bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative study of microscale and macroscale technique for encapsulation of Calotropis gigantea extract in metal-conjugated nanomatrices for invasive ductal carcinoma
Authors: Aftab Ayesha , Ahmad Bashir , Bashir Shazia , Rafique Saima , Bashir Muhammad , Ghani Tayyaba , Gul Asma , Shah Atta Ullah , Khan Ranjha , Sajini Abdulrahim A. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe encapsulation of plant extract in nanomatrices has limitations due to its adhesion to walls, size control, high cost and long durations that results in low yield. Macroscale and microscale level techniques for development of micro/nanoparticles may impact the encapsulation of plant extract. This study aimed to evaluate the relative efficiency of microscale and macroscale techniques for encapsulation of plant extract, which is not compared yet. Keeping this in view, encapsulation of Calotropis gigantea leaves extract (CaG) was attained in silver-conjugated poliglusam nanomatrices (POL/Ag) to induce apoptosis in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) cells. The ethanolic CaG extract was prepared using percolation method and characterized by chemical tests for its active phytochemical compounds. The droplet-based microfluidic system was utilized as microscale encapsulation technique for CaG in nanomatrices at two different aqueous to oil flow rate ratios 1.0:1.5, and 1.0:3.0. Moreover, conventional batch system was utilized as macroscale encapsulation technique consisted of hot plate magnetic stirrer. The prepared nanomatrices were analysed for antioxidant activity using DPPH test and for cytotoxicity analysis using MCF-7 cells. The characteristic peaks of UV–Vis, FTIR and XRD spectrum confirmed the synthesis of CaG(POL/Ag) by both the encapsulation methods. However, microfluidic system was found to be more expedient because of attaining small and uniform sized silver nanoparticles (92 ± 19 nm) at high flow rate and achieving high encapsulation efficiency (80.25%) as compared to the conventional batch method (52.5%). CaG(POL/Ag) nanomatrices found to have significant antioxidant activity (p = 0.0014) against DPPH radical scavenging activity. The CaG(POL/Ag) of the smallest sized formulated by the microfluidic system has also shown the highest cytotoxicity (90%) as compared to batch method (70%) at 80 µg/mL. Our results indicate that the microscale technique using microfluidic system is a more efficient method to formulate size-controlled CaG(POL/Ag) nanomatrices and achieve high encapsulation of plant extract. Additionally, CaG(Pol/Ag) was found to be an efficient new combination for inducing potent (p < 0.0001) apoptosis in IDC cells. Therefore, CaG(Pol/Ag) can be further tested as an anti-cancer agent for in-vivo experiments.
A province-by-province cost-effectiveness analysis and budget impact analysis of one-time birth cohort screening of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Canada
Authors: Wong William W. L. , Haines Alex , Wong Josephine , Hamadeh Abdullah , Krahn Murray D. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractManaging chronic hepatitis C is challenging, as the majority of those infected are asymptomatic. Therefore, to ensure treatments are administered before the onset of severe complications, screening is important. In Canada, uncertainty regarding the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of screening has led to conflicting recommendations. The objective of this study is to estimate the cost-effectiveness and budget-impact of one-time HCV screening. A state-transition model was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and budget-impact between a risk-based screening strategy (current-practice) and a one-time screening strategy on three different birth-cohorts. Cost and prevalence data were obtained from administrative data. Progression and utility data were based on recent systematic reviews. We used a provincial payer-perspective, life-time time-horizon and a 1.5% discount rate for the cost-effectiveness analysis, and used a 10-year time-horizon and no discounting for the budget-impact analysis. One-time screening strategy would cost more and provide more health benefits than the risk-based screening for all birth cohorts. For those born after 1964, the incremental-cost-effectiveness-ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted-life-year (QALY) of screening versus current-practice varied from $27,422/QALY to $42,191/QALY across different provinces. One-time screening of the cohort would cost an additional $2 million to $236 million across different provinces. For those born 1945–1964, the ICER of screening versus current-practice varied from $35,217/QALY to $48,197/QALY across different provinces. For the cohort born before 1945, the ICER of screening versus current-practice was not cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/QALY across all provinces. Our cost-effectiveness analysis suggests that a one-time HCV screening program for those born after 1945 is cost-effective. Considering the budget impact relative to other funded recommended health services and technologies, HCV screening could be considered affordable.
Normative brain mapping using scalp EEG and potential clinical application
Authors: Janiukstyte Vytene , Owen Thomas W. , Chaudhary Umair J. , Diehl Beate , Lemieux Louis , Duncan John S. , de Tisi Jane , Wang Yujiang , Taylor Peter N. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractA normative electrographic activity map could be a powerful resource to understand normal brain function and identify abnormal activity. Here, we present a normative brain map using scalp EEG in terms of relative band power. In this exploratory study we investigate its temporal stability, its similarity to other imaging modalities, and explore a potential clinical application. We constructed scalp EEG normative maps of brain dynamics from 17 healthy controls using source-localised resting-state scalp recordings. We then correlated these maps with those acquired from MEG and intracranial EEG to investigate their similarity. Lastly, we use the normative maps to lateralise abnormal regions in epilepsy. Spatial patterns of band powers were broadly consistent with previous literature and stable across recordings. Scalp EEG normative maps were most similar to other modalities in the alpha band, and relatively similar across most bands. Towards a clinical application in epilepsy, we found abnormal temporal regions ipsilateral to the epileptogenic hemisphere. Scalp EEG relative band power normative maps are spatially stable across time, in keeping with MEG and intracranial EEG results. Normative mapping is feasible and may be potentially clinically useful in epilepsy. Future studies with larger sample sizes and high-density EEG are now required for validation.
Deepfakes and scientific knowledge dissemination
Authors: Doss Christopher , Mondschein Jared , Shu Dule , Wolfson Tal , Kopecky Denise , Fitton-Kane Valerie A. , Bush Lance , Tucker Conrad 
Published: August 2023

