bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of AGT (T704C) and NOS3 (G894T) Gene Polymorphisms with Treatment-Resistant Hypertension in the Uzbek Population
Authors: Masharipov Sh , Abdullaeva G , Khamidullaeva G , Zakirova D , Abdullaev A
Published: June 2023

The aim of our study was to assess the effect of polymorphic markers of the AGT T704C (M235T) rs699 and NOS3 G894T (Glu298Asp) rs1799983 SNPs on the risk of the development of treatment-resistant hypertension (TRH). Methods and Results: The study included 178 patients (mean age of 56.67±11.12 years) with AH Grades 1-3 (ESC/ESH, 2018), who were on outpatient treatment at the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Cardiology. Genomic DNA samples were isolated from the peripheral blood leukocytes by using the DiatomТМ DNA Prep 200 Kit (Isogen Laboratory LLC, Moscow, Russia) according to manufacturer`s protocol. A multiplex RT-PCR assay was used to detect the AGT T704C (M235T) rs699 SNP and NOS3 G894T (Glu298Asp) rs1799983 SNP. We studied the distribution of the AGT T704C (M235T) rs699 polymorphism in 61 Uzbek patients with TRH (cases) and 117 Uzbek patients with non-TRH (controls) (Group 1) and the distribution of the NOS3 G894T (Glu298Asp) rs1799983 polymorphism in 61 Uzbek patients with TRH (cases) and 115 Uzbek patients with non-TRH (controls) (Group 2). Our results indicate a significantly greater accumulation of the C allele and CC genotype of the AGT T704C (M235T) rs699 SNP among TRH patients than among patients with non-TRH. We found a significant association between the AGT T704C (M235T) rs699 SNP and the risk of TRH under the multiplicative genetic model (C vs. T : OR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.17-2.92, P=0.006), additive model (CC vs.TT vs. TC; OR=3.00, 95% CI: 1.56-5.75, P=0.009), and recessive model (CC vs. TC+TT; OR=3.00, 95% CI: 1.56-5.75, P=0.0008). For the NOS3 G894T (Glu298Asp) rs1799983 SNP, the multiplicative model showed a significant risk of TRH with the carriage of the T allele (OR=1.99, 95% CI: 1.20-3.28, P=0.007), and the additive model showed a significant risk of TRH with the carriage of the heterozygous GT genotype (OR=2.25, 95% CI: 1.17-4.33, P=0.01). At the same time, the carriage of the G allele (OR=0.5, 95% CI: 0.30-0.83, P=0.007) and GG genotype (OR=0.40, 95% CI: 0.21-0.76, P=0.01) may be protective against the development of TRH. Conclusion: Further genetic studies of TRH may help achieve better individual outcomes by optimizing drug therapy based on genetic variation.
Prevalence of Isolated Bacteria from Urinary Tracts and Antibiotic Resistance Trend in Peja Region, Kosovo
Authors: Loxhaj Ilirjana , Hoxha-Gashi Sanije , Petrovska Sunchica , Loxha Sadushe
Published: June 2023

Background: Urinary tract infections are the most frequent bacterial infections, causing significant morbidity at a high cost of effectiveness. The main purpose of the research was to determine the prevalence and the resistance of gram-negative bacteria in urine samples in the Peja region. Methods and Results: This cohort longitudinal, prospective-retrospective study was conducted in the microbiological laboratories of the regional hospital in Peja and the Regional Centre of Public Health in Peja. The research includes all urine samples tested for gram-negative bacteria from 2018 to 2020. A total of 12,791 urine samples were analyzed in the study, of which 2316 (18.11%) were positive for the growth of gram-negative pathogenic strains, and 10,479 (81.89%) were negative. The most frequently isolated bacteria were E. coli (83.2%), followed by Proteus spp., Klebsiella spp., Acinetobacter spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.18%, 4.79%, 2.42% and 2.37% respectively). From the data of our research, we can conclude that E. coli, Proteus spp, and Klebsiella spp. were the three commonly isolated microorganisms in the Peja region. A trend of increased resistance of E. coli to ampicillin was registered from 37.41% in 2018 to 65.58% in 2020; to tobramycin - from 3.68% in 2018 to 5.97% in 2020; to cefalexin from 29.41% in 2018 to 31.09% in 2020; to cefuroxime from 23.7% in 2018 to 28.99% in 2020; to cefotaxime from 21.32% in 2018 to 27.94% in 2020; ceftazidime from 18.84% in 2018 to 27.54% in 2020; to piperacillin from 28.73% in 2018 to 34.97% in 2020; to nitrofurantoin from 5.98% in 2018 to 8.21% in 2020; and to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole from 35.56% in 2018 to 42.77% in 2020. In the analyzed period, a trend of the increased resistance of Proteus spp. to ampicillin was registered from 31.43% in 2018 to 81.25% in 2020 and to imipenem from 4.76% in 2018 to 12% in 2020. The resistance rates of Klebsiella spp. strains isolated in 2020 (100% to ampicillin, 5% to amikacin, 38.46% to ofloxacin, 8.7% to imipenem, 33.33% to nitrofurantoin) were higher than those reported in 2018 (87.5%, 2.94%, 34.62%, 6.25%, and 28.21%, respectively). Conclusion: Data from this study can be used to control antibiotic susceptibility trends, create local antibiotic policies, and help clinicians in the rational choice of antibiotic therapy, thereby preventing indiscriminate antibiotic use.
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Drug Abuse Among Inmates in Kosovo Prisons
Authors: Gjocaj Milazim , Ukelli Shqipe , Shahini Labinot , Kabashi Klodeta , Krasniqi Blerim , Idrizaj Arian , Kabashi Serbeze , Maloku Hedije , Shatri Granit , Rexhepi Adelina , Prekazi Vala , Salihaj Nora , Muçaj Sefedin
Published: June 2023

