HepG2
Authors: song qinghang , zhang huhu , Li Ya , Yang Lina
Published: October 2023

Aim
Bufalin, a cardiotonic steroid derived from Chinese toad venom, exhibits anticancer effects against a variety of malignancies. However, its mechanism of action in human liver cancer remains elusive. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of bufalin's antitumor activity in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in vitro.
Methods
HepG2 cells were exposed to 40nM bufalin or 0nM bufalin as a control, and their transcriptomes were compared using RNA sequencing. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and annotated, and enriched pathways were analyzed using Gene ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes, Gene set enrichment analysis, and Genomes databases.
Results
RNA sequencing revealed 771 DEGs, comprising 362 upregulated and 409 downregulated genes. These DEGs were involved in 78 classical pathways, including 18 closely associated with cancer, such as central carbon metabolism in cancer, cell cycle, DNA replication, fatty acid metabolism, ferroptosis, and so forth. Eleven DEGs (Acyl-CoA oxidase 2 et al.) closely associated with HCC were validated by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, confirming their differential expressions in response to bufalin treatment.
Conclusions
This study demonstrated that bufalin modulates the expression of genes and pathways implicated in various aspects of HCC pathogenesis and progression, such as energy metabolism, cell proliferation, DNA replication, lipid oxidation, and cell death. These findings suggest that bufalin may exert its antitumor effect on HCC cells by targeting multiple molecular mechanisms, and provide potential targets for bufalin-based HCC therapy.
Bash Comment Generation via Data Augmentation and Semantic-Aware CodeBERT
Authors: Shen Yiheng , Ju Xiaolin , Chen Xiang , Yang Guang
Published: October 2023

Understanding Bash code is challenging for developers due to its syntax flexibility and unique features. Bash lacks sufficient training data compared to comment generation tasks in popular programming languages. Furthermore, collecting more real Bash code and corresponding comments is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this study, we propose a two-module method named Bash2Com for Bash code comments generation. The first module, NP-GD, is a gradient-based automatic data augmentation component that enhances normalization stability when generating adversarial examples. The second module, MASA, leverages CodeBERT to learn the rich semantics of Bash code. Specifically, MASA considers the representations learned at each layer of CodeBERT as a set of semantic information that captures recursive relationships within the code. To generate comments for different Bash snippets, MASA employs LSTM and attention mechanisms to dynamically concentrate on relevant representational information. Then, we utilize the Transformer decoder and beam search algorithm to generate code comments. To evaluate the effectiveness of Bash2Com, we consider a corpus of 10,592 Bash code and Semantic-Aware CodeBERT and corresponding comments. Compared with the state-of-the-art base-lines, our experimental results show that Bash2Com can outperform all baselines by at least 10.19%, 11.81%, 2.61%, and 6.13% in terms of the performance measures BLEU-3/4, METEOR, and ROUGR-L. Moreover, the rationality of NP-GD and MASA in Bash2Com are verified by ablation studies. Finally, we conduct a human evaluation to illustrate the effectiveness of Bash2Com from practitioners’ perspectives.
Deep-Blue Organic Light-Emitting Diodes for Ultrahigh-Definition Displays
Authors: Yang Chuluo , Hua Tao , Cao Xiaosong , Miao Jingsheng , Yin Xiaojun , Chen Zhanxiang , Huang Zhongyan
Published: October 2023

Multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) materials have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation ultra-high definition displays due to their narrowband emission and triplet-harvesting capability. However, achieving optimal color purity and device efficiency for blue MR-TADF emitters has presented challenges. Here we demonstrate an effective approach to attain superior deep-blue molecules by constructing twisted boron/nitrogen/oxygen embedded higher-order fused-ring frameworks with fully resonating structures. The optimized emitter exhibits high rigidity and minimized bonding/anti-bonding character for ultra-sharp emission, along with near-degenerate singlet and triplet states and large spin-orbit couplings for rapid spin-flip. This combination of features allows our emitter to produce deep-blue emission at 458 nm with an exceptionally narrow full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 12 nm in solution, and a reverse intersystem crossing rate constant (kRISC) of 2.60 × 106 s−1, on par with those of heavy-atom-based MR-TADF molecules. The related single unit organic light-emitting diode (OLED) achieves an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 31.5% at color coordinates of (0.130, 0.050), and sets a new benchmark with its 13 nm FWHM, outperforming conventional light-emitting diodes, perovskite, and quantum-dot devices. Furthermore, the two-unit stacked tandem hyperfluorescence OLED realizes an ultra-high EQE of 74.5% and demonstrates low efficiency roll-off at high luminance. This exceptional performance represents a significant advancement in the quest to balance efficiency and color purity in the deep-blue region, marking an important step toward power-efficient ultrawide color gamut displays.
Factors associated with anatomical patterns of peptic ulcer perforations in a low income country: a multicenter cross sectional study
Authors: Edyedu Isaac , Okedi Francis Xaviour , Muhumuza Joshua , Asiimwe Daniel , Laker Goretty , Lule Herman
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Perforated peptic ulcer is the worst complication of peptic ulcer disease whose burden is disproportionately higher in low-income settings. However, there is paucity of published data on the patterns of perforated peptic ulcer in the region. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with anatomical patterns of peptic ulcer perforation, as well as the clinical, socio-demographic, and anatomical patterns among patients in Uganda. Methods: This was a cross sectional study that enrolled 83 consecutive patients with perforated peptic ulcers. At surgery the patterns of the perforations were determined and using a structured pretested questionnaire the social demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained. Logistic regression was done in SPSS version 22 to determine the factors associated with the anatomical patterns. Results: Perforated peptic ulcer disease was more prevalent amongst male (79.5%) peasants (56.8%) of rural residence (65.4%). Majority of study participants were of blood group O (43.2%). The gastric perforations were more common (74.1%) than duodenal, found anteriorly (81.5%) in most of the cases. Being a casual laborer was independently associated with lower odds of having a gastric perforation compared to being a peasant farmer (P < 0.05). Conclusion Public health campaigns aimed at prevention of peptic ulcer perforations should prioritize the males, peasants and those living in rural areas. When a patient in our setting is suspected to have a peptic ulcer perforation, the anterior part of the stomach should be considered as the most likely site involved more so in peasant farmers.
Long time dynamics of quasi-linear Hamiltonian Klein-Gordon equations on the circle
Authors: Feola Roberto , Giuliani Filippo
Published: October 2023

We consider a class of Hamiltonian Klein-Gordon equations with a quasilinear, quadratic nonlinearity under periodic boundary conditions. For a large set of masses, we provide a precise description of the dynamics for an open set of small initial data of size $\eps$ showing that the corresponding solutions remain close to oscillatory motions over a time scale $\eps^{-9/4+\delta}$ for any $\delta>0$. The key ingredients of the proof are normal form methods, para-differential calculus and a modified energy approach.
Synthesis of a hierarchical porous organic [4[2+3]+6] ‘cage of cages’
Authors: Little Marc , ZHU QIANG , Qu Hang , Avcı Gökay , Zhao Chengxi , Jelfs Kim , Cooper Andrew
Published: October 2023

We report a new two-step, hierarchical synthesis that assembles a trigonal prismatic organic cage into a more symmetrical, higher-order tetrahedral cage, or ‘cage of cages’. Both the pre-formed [2 + 3] trigonal cage building blocks and the resultant [4[2 + 3] + 6] tetrahedral cage molecule are constructed using ether bridges. This affords the [4[2 + 3] + 6]cage molecule excellent hydrolytic stability that is not a feature of more common dynamic cage linkers, such as imines. Despite its relatively high molar mass (3002 g mol− 1), this [4[2 + 3] + 6]cage exhibits good solubility and crystallises into a porous superstructure with a surface area of 763 m2 g− 1. By contrast, the [2 + 3] prismatic cage building block is not porous. The hierarchical [4[2 + 3] + 6]cage molecule shows high CO2 uptakes due to its polar skeleton. The preference for the [4[2 + 3] + 6]cage over other possible cage products can be predicted by computational modelling, suggesting a broader design strategy for hierarchical organic cages with synthetically engineered functions.
Size and velocity correlation for splashing droplets generated by jet impingement
Authors: Zeng Qin , Zhu David Z. , Qian Shangtuo , Xu Hui , Feng Jiangang , Ye Han , Li Pengcheng
Published: October 2023

Municipal drainage systems can transmit harmful microorganisms such as COVID-19 virus through wastewater as well as drain airflow with suspended tiny bio-droplets. The generation of tiny droplets in drainage systems can be simplified as the phenomenon of jet impingement and splashing, which is also common in industries, but the size and velocity correlation and the kinetic energy of splashing droplets remain unclear. This paper uses high-speed photography to study splashing from a jet impinging on a horizontal plate. Since the jet can break into successive drops before impingement, successive drops impingement and continuous jet impingement are defined and their splashing modes are revealed. Successive drops impingement and continuous jet impingement respectively produce splashing droplets with sizes smaller than 0.25 and 0.3 times the size of the impact drops and jet, and with the velocities up to 3.0 and 1.5 times the impact velocity. Correlations between size and velocity of splashing droplets are established: the range and maximum of velocity increase as diameter decreases, and the high velocity splashing droplets have ejection angles within 10° to 20°. For successive drops impingement, the percentage of total kinetic energy of splashing droplets relative to impact kinetic energy increases with impact Weber number and can reach nearly 50%, however, it varies little with impact Weber number for continuous jet impingement, reaching only 10%. Successive drops impingement produces more splashing droplets characterized by a combination of smaller size, higher velocity and larger ejection angle, resulting in a greater risk of producing airborne microorganisms.
Socioeconomic factors affecting the use of contraceptives: An empirical analysis on mothers having at least two children in Bangladesh.
Authors: Uddin Mohammad Safi
Published: October 2023

