bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inertial Effect on Oil/Water Countercurrent Imbibition in Porous Media from a Pore-Scale Perspective
Authors: Cheng Zhilin , Gao Hui , Ning Zhengfu , Wang Chen , Li Teng
Published: February 2022

The color-gradient lattice Boltzmann (LB) method is used to investigate the inertial effect on oil/water countercurrent imbibition characteristics in a matrix-fracture system. The interplay between capillarity, fluid inertia, and viscous force during the imbibition under different viscosity ratios is delineated. Pore-scale dynamics, the interfacial front morphology, and oil recovery under the influence of fluid inertia are also elucidated. Additionally, we study the energy conversion during the imbibition displacement from the perspective of energy balance. Finally, the application of the theoretical scaling model is discussed based on the simulated data. Results show that the pore-scale events involved mainly consist of cooperative pore filling, oil expelled from large pores, and the motion of jetting-like oil clusters under high viscosity ratios. The curve of pressure difference between the fracture inlet and outlet vs. imbibition time can be regarded as a signal to discern the imbibition regime, which is taken together with the energy conversion analysis could further determine how capillarity, external pressure, and viscous dissipation contribute to water imbibition. Capillary force dominates in the cases of low viscosity ratios, and the majority of the surface energy is dissipated. The external pressure becomes increasingly significant and even governs the countercurrent imbibition as the viscosity ratio increases. Furthermore, the oil recovery, interfacial area, and fractal dimension of the nonwetting phase strongly rely on the Ohnesorge (Oh) number when the viscosity ratio is low. In contrast, the inertial effect can be neglected in the cases of high viscosity ratios. Besides, the relationship between the simulated imbibition recovery and imbibition time follows the theoretical scaling model as the external pressure is trivial. The comparable exponents fitted from different Oh numbers reveal that the inertial effect does not alter the imbibition dynamics. In sum, fluid inertia only affects the local fluid behaviors and thus the imbibition oil recovery when the viscosity ratio is low. These results could provide important implications for a range of energy-related and environmental applications, such as the evaluation of fracturing fluids loss, oil recovery by water huff n puff, microfluidic devices, and hydrological sciences.
Sampling strategy, characteristics and representativeness of the InGef research database
Authors: Ludwig Marion , Enders Dirk , Basedow Frederike , Walker Jochen , Jacob Josephine
Published: February 2022

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to describe the sampling strategy as well as characteristics and the external validity of a representative sample database drawn from the German InGef research database.Study DesignThis is a retrospective cohort study using anonymized claims data for the year 2019.Methods The InGef research database is an anonymized healthcare database with longitudinal claims data from approximately 8.8 Mio insurees. A sample of four million insurees was drawn intended to be representative for the German population with respect to age, sex and region. In addition to demographic information, data on hospitalization rates, mortality rates and drug prescription rates was analysed from the InGef sample database for the year 2019 to demonstrate validity and representativeness. Corresponding national reference data were obtained from official sources.Results The distributions of sex and age were similar in the InGef sample database and Germany (proportion of women: 50.8% vs. 50.7%; mean age: 44.1 vs 43.9 years). The proportion of insurees living in the eastern part of Germany was lower in the InGef sample database (16.5% vs. 19.5 %). There was good accordance with German reference data with respect to hospitalization rates and overall mortality rates. Prescription rates for the 20 most often reimbursed drug classes were slightly higher in the InGef sample database. Conclusions The InGef sample database shows good overall agreement with the German population on measures of morbidity, mortality, and drug usage.
Mobility network reveals the impact of spatial vaccination heterogeneity on COVID‐19
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Jahani Eaman , Zhao Shengjia , Ahn Yong-Yeol , Pentland Alex
Published: February 2022

Mass vaccination is one of the most effective epidemic control measures. Because one's vaccination decision is shaped by social processes, the pattern of vaccine uptake tends to show strong social and spatial heterogeneity, such as urban-rural divide and clustering. Examining through network perspectives, we develop a framework for quantifying the impact of spatial vaccination heterogeneity on epidemic outbreaks. Leveraging fine-grained mobility data and computational models, we investigate two network effects---the ``hub effect'' (vaccinating mobility hubs reduces transmission) and the ``homophily effect'' (stronger homophily in vaccination rates increases transmission). Applying Bayesian deep learning and fine-grained epidemic simulations, we show a negative effect of homophily and a positive effect of highly vaccinated hubs on reducing case counts for both the synthetic network and the U.S. mobility network. Our framework enables us to evaluate the outcome of various hypothetical spatial vaccine distributions and propose a vaccination campaign strategy that targets a small number of regions with the largest gain in protective power, given the state of the COVID-19 as of January 2022. Our simulation shows that our strategy can prevent about 2.5 times more cases than a uniform strategy with an additional 1\% of the population vaccinated. Our study suggests that we must examine the interplay between vaccination patterns and mobility networks beyond the overall vaccination rate, and that accurate location-based targeting can be just as important as improving the overall vaccination rate.
Wide Refractive Index Detection Range Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Based On D-shaped Photonic Crystal Fiber
Authors: Pan Honggang , Pan Fei , Zhang Ailing , Cao Chuanbo , Xue Fengjun
Published: February 2022

