bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hyperphosphorylated tau Inflicts Intracellular Stress Responses That Are Mitigated by Apomorphine
Authors: Song Zhenfeng , Wang Kuang-Wei , Hagar Hsiao-Tien Chien , Chen Hong-Ru , Kuan Chia-Yi , Zhang Kezhong , Kuo Min-Hao
Published: July 2023

Background Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-binding protein tau in the brain is a key pathological marker for Alzheimer’s disease and additional neurodegenerative tauopathies. However, how hyperphosphorylated tau causes cellular dysfunction or death that underlie neurodegeneration remains an unsolved question critical for the understanding of disease mechanism and the design of efficacious drugs.Methods Using a recombinant hyperphosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) synthesized by the PIMAX approach, we examined how cells responded to the cytotoxic tau and explored means to enhance cellular resistance to tau attack.Results Upon p-tau uptake, the intracellular calcium levels rose promptly. Gene expression analyses revealed that p-tau potently triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), ER stress-associated apoptosis, and pro-inflammation in cells. Proteomics studies showed that p-tau diminished heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an ER stress-associated anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress regulator, while stimulated the accumulation of MIOS and other proteins. P-tau-induced ER stress-associated apoptosis and pro-inflammation are ameliorated by apomorphine, a brain-permeable prescription drug widely used to treat Parkinson’s disease symptoms, and by overexpression of HO-1.Conclusion Our results reveal probable cellular functions targeted by hyperphosphorylated tau. Some of these dysfunctions and stress responses have been linked to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The observations that the ill effects of p-tau can be mitigated by a small compound and by overexpressing HO-1 that is otherwise diminished in the treated cells inform new directions of Alzheimer's disease drug discovery.
MI2T-UNet: Integrating Multi-Scale Input Image and Top-hat Context for Infrared Small Object Segmentation
Authors: Shah Imad Ali , Khalil Ihsan Ullah , Shah Mian Ibad Ali , Mohamed Nachaat , Ali Enas , Ghoneim Sherif S. M
Published: July 2023

The segmentation of small objects in the infrared spectrum, commonly referred to as Infrared Small Object Segmentation (ISOS), holds significant importance in many applications, including but not limited to target detection, surveillance, and autonomous navigation. The task of achieving precise image segmentation of objects of interest is formidable, owing to the diminutive size of the objects in question, the intricate nature of the background, and the limited contrast differential. This research introduces a novel mobile-UNet architecture with attention gates, namely MI2T-UNet, which leverages multi-scale input images and top-hat operation. The proposed methodology involves the implementation of architectural modifications to improve the scale adaptation of the model. Specifically, these modifications include concatenating down-scaled input images with corresponding encoder layers, utilizing multi-kernel top-hats in the encoders and attention gates, and integrating encoder outputs with subsequent encoder layers to facilitate progressive information flow. This article also compares the proposed architecture against the top-performing models on the SIRST and IRSTD datasets, utilizing metrics for pixel level such as IoU/NIoU, object level including Pd/Fa, and model level comprising F-Score/AUC. The experimental results demonstrate that MI2T-UNet outperforms state-of-the-art models in terms of segmentation, with an average margin of over 1±0.25% for evaluation metrics. This research contributes to the ISOS field by proposing a novel approach to enhance the discriminating ability of the network. Specifically, a modified mobile-UNet has been developed, tailored to the ISOS requirements. The proposed approach has the potential to make significant strides in infrared image analysis and streamline various applications that hinge on precise ISOS.
Serum Adipokines as Biomarkers for Surveillance of Metabolic Syndrome in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma Survivors in Low Middle Income Countries
Authors: Das Gargi , Setlur Kritika , Jana Manisha , Ramakrishnan Lakshmy , Jain Vandana , Meena Jagdish Prasad , Gupta Aditya Kumar , Dwivedi Sada Nand , Seth Rachna
Published: July 2023

Background
Serum adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) are dysregulated prior to the onset of metabolic syndrome and hence may be useful biomarkers for screening of therapy related cardiometabolic late effects in childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma (cALL) survivors. We conducted a study to compare serum levels of adipokines in cALL survivors and controls, and evaluated their role in prediction of metabolic syndrome in our cohort of survivors.
Methods
In a cross sectional study, we compared serum adipokine levels between 40 cALL survivors (aged 10–18 years, at least 2 years from treatment completion) with similar controls. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to assess association of metabolic syndrome in cALL survivors with independent variables including adipokines, demographic and treatment details, other metabolic parameters and Dual Energy Xray Absorptiometry scan derived variables.
Results
Compared to controls, cALL survivors had higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (8/40 vs 2/40, p = 0.042) and central obesity (11/40 vs 4/40, p = 0.042). Median serum Leptin (7.39 vs 4.23ng/mL, p = 0.207) levels and derived Leptin-Adiponectin ratio (1.44 vs 0.80, p = 0.598), were higher but not statistically different in our survivors compared to controls; Adiponectin levels were similar (6.07 vs 5.01µg/ml, p = 0.283). In our cohort of cALL survivors, overweight/obesity [OR 21.9, p = 0.020] or higher Leptin levels [OR 1.11, p = 0.047)], were independently associated with metabolic syndrome.
Conclusions
Serum Leptin, independently predictive of metabolic syndrome in our cohort of cALL survivors, maybe tested in larger studies to assess its utility in surveillance. This may help initiate early preventive measures and in turn improve the quality of life of our survivors.
A complex presentation of hypermobility in a patient with an isolated ELN gene mutation and phenotype-genotype analysis of isolated ELN mutation variants: a case report and literature review
Authors: Monjazeb Ryan , Linjawi Hamad , Laukaitis Christina
Published: July 2023

