bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Predictors Of Early Atherosclerosis In Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Abdulaziz Badawy Abdulkhalik , Bendary Ahmed , Thabet Aida , Behery Eman Gamal , Salah Mona , rashad ghadeer
Published: October 2022

Background: Non alcoholic fatty liver disease is regarded the most relevant liver disease of the twenty-first century, affecting at least one third of the general population. NAFLD is associated with increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. The carotid intimal media thickness (CIMT), mean platelet volume (MPV) and endocan level, could be markers for generalised atherosclerotic burden and endothelial dysfunction.
Aims: To evaluate the association between non alcoholic fatty liver disease and early atherosclerosis by measuring CIMT, mean platelet volume (MPV) and endocan level, as markers of endothelial dysfunction, in NAFLD patients.
Methods: This cross –sectional study included 50 patients who divided into two groups; group I included 25 subjects with NAFLD and group II included 25 healthy subjects. Complete blood count with mean platelet volume (MPV), Liver profile, Lipid profile, Fasting blood glucose level and 2 hour postprandial, Kidney function test, Serum concentrations of endocan were measured for all patients. NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) was calculated. Abdominal ultrasonography and Carotid ultrasound scan for measurement of CIMT were performed.
Results: Serum endocan levels, MPV and CIMT were significantly higher (p<0.005) in NAFLD patients (0.6, 9.3±1.2 and 0.9±0.3 respectivly) than healthy subjects (0.1, 8.1±0.6 and 0.6±0.1 respectively). The analysis of diagnostic performance of these factors revealed that they have good sensitivity and specificity in prediction of endothelial dysfunction with AUC (0.950, 0.844 and 0.849 respectivly).
Conclusions:Serum endocan levels, MPV and CIMT could be considered as good predictors of endothelial dysfunction and therefore early detection of subclinical atherosclerosis in NAFLD patients.
Nonisomorphic minimal heptagons of orientable surfaces and colorings
Authors: Li Zhaoxiang
Published: October 2022

Embedding theory of graph has been widely used in very large scale integrated circuit.In this paper, we construct the current graph and heptagonal rule of complete graphs heptagonal embeddings. We prove that K43 has at least 1511654400000 nonisomorphic orientable heptagonal embeddings. Every one of nonisomorphic orientable heptagonal embeddings has at least 60480 7-edge-colorings, and each color appears around each face of orientable heptagonal embeddings. For all heptagonal embeddings in the orientable surface S302, these embeddings determine polyhedra with a minimal number of heptagons. We prove that K15 has at least 2700 nonisomorphic orientable heptagonal embeddings. Every one of nonisomorphic orientable heptagonal embeddings has 5040 7-edge-colorings, and each color appears around each face of orientable heptagonal embeddings. For all heptagonal embeddings in the orientable surface S31, these embeddings determine polyhedra with a minimal number of heptagons.
2020 Mathematics Subject Classification 05C10; 05C15; 05C30
Evaluation of the efficacy of manual soft tissue therapy and therapeutic exercises in patients with pain and limited mobility TMJ: a randomized control trial (RCT).
Authors: Gębska Magdalena , Dalewski Bartosz , Pałka Łukasz , Kołodziej Łukasz
Published: October 2022

Summary
The limited number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy of soft tissue manual therapy and self-therapy interventions prompted the authors to focus on the analgesic and myorelaxant use of massage, post-isometric muscle relaxation (PIR) and therapeutic exercise in TMD patients.
Objectives
To evaluate the effectiveness of soft tissue therapy and therapeutic exercises in female patients with pain, increased masseter muscle tension and limited mandibular mobility.
Material and Methods
The study was conducted on a group of 82 women (G1) with the Ib disorder diagnosed in DC/TMD (Ib - myofascial pain with restricted mobility). The control group (G2) consisted of 104 women without diagnosed TMDs (normal reference values for TMJ ROM and masseter muscle sEMG bioelectric activity). Diagnostic procedures were performed in both groups (sEMG of the masseter muscles at baseline and during exercise, measurement of TMJ mobility, assessment of pain intensity - NRS scale). The G1 group was randomly divided into 3 therapeutic groups in which the therapy was carried out for 10 days: therapeutic exercises (TE), manual therapy – massage and therapeutic exercises (MTM_TE), manual therapy – PIR and therapeutic exercises (MTPIR_TE). Each time after therapy, the intensity of pain and TMJ mobility were assessed. Sealed, opaque envelopes were used for randomization. After 5 and 10 days of therapy, bilateral sEMG signals of the masseter muscles were acquired.
Results
Massage, PIR and self-therapy led to a decrease in sEMG at rest as well as in exercise. After day 6 of therapy, the groups obtained a significant difference (p = 0.0001). Each of the proposed forms of therapy showed a minimal clinically significant difference (MID) in the sEMG parameter at the endpoint, with the most considerable difference in the MTM_TE group. The forms of MT used were effective in reducing the patients' pain intensity; however, a significant difference between therapies occurred after 4 treatments (p = 0.0001). Analyzing the MID between methods, it was observed that self-therapy had an analgesic effect only after 8 treatments, while PIR after 3 and massage after 1 treatment. After day 7, the mean pain score in the MTM_TE group was 0.889 and in the TMPIR_TE group was 3.44 on the NRS scale. In terms of MMO, a significant difference was obtained between monotherapy and each form of TM, i.e. massage (p = 0.0001) and PIR (p = 0.0001). Analyzing mandibular lateral movements, the authors got a significant difference in the proposed MT forms, of which massage treatments exceeded the effectiveness of PIR.
Conclusions
Soft tissue manual therapy and therapeutic exercise are simple and safe interventions that can potentially benefit patients with myogenic TMDs, with massage showing better analgesic effects than PIR.
LncRNA LLNLR-299G3.1 promotes ESCC progression by regulating cancer related genes through RNA-chromatin interactions
Authors: Tian Li , Huang Yongyi , Zhang Baozhen , Song Yi , Yang Lin , Chen Qianqian , Wang Zheng , Wang Yiling , He Qihan , Yang Wenhan , Yu Shuyong , Lu Tianyu , Gao Kaiping , Fan Xiujun , Song Jian , Zhai Rihong
Published: October 2022

