bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural Changes to the Floats in the Kakunodate Matsuri: Ingenuity for Winning the Festival Bumping Game
Authors: Kubo Mitsunori , Tsubogou Hidehiko
Published: November 2023

The Kakunodate Matsuri, held in Akita, Japan, is one of the most game-like festivals in the country in which the festival floats are repeatedly 'bumped' against each other in order to win the right of way. We hypothesised that the accumulation of serious ingenuity by each community that has preserved and operated the floats to win in the 'bumping' might be reflected in the structural form of the floats themselves. To test this hypothesis, we constructed structural models of two floats, one new and one old, and carried out collision simulations. As a result, it was confirmed that the floats, which tended to concentrate the impact force at the front of the structure during a collision, were modified to distribute the impact over the entire structure, preventing axle damage due to stress concentration and at the same time reducing the impact on the musicians on board in the middle of the float.
This result is consistent with folkloric research that has pointed out that improvements have been made to the form, mainly by carpenters in each community managing and operating the floats. Minor changes have been made within the scope of conventional wood construction methods and blacksmith skills, suggesting that these efforts have collective intellectual value. From the structural changes to the floats, it can be confirmed that carpenters gradually improved the structures of the bearers, chassis parts, and musicians’ space that protect people to meet site requirements. The existence of moderate skill and technology within everyday life and the continuation of community organizational structure to sustain them are understood as an accumulation of historical knowledge to win this game.
Short-Depth QAOA Circuits and Quantum Annealing on Higher-Order Ising Models
Authors: Pelofske Elijah , Bärtschi Andreas , Eidenbenz Stephan
Published: November 2023

The Quantum Alternating Operator Ansatz (QAOA) and Quantum Annealing (QA) are quantum algorithms that are both based on the adiabatic theorem and both have the goal of sampling the optimal solution(s) of combinatorial optimization problems. Quantum annealing has been physically instantiated on D-Wave devices using superconducting flux qubits, and QAOA can be programmed on digital gate-model quantum computers. QAOA and QA address the same types of problems, but it is unclear how they will scale to large problem sizes and to larger and higher-fidelity quantum computers.
In this article, we present a direct comparison between QAOA, one and two rounds, run on all 127 superconducting transmon qubits of the IBM Quantum device ibm\_washington and QA run on D-Wave Advantage\_system4.1 and Advantage\_system6.1. Quantum annealing is executed with the transverse field driving Hamiltonian, and QAOA is executed with the transverse field mixer. The problems selected for our comparison are random Ising models whose connectivity matches the heavy-hex lattice topology of ibm\_washington and the Pegasus graph connectivity of the two D-Wave devices. We create two classes of problem instances for this comparison: one with higher order terms ($ZZZ$ variable interactions), linear terms, and quadratic terms, and a second problem type with only linear and quadratic terms.
The QAOA circuits are novel and extremely short depth, with a CNOT depth of $6$ per round, which allows whole chip usage of the heavy-hex lattice and can be applied to other heavy-hex chips. We test the effectiveness of the error suppression technique digital dynamical decoupling on the QAOA circuits, allowing one of the largest experimental evaluations of dynamical decoupling to date. The QAOA circuits compiled to ibm\_washington are composed of approximately $3,000$ single and two qubit gate instructions combined ($284$ CNOTs per $p$) making these some of the largest quantum circuits ever executed on a digital quantum processor.
QAOA and QA are compared against the classical heuristic algorithm simulated annealing and all problem instances are exactly solved using CPLEX in order to evaluate ground state success sampling probability.
We find that (i) QA outperforms QAOA on all problem instances, (ii) QAOA samples the problems better than random sampling, and (iii) QAOA parameters exhibit clear parameter concentration across the ensemble of Ising models.
Clinical and diagnostic utility of genomic profiling for digestive cancers: real-world evidence from Japan
Authors: Ishikawa Marin , Nakamura Kohei , Kawano Ryutaro , Hayashi Hideyuki , Ikeda Tatsuru , Saito Makoto , Niida Yo , Sasaki Jiichiro , Okuda Hiroyuki , Ishihara Satoshi , Yamaguchi Masatoshi , Shimada Hideaki , Isobe Takeshi , Yuza Yuki , Yoshimura Akinobu , Kuroda Hajime , Yukisawa Seigo , Aoki Takuya , Takeshita Kei , Ueno Shinichi , Nakazawa Junichi , Sunakawa Yu , Nohara Sachio , Okada Chihiro , Nishimiya Ko , Tanishima Shigeki , Nishihara Hiroshi
Published: November 2023

