bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quaternions for rotations in paleomagnetism
Authors: Fukuma Koji
Published: October 2022

A variety of rotation operations are needed in paleomagnetism. These include transformations to the geographic coordinate system, tilt correction, finding virtual geomagnetic poles, and drawing demagnetization paths. Different methods have been used for each rotation operation - graphical manipulations on a stereonet, matrix calculations, and spherical trigonometry - and computer software has been developed based on these methods. Quaternions, which are commonly used in three-dimensional computer graphics, can handle rotations about arbitrary axes and provide descriptions of various rotation operations in paleomagnetism in a unified manner. Conversion from a sample coordinate system to the geographic coordinate system depends on orientation methods that vary by sample type and laboratory. Conventionally, coordinate transformations have been calculated using rotation matrices by Euler angles based on stereonet manipulations, but quaternions can flexibly accommodate samples oriented by different conventions. Tilt correction can be expressed as a single rotation about the strike direction of the formation. Virtual geomagnetic poles can be obtained by two-step rotations using quaternions. Furthermore, spherical linear interpolation for drawing demagnetization paths can be performed using quaternion rotation. Python functions are included for all of the rotation operations discussed in this paper; therefore the readers can incorporate these functions into their own programs to perform rotations using quaternions.
Weak-signal extraction enabled by deep-neural-network denoising of diffraction data
Authors: Oppliger Jens , Denner Michael , Küspert Julia , Frison Ruggero , Wang Qisi , Morawietz Alexander , Ivashko Oleh , Dippel Ann-Christin , von Zimmermann Martin , Christensen Niels , Kurosawa Tohru , Momono Naoki , Oda Migaku , Natterer Fabian , Fischer Mark , Neupert Titus , Chang Johan
Published: October 2022

Removal or cancellation of noise has wide-spread applications for imaging and acoustics. In every-day-life applications, denoising may even include generative aspects which are unfaithful to the ground truth. For scientific applications, however, denoising must reproduce the ground truth accurately. Here, we show how data can be denoised via a deep convolutional neural network such that weak signals appear with quantitative accuracy. In particular, we study X-ray diffraction on crystalline materials. We demonstrate that weak signals stemming from charge ordering, insignificant in the noisy data, become visible and accurate in the denoised data. This success is enabled by supervised training of a deep neural network with pairs of measured low- and high-noise data. This way, the neural network learns about the statistical properties of the noise. We demonstrate that using artificial noise (such as Poisson and Gaussian) does not yield such quantitatively accurate results. Our approach thus illustrates a practical strategy for noise filtering that can be applied to challenging acquisition problems.
Inverse correlation between electric vehicles use and greenhouse gas emission
Authors: MATUSIEWICZ MARIA
Published: October 2022

In no EU country are the renewable energy sources (RES) dominant in the energy mix. Thus we can go as far as to say that EVs are often not only unecological, but often even coal-fired cars. The paper presents the results of the study of the correlation between the number of electric vehicles and GHG emissions, and between the share of renewable energy sources (RES) and GHG emissions. In this study, it has been shown that there is no positive correlation between increasing the number of EVs and decreasing the amount of GHG emissions in EU countries in the period of 2012–2019. The paper is not intended to discourage the use of EVs, but to show that every time we talk about them or even mention them, we should call them "RES driven" vehicles, adding the appropriate clarifying phrase. Just like when we say “ISIS”, we add "the so-called" phrase before it, and when we say "eggs" we should add the "free-range" phrase to specify which type we mean. As long as RES are not the majority, marketing of electric cars should not refer to EVs as green vehicles, but rather as vehicles that allow us to become independent from oil, which is often imported from politically unstable countries. such a solution will create additional pressure to move away from carbon, as narrative is crucial in shifting consciousness. The purpose of the paper is to verify whether an increased share of electric vehicles effects in reducing GHG emission. The paper contribution is a proposal to change the communication of the benefits of switching from conventional to electric vehicles as independence from oil imported from politically unstable countries.
First Continuous Marine Sponge Cell Line Established
Authors: Hesp Kylie , Heijden Jans M.E. van der , Munroe Stephanie , Sipkema Detmer , Martens Dirk E. , Wijffels Rene H. , Pomponi Shirley A.
Published: October 2022

The potential of sponge-derived chemicals for pharmaceutical applications remains largely unexploited due to limited available biomass. Although many have attempted to culture marine sponge cells in vitro to create a scalable production platform for such biopharmaceuticals, these efforts have been mostly unsuccessful. We recently showed that Geodia barretti sponge cells could divide rapidly in M1 medium. In this study we established the first continuous marine sponge cell line, originating from G. barretti. G. barretti cells cultured in OpM1 medium, a modification of M1, grew more rapidly and to a higher density than in M1. Cells in OpM1 reached 1.74 population doublings after 30 minutes, more than 2-fold higher than the already rapid growth rate of 0.74 population doublings in 30 minutes in M1. The maximum number of population doublings increased from 5 doublings in M1 to at least 98 doublings in OpM1. Subcultured cells could be cryopreserved and used to inoculate new cultures. With these results, we have overcome a major obstacle that has blocked the path to producing biopharmaceuticals with sponge cells at industrial scale for decades.
An integrated modeling framework for groundwater contamination risk assessment in arid, data-scarce environments
Authors: Rafiei-Sardooi Elham , Ghazanfarpour Hossein , Azareh Ali , Parteli Eric J. R. , Faryabi Mohammad
Published: October 2022

