bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of CYP3A4/5, ABCB1 gene polymorphisms on the residual equilibrium concentration of apixaban and bleeding in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and deep vein thrombosis
Authors: Fedina L. V. , Sychev I. N. , Mirzaev K. V. , Vardanyan A. V. , Glagolev S. V. , Kachanova A. A. , Bochkov P. O. , Shevchenko R. V. , Tuchkova S. N. , Sychev I. V. , Abdullaev S. P. , Sychev D A.
Published: April 2024

Aim. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of polymorphic markers of CYP3A4*22 CYP3A4*22 (c.522-191C>T, rs35599367), CYP3A5*3 (c.219237A>G, rs776746), ABCB1 rs1045642 (c.3435T>C) and rs4148738 (c.2692-2236C>T) genes on the plasma concentration of apixaban, on changes in prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and bleeding development in patients taking apixaban.

Material and methods. The study included 108 patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and deep vein thrombosis receiving apixaban in therapeutic doses. Genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Apixaban concentrations were measured using an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer in positive ionization mode. Because the daily dose of apixaban was different (5, 10, and 20 mg daily), the residual equilibrium concentration (Cmin,ss) of apixaban was adjusted relative to the daily drug dose (Cmin,ss/D). PT and APTT were determined using an automatic coagulometer analyzer Destiny Max (Tcoag, Ireland). Statistical processing was performed in SPSS Statistics 20.0 program.

Results. We found that patients with CT ABCB1 (rs4148738) C>T genotype had higher Cmin,ss /D value than patients with TT genotype (6.23 [4;13] vs 5.77 [4;17], p=0.018). No statistically significant associations were found between carriage of CYP3A4*22 (rs35599367) C>T, CYP3A5*3 A>G, ABCB1 (rs1045642) C>T gene polymorphisms and Cmin,ss /D value of apixaban. Also, there was no significant effect of carrying polymorphisms rs35599367, rs776746, rs4148738,rs4148642, and the above genes on the risks of hemorrhagic complications. However, the influence of ABCB1 (rs1045642) C>T polymorphism on the PT value was found (TT ABCB1 (rs1045642) C>T genotype carriers the CT value wassignificantly higher than in CT genotype (17.0 [40;112] vs. 14.9 [35;132]) p=0.044).

Conclusion. It was found that the Cmin,ss /D value was higher in patients with CT ABCB1 (rs4148738) C>T genotype than in patients with TT genotype. At the same time, carriage of polymorphisms of CYP3A4*22 (rs35599367) C>T, CYP3A5*3 A>G, ABCB1 (rs1045642) C>T genes did not affect the pharmacokinetics of apixaban and the risk of bleeding. We also identified the effect of ABCB1 (rs1045642) C>T gene polymorphism on the PT value.
Clinical factors associated with the no/slow-reflow phenomenon in patients with acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Konstantinova E. V. , Ilin Yu. S. , Velikotskiy A. A. , Rakhimi N. A. , Bogdanova A. A. , Ploshchenkov A. V.
Published: April 2024

Aim. To determine the incidence of the no-reflow phenomenon in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and to study factors associated with its occurrence in the daily work of the City Clinical Hospital.

Material and methods. Of the 2090 patients with ACS admitted to N. I. Pirogov City Clinical Hospital No.1 in the period from 01.01.2017 to 01.11.2022 there were 2 groups of patients with PCI: group 1 (n=59) included patients with initial antegrade coronary blood flow TIMI 0 and final blood flow TIMI 0-2 (with the no/ slow-reflow phenomenon); Group 2 (n=149) included patients with initial coronary blood flow TIMI 0 and final antegrade coronary blood flow TIMI 3 (without the no/slow-reflow phenomenon).

Results. The no-/slow-reflow phenomenon was observed in 2.8% of cases. Patients with no-/slow-reflow phenomenon more frequently had diabetes mellitus (42.4% vs. 22.8%, p=0.003), a history of stroke (12.1% vs. 3.4%, p=0.016), higher Killip class and "pain-to-balloon" time 7 [3; 16] vs. 4 [2.3; 8.25] hours, p=0.004. Binary logistic regression identified "pain-to-balloon" time as the most significant predictor of no-/slow-reflow phenomenon development [Odds Ratio (OR)=1.03; 95% CI: 0.95-0.996; p=0.02] and the proximal level of occlusion in infarct-related coronary artery. The incidence of in-hospital mortality was 6.1 times higher in the no-/slow-reflow group compared to the normal blood flow group [OR=6.102±0.433; 95% CI: 2.614-14.247; p<0.05].

