bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An assessment of survival outcomes among ovarian cancer patients at the National and Referral Hospital in Kenya
Authors: Mayenga Diana Bironga , Degu Amsalu 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundOvarian cancer has been shown to have poor survival outcomes attributed to late presentation. In Kenya, information on the survival outcomes of ovarian cancer patients is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the survival outcomes among patients with ovarian cancer treated at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).AimsA hospital‐based retrospective cohort study was performed at KNH to examine the survival outcomes of 112 ovarian cancer patients. The study employed a structured data abstraction tool to acquire patients' relevant socio‐demographic and clinical characteristics from the patient's medical records. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 29.0 statistical software. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to determine the survival outcome and predictors of mortality among ovarian cancer patients, respectively.Methods and resultsThe mean age of the patients in this study was 51.28 ± 14.24 years. Most patients (59.8%) had evidence of distant metastasis during the follow‐up period. One‐third (33%) of patients were deceased. The mean‐cancer‐specific survival time among the study participants was 40.0 ± 3.0 months. The 5‐year survival rate was 44%, with most patients experiencing disease progression during the last follow‐up. Combination therapy (p < .001) was the only statistically significant predictor of mortality in ovarian cancer patients.ConclusionThe study found that the 5‐year survival rate among ovarian cancer patients was poor, with most patients experiencing disease progression during the last follow‐up period.
Impaired monocyte‐derived dendritic cell phenotype in prostate cancer patients: A phenotypic comparison with healthy donors
Authors: Bakhshi Parisa , Nourizadeh Maryam , Sharifi Laleh , Nowroozi Mohammad R. , Mohsenzadegan Monireh , Farajollahi Mohammad M. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundDendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in immunity. Research on monocyte‐derived DCs (Mo‐DCs) cancer vaccines is in progress despite limited success in clinical trials. This study focuses on Mo‐DCs generated from prostate cancer (PCA) patients, comparing them with DCs from healthy donors (HD‐DCs).MethodsMo‐DCs were isolated from PCA patient samples, and their phenotype was compared to HD‐DCs. Key parameters included monocyte count, CD14 expression, and the levels of maturation markers (HLA‐DR, CD80, CD86) were assessed.ResultsPCA samples exhibited a significantly lower monocyte count and reduced CD14 expression compared to healthy samples (p ⟨ 0.0001). Additionally, PCA‐DCs expressed significantly lower levels of maturation markers, including HLA‐DR, CD80, and CD86, when compared to HD‐DCs (p = 0.123, p = 0.884, and p = 0.309, respectively).ConclusionThe limited success of DC vaccines could be attributed to impaired phenotypic characteristics. These observations suggest that suboptimal characteristics of Mo‐DCs generated from cancer patient blood samples might contribute to the limited success of DC vaccines. Consequently, this study underscores the need for alternative strategies to enhance the features of Mo‐DCs for more effective cancer immunotherapies.
Metal and Metal Oxides Nanoparticles as Nanofillers for Biodegradable Polymers
Authors: Wawrzyńczak Agata , Chudzińska Jagoda , Feliczak‐Guzik Agnieszka 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPolymeric materials, despite their many undeniable advantages, nowadays are a major environmental challenge. Thus, in recent years biodegradable polymer matrices have been widely used in various sectors, including the medicinal, chemical, and packaging industry. Their widespread use is due to the properties of biodegradable polymer matrices, among which are their adjustable physicochemical and mechanical properties, as well as lower environmental impact. The properties of biodegradable polymers can be modified with various types of nanofillers, among which clays, organic and inorganic nanoparticles, and carbon nanostructures are most commonly used. The performance of the final product depends on the size and uniformity of the used nanofillers, as well as on their distribution and dispersion in the polymer matrix. This literature review aims to highlight new research results on advances and improvements in the synthesis, physicochemical properties and applications of biodegradable polymer matrices modified with metal nanoparticles and metal oxides.
Acidity of Isomorphic Substituted Zeolites with B, Al and Ga Revisited
Authors: Petelski Andre Nicolai , Peruchena Nélida María , Zalazar María Fernanda 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIsomorphic substitution of zeolites with B, Al and Ga is a widely used approach in catalysis. The experimentally reported trend of their acidities decreases in the order: Al>Ga>B. However, a consistent explanation is still lacking in the literature. To bring more understanding of this trend, density functional theory computations were conducted on several model systems. First, the acidity of small clusters with two (2T) and five (5T) tetrahedral sites was analyzed. These systems were then projected onto three large void structures: H‐[A]‐BEA (52T), H‐[A]‐FAU (84T) and H‐[A]‐MOR (112T) with A=B, Al, Ga. Our electron density and Interacting Quantum Atom analyses show that the acidity of Al zeolites originates from the much stronger O−Al bond, which is dominated by the electrostatic attraction. The bridging hydroxyl therefore donates more charge density to the metal, the proton becomes more positive and consequently more acidic. Ga zeolites are more acidic than B zeolites due to the greater covalent nature on the O−Ga bond. The resulting acidity, as seen by ammonia, depends on both the acidic oxygen and the charge distribution of the surrounding oxygens exerted by the substituents.
