bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
conn2res: A toolbox for connectome-based reservoir computing
Authors: Misic Bratislav , Suarez Laura , Mihalik Agoston , Milisav Filip , Marshall Kenji , Li Mingze , Vertes Petra , Lajoie Guillaume
Published: June 2023

The connection patterns of neural circuits form a complex network. How signaling in these circuits manifests as complex cognition and adaptive behaviour remains the central question in neuroscience. Concomitant advances in connectomics and artificial intelligence open fundamentally new opportunities to understand how connection patterns shape computational capacity in biological brain networks. Reservoir computing is a versatile paradigm that uses nonlinear dynamics of high-dimensional dynamical systems to perform computations and approximate cognitive functions. Here we present conn2res: an open-source Python toolbox for implementing biological neural networks as artificial neural networks. conn2res is modular, allowing arbitrary architectures and arbitrary dynamics to be imposed. The toolbox allows researchers to input connectomes reconstructed using multiple techniques, from tract tracing to noninvasive diffusion imaging, and to impose multiple dynamical systems, from simple spiking neurons to memristive dynamics. The versatility of the conn2res toolbox allows us to ask new questions at the confluence of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. By reconceptualizing function as computation, conn2res sets the stage for a more mechanistic understanding of structure-function relationships in brain networks.
Drug and natural health product data collection and curation in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)
Authors: Cossette Benoit , Griffith Lauren , Emond Patrick D. , Mangin Dee , Moss Lorraine , Boyko Jennifer , Nicholson Kathryn , Ma Jinhui , Raina Parminder , Wolfson Christina , Kirkland Susan , Dolovich Lisa
Published: June 2023

Purpose
The mapping of drug and natural health product (NHP) data to standardized terminologies is central to its analysis. This study aimed to develop an efficient data collection and curation process for all drug and NHP used by Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) participants.
Methods
The 3-step sequential data collection and curation process consisted of: 1) mapping drug inputs to the Health Canada Drug Product Database (DPD), 2) algorithm-recoding of unmapped drug and NHP inputs, and 3) manual recoding. A gold standard manually recoded input was established by two pharmacy technicians. The proportion of algorithm-correctly recoded inputs was calculated as the number of algorithm-correctly recoded inputs, based on the gold standard, divided by the number of algorithm-recoded inputs.
Results
Among the 30,097 CLSA Comprehensive cohort participants, 26,000 (86.4%) were using a drug or a NHP with a mean of 5.3 (SD 3.8) inputs per participant-user for a total of 137,366 inputs. Of those inputs, 70,177 (51.1%) were mapped to the Health Canada DPD, 20,729 (15.1%) were recoded by algorithms and 44,108 (32.1%) were manually recoded. In a validation sample (n = 1407 inputs), the Direct algorithm correctly classified 99.4% of drug and 99.5% of NHP inputs for which a gold standard could be established. In another validation sample of 329 manually recoded free-text inputs, consensus was reached by 2 recoders for 89.7% of drug and 74.8% of NHP inputs.
Conclusion
We developed an efficient 3-step process for drug and NHP data collection and curation for use in a longitudinal cohort.
Comparison of different models of optimal water distribution of canals
Authors: Zhang Xufeng , Fan Yu , Gao Zhanyi , Chen Haorui , Yang Mingming , Xu Jianhui , Zheng Xinrong , Kang Ye
Published: June 2023

The optimized water distribution model of canals refers to meeting the water demand of crops by reasonable water distribution flow rate and time. A reasonable water distribution model can shorten the irrigation duration, reduce the loss of canal water delivery, and improve the utilization rate of irrigation water. In this paper, five canals optimal water distribution models are selected respectively, which are irrigation from upstream to downstream (Irrigation model 1), irrigation from downstream to upstream (Irrigation model 2), continuous irrigation between groups and rotational irrigation within groups (Irrigation model 3), rotational irrigation between groups and continuous irrigation within groups (Irrigation model 4), optimal water distribution model of rotational irrigation (Irrigation model 5). These models were applied to the Fengqigou branch canal in the Bojili irrigation district. The advantages and disadvantages of each model are discussed and analyzed from five aspects: the total duration of water distribution, the play of canal engineering ability, the leakage loss of canal water delivery, the abandoned water volume, and the operability of irrigation managers. The results show that irrigation model 1 and irrigation model 2 are easy to manage and have small leakage losses for upper-level canal. Irrigation model 3 and irrigation model 4 have a short total irrigation duration and low water abandonment. Irrigation model 5 needs to optimize the idle time to improve the applicability of the model.
Morphologic Analysis of Facial Foramina in Three Facial Types: A Study on Dry Skulls and CT-Scans
Authors: Onashko Yuliia , Vovk Oleg , Pauza Dainius Haroldas , Shmarhalov Andrii , Malakhov Stanislav
Published: June 2023