Conclusion. The development of the no-/slow-reflow phenomenon was observed in 2.8% of patients in clinical practice N. I. Pirogov City Clinical Hospital No.1. Its development was associated with an increase in the incidence of unfavorable outcome of the disease in the hospital. The total time of myocardial ischemia, the presence of diabetes mellitus, a history of stroke, and a higher Killip class of acute heart failure at admission were more often associated with the development of the no-/slow-reflow phenomenon. The proximal level of damage to the infarct-related artery and "pain-to-balloon" time were independent predictors of the no-/slowreflow phenomenon.
Practical approaches to antimicrobial therapy for infective endocarditis in the context of national and European clinical guidelines
Authors: Kotova E. O. , Kobalava Zh. D.
Published: April 2024

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare disease with a potentially high mortality rate. The patient "portrait" is changing, there is an increase in the proportion of elderly people with concomitant diseases and degenerative defects, prosthetic valves and minimally invasive cardiac operations, implanted intracardiac devices, and hemodialysis. An additional significant negative contribution is made by the transformation of the etiological picture — an increase in the species diversity of pathogens, a decrease in the proportion of streptococci, a steady increase in the staphylococcal and enterococcal etiology of IE. The IE treatment success depends on the competent administration of antibacterial therapy. Clinicians are guided by two main documents: the national clinical guidelines "Infective endocarditis and infection of intracardiac devices" of 2021 and the European clinical guidelines "ESC Guidelines for the management of endocarditis" of 2023. The article summarizes updated data on the optimal prescription of antibacterial therapy, presented in a convenient and understandable format for the practicing physicians. Schemes for prescribing intravenous antibiotic therapy in a hospital are presented not only for traditional pathogens (Staphylococcus sp., Streptococcus sp. and Enterococcus sp.), but also for rare pathogens that cause significant difficulties (pathogens of the HACEK and non-HACEK group, Coxiella burnetii, Bartonella sp., Brucella sp., Tropheryma whipplei, Mycobacterium sp., fungi). Separately, the principles of empirical antibacterial therapy with the most effective treatment regimens not only for left-sided IE, but also for different variants of right-sided IE are presented in detail. New modern possibilities of outpatient oral antibiotic therapy for IE are presented. In conclusion, prospects for the development of conservative IE treatment are proposed.
Study of the course of recurrent myocardial infarction in the acute stage within the framework the hospital register
Authors: Martsevich S. Yu. , Zagrebelnyy A. V. , Afonina O. S. , Kuzmina I. M. , Avdeev Yu. V. , Muradyan N. A. , Drapkina O. M.
Published: April 2024

Aim. To study the features of the course of primary and recurrent myocardial infarction and compare their prognosis in the acute stage of the disease within the framework of the hospital register of the vascular center.

Material and methods. The data from the acute coronary syndrome register of N. V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine were used. The inclusion criteria were: transmural acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with ST-segment elevation (codes I21.0-I21.3 according to the International Classification of Diseases); permanent residence in Moscow and the Moscow region. The described part of the study included all patients with transmural myocardial infarction (codes I21.0-I.21.3) admitted from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. Of the AMI patients admitted during this period (n=329), 214 met the inclusion criteria, with primary AMI in 153 and recurrent AMI in 61.

Results. Patients with recurrent AMI were significantly older, more often had a disability group. Smoking and arterial hypertension were more frequent risk factors among patients with recurrent AMI than in primary AMI. All indices reflecting the severity of coronary artery disease and its complications were also significantly more common in the group with recurrent AMI. Diabetes mellitus was more common in these patients. Taking medications before hospitalization, as well as the regularity of this intake, were significantly more common in patients who had repeated AMI. The mortality rate of patients with recurrent AMI was 4.6 times higher than that of patients with primary AMI. Such complications as atrial fibrillation and flutter, intracardiac conduction disturbance requiring temporary endocardial stimulator placement, acute heart failure requiring intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, respiratory failure requiring artificial ventilation, cardiogenic shock were significantly more common in patients with recurrent AMI. Kaplan-Meyer curves clearly demonstrate the differences in hospital mortality among the two groups of patients. These curves also clearly show that patients with primary AMI died mostly in the first days of the disease, but patients with recurrent AMI could die at a much later date, up to 12 days after admission. Analysis of factors determining the mortality risk during hospitalization showed that recurrent AMI is an independent predictor of death.

Conclusion. The results of our work indicate the need for prompt identification of patients who had previously undergone AMI upon their admission to the vascular center, as well as the development of more active prevention tactics for such patients.
Technology Focus: History Matching and Forecasting (April 2024)
Authors: Nalla Gopi
Published: April 2024

This year’s history matching and forecasting selections cover topics that include a deep-learning framework to forecast spatial/temporal dynamics of CO2 mineralization in reactive rocks, productivity decline analysis using coupled full-field and near-wellbore poromechanics modeling, and a reservoir graph network model for multiwell forecasting in unconventional reservoirs.

In paper SPE 216998, the authors present a deep-learning methodology to create surrogate models capable of predicting the precipitation of minerals during CO2 injection into deep saline aquifers. The authors state that this approach allows for the rapid assessment of the individual contributions of each mineral in the CO2 mineralization process.

A coupling scheme of a full-field reservoir model and a near-wellbore poromechanics model, its application on productivity index (PI) decline analysis for a deepwater reservoir, and the evaluation of the drawdown effect on well productivity is the subject of paper SPE 212200. According to the authors, the coupling scheme captured geomechanical damages, predicted PI trends with different drawdowns, and enabled identification of safe drawdown limits for operational decisions.

