bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remotely prescribed and monitored home-based gait-and-balance therapeutic exergaming using augmented reality (AR) glasses: protocol for a clinical feasibility study in people with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Hardeman Lotte , Geerse Daphne , Hoogendoorn Eva , Nonnekes Jorik , Roerdink Melvyn
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND
Clinical guidelines for people with Parkinson's disease (pwPD) stress that, complementary to pharmacological treatment, exercise and physical therapy should be given a central role to disease management. Adhering to regular exercise of the right type, and with high repetition, remains a challenge for pwPD. Exergaming has the potential to increase adherence through play and personalised interventions, both in clinic and at home. Reality DTx® is an augmented-reality (AR) home-based gamified gait-and-balance exergaming intervention specifically designed for pwPD as an extension of supervised physical therapy. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and potential efficacy of Reality DTx®.
METHODS
Twenty-four individuals with PD (Hoehn & Yahr stage 2–4) with self-reported gait-and/or-balance impairments will participate in this study. The study comprises a 6-week waitlist-controlled AR home-based therapeutic gait-and-balance exergaming intervention. Reality DTx® will initially be prescribed remotely for minimally five days a week for 30 minutes per day. We will remotely set and adjust the frequency, difficulty, type of games and/or duration on a weekly basis, based on objective and subjective data from the AR glasses and participant, respectively. In addition to the home-based gait-and-balance exergaming intervention, the study comprises three laboratory visits: before the 6-week waitlist period (t0; baseline), before the 6-week intervention period (t1; pre-intervention) and after the 6-week intervention period (t2; post-intervention). The primary study parameters are feasibility (in terms of safety, adherence and user experience) and potential efficacy for improving gait and balance (using standard clinical gait-and-balance tests and a targeted walking-related fall-risk assessment). Recruitment started in December 2022 and the final post-intervention assessment will according to planning be in July 2023.
CONCLUSIONS
This clinical feasibility trial is the first remotely prescribed and monitored home-based AR gait-and-balance exergaming intervention for pwPD. The results in terms of clinical feasibility (i.e., safety, adherence and user experience) and potential efficacy (gait, balance and fall-risk outcomes) form the basis for future randomised controlled studies on the effectiveness of home-based AR gait-and-balance exergaming interventions for pwPD.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05605249, Registered 4 November 2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05605249
Soil nutrient limitation and natural enemies promote the establishment of alien species in native community
Authors: Xu Yu-Han , Guo Yu-Jian , Bai Yan-Feng , Liu Yuan-Yuan , Yan Zhao-Gui , Wang Yong-Jian
Published: June 2023

Background and Aims
The invasion of alien plant species poses a threat to native community’s composition and diversity. However, the invasiveness of alien plants and invasibility of native communities should be depended on the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors, such as natural enemies and soil nutrient availability.
Methods
We simulated the invasion of nine invasive plants into native plant communities with two levels of soil nutrient availability and natural enemies suppression. We explored how the biotic and abiotic factors affect the response of alien target species and the resistance of native communities to invasion.
Results
Enemy release (i.e., presence of enemy) increased biomass proportion of alien plants and decreased that of native community under without nutrient addition. Furthermore, the negative effect of enemy suppression on the evenness of native community and the root-to-shoot ratio of alien target species was greatest under nutrient addition.
Conclusion
Soil nutrient deficiency and natural enemies might promote the invasive success of alien species in native community, whereas nutrient addition and enemy suppression can better enhance the resistance of native plant communities to invasion.
Assessing Opportunities of SYCL and Intel oneAPI for Biological Sequence Alignment
Authors: Costanzo Manuel , Rucci Enzo , García-Sanchez Carlos , Naiouf Marcelo , Prieto-Matías Manuel
Published: June 2023

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology are two fields that have been exploiting GPUs for more than two decades, with being CUDA the most used programming language for them. However, as CUDA is an NVIDIA proprietary language, it implies a strong portability restriction to a wide range of heterogeneous architectures, like AMD or Intel GPUs. To face this issue, the Khronos Group has recently proposed the SYCL standard, which is an open, royalty-free, cross-platform abstraction layer, that enables the programming of a heterogeneous system to be written using standard, single-source C++ code. Over the past few years, several implementations of this SYCL standard have emerged, being oneAPI the one from Intel. This paper presents the migration process of the SW# suite, a biological sequence alignment tool developed in CUDA, to SYCL using Intel’s oneAPI ecosystem. The experimental results show that SW# was completely migrated with a small programmer intervention in terms of hand-coding. Moreover, it was possible to port the migrated code between different architectures (considering multiple vendor GPUs and also CPUs), with no noticeable performance degradation on 5 different NVIDIA GPUs. As a consequence, SYCL and Intel oneAPI can offer attractive opportunities for the Bioinformatics community, especially considering the vast existence of CUDA-based legacy codes.
Emergence of Two High-pressure Superconducting Phases in Pressurized Optical Semiconductor GaP
Authors: Qian Nixian , Zhang Ranran , Chen Chunhua , Chen Xuliang , Yang Zhaorong , An Chao , Zhou Ying , Zhang Min , Yuan Yifang , Zhou Yonghui
Published: June 2023

