bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial distress and associated factors among adult cancer patients at oncology units in the Amhara regional state, Ethiopia, 2022
Authors: Baye Astewle Andargie , Bogale Sitotaw Kerie , Tegenaw Abebu , Fekadie Mengistu Melak , Wondyifraw Haileyesus Gedamu , Tigabu Mengistu Ewunetu , Kebede Mulu
Published: November 2022

Background
Psychosocial distress is a long-term burden for cancer survivors, which has an impact on their quality of life and oncologic prognosis. Although the national cancer prevention and control program in Ethiopia has made efforts in cancer prevention, control, and management by implementing the national cancer control plan 2016–2020, no enough evidence about psychosocial distress among adult cancer patients. So it is critical to understand the magnitude of psychosocial distress and the factors that contribute to it.
Objective
To assess the prevalence of psychosocial distress and associated factors among adult cancer patients at oncology units in the Amhara regional state, Ethiopia. 2022.
Methods
A multi-center institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 605 adult cancer patients from April 30-June 22, 2022. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select the study units. And data were collected through interviewers administered questionnaires by using the validated and pretested tools. Distress was assessed using the Questionnaire on Stress in Cancer Patients Revised 10. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to describe the association between dependent and independent variables. Independent variable with p-value less than 0.25 in the bivariable logistic regression analyses were entered into multivariable logistic regression model. Variables with p-value < 0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression analyses were considered as statistically significant associated factors of psychosocial distress.
Result
A total of 593 adult cancer patients took part in this study with mean age of 46.86 ± 14.5 years. The overall prevalence of psychosocial distress was 63.74%. Variables such as being female (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.24–3.17), patients who lives in rural areas (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.49–3.54), community based health insurance utilization (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.23–0.51), patients on chemotherapy treatment (AOR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.38–5.39), patients with comorbidity (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.67–6.10), and symptom burdens such as severe fatigue (AOR = 1.65, 95% CI:1.09–2.39) and severe nausea (AOR = 2.07, 95%CI: 1.43-3.00) were statistically associated with psychosocial distress.
Conclusion and recommendation:
In general, the findings of this study showed a relatively high magnitude in which around two-thirds of patients experienced psychosocial distress. It is better to establish and enforce the integration and coordination of psychosocial-oncology service programs at national level with parallel guidelines and policies.
Double series Filters in Treating Inferior Vena Cava Filter-mediated Thrombosis
Authors: Yu Zuanbiao , Hu Songjie , Yang Tiequan , Lyv Shuyi , Lang Dehai
Published: November 2022

Background:As the exponential increase in the number of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters in China, it has become a major predisposing factor for IVC filters-mediated thrombosis. This is an important risk factor for thrombosis recurrence. What’s more, the long-term implantation of the filter will bring many uncertainties. This study is aim to summarize our experience and introduce a strategy safely in treating IVC filters-mediated thrombosis.Methods:The clinical data were collected and analyzed from seven patients (3 female and 4 male) who suffered IVC filters-mediated thrombosis in our center from August 2018 to June 2022. In this group, the time of IVC filters thrombosis was not exceeding two weeks. According to the location and morphology of the thrombosis in the filter, we adopt two access (Femoral vein or Jugular vein) puncture to implant the supra-renal IVC filter. Then, all steps were performed under the protecting to retrieval the double series IVC filters and thrombosis. Pulmonary Embolism(PE) assessment was taken measure by computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) .Results:In this study, Technical success rate was 100% to retrieval the double series IVC filters. The volume of IVC filters-mediated thrombosis in those patients was exceeded 1 mL.71.4% (5/7) of cases present the existing thrombosis located in the filters, 1 patient (14.3%, 1/7) has the thrombosis located both inside and floating above the filter, as well as 1 patient (14.3%, 1/7) having thrombosis located both inside and underneath the filter. Six patients removed the suprarenal IVC filters in I stage, and only one patient removed it in II stage. On removing the thrombosis, five patients were removed completely and only two were partially, including 3 patients with the help of catheter-directed thrombolysis(CDT)therapy. No procedure-related complications were observed. The median follow-up time was 22.5 months. No recurrence of thrombus symptoms was reported, B ultrasound and CTPA showed that the blood flow in the inferior vena cava and pulmonary artery were smooth.Conclusions:For the patients who suffered from IVC filters-mediated thrombosis no longer than two weeks, using double series IVC filters to protect the patients is a safe approach and could improve the retrieve rate of IVC filters at early stages.
Incidence, characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of diabetic ketoacidosis in COVID-19 patients without prior insulin dependence: comparison with influenza
Authors: Dell'Aquila Kevin , Lee Jeylin , Alamuri Tharun T. , Jennings Rebecca , Tang Helen , Mahesh Sandhya , Leong Taylor Jan , Fleysher Roman , Henninger Erin M. , Rangareddy Mahendranath , Moghaddam Kasra Jabbary , Veeraraghavan Sudhakar , Soby Selvin , Mirhaji Parsa , Hou Wei , Duong Tim Q.
Published: November 2022

