bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Preoperative Aspartate Aminotransferase-to-Platelet Ratio Index in Predicting Complications Following Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: McLellan Maddison , Donnelly Megan , Callan Kylie , Lung Bradon , Liu Steve , Giovanni Ryan Di , McMaster William , Stitzlein Russell , Yang Steven
Published: August 2023

Background
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between preoperative aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and postoperative complications following total hip arthroplasty (THA).
Methods
All THA for osteoarthritis patients from 2007 to 2020 within the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database were included in this study. Subjects were subsequently divided into cohorts based on APRI. Four groups, including normal range, some liver damage, significant fibrosis, and cirrhosis groups, were created. Comparisons between groups were made for demographics, past medical history, and rate of major and minor complications. Other outcomes included readmission, reoperation, discharge destination, mortality, periprosthetic fracture, and postoperative hip dislocation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the role of preoperative APRI in predicting adverse outcomes. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results
In total, 104,633 primary THA patients were included in this study. Of these, 103,678 (99.1%) were in the normal APRI group, 444 (0.4%) had some liver damage, 256 (0.2%) had significant fibrosis, and 253 (0.2%) had cirrhosis. When controlling for demographics and relevant past medical history, the abnormal APRI groups had a significantly higher likelihood of major complication, minor complication, intraoperative or postoperative bleeding requiring transfusion, readmission, and non-home discharge (all p < 0.05) compared to normal APRI individuals.
Conclusions
Abnormal preoperative APRI is linked with an increasing number of adverse outcomes following THA for osteoarthritis for patients across the United States.
Level of Evidence:
Level I
Facial three-dimensional surface imaging: reliability and validity of handheld structured light scanners and a static stereophotogrammetry system
Authors: Schipper J.A.M. , Merema B.J. , Hollander M.H.J. , Spijkervet F.K.L. , Dijkstra P.U. , Jansma J. , Schepers R. H. , Kraeima J.
Published: August 2023

Introduction
Several new systems of three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging of the face have become available to assess changes following orthognathic or facial surgery. Before they can be implemented into practice their reliability and validity must be established. Our aim was therefore to study 3dMD (stereophotogrammetry), Artec Eva and Artec Space Spider (both structured light scanners) regarding intra- and inter-system reliability and validity.
Material and Methods
Intra- and inter-system reliability expressed in root mean square (RMS) distance was determined by scanning multiple times a mannequin’s head and faces of healthy volunteers. Validity was determined by comparing linear measurements of scans with known distances of a 3D printed model. Post-processing errors were calculated.
Results
Intra-system reliability of mannequin’s head was best for the Artec Space Spider (0.04 mm Spider; 0.07 mm 3dMD; 0.08 mm Eva;). Inter-system reliability of the mannequin’s head showed least differences between Artec Space Spider and Artec Eva. Intra-system reliability of human subjects was best for the Artec Space Spider (0.15 mm Spider; 0.20 mm Eva; 0.23 mm 3dMD). Inter-system reliability of human subjects showed least differences between Artec Eva and Artec Space Spider. Validity of linear measurements was most accurate in the Artec Space Spider. Post-processing error was 0.01mm for all systems.
Conclusion
The Artec Space Spider was the most reliable and valid scanning system.
Continuous adductor canal block reduces opioid consumption, hospital length of stay, and non-home discharge disposition following total knee arthroplasty compared to epidural anesthesia
Authors: Freedman Isaac G. , Mercier Michael R. , Galivanche Anoop R. , Sandhu Mani Ratnesh S , Hocevar Mark , Moore Harold G. , Grauer Jonathan N. , Rubin Lee E. , Li Jinlei
Published: August 2023

Aims
To compare the efficacy of a postoperative continuous adductor canal block (cACB) with and without a steroid adjuvant to that of epidural analgesia (EA).
Methods
All patients who underwent inpatient, primary total TKA at a single institution between July 2011 and November 2017 were included for retrospective cohort analysis. TKA patients were stratified into one of three analgesia approaches based on the time period of their date of surgery: EA, cACB without steroid adjuvant, and cACB with steroid adjuvant. Hospital length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, incidence of postoperative adverse events, and total milligram morphine equivalents (MME) requirements were compared between analgesia approaches. Recursive feature elimination (RFE)-optimized multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the independent effect of analgesia approach on prolonged LOS greater than 3 days (pLOS), non-home discharge, and total and daily MME requirements (tMME and dMME) following TKA.
Results
Of 4,345 patients undergoing TKA, 1,556 (35.83%) received EA, 2,087 (48.03%) received cACB without steroids, and 702 (16.13%) cACB with steroids. On univariate analysis, cACB patients experienced lower rates of pLOS (without steroids: 8.53%; with steroids: 8.40%; EA: 12.66%; p < 0.001), higher rates of discharge to home than EA patients (without steroids: 64.40%; with steroids: 75.07%; EA: 46.14%; p < 0.001), and lower tMME and dMME (without steroids: 318.8 tMME and 89.3 dMME; with steroids: 323.8 tMME and 103.0 dMME; EA: 625.0 tMME and 163.3 dMME; p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, cACB groups were at a significantly lower odds of experiencing a pLOS compared to EA patients without steroids (OR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.49–0.84; p < 0.001; with steroids: OR = 0.54; 95% CI 0.38–0.76; p < 0.001). cACB groups had significantly lower odds of a non-home discharge when compared to EA patients (without steroids OR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.36–0.48; with steroids: OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.18–0.27). On multivariable analysis, cACB groups required significantly less tMME compared to the EA group (without steroids β=-290 MME; 95% CI: -313 to -268 MME; with steroids: β=-261 MME; 95% CI: -289 to -233 MME) as well as significantly lower dMME (without steroids: β=-66 MME/day; 95% CI -72 to -60 MME/day; p < 0.001; with steroids: β=-48 MME/day; 95% CI -55 to -40 MME/day; p < 0.001).
Conclusion
The current study is the first to simultaneously evaluate the efficacy of EA, cACB without perineural steroids, and cACB with steroids as local anesthetic adjuvants. These findings suggest cACB is significantly associated with greater discharge to home rates, lower rates of pLOS, and lower tMME and dMME consumption.
Level of Evidence:
Level III
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to clinical practice guidelines and expert consensus statements and relevant reporting specifications among medical journal editors in China：a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Li Yule , Chen Yaolong , Li Na , Liu Yang , Sun Jing , Zhou Qi , Qian Feng
Published: August 2023

