bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coliform bacterial contamination of dairy products and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of common coliform bacterial isolates in Gondar-Bahir Dar milk shed, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Beyene Achenef Melaku , Gizachew Mucheye , Yousef Ahmed , Jemere Zenebe , Haileyesus Hana , Gelaw Baye
Published: November 2023

Background: Dairy products can be contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms due to unhygienic production and processing practices. Determining the status of the bacteriological contamination is vital to design evidence-based strategies to minimize the risk of infections and to enhance the quality and shelf life of processed products. This study was conducted to determine the status of contamination of dairy products with coliform bacteria and the antimicrobial susceptibility of common coliform bacterial isolates in the Gondar-Bahir Dar milkshed, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: In total, 184 dairy product samples (raw milk (97), yoghurt (traditionally fermented milk) (48), buttermilk (9), traditionally prepared soft cheese (11), and pasteurized milk (19)) were collected. Of these, the coliform count was conducted on 146 samples (raw milk (97), yoghurt (6), buttermilk (6), traditionally prepared soft cheese (11), and pasteurized milk (19)) was assessed by coliform counts. Coliform bacteria were isolated from all 184 samples using standard bacteriological techniques and isolates were identified by the Analytical Profile Index (API) E 20 test. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacterial isolates was assessed by using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method.
Results: The average coliform count (CC) of samples was 5.6 log CFU/ml (confidence interval (CI)= 5.3 – 6.0). There was a significant (P<0.05) difference in the average CC among sample types, cleanness of the animals and hygiene of the containers. However, the differences in the average CC among sampling sites, farm size, source of water to clean milk containers, availability of cooling facilities, feed source, type of container, farm hygiene, and milker’s hygiene were not statistically significant. Out of examined 184 samples, 40.8, 33.7, 9.2, 12.5, and 1.6% were positive for E. coli, Citrobacter species (spp), Klebsiella spp, Enterobacterspp, and Serratia spp, respectively. Coliform bacteria isolates were more susceptible to third-generation cephalosporins like ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, and cefotaxime. However, they were relatively more resistant to cephalothin and ampicillin.
Conclusion: most of the dairy product samples were highly contaminated by coliform bacteria and the isolates demonstrated a considerable rate of resistance. Therefore, hygienic measures should be enhanced to improve the bacteriological quality of dairy products in the study area, and strategies need to be designed to reduce the proliferation and spread of resistant strains to minimize public health risks.
Shaking table test of a full-scale PC exterior wall panel connected to a steel frame with flexible node
Authors: Yang Beibei , Li Zhenbao , Liu Ping , Ma Hua , Yang Jiulong , Kang Zhicheng
Published: November 2023

A cantilever block-wall panel attachment strip (CBW) flexible connection node was designed to connect precast concrete (PC) exterior wall panels to steel frames. To investigate the performance of the CBW flexible connection node and PC exterior wall panels during earthquakes, a partial two-storey steel frame was extracted from an actual engineering structure, and a full-scale steel frame-exterior wall panel shaking table model was designed. Two sets of shaking-table tests were conducted under seismic intensity 7, 8, and 9 (Chinese Seismic Intensity Scale) earthquakes. The acceleration and displacement responses of the composite wall panel, open window panel, and integral wall panel along the in-plane and out-of-plane motions were analysed. The acceleration amplification factors of the PC exterior wall panels ranged from 0.753 to 1.400 (in-plane) and from 0.998 to 2.199 (out-of-plane). The CBW flexible connection node had a deformation capacity that could coordinate the deformation of the exterior wall panel and prevent severe damage. The surfaces of the PC exterior wall panels remained intact during a very strong seismic intensity 9 earthquake.
Multiple myeloma-associated light chain proximal tubulopathy: a case report
Authors: Huang# Si-nian , Zhang# Zhi-rong , Zhang Zhi-gang , Zhao Zhong-hua , Yao Jun-xia , Wang Wei-xia
Published: November 2023

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM)-associated light chain proximal tubulopathy (LCPT) mainly damaged the proximal tubules, characterized by the deposition of cytoplasmic inclusions in the proximal tubules.The main lesions of LCPT were proximal tubular damage. Here, we report two cases of LCPT and analyze their pathologic characteristics to delineate the charateristics of clinical pathology and outcomes. Case presentation: A 55-year-old male patient (Case 1) and a 64-year-old male patient(Case 2)were referred to our hospital and diagnosed with MM-associated LCPT with crystalline(κ type) and with non-crystalline LCPT (λ type), respectively.The prominent morphologic feature of crystalline LCPT was the dark-brown granules,which could be detected by using Jones silver methenamine staining,in the proximal tubules through the electron microscopic examination.The typical morphologic-feature of the non-crystalline of LCPT was that the eosinophilic granules,which could be examined by using masson trichrome staining.Besides,an abundance of lysosome could be found by the electron microscopic examination in the non-crystalline of LCPT. The case 1 was treated with 27 cycles of chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. The treatment of case 1 was effective, and the renal was functioning stably at the 36 months of the follow-up. The case 2 was treated with 44 cycles of chemotherapy. The treatment of case 2 was ineffective. Given the function of case 2’s renal was worsing,dialysis was conducted at 30 months of follow-up.
Conclusions: The morphologic lesions of proximal tubular damage in LCPT is quite variable.Renal biopsy is the first choice for the accurate diagnosis of LCPT. Besides, the clinicopathological features of LCPT are also crucial for accurate pathologic diagnosis and personalized treatment.
Mechanically Robust, Shape-Memory, and Personalized Silk Fibroin/Magnesium Composite Scaffolds induce in situ Irregular Bone Regeneration
Authors: Zheng Yufeng , Mao Zhinan , Bi Xuewei , Yu Chunhao , Chen Lei , Shen Jie , Huang Yongcan , Wu Zihong , Qi Hui , Guan Juan , Shu Xiong , Yu Binsheng
Published: November 2023

