bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anopheline and human drivers of malaria risk in northern coastal, Ecuador: a pilot study
Authors: Martin James A. , Hendershot Allison L. , Saá Portilla Iván Alejandro , English Daniel J. , Woodruff Madeline , Vera-Arias Claudia A. , Salazar-Costa Bibiana E. , Bustillos Juan José , Saénz Fabián E. , Ocaña-Mayorga Sofía , Koepfli Cristian , Lobo Neil F.
Published: October 2020

Background

Understanding local anopheline vector species and their bionomic traits, as well as related human factors, can help combat gaps in protection.

Methods

In San José de Chamanga, Esmeraldas, at the Ecuadorian Pacific coast, anopheline mosquitoes were sampled by both human landing collections (HLCs) and indoor-resting aspirations (IAs) and identified using both morphological and molecular methods. Human behaviour observations (HBOs) (including temporal location and bed net use) were documented during HLCs as well as through community surveys to determine exposure to mosquito bites. A cross-sectional evaluation ofPlasmodium falciparumandPlasmodium vivaxinfections was conducted alongside a malaria questionnaire.

Results

Among 222 anopheline specimens captured, based on molecular analysis, 218 wereNyssorhynchus albimanus, 3Anopheles calderoni(n = 3), and one remains unidentified. Anopheline mean human-biting rate (HBR) outdoors was (13.69), and indoors (3.38) (p = 0.006). No anophelines were documented resting on walls during IAs. HBO-adjusted human landing rates suggested that the highest risk of being bitten was outdoors between 18.00 and 20.00 h. Human behaviour-adjusted biting rates suggest that overall, long-lasting insecticidal bed nets (LLINs) only protected against 13.2% of exposure to bites, with 86.8% of exposure during the night spent outside of bed net protection. The malaria survey found 2/398 individuals positive for asymptomaticP. falciparuminfections. The questionnaire reported high (73.4%) bed net use, with low knowledge of malaria.

Conclusion

The exophagic feeding of anopheline vectors in San Jose de Chamanga, when analysed in conjunction with human behaviour, indicates a clear gap in protection even with high LLIN coverage. The lack of indoor-resting anophelines suggests that indoor residual spraying (IRS) may have limited effect. The presence of asymptomatic infections implies the presence of a human reservoir that may maintain transmission.
Landscapes of care and despair for rural youth – a qualitative study in the northern Swedish ‘periphery’
Authors: Jonsson Frida , Goicolea Isabel , Christianson Monica , Carson Dean B. , Wiklund Maria
Published: October 2020

Background

This study emerges as a response to the lack of youth perspectives when it comes to discussions about access to and experiences of health and social services in rural areas. It subsequently contributes to the literature by positioning young people at the centre of this debate, and by taking a more holistic approach to the topic than is typically the case. Specifically, based on the idea that a good life in proper health for young people may be contingent on notions of care that are bounded up in multi-layered social and spatial environments, the aim of this study was to explore what characterises ‘landscapes of care’ for rural youth.

Methods

In this qualitative study, the participants included young people and professionals residing in five diverse areas across the northern Swedish ‘peripheral’ inland. Individual interviews (16 in total) and focus group discussions (26 in total) were conducted with 63 youth aged 14–27 years and with 44 professionals operating across sectors such as health centres, school health, integration units, youth clinics and youth clubs. Following an emergent design and using thematic analysis, we developed one main theme, ‘landscapes of care and despair’, comprising the two themes: ‘(dis)connectedness’ and ‘extended support or troubling gaps’.

Results

The findings illustrate how various health-promoting and potentially harmful aspects acting at structural, organisational and interpersonal levels contributed to dynamic landscapes characterised simultaneously by care and despair. In particular, our study shows how rural youths’ feelings of belongingness to people and places coupled with opportunities to participate in society and access practical and emotional support appear to facilitate their care within rural settings. However, although the results indicate that some in the diverse group of rural youth were caredforandabout, a negative picture was painted in parallel. These aspects of despair included youths’ senses of exclusion and marginalisation, degrading attitudes towards them and their problems, as well as recurrent gaps in the provision and practices of care.

Conclusions

To gain a more comprehensive understanding about the health of rural youth, this study highlights the benefits investigating ‘care-ful’ and ‘uncaring’ aspects bounded up in dynamic and multi-layered landscapes.
Biomarkers of environmental manganese exposure and associations with childhood neurodevelopment: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Weiwei , Xin Yongjuan , Li Qianwen , Shang Yanna , Ping Zhiguang , Min Junxia , Cahill Catherine M. , Rogers Jack T. , Wang Fudi
Published: October 2020

Background

Although prior studies showed a correlation between environmental manganese (Mn) exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders in children, the results have been inconclusive. There has yet been no consistent biomarker of environmental Mn exposure. Here, we summarized studies that investigated associations between manganese in biomarkers and childhood neurodevelopment and suggest a reliable biomarker.

