bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Costs incurred by patients with oral potentially malignant disorders: is there a public health need for financial protection in India?
Authors: Patel Jay R. , Rupani Mihir P.
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Financial protection mechanisms are in place to overcome the costs of a few diseases in India. Our objective was to estimate the costs incurred due to Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMD) and to determine predictors of such costs.

Results

We found that the median (Interquartile range IQR) total costs of OPMD was Indian Rupees (INR) 500 (350–750), direct medical costs was INR 0 (0–50), direct non-medical costs was INR 150 (40–200) and indirect costs was INR 350 (250–500). The travel cost to attend the health facilities [INR 100 (40–150)] and the patient’s loss of wages [INR 200 (150–400)] mainly accounted for the direct non-medical and indirect costs respectively. The median expenditure on smokeless and smoking forms of tobacco was INR 6000 (5400–7200) and INR 2400 (1800–3600) respectively. On multiple linear regression analysis, rural residence, belonging to below poverty line family, being a sole earner in the family, number of months since diagnosis and first visit at a private provider were found to be the significant predictors of total costs of OPMD. Financial protection mechanisms are needed for covering the direct non-medical and indirect costs. Early management of OPMD might mitigate the costs of OPMD.
Multi-target vital signs detection using frequency-modulated continuous wave radar
Authors: Wang Yong , Shui Yuzhu , Yang Xiaobo , Li Zhaoyu , Wang Wen
Published: October 2021

Respiration and heartbeats rates are important physiological assessment indicators that provide valid prior-knowledge for the diagnosis of numerous diseases. However, most of the current research focuses on the vital signs measurement of single target, and multi-target vital signs detection has not received much attention. In this paper, we use frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar to measure the vital signs signals of multi-target. First, we apply the three-dimensional fast Fourier transform (3D-FFT) method to separate multiple targets and get their distance and azimuth information. Subsequently, the linear constrained minimum variance-based adaptive beamforming (LCMV-ADBF) technique is proposed to form a spatially distributed beams on the targets of interest directions. Finally, a compressive sensing based on orthogonal matching pursuit (CS-OMP) method and rigrsure adaptive soft threshold noise reduction based on discrete wavelet transform (RA-DWT) method are present to extract the respiratory and heartbeat signals. We perform tests in a real experimental environment and compare the proposed method with reference devices. The results show that the degrees of agreement for respiratory and heartbeat are 89% and 87%, respectively, for two human targets. The level of agreement for respiratory and heartbeat is 87% and 85%, respectively, for three human targets, proving the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Speech enhancement from fused features based on deep neural network and gated recurrent unit network
Authors: Wang Youming , Han Jiali , Zhang Tianqi , Qing Didi
Published: October 2021

Speech is easily interfered by external environment in reality, which results in the loss of important features. Deep learning has become a popular speech enhancement method because of its superior potential in solving nonlinear mapping problems for complex features. However, the deficiency of traditional deep learning methods is the weak learning capability of important information from previous time steps and long-term event dependencies between the time-series data. To overcome this problem, we propose a novel speech enhancement method based on the fused features of deep neural networks (DNNs) and gated recurrent unit (GRU). The proposed method uses GRU to reduce the number of parameters of DNNs and acquire the context information of the speech, which improves the enhanced speech quality and intelligibility. Firstly, DNN with multiple hidden layers is used to learn the mapping relationship between the logarithmic power spectrum (LPS) features of noisy speech and clean speech. Secondly, the LPS feature of the deep neural network is fused with the noisy speech as the input of GRU network to compensate the missing context information. Finally, GRU network is performed to learn the mapping relationship between LPS features and log power spectrum features of clean speech spectrum. The proposed model is experimentally compared with traditional speech enhancement models, including DNN, CNN, LSTM and GRU. Experimental results demonstrate that the PESQ, SSNR and STOI of the proposed algorithm are improved by 30.72%, 39.84% and 5.53%, respectively, compared with the noise signal under the condition of matched noise. Under the condition of unmatched noise, the PESQ and STOI of the algorithm are improved by 23.8% and 37.36%, respectively. The advantage of the proposed method is that it uses the key information of features to suppress noise in both matched and unmatched noise cases and the proposed method outperforms other common methods in speech enhancement.
Communication energy optimization of electric vehicle platoon on curved road
Authors: Gao Wei , Peng Chunrong , Bao Wugedele , Wu Celimuge
Published: October 2021

