bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum glucose/potassium ratio as a clinical risk factor for predicting the severity and prognosis of acute traumatic spinal cord injury
Authors: Zhou Wu , Liu Yihao , Wang Zhihua , Mao Zelu , Li Meihua
Published: August 2023

Objective
Acute traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) can lead to poor prognosis, and clinical biomarkers have not been established to predict poor prognosis. This study aimed to determine the significance of serum glucose/potassium ratio (GPR) in evaluating TSCI severity and predicting prognosis.
Methods
An analysis of 520 clinical records of acute TSCI patients from January 2012 to June 2022 was conducted by the authors. The relationship between serum GPR and The American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade 6-month post-trauma prognosis in addition to admission AIS grade was analyzed. In order to evaluate the discriminatory ability, a receiver operating characteristic curve was used. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations.
Results
Based on the initial assessment of AIS grade, 256 (49.2%) patients were categorized into the severe TSCI group (AIS A-B), and there was a significant correlation between the severe TSCI group and serum GPR (p < 0.001). Serum GPR was reduced in an AIS grade-dependent manner (R=-0.540, p < 0.001). 262 (50.4%) patients were classified as poor prognosis according to the AIS grade at discharge. Serum GPR was also reduced in AIS grade in a discharge-dependent manner (R = -0.599, p < 0.001). It was significantly higher in the poor prognosis group compared to the good prognosis group (p < 0.001 ). Poor prognosis was significantly associated with sex(p = 0.009), severity of TSCI (p < 0.001), location of TSCI (p < 0.001), Surgical decompression(P < 0.018), body temperature (p < 0.001), heart rate (p < 0.001), systolic arterial pressure (SAP) (p < 0.001), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) (p < 0.001), serum GPR (p < 0.001), serum glucose (p < 0.001), serum potassium (p < 0.001) and white blood cell (WBC) count (p = 0.003). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant correlation between poor prognosis and serum GPR (p = 0.023). The ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of serum GPR as a poor predictor of prognosis in TSCI patients was 0.842 (95% CI 0.808–0.875).
Conclusion
There was a significant relationship between serum GPR and admission injury severity and 6-month prognosis of acute TSCI patients. The serum GPR can be used to assess the severity of acute TSCI and predict the prognosis .
Moxibustion alleviates inflammation via SIRT5 post-translational modification and macrophage polarization
Authors: Zhang Cheng-shun , Zhang Han-xiao , Gou Chun-yan , Dai Xiao-qin , Lin Si-rui , Lei Hong , Tian Feng-wei , Wang Zhu-xing , Zuo Chuan-yi
Published: August 2023

Background Macrophage polarization plays an essential role in the anti-inflammation process. Moxibustion, a traditional Chinese medicine therapy, has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect via enhancing α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and succinate levels. Succinate/α-KG ratio is a hallmark of M1 and M2 macrophage shift. Glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (GLUD1) is a vital enzyme for α-KG production and can be deacetylated by Sirtuin5 (SIRT5). Currently, the role of moxibustion in SIRT5-GLUD1-α-KG-related macrophage alteration in inflammatory diseases has not been discussed yet. Methods In this study, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced adjuvant arthritis models were established. On day 4 post-CFA, moxibustion and acupoint MC3482 injection were administered. Foot volume was measured before and after the model was established, and after the moxibustion and acupoint injection interventions. ELISA assays were then performed to quantify inflammatory factors, including IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-4, TGF-β, succinate, and α-ketoglutarate (α-KG). Flow cytometry (FCM) and immunofluorescence were used to test M1- and M2-like macrophage expressions in the right arthrodial cartilages of mice. Furthermore, western blotting and immunoprecipitation (IP) were used to detect SIRT5, GLUD1, and GLUD1 succinylation expressions. Results Moxibustion and SIRT5 desuccinylation inhibitor MC3482 decreased inflammation by increasing M2 macrophage and reducing M1 macrophage levels in CFA model. The potential mechanism may relate to the effects of moxibustion and SIRT5 inhibition, which could invert succinate and α-KG levels in the CFA group, which displayed low succinate, high α-KG and increased GLUD1 succinylation modification after treatment. Conclusion This study supports that moxibustion's anti-inflammation effects are related to the consequences of macrophage conversion after SIRT5 post-translational modification.
The effect of different power radiofrequency ablations in treatment and postoperative pain in patients with atrial fibrillation: a retrospective study
Authors: Jin Jianhao , Chen Yu , Zhu Li , Zhang Yuxia , Wei Changlin , Yang Qihang , Yao Liang
Published: August 2023

