bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Implementation of a Virtual Instrument-Based Seismic Reflection Wave Imaging System
Authors: Lu Peng , Yu Meijiao , Zhang Renyong
Published: June 2023

This paper presents a seismic reflection wave imaging system that uses virtual instrumentation technology to process seismic wave data. The system employs a modular approach to image reflection waves in a medium velocity hierarchy. The study investigates the time and frequency domain characteristics of seismic sub-waves transmitted in the reflection system and establishes and simulates the propagation model of seismic reflection waves in horizontally stratified media. Algorithms are proposed for implementing the overall system, including amplitude compensation, digital filtering, velocity analysis, and offset imaging. The effectiveness of 2D FK filtering in the filtering process is tested, which confirms its ability to filter out velocity domain interference waves. The hardware and software development solutions for the overall system are developed based on the architecture of virtual instrumentation technology. Seismic reflection wave imaging experiments are conducted in several scenarios, and the experimental results meet the application requirements. The experiments demonstrate that the system can accurately image the velocity of subsurface media using seismic reflection waves and virtual instrumentation hardware and software systems.
Regional staining reverse time migration algorithm based on energy-constrained factors
Authors: Liu Chang , Qu Yingming , Li Zhenchun , Zeng Shenghan , Yang Tingyu , Zhao Weijie
Published: June 2023

Stained migration algorithms can improve the imaging result in some special structures, such as subsalt layers and steeply inclined layers, by introducing the complex domain. Conventional stained migration algorithms need to stain the target geological body precisely. However, in actual production, it is not possible to stain only the target geological body, which leads to inaccurate stained imaging results. So we propose a new regional staining algorithm based on energy-constrained factors. Derive the discrete form of the complex domain wave equation and the imaging formula of the imaginary migration result. Study the influence of the stained region boundary on seismic wave propagation when different migration velocities are input. Based on the difference in energy of the reflected waves generated at the stained region boundary and those generated by the target geological body, we propose positive and negative energy-constrained factors to constrain the interference waves by stained boundaries. The positive energy-constrained factor can filter out weak interference waves, and the negative energy-constrained factor can filter out strong interference waves. Numerical examples of a simple three-layer horizontal model and a complex salt model show that the new regional staining algorithm based on energy-constrained factors can increase the illumination of the target geological body and improve the imaging resolution of the target region, even when stained areas are imprecise.
Air quality during 2010-2020 over two mega cities in the west zone of India- with special reference to COVID-19 lockdown.
Authors: Nehul Shashikant , Rohra Himanshi , Rutgersson Anna , Satsangi Gursumeeran , G Krishnakumar , Murari Vishnu , Talokdar Shamitaksha , Gadgil Alka
Published: June 2023

With the advent of industrialization in the world's major metropolitan areas, air pollution has steadily increased. Several strict laws are imposed by the authorities to minimize the impact of pollution in urban dwellings. The lockdown restrictions during COVID-19 pandemic resulted in major air quality improvements worldwide. However, episodic improvements in air quality understates explicit picture of air quality. This merits the cause for spatio-temporal analysis of air quality over two most affected metropolitan regions in west India: Pune and Mumbai, in the past decade. We investigated the air quality by collecting hourly primary data of PM10, SPM, SO2, and NOx at three locations in Pune while daily data of PM10, SO2, and NOx was obtained at eleven locations in Mumbai. As the data were copiously available (2010–2020), decadal, inter-intra seasonal analysis was carried out at multi-timescales. This contributed in intensively exploring the variations in 2020 resulting in critical evaluation during the pandemic year. Against the overall deterioration in air quality in the past decade, finer refinement in air quality was witnessed over Pune during the lockdown. At Mumbai, an overall reduction of 59% was observed at all the locations. In both the cities, the pollution behaviour varied on a spatio-temporal scale within the cities. The study, therefore, infers the distinctiveness of pollutant behaviour on a spatial scale within the city rather than overall average for the city. It also recommends strengthening the air monitoring network in urban dwellings to track varied sources and formulate precise urban planning.
Trichoderma and sodium nitroprusside elicitation improves vinblastine and vincristine yield by increasing TIA pathway genes expression in cell suspension of Catharanthus roseus
Authors: Farzaei Leila , Sayyari Mohammad
Published: June 2023

Biotic and abiotic elicitors induce the production of plant secondary metabolites. In this study the effects of Trichoderma harzianum and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as a biotic and abiotic elicitor on biochemical and molecular features of Catharanthus roseous cell suspension were investigated. Leaf explant and medium amended with concentration of 8 µM 2,4-D and 2 µM BAP were used for obtain cell suspension. Cell suspension exposed to T. harzianum. (%1 v/v) and SNP (150 µM) and after 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours harvested. The highest activity of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, β (1–3) glucanase and chitinase were found 48 hours after application of treatments. Also, the highest level of G10H (2.5-fold), T16H (1.5-fold), D4H (1.1-fold), DAT (1.9-fold), STR (5-fold) and CrPRX (2-fold) were observed 48-hours after elicitor application. A positive correlation was observed between enzymes activities, TIAs biosynthesis pathway genes and vinblastine and vincristine accumulation. These results confirmed that fungus and SNP elicitors in C. roseous led to increase secondary metabolites production and gene expression related to biosynthesis of vinblastine and vincristine pathway 1.84 and 1.93-fold, 48-hours after elicitor application, respectively. All these results suggest that fungus and SNP elicitors after 48-houres exposure, effectively improve the pharmaceutical value of C. roseous.
Phase II study of S-1 plus docetaxel as first-line treatment for older patients with advanced gastric cancer (OGSG 0902)
Authors: Kawase Tomono , IMAMURA HIROSHI , Kawabata Ryohei , Matsuyama Jin , Nishikawa Kazuhiro , Yanagihara Kazuhiro , Yamamoto Kazuyoshi , Hoki Noriyuki , Kawada Junji , Kawakami Hisato , Sakai Daisuke , Kurokawa Yukinori , Shimokawa Toshio , Satoh Taroh
Published: June 2023