The authors of paper URTeC 3855422 present a hybrid approach that combines physics with data-driven approaches for forecasting the performance of unconventional wells under codevelopment. As per the authors, the reservoir graph network model, which describes the drainage volume of an unconventional well using a set of 1D gridblocks parameterized by pore volume and transmissibility, provides an efficient way to model, history-match, and forecast the performance of unconventional wells by reducing the system complexity while maintaining the fundamental physics.

Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.

URTeC 3862949 A Robust Workflow To Characterize Uncertainties of a Horizontal Well Pad: Multiwell History Matching for Unconventional Reservoirs by Chuxi Liu, The University of Texas at Austin, et al.

SPE 212668 Application of Simulation Opportunity Index and Assisted History Matching for Fishbone Completion Strategy in the Existing Single Horizontal Well in a Tight Gas Carbonate Reservoir by Bondan Bernadi, ADNOC, et al.

SPE 212723 Automated Production Forecasting Using a Novel Machine-Learning-Based Approach by Kaustubh Shrivastava, SLB, et al.
Deep-Learning Framework Forecasts Dynamics of Carbon Dioxide Mineralization
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: April 2024

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This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 216998, “A Deep-Learning Framework To Forecast Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of CO2 Mineralization in Reactive Rocks,” by Zeeshan Tariq, Bicheng Yan, SPE, and Shuyu Sun, SPE, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

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Reactive rocks, when exposed to CO2-charged waters, can undergo a series of reactions leading to the formation of stable carbonates. These carbonates can store carbon for thousands of years. To better understand the interplay between CO2 and brine in these reactive formations, numerical simulations are a useful tool. However, simulating fluid flow in these reservoirs can pose significant computational challenges. The objective of the study detailed in the complete paper is to develop a deep-learning work flow that can predict the changes in CO2 mineralization over time and space in saline aquifers, offering a more-efficient approach compared with traditional physics-based simulations.

Methodology

Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) Simulator.

The study used the Computer Modelling Group’s GEM simulator to simulate the flow of CO2 in a porous media. The numerical simulator is used for conducting multiple simulations and generating data on multiphase flow. The simulation technique used by the simulator is the finite-difference implicit method. The software uses an equation of state to determine fluid properties and uses a range of rock/fluid correlations to estimate properties of the rock, such as capillary pressures and relative permeabilities. Additionally, the simulator can integrate a geomechanical module that considers both plastic and nonplastic strains. The simulator, based on physics principles, implements a finite-difference numerical scheme with upstream weighting for dividing space into discrete gridblocks and uses the adaptive implicit method for dividing time into discrete intervals.

Various equations representing mathematical formulations important to the work are provided in the complete paper.

UNet Architecture.

In this study, the authors used UNet, a deep convolutional neural network, to predict the precipitation of minerals such as siderite and magnesite during CO2 storage in subsurface reactive formation. The architecture has proven effective in various image-processing tasks. Its fully convolutional network structure makes it suitable for image-to-image translation.

The network architecture of the UNet consists of multiple layers, each with a distinct type and size. These layers include the input, padding, convolutional unit, max pooling, deconvolution or transposed convolution layers, merging or concatenation layers, and a depadding layer. The convolutional unit performs convolutions using filters of different sizes and strides, whereas the max-pooling layers downsample the feature maps. The deconvolution layers upsample the feature maps, and the merging layers combine the feature maps from different parts of the network.
Comparative Agreement of a New Spectral-Domain OCT Biometer, Swept-Source OCT Biometer, and OLCR Biometer: A Comprehensive Analysis of Ocular Biometer in Healthy Eyes.
Authors: Long Wen , Ong Alex , Zheng Bingru , Liang Ziqi , Cui Dongmei
Published: April 2024

Background: With the advancements in ocular biometric technology, there have been significant improvements in accurately and efficiently measuring ocular parameters. The aim of this study is to compare the reliability of biometric parameters obtained using a new frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) biometer with the measurements obtained from swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) and optical low coherence reflectometry (OLCR) biometers.
Methods: The Colombo IOL (Moptim, Shenzhen, China) employs SD-OCT technology, the IOLMaster 700 (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) utilizes SS-OCT technology, and the SW-9000 (Suoer, Tianjin, China) utilizes OLCR technology. This cross-sectional study compared the measurement of biometric parameters using a novel SD-OCT biometer with SS-OCT and OLCR biometers. The study adhered to ethical guidelines and obtained informed consent. The findings will enhance our understanding of the accuracy and reliability of the SD-OCT biometer, benefiting clinical practice and future research.
Results: 146 eyes from 73 healthy subjects were analyzed. The IOLMaster 700 and Colombo IOL showed a high correlation for AL, CCT, K1, and K2, with Pearson's correlation coefficients of 0.99, 0.99, 0.99, and 0.98, respectively. Bland-Altman plots indicated a strong agreement between the two instruments for AXL and CCT measurements. These findings confirm the reliability of the Colombo IOL in assessing biometric parameters.
Conclusions：The new SD-OCT biometer and the SS-OCT biometer showed strong agreement in measuring AL, CCT, K1, and K2 in healthy subjects, indicating their effective interchangeability in clinical practice. This supports the reliability of the new SD-OCT biometer as an alternative for assessing these parameters. Further research is needed to explore their applicability in different clinical settings and patient populations.
Analysis of status quo and influencing factors of oral health literacy among the elderly in Hangzhou
Authors: Wen Wu , Dongtu Zheng , Jing Fang , Xiaoxiao Zhou , Yiqun Zhou , Yanli Yang
Published: April 2024

