bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulating yield and water productivity of onion in response to deficit irrigation and mulching in Koga Irrigation Scheme, North West Ethiopia.
Authors: Mekuriaw Mastewal , Beyene Abebech , Inyang Hilary , Tilahun Fetlework
Published: January 2024

Optimization of crop water productivity is critical in water-scarce areas. The aim of this study was to evalute effects of deficit irrigation (DI) and wheat straw mulch on yield and water productivity of onion in Koga irrigation scheme, North Western Ethiopia. The factorial Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications, were performed. Three levels of DI (Full irrigation, 25% DI, and 50% DI) at all crop growth stages except for the mid-stage and two mulch levels (wheat straw mulch and without mulch), were applied as treatments. The effects of treatments on onion yield and water productivity were statistically evaluated, and the applicability of AquaCrop model was tested. The main and interaction effects of DI and mulch were significantly affecte yield, yield components and the water productivity of onion. The highest bulb yield (32.1 ton/ha) was obtained from full irrigation with wheat straw mulch. The lowest bulb yield (26.4 ton/ha) was obtained from 50% DI without mulch. The highest (7.07 kg/m3) and the lowest (5.9 kg/m3) water productivity were recorded at 50% DI with wheat straw mulch and full irrigation without mulch, respectively. The AquaCrop model accurately simulated canopy cover, biomass, and yield for the given climate. Average value of R2 0.98, NRMSE 11.5%, and d 0.98 were obtained for canopy cover. Biomass was simulated with values of R2 of 0.98, NRMSE 2.46%, and d 0.95; yield was simulated with values of R2 0.98, NRMSE 3.96%, and d 0.95. Therefore, adopting 50% DI at all stages except mid-stage in combination with wheat straw mulch is the best alternative for higher water productivity and yield of onion, in the area where water is scarce.
Tribological behavior of micro-indented 100Cr6 steel surfaces in dry contact conditions
Authors: guglielmi pasquale , Davoodi Farideh , Palumbo Gianfranco , Carbone Giuseppe
Published: January 2024

The aim of the present work is to investigate the tribological behaviour in dry conditions of a 100Cr6 steel, whose surface was textured using microindentation techniques. Specifically, dimples were created on the surface of a sphere using an automatic Microhardness tester equipped with a Vickers indenter, setting a load of 0.5N. Friction tests were performed at different speeds considering surfaces with two different Void Ratios (VRs). Both textured and untextured spherical surfaces were tested using a ball-on-disc tribometer. In addition, the effect of dimple size was evaluated by producing Vickers indented surfaces at a load of 5N per each indentation, while keeping the VR values unchanged and testing the frictional properties of such surfaces at a fixed speed of 4.18 mm/s. Textured surfaces were also characterized, before and after the tribological tests, in terms of surface microgeometry and nanohardness, using a light microscope, a scanning electron microscope, an atomic force microscope, a contact profilometer and a nano-indenter. Notably, compared to the untextured samples, the microindented samples exhibited a much lower Coefficient of Friction (COF), with a friction reduction compared to the untextured case ranging from 45–65%, depending on the VR values. We noted that the adoption of large dimples allows the reduction of the COF, already at smaller VR value but, in such a case, the presence of bulges at the edge of the dimple worsens the wear resistance of the counter-surface. The local measurement of strength by nanoindentations allowed to clarify that the friction reduction is determined by the work hardening effect produced by the microindentation texturing. The proposed approach can be applied using specific tools to effectively and selectively affect the friction behaviour of components, during its use or its production (for example in stamping operations).
Remote sensing monitoring and assessment of oil pollution from 2015 to 2020 in the Gulf of Guinea: The case of the two Congo and the Cabinda region (Angola)
Authors: MBINDZOUKOU Marius MASSALA , ZONGO Sylvie Brizard , NKOUMAKALI Bruno , NDJOUNGUI Aboubacar MAMBIMBA , IVALA Johan Lain , HOUNGUEVOU Loïc E BLEKPON
Published: January 2024

Several countries in the Gulf of Guinea have economies based on the exploitation of raw materials, particularly oil. This oil exploitation is not without consequences for marine and coastal ecosystems. Maritime pollution by hydrocarbons is one of the factors affecting marine areas. Having a better understanding of this environment makes it possible to assess the impact of an oil spill on the environment or to study the effects of chronic pollution associated with shipping lanes, ports, oil platforms, pipelines or refineries. It is essential that oil spill detection and monitoring systems respond quickly to contain these hazards. This is why we believe that the use of remote sensing appears to be a potential avenue for the detection of oil slicks at sea. The present work is a retrospective study of oil slick pollution from 2015 to 2020. We propose a methodology based on radar imagery to highlight the presence of ocean oil slicks due to oil activities. Using the Sentinel 1 satellite, we mapped all the oil slicks, which enabled us to calculate the areas where the hydrocarbons and any oil spills spread. The results clearly show that the Congo region is subject to frequent oil spills.
Nitrate adsorption modeling using SVM and LSSVM models
Authors: Farasati Masumeh , Seyedian Morteza , sajadi Javad
Published: January 2024