Whether SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is unclear. This study characterized incidence, patient profiles, risk factors, and outcomes of in-hospital DKA in COVID-19 patients without prior insulin dependence and compared with influenza. This cohort consisted of 13,383 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (March 2020 to July 2022) and 19,165 hospitalized influenza patients (January 2018 to July 2022) in Bronx, NY. Patients with prior DKA and prior insulin use were excluded. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and new-insulin use 3-month post-infection. The incidence of DKA in hospitalized COVID-19 patients was significantly higher than hospitalized influenza patients (1.4% vs. 0.8%, p < 0.05). COVID-19 patients with DKA were more likely to be intubated, receive steroid treatment, and die (mortality OR = 6.178, p < 0.05) than those without DKA. DKA patients without pre-existing diabetes were more likely to die than DKA patients with pre-existing diabetes (OR = 7.56, p < 0.05). Steroid use, pre-existing type-2 diabetes, and male sex were risk factors for DKA. Patients with DKA had a higher rate of insulin use 3 months post SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to those without DKA (8.2% vs. 1.6%, p < 0.05), suggesting SARS-CoV-2 infection could trigger new insulin dependence. Identification of risk factors for DKA and new insulin-dependency could enable careful monitoring and timely intervention.
Disease Burden of Herpes Zoster in China: A Meta-analysis and Evidence Quality Assessment
Authors: Zhang Zhujiazi , Liu Xinnong , Suo Luodan , Pan Jingbin , Zhao Dan , Lu Li
Published: November 2022

Background: This review aimed to estimate the disease burden of herpes zoster (HZ) in China and explore the application of the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach in observational studies of disease incidence.
Methods: We searched for the literature for observational studies analysing HZ incidence in populations of all ages in China and assessed the quality of each study using the guidelines for the evaluation of incidence studies. Meta-analysis models were constructed to calculate the pooled incidence of HZ and pooled risks of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), HZ recurrence, and hospitalisation. The studies were divided into subgroups according to sex, age, and quality assessment score and analysed. The quality of evidence for incidence was rated using the GRADE system.
Results: Twelve studies with a total of 25,928,408 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled incidence for all ages was 4.28‰ (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22–7.35). It increased by age group and increased significantly in those aged ≥60 years, which was 11.69‰ (95% CI: 6.56–16.81). The pooled risks of PHN, recurrence, and hospitalisation were 12.6% (95% CI: 10.1–15.1), 9.7% (95% CI: 3.2–16.2) and 6.0/100,000 population (95% CI: 2.3–14.2), respectively. The quality of the evidence assessment of the pooled incidence for all ages was ‘very low’, which was rated down by one category in limitations and one category in publication bias, with no categories rating it up. The result of the quality of evidence assessment for the ≥60 years old subgroup was ‘low’.
Conclusions: HZ is a serious public health problem in China and is more significant in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, an immunisation strategy for the zoster vaccine should be considered. The GRADE approach can be applied to the rating quality of evidence in disease incidence studies, but the process needs to be more specific and operable.
An Interpretable Hybrid Predictive Model of COVID-19 Cases using Autoregressive Model and LSTM
Authors: Zhang Yangyi , Tang Sui , Yu Guo
Published: November 2022

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed a severe threat to global human health and economic. It is an urgent task to build reliable data-driven prediction models for Covid 19 cases to improve public policy making. However, COVID-19 data shows special transmission characteristics such as significant fluctuations and non-stationarity, which may be difficult to be captured by a single predictive model and poses grand challenges in effective forecasting. In this paper, we proposed a novel Hybrid data-driven model combining Autoregressive model (AR) and long short-term memory neural networks (LSTM). It can be viewed as a new neural network model and the contribution of AR and LSTM is auto tuned in the training procedure. We conduct extensive numerical experiments on data collected from 8 counties of California that display various trends. The numerical results show the Hybrid model' advantages over AR and LSTM by its predictive powers. We show that the Hybrid model achieved 4.195% MAPE, outperformed the AR 5.629% and LSTM 5.070% on average, and provide a discussion on interpretability.
Periyasamy et al. Advances in Aerodynamics CFD and XFLR5 analysis of an Active Aeroelastic Wing
Authors: SIVANANDI PERIYASAMY , Gupta Chirag , Durai Hari
Published: November 2022

In the present study, the optimum wing and its aerodynamic performance investigation of an Active aeroelastic wing (AAW) structure for an unmanned aerial vehicle that operates at low subsonic speed is presented. AAW technology is a new design for UAV wing structures which ultimately increases its efficiency. The focus is mainly to design a seamless flexible wing structure. The shape changes made from root to tip wing twist enhance the aerodynamic performance of the UAV. Because of the shape change, the weight carrying capacity of the UAV can be increased. In the fluid domain, Numerical Analysis has been done for both the wing. The simulation was performed with maximum velocity of 60 m/s and Reynolds number of 81300 based on incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using 1-equation spalart allmaras turbulent model in CFD and based on the Lifting line theory and vortex lattice approach in XFLR5. Here investigation is about to compare the aeroelastic wing by changing its angle of twist with the normal wing by deflecting its flap. The final goal was to compare the AAW and normal wing computationally by varying their speed, lift-based, and drag-based best result of both the wing has arrived. Drag breakdown analysis on an AAW UAV wing platform is done utilising classical approach, XFLR5, and CFD aerodynamic coefficients estimation methods.
The effects of light-dark schemes on the entrainment ability of the suprachiasmatic nucleus
Authors: Zheng Wenxin , Gu Changgui , Yang Huijie , Rohling Jos H.T.
Published: November 2022

