bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature for predicting prognosis and immune response in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wu Jingyi , Yao Jianzuo , Jia Shu , Yao Xiaokun , Shao Jingping , Yao Xiaomin , Li Hong
Published: October 2022

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high incidence and poor prognosis. Cuproptosis is a novel type of cell death, which differs from previously reported types of cell death such as apoptosis, autophagy, proptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, etc. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play multiple roles in HCC. To improve the prognosis of HCC, it is necessary to construct a signature using cuproptosis-related lncRNAs.
Methods: We downloaded information including RNA-seq transcriptome, clinical data and simple nucleotide variation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and obtained cuproptosis-related genes from published studies. The cuproptosis-related lncRNAs were obtained by correlation analysis, and subsequently used to construct a prognostic cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature. Analyses of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were used to evaluate prognostic validity. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with the area under the curve (AUC) values and the index of concordance (c-index) curve were drawn to evaluate the accuracy of the signature. The tumor microenvironment (TME) was analyzed by ESTIMATE algorithm. The immune cell data with various algorithms was downloaded from the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) 2.0 database. Immune-related pathways were analyzed by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm. Immunophenoscore (IPS) scores from The Cancer Immunome (TCIA) database were used to evaluate immunotherapy response. The "pRRophetic" R package was employed to screen drugs for high-risk patients.
Results: We constructed a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature containing 11 lncRNAs: AC125437.1, PCED1B-AS1, PICSAR, AP001372.2, AC027097.1, LINC00479, and SLC6A1-AS1 to predict the prognosis of HCC patients. This signature had excellent accuracy, and was independent of the stratification of clinicopathological features. Further study showed that high-risk tumors under this signature had higher TMB, fewer TME components and higher tumor purity. The immune-related analysis showed that the tumors with high risk were not enriched in immune cell infiltration or immune process pathways, and high-risk patients had a poor response to immunotherapy. Finally, 29 drugs such as sorafenib, dasatinib and paclitaxel were screened for high-risk HCC patients to improve their prognosis.
Conclusion: Our prognostic cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature was accurate and effective for predicting the prognosis of HCC. The immunotherapy was unsuitable for high-risk HCC patients with this signature.
Prevalence of Undiagnosed Hypertension and Associated Factors among Adults in Mizan Aman Town, Bench Sheko Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: A Community-based Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Elias Sebsibe , Dadi Teshome Kabeta
Published: October 2022

Background: Undiagnosed hypertension is the leading risk factor for death and disability globally. Its prevalence is increasing worldwide, especially in low and middle-income countries. It is considered a silent killer because it can exist without specific signs and symptoms for many years while once happening with serious complications. Hence, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and associated factors among 18 years and above in Mizan Aman town of Bench Sheko Zone in Southwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was carried out among people aged 18 years old and above from April 1 to 30,2021, in Mizan Aman town. Seven hundred fifty-nine subjects were selected by multistage sampling technique. A structured pretested WHO STEPS-wise questionnaire was used to interview the participants. Data entry and analysis were done using EPI data 3.1 and SPSS version 25 statistical software respectively. Descriptive analysis was undertaken and the results were presented using frequency tables, graphs, and statistical summaries. The dependent variable has dichotomized response of yes and no and hence binary logistic regression was used to predict a dependent variable based on independent variables and predictors having P ≤ 0.25 on the bivariable analysis were considered as candidates for the multivariable analysis. Odds ratios with their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to measure the strength of association and finally a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Result: The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was 14.8% with 95% CI [12.3-15.6]. Older age (AOR =3.1, 95% CI [1.5-6.5]), male (AOR=2.2, 95%CI [1.3-3.9] low physical activity (AOR=3.9, 95% CI. [1.8-8.3]), less serving fruit and vegetable (AOR=4.5, 95%CI. [2.4-8.8]), and higher BMI (AOR=2.7, 95% CI. [1.6-4.6) were significantly associated with undiagnosed hypertension.
Conclusion: The current study outlined that the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was high in the study area. In addition, most of the risk factors identified were modifiable, and hence community-based preventive approaches like lifestyle modification, increasing awareness, and strengthening routine screening at primary health service facilities resulted in a substantial change in tackling the burden effectively.
The Perception of the Medical Student About Realistic Simulation in Pediatrics
Authors: Veiga-Moliterno Nathalia , Veiga Eneida Quadrio de Oliveira , Tempski Patrícia Zen , Cunha Antônio José Ledo Alves , Prata-Barbosa Arnaldo , de Magalhães-Barbosa Maria Clara
Published: October 2022

