bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends in sexual violence patterns and case management: a sex disaggregated analysis in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Lussy Justin Paluku , Dube Annie , Lusi Jonathan Kasereka M. , Kikoli Aurélien Mahamba , Mukekulu Eugénie Kamabu , Bartels Susan A.
Published: July 2021

Background

Both conflict and non-conflict sexual violence have been well described in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, there is little empiric data comparing sexual violence patterns for males and females in the DRC, and little is known about how post-sexual assault care experiences may differ between the two sexes.

Methods

This was a retrospective, registry-based study at HEAL Africa Hospital. Researchers extracted and analyzed available data for all patients seeking post-sexual assault care between July 2013 and December 2017. Comparative analysis was conducted using SAS to document patterns of sexual violence among male and female survivors and to describe the clinical management of males and females seeking post-assault care.

Results

Between July 2013 and December 2017, the hospital provided post-sexual assault care to 1766 patients (1623 female and 93 male). Female survivors were more likely to be minors under the age 18 (p < 0.0001) with a mean age 16.5 years versus 22.3 years for males. For both sexes, approximately half of all perpetrators were civilians who were known to the survivor (friends, family members, colleagues or neighbors). After sexual assault, males (79.6%) were more likely than females (55.7%) to present to the hospital within 72 h (p-value < 0.0001). Among female patients, 12% had a positive pregnancy test at the time of presentation and another 43% received emergency contraception. Male survivors were more likely to test positive for HIV (p-value = 0.0032) and to receive HIV post-exposure prophylaxis as well as prophylactic antibiotics (p-value < 0.0001).

Conclusions

In this single-centre registry, non-conflict-related sexual violence affected both women and girls as well as men and boys in North Kivu with civilian-perpetrated assaults being most common, and girls under the age of 18 being disproportionately affected. Overall, delays to seeking post-assault care appear to have decreased over time, although females presented later than males. These differences, as well as sex discrepancies in receiving HIV prophylaxis and prophylactic antibiotics, are not well understood. Additional research is needed to understand these phenomena such that equitable and optimal care can be ensured for both female and male sexual violence survivors.
Emerging strategies to target RAS signaling in human cancer therapy
Authors: Chen Kun , Zhang Yalei , Qian Ling , Wang Peng
Published: July 2021

RASmutations (HRAS,NRAS, andKRAS) are among the most common oncogenes, and around 19% of patients with cancer harborRASmutations. Cells harboringRASmutations tend to undergo malignant transformation and exhibit malignant phenotypes. The mutational status ofRAScorrelates with the clinicopathological features of patients, such as mucinous type and poor differentiation, as well as response to anti-EGFR therapies in certain types of human cancers. Although RAS protein had been considered as a potential target for tumors withRASmutations, it was once referred to as a undruggable target due to the consecutive failure in the discovery of RAS protein inhibitors. However, recent studies on the structure, signaling, and function of RAS have shed light on the development of RAS-targeting drugs, especially with the approval of Lumakras (sotorasib, AMG510) in treatment of KRASG12C-mutant NSCLC patients. Therefore, here we fully reviewRASmutations in human cancer and especially focus on emerging strategies that have been recently developed for RAS-targeting therapy.
Biomarkers of mammographic density in premenopausal women
Authors: His Mathilde , Lajous Martin , Gómez-Flores-Ramos Liliana , Monge Adriana , Dossus Laure , Viallon Vivian , Gicquiau Audrey , Biessy Carine , Gunter Marc J. , Rinaldi Sabina
Published: July 2021

Background

While mammographic density is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer, little is known about its determinants, especially in young women. We applied targeted metabolomics to identify circulating metabolites specifically associated with mammographic density in premenopausal women. Then, we aimed to identify potential correlates of these biomarkers to guide future research on potential modifiable determinants of mammographic density.

Methods

A total of 132 metabolites (acylcarnitines, amino acids, biogenic amines, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, hexose) were measured by tandem liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in plasma samples from 573 premenopausal participants in the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort. Associations between metabolites and percent mammographic density were assessed using linear regression models, adjusting for breast cancer risk factors and accounting for multiple tests. Mean concentrations of metabolites associated with percent mammographic density were estimated across levels of several lifestyle and metabolic factors.

Results

Sphingomyelin (SM) C16:1 and phosphatidylcholine (PC) ae C30:2 were inversely associated with percent mammographic density after correction for multiple tests. Linear trends with percent mammographic density were observed for SM C16:1 only in women with body mass index (BMI) below the median (27.4) and for PC ae C30:2 in women with a BMI over the median. SM C16:1 and PC ae C30:2 concentrations were positively associated with cholesterol (total and HDL) and inversely associated with number of metabolic syndrome components.

Conclusions

We identified new biomarkers associated with mammographic density in young women. The association of these biomarkers with mammographic density and metabolic parameters may provide new perspectives to support future preventive actions for breast cancer.
Comparative effect of electroacupuncture with different frequency on headache attacks in migraine outpatients: study protocol for a randomised placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Nie Na , Chen Le , Li Tong , Zhou Chuanlong , Li Bangwei , Ji Conghua , Zhou Jie , Chen Qin , Li Qiushuang , Liang Yi , Fang Jianqiao
Published: July 2021

Background

Headache attacks severely impaired life quality and increase the economic burden of migraineurs. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been used worldwidely to treat several pain-related diseases including migraines. However, whether EA with low or high frequency exerts a distinct analgesic effect remains unknown and needs further study.

