bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Determinants of Child Survival in South-west Nigeria
Authors: Olanike Bamisaye, Bukola , Oladejo Adepoju, Thomas
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Child survival is an essential component of public health concerned with reducing child morbidity and mortality. Despite the gains attained during the Millennium Development Goals era, globally 14,000 children less than five years of age still die daily. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the determinants of child survival in South-west Nigeria.

Methods: A A four-stage random sampling technique four-stage random sampling was used to sample 1308 mothers of under-five children in southwest Nigeria. Information on demographic and socio-economic characteristics, child-related, maternal, paternal, and environmental factors were collected using a pre-tested, interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20, descriptive statistics, and logistic regression was performed at a 5% level of significance.

Results: Mean age of respondents was 30.7±6.1years. Factors that significantly (p<0.05) influenced the survival of the under-five children were; mothers' literacy level, residence, low parity, mothers’ educational qualification, type of flooring materials, and mothers' age at first birth. The odds of child survival is twice as higher in literate than non-literate mothers (OR:1.9; CI:1.2-2.8), urban than rural dwellers (OR:2.2; CI:1.1-4.8), mothers with at least a secondary education than uneducated (OR:2.1; CI:1.3-3.5), type of flooring materials (OR:4.3; CI:2.3-8.2) and respondents age at first birth (OR:1.1; CI:1.0-1.1). Also, women with low parity had less likelihood of under-five death than mothers with higher parity (OR:0.5; CI:0.3-0.9).

Conclusion: The study identified literacy level, residence, low parity, mothers’ educational qualification, and type of flooring materials as determinants of child survival in southwest Nigeria. Therefore, all stakeholders should develop a more effective response to these determinants to ensure sustainable, realistic, and practical measures that will increase the survival of under-five children in the area.
Significance of Serum Relaxin in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Elashmoney Eman A. , El-Gharbawy Nashwa M. , Hodeib Hossam A. , Al-Naggar Mousa M.
Published: June 2022

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. It may be due to impaired insulin secretion, resistance to peripheral actions of insulin, or both. The aim of the work is to evaluate significance of serum relaxin in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease. 60 subjects aged from (18years to 60 years) in internal medicine department at Tanta University hospital (outpatient –inward). This study was carried out from between March 2020 to March 2021. There was insignificant difference between groups according to age There was an inverse significant correlation between serum relaxin level and HBA1C in group 2 .but not in group 3. There was an inverse significant correlation between serum relaxin level and creatinine in group 2 .and in group 3. the best cut of level of relaxin hormone in discriminating normal individuals fron CKD patients was 150 ng/dl with an area under the curve(AUC) of 0,988 yeilding sensitivity of 93%, specifity of 95% , positive predictive value (PPV) 97%, negative predictive value(NPV) 86% and accuracy of 93%. Serum RLX levels are significantly lower in patients with CKD than healthy subjects. Furthermore, when compared to non-diabetic patients, they are much lower in diabetic patients. This research suggests that RLX could be a useful therapeutic option for diabetic nephropathy patients with developed fibrosis. RLX has a high safety profile, with potentially fewer adverse effects than conventional treatments because it is a naturally occurring physiological hormone. However, further effort is required.
A Study on the Impact of Organizational Climates on Organization Learning
Authors: Yousif Marwah Badr Zaya
Published: June 2022

Aims: The main aim of the presented paper is to examine the impact of various organizational climates on different learning dimensions related to Learning Organizations.

Study Design: The questionnaire was used as a tool for collecting information.

Place and Duration of Study: The data has been obtained via using surveys from 152 personnel in the Trade Bank of Iraq, between Des. 2020 and May 2021.

Methodology: the sample was predominantly made of males (54.6%), with 45.4% being females. 64.5% of the participants were single while 35.5% were married. In terms of education, the majority had Graduate education qualifications (78.3%), 17.1% had postgraduate qualifications while 4.6% had secondary education qualifications.

Results: the climate score (RS) of responsibility shows to be less effective on the dimensions of a Learning Organization compared to the structural climate, none-the-less, the impact of responsibility climate on empowering is considerably higher, The score of structure climate has a positive correlation at a significance level which is equal to 0.01 to every score of learning climate

Both reward climate and warmth and support climate have a considerably high positive significant relation to every dimension of the Learning Organization. The climate of reward has maximum impacts on the dimension of empowerment, followed by connections of the system and the dimensions of team learning. The climates of support and warmth have an impact on the connections of systems and the dimensions of inquiry and dialogue the most.

The climate of risk has a negative correlation with each dimension of the Learning Organization. Nonetheless, it's only highly related to the dimension of leadership in which the significance level equals 0.05, Similarly to the climate of reward and the climate of warmth and support, they presume that the climate of approval has a positive correlation with every dimension of Learning Organization at a significance level equal to 0.01.

The climate of conflict has e negative correlation with every dimension of the Learning Organization. Every correlation is significant at a 0.01 level except for the dimension of leadership which is nearly correlated at a level of 0.05. The maximum negative relations indicate team and continuous learning.