This study aimed to understand the factors influencing the use of contraceptives among women with two or more children, focusing on socio-demographic factors. Using cross-sectional data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18 (N=9977), the study found that 80.9% of women with at least two children were using contraceptives. As a statistical method, logistic regression was performed to identify the factors influencing contraception decisions for mothers of two or more children in Bangladesh. Knowledge about the source of contraceptives and ovulatory factors increased the likelihood of using contraceptives. The most influential factor for mothers of at least two children was the source of contraceptives, highlighting the importance of outreach activities by Family Planning (FP) workers. With the increase of living children, the use of contraceptives was found to be increased where the women with more sons were more likely to adopt contraception than that of women without son. The study concluded that incorporating reproductive and sex education into the academic curriculum, increasing domiciliary visits of FP workers, and addressing women from lower socioeconomic status should help improve contraceptive use. Policymakers should also provide modern contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Identification of α-mangostin as a potent inhibitor of β-lactamase OXA-48
Authors: Cheng Wenhui , Zhang Yuejuan , Chen Cheng , Gao Lei , Lv Yuwei , Yu Dian , Chen Bin , Wan Yi
Published: October 2023

The production of carbapenemases is a significant mechanism contributing to carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. Among these carbapenemases, OXA-48 presents a distinct challenge and threat, as most β-lactamase inhibitors do not effectively inhibit its activity. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory potential of α-mangostin against OXA-48 with an IC50 value of 0.52 μM. Enzyme activity assays demonstrated that α-mangostin inhibited OXA-48 reversibly through a non-competitive and dose-dependent inhibition mode. The docking analysis revealed that the 7-hydroxyl group of α-mangostin formed hydrogen bonds with Thr197 and Trp222, whereas the 5-hydroxyl group and the 4-carbonyl group interacted with Lys116 and Met115. Our study indicates that α-mangostin exhibits significant inhibition against OXA-48 and holds promise as a potential compound for the development of β-lactamase inhibitors.
Metabolomics Analysis of Cigar from China's Major Tobacco Growing Regions
Authors: li xueshan , Liu guoxiang , Wang Jun , Ji Yan , Li Yangyang , Li Yuan , Xiang Huan , Yang Aiguo , Dai Peigang , Zhang Xingwei , Zhou Huina
Published: October 2023

Background Despite the flourishing international trade of cigar tobacco leaves and China's significant cigar market, there has been limited systematic reports on the main characteristics of cigar tobacco leaves from different regions of China. These characteristics include the agro-ecological adaptability of cigar tobacco to major tobacco producing areas in China and the characteristics of cigar metabolite accumulation among different regions in China. Therefore, the cigar industry developed in various provinces in China lacks reference for agricultural and ecological adaptability assessment, reference for the selection of planting areas, and reference databases for cigar and tobacco metabolite characteristics.
Results The agronomic traits of the cigar tobacco varieties across the four regions displayed considerable value for harvesting. All four regions possessed the necessary agricultural conditions for conducting cigar tobacco agroecological adaptability research. A total of 793 metabolites were detected and annotated, including 80 volatile metabolites, 209 semi-volatile metabolites, and 504 endogenous metabolites. These comprised 113 alcohols, 97 sugars, 73 amino acids, 56 ketones, 45 alkanes, and 26 aldehydes. By selecting for VIP≥1, FC＞2, or FC＜0.5, 36.65% of metabolites exhibited differences between at least two experimental points. A preliminary reference database encompassing characteristics of metabolites accumulation of cigar tobacco was constructed, providing a reference for future metabolite research in various domestic cigar tobacco producing regions.
Conclusions Positive correlations between cigar tobacco yield and primary metabolite accumulation were observed. Prolonged high-temperature and rainy conditions were found to be detrimental to the accumulation of secondary metabolites responsible for aroma in cigar tobacco. Shifang, Sichuan (N: 31.127°, E: 104.168°) demonstrated significant advantages in the accumulation of various aroma-related metabolites such as aldehydes, sugars and amino acids. It was selected as a reference point for subsequent comparisons of metabolite accumulation levels in cigar tobacco, offering insights and references for the cultivation site selection and in-depth metabolite research of cigar tobacco in China.