bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dairy animal welfare Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of medium-scale dairy stockpeople from Midlands Province- Zimbabwe’s medium-scale dairy farms
Authors: matore zivanayi
Published: April 2023

Welfare of dairy animals and consequently their health and productivity is influenced by a number of factors such as the quality and quantity of supplement, health care given to animals, and stockpeople Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on animal welfare. A lot of studies have been conducted to evaluate the influence of most of the above factors on welfare of dairy animals, but very little studies focused on the influence of stockpeople Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on animal welfare. However, given the growing demand for milk and dairy products and the increasing global demand for animal products that are produced in an animal welfare friendly environment there is potential benefit of studying the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of stockpeople towards the welfare of dairy animals. Herein, a cross sectional study involving 93 stockpeople from the 31 medium-scale dairy farms in Midlands Province, Zimbabwe was conducted to determine their Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on animal welfare. Results of this study revealed that 67% of the stockpeople could not define animal welfare and this was significantly associated with the stockperson’s level of education. Only 14% of the stockpeople interviewed always talked to dairy animals when handling them and this was significantly with gender of the stockperson (p < 0.001). About 20% of the stockpeople responded positively to touching the dairy animals when handling them and this was associated significantly with the stockperson’s gender (p = 0.005). On a more positive note when stockpeople were asked to respond to whipping of animals when driving them, about 90% of the stockpeople said they never whip animals when handling or driving them. It is recommended that further studies be done to find out better and more effective ways of teaching animal welfare concepts and practices. These approaches of teaching animal welfare to stockpeople should take into account the stockpeople’s cultural, religious and education backgrounds.
Symptomatic pneumorrhachis after arthrodesis due to gunshot wounds - A Case Report
Authors: Frenner Fernanda , Filho Fernando Antonio Melo , POKORNY GABRIEL , Bogea Bruno Santos
Published: April 2023

Introduction:
Pneumorrhachis, is a condition where, air or gas, are entrapped within the spinal canal. Due to its rareness, it can present a diagnostic challenge. Usually, pneumorrhachis represents an asymptomatic epiphenomenon but it can produce symptoms associated with its underlying pathology. Here, we report a rare case of symptomatic epidural pneumorrhachis post arthrodesis in a patient with gunshot wounds to the thoracic spine. Possible pathogenic mechanisms are discussed, and a review of the literature is included.
Case presentation: A 28-year-old male patient, victim of a gunshot wound receiving posterior spinal fixation without any intraoperative complication, presents with of intolerable and diffuse pain in the neck and back - making it impossible for him to remain in the supine position, epigastralgia and dysesthesia, especially in the upper limbs and right hemithorax, also reports loss of sensitivity to touch, especially in the distal extremities of the upper limbs. MRI exams shows clear presence of air (hypodense signal) in the treated thoracic region. A hyperbaric chamber was chosen, initially for five sessions, at the end of the five sessions, the patient only complained of dysesthesia and changes in distal fine motor skills, with almost complete recovery of strength. Five more sessions were performed, with total improvement of sensory changes and almost complete recovery of strength.
Conclusion: Pneumorrhachis although usually asymptomatic can present in some cases several neurological impairments due to spinal cord compression.
Global Achievement of Maternal Health-Related Sustainable Development Goals Targets Among Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Refaat Amany
Published: April 2023

Health-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3) aims to ensure healthy lives. This study investigates the influence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) on achieving maternal health related SDG3 targets among exposed women globally.
Methodology: This study used secondary data analysis of Domestic Violence Modules from the latest Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 40 countries. IPV was defined by women ever exposed to emotional, physical, severe, or sexual violence from the spouse. Achieving maternal health related SDG3 targets among women was measured by: Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel; Antenatal care (women received antenatal care eight or more times from any provider); and the need for family planning satisfied with modern methods. The influence of IPV was estimated through adjusted OR after controlling for socioeconomic factors using binary logistic regression.
Results: Exposure to IPV was among one-third of the women (37%) mainly physical (29%) and emotional (24%). Adjusted OR with 95%CI for the influence of IPV on women’s utilization of skilled birth attendants was 0.81 (0.79-0.83)); having eight or more antenatal care visits 0.61 (0.59-0.63); and the needs for family planning with modern methods satisfied was 0.85 (0.83-0.87). Achievement of maternal health services was among 57% of the women. Women exposed to IPV were less to achieve maternal health services (50% VS 61%) with adjusted OR 0.71; 95%CI: 0.70-0.73 and it was not confounded by the positive effect of socioeconomic factors.
Conclusion & Recommendation: Exposure to IPV had a statistically significant negative influence on all the maternal health related SDG3 services among women. Programs working in facilitating the achievement of the SDGs related maternal health targets should include prevention of women’s exposure to IPV and support for those who are exposed to it.
Circular RNA as new serum metabolic biomarkers in patients with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
Authors: Wang Zhuoya , Zheng Yuqi , Zhong Caiting , Ou Yuyang , Feng Yihui , Lin Yu , Zhao Ying
Published: April 2023

