bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Método de casos en el desarrollo del pensamiento crítico de estudiantes de la carrera de Nutrición y Dietética de UCSUR, 2018
Authors:   , Silva Ramos Judith Angélica
Published: April 2023

El objetivo del presente estudio preexperimental-cuantitativo es demostrar la influencia del Método de Casos en el desarrollo del pensamiento crítico, en los estudiantes del curso de Dietética de la Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética de la Universidad Científica del Sur. Para tal efecto, se utilizó la Prueba de Apreciación de Pensamiento Crítico de Watson & Glaser, 1980. La muestra estuvo constituida por el total de estudiantes matriculados en el curso de Dietética (n=25=Universo). Se aplicó un pre y post-test, al inicio y final de curso, respectivamente, desarrollándose el método de casos en cada una se las sesiones de clase comprendidas en el curso y como resultado general se obtuvo que el desarrollo de la estrategia pedagógica del método de casos mejora del pensamiento crítico a través de la diferencia en el número de respuestas correctas entre el pretest y postest, así como en 4 de las 5 habilidades evaluadas con el instrumento (evaluación de argumentos, identificación de suposiciones, inferencia de conjeturas e interpretación), la excepción fue la habilidad de deducción que no mostró una mejora favorable (-2%). De esta manera se puede concluir que, la estrategia pedagógica de Método de Casos influye significativamente en el desarrollo de las habilidades del pensamiento crítico en los estudiantes Nutrición y Dietética de la Universidad Científica del Sur.
Improving the Red-Black tree delete algorithm
Authors: ZEGOUR Djamel Eddine
Published: April 2023

Today, Red-Black trees are becoming a popular data structure typically used to implement dictionaries, associative arrays, symbol tables within some compilers (C++, Java …) and many other systems. In this paper, we present an improvement of the delete algorithm of this kind of binary search tree. The suggested algorithm appears to be promising as it gives the tree a different coloring while reducing the number of color changes and maintenance operations by a factor of roughly 29% and 11%, respectively. The new coloring favors the presence of red nodes and therefore speeds up the deletion operation. It also saves about 4 % on running time when insert and delete operations are used together while conserving search performance of the standard algorithm.
Comparative study on the characterization and antioxidant properties of bael (Aegle marmelos) pulp, shell and seed pectin
Authors: Surolia Ragini , Singh Anuradha , Dubey Manish Kumar
Published: April 2023

The present study is focused on the extraction and characterization of pectin from different parts of Aegle marmelos (bael) fruit such as pulp, shells and seeds by using two different acids i.e. HCl and H2SO4 on the dry and wet basis. Moreover, the comparative analysis of the extracted pectin from different fruit parts was also performed by using various parameters. The percentage yield of the extracted pectin was found to be slightly higher by using HCl. Physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity and functional group analysis were carried out on the extracted pectin. In the present study, the % yield of bael seed pectin was found to be higher as compared to bael pulp pectin and bael shell pectin. The equivalent weight, methoxyl content, total anhydrouronic acid content (AUA), degree of esterification (on dry basis) of bael pulp, shell and seed pectin were found to be 1119.52±14.57, 1095±13.94 and 1071.53±13.35, 7.25±0.10%, 6.77±0.03% and 7.39±0.07%, 56.9±0.81%, 54.56±0.35% and 58.43±0.60%, 72.37±0.03, 70.53±0.22 and 71.88±0.05, respectively. On the other hand, the moisture content and ash content of bael pulp, shell and seed pectin were found to be 10.23±0.52%, 8.33±2.08% and 9.9±0.99% and 6.77±0.5%, 7±1.01% and 6.55±0.83%, respectively which was in the acceptance range of purity. The functional group of extracted pectin was determined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral analysis. Extracted bael pulp pectin demonstrated higher antioxidant activity with IC50 10.6 µg/ml as compared to bael seed pectin (33.47µg/ml) and bael shell pectin (53.08µg/ml). Total phenolic content of bael pulp pectin was also found to be maximum (43.5 mg GAE/g) in comparison with bael seed pectin (33.5 mg GAE/g) and bael shell pectin (23.5 mg GAE/g). These results suggest that various parts of bael fruit is having a good quality of pectin and can be utilised as a functional ingredient in biomedical and nutraceutical compounds.
Analysis of patients with severe ARDS on VV ECMO with pulmonary hypertension or right ventricular failure treated with iNO: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Muenster Stefan , Nadal Jennifer , Schewe Jens-Christian , Ehrentraut Heidi , Kreyer Stefan F. X. , Putensen Christian , Ehrentraut Stefan F.
Published: April 2023

