bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is the reconstruction of medial support important for revision following failed treatment of femoral trochanteric fractures? A retrospective comparative study
Authors: QI Lin , ZHANG Wei , CHANG Zuhao , ZUO Zhaoxia , Li Jiaqi , LI Jiantao , CHEN Hua , Tang Peifu
Published: June 2022

Background
Hip-preserving revision in patients with failed treatment of femoral trochanteric fracture is still a major challenge. Whether the medial support reconstruction could benefit the patients and improve the success rate of hip-preserving revision is still controversial. Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance and prognosis of medial support reconstruction during the hip-preserving revision of failed femoral trochanteric fracture treatment.
Methods
Patients with failed femoral trochanteric fractures treatments addressed by hip-preserving revision at our hospital from January 2014 to December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. 31 patients were included and divided into a medial support group (n = 16) and a non-medial support group (n = 15). The Oxford Hip Score (OHS) was the primary measurement. In addition, the differences in quality of life, fracture healing, surgical trauma, and complications were also evaluated.
Results
The OHS (42.06 ± 4.12 vs. 30.93 ± 11.56, M ± SD), the mental component score of the 12-item Short-Form Survey (SF-12) (54.48 ± 5.38 vs. 47.90 ± 3.47, M ± SD), the fracture healing rate (100%, 16/16 vs. 66.67%, 10/15), and the fracture healing time [4 (3,5) vs. 6 (3.75,6) months, M (Q1, Q3)] were significantly better and the incidence of complications [0(0/16) vs. 40%(6/15)] was significantly lower in the medial support group than the non-medial support group (p < 0.05). No significant differences in the physical component score of the SF-12, surgical trauma and reduction in collodiaphyseal angle of affected femur were observed between groups.
Conclusions
The reconstruction of medial support seems important for revision following failed treatment of femoral trochanteric fractures. Due to the medial augmentation and improvement of the mechanical stability for proximal femur, the patients might benefit from functional and fracture healing prognosis.
Effect of chitooligosaccharides with a specific degree of polymerization on multiple targets in T2DM mice
Authors: you Jiangshan , Zhao Mengyao , Chen Shumin , Jiang Lihua , Gao Shuhong , Yin Hao , zhao liming
Published: June 2022

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) are found naturally in the ocean and present a variety of physiological activities, of which hypoglycemic action has attracted considerable research attention. The goal of this study was to assess the therapeutic effect of COS on mice suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). COS effectively reduced blood glucose and blood lipid levels and improved glucose tolerance. Furthermore, COS revealed strong inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, reducing postprandial blood glucose levels. Molecular docking data showed that COS might interact with surrounding amino acids to form a complex, decreasing α-glucosidase activity. Additionally, COS enhanced insulin signal transduction and glycogen synthesis while restricting gluconeogenesis in the liver and muscles, reducing insulin resistance (IR) as a result. Moreover, COS effectively protected and restored islet cell function to increase insulin secretion. These results indicated that COS exhibited a significant hypoglycemic effect with multi-target participation. COS might serve as a new preventive or therapeutic drug for diabetes to alleviate metabolic syndrome.
On additive manufacturing of reinforced thin metal plates
Authors: Patterson Eann A , Lambros John , Magana-Carranza Rodrigo , Sutcliffe Christopher J
Published: June 2022

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a powerful technique for producing metallic components with complex geometry relatively quickly, cheaply and directly from digital representations; however, residual stresses induced during manufacturing can result in distortions of components and reductions in mechanical performance, especially in parts that lack rotational symmetry and, or have cross-sections with large aspect ratios. Geometrically-reinforced thin plates have been built using laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and their shapes measured using stereoscopic digital image correlation before and after release from the base-plate of the AM machine. The results show that residual stresses cause potentially severe out-of-plane deformation that can be alleviated using either an enveloping support structure, which increased the build time substantially, was difficult to remove and wasted material, or using buttress supports to the reinforced edges of the thin plate. The buttresses were quick to build and remove, minimised waste but needed careful design. Plates built in a landscape orientation required out-of-plane buttresses while those built in a portrait orientation required both in-plane and out-of-plane buttresses. In both cases, out-of-plane deformation increased on release from the baseplate but this was mitigated by incremental release which resulted in out-of-plane deformations of less than 5% of the in-plane dimensions.
Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Lo Chien-Ming , Lu Hung-I , Wang Yu-Ming , Chen Yen-Hao , Chen Yu , Chen Li-Chun , Li Shau-Hsuan
Published: June 2022

