bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide Gene Expression Analyses of the AtfA/AtfB-Mediated Menadione Stress Response in Aspergillus nidulans
Authors: Kocsis Beatrix , Lee Mi-Kyung , Antal Károly , Yu Jae-Hyuk , Pócsi István , Leiter Éva , Emri Tamás
Published: February 2023

The bZIP transcription factors (TFs) govern regulation of development, secondary metabolism, and various stress responses in filamentous fungi. In this work, we carried out genome-wide expression studies employing Illumina RNAseq to understand the roles of the two bZIP transcription factors AtfA and AtfB in Aspergillus nidulans. Comparative analyses of transcriptomes of control, ΔatfA, ΔatfB, and ΔatfAΔatfB mutant strains were performed. Dependence of a gene on AtfA (AtfB) was decided by its differential downregulation both between the reference and ΔatfA (ΔatfB) strains and between the ΔatfB (ΔatfA) and the ΔatfAΔatfB strains in vegetatively grown cells (mycelia) and asexual spores (conidia) of menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB)-treated or untreated cultures. As AtfA is the primary bZIP TF governing stress-response in A. nidulans, the number of differentially expressed genes for ΔatfA was significantly higher than for ΔatfB in both mycelial and conidial samples, and most of the AtfB-dependent genes showed AtfA dependence, too. Moreover, the low number of genes depending on AtfB but not on AtfA can be a consequence of ΔatfA leading to downregulation of atfB expression. Conidial samples showed much higher abundance of atfA and atfB mRNAs and more AtfA- and AtfB-affected genes than mycelial samples. In the presence of MSB, the number of AtfB- (but not of AtfA-) affected genes decreased markedly, which was accompanied with decreased mRNA levels of atfB in MSB-treated mycelial (reference strain) and conidial (ΔatfA mutant) samples. In mycelia, the overlap between the AtfA-dependent genes in MSB-treated and in untreated samples was low, demonstrating that distinct genes can be under AtfA control under different conditions. Carbohydrate metabolism genes were enriched in the set of AtfA-dependent genes. Among them, AtfA-dependence of glycolytic genes in conidial samples was the most notable. Levels of transcripts of certain secondary metabolitic gene clusters, such as the Emericellamide cluster, also showed AtfA-dependent regulation. Genes encoding catalase and histidine-containing phosphotransfer proteins showed AtfA-dependence under all experimental conditions. There were 23 AtfB-dependent genes that did not depend on AtfA under any of our experimental conditions. These included a putative α-glucosidase (agdB), a putative α-amylase, calA, which is involved in early conidial germination, and an alternative oxidase. In summary, in A. nidulans there is a complex interaction between the two bZIP transcription factors, where AtfA plays the primary regulatory role.
Targeting Neuroinflammation with Abscisic Acid Reduces Pain Sensitivity in Females and Hyperactivity in Males of an ADHD Mice Model
Authors: Meseguer-Beltrán María , Sánchez-Sarasúa Sandra , Landry Marc , Kerekes Nora , Sánchez-Pérez Ana María
Published: February 2023

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by dopaminergic dysfunction. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate that there is a link between dopaminergic deficit and neuroinflammation that underlies ADHD symptoms. We used a validated ADHD mice model involving perinatal 6-OHDA lesions. The animals received abscisic acid (ABA), an anti-inflammatory phytohormone, at a concentration of 20 mg/L (drinking water) for one month. We tested a battery of behavior tests, learning and memory, anxiety, social interactions, and pain thresholds in female and male mice (control and lesioned, with or without ABA treatment). Postmortem, we analyzed microglia morphology and Ape1 expression in specific brain areas related to the descending pain inhibitory pathway. In females, the dopaminergic deficit increased pain sensitivity but not hyperactivity. In contrast, males displayed hyperactivity but showed no increased pain sensitivity. In females, pain sensitivity was associated with inflammatory microglia and lower Ape1 levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and posterior insula cortex (IC). In addition, ABA treatment alleviated pain sensitivity concomitant with reduced inflammation and normalized APE1. In males, ABA reduced hyperactivity but had no significant effect on inflammation in these areas. This is the first study proving a sex-dependent association between dopamine dysfunction and inflammation in specific brain areas, hence leading to different behavioral outcomes in a mouse model of ADHD. These findings provide new clues for potential treatments for ADHD.
Immune Cells Release MicroRNA-155 Enriched Extracellular Vesicles That Promote HIV-1 Infection
Authors: Boucher Julien , Rousseau Alyssa , Boucher Catherine , Subra Caroline , Bazié Wilfried W. , Hubert Audrey , Bourgeault Emma , Benmoussa Abderrahim , Goyer Benjamin , Tessier Philippe A. , Gilbert Caroline
Published: February 2023

