bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk factors associated with plasmid antibiotic resistance gene carriage revealed using large-scale multivariable analysis
Authors: Orlek Alex , Anjum Muna , Mather Alison , Stoesser Nicole , Walker Sarah
Published: August 2022

Plasmids are key vectors of bacterial antibiotic resistance, but understanding of risk factors associated with plasmid antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) carriage is limited. We curated >14000 publicly available plasmid genomes and associated metadata. Duplicate and replicate plasmids were excluded; where possible, sample metadata was validated externally (BacDive database). Using Logistic Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) we assessed the influence of biotic/abiotic risk factors (e.g. plasmid genetic factors, isolation source, collection date) on ARG carriage, modelled as a binary outcome. Separate GAMs were built for 10 major ARG types. Multivariable analysis indicated that plasmid ARG carriage patterns across time (collection years), isolation sources (human/livestock) and host bacterial taxa were consistent with antibiotic selection pressure as a driver of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance. Among livestock vs human plasmids, carbapenem resistance was infrequent (0.42% vs 12%), while tetracycline resistance was enriched (adjusted odds-ratio [OR]=2.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.89–3.72), reflecting known prescribing practices. More recently acquired ARG types (e.g. colistin and carbapenem) showed increases in plasmid carriage during the date range analysed (1994–2019), potentially reflecting recent onset of selection pressure; they also co-occurred less commonly with ARGs of other types and virulence genes. Carbapenem resistance was more likely to reside on conjugative vs non-mobilisable plasmids (adjusted OR=3.59 95%CI 2.80–4.61), and on plasmids with a higher density of insertion sequences. Overall, this suggests that following acquisition, plasmid ARGs tend to accumulate under antibiotic selection pressure and co-associate with other adaptive genes (other ARG types, virulence genes), potentially re-enforcing plasmid ARG carriage through co-selection.
IgA determines bacterial composition in the gut
Authors: Gupta Suman , Gupta Sneh Lata , Singh Aashima , Oswal Neelam , Bal Vineeta , Rath Satyajit , George Anna , Basu Srijani
Published: August 2022

Background: Classically IgA in the gut prevents the invasion of microorganisms to systemic organs through the process of neutralization and immune exclusion. Interestingly, recent reports suggest that IgA might help in biofilm formation and promote bacterial growth inside the intestine. Method and Results: In this study, we asked whether quality and quantity of IgA can select for bacterial persistence in the gut. We found that members of Proteobacteria are preferentially coated by IgA in WT mice and that there are no significant differences in the frequency of bacteria coated with IgA in mice that lack T-dependent IgA responses (TCRb-/-) mice as compared to WT mice. However, CBA/N mice that make poor T-independent IgA, had a lower frequency of IgA-coated bacteria and reduced Proteobacteria in the gut. Further, Rag-/- mice that lack all antibodies, had a severe reduction in Proteobacteria and were resistant to DSS induced colitis, suggesting that secretory IgA might be essential for differential retention of these taxa in the mouse gut. Rag-/- littermates in the F2 generation generated from (B6 x Rag-/-) F1 mice acquired Proteobacteria through vertical transmission of flora and died soon after weaning possibly due to the acquired flora. Additionally, continued exposure of Rag-/- mice to B6 flora by cohousing mice led to the acquisition of Proteobacteria and to mortality. Conclusion: Together, our results indicate that host survival in the complete absence of an IgA response necessitates the exclusion of certain bacterial taxa from the gut microbiome.
Investigation of Mutant Cardiac Myosin-Binding Protein C gene (MYBPC3) & Potential Cardiomyopathy Risks Among Indian Athletes
Authors: Shukla Manish , Sharma Abhishek , Gupta Rahul , Amrathlal Rabbind
Published: August 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Effects of adjuvants on protection in a rabies-vectored Ebola virus vaccine
Authors: Schnell Matthias , Yankowski Catherine , Kurup Drishya , Wirblich Christoph
Published: August 2022

Ebola virus is the primary contributor to the global threat of filovirus severe hemorrhagic fever, and Ebola virus disease has a case fatality rate of 50-90%. An inactivated, bivalent filovirus/Rabies virus vaccine, FILORAB1, consists of recombinant Rabies virus virions expressing the Ebola virus glycoprotein. FILORAB1 is immunogenic and protective from Ebola virus challenge in mice and non-human primates, and protection is enhanced when formulated with toll-like receptor 4 agonist Glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant (GLA) in a squalene oil-in-water emulsion (SE). Through an adjuvant comparison in mice, we demonstrate that GLA-SE improves FILORAB1 efficacy by activating the innate immune system and shaping a Th1-biased adaptive immune response. GLA-SE adjuvanted mice and those adjuvanted with the SE component are better protected from surrogate challenge, while Th2 alum adjuvanted mice are not. Additionally, the immune response to FILORAB1 is long-lasting, as exhibited by highly-maintained serum antibody titers and long-lived cells in the spleen and bone marrow.
Colorectal Cancer-Associated Bacterial Genes Are Widely Encoded In Human Microbiomes
Authors: Minot Samuel , Li Naisi , Koester Sean , Yu Ming , Dominitz Jason , Grady William , Dey Neelendu
Published: August 2022

