bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MOT: a Multi-Omics Transformer for multiclass classification tumour types predictions
Authors: Osseni Mazid Abiodoun , Tossou Prudencio , Laviolette Francois , Corbeil Jacques
Published: November 2022

Motivation: Breakthroughs in high-throughput technologies and machine learning methods have enabled the shift towards multi-omics modeling as the preferred mean to understand the mechanisms underlying biological processes, and to improve complex disease prognosis in clinical settings. However, most multi-omic studies only use transcriptomics and epigenomics due to their over-representation in databases and their early technical maturity compared to others omics. For complex phenotypes and mechanisms, not leveraging all the omics despite their varying degree of availability can lead to a failure to understand the underlying biological mechanisms.
Results: We proposed MOT (Multi-Omic Transformer), a deep learning based model using the transformer architecture, that discriminates complex phenotypes (herein cancers types) based on five omics data type regardless of their availability: transcriptomics (mRNA and miRNA), epigenomics (DNA methylation), copy number variations (CNVs), and proteomics. At its core, MOT uses a data augmentation scheme that allows it to handle missing omics views and its attention layers give a macro level of interpretability for each phenotypes. Indeed, MOT identifies the required omic type for the best prediction for each phenotype and therefore could guide clinical decision making when acquiring data to confirm a diagnostic. It achieves an accuracy score of 96.04% after 5-fold cross-validation among 33 tumour types. The newly introduced model can integrate and analyse five different omics data while handling the missing omics views and can also identify the essential omics data for the tumour multiclass classification tasks.
Availability and implementation: MOT source code is available at https://github.com/dizam92/multiomic_predictions.
CO Gas sensing properties of Pd- and Al-doped zinc oxide nanotube: A DFT study
Authors: Tohidi Somayeh , Sattarian Hossein , Tohidi Tavakkol
Published: November 2022

Surface engineering and doping of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have been two feasible techniques for improving the gas-detecting capability of these nanoparticles. However, the role of fundamental processes and factors that affect this improvement has not been fully understood. In this study, the adsorption of CO gas molecules on Pd- and Al-doped ZnO nanotubes was investigated using the first-principles calculations. The binding strength and charge transport and structural properties of these nanotubes, were studied. The CO gas molecule was strongly chemisorbed onto the Pd- and Al-doped ZnO nanotubes with a high adsorption energy of −1.36 and -1.21 eV, respectively. Finally, in order to further understand the interaction between CO gas molecule and Pd- and Al-doped ZnO nanotubes, the density of states (DOS) and the partial density of states (PDOS) of Pd- and Al-doped ZnO nanotubes before and after CO adsorption were investigated. The results provided a better atomistic insight and a more comprehensive explanation of the improvements in electrical properties and sensing capabilities of Pd- and Al-doped ZnO.
Willingness to pay (WTP) for HIV and AIDS services in Africa: A systematic review
Authors: Byabagambi John Bekiita , Limmer Mark , Hollingsworth Bruce
Published: November 2022

Background: While Africa is the continent most affected by HIV and AIDS, its response to HIV and AIDS remains largely donor supported. However, in the face of declining donor support, alternative ways to sustainably support HIV and AIDS responses in Africa are paramount. This systematic review explores the willingness to pay (WTP) for HIV services in Africa as a potentially more sustainable HIV and AIDS service cost recovery approach.
Methods: A comprehensive systematic search for literature was conducted in electronic databases and websites of HIV and AIDS organisations for studies that reported on the willingness to pay for HIV services in Africa. Preference studies that did not use the WTP approach and that were conducted outside Africa were excluded. Information on the HIV service, the methods used in the studies and factors that influence WTP were extracted. A descriptive thematic analysis was undertaken. The findings are summarised in tables and graphs.
Results: A total of 5,139 records were returned and screened for eligibility from the initial search. After screening and removal of duplicates, twenty-two articles from 10 countries with 19,611 study participants were included in the final review. There is an uneven distribution of WTP studies across different types of HIV services and across countries. There is evidence of a willingness to pay for HIV services, with the proportion of people reported in individual studies that are willing to pay, ranging from 34.3% to 97.1%. However, inthe majority of studies (71.4%, 15/21), the amount people are willing to pay cannot cover the cost of the full service in an open market. Factors associated with WTP include socioeconomic status, beliefs, and knowledge about HIV services.
Conclusion: The current systematic review presents evidence of cost recovery from HIV programs. The main finding is that other resources, beyond out-of-pocket payments, are needed to meet the full cost of any service. This has implications for the provision of (nondonor-funded) services on a sustainable level in the long term.
Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, registration number CRD42021275215
Thiols as a Marker of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis
Authors: Passos Rebeca Araujo , Costa Priscila Ribas Farias , Lima Claudia Feio da Maia , Santana George Mariane Soares , David Victor , Santos Geisa de Jesus , Zaltman Cyrla , Soares-Mota Marcia , Rocha Raquel
Published: November 2022