The hallmark of HIV-1 infection is the rapid dysregulation of immune functions. Recent investigations for biomarkers of such dysregulation in people living with HIV (PLWH) reveal a strong correlation between viral rebound and immune activation with an increased abundance of extracellular vesicles (EVs) enriched with microRNA-155. We propose that the activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) leads to an increased miR-155 expression and production of miR-155-rich extracellular vesicles (miR-155-rich EVs), which can exacerbate HIV-1 infection by promoting viral replication. PBMCs were incubated with either HIV-1 (NL4.3Balenv), a TLR-7/8 agonist, or TNF. EVs were harvested from the cell culture supernatant by differential centrifugation, and RT-qPCR quantified miR-155 in cells and derived EVs. The effect of miR-155-rich EVs on replication of HIV-1 in incubated PBMCs was then measured by viral RNA and DNA quantification. HIV-1, TLR7/8 agonist, and TNF each induced the release of miR-155-rich EVs by PBMCs. These miR-155-rich EVs increased viral replication in PBMCs infected in vitro. Infection with HIV-1 and inflammation promote the production of miR-155-rich EVs, enhancing viral replication. Such autocrine loops, therefore, could influence the course of HIV-1 infection by promoting viral replication.
Cellular Factors That Shape the Activity or Function of Nitric Oxide-Stimulated Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase
Authors: Sharina Iraida , Martin Emil
Published: February 2023

NO-stimulated guanylyl cyclase (SGC) is a hemoprotein that plays key roles in various physiological functions. SGC is a typical enzyme-linked receptor that combines the functions of a sensor for NO gas and cGMP generator. SGC possesses exclusive selectivity for NO and exhibits a very fast binding of NO, which allows it to function as a sensitive NO receptor. This review describes the effect of various cellular factors, such as additional NO, cell thiols, cell-derived small molecules and proteins on the function of SGC as cellular NO receptor. Due to its vital physiological function SGC is an important drug target. An increasing number of synthetic compounds that affect SGC activity via different mechanisms are discovered and brought to clinical trials and clinics. Cellular factors modifying the activity of SGC constitute an opportunity for improving the effectiveness of existing SGC-directed drugs and/or the creation of new therapeutic strategies.
Coating Readily Available Yet Thermally Resistant Surfaces with 3D Silver Nanowire Scaffolds: A Step toward Efficient Heater Fabrication
Authors: Alqanoo Anas , Ahmed Naser , Hashim Md , Alsadig Ahmed , Al-Yousif Shahad , Taya Sofyan , Aldaghri Osamah , Ibnaouf Khalid
Published: February 2023

In this study, we synthesized and characterized a 3D network of silver nanowires (AgNWs), employing the polyol approach in ethylene glycol (EG) as the reductant and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the structure-directing agent for the growth of AgNWs to design inexpensive, timely responsive AgNWs-based heaters with different substrates. Data obtained from a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) revealed that the average diameter of the synthesized AgNWs was 22 nm, and the average length was 28 µm. UV-visible absorption spectroscopy showed that AgNWs developed in a very pure phase. We investigated the impact of substrate type on the heating dissipation performance by depositing AgNW thin film over three chosen substrates made from readily available materials. The findings indicated that the AgNW-based heater with the wood substrate had the lowest response time of 21 s, the highest thermal resistance of 352.59 °C·cm2/W, and a steady temperature of 135 °C at a low bias voltage of 5 V compared to cement (95 s, 297.77 °C·cm2/W, and 120 °C) and glass (120 s, 270.25 °C·cm2/W, and 110 °C).
Implementation of the Homogenization Method in the Numerical Estimation of Wafer Warpage
Authors: Belhenini Soufyane , El Fatmi Imad , Richard Caroline , Tougui Abdellah , Roqueta Fabrice
Published: February 2023

Given the growing global demand for high-performance microcomponents, while keeping the size of the microcomponents as small as possible, several manufacturers have chosen to increase the number of thin layers to increase the integration density. These thinner layers cause warping-type deformations during processing. In this study, warping during the development of a stacking composed of a silicon substrate coated with two thin layers, one dielectric in undoped silicate glass (USG) and the other metallic in platinum, was numerically analyzed and validated by comparison with experimental measurements. The numerical study presented in this paper has several components that make it simple and reliable. Indeed, simplifications of the loading conditions were introduced and validated by comparison with experimental results. Another part of the simplification is to integrate a homogenization approach to reduce the number of calculations. The efficiency and precision of the homogenization approach were validated for the mechanical and thermomechanical models by comparing the heterogeneous and homogenized models.
Doxorubicin-Loaded Silica Nanocomposites for Cancer Treatment
Authors: Popova Victoriya , Poletaeva Yuliya , Chubarov Alexey , Pyshnyi Dmitrii , Dmitrienko Elena
Published: February 2023

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are a promising material for nanomedicine technology. SiNPs are considered a powerful tool for drug delivery, functional coatings and films, and biomolecule separation due to their stability, biocompatibility, and accessible surface modification. Herein, the synthesis of SiNPs and SiNPs nylon 6 (SiNPs-Nylon) coated nanocomposites was proposed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used for morphology, size, and stability analysis. Anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) loading to the nanocomposites and pH-dependent release experiments are presented. DOX-loaded nanocomposites with high drug capacities of up to 258 μg/mg (DOX/SiNPs) and 493 μg/mg (DOX/SiNPs-Nylon) show effective inhibition of A549 and HEK 293FT cell lines. The IC50 values were 0.08 ± 0.01 µM in terms of DOX amount and recalculated as 0.31 ± 0.04 µg/mL in terms of the concentration of SiNPs for the HEK 293FT cells. Therefore, silica nanocomposites have a high potential for cancer treatment.
Identification Fluidity Method to Determine Suitability of Weathered and River Sand for Constructions Purposes
Authors: Zuo Haoyu , Li Jin , Zhu Li , Cheng Degang , Chang De
Published: February 2023

