bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
[Retracted] The Optos 200Tx Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope Application in Retinoblastoma Patients’ Follow‐Up
Authors: Cui Xuehao , Ji Xunda , Shao Yan , Zhao Peiquan , Li Xiaorong
Published: August 2022

Background and Objective. Examination under general anesthesia is the conventional method of follow‐up examination for retinoblastoma (RB) patients. As most of the RB patients are infants or children, general anesthesia for examination often put the children at great risk and affect their growth and development. This retrospective study was aimed at observing and evaluating the application value of Optos 200Tx scanning laser ophthalmoscope (Optomap 200Tx) in the long‐term follow‐up of patients with RB who achieves stable disease after treatment. Methods. A total of 1134 examinations with Optomap 200Tx were performed for 318 children who were clinically diagnosed with RB in the Ophthalmology Department of Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, China, between July 2015 and July 2017, and achieved stable disease lasting for more than 6 months after combined treatment. The children received examinations every 1‐12 months (mean 4 months), initially at 31 months to 15 years of age (mean 51 months), and were given a full eye examination under anesthesia (EUA) immediately if recurrent tumor, recurrent vitreous seeding (VS), or recurrent subretinal seeding (SRS) was detected, or in the next follow‐up visit if no abnormality was detected, and early treatment was performed when the lesion was confirmed. Results. Recurrence was detected in 4 children in the examination with Optomap 200Tx, including 2 cases of recurrent vitreous seeding (VS) and 2 cases of recurrent subretinal seeding (SRS), which were confirmed by EUA and well controlled after early treatment. Conclusion. The use of Optomap 200Tx in the long‐term following up of patients with RB reduces the number of eye examinations under general anesthesia (EUA), increases the time between EUAs, and protects children from exposure to the adverse effects of general anesthetics. Optomap 200Tx can detect recurrent tumor and recurrent seeding, allowing for early treatment which produces better outcomes.
EMT-Related Gene Signature Predicts the Prognosis in Uveal Melanoma Patients
Authors: Lv Yufei , He Lixian , Jin Mengyi , Sun Wenxin , Tan Gang , Liu Zuguo
Published: August 2022

Background. Uveal melanoma (UVM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential regulator of the UVM’s immune microenvironment. However, the precise role of EMT in UVM remains to be explored and the development of a related treatment strategy is urgently needed. Methods. Multiomics data and clinical information for TCGA-UVM were used to identify the EMT subtypes and analyze their regulatory role in the immune microenvironment in UVM. A machine-learning method based on the identified subtypes was utilized to construct the EMT feature-based prognostic model. External validation cohorts GSE84976 and GSE22138 were employed to validate the model’s robustness. Immunotherapy cohort IMvigor210 was used to explore the model’s potential to predict immunotherapy responsiveness. Results. Two EMT subtypes were identified in UVM. The role of EMT in shaping the immune microenvironment and regulating cancer-immunity circle of UVM was analyzed. A robust prognostic model was presented and validated to predict patient prognosis. The model also predicted patient’s immune features and immunotherapy responsiveness. Conclusion. The EMT-mediated immune features in UVM were illustrated, providing a reliable model to facilitate precise UVM treatment. This research may assist in decision-making during clinical UVM therapy.
Potential Mechanisms of White Peony against Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking
Authors: Zhuang Shuqi , Pu Jincheng , Liang Yuanyuan , Wu Zhenzhen , Gao Ronglin , Pan Shengnan , Song Jiamin , Tang Jianping , Wang Xuan
Published: August 2022

Background. Multiple system and organ damage occurs with the continuous progression of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), and the lack of specific drugs against this disease is a huge challenge. White peony (WP), a widely used traditional Chinese herb, has been confirmed to have a therapeutic value in pSS. However, the specific mechanisms of WP in the treatment of pSS are unknown. Methods. The active ingredients and their targets in WP were searched on the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and disease-related targets were collected from GeneCards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), and the Therapeutic Target Database (TTD). The overlapping targets were acquired by taking the intersection. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was structured using the STRING database. A disease-drug-ingredient-target (D-D-I-T) network was built using Cytoscape software. By filtering twice, core targets were acquired. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were accompanied by R packages. Finally, molecular docking was used to verify the abovementioned results. Results. In total, we screened 88 WP-related targets, 1480 pSS-related targets, and 32 overlapping targets. D-D-I-T Network analysis displayed six main active ingredients of WP, which played a significant therapeutic role in pSS. Further topological analysis selected seven core target genes, including IL-6, TNF, PPARγ, AKT1, CASP3, NOS3, and JUN. GO and KEGG analysis were used to elucidate pharmacological mechanisms, mainly acting in the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Molecular docking proved that paeoniflorin bound well with core targets. Conclusion. Our study revealed that IL-6, TNF, AKT1, CASP3, NOS3, and JUN may be pathogenic target genes, and PPARγ may be a protective target gene. The main active ingredients of WP mainly played a therapeutic role via the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. These findings provide a fundamental and theoretical basis for the clinical application of WP.
Effects of Adipose Plasma Transfusion Compared with Normal Plasma Transfusion on Adverse Transfusion Reactions, Important Functional Indicators, and Clinical Safety in Patients with Parenteral Nutrition: Based on a Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Gong Chunhong , Qin Xingxing , Chen Hongxia , Wu Xing , Wu Juan , Li HuaMin , Wang Wei
Published: August 2022