Background
Evidence indicates that inflammation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is associated with increased systemic levels of reactive oxygen species. Systemic oxidative stress has been associated with reduced levels of plasma thiols. Less invasive tests capable of reflecting and predicting IBD activity are increasingly sought after. In this sense, we sought to systematically review the evidence inherent in serum thiol levels as a marker of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis activity (PROSPERO: CRD42021255521).
Methods
The highest quality documents for systematic reviews and meta-analyses standards were used as reference. The highest quality documents for systematic reviews and meta-analyses standards were used as reference. Articles were searched on Medline via PubMed and via Central, VHL, LILACS, WOS, EMBASE, SCOPUS, COCHRANE, CINAHL, OVID, CTGOV, WHO/ICTRP, OPENGREY, BDTD and CAPES, between August and September/2021. Descriptors were defined according to the Medical Subject Heading.The articles were searched between August and September/2021. Of the 11 articles selected for full reading, 7 were included in the review. Of these, 4 were combinable studies and were included in the meta-analysis.
Results
The findings of the individual studies included suggest an association between disease activity and systemic oxidation, as measured by serum thiol levels, however, the pooled analysis did not identify a significant association between the parameters evaluated. The limitations identified in this meta-analysis made it impossible to weigh the results of individual studies, which, associated with potential confounding factors, may have interfered with the results of the grouped assessment.
Conclusions
We recommend conducting randomized clinical trials, with individuals of both phenotypes and in different stages of IBD, involving larger numbers of participants, using standardization of the technique for measuring serum thiols, in order to confirm whether thiols can be a good parameter of monitoring the clinical course of these intestinal diseases and the degree of clinical applicability.
Soil microbiological indicators in Coffea arabica crops under different weed management strategies
Authors: Zaidan Úrsula Ramos , Costa Maurício Dutra , Santos Ricardo Henrique Silva , de Matos Christiano da Conceição , de Freitas Francisco Cláudio Lopes
Published: November 2022

Microbiological variables can be sensitive indicators of changes in the physicochemical properties of soils resulting from disturbances caused by practices of weed management. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of weed management strategies on the soil, using microbiological indicators over four-year time measures (two in the dry and two during the rainy weather season). The experiment was carried out in a coffee plantation field (Coffea arabica), in a randomized block design with five treatments. The treatments corresponded to the cultivation of Urochloa ruziziensis and Pueraria phaseoloides managed by mowing, maintenance of spontaneous vegetation and control by mowing, control of spontaneous vegetation by application of herbicides (glyphosate or glyphosate + 2,4-D), and manual weeding using a hoe to maintain the soil without vegetation cover. Soil C – CO2 evolution, basal respiration (RR), biomass carbon (Cbio), and metabolic quotient (qCO2) were evaluated. Treatments with U. ruziziensis and P. phaseoloides presented lower qCO2 values, indicating more stable systems and closer to equilibrium. Cbio was higher in the treatment with P. phaseoloides, indicating better soil fertility and carbon input conditions. The microbiological indicators allowed us to conclude that management methods that form a cover over the soil favor the maintenance of soil quality and the sustainability of the system.
Protease in the Diet of Broiler: Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Intestinal Histomorphometric, Meat Quality Characteristics, Carcass Yield
Authors: Duque-Ramírez Carlos Felipe , Javierre Juan A. , Peñuela-Sierra Lina Maria , Diaz-Vargas Mayra
Published: November 2022

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of increasing doses of protease on broilers from 1 to 42 days of age. A total of 1290 Ross AP broilers were used, distributed among five treatments: positive control diet, negative control diet (NC), NC + 50 ppm of protease, NC + 100 ppm of protease, and NC + 200 ppm of protease. Each treatment contained six replicates of 43 animals each. The inclusion of proteases in the diet had effects (P < 0.05) on body weight, feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion in the 12 to 21 day period; body weight, weight gain, and feed intake in the 29 to 42 day period; nutrient digestibility (energy metabolizability coefficient and crude protein at 28 days); and intestinal parameters (crypt and muscle width of jejunum and ileum at 28 days and villus length, crypt length, and jejunum thickness muscle layer at 42 days). These results indicate that the inclusion of protease in broiler feed can improve production parameters when the amount of crude protein in the diet is reduced.
Chemical composition and biological potential of Pinus roxburghii oleoresin essential oils extracted by steam distillation, superheated steam, and supercritical fluid CO2 extraction
Authors: Ayub Muhammad Adnan , Choobkar Nasrin , Hanif Muhammad Asif , Abbas Mazhar , Ain Qurat Ul , Riaz Muhammad , garmakhani Amir Daraee
Published: November 2022

