bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EXPERIENCE OF HYBRID SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR MULTILEVEL OCCLUSIVE-STENOTIC ARTERIAL LESIONS IN LOWER EXTREMITIES
Authors: Sydorenko A.V. , Liakhovskyi V.I. , Riabushko R.M.
Published: May 2023

Peripheral artery disease affects approximately 20% of individuals over the age of 70 and is particularly prevalent among smokers and diabetics. The increasing global prevalence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and smoking suggests a further rise in its occurrence. The treatment of this disease incurs significant economic costs, which are projected to continue growing. This disease is associated with high rates of disability, morbidity, and mortality. Without revascularization, 20 to 40% of patients face limb loss, and over 20% die within six months. Conservative therapies are often ineffective, leading to the surgical methods. In cases of critical limb ischemia, revascularization is performed to improve blood flow distal to stenotic or occlusive lesions. Open surgery remains the standard of care, demonstrating good limb preservation and long-term outcomes. The success of bypass procedures depends on multiple factors. The use of endovascular techniques is rapidly increasing, supported by substantial long-term data. While endovascular surgery reduces perioperative complications, choosing the appropriate instrumentation and assessing associated costs remain contentious. Method selection depends on several factors. For certain patients where open surgery is technically challenging or impractical, endovascular surgery provides a viable solution for revascularization. In such cases, revascularization of all arterial lesion levels using a combination of methods is indicated to restore limb blood supply. Isolated revascularization of a single anatomical level is often insufficient and rarely leads to the healing of trophic changes. Hybrid surgery, involving a combination of techniques during a single intervention, is a common approach. This type of surgical procedure includes endovascular correction of the iliac segment with femoral endarterectomy and/or infrainguinal bypass. Another common option is an "above knee bypass" with tibial balloon angioplasty. Surgical treatment using hybrid procedures demonstrates high technical success, good primary and secondary patency rates, limb preservation, and economic efficiency. In this article, we present two clinical cases of hybrid surgical lower extremity revascularization performed at the Department of Vascular Surgery of the M.V. Sklifosovsky Poltava Regional Clinical Hospital. These cases involve patients with stage IV peripheral artery disease (Fontaine classification) caused by an atherosclerotic process. Computed tomography with angiography and digital subtraction angiography were employed as two distinct methods for studying the vascular bed in routine patient management. The method selection was based on angiosomal targets and the suspected vascular lesions initially diagnosed. The objective of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of various hybrid surgical treatment methods for patients with critical limb ischemia resulting from multilevel occlusive-stenotic arterial lesions.
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE STRUCTURE AND SEVERITY OF UROLOGICAL PATHOLOGY IN EMERGENCY PATIENTS
Authors: Ivashchenko D.M. , Dudchenko M.O. , Kravtsiv M.I. , Shevchuk M.P. , Prykhidko R.A. , Zaiets S.M. , Zezekalo Y.O.
Published: May 2023

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has entered our lives since 2019. This severe respiratory disease is caused by type 2 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Since its first appearance in December 2019, it has led to a worldwide pandemic that continues to this day. Kidneys can be one of the target organs when infected with coronavirus type 2 (SARS-COV-2). It is necessary to pay attention to surgical interventions on the urinary system against the background of COVID-19. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, special attention should be given to surgical interventions involving the urinary system. While various methods of correction for purulent-septic and obstructive urological diseases have been proposed for numerous conditions, specific indications and contraindications for patients with coronavirus infection remain largely unexplored.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the impact of the incidence of COVID-19 on the prevalence and severity of acute urological pathology, to determine the frequency and distribution of complications.

The study is based on the analysis of 323 medical histories of patients with acute urological pathology who needed emergency medical aid and were admitted to medical settings in the city of Poltava in 2020-2021. Patients were divided into 2 groups: without and with co-infection of COVID-19.

Having analyzed the structure of urgent urological diseases and their course in patients with co-morbid COVID-19, we were able to highlight certain statistically reliable points: an increase in the number of inflammatory diseases of the kidney and urinary tract, an increase in the number of cases of macrohematuria, and an increase in the number of emergency interventions for purulent-septic kidney pathology.

The pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of these conditions are currently not yet sufficiently studied and require separate studies to further improve the provision of urological care to patients in the context of the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
IMPROVEMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC METHOD FOR MICROCIRCULATORY DISORDERS IN ACUTE PANCREATITIS
Authors: Kerbazh N.
Published: May 2023

Introduction. Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the most common diseases of the digestive system that requires hospitalization. It ranks the second position after acute appendicitis among acute diseases of the digestive system. The mortality rate from severe AP forms puts this disease in the first position in terms of lethality rates among acute surgical pathology of the abdominal cavity. At the initial stages of the disease, a cascade of immunological reactions occurs that leads to significant changes in rheology and function in the systemic microcirculatory bed in the first hours of the disease. This study aims to identify the optimal point of examination for assessing microcirculatory function in patients with AP and to improve the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in evaluating the AP severity.

