bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High thermal stability of ultra-low insertion loss type II cladding fiber Bragg grating based on femtosecond laser point-by-point technology
Authors: Su Dan , Qiao Xueguang
Published: February 2022

The insertion loss (IL) of the type II fiber Bragg grating (FBG) induced by the femtosecond laser limits its multiplexing performance. Femtosecond laser point-by-point (PbP) technology is used to directly write type II fiber gratings in the cladding of single-mode fibers that avoids short-wave loss and features a temperature resistance of up to 1100 °C. The cladding FBG is integrated in series along the fiber axis, and the IL of the eight cladding FBGs is less than 0.06 dB. Cladding FBGs with ultra-low IL has potential applications in the fields of optical fiber sensors and communications.
Low-complexity absolute-term based nonlinear equalizer with weight sharing for C-band 85-GBaud OOK transmission over a 100-km SSMF
Authors: Wu Xiong , Zhang Junwei , Lau Alan Pak Tao , Lu Chao
Published: February 2022

A low-complexity absolute-term based nonlinear feed-forward equalizer (FFE) combined with a decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) with weight sharing (AT-NLE-WS) is proposed and experimentally performed in a C-band 85-GBaud on-off keying (OOK) transmission system over a 100-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF). By applying the k-means clustering algorithm to reduce weight redundancy, the required number of real-valued multiplications per symbol (RNRM) of the proposed AT-NLE-WS is only 14 for a bit error ratio (BER) under a KP4-forward error correction (FEC) threshold of 2.4 × 10−4. Compared with FFE-DFE, polynomial based nonlinear FFE-DFE (P-NLE), and AT-NLE, the proposed AT-NLE-WS saves >93% real-valued multiplications under the KP4-FEC threshold. In addition, compared with FFE-DFE, the proposed AT-NLE-WS can simultaneously achieve an approximately 2-dB improvement of receiver sensitivity and reduce the complexity by >80%. All experimental results show that AT-NLE-WS is a very attractive approach for practical implementation of low-cost optical interconnections with a data rate beyond 50 Gb/s and transmission distance up to 100 km.
High-power, low-noise Brillouin laser on a silicon chip
Authors: Qin Yingchun , Ding Shulin , Zhang Menghua , Wang Yunan , Shi Qi , Li Zhixuan , Wen Jianming , Xiao Min , Jiang Xiaoshun
Published: February 2022

We realize a chip-based Brillouin microlaser with remarkable features of high power and low noise using a microtoroid resonator. Our Brillouin microlaser is able to output a power of up to 126 mW with a fundamental linewidth down to 245 mHz. Additionally, in the course of Brillouin lasing we observe an intriguing power saturation-like effect, which can be attributed to complex thermo-optic-effect-induced mode mismatch between the pump and Brillouin modes. To have a quantitative understanding of this phenomenon, we develop a model by simultaneously considering Brillouin lasing and the thermo-optic effect occurring in the microcavity. Of importance, our theoretical results match well with experimentally measured data.
Objective quantification of nerves in immunohistochemistry specimens of thyroid cancer utilising deep learning
Authors: Astono Indriani P. , Welsh James S. , Rowe Christopher W. , Jobling Phillip
Published: February 2022

Accurate quantification of nerves in cancer specimens is important to understand cancer behaviour. Typically, nerves are manually detected and counted in digitised images of thin tissue sections from excised tumours using immunohistochemistry. However the images are of a large size with nerves having substantial variation in morphology that renders accurate and objective quantification difficult using existing manual and automated counting techniques. Manual counting is precise, but time-consuming, susceptible to inconsistency and has a high rate of false negatives. Existing automated techniques using digitised tissue sections and colour filters are sensitive, however, have a high rate of false positives. In this paper we develop a new automated nerve detection approach, based on a deep learning model with an augmented classification structure. This approach involves pre-processing to extract the image patches for the deep learning model, followed by pixel-level nerve detection utilising the proposed deep learning model. Outcomes assessed were a) sensitivity of the model in detecting manually identified nerves (expert annotations), and b) the precision of additional model-detected nerves. The proposed deep learning model based approach results in a sensitivity of 89% and a precision of 75%. The code and pre-trained model are publicly available at https://github.com/IA92/Automated_Nerves_Quantification.
In heart failure reactivation of RNA-binding proteins is associated with the expression of 1,523 fetal-specific isoforms
Authors: D’Antonio Matteo , Nguyen Jennifer P. , Arthur Timothy D. , Matsui Hiroko , Donovan Margaret K. R. , D’Antonio-Chronowska Agnieszka , Frazer Kelly A.
Published: February 2022