Background:
Intragenic deletions in the elastin (ELN) gene have previously been associated with the cutis laxa phenotype and a variety of cardiovascular manifestations. However, the precise correlation between deletion location and observed phenotype has not been well reported. Even less reported are isolated ELN deletions causing a joint hypermobility phenotype that mimics hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). We present the case of a 28-year-old female with a hEDS phenotype resulting from an isolated deletion of exons 31-33 in the ELN gene, along with a literature review of 35 patients with partial ELN gene mutations that revealed a clear phenotype-genotype association between the exon containing variation and observed phenotype.
Case Presentation:
A 28-year-old female was referred to the genetics clinic for evaluation of joint hypermobility. Her parents are unrelated and of Northern European descent. Her family history was significant for sudden death, hernias, and hypermobility in family members. She presented with an array of symptoms that included joint pain, instability, and frequent dislocations, a history of easy bruising, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Her past medical history was remarkable for bilateral bunions requiring surgical repair and a congenital cataract. An echocardiogram revealed non-specific thickening of the mitral valve leaflets with otherwise normal structure and function. Her physical exam was noteworthy for hyper-elastic skin and joint hypermobility with a Beighton score of 7/9. Analysis of a connective tissue disorders gene panel revealed the patient had a deletion of ELN exons 31-33.
Discussion:
The current understanding of ELN deletions and their corresponding phenotypes would suggest that deletions of exons 31-33 are associated with cutis laxa, aged appearance, and long philtrum. However, the patient of interest exhibited symptoms and physical exam findings that closely resembled hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). This case highlights the various potential causes of hypermobility and the limited understanding of the relationship between joint hypermobility and intragenic ELNgene mutations. The location of the patient’s ELN gene mutation, taken with the findings of the literature review, supports the hypothesis of a limited genotype-phenotype correlation in the ELN gene.
Towards Efficient Video-Based Action Recognition: Context-Aware Memory Attention Network
Authors: Koh Thean Chun , Yeo Chai Kiat , Jing Xuan
Published: July 2023

Human action recognition from videos has huge applications in daily life given the proliferation of surveillance cameras everywhere. The continuing challenge is to design more efficient models so that that they can approach real-time recognition and yet with good accuracy for ubiquitous deployment. In this paper, we propose a human action recognition model sans optical flow extraction and 3D convolution, called Context-Aware Memory Attention Network (CAMA-Net). The absence of optical flow extraction and 3D convolution makes CAMA-Net more efficient than many existing works. Key to CAMA-Net is an attention module called Context-Aware Memory Attention Module which is used to compute the relevance score between the key and value pairs from the 2D ResNet backbone thereby establishing the correspondences between the video frames. The proposed method is tested on four popular action recognition datasets, namely, UCF101, HMDB51, ActivityNet and Diving48. The experimental results demonstrate the strength of the proposed model as it outperforms existing baseline 2D CNN based models.
Ileoanal pouch revision and excision surgery in a newly established pouch center. Requirements and costs for service provision
Authors: Celentano Valerio , Lee Yu Jin , Rebelo David , Doulias Triantafyllos , Mills Sarah , Manzo Carlo Alberto
Published: July 2023

Background: Complications of ileoanal pouch surgery affecting function and quality of life may require surgical correction or pouch excision. The management of patients with pouch dysfunction requires a multidisciplinary approach and demand for service provisions include multiple healthcare professionals and resources. The aim of this study is to present the service requirements, surgical outcomes for redo pouch surgery and pouch excision, with cost-analysis of the required resources.
Methods: All patients undergoing surgery for revision or excision of the ileoanal pouch from June 2021 to May 2023 were prospectively included. Patient undergoing only diagnostic procedures, or perineal procedures were excluded. Outcomes within 30-days of surgery were collected, including readmissions and re-operations. Cost analysis of all investigations, outpatient appointments and procedures prior to pouch revision or pouch excision was conducted.
Results: Twenty patients were included during the 24 months study period: 13 underwent abdominal revisional pouch surgery, 7 had ileoanal pouch excision. 15 patients (75%) were tertiary referrals from other hospitals in the UK. The median interval between index IPAA surgery and revision was 113 months. 3 multidisciplinary clinical appointments, 2 imaging modalities, and at least one invasive day-surgery procedure were required for each patient prior to surgery. Four patients (20%) developed Clavien-Dindo 3 or higher complications.
Conclusions: We estimated a starting cost of £22.605 ($29.589) for provision of pouch revision or excision surgery for investigations and treatments from referral to the pouch unit to surgery. Expertise and infrastructure are needed for indication and peri-operative management of these uncommonly performed surgical procedures.
Experimental Investigations on Surface Topography and Scratching Performance of Silicon Nitride Ceramics Ablated by Nanosecond Pulsed Laser
Authors: Niu Yan , Pang Jingzhu , Wu Chongjun , Wang Qingxia
Published: July 2023