Methods

We searched PubMed and Web of Science for potentially relevant articles published until December 31th 2019 in English. We also conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the effects of manganese exposure on Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and the correlations of manganese in different indicators.

Results

Of 1754 citations identified, 55 studies with 13,388 subjects were included. Evidence from cohort studies found that higher manganese exposure had a negative effect on neurodevelopment, mostly influencing cognitive and motor skills in children under 6 years of age, as indicated by various metrics. Results from cross-sectional studies revealed that elevated Mn in hair (H-Mn) and drinking water (W-Mn), but not blood (B-Mn) or teeth (T-Mn), were associated with poorer cognitive and behavioral performance in children aged 6–18 years old. Of these cross-sectional studies, most papers reported that the mean of H-Mn was more than 0.55 μg/g. The meta-analysis concerning H-Mn suggested that a 10-fold increase in hair manganese was associated with a decrease of 2.51 points (95% confidence interval (CI), − 4.58, − 0.45) in Full Scale IQ, while the meta-analysis of B-Mn and W-Mn generated no such significant effects. The pooled correlation analysis revealed that H-Mn showed a more consistent correlation with W-Mn than B-Mn. Results regarding sex differences of manganese associations were inconsistent, although the preliminary meta-analysis found that higher W-Mn was associated with better Performance IQ only in boys, at a relatively low water manganese concentrations (most below 50 μg/L).

Conclusions

Higher manganese exposure is adversely associated with childhood neurodevelopment. Hair is the most reliable indicator of manganese exposure for children at 6–18 years of age. Analysis of the publications demonstrated sex differences in neurodevelopment upon manganese exposure, although a clear pattern has not yet been elucidated for this facet of our study.
The role of leptin in selected skin diseases
Authors: Dopytalska Klaudia , Baranowska-Bik Agnieszka , Roszkiewicz Marek , Bik Wojciech , Walecka Irena
Published: October 2020

Leptin is an adipokine, adipocyte-derived compound, which acts both as a hormone and cytokine. It is mainly synthesized by adipocytes of white adipose tissue. Leptin possesses pleiotropic functions including, among others, stimulation of angiogenesis and production of proinflammatory cytokines. The various types of leptin activity are related to the wide distribution of leptin receptors. This adipokine acts by activating intracellular signaling cascades such as JAKs (Janus kinases), STATs (signal transducers and activators of transcription), and others.

In a course of obesity, an increased serum level of leptin coexists with tissue receptor resistance. It has been reported that enhanced leptin levels, leptin receptor impairment, and dysfunction of leptin signaling can influence skin and hair. The previous studies revealed the role of leptin in wound healing, hair cycle, and pathogenesis of skin diseases like psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, and skin cancers. However, the exact mechanism of leptin’s impact on the skin is still under investigation. Herein, we present the current knowledge concerning the role of leptin in psoriasis and selected skin diseases.
Synthesis of graphene quantum dots and their applications in drug delivery
Authors: Zhao Changhong , Song Xuebin , Liu Ya , Fu Yifeng , Ye Lilei , Wang Nan , Wang Fan , Li Lu , Mohammadniaei Mohsen , Zhang Ming , Zhang Qiqing , Liu Johan
Published: October 2020

This review focuses on the recent advances in the synthesis of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and their applications in drug delivery. To give a brief understanding about the preparation of GQDs, recent advances in methods of GQDs synthesis are first presented. Afterwards, various drug delivery-release modes of GQDs-based drug delivery systems such as EPR-pH delivery-release mode, ligand-pH delivery-release mode, EPR-Photothermal delivery-Release mode, and Core/Shell-photothermal/magnetic thermal delivery-release mode are reviewed. Finally, the current challenges and the prospective application of GQDs in drug delivery are discussed.
Alpha lipoic acid antagonizes cytotoxicity of cobalt nanoparticles by inhibiting ferroptosis-like cell death
Authors: Liu Yake , Zhu Wenfeng , Ni Dalong , Zhou Zihua , Gu Jin-hua , Zhang Weinan , Sun Huanjian , Liu Fan
Published: October 2020

As a main element in the hard metal industry, cobalt is one of the major components of human metal implants. Cobalt-containing implants, especially joint prostheses used for artificial joint replacement, can be corroded due to the complex physiological environment in vivo, producing a large number of nanoscale cobalt particles (Cobalt Nanoparticles, CoNPs). These CoNPs can be first accumulated around the implant to cause adverse local reactions and then enter into the blood vessels followed by reaching the liver, heart, brain, kidney, and other organs through systematic circulation, which leads to multi-system toxicity symptoms. To ensure the long-term existence of cobalt-containing implants in the body, it is urgently required to find out a safe and effective detoxification drug. Herein, we have demonstrated that CoNPs could induce the ferroptosis-like cell death through the enhancement of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, cytoplasmic Fe2+ level, lipid peroxidation, and consumption of reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as inhibition of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) activity. Importantly, α-lipoic acid (ALA), a natural antioxidant with the capability to scavenge free radicals and chelate toxic metals, was found to efficiently alleviate the adverse effects of CoNPs. The present study illustrates a new mechanism of CoNPs mediated by ferroptosis-like cytotoxicity and discloses an effective method for the detoxification of CoNPs by employing the natural antioxidant of ALA, providing a basis for further in vivo detoxification study.
A Thai version of the Michigan hand questionnaire (Thai MHQ): an investigation of the psychometric properties
Authors: Atthakomol Pichitchai , Manosroi Worapaka , Sanguanrungsirikul Saran , Punoppamas Siraphop , Benjachaya Sirapat , Tongprasert Siam , Wongpakaran Tinakon
Published: October 2020