Background
Since 2019, cancer genome panel testing in Japan has been covered under healthcare insurance. However, the usefulness of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in the Japanese healthcare insurance system remains insufficiently explored. Therefore, herein, we conducted a large-scale study to determine the usefulness of CGP in digestive cancer diagnosis and established a diagnostic flow chart based on alterations in core digestive cancer-related genes.
Methods
We recruited 1587 patients with various cancers and subjected them to the FoundationOne CDx assay at the Keio PleSSision Group (19 hospitals) in Japan from March 2020 to October 2022. Potentially actionable genomic alterations of biological significance and actionable genomic alterations were defined using the scoring system we developed. We analyzed the detection rate of potentially actionable genomic alterations, actionable genomic alterations, and alterations equivalent to companion diagnosis (CDx), as well as the signaling pathways associated with these alterations in each digestive cancer.
Results
The detection rate of potentially actionable genomic alterations, actionable genomic alterations, and alterations equivalent to CDx in the 547 digestive cancers was 99.5%, 62.5%, and 11.5%, respectively. APC alterations were frequent in colorectal cancers, KRAS alterations in pancreatic cancer, and CDKN2A alterations in biliary cancers. Histologically, most digestive cancers, except esophageal cancer, were adenocarcinomas.
Conclusion
Based on the patterns of genomic alterations characteristic of each digestive cancer, we created a classification flowchart for digestive adenocarcinomas that may be useful in precise diagnosis. CGP has clinical and diagnostic utility in the diagnosis of digestive cancers.
A New Method for Rapid Extraction of Fungal Genome for PCR
Authors: Tan Yiyang , Liu Shutong , Zhang Yanhua , Wang Depei , Xue Xianli
Published: November 2023

Objectives The present work aimed to develop a new method for rapid extraction of the fungal genome for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
Results(method) We used only 15 minutes to obtain an intact genome for PCR, due to cells were disrupted in the 0.5 mol/L NaOH solution. The quality and quantity of genomic DNA was verified by Nanodrop under OD260/OD280, even the density of dsDNA was measured. Firstly, we tried different lysis modes including enzymatic lysis and NaOH lysis. Finally the condition of NaOH cleavage method was selected and optimized for subsequent experiments. In conclusion, the optimal NaOH cleavage conditions were 100 μL of 0.5 mol/L NaOH to lysis the mycelium for 15 minutes at 25 ℃. The optimal growth time of mycelium was 48 hours, and the optimum amount to be used was 3.5 millimeter diameter. The method was applicable to different fungus and validation of multiple genes with diversable primers.
Conclusions Compared to traditional gene extraction methods, the new method was less time-consuming, safer, and simpler.. This method was so fast that it took only 15 minutes to complete the preparation of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) reaction templates. The quality and quantity of extracted fungal genomes were confirmed at OD260/OD280 in the range of 1.8-1.9, and density in the range of 150-350 ng/μL. The new method was successfully applied to Aspergillus niger JH101, Saccharomyces Y3, Aspergillus niger ATCC1015, Aspergillus oryzae 3.042, Ustilago maydis UM1, Trichoderma reesei SUS, and even genetically engineered A. niger strains, and the success rate was remarkably high reaching to 89.2 %. Thus this technology can significantly increase the efficiency of basic molecular biology procedures.
Analysis of Prognostic Risk Factors and Establishment of a Prognostic Model for Liver Metastasis in Patients with Colon Cancer
Authors: Xiang Xingxing , Li Wei , Cao Yinghao , Liu Tao
Published: November 2023

Background
Colorectal cancer often metastasizes to the liver, which is associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to establish an efficient nomogram model for predicting overall survival (OS) and disease-free-survival (DFS) in patients with colorectal cancer and liver metastasis.
Methods
We analyzed 421 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer and liver metastasis at Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Affiliated Union Hospital from January 2013 to December 2018. These patients were randomly assigned to training and validation cohorts. Single-factor and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to determine independent predictive risk factors and to construct nomograms for predicting OS and DFS. The performance of the nomograms was evaluated using calibration curves, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and decision curve analysis (DCA).
Results
Tumor size, vascular tumor embolus, blood transfusion, number of liver metastases, number of sampled lymph nodes, staging, postoperative hospital stay, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were identified as independent predictive factors for liver metastasis. We developed a survival prediction model incorporating these eight prognostic factors. The Nomogram demonstrated good sensitivity in predicting 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS rates. In the training cohort, the AUROC for 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS was 0.793, 0.758, and 0.823, respectively. In the validation cohort, the respective AUROC values were 0.750, 0.704, and 0.822, respectively. Additionally, we constructed a column chart for patients' DFS based on histological subtype, number of sampled lymph nodes, vascular tumor embolus, number of liver metastases, perioperative transfusion, and CEA level. In the training cohort, the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year DFS rates were 0.768, 0.716, and 0.803, respectively. In the validation cohort, the rates were 0.730, 0.839, and 0.838, respectively.
Conclusion
Based on clinical, pathological, and tumor biomarker characteristics, the newly constructed nomogram accurately predicted OS and DFS. This tool may be valuable for guiding clinical decision-making. In practice, individual patient data and analytical results may be used to develop personalized treatment plans that may improve prognosis and overall survival rates.
Touchscreen Communication (ToSCom): EQS Body Communication during Touch Sensing
Authors: Sen Shreyas , Datta Arunashish , Yang David , Maity Shovan
Published: November 2023