Materials and methods. The assessment of the microcirculatory state of patients by the LDF method was carried out using “LAKK-02” device. During the application of the LDF method, the primary studies were carried out at three points (proximal, central and distal) of the anterior surface of the right forearm. In order to study the effect of indicators on the degree of disease severity, paired correlation coefficients for each of them were calculated for the above-mentioned points.

Results. All generalized microcirculation indicators (for M - 0.679, for o - 0.653, for Kv - 0.706), as well as respiratory, cardiac and neurogenic indicators in amplitude wavelets at the distal point, have the most significant and considerable impact compared to other points. On the other hand, frequency wavelet data have no significant correlation with the severity of AP in any of the examination points, which characterizes this wavelet as not significant in determining the degree of severity of AP in the 1-3 day examination.

Conclusion. The findings of this study suggest that by focusing on specific examination points, it is possible to reduce overall exposure and obtain homogeneous data on essential indicators. This approach enables a more comprehensive and higher quality analysis of wavelet indicators, thus improving the diagnosis and prognosis of AP severity.
MODERN APPROACHES TO CAESAREAN SECTION AT THE THIRD LEVEL OF PERINATAL CARE
Authors: Vashchenko V. L.
Published: May 2023

Between 2015 and 2020, the incidence of abdominal delivery in Ukraine increased annually and reached 26.7% of the total number of births in 2021. In Poltava Region, in 2022, the rate of caesarean delivery reached an all-time high of 28.7%. To outline the tendencies in providing quality obstetric care and to identify ways to reduce the frequency of abdominal delivery in the Poltava region, there has been conducted a statistical analysis of the annual reports for the period from 2017 to 2022 obtained from the perinatal centre of the M.V. Sklifosovskyi Poltava Regional Clinical Hospital and reports on medical care for pregnant women, women in labour, newborns and children in the first year of life (forms No. 21 and No. 21-a) from the Health Department of the Poltava Regional State Administration. The data show a notable rise in the percentage of abdominal deliveries in 2022 in hospitals of the first and second levels of perinatal care, with a 4% decrease in the share of caesarean deliveries at the third level hospitals, which primarily deal with patients having severe obstetric and extragenital pathologies. For instance, in 2022, more than one out of four women (25.7%) was reported as having caesarean delivery at the Municipal Clinical Maternity Hospital of Poltava, and one in three women (33.6%) was reported to have surgical delivery at the Kremenchuk Perinatal Centre of the second level. Since 2018, the average rate of caesarean sections performed as the level I obstetric hospitals in Poltava Oblast has been progressively rising and in 2022 reached 23.9% of all surgical interventions in the region. Conversely, in the perinatal centre of the M.V. Sklifosovskyi Poltava Regional Clinical Hospital, the number of abdominal deliveries has been decreasing annually, and in 2022 this figure was 35.8%. Notably, this decrease in abdominal delivery coincided with a reduction in the perinatal mortality rate, which declined from 22.06‰ in 2018 to 14.51‰ in 2022. Thus, the key strategy for reducing the rate of caesarean deliveries in the Poltava region lies in the adherence to regional peculiarities and requirements of perinatal care that entail timely referral of pregnant women at high risk of maternal and infant complications to the third level settings of perinatal care, where the decision regarding caesarean delivery can be appropriately assessed, ensuring a balanced approach that minimizes both the overall incidence of abdominal deliveries and perinatal mortality.
PECULIARITIES OF THE TREATMENT APPROACH FOR HUMERAL DIAPHYSIS FRACTURES IN PATIENTS WITH COMORBIDITIES
Authors: Kononenko S.V.
Published: May 2023

Humeral diaphysis fractures are one of the frequent components of the low-energy trauma in people of different age and gender groups with comorbid pathology. Pathological autoimmune and trophic processes that disrupt the reparative capabilities of the body have a negative impact on the formation of connective tissue. The purpose of this study is to identify the peculiarities of the treatment for humeral diaphysis fractures in patients with comorbid pathology. Methods and Material. 42 patients with humeral diaphysis fractures, aged 18 to 88 years, have been involved in the study. All patients were diagnosed to have comorbid pathology affecting the regenerative processes of bone and connective tissues. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in 71.4% (30) and 28.6% (12) patients, respectively. In 28.8% (12) cases, erythrodermic psoriasis without psoriatic arthro- and enthesopathies was diagnosed. The treatment for humeral diaphysis fractures in all studied cases was carried out using the surgical techniques. Results and Discussion. 2 clinical groups of patients were distinguished depending on the applied method of osteosynthesis. The evaluation of the treatment outcomes was carried out according to a number of parameters, namely the presence of complications of combined genesis during the healing of postoperative wounds and prolongation of the repair phase for fracture consolidation and bone callus formation. Conclusions. The risk for postoperative complications among patients with injuries of the humeral diaphysis with underlying erythrodermic psoriasis and Type1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus can be reduced by minimizing the surgical interventions and applying minimally invasive surgery.
PERSONAL TRAITS OF CAREGIVERS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Orlova O.V.
Published: May 2023

