bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pigmented nonmelanoma skin cancers of the genital area: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge – monocentric experience and review of the literature
Authors: Licata Gaetano , Tancredi Vittorio , Giorgio Caterina M. , Arisi Mariachiara , Damiani Luca , Benvenuto Pierfrancesco , Moscarella Elvira , Argenziano Giuseppe
Published: June 2024

Nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC), comprising basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), are typically encountered on photo‐exposed skin. Nevertheless, several cases of NMSC have been described in covered areas such as the genital region; furthermore, some of these lesions may express a variable degree of pigmentation. Due to the existence of mucosal melanoma, an accurate diagnosis is paramount. In this narrative review, we focused our attention on management and – in particular‐ diagnosis of pigmented NMSC (pNMSC) located in the genital region, emphasizing the features assessed by dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy. As an implementation, we included data on pNMSC from the Dermatology Unit of the University of Campania Vanvitelli. BCC in the genital region represents only 1% of all BCC cases. It has been supposed that the mutation of patched 1 may lead to the development of BCC even without concomitant UV exposure. Pigmented variants on genitals have seldom been described. More prominent dermoscopic features seem to be blue‐gray ovoid nests and arborizing vessels associated with whitish structureless areas. SCC and Bowen's disease (BD) – a variant of in situ SCC – may be encountered in the genital area and are sometimes associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Pigmented SCC is very rare, and most of the literature is focused on pigmented BD (pBD), which is mainly characterized by gray‐brown dots in a linear fashion and glomerular vessels without evident scales. In conclusion, pNMSC is rarely encountered on genitals; evaluation with dermoscopy or other ancillary devices like RCM is important both to exclude benign lesions like seborrheic keratosis and lentigo and to rule out melanoma.
Patient‐reported outcomes and treatment adherence in type 2 diabetes using natural language processing: Wave 8 of the Observational International Diabetes Management Practices Study
Authors: Chan Juliana CN , Mbanya Jean Claude , Chantelot Jean‐Marc , Shestakova Marina , Ramachandran Ambady , Ilkova Hasan , Deplante Lucille , Rollot Melissa , Melas‐Melt Lydie , Gagliardino Juan Jose , Aschner Pablo
Published: June 2024

Aims/Introduction

We analyzed patient‐reported outcomes of people with type 2 diabetes to better understand perceptions and experiences contributing to treatment adherence.

Materials and Methods

In the ongoing International Diabetes Management Practices Study, we collected patient‐reported outcomes data from structured questionnaires (chronic treatment acceptance questionnaire and Diabetes Self‐Management Questionnaire) and free‐text answers to open‐ended questions to assess perceptions of treatment value and side‐effects, as well as barriers to, and enablers for, adherence and self‐management. Free‐text answers were analyzed by natural language processing.

Results

In 2018–2020, we recruited 2,475 patients with type 2 diabetes (43.3% insulin‐treated, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) 8.0 ± 1.8%; 30.9% with HbA1c <7%) from 13 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Mean ± standard deviation scores of chronic treatment acceptance questionnaire (acceptance of medication, rated out of 100) and Diabetes Self‐Management Questionnaire (self‐management, rated out of 10) were 87.8 ± 24.5 and 3.3 ± 0.9, respectively. Based on free‐text analysis and coded responses, one in three patients reported treatment non‐adherence. Overall, although most patients accepted treatment values and side‐effects, self‐management was suboptimal. Treatment duration, regimen complexity and disruption of daily routines were major barriers to adherence, whereas habit formation was a key enabler. Treatment‐adherent patients were older (60 ± 11.6 vs 55 ± 11.7 years, P < 0.001), and more likely to have longer disease duration (12 ± 8.6 vs 10 ± 7.7 years, P < 0.001), exposure to diabetes education (73.1% vs 67.8%, P < 0.05), lower HbA1c (7.9 ± 1.8% vs 8.3 ± 1.9%, P < 0.001) and attainment of HbA1c <7% (29.7% vs 23.3%, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Patient perceptions/experiences influence treatment adherence and self‐management. Patient‐centered education and support programs that consider patient‐reported outcomes aimed at promoting empowerment and developing new routines might improve glycemic control.
Sensemaking of Process Data from Evaluation Studies of Educational Games: An Application of Cross‐Classified Item Response Theory Modeling
Authors: Feng Tianying , Cai Li
Published: June 2024

