bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pituitary abscess: A case report and systematic review of 488 cases
Authors: Stringer Felicity , Foong Yi Chao , Tan Alanna , Hayman Sarah , Zajac Jeffrey D , Grossmann Mathis , Zane Justin Ng Yau , Zhu Jasmine , Ayyappan Sujith
Published: March 2023

Background Pituitary abscess (PA) is a rare condition and not well understood. We aimed to describe a case and perform a comprehensive systematic review to explore presenting symptoms, radiological findings, endocrine abnormalities and mortality. Aim To identify presenting symptoms, radiological findings, endocrinological abnormalities and predictors of mortality for PA. Methods We systematically reviewed the literature to identify all case reports of PA. Data regarding presentation, mortality, radiological findings, endocrinological abnormalities and treatment was extracted. Results We identified 488 patients from 218 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Mortality was 5.1%, with days to presentation (OR 1.0005, 95%CI 1.0001–1.0008, p < 0.01) being the only identified independent predictor of mortality. Mortality rates have decreased over time, with cases published prior to 2000 having higher mortality rates (OR 6.92, 95%CI 2.80–17.90, p < 0.001). The most common symptom was headache (76.2%), followed by visual field defects (47.3%). Classical signs of infection were only present in 43%. The most common imaging feature on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was high T2 and low T1 signal of the pituitary gland with peripheral contrast enhancement. Over half (54.8%) were culture negative, with the most common bacterial organism being staphylococcus aureus (7.8%) and fungal organism being aspergillus (8.8%). The most common endocrine abnormality was hypopituitarism (41.1%), followed by diabetes insipidus (24.8%). Whilst symptoms resolved in most patients, persistent endocrine abnormalities were present in over half of patients (61.0%). Conclusion PA is associated with significant mortality, with delayed presentation increasing risk of mortality. Ongoing endocrinological abnormalities are common. Given the non-specific clinical presentation, the appearance of high T2, low T1 and peripheral contrast enhancement of the pituitary on MRI should prompt consideration of this rare disease.
IGHV1-69 BCRs with virus-neutralizing mutations show lymphoma-like transcriptomes in patients with chronic HCV infection
Authors: Schultheiß Christoph , Willscher Edith , Paschold Lisa , Ackermann Christin , Escher Moritz , Scholz Rebekka , Knapp Maximilian , Lützkendorf Jana , Müller Lutz , Wiesch Julian Schulze zur , Binder Mascha
Published: March 2023

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to a complex interplay with adaptive immune cells that may result in cryoglobulinemia or lymphoma. Although direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has decreased the incidence of severe liver damage, its effect on extrahepatic HCV manifestations such as B cell dyscrasias is still unclear. Here, we used immunosequencing to analyze HCV imprinting on B cell receptor (BCR) repertoires in patients with chronic HCV mono-infection or a sustained virological response (SVR) after DAA therapy. The majority of patients had a B cell signature with high somatic hypermutation and richness. Convergence to specific immunoglobulin genes produced high-connectivity complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) networks. Interestingly, IGHV1-69 CDR1 and CDR3 mutations characterizing highly neutralizing HCV antibodies corresponded to recurrent point mutations found in clonotypic BCRs of high-grade lymphomas. These BCRs did not show autonomous signaling but a lower activation threshold. B cells carrying these point mutations showed a persisting oncogenic transcriptome signature with dysregulation in signaling nodes such as CARD11, MALT1, RelB, MAPK, and NFAT. Collectively, this study provides evidence that lymphoma-like cells may result from the anti-HCV immune response and may persist for years after SVR, leading to HCV-related B cell dyscrasias and increased lymphoma risk beyond viral elimination.
Outcomes of Viral Coinfections in Infants Hospitalized for Acute Bronchiolitis
Authors: Bermúdez-Barrezueta Lorena , López-Casillas Pablo , Rojo-Rello Silvia , Sáez-García Laura , Marugán-Miguelsanz José Manuel , Pino-Vázquez Asunción
Published: March 2023

Background and Objective: The clinical relevance of the detection of multiple respiratory viruses in acute bronchiolitis (AB) is not established. Our goal was to evaluate the effect of viral coinfections on the evolution and severity of AB.
Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Spain, from September 2012 to March 2020. Infants admitted for AB, with at least one respiratory virus identified by molecular diagnostic techniques were involved. A comparison was made between single virus infection vs viral coinfections. The evolution and severity of AB were determined based on the days of hospitalization and admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Results: Four hundred forty-five patients were included (58.4% male). Median weight was 5.2 kg (RIQ 4.2 – 6.5) and age 2.5 months (RIQ 1.4 – 4.6). A total of 105 patients (23.6%) were admitted to PICU. The Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) was the most frequent etiological agent (77.1%). A single virus was detected in 270 patients (60.7%) and viral coinfections in 175 (39.3%), of which 126 (28.3%) had two viruses and 49 (11%) had three or more viruses. Hospital length of stay (LOS) increased proportionally to the number of viruses detected, with a median of 6 days (IQR 4 – 8) in single infection, 7 days (IQR 4 – 9) in coinfection by two viruses and 8 days (IQR 5 – 11) in coinfection ≥ 3 viruses, (p=0.003). The adjusted Cox regression model showed that detection of ≥ 3 viruses was an independent risk factor for longer hospital LOS (HR 0.568, 95%CI 0.410 – 0.785). No significant association was observed between viral coinfections and the need for PICU admission (OR 1.151; 95%CI 0.737 – 1.797).
Conclusions: Viral coinfections modify the natural history of AB prolonging the hospital LOS, proportionally to the number of viruses detected, without increasing the need for admission to the PICU.
Litaf promotes atherosclerotic plaque formation by stimulating the NF-κB inflammatory pathway
Authors: Li Weijuan , Zhou Wenping , Li Xuyong , Jiang Xiaoli , Deng Yunchao , Shen Jie , Xie Han , Tan Gang , Huang Ling , Zhang Hui
Published: March 2023