Pinus roxburghii is a rich source of high-quality oleoresin composed of resin acids and essential oil. The main purpose of the present study was to compare the yield, biological activities and chemical composition of Pinus roxburghii oleoresin essential oil. Steam distillation, supercritical fluid extraction, and superheated steam extraction at different temperatures (120ᵒC, 140ᵒC, and 160ᵒC) were employed to extract essential oil from Pinus roxburghii oleoresin. It was observed that extraction methods significantly affected the yield, biological activity, and chemical composition of essential oils. The maximum yield (19.92%) was found in the essential oil extracted by SHSE at 160ᵒC. Antioxidant activity was determined by total antioxidant content/ FRAP, DPPH-FRSA, hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays and percentage inhibition in linoleic acid oxidation. The essential oil extracted by SHSE at 160ᵒC showed the highest DPPH-FRSA (63.33%), linoleic acid oxidation inhibition (96.55%), hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (59.42%), and total antioxidant contents/FRAP (134.49 mg/L of gallic acid equivalent). The antimicrobial activity of EOs was determined by resazurin microtitre-plate, disc diffusion, and micro-dilution broth susceptibility assays. The antimicrobial activity results showed that superheated steam-extracted essential oil of 120ºC and 140ºC revealed the highest antifungal and antibacterial activity, respectively. GC-MS results showed that 3-carene, α-pinene, and β-pinene were the major chemical compounds present in essential oils. It is concluded that superheated steam extraction is an alternative and effective technique for extraction of oleoresins essential oil which improves the essential oil yield and biological activities.
Mechanisms of residual force depression: Effects of shortening velocity on the stiffness to force ratio during isometric force redevelopment
Authors: Jeong Siwoo , Nishikawa Kiisa
Published: November 2022

Although the phenomenon of residual force depression has been known for decades, the mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, we investigated mechanisms of residual force depression by measuring the stiffness to force ratio during force redevelopment after shortening at different velocities. The results showed that the slope of the relationship between muscle stiffness and force decreased with decreasing shortening velocity, and the y-intercept increased with decreasing shortening velocity. The differing slopes and y-intercepts indicate that the stiffness to force ratio during isometric force redevelopment depends on the active shortening velocity at a given muscle length and activation level. The greater stiffness to force ratio after active shortening can potentially be explained by weakly-bound cross bridges in the new overlap zone. However, weakly-bound cross bridges are insufficient to explain the reduced slope at the slower shortening velocity because the slower velocity should increase the proportion of weakly- to strongly-bound cross bridges, thereby increasing the slope. In addition, if actin distortion caused by active shortening recovers during the force redevelopment period, then the resulting slope should be non-linear. Alternatively, we suggest that a tunable elastic element, such as titin, could potentially explain the results.
Colorectal Surgery Travelling Fellowships: Historical Perspective and Future Direction
Authors: Badrek-Alamoudi Ahmed H.
Published: November 2022

Travelling Surgical fellowship (TSF) is a longstanding tradition encouraging out-of-programmed surgical training, fostering collegiality and collaboration amongst surgeons. This is a retrospective review that explores its historical context and examines existing and likely future trends regarding the number of fellows and their host countries. On the other hand, the creative use of online platforms in surgical education, collaboration, and training is now increasingly being offered as an alternative to traditional face-to-face activities, including live surgeries, continuous surgical education, conference attendance, and surgical mentoring. Within this context, the value of travel and physical face-to-face engagements needs to be explored and defined. This paper aims to address this need by examining the current trends of TSF and Colorectal traveling fellowships (CTF) and their future direction in addition to providing analysis of the most valued experiences within CTF programs, as well as the overall clinical and personal impacts. For colorectal traveling fellowships), additional quantitative, and qualitative analyses are provided focusing on the most valued theme-based surgical experiences, their merits, and their impacts. In Travelling surgical fellowship Trends were based on a total of 350 awarded fellowships from 2000-2019. Analysis of Colorectal traveling fellowships was based on 98 fellowships offered between 2010 and 2019. This review offers an opportunity to examine the possible long-term disruptive effect of COVID-19 by the accelerated utilization of internet-based virtual interactive education in case of absence of such traveling fellowship for Colo-rectal surgeons.
Effects of dietary resveratrol and curcumin supplements on fatty acid profiles, drumstick and breast meat quality of broiler
Authors: GÜMÜŞ RECEP , Özbilgin Abdullah , Gelen Sevda Urçar , Kara Kanber
Published: November 2022

This study was conducted in order to determine the effects of different doses of resveratrol and curcumin added into the diet of broilers on the fatty acid profile of drumstick meat, and the microbial load and physicochemical criteria in drumstick and breast meat. In the study, a total of 200 male broiler chicks at the age of 0 days were distributed into 5 groups equally. In the study; 0, 250 mg kg− 1 resveratrol, 500 mg kg− 1 resveratrol, 250 mg kg− 1 curcumin and 500 mg kg− 1 curcumin were added into the basal diet of the Control (Cont), R250, R500, C250 and C500 groups, respectively. It was found that resveratrol and curcumin significantly decreased the numbers of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB) (8th day), Lactobacillus spp. (6th day) and Lactococcus spp. (8th day) in drumstick meat (P < 0.05). In breast meat, decreases were observed in the numbers of Micrococcus/Staphylococcus (4th day) in C500 group, Enterobacteriaceae (8th day) in R500 and C500 groups, Lactococcus spp. (zeroth day) in R250, R500 and C500 groups, and the total psychrotrophic aerobic bacteria (TPAB) (2nd day) in C250 group (P < 0.05). It was determined that resveratrol and curcumin did not affect the values of lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*) and water activity (aw) in drumstick meat, decreased pH levels (8th day) (P < 0.05), and had limited and variable effects in breast meat (P < 0.05). It was determined that TBARS value in drumstick meat decreased significantly in R250, R500 and C500 groups on the zeroth day (P < 0.01). Myristic acid, myristoleic acid and γ-linolenic acid, unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) levels in drumstick meat were found to increase in R250 group (P < 0.01). As a result, it was observed that resveratrol and curcumin positively affected the meat in terms of microbial and fatty acid profile, while the physicochemical effect was limited.
Disruption of Locus Coeruleus Related Functional Networks in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Wu Tao , Sun Junyan , Ma Jing-Hong , Gao Linlin , Wang Junling , Zhang Dongling , Chen Lili , Fang Jiliang , Feng Tao
Published: November 2022