Objective
Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR) is used to detect the differential expression of Circular RNAs in patients of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI), in order to explore the new biomarkers of POI that can be detected from blood as soon as possible.
Methods
The study collected plasma samples from 30 patients in POI group and 30 normal people group that meet the inclusion criteria, who visited the gynecology clinic of The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from July 2019 to December 2020. Then circRNAs in plasmawere extracted for qPCR validation.
Results
1. qPCR technology was performed on hsa_circRNA_008901 and hsa_circRNA_403959, and it was found that the levels of both were considerably downregulated in POI group. Clinical evaluation showed that both hsa_circRNA_008901 and hsa_circRNA_403959 have good diagnostic value for POI.
2. According to miRNA Regulatory Element (MRE) analysis, the predicted target miRNAs of hsa_circRNA_008901 are: hsa-miR-548c-3p, hsa-miR-924, hsa-miR-4677-5p, hsa-miR-6786 -3p and hsa-miR-7974; the predicted target miRNAs of hsa_circRNA_403959 are: hsa-miR-1207-5p, hsa-miR-4691-5p, hsa-miR-4763-3p, hsa-miR-6807-5p and hsa -miR-7160-5p.
Conclusion
Compared with the normal group, the expression levels of hsa_circRNA_008901 and hsa_circRNA_403959 in the POI group were downregulated, suggesting that these two circRNAs may be potential biomarkers of POI. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that hsa_circRNA_008901 and hsa_circRNA_403959 may regulate their binding miRNA through the action form of “molecular sponge", and then regulate the signaling pathway regulated by miRNA, and ultimately affect the disease progression of POI.
Association Between the miR-100 rs1834306 A>G SNP and Susceptibility to Vascular Malformation in Southern Chinese Children
Authors: Liu Zhenyin , Guitao Wu , Xi Lin , Hua Jiang
Published: April 2023

Background:Vascular malformation was related to genes and resulted in functional and morphologic anomalies. Genetic variations affecting development of vessel endothelial cells are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigated the potential value of miR-100 rs1834306 A>G SNP as a marker of susceptibility to vascular malformation.
Methods:In this case–control study in southern Chinese children, we collected samples from 1158 controls and 1113 patients with vascular malformation. TaqMan genotyping of miR-100 rs1834306 A>G was performed by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
Result:Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that there was no significant association between the presence of the miR-100 rs1834306 A>G polymorphism and susceptibility to vascular malformation by evaluating the values of pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Similarly, among different sites, rs1834306 A>G was also not associated with vascular malformation.
Conclusion:Our results suggest that the miR-100 rs1834306 A>G polymorphism is not associated with susceptibility to vascular malformation in southern Chinese children. These results need to be further confirmed by investigating a more diverse ethnic population of patients with vascular malformation.
New strategy for the synthesis of photo-crosslinkable polyalphaolefin resins and related biocompatible three-dimensional networks
Authors: Kheljani Somayyeh Sadat Afi , Didehban Khadijeh , Atai Mohammad , Chen Changle , Bahri-Laleh Naeimeh
Published: April 2023

In this research, functionalization of the easily available polyalphaolefin (PAO) based resins is accomplished by the copolymerization of 1-decene with 9-decenol through a facile cationic polymerization route. The resultantCo-oligomerwas further functionalized with acryloyl chloride to furnishMacromerproduct. The exact microstructure of synthesized and modified resins was explored via H-NMR, FTIR and GPC analytical methods. The PAO chains contain roughly 20 monomeric units in which three polymerizable C = C moieties could be embedded. The crosslinking ofMacromervia visible light irradiation in the presence of a photo-initiator system provided final fabricate. The effect of photo-initiator content on the cross-linking kinetics of the resin wasexplored using shrinkage strain measurement. The resulted three dimensional PAO (3D-PO) revealed hydrophilic nature with water contact angel of 65° and excellent cell viability of 93% in the MTT assay. This strategy starts from easily available α-olefin based monomers, employs a facile cationic polymerization procedure, enables modulation of the functional groups in theMacromerbackbone in order to make it photo-polymerizable, and holds great potential for tissue engineering applications.
Predictive Minisci and P450 Late Stage Functionalization with Transfer Learning
Authors: King-Smith Emma , Faber Felix , Reilly Usa , Sinitskiy Anton , Yang Qingyi , Liu Bo , Hyek Dennis , Lee Alpha
Published: April 2023

Structural diversification of lead molecules is a key component of drug discovery to explore chemical space. Late stage functionalizations (LSFs) are versatile methodologies capable of installing functional handles on richly decorated intermediates to deliver numerous diverse products in a single reaction. Predicting the regioselectivity of LSF is still an open challenge in the field. Numerous efforts from chemoinformatics and machine learning (ML) groups have made significant strides in this area. However, it is arduous to isolate and characterize the multitude of LSF products generated, limiting available data and hindering pure ML approaches. We report the development of an approach that combines a message passing neural network and 13C NMR-based transfer learning to predict the atom-wise probabilities of functionalization. We validated our model retrospectively and with a series of prospective experiments, showing that it accurately predicts the outcomes of Minisci-type and P450 transformations, outperforming state-of-the-art Fukui-based reactivity indices.
Exploring Immune-Related Gene Expression Up To The First 24-Hour For Predicting Sepsis Outcomes Based On Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis And Machine Learning
Authors: Deng Huiyin , Li Jiuyi , Shah Abid Ali , Huang Lingkun , Ge Lite , Ouyang Wen
Published: April 2023