Reactivation of fetal-specific genes and isoforms occurs during heart failure. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and the extent to which the fetal program switch occurs remains unclear. Limitations hindering transcriptome-wide analyses of alternative splicing differences (i.e. isoform switching) in cardiovascular system (CVS) tissues between fetal, healthy adult and heart failure have included both cellular heterogeneity across bulk RNA-seq samples and limited availability of fetal tissue for research. To overcome these limitations, we have deconvoluted the cellular compositions of 996 RNA-seq samples representing heart failure, healthy adult (heart and arteria), and fetal-like (iPSC-derived cardiovascular progenitor cells) CVS tissues. Comparison of the expression profiles revealed that reactivation of fetal-specific RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), and the accompanied re-expression of 1,523 fetal-specific isoforms, contribute to the transcriptome differences between heart failure and healthy adult heart. Of note, isoforms for 20 different RBPs were among those that reverted in heart failure to the fetal-like expression pattern. We determined that, compared with adult-specific isoforms, fetal-specific isoforms encode proteins that tend to have more functions, are more likely to harbor RBP binding sites, have canonical sequences at their splice sites, and contain typical upstream polypyrimidine tracts. Our study suggests that compared with healthy adult, fetal cardiac tissue requires stricter transcriptional regulation, and that during heart failure reversion to this stricter transcriptional regulation occurs. Furthermore, we provide a resource of cardiac developmental stage-specific and heart failure-associated genes and isoforms, which are largely unexplored and can be exploited to investigate novel therapeutics for heart failure.
Partnership-defined quality approach to companionship during labour and birth in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea: A mixed-methods study
Authors: Wilson Alyce N. , Melepia Pele , Suruka Rose , Hezeri Priscah , Kabiu Dukduk , Babona Delly , Wapi Pinip , Bohren Meghan A. , Vogel Joshua P. , Kelly-Hanku Angela , Morgan Alison , Beeson James G. , Morgan Christopher , Spotswood Naomi , Scoullar Michelle J. L. , Vallely Lisa M. , Homer Caroline S. E.
Published: February 2022

Companionship during labour and birth is a critical component of quality maternal and newborn care, resulting in improved care experiences and better birth outcomes. Little is known about the preferences and experiences of companionship in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and how it can be implemented in a culturally appropriate way. The aim of this study was to describe perspectives and experiences of women, their partners and health providers regarding labour and birth companionship, identify enablers and barriers and develop a framework for implementing this intervention in PNG health facilities. A mixed methods study was conducted with five facilities in East New Britain, PNG. Data included 5 facility audits, 30 labour observations and 29 in-depth interviews with women who had recently given birth, partners and maternity care providers. A conceptual framework was developed drawing on existing quality care implementation frameworks. Women and partners wanted companions to be present, whilst health providers had mixed views. Participants described benefits of companionship including encouragement and physical support for women, better communication and advocacy, improved labour outcomes and assistance with workforce issues. Adequate privacy and space constraints were highlighted as key barriers to address. Of the women observed, only 30% of women had a companion present during labour, and 10% had a companion at birth. A conceptual framework was used to highlight the interconnected inputs required at community, facility and provincial health system levels to improve the quality of care. Key elements to address included attitudes towards companionship, the need for education and training and restrictive hospital policies. Supporting women to have their companion of choice present during labour and birth is critical to improving women’s experiences of care and improving the quality of maternal and newborn care. In order to provide companionship during labour and birth in PNG, a complex, intersecting, multi-faceted approach is required.
Population-based assessment of factors influencing antibiotic prescribing for adults with dengue infection in Taiwan
Authors: Lien Chia-En , Chou Yiing-Jenq , Shen Yi-Jung , Tsai Theodore , Huang Nicole
Published: February 2022

Background

Antibiotic treatment for dengue is likely considerable and potentially avoidable but has not been well characterized. This study aimed to assess antibiotic prescribing for confirmed dengue cases in outpatient and inpatient settings and to identify associated patient, physician and contextual factors.

Methods

57,301 adult dengue cases reported in Taiwan between 2008–2015 were analyzed. We assessed both outpatient and inpatient claims data of dengue patients from a week before to a week after their dengue infections were confirmed under Taiwan’s National Health Insurance program. A multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations was used to estimate the probability of antibiotic prescribing in dengue patients.

Results

Overall, 24.6% of dengue patients were prescribed an antibiotic during the 14 day-assessment period. Antibiotics were prescribed in 6.1% and 30.1% of outpatient visits and inpatient admissions, respectively. Antibiotic prescriptions were reduced by ~50% in epidemic years. Among inpatients, advanced age, females, and major comorbidities were risk factors for receipt of an antibiotic; antibiotics were used in 26.0% of inpatients after dengue was diagnosed. Significant differences in antibiotic prescribing practices were observed among physicians in outpatient settings but not in inpatient settings.

Conclusions

In addition to patient and physician demographic characteristics, contextual factors such as care setting and during epidemics significantly influenced prescription of antibiotics. Characterization of prescribing patterns should help direct programs to curb antibiotic prescribing.
Registered report: How open do you want your science? An international investigation into knowledge and attitudes of psychology students
Authors: Jarke Hannes , Jakob Lea , Bojanić Lana , Garcia-Garzon Eduardo , Mareva Silvana , Mutak Augustin , Gjorgjiovska Jovana
Published: February 2022

The use of Open Science practices is often proposed as a way to improve research practice, especially in psychology. Open Science can increase transparency and therefore reduce questionable research practices, making research more accessible to students, scholars, policy makers, and the public. However, little is known about how widespread Open Science practices are taught and how students are educated about these practices. In addition, it remains unknown how informing students about Open Science actually impacts their understanding and adoption of such practices. This registered report proposes the validation of a questionnaire. The aim is to survey how much psychology students know about Open Science and to assess whether knowledge of and exposure to Open Science in general—be it through university curricula or social media—influences attitudes towards the concept and intentions to implement relevant practices.
Bifascicular block in unexplained syncope is underrecognized and under-evaluated: A single-center audit of ESC guidelines adherence
Authors: Shabbir Muhammad Asim , Saad Shaukat Muhammad Hamza , Ehtesham Moiz , Murawski Shannon , Singh Sukhraj , Alimohammad Rizwan
Published: February 2022

Background

The presence of bifascicular block on electrocardiography suggests that otherwise-unexplained syncope may be due to complete heart block. European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommends investigating it with electrophysiology study (EPS). PPM is indicated if high-degree atrioventricular block is inducible. Long term rhythm monitoring with implantable loop recorder (ILR) is recommended if EPS is negative. We evaluated adherence to these guidelines.

