bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal Distribution Model and Occurrence Probability of M≥6.5 Earthquakes in North China Seismic Zone
Authors: Xu Weijin , Jian Wu , Gao Mengtan
Published: October 2022

The temporal distribution of earthquakes provides important basis for earthquake prediction and seismic hazard analysis. The relatively limited records of strong earthquakes have often made it difficult to study the temporal distribution models of regional strong earthquakes. However, there are hundreds of years of complete strong earthquake records in North China Seismic Zone, providing abundant basic data for studying temporal distribution models. Using the data of M ≥ 6.5 earthquakes in North China as inputs, this paper estimates the model parameters using the maximum likelihood method with exponential, Gamma, Weibull, Lognormal and Brownian passage time (BPT) distributions as target models. The optimal model for describing the temporal distribution of earthquakes is determined according to Akaike information criterion (AIC), determination coefficient R2 and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (K-S test). The results show that Lognormal and BPT models perform better in describing the temporal distribution of strong earthquakes in North China. The mean recurrence periods of strong earthquakes (M ≥ 6.5) calculated based on these two models are 8.1 years and 13.2 years, respectively. In addition, we used the likelihood profile method to estimate the uncertainty of model parameters. For the BPT model, the mean and 95% confidence interval of recurrence interval µ is 13.2 (8.9–19.1) years, and the mean and 95% confidence interval of α is 1.29 (1.0-1.78). For the Lognormal model, the mean value and 95% confidence interval of v is 2.09 (1.68–2.49), the mean value exp (v) corresponding to earthquake recurrence interval is 8.1 (5.4–12.1) years. In this study, we also calculated the occurrence probability of M ≥ 6.5 earthquakes in North China Seismic Zone in the future, and found that the probability and 95% confidence interval in the next 10 years based on the BPT model is 35.3% (26.8%-44.9%); the mean value and 95% confidence interval of earthquake occurrence probability based on the Lognormal distribution is 35.4% (22.9%-49.7%); the mean probability and 95% confidence interval based on the Poisson model is 53.1% (41.1%-64%). The results of this study may provide important reference for temporal distribution model selection and earthquake recurrence period calculation in future seismic hazard analysis in North China.
In vivo Multi-Parameter Mapping of the Habenula using MRI
Authors: Milotta Giorgia , Green Isobel , Roiser Jonathan P , Callaghan Martina F.
Published: October 2022

The habenula is a small, epithalamic brain structure situated between the mediodorsal thalamus and the third ventricle, rostral to the posterior commissure. It plays an important role in the reward circuitry of the brain and is implicated in psychiatric conditions, such as depression. The importance of the habenula for human cognition and mental health make it a key structure of interest for neuroimaging studies However, relatively few studies have been conducted in humans to characterize its physical properties using magnetic resonance imaging as habenula visualization in vivo is challenging, primarily due to its subcortical location and small size. To date, microstructural characterization of the habenula has focused on QSM. In this work we complement this characterization with measures of longitudinal and effective transverse relaxation rates, proton density and magnetisation transfer saturation using a high-resolution quantitative multi-parametric mapping protocol at 3T, in a cohort of 26 healthy participants. The habenula was most clearly visualised on the R1 maps, with highest CNR for each participant. However, its boundaries were consistent across the different parameter maps. We have provided a quantitative multi-parametric characterization which sets baseline measurements that may be useful for sequence optimization to further enhance visualisation, and provide reference values for future studies investigating pathological differences in habenula microstructure.
Impact of (Recurrent) Bacterial Vaginosis on Quality of Life and the Need for Accessible Alternative Treatments
Authors: Chow Karen , Wooten Darcy , Annepally Sindhuja , Burke Leah , Edi Rina , Morris Sheldon R.
Published: October 2022

Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common vaginal conditions in women aged 15-44 years old.
Methods: We administered a cross-sectional, single timepoint survey to women ages 18 years or older and who have had bacterial vaginosis (BV). Women completed an anonymous online survey evaluating the impact of BV on their quality of life, how effective different types of treatments were and the amount of self-diagnosed vs. provider diagnosed BV episodes they had.
Results: 62 participants completed the anonymous online survey. With a self-reported median number of BV episodes in the past year was 4 (IQR 1-7). Among these women 69.8% reported BV had a negative impact on their sexual health, 67.7% on their physical health, 74.6% on their mental health. More than half of the respondents had used probiotics with oral lactobacillus sp. (53.2%), mainly by oral route, and over a third had used vaginal boric acid (37.1%). Most women were unaware of lactobacillus crispatus. Lactobacillus probiotics were more likely to be tried by women who were negatively impacted by BV for overall quality of life (p=0.033), sexual health (p=0.002), and mental health (p=0.006) while boric acid use was more likely to be used by women who were negatively impacted by BV for their sexual health (p=0.008).
Conclusions: BV is associated with negative quality of life and the women most impacted are seeking alternative treatments such as probiotics (lactobacillus) and boric acid. There needs to be improvements in BV treatment that include alternative therapy options that have demonstrated efficacy with standardized composition, formulation and dosage.
Information needs, sources and access by small-scale horticultural crop farmers in Tanzania: a case of Morogoro urban district
Authors: Masele Juma James
Published: October 2022

