bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thalamocortical dysconnectivity in knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Mao Cuiping , Yang Huajuan , Dong Ting , Wang Sisi , Shi Zhibin , Guo Ruibing , Zhou Xiaoqian , Zhang Bo , Zhang Qiujuan
Published: August 2023

Previous studies have suggested abnormal morphology and function of the thalamus and cortex in KOA. However, it is not known whether the thalamocortical network is differentially affected in this disorder. In this study, we examined functional and effective connectivity between thalamus and the major divisions of the cortex in 27 healthy controls and 27 KOA participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We also explored the topological features of the whole brain based on graph theory analysis. The results suggested that patients with KOA had significantly reduced resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the thalamo-sensorimotor pathway, enhanced rsFC of the thalamo-medial/lateral frontal cortex (mFC/LFC), parietal, lateral temporal and occipital pathways, decreased effective connectivity of the left sensorimotor-to-thalamus pathway and enhanced effective connectivity of the right thalamus-to-sensorimotor pathway as compared with of healthy controls. The functional connectivity of the thalamo-sensorimotor and thalamo-mFC pathways was enhanced when performing multi-source interference task. Moreover, patients with KOA showed changed nodal properties associated with thalamo-cortical circuits including the medial and dorsal superior/middle frontal gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus, left thalamus, etc. as compared with healthy controls. Correlation analysis suggested significant negative correlation between thalamo-mFC’s rsFC and pain intensity, between thalamo-sensorimotor task-related connectivity and disease duration/depression scores, as well as positive correlation between right frontal nodal properties and pain intensity in KOA. Taken together, these findings establish abnormal and differential alterations of the thalamocortical network associated with pain characteristics in KOA, which extends our understanding of its’ role in the pathophysiology of KOA.
Infiltration of B cell may underlie the contrary sex- and age-related biological behavior of papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Yan Caigu , Sun Jinjin , He Xianghui , Liu Yuanchao , Jia Lanning
Published: August 2023

Background and purpose Sex and age play complex and contrary roles in the pathogenesis, lymph node metastasis (LNM), and prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon.Method The risk factors for LNM were explored by combining local data and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of PTC. The gene expression information of 497 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas Thyroid Cancer (TCGA-THCA) was used to explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among different phenotypes. The single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to explore the aimed gene expression in specific cell types. The flow cytometry was used to explore peripheral lymphocyte subsets in PTC.Results The clinical data showed that the younger age and the male sex were the risk factors for LNM (P < 0.05). In the bulk gene analysis, the age- and sex-related DEGs in contrary trends between different tissues and LNM state were two intersection genes:TCL1A and CR2. The analysis of scRNA-seq from the GEO database showed that the genes TCL1A and CR2 were mainly expressed in B cells, and the infiltration of B cells varied among different tissues. The peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets showed that the composition of circulating lymphocytes was different in different lymph node metastasis states and age levels.Conclusion The infiltration of TCL1A and CR2 related B cells for different ages and sexes might explain the contradictory biological behavior, including tumor pathogenesis, LNM, and prognosis of PTC.
FCGRT, a cancer-derived immunoglobulin G binding protein, mediates the malignant phenotype of glioma
Authors: Wang Guohui , Wang Zheng , Ma Tuo , Pan Jie , Ge Hongyao , Yan Tianfang , Jiang Wei , li Wenbin , Yang Gaoshan
Published: August 2023

CIgG (cancer-derived immunoglobulin G) has received increasing attention, and was first discovered by our group to indicate poor prognosis in glioma. Furthermore, by protein mass spectrometry, we found that Fc gamma receptor and transporter (FCGRT) can combine with CIgG. However, the study of FCGRT in glioma has not been reported. We used the CGGA325 dataset to verify the importance of FCGRT on the prognosis of glioma patients. We found that patients with higher FCGRT expression had a shorter overall survival; survival stratification analysis also showed that the effect of FCGRT on survival was unaffected by the clinical characteristics of patients. Immunohistochemistry results also confirmed that FCGRT expression was closely related to the prognosis of gliomas. Taken together, this suggests that FCGRT could be an independent prognostic marker for glioma patients. Similar conclusions were obtained from TCGA as a validation cohort. Single cell sequencing data analysis showed that FCGRT was mainly enriched in monocytes and macrophages, suggesting that FCGRT could play a role in the microenvironment of glioma. Estimate, ssGSEA, EPIC and xCell were used for immune infiltration analysis. These results showed that FCGRT was closely related to the tumor microenvironment, especially to macrophages in the tumor microenvironment (r = 0.743, p < 0.001). We then used immune related genes to perform KNM clustering on the CGGA325 dataset, which were divided into cluster1 and cluster2. These two types of patients had significant differences in prognosis. Interestingly we also found that FCGRT was significantly increased in cluster1 with poor prognosis, and was positively correlated with IGHG1. Therefore, we believe that FCGRT is an independent prognostic factor for glioma patients.
Disulfiram/Copper induces Bak-mediated caspase-independent apoptosis in MCF-7 cells
Authors: Sun Beini , Wang Yu , Tu Zhuang , Chen Hongce , Wang Xiaoping , Chen Tongsheng
Published: August 2023