Objective. Based on a retrospective cohort study, the study aims to investigate the effects of adipose plasma transfusion compared with normal plasma transfusion on adverse transfusion reactions, important functional indicators, and clinical safety in patients with parenteral nutrition (PN). Methods. One hundred and twenty inpatients who needed PN and plasma transfusion in Xianning Central Hospital from September 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, were enrolled as the actual application verification cases. All the patients in the group noticed the informed consent form, and the normal plasma transfusion was set as the control group (n = 40), and the fat plasma transfusion was set as the study group. Mild adipose plasma transfusion was adopted in study group ① and moderate adipose plasma transfusion was used in study group ②, 40 cases in each group. The blood routine tests, blood lipids, blood coagulation, liver function tests, and the incidence of adverse reactions of blood transfusion were compared. Results. The comparison results of platelet count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit among the three groups are as follows: study group ②> study group ①> control group (

P
<
0.05

).The levels of blood lipids in the three groups, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, and low density lipoprotein were compared in group ②>group ①>control group (

P
<
0.05

).The liver function tests indexes of the three groups were compared: ALT, AST, LDH: study ②<study ①study ①>control group. Regarding the incidence of adverse transfusion reactions, the incidence of adverse transfusion reactions in the study group was lower than in the control group (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Compared with normal plasma transfusion, the inpatients who need PN and plasma transfusion can effectively use the scrapped mild and moderate fatty plasma and reduce the plasma scrap rate. In the meantime, it has little effect on the function of the important indexes of the patients, and the incidence of adverse reactions of blood transfusion is low and the safety is high. Infusion of adipose plasma can also improve the effective individual and rational utilization of blood products. Trial registration: This trial is registered with chiCTR220005918.
Anticollision Decision and Control of UAV Swarm Based on Intelligent Cognitive Game
Authors: Zhou Huan , Li Yintong , Han Tong
Published: August 2022

UAV swarm anticollision system is very important to improve the flight safety of the whole swarm formation, while the existing system design methods are still insufficient in realizing autonomous and cooperative anticollision. Based on the cognitive game theory, an intelligent decision-making and control method for UAV swarm anticollision is designed. Firstly, by using the idea of swarm intelligence, basic flight behaviors of UAV swarm are defined as five basic flight rules, such as cohesion, following, self-guidance, dispersion, and alliance. Further, the cognitive security domain of UAV swarm is constructed by setting the overall anticollision rules of the swarm and the anticollision rules of individual members. On this basis, the anticollision problem of UAV swarm is transformed into a game problem involving two parties, and the solution method of decision and control strategy set is proposed. Finally, the stability of anticollision decision and control method is proved through eigenvalue theory. The simulation results show that the method proposed in this paper can effectively realize the autonomous cooperative anticollision of UAV swarm and also has good algorithm real-time solution ability while ensuring flight safety.
Nontargeted Metabolomic Profiling of Huo-Tan-Chu-Shi Decoction in the Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease with Phlegm-damp Syndrome
Authors: Liang Zhaoying , Zeng Qiaohuang , Ou Xiaomin , Cai Jing , Lan Taohua , Lu Weihui
Published: August 2022

Background. Considered an effective supplementary therapy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely applied in the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). In this study, we aim to investigate the effects and mechanisms of Huo-Tan-Chu-Shi decoction (HTCSD, an in-hospital TCM prescription) in the treatment of CHD with the phlegm-damp syndrome in mice by non-targeted metabolomics with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)/MS. Methods. A CHD with phlegm-damp syndrome model was established with ApoE-/- mice by subcutaneous injection with isoproterenol combined with high temperature, high humidity, and a high-fat diet, and divided into the HTCSD and Tanshi groups. C57BL/6 mice were set as the control group with an ordinary environment and diet. After administration, electrocardiogram (ECG), interventricular septum thickness (IVS) and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPW), serum levels of creatine phosphokinase-Mb (CK-MB), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), and myocardial histopathological changes were recorded to assess myocardial damage. LC-MS/MS was applied to demonstrate the serum metabolic profile and explore potential mechanisms. Results. The obvious depressions of the ST segment and T wave presented in the ECG of Tanshi mice, while the depressions in ECG of HTCSD mice were significantly reduced. Compared with the control group, IVS, LVPW, and serum levels of CK-MB, cTnT, LDH, and oxLDL increased greatly in the Tanshi group, while these indicators decreased remarkably in the HTCSD group compared with those of the Tanshi group. Histopathology showed severe structural disorder, necrosis, and fibrosis of myocardial cells in Tanshi mice, which were alleviated in HTCSD mice. Metabonomics analysis showed obvious metabolic alterations among the experimental mice and revealed that the relevant metabolic pathways mainly included phospholipid metabolism, necroptosis, and autophagy. Conclusions. HTCSD has a certain therapeutic effect in mice with CHD with phlegm-damp syndrome via reducing myocardial ischemia, hypertrophy, and fibrosis. The underlying mechanisms involve the regulation of phospholipid metabolism, necroptosis, and autophagy.
An Effective Deep Learning Model for Health Monitoring and Detection of COVID-19 Infected Patients: An End-to-End Solution
Authors: Biradar Vidyadevi G. , Alqahtani Mejdal A. , Nagaraj H. C , Ahmed Emad A. , Tripathi Vikas , Botto-Tobar Miguel , Atiglah Henry Kwame
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 infection is the greatest danger to humankind right now because of the devastation it causes to the lives of its victims. It is important that infected people be tested in a timely manner in order to halt the spread of the disease. Physical approaches are time-consuming, expensive, and tedious. As a result, there is a pressing need for a cost-effective and efficient automated tool. A convolutional neural network is presented in this paper for analysing X-ray pictures of patients’ chests. For the analysis of COVID-19 infections, this study investigates the most suitable pretrained deep learning models, which can be integrated with mobile or online apps and support the mobility of diagnostic instruments in the form of a portable tool. Patients can use the smartphone app to find the nearest healthcare testing facility, book an appointment, and get instantaneous results, while healthcare professionals can keep track of the details thanks to the web and mobile applications built for this study. Medical practitioners can apply the COVID-19 detection model for chest frontal X-ray pictures with ease. A user-friendly interface is created to make our end-to-end solution paradigm work. Based on the data, it appears that the model could be useful in the real world.
Effective Graph Mining for Educational Data Mining and Interest Recommendation
Authors: Xu Shasha
Published: August 2022