Process information collected from educational games can illuminate how students approach interactive tasks, complementing assessment outcomes routinely examined in evaluation studies. However, the two sources of information are historically analyzed and interpreted separately, and diagnostic process information is often underused. To tackle these issues, we present a new application of cross‐classified item response theory modeling, using indicators of knowledge misconceptions and item‐level assessment data collected from a multisite game‐based randomized controlled trial. This application addresses (a) the joint modeling of students' pretest and posttest item responses and game‐based processes described by indicators of misconceptions; (b) integration of gameplay information when gauging the intervention effect of an educational game; (c) relationships among game‐based misconception, pretest initial status, and pre‐to‐post change; and (d) nesting of students within schools, a common aspect in multisite research. We also demonstrate how to structure the data and set up the model to enable our proposed application, and how our application compares to three other approaches to analyzing gameplay and assessment data. Lastly, we note the implications for future evaluation studies and for using analytic results to inform learning and instruction.
Spatial and spatiotemporal volatility models: A review
Authors: Otto Philipp , Doğan Osman , Taşpınar Süleyman , Schmid Wolfgang , Bera Anil K.
Published: June 2024

Spatial and spatiotemporal volatility models are a class of models designed to capture spatial dependence in the volatility of spatial and spatiotemporal data. Spatial dependence in the volatility may arise due to spatial spillovers among locations; that is, in the case of positive spatial dependence, if two locations are in close proximity, they can exhibit similar volatilities. In this paper, we aim to provide a comprehensive review of the recent literature on spatial and spatiotemporal volatility models. We first briefly review time series volatility models and their multivariate extensions to motivate their spatial and spatiotemporal counterparts. We then review various spatial and spatiotemporal volatility specifications proposed in the literature along with their underlying motivations and estimation strategies. Through this analysis, we effectively compare all models and provide practical recommendations for their appropriate usage. We highlight possible extensions and conclude by outlining directions for future research.
Discovery of a novel symbiotic lineage associated with a hematophagous leech from the genus
Haementeria
Authors: Sosa-Jiménez Víctor Manuel , Kvist Sebastian , Manzano-Marín Alejandro , Oceguera-Figueroa Alejandro
Published: June 2024

Similarly to other strict blood feeders, leeches from the
Haementeria
genus (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae) have established a symbiotic association with bacteria harbored intracellularly in esophageal bacteriomes. Previous genome sequence analyses of these endosymbionts revealed co-divergence with their hosts, a strong genome reduction, and a simplified metabolism largely dedicated to the production of B vitamins, which are nutrients lacking from a blood diet. ‘
Candidatus
Providencia siddallii‘ has been identified as the obligate nutritional endosymbiont of a monophyletic clade of Mexican and South American
Haementeria
spp. However, the
Haementeria
genus includes a sister clade of congeners from Central and South America, where the presence or absence of the aforementioned symbiont taxon remains unknown. In this work, we report on a novel bacterial endosymbiont found in a representative from this
Haementeria
clade. We found that this symbiont lineage has evolved from within the
Pluralibacter
genus, known mainly from clinical but also environmental strains. Similarly to
Ca
.
Providencia siddallii
, the
Haementeria
-associated
Pluralibacter
symbiont displays clear signs of genome reduction, accompanied by an A+T-biased sequence composition. Genomic analysis of its metabolic potential revealed a retention of pathways related to B vitamin biosynthesis, supporting its role as a nutritional endosymbiont. Finally, comparative genomics of both
Haementeria
symbiont lineages suggests that an ancient
Providencia
symbiont was likely replaced by the novel
Pluralibacter
one, thus constituting the first reported case of nutritional symbiont replacement in a leech without morphological changes in the bacteriome.

IMPORTANCE

Obligate symbiotic associations with a nutritional base have likely evolved more than once in strict blood-feeding leeches. Unlike those symbioses found in hematophagous arthropods, the nature, identity, and evolutionary history of these remains poorly studied. In this work, we further explored obligate nutritional associations between
Haementeria
leeches and their microbial symbionts, which led to the unexpected discovery of a novel symbiosis with a member of the
Pluralibacter
genus. When compared to
Providencia siddallii
, an obligate nutritional symbiont of other
Haementeria
leeches, this novel bacterial symbiont shows convergent retention of the metabolic pathways involved in B vitamin biosynthesis. Moreover, the genomic characteristics of this
Pluralibacter
symbiont suggest a more recent association than that of
Pr. siddallii
and
Haementeria
. We conclude that the once-thought stable associations between blood-feeding Glossiphoniidae and their symbionts (i.e., one bacteriome structure, one symbiont lineage) can break down, mirroring symbiont turnover observed in various arthropod lineages.
Supplemental Material: The Mount Distin assemblage: Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks in the Nome Complex of Seward Peninsula, Alaska, USA
Authors: Milller Elizabeth , et al.
Published: June 2024

Supplemental Materials include data tables, Table S1 and Table S2 with U-Pb zircon analyses for detrital zircon data and igneous rock data and Table S3 with major oxide content of selected dated orthogneiss bodies (samples 03SP-09, ELM20-N30, and ELM20-N64, Fig. 13) and the Dexter Peak and Anvil Mountain orthogneiss bodies with inherited zircons (samples ELM20-N2, 03SP-22, and ELM20-N22A, Fig. 13). Major oxide XRF analyses and LOI determinations provided by Washington State University Peter Hooper GeoAnalytical Lab.
Management of intramuscular melanoma metastases to the psoas
Authors: Cash Charles Joseph , Pearson Joseph Matthew , Milikowski Clara , Feun Lynn , Ritch Chad , Möller Mecker G
Published: June 2024