This study investigates Morogoro Urban horticultural farmers’ information needs, sources and access, using 112 respondents interrogated through questionnaires, observation and interviews. Farmers needed information on sowing/harvesting time, disease and pest control, erosion control, harvests storage, produces markets. Friends/colleagues ranked as important information source, followed by Extension Officers, libraries, Internet, friends/peers, cooperatives, Nanenane festival, radio and newspapers. Challenges include unavailability of extension officers, long distance to/from libraries. Recommends equipping small-scale horticultural crop farmers will add value to information exchanged through interpersonal relationship. Employing more skilled extension officers, and use of modern ICT to improve horticultural farmers’ information access is also emphasized.
Mortality from all causes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru: The role of sociodemographic factors and accessibility
Authors: Quispe Antonio M. , Vargas Lucía , Morales-García Wilter C. , López-Gonzales Javier L. , Sánchez-Garcés Jorge
Published: October 2022

Peru suffered the highest mortality rates worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we assessed the Peruvian districts' all causes of mortality-associated sociodemographic factors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using mixed-effects Poisson regression models. During the pre-pandemic and the first four COVID-19 waves, the Peruvian districts reported mean weekly mortality of 22.3 (standard deviation 40.4), 29.2 (38.7), 32.5 (47.2), 26.8 (38.9), and 24.4 (38.0), respectively. We observed that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the districts' weekly deaths were associated with the human development index ((HDI) adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 0.11 (95% confidence interval 0.11–0.12)), accessibility (aIRR 0.99 (0.99–0.99)), poverty (aIRR 0.99 (0.99–0.99)), and anemia (aIRR 0.99 (0.99–0.99)). However, during each of the first four COVID-19 waves, the magnitude of association between the districts' weekly deaths and HDI decreased (first, aIRR 0.61 (0.58−0.64); second, aIRR 0.54 (0.52−0.57); third, aIRR 0.20 (0.19−0.22); fourth, aIRR 0.17 (0.15−0.19)), but the association with accessibility (aIRR 0.99 (0.99–0.99)), poverty (aIRR 0.99 (0.99–0.99)), and anemia (aIRR 0.99(0.99–0.99)) remain constant. Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, a solid association existed between all-cause mortality and the district's sociodemographics, increasing with lower HDI, accessibility, poverty, and anemia rates.
Continuous increase in evaporative demand shortens the growing season of European ecosystems in the last decade
Authors: Rahmati Mehdi , Graf Alexander , Terán Christian Poppe , Amelung Wulf , Dorigo Wouter , Hendricks-Franssen Harrie-Jan , Montzka Carsten , Or Dani , Sprenger Matthias , Vanderborght Jan , Verhoest Niko , Vereecken Harry
Published: October 2022

Although it has been shown that climate warming has steadily increased the length of the growing season (LGS) in Europe, we present new evidence that this trend reversed during last decade. Warmer European winter and spring weather combined with adequate soil moisture still results in early greening, albeit at slower rates than in the past. However, the recent (2014-2020) accelerated shift toward earlier onset of dormancy has resulted in a shortening of LGS compared to previous years. The results show that this is mainly due to higher atmospheric water demand (AWD) in summer. The higher AWD stresses the vegetation even though there is still enough water, but the vegetation cannot provide the needed water for transpiration because the water transport system is inadequate, or the root system is adapted to conditions other than the current condition. Our results have implications for future management of European ecosystems in a warmer world.
Seroprevalence against SARS-CoV-2 in health workers: evaluation 6 months after the complete scheme and reinfections
Authors: Cureño-Díaz Mónica Alethia , Vargas-De-León Cruz , Salaza Ma. Isabel , Cruz-Cruz Clemente , Loyola-Cruz Miguel Ángel , Durán-Manuel Emilio Mariano , Zamora-Pacheco Edwin Rodrigo , Bravata-Alcántara Juan Carlos , Fernández-Sánchez Verónica , Bello-López Juan Manuel , Gabriela Ibáñez-Cervantes
Published: October 2022

Background
One of the priority lines for the containment of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic is the vaccination programs for health personnel. However, with the emergence of highly contagious strains such as the Omicron variant, it is necessary to know the serological status of health personnel to make decisions for the application of reinforcements.
Objectives
To determine the seroprevalence against SARS-CoV-2 in health workers in a Mexican hospital, after six months of the administration of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine and the association between comorbidities, response to the vaccine and reinfections.
Methods
Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were determined by ELISA assays in 262 employees of the Hospital Juárez de México with and without a history of COVID-19. A beta regression analysis was performed to study the associated comorbidities and their relationship with the levels of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Finally, epidemiological follow-up was carried out to detect reinfections in this population.
Results
A significant difference in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was observed in workers with a history of COVID-19 prior to vaccination, compared to those without a history of the disease. Beta regression showed that workers with a history of COVID-19 have greater protection, compared to those without a history of the infection. Neutralizing antibodies were found to be decreased in alcoholic and diabetic subjects. Eight cases with omicron reinfections were identified, and gender and obesity are associated with the presence of reinfections.
Conclusion
The response to the vaccine was influenced by the history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated comorbidities. The above highlights the importance of prioritizing this segment of the population for reinforcements in periods of less than one year to guarantee their effectiveness against new variants.
Response surface methodology for optimization of biodiesel production by the Penicillium commune NRC 2016 and its mutants
Authors: Abdelhamid Sayeda , El-Shatoury Einas , Asker Mohsen , Abd-El-Aa Samir , Attallah Ashraf , Elsoud Mostafa Abo , Mohamed Sahar
Published: October 2022