Groundwater contamination risk mapping is one essential measure in groundwater management and quality control. The purpose of the present study is to address this mapping by means of a novel framework, which is more suitable for arid regions than other methods developed in previous work. Specifically, we integrate machine learning tools, interpolation and process-based models with a modified version of DRASTIC-AHP to evaluate groundwater vulnerability to nitrate contamination and to map this contamination in Jiroft plain, Iran. The DRASTIC model provides a tool for evaluating aquifer vulnerability by using seven parameters related to the hydrogeological setting (Depth to water, net Recharge, Aquifer media, Soil media, Topography, Impact of vadose zone, and hydraulic Conductivity), while the criteria ratings and weights of these parameters are evaluated by means of an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). However, to obtain the risk map, the results about groundwater vulnerability are combined here with a contamination hazard map, which we estimate by applying ensemble modeling based, in part, on the occurrence probability predicted from Generalized Linear Model (GLM), Flexible Discriminant Analysis (FDA), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Our integrated modeling framework provides an assessment of both regional patterns of groundwater contamination and an estimate of the impacts of the contamination based on socio-environmental variables, and is particularly suitable for applications based on limited amount of available data. The groundwater contamination risk map obtained from our case study shows that the central and southern regions of the Jiroft plain display high and very high contamination risk, which is associated with high production rate of urban waste in residential lands and an overuse of nitrogen fertilizers in agricultural lands. Therefore, our work is providing new modeling insights for the future assessment of groundwater contamination, with potential impacts for the management and control of water resources in arid and semi-arid environments.
Experiences of Patients with Cancer regarding Decentralization of Oncology Services at a Tertiary Hospital in the Eastern Cape
Authors: Jojo Lumkile Wilmot , Nkutu Nonyaniso Trustina
Published: October 2022

Background
The cancer burden is a global public health concern associated with high morbidities and mortalities. Low and middle-income countries are more affected including South Africa. Limited access to oncology services contributes to the late presentation, late diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. In the Eastern Cape, oncology services were previously centralized with negative effects on the quality of life of the already compromised health status of the oncology patients. To mitigate the situation, a new oncology unit was opened to decentralize oncology services in the province. Little is known about the experiences of consumers after this transformation. That prompted this inquiry.
Objective
This study aims to explore the experiences of cancer patients regarding the decentralization of oncology services to enhance the quality of life of these patients.
Methodology
: A qualitative approach with a descriptive, explorative, and contextual design was undertaken, to get the perspective of oncology recipients following the decentralization of oncology services at a selected public tertiary hospital in the Eastern Cape. After obtaining ethical clearance and permission to conduct the study, interviews were conducted with 19 participants. All interviews were transcribed verbatim against their audio recordings. Field notes were taken by the researcher. The concept of trustworthiness was used to ensure rigor throughout this study. Thematic analysis was done using Tesch’s approach to open coding in qualitative research.
Results
Seven themes emerged: 1) level of satisfaction; 2) waiting time; 3) human and material resources; 4) attitude of health care workers; 5) appropriate treatment and care, 6) access; and 7) improved infrastructural resources.
Conclusion
The majority of patients had positive experiences with the unit. The waiting time was acceptable, and medication was available. Access to services was improved. The staff had a positive attitude.
The Anti-Oxidant Effects of Coenzyme Q10 on Albino Rat Testicular Toxicity and Apoptosis Triggered by Bisphenol A
Authors: Eid Refaat A. , Abadi Alsaleem Mohammed , kott Attalla F. El , Zaki Mohamed Samir A. , Abd-Ella Eman M.
Published: October 2022

Polycarbonate plastics for packaging and epoxy resins are both made with the industrial chemical bisphenol A (BPA). This investigation looked at the histological structure, antioxidant enzymes, and albino rats' testis to determine how Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) impacts BPA toxicity. For the experiments, 18 adult male rats were broken into three groups: group 1 received no therapy, group 2 acquired BPA, and group 3 got daily BPA treatment accompanied by coenzyme Q10, one hour apart. All experiment done for 14 days. The biochemical biomarkers catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were altered as a result of BPA exposure. The testicular histological architecture, which is made up of apoptosis, was also exaggerated. Furthermore, rats given BPA and CoQ10 treatment may experience a diminution in these negative BPA effects. These protective properties of CoQ10 may be correlated with the ability to eliminate oxidizing substances that can harm living species.The outcomes might support the hypothesis that CoQ10 prevented oxidative damage and boosted rats' stress responses when BPA was introduced. Thus, by shielding mammals from oxidative stress, CoQ10 aids in the growth and development of the animals.BPA is extremely hazardous to humans and can persist in tissues. Human reproductive functions are a worry due to human exposure to BPA, especially for occupational workers who are typically exposed to higher doses of BPA. As a result, in order to reduce the health risks, BPA usage must be minimized across a diverse range of industries, and improper plastic container handling must be prohibited. By giving CoQ10 to patients, BPA's harmful effects on reproductive structures and functions may be avoided.
Patient-reported outcomes measures of X-linked hypophosphataemia participants: findings from a prospective cohort study in the UK
Authors: Cole Sophie , Sanchez-Santos Maria T. , Kolovos Spyros , Javaid M. Kassim , Pinedo-Villanueva Rafael
Published: October 2022

