bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treating acute exacerbations of COPD with Chinese herbal medicine to aid antibiotic use reduction (Excalibur): a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled feasibility trial
Authors: Willcox Merlin L. , Hu Xiao-Yang , Oliver Tom , Thorne Kerensa , Boxall Cherish , He George , Simpson Catherine , Brotherwood Becci , O’Neil Alice , Waugh Robert , Tilt Emma , Trill Jeanne , Goward Neville , Francis Nick , Thomas Michael , Little Paul , Wilkinson Tom , Liu Jian-Ping , Griffiths Gareth , Moore Michael
Published: September 2023

Background: Although many acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) are triggered by non-bacterial causes, they are often treated with antibiotics. Preliminary research suggests that the Chinese herbal medicine “Shufeng Jiedu” (SFJD), may improve recovery and therefore reduce antibiotic use in patients with AECOPD.

Aims: To assess the feasibility of conducting a randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial of SFJD for AECOPD in UK primary care.

Methods: GPs opportunistically recruited patients experiencing an AECOPD. Participants were randomised 1:1 to usual care plus SFJD or placebo for 14 days. Participants, GPs and research nurses were blinded to treatment allocation. GPs could prescribe immediate, delayed or no antibiotics, with delayed prescribing encouraged where appropriate. Participants were asked to complete a participant diary, including EXACT-PRO and CAT™ questionnaires for up to 4 weeks. Outcomes included recruitment rate and other measures of study feasibility described using only descriptive statistics and with no formal comparisons between groups. We also conducted qualitative interviews with recruited and non-recruited COPD patients and clinicians, analysed using framework analysis.

Results: Over 6 months, 19 participants (6 SFJD, 13 placebo) were recruited. Sixteen (84%) participants returned diaries or provided a diary by recall. Overall, 1.3 participants were recruited per 1,000 patients on the COPD register per month open. Median duration of treatment was 9.8 days in the intervention group vs 13.3 days in the placebo group. The main reason for discontinuation in both groups was perceived side-effects. in both groups. Point estimates for both the EXACT-PRO and CAT™ outcomes suggested possible small benefits of SFJD. Most patients and clinicians were happy to try SFJD as an alternative to antibiotics for AECOPD. Recruitment was lower than expected because of the short recruitment period, the lower incidence of AECOPD during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients starting antibiotics from “rescue packs” before seeing their GP, and workforce challenges in primary care.

Conclusion: Recruitment was impaired by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, we were able to demonstrate the feasibility of recruiting and randomising participants and identified approaches to address recruitment challenges such as including the trial medication in COPD patients’ “rescue packs” and delegating recruitment to a central trials team.

Clinical Trial Registration: Identifier, ISRCTN26614726
A disulfidptosis-related lncRNA prognostic model to predict survival and response to immunotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Hai-Bo , Pan Jian-Yan , Zhu Tao
Published: September 2023

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the major subtype of lung cancer and has a poor prognosis. Disulfidptosis is a novel regulated cell death form characterized by aberrant disulfide stress and actin network collapse. This study aimed to identify disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs, and predict LUAD patients’ prognosis and response to antitumor therapies by establishing a disulfidptosis-related lncRNA model.

Methods: Transcriptome and clinical data of LUAD patients were obtained from the TCGA database. Pearson correlation and Cox regression analysis was used to identify disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs associated with overall survival. LASSO regression analysis was adopted to construct the prognostic model. GO, KEGG and GSEA analysis was used to identify cellular pathways related to this model. Immune cell infiltration was investigated by ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) and its association with model-derived risk score were analyzed using simple nucleotide variation data. Patients’ response to immunotherapy and other antineoplastic drugs was predicted by the TIDE algorithm and GDSC tool, respectively.

Results: We identified 127 disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs, and a prognostic model that consists eight of them (KTN1-AS1, AL365181.3, MANCR, LINC01352, AC090559.1, AC093673.1, AP001094.3, and MHENCR) was established and verified. The prognostic model could stratify LUAD patients into two distinct risk-score groups. A high risk score was an independent prognosis factor indicating poor overall survival, and correlated with reduced immune cell infiltration, high TMB, and lower activity of tumor immune response. Immune checkpoint blockade might bring more survival benefits to the high-risk LUAD patients, whereas low-risk patients might be more responsive to targeted therapy and diverse kinase inhibitors.

Conclusion: We established a disulfidptosis-related lncRNA model that can be exploited to predict the prognosis, tumor mutational burden, immune cell infiltration landscape, and response to immunotherapy and targeted therapy in LUAD patients.
Change in diaphragmatic morphology in single-lung transplant recipients: a computed tomographic study
Authors: Touchon François , Bermudez Julien , Habert Paul , Bregeon Fabienne , Thomas Pascal Alexandre , Reynaud-Gaubert Martine , Coiffard Benjamin
Published: September 2023

Introduction: The influence of lung disease on the diaphragm has been poorly studied. The study aimed to evaluate the diaphragm morphology (height and thickness) in single-lung transplantation (SLTx), using computed tomography (CT), by assessing the evolution of the hemidiaphragm of the transplanted and the native side.