Pressure engineering in semiconductors leads to a variety of novel physical phenomena and has recently obtained considerable attention. Here we report on pressure-induced superconductivity in III-V gallium phosphide (GaP), a commercially important semiconductor that exhibits excellent optical performances. We show that the emergence of superconductivity is accompanied by concurrence of piezochromic transition and metallization, and can be correlated to a structural transition from cubic to orthorhombic phase. In line with structural origin of the superconductivity, the critical temperature Tc decreases monotonically with increasing pressure up to ~ 50 GPa. Moreover, the superconductivity could be preserved toward ambient pressure because of the irreversibility of the structural transition. Nevertheless, the superconducting transition displays evident broadening associated with the presence of amorphization in the depressurized sample. The synchronous evolution of the structural and electronic properties not only documents a vivid structure–property relationship, but also sheds light on exploring novel functionalities by means of pressure treatment.
Unified plastic limit analysis of the cap periphery formation in orbital drilling of titanium alloy
Authors: Zhou Lan , Zhong Yun , An Guosheng , Dong Hongfeng , Zheng Min , Zhu Zongxiao
Published: June 2023

The cap geometry and formation mechanism play a key role in influencing the hole-making quality on the bore exit side and must be the focus of research in orbital drilling of aeronautical metal materials. For a “bowl shape” cap geomery formed in orbital drilling process, the corresponding undeformed cap periphery geometry, generated by the cap periphery cutting edges, is simulated and given the parametric description. Especially, the cap periphery is simplified as a simply supported annular plate under uniform load with arbitrary loading radius based on the charateristics of the cap peripheray shape and mechanical analysis of processing. Then its unified plastic limit analysis is developed. The ultimate load, stress field, and plastic deformation at the periphery of the cap are derived from the unified strength theory. Furthermore, the numerical solutions are obtained in terms of the Tresca yield, Huber–von Mises, and twin-shear yield criteria. The conclusions enabled an in-depth understanding of the cap periphery formation mechanism in the orbital drilling of holes from the unified plastic limit analysis perspective.
Agar-based optical sensors for electric current measurements
Authors: Fujiwara Eric , Rosa Lidia , Oku Hiromasa , Cordeiro Cristiano
Published: June 2023

Biodegradable optical waveguides are breakthrough technologies to light delivery and sensing in biomedical and environmental applications. Agar emerges as an edible, soft, low-cost, and renewable alternative to traditional biopolymers, presenting remarkable optical and mechanical characteristics. Previous works introduced agar-made optical fibers for chemical measurements based on their inherent response to humidity and surrounding concentration. Therefore, we propose, for the first time, an all-optical, biodegradable electric current sensor. As flowing charges heat the agar matrix and modulate its refractive index, we connect the optical device to a DC voltage source using pin headers and excite the agar sample with coherent light to project spatiotemporally deviating speckle fields. Experiments proceeded with spheres and no-core fibers comprising 2 wt% agar/water. Once the increasing current stimulates the speckles’ motion, we acquire such images with a camera and evaluate their correlation coefficients, yielding exponential decay-like functions whose time constants provide the input amperage. Furthermore, the light granules follow the polarization of the applied voltage drop, providing visual information about the current direction. The results indicate a maximum resolution of ~0.5 µA for electrical stimuli ≤ 100 µA, which fulfills the requirements for bioelectrical signal assessment.
Twitter - a new citizen science solution for urban flood database #urban floods #flood database
Authors: Ponukumati Padmini , Regonda Satish Kumar
Published: June 2023

High spatial heterogeneous behavior of urban floods offers challenges in its monitoring, modeling and assessment, and lack of flood database further increases complexity. This study proposes a twitter-based framework to develop a flood database. Three flood events differing in rainfall characteristics are selected, and event-specific flood inventories are developed using the proposed framework. The inventory was validated with newspaper-based information. Analysis of tweets imply a broad agreement among both twitter- and newspaper- based flooding instances, however, highlight the need to include identifiable location information in tweets. Further, the results suggest floating and using of hashtags, and importantly active participation of individuals and various agencies aids in the development of reliable and accurate flood inventory of decent size. Integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques allows to develop cost-effective flood inventories of finer space-time resolutions with minimized manual efforts for many cities around the world; the developed flood inventories make many urban areas data rich; thus it decreases complexity of urban flood relevant challenges at least by one important dimension, thereby plays a key role in modeling and mitigation efforts.
Association of Nidus Size and Rupture in Brain Arteriovenous Malformations: Insight from Angioarchitecture and Hemodynamics
Authors: Li Ruinan , Chen Pingting , Han Heze , Li Zhipeng , Chen Xiaolin , Chen Yu , Zhao Yuanli
Published: June 2023