Methods

This is a single-center retrospective audit of adult patients with bifascicular block hospitalized for unexplained syncope between January 2018 and August 2019 under general medicine service. Patients with an alternative explanation for syncope were excluded. Guideline adherence was assessed by formal cardiology consult and whether EPS followed by ILR and/or PPM were offered.

Results

65 out of 580 adult patients (11.2%) admitted to general medicine service for syncope had a bifascicular block; 29 (5%) were identified to have bifascicular block and unexplained syncope. Median age was 77 ±10 years; 9 (31%) were female, and 6 (20.7%) patients had at least one prior hospital visit for syncope at our academic medical center. Cardiology was consulted on 17 (58.6%) patients. Two patients were evaluated by EPS (1 refused) followed by ILR. Overall, 3 out of 29 patients (10.3%) received guideline-directed evaluation during the hospitalization based on ESC guidelines. None of the patients received empiric PPM during the index hospitalization.

Conclusion

Among patients admitted to the general medicine service with unexplained syncope and bifascicular block, a minority (10.3%) underwent guideline-directed evaluation per ESC recommendations. Cardiology was consulted in 58.6% of cases.
Expression of epigenetic pathway related genes in association with PD-L1, ER/PgR and MLH1 in endometrial carcinoma
Authors: Saglam Ozlen , Cao Biwei , Wang Xuefeng , Toruner Gokce A. , Conejo-Garcia Jose R.
Published: February 2022

The distribution of Endometrial Cancer (EC)-related deaths is uneven among the morphologic subtypes of EC. Serous Cancer (SC) makes 10% of all EC and accounts for 40% of EC-related deaths. We investigated expression of selected genes involved in epigenetic pathways by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 106 EC patients and analyzed mRNA-based expression levels for the same set of genes in EC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. A tissue microarray was constructed using low-grade (n = 30) and high-grade (n = 28) endometrioid, serous (n = 31) and clear cell carcinoma (n = 17) samples. Epigenetic marker levels were associated with PD-L1, ER/PgR, and MLH1 expression. Epigenetic markers were evaluated by H-score and PD-L1 expression was recorded by using Combined Positive Score. Results were correlated with disease stage and survival outcome. BRD4, KAT6a and HDAC9 levels were higher in SC compared to other histologic subtypes (p<0.001–0.038). After adjusting for multiple comparisons, DNMT3b expression was higher in SC compared to endometrioid-type but not between SC and CCC. The expression levels of BRD4 (p = 0.021) and KAT6a (p = 0.0027) were positively associated with PD-L abundance, while PgR (p = 0.029) and PD-L1 expression were negatively associated. In addition, BRD4 expression was low in specimens with loss of MLH1 expression (p = 0.02). More importantly, BRD4 abundance had a negative impact on disease outcome (p = 0.02). Transcriptionally, BRD4, KAT6a and DNMT3b expression levels were higher in SC in TCGA dataset. The median PD-L1 expression was marginally associated with BRD4, a transcriptional activator of CD274/PD-L1 (p = 0.069) and positively with KAT6a (p = 0.0095). In conclusion, the protein expression levels of epigenetic markers involved in cancer pathogenesis are increased by immunohistochemistry in SC. PD-L1 levels are associated with BRD4 and KAT6a in EC samples. A combination therapy with BRD4/PD-L1 or KAT6a/PD-L1 inhibitors might have a potential use in EC, in particular serous-type carcinoma.
17R/S-Benzo-RvD1, a synthetic resolvin D1 analogue, attenuates neointimal hyperplasia in a rat model of acute vascular injury
Authors: Kim Alexander S. , Werlin Evan C. , Kagaya Hideo , Chen Mian , Wu Bian , Mottola Giorgio , Jan Masood , Conte Michael S.
Published: February 2022

Background

Persistent inflammation following vascular injury drives neointimal hyperplasia (NIH). Specialized lipid mediators (SPM) mediate resolution which attenuates inflammation and downstream NIH. We investigated the effects of a synthetic analogue of resolvin D1 (RvD1) on vascular cells and in a model of rat carotid angioplasty.

Methods

Human venous VSMC and endothelial cells (EC) were employed in migration, cell shape, toxicity, proliferation and p65 nuclear translocation assays. Murine RAW 264.7 cells were utilized to test the effect of pro-resolving compounds on phagocytic activity. A model of rat carotid angioplasty was used to evaluate the effects of 17R/S-benzo-RvD1 (benzo-RvD1) and 17R-RvD1 applied to the adventitia via 25% Pluronic gel. Immunostaining was utilized to examine Ki67 expression and leukocyte recruitment. Morphometric analysis was performed on arteries harvested 14 days after injury.

