bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corn Flour Quality Identification System Based on Angle Image
Authors: Atmojo Dimas Murtia , Fadlil Abdul
Published: December 2022

Corn can be processed into corn flour, this can make it easier for consumers to consume and process it into other food ingredients. Therefore we need a system that is able to identify the quality of corn flour automatically. Data retrieval is done by inserting corn flour into a container to calculate the angle of repose. The valve of the container is opened and the cornstarch flows into a mound above the cross-sectional base. The image of the corn flour mound was taken using a cellphone camera and stored in a laptop as a database. The sample of this research is corn flour with three types of particle sizes, namely 20 mesh, 10 mesh and 8 mesh. In the identification process, the corn flour image is converted into a grayscale and binary image and cropping is done, then identified based on the calculation of the angle of repose. The results of this study obtained that the average value of 20 mesh, 10 mesh and 8 mesh corn flour was 30.91 degrees; 33.96 degrees and 36.80 degrees. After testing and comparison, it can be concluded that corn flour with good quality is corn flour with an angle of less than 32 degrees.Jagung dapat diolah menjadi tepung jagung, hal ini dapat memudahkan konsumen dalam mengonsumsi dan mengolahnya menjadi bahan pangan lain. Oleh karena itu dibutuhkan sistem yang mampu mengidentifikasi kualitas tepung jagung secara otomatis. Pengambilan data dilakukan dengan memasukkan tepung jagung ke dalam wadah hitung sudut diam. Katup wadah dibuka dan tepung jagung mengalir membentuk gundukan di atas alas penampang. Citra dari gundukan tepung jagung diambil menggunakan kamera handphone dan disimpan ke dalam laptop sebagai database. Sampel penelitian ini tepung jagung dengan tiga jenis ukuran partikel, yaitu 20 mesh, 10 mesh dan 8 mesh. Dalam proses identifikasi citra terpung jagung dikonversikan menjadi citra greyscale dan biner serta dilakukan cropping, lalu diidentifikasi berdasarkan perhitungan sudut diam. Hasil penelitian yang dilakukan mendapatkan nilai rata-rata tepung jagung 20 mesh, 10 mesh dan 8 mesh berturut-turut adalah 30,91 derajat; 33,96 derajat dan 36,80derajat. Setelah dilakukan pengujian dan perbandingan, dapat disimpulkan bahwa tepung jagung dengan kualitas baik yaitu tepung jagung dengan sudut kurang dari sama dengan 32derajat.
Monitoring Tegangan Aki Kendaraan Berbasis Smartphone Android
Authors: Tamara Nujkhan , Aji Wahyu Sapto
Published: December 2022

The existence of a battery is very helpful for motorized vehicles to supply electrical power to the electrical components of a motorcycle. As long as the battery is used, sometimes there are problems, namely the ignorance of motorized vehicle users when the battery condition is at a voltage level below the average of 85%, in dry batteries the recommended minimum voltage is 10.5 Volts. This study intends to solve this problem by designing an IoT-based battery current and voltage monitoring system. A tool to monitor the condition of the current and voltage of a motor vehicle battery can be done using the IOT (Internet of Things) monitoring system on an android smartphone. This tool contains components such as Arduino Uno R3 board, voltage sensor, current sensor, ESP8266 wifi module and power supply. The measured data is sent via the internet network, the interface uses an android smartphone and the data is displayed using the ThingView application. The device can monitor battery current and voltage. The battery current and voltage data has been successfully read and sent to the user, the idling data is -0.609 A and 14.82 V, the average rotation data is -0.792 A and 15.042 V, and the high rotation data is -0.861 A and 15.319 V.
Keberadaan aki sangat membantu kendaraan bermotor untuk menyuplai daya listrik menuju komponen listrik sepeda motor. Selama aki digunakan terkadang menemukan masalah yaitu ketidaktahuan pengguna kendaraan bermotor saat kondisi aki telah berada pada level tegangan dibawah rata-rata 85%, pada aki kering tegangan minimal yang disarankan sebesar 10,5 Volt. Penelitian ini bermaksud memecahkan masalah ini dengan mendesain sistem monitoring arus dan tegangan aki berbasis IoT. Alat untuk memantau kondisi arus dan tegangan aki kendaraan bermotor dapat dilakukan menggunakan sistem monitoring IOT (Internet of Things) pada smartphone android. Alat ini mengandung komponen berupa board arduino uno R3, sensor tegangan, sensor arus, modul wifi ESP8266 dan catu daya. Data yang terukur dikirim melalui jaringan internet, antarmuka menggunakan smartphone android dan data ditampilkan menggunakan aplikasi ThingView. Piranti dapat memantau arus dan tegangan aki. Data arus dan tegangan aki berhasil dibaca dan dikirm ke pengguna, data saat langsam sebesar rerata -0,609 A dan 14,82 V, data saat rotasi sedang sebesar rerata -0,792 A dan 15,042 V, serta data saat rotasi tinggi sebesar rerata -0,861 A dan 15,319 V.
Implementasi Waypoint Menggunakan GPS pada UAV untuk Mendapatkan Akurasi Terbaik dengan Pengontrol PID
Authors: Ansyori Ade Firli , Yudhana Anton
Published: December 2022

