bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved YOLOv5 Network Method for Remote Sensing Image Based Ground Objects Recognition
Authors: jie xue , Technology Shandong University of Science and , Zheng Yongguo , Dong-Ye Changlei , Wang Ping , Yasir Muhammad
Published: February 2022

High resolution remote-sensing images have the characteristics of complex background environment, clustering of objects, etc., which lead to the problem of low accuracy in recognition of large ground objects such as airports, dams, golf field, etc. Based on this problem, this paper proposes a remote sensing image object detection method based on YOLOv5 network. By improving the backbone extraction network, the network structure can be deepened to get more information about large objects, the detection effect can be improved by adding attention mechanism and adding output layer to enhance feature extraction and feature fusion. The pre-training weight is obtained by transfer learning and used as the training weight of the improved YOLOv5 to speed up the network convergence. The experiment is carried out on DIOR dataset, the results show that the improved YOLOv5 network can significantly improve the accuracy of large object recognition compared with the YOLO series network and the EfficientDet model on DIOR datadet, and the mAP of the improved YOLOv5 network is 80.5%, which is 2% higher than the original YOLOv5 network.
The Paris System for Reporting Urinary Cytology Improves the Negative Predictive Value of High-grade Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Yamasaki Mari , Taoka Rikiya , Katakura Kazuya , Matsunaga Toru , Kani Naoya , Honda Tomoko , Harada Satoshi , Tohi Yoichiro , Matsuoka Yuki , Kato Takuma , Okazoe Homare , Tsunemori Hiroyuki , Ueda Nobufumi , Haba Reiji , Sugimoto Mikio
Published: February 2022

Background: The Paris System (TPS) for reporting urinary cytology differs from conventional systems (CS) in that it focuses on the diagnosis of high-grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC). This study investigated the impact of TPS implementation on the diagnostic accuracy of HGUC by comparing it with CS.Methods: A total of 649 patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) between January 2009 and December 2020 were included in this study. Our institution adopted TPS to report urinary cytology in February 2020. The diagnostic accuracy of HGUC in preoperative urinary cytology was compared with the presence or absence of HGUC in resected specimens of TURBT before and after TPS implementation.Results: After implementing TPS in urinary cytology, 89 patients were reviewed and compared with 560 patients whose urinary cytology was diagnosed by CS. TPS and CS for detecting HGUC had 56.0% and 58.2% sensitivity, 97.8% and 91.2% specificity, and 93.3% and 87.9% positive predictive values, respectively. There were no significant differences between TPS and CS in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for HGUC (P=0.83, 0.21, 1.00). On the other hand, the negative predictive value for HGUC using TPS was 80.0%, which was significantly higher than that of CS (66.4%, P=0.04) The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that not using TPS was one of the independent predictive factors associated with false-negative results for HGUC (odds ratio, 2.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–4.77; P=0.03). Conclusion: In instances where urinary cytology is reported as negative for HGUC by TPS, there is a low probability of HGUC, indicating that TPS has a potential diagnostic benefit.
Adversarial Bandit Approach for RIS-Aided OFDM Communication
Authors: Ouameur Messaoud Ahmed , Lê Dương Tuấn Anh , Massicotte Daniel , Jeon Gwanggil , de Figueiredo Felipe Augusto Pereira
Published: February 2022

To assist sixth-generation wireless systems in the management of a wide variety of services, ranging from mission-critical services to safety critical tasks, key physical layer technologies such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) are proposed. Even though RISs are already used in various scenarios to enable the implementation of smart radio environments, they still face challenges with regards to real time operation. Specifically, RISs typically need costly, high dimensional channel estimation with offline exhaustive search, requiring prohibitive hardware complexity or online exhaustive beam-training that incurs high training overhead. While in its infant stage, the application of deep learning (DL) tools shows promise in enabling feasible solutions. In this paper, we propose two low-training overhead and energy-efficient adversarial bandit-based schemes with outstanding performance gains when compared to DL-based reflection beamforming reference methods. The resulting deep learning models are discussed using state-of-the art model quality prediction trends.
A modular Gravity-Driven Ultrafiltration (GDU) membrane system for contaminant removal: Dynamic flux modelling and its fouling study
Authors: Ooi Boon Seng , Ishak Nur Ir Imani , Chieh Derek Chan Juinn
Published: February 2022