Conclusion: The results obtained from achieving statistical analysis showed that the organizational climate has a certain impact on Learning Organization's different dimensions. Furthermore, indicated the organizational climate which considerably impacts certain dimensions of Learning Organizations as well as their degree of influence. Additionally, the presented paper specified the optimum combination regarding climate which impact specific dimension of the Learning Organizations.
Assessment of the Potential for Methane Emissions Caused by the Livestock Sector in the Region of Kankan, Guinea
Authors: Sakouvogui Ansoumane , Sidibe Amadou , Diallo Ibrahima Sory , Keita Mamby
Published: June 2022

Man has always organized his living space near animal farms. Nevertheless, the population growth and the healthiness due to the droppings of these animals have motivated work on the recovery of animal waste. This study follows this logic. It consists in the evaluation of the potential of methane emissions due to the livestock sector in the Administrative Region of Kankan. The methodological approach adopted for this study consists in carrying out a field survey for the census of animal herds, the use of data from different livestock services and the formulas have enabled us to make an estimate of methane emissions from the sector. livestock in the region. The surveys took place from December 15, 2021 to March 30, 2022. The results obtained show that the greatest quantity of emissions is recorded in Siguiri (25772923 kg/year), followed respectively by Kérouané (23452057 kg/year), Mandiana (23023031 kg/year), Kouroussa (20515857 kg/year), and Kankan (16144187 kg/year). With total annual emissions in the region of 108908054 kg/year. The results of this research is a first estimate of the CH4 emission potential due to the livestock sector in the administrative region of Kankan. This study must be encouraged by authorities at all levels of the environmental sector.
Low-cost System for Transmitting and Receiving Data by 433MHz Wirelessly for Educational Purposes
Authors: Abdulrazigh Mahfoud Y. A. , Hussain Salim Abdallah El , Fadlallah Abdulhakim Ibrahim
Published: June 2022

The concept of project-based learning is very popular among students as it allows them to solve problems and gain the necessary skills to design and implement wireless communication systems. However, it can be very challenging to implement and operate a system due to its high cost and closed architecture. This model uses project-based learning methodology to teach students how to design and construct wireless communication systems. It is a good study case for those pursuing their undergraduate degrees in electrical and electronic engineering. During the course, the students exhibited a lot of interest in the tool. This is due to the various theoretical and practical issues that are covered in the lectures. The project-based learning method is designed to prepare students for the job market by equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to make informed decisions. In this study, a simple wireless communication system is designed and implemented. That has ability to transmit and receive data in various ranges and environments to enhance the learning process of undergraduate students in the field of communication. Considering the length of the antenna and the environment (in/out door) the range of transmission and receiving data can be extended clearly in reality.
Indoor Air Pollution in Rumuewhera Community in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria
Authors: Kanu O. P. , Leton T. G.
Published: June 2022

Indoor air pollution arising from the use of biomass fuel for cooking is a serious health issue in Nigeria especially in rural communities. This study investigated the levels of Carbon monoxide (CO), PM2.5 and PM10 released during morning and evening cooking sessions in 17 households in Rumuewhara community in Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State Nigeria. This was to ascertain indoor air pollution concentrations in rural households categorized in the terms of fuel type (Firewood, Kerosene and LPG) and kitchen configuration. In the morning cooking session, mean and standard deviation of CO, PM2.5 and PM10 concentration levels from households using LPG (8.78 + 5.20 ppm, 25.5 + 6.65 µg/m3 and 39.38 + 13.28 µg/m3) were observed as lower than those from other households using biomass fuels (36.78 + 19.44 ppm, 270.16 + 159.44 µg/m3 and 419.82 + 247.29 µg/m3 for firewood). The mean concentrations of CO, PM2.5 and PM10 during cooking sessions in firewood kitchens are clearly higher than the standard limits of WHO and Health Canada due to the fuel type, kitchen configuration and ventilation habit. With correlation coefficients, r = -0.537, P=.03; r = -0.583, P=.01 and r = -0.566, p=0.02; there is a statistically significant and strong negative correlation between Relative Humidity vs CO, PM2.5 and PM10 respectively. The use of biomass fuels for household cooking should be discouraged in favour of LPG or kerosene due to the high concentration of indoor air pollutants it generates. To reduce the effects of biomass fuels, well-positioned Chimneys should be incorporated into houses to limit the accumulation of indoor air pollutants in the cooking area.
The Effects of a Goal-setting Intervention on Frequency of Participation in Organized Exercise Programmes for Women
Authors: Konstantinou Aikaterini , Galanis Evangelos , Theodorakis Yannis , Comoutos Nikos , Pappas Aggelos , Hatzigeorgiadis Antonis
Published: June 2022

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a goal-setting intervention on frequency of participation in women attending exercise programmes in a fitness club.

Study Design: Pragmatic Field Intervention.

Place and Duration of Study: The intervention was implemented in a private fitness club and the duration of the study was 12 weeks.

Methodology: The final sample consisted of 36 women (Mage = 38.13, SD= 7.40), randomly assigned into intervention (n= 17) and control (n= 19) groups. The intervention lasted eight weeks, during which all participants had unlimited access to all activities of their choice, with the intervention group receiving in parallel a goal-setting intervention. Frequency of attendance was recorded from four weeks prior to the onset of the intervention (baseline) until 4 weeks following its completion (follow-up). The Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale was used to assess satisfaction of basic needs before and after the intervention.

