bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photoelectrochemical advanced oxidation processes for removal of azo dye from water: emerging aspects and oxidation products
Authors: Isaev Abdulgalim , Shabanov Nabi , Rabadanov Murtazali , Mingshan Zhu
Published: May 2023

Azo dyes are one of the large classes of water soluble synthetic dyes with a wide range of colors and can be released into the environment when used. Azo dyes belong to one of the most numerous groups of synthetic dyes and are characterized by the presence of an azo group (-N=N-) with two or more symmetrical or asymmetrical aromatic radicals. Processes of photoelectrochemical oxidation using various approaches have been developed for the removal of azo dyes from wastewater. The fundamentals of different photoelectrochemical oxidation processes for azo dyes, such as photoelectrocatalytic oxidation (PEC), photoelectro-Fenton (PEF), and solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) processes, are discussed. The use of different semiconductor materials as electrode materials in photoelectrocatalysis and PEF for azo dye removal, the influence of different parameters on the removal of azo dyes from wastewater, reactor design, combined photoelectrochemical oxidation, including the use of fuel cells, are also considered. The anodic, electrochemical, and photoelectrochemical oxidation processes for azo dye removal is compared. Also shows what products are mainly formed during photoelectrochemical oxidation of azo dyes and how photoelectrochemical oxidation affects the toxicity of azo dye solutions under different conditions.
CYB5R3 functions as a tumor suppressor by inducing ER stress-mediated apoptosis of lung cancer cells via PERK-ATF4 and IRE1α-JNK pathway
Authors: Won Misun , Im Joo-Young , Kim Soo Jin , Park Jong-Lyul , Han Tae-Hee , Kim Woo-il , Kim Inhyub , Ko Bomin , Chun So-Young , Kang Mi-Jung , Kim Bo-Kyung , Jeon Sol A , Kim Seon-Kyu , Ryu Incheol , Kim Seon-Young , Hwang Inah , Ban Hyun Seung
Published: May 2023

Cytochrome b5 reductase 3 (CYB5R3) is involved in various cellular metabolic processes, including fatty acid synthesis and drug metabolism. However, the role of CYB5R3 in cancer development remains poorly understood. Here, we show that CYB5R3 expression is downregulated in human lung cancer cell lines and tissues. Adenoviral overexpression of CYB5R3 suppresses lung cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. However, CYB5R3 deficiency promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in mouse models. Transcriptome analysis revealed that apoptosis- and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related genes are upregulated in CYB5R3-overexpressing lung cancer cells. Metabolomics analysis revealed that CYB5R3 overexpression increased the production of NAD+ and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). Ectopic CYB5R3 is mainly localized in the ER, where CYB5R3-dependent ER stress is induced by activating protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 alpha (IRE1α). Moreover, NAD+ activates poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase16 (PARP16), an ER-resident protein, to promote ADP-ribosylation of PERK and IRE1α and induce ER stress. In addition, CYB5R3 induces the generation of reactive oxygen species and caspase-9-dependent-intrinsic cell death. Our findings highlight the significance of CYB5R3 as a tumor suppressor for the development of CYB5R3-based therapeutics for lung cancer.
Single cell trajectory analysis reveals a CD9 positive state to contribute to exit from stem cell-like and embryonic diapause states and transit to drug resistant states
Authors: Li Xi , Poire Alfonso , Jeong Kang , Zhang Dong , Chen Gang , Sun Chaoyang , Mills Gordon
Published: May 2023

Bromo- and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitors (BETi) have been shown to decrease tumor growth in preclinical models and clinical trials. However, toxicity and rapid emergence of resistance have limited their clinical implementation. To identify state changes underlying acquisition of resistance to the JQ1 BETi, we reanalyzed single-cell RNAseq data from JQ1 sensitive and resistant SUM149 and SUM159 triple negative breast cancer cell lines. Parental and JQ1-resistant SUM149 and SUM159 exhibited a stem cell-like and embryonic diapause (SCLED) cell state as well as a transitional cell state between the SCLED state that is present in both treatment naïve and JQ1 treated cells, and a number of JQ1 resistant cell states. A transitional cell state transcriptional signature but not a SCLED state transcriptional signature predicted worsened outcomes in basal-like breast cancer patients suggesting that transit from the SCLED state to drug resistant states contributes to patient outcomes. Entry of SUM149 and SUM159 into the transitional cell state was characterized by elevated expression of the CD9 tetraspanin. Knockdown or inhibition of CD9 sensitized cells to multiple targeted and cytotoxic drugs in vitro. Importantly, CD9 knockdown or blockade sensitized SUM149 to JQ1 in vivo by trapping cells in the SCLED state and limiting transit to resistant cell states. Thus, CD9 appears to be critical for transition from a SCLED state into treatment resistant cell states and warrants exploration as a therapeutic target in basal-like breast cancer.
COVID-19 associated rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis: Clinical features, antifungal susceptibility, management and outcome in a tertiary hospital in Iran
Authors: Abdorahimi Mahsa , Pakdel Farzad , Salehi Mohammadreza , Alcazar-Fuoli Laura , Hashemi Seyed Jamal , Ghazvini Roshanak Daie , Ahmadkhani Fardin , Ahmadikia Kazem , Abdollahi Alireza , Debran Juan Carlos Soto , Tabari Azin , Farrokh Fatemeh , Mousavand Atefeh , Khaki Pegah Afarinesh , Khanshan Arezo Salami , Ibrahim Ashraf S. , Khodavaisy Sadegh
Published: May 2023