Results

Exposure to benzo-RvD1 attenuated PDGF- stimulated VSMC migration across a range of concentrations (0.1–100 nM), similar to that observed with 17R-RvD1. Pre-treatment with either Benzo-RvD1 or 17R-RvD1 (10, 100nM) attenuated PDGF-BB-induced VSMC cytoskeletal changes to nearly baseline dimensions. Benzo-RvD1 demonstrated modest anti-proliferative activity on VSMC and EC at various concentrations, without significant cytotoxicity. Benzo-RvD1 (10nM) inhibited p65 nuclear translocation in cytokine-stimulated EC by 21% (p<0.05), similar to 17R-RvD1. Consistent with pro-resolving activities of other SPM, both 17R-RvD1 and benzo-RvD1 increased the phagocytic activity of RAW 264.7 cells against S. Aureus and Zymosan particles. There were no significant differences in Ki-67 or CD45 staining observed on day 3 after angioplasty. Periadventitial treatment with benzo-RvD1 reduced carotid neointimal area at 14 days compared to control (0.08 mm2 v. 0.18 mm2; p<0.05), with similar efficacy to 17R-RvD1.

Conclusions

17R/S-benzo-RvD1 and 17R-RvD1 exhibit similar pro-resolving and anti-migratory activity in cell-based assays, and both compounds attenuated NIH following acute arterial injury in rats. Further studies of the mechanisms of resolution following vascular injury, and the translational potential of SPM analogues, are indicated.
The UK Chinese population with kidney failure: Clinical characteristics, management and access to kidney transplantation using 20 years of UK Renal Registry and NHS Blood and Transplant data
Authors: Wong Katie , Caskey Fergus J. , Casula Anna , Ben-Shlomo Yoav , Bailey Pippa
Published: February 2022

Background

Little is known about the clinical demographics of and access to transplantation for Chinese diaspora populations with kidney disease.

Methods

The UK Renal Registry provided data on adults with ethnicity recorded as ‘Chinese’ or ‘White’ starting Kidney Replacement Therapy (KRT) 1/1/97-31/12/17. Baseline characteristics were compared between Chinese and White patients. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationships between Chinese ethnicity and i) being listed for deceased-donor transplantation at start of KRT, ii) being listed 2 years after start of KRT, iii) pre-emptive kidney transplantation, iv) kidney transplantation 3 years after start of KRT, and v) living-donor kidney transplantation (LDKT).

Results

UK Chinese patients were younger at start of KRT (61.6 vs 65.6 years, p <0.001) and had more diabetic kidney disease (29% vs 20%, p<0.001) and glomerulonephritis (21% vs 13%, p<0.001) than White patients. We found evidence of interaction between ethnicity and sex. Compared to UK White men, UK Chinese men had lower odds of pre-emptive transplant (aOR 0.28, 95% CI [0.10–0.76]) and transplant within 3 years of KRT start (aOR 0.65, [95% CI 0.49–0.87], P = 0.004). UK White women and Chinese women had the same likelihood of pre-emptive transplant (aOR 0.78, 95% CI [0.38–1.61]), or transplant within 3 years of KRT start (aOR 0.94, 95% CI [0.60–1.46]). Both UK Chinese men and women had markedly lower odds of LDKT compared to Whites aOR 0.34 [95% CI 0.21–0.53].

Conclusions

UK Chinese are less likely to receive a LDKT. UK Chinese men have lower odds of accessing pre-emptive wait-listing and transplantation. Understanding whether these disparities reflect modifiable barriers will help ensure equitable access to transplantation.
Improving mathematical modeling of interventions to prevent healthcare-associated infections by interrupting transmission or pathogens: How common modeling assumptions about colonized individuals impact intervention effectiveness estimates
Authors: Gowler Camden D. , Slayton Rachel B. , Reddy Sujan C. , O’Hagan Justin J.
Published: February 2022

Mathematical models are used to gauge the impact of interventions for healthcare-associated infections. As with any analytic method, such models require many assumptions. Two common assumptions are that asymptomatically colonized individuals are more likely to be hospitalized and that they spend longer in the hospital per admission because of their colonization status. These assumptions have no biological basis and could impact the estimated effects of interventions in unintended ways. Therefore, we developed a model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission to explicitly evaluate the impact of these assumptions. We found that assuming that asymptomatically colonized individuals were more likely to be admitted to the hospital or spend longer in the hospital than uncolonized individuals biased results compared to a more realistic model that did not make either assumption. Results were heavily biased when estimating the impact of an intervention that directly reduced transmission in a hospital. In contrast, results were moderately biased when estimating the impact of an intervention that decolonized hospital patients. Our findings can inform choices modelers face when constructing models of healthcare-associated infection interventions and thereby improve their validity.
COVID-19 vaccination coverage in deprived populations living in segregated colonies: A nationwide cross-sectional study in Hungary
Authors: Sándor János , Vincze Ferenc , Shrikant Maya Liza , Kőrösi László , Ulicska László , Kósa Karolina , Ádány Róza
Published: February 2022