Purpose
To estimate the morphometric characteristics of the facial foramina in three facial types according to the upper facial index.
Methods
The study was conducted on fifty-two dry adult human skulls and 60 computed tomography. Based on the upper facial index all samples were divided into Euryene, Mesene, and Leptene types of face. The distance between middle facial line (MFL) and supraorbital foramen/supraorbital notch (SOF/SON), infraorbital foramen (IOF), and mental foramen (MF) were measured in all types and overall. Indications of the distances between the collateral facial foramina were obtained. In addition, the distances between SOF/SON and IOF, IOF and MF were estimated. The standard statistical analysis was performed.
Results
In overall, the mean distance SOF/SON-MFL was 19.6 ± 2.4 mm, IOF-MFL 21.9 ± 2.5 mm, and MF-MFL 21.6 ± 2.1 mm. The average distance between the collateral supraorbital foramina was 44.2 ± 6.4 mm, between the infraorbital foramina 47.9 ± 4.2 mm, and 43.6 ± 2.5 mm between the mental foramina, respectively. The distances supraorbital foramen-infraorbital foramen and infraorbital foramen-mental foramen in the present study was found to be 41.5 ± 3.2 mm and 61.2 ± 4.9 mm, respectively.
Conclusion
The data obtained may be particularly helpful while performing surgical operations, local anaesthesia, or aesthetic procedures in the projection of facial foramina.
STAT4 -mediated Klotho upregulation contributes to the brain ischemic tolerance by cerebral ischemic preconditioning via inhibiting neuronal pyroptosis
Authors: Liu Xi-Yun , Zhang Ling-Yan , Wang Xiao-Yu , Li Shi-chao , Hu Yu-Yan , Zhang Jing-Ge , Xian Xiao-Hui , Li Wen-Bin , Zhang Min
Published: June 2023

Our previous study has proved that the Klotho up-regulation participated in cerebral ischemic preconditioning (CIP)-induced brain ischemic tolerance. However, the exact neuroprotective mechanism of Klotho in CIP remains unclear. We explored the hypothesis that STAT4-mediated Klotho upregulation contributes to the CIP-induced brain ischemic tolerance via inhibiting neuronal pyroptosis. Firstly, the expressions of pyroptosis-associated proteins (i.e., NLRP3, GSDMD, pro-caspase-1, and cleaved caspase-1) in hippocampal CA1 region were determined during the process of brain ischemic tolerance. We found the expression of pyroptosis-associated proteins was significantly up-regulated in the ischemic insult (II) group, and showed no significant changes in the CIP group. The expression level of each pyroptosis-associated proteins was lower in the CIP + II group than that in the II group. Inhibition of Klotho expression increased the expression of pyroptosis-associated proteins in the CIP + II group and blocked the CIP-induced brain ischemic tolerance. Injection of Klotho protein decreased the expression of pyroptosis-associated proteins in the II group, and protected neurons from ischemic injury. Secondly, the transcription factor STAT4 of Klotho was identified by bioinformatic analysis. Double luciferase reporter gene assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed STAT4 can bind to the site between nt − 881 and – 868 on the Klotho promoter region and positively regulates Klotho expression. Moreover, we found CIP significantly enhanced the expression of STAT4. Knockdown STAT4 suppressed Klotho upregulation after CIP and blocked the CIP-induced brain ischemic tolerance. Collectively, it can be concluded that STAT4-mediated upregulation of Klotho contributed to the brain ischemic tolerance induced by CIP via inhibiting pyroptosis.
Association of ACE and ACE2 genes elevate the risk of lung cancer
Authors: Bellah Sm Faysal , Islam Md. Robiul
Published: June 2023

Background:
ACE and ACE2 are biologically potential biomarkers responsible for the production and progression of lung cancer. Multiple factors and bioprocesses are associated with in tumorigenesis and metastasis of lung cancer, including cellular senescence and immune evasion. We aimed to analyzed the expression and association of ACE and ACE2 genes in lung cancer & Covid-19. We also aimed to identify prognostic and immune-meditating effects of ACE and ACE2 in lung cancer.
Subjects and methods:
Web-based bioinformatics tools were used to assess the association of ACE and ACE2 with lung cancer risks. The prognostic significance of mRNA expression of ACE and ACE2 in lung cancer were evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier plotter. Correlation analyses were performed to reveal the association among key factor, immune infiltration, T cell biomarkers and immune checkpoints. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed to determine whether ACE and ACE2 are an independent risk factor for overall survival (OS) and fast progression (FP) of lung cancer patients. Additionally, STRING database was used to analyze protein-protein interactions.
Result:
Our data confirmed that ACE is significantly expressed and associated with higher lung cancer risks where ACE2 role in developing lung cancer is controversial but in Covid-19. Moreover, high expression of ACE and ACE2 might predict poor OS and FP in lung cancer patients. Besides, disease stage and expression level of ACE and ACE2 were correlated with fast progression and overall survival in lung cancer. Both ACE and ACE2 were found highly co-expressed with different immune checkpoints. Analysis of protein-protein interaction based on STRING database gained top 10 genes which could interact with ACE (including, AGT, KNG1, REN, RHOA, RHOC, ATTR1, AGTR2, BDKRB2, MME and NR3C2) and ACE2 (including, SLC6A19, AGT, DPP4, REN, MME, PRCP, MEPIA, SLC1A7, TMPRSS2 and CLEC4M)
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that, aberrant expression of ACE in lung cancer is greater than ACE2 and might be involved in the pathogenesis of lung cancer risk whereas ACE2 in Covid-19.
Consolidated Foreign Wealth of Nations Nationality-based measures of international exposure
Authors: Pacheco André Sanchez
Published: June 2023

