bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analytical validation and clinical utilization of K-4CARE™: a comprehensive genomic profiling assay with personalized MRD detection
Authors: Nguyen Hoang Thien-Phuc , Nguyen Tien Anh , Tran Nam H. B. , Nguyen Hoang Van-Anh , Thi Dao Hong Thuy , Tran Vu-Uyen , Nguyen Yen Nhi , Nguyen Anh Tuan , Nguyen Thi Cam Tu , Do Thi Thanh Thuy , Nguyen Duy Sinh , Nguyen Hoai-Nghia , Giang Hoa , Tu Lan N. 
Published: February 2024

Background: Biomarker testing has gradually become standard of care in precision oncology to help physicians select optimal treatment for patients. Compared to single-gene or small gene panel testing, comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) has emerged as a more time- and tissue-efficient method. This study demonstrated in-depth analytical validation of K-4CARE, a CGP assay that integrates circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) tracking for residual cancer surveillance.Methods: The assay utilized a panel of 473 cancer-relevant genes with a total length of 1.7 Mb. Reference standards were used to evaluate limit of detection (LOD), concordance, sensitivity, specificity and precision of the assay to detect single nucleotide variants (SNVs), small insertion/deletions (Indels), gene amplification and fusion, microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB). The assay was then benchmarked against orthogonal methods using 155 clinical samples from 10 cancer types. In selected cancers, top tumor-derived somatic mutations, as ranked by our proprietary algorithm, were used to detect ctDNA in the plasma.Results: For detection of somatic SNVs and Indels, gene fusion and amplification, the assay had sensitivity of &gt;99%, 94% and &gt;99% respectively, and specificity of &gt;99%. Detection of germline variants also achieved sensitivity and specificity of &gt;99%. For TMB measurement, the correlation coefficient between whole-exome sequencing and our targeted panel was 97%. MSI analysis when benchmarked against polymerase chain reaction method showed sensitivity of 94% and specificity of &gt;99%. The concordance between our assay and the TruSight Oncology 500 assay for detection of somatic variants, TMB and MSI measurement was 100%, 89%, and 98% respectively. When CGP-informed mutations were used to personalize ctDNA tracking, the detection rate of ctDNA in liquid biopsy was 79%, and clinical utility in cancer surveillance was demonstrated in 2 case studies.Conclusion: K-4CARE™ assay provides comprehensive and reliable genomic information that fulfills all guideline-based biomarker testing for both targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Integration of ctDNA tracking helps clinicians to further monitor treatment response and ultimately provide well-rounded care to cancer patients.
Evaluating speech-in-speech perception via a humanoid robot
Authors: Meyer Luke , Araiza-Illan Gloria , Rachman Laura , Gaudrain Etienne , Başkent Deniz 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionUnderlying mechanisms of speech perception masked by background speakers, a common daily listening condition, are often investigated using various and lengthy psychophysical tests. The presence of a social agent, such as an interactive humanoid NAO robot, may help maintain engagement and attention. However, such robots potentially have limited sound quality or processing speed.MethodsAs a first step toward the use of NAO in psychophysical testing of speech- in-speech perception, we compared normal-hearing young adults’ performance when using the standard computer interface to that when using a NAO robot to introduce the test and present all corresponding stimuli. Target sentences were presented with colour and number keywords in the presence of competing masker speech at varying target-to-masker ratios. Sentences were produced by the same speaker, but voice differences between the target and masker were introduced using speech synthesis methods. To assess test performance, speech intelligibility and data collection duration were compared between the computer and NAO setups. Human-robot interaction was assessed using the Negative Attitude Toward Robot Scale (NARS) and quantification of behavioural cues (backchannels).ResultsSpeech intelligibility results showed functional similarity between the computer and NAO setups. Data collection durations were longer when using NAO. NARS results showed participants had a relatively positive attitude toward “situations of interactions” with robots prior to the experiment, but otherwise showed neutral attitudes toward the “social influence” of and “emotions in interaction” with robots. The presence of more positive backchannels when using NAO suggest higher engagement with the robot in comparison to the computer.DiscussionOverall, the study presents the potential of the NAO for presenting speech materials and collecting psychophysical measurements for speech-in-speech perception.
Analysis of screening outcomes and factors influencing compliance among community-based lung cancer high-risk population in Nanchang, China, 2018-2020
Authors: Zeng Fanfan , Wang Xiaobo , Wang Chengman , Zhang Yu , Fu Denggang , Wang Xin 
Published: February 2024