In the processing of hard and brittle materials such as silicon nitride (𝑆𝑖3𝑁4), machining is often accompanied by numerous shortcomings which lead to poor processing efficiency. In order to enhance the grinding efficiency of silicon nitride ceramics, the material’s strength is weakened through a 355 nm nanosecond pulsed laser for generating microscale textural patterns on ceramic surfaces. This paper investigates the influence of overlap rate on the material surface and the scratching characteristics of single diamond abrasive grains on the grooved and cratered surfaces to elucidate the material removal mechanism of the textured surface. Experimental results indicate that the time series of laser ablation depth follows fractal geometry, and the laser ablation products primarily consist of a mixture of silicon and silica. Laser-induced surface texturing facilitates a transition in the material removal mechanism from a mode dominated by plastic flow to a mixed mode involving both brittle fracture and plastic flow. In contrast to grooved surfaces, cratered surfaces demonstrate diminished fracture impact regions and lower acoustic emission signal values, thereby making them more suitable for machining operations under high levels of scratching force.
Multicentric Evaluation of High and Low Power Lasers on RIRS Success Using Propensity Score Analysis
Authors: Erol Eren , Ecer Gokhan , Kiremit Murat Can , Gokce Mehmet İlker , Balasar Mehmet , Sarikaya Ahmet Furkan , Babayigit Muammer , Karaarslan Umut Can , Aksoy Elif Ipek , Sarica Kemal , Ahmed Kamran , Güven Selçuk
Published: July 2023

Objectives
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of HPL on different parameters by different centers and urologists.While doing this, we evaluated different parameters by comparing HPL(High Power laser) and LPL(Low power laser).
Methods
This is an observational, retrospective, comparative, multicentric study of prospectively organised database. A total of 217 patients who underwent RIRS for kidney stones smaller than 2 cm in three different centers were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups; LPL used (Group1, n:121 patients) and HPL used (Group2, n:96). Propensity score matching was done in the data analysis part. After matching, a total of 192 patients, 96 patients in both groups, were evaluated.
Results
There was no difference between the groups regarding age, gender, stone side, and stone location. The stone-free rate on the first day was 80.3% in Group 1, it was 78.1% in Group 2 (p=0.9). In the third month, it was 90.7% in Group 1 and 87.5% in Group 2 (p:0.7).Hospitalization duration was significantly higher in Group 1. (2.35±2.27 days vs. 1.42±1.10 days; p<0.001).The operation duration was 88.70±29.72 minutes in Group1 and 66.17±41.02 minutes in Group2 (p<0.001). The fluoroscopy time (FT) was 90.73±4.79 seconds in Group 1 and 50.78±5.64 seconds in Group 2 (p<0.001).Complications according to Clavien Classification, were similar between the groups(p>0.05) (Table 2).
Conclusion
According to our study similar SFR and complication rates were found with HPL and LPL. In addition, patients who used HPL had lower operation time, hospital stay, and fluoroscopy time than the LPL group.Although high-power lasers are expensive in terms of cost, they affect many parameters and strengthen the hand of urologists thanks to the wide energy and frequency range they offer.
Application of MFI-5 assessment in severe complications and unfavourable outcomes after radical resection of colorectal cancer
Authors: Huang Lihong , Jian Mengru , Li Zhifa , Wu Xiaobing , Chen Huixian , Qin Haifeng , Li Ziqiao , Song Shixi , Xie Yingjun , Chen Rong
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE
Frailty " is a hallmark of physiologic decline of multiple organ systems and places elderly colorectal cancer patients at increased risk for poor prognosis. While 11 modified frailty indices (MFI-11) have been shown to predict adverse outcomes after radical resection of colorectal cancer, 5 modified frailty indices (MFI-5) have not been studied in this population.
Methods
Retrospective analysis of patients over 65 years of age who underwent radical resection of colorectal cancer. The MFI-5 score was calculated for each patient, and an MFI-5 score ≥ 2 was defined as frailty. Univariate and multivariate analyses the MFI-5 were performed to determine the value of adverse outcomes and complications after surgery.
Results
The incidence of serious postoperative complications (53% vs. 30%; P = 0.001) and length of hospital stay [19.00 (15.00-24.50) vs. 17.00 (14.00–20.00); P < 0.05] were significantly prolonged in patients with a MFI5 score ≥ 2. MFI-5 score greater than 2 was an independent risk factor for severe postoperative complications (odds ratio 2.297; 95% confidence interval 1.216 to 4.339; P = 0.01) and an MFI-5 score predicted severe postoperative complications with an area under the ROC curve of 0.629 (95% confidence interval 0.551 to 0.707; P < 0.05).
Conclusion
The MFI-5 is a sensitive tool for predicting serious complications, prolonged hospital stay, and mortality after radical resection of colorectal carcinoma. The MFI-5 is a practical clinical assessment tool for identifying high-risk patients and supporting preoperative optimization.
Mechanical Characterization and Torsional Buckling Effects of Pediatric Vascular Patches
Authors: Donmazov Samir , Piskin Senol , Arnaz Ahmet , Pekkan Kerem
Published: July 2023