We propose a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) refractive index (RI) sensor based on a novel D-shaped photonic crystal fiber. We used an open air hole coated with gold film to improve SPR effect. The effects of structural parameters on resonance spectrum were analyzed by finite element method (FEM). Three SPR peaks were obtained in the wavelength range of 800nm-1300nm. The simulation results show that the refractive index detection range of the sensor is 1.26-1.38. The maximum sensitivity is 5626.86 nm/RIU and the maximum resolution is 1.78×10-5 RIU at the refractive index of 1.38. The sensor uses photonic crystal fiber with the same air holes diameter. Compared with other D-shaped structures, our sensor can measure larger RI ranges of the analyte.
Leaching characteristics and pollution risk assessment of potentially harmful elements from coal gangue exposed to weathering at different time
Authors: Shi Longqing , Peng Jinfeng , Xu Dongjing , Tian Jinjin , Liu Tianhao , Jiang Binbin , Zhang Facai
Published: February 2022

This study explored the fresh coal gangue present in the goaf of the Hongqi Coal Mine and the coal gangue present on the surface of the mining area (weathered over a period of one year) to study the migration mechanism of pollutants when different types of coal gangue backfill goaf. Static immersion comparative experiments were conducted to determine the dissolution characteristics of Fe3+, Mn2+, SO42–, and other major pollutants present in the two types of coal gangue. The results revealed that under the same soaking conditions, weathered coal gangue released more polluting elements than fresh coal gangue. Moreover, the ion concentration in the soaking solution fluctuated significantly. Meanwhile, the Fe3+ concentration presents a “wave-like” trend, and the Mn2+ and SO42– concentrations fluctuated significantly during the early stages (1–7 d). The trend changed during the middle and late periods (after 7d). The Mn2+ content in the soaking solution of the fresh coal gangue decreased slowly, while the Mn2+ content in the weathered coal gangue increased steadily. The changes in the pH exhibited a “logarithmic trend”, and the pH of the fresh group was slightly higher than that of the weathered group. Based on the evaluation of the geo-accumulation index, combined with the pollution level evaluation standard, it was found that the levels of heavy metal elements produced by the weathered coal gangue are significantly higher than the levels produced by fresh coal gangue, which are more likely to pollute groundwater and damage the ecological environment.
Decision-making and Related Outcomes of Patients with Complex Care Needs in Primary Care Settings : A Systematic Literature Review with A Case-based Qualitative Synthesis
Authors: Bujold Mathieu , Pluye Pierre , Légaré France
Published: February 2022

BackgroundIn primary care, patients increasingly face difficult decisions related to complex care needs (multimorbidity, polypharmacy, mental health issues, social vulnerability and structural barriers). There is a need for pragmatic conceptual model to understand decisional needs among patients with complex care needs and outcomes related to decision. We aimed to identify types of decisional needs among patients with complex care needs, and decision-making configurations of conditions associated with decision outcomes. MethodsWe conducted a systematic mixed studies review. Two specialized librarians searched five bibliographic databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and SSCI). A team of twenty crowd-reviewers selected empirical studies on: (1) patients with complex care needs; (2) decisional needs; (3) primary care. Two reviewers appraised the quality of included studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. We conducted a 2-phase case-based qualitative synthesis framed by the Ottawa Decision Support Framework and Gregor’s explicative-predictive theory type. A decisional need case involved: (a) a decision (what), (b) concerning a patient with complex care needs with bio-psycho-social characteristics (who), (c) made independently or in partnership (how), (d) in a specific place and time (where/when), (e) with communication and coordination barriers or facilitators (why), and that (f) influenced actions taken, health or well-being, or decision quality (outcomes). ResultsWe included 47 studies. Data sufficiency qualitative criterion was reach. We identified 69 cases (2997 participants across 13 countries) grouped into five types of decisional needs: “prioritization” (n=26), “use of services” (n=22), “prescription” (n=12), “behavior change” (n=4) and “institutionalization” (n=5). Many decisions were made between clinical encounters in situations of social vulnerability. Patterns of conditions associated with decision outcomes revealed four decision-making configurations: “well-managed” (n=13), “asymmetric encounters” (n=21), “self-management by default” (n=8), and “chaotic” (n=27). Shared decision-making was associated with positive outcomes. Negative outcomes were associated with independent decision-making. ConclusionOur results could extend decision-making models in primary care settings and inform subsequent user-centered design of decision support tools for heterogenous patients with complex care needs populations.
Shared mobility may limit vehicle lifetimes – implications for the carbon footprint
Authors: Morfeldt Johannes , Johansson Daniel
Published: February 2022

