bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 booster vaccine willingness among patients with chronic kidney disease in Taizhou, China
Authors: Chen He-Dan , Xu Guang-Biao , Chen Yan , Lin Xiao-Qing , Lv Li , Tung Tao-Hsin , Zhu Jian-Sheng
Published: August 2022

Purpose
Investgate the willingness of CKD patients to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine dose and analyze the related factors of COVID-19 booster vaccine willingness in such patients.
Methods
An online questionnaire investigation addressing participants’ willingness to receive a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine was organized among patients with chronic kidney disease in Taizhou, China.
Result
A total of 350 valid copies were retrieved, among which 246 respondents (70.29%) were willing to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine dose. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that high perceived vaccine safety and effectiveness, non-hemodialysis treatment, and one or two rounds of COVID-19 vaccine were related to COVID-19 booster vaccine willingness of CKD patients. Therefore, enhancing propaganda on safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine for CKD patients, raising their awareness about vaccination, and increasing vaccination of the first and second rounds can help increase the COVID-19 booster vaccination rate.
Portable and cost-effective genetic detection and characterization of Plasmodium falciparum hrp2 using the MinION sequencer
Authors: Sabin Susanna , Jones Sophie , Patel Dhruviben , Subramaniam Gireesh , Kelley Julia , Aidoo Michael , Talundzic Eldin
Published: August 2022

The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum hrp2 (pfhrp2)-deleted parasites threatens the efficacy of the most used and sensitive malaria rapid diagnostic tests and highlights the need for continued surveillance for this gene deletion. While PCR methods are generally adequate for determining pfhrp2 presence or absence, they offer a limited view of its genetic diversity. Here, we present a portable sequencing method using the MinION. Pfhrp2 amplicons were generated from individual samples, barcoded, and pooled for sequencing. To overcome potential crosstalk between barcodes, we implemented a coverage-based threshold for pfhrp2 deletion confirmation. Amino acid repeat types were then counted and visualized with custom Python scripts following de novo assembly. We evaluated this assay using well-characterized reference strains and 152 field isolates with and without pfhrp2 deletions, of which 38 were also sequenced on the PacBio platform to provide a standard for comparison. Of 152 field samples, 93 surpassed the positivity threshold, and of those samples, 62/93 had a dominant pfhrp2 repeat type. PacBio-sequenced samples with a dominant repeat-type profile from the MinION sequencing data matched the PacBio profile. This field-deployable assay may supplement the World Health Organization’s existing protocol for surveilling pfhrp2 deletions and facilitate timely implementation of diagnostic policy change when needed.
Inverse-designed universal quantum logic gates for super-compact quantum circuits
Authors: He Lu , Liu Dongning , Gao Jingxing , Zhang Huizhen , Feng Xue , Liu Fang , Cui Kaiyu , Huang Yidong , Zhang Wei , Zhang Xiangdong
Published: August 2022

Integrated quantum photonic circuits are a promising approach to realizing future quantum information processing. To achieve large-scale quantum photonic circuits, as many quantum logic gates as possible are expected to be integrated on chips. This requires quantum logic gates to be as small as possible. Here, we report the implementation of super-compact universal quantum logic gates on silicon photonic chips by inverse design. The sizes for the fabricated optical controlled-NOT gate and single-qubit gates (Hadamard gate) on the chip are about one vacuum wavelength, which are the smallest optical quantum gates ever verified in the world. The quantum circuit by these cascaded fundamental gates is shrunk several orders compared to those previous quantum photonic circuits that perform arbitrary quantum processing. Our study paves the way for the realization of large-scale quantum photonic chips with integrated sources for practical quantum information processes.
Impact of P pocket in Doping Less Tunnel Field Effect Transistor
Authors: Haneef Nazia Haneef Nazia , Raushan Mohd Adil Raushan Mohd Adil , Bas Md Yasir Bashir Md Yasir , Siddiqui Mohammad Jawaid Siddiqui Mohammad Jawaid
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we have proposed the doping less dual material double gate Tunnel field-effect transistor with a P+ pocket (PP- DMG TFET). This gate engineered technique is ordinarily used in a MOSFET for performance augmentation. The P+ pocket is embedded at the source side to enhance the performance of pocket engineered PP- DMG TFET device. This paper compares the performance of four DG-TFET based devices i.e. single material gate TFET (SMG), single material gate with P+ pocket TFET (PP-SMG), dual material gate TFET (DMG DG), dual material gate with P+ pocket (PP-DMG). Electrostatic doping based on charge plasma notion forms the requisite structure n-i-p + for tunneling formed on a thin intrinsic silicon layer. The proposed device (PP-DMG) has a high on-current capability, high ON/OFF ratio and lower point subthreshold of 15.3 mV/dec, and an average subthreshold of 18.6 mV/dec. The analog parameters evaluated include transconductance (gm) and cutoff frequency (fT) have shown impressive improvement. We have also discussed the device efficiency and transconductance frequency product (TFP) finally we have done the linearity and distortion analysis on parameters such as VIP2, VIP3, IIP3, and IMD3 analysis.
STUDY PROTOCOL
A multinational, phase 2, randomised, adaptive protocol to evaluate immunogenicity and reactogenicity of different COVID-19 vaccines in adults ≥75 already vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (EU-COVAT-1-AGED): A trial conducted within the VACCELERATE network
Authors: Neuhann Julia Maria , Stemler Jannik , Carcas Antonio , Frías-Iniesta Jesús , Bethe Ullrich , Heringer Sarah , Tischmann Lea , Zarrouk Marouan , Cüppers Arnd , König Franz , Posch Martin , Cornely Oliver A.
Published: August 2022

