bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principle of superposition versus CVFD approach in analyzing the step-drawdown test data
Authors: Gunawardhana Luminda Niroshana , Ahmed Sakina , Sana Ahmed , Baawain Mahad
Published: July 2022

A nonlinear partial differential equation is required for representing groundwater flow in an unconfined aquifer. In pumping tests, analytical models use linearized version of the Boussinesq's flow equation with the principle of superposition to incorporate the effects of time varying pumping rate and boundary conditions for estimating aquifer properties. This linearized assumption along with other simplified site conditions could generate significant errors in estimated aquifer properties. Numerical models often are capable of handling complex site conditions and used the control volume finite difference (CVFD) method for simulating groundwater flow. The objective of this study is to investigate the differences in estimations by these two methods when they are used with step-drawdown test (SDT) data. Pumping and recovery groundwater levels recorded in a pumping well and two monitoring wells were analyzed using analytical and numerical methods. The location of these wells near to a stream provided a unique opportunity to investigate the application of the principle of superposition in space. The analytical model performed well in calculating drawdown in individual wells but failed to produce a common set of aquifer properties for all three wells. In particular, transmissivity values show approximately 47% difference among three wells. Finer grid resolutions along with the CVFD method in numerical modeling were able to calibrate a set of aquifer properties that simulate drawdown curves during both pumping and recovery tests in all three wells. Moreover, the results depicted that boundary effect on estimated aquifer properties attenuates as the distance from the boundary increases.
Clinical Research Coordinators' Perceptions of Shared Decision-Making Implementation in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: FUJITA Miho , YONEKURA Yuki , NAKAYAMA Kazuhiro
Published: July 2022

Background: In Japan, despite the support for informed consent from clinical research coordinators (CRCs), issues related to respect for autonomy, such as lack of patient understanding and the effect on the patient-physician relationship, have been identified. Therefore, it is desirable to implement shared decision-making (SDM) in clinical trials; however, the CRCs’ perceptions of SDM are unknown. This study aimed to ⅰ）determine the current status of SDM implementation and barriers among Japanese CRCs, and ⅱ） estimate factors affecting SDM implementation, and obtain suggestions for the implementation or facilitation of SDM in clinical trials.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a web questionnaire. SDM in clinical trials was defined according to the SDM-Q-Doc, and CRCs responded on the current status of implementation of the nine steps and the attitudes toward SDM. A newly developed questionnaire was used to assess barriers to autonomous decision-making. In addition, the participants were asked to choose steps that would be difficult to implement. Results: A total of 373 participants responded to the questionnaire. The current status of the nine-step SDM implementation ranged from 59.5% to 99.2%. However, 87.7% of participants chose seven or more steps as difficult. The variables that significantly influenced the current status of SDM implementation were the attitudes toward SDM (p < .001), the perception of barriers to respect for autonomy (p < .001), the number of difficult steps in the SDM process (p = .002), and experience years (EY) of CRCs (p = .003). Noteworthy barriers were lack of knowledge about patient participation in decision-making, difficulty explaining benefits and disadvantages, lack of decision support skills, pressure from sponsors and physicians to obtain consent, and lack of physician involvement.Conclusion: Many CRCs in Japan had positive perceptions of SDM, and can play an important role in facilitating SDM in clinical trials. However, several barriers need to be addressed. Therefore, our study proposes a structured tool for the SDM process that is not limited to a specific protocol and can be used widely.Trial registration: Not applicable
A banquet scene in a tomb of Cuma (southern Italy): the study of wall paintings to shed light on Roman technological skills in ‘building for eternity’
Authors: Germinario Chiara , Pagano Sabrina , Mercurio Mariano , Izzo Francesco , De Bonis Alberto , Morra Vincenzo , Munzi Priscilla , Leone Marcella , Conca Elisa , Grifa Celestino
Published: July 2022

Excavations at the north-eastern side of the city Cumae (modern Cuma) brought to light the Tomba del Banchetto per l’Eternità, a hypogeum chamber tomb with vaulted ceiling built in tuff blocks dated back to the first decades of the 1st century BCE. The exceptional nature of the discovery, resembling an Oscan tradition, is due to the peculiar decorative scheme, reporting a banquet scene and three funerary beds along with a table, reproducing a sort of triclinium.The investigation performed on decorated plasters, in situ by a spectroscopic approach and in-lab via minero-petrographic techniques, allowed us to infer the production technology of wall paintings and mortar-based support, and the type of pigments used for decorating the tomb.The multi-layered plasters were made with specific mix-designs in the different part of the tomb; similarly, different painting techniques were adopted according to the architectural scheme. In the lower part of the walls, lime cocciopesto mortars adhere on the tuff blocks, likely to lend better hydraulic properties to the mortar-based supports in humid and wet environments. This part of the tomb, as well as the funerary beds, was painted in red using the fresco technique. On the other hand, in the upper part of walls and on the vault, the arriccio layer, containing volcanic sand, was covered with a thick and white intonachino layer composed of lime binder, constituting the support for the pictorial layer, applied with a mezzo fresco technique.The investigation on pigments used for wall paintings points out to the use of a characteristic Roman palette, consisting of pure, natural and synthetic pigments (calcite, red and yellow ochre, hematite, organic black pigments, Egyptian blue), and skilful mixtures of colouring materials (mixture of yellow ochre and organic carbon black for the brown, mixture of kaolinite-rich clay, Egyptian blue, and Fe-oxides for grey and mixture of organic –madder- and inorganic pigments for pink).Geographical Coordinates: 40°51’3.13’’N; 14°3’27.33’’E
Exercise-induced modulation of the immune microenvironment in pre-clinical breast cancer models.
Authors: Wahlroos Sara , Portman Neil , Bonder Claudine , Hjorth Marit , Wilkinson Ashleigh , Hastings Jordan , Croucher David , Febbraio Mark , Gallego-Ortega David , Lim Elgene
Published: July 2022

