bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current Physical Therapy Management and Clinical Evaluation for Achilles Tendinopathy
Authors: Dungkong Sangarun
Published: May 2023

Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is common in both the general population and athletes, especially in running and jumping sports. The incidence of AT is 43% in athletes, but as high as 83% in middle-distance runners. However, 30% of patients have a sedentary lifestyle. Currently, the physical therapy (PT) is an effective conservative treatment and more widely population. Objective this review article is update the most effective physiotherapy treatment and the most validity and reliability clinical evaluation for AT. Destination is to provide physical therapist guideline for select appropriate clinical practice. The results of the literature review found that key treatment recommendation for AT is to follow an eccentric exercise protocol, which is the most common intervention for the management of functional limitations in AT. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is the most commonly used next step when patients do not respond to eccentric exercise. Also, eccentric exercise combined with ESWT and eccentricexercise combined with ankle joint mobilization can improve immediately enhance their quality of life more than either treatment alone. Clinical evaluation can utilize many tools but the VISA-A questionnaire was developed as a validity and reliability assessment for AT. A limitation of the VISA-A questionnaire is that it was designed for athletes only, and so is inappropriate for the general population. The FAOS questionnaire has been accepted as a valid and reliable tool for evaluating foot and ankle injuries. Clinical evaluation is recommended to choosethe appropriate assessment tool each patient (for the general population or athletes).
The Feasibility and Outcomes of Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery to Treat Staghorn Renal Calculi
Authors: Chotikawanich Ekkarin , Leewansangtong Sunai , Liangkobkit Karn , Nualyong Chaiyong , Srinualnad Sittiporn , Chaiyaprasithi Bansithi , Taweemonkongsap Tawatchai , Phinthusophon Kittipong , Jitpraphai Siros , Ramart Patkawat , Woranisarakul Varat , Suk-ouichai Chalairat , Mankongsrisuk Thawatchai , Hansomwong Thitipat , Jongjitaree Kantima
Published: May 2023

Objective: To study the safety and efficacy of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in patients with staghorn stones.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study was carried out between May 2016 and October 2020, which is when we performed RIRS in staghorn stone patients. Medical records of all patients with this condition in the database of Siriraj Hospital were reviewed. A total of 35 patients were eligible for this study. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the safety and efficacy of RIRS in patients with staghorn stones.
Results: In total, 31.43% of patients were stone-free after the first round of RIRS and 59.55% achieved stone-free status after the second procedure. The stone-free rate did not increase after a second round of RIRS. The median size of all staghorn stones was 3.1 cm. Unfortunately, we found two sepsis patients in this study. We also found eight events of minor complications, including fever and minimal ureteric injury in 54 sessions of RIRS we performed. However, no major injuries or bleeding requiring blood transfusion was identified.
Conclusion: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is still considered the first-line therapy for kidney stones over two centimeters with a favorable stone-free rate. But, in some patients with limitations such as uncorrectable coagulopathies, impaired renal function, single kidney, and morbid obesity, RIRS is a good choice to reduce the likelihood of serious complications and have an acceptable stone-free rate. However, a prospective study should be performed to confirm these findings.
Adverse Events of Traditional Medicines and Herbal Products in The Thai Health Product Vigilance Center Database and The Ayurved Clinic of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, Siriraj Hospital
Authors: Niyomnaitham Suvimol , Chuensakun Narichat , Prachakit Slita , Pakjamsai Chidapa , Akarasereenont Pravit
Published: May 2023

Objective: The aim of this study was to categorize adverse events (AEs) and symptoms related to traditional medicines (TMs) and herbal products (HPs) using the Thai Vigibase program (TVP).
Materials and Methods: TVP collected spontaneous AE reports including causality assessment of medical products in Thailand. For prospective data, Naranjo’s algorithm (NJA) was used to determine the level of causality.
Results: There were a total of 1,133 AE case reports extracted from TVP and featured 1,229 TMs/HPs (310 TMs/HPs names) and 1,592 symptoms (204 symptom names). Andrographis paniculata was the product most frequently linked to AEs, with six cases of confirmed urticaria, 37 probable cases, and 24 possible causalities, 15 patients were given 23 TMs/HPs and this related to 33 AEs. The Ya Hom No.24 Tablets had the most reported AEs at 17.4% with only one causality, which was most probably linked to chest burning pain. There was also one case of herbal decoction relieving menopausal symptoms that was certainly related to chest fullness, feeling hot and cold, suffocation feeling, and sweating increase. Ayurved Siriraj Brand Ya Lom No.65 Pills, also reported one case that was linked to fatigue and drowsiness.
Conclusion: Reports from both data sources found a similar pattern in AE type and TMs/HPs. Naranjo’s algorithm might be one of useful tools to help assess the causality between TMs/HPs and AEs. The results of this study serve as a good reference for causality between TMs/HPs and their AEs for all Thai traditional medicine practitioners.
A Re-Imagined Institutional Student Retention and Success Framework to Enhance Holistic Student Support
Authors: Brown Vanessa , Pather Sabetra , Lawack Vivienne
Published: May 2023