Background: The use of realistic simulation in pediatric emergencies is particularly valuable, as it allows the training of technical, attitudinal, and cognitive skills helping to ensure patient safety. This study aims to describe the student's perception of using the High-Fidelity Realistic Simulation in the pediatric emergency modules during the internship.
Methods:Observational, descriptive study with a quantitative and qualitative approach. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to sixth-year medical students at the end of pediatric internship modules, eight weeks long, from August to December 2020. All participated in two types of activities on 14 themes: high fidelity simulation (HFS) and structured discussion of clinical cases (SDCC).
Results: Of the 33 participants, 29 answered the questionnaire. The mean age was 24 ± 1.8 years, and 58.6% were female. All agreed that the experience with HFS contributed to safer performance in pediatric emergencies, considered optimal by 76% and good for the rest. Most thought the association of HFS and SDCC was the ideal method (96%). The content analysis of the responses on HFS highlighted thematic units in five categories: significant learning, contribution to professional training, skills, attitude/behavior, and quality of the activity.
Conclusions: Students' reaction to using HFS in pediatric emergencies was very positive, and its association with SDCC was considered the ideal teaching method. Knowing students' reactions helps teachers plan their activities to improve the teaching-learning method.
Examining the effects of strength training with load progression on sleep parameters in university students
Authors: Fernandes Katarina Kelly , Santiago Ladyodeyse , Lira Camila Tenório , Silva José Francisco , Henrique Rafael dos Santos , Junior Marco Aurélio Correia , Santos Marcos
Published: October 2022

Methods
Seventeen university students (11 girls), 18–21 years old, were randomly divided into two groups: strength training group (ST,n = 12) and control group (CG,n = 5). Anthropometric and body composition measures, one-repetition maximum test, and sleep parameters (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI], insomnia (Insomnia Severity questionnaire), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]), and chronotype were evaluated pre and post-intervention. Training consisted of 60 min·d− 1 (2 times/week, for 4-weeks), with 3 sets of 10–12 repetitions, and a 1-minute rest interval between sets and exercises.
Results
The results through a 2 × 2 (time×groups) repeated measures analysis variance demonstrated a significant time effect that improves lower limb performance (F = 11.82;p = < 0.01), with a significant interaction (F = 6.07;p = 0.05), and upper limb performance (F = 3.30;p = 0.025), and there was a significant time effect on the chronotype (F = 4.75;p < 0.05). Individual analyses in ST group, ~ 58.3% presented a reduction in the PSQI score; ~25% no change, and ~ 16. 6% showed an increased score. For the ESS, ~ 25% showed a reduction, ~ 58.3% no change, and ~ 16.6% an increase. In sleep efficiency, ~ 25% increase; ~41.6% a reduction, and ~ 33.3% had no change.
Conclusion
A short-term strength-training program with an increase in weekly load for four weeks is not able to modulate sleep quality, duration, efficiency, daytime sleepiness, or insomnia, independent of intensity, but, had influenced the chronotype.
A Novel ZMIZ1 Pathogenic Variant in a Chinese Girl with Neurodevelopmental Disorder and Review of the Literature
Authors: Deng Shuyun , Xia Dan , Hou Lele , Li Xiaojuan , Peng Xiaofang , Xiao Xiaoqin , Zhang Jieming , Ouyang Nengtai , Liang Liyang
Published: October 2022

Pathogenic variants in the ZMIZ1 gene have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorder with dysmorphic facies and distal skeletal anomalies (NEDDFSA). To date, only five reports have identified ZMIZ1 mutations in patients with neuropsychiatric alterations. Here we described a Chinese pediatric patient with intellectual disability (ID), early and fast puberty, growth restriction, and mild facial dysmorphisms, who had a novel pathogenic variant in ZMIZ1 (NM_020338.4:c.40C > T:p.Arg14*). Meanwhile, we demonstrated the molecular and phenotypic features of individuals carrying the ZMIZ1 heterozygous variants through a comprehensive literature review. ID (100%), facial dysmorphism (90.91%), speech developmental delay (90.48%), abnormal behaviors (85%), motor developmental delay (78.95%), and eye anomalies (71.43%) were identified as the most represented clinical features. Our findings present the second Chinese case of NEDDFSA and report a novel heterozygous ZMIZ1 mutation which expands the variant spectrum of the ZMIZ1 gene. Furthermore, we suggest that the penetrance of NEDDFSA is almost complete but with highly variable expressivity.
High prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension among patients with early chronic kidney disease attending tertiary hospitals in Dodoma, Tanzania
Authors: Katatwire Denis D. , Meremo Alfred
Published: October 2022

