Heliyon最新文献

Background: Previous studies mostly use single-type features to establish a prediction model. We aim to develop a comprehensive prediction model that effectively identify patients with poor prognosis for single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on artificial intelligence (AI). Patients and methods: 236 single HCC patients were studied to establish a comprehensive prediction model. We collected the basic information of patients and used AI to extract the features of magnetic resonance (MR) images.

Results: The clinical model based on linear regression (LR) algorithm (AUC: 0.658, 95%CI: 0.5021-0.8137), the radiomics model and deep transfer learning (DTL) model based on light gradient-boosting machine (Light GBM) algorithm (AUC: 0.761, 95%CI: 0.6326-0.8886 and AUC: 0.784, 95%CI: 0.6587-0.9087, respectively) were the optimal prediction models. A comparison revealed that the integrated nomogram had the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (all P < 0.05). In the training cohort, the integrated nomogram was predictive of recurrence-free survival (RFS) as well as overall survival (OS) (C-index: 0.735 and 0.712, P < 0.001). In the test cohort, the integrated nomogram also can predict RFS and OS (C-index: 0.718 and 0.740, P < 0.001) in patients.

Conclusion: The integrated nomogram composed of signatures in the prediction models can not only predict the postoperative recurrence of single HCC patients but also stratify the risk of OS after the operation.

Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels are a family of ion channels that play pivotal roles in various physiological processes, including sensory transduction, temperature regulation, and inflammation. In the context of dentistry, recent research has highlighted the involvement of TRP channels in mediating sensory responses and inflammation in dental tissues and temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) structure. TRP channels have emerged as major contributors in the development of inflammatory conditions and pain affecting the oral cavity and related structures, such as periodontitis, dental erosion cause hypersensitivity, pulpitis, and TMJ disorders. These inflammatory conditions notably contribute to oral health challenges, often leading to sharp pain, dull aches, and compromised functionality. Pharmacological interventions and emerging strategies aimed at modulating TRP channel activity are critically evaluated. The therapeutic potential of targeting TRP channels in the management within dental practice is a focal point of view to alleviate pain and inflammation. In conclusion, this comprehensive review provides a valuable synthesis of current knowledge regarding the involvement of TRP channels in inflammatory conditions of dentistry underscoring the potential of TRP channels as promising targets for therapeutic intervention, and then paving the way for innovative strategies to address the complexities of inflammatory dental conditions.

Trifluralin (FLL) is extensively used in rapeseed fields in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) region. However, the degradation kinetics of FLL in this area and its impact on environmental microbial communities are not yet known. To investigate the degradation patterns and ecological benefits of FLL, this study established a comprehensive method for detecting FLL residues and selected efficient degrading bacterial strains. Degradation experiments were conducted in two typical soil types of the QTP, and the dynamic changes in microbial communities were explored. The results indicated that FLL degradation in soils from two different regions of the QTP followed first-order kinetics, with half-lives of 25 and 39 days, respectively. The application of FLL at 173 g/ha significantly increased bacterial richness and diversity in the soils of both regions. Three efficient degrading strains were selected from soil samples: FL-3 (Bacillus velezensis) with a degradation rate of 80.81 %, FL-5 (Bacillus velezensis) at 51.18 %, and FL-6 (Pseudomonas atacamensis) at 49.98 %. Moreover, the optimal degradation conditions for these strains were determined, and it was verified that they had no adverse effects on the germination and seedling growth of rapeseed, wheat, and barley. The findings of this study provide important data for the environmental risk assessment of FLL and suggest potential biological resources for the rational use and environmental remediation of this herbicide. These results are significant for developing safe use and environmental management strategies for FLL in the QTP.

The b-metric space happens to be one of the of most significant and non-trivial generalizations of metric spaces. In this paper, we introduce the concepts of Kannan type and Ćirić-Reich-Rus type cyclic contractions in b-metric spaces via interpolation. Existence and uniqueness of fixed points of these two newly introduced contraction mappings have been studied and validated with suitable examples. Our paper also generalizes, extends and provides improvements to the results in the recent paper by Edraoui et al. (2023) [11].