Background
Accumulating evidence has indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in the development and progression of cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the mechanisms of lncRNAs in ESCC are still largely unknown and therapeutic attempts for in vivo targeting disease-associated lncRNA remain a challenge.
Methods
By RNA-sequencing analysis, we identified that LNLR-299G3.1 was a novel ESCC-associated lncRNA. Expression level of LLNLR-299G3.1 was determined by qRT-PCR and RACE. The functional significance of LLNLR-299G3.1 was assessed by knockdown or over-expression. plCSA-BP (placental chondroitin sulfate A binding peptide)-coated nanoparticles (NPs) were developed for targeting delivery of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-LLNLR-299G3.1 in vivo. RNA pull-down, mass spectrometry, RNA-seq, ChIRP-seq (chromatin isolation by RNA purification and sequencing), qRT-PCR assays, and rescue assays were performed to explore the mechanisms of LLNLR-299G3.1 in ESCC.
Results
LNLR-299G3.1 was up-regulated in ESCC tissues and cells and promoted ESCC cell proliferation and invasion. Silencing of LLNLR-299G3.1 with ASO resulted in opposite effects. Moreover, intravenous delivery of pICSA-NP loaded ASO (pICSA-ANPs) strongly inhibited ESCC tumor growth and significantly improved animal survival in vivo. Mechanistically, LLNLR-299G3.1 bound to cancer-associated binding proteins and regulated the expression of cancer-related genes, including OSM, TNFRSF4, HRH3, and SSTR3. ChIRP-seq revealed that these genes contained enriched chromatin binding sites for LLNLR-299G3.1. Rescue experiments confirmed that the effects of LLNLR-299G3.1 on ESCC cell proliferation were dependent on interaction with HRH3 and TNFRSF4.
Conclusion
LLNLR-299G3.1 was a novel oncogenic lncRNA that promoted ESCC malignancy through gene-chromatin interactions. In vivo targeting ESCC by pICSA-BP-ANPs may be an effective strategy for the treatment of lncRNA-associated ESCC.
The Metastable Associations of Bacteriophages and Erwinia amylovora
Authors: Besarab Natalya V , Letarova Maria , Babenko Vladislav , Belalov Ilya , Golomidova Alla , Kulikov Eugene , Lagonenko Alexander , Evtushenkov Anatoly , Letarov Andrey
Published: October 2022

Cultivation of bacteria and phages on solid media can serve as a model for studying the interaction of phage and bacterial population under the diffusion-limited conditions, which frequently take place in nature. Here we describe bacteriophages VyarbaL and Hena2, the members of the Molineuxvirinae and the Ounavirinae subfamilies, respectively, that are able to form the pseudolysogenic associations (PA) with their host E. amylovora 1/79Sm on solid media. These PAa were stable through multiple passages. The phenomenon of the PA formation between a bacterial culture and bacteriophages affect the effectiveness of preparations based on virulent bacteriophages.
The stability of dams with different stoping elevations in Tongling valley type tailings impoundment: A case study in Yunnan China
Authors: Wang Kai , Zuo Xiaohuan , Du Feng , Yang Yi , Xu Chao
Published: October 2022

Significant interest has been focused on recovery rates, recovery options, and recovery utilization when tailings impoundments are re-mined. However, the stability of the tailings dams during the recovery process is also a severe issue. Based on engineering geological survey and laboratory tests, the Tongling tailings impoundment’s characteristics of instability evolution under different recovery heights and diverse working conditions were analyzed by numerical simulation. Firstly, with the help of 2D software, the position of the tailings dam infiltration line and the alteration of the dam safety factor during the stoping process were calculated. Secondly, 3Dmine software was used to create the 3D surface structure of the tailings impoundment, and then a 3D numerical analysis model was established by means of Midas GTS NX software. The numerical simulation of seepage and stress analyses were conducted based on the model. Consequently, the evolution of the stability characteristics of tailings dam under different operating conditions was calculated. The research demonstrates that the dry beach length of the tailings pond gradually reduces with the decrease of the extraction height, resulting in a lower infiltration line. Under flood conditions, the saturation line has partial overflow due to the poor seepage discharge capacity of the dam. The total displacement of the dam body is inversely proportional to the retrieval height. The more extreme the analyzed working conditions, the more the safety factor will be reduced. Additionally, the plastic variation area of the dam body will be more comprehensive, which will increase the risk of a dam collapse.
An insight into the development of triple-negative breast cancer at transcriptome level based on single-cell sequencing technology
Authors: Jin Boxiang , Zhu Zhe , Ma Junfeng
Published: October 2022