The cruising range of an electric vehicle is limited by its battery. Reducing the energy consumption of MES (main energy systems) or AES (auxiliary energy systems) of the vehicle battery is an effective means to increase the electric vehicle cruising range. Platoon driving can greatly reduce the wind resistance of the vehicle and then reduce the energy consumption of MES for electric vehicles. This paper proposes an adaptive communication energy optimization scheme based on road curvature radius to save the energy of AES for the electric vehicle platoon on curved roads. In this paper, the inter-vehicle distance error based on the car-like model in a two-dimensional space is established. Then, the inter-vehicle distance error is used to design a control law K to accomplish successful platooning. Next, three platooning control schemes based on different information flow topologies are discussed. Finally, the consensus of three platooning control schemes and the energy consumption of electric vehicle communication systems are analyzed by MATLAB’s Simulink. Simulation results show that the communication energy optimization scheme reduces the power consumption of AES as long as the platoon driving on curved roads.
Some applications of q-difference operator involving a family of meromorphic harmonic functions
Authors: Khan Neelam , Srivastava H. M. , Rafiq Ayesha , Arif Muhammad , Arjika Sama
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we establish certain new subclasses of meromorphic harmonic functions using the principles ofq-derivative operator. We obtain new criteria of sense preserving and univalency. We also address other important aspects, such as distortion limits, preservation of convolution, and convexity limitations. Additionally, with the help of sufficiency criteria, we estimate sharp bounds of the real parts of the ratios of meromorphic harmonic functions to their sequences of partial sums.
Neurocognitive, psychiatric, and substance use characteristics in a diverse sample of persons with OUD who are starting methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone in opioid treatment programs
Authors: Scott Travis M. , Arnsten Julia , Olsen James Patrick , Arias Franchesca , Cunningham Chinazo O. , Rivera Mindt Monica
Published: October 2021

Background

Medications for opioid use disorder such as opioid agonist treatment (OAT, including methadone, buprenorphine) are the gold standard intervention for opioid use disorder (OUD). Persons with OUD have high rates of neurocognitive impairment and psychiatric and substance use disorders, but few studies have examined these characteristics in diverse patients initiating OAT in opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Additionally, in these individuals, poor neurocognitive functioning and psychiatric/other substance use disorders are associated with poor OUD treatment outcomes. Given rapid changes in the opioid epidemic, we sought to replicate findings from our pilot study by examining these characteristics in a large diverse sample of persons with OUD starting OTP-based OAT.

Methods

Ninety-seven adults with OUD (M age = 42.2 years [SD = 10.3]; M education = 11.4 years [SD = 2.3]; 27% female; 22% non-Hispanic white) were enrolled in a randomized longitudinal trial evaluating methadone versus buprenorphine/naloxone on neurocognitive functioning. All participants completed a comprehensive neurocognitive, psychiatric, and substance use evaluation within one week of initiating OAT.

Results

Most of the sample met criteria for learning (79%) or memory (69%) impairment. Half exhibited symptoms of current depression, and comorbid substance use was highly prevalent. Lifetime cannabis and cocaine use disorders were associated with better neurocognitive functioning, while depression was associated with worse neurocognitive functioning.

Conclusions

Learning and memory impairment are highly prevalent in persons with OUD starting treatment with either methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone in OTPs. Depression and comorbid substance use are prevalent among these individuals, but neither impact learning or memory. However, depression is associated with neurocognitive impairment in other domains. These findings might allow clinicians to help persons with OUD starting OAT to develop compensatory strategies for learning and memory, while providing adjunctive treatment for depression.

Trial Registration NCT, NCT01733693. Registered November 4, 2012, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01733693.
The impact of the COVID-19, social distancing, and movement restrictions on crime in NSW, Australia
Authors: Wang Joanna J. J. , Fung Thomas , Weatherburn Donald
Published: October 2021

The spread of COVID-19 has prompted Governments around the world to impose draconian restrictions on business activity, public transport, and public freedom of movement. The effect of these restrictions appears to vary from country to country and, in some cases, from one area to another within a country. This paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions imposed in New South Wales (NSW) by the State Government. We examine week-to-week changes in 13 categories of crime (and four aggregated categories) from 2 January 2017 to 28 June 2020. Rather than using the pre-intervention data to make a forecast and then comparing that with what is actually observed, we use a Box–Jenkins (ARIMA) approach to model the entire time series. Our results are broadly in accord with those of other studies, but we find no effect of the lockdown (upward or downward) on domestic assault.
Prediction of pandemic risk for animal-origin coronavirus using a deep learning method
Authors: Kou Zheng , Huang Yi-Fan , Shen Ao , Kosari Saeed , Liu Xiang-Rong , Qiang Xiao-Li
Published: October 2021

Background

Coronaviruses can be isolated from bats, civets, pangolins, birds and other wild animals. As an animal-origin pathogen, coronavirus can cross species barrier and cause pandemic in humans. In this study, a deep learning model for early prediction of pandemic risk was proposed based on the sequences of viral genomes.

Methods

A total of 3257 genomes were downloaded from the Coronavirus Genome Resource Library. We present a deep learning model of cross-species coronavirus infection that combines a bidirectional gated recurrent unit network with a one-dimensional convolution. The genome sequence of animal-origin coronavirus was directly input to extract features and predict pandemic risk. The best performances were explored with the use of pre-trained DNA vector and attention mechanism. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the area under precision-recall curve (AUPR) were used to evaluate the predictive models.