Background
X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) is a rare genetic condition passed on through the X chromosome which causes multiple symptoms including weakened teeth, bones, and muscles. Due to the rarity of the condition, little is known about the health outcomes as reported by people with the disease. The objectives of this study were threefold: to characterise key patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in adults with XLH, to identify clusters of symptom-severity groups based on PROMs, and to analyse the longitudinal progression of available PROMs.
Methods
Data from 48 participants from the Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases cohort Study (RUDY) was used to analyse both cross-sectional and longitudinal patient-reported outcomes. We analysed data for health-related quality of life (HRQL): EQ-5D-5L, SF-36 Physical Component Score (PCS), and SF-36 Mental Component Score (MCS), sleep: PSQI and ESS, fatigue: FSS and FACIT-F, pain: SF-MPQ-2 and PainDETECT, and mental well-being: HADS anxiety and depression. Summary statistics, tests of mean differences, mixed-effects models, and cluster analysis were used to describe and examine the various health dimensions of individuals with XLH.
Results
Overall mean scores were EQ-5D-5L=0.65, SF-36-PCS=32.7, and SF-36-MCS=48.4 for HRQL, ESS=5.9 and PSQI=8.9 for sleep, FSS=32.8 and FACIT-F=104.4 for fatigue, SF-MPQ-2=1.9, and 7% reporting neuropathic pain (PainDETECT) for pain, and HADS-depression=4.7 and HADS-anxiety =6.2 for mental well-being. 7% reported neuropathic pain (PainDETECT) for pain. Whilst many adults with XLH reported good outcomes, extreme or severe problems were reported across all outcomes. Cluster analysis identified that adults with XLH could be divided into two distinct groups, one reporting worse (35.3%) and the other better outcomes (64.7%) (less pain, fatigue, depression, and higher levels of sleep). Longitudinal analysis showed that FACIT-F and HADS-anxiety scores worsened slightly over two years with statistically significant (p<0.05) time coefficients (b=-2.135 and b=0.314, respectively).
Conclusion
Although about two thirds of adult participants of the RUDY cohort with XLH report good health outcomes, for a considerable third much worse outcomes are reported. More research is needed to examine why some experience good and others poor health outcomes and the characteristics which identify them.
An efficient point-of-interest recommendation for LOcation-based social networks system with spatio-temporal model
Authors: VUPPALA VENKATA PRAVEEN KUMAR , SAMBANDAM PAZHANIRAJAN , SREE INDRANEEL
Published: October 2022

The problem of personalized next point-of-interest (POI) recommendation is significant and of practical value in location-based social networks (LBSNs). Twitter together with other online social networks has begun to collect hundreds of millions of check-ins which capture the spatial and temporal information of user movements and interests. Due to the sparsity of data in regard to check-in, POI recommendations remain a challenging problem. An efficient point-of-interest recommendation system with Upstream Spatiotemporal Topic Model (USTTM) for LBSNs is proposed in this paper. This recommendation system contains purpose prediction phase that classifying the POIs in spatio-temporal database based on purpose and constructing a purpose ranking model to model the selection of user’s intended purpose for the trip. Second phase is scoring of each candidate POI which considers the properties of spatial and temporal information when calculating the score. USTTM is used in this system to model and analyze the spatio-temporal aspect of check-in data that can discover a user’s choice of region. Extensive experiments were conducted and the results demonstrate that the recommendation accuracy of the model outperforms the state-of-the-art POI recommendation models with good runtime performance. In quantitative analysis, effectiveness of USTTM in terms of accuracy of POI recommendation and accuracy of user and time prediction are evaluated and results show that the USTTM achieves better performance than the state-of-the-art models.
Variations in the type of nutritional support provided after pancreatoduodenectomy: results from an international multicentre retrospective cohort study
Authors: Russell Thomas , Labib Peter , Murphy Paula , Ausania Fabio , Pando Elizabeth , Roberts Keith , Kausar Ambareen , Mavroeidis Vasileios , Marangoni Gabriele , Thomasset Sarah , Frampton Adam , Lykoudis Pavlos , Maglione Mauel , Alhaboob Nassir , Bari Hassaan , Smith Andrew , Spalding Duncan , Sriniva Parthi , Davidson Brian , Bhogal Ricky , Croagh Daniel , Dominguez Ismael , Thakkar Rohan , Gomez Dhanny , Silva Michael , Lapolla Pierfrancesco , Mingoli Andrea , Porcu Alberto , Shah Nehal , Hammady Zaed , Al-Sarrieh Bilal , Serrablo Alejandro , Aroori Somaiah
Published: October 2022