Background: Despite the unprecedented surge in the incidence of mucormycosis in the COVID-19 era, the antifungal susceptibility patterns (ASPs) of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM) isolates have not been investigated so far and it is unclear if the high mortality rate associated with CAM is driven by decreased susceptibility of Mucorales to antifungal drugs.
Objectives: To describe the clinical, mycological, outcome and in vitro ASPs of CAM cases and their etiologies from Iran.
Patients/Methods: A prospective study from January 2020 to January 2022 at a referral tertiary hospital in Tehran, Iran was conducted for screening mucormycosis through histopathology and mycological methods. The identity of Mucorales isolates was revealed with ITS-panfungal PCR& sequencing and MALDI-TOF. The AS for amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole and caspofungin was cleared according to the EUCAST antifungal susceptibility testing protocol.
Result: A total of 150 individuals were diagnosed with CAM. Males constituted 60.7% of the population. The mean age was 54.9 years. Diabetes was the leading risk factor (74.7%). The median interval between diagnosis of COVID-19 and CAM was 31 days. The recovery rate of culture was as low as 41.3% with Rhizopus arrhizus being identified as the dominant (60; 96.7%) agent. Amphotericin B (MIC50= 0.5µg/ml) demonstrated the highest potency against Mucorales.
Conclusion: Majority of the cases had either diabetes, history of corticosteroid therapy or simultaneously both conditions. Accordingly, close monitoring of blood glucose should be considered. The indications for corticosteroids therapy are recommended to be optimized. Also, an anti Mucorales prophylaxis may be necessitated to be administrated in high risk individuals. Although amphotericin B was the most active agent, a higher rate of resistance to this antifungal was noted here in comparison with earlier studies on mucormycetes from non-CAM cases.
A Data-driven Approach to Revamp the ACO Risk Adjustment Model
Authors: Park Yubin , Buchan Kevin , Piconne Jason , Sim Brandon
Published: May 2023

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) involve groups of healthcare providers who voluntarily come together to deliver coordinated, high-quality care to aligned beneficiaries. Many ACOs, such as the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the ACO REACH program, can participate in alternative payment models that differ from the prevalent Fee-for-Service model. In these alternative payment models, providers and payers share financial risk to align the ACOs’ financial incentives with the dual aims of reducing the total cost of care and improving the quality of care. In other words, ACOs could profit by keeping their patients healthy and preventing unnecessary hospitalization. However, to make this financial structure work as intended, there needs to be a Risk Adjustment (RA) model to change reimbursement proportional to a beneficiary’s risk; otherwise, ACOs may enroll only healthy patients, i.e., adverse selection. While most ACOs adopt RA models for this reason, the original RA methodology has mostly stayed the same over the last several decades. As a result, some ACO participants have found ways to “game” the system: to receive disproportional payments for the risk they bear. To mitigate the waste, the federal government has added various post-adjustment mechanisms, such as mixing the risk-adjusted benchmark with historical spending, adjusting by a coding intensity factor, capping risk score growth rate, and incorporating health equity incentives. Unfortunately, those mechanisms build on top of each other in nonlinear and discontinuous ways, causing their actual effects - and efficacy - to be difficult to disentangle and evaluate. In this paper, we will summarize our lessons from operating one of the most successful ACOs in the nation to help rebuild the RA model based on a data-driven approach. Next, we outline the characteristics of an ideal RA model. Then, we propose a new one that addresses such requirements, eliminating the need for a multi-step process involving nonlinear and discontinuous staging. Finally, we provide experimental 1 results by applying this model to our ACO data and comparing them with the current RA implementation. Our experimental results show that our data-driven approaches can achieve better predictive performances measured in R-squared, Cumming’s Prediction Measure, and Mean Absolute Prediction Error.
Soil heat extremes outpace their atmospheric counterpart
Authors: Garcia-Garcia Almudena , Cuesta-Valero Francisco José , Miralles Diego , Mahecha Miguel , Quaas Johannes , Reichstein Markus , Zscheischler Jakob , Peng Jian
Published: May 2023

Hot temperature extremes are changing in intensity and frequency. Quantifying these changes is key for developing adaptation strategies [1]. The conventional approach to study changes in hot extremes is based on air temperatures. However, hydrology [2] and many biogeochemical processes, e.g. decomposition of organic material and release of CO2 [3]- are more sensitive to soil rather than air temperature. In this study, we show that soil hot extremes are increasing faster than air hot extremes by 0.7° C/Decade in intensity and twice as fast in frequency on average over Central Europe. Furthermore, we identify soil temperature as a factor in the soil moisture–temperature feedback. During dry conditions, increases in net radiation yield higher soil temperature and a consequent release of sensible heat while latent heat flux is constrained by soil moisture deficits. The release of sensible heat from soils leads to increases in air temperature and vapour pressure deficit that may further dry out and warm up the soil. This study further highlights the contribution of soil moisture–temperature feedback to the evolution of hot extremes in a warming climate. The rapid increase in soil heat extremes shown in these results may have important implications for climate and ecological risk applications.
Circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA levels and glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity in combat-related PTSD
Authors: Blalock Zachary , Lindqvist Daniel , Trumpff Caroline , Flory Janine , Lin Jue , Reus Victor , Rampersaud Ryan , Hammamieh Rasha , Gautam Aarti , SBPBC SYSTEMS BIOLOGY PTSD BIOMARKERS CONSORTIUM , III Francis Doyle , Marmar Charles , Jett Marti , Yehuda Rachel , Wolkowitz Owen , Mellon Synthia , Wu Gwyneth
Published: May 2023

Circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (ccf-mtDNA) is a biomarker of cellular injury or cellular stress and is a potential novel biomarker of psychological stress and of various brain, somatic, and psychiatric disorders. No studies have yet analyzed ccf-mtDNA levels in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), despite evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction in this condition. In the current study, we compared plasma ccf-mtDNA levels in combat trauma-exposed male veterans with PTSD (n = 111) with those who did not develop PTSD (n = 121) and also investigated the relationship between glucocorticoid signaling and ccf-mtDNA levels. In unadjusted analyses, ccf-mtDNA levels did not significantly differ between PTSD and non-PTSD groups (t = 1.312, p = 0.191). However, after controlling for the potential confounding variables age, HbA1c, and antidepressant use, the PTSD group had lower ccf-mtDNA levels than did the non-PTSD group (F(1, 221) = 5.509; p = 0.020). We also performed a sensitivity analysis excluding diabetics and antidepressant users and found that the PTSD group still had significantly lower ccf-mtDNA levels (t = 2.577, df = 177, p = 0.011). Across the entire sample, ccf-mtDNA levels were negatively correlated with post-dexamethasone ACTH decline (r=-0.171, p = 0.020) and cortisol decline (r=-0.149, p = 0.034) (viz., greater ACTH and cortisol suppression was associated with lower ccf-mtDNA levels) both with and without controlling for age, antidepressant status and HbA1c. Ccf-mtDNA levels were also significantly positively associated with IC50 − DEX, a measure of lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptor (GR) sensitivity, after controlling for age, antidepressant status, and HbA1c (β = 0.135, p = 0.043), suggesting that increased lymphocyte GR sensitivity is associated with lower ccf-mtDNA levels. Although no overall group differences were found in unadjusted analyses, exclusion of diabetics and antidepressants, which may affect ccf-mtDNA levels, revealed decreased ccf-mtDNA levels in PTSD. In both adjusted and unadjusted analyses, low ccf-mtDNA levels were associated with relatively increased GR sensitivity, often reported in PTSD, suggesting a link between mitochondrial and glucocorticoid signaling abnormalities in PTSD.
Accessible and reliable neurometric testing in humans using a smartphone platform
Authors: Boele Henk-Jan , Jung Caroline , Sherry Seth , Roggeveen Lotte , Dijkhuizen Stephanie , Ohman Josefine , Abraham Eliyana , Uvarov Anton , Boele Peter , Gultig Kayleigh , Rasmussen Anders , Vinueza-Veloz Maria Fernanda , Medina Javier , Koekkoek Sebastiaan , de Zeeuw Chris , Wang Samuel
Published: May 2023

Tests of human brain circuit function typically require fixed equipment in lab environments. We have developed a smartphone-based platform for neurometric testing. This platform, which uses AI models like computer vision, is optimized for at-home use and produces reproducible, robust results on a battery of tests, including eyeblink conditioning, prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle response, and startle habituation. This approach provides a scalable, universal resource for quantitative assays of central nervous system function.
Genome-wide association identifies novel ROP risk loci in a multi-ethnic cohort
Authors: Rotter Jerome , Li Xiaohui , Owen Leah A. , Taylor Kent , Ostmo Susan , Chen Yii-Der Ida , Coyner Aaron , Sonmez Kemal , hartnett M.Elizabeth , Guo Xiuqing , Ipp Eli , Roll Kathryn , Genter Pauline , Chan R.V. Paul , DeAngelis Margaret , Chiang Michael , Campbell J Peter
Published: May 2023

We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a multiethnic cohort of 920 at-risk infants for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a major cause of childhood blindness, identifying 2 loci at genome-wide significance level (p<5×10-8) and 7 at suggestive significance (p<5×10-6) for ROP ≥ stage 3. The most significant locus, rs2058019, reached genome-wide significance within the full multiethnic cohort (p= 4.96×10-9); Hispanic and Caucasian infants driving the association. The lead single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) falls in an intronic region within the Glioma-associated oncogene family zinc finger 3 (GLI3) gene. Relevance for GLI3 and other top-associated genes to human ocular disease was substantiated through in-silico extension analyses, genetic risk score analysis and expression profiling in human donor eye tissues. Thus, we report the largest ROP GWAS to date, identifying a novel locus at GLI3 with relevance to retinal biology supporting genetic susceptibilities for ROP risk with possible variability by race and ethnicity.
BCL7B, an SWI/SNF complex subunit, orchestrates cancer immunity and stemness
Authors: Higuchi Sayaka , Suehiro Yuji , Izuhara Luna , Yoshina Sawako , Hirasawa Akira , Mitani Shohei
Published: May 2023