Dementia is a debilitating condition characterized by memory decline, impaired cognitive functions, behavioural changes, and difficulties in performing daily activities. It predominantly affects older individuals and is a leading cause of disability. The global prevalence of dementia is on the rise, primarily due to population aging. Many individuals with dementia are cared for at home by their family members, who face the potential risk of caregiver burden and psychological stress stemming from the changing psychological state of the dementia patients. Providing daily care for individuals with dementia necessitates caregivers' active engagement in personal adaptation processes and the utilization of psychosocial resources. The purpose of this study is to determine the peculiarities of character accentuations of caregivers for patients with dementia.

The study demonstrated that approximately 80% of patients with dementia receive care from their relatives. We conducted a comprehensive examination encompassing sociodemographic, clinical-psychopathological, psychodiagnostic, and statistical analyses. The methodology of K. Leongard - N. Schmieschek (1970) allowed us to establish a profile of personal accentuation of the studied groups, which took into account the presence of a certain type at the level of a sign, tendency or clearly present characteristic. Our findings revealed a statistically significant predominance of anxious (χ2=10.759, p=0.002) and stuck (χ2=4.166, p=0.042) accentuation types among individuals in Group I who possessed caregiving skills, compared to those in Group II. Conversely, caregivers in Group II exhibited a prevalent tendency towards demonstrative behaviour (χ2=8.028, p=0.005).

Through this study, we established characterological profiles with pronounced accentuations for individuals fulfilling the role of caregivers for dementia patients. This enables us to consider the unique personal characteristics when developing psychocorrective measures for caregivers. For this particular category of individuals, counselling assistance is recommended, along with psychoeducational measures aimed at raising awareness and enhancing the quality of life.
THE IMPACT OF BORTEZOMIB-CONTAINING CHEMOTHERAPY REGIMEN ON MYOCARDIAL BIOELECTRICAL ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE MYELOMA AND CONCOMITANT CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
Authors: Ostrovskyi V.L.
Published: May 2023

Introduction. The mortality rate in oncology has been steadily decreasing since the 1990s, leading to increased life expectancy among cancer survivors. However, chemotherapy-related toxicity, including cardiotoxicity, remains a concern in the selection of chemotherapy drugs. Multiple myeloma, a type of cancer, has increased in prevalence and morbidity rates in recent decades. The specific treatments for multiple myeloma can have cardiotoxic effects, such as arterial hypertension, heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, and heart rhythm and conductivity disorders.

Objective. This study aims at investigating the unique characteristics of myocardial bioelectric activity in patients with progressive multiple myeloma and concomitant coronary artery disease undergoing bortezomib-containing chemotherapy.

Materials and Methods. A total of 42 multiple myeloma patients were examined, 22 (52.5%) of them were diagnosed to have concomitant coronary artery disease. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of coronary artery disease. All patients received bortezomib-containing chemotherapy regimens. Assessments were conducted in three time periods: before the chemotherapy, in 84 days, and in 140 days. General and biochemical blood counts were analyzed, and heart rhythm and conductivity disorders were assessed using 12-lead electrocardiography.

Results: The risk of developing anaemia did not significantly differ between the two groups during the first examination. A trend of increased conductivity disorder rates was observed in multiple myeloma patients with concomitant coronary artery disease compared to those without heart disorders. After the fourth chemotherapy course, there was a tendency for increased heart rhythm disorder rates in multiple myeloma patients with concomitant coronary artery disease compared to the previous examination, although supraventricular rhythm disorders were more frequently observed during the third examination.