Objective: This study aims to investigate the correlation between AVM size and rupture by examining natural history, angioarchitecture characteristics, and quantitative hemodynamics.
Methods: A retrospective review of 90 consecutive AVMs from the MATCH registry was conducted. Patients were categorized into small nidus (<3cm) and large nidus (≥3cm) groups based on the Spetzler-Martin grading system. Natural history analysis used prospective cohort survival data, while imaging analysis examined angioarchitecture characteristics and quantitative hemodynamic parameters measured with QDSA.
Results: The small-nidus group had a significantly higher annualized rupture risk (2.3% vs. 1.0%; p = 0.011). Cross-sectional imaging revealed independent hemorrhagic risk factors, including small nidus (OR, 4.801; 95%CI, 1.280–18.008; p = 0.020) and draining vein stenosis (OR, 6.773; 95%CI, 1.179–38.911; p = 0.032). Hemodynamic analysis identified higher stasis index in the feeding artery (OR, 2.442; 95%CI, 1.074–5.550; p = 0.033), higher stasis index in the draining vein (OR, 11.812; 95%CI, 1.907–73.170; p = 0.008), and lower outflow gradient in the draining vein (OR, 1.658; 95%CI, 1.068–2.574; p = 0.024) as independent predictors of AVM rupture. The small nidus group also showed a higher likelihood of being associated with hemorrhagic risk factors.
Conclusion: Small AVM nidus has a higher risk of rupture based on natural history, angioarchitecture, and hemodynamics
Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT04572568
Fast, selective and sensitive fluorescence detection of levofloxacin, Fe3+ and Cu2+ ions in 100% aqueous solution via their reciprocal recognition
Authors: Nazarian Ramo , Darabi Hossein Reza , Aghapoor Kioumars , Sayahi Hani , Mohsenzadeh Farshid , Atasbili Leila
Published: June 2023

The fluorescence detection of ions and pharmaceutical effluents by using organic chemosensors is a valuable surrogate to the currently existing expensive analytical methods. In this regard, the design of multi-functional chemosensors to recognize desirable guests is of utmost importance. In this study, we first show that levofloxacin (LVO) is able to use as a fluorescent chemosensor for the detection of biologically important Cu2+ (turn-off) and Fe3+ (turn-on) ions via independent signal outputs in 100% aqueous buffer solutions. Next, using the reciprocal recognition of LVO and Fe3+ provides a unique emission pattern for the detection of LVO. This approach exhibited a high specificity to LVO among various pharmaceutical samples, namely acetaminophen (AC), azithromycin (AZ), gemifloxacin (GEM) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) and also showed great anti-interference property in urine. The attractive features of this sensing system are availability, easy-to-use, high sensitivity (limit of detection = 18 nM for Cu2+, 22 nM for Fe3+ and 0.12 nM for LVO), rapid response (5 s) with an excellent selectivity.
Prognostic Value of Isolated High Serum Cystatin C Levels Without Glomerular Filtration Rate Reduction
Authors: CANCHO BARBARA , LOPEZ ALVARO ALVAREZ , VALLADARES JULIAN , SABILLON JORGE ALBERTO RODRIGUEZ , GOMEZ JUAN LOPEZ , ROBLES NICOLAS ROBERTO
Published: June 2023

OBJECTIVES: Cystatin C is increasingly used as a marker of renal function as a complement or alternative to serum creatinine and GFR calculated from it. However, cystatin C is also a marker of inflammation. We have assessed its efficacy as a predictor of mortality in a group of patients with increased cystatin C and GFR > 60 ml/min.
DESIGN AND METHODS: We included 608 patients seen at our hospital, 65.9% of whom were male and 34.6% had diabetes mellitus. The mean age was 58.5±14.5 years and a mean GFR of 64.1±33.5 ml/min. Patients were divided into 3 groups: CONTROL (normal cystatin C and GFR > 60 ml/min, age 53.3±12.8 years, GFR 96.6±22.4 ml/min, n=193), INCREASED CYSTATIN (increased cystatin C and GFR >60 ml/min, age 58.9±13, 1 years, GFR 72.2± 10.4 ml/min, n = 40 ) and CKD (chronic kidney disease, increased cystatin C and GFR <60 ml/min, age 61.4±14.8 years, GFR 36.0±12.7 ml/min, n = 160). The relationship with overall mortality was analyzed using the survival curve by Kaplan-Meier method.
RESULTS. Mean cystatin C was 0.75±0.13 mg/l, versus 1.79±0.54 in the CKD group and 1.14±0.14 mg/l, p<0.001 ANOVA). In the CONTROL group survival was 93.9% at five years, compared to 78.8% in the ERC group and 82.3% in the INCREASED CYSTATIN group (p < 0.001 Log Rank). Five-year survival before renal replacement therapy was also different for the ERC group (73%, p < 0.001 Log Rank) but not between the other two groups (CONTROL 99.0%, INCREASED CYSTATIN 94.3% p = 0.08 Log Rank).
CONCLUSIONS. The presence of increased plasmatic levels of cystatin C in patients with GFR > 60 ml/min was a predictor of increased mortality but not of progression to end-stage renal failure. These results confirm the interest of routinely measuring cystatin C in our patients.
The TNFR-RIPK1/RIPK3 signalling pathway mediates the effect of lanthanum on necroptosis of nerve cells
Authors: Jin Bihui , Ding Zhe , Sun Yujiao , Gao Shujuan , Sui Xinyu , Ding Mengping Zhe , Qu Xinyi , Zheng Linlin
Published: June 2023

