bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling the impact of past and future land cover changes on a reservoir catchment hydrology in Semi-arid, Africa
Authors: Atulley Joan , Kwaku Adjei A. , Owusu-Ansah Emanuel D. , Ampofo Steve , Jacob Analem , Nii Odai S.
Published: May 2022

Land-use change influences watershed hydrology and eventually, the sustainability of reservoirs. Understanding how reservoir catchment land use dynamic influences hydrology is imperative to devise effective land management and planning strategies for sustainable management of reservoir storage. This study evaluated the response of hydrological components of the Vea reservoir catchment (a sub-catchment of the White Volta Basin in West Africa) to past, present, and future land-use change scenarios (1985, 1996, 2006, 2020, 2030, 2040) using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The model performed satisfactorily with NSE values of 0.738 and 0.782 for calibration and validation respectively. The land cover change analysis revealed a continuous increase in farmland and built-up areas from 1986 to the projected 2040 resulting in increased Curved Numbers (CN). The model results revealed that an increase in CN from 81.26 to 86.06 between 1986 and projected 2040 resulted in a -7.8% and − 26.2% decrease in ET and base flow respectively, 46.9%, and 5.1% increase in surface runoff, and water yield respectively. Despite the general decline in base flow, the seasonal trend shows that base flow extends to January, indicating that the shallow aquifer store enough water that can be extracted for dry season gardening. While vegetation restoration is critical to reducing eroded sediment yield from the catchment to guarantee reservoir storage, constructing dams and dugouts within the catchment to harness the high surface runoff water for irrigation and livestock watering in the long dry season is also needful.
The ecological fallout of renewable energy under varying ecological gaps: Do institutional quality and information and communication technologies matter?
Authors: Hadj Tarek Bel , Ghodbane Adel , Mohamed Ezzedine Ben , Alfalih Abdullah Abdulmohsen
Published: May 2022

The environmental challenges are currently placed at the forefront in order to achieve sustainable development. Although existing studies have largely examined the underlying factors of the environmental sustainability, the institutional quality and the role of ICTs still insufficiently investigated. The aim of this paper is to clarify the role played by institutional quality and information and communication technologies (ICTs) to mitigate environmental degradation at different scales of the ecological gap. The results of panel quantile regression applied to fourteen selected Middle East and CIS countries from 1984 to 2017 reveal that the rule of law in countries with high ecological gap and the control of corruption in countries with medium and high ecological gaps reinforce the effects of renewable energy in reducing environmental degradation. In addition, our findings show that the positive effects of renewable energy on environmental degradation are supported by the Internet use and the mobile use in countries with medium and high ecological gaps. In the case of selected countries, the rule of law, control of corruption, Internet use and mobile use are not able to decline the ecological gap. However, environmental degradation is mitigated by financial development in countries with low ecological gaps. Urbanization has perverse effects on the environment across all quantiles. The findings from this paper can serve decision-makers in terms of environmental sustainability given the globalizing and conditional approach followed.
The Convex Uncertain Voronoi Diagram for Safe Multi-Robot Multi-Target Tracking Under Localization Uncertainty
Authors: Chen Jun , Dames Philip
Published: May 2022

Accurately detecting, localizing, and tracking an unknown and time-varying number of dynamic targets using a team of mobile robots is a challenging problem that requires robots to reason about the uncertainties in their collected measurements. The problem is made more challenging when robots are uncertain about their own states, as this makes it difficult to both collectively localize targets and avoid collisions with one another. In this paper, we introduce the convex uncertain Voronoi (CUV) diagram, a generalization of the standard Voronoi diagram that accounts for the uncertain pose of each individual robot. We then use the CUV diagram to develop distributed multi-target tracking and coverage control algorithms that enable teams of mobile robots to account for bounded uncertainty in the location of each robot. Our algorithms are capable of safely driving mobile robots towards areas of high information distribution while having them maintain coverage of the whole area of interest. We demonstrate the efficacy of these algorithms via a series of simulated and hardware tests, and compare the results to our previous work which assumes perfect localization.
The Effects of Reflective Teaching on College of Teacher Education Students’ Paragraph Writing Performance: Experimental Study
Authors: Wanore Dutamo Fonkamo
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of reflective teaching on college of teacher education students’ paragraph writing performance. From the 5 colleges in Southern Region, Hossana College of Teacher Education was selected by convenient sampling as the researchers could easily select participants devoid of trouble. Out of 126 second year English major students, 6o students (26 males and 34 females) were selected by simple random sampling. Then 30 students for each group, control and experimental, were also assigned by lottery method. Out of 13 English teachers, 1 teacher was selected through purposive sampling to train experimental group by considering his expertise on ‘Basic Writing Skills”. Experimental design was used for this study. The pretest and posttest were the data collection tools. Pretest was administered before the experiment on paragraph writing skills. After the intervention, control and experimental groups were administered the posttest. Data were analyzed quantitatively and employed mean, STD, and independent sample t-test. After pretest data analysis, the results were made known that there was no a statistically significant (as p˃0.05) difference on students’ paragraph writing performance between the control and experimental groups. However, the posttest results revealed that there was a statistically significant difference (as p˂0.05) on students’ paragraph writing performance between the control and experimental groups. Thus, from the results, it can be concluded that the majority of students in the experimental group had better performance on their paragraph writing skills due to the effects of reflective teaching.
Optimization of PVA/TiO2/MMT mixed matrix membrane for food packaging
Authors: Zamanian Maryam , Sadrnia Hassan , Khojastehpour Mehdi , Rohani Abbas , Thibault Jules , Hosseini Fereshte
Published: May 2022