Nitrate compounds are among the pollutants of groundwater resources that in recent years in terms of agricultural development and human activities, their average rate is increasing. This ion may enter drinking water as it passes through the ground, or it may enter groundwater sources as a result of water contamination with organic matter and the accumulation of municipal and industrial waste, or the accumulation of animal and chemical fertilizers or the leakage of municipal sewage facilities. But in recent decades, increasing use of nitrogen fertilizers has led to the addition of nitrate in surface and groundwater. The data used in this study were first randomized and standardized and then divided into two groups of training and testing. 70% of the data were in the training group and the remaining 30% in the experimental group. Validation of model training was performed using k-fold cross validation method with a value of k = 5 in order to prevent over-fitting of models. The parameters of Random Forest, SVM and LS-SVM models were determined using Bayesian optimization algorithm. The objective function of the optimization algorithm was to minimize the MSE error value of the model. Based on the results, the Random Forest model was used with the Bagging algorithm and the parameters of minimum node size, number of trees and number of variables used were equal to 2, 10 and 3, respectively. The SVM model was trained with the RBF kernel function and the parameters of Box Constrait and Epsilon equal to 2.2156 and 0.0891, respectively, along with standardization of input and output data of the model. The LS-SVM model was also trained with RBF kernel function and setting parameters and kernel function equal to 3160/3160 and 19.7891/19, respectively. Taylor diagram results showed that the stochastic forest model and SVM had a higher correlation between observational and estimated data. Therefore, based on the results, the stochastic forest model is more consistent with the observation data and predicts nitrate changes well.
Seagrass and epiphyte seasonality in a biogeographic transition zone
Authors: Wheeler Mike , Jarvis Jessie , Freshwater Wilson D.
Published: January 2024

North Carolina, USA is an ecotone that includes two seagrass species located at the edge of their distributional ranges: Zostera marina, a temperate species, and Halodule wrightii, a tropical species. Both support dynamic epiphyte communities, yet seagrass and epiphyte species composition and biomass relationships are not well documented in mixed-species transition zones. This study investigates the seagrass and epiphyte biomass and epiphyte community composition by seagrass species by using monthly collections over one year from Topsail Sound, NC. H. wrightii biomass peaked in the fall and declined to seasonal minimums in winter. Z. marina biomass peaked in the spring and was lowest in fall. Maximum epiphyte biomass per leaf area occurred during periods of thermal stress for both species, summer for Z. marina and winter for H. wrightii. Epiphyte community composition differed between seagrass species within all seasons except for spring, which is a period of concurrent growth for both species, while there was no difference in community across the entire year. Variation in epiphyte communities within NC can be explained by divergent periods of thermal stress, leaf growth, and staggered periods of peak biomass between H. wrightii and Z. marina. Mixed temperate and tropical species meadows ensured continuous substrate for macroalgal epiphytes throughout the year with the seasonality of the epiphyte community closely tied to the growth cycles of their seagrass hosts. This research contributes to our understanding of mixed-species seagrass meadows in biogeographic transition zones and informs conservation and management strategies needed for a rapidly changing climate.
Cryoablation for malignant bone and soft tissue tumors and histological assessment of ablated tumors
Authors: Asanuma Kunihiro , Nakatsuka Atsuhiro , Nakamura Tomoki , Fujimori Masashi , Yamanaka Takashi , Hagi Tomohito , Iino Takahiro , Sudo Akihiro
Published: January 2024

Background: Recurrent or metastatic disease after completion of initial therapy for primary sarcoma represents a substantial problem, along with as well as metastasis of cancer. Cryoablation is a new, minimally invasive option for local antitumor therapy that is attracting attention regarding relationships with the immune system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cryoablation for local control of bone and soft tissue lesions, to elucidate risk factors for recurrence, and to clarify histological changes of necrosis and immune cell invasion after cryoablation.
Methods: Participants comprised 25 patients who underwent cryoablation for 53 discrete lesions of bone or soft tissue recurrence after resection or as metastases of cancer or sarcoma. Local progression-free survival was evaluated after completion of cryoablation. The histology of tumor tissues resected after cryoablation was assessed for 7 cases. Tumor tissues after cryoablation was resected for 7 cases. H&E staining and immunostaining for CD4, CD8, CD68, CD16, CD204, IDO, and CD47 were performed.
Results: Local progression-free survival rates were 88.1% at 1 year and 79.7% at 2 and 3 years. Risk of local progression was significantly higher for recurrent lesions after resection, and for lesions ≥4.0 cm in diameter than for metastatic lesions, or lesions <4.0 cm, respectively (p<0.05 each). In subgroup analysis of bone lesions, lesions with an extraskeletal component tended to be associated with worse local recurrence-free survival than those without an extraskeletal component (p=0.135). On histological examination, tissue in the ablated area was completely necrotic. In the border area between ablated and non-ablated areas, CD68-positive cells were more frequently observed than T cells. CD16-M1-like and CD204-positive M2-like cells were observed.
Conclusions: Cryoablation demonstrated good anti-tumor efficacy without distinction of tumor types and bone. Local control for recurrent and lesions ≥4.0 cm in diameter was inadequate with cryoablation. Further analysis for the relation between macrophage and cryoablation is needed and may provide critical information about a superior anti-tumor effect.
GIC-Flow: Appearance Flow Estimation Via Global Information Correlation for Virtual Try-On under large deformation
Authors: Zhang Peng , Zhan Jiamei , Sun Kexin , Zhang Jie , Wei Meng , Wang Kexin
Published: January 2024