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in drug use among inmates in prisons worldwide, including Kosovo, due to restrictions on visitation and addiction recovery programs. Objectives: This study analyzed drug use among 33,144 inmates in Kosovo prisons over nine years and aimed to identify potential solutions, foster collaboration between relevant institutions, and develop better programs and treatments. Methods and Results: The study is based on data from the medical files of inmates examined over nine years (2014-2022) in 10 Kosovo prison health units. From the total number of inmates, 8.22% were identified as drug users, and the percentage of drug use among inmates steadily increased from 5.8% in 2014 to 15.48% in 2019. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, there was a decrease of 1.16% (from 15.48% to 14.28%), which was the first decrease in six years. The study also found a disproportional decrease in the number of inmates admitted during the same period. The Medico Psycho Therapeutic Center “Labyrinth” showed a similar trend. Suicide attempts, death under custody, and tobacco use increased linearly, with alcohol use remaining stable. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for effective prevention, treatment, and management strategies for drug use among inmates and the general population in Kosovo. Continuous collaboration between relevant institutions and stakeholders is essential to improve the health and well-being of those affected by drug use and create a brighter future for Kosovo.
Assessment of Red Cell Distribution Width among Sudanese Patients with Subclinical Hypothyroidism
Authors: Mohamedahmed Khalid Abdelsamea , Mubarak Mowahib Omar , Talha Albadawi Abdebagi , Suliman Rania Saad , Abbas Amin Omer Ibrahim , Zeen Mosab Omer Khalid Mohammed , Altoum Abd Elgadir Alamin , Babker Asaad Ma
Published: June 2023

Background: Thyroid dysfunction has a strong association with anemia. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) was traditionally regarded as a part of the routine evaluation of anemia. Several studies have indicated that elevated RDW level is significantly associated with subclinical hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism. The present study aimed to assess the impact of subclinical hypothyroidism (SHT) on RDW in Sudanese patients. Methods and Results: The study was designed as a case-control, laboratory-based study carried out at the National Cancer Institute – University of Gezira (NCI-UG) (Wad Medani, Gezira State, Sudan) from January to October 2020.The samples were collected randomly from 100 subjects: 50 patients (mean age 38.50±10.46 years; 36% males and 64% females) with hypothyroidism (case group) and 50 apparently healthy individuals (mean age 35.52±11.64 years; 46% males and 54% females) (control group). The case group was divided into 2 subgroups: Sub1 included 43(86%) patients with SHT grade 1 (TSH of 6-10μIU/mL), and Sub2 included 7(14%) patients with SHT grade 2 (TSH>10μIU/mL). A 3ml venous blood sample was collected in an EDTA container from each participant. The parameters of the RBCs (RBC count, MCV, RDW-CV, and RDW-SD) were measured using the Sysmex XP-300 Automated Hematology Analyzer. In the case group, the average levels of RDW-SD, RDW-CV, and MCV were higher than in the control group (P=0.000 in all cases). There was a significant difference in RDW-CV between Sub1 and Sub2 (P=0.040). We found no significant differences in RDW-SD and RDW-CV between different age groups. There was a significant difference in RBC count between different age groups (P=0.022), and significant differences in RBC count and MCV between males and females. RDW-SD and RDW-CV had a significant positive correlation within TSH and a significant negative correlation within T3 and T4. Conclusion: RDW-CV may be used as a marker of SHT grade 2.
The Need for Increased HPV Vaccination Awareness and Access
Authors: Hussein Ramadan S , Abahussein Othman
Published: June 2023

Human papillomavirus (HPV) in the genital region is a frequently occurring sexually transmitted disease that can result in genital warts and various types of cancer. Most sexually active individuals acquire HPV at a certain point during their lifetime, but fortunately, several of the most harmful HPV types are preventable with vaccinations. All boys and girls aged 9 to 12 should get the HPV vaccine, although it can be given to individuals up to age 45. The HPV vaccine triggers an immune response that helps the body recognize and fight off the virus. There are currently two different HPV vaccines available: Gardasil and Cervarix. Gardasil guards against the two HPV strains that most commonly result in cervical cancer (CC) and various additional strains that can result in genital warts or other types of cancer. Cervarix only offers protection against the two forms of HPV that trigger CC. Mild side effects may occur, but more severe side effects are rare. Despite the availability of HPV vaccination, vaccination rates remain suboptimal in many countries. Raising awareness and expanding access to HPV vaccination are critical steps toward reducing HPV-related diseases. This article explores the basics of HPV and the role of vaccination in preventing its spread.
Vitamin Deficiencies and Their Impact on Skin Function
Authors: Salman Bin Dayel Salman Bin , Hussein Ramadan S
Published: June 2023