In mammals, an endogenous clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), synchronizes physiological and biological rhythms to the environmental light-dark cycle. In experiments, most researchers applied rectangular scheme as the external light-dark scheme received by the SCN neuronal oscillators. However, the external light intensity changes gradually throughout the day. Therefore, trapezoidal schemes (twilight) or sinusoidal schemes were also applied. Thus far, the effects of different light-dark schemes on the oscillators of the SCN did not get fully explored. In the present study, we theoretically analyzed how the five common light-dark schemes affect the entrainment ability of the SCN, based on a Poincare model. We numerically found ´ that when the maximum light intensity, the minimum light intensity, and the total amount of light exposure per cycle were the same, the largest entrainment range was obtained in the oscillators receiving more light in the daytime. However if, under the condition of 12:12-h illumination, the total amount of light exposure per cycle was the same, the maximum light intensity during the day leaded to an increased range of entrainment. Moreover, the entrainment range was reduced when the photoperiod was extended. Note that, increasing the maximum light intensity increased the entrainment ability of all light-dark schemes. Our results exposes the important role of light-dark schemes in the entrainment ability of the SCN network, and provides a potential explanation for the diversity of the entrainment range between diurnal and nocturnal animals.
Reducing emissions of exhaust particles using the synergy of molybdenum disulfide and carbon nanotubes in engine oil additives
Authors: Bojarska Zuzanna , Goławska Weronika , Mazurkiewicz-Pawlicka Marta , Makowski Łukasz
Published: November 2022

To reduce emissions of exhaust particles, using oils with improved properties has been proposed. Nanoadditives can be used to enhance lubricating properties of engine oils. Although many additives have been developed, molybdenum disulfide and carbon nanotubes have attracted significant attention. In this study, we demonstrate that hybrid nanostructures based on these unique materials (MoS2/CNTs) positively affect lubricating properties of the engine oil. Hybrid nanostructures were produced via wet chemical synthesis in impinging jet reactor. This method is characterized by easy scalability and possible continuous operation, which are crucial in material commercialization. Various concentrations of the oil nanoadditives were tested. The application of 0.5 wt% suspension produced the best results, reducing the friction factor at the engine operating temperature by up to 26%. Nanoadditives protected the lubricated parts, causing their wear to be considerably lower than the base oil. The effect of nanoadditives on the quality of exhaust gases was also investigated. The application of the oil with MoS2/CNT reduced the emissions of solid particles in the exhaust gas of a gasoline engine. This research showed that MoS2/CNTs can be successfully used as nanoadditives in engine oils for improving tribological properties, enhancing anti-wear performance, and reducing particle emissions in exhaust gas.
Investigation of the prognostic biomarkers for thymoma
Authors: Cui Jian , Du Xin , Yu Xintao , Yu Tao , Yang Xingguo , Ke Ji , Yu Lei
Published: November 2022

Background
Thymoma represents the most common anterior mediastinal malignancy and has a close association with autoimmune disease. However, the potential molecular oncogenesis of thymoma has not been fully clarified yet. This study aims to identify hub genes and signaling pathways associated with thymoma to explore the possible pathogenesis of thymoma and analyze their prognostic significance.
Results
A total of 738 DEGs were screened for subsequent analysis. Functional enrichment analysis emphasizes the important roles of the cell cycle signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, and TGF-β signaling pathway in the development of thymoma. Six hub genes had a close connection with prognosis. The relative higher expression of JUN(HR:4.95[1-24.47], p = 0.031) and the lower expression of CDK1(HR:0.17[0.03–0.83], p = 0.015), E2F2(HR:0.16[0.03–0.83], p = 0.015), MCM2(HR:0.16[0.03–0.82], p = 0.014), MKI67(HR:0.18[0.04–0.89], p = 0.02) and TOP2A(HR:0.12[0.02–0.58], p = 0.0018) was associated with a worse OS in thymoma patients. Besides, E2F2 was particularly overexpressed in type B2 thymoma compared with the other subtypes and normal thymus tissue. Immune infiltration analysis indicated that only E2F2 (r=-0.198, p = 3.35E-02) was negatively correlated with tumor purity. Moreover, the expression of CDK1, E2F2, JUN, and MCM2 was significantly correlated with the infiltration of B cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and DCs.
Conclusion
Among the top 10 hub genes confirmed in thymoma, CDK1, E2F2, MCM2, MKI67, JUN, and TOP2A show prognostic significance and might also play vital roles in immune surveillance and tumor progression. E2F2 might be the potential biomarker for type B2 thymoma.
Effect of a novel pin tool with shoulder at the top of the needle on the formability, microstructure and properties of Al/Mg dissimilar friction stir lap joint
Authors: Jiang Tianfan , Hu Jinpeng , shen Yifu , Sun Tao , Ni Ruiyang , Cao Fujun , Yu Tao , Zhou Guangming
Published: November 2022