Poor prognosis and low survival rate always hinder the research on the mechanism and pathology of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). With the rapid development of sequencing technology, the sequencing data of TNBC are becoming more widely available. This study attempted to reveal the potential biology of TNBC at both transcriptome and single-cell sequencing levels. Alteration in the differentially expression genes of TNBC was uncovered at the transcriptome level through the dataset GSE62931 and the cell ratio changes were displayed at the single-cell level through six samples from the dataset GSE161529. TNBC was identified at both transcriptome and single-cell levels. Compared with the non-TNBC group, 475 differentially expressed genes were obtained at the transcriptome level in the TNBC group. The differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in microtubule binding, chromosome segregation, and response to xenobiotic stimulus, as well as pathways in cancer, Tyrosine metabolism, and Mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis. A sub-module with high correlation was further identified after screening of TNBC-related DEG. Compared with the non-TNBC group, the proportions of natural killer T cells, luminal epithelial cells, B cells, and basal cells in the TNBC group were significantly decreased at the single-cell level, but the proportions of T cells, monocytes, and neural progenitor cells significantly increased. The transcriptome results could be combined with the single-cell sequencing results through the submodule, based on which we studied the key genes related to the prognosis of TNBC patients, including RRM2, TPX2, CENPF and TOP2A. We found that the expression of these key genes at the single-cell level was heterogeneous with that at the overall cellular level. To conclude, the expression of RRM2, TPX2, CENPF, and TOP2A is heterogeneous at the cellular level, inconsistent with the expression of TNBC at the overall cellular level. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the changes at the gene level and the cellular level for research.
High Dose of Metformin Decreases Susceptibility to Occlusive Arterial Thrombosis in Type-2 Diabetic Mice
Authors: Alvidrez Roberto Ivan Mota , Annarapu Gowtham K. , Sriniv Amudan J. , Liu Zeyu , Yazdani Hamza O. , Nolfi-Donegan Deidre , Simmons Richard L. , Shiva Sruti , Neal Matthew D.
Published: October 2022

Introduction Metformin is the most prescribed medication in Type 2 Diabetes(T2D). Metformin has shown to decrease mean platelet volume, with promising antiplatelet effects. High doses of Metformin have also been associated with hypercoagulation. We hypothesize that Metformin will protect T2D mice from occlusive arterial thrombus formation by altering platelet activation and mitochondrial bioenergetics. Methods T2D was developed by low dose of Streptozotocin, non-T2D (healthy) mice are controls. Either vehicle or Metformin was administered twice daily via oral gavage for 7-days. Ferric chloride (FeCl3) arterial thrombosis and tail bleeding time were performed. Whole blood aggregometry, platelet activation/adhesion and mitochondrial bioenergetics were evaluated. Results Metformin decreased susceptibility of T2D mice to arterial thrombosis. Platelet bioenergetics show T2D mice have increased platelet mitochondrial respiration, but no differences were observed with Metformin treatment. In non-T2D mice, Metformin modulated ADP-dependent increase in platelet adhesion. In non-T2D mice, Metformin shortens bleeding time with faster thrombotic occlusion. Metformin also increased platelet mitochondrial maximal respiration and spare respiratory capacity uniquely in non-T2D mice. Conclusion Metformin regulates platelet bioenergetics and ADP-mediated platelet function in T2D mice which attenuates susceptibility to arterial thrombosis. Future studies will evaluate clinically relevant doses of Metformin that regulates thrombotic function in diabetic platelets.
Single-index models for extreme value index regression
Authors: Yoshida Takuma
Published: October 2022

Since the extreme value index (EVI) controls the tail behaviour of the distribution function, the estimation of EVI is a very important topic in extreme value theory. Recent developments in the estimation of EVI along with covariates have been in the context of nonparametric regression. However, for the large dimension of covariates, the fully nonparametric estimator faces the problem of the curse of dimensionality. To avoid this, we apply the single index model to EVI regression under Pareto-type tailed distribution. We study the penalized maximum likelihood estimation of the single index model. The asymptotic properties of the estimator are also developed. Numerical studies are presented to show the efficiency of the proposed model.
MSC Classification: 62G08 , 62G20 , 62G32
Historical and regional particularities in the prevalence of traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder in Germany
Authors: Kasinger Christoph , Schulz Ann-Christin , Glaesmer Heide , Ulke Christine , Maercker Andreas , Beutel Manfred , Brähler Elmar
Published: October 2022