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is an unmanned aerial vehicle from a technical point of view, a UAV can be defined as an aircraft equipped with the necessary data processing units, sensors, automatic control, and communication systems, and capable of performing autonomous flight missions without manual intervention. This research is a research development and testing of the capabilities of fixed-wing aircraft, on flight missions, fixed-wing aircraft are often less precise so the accuracy of UAV flights is very influential in the intended coordinate mission in determining flight accuracy by following the coordinate point data provided obtained via GPS (Global Positioning System) can be minimized by setting the value of the PID manually on the Mission Planner so that the fixed-wing aircraft vehicle can go to its destination with precision at a predetermined coordination point. tracking can follow the desired coordinate point. With a PID value of P:0.65 I:0.3, D:6. The error distance generated by the fixed-wing aircraft from each coordinate point destination that has been given to the mission planner gets an error distance value of ± 3 m, with a level of precision in the Good category or the medium category.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) merupakan salah satu wahana tanpa awak di udara dari sudut pandang teknis, UAV dapat didefinisikan sebagai pesawat yang dilengkapi dengan unit pengolah data yang diperlukan, sensor, sistem kontrol dan komunikasi otomatis, dan mampu melakukan misi penerbangan otonomus tanpa intervensi manual. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian pengembangan dan menguji kemampuan wahana pesawat fixed-wings, pada misi penerbangan wahana pesawat fixed-wing sering kali kurang presisi sehingga keakuratan pada penerbangan UAV sangat berpengaruh dalam suatu misi koordinat yang dituju, sehingga dalam menentukan keakurasian penerbangan dengan mengikuti data titik koordinasi yang di dapatkan melalui GPS (Global Positioning System) dapat diminimalisi dengan mengatur nilai dari PID-nya secara manual pada Mission Planner, sehingga wahana  pesawat fixed-wing dapat menuju lokasi tujuannya dengan presisi pada titik koordinasi yang telah di tentukan., Dari simulasi penelitian diperoleh proses tracking dapat mengikuti titik koordinat yang diinginkan. Dengan nilai PID sebesar P:0.65 I:0.3, D:6. Jarak error yang dihasilkan dari wahana pesawat fixed-wings dari setiap tujuan titik koordinat yang telah diberikan pada mission planner mendapatkan nilai jarak error ± 3 m, dengan tingkatan presisi pada katagori Good atau katagori yang sedang.
Deteksi Bola dan Gawang dengan Metode YOLO Menggunakan Kamera Omnidirectional pada Robot KRSBI-B
Authors: Sanubari Farhan Fadhillah , Puriyanto Riky Dwi
Published: December 2022

This research is a form of development of object detection capabilities on wheeled soccer robots using an omnidirectional camera with the You Only Look Once (YOLO) method where the results show that the robot can detect more than one object, namely the ball and the goal on the green field. This study uses the KRSBI-Wheeled UAD robot using an omnidirectional camera as a tool to carry out the detection process and then uses OpenCV 4.0, Deep Learning, and a laptop as a place to create a detection model, as well as balls and goals as objects to be detected. The results obtained from this study are that the two types of YOLO models tested, namely YOLOv3 and YOLOv3-Tiny can detect ball and goal objects in two different types of frame sizes, namely 320x320 and 416x416 which can be seen from the performance of the YOLOv3 model which has an mAP value of 76%. on the 320x320 frame and an mAP value of 87.5% in the 416x416 frame then the YOLOv3-Tiny model has an mAP value of 68.1% in the 320x320 frame and an mAP value of 75.5% in the 416x416 frame where the YOLOv3 model can detect both object class is much more stable compared to YOLOv3-Tiny.
Penelitian ini merupakan bentuk pengembangan dari kemampuan deteksi objek pada robot sepak bola beroda dengan menggunakan kamera omnidirectional dengan metode You Only Look Once (YOLO) dimana hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa robot dapat mendeteksi lebih dari satu objek yaitu bola dan gawang di atas lapangan hijau. Penelitian ini menggunakan robot KRSBI-Beroda UAD dengan memakai kamera omnidirectional sebagai alat untuk melakukan proses pendeteksian lalu menggunakan OpenCV 4.0, Deep Learning, dan laptop sebagai tempat membuat model pendeteksian, serta bola dan gawang sebagai objek yang akan dideteksi. Hasil yang didapatkan dari penelitian ini yaitu kedua jenis model YOLO yang diuji yaitu YOLOv3 dan YOLOv3-Tiny dapat mendeteksi objek bola dan gawang pada dua jenis ukuran frame yang berbeda yaitu 320x320 dan 416x416 yang dapat dilihat dari performa pada model YOLOv3 memiliki nilai mAP sebesar 76% pada frame 320x320 dan serta nilai mAP sebesar 87,5% pada frame 416x416 lalu pada model YOLOv3-Tiny memiliki nilai mAP sebesar 68,1% pada frame 320x320 serta nilai mAP sebesar 75,5% pada frame 416x416 yang dimana model YOLOv3 dapat mendeteksi kedua kelas objek jauh lebih stabil dibandingkan dengan model YOLOv3-Tiny.
A CONSTRUÇÃO E A COMUNICAÇÃO DAS MARCAS ALIANÇA PARA INOVAÇÃO E PACTO ALEGRE
Authors: Iribure Rodrigues André
Published: December 2022