Background: In a retrospective observational study, we investigated patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) undergoing veno-venous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support with known pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and/or right ventricular (RV) failure treated with iNO.
Objective: We analysed clinical characteristics such as time on mechanical ventilation, weaning from VV ECMO, organ dysfunction, the iNO therapy in terms of indication, dosing and duration, the ability of iNO to lower PAH in responder and non-responder patients, the survival rate, in-hospital mortality and long-term survival.
Results: Of the 657 patients identified with ECMO support, 292 under VV ECMO support were evaluated and n=55 patients with iNO were included. We found that in-hospital mortality and long-term survival were poor in patients with severe ARDS under VV ECMO support with persistent PAH and/or RV failure. A rescue therapy with the pulmonary vasodilator iNO showed that only one-third of the cohort responded to the therapy with a sufficient decrease of the mean PAP. Survival between iNO responder and non-responder showed a trend albeit data between the groups were not statistically significant. We did not find a higher rate of continuous renal replacement therapy as marker for acute renal failure when iNO concentrations were ≤ 20 ppm and when the treatment duration stayed ≤ 3 days.
Conclusions: This retrospective observational study suggests that persistent PAH and/or RV failure is associated with worse clinical outcome in patients with severe ARDS and VV-ECMO support. Concomitant treatment with the pulmonary vasodilator iNO reduced PAH and/or reversed RV dysfunction in only one-third of the patient population (iNO responder patients) but did not alter the rate of acute kidney failure.
Mercury speciation in selenium enriched wheat plants exposed to mercury pollution
Authors: Manivannan Nithyapriya , Subirana Maria Angels , Boada Roberto , Marini Carlo , Llugany Mercè , Valiente Manuel , Simonelli Laura
Published: April 2023

Mercury (Hg) pollution in agricultural soils and its potential pathway to the human food chain continues being a health concern, whereas selenium (Se) biofortification of crops grown in Se-poor soil regions is becoming a common practice to avoid health issues derived from Se deficient diets. Understanding the pathway of Hg in plants grown under Se biofortification conditions is crucial for practical applications. In this work, the speciation of Hg in wheat plants grown hydroponically under different Se-biofortification treatments (selenite, selenate and a 1:1 mixture of both) have been investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Hg L3-edge. The main Hg species found in wheat grains is the highly toxic methylmercury. We found that the Se-biofortification of wheat does not prevent, in general, the Hg translocation to grains. Only the 1:1 Se mixture treatment helps in reducing the levels of Hg and the presence of methylmercury in grains.
Online dynamic container rescheduling for improved application service time
Authors: Bracke Vincent , Werrebrouck Gillis , Santos Jose , Wauters Tim , De Turck Filip , Volckaert Bruno
Published: April 2023

Despite their maturity and robustness, container orchestration platforms still suffer from some limitations. One of those concerns the lack of runtime adaptability of the scheduler to the overall cluster status as i) it instantiates containers with local optimization in mind i.e. it only considers the container-specific predefined requirements which may lead to a sub-optimal overall cluster state and ii) it does not reshuffle the deployed containers at runtime based on container observed behavior and interdependencies. These limitations become even more apparent within volatile load contexts. This work proposes an autonomous and dynamic rescheduling system that aims at improving application service time by co-locating highly interdependent containers for network delay reduction. To this extend, two distinct combinatorial optimization heuristics, Simulated Annealing and Particle Swarm Optimization, are evaluated and compared on their respective effectiveness and efficiency as well as their relative performance towards the optimal solution obtained by Integer Linear Programming. Additionally, the impact of the proposed system on application service time is validated by means of two complementary use-cases, an event-based IoT data-hub platform and a web-based e-commerce app, with an average improvement of the end-to-end service time of 21.6% and 13.1% respectively.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of iron-overaccumulating Arabidopsis genotypes uncover novel putative regulators of systemic and retrograde signaling
Authors: Grillet Louis , Schmidt Wolfgang
Published: April 2023

Background Maintaining iron homeostasis requires a precise orchestration of cellular uptake, trafficking through mesophyll cells, translocation via xylem and phloem, and uptake of iron by roots adjusted to the demand of sink organs by systemic signals. Plants defective in the iron transporter OPT3 in the leaves behave as if they were constitutively iron deficient and accumulate toxic iron levels in their leaves. IRONMAN (IMA) genes encode peptides that trigger iron remobilization and uptake by inhibiting the ubiquitin ligase BRUTUS. Ectopic expression of IMA genes also causes iron accumulation. This study aims at bridging the knowledge gap of the mechanisms operating between OPT3-transported iron and the activation of IMA genes, and between phloem-localized IMAs and the activation of iron uptake genes in the epidermis.Results Among the 1999 DEGs identified in all the genotypes, tissues and treatments, a small subset of genes was found to be shared among the three iron-accumulating genotypes and iron-deficient control plants. Root expression profiles were more strongly correlated that those of shoots, confirming a predominant function in the regulation of root processes by IMAs and OPT3. The largest overlap was observed between opt3-2 and wild-type plants. IMA1 Ox and IMA3 Ox lined showed a surprisingly small overlap except for the iron-related genes, suggesting distinct physiological functions. The set genes with discordant expression pattern between IMA1 Ox and IMA3 Ox lines comprised approximately 40 root genes and 40 shoot genes. A small subset of genes was consistently differentially expressed in all the genotypes, including genes involved in root iron uptake and ROS detoxification, a gene encoding an F-Box protein, and two groups of non-protein coding genes.Conclusions The small suite of DEGs common to all genotypes under investigation constitute potential novel regulators of cellular iron homeostasis. A group of plastid genes seem to produce tRNA-alanine, fragments of which possibly target IMA3 transcripts, constituting a retrograde control on iron homeostasis.
Photo-click hydrogels for 3D in situ differentiation of pancreatic progenitors from induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Arkenberg Matthew R. , Ueda Yoshitomo , Hashino Eri , Lin Chien-Chi
Published: April 2023