Methods: Patients who underwent single lung transplantation in our center (Marseille, France) between January 2009 and January 2022 were retrospectively included. Thoracic or abdominal CT scans performed before and the closest to and at least 3 months after the surgery were used to measure the diaphragm crus thickness and the diaphragm dome height.

Results: 31 patients mainly transplanted for emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis were included. We demonstrated a significant increase in diaphragm crus thickness on the side of the transplanted lung, with an estimated difference of + 1.25 mm, p = <0.001, at the level of the celiac artery, and + 0.90 mm, p < 0.001, at the level of the L1 vertebra while no significant difference was observed on the side of the native lung. We showed a significant reduction in the diaphragm height after SLTx on the transplanted side (−1.20 cm, p = 0.05), while no change on the native side (+0.02 cm, p = 0.88).

Conclusion: After a SLTx, diaphragmatic morphology significantly changed on the transplanted lung, while remaining altered on the native lung. These results highlights that an impaired lung may have a negative impact on its diaphragm. Replacement with a healthy lung can promote the recovery of the diaphragm to its anatomical morphology, reinforcing the close relationship between these two organs.
Determination of spinal tracer dispersion after intrathecal injection in a deformable CNS model
Authors: Ayansiji Ayankola O. , Gehrke Daniel S. , Baralle Bastien , Nozain Ariel , Singh Meenesh R. , Linninger Andreas A.
Published: September 2023

Background: Traditionally, there is a widely held belief that drug dispersion after intrathecal (IT) delivery is confined locally near the injection site. We posit that high-volume infusions can overcome this perceived limitation of IT administration.

Methods: To test our hypothesis, subject-specific deformable phantom models of the human central nervous system were manufactured so that tracer infusion could be realistically replicated in vitro over the entire physiological range of pulsating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amplitudes and frequencies. The distribution of IT injected tracers was studied systematically with high-speed optical methods to determine its dependence on injection parameters (infusion volume, flow rate, and catheter configurations) and natural CSF oscillations in a deformable model of the central nervous system (CNS).

Results: Optical imaging analysis of high-volume infusion experiments showed that tracers spread quickly throughout the spinal subarachnoid space, reaching the cervical region in less than 10 min. The experimentally observed biodispersion is much slower than suggested by the Taylor–Aris dispersion theory. Our experiments indicate that micro-mixing patterns induced by oscillatory CSF flow around microanatomical features such as nerve roots significantly accelerate solute transport. Strong micro-mixing effects due to anatomical features in the spinal subarachnoid space were found to be active in intrathecal drug administration but were not considered in prior dispersion theories. Their omission explains why prior models developed in the engineering community are poor predictors for IT delivery.

Conclusion: Our experiments support the feasibility of targeting large sections of the neuroaxis or brain utilizing high-volume IT injection protocols. The experimental tracer dispersion profiles acquired with an anatomically accurate, deformable, and closed in vitro human CNS analog informed a new predictive model of tracer dispersion as a function of physiological CSF pulsations and adjustable infusion parameters. The ability to predict spatiotemporal dispersion patterns is an essential prerequisite for exploring new indications of IT drug delivery that targets specific regions in the CNS or the brain.
Overcoming genetic paucity of Camelina sativa: possibilities for interspecific hybridization conditioned by the genus evolution pathway
Authors: Blume Rostyslav Y. , Kalendar Ruslan , Guo Liang , Cahoon Edgar B. , Blume Yaroslav B.
Published: September 2023

Camelina or false flax (Camelina sativa) is an emerging oilseed crop and a feedstock for biofuel production. This species is believed to originate from Western Asian and Eastern European regions, where the center of diversity of the Camelina genus is located. Cultivated Camelina species arose via a series of polyploidization events, serving as bottlenecks narrowing genetic diversity of the species. The genetic paucity of C. sativa is foreseen as the most crucial limitation for successful breeding and improvement of this crop. A potential solution to this challenge could be gene introgression from Camelina wild species or from resynthesized allohexaploid C. sativa. However, both approaches would require a complete comprehension of the evolutionary trajectories that led to the C. sativa origin. Although there are some studies discussing the origin and evolution of Camelina hexaploid species, final conclusions have not been made yet. Here, we propose the most complete integrated evolutionary model for the Camelina genus based on the most recently described findings, which enables efficient improvement of C. sativa via the interspecific hybridization with its wild relatives. We also discuss issues of interspecific and intergeneric hybridization, aimed on improving C. sativa and overcoming the genetic paucity of this crop. The proposed comprehensive evolutionary model of Camelina species indicates that a newly described species Camelina neglecta has a key role in origin of tetra- and hexaploids, all of which have two C. neglecta-based subgenomes. Understanding of species evolution within the Camelina genus provides insights into further research on C. sativa improvements via gene introgression from wild species, and a potential resynthesis of this emerging oilseed crop.
Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of rice plant interaction with invasive weed Leptochloa chinensis
Authors: Zhang Liang , Chen Ke , Li Tianrui , Yuan Shuren , Li Chenyang , Bai Lianyang , Wang Lifeng
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Leptochloa chinensis is an annual weed in paddy fields, which can engage in competition with rice, leading to a severe yield reduction. However, theunderlying mechanism governing this interaction remain unknown.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the mutual inhibition between rice and the weed undermono-culture and co-culture conditions. We found that the root exudates of both species played essential roles in mediating the mutual inhibition. Further metabolomic analysis identified a significant number of differential metabolites. These metabolites were predominantly enriched in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways in weed and rice. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes responding to the interaction were also enriched in these pathways.

