bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dual target effect of hemiprotonic phenoline-phenoline+ on inhibiting metastatic breast cancer and concurrent candidiasis
Authors: Li Jingli , Zhao Zizhen , You Dongmei , Xie Yafang , Feng Yixiao , Li Xiaorong , Cui Zhihong , Fu Ailing 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Metastatic breast cancer is a challenge in clinical, and the frequent occurrence of concurrent infections in patients is a direct cause of patient death. However, there is no effective treatment to improve the survival rate and extend the survival period. Here we propose a dual target strategy to treat the cancer and concurrent candidiasis. Since hemiprotonic dimers generally have high biological activity, a chemical called hemiprotonic phenoline-phenoline+ (ph-ph+) was used in the study to explore the feasibility of dual target effect of anticancer and antifungus.
Methods
The metastasis of breast cancer cells were detected by transwell migration and invasion assay, as well as cell scratch assay. The fungicidal effect of ph-ph+ was evaluated by MIC and MFC. The targets were identified by pPLAGL2 transfection and caseinolytic peptidase P (CLpP) activity determination. The animal model of experimental metastatic breast cancer combined with candidiasis was prepared to prove the anticancer and antifungal effect.
Results
The results showed that ph-ph+ could suppress the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells, and meanwhile kill Candida albicans (C. albicans) effectively. The mechanism of antifungus and anticancer of ph-ph+ was associated with the activation of an evolutionarily conserved protease CLpP. Also, ph-ph+ could inhibit the signaling pathway mediated by PLAGL2 that highly expressed in cancer cells, thereby participating in preventing cell metastasis and inducing apoptosis. In experimental animal model, ph-ph+ retarded the growth and metastasis of the cancer cells, and eliminate C. albicans in tissues at the same time.
Conclusions
The result suggests that CLpP and PLAGL2 as dual targets could be an potential approach against metastatic cancer and pathogenic fungus, and identifies the effectiveness of ph-ph+ as the dual target inhibitor.
Lower parasite pressure in invasive freshwater bivalves than in sympatric native Unionidae mussels in southern European lakes
Authors: Deng Binglin , Nicoletta Riccardi , Urbańska Maria , Marjomäki Timo , Andrzejewski Wojciech , Taskinen Jouni 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH) proposes that the success of bioinvasions is contributed by lower enemy pressure on invasive species compared to native ones, giving a competitive advantage for invaders. In line with EHR, we earlier observed that the invasive bivalves had a lower parasite pressure than the sympatric native freshwater mussels in northern European waterbodies. Here, we investigated ERH in three southern European lakes, where the native mussels are rapidly declining and replaced by exotic bivalves. Examination of 679 bivalves (n of individuals per species per lake varying from 12 to 187) collected 2016-18 revealed in total 11 parasite taxa. On average, 2.6 times higher number of parasite taxa and 3.4 times higher sum of infection prevalences was observed per lake among the native mussels (Anodonta exulcerata, A. cygnea, A. anatina and Unio elongatulus) than in the sympatric invasive bivalves (Dreissena polymorpha, Corbicula fluminea and Sinanodonta woodiana). Notable was the complete lack of parasites from C. fluminea. Thus, results supported ERH and were in accordance with previous results from northern Europe, suggesting, on average, a lower parasite pressure in invasive bivalves than in sympatric native mussels. This may contribute to the observed successful invasion of exotic freshwater bivalves in Europe.
A robust optimisation genetic algorithm for HDR prostate brachytherapy including all major uncertainties II: Algorithm evaluation on 49 patients
Authors: Kennedy Andrew C. , Douglass Michael J. J. , Gowda Raghavendra V. , Santos Alexandre M. C. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Introduction:
Treatment plans in high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy (BT) are currently optimised to meet clinical objectives in the nominal plan; however, uncertainties cause the scenario delivered to deviate from this plan and may fail objectives. A robust optimiser generates plans that maximise the probability of dose-volume-histogram (DVH) metrics passing in the delivered scenario.