Results: The results showed that (a) for the intervention group, frequency of participation increased from baseline (2.15±0.90) to mid-intervention (2.66±0.70) period and dropped back to baseline levels at follow-up (1.77+1.30); (b) for the control group, frequency of participation decreased from baseline (2.07±0.99) to intervention (1.37±0.94) period and remained stable at follow-up (1.47±1.42). Regarding the basic needs, it was shown that satisfaction for the need for competence was increased for the experimental group, and satisfaction for the need for autonomy was decreased for the control group.

Conclusion: The findings showed that goal-setting has positive effects on participation for the duration of the intervention; however, these effects were not sustained after its conclusion, suggesting (a) consultants with expertise on goal-setting may help improving adherence in organized programmes, and (b) that such interventions should place emphasis on developing individuals’ skills on goal setting.
Geographical Description of Kumadugu-Yobe River Basin of West Africa
Authors: Jajere Ahmed Abubakar, , Ibrahim, Jajere Ahmed , Adamu Aminu Bara
Published: June 2022

Kumadugu-Yobe river basin is located in African sub-region within the boundary of Nigeria and Niger republic. The basin is drained by two major river systems; river Yobe and kumadugu gana. The Two major rivers empty their waters into Lake Chad. The basin falls within three major climatic belts, namely: the guinea savannah at the water head; Sudan at mid-stream and Sahel at downstream. The rainfall pattern varies from over 1200mm at the Jos plateau water head to less 400mm at downstream. The basin constitutes only 6% of the Lake Chad basin but accommodating more than 55% of the basin’s population and also providing livelihood means to over 15 million people, particularly farmers, pastoralists and fishermen. However series of impediments has been altering with hydrology of basin following the sahelian drought of 1970s and 1980s. The basin ecosystem is vital to not only the local population but to global community at large. The hadejia-Nguru wetlands of basin is the key host to wintering migratory birds from Europe and also one of the Ramsar wetland site of international importance.
Analysis and Evaluation of the Effects of Melatonin on Oral Keratinocytes: A Pilot Study
Authors: Tufteland Megan , Lenon Allison Jae , Carlile Spencer , Kingsley Karl
Published: June 2022

Objective: Twenty to 30 percent of children in cross-sectional studies have significant bedtime problems or night waking. Melatonin, a synthetic form of the hormone produced by the pineal gland as a biomarker of the circadian system, is a commonly used nonprescription pharmacologic treatment for sleep disorders in children. Many studies have demonstrated the effect of melatonin supplementation on sleep duration and sleep quality, which can improve overall systemic health and disease prevention. However, despite the growing number of studies demonstrating the effects of melatonin to improve disordered sleep, no available studies have evaluated the effects of melatonin on normal oral tissues. Based upon this lack of knowledge, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate any potential effects of melatonin on normal oral cells and tissues within the physiologically relevant (supplementation) range.

Methods: Normal oral keratinocytes (OKF4) and human gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1) were obtained and cultured for this study. Melatonin was administered in 96-well growth assays at supplement-equivalent physiologic concentrations at the low, mid and high range (1, 5 and 10 ug/uL) to determine any effects on cellular growth and proliferation. Changes in cellular viability and expression of cell cycle and apoptosis-related pathways were also evaluated.

Results: Curvilinear U-shaped dose responses were observed in OKF cells under melatonin administration, ranging from -11.4% (low), to a maximum of -13.6% (mid) and  -5.0% (high) compared with non-treated controls, p=0.029. Dose-responses among HGF-1 cells ranged from +12.1% (low), +17.4% (mid), and +5.0% (high), p=0.021. No changes in cellular viability were observed between control and experimental cells. However, qPCR screening of total RNA revealed significant changes in cell cycle related pathways, including c-myc, GAPDH and P53 but no changes in any apoptosis-related pathways, including Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that melatonin does affect growth but not viability among these cell lines, which was found to be dose-dependent. These results suggest that melatonin may have some limited effects on oral tissues that may influence wound healing and repair but may not affect normal physiologic function or other cellular pathways. In agreement with other pediatric literature supporting the safety of melatonin use, this pilot study does not reveal any deleterious effects that would caution against its use in children or adults.
Extraction of Lepidium sativum Seed Mucilage: Optimization of Extraction Process with Maximum Yield by using Full Factorial Design
Authors: Mahapatra Abikesh Prasada Kumar , Murthy P. N. , Panda Niranjan , Gupta Amit , Paul Basudev , Malla Suryanaryan , Panigrahy Subodhkant
Published: June 2022

Objective: The present investigation helps to isolate the seed mucilage of Lepidium sativum by using an economic extraction process with utmost yield. Diligence effort was given to get the maximum yield of the mucilage with good flow properties without affecting the intrinsic properties of the extracted mucilage. The yield of the seed mucilage of Lepidium sativum was optimized by using a quality by design approach. The full factorial design was used using three variables (pH of extract, water to seed ratio, and drying temperature) at two levels (high and low). Overall, ten formulation trials were generated through statistical software Minitab placing 2 center points, 1 replicate, and 1 block. All trials were executed to evaluate the percentage yield.