Results

Phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways are associated with allelopathy, indicating their pivotal role in the response of rice-weed mutual inhibition.

Discussion

Our findings shed light on the conserved molecular responses of rice and L. chinensis during theirinteraction, provide evidence to dissect the mechanisms underlying the allelopathic interaction and offer potential strategies for weed management in rice paddies.
Predicting non-improvement of symptoms in daily mental healthcare practice using routinely collected patient-level data: a machine learning approach
Authors: Franken Katinka , ten Klooster Peter , Bohlmeijer Ernst , Westerhof Gerben , Kraiss Jannis
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Anxiety and mood disorders greatly affect the quality of life for individuals worldwide. A substantial proportion of patients do not sufficiently improve during evidence-based treatments in mental healthcare. It remains challenging to predict which patients will or will not benefit. Moreover, the limited research available on predictors of treatment outcomes comes from efficacy RCTs with strict selection criteria which may limit generalizability to a real-world context. The current study evaluates the performance of different machine learning (ML) models in predicting non-improvement in an observational sample of patients treated in routine specialized mental healthcare.

Methods

In the current longitudinal exploratory prediction study diagnosis-related, sociodemographic, clinical and routinely collected patient-reported quantitative outcome measures were acquired during treatment as usual of 755 patients with a primary anxiety, depressive, obsessive compulsive or trauma-related disorder in a specialized outpatient mental healthcare center. ML algorithms were trained to predict non-response (< 0.5 standard deviation improvement) in symptomatic distress 6 months after baseline. Different models were trained, including models with and without early change scores in psychopathology and well-being and models with a trimmed set of predictor variables. Performance of trained models was evaluated in a hold-out sample (30%) as a proxy for unseen data.

Results

ML models without early change scores performed poorly in predicting six-month non-response in the hold-out sample with Area Under the Curves (AUCs) < 0.63. Including early change scores slightly improved the models’ performance (AUC range: 0.68–0.73). Computationally-intensive ML models did not significantly outperform logistic regression (AUC: 0.69). Reduced prediction models performed similar to the full prediction models in both the models without (AUC: 0.58–0.62 vs. 0.58–0.63) and models with early change scores (AUC: 0.69–0.73 vs. 0.68–0.71). Across different ML algorithms, early change scores in psychopathology and well-being consistently emerged as important predictors for non-improvement.

Conclusion

Accurately predicting treatment outcomes in a mental healthcare context remains challenging. While advanced ML algorithms offer flexibility, they showed limited additional value compared to traditional logistic regression in this study. The current study confirmed the importance of taking early change scores in both psychopathology and well-being into account for predicting longer-term outcomes in symptomatic distress.
The ethical imperative to honor autistic clients’ autonomy in mental health treatment
Authors: McVey Alana J. , Glaves Katherine Jo , Seaver Samantha , Casagrande Karís A.
Published: September 2023

Autistic adolescents and adults commonly experience mental health concerns; however, mental health clinicians may hold implicit stigmatizing views of autism that contribute to case conceptualization and treatment goal setting that align more with caregivers’ than clients’ goals. This impingement on client autonomy is concerning, problematic, and potentially harmful for autistic clients who are of an age to set their own treatment agenda regardless of co-occurring intellectual disability and/or language delays. An application of the shared decision-making framework, an evidence-based tool for promoting client autonomy, can help to avoid these challenges in treatment. In this perspective, we use a case vignette as an anchor for discussing the imperative of honoring autistic clients’ autonomy in mental health treatment and guiding shared decision-making to reduce stigma, promote autonomy, and increase collaborative care for autistic clients in mental health treatment.
Loop diuretics association with Alzheimer’s disease risk
Authors: Graber-Naidich Anna , Lee Justin , Younes Kyan , Greicius Michael D. , Le Guen Yann , He Zihuai
Published: September 2023

Objectives: To investigate whether exposure history to two common loop diuretics, bumetanide and furosemide, affects the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) after accounting for socioeconomic status and congestive heart failure.

Methods: Individuals exposed to bumetanide or furosemide were identified in the Stanford University electronic health record using the de-identified Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership platform. We matched the AD case cohort to a control cohort (1:20 case:control) on gender, race, ethnicity, and hypertension, and controlled for variables that could potentially be collinear with bumetanide exposure and/or AD diagnosis. Among individuals older than 65 years, 5,839 AD cases and 116,103 matched controls were included. A total of 1,759 patients (54 cases and 1,705 controls) were exposed to bumetanide.