At present, in order to comply with the development of the “the Belt and Road Initiatives”, the country is accelerating the pace of construction and increasing the demand for construction river sand. However, the quality of construction river sand is uncontrollable, and its shape is very similar to that of weathered sand. Therefore, using inferior weathered sand and mixed sand as inferior substitute sand in the market is prohibited, resulting in an increase in the difficulty coefficient of quality control of concrete fine aggregate in actual projects. This lays hidden dangers for the construction quality of the project. It is urgent to improve the quality control, testing, and detection process of river sand. Due to the long-term weathering of weathered sand, its density is small, and there are many pores, which leads to the material’s water absorption rate is higher than that of standard sand and river sand during fluidity tests. This paper takes this as a breakthrough point, reveals the variation law of fluidity loss under different variables, and explores a method for effectively screening low-quality sand and gravel. Through the silt content test (screening and washing method), the low-quality sand is preliminarily screened out, the mortar ratio is designed, and the fluidity test is carried out to compare the difference in fluidity loss of different types of mortar; determine the loss threshold range (mobility loss ≤ 15 mm) according to the mobility test results of the control group, and determine the qualification standard by comparing the measured mobility loss of the unknown sample with the loss threshold range. When the mobility loss is within the loss threshold range, the sample is qualified river sand. Otherwise, it is weathered sand or chowder sand. This method establishes a complete detection scheme for distinguishing weathered sand and river sand through mud content tests and mobility loss tests, solves the difficult problem of river sand quality control in engineering applications, and effectively eliminates the phenomenon of using low-quality weathered sand as river sand in the sand and gravel material market, thus avoiding congenital defects in concrete homogeneity.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of TiN/Ti2AlN Multilayers
Authors: Ma Donglin , Liu Yao , Deng Qiaoyuan , Li Yantao , Leng Yongxiang
Published: February 2023

Titanium nitride (TiN) thin films deposited by high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering usually have a high compressive residual stress, which is not conducive for the adherence of TiN thin films. This study investigated the potential of Ti2AlN for releasing the compressive residual stress of HPPMS-deposited TiN thin films and evaluated the adherence strength and hardness of TiN/Ti2AlN multilayers by introducing the Ti2AlN MAX phase to form TiN/Ti2AlN multilayers. The results showed that smooth TiN/Ti2AlN multilayers with the TiN (111) and Ti2AlN (002) textures were successfully synthesized by HPPMS deposition and subsequent vacuum annealing. The compressive residual stress in TiN was released by Ti2AlN. The adherence strength of the TiN/Ti2AlN multilayers was improved after the release of the compressive residual stress, and the hardness of TiN/Ti2AlN multilayers was close to the annealed TiN. This study provides a novel approach for releasing the residual stress of hard ceramic thin films using the MAX phase.
Data Analysis Model for the Evaluation of the Factors That Influence the Teaching of University Students
Authors: Villegas-Ch. William , Mera-Navarrete Aracely , García-Ortiz Joselin
Published: February 2023

Currently, the effects of the pandemic caused by the Coronavirus disease discovered in 2019 are the subject of numerous studies by experts in labor, psychological issues, educational issues, etc. The universities, for their continuity, have implemented various technological tools for the development of their activities, such as videoconference platforms, learning management systems, etc. This experience has led the educational sector to propose new educational models, such as hybrid education, that focus on the use of information technologies. To carry out its implementation, it is necessary to identify the adaptability of students to a technological environment and what the factors are that influence learning. To do this, this article proposes a data analysis framework that identifies the factors and variables of a hybrid teaching environment. The results obtained allow us to determine the level of influence of educational factors that affect learning by applying data analysis algorithms to profile students through a classification based on their characteristics and improve learning methodologies in these educational models. The updating of educational systems requires a flexible process that is aligned with the needs of the students. With this analysis framework, it is possible to create an educational environment focused on students and allows for efficient change with the granular analysis of the state of the learning.
Applying Web Augmented Reality to Unexplosive Ordnance Risk Education
Authors: Hussein Harith A. , Hameed Qabas A. , Ismael Reem D. , Al-Dabagh Mustafa Zuhaer Nayef , Abdalhammed Moudher Khalid
Published: February 2023

Unexploded Ordnances (UXOs) are considered a global concern and a persistent hazard due to their capability to endanger civilians and the place where they are located, and the probability of remaining active explosives even after decades of ending a conflict. Hence, risk education is crucial for providing individuals with life-saving knowledge on recognizing, avoiding, and reporting UXO threats. The main objective of this study is to develop a web augmented reality (AR) application to investigate the effect of WAR on non-explosive ordnance risk education. Firstly, UXO 3D models are edited and constructed using the Blender 3D computer graphics software. Secondly, the proposed web AR application is developed using MindAR JavaScript-based library. Finally, the web application QR code and UXO Hiro codes are printed on infographics and brochures to be distributed to secondary school students aged 12 to 18 at six public and private schools in Tikrit City, Salah al-Din governorate, Iraq. Survey questions are validated and distributed to be collected from 137 respondents. The present study shows that the proposed web AR application increased respondents’ information in identifying UXO by 54.7%. Approximately 70% of respondents use the Internet for more than 3 h daily. Institutions should use new risk education methods in line with the tremendous technological growth and invest students’ knowledge and time in this field. Better risk education teaching methods can save lives.
A Critical Review of von Mises Criterion for Compatible Deformation of Polycrystalline Materials
Authors: Huang Yan , Jiang Jun
Published: February 2023

