bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A profile analysis of problematic smartphone usage among college students during coronavirus disease 2019: Relations with the impact of news reports
Authors: Chen Yaru , Zhan Qisheng , Eli Buzohre , Zhao Yuqing , Huang Xin , Liu Zhengkui
Published: March 2022

Background
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was the first pandemic to occur in a fully globalized society. The aims of the study were to explore the state of problematic smartphone use (PSU) and its risk factors during this incident. The problematic smartphone usage, impact of news reports, depression, and anxiety of a total of 77,211 college students were surveyed online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results
The data were analyzed with latent profile analysis (LPA), chi-square test, ANOVA and multiple logistic regression. We found the most support for a three-class model of subgroups. The results of multiple logistic regression show that college students who were female and younger college who experienced positive or negative impact from news reports, and reported higher depression or anxiety scores were more likely to be included in the moderate- or high-risk PSU group than in the low-risk group. However, the positive impact of news coverage was insignificant when the high-risk group was compared with the moderate-risk group.
Conclusions
These findings provide insights that may help foster and develop appropriate and effective solutions to prevent PSU among college students (young adults), such as paying more attention to girls and individuals with high levels of anxiety and depression in crisis events and providing more positive news coverage during crises.
Variation in Symptom Development and Infectivity of the Banana Bunchy top disease on four varieties of Musa sp.
Authors: CHABI Modeste , DASSOU Anicet Gbèblonoudo , ADOUKONOU-SAGBADJA Hubert , ODUOR Bonaventure Omondi Aman
Published: March 2022

Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD), is a viral disease of banana, rapidly spreading in Africa. It affects production and seed systems, threatening the genetic diversity of banana and plantain. Early symptomatic detection and roguing are an effective way of managing this disease. However seasonal and cultivar variation in disease expression has been observed. We therefore sought to assess the relationship between symptom expression and infectivity of diseased plants to support refining roguing protocols. Plantlets from four varieties (FHIA 25; Aloga; Ebenga and Sotoumon) were inoculated using infected aphids and monitored for nineteen weeks. The plants were also used as inoculum sources to infect clean banana aphids that were transferred to healthy plants of a single variety every two weeks. An appearance of symptom in these test plants was recorded and infection tested by PCR. The hybrid FHIA 25 showed typical BBTD symptoms three weeks after inoculation, while the plantains Aloga and Ebenga showed the morse code symptom, on the leaf lamina but not on the petiole, four weeks after inoculation. The banana local variety, Sotoumon, only showed the first symptoms fifteen weeks later, and entirely missed the earlier typical symptoms. For all varieties, BBTV was only detectable and aphid transferable from plants showing the first symptoms. Overall, FHIA 25 was the most sensitive while the local banana Sotoumon the least sensitive to BBTV inoculation. The expression and spread of BBTD could be tested in the field. We discuss the implication of these observations on seed systems production losses.
Identification and Expression Analysis of GARP Superfamily Genes in Response to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Stress in Spirodela Polyrhiza
Authors: zhao Xuyao , Yang Jingjing , Li Xiaozhe , Li Gaojie , Sun Zuoliang , Chen Yan , Chen Yimeng , Xia Manli , Li Yixian , Yao Lunguang , Hou Hongwei
Published: March 2022

Background: GARP transcription factors perform the critical roles in plant development and response to environmental stimulate, especially in the phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) sensing and uptake. Spirodela polyrhiza (giant duckweed) is widely used for phytoremediation and biomass production for its efficient N and P removal capacity and rapid growth. However, there has not yet been a comprehensive analysis of the GRAP gene family in S. polyrhiza. Results: We conducted a comprehensive study of the GARP genes in S. polyrhiza. First, we investigated 35 SpGARP genes in S. polyrhiza, which have been classified into three groups on the basis of their gene structure, conserved motifs and phylogenetic relationship. Then, we identified the duplication events, performed the synteny analysis, calculated the Ka/Ks ratio in SpGARP genes. Next, the regulation and co-expression networks of SpGARPs were constructed using cis-acting element analysis and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Last, the expression pattern of SpGARP genes were performed used RNA-seq date and qRT-PCR, several members of group IId were involved in both N and P starvation response. Conclusions: The study provide insight into the evolution and functional annotation of GARP gene family in S. polyrhiza, and lays the foundation for the further functional verification of SpGARP genes.
Altered Functional Hubs and Connectivity in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus With and Without Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Huang Yang , Zhang Dongsheng , Zhang Xin , Cheng Miao , Yang Zhen , Gao Jie , Tang Min , Ai Kai , Lei Xiaoyan , Zhang Xiaoling
Published: March 2022

Cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with functional and structural abnormalities of brain networks, especially the damage to hub nodes in networks. This study explored the abnormal hub nodes of brain functional networks in T2DM patients under different cognitive states. Sixty-five T2DM patients and 34 healthy controls (HCs) underwent neuropsychological assessment. Then, degree centrality (DC) analysis and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis were performed to identify the abnormal hub nodes and the FC patterns of these hubs in T2DM patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (DMCI group, N = 31) and without MCI (DMCN group, N = 34). Correlation analyses examined the relationship between abnormal DC and FC and clinical/cognitive variables. Compared with HCs, both T2DM groups showed decreased DC values in the visual cortex, and the T2DM patients with MCI (DMCI) showed more extensive alterations in the right parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) regions than T2DM patients with normal cognitive function. Seed-based FC analysis of PHG and PCC nodes showed that functional disconnection mainly occurred in visual pathways and the default mode network (DMN) in DMCI patients. Multiple abnormal DC values and disordered FC correlated with neuropsychological tests in the T2DM patients. In conclusion, this study found that the DMCI group displayed more extensive alterations in hub nodes and FC in visual network and the DMN, suggesting that visual network dysfunctions may be the neural basis of abnormal visuospatial functioning in DMCI patients.
Phase-adaptive Brain Stimulation of Striatal D1 Medium Spiny Neurons
Authors: Kim Young-Cho , Jung Dennis , Kennedy Morgan , Tomas Lence , Alberico Stephanie L. , Narayanan Nandakumar S.
Published: March 2022

Brain rhythms are strongly linked with behavior, and abnormal rhythms can signify pathophysiology. For instance, the basal ganglia exhibit a wide range of low-frequency oscillations during movement, but pathological “beta” rhythms at ~ 20 Hz have been observed in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and in PD animal models. All brain rhythms have a frequency, which describes how often they oscillate, and a phase, which describes the precise time that peaks and troughs of brain rhythms occur. Although frequency has been extensively studied, the relevance of phase is unknown, in part because it is difficult to causally manipulate the instantaneous phase of ongoing brain rhythms. Here, we developed a phase-adaptive, real-time, closed-loop algorithm to deliver optogenetic stimulation at a specific phase with millisecond latency. We combined this Phase-Adaptive Brain STimulation (PABST) approach with cell-type-specific optogenetic methods to stimulate basal ganglia networks in dopamine-depleted mice that model motor aspects of human PD. We focused on striatal medium spiny neurons expressing D1-type dopamine receptors because these neurons can facilitate movement. We report three main results. First, we found that our approach delivered PABST within system latencies of 13 milliseconds. Second, we report that closed-loop stimulation powerfully influenced the spike-field coherence of local brain rhythms within the dorsal striatum. Finally, we found that 4-Hz, but not 20-Hz, PABST improved movement speed by 41%. These data provide causal evidence that phase is relevant for brain stimulation, which will allow for more precise, targeted, and individualized brain stimulation. Our findings are applicable to a broad range of preclinical brain stimulation approaches and could also inform circuit-specific neuromodulation treatments for human brain disease.
Patient and Health Practitioner Views and Experiences of a Cancer Trial Before and During COVID-19: Qualitative Study
Authors: Sherratt Frances C. , Fisher Peter , Mathieson Amy , Cherry Mary G. , Pettitt Andrew R. , Young Bridget
Published: March 2022

BackgroundUnderstanding patient and health practitioner perspectives on clinical trials can inform opportunities to enhance trial conduct and design, and therefore patient experience. Patients with haematological cancers have faced additional risk and uncertainty during the pandemic but it is unclear how they and practitioners have experienced cancer trials during this period. In the context of a haemato-oncology trial (PETReA), we compared patient and practitioner views and experiences of PETReA before and during COVID-19.MethodsQualitative study embedded within PETReA. Semi-structured interviews (N=41) with patients and practitioners from 16 NHS sites before (n=17) and during the first wave of COVID-19 (n=24). Analysis drew on the Framework Approach.ResultsPractitioners acknowledged the need for the trial to continue during the pandemic but their treatment preferences altered, becoming more pronounced for patients who had a favourable response to induction treatment, while staying unchanged for patients with a less favourable response. Practitioners commented that COVID-19 meant the evidence base for the trial arms was lacking or mixed, but that it likely increased the risks of maintenance treatment for patients with a favourable response to induction treatment. While only one participant interviewed withdrew from PETReA during the pandemic, others said they would consider withdrawing if information that they were at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 became available. During COVID-19, patients described less frequent contact with the trial team, which left some feeling less clear about their trial pathway. However, several described having in-depth, collaborative discussions with practitioners about the risks and benefits of randomisation in the context of COVID-19. Patients valued these discussions and were reassured by the emphasis practitioners placed on patients being free to withdraw if circumstances changed, and this helped patients feel comfortable about continuing in PETReA.ConclusionsThe findings point to ways trial communication can support patients to feel comfortable about continuing in a trial during uncertain times, including adopting a more in-depth, collaborative exploration of the risks and benefits of trial arms with patients and emphasising voluntariness. The results are relevant to trialists recruiting patients who are clinically extremely vulnerable or are at increased risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes despite being vaccinated.
Health-related Quality of Life and Direct Healthcare Costs of X-linked Hypophosphatemia in Spain
Authors: Yanes Maria Isabel Luis , Díaz-Curiel Manuel , Peris Pilar , Vicente Carmen , Marín Silvia , Ramon-Krauel Marta , Hernández Julio , Broseta José Jesús , Espinosa Laura , Mendizábal Santiago , Pérez-Sukia Leyre , Martínez Victor , Palazón Cristina , Piñero Juan Antonio , Calleja Miguel Ángel , Espín Jaime , Arboiro-Pinel Rosa María , Ariceta Gema
Published: March 2022

BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to analyze the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of pediatric and adult patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) treated with conventional therapy, as well as to assess the direct healthcare costs of the disease.We used several versions of the EuroQol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) instrument according to the age of patients with XLH. Then we compared the HRQoL of patients to that of general Spanish population.We estimated direct healthcare costs by means of expert knowledge, consultation with hospital accounting departments, public databases and literature review.Results Children with XLH (n = 21) had moderate problems in walking about (61.9%), washing or dressing themselves (9.52%), and performing their usual activities (33.33%). They also felt moderate pain or discomfort (61.9%) and were moderately anxious or depressed (23.81%).Adults with XLH (n = 29) had lower HRQoL, with problems in walking (93%, with 3.45% unable to walk independently), some level of pain (86%, with 3.45% experiencing extreme pain), problems with their usual activities (80%) and self-care (>50%), and reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depression (65%). There were important differences with the general Spanish population.Regarding costs, XLH was associated with important direct healthcare costs to the national healthcare system, accounting for more than 5 million euros per year. However, the socioeconomic cost of XLH is considerably higher than that.ConclusionsXLH impacts negatively on physical functioning and HRQoL of patients, which increases both direct and indirect costs associated with XLH. In Spanish patients with XLH, the HRQoL was reduced despite conventional treatment and associated healthcare costs were high, clearly indicating the need to improve the therapeutic approach of this disorder.
Transgenerational effects of pest management strategy on fluctuating asymmetry in the European earwig Forficula auricularia: Being the progeny of a mother who lived in conventional orchards makes you more asymmetric than having a mother who lived in insecticide free orchards.
Authors: Moiroux Joffrey , Koné Doufoungognon C. , Navenant Adrien Le , Suchail Séverine , Rault Magali
Published: March 2022

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), defined as the random non-directional deviation from perfect bilateral symmetry, is considered to reflect developmental instability in bilaterally symmetrical organisms. It has been commonly used as a reliable biomarker of environmental stresses in natural populations. In agroecosystems, FA may arise through transgenerational influence of insecticides. We measured fluctuating asymmetry on unexposed progeny of Forficula auricularia mothers sampled in orchards that used no to frequent insecticides’ applications. Seven morphometric traits were measured on both right and left side and fluctuating asymmetry was calculated. Among these seven traits, four were more asymmetric when the progeny was born from a mother who lived in conventional orchards that used insecticides frequently compared to a mother who lived in insecticide free orchards. Males were more asymmetric than females for all traits but pest management strategy influenced FA in a similar way for both sexes. Measuring FA on unexposed daughters and sons of individuals originating from natural ecosystems may thus be a reliable easy-to-use tool to monitor mid-term effects of insecticides in the environment.
Energy Efficient Congestion Free And Adaptive Mechanism For Data Delivery In Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Using 2H-ACK
Authors: Baskar M. , Anbarasu V. , Balaji A. , Kalyanasundaram P. , Thiagarajan R. , Arulananth T.S.
Published: March 2022

Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSN) seems to be significant area of research as it gives out proper answer for monitoring uneven circumstances that may result and bring forth scare in human existence. The challenging process in UWSN, they have large amount of delay, easily error prone, low availability of bandwidth and high congestions control. In this paper, we propose a mechanism that addresses the reliability of the network by adapting two hop acknowledgement (2H-ACK) models. Enhancement of the model is carried out to make it energy efficient congestion free by integrating the hybrid approach into the existing protocols. By this enhanced model, it shows that the performance of the model is good when compared to the existing ones. Simulation outcomes prove that the 2H-ACK proves to be best in delivery ratio when checked with existing hop by hop acknowledgement.
The Association Of Hypertriglyceridemic Waist Phenotype With Uric Acid: A Cross-Sectional Study In A Chinese Population
Authors: Xuan Yan , Gu Xi , Shen Ying , Wang Sujie , Gao Ping , Tang Dou , Wang Xun , Zhu Fanfan , Lu Leiqun , Chen Ling
Published: March 2022

Background: The aim of this study was to research the association between the hypertriglyceridemic-waist (HTGW) phenotype and uric acid in a large general population.Methods: A total of 9015 participants from the cross-sectional study were enrolled. The hypertriglyceridemic-waist (HTGW) phenotype was defined as elevated waist circumference (WC) and elevated triglyceride (TG) concentration. Linear and Multiple logistic regression models were used for measuring the association between HTGW phenotype and uric acid.Results: Total prevalence of hyperuricemia was 17.3% and the prevalence of hyperuricemia were 31.6 % in HTGW phenotype. Subjects with HTGW phenotype were more likely to have hyperuricemia (OR=1.47, 95%CI: 1.11–1.95, P=0.007) compared with subjects with NTNW group. Furthermore, the stratified analysis showed that the strongest positive association of HTGW phenotype with hyperuricemia was found in the subgroup of presence of CKD. The associations were all fully adjusted for confounding factors.Conclusion: Our study suggested a positive association between the HTGW phenotype and hyperuricemia in Chinese people. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm our findings and to investigate the underlying biological mechanisms.
Synthesis, spectral, solvent dependent linear and nonlinear optical characteristics of (E)-N-(3-(3-(4(dimethylamino)phenyl)acryloyl) phenyl)quinolone-2-carboxamide
Authors: N SUDHA , Surendran R , Jeyaram S
Published: March 2022

