bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment with trypLE before freezing improves thawing integrity and functionality of sheep ovarian tissue
Authors: Marco Alicia , Gargallo Marta , Ciriza Jesús , Royo-Cañas María , Ibañez-Deler Alejandro , Remacha Ana Rosa , Fons-Contreras María , Malo Clara
Published: October 2024

Objective: To study innovative approaches to ovarian tissue cryopreservation, a critical issue for fertility preservation in pediatric cancer patients. Despite historical attempts, recent advances in cancer treatment have underscored the urgent need for more effective and reliable ovarian tissue cryopreservation methods. Our research aims to evaluate if decreasing the rigidity of stroma before cryopreservation by investigating pre-treatments with enzymes can enhance the quality of ovarian tissue post-thawing.
Design: Our research evaluated the use of five commonly used enzymes to disaggregate tissue (trypLE, collagenase, dispase, accutase and hyaluronidase) before freezing ovarian tissue to decrease rigidity and facilitate cryopreservation. Sheep ovaries, with high similarity to human ovaries, were used as an animal model. Tissue structure, cell proliferation, apoptosis and viability were assessed before and after thawing.
Results: Our findings showed that enzymatic treatment with trypLE before freezing offered immediate benefits post-thawing with the highest viability values and percentage of intact follicles. However, 2 and 7 days after thawing and culture, dispase showed the highest viability but with loci of necrosis at the edges and more damaged follicles compared to trypLE. A decrease in viability was observed after thawing and culturing the samples. The pretreatment with accutase damaged the tissue severely with also the lowest viability values. Ki67-positive follicles and stromal cells were observed in fresh samples, but only trypLE and hyaluronidase maintained Ki67-positive antral follicles after 2 days culture. Besides, only trypLE maintained all follicles negative to caspase-3 after thawing, and 7 days after culture primordial follicles were apoptotic in all treatments apart from trypLE.
Conclusion: our findings suggest that trypLE pretreatment could provide a beneficial approach for maintaining the functions and viability of cryopreserved ovaries after thawing. Further research is needed to fully understand their impact and optimize cryopreservation protocols in this important clinical context.
Drug resistance and molecular transmission network analysis based on newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS individuals in Beijing, China: A retrospective study from 2015 to 2023
Authors: Li Li , Yuan Defu , Zhao Fei , Shen Yanhua , Cui Can , Liu Lifeng , Liu Yan , Moog Christiane , Sun Lijun , Wang Bei , Zhang Tong , Su Bin
Published: October 2024

Background
Systematic surveillance of HIV genetic diversity, transmitted drug resistance (TDR) and transmission networks in newly diagnosed people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Beijing has rarely been reported. This retrospective study aimed to analyze data of PLWHA from 2015 to 2023 in Beijing to develop precision interventions.
Methods
All newly diagnosed PLWHA were subjected to sequence splicing, quality control, information matching, and analysis for TDR and genetic transmission networks. The Stanford Drug Resistance Database was used to analyze drug resistance, and Hyphy and Cytoscape software were used to construct a genetic transmission network with a gene distance threshold of 0.02.
Results
A total of 3569 newly diagnosed PLWHA were included in this study. A total of 25 HIV-1 genotypes were identified, with CRF01_AE being the most common genotype, followed by the CRF07_BC and B genotypes. However, for the first time, the dominant strain shifted from CRF01_AE to CRF07_BC in 2020. A total of 340 drug-resistant sequences were obtained, and the total TDR was 9.53% from 2015 to 2023. The most common mutations were distributed among V179, V106, S68, M184 and M46, which exhibited diverse distributions and combined mutation features. A total of 76 transmission clusters were identified in the network, among which CRF07_BC was dominated by large, fast-spreading clusters, whereas CRF01_AE was dominated by small- and medium-sized slow-spreading clusters. The largest cluster for CRF07_BC expanded rapidly from 11 cases in 2015 to 496 cases in 2023.
Conclusions
This study revealed the prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance and molecular transmission clusters in Beijing. The change in the dominant HIV strain in Beijing should be emphasized. Subtype CRF07_BC is prone to forming fast-spreading clusters, and targeted interventions should be designed to obstruct high-risk transmission sources and reduce new HIV infections.
Socioeconomic Determinants of Malaria and Hepatitis Infections: Insights from the Federal Medical Center, Makurdi, North Central, Nigeria.
Authors: Ademoyegun Julius Kayode , Aremu Stephen Olaide
Published: October 2024