Objective
This study aimed to investigate the current status of oral healthy literacy (OHL) among the elderly in Hangzhou and analyze its influencing factors.
Methods
A convenience sampling method was used to select 230 elderly people living in Hangzhou from August 2022 to November 2022. The General Information Questionnaire, the Simplified Version of the Oral Health Literacy Scale (HeLD-14), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) were employed to investigate and analyze the influencing factors of OHL in the elderly.
Results
The total OHL score of the elderly was 37 (31, 41) points, and the results of regression analysis showed that the monthly household income, place of residence, history of oral health education, and social support entered the regression equation as influencing factors of elderly OHL, which were the influencing factors of OHL in the elderly, explaining 24.4% of the variance.
Conclusion
The OHL of the elderly in Hangzhou is at a moderate level, and medical staff should implement targeted health education for the elderly with different family incomes and places of residence, publicize the role of oral health education, and improve the level of social support on oral health, to improve the OHL level of the elderly.
Evaluating suicide prevention gatekeeper training designed to identify and support people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds.
Authors: Hart Steven MacDonald , Colucci Erminia , Marzano Lisa
Published: April 2024

Background. Suicide-related behaviours and individual risk factors for suicide differ between ethnicities and demonstrate additional variation based on voluntary and forced migration. People forcibly displaced by violence and conflict, such as those seeking asylum and refugees, are likely to face stressors that can increase suicide risk. Research into evidenced-based suicide prevention strategies among people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds is scarce. However, early identification and intervention may be a promising way to facilitate support for people in these groups. This research proposes that a contextually-responsive gatekeeper training is an appropriate strategy to increase the identification and support for people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds.
Methods. The present article relates to the statistical findings of a larger mixed-method used to validate and refine a contextually-responsive gatekeeper training program. The outcome measures – knowledge about suicide in multicultural contexts, attitudes towards suicide and prevention, and self-efficacy to intervene were measured quantitatively, adopting a similar pre- and post-training procedure used in previous training evaluations. Using Generalised Estimating Equations, statistical comparisons were made between three identical self-report surveys completed by participants across three consecutive time points – pre-training, immediately post-training, and three months following training completion – known in this investigation as time-point zero (T0), time-point one (T1), and time-point two (T2). Lastly, during the T2 follow-up, additional open-ended questions were included to understand which areas of training they feel prepared them effectively and how the program could have better prepared them to intervene.
Results. A total of 28 participants took part in the study. Quantitative analysis indicated the program’s capacity to exert a significant favourable and lasting influence on knowledge about suicide and self-efficacy to intervene. In addition, follow-up measurements suggest that the content delivered to participants transferred effectively into real-world suicide prevention behaviours.
Conclusions. Findings suggest that tailored suicide prevention training can have a significant influence on knowledge about suicide in multicultural contexts, self-efficacy to intervene in a crisis, and that course content translates effectively into real-world suicide prevention behaviour. Modifying program content appears to be a pivotal factor in promoting the support of people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds.
Adversity and Turnaround in Medical Education:Development and vision of a framework for a multimodal teaching and learning interaction model
Authors: Ying Liang , Xu Haichao , Sun Jiaju , Chen Linjunliang , Ye Zijun , Ye Qing , Cheng Zhangyu , Wu Xinyu , Hong Xiaochang , Li Feiming , Chen Tongke
Published: April 2024

Background
Post-pandemic era has provided an opportunity for new educational theory as long as the new way to make use of technology. This paper puts forward the architecture of the multimodal teaching interaction model and the prospect of application situations combining the research foundations of technological phenomenology and multimodal theory.
Objective
This paper aims to clarify a multimodal teaching interaction model perspective, we hope the interactive feedback between medical education subjects can be improved, meet the teaching and learning needs in the post-epidemic era, and promote the development of medical education reform. The focal point is the characteristics, structure, and application of MTIM.
Method
Using the behavioral education model, situational learning, and human-computer interaction theory as the theoretical framework, we take the medical teaching model as the background, combined with cutting-edge virtual reality, haptic feedback, gesture interaction, and other technologies, rely on the multi-level application architecture such as physical layer and perceptual feedback layer, to successfully build a teaching method of multimodal virtual experience and the overall conceptual framework of learning scenarios.
Results
This is an innovative conceptual model that focuses on the fundamentals of the overall framework. The characteristics of the model have obvious application advantages in three types of virtual medical education scenarios: "Theoretical knowledge learning", "Operational skill learning" and "Practical experiential learning". And through the characteristics of model immersion, collaboration, dynamic feedback, and other characteristics, the cross-spatial connection between virtual and real is established, which greatly breaks through the limitations of space scenes.
Conclusion
The multimodal teaching interaction model(MTIM) broadens the application scenarios of teaching, effectively enhances the sense of reality and experience of situational teaching, has great application prospects for promoting the development of medical education reform, and provides some feasible ideas and suggestions for the future development of artificial intelligence in medical education.
Metabolic Quadrivalency in RSeT Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Chen Kevin , Park Kyeyoon , Maric Dragan , Johnson Kory , Robey Pamela , Mallon Mallon
Published: April 2024