Car sharing and ride sharing will likely increase the annual vehicle driving distance, which in turn may accelerate passenger car retirement. In this study, we develop a semi-empirical lifetime-driving intensity model. We integrate our model with a carbon footprint estimation model, which assesses future decarbonization of global, European, and Swedish energy systems. We calibrate the lifetime-driving intensity model using Swedish vehicle retirement statistics, which suggest that driving intensity strongly impacts vehicle lifetimes. Our combined model shows that use-phase emissions depend on driving intensity, while manufacturing emissions are distributed over the cumulative driving distance. Hence, the carbon footprint depends on both the calendar age and cumulative driving distance of the vehicle. The results of our study also show that higher driving intensities generally result in lower carbon footprints. However, empty travel by shared autonomous vehicles, i.e., the additional distance traveled to pick up passengers, may cause carbon footprints to increase.
Bioinvasion by Spartina Patens Alters Sediment Biogeochemical Functioning European Salt Marshes
Authors: Duarte Bernardo , Fonseca Vanessa F. , Reis-Santos Patrick , Caçador Isabel
Published: February 2022

Bioinvasions pose undeniable threats and trigger changes in salt marsh ecosystem functioning. In Mediterranean and Atlantic marshes, the invasion by S. patens contributed to added competitive pressure to endemic middle-upper marsh species such as H. portulacoides. The introduction of a new and aggressive non-indigenous species (NIS) is a game-changer for the marsh biogeochemical functioning. In the present study we explored effects of this bioinvasion on an array of different extracellular enzymatic activities (EEA) of salt marsh sediments colonized by NIS and endemic plant species and its impacts on the biogeochemical functioning of a large estuarine ecosystem. In H. portulacoides there was an evident control of the extracellular enzymatic activities (EEA) by the sediment physic-chemical traits, but these relationships were weaker and fewer in number when compared to the EEA and the sediment abiotic traits in the sediments colonized by S. patens. This indicates a prevalence of a plant effect over abiotic traits in controlling EEA. Disruption in biogeochemical functioning was evident in the sediments colonized by S. patens, with clear enzymatic activity peaks during spring and summer and with significantly higher values of several EEA during autumn and winter. These led to an acceleration of necromass decomposition processes and thus to reduced marsh storage and remediation capacity. Spartina patens also showed increased phosphatase, urease, and protease activity contributing to increased release of the inorganic phosphorous and nitrogen (ammonia) into the system, with possible consequences for its eutrophication status. Higher activity of carbon-based substrates decomposition allied to an increase in dehydrogenase activity (proxy to microbial abundance and respiration), will lead to an inevitable decrease in the carbon sink capacity of the sediments and reduction of the blue carbon storage ecosystem service. The sulfatase activity in the S. patens rhizosediments also showed a significant decrease during autumn, leading to reduced production of sulfate, sulfides and increased metal bioavailability. All these changes amount to a loss of the sink capacity of the system, in terms of eutrophication reduction through organic nitrogen and phosphorous retention, carbon sink due to the acceleration of the decomposition processes and decreased metal remediation capacity. Thus, the present work highlights the need to control this invasive species not only to prevent potential reductions in floristic diversity but also to prevent the loss of key biogeochemical services, that can impact the entire estuarine system.
Effects of water-fertilizer coupling on immobilization remediation technology using sepiolite
Authors: Liu Yiyun , Xu Yingming , Huang Qingqing , Qin Xu , Zhao Lijie , Liang Xuefeng , Wang Lin , Sun Yuebing
Published: February 2022

Sepiolite shows great potential to reduce the pollution risk of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated rice in acidic paddy soils, but the efficiency in practical application was synergy of water-fertilizer coupling. We studied the effect of goat manure in sepiolite amended soil under aerobic, intermittent, and flooded irrigation condition. The results showed that the application of sepiolite alone increased soil pH, as a consequence, sepiolite decreased available Cd under flooded condition. The application of goat manure alone increased DOM content in unamended and sepiolite amended soil. As a result, goat manure increased available Cd under aerobic and flooded water condition in sepiolite amended soil. Under intermittent water condition, the combined application of sepiolite and goat manure inhibited the transfer of Cd from roots to unpolished rice to the greatest extent. The application of sepiolite in Cd polluted soil decreased the accumulation of Cd in unpolished rice at the first year, but Cd content witnessed slight increase at the second year. But, the application of goat manure in sepiolite amended soil further decreased Cd content in unpolished rice under intermittent irrigation condition. As a result, the application of goat manure and intermittent irrigation pattern could present a water-fertilizer coupling effect in sepiolite amended soil and further increased the long-term passivation effect of sepiolite.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a cohort of Labrador Retrievers in England
Authors: Woolley Charlotte S C , Handel Ian G , Bronsvoort B Mark , Schoenebeck Jeffrey J , Clements Dylan N
Published: February 2022