Background
The prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension has been increasing globally including Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accelerating the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD), cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients with early-stage CKD attending the medical outpatient department (MOPD) clinics of two tertiary hospitals in Dodoma between November 2020 to March 2021. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using SPSS software version 26 and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables associated with uncontrolled hypertension.
Results
A total of 352 patients were enrolled; 64 (18.2%) were in CKD stage 2 and 288 (81.8%) in CKD stage 3, median age was 54 (47–59) years, 182 (51.7%) were males, the prevalence of hypertension was 58.5% and the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension was 58.3%. For patients with uncontrolled hypertension, the median SBP was 146 (142–150) mmHg, the median DBP was 86(82–90) mmHg, the median BMI was 26.1 (24.0-27.5) kg/m2, the median waist circumference was 97(90–104) cm, the median eGFR of 48 (43–55) mil/min/1.73m2. Among patients with uncontrolled hypertension; 88.3% patients had CKD stage 3, 80.0% patients reported non-adherence to antihypertensives, 76.7% patients had overweight/ obesity, 72.5% patients reported current alcohol use, 60.0% patients had dyslipidemia, 43.3% patients reported current smoking, 36.7% patients had significant proteinuria and 26.7% patients had diabetes mellitus. Variables with higher odds for uncontrolled hypertension were; age ≥ 50 years (OR = 5.17, 95% CI 2.37–13.33, P = 0.001), alcohol use (OR = 11.21, 95% CI 3.83–32.84, P = 0.001), Overweight/obesity (OR = 6.28, 95% CI 2.54–15.53, P = 0.001), non-adherence to antihypertensives (OR = 10.19, 95% CI 4.22–24.61, P = 0.001) and CKD stage 3 (OR = 3.52, 95% CI 1.32–9.42, P = 0.012).
Conclusion
Uncontrolled hypertension is highly prevalent among patients with early-stage CKD in our settings and it’s associated with age, current alcohol use, overweight/obesity and non-adherence to antihypertensives.
ATG-101, a tetravalent PD-L1×4-1BB bispecific antibody, augments anti-tumor immunity through PD-L1 blockade and PD-L1-directed 4-1BB activation
Authors: Yuwen Hui , Wang Huajing , Li Tengteng , Ren Yijing , Chen Peng , Li Bohua , Flowers David , Presler Marc , Subramanian Kalyanasundaram , Lynch Kevin , Mei Jay , He Xiaowen , Shan Bo , Hou Bing
Published: October 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the landscape of cancer treatment. However, only a minority of patients achieve a profound and long-lasting response, and many patients are innately resistant or acquire resistance to ICI therapy. In addition, hepatotoxicity and suboptimal efficacy have hampered the clinical development of agonistic antibodies targeting 4-1BB, a promising immune stimulating target. To effectively target 4-1BB and treat diseases resistant to ICIs, we engineered a tetravalent "2 + 2" PD-L1×4-1BB bispecific antibody (BsAb), ATG-101. ATG-101 binds to PD-L1 and 4-1BB concurrently, with a greater affinity for PD-L1, and potently activates 4-1BB positive T cells when crosslinked with PD-L1 positive cells. ATG-101 also activates exhausted T cells upon PD-L1 crosslinking, indicating a possible role in reversing T-cell dysfunction and exhaustion. ATG-101 revealed potent antitumor activity in numerous in vivo tumor models, including those resistant to ICIs or that have progressed following ICI treatment. ATG-101 greatly increased the proliferation of CD8+ T cells, the infiltration of effector memory T cells, and the ratio of CD8+ T/Treg cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), rendering an immunologically "cold" tumor "hot". ATG-101 is well-tolerated and does not induce hepatotoxicity in non-human primates, even at high doses. According to a computational semi-mechanistic pharmacology model simulation, 4-1BB/ATG-101/PD-L1 trimer formation and PD-L1 receptor occupancy are both maximized at around 2 mg/kg of ATG-101, providing guidance regarding a clinically optimal biological dose. In summary, by localizing to PD-L1-rich TME and activating 4-1BB-positive immune cells in a PD-L1 crosslinking-dependent manner, ATG-101 safely inhibits tumor growth in ICI resistant or refractory animal models.
Mediterranean diet and hypertension: Relationship between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and hypertension frequency
Authors: Cuore Alessandro Del , Daidone Mario , Casuccio Alessandra , Salamone Giovanni , Chiara Tiziana , Raimondo Domenico , Pinto Antonio , Tuttolomondo Antonino
Published: October 2022

Background and Aims: No study has examined the relationship between the presence of hypertension and the Mediterranean diet ( MeDi) with regard to other cardiometabolic risk factors
A retropective study to evaluate the presence of a lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet in hypertensive subjects, to analyze the correlation between the adherence to Mediterranean Diet and other cardiovascular risk factors .
Materials and Methods: We analyzed the records and collected the data of the patients admitted to our Internal Medicine ward from 2010 to 2020 with a discharge diagnosis of metabolic syndrome according to the NCEP ATP-III criteria . The Mediterranean Diet Score was used to evaluate the consumption and frequency of the elements characterizing a Mediterranean-type diet.
Results : Hypertensive patients were older and had a higher mean BMI . The degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, evaluated by the Mediterranean diet score, was significantly higher in the control group than the hypertensive group. Various comorbidities were more prevalent in hypertensives such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and chronic renal failure .A lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, chronic renal insufficiency and PAD/carotid atherosclerosis and a significantly worse lipid profiles.
Conclusion: Our findings show that the in hypertensive patients a lower adherence to a Mediterranean Diet Style is associated with a worse cardiovascular risk factor profile. Thus Mediterrean Diet adherence in hypertensive subjects is associated with a wider cardiometabolic scenario .
Cu0-Cu+ synergistic catalysis towards C-H bond fracture in methanol reforming with extremely-high hydrogen production
Authors: Meng Hao , Yang Yusen , Shen Tianyao , Yin Zhiming , Wang Lei , Liu Wei , Yin Pan , Ren Zhen , Zheng Lirong , Zhang Jian , Xiao Feng-Shou , Wei Min
Published: October 2022