The selection of cardiovascular conduits during reconstructive surgical operations presents a significant challenge due to the potential complications that may arise post-operatively, depending on various parameters, including patient-to-patient variation. One particularly common mechanical complication is torsional buckling and conduit surface deformation, which occurs at the anastomosis site due to the mechanical instability of the composite material structure. This study investigates the torsional buckling characteristics of commonly used pediatric surgical materials. A practical method for estimating the critical buckling rotation angle at any physiological intramural pressure is derived utilizing experimental data on actual surgical conduits and uniaxial and biaxial tensile tests. While the proposed technique successfully predicted the critical rotation angle values of artificial conduits, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Dacron, at all lumen pressures, its accuracy for biological materials, such as porcine pericardium, is lower. Applicable to all surgical materials, this formulation enables surgeons to assess and analyze the torsional buckling potential of vascular conduits without the need for invasive procedures. This predictive capability is critical as new surgical materials steadily emerge. Among the three common materials studied, Dacron has been found to exhibit the highest stability against torsional buckling, while porcine pericardium has been identified as the least stable material. This conclusion is drawn based on the observed direct correlation between the resistance to torsional buckling under lumen pressure and the shear modulus of the materials. PTFE exhibited highly nonlinear behavior, with three different Young's modulus values reported to correspond to distinct mechanical characteristics. Dacron demonstrated a logarithmic behavior in the stress-strain relationship. The mechanical response of porcine pericardium was found to be highly anisotropic, with the Young's modulus in the circumferential direction being 12 times greater than the Young’s modulus in the axial direction. The stress-like material parameter in Fung's pseudo 2D strain energy function for porcine pericardium was found to be approximately 8 times greater than the literature value for human intracranial blood vessels. This significant difference indicates that porcine pericardium, unless preconditioned before implantation, may not be suitable for use as a vascular conduit due to its unsuitability in replicating the mechanical behavior of human blood vessels.
Thunderstorm climatology of Slovakia between 1984-2003
Authors: Vido Jaroslav , Borsányi Peter , Nalevanková Paulína , Hanzelová Miriam , Kučera Jiří , Škvarenina Jaroslav
Published: July 2023

Thunderstorms are among the most extreme meteorological phenomena that can cause widespread destruction and loss of life. Their occurrence varies significantly across different regions and times of the year. Despite various studies on thunderstorm activity across Central Europe, direct analyses based on data from the Slovak territory still need to be made available. Given Slovakia's diverse natural conditions, there is a need for detailed knowledge about the frequency and spatial distribution of thunderstorms in this region. To address this knowledge gap, we analysed the frequency and spatiotemporal distribution of days with thunderstorm occurrences in Slovakia between 1984 and 2003, utilising climatological data from the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. We limited our analysis to data of days with close thunderstorms (thunderstorms occurring within 3 km of the monitoring station). Our findings reveal a significant variation in thunderstorm occurrences across Slovakia, with peak activity in the summer, especially in June and July. However, the spatial distribution of thunderstorms differed significantly across the country, with the highest frequency observed in mountainous regions and the central part of Slovakia. We found no significant change in the trend of thunderstorm activity during the studied period, including analyses during the colder part of the year. This research advances our understanding of thunderstorm climatology in Slovakia. From a broader perspective, our study fills the spatial gap detailing the Slovak territory within Central Europe and provides insights beneficial for future studies.
Performance evaluation of solar photovoltaic panels under bird droppings accumulation using thermography
Authors: Ali Khaled Abdeen Mousa Ali , Fodah Ahmed Elsayed Mahmoud , Abuhussein Mohamed Fawzi Abdelshafie , Osman Yasser Kamal Osman Taha , Abdelwahab Taha Abdelfattah Mohammed , El-wahhab Gomaa Galal Abd
Published: July 2023

Bird guano accumulated on solar photovoltaic (SPV) panels caused a reduction of its output power by blocking the sunlight received on it. Therefore, thermal imaging was used to understand and study the effect of bird droppings accumulated on SPV panels. Four number of bird droppings (1, 2, 3, and 4 drops) were studied and compared with clean SPV panel (control). Front and backside temperatures of the SPV module have been evaluated in addition to current, voltage, power, and efficiency of the SPV modules. The study found that high-density of droppings accumulation on the frontside of SPV modules significantly decreased their temperature due to increased solar radiation reflection. The bird guano accumulated on the SPV module with 4 drops led to a decrease in output currents of the SPV modules by 36–38% as compared with the clean SPV module. While the module voltage was found to be slightly affected by the bird guano accumulated on it. The bird guano accumulated on the SPV module with 4 drops led to a decrease in output power and efficiency of the SPV modules by 26% and 43% respectively as compared with the clean SPV module. Therefore, the importance of this work is to understand how the accumulation of feces affects the performance of the SPV performance, as it clearly demonstrates its negative impact.
Resveratrol Attenuates Exercise-induced Acute Kidney Injury by Inhibiting NLRP3 Inflammasome-mediated Renal Tubular Pyroptosis
Authors: Li Fang , Wang Chuanjun , Wang Jianshe , Hong Da , Zhai Pengfei , Cao Jianmin
Published: July 2023