During flood or drought, water shortage is a critical issue due to the water contamination. Under this situation, gravitational driven ultrafiltration (GDU) membrane system which solely depends on hydrostatic pressure could be employed to provide the clean water for domestic usage. Due to the limitation of site accessibility during flood, a modular and batch type GDU membrane system is required for water filtration. In that case, prediction of the water level within the module which affected the hydrostatic pressure and effective filtration area over the time is important. The prediction of water level enables the design of the intermittent pumping frequencies for the optimum usage of energy. In this work, the removal efficiency of GDU system towards two common contaminants in water surface namely humic acid and calcium carbonate were tested. The highest removal efficiency of the GDU system towards humic acid, and calcium carbonate were recorded as 94.96 % and 99.19 % respectively. It was found that different feed solutions exhibited different fluxes declination profiles due to their distinctive fouling characteristic. A model was developed to predict the ideal dynamic flux of the membrane under the condition of reducing hydrostatic pressure and effective membrane area. Using the dynamic model, the resistance of the membrane and cake layer were determined. It was found that the filtration resistance is dominated by the cake layer resistance. River water test showed that GDU is an effective method for reclaiming the river water in removing the colour and turbidity.
An Integrated Pipeline For Prediction of Clostridioides Difficile Infection
Authors: Li Jiang , Chaudhary Durgesh , Sharma Vaibhav , Sharma Vishakha , Avula Venkatesh , Ssentongo Paddy , Wolk Donna M. , Zand Ramin , Abedi Vida
Published: February 2022

With the expansion of electronic health records(EHR)-linked genomic data comes the development of machine learning-enable models. There is a pressing need to develop robust pipelines to evaluate performance of integrated models and minimize systemic bias. We developed a prediction model of symptomatic Clostridioides difficile infection(CDI) by integrating common EHR-based risk factors and genetic risk factors(rs2227306/IL8). Our pipeline includes 1)leveraging phenotyping algorithm to minimize temporal bias, 2)performing simulation studies to determine the predictive power in samples without genetic information, 3)propensity score matching to control for the confoundings, 4)selecting machine learning algorithms to capture complex feature interactions, 5)performing oversampling to address data imbalance, and 6) optimizing models and ensuring proper bias-variance trade-off. We evaluate the performace of including common clinical risk factors in prediction of CDI and the benefit of including genetic feature(s) into the prediction models. We emphasize the importance of building a robust integrated pipeline to avoid systemic bias and the value of genetic feature should be thoroughly evaluated in general population and subgroups.
Predicting non-sentinel node metastasis during surgery in breast cancer patients with one to three positive sentinel node(s) on a frozen biopsy result after neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Chun Jung Whan , Kim Jisun , Chung Il Yong , Ko Beom Seok , Kim Hee Jeong , Lee Jong Won , Son Byung Ho , Ahn Sei-Hyun , Lee Sae Byul
Published: February 2022

PurposeOur goal was to develop a tool that could accurately predict the possibility of non-sentinel lymph node metastasis (NSLNM) during surgery, allowing a surgeon to decide the extent of further axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) intraoperatively for patients with one to three positive sentinel lymph node(s) (SLN) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).MethodsIn a retrospective analysis of the Asan Medical Center (AMC) database, we included 558 patients’ records who were treated between 2005 and 2019. Using chi-square and logistic regression with a bootstrapped, backward elimination method, 13 factors were assessed for their utility in predicting NSLNM. Based on the results of the univariate analysis for statistical significance, the number of positive SLN(s), number of frozen nodes, progesterone receptor (PR) positivity and clinical N stage were selected for the multivariate analysis and used to generate a nomogram for predicting residual nodal disease. The resulting nomogram was validated using a more recent, different time window patient group at the AMC.ResultsWe designed a nomogram to predict NSLNM that included four components: number of SLN(s), number of frozen nodes, PR positivity and clinical N stage prior to NAC. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve value of this formula was 0.709 (95% CI, 0.658–0.761) for the development set and 0.715 (95% CI, 0.634–0.796) for the validation set. ConclusionThis newly developed AMC nomogram may be useful to a surgeon for intraoperative guidance in determining the extent of further axillary surgery.
Health Care Professionals’ Perspectives on the Utilisation of a Remote Surveillance and Care Tool for Patients With COVID-19 in General Practice: a Qualitative Study
Authors: Hoffmann Mariell , Stengel Sandra , Szecsenyi Joachim , Peters-Klimm Frank
Published: February 2022