Background
Previous research has shown that the quality of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and expert consensus statements in China is suboptimal and uneven. However, little is known about the knowledge, attitudes, and practices(KAP)of medical journal editors related to CPGs and expert consensus statements and relevant reporting specifications. This study was intended to Investigate the KAP of medical journal editors, to identify the existing problems, and to explore possible solutions.
Methods
An observational study, using a cross-sectional survey, was distributed to medical journal editors in China, during April–July 2022. The study was collected using a self-designed questionnaire about the KAP of medical journal editors related to CPGs and expert consensus statements and relevant reporting specifications. The details about the participants as well as characteristics, knowledge, experiences, and attitudes were recorded. Descriptive statistics were used as appropriate.
Results
A total of 362 participants completed the survey. The majority (71.5%) had high educational attainment. The level of KAP related to the report contents of CPGs and expert consensus statements among the participants was low and limited. Of all the participants, 59.4% responded they were strongly unfamiliar with the RIGHT statement, 49.5% responded they were strongly unfamiliar with AGREE Ⅱ. There was no significant difference between different gender, age, professional title and position (all p ＞0.05). Similarly, there was no significant difference in the cognition of editors from different editorial departments and sponsors (all p ＞0.05). Medical journal editors thought that the main influencing factors of the reporting quality of CPGs and expert consensus statements were developing quality (90.6%), writing quality (85.9%), editing quality (75.4%) and reviewing quality (57.4%).
Conclusions
The KAP of medical journal editors related to CPGs and expert consensus statements and relevant reporting specifications in China are limited, low, and unsatisfactory, respectively at present. Factors influencing the reporting quality of CPGs and expert consensus statements were identified in the study. These findings help to develop strategies to improve the reporting quality of CPGs and expert consensus statements, and also provide evidence for the training of medical journal editors in the future.
Invasive alien plant species and their effect on the occurrence of mammal species in Shuklaphanta National Park, Nepal
Authors: Chand Chandra , Sharma Hari
Published: August 2023

The introduction and colonization of invasive alien plant species (IAPS) is one of the major threats to the conservation of native flora and fauna. These species are noticed within several protected areas, including lowlands of Nepal, causing adverse effects on both the species and ecosystem services. The effects of IAPS on threatened mammalian species, especially with regards to their occurrences, remains little known. We identified the effects of IAPS on the occurrence of threatened mammalian species at Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP), Nepal from 11 November 2020 to 11 June 2021. We categorized ShNP into IAPS invaded and non-invaded habitat. We recorded the occurrence of threatened mammal species from 210 plots of 10 m X 10 m along the line transect. Altogether, we recorded 11 invasive alien plant species. Among them blue billygoat weed (Ageratum houstonianum) had the highest abundance in the study area. We recorded 25 mammal species in the study area, whereas 11 were threatened. Among the threatened species, 10 were found in the habitats invaded by IAPS, while all 11 were identified in non-invaded habitats. We found the higher occurrence of threatened mammal species closer to the forest where the abundance of IAPS was observed to decrease. In addition, we observed the occurrence of mammal species increased as the distance from the water source, road, human settlement, and agricultural land increased, indicating that the abundance of IAPS also decreased with increasing distance to water source, road, human settlement and agricultural land. Our findings suggest that the threatened mammal species tend to utilize the non-invaded habitat of IAPS over the invaded habitats. For developing a more suitable habitat for threatened mammal species, we recommend the removal or control of IAPS from ShNP.
RF Fingerprint Extraction and Device Recognition Algorithm Based on Multi-Scale Fractal Features and APWOA-LSSVM
Authors: Feng Wenjiang , Li Yuan , Wu Chongchong , Zhang Juntao
Published: August 2023