Background: Malaria and hepatitis B and C are prevalent public health issues in Nigeria, significantly impacting health outcomes. The Federal Medical Center, Makurdi, serves as a key healthcare provider in the region, making it crucial to understand the prevalence and factors associated with these diseases within this setting. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of malaria and hepatitis B and C among patients at the Federal Medical Center, Makurdi.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study design was employed, involving the analysis of patient records and diagnostic data from the Federal Medical Center, Makurdi. Data on malaria and hepatitis B and C prevalence were collected from laboratory reports and patient interviews. Socioeconomic information, including income, education level, and healthcare access, was also gathered. Statistical analyses were performed to identify associations between disease prevalence and risk factors.
Results: The study identified a high prevalence of malaria and hepatitis B and C among the patient population. Socioeconomic factors such as lower income, inadequate education, and limited healthcare access were significantly associated with higher rates of these infections. Malaria prevalence was higher among individuals lacking access to insecticide-treated nets, while hepatitis infections were linked to inadequate blood transfusion safety and high-risk behaviors.
Discussion: The findings underscore the need for targeted public health interventions. Enhanced access to preventive measures, such as insecticide-treated nets and safer blood transfusion practices, alongside educational programs on disease prevention, are essential. Addressing socioeconomic disparities is crucial for effective disease control.
Conclusion: To mitigate the burden of malaria and hepatitis B and C at the Federal Medical Center, Makurdi, a multifaceted approach is required. Improving preventive measures, healthcare access, and addressing socioeconomic determinants will be vital in reducing disease prevalence and improving patient outcomes.
CRP-Albumin-Lymphocyte index (CALLYI) as a risk-predicting biomarker in association with osteoarthritis.
Authors: Geng Maosen , Zhang Ke
Published: October 2024

Purpose
The exact relationship between the C-reactive protein-Albumin-Lymphocyte Index (CALLYI) and osteoarthritis remains unclear. This study explores the potential link between CALLYI and osteoarthritis in U.S. adults.
Method
The study cohort consisted of 18,624 U.S. adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2010. The CALLYI was calculated using the formula: albumin * lymphocytes / CRP * 10. For participants in this study, the CALLYI was quadrupled. We employed weighted multiple regression analysis and subgroup statistical analysis to investigate the association between CALLYI and osteoarthritis. Restricted cubic splines were utilized to assess the non-linear relationship between these two variables.
Results
The total sample size analyzed in this study was 18,624, of which 1,977 (10.62%) were diagnosed with osteoarthritis. CALLY is defined as Albumin (g/L) ⅹ Lymphocyte (109/L) ¸ (CRP (mg/L) ⅹ 10), and the mean value of CALLYI was 5.13 (2.12,12.86). The multivariate logistic regression model revealed a negative correlation between elevated CALLYI and osteoarthritis. The fully adjusted Model 3 demonstrated a significant 28% reduction in OA risk in the Q4 compared to the Q1 of CALLYI (OR = 0.72 95% CI: 0.59–0.88, p = 0.001). Subgroup analyses did not reveal any significant interactions (p > 0.05). Additionally, a significant non-linear relationship between CALLYI and OA using restricted cubic splines (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion
The results indicate a negative correlation between CALLYI and osteoarthritis, suggesting that CALLYI may serve as a biomarker for predicting the risk of osteoarthritis in U.S. adults.
Factors associated with Severe malaria mortality among hospitalized children aged under five years in Eastern Province of Rwanda: A cross-sectional study using hospital records from 2017- 2021
Authors: HATEGEKIMANA Jean Paul , SIMBI Clarisse Marie Claudine , Ntakirutimana Theoneste , NYIRAZINYOYE Laetitia
Published: October 2024

Background
Malaria remains a significant concern for children under-five in malaria-endemic regions. Rwanda’s successful efforts in malaria treatment reduced nationwide cases, but high mortality persists in the Eastern and Southern provinces. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of severe malaria and to identify the death risk factors among under-five children in Eastern province Hospitals.
Method
This cross-sectional study assessed severe malaria mortality and associated factors among children aged under-five years in hospitals of Eastern Province, Rwanda, from 2017 to 2021. Data were collected from hospital records, and descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used for data analysis.
Results
Malaria mortality was 3.37%, mostly occurring at night (53.06%) and within 24 hours of admission (66.67%). Factors associated with severe malaria mortality included illness duration ≥ 4 days without treatment (OR = 29.22 [95% CI: 14.13–60.44]), coma (OR = 8.73 [95% CI: 8.08–38.07]), having three or more severe symptoms (OR = 5.95 [95% CI: 3.26–10.84]), high-level parasitaemia (OR = 3.71 [95% CI: 1.16–11.89]), and multi-organ complications (OR = 3.66 [95% CI: 1.04–12.84]), respiratory distress (OR = 3.33 [95% CI: 1.85-6.00]), vomiting (OR = 2.79 [95% CI: 1.49–5.20]), severe anaemia (OR = 1.85 [95% CI: 1.02–3.36]), Four day and more with illness without consultation (aOR = 38.45 [95% CI: 9.91-149.19]) and Coma (aOR = 9.61 [95% CI: 1.2-77.21]) were had greater odds of death in multivariate analysis.
Conclusion
In conclusion, targeted interventions are crucial to address - factors, improve healthcare-seeking behaviour, and ensure timely treatment for severe malaria in children under-five in Eastern Province, Rwanda.
Association of nighttime light and cognitive function among middle-aged and older Chinese adults：A 9-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Tang Ting , Zhang Meijin , Pan Xiaodong
Published: October 2024

