bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A survey on the reasons why victims of stalking did not exhibit help-seeking behavior: a text-mining analysis
Authors: Suzuki Takuro
Published: June 2024

Background
Stalking can escalate into violent acts such as threatening and inflicting physical harm, posing a serious threat to personal safety. To prevent exacerbating stalking victimization, victims must seek help and report incidents to the police or relevant authorities. However, victims, in general, underreport these incidents to public institutions. Moreover, there is insufficient understanding of why victims of stalking, especially men, refrain from seeking help. Therefore, this study used text mining to explore the reasons victims of stalking in Japan do not seek help, while considering the severity of victimization and analyzing data separately for men and women.
Methods
Among 908 Japanese individuals who reported experiencing repeated stalking behavior from a former intimate partner in the past five years, 253 men and 321 women who did not consult public authorities were analyzed. Participants were classified into stalking-only, threatened, and physical aggression victim groups based on their self-reported experiences in an online survey. Reasons for not seeking help were collected through open-ended questions and analyzed using text mining.
Results
A co-occurrence network analysis revealed that among men in the threatened victim group, the reason for not seeking help was the belief that their complaints would not be taken seriously. The physical aggression victim group did not seek help due to the perception that a female perpetrator does not pose a danger. Among women in the physical aggression victim group, concerns about provoking the perpetrator or worsening the situation by seeking help, as well as feelings of embarrassment, were reasons for not seeking assistance.
Conclusions
The identification of gender stereotype-related reasons among male victims was a valuable insight that could only be obtained through comparison with female victims. However, the study was limited to addressing the individual characteristics of the cases, thus providing only hypothetical insights into general trends. In future, accumulating empirical evidence through hypothesis-testing research is required to develop effective strategies to promote help-seeking behaviors among victims of stalking.
Global Trends of Antifouling Marine Coating in Seaweed Research with Scientomectric Analysis and Knowledge Maps
Authors: Gazali Mohamad , Ismail Noraznawati , Saidin Jasnizat
Published: June 2024

One of the most exciting alternatives to dangerous paints based on heavy metals is the development of coatings that act as natural anti-settlement agents and prevent fouling by utilising active ingredients found in seaweed. This is why understanding the field's extraordinary growth—which encompasses a wide range of topics like marine fouling, anti-biofilm, anti-fouling, future bioprospecting, and marine coating in general—requires evaluating the current body of research on seaweed's antifouling. For this kind of evaluation, summaries of description and co-citation analyses are both required to understand the scope of this study and identify research gaps. Given the topic's importance and the fact that it has received insufficient attention, this study fills a void in seaweed’s antifouling research. Using the CiteSpace software, we examined seaweed’s antifouling research published in the WOSCC database between 1991 and 2022. This produced 13,197 records in total, with a focus on factors in scientomectric analysis using CiteSpace software. We also discovered that seaweed paper increased exponentially, with productive countries (UK, Germany, and Brazil) contributing the most. The author from Brazil, French and the UK are the world's top productive author on antifouling of seaweed study. The most productive journal, unsurprisingly, was Seaweed. We discovered that keywords like "marine macroalgae," secondary metabolites" and "algae" were among the most cited and prominent in antifouling in seaweed research scope. As far as our understanding extends, this study represents the inaugural utilization of scientometric analyses employing CiteSpace software to pinpoint trends within antifouling research related to seaweed.
Thermodynamic simulation analysis and experimental study of ultrasonic powder mixed-assisted electric discharge machining
Authors: Dong Yinghuai , Liu Qihang , Wang Yan , Zhang Shaojian , Wang Wenyu , Zhou Wen , Shi Song
Published: June 2024

In this paper, the effects of ultrasonic vibration and powder mixed on Electrical Discharge Machining(EDM) are investigated. Based on the heat transfer theory, an ultrasonic powder mixed EDM(US-PMEDM) heat transfer model combining ultrasonic vibration and powder mixed characteristics is established, and the heat transfer model carries out a transient thermodynamic simulation for the process of removing the material during the EDM process, and through the experimental and simulation analysis of four kinds of EDM, powder mixed EDM(PMEDM), ultrasonic (UEDM), US-PMEDM, the accuracy of the simulation is verified. The accuracy of the simulation was verified by observing the surface morphology after machining. The material removal process was analyzed under different machining methods and different concentrations of powder mixed particles. Under the processing conditions of fixed processing current of 2A, ultrasonic amplitude of 5µm, and powder concentration of 2g/L, the material removal rate(MRR) of the mixed-powder EDM method was increased by about 26.3% and the surface roughness(SR) was reduced by 7.78% compared with that of the EDM method, and the material removal rate of the ultrasonic mixed powder EDM method was increased by about 49.4% and the surface roughness was increased by 4.04% compared with that of the EDM method. The addition of powder mixed particle can improve the surface quality, and the surface quality is better under the influence of powder mixed powder than under ultrasonic vibration.
Different regulatory mechanisms of Na+/ glucose transport in mouse ileum and jejunum
Authors: Chu Fenglan , Chen Xiongying , Wan Hanxing , Dong Hui , Xu Feng
Published: June 2024

