bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Phase I Dose-Escalation Study of SYHA1813, a VEGFRs and CSF1R Inhibitor, in Patients with Recurrent High-Grade Gliomas or Advanced Solid Tumors
Authors: Kang Zhuang , Li Shenglan , Lin Yi , Li Yongsheng , Mao Ying , Zhang Jing , Lei Ting , Wang Haidan , Su Yangzhi , Yang Yang , Qiu Jingbo , Li Wenbin
Published: November 2022

SYHA1813 is a potent, multi-kinase inhibitor that targets vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs)/ colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R). This study aimed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and antitumor activity of escalating doses of SYHA1813 in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas (HGG) or advanced solid tumors. This study adopted a combination of accelerated titration and a 3 + 3 design for dose escalation, with a starting dose of 5 mg once daily. The dose escalation continued at successive dose levels until the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) was determined. A total of 14 patients were enrolled and treated, including 13 with WHO grade III or IV gliomas, and 1 with colorectal cancer. Two patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities (grade 4 hypertension and grade 3 mucositis oral) at 30 mg SYHA1813. The MTD was defined as 15 mg once daily. Hypertension (n = 6, 42.9%) was the most frequent treatment-related adverse event. Among evaluable patients (n = 10), 2 (20%) patients reached partial response, and 7 (70%) had stable disease. The exposure increased with increasing doses within the studied dose range of 5 to 30 mg. Biomarker assessments demonstrated significant reductions in soluble VEGFR2 (P = .0023) and increases in VEGFA (P = .0092) and placental growth factor (P = .0484). The safety of SYHA1813 was manageable, and encouraging anti-tumor efficacy was observed in patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx), identifier ChiCTR2100045380.
Predicting labour productivity for formwork activities in high rise building construction – A case study
Authors: Bhilwade Vijay , Delhi Venkata Santosh Kumar , Nanthagopalan Prakash , Das Amit Kumar , Modi Keyur
Published: November 2022

Predicting labour productivity accurately in critical activities like formwork erection would enable management interventions to improve the site situations especially in the context of high rise building construction. In this study, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were employed to model and predict three categories of formwork erection activities – aluminium formwork, horizontal formwork and vertical formwork. 16 input factors were identified and a total of 19,344 data points from 42 construction sites all over India were used to train and validate the ANN models. The developed models show a high degree of accuracy in predicting the productivity on sites. The models also give major insights into the factors affecting the productivity of formwork related activities. The adverse effects of some factors like the number of workers on the site were also discussed. The study indicates the usefulness of data-driven techniques for prediction of labour productivity of formwork activities on Indian construction sites.
Promotion or competition? the role of Internet use on social participation and depressive symptoms: a longitudinal mediation analysis using three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)
Authors: Mu Aruhan , Hong Ziying , Wu Xiang
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Prior studies have shown that the three dimensions of social connectedness, including informal social participation, formal social participation, and Internet use, reduce the risk of late-life depression. But little is known about the association between different dimensions. We aimed to assess opposing hypotheses among the three dimensions of social connectedness and how they affect depressive symptoms.
Methods: We did a focused longitudinal mediation analysis using nationally representative data from three waves (2013, 2015, 2018) of the CHARLS, including 13,671 Chinese adults aged 45 and over at baseline. Structural equation modeling was used to construct longitudinal path models.
Results: Internet use at baseline directly predicted lower levels of depressive symptoms over time. Importantly, Internet use promoted formal and informal social participation over time (we clarified the gateway role of Internet use rather than competition). Higher levels of formal social participation facilitated by Internet use, in turn, predicted lower levels of depressive symptoms. Yet, informal social participation was not mediated the protective effect of Internet use.
Conclusions: For “coming older” and “older” developing countries with insufficient professional resources, it is critical to develop innovative projects that converge Internet use and formal social participation to prevent late-life depression.
Unravelling the fabric of the human mind: the brain-cognition space
Authors: Pacella Valentina , Nozais Victor , Talozzi Lia , Forkel Stephanie J , de Schotten Michel Thiebaut
Published: November 2022

Thirty years of functional neuroimaging have been accumulating a wealth of evidence of the intricate relationship between structure and function. However, potential overlap, independence, granularity of and gaps between functions remain poorly understood at the global level. In this study, we extracted the latent structure of the current brain-cognition knowledge and revealed its organisational structure. This knowledge has been derived from the most comprehensive meta-analytic fMRI database (Neurosynth) that was used to compute a two-dimensional embedding space – the brain-cognition space – capturing the relationship between brain functions as we know it. The structure of the space allowed us to test the degree of logic in the relationship between functions statistically – a rationality index – and to predict the activation pattern of new and still undetermined functions. The organisation and predictive framework defined by the brain-cognition space will foster the investigation of novel functions and guide the exploration of the fabric of human cognition.
Density Functional Theoretical Assessment of Titanium Metal for Adsorption of Hydrogen, Deuterium and Tritium Isotopes
Authors: Boda Anil , Chandorkar Nirbhay , Ali Sk. Musharaf
Published: November 2022