A von Mises criterion for compatible deformation states that five independent slip systems must operate for polycrystals to deform uniformly and without failure at the grain boundaries, which is supported by the Taylor–Bishop–Hill theory or simply the Taylor model, defining the laws of plastic deformation of polycrystalline aggregates and being one of the key cornerstones of crystal plasticity theory. However, the criterion has fundamental flaws as it is based on an unfounded correlation between phenomenological material flow behaviour in continuum mechanics and crystal structure dependent dislocation slip, and there has been no experimental evidence to show simultaneous operation of five independent slip systems. In this paper, the Von Mises criterion and the Taylor model are revisited and examined critically, and the fundamental issues related to the requirement of independent slip systems for compatible deformation and the selection of the active slip systems are addressed. Detailed analysis is performed of the stress state that eliminates the possibility of the simultaneous operation of five independent slip systems, and of the relative displacement vector due to the dislocation slip which defines the quantity of the strain that can be expressed by a strain tensor, instead of individual strain components. Discussions are made to demonstrate that although three linearly independent slip systems are essentially sufficient for compatible deformation, one slip system, being selected according to Schmidt law, dominates at a time in a characteristic domain as deformation accommodation occurs between grains or characteristic domains rather than at each point.
Phase Transformation Pathway of DyPO4 to 21.5 GPa
Authors: Sharma Jai , Afful Henry Q. , Packard Corinne E.
Published: February 2023

Interest in the deformation behavior and phase transformations of rare earth orthophosphates (REPO4s) spans several fields of science—from geological impact analysis to ceramic matrix composite engineering. In this study, the phase behavior of polycrystalline, xenotime DyPO4 is studied up to 21.5(16) GPa at ambient temperature using in situ diamond anvil cell synchrotron X-ray diffraction. This experiment reveals a large xenotime–monazite phase coexistence pressure range of 7.6(15) GPa and evidence for the onset of a post-monazite transformation at 13.9(10) GPa to scheelite. The identification of scheelite as the post-monazite phase of DyPO4, though not definitive, is consistent with REPO4 phase transformation pathways reported in both the experimental and the computational literature.
Strain-Rate Dependence of Plasticity and Phase Transition in [001]-Oriented Single-Crystal Iron
Authors: Amadou Nourou , Abdoulaye Abdoul Razak Ayouba , De Rességuier Thibaut , Dragon André
Published: February 2023

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate strain-rate dependence of plasticity and phase transition in [001]-oriented single-crystal iron under ramp compression. Here, plasticity is governed by deformation twinning, in which kinetics is tightly correlated with the loading rate. Over the investigated range of strain rates, a hardening-like effect is found to shift the onset of the structural bcc-to-hcp phase transformation to a high, almost constant stress during the ramp compression regime. However, when the ramp evolves into a shock wave, the bcc–hcp transition is triggered whenever the strain rate associated with the plastic deformation reaches some critical value, which depends on the loading rate, leading to a constitutive functional dependence of the transition onset stress on the plastic deformation rate, which is in overall consistence with the experimental data under laser compression.
A Review of Bimetallic and Monometallic Nanoparticle Synthesis via Laser Ablation in Liquid
Authors: Nyabadza Anesu , Vazquez Mercedes , Brabazon Dermot
Published: February 2023

Pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) is a physical and top-down approach used to fabricate nanoparticles (NPs). Herein, the research methods and current trends in PLAL literature are reviewed, including the recent uses of PLAL for fabricating bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) and composites. BNPs have gained attention owing to their advanced physicochemical properties over monometallic NPs. PLAL involves the irradiation of a solid target (usually a rod, plate, or thin film) under a liquid medium. The liquid collects the ejected NPs resulting from the laser processing, which produces a colloid that can be in various applications, including plasmon sensing, energy harvesting, and drug delivery. The most used fabrication techniques, including the use of microorganisms, do not have precise NP size control and require the separation of the microorganisms from the produced NPs. PLAL is quicker at producing NPs than bottom-up methods. The drawbacks of PLAL include the need to find the required laser processing parameters, which requires extensive experimentation, and the complex and non-linear relationships between the inputs and the outputs (e.g., NP size).
Social Wellbeing in Cancer Survivorship: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Self-Reported Relationship Closeness and Ambivalence from a Community Sample
Authors: Acquati Chiara , Miller-Sonet Ellen , Zhang Anao , Ionescu Elena
Published: February 2023