Conclusions. Multiple myeloma onset was associated with similar rates of rhythm disorder development in patients with and without concomitant coronary artery disease, but combined rhythm disorders were observed only in patients with concomitant coronary artery disease. There has been found a tendency for increased heart rhythm disorder rates after the fourth chemotherapy course in multiple myeloma patients with concomitant coronary artery disease. Additionally, there has been a trend of increased conductivity disorder rates in multiple myeloma patients at high cardiovascular risk compared to those without concomitant heart disorders
SOFT TISSUE COMPLICATIONS IN THE EARLY POSTOPERATIVE PERIOD AFTER OSTEOSYNTHESIS OF CALCANEU
Authors: Goduadze G.N. , Pelypenko O.V.
Published: May 2023

Introduction. The complex anatomy and biomechanics of the calcaneal bone is an important component in stability of a lower extremity. According to the literature, calcaneus fractures occur in 2% of all skeletal bone fractures. The vast majority of such fractures (almost 75%) are intra-articular injuries resulting from high-energy trauma. The absolute majority of studies show the indisputable advantage of surgical tactics for the treatment of intra-articular fractures of the calcaneal bone in a remote period. Conservative treatment of displaced fractures, in turn, is considered as an alternative in cases where there are absolute contraindications to surgical treatment. An analysis of reliable sources demonstrates better long-term functional results in patients treated by applying minimally invasive techniques. To date, the question of the relationship between the choice of surgical treatment method and early postoperative complications from soft tissues remains not fully resolved. The purpose of this work is to analyze soft tissue complications in the early postoperative period after calcaneus osteosynthesis and to determine the relationship between the frequency of such complications and various methods of surgical treatment. Materials and methods. The treatment outcomes of 42 patients with displaced calcaneal fractures (47 fractures) were analyzed. Patients were divided into 3 groups depending on the surgical techniques used in the treatment: open direct reduction through an extended L-shaped approach followed by fixation with a plate, minimally invasive open reduction through access to the subtalar sinus followed by the fixation with a calcaneal mini-plate, closed reduction with transcutaneous cancellous screw fixation. Results. The main soft-tissue complications in the early postoperative period after calcaneus osteosynthesis among patients of different groups were recorded, and the relationship between the frequency of such complications and various methods of surgical treatment was established. Conclusion. The use of minimally invasive methods of surgical treatment for displaced calcaneus fracture prevents a number of early postoperative complications in soft tissues, promotes wound healing and prevents the development of secondary infectious complications.
BACTERIAL TRANSMISSION AND ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITY OF CAUSATIVE AGENTS IN PURULENT-SEPTIC COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH A SEVERE COURSE OF ACUTE PANCREATITIS
Authors: Cherkun O. Yu.
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis has emerged as a leading urgent abdominal condition, with a high mortality rate of up to 70% in cases of purulent-septic complications. The identification of specific causative agents during the infection stage of acute severe pancreatitis is challenging due to the various mechanisms by which pathogens can infiltrate parapancreatic fluid collections. However, early antibiotic prophylaxis is essential in the management of this patient population, considering the potential need for prolonged treatment involving multiple antibiotic rotations. This study aims at analyzing the changes in the microbial species spectrum responsible for purulent-septic complications in acute severe pancreatitis during the course of treatment.

Methods: We investigated 174 bacterial cultures obtained from patients diagnosed with acute severe pancreatitis who were treated at the Surgical Department of M.V. Sklifosovsky Poltava Regional Hospital between 2015 and 2018. Among these cultures, 87 were obtained during the initial surgical intervention (39 after initial ultrasound-guided drainage and 38 during the initial open surgical intervention), and 87 were obtained during the course of treatment.

Results: Among patients who underwent primary drainage of parapancreatic fluid collections, no aerobic flora was detected in 71.4% of cases, but subsequent bacterial cultures revealed microbial growth in 77.6% of patients. In patients who underwent open surgical intervention, pathological flora was detected in nearly all cases, both during the primary bacterial passage and in subsequent cultures. The species spectrum differed significantly between the primary and repeated bacterial passages. The initial cultures showed a predominance of gram-positive flora (S. epidermidis, Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp.), while repeated cultures demonstrated a notable increase in hospital-acquired strains and gram-negative flora (E. coli, Proteus spp., Acinetobacter spp.), along with a nearly three-fold increase in S. aureus. These findings have significant implications for selecting appropriate antibacterial agents throughout the treatment course. Notably, a substantial decrease in the sensitivity of multidrug-resistant strains to reserve antibiotics such as meropenem and trigecycline, by approximately 20%, was observed in subsequent bacterial studies.