This paper presents novel estimates of foreign holdings from a consolidated-bynationality perspective for a sample of fourteen developed countries over multiple years. It describes the stylized facts that emerge from this new data-set on the international exposure of countries. It shows that aggregate international financial integration is larger from a nationality-based approach relative to the conventional residence-based data. These novel data are used to analyze (1) profit shifting activities and (2) spillovers from U.S. monetary policy shocks. I find evidence suggesting that nationals of relatively high-tax countries may shift assets to low-tax countries in ways not fully captured in residence-based statistics. I also find that a tightening in U.S. monetary policy is associated with a decline in consolidated-by-nationality foreign asset holdings by non-financial multinational enterprises. Such findings highlight the usefulness of this new data-set in international macroeconomics.
JEL: F36, F21, F23.
Anonymous provision of privacy-sensitive services using blockchain and decentralised storage
Authors: Barański Stanisław , Szymański Julian , Mora Higinio
Published: June 2023

Lawyers, laboratories, auditors or banks often need data containing sensitive personal information to provide their services. Examples of sensitive services include genetic testing, paternity testing, STD testing, credit scoring or legal advice.
The processing of personal data, especially when providing services involving sensitive data such as health records, biological material or legal documents, exposes both users and service providers (SPs) to privacy risks. SPs are at risk of violating GDPR, CPAA and other legal regulations, while customers are at risk of losing their privacy.
We observe that personal data is often only used for logistical purposes, such as payment or communication, and could be provided anonymously if such methods were available.
We present a solution that allows services to be provided without collecting personal data. We use anonymous payment methods such as cash and anonymous cryptocurrencies, blockchain to achieve fairness, and distributed content-addressable storage networks to deliver results.
Compared to other solutions, our protocol achieves anonymity with weaker assumptions, supports physical materials and conflict resolution, and does not require the customer to interact with the blockchain in conflict-free transactions, demonstrating better practicality.
In this work, we analyse the fairness of our protocol and implement it using Ethereum technology as a message board, Monero as an anonymous payment method, and Powergate (IPFS and Filecoin) as a decentralised storage network.
85 years of snowfall-driven ice sheet change in East Antarctica
Authors: Doemgaard Mads , Schomacker Anders , Isaksson Elisabeth , Millan Romain , Huiban Flora , Dehecq Amaury , Fleischer Amanda , Moholdt Geir , Andersen Jonas , Bjørk Anders
Published: June 2023

Large-scale observational time series of pre-satellite era glacier changes in Antarctica are rare. In order to determine if recent trends are independent of natural variability, long-term observations are vital. Here we rediscover and explore the earliest, large-scale, aerial image archive of Antarctica to provide a unique record of 21 outlet glaciers along the coastline of East Antarctica since the 1930s. We combine the imagery with more recent Australian aerial photographs (1956-1973) to provide historical glacier reconstructions through multiple epochs. The historical reconstructions are compared to modern satellite observations to study glacier elevation changes over 85 years, allowing us to distinguish long-term trends from shorter-term variability. The aerial images reveal two distinct regional patterns: In Lützow-Holm Bay, Dronning Maud Land, the ice elevations remained stable, however with a concurrent frontal retreat of all glaciers in the 1980s and indications of a weakening of the localized land-fast sea-ice conditions. Along the coastline of Kemp, Mac Robertson, and Ingrid Christensen Coast, we observe a general thickening of the glaciers. We find that the regional differences in observed ice thickness are consistent with the overall trends in snowfall since 1940. Additionally, our results demonstrate that the stability and growth observed in terrestrial basins over the past few decades are part of a longer-term trend spanning at least a century.
The genetic basis of divergent melanic pigmentation in benthic and limnetic threespine stickleback
Authors: Rennison Diana , Tapanes Elizabeth
Published: June 2023

Pigmentation is an excellent trait to examine patterns of evolutionary change because it is often under natural selection. The genetic architecture of pigmentation in vertebrates also appears to be complex. Yet, most work on pigmentation has focused on a few candidate genes in model species. Benthic-limnetic threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeautus) exhibit distinct pigmentation phenotypes, likely an adaptation to occupation of divergent niches. Prior QTL mapping for threespine stickleback pigmentation phenotypes has identified several candidate loci. However—relative to other morphological phenotypes (e.g., spines or lateral plates)—the genetic architecture of threespine stickleback pigmentation remains understudied. Here, we performed QTL mapping for two melanic pigmentation traits (melanophore density and lateral barring) using benthic-limnetic F2 crosses. The two traits mapped to different chromosomes, suggesting a distinct genetic basis. The resulting QTLs were additive, but explained a relatively small fraction of the total variance (~6%). QTLs maps differed by F1 family, suggesting variation in genetic architecture or ability to detect loci of small effect. Functional analysis identified several enriched pathways for candidate loci. Several of the resulting candidate loci for pigmentation, including four loci in enriched pathways (bco1, pola1, sulf1, and tyms) have been previously indicated to affect pigmentation in other vertebrates. These findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting pigmentation is often polygenic.
The awareness and factors influencing the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) among diabetic patients: evidence from NHANES (2011–2018)
Authors: Wang Xingkai , Xu Mengying , Meng Lei , Song Mingzhi , Jia Zhuqiang , Zhao Lin , Han Xin , Lu Ming , Zong Junwei , Wang Shouyu
Published: June 2023