The H2 production from methanol steam reforming (MSR) reaction is regarded as one promising way to achieve the coupling between hydrogen production and fuel cells. Hitherto, Cu-based catalysts serve as the predominant MSR catalyst, but several fundamental issues still remain ambiguous (e.g., intrinsic active center, catalytic reaction network). Herein, we prepared Cu/Cu(Al)Ox catalysts featured by amorphous alumina-stabilized Cu2O adjoining Cu nanoparticle to provide Cu0-Cu+ sites. The optimized catalyst 4.25Cu/Cu(Al)Ox (Cu/Al molar ratio of 4.25) exhibits extraordinary catalytic performance towards hydrogen generation from MSR reaction, with a CH3OH conversion of 99.5%, a H2 production rate of 110.8 μmol s-1 gcat-1 and prominent durability at 240 ℃(300 h). A combination investigation including in situ FT-IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry analysis confirms a three-step catalytic reaction pathway: dehydrogenation of methanol to methyl formate (HCOOCH3), hydrolyzation of HCOOCH3 to produce formate (HCOO*), followed by HCOO* decomposition to CO2 and H2. A binary function correlation between CH3OH reaction rate and the surface concentrations of Cu0 and Cu+ is established based on kinetic studies. In addition, in situ XAFS spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal the intrinsic active centers: the oxygen-containing intermediates (CH3O* and HCOO*) adsorbed at Cu0-Cu+ sites with a moderate adsorption strength promote electron transfer from catalyst to surface species, which significantly reduces the reaction barrier of rate-determining step (C-H bond cleavage) in CH3O* and HCOO* intermediates. The in-depth understanding of Cu0-Cu+ synergistic catalysis demonstrated in this work is constructive for the development of high-performance heterogeneous catalysts towards hydrogen production.
Cooperation in Reserve of Protective Textiles in Emergency Conditions between China and African Countries
Authors: Wen Yipeng , Song Kun , Ding Xuemei , Mwasiagi Josphat Igadwa , Elarabi Salah Eldin M. , Dessie Esubalew
Published: October 2022

Background
The reserve of protective textiles for emergency usage is an important measure in ensuring public health security and enhancing the ability to respond to emergencies. There was a global shortage of protective textiles at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the relatively low level of medical development and the underdeveloped domestic textile industry in many African nations, the lack of emergency protective textiles was particularly severe in those nations, which has had some negative effects on African and global public health security. The study explored possible approaches of cooperation between Africa and China to achieve both security and financial efficiency.
Methods
With the support of the China Association for Science and Technology's "Belt and Road" International Science and Technology Organization Cooperation Platform Construction Project, a team of scholars from Donghua University of China, Gezira University of Sudan, Moi University of Kenya, and Bahir Dar University of Ethiopia has carried out cooperative research on emergency protective textile reserve system using various methods such as literature review, field research, interviews, and seminars.
Conclusions
This study analyzed the status of the reserve and supply of protective textile in China and African countries under the emergency conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study proposed a few approaches of collaboration between China and African countries for the reserves of emergency protective textiles, from the perspective of three types of reserve including physical, contractual, and production capacity reserves. Such cooperation based on conditions in China and African is mutually beneficial to China and Africa and is highly valuable to the improvement of global public health security.
Evaluation of the Possibility to Find Voids inside the Great Pyramid by Microgravimeters
Authors: Ivashov Sergey I. , Bugaev Alexander S. , Razevig Vladimir V. , Anfimov Dmitry R.
Published: October 2022

The ancient pyramids keep a lot of mysteries and attract the attention of historians, archaeologists and just tourists from all over the world. Their assignment, construction methods and especially the discovery of previously unknown voids and structures inside them require further study using new technical solutions. The most famous of these structures is the Great (Khufu’s) Pyramid on the Giza plateau in Egypt. Since the middle of the last century, several non-destructive technical methods have been proposed for examining the internal structure of the pyramid. Electromagnetic translucence in the radio frequency range and the use of muon sensors are among them. Although the use of muon sensors has supposedly revealed two previously unknown voids within the Pyramid, independent confirmation of their presence is required. The article discusses the fundamental possibility of using gravimetry to examine the internal structure of the Great Pyramid, and analyzes combining it with other modern technical means including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the implementation of this project. The paper proposes the simplest model that allows evaluating the required accuracy of a microgravimeter capable detecting the supposed voids in the Pyramid. The advantage of this approach, in addition to its simplicity, is the ability easily checking the presented in paper results. The main purpose of writing the article is to draw the attention of the scientific community to another method of non-destructive testing for the study of the internal structure of the Great Pyramid and discussion further needed steps in this direction.
Peripapillary Microvasculature Changes After Vitrectomy in Epiretinal Membrane via Swept-Source OCT Angiography
Authors: Yoon Kyungwoo , Park Jong Beom , Kang Min Seok , Kim Eung Suk , Yu Seung-Young , Kim Kiyoung
Published: October 2022