Titanium, a high temperature tolerance metal is preferred as neutron targets due to high hydrogen storage capacity. Therefore, there is a need to understand the interaction and dynamical behaviours of hydrogen isotopes with Ti which is investigated by means of linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) and projector augmented wave (PAW) potential within the density functional theoretical framework. The hydrogen isotope is studied by incorporating zero point energy and the harmonic transition state theory (HTST) were used to determine the rate constant. The values of surface adsorption energy of hydrogen isotopes were predicted to follow the trend: Ead(H2) > Ead(D2) > Ead(T2). The activation energy barrier from top to bridge and top to hollow sites was negative for H atom indicating barrier less diffusion. The computed total density of states (TDOS) and partial density of states (PDOS) confirmed that the hollow site offers the most stable site for H atom adsorption than that by bridge and top sites. The calculated barrier height for dissociation was 0.4eV at surface coverage of θH > 0.5ML whereas the barrier height for recombination was found to be much higher than that of dissociation. The calculated dissociation rate constant using HTST was found to be quite fast whereas the rate constant for recombination was determined to be very slow as expected. The ZPE corrected activation heights for bulk diffusion in Ti from one Td void to nearby Td void for H, D and T were computed to be 0.118, 0.126 and 0.129 eV respectively at the PAW level. The calculated diffusivity establishes that the lighter H atom migrates faster than that of heavier D and T atoms. The classical barrier height was observed to be reduced after quantum correction.
Effects of Grassland Burning on Ants in the Shock Phase: Local Species Extinctions and Changes in Population Size
Authors: Barbosa¹ Gabriel Gonçalves , Podgaiski¹ Luciana Regina
Published: November 2022

Fire is an important disturbance that alters processes and the structure of communities and populations of organisms in adapted ecosystems. The effects of fire on arthropods begin in the combustion phase and extend into the shock phase until the vegetation begins to regrow. We evaluated the effects of the shock phase on ant local species extinctions/disappearances, survival probability and activity in grasslands. Fourteen paired 10-m² plots were established in disturbance-excluded grasslands in southern Brazil. One plot of each pair was randomly chosen for burning with the other being considered a control, forming a block. The ant community in each plot was assessed before and one month after fire (BA:CI) using pitfall-traps and sweep nets. One month after the fire was considered the shock phase period, when there are considerable changes in abiotic conditions and habitat structure. A total of 52 species in 25 genera were recorded. Absolute and relative local species extinctions/disappearances did not differ between control and burned plots and species survival probability was not altered. Ant community abundance was higher in burned plots, as was the population abundance of some target species, with only one species having its activity decreased by fire. Our results show that the shock phase caused by the effects of fire does not alter extinction/disappearance nor survival of species and may even potentially favor species activity.
Implications for insect conservation: The ecosystems we studied are adapted to disturbances such as fire, where there are species not only adapted to, but also dependent on this disturbance. Although small-scale burning may cause the xeric environment in the shock phase, our results show that this period does not influence the mortality and survival of ant species. Grassland conservation policies in Brazil should consider prescribed small-scale fires as a conservation tool.
Optimal Dynamic Nonlinear Income Taxation with Wage Regulations
Authors: Chen Yunmin
Published: November 2022

We extend Stiglitz (1982) to a dynamic and stochastic optimal taxation model, while assessing the effects of exogenous wage regulations. We show that when wage regulations are imposed, consumption inequality rises more than when they are removed. The results lead to an important policy implication that in the face of exogenous wage regulations, the social planner who can design optimal tax schedule prefers to widen the consumption inequality. In this regard, the desire to improve the production efficiency is stronger than the motive for redistribution. A conventional wisdom that full employment commitment and minimum wage legislation should serve as a buffer for the minority may not be taken for granted. In the qualitative analysis, we find that as wage regulations tighten, the lower bound of the marginal tax rate on capital rises. Our quantitative result validates that, showing that the marginal tax rate on capital increases to varying degrees in response to wage requirements of varying tightness.
JEL Classifications: C61; D82; H21; J31
Visual Categorization of Fruit disease using Fine-Grained Stacking Ensemble Learning
Authors: Kavitha A , Raja S Daniel Madan
Published: November 2022