Background

The Michigan Hand Questionnaire (MHQ) is widely used to assess the hand/wrist conditions. We translated the original version into Thai (Thai MHQ) and evaluated its psychometric properties.

Methods

After receiving permission, the original MHQ was translated and cross-culturally adapted to Thai following standard guidelines. Two hundred and seventeen patients who had hand/wrist injuries or disorders were included in the study. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. Test-retest reliability was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Spearman’s rank correlation among the subscales of Thai MHQ, Thai DASH and Thai EQ-5D-5L and also confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to explore construct validity. The standardized response mean (SRM) was used to evaluate the responsiveness of the Thai MHQ.

Results

All subscales showed an acceptable Cronbach’s alpha (0.79–0.98). The test-retest reliability of each subscale was good (ICC = 0.83–0.95). In related dimensions, strong correlation was demonstrated between the Activities of daily living subscale of the Thai MHQ and the Common activities subscale in the Thai DASH (r = 0.77, P < 0.0001). For unrelated dimensions, a weak correlation was found between the Aesthetics subscale in the Thai MHQ and the Mobility subscale in the Thai EQ-5D-5L (r = − 0.13, P = 0.05). The Thai MHQ had strong correlation with Thai DASH (r = − 0.79, P < 0.0001) and Thai EQ-5D-5L (r = 0.63, P < 0.0001). CFA showed that the 6-factor model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data. The SRM of the Thai MHQ was 0.78, indicating relatively large responsiveness. The MIC of Thai MHQ using distribution methods (SEM) was 5.2.

Conclusions

The Thai MHQ provides adequate internal consistency in all subscales as well as good construct validity and reliability for Thai patients and a relatively large standardized response mean at 2 months after treatment.
Work-life interface and intention to stay in the midwifery profession among pre- and post-clinical placement students in Canada
Authors: HakemZadeh Farimah , Neiterman Elena , Chowhan James , Plenderleith Jennifer , Geraci Johanna , Zeytinoglu Isik , Lobb Derek
Published: October 2020

Background

Midwifery students’ intention to stay in the profession can be influenced by how the interface of their work and personal life is affected by their clinical placement experience. The purpose of this study is to compare the intention to stay in the midwifery profession and its association with three work/personal life interface constructs among pre- and post-clinical placement midwifery students in Canada. The constructs investigated are work interference with personal life, personal life interference with work, and work/personal life enhancement.

Methods

Quantitative cross-sectional data were collected through two separate online surveys completed by pre- and post-clinical placement students. In total, 456 midwifery students attending six different midwifery education programs responded to the surveys.

Results

Compared to pre-clinical placement students, post-clinical placement students had significantly lower intention to stay in the profession. For pre-clinical placement students, higher personal life interference with work was significantly associated with lower intention to stay in the profession. For post-clinical placement students, higher work interference with personal life was associated with lower intention to stay in the profession. We did not find any significant relationships between work/personal life enhancement and intention to stay in the profession in pre- or post-clinical placement students.

Conclusion

Pre- and post-clinical placement students have different intentions to stay in the profession. For pre-clinical placement students, those who report that their personal lives highly interfere with work are less likely to want to stay in the midwifery profession. Post-clinical placement students reported that when working interfered with their personal lives they were less likely to want to stay in the profession. Our findings highlight the importance of offering students a realistic preview of the required commitment, workload, and personal involvement in the midwifery profession prior to applying or accepting a spot in a midwifery education program. Furthermore, facilitating the development of skills to better manage the expectations in midwifery work and personal lives might help with maintaining positive intentions to stay in the profession.
RepCOOL: computational drug repositioning via integrating heterogeneous biological networks
Authors: Fahimian Ghazale , Zahiri Javad , Arab Seyed Shahriar , Sajedi Reza H.
Published: October 2020

Background

It often takes more than 10 years and costs more than 1 billion dollars to develop a new drug for a particular disease and bring it to the market. Drug repositioning can significantly reduce costs and time in drug development. Recently, computational drug repositioning attracted a considerable amount of attention among researchers, and a plethora of computational drug repositioning methods have been proposed. This methodology has widely been used in order to address various medical challenges, including cancer treatment. The most common cancers are lung and breast cancers. Thus, suggesting FDA-approved drugs via drug repositioning for breast cancer would help us to circumvent the approval process and subsequently save money as well as time.