Purpose: To evaluate the peripapillary microvasculature changes in patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM) following pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA).
Method: Medical records and multimodal imaging data of 33 eyes after PPV for ERM were retrospectively reviewed. Peripapillary SS-OCTA images of 6×6 mm2 were recorded at baseline, 6 months and 1 year after PPV. A semi-automated method was used to analyzed SS-OCTA images, excluding the optic disc area, using the MATLAB software. The peripapillary vessel density (pVD) of superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) was quantified in four quadrants (superior, inferior, nasal and temporal).
Result: The mean pVD in SCP and DCP decreased at 6- and 12-months follow-up. In sectoral analysis, superior, inferior, and temporal quadrants pVD in SCP and DCP were significantly reduced at 1 year after vitrectomy (all p < 0.05). Meanwhile, inferior quadrants pVD in SCP and DCP showed the earliest significant reduction at 6-months (p = 0.022 and 0.048, respectively). A reduction of post-operative mean pVD in DCP was significantly greater in patients with diabetic retinopathy (p = 0.043).
Conclusion: Postoperative pVD significantly decreased in ERM patients. The changes of pVD, especially in inferior sector, could be helpful to predict progression of retinal nerve fiber layer thinning followed by peripapillary microvascular alterations.
A method for calibrating measurement data of micro air quality monitor based on MLR-BRT-ARIMA combined model
Authors: Liu Bing , Jiang Peijun
Published: October 2022

In recent years, air pollution has become an increasingly important issue in the sustainable development of cities. Monitoring air pollutants is of great significance for government departments to effectively control air pollution. The development of micro air quality monitors provides the possibility for grid monitoring and real-time monitoring of air pollutants. However, affected by many factors, the measurement accuracy of the micro air quality monitors need to be improved. In this paper, a combined prediction model of Multiple Linear Regression, Boosted Regression Tree and AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average model (MLR-BRT-ARIMA) is proposed to calibrate the measurement data of the micro air quality monitor. First, the multiple linear regression model is used to find the linear relationship between the concentration of various pollutants and the measurement data of the micro air quality monitor and obtain the predicted value of the concentration of various pollutants. Second, take the measurement data of the micro air quality monitor and the prediction value of the multiple regression model as the input, and use the boosted regression tree to find the nonlinear relationship between the concentrations of various pollutants and the input variables. Finally, the autoregressive integrated moving average model is used to extract the information hidden in the residual sequence, and finally the establishment of the MLR-BRT-ARIMA model is completed. This combined model combines the advantages of multiple linear regression and boosted regression trees. It can not only give the quantitative relationship between the explained variables and their influencing factors, but also the prediction accuracy is higher than the multiple linear regression and boosted regression tree models alone. Using the ARIMA model to correct the residuals can further improve the prediction accuracy of the model. Root mean square error, mean absolute error and relative mean absolute percent error are used to compare the calibration effect of MLR-BRT-ARIMA model and other commonly used models such as multilayer perceptron neural network, support vector regression machine and nonlinear autoregressive models with exogenous input. The results show that no matter what kind of pollutant, the MLR-BRT-ARIMA combined model proposed in this paper has the best performance in the three indicators. Using this model to calibrate the measurement value of the micro air quality monitor can improve the accuracy by 82.4%~95.4%.
Effects of Soybean Meal Fermented by Enterococcus Faecium as a Replacement for Soybean Meal Could Improve the Growth Performance and Nutrient Digestibility by Modulating the Gut Microbiome of Weaning piglets
Authors: Muniyappan Madesh , Park Jae Hong , Han Kyudong , Kim In Ho
Published: October 2022

Background: This study investigates the effects of soybean meal fermented by Enterococcus faecium as a replacement for soybean meal on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility, blood profile and gut microbiota of weaned pigs.
Methods: Eighty piglets (weaned at 21 days) [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc] with average body weight of 6.52 ± 0.59 kg) were selected and assigned to 4 treatments / 4 replicate pens (3 barrows and 2 gilts). The four diets (SBM, 3%, 6% and 9% FSBM) were formulated using FSBM to replace 0%, 3%, 6% and 9% of SBM, respectively. The trial lasted for 42 days (phase 1 (days 0-7), phase 2 (8-21), and phase 3 (days 22-42).
Results: Result showed that supplemental FSBM increased (P < 0.05) the body weight gain (BWG) for piglets at day 7, 21 and 42 and ADG at days 1-7, 8-21, 22- 42 and 1-42, and ADFI at days 8-21,22-42 and 1-42 and G: F at days 1-7, 8-21 and 1-42, and crude protein, dry matter, and energy digestibility at day 42, and the lowered (P< 0.05) diarrhea at days 1-21 and 22-42. The concentration of glucose levels, WBC, RBC and lymphocytes were increased while, concentration of BUN level in the serum was lowered in the FSBM treatment compared to the SBM group (P <0.05). Microbiota sequencing found that FSBM supplementation increased the microbial Shannon, Simpsons and Chao indexs, (P< 0.05) and the abundances of the phylam Firmicutes, and genera prevotella, Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae and Lachnoclostridium(P< 0.05), lower in the abundances of the phylam bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, genera Escherichia-Shigella, Clostridium sensu stricto1, Bacteroides and Parabacteroides (P <0.05).
Conclusions: Overall, FSBM replacing SBM improved the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood profiles; perhaps via altering the faecal microbiota and its metabolites in weaned pigs. The present study provides theoretical support for applying FSBM at 6 to 9% promote immune characteristics and regulate intestinal health in weaning piglets.
A Deep Learning Approach to Improve Classification of Security Bug Reports
Authors: Alqahtani Sultan S.
Published: October 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Spatial patterns of bamboo’s invasion across scales: how does bamboo interact with competing trees?
Authors: Zheng Aiyu , Lv Jianhua
Published: October 2022