The gut microbiome is an environmental driver of colorectal cancer (CRC). Although multiple gut bacterial species have been linked to CRC, each is detectable in a minority of CRC cases. Therefore, we postulated the existence of CRC-associated microbes more numerous and diverse than what is currently recognized. We performed a large-scale meta-analysis of metagenomic datasets from global gut microbiome surveys of CRC cohorts. By performing de novo clustering of co-abundant genes (CAG), we identified CRC-associated organisms with sub-species level resolution without the confounding effects of presupposed taxonomic hierarchies. This gene-level analysis disclosed 2,319 CAGs comprised of 427,261 bacterial genes significantly enriched or depleted in CRC that are widely encoded in genomes of diverse commensal organisms (an estimated 23-40% of gut bacteria), including taxa not previously linked to CRC. We demonstrated causality in gnotobiotic ApcMin/+ mice using defined bacterial consortia and human fecal samples: microbiomes harboring CRC-associated CAGs were more tumorigenic than microbiomes with health-associated genomic signatures. Bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing disclosed that tumorigenicity of the microbiome can be mediated through effects on the microenvironment rather than direct intestinal epithelial cell growth promotion. Together, these data offer proof-of-principle for microbiome-based personalized CRC risk profiling.
Advanced HCC precision modeling reveals divergent responses to combinatorial immunotherapy
Authors: Liu Jinping , Cheng Lan , El-Mekkoussi Hilana , Lee Michelle , Jaffe Danielle , Gavin-Darby Kaisha , Morgan Ashleigh , Manduchi Elisabetta , Schug Jonathan , Kaestner Klaus
Published: August 2022

Combinatorial immunotherapy (CIT) has afforded patients with advanced HCC a potential for long-term survival. However, sustained responses are seen only in a minority of patients. Thus, there is an unmet need for precision modeling to differentiate responder vs. non-responders and uncover predictive biomarkers. Here, we establish mouse models to mimic genetic alterations of human HCC by either overexpression of MYC and Tgfa (MycOE;TgfaOE) or by combining activated b-catenin with inactivated p53 (N90-CTNNB1OE;Trp53-/-). We then performed in-depth testing to analyze the response to CIT and characterize the immune profiles. The less proliferative N90-CTNNB1OE; Trp53-/- tumors were sensitive to CIT and developed tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs). In contrast, faster growing MycOE;TgfaOE tumors circumvent CIT with T-cell exclusion. Importantly, early TLS initiation and T-cell exclusion features predict the therapeutic response prior to CIT. Together, these data establish that precision mouse models can mimic differential responses to CIT, with implications for developing predictive biomarkers and tailored therapy.
High Speed and Area Efficient Address Generator architecture for WiMAX Deinterleaver
Authors: Perumal Vivek Karthick , Jayabalan Ramesh
Published: August 2022

In this paper, A VLSI Implementation of High Speed and Area Efficient Address Generation architecture for deinterleaver in WiMAX applications. The emphasis of the design is to reduce the complexity and high speed to optimize the design. This design for WLAN IEEE 802.16e (WiMAX) Standard has designed an efficient hardware resource implemented in FPGA and ASIC environments. A simple architecture was designed with better performance than an existing one. The multiplier-less architecture which satisfies the area efficacy, clock latency, and delay. The Modified QPSK, 16QAM, and 64 QAM standard systems with standard code rate was designed. This approach provides a significant improvement in hardware resources.
An event-oriented database of droughts in Europe based on spatio-temporal clustering
Authors: Cammalleri Carmelo , Navarro Juan Camilo Acosta , Bavera Davide , Diaz Vitali , Ciollo Chiara , Maetens Willem , Magni Diego , Masante Dario , Spinoni Jonathan , Toreti Andrea
Published: August 2022

Droughts evolve in space and time without following borders or pre-determined temporal constraints. Here, we present a new database of drought events built with a three-dimensional density-based clustering algorithm. The chosen approach is able to track the spatio-temporal evolution of an event, and it was tuned against a set of past global droughts characterized independently by multiple experts. About 200 events were detected over Europe in the period 1981–2020 using SPI-3 (3-month cumulated Standardized Precipitation Index) maps derived from the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts) 5th generation reanalysis (ERA5) precipitation. The largest European meteorological droughts during this period occurred in 1996, 2003, 2002 and 2018. A good agreement between the major events identified by the algorithm and drought impact records was found, as well as with previous datasets based on pre-defined regions.
Aerosol jet printing polymer dispersed liquid crystals on highly curved optical surfaces and edges
Authors: DAVIES MATTHEW , HOBBS MATTHEW J. , NOHL JAMES , DAVIES BENEDICT , RODENBURG CORNELIA , WILLMOTT JON R.
Published: August 2022