The segregated colonies (SCs) in Hungary are populated mainly but not exclusively by Roma. Their health care use is restricted in many respects. It has not been studied yet, whether fair COVID-19 vaccination coverage achieved in Hungary is accompanied with fair effectiveness in SCs. Using census data, the vaccination coverage in SCs and the complementary areas (CAs) in the same settlements of the country was determined. To describe the settlement level differences, the vaccination coverage (until June 30, 2021) in SCs were compared to those in CAs by age, sex, and eligibility for exemption certificate standardized measures. Aggregating settlement level data, the level of geographic discrimination in Hungary was also determined. According to nationwide aggregates, crude vaccination coverage was significantly lower in SCs (40.05%, 95% CI 39.87%-40.23%) than in CAs (65.42%, 95% CI 65.37%-65.46%). The relative standardized vaccination coverage was 0.643 (95% CI 0.639–0.647) in SCs. A total of 437 of the 938 investigated settlements showed significant local vaccination disparities. Hungarian citizens living in SCs, mainly of Roma ethnicity, are a distinct high-risk group. Special intervention adapted to SCs is needed to mitigate inequality in vaccination coverage and further consequences of the pandemic.
Relaxation of the Ising spin system coupled to a bosonic bath and the time dependent mean field equation
Authors: Veszeli Máté Tibor , Vattay Gábor
Published: February 2022

The Ising model does not have strictly defined dynamics, only a spectrum. There are different ways to equip it with time dependence, e.g., the Glauber or the Kawasaki dynamics, which are both stochastic, but it means there is a master equation that can also describe their dynamics. These equations can be derived from the Redfield equation, where the spin system is weakly coupled to a bosonic bath. In this paper, we investigate the temperature dependence of the relaxation time of a Glauber-type master equation, especially in the case of the fully connected, uniform Ising model. The finite-size effects were analyzed with a reduced master equation and the thermodynamic limit with a time-dependent mean field equation.
The minipig intraoral dental implant model: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Musskopf Marta Liliana , Finger Stadler Amanda , Wikesjö Ulf ME , Susin Cristiano
Published: February 2022

Objectives

The objective of this report was to provide a review of the minipig intraoral dental implant model including a meta-analysis to estimate osseointegration and crestal bone remodeling.

Methods

A systematic review including PubMed and EMBASE databases through June 2021 was conducted. Two independent examiners screened titles/abstracts and selected full-text articles. Studies evaluating titanium dental implant osseointegration in native alveolar bone were included. A quality assessment of reporting was performed. Random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regressions were produced for bone-implant contact (BIC), first BIC, and crestal bone level.

Results

125 out of 249 full-text articles were reviewed, 55 original studies were included. Quality of reporting was generally low, omissions included animal characteristics, examiner masking/calibration, and sample size calculation. The typical minipig model protocol included surgical extraction of the mandibular premolars and first molar, 12±4 wks post-extraction healing, placement of three narrow regular length dental implants per jaw quadrant, submerged implant healing and 8 wks of osseointegration. Approximately 90% of studies reported undecalcified incandescent light microscopy histometrics. Overall, mean BIC was 59.88% (95%CI: 57.43–62.33). BIC increased significantly over time (p<0.001): 40.93 (95%CI: 34.95–46.90) at 2 wks, 58.37% (95%CI: 54.38–62.36) at 4 wks, and 66.33% (95%CI: 63.45–69.21) beyond 4 wks. Variability among studies was mainly explained by differences in observation interval post-extraction and post-implant placement, and implant surface. Heterogeneity was high for all studies (I2> 90%, p<0.001).

Conclusions

The minipig intraoral dental implant model appears to effectively demonstrate osseointegration and alveolar bone remodeling similar to that observed in humans and canine models.
Automated seizure activity tracking and onset zone localization from scalp EEG using deep neural networks
Authors: Craley Jeff , Jouny Christophe , Johnson Emily , Hsu David , Ahmed Raheel , Venkataraman Archana
Published: February 2022

We propose a novel neural network architecture, SZTrack, to detect and track the spatio-temporal propagation of seizure activity in multichannel EEG. SZTrack combines a convolutional neural network encoder operating on individual EEG channels with recurrent neural networks to capture the evolution of seizure activity. Our unique training strategy aggregates individual electrode level predictions for patient-level seizure detection and localization. We evaluate SZTrack on a clinical EEG dataset of 201 seizure recordings from 34 epilepsy patients acquired at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Our network achieves similar seizure detection performance to state-of-the-art methods and provides valuable localization information that has not previously been demonstrated in the literature. We also show the cross-site generalization capabilities of SZTrack on a dataset of 53 seizure recordings from 14 epilepsy patients acquired at the University of Wisconsin Madison. SZTrack is able to determine the lobe and hemisphere of origin in nearly all of these new patientswithout retraining the network. To our knowledge, SZTrack is the first end-to-end seizure tracking network using scalp EEG.
Molecular profiling of the artemisinin resistance Kelch 13 gene in Plasmodium falciparum from Nigeria
Authors: Ajogbasile Fehintola V. , Oluniyi Paul E. , Kayode Adeyemi T. , Akano Kazeem O. , Adegboyega Benjamin B. , Philip Courage , Ogbulafor Nnenna , Okafor Henrietta U. , Oguche Stephen , Wammanda Robinson D. , Mokuolu Olugbenga A. , Folarin Onikepe A. , Happi Christian T.
Published: February 2022