Touchscreens are a fundamental technology for human society providing the primary gateway for human-machine interaction. Today's touchscreens can only be used to detect touch and provide the location of the user's touch input but not to simultaneously communicate digital data during a touch event through the touchscreen. If communication through a touchscreen can be enabled, it promises deep societal impact by augmenting the most popular Human-Computer-Interaction interface with new possibilities such as a single application on the same device opening up personalized user-specific account data depending on the person interacting with the application. Leveraging significant advances in Electro-Quasistatic field based communication in the past decade, we propose and demonstrate Touchscreen Communication (ToSCom), a high-speed (> Mbps) simultaneous communication and touch sensing interface. We develop a low path loss channel across the entire touchscreen surface enabling 3 Mbps data rate communication with an average bit-error-rate of less than 5*10^(-7) through the touchscreen surface simultaneously during touch sensing. ToSCom enables a wide range of possibilities in day-to-day life like in wearable devices like transactions in a POS system, audio/image file transfer, and viewing personalized data in touchscreen kiosks.
Mood profile in men and women of all ages is improved by leisure-time physical activity rather than work-related physical activity
Authors: Skurvydas Albertas , Istomina Natalja , Dadeliene Ruta , Majauskiene Daiva , Strazdaite Emilija , Lisinskiene Ausra , Valanciene Dovile , Uspuriene Aiste Barbora , Sarkauskiene Asta
Published: November 2023

Background
The aim of our study was to determine how six mood indicators (vigour, fatigue, depression, anger, confusion, tension) depend on moderate to vigorous physical activity, walking time and sedentary time at work, after working hours and during leisure time, in men and women from different age groups.
Methods
A total of 1,140 individuals aged 18 to 64 years participated in the study. The participants were enrolled in this cross-sectional survey using a snowball sampling method. An online questionnaire was shared through popular social networks and emails within the period October 2019 to June 2020. Mood responses were assessed using The Brunel Mood Scale-LTU (BRUMS-LTU). Physical activity was assessed using the long International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Descriptive analysis, a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression analysis were used to interpret the data.
Results
The survey results showed that vigour and fatigue correlated significantly only with leisure-time moderate to vigorous physical activity (two-way ANOVA for vigour: leisure-time moderate to vigorous physical activity effect: p < .0001, \({ŋ}_{\text{p}}^{2}\)= .12; gender effect: p < .0001, \({ŋ}_{\text{p}}^{2}\)=.09, ns; two-way ANOVA for fatigue: leisure-time moderate to vigorous physical activity effect: p < .0001, \({ŋ}_{\text{p}}^{2}\)=.09; gender effect: p < .0001, \({ŋ}_{\text{p}}^{2}\)=.091; ns.) The present results show a significant positive correlation between women and men moods and leisure-time moderate to vigorous physical activity, the length of time walking to work and back home, and negative correlation between moods and leisure-time sedentary behaviour. However, there was no significant correlation between moods and work-related moderate to vigorous physical activity and household moderate to vigorous physical activity, walking at work, and sitting duration at work.
Conclusions
According to the regression analysis, exercising men in all age groups moved the most (had a higher moderate to vigorous physical activity level) during leisure time, the highest work-related moderate to vigorous physical activity was observed in men and women with lower education, and the highest household moderate to vigorous physical activity was observed in older age men and women living in rural areas.
Association between Oral Frailty and Physical Frailty Subdomains in Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults:A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Yan Jin , Fan Li , Lu Bingjie , Yang Cunmei , Xu Qiuli , Wu Bing , Zhang Tianyi , Bai Xiao , Chen Rongxia , Liu Jian , Zhu Zhihui , Di Ning , Hu Yixin
Published: November 2023

Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in urban communities in Beijing from March 2022 to June 2023. We chose the Frailty Phenotype (FP) to assess physical frailty and Oral Frailty Index-8 to assess oral frailty. The analysis of factors affecting oral frailty was analyzed by multi-factorial logistic stepwise regression.Results 427 participants (147 women; mean age 81.81 ± 9.54 years) were enrolled in this study, 169 (39.58%) were non-oral frailty and 258(60.42%) were oral frailty. Visit a dental clinic less than annually (75.0%) and tooth loss(70.2%) are the most prevalent subdomains in oral frailty adults. After adjusting covariates, logistic regression analysis revealed that frailty phenotype (OR: 1.433, 95% CI: 1.150–1.785,p = 0.001)was associated with oral frailty. In the subdomains of physical frailty, exhaustion( OR = 2.363, 95% CI:1.302–4.289, p = 0.005 ) and slow gait speed (OR = 1.752, 95% CI:1.076–2.853, p = 0.024 ) were associated with oral frailty .Conclusion People with physical frailty should be more concerned about oral health issues, exhaustion and slow gait speed can be the sensitive indicators of oral frailty.
In Silico Predictive Homology Modeling of PKHD-1 Protein: A Comparative Study among Three Different Species
Authors: SB Arunannamalai
Published: November 2023