Background: Host immune dysregulation participates in the prognosis of sepsis with high morbidity and mortality. Our study aimed to identify the roles of immuneassociated genes during sepsis progression and to predict sepsis survival up to 24 h at diagnosis, which may help plan future individualized treatments.
Methods: GSE54514, GSE57065, and GSE95233 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for early identification of differentially expressed IRGs between sepsis patients and healthy controls. Candidate IRGs significantly associated with sepsis survival were obtained by univariate logistic
regression analysis. Gene signatures of these IRGs were further selected by Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression and Random Forest Algorithm (RFA). The correlation between signature genes and prognosis was analyzed.Furthermore, signature IRGs were further validated by quantitative PCR (qPCR) on the whole blood of septic patients and an external COVID-19 dataset and candidate drug were predicted.
Results: HLA.DPA1, IL18RAP, MMP9, RNASE3, S100P, and PTX3 were found
significantly differentially expressed starting very early after sepsis infection and persisting for up to 5 days, and their formed IRG score had a satisfactory predictive value on sepsis outcome. Furthermore, our validation showed that these six IRGs were
also significantly dysregulated in both an external COVID-19 dataset and sepsis patients. Finally, 10 potential compounds were predicted to have targeted these genes.
Conclusion: Our study developed a prognostic modeling tool for sepsis survival based on IRG expression profiles, and has the capacity for early prediction of sepsis outcomes via monitoring the immunogenomic landscape, and possibly the individualized therapies for sepsis survival.
Effect of Surface Treatment on Photoanode substrate Using Titanium Foil for DSSC Application
Authors: Ismail Izad Syahrul Ariffin Mohd , Shafiee Farah Nabilah , Hamidon Mohd Nizar , Shafie Suhaidi
Published: April 2023

After many attempts for Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) efficiency improvement which mainly concentrated on electrode materials, sensitizers, and electrolytes, however there are only a few reports that have focused on the improvement of the interface between substrate material and semiconductor material. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to investigate the effect of surface treatment to the DSSC power conversion efficiency (η%) by employing different steps in pre-treatment process using sandpaper and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on Titanium (Ti) foil photoanode substrate. The substrates were labelled as Untreated (substrate was cleaned without sandpaper scratching and H2O2 pre-treatment), Scratched (undergone sandpaper scratching without H2O2 pre-treatment) and H2O2 Treated (Pre-treatment with both sandpaper scratching and H2O2) respectively. The Ti foil sheet resistance of each treatment process was measured using four-point probe. The morphological surface of substrates were determined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) whereas the elemental analysis was obtained from Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX). The morphological images show that the surface roughness increased after each pre-treatment process, resulting in the decrease in the sheet resistance value which contributes to a better electron transfer process, thus leading to improvement on DSSC efficiency (η%). This is proven from the I-V characteristics analysis where the H2O2 Treated Ti foil shows an impressive improvement with the highest efficiency (η%) of 1.12%.
Interactive Curriculum Learning Decreases and Homogenizes Motor Variability
Authors: Sungeelee Vaynee , Loriette Antoine , Sigaud Olivier , Caramiaux Baptiste
Published: April 2023

One of the challenges of technology-assisted motor learning is how to adapt practice to facilitate learning. Random practice has been shown to promote long-term learning. However, it does not adapt to the learner's specific learning requirements. Previous attempts to adapt learning consider the skill level of learners from past training sessions. This study investigates the effects of personalizing practice in real time, through a Curriculum Learning approach, where a curriculum of tasks is built by considering consecutive performance differences for each task. 12 participants were allocated to each of three training conditions in an experiment which required performing a steering task to drive a cursor in an arc channel. The Curriculum Learning approach was compared to two other conditions: random practice and another adaptive practice, which does not consider the learning evolution. The Curriculum Learning practice outperformed the random practice in effectively decreasing movement variability at post-test and outperformed both the random practice and the adaptive practice on transfer tests. The adaptation of Curriculum Learning practice also made learners' skills more uniform. Based on these findings, we anticipate that future research will explore the use of Curriculum Learning in interactive training tools to support motor skill learning, such as rehabilitation.
Correlation analysis of sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and vertebral fragility fracture in patients with liver cirrhosis using QCT
Authors: li Yuncheng , Zhai Jian , Zhu Chao , Zhang Qian , Lv Lei , Li Pei , Yu Hongqing
Published: April 2023