Methods/Design

This study is a randomised, single-blinded, placebo-controlled trial with three parallel arms. A total of 144 migraine outpatients will be randomly allocated to the 2 Hz EA group, 100 Hz EA group and placebo control group. The duration of the trial is 20 weeks, including a 4-week-long baseline assessment period (weeks − 4–0), a 4-week-long treatment period (weeks 1–4) and a 12-week-long follow-up period (weeks 5–16). Twelve treatment sessions will be performed over a 4-week period (weeks 1–4). The primary outcome will be measured by the frequency of migraine attacks in the past 4 weeks at the end of week 4 post-randomisation. The secondary outcome will be measured by the frequency of migraine attacks in the past 4 weeks at the end of weeks 8, 12 and16 post-randomisation; number of days with migraine; dosage of ibuprofen; the scores of visual analogue scale (VAS); Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS); Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS); and Migraine Specific Quality of Life questionnaire (MSQ) in the past 4 weeks at the end of weeks 4, 8, 12 and 16 post-randomisation. Safety assessment, compliance and blinding evaluation will be carried out at the end of week 16 post-randomisation.

Discussion

The recruitment will be started on 1 June 2021 and expected to finish on 31 May 2023. We aimed to clarify the dominant frequency of EA on headache attacks in a migraineur.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-1800017259. Registered on 20 July 2018.
Differential impacts of TNFα inhibitors on the transcriptome of Th cells
Authors: Ho Ching-Huang , Silva Andrea A. , Tomita Beverly , Weng Hui-Ying , Ho I-Cheng
Published: July 2021

Background

Targeting TNFα is beneficial in many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. However, the response to each of the existing TNFα inhibitors (TNFis) can be patient- and/or disease-dependent. In addition, TNFis can induce the production of type 1 interferons (IFNs), which contribute to their non-infection side effects, such as pustular psoriasis. Thus far, the molecular mechanisms mediating the drug-specific effects of TNFis and their induction of type 1 IFNs are not fully understood.

Methods

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from healthy donors and stimulated in vitro with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 in the absence or presence of adalimumab, etanercept, or certolizumab. Th cells were isolated from the stimulated PBMCs, and their RNA was subjected to RNA-seq and quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Adalimumab and etanercept, which contain Fc, but not certolizumab, which does not contain Fc, inhibited the expression of several effector cytokines by Th cells within anti-CD3/anti-CD28-stimulated PBMCs. Transcriptomic analyses further showed that adalimumab, but not certolizumab, reciprocally induced type 1 IFN signals and the expression of CD96 and SIRPG in Th cells. The unique effects of adalimumab were not due to preferential neutralization of soluble TNFα but instead were mediated by several distinct mechanisms independent or dependent of Fc-facilitated physical interaction between Th cells and CD14+ monocytes.

Conclusions

TNFis can have drug-specific effects on the transcriptional profile of Th cells.
Real-world comparative effectiveness and safety of tofacitinib and baricitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Iwamoto Naoki , Sato Shuntaro , Kurushima Shota , Michitsuji Toru , Nishihata Shinya , Okamoto Momoko , Tsuji Yoshika , Endo Yushiro , Shimizu Toshimasa , Sumiyoshi Remi , Suzuki Takahisa , Okada Akitomo , Koga Tomohiro , Kawashiri Shin-ya , Fujikawa Keita , Igawa Takashi , Aramaki Toshiyuki , Ichinose Kunihiro , Tamai Mami , Nakamura Hideki , Mizokami Akinari , Origuchi Tomoki , Ueki Yukitaka , Eguchi Katsumi , Kawakami Atsushi
Published: July 2021

Objective

To compare the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib and baricitinib in patients with RA in a real-world setting.

Methods

A total of 242 patients with RA who were treated with tofacitinib (n= 161) or baricitinib (n= 81) were enrolled. We evaluated efficacy and safety between tofacitinib and baricitinib using multivariable analyses to avoid confounding. Their clinical disease activity and AEs were evaluated for 24 weeks.

Results

The mean (SD) DAS28-ESR change from baseline to 24 weeks was 1.57 (1.55) (tofacitinib) and 1.46 (1.36) (baricitinib). There was no significant difference in the clinical response between the two groups (adjusted mean difference, 0.04; 95% CI, −0.35 to 0.28). The efficacy was not significantly changed in the patients without concomitant MTX use in both groups, but the concomitant MTX use showed better clinical efficacy in the cases of baricitinib treatment. In both groups, the most common AE was herpes zoster infection, and the AE rates were similar between the two groups. However, the predictive factors contributing to clinical response as revealed by a multivariable logistic analysis differed. The concomitant oral steroid use was independently associated with the achievement of DAS-low disease activity in the tofacitinib group, whereas in the baricitinib group, the number of biological and/or targeted synthetic DMARDs previously used was associated.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that tofacitinib and baricitinib had comparable continuing efficacies and safety profiles. However, there is a possibility that the influence of clinical characteristics on the treatment response differs. The comparison provides useful information to the optimal use of JAK inhibitors in real-world settings.
Postural orientation, what to expect in youth athletes? A cohort study on data from the Malmö Youth Sport Study
Authors: Augustsson Sofia Ryman , Nae Jenny , Karlsson Magnus , Peterson Tomas , Wollmer Per , Ageberg Eva
Published: July 2021