Background/Objectives: An early oral diet is recommended after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), however, the nutritional management of PD patients is known to be highly variable, and some centres still provide postoperative parenteral nutrition (PN) routinely. A proportion of patients who receive PN experience clinically significant complications underscoring its judicious use. Using a multicentre cohort, this study aimed to determine the proportion of PD patients that received postoperative nutritional support (NS), describe the variations in this support, and investigate whether receiving PN correlated with morbidity.
Subjects/Methods: Data was extracted from the Recurrence After Whipple’s (RAW) study database, a retrospective study of patients undergoing PD for histologically confirmed pancreatic, ampullary or distal bile duct malignancy.
Results: 1323 patients (89.2%) had data on their postoperative NS status available. Of these, 45.4% received postoperative NS. This was “enteral only”, “parenteral only”, and “enteral and parenteral” in 44.3%, 35.2% and 20.5% of cases, respectively. Body mass index <18.5 kg/m2 (p=0.03), absence of preoperative biliary stenting (p=0.009) and serum albumin <36 g/L (p=0.009) all correlated with receiving postoperative NS. Among those who did not develop a serious postoperative complication (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥IIIa), one-fifth received PN.
Conclusion: Being underweight, not undergoing preoperative biliary stenting and having a low preoperative serum albumin all correlated with receiving postoperative NS. A considerable number of patients who had an uneventful recovery received PN; this should be reserved for those who are unable to take an oral diet.
Selective disruption of perineuronal nets in mice lacking Crtl1 is sufficient to make fear memories susceptible to erasure
Authors: Poli Andrea , Viglione Aurelia , Mazziotti Raffaele , Morea Silvia , Melani Riccardo , Silingardi Davide , Putignano Elena , Berardi Nicoletta , Pizzorusso Tommaso
Published: October 2022

The ability to store, retrieve, and extinguish memories of adverse experiences is an essential skill for animals’ survival. The cellular and molecular factors that underlie such processes are only partially known. Using chondroitinase ABC treatment targeting chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), previous studies showed that the maturation of the extracellular matrix makes fear memory resistant to deletion. Mice lacking the cartilage link protein Crtl1 (Crtl1-KO mice) display normal CSPG levels but impaired CSPG condensation in perineuronal nets (PNNs). Thus, we asked whether the presence of PNNs in the adult brain is responsible for the appearance of persistent fear memories by investigating fear extinction in Crtl1-KO mice. We found that mutant mice displayed fear memory erasure after an extinction protocol as revealed by analysis of freezing and pupil dynamics. Fear memory erasure did not depend on passive loss of retention; moreover, we demonstrated that, after extinction training, conditioned Crtl1-KO mice display no neural activation in the amygdala (Zif268 staining) in comparison to control animals. Taken together, our findings suggest that the aggregation of CSPGs into PNNs regulates the boundaries of the critical period for fear extinction.
Analysis of Cord Stress During Tire Dynamic Longitudinal Slip
Authors: Zhou Shuiting , Chen Luwen , Sun Pengfei , Meng Junling , Qian Chao , Sun Xin
Published: October 2022

Select 215/55 R17 radial tires for material test to obtain relevant material parameters. Use these parameters to build a finite element model and conduct longitudinal slip simulation. The relationship between longitudinal force and slip rate at different speeds and loads was determined by tire longitudinal slip tests. Then the longitudinal slip simulation results are compared with the test results to verify the feasibility of the model. The circumferential and axial Rebarforce of the belt layer at different speeds and the extreme value of the circumferential Rebarforce on the reverse-envelope of different skeleton materials are analyzed. The results show that: in the static state, the cord force of the belt layer will show a trend consistent with the direction of the cord arrangement. As the speed increases, the belt cord force exhibits significant fluctuations and asymmetry. The Rebarforce of the turn-up points on the belt and ply is significantly smaller compared to the fetal crown ply. The Rebarforce at the fetal crown and belt wrapping points at 60km/h is smaller than at 40km/h and 80km/h. The cord force of the fetal crown ply and the belt ply is much more affected by the load than that of the ply.
Smile and speech for screening Parkinson’s disease and cognitive decline: A crowdsourced cross-sectional study
Authors: Oyama Genko , Ogawa Mayuko , Morito Ken , Ishida Ryosuke , Urata Hiroshi , Lu Xiangxun , Kobayashi Tomohisa , Wooden Rina , Ota Susumu , Hatano Taku , Hattori Nobutaka
Published: October 2022

Smiling and speech are typically disturbed in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aimed to find a subset of smile and speech features suitable for identifying PD and cognitive decline to build predictive models. This crowdsourced cross-sectional study collected smile data, conversational speech, and cognitive tests using a mobile chatbot app from 74 PD patients and 236 healthy controls (HC). In the classification model, the area under the curve for the accuracy of PD classification was 0.944 ± 0.029. In the regression model to predict the cognitive score of PD, linear regression showed a mean absolute error of 1.977 ± 0.309. A machine-learning model using a combination of smile and speech features obtained by a mobile chatbot app could differentiate between PD and HC. Furthermore, a model using a combination of smile and speech features might predict cognitive decline in PD.
Impact of legalization of same-sex marriage on the new HIV infection rate in 172 countries around the world based on difference-in-differences (DID) method
Authors: Jiang Kuan , Su Mintao , Zhang Zhongsong , Jia Jinzhu
Published: October 2022