One of the most important properties of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is related to their pluripotent states. In our recent study, we identified a previously unrecognized pluripotent state induced by RSeT medium. This state makes primed hESCs resistant to conversion to naïve pluripotent state. In this study, we have further characterized the metabolic features in these RSeT hESCs, including metabolic gene expression, metabolomic analysis, and various functional assays. The commonly reported metabolic modes include glycolysis or both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (i.e., metabolic bivalency) in pluripotent stem cells. However, besides the presence of metabolic bivalency, RSeT hESCs exhibited a unique metabolome with additional fatty acid oxidation and imbalanced nucleotide metabolism. This metabolic quadrivalency is linked to hESC growth independent of oxygen tension and restricted capacity for naïve reprogramming in these cells. Thus, this study provides new insights into pluripotent state transitions and metabolic stress-associated hPSC growth in vitro.
Circuit-Noise-Resilient Virtual Distillation
Authors: Huang He-Liang , Xu Xiao-Yue , Ding Chen , Zhang Shuo , Bao Wan-Su
Published: April 2024

Quantum error mitigation (QEM) is crucial for near-term quantum devices, as noise inherently exists in physical quantum systems and undermines the accuracy of quantum algorithms. A typical QEM method, called Virtual Distillation (VD), aims to mitigate errors for expectation values of observables and achieve effective exponential suppression using multiple copies of the noisy state. However, imperfect VD circuit implementation may yield negative mitigation outcomes, potentially more severe than those achieved without QEM. To address this, we introduce Circuit-Noise-Resilient Virtual Distillation (CNR-VD). This method, featuring a calibration procedure that utilizes easily-prepared input states, refines the outcomes of VD when its circuit is contaminated by noise, seeking to recover the results of an ideally conducted VD circuit. Simulation results demonstrate that the CNR-VD estimator effectively reduces deviations induced by noise in the VD circuit, showcasing improvements in accuracy by an order of magnitude at most compared to the original VD. Meanwhile, CNR-VD enables positive mitigation effects, even in the presence of higher noise levels where the original VD performs worse than the unmitigated estimation. The proposed CNR-VD significantly enhances the noise-resilience of VD, and thus is anticipated to elevate the performance of quantum algorithm implementations on near-term quantum devices.
Participating experience of virtual reality teaching among nursing Students：a meta synthesis of qualitative studies
Authors: Gao Xing , Zheng Yanxue , Li XiaoQin , Fu WenFeng , Han Fang
Published: April 2024

Objective To systematically evaluate research on nursing students' experience of participating in teaching virtual reality technology.
Methods A computerized search of PubMed, Web of science, Wiley Online Library, China Knowledge Network, Wanfang Database, and China Biomedical Literature Service System was conducted to search for qualitative studies on nursing students' experiences of participating in teaching with virtual reality technology, with a time frame from 2013 to 2023. The quality of the literature was evaluated using the quality evaluation criteria of Australian JBI evidence-based health care centers，and the results were summarized and integrated using the aggregative integration method.
Results A total of 9 studies were included, ultimately distilling 37 findings from the original studies, which were summarized to form 7 new categories, yielding 3 integrated findings: strengths and needs of virtual reality teaching and learning experiences; weaknesses and challenges of virtual reality teaching and learning experiences; and future applications and possibilities of virtual reality teaching and learning.
Conclusion By combining the advantages of virtual reality technology with the occurrence of nursing teaching, nursing students can experience immersive experiential learning at any time and any place without time and space constraints,
and the overall cognitive pleasure of nursing students to this virtual teaching system is good. However, it is necessary to further enrich the details of teaching content design and optimize the technical experience of virtual reality.
UNet-like network fused Swin Transformer and CNN for Semantic Image Synthesis
Authors: Ke Aihua , Luo Jian , Cai Bo
Published: April 2024

