bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brucellosis: Trends in the Development of Situation in the World and Forecast for 2022 in the Russian Federation
Authors: Ponomarenko D. G. , Skudareva O. N. , Khachaturova A. A. , Lukashevich D. E. , Zharinova I. V. , Daurova A. V. , Germanova A. N. , Logvinenko O. V. , Rakitina E. L. , Kostyuchenko M. V. , Manin E. A. , Maletskaya O. V. , Kulichenko A. N.
Published: July 2022

An analysis of trends in the development of situation on brucellosis in the world over past decade and the data on the main risk factors for the occurrence of epidemiological complications regarding this infection in various regions of the world are provided in the paper. An expert assessment of the current epizootiological and epidemiological situation on brucellosis, the coverage of population and animals with immunization in the Russian Federation is given. Over 9 months of 2021, 210 potentially hazardous as regards brucellosis in cattle areas and 24 sites – as regards brucellosis in small ruminants – were registered in Russia. Compared to the same period in 2020, there was a decrease in the number of newly identified hazardous sites for bovine brucellosis by 35.8 % (117 areas). However, long-term upward trend in epizootiological adversity for bovine brucellosis in Russia persists. The epidemiological situation on brucellosis in the country for the period of 2012–2021 is characterized as unfavorable. Decrease in the number of newly detected human brucellosis cases (by 25.1 % of long-term average values) is observed against the background of persistent unfavorable epizootic conditions for brucellosis among epidemiologically significant species of small ruminants and cattle in regions with developed animal husbandry. In 2021, clusters of human cases were registered in the Republic of Dagestan and Penza Region. In the Republic of Dagestan, against the background of aggravation of epizootiological and epidemiological situation on brucellosis, there was also an alarming trend towards prevalence of a relatively high incidence among minors. The proportion of cases of brucellosis among children under the age of 17 in the Republic amounted to 60.3 % of the total number of minors with newly diagnosed brucellosis in Russia over the past 10 years. Taking into account current epizootic, epidemic situations and the long-term dynamics of the development of situation on  brucellosis in the Russian Federation, the incidence of brucellosis among the population  is predicted to be 10–15 % lower than the average long-term values – 0.18–0.20 per 100000 of the population – in 2022. The number of human cases of brucellosis can range from 250 to 300.
Propuesta de análisis y diseño de sistema informático con arquitectura de microservicios para la gestión académica de docentes en institución académica de educación superior - 2022
Authors:   , Tapia Patiño Wigberto Miguel Angel
Published: July 2022

El presente trabajo demuestra la importancia de implementar sistemas informáticos bajo una arquitectura orientada a microservicios para la gestión académica de docentes en instituciones de educación superior. Se tuvo la tarea inicial de identificar los requerimientos del usuario los que permitieron plantear un adecuado análisis, diseño para una posterior implantación futura del sistema, además de proponer una arquitectura basada en microservicios que permita que el sistema sea óptimo, rápido y escalable, separando las funcionalidades en cada módulo que sea responsable de entregar los datos de forma oportuna, aprovechando las capacidades de cada servidor por microservicio y de base de datos. La universidad tiene diferentes áreas que capacitan y califican el desempeño de los docentes, pero la mayoría de estas áreas no tienen automatizado sus procesos, actualmente se llevan en hojas de cálculo y otros están en bases de datos aisladas. Para conectar estas bases de datos se implementará servicios web que pueden ser consumidos por los microservicios, en otros casos tenemos sistemas propietarios o enlatados como es el caso del ERP People Soft, el cual su implementación es costosa, el proveedor va a implementar alguno servicios web para consumir datos del docente para mostrarlos en el sistema que se va a implementar. La finalidad del sistema es que el docente pueda ver su información y calificaciones de las diferentes áreas de la universidad acerca de su desempeño en un solo lugar a través de esta aplicación, y esta aplicación a su vez debe ser visualizada en cualquier dispositivo móvil eso quiere decir que debe ser una web adaptable.
Sintomatología musculoesquelética y su relación con calidad de vida laboral en trabajadores del Hospital Alto Mayo. 2020
Authors:   , Mego Rodriguez Segundo Percy
Published: July 2022

Objetivo: Conocer la relación entre la sintomatología musculoesquelética con la calidad de vida laboral en trabajadores del Hospital Alto Mayo. 2020. Material y métodos: Fue un estudio observacional, prospectivo y correlacional. Se incluyeron a 138 trabajadores pertenecientes al área administrativa y personal de salud, luego para responder a los objetivos e hipótesis se usó la prueba de correlación de Pearson. Resultados: La edad promedio de los trabajadores pertenecientes al área administrativa y personal de salud fue 41.7 ± 11.6 años, el 26.8% era personal administrativo, el 41.3% laboraba en el área menos de 5 años, asimismo, el 34.1% laboraba menos de 5 años en la institución, el 50% tenía turno rotativo y el 76.1% trabajaba de pie. Además se evidenció regular nivel en la calidad de vida de los colaboradores (63%).Asimismo, se evidenció relación entre el malestar musculoesquelético, específicamente en el brazo derecho (p=0.008, r=-0.223), muñeca derecha (p=0.002, r=-0.262), muñeca izquierda (p=0.003, r=-0.255), muslo derecho (p=0.004, r=0.017), muslo izquierdo (p=0.017, r=-0.203), mano derecha, región B (p=0.017, r=-0.204), C (p=0.004, r=-0.244), D (p=0.021, r=-0.196), E (p=0.041, r=-0.175) y F (p=0.001, r=-0.279) y la calidad de vida laboral. Conclusiones: A mejor calidad de vida laboral corresponde menor sintomatología musculoesquelética en los trabajadores administrativos y personal de salud del Hospital Alto Mayo.
The ‘New Humanitarians’: Vernacular aid in Greece
Authors: Maya Adi
Published: July 2022