The focus on student retention and success is a core concern at higher education institutions world-wide. In the South African higher education system, the widening of access, high attrition, low throughput and low completion rates highlight the vast disparities with students entering university. Student diversity with regard to prior contexts influences the way students engage in the higher education environment. In addition, many South African universities are equally not prepared to cater for the diverse needs of their students. This paper highlights the development and implementation of a holistic institutional student retention and success framework. The framework places the student as the central focus and the institution as a key role player in supporting student retention and success. Quantitative and qualitative data were used to inform the development of the student retention and success framework. Data were collected from a cohort of students over a seven-year period (2010 to 2017). A trend analysis was conducted with 4 547 students, using quantitative data from the university management system; in 2017 qualitative data were collected from a purposively selected sample of 54 students to gain an in-depth understanding of how students navigate their university studies within the university systems. Bertalanffy’s general systems theory (GST) was used to analyse the data and bring into focus the significance of the interdependence and interrelatedness of systems, and structures which influence each other directly or indirectly. In the framework the phenomenon of student success is viewed holistically as a set of elements interacting with one another within the university as a system. The paper argues that each element in the framework has an important role to play in providing holistic student support, engagement and success.
Effect of Teacher’s Behavior on Students’ Concentration Level
Authors: Kamijo Koichi , Shiojiri (Saito) Aki , Suzuki Kei , Ohzeki Kazuo , Suzuki Masami , Sugaya Midori
Published: May 2023

During lectures at universities and the like, teachers must devise ways to keep students concentrated and to ensure that they understand the taught material. However, even if this is the teachers’ intention, it does not necessarily mean that the students are actually concentrated; the way teachers teach or the lacking interest of students can negatively affect their level of concentration. In fact, teachers cannot easily determine whether their students are concentrated during the lecture. In this study, we analyze the relationship among the students’ concentration level, study material, and teacher’s behavior. We provided nine one-hour Python programming classes in person. 38 students participated in the programming classes in all and each student attended up to three classes out of nine. In each class, three students were asked to wear electroencephalographs to measure their brain waves while the lecture was recorded on video. We collected 12 hours brain waves data and measured the concentration levels of the students based on the brain waves (i.e., the amplitude ratio between the beta and alpha waves) and their time differentials. Subsequently, we investigated how their concentration levels changed according to the study material and teacher’s behavior. We discovered that the students’ concentration levels are higher when the teacher is talking than when the students are having tests. Their concentration level increases when the teacher looks at them (i.e., away from the blackboard) or asks a student to answer a question. Based on these results, we present suggestions that help teachers maintain the student’s concentration levels high during lectures.
Equivalence of the Four Fundamental Forces via Singularity Cancellation in Complex Function Theory
Authors: CHEN WEN-XIANG
Published: May 2023

This paper proposes a novel mathematical framework based on complex function theory to investigate the equivalence of the four fundamental forces: gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear. By employing the properties of singularities in complex functions, we demonstrate that the equivalence can be achieved by cancelling out singularities in a specific way. Our approach not only expands the understanding of the interrelation between these forces but also provides new insights for potential unified theories.
Pelatihan Membuat Hand Sanitizer dan Obat Kumur Herbal kepada Siswa SMK Farmasi Saraswati 3 Denpasar
Authors: Suradnyana I Gede Made Suradnyana , Ni Made Dharma Shantini Suena  , Debby Juliadi
Published: May 2023

The prolonged Covid-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in income and an increase in expenditure to maintain body immunity and implement health protocols. One of the affected community groups is students of SMK Farmasi Saraswati 3 Denpasar, so many students are in arrears of school fees. Efforts need to reduce family expenses, especially for health protocols and body immunity. One of the efforts is to provide training in making handsanitizer and mouthwash from herbs. The training aims to enable students to make handsanitizer and mouthwash as well as health drinks that can be used by themselves and their families. Thus students can reduce the burden on the family, especially spending on implementing health protocols. The training lasted for two days, taking place at SMK Farmasi Saraswati 3 Denpasar and was attended by 22 participants. The training was carried out in two stages, explanations and discussions regarding handsanitizers and mouthwashes which were held on May 24 2022, followed by practice on making preparations on May 28 2022. Before and after the training, tests were carried out to determine the participants' level of knowledge regarding handsanitizers and mouthwashes. The test results showed an increase in the average knowledge score from 68.9 to 97.3. It can be concluded that the provision of training is able to increase the knowledge of participants. Further training is needed regarding the business aspects of the product so as to increase family income.
Pembuatan Jamban Keluarga untuk Rumah Tangga dengan Kasus Stunting di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Wani
Authors: Sapriana Sapriana , Sasmita Hanum , Novarianti Novarianti
Published: May 2023