Background:Scholars have raised concerns that exercise-induced acute kidney injury (EAKI) could cause long-term renal damage and that new therapeutic strategies should be explored. Resveratrol is a natural agonist of silent mating-type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1). Increasing lines of evidence in clinical and experimental animal models have confirmed the renal protective effect of resveratrol. However, the application of resveratrol against EAKI has not been fully revealed.Methods:A four-week treadmill running session was adopted to build an EAKI model in rats. Thein vitromodel was induced by bovine serum album (BSA) in HK-2 cells. The levels of renal function biomarkers (protein to creatinine ratio, albumin to creatinine ratio, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen) were detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer. H and E staining was used to evaluate the severity of renal injury. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining were conducted to verify the expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Renal tubular injury markers (NGAL, KIM-1) and renal inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α, IL-6) were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HK-2 cell pyroptosis was detected by Hochest33342/PI staining. Pharmacological interventionwith SIRT1 was performed to clarify its function in resveratrol-mediated effects.ResultsResults of protein expression and morphological analyses showed the occurrence of pyroptosis in the renal tubules of the EAKI rats. Resveratrol reduced not only post-exercise proteinuria but also the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the kidneys after exhausting exercise. Resveratrol also inhibited the NLRP3-ASC-caspase1 inflammasome and pyroptosis. Mechanistically, resveratrol promoted SIRT1 expression and attenuated NF-κB activation. Inhibiting SIRT1 (by EX527) reversed resveratrol-mediated effects against renal injury and pyroptosis in HK-2 cells. Administration of resveratrol mitigated renal injury by suppressing inflammation and pyroptosis.ConclusionResveratrol could attenuate exercise-induced renal injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated renal tubular pyroptosis.
Chemically controlled self-assembly Behaviors of Dibenzo-24-crown-8 Bearing Ammonium Salt Moiety
Authors: Tian Xia , Han Jianrong , zhou shengwei , Wang Yupeng , Li Yuting , Wang Chengbin , Su Wei , Liu Shouxin
Published: July 2023

A novel [c2] daisy chain was successfully constructed by the hermaphroditic monomer of dibenzo[24]-crown-8 (DB24C8) derivative bearing secondary ammonium salt (1) from the analysis of the solution-phase behavior of parent monomers and single-crystal X-ray analysis. 1H NMR spectroscopy was employed to show that the crown ether moiety and the secondary ammonium salt unit underwent acid–base and alkali metal cation dependent switches. The complexation behavior of this hermaphroditic monomer in the solution was further demonstrated to exhibit the controlled photophysical behavior as a reversible luminescent switch in the presence of acids or bases. Solid morphology was determined by SEM
Identification of alpha 1B glycoprotein and haptoglobin 1 as probable biomarkers for early diagnosis of leprosy
Authors: Gautam Sakshi , Sharma Devesh , Singh Sakshi , Arora Mamta , Goel Anjana , Khan Abdul Mabood , Bisht Deepa
Published: July 2023

Diagnosis of early leprosy is a major hurdle to disease control and has been compromised due to lack of specific markers or tests. As proteins are the functional moiety, circulating proteins in sera could be attractive diagnostic markers of disease. Our knowledge regarding the proteome of contacts, which contribute the highest risk group for leprosy development, is not comprehensive. Development of highly sensitive diagnostic methods to screen this population is need of the hour. Present study exploited the proteomics tools for differential expression of novel proteins in sera of contact and leprosy case as compared to healthy control. Highly abundant proteins were removed from the serum sample, followed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, bioinformatics tools for protein identification. On analyzing and comparing the two-dimensional patterns, we observed differential expression of five proteins, four proteins were over-expressed, and one protein was downregulated. Four over-expressed proteins were identified as alpha 1B glycoprotein (A1BG), haptoglobin 1, serotransferrin isoforms 1 and 3 and one under expressed protein was identified as hemopexin. We propose identification of two potential candidate biomarkers alpha 1B glycoprotein and haptoglobin 1 for diagnosis of early leprosy. These proteins might serve as potential biomarkers for diagnosis of early leprosy and would allow interventions before the onset of clinical symptoms.
A New Notion of Hexa Regular Closed Sets via HexaTopological Space
Authors: R Mohana Priya , S Santhiya
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we introduce and study a new class of sets called hexa regular closed (Rh -closed for short), hexa regular open (Rh -open for short), hexa regular semi-closed (RS)h -closed for short), hexa regular semi- open ((RS)h -open for short), hexa regular weakly closed sets ((RW)h -closed for short), hexa regular weakly open sets ((RW)h - open for short) in hexa topological space. Some interesting propositions based on this set are introduced and established with suitable examples and their properties are also discussed.
Dynamics and Zero Hopf Periodic Solutions of Laser System
Authors: Amen Azad
Published: July 2023

In this work periodic solutions of a three dimensional chaos laser system, which externallyinjected class ff which is described by a system of three nonlinear ordinary differential equationswith two parameters for field intensity phase and population inversion, are studied. The firstorder of the method of averaging theory is applied for determine and analyze the bifurcatingperiodic solutions from a Hopf - zero equilibrium point localizing at the equilibrium pointcoordinates. We show that exists only one parameter family of the laser system for which theequilibrium point is a zero Hopf bifurcation point. Moreover, we perform a global dynamicalanalysis of a flow of system at infinity using the Poincar’es compactification and local stabilityof equilibrium points.
Mathematics Subject Classification. 34C05, 37G15.
Measuring Intraoperative Anesthetic Parameters during Hepatectomy with Inferior Vena Cava Clamping
Authors: Nanashima Atsushi , Hiyoshi Masahide , Imamura Naoya , Hamada Takeomi , Tsuchimochi Yuki , Shimizu Ikko , Ota Yusuke , Furukawa Koji , Tsuneyoshi Isao
Published: July 2023