Background: In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, advanced age is a risk factor for a severe clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, older people may benefit in particular from booster doses with potent vaccines and research should focus on optimal vaccination schedules. In addition to each individual’s medical history, immunosenescence warrants further research in this population. This study investigates vaccine-induced immune response over one year.Methods/Design: EU-COVAT-1-AGED is a randomised controlled, adaptive, multicentre phase II protocol evaluating different booster strategies in individuals aged ≥75 years (n=600) already vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. The initial protocol foresaw a 3rd vaccination (1st booster) as study intervention. The present modified Part B of this trial foresees testing of mRNA-1273 (Spikevax®) vs. BNT162b2 (Comirnaty®) as 4th vaccination dose (2nd booster) for comparative assessment of their immunogenicity and safety against SARS-CoV-2 wild-type and variants. The primary endpoint of the trial is to assess the rate of 2-fold antibody titre increase 14 days after vaccination measured by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Anti-RBD-ELISA) against wild-type virus. Secondary endpoints include the changes in neutralising antibody titres (Virus Neutralisation Assay) against wild-type as well as against Variants of Concern (VOC) at 14 days and up to 12 months. T-cell response measured by qPCR will be performed in subgroups at 14 days as exploratory endpoint. Biobanking samples are being collected for neutralising antibody titres against potential future VOC. Furthermore, potential correlates between humoral immune response, T-cell response and neutralising capacity will be assessed.The primary endpoint analysis will be triggered as soon as for all patients the primary endpoint (14 days after the 4th vaccination dose) has been observed.Discussion: The EU-COVAT-1-AGED trial Part B compares immunogenicity and safety of mRNA-1273 (Spikevax®) and BNT162b2 (Comirnaty®) as 4th SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose in adults ≥75 years of age. The findings of this trial have the potential to optimise the COVID-19 vaccination strategy for this at-risk population.
Comparison of percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy and conventional discectomy for double- segmental lumbar disc herniation: a retrospective non- randomized study
Authors: Liu Zixiang , Qin Wanjin , Tang Yingchuang , li Hanwen , Liu Hao , Yang Huilin , Mao Haiqing , Zhang Kai , Chen Kangwu
Published: August 2022

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) with the conventional lumbar discectomy (CLD) for treatment of double-segmental lumbar disc herniation (LDH).Methods: This is a retrospective non-randomized study. Forty-six patients with double-segmental LDH were enrolled. The CLD group included 14 male and 8 female patients, with the mean age of 38.0 ± 9.2 year. All the demographic files were collected, with clinical outcomes evaluated by the visual analog scale (VAS), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the modified Macnab criteria. The operation time, intra-operation exposure time, postoperative bed-rest time, hospital-stay and complications were recorded at each follow-up point.Results: Data were evaluated with a minimum of 12 months follow-up period. In both groups, the VAS and ODI scores were significantly improved. The proportion of excellent or good outcome cases in each group was 91.7% and 86.4%, respectively. Two cases from PEID group and three cases from CLD group presented complications. The bed-rest time and hospital-stay period were significantly shortened (P < 0.05), while the operation time and intra-operation exposure time were longer in PEID group as compared to CLD group (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Both PEID and CLD are safe and effective approaches for treatment of double-segmental LDH and the PEID technique is less invasive, which accelerates patients’ recovery after surgery.
Robust adaptive predefined-time control tracking for a quadrotor with disturbances
Authors: Labbadi Moussa , Abadi Amine , Tahri Omar , Djemai Mohamed
Published: August 2022

This article deals with the robust finite-time stabilization of a quadrotor subject to perturbations. First, new nonsingular terminal sliding mode variables (NTSMV) are proposed for altitude and attitude that speeds the controlled system’s convergence both before and after it reaches the sliding manifolds of the system. The uniqueness comes in the design of time-varying (TV) sliding surfaces without prior knowledge of the initial system states, resulting in insensitivity to beginning state uncertainty. Then, a robust TV nonsingular terminal sliding mode control scheme is developed based on the results of FTSMV, in which the singularity problem of traditional terminal sliding mode (TSM) control systems is solved by restricting TSM surfaces to non-singular areas. The proposed control strategy applied to the altitude and attitude of a quadrotor guarantees the tracking errors’ finite-time convergence to the origin, as well as the quadrotor overall robustness in the face of enormous uncertainties and unforeseen environmental perturbations. In addition, adaptive tuning laws are designed to estimate the lumped uncertainty’s unknown upper bounds, which is useful in practice, also, the stability of all proposed techniques is proved. All results are illustrated in simulations are compared to others control algorithms.
Low prevalence of current and past SARS-CoV-2 infections among visitors and staff members of homelessness services in Amsterdam at the end of the second wave of infections in the Netherlands
Authors: Generaal Ellen , Santen Daniela van , Campman Sophie , Booij Marjolein , Price Dylan , Buster Marcel , Dijk Christa van , Boyd Anders , Bruisten Sylvia , Dam Alje van , Lubben Mariken van der , Duijnhoven Yvonne van , Prins Maria
Published: August 2022