Backgound:
Exercise following a breast cancer diagnosis is known to improve outcomes. In multiple pre-clinical cancer models, exercise alone has shown to inhibit tumour growth. One of the suggested mechanisms for this benefit include exercise-induced recruitment and activation of anti-cancer immune cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of exercise on breast cancer tumour growth, the tumour immune microenvironment and tumour vasculature in vivo.
Methods
A triple negative breast cancer patient derived xenograft (PDX) in immunocopromised hosts and a transgenic MMTV-PyMT mouse mammary tumor model in immunocompetent hosts were used for this study. Mice were randomised to either exercise (running wheels) or sedentary controls (locked wheels), and tumour volume and survival measured. Tumours were harvested for immune cell and vascular changes, as well as cytokine analysis by immunohistochemistry and multiplex analysis respectively.
Results
Exercise improved median overall survival relative to controls in the PDX model (84 vs 33 days, p = 0.02), but did not affect tumour growth or survival in the MMTV-PyMT model. Proliferation (Ki67) and apoptosis (cleaved caspase 3) did not differ between the intervention arms in the PDX model. In contrast, apoptosis was significantly higher with exercise in the MMTV-PyMT model (p = 0.05). Exercise did not affect the extent of tumour vasculature or immune cell infiltration in the two models, but increased Th1-type cytokines such as INF-γ (p < 0.05) in the PDX model and reduced INF-γ (p < 0.001) in the MMTV-PyMT model compared with controls, in the absence of accelerated tumour growth.
Conclusion
Exercise-induced modulation of Th1-type cytokines was associated with median overall survival in the PDX model. In contrast, tumour growth was not impacted by exercise and no immunological changes were found in the immunocompetent MMTV-PyMT model.
Exceptionally well-preserved crocodilian coprolites from the Late Eocene of Northern Vietnam (Na Duong Formation) and their coproecological implications
Authors: Halaçlar Kazım , Rummy Paul , Liu Jia , Hunt Adrian , Do Truong Van , Nguyen Minh Trung , Deng Tao
Published: July 2022

Reconstructing the paleoenvironment of Na Duong Basin by using coproecology is significant in understanding the intensive prey-predator relationships, the tropic relationship and the ecosystem evolution within the paleo-locality. A total of 55 measurable coprolites (IVPP V 27941/1 till IVPP V 27491/55) and numerous coprolite fragments from Na Duong fossil site were examined in this study. The putative coprolites were assigned to a crocodilian producer. Ichnosystematic studies further erected a new ichnogenus and species, which is Crococopros naduongensis ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov. for IVPP V 27491/46, based on a set of derived characters. Apart from quantitative analyses, a multi-disciplinary approach was also utilised for biogeochemistry analyses. The study has provided a rare and unique snapshot into the past where we believe an ancient river or lake-like environment has most likely existed in Na Duong Basin and was dominated by crocodilian fauna. We deemed that the Na Duong food chain was indeed ideal and healthy for the survival of the crocodilian species during that particular period of time with sufficient food sources. In addition, the study showed tangible evidence of the richness of ichnofauna, fauna, flora, the suitable climate, and paleoenvironment that supported Na Duong Basin as a fossil-Lagerstätte of Southeast Asia.
Priming conditions shape breadth of neutralizing antibody responses to sarbecoviruses
Authors: Jia Janice , Tan Chee Wah , Cheng Samuel , Gu Haogao , Yeoh Aileen , Mok Chris Ka Pun , Wang Yanqun , Zhao Jincun , Leung Nancy , Cowling Benjamin , Poon Leo , Hui David , Wang Lin-Fa , Peiris Malik , Valkenburg Sophie
Published: July 2022

Vaccines that are broadly cross-protective against current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) or across the sarbecoviruses subgenus remain a priority for public health. Virus neutralization is the best available correlate of protection. We used sera from cohorts of individuals vaccinated with two or three doses of RNA (BNT162b2) or inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavac or Sinopharm) vaccines with or without a history of previous SARS-CoV-2 or SARS-CoV-1 (in 2003) infection, to define the magnitude and breath of cross-neutralization in a multiplex surrogate neutralization assay based on virus spike receptor binding domain of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC), SARS-CoV-2 related bat and pangolin viruses, SARS-CoV-1 and related bat sarbecoviruses. SARS-CoV-2 or SARS-CoV-1 infection followed by BNT162b2 vaccine, Omicron BA.2 breakthrough infection following BNT162b2 vaccine or a third dose of BNT162b2 following two doses of BNT162b2 or CoronaVac elicited the highest and broadest neutralization across VOCs. Considering breadth and magnitude of neutralization across all sarbecoviruses, those infected with SARS-CoV-1 immunized with BNT162b2 outperformed all other combinations of infection and/or vaccination. These data may inform vaccine design strategies for generating broadly neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 variants or across the sarbecovirus subgenus.
Diagnostic Value of Expired Gas Analysis in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Saito Yuki , Obokata Masaru , Harada Tomonari , Kagami Kazuki , Murata Makoto , Sorimachi Hidemi , Kato Toshimitsu , Wada Naoki , Okumura Yasuo , Ishii Hideki
Published: July 2022