Results

The six specific models achieved good performances for the corresponding virus groups (1 for AUROC and 1 for AUPR). The general model with pre-training vector and attention mechanism provided excellent predictions for all virus groups (1 for AUROC and 1 for AUPR) while those without pre-training vector or attention mechanism had obviously reduction of performance (about 5–25%). Re-training experiments showed that the general model has good capabilities of transfer learning (average for six groups: 0.968 for AUROC and 0.942 for AUPR) and should give reasonable prediction for potential pathogen of next pandemic. The artificial negative data with the replacement of the coding region of the spike protein were also predicted correctly (100% accuracy). With the application of the Python programming language, an easy-to-use tool was created to implements our predictor.

Conclusions

Robust deep learning model with pre-training vector and attention mechanism mastered the features from the whole genomes of animal-origin coronaviruses and could predict the risk of cross-species infection for early warning of next pandemic.

Graphical Abstract
Prioritising interventions for preventing mental health problems for children experiencing adversity: a modified nominal group technique Australian consensus study
Authors: Hall Teresa , Honisett Suzy , Paton Kate , Loftus Hayley , Constable Leanne , Hiscock Harriet
Published: October 2021

Background

Despite the well-established link between childhood adversity and mental health problems, there is a dearth of evidence to inform decision making about the most acceptable and feasible interventions for preventing mental health problems for children experiencing adversity. Expert consensus is an important input into evidence-informed policy and practice but is often employed at the national level which misses important local contextual factors shaping decision making. This study aimed to: (1) reach consensus on local priority interventions for preventing mental health problems for children living with adversity in Wyndham, Victoria; and (2) understand the enabling factors and barriers to implementing these interventions.

Methods

This study employed six online modified nominal group technique (NGT) workshops with 19 stakeholders; intersectoral service providers from health, social and education sectors and caregivers of children aged 0–8 years.

Results

Three interventions reached consensus among the mixed stakeholder groups as being a high or very high priority for implementation in Wyndham: nurse home visiting, parenting programs and community-wide programs. Key rationales were the ability for these interventions to act as a gateway for families to increase their knowledge about topics immediately relevant to them (i.e. parenting), increase their knowledge about available supports and build relationships with service providers.

Conclusions

Local priorities for preventing mental health problems for children living with adversity emphasized relational approaches to service provision and were shaped by the availability of existing interventions and supports in the locality. The NGT was found to be an effective method for prioritising evidence-based practice interventions in health settings, engaging local stakeholders, and identifying enablers and barriers to implementation.
Landscape of Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cell in Tumor Immunotherapy
Authors: Hao Zhaonian , Li Ruyuan , Wang Yuanyuan , Li Shuangying , Hong Zhenya , Han Zhiqiang
Published: October 2021

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a group of immature cells that produced by emergency myelopoiesis. Emerging evidences have identified the vital role of MDSC in cancer microenvironment, in which MDSC exerts both immunological and non-immunological activities to assist the progression of cancer. Advances in pre-clinical research have provided us the understanding of MDSC in cancer context from the perspective of molecular mechanism. In clinical scenario, MDSC and its subsets have been discovered to exist in peripheral blood and tumor site of patients from various types of cancers. In this review, we highlight the clinical value of MDSC in predicting prognosis of cancer patients and the responses of immunotherapies, therefore to propose the MDSC-inhibiting strategy in the scenario of cancer immunotherapies. Phenotypes and biological functions of MDSC in cancer microenvironment are comprehensively summarized to provide potential targets of MDSC-inhibiting strategy from the aspect of molecular mechanisms.
Neuropathology of SCA34 showing widespread oligodendroglial pathology with vacuolar white matter degeneration: a case study
Authors: Ozaki Kokoro , Irioka Takashi , Uchihara Toshiki , Yamada Akane , Nakamura Ayako , Majima Takamasa , Igarashi Susumu , Shintaku Hiroshi , Yakeishi Mayumi , Tsuura Yukio , Okazaki Yasushi , Ishikawa Kinya , Yokota Takanori
Published: October 2021