BackgroundMost COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms are treated in hospitals. General practices are responsible for assessing most ambulatory patients. However, they face several challenges managing COVID-19 patients and those with non-COVID-19 conditions. To support general practices and early identify severe courses, in April 2020 we designed a software tool for the structured surveillance of high-risk home-quarantined COVID-19 patients in general practice (CovidCare) including several telephone monitorings. This study presents the qualitative results of a mixed-methods process evaluation study on CovidCare. MethodsIn a qualitative process evaluation study conducted between March and May 2021, we explored the perspectives of seven general practitioners (GPs) and twelve VERAHs (medical care assistants with special training) on CovidCare using semi-structured interviews based on the RE-AIM framework (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance). We used deductive qualitative content analysis employing the RE-AIM framework to assess the utilization and implementation of CovidCare. ResultsOverall, most health care professionals were satisfied with CovidCare. They highlighted 1) a good orientation for the management of COVID-19 patients especially due to a high level of uncertainty at the beginning of the pandemic, 2) the possibility to gain new knowledge and 3) the structured data collection as facilitators for the implementation of CovidCare. Moreover, CovidCare reduced the workload for GPs while some VERAHs perceived a higher workload as they were responsible for large parts of the CovidCare management. However, CovidCare positively affected the VERAHs’ job satisfaction as most patients provided positive feedback and felt less anxious about coping with their disease. Previous experience with the software and an easy integration into daily practice were considered to be crucial utilisation drivers. Time and personnel resources were identified as main barriers. Participants suggested a less comprehensive version of CovidCare, the expansion of inclusion criteria as well as an app for the patients’ self-management to further improve CovidCare.ConclusionThe COVID-19 surveillance and care tool for COVID-19 patients with increased risk was perceived as useful by GPs and VERAHs. Supportive remote health care tools such as CovidCare are a viable means to maintain a comprehensive and continuous health care during a pandemic and may strengthen the primary care system.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register DRKS00022054; date of registration: 02/06/2020; https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00022054
Modeling Protein-Ligand Interactions with Graph Convolutional Networks for Interpretable Pharmaceutical Discovery
Authors: Puentes Paola Ruiz , Rueda-Gensini Laura , Valderrama Natalia , Hernández Isabela , González Cristina , Daza Laura , Muñoz-Camargo Carolina , Cruz Juan C , Arbelaéz Pablo
Published: February 2022

Drug Discovery is an active research area that demands great investments and generates low returns due to its inherent complexity and great costs. To identify potential therapeutic candidates more effectively, we propose Protein-Ligand with Adversarial augmentations Network (PLA-Net), a Deep Learning-based approach to predict Protein-Ligand Interactions (PLI). PLA-Net consists of a two-module Deep Graph Convolutional Network that considers ligands’ and targets’ most relevant chemical information, successfully combining them to find their binding capability. Moreover, we generate adversarial data augmentations that preserve relevant biological backgrounds and improve the interpretability of our model, highlighting the relevant substructures of the ligands reported to interact with the protein targets. Our experiments demonstrate that the joint Ligand-Target information and the adversarial augmentations significantly increase the interaction prediction performance. PLA-Net achieves 86.52% in mean Average Precision for 102 target proteins with perfect performance for 30 of them, in a curated version of Actives as Decoys (AD) dataset. Lastly, we accurately predict pharmacologically-relevant molecules when screening the ligands of ChEMBL and Drug Repurposing Hub datasets with the perfect-scoring targets.
A Biomechanical Analysis of Dumbbell Curl and Investigation of the Effects of Increasing Loads on Biceps Brachii Using A Finite Element Model
Authors: Serbest Kasim
Published: February 2022