In this paper, a novel friction stir welding tool with shoulder at the top of the needle is developed to solve the problems in aluminum/magnesium friction stir lap welding. Based on the structural design of the shoulder at the end of the needle, the temperature difference in the thickness direction of the joint was coordinated, and the aluminum-magnesium dissimilar lapping joint was successfully prepared in two kinds of lapping methods. Taking die cast AZ31B magnesium alloy and extruded 6061 aluminum alloy as the research object, the defects and microstructure of weld joint were observed and analyzed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. Additionally, their mechanical properties were also evaluated. The results show that a good metallurgical reaction is formed between aluminum and magnesium, and with the increase of the effective plate thickness and the decrease of the effective lap width, the unique hook defect shape of lap welding is optimized, which also promotes the improvement of the mechanical properties of the weld. In the tensile shear experiment, it is found that the tensile shear property is improved due to the change of the shape of the hook defect, and it is a mixed fracture of toughness and brittleness.
Effects of raw and hydrolysed Nannochloropsis gaditana biomass included at low level in finishing diets for gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) on fillet quality and shelf life
Authors: Sáez María I. , Galafat Alba , Suárez María D. , Chaves-Pozo Elena , Arizcun Marta , Ayala María D. , Alarcón Francisco J. , Martínez Tomás F.
Published: November 2022

Numerous studies evaluating the effects of the incorporation of microalgae in feeds have reported favourable impacts on different physiological aspects of aquacultured fish. Although productivity is the major goal in terms of profitability in fish farming, however, qualitative aspects are gaining the attention of producers, given the relevance of quality attributes related to organoleptic parameters, proximal composition, and shelf life on the commercial value of fish. Indeed, microalgae are acknowledged for their richness in substances with potential positive effects on all those quality attributes. In this context, this study assesses the effects of finishing diets enriched with the microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana, either crude or enzymatically hydrolysed, on several quality parameters of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fillets. Two inclusion levels (2.5 and 5%) of raw and enzymatically hydrolysed microalgal biomass were incorporated into diets, plus a microalgae-free control diet, and a 42-d feeding trial was carried out on fish of commercial size (approx. 500 g body weight). The influence of the experimental diets on fish biometry, fillet quality parameters, and shelf life was evaluated. The results indicate, overall, that microalgae-enriched diets yielded favourable, dose-dependent effects on several objective quality parameters of fillets, namely, improved fatty acid profile, reduced microbial counts, enhanced lipid oxidative status, and improved textural and skin colour attributes. Although the enzymatic pre-treatment of the microalgal biomass was expected to impact positively its functional effects on all quality parameters, however, no general trend was observed.
Protective effect of Crocin on Cuprizone-induced model of Multiple Sclerosis in Mice
Authors: Tashakori Ali , Hassanpour Shahin , Vazir Bita
Published: November 2022

Crocin is the main bioactive components of the saffron with neuro generative and protective activity, however, its activity in neurodegenerative disease in not fully elicited. So, the aim of the current study was to determine effects of the crocin on reflexive motor behavior, depressive and serum antioxidant activities on cuprizone-induced (CPZ) model of multiple sclerosis (MS) mice. 40 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into 4 groups. Mice in the control group were treated with normal diet. In group 2, CPZ-induced demyelination was done by chew palate containing 0.2% (w/w) CPZ for 5 weeks. In group 3, normal diet was provided and mice orally received crocin (100 mg/kg) 3 times per week for 5 weeks. In group 4, mice feed CPZ containing diet and orally received crocin (100 mg/kg) three times per for 5 weeks. At the end of the study, reflexive motor behavior and depressive tests were done. Also, serum and brain tissue antioxidant activity was determined. According to the data, crocin had positive effects on hind-limb foot angle, hind- and front-limb suspension, surface righting, grip strength and negative geotaxis while CPZ had adverse effect compare to control group (P < 0.05). Co-administration of the CPZ + crocin significantly decreased adverse effect of the CPZ on the reflexive motor behavior tests (P < 0.05). CPZ significantly increased immobility time in the forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and crocin diminished it (P < 0.05). Co-administration of the CPZ + crocin significantly decreased adverse effect of the CPZ on immobility time (P < 0.05). CPZ decreased number of cross in open field test (OFT) and spending time on rotarod and CPZ + crocin significantly lessened adverse effect of the CPZ (P < 0.05). CPZ significantly increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant status (TAS) and these effects reversed by crocin in brain tissue and serum (P < 0.05). Co-administration of the CPZ + crocin significantly improved adverse effect of the CPZ on serum and brain tissue antioxidants (P < 0.05). These results suggested crocin has protective effect against on CPZ-induced MS in mice.
Efficient adsorption of methyl orange and methylene blue dyes by a novel carbazole-based hyper-crosslinked porous polymer
Authors: He Yan , Guo Zhulei , Chen Mingfan , Wan Sicheng , Peng Nan , Fu Xiaolei , Yuan Dingzhong , Na Bing
Published: November 2022