We demonstrate a new technique for producing Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) devices utilising aerosol jet printing (AJP). PDLCs require two substrates to act as scaffold for the Indium Tin Oxide electrodes, which restricts the device geometries. Our approach precludes the requirement for the second substrate by printing the electrode directly onto the surface of the PDLC, which is also printed. The process has the potential to be precursory to the implementation of non-contact printing techniques for a variety of liquid crystal-based devices on non-planar substrates. We report the demonstration of direct deposition of PDLC films onto non-planar optical surfaces, including a functional device printed over the 90° edge of a prism. Scanning Electron Microscopy is used to inspect surface features of the polymer electrodes and the liquid crystal domains in the host polymer. The minimum relaxation time of the PDLC was measured at 1.3 ms with an 800 Hz, 90 V, peak-to-peak (Vpp) applied AC field. Cross-polarised transmission is reduced by up to a factor of 3.9. A transparent/scattering contrast ratio of 1.4 is reported between 0 V and 140 V at 100 Hz.
A stepwise-clustered heat stress downscaling approach to analyze future variations of heat stress in East China
Authors: Yu Bizheng , Huang Guohe , Zhou Xiong , Wang Shuguang , Li Yongping , Wu Yinghui , Ren Jiayan
Published: August 2022

In this study, the fifth generation ECMWF reanalysis (ERA5) reanalysis datasets and three global climate models (GCMs) were selected as the inputs of the stepwise-clustered heat stress downscaling (SCHSD) method to simulate the future heat stress indices in East China. The heat stress indices included the Heat Index (HI), Humidex (HUMIDEX) and the simplified Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (sWBGT). Three GCMs (i.e., CanESM5, INM-CM4-8 and MPI-ESM1-2-HR) under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP245 and SSP585) were input into the SCHSD model to develop downscaled climate projections. To verify the SCHSD model, the reproduction results from three GCMs during the period of 1990–2014 were compared to daily observational data (i.e., HI, HUMIDEX and sWBGT). The verification results suggest that the coefficient of determination (R2) of the stations in the northern part of East China mostly exceeds 0.8, while the R2 of the stations in the southern part of East China is mostly in the range of 0.6 to 0.8. The projection results suggest that the future heat stress in East China would generally maintain an upward trend from 2021 to 2100. The largest change in heat stress is projected in June under the period of 2021–2100. The results also show that the highest average of days in the danger category is 78.9 in summer under the SSP585 scenario, accounting for 86% of the total summer (June, July and August).
Thresholding Methods in Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring to Estimate Appliance Status
Authors: Precioso Daniel , Gómez-Ullate David
Published: August 2022

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) aims to predict the status or consumption of domestic appliances in a household only by knowing the aggregated power load. NILM can be formulated as regression problem or most often as a classification problem. Most datasets gathered by smart meters allow to define naturally a regression problem, but the corresponding classification problem is a derived one, since it requires a conversion from the power signal to the status of each device by a thresholding method. We treat three different thresholding methods to perform this task, discussing their differences on various devices from the UK-DALE dataset. We analyze the performance of deep learning state-of-the-art architectures on both the regression and classification problems, introducing criteria to select the most convenient thresholding method.
Characteristics, mortality, and risk factors in patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease
Authors: Jang Hye Jin , Woo Ala , Kim Song Yee , Yong Seung Hyun , Park Youngmok , Chung Kyungsoo , Lee Su Hwan , Leem Ah Young , Lee Sang Hoon , Kim Eun Young , Jung Ji Ye , Kang Young Ae , Kim Young Sam , Park Moo Suk
Published: August 2022

Background
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease characterized by the dysregulation of fibroblast function, causing multi-organ damage, which often involves the lungs. Combined interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) is a major cause of death among patients with SSc. Our study aimed to identify the risk factors for mortality and compare the clinical characteristics of patients with SSc-ILD.
Methods
Patients were retrospectively enrolled between 2010 and 2018 in a tertiary hospital in Korea. Patients with SSc-ILD were classified into two groups depending on the first pulmonary function test or radiologic findings: extensive (n = 46, forced vital capacity [FVC] < 70% or > 20% disease extent on CT scan) or limited (n = 60, FVC ≥ 70% or < 20% disease extent on CT scan).
Results
Patients in the extensive group were younger (mean age ± SD 49.3 ± 11.5) than those in the limited group (53.9 ± 12.5, p = 0.067). The extensive group showed frequent pulmonary hypertension (43.5% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.009), higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (61.3 ± 33.7 vs 42.1 ± 26.0, p = 0.003), and mortality (32.6% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.011). ILD was detected within five years from the first visit (mean number of years 3.2 ± 3.9 vs. 4.3 ± 5.5, survivors vs. non-survivors), and mortality occurred in 19.8% of all patients during a 15-year follow-up. Older age, lower FVC, and combined malignancy were associated with mortality, but FVC decline was similar in the limited and extensive groups, such as 15–20% in the first year and 8–10% in the next year, regardless of the initial extent of the disease.
Conclusions
Patients with SSc-ILD had a heterogeneous disease course. Approximately 10% of the patients in the limited group showed progression, which was similar to the proportion of patients in the extensive group. ILD was detected within the first five years of the total follow-up period; therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor patients’ symptoms and signs from the early stage. Long-term surveillance is also required.
The Ankle-Brachial Index for assessing the prevalence of peripheral artery disease and cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Sartore Giovanni , Caprino Rosaria , Ragazzi Eugenio , Bianchi Lorenza , Lapolla Annunziata , Piarulli Francesco
Published: August 2022