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 34 (SCA34) is an autosomal dominant inherited ataxia due to mutations in ELOVL4, which encodes one of the very long-chain fatty acid elongases. SCA38, another spinocerebellar ataxia, is caused by mutations in ELOVL5, a gene encoding another elongase. However, there have been no previous studies describing the neuropathology of either SCA34 or 38. This report describes the neuropathological findings of an 83-year-old man with SCA34 carrying a pathological ELOVL4 mutation (NM_022726, c.736T>G, p.W246G). Macroscopic findings include atrophies in the pontine base, cerebellum, and cerebral cortices. Microscopically, marked neuronal and pontocerebellar fiber loss was observed in the pontine base. In addition, in the pontine base, accumulation of CD68-positive macrophages laden with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive material was observed. Many vacuolar lesions were found in the white matter of the cerebral hemispheres and, to a lesser extent, in the brainstem and spinal cord white matter. Immunohistological examination and ultrastructural observations with an electron microscope suggest that these vacuolar lesions are remnants of degenerated oligodendrocytes. Electron microscopy also revealed myelin sheath destruction. Unexpectedly, aggregation of the four-repeat tau was observed in a spatial pattern reminiscent of progressive supranuclear palsy. The tau lesions included glial fibrillary tangles resembling tuft-shaped astrocytes and neurofibrillary tangles and pretangles. This is the first report to illustrate that a heterozygous missense mutation in ELOVL4 leads to neuronal loss accompanied by macrophages laden with PAS-positive material in the pontine base and oligodendroglial degeneration leading to widespread vacuoles in the white matter in SCA34.
Ex vivo MRI atlas of the human medial temporal lobe: characterizing neurodegeneration due to tau pathology
Authors: Ravikumar Sadhana , Wisse Laura E. M. , Lim Sydney , Ittyerah Ranjit , Xie Long , Bedard Madigan L. , Das Sandhitsu R. , Lee Edward B. , Tisdall M. Dylan , Prabhakaran Karthik , Lane Jacqueline , Detre John A. , Mizsei Gabor , Trojanowski John Q. , Robinson John L. , Schuck Theresa , Grossman Murray , Artacho-Pérula Emilio , de Onzoño Martin Maria Mercedes Iñiguez , del Mar Arroyo Jiménez María , Muñoz Monica , Romero Francisco Javier Molina , del Pilar Marcos Rabal Maria , Sánchez Sandra Cebada , González José Carlos Delgado , de la Rosa Prieto Carlos , Parada Marta Córcoles , Irwin David J. , Wolk David A. , Insausti Ricardo , Yushkevich Paul A.
Published: October 2021

Tau neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is closely linked to neurodegeneration, and is the early pathological change associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To elucidate patterns of structural change in the MTL specifically associated with tau pathology, we compared high-resolution ex vivo MRI scans of human postmortem MTL specimens with histology-based pathological assessments of the MTL. MTL specimens were obtained from twenty-nine brain donors, including patients with AD, other dementias, and individuals with no known history of neurological disease. Ex vivo MRI scans were combined using a customized groupwise diffeomorphic registration approach to construct a 3D probabilistic atlas that captures the anatomical variability of the MTL. Using serial histology imaging in eleven specimens, we labelled the MTL subregions in the atlas based on cytoarchitecture. Leveraging the atlas and neuropathological ratings of tau and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) pathology severity, morphometric analysis was performed to correlate regional MTL thickness with the severity of tau pathology, after correcting for age and TDP-43 pathology. We found significant correlations between tau pathology and thickness in the entorhinal cortex (ERC) and stratum radiatum lacunosum moleculare (SRLM). When focusing on cases with low levels of TDP-43 pathology, we found strong associations between tau pathology and thickness in the ERC, SRLM and the subiculum/cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) subfields of the hippocampus, consistent with early Braak stages.
Nutlet micromorphology and character evolution of Lappula species (Boraginaceae) and its systematic implications
Authors: Ebadi Mostafa , Nikzat Sedigheh
Published: October 2021

Background

The macro/micro-morphology of nutlets in 11 species (and 22 accessions) of the Boraginaceae family was investigated using stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscopy to evaluate the taxonomic relevance of the traits. To evaluate the phylogenetic significance of the character evolution, phylogenetic analysis was carried out by comparing available DNA sequence data from GenBank with selected original nutlet data.

Results

The Rochelieae nutlets' shape varied from ovoid (ovoid, ovoid-triangular, and ovoid-rectangular) to pyramid. Six major patterns were recognized based on the nutlet ultrastructure characters. Rocheliae is characterized by a transition from “without appendage” to “with tubercles and prickles” on the nutlet disk, and also via a shift from “lack of prickles” to “glossy prickles”.

Conclusions

The results show that the nutlet ultrastructure pattern of Rochelieae is systematically informative at the genus level, but not at the species level. Findings demonstrated that glochid is not an ancestral trait but is a synapomorphy and the transition to this trait occurred in the genus Lappula. The close boundary of nutlet microstructures between L. barbata and L. microcarpa has been discussed.
Intracystic papillary neoplasm of the gallbladder concomitant with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis: a case report
Authors: Aida Takashi , Tsunematsu Masashi , Furukawa Kenei , Haruki Koichiro , Shirai Yoshihiro , Onda Shinji , Toyama Yoichi , Gomisawa Kazutaka , Takahashi Hiroyuki , Ikegami Toru
Published: October 2021

Background

The intracystic papillary neoplasm (ICPN) is a newly established disease concept. It has been regarded as a preinvasive neoplastic lesion, similar to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas. Limited information is available on the clinical and imaging features of ICPN.