Marssonina blotch infect the entire tree and black rot creates the possibility for fungicides to infect the neighborhood fruits thereby creating the entire fruit basket infected. Marssonina blotch and black rot are the most commonly occurring infections on fruits. Scab is discovered as the other category of fruit infection caused by a fungus infecting even leaves that cause cracks and immature stage of fruits and leaves. The preprocessing steps involve the process of segmentation, filtration and haar cascade defect training using the training data set consisting of 2500 defect records on apple, strawberry, grapefruit, cucumber, kiwi, lime, mango and guava. Deep learning and Stacking ensemble learning is used to diagnose the infections on fruits by using the CNN algorithm to create fine grained chunk visuals for disease prediction. The system is constructed to identify color of the fruit so that the system is able to predict the fruit image on all the possible colors for example on apple both red and green color apples are trained. The overall accuracy of prediction recorded by the proposed work is 97.8% which proves to hit the required efficiency of the diagnosis system to prevent the infection on fruits and increase the productivity and marketing strategy. Blotch prediction accuracy is observed as 97.5%, scab as 95.89 %and rot prediction accuracy is recorded to 98.2%.
Dose–response relationship in patients with newly diagnosed atypical meningioma treated with adjuvant radiotherapy
Authors: Kim Dowook , Chang Won Ick , Byun Hwa Kyung , Kim In Ah , Cho Jaeho , Lee Joo Ho , Yoon Hong In , Wee Chan Woo
Published: November 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the radiation dose–response relationship in patients with newly diagnosed atypical meningioma (AM) treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) using conventional fractionation.
Methods: In total, 158 patients who underwent surgery and ART between 1998 and 2018 were reviewed. Among these patients, 135 with complete information on radiotherapy (RT) dose/fractionation and pathological reports were analyzed. We entered RT dose as a continuous variable into the Cox regression model using penalized spline to allow for a nonlinear relationship between RT dose and events. Local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. The corresponding biological equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) was calculated using an α/β ratio of 4 Gy.
Results: The median follow-up duration was 56.0 months. The median ART dose delivered was 61.2 Gy in 24–34 daily fractions, corresponding to a median EQD2 of 59.16 Gy. In multivariate analysis, larger size and higher mitotic count significantly reduced LC (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively), PFS (P < 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively), and OS (P = 0.006 and P = 0.001, respectively). Meanwhile, a higher RT dose was significantly associated with improved LC, PFS, and OS. Moreover, RT showed a dose-dependent effect on LC, PFS, and OS; local failure, tumor progression, and death were reduced by 12%, 12%, and 16%, respectively, per 1 Gy increase in the dose (EQD2).
Conclusion: The dose of ART in AM has a dose–response relationship with LC and survival outcomes.
Long-term outcome of reduced-port laparoscopic surgery (single port surgery + 1 port) as a technical option in the patients with rectal cancer
Authors: Ishii Yoshiyuki , Ochiai Hiroki , Sako Hiroyuki , Watanabe Masahiko
Published: November 2022

Background
The purpose of this study was to clarify the oncological safety of reduced-port laparoscopic surgery (RPS) for the patients with rectal cancer, by assessing the long-term outcome.
Methods
A total of 63 selected patients with clinical Stage I-III (T1-3 and N0-2) rectal cancer located within 15 cm from the anal verge were enrolled in this study. They had undergone laparoscopic anterior resection of the rectum by RPS, i.e., a platform with three channels on a single port plus one port surgery.
Results
The median operation time and intraoperative blood loss were 272 minutes and 10 mL, respectively. The median number of harvested lymph nodes was 22. Additional ports were required in 8 patients (13%), and conversion to open surgery was needed in one patient (2%). Intra- and postoperative complications occurred in one (2%) and 12 patients (19%), respectively. The median postoperative hospital stay was 8 days. The median follow-up period was 58 months, and cancer recurrence occurred in 4 patients (6%). The five-year relapse-free and overall survival rates were 100% and 100% in the patients with pathological Stage I disease, and 84% and 91% in the patients with pathological Stage II/III disease, respectively.
Conclusions
In the selected patients with rectal cancer, anterior resection by RPS may be secure in technical and oncological aspect as well as multi-port laparoscopic surgery and a reliable surgical option.
Automated detection of oil spills in images: combining a novel feature extraction technique based on the q- Exponential distribution with machine learning models
Authors: Negreiros Ana Cláudia Souza Vidal , Lins Isis Didier , Maior Caio Bezerra Souto , Moura Márcio das Chagas
Published: November 2022

Oil spills are harmful, with negative environmental, social, and economic consequences. Generally, a risk-based framework involves preventing, detecting, and mitigating these undesirable events. Regarding detection, rapid oil spill identification is essential for mitigation, which fosters the use of automated procedures. Usually, automated oil spill detection involves radar images, computer vision, and machine learning techniques for classification. In this work, we propose a novel feature extraction method based on the q-Exponential probability distribution, named q-EFE. Such a model is suitable to account for atypical extreme pixel values, as it can have the power-law behavior. The q-EFE is combined with machine learning (ML) models, comprising a computer vision methodology to automatically classify images as “with oil spill” or “without oil spill”. We used a public dataset with 1112 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images to validate our methodology. Considering the proposed q-Exponential-based feature extraction, the SVM and XGB models outperformed deep learning models, including a ResNet50 one, and LBP and GLCM techniques for the biggest dataset size. The obtained results suggest that the proposed q-EFE can extract complex features from SAR images. Combined with ML models, it can perform image classification with satisfactory balanced accuracy.
Composite Reinforcement for Bridge Deck Slabs
Authors: Tharmarajah Gobithas , Taylor Susan E. , Cleland David , Robinson Des
Published: November 2022