Background: The prevention of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) precedes treatment, in that early prevention significantly reduces the incidence of foot ulcers. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the current status of proactive examination for foot ulcers in diabetic patients and to analyze the factors influencing them, in order to provide a scientific reference for the prevention of DFU in diabetic patients.
Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018 (n=1278) data were utilized in this cross-sectional study. The dependent variable was the presence or absence of patient-initiated inspection of foot ulcers; risk factors that may lead to foot ulcers were included as independent variables. To explore the connection between the patient's subjective motivation to inspect foot ulcers and risk variables, the weighted logistic regression model was further carried out.
Results: Among all risk factors, race,body mass index (BMI) and hypertension were statistically significant between whether patients were examined for foot ulcers or not. In the fully adjusted logistic regression model, only hypertensionwas positively correlated with diabetic patient-initiated examination for foot ulcers.
Conclusions: This study suggests that there is still room for improvement in the knowledge and behavior of diabetic patients to be proactive in preventing DFU. Health care and community workers should conduct targeted training on diabetic foot prevention to reduce and prevent DFU by reinforcing knowledge to build positive attitudes and drive preventive behavior change.
Effect of oleoylethanolamide on systemic inflammation in the development of alimentary-induced obesity in mice
Authors: Ivashkevich Darya , Ponomarenko Arina , Manzhulo Igor , Sultanov Ruslan , Duizen Inessa
Published: June 2023

The anorexigenic effect of oleoylethanolamide (OEA, C20H39NO2) was studied in a model of diet-induced obesity in mice. Physiological, biochemical and immunohistochemical methods were used to reveal differences in the changes in the weight of experimental animals, morphological changes in the spleen tissues, as well as changes in the cytokine expression profile in the spleen, blood plasma and in macrophage cell culture. First, it has been shown that a hypercaloric diet high in carbohydrates and cholesterol leads to the development of systemic inflammation accompanied by organ morphological changes and increased production of proinflammatory cytokines. In parallel, the use of OEA reduces the intensity of cellular inflammatory reactions accompanied by a decrease in markers of cellular inflammation and proliferation, such as CD68, Iba-1 and Ki67 in the spleen tissue and stabilizes the level of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL6, TNFα) both in animals and in cell culture. In addition, in macrophage cell culture (RAW264.7) it was shown that OEA also suppresses the production of reactive oxygen species and nitrites in LPS-induced inflammation. The results of this study indicate the complex action of OEA in obesity, which includes the reduction of systemic inflammation.
Case report: Primary Undifferentiated Sarcoma of the Transverse Colon in a Young Female Patient
Authors: Wu Long , Wu Huan , Huang Fei , Li Xiaoyun , Zhen Yunhuan , Cheng Haiyu , Li Haiyang
Published: June 2023

Undifferentiated sarcoma is a highly malignant tumor originating from mesenchymal tissues, typically occurring in the upper gastrointestinal tract. However, undifferentiated sarcoma of the colon is exceptionally rare. We present the case of a 26-year-old female patient who presented to our outpatient department with abdominal pain. Colonoscopy revealed an occupying lesion in the transverse colon, raising suspicion of malignancy. Computed tomography confirmed a transverse colon lesion, suggestive of possible transverse colon cancer. The patient underwent an enlarged laparoscopic right hemicolectomy, and subsequent pathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of undifferentiated sarcoma of the transverse colon. This report highlights a rare case of primary undifferentiated sarcoma of the transverse colon.
Machine learning revealed novel ferroptosis-related genes and construction ceRNA network in dermal lymphatic endothelial cells of diabetic foot ulcer
Authors: Wang Xingkai , Zou LinXuan , Meng Lei , Song Mingzhi , Sun Xiaohong , Jia Zhuqiang , Zhao Lin , Han Xin , Wang Huan , Wang Peng , Lu Ming , Zong JunWei , Wang Shouyu
Published: June 2023