Background

Studies investigating postural orientation in uninjured youth athletes are scarce. Understanding how postural orientation during functional performance tests change with age in uninjured athletes has the potential to enhance awareness of changes in performance after injury and to set realistic goals for injured athletes. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore postural orientation during functional tasks at early adolescence, and changes in postural orientation from early to middle adolescence and relate this to sex, type of sport and right leg lean body mass (RLLBM).

Methods

In this cohort study 144 (38% female) youth athletes (mean age 13.5 years, SD 0.3) were included at baseline and 86 of these at follow up 2 years later. Four functional performance tests were visually evaluated for Postural Orientation Errors (POEs) with an ordinal scale, ranging from 0 (good) to 2 (poor), yielding a maximum total POE score of 51, and RLLBM by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results

Improvements were observed in the total POE score from baseline to follow-up, median difference − 10 and − 7 (p < 0.001) for female and male athletes, respectively. At follow-up, female athletes had lower total POE score (median 18) than males (median 24) (p = 0.01). There were no differences in POE scores between sports type (team, individual, aesthetic) (p = 0.20–0.98) and no relationship between total POE score and RLLBM (rs = 0.09, p = 0.42).

Conclusions

POEs appear to be quite common in young athletic population, but improvements are achieved over time. At mid-adolescence, female athletes seem to have less POEs than males. Neither sport type nor RLLBM seem to influence postural orientation.
The omega-3 and Nano-curcumin effects on vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) in episodic migraine patients: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Abdolahi Mina , Karimi Elmira , Sarraf Payam , Tafakhori Abbas , Siri Goli , Salehinia Farahnaz , Sedighiyan Mohsen , Asanjarani Behzad , Badeli Mostafa , Abdollahi Hamed , Yoosefi Niyoosha , yousefi Abolghasem , rad Amir Shayegan , Djalali Mahmoud
Published: July 2021

Objective

The purpose of this clinical trial was to examine the effect of omega-3 fatty acids (W-3 FAs), nanocurcumin and their combination on serum levels and gene expression of VCAM in patients with episodic migraine.

Results

In this study, 80 patients were randomly divided in to 4 groups to receive for 2 months. Both serum levels and gene expression of VCAM showed remarkable decreases after single W-3 and after combined W-3 and nanocurcumin interventions. However, a borderline significant change and no remarkable change were observed after single nanocurcumin supplementation and in control group, respectively. While a significant difference between study groups in VCAM concentrations existed, there was no meaningful difference in VCAM gene expression among groups. It appears that the W-3 and combined W-3 and nanocurcumin can relieve VCAM serum level and its gene expression in patients with episodic migraine. Moreover, the combination of W-3 with nanocurcumin might cause more significant declines in VCAM level in the serum of migraine patients than when W-3 is administered alone.

Trial Registration: This study was registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with ID number: NCT02532023.
Sustained response to pembrolizumab in recurrent perivascular epithelioid cell tumor with elevated expression of programmed death ligand: a case report
Authors: McBride Ali , Garcia Andrew J. , Sanders Lauren J. , Yiu Kelly , Cranmer Lee D. , Kuo Phillip H. , Kay Matthew , Kraft Andrew S.
Published: July 2021

Background

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors are defined by the World Health Organization as “a collection of rare mesenchymal tumors composed of histologically and immunohistochemically distinctive perivascular epithelioid cells.” Whereas localized perivascular epithelioid cell tumor is typically benign and treated successfully with surgical resection, prognosis for patients with advanced or metastatic perivascular epithelioid cell tumor is unfavorable, and there is no standard curative treatment.

Case presentation

We report a Caucasian case of metastatic perivascular epithelioid cell tumor previously treated with chemotherapy and surgery with elevated surface expression of programmed cell death ligand 1. Based on this result, treatment via immune checkpoint inhibition with the monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab was pursued. After 21 cycles, the patient sustained a complete response. Therapy was stopped after the 40th cycle, and she was moved to surveillance. She remained disease free 19 months off treatment.