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) may potentially differentiate heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) from noncardiac causes of dyspnea (NCD). While contemporary guidelines for HF recommend using CPET for identifying causes of unexplained dyspnea, data supporting this practice are limited. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of expired gas analysis to distinguish HFpEF from NCD.
Exercise stress echocardiography with simultaneous expired gas analysis was performed in patients with HFpEF (n=116) and those with NCD (n=112). Participants without dyspnea symptoms were also enrolled as controls (n=26). Exercise capacity was impaired in patients with HFpEF than in controls and those with NCD, evidenced by lower oxygen consumption (VO2), but there was a substantial overlap between HFpEF and NCD. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed modest diagnostic abilities of expired gas analysis data in differentiating individuals with HFpEF from the controls; however, none of these variables clearly differentiated between HFpEF and NCD (all areas under the curve<0.61). Expired gas analysis provided objective assessments of exercise capacity; however, its diagnostic value in identifying HFpEF among patients with symptoms of exertional dyspnea was modest.
GHRL as a Prognostic Biomarker Correlated With Immune Infiltrates and Progression of Precancerous Lesions in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Wang Jin-yun , Liu Ding-Wei , Xie Yong
Published: July 2022

Objective
ghrelin is a protein that regulate appetite and energy balance in the human body, which is encoded by the ghrelin prepropeptide gene (GHRL). GHRL is linked with carcinogenesis and immune regulation. However, the correlation of GHRL to prognosis and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in gastric cancer remains unclear.
Materials and methods
In this study, we assessed the transcriptional expression, protein expression, prognosis, different clinicopathological features and co-expressed genes about GHRL, the correlation between GHRL and tumor infiltration immune cells in GC patients based on the data published in the following databases: TIMER, GEPIA, GEO, UALCAN, TISIDB, Kaplan–Meier Plotter and HPA databases.
Results
We found that GHRL expression in GC samples was lower than in normal samples. However, sample type, cancer stage, and worse survival were correlated to high GHRL expression. We also found that the expression of GHRL in dysplasia was significantly lower than that in CNAG and in GC. A total of 10 hub genes were identified from the co-expressed genes, including GHRH, GHSR, CCK, GPR39, MBOAT4, UCN, LEP, INS, GH1 and IGF1. High GHRL expression was connected with immunomodulators, chemokines, and infiltrating levels of B cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells in GC.
Conclusions
GHRL is a prognostic biomarker for GC patients, and it is correlated with progression of precancerous lesions in GC. It might lead to poor prognosis by regulating tumor immune microenvironment. Studies are important to explore therapeutic targeting GHRL in the future.
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation drives polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cell response and efficiently attenuates experimental Sjögren Syndrome
Authors: Lu Liwei , Wei Yanxia , Peng Na , Deng Chong , Zhao Futao , Tian Jie , Tang Yuan , Yu Sulan , Chen Yacun , Xue Yu , Xiao Fan , Zhou Yingbo , Li Xiaomei , zou hejian , Rui Ke , Lin Xiang
Published: July 2022

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are heterogeneous myeloid cell populations with immunosuppressive capacity, which contribute to immune regulation and tolerance induction. We previously reported impaired MDSC function in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) and mice with experimental SS (ESS). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying MDSCs dysfunction remain largely unclear. In this study, we first found that aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) was highly expressed by human and murine polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs). Indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a natural AhR ligand produced from dietary tryptophan, significantly promoted PMN-MDSC differentiation and their suppressive function on CD4+ T cells. In contrast, feeding tryptophan-free diet resulted in decreased PMN-MDSC response, a phenotype that could be reversed by IPA supplementation. The functional importance of PMN-MDSCs was demonstrated in ESS mice by cell-depletion approach. Notably, AhR expression was reduced in PMN-MDSCs during ESS development, while AhR antagonism resulted in exacerbated ESS pathology and dysregulated T effector cells, which could be phenocopied by tryptophan-free diet. Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), a repressive transcription factor, was upregulated in PMN-MDSCs during ESS progression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed the binding capacity of IRF4 to the promoter region of AhR, while IRF4 deficiency markedly enhanced AhR-mediated PMN-MDSC responses. Furthermore, dietary supplementation of IPA markedly ameliorated salivary glandular pathology in ESS mice with restored MDSC immunosuppressive function. Together, our results identify a novel function of AhR in modulating PMN-MDSC response and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of targeting AhR for the treatment of pSS.
Imidazole-amino acids. Conformational switch under tautomer and pH change
Authors: Staś Monika , Najgebauer Piotr , Siodłak Dawid
Published: July 2022