Background: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a major global health challenge, which is exceedingly harmful to human health. This study aimed to explore the impact of legalization of same-sex marriage on the new HIV infection rate in countries around the world.
Methods: The study is conducted on 172 countries whose observed data were collected from 1996 to 2019 in an open-source website. To evaluate the effect of legalization of same-sex marriage, difference of differences (DID) method was applied. The treatment effect was reported in static DID model, and the time-varied treatment effect and its 95% CI were reported in dynamic DID model.
Results: In the static DID model, we found that compared with countries without legalization of homosexuality, countries with legalization of same-sex marriage had an increase of 0.129‰ (95%CI: [-0.234,0.491]) in the new HIV infection rate, but the result was not statistically significant. In the dynamic DID model from 1996 to 2010, we found that the fifth year after the implementation of same-sex marriage legalization policy significantly increased the new HIV infection rate by 0.7‰. But in other years the effect are not significant after the policy enforcement. The implementation of same-sex marriage legalization policy has no significant effect on the new HIV infection rate during 1996-2019, but increase the rate in early year from 1996-2010, although the latter result seems incredible because of the unbalance of the sample in 1996-2010.
Conclusion: Based on current study, the policy on legalization of same-sex marriage has no significant effect on new HIV infection rate. It seems that legalizing same-sex marriage do not intervene HIV transmission, but more evidence is needed and the mechanism remains to be studied.
A novel approach of designing private federated learning model using DPSGD-Differentially Private Stochastic Gradient Descent optimizer
Authors: YAGNIK SHRUTI , PANCHAL ESAN , TRIPATHI PRAMOD
Published: October 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Cardiac Adipose Tissue Volume assessed by Computed Tomography is a specific and independent Predictor of Early Mortality and Critical Illness in COVID-19 in type 2-Diabetic Patients
Authors: Charpentier Etienne , Redheuil Alban , Bourron Olivier , Boussouar Samia , Lucidarme Olivier , Zarai Mohamed , Kachenoura Nadjia , Bouazizi Khaoula , Salem Joe-Elie , Hekimian Guillaume , Kerneis Mathieu , Amoura Zahir , Allenbach Yves , Hatem Stephane , Jeannin Anne-Caroline , Andreelli Fabrizio , Phan Franck
Published: October 2022

Background
Patients with type 2-diabetes mellitus (T2D), are characterized by visceral and ectopic adipose tissue expansion, leading to systemic chronic low-grade inflammation. As visceral adiposity is associated with severe COVID-19 irrespective of obesity, we aimed to evaluate and compare the predictive value for early intensive care or death of three fat depots (cardiac, visceral and subcutaneous) using computed tomography (CT) at admission for COVID-19 in consecutive patients with and without T2D.
Methods
Two hundred and two patients admitted for COVID-19 were retrospectively included between February and June 2020 and distributed in two groups: T2D or non-diabetic controls. Chest CT with cardiac (CATi), visceral (VATi) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SATi) volume measurements were performed at admission. The primary endpoint was a composite outcome criteria including death or ICU admission at day 21 after admission. Threshold values of adipose tissue components predicting adverse outcome were determined.
Results
One hundred and eight controls (median age: 76[IQR:59–83], 61% male, median BMI: 24[22–27]) and ninety-four T2D patients (median age: 70[IQR:61–77], 70% male, median BMI: 27[24–31]), were enrolled in this study. At day 21 after admission, 42 patients (21%) had died from COVID-19, 48 (24%) required intensive care and 112 (55%) were admitted to a conventional care unit (CMU). In T2D, CATi was associated with early death or ICU independently from age, sex, BMI, dyslipidemia, CRP and coronary calcium (CAC). (p = 0.005). Concerning T2D patients, the cut-point for CATi was > 100 mL/m² with a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.50 (AUC = 0.67, p = 0.004) and an OR of 4.71 for early ICU admission or mortality (p = 0.002) in the fully adjusted model. Other adipose tissues SATi or VATi were not significantly associated with early adverse outcomes. In control patients, age and male sex (OR = 1.03, p = 0.04) were the only predictors of ICU or death.
Conclusions
Cardiac adipose tissue volume measured in CT at admission was independently predictive of early intensive care or death in T2D patients with COVID-19 but not in non-diabetics. Such automated CT measurement could be used in routine in diabetic patients presenting with moderate to severe COVID-19 illness to optimize individual management and prevent critical evolution.
Polarization-encoded structured light generation based on holographic metasurface
Authors: Zhou Changda , Lu Peiyao , Yue Zhiyuan , Xu Jilian , Teng Shuyun
Published: October 2022

In view of large information capacity of holographic metasurface and wide applications of structured light, the polarization-encoded structured light generation is proposed based on holographic metasurface. The polarization-encoded structured light generators consist of rotated L-shaped nanoholes and they work under linearly polarized light illumination. The rotated L-shaped nanoholes simultaneously manipulate the intensity, phase and polarization of light field and generate the structured light composed by multiple perfect vortices with polarization-encoded OAM modes. The generated polarization-encoded structured lights also behave the incident polarization dependence. The polarization multiplexing performance of holographic metasurface is embodied in both incident and output fields and it is also verified by the numerical simulations. The designed method can be expanded to construct any transmission or reflection holographic metasurfaces and the generated structured lights provide more switchable OAM channels. The polarization-encoded structured light and the compact holographic metasurface are benefit to broadening the wide applications of structured lights.
A Modified U-Net Based Architecture for Brain Tumour Segmentation on BRATS 2020
Authors: Kajal Mansi , Mittal Ajay
Published: October 2022