Objectives: Esophagectomy after chemoradiotherapy is associated with an increased risk of surgical complications. The significance of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in predicting pulmonary complications after esophagectomy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy remains unknown. We aimed to investigate the utility of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in predicting the pulmonary complications of esophagectomy after preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 111 consecutive patients with stage III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by esophagectomy between January 2009 and December 2017. Laboratory data were collected before the operation and surgical outcomes and complications were recorded. We calculated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and correlated them with the clinical parameters, postoperative complications, overall survival, and disease-free survival.Results: Postoperative complications were observed in 75 (68%) patients, including 32 (29%) with pulmonary complications. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio of ≥3 (P = 0.008), clinical T4 carcinoma (P = 0.007), and advanced stage IIIC (P = 0.012) were significantly associated with pulmonary complications. Pulmonary complication rates were 15% and 38% in patients with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio of <3 and ≥3, respectively. The 3-year overall survival rates were 70% and 34% in patients with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio of <3 and ≥3, respectively (P = 0.0026). The 3-year disease-free survival rates were 57% and 29% in patients with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio of <3 and ≥3, respectively (P = 0.0055). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio of ≥3 was independently associated with more pulmonary complications, inferior overall survival, and worse disease-free survival.Conclusions: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is routinely available in clinical practice and can be used as a predictor for pulmonary complications after esophagectomy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy.
Identification of Potential Ferroptosis-Related Genes in Human Carotid Atherosclerosis
Authors: Cai Qiujing , Zhao Xiaolei , Li Yanqi , Wang Chenglong , Zhang Xinmin , Huang Lisha , Hu Aihua
Published: June 2022

Background: Carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) is a common chronic vascular inflammatory disease and one of the main causes of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs). Ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) may play a crucial part in pathophysiological processes of CAS. However, the expression profile of FRGs have rarely been adopted to explore the relationship between ferroptosis and CAS. Objects: Therefore, using the expression profile of FRGs to explore the relationship between ferroptosis and CAS may provide new insights for the prevention and treatment of CVD. Methods: The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the GSE432192 dataset were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Ferroptosis-related-genes (FRGs) were identified by downloading data from the FerrDb database. The GSE432192 dataset contains 32 carotid atheroma plaque samples and 32 macroscopically intact carotid tissue samples adjacent to the atheroma plaque. The differentially expressed FRGs (DE-FRGs) of the GSE432192 dataset were screened and analyzed by gene ontology analysis (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis (KEGG), protein-protein interaction network (PPI), and were chosen to explore related miRNAs. Results: The GSE432192 dataset had a total of 41 DE-FRGs. The GO analysis results revealed that DE-FRGs were mainly enriched in response to oxidative stress, oxidoreductase activity acting on NAD(P)H, and apical part of cell. KEGG analysis results showed that DE-FRGs were mainly enriched in ferroptosis and chemical carcinogenesis – reactive oxygen species relating pathways. Expressions of top 5 hub genes, as HIF1A, HMOX1, TFRC, CYBB, EGFR, were regarded as focus in the PPI regulatory networks. Conclusions: In this study, Ferroptosis and FRGs may play a vital role in regulating the pathophysiology of CAS.
Analysis of the relationship of the serum vitamin D level with infertility and associated factors
Authors: Li Jiaheng , Li Yijiang , Du Mingze , Hou Xuan , Ji Menglu , Yang Bo , Zhang Yuchao , Guan Yichun , Wang Xingling
Published: June 2022

Objective: The aims of this study were to study the distribution of the serum VD levels among infertile people and to analyze the relationships between VD levels and the basic conditions of infertile patients, as well as laboratory indicators.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 12,261 infertile patients who were treated with ART for the first time in the Reproductive Medicine Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2016 to December 2018. According to the serum 25(OH)D level, the patients were divided into the following two groups: the VD deficiency group (25(OH)D≤50 nmol/l) and VD nondeficiency group (25(OH)D>50 nmol/l). Results: Regression analysis showed that VD levels were not affected by BMI, PCOS, the blood type, family history or endometriosis (P>0.05). Advanced female age (>35 years) was a protective factor against VD deficiency; women under 35 years of age were more likely to develop VD deficiency than those over 35 years of age (P<0.05). The season of VD determination affected its level; the levels of VD in summer and autumn were significantly higher than those in winter and spring (P<0.05).They were obviously higher in spring than in winter (P<0.05). Insulin resistance affected VD levels; patients with insulin resistance were more prone to VD deficiency than those without insulin resistance (P<0.05). Conclusions: VD deficiency exists among infertile patients. The level of VD is affected by the woman's age, the season of determination and insulin resistance. BMI, PCOS, blood type, family history and endometriosis have no influence on vitamin D levels.
COVID-19 the Gateway for Future learning: The Impact of Online Teaching on the Future Learning Environment
Authors: alharbi badr A. , Ibrahem Usama M. , Moussa Mahmoud A. , Abdelwahab Shimaa M.
Published: June 2022