Background: With increasing energy requirements and limited fuel resources, finding cheap renewable sources is essential. The objective of our current economy was to enhance biodiesel production from the Penicillium commune NRC 2016.
Methods: Four mutagenic agents were used to improve the lipid production from P. commune NRC 2016; a physical agent was gamma radiation and the chemical mutagenic agents including ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), ethidium bromide (EB), and sodium azide (NaN3). Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats molecular (ISSR) marker was used to compare the wild type of P. commune NRC 2016 and the resulting mutants and the result showed a major difference between the wild type and its mutants. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the culture conditions for lipid production by P. commune NRC 2016 and the induced mutants using hydrolysate that was produced from bagasse using B. cereus 3SME.
Results: The maximum lipid content (g/l) for P. commune NRC 2016 wild type, gamma mutant, EB mutant, and EMS mutant were 2.01, 2.55, 1.71, and, 2.27, respectively. Gas chromatography analysis for biodiesel compositions produced from P. commune NRC 2016 wild type and its mutants were mainly C16-C18 that suitable to produce biodiesel. The physical properties such as density, viscosity, cloud point, pour point, and cetane number for biodiesels from P. commune NRC 2016 and its mutants were similar to standard biodiesel and could be applied on large scale.
The Impacts of a Clown Doctor Program on an Adolescent Psychiatric Unit: A Mixed Methods Investigation
Authors: Melvin Glenn , Hofmann Jovell Ling , Pavlou Christine , Lu Sinh , Verstandig Stephanie , Taylor Ashleigh , Desilva Deandra , Cameron Lauren , Evans Subhadra
Published: October 2022

Inpatient psychiatric care is often required to manage adolescents with severe mental health problems. As the ward can be a confronting and challenging environment, this study explored the influence of clown doctors on adolescents. Seventy-seven adolescents (13–18 years) from Monash Health Stepping Stones Adolescent Unit and 11 clown doctors from The Humour Foundation participated in the study. Bespoke surveys were developed by the research team to collect quantitative self-report data and qualitative responses. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis suggested that adolescents experienced high levels of fun as well as positive mood and feelings during a clown doctor session. Clown doctor programs show promise within an inpatient unit with opportunities for further development being identified. With considerations of the findings, future clown doctor training could include tailoring sessions to the developmental needs of adolescents and developing strategies on how to interact with adolescents who have a mental health disorder.
Superionic effect and anisotropic texture in Earth’s inner core driven by geomagnetic field
Authors: Sun Shichuan , He Yu , Yang Junyi , Lin Yunfeng , Li Jinfeng , Kim DuckYoung , Li Heping , Mao Ho-Kwang
Published: October 2022

Seismological observations suggest that Earth’s inner core (IC) is heterogeneous and anisotropic, presenting faster seismic velocity in the polar direction than in the equatorial direction1-4, significant anisotropy changes with depth5-10, and hemispherical dichotomy10-15. Increasing seismological observations make the understanding of the mineralogy and mechanism for the complex IC texture extremely challenging, and the driving force for the anisotropic texture remains unclear16-18. Under IC conditions, hydrogen becomes highly diffusive like liquid in the hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) solid Fe lattice, which is known as the superionic state.19,20. Here, we reveal that H-ion diffusion in superionic Fe-H alloy is anisotropic with the lowest barrier energy along the c-axis. In the presence of external electric field, the alignment of the Fe-H lattice with the c-axis pointing to the field direction is energetically favourable. Due to this effect, Fe-H alloys are aligned with the c-axis parallel to the equatorial plane by the diffusion of the north–south dipole geomagnetic field into the inner core. The aligned texture driven by the geomagnetic field presents significant seismic anisotropy, which explains the anisotropic seismic velocities in the IC, suggesting a strong coupling between the IC structure and geomagnetic field.
Incidence, risk factors, and outcome of advanced NSCLC patients receiving antiangiogenic therapy with thromboembolic events: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ou Wei-Fan , Liao Pei-Ya , Hsu Yu-Wei , Chen Kun-Chieh , Hsu Kuo-Hsuan , Huang Yen-Hsiang , Tseng Jeng-Sen , Chang Gee-Chen , Yang Tsung-Ying
Published: October 2022

Background
Antiangiogenic therapy is widely used in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of advanced NSCLC patients receiving antiangiogenic therapy with thromboembolic events (TE).
Methods
This was a retrospective study, which included advanced NSCLC patients receiving antiangiogenic therapy from March 2013 to May 2021 at Taichung Veterans General Hospital. All TE were confirmed by objective image studies. We further categorized TE into disease-related and treatment-related according to the tumor control status when TE occurred.
Results
A total of 427 patients were included. The overall incidence of TE was 10.1% (n = 43); among these patients, 28 (6.6%) and 15 (3.5%) patients were categorized into disease- and treatment-related TE, respectively. Multivariate analysis suggested that the use of hormone and proteinuria independently predicted a higher TE incidence among patients with disease-related TE (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.79 [95% CI 1.13 = 6.92]; P = 0.027) and treatment-related TE (aOR 4.30 [95% CI 1.13–16.42]; P = 0.033), respectively. As compared with patients without TE, disease-related TE significantly predicted a shorter median overall survival (21.6 vs. 31.4 months, adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.30 [95% CI 1.05–1.61]; P = 0.017), but patients with treatment-related TE had comparable survival time (32.7 vs. 31.4 months; aHR 1.05 [95% CI 0.57–1.61]; P = 0.876).
Conclusion
Patients receiving antiangiogenic therapy with TE should be further differentiated whether it is treatment- or disease-related, because the two groups had different risk factors and influences on outcome.
Technological parameters optimization and numerical simulation of hot pushing pipe bending process
Authors: Huang Lili , Zhang Xiangwei , Lu Xiaoyang , Zhong Qingyun
Published: October 2022