By observing the changes in hippocampal nerve cell damage in offspring rats exposed to different doses of lanthanum chloride (LaCl3), the role of TNFR-RIPK1/RIPK3 necroptosis pathway in La-mediated neurotoxicity was explored. At 49 days after the birth of the LaCl3-exposed offspring rats, neurobehavioural tests were performed to assess the spatial learning and memory; the ultrastructure of hippocampal tissues of the offspring rats was observed by electron microscopy; the number of Nissl bodies in hippocampal tissue was evaluated by Nissl staining; and the protein contents of TNFR-RIPK1/RIPK3 signalling pathway in hippocampal tissue were measured by Western blotting. The learning and memory ability of the offspring decreased after LaCl3 exposure. Nissl staining showed that in the lanthanum-exposed rats, Nissl body number in the hippocampus was significantly decreased, and the cell arrangement was disordered. The ultramicroscopic structure of hippocampal neurons in lanthanum-exposed rats showed that the mitochondrial volume was increased; ridges were shorter, decreased in number, and marginally shifted; and the matrix electron density was also decreased. Western blotting proved that the contents of TNFR1, P-RIPK1, P-RIPK3 and P-MLKL in hippocampal neurons increased significantly as the LaCl3 dose increased. Lanthanum exposure retarded the growth and development of rat offspring ,impaired spatial learning and memory, and induced mitochondrial damage in hippocampal neurons, resulting in cellular necroptosis .These changes may be related to abnormal expression of TNFR-RIPK1/RIPK3 signaling pathway-related molecules.
Reproductive behavior of three mobulid species (Mobula mobular, Mobula thurstoni and Mobula munkiana) in the Southern Gulf of California, Mexico
Authors: Palacios Marta D , Trejo-Ramírez Abel , Velázquez-Hernández Sidharta , Huesca-Mayorga Scarlett A. K. , Stewart Joshua D. , Cronin Melissa R. , Lezama-Ochoa Nerea , Zilliacus Kelly M. , González‑Armas Rogelio , Galván‑Magaña Felipe , Croll Donald A.
Published: June 2023

We examined the reproductive behavior (courtship and mating) and its seasonality in three mobula species, spinetail, bentfin, and munk’s devil rays (Mobula mobular, M. thurstoni, and M. munkiana) in the southwestern Gulf of California, Mexico, using boat surveys (with drones and in-water observation) (n = 69 survey days), spotter planes (n = 428 flights) and citizen science observations (n = 31). We examined whether (1) reproductive grounds existed within the area for any of these species, (2) reproductive behavior followed seasonal patterns and (3) if this behavior was similar among species. We observed reproductive behavior in 221 sessions in 2017 and 2021–2022, for M. mobular (n = 10), M. thurstoni (n = 3), and M. munkiana (n = 208) dispersed along 312 km of the eastern Baja California Peninsula between 4 m to 6.3 km away from the coast. Most events (n = 209) occurred in the La Ventana and Ensenada de Muertos area. Courtship was observed for M. mobular and M. thurstoni and mating for M. munkiana, with reproductive behavior following a seasonal pattern occurring from March to August, with a peak during May. M. munkiana displayed a previously undescribed behavior, the “courtship vortex”, where 122 individuals were observed circling in a clockwise direction for five hours with mating groups joining and leaving the main vortex formation. This study highlights the area of La Ventana and Ensenada de Muertos as a critical habitat for reproductive behavior of three endangered and vulnerable mobulid species.
Assessment of economic inequality during three decades in Aceh Province of Indonesia
Authors: Abdullah Razali , Fulazzaky Mohamad Ali
Published: June 2023

Political reform and the terrible aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Sumatra have caused a state of income inequality among the Aceh people. The aim of this study was to determine the income inequality of Aceh people using Theil index while the analysis of panel data was used to predict the relationship between income inequality and economic growth for groups of people in three regions of Aceh Province. The results showed the income inequality of Aceh people remained low over two decades and increased to approximately eight times after the fall of New Order regime. Impact of post-2004 tsunami disaster recovery on the tsunami affected areas of Aceh Province has helped to reduce economic inequality. Administrative decentralisation of Aceh Province after political reform as part of democratisation in Indonesia has made a contribution to the realisation of basic human rights, leading to improve the living standards and accelerate economic growth.
Renoprotective effects of therapeutic hypothermia in neonates with perinatal asphyxia
Authors: Aydın Banu , Okumuş Nurullah , Özkan Mehmet Burak , Zenciroğlu Ayşegül , Dilli Dilek , Beken Serdar
Published: June 2023

Background To compare renal blood flow and renal function tests in infants with perinatal asphyxia, and the effects of therapeutic hypothermia(TH) during the first seven days of life.
Methods Fifty-nine patients with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) were prospectively evaluated. Patients with stage 2-3HIE who required TH were classified as Group1(n=36), patients with Stage 1 HIE who did not need TH were classified as Group2(n=23), and healthy infants were classified as Group3(n=60). Renal function tests were evaluated on the 6th hour, 3rd and 7th days of life in Group1 and Group2, and on the 6th hour and 3rd day of life in Group3. KDIGO Classification was used to diagnose AKI in all patients. Renal artery(RA) Doppler ultrasonography(dUS) was performed in all infants on the 1st, 3rd and 7th days of life.
Results Serum cystatinC levels were gradually decreased and glomerular filtration rate(GFR) was gradually increased during TH on Group1. Systolic and end-diastolic blood flow in RA tended to increase and RA resistive index (RI) tended to decrease with time in Group1. While end-diastolic blood flow rates in RA on the 3rd day was similar in patients with stage3 HIE and stage 1 HIE, it was lower in patients with stage 1,2,3 HIE than healthy newborns. On the 7th day, all the three groups had similar values. Stage 3 AKI was not observed in any of the cases.
Conclusion Therapeutic hypothermia seems to help to restore the renal blood flow and renal functions during the neonatal adaptive period along with its neuroprotective properties.
Literacy, but not memory, is associated with hippocampal connectivity in illiterate adults
Authors: Resende Elisa de Paula França , Lara Vivian P. , Santiago Ana Luisa C. , Friedlaender Clarisse V. , Rosen Howard J. , Brown Jesse A. , Cobigo Yann , Silva Lênio L. G. , de Souza Leonardo Cruz , Rincon Luciana , Grinberg Lea T. , Maciel Francisca I.P. , Caramelli Paulo
Published: June 2023