Background
There has been no consensus on what power of radiofrequency energy can be used to produce the best surgical results in patients with atrial fibrillation. In addition, patients undergoing local anesthesia and fentanyl analgesia may experience pain when radiofrequency ablation is performed. This study investigated the effect of different power radiofrequency ablations in treatment and postoperative pain in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Methods
A retrospective study was performed with 60 patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation between January and June 2023. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the power of the radiofrequency ablation catheter used, with 30 patients in the conventional power group (35W) and 30 patients in the high-power group (50W). The cardiac electrophysiological indexes and postoperative pain of the 2 groups were compared.
Results
Most of the surgical effect indicators between the 2 groups had no significant differences. However, the total discharge time during radiofrequency ablation and pulmonary vein isolation time in the high-power group were significantly shorter than those in the conventional power group (p < 0.001). Patients in the high-power group reported significantly less pain than those in the conventional power group in the immediate postoperative period and the late postoperative period (p < 0.001).
Conclusions
High-power radiofrequency ablation showed a shorter treatment time, and could reduce postoperative pain compared to conventional power ablation.
Mesenchymal stem cell-derived apoptotic bodies alleviate alveolar bone destruction by regulating osteoclast differentiation and function
Authors: Liu Yi , Li Xiaoyan , Jiang Yiyang , Xu Liu , Fu Jingfei , Du Juan , Luo Zhenhua , Xu Junji , Bhawal Ujjal , Guo Lijia
Published: August 2023

Periodontitis is caused by an imbalance between bone formation and resorption that results in the loss of periodontal supporting tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are essential for the periodontal regeneration. However, the hypoxic periodontal microenvironment will induce the MSCs apoptosis. Apoptotic bodies (ABs) are the major product of apoptotic cells and are gaining increased attention as potential mediators for periodontitis treatment, thus we investigated the effects of ABs from MSCs on periodontitis. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) were cultured under hypoxia for 72 h to simulate the periodontal hypoxic microenvironment, after which ABs were isolated using a multi-filtration system from the supernatant of BMMSCs. Transmission electron microscopy, diameter assessment and immunofluorescence were used to characterize ABs. We found that ABs inhibited osteoclast differentiation and alveolar bone resorption, miR-223-3p is highly enriched in ABs and critical for the therapeutic effects of ABs. Targetscan and luciferase activity results confirmed that ITGB1 was targeted by miR-223-3p, which interfered the function of osteoclasts. Additionally, DC-STAMP is one of the key regulators that mediates membrane infusion. ABs and pre-osteoclasts are highly expressed DC-STAMP on the membrane, which mediated the target engulf of ABs by pre-osteoclasts. ABs with knock-down of DC-STAMP (KO-ABs) failed to be engulfed by pre-osteoclasts. Collectively, BMMSC-derived ABs can be targeted engulfed by pre-osteoclast via DC-STAMP, rescued alveolar bone loss by transferring miR-223-3p to osteoclasts, which led to the attenuation of their differentiation and bone resorption. These results suggest that MSCs derived ABs are promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of periodontitis.
Research on the calibration algorithm of the GTAW weld pool analytical model designed for time-varying welding speed situation
Authors: Wu Shaojie , Qu Huangyi , Cheng Fangjie
Published: August 2023

The weld pool analytical solution is an ideal method to visualize the thermal behavior of the welding process, to clarify the physical relationship between the welding process parameters and the shape of the weld pool and to quickly calculate the penetration. In previous work, the weld pool analytical model designed for time-varying welding speed situation was derived. The experimental results show that the maximum error of the calculated penetration is 18.91%. In order to improve the computational accuracy of the analytical model, this paper proposes a calibration method based on the in-situ reconstructed weld pool surface. Firstly, the RES-BiSeNet model based on convolutional neural network is built to extract the features of the weld pool surface. Then, the calibration parameters are obtained to calibrate the weld pool analytical model. The accuracy of the calibrated analytical model was verified through the welding experiments. The results show that the maximum calibrated penetration error is reduced to 9.7%. Finally, the influence of the heat source parameters on analytical model is discussed.
Vapour Permeability Index of Silver Nanoparticle -Modified Termite Mould Clay
Authors: Oriola Kazeem , Asafa Teslim , OLAIFA Oladayo
Published: August 2023

One of the challenges of food security is attributed to high postharvest storage losses of grains. These losses can be minimized by using Termite Mound Clay (TMC) which has long been established as an adequate material for silo construction. This study therefore, focused on the use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to modify clay microstructure and consequently inhibit water vapour permeability. The TMC-AgNPs composite films were prepared using a solution casting method based on the grey-Taguchi experimental design and optimization. Experiments were designed at three different levels using an orthogonal array with TMC (4, 8, and 12 g), AgNP (10, 15, and 25 ml), Glycerol (1.6, 2.2, and 2.8 ml), and Distilled water (150, 250, and 350 ml) as input parameters. Samples were casted on an already fabricated leveled film mold and allowed to dry at room temperature (23 ± 2°C) for 2 days. The samples were tested for Compressive Strength (CS), Water Vapour Transmission Rate (WVTR), and Water Vapour Permeability (WVP) using gravimetric techniques following ASTM E90–80. The thickness, CS, WVTR, and WVP have ranges of 2.38–2.70 mm, 9.35–14.80 MPa, 33.86-105.91 g/h.m, and 2.52–7.73 g.mm/h.m2kPa, respectively. The optimization study showed that the thickness increased from 2.43 to 2.70, WVTR decreased from 29.59 to 29.32 (g/h.m2) compressive strength increased from 12.10 to 12.37 MPa while water vapour permeability reduced from 2.52 to 2.25 g.mm.h.m2 kPa. The developed AgNP-Modified TMC l had minimal water vapour permeability and higher compressive strength making it suitable for silo construction.
Revisiting the Equatorial Pacific Sea Surface Temperature Response to Global Warming
Authors: Li Qiuxian , Luo Yiyong , Lu Jian , Liu Fukai
Published: August 2023