Background Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can be differentiated to cells in all three germ layers, as well as cells in the extraembryonic tissues. Efforts in iPSC differentiation into pancreatic progenitors in vitro have largely been focused on optimizing soluble growth cues in conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture, whereas the impact of three-dimensional (3D) matrix properties on the morphogenesis of iPSC remains elusive.Methods In this work, we employ gelatin-based thiol-norbornene photo-click hydrogels for in situ 3D differentiation of human iPSCs into pancreatic progenitors (PP). Molecular analysis and single cell RNA-sequencing were utilized to elucidate on the distinct identities of subpopulations within the 2D and 3D differentiated cells.Results We found that, while established soluble cues led to predominately PP cells in 2D culture, differentiation of iPSCs using the same soluble factors led to prominent branching morphogenesis, ductal network formation, and generation of diverse endoderm populations. Through single-cell RNA-sequencing, we found that 3D differentiation resulted in enrichments of pan-endodermal cells and ductal cells. We further noted the emergence of a group of extraembryonic cells in 3D, which was absent in 2D differentiation. The unexpected emergence of extraembryonic cells in 3D was found to be associated with enrichment of Wnt and BMP signaling pathways, which may have contributed to the emergence of diverse cell populations. The expressions of PP signature genes PDX1 and NKX6.1 were restored through inhibition of Wnt signaling at the beginning of the posterior foregut stage.Conclusions To our knowledge, this work established the first 3D hydrogel system for in situ differentiation of human iPSCs into PPs. Ongoing work focuses on enhancing pancreatic differentiation efficiency through modulating physicochemical properties of the iPSC-laden matrices.
The impact of sleep quality on mental health in working Australians: A quasi-experimental approach
Authors: Foo Jia Kai , Doan Tinh
Published: April 2023

Work conditions such as job demand can impact individual sleep quality, and subsequently impact mental health. This study aims to investigate pathway effects of exogenous factors on mental health via sleep, and the direct effect of sleep quality on mental health in working Australians. We employ a novel method in public health studies, a quasi-experimental (instrumental variable) approach, which can address reciprocal relationships between sleep and mental health in order to estimate causal effect of sleep quality on mental health in a sample of 19,789 working Australians aged 25-64 from waves 2013, 2017, and 2021 of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey data. We find that high job demand, as a valid instrument, adversely affects sleep quality, and the changes in sleep quality ultimately affect mental health of working Australians. These findings highlight the need for policies that address employment conditions by reducing high work demand or workload to mitigate poor sleep quality in the Australian workforce, ultimately improving workers' sleep quality and promoting better mental health, overall health outcomes and productivity.
New Framework for Identifying Discrete-Time Switched Linear Systems
Authors: Lopes Renato Vilela , Ishihara João Y. , Borges Geovany Araújo
Published: April 2023

This paper addresses the problem of offline identification of a particular class of hybrid dynamical systems that are discrete-time switched linear state space models. The identification process is carried out from data previously sampled from the system. Unlike most existing methods that prioritize identifying the switching instants first, a new framework is proposed in which the local models are identified first, and the task of identifying the switching instants is performed later. The methodology involves the iterative calculation of discrete and continuous models' a posteriori probability density function using subspace identification, clustering, data classification, and hybrid stochastic filtering methods. This strategy allows grouping the data most likely to have been generated by the same submodels, thus allowing the estimation of these local models. An essential feature of the algorithm is that the matrices of the different submodels are identified with the same state-space basis allowing them to be evaluated and, if necessary, combined. The performance of the identification procedure is evaluated through numerical examples, and a comparison with a prior method described in the literature is conducted.
Proteomics-driven noninvasive screening of circulating serum protein panels for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Xing Xiaohua , Cai Lin-Sheng , Ouyang Jia-He , Wang Fei , Wang Ying-Chao , Zhou Yang , Hu En , Li Zong-Man , Huang Chang-Li , Wu Li-Ming , Liu Jing-Feng , Liu Xiao-Long
Published: April 2023

Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lacks highly sensitive and specific protein biomarkers. Proteomics-driven discovery of tumor biomarkers is an important direction for omics study. Here, we described a staged mass spectrometry (MS)-based discovery-verification-validation proteomics workflow to explore serum proteomic biomarkers for HCC early diagnosis in 662 individuals (373 HCC patients and 289 non-HCC patients). Our workflow reproducibly quantified 451serum proteins using a data independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) strategy from discovery cohort, and proteins with significantly altered abundance in HCC were validated as candidates in an independent validation cohort using targeted proteomics based on parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). Machine learning models determined as P4 serum protein-panels (two serum proteomics biomarkers: HABP2, CD163 and two clinical used serum biomarkers: AFP, PIVKA-II) could clearly distinguish HCC patients from LC patients in an independent validation cohort (AUC 0.979, sensitivity 0.925, specificity 0.915), outperforming existing clinical prediction strategies (p < 0.05). Moreover, the P4 panels showed high sensitivity in AFP negative (0.857) HCC patients and PIVKA-II negative HCC patients (0.813). Most importantly, the P4 panels were validated to be perfectly accurate in predicting the conversion of LC to HCC (accuracy: 100.0%) with predicting HCC at a median of 12.6 months prior to imaging in a prospective external validation cohort, which was superior to existing clinical prediction strategies. These results suggested that proteomics-driven serum biomarker discovery provided a valuable reference for the liquid biopsy, and had great potential to improve early diagnosis of HCC.
Assessing the influence of energy transition on economic-social growth: Case of China
Authors: Liu Pingkuo , Zhao Ruiqi , Han Xue
Published: April 2023

In recent years because of the one-sided interpretation of the nexus between the green & low-carbon energy transition and the high-quality economic-social growth, some over-idealized due-oriented judgments have led to failures in theories or deviations from practices. It is necessary and typical to select the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2020 to demonstrate that nexus, since China plays a different role in both climate change and global energy security. This paper defines and measures both the high-quality economic-social growthand the green & low-carbon energy transition efficiency. After analyzing the structure characteristics of energy transition, it also discusses the impact of the transition efficiency on the high-quality growth. The results indicate that: The inflection point from quantitative to qualitative change in the regional high-quality growth has not yet arrived, while the developed regions and the developing regions are still grappling with pronounced problems of imbalance and insufficiency. As far as now, the energy transition efficiency in the energy resource centers is much higher than that in the energy load centers. The provinces with a characteristic of energy supply-demand equilibrium have seamlessly shifted from the Introduction stage of green & low-carbon development to the Growth stage. Both the decrease in energy intensity and the increase in renewables share are able to promote the high-quality economic-social development obviously, however, the reduction of per capita carbon emission cannot yield the expected positive externality in a short run.
High expression of KIF4A predicts poor prognosis hallmark and is correlated with immune infiltrates in cervical cancer
Authors: Ma Xiaofeng , Lu Yun , Wei Bing , Wang Wenyan , Wang Enlin
Published: April 2023

Background Cervical cancer (CC) has become the fourth most common cancer among women and cause a larger number of deaths in worldwide. Screening at the early stage of CC is an effective precaution. Discovery of the new hallmark of CC will provide a guidance for CC screening. Kinesin family member 4A (KIF4A) expressed in a variety of tissues and also contributed to development of several cancers, however its function in CC remains unclear.Methods we download and analyzed the clinical information and mRNA profile of cervical cancer patients from TCGA and GTEx database. After normalization process, the expression values of KIF4A were calculated according to TCGA and GTEx data. We collected CC patient tissue samples from the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University and detected KIF4A expression by IHC and WB. The immune cell infiltration analysis is preformed in the online analysis tool TIMER 2.0 (http://timer.cistrome.org/).Results The high-expression of KIF4A was demonstrated in the CC patients according to the bioinformatics analysis and clinical test. Additionally, loss-function of KIF4A with shRNA abrogated cervical cell proliferation, migration and invasion. We also found that the difference expression genes were identified between KIF4A− high and KIF4A− low CC patients among with abundant mutation of several genes occurred in the CC progression. Finally, we also proved that KIF4A was involved in the immune cell infiltration in the CC patients by clinical information analysis. These demonstrated that the dys-expression of KIF4A may be used for the CC screening and clinical therapy.
How Serious Are Bacillus Cereus Ocular Infections? -a Detrimental Effect of Undermining a Fulminant Disease: Case Report
Authors: Jeremiah Christie , Iqbal Tajunisah , Hanafi Hanidah , Keat Gan Yuen
Published: April 2023