Improvements in early screening and treatment have contributed to the growth of the number of cancer survivors. Understanding and mitigating the adverse psychosocial, functional, and economic outcomes they experience is critical. Social wellbeing refers to the quality of the relationship with partners/spouses, children, or significant others. Close relationships contribute to quality of life and self-management; however, limited literature exists about social wellbeing during survivorship. This study examined positive and negative self-reported changes in a community sample of 505 cancer survivors. Fourteen items assessed changes in communication, closeness with partner/children, stability of the relationship, and caregiving burden. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted using a robust weighted least square procedure. Differences by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were investigated. Respondents were mostly male, non-Hispanic white, and ≥4 years since diagnosis. Two factors, labeled Relationship Closeness and Ambivalence, emerged from the analysis. Women, younger survivors, individuals from minority groups, and those with lower income experienced greater negative changes in social wellbeing. Variations by treatment status, time since diagnosis, and institution were also reported. This contribution identifies groups of cancer survivors experiencing affected social wellbeing. Results emphasize the need to develop interventions sustaining the quality of interpersonal relationships to promote long-term outcomes.
Quality of Life vs. Supportive Care Needs for Oral Cancer Caregivers: Are They Related?
Authors: Ahmad Aira Syazleen , Doss Jennifer Geraldine , Ismail Siti Mazlipah , Chen Kiong Shim , Jelon Md Arad , Thangavalu Logesvari , Lay Ling Ch’ng
Published: February 2023

Caregivers providing care for their family members with oral cancer usually endure the caregiving burden in silence, which affects their quality of life and necessitates the need for supportive care. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the quality of life (QOL) of oral cancer caregivers and their supportive care needs (SCN) in Malaysia. The Malaysian versions of the Caregiver Oncology Quality of Life Questionnaire (M-CarGOQoL) and the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool for Cancer Caregivers (M-CNAT-C) were self-administered by 56 family caregivers of oral cancer patients from five tertiary hospitals throughout Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak between October and December 2021. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were employed, and the significance level was set at p < 0.05. The mean score for the QOL of caregivers was 76.16 ± 16.01, with the lowest scores in the psychological well-being (64.87 ± 30.12) and self-esteem (68.64 ± 28.29) domains. The mean score for SCN of caregivers was 36.42 ± 24.16, with the highest scores in the healthcare staff (58.44 ± 33.80) and information (55.35 ± 29.98) domains. The correlation between QOL and SCN was moderately inversed, (r(54) = 0.58, p < 0.01). There was a significant effect of caregiving duration (<3 h/day versus >3 h/day) on the combined dependent variables (QOL and SCN), F(2, 53) = 5.006, p < 0.01, partial η2 = 0.16. QOL and caregiving duration accounted for a significant 43% of SCN, R2 = 0.43, adjusted R2 = 0.41, F(2, 53) = 20.32, p < 0.01. In conclusion, oral cancer caregivers with poorer QOL have higher SCN. It is recommended that oral cancer caregivers be recognized by healthcare providers in order to deliver holistic patient care.
Thin Layer Immunoassay: An Economical Approach to Diagnose Helicobacter pylori Infection in Gastroduodenal Ulcer Disease Patients of Pakistan, a Comparative Analysis
Authors: Aziz Faisal , Kazmi Shahana Urooj
Published: February 2023

Helicobacter pylori is a causative agent of gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcers and gastric adenocarcinoma. The majority of H. pylori-associated patients live in underdeveloped areas, facing the problem of lack of proper diagnostic facility. Hence, a simple and economical assay is required to handle the majority of gastric patients. Serum samples from gastroduodenal ulcers and gastritis patients were screened for H. pylori infection by thin layer immunoassay. A polystyrene plate coated with H. pylori sonicate whole cell antigen (10 µg/mL). Two-fold diluted patient’s serum was allowed to react at 37 °C, incubated at 60 °C for 1 min over a water bath and the water condensation pattern for the H. pylori antibody was recorded. ELISAs were used as reference assays to evaluate the efficacy of the developed thin layer immunoassay (TLI). Gastric patients’ blood samples (62% male and 6% female) tested positive for H. pylori, while age-wise, 15–25-year-old males (36%) and 65–75-year-old females (50%) showed the highest number of H. pylori infections. TLI showed sensitivity (72–67%), specificity (100%), accuracy (94–69%) and κ value (0.493–0.357) in comparison with wELISA (Surface whole cell ELISA), sELISA (sonicate whole cell ELISA) and kELISA (commercial KIT ELISA). We conclude that thin layer immunoassay is a low cost, fast, simple and clinically reliable method for H. pylori diagnosis at initial stages in patients in under-developed countries.
Correlation between Pancreatic Duct Variation and Related Diseases: An Effective Method Observing the Dual-Energy CT with Low-keV Monoenergetic Images
Authors: Zhang Ruike , Li Zhengying , Hu Xiaoli , Liang Hongwei , Yan Gaowu , Xie Dan , Zhang Jiao , Li Yongmei
Published: February 2023