The relative roles of the oceanic and atmospheric processes in the pattern formation of the equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) response to global warming is investigated using a set of climate model experiments embedded with a novel partial coupling technique. The modeling results show that the SST response experiences a transition from a La Niña-like warming pattern at the initial stage to an El Niño-like warming pattern at the quasi-equilibrium stage. By decomposing anomalous equatorial Pacific SST into atmosphere-forced passive component and ocean dynamically induced active component, it is found that the SST warming pattern at both stages is entirely induced by its active component. Specifically, the meridional and vertical ocean circulation changes play a dominant role in forming the La Niña-like SST warming pattern at the initial stage, and the zonal and meridional ocean circulation changes are responsible for the formation of the El Niño-like SST warming pattern at the quasi-equilibrium stage. In contrast, the passive SST at both stages is characterized by a zonally uniform warming along the equator, which can be explained by a balance between the total effect of the heat transport divergence associated with the mean ocean circulation and the effect of the passive surface heat flux change. In addition, this study finds that it is the slowdown of the Pacific subtropical cells during the transition period that controls the evolution of the equatorial SST warming pattern by changing the meridional and vertical ocean heat transports.
Tactile-GAT: Tactile Graph Attention Networks for Robot Tactile Perception Classification
Authors: Chen Lun , Zhu Yingzhao
Published: August 2023

As one of the most important senses in human beings, touch can also help robots better perceive and adapt to complex environmental information, improving their autonomous decision-making and execution capabilities. Compared to other perception methods, tactile perception needs to handle multi-channel tactile signals simultaneously, such as pressure, bending, temperature, and humidity. However, directly transferring deep learning algorithms that work well on temporal signals to tactile signal tasks does not make good use of the physical spatial connectivity information of tactile sensors. In this paper, we propose a tactile perception framework based on graph attention networks, which incorporates explicit and latent relation graphs. This framework can effectively utilize the structural information between different tactile signal channels. We constructed a tactile glove and collected a dataset of pressure and bending tactile signals during grasping and holding objects. And our method achieved 89.58% accuracy in object tactile signal classification with a small parameter size of 0.11M. Compared to existing time-series signal classification algorithms, our graph-based tactile perception algorithm can utilize and learn sensor spatial information, making it more suitable for processing multi-channel tactile data. Our method can serve as a general strategy to improve robot's tactile perception capabilities.
RETRACTED: Enhancement of Power Quality of Three-Phase GC Solar Photovoltaics
Authors: Singh Sukhbir , Rai J N
Published: August 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Elucidation of dissimilar material joining phenomena on steel and aluminum alloy using hot-wire laser brazing
Authors: Ito Tamaki , Tomita Kai , Taniguchi Koichi , Igi Satoshi , Yamamoto Motomichi
Published: August 2023

When steels and aluminum alloys are joined by normal welding, brittle intermetallic compounds (IMC) are generated at the interface, which causes a decrease in joint strength. Dissimilar steel/aluminum alloy joints formed via hot-wire laser brazing can stably suppress IMCs, as elucidated by visualization during brazing and cross-sectional imaging of fabricated joints. In addition, the effects of various coatings on steel plates were investigated by comparing joint cross-sections and interfaces. Zn (galvanized, galvannealed) layers, flux, and a molten pool prevented direct laser-beam irradiation of the steel surfaces. A high brazing speed could enable a high cooling rate, creating a very low peak temperature of the steel and suppressing IMC formation. The galvanized Zn coating also prevented direct contact of the aluminum alloy with the steel surface. Thus, the galvanized steel suppressed IMC formation more than non-coated steel. Because a Fe-Zn alloy coating layer was a source of Fe for IMC formation, a thicker IMC was generated on galvannealed steel.
Chemical Constituents from the Medicinal Herb-derived Fungus Chaetomium globosum Km1226
Authors: Chang Chia-Hao , Hsiao George , Wang Shih-Wei , Yen Juei-Yu , Huang Shu-Jung , Chi Wei-Chiung , Lee Tzong-Huei
Published: August 2023

Background
Endophytic fungi have proven to be a rich source of novel natural products with a wide-array of biological activities and higher levels of structural diversity.
Results
Chemical investigation on the liquid- and solid-state fermented products of Chaetomium globosum Km1226 isolated from the littoral medicinal herb Atriplex maximowicziana Makino resulted in the isolation of compounds 1–14. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis as three previously undescribed C13-polyketides, namely aureonitol C (1), mollipilins G (2), and H (3), along with eleven known compounds 4–14. Among these, mollipilin A (5) exhibited significant nitric oxide production inhibitory activity in LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells with an IC50 value of 0.7 ± 0.1 µM, and chaetoglobosin D (10) displayed potent anti-angiogenesis property in human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) with an IC50 value of 0.8 ± 0.3 µM.
Conclusions
Three previously unreported compounds 1–3 were isolated and identified. Mollipilin A (5) and chaetoglobosin D (10) could possibly be developed as anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic lead drugs, respectively.
Mirvetuximab Soravtansine in Solid Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rehim Shamsnur , Yuan Shuang , Wang Hongjing
Published: August 2023