The working area of the Wani Community Health Center has 193 cases of stunting in toddlers. One of the risk factors for stunting in toddlers is the use of family toilets. In Central Sulawesi, low birth weight, lack of handwashing behavior, and not having a toilet are risk factors for stunting in infants. Family toilets are an important sanitation facility for housing. The goal of this activity is to provide adequate sanitation facilities for defecation for one household that has a stunted toddler and for the household members to be able to use it. The method of community service is by practicing the construction of healthy toilets and providing education and discussion on healthy toilets to the community who have stunting cases. The target of the education is 20 mothers of stunted toddlers in the working area of the Wani Community Health Center, and after that, the utilization will be evaluated by household members. The results of this community service are the construction of one toilet facility and education to the community on the importance of toilets. The conclusion is that all household members should not dispose of waste in any place such as in rivers and behind houses as before. It is recommended that every household have a healthy toilet to break the chain of environmentally-based disease transmission.
Case Report: Double trouble: a rare case of successfully treated Mycoplasma hominis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa co-infection
Authors: Huang Shi-Mei , Tang Yu-Rong , Wang Ji-Liang , Wang Xiao-Zhen , Zhang Yuan-Yuan , Pan Su-Fei
Published: May 2023

Background

Extra-urogenital infections due to Mycoplasma hominis (M. hominis) are rare, particularly co-infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Herein, we report on a patient who was co-infected and successfully treated despite delayed treatment.

Case presentation

We reported the case of a 43-year-old man with M. hominis and P. aeruginosa co-infection after a traffic accident. The patient developed a fever and severe infection despite postoperative antimicrobial therapies. The blood culture of wound tissues was positive for P. aeruginosa. Meanwhile, culturing of blood and wound samples showed pinpoint-sized colonies on blood agar plates and fried-egg-type colonies on mycoplasma medium, which were identified as M. hominis by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and 16S rRNA sequencing. Based on antibiotic susceptibility and symptoms, ceftazidime–avibactam and moxifloxacin were administered for P. aeruginosa infection. Meanwhile, after the failure of a series of anti-infective agents, M. hominis and P. aeruginosa co-infection was successfully treated with a minocycline-based regimen and polymyxin B.

Conclusion

The co-infection with M. hominis and P. aeruginosa was successfully treated with anti-infective agents despite delayed treatment, providing information for the management of double infection.
HBV reactivation and its effect on survival in HBV-related hepatocarcinoma patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors plus immune checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Shen Jiaming , Wang Xia , Wang Ningning , Wen Shifei , Yang Guangde , Li Li , Fu Juanjuan , Pan Xiucheng
Published: May 2023

Objective

This study aimed to access hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation and its effect on survival in HBV-related hepatocarcinoma (HCC) patients who underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) plus immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Methods

In this single-center retrospective study, we enrolled 119 HBV-related unresectable advanced HCC patients receiving TACE combined with TKIs plus ICIs. Risk factors for HBV reactivation were analyzed by logistic regression. Kaplan-Meier method was applied to draw the survival curve, and log-rank test was used to compare survival between patients with and without HBV reactivation.

Results

A total of 12 patients (10.1%) encountered HBV reactivation in our study, of which only 4 patients received antiviral prophylaxis. The incidence of HBV reactivation was 1.8% (1/57) in patients with detectable baseline HBV DNA and 4.2% (4/95) in patients with antiviral prophylaxis respectively. Lack of prophylactic antiviral treatment (OR=0.047, 95%CI 0.008-0.273, P=0.001) and undetectable HBV DNA (OR=0.073, 95%CI 0.007-0.727, P=0.026) were independent risk factors for HBV reactivation. The median survival time (MST) for all patients was 22.4 months. No survival difference was observed in patients with or without HBV reactivation. (MST: undefined vs 22.4 months, log-rank test: P=0.614).

Conclusion

HBV reactivation could occur in HBV-related HCC patients who treated with TACE in combination with TKIs plus ICIs. Before and during the combination treatment, it is necessary to routinely monitor HBV DNA and to take effective prophylactic antiviral therapy.
TLR4 activation by lysozyme induces pain without inflammation
Authors: Yadav Saurabh , Singh Amrita , Kant Ravi , Surolia Avadhesha
Published: May 2023

Mostly, pain has been studied in association with inflammation, until recent studies which indicate that during bacterial infections, pain mechanisms could be independent of the inflammation. Chronic pain can sustain long after the healing from the injury, even in the absence of any visible inflammation. However, the mechanism behind this is not known. We tested inflammation in lysozyme-injected mice foot paw. Interestingly, we observed no inflammation in mice foot paw. Yet, lysozyme injections induced pain in these mice. Lysozyme induces pain in a TLR4-dependent manner and TLR4 activation by its ligands such as LPS leads to inflammatory response. We compared the intracellular signaling of MyD88 and TRIF pathways upon TLR4 activation by lysozyme and LPS to understand the underlying mechanism behind the absence of an inflammatory response upon lysozyme treatment. We observed a TLR4 induced selective TRIF and not MyD88 pathway activation upon lysozyme treatment. This is unlike any other previously known endogenous TLR4 activators. A selective activation of TRIF pathway by lysozyme induces weak inflammatory cytokine response devoid of inflammation. However, lysozyme activates glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase-2 (GOT2) in neurons in a TRIF-dependent manner, resulting in enhanced glutamate response. We propose that this enhanced glutaminergic response could lead to neuronal activation resulting in pain sensation upon lysozyme injections. Collectively we identify that TLR4 activation by lysozyme can induce pain in absence of a significant inflammation. Also, unlike other known TLR4 endogenous activators, lysozyme does not activate MyD88 signaling. These findings uncover a mechanism of selective activation of TRIF pathway by TLR4. This selective TRIF activation induces pain with negligible inflammation, constituting a chronic pain homeostatic mechanism.
Sequential therapy with supercharged NK cells with either chemotherapy drug cisplatin or anti-PD-1 antibody decreases the tumor size and significantly enhances the NK function in Hu-BLT mice
Authors: Kaur Kawaljit , Chen Po-Chun , Ko Meng-Wei , Mei Ao , Senjor Emanuela , Malarkannan Subramaniam , Kos Janko , Jewett Anahid
Published: May 2023