An optimal multipath routing protocol using hybrid gravitational search particle swarm optimization for secure communication
Authors: Roopa Devi Erode Mohan , Hemalatha Thangaraj , Usha Dhanabalan , Nanda Ashok Kumar 
Published: February 2024

SummaryCommunicating large amounts of data requires an encryption solution that ensures fast and secure data transfer. Unfortunately, it faced privacy and security issues, resulting in higher power consumption, data scarcity, energy, diversity, data reliability, low security, and packet loss in the communication process. The goal of this research is to ensure data transfer while conserving energy and protecting data transmission in WSNs. Therefore, this paper proposes a multipath routing protocol using the HGSPSO algorithm, which is a combination of hybrid gravitational search algorithm (HGSA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), to securely transmit data from one node to another node under public and private key cryptography. The PSO approach is utilized to resolve the energy hole problem by selecting the cluster head in the sink coverage area. The RSA can be employed for data encryption, data decryption, key generation, and sharing. The metrics like acceleration constants and inertial weights are used for the HGSPSO algorithm. The result of this implementation demonstrated that the scheme had a low energy consumption of 36%, a maximum packet delivery ratio (PDR) of 96%, a higher throughput rate of 88%, and a low packet loss of 39%.
Invasion by Cedrela odorata threatens long distance migration of Galapagos tortoises
Authors: Blake Stephen , Cabrera Freddy , Rivas‐Torres Gonzalo , Deem Sharon L. , Nieto‐Claudin Ainoa , Zahawi Rakan A. , Bastille‐Rousseau Guillaume 
Published: February 2024

AbstractInvasive alien species are among the most pervasive threats to biodiversity. Invasive species can cause catastrophic reductions in populations of native and endemic species and the collapse of ecosystem function. A second major global conservation concern is the extirpation of large‐bodied mobile animals, including long‐distance migrants, which often have keystone ecological roles over extensive spatial extents. Here, we report on a potentially catastrophic synergy between these phenomena that threatens the endemic biota of the Galapagos Archipelago. We used GPS telemetry to track 140 migratory journeys by 25 Western Santa Cruz Island Galapagos tortoises. We plotted the spatial interaction between tortoise migrations and recently established non‐native forest dominated by the invasive tree Cedrela odorata (Cedrela forest). We qualified (a) the proportion of migratory journeys that traversed Cedrela forest, and (b) the probability that this observed pattern occurred by chance. Tortoise migrations were overwhelmingly restricted to small corridors between Cedrela forest blocks, indicating clear avoidance of those blocks. Just eight of 140 migrations traversed extensive Cedrela stands. Tortoises avoid Cedrela forest during their migrations. Further expansion of Cedrela forest threatens long‐distance migration and population viability of critically endangered Galapagos tortoises. Applied research to determine effective management solutions to mitigate Cedrela invasion is a high priority.
Development of event‐based centralized excitation control method of synchronous generators for improving the transient stability
Authors: Yamaoka Fumichika , Kawabe Kenichi 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMaintenance of transient stability is important for the stable operation of power systems. However, as a large amount of renewable energy sources are concerned that the transient stability deteriorates. Excitation control systems have been widely used to improve the transient stability. The defect is that only the synchronous generator (SG) near the fault location changes the excitation voltage so much immediately after the fault. In this study, we propose a novel excitation control method based on an event‐based wide‐area emergency control system. In this method, the SGs that are distant from the fault location play a role to mitigate the first swing as well as the SGs near the fault. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified demonstrated by numerical simulation for a multi‐machine test system
Habitual carbohydrate ingestion reduces the efficacy of oral carbohydrate rinsing during repetitions to failure
Authors: Clarke Neil D. , Richardson Darren L. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCarbohydrate mouth rinsing has been reported to enhance exercise performance although individual variation exists. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of habitual dietary carbohydrate intake on the efficacy of rinsing a 6% carbohydrate solution on the number of bench press repetitions to failure at 60% of 1‐RM. Twenty‐one recreationally active male participants (Mean ± SD) (age: 24 ± 4 years, height: 177.8 ± 7.8 cm, body mass: 78.6 ± 8.1 kg; bench press 1‐RM: 73.3 ± 20.5 kg) performed bench press repetitions to failure at 60% 1‐RM following rinsing with 25 mL of a 6% carbohydrate (CHO), an artificially sweetened solution (PLA) and a non‐rising control condition (CON) in a randomised cross‐over design. A 7‐day dietary record was completed prior to the first session and subsequently analysed for daily carbohydrate consumption. The number of repetitions performed during CHO (24 ± 4) was higher than CON [21 ± 4; p < 0.001; 95% CI: 1, 4; d = 0.64], as was PLA [23 ± 4; p = 0.002; 95% CI: 1, 3; d = 0.48]. However, there was a large, negative relationship [r = −0.68 (95% CI: −0.86, −0.36), p < 0.001] between daily relative carbohydrate intake (g kg−1) and the difference in the number of repetitions between CHO and PLA. The present study suggests the existence of an inverse relationship between daily carbohydrate ingestion and the efficacy of carbohydrate mouth rinsing; participants who consumed the most daily carbohydrate were generally less likely to see an increase in performance with carbohydrate rinsing.