ObjectiveTo investigate the screening results and compliance of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening among the high-risk lung cancer populations in Jiangxi Province from 2018 to 2020, and to explore the related influencing factors of compliance.MethodsFrom November 2018 to October 2020, permanent residents in Nanchang City were selected and their demographic data and lung cancer risk factor data were collected to screen high-risk groups, and LDCT screening was performed on high-risk groups with diagnostic reports by 2 chief physicians. Descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the basic information of screening, screening results and screening compliance. χ2 and logistic regression test were used to conduct single and multi-factor analysis of screening compliance.ResultsA total of 26,588 people participated in this screening, of which 34.4% (n=9,139) were at high risk of lung cancer, 3,773 participants were completed LDCT screening, and the screening compliance rate was 41.3%. Screening results showed that 389 participants were positive for suspected pulmonary tumor or lung nodules, the screening positive rate of 10.3%. The logistic multivariable results of screening compliance showed that the compliance was better in males, those who quit smoking, those with chronic respiratory diseases and family history of cancer, and those who have primary education, those with a history of occupational harmful exposure had a poor compliance.ConclusionCompliance with lung cancer screening in Jiangxi Province, China still needs to be improved, and gender, education level, harmful occupational exposure, smoking, chronic respiratory diseases, and family history of tumors cancer play an important role on screening compliance.
Wavelength dependent transmission in multimode graded-index microstructured polymer optical fibers
Authors: Simović Ana , Savović Svetislav , Wang Zhuo , Drljača Branko , Kovačević Milan S. , Kuzmanović Ljubica , Djordjevich Alexandar , Aidinis Konstantinos , Chen Chen 
Published: February 2024

Up to now, there have been no commercial simulation tools accessible for researching the transmission properties of multimode microstructured optical fibers (MOFs). In order to avoid this problem, this study uses the time-independent power flow equation (TI PFE) numerical solution to examine the wavelength dependency of the equilibrium mode distribution (EMD) and steady state distribution (SSD) in multimode graded-index microstructured polymer optical fibers (GI mPOF) with a solid core. We showed that the lengths zs at which an SSD is obtained in GI mPOF and the coupling length Lc necessary to create an EMD are shorter at λ = 568 nm than they are found to be at λ = 633 nm. The lengths Lc and zs stay constant when the wavelength decreases further from λ = 568 to 522 and then to 476 nm. As a result, it is anticipated that a faster bandwidth enhancement in the tested GI mPOF will take place at wavelengths around λ = 568 nm as opposed to λ = 633 nm. Such a bandwidth improvement is not brought about by additional wavelength reduction. The study’s findings can be used in communication and sensory systems that use multimode GI mPOFs at different wavelengths.
Walking around the preferred speed: examination of metabolic, perceptual, spatiotemporal and stability parameters
Authors: Majed Lina , Ibrahim Rony , Lock Merilyn Jean , Jabbour Georges 
Published: February 2024