Elbow pipes are widely used in many industries such as petroleum, chemical, metallurgy. Of various elbow pipe forming technology, hot pushing pipe bending process is an efficient and economical one for processing elbow pipes. This paper introduced the technological process and plastic deformation mechanism of hot pushing pipe bending. Four deformation assumptions were proposed to describe the main deformation characteristics in the bending process. The proportional relationship between the bending deformation and the diameter expansion deformation was derived and the horn mandrel was designed. The forming process of the elbow was simulated and the metal flow in the forming process of the elbow was obtained. By using orthogonal experiment, the influence rules of heating temperature, pushing speed, friction factor, bending angle and initial bending radius on the process were obtained, and the optimal process parameters were obtained. It will play a positive role in revealing the pipe forming mechanism and have a guiding effect on production practice.
Immune checkpoint inhibitor for different age patients with NSCLC in efficacy: a systematic review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Qi , Zheng Tian-Tian , Xu Lin , Gao Jin-Wei , Wang Ze-Sheng , Guo Yi-bin , Liang Sheng-chang , Qu Kun-Peng
Published: October 2022

Objective
This article is a Meta-analysis aiming to systematically evaluate the difference in efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by age.
Methods
We performed a Meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials concerning for patients with NSCLC by age. We compared overall survival among three groups (age < 65 years, age ≥ 65 years, age ≥ 75 years). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were collected and pooled.
Results
A total of 10,291 patients from 17 RCTs were included. In the group under age 65 years, immune checkpoint inhibitor can significantly prolong the overall survival of patients with NSCLC (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.66∼0.81, P < 0.00001). Meanwhile, it can extend the overall survival of patients with NSCLC (HR = 0.78, 95% CI:0.71∼0.84, P < 0.00001) in the group older than 65 years. However, it has no significant effect on the overall survival of NSCLC patients (HR = 0.88, 95% CI:0.72∼1.08, P > 0.05) in the group older than 75 years.
Conclusions
According to the Meta-analysis, immune checkpoint inhibitor can prolong the overall survival of patients with NSCLC between the two groups(age < 65 years and age ≥ 65 years). However, it has no significant effect on the overall survival in the group older than 75 years, which may be related to the poor physique of elderly patients and impacted by other diseases.
Understanding Chlorella vulgaris acclimation strategies on textile supports can improve the operation of biofilm-based systems
Authors: Li Su Fang , Fanesi Andrea , Martin Thierry , Lopes Filipa
Published: October 2022

The interest in microalgae biofilm-based systems has been increasing lately due to their high potential for biomass production. However, more studies focusing on the first stages of this bioprocess, such as support selection and inoculum properties, which may finally affect biomass productivity, are required. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the impact of support nature and inoculum properties on microalgae biofilms productivity and physiology. Results suggest that physico-chemical properties of the support (micro-texture, hydrophobicity and chemical functional groups) affect the attachment of Chlorella vulgaris. Significant differences in cell-distribution pattern and biofilm structure on polyamide-based (Terrazzo) and Cotton-based fabrics were observed. Compared to Cotton, cells grown on Terrazzo showed higher biomass productivity (3.20-fold), photosynthetic capacity (1.32-fold) and carbohydrate pool (1.36-fold), which may be explained by differences in light availability due to support micro-texture. A high inoculum density, resulted in a lower biofilm growth likely due to a lower light/nutrient availability for the cells. Furthermore, when immobilized on fabrics, cells pre-acclimated to 350 µmol photons m-2 s-1 grew faster than those pre-acclimated to low light (50 µmol photons m-2 s-1), demonstrating the influence of light-history of the inoculum cells on biofilm productivity. Therefore, this work confirmed the importance of support and inoculum properties for biofilm-based systems.
A Gelatin Hydrogel Nonwoven Fabric Improves Outcomes of Subcutaneous Islet Transplantation
Authors: Kanai Norifumi , Inagaki Akiko , Nakamura Yasuhiro , Imura Takehiro , Mitsugashira Hiroaki , Saito Ryusuke , Miyagi Shigehito , Watanabe Kimiko , Kamei Takashi , Unno Michiaki , Tabata Yasuhiko , Goto Masafumi
Published: October 2022