Nanocomposite films performance parameters, including barrier and properties for packaging films, can be affected by variables such as the type and concentration of nanoparticles. In this investigation, Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite films were prepared by solution casting method with different combinations of Montmorillonite (MMT) platelets and Titanium Oxide (TiO2) spherical nanoparticles.A support vector machine (SVM) was implemented to study the thin nanocomposite films' behavior to changes in the independent variables. The SVM model predicted oxygen transmission rate (OTR), water vapor permeability (WVP|), Young ̓s Modulus (YM), ΔE, opacity, tensile strength (TS), and elongation at the breakpoint (EB) with an error of less than 6.43%. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) was applied to find the optimal nanoparticle concentration to achieve optimum film performance. Therefore, the results exhibited that the optimum film performance depends on the type and concentration of nanoparticles. Results show that the optimum loading of nanoparticles in this research should be between 0.5-1 wt% for TiO2 and 2.5–3.5 wt% for MMT.
Rational evolution of a recombinant DNA polymerase for efficient incorporation of unnatural nucleotides by dual-site boosting
Authors: Lyu Wenping , Cao Ruyin , Zhai Lili , Xie Qingqing , Wang Zi , Zheng Yue , Zhang Wenwei , Buell Alexander , Xu Xun , Dong Yuliang , Xu Chongjun
Published: May 2022

Machine learning-based modelling assisting functional-oriented enzyme engineering is normally built on a predefined sequence space. Efficiently defining the determinant amino acid positions upon which the combinatorial mutational library is constructed is still a challenge in protein science. Herein, we present a comprehensive investigation of modifying a recombinant DNA polymerase for efficient incorporating unnatural nucleotides \textit{via} fine-tuning of functional dynamics, including the identification of key sites/regions outside known active center, machine learning-assisted mutant screening, and the underlying mechanism of kinetics boosting.
By using hundreds of training points and only dozens of machine-learning predicted samples, we found that the highly engineered enzyme’s catalytic efficiency can be further improved by at least one order of magnitude by specific mutation of two sites on finger subdomain, 485I and 451L. Contrary to the position 485 which is known to dominate local conformation of B-family DNA polymerases, position 451 is a new active site discovered by our approach. The synergy of 485I and 451L on kinetics boosting is driven by an enhanced dynamical-cooperative regulation mechanism of the state distribution of 'open/closed' conformations and the dynamics of the nucleotide of template DNA for substrate-pairing. These findings extended the boundaries of the functional dynamics engineering of complex protein enzymes and have implications in guiding the design of DNA polymerases for a broad range of biotechnological applications.
Improving Taste Sensitivity in Healthy Adults Using Taste Recall Training: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Otsubo Yuta , Miyagi Midori , Sekiya Hideki , Kano Osamu , Ebihara Satoru
Published: May 2022

Although many patients suffer from taste disorder, methods to improve taste sensitivity are limited. To develop a taste recall training method to improve the perception of taste, 42 healthy individuals were randomly assigned to either the training or the control group. Using the filter paper disc method, participants in the training group were asked to match the four tastes (sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness) between those of taste recognition thresholds and those of a one-step higher concentration until they get them right. Then, they were asked to match the four tastes between those of one-step lower and one-step higher in concentration from their taste recognition thresholds until they get them right. Finally, they were asked to match the four tastes between those of one-step lower concentration and those of their taste recognition thresholds until they get them right. This training was repeated until perfectly matched. The taste recall training program led to a lowered taste recognition threshold in healthy adults for each taste quality, suggesting the improvement of taste sensitivity. This lowered threshold for each taste was observed with each additional training session. We conclude that this taste recall training method might be a therapeutic approach for treating taste disorder.
ELX: An Empirical Two-Stage Combinatorial Approach to Identify Pleiotropic Genetic Effects by using Genome-Wide Association Summary Statistics
Authors: Tsai Ming-Ju , Chen Xing , Hsu Yi-Hsiang
Published: May 2022