Background People experiencing homelessness (PEH) may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19. The Dutch government established emergency shelters and introduced preventive measures for homelessness services and there were no major SARS-CoV-2 outbreak noticed among PEH during the first two waves of infections. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of current and past infections among PEH and staff at the end of the second COVID-19 wave by conducting an on-site COVID-19 screening project at homelessness services in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Methods We assessed the proportion of visitors and staff members of four homelessness services at two locations in Amsterdam with positive SARS-CoV-2 qPCR and antibody results (IgG/IgM Rapid Test, Biozek) in May 2021. We also assessed sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle characteristics, compliance with basic prevention measures and intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 among PEH and staff.Results A total of 138 visitors and 53 staff members filled out a questionnaire and were tested. Among PEH, the SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate was 0% (0/133;95%CI=0-1.9) and the antibody positivity rate was 1.6% (2/131;95%CI=0.8-7.5). Among staff, these percentages were 3% (1/32;95%CI=0.1-16.2) and 11% (5/53;95%CI=3.6-23.6), respectively. Most participants were frequently compliant with the basic preventive measures ‘not shaking hands’, ‘wearing a face mask’ and ‘washing hands’, but not with ‘physical distancing’. Overall, intention to vaccinate for COVID-19 was low (30% for visitors, 10% for staff) or medium (28% for visitors, 35% for staff). Trust in COVID-19 policies were also, for the most part, low (27% for visitors, 17% for staff) or neutral (32% for visitors, 53% for staff).Conclusions We observed a low prevalence of past and current SARS-CoV-2 infections among PEH, which may be explained by instated shelter policies, limited daily activities of PEH and compliance with certain prevention measures. Vaccine hesitancy and mistrust among visitors and staff could hinder vaccination uptake, suggesting that improvements in public heath communication and interventions towards visitors and staff of homelessness services are needed.
HPK1 inhibitor enhanced tumor response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Yang Lin , Zhao Qiuling , Chen Ting , Liu Wenbin , Qiu Xiuliang
Published: August 2022

Anti-PD-1 immunotherapy has been widely applied in patients with some types of lymphomas. The classical Hodgkin's lymphoma is highly sensitive to immunotherapy but Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is not good response. Therefore, it is valuable to optimize PD-1 blockade treatment in NHL patients. Studies indicated that HPK1 suppressed T cells and reduced the anti-tumor immunity. Therefore, HPK1 inhibitor may restore and elicit antitumor immune responses and is a promising candidate drug target for cancer immunotherapy. We initially explored the Gene Expression Profile Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases and it predicted that HPK1 expression increased in DLBCL and was associated with NLRP3. We investigated whether the HPK1 inhibitor could enhance tumor response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in NHL and the association between HPK1 and NLRP3. Employing shHPK1 and inhibitor, our study demonstrated that HPK1 inhibitor increased the anti-PD-1 mediated T cell cytotoxicity on BJAB and WSU-DLCL2 co-cultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). HPK1 inhibitor increased PD-1, PD-L1, Bax, p53 and NK-kB but decreased NLRP3. These indicated that HPK1 inhibitor was associated with apoptosis and NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in anti-PD-1 mediated T cell cytotoxicity. Our data also demonstrated that HPK1 inhibitor enhanced the efficiency of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy on NHL in in vivo zebrafish xenograft models. In summary, this study provided the evidence that HPK1 inhibitor enhanced tumor response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy for NHL by promoting apoptosis and blocking NLRP3 pathway. This provides a potential therapeutic option for NHL with combination HPK1 inhibitor and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
MBSaNet : A combination of convolutional neural networks and self-attention for the identification of fundus diseases
Authors: Wang Keya , Xu Chuanyun , Li Gang , Zheng Yu , Sun Chengjie , Zhang Yang
Published: August 2022