Although glucose absorption in the proximal small intestine and its regulatory mechanisms have been extensively studied, less attention has been devoted to regulating glucose absorption in the distal small intestine. Ussing chamber technique was used to measure the glucose-induced short-circuit current in the isolated intestinal epithelium of mice to explore the regulation mechanism of glucose absorption in the ileum and compare it with those in the jejunum. Glucose induced a more pronounced short-circuit current in the ileum than in the jejunum and showed greater sensitivity to transporter inhibitors. Inhibition of Na+- dependent Ca2+, H+, or HCO3- transport reduced ileal glucose-induced current. 5-HT reduced ileal glucose-induced current, which could be restored by selective inhibitors of 5-HT4R, adenyl cyclase and protein kinase A. However, the extracellular Ca2+ and endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ storage in the ileum did not regulate glucose transport as the jejunum did. Blockers of Ca2+ and K+ channels did not alter glucose-induced current in the ileum. In conclusion, the ileum has more pronounced glucose absorption, and its regulatory mechanisms significantly differ from those in the jejunum. The distal small intestine keeps efficient glucose absorption, but the regional differences of small intestinal segments in glucose absorption capacity may affect the effectiveness of oral medications, which needs attention.
AQ-CSL: Attention Querying Facial Action Unit Detection Net withCross Subject Learning
Authors: Zeng Wangding , Ji Yuanpeng , Chen Donghao , Zhang Honggang
Published: June 2024

Recently, the advancement of deep learning has led to considerable breakthroughs in the automated detection of ActionUnits (AUs). Nevertheless, this field is still faced with various challenges, including limited subjects in shared datasetsand the difficulty of collecting AU data as domain knowledge required for annotating AUs. These issues make it arduousfor the model to generalize across different subjects and attain satisfactory performance on all AUs. To address thesechallenges, we propose two methods, namely AU-specific Querying (AQ) and Feedback Querying (FQ). AQ learns theglobal semantics of a particular AU, while FQ provides local structure information related to the AU semantic vector.The combination of these two operations enables the model to leverage both local features and global semantics of AUs.Moreover, Feedback Querying exhibits strong extensibility, which has led us to propose Cross-subject Querying (CQ).This method learns a subject-independent feature representation for each AU, resulting in improved generalizationability across different subjects. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods through visual presentations andablation analysis. By combining all the strategies, our proposed AQ-CSL becomes the state-of-the-art model on theDISFA and BP4D datasets.
Comparison of Weight Loss Induced by Dietary and Pharmaceuticals in Individuals with Overweight and Obesity: A Case Control Study
Authors: Wang Lei-lei , Wang Ling-ling , Liu Xiao-chen , Hu Hai-ying , Li Hong-xia , Wei Wei , Du Qin , Yan Hui-hui
Published: June 2024

Objective
This study aims to evaluate the impact of low-carbohydrate diet, balanced dietary guidance, and pharmacotherapy on weight loss among individuals with overweight or obesity over a period of three months.
Methods
The study involves 339 individuals with overweight or obesity and received weight loss treatment at the Department of Clinical Nutrition at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, between January 1st, 2020 and December 31st, 2023. The primary outcome is the percentage weight loss.
Results
Among the studied patients, the majority chose low-carbohydrate diet as their primary treatment (168 [49.56%]), followed by balanced dietary guidance (139[41.00%]) and pharmacotherapy (32 [9.44%]). The total percentage weight loss for patients who were followed up for 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months was 4.98 (3.04,6.29) %,7.93 (5.42, 7.93) % and 10.71 (7.74,13.83) %, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified low-carbohydrate diet as an independent factor associated with percentage weight loss of ≥ 3% and ≥ 5% at 1 month (OR [odds ratio] = 0.461, P<0.05; OR = 0.349, P<0.001).
Conclusion
The results showed that a low-carbohydrate diet was an effective weight loss strategy in the short term. However, its long-term effects were comparable to those observed with balanced dietary guidance and pharmacotherapy.
Efficacy and Safety of Anlotinib in Advanced Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Retrospective Study
Authors: yang ping , Wang Tian , Yan Fei , Lin Feng
Published: June 2024

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of anlotinib in treating advanced rhabdomyosarcoma in a real-world setting.
Methods:Clinical data were collected from patients with advanced rhabdomyosarcoma who underwent anlotinib treatment at the Eighth People’s Hospital of Shanghai between January 2018 and November 2023. The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were evaluated based on RECIST 1.1 criteria. Progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse reactions were also documented and analyzed.
Results: A total of 38 patients (23 female, 15 male) were included in the study. Three patients (8%) achieved complete response, 16 (42%) achieved partial response (PR), and 10 (26%) achieved stable disease (SD), resulting in an ORR of 50% and a DCR of 76%. The median PFS was 10 months (95% CI: 8.898-11.102). Most adverse events, such as hand-foot skin syndrome, fatigue, hypertension, and oral ulcers, were mild to moderate (grade 1/2). The most common severe adverse events were fatigue, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia (each at 5%).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that anlotinib is a safe and effective alternative for treating advanced rhabdomyosarcoma in real-world scenarios. However, further prospective randomized controlled trials are necessary to validate these results.
Safety emphasized on mycotoxin and glyphosate in oats and oat-based beverage
Authors: Fiorentin Cristiane , Hirooka Elisa Yoko
Published: June 2024