The regeneration of critical-sized bone defects, especially for irregular shapes, remain a clinical challenge. Although various biomaterials were developed to enhance bone regeneration, the limitations on the shape-adaptive capacity, the complexity of clinical operation and the unsatisfied osteogenic bioactivity restricted greatly their clinical application. Herein, we construct a mechanically robust, tailorable and blood-responsive shape memory effect silk fibroin/ Magnesium (SF/MgO) composite scaffold, which can quickly match irregular defects by easily trimming and achieve good interface integration. The SF/MgO composite scaffold exhibits excellent mechanical performance and structure retention during the degradation process, which significantly improved the supporting ability in defective site. In addition, the SF/MgO composite scaffolds can achieve shape recovery very quickly either under water or blood conditions. This scaffold promotes cell proliferation, adhesion, migration of osteoblasts, and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro. Subcutaneous implantation results confirmed that with suitable content SF/MgO composite scaffold exhibited good histocompatibility, low foreign body reactions, and as well as significant ectopic mineralization and angiogenesis. Meanwhile, the SF/MgO composite scaffold markedly promote in situ robust bone regeneration of cranial defect. This bioactive shape memory porous scaffolds provides a new design idea for minimally invasive clinical-size irregular bone regeneration.
Umbilical cord blood cell characteristics in very preterm neonates for autologous cell therapy of preterm-associated complications
Authors: Zhuxiao Ren , Jiangxue Han , Yongsheng Li , Jingjun Pei , Shuo Yang , Fang Xu , Qi Zhang , Chuan Nie , Jie Yang
Published: November 2023

Background
There are emerging clinical evidence for umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (UCBMNCs) intervention to improve preterm complications. The first critical step in cell therapy is to obtain high-quality cells. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the quantity and quality of UCBMNCs from very preterm infants (VPIs) for the purpose of autologous cell therapy in prevention and treatment of preterm complications.
Methods
Very preterm infants (VPIs) born in Guangdong Women and Children Hospital from January 1, 2017, to December 8, 2022, from whom cord blood was successfully collected and separated for public or private banking, were enrolled. The UCBMNCs characters from route cord blood tests performed in cord blood bank, impact of perinatal factors on UCBMNCs, the relationship between UCBMNCs characteristics and preterm outcomes, and the correlation of UCBMNCs characteristics and peripheral blood cells in VPIs were analyzed.
Results
Totally, 89 VPIs underwent UCB collection and processing successfully. The median cell number post processing was 2.6×108. To infuse a dose of 5×107 cells/kg, only 3.4% of infants required a volume of more than 20 mL/kg, which exceeded the maximum safe volume limit for VPIs. However, when infusing 10×107 cells/kg, 25.8% of infants required a volume of more than 20 ml/kg volume. Antenatal glucocorticoids use and preeclampsia was associated with lower original UCBMNCs concentration. Both CD34 + hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) frequency and colony forming unit - granulocyte and macrophage (CFU-GM) number correlated negatively with gestational age (GA). UCBMNCs characters had no significant effect on preterm outcomes, whereas a significant positive correlation was observed between UCBMNCs concentration and total white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte and PLT counts in peripheral blood.
Conclusion
UCBMNCs collected from VPIs was feasible for autologous cell therapy in improving preterm complications. Setting the infusion dose of 5×107 cells/kg guaranteed a safe infusion volume in more than 95% of the targeted infants. UCBMNCs characters did not affect preterm complications; however, the effect of UCBMNCs concentration on peripheral blood classification count should be considered when evaluating the immunomodulation of UCBMNCs transfusion.
Keratinocyte-Specific CCN1 Modulation Driven Regulation of Keratinocyte Proliferation and Inflammation in Psoriasis
Authors: Xue Tingting , Zhang Mengjie , Zheng Qi , Luo Ying , Luo Yue , Fei Xiaoya , Song Jiankun , Ding Xiaojie , Kuai Le , Zhang Ying , Li Bin
Published: November 2023