Early detection of lesions is of great significance for treating fundus diseases. Fundus photography is an effective and convenient screening technique by which common fundus diseases can be detected. In this study, we use color fundus images to distinguish among multiple fundus diseases. Existing research on fundus disease classification has achieved some success through deep learning techniques, but there is still much room for improvement in model evaluation metrics using only deep convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures with limited global modeling ability; the simultaneous diagnosis of multiple fundus diseases still faces great challenges. Therefore, given that the self-attention (SA) model with a global receptive field may have robust global-level feature modeling ability, we propose a multistage fundus image classification model —MBSaNet —which combines CNN and SA mechanism. The convolution block extracts the local information of the fundus image, and the SA module further captures the complex relationships between different spatial positions, thereby directly detecting one or more fundus diseases in retinal fundus image. In the initial stage of feature extraction, we propose a multiscale feature fusion stem, which uses convolutional kernels of different scales to extract low-level features of the input image and fuse them to improve recognition accuracy. The training and testing were performed based on the ODIR-5k dataset. The experimental results show that MBSaNet achieves state-of-the-art performance with fewer parameters. The wide range of diseases and different fundus image collection conditions confirmed the applicability of MBSaNet.
UV assisted size modification of green synthesized silver nanoparticles, and its potential antibacterial study
Authors: S Shivananda C , B Lakshmeesha Rao , Y Sangappa
Published: August 2022

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were successfully synthesized from aqueous silk fibroin solution by using UV-irradiation technique. Here the SF solution acts as stabilizer, the effect UV-irradiation time influence the particle size and shape of the AgNPs. The UV-Visible studies evidence the strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 428 nm, which confirm the reduction of Ag+ to Ag0 in the aqueous SF solution. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images investigate that the AgNPs are well dispersed in aqueous SF solution, increasing the irradiation time the large number of particles agglomerates of grains with narrow size distribution. The synthesized AgNPs structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction technique. The XRD pattern the peaks are good agreement with the synthesized AgNPs are face centered cubic structure (FCC) with a lattice constant of a = 0.485. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) investigates the particle size distribution and average size of the synthesized AgNPs. The size control and UV irradiation time of AgNPs can affect the significant antibacterial activity against four bacterial stains, i.e. Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis (Gram positive) and Escherichia coli, salmonella typhi (Gram negative).
Iteration methods to solve Sylvester equation AX+XB=C
Authors: Yu Siting , Peng Jingjing , Li Rui , Tang Zengao , Peng Zhenyun
Published: August 2022

In this paper, the multiple constraint least squares solution of Sylvester equation AX+XB=C is discussed. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of solutions to the considered problem are given. Noting that the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is an one-step iterative method, a multi-step alternating direction method of multipliers (MSADMM) to solve the considered problem is proposed and some convergence results of the proposed algorithm are proved. Problems which should be studied in near future are listed. Numerical comparisons between MSADMM and ADMM are included.2010 Mathematics subject Classiflcations. 15A39, 65F30.
WITHDRAWN: Addressing social determinants of health is a priority for managing COVID-19 in Arctic Indigenous communities: results of a scoping review
Authors: Kolahdooz Fariba , Jang Se Lim , Deck Sarah , Ilkiw David , McKeen Jennifer , Omoro Gertrude , Rautio Arja , Pirkola Sami , Moeller Helle , Ferguson Gary , Evengard Birgitta , Mantla-Look Lianne , Milligan Crystal , DeLancey Debbie , Corriveau Andre , Irlbacher-Fox Stephanie , Wagg Adrian , Roache Cindy , Oystrek Rachel , Rittenbach Katherine , Conter Henry J , Falk Ryan , Kurtz Donna , Sharma Sangita
Published: August 2022

Background. Arctic Indigenous communities are unique, geographically remote and/or isolated, and currently among the most susceptible populations in the world to the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Since colonization, Indigenous communities have been particularly susceptible to infectious disease outbreaks. Methods. This study reviewed current knowledge regarding social determinants of health (SDH) and pandemics in Arctic Canada and highlighted the implications of the current COVID-19 pandemic on individuals, families, and communities in Arctic Canada.Studies published in English and French pertaining to SDH or pandemics in the Canadian Arctic were located using key search words in three databases (PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL) as well as reference tracking of relevant articles up to September 2021. Studies were categorized according to infectious disease (COVID-19, H1N1 influenza, and tuberculosis) or SDH (healthcare access, food security, mental health, socioeconomic status, cultural continuity, housing, and community infrastructure). NVivo was used to theme and sub-theme findings of selected studies.Results. One hundred studies were included in this scoping review. Two articles related to COVID-19, five to influenza, and five to TB; 27 healthcare access, 19 to food security, 17 to mental health, nine to SES, seven to cultural continuity, six to housing, and three to community infrastructure. Documented lessons learned from previous pandemics in Arctic communities provides evidence to inform public health policies and culturally safe programs for the current COVID-19 pandemic where many SDH exist as challenges for Indigenous communities. The SDH included limited healthcare access, food insecurity, mental health challenges, low socioeconomic status, limited cultural considerations in healthcare, and suboptimal housing. These findings are also relevant to Indigenous communities in other Arctic regions facing similar challenges due to the pandemic.Conclusions.: It is essential to understand how SDH underlie the health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities in the Arctic and to utilize this information to inform critical policy and practice decisions for COVID-19 prevention, management, and treatment. This review indicated that many SDH are unique to Canadian Arctic settings and pose specific challenges for the prevention and management of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.
Microbiota present in combined endodontic-periodontal diseases and its risks for endocarditis
Authors: Gomes Brenda P. F. A. , Berber Vanessa B. , Passini Maicon R. Z. , Chapola Rafaela C. , Lopes Erica M. , Chen Tsute , Paster Bruce J
Published: August 2022