We detail a case of a woman in her 40s with isolated melanoma skeletal muscle metastasis (MSMM) to the right psoas muscle. This patient underwent R0 surgical resection through a novel pelvic approach. She received subsequent adjuvant immunotherapy with Braftovi/Mektov along with adjuvant radiation. She is currently disease free at 9 months post surgery. Here, we describe our novel surgical approach including description of the tumour pathology. We explain our multidisciplinary management of MSMM consisting of a multidisciplinary surgical approach by surgical oncology, gynecological oncology and urology as well as multidisciplinary medical management by oncology, radiation oncology and pathology. Finally, we discuss best current options for therapeutic management.
Paraneoplastic pemphigus presenting as a prodrome to aggressive T cell lymphoma
Authors: Bansari Asha , Wallace Jodi Anne , Yang Lijun , Kapoor Atul
Published: June 2024

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is a rare disease with an unclear mechanism of pathogenesis. We present a case of a male patient who presented with wound management after being diagnosed with Castleman disease-associated paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP). The patient’s condition was not improving; as a result, extensive workup was repeated, which confirmed the diagnosis of aggressive T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. Our case signifies the importance of keeping a high index of suspicion for PNP-associated malignancies. This case report also adds emphasis to the diagnostic challenges faced by clinicians, making clinical correlation with multidisciplinary approach essential. Therefore, if clinically indicated, we need to revisit the diagnosis and seek alternative explanations to prevent delays in management.
Mapping the international health regulations monitoring and evaluation framework: an expert consultation, triangulation crosswalk and quantitative analysis
Authors: Nguni Robert , Kandel Nirmal , Bell Cynthia , Choupe Luc Bertrand Tsachoua , Gribble Rebecca , Huda Qudsia , de la Rocque Stéphane , Sreedharan Rajesh , Suryantoro Ludy , Vedrasco Liviu , Mancero Tamara , Chamla Dick , Nguyen Phuong Nam , Perehinets Ihor , Samhouri Dalia , Samuel Reuben , Stephen Mary , Talisuna Ambrose , Xing Jun , Chungong Stella
Published: June 2024

The International Health Regulations Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (IHRMEF) includes four components regularly conducted by States Parties to measure the current status of International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 core capacities and provide recommendations for strengthening these capacities. However, the four components are conducted independently of one another and have no systematic referral to each other before, during or after each process, despite being largely conducted by the same team, country and support organisations. This analysis sets out to identify ways in which IHRMEF components could work more synergistically to effectively measure the status of IHR core capacities, taking into account the country’s priority risks. We developed a methodology to allow these independent components to communicate with each other, including expert consultation, a qualitative crosswalk analysis and a country-level quantitative analysis. The demonstrated results act as a proof of concept and illustrate a methodology to provide benefits across all four components before, during and after implementation.
Using the Translating Research into Practice framework to develop a diabetes prevention intervention in primary care: a mixed-methods study
Authors: Tseng Eva , Smith Katherine , Clark Jeanne M , Segal Jodi B , Marsteller Jill A , Maruthur Nisa M
Published: June 2024

Background

Pre-diabetes affects one-third of US adults and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Effective evidence-based interventions, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program, are available, but a gap remains in effectively translating and increasing uptake of these interventions into routine care.

Methods

We applied the Translating Research into Practice (TRiP) framework to guide three phases of intervention design and development for diabetes prevention: (1) summarise the evidence, (2) identify local barriers to implementation and (3) measure performance. In phase 1, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of linked electronic health record claims data to evaluate current practices in the management of pre-diabetes. In phase 2, we conducted in-depth interviews of 16 primary care physicians, 7 payor leaders and 31 patients to elicit common barriers and facilitators for diabetes prevention. In phase 3, using findings from phases 1 and 2, we developed the core elements of the intervention and performance measures to evaluate intervention uptake.

Results

In phase 1 (retrospective cohort analysis), we found few patients with pre-diabetes received diabetes prevention interventions. In phase 2 (stakeholder engagement), we identified common barriers to include a lack of knowledge about pre-diabetes among patients and about the Diabetes Prevention Program among clinicians. In phase 3 (intervention development), we developed the START Diabetes Prevention Clinical Pathway as a systematic change package to address barriers and facilitators identified in phases 1 and 2, performance measures and a toolkit of resources to support the intervention components.