Vitamins are essential dietary items because of their functions as enzyme cofactors and catalysts in the body. Vitamin deficiency can significantly impact the skin, leading to a variety of dermatological problems, such as dryness, premature aging, hyperpigmentation, palmoplantar keratoderma, and even nail disorders. Alcoholism, rigid diets, inadequate parental nourishment, and intestinal absorption issues may all be factors in vitamin deficits. The most commonly deficient vitamins in relation to skin health are vitamin A, biotin, vitamin C, and vitamin D. Vitamin A helps to maintain the skin's barrier function and promote skin cell growth, while biotin helps to support the skin's underlying structure. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis and skin brightening, and vitamin D is a crucial nutrient for overall health, including the skin. A balanced and varied diet and proper skin care can help prevent and address vitamin deficiencies, keeping the skin healthy and radiant. This review examines the most common vitamin deficiencies and their impact on the skin.
On the Problem of Arrangement of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems
Authors: Dobrego K. V.
Published: June 2023

. Electric energy storage systems are widely used in electric transport, power engineering and in order to provide autonomous power supply and load regulation of power systems. One of the ways to increase the technical and economic efficiency of storage devices is their hybridization, i. e. the creation of storage devices consisting of blocks of different types of batteries. The special literature contains no systematic analysis of qualitative and quantitative effects of hybridization and corresponding methodological recommendations for choosing a scheme and evaluating the effectiveness of hybridization. In the present article, this issue is considered from a theoretical and methodological standpoint, recommendations are given for the design of storage devices serving solar or low-power wind farms. A brief overview of data on the cost of buffering electricity with lithium-ion, lead-acid batteries and supercapacitors is made. A method is proposed for determining the necessity and degree of hybridization of an energy storage device based on the simplest dependencies of the storage parameters on the degree of hybridization. The notions of the coefficient of synergetic effect of hybridization and the degree of internal buffering of electricity are introduced. A quantitative-and-qualitative model for evaluating the effectiveness of hybridization is presented. A methodological approach is proposed for calculating the degree of internal recovery and evaluating the coefficient of synergetic effect of hybridization. It is shown that, in general, the adding of supercapacitor unit to lithium-ion batteries a does not lead to a reduction in the cost of buffering electricity due to the high ratio of the cost of buffering with a supercapacitor to the cost of buffering with lithium-ion batteries. At the same time, the economic feasibility of using supercapacitors to compensate for high pulse loads can be determined on basis of the analysis of the frequency spectrum of the load graph of the storage unit. The developed models and approaches can be used in the design of electrochemical energy storage systems for specified operating conditions.
Simulation of the Operation of a Borehole Groundwater Intake with an Annular Prefabricated Conduit
Authors: Veremenyuk V. V. , Ivashechkin V. V. , Krytskaya V. I.
Published: June 2023

Among the considered options for schemes of prefabricated water conduits of borehole water intakes, the main ones are linear and ring schemes. The article presents a comparative analysis of the linear and ring schemes for the placement of prefabricated water conduits when choosing an option for designing a group well water intake with a circular arrangement of wells. It is founded that a small water intake with individual radial connections to the prefabricated unit can have advantages in reducing energy consumption for water transportation as compared to a water intake with an annular prefabricated conduit, which in any case should be justified by a feasibility comparison of options, which is based on hydraulic calculation water supply systems. Equations have been obtained for calculating the pumping rates of water intake wells with linear prefabricated conduits. It is shown that in an annular prefabricated conduit, in contrast to a linear one, in which the direction of movement of water flows is unambiguously known, there is always a point of separation of two flows directed along the ring to the prefabricated unit clockwise and counterclockwise, which makes it difficult to calculate such water intakes. Moreover, the position of this point depends on the number of water intake wells involved in the work and the parameters of the pipes connecting the sections of the water conduit. The absence of algorithms for calculating the ring prefabricated conduit with non-fixed flow rates at the well connection points complicates the hydraulic calculation, and, hence, finding the optimal water intake option. The article presents an algorithm for the hydraulic calculation of a water intake with a single-ring prefabricated conduit, which is based on the equation for the equality of pressure losses when water moves from the point of separation of two flows to the prefabricated unit along various paths and the continuity equation. The resulting algorithm can be easily extended to any number of wells. A numerical example of the hydraulic calculation of a group water intake, consisting of eight wells connected to an annular prefabricated, is considered.
Optimization of 12Х18Н9Т-Steel Processing by Ring Laser Beams
Authors: Bayevich G. A. , Nikitjuk Yu. V. , Myshkovets V. N. , Maximenko A. V. , Aushev I. Yu.
Published: June 2023