Background Sarcopenia, osteoporosis (OP), and vertebral fragility fractures were common in patients with LC. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between sarcopenia, OP, and vertebra fragility fracture in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) using quantitative computed tomography (QCT).Methods Participants included 365 patients with LC and 130 age- and gender-matched controls who underwent an abdominal noncontrast CT scans at our Hospital from July 2019 to September 2022. The skeletal muscle area at the L3 vertebra (SMA-L3), muscle fat infiltration in posterior muscle groups at the L3 vertebra (MFI-L3), and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) were measured using QCT Pro software. The skeletal muscle index at the L3 vertebra (SMI-L3) was SMA-L3/height². Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on SMI-L3 < 50cm²/m² (male), SMI-L3 < 39cm²/m² (female).Results Patients with LC had lower SMI-L3 and lumbar BMD than controls (P < 0.05), along with the higher prevalence of OP (26.00% vs. 16.20%), fracture (18.60% vs. 9.20%), and MFI-L3 than controls (P < 0.05). In patients with LC, logistic regression analysis indicated that age, Child-Pugh C, and OP were risk factors for sarcopenia (P < 0.05), while body mass index (BMI) was a protective factor (P < 0.001). Furthermore, female, age, sarcopenia, and fracture were risk factors for OP (P < 0.05), and age and OP were risk factors for fracture (P < 0.001).Conclusions Our study further extended the application value of QCT without additional patient exposure to ionizing radiation including assessment of BMD and muscle tissue. Sarcopenia, OP, and vertebral fragility fractures were closely correlated with each other.
Handling the Class Imbalance Problem using an improved Sine Cosine Algorithm for Optimal Instance Selection
Authors: Moorthy Rajalakshmi Shenbaga , S Arikumar K , Prathiba Sahaya Beni , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy , Baza Mohamed , Srivast Gautam , Alshahrani Hani
Published: April 2023

Class imbalance is a significant problem that is biased, exhibiting excellent performance towards the majority classes in the dataset while inhibiting inferior performance toward minority classes. When dealing with real-world issues, in particular healthcare problems, this kind of biased nature affects classification accuracy. Thus, a class imbalance is a danger that directly affects the effectiveness of any classification algorithm. The Improved Binary Sine Cosine Algorithm (IBSCA) has been used in this work to identify the subset of the majority class in the best possible way. The proposed IBSCA makes some enhancements over the conventional Binary Sine Cosine Algorithm (BSCA) to address the issue of premature convergence with the local optimal solutions. Intending to improve the classification accuracy for unbalanced datasets, the proposed IBSCA seeks to identify the optimal collection of instances from the majority class. The advised IBSCA uses a random agent’s location, which tends to devote considerable time to exploration to find the best possible set of instances. By using the geometric Mean (G-Mean) and F-Score to describe the fitness function, the proposed IBSCA aims to solve the multi-objective optimization issue. The most crucial metrics for assessing how well a classifier performs on skewed datasets are G-Meanand F-Score. Additionally, a V-shaped transfer function is used to handle the discrete nature of the class imbalance issue. On 18 datasets with different imbalance ratios taken from the KEEL repository, experimentation is conducted. Comparisons are made between the suggested IBSCA and the traditional BSCA, Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO), and Binary GreyWolf Optimization (BGWO). Additionally, the performance of the suggested IBSCA is evaluated against the top outcomes from different research papers. Metrics like Sensitivity, F-Score, G-Mean, and Area under Curve (AUC) show that the suggestedIBSCA outperforms the current algorithms. The statistical findings also demonstrate that the suggested IBSCA is more efficient than the other conventional algorithms.
Furan-Dihydroquinazolinone based Fluorescent Nanoprobe for Selective Recognition of 4-nitrophenol: A Spectofluorimetric Approach
Authors: Wakshe Saubai B. , Dongare Pravin R. , Gore Anil H. , Mote Gurunath V. , Anbhule Prashant V. , Kolekar Govind B.
Published: April 2023

Fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONPs) have attracted much attention as a practicable and effective platform for detection applications. The present article describes the preparation of FONPs derived from the quinazolinone-based 2-(furan-2-yl)-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one derivative FHDQ. Self-assembly of FHDQ in an aqueous medium resulted in the formation of FONPs through H-type aggregation and showed excellent fluorescence properties. The presence of other coexisting species solutions had no effect on the selective fluorescence quenching observed with the addition of 4-nitrophenol. The photophysical properties, i.e., UV absorbance, fluorescence emission, and lifetime measurements together with zeta particle sizer, support excited-state complex formation followed by a dynamic fluorescence quenching phenomenon in the emission of FDHQNPs. In the concentration range of 0 to 36 μg.mL⁻1, the detection limit of this turn-off sensor FDHQNPs against 4-NP was determined to be 0.01611 μM. Finally, the practicability of the FDHQNPs for the analysis of 4-NP in environmental samples was demonstrated.
The effect of body mass index at cancer diagnosis on survival of patients with squamous cell head and neck carcinoma
Authors: Pastorino Roberta , Marafon Denise Pires , Hoxhaj Ilda , Grossi Adriano , Giraldi Luca , Rondinò Antonella , Cadoni Gabriella , Polesel Jerry , Serraino Diego , Vecchia Carlo La , Garavello Werner , Canova Cristina , Richiardi Lorenzo , Lissowska Jolanta , Pandics Tamas , Dudding Tom , Ness Andy , Thomas Steve , Pring Miranda , Kelsey Karl , McClean Michael , Bradshaw Patrick T. , Zhang Zuo-Feng , Morgenstern Hal , Rozek Laura , Wolf Gregory T. , Olshan Andrew F. , Liu Geoffrey , Hung Rayjean J. , Vilensky Marta , de Carvalho Marcos Brasilino , Lopez Rossana Veronica Mendonza , Wunsch-Filho Victor , Boffetta Paolo , Hashibe Mia , Lee Yuan-Chin Amy , Boccia Stefania
Published: April 2023