This paper presents the synthesis of novel organic compound (E)-N-(3-(3 (4(dimethylamino)phenyl)acryloyl)phenyl)quinolone-2-carboxamide, also known as Quinolinecarboxamide Chalcone (QCC) using aldol condensation and carboxamide formation method. The organic sample QCC was examined by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectroscopic techniques, respectively. Linear and third-order nonlinear optical (TNLO) properties of QCC dissolved in polar solvents such as DMSO, DMF and Ethanol have also been studied. The order of nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear absorption coefficient of QCC was measured to be 10−11 m2/W and 10−5 m/W. The nonlinear refractive index (n2) of QCC was attributed to negative nonlinearity due to self-defocusing effect, and nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) indicates the behaviors of saturable absorption (SA) and reverse saturable absorption (RSA). The real and imaginary features of the TNLO susceptibility (χ(3)) of QCC in polar solvents were calculated to be the order of 10─7 esu. The spectral characteristics of solvent on TNLO susceptibility of QCC were discussed. The results divulged that the synthesized organic compound is a novel nonlinear optical (NLO) material for applications in photonics and optoelectronics.
Prognostic Implications and Immune Infiltration Analysis of SSBP1 in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhu Nengyang , Zhao Lei , Li Huming , Wang Jiaxin , Xu Yaodi , Meng Jiguang
Published: March 2022

Background
Single-Stranded DNA Binding Protein 1(SSBP1) has been found closely related to the malignant biological process of the tumor. However, the functions of SSBP1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are still unclear. The present study explored the prognosis of SSBP1 in LUAD.
Methods
Oncomine, TIMER, and UALCAN were used to analyze the difference of SSBP1 expression in normal and tumor tissues, and HPA was used to analyze the immunohistochemical staining in tumor tissues. We also used Kaplan-Meier analysis to evaluate the impact of SSBP1 on LUAD patients’ survival. In addition, we used the TIMER database to explore the correlation between the expression of SSBP1 and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TILs). Furthermore, we used STRING and GeneMANIA to build a network of protein-protein interaction (PPI) and perform GO analysis. Finally, we used CARE to evaluate the relationship between the expression of SSBP1 and the response of the drug.
Results
The expression of SSBP1 was up-regulated in the patients with LUAD and was related to the worse overall survival (OS) probability. And, SSBP1 was negatively associated with ImmuneScore, ESTIMATEScore, and StromalScore. In addition, SSBP1 expression has a negative correlation with the infiltration level of B cells, dendritic cells, CD4 + T cells, and macrophages. And, the expression of SSBP1 in B cells, CD8 + T cells, and dendritic cells (DC) was related to OS. Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between the expression SSBP1 and CARE.
Conclusion
SSBP1 is a potentially poor prognostic biomarker of LUAD and correlated with immune infiltrates in LUAD.
Barrier-Free Duct Muffler For Low-Frequency Sound Absorption
Authors: Gao Cong , Hu Chuandeng , Mei Jun , Hou Bo , Zhang Xianli , Du Zhanhang , Wen Weijia
Published: March 2022

We demonstrate a duct muffler design operating at frequency range that lower than 2000Hz. The device is composed of coupled annular Helmholtz Resonators (HRs) and installed as side branch of a circular ventilation tube to avoid affecting the ventilation. Porous material is employed for the purpose of generating asymmetric intrinsic loss status of the HR. Analytical model based on temporal coupled-mode theory is introduced and numerical simulation technique for structure design are introduced and verified. Experimental study verifies the effectiveness of the design methodology and illustrate that the device can achieve near perfect sound absorption in the desired frequency range. A symmetry configuration of HRs also experimentally proved to be able to conduct sound absorption for sound incident from both sides of the duct. This work provides a solid foundation for the application of the designed muffler and an analytical explanation of the corresponding sound absorption mechanisms.
Prognostic value of PET/CT and MR-based baseline radiomics among patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Kulanthaivelu Roshini , Kohan Andres , Hinzpeter Ricarda , Liu Zhihui Amy , Hope Andrew , Huang Shao Hui , Waldron John , O'Sullivan Brian , Ortega Claudia , Metser Ur , Veit-Haibach Patrick
Published: March 2022