Background
Mirvetuximab Soravtansine (MIRV) is a promising antibody‒drug conjugate (ADC) that targets folate receptor alpha (FRα), which is overexpressed in several types of solid tumors. In November 2022, MIRV was approved in the USA for the treatment of adult patients with FRα-positive, platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who received 1–3 prior systemic treatment regimens. Therefore, high-quality evidence for its efficacy and safety in different cancers is urgently needed.
Methods
A systematic search (e.g., PubMed, Embase, Web Of Science, Cochrane Library) was conducted to identify all relevant clinical trials of MIRV alone or in combination with chemo- and/or target-therapies in solid tumors. The primary end-point was median progression-free survival (mPFS). The secondary endpoints were the overall response rate (ORR) and adverse effects (AEs). A random-effects model was applied.
Results
The study included nine research studies with a total of 682 patients. The pooled mPFS and pooled ORR were 4.70 months (95% CI 4.35–5.05, I2 = 87.40%) and 31% (95% CI: 27–34%, I2 = 76.90%), respectively. Significant differences were observed among intervention regimens and response to platinum. The pooled mPFS of MIRV monotherapy and MIRV + BEV combined therapy was 4.28 (95% CI 3.90–4.65, I2 = 0.00%) and 7.78 (95% CI 6.62–8.95, I2 = 0.00%), respectively. The pooled ORRs of MIRV monotherapy and MIRV + BEV combined therapy were 25% (95% CI 21–29%, I2 = 25.20%) and 43% (95% CI 36–50%, I2 = 0.01%), respectively. The pooled ORRs of the platinum-sensitive, platinum-resistant, and not-known groups were 57% (95% CI 44–71%, I2 = 61.90%), 29% (95% CI 26–33%, I2 = 74.60%), and 27% (95% CI 14–40%, I2 = 10.01%), respectively. The most common adverse effects were blurred vision (45.20%), nausea (40.13%), diarrhea (39.52%), fatigue (33.84%) and keratopathy (31.20%).
Conclusions
MIRV has significant therapeutic effects in solid tumors, especially when combined with BEV. In platinum-tolerant tumors, the efficacy of MIRV is also considerable. Overall, MIRV is relatively safe in solid tumors, and adverse reactions are relatively rare and mild.
NRF2 deficiency promotes ferroptosis of astrocytes mediated by oxidative stress in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Tang Zhi , Chen Zhuyi , Guo Min , Peng Yaqian , Xiao Yan , Guan Zhizhong , Ni Ruiqing , Qi Xiaolan
Published: August 2023

Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is linked to reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, and neurotoxicity. Emerging evidence suggests a role of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), a major source of antioxidant response elements in AD. The molecular mechanism of oxidative stress and ferroptosis in astrocytes in AD is not yet fully understood. Here, we aim to investigate the mechanism by which Nrf2 regulates the ferroptosis of astrocytes in AD. We found decreased expression of Nrf2 and upregulated expression of the ROS marker NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) in the frontal cortex from patients with AD and in the cortex of 3×Tg mice compared to control mice. We demonstrated that Nrf2 deficiency led to ferroptosis-dependent oxidative stress-induced ROS with downregulated heme oxygenase-1 and glutathione peroxidase 4 and upregulated cystine glutamate expression. Moreover, Nrf2 deficiency increased lipid peroxidation, DNA oxidation, and mitochondrial fragmentation in mouse astrocytes. In conclusion, these results suggest that Nrf2 deficiency promotes ferroptosis of astrocytes involving oxidative stress in AD.
Exploring the Pore System of Carbonate Rocks through a Multi- Analytical Approach
Authors: Salvini Silvia , Coletti Chiara , Maritan Lara , Massironi Matteo , Balsamo Fabrizio , Mazzoli Claudio
Published: August 2023

The presence and distribution of pores in natural stones affect their durability and aesthetic value, especially when exposed to weathering agents like salt crystallization and freeze-thaw cycles. In this study, a multi-analytical approach was used to analyse the pore structure of twelve carbonate rocks, including different types of limestone and the Carrara marble. Mercury intrusion porosimetry, digital imaging analysis on backscattered electron images taken at the scanning electron microscope, and micro-computed tomography were used to overcome the limitations of each technique and create a more accurate reconstruction of the pore structure. This approach can aid in predicting the deterioration processes stones in heritage structures.
A guided reinforcement learning approach using shared control templates for learning manipulation skills in the real world
Authors: Padalkar Abhishek , Quere Gabriel , Raffin Antonin , Silvério João , Stulp Freek
Published: August 2023