Dumbbell curl is one of the most important strengthening exercises for the upper extremity. This exercise trains especially biceps brachii. Exercise load is increased to achieve more muscle strength for the biceps brachii. Researchers are usually focused on electromyography (EMG) in order to examine the effects of load increasing on muscle contraction. However, only the muscle force can be predicted with EMG measurement. Structural analysis of the muscles cannot be performed. In this study, the effects of load increasing on biceps brachii were investigated by mechanical analysis. The inverse dynamic model was simulated according to the motion analysis of dumbbell curl exercises performed with 6 kg and 10.7 kg. The muscle force of the biceps brachii was calculated from the elbow joint reaction moment. A simplified finite element model of biceps brachii was created and stress-strain response was examined. Although the muscle force increases by 78.3%, the rate of increase of elbow peak moment is 57.7% and the rate of increase of peak muscle force is 38.3%. Similarly, the rate of increase of maximum strain and maximum stress are 44.4% and 37.3%, respectively. According to these results, it is understood that increasing the dumbbell load does not increase the muscle force at the same rate.
Matrix metalloproteinase 1 is a poor prognostic biomarker for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yang Hui , Xu Linping , Yan Meimei , Li Wei
Published: February 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains an incurable malignancy despite the treatment methods being continually updated. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) promote the progression of HCC; however, no consensus exists on which MMP plays the predominant role in HCCs. In the present study, we analyzed differentially expressed genes in HCCs, especially MMPs, compared with adjacent tissues using the Cancer Genome Atlas database. The KEGG enrichment pathway using differentially expressed genes included extracellular matrix–receptor interaction, which was correlated with MMPs. We found that among the MMP family, only MMP1, MMP3, MMP8, MMP9, MMP11, MMP12, MMP14, MMP15, MMP20, MMP21, and MMP24 significantly increased in HCCs compared with adjacent tissues. Crucially, survival and univariate analyses indicated that only MMPs 1, 9, 12, and 14 predict poor overall survival; however, multivariate Cox analysis and a nomogram demonstrated that only MMP1 is a poor prognostic biomarker for HCCs. In addition, we observed a significant enrichment of uncharacterized cells but decreased macrophages in HCC tissues. Consistent with decreased macrophages in HCCs, MMP1 was negatively associated with macrophages but positively correlated with uncharacterized cells, indicating that the main producer of MMP1 is uncharacterized cells. Furthermore, MMP1 expression was negatively correlated with immune responses of HCCs. Taken together, our findings indicated that MMP1 is a poor and predominant prognostic biomarker for patients with HCC, and that anti-MMP1 may be a novel therapy that is worth studying in depth.
The Arctic Sea Ice-cloud Radiative Negative Feedback in the Barents and Kara Sea Region
Authors: Fu Yunhao , Liu Peng , Tang Mingyue
Published: February 2022

Shortwave cloud radiative effect (SWCRE), known as the cooling effect triggered by cloud, plays a vital role in adjusting the global radiation budget. As the Arctic gets warmer, it may become a more indispensable factor curbing this warming tendency. Research has pointed out a significant relationship between sea ice cover (SIC) and SWCRE over the Arctic during summer (June–August). Although no evidence has been found on cloud response to SIC during summer on the average of the Arctic, this study regards cloud as an inter-connection which can regulate SIC and SWCRE in a particular place: Barents and Kara Sea region (15°E–85°E, 70°N–80°N). Its SWCRE and SIC vary significantly, with their trends being 5.85 w∙m−2 and −5.87% per decade compared to those of the Arctic mean (2.93 w∙m−2 and −4.65% per decade). In this area, we find that the growing number of low-level cloud which is resulted from the loss on SIC may be accountable for the increase in SWCRE, as is shown in the correlation coefficient between low-level cloud and SIC reaches −0.4. The correlation coefficient between low-level cloud and SWCRE is 0.6. It reflects a SIC-cloud-SWCRE negative feedback. Moreover, a regression fitting model is being established to quantify the contribution of Arctic cloud in the process of slowing down the Arctic warming. It reveals that this specific region would turn into an ice-free region with sea surface temperature (SST) 1.5°C higher than reality during 2001 if we stop the increase in SWCRE. This result presents how fascinating the contribution cloud has been making in its way slowing down the warming pace.
Environmental Risk Factors of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Control Study
Authors: Refai Rania H. , F.Barghout Mohammed , Abou-Raya Anna N. , Abdou Mamdouh H.
Published: February 2022

