bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Investigation of Angularly Stable Controllable, Tunable Multiband Absorbers in THz regime
Authors: Partibane Bactavatchalame
Published: December 2022

This article presents two terahertz absorbers with Controllable and Tunable multibands using miniaturized metamaterial unit cells. The first absorber consists of a five open-ended rectangular strips-based resonator. The validity of the proposed absorber is tested with a linear array MIMO antenna. The designed MIMO antenna consists of two linear array antennas separated by 40µm with each linear array is made up of three individual antenna elements. The introduction of absorber between the linear arrays provides the minimum isolation of 30dB. The presented highly isolated linear array MIMO antenna realizes maximum efficiency and gain of 83%, 12.2dBi respectively. The absorber unit cell structure is modeled and their electromagnetic characteristics are simulated by the 3D electromagnetic simulator CST Studio Suite. The auto meshing technology and frequency domain solver are used to acquire S-parameter.
Valuing Co-benefits in Private Climate Finance Investment:
How are Corporate Motivations for Voluntary Carbon Offset Investments Reflected in Valuation of Project Co-benefits?
Authors: Lou Jiehong , Hultman Nathan , Patwardhan Anand , Mintzer Irving
Published: December 2022

Companies can prioritize diverse types of sustainable investment finance to reflect their concerns about climate change and carbon emissions. One example of such climate investments is corporate investments in voluntary carbon offset (VCO) projects. Despite growing research into what and how these companies are doing in the VCO markets, much remains to be learned about the motivations for such investments. We utilized two datasets with a natural linkage that can validate across by each other, and conducted a mixed-method analysis based on a group of 186 companies globally with 534 carbon offset projects in 2017 to explore the motivations that drive companies to invest in the offset projects, and how different motivations map on to specific purchase decisions which then channel into larger financial flows. We identified three corporate motivations for carbon offset investment and found that the growing prevalence of companies using carbon offsets to achieve carbon neutrality has been coupled with an increasing number of companies highlighting the importance of using offsets to contribute to “company values” and “market competitiveness.” Our study reveals that companies investing in offsets represent a unique class that is willing to pay more for projects with higher co-benefits.
Genome-wide transcriptional response of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to light- emitting diodes with various wavelengths
Authors: Khan Shehzad Abid , Kim Min-Jeong , Yuk Hyun-Gyun
Published: December 2022

We investigated the physiological and transcriptomic response of Escherichia coli at the early stationary phase to light-emitting diodes with different wavelengths. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of 465, 520, and 625 nm illuminated light on the growth and metabolic changes of E. coli O157:H7. Under 465 nm illumination, the growth of E. coli O157:H7 was significantly retarded compared to 520 nm and 625 nm illumination and non-illuminated control. Metabolic changes were examined under these illumination and non-illuminated conditions based on transcriptomic reads. Transcriptomic response under 520 nm and 625 nm remained almost similar to control except few up-and down-regulated genes. Carbohydrates metabolic transcriptomic reads were greatly down-regulated under 465 nm illumination compared to 520 nm and 625 nm illumination and non-illuminated control showing depletion of glucose as a sole energy source during the exponential phase. Fatty acid degradation such as fad regulon-related genes was up-regulated in cells under 465 nm illumination revealing the shifting of cells to use fatty acid as a new carbon energy source during the early stationary phase. Exposure of E. coli O157:H7 cells to 465 nm illuminated light down-regulated virulence factor genes such as hlyA, hlyB, hlyC, stx1A, stx2B, paa, and bdm. Under the stress of 465 nm illumination, expression of stress and flagellar motility-related genes were up-regulated causing consumption of energy and reduction in cell growth. Also, oxidative phosphorylated transcriptomic reads were up-regulated under 465 nm illumination probably due to the production of ROS that might involve in the reduction of cell growth during the early stationary phase. These results indicate that pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 respond differentially to a different wavelength of the light-emitting diodes used in this study.
Screening radiation-induced differential expressed circular RNAs and establishing the expression models in human lymphoblastoid cell line AHH-1 induced by 60Co γ-rays
Authors: TIAN XUELEI , ZHANG TINGTING , CAI TIANJING , TIAN MEI , LIU QINGJIE
Published: December 2022

After a large-scale radiological accident, such as Chernobyl or Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident occurred, rapid and high-throughput biodosimetry would be needed. It is very important to find a rapid, high-throughput biodosimeter for massive population triage and biological dose estimation. Studies showed that Circular RNA (circRNA) expressions can be altered by ionizing radiation in normal human cell lines and tumor tissue. Whether circRNAs are suitable for triage and dose estimation remains unclear. In this study, radiation-induced differential expressed circRNAs were screened through transcriptome sequencing with human lymphoblastoid cell line AHH-1 at 4 h after irradiated with 0, 2, and 5 Gy Cobalt-60 γ-rays. The results showed that 3 up-regulated and 4 down-regulated circRNAs were identified in 2 Gy-induced cells, and 5 up-regulated and 3 down-regulated circRNAs were identified in 5 Gy-induced cells both compared with those in the 0 Gy group. After validation, 11 circRNAs were chosen for establishing the expression dosimetry models, because their expression levels changed in a dose-dependent manner. Different circRNA expression models involving one or two circRNAs were established by stepwise regression analysis for different time-point (4h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h) post-irradiation, with R2ranged from 0.950 to 0.998 (P < 0.01). A blind test showed that most of the estimated doses based on the expression models were deviated from the actual absorbed doses and the relative deviation were higher than 20%. In conclusion, ionizing radiation can alter the circRNA expression profile in the normal cell line AHH-1. Some circRNAs may be having the potential for being radiation biomarkers and needs further comprehensive investigation.
Do tree-ring fire-scar records adequately reflect Native American settlement and land use?
Authors: Tulowiecki Stephen , Hanberry Brice B. , Abrams Marc D.
Published: December 2022