The primary aim of image-based virtual try-on is to seamlessly deform the target garment image to align with the human body. Due to the inherent non-rigid nature of garments, current methods prioritize flexible deformation through appearance flow with high degrees of freedom. However, existing appearance flow estimation methods focus solely on the correlation of local feature information. While this strategy successfully avoids the extensive computational effort associated with directly computing the global information correlation of feature maps, it leads to challenges in garments adapting to large deformation scenarios. To address these limitations, we propose the GIC-Flow framework, which obtains appearance flow by calculating the global information correlation while reducing computational regression. Specifically, our proposed Global Streak Information Matching Module is designed to decompose the appearance flow into horizontal and vertical vectors, effectively propagating global information in both directions. This innovative approach significantly diminishes 1 computational requirements, contributing to an enhanced and efficient process. Additionally, to ensure the accurate deformation of local texture in garments, we propose the Global Aggregate Information Matching Module to aggregate information from nearest neighbors before computing the global correlation, and to enhance weak semantic information. Comprehensive experiments conducted with our method on the VITON and VITON-HD datasets demonstrate GIC-Flow outperforms existing state-of-the-art algorithms, particularly in cases involving complex clothing deformation.
Deep reinforcement learning-based contention window optimization for IEEE 802.11 networks
Authors: Tu Yi-Hao , Ma Yi-Wei , Ke Chih-Heng
Published: January 2024

This study focuses on optimizing the contention window (CW) in IEEE 802.11 networks using deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to enhance the effectiveness of the contention mechanism. Recent research has employed a deep Q-learning network (DQN) as one type of DRL for CW size selection tasks to maximize network throughput. However, a notable limitation of DQN is the substantial overestimation error, which means the predicted reward value significantly deviates from the actual value. To address this issue, our study introduces the smart exponential-threshold-linear with double deep Q-learning network (SETL-DDQN) in a wireless networks scenario, with the aim to mitigate the overestimation error via the CW threshold size optimization with the help of a DDQN-based approach during the learning phase. We experimented with our proposed SETL-DDQN in both static and dynamic scenarios and conducted an analysis to solve the overestimation problem, then enhance the long-term simulation stability. Our experimental results demonstrate that SETL-DDQN achieves more efficient packet transmissions than related existing mechanisms.
A predictive model based on non-contrast CMR and texture analysis for the prognostic evaluation of cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: She Jia-qi , Guo Jia-jun , Sun Yi , Chen Yin-yin , Zeng Meng-su , Ge Mei-ying , Jin Hang
Published: January 2024

We aimed to develop a predictive model based on texture features with non-contrast cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging for risk stratification toward adverse events in cardiac amyloidosis (CA) patients. A cohort of 78 CA patients was classified into a training set (n = 54) and a validation set (n = 24) at a ratio of 7:3. A total of 275 texture features were extracted from CMR images. MaZda and the support vector machine (SVM) were utilized for feature selection and model construction. A SVM model incorporating radiological and texture features was built for prediction of endpoint events by evaluating area under curve (AUC). In the whole cohort, 52 patients were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurred and 26 patients were No MACE occurred. By combining 2 radiological features and 8 texture features extracted from cine and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) images, the SVM model achieved AUCs of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision-recall (PR) of 0.930 and 0.962 in the training cohort and that of 0.867 and 0.941 in the validated cohort. The Kaplan–Meier curve of this SVM model criteria excellently stratified CA outcomes (Log rank test, P < 0.0001). The SVM model based on radiological and texture features derived from non-contrast CMR images can be a reliable biomarker for adverse events prognostication in CA patients.
A Robust Deep-learning System for Detecting and Classifying Cyber-attacks in Cloud Computing
Authors: E saranya , M Chinnadurai
Published: January 2024