Results: The extraction process was evaluated with different solvents (such as ethanol and acetone) and different techniques to monitor the yield of the process. The maximum yield was achieved by soaking Lepidium sativum seeds in water (1:30 ratio), maintaining an alkaline pH, blending by hand blender, and using acetone as a solvent. A factorial design was used to observe the responses like the yield of the isolated mucilage for different levels of all the independent variables. A polynomial equation was developed and model plots (contour plot and Pareto chart) were generated to study the impact of the critical variables on the response yield. ANOVA analysis of the model suggested that the independent variables had significantly affected (p < 0.05) in predicting the response (% yield) and the coefficient terms with a p-value less than 0.05 had a significant effect on the prediction efficacy of the model. Finally, the optimized parameter was established based on statistical evaluation obtained from the polynomial equation as well as the recommendation obtained from the response optimizer. The study indicates that the obtained linear regression equation has a linear relation with a regression coefficient of 0.9869 % for response % yield.

Conclusion: A cost-effective extraction and isolation process was established to extract the seed mucilage of Lepidium sativum with maximum yield. The isolated mucilage was evaluated for flow properties and demonstrated that it is having good flow properties and can be used as an excipient or adjuvant in different pharmaceuticals and food industries. The applicability of factorial design was well demonstrated to optimize the yield by optimizing the critical factors.
Outcomes and Predictors of Non-Responsiveness in Treatment of Naïve and Non-Cirrhotic Patients with HCV Genotype 3 Infection – A Third World Perspective
Authors: Mehboob Saima , Mohammad Noor , Abbas Amer , Danish Syed Hassan
Published: June 2022

Objective: To assess the clinical outcome in treatment naïve and non-cirrhotic patients with HCV genotype 3 infection after treatment with Sofosbuvir with declastasvir and valpatasvir (in case of non-responsiveness).

Methods: Study included 263 participants. The inclusion criteria were HCV genotype 3 infection confirmed through PCR, age above 18 years, treatment naïve and non-cirrhotic. HCV PCR below the threshold of quantification at 12th week of treatment was defined as SVR12 (sustained virological response). The patients were started on a fixed dose generic combination of declastasvir 60 mg and Sofosbuvir 400 mg and PCR was performed at 12, 24 and 48 weeks. PCR positive patients at 24 weeks were given valpatasvir with Sofosbuvir.

Results: There were 162 males and 101 females. PCR performed at 12 weeks showed that 251 patients (95.4%) became PCR negative and 12 (4.56%) remained positive. Repeat PCR of these 12 patients started on valpatasvir and Sofosbuvir at 48 weekswas negative. The treatment was well tolerated by all.Probability of positive HCV PCR at 12 weeks decreases by 0.73 with one unit increase in the hemoglobin, whereas one unit increase in TLC reduces the probability of HCV PCR at 12 weeks, positive by 0.001.

Conclusion: The combination of Sofosbuvir and declastasvir is a cheap and effective treatment strategy for treatment naïve and non-cirrhotic HCV genotype 3 infections. Those not responding will achieve PCR negativity with a 6 month therapy of Sofosbuvir and valpatasvir combination. A high hemoglobin level and high total leucocyte count are predictors of good treatment response.
Does Access to Public Drinking Water Services Positively Impact Health in Cameroon?
Authors: Dandja Yakoubou , Nesta Ntsame Ovono
Published: June 2022

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of household access to the drinking water distribution network on the state of health of populations in Cameroon. Considering child health (diarrheal morbidity and underweight) and based on data from the Cameroonian Household Survey (ECAM4) of 2014 and the Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey (EDSC-V) of 2018 and adopting probity models with instrumental variable in a dichotomous approach, we obtain the following results. Access to public drinking water services contributes significantly to improving the well-being of populations in Cameroon, significantly reducing the risk of diarrhea and exposure to underweight children. Also, the public authorities will have to develop water production and distribution infrastructures to promote greater access for the population and allow an improvement in the water quality and quantity.
The DUX4 protein is a co‐repressor of the progesterone and glucocorticoid nuclear receptors
Authors: Quintero Julieta , Saad Nizar Y. , Pagnoni Sabrina M. , Jacquelin Daniela K. , Gatica Laura V. , Harper Scott Q. , Rosa Alberto L.
Published: June 2022