The aim of this study is to investigate the prognostic role of body mass index (BMI) and survival from head and neck cancer (HNC). We performed a pooled analysis of studies included in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium in order to investigate the prognostic role of BMI and survival from HNC. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for overall survival and HNC-specific survival, by cancer site. The study included 10,177 patients from 10 studies worldwide. Underweight patients had lower overall survival (HR = 1.69, 95%CI: 1.31–2.19) respect to those having normal weight with consistent results across the HNC sites. Overweight and obese patients with oropharyngeal cancers had a favourable HNC-specific survival (HR = 0.50 (95%CI: 0.33–0.75) and HR = 0.51 (95%CI: 0.36–0.72), respectively). Among ever smokers overweight and obese patients showed a favourable HNC-specific survival (HR = 0.69 (95%CI: 0.56–0.86) and HR = 0.70 (95%CI: 0.61–0.80)). Our findings show that high BMI values at cancer diagnosis predict the survival rates in smoking patients with HNC. This association may be explained by residual confounding, reverse causation, and collider stratification bias, but may also suggest that a nutritional reserve may help patients survive HNC cancer.
Decision-making pathways for contraceptive use among refugee and host populations in Adjumani district, Uganda.
Authors: Achola Roselline , Orach Christopher Garimoi , Nabiwemba Elizabeth , Atuyambe Lynn M.
Published: April 2023

Introduction
Contraceptive use is known to have a positive impact on maternal and child health outcomes, but it is still low especially in low-income countries. Contraceptive use is even lower among people in humanitarian situations. This study explored the decision-making processes towards use or non-use of contraceptives by people in humanitarian situations to inform program design for uptake.
Methods
A qualitative exploratory study was conducted among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) living in any of the three refugee settlements of Pagirinya, Nyumanzi, and Mirieyi and the surrounding host communities in Adjumani district, Uganda. Data were collected using 49 in-depth interviews (IDIs), 11 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs,) and 20 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Inductive thematic analysis was done with the aid of Atlas ti. Version 14.
Results
This study found that the decision-making processes entailed linear and nonlinear internalized cognitive and contextual processes involving four dynamic pathways. While following the linear pathway, participants reported starting with 1) idea inception, then followed through to 2) cognitive processing, 3) consultation, and 4) decision-making to either use or not use contraception. Complex linear pathway happened when participants did not go through consultation but straight to decision making. However, participants who followed non-linear pathway continuously went back to cognitive processing. Some women after consultation, or those already using and those not using contraceptives, decided to go back to cognitive processing to reconsider their current positions. This study found that some women who started off not using contraceptives ended up using, while some who started off using contraception ended up dropping out. There were also events that defied established pathway where women were forced to get off contraception by their spouses.
Conclusions
This study showed dynamic decision-making processes involving both internal and external environments as triggers to decision-making for contraceptive use. Interventions to increase contraceptive use should target both users and significant others who influence the decision for use particularly among refugees.
MEMS-scanning-based image projection simulation
Authors: Bainschab Markus , Baumgart Marcus , Travnik Aleš , Holzmann Dominik , Piot Adrien , Lagosh Anton , Pribošek Jaka
Published: April 2023

The absence of simulation tools to predict image quality significantly complicates the hardware and software development of MEMS scanning-based projection systems. In this work, we present a mathematical and simulational framework to accurately predict the quality of images projected by MEMS-based point-scanning projection systems. The described framework is applied to visualize different kinds of distortions limiting the image quality of scanning-based projection systems. The simulation of beam propagation through the system enables entirely correcting all distortions in the projected image. Finally, simulation results are compared to images projected using a custom-made MEMS scanning-based projection system. The presented results demonstrate the potential of adequate simulation tools for system hardware and software optimization. The presented simulation framework can lay the foundation for systematic studies of scanning-based image formation and the optimization of perceived image quality.
Ultrafast and high-throughput immunoassay test of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in dogs
Authors: Gonçalves Ana Carolina Aparecida , Conzentino Marcelo , Barbosa Altina Bruna Souza , Doline Fernando Rodrigo , Nilsson Mariana Guimarães , Silva Aristeu Vieira , Kmetiuk Louise Bach , Biondo Alexander Welker , Huergo Luciano Fernandes
Published: April 2023

As SARS-CoV-2 has reportedly infected companion, livestock and wildlife species, animals may play a role as virus reservoirs and reverse zoonosis may become a significant risk. Since these host species may serve as ground for new variants, SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in animal species should be considered as crucial for pandemics prevention. Accordingly, the present study has aimed to validate a high-throughput ultrafast magnetic bead immunoassay to detect anti- SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in dog serum samples. The assay was validated using serum from eleven positive dogs to SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR and 160 pre-pandemic samples, reaching 72.7% to 81.8% sensitivity and 97.5 to 98.1% specificity. Thus, this novel assay has shown adequate performance of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detection and may be used for surveillance and research purposes.
Psycho-pharmacomicrobiomics: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Minichino Amedeo , Person Tabitha , Fanshawe Jack , Fusar-Poli Paolo , McGuire Philip , Burnet Philip , Lennox Belinda
Published: April 2023