Locus coeruleus (LC) is severely affected in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). However, the alterations of LC-related resting-state networks (RSNs) in PD remain unclear. We used resting-state functional MRI to investigate the alterations of functional connectivity (FC) of LC-related RSNs and the associations between RSNs changes and clinical features in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), and PD patients with (PDRBD+) and without RBD (PDRBD−). There was a similarly disrupted FC pattern of LC-related RSNs in iRBD and PDRBD+ patients, while the LC-related RSNs were less damaged in PDRBD− patients compared with iRBD and PDRBD+ patients. The FC of LC-related RSNs correlated with cognition and duration in iRBD, with depression in PDRBD−, and with cognition and severity of RBD in PDRBD+ patients. Our findings demonstrate that LC-related RSNs are significantly disrupted in the prodromal stage of α-synucleinopathies and proposed body-first PD (PDRBD+), but are less affected in brain-first PD (PDRBD−).
P3b distinguishes Category Processing in CRS
Authors: Zhenbiao Liu
Published: November 2022

In sentence processing, few study of P3b as a component marking category processing was found in previous studies. This study offers a shred of new evidence on the distinction of category processing with a time-course experiment and an ERPs experiment of Chinese reversible sentences (CRS) processing. The results show that time course differences can first indicating category processing, the main effect of sentence type in ACC (accuracy), the main effect of word order, and the interaction effect of the two are also found in the ending part processing. The P3b results show differences in verb processing between dominant and reversed CRS, just as between reversed Chinese irreversible sentences (CIS) and reversed CRS; additionally, that the interaction effect of sentence type and word order is significant further supports the idea of P3b for category processing. This study offers the first evidence for the distinction of category processing in different sentences and a reference for the future study of CRS.
Epilepsy and patent foramen ovale: intervene or wait
Authors: Zhang Xu , Shao ChenJing , Bian ShuFang , Xiang Feng , Li DeSheng , Ao Ran , Shi XiaoBin , Yu ShengYuan , Lang SenYang , Wang XiangQing
Published: November 2022

Background: To date, no large-scale analysis has been conducted examining the association between PFO and epilepsy, especially in the Chinese population. The purpose of this study is to investigate the demographic characteristics of PFO patients, the clinical characteristics of PFO in patients with epilepsy, and the effect of PFO embolization in seizure attack.
Methods: Consecutive patients who are diagnosed as PFO, are recruited for this study. All patients had performed the brain MRI examination, transesophageal echocardiograpy (TEE), EEG, ECG, transthoracic echocardiogram with bubble contrast (TTE). Epilepsy patients has a definite diagnosis of epilepsy determined by at least two epileptologists.
Results: One hundred and ten patients finished the entire estimation. The patients went to see the doctor with different chief complaints, which included seizure, headache, dizziness, cerebral infarction or TIA, chest pain or palpitation and conventional examination. The proportion of chief complaints of chest tightness or palpitation is higher in the group less than 18 years old, and the proportion of headache and seizure are higher in the group older than 18 years old (p<0.05). The age of admission in the epileptic group (27.00±13.58) is significantly lower than the non-epileptic group (37.64±20.56), and also lower than the patients with headache as the chief complaint (38.73±12.09) (p<0.05). Comparison of general condition and therapeutic effect between PFO occlusion group and non-PFO closure group, there is no significant difference in sex, age, seizure type, number of AEDs and seizure frequency before and after PFO closure.
Conclusion: No difference between PFO closure or not. Due to the small number of cases, it is necessary to further expand the sample size to obtain accurate results.
Basic Study of Sensorless Path Tracking Control Based on the Musculoskeletal Potential Method
Authors: KINJO Yoshihiro , MATSUTANI Yuki , TAHARA Kenji , Kino Hitoshi
Published: November 2022