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is the most consumed cereal as whole grain with valuable healthy nutritional content worldwide, where the Brazilian ranking in South America’s first position accounts for 95% in national production. The occurrence of mycotoxin as well as glyphosate residues was evaluated in 615 post-hulled oat grain from 2019 to 2021 crop. The reliability of analytical analysis was standardized by periodical inter-laboratory validation and participation in proficiency tests. It was detected deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN) and aflatoxins (AFs) in 82%, 52%, and 61% of the samples, respectively. Glyphosate was detected in 48% of the samples, in which 11% presented glyphosate level higher than the Brazilian legal limit. Although several countries have strict control regulations, mycotoxins and pesticide contamination still occurred from time to time. Such understanding about contamination in food byproducts basis will be essential regarding development of new innovative vegetable-based products. Incentivize the local typically established dry cereal grain agroindustry intended for further advance thorough application of reliable assembled knowledge in improving derived foodstuffs.
Pre-Operative Diagnosis of Suspicious Thyroid Nodules: An Integrated Multidisciplinary Approach
Authors: Kulatunga Hiroshani , Pathirana Aloka , Fernando Neluka , Gamage Bawantha , Sampath Asanga , Sosai Cherine , Jayakody Surangi , Seneviratne Bimalka
Published: June 2024

Background
Despite the increase in thyroid tumor incidence, the malignancy rate is low. This increased incidence poses a substantial burden on the healthcare system. The costs associated with surgery and limited theater facilities restrict addressing of all thyroid tumors surgically. Effective modes of preoperative diagnosis are essential for efficient disease prognosis and treatment. Unnecessary surgeries on benign nodules and completion thyroidectomies are reported due to inaccuracies of preoperative diagnostic methods. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the efficacy of preoperative diagnostic methods such as the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS), Bethesda classification, and immunocytochemistry in predicting malignancy.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted enrolling 106 radiologically malignancy-suspected patients. TIRADS for Ultrasound scan and Bethesda classification for fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) reporting were used. Immunocytochemistry was performed using a panel of immune markers consisting of CD-56, HBME-1, and CK-19. All patients were followed up for 2 years. The results were analysed using R version 4.3.1.
Results
The majority of the participants were females (n = 84, 79.2%). The ages ranged from 15–76 years (47.20 ± 12.90). Significant associations were observed between the TIRADS classification and Bethesda classification (p = 0.00009). Additionally, significant associations were observed between TIRADS (p = 0.046), Bethesda (p = 0.00143), immunocytochemistry (p = 0.0000), and malignant status of the patients at follow-up. The combined use of the Bethesda system and TIRADS significantly improved the malignant predictability of patients. Immunocytochemistry showed 100% concordance with patient status at follow-up.
Conclusion
The effectiveness of preoperative diagnosis of thyroid tumors can be increased by the combined use of preoperative techniques such as the TIRADS classification system and the Bethesda system. Immunocytochemistry can be used as a stand-alone technique to predict the malignancy of thyroid nodules.
The morphometric features, variability and clinical significance of the coracoclavicular tuberosity (trapezoid line and conoid tubercle)
Authors: Akbulut Yalçın , Karakaş Aslı Beril , Yarar Burhan , Sunar Mukadder
Published: June 2024

Purpose: The coracoclavicular ligament attaches to the coracoclavicular tuberosity, and consists of the conoid and trapezoid ligaments. It plays an important role in the stability of the acromioclavicular joint. In addition, it is clinically important that the little-known coracoclavicular joint causes shoulder pain and upper extremity paresthesias. The aim of this study was to create an osteologic map of the morphologic projection of the coracoclavicular ligament or joint components on the clavicle.
Methods: In this study, 93 dry clavicles without age and sex records were used. The attachment sites of the trapezoid and conoid ligaments, which form the coracoclavicular ligament, were examined structurally and formally.
Results: The attachment sites of the trapezoid ligament were found to be triangular in 9 clavicles, ellipsoidal in 18 clavicles and trapezoid in 62 clavicles. Anatomical structure of the attachment sites of the trapezoid ligament; 57 were tuberosities, 12 were tubercles, 11 were line and 9 were fovea.
The attachments of the conoid ligament on the clavicle were found to be 23 weak, 37 moderate and 29 strong. Anatomical structure of the attachment sites of the conoid ligament; 50 were tubercle, 20 were tuberosity, 8 were massa, 6 were crista, 3 were impressio and 2 were spina. The attachments of the conoid ligament on the clavicle were found to be 20 weak, 50 moderate and 19 strong. The incidence of coracocalavicular joint was 6% in this study.
Conclusion: In conclusion, this study provides an osteologic map of the morphologic projections of the components of the coracoclavicular ligament or joint in the clavicle. It was thought that the results of this study could shed light on surgeons in orthopedic surgery and clinicians in the field of physical therapy.
Skeletal age prediction models by maturity atatus in male soccer players
Authors: Flores Luis Alberto , De León Lidia G. , McLaren-Towlson Christopher , Bonito Fabiana , Mil-Homens Pedro , Peña-González Iván , Fragoso Maria Isabel
Published: June 2024