Background
Although there is insufficient evidence for the treatment of older patients with advanced gastric cancer, fluorouracil combined with platinum chemotherapy has been recognized as a standard first-line treatment for such populations in Japan despite the lack of efficacy and toxicity data.
Methods
Patients aged 75 years or older with advanced gastric cancer were enrolled. S-1 plus docetaxel (docetaxel: 40 mg/m2, day 1; S-1: 80 mg/m2, days 1–14; q21 days) was repeated every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall response rate. Secondary endpoints were safety, progression-free survival, time to treatment failure, and overall survival. The sample size was calculated as 30 under the hypothesis of an expected response rate of 40% and a threshold response rate of 20%, at a power of 90% and a two-sided alpha value of 5%.
Results
From February 2010 to January 2015, 31 patients were enrolled and assessed for efficacy and toxicity. The response rate was 45.2% (95% CI: 27.3–64.0%; p = 0.001) and it exceeded the expected response rate set at 40%. Median progression-free survival was 5.8 months, the 1-year survival rate was 58.1%, and the median survival time was 16.1 months. The major grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia (58%), febrile neutropenia (13%), anemia (10%), anorexia (10%), and fatigue (6%).
Conclusions
These findings indicate that S-1 plus docetaxel as first-line treatment for older patients is feasible and that it has promising efficacy against advanced gastric cancer.
Cuticular chemical composition as a tool for the identification of puparial cases of some forensically important Egyptian blow flies
Authors: Zaher Eman E. , Rashed Salwa S. , Abdel-Halim Fatma A. , Mohammed Samar M. , Salem Abeer Mohsen
Published: June 2023

Cuticular chemical compounds for many insect species were proven to be unique and species specific. Because of their uniqueness, analysis of such chemical profiles, especially cuticular hydrocarbons was used for many purposes including identification of insects. Blow flies are one of the first flies that reach corpses so play a significant role in estimating the minimum post mortem interval. Accurate estimation depends on precise identification of the collected specimens. When only damaged empty puparial cases were left behind, morphological and even molecular identification methods of blow flies is so problematic. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical compositions of the puparial exuviae ofLucilia sericata, Chrysomya albicepsandChrysomya marginalisusing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to evaluate their accuracy in Dipteran identification. Adults were collected from Giza and Cairo Governorates and reared under laboratory conditions until emergence of first-generation adults to obtain their empty puparial cases. GC–MS was used to analyze the chemical composition of these exuviae. Twelve classes of chemical compounds were identified from the three species at retention times 18.78 to 35.03. Alcohol represented the highest percentage (28.6%) of compounds inLucilia sericataprofile. Meanwhile, alkanes (n-alkanes, branched alkanes and cycloalkanes) constitute the major cuticular components of the three fly species with the highest percentage inChrysomya marginaliscuticle. These findings could be considered as a preliminary step toward using hydrocarbon composition as a feasible tool for differentiation between forensic species in Egypt.
Physicochemical characteristics and seasonal variations of PM 2.5 in urban, industrial, and suburban areas in South Korea
Authors: Hwang Kyucheol , Kim Jeongho , Lee Jae Young , Park Jong-Sung , Park Sechan , Lee Gahye , Kim Chang Hyeok , Kim Pilho , Shin Su Hyun , Lee Kwang Yul , An Joon-Young , Park Jungmin , Kim Jong Bum
Published: June 2023

Among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, South Korea has the highest population exposure to PM2.5. Although the country’s diverse PM2.5 reduction policies have improved the pollution levels, the PM2.5 concentrations still pose serious environmental and health risks. Herein, we monitored the physicochemical components, such as ion, metal, organic carbon/ elemental carbon (OC/EC), and particle number concentrations, across different regions in South Korea for January 1–December 31, 2021. The study area consisted of the city center, industrial complexes, and suburban areas. Before analyzing the emission characteristics of each site, we compared the Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS) data for the three areas, to analyze the main emission sources. The annual particle number concentrations for the three areas were 21.8–26.44 µg/m3; the maximum values were evident in March. All the three areas portrayed high ratios of NO3− with different components in all seasons. The particle number concentrations in the three sites were 1.3–1.5 × 107, and the peak points of the concentrations were different in every site: city center (40 nm), industrial complexes (60 nm), and suburban areas (80 nm). We also conducted potential source contribution function (PSCF) and conditional bivariate probability function (CBPF) analyses, to determine the inflow direction of the pollution sources, for high PM2.5 episodes. For the episodes that occurred in spring and winter, there were no differences in the PM2.5 concentrations between the three sites. This study can serve as a framework for developing air-quality management policies in South Korea.
Establishment and validation of a nomogram containing cytokeratin fragment antigen 21-1 for the differential diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Liu Yuan-Yuan , Li Yue-Yue , Liu Yong-Shuai , Zhang Zong-Li , Gao Yan-Jing
Published: June 2023