PurposeRadiomics is an emerging imaging assessment technique, which has shown promise predicting survival among nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Studies so far have focused on MR-based radiomic analysis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of clinical and radiomic parameters derived from both PET/CT and MR.MethodsRetrospective evaluation of 124 NPC patients with PET/CT and radiotherapy planning MR (RP-MR). Primary tumors were segmented using dedicated software (LIFEx .version 6.1) from PET, CT, contrast enhanced T1-weighted (T1-w), and T2-weighted (T2-w) MR sequences with 376 radiomic features extracted. Summary statistics described patient, disease and treatment characteristics. Kaplan Meier (KM) method estimated overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Clinical factors selected based on univariate analysis and multivariate Cox model were subsequently constructed with radiomic features added.ResultsThe final models comparing clinical, clinical + RP-MR, clinical + PET/CT and clinical + RP-MR + PET/CT for OS and PFS demonstrated that combined radiomics signatures were significantly associated with improved survival prognostication (AUC 0.62 vs 0.81 vs 0.75 vs 0.86 at 21 months for PFS and 0.56 vs 0.85 vs 0.79 vs 0.96 at 24 months for OS). Clinical + RP-MR features initially outperform clinical + PET/CT for both OS and PFS (< 18 months), and later in the clinical course for PFS (> 42 months).ConclusionOur study demonstrated that PET/CT-based radiomic features may improve survival prognostication among NPC patients when combined with baseline clinical and MR-based radiomic features.
A Clinically Annotated Post-Mortem Approach to Study Multi-Organ Somatic Mutational Clonality in Histologically Healthy Tissues
Authors: Luijts Tom , Elliott Kerryn , Siaw Joachim , Velde Joris , Beyls Elien , Claeys Arne , Lammens Tim , Larsson Erik , Willaert Wouter , Vral Anne , Eynden Jimmy Van den
Published: March 2022

Recent research on histologically healthy human tissues identified omnipresent mutational microclones, driven by somatic mutations known to be responsible for carcinogenesis (e.g., in TP53 or NOTCH1). These new insights are fundamentally changing current tumour evolution models, with broad oncological implications. Most studies are based on surgical remnant tissues, which are not available for many organs and rarely in a pan-organ setting (multiple organs from the same individual). Here, we describe an approach based on clinically annotated post-mortem tissues, derived from whole-body donors that are routinely used for educational purposes at human anatomy units. We validated this post-mortem approach using UV-exposed and unexposed epidermal skin tissues and confirm the presence of positively selected NOTCH1/2-, TP53- and FAT1-driven clones. No selection signals were detected in a set of immune genes or housekeeping genes. Additionally, we provide the first evidence for smoking-induced clonal changes in oral epithelia, likely underlying the origin of head and neck carcinogenesis. In conclusion, the whole-body donor-based approach provides a nearly unlimited healthy tissue resource to study mutational clonality and gain fundamental mutagenic insights in the presumed earliest stages of tumour evolution.
Offline rTMS inhibition of the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex impairs reappraisal efficacy
Authors: Wyczesany Miroslaw , Adamczyk Agnieszka K , Hobot Justyna , Barbalinardo Giansalvo , Adamczyk Przemysław , Labaza Adam , Ligeza Tomasz S
Published: March 2022

In the study we verified the causal role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in performing reappraisal strategy of emotional control. Subjects underwent three sessions of inhibitory offline theta burst TMS stimulation that was targeted at either left dorsolateral, right dorsolateral or vertex area. During the experimental task they were asked to either passively watch or reappraise affective pictures. Efficacy of emotional control was quantified using the late positivity potential of the evoked brain responses. After both left and right dorsolateral stimulation, reappraisal was compromised compared to the vertex session. Worsening of affective control was reflected in earlier but not later time windows of the late positivity. It is suggested that inhibitory stimulation primarily affected top-down mechanism of attentional deployment necessary to focus on the content of experimental stimuli that enables elaboration of new, less negative interpretation of emotional content.
Image Based Disease Classification in Grape Leaves Using Convolutional Capsule Network
Authors: Andrushia Diana , Neebha Mary , Patricia Trephena , devi Uma , Anand N , Varshney Atul
Published: March 2022

Crop protection is the prime hindrance for food security. The plant diseases destroy the overall quality and quantity of the agricultural products. Grape is an important fruit and major source of vitamin C nutrients. The automatic decision making system plays a paramount role in agricultural informatics. This paper aims to detect the diseases in grape leaves using convolutional capsule networks. The capsule network is a promising neural network in the field of deep learning. This network uses a group of neurons as capsules and effectively represents spatial information of features. The novelty of the proposed work relies on the addition of convolutional layers before the primary caps layer which indirectly decrease the number of capsules and speed up the dynamic routing process. The proposed method is experimented with augmented and non-augmented datasets. It effectively detects the diseases of grape leaves with the accuracy of 99.12%. The performance of the method is compared with state-of-the art deep learning methods and produces reliable results.
Circular economy in fisheries: How is fish market waste managed in the Philippines?
Authors: De Ungria Sheralyn , Fernandez Lara Therese , Sabado Sophia Ellise , Santos Jeano Paulo , Sararaña Allysa Rose , VinceCruz-Abeledo Chona Camille
Published: March 2022