Methods

In this study, we propose a novel network-based method, named RepCOOL, for drug repositioning. RepCOOL integrates various heterogeneous biological networks to suggest new drug candidates for a given disease.

Results

The proposed method showed a promising performance on benchmark datasets via rigorous cross-validation. The final drug repositioning model has been built based on a random forest classifier after examining various machine learning algorithms. Finally, in a case study, four FDA approved drugs were suggested for breast cancer stage II.

Conclusion

Results show the potency of the proposed method in detecting true drug-disease relationships. RepCOOL suggested four new drugs for breast cancer stage II namely Doxorubicin, Paclitaxel, Trastuzumab, and Tamoxifen.
Is combining serum interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein a reliable diagnostic tool in periprosthetic joint infections?
Authors: Li Cheng , Ojeda Thies Christina , Xu Chi , Trampuz Andrej
Published: October 2020

Background

Because there is no single gold standard method for the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), the combination of valuable methods to evaluate infection appears to achieve a better diagnostic result. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) for the diagnosis of PJI.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and the Web of Science databases were searched for articles describing PJI diagnosis using serum IL-6 and CRP published between January 1990 and December 2019.

Results

Eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80−0.88) for the combined method (serum IL-6 and CRP) in series and parallel approaches, 0.87 (95% CI, 0.82−0.90) for IL-6, and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.79−0.88) for CRP. The pooled specificity was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82−0.88) for the combined method, 0.83 (95% CI, 0.79−0.87) for IL-6, and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.79−0.87) for CRP. The combined method had the highest value for the area under the curve (0.9453), followed by IL-6 (0.9237) and CRP (0.9074). Subgroup analyses showed that the sensitivity of the combined method in parallel tests was higher than that in IL-6 or CRP (94% vs. 89% and 84%, respectively). Serial testing of the combined method showed increased specificity compared to a single indicator (96% vs. 83% and 80%).

Conclusion

The combination of serum IL-6 and CRP was a reliable tool for the diagnosis of periprosthetic hip and knee infection, demonstrating a better diagnostic accuracy than single marker analysis.
Causes of lower extremity weaknesses after posterior lumbar spine fusion surgery and therapeutic effects of active surgical exploration
Authors: Wang Rui , Li Chunde , Yi Xiaodong , Lu Hailin , Wang Yu , Li Hong
Published: October 2020

Background

This study was aimed at investigating the causes of lower extremity weaknesses after posterior lumbar spine fusion surgery and looking at subsequent treatment strategies.

Methods

Patients who underwent posterior lumbar spine fusion surgery in the Peking University First Hospital between January 2009 and December 2018 were counted. Those who needed secondary surgery because of subsequent lower extremity weaknesses were selected. CT scans and MRIs were used to evaluate the reasons for weaknesses before secondary surgery. Muscle strength was evaluated after surgery.

Results

Thirty patients (30/4078, 0.74%) required a secondary surgery because of lower extremity weaknesses after posterior lumbar spine fusion surgery. The main causes of weakness were (1) internal fixation malposition and loosening (11 patients, 36%), (2) epidural hematomas (9 patients, 30%), (3) insufficient decompression (5 patients, 17%), and (4) nerve root edemas (5 patients, 17%). Weakness occurred on average 2.9 days after surgery (1–9 days). Twenty-seven patients (90%) got improved muscle strength after their secondary surgery.

Conclusions

Iatrogenic neurologic deficits and lower extremity weaknesses were rare complications after posterior lumbar spine fusion surgeries, but important to recognize and manage. The main causes of weakness were internal fixation malposition and loosening, epidural hematomas, insufficient decompression, or root edemas. There may be positive, therapeutic effects to subsequent, active surgical exploration.
Clinical course and outcome of patients with acute pulmonary embolism rescued by veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a retrospective review of 21 cases
Authors: Chen Yen-Yu , Chen Yin-Chia , Wu Chia-Chen , Yen Hsu-Ting , Huang Kwan-Ru , Sheu Jiunn-Jye , Lee Fan-Yen
Published: October 2020

Background

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly being utilized in patients with massive pulmonary embolism (PE). However, the efficacy and the safety remain uncertain. This study aimed to investigate clinical courses and outcomes in ECMO-treated patients with acute PE.

Methods

Twenty-one patients with acute PE rescued by ECMO from January 2012 to December 2019 were retrospectively analysed. Clinical features, laboratory biomarkers, and imaging findings of these patients were reviewed, and the relationship with immediate outcome and clinical course was investigated.