Walking is the most accessible and common type of physical activity. Exercising at one’s self-selected intensity could provide long-term benefits as compared to following prescribed intensities. The aim of this study was to simultaneously examine metabolic, perceptual, spatiotemporal and stability parameters at an absolute 3 km·h−1 speed range around the individual preferred walking speed (PWS). Thirty-four young sedentary adults (18 women) volunteered to walk at seven speeds relative to their PWS in 3-min trials interspaced with 3-min rest intervals. Results indicated a significant main effect of speed on all studied variables. While metabolic, perceptual and spatiotemporal values were sensitive to the smallest change in speed (i.e., 0.5 km·h−1), a significant increase in the rate of carbohydrate oxidation and decrease in %fat oxidation were only observed at speeds above PWS. Results also revealed significantly higher coefficients of variation for stride characteristics at speeds below PWS only. Moreover, analyses of best fit models showed a quadratic relationship between most variables and speed, with the exceptions of metabolic cost of transport, rating of perceived exertion and stride duration that changed exponentially with speed. PWS coincided with optimized mechanical efficiency, fuel oxidation and gait stability. This indicated that walking below PWS decreased both mechanical efficiency and stability of gait, while walking above PWS increased carbohydrate oxidation. Those factors seem to play an important role as determinants of PWS. We suggest that walking at PWS may provide benefits in terms of fat oxidation while optimizing gait stability.
Improving U-net network for semantic segmentation of corns and weeds during corn seedling stage in field
Authors: Cui Jiapeng , Tan Feng , Bai Nan , Fu Yaping 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionWeeds are one of the main factors affecting crop growth, making weed control a pressing global problem. In recent years, interest in intelligent mechanical weed-control equipment has been growing. MethodsWe propose a semantic segmentation network, RDS_Unet, based on corn seedling fields built upon an improved U-net network. This network accurately recognizes weeds even under complex environmental conditions, facilitating the use of mechanical weeding equipment for reducing weed density. Our research utilized field-grown maize seedlings and accompanying weeds in expansive fields. We integrated the U-net semantic segmentation network, employing ResNeXt-50 for feature extraction in the encoder stage. In the decoder phase, Layer 1 uses deformable convolution with adaptive offsets, replacing traditional convolution. Furthermore, concurrent spatial and channel squeeze and excitation is incorporated after ordinary convolutional layers in Layers 2, 3, and 4. ResultsCompared with existing classical semantic segmentation models such as U-net, Pspnet, and DeeplabV3, our model demonstrated superior performance on our specially constructed seedling grass semantic segmentation dataset, CGSSD, during the maize seedling stage. The Q6mean intersection over union (MIoU), precision, and recall of this network are 82.36%, 91.36%, and 89.45%, respectively. Compared to those of the original network, the proposed network achieves improvements of 5.91, 3.50, and 5.49 percentage points in the MIoU, precision, and recall, respectively. The detection speed is 12.6 frames per second. In addition, ablation experiments further confirmed the impactful contribution of each improvement component on the overall semantic segmentation performance. DiscussionThis study provides theoretical and technical support for the automated operation of intelligent mechanical weeding devices.
The interdependence of substance use, satisfaction with life, and psychological distress: a dynamic structural equation model analysis
Authors: Moe Fredrik D. , Erga Aleksander , Bjornestad Jone , Dettweiler Ulrich 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionLongitudinal studies with annual follow-up including psychological and social variables in substance use disorder recovery are scarce. We investigated whether levels of substance use, satisfaction with life, and psychological distress fluctuate across five years in relation to having drug-free friends.MethodsA prospective naturalistic cohort study of change trajectories in a cohort of people diagnosed with substance use disorder and using multiple substances with quarterly and annual follow-up over five years. Two-hundred-and-eight patients were recruited from substance use disorder treatment in Rogaland, Norway. Out of these, 164 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. We used Bayesian two-level dynamic structural equation modelling. The variable ‘drug-free friends’ was assessed by a self-reporting questionnaire, while psychological distress was assessed using the Symptoms Checklist 90 Revised. Satisfaction with life was assessed using the Satisfaction With Life Scale while drug use was assessed using the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test.ResultsThe main findings are that higher-than-average psychological distress at a three-month lag credibly predicts higher-than-normal substance use at the concurrent time point t. Substance use and satisfaction with life seem to have synchronous trajectories over time, i.e. as the first decreases the latter increases and vice versa. During the five years after treatment, the participants mainly experienced a decrease in substance use and increase in satisfaction with life.ConclusionSince the participants experienced positive and negative fluctuations for several years after treatment, it seems crucial to establish a dialogue with treatment professionals in order to create functional solutions for maintaining motivation and aiding recovery.
Safety and efficacy revisited: a systematic review and meta-analysis of glue versus tack mesh fixation in laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy
Authors: Raja Sandesh , Raja Adarsh , Ansari Ziyan , Eman Sara , Bajaj Simran , Ahmed Muhammad , Kumar Uday , Shah Yawar Hussain , Jawahar Sachin , Aftab Faisal , Rajani Deepak , Kumar Satesh , Khatri Mahima 
Published: February 2024