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have affected the welfare and health of dogs, due to surges in adoptions and purchases, changes in the physical and mental health and financial status of dog owners, changes in dogs’ lifestyle and routines and limited access to veterinary care. Research is needed to be able to assess the extent of these effects. The aims of this study were to investigate whether COVID-19 restrictions were associated with differences in Labrador Retrievers’ lifestyle, routine care, insurance status, illness incidence or veterinary attendance with an illness, who were living in England and enrolled in Dogslife, an owner-based cohort study. Longitudinal questionnaire data from Dogslife that was relevant to the dates between the 23rd of March and the 4th of July 2020, during COVID-19 restrictions in England, were compared to data between the same dates in previous years from 2011 to 2019 using mixed regression models and adjusted chi-squared tests. ResultsThe COVID-19 restrictions study period (March 23rd to July 4th 2020) was associated with owners who enrolled in Dogslife reporting increases in dogs’ exercise and worming and decreases in insurance, titbit-feeding and vaccination, in comparison with previous years (March 23rd to July 4th, 2010 to 2019). There were decreased odds of owners reporting that their dogs had an episode of coughing (0.20, 95% CI: 0.04 – 0.92) and that they took their dog to a veterinarian with an episode of any illness (0.58, 95% CI: 0.45 – 0.76) during the COVID-19 restrictions and owners were even less likely to take their dog to a veterinarian with certain illnesses. ConclusionsDogslife provided a unique opportunity to study prospective questionnaire data from owners already enrolled on a longitudinal cohort study, which minimised bias associated with recalling events prior to the pandemic, allowed a wider population of dogs to be studied than is available from primary care data and offered unique insights into owners’ decision making about their dogs’ healthcare. There are clear implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions for the lifestyle, care and health of dogs.
Novel Prognostic Indicator Combining Inflammatory Indicators and Tumor Markers for Gastric Cancer
Authors: Yu Liang , Jiang Runben , Chen Wanjing , Liu Yanwei , Wang Gui , Gong Xin , wang Yong
Published: February 2022

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and we hope to identify an economical but practical prognostic indicator. It has been reported that inflammatory indicators and tumor markers are associated with GC progression and are widely used to predict prognosis. However, existing prognostic models do not comprehensively analyze these predictors.Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 893 consecutive patients who underwent curative gastrectomy from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2015, in the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Prognostic factors predicting overall survival (OS) were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Nomograms including independent prognostic factors were plotted for predicting survival.Results: Ultimately, 425 patients were enrolled in this study. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR, total neutrophil count/lymphocyte count*100%) and CA19-9 were independent prognostic factors for OS (p=0.001, p=0.016). The NLR-CA19-9 score (NCS), constructed as the combination of the NLR and CA19-9, was significantly associated with worse clinicopathological characteristics and OS (p<0.05). Multivariate analyses revealed that the NCS was an independent prognostic factor for OS (NCS1: p<0.001, HR=3.172, 95% CI=2.120-4.745; NCS2: p<0.001, HR=3.052, 95% CI=1.928-4.832). Compared with traditional predictive indices, the NCS had the highest AUC for 12-month survival, 36-month survival, 60-month survival and OS (AUC= 0.654, 0.730, 0.811, 0.803, respectively). The nomogram had a higher Harrell’s C-index than TNM stage alone (0.788 vs. 0.743).Conclusions: The NCS provides more accurately predicts the prognosis of GC patients, and its predictive value is significantly better than that of traditional inflammatory indicators or tumor markers. It is an effective complement to existing GC assessment systems.
Validation Of An Overnight Wireless High-Resolution Oximeter Plus Cloud-Based Algorithm For The Diagnosis Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea At Home
Authors: Hasan Rosa , Genta Pedro Rodrigues , PInheiro George do Lago , Garcia Michelle Louvaes , Scudeller Paula Gobi , Carvalho Carlos Roberto Ribeiro , Lorenzi-Filho Geraldo
Published: February 2022

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is extremely common and has several consequences. However, most cases remain undiagnosed. One limitation is the lack of simple and validated methods for OSA diagnosis at home. The aim of this study was to validate a wireless high-resolution oximeter with a built-in accelerometer linked to a smartphone with automated cloud analysis (Biologix) that was compared with a home sleep test (HST, Apnea Link Air) performed on the same night. We recruited 670 patients out of a task force of 1,013 patients with suspected OSA who were referred to our center for diagnosis. The final sample consisted of 478 patients (mean age: 56.7±13.1 years, mean body mass index: 31.9±6.3 kg/m2). To estimate the night-to-night OSA severity variability, 62 patients underwent HST for two consecutive nights. The HST-apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and the Biologix-oxygen desaturation index (ODI) was 25.0±25.0 events/h and 24.9±26.5 events/h, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) - sensibility/specificity to detect at least mild (HST-AHI> 5), moderate-to-severe (HST-AHI>15), and severe OSA (HST-AHI > 30) were (0.983) - 94.7/92.8, (0.986) - 94.8/93.9, and (0.990) - 95.8/94.3, respectively. The limits of agreement originating from the Bland-Altman plot and the correlation between HST-AHI and Biologix-ODI were lower than the night-to-night HST-AHI variability (25.5 and 34.5 events/h, respectively, p = 0.001). We conclude that Biologix is a simple and reliable technique for OSA diagnosis at home.
First timeseries record of a large-scale silicic shallow-sea phreatomagmatic eruption
Authors: Maeno Fukashi , Kaneko Takayuki , Ichihara Mie , Suzuki Yujiro , Yasuda Atsushi , Nishida Kiwamu , Ohminato Takao
Published: February 2022