Expansive corrosion in steel reinforcement significantly reduces the design life and durability of concrete structures. Composite materials such as Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) and Basalt Fibre Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) can provide a more durable alternative to steel reinforcement due to their resistance to corrosive environment, such as those experienced by a bridge deck slab. Replacing conventional steel with composite reinforcement in new structures can be beneficial and reduce the need for bridge repairs and associated costs. FRP reinforcement can be used successfully in laterally restrained slabs by recognising the benefits of arching action. This paper discusses tests carried out on laterally restrained FRP reinforced slabs and details the development of arching action theory and its application.
The role of some heavy metal pollution in idiopathic recurrent spontaneous abortion
Authors: El-Sikaily Amany , Helal Mohamed , Nsonwu-Anyanwu Augesta , Azab Hossam , ElMoneim Neveen Abd , Mohamed Jihan , Hassanine Tamer , Saad Aziza
Published: November 2022

Background: Environmental pollution with heavy metal (HM) have been associated with human reproductive failure. Oxidative stress and disruption of homeostatic regulation of reproductive hormones has been implicated in HM induced reproductive toxicity. The HM, indices of oxidative stress, reproductive hormone and red cell indices in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) in relation to exposure to HM contaminated mussels were assessed in this study.
Methods: Seventy-six women (20-35 years) categorized into 18 fertile women without RPL (control group), and Groups I, II and III comprising 24, 18 and 16 women with RPL (2, 3, and >3 abortions respectively) were studied. Whole blood samples were collected for the estimation of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), metallothionein (rbcMT), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), progesterone, haemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH). Mussel samples were collected for Cd, Pb and metallothionein (MT) estimation.
Results: The cadmium content of mussels were above the maximum limit. Women with RPL (Groups I-III) had higher Cd, Pb, rbcMT and MDA and lower catalase, GSH, P4, Hb, MCV and MCH compared to Group I (p=<0.001). Negative associations were observed between Cd and catalase (r=-0.320, p=0.014), GSH (r=-0.359, p=-0.006) and MCV (r=-0.391, p=-0.002) respectively and between Pb and GSH (r=-0.501, p=<0.001), Hb (r=-0.289, p=0.028), MCV (r=-0.394, p=0.002) and MCH (r=-0.277, p=0.036) respectively in women with RPL. Positive correlations were observed between Cd and Pb (r=0.533, p=<0.001), rbcMT with Cd (r=0.312, p=0.017), Pb (r=0.488, p=<0.000) and MDA (r=0.282, p=0.032) respectively in women with RPL.
Conclusion: Elevated cadmium levels in mussels in conjunction with increased HM, metallothionein, MDA and reduced antioxidants, progesterone and red cell indices observed in women with RPL suggest that HM induced oxidative stress and hormonal imbalance may be implicated in recurrent pregnancy loss.
Application of adenosine pathway prediction model in tumor classification and precision cancer medicine
Authors: Gao Guanfei , He Chuanjie , Chen Xiaotong , Wang Zhenlong , Du Jiangfeng
Published: November 2022

Cancer is a large group of diseases that exert heterogeneity individually, which resulted in the various lifetime individually and the specific response to anti-cancer drugs. Classification of patients as the prognostics is thereafter the key point for drug selection and therapeutic effect. Adenosine pathway which hydrolyzes extracellular ATP into adenosine has been recognized as new immune checkpoint pathway that can significantly impair anti-tumor immunity of multiple types of cancer. Therefore, a prognostic model based on adenosine pathway would benefit for cancer classification and treatment. In this study, 25 adenosine pathway related genes were screened from literature. An adenosine pathway prediction model (AP) based on 9769 patients from TCGA were constructed for cancer classification, and the AP model was sufficient to distinguish the patients with long overall survivals (OS) from short OS. Cancers could be categorized into two types (ADO unfavored and ADO favored) based on AP model. Next, the tumor microenvironment of two subtypes were characterized and they exhibit different cell components and immune patterns. Based on GEO dataset, AP model was capable to screen proper anti-cancer drugs for patients. To identify key genes that cause drug tolerance, the AP related genes and their drug sensitivity network were constructed and a series of key genes and the corresponding drugs were identified. Finally, AP model and drug sensitivity network identified that the expression of NT5E is correlated to the poor survival of patients with APHigh subtype, and the application of NT5E related drugs may be beneficial for the treatment of patients with APHigh subtype.
Perceived Risks and Perceptions of Covid–19 Vaccination in Patients with Autoimmune Skin Diseases Attending a Tertiary Care Centre in South India – A Questionnaire Based Study
Authors: R Lomine karain , Kumaraguru Akila , M Bandhala Rajan , Jansy R , S Seethalakshmi R
Published: November 2022