Using the MOGA genetic algorithm built into the DesignXplorer module of the ANSYS Workbench program, optimization of laser processing of 12Х18Н9Т-steel  by annular beams has been performed. The calculation of temperature fields has been carried out taking into account the dependence of the thermophysical properties of the material on temperature 

by the finite element method in the ANSYS Workbench program. A regression model has been obtained for processing 12Х18Н9Т-steel  by annular laser beams using a face-centered variant of the central compositional plan of the experiment. The power density and duration of laser radiation pulses, the outer and inner diameters of the laser beam in the processing plane were used as variable factors. The penetration depths of the material and the maximum temperatures in the laser processing zone were used as responses. The influence of processing parameters on the penetration depths of the material in the laser impact zone and the maximum temperature values has been evaluated. It has been established that the depth of penetration of the material and the maximum temperatures are most affected by the power density of laser radiation. Optimization of laser processing of 12Х18Н9Т-steel  by annular beams was carried out by setting the limiting values of the maximum tempe-rature in the processing zone for three variants of the minimum penetration depth. The parameters obtained as a result of optimization using the MOGA algorithm and the parameters obtained as a result of finite element modeling are compared. The maximum relative error of the results when determining the maximum temperatures did not exceed 1 % and when determining the maximum penetration depths did not exceed 6 %.
Economic and Organizational Mechanism for Stimulating Development of Environmentally Friendly Technologies in Transport
Authors: Mesnik D. N. , Vecherko D. F.
Published: June 2023

he demand for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, supported by green technologies and the IT-sector, is making significant changes in the structural transformation of the economy. The coverage of energy and raw materials markets bythe reduction in the consumption of petroleum products does not allow us to assert confidently that tax losses will be compensated by revenues from the increase in electricity consumption, including from the transport infrastructure. This is partly due to different levels of taxation of electricity and oil products. Removing obstacles hindering the development of electric vehicles through fiscal policy is an important prerogative of the state. On the part of the state, timely measures are needed regarding the revision of taxes and tax rates in support of the development of mechanisms for the introduction of environmentally friendly electric transport, plug-in hybrids, adaptive expansion of infrastructure for vehicle categories M, MG, N, NG, as well as minimizing losses from tax maneuvers of foreign trade relations. Investors are more likely to respond to positive market signals, where in many cases government regulation has a significant impact on the sustainable and economically safe formation of the investment climate. The development of electric transport narrows the fleet of cars on internal combustion engines, or on a fossil energy source. The fall in demand for oil products will hold back the replenishment of the budget revenue savings by reducing tax revenues on fuel. In order to avoid loss of economic benefits with the renewal of the car fleet  with electric vehicles, the paper examines the mechanism for  adapting the motor vehicle service to modern challenges of the global economy.
Design and Early Age Performance of Sustainable One-Part Geopolymers for Well Cementing
Authors: Omran Mohamed , Paiva Maria , Khalifeh Mahmoud
Published: June 2023

One-part geopolymers, known as “just add water” (JAW), alkali-activated formulation is presented in this work. This work reveals the design and development of short-term properties of JAW geopolymers for use in oilwell cementing and well abandonment. Granite-based mix designs normalized with a byproduct slag and a small amount of microsilica as precursors were developed. The solid activator is composed of potassium silicate and potassium hydroxide, which are mixed with the precursors to synthesize the JAW formulation. Zinc oxide is used as a strength booster admixture. The cementing properties of the developed granite-based mix designs were characterized by investigating reaction phases and mechanical properties. Dissolution, heat evolution, pumpability, strength development, and mineralogy are also studied. The results show that a positive correlation among all the given analyses for the final geopolymeric product is quite observable. Zinc oxide is favorable to be added for optimizing the given precursor mix design to enhance the solubility and leads to much higher heat evolutions. Furthermore, it develops early strength up to 16 MPa without any negative effect on the investigated one-part geopolymer slurries.
De-scattering Deep Neural Network Enables Fast Imaging of Spines through Scattering Media by Temporal Focusing Microscopy
Authors: Wei Zhun , Boivin Josiah , Xue Yi , Burnell Kendyll , Wijethilake Navodini , Chen Xudong , So Peter , Nedivi Elly , Wadduwage Dushan
Published: June 2023

Today the gold standard for in vivo imaging through scattering tissue is point-scanning two-photon microscopy (PSTPM), especially in neuroscience. However, due to sequential scanning, PSTPM is slow. With wide-field illumination, temporal focusing microscopy (TFM), on the other hand, is much faster. However, since a camera detector is used, TFM suffers from the scattering of emission photons. So in TFM images fluorescent signals from small structures such as dendritic spines are obscured. In this work we present DeScatterNet to de-scatter TFM images. Using a 3D convolutional neural network, we build a map from TFM to PSTPM modalities, enabling fast TFM imaging while maintaining high image quality through scattering media. We demonstrate this approach for in-vivo imaging of dendritic spines on pyramidal neurons in the mouse visual cortex. We quantitatively show that our trained network recovers biologically relevant features previously buried in the scattered fluorescence in the TFM images. In-vivo imaging that combines TFM and the proposed neural network is one to two orders of magnitude faster than PSTPM but retains the high quality necessary to analyze small fluorescent structures. The proposed approach could also be beneficial for improving the performance of many speed-demanding deep-tissue imaging applications, such as in-vivo voltage imaging.
Identification And Function Analysis Of GABA branch Three Gene Families In The Cotton Related To Abiotic Stresses
Authors: Zheng Juyun , Zhang Zeliang , Zhang Nala , Liang Yajun , Gong Zhaolong , Wang Junhao , DITTA Allah , Sang Zhiwei , Wang Junduo , Li Xueyuan
Published: June 2023

γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA) is closely related to the growth, development and stress resistance of plants. Combined with the previous study of GABA to promote the cotton against abiotic stresses, the characteristics and expression patterns of GABA branch gene family laid the foundation for further explaining its role in cotton stress mechanism. Members of GAD, GAB-T and SSADH (three gene families of GABA branch) were identified from the Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium barbadense , Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium raimondii genome. The GABA branch genes were 10 GAD genes, 4 GABA-T genes and 2 SSADH genes. The promoter sequences of genes mainly contains response-related elements such as light, hormone and environment.Phylogenetic analysis shows that GAD indicating that even in the same species, the homologous sequences in the family. The GABA-T gene of each cotton genus was in sum the family had gene loss in the process of dicotyledon evolution. SSADH families Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium barbadense, Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium raimondii were closely related to the dicot plants.GABA gene is involved in the regulation of salt stress and high temperature in Gossypium hirsutum.GABA attenuated part of the abiotic stress damage by increasing leaf protective enzyme activity and reducing reactive oxygen species production.This lays the foundation for a thorough analysis of the mechanism of GABA in cotton stress resistance.
In vitro effects of different essential oils and their major components on Fasciola hepatica
Authors: Vieira Fernanda de Paula Roldi , Novaes Marcelle Temporim , Archanjo Anderson Barros , de Queiroz Vagner Tebaldi , Costa Adilson Vidal , Martins Isabella Vilhena Freire
Published: June 2023

This study evaluated in vitro Cinnamomum verum, Syzygium aromaticum, Origanum vulgare, Thymus vulgaris essential oils activity and its major components eugenol, carvacrol and thymol on the motility and Fasciola hepatica integument surface. The trematodes were incubated in solutions containing these compounds in concentrations of 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.1% and had their essential oils motility recorded at 3, 12, 15 and 24 hours after incubation. The chromatographic analysis revealed eugenol as the major compound of C. verum and S. aromaticum, while O. vulgare and T. vulgaris presented
carvacrol as the main component. The images obtained by scanning electronic microscopy of the specimens after 24 hours of incubation revealed the tegumentary alterations presence such as blebbing, spine loss and extensive sloughing with basal lamina exposure. The results obtained in the in vitro test demonstrated that essential oils and major components had a dose-dependent effect on the motility and integument surface of F. hepatica, having the essential oils of O. vulgare and T. vulgaris and the components carvacrol and thymol presenting the best results at lower concentration and time.
Visualize what you learn: a well-explainable joint-learning framework based on multi-view mammograms and associated reports
Authors: Gao Yuan , Zhou Hong-Yu , Wang Xin , Zhang Tianyu , Tan Regina , Han Luyi , Estacio Laura , D’Angelo Anna , Teuwen Jonas , Mann Ritse , Tan Tao
Published: June 2023

Radiological image and report joint pre-training learning lays the foundation for label-limited medical image analysis, especially when training of effective neural networks is hindered by insufficient manually labeled samples. It can extract abundant medical-related knowledge from paired images and reports to learn the well-transferable features, thus alleviating the need for labor-intensive and time-consuming labeling in downstream applications. However, existing methods prioritize exploring transferable representations rather than explaining how these representations are learned. In this study, we propose a well-explained radiograph-report joint pre-training framework, applied to label-efficient abnormality recognition in mammograms. We address the challenges of learning and visualizing the alignment between the exam-level report and the corresponding mammographic examination consisting of bilateral views in several directions. Qualitatively, our model provides researchers with a better understanding of representation learning for further improvement of pre-training and downstream tasks. We evaluate the label-efficiency ability of our method by comparing it to several state-of-the-art uni-modal and multi-modal methods. The results on four datasets show that our approach brings significant improvements under limited supervision for various downstream tasks. It, therefore, may serve as a novel practical framework exploiting co-learning between multi-view radiological images and radiologists' reports. Furthermore, it has the potential to offer valuable insights into interpretable and comparable tools in the domain of pre-training.
WG-Storm Scheduler for Distributed Stream Processing Engines
Authors: Ali Rizwan , Muhammad Asif , Aleem Muhammad , Shafiq Omair
Published: June 2023