The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as the benchmark for low-power lossy networks (LLNs) due to the rapid proliferation of low-power, high-throughput technology. Still, IoT systems are open to cyber attacks because the base devices have limited computing, storage, and communication capabilities. As people rely more and more on cloud computers to store and handle important data, cyber dangers that target cloud settings have become more complex and widespread. The identification and categorization of harmful network activity is crucial in safeguarding the integrity and protection of these systems. Here, we present the full design and implementation of a deep-learning-based system called Enhanced battle royal optimized convolutional neural network (EBRO-CNN) for detecting and classifying cyber attacks in cloud-based telecommunications systems. This optimization method creates tiers for network traffic data depending on characteristics of the cloud. Each layer undergoes its own analysis and optimization to meet its own requirements. This optimization across tiers not only increases detection precision but also makes the system more scalable and flexible in the face of ever-changing cloud workloads. We used the NSL-KDD dataset, which contains demonstrations of all the major cloud computing threats, to gauge the effectiveness of the solution we designed. With an accuracy of up to 99% in various configurations, the findings show that the suggested distributed architecture is useful for detecting various cyber attacks.
Comparison between endobronchial-guided transbronchial biopsy and computed tomography-guided transthoracic lung biopsy for the diagnosis of central pulmonary lesions with a diameter ≥3 cm
Authors: Zhang Cheng , Zhu Senlin , Yuan Yanliang , Dai Shenhui
Published: January 2024

BackgroundLung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors at present. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy, complication rates, and predictive values of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) and endobronchial-guided transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) for patients with central pulmonary lesions (CPLs) with a diameter ≥ 3 cm.MethodsWe retrospectively included 110 patients with CPLs with a diameter ≥ 3 cm who underwent preoperative PTNB and TBLB examinations, and ultimately underwent surgery to remove CPLs and obtained pathological results. Detailed information was collected, including age, gender, tumor location, postoperative hospital stay, techniques involved, and pathologic diagnosis. Data were processed using SPSS software (version 26.0; IBM Corp). Data were compared byt-test or chi-square test.P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsAll patients underwent surgical treatment at the department of thoracic surgery and obtained a final pathological diagnosis. The rate of positive predictive value (PPV) was comparable between the two methods, and the negative predictive value (NPV) was significantly higher in the PTNB group compared with the TBLB group. In addition, PTNB was more sensitive and accurate than TBLB. However, the PTNB group had a higher probability of complications and TBLB was a relatively safer examination method.ConclusionPTNB demonstrated a higher accuracy and sensitivity than TBLB in the treatment of CPLs with a diameter ≥ 3 cm, but the complication rates of PTNB are relatively high. These methods exhibited different diagnostic accuracies and therefore should be selected based on different medical conditions.
Modified -Vehicle Detection and Localization model for Autonomous Vehicle Traffic System
Authors: Juyal Amit , Sharma Sachin , Bhadula Shuchi
Published: January 2024

The modification of vehicles for financial gain is an evolving tendency observed in India. These modified vehicles are riskier than other automobiles that are allowed. Recognizing and detecting of these modified illicit cars is an important but critical task in autonomous vehicles. In a real-world traffic scenario, it is always possible for a cyclist or pedestrian to traverse obstacles or other fixed objects that appear in front of any moving vehicle. Vehicles that are autonomous or self-driving require a different system to quickly identify both stationary and moving objects. A deep learning model named YOLOv5-CBAM is proposed here for the Indian traffic System which is based on YOLOv5m. The algorithm is applied to the vehicle dataset collected from different regions of Uttarakhand. The proposed algorithm, YOLOv5-CBAM, has three major components. The first module, the backbone module is employed for feature extraction. The second module is to detect static as well as dynamic objects at the same time and the third CBAM module is adopted in the backbone and neck part, which mainly focuses on the more prominent features. Two CSP modules were used after every convolutional layer resulting in an additional head to the proposed model. Four head modules equipped with anchor boxes performed the final detection. For the present dataset, the proposed model showed 98.2% mAP, 98.4% precision, and 94.8% recall as compared to the original YOLOv5m.
LCSMIBR: Design of a Low complexity Sleep-scheduling Model with Iterative Bioinspired learning for improved Routing efficiency under heterogeneous network condition
Authors: Kuthe Annaji , Khandelwal Sarika
Published: January 2024

One of the best methods for increasing energy efficiency in large-scale wireless networks is sleep scheduling. The scalability of existing sleep scheduling algorithms is limited in real-time applications due to their higher complexity or lack of coordination. Furthermore, these models' routing performance needs to be adjusted for various use scenarios. This essay suggests designing a low complexity sleep-scheduling model with iterative bioinspired learning for better routing efficiency in the context of diverse networks in order to integrate these qualities. At first, the suggested model gathers progressively larger data sets on node location, energy usage, fault frequency, and additional quality of service measures. These parameter sets are used to train a set of scalar nodes (nodes with low efficiency levels), that decide initial sleep scheduling cycles for high-efficiency multimedia nodes. The sleep schedules are co-ordinated by multimedia nodes during their inter-node communications, which assists the scalar nodes to iteratively improve sleep-and-wake cycles. These cycles are decided by a Bacterial Foraging Optimization (BFO) process, which assists in improving energy efficiency without compromising on QoS performance levels. The BFO process is cascaded with a fault-tolerant Grey Wolf Particle Swarm Optimizer (GWPSO), that evaluates high-efficiency routing paths that can provide low delay, low energy consumption, with lower probability of faults. Due to these operations, the proposed model is able to reduce communication delay by 4.9%, and energy needed for communication by 8.5%, while improving throughput by 3.4%, and consistency of routing-performance by 1.9% when compared with existing routing techniques. This performance was observed to be consistent even under node-level faults for heterogenous network scenarios.
Coexistence of roof rats and carnivores in barns on an urban livestock farm in Japan
Authors: Koizumi Ryoko , Endo Tomohiko , Tanikawa Tsutomu , Hirata Shigeki , Kiyokawa Yasushi
Published: January 2024

Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), roof rats (Rattus rattus), and house mice (Mus musculus) are three of the most important rodent pest species in the world. Because these rodents infest livestock farms, rodent control on such farms is an important issue for the livestock industry. Although the diel activity patterns of rodents are key to their control, information on this aspect of their ecology is limited. Furthermore, the effect of carnivores on rodent activity patterns, as well as the carnivore species present, on urban livestock farms is unclear. Here, we set camera traps in an open-type cow barn and in an enclosed pig barn on the same urban livestock farm in Japan from August through October 2021. The only rodents observed in both barns were roof rats, and the carnivore species observed were dogs (Canis familiaris), cats (Felis catus), and Japanese weasels (Mustela itatsi). The relative abundance index of cats was similar between the barns, while dogs and Japanese weasels were observed only in the cow and pig barns, respectively. These results suggest that cats and Japanese weasels could easily enter the enclosed barn. We also found that roof rats showed different patterns of activity and behavior between the barns. However, because the pattern in both barns was nocturnal, the activity patterns of roof rats and carnivores showed a moderate to high degree of overlap. Therefore, roof rats did not appear to shift their activity patterns to avoid nocturnal carnivores. Taken together, the present study provides valuable information for rodent control in urban livestock farms.
Whole Genome Sequenced-based Characterization and Determination of quinolone Resistance Among Methicillin-resistant and Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus isolates from Patients Attended Regional Referral Hospitals in Tanzania
Authors: Juma Masoud , Kumburu Happiness , Wadugu Boaz , Kuchaka Davis , Shayo Mariana , Kimu Patrick , Kanje Livin , Beti Melkiory , Zwetselaar Marco Van , Mmbaga Blandina , Sonda Tolbert
Published: January 2024

Background
The emergency of multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains, driven by acquisition of resistance gene in mecA imposes a substantial challenge in the treatment and control of their related infections. Despite the fact that Quinolones have historically been effective against both MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains, the escalating rising of quinolones resistance among S. aureus isolates particularly in MRSA, has severely curtailed their potency and further narrow down the therapeutic options. This study aimed at determining the burden of MRSA among isolates, their resistance profile, genotypic characterization and determining the molecular relatedness through construction of phylogenetic tree.
Material and Methods
Archieved clinical S. aureus isolates from a descriptive cross-sectional study involving six regional referral hospitals in Dodoma, Songea, Kigoma, Kitete, and Morogoro in mainland and Mnazi Mmoja in Zanzibar were analyzed. Bacterial identification was performed using both classical microbiology and whole genome sequencing on Illumina Nextseq 550 Sequencer. Species identification was done using KmerFinder 3.2, Multilocus Sequence Types using MLST 2.0, SCCmec type using SCCmecFinder 1.2, resistance genes using ResFinder 4.1, and phylogenetic relatedness using CSI Phylogeny 1.4.
Results
Out of the 140 isolates analyzed, 69 (49.3%) were identified as MRSA, with 57 (82.6%) exhibiting quinolone resistance. Conversely, 71 isolates were identified as MSSA, and none of them exhibited resistance to quinolone. Spa-typing revealed 6 spa types, with t355, t1476, and t498 being most common. Moreover, all (69) MRSA were found to carry SCCmec type IV. The isolates exhibited 14 different sequence types (ST). Notably, ST152 was prevalent 50(70%) among MSSA while ST8 was the predominant 58(84%) sequence type among MRSA. The antimicrobial resistance profile revealed at least three horizontally acquired resistance genes, with blaZ, dfrG, tet(K), and aac (6’)-aph (2’’) genes being highly prevalent.
Conclusion
There is a high genetic diversity among the S. aureus isolates existing in Tanzania regional hospitals, with a concerning burden of quinolone resistance in MRSA isolates. The diversity in resistance genes among MRSA lineages emphasizes the necessity for development of sustainable antimicrobial stewardship and surveillance to support evidence-based guidelines for the management and control of MRSA infections in both community and hospital settings.
Effects of Zhengqing Fengtongning in treatment Knee osteoarthritis based on TLR4/NLRP3/Caspase-3 signalling pathway
Authors: Rong Kuan , Zhang Ziming , Chen Lin , Ou Liang , Li Zhenyu , Zhao Haoming , Liu Ke , Kuang Haoming , Yang Hui , Kuang Jianjun
Published: January 2024