Background
Litaf protein is a newly discovered inflammatory protein, whether it is involved in the formation of atherosclerosis remains unclear;
Methods
Ten C57BL/6J mice and ten C57BL/6J mice with knockout of Litaf gene (C57BL/6J− Litaf−) were purchased from Animal Culture Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology divided into two groups: control group and Litaf−/− group. Animals were given a normal diet and euthanized after 16-week culture. Mice, heart and whole aorta were isolated, and the aortic root of the mouse was taken for frozen sections; used for oil red staining and immunohistochemical staining (α-actin, CD68, Masson), and then compared the oil red staining area and the positive proportion of immunohistochemical staining in each group; at the same time, a sufficient amount of mouse blood was collected for extraction Plasma protein and RNA, monitoring the expression of inflammation-related proteins by Western and RT-PCR.
Results
Oil red staining of the aortic root sections of the mice in each group showed that the area of atherosclerotic plaques in Litaf−/− group was less than control group (P < 0.05). The aortic root sections of the mice in each group were immunohistochemical stained, and it can be found that the expression of α-actin and CD68 in Litaf−/− group was higher than that in the control group, while the results were opposite after Masson stainning(P < 0.05). The expressions of P65, IκB, and caspase3 were monitored by Western and RT-PCR. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the expressions of P65, IκB, and caspase3 in Litaf−/− group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Litaf might participate in the formation of atherosclerosis through the NF-κB pathway and play a promoting role in the formation of atherosclerosis.
Influence of obesity and overweight in surgical outcomes of adrenalectomy for primary adrenal disease. A cohort study of 146 cases
Authors: Ojeda César Mínguez , Santos Victoria Gómez Dos , Lorca Javier Álvaro , Ruz-Caracuel Ignacio , Pian Héctor , Dehesa Alfonso Sanjuanbenito , Revilla Francisco Javier Burgos , Araujo-Castro Marta
Published: March 2023

Objective: To evaluate the impact of obesity and overweight on surgical outcomes in a large cohort of patients who underwent adrenalectomy due to primary adrenal benign or malignant disease.
Methods: A retrospective unicentric study of patients without history of active extraadrenal malignancy with adrenal tumors consecutively operated in our center during January 2010 and December 2022. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 and overweight as BMI between 25.0 and 30.0 kg/m2.
Results: Of 146 patients with adrenal tumors who underwent adrenalectomy, 9.6% (n=14) had obesity, 54.8% (n=80) overweight and 35.6% (n=52) normal weight. Obese patients had higher levels of diastolic blood pressure (87.6±12.22 vs. 79.3±10.23 mmHg, P=0.010) and a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia (57.1% vs. 25.8%, P=0.014) and of bilateral tumors (14.3% vs. 3.1%, P=0.044) than non-obese patients. The rate of intraoperative and of postsurgical complications were similar between obese/overweight patients and patients with normal weight. However, a significant rate of postsurgical complications (27.3% vs. 5.7%, P=0.009) and a longer hospital stay (5.4±1.39 vs. 3.5±1.78 days, P=0.007) were observed in patients with obesity than in non-obese. In the multivariant analysis, obesity, age, ASA>2 and tumor size were independent risk factors of postoperative complications, being obesity the most important factor (OR 23.34 [2.23-244.24]).
Conclusion: Obesity and overweight are common conditions in patients who underwent adrenalectomy. Adrenalectomy is considered a safe procedure in patients with overweight, but it is associated with a higher risk of postsurgical complications and longer hospital stay in obese patients.
The dynamic relationship between environmental constraints, innovation input and economic development in China
Authors: Wu Mingran , Guo Mengfei , Xu Jingrong
Published: March 2023

Based on time series data of ecological environmental constraints, input of science and technological innovation and economic development in China from 2001 to 2020, this paper established the three system VAR model of "environment – technology – economy". Then, the impulse response function and variance decomposition method were used to examine the dynamic trajectory between the three and the impact proportion of the environment and technology on the economy. The results show that during the study period, there was a stable correlation between eco-environmental constraints, innovation input and GDP growth in China. Eco-environmental constraints can effectively stimulate the country to invest in science and technology. Although the input is not enough to remedy the loss caused by constraints, it can alleviate the pressure. In addition, the input of science and technology in China has brought obvious benefits and has vigorously promoted economic growth. In turn, economic growth also contributes to the increase of investment in innovation and the reduction of constraints.
Neuron-derived cGAMP Activates Microglial Type I Interferon Responses After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Chang Hanxiao , Li Zheng , Weiwei Zhang , lin chao , Shen Yuqi , Zhang Guangjian , Mao Lei , Ma Chencheng , Liu Ning , Lu Hua
Published: March 2023