Results: After adjusting for socioeconomic status and other confounders, the exposure of bumetanide and furosemide was significantly associated with reduced AD risk (respectively, bumetanide odds ratio [OR] = 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15–0.36; p = 4.0 × 10−11; furosemide OR = 0.42; 95% CI, 0.38–0.47; p < 2.0 × 10−16).

Discussion: Our study replicates in an independent sample that a history of bumetanide exposure is associated with reduced AD risk while also highlighting an association of the most common loop diuretic (furosemide) with reduced AD risk. These associations need to be additionally replicated, and the mechanism of action remains to be investigated.
mPD-APP: a mobile-enabled plant diseases diagnosis application using convolutional neural network toward the attainment of a food secure world
Authors: Asani Emmanuel Oluwatobi , Osadeyi Yomi Phineas , Adegun Adekanmi A. , Viriri Serestina , Ayoola Joyce A. , Kolawole Ebenezer Ayorinde
Published: September 2023

The devastating effect of plant disease infestation on crop production poses a significant threat to the attainment of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) of food security, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. This has been further exacerbated by the lack of effective and accessible plant disease detection technologies. Farmers' inability to quickly and accurately diagnose plant diseases leads to crop destruction and reduced productivity. The diverse range of existing plant diseases further complicates detection for farmers without the right technologies, hindering efforts to combat food insecurity in the region. This study presents a web-based plant diagnosis application, referred to as mobile-enabled Plant Diagnosis-Application (mPD-App). First, a publicly available image dataset, containing a diverse range of plant diseases, was acquired from Kaggle for the purpose of training the detection system. The image dataset was, then, made to undergo the preprocessing stage which included processes such as image-to-array conversion, image reshaping, and data augmentation. The training phase leverages the vast computational ability of the convolutional neural network (CNN) to effectively classify image datasets. The CNN model architecture featured six convolutional layers (including the fully connected layer) with phases, such as normalization layer, rectified linear unit (RELU), max pooling layer, and dropout layer. The training process was carefully managed to prevent underfitting and overfitting of the model, ensuring accurate predictions. The mPD-App demonstrated excellent performance in diagnosing plant diseases, achieving an overall accuracy of 93.91%. The model was able to classify 14 different types of plant diseases with high precision and recall values. The ROC curve showed a promising area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.946, indicating the model's reliability in detecting diseases. The web-based mPD-App offers a valuable tool for farmers and agricultural stakeholders in Sub-Saharan Africa, to detect and diagnose plant diseases effectively and efficiently. To further improve the application's performance, ongoing efforts should focus on expanding the dataset and refining the model's architecture. Agricultural authorities and policymakers should consider promoting and integrating such technologies into existing agricultural extension services to maximize their impact and benefit the farming community.
Neither entrepreneurship nor intrapreneurship: a review of how to become an innovative split-off start-up
Authors: Knossalla Christina Elisabeth , Carbon Claus-Christian
Published: September 2023

Splitting off departments from corporations in order to establish corporate start-ups has become of strategic importance for the performance and innovation of corporations. While the settlement process is widely practiced, there is a lack of knowledge of how entrepreneurship may exist in such split-offs. The main aim of this study was to explore how entrepreneurship in corporate start-ups can exist in order to contribute to corporate performance. Based on a systematic literature review from 2021 to 2023, which resulted in a total of 1,516 scientific, English-language articles in economic journals, a total of 150 articles were analyzed in-depth. Our research shows that it is of crucial importance that corporations position leaders with an appropriate mindset and behavior at all levels as early as starting the split-off process, which is, however, neither entrepreneurship nor intrapreneurship. The niche corporative start-up area shows that entrepreneurship is a continuum and requires a new definition of corporate start-up entrepreneurship (CSE). For corporate start-ups to be successful, we revealed that there needs to be (1) the appropriate legal form, which ensures ownership but also the risk of the leaders, (2) an explorative business rather than exploitation, (3) variable compensation rather than fixed and (4) corporate entrepreneurs rather than employees and managers. Implications of the findings for entrepreneurial leadership theory development and future research are discussed.
Thematic evidencing of youth-empowering interventions in livestock production systems in Sub-Sahara Africa: a systematic review
Authors: Nchanji Eileen Bogweh , Kamunye Kelvin , Ageyo Collins
Published: September 2023