Improper management of fish waste has led to the Comprehensive National Fisheries Industry Development Plan to declare that Philippine fisheries are unsustainable. A considerable portion of fish waste is produced in wet markets, where bulk of fish products are sold. A comparison of existing practices in different localities can indicate the best points of intervention and identify existing traditional practices that can be promoted. This study interviewed fish vendors and fishers, and collected information at the market level, to determine existing fish waste management systems. From the responses gathered, the average daily production of fish waste in Philippine wet markets was 70.3 ± 65.4 kg, with no significant differences across locations (p = 0.2501). Of the fish waste produced, 32.3 ± 43.1 kg per wet market were disposed of, 18.9 ± 23.3 kg were sold, and 19.1 ± 21.9 kg were given away to stakeholders who re-use the fish waste. A significantly greater proportion of fish waste in rural areas were re-used compared to Metro Manila (p = 0.0311). Incentivizing innovations that maximize the use of derived fish waste at the municipal level, and promoting existing traditional practices, can prove effective in contributing to the Philippine circular economy while providing alternative sources of income for the stakeholders of the fisheries industry.
Pyroptosis-Related Genes Regulate Proliferation and Invasion of Pancreatic Cancer and Serve as the Prognostic Signature for Modeling Patient Survival
Authors: Song Wenjing , Liu Zhicheng , Wang Kunlei , Tan Kai , Zhao Anbang , Li Xinyin , Yuan Yufeng , Yang Zhiyong
Published: March 2022

Objective: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has high mortality and poor prognosis. Pyroptosis can influence the prognosis of patients by regulating the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells. However, the role of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) in PDAC remains unclear. Methods: In this study, based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort of PDAC samples, univariate Cox analysis and LASSO regression analysis were used to screen the prognostic PRGs and establish the gene signature. To further evaluate the functional significance of CASP4 and NLRP1 in PDAC, we also performed external validation of gene signature using data sets from the GEO database and conducted an in vitro study to examine their effects on PANC-1 cells. The signaling pathway involved in PRGs and its relationship with tumor immunity were also studied. Finally, the regulators upstream of PRGs were predicted by starbase and the relationship between PRGs and anticancer drug sensitivity was analyzed. Results: A risk prediction model based on CASP4 and NLRP1 was established, which can distinguish high-risk patients from low-risk patients (P<0.001). Both internal validation and external GEO data sets validation demonstrate good predictive capability of the model (AUC=0.732, AUC=0.802, AUC=0.632, P<0.05). In vitro, CCK8 and Transwell assay suggested that CASP4 may accelerate the progression of PDAC by promoting proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells, while NLRP1 has been found to have tumor suppressive effect. It should be noted that after CASP4 was knocked down, the expression levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and SREBP-2 were decreased, and the number of lipid droplets was also significantly reduced. Besides, the expression level of CASP4 was positively correlated with KRAS and P53 mutations. Finally, PRGs were significantly associated with the sensitivity to the inhibitors of AKT and MEK. Conclusion: PRGs played an important role in tumor immunity and had potential diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic value for PDAC. In especial, CASP4 can promote tumor progression by promoting the synthesis and accumulation of fatty acids.
Characrerization of Arba Minch University General Hospital, Construction Site, Using Seismic Refraction Method in Arba Minch Town of Southern Ehiopia
Authors: Tesfaw Yalem
Published: March 2022

The seismic refraction method is one of geophysical technic which is frequently used to determine the characteristics of soils and rocks (Ugwu, 2008; Ayolabi et al.,2009). This geophysical method is based on measuring the arrival times of seismic waves refracted by the interfaces between layers of ground, characterized by different propagation speeds. The energy source is represented by an impact on the surface. The energy radiates from the “shot point,-travelling both directly in the uppermost layer (direct arrivals), and deep down and laterally along layers at a higher speed (refracted arrivals)-then returning to the surface, where it is measured through the spreading of geophones.
Headache attributed to transient ischaemic attack: a prospective retrospective baseline study
Authors: Tan Ge , Zang Jiali , Liu Qing , Li Qin , Liu Qinlin , Yu Xiran
Published: March 2022

Background: It is difficult to discriminate between headache attributed to transient ischaemic attack from migraine with aura. We studied the characteristics of headache-attributed transient ischaemic attacks to provide clinical evidence for the treatment of headache attributed to transient ischaemic attack.Methods: We performed a prospective study with a retrospective baseline evaluation of all patients with headaches attributed to transient ischaemic attack (22) during a three-year period. The demography, vascular risk factors and clinical information were collected. The following typical symptoms were evaluated by an ABCD2 score of 4 or greater. The headache characteristics were collected within a 24-hour interval after the onset of transient ischaemic attack.Results: Headache that is attributed to transient ischaemic attack accounted for 8.2% (22/269) of the patients with transient ischaemic attack. Headache attributed to transient ischemic attack was more common in women (68.2%, 15/22) and in posterior circulation of transient ischemic attack (59.1%,13/22). These types of headaches were similar to tension-type headache and included a bilateral location (72.7%, 16/22), a dull quality (72.7%, 16/22), and a moderate intensity (54.5%, 12/22).Conclusions:Our study showed that headache attributed to transient ischaemic attack was similar to a tension-type headache and was more common in women and in patients with posterior circulation transient ischaemic attacks.
Assessing impacts of future climate on the crop water requirement and growth period. A case of Lake Hawassa watershed, Ethiopia
Authors: Abraham Tesfalem , Muluneh Alemayehu
Published: March 2022