Purpose Uncontrollable bleeding remained problematic in anatomical hepatectomy exposing hepatic veins (HVs). Based on the inferior vena cava (IVC) anatomy, we attempted to analyze the hemodynamic and surgical effects of the combined IVC-partial clamp (PC) accompanied with the Trendelenburg position (TP).
Methods We prospectively assessed 26 consecutive patients who underwent anatomical hepatectomies exposing HV trunks between 2020 and 2023. Patients were divided into three groups: use of IVC-PC (group 1), no use of IVC-PC (group 2), and use of IVC-PC accompanied with TP (group 3). In 10 of 26 patients (38%), HV pressure was examined using transhepatic catheter insertion.
Results IVC-PC was performed in 15 patients (58%). Operating time and procedures did not significantly differ between groups. A direct hemostatic effect on HV was evaluated in 60% and 70% of patients in groups 1 and 3, respectively. Group 1 showed significantly more unstable vital status and vasopressor use (p<0.01). Blood or fluid transfusion and urinary output were similar between groups. Group 2 had a significantly lower baseline central venous pressure (CVP), while group 3 showed a significant increase in CVP in TP. CVP under IVC-PC seemed lower than under TP; however, not significantly. The HV pressure did not significantly differ between groups. Systolic arterial blood pressure significantly decreased via IVC-PC in group 1 and to a similar extent in group 3. Heart rate significantly increased during IVC-PC (p<0.05).
Conclusion IVC-PC combined with the TP may be an alternative procedure to control intra-hepatic venous bleeding during anatomical hepatectomy exposing HV trunks.
Exploring Mutation Strategy of Evolution Algorithm for Global Optimization Problem
Authors: Mishra Pawan , Pooja Pooja , Ali Musrrat
Published: July 2023

Differential Evolution (DE) is a widely used algorithm for solving global optimization problems. The success of DE heavily relies on its mutation operation, which plays a crucial role in generating diverse and high-quality solutions. In this paper different mutation operations for enhancing the performance of DE in global optimization tasks has been considered. Here, a novel mutation strategy that aim to strike a balance between exploration and exploitation to improve the convergence speed and quality has been proposed. The proposed DE is basically focused on novel mutation-based strategy where a new coefficient factor $("\sigma")$ is involved with the base vector in basic mutation strategy $("DE/rand/1")$ to enhance the convergence of local variable during the exploitation and to improve the convergence rate as well as convergence quality. Additionally, we evaluate the proposed mutation operations on a set of 27 benchmark functions commonly used in global optimization. Experimental results demonstrate that the enhanced mutation strategies significantly outperform the state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of solution accuracy, convergence speed. The findings highlight the importance of mutation operations in DE and provide valuable insights into designing more effective mutation strategies for tackling complex global optimization problems.
The role of C-reactive protein as a risk marker of postoperative delirium in older hip fracture patients: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Lozano-Vicario Lucía , Muñoz-Vázquez Ángel Javier , Romero-Ortuno Román , Galbete-Jiménez Arkaitz , Fernández-Irigoyen Joaquín , Santamaría Enrique , Cedeno-Veloz Bernardo Abel , Zambom-Ferraresi Fabricio , Ortiz-Gómez José Ramón , Hidalgo-Ovejero Ángel Manuel , Martínez-Velilla Nicolás
Published: July 2023

Background:
Postoperative delirium (POD) after hip fracture surgery is a common and serious neuropsychiatric syndrome that leads to higher morbidity and mortality. Current predictive models of delirium are based on clinical factors that can be subjective and imprecise. In this study we investigated the association between serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and the occurrence of POD in older hip fracture patients, and whether CRP predicted POD better than a clinical model.
Methods:
Patients aged ≥75 years admitted for surgical repair of an acute hip fracture were recruited. A Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) was performed at admission and blood samples were collected preoperatively in the absence of delirium. Delirium was assessed daily until discharge with the 4-AT. We compared serum CRP levels between patients with and without POD and examined the association between CRP and delirium severity. Mann-Whitney U and Spearman tests were used for group comparisons.
Results:
Sixty patients were included, of whom 21 (35%) developed POD. Serum CRP levels were significantly higher in patients who developed delirium (p = 0.011), but no significant association was found between CRP and delirium severity (p = 0.079). In a multiple regression model including the most representative clinical variables associated with delirium (age, comorbidity, grip strength, frailty, infection and pre-existing cognitive impairment) and CRP, cognitive impairment (p = 0.003) and infection (p = 0.001) were the best predictors of POD.
Conclusions:
Although higher levels of serum CRP were significantly associated with POD in older hip fracture patients, pre-existing cognitive impairment and infections were the most important risk factors for POD.
A nonbifurcating cervical carotid artery with a remnant of the proximal internal carotid artery that mimicked an aneurysm on magnetic resonance angiography
Authors: ウ チノアキラ , Ishihara Shoichiro
Published: July 2023