Accurate assessment and monitoring of thePlasmodium falciparumKelch 13 (pfk13)gene associated with artemisinin resistance is critical to understand the emergence and spread of drug-resistant parasites in malaria-endemic regions. In this study, we evaluated the genomic profile of thepfk13gene associated with artemisinin resistance inP.falciparumin Nigerian children by targeted sequencing of thepfk13gene. Genomic DNA was extracted from 332 dried blood (DBS) spot filter paper samples from three Nigerian States. Thepfk13gene was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and amplicons were sequenced to detect known and novel polymorphisms across the gene. Consensus sequences of samples were mapped to the reference gene sequence obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Out of the 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected in thepfk13gene, five (F451L, N664I, V487E, V692G and Q661H) have not been reported in other endemic countries to the best of our knowledge. Three of these SNPs (V692G, N664I and Q661H) and a non-novel SNP, C469C, were consistent with late parasitological failure (LPF) in two States (Enugu and Plateau States). There was no validated mutation associated with artemisinin resistance in this study. However, a correlation of our study within vivoandin vitrophenotypes is needed to establish the functional role of detected mutations as markers of artemisinin resistance in Nigeria. This baseline information will be essential in tracking and monitoringP.falciparumresistance to artemisinin in Nigeria.
COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and rejection in an adult population in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Fojnica Adnan , Osmanovic Ahmed , Đuzic Nermin , Fejzic Armin , Mekic Ensar , Gromilic Zehra , Muhovic Imer , Kurtovic-Kozaric Amina
Published: February 2022

Background

Bosnia and Herzegovina is among ten countries in the world with the highest mortality rate due to COVID-19. Lack of lockdown, open borders, high mortality rate, no vaccination plan, and strong domestic anti-vaccination movement present serious COVID-19 concerns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In such circumstances, we set out to study 1) the willingness of general public to receive the vaccine, 2) factors that affect vaccine rejection, and 3) motivation for vaccine acceptance.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 10471 adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina to assess the acceptance or rejection of participants toward COVID-19 vaccination. Using a logistic regression model, we examined the associations of sociodemographic characteristics with vaccine rejection, reasons for vaccine hesitancy, preferred vaccine manufacturer, and information sources.

Results

Surprisingly, only 25.7% of respondents indicated they would like to get a COVID-19 vaccine, while 74.3% of respondents were either hesitant or completely rejected vaccination. The vaccine acceptance increased with increasing age, education, and income level. Major motivation of pro-vaccination behavior was intention to achieve collective immunity (30.1%), while the leading incentive for vaccine refusal was deficiency of clinical data (30.2%). The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is shown to be eightfold more preferred vaccine compared to the other manufacturers. For the first time in Bosnia, vaccine acceptance among health care professionals has been reported, where only 39.4% of healthcare professionals expressed willingness to get vaccinated.

Conclusion

With the high share of the population unwilling to vaccinate, governmental impotence in securing the vaccines supplies, combined with the lack of any lockdown measures suggests that Bosnia and Herzegovina is unlikely to put COVID-19 pandemic under control in near future.
Ejes de cortesía lingüística en Eurípides
Authors: Piedrabuena Sandra Rodriguez
Published: February 2022

Este trabajo ofrece un análisis de cómo se distribuye la expresión deferente e insultante en virtud de tres ejes de cortesía lingüística: Hablante-Oyente, Hablante-Punto de referencia, Hablante-Testigos. En el siguiente ejemplo Teseo insulta al Heraldo en el eje Hablante-Testigo, hablando de él de forma insultante a un tercer participante:
E .Supp.426-28: κομψός γ’ ὁ κῆρυξ καὶ παρεργάτης λόγων.
Sí que es sofisticado el heraldo y artificioso de palabras.
La escala, por un lado, en la expresión de insultos y, por otro, de la deferencia es inversa en relación a estos ejes. Así, es posible plantear un contínuum semicircular de in/sinceridad pragmática. El eje H-O es la zona más fluctuante para la expresión tanto deferente como insultante, ya que puede redundar en usos hiper- e infra-corteses. El eje H-T se presenta como el más potente tanto para la deferencia como para el insulto.
Politeness and Interaction in Ancient Greek
Authors: Verano Rodrigo
Published: February 2022

Following the descriptive and methodological framework of Conversation Analysis, this paper analyzes the linguistic strategies employed in order to avoid or prevent dispreferred reactions in interaction, and examines their implications in terms of positive and negative face. It focuses especially on the treatment of possible rejections to requests and offers, and on the avoidance of direct disagreement in talk-in-interaction. This is a corpus study based on the dialogues of Plato.
EFFECT OF MO DURING THE OXIDATION OF NI20CR-XMO ALLOYS AT 570°C
Authors: Izzuddin Hubby
Published: February 2022

The effect of Mo addition on the oxidation behavior of the Ni20Cr-xMo alloys at 570°C for 100 h was investigated. The results revealed that oxidation performance of the Ni20Cr alloys was increased by Mo addition. During the oxidation, the Mo-free alloy formed thin NiO scale on the outer scale and thick continous Cr2O3 scale accompanied with inward Cr2O3 penetrations and a Cr-depleted zone. There were also formations of mix Ni-Cr oxides in between NiO and Cr2O3 scale. While, the oxide scales formed on the Mo-containing alloys consisted of a duplex structure with a thick NiO scale on the outer scale and Cr(Mo)-Cr-Mo oxides on the inner scale. A porous oxide structure was also formed in the inner scale. The presence of Mo resulted in the formation of NiO scale and less the inward diffusion into Cr2O3 scale. But, more volatile oxides and porous oxide structures would form with higher Mo addition resulted in lower oxidation resistance for the Ni20Cr alloys.
When technology use causes stress: Challenges for contemporary research
Authors: Jurek Paweł , Korjonen‐Kuusipuro Kristiina , Olech Michał
Published: February 2022