In order to fully understand and analyze the rules and cognitive characteristics of users’ learning methods and, with the assistance of Internet and artificial acquaintance technology, to emphasize the integrity and degree of personalized education, a personalized graph-learning-based recommendation system including user portraits is proposed. System raking of data layers, data analysis responses, and recommendations for sum beds are seamless and collaboratively combined. The data layer consists of user data and a design library containing scholarship materials, study materials, and price sets. The data analysis framework is captured by rest and energy data represented by basic information, learning behavior, etc. We can provide perceptual and visual learning audio feedback. And thus witness computing should convey users’ learning behavior rules through similarity analysis and mob algorithm. We further use TF-IDF to sequentially mine users’ resource priorities and always bind personalized learning suggestions. The system has been applied to an online education platform supported by artificial intelligence technique, which can provide instructors and students with personalized portraits. We also proposed to learn audio feedback and data consulting services, typically during the hard work phase of the assistant semester.
Comprehensive Analysis Identifies COL1A1, COL3A1, and POSTN as Key Genes Associated with Brain Metastasis in Patients with Breast Cancer
Authors: Wu Weidan , Zheng Linlin
Published: August 2022

Objective. Brain metastasis (BM) is associated with a high mortality in patients with breast cancer (BC). Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms of BM in BM remain uncertain. The study aims to identify the key genes in BC in relation to BM and to assess their prognostic value. Methods. Two microarray datasets GSE125989 and GSE100534 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between primary BC and BM samples. The function enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were performed. We mapped hub genes into the Kaplan–Meier database for their correlations with BC survival. Results. Venn diagram analysis showed an overlapped upregulated DEG and 18 overlapped downregulated ones between primary BC and BM samples. We constructed the PPI network, and top 5 hub genes were sorted out according to the node degree, including type I collagen α1 chain (COL1A1), lumican (LUM), type III collagen α1 chain (COL3A1), type V collagen α2 chain (COL5A2), and periosteal protein (POSTN). The Kaplan–Meier database analysis found that COL1A1, COL3A1, and POSTN were significantly correlated with overall survival of BC patients. Conclusion. The study suggests that COL1A1, COL3A1, and POSTN may be key genes associated with BM in patients with BC.
Skill Movement Trajectory Recognition of Freestyle Skiing U-Shaped Field Based on Deep Learning and Multitarget Tracking Algorithm
Authors: Song Yang , Zhao Lefa
Published: August 2022

Freestyle skiing U-shaped field is a snow sport that uses double boards to perform a series of action skills in a U-shaped pool, which requires very high skills for athletes. In this era of deep learning, in order to develop a more scientific training method, this paper combines multitarget tracking algorithm and deep learning to conduct research in freestyle skiing U-shaped venue skills motion capture. Therefore, this paper combines the convolutional neural network and multitarget tracking algorithm in deep learning to study the human action recognition technology, and then uses the LSTM module to study the freestyle skiing U-shaped venue skills. Finally, this paper designs the training method of the action recognition algorithm of the freestyle U-shaped skiing skills multitarget tracking algorithm based on deep learning. This paper also designs multitarget tracking dataset experiments and model updating experiments. Based on the data of experimental analysis, the training method designed in this paper is optimized, and finally compared with the traditional training method. Compared with the traditional freestyle U-shaped skiing skills training method, the experimental results show that the training method of the freestyle U-shaped skiing skills multitarget tracking algorithm action recognition algorithm is based on deep learning designed in this paper and this improves the skill score by 14.48%. Most professional students are very satisfied with the training method designed in this paper.
Calculating Relative Correction Factors for Quantitative Analysis with HILIC-HPLC-ELSD Method: Eight Fructooligosaccharides of Morinda Officinalis as a Case Study
Authors: Zhou Lihong , Ni Hui , Zhang Linlin , Wu Wenyong , Zhang Tengqian , Su Qi , Zhou Jing , Long Huali , Hou Jinjun , Gong Jiyu , Wu Wanying
Published: August 2022