Stream Processing Engines (SPEs) allow applications to process a large amount of data in real-time. However, to schedule big data applications; the SPEs create several challenges in terms of load balancing, resource utilization, etc. As the volume of data increases over time, it also poses a challenge to predict the resource and application requirements for processing. All these factors play an important role, they can cause problems in achieving maximum throughput due to inefficiency in any of them. Most SPEs ignore the topology, which may minimize throughput during scheduling and may increase network latency. In this paper, we proposed a topology-aware and resource-aware scheduler (named WG-Storm) based on Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) that enhances the resource usage and overall throughput using efficient tasks assignment. WG-Storm is built on Apache Storm and results are generated using the 2 linear topologies and compared with the 5 state-of-art schedulers including the (A3-Storm, Default, Isolation, Multi-tenant, and Resource-aware). Results have shown up to 30% throughput improvement using minimum resource usage in heterogeneous clusters.
Quantifying physical activity needed to mitigate genetic risk for obesity
Authors: Han lide , Annis Jeffrey , Master Hiral , Hughes Andrew , Roden Dan , Harris Paul , Ruderfer Douglas , Brittain Evan
Published: June 2023

Despite consistent public health recommendations, obesity rates continue to increase. Physical activity (e.g. daily steps) is a well-established modifier of body weight. Genetic background is an important, but typically uncaptured, contributor to obesity risk. Leveraging physical activity, clinical, and genetic data from the All of Us Research Program, we measured the impact of genetic risk of obesity on the level of physical activity needed to reduce incident obesity. For example, we show that an additional 3,310 steps per day (11,910 steps total) would be needed to mitigate a 25% higher than average genetic risk of obesity. We quantify the number of daily steps needed to mitigate obesity risk across the spectrum of genetic risk. This work quantifies the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk showing significant independent effects and provides a first step towards personalized activity recommendations that incorporate genetic information to reduce incident obesity risk.
Trichomes on Cotton Leaf Surface Affect the Feeding Behaviors of Cotton Aphids (Aphis gossypii)
Authors: Yang Muzhi , Liu Chunyan , Zhao Tianyi , Li Yichao , Liu Huayan , Ren Zhentao , Xue Kun
Published: June 2023

Aphis gossypii Glover is one of the most important pests in cotton seedling. The specialized mouthpart and short generation time made them seriously restricted the cotton yield. With the electrical penetration graph (EPG), optical microscope, and scanning electron microscope, the physical characteristics of trichomes on the cotton leaf surface and their effects on the stylet penetration behaviors of cotton aphids were investigated in this study. Two types of leaf trichomes, glandular trichomes, and asteroid non-glandular trichomes were observed on the surface of cotton leaves under optical and scanning electron microscopes. As a whole, EPG results mainly showed differences in non-probing period which meant searching on the leaf surface, and potential drop waveform which meant intracellular punctures. Whereas pathway waveform, xylem ingestion waveform, and phloem ingestion waveform showed inconspicuous differences. Detailed indicators were slightly different at different periods. Our results suggested that the structure of trichomes may affect the searching behaviors of herbivorous insect pests and hence regulate the plant-environment interactions.
Airfall volume of the 15 January 2022 eruption of Hunga volcano estimated from ocean color changes
Authors: Kelly Liam James , Fauria Kristen E , Manga Michael , Cronin Shane J , Latu'ila Folauhola Helina , Paredes-Mariño Joali , Mittal Tushar , Bennartz Ralf
Published: June 2023

On 15 January 2022, Hunga volcano erupted, creating an extensive and high-reaching umbrella cloud over the open ocean, hindering traditional isopach mapping and fallout volume estimation. In MODIS satellite imagery, ocean surface water was discolored around Hunga following the eruption, which we attribute to ash fallout from the umbrella cloud. By relating intensity of ocean discoloration to fall deposit thicknesses in the Kingdom of Tonga, we develop a methodology for estimating airfall volume over the open ocean. Ash thickness measurements from 41 locations are used to fit a linear relationship between ash thickness and ocean reflectance. This produces an airfall volume estimate of ~ 1.7 km3. The whole eruption produced > 10 km3 of pyroclastic units on the sea floor. Our fall estimates suggest that these must be dominated by gravity current deposits. This new ocean-discoloration method provides an airfall volume estimate consistent with other independent measures of the plume and is thus effective for rapidly estimating fallout volumes in future eruptions of volcanoes over oceans.
Association Between Bacterial Vaginosis With HPV in US (NHANES 2003–2004)
Authors: Qi Jie , Dai Congwei , song Liyun , Zhang Junqin
Published: June 2023

Objective
The balance of vaginal microecology is closely related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical lesions. This study mainly investigates the relationship between bacterial vaginosis (BV) and HPV infection.
Methods
This study included 1,310 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2003–2004). We used logistic regression analysis and subgroup analysis to examine the association between BV and HPV infection.
Results
There was a significant positive association between BV and HPV infection in women after adjustment for other confounders. In subgroup analyses stratified by age, BMI, and race, the positive association between BV and HPV infection persisted.
Conclusion
This cross-sectional study demonstrated a positive association between BV and HPV infection in women.
A qualitative study examining the impact of COVID-19 on capacity for sustainability of tobacco control programs
Authors: Gannon Jessica , Moreland-Russell Sarah
Published: June 2023