Background Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a common chronic and serious complication that impairs patients' quality of life. The relationship between ferroptosis and complications of diabetes has attracted much attention in recent years. Here, this study aims to apply the gene expression profile of dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (DLECs) to build a ceRNA network and explore potential ferroptosis-related biomarkers and pathways related to the molecular mechanism of DFU.Methods The GSE38396 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) collection was utilized to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in DLECs of DFU. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and enrichment analysis of DEGs were carried out. Subsequently, we performed a comprehensive analysis of hub genes identified from the PPI. To yield the key ferroptosis-related genes strongly associated with DLECs of DFU, we integrated multiple datasets and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) model, which was validated with external datasets (GSE147890) via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Meanwhile, GSE147890 and GSE29221 were utilized as external datasets to validate the efficiency of key genes as potential biomarkers for DFU.Results The 149 DEGs in DLECs of DFU were obtained using the GSE38396 dataset. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that the collagen-containing extracellular matrix was primarily enriched. The HIF-1 signaling pathway was considered the key pathway by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. We obtained 12 hub genes from the subnetwork in the PPI network and identified EGFR as a key ferroptosis-related gene by the LASSO model, which had a high AUC value (0.76). In addition, two external datasets validated EGFR with high efficiency (GSE147890: 0.67, GSE29221: 0.72). Ultimately, we constructed a ceRNA network consisting of 5 lncRNAs, 2 miRNAs, and 1 mRNA around EGFR.Conclusions As a key ferroptosis-related gene related to DLECs of DFU, EGFR may be regulated by upstream lncRNA, which in turn affects the activity of the HIF-1 pathway and affects the occurrence and development of DFU. Thus, the results of this study can provide a certain direction and basis for follow-up studies of DFU and provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of DFU.
An Improved Intrusion Detection System based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) algorithm
Authors: Namiq Heba Emad , Salman Ayman Dawood , Dinar Ahmed Musa
Published: June 2023

The evolution of the Internet has given rise to novel forms of network attacks, underscoring the importance of investigating methods for detecting anomalous behaviour and accurately classifying attacks within the domain of cyberspace. Recently, the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) has been employing various deep learning-based methodologies to construct a model that is driven by data. The aforementioned techniques are advantageous as they reduce the cost and labour involved in manual detection. The precision and capability of feature extraction in contemporary intrusion detection techniques exhibit significant variability. Furthermore, the presence of extraneous and repetitive phrases is ubiquitous in real-time network data. To tackle the aforementioned concerns, the present study proposes the utilisation of the convolutional neural networks (CNN) algorithm for the purpose of detecting intrusions. Initially, in order to enhance resource utilisation and reduce time complexity, a configuration of 16 layers and 8 convolutional neural networks with Max-Pooling1D is utilised. Subsequently, a series of evaluative experiments conducted on the NSL-KDD dataset indicate that the enhanced CNN model has the potential to enhance the performance of the Intrusion Detection System (IDS). The precision for all types of features is reported to be 0.991, while the recall and f1-measure are noted to be 0.995 and 0.993, respectively
Factors influencing prognosis of shoulder manipulation under ultrasound-guided cervical nerve root block for frozen shoulder: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Takahashi Ryosuke , Kajita Yukihiro , Harada Yohei
Published: June 2023

Background: Although successful clinical outcomes of manipulation under ultrasound-guided cervical nerve root block (MUC) for frozen shoulder have been reported, some cases remain refractory. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic factors of MUC for frozen shoulder.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 126 frozen shoulders in 113 patients (mean age 52.5±6.7 years) who underwent MUC. We defined frozen shoulder as a limited shoulder range of motion (ROM) (passive forward flexion < 120°, external rotation [ER] < 30°, or internal rotation [IR] lower than L3). Patients fulfilling any one criteria were considered to have frozen shoulder. The ROM, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) shoulder score, Constant Shoulder (CS) score, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score were evaluated before and 12 months after MUC. We defined as the refractory clinical outcome (refractory group) included patients who fulfilled any one of the criteria for frozen shoulder 12 months after MUC. We compared patients in the refractory group with those who did not fulfill any criteria (success group). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors using the following variables: sex, age, symptom duration before MUC, body mass index, diabetes mellitus (DM), affected side, initial ROM, and initial functional score.
Results: Patients who underwent MUC were retrospectively enrolled and divided into a success group (n=112 frozen shoulders in 100 patients) and a refractory group (n=14 frozen shoulders in 13 patients) based on their clinical outcome following MUC. Both the success and refractory groups showed significantly improved ROM and functional scores 12 months after MUC (P<.05). Although all ROM and functional scores before MUC showed no significant difference between the two groups, patients in the refractory group showed significantly inferior outcomes than those in the success group 12 months after MUC (P<.01). Age and the presence of DM were significantly higher in the refractory group (P<.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age and the presence of DM were independent risk factors for refractory clinical outcomes after MUC (age; odds ratio 1.1, 95% confidence interval 1.0–1.2. P=.04, DM; odds ratio 9.6, 95% confidence interval 2.0–45.4. P=.004).
Conclusions: Higher age and the presence of DM are negative prognostic factors for MUC in frozen shoulder. These results may be useful when counselling patients with higher age and diabetes regarding the outcomes after MUC for frozen shoulder.
Level of evidence: Level III retrospective comparison study.
Looking through the imaging perspective: the importance of imaging necrosis in glioma diagnosis and prognostic prediction
Authors: Ma Hui , Zeng Shanmei , Xie Dingxiang , Zeng Wenting , Huang Yingqian , Mazu Liwei , Zhu Nengjin , Yang Zhiyun , Chu Jianping , Zhao Jing
Published: June 2023