Objective. Because the response of evaporating light scattering detector (ELSD) being in a nonlinear mode, there is no consensus on the method of calculating its relative correction factors (RCF), which limits the application of the quantitative analysis for multi-components by a single marker (QAMS) with LC-ELSD. Methods. Using eight fructooligosaccharides of Morinda officinalis as a case study, the nystose (GF3) as a single standard was adopted to develop a QAMS method to simultaneously determine the other seven fructooligosaccharides with HILIC-HPLC-ELSD method. Six calculation methods of RCF were investigated to select the most reasonable method. The relative error of content between the QAMS and the external standard method (ESM) obtained from 30 batches of samples was used as an indicator to evaluate the six methods. Finally, a chemometrics analysis was performed to find the differential components among MO and its three processing products. Results. It was first reported that only one calculation method was scientific for calculating RCF for the LC-ELSD method. The RCFs of GF3 to the other seven fructooligosaccharides (GF1–GF8) were obtained as 0.86, 0.91, 0.93, 1.05, 1.15, 1.12, and 1.18, respectively. The QAMS of eight fructooligosaccharides of Morinda officinalis was validated with good linearity (R2 > 0.9998) and accepted the accuracy of 95–105% (RSD < 1.81%) based on nystose. Finally, Morinda officinalis and its three processed products were distinguished and could be differed based on the content of the eight fructooligosaccharides. Conclusion. The scientific calculation method of RCF would be of great significance for developing the QAMS method in Pharmacopoeia when performing the LC-ELSD method.
The Reform of University Education Teaching Based on Cloud Computing and Big Data Background
Authors: Li Jing , Liu Lei
Published: August 2022

In the era of big data and cloud computing, traditional college teaching model needs to be revolutionized in order to adapt to the needs of the present generation. The traditional college teaching model is currently facing unprecedented severe challenges which could be optimistically considered as a huge scope of development opportunity. In order to promote the gradual transformation of college teaching toward digitization, intelligence, and modernization, this paper comprehensively analyzes the impact of science and technology on college teaching. It further encourages the omnidirectional and multifaceted amalgamation of education with big data and cloud computing technology with an objective to improve the overall teaching level of colleges and universities. In order to realize the accurate evaluation of university teaching reform and improve teaching quality, the study presents an evaluation method of university teaching reform based on in-depth research network. Then, it further analyzes the main contents of university teaching reform, establishes the evaluation department of university teaching reform, and then establishes the evaluation model of university education reform. This is achieved by analyzing the relationship between university education reform and indicators using in-depth learning network followed by the development of simulation experiments pertinent to evaluation of university education reform. The results show that this method is helpful in improving the teaching quality.
The Mechanism of TNF-α-Mediated Accumulation of Phosphorylated Tau Protein and Its Modulation by Propofol in Primary Mouse Hippocampal Neurons: Role of Mitophagy, NLRP3, and p62/Keap1/Nrf2 Pathway
Authors: Zhang Lin , Song Hong , Ding Jie , Wang Dong-jie , Zhu Shi-peng , Liu Chi , Jin Xian , Chen Jia-wei
Published: August 2022

Background. Neuroinflammation-induced phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) deposition in central nervous system contributes to neurodegenerative disorders. Propofol possesses neuroprotective properties. We investigated its impacts on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-mediated p-Tau deposition in neurons. Methods. Mouse hippocampal neurons were exposed to propofol followed by TNF-α. Cell viability, p-Tau, mitophagy, reactive oxygen species (ROS), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), antioxidant enzymes, and p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway were investigated. Results. TNF-α promoted p-Tau accumulation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. TNF-α (20 ng/mL, 4 h) inhibited mitophagy while increased ROS accumulation and NLRP3 activation. It also induced glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) while inhibited protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) phosphorylation. All these effects were attenuated by 25 μM propofol. In addition, TNF-α-induced p-Tau accumulation was attenuated by ROS scavenger, NLRP3 inhibitor, GSK3β inhibitor, or PP2A activator. Besides, compared with control neurons, 100 μM propofol decreased p-Tau accumulation. It also decreased ROS and NLRP3 activation, modulated GSK3β/PP2A phosphorylation, leaving mitophagy unchanged. Further, 100 μM propofol induced p62 expression, reduced Keap1 expression, triggered the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, and upregulated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, which was abolished by p62 knockdown, Keap1 overexpression, or Nrf2 inhibitor. Consistently, the inhibitory effect of 100 μM propofol on ROS and p-Tau accumulation was mitigated by p62 knockdown, Keap1 overexpression, or Nrf2 inhibitor. Conclusions. In hippocampal neurons, TNF-α inhibited mitophagy, caused oxidative stress and NLRP3 activation, leading to GSK3β/PP2A-dependent Tau phosphorylation. Propofol may reduce p-Tau accumulation by reversing mitophagy and oxidative stress-related events. Besides, propofol may reduce p-Tau accumulation by modulating SOD and HO-1 expression through p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway.
The Impact of Hearing Aids on Speech Perception in Mandarin-Speaking Children
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Zheng Yun , Li Gang
Published: August 2022