Background:Past burning by Native Americans can be analyzed from tree-ring fire-scar records (FSRs) via dendrochronological methods. However, the degree to which FSRs have adequately captured the varied locations where Native Americans burned landscapes, at both local and regional scales, remains largely unknown. Also unassessed is whether individual studies utilizing FSRs provide adequate spatial contextualization of FSR sites alongside Native American geography (e.g. settlements, travel corridors) to facilitate understanding of spatial relationships between fire and settlement. This paper assesses (1) the representativeness of FSR sites with respect to Native American settlement (circa 1760-1820) in eastern North America, (2) whether FSR-based studies provide adequate contextualization of their study sites with respect to settlement, and (3) spatial relationships between settlement and fire frequency gleaned from available FSRs.Results:Many locations with past Native American settlement are not represented by FSRs, and few individual studies provide locations of settlement to compare with FSR site locations. Available FSRs suggest that fire was most frequent at intermediate distances (i.e. 100-150 km) from villages, and least frequent near villages. This trend may be due to the clearing of nearby trees or deliberate burns away from villages for various purposes, but within a reasonable distance for access.Conclusions:Future FSR development should target locations near former settlement to increase spatial balance, and researchers should provide better description (textual or cartographic) of Native American geography to characterize how proximate and in what environments cultural burning occurred. Such efforts will refine understanding of spatial locations and extent of burning. This study underscores the need to develop and share FSRs in locations where past cultural burning occurred before such samples disappear.
Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship: Non-Bacterial Saliva Microbiome Emerges as a Biomarker of COVID-19 Severity
Authors: Buendia Patricia , Fernandez Krystal , Raley Castle , Rahnavard Ali , Crandall Keith , Castro Jose G
Published: December 2022

During the COVID-19 Delta variant surge, the CLAIRE cross-sectional study sampled saliva from 120 hospitalized patients, 116 of them with a positive COVID-19 PCR test. Patients received antibiotics upon admission due to possible secondary bacterial infections, with patients at risk of sepsis receiving more potent antibiotics. The saliva samples were analyzed with shotgun DNA metagenomics and respiratory RNA virome sequencing. Medical records for the period of hospitalization were obtained for all patients. Once hospitalization outcome was known, patients were classified based on their COVID-19 disease severity and their sepsis-related antibiotic treatment. 12 patients passed away with all 12 having received sepsis treatment. Significant associations were found between the composition of the COVID-19 saliva microbiome and broad-spectrum antibiotic use, between SARS-CoV-2 genome coverage and severity of disease, and between the non-bacterial microbiome and severity of disease, with Candida albicans, the most significantly elevated fungus in critical patients. Our results suggest a use of the saliva microbiome as a biomarker that aids with emergency room triage and suggests the need to develop narrow-spectrum agents that target pathogenic bacteria.
Early variation of inflammatory indexes refines prognostic prediction in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma under systemic treatment
Authors: Fonseca Leonardo G , Uratani Lucas Fernando , Soares Gabriella Fernandes , Amaral Paulo Siqueira , Alencar Regiane Saraiva Souza Melo , Chagas Aline Lopes , Alves Venancio Avancini Ferreira , Carrilho Flair Jose
Published: December 2022

Background: The search for prognostic markers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is essential for clinical decisions. In addition to established variables such as liver function and tumor extent, cancer-associated inflammation can impact clinical outcomes. Evolutionary variation in inflammatory indexes, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) or platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), may correlate with therapeutic benefit. Our aim is to assess the prognostic role of immune cell counts and inflammation indexes in HCC patients treated with systemic therapy and the evolutionary behavior of these variables within the first month of treatment.
Methods: We analyzed a cohort of patients consecutively treated with first-line sorafenib from 2009 to 2021. Subgroups were divided based on the median value of each variable/index in “low” or “high”. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using log-rank. Hazard Ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using Cox regression models and Harrell´s C indexes were calculated to define their accuracy.
Results: 373 patients were included, most of them male (75.6%), Child-Pugh A (83.1%) and BCLC C (74%). Median survival was 9.7 months (95%CI: 8.7-10.8 months). The following factors were independently associated with a better prognosis: Child-Pugh A (p=0.011), ECOG-PS 0 (p<0.001), absence of ascites (p<0.001) and NLR < 2.6 (p<0.001). Baseline PLR was not correlated with survival (p=0.137). Patients who maintained low NLR at baseline and at 1 month of treatment (reference subgroup) had significantly better survival (18.6 months, 95% CI: 15.4-22.0) compared with the subgroup that maintained high NLR at baseline and at 1 month (4.2 months, 95%CI: 3.6-5.9), with HR: 3.80 (95%CI: 2.89-4.96). The subgroup that had low NLR at baseline and high NLR at 1 month had a worse prognosis compared to the reference group (HR 1.4, 95%CI: 1.1-2.0), whereas the subgroup with high NLR at baseline and low at 1 month had similar outcome (HR: 1.2, 95%CI 0.8-1.6).
Conclusion: Evolutionary variation of NLR has a prognostic role in HCC patients under systemic therapy. This finding suggests that systemic inflammation and early modulation of the immune environment during treatment may correlate with survival.
Identifying driver pathways based on a parameter-free model and a partheno-genetic algorithm
Authors: Wu Jingli , Nie Qinghua , Li Gaoshi , Zhu Kai
Published: December 2022

