bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evolved distal tail protein of skunaviruses facilitates adsorption to exopolysaccharide-encoding lactococci
Authors: Millen Anne M. , Magill Damian , Romero Dennis , Simdon Laura 
Published: July 2023

Aim: Lactococcal skunaviruses are diverse and problematic in the industrial dairy environment. Host recognition involves the specific interaction of phage-encoded proteins with saccharidic host cell surface structures. Lactococcal plasmid pEPS6073 encodes genes required for the biosynthesis of a cell surface-associated exopolysaccharide (EPS), designated 6073-like. Here, the impact of this EPS on Skunavirus sensitivity was assessed.
Methods: Conjugal transfer of pEPS6073 into two model strains followed by phage plaque assays and adsorption assays were performed to assess its effect on phage sensitivity. Phage distal tail proteins were analyzed bioinformatically using HHpred and modeling with AlphaFold. Construction of recombinant phages carrying evolved Dits was performed by supplying a plasmid-encoded template for homologous recombination.
Results: pEPS6073 confers resistance against a subset of skunaviruses via adsorption inhibition. IFF collection skunaviruses that infect strains encoding the 6073-like eps gene cluster carry insertions in their distal tail protein-encoding (dit ) genes that result in longer Dit proteins (so-called evolved Dits), which encode carbohydrate-binding domains. Three skunaviruses with classical Dits (no insertion) were unable to fully infect their hosts following the conjugal introduction of pEPS6073, showing reductions in both adsorption and efficiency of plaquing. Cloning the evolved Dit into these phages enabled full infectivity on their host strains, both wild type and transconjugant carrying pEPS6073, with recombinant phages adsorbing slightly better to the EPS+ host than wild type.
Conclusion: The 6073-like EPS potentially occludes the phage receptor for skunaviruses that encode a classical Dit protein. Skunaviruses that infect strains encoding the 6073-like EPS harbor evolved Dits, which likely help promote phage adsorption rather than just allow the phage to circumvent the putative EPS barrier. This work furthers our knowledge of phage-host interactions in Lactococcus and proposes a role for insertions in the Dit proteins of a subset of skunaviruses.
Efficient Surrogate Modeling Based on Improved Vision Transformer Neural Network for History Matching
Authors: Zhang Daowei , Li Heng 
Published: July 2023

Summary
For history-matching problems, simulations of reservoir models usually involve high computational costs. Surrogate modeling based on deep learning has proved to be an efficient method to accelerate simulation and decrease computational costs. In this paper, we design a deep-learning-based surrogate model, improved from the vision transformer neural network (ViT-NN), for solving history matching problems. The proposed surrogate model named improved vision transformer neural network (IViT-NN) has three main fundamental parts, which are feature extraction (FE), flattened linear projection (FLP), and multistep dimension-reduction (MSDR). Specifically, realizations of permeability field of the reservoirs can be entered into the IViT-NN surrogate model to obtain the corresponding production data quickly. Case studies are performed to investigate the performance and generalization of this surrogate model. The results indicate that the proposed surrogate model based on IViT-NN can be used for obtaining production data accurately and efficiently. Further, the trained surrogate model is used for history matching as well as production forecasting without using additional reservoir simulations, as compared with the method using full reservoir simulations. The posterior results of the estimated permeability field or corresponding productions obtained by reservoir simulation and the surrogate model are approximate, which demonstrates that the IViT-NN surrogate model is applicable for history matching.
Investigations on the use of different electrolytes in modified electrochemical machining
Authors: Singh Gurwinder , Singh Rupinder , Rao PS , Kumar Vinay 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
An inter-electrode gap (IEG) is a crucial factor in the stability, efficiency, and surface quality of the conventional electrochemical machining (C-ECM) process. In C-ECM, the accountable tool replica is generated (with the preserved equilibrium gap between the tool and the workpiece (W/P)), which limits the effective use of this technique as a tool room process. Some studies highlighted that the slit between the tool and the W/P in modified electrochemical machining (M-ECM) alters the tool duplication situation and helps in maintaining the IEG of C-ECM. But less has been reported on the use of different electrolytes, and the effect of slit thickness to maintain IEG in M-ECM. This study highlights the investigations performed (in terms of material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness (Ra), porosity (%), and other surface characteristics) on the use of different slit thicknesses in M-ECM with NaNO3 and NaCl as electrolytes. This study suggests that a 1.5mm slit thickness (of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic having a 6×6mm profile) resulted in the highest MRR, minimum Ra in M-ECM irrespective of electrolyte used (due to more flow of charge). The results were supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis.