In this paper, a new type of carbazole-based hyper-crosslinked porous polymer (HCP-CP) was prepared through a very simple “knitted” method. The carbazole and pyrrole as the aromatic building blocks was knitted by the methylene bond under the anhydrous FeCl3 as catalyst. The obtained novel polymer HCP-CP has a good adsorption properties of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) organic dyes in aqueous solution due to its high surface area and rich nitrogen atoms. The effect of pH, adsorption time, different initial concentration of dyes and adsorption recycle performance were investigated in detailed. The optimum pH is 8 for the adsorption of MB and 6 for the adsorption of MO, respectively. Under the best condition, the Langmuir model fitted the adsorption isotherm well and the adsorption behavior follow pseudo-second-order kinetics. The maximum adsorption capacity of HCP-CP for cationic dye MB (qmax=751.88 mg/g) is more than twice higher than that of anionic dye MO (qmax=274.73 mg/g).These capacity differences may be owing to the stronger electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged nitrogen atoms of HCP-CP with the cationic dye MB than that of MO. Moreover, the used polymer HCP-CP still retain a removal percentage above 92% after 5 times adsorption-desorption recycle. Therefore, this work provided a convenient synthetic route to develop a novel hyper-crosslinked polymer with high capacity for the entrapment of dyes from aqueous solution.
Interaction between mitochondrial homeostasis and barrier function in lipopolysaccharide-induced endothelial cells injury
Authors: Zhu Weiwei , Liu Xiaojing , Luo Liqing , Huang Xiao , Wang Xiaozhi
Published: November 2022

Sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has a higher mortality rate than ARDS from other causes in intensive care units. Emerging evidence has suggested that mitochondrial homeostasis and barrier function of endothelial cells play a critical role in ARDS development. However, little is known regarding the role of mitochondrial homeostasis in regulating endothelial cells barrier function during sepsis-induced ARDS. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of mitochondrial homeostasis on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endothelial cells barrier function (including glycocalyx and tight junctions [TJs]), as well as their underlying mechanisms. Cells were treated with LPS with or without oligomycin (mitochondrial ATP synthase inhibitor) and the morphology of the mitochondria, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) (mtROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential were evaluated to assess mitochondrial function. Moreover, shedding of glycocalyx-heparan sulfate (HS) and HS-specific degrading enzyme heparanase (HPA) levels, and the expression of occludin and zonula occludens (ZO-1) of TJs, which are mediated by myosin light chain phosphorylation (p-MLC), were assessed. The addition of heparinase III, which is an exogenous HPA, could destroy the integrity of the glycocalyx in examining the changes in mitochondrial homeostasis. These results demonstrated that LPS simultaneously increased the mitochondrial swelling, mtROS and mitochondrial membrane potential. Without LPS intervention, only oligomycin effects, HS and HPA levels, and expression of occludin, ZO-1, and p-MLC were elevated. Interestingly, heparinase III not only damaged the glycocalyx by increasing HS shedding, but also increased the mitochondrial swelling and mtROS, and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential. Considered together, we demonstrated that mitochondrial homeostasis is involved in LPS-induced endothelial cells barrier dysfunction by aggravating HPA and p-MLC levels, and in turn, the integrated glycocalyx protects the mitochondrial homeostasis. Overall, the results highlighted barrier function and mitochondrial homeostasis as potential novel targets for the treatment of sepsis-induced ARDS.
Active mantle upwelling through a “Moho hole” under the Hoh-Xil region, Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Li Lun , Dong Shixian , Lu Zhanwu , Guo Xiaoyu , Murphy Michael , Liu Yiduo , Liao Jie , Li Shifu , Gao Rui
Published: November 2022

Deep dynamic processes in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is vital to understand asynchronous uplift of the plateau, and hence climate and biodiversity evolution in eastern Asia, yet remain elusive under the isolated Hoh-Xil (HX) region (central-northern TP). Here we image the crust under the HX region using receiver function with an NS-trending ~370 km long dense seismic array. We find a hole at crust-mantle boundary (i.e., “Moho hole”) along with two intra-crustal low seismic velocity layers under the Hoh-Xil-Songpan-Ganzi Terrane (HSGT) and interpret these features as reflecting crust-mantle interactions resulting from active mantle upwelling due to lithospheric removal under the HSGT. We further propose a progressive lithospheric removal model that could best explain Miocene uplift history and deep origin of surface-exposed volcanic rocks with distinct geochemical features in central-northern Tibet. We envision the significant role of lithospheric removal playing in shaping present-day Tibetan topography, structure, and spatiotemporal lithospheric deformation.
Vortex Formation Time is a Novel Measure for Early Detection of Diastolic Abnormalities in Adolescents with Hypertension
Authors: Dukkipati Haripriya , Sethna Christine , Maisel Kyle , Jones Monique , Kulkarni Aparna
Published: November 2022