Purpose
Research on prevalence rates of traumatic events and PTSD has shown significant differences between countries, due to their different history and socialization processes. In the case of Germany, with its history of two divided states, this is highly relevant. This study explores the prevalence of traumatic events and PTSD in formerly divided East and West Germany.
Methods
We used data of four representative surveys (years 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2016) for the prevalence of traumatic events with a total of N = 9.200 respondents. For the analyses of the prevalence of PTSD we used data of three representative surveys (years 2005, 2007, 2008) with a total of N = 6676 respondents. We compared different birth cohorts as well as persons who lived in the former West vs. East using a Chi-Square-Test.
Results
We found significant differences in the occurrence of traumatic events between genders, different age cohorts as well as between people who live in East and West Germany. Significant differences in the prevalence of PTSD can only be observed for different age cohorts. Most of the age effects may be due to traumatic events related to WWII.
Conclusions
Our data suggests that socio-political factors may need to be considered when accounting for differences in occurrence rates of traumatic events between East and West Germany. However, we couldn’t find any differences in the overall prevalence of PTSD between the former GDR and FRG. Nevertheless, future epidemiological trauma research should take historical and regional peculiarities of countries into account.
A 90 nm Active Inductor Feedback Transimpedance Amplifier For Fiber Optics Applications
Authors: Alsheikhjader Muhammed Subhi Hameed
Published: October 2022

A simulated 90 nm active inductor feedback transimpedance amplifier is reported. A 1V configuration of regulated cascode followed by a shunt-shunt feedback stage is considered with a local active inductor feedback configuration. A transimpedance gain of 62.9 dBΩ is achieved with a bandwidth of 2.7 GHz, power consumption of 1.22 mW and an input referred noise current spectral density of 21 pA/√Hz. The key advantage of using local active inductor feedback is to solve a major problem regarding integrated circuit design constraint in which it replaces an ordinary spiral inductor and therefore, real advantages of less volume on board a chip, low power consumption and input referred noise are obtained. Important transient analysis and Fourier transform analysis were performed to examine active inductor feedback system response. There was no apparent inductive peaking associated with transimpedance gain despite of the fact that the frequency response of active inductor impedance behavior was to a greater extent similar to that of an ordinary spiral inductor.
A graph-based deep learning approach for illegal transaction detection in Bitcoin.
Authors: Heidari Alireza , Bahrak Behnam
Published: October 2022

In recent years, cryptocurrencies have been used as a new way to conduct transactions and transfer money among individuals, so the volume of daily transactions in their networks has reached to several billion dollars. The anonymity of users alongside the high security and privacy properties has led many criminals to the cryptocurrency networks to carry out their illegal transactions. However, public access to the blockchain of Bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies, allows individuals and financial institutions to obtain information about some of these activities. Several approaches, such as investigating financial flow in the blockchain, statistical analysis, and machine learning methods, have been introduced to detect illegal transactions. This paper uses a deep learning model based on a graph convolutional network and multi-layer perceptron to classify Bitcoin transactions based on their applications. We extract several features from the transaction graph, then by doing some preprocessing on our data, we train a model, which is able to predict illicit transactions with an f1-score of 97.09% which outperforms previous approaches to this problem.
Salmonella typhimurium induces intestinal inflammatory response through activation of Cav- 1/Akt/IKKα/NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Li Haihua , Shang Zhiyuan , Wei Zhaoyang , Wang Yimeng , Liu Xuejiao , Qiao Jiayun
Published: October 2022

Salmonella, a pathogenic gram-negative bacterium, has been reported to cause intestinal inflammatory response, which is found in both humans and animals. However, the underlying mechanism is not quite clear. To this end, we used Salmonella typhimurium (ST)-infected mice or intestinal epithelioid cell line 6 (IEC-6 cells) as a model to explore the roles of ST in reducing inflammatory response and elucidate the potential mechanisms. In in vivo experiments, mice were given ST with different concentrations (2.5×106 cfu/mL, 2.5×107 cfu/mL and 2.5×108 cfu/mL). The inflammatory markers in the serum were measured and the changes of small intestinal structures were observed. Differentially expressed proteins in the jejunum were screened using TMT-based quantitative proteomic analysis, and verified using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blotting. In in vitro experiments, IEC-6 cells were pretreated with particular inhibitor for 24 h and then infected with ST (1×103 cfu/mL) for 12 h. The lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) levels in the supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) while the protein expression of caveolin-1 (Cav-1), protein kinase B (Akt), inhibitor kappa B kinaseα (IKKα) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65 were measured by western blotting. ST promoted the production of serum inflammatory markers and the disruption of duodenal and jejunal structures in a dose-dependent manner over a specific period of time. Proteomic analysis showed that ST-induced intestinal inflammatory response was associated with the expression of Cav, Akt, IKK and NF-κB. In addition, we further confirmed that the activation of Cav-1/Akt/IKKα/NF-κB signaling pathway played a critical role in ST infection prompting the production of inflammatory markers and causing inflammatory response in IEC-6 cells. Taken together, our finding revealed that ST could induce intestinal inflammatory response through activating the Cav-1/Akt/IKKα/NF-κB signaling pathway.
T2 gallbladder carcinoma: Clinicopathological features and optimal surgical strategies
Authors: Endo Yuichi , Amano Shota , Orimoto Hiroki , Kawamura Masahiro , Fujinaga Atsuro , Kawano Yoko , Kawasaki Takahide , Masuda Takashi , Hirashita Teijiro , Ohta Masayuki , Inomata Masafumi
Published: October 2022