Introduction and methods

In this study we report that sequential treatment of supercharged NK (sNK) cells with either chemotherapeutic drugs or check-point inhibitors eliminate both poorly differentiated and well differentiated tumors in-vivo in humanized-BLT mice.

Background and results

sNK cells were found to be a unique population of activated NK cells with genetic, proteomic, and functional attributes that are very different from primary untreated or IL-2 treated NK cells. Furthermore, NK-supernatant differentiated or well-differentiated oral or pancreatic tumor cell lines are not susceptible to IL-2 activated primary NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity; however, they are greatly killed by the CDDP and paclitaxel in in-vitro assays. Injection of one dose of sNK cells at 1 million cells per mouse to aggressive CSC-like/poorly differentiated oral tumor bearing mice, followed by an injection of CDDP, inhibited tumor weight and growth, and increased IFN-γ secretion as well as NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity substantially in bone marrow, spleen and peripheral blood derived immune cells. Similarly, the use of check point inhibitor anti-PD-1 antibody increased IFN-γ secretion and NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and decreased the tumor burden in-vivo, and tumor growth of resected minimal residual tumors from hu-BLT mice when used sequentially with sNK cells. The addition of anti-PDL1 antibody to poorly differentiated MP2, NK-differentiated MP2 or well-differentiated PL-12 pancreatic tumors had different effects on tumor cells depending on the differentiation status of the tumor cells, since differentiated tumors expressed PD-L1 and were susceptible to NK cell mediated ADCC, whereas poorly differentiated OSCSCs or MP2 did not express PD-L1 and were killed directly by the NK cells.

Conclusions

Therefore, the ability to target combinatorially clones of tumors with NK cells and chemotherapeutic drugs or NK cells with checkpoint inhibitors at different stages of tumor differentiation may be crucial for successful eradication and cure of cancer. Furthermore, the success of check point inhibitor PD-L1 may relate to the levels of expression on tumor cells.
High opsonic phagocytosis activity and growth inhibition of merozoites are associated with RON4 antibody levels and protect against febrile malaria in Ghanaian children
Authors: Kyei-Baafour Eric , Kusi Kwadwo Asamoah , Arthur Fareed K.N. , Tiendrebeogo Regis W. , Owusu-Yeboa Eunice , Singh Susheel K. , Friedrich Sarah , Gerds Thomas A. , Dodoo Daniel , Theisen Michael , Adu Bright
Published: May 2023

Background

Naturally acquired immunity to malaria may involve different immune mechanisms working in concert, however, their respective contributions and potential antigenic targets have not been clearly established. Here, we assessed the roles of opsonic phagocytosis and antibody-mediated merozoite growth inhibition in Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) infection outcomes in Ghanaian children.

Methods

The levels of merozoite opsonic phagocytosis, growth inhibition activities and six P. falciparum antigen-specific IgG of plasma samples from children (n=238, aged 0.5 to 13 years) were measured at baseline prior to the malaria seasons in southern Ghana. The children were then actively and passively followed up for febrile malaria and asymptomatic P. falciparum infection detection in a 50-week longitudinal cohort. P. falciparum infection outcome was modelled as a function of the measured immune parameters while accounting for important demographic factors.

Results

High plasma activity of opsonic phagocytosis [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)= 0.16; 95%CI= 0.05 - 0.50, p = 0.002], and growth inhibition (aOR=0.15; 95% CI = 0.04-0.47; p = 0.001) were individually associated with protection against febrile malaria. There was no evidence of correlation (b= 0.13; 95% CI= -0.04-0.30; p=0.14) between the two assays. IgG antibodies against MSPDBL1 correlated with opsonic phagocytosis (OP) while IgG against PfRh2a correlated with growth inhibition. Notably, IgG antibodies against RON4 correlated with both assays.

Conclusion

Opsonic phagocytosis and growth inhibition are protective immune mechanisms against malaria that may be acting independently to confer overall protection. Vaccines incorporating RON4 may benefit from both immune mechanisms.
Identification of multiple novel susceptibility genes associated with autoimmune thyroid disease
Authors: Liu Xueying , Miao Yahu , Liu Chao , Lu Wan , Feng Qing , Zhang Qiu
Published: May 2023

Background

Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is induced by various factors, including inheritability, which regulates gene expression. Multiple loci correlated with AITD have been discovered utilizing genome-wide association studies (GWASs). Nevertheless, demonstrating the biological relevance and function of these genetic loci is difficult.