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and inflammatory cell infiltration. CCN1 is a matricellular protein that plays a crucial role in cell proliferation, differentiation, and adhesion, which are accepted as psoriasis-relevant.
Objective: Our study evaluated the function of CCN1 in psoriasis treatment using keratinocyte-specific Ccn1 transgenic mice.
Methods and Results: We constructed keratinocyte tissue-specific Ccn1 transgenic mice and induced a psoriasis model with imiquimod (IMQ). The results exhibited that, compared to the psoriatic model group, the keratinocyte-specific ablation of Ccn1 ameliorated IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in mice. Furthermore, the downregulation of PCNA+ cells, NF-kB P50+, F4/80+ macrophage, CD3+ T lymphocytes, and pSTAT3 was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining in the epidermis of psoriatic lesions. Keratinocyte-specific Ccn1 overexpression also increased inflammation in mice after exposure to imiquimod, exhibiting more pronounced red and scaly plaques, epidermal hyperproliferation, and abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes. Thus, targeting CCN1 could broadly improve psoriasis treatment outcomes.
Conclusion: Overall, epidermal-specific CCN1 exerts a key player in keratinocyte proliferation and immunoinflammation in the psoriasis setting. Our study yields valuable insights into the pathogenesis and potential treatment of the disease.
Association between the Demographic Characteristics, Severity, Clinical Symptoms, Vital Signs, Lab Findings with COVID-19 Outcomes in Older Adults
Authors: Ashjazadeh Hamidreza , Zandieh Zhale , Niksolat Maryam , Nabi Somaye , Zanjari Nasibeh , Yarandi Razieh Bidhendi , Azadbakht Mojtaba
Published: November 2023

Introduction: The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an evil infectious disease seriously threatening people's life and health for its high infectivity and incidence. A practical solution to curb the pandemic is to facilitate the recognition of poor prognostic factors at earlier stages, especially in vulnerable groups such as the elderly, to help clinicians make timely decision on treatment initiation.
Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study on information extracted from the medical files of 534 COVID-19 cases aged 60 years and above. Then, the frequencies of these variables by the outcome (recovery or death) were analyzed, and the association between the demographic characteristics, severity, clinical symptoms, vital signs, and underlying health with the mortality rate was reported.
Results: The average age of the population was 72.5±8.77 years. The overall mortality rate was 23.2%. The in-ICU mortality rate of 87%. Mortality increased considerably with a rise in Troponin level, 53% with Troponin≥100. RDW>16, and MCV>96.1 significantly increased mortality. 86% of the cases suffered from chronic diseases. The mortality rate in cases with autoimmune diseases was 64%, and with CKD was 51%.
Conclusions: ICU admission was the strongest predictive indicator for poor outcomes. Mortality increased significantly in the elderly COVID-19 cases suffered from autoimmune diseases, CKD, underlying pulmonary and heart diseases, and diabetes, and those experiencing diastolic and systolic hypotension.
MeSH terms: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Aged, Mortality, Prognosis
Assessing stiffness distribution of gap-graded soils with particle property disparity
Authors: Liu De-Yun , Wang Meng-Ting , Wang Ci
Published: November 2023

This study applies the Discrete Element Method (DEM) to analyze small strain characteristics of gap-graded soils, focusing on particle property disparities between coarse and finer particles. It extends the conventional small strain probe method to assess stiffness distribution in gap-graded specimens, distinguishing between different contact and particle types. Key findings reveal that the disparity in particle properties minimally affects void ratio and coordination number across various densities and stress levels. This disparity also shows limited impact on particle-scale stress transmission, supporting the validity of models with equivalent coarse and finer particle properties. A significant advancement is the adapted small strain probe method, which effectively measures stiffness distribution and demonstrates the role of finer particles, showing that the contribution of finer particles to the small strain stiffness is consistently lower than their volume fraction. This method also captures the effects of particle property disparity on small strain stiffness, demonstrating that higher particle Young’s modulus values in finer particles correlate with increased small strain stiffness contribution. While their overall impact on stiffness is less significant compared to that of stress transmission. This research introduces a simplified approach for analyzing stiffness distribution in gap-graded soils, enhancing understanding of gap-graded soils under diverse conditions.
Clinical Features and Outcomes of Posterior Spinal Artery Infarction: A Systematic Review
Authors: Tan You-Jiang , Teo Tong Lin , Yeo Charlene , Tan Sarah , Tan Youhong , Shah Jinesh
Published: November 2023

Objective
We aim to describe the clinical features and outcomes of patients with posterior spinal artery infarctions, and to identify factors associated with poor ambulatory outcomes.
Methods
We performed a systematic review and retrospective analysis on the characteristics and outcomes of patients with posterior spinal artery infarctions reported over the past 30 years.
Results
We analyzed 40 cases from 33 studies between January 1993 till June 2023. Their median age was 55 years (range 19–84), with 23 males and 17 females. Cardiovascular risk factors were present in half (21/40, 53%). Pain (10/40, 48%) and motor deficits (27/39, 69%) were common Infarcts preferentially affected the cervical cord (29/40, 73%), and were frequently attributed to vertebral artery dissections (8/40, 20%) endovascular treatment complications (7/40, 18%)., However, the underlying cause remained unknown in a quarter (10/40, 25%). Treatment involved isolated or concomitant use of anticoagulants (8/28, 29%), antiplatelet (18/28, 64%), and steroids (5/28, 18%). Prognosis appeared fair as most could ambulate (28/34, 82%), but over a quarter could only do so with assistance (8/28, 29%). Patients who were older, (median age [range]: 67 [52–84] vs 56 [28–79], p = 0.055), with preceding trauma (50% vs 11%, p = 0.053), or with infarcts involving three or more cord segments (83 vs 33%, p = 0.062) may be likelier to experience non-ambulatory outcomes.
Conclusion
Though rare, posterior spinal artery infarctions’ propensity for disability renders their early recognition especially vital. Pain and preceding trauma or endovascular treatment are diagnostic clues. Old age, preceding trauma, and longer infarcts may be associated with non-ambulatory outcomes.
Management of corneal melting after collagen cross-linking for keratoconus: a case report and a review of the literature
Authors: Moramarco Antonio , Geronimo Natalie di , Gardini Lorenzo , Grendele Arianna , Fontana Luigi
Published: November 2023