Introduction
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative joint disease that leads to joint deformity and loss of function in severe cases. Its primary symptoms include joint pain, swelling, and impaired mobility. It has been reported that more than 80% of patients with knee osteoarthritis are over 60 years old, constituting a significant proportion of hospitalizations in developed countries. This imposes a substantial burden on patients, their families, and society. Currently, the drugs of choice for KOA in clinical practice are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). However, their efficacy is suboptimal as they primarily alleviate symptoms, and long-term use can lead to serious adverse reactions. The focus and hotspot of orthopedic research lie in understanding the mechanism of effectively inhibiting cartilage degeneration, protecting cartilage cells and tissues, and slowing down or even reversing the progression of KOA.
Methods
The composition of Zhengqingfengtongning (ZQFTN) was verified using mass spectrometry. Fifteen female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to the normal group (control), KOA model group (model), Zhengqing group (ZQFTN Sustained Release Tablets), TLR4-inhibitor group (TLR4-inhibitor), and Zhengqing + TLR4-inhibitor group (ZQFTN Sustained Release Tablets and TLR4-inhibitor), with three rats in each group. Histological staining, Western blotting, and Elisa were employed to compare histomorphology and data of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, TAK1, TAB1, iKBα, IKKβ, Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3 in rats from each group.
Results
Histological staining, Western blotting, and Elisa assay results demonstrated the effectiveness of ZQFTN in improving the condition of KOA model rats. Furthermore, the expression of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, TAB1, iKBα, IKKβ, and Caspase-3 levels in chondrocytes was suppressed, while Bcl-2 levels were increased.
Conclusions
ZQFTN ameliorated the condition of KOA model rats, and its therapeutic mechanism may involve the regulation of inflammatory factors and cellular autophagy, along with the inhibition of the TLR4/NLRP3/Caspase-3 signaling pathway.
Multimodal neuromonitoring of a brain death with electrophysiological markers of cortical and subcortical loss of functions
Authors: Ghibaudo Valentin , Bado Jules , Garcia Samuel , Berthiller Julien , Rithzenthaler Thomas , Gobert Florent , Bapteste Lionel , Carrillon Romain , Bodonian Carole , Dailler Frédéric , Haegelen Claire , Dumot Chloé , Rheims Sylvain , Berhouma Moncef , Balança Baptiste
Published: January 2024

Brain death, characterized by the permanent cessation of all brain functions including the brainstem, is subject to varying diagnostic criteria internationally. In France, the confirmation of the clinical criteria requires ancillary tests such as CT angiogram or EEG. The timing of these tests presents challenges, especially in the intensive care setting. This study outlines a novel approach for the assessment of brainstem and cortical functions, improving the precision of brain death diagnosis in high-workload intensive care environments. We detail the implementation of a continuous multimodal neuromonitoring system, utilizing electrocorticography to monitor cortical spreading depolarizations (SD) and employing advanced analytics to track variability in heart and respiratory rates as indicators of brainstem functions. The SD-ICU single-center trial assessed the feasibility and safety of SD monitoring in patients with acute brain injuries, using cortical electrodes. In conjunction with the Moberg CNS monitor, this setup allowed for the collection and analysis of multimodal neuromonitoring data. We highlight the case of a patient who, exhibited an SD-initiated negative ultraslow potential, indicating cortical death. Subsequent fluctuations in heart and respiratory rates’ variability provided a real-time evaluation of the functionality of the brainstem's cardiovascular and respiratory centers. The integration of SD monitoring and variability analyses offers a continuous bedside evaluation, presenting clinicians with real-time biomarkers of brainstem and cortical death. This method could be incorporated into neuromonitoring software, enabling more timely and precise brain death determinations, a paramount improvement given the complexities and demands of ICU care.
Resolution improvement of incoherent optical point sources by using modes selection in microsphere imaging
Authors: Zhou Song , Qian Fang , Wang Yimin
Published: January 2024

Spatial-mode demultiplexing (SPADE) scheme has been successfully used in quantum Cramer-Rao bound for resolution of two incoherent optical point sources. In this work, we investigate resolution of point sources by a microsphere. Based on the spatial-mode demultiplexing scheme, we find that the resolution of the point sources can be improved using modes selection. Then, we present an executable method to realize modes selection in far-field domain for improving the resolution of the point sources under a microsphere. Our results will be helpful to improve the contrast and resolution of microsphere super-resolution imaging.
Evaluation of the antiproliferative and oxidative effects of polymeric cryogels on the model eukaryotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Yardımcı Berna Kavakcıoğlu , Şarkaya Koray , Güler Ayşenur
Published: January 2024