Purpose: Pancreatic duct variation can affect the secretory function of the pancreas. We aimed to explore the pancreatic duct variation, observed using low-keV monoenergetic images [MEI (+)] of dual-energy CT (DECT), and its relationship with related diseases. We further sought to compare pancreatic duct imaging using low-keV MEI (+) of DECT and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). Materials and Methods: The DECT and MRCP images of 854 patients were evaluated retrospectively. The 808 patients’ pancreatic duct types were classified according to the anatomy and the opening of the pancreatic ducts, and the correlation with related diseases was analyzed. The DECT and MRCP images of 852 patients were graded according to the sharpness of the pancreatic ducts for evaluation. Results: A higher prevalence of acute pancreatitis (AP), chronic pancreatitis (CP), and duodenal papillary carcinoma (DPC) was observed in the variant group. Of the 27 AP cases in the variant group, 9 patients (33.3%) were Type 3c. Additionally, Type 4a was significantly correlated with AP and CP (p < 0.05). Low-keV MEI (+) of DECT outperformed the MRCP images in the sharpness of the pancreatic ducts in 852 patients. Conclusions: Pancreatic duct variation is associated with AP, CP, and DPC. Low-keV MEI (+) DECT is an effective method to observe the pancreatic duct system.
Evaluation of InTray Cassettes Directly from Blood Cultures for the Diagnosis of Sepsis in Clinical Bacteriology Laboratories as an Alternative to Classic Culture Media
Authors: Natale Alessandra , Oueslati Saoussen , Rochard Alice , Ombelet Sien , Lopez-Baez Daniel , Hardy Liselotte , Cunningham Jane , Franquesa Céline , Vandenberg Olivier , Ronat Jean-Baptiste , Naas Thierry
Published: February 2023

Culture media is fundamental in clinical bacteriology for the detection and isolation of bacterial pathogens. However, in-house media preparation could be challenging in low-resource settings. InTray® cassettes (Biomed Diagnostics) could be a valid alternative as they are compact, ready-to-use media preparations. In this study, we evaluate the use of two InTray media as a subculture alternative for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections: the InTray® Müller-Hinton (MH) chocolate and the InTray® Colorex™ Screen. The InTray MH chocolate was evaluated in 2 steps: firstly, using simulated positive blood cultures (reference evaluation study), and secondly, using positive blood cultures from a routine clinical laboratory (clinical evaluation study). The Colorex Screen was tested using simulated poly-microbial blood cultures. The sensitivity and specificity of the InTray MH chocolate were respectively 99.2% and 90% in the reference evaluation study and 97.1% and 88.2% in the clinical evaluation study. The time to detection (TTD) was ≤20 h in most positive blood cultures (99.8% and 97% in the two studies, respectively). The InTray® MH Chocolate agar showed good performance when used directly from clinical blood cultures for single bacterial infections. However, mixed flora is more challenging to interpret on this media than on Colorex™ Screen, even for an experienced microbiologist.
High Plasma Levels of Neopterin Are Associated with Increased Mortality among Children with Severe Malaria in Benin
Authors: Blankson Samuel Odarkwei , Rietmeyer Lauriane , Tettey Patrick , Dikroh Liliane , Tornyigah Bernard , Adamou Rafiou , Moussiliou Azizath , Padounou Caroline , Amoussou Annick , Mensah Benedicta Ayiedu , Alao Maroufou J. , Awandare Gordon , Ndam Nicaise Tuikue , Roussilhon Christian , Tahar Rachida
Published: February 2023

Among the barriers to accessing adequate treatment and high-level monitoring for malaria febrile patients is the lack of effective prognostic markers. Neopterin, which is a marker of monocyte/macrophage activation, was found have increased during severe malaria. In this study, we used quantitative ELISA in order to assess the levels of plasma soluble neopterin in 151 patients from a cohort of Beninese children with severe malaria. We evaluated the prognostic accuracy of this molecule in order to predict the outcome of the disease. Our results show that neopterin levels were not significantly different between patients with different forms of severe malaria, including severe non-cerebral malaria (SNCM) and cerebral malaria (CM). However, the levels of this molecule were found to be higher in patients with severe malarial anemia (SMA) among both CM and SNCM cases (p-value = 0.02). Additionally, the levels of this molecule were found to be higher in patients who died from these pathologies compared to those who survived among the two clinical groups (p-value < 0.0001) and within the same group (p-value < 0.0001 for the CM group, p-value = 0.0046 for the SNCM group). The AUC-ROC for fatality among all the severe cases was 0.77 with a 95%CI of (0.69–0.85). These results suggest that plasma neopterin levels constitute a potential biomarker for predicting fatality among severe falciparum malaria patients.
Comparing Outcomes of Single-Incision Laparoscopic Herniorrhaphy in Newborns and Infants
Authors: Tsai Tsung-Jung , Lin Ching-Min , Cheang I Nok , Hsu Yao-Jen , Wei Chin-Hun , Chin Tai-Wai , Wu Chin-Yen , Chang Wen-Yuan , Fu Yu-Wei
Published: February 2023