Azole rings, such as thiazole or oxazole occur in natural peptide and protein main chain as isosteric replacements of the amide group, incorporated into peptide chain by post-translational modification. Residues with imidazole seem to be another tool for the peptide-based drug design, due to their specific prototropic tautomeric as well as amphoteric properties. In this study, we proved that both tautomer and pH change can cause a conformational switch of the studied residues. The studies using the DFT method were conducted in an environment of increasing polarity (gas phase, chloroform, and water) for alanine (1–4) and dehydroalanine (5–8) with adjacent imidazole. The conformational maps (Ramachandram diagrams) are presented and the stability of possible conformations is discussed. The neutral forms of studied compounds, tautomers τ and π, adapt the conformations αRτ (φ, ψ = -75°, -114°) and C7eq (φ, ψ = -75°, 66°), respectively, which are stabilised by the internal N-H···O hydrogen bond. Their torsion angles ψ differ by about 180°, which results in a considerable impact on the peptide chain conformation. The cation form (3) adapts both these conformations, whereas the anion analogue (4) prefers the conformations C5 (φ, ψ ~ -165°, -178°) and β2 (φ, ψ ~ -165°, -3°), in which the N-H···N hydrogen bond is created. Dehydroamino acid analogues, the tautomers τ (5) and π (6) and anion form (8), have a strong tendency towards the conformations β2 (φ, ψ ~ -179°, 0°) and C5 (φ, ψ ~ -180°, 180°), stabilized by the N-H···N hydrogen bond and π-electron conjugation due to the presence of Cα sp2. The preferences of the protonated imidazolium form 7 depend on the environment. The imidazole ring, acting as a donor or acceptor of internal hydrogen bonds, has a profound effect on the type of conformation.
Perioperative effect analysis of a multidisciplinary cooperative nursing model in children with mitral valve malformation: A single-center prospective study
Authors: Lin Jianling , Chen Meihua , Chen Yanling , Liao Xiaoqin , Lin Yanjuan
Published: July 2022

Background: Congenital mitral valve malformation is the presence of congenital lesions in the mitral valve structure that, if left untreated, will eventually induce cardiac insufficiency or even death. Moreover, its perioperative management n is especially challenging in children owing to their weak tolerance. Accordingly, this s study aimed to explore the clinical application of a multidisciplinary team cooperation model in children with congenital mitral valve malformation perioperatively. Methods: A multidisciplinary team of critical care, heart, rehabilitation, psychiatric, and nutrition specialist nurses was formed to develop a multidisciplinary work plan. The goal was to strengthen the perioperative observation of children with mitral valve deformity. The team handled the nutrition and management of patients, the observation and timely treatment of complications, provided psychiatric support, and implemented individualized nursing measures. Results: Mitral valve regurgitation (P <0.001) and pulmonary arterial pressure (P <0.001) were significantly lower in children with mitral valve malformation than in normal children, yet there were no serious complications or adverse psychiatric reactions in the former. Conclusion: This multidisciplinary cooperation model highlights the advantages of a multidisciplinary specialty and improves the comprehensive nursing quality of children with congenital mitral valve malformation.
Parsimonious Methodology for Synthesis of Silver and Copper Functionalized Cellulose
Authors: Patch David , O'Connor Natalia , Meira Debora , Scott Jennifer , Koch Iris , Weber Kela
Published: July 2022

Metal nanomaterials, such as silver and copper, are often incorporated into commercial textiles to take advantage of their antibacterial and antiviral properties. In this study eight different methods were employed to synthesize silver, copper, and silver/copper functionalized cotton batting textiles. Using silver and copper nitrate as precursors, different reagents were used to initiate/catalyze the deposition of metal, including: (1) no additive, (2) sodium bicarbonate, (3) green tea, (4) sodium hydroxide, (5) ammonia, (6,7) sodium hydroxide/ammonia at a 1:2 and 1:4 ratio, and (8) sodium borohydride. The use of sodium bicarbonate as a reagent to reduce silver onto cotton has not been used previously in literature and was compared to established methods. All synthesis methods were performed at 80°C for one hour following textile addition to the solutions. The products were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis for quantitative determination of the metal content and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis for silver and copper speciation on the textile. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and size distribution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to further characterize the products of the sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium borohydride synthesis methods following ashing of the textile. For the silver treatment methods (1 mM Ag+), sodium bicarbonate and sodium hydroxide resulted in the highest amounts of silver on the textile (8900 mg Ag/kg textile and 7600 mg Ag/kg textile) and for copper treatment (1 mM Cu+) the sodium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide/ammonium hydroxide resulted in the highest amounts of copper on the textile (3800 mg Ag/kg textile and 2500 mg Ag/kg textile). Formation of copper oxide was dependent on the pH of the solution, with 4 mM ammonia and other high pH solutions resulting in majority of the copper on the textile existing as copper oxide, with smaller amounts of ionic-bound copper.
Effect of Debittering Methods on the Minerals and Vitamins Composition of Sweet Orange Seeds Flour
Authors: Emojorho Ernest Eguono , Okonkwo Thomas Mmuoemene
Published: July 2022