ILAE neuroimaging task force highlight: Subcortical laminar heterotopia
Authors: Kasper Burkhard S. , Archer John , Bernhardt Boris C. , Caciagli Lorenzo , Cendes Fernando , Chinvarun Yotin , Concha Luis , Federico Paolo , Gaillard William , Kobayashi Eliane , Ogbole Godwin , Vaudano Anna Elisabetta , Wang Irene , Wang Shuang , Winston Gavin P. , Rampp Stefan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe ILAE Neuroimaging Task Force publishes educational case reports that highlight basic aspects of neuroimaging in epilepsy consistent with the ILAE's educational mission. Subcortical laminar heterotopia, also known as subcortical band heterotopia (SBH) or “double cortex,” is an intriguing and rare congenital malformation of cortical development. SBH lesions are part of a continuum best designated as agyria‐pachygyria‐band‐spectrum. The malformation is associated with epilepsy that is often refractory, as well as variable degrees of developmental delay. Moreover, in an increasing proportion of cases, a distinct molecular‐genetic background can be found. Diagnosing SBH can be a major challenge for many reasons, including more subtle lesions, and “non‐classic” or unusual MRI‐appearances. By presenting an illustrative case, we address the challenges and needs of diagnosing and treating SBH patients in epilepsy, especially the value of high‐resolution imaging and specialized MRI‐protocols.
Numerical investigation of the temperature characteristics beneath the ceiling driven by a strong plume in a longitudinal ventilated tunnel
Authors: Chen Longfei , Li Xiaosong , Yang Yunping , Li Zhisheng , Li Tao , Lan Yujie , Chen Yanqiu 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPrevious studies have mainly focused on the situation that the tunnel's continuous flame region was lower than the ceiling height. For tunnels with longitudinal ventilation, the temperature characteristics of strong fire plumes are still unclear. In this paper, the maximum temperature rise beneath the ceiling for strong fire plume conditions in a small‐scale tunnel is studied using fire dynamics simulator. Results show that when the effective height (the distance from the burner surface to the ceiling of the tunnel) is 0.65 m, the maximum temperature rise beneath the ceiling in this work shows a good correlation with Li's model and Kurioka's model. However, as the effective height decreases to 0.55 and 0.50 m, the maximum temperature rise would be significantly lower than the previous model. Therefore, a dimensionless coefficient is introduced to modify the maximum temperature rise model for a strong fire plume, which involves the effective height coefficient, heat release rate, and longitudinal ventilation. A calculation model for the maximum temperature rise beneath the tunnel ceiling in the condition of strong fire plumes is established. The temperature attenuation data along the tunnel are given by statistics. The relationship between the dimensionless temperature rise and the dimensionless position parameter is established, and a unified model under various heat release rates is obtained.