Results

Sixteen patients (76.2%) experienced refractory circulatory collapse requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or ECMO support within 2 h after the onset of cardiogenic shock, and none could receive definitive reperfusion therapy before ECMO initiation. Before or during ECMO support, more than 90% of patients had imaging signs of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. In normotension patients, the computed tomography (CT) value was a valuable predictor of rapid disease progression compared with cardiac troponin I level. Ultimately, in-hospital death occurred in ten patients (47.6%) and 90% of them died of prolonged CPR-related brain death. Cardiac arrest was a significant predictor of poor prognosis (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

ECMO appears to be a safe and effective circulatory support in patients with massive PE. Close monitoring in intensive care unit is recommended in patients with RV dysfunction and aggressive use of ECMO may reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest and improve clinical outcome.
Higher galectin-3 levels are independently associated with lower anxiety in patients with risk factors for heart failure
Authors: Sadlonova Monika , Meyer Thomas , Binder Lutz , Wachter Rolf , Edelmann Frank , Herrmann-Lingen Christoph
Published: October 2020

Background

Galectin-3 promotes the proliferation of neural progenitor cells and is engaged in cell-cell adhesion, cell-matrix interactions, and macrophage activation. In addition, in patients with heart failure this carbohydrate-binding protein is a known prognostic marker for cardiovascular mortality. However, its association with psychological variables has not been investigated so far.

Methods

Using data from the multicenter, observational Diast-CHF (Diagnostic Trial on Prevalence and Clinical Course of Diastolic Dysfunction and Heart Failure) trial, we studied in participants with cardiovascular risk factors (n = 1260, age 66.7 ± 8.0 years, males 51%, left ventricular ejection fraction 60.0 ± 8.1%) the relationship between serum concentrations of galectin-3 and anxiety. Galectin-3 levels were measured by means of a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and anxiety was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results

In univariate analysis, there was a weak but significant inverse correlation between galectin-3 and HADS anxiety (rho = − 0.076; p = 0.008). Linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, body-mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, left ventricular ejection fraction, 6-min walking distance, the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) subscale physical functioning, and known biomarkers for heart failure confirmed that serum galectin-3 significantly and independently predicted self-rated anxiety (B = -2.413; 95%CI = -2.413–-4.422; p = 0.019).

Conclusion

In patients with cardiovascular risk factors, serum concentrations of galectin-3 showed an inverse association with anxiety, which was independent of both the severity of physical impairment and established risk factors for the progression of heart failure.
The plasma level of mCRP is linked to cardiovascular disease in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis
Authors: Wu Kai-Li , Liang Qing-Hui , Huang Bin-Tao , Ding Na , Li Bo-Wei , Hao Jian
Published: October 2020

Background

C-reactive protein (CRP) has two natural isomers: C-reactive protein pentamer (pCRP) and C-reactive protein monomer (mCRP). The levels of CRP are significantly elevated in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). mCRP not only activates the endothelial cells, platelets, leukocytes, and complements, but also has a proinflammatory structural subtype that can localize and deposit in inflammatory tissues. Thus, it regulates a variety of clinical diseases, such as ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, Alzheimer’s disease, age-related macular degeneration, and cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that plasma mCRP levels are related to cardiovascular disease in AAV.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 37 patients with AAV were assessed. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and mCRP in plasma were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was diagnosed by coronary angiography, and the Gensini score calculated. Echocardiography evaluated the ejection fraction (EF%), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), and left ventricular mass index (LVMI). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated based on serum creatinine, age, and gender.

Results

The plasma level of mCRP in AAV was significantly higher than that in healthy volunteers (P < 0.001). Then, mCRP and CRP levels were compared with and without STEMI complications in AAV. The plasma level of mCRP was higher, but that of CRP was lower in STEMI. The plasma level of mCRP was correlated with Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS), eGFR, BNP, EF%, LVEDV, LVESV, LVMI, and STEMI complications’ Gensini score in AAV; however, CRP did not correlate with BNP, EF%, LVEDV, LVESV, LVMI, and Gensini score.

Conclusions

The plasma level of mCRP was related to cardiovascular diseases in AAV patients.
Toward green computing in wireless sensor networks: prediction-oriented distributed clustering for non-uniform node distribution
Authors: Sikandar Ajay , Agrawal Rajeev , Tyagi Manoj Kumar , Rao A. L. Narasimha , Prasad Mukesh , Binsawad Muhammad
Published: October 2020

Recently, researchers and practitioners in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are focusing on energy-oriented communication and computing considering next-generation smaller and tiny wireless devices. The tiny sensor-enabled devices will be used for the purpose of sensing, computing, and wireless communication. The hundreds/thousands of WSNs sensors are used to monitor specific activities and report events via wireless communication. The tiny sensor-enabled devices are powered by smaller batteries to work independently in distributed environments resulting in limited maximum lifetime of the network constituted by these devices. Considering the non-uniform distribution of sensor-enabled devices in the next-generation mobility centric WSNs environments, energy consumption is imbalanced among the different sensors in the overall network environments. Toward this end, in this paper, a cluster-oriented routing protocol termed as prediction-oriented distributed clustering (PODC) mechanism is proposed for WSNs focusing on non-uniform sensor distribution in the network. A network model is presented, while categorizing PODC mechanism in two activities including setting cluster of nodes and the activity in the steady state. Further cluster set up activity is described while categorizing in four subcategories. The proposed protocol is compared with individual sensor energy awareness and distributed networking mode of clustering (EADC) and scheduled sensor activity-based individual sensor energy awareness and distributed networking mode of clustering (SA-ADC). The metrics including the overall lifetime of the network and nodes individual energy consumption in realistic next-generation WSNs environments are considered in the experimental evaluation. The results attest the reduced energy consumption centric benefits of the proposed framework PODC as compared to the literature. Therefore, the framework will be more applicable for the smart product development in the next-generation WSNs environments.
Efficient Galerkin finite element methods for a time-fractional Cattaneo equation
Authors: Chen An , Nong Lijuan
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we develop two efficient fully discrete schemes for solving the time-fractional Cattaneo equation, where the fractional derivative is in the Caputo sense with order in $(1, 2]$
(
1
,
2
]
. The schemes are based on the Galerkin finite element method in space and convolution quadrature in time generated by the backward Euler and the second-order backward difference methods. Error estimates are established with respect to data regularity. We further compare our schemes with the L2-$1_{\sigma }$