O trabalho versa construção e comunicação das marcas Aliança para Inovação - articulação UFRGS, PUCRS, Unisinos, em ações estruturantes de Ecossistema de Inovação, e Pacto Alegre - primeira entrega da Aliança ao localizar em Porto Alegre, junto à Prefeitura, movimento de engajamento pela Quádrupla Hélice – mobilizando atores sociais - Universidades, Iniciativa Privada, Governo, Sociedade Civil. Place Branding via Estudo de Caso aborda ambas as marcas, posicionando-as como oportunidades a mobilizar a comunidade, diante de suas respectivas identidades, visando desenvolvimento de ambiente de inovação internacional, atingindo nível significativo de repercussão midiática.
SERIAM AS PROFISSIONAIS DE ATENDIMENTO AS GENIS DAS AGÊNCIAS DE PUBLICIDADE?
Authors: Ferreira Dôuglas Aparecido
Published: December 2022

O presente artigo é parte da pesquisa de doutorado do autor e busca refletir sobre as situações contraditórias vividas pelas mulheres no trabalho publicitário, com foco principal nas profissionais de atendimento. Parte-se do princípio de que diferentes grupos possuem distintas experiências com as contradições do capitalismo e essas últimas, por uma questão ontologicamente, são apreendidas pelos discursos dos trabalhadores. Para tanto, analisamos qualitativamente os comentários da lista “Como é Trabalhar aí? 2.0”, um documento construído de forma colaborativa e anônima que traz milhares de depoimentos de trabalhadores sobre suas rotinas nas agências de publicidade brasileiras. Nossos resultados apontam que os grupos socialmente vulneráveis são os que mais sentem as contradições do capital, ao ponto de, no caso das mulheres, eles serem, ao mesmo tempo, valorizadas e desprezadas apenas por suas características de gênero.
Prediction of surface roughness in different machining methods using a texture mask feature extraction method: publisher’s note
Authors: Pan Hsu-Chia , Pan Jui-Wen , Chang Kao-Der
Published: December 2022

This publisher’s note corrects errors in Appl. Opt. 61, 10637 (2022)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.475290.
Research on calibration of a binocular stereo-vision imaging system based on the artificial neural network
Authors: Han FangFang , Bian YongXin , Liu Bin , Zeng Qi , Tian YiFan
Published: December 2022

Camera calibration is a key problem for 3D reconstruction in computer vision. Existing calibration methods, such as traditional, active, and self-calibration, all need to solve the internal and external parameters of the imaging system to clarify the image-object mapping relationship. The artificial neural network, which is based on connectionist architecture, provides a novel idea for the calibration of nonlinear mapping vision systems. It can learn the image-object mapping relationship from some sample points without considering too many uncertain factors in the middle. This paper discusses the learning ability. A binocular stereo-vision mapping model is used as the learning model to explore the ability of image-object mapping for artificial neural networks. This paper constructs sample libraries by pixel and world coordinates of checkerboard corners, builds the artificial neural network, and, through the training samples and test samples prediction, verifies the learning performance of the network. Furthermore, by the laser scanning binocular vision device constructed in the authors’ laboratory and trained-well network, the 3D point cloud reconstruction of a physical target is performed. The experimental results show that the artificial neural network can learn the image-object mapping relationship well and more effectively avoid the impact of lens distortion and achieve more accurate nonlinear mapping at the edge of the image. When the

X

and

Y

coordinates are in the range of 100 mm and the

Z

coordinates are in the range of a 1000 mm, the absolute error rarely exceeds 2.5 mm, and the relative error is in the level of

10

−
3

; for 1000 mm distance measurement, the standard deviation does not exceed 1.5 mm. Network parameter selection experiments show that, for image-object mapping, a three-layer network and increasing the number of hidden layer’s nodes can improve the training time more significantly.
Memory-aware end-to-end learning of channel distortions in optical coherent communications
Authors: Neskorniuk Vladislav , Carnio Andrea , Marsella Domenico , Turitsyn Sergei K. , Prilepsky Jaroslaw E. , Aref Vahid
Published: December 2022

We implement a new variant of the end-to-end learning approach for the performance improvement of an optical coherent-detection communication system. The proposed solution enables learning the joint probabilistic and geometric shaping of symbol sequences by using auxiliary channel model based on the perturbation theory and the refined symbol probabilities training procedure. Due to its structure, the auxiliary channel model based on the first order perturbation theory expansions allows us performing an efficient parallelizable model application, while, simultaneously, producing a remarkably accurate channel approximation. The learnt multi-symbol joint probabilistic and geometric shaping demonstrates a considerable bit-wise mutual information gain of 0.47 bits/2D-symbol over the conventional Maxwell-Boltzmann shaping for a single-channel 64 GBd transmission through the 170 km single-mode fiber link.
Efficient free-space to on-chip coupling of THz-bandwidth pulses for biomolecule fingerprint sensing
Authors: Qiu Yanbing , Meng Kun , Wang Wanlin , Chen Jing , Cunningham John , Robertson Ian , Hong Binbin , Wang Guo Ping
Published: December 2022