Since 2015, the ’refugee crisis’ in Greece has turned the Eastern Mediterranean migration route into one of the main entry points to Europe. In response, a grassroots solidarity movement has emerged in the Aegean islands that has become instrumental for boat rescue at sea, and for camp service provision. These local and international volunteers, as well as refugees, identify as ‘New Humanitarians’. This paper presents the emic aspects of the ‘New Humanitarians’, and focuses on vernacular actors and how they challenge the humanitarian landscape in Greece by examining their principles, practices, and discourse.

A key finding is that the ‘New Humanitarian’ principles that they model revisit the existing ones—i.e. solidarity, hospitality, equality, and agency. Other findings show that the ‘New Humanitarians’ are reproducing governing technologies imposed by the government and other agencies. They do so while trying to contest mainstream humanitarianism and pleading for much-needed change in the European border regime and refugee management systems.
Analysis of physical and chemical properties of alternative substrate material for sustainable green roofs
Authors: Kader Shuraik
Published: July 2022

Green roof is the roof of a building that is partially or completely enfolded with vegetation and its associated components. It promotes the sustainability of buildings and provides comfort for urban ecosystem. We have investigated the viability of using organic waste as a growing medium. This study determines the most suitable growing substrate by investigating organic wastes of Sawdust, Wood bark, Bio char, Coir, Compost and Base medium under the parameters of density, moisture content, drought resistance and thermal resistance, contribution for vegetation growth, pH, electric conductivity and nutrient constituents. Investigation of chemical parameters is a unique aspect of this study. New methodologies using mathematical concepts were used to find thermal conductivity and EC of specimens in our research. Preliminary study results shows that the most substrate composition will comprise 60% growing medium and 40% base medium (fertilizer + potting mix).During the experimental studies, we have compared the test results of each organic waste specimens under the mentioned physical and chemical parameters. Base medium (90:10) has highest bearing capacity to withstand external loads including vegetation and other imposed loads. Sawdust (60:40) exhibited optimum attributes for lightweight substrate by having least saturated unit weight, dry unit weight and the highest moisture content. In terms of drought resistance and vegetation growth, Bio char (60:40) was exceptional. Wood bark (60:40) exhibited the most convincing thermal resistance. The best characteristics in terms of pH, EC and nutrient content were exhibited by Sawdust (60:40), Coir (60:40) and Compost (60:40) correspondingly. Based on final ratings by considering all the experimental results, Coir (60:40) have emerged as the optimum growing medium in terms of physical and chemical properties. The authors emphasize to utilize this experimental study results into large-scale construction industries to promote the urban ecosystems through sustainable green roof constructions.
Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface-Aided Over-the-Air Computation for IoT Networks
Authors: Chen Yun , Zhang Guoping , Xu Hongbo , Luo Wenxing , Li Ruijie , Chen Xue , Zhang Jianqiang
Published: July 2022

Traditional wireless data aggregation (WDA) technology based on the principle of separated communication and computation is difficult to achieve large-scale access under the limited spectrum resources, especially in scenarios with strict constraints on time latency (e.g. autonomous driving). To solve this problem, Over-the-Air Computation (AirComp) has emerged as a new fast WDA solution. AirComp can perform ultra-high-speed wireless data aggregation in the scenario of limited communication capacity. In this paper, to overcome the disadvantage of wireless channel propagation, we use reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) to assist AirComp. As far as we know, most of the research on AirComp is focused on optimizing aggregation errors. Most edge devices of the Internet of Things (IoT) are battery-powered. Therefore, optimizing the transmit power of devices could prolong the life cycle of nodes and save the system power consumption. In this paper, we aim for minimizing the system transmit power subject to maximum tolerable aggregation error constraint, while ensuring that each device rate meets the minimum rate constraint. Unfortunately, the problem presented is a very tricky non-convex problem. To solve the proposed thorny problem, we propose a two-step optimization method. Specifically, we introduce matrix lifting technology to transform the original problems into semidefinite programming problems (SDP) in the first step and then propose an alternate difference-of-convex (DC) framework to solve SDP subproblems. The numerical results show that RIS-assisted communication can greatly save system power and reduce aggregation error. And the proposed alternate DC method is superior to the alternate SDR method.
Mutation of mutator genes marks immunotherapy efficacy
Authors: Chen Kaifu , Wang Xin , Zhao Dongyu , Li Yanqiang , Yu Yang , Ira Grzegorz , Zhang Lili
Published: July 2022