Introduction:
Infective endocarditis (IE) is an inflammatory disease usually caused by bacteria that enter the bloodstream and settle in the inner linings or valves of the heart, as well as in blood vessels. Despite modern antimicrobial and surgical treatments, IE continues to cause substantial morbidity and mortality. The oral microbiota has been considered one of the most significant risk factors for IE. The objective of this study was to analyze the microbiota present in clinical samples of root canals (RCs) and periodontal pockets (PPs), in cases with combined endo-periodontal lesions (EPL) in order to detect the species related to IE using the NGS sequencing technique.
Methods
Microbial samples were collected from the 15 RCs and their associated PPs. Genomic studies associated with bioinformatics combined with the structuring of a database (genetic sequences of bacteria reported for infective endocarditis) allowed to assess the microbial community of both sites.
Results
The main genera detected in the RC and PPs were Parvimonas, Streptococcus and Enterococcus, both directly linked with IE. A total of 98 species in the RCs and 133 in PPs were identified. Among them 28 species from the RCs and 45 from the PPs were related to IE. Functional inference showed that the microbiological profile of RCs and PPs may not be the only risk factors for IE, but also for other diseases considered systemic such as: Myocarditis, Human Cytomegalovirus infection, Bacterial invasion of epithelial cells, Huntington's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In addition, it was possible to predict antimicrobial resistance variants for broad-spectrum drugs such as ampicillin, tetracycline, macrolide, among others.
Conclusion
Microorganisms present in the combined EPL can be a risk factor not only for IE, but also for diseases that are considered systemic. Antimicrobial resistance variants for broad-spectrum drugs were also inferred based on picrust. State-of-the-art sequencing combined with bioinformatics proved to be a powerful tool for conducting studies of microbial communities, which could considerably assist in the diagnosis of serious infections.
Clinical Relevance:
Few studies have investigated the microbiota in teeth compromised by combined endo-periodontal lesions (EPL) but did not correlate the microbiological findings to any systemic condition, particularly with Infective Endocarditis, using the Next Generation Sequencing technique. In these cases, the presence of apical periodontitis and periodontal diseases could increase the risk for the development of IE, in susceptible patients.
The optional depth of screw for the treatment of tibial plateau defect in total knee arthroplasty: A finite element analysis
Authors: Zhao Guanghui , Yao Shuxin , Ma Jianbing , Wang Jianpeng
Published: August 2022

Background: The cement-screw technique is an effective method for repairing tibial plateau defects in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, it is unknown which depth for the screw is better. This study aimed to perform a finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the advantage of a cement-screw technique and confirm the optimal screw depth.Results: Four FEA models were set to represent the cement-screw or cement-only techniques. In the cement-screw technique, screws were inserted into the defect area obliquely with an angle of 45 degrees from the mechanical axis with 3 different depths. The FEA models showed that cement-only technique had more stress-shielding areas in the tibial plateau and medullary cervicitis, while higher stress areas were in the defect and medullary cervicitis. For the cement-screw technique, stresses were lower on the surface of cancellous bone around screw when it was inserted below the upper surface of tibia.Conclusion: From the FEA data, we found that cement-screw technique is superior to cement-only technique for repairing a tibial plateau defect in TKA; for the former, it may be more beneficial to insert the screw below the upper surface of tibia plateau.
Parasitic loads in the genetically improved (F7) Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.) cultured in fish farms in Busia and Siaya Counties, Kenya: indicators of increased resistance and efficiencies of synergistic technologies adoptions
Authors: Otachi Elick O. , Kyule Domitila , Abwao Jacob , Iteba Jacob , Mziri Venny , Outa Nicholas , Ogello Erick , Obiero Kevin , Munguti Jonathan
Published: August 2022

In Kenya, breeding programmes whose source of genetic material is local water bodies are at inception with the National Aquaculture Research Center, Sagana being the Nile tilapia and African catfish breeding nucleus. Fish are susceptible to a variety of infections and diseases. These microorganisms are often present on the external surfaces and visceral organs of the fish. In order to minimize fish disease burdens a number of fish health management practices and biosecurity measures have been recommended. In this study, a combination of new genetically improved fish strains, liming, netting and biofloc technologies were used in selected fish farms in Busia and Siaya Counties for validation. A total of 113 Nile tilapia were collected (93 from Bukani Aquaparks and 20 from WOODM fish farm) using a seine net. The fish were killed by cervical dislocation. This was followed with measurements of the total lengths and weights. Standard examination procedures were used. A total of 6 different taxa of parasitic species were recovered during the study. These included: Protozoans such as Trichodina sp; Myxozoans such as Myxobolus sp.; Flatworms such as the monogenean Cichlidogyrus sp.; the Trematodes such as the digeneans Tylodelphys sp. and Euclinostomum sp. and the Acanthocephalans such as Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) tilapiae. Overall, the findings of this study showed that there were very few parasites infesting fish with also very low infection rates. This study concluded that with the improved fish strain, employment of adequate biosecurity measures, parasitic infestation levels can be significantly lowered to levels of little concern.
Breastfeeding and Female Labor Force Participation; The Probability of Survival of Children Under- 3 years in Nepal
Authors: Timilsina Kailash , Sawangdee Yothin , Bhandari Ravi , Tiwari Sirjana , Adhikari Ashmita
Published: August 2022