AbstractScience misinformation on topics ranging from climate change to vaccines have significant public policy repercussions. Artificial intelligence-based methods of altering videos and photos (deepfakes) lower the barriers to the mass creation and dissemination of realistic, manipulated digital content. The risk of exposure to deepfakes among education stakeholders has increased as learners and educators rely on videos to obtain and share information. We field the first study to understand the vulnerabilities of education stakeholders to science deepfakes and the characteristics that moderate vulnerability. We ground our study in climate change and survey individuals from five populations spanning students, educators, and the adult public. Our sample is nationally representative of three populations. We found that 27–50% of individuals cannot distinguish authentic videos from deepfakes. All populations exhibit vulnerability to deepfakes which increases with age and trust in information sources but has a mixed relationship with political orientation. Adults and educators exhibit greater vulnerability compared to students, indicating that those providing education are especially susceptible. Vulnerability increases with exposure to potential deepfakes, suggesting that deepfakes become more pernicious without interventions. Our results suggest that focusing on the social context in which deepfakes reside is one promising strategy for combatting deepfakes.
Delay-differential SEIR modeling for improved modelling of infection dynamics
Authors: Kiselev I. N. , Akberdin I. R. , Kolpakov F. A. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractSEIR (Susceptible–Exposed–Infected–Recovered) approach is a classic modeling method that is frequently used to study infectious diseases. However, in the vast majority of such models transitions from one population group to another are described using the mass-action law. That causes inability to reproduce observable dynamics of an infection such as the incubation period or progression of the disease's symptoms. In this paper, we propose a new approach to simulate the epidemic dynamics based on a system of differential equations with time delays and instant transitions to approximate durations of transition processes more correctly and make model parameters more clear. The suggested approach can be applied not only to Covid-19 but also to the study of other infectious diseases. We utilized it in the development of the delay-based model of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and France. The model takes into account testing of different population groups, symptoms progression from mild to critical, vaccination, duration of protective immunity and new virus strains. The stringency index was used as a generalized characteristic of the non-pharmaceutical government interventions in corresponding countries to contain the virus spread. The parameter identifiability analysis demonstrated that the presented modeling approach enables to significantly reduce the number of parameters and make them more identifiable. Both models are publicly available.
Exploring spin-polarization in Bi-based high-Tc cuprates
Authors: Iwasawa Hideaki , Sumida Kazuki , Ishida Shigeyuki , Le Fèvre Patrick , Bertran François , Yoshida Yoshiyuki , Eisaki Hiroshi , Santander-Syro Andrés F. , Okuda Taichi 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe role of spin–orbit interaction has been recently reconsidered in high-$$T_{c}$$

T
c

cuprates, stimulated by the recent experimental observations of spin-polarized electronic states. However, due to the complexity of the spin texture reported, the origin of the spin polarization in high-$$T_{c}$$

T
c

cuprates remains unclear. Here, we present the spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data on the facing momentum points that are symmetric with respect to the $$\Gamma$$
Γ
point, to ensure the intrinsic spin nature related to the initial state. We consistently found the very weak spin polarization only along the nodal direction, with no indication of spin-splitting of the band. Our findings thus call for a revision of the simple application of the spin–orbit interaction, which has been treated within the standard framework of the Rashba interaction in high-$$T_{c}$$