Methods

The FUSION software was utilized to define genes that were expressed differentially in AITD using a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) method in accordance with GWAS summary statistics from the largest genome-wide association study of 755,406 AITD individuals (30,234 cases and 725,172 controls) and levels of gene expression from two tissue datasets (blood and thyroid). Further analyses were performed such as colocalization, conditional, and fine-mapping analyses to extensively characterize the identified associations, using functional mapping and annotation (FUMA) to conduct functional annotation of the summary statistics of 23329 significant risk SNPs (P < 5 × 10−8) recognized by GWAS, together with summary-data-based mendelian randomization (SMR) for identifying functionally related genes at the loci in GWAS.

Results

There were 330 genes with transcriptome-wide significant differences between cases and controls, and the majority of these genes were new. 9 of the 94 unique significant genes had strong, colocalized, and potentially causal correlations with AITD. Such strong associations included CD247, TPO, KIAA1524, PDE8B, BACH2, FYN, FOXK1, NKX2-3, and SPATA13. Subsequently, applying the FUMA approach, novel putative AITD susceptibility genes and involved gene sets were detected. Furthermore, we detected 95 probes that showed strong pleiotropic association with AITD through SMR analysis, such as CYP21A2, TPO, BRD7, and FCRL3. Lastly, we selected 26 genes by integrating the result of TWAS, FUMA, and SMR analysis. A phenome-wide association study (pheWAS) was then carried out to determine the risk of other related or co-morbid phenotypes for AITD-related genes.

Conclusions

The current work provides further insight into widespread changes in AITD at the transcriptomic level, as well as characterized the genetic component of gene expression in AITD by validating identified genes, establishing new correlations, and uncovering novel susceptibility genes. Our findings indicate that the genetic component of gene expression plays a significant part in AITD.
The thymus and T-cell ontogeny in ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) is nutritionally modelled
Authors: Etayo Angela , Lie Kai K. , Bjelland Reidun M. , Hordvik Ivar , Øvergård Aina-Cathrine , Sæle Øystein
Published: May 2023

Marine fish larvae often experience high mortality unrelated to predation during early life stages, and farmed ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) is no exception. Knowing when the adaptive immune system is developed and fully functional, and how nutrition may modulate these processes is therefore of importance to establish effective prophylactic measures and will also extend the relatively limited knowledge on the immune system in lower vertebrates. The thymus anlage of ballan wrasse was found to be histologically visible for the first time at larval stage 3 (20–30 days post hatch, dph) and becomes lymphoid at stage 5 (50–60 dph) correlating with an increase of T-cell marker transcripts. At this stage, a clear zonation into a RAG1+ cortex and a RAG1- CD3ϵ+ medulla was distinguished, indicating that T-cell maturation processes in ballan wrasse are similar to other teleosts. The higher abundance of CD4-1+ compared to CD8β+ cells in the thymus together with the apparent lack of CD8β+ cells in gill, gut, and pharynx, where CD4-1+ cells were identified, indicates that helper T-cells have a more prominent role during larval development compared to cytotoxic T-cells. As ballan wrasse lacks a stomach but has an exceptionally high IgM expression in the hindgut, we hypothesize that helper T-cells are crucial for activation and recruitment of IgM+ B-cells and possibly other leukocytes to the gut during early development. Nutritional factors such as DHA/EPA, Zn and Se may lead to an earlier expression of certain T-cell markers as well as a larger size of the thymus, indicating an earlier onset of adaptive immunity. Including live feeds that supplies the larva with higher amounts of these nutrients can therefore be beneficial for ballan wrasse farming.
Stronger selective constraints on the mitochondrial genome in flying fishes
Authors: Ding Zufa , Xu Youwei , Chen Wenjun , Liu Yang , Wang Cheng , Niu Yuhan , Zhang Kui , Wang Ying , Yang Liandong
Published: May 2023

Flying fishes, which use their wing-like pectoral fins and hypocercal caudal fin to glide through the air to avoid underwater predators, have independently evolved flight behavior, making them ideal for the study of adaptive evolution. To investigate the adaptation of flight behavior in flying fishes and the origin of Beloniformes fishes, this study obtained the complete mitochondrial genomes of Cheilopogon nigricans and Oxyporhamphus micropterus and constructed the DNA sequences extracted from these newly sequenced mitochondrial genomes with the DNA sequences of 32 previously published mitochondrial genomes into a dataset for reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships of Beloniformes fishes. The phylogeny that emerged strongly supported the possibility that flying fishes developed from halfbeaks and the progressive transition of flying fishes from two-wing to four-wing gliding. The divergence time analysis showed that the split between the suborder Belonidei and the family Adrianichthyidae occurred roughly 77.08 Mya, which fell within the period of evolution of the Indian plate in the late Cretaceous. Selection analyses revealed that flying fishes have a lower dN/dS ratio than the other members of Beloniformes, indicating that flying fishes experienced stronger purifying selection to eliminate deleterious mutations to maintain efficient energy metabolism to adapt to flight behavior. Moreover, this work found the positively selected signal in the ND4 gene, suggesting that different mitogenomic genes might have undergone different selective patterns during adaptive evolution.
Survival analysis and prognosis of patients with breast cancer with pleural metastasis
Authors: Li Sumei , Li Chao , Shao Wenna , Liu Xiaoyu , Sun Luhao , Yu Zhiyong
Published: May 2023