In a musculoskeletal system, the musculoskeletal potential method utilizes the potential property generated by the internal force between muscles; posture control can be achieved by the step input of muscular tension balancing at the desired posture. The remarkable aspect of this method is that neither sensory feedback nor complicated real-time calculation is required at all. However, previous studies addressed only point-to-point control as motion control. In other words, with the focus on the convergence to the desired posture, path tracking has not been discussed. Extending the previous studies, this paper proposes a path tracking control based on a sensorless feedforward approach. The proposed method first finds the optimal set of muscular forces that can form the potential field to the desired potential shape realizing the desired path; next, inputting the obtained muscular forces into the system achieves path tracking. For verification, this paper demonstrates a case study of a musculoskeletal system with two joints and six muscles. In this case study, a constrained nonlinear programming method is used to find the optimal muscular force, and the path trackability is verified by numerical simulation.
Investigation of the effects of climate change on hydrological drought and pattern detection for severe climatic conditions using CCT and SWAT models in the semi-arid region - Case study: Karkheh river basin
Authors: Mokhtari Fahimeh , Honarbakhsh Afshin , Soltani Saeed
Published: November 2022

Drought causes an imbalance in the hydrological condition of the area. Climate change is exacerbating this situation. In this study, the hydrological drought under the influence of climate change in Karkheh river basin was investigated using the SRI index. For this purpose, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model was calibrated (1990 to 2009) and validated (2010 to 2018) using data from 17 meteorological stations and 11 hydrometric stations. Then, based on the runoff simulated by the model, the index in all sub-basins for the base period (1990 to 2018) is calculated. By introducing the microscale results of 5 climate models in the Climate Change Toolkit program under RCP 2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios to the SWAT model, the SRI index was simulated for the near future (2043 to 2071) and the distant future (2072 to 2100); and its intensity, duration and frequency were compared with the baseline period. The results show that hydrological drought will decrease in the near future for both scenarios; while in the distant future this result will be reversed. The CCT model includes the Critical Consecutive Day Analyzer (CCDA), whose application in the region showed that at least once a wet period similar to the 2018 flood conditions will be observed for the near future.There will also be at least one similar drought in 2014 for the distant future in the region. However, in previous climate studies, future events have not been calculated based on identifying the pattern of those events in the past.
Transcriptome analysis of Citrus limon infected with Citrus yellow vein clearing virus
Authors: Bin Yu , Zhang Qi , Su Yue , Wang Chunqing , Jiang Qiqi , Song Zhen , Zhou Changyong
Published: November 2022

Background
Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) is the causative agent of citrus yellow vein clearing disease, and poses a serious threat to the lemon industry in Asia. The common symptoms of CYVCV-infected lemon plants are leaf crinkling, leaf chlorotic mottling, and yellow vein clearing. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying CYVCV-citrus interaction that responsible for symptom occurrence is still unclarified. In this study, RNA-seq was performed to analyze the gene expression patterns of ‘Eureka’ lemon (Citrus limon Burm. f.) plants in response to CYVCV infection.
Results
There were 3691 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified by comparison between mock and CYVCV-infected lemon plants through RNA-seq. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that these DEGs were components of different pathways involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, brassinosteroid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis and photosynthesis. Among these, the DEGs related to phytohormone metabolism and photosynthesis pathways were further enriched and analyzed. This study showed that different phytohormone-related genes had different responses toward CYVCV infection, however almost all of the photosynthesis-related DEGs were down-regulated in the CYVCV-infected lemon plants. The obtained RNA-seq data were validated by RT-qPCR using 12 randomly chosen genes, and the results of mRNA expression analysis were consistent with those of RNA-seq.
Conclusions
The phytohormone biosynthesis, signaling and photosynthesis-related genes of lemon plants were probably involved in systemic infection and symptom occurrence of CYVCV. Notably, CYVCV infection had regulatory effects on the biosynthesis and signaling of phytohormone, which likely improve systemic infection of CYVCV. Additionally, CYVCV infection could cause structural changes in chloroplast and inhibition of photosynthesis pathway, which probably contribute to the appearance of leaf chlorotic mottling and yellow vein clearing in CYVCV-infected lemon plants. This study illustrates the dynamic nature of the citrus-CYVCV interaction at the transcriptome level and provides new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of CYVCV in lemon plants.
Medication errors in relation to direct-acting oral anticoagulants: a qualitative study of pharmacists’ views and experiences
Authors: Alrowily Abdulrhman , Aloudah Nouf , Jalal Zahraa , Abutaleb Mohammed , Baraka Mohamed , Paudyal Vibhu
Published: November 2022

Background
Despite their effectiveness and ease of use, medication errors have been reported to be highly prevalent with directly-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs).
Aim
The aim of this study was to explore views and experiences of pharmacists around medication errors and contributory factors in relation to DOACs.
Method
This study used a qualitative design and employed in-depth semi-structured interviews with pharmacists from Saudi Arabia recruited in hospital settings. Interview schedule was developed based on previous literature and Reason’s Accident Causation Model theory. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020 was used to thematically evaluate the interviews (VERBI Software).
Results
Twenty-three participants representing a range of experiences participated. The analysis recognised three major themes: a) Enablers and barriers faced by pharmacists in promoting safe utilisation of DOACs such as opportunities to conduct risk assessments and offer patient counselling b) factors related to other healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients such as opportunities for effective collaborations and patient health literacy; and c) effective strategies to promote DOACs safety such as patient education, opportunities for risk assessments, multidisciplinary working and enforcement of clinical guidelines and enhanced roles of pharmacists.
Conclusion
Enhanced education of pharmacists and patients on medication safety, enforcement of clinical guidelines, timely risk assessments and multidisciplinary team working were some of the strategies that pharmacists identified as opportunities to reduce medication errors and promote DOAC safety. Future research should utilize multifaceted interventions to reduce error prevalence.
Highly host-linked viromes in the built environment possess habitat-dependent diversity and functions for potential virus-host coevolution
Authors: DU Shicong , TONG Xinzhao , Mason Christopher , Lee Patrick
Published: November 2022