Case presentation

A 65-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for assessment of a gallbladder tumor. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a papillary tumor in the fundus of the gallbladder with irregular thickening of the gallbladder wall that spread into the cystic duct. The boundary between the tumor and liver was unclear. The patient was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer with liver invasion. We performed extended cholecystectomy with liver bed resection after confirming the absence of cancer cells in the resection margin of the cystic duct. After pathological examination, the tumor was diagnosed as an ICPN with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 8 with no complications.

Conclusions

We have described a rare case of ICPN concomitant with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis. Clinicians should include ICPN as a differential diagnosis in patients with a papillary or polypoid tumor in the gallbladder.
Facilitating treatment engagement for early psychosis through peer-delivered decision support: intervention development and protocol for pilot evaluation
Authors: Thomas Elizabeth C. , Suarez John , Lucksted Alicia , Siminoff Laura A. , Hurford Irene , Dixon Lisa B. , O’Connell Maria , Penn David L. , Salzer Mark S.
Published: October 2021

Background

Emerging adults with early psychosis demonstrate high rates of service disengagement from critical early intervention services. Decision support interventions and peer support have both been shown to enhance service engagement but are understudied in this population. The purposes of this article are to describe the development of a novel peer-delivered decision coaching intervention for this population and to report plans for a pilot study designed to gather preliminary data about its feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact.

Methods

The intervention was developed based on formative qualitative data and in collaboration with a diverse team of researchers, key stakeholders, and expert consultants. The pilot trial will utilize a single-group (N = 20), pre-post, convergent mixed-methods design to explore whether and how the intervention addresses decision-making needs (the primary intervention target). The impact of the intervention on secondary outcomes (e.g., engagement in the program) will also be assessed. Additionally, through observation and feedback from the peer decision coach and study participants, we will evaluate the feasibility of research and intervention procedures, and the acceptability of information and support from the peer decision coach.

Discussion

The peer-delivered decision coaching intervention holds promise for assisting young people with making informed and values-consistent decisions about their care, and potentially enhancing service engagement within this traditionally difficult-to-engage population. If the intervention demonstrates feasibility and acceptability, and pilot data show its potential for improving treatment decision-making, our work will also lay the foundation for a new evidence base regarding roles for peer specialists on early intervention teams.

Trial registration

This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04532034) on 28 August 2020 as Temple University Protocol Record 261047, Facilitating Engagement in Evidence-Based Treatment for Early Psychosis.
The effect of rehabilitation protocol using mobile health in overweight and obese patients with knee osteoarthritis: a clinical trial
Authors: Rafiq Muhammad Tariq , Abdul Hamid Mohamad Shariff , Hafiz Eliza
Published: October 2021

Objective

The objective of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to investigate the effectiveness of the lower limb rehabilitation protocol (LLRP) combined with mobile health (mHealth) applications on knee pain, mobility, functional activity and activities of daily living (ADL) among knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients who were overweight and obese.

Methods

This study was a single-blind, RCT conducted at Teaching Bay of Rehmatul-Lil-Alameen Post Graduate Institute of Cardiology between February and November 2020. 114 knee OA patients who were overweight and obese were randomly divided by a computer-generated number into the rehabilitation group with mHealth (RGw-mHealth) to receive LLRP + instructions of daily care (IDC) combined with mHealth intervention, rehabilitation group without mHealth (RGwo-mHealth) to receive LLRP + IDC intervention and control group (CG) to receive IDC intervention. All three groups were also provided leaflets explaining about their intervention. The primary outcome measure was knee pain measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score. The secondary outcome measures were mobility measured by the Timed up and go (TUG) test, functional activity measured by the patient-specific functional scale (PSFS), and ADL measured by the Katz Index of independence in ADL scores.

Results

Among the 114 patients who were randomized (mean age, 53 years), 96 (84%) completed the trial. After 3-months of intervention, patients in all three groups had statistically significant knee pain reduction (RGw-mHealth: 2.54; RGwo-mHealth: 1.47; and CG: 0.37) within groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, patients in the RGw-mHealth and RGwo-mHealth had statistically significant improvement in mobility, functional activity, and ADL within groups (P < 0.05), but no improvement was noted in the CG (p > 0.05). As indicated in the overall analysis of covariance, there were statistically significant differences in the mean knee pain, mobility, functional activity, and ADL changes between groups after 3-months (p < 0.001). The pairwise between-group comparisons (Bonferroni post hoc analysis) of the knee pain, mobility, functional activity, and ADL scores at 3-months revealed that patients in the RGw-mHealth had significantly higher mean change in the knee pain, TUG test, functional activity, and ADL scores compared to patients in the RGwo-mHealth or CG.

Conclusion

Reduction in knee pain, improvement in mobility, functional activity, and ADL were more among patients in the RGw-mHealth compared with the RGwo-mHealth or CG.