Background: The PKHD-1 (Polycystic Kidney and Hepatic Disease-1) gene encodes a crucial protein vital for renal and hepatic functions. Mutations in PKHD-1 result in Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD), a severe disorder in early infancy. Despite its significance, the structural information on PKHD-1 remains limited, with few low-resolution structures accessible. Homology Modeling was employed to generate structural models of PKHD-1 proteins from three species: Homo sapiens (Human), Mus musculus (Mouse), and Canis lupus familiaris (Dog). Various bioinformatics tools were utilized for analysis and validation.
Results: Structural models of PKHD-1 proteins from different species were generated using Homology Modeling and advanced bioinformatics tools, including SWISS-Model, ProtParam, GOR4, PROSA Web, ExPasy QMEANDisCo, and P2Rank. The primary structure, physicochemical properties, and secondary structure of PKHD-1 proteins were analyzed and validated. Binding pockets critical for understanding functional roles and potential therapeutic interventions were predicted using the P2Rank tool.
Conclusion: This study provides comprehensive structural insights into PKHD-1 proteins across multiple species. Rigorous validation of homology models through Z-Score analysis and QMEANDisCo Global Score ensures their reliability and accuracy. The identification of binding pockets offers potential targets for therapeutic interventions. Comparative analysis of PKHD-1 protein structures enhances understanding of evolutionary relationships and lays the foundation for future comparative functional studies. This research significantly contributes to structural biology and biomedical research, serving as a valuable resource for researchers investigating PKHD-1 function, disease mechanisms, and drug targeting strategies. The findings pave the way for exploring species-specific functions and adaptations of PKHD-1, fostering advancements in the understanding and treatment of ARPKD and related disorders.
3D-printed PCL framework assembling ECM-inspired multi-layer mineralized GO-Col-HAp microscaffold for in situ mandibular bone regeneration
Authors: Yang Yanqing , He Huan , Miao Fang , Yu Mingwei , Wu Xixi , Liu Yuanhang , Fu Jie , Chen Junwei , Ma Liya , Chen Xiangru , Peng Ximing , Zhen You , Zhou Chuchao
Published: November 2023

Background: In recent years, natural bone extracellular matrix (ECM)-inspired materials have found widespread application as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. However, the challenge of creating scaffolds that mimic natural bone ECM's mechanical strength and hierarchical nano-micro-macro structures remains. The purposes of this study were to introduce an innovative bone ECM-inspired scaffold that integrates a 3D-printed framework with hydroxyapatite (HAp) mineralized graphene oxide-collagen (GO-Col) microscaffolds and find its application in the repair of mandibular bone defects.
Methods: Initially, a 3D-printed PCL scaffold was designed with cubic disks and square pores to mimic the macrostructure of bone ECM. Subsequently, we developed multi-layer mineralized GO-Col-HAp microscaffolds (MLM GCH) to simulate natural bone ECM's nano- and microstructural features. Systematic in vitro and in vivo experiments were introduced to evaluate the ECM-inspired structure of the scaffold and to explore its effect on cell proliferation and its ability to repair rat bone defects.
Results: The resultant MLM GCH/PCL composite scaffolds exhibited robust mechanical strength and ample assembly space. Moreover, the ECM-inspired MLM GCH microscaffolds displayed favorable attributes such as water absorption and retention and demonstrated promising cell adsorption and proliferation in vitro. The MLM GCH/PCL composite scaffolds exhibited successful bone regeneration within mandibular bone defects in vivo.
Conclusions: This study presents a well-conceived strategy for fabricating ECM-inspired scaffolds by integrating 3D-printed PCL frameworks with multilayer mineralized porous microscaffolds, enhancing cell proliferation and bone regeneration. This construction approach holds the potential for extension to various other biomaterial types.
Harnessing Strong Aromatic Conjugation in Low-Dimensional Perovskite Heterojunctions for High-Performance Photovoltaic Devices
Authors: Zhu Zonglong , Li Bo , Liu Qi , Gong Jianqiu , Li Shuai , Zhang Chunlei , Gao Danpeng , Chen Zhongwei , Li Zhen , Wu Xin , Zhao Dan , Yu Zexin , Li Xintong , Wang Yan , Lu Haipeng , Zeng Xiao Cheng
Published: November 2023

The combination of three-dimensional (3D) metal halide perovskite with low-dimensional (LD) perovskite in a heterojunction has shown significant potential for improving the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the large organic cations in LD perovskite often introduces carrier mobility anisotropy and impedes charge transport at the heterojunction interface, thereby limiting the overall efficiency of PSCs. In this study, we report a novel LD/3D perovskite heterojunction that introduces strong aromatic conjugated (SAC) LD perovskite materials at the 3D perovskite/electron extraction interface in p-i-n PSCs to reduce the electron transport resistance crossing the interface. SAC molecules possess a large π conjugated network through aromatic rings connected by conjugated bonds. This network results in continuous energy band orbits between the [Pb2I6]2− framework and the organic cation, thereby effectively suppressing interfacial non-radiative recombination and enhancing carrier extraction efficiency. As a result, the fabricated PSCs exhibit significantly improved efficiency, reaching up to 25.66% (certified 25.20%). Furthermore, these devices demonstrate exceptional stability, maintaining over 95% of the initial efficiency after 1200 hours and 1000 hours under ISOS-L-1I and ISOS-D-1 protocols, respectively. The chemistry design of SAC molecules in the LD/3D perovskite heterojunction represents a promising strategy for developing efficient and stable PSCs, paving the way for further advancements in the field of PSC technology.
Forced Intracellular Degradation of Xenoantigens: A Novel Modality for Cell-Based Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Rafei Moutih , Bikorimana Jean-Pierre , Farah Roudy , Abusarah Jamila , Erregragui Mohamed Ali , Gonçalves Marina , Talbot Sebastien , El-Hachem Nehme
Published: November 2023