Background
Our study aimed to develop a nomogram, including cytokeratin fragment antigen 21 − 1 (CYFRA21-1) to aid in the differential diagnosis of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods
This study included a total of 487 patients diagnosed with ICC and HCC at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University. They were further divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort based on whether the data was collected retrospectively or prospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to select variables for the nomogram. The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration plots. The net benefits of the nomogram at different threshold probabilities were evaluated using decision curve analysis (DCA).
Results
Six variables, including CYFRA21-1, were selected to establish the nomogram. A satisfactory discriminative ability of the nomogram was indicated by AUC (0.979 of training cohort, 0.991 of validation cohort). Hosmer-Lemeshow test and the calibration plots showed favorable consistency between the prediction of the nomogram and actual observations. Furthermore, DCA demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically useful and had better discriminative ability than the model without CYFRA21-1 and the model consisted of logarithm of alpha-fetoprotein (Log AFP) and logarithm of carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (Log CA19–9).
Conclusions
This study developed and validated a nomogram, including CYFRA21-1 that can assist clinicians in the differential diagnosis of ICC and HCC in patients.
Altered Rbfox1-Vamp1 pathway and prefrontal cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia
Authors: Chung Youjin , Dienel Samuel , Belch Matthew , Fish Kenneth , Ermentrout George , Lewis David , Chung Daniel
Published: June 2023

Deficient gamma oscillations in prefrontal cortex (PFC) of individuals with schizophrenia appear to involve impaired inhibitory drive from parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PVIs). Inhibitory drive from PVIs is regulated, in part, by RNA binding fox-1 homolog 1 (Rbfox1). Rbfox1 is spliced into nuclear or cytoplasmic isoforms, which regulate alternative splicing or stability of their target transcripts, respectively. One major target of cytoplasmic Rbfox1 is vesicle associated membrane protein 1 (Vamp1). Vamp1 mediates GABA release probability from PVIs, and the loss of Rbfox1 reduces Vamp1 levels which in turn impairs cortical inhibition. In this study, we investigated if the Rbfox1-Vamp1 pathway is altered in PVIs in PFC of individuals with schizophrenia by utilizing a novel strategy that combines multi-label in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. In the PFC of 20 matched pairs of schizophrenia and comparison subjects, cytoplasmic Rbfox1 protein levels were significantly lower in PVIs in schizophrenia and this deficit was not attributable to potential methodological confounds or schizophrenia-associated co-occurring factors. In a subset of this cohort, Vamp1 mRNA levels in PVIs were also significantly lower in schizophrenia and were predicted by lower cytoplasmic Rbfox1 protein levels across individual PVIs. To investigate the functional impact of Rbfox1-Vamp1 alterations in schizophrenia, we simulated the effect of lower GABA release probability from PVIs on gamma power in a computational model network of pyramidal neurons and PVIs. Our simulations showed that lower GABA release probability reduces gamma power by disrupting network synchrony while minimally affecting network activity. Finally, lower GABA release probability synergistically interacted with lower strength of inhibition from PVIs in schizophrenia to reduce gamma power non-linearly. Together, our findings suggest that the Rbfox1-Vamp1 pathway in PVIs is impaired in schizophrenia and that this alteration likely contributes to deficient PFC gamma power in the illness.
Catalytic Hydrocracking of Jatropha Oil for Bio-jetfuel Production using natural clay
Authors: Hisham Sarah , Kamal Nahed , Diwani Guzine El , Kamel Shereen , Ettouney Reem , El-Rifai Mahmoud
Published: June 2023

Biofuels such as biodiesel and bio-jet fuel are‏ important sources of renewable energy, which has to be added to petroleum fuels in different ratios for environmental purposes. Biofuels in general, can be produced from several raw agriculture materials. Currently, the most important biofuel is the bio-jet fuel, used for partial replacement of jet fuel from petroleum origin. The most promising method for bio-jet fuel manufacture is the catalytic hydrocracking of a low-cost raw vegetable oil such as non-edible Jatropha oil. The type of product and its quality and quantity depend on the process conditions such as reaction time, temperature, and catalyst type, form, and amount. Heterogeneous catalysts play an important role in this process. The present study aims to the production of bio-jet fuel by hydrocracking of Jatropha oil conforming to ASTM specifications by the selection and preparation of an economic inorganic catalyst. The 4% catalyst was used in the production of biojet fuel under the obtained optimum operating conditions of 350˚C, 4 bar H2, 18 min, and followed by fractionation tower. The products were tested and their specifications conformed to the ASTM specifications, viz the freezing point (-56˚C), the flash point (53˚C), and existent gum content (5.9 mg/100 ml).
Effect of tungsten carbide reinforcement phase on the abrasive wear performance of metal matrix composites deposited by laser cladding
Authors: Panziera Renato Camponogara , Pereira Milton , Castro Richard de Medeiros , Curi Elvys Isaías Mercado , Neto Flavio Guedin
Published: June 2023