Here, the effects of previously characterized poly(HEMA-N-vinyl formamide) (PHEMA-NVF) cryogels on viability, surface morphology, total antioxidant-oxidant status, antioxidant enzyme activities and biochemical makeup of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated for the first time. The viability of the cells released from the PHEMA-NVF cryogels were found to decrease dramatically up to 23.96 ± 1.44% compared to the plain PHEMA cryogel as control group without NVF. Additionally, this cryogel caused blebbing and holes on the cell surface. Although TOS levels gradually increased with the increasing amounts of NVF, statistically significant difference was determined only between the cryogel containing 22 µl NVF and control. The gradual increases in TAS levels in response to cellular stress were recorded depend on the increase of NVF amounts up to 22 µl. While enzymatic antioxidant system was generally induced in cells released from the cryogel prepared with relatively low levels of NVF, these activities dramatically decreased at the higher amounts of the comonomer. Finally, FTIR analysis showed that especially the highest studied concentration of NVF caused protein degradation and increase the relative concentration of lipid and polysaccharide molecules. Therefore, it can be suggested that this comonomer causes oxidative stress that the cell cannot cope with above a certain amount.
A multiphase mixed-methods participatory approach to Paramedicine educators’ identity, intersectionality, and impediments to professional emergence
Authors: Naidoo Navindhra , Maria Sonja , Flanagan Belinda , Noordenburg Andrew Van , Ho Vincent , Mansour Victoria
Published: January 2024

Background
This research delves into how identities and philosophies of paramedicine educators influence theoretical advancement and praxis in higher education.
Purpose
It examines the perceptions of paramedicine academics, their roles and the transitional challenges when moving from clinical practice to academia. It explores the potential of transformative pedagogy in fostering social consciousness, justice, and innovation. Challenges and benefits of a constructivist approach to paramedicine education and future-orientation is assessed.
Methods
Employing a multiphase mixed-methods participatory approach, researchers reached consensus on the guided themes (Phase 1) for staff collaborative engagement (Phase 2) during the inaugural ‘Paramedicine Educators Forum’ in December 2022, which featured participation of academic leaders and staff from four universities and one jurisdictional ambulance service.
Results
The study unveils the intricate tapestry of paramedicine educators' identities and philosophies and their impact on theoretical advancements and practical applications in higher education. Conversations revolved around defining the role of paramedics in academia, the potential of transformative pedagogy, and the balance between producing competent paramedics whilst nurturing critical thinkers. Discussions also addressed the shortcomings of current undergraduate degrees in preparing students for technological advancements and the potential for extended degree programs.
Conclusion
The findings underscore the need to adapt paramedicine education to meet the evolving demands of the profession, with paramedicine educators playing a leading role in this transformation. These insights may be instructive in providing guidance for educational policies and practices that shape the future of paramedicine education and may have transferability for other allied health professions.
Impact of Sarcopenia on the Prognosis of Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Anti-angiogenic Therapy: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Huang Fuchun , Ma Mingxuan , Yang Shuang , Zhao Hui , Zhang Jialin , Lang Liye , Liu Hua
Published: January 2024

Background Limited information is available regarding the impact of sarcopenia on the prognosis of antiangiogenic therapy in individuals with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study primarily sought to examine the prognostic significance of sarcopenia in individuals with advanced NSCLC undergoing anti-angiogenic therapy. Methods We retrospectively collected all patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria from 2019 to 2021 at Nantong University Hospital. Patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia. After propensity score matching (PSM), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse event rates were compared between the two groups. Factors associated with prognosis were screened using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results A total of 267 patients were included, with a total of 201 matched at baseline after PSM (77 in the sarcopenia group and 124 in the non-sarcopenia group). The sarcopenia group had lower PFS (p = 0.043) and OS (p = 0.011) than the non-sarcopenia group and a higher incidence of adverse events (p = 0.044). Multivariate analysis suggests that sarcopenia is an independent prognostic risk factor for OS in advanced NSCLC patients receiving antiangiogenic therapies (p = 0.009). Conclusion Patients with advanced NSCLC with comorbid sarcopenia gravis exhibit a worse prognosis when treated with anti-angiogenic therapy, and preventing and ameliorating sarcopenia gravis may lead to better survival outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC.
School starting age and mothers’ labour supply: Causal evidence from the 2012 Education Reform in Turkey
Authors: Zayim Gülen Derya , Kayaoğlu Ayşegül
Published: January 2024

The 2012 Education Reform has significantly transformed the education system in Turkey in various ways. It extended compulsory schooling to 12 years, replacing a discrete structure across educational levels. As a part of this change, the primary school starting age has been adjusted, allowing up to 60-month-old children to be accepted in primary schools. Prior to this reform, the compulsory schooling starting age was seven years old, corresponding to 72-month-old children. By utilizing this exogenous variation in school starting age following the 2012 Education Reform in Turkey, we investigate the impact of childcare cost on maternal labour supply. The results reveal that the reform did not alter the labour supply behaviour of mothers, even after splitting them based on educational attainment or marital status. The findings for married mothers align with previous literature; however, for single mothers, our results, despite being positive in magnitude, are not statistically significant.
JEL Codes: I21, J22
Gender-specific association of Helicobacter pylori infection and the thyroid disease in Chinese adults
Authors: Wei Qiang , Ao Na , Cai Tiantian , Zheng Xiaoya
Published: January 2024