Background: Tremendous amounts of omics data accumulated has made it possible to identify cancer driver pathways through computational methods, which is believed to be able to offer critical information in such downstream research as ascertaining cancer pathogenesis, developing anti-cancer drugs, and so on. The integration of multiple omics data to identify cancer driving pathways is a challenging problem.
Results: In this paper, a parameter-free identification model SMCMN, incorporating both pathway features and gene associations in Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network, is proposed. A novel measurement of mutual exclusivity is devised to exclude some gene sets with "inclusion" relationship. By introducing gene clustering based operators, a partheno-genetic algorithm CPGA is put forward for solving the SMCMN model. Experiments were implemented on three real cancer datasets to compare the identification performance of models and methods. The comparisons of models demonstrate that the SMCMN model does eliminate the "inclusion" relationship, and produces gene sets with better enrichment performance compared with the classical model MWSM in most cases.
Conclusions: The gene set recognized by the proposed CPGA-SMCMN method possesses more genes engaging in known cancer related pathways, as well as stronger connectivity in PPI network. All of which have been demonstrated through extensive contrast experiments among method CPGA-SMCMN and six state-of-the-art ones.
CO2 Reactivity as a Biomarker of Exposure-based Therapy Non-Response: Study Protocol
Authors: Smits Jasper A. J. , Monfils Marie-H. , Otto Michael W. , Telch Michael J. , Shumake Jason , Feinstein Justin S. , Khalsa Sahib S. , Cobb Adam R. , Parsons E. Marie , Long Laura J. , McSpadden Bryan , Johnson David , Greenberg Alma , Consortium Exposure Therapy Consortium Therapy
Published: December 2022

Background: Exposure-based therapy is an effective first-line treatment for anxiety-, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders; however, many patients do not improve, resulting in prolonged suffering and poorly used resources. Basic research on fear extinction may inform the development of a biomarker for the selection of exposure-based therapy. Growing evidence links orexin system activity to deficits in fear extinction and we have demonstrated that reactivity to an inhaled carbon dioxide (CO2) challenge - a safe, affordable and easy-to-implement procedure - can serve as a proxy for orexin system activity and predicts fear extinction deficits in rodents. Building upon this basic research, the goal for the proposed study is to validate CO2 reactivity as a biomarker of exposure-based therapy non-response.
Methods: We will assess CO2 reactivity in 600 adults meeting criteria for one or more fear- or anxiety-related disorders prior to providing open exposure-based therapy. By incorporating CO2 reactivity into a multivariate model predicting treatment non-response that also includes reactivity to hyperventilation as well as a number of related predictor variables, we will establish the mechanistic specificity and the additive predictive utility of the potential CO2 reactivity biomarker. By developing models independently within two study sites (University of Texas at Austin and Boston University) and predicting the other site’s data, we will validate that the results are likely to generalize to future clinical samples.
Discussion: Representing a necessary stage in translating basic research, this investigation addresses an important public health issue by testing an accessible clinical assessment strategy that may lead to a more effective treatment selection (personalized medicine) for patients with anxiety- and fear-related disorders, and enhanced understanding of the mechanisms governing exposure-based therapy.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05467683
On-chip highly efficient octave-spanning long-wavelength mid-infrared optical parametric generation with a 74% quantum efficiency
Authors: Ho Bo , Yang Xuemei , Wu Jiangen , Lu Siyi , Yang Hang , Long Zhe , He Linzhen , Tian Kan , Wang Weizhe , Li Yang , Wu Han , Li Wenlong , Yang Huan , Wang Qi Jie , Liang Houkun
Published: December 2022

The realization of integrated broadband mid-infrared (MIR) lasers has enormous impacts in promoting MIR spectroscopy for various important applications. On-chip MIR supercontinuum and frequency combs have been demonstrated based on cubic nonlinearities, but unfortunately third-order nonlinear conversions inherently have low efficiencies. Here, we propose and demonstrate for the first time a χ(2) parametric integrated device based on birefringence phase matching with a high quantum efficiency and low pump threshold. In a ZnGeP2-based integrated waveguide, an octave-spanning spectrum covering 5 - 11 μm is generated through optical parametric generation. A quantum conversion efficiency of 74% as a new record in MIR parametric processes is achieved. The threshold energy is found to be as low as ~616 pJ, reduced by more than 1-order of magnitude as compared to the state-of-the-art MIR parametric conversions. Moreover, a universal and cost-effective fabrication technique for integrated nonlinear photonics is demonstrated extendable to various other χ(2) crystals.
Diversity of Culture dependent endophytic bacteria isolated from leguminous agroforestry trees in western Kenya
Authors: Emitaro william omuketi , Kawaka Fanuel , Musyimi David , Adienge Asenath
Published: December 2022