One of the biggest challenges facing industrial sectors such as agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and aerospace today is issues related to component wear. In this context, the laser cladding process has often been chosen as a deposition process for abrasion resistant coatings due to the low dilution and microstructural characteristics found in the deposited material. An option for improving abrasion resistance has been the use of reinforcement phases from carbides. However, it is necessary to have a comparative study of the tribological performance of deposits made with different metallic matrices and different proportions of reinforcements. The state of the art indicates the lack of a detailed tribological study of Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) using the chemical composition of the metallic matrices in this study, as well as the high proportion of tungsten carbide (WC), as a reinforcement element, applied to the ASTM G65 standardized test. Laser processing parameters, hardness and abrasive wear performance were studied by changing the volume fraction of WC by 0, 20 and 30%Vol. in two nickel-based metallic matrices and one iron-based matrix deposited via laser cladding. The results indicate that the increase in the fraction of WC in the metallic matrix provides a smaller volumetric loss and greater resistance to abrasion reaching a volumetric loss of up to 95% lower when compared to the composite material with the matrix in its pure state. This resistance is also related to the microhardness and anchoring performance of the hard WC particles on each metallic matrix. However, there is a processability limit when using a high percentage of reinforcement phase, generating chemical and thermal reactions in the metallic matrix, causing structural defects in the deposited composite coating. In addition, the different mechanisms of abrasive wear are influenced by the hardness and the change in the chemical composition of the metallic matrix, which can lead to adhesive and brittle wear, generating greater volumetric losses during the abrasive test.
Functional Architecture of Brain and Blood Transcriptome Delineate Biological Continuity Between Suicidal Ideation and Suicide
Authors: Sun Shengnan , Liu Qingkun , Wang Zhaoyu , Huang Yung-yu , Sublette M. , Dwork Andrew , Rosoklija Gorazd , Ge Yongchao , Galfalvy Hanga , Mann J. John , Haghighi Fatemeh
Published: June 2023

Human genetic studies indicate that suicidal ideation and behavior are both heritable. Most studies have examined associations between aberrant gene expression and suicide behavior, but behavior risk is linked to severity of suicidal ideation. Through a gene network approach, this study investigates how gene co-expression patterns are associated with suicidal ideation and severity using RNA-seq data in peripheral blood from 46 live participants with elevated suicidal ideation and 46 with no ideation. Associations with presence and severity of suicidal ideation were found within 18 and 3 co-expressed modules respectively (p < 0.05), not explained by severity of depression. Suicidal ideation presence and severity-related gene modules with enrichment of genes involved in defense against microbial infection, inflammation, and adaptive immune response were identified, and tested using RNA-seq data from postmortem brain that revealed gene expression differences in suicide decedents vs. non-suicides in white matter, but not gray matter. Findings support a role of brain and peripheral blood inflammation in suicide risk, showing that suicidal ideation presence and severity is associated with an inflammatory signature detectable in blood and brain, indicating a biological continuity between ideation and suicidal behavior that may underlie a common heritability.
Modeling low flows by univariate hybrid wavelet-time series approach
Authors: MohammadiFard Sheyda , Eslamian Saeid , Modarres Reza
Published: June 2023

This research addressed the forecast of 7-day and 30-day low flows using daily flow data at two hydrometric stations of Qaleh-Shahrokh and Eskandari in Isfahan province, Iran. The two methods of ordinary time series modeling and time series modeling with the help of wavelet (wavelet-time series) are used to forecast low flows. The research also employs the wavelet method as a modern and effective way for the analysis of hydrological time series. In the wavelet-time series modeling, the target time series is decomposed into five levels using the Haar wavelet theory. With this decomposition, the series is divided into two parts including approximation a, which is the main nature of the data, and detail sub-series, which includes the white noise of the data. Then, the time series modeling steps are implemented for the approximation a. The results of the forecast of 7-day and 30-day low flow using the time series and wavelet-time series methods are explored by the error assessment criteria including the coefficient of correlation between the predicted and observed values, root mean squared error (RMSE), and mean absolute deviation (MAD). Finally, the coefficients of correlation between the predicted and observed values of 7-day and 30-day low flows in the Qaleh-Shahrokh and Eskandari stations are estimated at 0.87, 0.87, 0.55, and 0.95 by the time series method and 0.99, 0.99, 0.99, and 0.99 by the wavelet-time series method, respectively. The results show that the wavelet-time series method outperforms the time series method in predicting 7-day and 30-day low flows.
The relationship between nomophobia and psychological distress in Tunisian students: The moderating effect of physical activity
Authors: mechraoui Oumaima , Jelleli Hilmi , Fekih-Romdhane Feten , Rebhi Mahmoud , Saidane Mouna , Guelmami Noomen , Aissa Mohamed Ben , Chater Walid , Bonsaksen Tore , Dergaa Ismail
Published: June 2023