The current immense impact of ICT on individuals can be particularly strong in areas such as work and education. Both internet and computer systems have become an indispensable component of working or learning assignments. When ICT is missing, team cooperation and performance of certain tasks may be significantly limited. This has become especially clear recently, in the face of COVID-19 pandemic and all the challenges it has brought into our professional lives. Much of the workload had to be done virtually, forcing some employees and students to master new technologies enabling them to communicate through virtual platforms (e.g., Zoom or MS Teams) and to grasp the principles of digital and cyber safety at the same time.
The temporal inference with the use of ant-based clustering algorithm and flow graphs in the problem of prognosing complications of medical surgical procedures
Authors: Lewicki Arkadiusz , Pancerz Krzysztof , Puzio Leszek
Published: February 2022

In the era of a rapidly aging European society, the demand for proven clinical decision support systems, links health observations with medical knowledge in order to assist clinicians in decision making is constantly growing. An increasing problem for this type of systems is not only the size of the processed data sets but also the heterogeneity of these data. Clinical forecasting often requires processing of both numerical data and multi-category data which are temporal. The conducted research has shown that a good solution to this problem may lie in the use of temporal inference, the ant-based clustering algorithm, rough sets, and fuzzy sets. The experiments used a real set of medical data representing cases of a disease that significantly reduces a woman's quality of life. Each case of uterine myoma disease (which affects more than 50% of women over the age of 35) is represented by more than 140 heterogeneous features. An incorrect decision about the type of surgery (thermoablation or surgery) not only affects female fertility but also the high risk of complications. Therefore, the solution discussed in this paper may turn out to be extremely important.
Obrazy Sókrata v Diónových Řečech
Authors: Suvák Vladislav
Published: February 2022

The paper deals with three topics that could help us in attempting to understand the way Dio Chrysostom approaches the figure of Socrates and transforms it. The first part demonstrates that, with regard to Socrates, Dio prefers non-Platonic sources over Platonic ones, as he relies mainly on the Antisthenian line of Socratic literature. The second part deals with Dio’s concept of the relationship between the philosopher and the ruler, which is closely linked to his personal attitude to the Roman emperor. The third part focuses on how Dio reinterprets Socratesʼs demand for philosophical education and endows it with a Cynical character.
Vojtěch Kolman, Noc, v níž se pořádají medvědí hony na zajíce
Authors: Kettner Marek
Published: February 2022

Book review on Vojtěch Kolman, Noc, v níž se pořádají medvědí hony na zajíce. Filozofický původ jazykové komiky. Praha (Argo) 2020, 208 str.
Jakub Trnka, Filosof Erazim Kohák
Authors: Šimsa Martin
Published: February 2022

Book review on Jakub Trnka, Filosof Erazim Kohák, Praha (Filosofia) 2020, 227 str.
Petr Glombíček, Genealogie zdravého rozumu
Authors: Peterková Eva
Published: February 2022

Book review on Petr Glombíček, Ke genealogii zdravého rozumu. Praha (Togga) 2020, 303 str.
Michal Karľa – Karolína Šedivcová – Martin Macháček (vyd.), Život ve znacích. Studie k dílu Johna Deelyho
Authors: Švorcová Jana
Published: February 2022

Book review on M. Karľa – K. Šedivcová – M. Macháček (vyd.) Život ve znacích. Studie k dílu Johna Deelyho. Praha (Togga) 2020, 308 str.
Aristotelská logika jako nástroj řešení problémů
Authors: Havrda Matyáš
Published: February 2022

This paper argues that the traditional description of Aristotelian logic as a “tool” (organon) of philosophy corresponds to the instrumental role of Aristotle’s logical investigations in the context of dialectical debates and scientific inquiry. Aristotle investigates propositions and their mutual relations within arguments to provide a tool for the discovery of premisses which could serve to refute or establish a conclusion regarding a particular problem. This is obviously so in the Topics, where problems are limited to the question of whether an attribute belongs to a subject or not; but it is also true in the Analytics, where problems include the questions of why an attribute belongs to a subject or what a particular state of affairs, which can be analysed into a predicative relation, is. Basing itself mainly on Prior Analytics I,27–8 and Alexander’s commentary on these chapters, the paper shows how the classification of syllogistic modes in the Prior Analytics, in addition to and inclusive of the classification of predicates and propositions in the Topics, is supposed to be helpful in solving both dialectical and scientific problems.
Čtení literárního díla jako fenomenologický problém
Authors: Zeman Vít
Published: February 2022

The article focuses, from the perspective of phenomenology of reading, on Bertolt Brecht’s brief remark regarding the transformation of addressed to non-addressed writing. In the first part, I present Brecht’s text against the background of discussions about chirographic culture. In the second part, I provide a phenomenological outline of the structure and architecture of the literary work. In the conclusion, I questions Brecht’s remark against the background of the results of the previous phenomenological inquiry.
Ber to s humorem. Camus a Nagel ve sporu o absurdno
Authors: Čapek Jakub
Published: February 2022

Reflexion on the absurd at Camus and Nagel.
Wittgensteinovi stavitelé (přel. O. Beran)
Authors: Rhees Rush
Published: February 2022

Translation of the text written by Rush Rhees.
Nejen o nerozumnosti sebeusmrcení. Ke knize Tomáše Hříbka Obrana asistované smrti
Authors: Šimek Vojtěch
Published: February 2022