Introduction
Bacillus cereus is a gram-positive endospore-forming organism. Although not commonly encountered, it can cause a consequential ocular infection leading to severe vision loss. It is usually acquired following ocular trauma. The early suspicion and detection of this organism is often overlooked in favour of more common organisms responsible for exogenous endophthalmitis such as streptococcus or klebsiella species. We aim to shed light on Bacillus Cereus endophthalmitis and the choice of suitable antibiotics that may have led to a less severe outcome.
Case Presentation
We would like to report a case of how a local farmer developed fulminant endophthalmitis following ocular trauma while ploughing his garden. Initial infection was thought to be due to commonly encountered organisms in exogenous endophthalmitis. Treatment with the standard intravenous and intravitreal antibiotics was commenced but the eye still succumbed to evisceration. The delay in diagnosis and treatment caused detrimental effect to the patient’s vision. We reviewed all other cases of Bacillus cereus-related ocular infections reported previously in the literature and analyzed their outcomes.
Conclusion
A high index of suspicion of the accountable organisms following the mechanism of injury to the eye along with timely and appropriate choice of antibiotics can lead to a better visual outcome.
Reproductive outcomes of conventional in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in patients with non-severe male infertility across poor and different sub-optimal ovarian response categories: a cohort study based on 30352 fresh cycles from 2009-2019
Authors: Jiesisibieke Dina , Tian Tian , Zhu Xiaxuan , Fang Shilin , Zhang Nan , Ma Jinxi , Xia Yuqi , Li Rong , Liu Ping , Qiao Jie , Yang Rui
Published: April 2023

Due to the influence of economic, social and many other factors, there are more and more reproductive problems. Originally introduced for managing male factor infertility, intracytoplasmic sperm injection had become the most commonly used fertilization treatment in the world, with broadened indications including low oocyte yield, prior fertilization failure with conventional in vitro fertilization etc. However, academic evidence for better live-birth outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection over conventional in vitro fertilization is limited. Thus, we aimed to compare the reproductive outcomes of conventional in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in patients with non-severe male factor infertility across poor and different sub-optimal ovarian response categories. The fertility rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate and other obstetric outcomes were mainly compared. Our results showed that independent of the number of oocytes retrieved, intracytoplasmic sperm injection significantly increased the fertilization rate, while conventional in vitro fertilization cycles showed a higher implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and live birth rate. No differences were observed in most obstetric outcomes. Our study indicates that poor ovarian response is not an indication for intracytoplasmic sperm injection in couples with non-severe male infertility.
Comparison of the effects of isokinetic and isotonic strength training in team sport athletes: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Eyre Julia Christine , Weyer Jonas , Geisler Stephan , Gavanda Simon
Published: April 2023

Background Athletes may benefit from isokinetic training (IK) to improve strength and jump performance. However, previous studies comparing IK methods to isotonic resistance training (IT) have utilized high-repetition protocols and a Dynamometer, which are usually reserved for laboratory testing or rehabilitation settings.Methods This study compared the effects of IK and IT using ≤ 6 repetitions on strength and jump performance in 50 male, team-sport athletes (ages 18–35) during COVID-19 lockdown using the commercially-available TechnoGym BioCircuit Dynamometer. With statistical significance set to p < 0.05, this 4-group randomized parallel study assessed the effects of an 8-week isokinetic at 80°/s (IK80; n = 16) and 25°/s (IK25; n = 12) or isotonic training program (IT; n = 15) compared to a control group (CG; n = 7) on anthropometric measurements, peak torque at 80°/s (PT80) and 25°/s (PT25), one-repetition maximum (1-RM) leg extension, and countermovement (CMJ) and squat jump height.Results BM, FFM, FM, and TC were not different between groups post intervention. Strength increased in IT (PT80: p = 0.006; PT25: p = 0.023; 1-RM: p = 0.001), IK80 (PT80: p = 0.004; PT25: p = 0.021; 1-RM: p = 0.009), and IK25 (PT80: p = 0.042; PT25: p = 0.048; 1-RM: p = 0.009) compared to CG, with no difference between intervention groups (p = 1.000). SJ increased in all intervention groups (IT: +1.5cm, p = 0.036; IK80: +2.7cm, p < 0.001; IK25: +1.9cm, p = 0.021) compared to the CG (CG-IT: p = 0.005; CG-IK80: p = 0.009; CG-IK25: p = 0.004), with difference between groups (all p = 1.000). CMJ improved only in IT (+ 1.4cm, p = 0.035) and IK80 (+ 2.7cm, p < 0.001) with no difference between groups (p = 1.000).Conclusions Low-repetition IK and IT can be effectively used to improve strength and jump performance. However, the efficacy of IK on CMJ depends on training velocity and repetition count, with higher velocity training protocols (80°/s) being more effective for jump performance and lower speeds potentially more useful for improving maximal strength (25°/s).
Unveiling the molecular identity of the diminutive cyprinid, Horadandia brittani (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), a species endemic to Southern India
Authors: Daniel N. , Nanaobi Hemam , Praveenraj J. , Balaji V. , Kumar J. Stephen Sampath
Published: April 2023

Horadandia brittani is a small cyprinid fish species found in the coastal floodplains of southern India. For almost 50 years, the Horadandia genus was monotypic with only one species (Horadandia atukorali) confined to Sri Lanka until the discovery of H. brittani in south-western India in 1992. Despite being described as a separate species, H. brittaniwas later considered a synonym of H. atukorali until 2013 when researchers recognized it as a distinct species based on some morphological differences. However, no one had yet generated DNA sequences to validate the identity of H. brittani and its evolutionary relationship with its closely related species. To address this gap, this study was conducted to generate DNA sequences and validate the identity of H. brittani using molecular data. The results showed that H. brittani is genetically distinct from H. atukorali with mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase (COI) gene distance values ranging from 3.21-3.63%. The study also established the phylogenetic relationships between these two species, confirming H. brittani as a valid species based on COI gene sequences. These sequences can be used to identify H. brittani quickly and accurately in the future.
Bullying and Victimization among Students with Disabilities in Higher Education, United Arab Emirates
Authors: sallam ahmed , alomosh ahmad , Al-Othman Hussain , alsaadi asma
Published: April 2023