COVID vaccines against the SARS-CoV2 infection helped in reducing the devastating effects of the COVID pandemic. Many studies have portrayed the efficacy and safety of vaccines, there are people who are hesitant to get vaccines due to the fear of side effects and the fear is especially high in patients with autoimmune disorders on systemic immunosuppressant possibly due to lack of awareness and proper counselling. Thus, we intended to study the perceived risks and perceptions of COVID–19 vaccination in patients with autoimmune skin diseases attending a tertiary care centre in India.This is a cross sectional study done in the Department of Dermatology, The study participant who fulfilled the inclusion and the exclusion criteria were included in this study. COVID vaccination details were obtained from 50 patients with autoimmune skin disorders attending the skin OPD.Age of the patient ranged from 18 – 70 years in which 45-60 years of the age group were predominant [18(36%)]. The most common autoimmune disease among the study participants was Psoriasis vulgaris 24(48%). Patients taking immunosuppressant were about 20 (40%) study participants. About 72% were vaccinated for COVID-19.72% of study population got vaccinated and the common reason is due to its free of cost in our country followed by confidence in its efficacy. The rest hesitated due to their personal superstitious beliefs and their ignorance. Overall, during the study period, no major adverse effects related to the vaccine were noted in our study participants.
Fish Species Identification on Low Resolution - A Study with Enhanced Super Resolution Generative Adversarial Network (ESRGAN), YOLO and VGG-16
Authors: Adhikary Subhrangshu
Published: November 2022

A smart detection and recognition model for the species of a fish from camera footage is of urgent requirement as fishery contributes to a large portion of the world economy and these kinds of advanced models can aid fishermen on a large scale. Such models incorporating a pick-and-place machine can be very useful to sort different fish species in a bulk without human intervention and this can greatly reduce costs for large scale fishing industries. Existing methods for detecting and recognizing fish species have many limitations such as limited scalability, detection accuracy, failing to detect multiple species, degraded performance at a lower resolution, or pinpointing the exact location of the fish. By modifying the head of a very powerful deep learning model namely VGG-16 with pre-trained weights can be used to detect both the species of the fish and find the exact location of the fish in an image by implementing a modified YOLO to incorporate the bounding box regression head. We have proposed the usage of the ESRGAN algorithm along with the proposed neural network to amplify the image resolution by a factor of 4. With this method, the overall detection accuracy of 96.5% has been obtained. The experiment has been conducted based on a total of 9460 images spread across 9 species. After further improving the model, a pick-and-place machine could be integrated for very fast sorting of the fish according to their species in different large-scale fish industries.
Climate-multi-Criteria Optimization of the Reliability and Maintainability of a Distribution System by MARKOV Chains and Elitist Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Arouna Oloulade , Gilles Agbokpanzo Richard , Marcaire Agbomahena , Imano Adolphe Moukengue , Sèminvo Montcho Arnaud , Antoine Vianou
Published: November 2022

The reliability of the distribution networks has been threatened by the disturbances which have occurred on the said networks and which have led to supply interruptions to customers. From the analysis of the faults that have occurred on these networks, it emerged that the most recurring disturbances are faults originating from external causes (atmospheric overvoltages, violent winds) and which represent 90% of the causes, transient faults (70%) and broken conductors (40%). The study of the reliability indices showed that the most disturbed departures are the MV departures from Ouidah, ITTA, Calavi and Togba whose SAIDIs are respectively 15.64; 13.9; 10.05; and 8.52. The optimization of the maintenance plan by genetic algorithms of the NSGA II type made it possible to identify the number of inspections which is 5 days and 11 days respectively during the rainy season and the dry season. The inter-inspection period related to these inspection periods is (21 days). This study led to the proposal of an optimal plan taking into account climatological criticalities and the aim of which is to reduce these disturbances which are more untimely in the rainy season. The resolution of the reliability problem by genetic algorithms of the NSGA-II type made it possible to deduce that the undistributed energies are reduced by 92.22% on the departure of Togba, 93.43% on the departure of ITTA and 95, 54% on departure from Ouidah. This energy could have brought Beninese Electricity Company (SBEE) a sum of nine hundred fifty-one million eighty-four thousand two hundred and fifty CFA francs (951,084,250 FCFA) on only three MV departures. This optimization denotes the technical and financial interest of SBEE by focusing more on strategies for reducing disruptions on its networks while giving priority to the rehabilitations, effectiveness and efficiency of its maintenance plans. The methodology used is efficient and effective and can allow SBEE to make substantial savings which will enable it to make a reinvestment in its distribution networks.
Decreased GPX3 mRNA level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Han Li-Yan , Sun Wei-Juan , Zhao Ze-Hua , Gao Shuai , Wang Kai
Published: November 2022