Primary subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a type of acute stroke, accounting for approximately 10%of cases, with high disability and mortality rate. Early brain injury (EBI) is a critical factor in determining SAH mortality; however, there are no effective treatment interventions for EBI. Based on our results, the transmission of cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) from neurons to microglia is a key molecular event that triggers type I interferon response, amplifies neuroinflammation, and leads to neuronal apoptosis. Abnormal intracytoplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is the initiating factor of the cGAS-cGAMP-STING signaling axis. Overall, the cGAS-cGAMP-STING signaling axis is closely associated with neuroinflammation after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Targeting cGAS triggered by cytoplasmic mtDNA may be useful for comprehensive clinical treatment of patients after SAH. Further studies targeting cGAS-specific antagonists for treating SAH are warranted.
Electrophysiological and Behavioural Responses of Virgin Female Bactrocera Tryoni to Microbial Volatiles From Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Tallon Anaïs Karine , Manning Lee-Anne , Mas Flore
Published: March 2023

The Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) is a major polyphagous pest widespread in Australia and several Pacific Islands. Bacteria present on the host plant phyllosphere supply proteins, essential for egg development and female sexual maturity. We investigated the role of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) in attracting virgin females. Four Enterobacteriaceae commonly found on the host plant and in the gut of B. tryoni were cultured on different media (artificial and natural fruits), and their MVOCs were collected using two different headspace volatile absorbent materials (Tenax® filter and solid phase micro-extraction fibre; SPME), allowing to test for time and pH variations. The olfactory responses of virgin females to bacterial MVOCs were assessed via electrophysiology and behavioural assays. The production of MVOCs was strongly influenced qualitatively by the bacterial strain, the type of media and quantitatively varied with pH and time. Phenol was detected only from Citrobacter freundii (CF), while indole was found in all bacteria except CF. Indole production increased overtime in inoculated kiwifruits. D-limonene was detected from Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella oxytoca (KO) and associated with oranges and inoculated kiwifruit. Tenax extracts from KO invoked the strongest antennal response and attracted virgin females the most. Among the identified compounds triggering an olfactory response, D-limonene and 2-nonanone were both significantly behaviourally attractive whereas phenol, nonanal, isoamyl alcohol and some pyrazines appeared repulsive. This study provides a new foundation for developing a synthetic lure based on microbial volatiles to replace food baits targeting specifically virgin females.
Rapid flow cytometric analysis of fibrin amyloid microclots in Long COVID
Authors: Turner Simone , Laubscher Gert J , Khan M Asad , Kell Douglas B , Pretorius Etheresia
Published: March 2023

Long COVID has become a significant global health and economic burden, yet there are currently no established diagnostic tools to identify which patients might benefit from specific treatments. One of the major pathophysiological factors contributing to Long COVID is the presence of hypercoagulability; this results in insoluble amyloid microclots that are resistant to fibrinolysis. Our previous research using fluorescence microscopy has demonstrated a significant amyloid microclot load in Long COVID patients. However, this approach lacked statistical robustness, objectivity, and rapid throughput. In the current study, we have used imaging flow cytometry for the first time to show significantly increased concentration and size of these microclots. We identified notable variations in size and fluorescence between microclots in Long COVID and those of controls even using a 20x objective. By combining cell imaging and the high-event-rate nature of a conventional flow cytometer, imaging flow cytometry can eliminate erroneous results and increase accuracy in gating and analysis beyond what pure quantitative measurements from conventional flow cytometry can provide. Although imaging flow cytometry was used in our study, our results suggest that the signals indicating the presence of microclots should be easily detectable using a conventional flow cytometer. Flow cytometry is a more widely available technique which has been used in pathology laboratories for decades, rendering it a potentially more suitable and accessible method for detecting microclots in individuals suffering from both Long COVID and other conditions with similar pathology, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis.
I-RF: A Transparent Decision-Making System
Authors: Boruah Arpita Nath , Biswas Saroj Kr.
Published: March 2023

Ensemble learning is a hybrid learning system that exhibits a high level of performance by aggregating predictions of multiple classifiers and hence used to obtain a powerful predictive performance. Random Forest (RF) is an ensemble learning technique which executes a huge number of Decision Tree (DT) based on different subset of data and feature combinations. Regardless of its high-performance, RF is black box in nature which hinders the interpretability of the predictive model. A transparent system with less decision rules makes a system efficient, user convincing and manageable to a greater extent in fields like medical, business, banking etc. The expression of the decision rules into flowchart like representation makes the system transparent, explicitly understandable and closely resemblance to human reasoning. Therefore, to overcome the disadvantages of black box nature and to make it an efficient interpretable decision-making system, this paper proposes a transparent RF named Interpretable RF (I-RF) using Significance Score by combining Accuracy and Transparency to extract the important decision rules hence making RF behaves like a white box which is transparent and comprehensible. The proposed model I-RF is compared with the performances of a simple DT and RF, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Naïve Bayes in terms of classification accuracy, precision, recall and F1 score measures. In addition, I-RF is also compared with TRG-RF, RuleFit and RF + DHC which are also rule-based methods. The performance of the proposed I-RF is validated with 12 well known UCI datasets and Kaggle and is observed from the experimental that the proposed I-RF is more efficient interpretable decision-making system.
Implementation of 5G Wireless Receiver Algorithms on the DSP board
Authors: Al-Dulaimi Mohammed Abdulzahra Ahmed , Al_Dujaili Mohammed Jawad
Published: March 2023