Prevalence and risk factors of pre-senile lens opacities in the 1969-73 Vellore Birth Cohort
Authors: Paul Padma , Antonisamy Belavendra , John Neena , Braganza Andrew , Kuriakose Thomas , Isaac Rita , Abraham Lekha , Amritanand Anika , Samuel Prasanna , Chelliah Hepsy , Gowri Mahasampath , Magdalene Nancy , Cherry Jophy , Paul Thomas , Jebasingh Felix , Arulappan Geethanjali , Thomas Nihal , Vasan Senthil , Murthy Gudlavalleti V S , Gilbert Clare 
Published: July 2023

AbstractPurposeTo estimate the prevalence and determine predictors of lens opacities (LO) among South Asian Indians aged 41-44 years.MethodsThis cross sectional study included 1080 participants from the Vellore Birth Cohort, Vellore, South India. All individuals underwent anthropometric measurements, detailed ophthalmic examination including assessment of LO by LOCS III classification; and biochemical metabolic measurements. ‘Any cataract’ was defined as any opacity type with a score of >2 or evidence of cataract surgery in either eye. Questionnaire based assessments included information on ocular history, life-style factors, socio-economic and educational status, cooking fuel and sunlight exposure. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between risk predictors and LO.ResultsThe mean age (SD) of participants was 41.8 (1.0) years; 53.8% were male and 50% were rural residents. The overall prevalence of ‘any cataract’ was 13.8% (148/1075); 95% confidence interval (CI) (11.8,16.0); 59.1% (51.1, 67.4) had nuclear, 16.9% (11.2, 23.9) had cortical, 4.1%(1.5, 8.6) had posterior sub capsular, 18.9% (12.9, 26.2) had mixed cataracts; and 0.7% ( 0.02, 3.7) were pseudophakic. Increased risk for LO was observed with a history of asthma (aOR 4.51; 2.1, 9.7), HbA1C of ≥6.5% (adjusted or aOR 2.29; 95%CI 1.4, 3.7), hypertension (aOR 1.73;1.1, 2.7) and, in a subgroup (n= 372), lower 25(OH) vitamin D levels (≤20 ng/dL)(aOR 5.56; 2.3, 13.2).ConclusionsA higher prevalence of LO at a younger age in South Asian Indians predicts earlier onset. History of asthma, higher HbA1C, hypertension and lower 25(OH) vitamin D levels were associated with LO.
Consultation preferences and continuity of care of people with glucose management needs in an online interpersonal support context——a large-scale survey of China’s online health communities
Authors: Lu Antong , Han Yingshi , Fan Guanhua 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Objectives
Continuity of care (CoC), entailing consistent, coherent, and integrated healthcare delivery by healthcare providers throughout a patient's lifetime, is multifaceted, encompassing relational, informational, and managerial dimensions. This study delves into the prevailing consultation preferences, continuity of care, and influential determinants among Chinese patients requiring blood glucose management, with the aim of optimizing healthcare consultations and enhancing continuity of care.
Methods
Questionnaires were disseminated across multiple digital health platforms, yielding a total of 548 valid responses. Employed analytical methods included descriptive statistical analysis, scale reliability assessment, chi-square tests for multiple response frequency cross-tabulation, independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses, quantile regression modeling, and multiple linear regression, all executed through IBM SPSS25.
Results
Approximately 58.21% of participants underscored the importance of a physician familiar with their comprehensive medical history, while 58.03% prioritized physicians who take the time to listen. Conversely, 41.7% and 40.0% of participants, respectively, reported lacking access to physicians exhibiting these characteristics during actual consultations. Individuals with suboptimal quality of life or medication adherence reported lower CoC than their counterparts (p < 0.01). Continuity of care was significantly higher among those with access to a familiar physician (p < 0.01). Regarding online health consultations, frequent users exhibited higher CoC compared to infrequent or non-users (p < 0.01). The influence of four variables - quality of life, medication adherence, access to a familiar physician, and frequency of online health consultations - on continuity of care was statistically significant at the quantile point.