Background
Nighttime Lights (NTLs) data represent records of artificial light emissions from human activities, used to analyze socioeconomic development. However, studies have found that long-term exposure to nighttime light pollution may significantly impact cognitive function. Thus, we extensively reviewed published time-series NTLs datasets to investigate the risk of cognitive dysfunction in populations.
Methods
The study utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and NPP/VIIRS nighttime light (NTL) data. We employed latent class trajectory modeling to identify 9-year trajectories of NTL data and assessed participants' cognitive function initially and in 2020. Logistic regression models were used to assess the risk of cognitive dysfunction associated with different nighttime light trajectories. The potential mediating effect of sleep duration on the relationship between nighttime light and cognitive function was also explored.
Results
A dose–response relationship was observed between baseline nighttime lights and the risk of cognitive impairment. Restricted cubic spline regression demonstrated a non-linear (U-shaped) relationship between nighttime light exposure and cognitive impairment (p for non-linearity < 0.001). Sleep duration significantly mediated this relationship and accounted for 2.1% of the total effect variance. Two trajectories of nighttime lights were identified. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated a reduced risk of cognitive impairment in the low-intensity lighting group (OR: 0.73, p < 0.001).
Conclusions
The risk of impaired cognition varied across different nighttime light trajectories, with the overall effect of nighttime lights on cognitive function mediated by sleep duration. These findings potentially establish a connection between environmental indicators and cognitive function in populations.
Enhanced Brain Myelination and Cognitive Development in Young Children Associated with Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM) Intake: A Temporal Cohort Study
Authors: Deoni Sean CL , Beauchemin Jennifer , D’Sa Viren , Bonham Kevin , Klepac-Ceraj Vanja
Published: October 2024

Myelination is a fundamental process of neurodevelopment that facilitates the efficient brain messaging and connectivity that underlies the emergence and refinement of cognitive skills and abilities. Healthy maturation of the myelinated white matter requires appropriate neural activity and coordinated delivery of key nutritional building blocks, including short and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, and sphingolipids. While many of these nutrients are amply supplied by breastmilk, they are often provided in only limited quantities in infant formula milk. Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is a rich source of phospholipids, including sphingomyelin and has been associated with improved cognitive development in infants and children when added to infant formula. To determine if added bovine MFGM is also associated with improved myelination, this study used myelin-sensitive MRI to compare myelination trends in healthy infants and toddlers who received the same infant formula with and without added bovine MFGM in two temporal cohorts: Without Added MFGM between 2009 and 2016; and With Added MFGM between 2018–2020. We also used the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) to compare verbal, non-verbal, and overall cognitive abilities. Matched for important demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, we found that children who received infant formula with added MFGM showed improved myelination in motor-related areas (motor cortices, internal capsule, and cerebellum) and improved MSEL nonverbal and fine motor scores. No significant differences in verbal or overall cognitive ability scores were noted. These results support the importance of phospholipids, sphingolipids, and sphingomyelin in promoting brain myelination and cognitive development.
Assessing racial differences in time to subsequent treatment following androgen deprivation therapy among Veterans with prostate cancer
Authors: Friedrich Nadine , Friedrich Nadine , Janes Jessica , Parrish Joshua , De Hoedt Amanda , Pruett Janis , Fallick Mark , Gandhi Raj , Hong Agnes , Tatonetti Nicholas , Freedland Stephen
Published: October 2024

Background
For metastatic and certain advanced prostate cancer (PC), guidelines support intensified androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) as first-line (1L) systemic treatment for improved outcomes. However, some patients receive ADT alone, leading to tumor progression requiring 2nd line therapy. Despite significant racial disparities in PC outcomes, there are no population-level studies assessing racial differences in time to subsequent treatment after 1L ADT.
Methods
We performed a retrospective population-level analysis to assess the association between race and time to subsequent treatment after ADT in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Primary outcome was time from ADT monotherapy to subsequent treatment, defined as receipt of androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI), non-steroidal first-generation anti-androgen (NSAA), chemotherapy, or other treatments. We used Cox models and Kaplan-Meier (KM) analyses to estimate subsequent treatment rates by Non-Hispanic White [NHW], Non-Hispanic Black [NHB], Hispanic and Other patients adjusted for baseline covariates.
Results
From 2001–2021, 141,495 PC patients received ADT alone. During median (IQR) follow-up of 51.1 (22.8, 97.2) months, 28,144 patients (20%) had subsequent treatment: 11,319 (40%) ARPIs, 12,990 (46%) NSAAs, 3,402 (12%) chemotherapy and 433 (2%) other 2nd line therapies. NHB had significantly lower subsequent treatment rates (HR = 0.82, 95%CI = 0.80–0.85) compared to NHW. Both Hispanic (HR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.88–0.98) and Other men (HR = 0.91, 95%CI = 0.84–0.98), also had lower subsequent treatment rates.
Conclusions
All races examined had significantly lower rates of subsequent treatment after 1L ADT relative to NHW. Further investigation is needed to determine if these lower rates of subsequent treatment reflect lower rate of progression or undertreatment of progressing patients.
Households of Tuberculosis (TB) patients face high TB-related costs: Somalia Experience
Authors: Kuye Joseph , Sindani Ireneaus Sebit , Shube Muktar Abdi , alah Mohamed Jafa , Hilowle Abukar Ali , Rusagara Vianney , Ngima Faith , Abaasiku Michael , Balogun Stephen , Baena Ines Garcia , Afirima Barinaadaa , Hassan Abiodun
Published: October 2024