Conclusions

This case report of a patient with perivascular epithelioid cell tumor treated successfully with programmed cell death protein-1 targeted therapy suggests that programmed cell death ligand-1 levels should be measured in patients with perivascular epithelioid cell tumor and immunotherapy considered for recurrent or metastatic patients. Future phase II/III studies in this disease should focus on sequencing of surgery and immunotherapy with a design of curative intent.
“Molecular Anatomy”: a new multi-dimensional hierarchical scaffold analysis tool
Authors: Manelfi Candida , Gemei Marica , Talarico Carmine , Cerchia Carmen , Fava Anna , Lunghini Filippo , Beccari Andrea Rosario
Published: July 2021

The scaffold representation is widely employed to classify bioactive compounds on the basis of common core structures or correlate compound classes with specific biological activities. In this paper, we present a novel approach called “Molecular Anatomy” as a flexible and unbiased molecular scaffold-based metrics to cluster large set of compounds. We introduce a set of nine molecular representations at different abstraction levels, combined with fragmentation rules, to define a multi-dimensional network of hierarchically interconnected molecular frameworks. We demonstrate that the introduction of a flexible scaffold definition and multiple pruning rules is an effective method to identify relevant chemical moieties. This approach allows to cluster together active molecules belonging to different molecular classes, capturing most of the structure activity information, in particular when libraries containing a huge number of singletons are analyzed. We also propose a procedure to derive a network visualization that allows a full graphical representation of compounds dataset, permitting an efficient navigation in the scaffold’s space and significantly contributing to perform high quality SAR analysis. The protocol is freely available as a web interface at https://ma.exscalate.eu.
Text-independent speaker recognition based on adaptive course learning loss and deep residual network
Authors: Zhong Qinghua , Dai Ruining , Zhang Han , Zhu Yongsheng , Zhou Guofu
Published: July 2021

Text-independent speaker recognition is widely used in identity recognition that has a wide spectrum of applications, such as criminal investigation, payment certification, and interest-based customer services. In order to improve the recognition ability of log filter bank feature vectors, a method of text-independent speaker recognition based on deep residual networks model was proposed in this paper. The deep residual network was composed of a residual network (ResNet) and a convolutional attention statistics pooling (CASP) layer. The CASP layer could aggregate frame-level features from the ResNet into an utterance-level features. Extracting speech features for each speaker using deep residual networks was a promising direction to explore, and a straightforward solution was to train the discriminative feature extraction network by using a margin-based loss function. However, a margin-based loss function often has certain limitations, such as the margins between different categories were set to be the same and fixed. Thus, we used an adaptive curriculum learning loss (ACLL) to address the problem and introduce two different margin-based losses for this problem, i.e., AM-Softmax and AAM-Softmax. The proposed method was applied to a large-scale VoxCeleb2 dataset for extensive text-independent speaker recognition experiments, and average equal error rate (EER) could achieve 1.76% on VoxCeleb1 test dataset, 1.91% on VoxCeleb1-E test dataset, and 3.24% on VoxCeleb1-H test dataset. Compared with related speaker recognition methods, EER was improved by 1.11% on VoxCeleb1 test dataset, 1.04% on VoxCeleb1-E test dataset, and 1.69% on VoxCeleb1-H test dataset.
Women’s knowledge and attitude towards cervical cancer preventive measures and associated factors In South Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, North Central Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Tafere Yilkal , Jemere Tezera , Desalegn Tsion , Melak Addisu
Published: July 2021

Background

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in Ethiopia, often due to late disease diagnosis. Early prevention of cancer has been shown to be the most effective measure against the disease. Scientific evidences indicate that lack of awareness towards cervical cancer is a barrier to prevention strategies. Therefore, the aim of the current research was to assess women’s knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer preventions in South Gondar zone.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in South Gondar zone, Ethiopia. The study sample comprised 844 women ≥ 18 years of age. Participants were selected using systematic sampling technique. Binary and multivariable logistic models were used to assess predictors of women’s knowledge and attitude towards cervical cancer.

Results

About 66 % of the women had heard about cervical cancer. Regarding the main source of information of respondents, 75.4 % were heard from health professionals. Sixty two point 4 % of women knew at least one preventive measure and 82.6 % of participants knew at least one symptom or sign. Among study participants, 25 and 64 % had good knowledge, and favorable attitude towards cervical cancer prevention measures, respectively. Being reside in rural (AOR = 0.21, 95 %CI; 0.18, 0.34), not attending formal education (AOR = 0.50, 95 % CI: 0.3, 0.75), low income (AOR = 0.57, 95 % CI: 0.43, 0.81) and having < 4 children ((AOR = 0.8, 95 % CI: 0.60–0.86) were negatively associated with knowledge toward cervical cancer prevention measures.

Conclusions

This study found the majority of the respondents had poor knowledge about cervical cancer prevention measures. The majority of the study participants had favorable attitudes regarding cervical cancer prevention. Living in rural areas, not attending formal education low income and having less than four children was negatively associated with respondents’ knowledge towards cervical cancer prevention measures. There is needed to scale up cervical cancer prevention measures and services .Further studies are needed using strong study design.
Visual inspection with acetic-acid (VIA) service utilization and associated factors among women in Hawassa city, southern Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study
Authors: Azene Getinet Kassahun
Published: July 2021

Background

Reducing cervical cancer mortality and morbidity using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is a primary option, particularly in resource constrained countries. Although VIA screening is a priority program in Ethiopia, there is limited scientific evidence on prevalence of VIA screening service utilization and factors influencing screening practices in the community. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of visual inspection with acetic-acid (VIA) service utilization and associated factors in an urban community among women in Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among women aged 30–49 years old who were residents of Hawassa city. The study population (n = 419) was recruited using a multistage random sampling technique. A pretested and structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive and behavioral variables, awareness of cervical cancer and VIA screening, and VIA screening practices. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with VIA screening service utilization.