Cancer is one of the main causes of human death. Here, we focus on the B-cell lymphoma 7 protein family member B (BCL7B) gene, an accessory subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodelling complex. To characterize the function of BCL7B, heterozygous BCL7B-deficient stomach cancer cell lines were generated with the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system. The comprehensive gene expression patterns were compared between parental cells and each ΔBCL7B cell line by RNA-seq. The results showed marked downregulation of immune-related genes and upregulation of stemness-related genes in the ΔBCL7B cell lines. Moreover, by ChIP-seq analysis with H3K27me3 antibody, the changes of epigenetic modification sequences were compared between parental cells and each ΔBCL7B cell line. After machine learning, we detected the centroid sequence changes, which exerted an impact on antigen presentation. The regulation of BCL7B expression in cancer cells gives rise to cancer stem cell-like characteristics and the acquisition of an immune evasion phenotype.
The application of radiofrequency ablation in pancreatic cancer liver-only recurrence after radical pancreatectomy
Authors: Wang Chengfang , Song Linjie , Wang Zhijiang , Wang Weilin
Published: May 2023

Objectives To evaluate the safety, feasibility, and survival benefit of radiofrequency ablation in liver-only recurrence pancreatic cancer patients after radical pancreatectomy.Methods The data and follow-up of pancreatic cancer patients who suffered liver-only recurrence after radical pancreatectomy from 2015 to 2021 were retrospectively collected. Finally, 19 liver metastases radiofrequency ablation patients were assigned to radiofrequency ablation group, and 41 patients were to systemic treatment group.Results (1) the baseline, perioperative characteristics, and pathological outcomes were well-balanced. (2) Recurrence pattern showed there were more multiple (> 3) recurrence tumors in systemic treatment patients (multiple one vs. 19, P = 0.005). (3) Median radiofrequency ablation operation time was 30.0 min, median blood loss was 1.0 ml, 4 (21.05%) patients suffered postoperative complications, and 94.74% liver metastases tumors got complete necrosis. The first efficacy evaluation showed a significantly better effect of radiofrequency ablation, complete and partial response rate 72.22% vs. 27.78%, P < 0.001. Overall survival from the initial surgery and after liver recurrence was significantly longer in the radiofrequency ablation group (43.0 vs. 22.0 months, 29.0 vs. 14.0 months, P = 0.003, 0.006, respectively). Progression-free survival after treatment was longer in the radiofrequency ablation group (6.0 vs. 5.0 months, P = 0.029). For liver recurrence tumor ≤ 3, overall survival from the initial surgery and after liver recurrence was significantly longer in radiofrequency ablation patients (43.0 vs. 22.0 months, 29.0 vs. 14.0 months, P = 0.011, 0.013, respectively). Progression-free survival after treatment was longer in the radiofrequency ablation group (7.0 vs. 4.0 months, P = 0.042).Conclusions Radiofrequency ablation could get a curative
A dual-target fluorescent chemosensor for detecting indium (III) and hypochlorite with high selectivity
Authors: Zhang Duo , Gil Dongkyun , Kim Cheal
Published: May 2023

A dual-target fluorescent chemosensor BQC (((E)-N-benzhydryl-2-(quinolin-2-ylmethylene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide) was synthesized for detecting In3+ and ClO−. BQC displayed green and blue fluorescence responses to In3+ and ClO− with low detection limits (0.83 µM for In3+ and 2.50 µM for ClO−), respectively. Importantly, BQC is the first fluorescent chemosensor capable of detecting In3+ and ClO−. The binding ratio between BQC and In3+ was determined to be a 2:1 through Job plot and ESI-MS analysis. BQC could be successfully utilized as a visible test kit to detect In3+. Meanwhile, BQC showed a selective turn-on response to ClO− even in the presence of anions or reactive oxygen species. The sensing mechanisms of BQC for In3+ and ClO− were demonstrated by 1H NMR titration, ESI-MS and theoretical calculations.
Report of a case of perforating nodular scleritis developed after hospitalisation for COVID-19 pneumonia
Authors: Füst Ágnes , Csákány Béla , Boha Zsófia , Geiszelhardt Balázs , Tóth Jeannette , Nagy Zoltán Zsolt
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Conjunctivitis, keratoconjunctivitis, and episcleritis are known ocular surface manifestations of coronavirus disease.
Case presentation: A 56-year-old male patient experienced red eye two days after being released from the COVID department. Two weeks later developed nodular scleritis. Ultrasound biomicroscopy raised the possibility of a foreign body or helminth; however, this was not confirmed during the surgical exploration. From an intraoperatively obtained sample, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus grew, while coronavirus could not be detected. Systemic work-up yielded negative results except for the Quantiferon gold test, but as histology showed granulation tissue, not granulomatous inflammation, it was unlikely that Mycobacterium pneumoniae had a role in ocular inflammation. After targeted local antibiotic therapy, the inflammation resolved slowly over the next five months.
Conclusions: Thorough systematic workup, surgical exploration, and sample collection were necessary to determine the exact etiology, where only an indirect connection came to light with the COVID infection itself. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previously published attempts to detect SARS-CoV-2 in scleral inflammatory tissue.
Evaluation of the cytotoxicity of nickel chloride and nickel nitrate on HEK293T cell line
Authors: Brrow Feras , Soukkarieh Chadi , Salman Alaa , Barguil Sophie
Published: May 2023