The requirement for a high number of trials has been a major limiting factor for the application of Reinforcement Learning (RL) in robotics. Learning skills directly on real robots requires time, causes wear and tear and can lead to damage to the robot and environment due to unsafe exploratory actions. The success of learning skills in simulation and transferring them to real robots has also been limited by the gap between reality and simulation. This is particularly problematic for tasks involving contact with the environment as contact dynamics are hard to model and simulate. In this paper we propose a framework which leverages a shared control framework for modeling known constraints defined by object interactions and task geometry to reduce the state and action spaces and hence the overall dimensionality of the reinforcement learning problem. The unknown task knowledge and actions are learned by a reinforcement learning agent by conducting exploration in the constrained environment. Using a pouring task and grid-clamp placement task (similar to peg-in-hole) as use cases and a 7-DoF arm, we show that our approach can be used to learn directly on the real robot. The pouring task is learned in only 65 episodes (~16 minutes) and the grid-clamp placement task is learned in 75 episodes (~17 minutes) with strong safety guarantees and simple reward functions, greatly alleviating the need for simulation.
Whole-Genome Sequencing and Metagenomics Reveals Diversity and Prevalence of Soil Listeria spp. in the Nantahala National Forest
Authors: Wang Jia , Schamp Claire N. , Hudson Lauren K. , Chaggar Harleen K. , Bryan Daniel W. , Garman Katie N. , Radosevich Mark A. , Denes Thomas G.
Published: August 2023

Background. Listeria spp. are widely distributed environmental bacteria associated with human foodborne illness. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Listeria monocytogenes clinical isolates is the current standard for surveillance and identifying outbreaks. WGS of Listeria isolates can assist in understanding the diversity of Listeria species. The capability of precise detection and characterization of Listeria spp. strains in the natural environment is important for identifying transmission routes that can lead to food contamination and human illness. Recently, metagenomic sequencing has emerged as a promising tool for the direct detection of Listeria spp. in environmental samples. The objective of this study was to use a practical hybrid approach that can provide valuable information on the occurrence of Listeria spp. in soil environments in the southern Appalachian region of the United States.
Results.
This study involved soil sampling from four locations across varying altitudes in the Nantahala National Forest. Forty-two Listeria spp. isolates and 12 metagenomes of soil bacterial communities were obtained. Analysis of the isolates genomes revealed 14 distinct strains, representing a diversity of Listeria species. The predominant species isolated was L. cossartiae subsp. cayugensis (n = 8), with the other species including L. monocytogenes (n = 3), ‘L. swaminathanii’ (n = 1), L. marthii (n = 1), and L. booriae (n = 1). Most distinct strains (n = 13) were isolated from lower altitudes (1,500 or 2,500 ft), while the ‘L. swaminathanii’ strain was isolated from two different altitudes. Metagenomic analysis demonstrated a decline in both bacterial community diversity and relative abundance of Listeria spp. with increasing altitude. Of the soil factors assessed, pH and cation exchange capacity were significantly positively correlated with the abundance of Listeria spp. in soil as detected by metagenomics.
Conclusions.
By integrating culture-independent metagenomics with culture-based WGS, this study provides insights into the diversity and prevalence of Listeria spp. in the Nantahala National Forest. These findings contribute to the current knowledge on the distribution of Listeria spp. in the natural environment and offer a potential culture-independent method for tracking the transmission of foodborne pathogens.
Analysis of the impact of a new successive interference cancellation decoder on outage probability performance in power Domain Non- Orthogonal Multiple Access Transmission
Authors: Talla Belmien Carlos Konlack , Bossou Olivier Videme , Feudjio Cyrille , Mbogue Joseph Ngimbog , Ngoufo Gédéon Ghislain Nkwewo , Tchuidjan Roger
Published: August 2023

In this article, we evaluate the impact of a new successive interference cancellation scheme on the signal outage probability in the context of PD-NOMA (Power Domain Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access) transmissions. The outage probabilities were assessed for 2 users, UE1 (closest to the base station), and UE2 (farthest from the base station), in a Rayleigh fading channel. The conducted simulations enable a comparison of signal outage probabilities for mobiles using a proposed successive interference cancellation (SIC) decoding scheme, where all interferences with other signals are cancelled, and a standard successive interference cancellation scheme, where only interferences from stronger signals are cancelled. Our simulations establish that the proposed SIC decoding model improves the outage probability performance by 25% for the user farthest from the base station. Generally, an improvement is observed for all mobiles in the network except for the strongest user closest to the base station. In fact, the performance of both SIC decoding models remains identical for the specific case of the strongest user.
Software Reliability Growth Modelling Framework to Study SDN Controllers
Authors: Anand Adarsh , Gupta Priyanka , Chhipa Mayur Kumar , Mellal Mohamed Arezki , Johri Prashant
Published: August 2023