Disulfiram (DSF) and copper (Cu2+) in combination exhibit powerful anti-cancer effects on a variety of cancer cell lines.Here, we report the capacity of DSF/Cu2+ to induce both reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent and caspase-independent apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. DSF/Cu2+ facilitated the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and induced ROS-dependent apoptosis accompanied by chromatin condensation and phosphatidylserine externalization. Most importantly, DSF/Cu2+ caused caspase-independent apoptosis by promoting the translocation of AIF from the mitochondria to the nucleus. Besides, the cytotoxicity of DSF/Cu2+ was inhibited in AIF knockout cells, suggesting the indispensability of AIF. The pro-apoptotic protein Bak instead of Bax was upregulated and activated upon DSF/Cu2+ treatment, and Bak knockout cells exhibited high resistance to DSF/Cu2+, indicating the importance of Bak in DSF/Cu2+-induced apoptosis. Additionally, both co-immunoprecipitation and live-cell quantitative fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis revealed that DSF/Cu2+ unlocked the binding of Mcl-1 to Bak, and subsequent Bak homo-oligomerization. Overall, our data demonstrate for the first time that DSF/Cu2+ triggers Bak oligomerization and AIF nucleus translocation to mediate caspase-independent apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.
Impact of astaxanthin-enriched bacterium (Paracoccus carotinifaciens) on growth, immune response, and reproduction performance of broodstock Nile tilapia during winter season
Authors: Panase Paiboon , Vongkampang Thitiwut , Wangkahart Eakapol , Sutthi Nantaporn
Published: August 2023

The growth, immune response, and reproductive performance of broodstock of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under winter stress conditions were investigated the effects of supplementary diets with astaxanthin-enriched bacterium, Paracoccus carotinifaciens. Throughout an eight-week period in the winter season, male and female tilapia were fed with diets containing different levels of P. carotinifaciens dietary supplementation: 0 g/kg (T1; control), 5 g/kg (T2), 10 g/kg (T3), and 20 g/kg (T4). Subsequently, a four-week mating system was implemented during the winter stress period. The results revealed that there were no significant differences observed in growth, hematological indices, and blood chemical profiles among all treatment groups for both male and female tilapia. However, a significant increase in cholesterol content was noted in both male and female tilapia fed with the T4 diet (p<0.05). The total carotenoid content in the muscle was evaluated, and significantly higher values were found in both male and female tilapia that fed T4 supplementation (p<0.05). Moreover, immunological parameters such as myeloperoxidase and antioxidant parameters in the liver including superoxide dismutase activity and catalase enzyme activity showed significant increases in tilapia fed with the T4 diet. The impact of P. carotinifacienssupplementation on broodstock tilapia indicated a significant increase in spermatozoa concentration in males and increased egg production in females after consumption of the T4 diet (p<0.05). Thus, this study highlighted that the presence of astaxanthin-enriched bacterium P. carotinifaciensin the diet of broodstock Nile tilapia can lead to the accumulation of carotenoids in their muscle tissue, improvement in antioxidant status, enhancement of immune function, and potential enhancement of reproductive capabilities, even under overwintering conditions.
X ray-induced insulinoma cell line Rin-5F has a novel mutation site, c.A1459G (p.T487A), in death domain associated protein (DAXX) gene
Authors: Kiba Takayoshi
Published: August 2023

In the present study, c. A1459G (p.T487A) in Exon 5 in the DAXX gene was detected in Rin-5F cell lines, one of the X-ray-induced insulinomas. An NCBI homology search reveals that the 487 amino acid site in the rat is the 497 amino acid of the human, based on the genomic cDNA homology between rat and human. In humans, the COSMIC (the Catalogue Of Somatic Mutations In Cancer) suggested that in human all cancers, the mutation of 497 amino acids mutation was not detected, but in human stomach and colon cancers, the mutation of 496 amino acids was detected. Therefore, there is a possibility that this mutation site may be related to the radiation effects, because it was not detected in human pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
Population structure dynamics of Taiwan rice accessions over thousands of years as revealed by archaeological, morphological and genome sequencing information
Authors: Wu Cheng-chieh , Liu Chun-Kai , Tsai Yuan-Ching , Wei Fu-Jin , Huang Lin-Tzu , Tsang Yi-tzu , Hsu Tze-Fu , Wang Ying-Hao , Dai Nai-Chiang , Lo Jeng-Chung , Shung Dah-Pyng , Wu Chih-Wen , Tsang Chen‑Hwa , Li Kuang‑Ti , Chu Whei-Lee , Lai Ming-Hsin , Wu Dong-Hong , Chen Shu , Wu Yong-Pei , Chang Su-Jein , Ho Tuan-Hua , Yu Su-May , Sagart Laurent , Hsing Yue-ie
Published: August 2023