DUX4 is a transcription factor required during early embryonic development in placental mammals. In this work, we provide evidence that DUX4 is a co‐repressor of nuclear receptors (NRs) of progesterone (PR) and glucocorticoids (GR). The DUX4 C‐ter and N‐ter regions, including the nuclear localization signals and homeodomain motifs, contribute to the co‐repressor activity of DUX4 on PR and GR. Immunoprecipitation studies, using total protein extracts of cells expressing tagged versions of DUX4 and GR, support that these proteins are physically associated. Our studies suggest that DUX4 could modulate gene expression by co‐regulating the activity of hormone NRs. This is the first report highlighting a potential endocrine role for DUX4.
Astrocytic d‐amino acid oxidase degrades d‐serine in the hindbrain
Authors: Gonda Yusuke , Ishii Chiharu , Mita Masashi , Nishizaki Naoto , Ohtomo Yoshiyuki , Hamase Kenji , Shimizu Toshiaki , Sasabe Jumpei
Published: June 2022

d‐Serine modulates excitatory neurotransmission by binding to N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate glutamate receptors. d‐Amino acid oxidase (DAO) degrades d‐amino acids, such as d‐serine, in the central nervous system, and is associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, cell types that express brain DAO remain controversial, and whether brain DAO influences systemic d‐amino acids in addition to brain d‐serine remains unclear. Here, we created astrocyte‐specific DAO‐conditional knockout mice. Knockout in glial fibrillary acidic protein‐positive cells eliminated DAO expression in the hindbrain and increased d‐serine levels significantly in the cerebellum. Brain DAO did not influence levels of d‐amino acids in the forebrain or periphery. These results show that astrocytic DAO regulates d‐serine specifically in the hindbrain.
Chiral proofreading during protein biosynthesis and its evolutionary implications
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Bhatnagar Akshay , Sankaranarayanan Rajan
Published: June 2022

Homochirality of biomacromolecules is a prerequisite for their proper functioning and hence essential for all life forms. This underscores the role of cellular chiral checkpoints in enforcing homochirality during protein biosynthesis. d‐Aminoacyl‐tRNA deacylase (DTD) is an enzyme that performs ‘chirality‐based proofreading’ to remove d‐amino acids mistakenly attached to tRNAs, thus recycling them for further rounds of translation. Paradoxically, owing to its l‐chiral rejection mode of action, DTD can remove glycine as well, which is an achiral amino acid. However, this activity is modulated by discriminator base (N73) in tRNA, a unique element that protects the cognate Gly‐tRNAGly. Here, we review our recent work showing various aspects of DTD and tRNAGly coevolution and its key role in maintaining proper translation surveillance in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Moreover, we also discuss two major optimization events on DTD and tRNA that resolved compatibility issues among the archaeal and the bacterial translation apparatuses. Importantly, such optimizations are necessary for the emergence of mitochondria and successful eukaryogenesis.
N‐Acetylcysteine protects against cobalt chloride‐induced endothelial dysfunction by enhancing glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase activity
Authors: Yang Chen , Zhang Xiaofang , Ge Xilin , He Chunmei , Liu Suhuan , Yang Shuyu , Huang Caoxin
Published: June 2022

Hypoxia‐induced endothelial dysfunction is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of several vascular diseases. However, it remains unclear whether the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is involved in regulating the response of endothelial cells to hypoxia. Here, we established an in vitro model by treating EA.hy926 (a hybrid human umbilical vein cell line) with cobalt chloride (CoCl2; a chemical mimic that stabilizes HIF‐1α, thereby leading to the development of hypoxia), and used this to investigate the involvement of PPP by examining expression of its key enzyme, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). We report that CoCl2 induces the accumulation of HIF‐1α, leading to endothelial cell dysfunction characterized by reduced cell viability, proliferation, tube formation, and activation of cytokine production, accompanied with a significant decrease in G6PD expression and activity. The addition of 6‐aminonicotinamide (6‐AN) to inhibit PPP directly causes endothelial dysfunction. Additionally, N‐Acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor of glutathione, was further evaluated for its protective effects; NAC displayed a protective effect against CoCl2‐induced cell damage by enhancing G6PD activity, and this was abrogated by 6‐AN. The effects of CoCl2 and the involvement of G6PD in endothelial dysfunction have been confirmed in primary human aortic endothelial cells. In summary, G6PD was identified as a novel target of CoCl2‐induced damage, which highlighted the involvement of PPP in regulating the response of endothelial cell CoCl2. Treatment with NAC may be a potential strategy to treat hypoxia or ischemia, which are widely observed in vascular diseases.
Combining dense elements with attention mechanisms for 3D radiotherapy dose prediction on head and neck cancers
Authors: Cros Samuel , Bouttier Hugo , Nguyen‐Tan Phuc Felix , Vorontsov Eugene , Kadoury Samuel
Published: June 2022

Purpose

External radiation therapy planning is a highly complex and tedious process as it involves treating large target volumes, prescribing several levels of doses, as well as avoiding irradiating critical structures such as organs at risk close to the tumor target. This requires highly trained dosimetrists and physicists to generate a personalized plan and adapt it as treatment evolves, thus affecting the overall tumor control and patient outcomes. Our aim is to achieve accurate dose predictions for head and neck (H&N) cancer patients on a challenging in‐house dataset that reflects realistic variability and to further compare and validate the method on a public dataset.

Methods

We propose a three‐dimensional (3D) deep neural network that combines a hierarchically dense architecture with an attention U‐net (HDA U‐net). We investigate a domain knowledge objective, incorporating a weighted mean squared error (MSE) with a dose‐volume histogram (DVH) loss function. The proposed HDA U‐net using the MSE‐DVH loss function is compared with two state‐of‐the‐art U‐net variants on two radiotherapy datasets of H&N cases. These include reference dose plans, computed tomography (CT) information, organs at risk (OARs), and planning target volume (PTV) delineations. All models were evaluated using coverage, homogeneity, and conformity metrics as well as mean dose error and DVH curves.