Wide bandwidth THz pulses can be used to record the distinctive spectral fingerprints related to the vibrational or rotational modes of polycrystalline biomolecules, and can be used to resolve the time-dependent dynamics of such systems. Waveguides, owing to their tight spatial confinement of the electromagnetic fields and the longer interaction distance, are promising platforms with which to study small volumes of such systems. The efficient input of sub-ps THz pulses into waveguides is challenging owing to the wide bandwidth of the THz signal. Here, we propose a sensing chip comprised of a pair of back-to-back Vivaldi antennas feeding into, and out from, a 90° bent slotline waveguide to overcome this problem. The effective operating bandwidth of the sensing chip ranges from 0.2 to 1.15 THz, and the free-space to on-chip coupling efficiency is as high as 51% at 0.44 THz. Over the entire band, the THz signal is ∼42 dB above the noise level at room temperature, with a peak of ∼73 dB above the noise. In order to demonstrate the use of the chip, we have measured the characteristic fingerprint of α-lactose monohydrate, and its sharp absorption peak at ∼0.53 THz was successfully observed, demonstrating the promise of our technique. The chip has the merits of efficient in-plane coupling, ultra-wide bandwidth, ease-of-integration, and simple fabrication. It has the potential for large-scale manufacture, and can be a strong candidate for integration into other THz light-matter interaction platforms.
Self-attention module in a multi-scale improved U-net (SAM-MIU-net) motivating high-performance polarization scattering imaging
Authors: Lin Bing , Fan Xueqiang , Guo Zhongyi
Published: December 2022

Polarization imaging has outstanding advantages in the field of scattering imaging, which still encounters great challenges in heavy scattering media systems even though there are helps from deep learning technology. In this paper, we propose a self-attention module (SAM) in multi-scale improved U-net (SAM-MIU-net) for the polarization scattering imaging, which can extract a new combination of multidimensional information from targets effectively. The proposed SAM-MIU-net can focus on the stable feature carried by polarization characteristics of the target, so as to enhance the expression of the available features, and make it easier to extract polarization features which help to recover the detail of targets for the polarization scattering imaging. Meanwhile, the SAM’s effectiveness has been verified in a series of experiments. Based on proposed SAM-MIU-net, we have investigated the generalization abilities for the targets’ structures and materials, and the imaging distances between the targets and the ground glass. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed SAM-MIU-net can achieve high-precision reconstruction of target information under incoherent light conditions for the polarization scattering imaging.
Efficient 38.8 W/m2 solar pumped laser with a Ce:Nd:YAG crystal and a Fresnel lens
Authors: Cai Zitao , Zhao Changming , Zhao Ziyin , Zhang Jia , Zhang Zilong , Zhang Haiyang
Published: December 2022

Herein, we report a significant improvement in solar-pumped laser collection efficiency based on end-side pumping a 6-mm-diameter 95-mm-length Ce:Nd:YAG/YAG grooved bonded crystal rod. A Fresnel lens, quartz cooling-water tube, and gold-plated conical cavity constituted the solar-energy collection and concentration system, which was designed to maximum pump light absorption and minimize thermal effects in the Ce:Nd:YAG laser medium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a Ce:Nd:YAG crystal has been pumped by a Fresnel-lens solar-energy collection and concentration system. The 0.69-m2 effective solar-collection area produced 26.93 W of continuous-wave laser power, corresponding to 6.33% slope efficiency. The collection efficiency (38.8 W/m2) was 1.21 times higher than the highest previously reported value for Fresnel-lens solar collection, and is a record for single-beam solar-pumped lasers.
Self-mode-matching compact low-noise all-solid-state continuous wave single-frequency laser with output power of 140 W
Authors: Wei Yixiao , Peng Weina , Li Jiawei , Jin Pixian , Su Jing , Lu Huadong , Peng Kunchi
Published: December 2022

The high power all-solid-state continuous wave single-frequency laser is a significant source for science and application due to good beam quality and low noise. However, the output power of the laser is usually restricted by the harmful thermal lens effect of the solid gain medium. To address this issue, we develop a self-mode-matching compact all-solid-state laser with a symmetrical ring resonator in which four end-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser crystals are used for both laser gain media and mode-matching elements. With this ingenious design, the thermal lens effect of every laser crystal can be controlled and the dynamic of the designed laser including the stability range and the beam waist sizes at crystals can be manipulated only by adjusting the pump power used on each laser gain medium. Under an appropriate combination of pump powers on four crystals, self-mode-matching in a resonator is realized. A stable CW single-frequency at 1064 nm with 140-W power, 102-kHz linewidth, and low intensity noise is obtained. The presented design paves an effective way to further scale-up the output power of a compact laser by employing more pieces of gain media.
Broadband conical third harmonic generation in femtosecond filament-modified fused silica
Authors: Grigutis Robertas , Jukna Vytautas , Tamošauskas Gintaras , Dubietis Audrius
Published: December 2022

High repetition rate femtosecond filaments in transparent solids
produce conical third harmonic generation due to filament-induced
material reorganization in the form of periodic volume nanogratings.
Here we report on conical third harmonic generation that accompanies
supercontinuum generation in fused silica using broadly tunable
femtosecond pulses. The measurement of third harmonic cone angles with
driving wavelengths in the 1–3-

μ

m range fully supports the
noncollinear phase-matching scenario that involves a reciprocal
lattice vector of the filament-inscribed nanograting. The nanograting
provides an octave-spanning phase-matching bandwidth, as attested by
the measurements of the angle-resolved spectra of broadband conical
third harmonic emission.
Orthogonal single-mode helical Bragg gratings created in fiber cladding for vector bending measurement
Authors: Xu Baijie , He Jun , Xu Xizhen , Liao Changrui , Weng Xiaoyu , Liu Liwei , Qu Junle , Wang Yiping
Published: December 2022