Five to seven in every 10 people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are youths. They have significantly low employment rates but are unattracted to agriculture. Recently, the sector has witnessed considerable efforts by African governments to promote youth participation. While these efforts have started to bear fruits, salient gender issues remain hard to address and solve promptly. For example, youth empowerment issues—whether mutual or emancipative, asset ownership, taboos and cultural expectations, perceptions against climate change, and use of technology and ICT significantly influence livestock production among pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. While these problems are partly known and being solved, it is to be understood the extent and the salient gender issues that drive youth participation in livestock production. To understand this, we conducted a systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to thematically synthesize and evidence the youth-empowering interventions in livestock production systems in Sub-Sahara Africa. Peer-reviewed studies were retrieved from online databases (Scopus, Google ScholarTM, and gray literature). The findings show that youth face significant barriers to participating in livestock systems ranging from limited empowerment, limited access to productive assets and land, social-cultural limitations and inadequate youth-focused policy implementation. Despite the hurdles, youths, and other actors are employing various mechanisms to overcome them and enhance their participation in livestock systems. They utilize self-driven approaches such as gifting animals amongst themselves, forming saving groups commonly referred to as merry-go-rounds and belonging to community group formations as a form of social capital to empower themselves mutually. Education is also an empowerment tool for youths in the livestock sector. Emancipative empowerment through participation in political and community-level leadership is taking shape, though still in its infancy. There are opportunities presented by small ruminants and poultry where women and youths are getting a voice in the community by becoming relatively income independent and desisting from waiting for the inheritance of large livestock and assets from men. Opportunities presented by ICT in the field of livestock have been taken advantage of through the use of various apps and internet tools to enhance youth participation in livestock systems.
Effects of wearable therapies on jump performance in sport horses
Authors: Schmidt Therese E. , Gleason Claire B. , Samaniego Mercedez R. , White Robin R.
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Failure to properly prepare the equine athlete for exercise and support post-exercise recovery is a contributing factor to physical breakdown and lameness. Equine physiotherapy was not introduced until the early twentieth century and has since evolved to allow for wearable therapies such as therapeutic boots to be accessible to a broad spectrum of equestrians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ceramic boots, boots combining vibration and cryotherapy, and boots containing tourmaline on the performance of sport horses during jumping as well as to examine changes in vital signs in response to treatment.

Methods

Eight healthy horses received the 3 therapeutic boot treatments or a control (no boot) in a Latin square experiment for a period of 5 days each. Horses performed approximately 10 min of exercise through a jump chute for the 5 consecutive days and jump performance parameters were recorded during each exercise session. Therapeutics were applied in the morning prior to exercise per the manufacturer’s recommendation and were removed only for exercise.

Results and Discussion

In a Bayesian network analysis, changes in vital signs (heart rate, respiration, and temperature) were driven by individual animal, rather than boot treatment. Jump performance was influenced by boot treatment, physiological measurements, and individual animal. Therapeutic boots were associated with changes in conditional probabilities of numerous performance outcomes. This study indicates the use of wearable therapies may result in improved performance outcomes of sport horses in jumping exercises.
Dolutegravir resistance in sub-Saharan Africa: should resource-limited settings be concerned for future treatment?
Authors: Kamori Doreen , Barabona Godfrey
Published: September 2023

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) the burden of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) has been high over the years. Therefore, in 2018 the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a regimen based on a integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI), dolutegravir, as the default first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in countries in SSA. The scale-up of DTG-based regimens in SSA has gained significant momentum since 2018 and has continued to expand across multiple countries in recent years. However, whether or not the DTG robustness experienced in the developed world will also be achieved in SSA settings is still an important question. Evidence generated from in vitro and in vivo studies suggests that the emergence of DTG HIVDR is HIV-1 subtype dependent. These findings demonstrate that the extensive HIV-1 diversity in SSA can influence DTG effectiveness and the emergence of drug resistance. In addition, the programmatic approach to the transition to DTG adopted by many countries in the SSA region potentially exposes individuals to DTG functional monotherapy, which is associated with the emergence of DTG resistance. In this mini review, we describe the current trends of the effectiveness of DTG as reflected by viral suppression and DTG resistance. Furthermore, we explore how HIV-1 diversity and the programmatic approach in SSA could shape DTG effectiveness and DTG HIVDR in the region.
Enhancing Ultimate Bearing Capacity Prediction of Cohesionless Soils Beneath Shallow Foundations with Grey Box and Hybrid AI Models
Authors: Kiany Katayoon , Baghbani Abolfazl , Abuel-Naga Hossam , Baghbani Hasan , Arabani Mahyar , Shalchian Mohammad Mahdi
Published: September 2023

This study examines the potential of the soft computing technique, namely, multiple linear regression (MLR), genetic programming (GP), classification and regression trees (CART) and GA-ENN (genetic algorithm-emotional neuron network), to predict the ultimate bearing capacity (UBC) of cohesionless soils beneath shallow foundations. For the first time, two grey-box AI models, GP and CART, and one hybrid AI model, GA-ENN, were used in the literature to predict UBC. The inputs of the model are the width of footing (B), depth of footing (D), footing geometry (ratio of length to width, L/B), unit weight of sand (γd or γ′), and internal friction angle (ϕ). The results of the present model were compared with those obtained via two theoretical approaches and one AI approach reported in the literature. The statistical evaluation of results shows that the presently applied paradigm is better than the theoretical approaches and is competing well for the prediction of qu. This study shows that the developed AI models are a robust model for the qu prediction of shallow foundations on cohesionless soil. Sensitivity analysis was also carried out to determine the effect of each input parameter. The findings showed that the width and depth of the foundation and unit weight of soil (γd or γ′) played the most significant roles, while the internal friction angle and L/B showed less importance in predicting qu.
Multiple Factor Analysis Based on NIPALS Algorithm to Solve Missing Data Problems
Authors: Ochoa-Muñoz Andrés F. , Contreras-Reyes Javier E.
Published: September 2023