Background.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an important risk factor for peripheral artery disease (PAD). Measuring the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) in patients with diabetes is a simple way to screen for PAD. In the last decade, pathological ABI values (≤ 0.9; ≥1.3) were found associated with a higher cardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality. The role of classic risk factors for PAD in patients with diabetes is still unclear, and there is no specific PAD risk scoring system for these patients. The main goals of this study were to establish the prevalence of PAD in a T2DM population, and assess the relationship between PAD and the CV risk calculated with the CUORE Project score (CPS) (https://www.cuore.iss.it/). The association between the ABI, the main risk factors for PAD and T2DM complications was also investigated.
Methods.
Two hundred patients attending the Diabetes Clinic run by the ULSS 6 District Health Unit in Padua (north-east Italy) were consecutively enrolled, and their left and right ABI were measured. Twenty-seven patients with a history of CV events were excluded for the purpose of calculating the CPS, which was thus recorded for a total of 173 patients.
Results.
The prevalence of PAD in this study population was 17%. The CV risk calculated with the CPS tended to be higher (p = 0.0712) in the group with a pathological ABI than in the group with a normal ABI (0.91–1.29). The distribution of patients in the different CV risk classes did not differ significantly (p = 0.2208) between the two groups (pathological vs normal ABI). Glycated hemoglobin (r = -0.1591; p = 0.0244), total cholesterol (r = -0.1958; p = 0.0054), LDL cholesterol (r = -0.1708; p = 0.0156) and systolic blood pressure (r = -0.1523; p = 0.0313) correlated significantly and inversely with the left ABI. The frequency of diabetic retinopathy differed significant (p = 0.0316) between the two groups (pathological vs normal ABI), and was higher in the group with a pathological ABI.
Conclusions.
The data collected reveal a high prevalence of PAD in patients with T2DM, consistently with studies conducted in other countries. The CPS confirmed that patients with a pathological ABI have tendency to a higher CV risk. Overall, the present results point to the importance of an accurate CV assessment – also measuring individuals’ ABI and calculating their CPS - to better pinpoint those at high risk of PAD, especially among patients with T2DM.
WITHDRAWN: Insights in the Scavenging Mechanism of Trichloromethyldioxy Radical with Lycopene: a DFT/TD- DFT Study
Authors: Taherkhani Behnaz , Taherkhani Mahboubeh , Zanjanchi Farzaneh
Published: August 2022

The antioxidant action of lycopene as an alkyl peroxyl radical (CCl3O•2) scavenger through electron transfer, hydrogen abstraction and radical addition mechanisms has been investigated in the gas, non-polar and polar phases using density functional theory and the conductor like polarizable continuum model, CPCM, to account for solvents effect at the B3LYP/6-31G** level of theory. Results reveal that for fully optimized complexes, there is a stabilizing attraction between CCl3O•2 radical and lycopene that its value in polar phase is more than none-polar phase and in none-polar phase is more than gas phase. Thermodynamic studies reveal that transfer electron process in polar solvent at room temperature is more desirable than other reactions. The global reactivity parameters of ionization potential, IP, electron affinity, EA, electroaccepting, ω+, and electrodonating, ω−, HOMO-LUMO gap, ∆, chemical potential, µ, chemical hardness, η, show that lycopene is considered as a good electron donor compared to CCl3O•2 radical and the antioxidant property of lycopene in polar solvent is more than non-polar solvent and cavity. The calculated λmax via time dependent-density functional theory, TD-DFT, has a bathochromic shift due to interactions of CCl3O•2 radical with lycopene, so that lycopene becomes almost colorless after radical adsorption in polar and non-polar solutions. The calculated values of dipole moment and solubility Gibbs free energy, ∆Gsolv, confirm more solubility of lycopene and its complex with radical in polar phase than non-polar phase. The obtained results can aid in the understanding of different possible mechanisms that may be involved in the prevention of some illness.
Wearable perovskite solar cells by aligned liquid crystal elastomers
Authors: Huang Zengqi , Li Lin , Wu Tingqing , Xue Tangyue , Sun Wei , Pan Qi , Wang Huadong , Xie Hongfei , Chi Jimei , Han Teng , Su Meng , Song Yanlin
Published: August 2022

In a flexible perovskite solar cell (PSC), the bottom interface between perovskite and the electron-transporting layer is critical in determining its efficiency and reliability. High defect concentrations and crystalline film fracturing at the bottom interface substantially reduce the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and the operational stability. In this work, a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) interlayer is intercalated into a flexible PSC for the first time with the charge transfer channel toughened by the aligned mesogenic assembly. The molecular ordering is instantly locked upon photopolymerization of liquid crystalline diacrylate monomers and dithiol-terminated oligomers. The optimized charge collection and the minimized charge recombination at the interface boost the PCE up to 23.26% and 22.10% for rigid and flexible devices, respectively. The LCE-induced suppression of phase segregation endows the unencapsulated PSC with a T80 lifetime over 1570 h. Moreover, the aligned LCE interlayer preserves the configuration integrity with remarkable repeatability and mechanical robustness, which enables the flexible PSC to retain 86% of its original efficiency after 5000 bending cycles. The flexible solar cell chips are further integrated into a wearable haptic device with microneedle-based arrays of sensors to demonstrate a pain sensation system in virtual reality.
The association between Arsenic levels and oxidative stress in myocardial infarction: A case-control study
Authors: Sagha Arian , Shiri Hamidreza , Juibari Kobra Bahrampour , Mehrabani Mehrnaz , Nasri Hamid Reza , Nematollahi Mohammad Hadi
Published: August 2022