Background: As surgical techniques progress, laparoscopic herniorrhaphy is now performed more often in premature babies. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of newborns and infants who underwent single-incision laparoscopic herniorrhaphy (SILH) at our center. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients younger than 12 months old who received SILH at our department from 2016 to 2020. SILH involved a 5 mm 30-degree scope and 3 mm instruments with a 3-0 Silk purse-string intracorporeal suture for closure of the internal ring. At the time of surgery, Group 1 newborns, whose corrected age was 2 months and below, were compared to the Group 2 infants, whose age was above 2 months. We assessed the patients’ characteristics, anesthesia, surgical data, and complications. Results: A total of 197 patients were included (114 newborns in Group 1 and 83 infants in Group 2). The mean age and body weight in Group 1 were 1.2 months and 3.8 kg, respectively, whereas in Group 2, they were 3.2 months and 6.7 kg, respectively. There were no significant differences in operative time (Group 1 = 34.1 min vs. Group 2 = 32.3 min, p = 0.26), anesthetic time (Group 1 = 80.0 min vs. Group 2 = 76.3 min, p = 0.07), length of hospitalization (Group 1 = 2.3 days vs. Group 2 = 2.4 days, p = 0.88), postoperative complications including omphalitis (Group 1 = 5.3% vs. Group 2 = 1.2%, p = 0.13), wound infection (Group 1 = 0.9% vs. Group 2 = 1.2%, p = 0.81), and hydrocele (Group 1 = 0.35% vs. Group 2 = 8.4%, p = 0.14). No recurrence, testicular ascent or atrophy, or mortality was observed in either group during the 2-year follow-up period. Conclusions: Single-incision laparoscopic herniorrhaphy is a safe and effective operation for inguinal hernia repair in infants, even those with prematurity, lower body weight at the time of surgery, or cardiac and/or pulmonary comorbidities. Comparable results revealed no significant differences in perioperative complications despite younger ages and lower body weights.
Effects of Acidic Challenge on Demineralized Root Surface Treated with Silver Diamine Fluoride and Potassium Iodide
Authors: Iovan Alexandru , Benchea Marcelin , Stoleriu Simona , Tărăboanță Ionuț , Cimpoeșu Nicanor , Nica Irina , Andrian Sorin
Published: February 2023

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the protective effect of applying potassium iodide (KI) over silver diamine fluoride (SDF) on demineralized root dentin in the case of a sustained acidogenic attack. Methods: Forty caries-free third molars were used in the study. A diamond disc was used to separate the roots and the tooth crowns from the roots. Each root fragment was randomly distributed in one of the four study groups: C—samples were not demineralized; DD—demineralized samples; RS1—demineralized samples covered with SDF+KI (RS-Riva Star product, SDI limited, Bayswater, Australia); RS2—demineralized samples covered with SDF+KI and submersed to another acidic challenge for 3 days. SEM and EDX were used for the morphological and elemental analysis. Vickers hardness assessment was performed using a tribometer CETR UMT-2 (Bruker Corporation, Berlin, Germany). One-way ANOVA and post hoc Bonferroni tests were used for the statistical analysis with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Morphological and elemental changes were observed on the surface of the study samples. Significant differences were observed between the recorded hardness values of groups C and DD (p = 0.005), C and RS2 (p = 0.002), DD and RS1 (p = 0.011); RS1 and RS2 (p = 0.004). Conclusions: The application of SDF and KI (Riva Star product) on root dentin caries resulted in the formation of a heterogeneous outer layer that sealed the dentin and increased the microhardness of the treated surface. In the conditions of the present study, this layer did not provide enough protection for root dentin exposed to continuous attacks.
Evaluation of Blood Biomarkers and Parameters for the Prediction of Stroke Survivors’ Functional Outcome upon Discharge Utilizing Explainable Machine Learning
Authors: Gkantzios Aimilios , Kokkotis Christos , Tsiptsios Dimitrios , Moustakidis Serafeim , Gkartzonika Elena , Avramidis Theodoros , Aggelousis Nikolaos , Vadikolias Konstantinos
Published: February 2023

Despite therapeutic advancements, stroke remains a leading cause of death and long-term disability. The quality of current stroke prognostic models varies considerably, whereas prediction models of post-stroke disability and mortality are restricted by the sample size, the range of clinical and risk factors and the clinical applicability in general. Accurate prognostication can ease post-stroke discharge planning and help healthcare practitioners individualize aggressive treatment or palliative care, based on projected life expectancy and clinical course. In this study, we aimed to develop an explainable machine learning methodology to predict functional outcomes of stroke patients at discharge, using the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) as a binary classification problem. We identified 35 parameters from the admission, the first 72 h, as well as the medical history of stroke patients, and used them to train the model. We divided the patients into two classes in two approaches: “Independent” vs. “Non-Independent” and “Non-Disability” vs. “Disability”. Using various classifiers, we found that the best models in both approaches had an upward trend, with respect to the selected biomarkers, and achieved a maximum accuracy of 88.57% and 89.29%, respectively. The common features in both approaches included: age, hemispheric stroke localization, stroke localization based on blood supply, development of respiratory infection, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) upon admission and systolic blood pressure levels upon admission. Intubation and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels upon admission are additional features for the first approach and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) levels upon admission for the second. Our results suggest that the said factors may be important predictors of functional outcomes in stroke patients.
Fuzzy Gain-Scheduling Based Fault Tolerant Visual Servo Control of Quadrotors
Authors: Yuksel Tolga
Published: February 2023

When military and civil missions such as transportation increase, fault tolerant control of unmanned aerial vehicles will be an obligation. Although onboard sensors provide information about the status of a quadrotor, the camera is not included in the list. In this study, visual servo control of quadrotors as a popular method for motion control is addressed. we address a visual servo control system for quadrotors as a popular method for motion control. The feature motions in the image plane are analyzed to reveal the relation between the actuator faults and these motions. Four AI fault approximators, a neural network, an extreme learning machine, a linear support vector machine, and a long short-term memory are used to approximate actuator faults of a quadrotor while using feature inputs. The results are convincing and the approximation results are used by a fuzzy logic unit to provide gain-scheduling based fault tolerant control. The proposed system shows sufficient results as a visual servo system for fixed and moving feature targets while providing fault tolerance.
Kinetic Theory-Based Methods in Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Chen Zhen , Zhang Liangqi , Yang Liming
Published: February 2023