Results

A total of 411 women aged 30–49 were interviewed with a response rate of 98.1%. The visual inspection with acetic-acid (VIA) screening service was utilized by 85 women (20.7%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that use of VIA screening service was significantly associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.64, 95%CI: 2.15–10.01), having a history of sexually transmitted infection (STI), (AOR = 3.90, 95%CI: 2.02–7.53), having awareness about cervical cancer and VIA screening (AOR = 3.67, 95%CI:1.68–8.04), self-perceived susceptibility (AOR = 3.52,95%CI:1.74–7.13),receiving information from health workers (AOR = 4.519, 95%CI: 1.686–12.114) and having received community health education from health extension workers (AOR = 6.251, 95%CI:2.994–13.050).

Conclusion

Self-reported use of VIA screening was low in the study area. Age of participants, history of STI, awareness of cervical cancer and VIA screening, self- perceived susceptibility, receiving information from health workers and community health education from health extension workers were associated with increased prevalence of VIA screening service utilization. These findings suggest that educational and clinical interventions at the community levels and in healthcare facilities should be strengthened to improve cervical cancer risk knowledge, and to encourage women to seek cervical cancer screening in approved settings to order to increase utilization of the service.
The new trending pain-free cesarean section: TAP block versus IV PCA
Authors: Salem Sondos M. , Abdel-Rasheed Mazen , Gouda Mohammad A. , Salama Sameh
Published: July 2021

Background

Women's pain satisfaction post-cesarean section remains a challenge. Accurate assessment of pain severity of post-cesarean section helps to choose the most appropriate anesthetic approach, drug, and dose, as well as improvement of treatment of postoperative pain. Our objective was to compare the efficacy of ultrasound-assisted transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block versus IV patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in the first 24 h postoperative in women who underwent cesarean section. The primary outcome was postoperative pain at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h. The secondary outcomes were intestinal mobility, early mobilization, nausea, vomiting, heart rate, and respiratory rate.

Results

A cross-sectional study has been conducted on 70 women who are planned for elective cesarean section. They were divided into 2 groups; “group A” (n = 35), women who received TAP block, and “group B” (n = 35), those who received PCA. Pain score, heart rate, respiratory rate, intestinal motility, nausea, and vomiting have been assessed 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h postoperatively. The degree of pain was significantly lower in “group B” than in “group A” in all time intervals (p < 0.001). Heart rate was significantly higher in women in “group B” compared to those in “group A” only at 2 and 4 h postoperative (p < 0.001). Nausea and vomiting were also significantly higher in women in “group B” compared to those in “group A” (pvalue 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). Regarding intestinal motility, it was audible in “group A” earlier than in “group B.”

Conclusions

Both TAP block and PCA are effective in postoperative pain relief after cesarean section; however, PCA is more superior, especially for visceral pain. Nevertheless, TAP block has the privilege of avoiding systemic action of opioids used in PCA. PCA can easily be applied while TAP block needs more training and an intraoperative ultrasound machine. Complications and side effects of both were minimal when adjusting the doses.
Rasgulla—the ethnic Indian sweetmeat delicacy and its evolutionary journey through contemporary research
Authors: Sarkar Tanmay , Salauddin Molla , Chakraborty Runu
Published: July 2021

West Bengal and Odisha, two distinguished provinces of India, are consecrated with prosperous animal resources. Both territories have substantially affluent traditional dairy-based products. Rasgulla is one of such kind of traditional Indian dessert made from milk casein with attractive white colour having a spongy, porous structure and spherical shape, popular all over the world for its taste, flavour and unique texture. It is mainly originated in the West Bengal and Odisha, through a cascade of ethnic gastronomic phenomena. Both the traditional and cutting-edge practice of rasgulla preparation has its own impact on the sensory attributes of the product. Researchers’ approach to improve textural, colour and sensory qualities of this astonishing dairy product has an appulse on overall acceptability of the product. Different types of milk and coagulant have a tremendous effect on the final quality of the product in terms of nutritional, textural and palatability characteristics of rasgulla. To make this traditional sweetmeat more nutritious, fortification and enrichment of functional features have been studied. Anti-diabetic rasgulla has been prepared to conquer the diabetes mellitus through re-modulation in the extent of sugar used to process this sweetmeat. Shelf-life of casein based products is one of the main concerns for researchers, due to abundance of ample amount of nutrients for optimum growth of microorganisms, along with the warm and humid condition of Indian subcontinent which accelerates the microbial propagation. Though the product has immense nutritional and sensory idiosyncrasy as well as folk medicinal importance, it is yet to be explored in coetaneous medical sciences.
Role of diffusion-weighted MRI in diagnosis and post therapeutic follow-up of colorectal cancer
Authors: Sabry Mina Sameh , Rady Amany Emad Eldeen , Niazi Gamal Eldeen Mohamed , Ali Susan Adil
Published: July 2021

Background

The colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. Local tumor stage, vascular or lymphatic invasion, and tumor grade are essential for accurate management. The main imaging modality for initial assessment and therapeutic response evaluation of CRC is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The purpose of this prospective study was to illustrate the role of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value in initial assessment and grading of colorectal carcinoma as well as evaluation of its response to chemotherapy or combined chemoradiation.