Pediatric hypertension (HTN) has demonstrated an upward trend in recent years. Adolescent HTN has been linked to adult HTN, cardiovascular disease, and other health conditions. Thus, it is essential that HTN and its associated cardiac abnormalities be diagnosed and treated early to minimize lifelong adverse effects. In this study, we evaluated whether vortex formation time (VFT), a validated echocardiogram measure of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, correlated with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and HTN in adolescents. Echocardiogram data including systolic and diastolic function indices and ABPM data from 2015 to 2022 in adolescents age 13–21 years were analyzed retrospectively. We found that VFT was significantly lower in adolescents with HTN compared to those without (3.69 ± 1.39 vs. 4.50 ± 1.73, p = 0.02). Standard echocardiographic indices of systolic and diastolic function were similar between the two groups. Higher overall systolic blood pressure (SBP) (β = -0.01, CI -0.02, -2.2 x 10− 3, p = 0.02), mean wake SBP (β = -0.01, CI -0.02, -9.4 x 10− 4, p = 0.03) and mean sleep SBP (β = -0.01, CI -0.02, -1.2 x 10− 3, p = 0.03) were significantly associated with lower VFT. This study demonstrates that VFT correlates to ABPM data and can be used as a novel diagnostic measure of early diastolic dysfunction in adolescents with HTN.
A ground penetrating radar denoising method based on CEEMD and wavelet decomposition
Authors: Ma Yong-Min , Liu Yang , Kim Gang-Sop , Jo Won-Hak
Published: November 2022

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology is widely used in civil engineering projects such as inspection of concrete buildings, pavement road, bridge, tunnel, and underground utilities (water supply pipes, gas pipes, power cables, sewers, etc.). With the application of GPR becoming more and more extensive, in order to further improve its effectiveness and efficiency, the researches on noise removal, image quality improvement and automatic data interpretation are being actively carried out. In this paper, firstly, the principles of complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition (CEEMD) and wavelet transform, which are widely used in various signal processing fields, are described in detail. Then, GPR denoising method based on CEEMD and wavelet decomposition is proposed. The CEEMD IMFs of GPR signal separate into the effective signal components and noise ones. The noise components are not completely removed, the effective information are extracted from them by the wavelet denoising technique and then the signal is reconstructed. Finally, the performance of proposed method is verified by numerical simulation and field data analysis.
Dynamic parameterization of a modified SEIRD model to analyze and forecast the dynamics of COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States
Authors: Davarci Orhun O. , Yang Emily Y. , Viguerie Alexander , Yankeelov Thomas E. , Lorenzo Guillermo
Published: November 2022

The rapid spread of the numerous outbreaks of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has fueled interest in mathematical models designed to understand and predict infectious disease spread, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the decision-making of public health authorities. Here, we propose a computational pipeline that dynamically parameterizes a modified SEIRD (Susceptible-Exposed-InfectedRecovered-Deceased) model using standard daily series of COVID-19 cases and deaths, along with isolated estimates of population-level seroprevalence. We test our pipeline in five heavily impacted states of the US (New York, California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas) between March and August 2020, considering two scenarios with different calibration time horizons to assess the update in model performance as new epidemiologic data becomes available. Our results show a median normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) of 2.38% and 4.28% in calibrating cumulative cases and deaths in the first scenario, and 2.41% and 2.30% when new data is assimilated in the second scenario, respectively. Then, two-week (four-week) forecasts of the calibrated model resulted in median NRMSE of cumulative cases and deaths of 5.85% and 4.68% (8.60% and 17.94%) in the first scenario, and 1.86% and 1.93% (2.21% and 1.45%) in the second. Additionally, we show that our method provides significantly more accurate predictions of cases and deaths than a constant parameterization in the second scenario (p < 0.05). Thus, we posit that our methodology is a promising approach to analyze the dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks, and that our forecasts could contribute to designing effective pandemic-arresting public health policies.
Neural Circuit Disruptions of Eye Gaze Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ibrahim Karim , Iturmendi-Sabater Iciar , Vasishth Maya , Barron Daniel S. , Guardavaccaro MariaRose , Funaro Melissa C. , Holmes Avram , McCarthy Gregory , Eickhoff Simon B. , Sukhodolsky Denis G.
Published: November 2022