Purpose:
We describe the management of a case of severe corneal melting after corneal cross-linking (CXL) treated with a staged approach using a conjunctival flap followed by deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK).
Methods:
A 12-year-old male developed severe corneal melting with pending perforation after an accelerated epithelium-off CXL protocol. We initially treated the patient with a conjunctival flap to prevent perforation. Three months later, we performed DALK to restore vision.
Results:
Conjunctival flap surgery allowed us to avoid corneal perforation and penetrating keratoplasty (PK) à chaud. Once the inflammation had resolved, we recessed the conjunctiva and performed DALK for optical purposes. Twelve months later, the graft was clear and the corrected visual acuity was 20/25 (Snellen). No complications occurred after surgery.
Conclusions:
Although CXL is considered a safe procedure, in rare cases it can lead to serious complications, such as corneal haze, infectious and non-infectious keratitis, stromal melting and perforation. Corneal melting and perforation are usually managed by emergency PK. Herein we suggest a staged approach involving an emergency conjunctival flap followed by DALK at a later time that allowed us to avoid PK à chaud.
Chromosome variation and karyomorphology of Artemisia cina O.Berg: Comparison on Colchicine and 2,4-D + BA Treatment
Authors: Anggraeni Listy , Sulistyaningsih Endang , Purwantoro Aziz
Published: November 2023

In order to produce chromosome doubling in Artemisia cina, we undertook polyploidization. To generate polyploid plants, growth regulators and colchicines were employed. Colchicine treatment (0, 100, 150, 200 ppm) at immersion time of 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and 96 hours, and treatment 2,4-D and BA (combination of 2,4-D and BA at a concentration of 1–3 ppm) at 21 and 28 days of immersion are used as treatment. Ploidy number, chromosome size, and chromosome karyotype layout were all evaluated.The result of this study shows that a. cina treated with colchicine produced 37 polyploid plants with a distribution of 10.2% triploid, 15.2% tetraploid, 1.7% pentaploid, 1.7% hexaploid, and 0.8% tridecaploid plants. While the plants treated with growth regulators 2,4-D and BA produced 47 polyploid plants with a distribution of 2.5% triploid, 2.3% tetraploid, 1.5% pentaploid, 1.9% hexaploid, 0.4% septaploid, 0.4% octaploid. Plants treated using colchicine produced the most diversity in its ploidy while 2,4-D and BA produced more polyploidy plants and produced mixoploid plants with euploid or aneuploid chromosomes. Karyotype variance are more abundant in tetraploid, and the most uniform karyotype found in pentaploid plants. Colchicine is recommended to produce chromosome doubling rather than growth regulators.
Geospatial techniques for deciphering groundwater potential zones of reservoir-induced seismicity region in western India using analytical hierarchy process
Authors: Ajaykumar Venkatarao , Mondal Nepal Chandra
Published: November 2023

This study aims to demarcate groundwater potential zones using an integrated approach of remote sensing, geographical information system, and analytical hierarchy process in a reservoir-induced seismicity (RIS) region of western India. Multiple important factors affecting groundwater such as geology, geomorphology, soils, land use and land cover, slope, lineaments density, drainage density, rainfall, normalized vegetation index, and topography wetness index were considered for deciphering the groundwater potential zones. Spatially distributed thematic layers of all these factors were generated using remotely sensed data and ground-based field data in GIS platform. The assigned weights of all these layers and their attributes were then normalized by using analytical hierarchy process technique. The deciphered groundwater potential zones of this RIS area were categorized as very good (15.68%), good (27.34%), moderate (29.25%), poor (19.54%), and very poor (8.19%). These assessed groundwater potentialities were positively correlated with the specific yields of actual field data with a correlation coefficient of R = 0.90, and was found reasonable. It was also observed that the very good to good potential zones were in the upstreams. Most of the very good groundwater potential zones (~ 16.79%) were found in the northern part, namely Koyna region (which was more the seismically active) than the Warna region (~ 14.57%) located in the southern part. It indirectly indicated that the groundwater potentially also induced the seismicity of earthquakes along with both Koyna and Warna reservoir waters. The deciphered groundwater potential zones in this RIS area will aid in better study of the earthquake seismicity in future.
In-silico characterization and expression analysis of the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase1 (ccd1) gene in Maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Chanda Sagnik , Roy Jeet , Poudel Ankur , Phogat Sachin , Mulani Ekta , Hossain Firoz , Muthusamy Vignesh , Gaikwad Kishor , Mandal Pranab Kumar , Madhavan Jayanthi , Banu Nuzat
Published: November 2023