In communication systems, different types of receivers can be used to demodulate the signals and extract the transmitted data. The two fundamental receivers have been implemented in this paper by writing a code in C-Language using the software program Visual DSP++ and downloading the code to the DSP board, these receivers were the Non-Coherent and Coherent receivers. The Non-Coherent receiver is less complex than the Coherent since it does not require expensive and complex carrier recovery circuit, but in the same time the performance will be insignificant comparing with the Coherent receiver. In both receivers; a frame synchronization process is required to detect the message, and that can be achieved by detecting the preamble of the message which is “++++” data, after that the next 72 bytes are the actual message which will be stored and dumped to the memory and displayed to make sure that the message is received without any errors.
Efficiency due to data balancing in the prediction of essential proteins
Authors: Hossain Md. Inzamam Ul , Islam Md. Rafiqul
Published: March 2023

Essential proteins are important for the survival of the organism. Those play a vital role to prepare antibiotics, disease diagnosis, understanding the organism structure, etc. That is why essential proteins now become one of the hot topics in current research. In recent times, many methods were proposed to identify the essential proteins. But the identification rate of the essential proteins is still low. Therefore, an efficient approach is required to identify the essential proteins with high performance. In this paper, a machine learning-based efficient method is proposed to identify the essential proteins. To identify the essential proteins, both balanced and imbalanced datasets are used here. For data balancing, different techniques are used to observe the efficiency of the methods. Both topological and biological features are used in this method. The S. Cerevisiae dataset is used to evaluate the proposed method. Another dataset of species E. coli is used to validate the performance of this method. Three classifiers such as Random Forest, LightGBM, XGBoost, and an ensemble method of these three classifiers are used to predict the essential proteins. The best performance is achieved from the balanced dataset from the SMOT+ENN and Random Forest classifier. The results are balanced both in accuracy and F1-score which is also best compared to the existing related methods.
Kinematics and Dynamics Modelling of Automatic Faceting Robot and the Geometry of Facet
Authors: Sharifi Javad , Mohammadi Mohammad Sina , Fard Alireza Mahmoodi
Published: March 2023

In this paper, an automatic faceting robot is studied. The kinematics and dynamics of this robot-faceter are calculated and analyzed. The relationship between shear height and rotational angle assuming a hemisphere perform and the canonical preform is derived accurately which is essential for faceting of gemstone jewelry. Also, we calculate the effect of shear forces on the mechanical arm during the facet of gemstone with canonical preform. Different stress components of faceter robot manipulator are analyzed here.
Ameliorative Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Curcuma longa (Tumeric) on Hematology profile of N-nitrosodiethylamine Administration in Wistar Rats
Authors: Onifade Olayinka , Akinloye Oluseyi Adeboye , Dosumu Oluwatosin A. , Shotuyo Aderemi , Amoo Olufemi Samuel
Published: March 2023

This present study compares the effect of ethanolic extract of Curcuma longa (EECL) and curcumin compound on the hematological profile of NDEA male and female Wistar rats. One hundred and twenty rats were randomly divided into twelve groups (n=5) for the experimental duration of 8 weeks. Group A,B,C,D,E and F received 100 mg/kg of NDEA each with 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, 600 mg/kg EECL, 200 mg/kg curcumin compound and 100 mg/kg of syilbon (standard drug) respectively. Group G received 200 mg/kg of curcumin compound only, H received 200 mg/kg DMSO only, group I,J and K received 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg of EECL while group L received only water. Animals were sacrificed at the end of 28 days of treatment. Blood samples were collected into labeled EDTA bottles for hematology analysis. There was significant decrease (P<0.05) in the white blood count (WBC), Mid-range absolute count (MID), granulocytes and platelet of the NDEA treated groups as compared with the control group in female leucogram as compared with male leucogram. The result of the erythrogram showed significant decrease (P>0.05) in red blood count (RBC) and hemoglobin (HGB), while Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration(MCHC),Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and MCH concentration (MCHC) was significant increase (P<0.05) in NDEA group as compared with control in both male and female groups. the the findings suggests mitigative effect of ethanolic extract of Curcuma longa and pure curcumin compound on hematological dysfunctions in both male and female rats.
Global Trends and Frontiers of Age-Related Macular Degeneration From 2002 to 2021: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Liu Yanli , Liu Huijuan , Lu Ping , Dong Yi
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual impairment and severe vision loss, with the number of cases expected to increase because of the aging population. However, many aspects of AMD, including how it works and how it is treated, have yet to be elucidated. This study aims to identify and evaluate the global trends in AMD research over the last twenty years and visualize the frontiers using bibliometric analysis.
Methods: We collected all the publications on AMD from 2002 to 2021, analyzed trends within them, and defined the contributions of various countries/regions, institutions, core authors, and journals. Additionally, we used VOSviewer and CiteSpace software to combine networks and define the hot keywords in this field. AMD citation network was visualized using CitNetExplorer.
Results: In total, 16,145 publications on myopia were retrieved from 2001 to 2021. The United States has contributed the most publications (6,081) and the most citations (307,164). Holz FG contributed to the most publications, and Klein R had the most citations. Ophthalmology was the journal with the highest number of citations, and Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science had the maximum number of publications. The top 10 cited papers mainly focused on the therapeutic target. Keywords analysis and Citation network analysis were clustered into four groups: mechanisms, treatment, feature and classification, and prevalence, among which “mechanisms” was the largest cluster.
Conclusions: With the increasing prevalence of AMD, mechanisms for AMD control are a potential research hotspot and pressing public health issue. These results helped clarify the comprehensive research progress that has been made as well as the future trends in the study of AMD, which can assist and guide future research.
Predicting myopic changes in children wearing glasses using the Plusoptix photoscreener
Authors: Guimarães Sandra , Vieira Maria , Boas José Vilas
Published: March 2023