Background
Tuberculosis (TB) services are seemingly free in Somalia, but patients still incur high costs to access TB diagnosis, treatment, and care. This study is the first for Somalia. It estimated the proportion of TB-affected households experiencing catastrophic costs among TB patients and their households in Somalia, including identifying the risk factors and major patient cost drivers and describing the coping strategies they adopt to cushion its effect.
Method
A prospective cluster-sampled cross-sectional survey, nationally representative with retrospective data collection, was conducted among patients in TB care (drug-susceptible TB [DS-TB] and drug-resistant TB [DR-TB]) within the Somalia national TB network. The design was guided by the World Health Organization’s Handbook on National TB Patient Cost surveys and collected data on patients’ socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, including a model of care, self-reported income and expenses, costs (out-of-pocket expenses and indirect) for one episode of TB, risk factors for incurring cost and dissaving mechanisms. All costs were collected and reported in USD.
Result
The percentage of TB-affected households facing costs > 20% of household income was 68% (95% CI: 64% – 71%) in Somalia in 2023 and 69% (95% CI: 65% – 73%) and 62% (95% CI: 52% – 71%) amongst patients on first and second-line drug treatment respectively. Monthly self-reported household income reduced by 43% from $176 before contracting TB to $101 at the time of the interview, with 75.4% (364) of households who suffered TB-related catastrophic costs reporting that they became poorer accessing TB services. To be able to access TB treatment and care services and cope with the economic burden of TB-related catastrophic costs, 42% (375) of TB patients and their households adopted one or more dissaving strategies in the form of loans or the sale of assets. The odds of facing TB-related catastrophic costs were highest among TB patients residing in the Southwest state.
Conclusion
This study found that almost three out of four patients in TB care and their households experience a substantive financial burden accessing TB services in Somalia, particularly during the continuation phase of their treatment, and mainly driven by the direct non-medical costs. A sustainable and equitable social protection program is required to reduce the proportion of households facing financial burdens due to TB in Somalia.
Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Enhanced Working Memory in Older Adults with Age-Related Hearing Loss
Authors: Shin Junyoung , Noh Shinhee , Park Jimin , Jun Sang Beom , Sung Jee Eun
Published: October 2024

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is associated with an increased risk of dementia, necessitating early cognitive interventions to prevent further cognitive decline. Despite promising evidence supporting transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) for mitigating cognitive impairment, its impact on working memory (WM) in older adults with ARHL is unexplored. This study is the first attempt to investigate taVNS effects on WM in the older adults with hearing impairment (HI) and with typical hearing (TH). WM capacity was assessed using n-back tasks, varying by WM domains (verbal and visuo-spatial) and complexity levels (1-back and 2-back). Participants underwent a two-session, within-subjects, randomized crossover, single-blind sham-controlled protocol, receiving 20 minutes of continuous stimulation in the active session, whereas only 30 seconds at the start and end in the sham session. The HI group performed significantly worse than the TH group on the 2-back tasks. Within the HI group, taVNS significantly enhanced performance across all WM domains and complexity levels compared to the sham condition. These findings suggest that taVNS enhances WM in hearing-impaired older adults, underscoring its potential as a clinical intervention for addressing WM challenges associated with ARHL.
Redondovirius-associated Periodontitis in People with Poor Oral Hygiene
Authors: Mohebbi Alireza , Donyavi Zakiyeh , Mamizadeh Zoleikha , Khanaliha Khadijeh , Emtiazi Nikoo , Kiani Seyed Jalal , Donyavi Tahereh , Shadab Alireza , Babaei Roghayeh , Bokharaei-Salim Farah
Published: October 2024

Objectives
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of recently emerged members of the Redondoviridae family (ReDoVs) in individuals with periodontitis and their association with underlying diseases.
Materials and Methods
This case-control study involved 230 participants, 115 with chronic periodontitis and 115 healthy controls from October 2023 to May 2024. Demographic, health-related, and behavioral data were collected. Gingival samples were analyzed for ReDoVs using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.
Results
ReDoVs were detected in 51.30% of the periodontitis case group and 21.74% of the control group (p < 0.0001). ReDoV presence was associated with older age, lack of teeth brushing habits, and smoking history (p < 0.05). Also, a higher occurrence of underlying diseases was observed among participants with periodontitis (24.35%) compared to controls (4.35%). An association was observed between ReDoVs and diabetes (OR = 9.18, 95% CI: 1.48 to 56.98, p = 0.02).
Conclusions
ReDoVs and periodontitis were associated with adults with poor dental hygiene and those with diabetes. This supports a possible multifactorial and complex interaction between the presence of ReDoVs, periodontitis, and diabetes. We further update the message of our previous study by highlighting that poor oral hygiene increases the risk of ReDoV presence.
Clinical Relevance:
ReDoVs were significantly higher in individuals with periodontitis, with a strong correlation between ReDoVs and periodontitis, especially in diabetic patients. This could lead to improved periodontal treatments focusing on bacterial factors and addressing viral contributions, potentially reducing the burden of periodontal disease and its associated complications.
Short-term and long-term oncological outcomes of chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer patients with or without oxaliplatin: a propensity score-matched retrospective analysis
Authors: Azimi Amirali , Tabatabaei Fatemeh Sadat , Kolahdouzan Kasra , Rashidian Hamideh , Nourbakhsh Forouzan , Parizi Maryam Abedini , Darzikolaee Nima Mousavi , Bayani Reyhaneh , Salarvand Samaneh , Sharifian Azadeh , Bagheri Farzaneh , Rezaei Saeed , Nabian Naeim , Nazari Reza , Mohammadi Negin , Babaei Mohammad , Lashkari Marzieh , Farhan Farshid , Aghili Mahdi , Couñago Felipe , Gambacorta Maria Antonietta , Ghalehtaki Reza
Published: October 2024