Understanding the bi-directional interplay between the gut microbiome and the effects of psychotropics medications (“psycho-pharmacomicrobiomics”) could lead to improved treatment stratification and personalised interventions strategies in psychiatry. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we explored first, whether psychotropic medications modify the gut microbiome, and second, if the gut microbiome affects the efficacy and tolerability of psychotropic drugs.
Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched from inception to November 2022 for longitudinal and cross-sectional studies investigating the effect of psychotropic medications (namely antipsychotic, antidepressants, and mood stabilisers) on the gut microbiome. The primary outcome was the difference in diversity metrics (alpha and beta) before and after treatment with psychotropics (longitudinal studies), and in medicated compared to unmedicated individuals (cross-sectional studies). Secondary outcomes included the association between gut microbiome features (at baseline and changes after treatment) with efficacy and tolerability outcomes. Random effect meta-analyses were conducted on alpha diversity metrics, while beta diversity metrics were pooled using distance data extracted from graphs. Summary statistics included SMD, 95% CI, and Higgins I2 for alpha diversity metrics, F and R values for beta diversity metrics.
Nineteen studies were included in our synthesis; twelve investigated antipsychotics and seven antidepressants. Results showed significant changes in alpha (SMD: 0.12; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.23; P=0.04; I2: 14%) and beta (F=15.59; R2:0.05; P<0.001) diversity metrics following treatment with antipsychotics and antidepressants, respectively. Altered gut microbiome composition at baseline was associated with tolerability and efficacy outcomes across studies, including response to antidepressants (alpha diversity; SMD: 2.45; 95%CI: 0.50 – 4.40; P<0.001, I2: 0%). Females, but not males, patients treated with antipsychotics showed reduced alpha diversity compared to untreated controls (SMD: -0.68; 95% CI: -1.31 to -0.04; P=0.04; I2: 37.61%).
These findings suggest that: 1. Treatment with psychotropic medications are associated with altered gut microbiome composition; 2. The gut microbiome may influence the efficacy and tolerability of these medications. Further studies using translational approaches to clarify mechanisms and direction of causality are indicated.
A nomogram for predicting lymph node metastasis in early gastric signet ring cell carcinoma
Authors: You Hongwei , Chen Shengsen , Wang Shi
Published: April 2023

Background: At present, the risk factors of lymph node metastasis in early gastric signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) are not clear. The lymph node metastasis (LNM) rate and prognosis of early gastric SRCC are better than those of other undifferentiated cancers. With the development of endoscopic technology, the five-year survival rate of endoscopic treatment of early gastric cancer is similar to that of traditional surgery, and its quality of life is better than that of traditional surgery. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a nomogram that can predict the SRCC, hoping to help clinicians choose the best treatment strategy.
Methods: The data of 183 patients with early gastric SRCC who underwent radical gastrectomy with lymph node dissection in our hospital from January 2014 to June 2022 were retrospectively collected to establish a research cohort. The least absolute selection and shrinkage operator (Lasso) and multivariate regression analysis were used to identify the predictors of early gastric SRCC lymph node metastasis in the study cohort, and Nomogram was established. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and decision curve were used to evaluate the discrimination, accuracy and clinical practicability of the nomogram.
Results: The overall incidence of lymph node metastasis was 21.9% (40/183). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that tumor size and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis. Lasso regression analysis showed that tumor size, depth of invasion, LV, E-cad, dMMR, CA242, NLR and macroscopic type were related to LNM. The basic model 1, which included tumor size and LVI, had an area under curve(AUC) of 0.741 for predicting LNM. The addition of depth of invasion to model 1 resulted in significant improvements in AUC (P=0.023) and net reclassification index (NRI) (P < 0.001).The inclusion of dMMR and CA242 also improved NRI (P < 0.001). When type_1 was included, the AUC (P=0.017), Integrated discrimination Improvement (IDI) (P=0.003) and NRI (P=0.032) of the model were significantly improved. Therefore, we finally included tumor size, LVI, depth of invasion, dMMR, CA242 and macroscopic type to establish the nomogram, which showed good discrimination (AUC=0.823, 95%CI: 0.757-0.889) and calibration. Decision curve analysis showed that the nomogram had good clinical performance.
Conclusion: We developed a risk prediction model for lymph node status in early gastric signet ring cell carcinoma, which can be used for patient consultation and treatment decision-making.
Reliability of bioimpedance in the assessment of visceral fat in patients with obesity and metablic syndrome treated with liraglutide for 6 months
Authors: RODRIGUES CARLOS , freitas Frederico carioca
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND Metabolic syndrome (MS) and obesity represent a public health problem worldwide and are associated with increased risk of type-II diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Bioimpedance analysis is a practical and effective way of evaluating body composition, especially with regard to abdominal fat. Liraglutide, the first GLP-1 analog approved for treatment of obesity, reduces body weight and improves cardiometabolic parameters.METHODS Prospective study on 103 adult obese patients with MS followed for 6 months. The treatment group (n = 57) received liraglutide at 3 mg/day, while the control group (n = 43) received sibutramine at 15 mg/day. All patients were submitted to bioimpedance analysis, physical examination and lab testing at baseline and at 6 months.RESULTS A greater reduction was observed in the treatment group with regard to fat mass (-10.5 [-14.3; -7.7] vs -7.65 [-10.5; -5.3], p = 0.001) and abdominal circumference (AC) (-13 [-16; -9] vs -6 [-9; -4], p < 0.001). In the bioimpedance analysis, liraglutide was associated with a greater reduction in the fat mass of both arms and the trunk (p < 0.05). AC and truncal fat mass were strongly correlated (rho = 0.531, p < 0.001) in the treatment group.CONCLUSION Treatment with liraglutide at 3 mg/day for 6 months efficiently promoted weight loss and improved bioimpedance, cardiometabolic and inflammatory parameters in obese MS patients. Bioimpedance analysis was found to be a practical and reliable way of quantifying loss of visceral fat in this patient population.
Circulating platelets and malaria severity: Two sides of the same coin among inhabitants of a Tropical Savannah region, Nigeria
Authors: Shittu Olalere , Oniya Mobolanle Oladipo , Olusi Titus Adeniyi
Published: April 2023