Background
Assessing the influence of climate change on the crop growth period, water requirement, and drought conditions is important for the integrated planning of the production system. This study assessed the impact of climate models from the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Product (CMIP5) on Crop Water Requirement (CWR), Length of Growth Period (LGP), and drought conditions. This study applied two regional climate models that have shown better performance for the evaluation criteria during the historical period. Drought analysis was conducted for different classes of drought index using standardized anomalies of rainfall (S-index) from climate models.
Results
The future growing season of the area on average for all the years is between April 15 and May 1. The period between April 15 and May 1 marks the onset time and the end of September is the cessation time having LGP ranging from 150–160 days. Crop water requirement was projected to increase on average from the base period on both RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. Analysis of drought prediction shows a few cases of extreme drought during the 2050s and 2080s under RCP 8.5. Furthermore, the 2050s has registered the lowest number of years with a positive S-index value indicating the projected scarcity of precipitation during these periods under RCP 8.5.
Conclusion
This study provides information on the impacts of climate change on crop growth periods, water requirements, and drought conditions. Therefore, understanding their future changes will enable the preparation of a better plan for the adaptation and mitigation of impacts.
Identification of type IV conjugative systems that are systematically excluded from metagenomic bins
Authors: Joris Benjamin R. , Browne Tyler S. , Hamilton Thomas A. , Edgell David R. , Gloor Gregory B.
Published: March 2022

BackgroundConjugation enables the exchange of genetic elements throughout environments, including the human gut microbiome. Conjugative elements can carry and transfer clinically relevant metabolic pathways which makes precise identification of these systems in metagenomic samples clinically important. ResultsHere, we outline two related methods to identify conjugative elements in the human gut microbiome. Conjugative systems can effectively be identified from metagenomic assemblies either using a curated sets of profile hidden Markov models or by searching against large-scale databases, such as UniRef90. Both methods were successful at identifying type IV conjugative systems with profile hidden Markov models being faster, but less sensitive than alignment to the UniRef database. Finally, we demonstrate that the majority of assembled conjugative elements are not included within metagenomic bins, and that only a small proportion of the binned conjugative systems are included in "high-quality" metagenomic bins.ConclusionsAnalysis of the human gut microbiome by shotgun metagenomic sequencing has revealed numerous connections to human health outcomes. Our findings emphasize the need to identify and analyze conjugative systems outside of standard metagenomic binning pipelines. We suggest that analysis of type IV conjugative systems should be added to the current metagenomic analysis approaches as they contain much information that could explain differences between cohorts.
Magnitude of emergence delirium and associated factors among old-age patients who underwent elective surgery in the Teaching Hospitals of Ethiopia at post anesthesia care unit, Ethiopia, 2021. A multi-center prospective observational study
Authors: Ilala Tajera Tageza , Mekonin Gezahegn Tesfaye , Olika Megersa Kelbesa , Wedajo Mitiku Birhanu , Badada Ashanafi Tolasa , Dubiwak Abebe Dukessa , Nigatu Mamo
Published: March 2022

Background
Emergence Delirium is a common and serious post-operative complication in surgical patients, especially in the old-age. It occurs at any time in the peri-operative period, during or immediately following emergence from general anesthesia. Unfortunately, it was highly associated with post-operative complications such as decrease in functional capacity, prolonged hospital stay, an increase in healthcare costs and morbidity and mortality. The goal of this study was to determine the magnitude of emergence delirium and associated factors among old-age patients who underwent elective surgery in the Teaching Hospitals of Ethiopia at post anesthesia care unit, 2021.
Methods
A multi-center prospective observational study was conducted at Post-anesthesia Care Unit in four Teaching Hospitals of Ethiopia. Old-age surgical patients admitted to Post-anesthesia Care Unit who underwent elective surgery in the four Teaching Hospitals of Ethiopia were selected by using simple random sampling. Pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered in to Epidata (version 4.6) and exported to the SPSS (version 25.0). Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated to emergence delirium.
Results
Out of 384 old-age patients included in the study with 100% response rate, the magnitude of emergence delirium was 27.6%. Preoperative low hemoglobin levels (AOR: 2.0, 95%CI; 1.77–3.46), opioids (AOR: 8.0, 95%CI; 3.22–27.8) and anti-cholinergic premedications (AOR: 8.5, 95%CI; 6.85–17.35), and post-operative pain (AOR: 3.10, 95CI; 2.07–9.84) at PACU were independently associated with emergence delirium.
Conclusion
The magnitude of emergence delirium was high. Old-age patients who were premedicated with anti-cholinergic and opioids, those patients who had low pre-operative hemoglobin and post-operative pain were independently associated with emergence delirium. Adequate pre-operative optimization and post-operative analgesia may reduce the magnitude of emergence delirium.
Study on the techniques of wallpaper (“Biaohu”) in the Palace Museum:Case on Lodge of Bamboo Fragrance (Zhuxiang guan)
Authors: Yue Ma , Zhao Congshan , Lei Yong
Published: March 2022