Viruses in built environments (BEs) raise public health concerns, yet they are generally less studied than bacteria. To better understand viral dynamics in BEs, this study assessed viromes from 11 habitats across four types of BEs with low to high occupancy. The diversity, composition, metabolic functions, and lifestyles of the viromes were found to be habitat dependent. Caudovirales species were ubiquitous on surface habitats in the BEs, and some of them were distinct from those present in other environments. Antimicrobial resistance genes were identified in viruses inhabiting surfaces frequently touched by occupants and in viruses inhabiting occupants’ skin. Diverse CRISPR-Cas immunity systems and anti-CRISPR proteins were found in bacterial hosts and viruses, respectively, consistent with the strongly coupled virus–host links. Evidence of viruses potentially aiding host adaptation in a specific-habitat manner was identified through a unique gene insertion. This work illustrates that virus–host interactions occur frequently in BEs and that viruses are integral members of BE microbiomes.
Molecular imaging of isolated peptidoglycan sacculi identifies the mechanism of action of cell wall-inhibiting antibiotics
Authors: Elsbroek Leonardo , Amiteye Daniel , Schreiber Sebastian , Herrmann Fabian
Published: November 2022

Antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria needs to be urgently addressed by the development of new antibacterial entities. Although the prokaryotic cell wall comprises a valuable target for this purpose, development of novel cell wall-active antibiotics is mostly missing today. This is mainly caused by hinderances in the assessment of isolated enzymes of the co-dependent murein synthesis machineries, e.g. the elongasome and divisome. We therefore present imaging methodologies to evaluate inhibitors of bacterial cell wall synthesis by high-resolution atomic force microscopy on isolated Escherichia coli murein sacculi. With the ability to elucidate the peptidoglycan ultrastructure of E. coli individuals, unprecedented molecular insights into the mechanisms of antibiotics were established. The nanoscopic impairments introduced by ampicillin, amoxicillin and fosfomycin were not only identified by AFM but readily correlated to their known mechanism of action. These valuable in vitro capabilities will facilitate the identification and evaluation of new antibiotic leads in the future.
Influence of post-weld heat treatment on the microstructure and hardness of dissimilar buttered and welded joints with nickel alloys
Authors: Silva Roneles de Santana , Orozco Mario César Sánchez , Fals Hipolito Domingo Carvajal , Silva José Hilton Ferreira da
Published: November 2022

Dissimilar joints are often used by the oil and gas industry to join components such as forged flanges and piping used in subsea operations. The technique consists of buttering the forged flange before the closure weld is made. After the buttering runs, the forged flange is subjected to a post weld heat treatment (PWHT). However, the true effectiveness of PWHT has been questioned after failures began to occur in the fusion zone of the forging piece and nickel alloy. The present work aims to investigate the influence of PWHT on the mechanical and microstructural behavior of the buttered dissimilar interface of AISI 4130 steel with nickel alloys. GMAW-P and GMAW-C welding processes with AWS ERNiCrMo-3 (Inconel 625) and AWS ERNiCrMo-15 (Inconel 725) filler metals and the application of PWHT were used. The microstructure at the interface of the buttered fusion line were characterized by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microhardness analyses were performed at the interface of the buttered weld. The results showed that the welding procedure is critical for controlling the partially diluted zones (PDZs) at the buttered weld interface. It was also found that regardless of the welding procedure, PWHT made the interface more brittle.
Evaluation of Aerosols in a Simulated Orthodontic Debonding Procedure
Authors: Pratt Alessandra , Eckermann Nile , Venugopalan Shankar Rengasamy , Uribe Lina Moreno , Barlow Lauren , Nonnenmann Matthew
Published: November 2022

Dental practitioners may be at risk for exposure to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 when performing aerosol generating procedures. Though recent evidence suggests that coronavirus may be transmitted through aerosol generating procedures, it is unknown whether common procedures performed in dental clinics generate aerosol. The aim of this study was to simultaneously quantify airborne concentrations of the bacteriophage MS2 near the oral cavity of a dental mannequin and behind personal protective equipment (i.e., face shield) of the practitioner during a simulated orthodontic debanding procedure. A deband was performed 10 times on a dental mannequin. Optical Particle Counters and SKC Biosamplers were used to measure particle concentration and to collect virus aerosol generated during the procedure, both near the oral cavity and behind the orthodontists face shield. A plaque assay was used to determine the viable virus airborne concentration. When comparing the two measuring locations, near the oral cavity and behind the clinician’s face shield, there was no statistically significant difference of virus concentrations or particle size distribution. This study suggests that debanding under these conditions generates live virus aerosol and a face shield does not provide increased protection from virus aerosol during the procedure.
Dynamic Spatial Monitoring for Urbanization Area Sprawl and Land-Use Using Multi-Spectral and Temporal Remotely Sensed Satellite Images
Authors: Dibs Hayder , Ali Alaa Hussein , Al-Ansari Nadhir
Published: November 2022