Background: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) was suggested to be a condition of multifactorial etiology. Several genetic and environmental factors were suggested to be implicated in its pathogenesis. Recognizing these factors that trigger the disease onset and progression is pivotal to help taking measures to reduce the individual’s risk.Methods: The main objective of this study was to examine how exposure to selected environmental factors was associated with SLE risk.This case control study was conducted at the Rheumatology outpatient clinic of Alexandria Main University Hospital, in Alexandria, Egypt. The study sample consisted of 29 female SLE patients, and 27 healthy controls, who matched the cases on age and parity. Data were collected by a structured interviewing questionnaire, additionally; blood levels of lead, cadmium, and zinc of all participants were assessed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. SPSS version 21 was used for data entry and analysis.Results: The findings of this study add to the evidence that SLE can be environmentally induced. The multivariate stepwise logistic regression model revealed that five factors showed significant association with SLE, namely living near agricultural areas, passive smoking, blood lead levels ≥ 0.075 mg/L, and exposure to sunlight (OR =58.556, 95% CI =1.897-1807.759, OR =24.116, 95%CI =1.763-329.799, OR =18.981, 95%CI =1.228-293.364, OR =9.549, 95%CI =1.299-70.224 respectively). Whereas walking or doing exercise were significantly protective to SLE (P =0.006).Conclusion: Efforts should be made to decrease the environmental pollution and reduce the effect of environmental risk factors on disease occurrence.
Revascularization Evaluation of Autologous Fascia Lata Graft Following Shoulder Superior Capsule Reconstruction by Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Liao Yatao , Li Huaisheng , Li Yan , Tang Kanglai , Li Jing , ZHOU Binghua
Published: February 2022

Background

Fascia lata has been used for arthroscopically superior capsule reconstruction (ASCR) and verified to achieve a good clinical outcome. However, it is still not known how the fascia lata revascularizes after ASCR. This study was performed to evaluate the revascularization of autologous fascia lata grafts after ASCR by enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Methods

A prospective study of 13 patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears underwent ASCR with autologous fascia lata grafts from September 2019 to December 2020. Radiography examinations and clinical evaluations were performed preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months. The signal-to-noise quotient (SNQ) value and enhancement index (EI) of autologous fascia lata grafts in the great tubercle insertion (GTI), midpoint of the graft (MG) and glenoid insertion (GI) were compared for radiography examination. Clinical evaluation included the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score.
Results

The SNQ values in T1WI enhancement at GI and GTI were significantly higher than those at the plain MRI scan at all observation timepoints; however, the SNQ values in T1WI enhancement at MG did not show a significant difference until 3 months postoperation. EI values at GTI and GI were significantly higher than those at MG at 6 weeks and 3 months postoperation, while there was no significant difference in the EI value between GTI and GI. At 12 months postoperation, the EI value at GI was significantly higher than those at MG and GTI; however, there was no significant difference between GTI and MG. The EI values at GTI and MG peaked at 3 months and 6 months postoperation, respectively, and then plateaued at 12 months postoperation. However, there was no significant difference in the EI value among the different timepoints at the GI. The EI value did not correlate with the VAS scores at any time point or any observation location.
Conclusion

Revascularization of the fascia lata is dependent on the location of the fascia lata and plateaus at 12 months postoperation. The EI value did not correlate with the VAS scores at any time point or any observation location.
High-resolution solar image reconstruction based on non-rigid alignment
Authors: Liu Hui , Jin Zhenyu , Xiang Yongyuan , Ji Kaifan
Published: February 2022