Results

Overall, the proposed architecture outperformed the comparative state‐of‐the‐art methods, reaching 0.95 (0.98) on D95 coverage, 1.06 (1.07) on the maximum dose value, 0.10 (0.08) on homogeneity, 0.53 (0.79) on conformity index, and attaining the lowest mean dose error on PTVs of 1.7% (1.4%) for the in‐house (public) dataset. The improvements are statistically significant () for the homogeneity and maximum dose value compared with the closest baseline. All models offer a near real‐time prediction, measured between 0.43 and 0.88 s per volume.

Conclusion

The proposed method achieved similar performance on both realistic in‐house data and public data compared to the attention U‐net with a DVH loss, and outperformed other methods such as HD U‐net and HDA U‐net with standard MSE losses. The use of the DVH objective for training showed consistent improvements to the baselines on most metrics, supporting its added benefit in H&N cancer cases. The quick prediction time of the proposed method allows for real‐time applications, providing physicians a method to generate an objective end goal for the dosimetrist to use as reference for planning. This could considerably reduce the number of iterations between the two expert physicians thus reducing the overall treatment planning time.
Adaptive estimation of external fields in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces
Authors: Guo Jia , Kepler Michael E. , Tej Paruchuri Sai , Wang Hoaran , Kurdila Andrew J. , Stilwell Daniel J.
Published: June 2022

This article studies the distributed parameter system that governs adaptive estimation by mobile sensor networks of external fields in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). The article begins with the derivation of conditions that guarantee the well‐posedness of the ideal, infinite dimensional governing equations of evolution for the centralized estimation scheme. Subsequently, convergence of finite dimensional approximations is studied. Rates of convergence in all formulations are established using history‐dependent bases defined from translates of the RKHS kernel that are centered at sample points along the agent trajectories. Sufficient conditions are derived that ensure that the finite dimensional approximations of the ideal estimator equations converge at a rate that is bounded by the fill distance of samples in the agents' assigned subdomains. The article concludes with examples of simulations and experiments that illustrate the qualitative performance of the introduced algorithms.
Deregulation of ceRNA Networks in Frontal Cortex and Choroid Plexus of Brain during SARS‐CoV‐2 Infection Aggravates Neurological Manifestations: An Insight from Bulk and Single‐Cell Transcriptomic Analyses
Authors: Das Deepyaman , Podder Soumita
Published: June 2022

Although transcriptomic studies of SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected brains have depicted variability in gene expression, the landscape of deregulated cell‐specific regulatory circuits has not been elucidated yet. Hence, bulk and single‐cell RNA‐seq data are analyzed to gain detailed insights. Initially, two ceRNA networks with 19 and 3 differentially expressed (DE) hub lncRNAs are reconstructed in SARS‐CoV‐2 infected Frontal Cortex (FC) and Choroid Plexus (CP), respectively. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of downstream mRNAs of deregulated ceRNA axes demonstrate impairment of neurological processes. Mapping of hub lncRNA‐mRNA pairs from bulk RNA‐seq with snRNA‐seq data has indicated that NORAD, NEAT1, and STXBP5‐AS1 are downregulated across 4, 4, and 2 FC cell types, respectively. At the same time, MIRLET7BHG and MALAT1 are upregulated in excitatory neurons of FC and neurons of CP, respectively. Here, it is hypothesized that downregulation of NORAD, NEAT1, and STXBP5‐AS1, and upregulation of MIRLET7BHG and MALAT1 might deregulate respectively 51, 6, and 37, and 31 and 19 mRNAs in cell types of FC and CP. Afterward, 13 therapeutic miRNAs are traced that might safeguard against deregulated lncRNA‐mRNA pairs of NORAD, NEAT1, and MIRLET7BHG in FC. This study helps to explain the plausible mechanism of post‐COVID neurological manifestation and also to devise therapeutics against it.
Stem Cell‐Based Models for Studying the Effects of Cancer and Cancer Therapies on the Peripheral Nervous System
Authors: Richter Mikayla N. , Fattahi Faranak
Published: June 2022

In recent years, the complexity of cancer and cancer therapies and their interactions with the peripheral nervous system have come into focus, but limitations in experimental models have remained a significant challenge in the field. As evidence, there are currently no therapies approved that target cancer–peripheral nervous system or cancer therapy–peripheral nervous system interactions as an anti‐neoplastic or anti‐neurotoxic agent, respectively. Human pluripotent stem cells offer an appealing model system that, unlike rodent models, is compatible with high throughput, high content applications; techniques that reflect modern drug discovery methodologies. Thus, utilizing the key advantages of stem cell‐based models in tandem with the strengths of traditional animal models offers a complementary and interdisciplinary strategy to advance cancer and cancer therapy‐peripheral nervous system research and drug discovery. In this review, the current status of the cancer‐peripheral nervous system and cancer therapy‐peripheral nervous system research is discussed, examples where stem cell‐based models have been implemented are described, and avenues where stem cell‐based models may further advance the field are proposed.
Photo‐Crosslinked Antimicrobial Hydrogel Exhibiting Wound Healing Ability and Curing Infections In Vivo
Authors: Dey Rajib , Mukherjee Riya , Haldar Jayanta
Published: June 2022