RF fingerprints can be used for device identification and network access authentication. An RF fingerprint extraction and device identification algorithm based on multi-scale fractal features and APWOA-LSSVM is proposed. First, a Hilbert transform is performed on the original RF signal, and differential operations are performed on the I/Q signal. Then, the variational modal decomposition is performed on the differentially processed I/Q signals separately to obtain a number of band-limited Intrinsic Modal Function (IMF) components. The fractal box dimension of each IMF component is calculated separately as the first dimensional RF fingerprint. The multi-fractal spectrum of the original RF signal is further computed by Multi-fractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) as the second dimensional RF fingerprint. The RF fingerprint feature vector consists of a combination of the first and second dimensional RF fingerprints and is used to train the LSSVM model. Since the penalty factor and kernel parameter width directly affect the recognition accuracy and generalization ability of the LSSVM model, APWOA is used to optimize the hyperparameters of the LSSVM model. Finally, the LSSVM model is constructed using the optimal hyperparameters and the performance of the model is verified on a test dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed model achieves an average recognition accuracy of 99.13% for 16 Bluetooth devices. Multi-scale fractal features consisting of fractal box dimensions and multiple fractal dimensions are more beneficial in the recognition of wireless devices as compared to single features. In addition, the proposed model possesses superior recognition capabilities when compared to classical machine learning algorithms.
Effects of fixed-dose mitiglinide/voglibose combination on vascular endothelial function and glycemic variability in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tanaka Kenichi , Okada Yosuke , Umezu Saeko , Hashimoto Ryoma , Tomoyose Yukiko , Tateyama Rina , Hori Yuri , Saito Momo , Tokutsu Akemi , Sonoda Satomi , Uemura Fumi , Kurozumi Akira , Tanaka Yoshiya
Published: August 2023

This multicenter, open-label, randomized, crossover study compared the effects of fixed-dose mitiglinide/voglibose combination tablet with glimepiride on vascular endothelial function and glycemic variability in 30 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients received either mitiglinide/voglibose (three times daily administration of 10 mg mitiglinide and 0.2 mg voglibose) or glimepiride (once-daily 2 mg) in random order, for 5 days (n = 15/group). Reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) were measured as co-primary endpoints using reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry and continuous glucose monitoring. Although no significant difference was observed in RHI, MAGE was significantly lower in the mitiglinide/voglibose group (47.6 ± 18.5 mg/dL) than in the glimepiride group (100.6 ± 32.2 mg/dL). Compared to glimepiride, the use of mitiglinide/voglibose was associated with lower standard deviation of mean glucose, coefficient of variation and mean postprandial glucose excursion. Time below range (< 70 mg/dL) and time above range (> 180, > 200, and 250 mg/dL) were lower in the mitiglinide/voglibose group, while time in range (70–180 mg/dL) was higher. Although not impacting vascular endothelial function, mitiglinide/voglibose demonstrated potential benefits in reducing glycemic variability, postprandial hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Correlations of plasma angiopoietin-like 7, fetuin-A levels with coronary heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Xue Yashuang , Tian Meimei , Li Min , Jiang Xinli , Cao Jinchao , Zhou Yaru , Liu Yan , Ma huijie
Published: August 2023

Background: The prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is higher in patients with type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM), however, relative parameters for evaluating T2DM patients with CHD are quite limited. Circulating angiopoietin-like 7（Angptl7）, fetuin-A（Fet-A） levels have all been found correlated with CHD and T2DM. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the correlations of plasma Angptl7 and Fet-A levels with the CHD in patients with T2DM.
Methods: T2DM patients were recruited and divided into diabetes without CHD group (T2DM, n=48) and diabetes with CHD group (T2DM+CHD, n=51) according to the history of CHD. Baseline data were collected. Plasma levels of Angptl7 and Fet-A were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.
Results: Compared with that in T2DM patients, plasma Angptl7 levels in patients with T2DM+CHD were significantly increased，while the Fet-A levels and vitamin D levels were significantly decreased (P all<0.05). . Age, plasma level of Angptl7 and Fet-A were influence factors of occurrence of CHD in T2DM patients. Angptl7 and Fet-A possessed diagnostic value for T2DM patients with CHD, and the value was even higher when these two factors combined .
Conclusions: Increased plasma Angptl7 and decreased plasma Fet-A levels are all linked with CHD in T2DM. The combination of Fet-A and Angptl7 possess better diagnostic value for CHD. Therefore, plasma Angptl7 and Fet-A might be promising for diagnosis of CHD in T2DM.
Various frameworks for integrating image and video streams for spatiotemporal information learning employing 2D-3D Residual networks for human action recognition
Authors: Yosry Shaimaa , elrefaei Lamiaa , Ziedan rania
Published: August 2023

Human action recognition has been identified as an important research topic in computer vision because it is an essential form of communication and interplay between computers and humans. To assist computers in automatically recognizing human behaviors and accurately comprehending human intentions. Inspired by some keyframe extraction and multifeatured fusion research, this paper improved the accuracy of action recognition by utilizing keyframe features and fusing them with video features. In this article, we suggest a novel multi-stream approach architecture made up of two distinct models fused using different fusion techniques. The first model combines convolutional neural networks in two dimensions (2D-CNN) with Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks to glean long-term spatial and temporal features from video keyframe images for human action recognition. The second model is a 3-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) that gathers quick spatial-temporal features from video clips. Next, we use Early and Late Fusion techniques for the two different models to recognize human action from video. The HMDB-51 and UCF-101 datasets, two important action recognition benchmarks, were used to test our method. When applied to the HMDB-51 dataset and the UCF-101 dataset, the Early-Fusion (EF) strategy had an accuracy of 70.2% and 95.5%, respectively, while the Late-Fusion (LF) strategy had an accuracy of 77.2% and 97.5%, respectively.
Fabrication and properties of LaF3 reinforced porous HA/Ti scaffolds
Authors: Fan Xingping
Published: August 2023