Genomic instability is a hallmark of most cancers and presumably results from dysfunction of mutator genes. Yet methods to identify the complete catalogue of mutator genes in human and systematic investigations of their roles in cancer are lacking. Here we developed MutaGene to define genes associated with suppression of genomic instability and identified 1534 putative mutator genes based on the TCGA dataset. We observed that cancer patients with deficiency of mutator genes, in contrast to other genes in cancer pathways or DNA repair pathways, were coupled with strong immunogenicity, e.g., elevated neoantigen burden, immune infiltration, and expression of immune checkpoint inhibitors. The results suggest that patients with deficiency of mutator genes may be favorable candidates for immunotherapy due to their elevated mutation burden. We next integrated the mutator gene catalogue with data of cancer patients post immune checkpoint blockade treatment in the MSK-IMPACT cohort. We found that deficiency of mutator genes, particularly the ones suppressing insertion-deletion mutations, predicted strong anti-tumor effects of the immunotherapy and positive clinical outcomes. Taken together, the mutator genes identified in this study enabled fresh insights into genome instability and serve as robust biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy.
Palliative Care Support Improves Quality of Life of Patients with Advanced Interstitial Lung Disease
Authors: Cortés-Telles Arturo , Martínez-Ponce Julia Carel , López-Pavón Lucy Esther , Cansino-Torres Marco Antonio
Published: July 2022

BackgroundFibrotic interstitial lung disease associates with a considerable symptom burden, deterioration of quality of life, and mortality; thus, Palliative Care is an alternative for symptoms control. The aim was to analyze its effect in the quality of life.MethodsObservational, prospective study that included patients referred to Palliative Care. Demographic data, baseline functional capacity, symptoms intensity, and quality of life were registered through unidimensional and multidimensional scales before the intervention and then at 30- and 90- days ups. The primary outcome was to analyze the score change through an analysis of variance.ResultsFourteen patients were included with a median age of 63 years (Interquartile Range 54–71), 85% were women. Baseline evaluation confirmed a moderate functional impairment (Karnofsky 65, Interquartile Range 50–70) and deterioration of quality of life (Saint George´s Respiratory Questionnaire-I, 91 points, Interquartile Range 84–96). Frequent baseline symptoms documented by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System were cough, dyspnea, tiredness, anxiety/depression, and pain. After 90 days of Palliative Care, a significant improvement was observed both in symptoms control and quality of life, based on a 20-point decrease in Saint George´s Respiratory Questionnaire-I (p = 0.008).ConclusionsThe Palliative Care intervention improves symptoms control, and the quality of life patients perceive.
Rare case of hypopharyngeal perforation leading to neck emphysema and pneumomediastinum secondary to blunt trauma Case Report.
Authors: Biswas Som , Sandhu Preet , Sintim-Damoa Akosua , Cohen Harris L
Published: July 2022

Hypopharyngeal perforation due to blunt trauma in the neck is a very rare but potentially life-threatening condition. We present the imaging findings of a 16-year-old male who presented with dysphagia after blunt neck trauma from a baseball helmet. Less than twenty such cases have been reported in the world literature. No prior case has been published with associated pneumomediastinum.
Stereophotogrammetric Approaches to Multi-Segmental Kinematics of the Thoracolumbar Spine: A Systematic Review
Authors: Fayad Jennifer , Eltes Peter Endre , Lazary Aron , Cristofolini Luca , Stagni Rita
Published: July 2022

Background: Spine disorders are becoming more prevalent in today’s ageing society. Motion abnormalities have been linked to the prevalence and recurrence of these disorders. Various protocols exist to measure thoracolumbar spine motion, but a standard multi-segmental approach is still missing. This study aims to systematically evaluate the literature on stereophotogrammetric motion analysis approaches to quantify thoracolumbar spine kinematics in terms of measurement reliability, suitability of protocols for clinical application and clinical significance of the resulting functional assessment. Methods: Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect) were searched until February 2022. Studies published in English, investigating the intersegmental kinematics of the thoracolumbar spine using stereophotogrammetric motion analysis were identified. All information relating to measurement reliability; measurement suitability and clinical significance was extracted from the studies identified. Results: Seventy-four studies met the inclusion criteria. 33% of the studies reported on the repeatability of their measurement. In terms of suitability, only 35% of protocols were deemed suitable for clinical application. The spinous processes of C7, T3, T6, T12, L1, L3 and L5 were the most widely used landmarks. The spine segment definitions were, however, found to be inconsistent among studies. Activities of daily living were the main tasks performed. Comparable results between protocols are however still missing. Conclusion: The literature to date offers various stereophotogrammetric protocols to quantify the multi-segmental motion of the thoracolumbar spine, without a standard guideline being followed. From a clinical point of view, the approaches are still limited. Further research is needed to define a precise motion analysis protocol in terms of segment definition and clinical relevance.
An analysis of microstructure and mechanical properties of ferritic stainless steel 430 during cold rolling and subsequent annealing
Authors: Sun Xiaoyu , Ma Linan , Li Jinghui , Zhang Mingya , Ma Xiaoguang
Published: July 2022