“Biao Hu” was one of the eight famous traditional crafts in the late Qing dynasty. It included decorating the interior of ancient buildings and making burial objects, including ceilings, walls and windows. It was popular in the structures of northern China in the early Qing dynasty. There was white and patterned wallpaper in the Forbidden City. The latter included traditional and rare patterns. Taking the wallpaper in Lodge of Bamboo Fragrance (Zhuxiang Guan) as an example, in this article, its structure and composition have been studied by morphological observation and spectroscopic analysis. The pigments and dye were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and UPLC. Combined with an analysis of the patterned wallpaper in other buildings of the Forbidden City, traditional technology has been investigated.
Comparision of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) storage characteristics under different storage media and conditions
Authors: Olunloyo Oluwatoyin , Olunloyo Akinrinade , Ibiyeye Dare , Akala Abisayo , Ajiboye Opeyem , Afeye Folasade , Taiye Afolabi Reuben , Adegoke Fehintola Mathew , Oladipupo Blessing
Published: March 2022

This research was carried out to compare cowpea storage characteristics using different storage medium, under different weather conditions. Several technologies reputedly attribute losses of stored cowpea grain to bruchid beetles. Comparison of these different postharvest storage methods can provide the basis for deciding which performs best in terms of weight loss, pest infestation and nutritive losses. Proximate analysis was carried out before, during and after storage with two month intervals, over four months of storage in three storage media: a seed gene bank, modified anthill rhombus, and a covered container (the control). Temperature, humidity, and weight values (for moisture content analysis) were taken during the storage period. Results showed that the cowpea seed sample, stored in the AC section of the seed gene bank, proved to be more tolerant to pest infestation compared to seed samples, stored in the Modified anthill rhombus, and seed samples, stored under ambient conditions. The cowpea seeds weight recorded reduction after infestation, which also was significant when compared to the non-infested seeds in the seed gene bank. Proximate analysis of cowpea seeds after infestation showed a decrease in the value of carbohydrate content and protein, while crude fibre, moisture, fat and total ash recorded increased. Further research should be carried out on cowpea storage under different weather conditions, with and without insecticide, and using more media such as jute bags, etc. There should also be an extension of the storage period more than the four months
Comparison of bagged tomato storage characteristics under two different evaporative pad materials
Authors: Olunloyo Oluwatoyin , Olunloyo Akinrinade , Ibiyeye Dare , Akala Abisayo , Ajiboye Opeyemi , Afeye Folasade , Taiye Afolabi Reuben , Adejonwo Mariam
Published: March 2022

Tomatoes are important in the agricultural sector as they serve as raw materials for the production of value added products. The aim of this study was to compare bagged tomato (tomato in sealed Ziploc bags storage characteristics using two evaporative pad materials (charcoal and river sand). River sand and charcoal were used as cooling pads with storage under ambient conditions being the third treatment (control). Each treatment had two replicates. Temperature, Relative humidity, Cooling efficiency, Weight, Firmness and Colour assessment were determined throughout the test period and the results were subjected to Analysis of Variance [ANOVA]. Means were separated using DMRT at 5 percent level of significance. Result from storing bagged fresh tomatoes under both media showed that a cooling chamber filled with charcoal as absorbent material with uninterrupted water supply performed best in the storing of tomato fruit when compared to tomatoes stored under ambient conditions or with river sand as evaporative media. It is therefore recommended that further studies should vary the use of different absorbent materials with respect to availability, cost, and durability among others. Comparison can also be further made between tomato storage under bagged and unbagged conditions
Lived Experiences of Parents in the Implementation of Learning Distance Modality
Authors: Duron Mechiel B.
Published: March 2022

The sudden widespread of the COVID-19 pandemic alarms and threatens the education system. This has become one of the biggest challenges most parents are dealing with. The study aimed to evaluate the lived experiences of Grade Four Quartz parents of Libertad Central Elementary School, School Year 2020-2021 in the implementation of Learning Distance Modality and come up with a Psychosocial Support Program Intervention that could help them, as teacher - partners in the delivery of education through the Learning Distance Modality successfully. A pure qualitative design of research was employed. A set of five questions were asked to gather data as basis for intervention with the parents. The result of the data show that as teacher-partners in the delivery of education in Learning Distance Modality, they lay the following facilitating factors:  they spend more time with their child; they bond, enjoy, and have fun with the child; they know the learning capability of the children; and they also learn since they study the lessons first before teaching their children. The hindering factors that come out which serve as challenge to them are: the attitudes and behaviors of the pupils, some topics are not known to parents and difficult for them to explain to their child, some Mathematical problems and equations are confusing because some parents are undergraduates, the time constraints for working parents, and lack of learning resources. With these, parents have adapted measures to cope up the new normal learning delivery through the use of technology.