To supplement the vitamin A deficiency biofortified maize was developed with increased carotenoid content. However it was observed that during storage carotenoids present in maize grain get degraded and it has been reported that carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase1 (ccd1) is responsible for this degradation. In our current study we characterised the ccd1 gene using in-silico analysis. Expression analysis of ccd1 gene was done in two maize inbreds V335PV and HKI161PV which show significant differences in retention capacity of carotenoid in storage conditions. Both inbred lines showed higher expression of ccd1 during reproductive stages compared to vegetative stages. Furthermore, the milking stage grain exhibited the highest level of ccd1 expression in both inbreds. Hence silencing the ccd1 gene using the recent genome editing tools may be a good strategy for higher carotenoid retention.
Investigation of mass mortality caused by multi-drug resistant Edwardsiella tarda in Oscar fish, Astronotus ocellatus from an ornamental fish farm, Kerala
Authors: Vishnupriya Vijayan , Swaminathan T. Raja , Dharmarathnam Arathi , Sharma S. R Krupesha , Preena P. G
Published: November 2023

Oscar fish (Astronotus ocellatus) is one of the most domesticated and exported ornamental fishes from Kerala. The emergence of diseases caused by multi-drug-resistant bacteria is a serious obstacle faced in the ornamental fish industry. In the present study, six isolates were resolved from the diseased Oscar fish showing hemorrhages, necrosis and loss of pigmentation. After phenotypic and genotypic characterization, the bacteria were identified as Edwardsiella tarda, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus fecalis, Escherichia coli, Brevibacillus borstelensis, and Staphylococcus hominis. Experimental challenge studies in healthy Oscar fish showed that E. tarda caused 100% mortality within 240 hours with 6.99×106 CFU/fish as LD50 and histopathology revealed the typical signs of infection. The pathogen could be successfully re-recovered from the moribund fish thereby confirmed Koch’s postulates. Edwardsiella species was confirmed as E. tarda through positive amplification of tarda specific gene and virulence genes viz., etfD and escB were also detected in the pathogen. The isolate showed multiple antimicrobial resistance (AMR) against aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, and quinolones with the MAR index of 0.32, which implicated the antibiotic pressure in the farm. Plasmid curing studies showed a paradigm shift in the resistance pattern with MAR index of 0.04, highlighting the resistance genes are of plasmid-borne. Moreover, tetracycline resistance gene (tetA) was the only one found to be chromosome-borne. This study is the first of its kind in detecting mass mortality caused by E. tarda in Oscar fish. Proper surveillance and appropriate action plans are crucial for the precise detection of pathogens responsible for diseases and AMR in aquaculture.
Influence of nickel electrode's morphology on glucose detection
Authors: Hu Hailong , Ma Guohua , Guo Baogang , Zhang Xingquan , Xie Ruishi , Liu Haifeng , Huang Heyan
Published: November 2023

Different morphology metal nickel nanoelectrodes, such as nano spikes, layered nanosheets, layered flat particles, and hierarchical nanosheets were prepared on FTO glass by hydrothermal method, and were used to determine glucose concentration in aqueous solution under alkaline condition. All electrodes exhibit different electrochemical catalytic characteristics such as surface area, mass transfer, and catalytic rate in the progress of glucose oxidation. It was to note, larger surface area can produce a larger redox current in the absence of glucose, and a larger current noise, longer response time in the present of glucose. All of the electrodes have a similar surface coverage, and electrodes with larger surfaces have more Ni2+/Ni3+ redox couples and yield more redox current in alkaline solution. However, poor catalytic rate for glucose can result in low sensitivity for glucose detection for electrodes. That means not all of the redox couples on the electrodes surface involved in the glucose oxidation, even if the electrodes have large glucose coverage and more redox couples. Furthermore, electrodes with a larger surface area have larger surface roughness, which decreases glucose diffusion and results in a longer response time in amperometric detection.
BatchEncryption: Localized Federated Learning in Preserving-privacy with Efficient Integer Vector Homomorphic Encryption
Authors: Xie Tianying
Published: November 2023

Deep Learning as a Service (DLaaS) provides an efficient way to facilitate deep neural networks (DNNs) in various applications. Despite the accuracy of deep learning models, there is a paramount need for robust protocols to protect the privacy and security of data, particularly sensitive information. Currently, It is not a good way to permit cloud models to process such data without proper safeguards, leading to potential privacy breaches. Especially in the training phase of the model, most models are trained by plaintext rather than ciphertext, which will pose potential privacy leakage of data owners. While some researchers have begun to use homomorphically encrypted data for training, most researchers only implement a single pair of keys for encryption and decryption, neglecting the importance of encryption scheme robustness when unique keys are employed by users. To address these issues, this paper presents a practical localized Federated Learning (FL) method named BatchEncryption using Efficient Integer Vector Homomorphic Encryption (EIVHE) for privacy-preserving training and inference phases. BatchEncryption encrypts raw datasets in blocks using different pairs of keys, which holds the diversity and robustness of the model. Our experiments demonstrate that deploying different pairs of keys to train neural networks holds higher accuracy than implementing a single pair of keys, and the proposed method achieves around 97% accuracy on the data encrypted by different pairs of keys on the MNIST dataset.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Upconversion Nanoprobes Capable of Crossing the Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier
Authors: Han Fang , Gao Jiahao , Lv Guanglei , Liu Tao , Hu Qingfeng , Zhu Meilin , Du Zunguo , Yang Jing , Yao Zhenwei , Fang Xiangming , Ni Dalong , Zhang Jiawen
Published: November 2023