Systematic study on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of ferritic stainless steel (FSS) 430 with different annealing processes were carried out in the present work. The results show that microstructural refinement can be achieved by optimization of annealing processes, improving elongation, yield strength and tensile strength of FSS 430. An optimal annealing temperature of 950 ℃ is found with better homogeneity and enhanced mechanical properties among the cold-rolled and annealed FSSs. During annealing processes, the fraction of high angle grain boundaries of FSS 430 annealed at 950 ℃ is found to be the highest, indicating that a homogeneous microstructure with high recrystallization rate is formed inside the FSS 430 strips. In addition, high fraction of the hard grains (SF < 0.4) and low fraction of the soft grains are found inside FSS 430 annealed at 950 ℃, improving the plasticity of material. Overall, the optimization of annealing processes benefits the microstructural refinement of FSS and thereby improving the mechanical properties of materials.
Green valorization of waste date seed oil for biodiesel production
Authors: mahmoud Eman A. , Zaki Elsayed G. , Ismail Dina A. , Gaffer Amany k. , Mazrouaa Azza M.
Published: July 2022

During recent decades, focus has increased on biodiesel production from wastes or other nonedible resources. The high expense of the manufacturing process is one of the major obstacles it faces. So, continuous research for cheaper and safer resources is more important. Seed oil from various vegetables and fruit species has garnered a lot of: attention recently in the production of biodiesel, such as date palm. The date palm is. one of the most. popular fruits in the Middle East Egypt has recorded now as the highest countries production of dates. The oil of date seeds (DSO) has high concentrations of fatty acids and minerals. In biodiesel production, lipid extraction is an important step. But the advanced extraction techniques are preferred to protect human health and the environment. Therefore, the demand for innovative and environmentally friendly products is now necessary. Transesterification is the process in which oils (mostly triglycerides) bond with alcohol in the existence of a catalyst to form an alkyl ester. Synthesizing the green catalyst and utilizing it in the manufacture of biodiesel have a great added value. The high yield of biodiesel supports the catalyst suitability for the transesterification reaction. Immobilized lipase, moreover, plays a critical function in the transesterification process, that it is more effective and safer. DSO is being studied to see if its fatty acid profile or physicochemical properties suggest it could be a suitable biodiesel source.
Macular Thickness, a New Variable to Take Into Account in Intraocular Lens Calculation?
Authors: Sánchez-Liñán Noelia , Pérez-Rueda Antonio , Alaskar Hazem , CASTRO-LUNA GRACIA
Published: July 2022

Purpose
Evaluate the influence of a posterior pole variable, macular thickness, in the calculation of the intraocular lens to be implanted in cataract patients since optical biometry has been used. Therefore, the aim of this work is to determine the importance of different biometric, topographic and retinal variables in the calculation of the intraocular lens to be implanted and to propose a new biometric formula that includes these new variables.
Methods
A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was carried out using a database of 230 patients who underwent cataract surgery at the Oftalvist centre in Almeria between January 2021-December 2021. Correlations between implanted IOL power and biometric, topography and retina variables were explored. A linear model was proposed with IOL power as dependent variable. The method was forward-backward steps.
Results
The model achieves an adjusted R-squared of 0.96 indicating that the power of the implanted lens is 96% dependent on the value of the axial length, the mean of the preoperative Ks (the mean has been performed because of the excessive collinearity between the two Ks) and the preoperative macular thickness. The introduction of the preoperative macular thickness improves the R-squared of the model and is significant in the calculation of the coefficients.
Conclusions
Macular thickness is a variable to take into account as it improves our prediction model of the IOL to be implanted.
Keywords: Biometry, macular thickness, cataract surgery, intraocular lens power, calculation formula, precision, refractive accuracy.
Development of Duplex Droplet Digital PCR for Rapid Detection of Blood Stream Infections Caused by S. aureus, E. coli, S. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa
Authors: Badran Samir , Andersen Rikke Fredslund , Chen Ming , Møller Jens Kjølseth , Mogensen Christian Backer , Coia John Eugenio
Published: July 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop highly specific primer-probes pairs for the detection of species-specific genes, and establish a multiplex ddPCR assay for the detection of low copies of genomic DNA, of common bacteria causing bloodstream infections in our institution, i.e. Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aerugnosa..Methods: Pubmed and GenBank databases were used to select well-characterized candidate genes for each microorganism. The newly designed primer-probe pairs were designed using AllelID 7.85 software. The designed primer-probe pairs were tested and validated using Droplet Digital PCR QX200 by using quantitative ATCC genomic DNA from S. aureus (ATCC® 29213DQ™), S. pneumoniae (ATCC® 700669DQ™), E. coli (ATCC® 25922DQ™), and P. aeruginosa (ATCC® 27853DQ™).Results: All primer-probe pairs demonstrated an optimal annealing temperature at 56°C. The ddPCR detected 162 copies for S. aureus and 152 copies S. pneumonia in singleplex reactions as compared to 152 copies and 132 copies in duplex reactions, respectively, and 324 copies for P. aeruginosa, 30 copies for E. coli in singleplex reactions as compared to 356 copies and 34 copies, respectively, in duplex reactions. The results of the limit of detection of the ddPCR assay was as low as 1 copy/reaction for S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa and 2 copies/reaction for S. pneumonia. Conclusion: In this study, we have designed highly specific PP pairs for use in a ddPCR assay for the accurate and reliable detection and quantification of species-specific genes for four common blood culture pathogens in our institution.
First pseudovirus-based assay to measure virus-elicited neutralizing antibodies in Mexico: proof-of-concept with SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Cruz-Cardenas José Antonio , Gutierrez-Mayret Michelle Gutierrez-Mayret , López-Arredondo Alejandra , Castañeda-Delgado Julio Enrique , Rojas-Martinez Augusto , Nakamura Yukio , Enciso-Moreno José Antonio , Palomares-Aguilera Laura , Brunck Marion E. G.
Published: July 2022