Conclusion
This research offers critical insights for healthcare practitioners and policy designers to bolster continuity of care. Factors such as diminished quality of life, inadequate medication adherence, absence of a familiar physician, and infrequent or non-existent online health consultations potentially contribute to low continuity of care.
Assessment of Osteoprotegerin and RANKL Levels and Several Cardiovascular Risk Scoring Systems in Acromegaly
Authors: Kocabas Gokcen Unal , Yurekli Banu Sarer , Simsir Ilgin Yildirim , Ozgur Su , Aksit Murat , Bozkaya Giray 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Purpose
The OPG/RANKL (Osteoprotegerin/Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor Kappa-B) system, which plays a crucial role in bone metabolism, is also associated with vascular calcification. Acromegaly is characterized by excessive secretion of growth hormone and insulin -like growth factor and studies have demonstrated an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with acromegaly. In this study our objective was to investigate the relationship between OPG/RANKL and various cardiovascular risk scoring systems.
Methods
We recruited 44 consecutive acromegaly patients and 41 age- and gender-matched healthy controls for this study.
Results
While RANKL levels were significantly higher in the acromegaly group compared to the controls, OPG levels were not found to be significantly different between the two groups, Furthermore, within the acromegaly group, RANKL levels were significantly higher in patients with active acromegaly compared to those with controlled acromegaly.
Osteoprotegerin levels showed a positive correlation with Framingham Risk Score (FRS) in the acromegaly group. Linear regression analysis revealed association of OPG with FRS (adjusted R2 value of 21.7%)
Conclusion
In conclusion, OPG and RANKL may serve as potential markers for assessing cardiovascular calcification and predicting the cardiovascular risk status in acromegalic patients.
The predictive value of individual anatomical measurement of scapula in the diagnosis of rotator cuff injury
Authors: Zhao Jiajun , Yang Shihao , Zhang Zhen , Zuo Tantan , Yu Jie , Fan Dongxiao 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background Rotator cuff injuries, which cause health problems especially in athletes and older adults, may be linked to factors like age, overuse, muscle imbalance, and potentially, certain shoulder joint shapes, though the impacts of the Critical Shoulder Angle (CSA) and the Lateral Acromion Angle (LAA) are still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between the individual anatomical structure of the scapula and rotator cuff injuries.
Methods A total of 71 patients suffering from shoulder ailments were examined, with 40 individuals having rotator cuff injuries and the remaining 31 not. Both groups were evaluated based on gender, age, critical shoulder angle (CSA), and lateral acromion angle (LAA). Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing rotator cuff injury, and the ROC curve was plotted to assess the diagnostic efficiency of LAA and CSA for this injury.
Results The age [(54.8 ± 11.5) years] and CSA [(40.6 ± 4.7) °] of the rotator cuff injury group were considerably higher than those without [(47.7 ± 11.4) years and (36.8 ± 5.5) °] (P<0.05), whereas the LAA [(70.9 ± 7.0) °] was lower (P<0.05). Age (OR=0.952, 95% CI: 0.911 ～ 0.994, P=0.027), LAA (OR=1.114, 95% CI: 1.034 ～ 1.199, P=0.004), and CSA (OR=0.844, 95% CI: 0.752 ～ 0.947, P=0.004) emerged as significant factors of rotator cuff injury. The study established optimal cutoff values of age, LAA, and CSA at 55.50 years, 72.67°, and 37.10°respectively, and the AUC predicting rotator cuff injury was 0.680 (95% CI: 0.554 ～ 0.805, P=0.010), 0.719 (95% CI: 0.597 ～ 0.840, P=0.002) 0.737 (95% CI: 0.612 ～ 0.862, P=0.001). LAA and CSA showed decent predictive value for rotator cuff injury (AUC>0.7), but age was a poor predictor. Conclusion Both CSA and LAA are influential factors of rotator cuff injury. An increase in the CSA of the shoulder joint and a decrease in LAA could indicate the presence of a rotator cuff injury.