We demonstrate a novel, to the best of our knowledge, two-dimensional vector bending sensor based on orthogonal helical Bragg gratings inscribed in the cladding of a conventional single-mode fiber (SMF). The helical cladding fiber Bragg gratings (HCFBGs) are created by using a femtosecond laser direct writing technology and a quarter-pitch graded index fiber (GIF) is used in front of the HCFBGs to diverge the core mode into fiber cladding. In contrast to the multimode resonance observed in conventional cladding Bragg gratings inscribed by using a femtosecond laser point-by-point (PbP) or line-by-line (LbL) technology, the proposed HCFBGs exhibit stable narrowband single-mode Bragg resonance. An HCFBG with a low peak reflectivity of −50.77 dB and a narrow bandwidth of 0.66 nm was successfully fabricated by using a lateral offset of 45 µm between the HCFBG and the fiber core axis. Moreover, two orthogonal HCFBGs were fabricated in the SMF cladding and used for vector bending sensing. Strong orientation dependence could be seen in omnidirectional bending measurement, exhibiting a maximum bending sensitivity of up to 50.0 pm/m−1, which is comparable to that in a multicore FBG. In addition, both the orientation and amplitude of bending vector could be reconstructed by using the measured Bragg wavelength shifts in two orthogonal HCFBGs. As such, the proposed HCFBGs could be used in many applications, such as structural health monitoring, robotic arms, and medical instruments.
Systematic comparison of differential expression networks in MTB mono-, HIV mono- and MTB/HIV co-infections for drug repurposing
Authors: Jiang Yao , Zhang Jia-Xuan , Liu Rong
Published: December 2022

The synergy between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) could accelerate the deterioration of immunological functions. Previous studies have explored the pathogenic mechanisms of HIV mono-infection (HMI), MTB mono-infection (MMI) and MTB/HIV co-infection (MHCI), but their similarities and specificities remain to be profoundly investigated. We thus designed a computational framework named IDEN to identify gene pairs related to these states, which were then compared from different perspectives. MMI-related genes showed the highest enrichment level on a greater number of chromosomes. Genes shared by more states tended to be more evolutionarily conserved, posttranslationally modified and topologically important. At the expression level, HMI-specific gene pairs yielded higher correlations, while the overlapping pairs involved in MHCI had significantly lower correlations. The correlation changes of common gene pairs showed that MHCI shared more similarities with MMI. Moreover, MMI- and MHCI-related genes were enriched in more identical pathways and biological processes, further illustrating that MTB may play a dominant role in co-infection. Hub genes specific to each state could promote pathogen infections, while those shared by two states could enhance immune responses. Finally, we improved the network proximity measure for drug repurposing by considering the importance of gene pairs, and approximately ten drug candidates were identified for each disease state.
Longitudinally tracking personal physiomes for precision management of childhood epilepsy
Authors: Jiang Peifang , Gao Feng , Liu Sixing , Zhang Sai , Zhang Xicheng , Xia Zhezhi , Zhang Weiqin , Jiang Tiejia , Zhu Jason L. , Zhang Zhaolei , Shu Qiang , Snyder Michael , Li Jingjing
Published: December 2022

Our current understanding of human physiology and activities is largely derived from sparse and discrete individual clinical measurements. To achieve precise, proactive, and effective health management of an individual, longitudinal, and dense tracking of personal physiomes and activities is required, which is only feasible by utilizing wearable biosensors. As a pilot study, we implemented a cloud computing infrastructure to integrate wearable sensors, mobile computing, digital signal processing, and machine learning to improve early detection of seizure onsets in children. We recruited 99 children diagnosed with epilepsy and longitudinally tracked them at single-second resolution using a wearable wristband, and prospectively acquired more than one billion data points. This unique dataset offered us an opportunity to quantify physiological dynamics (e.g., heart rate, stress response) across age groups and to identify physiological irregularities upon epilepsy onset. The high-dimensional personal physiome and activity profiles displayed a clustering pattern anchored by patient age groups. These signatory patterns included strong age and sex-specific effects on varying circadian rhythms and stress responses across major childhood developmental stages. For each patient, we further compared the physiological and activity profiles associated with seizure onsets with the personal baseline and developed a machine learning framework to accurately capture these onset moments. The performance of this framework was further replicated in another independent patient cohort. We next referenced our predictions with the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals on selected patients and demonstrated that our approach could detect subtle seizures not recognized by humans and could detect seizures prior to clinical onset. Our work demonstrated the feasibility of a real-time mobile infrastructure in a clinical setting, which has the potential to be valuable in caring for epileptic patients. Extension of such a system has the potential to be leveraged as a health management device or longitudinal phenotyping tool in clinical cohort studies.
Long-term cardiology outcomes in children after early treatment for Chagas disease, an observational study
Authors: González Nicolás Leonel , Moscatelli Guillermo , Moroni Samanta , Ballering Griselda , Jurado Laura , Falk Nicolás , Bochoeyer Andrés , Goldsman Alejandro , Grippo María , Freilij Héctor , Garcia Bournissen Facundo , Chatelain Eric , Altcheh Jaime
Published: December 2022

Background

Parasite persistence after acute infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is an important factor in the development of Chagas disease (CD) cardiomyopathy. Few studies have investigated the clinical effectiveness of CD treatment through the evaluation of cardiological events by long term follow-up of treated children. Cardiological evaluation in children is challenging since features that would be diagnosed as abnormal in an adult’s ECG may be normal, age-related findings in a pediatric ECG trace. The objective was to evaluate cardiac involvement in patients with Chagas disease with a minimum follow-up of 6 years post-treatment.