Background/Aim:
Current approaches for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) typically recommend neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) with 5-fluorouracil (5FU) or its oral analogs followed by surgery as the standard of care. However, the question of whether intensifying concurrent chemotherapy by adding oxaliplatin to the 5FU-based backbone can yield better outcomes remains unresolved. This study aimed to investigate the benefits of incorporating oxaliplatin into fluoropyrimidine-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) to increase locoregional control and survival.
Methods
Among 290 patients with LARC admitted to the Iran Cancer Institute's radiation oncology department between January 2008 and December 2019, 29 received CAPEOX (capecitabine 625 mg/m²/bid on RT days and weekly oxaliplatin 50 mg/m²), whereas 293 received capecitabine (825 mg/m² twice daily or rarely 5FU in the first 4 days and last week of radiotherapy (RT)). Variables potentially affecting treatment outcomes were used for propensity score matching. Kaplan‒Meier and log-rank tests were employed for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) analyses and were adjusted with propensity score matching.
Results
Data from 29 patients who received CAPEOX and 216 patients who received capecitabine were analyzed after propensity score matching without replacement. After propensity score matching, in the multivariate analysis, CAPEOX significantly increased the likelihood of achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) by 4.38 times (CI: 1.90–10.08, p value < 0.001). However, CAPEOX did not demonstrate any statistically significant predictive value for DFS (P = 0.500) or OS (P = 0.449).
Conclusion
The addition of oxaliplatin resulted in a significantly higher rate of pCR without any translation into long-term survival outcomes.
CT-based Radiomics for prediction of response to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in patients with esophageal carcinoma
Authors: zhao peng , qiao xianhe , geng yikang , meng ruiqing , yv yaoyi , wang chenyu , li qing , xu shu , wu xiaowei
Published: October 2024

Objectives In order to investigate the value of radiomic features derived from enhanced computed tomography (CT) for assessment of therapeutic efficacy in patients with Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) underwent neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT).Methods The primary cohort of this study included 120 ESCC patients who received NICT from April 2020 to August 2023, comprising 52 patients with good responders (GR) and 68 patients with non-good responders (non-GR) after NICT, the external validation cohort included 30 patients from another hospital, comprising 14 patients with GR and 16 patients with non-GR after NICT. Features were derived from both the intra-tumoral and peri-tumoral regions of the tumor in the enhanced CT image, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to establish predictive radiomic models (Rad-Scores) and T-stage model for predicting therapeutic response to NICT.Results The Rad-Score for predicting response to NICT generated the area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.838, 0.831, and 0.769 in the training, internal validation, and external validation cohorts, respectively. For T-stage, corresponding AUC values were 0.809, 0.800, and 0.716 in the same cohorts. Additionally, the nomogram model produced AUC values of 0.867, 0.871, and 0.818 in the training, internal validation, and external validation cohorts, respectively.Conclusions The established models demonstrate promising predictive potential for assessing the efficacy of NICT in ESCC patients, which may assist clinicians in formulating appropriate treatment strategies.Clinical relevance statement: Based on radiomic features derived from enhanced CT scans, can serve as a useful tool for predicting the efficacy of NICT in ESCC patients, particularly in identifying responders among patients who may benefit from NICT.
The long-term mortality rate in older ICU patients compared to the general population
Authors: Dannewitz Anna Aronsson , Svennblad Bodil , Michaëlsson Karl , Lipcsey Miklos , Gedeborg Rolf
Published: October 2024

Background
Understanding how preexisting comorbidities may interact with a critical illness is important for the assessment of long-term survival probability of older patients admitted to the ICU.
Material and methods
The mortality after a first ICU admission in patients ≥55 years old registered in the Swedish Intensive Care Registry was compared to age- and sex-matched individuals from the general population with a landmark after one year. The comparison was adjusted for age, sex, and baseline comorbidity using Cox regression.
Results
The 7-year study period included 140 008 patients, of whom 23% were 80 years or older. Patients surviving the first year remained at an increased risk compared to the general population, but much of this difference was attenuated after adjustment for baseline comorbidity (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.04). Excluding cardio-thoracic ICU admissions, the increased risk remained slightly elevated (adjusted HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.16). Also, the subgroup ≥75 years old surviving the first year returned to a mortality rate comparable to the general population (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96 to 0.99). Stratified by admission diagnosis an increased mortality rate remained beyond the first year for acute-on-chronic respiratory failure (adjusted HR, 1.47; 95% CI 1.36 to 1.58) but not for other respiratory causes (adjusted HR, 1.03; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.07) or admission for septic shock (adjusted HR, 1.04; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.13). No substantial increased mortality rate was notable beyond the first year for other admission diagnoses.
Conclusion
Older ICU patients that survive the first year after an ICU admission return to a mortality rate close to that of the general population having similar baseline comorbidity, but variability is seen depending on the ICU admission diagnosis.
ClinicalTrials.gov ID:
NCT 06234709, date 02/01/2024
Designing and implementation of a mobile application for teaching population oral health needs assessment for dental students
Authors: Ghasemi Hadi , Habibi Amin , Ahmady Soleiman
Published: October 2024