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies with increasing mortality. Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) is a widely used biomarker for HCC but has been questioned for its limited sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we aim to determine the alteration and diagnostic value of GXP3 expression for HCC.
Methods: We recruited 243 subjects, including 132 HCC patients, 78 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 33 healthy controls (HCs). The mRNA level of GPX3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).
Results: The GPX3 plasma level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The GPX3 mRNA level was significantly decreased in HCC patients compared with CHB patients and HCs (P<0.05). Plasma GPX3 level was significantly lower in patients with HCC than CHB and HCs (P<0.05). In HCC subgroup, the GPX3 mRNA level was significantly lower in patients with positive HBeAg, ascites, advanced stage and poor differentiation compared with the remaining groups (P<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to estimate the diagnostic value of GPX3 mRNA level for HBV associated HCC. The GPX3 mRNA level showed a significantly better diagnostic ability compared with AFP (AUC 0.769 vs. 0.658, p<0.001).
Conclusion: we found that decreased GPX3 mRNA level might serve as a potential noninvasive biomarker for HCC. It showed better diagnostic ability compared with AFP.
Assessment of awareness about wearing contact lenses & methods of care for them among a sample of Syrian private university
Authors: Shebli Ibrahim , Basha Ahmad , Salman Afraa , Al-Manasfi Anas
Published: November 2022

Background:
Contact lenses are an increasingly frequent topic that may cause eye and health problems for individuals of different age groups, especially the youth group, due to their frequent use of them. From this point of view, we conducted our research. To assess the awareness of participating students from different faculties at the Syrian Private University about contact lenses and how to use them in general by studying several demographic factors and their relationship to the knowledge and awareness of students based on their answers to our questionnaire.
Design:
A Cross-Sectional Study conducted at Syrian private university.
Methods:
The study was on 500 students using a questionnaire tool, targeting students at the Syrian Private University in its various faculties
Results:
We studied a sample of the faculties at the Syrian Private University, which numbered 500 students. Males represented more than half of the sample with a percentage of 63.2%, and the most age group was 21–25 years old with a percentage of 90.4%, and most students were from the Faculty of Human Medicine with a percentage of 81%, in the context of our study, they found a correlation between gender, college, school year, and students’ use of contact lenses, where most of them had not used them before, and their percentage was 72.8%. Or wear it while sleeping, or share it with others.
Aspectos Epidemiológicos e Sociais do Escorpionismo em Município do Recôncavo Baiano, Brasil
Authors: Mata Amanda Cristina de Sousa , Faria Luis Eduardo Meira , Machado Braga Jacqueline Ramos
Published: November 2022

Introdução: Os acidentes causados por escorpiões são caracterizados como acidentes evitáveis, e por esta razão, são considerados negligenciados. A ocorrência do escorpionismo em municípios baianos carece de análise aprofundada sobre os contextos individuais e coletivos. Objetivo: O presente estudo buscou analisar os registros de escorpionismo do município de Cruz das Almas-BA, descrevendo o perfil epidemiológico e social dos acidentes entre 2010 e 2019. Material e Métodos: Foram utilizados dados disponíveis no Sistema de Informações de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN), disponíveis no DATASUS. Resultados: Foram registrados 1513 casos de acidentes escorpiônicos e um óbito, com incidência média anual de 24,9/10.000 hab. Os acidentes ocorreram sem padrão característico de sazonalidade anual, sendo as principais vítimas mulheres (53,27%), na faixa etária entre 20 a 39 anos (34,57%), pardas (48,84%) e sem escolaridade definida (50,82%). Os casos foram majoritariamente classificados como leves (84,1%), e evoluindo para a cura (96%). Com relação aos Determinantes Sociais em Saúde (DSS), a maioria dos homens trabalha na construção civil, e as mulheres em serviços domésticos; menos da metade das residências possui esgotamento sanitário adequado, e a coleta de lixo não é abrangente, fatores que podem contribuir para os índices de escorpionismo. Conclusão: Diante deste quadro, verifica-se que o número crescente de acidentes escorpiônicos em Cruz das Almas ratifica a necessidade de campanhas de sensibilização e prevenção de acidentes, e o desenvolvimento de estratégias para a melhoria das condições de infraestrutura/saneamento, ocupação e gerenciamento de resíduos que contribuem para o aumento de registros de casos.
Effectiveness of Home Disinfection of Dental Brushes through Chemical Methods
Authors: Aguiar Isadora Farias , Lima Karlos Eduardo Rodrigues , Estellita Maria Clara Ayres , Rocha Márcia Maria de Negreiros Pinto , Mendes Talita Arrais Daniel , Lemos Marcelo Victor Sidou
Published: November 2022

Oral hygiene gained a great deal of space in the daily lives of the population, with that the concern with the correct way to perform the hygiene and storage of the toothbrush. Bacterial plaque is one of the main causative agents of caries and periodontal disease, along with bacteria, fungi and viruses that are found within the oral cavity. The accumulation of biofilm and the lack of oral hygiene provide an ideal environment for the proliferation of microorganisms, increasing the risk of causing these diseases. In this regard, the toothbrush will serve as an important tool for removing plaque and these organisms. However, right after the first use of the brush, these microorganisms become lodged on the surface of the brush. In order to reduce the number of microorganisms, physical and chemical methods have emerged for disinfecting toothbrushes. Thus, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness of home disinfection of toothbrushes using chemical substances. This is an in vitro laboratory study in which brush hygiene was evaluated by immersion and spraying (n=3), with chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, essential oils and distilled water, as a negative control, to serve as a comparison for microbial growth in Brain Heart Infusion Broth (BHI) culture medium. The result was evaluated according to the transparency of the culture medium following the McFarland turbidity scale. The result of the experiments was that the group by immersion of essential oils showed the best result in the absence of bacterial growth, followed by chlorhexidine and then hydrogen peroxide. The group by spraying both substances was the one that proved to be the most flawed, with a high rate of bacterial growth. Thus, essential oils were the most effective substance, however, none of the methods proved to be totally efficient in combating Streptococcus mitis.
The partial Bondi gauge: Further enlarging the asymptotic structure of gravity
Authors: Geiller Marc , Zwikel Céline
Published: November 2022