COVID-19 has changed the shape of education. These changes may be undone once universities return, and not all of them are reforms. Yet, some of these changes offer unique opportunities matching pre-COVID-19 proposals.This study’s purposes are to study staff members' perceptions of online teaching during COVID-19 and identify the drivers of change in the future learning environment. The study community represents faculty staff in Saudi universities. The sample consisted of 127 faculty staff in 9 Saudi universities. Participants had positive perceptions of the usage of e-learning platforms during COVID-19, according to data analysis (though negative experiences existed). Future research must focus on the subtle challenges of aligning theoretical and methodological designs to appropriately analyze the phenomenon under inquiry while contributing to a well-executed body of research in the field of educational technology. Future research is needed to see how lecturers view ICT trading post-COVID-19 strategies.Originality/valueThis research is unique in that it entails cloud computing applications in future education, as well as remote/distance learning, which have not before been investigated in the literature.
Deep learning model for analyzing the relationship between mandibular third molar and inferior alveolar nerve in panoramic radiography
Authors: Sukegawa Shintaro , Tanaka Futa , Hara Takeshi , Yoshii Kazumasa , Yamashita Katsusuke , Nakano Keisuke , Takabatake Kiyofumi , Kawai Hotaka , Nagatsuka Hitoshi , Furuki Yoshihiko
Published: June 2022

In this study, the accuracy of the positional relationship of the contact between the inferior alveolar canal and mandibular third molar was evaluated using deep learning. In contact analysis, we investigated the diagnostic performance of the presence or absence of contact between the mandibular third molar and inferior alveolar canal. We also evaluated the diagnostic performance of bone continuity diagnosed based on computed tomography (CT) as a continuity analysis. A dataset of 1279 images of mandibular third molars from digital radiographs taken at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at a general hospital (2014-2021) was used for the validation. The deep learning models were ResNet50 and ResNet50v2, with stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and sharpness-aware minimization (SAM) as optimizers. The performance metrics were accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, F1 score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The results demonstrated that ResNet50v2 using the optimizer SAM performed excellently in the contact and continuity analyses. The accuracy and AUC were 0.860, 0.890 for the contact analyses and 0.766, 0.843 for the continuity analyses. In contact analysis, SAM and the deep learning model performed effectively. However, in the continuity analysis, none of the deep learning models demonstrated significant classification performance.
Contextual and community factors associated with daily exclusive ENDS use and dual use with tobacco cigarettes among adolescent vapers: an ecological momentary assessment study
Authors: Abadi Melissa H. , Shamblen Stephen R. , Thompson Kirsten , Lipperman-Kreda Sharon , Grube Joel , Richard Bonnie O. , Aramburu Camila
Published: June 2022

Background
Adolescents who dual use ENDS with tobacco cigarettes are more likely to have an increased risk of developing dependence. Yet, little is understood about the factors driving dual use among adolescents. The current study sought to reveal the day-to-day contextual and community factors associated with adolescents’ use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and how these factors predict dual use with tobacco cigarettes.
Methods
We collected ecological momentary assessments (EMA) from a sample of 50 adolescent past two-week vapers (ages 14–17 years old) over 14 days. Daily EMA data were collected on ENDS and tobacco cigarette use, as well as a range of contextual (i.e., motivations to vape, location of vaping, who with when vaping) and community factors (i.e., exposure to peers vaping, to adults vaping, to ENDS advertising, to ENDS warning messages). Our primary analyses were multilevel regressions, accounting for daily observations nested within individuals (N = 700 observations).
Results
Participants used ENDS exclusively on 44% of days and dual used ENDS and tobacco cigarettes on 8% of the days. Dual use days (versus exclusive ENDS use days) were associated with vaping because tobacco use was prohibited (OR = 34.65, p < .05). Also, dual use days (versus no use days) were associated with greater exposure to adults vaping (OR = 5.59, p < .05), peers vaping (OR = 7.48, p < .05), and (c) ENDS advertisements or promotions (OR = 2.12, p < .01), whereas exclusive use days (versus no use days) were only associated with greater exposure to peers vaping (OR = 2.58, p < .01).
Conclusions
Results showed that exposure to peers and adults vaping and exposure to ENDS marketing were associated with same day dual use behaviors. And, that adolescents who dual used were motivated to use ENDS because they were easy to conceal. Findings support stricter regulation of ENDS marketing and for smoke-free air laws that include ENDS. In addition, these findings support prioritizing family- and school-based prevention programming that effectively communicates risk associated with ENDS use, including heightened risk of dual use and dependence. Such efforts can reduce the number of adolescents who use ENDS as well as the number who transition to tobacco cigarette use.
Environmental DNA assay for the detection of the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) at the early stages of the invasion in the Ebre Delta
Authors: Sanz Nuria , Franch Nati , Araguas Rosa Maria , Viñas Jordi , Vidal Oriol
Published: June 2022

The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is considered one of the most harmful invasive species. In the Iberian Peninsula, this species had been cited occasionally until the year 2018, when L. catesbeianus appeared in the Ebre Delta, and for the first time, it seemed to breed in a territory of the Peninsula. We used the methodology based on environmental DNA analysis (eDNA), to monitor the American bullfrog invasion in the Ebre Delta along two consecutive years (22019 − 2020). No specimens were observed in 2019, and results for the eDNA survey also failed to detect this species in the Delta. In 2020, two individuals were captured and eDNA analyses detected the presence of the American bullfrog in several locations. Under the most conservative criteria to constrain the number of positive detections, American bullfrog presence was confirmed in at least five locations. Based on our experience, we also aimed to explain how to face the potential errors and challenges of the eDNA method. Our eDNA assay yielded a higher sensitivity with lower sampling effort than traditional methods. Findings of this study suggest that attempts of American bullfrog introduction could be taking place in Ebre Delta. Despite the species does not appear to be well established yet, very few bullfrog individuals could be enough for the establishment of this species in suitable habitats. In this context, eDNA assays are essential tools to facilitate detection, control and eradication of this species at the first stage of the invasion process.
The Effect of Shunt Surgery on Corticospinal Excitability in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus – a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study
Authors: Sirkka Jani , Säisänen Laura , Julkunen Petro , Könönen Mervi , Kallioniemi Elisa , Leinonen Ville , Danner Nils
Published: June 2022