Background

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant cancer. The prognosis of patients differs according to the location of distant metastasis, with pleura being a common metastatic site in BC. Nonetheless, clinical data of patients with pleural metastasis (PM) as the only distant metastatic site at initial diagnosis of metastatic BC (MBC) are limited.

Patient cohort and methods

The medical records of patients who were hospitalized in Shandong Cancer Hospital between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2021 were reviewed, and patients eligible for the study were selected. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan–Meier (KM) method. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards models were used to identify prognostic factors. Finally, based on these selected factors, a nomogram was constructed and validated.

Results

In total, 182 patients were included; 58 (group A), 81 (group B), and 43 (group C) patients presented with only PM, only lung metastasis (LM), and PM combined with LM, respectively. The KM curves revealed no significant difference in overall survival (OS) among the three groups. However, in terms of survival after distant metastasis (M-OS), the difference was significant: patients with only PM exhibited the best prognosis, whereas those with PM combined with LM exhibited the worst prognosis (median M-OS: 65.9, 40.5, and 32.4 months, respectively; P = 0.0067). For patients with LM in groups A and C, those with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) exhibited significantly worse M-OS than those without MPE. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that primary cancer site, T stage, N stage, location of PM, and MPE were independent prognostic factors for patients with PM without other distant metastasis. A nomogram prediction model incorporating these variables was created. According to the C-index (0.776), the AUC values of the 3-, 5-, and 8-year M-OS (0.86, 0.86, and 0.90, respectively), and calibration curves, the predicted and actual M-OS were in good agreement.

Conclusion

BC patients with PM only at the first diagnosis of MBC exhibited a better prognosis than those with LM only or PM combined with LM. We identified five independent prognostic factors associated with M-OS in this subset of patients, and a nomogram model with good predictive efficacy was established.
Expression and clinical significance of NCOA5 in epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Song Xiaoping , Qian Da , Dai Ping , Li Qian , Xi Qiuping , Sun Kailv
Published: May 2023

Background

Nuclear receptor coactivator 5 (NCOA5) plays a significant role in the progression of human cancer. However, its expression in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is unknown. The current study was designed to explore to investigate the clinical significance of NCOA5 and its correlation with the prognosis of EOC.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of NCOA5 in 60 patients with EOC in this retrospective study and statistical analysis was performed to assess its relevance to clinicopathologic features and survival.

Results

NCOA5 expression was significantly higher in EOC than in normal ovarian tissues (P < 0.001). Its expression level was significantly correlated with FIGO stage (P <0. 05) and subtypes of ovarian cancer (P < 0.001), while not correlation with age , differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that NCOA5 was significantly correlated with CA125 (P < 0.001) and HE4 (P < 0.01). In a Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall survival rates, the patients with low expression of NCOA5 had significantly longer survival than high expression of NCOA5 (p=0.038).

Conclusion

NCOA5 high expression is associated with EOC progression and can be an independent factor affecting the prognosis of EOC patients.
Preoperative prediction model for macrotrabecular-massive hepatocellular carcinoma based on contrast-enhanced CT and clinical characteristics: a retrospective study
Authors: He Chutong , Zhang Wanli , Zhao Yue , Li Jiamin , Wang Ye , Yao Wang , Wang Nianhua , Ding Wenshuang , Wei Xinhua , Yang Ruimeng , Jiang Xinqing
Published: May 2023

Objective

To investigate the predictive value of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) imaging features and clinical factors in identifying the macrotrabecular-massive (MTM) subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) preoperatively.

Methods

This retrospective study included 101 consecutive patients with pathology-proven HCC (35 MTM subtype vs. 66 non-MTM subtype) who underwent liver surgery and preoperative CECT scans from January 2017 to November 2021. The imaging features were evaluated by two board-certified abdominal radiologists independently. The clinical characteristics and imaging findings were compared between the MTM and non-MTM subtypes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association of clinical-radiological variables and MTM-HCCs and develop a predictive model. Subgroup analysis was also performed in BCLC 0-A stage patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis was used to determine the optimal cutoff values and the area under the curve (AUC) was employed to evaluate predictive performance.

Results

Intratumor hypoenhancement (odds ratio [OR] = 2.724; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.033, 7.467; p = .045), tumors without enhancing capsules (OR = 3.274; 95% CI: 1.209, 9.755; p = .03), high serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (≥ 228 ng/mL, OR = 4.101; 95% CI: 1.523, 11.722; p = .006) and high hemoglobin (≥ 130.5 g/L; OR = 3.943; 95% CI: 1.466, 11.710; p = .009) were independent predictors for MTM-HCCs. The clinical-radiologic (CR) model showed the best predictive performance, achieving an AUC of 0.793, sensitivity of 62.9% and specificity of 81.8%. The CR model also effectively identify MTM-HCCs in early-stage (BCLC 0-A stage) patients.