A deep learning hierarchical approach to road traffic forecasting
Authors: Benabdallah Benarmas Redouane , Beghdad Bey Kadda 
Published: February 2024

AbstractTraffic forecasting is a crucial task of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), which remains very challenging as it is affected by the complexity and depth of the road network. Although the decision‐makers focus on the accuracy of the top‐level roads, the forecasts on the lower levels also improve the overall performance of ITS. In such a situation, a hierarchical forecasting strategy is more appropriate as well as a more accurate prediction methods to reach an efficient forecast. In this paper, we present a deep learning (DL) approach for hierarchical forecasting of traffic flow by exploring the hierarchical structure of the road network. The proposed approach is considered an improved variation on the top‐down strategy for the reconciliation process. We propose a model based on two deep neural network components to generate a coherent forecast for the total number of road segments. We use N‐BEATS, a pure deep learning forecasting method, at the highest levels for traffic time series, then disaggregate these downwards to get coherent forecasts for each series of the hierarchy using a combination of CNN and LSTM. Experiments were carried out using Beijing road traffic dataset to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Sarcopenia predicts short‐term treatment‐related toxicity in patients undergoing curative‐intent therapy for head and neck cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Mascarella Marco A. , Ferdus Jannatul , Vendra Varun , Sridharan Shaum , Sultanem Khalil , Tsien Christina , Shenouda George , Bouganim Nathaniel , Esfahani Khashayar , Richardson Keith , Mlynarek Alex , Sadeghi Nader , Hier Michael , Kergoat Marie‐Jeanne 
Published: February 2024

AbstractSarcopenia is an increasingly recognized biomarker associated with poorer outcomes. The objective of this study was to ascertain the effect of sarcopenia on treatment tolerance and short‐term toxicity in head and neck cancer (HNC). A systematic review was performed using multiple databases. An inverse‐variation, random‐effects model was used to perform the meta‐analysis to evaluate the effect of sarcopenia on severe treatment toxicity and poor treatment tolerance. Sixteen observational studies, including 3187 patients with HNC, were analyzed. The combined odds ratio (OR) for severe treatment toxicity and tolerance was 2.22 (95%CI 1.50–3.29) and 1.40 (95%CI 0.84–2.32), respectively. The effect of sarcopenia on short‐term severe treatment toxicity was similar with upfront surgery (OR 2.03, 95%CI 1.22–3.37) and definitive radiotherapy (OR 2.24, 95%CI 1.18–4.27) Patients with sarcopenia are more than twice as likely to suffer a short‐term treatment‐related toxicity when undergoing curative‐intent HNC treatment.
Human factors analysis of coal mine gas accidents based on improved HFACS model
Authors: Zhang Mengjiao , Li Hongxia , Xia Heqiong , Zhang Qian , Chen Yanlin , Liu Yuchen , Xu Haoran 
Published: February 2024

AbstractGas accidents represent a crucial domain of coal mine safety research, as they result in substantial property damage, environmental pollution, and even loss of life compared to other types of accidents. Particularly, human factors play a significant role in the majority of mining accidents. The objective of this paper is to enhance the quality of coal mine safety management, minimize the occurrence of adverse human factors in gas accidents, and analyze the factors influencing coal mine gas accidents using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). To commence, this paper has devised a human factor influence index system based on the enhanced HFACS for coal mine gas accidents. Subsequently, the Decision‐making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method has been employed to quantitatively delineate the causal relationships among these factors. Lastly, this paper utilized the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) comprehensive evaluation method to evaluate the importance of factors influencing coal mine gas accidents. The research findings indicate that through the utilization of the DEMATEL methodology for centrality and causal relationship calculations, the centrality and causality values associated with poor organizational management emerge as the foremost among all factors. This underscores the pivotal role that poor organizational management plays in the human factors influencing coal mine gas accidents. Furthermore, a meticulous examination using TOPSIS identified the top five indicators of influence capability: cognitive errors > habitual violations > operational management > management process > resource management. The analysis of human factors in coal mine gas accidents can provide enhanced theoretical support for the management of production safety in coal mines, as well as the prevention of gas accidents.
Short‐term effect of dressing with Dermaheal ointment in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer: A double‐blinded randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Salahi Pouya , Nasiri Morteza , Yazdanpanah Leila , Khosravi Sepehr , Amini Mohammad Reza 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackground and AimsDiabetic foot ulcers, a major cause of amputations in diabetics, could benefit from natural products as adjuncts to standard care, given the costs and adverse effects of typical therapies. This study aims to evaluate the short‐term effects of dressing with Dermaheal ointment in the treatment of DFUs through a double‐blinded randomized controlled clinical trial.MethodsThis double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled trial included 50 patients with Wagner's ulcer grade I or II, randomly assigned to Dermaheal and placebo groups (received standard treatment and placebo ointment). The ulcer site was dressed daily for four consecutive weeks with either Dermaheal or placebo ointment. Ulcer healing score (using DFU healing checklist), ulcer size with transparent ruler and largest dimension of ulcer, and pain severity using numerical pain rating score (were recorded at five‐time points, including baseline, and on weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4). Also, ulcer healing status was investigated at the trial ended in November 2021.ResultsBoth groups showed significant improvement in ulcer healing over 4 weeks (ptime < 0.001), with more remarkable progress in the Dermaheal group (pgroup = 0.03). At the trial end, complete ulcer healing was also significantly higher in the Dermaheal group compared to the placebo group (56% vs. 12%, p = 0.002). Both groups exhibited a decrease in ulcer size (ptime < 0.001). Considering the baseline ulcer size as a covariate, substantial changes in mean ulcer size were noted in the initial (p = 0.01), second (p = 0.001), third (p = 0.002), and fourth (p = 0.002) weeks of the intervention, showing a preference for the Dermaheal group. However, no significant between‐group difference was observed in pain severity levels.ConclusionDressing with Dermaheal as a topical treatment shows promise in improving healing and reducing the size of diabetic foot ulcers. Further research is needed to confirm these findings' long‐term efficacy.