Conclusion: The microbial spectrum and antibiotic sensitivity of pathogens causing purulent-septic complications in acute severe pancreatitis undergo dynamic changes during the course of treatment. These findings underscore the importance of conducting repeated bacterial cultures and adjusting antibiotic therapy accordingly to optimize treatment outcomes.
Virtual reality exposure aided-diagnosis system for anxiety disorders: Long short-term memory architecture for three levels of anxiety recognition
Authors: Handouzi Wahida , Maaoui Choubeila , Pruski Alain
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased psychological pressure on mental health since 2019. The resulting anxiety and stress have permeated every aspect of life during confinement. OBJECTIVE: To provide psychologists with an unbiased measure that can aid in the preliminary diagnosis of anxiety disorders and be used as an initial treatment in cognitive-behavioral therapy, this article introduces automated recognition of three levels of anxiety. METHODS: Anxiety was elicited by exposing participants to virtual environments inspired by social situations in reference to the Liebowitz social anxiety scale. Relevant parameters, such as heart rate variability and vasoconstriction were derived from the measurement of the blood volume pulse (BVP) signal. RESULTS: A long short-term memory architecture achieved an accuracy of approximately 98% on the training and test set. CONCLUSION: The generated model allowed for careful study of the state of seven phobic participants during virtual reality exposure (VRE).
Untacted automated robotic upper-trunk- lower reciprocal locomotor training for knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Cha Youngjoo , Yoon Hyunsik , Park Chanhee , You Sung (Joshua) H.
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: Although millions of people with osteoarthritis (OA) have altered biomechanical alignment, movement, and knee joint pain during gait, there are no effective and sustainable interventions. To mitigate such impairments, we developed an untacted self-automated robotic and electromyography (EMG)-augmented upper-trunk-lower reciprocal locomotor training (SRGT) intervention. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of SRGT and conventional treadmill gait training (CTGT) on the medial knee joint space width (JSW), hip adduction moment (HAM), knee varus deformity, pain, and physical function in community-dwelling older adults with OA. METHODS: Older adults diagnosed with medial compartment knee OA (5 men, 35 women; mean age = 78.50 ± 9.10 years) were recruited and underwent either SRGT or CTGT, 30 min a day, 3 times a week, over a 4-week period. Outcome measurements included the JSW, HAM, knee varus angle (VA), and Western Ontario McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC). RESULTS: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that SRGT ed to greater changes in medial knee JSW (p= 0.00001), HAM (p= 0.00001), VA (p= 0.00001), and WOMAC (p= 0.00001) scores. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first evidence for the long-term clinical and biomechanical effects of SRGT on JSW, knee joint kinematics, kinetics, and WOMAC scores in older adults with OA. Most importantly, self-automatic robotic gait training may be an alternative, effective, and sustainable treatment for the upper-trunk-lower reciprocal locomotor training in older adults with OA.
Acute effect of short-term immobilization on lower leg muscle tissue hardness in healthy adults
Authors: Ikeda Takuro , Takeda Koichi , Ikeda Masashi
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported altered neural activity in the motor cortex after short-term cast immobilization, even in healthy participants. However, the effects of short-term movement restriction on tissue structure are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of short-term lower limb immobilization on muscle tissue hardness. METHODS: Seventeen healthy participants were enrolled in the study. Each participant’s non-dominant lower limb was fixed with a soft bandage and medical splint for 10 h. Gastrocnemius muscle tissue hardness was measured using a tissue hardness meter before cast application and immediately after cast removal. Measurements were performed five times for each lower limb, and the three values with the lowest coefficient of variance were adopted as the value of muscle tissue hardness. RESULTS: Gastrocnemius muscle tissue hardness in the immobilized limb was lower after cast removal than that before cast application (from 53.6 to 51.8; p< 0.01), whereas the non-fixed limb showed an increase in muscle tissue hardness at the end of the experiment (from 52.9 to 54.3; p= 0.03). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that 10 h movement restriction induced a reduction in muscle tissue hardness, suggesting acute adverse effects of cast immobilization for orthopedic treatment.
Accurate prognostic prediction for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma using a ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNA risk model
Authors: Xiang Xuebao , Guo Yi , Chen Zhongyuan , Zhang Fangxin , Qin Yan
Published: May 2023