Background
The influence of hippocampal connectivity on memory performance is well established in individuals with high educational attainment. However, the role of hippocampal connectivity in illiterate populations remains poorly understood.
Methods
Thirty-five illiterate adults were administered a literacy assessment (Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults - TOFHLA), structural and resting state functional MRI and an episodic memory test (Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test). Illiteracy was defined as a TOFHLA score below 53. We evaluated the correlation between hippocampal connectivity at rest and both free recall and literacy scores.
Results
Participants were mostly female (57.1%) and Black (84.8%), with a median age of 50 years. The median TOFHLA literacy score was 28.0 [21.0;42.5] out of 100 points and the median free recall score was 30.0 [26.2;35] out of 48 points. The median gray matter volume of both the left and right hippocampi was 2.3 [2.1; 2.4] cm3. We observed a significant connectivity between both hippocampi and the precuneus and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex. Interestingly, the right hippocampal connectivity positively correlated with the literacy scores (β = 0.58, p = 0.008). There was no significant association between episodic memory and hippocampal connectivity. Neither memory nor literacy scores correlated with hippocampal gray matter volume.
Conclusions
Low literacy levels correlate with hippocampal connectivity in illiterate adults. The lack of association with memory scores might be associated with low brain reserve in illiterate adults.
Effect of betulinic acid nanoparticles activating CB2 receptor on microglial polarization in ischemic brain injury
Authors: guo yujia , Tian Qi , Zhang Zhan , Liu Chengli , Li Yong , Zhu Xinyi , Wang Guijun , He Peibang , Wang Jianfeng , Yang Chen , Han Wenrui , Deng Gang , Li Mingchang
Published: June 2023

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of mortality and permanent disability worldwide. Microglia, as the brain-resident immune cells, play a biphasic role in ischemic stroke depending on its polarization toward M1 or M2 phenotype. Betulinic acid (BA) is a natural bioactive molecule with the potential to active CB2 receptor on microglia and promote its M2 polarization. Herein, we set to explore the regulation of self-assembled BA nanoparticles (BA NPs) on CB2 receptor mediated microglial polarization after brain ischemia. The in vitro studies showed that BA could regulate the polarization of BV2 micorglia treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which could be blocked by CB2 inhibitor. For in vivo studies, transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model mice receiving self-assembled BA NPs had the least infarct volume and neurological deficit, which could be reversed by CB2 inhibitor. Moreover, microglia at ischemic site were polarized into M2 phenotype after treatment with BA NPs. Our results demonstrates that BA nanoparticles can significantly regulate the M1/M2 polarization of microglia by activating CB2 signal in ischemic stroke.
A model of mountain socio-ecological systems to catalyze multi-actor collaborations towards sustainability
Authors: Cristofari Hélène , Asse Daphne , Chanteloup Laine , Guisan Antoine , Otero Iago , Reynard Emmanuel , Urbach Davnah , Randin Christophe
Published: June 2023

Addressing sustainability challenges in mountains requires multi-actorcollaboration and interdisciplinarity. Yet, such processes of knowledge co-creation need to account for the existence of diverse representations of mountain socio-ecological systems amongst actors. We build on literature and picture-based interviews with local actors to first explore and describe the potential diversity of representations of mountain social-ecological systems and subsequently develop a conceptual model of such systems that can help actors acknowledge and share their representations. In this model, which integrates the human and natural components, as well as their interactions, the human component is further refined with five personal stance components. These component help describe how individuals position themselves with respect to the system in the specific context of mountains. We use the example of alpine tourism management to illustrate how the model and these components help to achieve a holistic understanding of the factors at stake for different acctors involved in the management of mountain regions.
Pediatric Hydrocephalus in Brazil Public Health System: the Reality of a Developing Country in the Past 13 Years
Authors: Filho Leonardo de Macedo , Mansouri Alireza , Sarigul Buse , Diogenes Ana Vitoria , Kacem Caio , Torquato Gustavo , Andrade Patricia , Rizk Elias
Published: June 2023