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified genetic determinants underlying complex human diseases. Pleiotropic effects occur when a single genetic variant influences multiple phenotypes or illnesses, widely observed in recent GWAS findings. However, no systematic effort has been made to statistically detect pleiotropic effects across many traits/phenotypes due to the lack of easy-to-use statistical tools utilizing summary statistics from GWAS, mainly since most GWAS were conducted via meta-analyzing combining summary statistics from multiple studies. This study proposes an Empirical Linear two-stage Combinatorial (ELX) method to identify potential pleiotropic effects by utilizing aggregated results from GWAS summary statistics. In the first stage, we developed direct linear combining (dLC), and empirical combining (eLC) approaches combining correlated univariate test statistics to screen potential pleiotropic variants on a genome-wide scale. In the second stage, we developed a conditional pleiotropy testing (cPLT) approach to examine the pleiotropic effects for candidate variants identified in Stage 1 using individual-level data. The results demonstrated that cPLT reduced type 1 error in identifying pleiotropic genetic variants compared to the typical conditional strategy. We validated ELX by performing a bivariate GWA study on two correlated quantitative traits, high-density lipoprotein and triglycerides, in the Framingham Heart Study. The proposed two-stage approach allows us to leverage aggregated summary statistics from univariate GWAS. It improves the power to identify potential pleiotropy while maintaining low false-positive rates. ELX is available on Github at https://yihsianghsulab.github.io/ELX.
Situational Assessment for Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) in Pakistan
Authors: Maqbool Nida , Shahid Muhammad Arslan , Khan Sher Jamal
Published: May 2022

With enhanced focus on global sanitation, access to toilets at the household level is increasing in developing countries although the provision of sewer networks is not expanding at the same pace. This is resulting in the adaptation of On-Site Sanitation (OSS) facilities. The fecal sludge generated by the OSS facilities requires emptying, treatment, and safe disposal. In this study, the sanitation situation and need for Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) was evaluated in major cities of Pakistan including Karachi (provincial capital), Lahore (provincial capital), and Islamabad (national capital). Primary and secondary data were collected from key informant interviews (KII) of the stakeholders, national and international reports, research, and review articles. Infographics on wastewater and fecal sludge from origin to disposal were developed using a Shit flow diagram (SFD) tool and enabling environment was evaluated with a modified Service Delivery Assessment (SDA) tool. The results indicate that adequate sewerage network cover exists in Karachi (60%), Lahore (63%), and Islamabad (50%). The sewerage network in major cities is leaking and a limited amount reaches the treatment plants. Total wastewater treatment in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad is 10%, 0%, and 9% respectively. The safe sanitation in Lahore (8%) and Islamabad (25%) is coming from OSS with fecal sludge buried safely onsite. The inclusion of FSM related framework, guidelines, and policies can help achieve the goal of safe sanitation for all.
Gripping Adhesive Principles in the Design of Effectors
Authors: Horak Marcel , Stary Michal , Matusek Ondrej , Novotny Frantisek
Published: May 2022

This article presents a basic study of knowledge in the research and development of specific gripping elements based on the principle of adhesion. It summarizes the use of materials with a high degree of surface adhesion in the design of gripping elements usable in industry to provide stable gripping of objects during automatic manipulation. The principle of a combined element proposed by the authors, where the gripping force is derived through both vacuum and adhesion, is presented. The conditions of operation in an active or completely passive mode without the need to connect an energy source are discussed in detail. In the active mode, a significant increase in gripping forces is demonstrated compared to standard vacuum elements, which has a positive effect on the amounts of compressed air consumed and the level of grip safety in production processes. To ensure the optimal function of the adhesive gripping elements, the design of a specifically designed fluid position compensator and an active system for disturbing the adhesive gripping forces is presented. The functionality of the designed element was demonstrated through several laboratory tests under various conditions, and the results clearly confirmed an increase in gripping forces in the axial and in particular the radial direction of the load. The research included the design of a computer model of deformation-adhesive contact, respecting the time dependence of the deformation of the adhesive layer and the gradual loss of contact with the object.
A clinical study of the hemodynamic and metabolic effects of Zone 3 REBOA for sacral and pelvic tumor resections
Authors: Zhao Zhiqing , Wang Jichuan , Yan Taiqiang , Guo Wei , Yang Rongli , Tang Xiaodong , Yang Yi
Published: May 2022

Background: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a key procedure in sacral and pelvic tumor resection that provides hemorrhage control. However, few studies have been performed to capture the effects of REBOA in a non-shock condition and give a detailed description of the changes occurring with the occlusion time prolongs. This study aim to examine the hemodynamic and metabolic effects of Zone 3 REBOA for sacral and pelvic tumor resections following different periods of REBOA.Methods: 121 patients underwent surgical tuomr resections of the pelvis and/or the sacrum with the use of aortic balloon occlusion were prospectively enrolled in this study from October 2020 to December 2021. All cases were divided into group A (occlusion time ≤60 min, n = 57) and group B (occlusion time ≥90 min, n = 64). Physiologic parameters were continuously recorded, and laboratory specimens were obtained at regular intervals.Results: Balloon inflation resulted in a significant increase of SBP from 106.81 to 121.84 mmHg (p = 0.00), and decreased to 95.79 mmHg the just following balloon deflation. With the application of REBOA, the average blood loss was only 1485.21ml (range, 400-7900). When deflating the REBOA, the arterial pH was lower than baseline (7.36 vs. 7.41, p = 0.00). The arterial lactate concentration increased from 0.91 to 1.48 mmol/L, (p = 0.00). Serum potassium measurements increased from 3.95 to 4.10 mmol/L. Serum calcium measurements decreased from 2.30 to 2.03 mmol/L. Blood creatinine decreased from 65.09 to 62.50 umol/L. All the laboratory measurements were at normal level after deflation of the REBOA. The operating time of Group B was longer than patients in Group A, and the patients in Group B need more number of blood units transfused. Except that the lactate was higher in Group B after deflation (p = 0.00), other laboratory measurements including pH, potassium, calcium, and blood creatinine were at the same level.Conclusions: The results of this study shown that acceptable hemodynamic and metabolic stability can be attained when the occlusion time of REBOA more than 90 minutes, although the long duration of occlusion caused relatively higher lactate.
Follow-up survey of general practitioners in Zhejiang Province post-completion of position transition training in 2017–2020
Authors: Qin Hongli , Li Shuai , Liu Juanjuan , Ren Jingjing , Yu Meiyue
Published: May 2022