Regional and national level data on bullying victimization and its associated factors among students with disabilities are still lacking, particularly in higher education. Therefore, the current study aimed to conduct a random survey of a sample of students with disabilities in university education (n = 135) with different disabilities (physical, visual, hearing impairments, learning difficulties). Using the (bullying scale) prepared by the researchers and its stability and validity were calculated, multivariate analyzes of the data showed that the prevalence of bullying students with disabilities in university education in the UAE community is (40%), that (60%) are not parties to the bullying incident, and the percentage (36.3%) %) are the victims of bullying, and the percentage (3%) is the party that caused the bullying. The most common place in which bullying occurs is the bathrooms (16%), followed by the hallway (16%), then the classroom (14%). The most unsafe places are bathrooms (30%), followed inside the classroom (17%), followed by hallways (15%). The most common forms of bullying are nicknames and bad insults (27%), followed by neglect and exclusion (percentage). 22%, followed by threats (13%), cyberbullying (12%), physical bullying (11%), and theft or destruction of personal property (11%). The most common motive for bullying is weakness or disability (31%), followed by height (13%), young age (10%), and financial circumstances (5%). In addition to other results related to the age of the bully, his size, his relationship with the victim, the most prominent forms of bullying practiced by students with disabilities themselves as a response to bullying, and the extent to which teachers are aware of the occurrence of bullying, and the respondents suggested a set of proposals to reduce bullying in universities, Such as immediate reporting of bullying cases (34%), followed by effective academic counseling (30%), followed by continuous parental supervision (26%), awareness-raising (7%) and strict punishment (3%).
Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis-Associated Chronic Portal Vein Thrombosis: Risk Factor for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Darce George Felipe Bezerra , Makdissi Fabio Ferrari , Ando Sabrina Mello , Widman Azzo , Fonseca Gilton Marques , Kruger Jaime Arthur Pirola , Coelho Fabricio Ferreira , Rocha Manoel de Souza , Herman Paulo
Published: April 2023

Background: Hepatosplenic schistosomiasis is an endemic disease prevalent in tropical countries and is associated with a high incidence of portal vein thrombosis (PVT). Inflammatory changes caused by both parasitic infection and portal thrombosis can lead to the development of chronic liver disease with potential carcinogenesis. This study aimed to assess the incidence of PVT and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with schistosomiasis during a long-term follow-up.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving patients with schistosomiasis followed up at our institution between 1990 and 2021.
Results: A total of 126 patients with schistosomiasis were evaluated in the study. The mean follow-up time was 16 years (range 5–31). Of the total, 73 (57.9%) patients presented PVT during the follow-up. Six (8.1%) of them were diagnosed with HCC, all of them with portal vein thrombosis diagnosed more than 10 years before.
Conclusion: The incidence of HCC in patients with schistosomiasis and chronic PVT highlights the importance of a systematic long-term follow-up in this group of patients.
Using online search activity for earlier detection of gynaecological malignancy
Authors: Barcroft Jennifer F , Yom-Tov Elad , Lampos Vasileios , Ellis Laura , Guzman David , Ponce-López Victor , Bourne Tom , Cox Ingemar , Saso Srdjan
Published: April 2023

Despite major advances in precision treatments and new biomarkers, only 55% of UK cancers are detected at an early stage. Ovarian cancer (OC) remains the most lethal gynaecological malignancy with survival, quality of life, and fertility implications, as most women present with advanced stage disease. Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynaecological malignancy, with an incidence that is rising exponentially. Unfortunately, an effective screening program does not exist for EC and OC, to facilitate early detection.

Conventional healthcare cannot facilitate real-time monitoring of an individual’s health risks. However, digital footprints (e.g. online search activity) with their temporally dense nature could enable regular ‘health’ monitoring. The utilisation of online search data to identify those at risk of specific diseases has been suggested in other studies but were based on individuals with a proxy diagnosis, inferred through online search patterns, rather than confirmed clinical diagnosis.