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a neurodegenerative disease presenting with a classical symptom triad of cognitive decline, gait disturbance and urinary incontinence. The symptoms can be alleviated with shunt surgery but the etiology of the symptoms remains unclear. Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) was applied to characterize corticospinal excitability and cortical motor function before and after shunt surgery in order to elucidate the pathophysiology of iNPH. We also aimed to determine, whether nTMS could be applied as a predictive tool in the pre-surgical work-up of iNPH.Methods: 24 patients with possible or probable iNPH were evaluated at baseline, after cerebrospinal fluid drainage test (TAP test) and three months after shunt surgery (follow-up). Symptom severity was evaluated on an iNPH scale and with clinical tests (walking test, Box & Block test, grooved pegboard). In the nTMS experiments, resting motor threshold (RMT), silent period (SP), input-output curve (IO-curve), repetition suppression (RS) and mapping of cortical representation areas of hand and foot muscles were assessed. Results: At three months follow-up, all patients showed improved performance. Concurrently, RMTs (hand and foot) increased and the slope of the IO-curve showed alterations. The improvement in gait correlated with an increase in the IO-curve. SP, RS and mapping remained unchanged.Conclusion: Shunt surgery alters corticospinal excitability in iNPH patients. A favorable clinical outcome of shunt surgery seems to be associated with the ability of the motor cortex and the corticospinal tracts to re-form and maintain neuronal connectivity.
Multi-observer approach for robust tracking control of flexible spacecraft on SE(3)
Authors: Cao Qian , Li Huayi , Jia Qingxian , Ma Chen , Zhang Yingchun
Published: June 2022

Robust control of attitude-orbit tracking system for flexible spacecraft is addressed using state and nonlinear disturbance observer-based control technique. A relative attitude-orbit-structure integrated dynamics model is derived for flexible spacecraft tracking maneuver, where environmental disturbances and parameter uncertainty are considered as lumped disturbance term. The relative position and attitude of the two spacecraft are described by the exponential coordinates on SE(3). A composite control technique is proposed for robust attitudeorbit tracking of a flexible spacecraft about a spacecraft under lumped disturbance by combining a state observer of modal parameter and nonlinear disturbance observer with an asymptotic tracking control. The vibration mode information and the lumped disturbance are estimated and compensated by the modal observer and the nonlinear disturbance observer respectively in the feedback link. Moreover, the stability of the composed control approach consisting of the asymptotic tracking control and multi-observer observer is guaranteed through Lyapunov method. The simulation results validate the composite control technique can effectively enhance disturbance attenuation ability, robust dynamics performance and the desired relative attitude tracking accuracy of a flexible spacecraft with multiple disturbances and parameter uncertainty.Mathematics Subject Classification (2020) MSC 05E15 · 15A30
Hybrid Image Compression technique using Deep Learning model for enhanced reliability and data transmission
Authors: Rekha K Bhanu , S Safinaz
Published: June 2022

Image compression is the way of data compression which could be applicable to digital form of images for the purpose of reducing the cost of storage or transmission and any algorithm would consider visual perception or statistical properties of an image to establish enhanced results. The compression techniques might be lossy or lossless type. The supreme image quality at a particular compression rate is the major aim of any image compression approach. In this current research, image compression is carried out with the support of hybrid Convolution Neural Network (CNN) and Random Forest (RF) approach. The proposed methodology is executed in python environment and the performance metrics is evaluated and outcomes attained are compared with existing research works to verify the effectiveness of suggested concept.
Detection of Candida DNA in peritoneal fluids by PCR assay optimizing the diagnosis and treatment for intra-abdominal candidiasis in high-risk ICU patients: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Xie Min , Shao Jin , Wan Zhe , Yan Ting , Zhu Sainan , Li Shuangling , Yu Jin
Published: June 2022