BackgroundThis analysis addresses the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of glue mesh fixation (GMF) compared with tack mesh fixation (TMF) in laparoscopic herniorrhaphy. Our meta-analysis incorporates recently conducted randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to enhance the reference for assessing the efficacy and safety of GMF.MethodsPubMed Central, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library were extensively reviewed for articles in the English language performed from inception to May 2023 using the keywords “Glue mesh repair,” “Tack mesh repair,” “Inguinal Hernia,” “Herniorrhaphy,” “Laparoscopic,” “Mesh Fixation,” and “Randomized controlled trials.”ResultsIn this meta-analysis, we incorporated a total of 20 randomized controlled trials, evaluating each article individually using quality ratings. Compared with TMF, GMF demonstrated a significant reduction in the incidence of chronic pain [RR: 0.40, (0.23, 0.68)] and pain scores on postoperative day 1 [MD: −1.07, (−1.90, −0.25)]. We also used funnel plots and Egger's regression to test for publication bias.ConclusionIn summary, this meta-analysis establishes the significance of GMF in reducing chronic pain and postoperative day 1 pain compared with TMF. However, no statistically significant difference was noted between the GMF and TMF groups concerning hematoma, seroma, operation time, recurrence rate, and total complications. Nonetheless, given the small number of cases in this study, the findings must be validated in the future by multicenter, large-sample, high-quality RCTs.
Comparative Analysis of the Culture of Pink Shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei in Biofloc System
Authors: Krummenauer Dariano , da Silva André Freitas , Xavier Missileny , Foes Geraldo Kipper , Poersch Luís H. , Cardozo Alessandro , Wasielesky Wilson 
Published: February 2024

Shrimp farming in the Biofloc Technology System (BFT) is already considered an alternative to the traditional culture. The bioflocs maintain the water quality and can be used as a food supplement for shrimp. The Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei forms the basis for most of the production in BFT. However, its culture is limited by the low temperatures. Thus, the BFT culture potential of native species, such as the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis, should be considered. The present study aimed to compare the cultures of F. brasiliensis and L. vannamei in the grow-out phase in the BFT system. The experiment comprised two treatments: (FB), grown out of F. brasiliensis, and (LV), grown out of L. vannamei. The study lasted 70 days and was conducted at the Marine Station of Aquaculture at the Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The stocking density was 100 shrimp/m² for both species. The shrimp were fed twice a day with commercial food. The physicochemical parameters of the water were monitored throughout the experimental period. The results showed that all physicochemical parameters of the water remained within the tolerated limits for both species. However, during the growth phase in the BFT, it was observed that the L. vannamei shrimp showed a better zootechnical performance than F. brasiliensis. The results indicate that L. vannamei has a higher capacity to catch bioflocs as supplementary food, demonstrating a better response of that species to the BFT system in the grow-out phase compared to F. brasiliensis.
A Novel Drosophila Model of Alzheimer’s Disease to Study Aβ Proteotoxicity in the Digestive Tract
Authors: Elovsson Greta , Klingstedt Therése , Brown Mikaela , Nilsson K. Peter R. , Brorsson Ann-Christin 
Published: February 2024

Amyloid-β (Aβ) proteotoxicity is associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is caused by protein aggregation, resulting in neuronal damage in the brain. In the search for novel treatments, Drosophila melanogaster has been extensively used to screen for anti-Aβ proteotoxic agents in studies where toxic Aβ peptides are expressed in the fly brain. Since drug molecules often are administered orally there is a risk that they fail to reach the brain, due to their inability to cross the brain barrier. To circumvent this problem, we have designed a novel Drosophila model that expresses the Aβ peptides in the digestive tract. In addition, a built-in apoptotic sensor provides a fluorescent signal from the green fluorescent protein as a response to caspase activity. We found that expressing different variants of Aβ1–42 resulted in proteotoxic phenotypes such as reduced longevity, aggregate deposition, and the presence of apoptotic cells. Taken together, this gut-based Aβ-expressing fly model can be used to study the mechanisms behind Aβ proteotoxicity and to identify different substances that can modify Aβ proteotoxicity.
Persepsi Mahasiswa Jurusan Sosial Ekonomi Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Sam Ratulangi Tentang E-Commerce Melalui Facebook
Authors: Sereh Didit Saputra , Waney Nordy Fritsgerald Lucky , Baroleh Jenny 
Published: February 2024