Method:
A probabilistic robust optimiser was evaluated on 49 patients. Three objective functions were maximised to obtain the Pareto front consisting of 200 robust-optimised treatment plans. Each objective function approximated the robustness of three DVH metrics: (1) the minimum dose to the hottest 90% of the prostate, \({\text{D}}_{90}^{\text{P}}\), the maximum doses to the (2) urethra, \({\text{D}}_{0.01 \text{c}\text{c}}^{\text{U}}\), and (3) rectum, \({\text{D}}_{0.1 \text{c}\text{c}}^{\text{R}}\). Pareto front plans were robustly evaluated using 1000 probabilistic uncertainty scenarios, outputting the pass-rates for \({\text{D}}_{90}^{\text{P}}\), \({\text{D}}_{0.01 \text{c}\text{c}}^{\text{U}}\), \({\text{D}}_{0.1 \text{c}\text{c}}^{\text{R}}\), and all three simultaneously, the overall pass-rate. The best robust-optimised plan was selected from the Pareto front and compared to the TPS-optimised plan for ten patients by a radiation oncologist, then 49 patient robust-optimised plans were compared.
Results:
All robust-optimised plans had higher overall pass-rates (mean: 50.7 ± 1.5%, SD: 14.2%) compared to the TPS-optimised plans (mean: 32.0 ± 1.5%, SD: 12.3%). This was also the case with the \({\text{D}}_{0.01 \text{c}\text{c}}^{\text{U}}\) pass-rates with the robust-optimised plans having a mean of 66.0 ± 1.3% (SD: 12.1) compared with 47.2 ± 1.3% (SD: 9.3%). The pass-rates for \({\text{D}}_{90}^{\text{P}}\) were higher for the robust-optimised plans (mean: 85.6 ± 1.1%, SD: 9.5%) in 36 patients, the TPS-optimised mean was 82.2 ± 1.1% (SD: 13.8%). Twenty-seven patients had higher \({\text{D}}_{0.1 \text{c}\text{c}}^{\text{R}}\) pass-rates in the robust-optimised plans with a mean of 94.54 ± 0.56% (SD: 7.35%) compared with 93.71 ± 0.56% (SD: 6.73%).
Conclusion:
A robust optimisation algorithm generated treatment plans with higher robustness than the TPS-optimised plans for nine out of ten patients, evaluated by a radiation oncologist, in an average time of 1-minute-49-seconds.
Can gallbladder cancer patients experience benefits from marriage? A competing risk analysis in a real-world context
Authors: Jin Haimin , Du Danwei , Xie Yangyang , Jin Haijuan , Tong Jinfei , Li Binbin , Chu Weijian 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background: The association between marital status and gallbladder cancer (GBC) remains uncertain. This study aimed to verify the relationship between marital status and GBC and construct a prognostic nomogram to predict the impact of marital status on GBC patients.
Method: GBC patients were split into married and unmarried groups and added to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We employed competing risk analyses, propensity score matching (PSM), and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. After that, the relationship between marital status and GBC was verified and the predicted nomogram was constructed.
Results: A cohort of 76 patients from Hangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Hospital was selected as the external validation group, with an additional 3193 GBC patients obtained from the SEER database. Following PSM, both cohorts exhibited comparable 5-year cancer-specific survival rates. Notably, the results of the competing risk analysis unveiled a significant disparity in the 5-year cumulative incidence of cancer-specific death (CSD) between the two cohorts (59.1% vs. 65.2%, p = 0.003). Furthermore, the multivariate competing hazards regression analysis identified a noteworthy association (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04-1.31; p = 0.007) between marital status and CSD. To assess the 1-, 3-, and 5-year risks of CSD, a comprehensive competing event nomogram was constructed utilizing factors derived from the multivariate analysis.