Introduction: With high increase in myopia prevalence, we aimed to assess if Plusoptix_A09 can be used in myopic children over spectacles to predicted visual acuity (VA) and myopic refraction changes.
Methods: Myopic children underwent a complete ophthalmological examination. Plusoptix_A09 was performed over spectacles. VA changes, refraction changes and time since previous glasses prescription, were determined. Age, current or past history of amblyopia, presence of strabismus and self-perception of VA changes were registered.
Results: 199 patients were included. Spherical power (SP) and spherical equivalent (SE) measured by Plusoptix_A09 over spectacles predicted both VA changes (p<.001) and refraction changes (p<.001). Values of SP<-0.06D or SE<-0.22D indicated a VA decrease (AUC>0.9, p<0.01) for sensitivity and specificity of 85.1%, 82.1% and 82.6%, 83.3%, respectively. Age and ophthalmological comorbidities did not influence Plusoptix_A09 measurements (p>0.05). Plusoptix_A09 over spectacles was a stronger predictor of VA changes when compared to children's self-perception, either in 4-9-year-old patients (p<.001 versus p=.628) and in 10-18-year-old children (OR<=0.066 versus OR=0.190). A decrease in SP and SE of -0.10D in Plusoptix_A09 predicted a myopia progression of -0.04D and -0.05D, respectively.
Conclusion/Relevance: This study unveiled new features for the Plusoptix, a worldwide available photoscreener used in amblyopia screening. When Plusoptix is performed in children with their glasses on, it can rapidly predict myopia progression. For each decrease of -0.10D in Plusoptix, a myopia progression of -0.05D, is expected. Moreover, Plusoptix is more reliable than children's self-perception of visual acuity changes, making it a useful tool either in primary care or ophthalmology practice.
Transarterial chemoembolization combined with lenvatinib, programmed death-1 inhibitor, and iodine-125 seed brachytherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis
Authors: Lin Long-Wang , Yan Le-Ye , Ke Kun , Yang Wei-Zhu , Lin Jun-Qing , Huang Ning
Published: March 2023

Background: Therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is still controversial. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy comprising transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), lenvatinib, programmed death-1 inhibitor, and iodine-125 seed brachytherapy relative to TACE in combination with lenvatinib plus programmed death-1 inhibitor therapy and TACE plus lenvatinib therapy.
Methods: The data of HCC patients with PVTT from July 2017 to August 2022 were assessed in this single-center retrospective study. Primary study outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), while the secondary outcomes were disease control rate (DCR) and objective response rate (ORR), and treatment-related adverse events.
Results: We enrolled 150 patients finally, including 50 patients treated with TACE plus lenvatinib therapy (TACE+L group), 45 patients treated with TACE in combination with lenvatinib plus programmed death-1 inhibitor therapy (TACE+L+P group), and 55 patients treated with the combination therapy of transarterial chemoembolization along with iodine-125 seed brachytherapy, lenvatinib, and programmed death-1 inhibitor therapy (TACE+L+P+I125 group). The median OS in the TACE+L+P+I125 group (21.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 18.4~23.5 months) was significantly higher compared to the TACE+L group (10; 95% CI: 7.8~12.1months) (P = 0.006), while it was insignificantly higher compared to the TACE+L+P group (14.0; 95% CI: 10.7~17.2months) (P = 0.058). The median PFS in the TACE+L+P+I125 group (13.0; 95% CI: 10.2~15.7 months) was significantly higher compared to the TACE+L group (5.0; 95% CI: 4.2~5.7 months) (P = 0.014) and the TACE+L+P group (9.0; 95% CI: 6.7~11.2 months) (P = 0.048). Significant between-group differences in DCR (P = 0.015) were found. There were no significant between-group differences in treatment-related adverse events (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: A combination therapy of TACE, lenvatinib, programmed death-1 inhibitor, and iodine-125 seed brachytherapy significantly improve OS, PFS, and DCR and show better survival prognosis for HCC patients accompanied by PVTT.
Contraception Decision-making Autonomy among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda: Implications for Self Care-oriented Family Planning
Authors: Matovu Joseph KB , Amongin Dinah , Akulume Martha , Tuhebwe Doreen , Muringi Irene , Wanyenze Rhoda K.
Published: March 2023