Trial registration National Medical Research Registry: NMRR-20-1094-52911. Date of registration: 05–05-2020. URL: https://www.nmrr.gov.my.
Leveraging host-genetics and gut microbiota to determine immunocompetence in pigs
Authors: Ramayo-Caldas Yuliaxis , Zingaretti Laura M. , Pérez-Pascual David , Alexandre Pamela A. , Reverter Antonio , Dalmau Antoni , Quintanilla Raquel , Ballester Maria
Published: October 2021

Background

The gut microbiota influences host performance playing a relevant role in homeostasis and function of the immune system. The aim of the present work was to identify microbial signatures linked to immunity traits and to characterize the contribution of host-genome and gut microbiota to the immunocompetence in healthy pigs.

Results

To achieve this goal, we undertook a combination of network, mixed model and microbial-wide association studies (MWAS) for 21 immunity traits and the relative abundance of gut bacterial communities in 389 pigs genotyped for 70K SNPs. The heritability (h2; proportion of phenotypic variance explained by the host genetics) and microbiability (m2; proportion of variance explained by the microbial composition) showed similar values for most of the analyzed immunity traits, except for both IgM and IgG in plasma that was dominated by the host genetics, and the haptoglobin in serum which was the trait with larger m2 (0.275) compared to h2 (0.138). Results from the MWAS suggested a polymicrobial nature of the immunocompetence in pigs and revealed associations between pigs gut microbiota composition and 15 of the analyzed traits. The lymphocytes phagocytic capacity (quantified as mean fluorescence) and the total number of monocytes in blood were the traits associated with the largest number of taxa (6 taxa). Among the associations identified by MWAS, 30% were confirmed by an information theory network approach. The strongest confirmed associations were between Fibrobacter and phagocytic capacity of lymphocytes (r = 0.37), followed by correlations between Streptococcus and the percentage of phagocytic lymphocytes (r = -0.34) and between Megasphaera and serum concentration of haptoglobin (r = 0.26). In the interaction network, Streptococcus and percentage of phagocytic lymphocytes were the keystone bacterial and immune-trait, respectively.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings reveal an important connection between gut microbiota composition and immunity traits in pigs, and highlight the need to consider both sources of information, host genome and microbial levels, to accurately characterize immunocompetence in pigs.
A review of crack growth models for near-neutral pH stress corrosion cracking on oil and gas pipelines
Authors: Sun Haotian , Zhou Wenxing , Kang Jidong
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a review of four existing growth models for near-neutral pH stress corrosion cracking (NNpHSCC) defects on buried oil and gas pipelines: Chen et al.’s model, two models developed at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and Xing et al.’s model. All four models consider corrosion fatigue enhanced by hydrogen embrittlement as the main growth mechanism for NNpHSCC. The predictive accuracy of these growth models is investigated based on 39 crack growth rates obtained from full-scale tests conducted at the CanmetMATERIALS of Natural Resources Canada of pipe specimens that are in contact with NNpH soils and subjected to cyclic internal pressures. The comparison of the observed and predicted crack growth rates indicates that the hydrogen-enhanced decohesion (HEDE) component of Xing et al.’s model leads to on average reasonably accurate predictions with the corresponding mean and coefficient of variation (COV) of the observed-to-predicted ratios being 1.06 and 61.2%, respectively. The predictive accuracy of the other three models are markedly poorer. The analysis results suggest that further research is needed to improve existing growth models or develop new growth models to facilitate the pipeline integrity management practice with respect to NNpHSCC.
Antimicrobial and antioxidant therapy with bioactive plant molecules on Fe3O4 phytohybrid nanoplatforms
Authors: Fernandes Janesline , Vaz Teotone , Anvekar Tushar S.
Published: October 2021

Background

Nanobiomedicines have gained increasing attention for their potential to improve efficacy and are emerging as a promising therapeutic paradigm. Magnetic nanoconjugates loaded with bioactive drugs have the advantage of sustained circulation in the bloodstream and significantly reduced toxicity of therapeutic agents in a precise manner. The well-developed surface chemistry of Fe3O4 has led to the development better tools, promoting them as nanoplatforms with potential technological applications in biomedical sciences.

Results

Fe3O4 phytohybrids with Laxmitaru extract as the primary coating and loaded with Eugenol and Ylang-Ylang essential oils were successfully synthesized. The X-ray diffraction technique has revealed the high purity nanoparticle materials, as no additional impurity peaks were observed. Fourier transform infra-red spectra have confirmed the presence of a primary coating of Laxmitaru extract and a secondary layer of essential oil, as additional peaks and broadening are observed in drug-loaded Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Magnetic susceptibility values indicate the material's superparamagnetic nature. Transmission electron microscopy images have ensured that the particles were spherical, monodispersed, and in the range of 4.30 nm to 13.98 nm. Antimicrobial studies show inhibition zones on the microorganisms S. Aureus and E. Coli with enhanced activity. Drug entrapment efficiency studies revealed the encapsulation of drug molecules onto Fe3O4-Laxmitaru composite. Dynamic light scattering studies confirm the increase in hydrodynamic size, indicating the loading of essential oils and the decrease in polydispersity index ensures monodispersed nanoparticles. The antioxidant study showed the essential oils retained their antioxidant activity even after they were conjugated on Fe3O4-Lax composites.