With the increasing focus on healthcare research in the current times, therapeutic and biomaterial interventions for healing of wounds and mitigation of wound‐associated infections have seen expedited progress. Conventional approaches consist of release‐active gels, which demonstrate leaching of antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, metal ions, etc. However, these systems suffer from the disadvantages of burst release, reservoir exhaustion, and associated toxicity. In this report, intrinsically antimicrobial hydrogel (HyDex) is developed by one‐pot UV crosslinking of methacrylated dextran, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, and cationic lipophilic methacrylate with varied hydrophobic chain, which displays broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity, hemostatic ability, and rapid wound closure efficacy. The optimized hydrogel exhibits potent antimicrobial efficacy against multidrug‐resistant Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria as well as against pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. The HyDex hydrogel shows rapid arrest of bleeding in mice liver puncture model. The hydrogel kills carbapenem‐resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a murine model of burn wound infection with >99% reduction in bacterial burden. Furthermore, this hydrogel displays significant reduction in inflammatory responses, with accelerated wound healing in rat deep wound model. Collectively, these results imply the excellent promise held by lead hydrogel to be developed for tackling deep tissue wounds, notorious infections, and resulting inflammatory responses.
Liquid Metal/Wood Anisotropic Conductors for Flexible and Recyclable Electronics
Authors: Wang Tiansheng , Liu Sanhu , Hu Yuanyuan , Xu Zhiwu , Hu Shunyou , Li Guoqiang , Xu Jie , Wang Mi , Zhang Jiaheng , Yu Wen , Ma Xing
Published: June 2022

Next‐generation electronics requiring high performance, recyclability, and low environmental impact are still in its infancy because of limited design strategies and materials. Herein, a facile approach for constructing liquid metal/wood anisotropic (LMWA) conductors via integration of gallium based LMs and delignified flexible wood (DF‐wood) is reported. Using a delignification treatment and a subsequent LM transfer process with patterns, a rigid and electrically insulating wood slice is converted into a flexible wood‐based LM conductor while retaining its original hierarchical porous structure. The LMWA conductor demonstrates a remarkable anisotropic electrical conductivity (σz/σx) on the order of 108. Subsequently, the LMWA conductors are successfully applied as flexible four‐channel tactile sensor, which exhibits excellent tactile sensitivity. Moreover, by immersing in a deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of choline chloride with oxalic acid to dissolve the LM circuit, recycling of the LM is achieved with efficiency up to 96%. This is the first time that a DES is used to recycle LM, leading to increased economic and environmental viability of these sustainable electronics. The present LMWA conductors, which have the potential for a scalable and feasible fabrication process, substantially extend the scope of next‐generation electronics toward flexible and recyclable systems.
Dynamic Interference Colors in Electrospun Microfibrous Mats
Authors: Thum Matthew D. , Kołacz Jakub , Ratchford Daniel C. , Camarella Gerald , Maza William , Lundin Jeffrey G.
Published: June 2022

The design of soft materials that change their optical properties in response to a variety of external stimuli is one step toward mimicking the dynamic color changing systems that are observed in nature. A simple, multiresponsive system is presented where the colors of core/sheath microfibers and microfibrous mats can be tuned by confinement (i.e., fiber diameter), temperature, and UV–vis irradiation. Microfibers are fabricated using coaxial electrospinning with a nematic liquid crystal core and a polymer sheath. This results in soft, flexible mats of material that display uniform color when viewed between crossed‐polarizers both under a microscope and by the naked eye. The observed interference color is dictated by the inner fiber diameter and the birefringence of the liquid crystal core. While the fiber diameter is set during mat fabrication, continuous in situ color change by tuning the birefringence of the liquid crystal is demonstrated using temperature or photochemical control of azobenzene‐based surfactants embedded in the polymer sheath. The expected colors are calculated and easy‐to‐use color charts are generated to accurately predict fiber behavior.
Synthesis of (Hetero)Aroyl Fluorides via a Mild Amides C−N Bond Cleavage
Authors: Aliyu Idris Muhammad , Song Kwang Ho , Lee Sunwoo
Published: June 2022

Amides, such as N‐benzoylsaccharin, N,N‐diBocbenzamide, and N‐phenyl‐N‐tosylbenzamides reacted with Et3N⋅3HF to provide the corresponding acyl fluorides in good yields. The reaction was conducted under environmentally friendly conditions using i‐PrOAc as the solvent. Moreover, the reaction was performed at room temperature and did not require a transition‐metal catalyst or additives. The methodology showed functional group tolerance toward amines, alkoxy, halides, ketones, esters, and aldehydes.