Background
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presented a significant stressor on the public health system in the United States. While we know the immediate effects of the pandemic on public health programming, no literature has examined the resultant long-term impact on programmatic capacity for sustainability. This paper aims to identify the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on state tobacco control program’s capacity for sustainability.
Methods
From December 2018 to January 2022, we conducted 46 technical assistance calls with tobacco control program employees from 11 states. Calls were audio recorded and professionally transcribed. Thematic analysis focused on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on tobacco control program’s capacity for sustainability.
Results
We identified six domains of sustainability that were impacted by COVID-19: (1) funding stability; (2) organizational capacity; (3) partnerships; (4) communication; (5) strategic planning; and (6) program adaptation.
Conclusions
Our study is the first to identify the impact of the pandemic on capacity for sustainability of tobacco control programs. Having an understanding of COVID-19’s influence on these sustainability domains could help with future public health programming during significant public health events and emergency preparedness.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03598114
Registration date: Retrospectively registered July 2, 2018
The Value of Radiomics Features Based on High-Resolution CT to Predicting if the Lung Sub-centimeter Pure Ground Glass Nodule is Benign or Malignant
Authors: Ping Xiaoxia , Liu Yuanqing , Hong Rong , Hu Su , Hu Chunhong
Published: June 2023

Background The study was to develop a radiomics model based on a high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan to noninvasively analyze the benign and malignant sub-centimeter pure ground glass nodule (pGGN).
Methods The study included 235 patients with 251 sub-centimeter pGGN (training cohort: n=176; validation cohort: n=75) who underwent preoperative HRCT scans. The volume of interest was manually delineated in the thin-slice lung window, from which 1316 radiomics features were extracted. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select the useful radiomics features. The multivariable logistic regression was used to select the clinically important risk factors. The mean CT value model, imaging features model, radiomics model, and combined model were constructed, and the performance was evaluated by receiving operator characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). A nomogram based on the combined model was developed.
Results Gender, mean diameter, shape, margin, and mean CT value were independent clinical risk predictors for predicting the malignancy of sub-centimeter pGGN, and enrolled them to build the clinical predictive model. A total of 39 radiomics features were selected to build the radiomics predictive model. In the validation cohort, the area under the curve (AUC) of the radiomics model (AUC=0.877) and combined model (AUC=0.898) were higher than the mean CT value model (AUC=0.670) and imaging features model (AUC=0.733) (all P<0.05).
Conclusion The radiomics model may be useful in predicting the benign and malignant sub-centimeter pGGN before surgery.
Construction of hollow heterogeneous microspheres containing energy storage fibers by electric spray to promote combustion of nano aluminum
Authors: Zhang Mi , Wu Xinzhou , Chen Yongjin , Ren Hui , Jiao Qingjie
Published: June 2023

To solve the problem of nano-aluminum (nAl) powder easy agglomeration and improve its thermal reaction, nAl was hybrid with adhesive (Viton A, F2602) and oxidizer (Ammonium perchlorate, AP) forming microspheres by electrostatic spray method. The morphology and structure were analyzed by SEM, EDS and XPS. The results showed that the microspheres (diameter ≈ Φ10 ~ 15 µm) were hollow structures formed by winding of fluoropolymer fibers, while AP and nano aluminum particles were embedded on the fibers. By controlling the electric spray process, the well-dispersed AP and nAl nanocrystals were assembled on the fiber. Thermal analysis indicated that the gas phase products decomposed by AP were absorbed by porous microspheres, and part of the heat was stored in polymer fibers, thus promoting the breakdown of the alumina shell and accelerating the pre-ignition reaction. The combustion and laser ignition experiments proved hollow heterogeneous microspheres have excellent thermodynamic properties. The assembled microspheres not only solved the problem of poor rheology caused by the agglomeration of nAl, but also improved the insufficient combustion of nAl and the condensation of products.
Milling characteristics of SiCp/2024Al composites thin-walled part based on movable auxiliary support
Authors: Zhijie Gao , Peng Zhu , Shu Yang , Zuoshan Wei , Qitong Wang , li zhou
Published: June 2023

Due to milling force and milling heat, thin-walled parts are highly susceptible to deformation and even scrap. In this paper, a method of milling thin-walled part based on the movable auxiliary support was proposed, and the second developed VDLOAD subroutine was used to simulate the movement of auxiliary support. The influences of the magnitude and area of the movable auxiliary support on the surface temperature, deformation and residual stress of the workpiece were investigated. The results showed that, with the increasing of the magnitude and area of the movable auxiliary support, both surface temperature and deformation of the workpiece decrease. The tensile residual stress decreases and gradually changes to compressive residual stress. Interestingly, when the magnitude of the movable auxiliary support exceeds 20 MPa or the area exceeds 100 mm2, the deformation of the workpiece continues to decrease, but the middle of the workpiece is concave towards the milling cutter. It is worth noting that the effect of movable auxiliary support area on the residual stress does not show a clear regularity. Thus, the reasonable auxiliary support can reduce deformation and stability in the milling of thin-walled parts and the results of the study can provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the milling process of thin-walled parts.
Volunteerism, Redistribution and Gender
Authors: Sessions John G. , Zangelidis Alexandros
Published: June 2023