Plants have diverse and vast niches colonized by endophytic microorganisms that promote the well being of host plant. These microbes inhabit internal plant tissues with no signs of ill health. Bacterial endophytes from many plants have been isolated and characterized due to their beneficial roles however their diversity in leguminous plants still remain unexploited. Diversity of bacterial endophytes isolated from L. diversifolia, S. sesban and C. Salothyrsus were assessed using morphological and molecular characteristics. A total of 27 pure isolates were recovered from C. Calothyrsus, L. diversifolia and S. sesban constituting 44.4%, 31.8% and 23.8% from the leaves, stems and roots respectively. The isolates differentiated into Gram positive and negative with rods and spherical shapes. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed 10 closely related bacterial genera that consisted of Bacilli (33.3%), Staphylococcus (22.2%), Alcaligens (11.2%), Xanthomonas and Sphingomonas (47.4 %). Others included Enterobacteria, Pantoea, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and Bacterium. These results indicate the presence of high diversity of endophytic bacteria associated with the different parts of L. diversifolia, S. sesban and C. salothyrsus growing in western Kenya.
Observation of many-body Fock space dynamics in two dimensions
Authors: Yao Yunyan , Xiang Liang , Guo Zexian , Bao Zehang , Yang Yong-Feng , Song Zixuan , Shi Haohai , Zhu Xuhao , Jin Feitong , Chen Jiachen , Xu Shibo , Zhu Zitian , Shen Fanhao , Wang Ning , Zhang Chuanyu , Wu Yaozu , Zou Yiren , Zhang Pengfei , Li Hekang , Song Chao , Wang Zhen , Cheng Chen , Mondaini Rubem , Wang Haohua , You Jian-Qiang , Zhu Shiyao , Ying Lei , Guo Qiujiang
Published: December 2022

Quantum many-body simulation provides a straightforward way to understand fundamental physics and connect with quantum information applications. However, suffering from exponentially growing Hilbert space size, characterization in terms of few-body probes in real space is often insufficient to tackle challenging problems such as quantum critical behavior and many-body localization (MBL) in higher dimensions. Here, we experimentally employ a new paradigm on a superconducting quantum processor, exploring such elusive questions from a Fock space view: mapping the many-body system onto an unconventional Anderson model on a complex Fock space network of many-body states. By observing the wave packet propagating in Fock space and the emergence of a statistical ergodic ensemble, we reveal a fresh picture for characterizing representative many-body dynamics: thermalization, localization, and scarring. In addition, we observe a quantum critical regime of anomalously enhanced wave packet width and deduce a critical point from the maximum wave packet fluctuations, which lend support for the two-dimensional MBL transition in finite-sized systems. Our work unveils a new perspective of exploring many-body physics in Fock space, demonstrating its practical applications on contentious MBL aspects such as criticality and dimensionality. Moreover, the entire protocol is universal and scalable, paving the way to finally solve a broader range of controversial many-body problems on future larger quantum devices.
Reducing medication errors by adopting automatic dispensing cabinets in critical care units
Authors: Tu Hui-Ning , Shan Tzu-Hao , Wu Yu-Chin , Shen Pei-Hsuan , Wu Tsung-Yu , Lin Wen-Liang , Yang Yea-Huei Kao , Cheng Ching-Lan
Published: December 2022

Background The benefits of automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) need to be assessed, given the different healthcare practice models. This study aimed to compare the rates of medication errors, including prescription, dispensing, and administrative, before and after using ADCs in intensive care units.
Methods The prescription, dispensing, and administrative error data before and after the adoption of ADCs were retrospectively collected from the medication error report system. The severity of medication errors was classified according to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention guidelines. The study outcome was the rate of medication errors. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed to estimate the rates of medication errors before and after the adoption of ADCs, and Fisher’s exact test was to compare them.
Results After the adoption of ADCs in the intensive care units, the rates of prescription and dispensing errors reduced from 3.03 to 1.75 per 100,000 prescriptions and 3.87 to 0 per 100,000 dispensations, respectively. The administrative error rate decreased from 0.046% to 0.026%. The ADCs decreased National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention category B and D errors by 75% and category C errors by 43%.
Conclusions To improve medication safety, multidisciplinary collaboration and strategies, such as the use of automated dispensing cabinets, education, and training programs from a systems perspective, are warranted.
Management of Complex Pulmonary Vein Stenosis at Altitude Combining Comprehensive Percutaneous Interventional Treatment with Sirolimus, Pulmonary Hypertension Medications and Intraluminal Imaging with Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Shorofsky Michael J. , Morgan Gareth J. , Mejia Ernesto , Rodriguez Salvador A , Greene Megan , Sheaks Paige , Zablah Jenny E.
Published: December 2022