The gold-standard method to evaluate a functional antiviral immune response is to titer neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against a viral pathogen. This is historically performed using an in vitro assay of virus-mediated infection, which requires BSL-3 facilities. As these are insufficient in Latin America, including Mexico, scant information is obtained locally about viral pathogens NAb, using a functional assay. An alternative solution is to use a BSL-2-safe assay with non-replicative viral particles engineered to display a selected pathogen’s entry protein on their surface, that deliver a reporter gene into target cells upon entry protein-mediated transduction. Here we comprehensively describe the first development of a BSL-2 safe NAb-measuring functional assay in Mexico, based on the production of pseudotyped lentiviral particles. As proof-of-concept, the assay is based on Nanoluc-mediated luminescence measurements from target cells transduced with SARS-CoV-2 Spike-pseudotyped lentiviral particles. We applied the optimized assay in a BSL-2 facility to measure SARS-CoV-2 Spike NAbs in 65 serum samples, which evidenced the assay with 100% sensitivity, 86.6% specificity and 96% accuracy. Overall, this is the first report of a BSL-2 safe pseudovirus-based functional assay developed in Mexico to measure NAbs, and a cornerstone methodology necessary to measure NAbs with a functional assay in limited resources settings.
Development of a Vision-Image-Based Quality Prediction Neural-Network Algorithm for an Injection Molding Machine Considering Cavity Sensor and Vibration Data
Authors: Kim Jun , Lee Ju Yeon
Published: July 2022

This research develops a neural-network-based algorithm for predicting the quality levels of injection molding products to handle quality regarding problems caused by occurrences of low-quality products. With an assumption that vibration data and temperature and pressure data of the cavities in mold generated from the injection molding machine would be different according to the products’ quality, main objective of this research is to predict the quality grade for each product utilizing the vibration data of the machine and temperature and pressure data of each cavity collected during a product is processed. Among diverse features that can represent quality of injection molding products, we especially focus on the features that could be driven from vision images of the products. We firstly explain how the infrastructure is constructed for collecting the vibration data, cavity sensor data, and vision-image data. Then, for the vibration and cavity sensor data, statistical features that stand for specific patterns of each data utilized as independent variables are derived. Quality grades of each product are also distinguished by two indicators: flection of the product’s housing and alignment of pinholes derived from the vision images of products utilizing the Canny-Edge algorithm. Finally, utilizing statistical features of the vibration and cavity sensor data as independent variables and distinguished quality grades of each product as dependent variables, a neural-network-based quality prediction algorithm is developed, and the performance of the algorithm is evaluated.
Predictive value of D-dimer in patients with unexplained recurrent implantation failure during freeze-thaw embryo transfer cycles
Authors: Li Xin , Zeng Cheng , Wu Peili , Shang Jing , Xue Qing
Published: July 2022

Background: This study aimed to evaluate whether D-dimer can predict the clinical outcomes of patients with unexplained recurrent implantation failure (URIF) during freeze-thaw embryo transfer (FET) cycles.Methods: Our study was divided into two parts. The first part was a retrospective study that included 433 patients. Plasma D-dimer levels were monitored in all patients before FET, and the patients were classified into two groups according to whether they delivered at least one live infant or not. D-dimer was compared between groups, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to analyze the impact of D-dimer on live birth. The second part was a prospective study that included 113 patients who were categorized into high and low D-dimer groups based on the ROC curve analysis from the retrospective study. Clinical outcomes were compared between these two groups.Results: In the first part, we found that plasma D-dimer levels in patients with live birth were significantly lower than those in patients without live birth. According to the ROC curve, 0.22 mg/L was the cutoff value for D-dimer in the prediction of the live birth rate (LBR) (AUC 0.806, 95% CI: 0.763, 0.848). The second part of the study confirmed that clinical pregnancy rate (50.98% vs. 32.26%, P=0.044) and LBR (41.18% vs. 22.58%, P=0.033) of patients with D-dimer ≤0.22 mg/L were all significantly higher than those of patients with D-dimer>0.22 mg/L.Conclusions: Our study indicates that D-dimer >0.22 mg/L is a useful index for predicting URIF during FET cycles.
A novel scoring model (SII-MSKCC) to better predict the clinical outcomes of primary central nervous system lymphoma
Authors: Li Shengjie , Xia Zu-guang , Cao Jiazhen , Zhang Jinsen , Chen Bobin , Chen Tong , Zhang Xin , Zhu Wei , Li Danhui , Hua Wei , Mao Ying
Published: July 2022