Subcutaneous islet transplantation is a promising treatment for severe diabetes; however, poor engraftment hinders its prevalence. We previously reported that a recombinant peptide (RCP) enhances subcutaneous islet engraftment. However, it is impractical for clinical use because RCP must be removed when transplanting islets. We herein investigated whether a novel bioabsorbable gelatin hydrogel nonwoven fabric (GHNF) could improve subcutaneous islet engraftment. A silicon spacer with or without GHNF was implanted into the subcutaneous space of diabetic mice. Syngeneic islets were transplanted into the pretreated space or intraportally (Ipo group). Blood glucose, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance, immunohistochemistry, CT angiography and gene expression were evaluated. The cure rate and glucose tolerance of the GHNF group were significantly better than in the control and Ipo groups (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively). In the GHNF group, a limited increase of vWF-positive vessels was detected in the islet capsule, whereas laminin (p < 0.05), collagen III and IV were considerably enhanced. TaqMan arrays revealed a significant upregulation of 19 target genes (including insulin-like growth factor-2) in the pretreated space. GHNF markedly improved the subcutaneous islet transplantation outcomes in comparison to intraportal islet transplantation, likely due to ECM compensation and protection of islet viability by various growth factors, rather than enhanced neovascularization.
Prediction of the Synergistic Effect of Antimicrobial Peptides and Antibiotics via Supervised Machine Learning Technique
Authors: Olcay Basak , Ozdemir Gizem Dilara , Ozdemir Mehmet Akif , Ercan Utku Kursat , Guren Onan , Karaman Ozan
Published: October 2022

Background: Infectious diseases not only cause severe health issues but also burden the healthcare system. Therefore, the effective treatment of those diseases is crucial. A variety of conventional therapies including antibiotics as well as novel treatment methods namely antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are utilized for the treatment of infections. However, because of the drawbacks of current therapies such as the risk of the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms, low stability of the agent in its environment as well as toxicity problems, new solutions are still being investigated. A recent approach is the usage of these two different antimicrobial agents in combination. Nonetheless, the determination of synergism is time-consuming and depends on several experimental studies. Prediction of different biological outcomes with machine learning (ML) algorithms is a widespread research field recently, and AMP with ML studies is one of the most researched areas further to understand the underlying associations of the mechanism of interest. Although many characteristics and biological outcomes of AMPs and antibiotics have been studied with different ML methods, no investigation reported on predicting the synergistic effects of AMP and antibiotics.
Results: Supervised ML models were implemented to accurately classify the synergistic effect of AMPs and antibiotics within the scope of the proposed study. The results demonstrated that the hyperparameter-optimized Light Gradient Boosted Machine Classifier (LGBMC) yielded the best test accuracy of 76.92% for predicting the synergistic effect when compared to other trained models. Also, the feature analysis of the LGBMC model reveals that the target microbial strain, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the AMP and the antibiotic, and the used antibiotic are the most important features for the prediction of synergistic effect. Moreover, the results of the feature importance analysis are consistent with recently reported experimental studies in the literature.
Conclusion: This study presents a novel and effective approach that aims to automatically and accurately predict the interactions between AMPs and antibiotics by various supervised ML algorithms, for the first time. Furthermore, this study reveals that ML algorithms can predict the synergistic activity of two different antimicrobial agents without the need for complex and time-consuming experimental procedures.
How Alertness vs. Fatigue Impact Interrogators: An Actigraphic Study of Field Investigations
Authors: Krizan Zlatan , Miller Anthony J. , Meissner Christian A. , Jones Matthew
Published: October 2022

Investigative interviews (e.g., interrogations) are a critical component of criminal, military, and civil investigations. However, how levels of alertness (vs. sleepiness) of the interviewer impact outcomes of actual interviews is unknown. To this end, the current study tracked daily fluctuations in alertness among professional criminal investigators to predict their daily experiences with actual field interviews. Fifty law-enforcement investigators wore a sleep-activity tracker for two weeks while keeping a daily-diary of investigative interviews conducted in the field. For each interview, the investigators indicated how well they established rapport with the subject, how much resistance they encountered, how well they maintained their own focus and composure, and the overall utility of intelligence obtained. Daily alertness was biomathematically modeled from actigraphic sleep duration and continuity estimates and used to predict interview characteristics. Investigators consistently reported more difficulties maintaining their focus and composure as well as encountering more subject resistance during interviews on days with lower alertness. Better interview outcomes were also reported on days with subjectively better sleep, while findings were generally robust to inclusion of covariates. The findings implicate adequate sleep as a modifiable fitness factor for collectors of human intelligence.
Hereditary acute myeloid leukemia associated with C-terminal CEBPA germline variants
Authors: Harrigan Amye M. , Trottier Amy M.
Published: October 2022

Acute myeloid leukemia with germline CEBPA mutation is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia that is associated with a favorable prognosis. Most of the reported cases of acute myeloid leukemia with CEBPA germline variants involve a germline variant in the N-terminus and a somatic variant in the C-terminus. There are only a few reported cases where the CEBPA germline variant has been identified in the C-terminus and the somatic variant in the N-terminus. This case report and review of the literature illustrates that, although acute myeloid leukemia with CEBPA N- or C-terminal germline variants have certain similarities such as atypically young age at diagnosis, frequent relapse, and favourable overall prognosis, there are also significant differences such as lower life-time penetrance of acute myeloid leukemia and shorter time to relapse for germline C-terminal cases. These findings add important information on the natural history and clinical outcomes of acute myeloid leukemia with germline CEBPA C-terminal variants and these findings should be considered in the management of patients and their family members.
Olive: A potential suppressor for cervical cancer by upregulation of p21
Authors: Patel Love , Deng Zuliang , Zhu Ziwen , Lequio Marco , Zhang Justin , Hough Jacob , Xiao Huaping , Bai Qian , Wakefield Mark R , Fang Yujiang
Published: October 2022