This study focus is to develop a new model to estimate skeletal age (SA) as a function of the biological maturation status in male soccer players, and to propose cut-off points to classify the biological maturation status based on the percentage of adult height (PAH) in male soccer players. SA was determined in 747 Portuguese male soccer players, using the Tanner-Whitehouse (TW) 3 method, and PAH was predicted by TW3 (P-TW3) and Khamis-Roche (P-KR) methods. Subsequently, the sensitivity and specificity of the P-TW3 were estimated to classify late, on-time and early maturers to obtain cut-off points, by age; and to develop specific equations for each maturation stage. Both the model using P-TW3 and the model using P-KR showed a SA predictive capacity of 93%. The average differences were similar to zero. P-TW3 cutoff points were established by ROC curve analysis to identify late and early maturers according to their SA. Following, predictive models were developed to estimate SA according to maturity status. The predictive capacity of the models was 87.3% in late maturers, 92.3% in early maturers and 93.5% in early maturers. The prediction models are a reliable and cost-effective method to estimate SA in male soccer players.
The Role of Disulfidptosis in Gliomas: Insights from Mendelian Randomization and Machine Learning
Authors: Pang Lijun , Li Xianmin , Xu Hua , Wang Peng
Published: June 2024

This study introduces a novel prognostic model for glioma outcomes based on disulfidptosis, a unique programmed cell death pathway, highlighting its potential in cancer progression. Analyzing 15 disulfidptosis genes across various cancers, significant prognostic disparities were observed in GBMLGG, ACC, LIHC, KIRC, and others. A detailed investigation in GBMLGG utilized one training and two testing groups to identify seven target genes (ACTN4, IQGAP1, DSTN, MYH9, PDLIM1, FLNB, ACTB) using 101 machine learning approaches across 10 models. Their predictive accuracy for patient prognosis was confirmed through ROC and KM analyses across three datasets. A comprehensive nomogram prediction model incorporating clinical data was developed and independently validated. The study also explored correlations between target genes, immune cells, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and 19 immune checkpoints, uncovering significant associations with 13 cell lines and 19 immune checkpoint-related genes. Validation techniques included single-cell analysis, PCR, immunohistochemistry, and summary data-based Mendelian randomization. The research underscores the importance of disulfidptosis in cancer development and its strong correlation with GBMLGG prognosis, facilitated by immune microenvironment interactions and specific immune checkpoint inhibitors. This multifaceted analysis not only affirms disulfidptosis's role in prognostic predictions for GBMLGG but also its broader impact on cancer research, offering a deep dive into the molecular mechanisms of tumor heterogeneity and the immune landscape.
A Comparative Analysis of Sensory Properties, Flavour Profiles, and Fatty Acids in Three Popular Turkish Rice Varieties
Authors: Pirnia Aida , Dağıstan Hazal , Sarıkaya Ebru , Demir Sinem , Doğan Nuray , Tireki Suzan , Demirkoz Aslı Barla
Published: June 2024

Rice dish is a complex food item with different dimensions affected by variety, cooking technique, and presence of other ingredients together with their interactions. In this study, rice dishes were prepared with Baldo, Osmancik, and Cammeo rice varieties, and with butter, olive oil, margarine, and sunflower oil by Salma and Pilaf cooking techniques. Samples prepared with Osmancik-Salma method-olive oil (O-S-O), Baldo-Pilaf method-olive oil (B-P-O), and Cammeo-Salma method-olive oil (C-S-O) were the top three dishes in terms of overall acceptability scores. Squalene, limonene, isopropyl myristate, cyclotetradecane, acetic acid, acetol, and nonanal were detected volatiles in rice dishes. Methyl oleate, methyl palmitate, methyl linoleate, methyl stearate, methyl palmitoleate, methyl linolenate, and methyl eicosanate were the common fatty acid components in rice dishes and olive oil. Methyl benzoate and benzaldehyde were quantified in the samples with Salma technique but not in the sample cooked with Pilaf method. Complicated chemical reactions among rice components like Maillard reaction, caramelization reaction, lipid oxidation, thermal degradation, enzymatic/non-enzymatic hydrolysis are closely associated to the cooked rice aroma development. This study is the first study to investigate volatiles, and fatty acid derived compounds of rice dishes cooked with Baldo, Osmancik, and Cammeo varieties with Salma and Pilaf procedure accompanied with sensory evaluation.
Competing stochastic thresholds: The green transition as a race between “the good” and “the ugly”
Authors: Lorentzen Linnea , Strøm Steinar , Vislie Jon
Published: June 2024