Background: Intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC) is the predominant type of invasive candidiasis with high mortality in critically ill surgical patients. The high mortality rate may be related to the difficulty of early diagnosis. This study aimed to investigate whether the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detecting Candida DNA in peritoneal fluids (PF) is useful in diagnosing and antifungal treatment of IAC in high-risk patients in the ICU. Methods: A prospective single-center cohort study of surgical patients at high risk for IAC was conducted in the ICU. PF was collected from the abdominal drainage tubes (within 24 h) or by percutaneous puncture. Direct PF smear microscopy, PF culture, blood culture, and serum (1-3)-β-D-glucan were performed in all patients. For Candida PCR assay, the ITS1/ITS4 primers that targeted the ITS1-5.8s-ITS2 regions were used for PCR, and sequencing analysis was used to identify the pathogen at the species level. IAC was defined according to the 2013 European consensus criteria. Results: Among 83 patients at high risk for IAC, the IAC criteria were present in 17 (20.5%). The sensitivity and specificity of the Candida PCR assay were 64.7% and 89.4%, respectively, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.63–0.91). In this cohort, the positive predictive value and negative predictive value for Candida PCR assay were 90.8% (95% CI: 80.3%–96.2%) and 61.1% (95% CI: 36.1%–81.7%), respectively. Diagnostic consistency was moderate (kappa 0.529, P < 0.001) according to the 2013 European consensus criteria. Assuming that positive Candida PCR in PF was the diagnostic criterion of IAC, the incidence of IAC could increase from 20.5% to 28.9% (P < 0.001), and the proportion of antifungal initial target therapies could increase from 11.3% to 32.1% (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Detection of Candida DNA in PF using PCR can be considered a supplement to existing diagnostic tools. This may optimize the diagnosis and antifungal treatment of IAC in high-risk surgical patients in the ICU.Trial registration: The study protocol was registered in the China Clinical Trial Registration Center (CHiCTR190022695). Registered 22 April 2019 (retrospectively registered).
Advanced antireflection for back-illuminated silicon photomultipliers to detect faint light
Authors: Tao Yuguo , Rajapakse Arith , Erickson Anna
Published: June 2022

Silicon photomultipliers have attracted increasing attention for detecting low-density light in both scientific research and practical applications in recent years; yet the photon losses due to reflection on the light-sensitive planar silicon surface considerably limit its photon detection efficiency. Here we demonstrate an advanced light trapping feature by developing the multi-layer antireflection coatings and the textured silicon surface with upright random nano-micro pyramids, which significantly reduces the reflection of faint light in a wide spectrum, from ultraviolet to infrared. Integrating this advanced photon confinement feature into next-generation back-illuminated silicon photomultiplier would increase the photon detection efficiency with significantly lower reflection and much more active areas. This advanced design feature offers the back-illuminated silicon photomultiplier broader application opportunities exemplified in the emerging scenarios such as nuclear medical imaging, light detection and ranging for autonomous driving, detection of scintillation light in ionizing radiation, as well as high energy physics.
Effects of MK886 on hepatic lipid metabolism in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Du Tingwan , Xiang Lian , Zhang Jingjing , Zhao Wenxin , Li Jialu , Cheng Lei , Yang Yi , Han Nan , Zhou Yong , Ma Ling
Published: June 2022

Backgound Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common hepatic metabolic disorder that is characterized by the dyshomeostasis of lipid metabolism. It is usually accompanied by insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia. Regulating lipid metabolism via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) pathway in the liver could potentially constitute a new target for elucidating the pathology of NAFLD. Therefore, we aimed to explore the inhibitory role of MK886 through PPARα pathway in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD model. Method Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control (CON), HFD, HFD + MK 886 groups. After 14 weeks of intervention, we evaluated body weight, energy intake, liver weight, serum inflammatory parameters, serum biochemical markers, histology, morphology, and lipid metabolism-associated proteins in the liver. Results MK886 significantly reduced body weight; it improved hepatic function, inflammatory cytokine levels, and serum lipid parameters. Furthermore, MK886 ameliorated hepatic steatosis by reducing the levels of lipid uptake-related proteins and β-oxidation-related proteins. Conclusion Our study indicates that MK886 could improve hepatic homeostasis by improving liver function and alleviating systemic inflammation and hepatic steatosis; this provides a basis for future drug development and future clinical trials.
Ractopamine supplementation in diets for Nile tilapia at grow-out phase: effect on body composition and fatty acid profile
Authors: Trombeta Thiago Dias , Tapia Eduardo Uribe , de Mattos Bruno Olivetti , Pereira Raquel Tatiane , Dallago Bruno , Leal Renato Silva , Veras Galileu Crovatto , Wacyk Jurij
Published: June 2022

Ractopamine is a drug used as an additive in animal production to improve growth, body composition and production efficiency, although its use in fish is still poorly known. This study aimed to evaluate ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) effects at increasing levels (0, 10, 20 and 40 mg kg− 1) in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diets during 40 days by considering productive performance, body composition and muscle fiber morphometry. One hundred and twelve fish (mean initial weight 518.63 ± 5.49 g) were housed in 16 circular tanks (450 L), following a completed randomized design with four treatments and four replicates. Body composition was significantly affected (P < 0.05) and the amount of lipids in fish fillets dropped 26,7% (20 mg.kg− 1 RAC) and 26,1% (40 mg kg− 1 RAC), as well as the amount of unsaturated fatty acids C14:0 and C18:0 in fish fillets (P < 0.05) by treatment with 10 mg kg− 1 of RAC. RAC did not affect any productive performance parameters evaluated, as well for muscle fiber morphometry. Taken together, our results demonstrate that fish fed 20 mg kg− 1 RAC for 40 days changes Nile tilapia fillet chemical composition, decreasing lipid levels and altering the fatty acid profile, as well as increasing protein levels.
Clinical characteristics of sitosterolemic children with xanthomas as the first manifestation
Authors: Zhang Jun , Chen Qiu-li , Guo Song , Li Yan-hong , Li Chuan , Zheng Ru-jiang , Luo Xue-qun , Ma Hua-mei
Published: June 2022