The segmentation of brain tumours plays a significant role in the analysis of medical imaging. For a precise diagnosis of the condition, radiologists employ medical imaging. In order to recognise brain tumours from medical imaging, the radiologist's work must be challenging and complex. There are various distinct steps that may be used to identify brain tumours using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the field of medical imaging, segmentation is the key stage. Segmentation is carried out after classification and image analysis. The appropriate segmentation is crucial since a brain tumour's incorrect detection might have a number of negative effects Method: In this work, the multimodal Brain tumour segmentation challenge was employed (MICCAI BRATS). We removed the brain tumour from the MRI images using the BRATS 2020 dataset, which is openly accessible. In this collection, there are 371 NiFTI-format folders. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a kind of deep learning based on an encoder-decoder model, are used in the proposed method to separate the tumours. Results: Accuracy = 0.9759, loss = 0.8240, and IOU = 0.6413 indicate that the proposed model is successful. The proposed model performs better when compared to the state-of-art segmentation models used in this study.
Astatine-211-Labeled Gold Nanoparticles for Targeted Alpha-particle Therapy via Intravenous Injection
Authors: Huang Xuhao , Kaneda-Nakashima Kazuko , Kadonaga Yuichiro , Kabayama Kazuya , Shimoyama Atsushi , Ooe Kazuhiro , Kato Hiroki , Toyoshima Atsushi , Shinohara Atsushi , Haba Hiromitsu , Wang Yang , Fukase Koichi
Published: October 2022

Background:
Alpha-particle radiotherapy has gained considerable attention owing to its potent anti-cancer effect. 211At, with a relatively short half-life of 7.2 h, emits an alpha particle within a few cell diameters with high kinetic energy, which damages cancer cells with high biological effectiveness. In this study, we investigated the intravenous injection of 211At-labeled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for targeted alpha-particle therapy (TAT).
Results:
Different kinds of surface-modified gold nanoparticles can be labeled with 211At in high radiochemical yield in 5 min, and no purification is necessary. In vivo biodistribution results showed the accumulation of 5 nm 211At-AuNPs@mPEG at 2.25 % injection dose per gram in tumors within 3 h via the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Additionally, we observed a long retention time in tumor tissues within 24 h. This is the first study to demonstrate the anti-tumor efficacy of 5 nm 211At-AuNPs@mPEG that can significantly suppress tumor growth in a pancreatic cancer model via intravenous administration.
Conclusions:
AuNPs are satisfactory carriers for 211At delivery, due to simple and efficient synthesis processes and high stability. Intravenous administration of 5 nm 211At-AuNPs@mPEG has a significant anti-tumor effect. This study provides a new framework for designing nanoparticles suitable for targeted alpha-particle therapy via intravenous injection.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the hermit crab Diogenes Edwardsii (Anomura: Diogenidae) and phylogenetic relationships within infraorder Anomura
Authors: Pang Xiaoke , Fu Wenjing , Feng Jianfeng , Guo Biao , Lin Xiaolong , Lu Xueqiang
Published: October 2022

Complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) can provide important information for gene rearrangement, molecular evolution and phylogenetic analysis. Currently, only a few mitogenomes of Paguridae in the infraorder Anomura have been reported. This study reports the first complete mitogenome of the hermit crab Diogenes Edwardsii assembled using high-throughput sequencing. The mitogenome of D. Edwardsii is 19,858 bp in length and comprises 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. There are 28 and 6 genes observed on the heavy and light strands, respectively. The genome composition was highly A + T biased (72.16%), and exhibited a negative AT-skew (-0.110) and positive GC-skew (0.233). The D. Edwardsii mitogenome possessed distinctive gene arrangements compared with the reported mitogenomes of the species in the same family. Phylogenetic analyses based on the nucleotide dataset of 16 Anomura species indicated that D. Edwardsii was closely related to Clibanarius infraspinatus. Positive selection analysis showed that two residues located in cox1 and cox2 were identified as positively selected sites with high BEB value (> 95%), indicating that these two genes are under positive selection pressure. This finding helps to better understand the gene rearrangements and the evolutionary status of D. Edwardsii, and provide data for further phylogenetic study of Anomura.
Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) (Formerly Sluggish Cognitive Tempo), Autism, and Insomnia Symptoms in Childhood Predict CDS in Adolescence: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study
Authors: Mayes Susan D. , Waschbusch Daniel A. , Fernandez-Mendoza Julio , Calhoun Susan L.
Published: October 2022