Background: Reproductive autonomy is a key ingredient in driving the agenda for increased access to and utilization of self care-oriented family planning (FP) methods. We assessed current contraceptive use, contraception decision-making processes and interest in self care-oriented contraception among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Uganda.
Methods: This secondary analysis used cross-sectional data from 2109 sexually-active AGYW aged 10-24 years obtained from a national survey conducted in September 2020. AGYW were asked if they had ever used or were currently using any FP method. Current contraceptive users were asked about who made the decision to use contraception in general and the specific FP methods that they were currently using in particular (i.e. respondent, partner, respondent and partner, or provider); those who made the decision to use contraception on their own were considered to have had contraception decision-making autonomy. We used a modified multivariable Poisson regression model to assess the adjusted prevalence ratio (adj. PR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) associated with contraception decision-making autonomy. Interest in self care-oriented FP methods was assessed descriptively.
Results: More than halfof AGYW (54.8%, n=1155) were current contraceptive users. Of these, 64.5% (n=745) made the decision to use contraception jointly with partner; 26.8% (n=310) made the decision on their own, while 8.7% (n=100) had the decision made by the partner. Fifty-nine per cent (n=684) made the final decision on the specific FP method to use jointly with partner; 27.8% (n=321) made the decision on their own while 12.9% (n=150) had the decision made by the respondent and partner or by the provider or partner. Having contraception discussion with partner prior to contraceptive use (adj. PR = 0.39; 95%CI: 0.32, 0.48) and being currently married (adj. PR=0.74; 95%CI: 0.56, 0.98) were negatively associated with contraceptive decision-making autonomy. Fifty-eight per cent of AGYW (n=1213) reported interest in obtaining information on how to access and/or use self care-oriented FP methods.
Conclusion: Slightly more than a quarter of current contraceptive users had contraception decision-making autonomy. Given the high interest in self care-oriented FP methods, AGYW should be empowered to make contraceptive decisions on their own.
Assessment of genetic diversity in wheat genotypes for sensitivity to heat stress during germination stage
Authors: Majeed Yasir , Fiaz Shaista , Zhu Xi , Ghaffar Sardar Muhammad Abdul , Awan Shahid Iqbal
Published: March 2023

Wheat production is seriously predisposed by extreme hot weather, which has fascinated increasing attention. It is important to compare wheat responses to heat at seedling stages, to explore the potential relationship between the performances at different growing stages and the possibility of early selection to accelerate heat tolerance breeding. In this experiment, twenty wheat genotypes were used including two local landraces. The seed of wheat genotypes were sown on filter paper in petri dishes and allowed to germinate at different temperatures of 25°C, 30°C, 35°C and 40°C. The experiment was replicated thrice under complete randomized design (CRD) with 2 factors. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for bio-chemical and seedling traits showed that the genotypes differed highly significant for coleoptile length, shoot length, root length, fresh shoot weight, vigor index, glycine betaine and proline content. Effect of treatments on genotypes was highly significantly different for vigor index. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that four factors contributed 82.8% to total variability with the Eigen value greater than 0.7 at 35°C. From correlation analysis it was concluded that coleoptile length and germination percentage had positively highly correlated with shoot length, vigor index and shoot fresh weight. On the basis overall performance among the twenty wheat genotypes, it was concluded that Maraj, Fareed, Darabi, Zincol-16, Barsat, NARC-2011 and genotype Mundar performed well under all temperature regimes. Varieties NARC-2011, Inqalab-91 and Galexy also performed well in the case of H2O2 and antioxidant activity. These genotypes can be used under extreme hot temperature and in future breeding programs as they had a significant level of variability.
Quanto-chemical insight into the singlet-triplet energy gap of diazine-based TADF blue emitters for OLED devices
Authors: ZAITRI Lamia KARA , MEKELLECHE Sidi Mohamed
Published: March 2023

A series of molecules (1a-d, 2a-d, 3a-c) with donor-linker-acceptor-linker-donor (D-p-A-p-D) architecture type, having the dimethylacridine (DMA) as a strong electron-donor, a diazine as electron-accepting core and the phenyl as the π-linker, were theoretically studied as potential thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The effect of the electron-accepting core (pyridazine, pyrimidine or pyrazine) with various linking positions of the phenyl bridge, on the energy gap between the lowest excited singlet and triplet states (ΔEST) of the modeled molecules is investigated using DFT and TD-DFT methods and the level B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) was selected to calculate their photophysical and optoelectronic properties. The present study revealed that i) the all designed molecules have strong exciton binding energies, ii) they emit light in the range 480-540 nm in toluene solvent from a charge transfer state, iii) they exhibit TADF properties because of their small energy gaps (ΔEST<0.3eV). Additionally, the obtained results also indicate that the singlet-triplet energy gap can be effectively fine-tuned by the simple modification of the linking position of the DMA units via the phenyl bridge. Moreover, the NPA analysis shows that the more electron-deficient diazine core induces smaller HOMO-LUMO overlap and smaller DEST energy gap. Finally, the molecules 1c, 2b, 2c and 3b, where the two phenyl bridges are linked at 4,5-, 4,6-, 2,3- and 2,5-positions, respectively of the pyrimidine core, with the lowest ΔEST values should be the more suitable for efficient reverse intersystem crossing (rISC) in the TADF molecules.
Gasless transaxillary endoscopic surgery for thyroid hemiagenesis with papillary thyroid carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Meng Kexin , Chen Xiaoliang , Shen Wei , Zheng Chuanming , Tan Zhou , Liang Juyong , Xin Ying
Published: March 2023

Background
Thyroid hemiagenesis (THA) is a rare abnormality featured by the absence of one thyroid lobe, and there have been no reports of using endoscopic thyroidectomy to treat papillary thyroid carcinoma with THA.
Case presentation
A case of THA with a missing right lobe was reported. Ultrasonography revealed a Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) 5 lesion on the thyroid. The patient underwent a gasless transaxillary endoscopic thyroidectomy (GTET) during which it was discovered that the thyroid gland was located on the opposite side and that there were anatomic malformations present. While GTET contributes to clear vision during surgery and excellent postsurgical appearance, lateral forces produced by the retractor may dislocate tissues, obscuring the targeted thyroid, thus increasing the operative difficulties.
Conclusions
Transaxillary endoscopic surgical strategy is not overall superior to conventional approach and should be chosen consciously.
Application of Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles Against the Synthetic Azo Dye (Methyl Red) Degradation From Wastewater
Authors: Pandiyan Rajesh , Rajagopal Revathi , Subbiah Suresh Kumar
Published: March 2023