INTRODUCTION: Ferroptosis is a recently discovered type of programmed cell death that plays a crucial role in tumor occurrence and progression. However, no prognostic model has been established yet for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) using ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). METHODS: In the present study, lncRNA expression profiles, sex, age, TMN stage, and other clinical data of ccRCC samples were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. In addition, ferroptosis-related lncRNAs were identified using co-expression analysis, and the risk model was established using Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses. Log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the risk model for the overall survival (OS) of patients with ccRCC. Moreover, the functional enrichment of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs was performed and visualized using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. RESULTS: Eight prognostic ferroptosis-related lncRNAs were identified, such as LINC01615, AC026401.3, LINC00944, AL590094.1, DLGAP1-AS2, AC016773.1, AC147651.1, and AP000439.2, making up the ferroptosis-related lncRNA risk model. The risk model effectively divided patients with ccRCC into high- and low-risk groups, and their survival time was calculated. The high-risk group showed significantly shorter OS compared to the low-risk group. The nomogram to predict the survival rate of the patients revealed that the risk score was the most critical factor affecting OS in patients with ccRCC. The ferroptosis-related lncRNA risk model was an independent predictor of prognostic risk assessment in patients with ccRCC. CONCLUSION: The ferroptosis-related lncRNAs risk model and genomic clinicopathological nomogram have the potential to accurately predict the prognosis of patients with ccRCC and could serve as potential therapeutic targets in the future.
miR-383-5p serves as a tumor suppressor in bladder cancer by suppressing PI3K/AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Liu Yu , Yu Haitao , Zeng Bin , Gou Xin , Ren Ke , Yuan Fangchao
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs have been proven to be key molecules in human malignancy. However, to our knowledge, there is no study reporting miR-383-5p expression level and the role it plays in bladder cancer (BC). METHODS: We identified miR-383-5p to be one of the tumor-suppressing genes through using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GEO database. We evaluate the expression and activity of miR-383-5p in both BC tissue and cell lines. The impacts of miR-383-5p on proliferative, migratory ability and apoptotic rate in BC cell were evaluated by utilizing CCK-8 kits, flow cytometry, and Transwell assays. qRT-PCR, western blot, and luciferase reporter assays have been adopted to investigate the underlying mechanisms. In vivo tumorigenicity testing was conducted to determine the impact of miR-383-5p on BC cellular proliferative capacity. RESULTS: Reduced miR-383-5p expression has been determined in BC tissue than in normal bladder tissue. Furthermore, BC cell proliferative, migratory ability was inhibited while apoptosis enhanced in vitro and in vivo by miR-383-5p up-regulation. In vitro and in vivo, silencing miR-383-5p considerably improved the growth and invasive capacity of cell, while decreased the apoptotic rates of BC cells. CONCLUSION: miR-383-5p plays its role as a tumor-suppressing gene by suppressing the PI3K/AKT signaling, hence preventing the development of BC.
RAB27B expression in pancreatic cancer is predictive of poor survival but good response to chemotherapy
Authors: Pecqueux Mathieu , Wende Beate , Sommer Ulrich , Baenke Franziska , Oehme Florian , Hempel Sebastian , Aust Daniela , Distler Marius , Weitz Jürgen , Kahlert Christoph
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer-related death with poor survival even after curative resection. RAB27A and RAB27B are key players in the exosome pathway where they play important roles in exosome secretion. Evidence suggests that RAB27A and RAB27B expression not only leads to tumor proliferation and invasion, but also plays an important role in antigen transfer necessary for anticancer immunity. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we analyze the expression of RAB27A and RAB27B in patients after pancreatic cancer surgery with or without adjuvant chemotherapy and its influence on overall survival. METHODS: We analyzed a total of 167 patients with pancreatic cancer for their RAB27A and RAB27B expression. We dichotomized the patients along the median and compared survival in patients with high and low RAB27A and RAB27B expression with or without adjuvant chemotherapy treatment. RESULTS: We found a significant improvement in overall survival in patients with a negative resection margin (p= 0.037) and in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy (p= 0.039). The survival benefit after chemotherapy was dependent on RAB27B expression status: only the subgroup of patients with high RAB27B expression benefited from adjuvant chemotherapy (p= 0.006), but not the subgroup with low RAB27B expression (p= 0.59). Patients with high RAB27B expression who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy showed a trend towards worse survival compared to the other subgroups. This difference was abolished after treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that RAB27B expression in pancreatic cancer might identify a subgroup of patients with poor survival who might respond well to adjuvant chemotherapy. If resectable, these patients could be considered for neoadjuvant chemotherapy to minimize the risk of not receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome-like symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination: An overview of clinical literature
Authors: TV Phu , Tran Thu Thao , Hao Huynh Trung , Hau Nguyen Thi Hien , Jain Nityanand , Reinis Aigars
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a common condition affecting more than 170 people per 100,000 population. However, POTS following COVID-19 vaccination remains a rare reporting in the medical literature. OBJECTIVE: We, herein, summarize and highlight the evidence that has been reported regarding POTS-like symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: We conducted a literature search and summarized the findings in the form of a narrative commentary. All types of publications (case reports/series, original articles, letters to editors, brief communications etc.) in English language were included. RESULTS: Whilst the exact pathogenetic mechanism behind POTS is yet to elucidated, there has been increasing evidence pointing towards an autoimmune dysfunction. Females were found to be predominantly affected (72%) with age range from 17 years to 52 years. Additionally, it seems that POTS-like symptoms could be triggered after immunization with Pfizer- BioNTech, Moderna, and Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The symptoms typically appear within the first week, depending upon previous exposure to the virus and presence of other systemic conditions. In some patients, the condition is self-resolving. However, in others, non-pharmacological interventions coupled with negative ionotropic medications can be used for symptomatic management of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Timely diagnosis and proper treatment are quintessential for ensuring early alleviation (and in some cases complete resolution) of symptoms. Furthermore, there may be episodes of relapse. Overall prognosis of the new-onset POTS-like symptoms is difficult to predict based on current literature.
Enhancement of video condensation with video browsing and retrieval for surveillance videos using heuristic-derived deep learning algorithm
Authors: Suhandas  , G Santhosh Kumar
Published: May 2023