The central nervous system (CNS) maintains homeostasis with its surrounding environment by restricting the ingress of large hydrophilic molecules, immune cells, pathogens, and other external harmful substances to the brain. This function relies heavily on the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (B-CSF) and blood-brain barrier (BBB). Although considerable research has examined the structure and function of the BBB, the B-CSF barrier has received little attention. Therapies for disorders associated with the central nervous system have the potential to benefit from targeting the B-CSF barrier to enhance medication penetration into the brain. In this study, we synthesized a nanoprobe (ANG/PEG-UCNP) capable of crossing the B-CSF barrier with high targeting specificity using a hydrocephalus model for noninvasive magnetic resonance ventriculography to understand the mechanism by which the CSF barrier may be crossed and identify therapeutic targets of CNS diseases. This magnetic resonance nanoprobe may provide a safe and effective means for accurately defining the ventricular anatomy and correctly locating sites of CSF obstruction and CSF leakage, facilitating individualized treatment.
Identification and experimental validation of the spinal cord hub genes of aging and neuropathic pain
Authors: Pang Jiahui , Zhao Yubai , Hu Ziwei , Xu Yin , Liu Xinli , Hu Yingxuan , Wu Wen
Published: November 2023

Pain is considered the most frequent health problem encountered by the elderly. In this study, we used bioinformatics to analyze hub genes related to aging and NP, in order to identify more effective targets for treating NP in older adults. Aging and neuropathic pain (NP) datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for transcriptome difference analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of overlapping genes between aging and NP datasets were made. We constructed the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network based on the STRING database for identification of hub genes, and used the miRDB database to predict the miRNAs that regulated the hub genes. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis was made to verify the expression changes of the hub genes in the spinal cord of aging rats and spared nerve injury (SNI) rats. A total of 56 overlapped differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from GSE18803 and GSE3305 datasets. Eight hub genes were identified by the CytoHubba plugin and MCODE plugin in Cytoscape software, and qPCR confirmed that 6 of them were expressed in the spinal cords of NP and aging rats. Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C (PTPRC), integrin subunit alpha M (ITGAM), CD53, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB1), CD68 and CD74 are the hub genes in aging rats and SNI rats.
Machine learning modification of metabolic syndrome definition with serum uric acid for diabetes risk prediction
Authors: Mirjalili Seyed Reza , Soltani Sepideh , Meybodi Zahra Heidari , Vidal Pedro Marques , Seyedhosseini Seyed Mostafa , Bafghi Seyed Mahmood Sadr , Clark Cain C. T. , Sarebanhassanabadi Mohammadtaghi
Published: November 2023

Background
Although metabolic syndrome (MetS) is intended to identify people at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, it is not a reliable predictor of diabetes. Studies have demonstrated that evaluating blood glucose is as effective as MetS in predicting diabetes. Therefore, refining the MetS definition to include other diabetes risk factors may increase its efficacy.
Methods
Two thousand individuals, aged 20 to 74, were followed over a period of 9.9 years. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association between serum uric acid (SUA) and diabetes incidence. Random forest was developed for predicting diabetes based on MetS components and SUA. We explained how each component in the machine learning model affects diabetes prediction using Shaply Additive exPlanation (SHAP), mean decrease in impurity (MDI), Ceteris Paribus (CP) profiles and the drop-out-loss method. Diabetes-predicting SUA cutoff points were calculated.
Results
The fourth quartile of SUA had a hazard ratio of 1.80 (1.03–3.24) for diabetes incidence compared to the lowest quartile. The revised definition of metabolic syndrome based on random forest reached an area under the curve (AUC) of 86.0 ± 3.32 and an F1-score of 86.48 ± 3.16 after 10-fold cross-validation. According to this machine learning model, adding SUA to the metabolic syndrome criteria can increase the AUC of diabetes prediction by 4.2 percent, just as it can be decreased by eliminating TG and blood pressure. Although FBS and waist circumference were found to be the two main predictors of diabetes, SUA had nearly the same impact as other variables, such as triglyceride (TG), high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) and blood pressure. Higher SUA does not necessarily predict diabetes better; the prediction starts increasing at 3 mg/dl and reaches a plateau at approximately 5 mg/dl. Our study suggests that SUA levels above 4 mg/dl in women and 5.1 mg/dl in men have the highest sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of T2DM.
Conclusion
SUA was as effective as TG, HDL, and blood pressure at predicting diabetes. The MetS definition's ability to predict diabetes can be improved slightly by incorporating SUA. Moreover, current hyperuricemia cutoffs require revision.
Brain-movement relationship during upper-limb functional movements in chronic post-stroke patients
Authors: Muller Camille , Faity Germain , Muthalib Makii , Perrey Stéphane , Dray Gérard , Xu Binbin , Froger Jérôme , Mottet Denis , Laffont Isabelle , Delorme Marion , Bakhti Karima
Published: November 2023