Background: Position transition training for general practitioners in Zhejiang Province started in 2017 and has since been held once a year. By the beginning of 2022, four training sessions were completed. The purpose of this survey was to establish the current situation of trainees after their graduation and provide reference for the evaluation of the training effect.Methods: Of the 738 trainees who completed the training, 253 were contacted and followed up. A self-designed questionnaire was used to conduct the survey through online filling in. The content included questions to elucidate the following information: whereabouts after the training, registration as a general practitioner, undertaken general practice teaching and scientific research work, current occupational environment, improvement of post competence after receiving position transition training, willingness to complete survey, willingness to participate in future training programs, etc.Results: A number of 253 valid questionnaires were collected with a recovery rate of 100%. Notably, 93.68% of the participants successfully completed their training and obtained the Training Certificate of General Practitioners. Further, 83.4% were registered as general practitioners, 82.94% of which added on the basis of the original registered scope of practice. Currently, most of them work in primary health care institutions, primarily occupied with medical treatment, chronic disease management, COVID-19 prevention and control, health education, and prevention and health care. Of them, 27.01% were currently undertaking teaching work, and only 3.32% of them were conducting scientific research work related to general practice. The overall satisfaction of the trainees in the three theoretical training bases was above 90%, with no statistically significant difference among them (P > 0.05). Importantly, 84.11% of the followed-up personnel hoped to continue to participate in similar training in the future to improve their general practitioner core competences.Conclusion: The position transition training in Zhejiang Province has achieved good results, but the details of training and the implementation of policies in individual regions need to be improved. Most of the graduates were willing to continue their education, especially in general practitioners with special interests.
Predictors of Sick Leave among Healthcare Workers in a Lebanese Tertiary Medical Center: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Sakr Carine , Fakih Lina , Musharrafieh Umayya , Makki Maha , Doudakian Rita , Tamim Hani , Redlich Carrie , Slade Martin , Rahme Diana
Published: May 2022

Background:
Previous studies have shown that demographic, social, and work-related factors can influence sick-leave rates among healthcare workers. In this multivariable study, we evaluated potential predictors of sick leaves among the employees of a tertiary medical center in Lebanon between the years 2015 and 2018.
Methods:
This study was a retrospective analysis of sick leave records of the population of healthcare workers who took sick leave between 2015 and 2018. The records included a large sample size of 2,850 employees. Descriptive statistics were run, and the number of sick leave episodes was stratified by sick leave diagnosis. Bivariate analysis was done to investigate the association of the outcome with all predictors. To identify potential predictors of sick leave episodes, a multiple linear regression was conducted, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
Infectious diseases and musculoskeletal disorders diagnoses accounted for the highest number of sick leaves throughout the study period. All diagnoses had a short duration of sick leave days, with the mean duration of all diagnoses being 2.60 days. As for predictors of number of sick leave episodes, results from multiple regression analysis showed that the female gender, older age, marital status, lower job grade, job position, smoking status, and some medical conditions (namely gastrointestinal problems, respiratory problems, kidney disease, headache, back pain, and anxiety) were all significant predictors of taking more sick-leave episodes in the study population.
Conclusion:
Analyzing sick leave is a complex process with multifactorial determinants, and our study found a significant association between multiple demographics, work related, and health related predictors with the number of sick leave episodes. These findings call for further research to evaluate how interventions such as smoking cessation programs, safe patient handling programs, and employee assistance programs could impact sick leave rates among healthcare workers. Such interventions would guide policies for healthier, safer, and more productive workplaces.
MSI status and p53 expression in benign and malignant salivary gland neoplasms
Authors: Winkelmann Ria , Weißgerber Maja , Wild Peter J. , Demes Melanie , Balermpas Panagiotis , Bankov Katrin , Grün Jens von der
Published: May 2022