Suppressing the interference of atmospheric turbulence and obtaining observational data with high spatial resolution is an important problem to be solved in ground observation. One way to solve this problem is to perform statistical reconstruction of short-exposure speckle images. Combining the advantages of the classic Shift-Add and speckle masking algorithms, this paper proposes a novel reconstruction algorithm-NASIR (Non-rigid Alignment based Solar Image Reconstruction). NASIR performs pixel-by-pixel non-rigid distortion correction on speckle images by establishing a computational model between geometric distortion and intensity distribution, thereby reconstructing the phase of the object image at each frequency. We compared the reconstruction performance of speckle masking and NASIR in terms of correlation coefficient, power spectrum

and intensity profile variation coefficient through reconstruction experiments of NVST (1m New Vacuum Solar Telescope) observational data. The results show that when seeing is good (R0>10cm), both speckle masking and NASIR can achieve better reconstruction results. When seeing decreases (R0<5cm), the noise will exacerbate the phase recursion error of speckle masking, resulting in the generation of spurious structures, while NASIR recovers the phase by spatial alignment, which can avoid error accumulation. Moreover, NASIR performs speckle interferometry on the aligned speckle images, which further improves the reconstruction quality of the modulus, so its reconstruction results have a higher cutoff frequency and more significant structural contrast. In addition, NASIR reconstruct the entire field of view in parallel at one time, without phase

recursion and block-by-block reconstruction, so its computation time is only about 50% of that of speckle masking. Therefore, we consider NASIR to be a more robust and efficient method that combines the respective advantages of spatial domain reconstruction and frequency domain reconstruction. It is believed that the application and further research of NASIR will promote the development of ground-based observation data processing technology.
Post-Endoscopy Self-Limited Unspecified Fever. Rare or Common Adverse Event after Endoscopy? An Observational, Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Tufegdzic Boris , Jansen Guus , Hussein Lina , Visno Valsala , John Terrence Lee-St , Lamperti Massimo
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Although post-endoscopy fever (PEF) without colon perforation or haemorrhage is believed to be rare, incidence, risk factors and the causes in the adult population have not been fully investigated. Endogenous immune response, bacteria translocation, contaminated endoscopes, or drug-induced fever are all protentional reasons that can lead to elevated temperature. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the incidence of PEF and identify the risk factors associated with the development of PEF and its outcomes.Material and Methods: Over a three-month period, 1054 non-hospitalised patients who had an endoscopic procedure at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi received a post-procedure phone call within the first 24 hours. After identifying patients with fever and obtaining verbal consent, patients were enrolled in the study using a standardised telephone interview.Results: Thirty-four patients with PEF were identified. The highest temperature measured was 39.8 degrees Celsius. The most common single procedure performed was oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (41.2%). Colonoscopy was performed as a single procedure in 17.6% and double procedure (oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy) in 41.2% of patients. Polypectomy was performed in only 5 patients (14.7%). Multiple biopsies were performed in 26 of the 34 patients (76.5%). Propofol was used in all endoscopy procedures and the dose was directly related to the duration of the procedure. Logistic regression revealed that no significant group differences across procedure types existed in terms of adjusted odds of fever. However, results also indicated that age has a significant negative relationship with fever – higher age is associated with lower odds of fever (b= -0.033, p = 0.024).Conclusion: PEF is an unpleasant side effect and it is associated with patient discomfort, dissatisfaction and fear during the post-endoscopy recovery. Although our findings do not fully explain the possible mechanisms underlying post-endoscopy fever, this study data should increase awareness about PEF as a common side effect related to endoscopy.
Monitoring and Modeling of a Landslide in Kahroud, Iran, by InSAR Measurements and Slope Stability Analysis
Authors: Touski Milad Yarmohammad , Dehghani Maryam , Veiskarami Mehdi
Published: February 2022