Background
Following a stroke, brain activation reorganisation, movement compensatory strategies, motor performance and their evolution through rehabilitation are matters of importance for clinicians. Two non-invasive neuroimaging methods allow for recording task-related brain activation: functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (fEEG), respectively based on haemodynamic response and neuronal electrical activity. Their simultaneous measurement during movements could allow a better spatiotemporal mapping of brain activation, and when associated to kinematic parameters could unveil underlying mechanisms of functional upper limb (UL) recovery. This study aims to depict the motor cortical activity patterns using combined fNIRS-fEEG and their relationship to motor performance and strategies during UL functional tasks in chronic post-stroke patients.
Methods
Twenty-one healthy old adults and 21 post-stroke patients were recruited and realized two standardised functional tasks of the UL: a paced-reaching task where they had to reach a target in front of them and a circular steering task where they had to displace a target using a hand-held stylus, as fast as possible inside a circular track projected on a computer screen. The activity of the bilateral motor cortices and motor performance were recorded simultaneously utilizing a fNIRS-fEEG and kinematics platform.
Results and conclusions
Kinematic analysis revealed that post-stroke patients performed worse in the circular steering task and used more trunk compensation in both tasks. Brain analysis bilateral motor cortices revealed that stroke individuals over-activated during the paretic UL reaching task, which was associated with more trunk usage and a higher level of impairment (clinical scores). This work opens up avenues for using such combined methods to better track and understand brain-movement evolution through stroke rehabilitation.
Tobacco-Derived and Tobacco-Free Nicotine cause differential inflammatory cell influx and MMP9 in mouse lung
Authors: Lamb Thomas , Kaur Gagandeep , Rahman Irfan
Published: November 2023

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) as humectants, flavoring chemicals, and nicotine. Nicotine naturally occurs in two isomers R- and S-nicotine, with both tobacco-derived nicotine (TDN) composed of S-nicotine and synthetic nicotine (TFN) composed of a racemic mixture of R- and S-nicotine. Currently there is limited knowledge of the potential differences in the toxicity of TFN vs TDN. We hypothesized that exposure of TFN salts to C57BL/6J mice will result in a differential response in inflammation and lung protease and antiprotease imbalance compared to TDN salts exposed mice. We studied the toxicological impact of these isomers by exposing mice to air, PG/VG, PG/VG with TFN salts, or PG/VG with TDN salts by nose-only exposure and measured the cytokine levels in BALF and lung homogenate along with MMP protein abundance in the lungs of exposed mice. Exposure to the humectants, PG/VG, used in e-cigarettes alone was able to increase cytokine levels- IL-6, KC, and MCP-1 in BALF and KC levels in lung homogenate. Further, it showed differential responses on exposure to PG/VG with TDN salts and PG/VG with TFN salts since PG/VG with TDN salts did not alter the cytokine levels in lung homogenate while PG/VG with TFN salts resulted in an increase in KC levels. PG/VG with TDN salts increased the levels of MMP9 protein abundance in female exposed mice, while PG/VG with TFN salts did not alter MMP9 levels in female mice. The metabolism of nicotine or the clearance of cotinine from TFN may differ from the metabolism of nicotine or the clearance of cotinine from TDN. Thus exposure of humectants alone to induce an inflammatory response while PG/VG with TFN salts and PG/VG with TDN salts may differentially alter inflammatory responses and lung proteases in acute exposures. These data suggest the harmful effects of synthetic/natural nicotine and PG/VG and potential toxicological risk for users.
Analysis of pathogenic factors and clinical features of infectious endophthalmitis
Authors: Li Chunhui , Zhou Guohong , Cheng Peini
Published: November 2023

Purpose To analyze the etiology and etiological characteristics of infectious endophthalmitis, improve the cognition of infectious endophthalmitis, guide rational choices of early-stage empirical drugs in clinical practice.
Methods A cross-sectional study. The medical records of 248 patients diagnosed with endophthalmitis in Shanxi Eye Hospital from January 2016 to December 2020 were reviewed and analyzed.
Rrsults Of all patients with infectious endophthalmitis, 185 were male and 63 were female, aged 4 to 87 (51.28±18.33) years. Open eye trauma and intraocular surgery were the main causative factors. Positive case of specimen culture was detected in 93 cases, accounting for 42.66%. Regarding the composition of the pathogenic bacterial spectrum, 77 cases were Gram-positive, 17 were Gram-negative, 1 was fungal, and 1 was viral. Staphylococcus epidermidis, the most common pathogen, accounted for 33.33%, mainly in traumatic endophthalmitis and postoperative endophthalmitis, and was extremely sensitive to vancomycin. The Gram-positive bacteria were highly sensitive to vancomycin and relatively sensitive to levofloxacin . Gram-negative bacteria were highly sensitive to levofloxacin . 10.89% of patients with visual acuity > 0.02 at admission and 24.60% at discharge, the difference was statistically significant (c2=17.449, P < 0.001).
Conclusion The main causative factors of infectious endophthalmitis were open eye trauma and intraocular surgery. Vitrectomy and/or intravitreal injection were the main effective treatments. The most common pathogen was staphylococcus epidermidis. The vast majority of pathogen were Gram-positive. Levofloxacin was sensitive to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Vancomycin was highly sensitive to Gram-positive bacteria. Levofloxacin was highly sensitive to Gram-negative bacteria. Clarifying the different causative factors and etiological characteristics of infectious endophthalmitis can helps to provide appropriate clinical treatment.
Prevalence and factors associated with hypercholesterolemia among patients with visual impairment at Ruharo Eye Center in Mbarara, Uganda
Authors: Kaizirege Fred , Karungi Immaculate , Wafwoyo Jesca Akoth , Lanyero Patricia Angeyo , Musaazi Charles , Ssedyabane Frank , Mbalibulha  , Ampaire Lucas , Okongo Benson , Bagenda Charles Nkubi , Kiconco Ritah
Published: November 2023