Semantic image synthesis approaches has been dominated by the modelling of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). Due to the limitations of local perception, their performance improvement seems to have plateaued in recent years. To tackle this issue, we propose the TransUNet model, which is a UNet-like network fused Swin Transformer and CNN for semantic image synthesis. Photorealistic image synthesis conditional on the given semantic layout depends on the high-level semantics and the low-level positions. To improve the synthesis performance, we design a novel conditional residual fusion module for the model decoder to efficiently fuse the hierarchical feature maps extracted at different scales. Moreover, this module combines the opposition-based learning mechanism and the weight assignment mechanism for enhancing and attending the semantic information. Compared to pure CNN-based models, our TransUNet combines the local and global perceptions to better extract high- and low-level features and better fuse multi-scale features. We have conducted an extensive amount of comparison experiments, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, to validate the effectiveness of our proposed TransUNet model for semantic image synthesis. The outcomes illustrate that TransUNet distinctively outperforms the state-of-the-art model on three benchmark datasets (Citysacpes, ADE20K, and COCO-Stuff) including numerous real-scene images.
Construction and Validation of a nanogram to predict the impact of multiple primary tumors on survival of different subtypes of thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Zhong Qing-Qi , Du Xing-Jie , Liao Chun-Tao , Zhang Di-Tian , Tu Xing-Feng , Wang Qi-Cai
Published: April 2024

This article explores the construction and validation of predictive models using the SEER database to forecast survival among various types of thyroid cancer patients. The study encompasses 48,700 cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2018, encompassing different pathological types. Utilizing multivariate logistic regression, it analyzed seven variable factors: age, gender, T, N, M stage, race, and multiple primary malignant neoplasms (MPMNs) information. Assessing their correlation with clinical features and prognosis among thyroid cancer patients. Based on these factors, diagnostic models predicting survival rates among different pathological types of thyroid cancer patients were established. The research indicates that gender, age, and MPMN information significantly impact patients' survival times across various pathological types. The model demonstrates good predictive performance, offering high accuracy in forecasting the survival rates of thyroid cancer patients with diverse pathological types. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival curves based on risk stratification exhibit consistently lower survival rates among patients in high-risk groups. The article highlights the initial impact of multiple primary tumors on thyroid cancer prognosis and emphasizes that relying solely on tumor information is insufficient for precise survival predictions. It underscores the necessity of collecting additional treatment information and data to enhance comprehensive research into thyroid cancer prognosis.
Epidemiological and radiological findings of lumbar degenerative scoliosis in adult patients with low back pain
Authors: Li Hao , Xiang Hongfei , Guo Zhu , Wu Xiaolin , Cui Huifei , Fan Zuoran , Ma Yuanye , Zhang Zhihao , Chen Bohua
Published: April 2024

Background: DLS often accompanied by LBP, however, but few epidemiological study focused on them. The reported results varied considerably and enrolled fewer patients. Thus, it is difficult to know the distributions of DLS.
Methods：A retrospective radiographic study enrolled 2193 patients (758 males and 1435 females) with LBP. Among the images, 1000 were taken in a standing position, and 1193 were shot supinely. Measurements included curve type, location, magnitude, coronal Cobb angle, lumbar curvature, and rotatory olisthesis.
Results：212 patients (53 males and 159 females) showed signs of DLS and the overall prevalence was 9.7％, in which women were more affected by DLS with a higher prevalence. Lumbar curvature was greater in the standing group than that in supine group (p=0.015). In DLS cases, Cobb angles averaged 15.3°( 10° to 54.5°), and the degrees of vertebral rotation mostly was grade I or II. There were more left curves than right ones (138:74), more lumbar curves than thoracolumbar ones (181:31). Lateral olisthesis was found in 140 cases and mostly located at L3/4 or L4/5. Coronal Cobb angle appeared positively correlated with apex vertebra rotation and the maximal lateral olisthesis, although negatively correlated with lumbar curvature. Apex vertebra rotation showed a positive linear correlation with maximal lateral olisthesis.
Conclusions：The prevalence of DLS in patients with LBP was significantly elevated with age advances, especially in female patient population. Curve type, location, magnitude, coronal Cobb angle, lumbar curvature, and maximal anterioposterior and lateral olisthesis were important elements of radiographic parameters to establish an epidemiological evaluation for DLS.
Insights into Coral colony mortality the role of rising ocean temperatures and environmental stressors
Authors: nm sahab , Rajan Rajkumar , Cn abdulraheem
Published: April 2024

An assessment of the impact on coral reefs was conducted from 2019 to 2022 using a survey on two island reefs. The findings indicated that rising ocean temperatures were linked to the 40% of coral colony deaths that occurred in 2019 and 2021. Additionally, the concentrations of zooxanthellae in lagoon corals varied during this time. The study found that sediment, chlorophyll, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and temperature all had a significant impact on coral health. The significant variation in sedimentation rates—which ranged from 5.3 to 202 mg/cm2/day—suggested a high degree of sedimentation. The results of the study show how temperature, PAR, chlorophyll, and sediment levels affect coral health and emphasise the importance of monitoring and reducing these stressors. Conservation efforts can be focused on the most urgent threats to coral reef ecosystems by pinpointing the precise variables that lead to coral degradation. In the end, this research advances our knowledge of how to safeguard these essential marine environments for upcoming generations.
Chitooligosaccharides promote healing of diabetic wounds through mediating proliferation and migration of fibroblasts
Authors: Li Zihan , Zhang Chuwei , Wang Lei , Zhang Qingrong , Dong Yipeng , Sha Xinyu , Wang Bolin , Zhu Zhihan , Wang Wenmiao , Wang Yongjun , Zhou Youlang , Zhang Yi
Published: April 2024