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Conscription of Immune Cells by Light‐Activatable Silencing NK‐Derived Exosome (LASNEO) for Synergetic Tumor Eradication
Authors: Zhang Mengjie , Shao Wanxuan , Yang Tongren , Liu Houli , Guo Shuai , Zhao Deyao , Weng Yuhua , Liang Xing‐Jie , Huang Yuanyu
Published: June 2022

Exosomes derived from natural killer (NK) cells (NEO) constitute promising antineoplastic nano‐biologics because of their versatile functions in immune regulation. However, a significant augment of their immunomodulatory capability is an essential need to achieve clinically meaningful treatment outcomes. Light‐activatable silencing NK‐derived exosomes (LASNEO) are orchestrated by engineering the NEO with hydrophilic small interfering RNA (siRNA) and hydrophobic photosensitizer Ce6. Profiling of genes involved in apoptosis pathway with Western blot and RNA‐seq in cells receiving NEO treatment reveals that NEO elicits effective NK cell‐like cytotoxicity toward tumor cells. Meanwhile, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation upon laser irradiation not only triggers substantial photodynamic therapy effect but also boosts M1 tumor‐associated macrophages polarization and DC maturation in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In addition, ROS also accelerates the cellular entry and endosomal escape of siRNA in TME. Finally, siRNAs targeting PLK1 or PD‐L1 induce robust gene silencing in cancer cells, and downregulation of PD‐L1 restores the immunological surveillance of T cells in TME. Therefore, the proposed LASNEO exhibit excellent antitumor effects by conscripting multiple types of immune cells. Considering that its manufacture is quite simple and controllable, LASNEO show compelling potential for clinical translational application.
Spin‐Decoupled Transflective Spatial Light Modulations Enabled by a Piecewise‐Twisted Anisotropic Monolayer
Authors: Yuan Rui , Xu Chun‐Ting , Cao Han , Zhang Yi‐Heng , Wang Guang‐Yao , Chen Peng , Lu Yan‐Qing , Hu Wei
Published: June 2022

Wavefront control lies at the heart of modern optics. Metasurfaces with specifically tailored resonators can encode different phases to two orthogonal polarization components, but suffer from wavelength‐dependent efficiency, sophisticated fabrication, and limited size. Liquid crystals, another excellent candidate for planar optics, are restricted to spin‐coupled conjugated phase modulations. Planar optics with spin‐decoupled functions is expected to release the multifunctionality of modern optics. Here, a spin‐decoupled transflective spatial light modulator is presented with a piecewise‐twisted anisotropic monolayer. The phases of reflected and transmitted light can be independently customized by preprogramming the initial orientations of the periodic helix and mirror‐symmetric dual‐twist configuration, respectively. A transflective orbital angular momentum encoder and decoder is demonstrated, which is simultaneously compatible with different multiplexing techniques. This work releases the multifunctionality of advanced planar optics and may upgrade existing devices in optical informatics.
Soybean relay‐cropped with winter camelina reduces biological nitrogen fixation
Authors: Mohammed Yesuf Assen , Matthees Heather L. , Gesch Russ W. , Weyers Sharon , Adem Seid M.
Published: June 2022

The contribution of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] to plant nutrition and its N credit for the next crop is significant. The amount of N fixed via BNF in monocropped soybean is well documented, but it is unknown when soybean is relayed into winter camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz]. Therefore, BNF in soybean relayed into fertilized (WCFerti) and unfertilized (WCUnfert) winter camelina grown for seed, and soybean seeded after winter camelina terminated as a cover crop (WCCC) were compared with a monocrop (control) soybean. The results showed that N‐fixing bacteria successfully infected soybean roots and were potentially active in N fixation for all treatments. Ureide‐N abundance was in the order of control > WCFerti = WCUnfert > WCCC. The control had 38 and 44% more ureide‐N (indicating greater BNF) than WCFerti and WCUnfert, respectively. Relayed soybean had the same grain protein and oil concentrations as the control. However, the control had greater soybean grain, protein, and oil yields than relayed treatments due to grain yield differences. Fertilized winter camelina resulted in greater total (soybean + camelina) oil yield (859 kg ha–1) than the control (587 kg ha–1). The lower ureide‐N abundance and grain yields for relayed soybean than the control was due to differences in belowground and aboveground biomass. Further research is needed to develop earlier‐maturing winter camelina genotypes, better row spacing, and more shade‐tolerant soybean cultivars to minimize competition between the two species, enhance BNF, and increase relayed‐soybean yield.
Self‐templated covalent functionalization of graphitic surfaces with a quasi‐periodic pattern
Authors: Xia Yuanzhi , Seibel Johannes , De Feyter Steven
Published: June 2022

Patterned covalent functionalization of graphitic surfaces (GSs) is of interest in the development of devices and nanocomposite materials. In contrast to the strategies using external templates or control for realizing patterned covalent functionalization of GSs, here, we present a self‐templated strategy by exploiting the synergistic effects of chemical and physical functionalization of GSs. Therefore, a diazonium salt is reduced by potassium iodide (KI) in dimethyl sulfoxide while the solution is in contact with a GS, resulting in its spatially heterogeneous, that is, chemical and physical, functionalization. This heterogeneous functionalization leads to a quasi‐periodic pattern of striped corrals with three equivalent orientations in the covalent layer. The formation of the striped corrals is ascribed to physisorbed domains formed by self‐assembled N2, which is produced in situ during the reduction of the diazonium salt, preventing the covalent functionalization.