Background:
Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a growing problem for the pediatric congenital heart population. Sirolimus has previously been shown to improve survival and slow down the progression of in-stent stenosis in patients with PVS. We evaluated patients before and after initiation of sirolimus to evaluate its effects on re-intervention and vessel patency utilizing Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).
Methods:
We performed a retrospective study, reviewing the charts of patients with PVS, who had been prescribed sirolimus between October 2020 and December 2021. OCT was performed in the pulmonary vein of interest as per our published protocol. Angiographic and OCT imaging was retrospectively reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi square and Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare pre-and post-sirolimus data.
Results:
Ten patients had been started and followed on sirolimus. Median age at sirolimus initiation was 25 months with median weight of 10.6kg and average follow-up of 1 year. Median total catheterizations were 7 for patients prior to starting sirolimus and 2 after starting treatment (p = 0.014). Comparing pre- and post-sirolimus, patients were catheterized every 3-months vs every 11-months (p = 0.011), median procedure time was 203min vs 145min (p = 0.036) and fluoroscopy time, 80min vs 57.2min (p = 0.036). 23 veins had severe in-stent tissue ingrowth prior to SST (luminal diameter < 30% of stent diameter). Post-sirolimus, 23 pulmonary veins had moderate to severe in-stent tissue ingrowth that responded to non-compliant balloon inflation only with stent luminal improvement of > 75%.
Conclusion:
Our study suggests that the addition of sirolimus in patients with moderate-severe PVS helps to decrease disease progression with decrease frequency of interventions. Reaching therapeutic levels for sirolimus is critical and medication interactions and side-effects need careful consideration. OCT continues to be important for evaluation and treatment guidance in this patient population.
Effects of iron on the biomass, chlorophyll a, total lipids, and fatty acids of Chaetoceros lorenzianus
Authors: Zhang Zuhao , Peng Ruibing , Xia Xinyi , Liu Pingping , Chen Si , Xia Ran , Jiang Xiamin , Jiang Maowang , Lin Jianyuan
Published: December 2022

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are essential for the health of aquatic organisms and human beings. In order to optimize the culture conditions of Chaetoceros lorenzianus, effects of different iron sources (FeC6H5O7, FeCl3, FeSO4) and different iron concentrations (0.10 mg L− 1, 0.25 mg L− 1, 0.50 mg L− 1, 0.75 mg L− 1, 1.00 mg L− 1, 1.25mg L− 1) on C. lorenzianus were studied. The results showed that different iron sources and different iron concentrations had significant effects on the biomass, chlorophyll A, total lipid and fatty acids of C. lorenzianus (P < 0.05). Compared with FeSO4 and FeC6H5O7, FeCl3 had better effects on the growth, chlorophyll a, total lipids, and n-3 PUFA (EPA and DHA) content of C. lorenzianus. The optimum concentration of FeCl3 for the growth and synthesis of chlorophyll a in C. lorenzianus was 0.75–1 mg L− 1, and the optimum concentration for lipid accumulation was 0.25 mg L− 1. The secondary culture method can be used in large-scale culture, that is, the initial culture is performed under the optimal iron concentration (0.75mg L− 1 FeCl3) for obtaining higher biomass, and then, the subsequent culture is performed under a low iron concentration(0.25 mg L− 1 FeCl3) to accumulate higher total lipids.
Rapid Genotyping of SARS-CoV-2 Strains Alpha, Delta, Omicron BA.1, Omicron BA.2, Omicron BA.2.12.1, and Omicron BA.4/BA.5 Using ARMS- PCR and Molecular Beacon Technology
Authors: Fu Yu , He Xiaobai , Fang Quan , Kong Fei , Zhang Yan , Chen Liang , Liu YanXin , Chen Linjie , Lyu Jianxin
Published: December 2022

Background
SARS-CoV-2 subtypes Alpha, Delta, Omicron BA.1, Omicron BA.2, Omicron BA.2.12.1, and Omicron BA.4/BA.5 have significant differences in transmission and immune escape ability. Currently, no effective detection methods are available for these subtypes. Routine detection methods are prone to missed detection.
Methods
In this study, a rapid detection method based on ARMS-PCR and molecular beacon probes was developed for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 subtypes Alpha, Delta, Omicron BA.1, Omicron BA.2, Omicron BA.2.12.1, and Omicron BA.4/5. Specific primers and probes were designed and validated using gel electrophoresis, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and molecular hybridization.
Results
ARMS-PCR and molecular beacon probe-based assays can be applied in RT-PCR and fluorescence assays to differentiate SARS-CoV-2 subtypes Alpha, Delta, Omicron BA.1, Omicron BA.2, Omicron BA.2.12.1, and Omicron BA.4/5.
Conclusions
In the present study, we developed a simple, rapid and accurate detection method based on ARMS-PCR and molecular beacon probes for rapid genotyping of SARS-CoV-2 subtypes Alpha, Delta, Omicron BA.1, Omicron BA.2, Omicron BA.2.12.1, and Omicron BA.4/5. It can be used in real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and molecular hybridization to identify subtypes of COVID-19, effectively improving the detection rate to provide guidance for disease prevention and treatment.
Conductive Smart Nanocomposite Polymeric Materials for Structural Health Monitoring and Motion Detection
Authors: Sanchez-Sobrado Olalla , Rosario Daniel , Losada Ricardo , Rodriguez Elena
Published: December 2022