Phreatomagmatic eruptions are one of the most common styles of volcanic eruptions on Earth1–2. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the eruption depth and magma discharge rate on the eruptive behaviour of underwater volcanoes2–7. Even though voluminous silicic eruptions in shallow-water environments are likely to be intense and hazardous, such eruptions mostly appear in geological records7–12 and the nature of this type of eruption is therefore poorly understood. Here, we show the first timeseries record of a large-scale silicic phreatomagmatic eruption that occurred at the Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba volcano, Ogasawara, Japan, on 13 August 2021. The eruption started on the seafloor at a depth of < 70 m and breached the sea surface, resulting in a 16-km-high, steam-rich sustained eruption column. The total magma volume was ~ 0.1 km3, including the subaerial tuff cone and the 300-km2 pumice raft, most of which can be explained by the effective accumulation of pyroclasts near the vent resulting from interactions between the eruption plume and the ambient water. This eruption provides a rare opportunity to investigate the process of a large-scale phreatomagmatic eruption in a shallow sea and contributes to our understanding of the nature, dynamics, and hazards of submarine volcanism.
CkREV enhances the drought resistance of Caragana korshinskii through regulating the expression of auxin synthetase gene CkYUC5
Authors: Gong Chunmei , Li Jiayang , Ren Jiejie , Zhang Tianxin , Cui Jinhao
Published: February 2022

As a common abiotic stress, drought severely impairs the growth, development and even sur-vival of plants. Here we report a transcription factor, Caragana korshinskii REVOLUTA(CkREV), which can bidirectionally regulate the expression of the critical enzyme gene CkYUC5 in auxin synthesis according to external environment changes, so as to control the biosynthesis of auxin and further enhance drought resistance of plants. Quantitative analysis reveals that the expression level of CkYUC5 and AtYUC5 is both down-regulated after C. korshinskii and Arabidopsis thaliana are exposed to drought. Functional verification of CkREV reveals that CkREV up-regulates the expression of AtYUC5 in transgenic A. thaliana under common conditions, while down-regulates it under drought conditions. Meanwhile, the expression of CkYUC5 is also down-regulated in C. korshinskii leaves instantaneously overexpressing CkREV. We apply dual-luciferase reporter system to discover that CkREV can bind to the promoter of CkYUC5 to regulate its expression, which is further proved by EMSA and Y1H experiments. Functional verification of CkREV in C. korshinskii and transgenic A. thaliana shows that CkREV can regulate the expression of CkYUC5 and AtYUC5 in a contrary way, maintaining the equilibrium of plants between growth and drought resisting. CkREV can positively regulate the expression of CkYUC5 to promote auxin synthesis in favor of growth under normal development. However, CkREV can also respond to external signals and negatively regulate the expression of CkYUC5, which inhibits auxin synthesis in order to reduce growth rate and lower water demands and eventually improves drought resistance of plants.
South Asia suffers severe water scarcity even under the Paris Agreement
Authors: Rashid Mehnaz , Wu Ren-Jie , Wada Yoshihide , Schmied Hannes Müller , Lo Min-Hui
Published: February 2022

Water scarcity (WS) is projected to increase as a result of future climate and population changes, and its impacts will be hazardous to vulnerable groups of people in South Asia (SA). We present the first assessment of WS in SA under the Paris Agreement, using two global hydrological models (GHM) forced by three global climate models (GCM) under the RCP 6.0. Results show that a significant alteration in the hydrological fluxes contributes to the decline in water availability, along with an intense increase in water consumption that augments WS. The seasonal shifting in WS significantly increases the population affected by approximately 16% in June to September (JJAS) to 42% in December to February (DJF) under 1.5 ºC warming. We also highlight spatial hotspots of WS in SA, including North-central, Northwestern, and Southern India, Eastern Pakistan, Northern, and Northwestern Bangladesh. We observe a 1.5 ºC temperature increase as a critical point for WS in SA with a profound impact on 875 million people and suggest the Paris Agreement temperature target of even 1.5 ºC will not ubiquitously alleviate future warming-driven WS. Hence, immediate mitigations and legislations are required to curtail WS in SA.
Knowledge, Practice and Barrier Towards Emergence Contraceptive Usage Among Female University Students at Kilimanjaro Region in Tanzania.
Authors: Mariki Tonny J. , Mbuya Euphurasia J. , Mkojera Erick J. , Amour Caroline , Mboya Innocent , Msuya Sia E.
Published: February 2022