This study aims to describe students' perceptions of e-commerce through Facebook. The research was conducted at during to Juni 2023. The data collected is primary data obtained from direct interviews with student of the Department of Socio-Economics Faculty of Agriculture Sam Ratulangi University. Secondary data is obtained from journals, research reports taken from the internet. The data collected of the study were analyzed by descriptif. The results showed that the perceptions on the doubling of Facebook functions as social media into e-commerce facilities received good appreciation because it made it easier and helped save time, money and energy. Student’s perceptions of using Facebook e-commerce, namely buying and selling goods through Facebook e-commerce is very easy because the transaction method is the same as using Facebook in general, so they have almost no obstacles in carrying out e-commerce activities through Facebook. Students' perceptions of e-commerce services through Facebook are very good because in conducting e-commerce activities through Facebook, buyers and sellers always prioritize friendliness and courtesy when interacting in terms of bargaining activities.
Plasma-enabled electrification of chemical processes toward decarbonization of society
Authors: Nozaki Tomohiro , Kim Dae-Yeong , Chen Xiaozhong 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Since the last decade, research on plasma catalysis has attracted keen attention as an emerging type of low-carbon technology. An advantage of plasma is to facilitate non-equilibrium reaction fields on a large scale, which is inaccessible by conventional thermal approaches. Stable molecules such as CO2 and CH4 are activated by electrical energy, paving the way for low-temperature chemistry that departs from energy-intensive heat-dependent systems. Moreover, the power-to-chemical concept could gain momentum with plasma technologies that are driven by renewable energy. Currently, research is accelerating with application initiatives, but at the same time the importance of scientific understanding of plasma catalytic reactions is being recognized more than ever. This review article offers an overview of various plasma technologies in the “plasma alone” and “plasma–catalyst combination” context. Plasma–catalyst combination technology, known as “plasma catalysis”, is discussed further to dry methane reforming (CH4 + CO2 = 2CO + 2H2) and the reverse water gas shift reaction (CO2 + H2 = CO + H2O) for a mechanistic insight.
Different regional anesthesia techniques for modified radical mastectomy- A case series
Authors: Botta Bhagya Vardhan , Nithyasundar Kannan , Balasubramanian Kala , T. Kamalakannan , Sethuraman Raghuraman M. 
Published: February 2024

General anesthesia (GA) is the most common form of anesthesia provided to patients who need radical mastectomy, because surgery in this area is painful and most of the patients demand complete sleep during the surgical procedure. Significant interventions have been made in the recent years, especially in the regional anesthetic techniques using the ultrasonogram. Hence, most of these surgeries, nowadays, are being performed by combined GA and regional techniques. However, some patients might pose greater risks for GA thereby making the anesthesiologists think of regional techniques as a sole mode of anesthesia. Here, we present a case series of three patients with major co-morbidities who successfully underwent radical mastectomies under regional anesthesia. We used combined thoracic spinal/epidural for two patients while one patient had pectoral nerve block II (PECS II) with additional subcutaneous infiltrations. Only a few studies or case reports are available in the literature using regional techniques as surgical anesthesia for radical mastectomies while we used different combinations which have not been described in the literature.
Key words: Modified radical mastectomy, regional techniques, combined thoracic spinal epidural, PECS blocks.
Citation: Botta BV, Nithyasundar K, Balasubramanian K, Kamalakannan T, Sethuraman RM. Different regional anesthesia techniques for modified radical mastectomy; a case series. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2023;27(3):426−428; DOI: 10.35975/apic.v27i3.1974
Received: August 16, 2022; Reviewed: February 06, 2023; Accepted: April 20, 2023