Diabetic wound is difficult for healing due to disrupted cell repairing function and reduced angiogenesis, along with susceptibility to infection. Fibroblasts are crucial for wound healing by producing extracellular matrix (ECM) components and several growth factors, which are inhibited in the subjects of diabetic wounds. Chitooligosaccharides (COS), the intermediate products of chitosan degradation, are found efficient in promoting tissue repair, but less is known about their roles on diabetic wound healing. By treatment of mice diabetic wounds model, COS showed robust bioactivity in accelerating wound healing through promoting proliferation and migration of fibroblasts. COS also increased deposition of collagen III and angiogenesis at wound sites. Meanwhile, the oligosaccharides attenuated inflammatory activation by control of leukocyte infiltration and bacterial infection. Mechanistically, COS mediated cell events of fibroblasts through regulation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The results have provided new bioactive material for chronic wound healing.
Risk Stratification and Overall Survival Prediction in extensive stage Small Cell Lung Cancer after chemotherapy with immunotherapy Based on CT Radiomics
Authors: Wang Fang , Chen Wujie , Chen Fangmin , Lu Jinlan , Xu Yanjun , Fang Min , Jiang Haitao
Published: April 2024

Purpose The prognosis of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer is usually poor. In this study, a combined model based on pre-treatment CT radiomics and clinical features was constructed to predict the OS of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer after chemotherapy with immunotherapy. Methods Clinical data of 111 patients with extensive stage small-cell lung cancer who received first-line immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in our hospital from December 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected. Finally, 93 patients were selected for inclusion in the study, and CT images were obtained through PACS system before treatment. All patients were randomly divided into a training set (n = 66) and a validation set (n = 27). Images were imported into ITK-SNAP to outline areas of interest, and Python software was used to extract radiomics features. A total of 1781 radiomics features were extracted from each patient's images. The feature dimensions were reduced by MRMR and LASSO methods, and the radiomics features with the greatest predictive value were screened. The weight coefficient of radiomics features was calculated, and the linear combination of the feature parameters and the weight coefficient was used to calculate Radscore. Univariate cox regression analysis was used to screen out the factors significantly associated with prognosis from the radiomics and clinical features, and multivariate cox regression analysis was performed to establish the prognosis prediction model of extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Results The degree of metastases was selected as a significant clinical prognostic factor by univariate cox regression analysis. Seven radiomics features with significance were selected by LASSO-COX regression analysis, and the Radscore was calculated according to the coefficient of the radiomics features. An alignment diagram survival prediction model was constructed by combining Radscore with the number of metastatic lesions. The study population was stratified into those who survived less than 11 months, and those with a greater than 11 month survival. The C-index was 0.722 (se = 0.044) and 0.68(se = 0.074) in the training and the validation sets, respectively. The Log_rank test results of the combination model were as follows: training set: p < 0.0001, validation set: p = 0.00042. Conclusion In this study, a combined model based on radiomics and clinical features could predict OS in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer after chemotherapy with immunotherapy, which could help guide clinical treatment strategies.
Mpox infection of stromal cells and macrophages of macaque with endometriosis
Authors: Martinot Amanda , Hall Joshua , Lyons Claire , Li Jingyi , Martinez-Romero Gisela , Hayes Tammy , Cook Anthony , Barouch Dan
Published: April 2024

The mpox outbreak of 2022-2023 represented a new global health challenge and recognition of mpox as a sexually transmitted disease. The majority of cases were reported in men who have sex with men (MSM), but women are also susceptible, especially during pregnancy. We evaluated the reproductive tracts of a subset macaques from a large rechallenge study of mpox infection with virus from the 2022 outbreak and identified intraabdominal mpox replication associated with endometriosis. Mpox virus (MPXV) was found not only in skin, but in the cervix, the uterus, and periovarian endometriotic lesions of the affected macaque. Mpox replication preferentially targeted vimentin-positive poorly differentiated endometriotic stromal tissue and infiltrating macrophages in the reproductive tract. Mpox tropism for stromal cells and macrophages has broad implications for mpox pathogenesis and associated clinical syndromes. In addition, women with endometriosis may be at heightened risk for adverse outcomes associated with mpox infection. The rhesus macaque provides rare insight into this disease and the potential complications of mpox infection in the context of genitourinary tract disease.
Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Soil Available Heavy Metal Pollution in Guangzhou Based on Multi Method Fusion
Authors: Zou Zihang , Chen Lian , Zhang Peizhen , Wang Zhenjiang , Lin Sen , Wang Dan , Tang Cuiming , Luo Guoqing , Zhong Jianwu , Li Zhiyi , Wang Yuan
Published: April 2024