To improve the performance of porous hydroxyapatite/Titanium (HA/Ti) composites, LaF3 reinforced porous HA/Ti scaffolds with a porosity of approximately 60% were prepared via a powder metallurgical method using NH4HCO3 as the pore-forming agent. The scaffolds induced HA formation and showed high bioactivity, and the compressive strength could be regulated by changing the LaF3 dosage. When the LaF3 dosage was 0.3%, the compressive strength of the porous scaffold was 65 MPa. And LaF3 reinforced porous HA/Ti scaffolds can further induce the deposition of calcium phosphate after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 7 days,which indicating the corresponding scaffold was an ideal choice for spongy bone repair.
The Association Between Caffeine Intake And Glycemic Control Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Al-Smadi Fatima , Alakour Nemeh , Khader Yousef
Published: August 2023

AIM: The present study aimed to examine the association between caffeine intake and glycemic control as measured by HbA1c levels among adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study of eligible 96 adolescents aged between 13 to 18 years old with type 1 diabetes mellitus from three governmental hospitals and one university hospital in Jordan. Descriptive analysis was done to describe sample characteristics as well as using correlation to find the relationship between caffeine intake and glycemic control.
RESULTS: The mean age of adolescents was 14.7 years old. 95.8% used the subcutaneous insulin injection method and only 4.2% used an insulin pump. 84.4% of adolescents were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus for more than one year. The mean HbA1c level was 9.3%. Study results showed that the mean daily caffeine intake was 286.7 mg which was associated with glycemic control as measured by HbA1c level.
CONCLUSION: Modifying the amount of daily caffeine intake may be a proper target to get better glycemic control, especially among adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
A new ionic cross-linking network type high hysteresis oil resistant ACM/POM TPV preparation method and performance research
Authors: Huang Xin , Gong Weiying , Deng Tao
Published: August 2023

In the article, the concept of ionic cross-linking was introduced into the preparation of TPV for the first time, and the dynamic full vulcanization technique was adopted to prepare acrylate rubber (ACM)/polyoxymethylene formaldehyde (POM) thermoplastic vulcanizates using Ca(OH)2 as cross-linking agent, and ACM/POM TPVs completely different from the traditional covalent bonding vulcanization system were obtained. The physical and mechanical properties, aging resistance, dynamic mechanical properties, micromorphology, and energy loss of the composites under covalent crosslinking networks and ion cross-inking networks with different degrees of crosslinking were systematically studied. The results showed that Ca2+ could form metal ion binding with the -COOH of ACM, attracting each other to form ion clusters and playing a crosslinking role for ACM. Compared with the traditional covalent bond system, the TPV under the ionic bond system can be increased by a maximum of 31%, and the elongation can be increased by 14.5% under the 100% shape variable.
After stretching, the system shows higher permanent deformation, a higher energy storage modulus, and a higher loss modulus in the range of 95~140 °C, showing higher hysteresis. With the increase in Ca(OH)2 dosage, the crosslinking density of ACM increases gradually and decreases at 8 phr. The increase in dispersed phase modulus increases the phase domain of dispersed phase, weakens the binding with matrix, weakens the tensile strength, increases the intrusion of hot oxygen and hot oil, increases the energy storage modulus, and decreases the loss modulus.
Alleviation of apple replant disease in sandy soils by clay amendments increasing plant available silicon
Authors: Schimmel Jessica , Gentsch Norman , Boy Jens , Uteau Daniel , Rohr Annmarie-Deetja , Winkelmann Traud , Busnena Belnaser , Liu Benye , Krueger Jiem , Kaufhold Stephan , Rammlmair Dieter , Dultz Stefan , Maurischat Philipp , Beerhues Ludger , Guggenberger Georg
Published: August 2023

Aims
The production of apple fruits in orchards or plants in tree nurseries is negatively affected by apple replant disease (ARD), worldwide. Our objective was to develop a method to counteract ARD without applying chemical soil disinfection. We tested if (i) an addition of clays with high release of plant available silicon reduces ARD symptoms and (ii) a biochemical effect of silicon on the plant defense reaction occurs.
Methods
In a greenhouse experiment, apple rootstocks ‘M26’ were grown for 8 weeks in a sandy replant soil, a heat disinfected control and a grassland soil with and without amendment by bentonite and the clay blend Florisol®TM Profi (6 and 18%). The micromorphology of silica bodies (phytoliths) in roots and the phytoalexin concentration as a measure of the defense reaction of roots were analysed. In a second approach, the gene expression of ARD biomarkers involved in phytoalexin biosynthesis was determined after two weeks.
Results
Normalised gene expression was significantly higher for the ARD soil with clay amendments compared to the ARD variant whereas phytoalexin concentrations were similar. Significantly lower phytoalexin levels were found in the heat disinfected and Grass variants, indicating less defense reaction than in the ARD variant. Clay amendment increased soluble silicon in the substrates and consequently the epidermis and vascular bundles, which indicates high silicon accumulation. Overall, plants grown in ARD and Grass soils with amendments showed improved growth compared to plants grown in the respective soils without amendments.
Conclusion
The amendment by clays rich in plant-available silicon may be a measure to counteract ARD symptoms. However, these results need to be reproduced in future experiments with ARD soils of other origins.
Reducing anisotropic material properties of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V parts via interval island laser scanning method
Authors: Yang Jeongho , Kang Dongseok , Yeon Si Mo , Son Yong , Park Sang-Hu
Published: August 2023

The Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) process using Ti-6Al-4V powder has special applications in the manufacture of high-value mechanical parts in the aerospace and medical industries. PBF is the accumulation of laser-assisted melting layers. High thermal stresses, residual stresses, and local temperature variations occur during rapid melting and cooling in processes that affect the anisotropic mechanical properties of additive manufacturing components. In this work, we analyzed the effective scanning strategy of additive manufacturing and its effect on the mechanical properties, microstructure, and residual stresses of the part. Three commonly used scanning methods to reduce the anisotropic material properties resulting from the PBF process of Ti-6Al-4V: strip, continuous island, and interval island scanning strategies are explicitly analyzed and compared. Through the cantilever experiment, it was confirmed that the interval island scan method reduces deformation by up to 12.6% compared to the conventional strip scan method due to the reduction of anisotropic residual stress.
Experience and Outcomes of Thrombolysis for Ischemic Stroke in Sub-saharan Africa: Insights From Côte D'ivoire
Authors: Bony Kotchi Elisée , Konan Landry , Diakité Ismaila , Kouassi Leonard , Amon Muriel , Gnazebo Any , Karidioula Armel , Souza Nancy Ahya Essoin , Broh Yves N’guessan , Yapo-Ehounoud Constance , Kouamé-Assouan Ange Eric
Published: August 2023

Intravenous thrombolysis has been a widely used treatment in developed countries for several years. However, its application in Africa is still limited due to the lack of infrastructure, which is a significant barrier to thrombolysis therapy in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan African countries. In Côte d'Ivoire, thrombolysis activity only began in 2017. We have reported a case series of thrombolytic therapy in Côte d'Ivoire between 2017 and 2021, involving 20 patients, 11 men and 9 women, with a mean age of 57.25 years. High blood pressure was the predominant risk factor, and atherosclerosis was the most incriminating etiologic factor (9/20). The mean initial NIH score was 10.17, and the mean time from onset to patient admission was 76.78 minutes, with the "Door to needle time" being 99.20 minutes. The mean NIH score within 24 hours was 7 (n=17). Eleven patients had a good outcome at 3 months (mRs M3 between 0 and 1), while two patients died within the same period.
Whole Blood Transcriptomics Identifies Subclasses of Pediatric Septic Shock
Authors: Yang Jamie O , Zinter Matt S. , Pellegrini Matteo , Wong Man Yee , Gala Kinisha , Markovic Daniela , Nadel Brian , Peng Kerui , Do Nguyen , Mangul Serghei , Nadkarni Vinay M. , Karlsberg Aaron , Deshpande Dhrithi , Butte Manish J. , Asaro Lisa , Agus Michael , Sapru Anil
Published: August 2023

Background
Sepsis is a highly heterogeneous syndrome, that has hindered the development of effective therapies. This has prompted investigators to develop a precision medicine approach aimed at identifying biologically homogenous subgroups of patients with septic shock and critical illnesses. Transcriptomic analysis can identify subclasses derived from differences in underlying pathophysiological processes that may provide the basis for new targeted therapies. The goal of this study was to elucidate pathophysiological pathways and identify pediatric septic shock subclasses based on whole blood RNA expression profiles.
Methods
The subjects were critically ill children with cardiopulmonary failure who were a part of a prospective randomized insulin titration trial to treat hyperglycemia. Genome-wide expression profiling was conducted using RNA-sequencing from whole blood samples obtained from 46 children with septic shock and 52 mechanically ventilated noninfected controls without shock. Patients with septic shock were allocated to subclasses based on hierarchical clustering of gene expression profiles, and we then compared clinical characteristics, plasma inflammatory markers, cell compositions using GEDIT, and immune repertoires using Imrep between the two subclasses.
Results
Patients with septic shock depicted alterations in innate and adaptive immune pathways. Among patients with septic shock, we identified two subtypes based on gene expression patterns. Compared with Subclass 2, Subclass 1 was characterized by upregulation of innate immunity pathways and downregulation of adaptive immunity pathways. Subclass 1 had significantly worse clinical outcomes despite the two classes having similar illness severity on initial clinical presentation. Subclass 1 had elevated levels of plasma inflammatory cytokines and endothelial injury biomarkers and demonstrated decreased percentages of CD4 T cells and B cells, and less diverse T-Cell receptor repertoires.
Conclusions
Two subclasses of pediatric septic shock patients were discovered through genome-wide expression profiling based on whole blood RNA sequencing with major biological and clinical differences.
Trial Registration:
This is a secondary analysis of data generated as part of the observational CAF PINT ancillary of the HALF PINT study (NCT01565941). Registered 29 March 2012.
Association analysis of clinical phenotype and exon gene mutation locus in children with hyperthyroidism
Authors: mao xiaojian , he hongman , li hongyi , wang heyong , zhang wen , liu li , Headar Abdalbari
Published: August 2023