We study a highly aggregated fossil-based world economy with two competing stochastic thresholds or tipping points. Current production generates emissions that add to a stock of GHGs that affect the probability distribution of hitting a climate threshold with severe consequences (the “ugly” scenario). The fossil-intensive output is used either for current consumption or as R&D-investment in knowledge production, with the stock of knowledge affecting the probability distribution for hitting a “good” threshold or having a technological breakthrough (the “good” scenario) providing a clean emission-free substitute to fossil energy. We characterize an optimal strategy for allocating resources over time, given that no threshold has been hit, with the strategy or decision rules being continuously revised due to the induced changes in the derived probability distribution. To avoid the ugly scenario, while pushing for the good one, we find that the conditional expected marginal benefit or willingness-to-pay for knowledge will be increasing over time, with a non-decreasing rate of R&D investment and a non-increasing rate of consumption. Implementation of this strategy requires a global organization with coercive power, equipped with instruments so as to tax the negative stock externality and to subsidize the provision of the public good or stock of knowledge. An important task for the global planner is continuously to update the hazard rates for hitting the two thresholds.
JEL Classification C02, H23, H41, Q54, Q55
Use of Artificial Intelligence tools in supporting decision-making in hospital management
Authors: Alves Maurício , Seringa Joana , Silvestre Tatiana , Magalhães Teresa
Published: June 2024

Background
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in hospital management holds potential for enhancing decision-making processes. This study investigates the current state of decision-making in hospital management, explores the potential benefits of AI integration, and examines hospital managers' perceptions of AI as a decision-support tool.
Methods
A descriptive and exploratory study was conducted using a qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 hospital managers from various departments and institutions. The interviews were transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed using thematic coding to identify key themes and patterns in the responses.
Results
Hospital managers highlighted the current inefficiencies in decision-making processes, often characterized by poor communication, isolated decision-making, and limited data access. The use of traditional tools like spreadsheet applications and business intelligence systems remains prevalent, but there is a clear need for more advanced, integrated solutions. Managers expressed both optimism and skepticism about AI, acknowledging its potential to improve efficiency and decision-making while raising concerns about data privacy, ethical issues, and the loss of human empathy. The study identified key challenges, including the variability in technical skills, data fragmentation, and resistance to change. Managers emphasized the importance of robust data infrastructure and adequate training to ensure successful AI integration.
Conclusions
The study reveals a complex landscape where the potential benefits of AI in hospital management are balanced with significant challenges and concerns. Effective integration of AI requires addressing technical, ethical, and cultural issues, with a focus on maintaining human elements in decision-making. AI is seen as a powerful tool to support, not replace, human judgment in hospital management, promising improvements in efficiency, data accessibility, and analytical capacity. Preparing healthcare institutions with the necessary infrastructure and providing specialized training for managers are crucial for maximizing the benefits of AI while mitigating associated risks.
Risky lane-changing behavior recognition based on Stacking ensemble learning on snowy and icy surfaces
Authors: DU Xuejing , Zhao Wei
Published: June 2024

Risky lane-changing (LC) behavior adversely affects traffic safety, especially on snowy and icy surfaces. However, due to the particularity of the snowy and icy surfaces and the scarcity of data, research on risky lane-changing behavior (RLCB) under extreme scenarios is insufficient. Therefore, this study presents a novel research framework aimed at selecting key risk characterisation indicators (RCIs) and identifying RLCB on highways using driving simulation data on snowy and icy surfaces. A highway LC scenario was established on snowy and icy surfaces using a driving simulator, and 1200 sets of LC sample data were extracted. From the perspectives of parameter importance and correlation, 12 key RCIs with high importance and low inter-correlation were selected using the C4.5 decision tree algorithm and Pearson correlation analysis method. The RLCB recognition model was developed using the Stacking ensemble learning method and then compared with traditional recognition algorithms. The results show that the accuracy of the recognition model based on the Stacking ensemble learning model is significantly better than that of traditional algorithms, with a recognition accuracy of 98.33%. This finding can provide the basis for developing LC warning systems for intelligent connected vehicles on snowy and icy surfaces.
Potential common molecular mechanisms between inflammatory bowel disease and erectile dysfunction in men: genetic screening and in vivo validation
Authors: Wang Ya-jie , Xiao Lin , Pan Yi-sheng
Published: June 2024

Purpose: To explore Potential common molecular mechanisms between inflammatory bowel disease and erectile dysfunction in men.
Method: First, differentially expressed genes in GSE10804 dataset and GSE191234 dataset were identified. qRT-PCR to verify the expression of differential genes. Enrichment analysis was performed in GO, KEGG and PPI.
Result: From public GEO datasets of IBD and ED, we mined 15 genes that work together on both diseases and validated them in mice with inflammatory bowel disease, finding the importance of several genes. Among them, the common KEGG pathway of the DEGs in the two datasets includes calcium signaling pathway and cell adhesion molecules, cytoskeleton in muscle cells, protein digestion and absorption, and tyrosine metabolism. In vivo, ABAC8, ADGRF5, CLGN, GRM1, NUAK1, PDE1A, SLC39A8 were verified by statistical difference.
Conclusion: Potential common genes interaction between inflammatory bowel disease and erectile dysfunction may be related to ABAC8, ADGRF5, CLGN, GRM1, NUAK1, PDE1A, SLC39A. calcium signaling pathway and cell adhesion molecules, cytoskeleton in muscle cells, protein digestion and absorption, and tyrosine metabolism may be the potential mechanism.
Automated Robotic-Assisted Patient Positioning for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy: Integration with NeuMANTA Treatment Planning System and Dosimetric Impact Analysis
Authors: Chen Jiang , Shu Di-Yun , Gong Qiu-Ping , Teng Yi-Chiao , Liu Yuan-Hao
Published: June 2024