Conclusion

Combining CECT imaging features and clinical characteristics is an effective method for preoperatively identifying MTM-HCCs, even in early-stage patients. The CR model has high predictive performance and could potentially help guide decision-making regarding aggressive therapies in MTM-HCC patients.
Quantitative proteomic studies addressing unmet clinical needs in sarcoma
Authors: Connolly Elizabeth A. , Grimison Peter S. , Horvath Lisa G. , Robinson Phillip J. , Reddel Roger R.
Published: May 2023

Sarcoma is a rare and complex disease comprising over 80 malignant subtypes that is frequently characterized by poor prognosis. Challenges in clinical management include uncertainties in diagnosis and disease classification, limited prognostic and predictive biomarkers, incompletely understood disease heterogeneity among and within subtypes, lack of effective treatment options, and limited progress in identifying new drug targets and novel therapeutics. Proteomics refers to the study of the entire complement of proteins expressed in specific cells or tissues. Advances in proteomics have included the development of quantitative mass spectrometry (MS)-based technologies which enable analysis of large numbers of proteins with relatively high throughput, enabling proteomics to be studied on a scale that has not previously been possible. Cellular function is determined by the levels of various proteins and their interactions, so proteomics offers the possibility of new insights into cancer biology. Sarcoma proteomics therefore has the potential to address some of the key current challenges described above, but it is still in its infancy. This review covers key quantitative proteomic sarcoma studies with findings that pertain to clinical utility. Proteomic methodologies that have been applied to human sarcoma research are briefly described, including recent advances in MS-based proteomic technology. We highlight studies that illustrate how proteomics may aid diagnosis and improve disease classification by distinguishing sarcoma histologies and identify distinct profiles within histological subtypes which may aid understanding of disease heterogeneity. We also review studies where proteomics has been applied to identify prognostic, predictive and therapeutic biomarkers. These studies traverse a range of histological subtypes including chordoma, Ewing sarcoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, myxofibrosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Critical questions and unmet needs in sarcoma which can potentially be addressed with proteomics are outlined.
A pan-cancer analysis of ABI3BP: a potential biomarker for prognosis and immunoinfiltration
Authors: Feng Yan , Tao Fengying , Qiao Han , Tang Huaping
Published: May 2023

Objective

ABI Family Member 3 Binding Protein (ABI3BP) is an extracellular matrix protein that affects the carcinogenesis of lung and esophageal cancer. However, the relevance of ABI3BP in different forms of cancer is uncertain.

Methods

ABI3BP expression was interpreted using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the Genotype Tissue Expression Atlas (GTEx) database, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database, the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) database, and immunohistochemistry. The R programming language was used to analyze the association between ABI3BP expression and patient prognosis and evaluate the relationship between ABI3BP and the immune characteristics of tumors. Using the GDSC and CTRP databases, a drug sensitivity analysis of ABI3BP was conducted.

Results

ABI3BP mRNA expression was shown by differential analysis to be down-regulated in 16 tumor types relative to normal tissues, corresponding with its protein expression level as determined by immunohistochemistry. Abnormal expression of ABI3BP accurately predicts the prognosis of patients with renal chromophobe carcinoma (KICH), mesothelioma (MESO), and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). Meanwhile, aberrant expression of ABI3BP was associated with immune checkpoints, TMB, MSI, tumor purity, HRD, LOH, and drug sensitivity. A correlation between ABI3BP expression and the amount of infiltration of several immune-related cells in pan-cancer was determined by Immune Score, Stromal Score, and Estimated Score.

Conclusion

Our results show that ABI3BP might be employed as a molecular biomarker to predict prognosis, treatment susceptibility, and immunological response in patients with pan-cancer.
Lynch syndrome: from detection to treatment
Authors: Williams Madeleine H. , Hadjinicolaou Andreas V. , Norton Benjamin C. , Kader Rawen , Lovat Laurence B.
Published: May 2023

Lynch syndrome (LS) is an inherited cancer predisposition syndrome associated with high lifetime risk of developing tumours, most notably colorectal and endometrial. It arises in the context of pathogenic germline variants in one of the mismatch repair genes, that are necessary to maintain genomic stability. LS remains underdiagnosed in the population despite national recommendations for empirical testing in all new colorectal and endometrial cancer cases. There are now well-established colorectal cancer surveillance programmes, but the high rate of interval cancers identified, coupled with a paucity of high-quality evidence for extra-colonic cancer surveillance, means there is still much that can be achieved in diagnosis, risk-stratification and management. The widespread adoption of preventative pharmacological measures is on the horizon and there are exciting advances in the role of immunotherapy and anti-cancer vaccines for treatment of these highly immunogenic LS-associated tumours. In this review, we explore the current landscape and future perspectives for the identification, risk stratification and optimised management of LS with a focus on the gastrointestinal system. We highlight the current guidelines on diagnosis, surveillance, prevention and treatment and link molecular disease mechanisms to clinical practice recommendations.
Official International Mahjong: A New Playground for AI Research
Authors: Lu Yunlong , Li Wenxin , Li Wenlong
Published: May 2023