Changes in circulating platelets during different grades of malaria is of major concerns and its etiology is poorly understood. We appraised and evaluated the role of circulating platelets in the determination of severity of malaria among a cohort of outpatients living in Ilorin, Nigeria. A hospital-based cross sectional cohort of outpatients visiting public health facilities within the locality voluntarily enrolled for this study. Blood samples from 1,162 malaise patients were screened using routine protocols for Plasmodium parasite species identification, clinical conditions and circulating platelet levels. Seven hundred and seventy five individuals (775, 66.7%, p < 0.001) were malaria-positive. Samples from 387 (33.3%) uninfected healthy individuals were used as controls. Individuals with uncomplicated malaria (UCM) and complicated malaria (CM) across age-group was notable (p < 0.05). Children ≤ 5yrs had the highest number of individuals with CM (103, 45.2%) with relative risk ratio of 4.005 (95% CI: 2.964–5.413). UCM (471, 40.5%) occurred more than CM (304, 26.2%) (p > 0.05) across the groups. The geometric mean, 95% CI, median and IQR of populations with malaria thrombocytopenia were higher (181, 110.94 ± 2.207, 106.59–115.30, 118.00, and 39.00) than thrombocytosis (78, 624.64 ± 13.131, 598.49-650.79, 623.00 and 208). Seemingly, health controls recorded insignificant morbidity with respect to platelet counts. High P. falciparum parasitaemia count is reflective of platelet clump and the manifestation of several malaria pathogenesis. It is expedient to administer antipyretics as a premedication during febrile presentation.
Comprehensive management analysis of 75 deceased donors maintained in ICU: a single center experience
Authors: YAO Zhiyuan , LIU Yu , ZHAN Liying , QIU Tao , LI Guang , CHEN Zhongbao , FANG Xiaoyu , LIU Zhou , WU Wei , LIAO Zhaomin , XIA Wenfang
Published: April 2023

Objective To summarize and analyze the integrated management program of 75 deceased donors maintained in ICU of our hospital, so as to promote the development of organ transplantation.
Methods The data deceased donors maintained in ICU of our hospital from June 2020 to January 2022 were collected. The basic data, laboratory examination results, disease distribution and maintenance measures were retrospectively studied.
Results 75 patients were included, with a sex ratio (M/F) of 90.67% vs 9.33%, a median age of 55, a median ICU length of 4 days. Donors with higher APACHE II scores tended to enter the donation process faster (P=0.001). The primary disease of donors was mainly cerebral hemorrhage (53, 70.67%). 53 pathogens were detected in 58 patients (infection rate: 77.33%), mainly bacteria (42, 79.25%, Gram-negative mainly), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli were the most detected. 96.00% (72/75) donors successfully completed donation, mainly donation after cardiac death (65, 86.67%). 229 large organs and tissues were obtained from 72 donors, with an acquisition ratio of 1:3.14. The acquisition ratio of donors of different ages was statistically different (P<0.001). The overall organ utilization rate was 96.51% (221/229), and the kidney utilization rate in our hospital was 95.14% (137/144).
Conclusion ICU plays an irreplaceable role in organ transplantation. ICU staffs familiarize the integrated management program of deceased donors, which is helpful to promote the development of organ transplantation.
Association between calling and meaning in life among nursing students:the mediation effect of moral identity
Authors: Wang Xiaoxuan , Zhang Zhenxiang , Jiang Hu , Zhao Zhixin , Mei Yongxia , Wang Wenna , Lin Beilei , Chen Suyan
Published: April 2023