Purpose: For gallbladder carcinomas (GBCs), the only effective treatment is surgery. In this study, we aimed to determine the clinicopathologicalfeatures of T2 GBC and identify the optimal surgical strategies.
Methods: This was a retrospectivestudy of 77 patients with histologically verified T2 subserosal GBC who underwent surgery at our institution between 1989 and 2021. Pathological data (tumor size, location, grade, lymph node status, and lymphovascular and perineural invasions) and demographic data were reviewed. The 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rates were determined and included in our analysis.
Results: The 42 (55%) patients in our sample who were pathological invasion (PI)-positive had significantly lower 5-year DSS. PI was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis but not with tumor location. Those with PI treated with radical cholecystectomies had better 5-year DSS rates than those treated with simple cholecystectomies (57% vs 25%, p = 0.04). However, different surgical procedures produced no significant differences in the 5-year DSS of PI-negative patients.
Conclusions: PI-positive T2 GBC patients had poor prognoses and required radical cholecystectomy. However, PI-negative cases had low lymph node metastases rates and favorable prognoses. In these cases, simple cholecystectomy may be more appropriate.
Safety of oral propranolol for neonates with problematic infantile hemangioma: a study in an Asian population
Authors: Fu Ronghua , Zou Yun , Wu Zhiping , Jin Pingliang , Cheng Jun , Bai Hanxiang , Huang Mengyu , Huan Xiangquan , Yuan Hua
Published: October 2022

Purpose: The overriding goal of this study was to evaluate the safety of initiating and maintaining propranolol for problematic infantile hemangioma (IH) in neonates.
Methods: Clinical data of 112 infants with IH admitted from January 2016 to December 2020 Department of Plastic Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. All of patients were evaluated during the hospital at the beginning of the treatment and later in outpatient settings during the treatment. Each time, the following monitoring methods were applied: physical examination, ultrasound echocardiography (UCG), electrocardiography (ECG), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and basic laboratory tests included blood glucose (BG), liver function, blood potassium, thyroid function.
Results: There was a significant reduction in the BP and HR at the initiation of treatment. The incidences of bradycardia and hypoglycemia were observed to be increased with the prolong duration of treatment, but not prolonged PR interval. During the course of the therapy, the risk of hyperkalemia and hypothyroidism was reached maximum at the 2 months and 3 months, respectively. Physical growth index including average height, weight and head circumference was not influenced by the treatment. The observed adverse effects were majority mild and only 3 patients needed to rest for 7 days due to severe diarrhea before restarting treatment.
Conclusions: Propranolol is safe and well-tolerated by properly selected young infants with IH. No serious adverse events were observed. Larger, prospective studies are indicated to investigate propranolol in young infants.
Unilateral combined bypass surgery might accelerate contralateral radiological progression in pediatric moyamoya disease
Authors: Luo Jichang , Feng Yao , Lu Xia , Fang Shiyuan , Zheng Shasha , Zeng Gao , Yan Lin , Yang Bin , Wang Tao , Jiao Liqun , Luo Yumin , Han Ziping , Ma Yan
Published: October 2022

Background: Surgical cerebral revascularization is recommended to treat pediatric moyamoya disease (MMD). However, whether unilateral combined bypass surgery would cause disease progression on the contralateral side is uncertain. The study aimed to investigate the vascular architecture and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) status of pediatric MMD patients after successful unilateral combined bypass surgery and to identify the possible risk factors.
Methods: We reviewed the medical records and imaging data of pediatric MMD patients who underwent combined bypass surgery. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with arterial spin labelling (ASL) were performed for vascular architecture and cerebral blood flow investigation. Suzuki’s angiographic stage and moyamoya vessel grading system were both used. Progression was defined as an increase in either Suzuki stage or moyamoya vessel grade detected after unilateral surgery.
Results: Twenty-seven successive patients with a median age of 8 years (Interquartile Range (IQR) 5-14 years old) were identified. On the non-operated (non-OP) side, eleven (40.7%) patients demonstrated progression, all of whom showed an increase in the moyamoya vessel grade, and five also displayed Suzuki stage progression. After contralateral surgery, rCBF barely changed on the non-OP side compared to pre-operation (49.6 vs 50.2 ml/100g/min, p=0.445). Moreover, contralateral progression was associated with the earlier Suzuki stage on the non-OP side (p = 0.007).
Conclusions: Combined bypass surgery might accelerate the radiological progression on the contralateral side, which occurs before the decline of rCBF. Earlier Suzuki stage of the non-OP side was prone to rapid progression after unilateral combined revascularization.
The efficacy of high-dose pulse-therapy versus low-dose intravenous methylprednisolone on severe to critical COVID-19 clinical outcomes: A randomized clinical trial study
Authors: Sahraei Zahra , Panahi Parnaz , Afaghi Siamak , Amirdosara Mahdi , Salamzadeh Jamshid , Tarki Farzad Esmaeili , Darazam Ilad Alavi
Published: October 2022

Objectives

It remains unclear which formulation of corticosteroid regimen has the optimum efficacies on COVID-19 pneumonia. Herein we evaluated two regimens including methylprednisolone at a dose of 1 mg/kg every 12 hours (low-dose group) and 1000 mg/day pulse-therapy for 3 days following 1 mg/kg every 12 hours (high-dose group) methylprednisolone to assess the clinical outcomes in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19.