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) represents a revolutionary approach in targeted radiation treatment for cancer. While the therapy's potential in precise targeting is well-recognized, a critical bottleneck remains in the accurate positioning of patients for treatment delivery. This study proposes a novel automated robotic-assisted patient positioning system specifically engineered for BNCT applications. The system utilizes high-precision industrial robotics and is fully integrated with NeuMANTA, a proprietary treatment planning system designed for BNCT. Through a systematic workflow, the robotic arm algorithmically calculates and executes the patient's positioning based on the treatment plan, thus enhancing the accuracy and efficacy of the treatment. We validate the positioning system using an anthropomorphic phantom and evaluate the dosimetric impact of positional deviations. The results indicate that the system achieves high accuracy, with a maximum observational deviation of 3 mm in Source-to-Skin Distance (SSD) and 2 mm along the surface. Dosimetric analysis reveals that the resulting dose changes are less than 1% in surface orientation deviations and greater than 5% in SSD orientation deviations. The study concludes that the robotic patient positioning system substantially advances in BNCT treatment delivery. This work not only sets a new benchmark for patient positioning in BNCT, but also provides a comprehensive framework for integrating advanced robotics into radiotherapy, paving the way for more precise and effective cancer treatments.
A low-cost low-viscosity refractive-index-matching pair -- PIV error measurement and sensitivity analysis
Authors: Akutina Yulia , Pengning Sun , Eiff Olivier
Published: June 2024

Refractive-index matching (RIM) techniques are often employed in order to perform optical flow measurements around solid bodies: the RI of a transparent solid object is matched with that of the working fluid. The solid becomes "invisible" and full optical access inside or behind the object is granted free of distortions. In this paper, a low-cost and low-viscosity RIM pair is proposed. It combines the polymer THV (tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride), which is commercially available and manufactured in various shapes, with NaCl (table salt) added to water for the working fluid. The low cost of table salt combined with the viscosity of the solution close to water allows this RIM pair to be extended for large scale, high Reynolds number experiments, such as open-channel flows. Here, a set of validation experiments is presented which was designed to analyse the errors and matching sensitivity of PIV measurements in an actual flow rather than using a still target pattern -- the common testing method. The flow -- a dipole impacting a patch of vertical tubes -- is measured simultaneously by two PIV systems, where one camera takes images through a patch of THV tubes while the other camera has a free optical path to the same measurement laser plane. Comparing the results between the two cameras gives an estimate of the PIV measurement error.
To further analyse the PIV errors and their dependence on the tubes' geometry and their sensitivity to slight differences in the refractive indices between the solid and the fluid, a mathematical model of light refraction is employed. The higher thickness of the tube is found to increase the PIV error less than expected and sometimes even decrease it for a given resolution. It is found that the PIV error is inversely proportional to the PIV correlation box size relative to the tube size. This conclusion is also valid for other geometries, where edges or curved surfaces are present. That is, close-up measurements (higher resolution) around objects require higher precision of the RI matching.
The cryptic complex rearrangements involving the DMD gene causing completely opposite manifestations: etiologic clues revealed by optical genome mapping
Authors: Ma Yunting , Gui Chunrong , Shi Meizhen , Wei Lilin , He Junfang , Xie Bobo , Zheng Haiyang , Lei Xiaoyun , Wei Xianda , Cheng Zifeng , Zhou Xu , Chen Shaoke , Luo Jiefeng , Huang Yan , Gui Baoheng
Published: June 2024

Background: Deletion or duplication of DMD is one of the most common causes of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD). However, the pathogenicity of complex rearrangements involving DMD, especially segmental duplications with unknown breakpoints, is not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate the structure, pattern, and potential impact of rearrangements involving DMD duplication.
Methods: Two families with DMD segmental duplications exhibiting opposite manifestations were recruited. Optical genome mapping (OGM) was used to explore the cryptic pattern of the rearrangements. Breakpoints were validated using long-range polymerase chain reaction combined with next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing.
Results: A multi-copy duplication involving exons 64–79 of DMD was identified in Family A without obvious clinical symptoms. Family B exhibited typical DMD neuromuscular manifestations and presented a duplication involving exons 10–13 of DMD. The rearrangement in Family A involved complex in-cis tandem repeats shown by OGM but retained a complete copy (reading frame) of DMDinferred from breakpoint validation. A reversed insertion with a segmental repeat was identified in Family B by OGM, which was predicted to disrupt the normal structure and reading frame of DMD after confirming the breakpoints.
Conclusions: Validating breakpoint and rearranged pattern is crucial for the functional annotation and pathogenic classification of genomic structural variations. OGM provides valuable insights into etiological analysis of DMD/BMD and enhances our understanding for cryptic effects of complex rearrangements.
Evaluation of Community Emergency Governance Resilience Based on Improved TOPSIS Method with Probabilistic Linguistic Term Sets
Authors: Li Hongying , Kaili Lu , Yanan Wang
Published: June 2024