Background: Unplanned pregnancy is major public health concern. Globally unintended pregnancies account for about 40% of all pregnancies annually. The problem is more in developed countries in which nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended. In Tanzania over 20 women die each day due to the complication of unplanned pregnancy and childbirth which contribute to high maternal mortality rate. Though EC can prevent unplanned pregnancies by nearly 95% to 99% but the practice is still very low in Africa as well as in Tanzania despite some of the study shown that there is moderate knowledge. Therefore, the current study aiming of assessing knowledge, practice and barrier or challenges which face female university students in using EC. Method: A cross-sectional study design was conducted among 365 female students at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCO), Mwenge Catholic University (MWECAU) and Moshi cooperative University (MOCU) in Kilimanjaro region. A simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Self-administered questionnaires were used during data collection. Results: About (65.7%) of the female university students had ever heard of EC and more than half of them had knowledge on when to use EC (54.4%), where to obtain (58.7%) and time for EC to be taken (41.5%). Moreover about 75.6% of female university students in this study reported never use emergency contraceptives (EC) while 24.4% reported having ever used emergency contraceptive and among 24.4% EC users reported that 90.2% use EC pills method. On the other hand, common barriers toward EC use reported by female university students were fear of side effects, personal barrier, and religion opposition 39.4%, 31.9% and 12.8% respectively.Conclusions: This study found that majority 65.7% of female university students had ever heard of emergence contraceptive (EC) in their lives. Practice of EC is still very low among female students where by only 24.4% reported having ever used emergency contraceptive. Fear of side effect and personal barrier were mostly reported as the common barrier by the female student towards EC usage 39.4%, 31.9% respectively. Thus, there is an urgent need to educate the female university students about EC.
Single-cell analysis reveals melanocytes may promote inflammation in chronic wounds through proteinase-activated receptor-2
Authors: Yakupu Aobuliaximu , Zhang Di , Guan Haonan , Jiang Minfei , Dong Jiaoyun , Niu Yiwen , Tang Jiajun , Liu Yingkai , Ma Xian , Lu Shuliang
Published: February 2022

BackgroundWound healing is a complex, highly regulated process that is critical for restoring the anatomic and functional integrity of the skin after injury, which requires the interaction of various cell types. During acute wound healing, epidermal cells will activate at precise temporal stages, and proper communication will occur between different cells and will restore the skin integrity eventually. However, why the chronic wounds stagnate in an undefined non-healing state and how the epidermal cells interact with each other in the chronic wound environment is still unclear. To provide new insights into chronic wound healing, we reconstructed the variations in the epidermal cell-cell communication network that occur in chronic wound healing via single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data analysis. MethodsWe used the count matrix of scRNA-seq data to create a Seurat object with the R package “Seurat” which was analyzed using default parameters. GO analysis was performed for the differentially expressed genes with Enrichr by R package “Cluster Profiler”. Then we created a CellChat object with the R package “CellChat” from Seurat and reconstructed the cell-cell autocrine and paracrine signaling interactions through CellChatDB.ResultsSix cell types are annotated in each wound type and through comparing the acute and chronic wounds we found that cellular and molecular interactions of epidermal cells are enhanced in chronic wounds. Especially, the PTN and PAR signaling pathways were significantly changed in chronic wounds. Then we found the melanocyte cell population was the dominant sender of PTN and PAR signaling pathways and the most contributing ligand-receptor pairs of the PTN and PAR signaling pathways were PTN-SDC1 and CTSG-F2RL1 respectively. ConclusionsIn this study, we used CellChat to reconstruct the epidermal cell-cell autocrine and paracrine signaling networks and try to understand the underlying molecular and physiological perturbations in non-healing wounds. we speculate that melanocytes may play a key role in skin regeneration, and that the absence of the PTN pathway and increasing PAR signaling pathways may disrupt the healing in chronic wounds. In addition, we identified that CTSG and PTN may respectively be a novel potential target and a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of chronic wounds.
Detection and Characterization of Latency Stage of EBV and Histopathological Analysis of Prostatic Adenocarcinoma Tissues
Authors: Ahmed Khalid , Sheikh Alisalman , Fatima Saira , Haider Ghulam , Ghias Kulsoom , Abbas Farhat , Mughal Nouman , Abidi Syed Hani
Published: February 2022