1
σ

scheme. Numerical examples are provided to show the efficiency of the schemes.
Viral ecogenomics across the Porifera
Authors: Pascelli Cecília , Laffy Patrick W. , Botté Emmanuelle , Kupresanin Marija , Rattei Thomas , Lurgi Miguel , Ravasi Timothy , Webster Nicole S.
Published: October 2020

Background

Viruses directly affect the most important biological processes in the ocean via their regulation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic populations. Marine sponges form stable symbiotic partnerships with a wide diversity of microorganisms and this high symbiont complexity makes them an ideal model for studying viral ecology. Here, we used morphological and molecular approaches to illuminate the diversity and function of viruses inhabiting nine sponge species from the Great Barrier Reef and seven from the Red Sea.

Results

Viromic sequencing revealed host-specific and site-specific patterns in the viral assemblages, with all sponge species dominated by the bacteriophage order Caudovirales but also containing variable representation from the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA virus families Mimiviridae, Marseilleviridae, Phycodnaviridae, Ascoviridae, Iridoviridae, Asfarviridae and Poxviridae. Whilst core viral functions related to replication, infection and structure were largely consistent across the sponge viromes, functional profiles varied significantly between species and sites largely due to differential representation of putative auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) and accessory genes, including those associated with herbicide resistance, heavy metal resistance and nylon degradation. Furthermore, putative AMGs varied with the composition and abundance of the sponge-associated microbiome. For instance, genes associated with antimicrobial activity were enriched in low microbial abundance sponges, genes associated with nitrogen metabolism were enriched in high microbial abundance sponges and genes related to cellulose biosynthesis were enriched in species that host photosynthetic symbionts.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the diverse functional roles that viruses can play in marine sponges and are consistent with our current understanding of sponge ecology. Differential representation of putative viral AMGs and accessory genes across sponge species illustrate the diverse suite of beneficial roles viruses can play in the functional ecology of these complex reef holobionts.
Practicing precision medicine with intelligently integrative clinical and multi-omics data analysis
Authors: Ahmed Zeeshan
Published: October 2020

Precision medicine aims to empower clinicians to predict the most appropriate course of action for patients with complex diseases like cancer, diabetes, cardiomyopathy, and COVID-19. With a progressive interpretation of the clinical, molecular, and genomic factors at play in diseases, more effective and personalized medical treatments are anticipated for many disorders. Understanding patient’s metabolomics and genetic make-up in conjunction with clinical data will significantly lead to determining predisposition, diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers and paths ultimately providing optimal and personalized care for diverse, and targeted chronic and acute diseases. In clinical settings, we need to timely model clinical and multi-omics data to find statistical patterns across millions of features to identify underlying biologic pathways, modifiable risk factors, and actionable information that support early detection and prevention of complex disorders, and development of new therapies for better patient care. It is important to calculate quantitative phenotype measurements, evaluate variants in unique genes and interpret using ACMG guidelines, find frequency of pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants without disease indicators, and observe autosomal recessive carriers with a phenotype manifestation in metabolome. Next, ensuring security to reconcile noise, we need to build and train machine-learning prognostic models to meaningfully process multisource heterogeneous data to identify high-risk rare variants and make medically relevant predictions. The goal, today, is to facilitate implementation of mainstream precision medicine to improve the traditional symptom-driven practice of medicine, and allow earlier interventions using predictive diagnostics and tailoring better-personalized treatments. We strongly recommend automated implementation of cutting-edge technologies, utilizing machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches for the multimodal data aggregation, multifactor examination, development of knowledgebase of clinical predictors for decision support, and best strategies for dealing with relevant ethical issues.
Progress on the national echinococcosis control programme in China: analysis of humans and dogs population intervention during 2004–2014
Authors: Yu Qing , Xiao Ning , Han Shuai , Tian Tian , Zhou Xiao-Nong
Published: October 2020

Background

A national control program for echinococcosis has been in effect since 2005 in China. This program has applied a comprehensive strategy, and good control results have been achieved. Human echinococcosis prevalence rate decrease from 1.08% in 2004 to 0.24% in 2012. The objective of this study is focusing on assessment of the programme with two indices, including patient treatment and registered dogs deworming, in endemic areas of echincoccosis control over the period of 10 years (2004–2014) in China.