Reflexion on behalf of a book of Tomáš Hříbek.
Effect of Electrical Stimulation Followed by Exercises in Postnatal Diastasis Recti Abdominis via MMP2 Gene Expression
Authors: Wei Ruixue , Yu Fenghua , Ju Hairong , Jiang Qingchun
Published: February 2022

Since abdominal muscle training is one of the most important ways to treat rectal diastasis, it is necessary to design and provide appropriate exercises to treat this problem. One of the complementary methods to achieve higher intensity training is the use of electrical muscle stimulation along with voluntary activity, which causes maximum recall in muscle units. Therefore, in the current study, the effect of electrical stimulation followed by exercises was evaluated in postnatal diastasis recti abdominis via MMP2 gene expression. For this purpose, we studied on thirty-two women who had rectal diastasis for six months and were referred to a physiotherapy clinic by a gynecologist. They were divided into the control group (n=16) and the intervention group (n=16). The distance between the two blocks of the rectus abdominis muscle and the thickness of the abdominal muscles at rest was determined by ultrasound. In the intervention group, electrical stimulation and strengthening exercises of oblique muscles were performed for six weeks. The control group did not perform any specific exercises. After six weeks, another ultrasound was performed. The expression of the MMP2 gene was measured by the real-time PCR method. Comparison of the distance between the two blocks of rectus abdominis muscle (above the umbilicus and below the umbilicus) before and after six weeks showed that in the experimental group after intervention in both areas had a significant decrease (above the umbilicus = 0.001 and below the umbilicus P = 0.03), while this distance in the control group did not decrease significantly (p >0.05). Also, in the upper part of the umbilicus, the distance between the two rectus abdominis muscle blocks in two groups after the intervention showed a significant difference (p = 0.04). Evaluation of MMP2 gene expression showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups before the intervention (p >0.05). However, after the intervention, the expression of this gene decreased significantly in the intervention group (p = 0.007). In general, the present study results showed that electrical stimulation of abdominal muscles with strengthening exercises of internal and external oblique muscles could reduce rectal diastasis and increase the thickness of these muscles in people with rectal diastasis.
Sarcomeric gene mutations in phenotypic positive hypertrophic cardiomyopathic patients in Indian population
Authors: Ahmad Syed Abrar , Chavan Chandrakant , Badani Rajesh , Wankhade Varsha
Published: February 2022

HCM is a monogenic cardiac disorder with a high risk of sudden cardiac death, heterogeneous phenotypic expression and genetic profile. HCM is expressed as autosomal dominant in fashion with the prevalence of 1:500 in the general population. The main objective of the current study was to unravel the mutation status in sarcomeric genes in urbanizing Pune population. HCM patients were recruited from Bharti hospital and Poona hospital and research centre, Pune after being screened by 2-D echocardiography. DNA was extracted from whole blood samples and PCR amplification was performed for selected exons from pre-selected genes, amplimers of >300 b.p were restriction digested and the SSCP technique was optimized for maximum result output. HCM patients shows the maximum prevalence of mitral regurgitation (23.3%) while the minimum prevalence was left auricular diameter (10%). Maximum variation spectrum was present in MYBPC3 genes as most of them were “benign” type as per Polyphen-2 tool status. Mutations in the MYH7 gene produce a prominent impact on splicing by the creation of a new SRP40 binding site (Exon Splicing Enhancer) as predicted by Human Splicing Finder 3.1. I736T mutation in the MYH7 gene results in replacement of β-strand by α-helix upstream from mutation site which may have a profound impact on protein tertiary structure as predicted by Polyphen-2 tool (probably damaging-1.00). Also, two ‘novel’ mutations and one ‘novel’ variation were reported in the present study. Thus, the MYBPC3 gene shows maximum mutation load among other sarcomeric genes. Double gene mutations do not represent much severe pathophysiology as compared to single gene mutated and genotypic negative HCM patients.
Long Chain Non Coding RNA Targeting miR Signal Axis Regulates the Mechanism of Apoptosis and Invasion and Migration of Glioma U251 Cells
Authors: Zhao Hailin , Li Shiwei , Wang Lulu , Luo Dongdong , Hu Su , Li Dan , Peng Biao
Published: February 2022

The occurrence of glioma is gradually promoted by various factors, and it has gone through multiple stages of development, involving abnormal expression of multiple genes. One of the important reasons for the development of gliomas is the interaction of genetic factors and the environment. Non-coding transcripts can also form this high-level structure, and the formation of binding sites for interactions between lncRNA and proteins, DNA, and other RNA molecules may be related to their structural diversity. Due to the importance of glioma-related research and the potential effectiveness of lncRNA, this paper focuses on the mechanism of long-chain non-coding RNA targeting the Mir signal axis to regulate apoptosis, invasion and migration of glioma U251 cells. In this paper, human glioma cell line U251 was used as experimental material for simulation analysis. The results showed that after miR simulation, the pass rate of U251 stem cells through the filter was 17.3%, which was significantly less than 85.4% of group C; compared with 77.6% of the negative control group, the cell penetration rate of the miR inhibitor group was significantly improved. 92.5%. The miR expression level can affect the invasion ability of U251 stem cells, and can negatively regulate the expression of fzd4 to inhibit the invasion and metastasis of glioma U251 cells.