Background
Cervical cancer (CC) is the second deadliest for women between the ages of 20 to 39 years. Even with prevention tactics for screening, incident rates and mortality of CC remain high. Olive has been shown to have many beneficial effects in humans concerning cardiovascular disease and inflammation. Despite these promising benefits, little is known about its effect on CC. This study examined the effects and mechanism of effects of olive extract (OE) on the HeLa cervical cancer cell line.
Methods
We utilized clonogenic survival assay, quick cell proliferation assay, and caspase-3 activity to investigate the effect of OE on proliferation and apoptosis of CC cell line HeLa. To investigate the mechanisms behind these findings, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed.
Results
OE inhibited the growth and proliferation of HeLa cells. In comparison to the control, the percentage of colonies as well as the optical density of the CC cells was found to be decreased. In addition, the relative activity of caspase-3, a marker for apoptosis, was increased after treatment with OE. The anti-proliferative effect of OE on HeLa cells correlated with the increase of an anti-proliferative molecule p21. However, the pro-apoptotic effect of OE was not correlated with change of major pro-apoptotic or anti-apoptotic molecules examined in this study.
Conclusion
Our study suggests that OE inhibits growth of HeLa CC cells by upregulation of p21. Further study on the effects of OE on CC and other cancers is warranted by these results.
Development and Validation of a Clinical Prediction Model for Elderly Patients with Preoperative mild cognitive impairment: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Xin X , Yang Chenyi , Li Yun , Wang Xinyi , Yang Zhuo , Wang Haiyun
Published: October 2022

Background
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly patients undergoing surgery is neglected easily by clinicians and families. Preoperative patients with MCI are more likely to suffer from postoperative cognitive dysfunction and postoperative delirium, so an effective MCI prediction method has important implications for ameliorating perioperative cognitive function.
Objective
This study is designed to construct a predictive model to provide a novel approach for preoperative MCI diagnosis in geriatric patients.
Methods
Patients over 65 years old who underwent elective surgery with general anesthesia were screened. Patients were randomly divided into training cohort (n = 258) and test cohort (n = 49) by the ratio of 8:2, and baseline demographic variables and characteristics of the patients in the different cohort were compared. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to identify risk factors in the training cohort. A nomogram was constructed based on the logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration charts were drawn in the training cohort and test cohort respectively to evaluate the diagnostic value of the prediction model. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to value the clinical utility of the prediction model.
Results
In this study, a total of 307 elderly surgical patients were enrolled, including 137 patients with MCI and 170 patients with normal cognitive function. Multivariate analysis showed that history of more than two operations, higher urea nitrogen, lack of education, body mass index (BMI) < 24kg/m2 and lower albumin/globulin ratio were the independent risk factors for preoperative MCI. The C statistic of the prediction model in the training cohort and test cohort was 0.754 (95%CI, 0.695–0.812) and 0.708 (95%CI, 0.559–0.856) respectively. The threshold probability of the net benefit ranged from 45–81% in the DCA.
Conclusions
The independent risk factors for preoperative MCI in elderly patients were two or more operations, higher blood urea nitrogen level, shorter years of education, BMI < 24kg/m2, and lower albumin/globulin ratio. The predictive model has a certain diagnostic value for preoperative MCI in elderly patients, and provides a novel method for anesthetists to evaluate preoperative cognitive function in elderly patients.
DNA Methylation Patterns At Birth Predict Health Outcomes In Young Adults Born Very Low Birthweight
Authors: Cameron Vicky A , Jones Gregory T , Horwood L. John , Pilbrow Anna P , Martin Julia , Frampton Chris , Ip Wendy T. , Troughton Richard W. , Greer Charlotte , Yang Jun , Epton Michael J. , Harris Sarah , Darlow Brian A.
Published: October 2022