Background
Cultivation of rice (Oryza sativa) started in Taiwan about 5000 years ago. Here we studied changes in the rice population during this period by using archaeological, morphological, genetic and genomic strategies. We studied the grain size changes of carbonized rice from excavated sites. We also revealed the variations in landraces collected from the indigenous villages and landraces that arrived in Taiwan from southern China about 400 years ago. Some modern varieties were also used in the current study.
Results
The very early cultivated rice must have been temperate japonica type, and the seeds were relatively small. Rice seeds became relatively bigger around 1500 BP, with some indica or tropical japonica ones. Most, if not all, of the indica rice were not primitive types, suggesting they arrived in Taiwan rather late. Together, temperate, subtropical, tropical japonica and indica rice have been cultivated by indigenous people for a long period, with all in upland practice. However, only indica landraces were cultivated in the plain region from the early 17th century to about 100 years ago, when japonica rice accessions become dominant. We illustrated huge differences in genetic diversity among the subpopulations of Taiwan rice accessions, and many of these lines showed stress resistance to drought, flooding and ABA treatments.
Conclusion
We show how civilization, human migration, taste preference, natural introgression and breeding programs have shaped the population structure of Taiwan rice accessions over thousands of years. We also indicate that Taiwanese indigenous peoples and traditional farmers have kept the rice landraces for hundreds and up to thousands of years. With many old traits preserved, they are good resources for future breeding programs.
An exploratory prospective phase II study of preoperative neoadjuvant bevacizumab and temozolomide for newly diagnosed glioblastoma
Authors: Tanaka Toshihide , Tamura Ryota , Takei Jun , Morimoto Yukina , Teshigawara Akihiko , Yamamoto Yohei , Imai Ryotaro , Kuranai Yuki , Tohmoto Kyoichi , Hasegawa Yuzuru , Akasaki Yasuharu , Murayama Yuichi , Miyake Keisuke , Sasaki Hikaru
Published: August 2023

Purpose: This multi-institutional phase I/II study was conducted to confirm the safety and explore the clinical utility of preoperative Bev for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GB).
Methods: Patients were enrolled based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings typically suggestive of GB. Preoperative Bev and temozolomide (TMZ) were administered at doses of 10 mg/kg on day 0 and 150 mg/m2 on days 1–5, respectively. Surgical resection was performed between days 21 and 30, inclusive. The safety and efficacy were evaluated in a total of 15 cases by progression-free survival (PFS), changes in tumor volume, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores after preoperative therapy.
Results: Tumor resection was performed on a mean of day 23.7. Pathological diagnosis was GB, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype in 14 cases and GB, IDH-mutant in 1 case. Severe adverse events possibly related to preoperative Bev and TMZ were observed in 2 of the 15 patients, as wound infection and postoperative hematoma and thrombocytopenia. KPS and MMSE scores were significantly improved with preoperative therapy. Tumor volume was decreased in all but one case on T1-weighted imaging with contrast-enhancement (T1CE) and in all cases on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, with mean volume decrease rates of 36.2% and 54.0%, respectively. Median PFS and overall survival were 9.5 months and 16.5 months, respectively.
Conclusion: Preoperative Bev and TMZ is safe as long as the instructions are followed. The strategy might be useful for GB in some patients, not only reducing tumor burden, but also improving patient KPS preoperatively.
Registration Number: UMIN000025579, jRCT1031180233
Risk of Exposure to Aflatoxin M1 through Consumption of Cow’s Milk among Children in Magadu Morogoro
Authors: Mamiro Anna Peter , Martin Haikael D. , Kassim Neema
Published: August 2023

Aflatoxins M1 contamination of milk affect the general population, and with particular attention to children who frequently consume milk as part of complementary food. This study determined AFM1 contamination of cow’s milk and estimated the risk of exposure to these toxins through consumption of cow’s milk among children (6 to 36 month) in Magadu ward of Morogoro region in Tanzania.
A total of 165 mother-baby pairs were recruited and interviewed on child feeding practices with focus to feeding of cow’s milk in the past 24-hours. Alongside interview, 100 raw cows’ milk samples were collected from subsampled respondent households and were analyzed for AFM1 using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).
The results showed that, about 35% of the surveyed children consumed cows’ milk in form of plain milk, incorporated in porridge and/or tea. Amount consumed varied from 62.5-500 ml with median of 125 (125, 250) ml at a frequency of 1 to 2 times a day. All raw cows’ milk (100%) samples (n=100) were found contaminated with AFM1 at concentration ranging from 0.052 to 9.310 µg/L, median 2.076 µg/L (1.27, 2.48). All samples were contaminated by AFM1 at levels above the limits of 0.05 µg/L of raw milk set by Tanzania Bureau of Standard and the European Union, while 97% exceeded 0.5 µg/L set by the US Food and Drug Authority. Exposure to AFM1 due to consumption of cow’s milk ranged from 0.0024- 0.077 µg/kg bw per day with a median of 0.019 (0.0016, 0.026) µg/kg bw per day, while the Margin of Exposure (MOE) ranged from 5.19- 166.76, median 20.68 (15.33, 25.40) implying high risk of public health concern. This study recommends that, advocacy for consumption of cows’ milk to combat undernutrition in children should consider a holistic approach that takes into account the safety aspect of the milk.
Optimizing white shrimp aquaculture: Feeding frequency and automatic feeders impact on growth and antioxidant capacity
Authors: Liang Qinlang , Liu Gang , Ye Zhangying , Zhao Jian , Ma Xiaona , Liu Ying , Liu Xiongguo , Zhu Songming
Published: August 2023