Results

Restricted diffusion in DWI was found in 37 out of 40 patients with sensitivity of about 92.5%. In the studied group, the median ADC value was 1.21 (min 0.80, max 1.31) and the average ADC value was 1.14 ± 0.161. The mean ADC value in poorly differentiated tumors was 0.979 × 10−3mm2/s. The mean ADC value in moderately differentiated tumors was 1.112 × 10−3mm2/s. The mean ADC value in well-differentiated tumors was 1.273 × 10−3mm2/s. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were higher with addition of DWI and ADC value to conventional MRI reaching 100%, 80%, 83.3%, 100%, and 90%, respectively.

Conclusion

Adding DW imaging with ADC value to conventional MRI yields better diagnostic accuracy than using conventional MR imaging alone in detection, correlation with tumor histologic grade, initial staging, and response evaluation to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer.
A review of spectral analysis of magnetic data for depth estimation
Authors: Kelemework Y. , Fedi M. , Milano M.
Published: July 2021

Spectral analysis has been used for studying a variety of geologic structures and processes, such as estimation of the depth to the crystalline basement or estimation of the Curie temperature isotherm from magnetic anomalies. However, the analysis is not standard because it refers to different theoretical frameworks, such as statistical ensembles of homogeneous sources and uncorrelated or fractal randomly distributed sources. We have aimed to unify the approaches by reformulating all of the common spectral expressions in the form of a product between a depth-dependent exponential factor and a factor, which we call the spectral correction factor, that incorporates all of the a priori assumptions for each method. This type of organization might be useful for practitioners to quickly select the most appropriate method for a given study area. We also establish a new formula for extending the Spector and Grant method to the centroid depth estimation. Practical constraints on the depth estimation and intrinsic assumptions/limitations of the different approaches are examined by generating synthetic data of homogeneous ensemble sources as well as random and fractal models. We address the statistical uncertainty of depth estimates using ordinary error propagation on the spectral slope. Critical parameters, such as the window size, are also analyzed in terms of the type of method used and the geologic complexity. We find that the window size is smaller for the centroid/modified centroid methods and larger for the spectral peak, defractal, and nonlinear parameter depth estimation methods. In any case, the window size can be large in tectonically stable regions and relatively small over volcanically, tectonically, and geothermally active areas. Finally, we estimate and discuss the depth to the magnetic top and bottom in the Adriatic Sea region (eastern Italy) in the context of the heat flow, Moho depth, and gravity data of the region.
Serum Glycine Levels Are Associated With Cortical Bone Properties and Fracture Risk in Men
Authors: Eriksson Anna L , Friedrich Nele , Karlsson Magnus K , Ljunggren Östen , Lorentzon Mattias , Nethander Maria , Wallaschofski Henri , Mellström Dan , Ohlsson Claes
Published: July 2021

Context

In a recent study a pattern of 27 metabolites, including serum glycine, associated with bone mineral density (BMD).

Objective

To investigate associations for serum and urinary glycine levels with BMD, bone microstructure, and fracture risk in men.

Methods

In the population-based Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Sweden study (men, 69-81 years) serum glycine and BMD were measured at baseline (n = 965) and 5-year follow-up (n = 546). Cortical and trabecular bone parameters of the distal tibia were measured at follow-up using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Urinary (n = 2682) glycine was analyzed at baseline. X-ray-validated fractures (n = 594) were ascertained during a median follow-up of 9.6 years. Associations were evaluated using linear regression (bone parameters) or Cox regression (fractures).

Results

Circulating glycine levels were inversely associated with femoral neck (FN)-BMD. A meta-analysis (n = 7543) combining MrOS Sweden data with data from 3 other cohorts confirmed a robust inverse association between serum glycine levels and FN-BMD (P = 7.7 × 10-9). Serum glycine was inversely associated with the bone strength parameter failure load in the distal tibia (P = 0.002), mainly as a consequence of an inverse association with cortical cross-sectional area and a direct association with cortical porosity. Both serum and urinary glycine levels predicted major osteoporotic fractures (serum: hazard ratio [HR] per SD increase = 1.22, 95% CI, 1.05-1.43; urine: HR = 1.13, 95% CI, 1.02-1.24). These fracture associations were only marginally reduced in models adjusted by FRAX with BMD.