Background
Individuals born very low birthweight (VLBW) are at increased risk of impaired cardiovascular and respiratory function in adulthood. To identify markers to predict future risk for VLBW individuals, we analysed DNA methylation at birth and at 28 years in the New Zealand (NZ) VLBW cohort (all infants born < 1500 g in NZ in 1986) compared with age-matched, normal birthweight controls. Associations between neonatal methylation and cardiac structure and function (echocardiography), vascular function and respiratory outcomes at age 28 years were documented.
Results
Genomic DNA from archived newborn heel-prick blood (n = 109 VLBW, 51 controls) and from peripheral blood at ~ 28 years (n = 215 VLBW, 96 controls) was analysed on Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC 850K arrays. Following quality assurance and normalization, methylation levels were compared between VLBW cases and controls at both ages by logistic regression, with genome-wide significance set to p < 0.05 adjusted for false discovery rate (FDR, Benjamini-Hochberg). In neonates, methylation at over 16,400 CpG methylation sites differed between VLBW cases and controls, top CpGs featuring clusters in ARID3A, SPATA33, and PLCH1. The canonical pathway most enriched for these CpGs was Cardiac Hypertrophy Signaling (p = 3.44E− 11) and 15 of the 20 CpGs most different between VLBW cases and controls showed associations between methylation at birth and adult cardiovascular traits (particularly LnRHI). At 28 years, twelve CpGs differed between VLBW cases and controls at FDR-adjusted significance, including hypermethylation in EBF4 (four CpGs), CFI and UNC119B and hypomethylation at three CpGs in HIF3A and one in KCNQ1. DNA methylation GrimAge scores at 28 years were significantly greater in VLBW cases versus controls and weakly associated with cardiovascular traits. Four CpGs were identified where methylation differed between VLBW cases and controls in both neonates and adults, three reversing direction with age (two CpGs in EBF4, one in SNAI1 were hypomethylated in neonates, hypermethylated in adults). Of these, cg16426670 in EBF4 at birth showed associations with multiple cardiovascular traits in adults.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that methylation patterns in VLBW neonates may be informative about future adult cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes and have value in guiding early preventative care to improve adult health.
Development and validation of a new risk assessment model for immunomodulatory drug- associated venous thrombosis among Chinese patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Li Xiaozhe , Sun Xiuli , Fang Baijun , Leng Yun , Sun Fangfang , Wang Yaomei , Wang Qing , Jin Jie , Yang Min , Xu Bing , Fang Zhihong , Chen Lijuan , Chen Zhi , Yang Qimei , Zhang Kejie , Ye Yinhai , Geng Hui , Sun Zhiqiang , Hao Dan , Huang Hongming , Wang Xiaotao , Jing Hongmei , Ma Lan , Pan Xueyi , Chen Wenming , Li Juan
Published: October 2022

Background
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious complication that can occur in individuals with multiple myeloma (MM) receiving immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs). There is no available standard clinical model for predicting VTE in the Chinese population. We develop a new risk assessment model (RAM) for IMiD-associated VTE in Chinese MM patients.
Methods
We retrospectively selected 1334 consecutive MM patients receiving IMiDs from 16 medical centres in China and classified them randomly into the derivation cohort and the validation cohort. A multivariate Cox regression model was used for analysis.
Results
The overall incidence of IMiD-related VTE in Chinese MM patients was 6.1%. Independent predictive factors of VTE (diabetes, ECOG performance status, erythropoietin-stimulating agent use, dexamethasone use, and VTE history or family history of thrombosis) were identified and merged to develop the RAM. The model identified approximately 30% of the patients in each cohort as being at high risk for VTE. The hazard ratios (HRs) were 6.08 (P < 0.001) and 6.23 (P < 0.001) for the high-risk subcohort and the low-risk subcohort, respectively, within both the derivation and validation cohorts. The stratification approach of the IMWG guidelines yielded respective HRs of 1.77 (P = 0.053) and 1.81 (P = 0.063). The RAM achieved satisfactory discrimination with a C statistic of 0.64. The IMWG guideline-based method yielded a C statistic of 0.58.
Conclusions
The new RAM outperformed the IMWG guidelines and has the potential to guide the VTE prophylaxis strategy for Chinese MM patients.
In vitro antifungal activity of lasiodiplodin, isolated from endophytic fungus Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae J-10 associated with Sarcandra glabra and optimization of culture conditions for lasiodiplodin production
Authors: Luo Haiyu , Meng Siyu , Deng Yecheng , Deng Zhiyong , Shi Huilu
Published: October 2022

A macrolide antibiotic, lasiodiplodin was isolated from the endophytic fungus (EF) Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae J-10 associated with the medicinal plant Sarcandra glabra. In vitro antifungal assay demonstrated the inhibitory activity of lasiodiplodin against the growth of eight phytopathogenic fungi, with the IC50 values ranging between 15.50–249.10 µg/mL. The highest antifungal activities were recorded against Exserohilum turcicum, Colletotrichum capsici, and Pestalotiopsis theae, with IC50 values of 15.50, 15.90, and 17.55 µg/mL, respectively. The underlying mechanism of the antifungal activity of lasiodiplodin against E. turcicum included the alteration of its colony morphology and disturbance of its cell membrane integrity. In addition, the optimization of L. pseudotheobromae J-10 culture conditions increased lasiodiplodin yield to 52.33 mg/L from 0.59 mg/L at pre-optimization. This is the first report on the isolation and identification of antifungal compound from the EF L. pseudotheobromae J-10 associated with S. glabra, as well as on the optimization of L. pseudotheobromae J-10 culture conditions to increase lasiodiplodin yield. The results of this study support that lasiodiplodin is a natural compound with high potential bioactivity against phytopathogens, and provide a basis for further study of the EF associated with S. glabra.
Identification of key genes in hepatitis B based on WGCNA and machine learning
Authors: Huang Zhongquan , Li Yuqing , Chen Zhuoni
Published: October 2022