The feeding regime is a critical aspect of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) aquaculture, but research on intensive shrimp culture using automatic feeders is scarce. Our study investigated different feeding strategies for adult white shrimp in intensive aquaculture tanks, evaluating growth, survivability, feed utilization, shrimp digestive and antioxidant capacity, and conducting an economic analysis. Shrimp (8.0 ± 0.5 g) were cultured for 35 days with feeding frequencies of 6, 8, 10, and 12 times/day (A6, A8, A10, and A12 groups, respectively) using automatic feeders, and one group was fed manually 6 times/day (M6). The results show that the automatic feeding groups had a higher final body weight and specific growth rate, and a lower feed conversion ratio compared to the manual group. Among the automatic feeding groups, A6 and A8 exhibited the best performance, with a quadratic regression suggesting 7.83 times/day as an optimal feeding frequency. Digestive enzyme activity (TP and α-AMS) was significantly higher in the A6 and A8 groups (p < 0.05). However, the A6 and A8 groups showed significantly higher levels of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GPx) and lower levels of lipid oxidant enzyme (MDA), indicating better digestive and antioxidant abilities in shrimp with higher growth rates. Moreover, the antioxidant genes expression of MnSOD and GPx testified the enzyme changing. Pearson's correlation confirmed the positive correlation between SOD and GPx. Economically, the A8 group showed the highest profitability among all groups. Overall, the study recommends a feeding frequency of 6–8 times/day using automatic feeders as a suitable and feasible approach for white shrimp culture in intensive settings.
Role of multi-parameter-based cardiac magnetic resonance in the evaluation of patients with coronary heart disease combined with heart failure
Authors: Yu Ying , Liao Bihong , Zhang Jingjing , Zou Jin , Deng Jia , Liu Jiaqi , Wang Gang , Li Yueyan , Qian Fengcui , Huang Hong , Wang Qiuyu , Tian Jinwei , Tang Huifang
Published: August 2023

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common types of cardiovascular disease, and heart failure (HF) is an important factor in its progression. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is essential for the assessment of myocardial motion morphology and functional changes.
Methods: The study retrospectively included 145 CHD patients who were classified into CHD (HF+) (n = 91) and CHD (HF–) (n = 54) groups according to whether HF occurred. LV function, myocardial strain and T1 mapping were assessed by CMR. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of LV dysfunction, myocardial fibrosis, and LV remodeling.
Results: CHD (HF+) group had impaired global strain, with increased native T1, ECV, and LVM index. In CHD (HF+) group, impaired strain was associated with LVM index (all p < 0.05) after adjusting for clinical variables, where native T1 and ECV were affected by log-transformed amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels. ROC analysis showed the combination of global circumferential strain (GCS), native T1, and LVM had a higher diagnostic value (AUC = 0.922) than LVEF (AUC = 0.917) and NT-proBNP (AUC = 0.896) for the occurrence of HF in CHD patients.
Conclusion: HF has deleterious effects on LV systolic function in patients with CHD. In CHD (HF+) group, LV dysfunction is strongly correlated with the degree of LV remodeling and myocardial fibrosis. The combination of the three is more valuable in diagnosing HF than conventional indicators.
Mucositis and dysbiosis of the oral microbiome and fecal microbial flora in pediatric and young adult patients undergoing allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Faraci Maura , Bonaretti Carola , Dell’Orso Gianluca , Pierri Filomena , Giardino Stefano , Angiero Francesca , Blasi Sergio , Farronato Giampietro , Marco Eddi Di , Trevisiol Andrea , Olcese Evelina , Rufino Loris , Squillario Margherita , Biassoni Roberto
Published: August 2023

Purpose
The oral and gastrointestinal mucosae represent the main targets of the toxic effect of chemo and/or radiotherapy administered as a conditioning regimen before hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). These harmful consequences and the immunological complications that may occur after the transplant (such as Graft versus Host Disease, GvHD) are responsible for the clinical symptoms associated with mucositis during the aplasia phase, like pain, drooling, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These toxicities might play a critical role in the oral and gastrointestinal microbiomes during the post-transplant phase, and the degree of microbial dysbiosis and dysregulation among different bacterial species may also be crucial in intestinal mucosa homeostasis, altering the host’s innate and adaptive immune responses and favoring abnormal immune responses responsible for the occurrence of GvHD.
Methods
This prospective pediatric study aims to analyze longitudinally oral and gut microbiomes in a cohort of 17 pediatric patients who received allogeneic HSCT for malignant and non-malignant diseases.
Results
The oral mucositis was mainly associated with an increased relative abundance of Fusobacteria, and Prevotella species, while Streptococcus descendants showed a negative correlation. The fecal microbiome of subjects affected by cutaneous aGvHD correlated with Proteobacteria.
Conclusions
Oral mucosal microbiota undergoes changes after HSCT, Fusobacteria, and Prevotella represent bacterial species associated with mucositis and they could be the target for future therapeutic approaches, while fecal microbiome in patients with acute GvHD (aGvHD) revealed an increase of different class of Proteobacteria (Alphaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria) and a negative correlation with the class of Gammaproteobacteria.
Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra) leaf modulates some iron profile and inflammatory parameters in Sprague Dawley rats
Authors: Aruomaren Austin Iroghama , Omonkhua Akhere Akuekegbe , Osime Evarista
Published: August 2023