Conclusions

The TRiP framework supported the identification of evidence-based care practices for pre-diabetes and the development of a well-fitted, actionable intervention and implementation plan designed to increase treatment uptake for pre-diabetes in primary care settings. Our change package can be adapted and used by other health systems or clinics to target prevention of diabetes or other related chronic conditions.
Prevalence and outcomes of patients with SMuRF-less acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Ball Jocasta , Dinh Diem T , Brennan Angela , Ajani Andrew , Clark David J , Freeman Melanie , Oqueli Ernesto , Hiew Chin , Nanayakkara Shane , Walton Antony , Shaw James A , Chan William , Reid Christopher M , Stub Dion
Published: June 2024

Background

There is increasing awareness that patients without standard modifiable risk factors (SMuRFs; diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension and smoking) may represent a unique subset of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We aimed to investigate the prevalence and outcomes of patients with SMuRF-less ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with those with SMuRFs.

Methods

We analysed data from the Melbourne Interventional Group PCI Registry. Patients with coronary artery disease were excluded. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital and 30-day events. Long-term mortality was investigated using Cox-proportional hazards regression.

Results

From 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2020, 2727/18 988 (14.4%) patients were SMuRF less, with the proportion increasing over time. Mean age was similar for patients with and without SMuRFs (63 years), and fewer females were SMuRF-less (19.8% vs 25.4%, p<0.001). SMuRF-less patients were more likely to present with cardiac arrest (6.6% vs 3.9%, p<0.001) and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (59.1% vs 50.8%, p<0.001) and were more likely to experience postprocedural cardiogenic shock (4.5% vs 3.6%, p=0.019) and arrhythmia (11.2% vs 9.9%, p=0.029). At 30 days, mortality, myocardial infarction, revascularisation and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events did not differ between the groups. During median follow-up of 7 years, SMuRF-less patients had an adjusted 13% decreased rate of mortality (HR 0.87 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.97)).

Conclusions

The proportion of SMuRF-less patients increased over time. Presentation was more often a devastating cardiac event compared with those with SMuRFs. No difference in 30-day outcomes was observed and SMuRF-less patients had lower hazard for long-term mortality.
Role of cubic–quintic–septic–nonic nonlinearity over the instability of solitons in conversely guided couplers with bi-negative index metamaterial transmission medium
Authors: Mohanraj P. , Sivakumar R. , Joseph Ancemma , Gajendiran J.
Published: June 2024

This paper aims to theoretically examine the phenomenon of modulation instability (MI) in the presence of a considerable nonlinear refractive index movement in a triad-core nonlinear coupler, including a bi-negative refractive material transmission medium. The formula for the instability gain is deduced with the help of the linear stability analysis. The significant role of cubic, quintic, septic, nonic, and stability of the front-to-reverse-transmitting wave nonlinearities in the phenomenon of MI in the nonlinear triad-core coupler is critically confirmed via MI gain spectra analysis. It is found that the cubic, quintic, septic, and nonic nonlinearities improve the MI in both dispersion regimes (normal and anomalous) by boosting the gain and width of the instability profile by taking account of reverse-to-front ratio power (f). On the other hand, quintic nonlinearity improves the MI in the cubic case by enhancing its width and gain in the normal and anomalous dispersion areas. Using 3D pictures, we analyze the dynamic behavior of the MI under an anomalous dispersion area and find that, in both normal and anomalous dispersion scenarios, the instability shape develops with septic and nonic nonlinearity. Furthermore, as the figures clearly show, neither the normal nor the anomalous dispersion scenario significantly changes due to septic and nonic nonlinearity alone. We aim to shed light on the role of contamination in saturation nonlinearity by examining soliton and MI, their production, and control in triad-core couplers, focusing on a Negative Index Meta Material (NIMM) transmission medium.
Interpretable Predictive Models for Healthcare via Rational Multi-Layer Perceptrons
Authors: Suttaket Thiti , Kok Stanley
Published: June 2024

The healthcare sector has recently experienced an unprecedented surge in digital data accumulation, especially in the form of electronic health records (EHRs). These records constitute a precious resource that information systems researchers could utilize for various clinical applications, such as morbidity prediction and risk stratification. Recently, deep learning has demonstrated state-of-the-art empirical results in terms of predictive performance on EHRs. However, the blackbox nature of deep learning models prevents both clinicians and patients from trusting the models, especially with regard to life-critical decision making. To mitigate this, attention mechanisms are normally employed to improve the transparency of deep learning models. However, these mechanisms can only highlight important inputs without sufficient clarity on how they correlate with each other and still confuse end users. To address this drawback, we pioneer a novel model called Rational Multi-Layer Perceptrons (RMLP) that is constructed from weighted finite state automata. RMLP is able to provide better interpretability by coherently linking together relevant inputs at different timesteps into distinct sequences. RMLP can be shown to be a generalization of a multi-layer perceptron (that only works on static data) to sequential, dynamic data. With its theoretical roots in rational series, RMLP’s ability to process longitudinal time-series data and extract interpretable patterns sets it apart. Using real-world EHRs, we have substantiated the effectiveness of our RMLP model through empirical comparisons on six clinical tasks, all of which demonstrate its considerable efficacy.
Introduction and Operations of Specialized Machine Learning Web Applications for Material Design
Authors: Okuno Yoshishige , Takemoto Shimpei
Published: June 2024