SDN, as an emerging centralized network control platform, has been studied widely by many researchers. To make this complex and fine-grained network platform more reliable and secure, the need to understand its fault debugging pattern was observed. The testing phase of the software has undoubtedly been considered as a crucial phase that ensures high quality network architecture to its users. The pre-release testing activities are solely conducted by the testers where the debugging process after its release comprises both testers and users. The study of the joint role of testers and users has been devoid in the field of network systems. This paper methodically models the complete testing profile (before and after release) of the SDN Controller. The two-staged modeling process is utilized to model the detection and resolution of network faults after its release in which the joint debugging activities of testers and users are catered with the help of Stieltjes convolution. The two-stage model addresses the release point transition. The proposal has been validated on two real life failure data sets. The validation shows promising results.
Task-oriented exercise effects on walking and corticospinal excitability in multiple sclerosis: protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Moslemi Zahra , Toledo-Aldana Eduardo A. , Baldwin Bruce , Donkers Sarah J. , Eng Janice J. , Mondal Prosanta , de Zepetnek Julia O. Totosy , Buttigieg Josef , Levin Michael , Mang Cameron S.
Published: August 2023

Background
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that disrupts walking function and results in other debilitating symptoms. This study compares the effects of ‘task-oriented exercise’ against ‘generalized resistance and aerobic exercise’ and a ‘stretching control’ on walking and CNS function in people with MS (PwMS). We hypothesize that task-oriented exercise will enhance walking speed and related neural changes to a greater extent than other exercise approaches.
Methods
This study is a single-blinded, three-arm randomized controlled trial conducted in Saskatchewan, Canada. Eligible participants are those older than 18 years of age with a diagnosis of MS and an expanded Patient-Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) score between 3 (‘gait disability’) and 6 (‘bilateral support’). Exercise interventions are delivered for 12 weeks (3×60-min per week) in-person under the supervision of a qualified exercise professional. Interventions differ in exercise approach, such that task-oriented exercise involves weight-bearing, walking-specific activities, while generalized resistance and aerobic exercise uses seated machine-based resistance training of major upper and lower body muscle groups and recumbent cycling, and the stretching control exercise involves seated flexibility and relaxation activities. Participants are allocated to interventions using blocked randomization that stratifies by PDDS (mild: 3–4; moderate: 5–6) Assessments are conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and at a six-week retention time point. The primary and secondary outcome measures are the Timed 25-Foot Walk Test and corticospinal excitability for the tibialis anterior muscles determined using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), respectively. Tertiary outcomes include assessments of balance, additional TMS measures, blood biomarkers of neural health and inflammation, and measures of cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness.
Discussion
A paradigm shift in MS healthcare towards the use of “exercise as medicine” was recently proposed to improve outcomes and alleviate the economic burden of MS. Findings will support this shift by informing the development of specialized exercise programming that targets walking and changes in corticospinal excitability in PwMS.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05496881, Registered August 11, 2022
Dissipation of Insecticidal Residues having Different Modes of Action in Cabbage
Authors: Akoijam Romila , Ningombam Arati , Sonia Chongtham , Devi Ch. Premabati , Singh Telem Ratan , Singh I. M.
Published: August 2023

The dissipation study of residues of insecticides having different modes of action was studied in cabbage. The insecticides such as deltamethrin, chlorantraniliprole and fipronil residues were sprayed as foliar application twice at an interval of 7 days with the recommended doses of deltamethrin (@ 12.5 g a.i./ha), chlorantraniliprole (@ 30 g a.i./ha) and fipronil (50 g a.i./ha). The samples were taken randomly before the application of any insecticides and 1 hour after the second spray of insecticides. The residues were below the detectable limit for all the insecticides. The residues of fipronil were found to be more persistent than those of chlorantraniliprole and deltamethrin. Fipronil was found to persist up to the 7th day with a residue of 0.01 mg kg-1. However, the residues of chlorantraniliprole and deltamethrin persisted upto the 5th day i.e. 0.11 mg kg-1 and 0.03 mg kg-1 respectively. Observation revealed that the residues of chlorantraniliprole on cabbage head dissipated over the course of time and an equally high degree of dissipation was observed. The half-life of chlorantraniliprole was found to be 1.81 days as compared to 1.07 and 1.42 days respectively for fipronil and deltamethrin.
Foot biomechanics in patients with advanced subtalar- and Chopart joint osteoarthritis and poorly responding to conservative treatment
Authors: Deschamps Kevin , Mercken Karel , Verschuren Pieter , Eerdekens Maarten , Vanstraelen Eline , Wuite Sander , Matricali Giovanni
Published: August 2023