Community emergency management serves as a crucial safeguard in preventing and mitigating significant security risks and safeguarding the lives of community members. To thoroughly and scientifically assess the capacity of community emergency management, a multi-attribute decision-making approach is proposed, which builds upon an enhanced TOPSIS method utilizing probabilistic linguistic term sets. Firstly, adopting the resilience theory perspective, a comprehensive evaluation system for community emergency management resilience is established, encompassing five dimensions: organization, physical elements, individuals, institutions, and technology. Secondly, to ensure a comprehensive reflection of expert preferences and evaluation information, as well as enhance the rationality of evaluation outcomes, an improved TOPSIS evaluation model based on probabilistic linguistic term sets is developed. Lastly, the feasibility and effectiveness of the model are validated through practical case studies, thereby providing valuable insights for the evaluation and enhancement of community emergency management capabilities.
Intelligent Vehicle Lateral Control Strategy Research based on Feedforward + Predictive LQR Algorithm with GA optimisation and PID compensation
Authors: Zheng Zhu-an , Ye Zimo , Zheng Xiangyu
Published: June 2024

Targeting the lateral motion control problem in the intelligent vehicle autopilot structural system, this paper proposes a feedforward + predictive LQR algorithm for lateral motion control based on Genetic Algorithm (GA) parameter optimisation and PID steering angle compensation. Firstly, based on the vehicle dynamics tracking error model, the intelligent vehicle LQR lateral motion controller as well as the feedforward controller are designed, and upon which the predictive controller is added to eliminate the system lag.Subsequently, exploiting the advantage that the PID algorithm is not model-based, a PID steering angle compensation controller that can directly control and correct the lateral error is designed. Second, a LQR controller based on path tracking deviation is designed by using the parameter rectification method of genetic algorithm (GA), which optimizes the control parameters of the lateral motion controller and improves the adaptivity of the control accuracy. Finally, the simulation verification and analysis are carried out through the Carsim-Simulink joint simulation platform. The simulation outcomes demonstrate that, under the premise that the vehicle is capable of tracking the path in real time, compared with the feedforward+LQR control and the LQR controller, The lateral controller proposed in this paper can enhance the accuracy of lateral distance error control and heading error control effectively.
Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Haunch Beam By Nonlinear Static and Incremental Dynamic Analyses
Authors: Haque Md. Foisal , Hoque Md. Mozammel
Published: June 2024

This research presents a novel technique of the seismic vulnerability assessment of the reinforced concrete haunch beams in terms of the probability of exceedance of the plastic hinge rotations. For this reason, the nonlinear static and incremental dynamic analyses of various structures with bays have been conducted by the ETABS. The plastic hinge rotation is controlled by the collapse prevention and life safety performance levels of beams and joints, respectively. The roof displacement controls the probability of exceedance of the plastic hinge rotations of beams and joints based on the nonlinear static analysis, which is a new insight of this research. The numerical analysis of ETABS is validated with the previously published work to obtain a good agreement of validation results. The 15-storied structure with 3 bays shows a higher vulnerability and the 4-storied structure shows a lower vulnerability according to the numerical analysis. The ranges of the normalized roof displacement and the peak ground acceleration for higher vulnerability are found to be (0.38 ~ 0.56) and (0.05 ~ 0.09) g, respectively, based on the nonlinear static and incremental dynamic analyses.
OntoReD: Requirements debt Ontology
Authors: Bonfim Viviane Duarte , Benitti Fabiane Barreto Vavassori
Published: June 2024

The practices proposed in agile methods to speed up software development, although they are beneficial to the organization, can affect the way in which requirements engineering activities are conducted as these practices are not explicit. These activities, when not carried out properly, can result in poorly understood, omitted and poorly specified requirements, leading to requirements debt and can compromise other stages of software development. However, requirements debts are little explored and, on many occasions, are unknown, not monitored or managed efficiently, which causes high maintenance costs over time. The objective of this article is to propose an Ontology focused on requirements debt in the agile context. The research was conducted through an investigation of the state of practice supported by \textit{grounded theory}, unifying the result with information obtained in two systematic studies of the literature: a systematic mapping of the literature that consists of identifying the causes, consequences and practices aimed at debts of requirements and a tertiary study focused on debt management, supporting the knowledge obtained about requirements debt and serving as input for the construction of an ontology, called “OntoReD”.
An application of SQUARE cryptanalysis to symmetric block cipher O'zDST 1105:2009 to retrieve secret parameters
Authors: Ikramov Alisher
Published: June 2024