Objective: This study investigates the effectiveness of a newly developed smartphone-based application for teaching population oral health needs assessment to undergraduate dental students.
Methods: Target population in this study consisted of all students of Shahid Beheshti School of dentistry in the 7th and 8th semesters in the year 2023. The intervention group (7th semester) received teaching about population oral health needs assessment based on the book “Oral health surveys; basic methods”, by means of an application, while the control group (8th semester) received the same content through self-learning activity. A questionnaire inquiring about the students’ general aspects of smartphone usage, attitude towards learning based on mobile devices (m-learning), and level of knowledge about the content of the book was used for data collection.
Results: Most dental students used smartphones extensively and expressed positive attitudes toward mobile learning with no significant statistical difference between intervention and control groups. However, both groups demonstrated limited knowledge gain from the book content, with the mobile application showing no superiority to self-learning education.
Conclusion: The present study did not demonstrate superior effectiveness of a smartphone app compared to self-learning, but the students' significant mobile usage and positive attitude towards m-learning suggest potential for further investigation in dental education.
Radiation and photothermal coefficient as major determinants of grain yield and oil content in sunflower under different sowing dates
Authors: Vercellino Roman , Fanna Ignacio , Mortarini Mauro , Polo Alejandro Pérez , Ureta Soledad , Fernández Paola , Pandolfo Claudio , Presotto Alejandro
Published: October 2024

Environmental conditions throughout the sunflower life cycle affect its phenological and physiological aspects, influencing growth and development, and ultimately, grain yield and oil content. While numerous studies have clarified the effects of specific environmental factors on sunflower oil yield and its components, a comprehensive understanding of how combined environmental conditions influence sunflower productivity requires research conducted under real production conditions. Given that different sowing dates expose the crop to varying environmental conditions, this study investigated the effects of three contrasting sowing dates and the underlying environmental conditions on sunflower grain yield, oil content, and oil yield. A broad set of commercial hybrids was evaluated using a randomized complete block design with four replicates across five environments (year or geographic location) in central Argentina. The sowing date was the major source of variation in grain yield, oil content, and oil yield, accounting for 57.2%, 62.9% and 62.6% of the total variation, respectively. Sunflowers sown in early spring exhibited significantly higher grain yield and oil content compared to those sown in late spring or early summer, which resulted in 22.3% and 39.1% lower grain yield and 2.6% and 11.3% lower oil content, respectively. Solar radiation and the photothermal coefficient during grain filling were the major environmental factors influencing sunflower parameters. Surprisingly, genotype and its interactions accounted for less than 2.7% of the variation in sunflower oil yield. This study enhances our understanding of how integrated environmental factors impact sunflower grain yield, oil content, and total oil yield.
Impacts of Medications on Microbiome-mediated Protection against Enteric Pathogens
Authors: Goodman Andrew , Kumar Aman , Sun Ruizheng , Habib Bettina , Barry Natasha , Ivanov Ivaylo , Tamblyn Robyn
Published: October 2024

The majority of people in the U.S. manage health through at least one prescription drug. Drugs classified as non-antibiotics can adversely affect the gut microbiome and disrupt intestinal homeostasis. Here, we identified medications associated with an increased risk of GI infections across a population cohort of more than 1 million individuals monitored over 15 years. Notably, the cardiac glycoside digoxin and other drugs identified in this epidemiological study are sufficient to alter microbiome composition and risk of Salmonella enterica subsp. Typhimurium (S. Tm) infection in mice. The impact of digoxin treatment on S. Tm infection is transmissible via the microbiome, and characterization of this interaction highlights a digoxin-responsive β defensin that alters microbiome composition and consequent immune surveillance of the invading pathogen. Combining epidemiological and experimental approaches thus provides an opportunity to uncover drug-host-microbiome-pathogen interactions that increase infection risk in humans.
Occurrence of Corynespora cassiicola isolates resistant to pyribencarb on eggplant in Kochi Prefecture, Japan
Authors: Shimomoto Yoshifumi , Morizane Yuka , Okada Ryotaro , Okada Tomoyuki
Published: October 2024