Spatio-temporal analysis for Urban Growth patterns is vital for city management and planning. Nowadays, AL-Hilla city is challenged lack of reliable urban datasets for urban sprawl management and planning. It suffered from a massive fragmentation of agricultural lands and orchards after 2003 and their transformation and conversion into residential lands, and that’s leads to a decrease in the plantation and vegetation lands, which affects the climate, increase temperatures, winds, and dust storms in the two past decades, especially in the summer and drought seasons. This study focuses on assessing, monitoring, and estimating the urbanization growth and detection of the changes in Land-Cover using different temporal, spectral, and spatial different satellite images. A supervised image classification technique, the Mahalanobis Distance (MD) was adopted. Three different maps of Land-Use/Land-Cover were generated for the period of 2002, 2011, and 2022, and were employed to assess and analyze the vegetation land degradation and urban sprawl quantitatively, and visually. A confusion Matrix was adopted to perform the accuracy assessment. A statistical comparison was conducted to calculate the changes between the land categories. It is found, over the past 20 years, urbanization increased rapidly in AL-Hilla city by 20.31km2, from 33.40 km2 in 2002 to about 73.97 km2 in 2022. An average annual increasing rate during the period from 2002 to 2011 was recorded at about 6.7%. However, urban area sprawl was higher for the next decade during the period from 2011 to 2022, with the increased rate of average annual recorded at about 3.8%. Urban area growth of AL-Hilla city increased three times from 2002 to 2022 and that is about 27.98% of the total area of AL-Hilla city. In general, this urban growth leads to the Urbanization sprawl, and expansion into other Lands classes; Water area, Soil area, and Vegetation area.
Clinical comparative study of single-use and reusable digital flexible ureteroscopy for the treatment of lower pole stones:a retrospective case-controlled study
Authors: Qiang Jing , Fan Liu , Xin Wang , Xiaobin Yuan , Xuhui Zhang , Xiaoming Cao
Published: November 2022

Objectives:To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of single-use and reusable digital flexible ureteroscopy for the treatment of lower pole stones.
Methods:We enrolled 135 patients underwent reusable flexible ureteroscopy (FURS) and 78 patients underwent single-use digital FURS. Demographic,clinical variables,anatomical parameters of the lower calyx and perioperative indicators were compared in the two groups.
Results: 36 patients in the infundibuloureter angle (IPA) ＜45° subgroup had a mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL), including 25 patients in the reusable FURS group and 11 patients in the single-use FURS group.The demographic and clinical variables in the two FURS groups were comparable.There was no statistical difference in the success rate of stone searching(P>0.05). In terms of the success rate of lithotripsy,there was also no statistical difference in the IPA ≥45°subgroup(P>0.05),whereas single-use FURS was superior in the IPA<45°subgroup(χ2=6.513,P=0.011).The length of the working fiber in the reusable FURS and single-use FURS groups was 3.20±0.68 mm and 1.75±0.47 mm, respectively(t=18.297, P<0.05).The use of a stone basket in the reusable FURS (31/135,23.0%) was significantly higher than that in the single-use FURS(8/78,10.3%) (χ2=5.336, P=0.021).Compared with the reusable FURS group, the single-use FURS group had shorter operation times(P<0.05) and higher stone-free rate(SFR) (χ2=4.230, P=0.040).There was no statistical difference in the intraoperative transfer of mini-PCNL and postoperative complications between the two groups(P>0.05).
Conclusions:Single-use and reusable FURS are alternative methods for removal of lower pole stones (i.e., 2 cm or less). Single-use FURS has a high success rate of lithotripsy,shorter operation time,and high stone-free rate.
Effects of Nanometer Particle Size on the Properties of Activated Carbon from Terminalia Catappa Fruits Waste
Authors: Purhanudin Noorain , Idris Fadzidah Mohd , Pallan Nur Fadilah Baharuddin
Published: November 2022