Trial registration Retrospectively registered
Enhanced natural gas sweetening with ultralow H2S concentration via polycarbonate-silica mixed matrix membranes
Authors: Sadeghi rahman , Hassanajili Shadi 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) are brought up as prospecting media to sweeten natural gas in recent decades. But the majority of experiments have conducted on CO2/CH4 gas pair separation and, H2S removal from CH4 through MMMs has been paid less consideration. Thereupon, polycarbonate (PC) permeability and permselectivity as a cheap and abundant polymer and two PC-based MMMs were investigated under various operational conditions for this gas couple. The influence of operational parameters including transmembrane pressure, feed temperature, H2S inlet concentration and physical aging on the permeability of mixed gas and selectivity of the H2S/CH4 pair were assessed. It was observed that addition of silica nano particles causes more H2S permeability and selectivity. As a result, it can be used for methane upgradation. Membranes fabricated of silica modified by PDMS showed the highest permeability of H2S and also the superior selectivity of H2S/CH4. Therefore, it could be possibly applied to mitigation of H2S concentration in the outlet gas stream. Additionally, the two fabricated MMMs demonstrated H2S transport in a facilitative manner.
Machine learning model for the prediction of gram-positive and gram- negative bacterial bloodstream infection based on routine laboratory parameters
Authors: Zhang Fan , Wang Hao , Liu Liyu , Su Teng , Ji Bing 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
Bacterial bloodstream infection is responsible for the majority of cases of sepsis and septic shock. Early recognition of the causative pathogen is pivotal for administration of adequate empiric antibiotic therapy and for the survival of the patients. In this study, we developed a feasible machine learning (ML) model to predict gram-positive and gram-negative bacteremia based on routine laboratory parameters.
Methods
Data for 2118 patients with bacteremia were obtained from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care dataset. Patients were randomly split into the training set and test set by stratified sampling, and 374 routine laboratory blood test variables were retrieved. Variables with missing values in more than 40% of the patients were excluded. Pearson correlation test was employed to eliminate redundant features. Five ML algorithms were used to build the model based on the selected features. Additionally, 132 patients with bacteremia who were treated at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University were included in an independent test cohort to evaluate the model.
Results
After feature selection, 32 variables remained. All the five ML algorithms performed well in terms of discriminating between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteremia, but the performance of convolutional neural network (CNN) and random forest (RF) were better than other three algorithms. Consider of the interpretability of models, RF was chosen for further test (ROC-AUC = 0.768; 95%CI = 0.715–0.798, with a sensitivity of 75.20% and a specificity of 63.79%). To expand the application of the model, a decision tree (DT) was built utilizing the major variables, and it achieved an AUC of 0.679 (95%CI = 0.632–0.723), a sensitivity of 66%, and a specificity of 67.82% in the test cohort. When tested in the Qilu Hospital cohort, the ROC-AUC of the RF and DT models were 0.666 (95%CI = 0.579–0.746) and 0.615 (95%CI = 0.526–0.698), respectively. Finally, a software was developed to make the RF- and DT-based prediction models easily accessible.
Conclusion
The present ML-based models could effectively discriminate between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteremia based on routine laboratory blood test results. This simple model would be beneficial in terms of guiding timely antibiotic selection and administration in critically ill patients with bacteremia before their pathogen test results are available.
Government Digital Policy Breaks the Mystery of “Limited Participation” in China's Home Finance Market
Authors: Xing Lu , Han Donghao , Xie Hui 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
This study examines whether household financial market participation at the urban dimension is impacted by the digital economy, which has important implications for promoting the shift from savings to investment among Chinese households and alleviating the long-standing issue of under-participation in Chinese household financial markets. We find that the digital economy can further make a contribution to household financial market participation rates by increasing the proportion of households with smart Internet access devices and household financial information attention. Additionally, the digital economy greatly influences urban household financial market participation rates and high financial literacy households' financial market participation rates.
Classification codes: G38;D14;E65
Ultrasound imaging features in primary biliary cholangitis
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Hu Xing , Chang Jing , Li Weihua , Huang Chunyang , Zhang Haiping , Shen Jianjun , Shang Ning , Meng Fankun 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
The aim of our study was to analyze the characteristics of ultrasound images corresponding to each histological stage of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).