Purpose To describe a case of a nonbifurcating cervical carotid artery with remnant of the proximal internal carotid artery (ICA).Methods A 47-year-old man with unruptured cerebral aneurysm underwent magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the neck region and intracranial region. The MR machine was a 3-T scanner. Catheter angiography was performed for the treatment of the aneurysm by coil embolization.Results The proximal main trunk of the left external carotid artery (ECA) was absent, and branches arose separately, indicative of a nonbifurcating cervical carotid artery. At the level of the ICA origin, aneurysmal protrusion was found on MR angiography. On catheter angiography, this protrusion was not an aneurysm but a remnant of the proximal ICA.Conclusion The configuration of the nonbifurcating cervical carotid artery lacks the proximal ECA; however, segmental agenesis of the proximal ICA forms this rare cervical arterial variation. The present case had remnants of the proximal ICA. We speculate that the ICA channel, except for the origin, was occluded after the development of EC-ICA anastomosis, and a nonbifurcating cervical carotid artery with a remnant of the ICA may have formed. Including our patient, only four cases have been reported in the relevant English-language literature.
CORM-2 and Ifenprodil improved joint oedema-associated mobility via the inhibition of thalamic P2X4 receptor-induced microglia activation in chronic polyarthritis rats
Authors: Khir Nurul Ajilah Mohamed , Noh Ain ’ Sabreena Mohd , Zin Anani Aila Mat , Long Idris , Yusop Norhayati , Ismail Che Aishah Nazariah
Published: July 2023

Pain derived from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most debilitating symptom suffered by patients although inflammation is successfully controlled. It is the main concern that is frequently overlooked due to unclear understandings of its occurrence. Medications to alleviate pain are limited and produce severe side effects. This study aimed to uncover possible involvement of nociceptive signalling N-methyl-D-aspartate-2B receptor (NMDAR-2B) or P2X4 receptor (P2X4R)-induced microglial activation at thalamus of chronic polyarthritis rat mimicking RA upon CORM-2 (selective P2X4R antagonist) and ifenprodil (non-competitive NMDAR-2B antagonist) administrations. Eighty Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly assigned into five groups (n = 16): non-arthritic control(C), arthritic control(A), arthritic rats treated with either diclofenac (positive control) (A + Diclofenac), CORM-2 (A + CORM-2), or ifenprodil (A + Ifenprodil). The rat was induced with complete Freund’s adjuvant into chronic polyarthritis state for 15 days. Treatment of either sodium diclofenac, ifenprodil, CORM-2 or saline (as vehicle) was performed for seven days intrathecally. Bilateral ankle joint diameter and spontaneous behaviour activity (mobility) were evaluated to assess oedema-induced pain responses. Thalamus tissue was collected for qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry analyses. Results revealed a significant reduction in ankle joint diameter and improved mobility in groups treated with CORM-2 and ifenprodil. The treatments significantly attenuated mRNA level and protein expression of thalamic P2X4R and activated microglia of arthritic rats. This study deduced possible contribution of thalamic NMDAR-2B-P2X4R-induced microglial activation in pathogenesis of RA pain. It also provides insights to understand the pathogenesis of RA pain and suggests CORM-2 and ifenprodil as possible new therapeutics in RA pain management.
Did Physical Activity Prevent Burnout Among Family Physicians in Slovenia During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Bunc Ksenija Tušek , Selič-Zupančič Polona , Uplaznik Janja
Published: July 2023

Background The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the existing problem of burnout among healthcare workers. Physical activity has positive effects on the entire body and mental health, and may prevent burnout.
Objectives: Determine the relationship between physical activity and prevalence of burnout among Slovenian family physicians (FPs) and family medicine trainees (FMTs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Cross-sectional observational study of Slovenian FPs and FMTs addressing sociodemographic variables, type and duration of physical activity and assessing burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Data was analysed using various bivariate statistical tests.
Results: 1230 FPs and FMTs were invited to participate in the study, 282 completed the survey (22.9% response rate), 243 (86.2%) FPs and 39 (13.8%) FMTs. Total burnout score (MBITOT) during the COVID-19 pandemic was high in 48.6% of the FPs and FMTs; 62.8% scored high for emotional exhaustion (EE), 40.1% high for depersonalization (DP) and 53.5% low for personal accomplishment (PA). Compared to FMTs, EE and MBITOT was higher in FPs (p < 0.001 and p = 0.010, respectively). There was no difference when comparing physical activity and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusions: No relationship was found between physical activity and burnout. FPs experienced significantly more burnout than FMTs.
Sensor Spoofing Detection On Autonomous Vehicle Using Channel-spatial-temporal Attention Based Autoencoder Network
Authors: Zhou Man , Han Lansheng
Published: July 2023