Conclusions

Serum and urinary glycine are indirectly associated with FN-BMD and cortical bone strength, and directly associated with fracture risk in men.
Transient, flexible gene editing in zebrafish neutrophils and macrophages for determination of cell-autonomous functions
Authors: Isiaku Abdulsalam I. , Zhang Zuobing , Pazhakh Vahid , Manley Harriet R. , Thompson Ella R. , Fox Lucy C. , Yerneni Satwica , Blombery Piers , Lieschke Graham J.
Published: July 2021

Zebrafish are an important model for studying phagocyte function, but rigorous experimental systems to distinguish whether phagocyte-dependent effects are neutrophil or macrophage specific have been lacking. We have developed and validated transgenic lines that enable superior demonstration of cell-autonomous neutrophil and macrophage genetic requirements. We coupled well-characterized neutrophil- and macrophage-specific Gal4 driver lines with UAS:Cas9 transgenes for selective expression of Cas9 in either neutrophils or macrophages. Efficient gene editing, confirmed by both Sanger and next-generation sequencing, occurred in both lineages following microinjection of efficacious synthetic guide RNAs into zebrafish embryos. In proof-of-principle experiments, we demonstrated molecular and/or functional evidence of on-target gene editing for several genes (mCherry, lamin B receptor, trim33) in either neutrophils or macrophages as intended. These new UAS:Cas9 tools provide an improved resource for assessing individual contributions of neutrophil- and macrophage-expressed genes to the many physiological processes and diseases modelled in zebrafish. Furthermore, this gene-editing functionality can be exploited in any cell lineage for which a lineage-specific Gal4 driver is available.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
The influence of in vivo mechanical behaviour of the Achilles tendon on the mechanics, energetics and apparent efficiency of bouncing gaits
Authors: Monte Andrea , Nardello Francesca , Magris Riccardo , Tecchio Paolo , Zamparo Paola
Published: July 2021

In this study, we used kinematic, kinetic, metabolic and ultrasound analysis to investigate the role of elastic energy utilization on the mechanical and physiological demands of a movement task (hopping) that primarily involves the plantar-flexor muscles to determine the contribution of tendon work to total mechanical work and its relationship with apparent efficiency (AE) in bouncing gaits. Metabolic power (PMET) and (positive) mechanical power at the whole-body level (PMEC) were measured during hopping at different frequencies (2, 2.5, 3 and 3.5 Hz). The (positive) mechanical power produced during the Achilles tendon recoil phase (PTEN) was obtained by integrating ultrasound data with an inverse dynamic approach. As a function of hopping frequency, PMEC decreased steadily and PMET exhibited a U-shape behaviour, with a minimum at about 3 Hz. AE (PMEC/PMET) showed an opposite trend and was maximal (about 0.50) at the same frequency when PTEN was also highest. Positive correlations were observed: (i) between PTEN and AE (AE=0.22+0.15PTEN, R2=0.67, P<0.001) and the intercept of this relationship indicates the value of AE that should be expected when tendon work is nil; (ii) between AE and tendon gearing (Gt=Δmuscle–tendon unit length/Δmuscle belly length; R2=0.50, P<0.001), where a high Gt indicates that the muscle is contracting more isometrically, thus allowing the movement to be more economical (and efficient); (iii) between Gt and PTEN (R2=0.73, P<0.001), which indicates that Gt could play an important role in the tendon's capability to store and release mechanical power.
Review of statistical methods for assessing the probability of detecting defects in non-destructive testing
Authors: Chertischev Vasiliy , Dalin Mihail , Boychuk Aleksandr , Krasnov Ivan
Published: July 2021

The probability of detection (POD) depends on defects size and is an integral part of calculating the resource during non-destructive testing of parts. This article provides an overview of well-established statistical methods for estimating PODs, with a little historical insight into their emergence. An overview of new advances in POD calculation in recent years is given: three- and four-parameter models; nonparametric models; planning the experiment and sampling of defects; applying defect modeling to reduce the number of samples; the application of the Box-Cox transformation; the influence of the variability of the initial data on the result; application of Bayesian statistics. An overview of the tasks that POD specialists still have to solve in the future: nonlinear models, modeling in conjunction with Bayesian statistics, etc
Development of literacy-based learning for Pancasila and citizenship education in senior high school
Authors: Nuryati Nuryati , Bowo Ahmad Nasir Ari , Paiman Paiman
Published: July 2021

Pancasila is the five principles which becomes the Indonesian ideology. The literacy culture of students, especially in Pancasila and citizenship education learning, is still low. The results of a preliminary observation we did at several high schools in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta, showed that the problem of Pancasila and citizenship education learning was the students' low literacy skills. Solutions are needed to overcome these problems. An alternative solution about literacy based on Pancasila and citizenship education learning model is needed. The citizenship education learning process based on literacy can improve the literacy skills of students. The purpose of this study is to produce a literacy-based Pancasila and citizenship education learning model in senior high school. This type of research is qualitative. The location of this research is senior high schools in Bantul, Yogyakarta. The results showed that the literacy based on Pancasila and citizenship education learning model in senior high schools were: first, school support about literacy culture. Literacy culture facilities include education and school policies and school facilities. Second, the development of literacy based on Pancasila and citizenship education learning include: (1) preliminary stages include: orientation, apperception, motivation, and giving ignorance. Literacy developed is cultural literacy. (2) The core stages include stimulation, problem statements, data collection, verification, and concluding. The literacy developed is cultural literacy, literacy, digital literacy, and scientific literacy. (3) The concluding stage includes summarizing conclusions, reinforcement, feedback, and closing greetings. Literacy activities developed are cultural literacy and reading-writing literacy.
Is mathematics created or discovered? Pre-service teachers’ perception on a classic enigma
Authors: Istihapsari Vita , Rochmad Rochmad , Isnarto Isnarto
Published: July 2021