PURPOSE
Pediatric hydrocephalus is a significant challenge in neurosurgery, particularly in resource-limited settings. This study focuses on the landscape of pediatric hydrocephalus neurosurgery in Brazil, a developing country, over the past 13 years.
METHODS
Data were collected from the Brazilian Hospital Information System, Live Birth Information System, and Mortality Information System records in the DATASUS (Departamento de Informática do SUS) database among January 2008 and the July 2021. Various health indicators were analyzed, including hospitalizations, treatment options, costs, and mortality rates.
RESULTS
During the period of study, Brazil recorded 8,493 new diagnoses of congenital hydrocephalus in live births, with 1,123 cases associated with spina bifida. The prevalence of congenital hydrocephalus was 241 cases per 100,000 live births, and 210 cases per 100,000 live births were attributed to congenital hydrocephalus not related to spina bifida. A total of 730 perinatal mortality cases related to congenital hydrocephalus were reported, with no clear trend over the 12-year period. The average number of perinatal mortality cases was 60.83 ± 13.98 per year. There were 1,063 infant mortality cases associated with hydrocephalus and 3,122 cases associated with congenital hydrocephalus, with no clear trend observed. The highest mortality rates for both diagnoses occurred between 3 to 5 months of age. Ethnicity and age were found to have significant relationships with mortality rates. A total of 217,900 hydrocephalus-related procedures were performed, with an increase in mean hospitalization cost and procedure numbers over the 13-year period. Mean cost per procedure had a significant negative effect on mean length of stay, while average professionals' salary did not have a significant effect.
CONCLUSION
Pediatric hydrocephalus in Brazil's public health system is a significant burden. Congenital hydrocephalus prevalence and mortality rates emphasize the need for better diagnosis and treatment. Early diagnosis, prenatal care, and adequate resources are crucial. This study offers insights into pediatric hydrocephalus in a developing country, highlighting challenges and future directions for improved care.
Polymorphic Analysis of Genes PADI4 (rs2240340, rs1748033) and HLA-DRB1 (rs2395175) in Arthritis Patients in Pakistani Populations
Authors: Bashir Kashif , Chaudhary Ayesha , Aslam Mehwish , Fatima Ishrat , Sarwar Romana
Published: June 2023

Gene are an important factor for the initiation of any disease which has a family history. Many genes are associated with RA other than environmental factors. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the association of genes PADI4 (rs2240340, rs1748033) and HLA-DRB1 (rs2395175) polymorphisms in RA patients from population of Punjab, Pakistan. Blood samples of RA patients were collected from different hospitals of Sargodha. DNA was extracted, followed by PCR. Polymorphic analysis was performed in 300 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 300 healthy controls. PADI4 (rs2240340, rs1748033) and HLA-DRB1 (rs2395175). In PADI4 gene, both homozygous mutant genotype (TT) and heterozygous (CT) of SNP rs2240340 showed significant association by increasing the risk of RA upto 2 folds (OR = 2.55; 95% CI = 1.57–4.15; p = 0.0002). In case of rs1748033 polymorphism, homozygous mutant genotype (TT) showed significant association with RA with increasing risk of disease up to 3- folds (OR = 3.46; 95% CI = 1.97–6.07; p = 0.0001), while heterozygous genotype (CT) of the same SNP showed significant association with RA by playing a protective role (OR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.36–0.91; p = 0.0197). In HLA-DRB1 gene, homozygous mutant genotype (GG) of SNP rs2395175 showed no significant association with RA, while heterozygous genotype (AG) of the same SNP showed significant association with RA by playing a protective role (OR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.27–0.71; p = 0.0009). Conclusions: Highly significance association of genes PADI4 (rs2240340, rs1748033) and HLA-DRB1 (rs2395175) polymorphisms with RA was observed in Pakistani population.
Traffic Signal Prediction Based on ANFIS and Metaheuristic Algorithms Applied to a Vissim-Based Simulated Intersection
Authors: SHAHKAR AMIR , Oruc Şeref , yelghi Aref
Published: June 2023

Traffic signs are among the most important traffic equipment that are used in urban and non-urban areas and their purpose is to increase road volume and reduce delays while ensuring safe movement. Over the years, due to the growing trend of car production and car use, which has increased urban and road traffic, traffic signs have increased and become more diverse and efficient. One of these traffic control methods at intersections is the use of traffic signal scheduling techniques, which despite the advantages of this method has a major drawback, and that is that due to the dynamic behavior of traffic, this method has issues in predicting traffic signal timing especially in times of peak traffic. Designing appropriate green times for traffic signal lights with Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) technique in traffic signal controller is a feasible solution to tackle this issue in urban network congestion during peak hours. The capability to learn from experience is one of the specifications of ANFIS that makes these techniques appropriate to mention genuine universe challenges. ANFIS Traffic Signal Controller is used to control the traffic density of an intersection so that it can reduce the queue length and latency to the minimum optimal time expected. ANFIS Traffic Controller is an intelligent controller with automatic learning sets the appropriate green time for each phase of the traffic light at the beginning of the phase, and the system generally depends on traffic information. The controller uses metaheuristic algorithms to tune ANFIS parameters during learning time. The first part of this article concerns the simulation of an isolated intersection in a VISSIM simulator, for the generation of the new phase distribution of it (optimum cycle). In the second part, ANFIS with metaheuristic algorithms is modelized and applied to the VISSIM simulated intersection. In the modelized system, for training and testing phases, 90 samples of newly generated data sets from VISSIM, and 40 others were considered respectively. By tuning the parameters using metaheuristic algorithms, we tried to increase the accuracy of the ANFIS network prediction to demonstrate the high performance of the ANFIS network in predicting and controlling traffic in intersections. The predicting system uses real-time data to predict the signal time. Results of the analysis demonstrated that our predictor system with ANFIS-GA indicates better predicts in comparison to ANFIS-PSO and ANFIS-HS. The predictor system presented a total and Relative Mean Square Error of 2.9619 and 8.4215 in the train set and 4.2209 and 11.8501 in the test respectively. The designed prediction model in the field of complex data showed an acceptable level of reliability and flexibility.
Riparian forest restoration as sources of biodiversity and ecosystem functions in anthropogenic landscapes
Authors: Antonini Yasmine , Beirão Marina V. , Costa Fernanda V. , Azevedo Cristiano S. , Wojakowski Maria M. , Kozovits Alessandra R. , Pires Maria Rita S. , Sousa Hildeberto C. , Messias Maria Cristina T. B. , Fujaco Maria Augusta , Leite Mariangela G. P. , Vidigal Joice P. , Monteiro Graziella F. , Dirzo Rodolfo
Published: June 2023