Contexts
The invasion of fast growing Phyllostachys edulis (Moso bamboo) into forest is likely further favored by climate change, creating more transitional regions within forests. Such forest-bamboo transitional zones provide windows to look at ecological processes driving bamboo’s interaction with competing species across space.
Objectives
We tested the hypothesis that spatial patterns at scales of ecotone and individual stems can inform bamboo’s invasive spread and its competitive engulfing strategy, with the allocation of biomass and resources within a bamboo colony being a key life-history strategy to facilitate its spatial spread.
Methods
We used remote sensing imagery and field survey data to analyze the dynamics of bamboo-tree transitional boundaries in Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve (TMNR) of southeastern China. We evaluated bamboo’s invasive spread and its allocation of resources along the transitional gradient.
Results
Both remote sensing and field data showed bamboo recovery and advancement into tree territories after the extensive logging of bamboo but with a slower spread compared to historical records. The spatial distributions of bamboo and tree stems were not random at their transitional interfaces and were affected by competition. Successful invasion of bamboo required close coordination between stems and rhizomes within a colony, as they served different functions in clonal integration.
Conclusions
Our study initiates a mechanistic, scale-dependent analysis of bamboo invasion strategies, which provides insights on how to accurately predict future bamboo distributions under climate change accounting for interspecific competition and bamboo’s clonal integration of resources.
Exploring instream large wood accumulation at bridges: insights from bridges across the UK
Authors: Bangnira Francis , Marti-Cardona Belen , Imam Boulent , Ruiz-Villanueva Virginia
Published: October 2022

Accumulation of instream large wood (i.e., fallen trees, trunks, branches, and roots) at bridges during floods may exacerbate scour and cause structural failure. Yet, explaining and predicting the likelihood of a bridge trapping wood remains challenging. Quantitative data regarding wood accumulation at bridges are scarce, and most studies have been based on flume experiments. Equations proposed to estimate the accumulation probability use variables such as flow velocity, Froude number, and approaching wood volume or size which are difficult to obtain. Other evaluations based on technical reports and information regarding wood removal prevail qualitative. But a data-driven approach combining multiple quantitative accessible variables at the local and catchment scales remains lacking. As a result, the controlling parameters explaining whether a bridge is prone to trap wood are still unclear. This work aims to fill this gap by analysing a database of 49 bridges across the United Kingdom (UK) classified as prone and not prone to wood accumulation. The database contained information regarding the geometry of the bridge (i.e., number of piers and pier shape) and we added parameters describing the upstream river channel morphology, the riparian landcover, and high-flow characteristics. We applied multivariate statistics and a machine learning approach to identify the variables that explained the predisposition of bridges to wood accumulation. Results showed that the number of bridge piers, the unit stream power, the pier shape, and the riparian forested area explained 87% of the total variability for the training dataset (0.87 training accuracy), and the selected model had a testing accuracy of 0.60 (60%). Although limited by the sample size, this study shed light on the understanding of instream large wood-bridges interactions and can inform bridge design and management to mitigate wood-related hazards.
An efficient parallel kernel based on Cholesky decomposition to accelerate Multichannel Non-Negative Matrix Factorization
Authors: Muñoz-Montoro Antonio J. , Carabias-Orti Julio J. , Salvati Daniele , Cortina Raquel
Published: October 2022

Multichannel Source Separation has been a popular topic, and recently proposed methods based on the local Gaussian model (LGM) have provided promising result despite its high computational cost when several sensors are used. The main reason being due to inversion of a spatial covariance matrix, with a complexity of \(O(I^3)\), being \(I\) the number of sensors. This drawback limits the practical application of this approach for tasks such as sound field reconstruction or virtual reality, among others. In this paper, we present a numerical approach to reduce the complexity of the Multichannel NMF to address the task of audio source separation for scenarios with a high number of sensors such as High Order Ambisonics (HOA) encoding. In particular, we propose a parallel multi-architecture driver to compute the multiplicative update rules in MNMF approaches. The proposed driver has been designed to work on both sequential and multi-core computers, as well as Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and Intel Xeon coprocessors. The proposed software was written in C language and can be called from numerical computing environments. The proposed solution tries to reduce the computational cost of the multiplicative update rules by using the Cholesky decomposition and by solving several triangular equation systems.The proposal has been evaluated for different scenarios with promising results in terms of execution times for both CPU and GPU. To the best of our knowledge, our proposal is the first system that addresses the problem of reducing the computational cost of full-rank MNMF-based systems using parallel and high performance techniques.
Double-parameter iterative Tikhonov regularization of weak single-epoch GNSS mathematical models
Authors: Fischer Artur , Cellmer Sławomir , Nowel Krzysztof
Published: October 2022