Conclusions

Laxmitaru phytochemical-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles were successfully conjugated with Eugenol and Ylang-Ylang essential oils. Our results provide a model therapeutic approach for the development of new alternative strategies for enhancing antimicrobial and antioxidant therapy, with potential advantages in the field of nanobiomedicine.
An IOT and Blockchain Approach for the Smart Water Management System in Agriculture
Authors: Chang Yunyan , Xu Jian , Ghafoor Kayhan Zrar
Published: October 2021

In all the smart applications, evolution of the Internet of Things (IOT) is utilized as a complete matured technology and in the future internet generations, established itself. Blockchain is also the blooming technique like Internet of things in which the distributed ledger which enhances the security contained in the each node of the block-chain. In the block-chain network, any fault transaction is not done by the illegal users. The block-chain is combined with the Internet of Things for the improvement of real time application performance. IOT based smart water management system is designed in this paper for the agriculture which ensures the effectiveness of the agriculture water management. The remote monitoring with the IOT is used for this purpose. By linking with 2D modelling, the control and management of the agriculture water were performed. Finally, a system is implemented for the agriculture water management through the real time data collection. The obtained result shows the data that updates the water monitoring interface with the varying number of hours. The IoT technology and remote monitoring technology is utilized to the existing water management infrastructure. For water resources management and water supply, this is the very efficient technology.
Design and Application of College Online Education Platform Based on WebRTC
Authors: Li Guoliang , Wang Rixing , Zhou Qikun
Published: October 2021

Web based real time communication enhances the current online education platform by blending it with virtual universities by the means of internet. This article explored the designing perspective of College Online Education Platform in order to provide distance education services, instant messaging, interactive online classes, video answering and video viewing functions. A media server cluster load balancing algorithm based on consistency hash algorithm and genetic algorithm is proposed in this article. This article is focused on designing and practical implementation of a fusion communication platform combined with WebRTC and related technologies to deliver online education system in colleges and universities. The online education system is tested and the test results show that the online education system designed and implemented in this paper can meet the expected needs. The media server cluster load balancing strategy proposed in this paper can ensure the cluster overall load balancing. At the same time, the node weight can be dynamically adjusted according to the real-time state of the clusters. The outcomes obtained justifies the efficiency and practicability of the proposed methodology.
Network Virus and Computer Network Security Detection Technology Optimization
Authors: Lin Hongkai , Zhao Feng , Qin Lina , Lin Hongkai
Published: October 2021

With the advancement in communication technology, computer network will become important for information exchange. However, the network has the potential therefore the strong security policy is needed for network security ensuring. To prevent the computer network from the virus invasion, the computer network security technology is ensured, having a clear network virus understanding. In this paper, the structural model of network security detection and monitoring system is established in a proactive way, the function of each component is described, and the design model is introduced to conduct comprehensive and effective automatic security detection on the client and each layer of the network, so as to find and avoid the system from being attacked.Result: The observed example shows that the flow rate of information in and out of the network is relatively stable, with few changes, and the rate of change is close to zero per unit time. In the case of network attack, the amount of data flowing into the target network is far more than the amount of data flowing out of the network.Computer security technology is used to improve the security of the network and prevent network virus from attacking the computer network.
A Detailed Study on GPS and GIS Enabled Agricultural Equipment Field Position Monitoring system for Smart Farming
Authors: Nie Jianbo , Yang Bin
Published: October 2021

To develop refined agriculture and improve Agricultural productivity, a new monitoring system has been proposed in this paper. Based on the actual situation of early agriculture and the actual national conditions of China, Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology have been combined. Based on the combination of GIS technology and GPS technology, the results show that the position of field vehicles can be displayed in the electronic MAP in real time within 5% error. On this basis, Agricultural production and cultivation can be realized, and the monitoring system can realize the real-time display of vehicle location in the field on electronic MAP to guide production and cultivation. The static test shows that the positioning accuracy of the four GPS receivers is the worst, and the positioning accuracy of MAP330 receiver and GPS25 receiver is better. However, the positioning accuracy of AGl32 receiver is the highest with the 0.37m error when compared with the error of 1.2m of other machines. Using GPS to measure the area, the error of farmland area and farmland side length is less than 5%, and the precision AGl32 receiver for precision Agricultural measurement is also improved with the proposed model.
Design of Intelligent Building Scheduling System for Internet of Things and Cloud Computing
Authors: Wang Tiangang , Mi Zhe
Published: October 2021