T
c

cuprates.
Environmental impacts on the structural integrity of British rhodoliths
Authors: Melbourne Leanne A. , Brodie Juliet , Rayfield Emily J. , Titelboim Danna , Lord Oliver T. , Schmidt Daniela N. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractCoralline algae form complex habitats which are biodiversity hotspots. Experimental studies suggest that climate change will decrease coralline algal structural integrity. These experiments, however, lack information on local morphological variability and how much structural change would be needed to threaten habitat formation. Here, using finite element modelling, we assess variability in cellular structure and chemical composition of the carbonate skeleton of four coralline algal species from Britain in contemporary and historical specimens collected over the last 130 years. Cellular and mineral properties are highly variable within species, between sites and through time, with structurally weaker cells in the southern species and contemporary material compared to northern taxa and historical material. Yet, temporal differences in strength were smaller than spatial differences. Our work supports long term experiments which show the adaptation potential of this group. Our results suggest that future anthropogenic climate change may lead to loss of habitat complexity in the south and expansion of structurally weaker southern species into northern sites.
Advancing aircraft engine RUL predictions: an interpretable integrated approach of feature engineering and aggregated feature importance
Authors: Alomari Yazan , Andó Mátyás , Baptista Marcia L. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIn this study, we present a comprehensive approach for predicting the remaining useful life (RUL) of aircraft engines, incorporating advanced feature engineering, dimensionality reduction, feature selection techniques, and machine learning models. The process begins with a rolling time series window, followed by the extraction of a multitude of statistical features, and the application of principal component analysis for dimensionality reduction. We utilize a variety of feature selection methods, such as Genetic Algorithm, Recursive Feature Elimination, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Regression, and Feature Importances from a Random Forest model. As a significant contribution, we introduce the novel aggregated feature importances with cross-validation (AFICv) technique, which ranks features based on their mean importance. We establish a selection criterion that retains features with a cumulative mean sum equal to 70%, thereby reducing the complexity of machine learning models and enhancing their generalizability. Four machine learning regression models—Natural and Extreme Gradient Boosting, Random Forest, and Multi-Layer Perceptron—were employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the selected features. The performance of our proposed method is assessed by the evaluation metrics Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and R2 Score, and also considered within-interval percentages and relative accuracy metrics. Importantly, a novel PCA interpretability was introduced to provide real-world context and enhance the utility of our findings for domain experts. Our results indicate that the proposed AFICv technique efficiently achieves competitive performance across the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (C-MAPSS) sub-datasets using a significantly smaller subset of features, thus contributing to a more effective and interpretable RUL prediction methodology for aircraft engines.
Evaluation on coupling coordinated development of population economy and eco-geological environment in the twin-city economic circle of Chengdu–Chongqing region
Authors: Han Dong , Chen Liang , Wu Hao , Wang Xinyuan , Xiao Yi , Yang Haonan , Liu Shiyu , Xu Shuangshuang , Huang Huan , Chang Ming 
Published: August 2023