Impairment in social cognition, particularly eye gaze processing, is a shared feature common to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. However, it is unclear if a convergent neural mechanism also underlies gaze dysfunction across these conditions. The present study examined whether this shared eye gaze phenotype is reflected in a profile of convergent neurobiological dysfunction in ASD and schizophrenia. All fMRI experiments were published between January 1990 and December 2021. Experiments were selected comparing brain responses across domains of gaze processing for ASD or schizophrenia vs healthy controls and reporting whole-brain findings. Fifty-nine experiments from 36 articles met inclusion criteria. Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analyses were conducted on peak voxel coordinates to identify spatial convergence across disorders. Functional coactivation was conducted with regions emerging as significant using meta-analytic connectivity modeling. Functional decoding was also conducted. The 59 experiments from 36 articles included 629 patients (ASD, schizophrenia) and 613 healthy controls (1242 participants). Across disorders, aberrant activation was found in the right inferior frontal gyrus and right fusiform gyrus during gaze processing. Functional decoding mapped the right inferior frontal gyrus to domains related to cognition and perception, and the right fusiform gyrus to visual perception, spatial cognition, and emotion perception. These regions also showed meta-analytic connectivity to frontoparietal circuitry. Aberrant activation in frontotemporal and frontoparietal circuitry emerged as convergent neural markers in ASD and schizophrenia across domains of gaze processing. These findings have implications for advancing transdiagnostic brain biomarkers to inform diagnosis and targeted treatments for ASD and schizophrenia.
Resectability and Prognosis of Gallbladder Cancer: An experience of 100 cases from a tertiary care centre of Eastern Nepal
Authors: Pandit Narendra , Neupane Durga , Nalbo Dinesh , Bhattarai Sameer , Deo Kunal Bikram , Jaiswal Lokesh Shekher , Adhikary Shailesh
Published: November 2022

Background
Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the fifth most common neoplasm of the digestive tract and has an overall incidence of 3 per 100000 people. Only 15%-47% of the preoperatively known GBC are suitable for resection. The objective of the study was to investigate the resectability and prognosis of GBC patients.
Methods
It is a prospective observational study including all cases of primary cancers of the gallbladder in the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), over the period from January 2014 to December 2019. The primary endpoint was resectability and overall survival.
Results
During the study period, 100 patients with GBC were reported. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 52.5 years, with a female predominance (67%). The curative intent resection (radical cholecystectomy) was possible in 30 (30%) patients; while 18 (18%) required palliative surgical treatment. The overall survival of the entire group was 9 months; while those patients who underwent surgery with curative intent had median overall survival of 28 months after median follow-up of 42 months.
Conclusion
This study found that only one-third of patients achieve radical surgery with curative intent. Overall, the prognosis of patients is poor with median survival of less than a year due to the advanced stage disease. Multimodality treatment, screening ultrasound, neo-/adjuvant therapy may improve survival.
Composition analysis and antibacterial activity evaluation of different crude extracts of Mentha piperita (Lamiaceae)
Authors: AL-HAJRİ Ms. Zahra Mohammed , HOSSAİN Md Amzad , AL-TOUBY Salim Said
Published: November 2022

Globally, the main target of scientists is to examine new medicinally beneficial plants for the preparation of herbal drugs as well as to explore possible uses in the food industry. In this regard, the target of our current study is to evaluate the antibacterial activity and biochemical analyses of the leaf extracts of Omani Mentha piperita L (M. piperita). The selected plant leaves coarse powder samples were extracted by using the Soxhlet extraction process with methanol at 65oC for a period of 72 hours. The evaporation of methanol was done by a rotary evaporator under reduced pressure and temperature. The hydro alcoholic extract was fractionated with the various polarities of solvents with an increasing pattern. The biochemical evaluation and pharmacological activity of the prepared local plant extracts were completed by using established methods. The different polarities of leaves extracts showed positive biochemical tests of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, steroids, tannins and triterpenoids. The microbial activity of the fractioned plant extracts was tested with improved agar gel method. The different polarity extracts at different concentrations did not display any activity against the tested Gram (+) Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Gram (-) Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonus aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) bacterial strains. Based on the biochemical and pharmacological evaluation results, the selected whole plant and its potential extracts might be used traditionally as natural antibiotics to treat infectious diseases.
Mean string field theory: Landau-Ginzburg theory for 1-form symmetries
Authors: Iqbal Nabil , McGreevy John
Published: November 2022

By analogy with the Landau-Ginzburg theory of ordinary zero-form
symmetries, we introduce and develop a Landau-Ginzburg theory of
one-form global symmetries, which we call mean string field theory. The
basic dynamical variable is a string field – defined on the space of
closed loops – that can be used to describe the creation, annihilation,
and condensation of effective strings. Like its zero-form cousin, the
mean string field theory provides a useful picture of the phase diagram
of broken and unbroken phases. We provide a transparent derivation of
the area law for charged line operators in the unbroken phase and
describe the dynamics of gapless Goldstone modes in the broken phase.
The framework also provides a theory of topological defects of the
broken phase and a description of the phase transition that should be
valid above an upper critical dimension, which we discuss. We also
discuss general consequences of emergent one-form symmetries at zero and
finite temperature.
Do Organizational Culture and Human Resources Management Practices Decrease Turnover Intention in Microfinance Company?
Authors: Maryati Sri , Panjaitan Nurmala Katrina , Sukmawati Anggraini
Published: November 2022