Missing or unavailable data (NA) in multivariate data analysis is often treated with imputation methods and, in some cases, records containing NA are eliminated, leading to the loss of information. This paper addresses the problem of NA in multiple factor analysis (MFA) without resorting to eliminating records or using imputation techniques. For this purpose, the nonlinear iterative partial least squares (NIPALS) algorithm is proposed based on the principle of available data. NIPALS presents a good alternative when data imputation is not feasible. Our proposed method is called MFA-NIPALS and, based on simulation scenarios, we recommend its use until 15% of NAs of total observations. A case of groups of quantitative variables is studied and the proposed NIPALS algorithm is compared with the regularized iterative MFA algorithm for several percentages of NA.
Effects of Zinc Source and Level on the Intestinal Immunity of Xueshan Chickens under Heat Stress
Authors: Jin Jian , Xue Mengxiao , Tang Yuchen , Zhang Liangliang , Hu Ping , Hu Yun , Cai Demin , Luo Xugang , Sun Ming-an
Published: September 2023

Heat stress can cause intestinal inflammation, impaired barrier integrity, and decreased immunity in poultry. While zinc is known to mitigate the adverse effects of heat stress, how the dietary supplementation of different sources and levels of it can improve the heat stress capacity of Chinese landraces remains unclear. This study investigated Xueshan chickens, which are an important local breed in China. The effects of different levels of ZnS and Zn-Prot M on their intestinal immune function under heat stress were compared. We found that different levels of ZnS and Zn-Prot M could effectively reduce the secretion level of IL-6 in the serum, and 60 mg/kg was optimal. Compared with ZnS, Zn-Prot M significantly increased duodenal villus height and VH/CD ratio. ZnS and Zn-Prot M effectively increased the villus height and villus width in the jejunum and ileum at 74 and 88 days old, with the 60 and 90 mg/kg groups outperforming other groups, and Zn-Prot M was more effective than ZnS. Both ZnS and Zn-Prot M significantly down-regulated TNF-α, IL-1β, and MyD88 in 102-day-old duodenum, and IL-1β, IL-6, and NFKBIA in jejunum and ileum at 74, 88, and 102 days old, with 60 mg/kg Zn-Prot M determined as optimal. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that Zn-Prot M is superior to ZnS in improving intestinal immunity in Xueshan chickens, and 60 mg/kg is the optimal addition dose.
The Telluride YAP/TAZ and TEAD Workshop: A Small Meeting with a Big Impact
Authors: Weinberg Guy L. , Salamon Peter , Lamar John M.
Published: September 2023

Funding the research needed to advance our understanding of rare cancers is very challenging [...]
Randomized Trial Evaluating a Self-Guided Lifestyle Intervention Delivered via Evidence-Based Materials versus a Waitlist Group on Changes in Body Weight, Diet Quality, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Puklin Leah S. , Harrigan Maura , Cartmel Brenda , Sanft Tara , Gottlieb Linda , Zhou Bin , Ferrucci Leah M. , Li Fang-Yong , Spiegelman Donna , Sharifi Mona , Irwin Melinda L.
Published: September 2023

Background: Lifestyle interventions for breast cancer survivors have proved effective at stimulating positive behavior change and promoting healthy weight loss, although integrating these programs into clinical practice is challenging. We evaluated the effect of a 6-month, unsupervised, self-guided, lifestyle intervention using printed materials and online videos vs. waitlist group on body weight for breast cancer survivors. Methods: The Lifestyle, Exercise and Nutrition (LEAN) Self-Guided trial randomized breast cancer survivors with a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 to a 6-month lifestyle intervention (N = 102) or waitlist group (N = 103). Effects of the intervention on self-reported body weight, physical activity (PA), diet quality (via Health Eating Index—2010 (HEI-2010)), and quality of life were assessed using mixed model repeated measures analysis. Results: At 6 months, the intervention arm had significantly greater weight loss compared with the waitlist group (mean difference = −1.3 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −2.5, −0.13). We observed suggestive improvements in PA (mean difference = 18.7 min/week, 95% CI = −24.2, 61.6), diet quality (mean difference in HEI = 3.2 points, 95% CI = −0.20, 6.5), and fatigue (mean difference in Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Fatigue scale = 1.4 points, 95% CI = −1.1, 3.9). Conclusions: The LEAN Self-Guided intervention led to favorable weight changes over 6 months. Low-resource-intensive programs have the potential to be delivered in diverse healthcare settings and may support breast cancer survivors in achieving a healthy body weight.
MicroRNA-34 Family in Cancers: Role, Mechanism, and Therapeutic Potential
Authors: Fu Junjiang , Imani Saber , Wu Mei-Yi , Wu Ray-Chang
Published: September 2023