Methods

This randomized clinical trial was performed on patients with mild to moderate ARDS following COVID-19 randomly assigned to receive low-dose (n = 47) or high-dose (n = 48) intravenous methylprednisolone. Two groups were matched for age, gender, BMI, comorbidities, leukocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophil/lymphocyte, platelet, hemoglobin, and inflammatory markers (ESR, CRP, Ferritin). both regimens were initiated upon admission and continued for 10-days. the clinical outcome and secondary complications were evaluated.

Results and discussion

Evaluating in-hospital outcomes, no difference was revealed in the duration of ICU-stays (5.4 ± 4.6 vs 4.5 ± 4.9, p-value = 0.35), total hospital-stays (8 ± 3.1 vs 6.9 ± 3.4, p-value = 0.1), requirement rate for invasive ventilation (29.2% vs 36.2%, p-value = 0.4) or none-invasive ventilation (16.6% vs 23.4%, p-value = 0.4), and hemoperfusion (16.6% vs 11.3%, p-value = 0.3) between the groups. Fatality due to ARDS (29.2% vs 38.3, p-value = 0.3), and septic shock (4.2%, 6.4%, p-value = 0.3) was respectively reported in low-dose and high-dose groups, with no significant difference. Patients who received pulse-therapy had significantly higher bacterial pneumonia co-infection events (18.7% versus 10.6% (p-value = 0.01).
What is new and conclusion: adjuvant pulse-therapy for intravenous methylprednisolone does not improve the in-hospital clinical outcomes among mild to moderate ARDS COVID-19 patients. Higher risk of Bacterial pneumonia should be considered in such cases receiving the higher dose of steroids.
Examine the Impact of Government Expenditure on Standard of Living in Nigeria (1981 – 2018)
Authors: Ogundipe Michael , Adesola Adenekan
Published: October 2022

This study investigated the impact of government expenditure on standard of living in Nigeria from 1981–2018 by using a time series data from 1981 to 2018. Government expenditure on three sectors of the economy were used. These sectors include; the education sector, agricultural sector and the health sector. The result shows that government education expenditure and government agricultural expenditure are statistically significant at 10% level of significance while government health expenditure is statistically significant at 5% level of significance. This study concluded that government expenditure on education and health are crucial determinants of standard of living in Nigeria. More money needs to be allotted for the health and education sectors. Together, the idea of government spending and endogenous growth theory propose that public spending on things like health care, education, agricultural advances, and other technology promotes economic growth and reduces poverty in all economies.
Brain Tumor Segmentation based on an Optimized Convolutional Neural Network and an Improved Chimp Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Ranjbarzadeh Ramin , Zarbakhsh Payam , Caputo Annalina , Tirkolaee Erfan Babaee , Bendechache Malika
Published: October 2022

Even with the appropriate acquisition of brain images, reliable and accurate brain tumor segmentation is a challenging task. Tumor grading and segmentation employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are necessary for correct diagnosis and treatment planning. There are different MRI sequence images (T1, Flair, T1ce, T2, etc.) for identifying different parts of the tumor. Due to the diversity in the illumination of each brain imaging modality, different information and details can be obtained from each input modality. Therefore, by using various MRI modalities, the diagnosis system is capable of finding more unique details that lead to a better segmentation result, especially in fuzzy borders. In this study, to achieve an automatic and robust brain tumor segmentation framework using four MRI sequence images, an optimized convolutional neural network (CNN) is proposed. All weight and bias values of the CNN model are adjusted using an improved chimp optimization algorithm (IChOA). In the first step, we normalized all four input images to find some potential areas of the existing tumor. Next, we extract 17 features from each object inside the obtained binary image. Next, by employing the IChOA, the best features are selected. Finally, these obtained features are fed to the optimized CNN model to classify each object for brain tumor segmentation. The experimental outcomes conducted on the BRATS 2018 dataset demonstrate superior performance compared to the existing frameworks.
Dynamics of a multi-pulse excited rotating beam system
Authors: Hua Hongliang
Published: October 2022

The periodic motion characteristic is crucial for the firing accuracy of the machine gun system. In this study, a demonstrated machine gun system is simplified as a rotating beam system to study its periodic motion characteristic under a multi-pulsed excitation. Unlike the previously rotating beam model, the beam axis and the rotation center are non-collinear. The nonlinear coupled dynamic model of the system is derived by Rayleigh-Ritz method and Lagrange equation, and the dynamic responses are analyzed using Runge-Kutta method. Based on the computed responses, the effect of rotating radius, beam length, torsional stiffness and damping on system dynamic behavior are analyzed and discussed. Results reveal that increasing the rotating radius and beam length could affect the periodic motion of the system gradually. Increasing the torsional stiffness could enhance the periodic motion characteristic of the rotating beam system. The quasi-periodic motion characterized of the system could be dominated by matching the torsional damping.
Bridging Africa’s Income Inequality Gap: How Relevant Is China’s Outward FDI to Africa?
Authors: Ofori Isaac K. , Dossou Marcel A. T. , Asongu Simplice A. , Armah Mark K.
Published: October 2022