Background. Severe hearing loss can affect speech perception in children, and hearing aids as a medical device may help improve speech perception in children. Objective. To explore the effects of fitting hearing aids (HAs) on speech perception in children with severe hearing loss (60–70 dB HL). Methods. Ninety-five children with bilateral severe hearing loss who were fitted bilaterally with HAs before the age of 3 years were followed up. The subjects were grouped according to their age at the time of fitting, i.e., <1, 1–2 , and 2–3 years groups. The Mandarin Early Speech Perception test was used to evaluate speech perception of Mandarin monosyllabic words at 12, 24, and 36 months after fitting. Results. There were significant improvements in vowel, consonant, and tone perception scores from 12 to 36 months after fitting HAs in the three age groups, and the mean score at 36 months after fitting was significantly improved at >85%. The mean speech pattern and spondee perception scores averaged at >90% at 12 months after fitting and were comparable to the scores of 2-year-old children with normal hearing. Conclusions. HA helps with speech perception in children with severe hearing loss.
LPS-ORAM: Perfectly Secure Oblivious RAM with Logarithmic Bandwidth Overhead
Authors: Gong Yunping , Gao Fei , Li Wenmin , Zhang Hua , Jin Zhengping , Wen Qiaoyan
Published: August 2022

Oblivious Random Access Machine (ORAM) is a cryptographic tool used to obfuscate the access pattern. In this paper, we focus on perfect security of ORAM. A perfectly secure ORAM is an ORAM that can resist against an adversary with unlimited computing power, and the failure probability of ORAM is zero rather than negligible. Since all existing perfectly secure single-server ORAM solutions require at least sublinear worst-case bandwidth overhead, we pose a natural and open question: can we construct a perfectly secure single-server ORAM with logarithmic worst-case bandwidth overhead? In this paper, we propose the first tree-based perfectly secure ORAM scheme, named LPS-ORAM. To meet the requirements of perfectly secure ORAM, two techniques are presented. One technique is dynamic remapping associated with a mutable scope, and the other is dynamically balanced eviction. Their combined effect allows the root bucket to never fill up while maintaining its statistical security in tree-based ORAM. In the worst case, our solution achieves logarithmic bandwidth overhead. Therefore, our solution answers the open question in the affirmative. In terms of overhead for temporary storage on the client side, compared with the latest perfectly secure ORAM solution, our solution is reduced from sublinear to logarithmic, and even if the server storage overhead scales lightly, it is still at the same level of quantity as the state of the art. Finally, the evaluation results show that our LPS-ORAM has a significant advantage in terms of bandwidth overhead and overhead for temporary storage on the client side.
Application of Overlap Gastroduodenostomy in Billroth I Anastomosis after Totally Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer
Authors: Chen Guojun , Li Wenhuan , Yu Weihua , Cen Dong , Wang Xianfa , Luo Peng , Yan Jiafei , Chen Guofu , Zhu Yiping , Zhu Linhua
Published: August 2022

Delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy (DSGD) and overlap gastroduodenostomy (OGD) are the two most widely used intracorporeal Billroth I anastomosis methods after distal gastrectomy. In this study, we compared the short-term outcomes of DSGD and OGD in total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG). In a retrospective cohort study, we examined 92 gastric cancer patients who underwent TLDG performed by the same surgeon between January 2014 and June 2018. All patients underwent Billroth I reconstruction (OGD, n = 45; DSGD, n = 47) and D2 lymph node dissection. We retrospectively reviewed the surgical outcomes, clinical pathological results, and endoscopy results. Laparoscopic surgery was successfully performed in both groups without conversion to open surgery. The demographic and clinical characteristics were similar between the two groups (

P
>
0.05

). There were no significant differences between the two groups in operation time (158.9 ± 13.6 min vs. 158.8 ± 14.8 min,

P
=
0.955

), anastomotic time (19.4 ± 3.0 min vs. 18.8 ± 2.9 min,

P
=
0.354

), intraoperative blood loss (88.9 ± 25.4 mL vs. 83.7 ± 24.3 mL,

P
=
0.321

), number of lymph node dissections (31.0 ± 7.1 vs. 29.2 ± 7.5,

P
=
0.229

), length of hospital stay (8.8 ± 2.7 days vs. 9.1 ± 3.0 days,

P
=
0.636

), fluid intake time (3.1 ± 0.7 days vs. 3.2 ± 0.7 days,

P
=
0.914

), and morbidity of postoperative complications (6.7% [3/45] vs. 10.6% [5/47],

P
=
0.499

). Endoscopy performed 6 months postoperatively showed that the residual food (

P
=
0.033

), gastritis (

P
=
0.029

), and bile (

P
=
0.022

) classification score significantly decreased in the OGD group, and there were no significant differences 12 months postoperatively. OGD is a safe and effective reconstruction technique with comparable postoperative surgical outcomes and endoscopy results when compared with those of DSGD.
Machine Learning-Based Multimodel Computing for Medical Imaging for Classification and Detection of Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Alghamedy Fatemah H. , Shafiq Muhammad , Liu Lijuan , Yasin Affan , Khan Rehan Ali , Mohammed Hussien Sobahi
Published: August 2022