We present a detailed analysis of gravity in a partial Bondi gauge,
where only the three conditions g_{rr}=0=g_{rA}grr=0=grA
are fixed. We relax in particular the so-called determinant condition on
the transverse metric, which is only assumed to admit a polyhomogeneous
radial expansion. This is sufficient in order to build the solution
space, which here includes a cosmological constant, time-dependent
sources in the boundary metric, logarithmic branches, and an extra trace
mode at subleading order in the transverse metric. The evolution
equations are studied using the Newman–Penrose formalism in terms of
covariant functionals identified from the Weyl scalars, and we build the
explicit dictionary between this formalism and the tensorial Einstein
equations. This provides in particular a new derivation of the (A)dS
mass loss formula. We then study the holographic renormalisation of the
symplectic potential, and the transformation laws under residual
asymptotic symmetries. The advantage of the partial Bondi gauge is that
it allows to contrast and treat in a unified manner the Bondi–Sachs and
Newman–Unti gauges, which can each be reached upon imposing a further
specific gauge condition. The differential determinant condition leads
to the \LambdaΛ-BMSW
gauge, while a differential condition on g_{ur}gur
leads to a generalized Newman–Unti gauge. This latter gives access to a
new asymptotic symmetry which acts on the asymptotic shear and further
extends the \LambdaΛ-BMSW
group by an extra abelian radial translation. This generalizes results
which we have recently obtained in three dimensions.
A low-cost remote driver sleep monitoring system
Authors: Ekşi Zeynep , Camgöz Ayşe Nur , Özarslan Melike , Sözer Emre , Çelebi Mehmet Fatih , Feyzioğlu Ahmet
Published: November 2022

Today, the use of smart transportation systems has become widespread due to the change in the structure of cities, technological developments, and the increase in the number of vehicles. It aims at targets such as reducing the damage to people and the environment by increasing traffic safety with smart transportation systems. In addition, one of the big problems of long-distance drivers is falling asleep while driving. This is an event that puts both the driver’s life, the passengers in the vehicle, and the vehicles on the road in danger, and puts the company in a difficult situation if it works for a company. In this direction, the driver sleep alarm project has been developed. This project is a control system based on monitoring the user, measuring, and analyzing their movements. Literature research, which is the first stage of the project, was conducted and research continued throughout the project process. Within the scope of this project, a headset was designed for the driver’s sleep alarm and a mobile application was created. The first prototype of the project was built. First, in the project, the angle values made by the driver's head were produced with the IMU connected to the microcontroller. 10° to 20° margins identified as sleeping state for roll, pitch, and yaw angles. Later, a wearable headset was designed for the driver. Based on these angles produced in the microcontroller, an algorithm has been created that detects whether the driver is asleep. These generated angle values and status information were transferred from the headset to the mobile application via Bluetooth. This data transferred in the mobile application is reflected on the screen. In addition, an algorithm has been created in the mobile application, which sends a notification to the driver when sleep status is detected and sends an informative SMS to the headquarters if the driver is unresponsive to this notification. For the second prototype, it was aimed to produce a PCB for the headset and thus make a new mechanical design. Data mining applications are planned with the collected data from drivers for future works.
Chronic Non-communicable Diseases, Pain, and Coping Strategies: An Overview
Authors: Mechraoui Amani , Bouzouraa Eya , Hammami Nadhir
Published: November 2022

Around the world, chronic diseases have impacted the health and quality of life of many individuals. These chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and lung disease, are expensive to treat, frequently require lifelong care, and worsen drastically if treatment is postponed or of poor quality. This phenomenon will place pressure on healthcare systems to adjust to meet these evolving demands by creating efficient preventive strategies. One of the key epidemiological trends of the current times is the rise of chronic and degenerative diseases. This study will provide an overview of chronic diseases and helps to provide a more detailed image of pain and coping strategies. This requires adapting health systems and health policies and a shift from disease-centered to people-centered approaches and population health measures.
effect of experiential marketing on consumer satisfaction and behavioral intentions
Authors: Sanjaya I Gusti Ngurah , Rumini Luh Putu Inten , Lasmini Ni Ketut , Sarjana I Made , Marheni Lily
Published: November 2022