Methods
We prospectively analyzed 75 confirmed cases of PBC and used liver biopsy as the gold standard to determine disease stage.
Results
The typical ultrasound images of PBC patients were characterized by a thickening of the portal vein wall (PVW) and periportal hypoechoic band (PHB) width with increasing histological stages, and significant increases in the left hepatic lobe diameter (LHLD) in stage II (by 64.0%) and stage III (by 69.2%). PHB width (r = 0.857, p < 0.001), PVW thickness (r = 0.488, p < 0.001), and spleen area (r = 0.8774, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with histological stage. Significant changes were noted in the liver surface, liver echogenicity, and liver edge between different stages.
Conclusions
Ultrasound imaging characteristics of PBC patients varied according to the histological staging. LHLD, PVW thickness, and PHB width were significantly correlated with the histological stage. A combination of high- and low-frequency ultrasound imaging can provide relevant cues on the degree of PBC progression and important clinical reference values.
Successful pregnancy in a female with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the cervix who received biopsy and chemotherapy alone without recurrence after 16 years: a case report and literature review
Authors: Yu Xiuzhang , Qie Mingrong , Huang Liyan , Hou Minmin 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background: Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) of the uterine cervix is rare, but the population affected is mostly underage females. The scope of surgery has now evolved from extensive to limited, and organ-preserving surgery combined with chemotherapy is recommended to preserve the patient's fertility. However, reports of birth outcomes are rare.
Case: A minor woman with cervical ERMS who underwent only an outpatient biopsy of the lesion, who had no residual lesion on subsequent multipoint cervical biopsy and who refused radical surgery or cervical conization, after which the patient received a nonclassical regimen of chemotherapy. The patient stopped the chemotherapy on her own, but the patient conceived spontaneously 16 years later with a good pregnancy outcome and no recurrence.
Conclusions: This case suggests that preservation of reproductive function is often feasible in immature women with cervical EMS, and the prognosis is usually good as long as the primary tumor can be surgically removed and the lesion is free of residual disease. We also look forward to reports of subsequent growth and pregnancy outcomes in other children with reproductive tract RMS. In cervical ERMS, accurate evaluation of the disease and development of an individualized treatment plan are crucial, and the protection of reproductive function and psychological well-being deserves special attention.
Optimal Treatment Conditions of the Low-intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Therapy for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease -Applications from Mice to Humans-
Authors: Shindo Tomohiko , Eguchi Kumiko , Monma Yuto , Kanai Hiroshi , Yasuda Satoshi , Shimokawa Hiroaki 
Published: July 2023

Abstract

Background and Purpose
We have previously developed a novel therapy with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) that ameliorates cognitive decline through upregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia. We then conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled (RCT) pilot trial for efficacy and safety of the whole-brain LIPUS therapy in patients with early AD. We demonstrated that the LIPUS therapy is safe and tends to suppress the cognitive decline in AD patients. We here report the findings of our basic experiments that we performed for the pilot trial in order to apply the whole-brain LIPUS therapy from mice to humans.
Methods
We performed basic experiments of the LIPUS therapy to identify the optimal treatment condition. First, by using human temporal bone, we examined the relationship between bone density/thickness and ultrasound transmittance. Next, based on the results of ultrasound transmittance, we further examined mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in response to variable frequencies, duty cycles, and sound pressures.
Results
There was a significant correlation between bone thickness and transmittance (1.0 MHz, P < 0.001), while there was no significant correlation between bone density and transmittance (1.0 MHz, P = 0.421). At a frequency of 0.5 MHz, the optimum duty cycle was considered to be ~ 20%. When the tissue amplitude was in the range of 0.05–0.5 MPa, VEGF, FGF2 and eNOS were significantly upregulated by LIPUS. Thus, the conditions necessary for the LIPUS therapy for human brain were identified as sound pressure just below the probe 1.3 MPa (tissue amplitude 0.15 MPa), duty cycle 5%, and frequency 0.5 MHz.
Conclusions
We successfully found the optimal treatment conditions of the LIPUS therapy for the treatment of patients with AD.