This study examines whether: (i) the remarkable inflow of Chinese FDI to Africa matters for bridging the continent’s marked income inequality gap, (ii) Africa’s institutional fabric is effective in propelling Chinese FDI towards the equalisation of incomes in Africa and (iii) there exist relevant thresholds required for the various governance dynamics to cause Chinese FDI to equalise incomes in Africa. Our results, which are based on the dynamic GMM estimator and macrodata for 48 African countries, reveal the following. First, although Chinese FDI contributes to fairer income distribution in Africa, the effect is weak. Second, though Africa’s institutional fabric matters for propelling Chinese FDI towards the equalisation of incomes across the continent, governance mechanisms for ensuring political stability, low corruption, and voice and accountability are critical. Finally, the critical masses required for these three key governance dynamics to propel Chinese FDI and other income inequality-reducing modules to reduce income inequality are 0.8, 0.5 and 0.1, respectively. These critical masses are thresholds at which governance is necessary but no longer sufficient to complement Chinese FDI to mitigate income inequality. Hence, at the attendant thresholds, complementary policies are worthwhile. Policy recommendations are provided in the end.
The Framework of Hammer (CAFÉ) Credit Rating for Capital Markets in China with International Standards
Authors: YUAN George Xianzhi , ZHOU Yunpeng , HE Hua , LIU Haiyang , YAN Chengxing
Published: October 2022

The goal of this paper is to discuss how we establish the “Hammer (CAFÉ) Credit System” by applying Gibbs sampling algorithm under the framework of bigdata approach to extract features in depicting bad events or illegal behaviors by following the “Five Step Principle” with a full picture. By case studies, they show that the CAFÉ Credit System is able to help us to resolve three problems of the current credit rating market in China which rate:
“1) the rating is falsely high;
2) the differentiation of credit rating grades is insufficient; and
3) the poor performance of predicting early warning and related issues”. In addition the CAFÉ credit is supported by clearly defining the "BBB" as the basic investment level with annualized rate of default probability in accordance with international standards in the practice of financial industries, and the credit transition matrix for “AAA-A” to “CCC-C” credit grades.
JEL Classification: C53 C58 G21 G24 G32
Alternative Control With Oils and Plant Extracts of the Pulgon Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach, 1843) on Couve Brassica oleracea L. Var. acephala, in the Municipality of Cruzeiro Do Sul, Acre
Authors: Almeida Jalluza , Godoy Karlla
Published: October 2022

With the crisis and the increase of agricultural pests, there was the need for evolution in the
correct management of insects in major crops. Biological control provides for the use of natural
inputs as toxicological agents against existing enemies in organic farming. In this way, the use
of botanical insecticides regulates the natural balance of species. In order to obtain new methods
of control and management, essential oils were used to eliminate aphids present in cabbage
specimens, thus allowing the continuity of vegetable productions away from pests. In this study,
we will be able to evaluate the viability of different vegetable oils as a natural insecticide on
aphids of cabbage. It is concluded that, the mortality rate showed its 100% efficiency on aphids,
among the concentrations of 10%, 25%, 50% and 100%, in different oils tested. According to
what was observed, the mortality time showed that Mauritia flexuosa obtained the shortest time
as being the best to kill the aphids, followed by the other oils. It is worth noting that for use on
leaf specimens only the concentrations 10%, 25%, regardless of the oils offered no commercial
damage.
Historical biogeography of neotropical Monkey tree frogs (Anura: Phyllomedusidae) indicates a diversification driven by dispersal and sympatry
Authors: Almeida-Silva Diego , Servino Leonardo Matheus , Pontes-Nogueira Matheus
Published: October 2022

The species richness in Neotropics has been linked to environmental heterogeneity and a complex geological history. We evaluated which biogeographical processes were associated to the diversification of Monkey tree frogs, an endemic group from Neotropics which was hypothesised to have a south-north pattern of diversification. We used 14 molecular markers on a bayesian analysis to infer phylogenetic relationships among 53 species of Phyllomedusidae and to estimate their divergence times. We defined 17 biogeographical units based on the distribution of the species utilised in our study. Ancestral range estimations were made using models implemented in BioGeoBEARS.We found that genera-level resolution was well-supported as older divergences. Phyllomedusidae ancestor range was uncertain, showing a most probable range in Western Amazonia. Phyllomedusids diverged mostly through jump-dispersal events, with anagenetic dispersals occurring mostly in the last 10 million years. The biogeographical history of monkey tree frogs is rather complex, being influenced by the Neotropical landscape evolution. Diversification was shown to have a north-south pattern within the family, through predominantly jump-dispersal and sympatry processes. Future studies could elaborate further the early history of the group.
The State of Towns and the Urban Population of Eastern Siberia in the 1850s–1880s: Based on the Materials of Reports of Loyal Governors-General
Authors:   Khakass Research Institute for Language, Literature and History, Tatiana A. Kiskidosova
Published: October 2022