Background: Cystic fibrosis is a heterogeneous disease whose severity and symptoms largely depend on the functional impact of mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene. Other genes may also modulate the clinical manifestations and complications associated with cystic fibrosis. Genetic variants of the bitter taste receptor TAS2R38 have been shown to contribute to the susceptibility and severity of chronic rhinosinusitis. This study aims to elucidate the role of TAS2R38 as a novel modifier gene influencing sinonasal disease severity and pulmonary Pseudomonas Aeruginosa colonization in children with cystic fibrosis.

Methods: This retrospective observational case-control study evaluated sinus clinical features, quality of life, and the occurrence of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa pulmonary colonization in 69 children with cystic fibrosis. Propylthiouracil testing and TAS2R38 genotyping were performed to characterize patients based on receptor functionality.

Results: The non-taster genetic variant of bitter taste receptor TAS2R38 was associated with greater severity of chronic rhinosinusitis, as measured by endoscopic and radiological scores, compared to the taster variant (p = 0.031 and p = 0.03, respectively). Furthermore, an inverse correlation was observed between the age at first Pseudomonas Aeruginosa infection and chronic rhinosinusitis severity assessed by endoscopic score (r = -0.3388, p = 0.0302).

Conclusions: The findings highlight the role of TAS2R38 as a potential genetic modifier influencing the severity of chronic rhinosinusitis in children with cystic fibrosis. The clinical implications include the potential development of T2R38-targeted topical therapies and the use of taste testing or genotyping to predict susceptibility to infection. In addition, these results may pave the way for novel, tailored therapeutic approaches in the era of precision medicine.

This study investigates the performance of a skirt sand pile (SSP) system beneath a circular shallow footing using three-dimensional finite element analysis calibrated against a large-scale experimental setup. The SSP, measuring 8.00 m in length and 1.00 m in diameter, was analyzed in a soft clay-sandy soil environment. The Mohr-Coulomb, hardening soil, and linear elastic models were employed to simulate the soil and structural elements. The innovative aspect of this study lies in the comprehensive evaluation of the SSP system's load-bearing capacity and settlement behavior, revealing its superior performance compared to deep cement pile (DCP). Numerical results demonstrated LBR improvements of 1.7 and 1.4 at settlement ratios (s/B%) of 10 % and 15 %, respectively, for the SSP, compared to LBRs of 1.3 and 1.1 for DCM. Additionally, the study explores the significant Influence of increasing SSP length (by 180 %), which resulted in a much greater increase in load-bearing capacity compared to similar changes in DCM. Another key innovation is the analysis of soil cohesion and friction angle effects, where increasing these parameters resulted in a reduction in settlement ratios from 36 % to 12 %, with the load-bearing capacity improving from 2 to 3.7. A significant and innovative aspect of this study is the soil-skirt sandpile interaction, which was found to have a much greater effect on the load-bearing capacity and settlement behavior than the traditional soil-deep cement pile interaction. This study provides critical insights into the efficacy of SSP systems in enhancing foundation performance, offering a cost-effective, efficient alternative to traditional deep cement pile, especially in layered clay-sand soil environments. The findings provide practical guidance for optimizing foundation design and improving the sustainability of geotechnical engineering solutions.

Stay-green sorghum varieties are known for their drought resistance and ability to retain green biomass during grain filling, making them crucial for sustainable agriculture in arid regions. However, there is limited information on their stover yield (SY) and nutritional quality when both grain and forage are harvested. This study assessed five stay-green sorghum varieties at the Bako Agricultural Research Centre using a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2020, 2021, and 2022. The research evaluated SY, morphological traits, and nutrient composition. Results indicated that the Chemeda and Gemedi varieties produced the highest SY, digestible dry matter, and organic matter yield, with greater plant height and stem dry matter yield. These varieties are better suited for and could be targeted toward smallholder farmers who require large quantities of fodder for dry-season feeding when feed shortages are prevalent. In contrast, Asosa1 yielded the highest leaf biomass and leaf-to-stem ratio, followed by Adukara, suggesting that stover produced by such varieties would contribute to higher-quality forage that supports livestock productivity. SY varied significantly (P < 0.001) across seasons, with the highest in year 1, followed by year 3, and the lowest in year 2. Ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and cellulose concentrations showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) among varieties, though some quality traits differed (P < 0.05). Crude protein ranged from 5.44 % (Chemeda) to 3.18 % (Marara). These levels were below the threshold required for optimal rumen microbial activity, highlighting the need for supplementation with high-quality feed to support effective animal performance. Most traits, except for the leaf-to-stem ratio, showed strong positive correlations. Overall, Asosa1 and Adukara provided less stover with higher nutritional quality, while Chemeda and Gemedi offered greater quantities of lower-quality stover. The choice of variety should be based on the livestock production purpose of the end users. Future research should focus on assessing the performance of ruminant animals fed stover from the recommended varieties.