Machine learning has been vital in materials design, but materials scientists need help with their unfamiliarity with machine learning techniques. The need for data scientists to have more domain knowledge in materials design has also been vital. To bridge this gap, we have developed user-friendly web applications for materials scientists, with machine-learning models built and deployed by data scientists. We also introduced a Web application portal and Machine Learning Operations to efficiently manage machine learning models and web applications, especially in large chemical corporations dealing with numerous chemical products. The successful deployment of over 30 web applications within the corporation demonstrated successful digital transformation in materials.
The Primate Cortical LFP Exhibits Multiple Spectral and Temporal Gradients and Widespread Task-Dependence During Visual Short-Term Memory
Authors: Hoffman Steven J. , Dotson Nicholas M. , Lima Vinicius , Gray Charles M.
Published: June 2024

Although cognitive functions are hypothesized to be mediated by synchronous neuronal interactions in multiple frequency bands among widely distributed cortical areas, we still lack a basic understanding of the distribution and task dependence of oscillatory activity across the cortical map. Here, we ask how the spectral and temporal properties of the local field potential (LFP) vary across the primate cerebral cortex, and how they are modulated during visual short-term memory. We measured the LFP from 55 cortical areas in two macaque monkeys while they performed a visual delayed match to sample task. Analysis of peak frequencies in the LFP power spectra reveals multiple discrete frequency bands between 3-80 Hz that differ between the two monkeys. The LFP power in each band, as well as the Sample Entropy, a measure of signal complexity, display distinct spatial gradients across the cortex that correlate with reported spine counts in layer 3 pyramidal neurons. Cortical areas can be robustly decoded using a small number of spectral and temporal parameters, and significant task dependent increases and decreases in spectral power occur in all cortical areas. These findings reveal pronounced, widespread and spatially organized gradients in the spectral and temporal activity of cortical areas. Task-dependent changes in cortical activity are globally distributed, even for a simple cognitive task.
In Situ Immunofluorescence Imaging of Vital Human Pancreatic Tissue Using Fiber‐Optic Microscopy
Authors: Ackermann Sophia , Herold Maximilian , Rohrbacher Vincent , Schäfer Michael , Tóth Marcell , Thomann Stefan , Hackert Thilo , Ryschich Eduard
Published: June 2024

Purpose. Surgical resection is the only curative option for pancreatic carcinoma, but disease‐free and overall survival times after surgery are limited due to early tumor recurrence, most often originating from local microscopic tumor residues (R1 resection). The intraoperative identification of microscopic tumor residues within the resection margin in situ could improve surgical performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of fiber‐optic microscopy for detecting microscopic residues in vital pancreatic cancer tissues. Experimental Design. Fresh whole‐mount human pancreatic tissues, histological tissue slides, cell culture, and chorioallantoic membrane xenografts were analyzed. Specimens were stained with selected fluorophore‐conjugated antibodies and studied using conventional wide‐field and self‐designed multicolor fiber‐optic fluorescence microscopy instruments. Results. Whole‐mount vital human tissues and xenografts were stained and imaged using an in situ immunofluorescence protocol. Fiber‐optic microscopy enabled the detection of epitope‐based fluorescence in vital whole‐mount tissue using fluorophore‐conjugated antibodies and enabled visualization of microvascular, epithelial, and malignant tumor cells. Among the selected antigen‐antibody pairs, antibody clones WM59, AY13, and 9C4 were the most promising for fiber‐optic imaging in human tissue samples and for endothelial, tumor and epithelial cell detection. Conclusions. Fresh dissected whole‐mount tissue can be stained using direct exposure to selected antibody clones. Several antibody clones were identified that provided excellent immunofluorescence imaging of labeled structures, such as endothelial, epithelial, or EGFR‐expressing cells. The combination of in situ immunofluorescence staining and fiber‐optic microscopy visualizes structures in vital tissues and could be proposed as an useful tool for the in situ identification of residual tumor mass in patients with a high operative risk for incomplete resection.
Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Tanzania: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Kilonzo Semvua B. , Nkandala Igembe , Rudovick Ladius , Jaka Hyasinta M. , Mirambo Mariam M. , Mshana Stephen E. , Kajogoo Violet D. , Shao Elichilia R.
Published: June 2024