Abstract:

Presented work collects results from evaluation of different polymeric based composite materials for applications in Structural Health Monitoring and Strain Detection. With the aim of showing the variety of key materials in sectors like civil aviation, wind energy, automotive or railway that present this ability, specimens of very different nature have analyzed: a) thermoplastic commercial 3D printing filaments loaded with carbonic nanofillers; b) epoxy resin loaded with graphene and c) long carbon fiber reinforced resin composite. Measurements of electrical properties of resulting materials were taken to evaluate capability to detect the presence and the size of a structural defect as well as its spatial location. On the other hand, simultaneous measurements of electrical resistivity and mechanical strain during tensile tests were performed to analyze the behavior of materials as strain detectors. All composites studied have shown a positive response (modification of electrical performance) to external mechanical stimulus: induced damage and deformations.
Learning from Other Communities: Organising Collective Action in a Grassroots Food-sharing Initiative
Authors: Berns Katie , Rossitto Chiara , Tholander Jakob
Published: December 2022

This paper illustrates the work of creating, infrastructuring, and organising a food-sharing community from the ground up. Drawing on Participatory Action Research (PAR) and long-term engagement with FoodSharing Stockholm, the paper shows how the processes of starting up a grassroots initiative are shaped by participants’ direct experience and knowledge of other related initiatives. The analysis draws attention to: (1) how central activities such as recruiting volunteers, choosing digital tools, and establishing partnerships with food donors are conceived and organised, (2) the concrete challenges of sharing surplus food, such as adopting a distribution model and negotiating fairness, and (3) how governance and decision-making models are adopted and (re)negotiated over time. The paper shows the impact that previous experiences can have on communities' efforts get up and running and re-orients design visions towards the appropriation of existing sociotechnical practices, rather than digital innovations. The paper continues the cycle of learning by contributing practical guidelines to build, sustain, and infrastructure surplus food-sharing initiatives where configuring capacities, configuring sociotechnical practices, and configuring participation, are discussed as central matters.
Toward a stable and low-resource PLM-based medical diagnostic system via prompt tuning and MoE structure
Authors: Dong Bowen , Wang Zhuo , Li Zhenyu , Duan Zhichao , Xu Jiacheng , Pan Tengyu , Zhang Rui , Liu Ning , Li Xiuxing , Wang Jie , Liu Caiyan , Dong Liling , Mao Chenhui , Gao Jing , Wang Jianyong
Published: December 2022

Machine learning (ML) has been extensively involved in assistant disease diagnosis and prediction systems to emancipate the serious dependence on medical resources and improve healthcare quality. Moreover, with the booming of pre-training language models (PLMs), the application prospect and promotion potential of machine learning methods in the relevant field have been further inspired. PLMs have recently achieved tremendous success in diverse text processing tasks, whereas limited by the significant semantic gap between the pre-training corpus and the structured electronic health records (EHRs), PLMs cannot converge to anticipated disease diagnosis and prediction results. Unfortunately, establishing connections between PLMs and EHRs typically requires the extraction of curated predictor variables from structured EHR resources, which is tedious and labor-intensive, and even discards vast implicit information. In this work, we propose an Input Prompting and Discriminative language model with the Mixture-of-experts framework (IPDM) by promoting the model's capabilities to learn knowledge from heterogeneous information and facilitating the feature-aware ability of the model. Furthermore, leveraging the prompt-tuning mechanism, IPDM can inherit the impacts of the pre-training in downstream tasks exclusively through minor modifications. IPDM remarkably outperforms existing models, proved by experiments on one disease diagnosis task and two disease prediction tasks. Finally, experiments with few-feature and few-sample demonstrate that IPDM achieves significant stability and impressive performance in predicting chronic diseases with unclear early-onset characteristics or sudden diseases with insufficient data, which verifies the superiority of IPDM over existing mainstream methods, and reveals the IPDM can powerfully address the aforementioned challenges via establishing a stable and low-resource medical diagnostic system for various clinical scenarios.
Does sexuality matter? A cross-sectional study of drug use, social injecting, and access to injection-specific care among men who inject drugs in Melbourne, Australia
Authors: Schroeder Sophia Elvira , Wilkinson Anna , O'Keefe Daniel , Bourne Adam , Doyle Joseph , Hellard Margaret , Pedrana Alisa
Published: December 2022