Kinetic theory stems from the statistical mechanics established at the mesoscopic scale [...]
Finite-Key Analysis for Quantum Key Distribution with Discrete-Phase Randomization
Authors: Wang Rui-Qiang , Yin Zhen-Qiang , Jin Xiao-Hang , Wang Rong , Wang Shuang , Chen Wei , Guo Guang-Can , Han Zheng-Fu
Published: February 2023

Quantum key distribution (QKD) allows two remote parties to share information-theoretic secret keys. Many QKD protocols assume the phase of encoding state can be continuous randomized from 0 to 2π, which, however, may be questionable in the experiment. This is particularly the case in the recently proposed twin-field (TF) QKD, which has received a lot of attention since it can increase the key rate significantly and even beat some theoretical rate-loss limits. As an intuitive solution, one may introduce discrete-phase randomization instead of continuous randomization. However, a security proof for a QKD protocol with discrete-phase randomization in the finite-key region is still missing. Here, we develop a technique based on conjugate measurement and quantum state distinguishment to analyze the security in this case. Our results show that TF-QKD with a reasonable number of discrete random phases, e.g., 8 phases from {0,π/4,π/2,…,7π/4}, can achieve satisfactory performance. On the other hand, we find the finite-size effects become more notable than before, which implies that more pulses should be emit in this case. More importantly, as a the first proof for TF-QKD with discrete-phase randomization in the finite-key region, our method is also applicable in other QKD protocols.
Permutation Entropy Analysis to Intracranial Hypertension from a Porcine Model
Authors: Pose Fernando , Ciarrocchi Nicolas , Videla Carlos , Redelico Francisco O.
Published: February 2023

Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is commonly used in the follow-up of patients in intensive care units, but only a small part of the information available in the ICP time series is exploited. One of the most important features to guide patient follow-up and treatment is intracranial compliance. We propose using permutation entropy (PE) as a method to extract non-obvious information from the ICP curve. We analyzed the results of a pig experiment with sliding windows of 3600 samples and 1000 displacement samples, and estimated their respective PEs, their associated probability distributions, and the number of missing patterns (NMP). We observed that the behavior of PE is inverse to that of ICP, in addition to the fact that NMP appears as a surrogate for intracranial compliance. In lesion-free periods, PE is usually greater than 0.3, and normalized NMP is less than 90% and p(s1)>p(s720). Any deviation from these values could be a possible warning of altered neurophysiology. In the terminal phases of the lesion, the normalized NMP is higher than 95%, and PE is not sensitive to changes in ICP and p(s720)>p(s1). The results show that it could be used for real-time patient monitoring or as input for a machine learning tool.
The Impact of Education Investment on Regional Poverty Alleviation, Dynamic Constraints, and Marginal Benefits: A Case Study of Yunnan’s Poor Counties
Authors: Xie Xiaowen , Sarntisart Saran , Uddin Md. Nasir
Published: February 2023

This paper studied the impact of education investment on regional poverty alleviation of Yunnan’s poor counties, especially the dynamic constraints and marginal benefits of education input. This paper takes 30 poor counties in Yunnan province from 2007 to 2020 as the research object. A double fixed effect model, a systematic GMM model, and a quantile regression model are used to study the effect of education investment on regional poverty alleviation from static and dynamic levels. The results show that education investment has a significant positive effect on regional poverty alleviation at both static and dynamic levels. At the same time, under different poverty levels, the effect of education investment on poverty alleviation shows a law of diminishing marginal effect. As for the current situation of poor counties in Yunnan Province, the effect of education investment on poverty alleviation is increasing at a decreasing rate. The research object of this paper has achieved the goal of getting rid of absolute poverty, so the conclusion of this paper has more reference value.
Differentiation Strategy and Export Performance in Emerging Countries: Mediating Effects of Positional Advantage among Mozambican Firms
Authors: Navaia Eurico , Moreira António , Ribau Cláudia
Published: February 2023

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in economic and development growth, particularly in developing countries. Their success depends on the expansion of their markets across borders, based on the strategies adopted, in which differentiation strategies and positional advantages play an important role. As an emerging country, Mozambican SMEs face a lack of resources and business environmental challenges in deploying their unique advantages when competing abroad. As such, the objective of this paper is to study the impact of differentiation strategies on the export performance of Mozambican SMEs, and the mediating effect of positional advantage on the relationship between the differentiation strategy and export performance of SMEs. To achieve this objective, an empirical study was conducted, based on a sample of 250 Mozambican firms, to test a theoretical model that applied Structural Equation Modeling using the Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) algorithm, based on SmartPLS software version 3.3.6 (SmartPLS GmbH, Oststeinbek, Germany). The results show that differentiation strategies positively impact the export performance of SMEs and that positional advantage mildly mediates the relationship between the differentiation strategy and export performance. This suggests that Mozambican SMEs may not be properly taking advantage of the positional advantage of the differentiation strategies, as the added value generated by the positional advantage is relatively modest. As such, Mozambican SMEs still need to support their positional advantages to overcome fierce international competition. This study contributes to the knowledge about the consequences of adopting differentiation strategies and positional advantages on the export performance of SMEs, particularly in the context of emerging countries.