Currently, risk stratification and prognosis stratification of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is predominantly based on the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) model, but the prognostic value is controversial. Recently, the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been considered as an important prognostic factor in PCNSL. 174 newly diagnosed PCNSL patients treated with methotrexate-based combination immunochemotherapy were analyzed in two retrospective discovery cohorts (n=128) and one prospective validation cohort (n=46) to determine whether the SII-MSKCC model could better predict the clinical outcomes. Generalized additive model, Kaplan–Meier curve, and Cox analysis were performed. The scores of SII-MSKCC model were: 890>SII>450, score=0; SII＜450, score=1; SII>890, score=2; Age≦50, score=0; age >50 + KPS≧70, score=1; age >50 + KPS≦70, score=2. Here, we report the results of discovery cohort that SII-MSKCC model provided higher prognostic performance compared with the MSKCC model. We further validate the prognosis value of the SII-MSKCC model with an external dataset from an independent prospective cohort, which confirmed its robustness. In multivariable analysis, the SII-MSKCC model remained significantly independently associated with clinical outcomes. Thus, SII-MSKCC model could be used across centers to better predict prognosis in PCNSL.
Neopestalotiopsis australis Causing Scab Disease on Byrsonima crassifolia in Mexico.
Authors: Moreno-Velázquez Magnolia , Hernández-Pablo Sergio , QUEZADA-SALINAS ANDRES , Alvarado-Rosales Dionicio , Rodríguez-Mendoza Johan , Tovar-Pedraza Juan Manuel , Márquez-Licona Guillermo , Saavedra-Romero Luz de Lourdes
Published: July 2022

Nanche (Byrsonima crassifolia) has great economic importance in the dry and humid tropics in Mexico, where is used for the elaboration of different drinks, foods, and candies; also in the traditional medicine to treat fever and stomach disorders. Since 2021, a high incidence of disease-causing scabby fruit in young nanche fruits has been detected in Las Choapas, Veracruz, Mexico. Disease symptoms were visible on the skin of fruits which progressed as fruits matured. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to identify the causal agent of this scab disease based on morphology and molecular techniques and to determine their pathogenicity. Fifteen isolates were recovered from diseased fruits. Because the isolates presented similar morphology, two of them were selected to determine their identity and pathogenicity. On the basis of colony characteristics, conidial morphology, and phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacers, partial translation elongation factor 1-α gene, and partial β-tubulin gene sequence the isolates were identified as Neopestalotiopsis australis. Koch's postulates demonstrated the pathogenicity of N. australis on nanche. This is the first report implicating N. australis as a causal agent of Scab Disease on B. crassifolia in Mexico and in the world.
Analyzing long-term trends in groundwater levels over the contiguous United States using observational data from 1990 to 2019
Authors: Lee Sangchul , Lee Byeongwon , Lee Jiwon
Published: July 2022

Long-term trends in groundwater levels over the contiguous United States (CONUS) have been investigated for water resource management. Numerical modeling or remotely sensed data are frequently utilized as analytical tools; however, observational data on the CONUS have rarely been used. This study explored observational groundwater levels at 642 wells across the CONUS from 1990 to 2019. Wells with less than 30% of missing data over 30 years were selected, and trends in their groundwater levels were assessed using a Seasonal Mann-Kendall’s test and Sen’s slope. Trends in three climatic variables (precipitation, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature) were simultaneously analyzed. The results showed that trends and the degree of change in groundwater levels varied spatially across the CONUS and were not correlated with those of the three climatic variables. The degree of change in the groundwater levels was small for the majority of wells (> 85%), with less than the absolute value of one Sen’s slope. Wells with more than the absolute value of one Sen’s slope showed declining trends in groundwater levels, emphasizing the need for groundwater protection. This study was limited in explaining the major drivers of groundwater fluctuations across the CONUS owing to the complexity of natural and anthropogenic drivers. Thus, it was concluded that multiple tools should be concurrently used to interpret groundwater dynamics across the CONUS to secure groundwater resources.
Assessment of trophic state in Lake Malombe, Malawi, using Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument imagery
Authors: MAKWINJA `RODGERS , Inagakia Yoshihiko , Sagawa Tatsuyuki , Obubu John Peter , Habineza Elias , Haaziyu Wendy
Published: July 2022