Purpose
To investigated the diagnostic value of imaging necrosis (Imnecrosis) in grading, predicting the genotype and prognosis of gliomas, and further assessed the association of tumor necrosis and hypoxia, which was assessed by dynamic contrast-enhanced MR perfusion imaging (DCE-MRI).
Materials and Methods
We retrospectively included 150 (46 females, mean age: 46 years old) pathologically proved adult diffuse gliomas, and all diagnosis based on the 2021 WHO CNS classification. The pathological necrosis (Panecrosis) and gene mutation information (IDH, 1p19q, EGFR amplification, chr7 gain/10 loss, CDKN2A/B) was collected. All patients underwent conventional (T1WI, T2WI, FLAIR) and DCE-MRI examinations, and has been followed until May 31, 2021.The Imnecrosis was determined by two expericed neuroradiologists. DCE-MRI derived metric (ktrans, ve, kep and iauc) maps have been postprocessed and the mean value of each metric in the tumor parenchy, peritumoral and contralateral area were recorded. Various statistical analyses such as survival analysis were performed.
Results
There was a strong degree of inter-observer agreement in defining Imnecrosis (Kappa = 0.668, p < 0.001), and a strong degree of agreement between Imnecrosis and Panecrosis (Kappa = 0.767, p < 0.001). Compared to low-grade gliomas, high-grade gliomas had more Imnecrosis (85.37%, p < 0.001), and Imnecrosis significantly increased with the grade of gliomas increasing (p < 0.001). And Imnecrosis was significantly more identified in IDH-wildtype, 1p19q-non-codeletion, and CDKN2A/B-homozygous-deletion gliomas (all p < 0.01). Using multivariate Cox regression analysis, Imnecrosis was an independent and unfavorable prognosis factor (Hazard Ratio = 2.113, p = 0.046) in gliomas. Additionally, ve in tumor parenchyma derived from DCE-MRI demonstrated the highest diagnostic efficiency in identifying Panecrosis and Imnecrosis with high specificity (83.3% and 91.9%, respectively).
Conclusions
Imnecrosis can provide supplementary evidence beyond Panecrosis in grading, predicting the genotype and prognosis of gliomas, and tumor parenchyma ve can help to predict tumor necrosis with high specificity.
Non-intrusive load identification based on semi-supervised learning with flexible threshold and V-I trajectory signature
Authors: Tang Tao , li keke , Su Chang , Liu Zhiheng
Published: June 2023

Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) can obtain fine-grained electricity consumption information for each appliance in the user's home without installing additional hardware sensors.
As deep learning has grown quickly, many deep learning algorithms have been used to solve NILM problems, and have achieved good load identification results.
However, many supervised learning algorithms need to be based on a large amount of labeled data, which is time-consuming and laborious to obtain, and difficult to implement in actual deployment. In this paper, we propose a semi-supervised learning algorithm that combines consistency regularization and pseudo-labels to help identify appliances with a small amount of labeled data and some unlabeled data.
In addition, given the different learning difficulties of different appliances among users, for example, the feature learning difficulty of multi-state appliances is often higher than that of single-state appliances. Therefore, we employ that the threshold values of different appliance classes be changed in a flexible way at each time step so that the informative unlabeled data and their pseudo-labels can be passed.
We have carried out simulation experiments on public dataset, and the experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves better appliance identification results than the state-of-the-art methods.
Multiscale Modelling and Simulation of 3D Effective Homogenization for Material Properties of MWCNT and RHA Reinforced in Al P0507 Matrix Composite
Authors: Srivast Nitin , Singh Lavish Kumar , Kamesh Bodduru
Published: June 2023

In order to reduce experimental costs, this study aimed to predict the performance of a new metal matrix composite through numerical modeling techniques. The objective was to accelerate the process of experimental testing by replicating the specific characteristics observed at the micro-scale of the composite. Aluminum P0507 alloy served as the matrix material, while multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and Rice Husk Ash (RHA) were chosen as reinforcements. These materials were combined to create a novel lightweight composite with promising physical and mechanical properties. To evaluate the elastic properties of the metal matrix composites, namely Al+RHA, Al+MWCNT, and Al+RHA+MWCNT hybrid composites, the Representative Volume Elements (RVE) model was utilized. The DIGIMAT-FE software was employed to model and simulate the performance of these composites under various volume fractions. At a volume fraction of 0.09%, it was observed that the composites reinforced with MWCNT and RHA exhibited higher elastic moduli of 79.3133 GPa and 77.6667 GPa, respectively, in the uniaxial-1 direction with aligned oriented inclusions, using an RVE geometric model in Digimat-F.E. Additionally, the minimum Poisson's ratios of the MWCNT and RHA composites were found to be 0.3122 and 0.3130, respectively, when examined with aligned inclusions as compared to 3D random and 2D random inclusions. Furthermore, the hybrid reinforced composites demonstrated an increase of 83.67 GPa and 31.39 GPa in the maximum elastic modulus and shear modulus, respectively, when compared to composites with random 3D and 2D inclusions.
Knowledge, Perception, and Willingness of Emerging Public Health Advocates to Effectively Communicate about Smoking Cessation and Tobacco Harm Reduction in Africa
Authors: Oke Gabriel Ilerioluwa , Ademola Peter Sunday , Utaka Edith Nnenna , John Eyinaikanan , Adam Mohammed Fathelrahman , Okereke Blessed , Onyia Ifunanya Mary-Ann , Adebisi Yusuff Adebayo
Published: June 2023