Purpose: To explore the association between the clinical phenotype of hyperthyroidism in children and the exon gene mutation loci of hyperthyroidism in children.
Methods: As a prospective study, this study collected data from 39 children with hyperthyroidism at Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center in 2023. Apriori association rules and network diagram were used to analyze the clinical phenotype of 39 children with hyperthyroidism and the association between exon gene mutation loci.
Results:Among 39 children with hyperthyroidism, 74.36% were females. It was discovered that hyperthyroidism often occurs in children of school age, and the age of patients is correlated with the mutations of TG, TSHR, DBH, LHCGR and other genes. Children with hyperthyroidism who have a family history of hyperthyroidism have a high correlation with GPR1, TSHR and TG gene mutations. It was also found that abnormal liver function is correlated with TG, DBH and LHCGR gene mutations. The children showed different degrees of goiter, and those of them with 2-degree goiter were associated with mutations in DBH, LHCGR and TR genes. Further findings show that hyperthyroidism can lead to exophthalmos and LHCG, DBH, and FSHR are the most closely related genes with exophthalmos. Most of the biochemical indexes TPOAb, TGAb, TG and TRAb of children with hyperthyroidism exceed the normal range.
Conclusion:Association rules and network diagrams can be used to explore the multiple correlations between the clinical phenotypes of hyperthyroidism in children and the mutation loci of different exons of hyperthyroidism in children. In the association analysis, it was found that the abnormal values of TPOAb, TGAb, TG and TRAb in the children with hyperthyroidism were females, school-age, grade 2 goiter, exophthalmos, and were closely related to the mutations of TG, DBH, TSHR and LHCGR genes.
Batch studies of hexavalent Chromium (VI) adsorption from wastewater by using Lelliottia amnigena
Authors: ahmady-asbchin salman , Aghajani Hamed , samsami ali , alipanah hamid reza , Monfared Mohammad Hasan Tajvidi , Karimi Amir Hossein Alipour
Published: August 2023

Industrial and human activities and agriculture can contaminate the water sources and make serious problems for the health of living beings. A significant contaminant is heavy metals. They directly and indirectly penetrate into the drinking water and wastewater that make it necessary to be removed. Chromium as a heavy metal plays an important role in polluting water sources due to its extensive use and extreme toxicity of it. In this study a chromium resistant bacterium that was isolated from Babol-Rood River, Babolsar, Mazandaran, Iran, applied to absorb chromium from aquatic solution. The bacterium was identified as Lelliottia amnigena based on its morphology and 16S rRNA sequence assay. This study checked the chromium biosorption from aqueous solution in diverse situation such as isotherm condition, different pH, different temperature, kinetic situation. It also computed primary and secondary metal concentration, initial and terminal biomass concentration, absorption differences between living and dead bacterial biomass, effect of shaker on absorption, influences of bacterial (life phase) on absorption, and the effect of desorption compounds in addition of using different methods of dyeing. Not only was this bacterium resistant to chromium but also it can remove cadmium and lead; thus, it can be used in binary or ternary biosorption treatments. Optimum situation was determined based on all the factors that were mentioned above. To show surface adsorption of bacteria, SEM-EDX and FTIR analysis were done before and after the metal adsorption. The results showed that Lelliottia amnigena successfully and effectively could remove heavy metals from aqueous solution.
Hypovirulence-associated Mycovirus Epidemics Cause Pathogenicity Degeneration of Beauveria bassiana in the Field
Authors: Zhang Zhengkun , Guo Wenbo , Lu Yang , Kang Qin , Sui Li , Liu Hongyu , Zhao Yu , Zou Xiaowei , Li Qiyun
Published: August 2023

BackgroundThe entomogenous fungusBeauveria bassianais used as a biological insecticide worldwide, but its application is affected by pathogenicity degeneration in the field. Previous studies showed that multiple factors contribute to this phenomenon. Mycovirus infection causes hypovirulence of phytopathogenic fungi and mycoviruses have been used for plant disease biocontrol. However, it remains unknown whether mycovirus epidemics are key factors causing hypovirulence ofB. bassiananaturally in the field. Methods A mycovirus Beauveria bassiana chrysovirus 2 (BbCV2) we have previously identified was employed to clarify its impact on the pathogenicity of host fungiBeauveria bassianaagainstthelarvae of insect pestOstrinia furnacalis. Wild strains ofB. bassianawere collected from different geographic locations in Jilin Province, China, to clarify the epidemic and genetic diversity of the mycovirus BbCV2. The serological analysis was conducted by preparing polyclonal antibody against a BbCV2 coat protein, to determine whether the it can dissociate outside the host fungi cells and subsequently infect new hosts. Transcriptome analysis was used to reveal the interactions between viruses and hosts.ResultsWe found that themycovirus BbCV2 possessed efficient and stable horizontal and vertical transmission capabilities and causedB. bassianahypovirulence. Surprisingly, this virus was prevalent in the field as a core virus in wildB. bassianastrains, without obvious genetic differentiation. The serological results showed that the virus could not only replicate within the host cell, but also dissociate outside to infect new hosts. Transcriptome analysis revealed decreased expression of genes related to insect epidermis penetration and toxin metabolism inB. bassianacaused by mycovirus infection. ConclusionB.bassianainfected byhypovirulence-associated mycovirus can spread the virus to new host strainsafter infecting insects, and causethe virus epidemics in the field. The findings confirmed that mycovirus infection may be an important factor affecting the pathogenicity degradation ofB. bassianain the field.
Keep it simple: a crosshair on the screen during proctored laparoscopic surgeries
Authors: Paschold Markus , Kneist Werner , Soufiah Edwar , Nissen Arnold , Nikolay Johannes , Seilheimer Natalie , Watzka Felix , Zimniak Lennart
Published: August 2023