Alzheimer is a disease that causes the brain to deteriorate over time. It starts off mild, but over the course of time, it becomes increasingly more severe. Alzheimer’s disease causes damage to brain cells as well as the death of those cells. Memory in humans is especially susceptible to this. Memory loss is the first indication of Alzheimer’s disease, but as the disease progresses and more brain cells die, additional symptoms arise. Medical image processing entails developing a visual portrayal of the inside of a body using a range of imaging technologies in order to discover and cure problems. This paper presents machine learning-based multimodel computing for medical imaging for classification and detection of Alzheimer disease. Images are acquired first. MRI images contain noise and contrast problem. Images are preprocessed using CLAHE algorithm. It improves image quality. CLAHE is better to other methods in its capacity to enhance the look of mammography in minute places. A white background makes the lesions more obvious to the naked eye. In spite of the fact that this method makes it simpler to differentiate between signal and noise, the images still include a significant amount of graininess. Images are segmented using the k-means algorithm. This results in the segmentation of images and identification of region of interest. Useful features are extracted using PCA algorithm. Finally, images are classified using machine learning algorithms.
Chemical Profiles and Antiobesity Effect of a Mixture of Astragalus membranaceus and Lithospermum erythrorhizon Extract in High Fat Diet Fed Mice
Authors: Choi Doo Jin , Choi Bo-Ram , Lee HaeJin , Kim Seong Cheol , Yoon Dahye , Lee Young-Seob , Han Kyung-Sook , Park Sung-Bum , Kim Geum-Soog , Lee Dae Young
Published: August 2022

The present study aimed to evaluate the antiobesity potential and synergistic effects of ALM16, a mixture of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and Lithospermum erythrorhizon (LE) extracts, in HFD-induced obese mice. C57BL/6 mice were fed a normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD + AM, HFD + LE or HFD + ALM16 (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) daily for 5 weeks. Compared to the ND group, HFD-fed mice showed significant increases in body weight, food efficiency ratio, weights of white adipose tissues, adipocytes size, liver weight, and hepatic steatosis grade. However, ALM16 significantly reduced those increases induced by HFD. Moreover, as compared to the HFD group, the ALM16 group significantly ameliorated serum levels of lipid profiles (TG, TC, HDL, and LDL), adipokines (leptin and adiponectin), and liver damage markers (AST and ALT levels). Notably, ALM16 was more effective than AM or LE alone and had a similar or more potent effect than Garcinia cambogia extracts, as a positive control, at the same dose. These results demonstrate that ALM16 synergistically exerts anti-obesity effects based on complementary interactions between each component. Also, metabolic profiling between each extract and the ALM16 was confirmed by UPLC-QTOF/MS, and the difference was confirmed by relative quantification.
Prediction of Soil Available Boron Content in Visible-Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Based on Different Preprocessing Transformations and Characteristic Wavelengths Modeling
Authors: Zhu Juanjuan , Jin Xiu , Li Shaowen , Han Yalu , Zheng Wenrui
Published: August 2022

The trace element boron (Boron, B) is an important factor in crops’ development, pollination, and fertilization. Available boron (AB) in soil is the main source of boron nutrient absorption for crops. Rapid detection of AB is of great significance for crop nutrition diagnosis, soil testing and fertilization, precision agriculture development, scientific production management, and guarantee of stable yield and high quality. In this study, we propose a new method to predict soil available boron content using handheld nonimaging hyperspectroscopy in the visible-near-infrared range (350–1655 nm). As boron content is one of the fewest soil chemical elements, a rapid and accurate method has yet to be developed to detect and quantify the soil available boron. Visible-near-infrared ray (VIS-NIR) spectroscopy is widely utilized in the detection and quantification of soil available nutrients. There is, however, scant research on the detection of soil boron based on NIR data, and the performance of current regression model is still far from satisfactory. Our soil samples were collected from southern Anhui, China, with their NIR spectroscopy examined and the NIR data pretreated by 29 transformations and modeled with 10 regression algorithms. Of all the tested methods, SVM_RBF, BPNN, and PLS_RBF algorithms demonstrated the best performance and gave 0.80∼0.82 coefficient of determination value. At the same time, Random Forest algorithm (RFA), Successive Projection Algorithm (SPA), and Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) were used to extract the spectral characteristic wavelength data of soil available boron, and then the characteristic wavelength data were modeled with three regression algorithms: SVM_RBF, PLS_RBF, and BPNN. A comparative analysis of the prediction performance (