Ninety-nine Corynespora cassiicola isolates were collected from eggplant fields in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, in 2020–2023, and their sensitivity to pyribencarb was investigated. Sequence analysis of the cytochrome b gene revealed that 68 strains harbored the G143A substitution mutation. Inoculation tests using potted eggplants showed that pyribencarb had a weaker effect on strains harboring G143A. Sensitivity to pyribencarb was assessed by culturing mycelial homogenates of isolates on PDA medium containing 10 or 100 µg/ml azoxystrobin. The proportion of resistant isolates collected in 2022 and 2023 was significantly higher than that collected in 2020 and 2021.
Security Analysis of Dependency Confusion for Third Party Components: A Risk Assessment Framework Based on Source Code Tree Matching
Authors: Ding Yanwen , Tian Weihan , Cui Baojiang
Published: October 2024

With the widespread use of third-party components in software development, their security has become a major challenge in the field of software security. The implantation of malicious components or the unintentional reference of security weak components by developers may lead to serious security problems.In order to effectively solve the dependency obfuscation problem, this paper proposes a detection framework (Comchecker) based on source code analysis to cope with the dependency obfuscation problem through source code analysis techniques. The framework first accurately identifies and builds the code tree of third-party components and optimizes them through static analysis of component source code. Then, it evaluates the security risk of the components by designing a comprehensive evaluation model which combines various factors such as the source, structural features, and other components. Subsequently, we conduct a series of experiments to evaluate the proposed framework and compare it with state-of-the-art component detection tools.Through extensive experiments with three comparative detection tools, our detection framework achieves 93.51% accuracy for third-party component detection, outperforming existing detection tools in terms of detection accuracy and precision, and 91.04% accuracy for obfuscation-dependent detection.Finally, Comchecker is also well extended to be applied to components used in most mainstream development languages.
Understanding Chinese Undergraduate Students’ Grit and L2 Willingness to Communicate: The Contributions of Foreign Language Enjoyment and Anxiety
Authors: Li Gengchun
Published: October 2024

In recent years, the willingness to communicate among L2 learners (L2WTC) across different cultural and educational contexts have attracted increasing attention from the academic community. A variety of emotional, psychological and situational factors have been scrutinized for their direct and indirect effects on WTC. However, the personal factor of grit in shaping WTC has been insufficiently investigated, and the possible mediating effects of L2 emotions (e.g. foreign language enjoyment and anxiety) have been relatively under-explored. Based on a sample of 301 Chinese undergraduate English majors, this study investigated the influence of the two dimensions of grit, i.e., perseverance of effort (PE) and consistency of interest (CI), on two types of L2 WTC, i.e., meaning-focused and form-focused L2 WTC; and explored the possible mediating effects of foreign language anxiety (FLA) and three sources of foreign language enjoyment (FLE-private, FLE-atmosphere, and FLE-teacher) in their relationship. It is found that: (1) PE significantly positively predicted meaning-focused and form-focused L2 WTC; (2) FLE-private and FLE-atmosphere fully mediated the relationship between PE and meaning-focused and form-focused L2 WTC, and that (3) FLE-atmosphere fully mediated the relationship between CI and meaning-focused and form-focused L2 WTC.
Leveraging Edit Distance to Reveal Hidden Patterns in Sequences of Sets
Authors: Piernik Maciej , Morzy Tadeusz , Susmaga Robert , Szczech Izabela
Published: October 2024

In this paper, we analyze the edit-distance-based approach to classification of sequences of sets.
Our goal is to push the edit distance measure to its limits to see just how weak a signal it can detect when applied to sequences of sets.
It is a thorough experimental study exploring various aspects of the measure in isolation.
To achieve this, we needed precise control over the characteristics of the experimental data.
That is why we also propose a flexible dataset generator capable of controlling the main properties of the sequences of sets model, which we make publicly available as an online tool.
To give our analysis better context, in each experiment we evaluate the edit distance approach against a standard bag of words approach.
Our study uncovers a vast range of findings (from trivial to surprising), which we thoroughly discuss in the paper and, based on them, provide general guidelines on the classification of sequences of sets.
Among others, we find that edit distance is in fact able to successfully capture all the main characteristics of sequences of sets --- even the most subtle ones!
Moreover, the proposed dataset generator proved to be a very powerful tool with much broader applications than the scope of this paper and can be used to create benchmarks for any data processing algorithms involving sequences of sets.
An Application of Process Mining in Organizational Process Redesign
Authors: Asadinia Hamid , Taghavifard Mohammad Taghi , Vanani Iman Raeesi
Published: October 2024

In the competitive business environment, organizations face challenges such as rapid customer needs changes and uncertainty, necessitating continuous adjustments in business processes to maintain competitive advantage. Fundamental changes can lower service costs, reduce time, and ultimately increase profitability. Organizations increasingly leverage information technology to convert traditional processes into web-based systems, enabling detailed data collection that enhances process analysis through a method known as process mining. This study focused on redesigning the logistics process at a private bank, utilizing three process mining techniques: discovery, adaptation, and improvement, with Disco 2.14 software. Data was extracted from the bank’s automation and administrative correspondence systems, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the software outputs. The study identified process indicators, evaluated the adaptation of existing processes, and extracted values using an optimal process. Finally, the research provided suggestions to improve these processes, highlighting the potential of process mining in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness within organizational frameworks. The findings underscore the importance of adapting business processes to meet evolving market demands and leverage technology for improved operational performance.
Multi-modal Entity Alignment based on Enhanced Relationship Learning and Multi-layer Feature Fusion
Authors: Li Huayu , Wang Cuicui , Chen Xinxin , Zhang Chi
Published: October 2024