Background and Aim. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection represents a significant burden in low‐income countries, including Tanzania. The effective planning and implementation of prevention strategies in a country can be hampered by conflicting evidence. To date, no systematic review or meta‐analysis has been performed to estimate the burden of disease in a country. The purpose of this review is to summarize and update the available information on the burden of HBV in Tanzania. Methods. We systematically searched the PubMed, Web of Science, African Journals Online, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases for studies conducted up to March 1, 2023, that estimated the prevalence of HBV in Tanzania based on HBV surface antigen measurements. The DerSimonian–Laird random effects model was used to estimate the overall prevalence of HBV with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Potential sources of heterogeneity were also investigated. Results. Thirty‐one studies with a total sample size of 37,988 were included in the meta‐analysis. The overall average HBV prevalence estimate in Tanzania was 6.91% (95% CI = 5.18–8.86%). Subgroup analysis revealed the highest prevalence in the northern zone (9.32%, 95% CI; 2.24–20.36%), among the blood donors (18.72%, 95% CI: 17.43–20.05%) and among the community volunteers (8.76%, 95% CI: 4.55–14.15%). The lowest prevalence was observed in the lake zone at 4.66% (95% CI: 3.49–5.99) and in pregnant women at 4.72% (95% CI: 3.42–6.21). The overall between‐study variability showed significant heterogeneity (I2 = 97.41%, P < 0.001). Conclusions. Our results showed that Tanzania is a country with moderately high HBV endemicity, with large interregional differences and significantly high numbers of HBV infections within the community. This underscores the need for immediate development of targeted prevention strategies and further epidemiological studies to better understand the pattern of the disease.
Potential Association of Maker Expression of Low‐Density Neutrophils and Their Phenotypes in Patients with Periodontitis: Control Study
Authors: Mousa Ali Omran , Al Hussaini Ali Hussien Abass
Published: June 2024

Background. Neutrophils play an important role in maintaining periodontal status in conditions of healthy homeostasis. They achieve their surveillance function by continuously migrating to the gingival sulcus and eradicating periodontal pathogens. In addition, neutrophils are considered an integral element in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Among several neutrophil subsets, low‐density neutrophils (LDN) have recently received attention and are linked with cancer, immunological, inflammatory, and infectious diseases. However, the presence, phenotypes, and potential role of LDN in the pathogenesis of periodontitis have not yet been investigated. Objectives. To investigate the presence, subsets (normal, band, suppressive, and active), and phenotypes via marker expression surface protein known as the cluster of differentiation (CD) (CD16b, CD14, CD15, and CD62L) of LDN in patients with periodontitis. Materials and Methods. The observational case‐control study was conducted to estimate the potential role of LDNs in periodontitis. Venous blood and periodontal indices were obtained from 40 healthy control individuals and 60 periodontitis patients. Subsequently, CD16b, CD62L, CD14, and CD15 expression on the surface of LDN was examined by multicolor flow cytometry, and their subsets were classified as “normal” (CD16brightCD62Lbright), “bands” (CD16dimCD62Lbright), “suppressive” (CD16brightCD62Ldim), and “active” (CD16brightCD62Lnegative). Results. There was a significant difference in the expression of LDN markers for active and suppressive phenotypes, respectively, favoring periodontitis over the control group. In contrast, there were significantly higher levels of CD16b, CD62L, and CD15 (“normal”) in the control group when compared with the periodontitis group. Conclusion. LDN was associated with periodontitis as it was significantly increased in the periodontitis group in comparison with the control group and was positively correlated with all periodontal parameters. Cells from both groups of patients (periodontitis and control) expressed a normal mature phenotype (CD16b + High, CD62L + High, CD15+, and CD14‐). Regarding subsets, the normal LDN (CD16brightCD62Lbright) was the most predominant phenotype in both periodontitis and control groups. However, the active subset increased in periodontitis compared to normal, indicating their destructive role in periodontitis.
Assessment of Calcium Nitrate Fertilizer as a Suitable Nitrogen Source for Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) Cultivation in Ghana
Authors: Dogbatse Jerome A. , Awudzi Godfred K. , Arthur Alfred , Owusu-Ansah Frank , Amoako-Attah Ishmael , Quaye Amos K. , Konlan Sampson , Amon-Armah Fredrick , Amaning Andrews A.
Published: June 2024

Urea or sulphate of ammonia fertilizer application on cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) in Ghana has either caused no changes or a decrease in cacao yields. In Ghana, soil diagnosis has shown low soil N in cacao‐growing areas, which could be limiting cacao production. Alleviating the low soil N to increase cacao yields without negative effects requires the use of an appropriate source and dose of N fertilizer. A study was conducted to determine the suitability of calcium nitrate fertilizer as a source of N and the right N dose that will ensure an increase in cacao yield. A randomized complete block design with three replications was used to evaluate the effects of 11 treatments which were combinations of dose and number of N fertilizer application. The results showed an increase in soil pH, N, and P contents and a decrease in exchangeable bases over the four years for the surface soil depth. For organic carbon (OC), the average annual rate of change resulted in a gain of OC in the soils for all the treatment plots, except for treatment with 60 kg N ha−1 applied once over the 4 years. Soil P concentrations of the plots saw a drastic increase and a gain of P for all the treatment plots. The concentration of exchangeable bases declined in 4 years. Significant differences were observed in the 3‐year cumulative dry bean yield of cacao for the treatments with 75 kg N ha−1 split applied being the highest. The study showed that the calcium nitrate fertilizer is a suitable N source for cacao in Ghana and a dose of 75 kg N ha−1 of the fertilizer should be split applied, i.e., half applied in May and half applied in September to ensure an increase in cacao yield.
Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Enhancing Rice Yield and Reducing Methane Emissions in Degraded Soils via Soil Amendments and Silicon Application
Authors: Keteku Agbesi Kwadzo , Amegbor Isaac Kodzo , Frimpong Felix , Dormatey Richard , Blege Precious , Yeboah Stephen , Agyeman Kennedy , Brempong Mavis Badu , Poku Samuel Aduse , Amankwaa-Yeboah Patricia , Danquah Eric Owusu , Ghanney Philip , Addy Sylvester , Bosompem Franklin , Aggrey Habibah
Published: June 2024