Background: Antigen presentation is crucial in fighting cancer and infectious diseases. This process is however dependent on proteasomal degradation of captured or intracellular antigens. Given the recent leverage of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as a potent vaccination platform, we investigated whether forced degradation of an expressed experimental antigen fused to small degron sequences could prime potent antitumoral responses.
Methods: Retroviral vectors were used to gene-engineer murine MSCs. Besides comparing their in vitro antigen presentation capacity, qPCR and flow-cytometry were used to quantify gene expression and assess reactive oxygen (ROS) species production respectively. In addition, an immunopeptidome analysis was conducted to mine the peptide repertoire of engineered cells. Finally, the therapeutic potency of engineered MSCs was evaluated as a monotherapy or in combination with anti-PD-1 in syngeneic immunocompetent mice with a pre-established solid T-cell lymphoma.
Results: Despite similar transgene expression and absent changes in the expression of genes related to antigen presentation/loading or endoplasmic-reticulum stress, the MSC-UBvR-OVA group triggered potent T-cell activation due to enriched cell surface presentation of OVA-derived peptides. Nevertheless, the UBvR degron elicits mitochondrial ROS production, which appears to be important for efficient antigen processing. Administration of MSC-UBvR-OVA as a monotherapy to cancer-bearing mice controls tumor growth, an effect further enhanced using tranylcypromine-stimulated MSCs combined with the anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint.
Conclusions: Forced antigen degradation using the UBvR degron represents a plausible modality for the future development of MSC-based cancer vaccine expressing relevant tumor antigens.
Non-equivalent Atomic Vibrations at Interfaces in a Polar Superlattice
Authors: Hoglund Eric , Walker Harrison , Hussain Mohammad , Bao De-Liang , Ni Haoyang , Mamun Abdullah , Baxter Jefferey , Khan Asif , Pantelides Sokrates , Hopkins Patrick , Hachtel Jordan
Published: November 2023

In heterostructures made from polar materials, e.g., AlN-GaN-AlN, the non-equivalence of the two interfaces has long been recognized as a critical aspect of their electronic properties, in that they host different two-dimensional carrier gasses. Interfaces play as important a role in the vibrational properties of materials, where interface states enhance thermal conductivity and can generate unique infrared-optical activity. The non-equivalence of the corresponding interface atomic vibrations, however, has not been investigated so far due to a lack of experimental techniques with both high spatial and high spectral resolution. Herein we experimentally demonstrate the non-equivalence of AlN-(Al0.65Ga0.35)N and (Al0.65Ga0.35)N-AlN interface vibrations using monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron micro-scope (STEM-EELS) and employ density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations to gain insights in the origins of observations. We demonstrate that STEM-EELS possesses sensitivity to the dis-placement vector of the vibrational modes as well as the frequency, which enables direct mapping of the non-equivalent interface phonons between materials with different phonon polarizations in the interface direction. The physical origin of the non-equivalent interface behavior is then unraveled by understanding the localization and anisotropy of phonon displacements using DFT calculations. The results demonstrate the capacity to carefully assess the vibrational properties of com-plex heterostructures where interface states dominate the functional properties.
Prevalence of Radiographic Appendicular Osteoarthritis and Associated Clinical Signs in Young Dogs
Authors: Enomoto Masataka , de Castro Nicholas , Hash Jonathan , Thomson Andrea , Nakanishi-Hester Aoi , Perry Erin , Aker Savannah , Haupt Emily , Opperman Logan , Roe Simon , Cole Tracey , Thompson Nichola Archer , Innes John F , Lascelles B. Duncan X.
Published: November 2023

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) and associated clinical signs in young dogs. Owners of dogs aged 8months-4years from a single practice, were contacted in random order, to participate in a general health screen. Clinical and orthopedic examinations were performed. Each joint was scored for pain reactions (0–4). Orthogonal radiographs of all joints were made under sedation. Each joint was scored for radiographic OA (rOA) severity on an 11-point scale. Clinical OA (cOA) was defined as an overlap of rOA and joint pain in ≥ 1 joint. Owners completed OA questionnaires. The owners of 123 dogs agreed to participate. Overall, 39.8% (49/123) of dogs had rOA in ≥ 1 joint, and 16.3% (20/123) or 23.6% (29/123) dogs had cOA, depending on the cut-off value of joint pain; moderate (2), or mild (1), respectively. Owners of dogs with cOA observed signs of impairment in approximately 30% of cases. Only 2 dogs with cOA were receiving OA pain management. The most commonly affected joints in descending order of frequency were elbow, hip, tarsus, and stifle. Radiographically visible OA is common in young dogs, and 40–60% of dogs with rOA had cOA. However, OA-pain appears underdiagnosed and undertreated in young dogs.
Social Vulnerability and Surgery Outcomes: A Cross-sectional Analysis
Authors: Abdelhack Mohamed , Tripathi Sandhya , Chen Yixin , Avidan Michael S. , King Christopher R.
Published: November 2023

Background
Post-operative complications present a challenge to the healthcare system due to the high unpredictability of their incidence. However, the socioeconomic factors that relate to postoperative complications are still unclear as they can be heterogeneous based on communities, types of surgical services, and sex and gender.
Methods
In this study, we conducted a large population cross-sectional analysis of social vulnerability and the odds of various post-surgical complications. We built statistical logistic regression models of postsurgical complications with social vulnerability index as the independent variable along with sex interaction.
Results
We found that social vulnerability was associated with abnormal heart rhythm with socioeconomic status and housing status being the main association factors. We also found associations of the interaction of social vulnerability and female sex with an increase in odds of heart attack and surgical wound infection.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that social vulnerability measures such as socioeconomic status and housing conditions could be related to health outcomes. This suggests that the domain of preventive medicine should place social vulnerability as a priority to achieve its goals.