Background
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are known as the first causes of death throughout the world, and mainly myocardial infarction (MI), lead to 7.4 million deaths annually. Atherosclerosis is the major underlying cause of most CVDs. However, exposure to heavy metals, among other factors, deserves further attention as a risk factor for CVDs. This study was designed to evaluate the levels of arsenic (Ars) in myocardial infarction (MI) patients and healthy individuals as well as assess the association between the incidence of MI and Ars, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and oxidative stress (OS).
Methods
This case-control study was conducted among patients with MI (n = 164) and normal individuals (n = 61) at Shafa Hospital in Kerman, Iran. Patients were classified into two groups, including coronary artery blocks above 50% (CAB > 50%, n = 83) and coronary artery blocks less than 50% (CAB < 50%, n = 83) based on their angiography findings. The demographic characteristics, clinical history, biochemical parameters, and serum Ars and TAC levels were evaluated.
Result
In the present study, both CAB groups had significantly reduced levels of TAC compared with the control. Furthermore, TAC was lower in the CAB>%50 group compared to the CAB<%50 group. Ars levels were significantly higher in both CAB groups compared with the control. There was a significant positive relationship between CAB and Ars, BG, HbA1c, urea, creatinine, TG, TC, and LDL-c, as well as a negative relationship between HDL-c and TAC. Moreover, TAC levels showed a significant inverse correlation with Ars, HbA1c, and creatinine, and a positive correlation with HDL-c. As risk factors, Ars, hs-CRP, TG, TC, and LDL-c enhance the severity of the disease, and HDL-c and TAC decrease the disease severity. Moreover, ROC curve analysis revealed that the highest AUC for the CAB>%50 (AUC = 78.29), and cytotoxic levels for both CAB groups (Ars ≥ 0.105 ppm), and no significant differences were found between the two groups.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that Ars at ≥ 0.105 ppm is able to increase the risk of MI through the increased OS and decreased TAC.
WITHDRAWN: Nomogram for predicting the overall survival for young-onset colorectal cancer with liver metastases: a SEER database analysis
Authors: Li Tao , Liao Hualin , Li Mingming , Liu Yaxiong , Liang Yahang , Li Taiyuan
Published: August 2022

Background:
This study aimed to identify independent clinicopathologic factors associated with overall survival (OS) of Young-onset colorectal cancer with liver metastases (YO-CRCLM) and then construct and validate a prognostic nomogram for patients with YO-CRCLM.
Methods
We rigorously screened eligible YO-CRCLM patients diagnosed from January 2010 to December 2018 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and then randomly divided them into a training and a validation cohort. The prognostic indicators were screened by univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis. The nomogram predicted the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS based on the selected prognostic factors. The model was internally validated in testing cohort. The accuracy, reliability, and clinical utility of the model were assessed using the operating characteristic curve (ROC), the area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA), respectively. Different risk subgroups of prognosis were determined based on the nomogram scores in training cohort of YO-CRCLM.
Results
2976 patients with YO-CRCLM from the SEER database were eventually included in the study. The nomogram model incorporated ten independent prognostic risk factors to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS based on univariate and multivariate cox regression. The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the training and validation cohorts exceeded 0.7 at 1, 3, and 5 years. Internal validation of calibration curves and DCA showed good stability and clinical utility values.
Conclusion
Nomogram predicting OS for YO-CRCLM patients was built and had an excellent performance, which will help clinical decision-making and formulation of the individualized treatment for YO-CRCLM patients.
Lithium chloride effectiveness on Dermacentor reticulatus is confirmed in vitro
Authors: Kolics Balázs , Mátyás Kinga , Solti Izabella , Bacsi Zsuzsanna , Kovács Szilvia , Staszny Ádám , Taller János , Kolics Éva
Published: August 2022

Dermacentor reticulatus is considered a significant parasite because of the many diseases it spreads, which are dangerous to humans and animals. Control by repellents and pesticides, short duration of action or environmental damage and development of resistance make it impossible to achieve sustainable control. New active substances are constantly needed, and natural agents are given priority. Lithium salts have been shown to be effective against the related bee pest, Varroa destructor, a mite species, also by contact mode of action. In the present study, we investigated whether the contact efficacy of lithium chloride extends to other parasitic species such as D. reticulatus. Our results uncovered for the first time that beyond Varroa destructor the effectiveness of lithium chloride extends to the dog tick, offering 100% mortality at concentrations of 5.52 M, 2.76 M and 1.38 M. However, further comprehensive studies under in vivo conditions are warranted to ensure the relevance for practical application.
A comparison of the effect of time-to-treatment on survival according to economic status of lung cancer patients with chronic diseases in Korea
Authors: Kim Woorim , Han Kyu-Tae
Published: August 2022