The study was carried out to determine the effect of debittering methods on the minerals, vitamin and amino acids composition of flours produced from orange seeds. The orange seeds were removed manually from sweet orange fruits, soaked in water for 12 hours and then boiled at 100 0C for 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 min, respectively. The boiled seeds were dehulled manually, ground, and a portion defatted with absolute ethanol, milled and sieved and wheat flour used as a control. The flours were analyzed for minerals and vitamins composition. The orange seed flours contained 2.52 – 16.95 mg/100g vitamin B9, 0.00 – 1.33 mg/100g vitamin B12, 0.00 – 650.5 IU vitamin A, 2.77 – 26.34 mg/100g vitamin D, 0.00 – 35.3 mg/100g vitamin E, 0.0 – 1.81 mg/100g vitamin K, 0.06 – 0.11 mg/100g vitamin B1, 0.034 – 4.09 mg/100g vitamin B2, 0.38 – 3.20 mg/100g vitamin B3, 1.86 - 12.6 mg/100g vitamin B6. 124.44 – 241.48 mg/100g potassium, 23.14 – 79.9 mg/100g sodium, 0.011 – 0.05 mg/100g copper, 99.47 – 297.53 mg/100g magnesium, 0.52 – 35.63 mg/100g selenium, 0.2 – 1.55 mg/100g zinc, 0.20 – 1.55 mg/100g iron, 0.97 – 6.15 mg/100g manganese, 32.12 - 6.15 mg/100g phosphorus, 4.00 – 875.41 mg/100g calcium. Orange seed flours are a good source of minerals and vitamins. Blending orange seed flour with wheat flour will improved the mineral and vitamin content of the composite flour.
Groundwater Suitability for Irrigation Using Water Quality Indices Approach: Towards Water Resource Management
Authors: El-Magd Sherif Ahmed Abu , Sayed Ismael , Sabri Mohamed El , Abdo Mohamed Sayed , Farhat Hassan I.
Published: July 2022

In order to carry out this study between Abu Sweir and Abu Hammad, Ismalia, Egypt, fifty-two groundwater samples were collected. The data were collected to investigate the hydrochemistry and groundwater quality for agriculture purposes. Physio-chemical and water quality indices (WQI) have been used to determine groundwater suitability for irrigation. Among WQI’s used in the present work are; the sodium percent (%Na+), the salinity hazard, sodium hazard, the permeability index (PI), the residual sodium carbonate, (RSC), magnesium ratio (MR), and Kelly ratio (KR). However, the relationships between (Na + vs. Cl−) and (Na + vs. Ca2+ + Mg2+) suggest an ion exchange or silicate mineral weathering. Moreover, calculating derived chloro-alkaline indices reveal that more than ninety-six percent of the collected groundwater samples in the study sites exhibition exchange. Hydrogeochemical facies were evaluated through the Piper plot diagram, which showed that the groundwater collected samples are of sodium-potassium-chloride water type. Furthermore, the water quality index, (WQI), here was calculated and computed based on the integration of quality indices the in GIS platform. The applied approach explores a novel method for the implementation of weights, efficiency factors, and WQI in groundwater evaluation. The final outcomes considering the calculated and derived water quality parameters, it becomes apparent that most of the groundwater samples of the area are unsuitable for irrigation purposes. The resulted groundwater model in the study sites indicates that the groundwater is influenced by rock-water interaction and/ or seawater intrusion. Overall, the applied model of water quality gives an understanding of water quality assessment and evaluation for future development.
The progression and therapeutic outcome of ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid in a Mexican-mestizo population
Authors: Colorado-Zavala Maria F. , Ruiz-Lozano Raul E. , Hernandez-Camarena Julio C. , Rodriguez-Garcia Alejandro
Published: July 2022

Purpose: To analyze the progression stage and therapeutic outcome of ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid (OMMP) in Mexican-mestizo patients. Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective study of OMMP patients. Ocular and extraocular manifestations, treatment, and visual acuity were recorded from all patients. Outcome measures, including inflammatory control at three months and disease progression, and recurrence were analyzed in patients who completed at least 6 months of follow-up time.Results: Forty-nine eyes from 25 patients (72% women) aged 67.2+11.1 years were initially included. At baseline, 2 (4.1%) eyes were classified as stage-I OMMP, whereas 11 (22.4), 34 (69.4%), and 2 (4.1%) eyes were classified as stages II, III, and IV, respectively. Twenty-seven eyes (14 patients) completed a follow-up time >6 months. Of those, 16 (59%) eyes achieved a complete response at three months under immunosuppressive therapy (IMT), 7 (26%) experienced stage progression, and 17 (63%) had at least one relapse. Mild disease activity (<2+ conjunctival inflammation) at baseline was significantly associated with achieving a complete response after 3 months of IMT (OR 18.0, 1.72–188.08). Systemic steroids were protective against disease relapse (OR 0.06, 0.01–0.60), whereas extraocular manifestations were identified as a risk factor for relapse (OR 10.13, 1.04–98.49). No associated factors with stage progression were found.Conclusions: We found that OMMP patients with extraocular manifestations had an increased risk of recurrent episodes of inflammation. Early and aggressive combined immunosuppression and a closer follow-up are necessary for these patients.
Effective COVID-19 Detection: A Deep Learning Approach based on the Combination of several modules
Authors: Allioui Hanane , Mourdi youssef , Sadgal Mohamed
Published: July 2022