Methods

We established the database including demography at county and township levels with coverage for ten provinces and autonomous regions of China in this study. We using methods of epidemiological descriptive, instead the expectation-maximization for missing value filling for grouping available patients into those subjected to surgery and those receiving drug treatment after population screening and the dogs population after registered by deworming. We performed Microsoft Excel software and SPSS software on the results as percentages with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). We also statistically analyzed the economics data on patient treatment and dogs deworming after the corresponding discount with annual bank interest rates (USD 1 = CNY 6.5, bank discount average changes of 2.3–3.3%).

Results

During 2004–2014, the grant total average rate of surgical patient (after surgical operation) treatment had increased with 32.4% and with 81.3% for medical treatment with albendazole. Meanwhile, it increased by 58.6% for the deworming of registered dog since 2007. The accumulated costs amounted to USD 27.03 million after discount for patients and registered dog treatment, which is 1/4 of the total accumulated financial inputs (USD 110.67 million from the Chinese Government). Since the implementation of the national program, it has increased 57 times with respect to the annual financial inputs (costs) and 368 times with respect to all accumulated financial inputs (costs).

Conclusions

This study showed that in endemic areas, patient diagnosis and management, dog management and treatment over this period helped reduce the parasite load to control the disease. More attention should be paid to controlling wild canines during the ongoing program period and sustainable follow-up evaluations are crucial for success and continued implementation of the national program.
Listening to laser light interactions with objects of art: a novel photoacoustic approach for diagnosis and monitoring of laser cleaning interventions
Authors: Tserevelakis George J. , Pouli Paraskevi , Zacharakis Giannis
Published: October 2020

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a novel, rapidly expanding diagnostic technique, which has been predominately developed in the context of contemporary biomedical research studies. In this review, we demonstrate how PA technologies can break through the barriers of biomedicine to find innovative applications in cultural heritage (CH) diagnostics and laser cleaning monitoring. Having over three orders of magnitude higher transmission through strongly scattering media, compared to light in the visible and near infrared, PA signals offer substantially improved detection sensitivity, providing optical absorption contrast at high spatial resolution. This unique combination of features is employed for establishing novel diagnostic methodologies aiming to uncover well-hidden features and provide structural information in multi-layered CH objects such as paintings and documents. Finally, we demonstrate that the PA effect can be successfully utilized for the reliable monitoring of laser cleaning interventions on stonework, allowing for a safe and well-controlled cleaning procedure which will safeguard CH objects’ original surfaces. Simplicity of implementation, effectiveness and low-cost features provided by the developed diagnostic and monitoring systems, highlight the rich potential of emerging PA technologies in CH studies and offer exciting possibilities for future implementations.
Sliding layer estimation of shallow landslides on Aso volcanic mountains in Japan based on tephra layer-physical properties of soil
Authors: Istiyanti Mega Lia , Goto Satoshi , Kimura Takashi , Sato Go , Hayashi Shintaro , Wakai Akihiko , Higaki Daisuke
Published: October 2020

Shallow landslides occur frequently on the Aso volcanic mountains. The soil materials on the Aso volcanic mountains consist of tephra layers formed by volcanic activities. This study is aimed to specify the physical properties of soil that correlate with the sliding layer of a shallow landslide on the volcanic mountain area. Tephra layers consist of kuroboku and scoria layers and the differences between these layers were specified using the physical properties of soil methods. Results showed that the plasticity index and the fine fraction content can be used for estimating the sliding layer in the Aso volcanic area.
Surgical procedure for unexpected balloon burst complication during endoscopic balloon dilatation in a patient with common bile duct stones
Authors: Morishita Koji , Sasaki Hideaki
Published: October 2020

Background

Endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) is the established treatment for common bile duct (CBD) stones. Although pancreatitis and bleeding have been reported as major complications of EBD, balloon-related complications are rarely reported in EBD.

Case presentation

A 30-year-old woman with suspected CBD stones underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and EBD. During EBD, the balloon of the EBD catheter suddenly burst at the biliary sphincter. We therefore performed surgical intervention: removal of the broken EBD catheter and T-tube drainage. Finally, the patient was discharged without any complications.

Conclusions

We present a case involving a burst balloon of an EBD catheter as a rare complication during EBD, as well as the surgical technique that was used to treat this complication.
Blind men and the elephant: one view of the field of migration studies
Authors: DeWind Josh
Published: October 2020

There are many ways to conceive and represent the field of migration studies. The CrossMigration article provides us with a broad overview to help us understand and contribute to the field’s development. This article explores a number of additional and complementary views drawn from the field-building activities of the Social Science Research Council between 1994 and 2014.