Background: The relationship between the provision of timely treatment to lung cancer patients with chronic diseases and their survival rate has not been previously examined. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between time-to-treatment and five-year mortality in lung cancer patients with diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.Methods: The data for the study were drawn from the National Health Insurance elderly cohort data (2002-2019). The participants were 2023 lung cancer patients with diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia who underwent surgery. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the impact of time-to-treatment for first cancer treatment on five-year mortality. The cut-off value for time-to-treatment was set at 30 days. Sub-group analyses were conducted according to the economic status, and the level of comorbidities. Results: Compared to individuals who received their first treatment for lung cancer in less than 30 days from diagnosis, patients who received their treatment after 30 days showed a higher risk of five-year mortality (HR 1.328, 95% CI 1.077-1.639). This difference in mortality risk was magnified in individuals of lower economic status and among those with a higher level of comorbidities.Conclusion: Lung cancer patients with diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia, who began their treatment for cancer 30 days after diagnosis, had a higher five-year mortality rate. This emphasizes the importance of avoiding delays in the treatment and management of lung cancer among patients with chronic diseases.
Convergence of animal propulsor placement for optimal maneuverability in fluids
Authors: Costello John , Lederer Emma , O'Melia Jillian , Dabiri John , Gemmell Brad , Leftwich Megan , Colin Sean
Published: August 2022

Swimming and flying animals across diverse taxa rely on the ability to maneuver for feeding1-6, escaping predation7-9, finding mates10-13, and navigating complex physical environments14-16. As such, the evolutionary success of these animals depends in part on propulsor designs that can efficiently change the orientation of the body during locomotion. We show that across 292 species of swimming and flying animals—including birds, fish, cetaceans, bats, insects, and sea turtles—the location of lateral maneuvering propulsors is tightly constrained at a location approximately 1/3 of the body length from the anterior end. A theoretical model for optimal turning is consistent with these observations, and it makes a further prediction of a non-trivial relationship between propulsor placement and body center of mass. That prediction is also confirmed by an additional, detailed morphometric analysis of 38 species. The present observations are notable in that a simple physical model appears sufficient to explain observed morphological diversity, and it suggests that propulsor placement in swimming and flying metazoans favors structural solutions that are adapted to enable efficient maneuvering in fluids.
Detecting community on social networks with fast and optimal online clustering algorithms
Authors: Mansoor Muneer S.G. , Alshadoodee Hasanain Abdalridha Abed , Alabdali Rahim , Hamid Mohammed Nawras
Published: August 2022

Social networks or social media have become an essential part of our lives today, at least in their virtual dimension, and the image of the web world is almost impossible without the presence of this pervasive phenomenon. These networks are one of the important components of the information infrastructure, such as Twitter networks, Facebook networks, and so on. In the analysis of social networks, one of the important issues is the detection of community. Each community is a group of network nodes so that the connection between nodes within the group with each other is more than their connection with other network nodes. Various methods have been proposed for community detection. One of the existing methods is based on data stream clustering. The output data of a social network can be modeled with a data stream. Fast and accurate clustering of this data stream can be very effective in the detection of community. In order to increase the accuracy of the clustering process, the crow search optimization algorithm has been used. So In this research, using a fast and accurate online clustering algorithm, the community is detected. The simulation results indicate that the method proposed in this research can calculate the number of clusters optimally and perform better than similar methods. The proposed algorithm can be used in many other applications.
Bioinformatics analysis of the inflammation-associated lncRNA- mRNA co-expression network in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Huang Linjuan , Xiong Shengxi , Liu Hanshuang , Li Min , Zhang Ranran , Liu Yan , Hu Xiaolei
Published: August 2022

Background
The present study mined key lncRNAs and their functions related to inflammation in type 2 diabetes by constructing a lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network based on bioinformatics technology to discover new markers or therapeutic targets.
Results
We finally obtained 12 genes, including A1BG-AS1, AC084125.4, RAMP2-AS1, FTX, DBH-AS1, LOXL1-AS1, LINC00893, LINC00894, PVT1, RUSC1-AS1, HCG25, and ATP1B3-AS1. RT-qPCR verified that A1BG-AS1, HCG25, and LOXL1-AS1 were upregulated in the HG + LPS-induced THP-1 cell model, and DBH-AS1 was downregulated in the HG + LPS-induced THP-1 cell model.
Conclusions
LncRNAs and mRNAs are extensively linked and form a co-expression network, and lncRNAs may influence the development of type 2 diabetes by regulating the corresponding mRNAs. The four key genes obtained may become biomarkers of inflammation in type 2 diabetes in the future.
Field-controlled quantum anomalous Hall effect in electron-doped CrSiTe3 monolayer: a first-principles prediction
Authors: Kim Heung-Sik , Kang Sungmo , Kang Seungjin , Yu Jaejun
Published: August 2022