Entity alignment is a critical technique for integrating diverse knowledge graphs. Although existing methods have achieved impressive success in traditional entity alignment, they may struggle to handle the complexities arising from interactions and dependencies in multi-modal knowledge. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-modal entity alignment model called ERMF, which leverages distinct modal characteristics of entities to identify equivalent entities across different multi-modal knowledge graphs. Specifically, we first utilize different feature encoders to independently extract features from different modalities. Concurrently, we incorporate visual features and random sampling methods to design a vision-guided negative sample generation strategy based on contrastive learning, guiding the model to learn relationship embeddings. Subsequently, in the feature fusion stage, we propose a multi-layer feature fusion approach that incorporates multiple attention mechanisms to hierarchically process the importance weights and interactions of the modalities, thereby obtaining multi-granularity features of the modalities. Extensive experiments were conducted on two public datasets, and the results demonstrated that ERMF significantly outperforms competitive baseline models, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Multi-Scale Progressive Dehazing Network with Image Priors and Hybrid Attention Mechanism
Authors: Xing Yiming , Zhang Jindong
Published: October 2024

Currently, most dehazing networks achieve good performance on synthetic images but perform unsatisfactorily when processing real hazy images; moreover, these methods usually ignore the application of prior knowledge about images. To address this issue, we propose a novel Multi-Scale Progressive Dehazing Network (MPDNet). We have found that the residual channel prior of hazy images contains rich structural information; thus, we design a Prior-Guided Block (PGB) and introduce it into the dehazing network. To better apply prior knowledge at different stages, we design an Attention-guided Feature Memory module (AFM) and a Multi-Scale Dehazing Unit (MDU), thereby achieving progressive image dehazing. AFM is used to explore the correlation between the current input and historical information, transferring features across different stages. MDU leverages the impact of dilated convolutions on the receptive field and combines a hybrid attention mechanism to extract more image information for restoring haze-free images. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our MPDNet performs excellently in handling both homogeneous and non-homogeneous hazy images, comparable to existing state-of-the-art methods.
Adaptive Intelligent Control for Nonlinear Systems Considering Butterfly-Like Hysteresis and Its Application on Dielectric Elastomer Actuated Motion System
Authors: Liu Yuehang , Zhang Xiuyu , Li Zhi , Chen Xinkai , Su Chun-Yi
Published: October 2024

Flexible smart material actuators, i.e., dielectric elastomer actuators(DEAs), have shown great potential applications in the fields of flexiblebionic and rehabilitation robotics due to their high response speed and highenergy conversion efficiency. However, the hysteresis nonlinearities of smartmaterial actuators severely degrade the control performance. To this end, aneural network-based adaptive pseudo-inverse control scheme is proposed for aclass of output-constrained nonlinear time-delay systems actuated by flexiblesmart material actuators. The main features are summarized as follows: 1) anew butterfly-like Krasnoselskii-Pokrovskii (BKP) kernel is derived based onthe traditional Krasnoselskii-Pokrovskii (KP) model, then, by performingweighted superposition of BKP kernel, a new BKP model is proposed to describethe butterfly-like hysteretic loop in the flexible smart material actuators;2) a novel pseudo-inverse control scheme is proposed to overcome thebutterfly-like hysteresis, which implies that the hysteresis inverse modelsare not needed, instead, a temporarily hysteretic controller in which theactual control signal is coupled is designed and a mechanism of extracting theactual control signal from the designed temporarily hysteresis controller isdeveloped, then, the butterfly-like hysteresis is effectively mitigated; 3) toour best knowledge, the output-constrained control problem of thebutterfly-like hysteresis nonlinear systems is solved for the first time bydesigning the barrier-Lyapunov function and the proposed hysteresis looppseudo-inverse control scheme; 4) a DEA-based motion control experimentalplatform is established and the performance of control is verified.
Ransomware Detection Using Convolutional Neural Networks and Isolation Forests in Network Traffic Patterns
Authors: Alzonem Frank , Albrecht Guillermo , Castellanos Dimitrios , Vandermeer Matthias , Stansfield Bernard
Published: October 2024

Ransomware has rapidly become one of the most disruptive cyber threats, targeting critical infrastructures and sensitive data with sophisticated encryption techniques. The proposed approach introduces a novel combination of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Isolation Forest (iForest) for detecting ransomware in network traffic patterns, providing a significant alternative to traditional signature-based and heuristic methods. The CNN component effectively captures high-level spatial relationships between packet sequences, while iForest isolates anomalous traffic patterns associated with ransomware activity. The hybrid model demonstrates robust performance in distinguishing between benign and ransomware-infected traffic flows, achieving high accuracy and minimizing false positives. Extensive experiments on publicly available datasets highlight the model’s adaptability in detecting previously unseen ransomware variants, offering scalability and computational efficiency suitable for real-time network monitoring. The findings suggest that this approach has the potential to enhance cybersecurity defenses against evolving ransomware threats.