Methodology

A descriptive study of a cohort of pediatric patients with CD treated with benznidazole (Bz) or nifurtimox (Nf) was conducted. Children (N = 234) with at least 6 years post CD treatment followed at the Parasitology and Chagas Service, Buenos Aires Children’s Hospital (Argentina) were enrolled. By convenience sampling, children who attended a clinical visit between August 2015 and November 2019 were also invited to participate for additional cardiovascular studies like 24-hour Holter monitoring and speckle-tracking 2D echocardiogram (STE). Benznidazole was prescribed in 171 patients and nifurtimox in 63 patients. Baseline parasitemia data was available for 168/234 patients.

During the follow-up period, alterations in routine ECG were observed in 11/234 (4.7%, 95% CI [2–7.4%]) patients. In only four patients, with complete right bundle branch block (cRBBB) and left anterior fascicular block (LAFB), ECG alterations were considered probably related to CD.

During follow-up, 129/130 (99%) treated patients achieved persistent negative parasitemia by qPCR. Also decrease in T.cruzi antibodies titers was observed in all patients and negative seroconversion occurred in 123/234 (52%) patients.

Conclusions

A low incidence of cardiological lesions related to CD was observed in patients treated early for pediatric CD. This suggests a protective effect of parasiticidal treatment on the development of cardiological lesions and highlights the importance of early treatment of infected children.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04090489.
Two Streptococcus pyogenes emm types and several anaerobic bacterial species are associated with idiopathic cutaneous ulcers in children after community-based mass treatment with azithromycin
Authors: Griesenauer Brad , Xing Yue , Fortney Katherine R. , Gao Xiang , González-Beiras Camila , Nelson David E. , Ren Jie , Mitjà Oriol , Dong Qunfeng , Spinola Stanley M.
Published: December 2022

Background

In yaws-endemic areas, two-thirds of exudative cutaneous ulcers (CU) are associated with Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue (TP) and Haemophilus ducreyi (HD); one-third are classified as idiopathic ulcers (IU). A yaws eradication campaign on Lihir Island in Papua New Guinea utilizing mass drug administration (MDA) of azithromycin initially reduced but failed to eradicate yaws; IU rates remained constant throughout the study. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we previously determined that Streptococcus pyogenes was associated with some cases of IU. Here, we applied shotgun metagenomics to the same samples we analyzed previously by 16S rRNA sequencing to verify this result, identify additional IU-associated microorganisms, and determine why S. pyogenes-associated IU might have persisted after MDA of azithromycin.

Methodology/Principal findings

We sequenced DNA extracted from 244 CU specimens separated into four groups based upon microorganism-specific PCR results (HD+, TP+, TP+HD+, and TP-HD- or IU). S. pyogenes was enriched in IU (24.71% relative abundance [RA]) specimens compared to other ulcer sub-groups, confirming our prior results. We bioinformatically identified the emm (M protein gene) types found in the S. pyogenes IU specimens and found matches to emm156 and emm166. Only ~39% of IU specimens contained detectable S. pyogenes, suggesting that additional organisms could be associated with IU. In the sub-set of S. pyogenes-negative IU specimens, Criibacterium bergeronii, a member of the Peptostreptococcaceae, and Fusobacterium necrophorum (7.07% versus 0.00% RA and 2.18% versus 0.00% RA, respectively), were enriched compared to the S. pyogenes-positive sub-set. Although a broad range of viruses were detected in the CU specimens, none were specifically associated with IU.

Conclusions/Significance

Our observations confirm the association of S. pyogenes with IU in yaws-endemic areas, and suggest that additional anaerobic bacteria, but not other microorganisms, may be associated with this syndrome. Our results should aid in the design of diagnostic tests and selective therapies for CU.
A novel Oprm1-Cre mouse maintains endogenous expression, function and enables detailed molecular characterization of μ-opioid receptor cells
Authors: Mengaziol Juliet , Dunn Amelia D. , Salimando Gregory , Wooldridge Lisa , Crues-Muncunill Jordi , Eacret Darrell , Chen Chongguang , Bland Kathryn , Liu- Chen Lee-Yuan , Ehrlich Michelle E. , Corder Gregory , Blendy Julie A.
Published: December 2022

Key targets of both the therapeutic and abused properties of opioids are μ-opioid receptors (MORs). Despite years of research investigating the biochemistry and signal transduction pathways associated with MOR activation, we do not fully understand the cellular mechanisms underlying opioid addiction. Given that addictive opioids such as morphine, oxycodone, heroin, and fentanyl all activate MORs, and current therapies such as naloxone and buprenorphine block this activation, the availability of tools to mechanistically investigate opioid-mediated cellular and behavioral phenotypes are necessary. Therefore, we derived, validated, and applied a novel MOR-specific Cre mouse line, inserting a T2A cleavable peptide sequence and the Cre coding sequence into the MOR 3’UTR. Importantly, this line shows specificity and fidelity of MOR expression throughout the brain and with respect to function, there were no differences in behavioral responses to morphine when compared to wild type mice, nor are there any alterations in Oprm1 gene expression or receptor density. To assess Cre recombinase activity, MOR-Cre mice were crossed with the floxed GFP-reporters, RosaLSLSun1-sfGFP or RosaLSL-GFP-L10a. The latter allowed for cell type specific RNA sequencing via TRAP (Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification) of striatal MOR+ neurons following opioid withdrawal. The breadth of utility of this new tool will greatly facilitate the study of opioid biology under varying conditions.
Qualitative analysis from the social referents perspective of the multidimensional construct of schoolchildren’s motor competence
Authors: Segura-Berges Manuel , Peñarrubia-Lozano Carlos , Lizalde-Gil Manuel , Bustamante Juan Carlos
Published: December 2022