Background: Histopathological diagnosis of salivary gland cancer (SGC) can be challenging and DNA and RNA sequencing approaches can be needed in difficult cases. Unfortunately, next generation sequencing (NGS) approaches are still expensive and time consuming. For this reason, there is still demand for quicker and less time-consuming techniques, which are able to reveal important therapeutical targets. Methods:We investigated approaches to test for microsatellite instability (MSI) on well-defined cohorts of benign (n=60) and malignant (n=84) salivary gland neoplasms by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for mismatch repair proteins (MMR-P), fragment analysis based on the Bethesda Panel, and the IdyllaTM MSI test. Additionally, we investigated p53 immunoreactivity on our cohort assuming a link between MSI status and p53 expression levels. Results: According to MMR-P IHC 8 cases of SGC showed an aberrant IHC phenotype. Additional IdyllaTM MSI testing and fragment length analysis could not confirm microsatellite instability. For p53, differing expression patterns were noted in the cohort of malignant SGC: 37/78 (47%) showed a wild-type pattern and 41/78 (53%) showed an aberrant pattern (either complete loss or strong expression).A statistically significant association between p53 expression pattern and MSI status via MMR-P IHC was shown (p=0,04). Conclusion: Based on PCR results, MSI seems to be insignificant in SGCs. For verification larger cohorts are needed. Under the aspect of quality assurance and to get valid results for MSI testing, sufficient DNA quality is needed. Additionally, the applied primer panels were designed and validated for colorectal cancer not for salivary gland neoplasms. Although p53 is of lesser relevance for diagnostic purposes, it may serve as a first step in MSI testing and generating possible new therapeutic options for the patient.
Randomly controlled drivers using minimal-invasive sampling: assessment of the drug prevalence in Western Switzerland over two time periods
Authors: Joye Timothée , Déglon Julien , Donzé Nicolas , Gilardi Federica , Sidibe Jonathan , Favrat Bernard , Augsburger Marc , Thomas Aurélien
Published: May 2022

BackgroundAccording to the World Health Organization, road traffic injuries lead to 1.3 million deaths each year and represent the first cause of death for young adults under 30 years old. The use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol, drugs and pharmaceuticals is a well-known risk factor for road traffic injuries. Our study aims to assess the prevalence of substances consumed by drivers in Western Switzerland. Such studies are capital to improve prevention and develop public awareness campaigns.MethodsTo assess the prevalence of psychoactive substances among drivers, roadside controls were performed in collaboration with local polices, using their classical sampling procedures to detect drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol, over two time periods (P1: 2006-2008, P2: 2017-2020). When impaired-driving was not suspected by the police, minimal-invasive sampling strategies were performed on volunteer drivers, after a road safety survey. A posteriori analyses and statistical interpretation were then performed.ResultsAmongst the 1’605 drivers included in the study, 1’048 volunteers provided an oral fluid sample, whilst 299 provided a dried blood spot sample. The percentage of drivers testing positive to at least one substance which may impair driving ability was stable over time, with a rate of 10.5% of positivity measured over both periods. The proportion of medicinal drugs and drugs of abused showed a slight variation between both periods, with 7.6 % and 6.3 % of prescribed drugs and 3.6 % and 4.9 % of illicit drugs for P1 and P2 respectively. Regarding the consumption of illicit drugs, the highest percentage of positivity was measured in biological fluids of drivers under the age of 35, during nights and week-ends, periods which are considered particularly prone to fatal accidents for this age group. Disturbingly, the road safety survey highlighted that drivers’ perception of the risk of getting positively controlled whilst driving after drug consumption is low (3.3 on a 1-to-10 scale, N=299).ConclusionThe number of positive cases measured in voluntary drivers who passed the preliminary police check demonstrates the importance of systematic biofluid sampling strategies regarding driving under the influence of psychoactive substances. Although the number of fatal road accidents globally decreases overtime, the results of this study reveal the need for both better prevention and deterrent processes that could potentially reduce the risk of fatal road accidents associated with drug consumption.
Kotter's 8-step change model to improve hand hygiene compliance in Intensive Care Unit: a 41-month prospective longitudinal quality improvement study
Authors: Hu Fen , Wang Ying , Cao Rui , Hu Chang , Feng Bilong , Li Jin , Ding Xinbo , Ma Jing , Li Huilin , Wang Pei , Xu Ying , Xu Dandan , Pei Juanjuan , Zhu Xiaoping , Chen Jie , Liang Ke , Peng Zhiyong , Kashani Kianoush , Hu Bo , Yuan Yufeng
Published: May 2022

BackgroundMany studies have evaluated bundled interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance (HHC). However, the compliance rates remain low. We aimed to use Kotter's change model (KCM) to improve HHC and conduct a complete process evaluation for HHC among medical staff in the intensive care unit (ICU). MethodsKCM was administrated in the ICU of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from March 2018 to August 2021, and 41-month longitudinal monitoring of HHC was carried out. The primary outcome was the absolute change in monthly HHC. The secondary outcomes included the characteristics of HHC in different phases, the different change trends of HHC for different HH opportunities and occupations, the quarterly incidence of the central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), and the catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI).Results. 20,222 HH actions and 24,195 HH opportunities were included in this study. The overall HHC was 83.58% (95%CI, 83.11%-84.04%). After implementing the KCM project, the HHC increased from 35.71% (95%CI, 22.99%-50.83%) to 87.75% (95%CI, 85.53%-89.67%), with an increased rate of 145.73%. The fastest-growing rate of HHC was after contact patients, which increased from 35.29% to 89.8%. Quarterly trends of the CLABSI rate (0‰-3.53‰) and CAUTI rate (0.96‰-4.26‰) remained stable at a low level under the background of the number of cases and the treatment complexities of the patients increasing year by year.ConclusionsUsing KCM can systematically change the cognition of HH in healthcare providers and create an atmosphere to promote HH to improve and maintain the stability of the HHC of healthcare providers in ICU.
An image encryption scheme based on block compressed sensing and Chen system​
Authors: Luo Yuling , Liang Yuting , Zhang Shunsheng , Liu Junxiu , Wang Fangxiao
Published: May 2022