R

2

, RPD, RMSE, and RPIQ) of the models established at the full band showed that the RFA-MSC/BPNN model achieved the best performance. Compared with the best full-wavelength model DT/SVM_RBF, the test set achieved a 3.06% increase in

R

2

, a 7.12% drop in RMSE, a 7.71% gain in RPD, and a 7.78% increase in RPIQ. Our work sheds lights on how to achieve rapid quantification of the soil available boron concentration.
Salivary 17-Hydroxyprogesterone Levels in Children with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study Considering Auxological Parameters
Authors: Dubinski Ilja , Bechtold Susanne , Bidlingmaier Martin , Reisch Nicole , Schmidt Heinrich
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Children with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) have an impaired steroid synthesis due to 21-hydroxylase dysfunction and require glucocorticoid replacement. Therapy management in children and adolescent is based on auxological, clinical, and laboratory monitoring. The measurement of steroid precursors in saliva is particularly suitable for patients in pediatric endocrinology. Methods: In this retrospective and longitudinal study of 22 patients with CAH, we analyzed 546 saliva samples for 17-hydroxyprogesterone (s17-OHP) in prepubertal/pubertal patients. Additionally, we correlated them with auxological parameters such as delta-height standard deviation score. Results: We analyzed a median observation period of 5.5 years per patient. No precocious pubertal development, abnormal vital signs, or Addison crises occurred. 57.1% of the samples were collected in prepubertal children. 72.5% of s17-OHP values were attributed to normal auxological development. In the total cohort, the median values for s17-OHP were 67.8 pg/mL (morning), 42.5 pg/mL (noon), and 25.0 pg/mL (evening). The difference in values between the group of normal/abnormal growing patients and between prepubertal/pubertal patients was not significant. Discussion/Conclusion: The measurement of s17-OHP is an important sub-aspect in the overall assessment of treatment response in CAH. It can provide an indication of over-/undertreatment and allows the assessment of day profiles, especially in phases of changing (e.g., puberty) steroid requirements. We present here observational data from a larger cohort with longitudinal multiple measurements of s17-OHP. The values do not allow a significant differentiation between normal and abnormal growth or pubertal status. Thus, relying solely on s17-OHP is not advisable.
ANALYSIS OF MICROBIOME DIVERSITY IN CANCER
Authors: Azizah Norma Nur
Published: August 2022

There have been many studies linking the microbiome to a disease, including cancer. The microbiome is all the genetic material in the form of bacteria, fungi or viruses that exist in parts of the human body. The microbiome is reported to trigger cancer due to the presence of certain pathogenic microbes or the presence of dysbiosis. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse the diversity of the microbiome to see the relationship. Metagenomics is the latest technology that can be used to analyse the diversity of the microbiome in cancer. There are two approaches in metagenomic analysis, namely targeted sequencing and sequencing of the entire metagenome. This paper will discuss a targeted sequencing metagenomic approach for the identification of microbial diversity in cancer.
FUNDAMENTALS OF PROTEIN-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS AND THEIR METHODS OF CHARACTERIZATION
Authors: Audah Kholis
Published: August 2022

Protein-protein interactions are ubiquitous biological phenomena in all types of organism and play vital roles in various metabolic processes. Therefore, it is very important to understand how protein-protein interactions take place and govern different mechanisms at cellular and molecular levels. Thus, determination of protein-protein interactions is the key in elucidating such mechanisms.        In order to provide adequate knowledge and guidance in selecting appropriate methods to determine protein-protein interactions, this article will review basic principles, definitions, terminologies, parameters and classification of protein-protein interactions, obtained either from in silico or laboratory experimental works. Some examples of commonly used biochemical and biophysical methods for characterization of protein-protein interactions were also discussed.
“Other” Strategies in the Eastern Caucasus (Part II): Typology
Authors: Lander Yury , Maisak Timur
Published: August 2022

The paper describes expressions with the meaning ‘other’ in East Caucasian (Nakh-Daghestanian) languages. It is shown that four main strategies can be distinguished: i) the ‘one’-based strategy: ‘other’ includes the numeral ‘one’; ii) the demonstrative-based strategy: ‘other’ includes a demonstrative pronoun; iii) the mixed demonstrative-based + ‘one’- based strategy: ‘other’ includes both a demonstrative and the numeral ‘one’; and iv) the lexical strategy: ‘other’ is a dedicated adjective (pronoun), not necessarily derived from any other clearly discernable source.
The Provenance of Ancient Cotton and Wool Textiles from Nubia: Insights from Technical Textile Analysis and Strontium Isotopes
Authors: Wozniak Magdalena M. , Belka Zdzislaw
Published: August 2022

Late antique and medieval cotton and wool textiles found in the middle Nile Valley (Nubia, northern Sudan) were analysed for their technical characteristics and strontium (Sr) isotope composition. All wool textiles exhibit Sr isotope signatures consistent with the isotopic background of the region studied and are considered to be of local origin. However, a medieval wool kilim from Meinarti shows technical and aesthetic features suggesting its foreign Maghreb provenance. As this fabric dates back to the occupation of Meinarti by the Beni Ikrima tribe, it is suggested that the kilim was woven by the Beni Ikrima people from local Nubian raw material. The cotton samples tested come from abroad and document trade with the oases of the Egyptian Western Desert, the west coast of India, and perhaps also with the Arabian Peninsula or Pakistan.
Practices of (Micro)Marronage
Authors: Witcher Aaron Thomas
Published: August 2022