Motor competence (MC) as a multidimensional construct is influenced by motor, cognitive, emotional and social variables. It is also determined by schoolchildren interacting with their own context. Thus pre-adolescence is a sensitive stage in development when physical, emotional and cognitive changes are manifested. By taking this context in accountn, the perception of the social referents close to schoolchildren allows for a deeper understanding of the role and influence of all these variables in a broader MC concept. For this purpose, a qualitative study was conducted by discussion groups and semistructured interviews, respectively, for teachers and family members in Primary Education. The content analysis was carried out according to the main study dimensions, associated with the motor, cognitive, affective-emotional and social domains. Both family members and teachers point out that the affective-emotional level has a stronger impact on the development of motor skills than the motor level. For children to develop their MC, it is necessary to create appropriate contexts in which family members and teachers are the main agents of influence. In conclusion, assessing MC in the educational sphere must have a more comprehensive and broad approach. It is necessary to bear in mind a larger number of variables involved in schoolchildren’s motor development to make the most objective assessment possible and, likewise, to promote facilitating environments that help their development.
Secretome from human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells promotes blood vessel formation and pericyte coverage in experimental skin repair
Authors: Silveira Brysa M. , Ribeiro Tiago O. , Freitas Railane S. , Carreira Ana C. O. , Gonçalves Marilda Souza , Sogayar Mari , Meyer Roberto , Birbrair Alexander , Fortuna Vitor
Published: December 2022

Human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASC) secretome display various therapeutically relevant effects in regenerative medicine, such as induction of angiogenesis and tissue repair. The benefits of hASC secretome are primarily orchestrated by trophic factors that mediate autocrine and paracrine effects in host cells. However, the composition and the innate characteristics of hASC secretome can be highly variable depending on the culture conditions. Here, we evaluated the combined effect of serum-free media and hypoxia preconditioning on the hASCs secretome composition and biological effects on angiogenesis and wound healing. The hASCs were cultured in serum-free media under normoxic (NCM) or hypoxic (HCM) preconditioning. The proteomic profile showed that pro- and anti-antiangiogenic factors were detected in NCM and HCM secretomes. In vitro studies demonstrated that hASCs secretomes enhanced endothelial proliferation, survival, migration, in vitro tube formation, and in vivo Matrigel plug angiogenesis. In a full-thickness skin-wound mouse model, injection of either NCM or HCM significantly accelerated the wound healing. Finally, hASC secretomes were potent in increasing endothelial density and vascular coverage of resident pericytes expressing NG2 and nestin to the lesion site, potentially contributing to blood vessel maturation. Overall, our data suggest that serum-free media or hypoxic preconditioning enhances the vascular regenerative effects of hASC secretome in a preclinical wound healing model.
Uneven terrain treadmill walking in younger and older adults
Authors: Downey Ryan J. , Richer Natalie , Gupta Rohan , Liu Chang , Pliner Erika M. , Roy Arkaprava , Hwang Jungyun , Clark David J. , Hass Chris J. , Manini Todd M. , Seidler Rachael D. , Ferris Daniel P.
Published: December 2022

We developed a method for altering terrain unevenness on a treadmill to study gait kinematics. Terrain consisted of rigid polyurethane disks (12.7 cm diameter, 1.3–3.8 cm tall) which attached to the treadmill belt using hook-and-loop fasteners. Here, we tested four terrain unevenness conditions: Flat, Low, Medium, and High. The main objective was to test the hypothesis that increasing the unevenness of the terrain would result in greater gait kinematic variability. Seventeen younger adults (age 20–40 years), 25 higher-functioning older adults (age 65+ years), and 29 lower-functioning older adults (age 65+ years, Short Physical Performance Battery score < 10) participated. We customized the treadmill speed to each participant’s walking ability, keeping the speed constant across all four terrain conditions. Participants completed two 3-minute walking trials per condition. Using an inertial measurement unit placed over the sacrum and pressure sensors in the shoes, we calculated the stride-to-stride variability in step duration and sacral excursion (coefficient of variation; standard deviation expressed as percentage of the mean). Participants also self-reported their perceived stability for each condition. Terrain was a significant predictor of step duration variability, which roughly doubled from Flat to High terrain for all participant groups: younger adults (Flat 4.0%, High 8.2%), higher-functioning older adults (Flat 5.0%, High 8.9%), lower-functioning older adults (Flat 7.0%, High 14.1%). Similarly, all groups exhibited significant increases in sacral excursion variability for the Medium and High uneven terrain conditions, compared to Flat. Participants were also significantly more likely to report feeling less stable walking over all three uneven terrain conditions compared to Flat. These findings support the hypothesis that altering terrain unevenness on a treadmill will increase gait kinematic variability and reduce perceived stability in younger and older adults.
Development and evaluation of TaqMan-based, one-step, real-time RT-PCR assays for pepper mild mottle virus detection for near source tracking and wastewater-based epidemiology validation
Authors: Cantillon Daire , Roberts Adam P.
Published: December 2022