Nanotechnology is widely used by researchers due to its high surface volume ratio. It is nowadays employed in wastewater treatment due to its high efficiency. Metallic nanoparticles are used as it shows anti-microbial property and catalytic property. In the present study silver nanoparticle is used for treating the polluted water. Its characterisation is done using UV-Visible spectroscopy, FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy). The confirmation for the formation of the nanoparticle is done using the UV-Visible spectroscopy and functional group confirmation is done using the FTIR. In FTIR the peaks are observed at 3311.481 cm− 1 and 2402.918 cm− 1 corresponding to O-H Stretching and N-H Stretching. The peak at 1765.336 cm− 1 and 1358.396 cm− 1 represents the C-H Bending, and O-H Bending for the synthesised silver nanoparticle. This treated water can be further used for agricultural and domestic purposes.
E3 ligase casitas B-lineage lymphoma-b modulates peripheral T-cell tolerance via PI3K signaling in patients with immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Liu Lu , Xiang Yujiao , Shao Linlin , Yuan Chenglu , Song Xiaofeng , Liu Yanfeng , Zhang Xianlei , Hou Ming , Peng Jun , Shi Yan
Published: March 2023

Background: The E3 ubiquitin ligase casitas B-lineage lymphoma-b (CBLB) is a newly identified component of the ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation system and is thought to be an important negative regulator of immune cells. CBLB is essential for establishing a threshold for T cell activation and for regulating peripheral T cell tolerance through various mechanisms. However, the role of CBLB in the pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) remains unknown.
Methods: We performed quantitative proteomics to showed reduced CBLB expression and increased PI3K expression in CD4+ T cells from ITP patients. The regulating effect of CBLB on anergy induction was evaluated after transfecting with adenoviridae. We detected DNA methylation levels of the CBLB gene promoter and 5′UTR in CD4+ T cells using MassARRAY EpiTYPER.
Results: We found that CD4+ T cells from patients with ITP showed resistance to anergy. Furthermore, highly activated PI3K-AKT signaling, and decreased CBLB expression were found in these pathogenic T cells, indicating that they may be involved in anergy resistance in ITP. Further research revealed that CBLB overexpression effectively decreased p-AKT and reversed anergy resistance. Notably, 5′ untranslated regions (UTR) hypermethylation of CBLB was found in CD4+ T cells from patients with ITP, and low-dose decitabine significantly increased the expression of CBLB in patients with ITP in remission.
Conclusions: These results indicate that 5′UTR hypermethylation of the CBLB gene is involved in T cell anergy resistance in ITP through inhibition of CBLB expression. Upregulation of CBLB expression might be a potential therapeutic approach for ITP.
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma presented with bilateral hydronephrosis and renal insufficiency: a case report
Authors: Luo JiSheng , Pan Jinhong , Zhong ChuanHua , Wang LiNa , Zhang GuoQing , Zhang Heng
Published: March 2023

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is an extremely rare tumor with nonspecific clinical manifestations, challenging to diagnose. Herein, we reported a case of MPM with occult onset presenting with bilateral hydronephrosis and renal insufficiency. A 30-year-old man was admitted to the urology department with recurrent bilateral low back pain. The etiology was unclear after a series of laboratory tests, imaging examinations, bone marrow aspiration, renal puncture biopsy, ascites examination, ureteroscopy, and so on. Finally, MPM was diagnosed by laparoscopic exploration and biopsy. Moreover, during the course of the disease, the patient's bilateral ureters were compressed, and the obstruction could not be relieved after the placement of ordinary ureteral stents. Percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) or metal ureteral stenosis was appropriate in managing malignant ureteral obstruction as it could improve renal function. The onset of this case was insidious, and the diagnosis was difficult, with a poor prognosis. To date, only a handful of cases have been reported. We hope this case can provide some enlightenment for our clinical work.
Differential binding of Clemizole among TRPC homologs
Authors: Uzma SAQIB , Demaree Isaac S , BAIG Mirza S , Obukhov Alexander G , Hajela Krishnan
Published: March 2023

The Transient Receptor Potential Canonical (TRPC) channels play important physiological roles and are involved in various signalling events in many organs. Amongst TRPC channels, the TRPC6 channel is one of the most studied, due to its involvement in multiple mechanisms of disease progression. Although several inhibitors of TRPC channels have been discovered, none of them have progressed to clinical trials. Clemizole is a potent TRPC5 antagonist with low affinity to TRPC6. In this study, we investigated the structural determinants and molecular aspects of TRPC5 and TRPC6 interaction with clemizole. We identified the critical clemizole binding site molecular determinants as well as the residues’ Accessible Surface Area (ASA) and Relative Accessible Surface Area (RASA) values. These results may facilitate drug discovery process.
Kıtlık Algısının Salda Gölü Ziyaretçileri Üzerinde İncelenmesi (Studying of Scarcity Perception on Salda Lake Visitors)
Authors: KANIGÜR Sevgi , DEMİRALP Muhammed , HASSAN Azize
Published: March 2023