The present study addresses Ghana’s heavy dependence on rice imports, which currently make up over 40% of the nation’s domestic consumption with declining soil fertility. The use of organic and chemical fertilizers to improve soil fertility has had an unintended consequence like the production of methane (CH4) gas. This study investigates the potential of biochar, a promising solution for reducing emissions and enhancing crop yields when combined with silicon (Si). This research assessed the effect of these soil amendments on rice yield and methane emissions within degraded rice fields. The main treatments were recommended fertilizer dose (RDF), a biochar compost (BIOCOM) application, and a combination of 50% RDF with 50% BIOCOM. Within these treatments, Si was introduced at varying levels: 0, 100, and 200 kg Si ha−1. The results indicate that the application of RDF resulted in significant improvements in rice growth, Si uptake, phosphorus (P) uptake, and ultimately, grain yield. RDF produced remarkable yield increments, surpassing BIOCOM by 59.7% in 2020 and 56.6% in 2021. Additionally, the introduction of 100 kg Si ha−1 led to an average 15.6% increase in grain yield across both growing seasons and displayed a positive correlation with P uptake. BIOCOM and its blend with NPK improved residual P and K contents. BIOCOM reduced CH4 emissions by 46% in 2020 and 44% in 2021 when compared to RDF. This study does not only hold valuable implications for sustainable agricultural practices but also make a substantial contribution to addressing key concerns, including food security, soil fertility preservation, and the reduction of CH4 gas emissions in rice production.
Coordinated Development of Digital Construction and Human Capital Investment Efficiency: Measurement and Testing
Authors: Gao Jiacheng , Li Ping
Published: June 2024

The improvement of the digital construction level is the material and technological foundation to build a strong network and digital country, and the efficiency of human capital investment is a key factor affecting the sustainable development of the digital economy. In order to ensure the efficient development of digital construction and human capital investment efficiency and to test whether digital construction can effectively promote the improvement of human capital investment efficiency and narrow the regional human capital investment efficiency gap, we used a coupling coordination model to examine the consistency between the level of digital construction and the efficiency of human capital investment. The purpose and findings of the paper are as follows. The research results indicated that the efficiency of digital construction and human capital investment in central and western regions is stronger than that in the eastern region. The coupling level of the above two aspects is relatively low, and there are significant differences among different regions. Based on the research results, it is proposed that the government should guide the optimization of human capital investment structure, and enterprises should lead the improvement of human capital investment efficiency. In addition, the government should promote digital infrastructure guided by technology integration, and the enterprises should expand digital applications in intelligent scenarios. Furthermore, to improve the coordination level of digital construction and the human capital investment, could take measures by coordinating digital construction and interoperability and sharing human capital.
Opioid Nonadherence Risk Prediction of Patients with Cancer‐Related Pain Based on Five Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Liu Jinmei , Luo Juan , Chen Xu , Xie Jiyi , Wang Cong , Wang Hanxiang , Yuan Qi , Li Shijun , Zhang Yu , Hu Jianli , Shi Chen
Published: June 2024

Objectives. Opioid nonadherence represents a significant barrier to cancer pain treatment efficacy. However, there is currently no effective prediction method for opioid adherence in patients with cancer pain. We aimed to develop and validate a machine learning (ML) model and evaluate its feasibility to predict opioid nonadherence in patients with cancer pain. Methods. This was a secondary analysis from a cross‐sectional study that included 1195 patients from March 1, 2018, to October 31, 2019. Five ML algorithms, such as logistic regression (LR), random forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting, multilayer perceptron, and support vector machine, were used to predict opioid nonadherence in patients with cancer pain using 43 demographic and clinical factors as predictors. The predictive effects of the models were compared by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC_ROC), accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 scores. The value of the best model for clinical application was assessed using decision curve analysis (DCA). Results. The best model obtained in this study, the LR model, had an AUC_ROC of 0.82, accuracy of 0.82, and specificity of 0.71. The DCA showed that clinical interventions for patients at high risk of opioid nonadherence based on the LR model can benefit patients. The strongest predictors for adherence were, in order of importance, beliefs about medicines questionnaire (BMQ)‐harm, time since the start of opioid, and BMQ‐necessity. Discussion. ML algorithms can be used as an effective means of predicting adherence to opioids in patients with cancer pain, which allows for proactive clinical intervention to optimize cancer pain management. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2000033576.
Research on Health Monitoring of Flying‐Swallow‐Typed Tied Arch Bridge Based on PSO‐GRNN Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Tianpeng , Liu Long , Ji Pengfei
Published: June 2024