The article considers informative information about the cities and urban population of Eastern Siberia in the post-reform period based on the materials of the most comprehensive reports of the governors-general. The reports reflected the main problems of Eastern Siberian towns: small number of the population, budget deficit, underdevelopment of urban economy, poor medical care, unsatisfactory sanitary condition and a significant lag behind cities of Central Russia. The backwardness of Eastern Siberian towns was explained by the fact that they did not arise as commercial and industrial centers but administrative points necessary for the management of the region. Identifying the main causes of high mortality of the population, the governors-general made proposals for improvement of health care and urban residents’ quality. The inertia and underdevelopment of most of Eastern Siberian towns was explained by the slow development of the vast territory. The restoration of the urban economy was carried out by own forces with the support of charitable societies, patrons and the local administration. Almost all heads of the region showed concern about the negative role of criminal exile on ordinary people’s lives. Special attention in the reports was paid to the problem of accommodation and employment of exiles in towns. These reports became evidence of the loyal governors-general’s concern about the unsatisfactory state of health service and education in the region. The repeated appeals of the governors-general to the highest authorities on improving the health service and education system did not receive support. The most comprehensive reports are a valuable source for studying the history of cities in the era of modernization.
Zoya Veniaminovna Moshkina – Leading Scientist on the History of Political Hard Labor and Exile in Transbaikalia
Authors:   Transbaikal State University, Anna V. Volochaeva
Published: October 2022

The work is dedicated to the memory of Zoya Veniaminovna Moshkina, Doctor of Historical Sciences, a remarkable person, a teacher, a deep and demanding researcher of the history of political hard labor in Transbaikalia. For a long period of her activity in the field of science (about 30 years), about 100 scientific papers have been written, including a monograph, articles in journals reviewed by the Higher Attestation Commission, works on the results of participation in various All-Russian and regional conferences. Most of Zoya V. Moshkina’s scientific works are devoted to the history of political hard labor and exile in Transbaikalia (Nerchinsk penal servitude). Sudden death did not allow the scientist to create an updated systematic work on the history of penal servitude in Transbaikalia, which was planned for the near future. Systematization of the author’s works in various areas of research of the Nerchinsk political penal servitude, analysis of the problems and determination of the novelty of her research allow us to call Z.V. Moshkina a leading historian on the history of political penal servitude and exile in Transbaikalia. Zoya Moshkina’s scientific research was carried out at the junction of history, jurisprudence and psychology, it is not only regional in nature but also have all-Russian significance, since political hard labor in the second half of the XIXth century was mostly concentrated in the Nerchinsk mountain district in Transbaikalia. Zoya Moshkina’s works are a comprehensive study of the Nerchinsk political penal servitude (the organization of the management system of political convicts, the regulatory framework for the maintenance of this category of criminals, living conditions in penal servitude, the gender, age and social composition of political prisoners, the behavior of convicts in conditions of penal servitude, etc.). The works by Z. V. Moshkina reflect personal, historical-psychological, gender and sociological approaches relevant to modern historical science, the application of which in the history of political hard labor has made a significant scientific novelty. The problems of the Trans-Baikal historian’s research, new aspects of studying the problems of the Nerchinsk political penal servitude have become a scientific basis for a new generation of scientists.
Will the Pioneer Horn Sound?
Authors:   Transbaikal State University, Alexander V. Konstantinov
Published: October 2022

The author made an attempt to study the history of the development of the children’s movement in the country and its problems in the year of the 100th anniversary of the pioneer movement (2022). The relevance of the topic is due to the attention to the problem of researchers, the public, as well as the need for state policy in relation to children’s and youth organizations. It is noted that this topic is interdisciplinary in nature and is at the junction of various scientific areas. The policy of the state in relation to the children’s movement changed dramatically more than once. The most important milestones in this regard are 1922 ‒ the prohibition of the scout movement and the creation of a pioneer organization and 1991 ‒ the dissolution of the pioneer organization and the transition to a variety of forms of children’s organizations. The current period in the development of the children’s movement is characterized the diversity of forms of children’s organizations. But even during this time, the policy of the state in relation to the children’s movement has evolved markedly. In 2015, an attempt was again made to create a mass children’s organization (the All-Russian Movement of School students). The anniversary marked the differences in the positions of the state and society, at the same time it stimulated the process of solving accumulated problems in the new political conditions. It was on May 19, 2022 that V. N. Matvienko Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation said that a group of deputies and senators had submitted to the Duma a bill on the Russian movement of children and youth. Perhaps the children’s movement in the country is on the threshold of a new stage of its development. According to the author, the history of the children’s movement and the pioneer movement in particular has become one of the most problematic phenomena in the Russian history. Particular attention is paid to the development of the children’s movement in the territory of Transbaikalia. In conclusion, the author presents proposals for organizing a new mass children’s movement.