In the spirit of Tikhonov regularization, the double-parameter iterative regularization is developed to mitigate the weakness of single-epoch GNSS models. We propose a simultaneous double-parameter iterative regularization of the least-squares (LS) estimators of parameters of interest in the GNSS model to improve their accuracy properties so that variance-covariance (vc) matrices will describe their good scale. Regularization parameters (RP) are stored in the regularization operator, which plays the standardizing role. Thus, this approach considers the heteroscedasticity of unambiguous and ambiguous model parameters in the regularization principle. We used the quality-based mean squared error (mse) matrix trace minimization criterion to find the optimal RP values simultaneously. Against the unconstrained LS estimation, two variants of iterative regularization of unconstrained LS estimation are tested. The first is the double-parameter iterative Tikhonov regularization. In turn, the second one is its one-parameter counterpart. The numerical example is based on a simulation to guarantee a wide range of geometric positioning construction and provide a variety of measurement circumstances. The double-parameter iterative regularization mitigates the weakness of the single-epoch model more effectively by considering the heteroscedasticity of model parameters in the regularization principle. At the cost of losing the regularized LS estimator’s unbiased localization, the vc-matrix describes float solutions of better precision. They are less dispersed around the actual parameter values at the cost of bias. Thus, higher accuracy in the sense of mse is provided. The regularized estimator is, therefore, well-scaled with biased localization. It also provides the more peaked probability density function (PDF) of float ambiguity estimates, obtaining a higher success rate (SR) of correct integer-least squares (ILS) ambiguity resolution (AR). Therefore, the improved ILS estimator performs well in the ambiguity domain with regularized bias when processing a single-epoch data set, allowing precise GNSS positioning.
ROS-mediated antitumor activity, apoptosis, and molecular docking studies of platinum (II) coordination complexes bearing 2-(diphenylphosphino)pyridine ligand
Authors: Fereidoonnezhad Masood , Abedanzadeh Sedigheh , Bagherzadeh Mehrafarin , Foroutan Gisou , Khodayar Mohammad Javad , Panahimehr Mohammad , Mojaddami Ayyub
Published: October 2022

In this study, the cytotoxicity of platinum (II) complexes containing 2-(diphenylphosphino)pyridine (dppy) ligands with a general formula of [cis- PtX2(κ1 P-dppy)2], (X = Cl (1a), p-tolyl (1b) and Me (1c)) on human lung (A549), ovarian (SKOV3), breast (MCF-7) cancer and normal breast (MCF-10A) cell line have been studied using MTT assay. Since the coordination sphere of metal complexes certainly affects the biological behavior, a series of platinum-phosphine complexes with diverse types of auxiliary ligands (Cl, p-tolyl, and Me) were employed to investigate their effect on biological activity. Based upon the in vitro cytotoxicity results, 1b exhibits a marked cell growth-inhibitory effect against ovarian and lung cancer cell lines with an IC50 value of 9.40 and 5.58 µM, respectively, which were significantly better than that observed for cisplatin (19.02, and 8.64 µM). Additionally, all complexes achieved significantly lower cytotoxicity towards MCF-10A. To investigate the interaction of complexes with DNA, an electrophoresis mobility shift assay was conducted on 1b, which indicated that complexes bind to DNA and affect its electrophoretic mobility. An analysis of apoptosis in A549 cells supported the conclusion that 1b inhibits cell proliferation via induction of apoptosis at a concentration-dependent manner. As a result of excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA was further damaged by these complexes. In order to determine the binding mode and binding site as well as binding energies, Molecular docking was also used to investigate the interactions of compounds with four different DNA structures (PDB IDs: 1BNA, 1LU5, 3CO3, and 198D). According to this study, 1b may have important applications in biopharmaceuticals.
Inhibition of the NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation/Assembly through the Activation of the PI3K Pathway by Naloxone Protects Neural Stem Cells from Ischemic Condition
Authors: Kim Ji Young , Choi Na-Young , Hwang Mina , Koh Seong-Ho
Published: October 2022

Naloxone is a well-known opioid antagonist and has been suggested to have neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemia. We investigated whether naloxone exhibits anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in neural stem cells (NSCs) injured by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), whether it affects the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation/assembly, and whether the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is important in the control of NLRP3 inflammasome activation/assembly by naloxone. Primary cultured NSCs were subjected to OGD and treated with different concentrations of naloxone. Cell viability, proliferation, and the intracellular signaling proteins associated with the PI3K pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome activation/assembly were evaluated in OGD-injured NSCs. OGD significantly reduced survival, proliferation, and migration and increased apoptosis of NSCs. However, treatment with naloxone significantly restored survival, proliferation, and migration and decreased apoptosis of NSCs. Moreover, OGD markedly increased NLRP3 inflammasome activation/assembly and cleaved caspase-1 and interleukin-1β levels in NSCs, but naloxone significantly attenuated these effects. These neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of naloxone were eliminated when cells were treated with PI3K inhibitors. Our results suggest that NLRP3 inflammasome is a potential therapeutic target and that naloxone reduces ischemic injury in NSCs by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation/assembly mediated by the activation of the PI3K signaling pathway.
Artificial intelligence identifies milling status based on vibration signals in robot-assisted cervical laminectomy
Authors: Wang Rui , Bai He , Xia Guangming , Zhou Jiaming , Dai Yu , Xue Yuan
Published: October 2022