While marronage has come to symbolize paradigmatic resistance to slavery, and by extension colonialism, its primary sense—that of flight from the plantation—has not sufficiently attended to the modes of resistance employed by enslaved women who enacted other, multitudinous forms of marronage. Yet, by foregrounding the experiences of enslaved women in her novel Humus, Fabienne Kanor broadens and reconceptualizes marronage to include figurative modes of “flight” which occur within the plantation space. Through the figures of the domestic and manbo (Vodou priestess), Kanor shows how praxes effected by enslaved women—in the form of espionage, direct confrontation with Whites, or the cultural transplantation of Vodou—resisted, to the same end as literal flight, the social and cultural erasure of the plantation and its consequent dehumanization of the enslaved.
New species of the genus Philotella Najt & Weiner, 1985 (Collembola, Neanuridae, Pseudachorutinae) from the Russian Far East
Authors: BABENKO ANATOLY , SHVEENKOVA YULIA , POTAPOV MIKHAIL
Published: August 2022

Eight new species of the genus Philotella, i.e. P. pax sp. nov., P. oligotricha sp. nov., P. cedrina sp. nov., P. aliniensis sp. nov., P. amurica sp. nov., P. alba sp. nov., P. pallida sp. nov., and P. caeca sp. nov., are described based on extensive ecological samplings conducted by specialists of the Department of Zoology and Ecology, Moscow State Pedagogical University, in various parts of the Russian Far East. Three previously known species were transferred from the genus Micranurida to Philotella to become P. grana (Lee & Kim, 1984) comb. nov., P. porcella (Fjellberg, 1985) comb. nov. and P. japonica (Tamura, 1998) comb. nov. The main diagnostic features of the genus and its differences from the most similar genera of the subfamily Pseudachorutinae are discussed, and a regional key for identifying the Eastern Palearctic species of the genus is given.
Sources of Stochasticity in the Growth of Cloud Droplets: Supersaturation Fluctuations versus Turbulent Transport
Authors: Prabhakaran Prasanth , Thomas Subin , Cantrell Will , Shaw Raymond A. , Yang Fan
Published: August 2022

The role played by fluctuations of supersaturation in the growth of cloud droplets is examined in this study. The stochastic condensation framework and the three regimes of activation of cloud droplets— namely, mean dominant, fluctuation influenced, and fluctuation dominant—are used for analyzing the data from high-resolution large-eddy simulations of the Pi convection-cloud chamber. Based on a detailed budget analysis the significance of all the terms in the evolution of the droplet size distribution equation is evaluated in all three regimes. The analysis indicates that the mean-growth rate is a dominant process in shaping the droplet size distribution in all three regimes. Turbulence introduces two sources of stochasticity, turbulent transport and particle lifetime, and supersaturation fluctuations. The transport of cloud droplets plays an important role in all three regimes, whereas the direct effect of supersaturation fluctuations is primarily related to the activation and growth of the small droplets in the fluctuation-influenced and fluctuation-dominant regimes. We compare our results against the previous studies (experimental and theory) of the Pi chamber, and discuss the limitations of the existing models based on the stochastic condensation framework. Furthermore, we extend the discussion of our results to atmospheric clouds, and in particular focus on recent adiabatic turbulent cloud parcel simulations based on the stochastic condensation framework, and emphasize the importance of entrainment/mixing and turbulent transport in shaping the droplet size distribution.
Fair-Weather Atmospheric Charge Measurements with a Small UAS
Authors: Schön Martin , Nicoll Keri Anne , Büchau Yann Georg , Chindea Stefan , Platis Andreas , Bange Jens
Published: August 2022

Atmospheric electricity measurements made from small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are rare but are of increasing interest to the atmospheric science community due to the information that they can provide about aerosol and turbulence characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Here we present the first analysis of a new dataset of space charge and meteorology measurements made from the small, electric, fixed-wing UAS model MASC-3. Two distinct experiments are discussed: 1) Flights past a 99 m metal tower to test the response of the charge sensor to a fixed distortion of the electric field caused by the geometry of the tower. Excellent agreement is found between the charge sensor response from the MASC-3 and modeled electric field around the tower. 2) Vertical profiles up to an altitude of 2500 m to study the evolution of the ABL with the time of day. These flights demonstrated close agreement between the space charge profiles and temperature, relative humidity, and turbulence parameters, as would be expected on a fair-weather day with summertime convection. Maximum values of space charge measured were of order 70 pC m−3, comparable with other measurements in the literature from balloon platforms. These measurements demonstrate the suitability of small UAS for atmospheric electrical measurements, provided that care is taken over the choice of aircraft platform, sensor placement, minimization of electrical interference, and careful choice of the flight path. Such aircraft are typically more cost-effective than manned aircraft and are being increasingly used for atmospheric science purposes.