Introduction: The number of breastfeeding mothers participating as a labor force to generate income has been increasing in Nepal. In this regards study aims to assess the survival of Under 3 children in Nepal from the mother based on their labor force participation and breastfeeding status. Methods: Data for the study were obtained from the Nepal Demographic Health survey 2016-2017. The sample size of the study was 2,994 live birth children born in the last three years from the day of interview. The robust hazard ratio and cox proportional hazard regression were conducted between dependent and independent variables to come to the conclusion.Results: Among 2994 live birth, 85 children died before reaching 36 months of their life. Among them more than 80 % of the non-working mothers were breastfeeding their children. The analysis revealed that the survival of the children under-3 is positively associated with the interaction with mother work and breastfeeding status, family structure, relationship with household head, wealth quintiles, caste and religion of mother. Conclusion: The highest rate of child survival was from the working mothers as well as continuing breastfeeding to their child followed by mothers breastfeeding the child but not working, mother working but not breastfeeding the child and mothers those were neither working nor breastfeeding their child respectively. Employers should be encouraged to have a breastfeeding policy in work place through establishment of breastfeeding facility, paid maternity leave and flexible work schedule.
Mathematical modeling and projection of vitamin D levels before and during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study including 86.772 samples
Authors: Arayici Mehmet Emin , Korkut-Uysal Sila Ovgu , Leblebici Asim , Akcali Zeynep , Edizer Deniz Tuna , Kabul Seher , Cimrin Dilek , Ellidokuz Ender Berat
Published: August 2022

Purpose
Vitamin D (Vit-D) is defined as a steroid hormone produced in the body by exposure of the human skin to UV (ultraviolet) B rays and has an important role in calcium and phosphorus metabolism as well as bone mineralization. In this study, it was aimed to examine Vit-D deficiency not only biologically but also mathematically and produce a mathematical model to determine the level of Vit-D if the COVID-19 measures continue.
Methods
This study included 86.772 patient samples. Vit-D levels have a wave-curved form. Mathematical modeling has been done for such a curve, and this model has been defined. For describing the model, the MATLAB Curve Fitting Toolbox has been used. SSE has been optimized by the Trust-Region algorithm where all the other parameters are selected as default.
Results
There was no significant difference between the sexes according to Vit-D levels (p > .05). It was determined that Vit-D levels were significantly higher in the summer months and lower in the winter months (p < .001). When comparing the spring months, Vit-D levels in 2020 were found to be significantly lower than in 2019 (p < .001); on the contrary, when examined based on the summer, autumn, and winter months, it was determined that Vit-D levels increased in 2020 compared to 2019 (p < .001). A mathematical model was produced using Vit-D data and a future prediction was made.
Conclusion
Restrictions, partial or complete closures, and curfews can significantly affect individuals' Vit-D levels during the COVID-19 outbreak. There is a need for multicenter studies with larger populations covering different regions to strengthen and support our results.
Risk Factors and Geographic Disparities in Premature Cardiovascular Mortality in US Counties: A Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Dong Weichuan , Motairek Issam , Nasir Khurram , Chen Zhuo , Kim Uriel , Khalifa Yassin , Freedman Darcy , Griggs Stephanie , Rajagopalan Sanjay , Al-Kindi Sadeer G
Published: August 2022

Disparities in premature cardiovascular mortality (PCVM) have been associated with socioeconomic, behavioral, and environmental risk factors. Understanding the “phenotypes”, or combinations of characteristics associated with the highest risk of PCVM, and the geographic distributions of these phenotypes, is critical to targeting PCVM interventions. This study applied classification and regression tree (CART) to identify county phenotypes of PCVM and geographic information systems to examine the distributions of identified phenotypes. Random forest analysis was applied to evaluate relative importance of risk factors associated with PCVM. The CART analysis identified seven county phenotypes of PCVM, where high-risk phenotypes were characterized as having greater percentages of people with lower income, higher physical inactivity, and higher food insecurity. These high-risk phenotypes were mostly concentrated in the Black Belt of the American South and the Appalachian region. The random forest analysis identified additional risk factors associated with PCVM, including broadband access, smoking, receipt of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, excessive drinking, and educational attainment. Overall, county-level risk factors explained 52% of the inter-county variation in PCVM. Our study demonstrates the use of machine learning approaches in characterizing area-level phenotypes of PCVM. Interventions to reduce PCVM should be tailored according to these phenotypes in corresponding geographic areas.
Existence of triple solutions for elliptic equations driven by p-Laplacian-like operators with Hardy potential under Dirichlet-Neumann boundary conditions
Authors: Liu Jian , Zhao Zengqin
Published: August 2022