Background
With the development of the science and technology, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of medicine has made great progress. The purpose of this study is to explore whether the machine learning k-nearest neighbors (KNN) can identify three milling states based on vibration signals, namely the cancellous bone (CCB), the ventral cortical bone (VCB) and the penetration (PT) in robot-assisted cervical laminectomy.
Methods
Cervical laminectomy was performed on the cervical segments of eight pigs by the robot. Firstly, bilateral dorsal cortical bone and part of the CCB were milled with the 5 mm blade and then the bilateral laminas were milled to penetration with 2 mm blade. During milling process of 2 mm blade, the vibration signals were collected by the acceleration sensor, and the harmonic components were extracted by the fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The feature vectors was constructed with the vibration signals amplitudes of 0.5 kHz, 1.0 kHz, 1.5 kHz and then the KNN was trained by the FV to predict milling states.
Results
The amplitudes of vibration signals between VCB and PT were statistically different at 0.5 kHz 1.0 kHz, and 1.5 kHz (P < 0.05), and the amplitudes of vibration signals between CCB and VCB was significantly different at 0.5 kHz and 1.5 kHz (P < 0.05). KNN recognition success rates of the CCB, VCB, and PT were 92%, 98%, and 100% respectively. 6% and 2% of CCB were identified as VCB and PT respectively, and 2% of VCB was identified as PT.
Conclusions
KNN can distinguish different milling states of the high-speed bur in robot-assisted cervical laminectomy based on the vibration signals. This method provides a feasible method to improve the safety of the posterior cervical decompression surgery.
Analysis and prediction of PM2.5 concentration based on LSTM-XGBoost-SVR model
Authors: Li Xinfang , Huo Hua , Liu Zhonghua
Published: October 2022

Air pollution has always been a concern, among which PM2.5 is the main culprit of pollution. Therefore, the prediction of PM2.5 is conducive to timely prevention and control. For the PM2.5 concentration value, air quality data and meteorological data of each station in Xinbei City, Taiwan Province, a combined prediction method of LSTM-XGBoost-SVR based on time-space characteristics is proposed, which further improves the prediction accuracy. Spearman correlation analysis and tree-based feature selection method are used to select important variables. First, the filtered air quality factors and meteorological factors are input into the LSTM model for the first step prediction, and then their predicted values are fused as new features and input into the XGBoost model with the original feature collection for training. Considering the impact of atmospheric movement on PM2.5 transmission, the prediction results of the two models and PM2.5 concentration data of the stations related to the research stations are fused as input feature variables, input the SVR model optimized by GWO for prediction. To verify the effectiveness of the model, the single model, different fusion strategies and other combined models with optimization algorithms are compared. The results show that the proposed combined model is superior to the single model and other benchmark models, and GWO optimization algorithm is superior to PSO and GA algorithms in terms of convergence and effect. Therefore, lSTM-XGBoost-SVR combined model has more advantages in PM2.5 concentration prediction.
Synthesis Characterization and Protective Efficiency of Novel Polybenzoxazine Precursor as a Potential Corrosion Inhibitor for Mild Steel
Authors: Soliman Ahmed M. M. , Aly Kamal I. , Mohamed Mohamed Gamal , Amer Amer A. , Belal Mostafa R. , Abdel-Hakim Mohamed
Published: October 2022

In this study, salicylaldehyde (SA) and n-hexylamine (Hex-NH2) were used to produce 2-[(E)-(hexylimino)methyl] phenol (SA-Hex-SF), which was then reduced by sodium borohydride to obtain 2[(hexylamino)methyl]phenol (SA-Hex-NH), and finally the SA-Hex-NH reacted with formaldehyde to afford a new benzoxazine precursors (SA-Hex-BZ). Then, the poly(SA-Hex-BZ) was prepared through thermal curing polymerization of its monomer at of benzoxazine at 210 oC. The chemical structure of the SA-Hex-BZ was analyzed using FT-IR, 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The thermal properties, surface morphology and crystallinity of the SA-Hex-BZ and its PBZ polymer were studied by differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC), TGA, scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-Ray analysis, respectively. poly(SA-Hex-BZ) was easily prepared on mild steel (MS) via spray painted and thermal curing methods. Finally, the electrochemical measurements were applied to measure the anticorrosion properties of MS coated with poly(SA-Hex-BZ). This work demonstrated that PBO coating was hydrophobic and had a high anticorrosion effect on MS with efficiency was 91.7%.