Activated carbon (AC) derived from agricultural by-products,
such as Terminalia catappa (TC) fruit waste has been
demonstrated as a potential AC material in reducing the production
cost in the industry. It also retains the benefits of agricultural
by-products, such as being abundant and renewable, environmentally
safe, and structurally porous. Several studies have been conducted
on the materials’ properties of the prepared ACs from TC fruits at
various particle sizes. The top-down approach of high energy ball
milling (HEBM) is a simple technique used in reducing the particle
size of TC to the nanoscale. Moreover, the ACs have been
successfully synthesized by pre-carbonization methods, as well as
chemical and physical activations. The pre-carbonization process
was performed at 400 oC for 4 hours. The chemical
activation was conducted using the KOH impregnation ratio as an
activating agent, and a further physical process to activate the
carbon was performed in a horizontal tube furnace at 750
oC for two hours with N2 gas flow. The
properties and characteristics of Terminalia catappa
fruits as ACs were obtained by calculating the percentage yield of
ACs and analysis of the surface morphology and elemental
composition, particle size, phase analysis, structural analysis,
and surface area by using FESEM-EDX, TEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy,
and BET respectively. The percentage yield of ACs was increased
with reduced particle size from TC powder, which was in the range
of 30–71%. The surface morphology of the prepared ACs reflected the
porous structure and the most abundant elements found in the ACs
were C, O, and K. The average particle size of all crushed samples
obtained was less than 100 nm. The XRD result confirmed the
formation of crystalline structures of the graphitic carbon. The
results of surface area analysis indicate that the pore size of the
activated carbon is mostly in the range of mesopore, whereas the
structural analysis depicts that the ratio of
ID/IG of AC is nearly the same in between 0.8
to 0.92 and is slightly lower than TC. Thus, the development of
agricultural waste-derived mesoporous activated carbon materials is
potentially useful for various applications.
Synergetic Water Demand and Sustainable Supply Strategies in GCC Countries: Data-Driven Recommendations
Authors: Khoury Ibrahim Al , Ghanimeh Sophia , Jawad Dima , Atieh Maya
Published: November 2022

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, characterized with poor water resources and high oil/gas income, rely heavily on seawater desalination and non-renewable groundwater abstraction. The need to shift to demand-side solutions and sustainable supply alternatives has been long advocated; yet this study is the first to “quantify” its impact on the water management system of Qatar – considered a study case of GCC countries. In this research, a scenario-based approach was utilized to predict the impact of water demand control and wastewater reuse (and the resulting synergies) on desalinated water consumption, groundwater resources and wastewater infrastructure. To this effect, country-specific models for Qatar were developed to forecast yearly household water demand, wastewater generation and residential construction growth, up to year 2050. The outcomes showed that tariff reforms and regulated greywater reuse would reduce the household demand for desalinated water by up to 27% and 7%, respectively. Also, intensive reuse of Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) would reduce 40–80% of total groundwater abstraction for irrigation. Finally, adopting an integrated water strategy, with combined demand and supply management targets, creates synergies that would: (1) limit the exploitation of groundwater resources to a range close to their safe yield; and (2) delay the need for expansion of the water and wastewater infrastructure by more than a decade. Data-driven recommendations were provided accordingly.
Psychological distress and its associated factors among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Hunan, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wang Chunyu , Yan Jin , Ma Chenjuan
Published: November 2022

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience a high risk for psychological distress. Understanding what factors contributing to this risk is vital for developing effective interventions to address COPD-related psychological distress.
Objectives: To examine psychological distress and its associated factors in COPD patients in China.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Using cluster random sampling, 351 COPD patients participated in and completed a questionnaire survey from June 2021 to January 2022. Instruments used in this research included a self-designed social-demographic questionnaire, the Kessler Psychological distress scale (K10), the COPD Knowledge Question (COPD-Q), the Type D Personality Scale (DS-14), the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), and modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Score (mMRC). Multivariate regressions were used in the final analysis.
Results: Among 351 COPD patients, 307 (or 87.5%) had psychological distress. Our binary analysis indicated that psychological distress scores significantly associated with monthly household income (F=2.861, P<0.05), exercise frequency (F=4.039, P<0.01), type D personality (t=5.843, P<0.01), years with COPD (rs=0.156, P＜0.01), frequency of acute exacerbation (rs=0.114, P＜0.05), mMRC score (rs=0.301, P<0.01), and CAT score (rs=0.415, P<0.01). Our final multivariate generalized linear model showed that exercise frequency was an independent protective factor of psychological distress in COPD patients, while type D personality, mMRC score and CAT score were independent risk factors. No relationship was observed between psychological distress and knowledge of COPD.
Conclusions: Psychological distress is commonly presented among COPD patients in China. Findings from this study suggest promoting and increasing frequency of exercise will be beneficial in reducing psychological distress among COPD patients. This study also highlights the importance of assessing personality type, dyspnea, and impact of COPD on daily living for preventing and managing psychological distress due to COPD.
Application of Piezoelectric Technology in Nondestructive Testing of Wooden Pallets for Falling Damage Prediction
Authors: Zhou Xinyu , Ai Mengyao , Gao Shan , Gao Ge , Du Xinyu
Published: November 2022

The wooden pallet can easily suffer fractures during storage and transportation, shortening its service life. This study aimed to develop a nondestructive testing method based on the piezoelectric effect for damage detection of wooden pallets by a simulated drop test of the pallet. It was found that piezoelectric signal peak for wooden pallets decreases with increasing number of falls. Signal rebounded post-damage and the rebounding amplitude depended on the damage degree. Both temperature and moisture content have significant effects on the detection results of falling damage. The degree of falling damage of the wooden pallet can be detected through piezoelectric measurement, and the maximum life of the wooden pallet can be predicted using the handling activity of logistics. The structure of wooden pallets under normal temperature and air-dry conditions was relatively stable, whereas lowering the temperature or enhancing the moisture content could accelerate the damage to wooden pallets in use.