This work demonstrates the potential of Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) based on Interferometric Point Target Analysis (IPTA) approach for landslide-induced deformation measurement. 28 Sentinel-1A images acquired between October 14 2014 and October 27 2016 are employed in order to measure the surface deformation associated with Kahroud landslide, northern Iran. Due to the lack of geodetic measurements and thanks to capability of processing small baseline highly coherent interferograms in the study area, the conventional Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) time series analysis is exploited for investigation of the IPTA performance. The cross-comparison indicates some unwrapping errors in the IPTA results and removal of a large number of Point Target (PT) candidates due to the remained nuisance terms in the phase measurements, the deviation of the deformation behavior from a simple linear model employed by IPTA and the temporal gap in the available dataset. Two different sliding mechanisms, however, are revealed based on the SBAS time series analysis results. In the second part of the research, the slope stability analysis to characterize the slope dynamics is finally performed based on the deformation field extracted from two ascending and descending single interferograms. Accordingly, the soil shear strength parameters as well as a 3D model of the sliding surface are estimated followed by the calculation of the soil mass involved by the Kahroud landslide.
Millennial-scale Land-surface Temperature and Soil Moisture Reconstruction Derived From Last Glacial European Loess Sequences
Authors: Prud'homme Charlotte , Fisher Peter , Jöris Olaf , gromov Sergey , Vinnepand Mathias , Hatté Christine , Vonhof Hubert , Moine Olivier , Vött Andreas , Fitzsimmons Kathryn
Published: February 2022

The climate of the last 50,000 years has been punctuated by oscillations on millennial-to-centennial timescales. Our understanding of this variability derives predominantly from proxy information in ice and marine cores; high-resolution records from land are scarce. Here we quantify land-surface temperature and soil moisture at millennial timescales over continental Europe, for the period spanning 45,000 to 22,000 years before present. We provide the first quantitative terrestrial counterpart to marine and ice-core derived reconstructions for the North Atlantic region. Our terrestrial reconstruction derives from novel isotopic geochemistry and radiocarbon dating of earthworm calcite granules, collected from two temporally overlapping loess palaeosol sequences in the Rhine Valley, Germany. We combine our proxy reconstructions with mesoscale wind and moisture transport modelling. We find that compared with polar and Mediterranean regions, climatic warming from stadial to interstadial phases is attenuated in central-western Europe. The region was dominated by westerly air masses during the last glacial maximum but experienced seasonal variability in wind steadiness. We observe a strong correlation between abrupt temperature variability recorded in the Greenland ice core and the periglacial environments further south. This correlation is likely due to air masses arriving to the Rhine valley are deriving from the North Atlantic.
Evaluating the contribution of aestivation to the persistence of malaria mosquitoes through the Sahelian dry season using stable isotopes
Authors: Faiman Roy , Yaro Alpha , Dao Adama , Sanogo Zana , Diallo Moussa , Samake Djibril , Yossi Ousmane , Veru Laura , Graber Leland , Conte Abigail , Kouam Cedric , Krajacich Benjamin , Lehmann Tovi
Published: February 2022

Data suggests the malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii persists in the Sahel by dry-season aestivation though its specific contribution compared with alternative strategies, i.e., migration is unknown. We have marked Anopheles mosquitoes using deuterium (2H) to assess the contribution of aestivation to persistence of mosquitoes through the seven-month dry season. If local aestivation is the only way An. coluzzii persists, the frequency of marked mosquitoes should remain stable throughout, whereas finding no marked mosquitoes would be evidence against aestivation. Larval sites were enriched with 2H at the end of the 2017 wet season (September) in two Sahelian villages in Mali. We monitored 2H-enriched populations until the onset of rains (June 2018). By the end of the enrichment period (November 2017), 33% of An. coluzzii mosquitoes were strongly marked. Expectedly, 2H levels in marked mosquitoes degraded over time. We utilized three methods to estimate the fraction of marked mosquitoes in the population. Seven months following enrichment all three methods supported the presence of marked mosquitoes: 7% of the population had 2H values above the highest pre-enrichment value. An excess of 21% exceeded the expected 25% in the 3rd quartile of the pre-enrichment population. Finally, a finite mixed population model showed 2.5% represented a subpopulation of marked mosquitoes with elevated 2H, compatible with our predictions. We provide evidence that aestivation is a major persistence mechanism of An. coluzzii in the Sahel, contributing at least 20% of the adults at the onset of rains, suggesting either mixture among local populations or that An. coluzzii utilizes several persistence strategies. The implications for mosquito control and malaria elimination campaigns are highlighted.
Aortic root aneurysm with right atrial clot: a rare combination
Authors: Saha Debmalya , Mukherjee Kaushik , Guha Amrita
Published: February 2022