Background:
Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are overrepresented in cohorts of people who inject drugs. GBMSM’s substance use is usually explored in the context of its contribution to sexual risk. We examined drug use practices, connectedness to other people who inject drugs, peer-to-peer injecting, and access to care among men who inject drugs in Melbourne, Australia. We aim to describe similarities and differences in these parameters for GBMSM and other men.
Methods:
Data were drawn from a prospective cohort study of people who inject drugs conducted in Melbourne, Australia since 2009. This cross-sectional study used data collected between 2016 and 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to assess differences between GBMSM and other men.
Results:
Of 525 men who injected drugs over the study period, 48 (9%) identified as gay or bisexual, or reported sex with other men in the past 12 months. GBMSM and other men reported similar socio-demographics, drug practices (age of injecting initiation, most injected drug, peer-to-peer injecting, receptive syringe sharing) and access to injecting-specific care (drug treatment, source of needle-syringes). A significantly greater percentage of GBMSM reported preferring methamphetamine (31% vs 16%, p=0.022). Higher proportions of GBMSM reported knowing >50 other people who inject drugs (46% vs 37%) and accessing drug treatment over the reporting period (81% vs 71%), but these differences were not statistically significant. Both groups primarily obtained injecting equipment from needle-syringe programs; a minority had accessed injecting-specific primary care.
Conclusion:
Men who injected drugs in this cohort and those who identified as GBMSM reported similar drug and health-seeking practices. The higher prevalence of methamphetamine injecting among GBMSM may warrant different harm reduction support for this group. Health promotion should utilise opportunities to connect men who inject drugs in Melbourne to injecting-specific primary healthcare.
Gut Microbiome Dynamics Associated with Rifamycin Therapy for Latent Tuberculosis Infection: Findings from a Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Séraphin Marie Nancy , Bellot Julia , Klann Emily , Ukhanova Maria , Saulsberry Florence G. , Peloquin Charles A. , Mai Volker
Published: December 2022

Background: Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) treatment is an effective strategy to eliminate TB in low-incidence settings. Shorter LTBI regimens incorporating the antimicrobial class of rifamycins are designed to improve treatment completion rates. Recent evidence suggests that the rifamycins could induce irreversible gut microbiota changes that impact future anti-TB immunity.
Methods: To document the immediate effect of the rifamycins on the gut microbiota, we followed six patients with LTBI initiating four months of monotherapy with rifampin (4R; n=4) or three months of rifapentine in combination with isoniazid (3HP; n=2) and tracked recovery to baseline two months posttreatment completion. We collected stool samples parallel to the LTBI group from healthy volunteers (N=6) unexposed to the rifamycins. We used a questionnaire to collect diet, antibiotics, and lifestyle changes during follow-up. We profiled the gut microbiota using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (V1-V2 region).
Results: Rifamycin exposure resulted in a 4.24% decrease in alpha diversity, compared to a 3.27% decrease in the controls. While the change in alpha diversity was small and not statistically different from changes observed in controls, significant bacterial community dissimilarity correlated with treatment duration (R2 = 0.269, P=0.041) and dose (R2 =0.201, P = 0.001) were observed. This rifamycin-associated dysbiosis was characterized by a depletion of butyrate-producing taxa (Clostridium-XIVa and Roseburia) and expansion of potentially pathogenic taxa within the Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla. Recovery of the gut microbial composition was incomplete two months after treatment ended.
Conclusion: TB prophylaxis with the rifamycins induced minimal changes in the overall gut microbiota diversity but a significant shift in gut microbial composition. A larger clinical study with a longer follow-up time is necessary to confirm the extent to which the gut microbiota can recover from this rifamycin-induced dysbiosis to inform strategies to mitigate potential LTBI treatment sequelae.
Deep Learning Radiomics Nomogram Based on Multiphase Computed Tomography for Predicting Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer
Authors: Zhang Jieqiu , Yin Wei , Cheng Zhengyan , Yao Xiaopeng
Published: December 2022

Purpose
To develop and validate a deep learning radiomics nomogram (DLRN) for prediction of axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) in breast cancer (BC) patients.
Materials and Methods
We retrospectively enrolled 196 patients with non-specific invasive breast cancer confirmed by pathology, radiomics and deep learning features were extracted from unenhanced and biphasic (arterial and venous phase) contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT), and the non-linear support vector machine (SVM) was used to construct the radiomics signature and the deep learning signature respectively. Next, a DLRN was developed with independent predictors and evaluated the performance of models in terms of discrimination and clinical utility.
Results
Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the radiomics signature, deep learning signature, and clinical n stage were independent predictors. The DLRN accurately predicted ALNM, yielded an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.893(95% confidence interval, 0.814–0.972) in the validation set, with good calibration. Decision curve analysis confirmed that the DLRN had higher clinical utility than other predictors.
Conclusions
The DLRN had good predictive value for ALNM in breast cancer patients and provide valuable information for individual treatment.
Designing A One-Bit Coplanar QCA ALU Using A Novel Robust Area-Efficient Three-Input Majority Gate Design
Authors: Riki Samira , Hassani Fatemeh Serajeh
Published: December 2022

Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) which is a suitable alterna-tive to conventional CMOS technology is susceptible to some defects inchemical synthesis and deposition phases of circuit fabrication. Besides,the majority gate is one of the most important primary gates fordesigning digital circuits in this emerging technology. Designing a fault-tolerant majority gate is one of the hot topics in QCA technology. Mostprevious works tried to improve the majority gate reliability by increas-ing the number of QCA cells which resulted in occupying more area.In this paper we propose a novel area-effcient three-input majoritygate which can tolerate the single-cell omission and extra-cell depo-sition defects by 86% and 75%, respectively. The proposed majoritygate consists of 11 simple QCA cells with 0:006 μm2 and 1.62 e-002MeV area and energy consumption, respectively. A complete fault tol-erance analysis for our proposed majority gate against cell omission,extra-cell deposition, and cell displacement and misalignment defectsis also provided. We design a fault-tolerant coplanar fulladder/fullsub-tractor and a two-to-one multiplexer using the proposed majority gateand compare it with the same previous works. Simulation results fromQCADesigner 2.0.3 and QCADesigner-E show that in all cases our pro-posed robust circuits can reduce the area consumption. Finally, weimplement a fault tolerant coplanar one-bit ALU using the proposedcircuits that can perform four logical and mathematical operations.
Reduced Chronic Pain Following Laparoscopic Totally Extra-peritoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair Using Glue: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Jeroukhimov Igor , Dykman Daniel , Hershkovitz Yehuda , Poluksht Natan , Nesterenko Vladimir , Yehuda Amir Ben , Stephansky Albert , Zmora Oded
Published: December 2022

Purpose
Chronic pain following laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair occurs in up to 20% of the patients. We aim to compare glue and absorbable tackers on the rate of chronic pain after surgery in patients undergoing laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.
Methods
Patients undergoing laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair were enrolled in a single-blind randomized clinical trial and were randomized for mesh fixation with glue or absorbable tackers. Pain was assessed using a validated 4-point verbal-rank scale at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months and 1-year postoperatively. Chronic pain was defined as pain persisting beyond three months.
Results
Overall, 208 patients were analyzed. Chronic pain of any intensity was reported in 31.7% (66/208) after 6 months and in 13% (29/208) after12 months. No differences in postoperative pain were observed between the two forms of mesh fixation. Mesh fixation with glue resulted in less severe pain compared to fixation by tackers (logrank p = 0.025).
Conclusions
No differences in chronic pain rate were identified between tacker and glue fixation. Severe pain, however, was less common following glue fixation.
Effect of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with lymphovascular invasion and without lymph node metastasis
Authors: Li Haomiao , Wei Xiufeng , Li Yin , Ba Yufeng , Yu Yongkui , Liu Qi , Lv Hongwei , Wang Haoran , Zhu Jianping , Zhang Jun , Xing Wenqun
Published: December 2022

Objectives
To explore the significance of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and without lymph node metastasis and analyze the recurrence pattern of these patients.
Methods
Data of patients who underwent radical resection of esophageal cancer at Henan Cancer Hospital between January 2015 and December 2016 were collected. Patients with LVI and without lymph node metastasis were retrieved based on the pathological results. Patients were divided into the adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) group and none chemotherapy (NC) group according to the postoperative treatment strategy. The follow-up information of the two groups was compared.
Results
A total of 46 patients were enrolled. Twenty-two patients received postoperative adjuvant therapy, 24 patients did not receive postoperative treatment. By December 2021, 27 patients had died. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 41.3%, and the median follow-up time was 34.5 months. The 5-year OS rate was 40.9% in the AC group and 41.7% in the NC group. No significant difference in the OS was found between the two groups. Subgroup analysis showed that the 5-year OS rate of stage IB patients was better in the AC group than in the NC group (83.3% vs 40.0%), but with no statistical significance. No significant difference in the 5-year OS rate was found between the AC group and the NC group for stage IIA (33.3%% vs. 66.7%) and IIB (20.0% vs. 20.0%) patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the T stage (P = 0.034, OR = 4.497) and the S stage (P = 0.025, OR = 5.033) were independent risk factors affecting the OS. The postoperative treatment strategy was not related to the OS. Local lymph node recurrence and distant metastasis were the main recurrence patterns in these patients.
Conclusions
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with LVI and negative lymph nodes did not benefit from postoperative chemotherapy. T stage and S stage were independent risk factors for the OS. Patients with LVI are more likely to develop distant metastases and local lymph node recurrence post-surgery.
Two numerical methods for thermohaline convection in MHD Squeezing flow of Casson fluid saturated porous layer
Authors: Y Vinod , Raghunatha K. R.
Published: December 2022

Modeling and research are done on an unsteady squeezing flow of Casson fluid traveling through a porous media channel with a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effect. The non-Newtonian fluid partial differential equations (PDEs) are similarity transformed into a highly nonlinear fourth-order ordinary differential equation (ODE). The resultant boundary value issue is resolved numerically using the Hermite wavelet method (HWM) and Differential transformation Method (DTM). We compare the numerical findings, which exhibit great agreement, for validity considerations. Additionally, a thorough visual study has been done to look at how different fluid factors affect the velocity, temperature, and concentration profile. Analysis reveals that the velocity profile is affected differently by positive and negative squeeze numbers. Moreover, it has been shown that when the squeeze number is positive or negative, the Casson parameter has the opposite influence on the velocity profile. In cases of positive and negative squeezing numbers, the MHD parameter and permeability constant have equivalent impacts on the velocity profile. Further, it can be shown that identical velocity profiles for Casson, MHD, and permeability parameters have been found in cases when the squeeze number is positive. In addition, a skin-friction coefficient study has also been provided. It has been found that the skin friction coefficient has an inverse connection with the Casson parameter whereas the squeeze number, MHD parameter, and permeability parameter all have direct relationships. The effect of several relevant factors on the temperature and concentration fields is also addressed, with the use of graphical examples.