Our study is the first using multiple variables to compare concurrent with longitudinal predictors of cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS). The population-based sample comprised 376 individuals (mean baseline age 8.7 and follow-up 16.4 years) rated by parents on the Pediatric Behavior Scale. The baseline CDS score was the strongest predictor of the follow-up CDS score. Baseline autism and insomnia symptoms also significantly predicted follow-up CDS. Multiple variables were concurrently related to CDS at both baseline and follow-up, including autism, insomnia, inattention, somatic complaints, and excessive sleep. Additionally, follow-up depression positively predicted follow-up CDS, and baseline hyperactivity/impulsivity negatively predicted baseline CDS. Oppositional defiant/conduct problems and anxiety were nonsignificant. Age, sex, race, and parent occupation were not related to CDS, and correlations between baseline CDS and 15 IQ, achievement, and neuropsychological test scores were nonsignificant. Results indicate childhood CDS is the strongest risk factor for adolescent CDS, followed by autism and insomnia symptoms.
Molecular evidence of Borrelia spp. in bats from Córdoba department, northwest Colombia.
Authors: López Yesica , Muñoz-Leal Sebastián , Martínez Caty , Guzmán Camilo , Calderón Alfonso , Martínez Jairo , Galeano Ketty , Muñoz Marina , Ramírez Juan David , Faccini-Martínez Álvaro A. , Mattar Salim
Published: October 2022

Background
The genus Borrelia is composed of two well-defined monophyletic groups that contain pathogens in humans: the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex (Bb), and relapsing fever (RF) group borreliae. Recently, a third group, associated with reptiles and echidnas has been described. In general, RF group borreliae use rodents as reservoir hosts; although Neotropical bats may also be involved as important hosts, with scarce knowledge of this association. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of Borrelia spp. DNA in bats from the department of Córdoba in northwest Colombia.
Methods
During September 2020 and June 2021, 205 bats were captured in six municipalities of Córdoba department, Colombia. Specimens were identified using taxonomic keys and DNA was extracted from spleen samples. A Borrelia specific real-time PCR was performed for the 16S rRNA gene. Fragments of the 16S rRNA and flaB genes were amplified in the positive samples by conventional PCR. The detected amplicons were sequenced by the Sanger method. Phylogenetic reconstruction was performed in Iqtree with maximum likelihood based on substitution model TPM3 + F + I + G4 with Bootstrap values were deduced from 1000 replicates. Sequences were submitted to phylogenetic analyses.
Results
Overall, 10.2% (21/205) samples were positive by qPCR; of these, 81% (17/21) and 66.6% (14/21) were positive for the 16S rRNA and flaB genes, respectively. qPCR-positive samples were then subjected to conventional nested and semi-nested PCR to amplify 16S rRNA and flaB gene fragments. Nine positive randomly selected samples for both genes were sequenced. The DNA of Borrelia spp. was detected in the insectivorous and fruit bats Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina, Phyllostomus discolor, and Uroderma sp. The 16S-rRNA gene sequences showed an identity of 97.66–98.47% with “Borrelia sp. clone Omi3”, “Borrelia sp. RT1S” and Borrelia sp. 2374; the closest identities for the flaB gene were 94.02–98.04% with “Borrelia sp. Macaregua”. For the 16S rRNA gene, the phylogenetic analysis showed a grouping with “Candidatus Borrelia ivorensis” and “Ca. African Borrelia” and for the flaB gene showed a grouping with Borrelia sp. Macaregua. The pathogenic role of the Borrelia detected in this study is unknown.
Conclusions
We describe the first molecular evidence of Borrelia spp. in the department of Córdoba in Colombia highlighting that several bat species harbor Borrelia spirochetes.
Holiday load power forecasting based on SOIF-PAMAM method *
Authors: Wang Xunyang , Wang Dingmei , Ma Zhicheng , Zhang Ruixiao
Published: October 2022

Focusing on the particularity of holiday load, in this paper, a periodic autoregres-sive moving average model (PAMAM) algorithm based on selecting optimal input features (SOIF) is proposed to predict the short-term holiday power load. In short-term load forecasting models, there are few researches on feature selection (FS). However, as more and more intelligent hybrid models are used in real-time load forecasting, FS has become a key factor affecting the forecasting accuracy. Based on the idea of SOIF, PAMAM model is proposed to improve the influence of FS factors, and the holiday equations are combined into periodic autoregressive moving average model, so as to improve the short-term forecasting. In order to simplify the calculation, in this paper, the probability distribution is used to calculate the FS, and the autoregressive spline algorithm is used to establish the nonlinear solar radiation and temperature effect model. Based on the statistics of solar radiation intensity, temperature and other data during the Spring Festival, in this paper we analyze the influence of the above factors on the short-term power load forecasting during holidays. Experimental results show that SOIF-PAMAM algorithm in which temperature and other weather conditions are considered can significantly improve the prediction accuracy, the average absolute error is 2.45%, and the root mean square error is 2.61%.
Antibacterial Property and Biodegradation of PLA/PBS Nonwoven Fabric Coated with Mangosteen Pericarp Extract
Authors: Boonyod Saowaluk , Pivsa-Art Weraporn , Nanthananon Phornwalan , Kwon Yong Ku , Pivsa-Art Sommai
Published: October 2022