Introduction
Inside the operating room, experts use verbal instructions to guide surgical novices through laparoscopic procedures. In this study, we evaluated the use of a crosshair attached to the video monitor, as a hands-free pointing tool to simplify instructions during operation.
Methods
Ten surgical novices performed two elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies within a week of each other, randomized such that one was performed with and the other without using the crosshair. Directly after operation, questionnaires were completed by the novices and the consultant surgeons. Measures including the comprehensibility of instructions, subjective feeling of safety during preparation, time delays due to different instruction options, and disruptive influence while instructors used the crosshair. Differences in operative performance were evaluated based on GOALS scores.
Results
When the crosshair was used, surgical novices had a better understanding of which anatomical structure should be shown (p < 0.02). Operating time and feeling of confidence during preparation did not differ with versus without crosshair use (p > 0.05). All participants stated that the crosshair did not negatively affect the field of vision. In terms of the GOALS score, the operative performance was improved when the crosshair was used (15.0 ± using crosshair vs. 12.4 ± with verbal instructions only) (p < 0.01).
Conclusion
The crosshair is a simple, inexpensive, and widely available method to improve communication between instructors and novices in everyday training.
Combined application of hot water treatment and eucalyptus leaf extract postpones seneṣcence in harvested green chilies by conserving their antioxidants: A sustainable approach
Authors: Haider Muhammad Wasim , Nafees Muhammad , Iqbal Rashid , Ali Sajid , Asad Habat Ullah , Azeem Farrukh , Arslan Muhammad , Rahman Muhammad Habib Ur , Gaafar Abdel-Rhman Z. , Elshikh Mohamed S
Published: August 2023

Background Green chilies are grown in tropical and subtropical regions globally. Pakistan is the main stakeholder and plays a vital role in chili’s export. However, approximately 15% of the country's chili yield goes to waste due to inadequate post-harvest handling. The deterioration of natural antioxidants during storage is a primary reason for reduced chili shelf-life and quality. While cold storage helps extend market life, its use is limited for temperature-sensitive produce like green chilies. In this regard, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of alone or combined application of hot water treatment (HWT) and eucalyptus leaf extract (ELE) on 'Golden Hot' chilies in comparison to control. After treatment, chilies were stored at 20 ± 1.5°C for 20 days.Results HWT + ELE treated chilies exhibited significant improvements compared to the control, with significant reductions in fungal decay, red chilies, weight loss, soluble solids, ripening index, and reactive oxygen species. HWT + ELE also enhanced antioxidative properties i.e., DPPH scavenging activities, ascorbic acid, phenolics, and enzyme activities. Moreover, HWT + ELE-treated chilies displayed improved chlorophyll levels and overall appearance, with reduced anthocyanins, and wrinkling, resulting in increased marketable fruits compared to the control.Conclusion The pre-storage HWT and ELE application offers an effective treatment for preserving green chilies at ambient temperature.
Modeling and control of tension in Flexible pipe tensile armor manufacturing process
Authors: Li Yongyu , wu shanghua , Liu Chun , Lu Qingzhen , Chen jinlong , Yan Jun , Yue Qianjin
Published: August 2023

With the increasing application of flexible pipes in deep-sea operations, higher processing accuracy is required for the individual metal layers of these pipes to withstand greater service loads. In the helical winding production of tensile armor layer, the accuracy of tension control greatly affects the uniformity of steel strip after winding. To ensure tension stability during armored steel strip processing, a tension model for the manufacturing process is proposed. The model predicts the magnitude and trend of tension fluctuations caused by the unwinding device, facilitating the design of a steel strip constant tension control system based on integral separation fuzzy PID algorithm, which can achieve fast convergence of tension when tension fluctuation is large. The effectiveness of the system is verified by steel strip winding experiments. The experimental results confirm the accuracy of the prediction model and the reliability and effectiveness of the designed tension control system. With this control system, the tension fluctuation range is reduced by nearly 40% and the average value of standard deviation of spacing after steel strip winding is reduced by 0.21 mm, demonstrating its potential in improving the manufacturing quality of flexible tube tensile armor layer.
A Privacy-Preserving Scheme with Multi-Level Regulation Compliance for Blockchain
Authors: Jia Wangjing , Xie Tao , Wang Baolai
Published: August 2023