We evaluated the use of online search data to detect gynaecological cancer in individuals with a known confirmed diagnosis. There was a difference in online search patterns between those with benign and malignant diagnoses, as early as 360 days prior to primary care (GP) referral with a suspected cancer. A classification model based on online search data achieved its highest AUC (0.82) using data 60 days before the GP referral, in individuals who routinely performed health-related online search queries. Our experiments indicate that online search data could provide individualised gynaecological cancer risk profiles, which are not reliant on individuals recognising key symptom patterns. Online search data could provide an accessible disease screening tool to facilitate the earlier detection of gynaecological malignancy, complementing currently established approaches. More generally, we advocate that online search data could provide early insights into numerous conditions including a range of cancers.
A Joint Frequency Space Design Approach for Efficient Planar Frequency Diverse Arrays
Authors: hasheminasab Maryam , cheldavi ahmed , kishk Ahmed
Published: April 2023

Antenna arrays benefit from spatial diversity, which enables the control of the pattern specifications in space. Adding frequency diversity to arrays provides an opportunity to control the beams in the Space-Time domain. Contrary to the conventional arrays, the added frequency diversity in the Frequency Diverse Arrays (FDA) leads to time-variant and range-dependent patterns. The time variation of the pattern affects both steering and auto-scanning applications. The array factor depends coherently on the frequency and spatial distributions of elements, in the same way, the spatial and time behavior of the FDA’s pattern is correlated. Due to this space-frequency coherency, an adjoint spatial-frequency design algorithm is the best approach for controlling the array's spatial and time behaviors. Although Due to the complexity of the array factor formulations in the FDA, the frequency and spatial distribution of the elements has been separately designed. This study proposes an algorithm to concurrently, allocate the location and frequency of the elements for a desired pattern. First, using some symmetry, a straightforward formulation for the array factor is obtained and used to design a symmetrical FDA for a stable and periodic scanning beam. Second, by analyzing the formulations, two important design parameters and some crucial design criteria of the FDA pattern for scanning applications are suggested, and using these parameters a designing algorithm is extracted. The novelty of the proposed approach is the simultaneous design of the location and frequency of the elements in the space-frequency plane, which results in meeting the time and spatial requirement of the pattern. Using this approach, two different planar arrays are designed, and their results are compared with those of other planar configurations. This study paves the way for a new approach to designing FDAs.
The factors affecting the HRQOL of kidney transplant recipients in the land of Gross National Happiness, Bhutan - A cross-sectional study.
Authors: Dorji Choki , Tobgay Tashi , Na-Bangchang Kesara
Published: April 2023

Background
Globally the prevalence of renal failure is on the rise. Kidney transplantation is the preferred and most affordable treatment for renal failure with improved health-related quality of life (HRQOL) compared to dialysis. In Bhutan, due to the lack of kidney transplant facilities in the country, patients are frequently referred to a neighbouring country. The HRQOL in kidney transplants in Bhutan has never been evaluated. The objective of the study was to investigate the relationships between different factors and HRQOL in kidney transplant recipients.
Methods
An observational study was conducted from January to July 2022. A kidney transplant recipient who underwent surgery until December 2021 and came for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) was recruited. Data on HRQOL were collected by face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. A descriptive analysis was used to describe sociodemographic characteristics and HRQOL. Factors affecting HRQOL were analysed using Mann‒Whitney U and Kruskal‒Wallis tests. Linear regression was used to assess the link between factors and HRQOL.
Results
One hundred kidney transplant recipients were recruited in this study. Of these, 25 of them did not have a formal education, and 48 are employed. 53.0 % of kidney failures were due to hypertension, and 62 of them had dialysis for less than one year. Overall, physical symptoms contributed to poor HRQOL with a mean ± SD score of 4.9 ± (1.0) and the appearance dimension of better HRQOL at a mean ± SD of 4.0 ± (1.3). Unemployment was significantly associated with poor physical symptoms, uncertainty/fear and emotional dimension. Physical symptoms and age were found to be positive and statistically significant (r = .321, P<0.001).
Factors such as age, hematocrit and BMI are linked with physical symptoms, fatigue and appearance.
Conclusion
Hypertension is the leading cause of kidney failure in Bhutan. The physical symptoms are associated with poor HRQOL among transplant recipients affecting mostly the unemployed. Recipients who are employed and the related donor were found to have better HRQOL.
Consistency Between Student Self-Assessment and Faculty Assessment on Professional Behaviors Following a Patient Simulation Experience
Authors: Pottorf Ofra , Ward Jason
Published: April 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate if students’ perceived abilities on professional behavior performance were calibrated following participation in a patient simulated experience when the patient simulation experience was structured to mimic the natural environment where these skills are expected to be exhibited.
Methods: Quantitative statistical analysis compared two groups’ posttest assessment scores to determine if there was a consistency in students’ perceived abilities on 10 professional behaviors identified on the professional behaviors assessment instrument, following participation in a patient simulation experience. The sample of 50 participants were recruited who were matriculated in a post graduate healthcare program. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to analyze correlational relationships between the group scores.
Results: This study found a Pearson’s correlation of .884 indicating a strong positive relationship existed between students’ perceived abilities when self-assessing a set of 10 professional behaviors following a structured patient simulation experience and their abilities as assessed by their instructor.
Conclusions: This study found a strong positive correlation indicating consistency between students’ self-reported abilities and their abilities as reported by a faculty-rater, indicating that some degree of calibration took place in students’ perceived abilities after participation in a patient simulation experience.
High-dimensional deconstruction of pancreatic cancer identifies tumor microenvironmental and developmental stemness features that predict survival
Authors: Chaudhuri Aadel , Storrs Erik , Chati Prathamesh , Usmani Abul , Sloan Ian , Krasnick Bradley , Babbra Ramandeep Kaur , Harris Peter , Qaium Faridi , Chatterjee Deyali , Wetzel Chris , Goedegebuure Peter , Hollander Thomas , Anthony Hephzibah , Ponce Jennifer , Khaliq Ateeq , Badiyan Shahed , Kim Hyun , DeNardo David , Lang Gabriel , Cosgrove Natalie , Kushnir Vladimir , Early Dayna , Masood Ashiq , Lim Kian-Huat , Hawkins William , Ding Li , Fields Ryan , Das Koushik
Published: April 2023