Background
Okra is a multipurpose plant which can be consumed freshly or dried. Okra contains iron, β-carotene and other phenolic compounds with important biological properties like flavonol and isoflavonoid derivatives which may possess anti-inflammatory properties. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of okra leaf on some iron regulatory proteins and its anti-inflammatory properties.
Methodology:
Fifty (50) rats were grouped into 10 groups with 5 rats per group and each group were fed with a pre-formulated diet of Abelmoschus esculentus leaf or the standard phytoestrogen diadzein. Hepcidin, ferroportin, ferritin, IL-6, IL-2 and MIP 1β were analysed using sandwich ELISA kits from Elabscience Biotechnology, Wuhan, China. Full blood count was analysed using Sysmex haemotology autoanlyser. Serum iron was also analysed spectrophotometrically.
Results
The results showed that, in male rats, 40% okra leaf-fed group had a significantly higher RBC count (p = 0.0419), haemoglobin concentration (HB) (p = 0.0054), haeamtocrit (HCT) (p = 0.012) and mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) (p = 0.0064) when compared to control rats. Serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation, ferroportin, ferritin were all significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the experimental groups when compared to the controls. However, in female rats fed with 40% okra leaf, there was significantly lower hepcidin concentration (p < 0.001) in control group when compared to 10% Okra leaf fed group. Furthermore, the 10% okra leaf-fed group also had a significantly higher hepicidin concentration when compared to the 40% okra leaf-fed groups. IL-6 levels were significantly lower (p < 0.01) in female rats fed with 40% okra leaf when compared to the 10% okra leaf-fed group. Macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta (MIP-1β) in male rats showed that the groups fed with 10%, 20% and 40% okra leaf (p < 0.001) had significantly higher levels when compared to control and diadzein administered group.
Conclusion
Our data indicated feed formulated from Abelmoschus esculentus leaf is a rich source of non-haem iron. Abelmoschus esculentus leaf also significantly imparts iron metabolism through its action on ferroportin and hepcidin. Also this study indicates that continuous consumption of Abelmoschus esculentus leaf may help act as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Are tattoos safe in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus? Results from a single-centre study
Authors: Francesco Natalucci , Ceccarelli Fulvia , Picciariello Licia , Olivieri Giulio , Ciancarella Claudia , Alessandri Cristiano , Conti Fabrizio
Published: August 2023

Objective
We performed a single-center study to evaluate the development of local and systemic complications after tattooing in a cohort of SLE patients. Furthermore, we tried to identify SLE patients who had expressed the will to be tattooed and why they avoided it.
Patients:
Consecutive SLE patients were asked to complete a questionnaire about tattoos, including their number, features, and side effects. Open questions were proposed to not-tattooed patients to describe why they did not have tattoos.
Results
One-hundred ninety-two SLE patients were enrolled [M/F 21/171; median age 41 years (IQR 18)]. Almost 50% of them had at least one tattoo. Seven patients (7.4%) referred adverse reactions to tattoos: interestingly, only one patient experienced a systemic reaction, specifically the occurrence of self-limiting lymphadenopathy. The main reason for avoiding tattoos was the diagnosis of SLE.
Conclusions
Our results suggest the safety of tattoos in SLE patients, as demonstrated by a low prevalence of mild adverse events.
Pathogenicity of nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa analyzed by pan-genomics
Authors: Hu Zimeng , Zhou Lu , Tao Xingyu , Li Pei , Zheng Xiangkuan , Zhang Wei , Tan Zhongming
Published: August 2023

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important hospital-acquired pathogen that is usually resistant to multiple antibiotics. In 2016–2021, among the 103 strains of P. aeruginosa isolated, the age distribution of patients ranged from 10 days to 94 years with a mean age of 66.38 years. The strains isolated were from sputum (72 strains, 69.9%) and blood (14 strains, 13.6%). The size of these genomes ranged from 6.2 Mb to 7.4 Mb, with a mean value of 6.5 Mb. Besides, 20 antibiotics were selected for the determination of the drug sensitivity test. The results of antibiotic sensitivity tests showed that the isolates had the highest resistance rate of 100% to amoxicillin-clavulanate, ampicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, cefazolin, cefotaxime, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. In addition to this, a total of 47 crpP genes that mediate resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics were found distributed on 43 P. aeruginosa strains, and 10 new variants of CrpP were identified, named 1.33, 1.34, 1.35, 1.36, 1.37, 1.38, 1.39, 1.40, 1.41 and 7.1. Whole genome analysis showed that a total of 50 ST types were identified, with ST244 (5/103) and ST1076 (4/103) having a more pronounced distribution advantage. Serotype predictions showed that O6 accounted for 29.13% (30/103), O11 for 23.30% (24/103), O2 for 18.45% (19/103), and O1 for 11.65% (12/103) of the highest proportions. Notably, we found a significantly higher proportion of ExoU in P. aeruginosa strains of serotype O11 than in other Exo-toxins strains. Our study enriches the genomic analysis of other multi-drug resistant P. aeruginosa strains, as well as the study of P. aeruginosa carrying CrpP and its variants.
Effects of remittances on income inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: LANKOANDE Lamoussa Seydou
Published: August 2023