Nickel and its compounds are widely used in industrial and manufacturing processes. NiCl2 and Ni(NO2)2 are two common soluble salts of nickel, and both are toxic to living organisms. In this study, we examined and compared the cytotoxic effects of NiCl2 and Ni(NO2)2 on the HEK293T cell line by evaluating cell viability and determining the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for each compound. The results of our study indicate that both NiCl2 and Ni(NO2)2 are cytotoxic to the HEK293T cell line in a dose-dependent manner, and the (IC50 = 60.484 μg/ml) for nickel chloride and (IC50 =55.652 μg/ml) for nickel nitrate. Nickel nitrate was slightly more toxic than nickel chloride. Increased cytotoxicity of Ni(NO2)2 and NiCl2 should be considered in the assessment of the toxicity of nickel compounds on other cell lines in future studies.
Prevalence of the human papillomavirus (HPV) types among cervical dysplasia women in Sweden
Authors: García Fabricio Romero , Norenhag Johanna , Edfeldt Gabriella , Cheng Liqin , Hugerth Luisa Warchavchik , Pennhag Alexandra A. L. , Schuppe-Koistinen Ina , Engstrand Lars , Olovsson Matts , Du Juan
Published: May 2023

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. HPV-vaccines have led to a significant decrease in HPV-infections and related cancer cases. The estimation of the current HPV-prevalence and distribution of different HPV-types among women with cervical dysplasia in the post-vaccination era is of great importance for the future vaccination strategy.Methods By using a multiplexed bead-based immunoassay, we revealed the prevalence of 27 HPV-types in 170 dysplasia women from Sweden, a country with high HPV-vaccination coverage.Results The prevalence of HPV in low-and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL and HSIL, respectively) were 56.3% and 76.7%, respectively. The oncogenic HPV-types constituted 80.0%, and 97.1% among the HPV-positive LSIL and HSIL-groups, respectively, with HPV16 as the most prevalent type. We found a reduction in HPV-types covered by quadrivalent-Gardasil® vaccine in the vaccinated HSIL-group, suggesting the efficiency of the HPV-vaccine in preventing dysplasia caused by the covered HPV-types. Oncogenic HPV-types 39 and 59, not covered by any current vaccine have a high prevalence among patients with cervical dysplasiaConclusions Oncogenic-HPV-types are highly prevalent among women with HSIL. The current vaccine presents a high efficiency for reducing the covered HPV-types among dysplasia patients. Lastly, we provide evidence for the oncogenic-HPV-types that should be covered in the next generation of HPV-vaccines.
Significance of chorioretinal atrophy using ultra-widefield reflectance image as a risk factor for myopic choroidal neovascularization
Authors: Son Wonyung , Lee Kyungmin , Park Sang Hyun , Sagong Min
Published: May 2023

We evaluated chorioretinal atrophy as a risk factor for myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) in patients with posterior staphyloma using ultra-widefield (UWF) imaging. This retrospective study enrolled 35 patients with bilateral pathologic myopia and posterior staphyloma and unilateral mCNV. The fellow eyes showed no signs of mCNV. To assess the risk factors for mCNV, we measured the reflectance using red separation UWF images and analyzed the reflectance ratio (RR) of the posterior staphyloma area to that of the other areas. Additionally, choroidal thickness (CT), posterior staphyloma height, and coefficient α which represent the foveal curvature were measured on spectral domain optical coherence tomography images. Axial length, refractive error, and myopic macular degenerative changes were comparable between the affected and unaffected eyes. In the multivariate analysis, thin CT and increased RR were significant risk factors for mCNV (P = 0.031 and P = 0.009, respectively). There was a significant negative correlation between the CT and RR (P = 0.026). RR had the highest predictive value for mCNV on the receiver operating characteristic curve (P = 0.002). Increased reflectance of the posterior staphyloma area, which reflects chorioretinal atrophy, may be a significant parameter for assessing the risk of mCNV in pathologic myopia.
Neural stem cell transplantation rescues cortical damage in rhesus monkey models of traumatic brain injury
Authors: Liu Shuyi , Dong Wenjing , Huang Tianzhuang , Luo Yuyi , Zhu Rui , Shi Liping , Chen Yongchang , Li Shangang , wang zhengbo
Published: May 2023

Background
Cortical traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of cognitive impairment accompanied by motor and behavioural deficits. Cell transplantation is the most promising treatment, and how to keep the transplanted cells are not removed via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the key problem.
Methods
In this study, we transplanted neural stem cells (NSCs) and simultaneously injected bFGF/EGF into the cortex (visual and sensory cortices) of rhesus monkeys with superficial TBI.
Results
The results showed that the transplanted NSCs did not enter the CSF and were confined to the transplantation site for at least one year. The transplanted NSCs differentiated into mature neurons that formed synaptic connections with host neurons, but glial scar formation between the graft and the host tissue did not occur.
Conclusions
This study is the first to explore the efficacy of transplanting NSCs into the superficial cerebral cortex of rhesus monkeys after TBI, and the results show the ability of NSCs to survive long term and differentiate into neurons, demonstrating the clinical translation potential of NSC transplantation for cortical TBI.
An Efficient Instance Segmentation Approach for Studying Fission Gas Bubbles in Irradiated Metallic Nuclear Fuel
Authors: Sun Shoukun , Xu Fei , Cai Lu , Salvato Daniele , Dilemma Fidelma , Capriotti Luca , Xian Min , Yao Tiankai
Published: May 2023