Klebsiella spp. present in the food chain have been of much interest during the last few decades due to their implication in the development of antimicrobial resistance. We determined the prevalence of Klebsiella spp. (Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca) in retail poultry meat, along with their resistance profile against antimicrobials. For the detection of the Klebsiella spp. a total of 285 raw meat samples of retailed poultry were collected and cultured. All positive cultures were screened for Klebsiella spp. by PCR to confirm the identity. Their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was performed using the disk diffusion technique, whereas the ESBL-coding genes were detected using the multiplex PCR technique. Out of 285 samples, 139 (48.77 %) raw meat samples had Klebsiella spp. While out of 139 identified positive isolates, 99 (34.74 %) isolates were K. pneumoniae, and 13 (4.56 %) were K. oxytoca. Phenotypically, most of the strains were fully (100 %) resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, and nalidixic acid. Of the β-Lactamase genes that were detected through mPCR, bla _SHV was the dominant gene among the strains K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca isolates, with percentages of 86.87 % and 76.92 %, respectively. Besides, isolates of K. p n eumoniae harbored 95.96 % (95 % CI: 89.98-98.89) of the tetA gene, whereas the K. oxytoca isolates harbored only 92.31 % (95 % CI: 63.97-99.81) of the tetA gene. Most of the K. pneumonia e and K. oxytoca isolates were found to harbor the streptomycin-resistant gene, strA. These results highlighted significant carriage of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella spp. in retail poultry meat, which insinuates that there is a need for a strategic plan in place to curb the dissemination of these multi drug resistant pathogens along the food chain.

From a methodological perspective, the "mode effect," which refers to the phenomenon where different survey methods can yield different responses despite asking the same questions, presents a significant contemporary challenge. Existing solutions suggested in the literature, such as the implementation of multi-mode surveys, have their drawbacks as they may introduce bias that could impact respondent behavior. This study aims to identify distinct visitor segments within two large populations, assessing their patterns of visitation to both national and state parks. Additionally, we aim to evaluate the presence of the "mode effect" when concurrently conducting face-to-face and online surveys. The primary contribution of this research lies in confirming the persistence of the "mode effect," even when employing the same questionnaire for the same tourism product, during the same time frame, but among different populations. Furthermore, we propose various strategies to mitigate the "mode effect."

This study aims to investigate the factors influencing job satisfaction among university teachers, considering various complex constructs such as salary and financial benefits, career growth and opportunities, relationships with colleagues, recognition, working environment, and leadership. Utilizing a quantitative cross-sectional research design, the present study was conducted in Bangladesh between August and December 2022. Encompassing 7 public universities and 12 private universities, the research purposively sampled 95 participants, adhering to a systematic and comprehensive approach to data collection. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The empirical findings of the study revealed that career growth and opportunities (β = 0.225, t = 2.023, p < 0.10), leadership (β = 0.262, t = 1.757, p < 0.10), and relationships with colleagues (β = 0.166, t = 1.519, p < 0.10) had a significant positive impact on university teachers' job satisfaction. On the other hand, salary and financial benefits (β = 0.082, t = 0.823, p > 0.10), recognition (β = 0.02, t = 0.208, p > 0.10), and working environment (β = 0.14, t = 1.057, p > 0.10) had a positive but less significant impact on job satisfaction among university teachers. The overall findings provide valuable insights that can assist policymakers and stakeholders in implementing synchronized strategies to enhance job satisfaction among university teachers, ultimately leading to improved university teachers' job performance.