This research was conducted to analyze the effect of experiential marketing on consumer satisfaction and visitor behavior intentions. The research was conducted at the One-Stop Entertainment Center Atlas Beach Fest Canggu, Bali. The sample for this study was visitors to the One-Stop Entertainment Center Atlas Beach Fest Canggu, Bali around June-October 2022. The sample used was a purposive sampling method of 100 people and used descriptive analysis and the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. The results of the research answer the two hypotheses proposed, namely; experiential marketing has a positive influence on satisfaction (satisfaction), experiential marketing has a positive influence on behavioral intention (behavioral intention). This study has important implications related to aspects that affect visitor satisfaction such as: playground facilities for children, display of food and drinks and waiter service making visitors willing to give positive word of mouth, telling their experiences during their visit and inviting friends to come back.
Phenotypic Variation and RAPD Polymorphism of Pisang Kepok Local Cultivars (Musa acuminata x Musa balbisiana, ABB, Saba Subgroup)
Authors: Wahyudi Didik , Lil Ilmi Zahrobatul , Hapsari Lia
Published: November 2022

Pisang Kepok is a major local banana cultivar in Indonesia with high economic, social and cultural value. Particularly on the island of Java, there are several variations of Pisang Kepok recognised with their own local names, which makes difficulties in taxonomic identification and grouping. Morphological features are used in conventional banana cultivar classification, but they are deemed less precise due to their subjectivity, thus, it is supposed to be complemented with a molecular approach. This study aims to identify the phenotypic variation of Pisang Kepok local cultivars also their genetic polymorphism using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA marker. Phenotypic variation was observed using 35 morphological characters. Six RAPD primers were used, i.e. OPA2, OPA3, OPA4, OPA11, OPA12, and OPA18. Clustering analysis, both phenotypic and genetic were performed using PAST v4.02. The morphological characterisation identified four variants of Pisang Kepok i.e. Kepok Abang, Kepok Putih, Kepok Manurun, and Kepok Australi; which all confirmed as ABB genome group. Phenotypic clustering showed that Pisang Kepok cultivars were separated into 3 clusters based on their local name, with a high similarity value of >90%. PCA biplot showed that the fruit flesh colour was the most important character contributed to the cultivar variation. RAPD marker also showed that each specimen was grouped according to its local name and source, with a similarity value of >80%. Both morphology and molecular (RAPD) markers resulted in the branching of Pisang Kepok which was closer to Pisang Klutuk than Pisang Barlin.
“One of the Most Precious Experiences I Have Had as a Teacher!” Embodied Mindfulness and Compassion Nurture Addiction-Preventive and Pro-Democratic Life Skills and Relationships Between Teachers and Students - A Phenomenological Exploration
Authors: Altner Nils , Friedrich Jasmin
Published: November 2022

In this study, we present the results of a 48-hour mindfulness-based and compassion-based training for teachers (N = 59). This study included 3,250 students in two years. We strengthened the resources of teachers and students for health, especially for preventing addiction. The didactic approach was based on the concepts of embodiment and resonance. We first trained teachers and then encouraged them to teach students in the classroom. Qualitative data were collected on the presence of teachers, relationship building, teaching performance, and teaching content, as well as, on the effects on the students. The results of the qualitative evaluation suggest that potentially addiction-preventive qualities and life skills of the teachers, such as (self)compassion, self-regulation, and connectedness, were strengthened. After training, all teachers included mindfulness-based and compassion-based methods in their teaching. Feedback from the students indicated that these characteristics of the teachers had a life-skill-enhancing effect on the children. We discuss these results in the context of personality development, the prevention of addiction, and cultural changes for developing a healthier, more participatory, and democratic society.
Evaluation of a Virtual Compassionate Living Group for Patients with Chronic Pain
Authors: Brown Alicia , Woodcock Caitlin , Cocallis Kelly , Bowman Alan Robert
Published: November 2022

Chronic pain affects around 28 million people in the UK. Those living with chronic pain can frequently experience internalised self-stigma and negative self-evaluations as a result of the pain itself and due to difficult life experiences. Previous research has found Compassion Focused Therapy to be effective for people living with long term health conditions like chronic pain. The current study sought to evaluate a routine Virtual Compassionate Living Group for patients with chronic pain on the measures of self-compassion, self-criticism and pain self-efficacy. The evaluation took place in a routine clinical setting. 13 outpatients attended the online group across three separate groups. Groups were delivered over eight or ten sessions with the group content focusing on psychoeducation of the Compassion Focused Therapy model and Compassionate Mind Training. Reliable and clinically significant change analyses were used to assess the data. Results showed that there had been improvements on the measures of self-compassion with 6 out of 13 patients exhibiting reliable and clinically significant change. Some improvements had also been made on pain self-efficacy and self-criticism but to a lesser extent. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the evaluation feedback forms for the course. Three superordinate themes were identified; sense of belonging, flourishing and virtual benefits. The service evaluation indicated that a Virtual Compassionate Living Group for patients with chronic pain can lead to improvements in self-compassion. This is consistent with previous research evidence, but larger scale evaluations are required to verify conclusions.