Background: Sitosterolemia (STSL) is an extremely rare genetic disease. Xanthomas as the first symptom are frequently misinterpreted as familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in children. Inappropriate treatment may deteriorate the condition of STSL. Objectives: The goal of this study was to summarize the clinical characteristics of children with STSL who had xanthomas as their first symptom and to provide clues for early clinical diagnosis. Methods: We summarized the clinical characteristics of STSL patients and investigated the different indicators between the STSL and FH groups, as well as their diagnostic values for STSL. Results: Two tertiary pediatric endocrinology departments contributed ten STSL cases. Five of the STSL patients (50%) experienced mild anemia, whereas two (20%) had vascular complications. The xanthomas of the STSL group displayed morphologies comparable to those of the FH group. There were ten cases of homozygous FH (HoFH) with xanthomas as the predominant symptom of the control group but no anemic patients. The serum cholesterol (Chol) levels of the STSL and FH groups were 12.57 (9.55~14.62) mmol/L and 17.45 (16.04~21.47) mmol/L, respectively (p value 0.002). The serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels of the STSL and FH groups were 9.26±2.71 mmol/L and 14.58±4.08 mmol/L, respectively (p value 0.003). Meanwhile, the MPV levels of the STSL and FH groups were 11.00 (9.79~12.53) fl and 8.95 (8.88~12.28) fl, respectively (p value 0.009). The anemia proportions of the STSL and FH groups were 50% and 0%, respectively (p value 0.033). The AUC values of Chol, LDL-c, MPV, and anemia for the diagnosis of STSL were 0.910, 0.890, 0.869, and 0.750, respectively. Chol≤15.41 mmol/L, LDL-c≤13.22 mmol/L, MPV≥9.05 fl, or the presence of anemia were the best thresholds for diagnosing STSL. Conclusions: The morphologies of xanthomas in STSL vary from those in FH. Xanthomas as the initial symptom of a child with Chol≤15.41 mmol/L, LDL-c≤13.22 mmol/L, MPV≥9.05 fl, or presence of anemia, he was most likely to have STSL.
An Improved Ecc Algorithm for Secure Cloud Storage System With the Help of Sha-256 Based User Authentication and Deep Learning Based Intrusion Detection System
Authors: Samy I. Arockia Antony , Mary M. Safish
Published: June 2022

A cloud environment is a collection of resources used to provide on-demand services to cloud clients. Access to the cloud environment is supplied through internet services, and data kept in the cloud environment is more accessible to both internal and external invaders. At the moment, cloud security experts are unable to provide a more dependable, safe, and effective intrusion detection system (IDS) for identifying intruders in data transfer. For fulfilling this requirement, in this paper a novel deep learning (DL) model namely Wavelet Kernel including Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network (WKMLPNN) based IDS is proposed for identifying the attacks while performing cloud data transmission. Additionally, to offer cloud secure storage, Improved Elliptical Curve Cryptography (IECC) is proposed with a novel key generation mechanism. Initially, the cloud user or data owner (DO) is registered with the Cloud Service Provider (CSP) for uploading their data to the cloud. Then at the CSP end, the authenticity of the DO is checked by implementing the Secure Hash Algorithm 256 (SHA-256) technique. After successful authentication, the DO is allowed to upload their data to the cloud. The CSP receives the data from the DO and then the intrusion present in the received data is identified using novel IDS (WKMLPNN). The presented IDS follows three operations such as preprocessing, optimal feature selection using Time factor incorporated Gravitational Search Algorithm (TGSA) and WKMLPNN applied classification for identifying the intrusions present in the data. If the received data contain the intrusion, the data will be avoided and not stored in the cloud, otherwise, the data will be stored in the cloud securely using the IECC algorithm. Finally, if the cloud users request CSP for data retrieval, the authenticity of the user is again checked using the SHA-256 algorithm. If the user is an authenticated one, the retrieval permission is granted for him, otherwise, the permission is denied for the user. The simulation results reveal that the presented approach outperforms existing strategies for intrusion categorization and encryption.
Attenuating strategies of the Insecticidal Effect and Life history Traits of Chaitophorus leucomelas (Koch, 1854) (Insecta: Aphididae): Case of the Aqueous Extracts of Asteraceae Dittrichia viscosa and a Synthetic product of the neonicotinoids / pyrethroids Family
Authors: Tchaker Fatma zohra , Djazouli Zahr-Eddine
Published: June 2022