Introduction: The pathophysiology of prostate cancer involves both genetic and acquired factors, including pathogens, such as viruses. A limited number of studies have shown the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in prostate cancer tissues. However, there is a dearth of data exploring EBV latency profile in prostate cancer, and the relationship of EBV with histopathological features of prostate cancer. In this study, prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) samples were screened for the presence of EBV, followed by the characterization of the EBV latency profile and analysis of histopathological parameters in EBV-positive and EBV-negative groups. Material & Methods: A conventional PCR strategy was employed using virus-specific primers to screen EBV in 99 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) prostate cancer and 33 BPH samples received for histopathological analysis during the years 2019-2020. Subsequently, cDNA samples were used in a qPCR array to analyze the expression of EBV latency-associated genes to map the latency profile EBV maintains in the samples. Finally, statistical analyses were performed to determine the correlation between EBV and several histopathological features of the samples. Results: EBV was detected in 39% of prostate cancer and 24% of BPH samples. The histopathological analysis of prostate cancer samples identified all samples as prostatic adenocarcinoma of acinar type, while statistical analyses revealed EBV-positive samples to exhibit significantly higher (p<0.05) Gleason major and total Gleason scores as compared to EBV-negative samples. In the EBV positive samples, variable expression patterns of latency-associated genes were observed, where most of the samples exhibited EBV latency II/III-like profiles in prostate cancer, while latency-II-like profiles in BPH samples.Conclusion: This study suggests a high prevalence of EBV in prostate samples, where EBV exhibited latency II/III-like profiles. Furthermore, EBV-positive samples exhibited a higher Gleason score suggesting a possible link between EBV and onset/progression of prostate cancers. However, future functional studies are required to understand the role of the EBV gene expression profile in the onset/progression of prostate cancer.
Use of Antipsychotics Is Negatively Associated With Muscle Strength in Older Adults With Sarcopenia After Stroke: a Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Kose Eiji , Yoshimura Yoshihiro , Wakabayashi Hidetaka , Matsumoto Ayaka
Published: February 2022

Background: The use of antipsychotics have been shown to affect activities of daily living during rehabilitation, but reports regarding their effects on older patients with sarcopenia are insufficient. Aim: To establish whether the use of antipsychotics has effects on muscle strength and muscle mass in older patients with sarcopenia undergoing convalescent rehabilitation after stroke.Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a rehabilitation hospital between 2015 and 2020. The study outcomes included skeletal muscle mass index and hand grip strength at discharge. Multivariate analyses were used to determine whether the use of antipsychotics at admission and at 4 weeks after admission were independently associated with the study outcomes, after adjusting for potential confounders.Results: Of the 619 stroke patients admitted, 196 (mean age 81 years; 44.4% men) had sarcopenia at admission and were included in the final analysis. The median hand grip strength and median skeletal muscle mass index values were 12.5 (5.9–17.9) kg and 5.1 (4.5–6.0) kg/m2, respectively. In the multivariate analyses, the use of antipsychotics at 4 weeks post-admission was independently associated with hand grip strength at discharge (β = –0.125, p = 0.008), which was not the case when used at admission. Furthermore, the use of antipsychotics at admission and at 4 weeks after admission were not significantly associated with the skeletal muscle mass index at discharge.Conclusions: The use of antipsychotics in older patients with sarcopenia after stroke was negatively associated with handgrip strength at discharge.
Toward an Intelligent Cache Management: In an Edge Computing Era for Delay Sensitive IoT Applications
Authors: Meena V , Krithivasan Kannan , Rahul Punna , T suriya praba
Published: February 2022

The emergence of embedded technologies and Internet of Things (IoT), have perceived the proliferation of devices starting from tiny monitoring sensors, mobile devices, wearable devices, surveillance sensors etc. For the past few decades technological advancements in these devices leverages applications from home automation to health care industries. Due to this drastic growth in technology and newly emerging applications the number of IoT connected devices are expected to reach 42.62 billion with global mobile data traffic of 77.5 exabytes/month by 2022. So, offering required services with sufficient QoS parameters as per SLA is a challenging task. Also, the growing rate of wireless traffic exerts load to the core network and backhaul connections. Even the situations may get still worse with multimedia streaming applications. To mitigate the wireless traffic, Fog Caching (FC) is one of the promising solutions. In FC the popular contents in the mobile core network are cached in suitable places. However, identifying popular contents, locating cache, and replacing contents of cache are noticeable issues in FC. In this paper we propose an Intelligent framework(I-CADET) for efficient CAche management for Delay sensitive IoT applications in the Edge CompuTing era. To locate the cache in mobile core network Connected Dominating Set (CDS) construction of graph theory is used. The content popularity is predicted by efficient ML technique. Then the identified popular contents are distributed over a constructed semigraph based connected edge dominating virtual backbone. The efficient distribution of popular content on the constructed semigraph based virtual backbone (hot spot places) increases the Quality of Experience (QOE). The numerical results reveal that the proposed framework improves the QoE in terms of content delivery and cache hit rate, minimized average downloading latency and backhaul load. The efficient usage of cache and bandwidth has been ensured while meeting high QoS.
How a Serpentine Tail Assists Agile Motions of Kangaroo Rats: A Dynamics and Control Approach
Authors: Liu Yujiong , Ben-Tzvi Pinhas
Published: February 2022