The cloud computing (CC) and Internet of Things (IoT) are widely utilized and provided for intelligent perception and on-demand utilization like industries and public areas. The full sharing, free circulation and various manufacturing resources allocation are investigated in manufacturing. In order to ensure the real-time and effectiveness of resource storage scheduling in Internet of things information system, there are many kinds and quantities of building equipment. An improved ant colony algorithm is presented to remove the shortcomings of the existing ant colony algorithm with slow speed and fall into local optimum. The improved ant colony algorithm is transplanted into cloud computing environment. The advantages of fast computing and high speed storage of cloud computing can realize the real-time resource scheduling of building equipment. The experimental results present that the improved ant colony algorithm can obviously improve the efficiency of resource scheduling in cloud computing environment.All the experiments are performed on the MATLAB.
Research on Mobile User Interface for Robot Arm Remote Control in Industrial Application
Authors: Ni Jiangnan , Balyan Vipin
Published: October 2021

The mobile interfaced robot arms are majorly being used nowadays in order to provide the remote-control applicability for various industrial and manufacturing applications. This article proposes a robotic arm platform for controlling the industrial application. The proposed system includes various modules like a robot arm, a controller module and a remote mobile operating application for visualizing the robot arm angles having real time applicability. Augmented reality (AR) is utilized for robot control WIFI communication and the robot angle information is obtained for varying real time environment. This novel approach incorporated the AR technology into mobile application which allow the real time virtual coordination with physical platform. The feasible trajectories are generated using the proposed methodology and a comparison is made between the desired and real trajectory paths. The simulation results are obtained for various assessment indicators and effectual outcomes are achieved with 98.03% accuracy value and 0.185, 0.180 of error and loss values for training phase. The accuracy value of 97.65% is achieved for testing phase with corresponding 0.209 and 0.190 minimum error and loss values. The proposed platform provides the feasible and reliable outcomes in the real time environment for real time manufacturing industry applications.
First record of Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) in the state of Acre, Brazil
Authors: Santos Rodrigo Souza , Andrade Carlos Mauricio Soares de , Carvalho Gervásio Silva
Published: October 2021

Spittlebugs are among the main insect pests of forage grasses in Brazil. In February 2021, a spittlebug infestation was verified in Xaraés palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraés) in the municipality of Senador Guiomard, Acre state, Brazil. The specimens were captured with an entomological sweep net and identified as Notozulia entreriana (Berg) and Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae). Notozulia entreriana is frequently captured in studies with spittlebugs in Acre state, though this is the first record of M. spectabilis in the state. This new record expands the species known geographical distribution in Brazil and the number of species of Mahanarva occurring in Acre state.
Incongruence between parental and adolescent educational aspirations hinders academic attainment
Authors: Schoon Ingrid , Burger Kaspar
Published: October 2021

Previous research has shown that parental educational aspirations for their children are an important predictor of children’s academic attainment. However, recent studies have pointed to potential negative effects, in particular if there is a mismatch between parental educational aspirations and the aspirations of their children. This study examines (1) the role of socio-demographic and school achievement–related factors in shaping a potential (mis)match between parental educational aspirations and the aspirations of their children, and (2) whether incongruence between parental and their children’s educational aspirations hinders academic attainment in times of social change. We use data collected for the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study (BCS70) and Next Steps (formerly known as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England), a cohort of young people born in 1989/90. We find that in both cohorts socio-demographic and achievement-related characteristics are associated with incongruent aspirations, and that incongruent aspirations between parents and their children are associated with a decreased likelihood of participating in and completing higher education. The study contributes to current debates regarding the causes and correlates of discrepancies in educational aspirations and how such discrepancies affect later life chances.
Motivations and reactions to social undervaluation of single people in married society: an Indonesian perspective
Authors: Himawan Karel Karsten , Bambling Matthew , Edirippulige Sisira
Published: October 2021

Being single and of marriageable age in a society where marriage is the norm invites perceptions of social undervaluation and vulnerability to social pressure to conform. The current study examines the reasons for more Indonesian adults remaining single, the perceived societal stigma related to this, and how they react to such undervaluing societal perceptions. Never-married Indonesian adults (N=350; Mage=29.79 ± 4.50) participated in this study, where their responses were analysed by thematic coding. The majority of participants stated that they were involuntarily single. The findings indicated four contexts within which they remained single: situational shortcomings, compliance with socially constructed marriage ideals, various perceptions of marriage, and unreadiness to marry. Participants mainly reacted to pressures with polite disregard, which reflected their cultural practice of avoiding conflict. This study provides an introduction to understanding the complexities and challenges for single people in Indonesia, which is still understudied.
Persistence of the norm of filial obligation among Chilean adults
Authors: Fernández M. Beatriz , Herrera M. Soledad
Published: October 2021

Norms of filial obligation can predict how and whether children provide support to their ageing parents. Using a nationally representative sample, this study describes the degree to which Chilean adults adhere to these norms, and analyses which variables are associated with their degree of adherence to these norms. It found that adults are more likely to adhere to these norms when their parents require special care. Using linear regression models, this study also found that younger adults and those with fewer family responsibilities are more likely to adhere to these norms, as do people who are more educated and those who identify with a religious belief. Reciprocity in parent–child relationships also predict greater adherence.