Background Due to their stage of life and the daily stressors they encounter, students are particularly susceptible to both behavioral and psychological issues. Our study was designed with two objectives in mind: (1) to explore the potential mitigating effect of physical activity on the relationship between nomophobia and distress in students; and (2) to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-12). Methods A cross-sectional analysis was undertaken with a sample of Tunisian students who regularly use smartphones (N = 533, 64.6% female, mean age 25.03 ± 6.55 years). Results The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses pointed to the DASS-12 as a secondary 3-factor scale. The internal consistency of the scale, as measured by Cronbach’s alphas, was 0.98 for stress, 0.90 for anxiety, and 0.84 for depression. The results of the measurement model supported the suitability and reliability of all the DASS-12 items in capturing the underlying constructs. Structural model analysis revealed positive correlations between physical activity and nomophobia with stress, anxiety, and depression. Moreover, physical activity was found to moderate the relationship between nomophobia and two elements of distress: stress and anxiety. Conclusion The findings of this study open up novel intervention strategies for students grappling with nomophobia. In particular, the results suggest that promoting physical activity might serve as a coping strategy to counteract the impacts of nomophobia on stress and anxiety symptoms in students.
Tissues Macro-Minerals Changes of Growing Camels (Camelus dromedarius) by Regions, in Spring Season of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Matar Abdulkareem , Abdelrahman Mutassim M. , Alhidary Ibrahim A. , Al-Badwi Mohammed A. , Alobre Mohsen M. , Aljumaah Riyadh S.
Published: June 2023

The aim of our study was to evaluate the calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and magnesium (Mg) status of slaughtered camel tissues in five regions in Saudi Arabia during the spring season. Selected tissues (whole blood, liver, meat, rumen tissue and rumen fluid samples) were collected from 33 growing camels (one year old) from local slaughterhouses in five regions. Ninety-three biological samples were collected and prepared for analysis for Ca, P and Mg by ICP-MS. A significant variation was reported for the Ca, P, Mg and inorganic content of the liver by region. In meat samples, camels from northern and central regions had significantly higher levels of Ca (P < 0.05), P (P < 0.001), Mg (P < 0.001), and inorganic matter content (P < 0.001) compared to others. A significant variation in Ca, P and Mg concentration was reported in rumen fluid, rumen tissue and whole blood for camels in the eastern region compared to the central region. A negative trend correlation between rumen fluid P and rumen tissue P (r = -0.899; P < 0.10). In summary, variation in the Ca, P, and Mg status of camels affected by regions can result from the differences in their concentration in soil, water, and forage, which are mainly related to environmental factors. Phosphorus is the only macro mineral that has shown a correlation between rumen fluid and rumen tissue. Further research is needed to examine mineral metabolism and the possibility of developing a supplementation program in some regions.
Development and Validation of a Novel liquid-liquid phase separation Gene Signature for Bladder Cancer
Authors: Guo Sufan , Su Qisheng , Yang Zheng , Mo Wuning
Published: June 2023

Background Bladder carcinoma (BLCA) is a prevalent malignancy in the urinary tract and is known for its aggressive nature and high probability of recurrence. The regulation of the biological response during tumor proliferation and metastasis is inextricably linked to liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). To facilitate early detection and treatment, this study utilized transcriptomic data to explore the prognostic roles of LLPS-linked genes and develop a predictive model.Methods The dataset of bladder cancer patients consisted of clinical and transcriptomic data retrieved from the GEO and TCGA databases. The study utilized a clustering algorithm that employed non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) to classify the samples, which were further compared systematically for their liquid-liquid phase separation characteristics. A multivariate Cox regression model and the Least Absolute Shrinkage Selection Operator (LASSO) algorithm were utilized to construct prognostic models to establish risk formulas for nine genes. Validation of the gene signature was conducted in the entire TCGA cohort (406 cases), TCGA testing cohort (120 cases), and the external validation dataset GSE13507. The signature system was evaluated using both receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Kaplan-Meier curves. Furthermore, decision curve analysis including the clinicopathological parameters and genetic signature was utilized to predict individual survival.Results In the study, two distinct molecular subtypes were identified, namely C1 and C2. It was revealed that individuals with the C1 subtype had a significantly more favorable prognosis as compared to those with the C2 subtype. Patients belonging to the low-risk group had remarkably better prognoses compared to those in the high-risk groups across the entire TCGA, GEO, and TCGA training cohorts. In addition, the LLPS-related gene model constructed in the study was validated as a prognostic factor independent of other clinical traits.Conclusions This study identifies gene clusters associated with LLPS and establishes a model that can predict, accurately and independently, the prognosis of BLCA. This model can be utilized in clinical practice to assess the prognosis of BLCA.
Toxic elements determination in selected cosmetic products: Health risk assessment
Authors: Đogo-Mračević Svetlana , Laketić Tatjana , Stanković Milan , Lolić Aleksandar
Published: June 2023