This research aimed to analyze the effect of migrant remittances on income inequality in SSA through their effect on different income groups. Thus, the fixed effects method was applied using the standard Driscoll-Kraay errors on a panel of 34 SSA countries over the period from 2005 to 2019. As a main result, this research shows that remittances received in SSA countries contribute to reducing income inequalities in these countries. This reduction in inequality is reflected in a reduction in the income share held by the richest 10% of the population on the one hand, and an increase in the income share of the poorest 90% of the population on the other. The results nevertheless suggest that the observed increase in the income share of the latter is more important for the 40% of the population above the 50% least wealthy. The results are robust to the use of the two-stage system generalized method of moments. In terms of economic policies, these results suggest facilitating remittances reaching this region by encouraging, for example, bi-banking and the development of mobile remittance facilities.
Experimental Study and Simulations of Hydrogen Cooling Effectiveness for Aviation PEM Fuel Cells
Authors: Kösters Till Lennart , von Schweinitz Arne Graf , Heere Michael , Friedrichs Jens , Gao Xin
Published: August 2023

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are seen as of one of many possible future means of driving the change towards a zero-emission society. In a civil aircraft, fuel cell systems can have multiple potential benefits, such as reduced noise, lowered emissions and higher fuel economy. For controlling the fuel cell temperature, thermal management systems are required which can be optimized for aircraft applications regarding their weight and reliability. In this work, a novel, simplified and light-weight thermal management system relying on hydrogen cooling is presented and analysed. To investigate the feasibility, a test rig and a three-dimensional, singular channel model in ANSYS Fluent® were designed. Fuel cell temperature could be maintained within the set threshold in the model and the test rig, thus showing that controlling the fuel cell temperature via hydrogen is a viable alternative thermal management system. Results from the model indicate that both the hydrogen mass flow and hydrogen inlet temperature should be used to control the fuel cell temperature. Furthermore, operating the fuel cell at medium to low current densities is favourable for hydrogen cooling. Future studies will explore the advantages of alternate flow field designs to facilitate thermal management system relying on hydrogen.
Immersion in a relaxing virtual reality environment is associated with similar effects on stress and anxiety as heart rate variability biofeedback
Authors: Pratviel Yvan , Bouny Pierre , Deschodt-Arsac Véronique
Published: August 2023

Practicing guided breathing at 0.1 Hz in virtual reality yields psychological and physiological benefits. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether these effects surpass those induced in a real-world setting. Indeed, the potential influence of the virtual environment on perceived stress and anxiety is not yet fully understood. In this experiment, we aimed to compare the effects of heart rate variability biofeedback combining both haptic and visual cues in real and virtual reality settings within the same population. Additionally, to decipher whether psychological benefits are caused by viewing an environment in virtual reality or performing guided breathing in this setting, a “control” immersion condition was added. 36 healthy sport students (9 females) participated in this study, performing both the real and virtual reality protocols in a randomized order. At different points in each protocol, modulations of anxiety and stress were measured using the STAI-Y questionnaire and a visual analogic scale, respectively. Physiological effects were assessed with measures of heart rate variability, and the performance of cardiac coherence was compared between both real and virtual implementations of guided breathing. As expected, both real and virtual reality heart rate variability biofeedback resulted in similar physiological changes and cardiac coherence performances. A reduction in stress and anxiety was observed in both protocols, particularly for participants who were already stressed or anxious at the beginning. However, no additional changes in psychological states were observed when performing guided breathing alongside being immersed in the virtual environment.
Smart Data Prefetching Using KNN to Improve Hadoop Performance
Authors: Ghazali Rana , Down Douglas G.
Published: August 2023

Hadoop is an open-source framework that enables the parallel processing of large data sets across a cluster of machines. It faces several challenges that can lead to poor performance, such as I/O operations, network data transmission, and high data access time. In recent years, researchers have explored prefetching techniques to reduce the data access time as a potential solution to these problems. Nevertheless, several issues must be considered to optimize the prefetching mechanism. These include launching the prefetch at an appropriate time to avoid conflicts with other operations and minimize waiting time, determining the amount of prefetched data to avoid overload and underload, and placing the prefetched data in a location that can be accessed efficiently when required. In this paper, we propose a smart prefetch mechanism that consists of three phases designed to address these issues. First, we enhance the task progress rate to calculate the optimal time for triggering prefetch operations. Next, we utilize K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) clustering to identify which data blocks should be prefetched in each round, employing the data locality feature to determine the placement of prefetched data. Our experimental results demonstrate that our proposed smart prefetch mechanism improves job execution time by an average of 28.33% by increasing the rate of local tasks.
First-principles study of optical aspects of Penta-graphene and T- Carbon nanostructures
Authors: Alborznia Hamidreza
Published: August 2023