The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year training cohorts were 0.806, 0.785, and 0.776, respectively. In the internal validation cohort, these values were 0.798, 0.790, and 0.790, while the external validation cohort exhibited AUC values of 0.748, 0.835, and 0.883 for the corresponding time intervals.
Furthermore, calibration curves manifested a commendable level of concordance between the observed and predicted probabilities of CSD.
Conclusion: Marital status offers potential benefits for GBC. Married GBC patients have better cancer-specific survival. The suggested nomogram demonstrates exceptional predictive power.
Predictors of Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with Blood-stream Infections Caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase-Producing K. pneumoniae
Authors: Teo Mei-Yuan , Leu Shaw-Wei , Chiu Li-Chung , Chang Ko-Wei , Wu Bing-Chen , Chuang Li-Pang , Lin Shih-Wei , Hsieh Meng-Jer , Wu Huang-Pin , Kao Kuo-Chin , Hu Han-Chung 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (KPC-Kp), particularly blood-stream infections (BSIs), are increasingly emerging as contributors to mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The challenge in treating KPC-Kp induced BSIs lies in the difficulty of providing early active antibiotic therapy and limited number of effective antibiotics available. The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors for mortality in critically ill ICU patients with KPC-Kp induced BSIs.
Materials and Methods
This retrospective study included the data of adult patients who had KPC-Kp induced BSIs and were admitted to the ICU of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan, during the period from January 2017 to December 2021. All patients experienced respiratory failure and were on mechanical ventilation. We analyzed the outcomes in the patients with KPC-Kp induced BSIs.
Results
We included 168 patients with KPC-Kp BSIs during the study period. The 30-day mortality rate was 61.9%. Compared with the patients who survived, those who died had a higher Pitt bacteremia score (7.0 ± 2.6 vs 4.2 ± 2.9, P < 0.001), higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (12.0 ± 4.1 vs6.2 ± 3.8, p < 0.001), a greater need for continuous renal replacement therapy (27.9% vs 9.4%, P < 0.002), and a higher prevalence of intra-abdominal infections (9.6% vs 0%, P < 0.001). In addition, patients who died within 30 days had lower platelets counts (93.7 ± 84.7 vs 171.1 ± 120.2, P < 0.001) and higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (131.3 ± 92.3 vs 88.7 ± 81.0, P < 0.003). Our multivariate analysis revealed that CRP levels and SOFA scores were independently associated with mortality, whereas treatment with a Ceftazidime-Avibactam based regimen and appropriate antibiotic treatment within 48 hours after BSIs onset were independently associated with favorable outcome.
Conclusions
Appropriate antibiotic treatments within 48 hours after BSIs onset and Ceftazidime-Avibactam treatment are crucial for reducing mortality among critically ill ICU patients.
Improving the End to End Protection in E-voting using BVM - Blockchain based e-Voting Mechanism
Authors: Gupta Sweta , Gupta Kamlesh Kumar , Shukla Piyush Kumar 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The voting is always a crucial topic of public attention for democratic reasons. Due to its simplicity, ease of use, and low cost, e-voting is frequently used for such decision outcomes. The tremendous authority and intervening data in current e-voting systems, however, make them risky and make it difficult to achieve correct equity and clarity in e-voting. By combining e-voting with blockchain technology, these issues are resolved while providing reorganisation and intervention-resistant characteristics. A voter's improper manipulation, such as absenteeism, frequent voting, or non-party voting, may also undermine fairness. A verifier is therefore required to check the e-voting mechanism in order to ensure its effectiveness and control the process equality and fairness. In this paper, a Blockchain based e-Voting Mechanism (BVM) is developed for providing the end to end security and fairness for the transparent voting. This mechanism also provides a Zero-knowledge Proof (ZP) based verifier to inspect the voting procedure against voter`s misoperations and uses a Master-key Administration (MA) based public key cryptography to attack prevention. The utilization of blockchain technology ensures transparency, tamper resistance, and a high level of data integrity, making it a promising choice for modernizing and enhancing the electoral process. Also the performance of BVM has been compared and analysed based on time complexity, security analysis, performance factors like delay and throughput and antiattack examination.