Video condensation or synopsis is an effective solution for problems regarding video storage and video browsing. The proposed model contributed to developing the video condensation framework for efficient video browsing and video retrieval. In the first stage, the videos are gathered from the surveillance videos. Here, the frames are generated, and then the video backgrounds are extracted. The objects from the frames are acquired through the support of Yolov3. Next, the optimal stitching is done based on the time and object activity of video frames using the Improved Blue Monkey Optimization (IBMO) algorithm. Moreover, video condensation is performed to get the compact video for making better browsing and retrieval of video. The video browsing and retrieval are performed under two phases such as training and testing phases and both phases are done by gathering the videos and followed by the feature extraction using VGG16, where the heuristic improvement is made by the same IBMO algorithm. Then, the extracted deep features from video segments are clustered based on Fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering for combining the extracted features. These features are stored in the feature database in the training phase. Next, in the testing phase, video browsing and retrieval are performed by considering the queries gathered from the standard dataset. The features of query videos are extracted, which are compared based on Multi-Similarity Function (MSF) with the features in the database for retrieving the video segments. Experimental results show that the developed IBMO-VGG-MSF-based video condensation saves computational loads compared to the previous methods without compromising the condensation ratio and visual quality.
Testing coverage-based software modeling incorporating random effect with change point and its release
Authors: Bibyan Ritu , Anand Sameer , Aggarwal Anu Gputa , Kaur Gurjeet
Published: May 2023

The use of computers has been increasingly prevalent in our social lives in recent years. As a result, software engineers must create trustworthy software systems. Companies often release improved versions of the core program due to the constant demand and growing competition in the software field. A variety of growth models have been created to track and measure reliability by software managers and engineers. In the testing phase, the fault content and size of the software system increase, and consequently, the fault content found and eliminated during each debugging process decreases in comparison to the fault content present at the initial stage. In this scenario, we can consider the software fault detection process to be stochastic. The fault detection process is expressed in terms of testing coverage with random effects. In this study, we construct a testing coverage-based software model incorporating random effect with change point. We have used different testing coverage functions such as Exponential and Delayed S-shaped to study the effect of randomness. Further, multi-release planning for the proposed model has been studied and validated on the real-time failure dataset from Tandem Computers with four releases. Different performance measures and goodness-of-fit have been presented using a graphical representation.
The Multifactorial Etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease: Neuroinflammation as the Major Contributor
Authors: González Andrea , Calfio Camila , Lüttges Valentina , González-Madrid Antonia , Guzmán Cristian
Published: May 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. AD is a multifactorial disease, affected by several factors including amyloid-β42 oligomers, self-assembled tau, microbiota molecules, etc. However, inflammatory components are critical to trigger AD. Neuroinflammatory pathology links glial activation by “damage signals” with tau hyperphosphorylation, as explained by the Neuroimmunomodulation Theory, discovered by the ICC laboratory. This theory elucidates the onset and progression of several degenerative diseases and concept of “multitarget” therapy. These studies led to the rationale to identify inflammatory targets for the action of bioactive molecules or drugs against AD.
Deformation and motion of the mesh shaped robot driven by the magnet
Authors: Liu Shiyang , Cheng Yonggui , Jin Yuchen , Liu Jianlin
Published: May 2023

Magnetic field driven robots have a wide spectrum of applications in many areas, such as in biomedical experiment, surgical tools, aerospace and mechanical engineering. In the present study, we make a comprehensive investigation on the deformation and motion of a mesh shaped robot controlled by the magnet. First we have prepared the matrix material of the robot, which is a mixture of silica gel and NdFeB powders. Then the deformation and motion of the robot driven by the magnet are recorded, and the warping and arching configurations are analyzed. The experimental phenomena have been compared with the numerical simulation and theoretical analysis, and the results are in excellent agreement. These findings are beneficial to engineer new types of intelligent robots, as well as to put them in various industrial settings.
Hemimetric-based λ-valued fuzzy rough sets
Authors: Han Puyu , Yao Wei , Jiang Xian
Published: May 2023

A λ-subset, or a [0,λ]-valued fuzzy subset, is a mapping from a nonempty set to the interval [0,λ]. In this paper, we use the notion of hemimetrics, a kind of distance functions, as the basic structure to define and study fuzzy rough set model of λ-subsets by using the usual addition and subtraction of real numbers. We define a pair of fuzzy upper/lower approximation operators and investigate their properties and interrelations. These two operators have nice logical descriptions by using the related Lukasiewicz logical systems. We show that upper definable sets, lower definable sets and definable sets are equivalent, and they form an Alexandrov fuzzy topology. A processing of a λ-subset via fuzzy upper/lower approximation operators can actually considered as a processing of the related image, and thus has potential applications in image processing.
A new on-line self-adapting fuzzy controller design using unidimensional input-output with dynamical membership functions
Authors: Saidi Sief Ali
Published: May 2023