Assessment of the effective state concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd, and As in 210 soil samples across the Guangzhou region in South China. The study also explores the pollution status, potential risks, and identifies the main hazard factors associated with these elements. The analysis of effective concentrations indicates average values of 13.66 mg/kg for Pb, 3.64 mg/kg for Ni, 17.92 mg/kg for Cu, 1.74 mg/kg for Cr, 51.77 mg/kg for Zn, 0.22 mg/kg for Cd, and 0.38 mg/kg for As. Notably, all heavy metals exhibited considerable variability. The single pollution index method and Nemerow index method both suggest that, with the exception of Cd, all heavy metals exhibit relatively low levels of contamination, indicating a slight overall pollution in the studied samples. The potential ecological risk index identifies Cd as the primary ecological risk factor among the available heavy metals in the soil of Guangzhou. The analysis using the potential health risk model suggests that the available forms of each heavy metal do not pose substantial health risks to both children and adults. The principal non-carcinogenic factors identified are Cu and Pb, whereas Cd and Cr emerge as the primary carcinogenic factors. The collaborative risk assessment analysis revealed that 79% of the samples in Guangzhou exhibited low potential risks, 20% showed potential risks, and only one sample indicated serious risks.
Design of a new nanocomposite based on Keggin-type [ZnW 12 O 40 ] 6– anionic cluster anchored on NiZn 2 O 4 ceramics as a promising material towards the electrocatalytic hydrogen storage
Authors: Rezvani Mohammad Ali , Ardeshiri Hadi Hassani , Gholami Alireza , Aghmasheh Masomeh
Published: April 2024

While hydrogen is considered as a highly promising alternative fuel for energy production and consumption systems due to its clean-burning properties, its relatively low volumetric energy density has hindered its sorption abilities under ambient conditions. As a result, extensive research efforts have been dedicated to developing electrode materials with high capacity in order to address the increasing complexities arising from the energy crisis. Herein, a new nanocomposite was synthesized via the sol-gel method by immobilizing potassium salt of Keggin-type polyoxometalate ([ZnW12O40]6–) within the surface of NiZn2O4 ceramics. The assembled nanocomposite (ZnW12O40/NiZn2O4) was characterized by FT-IR, UV-vis, XRD, SEM, EDX, BET, and TGA-DTG methods. Furthermore, the electrochemical characteristics of the materials were examined using cyclic voltammogram (CV) and charge-discharge chronopotentiometry (CHP) techniques. Multiple factors affecting the hydrogen storage capacity, including current density (j), surface area of the copper foam, and the consequences of repeated cycles of hydrogen adsorption-desorption were evaluated. The initial cycle led to an impressive hydrogen discharge capability of 340 mAh/g, which subsequently increased to 900 mAh/g after 20 runs with a current density of 2 mA in 6.0 M KOH medium. The surface area and the electrocatalytic characteristics of the nanoparticles contribute to facilitate the formation of electrons and provide good diffusion channels for the movement of electrolyte ions throughout the charge-discharge procedure.
Autolyzed yeast and sodium butyrate supplemented alone to diets promoted improvements in performance, intestinal health and nutrient transporter in weaned piglets
Authors: Correia¹ Amanda Medeiros , Genova¹ Jansller Luiz , Kim Sung Woo , Abranches Fernanda Fialho , Rocha Gabriel Cipriano
Published: April 2024

This study investigated the effects of supplemental nucleotides, autolyzed yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and sodium butyrate in diets for nursery pigs on growth performance, diarrhea incidence, blood profile, intestinal morphology, mRNA expression of nutrient transporters, inflammatory markers, antioxidant profile, and tight junction proteins in the small intestine. One hundred eighty 21-d-old pigs (5.17 ± 0.57 kg) were assigned in a randomized block design to 1 of 4 dietary treatments: (1) CON: control, basal diet, (2) NUC: CON + nucleotides, (3) YSC: CON + lysed yeast S. cerevisiae, (4) ASB: CON + acidifier sodium butyrate. Pigs were fed for 24 d, phase 1 (21 to 32 d) and 2 (32 to 45 d). During phase 1, YSC and ASB improved average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion (FC) compared with CON. At the overall period, ASB improved ADG and YSC improved FC compared with CON. The NUC diet did not affect growth performance. The ASB increased ileal villus height compared to CON. The YSC and ASB reduced the number of Peyer’s patches in the ileum compared with CON. The YSC increased mRNA expression of nutrient transporters (SMCT2, MCT1, and PepT1), tight junction proteins (OCL and ZO-1), antioxidants (GPX), and IL1-β in the jejunum compared with CON. The ASB increased mRNA expression of nutrient transporters (SGLT1 and MCT1), tight junction proteins (OCL and ZO-1), and antioxidants (GPX and SOD) compared with CON. In conclusion, autolyzed yeast and sodium butyrate promoted growth performance by improving the integrity of the intestinal barrier, the mRNA expression of nutrient transporters, and antioxidant enzymes in the jejunum of nursery pigs whereas supplementation of nucleotides did not show such effects.