AbstractUsing the CRITIC method, comprehensive index evaluation method, VAR model, coupling coordination model and other methods, this paper evaluates the comprehensive development of the population economy and eco-geological environment composite system in the twin-city economic circle of Chengdu–Chongqing region from 2000 to 2020, verifies the dynamic coupling relationship between subsystems and measures the coupling coordination degree of complex system. Meanwhile, the differences in the development process of each subsystem are discussed and the spatial–temporal evolution characteristics and laws of coupling coordination of the composite system during the research period are analyzed. The results reveal the following: (1) There is a long-term coordinated relationship between population, economy and eco-geological environment in Chengdu–Chongqing region, which have the conditions for emergence and generation. (2) The subsystems of population, economy and eco-geological environment in Chengdu–Chongqing region show an overall upward trend, among which the Sichuan part obviously outperforms the Chongqing part. Besides, the growth rate of the economy subsystem is significantly higher than that of the population, eco-geological environment subsystem. (3) The coupling coordinated development of the composite system has shown a benign upward development trend, gradually changing from “composite spiral structure” to “two cores outstanding, peripheral collapse, the west superior to the east”, while the main coordination state has developed from “Basic synergy—Economic lag” in 2000 to “Basic synergy—Population lag” in 2022. In addition, Cheng-De-Mian and Yuzhong districts with the better level of economic development have shown “Advanced synergy—Ecological lag”.
Kinematic mechanism of the rehabilitative effect of 4-channel NMES: post-hoc analysis of a prospective randomized controlled study
Authors: Lim Jiwoon , Lee Jun Chang , Jang Eun Gyeong , Choi Sun Young , Seo Kyoung-Ho , Lee So Young , Park Donghwi , Oh Byung-Mo , Seo Han Gil , Ryu Ju Seok 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe sequential 4-channel neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), based on the normal contractile sequences of swallowing-related muscles, is a new rehabilitative treatment. The objective of this study was to explore the mechanism of the rehabilitative effect of the 4-channel NMES using kinematic analysis of videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) data. For this post-hoc analysis, we included a subset of participants from the prospective randomized controlled study on the clinical effectiveness of the sequential 4-channel NMES compared with that of the conventional 2-channel NMES. Seventeen subjects (11 and six in the 4- and 2-channel NMES groups, respectively) were eligible for the kinematic analysis of VFSS data. The hyoid bone movement was analyzed by evaluating the distance and time parameters with four peak points (A, B, C, D). The 4-channel NMES group showed significant improvement in vertical distances (A–C), horizontal distance (A–B, A–C), time interval (A–B–C) and total time, compared with their pretreatment data. The 2-channel NMES group showed significant improvements in time interval (A–B); however, the Euclidean distance (A–D) and mean velocity of the Euclidean distance (A-C) were significantly decreased. When the two groups were directly compared, the 4-channel group showed significantly greater improvement in horizontal distance (A–B), Euclidean distance (A–D), time interval (A–B–C), and mean velocity the Euclidean distance (A–D). The results in this study suggest that the sequential 4-channel NMES might lead to the physiologic circular movement of the hyoid bone during swallowing, and therefore be an effective treatment for dysphagia.Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, registration number: NCT03670498.
Curcumin and melphalan cotreatment induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells
Authors: Passos Carlos Luan A. , Polinati Renata Madureira , Ferreira Christian , dos Santos Nathalia Alexia Nascimento , Lima Daniel Galinis V. , da Silva Jerson Lima , Fialho Eliane 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBreast cancer is the second most common type of cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death in women. Dietary bioactive compounds may act at different stages of carcinogenesis, including tumor initiation, promotion, and progression. Spices have been used for thousands of years and have many bioactive compounds with chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic properties. Curcumin has a multitude of beneficial biological properties, including anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. This study investigated the effects of cotreatment with curcumin and the chemotherapeutic drug melphalan in cultured MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. When used alone, both curcumin and melphalan had a cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cells. Combined treatment with 11.65 µM of curcumin and 93.95 µM of melphalan (CURC/MEL) reduced cell viability by 28.64% and 72.43% after 24 h and 48 h, respectively. CURC/MEL reduced the number of colony-forming units and increased ROS levels by 1.36-fold. CURC/MEL alter cell cycle progression, induce apoptosis, and upregulate caspases-3, -7, and -9, in MDA-MB-231 cells. Cotreatment with curcumin and melphalan have anti-breast cancer cells effects and represent a promising candidate for clinical testing.
Estimation of treatment effect in presence of noncompliance and competing risks: a simulation study
Authors: Safari Malihe , Esmaeili Habib , Mahjub Hossein , Roshanaei Ghodratollah 
Published: August 2023

AbstractA randomized controlled trial is commonly designed to assess the treatment effect in survival studies, in which patients are randomly assigned to the standard or the experimental treatment group. Upon disease progression, patients who have been randomized to standard treatment are allowed to switch to the experimental treatment. Treatment switching in a randomized controlled trial refers to a situation in which patients switch from their randomized treatment to another treatment. Often, the switchis from the control group to the experimental treatment. In this case, the treatment effect estimate is adjusted using either convenient naive methods such as intention-to-treat, per-protocol or advanced methods such as rank preserving structural failure time (RPSFT) models. In previous simulation studies performed so far, there was only one possible outcome for patients. However, in oncology in particular, multiple outcomes are potentially possible. These outcomes are called competing risks. This aspect has not been considered in previous studies when determining the effect of a treatment in the presence of noncompliance. This study aimed to extend the RPSFT method using a two-dimensional G-estimation in the presence of competing risks. The RPSFT method was extended for two events, the event of interest and the competing event. For this purpose, the RPSFT method was applied based on the cause-specific hazard approach, the result of which is compared to the naive methods used in simulation studies. The results show that the proposed method has a good performance compared to other methods.
Validation study on a non-linear dynamical model of the projectile
Authors: Liang Jun , Fan Xuanhua , Wang Yuancen , Xiao Shifu , Chen Hongyong 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBased on the theoretical approach of multi-body interaction dynamics, a theoretical model is constructed to simulate the nonlinear response amplification of the projectile structure. The accuracy and universality of the theoretical model were verified by comparing the response data calculated by the theoretical model with the experimental data. The results show that the theoretical model can predict the acceleration and strain response of the projectile structure more accurately, providing a non-linear dynamic analysis method for the projectile structure from the perspective of structural dynamics.