Here, we develop a fuzzy controller using a new online self-adapting design. The objective of this work is to control a nonlinear process by using a one-dimensional input rule variable, instead of error and error variation. The initial limits of the fuzzy logic membership functions are mostly depend on experiments and previous knowledge of the dynamic process behaviors. Generally, the membership function parameters have a significant impact on control signal amplitude and, consequently on the convergence and stability of the controller-plant system. The proposed technique determines the limits of the antecedent membership functions online using the kth and k - 1th outputs of the controlled plant and reference model, respectively. Meanwhile, the limits of the consequent membership functions are calculated using error and error variation. This approach ensures: (i) that the input/output variables have the required fuzzy space, (ii) the controlled plant follows the desired reference model, and (iii) the control signal amplitude is within acceptable limits. Additionally, (iiii) it takes into account the dynamic variability of the process and the existence of an overshoot. The membership function parameters are updated continuously through a self-adapting procedure, ensuring improved control performance. Ultimately, the proposed approach is improved using two nonlinear systems.
Portrait of China’s common prosperity level based on GRA-TOPSIS and deep learning
Authors: Li Ruisong , Hu Yanrong , Liu Hongjiu
Published: May 2023

We studied China’s Common Prosperity process by assessing and comparing the level of Common Prosperity in different regions of China and made some beneficial recommendations to government departments. The research data comes from the China Statistical Yearbook, which includes data from 31 provinces and cities from 2015 to 2020. According to the relevant research, eleven evaluation indicators were selected. We combined GRA with the TOPSIS method for scoring and the K-means clustering algorithm for dividing the GRA-TOPSIS scoring results into three evaluation levels. Then, the convolutional neural network model was used to predict and simulate the level of common prosperity. Taking 2020 as an example, the results show: (1) From 2015 to 2020, China’s Common Prosperity level reached its highest point in 2020. Due to the impact of COVID-19 in 2019, the scores of 31 regions are generally lower than in the previous four years. The situation changed in 2020; (2) In terms of regional distribution, the economic development of Beijing, Shanghai, and other eastern regions is relatively good, with a higher degree of Common Prosperity than that of other regions; (3) The average prediction accuracy is high in our model. It can be close to 100%, indicating that the model has a good prediction effect. In addition, we made recommendations based on the research results, which have good references for actively promoting common prosperity.
Condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of hydropower generator based on LSTM correction model
Authors: Huang Jingcao , Guo Bin , Dian Songyi
Published: May 2023

Hydropower station is vital for the stable growth of the national economy. How to timely warn the possible faults of hydropower stations has become an increasingly popular research topic. The traditional detection model is difficult to detect the small abnormal changes in the data, and these abnormal changes are often the precursor of faults. To improve the sensitivity of the traditional detection model, this study introduced a weight factor into the traditional LSTM detection model. By using the correction mechanism, the LSTM correction model makes the prediction model never deviate from the normal track following the appearance of abnormal data. This ensures that the model can generate large residuals after abnormal data occur so that we can detect these abnormal data in time. Finally, this paper puts forward two factors related to equipment health and integrates these two factors to form a health index. The results show that the LSTM correction model based on the health index can not only detect small changes that cannot be detected by traditional detection models but also knows the wear and tear of equipment during operation based on the changes in health indicators.
Constructing an investment selection model for a Chinese movie ticketing App based on ANP-TOPSIS
Authors: Lu MeiLi , Lin Chin-Tsai
Published: May 2023

Chinese firms are actively investing in movie ticketing Apps, but there is no unified model for how to evaluate such investments, which can hinder investment decision-making into such ticketing Apps. Currently, there is limited research on the criteria for investors to select the best Chinese movie ticketing Apps. To fill this gap, the present study proposes a three-stage evaluation model for investments in these specific Apps. First, it constructs a new hierarchy for movie ticketing App networks via the Modified Delphi Method (MDM), which consists of 5 criteria and 20 sub-criteria. Second, we apply the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to calculate the weight of the criteria and sub-criteria, finding that information is the most important, followed by system, trust, service, and word-of-mouth (WOM) in that order. Finally, three movie ticketing Apps are utilized as alternatives, and the best alternative is selected by Techniques for Order Preference Similarity Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to verify the model’s feasibility. The results herein offer theoretical and practical insights for the development and promotion of movie ticketing Apps and provide a reference for investors to formulate relevant financing strategies.