Numerous cell states are known to comprise the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the developmental stemness and co-occurrence of these cell states remain poorly defined. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on a cohort of treatment-naive PDAC time-of-diagnosis endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) samples (n=25) and surgical resections (n=6), which were then combined with publicly available samples to increase statistical power (n=80). Following annotation into 25 distinct cell states, cells were scored for developmental stemness and a customized version of the Ecotyper tool was used to identify communities of co-occurring cell states in bulk RNA-seq samples (n=268). We discovered a tumor microenvironmental community comprised of aggressive basal-like malignant cells, tumor-promoting SPP1+ macrophages, and myofibroblastic cancer-associated fibroblasts associated with especially poor prognosis. We also found a developmental stemness continuum with implications for survival that is present in both malignant cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). We further demonstrated that high-dimensional analyses predictive of survival are feasible using standard-of-care, time-of-diagnosis EUS-FNB specimens. In summary, we identified novel tumor microenvironmental and developmental stemness characteristics from a high-dimensional gene expression analysis of PDAC using human tissue specimens including time-of-diagnosis EUS-FNB samples. These reveal new connections between tumor microenvironmental composition, CAF and malignant cell stemness, and patient survival that could lead to better upfront risk stratification and more personalized upfront clinical decision-making.
Genetic diversification of allohexaploid Brassica hybrids (AABBCC) using fertile octoploid with excessive C genome set
Authors: Shinke Teppei , Yamazaki Akira , Kudo Hiroshi , Hosokawa Munetaka
Published: April 2023

Even if somatic hybrids are produced, they are usually the end products and are difficult to develop as an innovative crop. In this study, we used somatic hybrids of Brassica juncea (AABB) and B. oleracea (CC) as model cases for the genetic diversification of the somatic hybrids. One cell of ‘Takana’ (B. juncea) and two cells of ‘Snow Crown’ (B. oleracea) were fused to create several somatic hybrids with excessive C genomes, AABBCCCC. Using AABBCCCC somatic hybrids as mother plants and crossbreeding with ‘Takana’, the AABBCC progenies were generated. When these AABBCC progenies were self-fertilized, and flow cytometric analysis was performed on the next generations, differences in the relative amount of genome size variation were observed, depending on the different individuals of AABBCCCC. In other words, somatic hybrid generations may be involved in the genetic stability/instability of generations produced by crossbreeding. Next, to obtain genetic diversification of the trigenomic hexaploid, different cultivars of B. juncea were crossed with AABBCCCC, resulting in a series of later generations with diverse AABBCC genomes. Genetic diversity can be further expanded by crossbreeding plants with different AABBCC genome sets. Although genetic stability is necessary to ensure in the later generations, the results obtained in this study show that the use of somatic hybrids with excess genomes is an effective strategy for creating innovative crops.
GCSF, A Diagnostic Marker and Potential Drug Target Candidate in Glioblastoma
Authors: Ahsan Hina , Asghar Muhammad , Malik Shaukat Iqbal
Published: April 2023

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most prevalent brain malignancy in adults. However, molecular mechanisms, which leads to GBM have not been completely elucidated. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor GCSFR, and Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) have been involved in the occurrence and development of various cancers, but their role in GBM is little known. Herein, we have investigated the gene and protein expression of GCSF, GCSFR, and STAT3 in 21 tissue biopsy samples and also in tumor associated normal tissue (TANT) samples derived from glioblastoma patients, which revealed significantly differential expression of these genes. To validate our findings, we performed a comprehensive integrated analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of respective genes by retrieving Glioblastoma multiforme RNA-sequence data from Genome Atlas Databases. GO and KEGG analysis revealed enrichment in disease-related pathways, such as JAK/STAT pathway activation, which were associated with GBM progression. We further performed computational docking analysis of potential drug candidate Nisin against GCSF, and the results were validated in vitro through cytotoxic activity assay using a human glioblastoma cell line SF-767 in a dose-dependent manner. Our comprehensive analysis reveal that GCSF augments glioma progression, and its blockade with anticancer bacteriocin peptide Nisin can potentially inhibit the growth and metastasis of glioblastoma.