MicroRNA (miRNA) are small noncoding RNAs that play vital roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation by inhibiting mRNA translation or promoting mRNA degradation. The dysregulation of miRNA has been implicated in numerous human diseases, including cancers. miR-34 family members (miR-34s), including miR-34a, miR-34b, and miR-34c, have emerged as the most extensively studied tumor-suppressive miRNAs. In this comprehensive review, we aim to provide an overview of the major signaling pathways and gene networks regulated by miR-34s in various cancers and highlight the critical tumor suppressor role of miR-34s. Furthermore, we will discuss the potential of using miR-34 mimics as a novel therapeutic approach against cancer, while also addressing the challenges associated with their development and delivery. It is anticipated that gaining a deeper understanding of the functions and mechanisms of miR-34s in cancer will greatly contribute to the development of effective miR-34-based cancer therapeutics.
Pelvic Exenteration for Recurrent Endometrial Cancer: A 15-Year Monocentric Retrospective Study
Authors: Fix Nando , Classen-von Spee Sabrina , Baransi Saher , Luengas-Würzinger Verónica , Rawert Friederike , Lippert Ruth , Mallmann Peter , Lampe Björn
Published: September 2023

Treatment options for recurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma are limited. In those cases, secondary surgical procedures such as pelvic exenteration form the only possible curative approach. The aim of this study was analyzing the outcomes of patients who underwent pelvic exenteration during the treatment of recurrent endometrial cancer intending to identify prognostic factors. More than 300 pelvic exenterations were performed. Fifteen patients were selected that received pelvic exenteration for recurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma. Data regarding patient characteristics, indication for surgery, complete cytoreduction, tumor grading and p53- and L1CAM-expression were collected and statistically evaluated. Univariate Cox regression was performed to identify predictive factors for long-term survival. The mean survival after pelvic exenteration for the whole patient population was 22.7 months, with the longest survival reaching up to 69 months. Overall survival was significantly longer for patients with a curative treatment intention (p = 0.015) and for patients with a well or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (p = 0.014). Complete cytoreduction seemed favorable with a mean survival of 32 months in contrast to 10 months when complete cytoreduction was not achieved. Pelvic exenteration is a possible treatment option for a selected group of patients resulting in a mean survival of nearly two years, offering a substantial prognostic improvement.
Comparing Robotic-Assisted to Open Radical Cystectomy in the Management of Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Propensity Score Matched-Pair Analysis
Authors: Courboin Etienne , Mathieu Romain , Panetta Valentina , Mjaess Georges , Diamand Romain , Verhoest Gregory , Roumiguié Mathieu , Bajeot Anne Sophie , Soria Francesco , Lonati Chiara , Simeone Claudio , Simone Giuseppe , Anceschi Umberto , Umari Paolo , Sridhar Ashwin , Kelly John , Mertens Laura S. , Sanchez-Salas Rafael , Colomer Anna , Cerruto Maria Angela , Antonelli Alessandro , Krajewski Wojciech , Quackels Thierry , Peltier Alexandre , Montorsi Francesco , Briganti Alberto , Teoh Jeremy Y. C. , Pradere Benjamin , Moschini Marco , Roumeguère Thierry , Albisinni Simone
Published: September 2023

Background: For non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) requiring radical surgery, limited data are available comparing robotic-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion (iRARC) to open radical cystectomy (ORC). The objective of this study was to compare the two surgical techniques. Methods: A multicentric cohort of 593 patients with NMIBC undergoing iRARC or ORC between 2015 and 2020 was prospectively gathered. Perioperative and pathologic outcomes were compared. Results: A total of 143 patients operated on via iRARC were matched to 143 ORC patients. Operative time was longer in the iRARC group (p = 0.034). Blood loss was higher in the ORC group (p < 0.001), with a consequent increased post-operative transfusion rate in the ORC group (p = 0.003). Length of stay was longer in the ORC group (p = 0.007). Post-operative complications did not differ significantly (all p > 0.05). DFS at 60 months was 55.9% in ORC and 75.2% in iRARC with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.033) found in the univariate analysis. Conclusion: We found that iRARC for patients with NMIBC is safe, associated with a lower blood loss, a lower transfusion rate and a shorter hospital stay compared to ORC. Complication rates were similar. No significant differences in survival analyses emerged across the two techniques.
E-Cadherin Is Expressed in Epithelial Cells of the Choroid Plexus in Human and Mouse Brains
Authors: Takebayashi Genta , Chiba Yoichi , Wakamatsu Keiji , Murakami Ryuta , Miyai Yumi , Matsumoto Koichi , Uemura Naoya , Yanase Ken , Shirakami Gotaro , Ogino Yuichi , Ueno Masaki
Published: September 2023