We report Chern insulating phases emerging from a single layer of layered chalcogenide CrSiTe3, a transition metal trichacogenides (TMTC) material, in the presence of charge doping. Due to strong hybridization with Te p orbitals, the spin-orbit coupling effect opens a finite band gap, leading to a nontrivial topology of the Cr eg conduction band manifold with higher Chern numbers. Our calculations show that quantum anomalous Hall effects can be realized by adding one electron in a formula unit cell of Cr2Si2Te6, equivalent to electron doping by 2.36 × 1014 cm-2 carrier density. Furthermore, the doping-induced anomalous Hall conductivity can be controlled by an external magnetic field via spin-orientation-dependent tuning of the spin-orbit coupling. In addition, we find distinct quantum anomalous Hall phases employing tight-binding model analysis, suggesting that CrSiTe3 can be a fascinating new platform to realize Chern insulating systems with higher Chern numbers.
The area of residual tumor predicts esophageal squamous cell carcinoma prognosis following neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Adachi Masahiro , Aoyama Naoki , Kojima Motohiro , Sakamoto Naoya , Miyazaki Saori , Taki Tetsuro , Watanabe Reiko , Matsuura Kazuto , Kotani Daisuke , Kojima Takashi , Fujita Takeo , Tabuchi Keiji , Ishii Genichiro , Sakashita Shingo
Published: August 2022

Purpose
To clarify the utility of the area of residual tumor for patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Methods
We enrolled 186 patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer who underwent surgical resection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy at our hospital. Using digital images, we measured the area of residual tumor at the maximum plane of the specimen and divided the patient into three groups as follows: 0 (area = 0 mm2), low (area = 0 mm2 to 40 mm2), and high (area ≥ 40 mm2). The clinicopathological factors and prognosis were compared among these groups.
Results
The median area of residual tumor was 15.0 mm2 (range 0–1,448.8 mm2). Compared with the 0 and low group, the high group was significantly associated with poorer recurrence-free survival (all P < .001) and overall survival (P < .001 [vs 0] and P = .017 [vs low]). The area of residual tumor and lymphovascular invasion were independent predictors of the recurrence-free survival. By dividing the patients using a combination of the area of residual tumor and lymphovascular invasion, the high and/or lymphovascular invasion (+) group displayed significantly poor recurrence-free survival than the 0 group and low/lymphovascular invasion (-) group. However, there was no significant difference in the recurrence-free survival between the 0 group and low/lymphovascular invasion (-) group.
Conclusion
The area of residual tumor is a promising histopathological prognostic factor for patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Moreover, it is a possible candidate histopathological factor for postoperative chemotherapy selection.
Inhibitory control towards angry stimuli in patients with binge eating disorder – a pilot study
Authors: Schag Kathrin , Sandler Lea , Zipfel Stephan , Derntl Birgit , Giel Katrin Elisabeth
Published: August 2022

Background Emotion regulation theories as well as the negative urgency concept assume that negative mood increases binge eating. Negative emotions are considered as a trigger for binge eating, while binge eating itself is regarded as an impulsive behavior and should thus be increased within the negative urgency concept. Anger might be a specific negative emotion triggering binge eating in patients with binge eating disorder (BED). We investigated how inhibitory control as one main factor of impulsivity is influenced by anger in patients with BED and two control groups. Methods We compared patients with BED (N = 20) with normal-weight healthy control participants (NW-CG, N = 20) and BMI-matched overweight and obese control participants (BMI-CG, N = 18). We used the emotional Stop Signal task (eSST) to investigate inhibitory control, where we presented angry facial expressions in comparison with neutral facial expressions as emotional stimuli. Results All participants showed decreased inhibitory control in the angry vs. neutral condition, i.e., a faster Stop Signal Reaction Time and a lower percentage of correct reactions. However, no significant group differences emerged in terms of performance. Performance in the eSST did not correlate with negative urgency, disorder- or emotion-related characteristics. Conclusions The current pilot study does not deliver evidence for decreased inhibitory control towards angry stimuli in patients with BED, as we detected a general and not disorder-related effect in all participants that might represent the conjunction of inhibitory control and anger. Further studies should investigate the interplay of several discrete emotions and impulsive behavior in healthy and clinical groups.
Cross domain heterogeneous signcryption scheme with equality test for WBAN
Authors: Luo Ming , Pei Yusi , Qiu Minrong
Published: August 2022

The rapid development of wireless sensors has accelerated the popularity of wireless body area network (WBAN). WBAN use multiple sensors to collect the patient’s body data, and the data is transferred to the medical cloud for processing and analyzing. In order to protect the data in the medical cloud, some heterogeneous signcryption schemes that support equality test have been proposed. However, we observe that these schemes use the same cryptographic parameters in different cryptographic systems. In addition, most of these schemes cannot resist the replay attack (RRA) or know session temporary key attack (RKSTKA). To deal with these problems, this paper presents a cross domain heterogeneous signcryption scheme with equality test (CDSCET) for WBAN. In CDSCET, the ciphertexts are from certificateless cryptographic system (CLC) to public key infrastructure (PKI), where two different cryptosystems use different cryptographic parameters. CDSCET can realize confidentiality, integrity, authentication, RRA and RKSTKA. Moreover, compared with three latest schemes, CDSCET has reduced the total computation cost by at least 56.46%.
Do trade liberalization and external debt offset income inequality? New evidence from selected African countries
Authors: Mumuni Sulemana , Abille Adamu Braimah
Published: August 2022