With the increasing number of covid-19 as well as care costs, chest diseases have gained increasing interest in several communities, particularly in medical fields and computer vision. Clinical and analytical exams are widely recognized techniques for supervising COVID-19 cases. However, strong detection tools can help avoid damage to chest tissues. Interpreting chest images is a time-consuming assignment with a great error level. Recently, advanced deep learning systems have effectively proved superior performance in numerous fields including chest image analysis. As these techniques have become more applied in disease detection, they still present challenging unfairness sensibility to identify aberrant values or areas in the human chest. The present work aims to automate the detection of damaged chest areas. Our method provides an important way to enhance the semantic segmentation process using combined potential deep learning modules to increase consistency. The findings of this study reveal the proof-of-principle for using several modules to strengthen the semantic segmentation modules for effective and truthful COVID-19 diagnosis.
A pan-cancer analysis of the oncogenic role of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7) in human tumors
Authors: Dai Wumin , Chen Yongyi , Gong Wangang , Su Ying , Zhang Yingli
Published: July 2022

Background: DHCR7, a switch between cholesterol and vitamin D synthesis that plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis, is a promising therapeutic target in oncology. Despite increasing strong support for its importance, there is no pan-cancer analysis across multiple databases that can be available for in-depth data mining of the gene. Methods: We first investigated the potential oncogenic roles of DHCR7 based on tumor data from both The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). A variety of analytical methods were used to gain a better mechanistic understanding of DHCR7: gene expression, survival situations, genetic mutations, immunocyte infiltration, and correlative cellular pathways. Results: DHCR7 was highly expressed in many cancers, and distinct correlations exist between DHCR7 expression and prognosis of cancer patients. cBioPortal reported that a nonsense mutation of F215L* was considered to be the primary tumorigenic genetic alteration to DHCR7 and was found in cases of LUSC, STAD, and CESC. The DHCR7 expression levels were found to be positively correlated with level of infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and negatively correlated with anti-tumor immune cells in majority of tumors. The main enrichments for biological processes were steroid biosynthesis, cholesterol metabolic process, and lipid metabolic process for DHCR7. Conclusion: This is the first time to conduct a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of DHCR7. It provides critical insights into the functions of DHCR7 in tumorigenesis and highlights the potential diagnostic and therapeutic targeted role of DHCR7 for cancers.
Attention-based Row Selecting Networks for Lane Detection
Authors: Jiang Man , Zhang Qian , Zhang Yuhang , Su Jiangtao
Published: July 2022

Most mainstream methods mainly regard lane detection as a pixel-by-pixel segmentation task, resulting in high computational cost and time-consuming, and the accuracy is influenced by severe occlusion and extreme lighting conditions. To tackle these issues, we propose a novel Attention-based Row Selecting Networks(ARS-Net), which utilizes the row selecting method based on global features to detect lanes, greatly improves the detection speed. At the same time, channel and spatial attention mechanisms are integrated into ResNet as the backbone to focus on important features and suppress unimportant ones, so as to adjust feature weights and reduce information loss. Besides, group normalization is employed to replace batch normaliza-tion, which enhances the stability of accuracy. We carry out immense amounts of experiments on two international public datasets TuSimple and CULane, the experimental results show that our method achieves the state-of-the-art performance in both accuracy and speed and significantly outperforms other methods for real-time and efficient lane detection in real-world applications.
Impact of main living room’s ventilation quality on occurrence of obstructive pulmonary diseases (Asthma and COPD) in Medina (Senegal)
Authors: THIAM Salimata , DAFFE Mahammadoul Lamine , THIAM Khady , BA Awa NDONG , FAYE Adama , DIAW Mor , NDIOR Mathilde Cabral , BAH Fatoumata , TOURE Nafissatou Omar , FALL Mamadou
Published: July 2022

Indoor air pollution is the underlying cause of 4 million deaths worldwide, of which 11% is directly attributable to obstructive pulmonary disease. This study made it possible to characterize indoor air pollution in the Medina (Dakar) and to estimate occurrence risk of obstructive pulmonary diseases associated to lack of ventilation in main living room. This is a cross-sectional study combining a socio-demographic survey, air quality metrology (CO, PM10, NO, CO2) and a Functional Respiratory Assessment (spirometry). Estimation of the risk was carried out by logistic regression by adjusting for a certain number of factors. Participants are distributed between 27 households using mainly gas (55.56%) and charcoal (29.63%) as cooking fuel and closed kitchens with window (66.67%). Obstructive pulmonary diseases are noted with an estimated prevalence of 33.06%. Regarding pollutants, levels are below WHO guidelines: CO (3.81 ppm), CO2 (531.5 ppm), PM10 (0.27 µg/m3) and NO (2.88 µg/m3). In addition, study reveals an occurrence risk (AOR [95%CI]) of obstructive pulmonary diseases multiplied by 2.54 [1.27–5.08] where ventilation of main living room is medium and for exposure to poor ventilation, risk is multiplied by 2.06 [1.02–4.17]. These results therefore suggest indoor air quality, in particular renewal of air in main living room, as a factor determining residents respiratory health.
An unusual tandem kinase fusion protein confers leaf rust resistance in wheat
Authors: Wang Yajun , Abrouk Michael , Gourdoupis Spyridon , Koo Dal-Hoe , Karafiátová Miroslava , Molnár István , Doležel Jaroslav , Athiyannan Naveenkumar , Cavalet-Giorsa Emile , Jaremko Łukasz , Poland Jesse , Krattinger Simon G.
Published: July 2022