Emergence of novel human pathogens pose significant challenges to human health as highlighted by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) has previously been employed to identify viral pathogens and outbreaks by testing samples from regional wastewater treatment plants. Near source tracking (NST) allows for more targeted WBE by analysing samples from individual buildings such as schools or even individual floors such as in multi-floor office buildings. Despite the public health advantages of WBE, few strategies exist for optimising NST sampling methodologies. Therefore, we developed a protocol to evaluate virus detection in NST sampling using Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (PMMoV) as a proxy for RNA viruses. PMMoV is the most abundant enteric human associated RNA virus and is present in peppers/pepper-containing foods. Two bespoke TaqMan RT-PCR assays were developed to detect a PMMoV genomic 5’ region and a capsid associated gene. To evaluate the protocol against field samples, pepper homogenates were flushed down an in-use toilet (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK) to spike wastewater with PMMoV on multiple days, and samples collected from two sewage access points to validate NST samplers. These wastewater samples were assessed for PMMoV based on Ct values and results compared to pepper and Tabasco derived PMMoV positive controls. Positive detection of PMMoV was comparable and consistent in ten independent samples across two NST samplers regardless of pepper homogenate spiking. We have developed two novel one step TaqMan assays that amplify both PMMoV targets in viral RNA extractions from peppers, Tabasco, and wastewater samples with cDNA synthesis through to RT-PCR results taking approximately 30 minutes. Pepper homogenate flushing was not required to detect PMMoV in our wastewater samples, however this strategy of flushing PMMoV containing materials outlined here could be valuable in assessing and validating NST in buildings with no previous or current sewage flow.
Development of a duplex qPCR for the differentiation of a live attenuated Escherichia coli aroA mutant vaccine strain from field isolates in chickens
Authors: Leurs Kirsten , Goossens Evy , Christensen Henrik , Mainil Jacques G. , Vancraeynest Dieter , Ducatelle Richard , Van Immerseel Filip
Published: December 2022

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) can cause colibacillosis in poultry, characterised by localised or systemic infections. Colibacillosis is considered one of the leading causes of economic losses in the poultry industry due to reduced performance, increased mortality, treatment costs and carcass condemnations. A live attenuated Escherichia coli O78 aroA gene mutant is widely used to prevent disease. However, no effective strategies to differentiate the vaccine strain from field strains are available, hampering follow-up of vaccination campaigns. In the current study, we report a PCR-based method to simultaneously detect the vaccine strain by targeting the vaccine-specific mutation in the aroA gene, as well as the wild type E. coli strains by targeting the xanQ gene. The specificity of this PCR was evaluated using 123 E. coli isolates, form which 5 WT aroA auxotrophic strains (WT strains with a natural aroA deficiency), as well as 7 non-Escherichia isolates. The PCR showed 100% sensitivity of the xanQ primers for E. coli detection and 100% sensitivity of the ΔaroA primers for the vaccine strain. In order to allow quantification of the vaccine strain in complex samples containing many different E. coli strains and other related organisms, such as chicken faeces, a probe-based duplex qPCR was developed. The limit of detection (LOD) of this duplex qPCR method was 8.4*103 copies/g faeces. The specificity of the duplex qPCR was confirmed by determining both the vaccine strain levels, and the total E. coli load in intestinal digesta from both vaccinated and non-vaccinated birds. E. coli could be detected in both vaccinated and non-vaccinated birds. The duplex qPCR was specific for the vaccine strain as this strain was detected in all vaccinated birds, whereas no signal was detected in non-vaccinated birds. The duplex qPCR is helpful in monitoring colonization and shedding of the vaccine strain.
Antibody epitope profiling of the KSHV LANA protein using VirScan
Authors: Bennett Sydney J. , Yalcin Dicle , Privatt Sara R. , Ngalamika Owen , Lidenge Salum J. , West John T. , Wood Charles
Published: December 2022

The humoral antibody response against Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in infected individuals has been characterized demonstrating the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) as the most antigenic KSHV protein. Despite the antigenicity of the protein, specific LANA epitopes have not been systematically characterized. Here, we utilized a bacteriophage T7 library, which displays 56-amino acid KSHV LANA peptides with 28-amino acid overlap (VirScan), to define those epitopes in LANA targeted by antibodies from a cohort of 62 sub-Saharan African Kaposi sarcoma (KS) patients and 22 KSHV-infected asymptomatic controls. Intra- and inter-patient breadth and magnitude of the anti-LANA responses were quantified at the peptide and amino acid levels. From these data, we derived a detailed epitope annotation of the entire LANA protein, with a high-resolution focus on the N- and C-termini. Overall, the central repeat region was highly antigenic, but the responses to this region could not be confidently mapped due to its high variability. The highly conserved N-terminus was targeted with low breadth and magnitude. In a minority of individuals, antibodies specific to the nuclear localization sequence and a portion of the proline-rich regions of the N-terminus were evident. In contrast, the first half of the conserved C-terminal domain was consistently targeted with high magnitude. Unfortunately, this region was not included in LANA partial C-terminal crystal structures, however, it was predicted to adopt predominantly random-coil structure. Coupled with functional and secondary structure domain predictions, VirScan revealed fine resolution epitope mapping of the N- and C-terminal domains of LANA that is consistent with previous antigenicity studies and may prove useful to correlate KSHV humoral immunity with pathogenesis.