Data from the World Bank indicates that in the 21st century over 100 million Africans have become poor and about 43% of the African population are extremely poor. At the same time, African governments have over the years liberalized their economies through low tariffs regime, in addition to external debt financing of major projects and social intervention programs. However, no known study has explored the nexus between trade liberalization, external debt and income inequality in the context of Africa. Therefore, this study examines the impact of trade liberalization and external debt on income inequality using the Pool Mean Group version of the Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lagged (PMG-PARDL) model on data from 2000–2018 for 30 African countries. The findings reveal trade that liberalization initially worsens income inequality and later acts as a catalyst for long-run poverty alleviation and income inequality reduction in Africa. The findings further show that external debt and growth in per capita income have long-run widening effects and short-run limiting effects on income inequality in Africa. Based on these findings, appropriate recommendations are made for policy purposes.
Fidelity to the ACT SMART Toolkit: An Instrumental Case Study of Implementation Strategy Fidelity
Authors: Tschida Jessica , Drahota Amy
Published: August 2022

Background: Although evidence-based practices (EBPs) have been shown to improve a variety of outcomes for autistic children, they are often inconsistently implemented or not implemented in community settings where many autistic children receive usual care services. One blended multi-phased implementation strategy developed to support the adoption and implementation of EBPs for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in community-based settings is the Autism Community Toolkit: Systems to Measure and Adopt Research-Based Treatments (ACT SMART Toolkit). Guided by an adapted version of the EPIS, the ACT SMART Toolkit is comprised multiple phases, each with steps and activities to be completed by agency implementation teams. In the present study, we evaluated implementation strategy fidelity, given the potential for important insights into the use of the toolkit and limited information on the phenomenon of implementation strategy fidelity more broadly.Methods: We used an instrumental case study approach to assess fidelity to the ACT SMART Toolkit during its pilot study with six ASD community agency implementation teams. We assessed adherence, dose, and implementation team responsiveness for each phase and activity of the toolkit at both an aggregate and individual agency level. We also conducted repeated measures ANOVAs to determine whether implementation strategy fidelity significantly differed by toolkit phase. Results: Overall, we found that adherence, dose, and participant responsiveness to the ACT SMART Toolkit were high, with some variability by toolkit phase and activity, as well as by ASD community agency. There was a significant main effect of toolkit phase for dose (F(2,8) = 10.93, MSE = .190, p = .005, η2 = .73), such that dose was significantly lower during the preparation phase as compared to the implementation phase of the toolkit. Conclusions: Our instrumental case study evaluation of fidelity to the ACT SMART Toolkit demonstrated potential for the strategy to be used with fidelity in ASD community-based agencies. Findings related to variability of implementation strategy fidelity in the present study may also inform future adaptations to the toolkit and point to broader trends of how implementation strategy fidelity may vary by content and context.
“Tight” Nuchal Cord is an uncommon but important etiology of “Idiopathic” Polyhydramnios
Authors: Al-Sabawi Mohammed Hamid , Al-Ubaidi Entesar Y. , Al-Zori Inaam K. , Al-Rejabo Luma A.
Published: August 2022

The primary source of elimination of amniotic fluid is through fetal swallowing. This fluid is absorbed through the fetal gastrointestinal system and is either recycled through the kidneys or is transferred to the maternal compartment through the placenta. Therefore any condition that interfere with fetal swallowing e.g. nuchal cord can cause polyhydramios. This research is done over about 1 year duration (between 2021–2022) in three obstetric hospitals in Mosul city. The participants in the research are 1000 pregnant women with polyhydramnios in the third trimester of pregnancy. A search for the cause of polyhydramnios is done including ultrasound of fetus with a screen for nuchal cord by color Doppler ultrasound study of neck of the fetus. Fetuses with nuchal cords are followed until delivery to confirm the tightness of the cord and also to exclude other potential causes of polyhydramnios.The survey of the causes of polyhydramnios reveals that 4.1% of the idiopathic cases of polyhydramnios was due to tight nuchal cord, i.e., 1.2% of the total cases; whereas loose nuchal cords which are found accidentally during the screen was actually did not cause polyhydramnios. Nuchal cord is an uncommon but significant cause of polyhydramnios that constitute at least 4% of all cases of idiopathic polyhydramnios. Therefore it should be searched for in any pregnant woman with polyhydramnios, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Machine learning methods predict up and down trends for stock returns
Authors: Yang Yanlin , Hu Xuemei
Published: August 2022

Stock returns are influenced by many factors such as economy, politics, psychology and culture etc. Screening out some important factors that really affect up and down trends can greatly improve the prediction accuracy. In this paper we combine machine learning methodswith technical analysis to predicts up and down trends for stock returns. Firstly, we choose three listed companies in the United States, China and Japan as our data set, and divide 18 important technical indicators into five different groups. Secondly, we apply training data to establish five classifiers: G-lasso(group lasso) penalized logistic regression, group logistic regression, lasso penalized logistic regression, support vector machine(SVM) and artificial neural networks(ANN) to predict up and down trends for stock returns. Finally, we adopt test data to get confusion matrices, kappa coefficients and ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curves to assess the prediction performance, and found that G-lasso penalized logistic regression performs best in terms of accuracy and AUC, especially its prediction accuracy for the three companies all exceed 87%. Therefore, we recommend investors to apply G-lasso penalized logistic regression with technical indicators to predict up and down trends for stock returns.JEL Classification: C35; C53