Background
The association of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and thyroid disease is still controversial. Chinese adults have an extremely high prevalence of H. pylori infection. The incidence of thyroid diseases has obvious gender difference. The aim of this study was to determine the gender-specific association between H. pylori infection and thyroid disease in Chinese adults.
Design:
Retrospective analyzed the data of subjects underwent routine physical check-up in the Public Health Center of our hospital between 2019 and 2021. The data included anthropometry and blood biochemical indicators. The serum levels thyroid hormones and thyroid autoantibodies were detected. Thyroid ultrasonography was performed by experienced technicians. The diagnosis of thyroid nodules was according to the thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS).
Results
The women with positive H. pylori had significantly lower FT4 levels, statistically higher uTSH levels, higher prevalence of hypothyroidism, and higher prevalence of positive TPOAb than the women with negative H. pylori. Men with positive H. pylori had significantly higher SBP, statistically lower TT4 and FT4 than the men with negative H. pylori. The prevalence of thyroid heterogeneous echogenicity and TNs in H. pylori positive and negative subjects had no significant difference in both genders.
Conclusions
The results indicated the prevalence of hypothyroidism and TPOAb positivity was more frequent in females with Helicobacter pylori infection. H. pylori infection may be associated with AITDs in females, but not males. There was no significant association between H. pylori infection and the risk of TNs types in both gender.
Identification and validation of Nei-like DNA glycosylase 2 as a novel prognostic biomarker in cervical cancer
Authors: Li Yan , Du Jiayuan , Wei Lingjia , Tan Tianmeng , Bao Yili , Su Jinqiu , Wang He
Published: January 2024

Background: Cervical cancer causes 270,000 deaths annually. Novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets are urgently needed. NEIL2 is involved in DNA repair and genomic stability maintenance. Its role in cervical cancer is unclear. This study aimed to explore NEIL2 as a novel prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer.
Methods: Bioinformatics analysis was performed on TCGA, GSE7410 and GSE63514 datasets. NEIL2 expression was compared between cervical cancer and normal tissues. Patients were stratified by NEIL2 expression. Survival analysis was conducted. Prognostic factors were identified using Cox regression.
Results: NEIL2 expression was downregulated in cervical cancer. High NEIL2 expression associated with better survival outcomes. Age and histology correlated with NEIL2 expression. High NEIL2 expression, lymph node status and tumor stage were independent prognostic factors. A prognostic nomogram using these factors showed good accuracy.
Conclusions: NEIL2 is a promising prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer.
Impact: Differential NEIL2 expression may serve as an independent risk factor for cervical cancer prognosis. Further validation is warranted.
Clinical and histological impact of diffuse inflammation at pouchoscopy.
Authors: Toritani Kenichiro , Kimura Hideaki , Goto Koki , Matsubayashi Mao , Kunisaki Reiko , Watanabe Jun , Ishibe Atsushi , Otani Masako , Endo Itaru
Published: January 2024

Background
The anatomical location of inflammation in and around the ileal pouch affects the pouch survival rate, and diffuse inflammation have poor pouch survival rates.
Aims
We aimed to clarify the symptoms and histological findings of diffuse inflammation of the pouch.
Methods
We evaluated the symptoms, treatment, and histological findings according to the endoscopic phenotypes of diffuse inflammation, focal inflammation, and normal as the pouch body phenotype, and afferent limb involvement, inlet involvement, cuffitis, and fistula as the peripheral findings.
Results
Of the 318 pouchoscopies, 47 had diffuse inflammation, 201 had focal inflammation and 70 were normal. Symptomatic patients had diffuse inflammation more frequently (46.8%) than focal inflammation (13.4%) and normal (14.2%), with no difference between focal inflammation and normal. Antibiotics and steroids were higher rate administered in cases of diffuse inflammation, but not in cases of focal inflammation or in normal cases. Histological inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-specific finding, and colonic metaplasia showed severity in the order of diffuse inflammation > focal inflammation > normal. The number of peripheral inflammatory findings overlapped in the following order: diffuse inflammation > focal inflammation > normal. The number of symptomatic patients increased as the number of peripheral inflammatory findings increased.
Conclusion
Pouches with diffuse inflammation are more symptomatic, have a higher use of therapeutic agents, and have more severe histological inflammation, IBD-specific finding and colonic metaplasia accompanying peripheral inflammatory findings than the other groups. The higher the overlap of inflammatory findings in the surrounding tissues, the more symptomatic the patients will appear.