Evidence showing the functional significance of the choroid plexus is accumulating. Epithelial cells with tight and adherens junctions of the choroid plexus play important roles in cerebrospinal fluid production and circadian rhythm formation. Although specific types of cadherin expressed in adherens junctions of choroid plexus epithelium (CPE) have been examined, they remained uncertain. Recent mass spectrometry and immunolocalization analysis revealed that non-epithelial cadherins, P- and N-cadherins, are expressed in the lateral membrane of CPE, whereas E-cadherin expression has not been confirmed in CPE of humans or mice. In this study, we examined E-cadherin expression in CPE of mice and humans by RT-PCR, immunohistochemical-, and Western blotting analyses. We confirmed, by using RT-PCR analysis, the mRNA expression of E-cadherin in the choroid plexus of mice. The immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin was noted in the lateral membrane of CPE of mice and humans. We further confirmed, in Western blotting, the specific immunoreactivity for E-cadherin. Immunohistochemically, the expression of E- and N-cadherins or vimentin was unevenly distributed in some CPE, whereas that of E- and P-cadherins or β-catenin frequently co-existed in other CPE. These findings indicate that E-cadherin is expressed in the lateral membrane of CPE, possibly correlated with the expression of other cadherins and cytoplasmic proteins.
Analysis of Flow and Fluctuation Characteristics in Coated Slag Using a 2D Model in the Meniscus Region of Mold
Authors: Du Fengming , Zeng Yunbo , Wang Shanjiao , Zheng Gengtao
Published: September 2023

Steel is mainly produced through continuous casting; molten steel flows into the mold from the tundish, where it cools and then enters the secondary cooling zone, ultimately solidifying into a billet. During the continuous casting production process, the quality of the casting billet is mainly related to the lubrication state of the coated slag. In the upper part of the mold, the consumption of liquid protective slag directly affects the friction state of the initial solidified billet shell. Therefore, the flow and fluctuation characteristics of coated slag in the meniscus area are very important. There is limited research on the flow and fluctuation characteristics of coated slag in the meniscus area, and little consideration has been given to the shape of the meniscus. In this work, a two-dimensional numerical model for the flow and fluctuation of coated slag in the meniscus region was established, and the transient flow velocity of protective slag and molten steel at each moment of the vibration cycle was obtained, as well as the fluctuation of the slag/steel interface in the meniscus region. The results show that when the surface mold vibrated upwards, the protective slag in the meniscus area flowed clockwise. When the mold moved downwards, the protective slag in the slag pool generated a counterclockwise flow vortex. When the mold was in a positive slip state, the negative pressure formed by the upward flow of the protective slag on the meniscus and the inertia force of steel liquid pushed the meniscus toward the inner wall of the mold. During negative slip, the flow of coated slag generated positive pressure on the slag/steel interface, pushing the meniscus toward the steel liquid, and at the initial moment of negative slip, the steel liquid overflowed into the slag channel. This model could provide a theoretical basis for the flow control of protective slag.
An Improved Image Compression Algorithm Using 2D DWT and PCA with Canonical Huffman Encoding
Authors: Ranjan Rajiv , Kumar Prabhat
Published: September 2023

Of late, image compression has become crucial due to the rising need for faster encoding and decoding. To achieve this objective, the present study proposes the use of canonical Huffman coding (CHC) as an entropy coder, which entails a lower decoding time compared to binary Huffman codes. For image compression, discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and CHC with principal component analysis (PCA) were combined. The lossy method was introduced by using PCA, followed by DWT and CHC to enhance compression efficiency. By using DWT and CHC instead of PCA alone, the reconstructed images have a better peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). In this study, we also developed a hybrid compression model combining the advantages of DWT, CHC and PCA. With the increasing use of image data, better image compression techniques are necessary for the efficient use of storage space. The proposed technique achieved up to 60% compression while maintaining high visual quality. This method also outperformed the currently available techniques in terms of both PSNR (in dB) and bit-per-pixel (bpp) scores. This approach was tested on various color images, including Peppers 512 × 512 × 3 and Couple 256 × 256 × 3, showing improvements by 17 dB and 22 dB, respectively, while reducing the bpp by 0.56 and 0.10, respectively. For grayscale images as well, i.e., Lena 512 × 512 and Boat 256 × 256, the proposed method showed improvements by 5 dB and 8 dB, respectively, with a decrease of 0.02 bpp in both cases.
A Comprehensive Numerical Model for Reservoir-Induced Earthquake Risk Assessment
Authors: Peng Xuefeng , Zhao Rong , Deng Kai
Published: September 2023

The assessment of seismic risk and the prevention of earthquake occurrences during reservoir operation present significant challenges in terms of accurate determination. This study aims to address this issue by developing a numerical model. The primary objective is to estimate the vulnerability of different fault types to reservoir impoundment. This model integrates essential parameters such as fault dip and the relative orientation between the reservoir and potential earthquakes, and it is structured within a risk framework using polar coordinates. Through comprehensive computations, we evaluate the alterations in elastic stress and fluid pore pressure resulting from water impoundment. This is achieved by employing a fully coupled two-dimensional poroelastic approach. Furthermore, our model incorporates relevant seismic data to enhance its accuracy. The findings of our study underscore that the critical factor lies in the fault’s precise positioning with respect to the reservoir. The risk associated with a fault is contingent upon both its location and its orientation, emphasizing the importance of these factors in determining hazardous zones.