In this study, after the introduction of two new carbon allotropes nanostructures named Penta-graphene and T- Carbon, based on the first-principles calculations using the Density Functional Theory (DFT), and using Wien2k computing codes, the optical properties of these nanostructures such as the joint density of states, the real and imaginary part of the complex dielectric function, absorption, and reflectivity spectrum under special conditions such as applying the hydrostatic pressure, and buckling effects, are studied and changing the behavior of the optical aspects of these nanostructures are analyzed. It can be concluded that these nanostructures are suitable for use in designing optoelectronic devices, especially as sensors under the proposed conditions.
A Novel risk score to predict first attack of esophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients
Authors: Mousa Nasser , Abdel-Razik Ahmed , Abdelaziz Mohammed , Salah Mohamed , Elbaz Sherif , Hammady Amr El , Abdelsalam Mostafa , Deiab Ahmed , Habib Alaa , Gadallah Abdel-Naser , El-wakeel Niveen , Eldars Waleed , El-Emam Ola , Elbeltagy Ahmed , Elmahdy Reem , Mousa Eman , Elmetwalli Alaa , Elderiny Wesam , Elgamal Ayman .
Published: August 2023

Background: Variceal bleeding (VB) is lethal complication of liver cirrhosis requisite rapid identification to apply prevention strategies. The objective of this study is to identify predictors of the first VB attack and establish a score to estimate the probability of this attack.
Methods.
The study comprised 236 cirrhotic individuals who had been admitted with first attack of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Based on index hospitalisation data, a multivariable logistic regression model was utilized to determine predictors of the first VB attack. The Mousa score was created as a consequence to predict first VB attack.
Results.
Out of the 236 patients hospitalized with UGIB, 154 had esophageal varices as the culprit bleeding lesion, whereas the remaining 82 had different culprit bleeding lesions. Age 60 years, presence of diabetes mellitus, lack of ischemic heart disease, platelets 130 (103/dL), albumin >2.9 g/dl, bilirubin >1.4 mg/dl, and Child score B were shown to be predictors of first VB attack. Using these predictors, the Mousa score was calculated to forecast first VB attack. ROC analysis demonstrated that at a cut-off ≥4, Mousa score had discriminative power for predicting VH with sensitivity 77.3 and specificity 75.6%. Quartiles classification of score revealed that, when the score was < 3 points (low risk) the sensitivity was 95.5% and specificity was 40.2%, however, when score was ≥ 5 points (high risk) the sensitivity was 93.9 % and specificity was 50.7 %.
Conclusions: Mousa score can be useful and easily applied for prediction of first VB attack in cirrhotic patients which can help with proper treatments.
Unveiling the Trigger Mechanism of an Explosive Plasma Eruption in a Toroidal Magnetic Fusion Device
Authors: Kamiya Kensaku , Itoh Kimitaka , Matsunaga Go , Isayama Akihiko , Oyama Naoyuki , Aiba Nobuyuki
Published: August 2023

Explosive phenomena, such as edge-localized modes (ELMs) in controlled-nuclear-fusion-devices and solar flares on the sun, have eluded scientists for a long time. Despite extensive investigation in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas, the trigger mechanism has remained elusive. Herein, we present the dynamics of tearing parity mode during an explosive eruption in magnetized plasmas and identified a critical threshold for mode amplitude. When the amplitude exceeds this threshold, an ELM-event is triggered, inducing the collapse of the plasma. The result also demonstrates rapid magnetic reconnection and the formation of stochasticity in magnetic field lines. The observed timescale between trigger events and the subsequent large-scale collapse provides a semiquantitative support for the hypothesis that magnetic braiding causes nonlinear instability and explosive growth. As a corollary, the mechanism of ELM-control using external magnetic-coils is also elucidated. These results have significant implications for laboratory and astrophysical understanding of magnetized plasma dynamics.
XU-NetI: Simple U-Shaped Encoder-Decoder Network for Accurate Imputation of Multivariate Missing Data
Authors: Firdaus Firdaus , Nurmaini Siti , Tutuko Bambang , Rachmatullah Muhammad Naufal , Islami Anggun , Darmawahyuni Annisa , Sapitri Ade Iriani , Ais’sy Widya Rohadatul , Karim Muhammad Irfan
Published: August 2023