Image encryption is a common way of information protection. However, most of the existing image encryption schemes have been restricted to low transmission efficiency and large memory consumption due to ciphertext redundancy. A high-efficiency and security image algorithm with Block Compressed Sensing (BCS) is designed in this paper to protect image information and reduce redundant data. For a start, the original image is sparsely processed by Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), and then pixel positions in the global scope are scrambled by chaotic sequence. Secondly, several image blocks are obtained by dividing scrambled images and sequentially the computational complexity can be cut down. Next, the image blocks are measured by a key-controlled partial Hadamard matrix to reduce the dimension. Finally, image blocks are merged and a proposed Randomly Selected Pixel Diffusion (PSPD) is used to further enhance security performance. Specifically, SHA-512 value of the original image is used for key generation, and then plaintext sensitivity is improved. The pseudo-random sequences that are required for scrambling and diffusion are produced by Chen system and logistic map. Simulation results show that this mechanism has low complexity, higher performance of security compared with others.
Structural Basis of Oncogenesis by Mutants of Calreticulin
Authors: Constantinescu Stefan N. , Papadopoulos Nicolas , Nédélec Audrey , Derenne Allison , Şulea Teodor Asvadur , Pecquet Christian , Chachoua Ilyas , Vertenoeil Gaëlle , Tilmant Thomas , Petrescu Andrei-Jose , Mazuccheli Gabriel , Vertommen Didier
Published: May 2022

Calreticulin (CALR) is a master lectin chaperone that normally guides the proper folding of integral membrane proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. In healthy cells, CALR transiently and non-specifically interacts with thousands of immature N-glycosylated proteins through its N-terminal glycan-binding domain. Conversely, frameshift mutants of CALR turn into rogue cytokine by acquiring the ability to stably and specifically interact with the Thrombopoietin Receptor (TpoR). Strikingly, this interaction induces constitutive activation of TpoR leading to myeloproliferative neoplasms, blood cancers resulting from the overproduction of blood cells. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we unveil how the CALR frameshift mutations result in structural overhaul of the entire protein and identify the structural basis of its acquired specificity for TpoR. We further describe the mechanisms by which complex formation triggers TpoR dimerization and activation. In addition, we provide the first complete dynamic conformational footprints of both wild-type and mutant CALR and identify novel potentially targetable sites.
Occurrence, sources, and impact mechanisms of soil microplastics and adsorbed heavy metals in the Ebinur Lake Basin, northwest China
Authors: Zhaoyong Zhang , Jieyi Guo , Pengwei Wang
Published: May 2022

There is a lack of research on soil microplastics in arid oases considering the rapid economic development of northwest China and Central Asia. Here, we studied the occurrence forms, pollution status, and sources of microplastics in soils, as well as the relationship between microplastics and adsorbed heavy metals in the Ebinur Lake Basin, a typical oasis in an arid area. Results showed that (1) the average microplastic content in all soil samples was 36.15 ± 3.27 mg/kg. The contents of microplastics at different sampling points ranged between 3.89 ± 1.64 and 89.25 ± 2.98 mg/kg. Overall, the proportions of various microplastic shapes diminished in the order: film (54.25%) > fiber (18.56%) > particle (15.07%) > fragment (8.66%) > foam (3.46%). (2) Among all microplastic particles, white particles accounted for the largest proportion (52.93%), followed by green (24.15%), black (12.17%), transparent (7.16%), and yellow particles (3.59%). The proportions of microplastic particle size ranges across all soil samples diminished in the order: 1000–2000 µm (40.88%) > 500–1000 µm (26.75%) > 2000–5000 µm (12.30%) > 100–500 µm (12.92%) > 0–100 µm (7.15%). FTIR analyses showed that PET, PP, PC, PE, and PS occurred in the studied soils. (3) Random forest predictions showed that industrial and agricultural production activities and the discharge of domestic plastic waste were related to soil microplastic pollution. Agricultural plastic film was the most important factor in soil pollution in the study area. (4) Seven heavy metals extracted from microplastics in soil samples showed significant positive correlations with soil pH, EC, and total salt, N, P, and K contents (p < 0.01), indicating that these soil factors could significantly affect the contents of heavy metals carried by microplastics.
Anlotinib maintenance following adjuvant chemotherapy in newly diagnosed stage III–IV patients with epithelial ovarian cancer: a retrospective study
Authors: Ding Jianghua , Leng Zhaohui
Published: May 2022