The aim of this research was to determine the content of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) in selected lipsticks and face foundations of different countries of origin and price categories, as well as the assessment of health risk associated with these metals via dermal and oral exposure. The samples were prepared by acid digestion and then analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) – Cd, Pb and Ni and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) – As. Arsenic was found in 50% of lipstick samples and in only two face foundation samples with the highest concentration of 0.28 mg/kg in the lipstick sample, the lead concentration was in the range of 1.15 to 5.12 mg/kg in ten samples. Nickel was found in five samples out of 20, with the highest concentration of 4.20 mg/kg. Cadmium was found in only one face foundation sample in the cheaper price range (1.11 mg/kg). The obtained results indicate that concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, and Ni were within the permissible limits according to Serbian legislation. Health risk associated with these elements was assessed as non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk. Obtained hazard quotients (HQs) and hazard indexes (HIs) were below 1, indicating the absence of significant non-carcinogenic health risk due to exposure to these TEs. The carcinogenic risk results show that investigated cosmetic products can be considered low–risky due to the possibility of causing malignant disease.
Surface Quality Prediction by Machine Learning Methods and Process Parameter Optimization in Ultra-Precision Machining of AISI D2 Using CBN tool
Authors: Adizue Ugonna Loveday , Tura Amanuel Diriba , Isaya Elly Ogutu , Farkas Balázs , Takács Márton
Published: June 2023

High-quality machining is a crucial aspect of contemporary manufacturing technology due to the vast demand for precision machining for parts made from hardened tool steels and super alloys globally in the aerospace, automobile, and medical sectors. The necessity to upheave production efficiency and quality enhancement at minimum cost requires deep knowledge of this cutting process and development of machine learning-based modeling technique, adept in providing essential tools for design, planning, and incorporation in the machining processes. This research aims to develop a predictive surface roughness model and optimize its process parameters for Ultra-precision hard-turning finishing operation. Ultra-precision hard-turning experiments were carried out on AISI D2 of HRC 62. The response surface method (RSM) was applied to understand the effect of process parameters on surface roughness and carry out optimization. Based on the data gained from experiments, Machine learning models and algorithms were developed with Support vector machine (SVM), Gaussian process relation (GPR), Adaptive-neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), and artificial neural network (ANN) for the prediction of surface roughness. The results show that ANFIS gave the best predictive accuracy of average R, RMSE, and MAPE values of 0.98, 0.06, and 9.98%, respectively, and that of additional validation tests were 0.81, 0.17 and 32.34%, respectively, which are found reasonably accurate. The RSM analysis shows that the feed is the most significant factor for minimizing surface roughness Ra among the process parameters, with 92% influence, and optimal cutting conditions was found to be cutting speed = 100 m/min, feed = 0.025 mm/rev and depth of cut = 0.09 mm, respectively. This finding can be helpful in the decision-making on process parameters in the precision machining industry.
Palm kernel meal improves the production and conidia quality of Cordyceps javanica in conventional solid-state fermentation
Authors: Ordaz-Hernández Armando , Montesinos-Matías Roberto , Mellín-Rosas Marco A. , Pérez-Aguirre Teresa , Loera Octavio , Angel-Cuapio Alejandro
Published: June 2023

Palm kernel meal was incorporated into rice, and its effect on conidiation by Cordyceps javanica under solid-state fermentation was determined. The addition of 5% palm kernel meal increased the conidial yield by up to 40%, without compromising conidia viability and hydrophobicity. In addition, conidia caused higher levels of mortality by mycosis against Diaphorina citriadults (90%), relative to conidia harvested from rice (52%). The conidia recovered from rice/palm kernel meal mixtures also retained viability greater than 90% after storage for 10 months at 4 °C, while the conidia produced on rice reached 80%. Thus, conidia produced in the presence of palm kernel meal can be consumed immediately or in the medium term. Some advantages of palm kernel meal as a co-substrate are also analyzed in the conventional production system of C. javanica. These results are attractive for improving the mycoinsecticide production process, with excellent cost-benefit and minimal changes in infrastructure and process.
Dual-Transformer Head End-to-End Person Search Network
Authors: Feng Cheng , Han Dezhi , Chen Chongqing
Published: June 2023

Person Search mainly consists of two submissions, namely Person Detection and Person Re-identification (re-ID). Existing approaches are primarily based on Faster R-CNN and CNN (e.g., ResNet). While these structures may detect high-quality bounding boxes, they seem to degrade the performance of re-ID. To address this issue, this paper proposes a Dual-Transformer Head Network (DTHN) for end-to-end person search, which contains two independent Transformer heads, a box head for detecting the bounding box and extracting efficient bounding box feature, and a re-ID head for capturing high-quality re-ID features for the re-ID task. Specifically, after the image goes through the ResNet backbone network to extract features, the RPN proposes possible bounding boxes. The box head then extracts more efficient features within these bounding boxes for detection. Following this, the re-ID head computes the occluded attention of the features in these bounding boxes and distinguishes them from other persons or backgrounds. Extensive experiments on two widely used benchmark datasets, CUHK-SYSU and PRW, achieve state-of-the-art performance levels, 94.9 mAP and 95.3 top-1 score on the CUHK-SYSU dataset, and 51.6 mAP and 87.6 top-1 score on the PRW dataset, which demonstrates the advantages of this paper’s approach.
Association of hepatitis B virus infection with head and neck cancer: a propensity-matched study
Authors: Zhang lanlan , Wang Weihong
Published: June 2023