Methods used to control natural enemies; insects in particular, have been mainly chemical. Given the irritations associated with the use of pesticides, a search for alternatives is required, particularly through the use of plant extracts. The present study focused on comparing the insecticidal power of aqueous extracts of Dittrichia viscosa in combination with a bio-adjuvant Silene fuscata and a synthetic pesticide Thiamethoxam/ Lambda-cyhalothrin on the abundance, biochemical life traits and demographic parameters of the winter phenotype of Chaitophorus leucomelas. The results show a strong effect of the aqueous extracts of Dittrichia viscosa on the abundance of Chaitophorus leucomelas, with a well pronounced insecticidal activity under the effect of the aqueous extract ratio Dittrichia viscosa/Silena fuscata. Lipid and carbohydrate energy biomarkers of Chaitophorus leucomelas sexuparae undergo strong changes depending on the products used, with a very significant disturbing action of the synthetic product compared to aqueous extracts. The fecundity of C. leucomelas shows a remarkable disturbance under the action of the active ingredient Thiamethoxam/ Lambda-cyhalothrin compared to aqueous extracts. The results also confirm that the products applied cause a disturbance in the growth rate (rm) and reproduction (R0) of C. leucomelas females, with the chemical treatment having the strongest effect. The full dose of the active ingredient causes remarkable disturbances on the multiplication rate (λ) and the mean generation time (T) of the sexuparae compared to the other applied molecules. Some stability is reported for the doubling time (DT) of treated females compared to the control ones.
Multi-Instance Embedding Learning with Deconfounded Instance-Level Prediction
Authors: Zhang Yu-Xuan , Yang Mei , Zhou Zhengchun , Min Fan
Published: June 2022

Confounded information is an objective fact when using multiple instance learning (MIL) to classify bags of instances, which may be inherited by MIL embedding methods and lead to questionable bag label prediction. To respond to this problem, we propose the multi-instance embedding learning with deconfounded instance-level prediction (MEDI) algorithm. Unlike traditional embedding-based strategies, we design a deconfounded optimization goal to maximize the distinction between instances in positive and negative bags. In addition, we present and use bag-level embedding with feature distillation to reduce the MIL classification task to a single-instance learning problem. Extensive experiments on thirty-four data sets demonstrate that our proposed method has the best overall performance over other state-of-the-art MIL methods. This strategy, in particular, has a substantial advantage on web data sets. Source codes are available at https://github.com/InkiInki/MEDI.
Estimation of Pianka and Kullback-Leibler Overlapping Coefficients: Weibull Distributions
Authors: Omar
Published: June 2022

This paper deals with the estimation problem of two the overlapping (OVL) coefficients known as Pianka`s (PI) and Kullback-Leibler`s (KL) measures when two independent random variables 𝑋 and 𝑌 follow Weibull distributions with the same shape parameters. The maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) procedures of the distributions parameters are considered and then the point and interval estimators of PI and KL are obtained. A limited simulation study is achieved to study the behavior of the interested point estimators for finite sample sizes.
A novel method for measuring the porosity and pore size of nanowebs
Authors: Aghayari Sedigheh
Published: June 2022

Nanofiber layers have privileged properties such as fine fiber diameter, small pores,suitable relationship between pores, special surface area and high porosity. Theseproperties make nanofibers applicable for a variety of applications, such ashigh-performance filters and tissue engineering scaffolds. Different applications ofelectrospinning layers require different porosities. Therefore, it is very important tomeasure the porosity of nanofiber layers to express their application. To date, manymethods have been expressed for this purpose, but all methods have disadvantages.Therefore, presenting the best method is a challenge that will be addressed in this project.
Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion: Mission Characterization and Design Analysis
Authors: Crandall Patrick , Wirz Richard
Published: June 2022

Air breathing electric propulsion (atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion) (ABEP) has attracted significant interest as an enabling technology for long duration space missions in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) altitudes below about 300 km. The ABEP spacecraft and mission analysis model developed allows parametric characterization of key spacecraft geometry and thruster performance parameters such as spacecraft length-to-diameter, the ratio of solar array span to spacecraft diameter, thrust-to-power, effective exhaust velocity, and inlet efficiency. For the missions analyzed ABEP generally outperforms conventional electric propulsion (EP) below 250 km altitude. Using a 6U spacecraft architecture the model shows that below 220 km ABEP is the only viable propulsion option for desirable mission lifetimes. Parametric evaluations of key spacecraft and ABEP characteristics show that the most significant technological improvements to ABEP spacecraft performance and range of applicability for VLEO missions will come from advancements in inlet efficiency, low drag materials, solar array efficiency, and thrust-to-power.
Identification of TUBA1C as a prognostic biomarker and associated with immune cells infiltration in human tumors
Authors: Fan Xin , Lin Bingjiang , Wu Xiudi , Yu Yingzhe , Lu Lingyi , Fang Shuyu , Liu Yanqing
Published: June 2022