The authors would like to note that Mohamed Abdelhack and Sandhya Tripathi contributed equally to this work.
Regulation of AUF1 alternative splicing by hnRNPA1 and SRSF2 modulate the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin
Authors: liu chuan , Wang Jia-Mei , Liu Ning , Wei Xue-Jing , Zhao Fu-Ying , Li Chao , Wang Hua-Qin
Published: November 2023

Ovarian cancer is one of the most prevalent gynecologic malignancies, with a poor prognosis due to its late-stage diagnosis, frequently presenting as highly advanced disease with concomitant drug resistance. Alternative splicing plays an important role in the evolution, development and disease of organisms. Tumor-specific alternative splicing events related to prognosis might be a great significance for tumor diagnosis and prediction and may even become effective targets for tumor therapy. AU-rich element RNA-binding protein 1 (AUF1) is a nucleic acid binding protein that is also known as heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein D (hnRNPD). Alternative splicing of the AUF1 precursor mRNA produces four different mRNA splicing variants, which encode four different molecular weights of protein isoform, p37, p40, p42 and p45 respectively. In this study, we demonstrated that different isoforms of AUF1 played a bidirectional role in ovarian cancer. In ovarian cancer, p37 isoform played a “cancer promoter” role, p42 and p45, especially p45 played a “cancer suppressor” role. The competitive binding of phosphorylated hnRNPA1 and O-GlcNAc modified SRSF2 on exon 2 and exon 7 of AUF1 regulated the alternative splicing of AUF1 and mediated the decrease of cisplatin responsiveness in ovarian cancer. This study provides a new target for exploring the drug resistance mechanism of ovarian cancer.
Analysis of combined screening results of the hearing and deafness genes in 10754 newborns
Authors: Lian Jiejing , Wang Hao , Wu Ting , Cheng Zhaojun
Published: November 2023

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical significance of hearing screening coupled with genetic testing of deafness in hereditary deafness.
Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the hearing screening coupled with genetic testing of deafness results of 10,754 newborns which born in Hangzhou Women's Hospital from June 2020 to December 2022. Hearing screening was performed using transiently evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) and automated auditory brainstem response (AABR). For genetic testing, dried blood spots were collected and fifteen variants in four genes (GJB2, GJB3, SLC26A4 and m t DNA 12S r RNA), were screened using a DNA microarray platform.
Results: A total of the 10,754 infants, the most common mutation variants were GJB2c.235delC (47.26%) and SLC26A4 IVS7-2 A>G (21.17%), 62 (0.58%) were referred bilaterally or unilaterally for hearing screening; 529 (4.92%) were positive for genetic screening (heterozygote, homozygote, or compound heterozygote and mt DNA 12S r RNA homoplasmy or heteroplasmy), among whom 522 (4.85%) passed hearing screening. Three (0.028%) infants carried two variants in GJB2(homozygote or compound heterozygote) and 1 of those infants passed newborn hearing screening. In total, 33 (0.307%) infants carried the mt DNA 12S rRNAvariant (m.1555A>G or m.1494C>T), and all of them passed newborn hearing screening.
Conclusion: The positive rate of deafness gene mutations mainly in GJB2 c.235delC, SLC26A4IVS7-2 A>G, and m.1555A > G variants. Hearing screening combined with genetic screening for deafness is helpful in identifying high-risk children with hereditary deafness for follow-up intervention.
The effect of different preventive strategies during total joint arthroplasty on surgical site infection: a network meta-analysis
Authors: Wu Yongtao , Xiang Xinni , Ma Yimei
Published: November 2023