Tüketici davranışlarını etkileyen faktörlerden biri de kıtlık algısıdır. Kıtlık algısı, miktar ve zaman bağlamında arz ve talep kaynaklı olarak gelişebilmektedir. Kıtlık algısının türlerini ve etkilerini bilmek, tüketici davranışlarını anlamayı ve yönlendirmeyi de kolaylaştırmaktadır. Turizm sektöründe de ziyaretçilerin davranışlarındaki motivasyonları belirlemek; uygun turizm politikaları geliştirebilmek ve yürütmek açısından önemlidir. Kıtlık algısı turizm açısından değerlendirildiğinde; yoğun talep gören ve doğal çekiciliğini kaybetme tehlikesiyle karşı karşıya olan Salda Gölü önemli bir örnek teşkil etmektedir. Bu önemden hareketle gerçekleştirilen çalışmanın amacı, kıtlık algısının Salda Gölü ziyaretçileri üzerindeki etkisinin kıtlık teorisi kapsamında değerlendirilmesidir. Araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemine başvurulmuş ve Salda Gölü ziyaretçileriyle görüşme yapılmıştır. Betimsel analiz yapılan görüşme bulgularının değerlendirilmesinde, yıllara göre Salda Gölü’nün ziyaretçi sayıları ve bölgeyle ilgili yazılı basın haberlerinden faydalanılmıştır. Görüşme bulgularına göre; katılımcıların sayısı ve ziyaret etme nedenleri arasında kıtlık algısı 2019 yılı itibariyla artmaya başlamıştır. Kıtlık algısının en çok etkili olduğu yılın ise 2020 olduğu bulgulanmıştır. Sonuç olarak; Salda Gölü ziyaretçilerinin ziyaret nedenleri arasında hem arz hem de talep kaynaklı kıtlık algısının etkili olduğu görülmüştür.
Otel İşletmesi Çalışanlarının Örgütsel Sinizm Algılarının İşten Ayrılma Niyetine Etkisinde Psikolojik Sağlamlığın Rolü (The Role of Psychological Resilience in the Effect of Organizational Cynicism Perceptions of Hotel Employees on their Intention to Leave)
Authors: TÜRKOĞLU Nuray , TÜRK Okan
Published: March 2023

Bu çalışmada otel işletmesi çalışanlarının örgütsel sinizm davranışları, işten ayrılma niyetleri ve psikolojik sağlamlıkları arasındaki etkileşimler ve örgütsel sinizm davranışlarının işten ayrılma niyetleri üzerindeki etkisinde psikolojik sağlamlıklarının rolünün tespit edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın evrenini Muğla İli’ndeki 4 ve 5 yıldızlı otel işletmesi çalışanları oluşturmaktadır. Örnekleme yöntemi olarak kolayda örnekleme kullanılmış olup, veriler Muğla İl’indeki 4 ve 5 yıldızlı otel işletmelerinde çalışan 419 kişiye anket uygulanarak elde edilmiştir. Araştırmanın verileri Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Kurulunun 30.05.2022 tarihli 8 numaralı toplantısının 45 numaralı karar sayısında alınan etik kurul izni ile toplanmış ve sosyal bilimler alanında kullanılan bilgisayar programları aracılığıyla analiz edilmiştir. Analizler sonucunda, otel işletmesi çalışanlarının örgütsel sinizm davranışlarının işten ayrılma niyetleri üzerinde pozitif yönde, psikolojik sağlamlıkları üzerinde ise negatif yönde etkiye sahip olduğu ortaya konulmuştur. Ayrıca otel işletmesi çalışanlarının psikolojik sağlamlıklarının işten ayrılma niyetleri üzerinde negatif etkiye sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Otel işletmesi çalışanlarının örgütsel sinizm davranışlarının işten ayrılma niyetleri üzerindeki etkisinde psikolojik sağlamlıklarının kısmi aracılık etkisine sahip olduğu da araştırmanın diğer bulgusudur.
Türkiye de Turist Rehberliğinin Gelişimini Hızlandıracak Öncelikli Düzenlemelere İlişkin Bir Planlama Modeli Önerisi (A Planning Model Proposal for Priority Arrangements to Accelerate the Development of Tourist Guidance in Turkey)
Authors: BAŞODA Alaattin , AYLAN Serkan
Published: March 2023

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye’de turist rehberliğinin gelişimini hızlandırmak için ihtiyaç duyulan öncelikli düzenlemeleri belirlemek ve bu düzenlemelerden hareketle bir gelişim planlaması modeli önermektir. Araştırmada, temel nitel araştırma tasarımı kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada, ölçüt örneklem tercih edilmiştir. Böylece 243 kişiden (102 rehber, 42 rehber kökenli akademisyen, 52 acente müdürü ve 47 mezun öğrenci) veriler toplanmıştır. Çevrimiçi nitel form ve yarı yapılandırılmış çevrimiçi bireysel görüşme teknikleri ile elde edilen veriler, MAXQDA programı kullanılarak bütüncül yaklaşımla açık (görünür) içerik analizine tabi tutulmuştur. Analiz sonuçları, turist rehberliğinin gelişimini hızlandırmak için düzenleme yapılacak öncelikli alanların 3 ana ve 14 alt tema olmak üzere toplamda 17 tema altında toplandığını göstermiştir. Bulgulara göre ana temalar; önem sırasına göre mesleğe kabul koşulları, istihdam şartları ve mesleki imaj geliştirmedir. Ayrıca analizler, katılımcıların en çok vurguladıkları alt temaların; eğitim, güvence ve etkili ilişkiler ve işbirliği ağı oluşturma olduğunu ortaya çıkarmıştır. Çalışmanın sonunda ise bulgular ışığında önerilen planlama modeli açıklanmış olup bu doğrultuda çıkarımlara ve geleceğe ilişkin önerilere yer verilmiştir.