Kangaroo rat is a good representative for general bipedalism with a serpentine tail. Modeling and analyzing the kangaroo rat motion helps to understand the serpentine tail functionalities in agile motions of bipedal mobile platforms, and this understanding is expected to lay the foundation for the future development of such robotic systems. This paper analyzes the kangaroo rat motions through dynamic modeling and control. The system dynamic model is established using the inertia matrix method, and two typical serpentine tail models are considered: a continuum tail model where the tail is modeled as several constant curvature arcs, and an articulated tail model where the tail is discretized into rigid links. Regularized contact model is used to compute the ground reaction force (GRF). To automatically plan the tail motion, numerical optimal control techniques (i.e., direct collocation method) are utilized. Partial feedback linearization is then used to track the designed tail trajectory. Based on the formulated dynamic model and motion controller, two representative tail functions (airborne righting and supporting) were simulated and analyzed. The results validated the proposed modeling and control framework and showed the nontrivial functionalities of the serpentine tail in helping the kangaroo rat to achieve agile motions. Moreover, comparative studies on the two tail models and the tail segmentations were performed to analyze the model differences. The results demonstrated that the articulated tail model is a good approximation of the continuum tail model, and more tail segments and links enhance the kangaroo rat’s ability to deliberately adjust its motion.
Urinary Tract Infection: Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Bacterial Etiologies and Associated Risk Factors in Diabetic Patients Attending Debre Tabor Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Worku Seble , Girum Alebachew , Birhan Ayenew , Alemu Ashenafi
Published: February 2022

Background: Urinary tract infection is a major health problem especially in developing countries. Information about bacterial pathogens isolated from urinary tract infection in diabetic patients and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns are limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed at to isolate bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted at Debre Tabor. Urine sample was inoculated on to cysteine lysine electrolyte deficient (CLED) medium. Bacterial pathogens were identified using standard bacteriological methods. The data were cleaned and entered in to SPSS version 20. P- Value less than 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 250 study participants were included in the study. Of them, 28 (11.2%) bacterial pathogens were isolated. Gram positive bacteria were commonly isolated 19 (67.8%) than Gram negatives 9 (32.1%). The commonly isolated bacterial species were Staphylococcus aureus8 (28.6%),Escherichia coli5 (19.1%), Coagulase negative Staphylococci 8 (28.6%),Kelebsllapneumoniae4(14.3%), and Entrococcus(9.5%).Gram positive isolates were resistant to cotrimoxazole 10 (58.8%).Conclusion: Bacteriuria was significantly associated with sex and type of diabetes. Multidrug resistance to two or more antibiotics was observed in 56.7% of bacterial isolates. Rational use of antimicrobial agent should be thought to prevent the emergency of multidrug resistance.
Covalent narlaprevir- and boceprevir-derived hybrid inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease: room-temperature X-ray and neutron crystallography, binding thermodynamics, and antiviral activity
Authors: Kneller Daniel , Li Hui , Phillips Gwyndalyn , Weiss Kevin , Zhang Qiu , Arnould Mark , Jonsson Colleen , Surendranathan Surekha , Parvathareddy Jyothi , Blakeley Matthew , Coates Leighton , Louis John , Bonnesen Peter , Kovalevsky Andrey
Published: February 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt everyday life, with constantly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants threatening to render current vaccines ineffective. Small-molecule antivirals can provide an important therapeutic treatment option that is subject to challenges caused by the virus variants. The viral main protease (Mpro) is critical for the virus replication and thus is considered an attractive drug target for specific protease inhibitors. We performed the design and characterization of three reversible covalent hybrid inhibitors BBH-1, BBH-2 and NBH-2, whose structures were derived from those of hepatitis C protease inhibitors boceprevir and narlaprevir. A joint X-ray/neutron structure of the Mpro/BBH-1 complex demonstrated that a Cys145 thiolate reaction with the inhibitor’s keto-warhead creates a negatively charged oxyanion, similar to that proposed for the Mpro-catalyzed peptide bond hydrolysis. Protonation states of the ionizable residues in the Mpro active site adapt to the inhibitor, which appears to be an intrinsic property of Mpro. Structural comparisons of the hybrid inhibitors with PF-07321332 revealed unconventional interactions of PF-07321332 with Mpro which may explain its more favorable enthalpy of binding and consequently higher potency. BBH-1, BBH-2 and NBH-2 demonstrated comparable antiviral properties in vitro relative to PF-07321332, making them good candidates for further design of improved antivirals.
Velella Swarm Optimization Algorithm (VSO)
Authors: Jangah Asgar , Mirvaziri Hamid
Published: February 2022

Some algorithms have been developed in heuristic optimization area inspired by swarm behaviour in nature which are the most popular optimization problems. In this paper, a theory for subgroups of Velella are introduced and a new biologically-inspired optimization algorithm is proposed based on subgroups behaviour of the individual Velella in colonies. Our proposed method is compared with some of the state-of-the-art heuristic optimization algorithms. Finally, performance and results of the proposed method is prepared for solving various benchmark functions. Obtained results prove that our method can solve same problems significantly better than the others.