1. Restoration of tropical riparian forests is challenging, since these ecosystems are the most diverse, dynamic, and complex physical and biological terrestrial habitats. This study tested whether biodiversity can predict ecosystem functions in a human-impacted tropical riparian forest. 2. We explored the effects of several biodiversity components (taxonomic or functional groups) on different ecosystem functions associated with restored riparian forests 3. Overall, 49% of the biodiversity components showed positive effects on ecosystem functions, each component to a different degree. In general, our results showed that both taxonomic and functional biodiversity had strong effects on ecosystem functions indicating that floral and faunal biodiversity enhanced the multifunctionality of these restored riparian tropical forests. 4. These findings indicate that in restored riparian forests, recovery of biodiversity is followed by improvement in important ecosystem functions that are the basis for successful restoration. Future research and policy for restoration programs must focus on restoring elementary faunal and floral components of biodiversity in order to promote ecosystem multifunctionality.
Complete mitochondrial genome of Ctenophthalmus quadratus and Stenischia humilis in China provides insights into fleas phylogeny
Authors: Chen Bin , Liu Ya-Fang , Lu Xin-Yan , Jiang Dan-Dan , Wang Xuan , Zhang Quan-Fu , Yang Guo-Ping , Yang Xing
Published: June 2023

BackgroundFleas (Order Siphonaptera) are a common blood-feeding ectoparasites, which have important economic significance. Limited mitochondrial genome information has extremely impeded the study of flea biology, population genetics and phylogenetics. TheCtenophthalmus quadratusandStenischia humiliscomplete mt genomes are described in this study.MethodsC. quadratusandS. humiliswere collected from Jianchuan, Yunnan plague foci, China. The mt genome sequences were obtained by Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. The relationship betweenC. quadratusandS. humilisin fleas was inferred by phylogenetic analysis of mt genome sequence datasets.ResultsThe mt genomes ofC. quadratusandS. humiliswere 15,938 bp and 15,617 bp, respectively. The gene arrangement of mt genome was consistent with that of other fleas, which contain 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes and two rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analyses showed that theC. quadratusandS. humilisbelonged to different species in the same family, and were closely related toHystrichopsylla weida qinlingensisin the same family; and showed a sister relationship between the orders Siphonaptera and Mecoptera, supporting the monophyly of the order Siphonaptera.ConclusionsThis study is the first to decode the complete mt genomes of theC. quadratusandS. humilis. The results demonstrate that theC. quadratusandS. humilisare distinct species, and fleas are monophyletic. Analysis of mt genome provides novel molecular data for further studying the phylogeny and evolution of fleas.
Low-temperature and Efficient Crosslinking of Lyocell Knitted Fabric with an Eco-friendly Diepoxy Agent for Fibrillation Resistance
Authors: Li Xue , Fang Kuanjun , Shi Lujian , Xue Zhen , Feng Baohua , Zheng Qiumeng , Xiao Zhangcao , Xie Ruyi
Published: June 2023

Lyocell fiber is a low-carbon fiber and has many remarkable characteristics, which makes it a good application prospect in the future. However, lyocell fiber is prone to fibrillate under wet friction conditions. This work aimed to prepare lyocell fabric with low fibrillation tendency by an eco-friendly, low-temperature and efficient crosslinking method. Here, the N1, N6-bis(oxiran-2-ylmethyl)hexane-1,6-diamine crosslinked with lyocell fabric to achieve fibrination resistance. The dosage of crosslinking agent, pH values of crosslinking solution, temperature, and time on fibrillation tendency of lyocell fabrics were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe fibrillation tendency, which showed that the lyocell fabric impregnated in 5% EH and pH = 10 solution at 40°C for 30 minutes had almost no microfibrils. In addition, the results showed that the whiteness, mechanical property and dyeing performance of crosslinked lyocell fabric were retained, and the wear resistance was enhanced. This study demonstrated a potential and practical application of this crosslinking agent to diminish the fibrillation of lyocell fabrics.
Disrupted HSF1 regulation in normal and exceptional brain aging
Authors: Trivedi Rachana , Knopf Bailey , Rakoczy Sharlene , Manocha Gunjan D , Brown-Borg Holly , Jurivich Donald A
Published: June 2023

Brain aging is a major risk factor for cognitive diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia. The rate of aging and appearance of age-related pathology are modulated by stress responses and repair pathways that gradually decline with age. However, recent reports indicate that exceptional longevity sustains and may even enhance the stress response. Whether normal and exceptional aging result in either attenuated or enhanced stress responses across all organs is unknown. This question arises from our understanding that biological age differs from chronological age and evidence that the rate of aging varies between organs. Thus, stress responses may differ between organs, especially if they are composed of poorly regenerative tissue and accumulate a lifespan of damaged proteins. To answer these questions, we assessed age-dependent changes in brain stress responses with normal aged wild type and long-lived Dwarf mice. Results from this study show that normal aging unfavorably impacts activation of the brain heat shock (HS) axis with key changes noted in the transcription factor, HSF1, that include decreased protein levels, changes in its phosphorylation and altered co-factors. Exceptional aging appears to preserve and strengthen many elements of HSF1 activation in the brain. These results support the possibility that reconstitution of aging brain stress responses requires a multi – factorial approach that addresses HSF1 protein levels, its DNA binding, and regulatory elements such as phosphorylation and protein interactions.
Continuous Prostanoid initiation in Severe Pulmonary Hypertension in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Garcia Richard U , Beshish Asaad , Butto Arene , Kanaan Usama , Maher Kevin
Published: June 2023