Objective This work focused on investigating the relation between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with head and neck cancer (HNC), identifying the associated risk factors and providing a reference for preventing and treating HNC.
Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted on 1,572 HNC cases who were hospitalized between January 2009 and December 2020. Meanwhile, 58,409 individuals with non-oncological illnesses from the departments of oral and maxillofacial surgery, psychiatry, neurology and cardiology were recruited as controls. R software was utilized for data processing. Clinical data were processed using SPSS 22.0, while baseline radiotherapy data were balanced with 1:4 propensity score matching (PSM).
Results In this study, 1:4 PSM was completed in 1,572 HNC patients and 6,288 controls. In comparison with controls, HNC cases had a markedly increased HBsAg positivity rate (5.9% vs 3.5%, p<0.001). Additionally, the HBsAb positivity rate of HNC cases remarkably decreased relative to controls (52.9% vs 58.7%, p<0.001).
Conclusions HBV infection was positively related to HNC, while HBsAb was negatively correlated with HNC.
Spontaneous low-temperature conversion of ortho-azidocarbonyl compounds to 2,1-benzisoxazoles
Authors: Villanueva-Kasis Oscar , de Loera Denisse , Vega-Rodríguez Sarai , Leyva Elisa
Published: June 2023

We have observed the spontaneous conversion of two ortho-azidocarbonyl compounds to the corresponding 2,1-benzisoxazoles, which are also called anthranils. These systems comprehend the 2-azidobenzaldehyde and the 2-azido-4,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, obtained from halogenated starting materials via a nucleophilic aromatic substitution with sodium azide. Upon the formation of the organic azide, the molecule undergoes a rapid cyclization and release of gaseous nitrogen to afford the 2,1-benzisoxazole. The ortho-azidocarbonyl compounds that persisted were stored in the freezer, well-sealed and sheltered from light. Even under those conditions, the compounds eventually transformed to their corresponding 2,1-benzisoxazoles, as seen via Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). A series of computational studies were performed at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory to confirm the spontaneous formation of the 2,1-benzisoxazoles from the corresponding ortho-azidocarbonyl compounds. The methoxy groups do not influence the kinetics of the reaction, but the formation of the 2,1-benzisoxazole seems to be thermodynamically favored by the presence of the methoxy group.
The Expression of Autophagy Markers in IVIG- resistant Kawasaki Disease and the Establishment of Prediction Model
Authors: Yang Zhou , Wu Yali , Yuan Chun-hui , Yin Wei , Wang Baoxiang , Ding Yan
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to find early predictors of Intravenous Immunoglobulin-Resistant Kawasaki Disease
METHODS
Patients diagnosed with Kawasaki disease were enrolled in this study. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of patients in both groups before IVIG treatment. Independent predictors of Intravenous Immunoglobulin-Resistant Kawasaki Disease were analyzed, and a prediction model for children with Intravenous Immunoglobulin-Resistant Kawasaki Disease was constructed.
Results
A total of 108 children (67 males and 41 females) with C-globulin-sensitive Kawasaki disease and 31 children (20 males and 11 females) with C-globulin-naïve Kawasaki disease participated in this study .Compared with the IVIG-sensitive group, the duration of hospitalization, ALT, AST, GLB, r-GT, IgG, PCT, ESR were elevated in the Intravenous Immunoglobulin-Resistant Kawasaki Disease group, and ATG16L1, LC3II, BECN1, RBC, HGB, ALB, A/G, and CK were significantly lower (P < 0.05). mRNA expression of ESR, BECN1, and LC3II were independent risk factors for IVIG non-responsive Kawasaki disease. A logistic regression model and scoring system were established, and the cut-off values of independent risk factors were derived from ROC curves: ESR ≥ 79.5mm/h, BECN1 ≤ 0.645, LC3II ≤ 0.481. A new scoring system was established according to the respective regression coefficients as follows: ESR ≥ 79.5mm/h (1 point), BECN1 ≤ 0.645 (1 point). LC3II ≤ 0.481 (2 points), 0–1 as low risk for IVIG non-response, and ≥ 2 as high risk. Applied to this group of study subjects, the sensitivity was 87.10%, specificity 83.33%, Youden index 0.70, AUC 0.9.
CONCLUSIONS
Autophagy markers ATG16L1, BECN1, and LC3II are down-regulated in the expression of C globule nonresponsive Kawasaki disease. ESR, BECN1, and LC3II mRNAs are independent risk factors for C globule nonresponsive Kawasaki disease and may be involved in the development of C globule nonresponsive Kawasaki disease. This study established a new model that can be used to predict C globule nonresponsive Kawasaki disease, and future validation in a larger population is needed.
Weakly Supervised Cross-domain Person Re-Identification Algorithm based on Small Sample Learning
Authors: Li Huiping , Wang Yan , Zhu Lingwei , Wang Wenchao , Yin Kangning , Li Ye , Yin Guangqiang
Published: June 2023