Background: Hypercholesterolemia is characterized by elevated blood cholesterol level which can predispose one to atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Our research explored the occurrence and determinants of hypercholesterolemia among individuals with visual impairment at the Ruharo Eye Center in Mbarara, Uganda.
Methods: We conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study between June and August 2023 among patients who were visually impaired. Our outcome variable was defined as the visual acuity measured using a Snellen chart set at a distance of 6 meters. In a well-lit environment, participants underwent independent tests for each eye and for both eyes. Patients were deemed to have visual impairment if their better eye's visual acuity was less than 6/12. We recruited eligible participants using a convenience sampling method. A questionnaire was used collect sociodemographic data. Anthropometric measurements and cholesterol assessment were also done using appropriate tools. Using STATA version 17, data were cleaned and analyzed after being imported into Excel. We conducted a logistic regression analysis and used the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at a 95% confidence interval to present our findings. Spearman rank correlation was used to measure the correlation between visual impairment and hypercholesterolemia.
Results: A total of 236 participants, diagnosed with visual impairment were recruited into the study. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 20.34 %( 95% C.I 15.66 - 25.99%). Alcohol intake (AOR = 0.34 (95%CI 0.14-0.85), family history of hypercholesterolemia (AOR=3.69 95%CI 1.13-12.04), chronic condition (AOR=5.00 95%CI 1.77-14.14), Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (AOR 3.17 95%CI 1.13-8.83) were the only factors with significant association with hypercholesterolemia. There was no significant correlation between hypercholesterolemia and visual impairment.
Conclusion: One in five visually impaired patients had hypercholesterolemia in this study. Chronic alcohol consumption, having chronic diseases and a deranged systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as a familial history of hypercholesterolemia significantly contributed to the chances of a hypercholesterolemia diagnosis in this study population.
Field efficacy in controlling mango diseases of antagonist Talaromyces tratensis KUFA 0091 in fresh and dry formulations
Authors: Dethoup Tida , Kaewkrajay Chutima , Nujthet Yarida
Published: November 2023

The application times and doses of fresh and dry formulations of Talaromyces tratensis KUFA 0091 were evaluated for their antagonistic activity in controlling mango diseases, anthracnose and stem-end rot diseases, under field conditions on two mango cultivars—namely, Nam Dok Mai Si Thong and Nam Dok Mai No. 4. The results show that three applications result in significantly reduced disease severity than two and one applications in all treatments. However, a high dose of the fresh formulation at 108 spores/ mL of the antagonistic fungus resulted in antagonistic activity in controlling mango diseases than the dry formulation and lower doses in both mango cultivars. Treatment of three applications at the flowering, fruit-setting, and fruit-developing stages of the fresh formulation at 108 spores/ mL displayed the best disease reduction at 80–87%, followed by the dry formulation, which caused 75–78% disease reduction. Meanwhile, the three applications of fresh and dry formulations at 106 spores/mL also displayed significant biocontrol efficacy via 70–79% disease reduction. Its culture filtrate at 50% completely inhibited the spore germination of the anthracnose pathogen. The dry formulation also showed high efficacy suppression on post-harvest disease on mango fruits. Moreover, the antagonistic fungus showed compatibility fungicides at a label rate with propineb (1,750 ppm), azoxystrobin (250 ppm), and mancozeb (1,600 ppm). The results indicate that this fungus can act as an effective biological control or be combined with fungicides for integrated mango disease management.
Inhibition of ALKBH5 Inhibits Inflammation and Excessive Proliferation by Alleviating TRIM13 m6A Modifications in Glomerular Mesangial Cells
Authors: Hu Xingmin , Liu Tao , Zhuang Xingxing , Wei Liangbing , Gao Jiarong
Published: November 2023

Objectives; Chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) refers to the inflammation of glomeruli in the kidneys. Glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) play a pivotal role in the development of CGN. In the present study, we investigated the impact of ALKBH5, a m6A demethylase, on inflammation and hyperproliferation in mouse glomerular mesangial cells (MMCs) and elucidated the molecular mechanisms contributing to CGN. Materials and methods; Western blotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were employed to evaluate the expression of relevant genes, including ALKBH5 and TRIM13. In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the levels of inflammatory factors (interleukin [IL]-1β, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, and IL-10) in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced MMCs supernatant. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) was performed to investigate the effect of ALKBH5 on the levels of TRIM13-m6A mRNA. The stability of TRIM13 mRNA was evaluated using an actinomycin D assay. Results; Significantly elevated expression of ALKBH5 was found in LPS-induced MMCs. Interference with ALKBH5 expression inhibited inflammation and excessive proliferation in LPS-induced MMCs. Moreover, interfering with ALKBH5 expression significantly reduced the levels of TRIM13-m6A modification. The overexpression of TRIM13 in MMCs reversed the inflammation and proliferation induced by ALKBH5 interference. In addition, interference with TRIM13 expression inhibited the activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway and suppressed inflammation and proliferation in MMCs. Conclusion; Inhibiting ALKBH5 hinders inflammation and hyperproliferation by improving TRIM13-m6A modification in glomerular MCs. We believe these findings will further provide insights into the molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for CGN.