There are many classic questions about the nature of mathematics which have been an endless debate among philosophers. One of them is about whether mathematics is created or discovered. This research aims to find out the pre-service mathematics teachers’ perception about the classical enigma of mathematics after joining the course of history and philosophy of mathematics education. It was a descriptive qualitative research involving 45 pre-service mathematics teachers in their first-year training. We collected the data using questionnaire and then deepened the findings using semi-structured interview. The results suggest that 40% of the respondents believed that mathematics is created, while the rest 60% believed that mathematics is discovered. The two claims have their basic reasoning in the perspective of the respondents. Those who believed that mathematics is created argued that mathematics exists because of human activities. Therefore, it will never be founded if it is not created first. Meanwhile, those who believed that mathematics is discovered tended to argue that whether or not there is human activities to prove the mathematics phenomena, it is already there as the God created it. Thus, human just discovered it, not create it. Both arguments are interesting and have a potential impact to the mathematics education practice.
Simultaneous detection of complex refractive index and temperature using a compact side-coupled photonic crystal nanobeam cavity
Authors: Han Zhe , Wang Chao , Liu YuanYuan , Tian HuiPing
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we theoretically propose a compact photonic crystal nanobeam cavity (PCNC) side coupled with a waveguide for sensing complex refractive index (CRI) and temperature (

T

). Two Fano resonances are achieved by coupling two discrete states (zeroth-order mode and first-order mode) in a PCNC and the continuous state in the waveguide with a partial transmitting element. The transmission expression is derived based on the temporal coupled-mode theory. By measuring the wavelength shifts and shape changes of two Fano resonances in the transmission spectrum, not only the real part of the refractive index (RRI) and the imaginary part of the refractive index (IRI) can be sensed simultaneously, but also the effect of

T

on CRI is considered. The sensitivities of RRI for zeroth-order mode and first-order mode are 152.7 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) and 183.7 nm/RIU, respectively. The sensitivities of IRI are

−

461

/

R
I
U

and

−

198

/

R
I
U

for zeroth-order mode and first-order mode, respectively. The

T

sensitivities for zeroth-order mode and first-order mode are 58.6 pm/K and 55.6 pm/K, respectively. The fringe visibility values of both modes are more than 0.5. The relationship between structural parameters and coupling effect is studied and the effect of

T

on detection accuracy is discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first geometry to simultaneously sense CRI and

T

. Moreover, the total footprint of the device is only

11

×

1.45

×

0.22

(

l
e
n
g
t
h

×

w
i
d
t
h

×

h
e
i
g
h
t

)

µ

m

3

, which will contribute to the large-scale integrated sensor array on chip.
Thin mini-LED backlight using reflective mirror dots with high luminance uniformity for mobile LCDs
Authors: Kikuchi Sho , Shibata Yosei , Ishinabe Takahiro , Fujikake Hideo
Published: July 2021

A new mini light-emitting diode (mini-LED) backlight with reflective dots is proposed for high luminance uniformity, high contrast ratio, and low power consumption for use in mobile liquid crystal displays. The proposed backlight, comprising a small number of mini-LEDs, was verified as having high luminance uniformity and high light use efficiency, due to the optimized reflective dots, backlight thickness and light distribution of the mini-LEDs. Moreover, the light leakage to adjacent segments was reduced by cutting a slit between each segment, improving the light use efficiency per segment and suppressing halo artifacts.
Strain-, curvature- and twist-independent temperature sensor based on a small air core hollow core fiber structure
Authors: Liu Dejun , Li Wei , Wu Qiang , Ling Fengzi , Tian Ke , Shen Changyu , Wei Fangfang , Farrell Gerald , Semenova Yuliya , Wang Pengfei
Published: July 2021

Cross-sensitivity (crosstalk) to multiple parameters is a serious but common issue for most sensors and can significantly decrease the usefulness and detection accuracy of sensors. In this work, a high sensitivity temperature sensor based on a small air core (10 µm) hollow core fiber (SACHCF) structure is proposed. Co-excitation of both anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) and Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) guiding mechanisms in transmission are demonstrated. It is found that the strain sensitivity of the proposed SACHCF structure is decreased over one order of magnitude when a double phase condition (destructive condition of MZI and resonant condition of ARROW) is satisfied. In addition, due to its compact size and a symmetrical configuration, the SACHCF structure shows ultra-low sensitivity to curvature and twist. Experimentally, a high temperature sensitivity of 31.6 pm/°C, an ultra-low strain sensitivity of −0.01pm/µε, a curvature sensitivity of 18.25 pm/m−1, and a twist sensitivity of −22.55 pm/(rad/m) were demonstrated. The corresponding temperature cross sensitivities to strain, curvature and twist are calculated to be −0.00032 °C/µε, 0.58 °C/m−1 and 0.71 °C/(rad/m), respectively. The above cross sensitivities are one to two orders of magnitude lower than that of previously reported optical fiber temperature sensors. The proposed sensor shows a great potential to be used as a temperature sensor in practical applications where influence of multiple environmental parameters cannot be eliminated.