BackgroundPeriprosthetic joint infection or surgical site infection after total joint arthroplasty has a large incidence, and it may often require two or more stages of revision, placing an additional burden on clinicians and patients. The purpose of this network meta-analysis is to evaluate the effect of four different preventive strategies during total joint arthroplasty on the prevention of surgical site infection.
Methods The study protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CRD: 42023448868), and the literature search databases includedWeb of Science, PubMed, OVID Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, OVID EMBASE, and OVID MEDLINE(R) ALL that metthe requirements. The network meta-analysis was performed by using randomized controlled trials, retrospective cohort studies and prospective cohort studies with the outcome of periprosthetic joint infection or surgical site infection incidence. The gemtc R package was applied to perform the network meta-analysis to evaluate the relative results of different preventive strategies. The heterogeneity test of direct and indirect evidence was also assessed by R software with the gemtc package.
Results This network meta-analysis study included a total of 38 articles with 4 preventive strategies and negative control. No improvement was observed in antibiotic-loaded bone cement compared with negative control. Chlorhexidine showed the highest probability of delivering the best preventive effect, and povidone iodine had the second highest probability. Although vancomycin ranked after chlorhexidine and povidoneiodine, it still showed a significant difference compared with negative control. In addition, the incidence after applying chlorhexidine was significantly lower than that after applying negative control and vancomycin. In the heterogeneity test between direct and indirect evidence, there was no apparent heterogeneity between them.
Conclusion The study indicated that chlorhexidine, povidoneiodine and vancomycinshowed significant efficacy in preventing periprosthetic joint infection or surgical site infection after total joint arthroplasty, while antibiotic-loaded bone cement did not. Therefore, more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to verify the results above.
Implementation of interprofessional primary care teams in Nova Scotia: Results of a survey and knowledge sharing event
Authors: Grant Amy , Giacomantonio Rachel , Lackie Kelly , MacKenzie Adrian , Jeffers Elizabeth , Kontak Julia , Marshall Emily Gard , Philpott Susan , Sheppard-LeMoine Debbie , Lappin Elizabeth , Bruce Alice , Mireault Amy , Beck Deanna , Cormier Lindsay , Martin-Misener Ruth
Published: November 2023

Background: Interprofessional primary care teams (IPCTs) work together to enhance care. Despite evidence on the benefits of IPCTs, implementation remains challenging. This research aims to 1) validate and prioritize barriers and enablers, and 2) co-develop team-level strategies to support IPCT implementation in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Methods: Healthcare providers and staff of IPCTs were invited to complete an online survey to identify barriers and enablers, and the degree to which each item impacted the functioning of their team. Top ranked items were identified using the sum of frequency x impact for each response. A virtual knowledge sharing event was held to identify strategies to address local barriers and enablers that impact team functioning.
Results: IPCT members (n=117), with a mix of clinic roles and experience, completed the survey. The top three enablers identified were related to access and use of technological tools and having a team manager to coordinate collaboration. The top three barriers were limited opportunity for daily team communication, lack of conflict resolution strategies, and lack of capacity building opportunities. IPCT members, administrators, and patients attended the knowledge sharing event (n=33). Five strategies were identified including balancing patient needs and provider scope of practice, holding regular meetings, supporting team and professional development, and supporting involvement in non-clinical activities.
Interpretation: This research contextualized evidence to further understand local perspectives and experiences of barriers and enablers to the implementation of IPCTs. The knowledge exchange event identified actionable strategies that IPCTs and healthcare administrators can tailor to support teams and care for patients.
Construction and validation of a cuproptosis-related genes prognostic model for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Xue , Ma Shanshan , Zhu Rui , Wang Yanna , Zhu Shuting , Guan Fangxia , Guo Wenna
Published: November 2023

Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with a poor prognosis. Cuproptosis is a recently confirmed novel kind of programmed cell death and associated with a variety of cancer. However, the prognostic value of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) is still limited in HCC.
Methods
Gene expression data and clinical information of HCC patients were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Altas (TCGA) and Gene-Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Differential expression analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed CRGs. Then univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to screen out prognosis-related differentially expressed CRGs and construct a prognostic CRG models. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to assess the prognostic values of the prognostic CRG model. The Cibersort analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the CRG model and immune infiltration. In addition, the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the molecular mechanism of the prognostic CRG model.
Results
A total of 120 differentially expressed CRGs in HCC were screened. A prognostic CRG model containing three genes (ABCB6, AACS, CKAP2) was constructed for independently predicting the prognosis of HCC. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients in high-risk group had significantly shorter overall survival (OS). The ROC analysis indicated that the CRG model performed better than the single gene in predicting survival rates. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the CRG model was an independent predictor. Moreover, the CRG model was significantly correlated with the stromal score, the tumor purity score, T cells folicular helper, T cells regulator, and macrophages M0. In addition, the GSEA revealed cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, mitotic nuclear division, and DNA replication pathways were mainly enriched in the high-risk group.
Conclusion
This study constructed a prognostic CRG model in HCC, which has high predictive efficacy. These findings extend the knowledge of CRGs in HCC, provide theoretical support for the prognostic prediction, and may inform new therapeutic strategies for HCC.
Two new species of Diversispora (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Glomeromycota) colonizing roots of endemic shrubs on nickel mine tailings in New-Caledonia
Authors: Crossay Thomas , McCoy Stephane , Maï-van’y Leslie , Guentas Linda , Fogliani Bruno , Burtet-Sarramegna Valerie , Amir Hamid
Published: November 2023