Games have long been benchmarks and testbeds for AI research. In recent years, with the development of new algorithms and the boost in computational power, many popular games played by humans have been solved by AI systems. Mahjong is one of the most popular games played in China and has been spread worldwide, which presents challenges for AI research due to its multi-agent nature, rich hidden information, and complex scoring rules, but it has been somehow overlooked in the community of game AI research. In 2020 and 2022, we held two AI competitions of Official International Mahjong, the standard variant of Mahjong rules, in conjunction with a top-tier AI conference called IJCAI. We are the first to adopt the duplicate format in evaluating Mahjong AI agents to mitigate the high variance in this game. By comparing the algorithms and performance of AI agents in the competitions, we conclude that supervised learning and reinforcement learning are the current state-of-the-art methods in this game and perform much better than heuristic methods based on human knowledge. We also held a human-versus-AI competition and found that the top AI agent still could not beat professional human players. We claim that this game can be a new benchmark for AI research due to its complexity and popularity among people.
Twenty Years of Machine-Learning-Based Text Classification: A Systematic Review
Authors: Palanivinayagam Ashokkumar , El-Bayeh Claude Ziad , Damaševičius Robertas
Published: May 2023

Machine-learning-based text classification is one of the leading research areas and has a wide range of applications, which include spam detection, hate speech identification, reviews, rating summarization, sentiment analysis, and topic modelling. Widely used machine-learning-based research differs in terms of the datasets, training methods, performance evaluation, and comparison methods used. In this paper, we surveyed 224 papers published between 2003 and 2022 that employed machine learning for text classification. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statement is used as the guidelines for the systematic review process. The comprehensive differences in the literature are analyzed in terms of six aspects: datasets, machine learning models, best accuracy, performance evaluation metrics, training and testing splitting methods, and comparisons among machine learning models. Furthermore, we highlight the limitations and research gaps in the literature. Although the research works included in the survey perform well in terms of text classification, improvement is required in many areas. We believe that this survey paper will be useful for researchers in the field of text classification.
Data-Driven Robotic Tactile Grasping for Hyper-Personalization Line Pick-and-Place
Authors: Xie Zhen , Chen Josh Ye Seng , Lim Guo Wei , Bai Fengjun
Published: May 2023

Industries such as the manufacturing or logistics industry need algorithms that are flexible to handle novel or unknown objects. Many current solutions in the market are unsuitable for grasping these objects in high-mix and low-volume scenarios. Finally, there are still gaps in terms of grasping accuracy and speed that we would like to address in this research. This project aims to improve the robotic grasping capability for novel objects with varying shapes and textures through the use of soft grippers and data-driven learning in a hyper-personalization line. A literature review was conducted to understand the tradeoffs between the deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach and the deep learning (DL) approach. The DRL approach was found to be data-intensive, complex, and collision-prone. As a result, we opted for a data-driven approach, which to be more specific, is PointNet GPD in this project. In addition, a comprehensive market survey was performed on tactile sensors and soft grippers with consideration of factors such as price, sensitivity, simplicity, and modularity. Based on our study, we chose the Rochu two-fingered soft gripper with our customized force-sensing resistor (FSR) force sensors mounted on the fingertips due to its modularity and compatibility with tactile sensors. A software architecture was proposed, including a perception module, picking module, transfer module, and packing module. Finally, we conducted model training using a soft gripper configuration and evaluated grasping with various objects, such as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) products, fruits, and vegetables, which are unknown to the robot prior to grasping. The grasping accuracy was improved from 75% based on push and grasp to 80% based on PointNetGPD. This versatile grasping platform is independent of gripper configurations and robot models. Future works are proposed to further enhance tactile sensing and grasping stability.
Validating the Whistleblowing Maturity Model Using the Delphi Method
Authors: Kagias Paschalis , Sariannidis Nikolaos , Garefalakis Alexandros , Passas Ioannis , Kyriakogkonas Panagiotis
Published: May 2023

Empirical research identifies whistleblowing as one of the most effective internal antifraud controls. Very recently, Directive 1937/2019 became effective in the EU, aiming to deal with the defragmentation of whistleblowing legislation among the member states and provide common minimum accepted standards. The present article aims to provide a verified, weighted comparative maturity model. The suggested model has been constructed based on the methodology for constructing comparative maturity models and validated based on the Delphi method. The weights on each validated component have been calculated based on the summing of votes method. The study resulted in eight main components «scope», «corporate governance», «reporting mechanisms», «protection», «tone at the top», «organizational and human resource practices», «investigations» and «monitor and review» divided further into 18 elements. The suggested maturity model may provide a pathway for organizations to develop and maintain a robust whistleblowing maturity framework that will benefit both the organizations and the public welfare.