Background and AimsAnti-angiogenesis therapy with bevacizumab maintenance marginally improved the median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 4.9 months in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Anlotinib, an oral small-molecular anti-angiogenic agent, has been reported to treat platinum-resistant EOC. However, little is known about anlotinib maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed EOC.MethodsThis retrospective study included 20 patients with newly diagnosed EOC from a single hospital between January 2020 and December 2021. The primary endpoints were mPFS, the overall response rate (ORR), and the disease control rate (DCR). Adverse reactions to therapy were also assessed. ResultsAmong all EOC patients, the ORR was 65% (13/20) and the DCR was 95% (19/20), while the mPFS was 14.8 months (95% confidence interval, 11.5–18.0 months). Subgroup analysis revealed a trend toward a prolonged PFS among EOC patients with a wild-type status compared to those harboring BRCA1/2 mutations (14.8 vs. 11.8 months, P = 0.3621). Seven patients (35%) required a dose reduction because of grade 3 or 4 adverse events, which were manageable and tolerable. No anlotinib-related death events were observed.ConclusionFirst-line anlotinib maintenance following adjuvant chemotherapy might be a novel therapeutic strategy, especially for BRCA wild-type EOC patients.
Towards controlling mouse through Hand Gestures: A novel and efficient approach
Authors: Joshi Hritik , waybhase Nitin , Litoriya Ratnesh , Mangal Dharmendra
Published: May 2022

In today’s world, we tend to see a lot of development happening in the field of Technology. Today’s technology is combined with the technique known as computer science. This paper is additionally supported little a part of AI. This paper presents a Hand gesture-based virtual mouse on our computer’s window exploitation camera & handling the complete system by simply moving your fingers. Using finger detection ways for fast camera access and easy computer program makes it additional simply accessible. The system is employed to implement a motion tracking mouse. this technique reduces the employment of any physical mouse which saves time and additionally reduces effort.
A Multivalent Vaccine for Preventing Piglet Diarrhea A New Multivalent Vaccine Candidate Targeting Fimbriae and Enterotoxin of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli for Preventing Newborn Piglet Diarrhea
Authors: xu chongli , Peng Kun , She Yuhan , Fu Fengyang , Shi Qinhong , Lin Yimin Lin Yimin , Xu Chongbo
Published: May 2022

In order to develop the K88ac-3STa-LT2 trivalent genetically engineered inactivated vaccine, the recombinant strain BL21(DE3)(pXK88ac3STaLT2) was constructed. ELISA test showed that the K88ac-3STa-LT2 fusion protein could be recognized by STa monoclonal antibody, LT2 and K88ac antibody. The test of intragastric administration in the suckling mouse confirmed that the expressed fusion protein had lost the toxicity of the natural STa enterotoxin. The results of immune experiments showed that K88ac-3STa-LT2 fusion protein could induce rabbits to produce serum antibodies, which had the effect of neutralizing the toxicity of natural STa enterotoxin. Efficacy test of the K88ac-3STa-LT2 genetically engineered inactivated vaccine showed that the immune protection rate of the newborn piglets could reach 85% on the 1st day after suckling. At the same time, it was determined that the minimum immunization doses for mice and pregnant sows were 0.2 mL and 2.5mL respectively. This study provided scientific parameters for the industrialized production of the vaccine and showed that the K88ac-3STa-LT2 trivalent genetically engineered inactivated vaccine had a broad immune spectrum for E. coli diarrhea in newborn piglets. Through this research, a new genetic engineering vaccine candidate strain was provided for more effective prevention of E. coli diarrhea in piglets.
Projected changes in atmospheric moisture transport contributions associated with climate warming
Authors: Fernández-Alvarez Jose Carlos , Pérez-Alarcón Albenis , Rahimi Stefan , NIETO RAQUEL , Gimeno Luis
Published: May 2022

Global warming and associated changes in atmospheric circulation patterns are expected to alter the hydrological cycle, including the intensity and position of moisture sources. This study presents predicted changes for the middle and end of the 21st century under different climate scenarios for two important extratropical moisture sources: the North Atlantic Ocean (NATL) and Mediterranean Sea (MED). By the end of the century, moisture from the NATL will increase precipitation over eastern North America in winter, western Europe in spring, and northwestern Africa during winter and summer. Moisture from the MED will increase precipitation over the southern and western portions of the Mediterranean continental area. Precipitation associated with the MED will decrease over eastern Europe, while that associated with the NATL will decrease over western Europe and Africa. Precipitation recycling on the Iberian Peninsula will increase in all seasons except winter. Climate change, as simulated by CESM2 thus modifies atmospheric moisture transport, affecting regional hydrological cycles.
Biological survival optimizer: a new nature-inspired computation technique for engineering optimization
Authors: Zhang Qingyang , He Xiangyu , Jiang Shouyong , Dong Yongquan , Song Hui
Published: May 2022