In light of the eco-friendliness and antimicrobial property of mangosteen pericarp (MP), this research investigates the antibacterial activity of biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/ poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) nonwoven fabric coated with MP extract. In the experiment, the MP extract concentrations were varied between 0 (uncoated), 0.3, 0.5, 1, 3, and 5 wt.%, and the experimental bacteria strains were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The results revealed that the MP extract inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. aureus. The tensile strength and the MP extract concentration were positively correlated, while the elongation at break was inversely correlated with the MP extract concentration. Meanwhile, higher MP extract concentrations had minimal effect on the biodegradability of the MP-coated PLA/PBS nonwoven fabrics. Essentially, the MP extract holds promising potential as a natural antibiotic against the bacteria. Specifically, the novelty of this research lies in the use of mangosteen pericarp, an agricultural waste, in biodegradable nonwoven fabric to inhibit the bacterial growth.
“They want you to know who they really are inside of the old visage” - biographical storytelling as a methodological tool to explore emotional challenges in old age
Authors: Fang Chao , Comery Alastair , Carr Sam
Published: October 2022

Background: Older people are at risk of confronting emotional challenges, including loneliness, depression, anxiety and low-levels of wellbeing, as a result of varied ageing-related changes. These emotional challenges may further give rise to socio-health issues and even increased mortality, presenting a pressing public health issue in the context of population ageing. By employing a biographical lens, we aim to introduce storytelling as a methodological tool to more holistically explore the construction of their emotional challenges within the context of their life histories.
Methods: Building upon theoretical understandings about the social construction of the life course, we draw on a qualitative study about older people’s loneliness to showcase the methodological value and feasibility of implementing biographical storytelling, to better understand the nuanced and sometimes painful emotional experiences facing people alongside their ageing.
Results: Findings from the qualitative study we showcase highlight that not only older people’s emotional pains but also their (in)ability to deal with such are deeply rooted in their earlier lives. The biographical nature of these findings further illustrates the methodological merit of biographical storytelling, integrating meaningful narratives from across different life stages to more holistically understand and support people’s emotional challenges and wellbeing in old age.
Conclusion: We argue that biographical storytelling is a particularly useful research methodology to explore the experiences and needs of older people, who have often accumulated rich life stories and who may be at increased risk of facing changes and challenges following bodily deterioration and other ageing-related losses. This methodological development can empower older people to reconstruct their ageing lives in the context of their biography as an ongoing construction. The development also lies in an insightful analytical lens to explore how older people’s earlier life experiences may be carried forward and confronted to shape their emotional stability in the present and future stages of their ageing lives.
A geochemical approach in assessing seawater intrusion by integrating geospatial techniques: a case study of Ghiss-Nekor coastal aquifer, Central Rif of Morocco
Authors: BOURJILA Abdelhak , DIMANE Fouad , GHALIT Mohammad , TAHER Morad , KAMARI Salim , ACHOUKHI Iliass , HAMMOUDANI Yahya EL , SAADI Omar
Published: October 2022

For effective coastal aquifers management, it is strongly required to effectively analyze seawater intrusion (SWI). This study used an integrated approach of hydrogeochemical, statistical, geological, and geospatial techniques to assess the extent of SWI in the Ghiss-Nekor aquifer by evaluating the physicochemical parameters of 52 groundwater samples. Two main groundwater facies were identified, Na-Cl (38%) and Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4 (62%). The correlation matrix and a principal component analysis (PCA) depicted that the high salinization in the study area is influenced by both geogenic and anthropogenic factors, including a potential mixing with seawater. A single indicator or a small number of techniques were insufficient to evaluate SWI owing to the multiple causes of salinization in the study area. As a result, we coupled various geochemical indicators with geospatial methods to assess this complicated phenomenon. Accordingly, several ionic ratios (Cl/HCO3, SO4/Cl, Na/Cl, and Mg/Mg + Ca) and SWI indices (GQIswi and SMI) were overlaid to generate the final map that highlights the regions prone to SWI. Most of the SWI spots were discovered within two kilometers or less from the coast. The saline water detected far from the coast was interpreted as the encroachment of seawater from the Souani area being trapped where the clay-marly substratum is deep. These results support the application of geospatial tools to manage groundwater resources in water-stressed areas with complex aquifer systems, by combining various ionic ratios and indices. These findings will assist decision-makers in the Al Hoceima region in developing suitable groundwater management plans and strategies.
rxCOV: A metric for assessing immunoassay analyte fidelity
Authors: Brand Rhonda M. , Pitlor Danielle , Metter E , Dudley Beth , Karloski Eve , Zyhowski Ashley , Brand Randall , Uttam Shikhar
Published: October 2022

Immunoassay based bioanalytical measurements are widely used in a variety of biomedical research and clinical settings. In these settings they are assumed to faithfully represent the experimental conditions being tested and the sample groups being compared. Although significant technical advances have been made in improving sensitivity and quality of the measurements, currently no metrics exist that objectively quantify the fidelity of the measured analytes with respect to noise associated with the specific assay. Here we introduce ratio of cross-coefficient-of-variation (rxCOV), a fidelity metric for objectively assessing immunoassay analyte measurement quality when comparing its differential expression between different sample groups or experimental conditions. We derive the metric from first principles and establish its feasibility and applicability using simulated and experimental data. We show that rxCOV assesses fidelity independent of statistical significance, and importantly, identifies when latter is meaningful. We also discuss its importance in the context of averaging experimental replicates for increasing signal to noise ratio. Finally, we demonstrate its application in a Lynch Syndrome case study. We conclude by discussing its applicability to multiplexed immunoassays, and to paired and unpaired data. We anticipate rxCOV to be adopted as a simple and easy-to-use metric to help assess robustness of immunoassay results in real-time.