Inland waters' eutrophication is considered a severe global ecological issue. It is associated with rapid phytoplankton and other microorganisms' production. The use of satellite remote sensing has been proposed to determine the primary productivity (PP) of inland waters through the chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) retrieval. However, applying this technique to African inland waters has not made significant progress. In this study, we developed techniques to assess inland waters' PP based on Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) imagery. The main objective was to conduct monthly trophic state assessments in Lake Malombe from March to October 2019. The field-based survey indicated a strong correlation with the Sentinel-2 MSI, suggesting the model's novelty in predicting PP. The validation results between the measured in situ Chl-a concentrations and the MSI-based Chl-a had a root mean square error and R squared of 2.88 and 0.54, indicating the capability of the NDCI in predicting PP in Lake Malombe. The scatter plot showed that almost all the points were in the 95% confidence interval, suggesting that the coefficients proposed in this paper could be used on NDCI images derived from any of the sensors to predict Lake Malombe PP accurately. The double-logistic function model was well fitted to capture the annual pattern of the variable. The derived end of the season (EOS), the start of the season (SOS), and amplitude were 98, 250, and 7.0, respectively. The EOS almost coincided with the end of a rainy season, identified from the time-series of precipitation data. The SOS did not align with the start of the rainy season; i.e., phytoplankton started to grow before precipitation, suggesting that precipitation probably did not influence phytoplankton growth. This study suggests that integrating remote sensing with in situ data can provide an understanding of ecological dynamics and offers better options for monitoring lake eutrophication.
Effect of relative humidity and absorbed water on the ethyl centralite consumption in nitrocellulose-based propellants
Authors: Teixeira Filipe Poletto , Anastacio Aline Cardoso , de Mendonça-Filho Letivan Gonçalves , Nichele Jakler
Published: July 2022

The influence of relative humidity on the degradation of a nitrocellulose-based propellant with ethyl centralite as stabilizer was investigated. For this kind of material, long term safe storage – maybe decades – is required and various relative humidity conditions can be found. The investigation of chemical integrity only based on accelerated ageing by heating is not sufficient to make secure predictions of the degradation in real conditions. The propellant was aged in different conditions of relative humidity and temperature in order to evaluate the influence of relative humidity on the stabilizer consumption and the consequent chemical integrity. The residual stabilizer was quantified by HPLC analyses. The degradation behavior at ambient temperature was predicted according to the linearized Arrhenius model. We observed a substantial difference in ethyl centralite consumption by comparing the values obtained for distinct humidity conditions. A possible explanation was proposed. Our results, allows one to propose an optimum range of relative humidity for long term storage.
Meta-transcriptome-based molecular characterization of a novel fijivirus detected in a Sogatella furcifera population from Myanmar
Authors: Wu Kuo , Chen Yongdui , Zhang Lizhen , Li Qiannan , Htwe Yin Zar Chi , Yin Yanqiong , Dong Jiahong
Published: July 2022

A novel fijivirus, tentatively named “Sogatella furcifera reovirus” (SFRV), was detected in a Sogatella furcifera population collected from Yangon in Myanmar. The SFRV genome comprises 10 dsRNA segments encoding 11 putative proteins. The 11 ORFs and their encoded proteins has 49.1%-71.0% nucleotide and 30.5%-76.3% amino acid sequence identities with reference fijiviruses. SFRV is closest to Nilaparvata lugens reovirus in the phylogenetic tree based on the RdRP. Fijivirus-specific motifs were identified in the SFRV genome. Thus, according to the described species demarcation criteria, SFRV belongs to a new virus in the genus Fijivirus, family Reoviridae.
Development and Validation of a Novel Prognostic Model for Glioma Based on Immune-Related Genes
Authors: Hu Jinpeng , Li Hao , Xu Jinkun , Chen Lian , Yang Chunjiao , Zhang Guoqing , zong Shengliang , Chen Junhua , Jing Zhitao
Published: July 2022

Background: Glioma is the most common primary tumor of the central nervous system with a poor survival rate. There has been evidence showing that the immune microenvironment influences glioma patient outcomes. Therefore, we established a novel immune-related gene prognosis model to explore the relationship between immunity and glioma prognosis.Methods: The immune scores of samples in the TCGA and CGGA databases were analyzed by ESTIMATE, and then immune-related central genes were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Seven immune-associated genes were selected to develop a risk signature based on regression with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to evaluate the model. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to analyze the molecular characteristics. Immunological profiles were analyzed by CIBERSORT and xCell. The expression levels of COL1A2 in high and low gliomas were analyzed by RT-QPCR and Western blot techniques. MTS, EDU and TRANSWELL methods were used to detect the effects of COL1A2 on glioma cell viability, proliferative capacity, and invasive ability.Results: A valuable prognostic model of immune-related genes(IRGPM) was developed. IRGPM is an independent prognostic factor. Clinical characteristics, molecular function, tumor mutation burden, and immune profiles differed significantly between high- and low-risk groups. COL1A2 expression was higher in high-grade gliomas than in low-grade gliomas and promoted proliferation and invasion of glioma cells.Conclusions: IRGPM is a good independent prognostic factor that is closely associated with glioma progression.
Electrospun P3HT/PVDF-HFP Semiconductive Nanofibers for Triboelectric Nanogenerators
Authors: Lin Meng-Fang , Chang Kang-Wei , Lee Chia-Hsien , Wu Xin-Xain , Huang Yu-Ching
Published: July 2022