This study proposes a novel and lightweight bio-inspired computation technique named biological survival optimizer (BSO), which simulates the escape behavior of prey in the natural environment. This algorithm consists of two important courses, escape phase and adjustment phase. Specifically, in the escape phase, each search agent is required to updates its location using the best, the worst and a neighboring individual of the population. The adjustment phase is implemented using the simplex algorithm for search better location of the worst agent within a small region. The effectiveness of the BSO is validated on the CEC2017 benchmark problems and three classical engineering structural problems. Simulation comparison results considering both convergence and accuracy simultaneously show that BSO can present competitive performance compared with other state-of-art optimization techniques.
A Universal Incision for Robot-assisted Thoracic Surgery
Authors: Jiao Jia , Guo Jinbao , Zhao Jia , Li Xiangnan , Du Ming
Published: May 2022

Objective This paper aimed to design and explore the versatility of robot-assisted in thoracic surgery incision.Methods The concept of universal incision was designed and put forward. The clinical data of 342 cases of robot-assisted thoracic surgery were summarized, including gender, age, clinical diagnosis, operative method, operative time, conversion to thoracotomy, intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph node dissection, postoperative pathology and stage, postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative complications of the patients.Results The 342 cases of robot-assisted surgery contained 78 cases of pulmonary surgery (including 54 cases of pulmonary lobectomy, 18 cases of segmental pulmonary resection, 6 cases of pulmonary wedge resection), 82 cases of esophageal surgery (including 77 cases of Mckeown approach, 5 cases of esophageal leiomyoma resection), 42 cases of mediastinal tumor (including 32 cases of anterior mediastinal tumor, 10 cases of posterior mediastinal tumor). Among them, 2 cases were converted to thoracotomy (both esophageal cases), and the rest were successful with no massive intraoperative bleeding and no perioperative death.Conclusion The universal incision of robot-assisted thoracic surgery is safe and feasible, and is suitable for most cases of thoracic surgery.
Time-lapse imaging reveals kinetics of megakaryocytic- erythroid progenitor self-renewal and differentiation
Authors: Scanlon Vanessa , Thompson Evrett , Lawton Betty R. , Kochugaeva Maria , Ta Kevin , Mayday Madeline Y , Xavier-Ferrucio Juliana , Kang Elaine , Eskow Nicole , Lu Yi-Chien , Kwon Nayoung , Laumas Anisha , Cenci Matthew , Lawrence Kalyani , Barden Katie , Larsuel Shannon , Reed Fiona , Carmona Gabriela Pena , Ubbelohde Ashley , Lee June P. , Boobalan Shakthi , Oppong Yvette , Anderson Rachel , Maynard Colby , Sahirul Kaylie , Lajeune Callista , Ivathraya Varsha , Addy Tiffany , Sanchez Patricia , Holbrook Colin , Ho Andrew Tri Van , Duncan James S. , Blau Helen , Levchenko Andre , Krause Diane S.
Published: May 2022

Single-cell assays have enriched our understanding of hematopoiesis and, more generally, stem and progenitor cell biology. However, these single-end-point approaches provide only a static snapshot of the state of a cell. To observe and measure dynamic changes that may instruct cell fate, we developed an approach for examining hematopoietic progenitor fate specification using long-term (> 7-day) single-cell time-lapse imaging for up to 13 generations with in situ fluorescence staining of primary human hematopoietic progenitors followed by algorithm-assisted lineage tracing. We analyzed progenitor cell dynamics, including the division rate, velocity, viability, and probability of lineage commitment, at the single-cell level over time. We established and evaluated the use of a novel U2-Net based network for automated cell segmentation and applied a Markov probabilistic model to predict progenitor division outcome over each generation in culture. We demonstrated the utility of this methodological pipeline by evaluating the effects of the cytokines thrombopoietin and erythropoietin on the dynamics of self-renewal and lineage specification in primary human bipotent megakaryocytic-erythroid progenitors (MEPs). Our data support the hypothesis that thrombopoietin and erythropoietin support the viability and self-renewal of MEPs, but do not affect fate specification. Thus, single-cell tracking of time-lapse imaged colony-forming unit assays provides a robust method for assessing the dynamics of progenitor self-renewal and lineage commitment.
A novel grinding method for the flute with the complex edge by standard wheel
Authors: Wang Hongyang , Liu Xianli , Yue Caixu , Wang Shipeng , Zheng Gaojun , Zhao Kaiwang
Published: May 2022

The flute plays an important role in the design process for tools. The complexity of the cutting edge is increasing continuously. Thus, it is difficult to grind flute precisely and efficiently. This paper presents a practical grinding method for the flute of tools. It solves the issue that how to grind the flute with the complex edge by standard wheels. It is summarized as follows: the curve of cutting edge and core are used as the designed parameters of the flute; We propose the fundamental conditions that the wheel doesn’t interfere with designed parameters; We can find the posture and position of wheel in the curve frame easily, thus obtain wheel trajectory. Finally, using a taper end mill as an example, the results show a good agreement between the CAM data and the model data. This proves the effectiveness of this method.