The introgression of chromosome segments from wild relatives is an established strategy to enrich crop germplasm with novel disease resistance genes. Here, we use mutagenesis and transcriptome sequencing to clone the leaf rust resistance gene Lr9, which was introduced into bread wheat from the wild grass species Aegilops umbellulata. We establish that Lr9 encodes an unusual tandem kinase fusion protein. Long-read sequencing of a wheat Lr9 introgression line and the putative Ae. umbellulata Lr9 donor enabled us to assemble the ~28.4-Mb Lr9 translocation and to identify the translocation breakpoint. We likewise cloned Lr58, which was reportedly introgressed from Ae. triuncialis, but has an identical coding sequence compared to Lr9. Cytogenetic and haplotype analyses corroborate that the two genes originate from the same translocation event. Our work sheds light on the emerging role of kinase fusion proteins in wheat disease resistance, expanding the repertoire of disease resistance genes for breeding.
Growth dynamics and amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in natural nacre
Authors: Otter Laura , Eder Katja , Kilburn Matt , Yang Limei , O'Reilly Padraic , Nowak Derek , Cairney Julie , Jacob Dorrit
Published: July 2022

Biominerals, such as nacreous bivalve shells, are important archives of environmental information. The processes explaining how the organisms code this information into the structure and composition of their shells are yet unknown. Most marine calcifiers form their shells from amorphous calcium carbonate by particle attachment and stepwise crystallisation of metastable precursor phases. However, the mechanism of this transformation including its incorporation of trace metal ions used for environmental reconstructions are poorly constrained. Using the nacreous shell of the Mediterranean mussel, we explore the formation of nacre from the meso- to the atomic scale. We use a novel combination of strontium pulse-chase labelling in aquaculture experiments and correlative micro- to sub-nanoscale analysis to show that nacre grows in a two-step process and crystallizes via localised dissolution and reprecipitation within nanogranules. Our findings elucidate how stepwise crystallization pathways affect trace element incorporation in natural biominerals, while preserving their intricate hierarchical structure.
Violence Against Healthcare Workers in Haj El-Safi Teaching Hospital, Sudan: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Gaafar Nada , Hemmeda Lina
Published: July 2022

Background: Although violence in the workplace occurs in all fields of work, healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable to this matter, whether it be in the form of physical or verbal abuse. This could lead to negative effects such as mental health issues, a desire to change the line of work and decreased productivity. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to assess violence against healthcare workers in Sudan, represented in Haj El-Safi Teaching Hospital in 2021. Methodology: This study is a hospital-based cross-sectional study that was carried out in Haj El-Safi Teaching Hospital. There was a total of 153 responses that were taken using proportional quota sampling. Data collection was done using a standardized closed-ended questionnaire and was analyzed using SPSS-20 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences-20). Results: The prevalence of physical violence was found to be 6.7% and the prevalence of verbal abuse was found to be 55.7%. Underreporting seems to be an issue, with 35.6% mentioning that they were unaware of procedures in place to report and of those who were aware of the presents of a reporting system, 27.3% did not know how to report. Participants seemed to be neutral (neither worried nor unworried) concerning workplace violence with the question on level of worriness having a mean of 2.7 ± 1.5.Conclusion: The results of this research were concerning. Approximately most of the included doctors experienced violence either from the patients or co-patients, and female were mostly affected than male. Most of the healthcare workers were aware of an established protective policy, but it was either inactive or inaccessible for them.
Municipal wastewater stabilization and the potential reuse for African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) culture in waste-fed earthen ponds in the tropics
Authors: Nsiah-Gyambibi Rapheal
Published: July 2022

In many low to middle income countries like Ghana, most wastewater treatment plants operate below capacity owing to lack of maintenance and lack of proper management. This affects the stabilization efficiency of treatment plants. The Chirapatre wastewater treatment plant was established to serve as a model system for municipal wastewater treatment in the Ashanti region of Ghana, however, very little is known about its stabilization efficiency. This study evaluated the current stabilization efficiency of the Chirapatre stabilization ponds for municipal wastewater treatment, as well as the potential reuse of the stabilized effluents for wastewater-fed aquaculture. Stabilization efficiency (SE) were assessed using the physico-chemical analysis of the influent at the anaerobic stabilization pond and effluent at discharge of the 2nd maturation pond. African catfish Clarias gariepinus fingerlings of average size 40g were stocked into two maturation ponds at a density of 3 fish/m2. Fish were not fed during the study period. Sampling was done every 14 days to monitor growth, and total fish harvest was done at the end of the study (12th week). Variables monitored included: fish survival and growth performance (condition factor, weight gain, specific growth weight and yield) as well physicochemical water quality parameters. The results indicated that TSS, TDS, alkalinity, ammonia, COD, and BOD5 stabilization efficiency were 89.99%, 62.21%, 37.54%, 67.21%, 91.33% and 88.77% respectively. The plant was non-compliant in terms of morning DO and the ammonia levels in effluents which posed lethal to aquatic life in receiving waters. However, the plant satisfied the USEPA and GEPA standards for all other physicochemical parameters including the DO (evening) concentrations in effluent. Fish survival of > 65% with > 30 condition factors and fish yields of > 1500 kg/ha were recorded at the end of the study.
Q-functional applications
Authors: CR Jisha
Published: July 2022