In this article, we focus on triple weak solutions for some p-Laplacian type elliptic equations with Hardy potential, two parameters and mixed boundary conditions. We show the existence of at least three distinct weak solutions by using variational methods, the Hardy inequality and the Bonanno-Marano type three critical points theorem under suitable assumptions, and the existence of solutions to some particular cases of this type of elliptic equations are also obtained.MSC: 35J15; 35J20; 35J25
RETRACTED: MATLAB-Simulink based framework for test generation of analog driven digital blocks
Authors: Kumari Puja , Bhattacharya Rahul
Published: August 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Seismic Risk Assessment for the Infrastructure in the Regions Adjacent to the Russian Federation Baikal–amur Mainline Based on the Unified Scaling Law for Earthquakes
Authors: Nekrasova Anastasia , Kossobokov Vladimir
Published: August 2022

The objective of the analysis is to evaluate, for a period of 50 years, the 10%, 5% and 1% probability of exceedance of seismic events in terms of loss in performance of infrastructure in the regions adjacent to the Russian Federation Baikal–Amur Mainline and Trans–Siberian Railway. In particular, we use earthquake data compiled at the Baikal Division of the Russian Geophysical Survey, which provides sufficiently complete earthquake determinations of M = 2.5 or larger for the period 1994–2019 for mapping the USLE coefficients at the seismically active cells of a regular grid. Based on these estimates, we present maps of the maximum expected magnitude in about 500, 1000 and 5000 years. Having described an anisotropic seismic effect model of seismic sites in the region, we conclude by characterizing the seismic hazard in traditional macroseismic intensity terms and estimating the associated seismic risk to infrastructures.
A Deep Learning Model with Attention-BiLSTM Networks Combining XGBoost Residual Correction for Short-Term Water Demand Forecast
Authors: Shan Shihao , Ni Hongzhen , Wang Dangxian , Chen Genfa , Sang Xuefeng
Published: August 2022

As a key component of water distribution management, reliable short-term water demand forecasting plays a fundamental role in the optimal control for water supply. Most reported approaches based on deep learning omit the two-way information flow existed in historical water demand data and the model inputs cannot automatically highlight the significance of crucial features to current water demands, which could have impact on the prediction accuracy. Owing to the high nonlinear changes and fluctuations in water demand series, making accurate forecast a challenging task. To address the problem in this study, maximal information coefficient (MIC) is presented for feature extraction analysis, deep learning with Attention-BiLSTM networks is developed, to reinforce the performance, that combining the XGBoost algorithm as a residual correction module to forecast short-term water demand. Hyper-parameter configurations are conducted with the models. Finally, the superiority of proposed method is illustrated by comparing to other benchmark models. The results show that the proposed method outperforms other predictive models, in which both on the accuracy and stability.
Demographic and clinical characteristics determining patient-centeredness in endometriosis care
Authors: Grundström Hanna , Kilander Helena , Wikman Per , Olovsson Matts
Published: August 2022

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to assess patient-centeredness of endometriosis care in a national sample of Swedish women with endometriosis. The secondary aims were to assess the importance of different dimensions of endometriosis care, and to analyze demographic and clinical determinants associated with the experience of patient-centeredness.Methods: This cross-sectional study including 476 women with confirmed endometriosis. An invitation to participate was sent to 1000 randomly selected women aged ≥18 years having any endometriosis diagnosis and who had visited a gynecological clinic due to endometriosis problems any time during the past five years. Participants were recruited from 10 different-sized gynecology clinics in different parts of Sweden. The invitation letter had a link to the digital survey, which consisted of demographic and clinical questions, and the ENDOCARE questionnaire (ECQ). ECQ measures experiences, importance and patient-centeredness of 10 dimensions of endometriosis care. Univariate and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze which patient-specific demographic and clinical determinants were associated with the experience of patient-centeredness.Results: The response rate was 48%. The results indicate that Swedish women with endometriosis experience low patient-centeredness, and rate relational aspects with healthcare professionals as the most important aspects of care. Having a gynecologist with patient responsibility was an independent predictor for high patient-centeredness.Conclusion: Women with endometriosis in Sweden experience low patient-centeredness, reflecting the urgent need for improvement. More effort should be given to develop the relational aspects of care. Women with endometrios should have a responsible gynecologist to care for treatment and follow-up.
Color image restoration with impulse noise based on fractional-order total variation and framelet transform
Authors: Parvaz Reza
Published: August 2022

Restoring images corruptedby noise and blur is a burgeoning subject in image processing and, despite the large numberof proposed restoration algorithms, the effort to bring about some improvement is always ofgreat interest.The definition of fractional derivatives in recentyears has created a powerful tool for this purpose.In the present paper, using fractional-order totalvariation and framelet transform,the nonconvex model forimage restoration with impulse noise problem is improved.Then by alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) andprimal-dual problem, the proposed model is solved. The convergence of the proposedalgorithm is studiedand the proposed algorithm is evaluated using different types of tests.The output results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Dislocations behavior due to surface hardening in grinded C45 steel
Authors: Szkodo Marek , Stanisławska Alicja , Cavaliere Pasquale , Bień Anna
Published: August 2022