Objective: This study aimed to identify the key genes involved in the pathological process of HBV(Hepatitis B Virus).
Method and materials: GSE83148 in GEO was selected to identify the key modules of HBV by WGCNA, and the key genes of HBV were identified by LASSO and SVM-RFE algorithm. The reliability of screening genes was evaluated by Nomogram, and the accuracy of key genes was analyzed by ROC curve.
Results: Four modules (AntiqueWhite-4, Green, MidnightBlue, and Mediummorchid) were identified as significantly associated with HBV. Through the LASSO algorithm and SVM-RFE algorithm, 6 key genes were found to be significantly correlated with HBV, among which RHOB, SEPN1, AP2M1, BANF1, LRRC25 were up-regulated and KNCN were down-regulated compared with the control group.
Conclusions:We identified six genes, RHOB, SEPN1, AP2M1, BANF1, LRRC25, and KNCN, as key genes of HBV. RHOB, SEPN1, AP2M1, BANF1, and LRRC25 were up-regulated, while KNCN was down-regulated. We note that viral response and inflammatory processes may be closely related to HBV. This study provides a new perspective for understanding the key pathways and genes of HBV, and the results provide potential therapeutic targets and clues for HBV.
Association Between Prehypertension and Carotid plaque in an Asymptomatic Japanese Population
Authors: Hu Bohong , Guo Guixiang , Yu Dandan
Published: October 2022

Objective
Few researchers focused on the connection between prehypertension and carotid plaque. The current study sought to define the link between prehypertension and carotid plaque in the Japanese population.
Methods
Carotid artery ultrasonography was performed on each individual. Ultrasonography used to identify carotid plaque. To ensure the robustness of our findings, we used multivariable logistic regression, propensity score analysis, and an inverse probability-weighting model.
Results
A total of 1189 Japanese subjects were included, and the prevalence of carotid plaque was 27.2% (323/1189). Those with prehypertension had a higher prevalence of carotid plaque than those without (39.4% [196/497] vs 18.4% [127/497]). The results remained stable after adjusting for potential confounders using propensity score matching (PSM) and propensity score, inverse probability weighting, and doubly robust analysis. The ORs were 1.74–2.9, all p < 0.001.
Conclusions
Prehypertension was associated with carotid plaque in the outpatient Japanese adult population in this cross-sectional study.
Genetic and Immunological Characterization of Advanced NSCLC with SWItch/Sucrose NonFermentable Families Genetic Alterations and Its Impact on Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Pang Lanlan , Zhuang Weitao , Pang Fei , Chen Lijuan , Liao Jun , Huang Yihua , Mao Tianqin , Pei Ruonan , Lv Yi , Yuan Zhaodi , Zhang Kai-Lang , zhou huaqiang , zhang yaxiong , zhang li , Fang Wen-Feng
Published: October 2022

Background Genetic alterations involving the SWItch/Sucrose NonFermentable (SWI/SNF) family are highly prevalent but understudied in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially its controversial roles in the implication of immunotherapy. We aimed to comprehensively characterize the clinicopathologic features of SWI/SNF mutation and to investigate its impact on immunotherapy outcomes among NSCLC patients.
Methods Mutational landscapes of the SWI/SNF family in the Chinese or Western NSCLC population were depicted and compared using large public cohorts with sequencing data. Meanwhile, 519 NSCLC patients who received at least one dose of ICIs were enrolled from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) to explore the impact of SWI/SNF family mutation on immunotherapy and to discover distinct subpopulations. Multiple publicly available cohorts were then used for external validation.
Results SWI/SNF family mutation was strongly associated with EGFR wild-type NSCLC and its prevalence was significantly lower in Chinese compared to Western population (14.7% vs. 24.5%, p<0.001), even after excluding the EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients (19.7% vs. 26.9%, p<0.001). There was a significantly higher rate of co-mutations with TP53 (72.6% vs. 61.0%) or KEAP1/STK11(22.1% vs. 11.2%) and a higher TMB in the SWI/SNFmut than the SWI/SNFWT NSCLC. Although immunotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy appeared to provide better survival outcomes than mono-chemotherapy among SWI/SNFmut NSCLC patients (POPLAR/OAK cohort, median OS 6.44 vs. 10.97 months; SYSUCC cohort, median PFS: 6.93 vs. 8.70 months), non-significant even worse results were found when compared to the SWI/SNFWT NSCLC. Further analysis identified two distinct SWI/SNFmut subpopulations harboring TP53 or STK11/KEAP1 co-mutations that presented significantly favorable or undesirable immunotherapy outcomes, respectively. This finding was then validated in multiple external datasets. Tumor microenvironment analysis revealed that TP53 co-mutation is associated with stimulatory antitumor immunity, whereas STK11/KEAP1 co-mutation may confer a suppressive microenvironment.
Conclusion SWI/SNF family mutation itself may not be a reliable indicator of response to ICIs. TP53 and STK11/KEAP1 co-mutations hold the potential to guide the use of immunotherapy and improve the precise management in advanced NSCLC patients harboring SWI/SNF mutations. Given the unsatisfying treatment outcome of ICIs, effective therapeutic methods are still warranted to be explored for advanced NSCLC with SWI/SNF mutations.
Breast Cancer Prediction Using Gated Attentive Multimodal Deep Learning
Authors: Kayikci Safak , Khoshgoftaar Taghi M.
Published: October 2022

Women are prone to breast cancer, which is a major cause of death. One out of every eight women has a lifetime risk of developing this cancer. Early diagnosis of this disease is critical and enhances the success rate of cure. It is extremely important to determine which genes are associated with the disease. However, too many features make studies on gene data challenging. In this study, an attention-based multimodal deep learning model was created by combining data from clinical, copy number alteration and gene expression sources. Based on our findings, it was observed that the proposed method produced successful results and will be helpful in breast cancer prediction tasks.