Background: Improving meaning in life is beneficial for nursing students to provide better service for patients in the future. As a result, it is important to explore factors affecting meaning in life in nursing students.
Objective: To investigate the mediating role of moral identity in the relationship between calling and meaning in life in nursing students.
Design: This study was a cross-sectional design.
Methods: A total of 10756 nursing students were recruited from November16 to January 17, 2023. The General Demographic Information Questionnaire, the Chinese Calling scale (CCS), the Moral Identity Measure (MIM), and the China Meaning Life Questionnaire (C-MLQ）were used to assess their socio-demographics, calling, moral identity, and meaning in life. Correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between the three variables. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct mediation analysis. The study was compliant with the STROBE checklist.
Results: The valid questionnaires were 10583 (effective response rate: 98.39%). Most of the participants were female(85.47%),unmarried(98.74%) and rural students(79.09%). High moral identity and high calling were associated with better meaning in life (all P<0.05). Moral identity mediated the relationship between calling and meaning in life. The mediating effect was 65.14% of the total effect(0.454/0.697).
Conclusion: This study contributes to a broader understanding of the factors that influence nursing students' meaning in life. Calling may influence meaning in life, partly through moral identity. Educators can consider enhancing nursing students' meaning in life by increasing their moral identity and calling.
An Infinitary Model of Diagrammatic Calculus in Unbiased Monoidal Categories
Authors: Dheer Vihaan
Published: April 2023

Properties of morphisms represented by so-called `string diagrams' of monoidal categories (and their braided and symmetric derivatives), mainly their resistance in value to isotopic deformation, have made the usage of graphical calculi commonplace in category theory ever since the correspondence between diagrams and tensor categories was rigorously established by Joyal and Street in 1991. However, we find it important to make certain additions to the existing theory of monoidal categories and their diagrams, with the goal of extending to so-called `infinitary monoidal categories'. Most crucially, we employ a structure inherently resistant to isotopic deformation, thus replacing topological details with categorical ones. In the process, we coherently introduce infinitary tensor product and transfinite composition into the diagrammatic formalism.
A cross-sectional study of imported malaria infections in Zanzibar
Authors: Fakih Bakar S. , Holzschuh Aurel , Ross Amanda , Stuck Logan , Abdul Ramadhan , Al-Mafazy Abdul-Wahid H. , Irema Imani , Mbena Abdallah , Thawer Sumaiyya G. , Shija Shija J. , Aliy Safia M. , Ali Abdullah , Fink Günther , Yukich Joshua , Hetzel Manuel W.
Published: April 2023

Background Zanzibar has made substantial progress in malaria control with the scaling-up of vector control, improved diagnosis, and artemisinin-based combination therapy. Parasite prevalence in the population has remained around 1% but imported infections from mainland Tanzania contribute to sustained local transmission. Understanding travel patterns between mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar and the risk of malaria infection may help to control the importation of infections to Zanzibar.Methods A rolling cross-sectional survey linked to routine reactive case detection of malaria was carried out in Zanzibar between May 2017 and October 2018. Households of patients diagnosed with malaria at health facilities (‘index cases’) were surveyed and household members were tested for malaria using rapid diagnostic tests and a sub-sample by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Interviews elicited a detailed travel history of all household members who had travelled within the past two months, including trips within and outside of Zanzibar. We estimated the association of malaria infection with travel destinations in pre-defined malaria endemicity categories, trip duration, and other co-variates.Results Of 17,891 survey participants, 1,177 (7%) reported a recent trip, of which 769 (65%) visited mainland Tanzania. Among travellers to mainland Tanzania with travel destination details and a qPCR result available, 64% (241/378) reported traveling to districts with a ‘high’ malaria endemicity and for 12% the highest endemicity category was ‘moderate’. Travelers to the mainland were more likely to be infected with malaria parasites (29%, 108/378) than those traveling within Zanzibar (8%, 16/206) or to other countries (6%, 2/17). Among travellers to mainland Tanzania, those visiting highly endemic districts had a higher odds of being qPCR-positive than those who travelled only to districts where malaria-endemicity was classified as low or very low (aOR = 7.0, 95% CI 1.9–25.5). Among travellers to the mainland, 110/378 (29%) never or only sometimes used a mosquito net during their travel.Conclusions Measures to reduce malaria importation to Zanzibar may benefit from identifying population groups traveling to highly endemic areas in mainland Tanzania. Targeted interventions to prevent and clear infections in these groups may be more feasible than screening and treating of all travellers at the port of entry.
Comparing Methods for Drug-Gene Interaction Prediction on the Biomedical Literature Knowledge Graph: Performance vs. Explainability
Authors: Aisopos Fotis , Paliouras Georgios
Published: April 2023

This paper applies different link prediction methods on a knowledge graphgenerated from biomedical literature, with the aim to compare their ability toidentify unknown drug-gene interactions and explain their predictions. Identifyingnovel drug-target interactions is a crucial step in drug discovery and repurposing.One approach to this problem is to predict missing links between drug and genenodes, in a graph that contains relevant biomedical knowledge. Such a knowledgegraph can be extracted from biomedical literature, using text mining tools. In thiswork, we compare state-of-the-art graph embedding approaches and contextualpath analysis on the interaction prediction task. The comparison reveals atrade-off between predictive accuracy and explainability of predictions. Focusingon explainability, we train a decision tree on model predictions and show how itcan aid the understanding of the prediction process. We further test the methodson a drug repurposing task and validate the predicted interactions againstexternal databases, with very encouraging results.