We explore whether, and to what extent, individuals respond to increased transitory or permanent inequality in regional income by offering more unpaid voluntary work. We find strong evidence that women, but not men, are more likely to supply such work, both at the extensive and intensive margin, if they live in areas that experience persistently high-income inequality. Our analysis suggests that women are intrinsically inequality averse and may regard voluntary work as a way of achieving a more equitable income distribution.
JEL Classifications: D64, I30.
Controlling rheological properties of nanocellulose from cocoa shell to produce cocoa butter in water Pickering emulsions
Authors: Gómez-Hoyos Catalina , Botero Luis David , Flórez-Caro Andrea , Velásquez-Cock Jorge Andrés , Penagos-Vélez Lucas , Zuluaga Robin
Published: June 2023

There is growing interest in developing strategies to replace cocoa butter partially or fully in food and cosmetic products, because of its cost and its health effects. One of these alternatives is the development of cocoa butter in water stable emulsions, but incorporating cocoa butter into emulsions is challenging because it solidifies and form crystals that cause destabilization. In this research the rheological properties of nanocellulose form cocoa shell, a by-product from chocolate industry, were controlled by isolation treatment to produce a nanocellulose with higher DP and stronger tridimensional network. This nanocellulose was used in concentrations of 0,7 wt.% and 1.0 wt.%, to develop cocoa butter in water Pickering emulsion, using a high shear mixing technique, emulsions were stable for more than 15 days. Nanocellulose was characterized by ATR-FTIR, hot water and organic extractives, AFM, and DP and rheological analysis. Subsequently the emulsions were characterized at day 1 and 15 by photographs to assess physical stability, fluorescent and electronic microscopy and rheological analysis were used to understand the physical properties of emulsions.
Emodin ameliorates matrix degradation and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cell and attenuates degeneration of intervertebral disc through LRP1 in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Yao Dengbo , Li Ming , Wang Kun , Jin Song , Zeng Weike , Liao Zhuangyao , Chen Enming , Liang Yuwei , Xing Tong , Wen Guoming , Liang Changchun , Su Kaihui , Lu Shixin , Che Zhen , Li Yuxi , Huang Lin
Published: June 2023

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is closely correlated with Low back pain. Apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation caused by inflammation-mediated NF-ĸB has been reported to promote IDD. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1) was confirmed to negatively regulate NF-ĸB in many disease. Moreover, emodin has been shown to upregulate LRP1. However, the effect of emodin on IDD, more importantly, the effect of in vivo therapy and mechanism are not clear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of emodin and its target on IDD in vivo and in vitro. Alcian blue staining showed emodin effectively rescued IL-1β-induced ECM secretion. Moreover, the results of western blot showed emodin promoted matrix synthesis, inhibited matrix degradation and apoptosis in NPCs under stimulation of IL-1β. Further study showed emodin inhibited IL-1β-induced NF-ĸB. In our study, we found emodin increased protein level of LRP1 levels by inhibiting its degradation via the proteasome pathway. In addition, LRP1 knockdown blocked emodin's effects on inhibition of NF-ĸB, and thus promoted apoptosis and matrix metabolism disorder in NPCs. Emodin effectively alleviated IDD in rat model and siRNA LRP1 injection also reversed beneficial effect of emodin on IDD in rat model. In conclusion, this study showed that emodin has therapeutic effect on IDD by inhibiting matrix metabolism disorder and apoptosis through LRP1 in vitro and in vivo, which was related to LRP1-mediated inhibition of NF-ĸB. This study provided evidence for emodin as a potential drug for the treatment of IDD.
The association between aberrant salience and psychotic experiences in general population twins, and genetic vulnerability as a modifier.
Authors: Drukker Marjan , Todor Tatvan , Bongaarts Jelle , Broggi Eleonora , Kelkar Mihika , Wigglesworth Thomas , Verhiel Kayle , Leeuwen Karel Van , Koster Meinte , Derom Cathrien , Thiery Evert , De Hert Marc , Menne-Lothmann Claudia , Decoster Jeroen , Colip Dina , Winkel Ruud Van , Jacobs Nele , Guloksuz Sinan , Rutten Bart , Os Jim Van
Published: June 2023

Background.
Previous studies assessing the hypothesis that the construct of ‘aberrant salience’ is associated with psychosis and psychotic symptoms showed conflicting results. For this reason, the association between measures to index aberrant salience and subclinical psychotic symptoms in a general population sample was analysed. In addition, genetic vulnerability was added to the analysis as a modifier to test the hypothesis that modification by genetic vulnerability may explain variability in the results.
Methods
The TwinssCan project obtained data from general population twins (N = 887). CAPE (Community Assessment of Psychic Experience) scores were used to index psychotic experiences. Aberrant salience was assessed with white noise task and ambiguous situations task.
Results
Measures of aberrant salience were not associated with psychotic experiences nor was there evidence for interaction with genetic predisposition in this association (Z = 1.08, p = 0.282).
Conclusions
Various studies including the present could not replicate the association between aberrant salience and psychotic experiences in general population samples. The conflicting findings could not be explained by moderation by genetic vulnerability. On the other hand, this association has been reported in so-called ‘ultra-high risk’ patients and first episode psychosis patients. Thus, this association may represent a state-dependent association, present only at the more severe end of the psychosis spectrum.