Gaseous fission products from nuclear fission reactions tend to form fission gas bubbles of various shapes and sizes inside nuclear fuel. The behavior of fission gas bubbles dictates nuclear fuel performances, such as fission gas release, grain growth, swelling, and fuel cladding mechanical interaction. A mechanical understanding of fission gas bubble evolution behavior is a prerequisite for fuel development and qualification. Historical characterization of fission gas bubbles in irradiated nuclear fuel relied on a simple threshold method working on low resolution optical microscopy images. Advanced characterization of fission gas bubbles using scanning electron microscopic images reveals unprecedented detail and an extensive amount of morphological data, which strains the effectiveness of conventional methods. This paper proposes a hybrid framework, based on digital image processing and deep learning models, to efficiently detect and classify fission gas bubbles from scanning electron microscopic images. The developed bubble annotation tool used a multi-task deep learning network that integrates both U-Net and ResNet to accomplish instance-level bubble segmentation. With limited annotated data, the model achieves a recall ratio of more than 90%, a leap forward compared to the threshold method. The model has the capability to identify fission gas bubbles with and without lanthanides to better understand the movement of lanthanide fission products and fuel cladding chemical interaction. Lastly, the deep learning model is versatile and applicable to other similar material micro-structure segmentation tasks.
Cecropia pachystachya Improves Naproxen-induced Gastric Ulcers in Mice Through its Potent Anti- inflammatory, Antioxidant, and NO Production Activities
Authors: Martins Dainesy Santos , Costa Deiziane Viana Silva , Martins Conceição da Silva , Silva Angeline Maria Holanda Pascoal , Pequeno Ana Luiza Viana , Quintela Amanda Lemos , Canuto Kirley Marques , Brito Gerly Anne Castro , Duarte Antoniella Souza Gomes
Published: May 2023

Peptic ulcer (PU) occurs as acute or chronic inflammation of the stomach and/or duodenum. It is characterized by oxidative stress, intense inflammation, and hemorrhage, which result from an imbalance between the defensive and harmful factors. Cecropia pachystachya (CP) contains flavonoids, terpenes, and polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid, which is known for its antioxidant properties. This study aimed to investigate the antiulcerogenic activities and properties of the CP leaf extract on naproxen (NPX)-induced gastric ulcers. MTT assay was used to evaluate CP cytotoxicity on intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6). Gastric ulcer was induced in male Swiss mice by pretreating them with 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC, a vehicle control) or CP (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg reconstituted in 0.5% CMC) for 30 min, followed by administration of NPX (300 mg/kg) and then euthanization after 6 h. The stomach segments were collected for macroscopia, microscopia, glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO, a neutrophil infiltration marker), nitrite/nitrate, interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α analysis. CP extract did not affect IEC viability. CP extract (1, 3, and 10 mg/kg) reduced (p < 0.05) NPX-induced macroscopic and microscopic gastric lesions. In addition, it (3.0 mg/kg) prevented the depletion of GSH levels and reduced MDA formation and MPO. TNF-α and IL-6 levels were also reduced in mice subjected to NPX-induced gastric ulcers, compared with the control group. Furthermore, the extract reversed the increase in nitrite/nitrate concentration induced by NPX in stomach tissues. Therefore, our results demonstrate that CP has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities against NPX-induced gastric ulcers.
Joint DNN Partitioning and Task Offloading in Mobile Edge Computing via Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Zhang Jianbing , Ma Shufang , Yan Zexiao , Huang Jiwei
Published: May 2023

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prevalent, Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have become a crucial tool for developing and advancing AI applications. Considering limited computing and energy resources on mobile devices (MDs), it is a challenge to perform compute-intensive DNN tasks on MDs. To attack this challenge, mobile edge computing (MEC) provides a viable solution through DNN partitioning and task offloading. However, as the communication conditions between different devices change over time, DNN partitioning on different devices must also change synchronously. This is a dynamic process, which aggravates the complexity of DNN partitioning. In this paper, we delve into the issue of jointly optimizing energy and delay for DNN partitioning and task offloading in a dynamic MEC scenario where each MD and the server adopt the pre-trained DNNs for task inference. Taking advantage of the characteristics of DNN, we first propose a strategy for layered partitioning of DNN tasks to divide the task of each MD into subtasks that can be either processed on the MD or offloaded to the server for computation. Then, we formulate the trade-off between energy and delay as a joint optimization problem, which is further represented as a Markov decision process (MDP). To solve this, we design a DNN partitioning and task offloading (DPTO) algorithm utilizing deep reinforcement learning (DRL), which enables MDs to make optimal offloading decisions. Finally, experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm outperforms existing non-DRL and DRL algorithms with respect to processing delay and energy consumption, and can be applied to different DNN types.
A Risk Model Based on the Tumor Microenvironment to Predict Survival and Immunotherapy Efficacy for Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Wang Yaru , Wu Wenlong , Cheng Xin , Gao Hengxing , Li Wan , Liu Zengyou
Published: May 2023