Background
A comprehensive insight into the effects of subtalar- and Chopart joint osteoarthritis on lower limb’s biomechanical characteristics during walking is lacking. Our goal was to assess joint kinematics and kinetics and compensatory mechanisms in patients with subtalar and Chopart joint osteoarthritis.
Methods
Patients with symptomatic and radiographically confirmed osteoarthritis of the subtalar and Chopart joint (n = 10) and an asymptomatic control group (n = 10) were compared. Foot joint kinematics and kinetics during the stance phase of walking were quantified using a four segment foot model.
Results
During pre-swing phase, the Ankle range of motion in the sagittal plane of the patient group decreased significantly (P = 0.001), whereas the Lisfranc joint range of motion in the sagittal plane was greater in the pre-swing phase (P = 0.003). The Chopart joint showed lower transverse plane range of motion in the patient group during the loading response and pre-swing phase (P < 0.001 resp. P = 0.002). The patient group showed a lower Ankle peak plantarflexion moment (P = 0.004), peak plantarflexion velocity (P < 0.001) and peak power generation in the sagittal plane (P < 0.001), and a lower Chopart joint peak adduction and abduction velocity (P < 0.001 resp. P < 0.001) and peak power absorption (P < 0.001).
Conclusions
These findings suggest that patients with subtalar and Chopart joint osteoarthritis adopt a cautious walking strategy potentially dictated by pain, muscle weakness, kinesiophobia and stiffness. Since this poorly responding population faces surgical intervention on the short term, we recommend careful follow-up after fusion surgery since biomechanical outcome measures associated to this post-surgical stage is lacking.
Comparison of clinical efficacy of Hybrid fixation, single-screw and single-Tightrope in the treatment of ankle fractures complicated with Distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury
Authors: Xu Jingcheng , Jie Ke , Zhang Kaiting , Li Xue , Zou Yunxuan , Shen Guodong , Zhu Yongzhan
Published: August 2023

Background In the treatment of ankle fracture combined with distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury, both screw fixation and Tightrope fixation are commonly used to restore the anatomical relationship of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis. In recent years, some studies have reported the use of hybrid fixation (Tightrope combined with screws) for the repairment of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury. However, there is a lack of literature reports comparing the clinical efficacy of screw fixation, Tightrope fixation and hybrid fixation.Purpose To explore whether there is any difference in the clinical efficacy of single screw fixation, single Tightrope fixation and hybrid fixation by comparing the imaging manifestations, AOFAS scores and VAS scores.Methods From January 2017 to January 2023, patients with ankle fracture combined with distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury who were treated with single screw fixation, single Tightrope fixation, or hybrid fixation were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical evaluation included AOFAS score and VAS score. Imaging evaluation included medial malleolar space (MCS), tibiofibular clear space (TFCS) and tibiofibular overlap (TFO). All measurements were performed on anteroposterior ankle radiographs.Results There were 36 patients in single screw fixation group, 30 patients in single Tightrope fixation group and 18 patients in hybrid fixation group. All three groups had statistical similar clinical and imaging results. The hybrid fixation group was further divided into two subgroups: the group with removed screw(n = 8) and the group without removed screw(n = 8). Clinical and imaging outcomes were statistical similar in these two subgroups.Conclusion Comparing with single screw fixation and single Tightrope fixation, the hybrid fixation is comparably effective and has similar clinical efficacy. Considering that the configuration of the hybrid fixation is similar to that of the healthy ankle in terms of biomechanics, it may be helpful for early weight-bearing and can be used as an alternate method for distal tibiofibular syndesmosis fixation.
Prokaryotic microbial diversity analysis and metabolic function prediction of salt lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Zhang Man , Li Yongzhen , Zhu Derui , Xing Jiangwa , Long Qifu , Shen Guoping
Published: August 2023

The Dong Taijinar Salt Lake (DT) and Xi Taijinar Salt Lake (XT) have been widely studied as mineral-rich areas. However, little is known about the composition and distribution of the microbial communities in these two lakes. In this study, metagenomics sequencing was used to analyze the diversity and potential functions of the microbial communities in DT and XT. According to our report, the salinity of DT (332.18–358.30 g/L) was 10 times higher than that of XT (20.09–36.83 g/L). Interestingly, the dominant domain in DT was Archaea (96.16%), while that in XT was Bacteria (93.09%). The distribution of Bacteria in the DT revealed 33 phyla and 1717 genera. The dominant genus in DT was Marinobacillus, which was positively correlated with total phosphorus content. There were four main phyla and 153 genera identified in the Archaea of DT. The most abundant Archaea genera in DT were Natronomonas (24.61%) and Halorubrum (23.69%), which were mainly positively correlated with the Na+, Ca2+, and Cl− contents. Similarly, there were 33 phyla and 1906 genera of Bacteria in XT, and Loktanella was the dominant genus. The archaeal taxonomy in XT mainly included four phyla and 149 genera. Proteobacteria and Euryarchaeota were the most abundant bacterial and archaeal phyla in the two salt lakes. Analysis of the halophilic mechanisms of the microorganisms identified in these two salt lakes revealed that the Bacteria in XT preferred to synthesize compatible solutes, whereas the Archaea in DT preferred a "salt-in" adaptation strategy in salt-stressed environments.
FUSE binding protein1 interacts with Tumor Suppressor p53 and p53-Isoforms through their DNA Binding domain: Mapping the FBP1 binding site
Authors: Dixit Updesh , Pandey Vaishali , Comollo Thomas W , Upadhyay Alok , Pandey Virendra N
Published: August 2023