Intensive care unit (ICU) patients often have multiple vital signs monitored continuously. However, missing data is common in ICU settings, negatively impacting clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. In this study, we propose a multivariate data imputation method based on simple U-Shaped encoder-decoder network imputation (XU-NetI) method to learn the underlying patterns in the data and generate imputations for missing values of vital signs data with ICU patients. To evaluate the performance of our imputation methods, we employed a publicly available database such the medical information mart for intensive care III (MIMIC III) v1.4. Our proposed model has been developed to analyze 219.281 vital sign worth of data, focusing on eight essential vital sign features: body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and glucose. The evaluation results demonstrates the effectiveness of the imputation techniques in improving the accuracy of predictive models. We compared our approach to other state-of-the-art imputation methods including Autoencoder and Convolutional Neural Networks. As a result found, our technique with XU-NetI architecture outperformed them, in terms of root mean square error (RSME) by approximately 0.01, mean absolute error (MAE) by approximately 0.009, and R square (R2) by approximately 0.99. Our method has the potential to enhance clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes.
Study on deformation and seepage characteristics of preheated freeze-thaw coal rocks
Authors: Wang Yingwei , Qi Xiaohan , Liu Yang , Wang Xiaoqi , Ma Heng , Wang Pin , Hou Shuangrong
Published: August 2023

This experimental study probes into the evolution patterns of fine damage and mechanical and seepage characteristics of coal rocks using the coal rock triaxial servo experiment system by employing three types of pretreatment methods, namely heating, freeze-thawing with liquid nitrogen and freeze-thawing with water, with an aim to investigate the effect of temperature on freeze-thaw damage and seepage characteristics of coal rocks.The study results indicate that with an increase in preheating temperature, the degree of damage to the coal sample's end face escalates while the wave speed progressively decreases.As the temperature gradually rises, the structural stability of the coal sample diminishes, leading to increased body strain, shear strain, fragmentation, crack formation, and improved cracking effects.Freeze-thawing with liquid nitrogen causes damage to the coal sample and induces an increase in internal flow. Among the different freeze-thawing methods, the most severe damage and the highest amount of gas seepage are observed when using water-filled liquid nitrogen. This process leads to a gradual increase in gas seepage due to a decrease in perimeter pressure until a breakthrough surge occurs.Hence, engineering practitioners can explore the application of preheating-water injection-liquid nitrogen injection freeze-thaw technology to achieve efficient coal seam penetration and enhance gas extraction efficiency.
A Fast and Robust MUSIC Algorithm for Estimating Multiple Coherent Signals
Authors: Zhang Mingyang , Ji Lihai
Published: August 2023

The conventional MUSIC algorithm demonstrates subpar estimation performance and unreliable results when confronted with the task of estimating coherent signals from multiple targets. Moreover, it suffers from high computational complexity and sluggish processing speed when applied to extensive datasets involving multiple sensors. In order to tackle these challenges, this paper presents an enhanced and expedient MUSIC algorithm for the estimation of multiple coherent signals. Drawing upon the ROOT-MUSIC algorithm based on the propagation operator, this algorithm introduces a spatial smoothing technique by substituting the original covariance matrix with the average of subarray covariance matrices. Through simulation results, it is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm not only resolves the issue of estimating multiple coherent signals but also achieves exceptional performance in terms of robustness and computational speed, even under low signal-to-noise ratio conditions.
The Kit: Undergraduate Students Identifying and Mitigating Barriers to their Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs
Authors: Olson Rachel , Lehman Jonathan , Mejia Angie , Ojeikhodion Rachael , Osiecki Kristin , Kathambi Emily , Kati Silas Swarnakanth , Randolph Anita
Published: August 2023

Background
Many U.S. colleges and universities offer access to a healthcare center that provides sexual and reproductive health (SRH) resources, services, and products. The importance of health centers in college and university settings in reducing sexual health disparities in student populations cannot be stressed enough. This article evaluates a student-led, mutual-aid, grassroots health promotion strategy for students with limited access to healthcare services, supplies, and tools, via an anonymous and discrete distribution of SRH resources without charge.
Methods
In partnership with faculty, undergraduate students worked to address their SRH needs by providing and increasing access to comprehensive, evidence-based, and sex-positive resources. Referred to as The Kit, this student-led, grassroots health promotion program aimed to provide contraceptives, sexual health wellness products, and basic hygiene supplies to students in 2022–2023. This pilot study aimed to assess student-perceived availability and barriers to contraception and desired SRH services on campus, implement a low-cost and sex-positive intervention, and elucidate perceptions of the program's availability, use, and impact. Association rules mining identified associations between the types of SRH products that were requested in tandem by students.
Results
Our findings highlight students’ perception of access to services and resources and the implementation of an anonymous and discreet SRH supplies distribution strategy to meet the articulated needs of undergraduate students. Students reported cost, privacy, and confidentiality as significant barriers to acquiring sexual health products and supplies. The Kit was made available for one academic year and has gained student popularity and growth in awareness of what it provides. Survey data reveals that before the implementation of The Kit, 42% of students reported contraceptives being available on campus, and one-year post-intervention, that number grew to 71%. Similar observations were made for student access to sexual health education (29% and 72% report access, respectively) and services (35% and 72% report access, respectively) pre-and post-intervention.
Conclusion
A student-led SRH supply and resource delivery strategy may immediately reduce SRH inequities and decrease barriers to contraceptive use for students with limited access to on-site SRH product availability.