(1) Background: Based on the interactions between immune components in the tumor microenvironment and ovarian cancer (OC) cells, immunotherapies have been demonstrated to be effective in dramatically increasing survival rates. This study aimed to identify landmark genes, construct a prognostic risk model, and explore its relevance to immunotherapy efficacy;
(2) Methods: A risk model were built based on the immune- and stromal-related genes, which were extracted from the OC gene expression data of “The Cancer Genome Atlas” (TCGA) database. Survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was then conducted through the model`s riskscore pattern, which was established depending on the TCGA training cohort and verified based on the internally TCGA cohort and externally “Gene Expression Omnibus” (GEO) datasets. Finally, the immune-related characteristics and prognostic values of this model were evaluated;
(3) Results: The prognostic risk model of OC exhibited excellent performance in predicting the survival rates in the TCGA and GEO database. This model, significantly associated with 17 functional immune cells, 17 immune checkpoint, PD-1, several immune pathways, may improve immunotherapy efficacy of OC;
(4) Conclusions: As a potential prognostic marker, the risk model may offer personalized immunotherapy protocols for OC and provide a theoretical foundation for new immunotherapy combinations.
Supplemental irrigation during the critical period for yield ensures higher radiation capture and use efficiency, water use efficiency, and grain yield in chia
Authors: Diez Josefina , Orellana Fernando , Searles Peter , Acreche Martin M.
Published: May 2023

Chia is generally grown under rainfed conditions and is often under water deficit conditions during the critical period of flowering and grain filling when yield is determined. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine how intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (iPAR), radiation use efficiency (RUE), water use efficiency (WUE), and grain yield were affected by different soil water availabilities during the critical period for yield in chia. Four levels of total available water (TAW) during the critical period were obtained using supplemental drip irrigation including: T90 (90% TAW), T65 (65% TAW), T45 (45% TAW), and T30 (30% TAW). No reductions in iPAR and RUE (total dry matter or yield per unit of intercepted radiation) were found between T65 and T90, which led to similar total dry matter and grain yield. In contrast, water availabilities equal to or lower than 45% of TAW decreased iPAR and RUE, and subsequently total dry matter and yield decreased. The decrease in RUE was associated with a reduction in WUE (total dry matter per mm of evapotranspiration) and crop conductance (gc; evapotranspiration per unit of iPAR). This occurred in part because moderate-to-severe water stress increased the proportion of crop evapotranspiration that evaporated from the soil and decreased the amount of water transpired per unit of intercepted radiation. The use of supplemental irrigation to ensure 65% of total available water in the soil during the critical period for yield would reduce the contribution of soil evaporation and increase crop transpiration by increasing crop ground cover and would lead to improved grain yields.
Risk Factors of Early Mortality in Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Study in the SEER Database
Authors: Li Zhenglin , Pang Min , Liang Xuefeng , Zhang Yafei , Zhang Weihua , He Weina , Sheng Lijun , An Yuji
Published: May 2023

Background
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive neuroendocrine cancer with a high risk of early mortality (i.e., survival time less than 1 month). This study aimed to identify relevant risk factors and predict early mortality in SCLC patients.
Methods
A total of 27163 SCLC cases registered between 2010 and 2019 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data. Significant independent risk factors were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Nomograms for all-causes and cancer-specific early death were constructed and evaluated.
Results
Age, sex, clinical stage, presence of metastasis (liver and lung), and absence of treatment (surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy) were identified for significant association with all-causes and cancer-specific early death. Nomograms based on these predictors exhibited high accuracy (area under ROC curve > 0.850) and potential clinical practicality in the prediction of early mortality.
Conclusion
We identified a set of factors associated with early mortality from SCLC and developed a clinically useful nomogram to predict high-risk patients. This nomogram could aid oncologists in the administration of individualized treatment regimens, potentially improving clinical outcomes of SCLC patients.
Distributed Clustering based Denial of Service Attack Prevention Mechanism using a Fault Tolerant Self Configured Controller in a Software Defined Network
Authors: S Sharathkumar , N Sreenath
Published: May 2023

In this modern era, communication in any type of network becomes very important and also providing security to the communication line also makes equal importance. To develop this feature a highly dynamic, self-configured, a proactive feature-enabled net-work should be used and that network is Software Defined Network. Due to vulnerabilities in the network, it majorly degrades the performance of the network, so a security mechanism needs to be developed so that throughput is increased, with minimal delay, latency and increase in performance. In this paper, a solution is provided for the node failures, link failures which are caused due to the malicious or misbehavior of nodes leading to disruption in the network caused by external intervention. This is due to the cause of Denial of Service attacks. Here, a method named Dynamic proactive cluster-based node failure detection, Re routing and Restoration is proposed in Software defined Networks to avoid these type of attacks which causes node disruption in the network, so that there may be packet loss, decrease in throughput of the network. By using the proposed Reliable fault-tolerant self-configured dynamic clustering mechanism we are implementing a distributed clustering DoS Attack prevention methodology to provide fault tolerance, achieve reliability and provide a security mechanism in the network. The main principle involved in the distributed clustering process here is node failure detection, rerouting of nodes and restoration of nodes. The simulation results obtained in the distributed clustering approach, a considerable increase in the performance of the network in terms of reliability, throughput, packet loss rate, recovery time and security is achieved over the existing traditional methods where the occurrence of node failures or link failures, and lack in security happens regularly.
Machine learning logistic regression in predicting the risk of severe hemorrhage after semi-tubeless PCNL
Authors: Liu Jing bang
Published: May 2023