Person Re-identification (Re-ID) algorithms based on deep learning are developing rapidly, and supervised learning methods ensure a steady improvement in algorithm performance by virtue of massive amounts of data. However, in the real environment, data collection and labeling of the current scene is time-consuming and laborious, and the actual performance of the algorithmic model is often poor. Therefore, the design of the model should focus on extracting and abstracting the information contained in the data under limited conditions. In this paper, we focus on the problems of strong data since, weak cross-domain capability and low accuracy encountered in Re-ID in weakly supervised scenarios. First, we implement a joint training framework with the help of small sample learning and cross-domain migration for Re-ID. Second, an residual compensation and fusion attention (RCFA) module is designed with the help of residual compensation and fused attention module, based on which a model base framework is built to explore the impact brought by different insertion positions. Third, to solve the problem of low accuracy caused by insufficient data coverage of small samples, a fusion of shallow features and deep features is designed to enable the model to weighted fusion of shallow detail information and deep semantic information. Finally, by selecting different camera images in Market1501 dataset and DukeMTMC-reID dataset as small samples respectively, and introducing another dataset data for joint training, we demonstrate the feasibility of this joint training framework, which can perform weakly supervised cross-domain Re-ID based on small sample data.
The present value of human life losses associated with COVID-19 and likely productivity losses averted through COVID-19 vaccination in Madagascar
Authors: MUSANGO Laurent , MANDROSOVOLOLONA Vatsiharizandry , Fidiniaina RANDRIATSARAFARA Mamy , Malala RANARISON Volahanta , Joses KIRIGIA Muthuri , Arsène RATSIMBASOA Claude
Published: June 2023

Background As of 3 March 2023, Madagascar had conducted 525,461 COVID-19 tests, which revealed a total of 67,865 cases, comprising 66,433 recovered cases, ten active cases, and 1,422 deaths. To date, no study has attempted to estimate the total present value of human lives lost \(\left({TPVHL}_{MADAGASCAR}\right)\), productivity losses, and potential total productivity losses (or indirect costs) averted through COVID-19 vaccination for use in advocacy. The study reported in this paper attempted to bridge those information gaps. Methods A human capital model (HCM) was used to estimate the \({TPVHL}_{MADAGASCAR}\), i.e., sum of the discounted value of human life losses amongst persons in seven age groups \(\left({PVHL}_{i}\right)\): 1 = under 5 years, 2 = 5 to 14 years, 3 = 15 to 24 years, 4 = 25 to 34 years, 5 = 35 to 44 years, 6 = 45 to 59 years, and 7 = 60 years and older. Each age group \({PVHL}_{i=1,\dots ,7}\) was obtained through the multiplication of discount factor, undiscounted year of life, non-health gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and age group’s number of COVID-19 deaths. To test the robustness of the results, the HCM was re-run five times, assuming (i) a 5% discount rate, (ii) a 10% discount rate, (iii) Africa’s highest average life expectancy at birth of 78.76 years (Algeria females), (iv) the world highest life expectancy of 88.17 years (Hong Kong females), and (v) projected excess COVID-19 mortality of 11,418.66. The projections of productivity losses averted through COVID-19 vaccination were done assuming 100%, 70%, 52.4%, and 8.266% coverage. Results The 1,422 human lives lost due to COVID-19 had a \({TPVHL}_{MADAGASCAR}\) of Int$ 46,485,587.15; and a mean of Int$ 32,690.28 per human life. Re-run of the model with (i) discount rates of 5% and 10% reduced \({TPVHL}_{MADAGASCAR}\) by 23.26% and 53%, respectively; (ii) average life expectancies of 78.76 years and 88.17 years grew \({TPVHL}_{MADAGASCAR}\) by 23.72% and 39.49%, respectively; (iii) projected excess COVID-19 mortality of 11,418.66 augmented \({TPVHL}_{MADAGASCAR}\) by 703%. Vaccinating 70% of the target population could potentially save the country Int$ 965,088,931 (1.71% of GDP). Conclusions COVID-19 pandemic has cost Madagascar substantive health and productivity losses. Potentially, the losses could be significantly reduced by optimizing COVID-19 vaccination coverage of the target population.
Effect of prior breast cancer on survival of female patients with primary liver cancer: Development of a competing risk model nomogram
Authors: he jun , Chen Xiangmei , Wang Yu , Chen Wenxiang , Zhou Jianyin
Published: June 2023

Background
The impact of prior breast cancer on subsequent primary liver cancer (PLC) survival remains poorly understood. Moreover, traditional prediction models struggle to accurately predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) for PLC cases that have a history of breast cancer. We aimed to investigate the role of prior breast cancer on subsequent PLC survival and construct a CSS prediction nomogram for PLC cases with a history of breast cancer.
Methods
We obtained data on female PLC patients between 2005 and 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. To minimize the impact of confounding bias, we employed propensity score matching (PSM) to match each patient with prior breast cancer to 10 patients without a history of breast cancer. Univariate, as well as multivariate COX survival and CSS analyses, were conducted to investigate the effect of prior breast cancer on subsequent PLC survival. Additionally, a competing risk model nomogram was built to predict PLC-specific survival.
Results
Our survival analyses revealed that prior breast cancer did not significantly affect overall survival (OS) among PLC cases. However, it served as a prognostic factor for predicting favorable outcomes in PLC-specific survival. A history of prior breast cancer reduced PLC-specific mortality by 0.26-fold (HR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.88–0.96, p = 0.023). Furthermore, the analysis of concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves showed that our model had good predictive power and outperformed conventional prediction models. According to decision curve analysis (DCA), our constructed nomogram had good clinical significance.
Conclusions
Prior breast cancer is beneficial to PLC-specific survival in PLC patients. The constructed competing risk model nomogram demonstrated good predictive ability for PLC-specific survival.