Diversispora cerifera and Diversispora succinacia are new arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species, that have been isolated and propagated from spores of rhizospheric soils of native vegetation that had naturally established from seeds on a nickel mine tailings test basin in New-Caledonia. Interestingly, these species were not recorded from ultramafic soils of maquis vegetation endemic to New-Caledonia surrounding the tailings basin. In greenhouse trap and single species cultures, fungi produced numerous spores, which were formed terminally or intercalary on subtending hyphae. Spores of D. cerifera are white yellow with a waxy appearance and spores of D. succinacia are translucent, amber in color. Spores of the two species are globose to subglobose. Spores of D. cerifera 70-100-120 µm in diameter and have three spore wall layers. Spores of D. succinacia 60–80 − 110 µm in diameter and have two spore wall layers. D. cerifera forms a monophyletic clade next to D. aurantia that has a subtending hyphal wall that is continuous with layers 1–3 of the spore wall. Instead, the hyphal wall for D. cerifera is continuous only with layers 1 and 2 of the spore wall. Morphologically and phylogenetically, D. succinacia is close to D. sabulosa and forms a monophyletic clade next to D. sabulosa that has smaller spores.
Research Title: ABO Blood Types Can Play a Role in Determining Prognosis of Thyroid Cancer in Adult Patients: A Single-centre Retrospective Study.
Authors: Ghunaim Mohammed , Alkhalifah Zainab , Almontashri Alwa , Aljehani Mohammed , Alhammadi Maisam , Bahakim Abdullah , Faleh Doaa , AlHarthi Mohammed , Malibary Nadim
Published: November 2023

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Previous research has linked the ABO blood group system to the risk and progression of different types of cancer. However, the association between specific blood groups and thyroid cancer risk and prognosis remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between ABO blood groups, thyroid cancer risk, and prognosis.
Methods: All adult patients who underwent thyroidectomy in our centre between January 2012 and January 2021 were included. A total of 569 files were reviewed, and a total sample of 453 patients were matched after excluding patients with missing data. All sociodemographic, ABO blood groups, Rh factor, and histopathology records were accessed in the study.
Result: Out of 435 patients, the majority had malignant thyroid diseases (69.9%). Papillary thyroid cancer was the most common (82.0%). Positive lymph nodes were found in 25% of patients, with blood type B having the highest rate (26.7%). Blood type AB had significantly higher rates of vascular invasion than all other blood types (40% vs 16.3%; p=0.03). Blood type AB was also associated with follicular subtype (20%), larger tumour size, higher capsular invasion (33.3%), and distant metastasis (6.7%). Meanwhile, blood type O had the lowest rates of both lymph node invasion and capsular invasion. Benign disease was significantly associated with hypothyroidism (p<0.001). Additionally, thyroiditis (31.8%) and Hashimoto’s (18.2%) were more common in blood Group B.
Conclusion: Blood type AB had the highest rates of capsular invasion, vascular invasion, and distant metastasis compared to other blood types, indicating its potential aggressiveness. On the other hand, blood type O could be less aggressive than other blood groups.
Music's manifold emotions for mental well-being: a topological approach
Authors: Darcourt Joseph
Published: November 2023

Music, an intrinsic part of human culture, has long been recognized for its ability to evoke emotions, memories and physiological responses. From the rhythmic beats that make us dance to the soothing melodies that provide solace in times of distress, music's impact on the human psyche is undeniable. Timely, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed a subsequent and equally concerning mental health "pandemic.” As societies grapple with the repercussions of prolonged isolation, economic downturns, and the collective trauma of a global health emergency, the search for therapeutic interventions has never been more pressing. Among the myriad of potential solutions, one timeless human experience stands out: the power of music. Our study aims to understand how music’s benefits for well-being can be harnessed to combat the rising levels of neurodegenerative diseases and depression. By exploring the neural manifolds and latent neural dynamics of music listening and emotional experience, we aim to uncover the therapeutic potential of music through topology. Our findings not only shed light on music’s role in mental well-being through emotional synchrony across subjects, but also offer hope in times of crisis. Alongside shared neural dynamics across subjects, we also find one subject in which a major difference in emotional experience leads to a drastically different manifold shape, clustering and coloring. These results are the first to pain music listening, emotional experience and well-being in a topological light. We see our results positioned as a backdrop for future research in computational neuroscience on music and well-being, our study being the first to approach mental well-being and music listening with topology. We also outline next steps that would extend our preliminary results immediately to neurodegenerative diseases, depression and more. In a world where mental health issues are on the rise, this topological approach to music and well-being can provide deeper understanding to music therapy’s non-invasive, accessible and enjoyable avenue for improving the well-being of countless individuals; by accounting for inter-subject variability with topologically-inspired computational neuroscience, we can finally put a name to how music helps heal.
A trajectory similarity measurement algorithm based on three-dimensional space area division
Authors: XU Kai , GAO QiKai , LI Yan
Published: November 2023

Aiming at the problems of most trajectory similarity measurement algorithms, such as low computational efficiency, poor robustness, and inability to distinguish trajectories with opposite directions, this paper proposes a 3D Triangle Division (3TD) algorithm. Firstly, the absolute time series of the trajectory set was transformed into a relative time series according to the time conversion rules of the 3TD algorithm. Then, in the three-dimensional space coordinate system composed of three elements of longitude, latitude, and time, the trajectories were divided into several non-overlapping triangles by partitioning rules, and the area of the triangles was accumulated and the trajectory similarity was calculated. Finally, comparative experiments with the Longest Common Subsequence (LCSS) and Hausdorff distance were carried out on a randomly sampled trajectory dataset collected from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) of ships. The experimental results show that the calculation time of the 3TD algorithm is reduced by more than 90% and the accuracy of trajectory recognition in different directions in the experimental data set is 100%. At the same time, the algorithm can also maintain accurate measurement results in the face of massive data sets and data sets with partially missing trajectory points, which can better adapt to the similarity measurement of different directions.