Autonomous vehicles rely on various sensors to evaluate the driving environment and issue essential control commands. Nonetheless, these sensors are susceptible to false data injection and spoofing attacks, which could easily be launched wirelessly and remotely by attackers. This paper proposes a channel-spatial-temporal attention-based autoencoder network to detect sensor spoofing attacks on autonomous vehicles. The network utilizes the reconstruction error based on the autoencoder to detect abnormalities in input time series data of multiple sensors. The proposed model consists of a memory-augmented based spatial-attention block and PSE-Res2Net block based encoder and decoder. PSE-Res2Net block initially adopts Res2Net module to generate multi-scale feature graph and enhance multi-dimensional representation ability of neural network, then applies the PSENet module to capture location-aware channel information and channel-sensitive spatial information through the interaction of channel attention and spatial attention. Moreover, the memory-augmented based temporal-attention block is developed to integrate multi-scale features and gather global sequence information of sensor measurements. The results of the experimental evaluation on the comma2k19, KITTI, and CCSAD datasets illustrate that the proposed detection model is superior to the baseline technologies in terms of mPre, mRec, mF1 score and achieves stronger robustness against noise.
In Vitro Antimalarial Susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei Isolates to Selected Antimalarial Agents, Column Chromatographic Subfractions of Glyphaea brevis Leaves Extract and FTIR and GCNS of SF8
Authors: Tayo Micheal Anjuwon  , Joseph Olorunmola Ehinmidu  , Kola Matthew Anigo  , Dorcas Bolanle James
Published: July 2023

Malaria still remains a life-threatening parasitic disease with universal targets set for control and elimination. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antimalarial susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum isolates and Plasmodium berghei to selected antimalarial agents and column chromatographic subfractions of Glyphaea brevis leaves extract and FTIR and GCMS of SF8. Trager and Jensen as well as World Health Organisation (WHO) standardised in vitro micro-test system methods were used to determine susceptibility on the patients’ blood samples; Column chromatographic procedure was carried out to obtain 11 pooled fractions; FTIR and GCMS were used to determine functional groups and phytochemicals respectively. In vitro anti-plasmodial activity against P. falciparum clinical isolates had IC50 range of 1.03 ?g/mL–7.63 ?g/mL while their IC50 against P. berghei ranges from 4.32 ?g/mL–7.89 ?g/mL. Subfraction 8 (SF8) had the least IC50 of 4.32 ?g/mL. The FTIR spectrum showed the presence of isoprenoid, alcohol, phenol, alkane, alkenes, ester, carboxylic acids, aromatics and nitro compounds while GCMS identified dodecanoic acid, methyl ester; carotol; hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester; 9-octadecenoic acid (Z)-, methyl ester (oleic acid); methyl stearate; heptadecanoic acid, 16-methyl-, methyl ester; all with their antimalarial reported activities. In conclusion, G. brevis has a great potential for drug development against malaria parasite since it inhibited schizont growth and possesses phytocompounds with antimalarial report.
Economic diversification as a factor of sustainable development: A case of Azerbaijan
Authors: Huseynov Arzuman , Hamidova Lala , Samedova Elnara
Published: July 2023

In modern conditions, the one-sidedness in the economy of Azerbaijan makes it necessary to accelerate the diversification process of the country’s economy. From this point of view, the development of the non-oil sector in the country presents the main priority of the government’s economic policy in Azerbaijan. The purpose of the study is to investigate ways of ensuring the diversification of the national industries in Azerbaijan, which aims to move to a new economic growth model in modern conditions. The study analyzes the economy’s current state and export diversification level in Azerbaijan using the Herfindahl-Hirshman index. As a result of the analysis, the level of diversification in Azerbaijan’s economy and exports was found to be very low (in 2021, the Herfindahl-Hirshman index was 0.23 for the economy and 0.79 for exports). The findings indicate that cooperation between the state and business plays a significant role in increasing the diversification of the economy following the goals of sustainable development of Azerbaijan. On the other hand, it helps stimulate entrepreneurship development in the non-oil sector. One of the ways to solve existing problems in this area is to create Eximbanks to increase the country’s export capabilities of non-oil products. The study offers recommendations to speed up the process of diversification of the economy in Azerbaijan and increase its efficiency.
Índice Multidimensional da Ativação do Patrimônio Territorial: Uma proposta de referencial metodológico para estudos territoriais
Authors: Dallabrida Valdir Roque , Mueller Airton Adelar , Andrade Viana de Andrade Aurea , Franchi Carniello Monica , Büttenbender Pedro Luís , Gonçalves Gumiero Rafael , Frigo Denardin Valdir , Rotta Edemar , De Oliveira Menezes Elaine Cristina
Published: July 2023

Parte-se da perspectiva territorial do desenvolvimento para a propositura de um referencial metodológico estruturado que assume a realidade socioeconômica, cultural e ambiental, de forma integrada, multidimensionalmente, reconhecendo a complexidade das dinâmicas territoriais. O objetivo geral consiste em propor um instrumental metodológico adequado à perspectiva territorial de análise, com o fim de contribuir na elaboração de diagnósticos territoriais que favoreçam a prospecção de alternativas inovadoras e sustentáveis de desenvolvimento, tendo o patrimônio territorial como referência. A abordagem é bibliográfica, de caráter argumentativo, com ênfase no percurso de estudos realizados por pesquisadores de diversas universidades nacionais e internacionais, motivados para a elaboração do Índice Multidimensional da Ativação do Patrimônio Territorial (IMAP). Apresenta-se o método proposto, evidenciando os pressupostos ontológicos, epistemológicos, teóricos e metodológicos que dão guarida à construção dos índices parciais das seis dimensões do patrimônio territorial (social, produtiva, cultural, humano-intelectual, institucional e natural) e do índice geral agregado. Entende-se que a construção deste referencial metodológico possa ser uma contribuição importante para o avanço dos estudos do desenvolvimento, considerando a perspectiva territorial de análise.