Background
Media campaigns targeting young people are a valuable tool for promoting awareness about tobacco harm reduction (THR). Advocacy and communication efforts to inform about the risks of tobacco use, THR strategies, and smoking cessation methods can enhance policy compliance, minimize tobacco-related damages, and motivate individuals to quit smoking. This study investigates the knowledge, perception, and willingness of emerging public health advocates to effectively communicate about smoking cessation and THR strategies in Africa.
Methods
This research adopts a concurrent explanatory sequential design. The target demographic consists of public health enthusiasts, healthcare students, health communicators, and budding journalists aged 18–30 in Africa. The questionnaire, validated through an extensive literature review, was distributed via Google Forms. From 450 individuals expressing interest in the THR Journo project, 415 agreed to participate, responding to open-ended questions on smoking cessation and THR among young people. Data were analyzed with Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS for quantitative aspects, while Atlas. ti 9 was used for the qualitative interpretation of open-ended responses.
Results
Of the 415 participants, 73.7% lacked prior knowledge or proper understanding of THR. Most respondents (60.0%) regarded Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) as the most effective THR strategy, with 26.7% favoring e-cigarettes. A majority (73.3%) perceived NRT to be safer than smoking, while 48.3% believed e-cigarettes were safer. Approximately 70.8% agreed that THR products aid in smoking cessation. However, 38.3% were uncertain if these products are addictive. Participants referenced strategies/activities for creating awareness for THR, which include, “More advocacy and sensitization programs should be organized”, and “These programs should engage people who smoke tobacco and nicotine products themselves as champions.”Ambassadorial roles in public Universities should be granted to students as a medium to proliferate the central message of the THR.
Conclusions
Identified barriers to effective THR communication included misinformation propagated by health professionals and the media, religious and cultural constraints, and challenges in reaching remote areas. Strategies to enhance THR communication encompass increased advocacy and communication, government engagement and policy development, simplification of THR messages, and capacity building and engagement of advocates and stakeholders.
Highly efficient removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water using TPODAC- grafted clays obtained from simultaneous ion exchange and grafting
Authors: Funes Israel G. A. , Carlos Luciano , Parolo Maria E.
Published: June 2023

The present work analyses the polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) removal from water through batch adsorption processes, using two low-cost surfactant-grafted bentonites (Mt/TPODAC-1.5 and H5-Mt/TPODAC-1.5). These materials were prepared via a modification of montmorillonite (Mt) and acid-activated bentonite (H5-Mt) by intercalation and grafting of (3-trimethoxysilylpropyl) octadecyldimethylammonium chloride (TPODAC). Anthracene (ANT) was used as PAH model to assess the sorption capacity of each material. It was found that the selective modification of clay mineral has higher adsorption capacity for ANT compared with raw clay. Mt/TPODAC-1.5 and H5-Mt/TPODAC-1.5 removed 91 % and 85 % of ANT from water, respectively, while the raw bentonite (Mt) removed only 22 % under the same conditions. The adsorption isotherms were S-shaped and were fitted by the Frumkin-Fowler-Guggenheim (FFG) model, exhibiting an adsorption cooperative behaviour. The results indicate that hydrophobic and cation-π interactions ruled the ANT sorption on the modified clays. Simultaneous adsorption experiments with a mixture of 16 PAHs showed a high removal capacity of both modified clays. The promising results obtained in this work highlights the use of the TPODAC-grafted bentonite as potential sorbents to removal PAHs in a simple, economical, and environmentally friendly way.
Gesture based Sign Language Recognition system using Mediapipe
Authors: Chandwani Laveen , Khilari Jaydeep , Gurjar Kunal , Maragale Pravin , Sonare Ashwin , Kakade Suhas , Bhatt Abhishek , Kulkarni Rohan
Published: June 2023

Sign language is a visual language that uses hand motions, changes in hand shape, and track information to convey meaning. It is the primary mode of communication for those with hearing and language impairments. The use of sign language for communication is limited, despite the fact that sign language recognition can help a large number of such persons deal with regular people. As a result, there is a need to create a more comfortable approach for people with hearing and language impairments to learn and work in order to improve their lives. Therefore, the basic idea behind this article is to make the communication between normal human beings and deaf people much easier. In order to recognize static gestures associated with sign language alphabet and a few commonly used words, we conducted a comprehensive research study employing the hand tracking technique Mediapipe and a gesture classification model based on Support Vector Machine (SVM). The results of the experiments are validated using Recall, F1 Score and Precision. Based on the validated results, we recommend the application of the discussed techniques for such communication. The suggested methods have high generalization qualities and deliver a classification accuracy of around 99 percent on 26 alphabet letters, numerical digits, and some regularly used words.
Probabilistic Liquefaction Potential of Kathmandu Valley Soil Based on Standard Penetration Tests
Authors: Subedi Mandip , KC Rajan , Acharya Indra Prasad , Sharma Keshab , Bhandary Netra Prakash
Published: June 2023