We studied the symmetric block data encryption algorithm O'zDST 1105:2009 and demonstrated the process of retrieving of secret parameters $ R, d $ using integral analysis (SQUARE-analysis). These parameters are based on the secret key and are used to construct substitution tables of the algorithm. We attacked a truncated version of the algorithm exploiting its vulnerabilities.
We demonstrated the importance of a thorough examination of the mutual influence of operations in encryption algorithms.
Restoration of early postnatal synaptic dysregulation rescues polyglutamine-mediated motor neuron degeneration in mice
Authors: Katsuno Masahisa , Hirunagi Tomoki , Sahashi Kentaro , Iida Madoka , Ogura Yusuke , Tohnai Genki , Sakakibara Kenji , Maeda Kentaro , Bennett C. Frank
Published: June 2024

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine tract in the androgen receptor (AR). Here, we show that polyglutamine-expanded AR accumulates in the nucleus of motor neurons and induces aberrant up-regulation of glutamatergic synaptic genes, mediated by a master transcriptional repressor, Rest, during early postnatal development in a mouse model of SBMA. Further analysis indicates that the up-regulation of Rest-target synaptic genes is caused by an increased expression of Rest4, a neuron-specific isoform of Rest that derepresses the promoter activity of Rest-binding lesions. In addition, calcium imaging shows that induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons expressing polyglutamine-expanded AR are hyperexcitable compared to those expressing wild-type AR. Reducing neonatal AR or switching Rest4 to Rest using antisense oligonucleotides attenuates the up-regulation of the synaptic genes and ameliorates the disease phenotype and histopathology in SBMA mice. The late-onset neurodegeneration in SBMA is attributable to the synaptic defects and resulting hyperexcitability of motor neurons at early postnatal stages, which would be therapeutically targeted.
KPZ fluctuations in finite volume
Authors: Prolhac Sylvain
Published: June 2024

These lecture notes, adapted from the habilitation thesis of the author, survey in a first part various exact results obtained in the past few decades about KPZ fluctuations in one dimension, with a special focus on finite volume effects describing the relaxation to its stationary state of a finite system starting from a given initial condition. The second part is more specifically devoted to an approach allowing to express in a simple way the statistics of the current in the totally asymmetric simple exclusion process in terms of a contour integral on a compact Riemann surface, whose infinite genus limit leads to KPZ fluctuations in finite volume.
Effective Treatment of Keloids with Three-Dose Moderate-Strength Intralesional Triamcinolone Acetonide (TAC) Regimen
Authors: Nazim Tauqeer , Fatima Jumana , Rafique Muhammad Ali , Jan Saadia Nosheen , Usman Ayesha , Ahmed Sarfraz
Published: June 2024

Background: The most devastating consequence of any injury is scar formation. Among all the surgical specialties, plastic surgery faces the worst dilemma as patients expect it to be the scar-less surgery.Objectives: This study aims to set an effective dose of triamcinolone acetonide intralesional injection to achieve successful results in the treatment of keloids.Methods: A prospective interventional study was conducted in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore for 2 years. Triamcinolone acetonide was injected intralesional at a dose of 4mg/cm2 every 4th week. The improvement in scar appearance, pain, and itch were measured using Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the St Andrew's itch egg scale, respectively up to 12 months of therapy.Results: Among the 40 patients, 12 were males and 28 were females. The mean age of patients was 32.8 years and the most common sites were the chest, earlobes, and back. There was a substantial progressive improvement in VSS and VAS scores over one year. A significant reduction in pruritus was also observed in the patients. No recurrence was noted at the end of 12 months.Conclusions: A moderate-strength dose of 4mg/cm2 as a single intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide every four weeks is effective in decreasing the size of keloids and relieving the symptoms such as pain and itching.
Hepatitis C Elimination. Are we on course for 2030?
Authors: Huma Qureshi  , Ambreen Arif
Published: June 2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the year 2030 as a landmark year for “Viral Hepatitis Elimination”. Among the WHO member states, Pakistan has the largest chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infected population and like other countries, Pakistan is also striving for the hepatitis C elimination goal. Baseline screening is the mainstay of dealing with this public health challenge. Innovative interventions are needed, to achieve this goal, such as scale-up of the baseline screening using rapid anti-HCV tests, which can later be followed by HCV RNA. All those who test positive for HCV RNA, require treatment to enable us to reach the milestone of 'Hepatitis C elimination by year 2030'. The modeling done by the CDA to determine the number of people to be tested and treated alongside the support for HCV elimination coming from the Prime Minister's (PM) programme in Pakistan are all the factors, which when put together, show that we might achieve the testing, treatment and cure for those who are currently infected. The yearly addition of new HCV infections may prove to be a major barrier in achieving HCV elimination. Therefore, timely prevention of new infections has to be our number one priority. This article is based on the webinar presentation, made by Dr. Huma Qureshi on the theme of Hepatitis C eradication, in the KEMCA UK Universal Healthcare Programme.