Background: It is reported that TUBA1C contributed to the development and progression of several tumors. However, the role of TUBA1C in most cancers remains unclear. The study aimed to assess the prognostic values, potential biological functions, and immunity of TUBA1C in pan-cancer.Methods: TUBA1C expression was assessed using pan-cancer data of 33 cancer types from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. The clinical features and prognostic roles of TUBA1C were assessed using TCGA cohort. cBioPortal database was used to examine TUBA1C mutations in pan-cancer. The relationship between TUBA1C expression and patients’ prognosis was performed by univariate Cox hazard regression. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of TUBA1C was conducted using the R software. we applied ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithm to assess the stromal score, immune score, and the infiltrating levels of immune cells from published study and ImmuCellAI database.Results: Our results showed that TUBA1C was highly expressed in most tumors. High TUBA1C expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) in various tumors. GSEA analysis showed that TUBA1C expression was closely related to immune regulation-related signaling pathways. Besides, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) were the dominating immune cell positively correlated with TUBA1C expression in most tumors. In addition, TUBA1C expression was positively associated with tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and mainly immunosuppressive genes such as PD-L1, PD-1, CD244, TIGIT, TGFB1, and TGFBR1 in several tumors. Conclusion: Our results indicated that TUBA1C was associated with poor prognosis in tumors. TUBA1C might be a valuable prognostic biomarker and a potential target for immunotherapy.
Methodological Approaches to Spatiotemporal Analysis in HIV Epidemiology - a protocol for a systematic review
Authors: Eze-Emiri Chidinma N. , Igwe Ezinne O. , Patrick Foster A , Olise Olisedumbi T
Published: June 2022

Background
There is a geographic disparity in the epidemiology of HIV infection globally. These differences are interrelated with the sociodemographic and behavioural circumstances applicable to the respective regions. For instance, the HIV-2 strain is mostly found in West Africa. The most significant number of people injecting drugs (PWID) are in East and South-East Asia, North America, and Eastern Europe; they also have the highest prevalence of HIV among PWID. Spatiotemporal analytical methods use geographic and time-related factors to explain observed spatial heterogeneity; thereby, identifying disease patterns, risk factors, and trends relevant to a particular region. Spatiotemporal analytical methods use geographic and time-related factors to explain observed spatial heterogeneity; thereby, identifying disease patterns, risk factors, and trends relevant to a particular region.
Objectives
This paper presents a protocol for a systematic review that will describe the methods used in the spatial analysis of HIV epidemiology globally.
Methods
A systematic literature search of geospatial studies of HIV will be conducted using PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Google scholar; with neither language nor date restriction from inception to date. The protocol for this systematic review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO with ID number –CRD42022314604.
Results
Results will be available once the review is finalised.
Discussion
This systematic review will identify and report the various spatial analytical methods that have been employed in HIV epidemiology; in addition to highlighting the predominant spatial methodologies applied.
Pyridine-based cross-linked chitosan: a biopolymer adsorbent for the green removal of toxic metals from water
Authors: Bisiriyu Ibraheem Olayiwola , Meijboom Reinout
Published: June 2022

Herein we report the green recovery of toxic metals [namely: Cd2+, Cr3+, Mn2+, Pb2+, and Ni2+] from water utilizing a biopolymer: 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid cross-linked chitosan (PDC-CCS) as the adsorbent. Adsorption studies were performed at varying experimental conditions (such as pH, adsorbent contact time, initial metal ion concentrations, etc.). At the RI-PB/def2-SVP level of theory, the Density Functional Theory (DFT) approach has been used to evaluate the adsorption energy for the metal ions. Selectivity studies were performed at pH 4.20, 5.56, 6.65 and 7.61. While Mn(II), Cd(II) and Ni(II) were strongly adsorbed at higher pH (7.5), Cr(III) and Pb(II) were seen to be strongly adsorbed at lower pH (around 4.0). Selectivity studies revealed that PDC-CCS can be utilized for simultaneous removal of the metals at pH 4.2; selective adsorption of Mn(II) at pH 5.56 as well as simultaneous-selective removal of Ni(II) and Mn(II) near neutral pH. The experimental maximum adsorption limit of PDC-CCS for Ni(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Mn(II), and Cr(III), were found to be 1258.79, 1118.70 928.52, 829.62 and 580.21 mmol/g respectively. When compared with some relevant previously used adsorbent, PDC-CCS shows an exceptional adsorption capacity. Consequently, a successful biopolymer adsorbent for the treatment of water contaminated by hazardous metals.
A Flexible Power Point Tracking Algorithm Based on Adaptive Lion Swarm Optimization for Photovoltaic System
Authors: Xie Zongkui , Wu Zhongqiang
Published: June 2022

In order to weaken the adverse effects of PV grid connection on the power system and ensure the smooth operation of the system, a novel flexible power point tracking (FPPT) method based on adaptive lion swarm optimization (ALSO) is proposed in this paper. First, a reasonable objective function is established for the FPPT operating mode; the interval optimization method is used to distinguish the operating modes on both sides of the maximum power point (MPP). Secondly, ALSO is used to selectively optimize the operation of different intervals so as to achieve the FPPT control on the left or right side of the MPP. Through the simulation experiments on the PV grid-connected system, the validity and superiority of the ALSO-based method over the traditional FPPT algorithm in terms of dynamic and steady-state performance are verified under different operating conditions.