Objectives
To establish a machine learning logistic regression to predict the risk of severe hemorrhage after semi-tubeless percutaneous nephroscopy
Methods
The data of 465 patients (465 semi-tubeless PCNL procedures) were retrospectively analyzed at Shenyang Red Cross Hospital from January 1st,2016 to January 1st,2023.The following factors were analyzed: high pressure,stone score,expansion method,visualization,Guys grades,avascular area,diabetes,age,history of PCNL,duration,solid kidney,years,preoperative nephrostomy ,BMI and sex.We established a machine learning logistic regression model by using the data above and we collect 50 additional patients as the test group to verify the accuracy of the model.
Results
For all the 464 patients, 91 patients had postoperative haemorrhage and 373 had no haemorrhage.The average hemoglobin drop for all the procedures was 23 .5 ± 6.1g/L (range 20.1–38.1g/L), whereas the average hematocrit drop was 5.46 ± 4.08% (range 0.4–29%).We collect 5 demographic basic characteristics and 12 perioperative variables.There were three variables with an absolute value of the correlation coefficient less than 0.1.The lr.score of the model is 0.9448.Eighty-six percents of the predicted result were correct
Conclusion
As for the factors influencing the percutaneous nephroscopic hemorrhage,stone score,number of channels,BMI,age,duration,years,hypertension,solid kidney,guys score and diabetes are risk factors for haemorrhage. Visualization,avascular area,Preoperative nephrostomy are protective factors for haemorrhage
Efficacy and safety of ciprofol vs. propofol for maintenance and induction of general anesthesia: A meta-analysis of 463 patients
Authors: Abdelfattah Abdelfattah Mohammed , Ewieda Tamer Mohammed , Mohammad Adelwahab Abdelsattar Saleh , Elsaily Ayman Abdelaziz , Ahmed Ismail Mohamed Abdelgawad , Mohamed Noha samir , Elsnhory Ahmed Bostamy
Published: May 2023

Background
Given the adverse events of propofol, there has been a need to develop new potent drugs with lower side effects. Ciprofol has a GABAA receptor affinity 4–5 times higher than propofol, enabling it to achieve the same anesthetic effects with lower adverse events at lower doses.
Methods
PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science (inception to March 2023) were searched. Two authors performed, independently and induplicate, the studies screening, data extraction, and Risk of bias. Any disagreements were solved by a third senior author. Both mean difference and risk ratio with 95% CI were calculated.
Results
The quantitative and qualitative synthesis involved five randomized clinical trials with 463 patients. There was no significant difference between ciprofol and propofol in the success rate (RR = 1, (0.98, 1.02), P = 1). On the other hand, ciprofol significantly decreased the rate of hypotension (RR = 0.73 (0.57, 0.94), P = 0.02), and injection-site pain (RR = 0.31 (0.2, 0.48), P < 0.00001).
Conclusion
Ciprofol seems to have a potentially promising outcome as compared to propofol. However, more large-scale multi-center RCTs are to investigate this new anesthetic drug.
Development of machine learning algorithms to predict viral load suppression among HIV patients in Conakry (Guinea)
Authors: Yehadji Dègninou , Gray Geraldine , Vicente Carlos Arias , Isaakidis Petros , Diallo Abdourahimi , Kamano Saa André , Diallo Thierno Saidou
Published: May 2023

Background
Viral load (VL) suppression represents a key to the end of the global HIV epidemic. It is critical for healthcare providers and people living with HIV (PLHIV) to be able to predict viral suppression. This study was conducted to explore the possibility of predicting viral suppression among HIV patients using machine learning (ML) algorithms.
Methods
Anonymized data were used from a cohort of HIV patients managed in eight health facilities in Conakry (Guinea). The data pre-processing steps included variable recoding, record removal, missing values imputation, grouping small categories, creating dummy variables and oversampling (only applied to the training set) of the smallest target class. Support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression (LR), naïve Bayes (NB), random forest (RF) and four stacked models where developed. The optimal parameters of the algorithms were determined with 03 cross-validation. The 30% of the sample was held as a test set to perform model evaluation. Techniques implemented to determine the most predictive variables were applied on LR, RF, and NB (with analysis of variance, ANOVA).
Results
LR was found to be the most optimal model to detect VL suppression and non-suppression. It produced an area under the curve (AUC) of 83%, with 74% and 78% sensitivity and specificity, respectively. In other words, it can correctly detect 74% of suppressed VL and correctly detect 78% of non-suppressed VL. With LR, Gender, Prior antiretroviral therapy (ART), Method into ART, Cotrimoxazole prophylactic therapy (CPT) at ART start, Second Line treatment, Last pre-ART CD4, Last ART CD4, Stage at ART start, Age, and Duration on ART were identified as the most predictive variables for VL suppression.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated the capability to predict VL suppression but has some limitations. The results are dependent on the quality of the data and are specific to the Guinea context and thus, there may be limitations with generalizability. Future studies may be conducting a similar study in a different context and develop the most optimal model into an application that can be tested in a clinical context.