This paper describes a simple electrospinning approach for fabricating poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/poly(vinylidene fluoride–co–hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) semiconductive nanofiber mat triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Measurements of the electrical properties of the P3HT/PVDF-HFP semiconductive nanofiber TENGs revealed that the output voltage could be enhanced up to 78 V with an output current of 7 μA. The output power of the device reached 0.55 mW, sufficient to power 500 red light-emitting diodes instantaneously, as well as a digital watch. The P3HT/PVDF-HFP semiconductive nanofiber TENG could be used not only as a self-powered device but also as a sensor for monitoring human action. Furthermore, it displayed good durability when subjected to 20,000 cycles of an external force test.
First report from India on identification and domestication of Morchella importuna strain ANI1
Authors: Kumar Anil , Sharma Ved P. , Kumar Satish
Published: July 2022

Morels are harvested from their natural habitats in India, putting their biodiversity at risk. Species of the genus Morchella were researched in the North-Western Himalaya, and attempts at artificial induction of ascomata (fruit body) were made. Fruit bodies belonging to the M. importuna strain ANI 1 was found in the forest area. Through tissue culture on Malt Extract Agar (MEA) media, ANI 1 was isolated into a pure culture from fresh ascomata. The hyphal tip approach was used to purify the culture. The strain was chosen to induce ascomata under laboratory and greenhouse conditions because of its ability for sclerotial formation and rapid growth on the culture medium. The procedure for preparing the substrate for Morchella mushroom growing was standardized. Wheat, gypsum, calcium carbonate, cotton seed cake, forest soil, saw dust, and coir pith were used to make spawn. Using the modified jar approach, 3 tiny ascomata of 0.5 to 1cm were developed during continuous in vitro trials on induction of ascoma (fruit bodies) of M. importuna strain ANI 1. Sclerotial-rich spawn was sown in soil beds during a greenhouse experiment. This trial began in October of 2019 and ended on the 13th of April, 2020, with a mature ascoma measuring 13cm in length under the green house. In the second and third greenhouse research trials in 2021 and 2022, 215 and 350 ascomata were successfully induced, respectively. The ascomata obtained with ladder-like pattern of pits and ridges on the surface of pileus. Based on morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analyses of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS), one new record species, M. importuna strain ANI1 (NCBI Acc. No. MW805426) which were only known in selected countries like United States, Canada China etc., is now reported for the first time from India.
An Analysis of Defect Detection on Steel Strip Surface Using Modified Yolo V5
Authors: G Deepti Raj , B Prabadevi
Published: July 2022

Defects in any type of material do lessen the strength and will diminish the service life which in-turn affects the quality. Steel surface images with broad scale variance and complicated background lessens the high quality and productiveness. In steel surface images detection, there are hitches of small target sizes and imprecise features that causes incorrect and ignored detection. Nevertheless, these problems can be avoided with the aid of inspecting the defects earlier than processing with accurate and automated object detection algorithms. YOLOv5, a fine tuned learning model is evaluated on available steel strip datasets, which solves identification and detection problems in industrial scenario. The current YOLOv5 research focus on improving accuracy on defect classification and detection speed however there’s no distinct records on algorithm execution time and size. This study focus on YOLOv5 model with induced GHOST and TRANSFORMER modules. Through the new modules, we are looking to reduce the size of the algorithm, number of parameters and number of GFLOPS. By these changes this model may be deployed easily on mobile, embedded devices for detection of small, easily confused defects.
SOX17: a highly sensitive and specific marker for ovarian and endometrial carcinomas
Authors: Zhang Xudong , Yao Jun , Niu Na , Li Xiaoran , Liu Yan , Huo Lei , Wang Huamin , Bell Diana , Sood Anil , Lawson Barrett , Ramalingam Preetha , Euscher Elizabeth , Malpica Anais , Sahin Aysegul , Ding Qingqing , Liu Jinsong
Published: July 2022

A major challenge in diagnostic pathology is to identify sensitive and specific markers for tumor origin. Although PAX8 is the most widely used marker for gynecological tumors, it is not entirely specific, which makes it difficult to determine the origin of some tumors with high confidence. Through mining The Cancer Genome Atlas mRNA expression profile data, we identified SOX17 as a potential specific marker at the mRNA level for gynecological tumors. To test SOX17 expression at the protein level, we performed immunochemical staining in a large cohort of ovarian and endometrial cancer cases (n = 402) together with a large cohort of solid tumors from other organs (n = 1269). Similar to PAX8, SOX17 was highly expressed in all subtypes of ovarian carcinoma (97.5% for SOX17 vs. 97% for PAX8 in serous, 90% vs. 90% in endometrioid, and 100% vs. 100% in clear cell and transitional cell types) except for mucinous carcinoma (0% vs 27%), and also highly expressed in endometrial endometrioid carcinoma (88% vs 84%). However, SOX17 was completely negative in thyroid carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma, whereas PAX8 expression was high (86% and 85%, respectively). In addition, SOX17 had no expression in breast carcinoma, lung carcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, colonic and gastric adenocarcinomas, salivary ductal carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cholangiocarcinoma. Our data indicate that SOX17 is not only a sensitive but also a specific marker for the origin of ovarian and endometrial carcinomas.