The Q-measure indicate a weak* limit of the barycenter of a sequence of Borel measurable functions. In this paper, we will look only at Q-functional. Q-functional is defined by Q- measure, it is useful in the field of optimization. Computational results for Q-functional are presented and compared with Young functional. The obtained analytical results demonstrate relative error in Q-functional is lesser compared to Young functional.subjclass60A10, 65K10, 49J20, 97N40, 60B10.
The Unemployment – Inflation Dynamics: the role of Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria.
Authors: Orji Jonah Olo , Opualla-Charles Silva
Published: July 2022

The study empirically discussed Unemployment – Inflation Dynamics: as it impacts Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria spanning the period of 1990 -2021.The technique of Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was employed to study the dependent variable of Private Sector Productive Capacity Index (PSPC) in Nigeria, proxy of Entrepreneurship Development, and the explanatory variables of Inflation rate (INFR);Commercial Bank Credit to Small Scale Enterprises as percent of total Credit to Private Sector (CBCER);Unemployment rate (UNEMPR);and Real Interest rate (RINTR). The findings revealed among others; a statistically significant positive relationship exist between UNEMPR and PSPC in Nigeria. As a result, non-inclusive and segregated approaches of institutions to government entrepreneurship development programmes especially on youth employment coupled with, institutional based constraints including property rights and justice system could be a cog on the wheel. RINTR resulted in a positively insignificant relation with PSPC yielding non-conformity to theoretical expectation owing to structural and financial inflexibility to enterprise development in Nigeria. Whereas, INFR conformed to expectation but statistically inadequate to expand the course of PSPC in Nigeria during the review period. However, policy recommendations based on research findings suggest proactive and practical steps be followed to adjust mundane policy frameworks and strict implementation to ensure financial inclusion to start – ups businesses and private sector to a large extent.
Realization of the Haldane Chern insulator in a moiré lattice
Authors: Mak Kin Fai , Zhao Wenjin , Kang Kaifei , Li Lizhong , Tschirhart Charles , Redekop Evgeny , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Young Andrea , Shan Jie
Published: July 2022

The Chern insulator displays a quantized Hall effect without Landau levels. In a landmark paper in 1988, Haldane showed that a Chern insulator could be realized through complex next-nearest-neighbor hopping in a honeycomb lattice. Despite its profound impact on the field of topological physics and recent implementation in cold-atom experiments, the Haldane model has remained elusive in solid-state materials. Here, we report the experimental realization of a Haldane Chern insulator in AB-stacked MoTe2/WSe2 moiré bilayers, which form a honeycomb moiré lattice with two sublattices residing in different layers. We show that the moiré bilayer filled with two charge particles per unit cell is a quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulator with a tunable charge gap. Under a small out-of-plane magnetic field, it becomes a Chern insulator with Chern number c=1 from magneto-transport studies. The results are qualitatively captured by a generalized Kane-Mele tight-binding Hamiltonian. The Zeeman field splits the QSH insulator into two halves of opposite valley--one with a positive and the other a negative moiré band gap. Our study highlights the unique potential of semiconductor moiré materials in engineering topological lattice Hamiltonians.
Fluorine-modified cobalt electrocatalyst for quinoline hydrogenation with water at room temperature
Authors: Guo Shuoshuo , Wu Yongmeng , Wang Changhong , Gao Ying , Li Mengyang , Zhang Bin , Liu Cuibo
Published: July 2022

The room temperature selective hydrogenation of quinolines to 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines (THQs) using a safe and clean hydrogen donor catalyzed by cost-effective catalysts is significant but challenging because of the difficult activation of quinolines and H2. Here, a fluorine-modified cobalt catalyst is synthesized via electroreduction of Co(OH)F precursor that exhibits high activity for electrocatalytic hydrogenation of quinolines by using H2O as the hydrogen source to produce THQs with up to 99% selectivity and 94% isolated yield under ambient conditions. F is revealed to enhance the adsorption of quinolines, and promote water activation to produce active atomic hydrogen (H*) by forming F−-K+(H2O)7 networks. A unique 1,4/2,3-addition pathway involving H* is proposed by combining experimental and theoretical results. Wide substrate scopes, scalable synthesis of bioactive precursors, expedient fabrication of deuterated analogues, and paired synthesis of tetrahydroquinoline and industrially important adiponitrile at a low voltage highlight the promising application of this methodology.
CBMAT: a data assistant for coordinate-based meta-analyses
Authors: Manuello Jordi , Liloia Donato , Cauda Franco , Costa Tommaso
Published: July 2022

Coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) is a powerful technique in the field of human brain imaging research. Due to its intense usage, several procedures for data-preparation and post-hoc analyses had been suggested so far. However, these steps often manually performed by the researcher, being therefore potentially prone to errors and time consuming. We hence developed the Coordinate-Based Meta-Analyses Toolbox (CBMAT) to provide a suite of user-friendly and automated functions allowing to perform all these procedures in a fast, reproducible and reliable way. CBMAT is coded in MATLAB®, and at the current stage the code is freely shared by the authors upon request.