Despite being a liquefaction susceptible zone, Kathmandu Valley soil in Nepal has limited studies on liquefaction potential and most of them are based on the deterministic approach. Although this method is widely used, it ignores the uncertainties of seismic parameters such as peak ground acceleration,amax,and earthquake magnitude,Mwas well as the inherent variabilities of soil layers, in-situ testing procedures, and geotechnical properties. On the other hand, the probabilistic approach helps assess the liquefaction potential by considering all these uncertainties. In this study, we assess the liquefaction hazard in the Kathmandu Valley using the first-order second-moment (FOSM) method as a probabilistic approach for liquefaction hazard assessment. The assessment is done for three likely-to-recur scenario earthquakes utilizing the geotechnical data of 1510 boreholes. The soils are characterized geotechnically to further assess susceptibility criteria of liquefaction in the valley. The assessment reveals that the central part of the valley is more vulnerable to liquefaction than other parts and the liquefaction probability increases with increasing depth up to 9 m, after which has geared down the value. Moreover, a relationship between the probability of liquefaction (PL) and the factor of safety (FS) against liquefaction is established. The hazard maps prepared for different earthquake scenarios can be useful for future infrastructure planning in Kathmandu Valley.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Serious Games in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: A Novel Evaluation Method
Authors: MASMOUDI Mostefa , Zenati Nadia , Izountar Yousra , Benbelkacem Samir , Haicheur Wassila , Guerroudji Mohamed Amine , Oulefki Adel , Hamitouche Chafiaa
Published: June 2023

Background: This paper presents a novel evaluation method for assessing the effectiveness of virtual reality serious games in post-stroke rehabilitation. Stroke, which is a leading cause of long-term disability, requires effective rehabilitation approaches to facilitate motor recovery and enhance patients’ quality of life. The study aims to investigate the potential benefits of incorporating VR technology into upper limb rehabilitation for post-stroke patients, with a specific focus on evaluating patient motivation and engagement. The proposed evaluation method provides insights into the effectiveness of VR serious games as a rehabilitation tool and contributes to the understanding of their impact on post-stroke recovery.
Methods: This study involved the recruitment of a diverse sample of 20 patients, both male and female, who had experienced left hemiplegia as a result of an ischemic stroke. To ensure a representative sample, patients of different ages were included. Participants were divided into three groups, with each group invited to participate in different stages over a one-year period. During an eight-week period, all groups participated in a rehabilitation program consisting of virtualreality exercises twice a week, alongside five traditional rehabilitation sessions per week. Furthermore, this study introduces a novel approach using camera-based sensors to evaluate patient engagement in virtual reality exercises. By monitoring and analyzing facial expressions throughout each rehabilitation session, our objective is to leverage emotion recognition technology to understand patients’emotional states and levels of motivation and engagement.
Results: The findings from this study indicate that a significant number of patients showed motivation during virtual reality rehabilitation exercises.
Conclusion: The analysis of facial expressions utilizing camera-based sensors, yielded valuable insights into the emotional state and level of engagement exhibited by the participants. These findings substantiate the efficacy of virtual reality as a potent tool in fostering motivation among post-stroke patients, thereby actively involving them in rehabilitation exercises and facilitating their journey toward recovery.
Magmatism Controls Oceanic Transform Fault Topography
Authors: Tian Xiaochuan , Behn Mark , Ito Garrett , Schierjott Jana , Kaus Boris , Popov Anton
Published: June 2023

Oceanic transform faults are fundamental features of plate tectonics, accommodating strike-slip motion between two adjacent mid-ocean ridge spreading segments. The continuations of these faults form tectonically inactive fracture zones, creating the longest ‘scars’ on the Earth’s surface. However, despite the relatively simple kinematic, thermal, and compositional structures of oceanic transform faults and fracture zones, these features display an enigmatic continuum of morphologies ranging from deep valleys to small ridges. Here, through three-dimensional numerical modeling of two mid-ocean ridge segments separated by a transform fault, we find that the rate of magma intrusion within the transform domain exerts a first-order control on transform topography. Low-rate magmatism results in transform-parallel tectonic stretching, generating deep transform valleys and fracture zones. Intermediate-rate magmatism fully accommodates far-field stretching, but strike-slip motion induces across-transform tension, producing shallow valleys whose depth increases with the shear strength of the fault. High-rate magmatism leads to curved plate boundaries and local compression that generates fault-parallel ridges. Thus, the global spectrum of transform topography is controlled by spreading-rate dependent variations in magmatism and can arise without changes of plate motion.
The optimal approximation solution of a constrained dual matrix equation
Authors: Fan Ranran , Yuan Yongxin
Published: June 2023

The solvability conditions and the general solution of the dual matrix equation PX+YG=Q under the linear constraints AX=C and YB=D are deduced by applying the generalized inverse. Furthermore, the corresponding optimal approximate problem is discussed by utilizing the Kronecker product and stretching function. Finally, a numerical example is presented to show the correctness of our results.
MSC Classification: 15A24 , 65F05