Objective:
Limited data exists regarding Prostanoid (PGI2) use in critically ill patients with pulmonary hypertension. (PH) in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) setting.
Materials and Methods:
Single center, retrospective study of patients with diagnosis of PH who received continuous PGI2 and were admitted to CICU from January/2015 to April/2022. Data collected included patient demographics and clinical characteristics including diagnosis, etiology of PH, vasoactive and ventilatory support, length of stay, and survival. Type, initial, maximum, and final dose of PGI2 as well as hemodynamic data was obtained. Data reported as mean ± standard deviation. Significance taken p-value <0.05.
Results
24 patients received PGI2 therapy at a mean age of 3.1 years, range (0-16.6 years). PGI2 was in the form of IV epoprostenol in 12 patients, IV treprostinil in 6, and SQ treprostinil in 6 patients. Mean initial dose was 2.79 ng/kg/min, max dose 18.75 ng/kg/min, and average duration of therapy was 38.5 days. At PGI2 initiation, 21 (87.5%) were on vasoactive infusions, 19 (79.2%) mechanically ventilated (MV), and 6 (25%) were on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The in-hospital mortality rate was 37.5% (n=9). Patients MV and on ECMO support had higher risk of death (p=0.04, and <0.01 respectively).
Conclusions
PGI2 therapy was tolerated in approximately 50% of patients with the most common side effect being hypotension leading to discontinuation in 1/3rd of patients. Ongoing evaluation of the benefits of PGI2 for patients in the CICU setting will help better identify patient selection, type, and dosing of PGI2.
The use of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) scores in predicting the prognosis of ovarian cancer
Authors: Wu Qingyun , Huo Yanqin , Wu Jianlei , Pan Chunxia , Lu Chunhua , Chen Liang , Zhang Fang
Published: June 2023

Objective:Predicting the early recurrence rate is important in improving the treatment and prognosis of ovarian cancer (OC). A homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) score serves as a prognostic factor in OC. Whether the HRD score can be used as a new marker for OC prognosis must be further explored.Methods:69 patients with OC were enrolled in the study. We performed retrospective HRD genetic tests to obtain their HRD scores. The correlation test for tumor recurrence was performed using the Kaplan-Meier test and a Cox risk regression analysis.Results:No significant difference was found between the HRD score and the recurrence rate at the 1-year and full-time follow-up, rate of platinum-resistant recurrence. However, we demonstrated a strong association between the HRD score and hemoglobin (Hb) levels (P=0.004). Interestingly, Hb levels before initial cancer treatment (P=0.046) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) (P=0.040) displayed independent influences on the 1-year recurrence rate. The 1-year recurrence rate was significantly higher in patients with low Hb levels (≤107 g/L) than in patients with high Hb levels (>107 g/L). Besides, it was significantly higher in patients who underwent NACT (based on high Suidan scores) than in patients who did not. Moreover, recurrence curves showed a significant association between NACT and the 1-year recurrence rate.Conclusions:For non-maintenance-treated patients, there is insufficient evidence that the HRD score can be used as a marker of short-term prognosis in OC. Hb levels and Suidan scores are expected to be new markers for predicting the 1-year recurrence rate in OC.
Adolescent Mental Health in Post-Conflict Communities: Results from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Northern Uganda
Authors: Wipfli Heather , Guy Kyra , Kim Abigail , Tumuhimbise Peninah , Odur Kenneth
Published: June 2023

Background
In response to the call for greater attention to mental health challenges among youth in low-income post-conflict communities, a mixed-methods cross sectional survey was carried out in Lira District, Uganda in Spring 2022. The political history of Lira District, the epicenter of the decades long conflict between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government, makes for an especially interesting case study of the political and social determinants of mental health on those directly impacted by conflict, and on children growing up in post-conflict communities.
Methods
The study evaluated the mental health of adolescents (14–17 years of age), along with their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about mental health conditions and their access to critical mental health services. Cross-sectional surveys were administered on households, and adolescents living in the homes, schools, and health care facilities within six parishes located in the Lira District of northern Uganda.
Results
The study found 66% of adolescents indicated poor well-being and possible symptoms of depression and 41% of adolescents reported at least 4 childhood trauma events. Over 35% reported feeling extremely sad and 60% reported feeling socially isolated during the COVID lockdowns that lasted from 2020 to 2021. Nearly half of the adolescents aged 13–17 surveyed (N = 306) believed that witchcraft caused mental health problems, while less than 20% believed that traumatic experiences could be a cause. 40% of respondents had no idea of where to seek mental health care, and few facilities had mental health services available.
Conclusions
The study results indicate that adolescents throughout the Lira District in northern Uganda suffer from poor mental health, low access to mental health services, and persistent myths that lead to stigma related to mental health conditions. Moreover, the study results point to multiple social and political determinates of mental health outcomes, including those directly linked to past armed conflict in the area, and the need for community-informed analyses and interventions to adequately address the causes of poor mental health in northern Uganda and beyond.