We have earlier demonstrated that a cellular factor, FUSE binding protein1 (FBP1), physically interacts and effectively suppresses the function of tumor suppressor p53 and promotes persistent HCV replication [Dixit et al. JVI 89:7905, 2015). In the present study, we demonstrate that FBP1 interacts with various naturally occurring p53-isoforms isolated from different cancers that carry large deletions at the N- and C-terminal regions but still have an intact DNA binding domain (DBD). We discovered that FBP1 specifically interacts with the DNA binding domain (DBD) of p53 and its isoforms. We further mapped the FBP1-interaction site and identified a 21-residue-long motif spanning amino acid residues 163–183 in the p53-DBD. We further confirmed that Arg175/Cys176, within this motif, is necessary for FBP1 interaction. Arg175/Cys176, located at the junction of the β4 and H1 helix of the L2 Loop, is required for the DNA binding function of p53. Occupying this site containing Arg175/Cys176 by FBP1 may block the DNA binding function of p53.
TBTC: A Temporal Knowledge Graph Reasoning Model with Bidirectional Temporal Correlation
Authors: Xie Bohan , Wang Shirui , Ding Ling , Chen Jianting , Xiang Yang
Published: August 2023

With the rapid development of the Internet, data with time information shows an explosive growth. However, the traditional knowledge graphs don’t consider the temporal information of facts, which brings inconvenience to downstream tasks, so people proposed the temporal knowledge graph. The temporal knowledge graph models the timeliness of facts in the form of quadruples, which clearly represents the evolution process of knowledge.But it is difficult for temporal knowledge graphs to cover the full of worldwide knowledge. Therefore, predicting missing facts is necessary, including complete historical knowledge and predict future knowledge. However, the existing reasoning models only considered the one-way information transmission from the front to the back in the time dimension, and didn’t effectively use the temporal characteristics of knowledge. And the treatment of the unseen entities is too rough when predicting the future knowledge. To solve above problems, we proposed a new temporal knowledge graph reasoning model with temporal bidirectional correlation, which models the factual correlation and temporal relationship between entities in a spatial-temporal graph jointly. We also considered the influence of bidirectional information in the time dimension to further enrich the characteristic representation of entities. As for the unseen entities in future knowledge prediction, we proposed a new method to get the embedding of unseen entities, by analyzing its co-occurrence entity set to capture essential common features and generate the embedding vectors. For the above two studies, we conducted experiments on several public datasets, and got better effects.
GOA-Net: Generic Occlusion Aware Networks for Visual Tracking
Authors: Dasari Mohana Murali , Gorthi Rama Krishna
Published: August 2023

Occlusionis a frequent phenomenon that hinders the task of visual object tracking. Since occlusion can be from any object and in any shape, data augmentation techniques will not greatly help identify or mitigate the tracker loss. Some of the existing works deal with occlusion only in an unsupervised manner. This paper proposes a generic deep learning framework for identifying occlusion in a given frame by formulating it as a supervised classification task for the first time. The proposed architecture introduces an ''occlusion classification" branch into supervised trackers. This branch helps in the effective learning of features and also provides occlusion status for each frame. A metric is proposed to measure the performance of trackers under occlusion at frame level. The efficacy of the proposed framework is demonstrated on two supervised tracking paradigms: One is from the most commonly used Siamese region proposal class of trackers, and another from the emerging Transformer-based trackers. This framework is tested on six diverse datasets (GOT-10k, LaSOT, OTB2015, TrackingNet, UAV123, and VOT2018), and it achieved significant improvements in performance over the corresponding baselines while performing on par with the state-of-the-art trackers. The contributions in this work are more generic, as any supervised tracker can easily adopt them.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Frozen Shoulder: Efficacy in Pain Reduction and Shoulder Function Improvement
Authors: Ahmed Sabih
Published: August 2023

Background: Adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as frozen shoulder, is a condition characterized by stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. The therapeutic potential of Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been increasingly recognized in various orthopedic conditions, yet its specific role in treating frozen shoulder remains underexplored. This study was designed to assess the efficacy of PRP injections in improving outcomes for frozen shoulder patients.
Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 200 patients diagnosed with frozen shoulder were enlisted. They were evenly allocated into two cohorts: one receiving intra-articular PRP injections and a control group administered with saline injections. Pain intensity was gauged using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), while shoulder mobility metrics were determined through the Range of Motion (ROM) evaluation. Assessments were conducted at baseline, followed by checks at intervals of 1, 3, and 6 months. Data interpretation employed the t-test and ANOVA.
Results: By the 6-month mark, patients in the PRP group demonstrated a pronounced reduction in VAS scores (average decrement of 4.8) relative to the saline group (average decrement of 1.3). Additionally, the PRP recipients registered substantial enhancements in ROM, particularly in motions of abduction and external rotation, outperforming the control by approximately 60%.
Conclusions:* Our results indicate that PRP injections significantly outpace saline in mitigating pain and enhancing shoulder functionality in frozen shoulder cases. Hence, PRP emerges as a potential primary non-operative treatment for adhesive capsulitis.
Trial registration: This research was duly registered with the **Global Clinical Trial Registry**, bearing the registration identifier **GCTR-2023-02567**, on **January 15, 2023**.