Transport of American bullfrogs in plastic boxes with and without moistened foam: plasma biochemistry and erythrogram responses
Authors: Alves Adriana Xavier , Santos Nayara Netto dos , Reis Gean Paulo Andrade , Lana Mariele , Santos Bruno Dias dos , Azevedo Ragli Oliveira , Paulino Renan Rosa , Costa Frederico Augusto Alcântara , Campelo Daniel Abreu Vasconcelos , Veras Galileu Crovatto 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate two transportation methods on the plasma biochemistry and erythrogram responses bullfrogs. The animals were transported for 10 hours in boxes without and with moistened foam. Then, the frogs' condition was evaluated 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after transportation. There was no mortality. The glucose in frogs, in both transportations, increased at 0 and 12 hours and returned to basal levels at 24 hours. Triglyceride increased in animals 0 and at 6 hours, in both transportations. After 12 hours, frogs transported with foam recovered, while the without foam recovered after 24 hours. Plasma proteins and globulins increased in frogs at 0 hours, under both transportations. After 48 hours, there was a reduction in plasma proteins in frogs transported without foam. Globulins decreased 24 hours in frogs transported without foam and after 48 hours under both transportations. Albumin increased in animals at 12, 24, and 48 hours. Frogs transported with foam had high albumin. The albumin/globulin ratio increased in frogs evaluated 24 and 48 hours, in both transportations. The number of erythrocytes was higher in frogs evaluated 0 hours, in both transportations, and recovered 6 and 12 hours in transported with and without foam, respectively. Hematocrit and hemoglobin were higher in frogs evaluated 0 hours and recovered after 6 hours, in both transportations. MCV increased in frogs transported with foam 48 hours after transportation. MCH decreased in frogs evaluated 12, 24, and 48 hours, in both transportations. In bullfrogs transported with foam, MCHC was lower.
Predictive model of prognosis index for invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast based on machine learning: A SEER population-based study
Authors: Jing Zirong , Yu Yushuai , Yu Xin , Wang Qing , Huang Kaiyan , Song Chuangui 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) is a rare subtype of breast cancer. Its epidemiological features, treatment principles, and prognostic factors remain controversial.
Objective
This study aimed to develop an improved machine learning-based model to predict the prognosis of patients with invasive micropapillary carcinoma.
Methods
A total of 1123 patients diagnosed with IMPC after surgery between 1998 and 2019 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to explore independent prognostic factors for the overall and disease-specific survival of patients with IMPC. Five machine learning algorithms were developed to predict the 5-year survival of these patients.
Results
Cox regression analysis indicated that patients aged > 65 years had a significantly worse prognosis than those younger in age, while unmarried patients had a better prognosis than married patients. Patients diagnosed between 2001 and 2005 had a significant risk reduction of mortality compared with other periods. The XGBoost model outperformed the other models with a precision of 0.818 and an area under the curve of 0.863. Important features established using the XGBoost model were the year of diagnosis, age, histological type, and primary site, representing the four most relevant variables for explaining the 5-year survival status.
Conclusions
A machine learning model for IMPC in patients with breast cancer was developed to estimate the 5-year OS. The XGBoost model had a promising performance and can help clinicians determine the early prognosis of patients with IMPC; therefore, the model can improve clinical outcomes by influencing management strategies and patient health care decisions.