With the increasing presence of blockchain-based distributed applications in various aspects of daily life, there has been a growing focus on the privacy protection of blockchain ledgers and the corresponding regulatory technologies. However, current mainstream solutions primarily concentrate on the verifiable encryption of blockchain transaction addresses and contents, neglecting the regulatory requirements for private transactions. Moreover, the few monitorable solutions suffer from issues such as excessive centralization and a single-minded approach to regulatory content. To address these deficiencies, this paper proposes a blockchain privacy-preserving scheme that supports multi-level regulation through the utilization of zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKs) and attribute-based encryption (ABE). Firstly, by leveraging zk-SNARKs, this scheme achieves blockchain privacy-preserving within an account model, enabling the concealment of user transaction addresses and values. Secondly, by employing attribute-based encryption, a multi-level regulatory model is developed alongside the privacy protection measures, allowing for selective disclosure of transaction content. Finally, through a combination of various technical approaches, the efficiency of this model is enhanced, and its usability is validated through experimental verification.
Counting the uncounted : estimating the unaccounted COVID-19 infections in India
Authors: Saikia Debashis , Bora Kalpana P , Bora Madhurjya P
Published: August 2023

Physics Informed Neural Network (PINN) [1] is applied to estimate the undetected infectious population of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, through a SEIUR (susceptible-exposed-infectious-undetected-removed) model. This technique is also used determine the unknown parameters of the model. The analysis has been carried out for the 20 worst affected federal Indian states and the country as a whole and a ratio of the active undetected infectious to the active detected infectious population is calculated for the first and second phases of the pandemic. The rate at which symptomatic infectious population goes undetected and are never reported, is also estimated using the PINN method. In this model, we incorporate an `undetected infectious' compartment to estimate the undetected population. Our `undetected infectious' class contains purely asymptomatic infectious as well as symptomatic infectious population which somehow go unreported. Further, an artificial neural network (ANN) based forecasting scenario of the pandemic in India is presented using the unique features, obtained from the state-wide analysis of the newly proposed model as well as from the PINN analysis.
Global boundedness in an attraction-repulsion chemotaxis system with nonlinear productions and logistic source
Authors: Wang Rongxiang , Yan Lijun
Published: August 2023

This paper deals with the quasilinear(\(\tau =0\)) and fully parabolic(\(\tau =1\)) attraction-repulsion chemotaxis system with nonlinear productions and logistic source, \(u_t = \newnabla{D(u)}{u} - \newnabla{\Phi (u)}{v} + \newnabla{\Psi (u)}{w} + f(u), v_t = \Delta v+\alpha {{u}^{k}}-\beta v, \tau w_t = \Delta w+\gamma {{u}^{l}}-\delta w, \tau \in \{0,1\},\) in bounded domain \(\Omega \subset {{\mathbb{R}}^{n}} \text{ } \newbrac{n \ge 1},\) subject to the homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions and initial conditions, \(D,\Phi ,\Psi \in {{C}^{2}}[0,\infty )\) nonnegative with \(D(s)\ge {{(s+1)}^{p}}\text{ for }s\ge 0,\) \(\Phi (s)\le \chi {{s}^{q}},\) \(\xi {{s}^{g}}\le \Psi (s),\text{ }s\ge {{s}_{0}}\) for \({{s}_{0}}>1.\) And the logistic source satisfying\(f(s)\le s(a-b{{s}^{d}}), \text{ } s>0, \text{ } f(0)\ge 0,\) and the nonlinear productions for the attraction and repulsion chemicals are described via \(\alpha {{u}^{k}} \text{ and } \gamma {{u}^{l}}\) respectively. When \(k=l=1\) , it is known that above system possesses a globally bounded solution in some cases. However, there has been no work in the case that \(k,l>0\). This paper develops global boundedness of the solution to the above system in some cases. And extends the global boundedness criteria established by Tian-He-Zheng(2016) for the quasilinear attraction-repulsion chemotaxis system.
Comprehensive Analysis of WGCNA - Derived Cancer Associated Fibroblasts Model For Prognosis, Immune Features, and Candidate Drug Development in LUSC
Authors: Sun Rui , Jian Wang
Published: August 2023

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) directly affect the behavior of surrounding cells and reshape extracellular matrix (ECM) in tumor microenvironment (TME) via cell-cell contact, releasing regulatory factors. This study aimed to explore stromal CAF - related genes for prognostic prediction and therapeutic response in LUSC. We downloaded mRNA expression and clinical information of 243 LUSC cases from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and 504 cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identity the key gene module. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and machine learning methodology were used to construct a prognostic model. The risk score was involved in 5 genes (COL1A2, COL4A1 COL5A1 MMP2,FN1). In addition, a series of methods based on bioinformatics were used and the results indicated the cases in high risk group suffered less survival time, weaker immune response and higher likely to respond to chemotherapeutic agents. Subsequently, we characterized prognostic model by sing-cell sequencing and immunohistochemistry. This five - gene prognostic CAF signature may be a potential biomarker for guiding anti - CAFs therapy and a prognostic clue related to CAF for LUSC patients.