Grinding is often used for machining because it allows for high dimensional and shapes accuracy as well as low surface roughness. Modern technologies of grinding steel with ferritic-pearlitic structure combine the cutting process with simultaneous surface hardening. However, such treatment generates unfavorable tensile stresses in the surface layer. Therefore, in this paper, an attempt was made to strengthen the grinded surface layer without a phase transformation, using only strain hardening. This way of grinding reduces energy and time consumption, thus reducing the negative impact on the natural environment. For this purpose, the grinding of C45 steel was performed at small grinding depths, ranging from 2 µm to 20 µm, and at low rotational speed and tool feed. Using the nanoindentation test, XRD diffractometry, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and a scanning microscope, the microstructure, dislocation structure, and mobility of dislocations generated in the surface layer of grinded steel were determined. The analysis of the obtained results shows that grinding to a depth of 2 µm results in the greatest increase in dislocation density and also reduces their mobility the most, which results in the greatest strain hardening of the ground surface layer. Such grinding also increases the favorable compressive stresses in the grinded surface layer.
Current trends in diagnostic and therapeutic management of the axilla in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy: results of the German-wide NOGGO MONITOR 24 Survey
Authors: Banys-Paluchowski Maggie , Michael Untch , Natalia Krawczyk , Maria Thurmann , Thorsten Kühn , Jalid Sehouli , Luisa Gasparri Maria , Jana Boniface , Davide Gentilini Oreste , Elmar Stickeler , Nina Ditsch , Rody Achim , Paluchowski Peter , Jens-Uwe Blohmer
Published: August 2022

PurposeIn the last two decades, the optimal management of the axilla in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) has been one of the most frequently discussed topics. Little is known about the attitudes of surgeons/radiologists towards new developments such as targeted axillary dissection. Therefore, the NOGGO conducted a survey to evaluate the current approach to axillary management. MethodsA standardized digital questionnaire was sent out to >200 departments in Germany between 7/2021-5/2022. The survey was supported by EUBREAST.ResultsIn total, 116 physicians completed the survey. In cN0 patients scheduled to receive NACT, 89% of respondents recommended sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after NACT. In case of ypN1mi(sn), 44% advised no further therapy, while 31% proposed ALND and 25% axillary irradiation. 64% of respondents recommended a minimally invasive biopsy to cN+ patients. TAD was used at the departments of 82% of respondents and was offered to all cN+ patients converting to ycN0 by 57% and only to selected patients, usually based on the number of suspicious nodes at time of presentation, by 43%. The most common marking technique was a clip/coil. 67% estimated that the detection rate of their marker was very good or good.ConclusionThis survey shows a heterogenous approach towards axillary management in the neoadjuvant setting in Germany. Most respondents follow current guidelines. Since only two-thirds of respondents experienced the detection rate of the marker used at their department as (very) good, future studies should focus on the comparative evaluation of different marking techniques.
Infectious Complications Following Car-T Cell Therapy for B Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Single-Center Experience and Review of the Literature
Authors: Mercadal Santiago , Gomez Carlos , Lee Catherine , Couriel Daniel R
Published: August 2022

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has significantly improved outcomes as treatment of refractory/relapsed (R/R) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Several risk factors including CAR-T-related toxicities and their treatments often lead to infectious complications (IC). The pattern and timeline for IC is not well established. We evaluated IC in 48 patients with R/R B-cell NHL following CAR-T. Overall, 15 patients (31%) experienced 22 infection events. Eight infections (4 bacterial, 3 viral and 1 fungal) and 14 infections (7 bacterial, 6 viral, 1 fungal) occurred early (< 30 days) and later (31–180 days) following CAR-T infusion, respectively. Most infections were mild to moderate (87%) and respiratory infections (n = 15, 68%) were the most common IC. Two patients (4.2%) developed invasive fungal infections. Patients with > 4 prior antitumor regimens and elderly age (≥ 65 years) had a higher infection rate. Humoral response to two-doses of SARS CoV-2 mRNA vaccines was evaluated in 10 patients and anti-Spike IgG was detectable in 40%. Infections in patients receiving CAR-T cell therapy are common despite the use of infection prophylaxis. In our series, age ≥ 65 years and > 4 prior antitumor treatments were identified as risk factors. Forty per cent of patients developed SARS CoV-2 antibody response.
Two efficient block preconditioners for the mass-conserved Ohta-Kawasaki equation
Authors: Zhang Juan , Li shifeng , Jiang Kai
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we propose two efficient block preconditioners to solve the mass-conserved Ohta-Kawasaki equation with finite element dis-cretization. We also study the spectral distribution of these two pre-conditioners, i.e., Schur complement preconditioner and the modified Hermitian and skew-Hermitian splitting (MHSS in short) preconditioner. Besides, the Newton method and its variant are used to address the implicitly nonlinear term. We rigorously analyze the convergence of the Newton iteration methods. Finally, we offer numerical examples to support the theoretical analysis and indicate the efficiency of the proposed preconditioners for the mass-conserved Ohta-Kawasaki equation.