Gasoline Vehicle Performance Evaluation Using Gasoline-Ethanol-Water Emulsion as a Fuel
Authors: Gzate Yewondwosen 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The aim of this work is to improve and compare the performance of pure gasoline ethanol blend and hydrous ethanol blend fuels for spark ignition engine without major fuel system component modification. The comparative experiments were conduct on mechanical gasoline engine fueled with pure gosine, E10 and HE10.The effects of the engine loads and the additions of ethanol and water on combustion and emission characteristics were analyzed deeply. The modified engine was tested with gasoline-ethanol-water blend emulsion as a fuel, and the effect of data were recorded on brake torque, brake power, brake specific fuel consumption, thermal efficiency, exhaust emission (CO, CO2, HC, O2) and smoke emission. In addition to performance test, the study on the miscibility of water, ethanol and gasoline blend was conducted mainly to know what extent water can be added to ethanol gasoline blend without phase separation. The amount of water it can be tolerate in the hydrous alcohol when used as a blending component with gasoline is up to 5% of ethanol. Higher water solubility in ethanol gasoline blends may be obviously useful and suitable nevertheless, temperature continuous ability of water to remain soluble in the blend is significantly affected by temperature and improvement in combustion characteristics. According to the experimental results, compared with pure gasoline and E10 blend, HE10 showed higher peak brake torque at high load. Increases in brake power were observes for HE10 fuel at all the operating conditions. The usage of HE10 fuel at optimum load conditions reduces HC, CO and CO2 emissions significantly. In addition, decreases in NOX emissions were observed for HE10 from 0 Nm to 80 Nm. From the results, it can be concluded that HE10 fuel can be regard as a potential alternative fuel for gasoline engine applications.
Contamination of a drug consumption room with drugs and potential risks for social health care workers
Authors: Cuffaro Flore , Dahm Georges , Marson Claude , Berlemont Patrick , Yegles Michel , Allar Claudia , Fauchet Lionel , Creta Matteo , Schneider Serge 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
Studies have shown that contamination of surfaces by illicit drugs frequently occurs in forensic laboratories when manipulating seized samples as well as in pharmacies and hospitals when preparing medicinal drugs. In this project, we extended these studies to a Drug Consumption Room to investigate drug levels and possible exposure of the staff members.
Methods
We investigated pre and post cleaning contamination by heroin and cocaine and their degradation products 6-monoacetylmorphine and benzoylecgonine on different surfaces (tables, counters, computers and door handles) and in the ambient air. We also collected urine and hair samples from staff members to check for potential short and long term contaminations.
Results
Medium to heavy contamination has been detected on most surfaces and door handles; as expected, air contamination was particularly high in the smoking room. Drug levels were <LOD to very low in the urine and the hair samples of staff members tested.
Conclusion
The cleaning efficiency of the surfaces, carried out by staff and drug users after drug consumption, was often not satisfactory. The very low drug levels in hair indicate that acute health risks for staff members are low.
Deadlock-free, Safe, and Decentralized Multi-Robot Navigation in Social Mini-Games via Discrete-Time Control Barrier Functions
Authors: Chandra Rohan , Zinage Vrushabh , Bakolas Efstathios , Stone Peter , Biswas Joydeep 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
We present an approach to ensure safe and deadlock-free navigation for decentralized multi-robot systems operating in constrained environments, including doorways and intersections. Although many solutions have been proposed that ensure safety and resolve deadlocks, optimally preventing deadlocks in a minimally invasive and decentralized fashion remains an open problem. We first formalize the objective as a non-cooperative, non-communicative, partially observable multi-robot navigation problem in constrained spaces with multiple conflicting agents, which we term as social mini-games. Formally, we solve a discrete-time optimal receding horizon control problem leveraging control barrier functions for safe long-horizon planning. Our approach to ensuring liveness rests on the insight that there exists barrier certificates that allow each robot to preemptively perturb their state in a minimally-invasive fashion onto liveness sets i.e. states where robots are deadlock-free. We evaluate our approach in simulation as well on physical robots using F1/10 robots, a Clearpath Jackal, as well as a Boston Dynamics Spot in a doorway, hallway, and corridor intersection scenario. Compared to both fully decentralized and centralized approaches with and without deadlock resolution capabilities, we demonstrate that our approach results in safer, more efficient, and smoother navigation, based on a comprehensive set of metrics including success rate, collision rate, stop time, change in velocity, path deviation, time-to-goal, and flow rate.