(Source: Charles Maurice Stebbins & Mary H. Coolidge, Golden Treasury Readers: Primer, American Book Co., New York, 1909, p. 89. For the story of the “Blind Men and the Elephant,” see pp. 87-91: https://books.google.com/books?id=_dIAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA89#v=onepage&q&f=false:)
The importance of expert review to clarify ambiguous situations for (Q)SAR predictions under ICH M7
Authors: Foster Robert S. , Fowkes Adrian , Cayley Alex , Thresher Andrew , Werner Anne-Laure D. , Barber Chris G. , Kocks Grace , Tennant Rachael E. , Williams Richard V. , Kane Steven , Stalford Susanne A.
Published: October 2020

The use of in silico predictions for the assessment of bacterial mutagenicity under the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) M7 guideline is recommended when two complementary (quantitative) structure-activity relationship (Q)SAR models are used. Using two systems may increase the sensitivity and accuracy of predictions but also increases the need to review predictions, particularly in situations where results disagree. During the 4th ICH M7/QSAR Workshop held during the Joint Meeting of the 6th Asian Congress on Environmental Mutagens (ACEM) and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Environmental Mutagen Society (JEMS) 2019, speakers demonstrated their approaches to expert review using 20 compounds provided ahead of the workshop that were expected to yield ambiguous (Q)SAR results. Dr. Chris Barber presented a selection of the reviews carried out using Derek Nexus and Sarah Nexus provided by Lhasa Limited. On review of these compounds, common situations were recognised and are discussed in this paper along with standardised arguments that may be used for such scenarios in future.
Recovery of latent fingermarks from burial environments
Authors: Yong Yam Tze , Zakaria Yusmazura , Nik Hassan Nik Fakhuruddin
Published: October 2020

Background

Fingermarks can be found both in indoor and outdoor crime scenes. The latter could be subjected to various types of environmental insults. In many cases, criminals try to dispose of or conceal the evidence in several ways, such as throwing in the waterways or burying in the soil to avoid detection from the law enforcement agencies. Thus, crime scene investigators often face challenges to detect and develop latent fingermarks in such environments. This study aimed to investigate the persistence and ageing of latent fingermarks in a burial environment for particular periods. To date, there is a limited study that attempted to investigate the survivability of fingermarks in a burial environment.

Methodology

The experiment was carried out in two settings: preliminary and main experiments. A preliminary experiment was conducted indoor to determine the most effective chemical for fingermark development on buried metal substrates. Five different chemicals were employed to develop the latent fingermarks, namely fingermark powder dusting, small particle reagent (SPR), Sudan black, oil red O, and crystal violet. The main experiment was carried out to simulate the realistic situation in which the metal substrates bearing latent fingermarks were buried in the soil within 2 months period. In both experiments, the substrates were buried in peat soil at a depth of 10 cm from the surface.

Results

The results demonstrated that latent fingermarks could be effectively recovered after being buried in the soil up to 8 weeks using Sudan black. The position of the substrates whether underlying in “face up” or “face down” orientations when buried had also influenced the quality of the developed fingermarks. Fingermarks buried in the “face up” position demonstrated better quality and more ridge details as compared to those buried in the “face down” position. Secondary fingermarks were also observed in this study and found to be useful for identification and must be taken into consideration when developing fingermarks on buried items in forensic cases.

Conclusion

The development of fingermarks recovered from burial environments is feasible as excellent ridge characteristics can still be identified. Hence, any evidence recovered from burial sites should be examined for fingermarks and cannot be discounted.
Biodegradation potential of indigenous litter dwelling ligninolytic fungi on agricultural wastes
Authors: Geethanjali P. A. , Gowtham H. G. , Jayashankar M.
Published: October 2020

Background

The present study was focused to study the efficiency of two indigenous litter dwelling ligninolytic fungi (such asMucor circinelloidesGL1 andFusarium verticillioidesGL5) in degrading the agricultural wastes (areca husk, coffee husk and paddy straw) through solid-state fermentation.

Results

After fermentation process, the lignocellulosic residues left over were evaluated for their physico-chemical studies and degradation pattern of cell wall constituents along with the activity of enzymes. In each substrate, the initial pH was found to change from near-neutral to acidic pH after fungal decomposition. Significantly increased loss of total organic matter and organic carbon content was observed in each substrate decomposed by the fungal strains selected. The total nitrogen, crude protein, total phosphorus and total potassium contents of the fungal decomposed substrates were significantly increased with the progress of time. The study indicated that the degradation patterns of lignin and holocellulose were more effective from 20 to 120 days after fungal inoculation with respect to their loss between the different harvesting intervals. During decomposition process, both the strains produced the ligninolytic enzymes [laccase, manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP)] and carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) on each substrate with their remarkably varied activities with respect to different harvesting times.

Conclusions

In concern with the present environmental problems, the present study suggested that these potential ligninolytic fungi can be utilized successfully for the management of agricultural wastes and reuse of their residues in the forest soil conservation system to eliminate the harmful effects of the crop residue burning.