Organizational culture can be interpreted as an accumulation of basic assumptions, practices, principles, beliefs, norms, and values that govern a person’s behavior and action in an organization. Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Indonesia are growing very fast which is not accompanied by availability of sufficient competent human resources in this financial industry. This condition has caused employee turnover which tends to increase in the last three years. The research aimed to analyze the organizational culture designed by the company manager compared to the organizational culture according to employee perception and the effect of organizational culture and Human Resources Management (HRM) Practices run by the company on employee turnover intention. The research was a case study in PT DMS, one of MFIs in Indonesia. Primary data were collected from 249 respondents using the census method as a sampling technique. Then, the analysis of organizational culture using the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) analysis showed that the culture that could be applied was the type of clan. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis shows that organizational culture positively affects satisfaction with the implementation of HRM practices. However, organizational culture has a negative impact on turnover intention. Then, satisfaction with implementing HRM practices has a significant and negative effect on turnover intention. It can be concluded that to decrease turnover intention, companies need to increase employee satisfaction with the implementation of organizational culture and HRM practice, such as creating employee development program.
Political Communication Patterns through Social Media: A Case of an Indonesian Presidential Staff Twitter Account
Authors: Juswil Addin Khaerunnisa , Nofrima Sanny , Saputra Herdin Arie
Published: November 2022

Given the current technological developments, social media has become a necessity and a new tool that can complement services. Social media can influence the understanding of political communication and its impact on the public. Every element of society uses social media for various purposes, including the government. One who is quite active on Twitter and has repeatedly drawn controversy is the Presidential Chief of Staff, Retired General Moeldoko. The research investigates the pattern of political communication carried out by the Presidential Chief of Staff by focusing on his Twitter account and using the components of the effectiveness of political communication and media effects. The research applies a qualitative approach supported by the NVivo 12 Plus software. The data are collected using the NCapture for NVivo feature on the Presidential Chief of Staff’s Twitter account (@Dr Moeldoko). The results show that Moeldoko’s communication through Twitter is generally for the media or fellow government agencies. His communication is also a way to provide information about government programs. In addition, the research also finds that the alleged ineffectiveness in Twitter management is based on a decrease in account activity. It can be concluded that his pattern of communication is general, vertical, and not participatory.
An Explainable AI Model for Hate Speech Detection on Indonesian Twitter
Authors: Ibrahim Muhammad Amien , Arifin Samsul , Yudistira I Gusti Agung Anom , Nariswari Rinda , Abdillah Abdul Azis , Murnaka Nerru Pranuta , Prasetyo Puguh Wahyu
Published: November 2022

To avoid citizen disputes, hate speech on social media, such as Twitter, must be automatically detected. The current research in Indonesian Twitter focuses on developing better hate speech detection models. However, there is limited study on the explainability aspects of hate speech detection. The research aims to explain issues that previous researchers have not detailed and attempt to answer the shortcomings of previous researchers. There are 13,169 tweets in the dataset with labels like “hate speech” and “abusive language”. The dataset also provides binary labels on whether hate speech is directed to individual, group, religion, race, physical disability, and gender. In the research, classification is performed by using traditional machine learning models, and the predictions are evaluated using an Explainable AI model, such as Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME), to allow users to comprehend why a tweet is regarded as a hateful message. Moreover, models that perform well in classification perceive incorrect words as contributing to hate speech. As a result, such models are unsuitable for deployment in the real world. In the investigation, the combination of XGBoost and logical LIME explanations produces the most logical results. The use of the Explainable AI model highlights the importance of choosing the ideal model while maintaining users’ trust in the deployed model.
Prediction of Heart Disease UCI Dataset Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Anderies Anderies , Tchin Jalaludin Ar Raniry William , Putro Prambudi Herbowo , Darmawan Yudha Putra , Gunawan Alexander Agung Santoso
Published: November 2022

Heart disease is inflammation or damage to the heart and blood vessels over time. the disease can affect anyone of any age, gender, or social status. After many studies trying to overcome and learn about heart disease, in the end, this disease can be detected using machine learning systems. It predicts the likelihood of developing heart disease. The results of this system give the probability of heart disease as a percentage. Data collection using secret data mining. The data assets handled in python programming use two main algorithms for machine learning, the decision tree algorithm, and the Bayes naive algorithm which shows the best of both for heart disease accuracy. The results we get from this study show that the SVM algorithm is the algorithm with the most excellent precision. and the highest accuracy with a score of 85% in predicting heart disease using machine learning algorithms.Heart disease is inflammation or damage to the heart and blood vessels over time. the disease can affect anyone of any age, gender, or social status. After many studies trying to overcome and learn about heart disease, in the end, this disease can be detected using machine learning systems. It predicts the likelihood of developing heart disease. The results of this system give the probability of heart disease as a percentage. Data collection using secret data mining. The data assets handled in python programming use two main algorithms for machine learning, the decision tree algorithm, and the Bayes naive algorithm which shows the best of both for heart disease accuracy. The results we get from this study show that the SVM algorithm is the algorithm with the most excellent precision. and the highest accuracy with a score of 85% in predicting heart disease using machine learning algorithms.