In the health monitoring work of long‐span concrete‐filled steel tube tied arch bridges, finite element models have been commonly employed to indicate the practical stress state, and providing accurate data in real time and efficiently has been confirmed as the weakness of the finite element model. The prediction model is built in accordance with the general regression neural network (GRNN), and the parameters of the GRNN model are optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO) to build the PSO‐GRNN prediction model, with the aim of modifying the finite element model. A finite element analysis model is built using the Qiuhuli flying‐swallow‐typed tied arch bridge to verify the effect of the PSO‐GRNN prediction model. The model test data are acquired using the horizontal thrust of arch foot, the bulk weight of main beam, and the tension of tied rod as the input variables and using the stress of main arch rib steel pipe, the stress of main arch concrete, and the displacement of mid span as the output variables. As revealed by the results, the average prediction accuracy of the PSO‐GRNN model constructed in this article is 96.706%, 98.531%, and 99.634%, respectively, which are 1.980%, 1.706%, and 0.40% higher than the back propagation (BP) neural network model and 2.262%, 1.632%, and 0.387% higher than the GRNN model. The mean absolute percent error (MAPE), root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), and Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) coefficient were used to evaluate the prediction performance of the model. The PSO‐GRNN model has the highest fitting accuracy, indicating that the established PSO‐GRNN prediction model can more effectively predict the relevant parameters of concrete‐filled steel tube tied arch bridges and has high accuracy.
A Novel Multimodal Biometric Person Authentication System Based on ECG and Iris Data
Authors: Ashwini K. , Keshava Murthy G. N. , Raviraja S. , Srinidhi G. A.
Published: June 2024

Existing security issues like keys, pins, and passwords employed presently in almost all the fields that have certain limitations like passwords and pins can be easily forgotten; keys can be lost. To overcome such security issues, new biometric features have shown outstanding improvements in authentication systems as a result of significant developments in biological digital signal processing. Currently, the multimodal authentications have gained huge attention in biometric systems which can be either behavioural or physiological. A biometric system with multimodality club data from many biometric modalities increases each biometric system’s performance and makes it more resistant to spoof attempts. Apart from electrocardiogram (ECG) and iris, there are a lot of other biometric traits that can be captured from the human body. They include face, fingerprint, gait, keystroke dynamics, voice, DNA, palm vein, and hand geometry recognition. Electrocardiograms (ECG) have recently been employed in unimodal and multimodal biometric recognition systems as a novel biometric technology. When compared to other biometric approaches, ECG has the intrinsic quality of a person’s liveness, making it difficult to fake. Similarly, the iris also plays an important role in biometric authentication. Based on these assumptions, we present a multimodal biometric person authentication system. The projected method includes preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction, feature fusion, and ensemble classifier where majority voting is presented to obtain the final outcome. The comparative analysis shows the overall performance as 96.55%, 96.2%, 96.2%, 96.5%, and 95.65% in terms of precision, F1‐score, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.
Successful Treatment of Refractory Generalized Granuloma Annulare with Upadacitinib
Authors: Coican Alexis , Meckley Abigail , Sagasser Nathan , Greenfield Melinda , Song Eingun James , El-Bahri Jessica
Published: June 2024

Granuloma annulare is a poorly understood dermatosis that, when generalized, can occur in up to 15 percent of patients. In these cases, treatment is frustrating and experimental. We report a case of a 60‐year‐old woman and a 41‐year‐old woman who demonstrated resolution of recalcitrant, generalized granuloma annulare (GA) following oral treatment with upadacitinib. After showing little to no response to other various treatments, such as steroids, antibiotic regimens, and systemic therapies, each patient was started on 15 mg of daily upadacitinib. At 2 months, one patient had complete clearance of all lesions while the other patient experienced noticeable improvement. Within 4 months, the other patient reached total resolution of her lesions. These cases provide evidence of a therapeutic option that may shorten disease duration and provide relief from cutaneous disease.
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Connecting Antemortem and Postmortem Findings to Highlight a Rare Case of EBV and HPV Negativity
Authors: Auen Thomas , Talmon Geoffrey
Published: June 2024

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is an endemic entity with a strong association with Epstein‐Barr virus and a new recognition of human papilloma virus‐mediated effects in nonendemic areas. Here, we discuss a nasopharyngeal carcinoma suspected as based on imaging results with metastasis to the lymph nodes, lung, spleen, bone, and liver. Gross and microscopic findings from the autopsy were clinicopathologically correlated with antemortem clinical studies and investigations. The authors report a case of EBV‐ and HPV‐negative nonendemic, multisite metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, shown to be nonkeratinizing undifferentiated subtype.