Though the incidence of aneurysm involving the aortic root and/or ascending aorta is common, the combination of aortic root aneurysm and right atrial clot is extremely rare. No such case is reported in literature till date. This case report presents a 52-year gentleman who came to our emergency department with complains of breathlessness, abdominal distention, pedal swelling, and decreased urine output with extremely poor general condition. After hemodynamic stabilization and preoperative optimization and work up he was managed with Bentall procedure with right atrial clot removal. Immediate post-operative course was normal except deranged liver function tests. The patient was discharged on post-operative day ten.
Lung structure and function on MRI in preterm born school children with and without BPD: a feasibility study
Authors: Ciet Pierluigi , Elders Bernadette , Tiddens Harm A.W.M. , Pijnenburg Mariëlle W.H. , Reiss Irwin K.M. , Wielopolski Piotr A.
Published: February 2022

Background and objective: The most common respiratory complication of extreme prematurity is bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD), leading to structural lung changes and impaired respiratory outcomes. However, also extremely preterm children without BPD may show similar adverse respiratory outcomes. There is need for a safe imaging modality for preterm children with and without BPD for disease severity and risk stratification assessment. Our objective was to develop a chest Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) protocol in preterm children with and without BPD at school age. Methods: Nine healthy volunteers (median age 11.6(range 8.8-12.8) years), eleven preterm children with BPD (11.0(7.2-15.6) years) and nine without BPD (11.1(10.7-12.6) years) underwent MRI. MR images were scored on hypo- and hyperintense abnormalities, bronchopathy and architectural distortion. MRI data were correlated to spirometry. Ventilation and perfusion defects were analysed using Fourier Decomposition (FD) MRI. Results: On MRI, children with BPD had a higher %diseased lung (9.1 (IQR 5.9-11.6)%) compared to preterm children without BPD (3.4 (IQR 2.5-5.4)%, p<0.001) and healthy volunteers (0.4 (IQR 0.1-0.8)%, p<0.001). %Diseased lung correlated negatively with %predicted FEV1 (r=-0.40, p=0.04), FEV1/FVC (r=-0.49, p=0.009) and FEF75 (r=-0.63, p<0.001). Ventilation and perfusion defects on FD sequence corresponded to hypointense regions on expiratory MRI. Conclusion: MRI can identify structural and functional lung damage at school age in preterm children with and without BPD, showing good correlation with spirometry. We propose chest MRI as a sensitive and safe imaging method (without ionising radiation, contrast agents or the use of anaesthesia) for the long-term follow up of preterm children.
LGR5 is a Conserved Marker of Hair Follicle Stem Cells Across Species and is Present Early and Throughout Follicle Morphogenesis
Authors: Polkoff Kathryn M. , Gupta Nithin K. , Green Adrian J. , Murphy Yanet , Chung Jaewook , Gleason Katherine L. , Simpson Sean G. , Walker Derek M. , Collins Bruce , Piedrahita Jorge A.
Published: February 2022

Hair follicle stem cells are key for driving growth and homeostasis of the hair follicle niche and have remarkable regenerative capacity throughout hair cycling and display fate plasticity during cutaneous wound healing. Due to the need for a transgenic reporter, essentially all observations related to LGR5+ hair follicle stem cells have been generated using transgenic mice, which have significant differences in anatomy and physiology from the human. Using a transgenic pig model, a widely accepted model for human skin and human skin repair, we demonstrate that LGR5 is a marker of hair follicle stem cells across species in homeostasis and development. We also report the strong similarities and important differences in expression patterns, gene expression profiles, and developmental processes between species. This information is important for understanding the fundamental differences and similarities across species, and ultimately improving human hair follicle regeneration, cutaneous wound healing, and skin cancer treatment.
Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation in Sepsis or Septic Shock: An Observational Study of Serial Changes by Three-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional Echocardiography
Authors: Xie Mingxing , Yan Xiaojun , Li Yuman , Liu Juanjuan , Zhou Ting , Zhou Yi , Sun Wei , Sun Chenchen , Ma Jing , Zhang Li , Shang You
Published: February 2022

BackgroundLeft ventricular myocardial deformation develops dynamically when circulatory system is disturbed. What is less clear are the nature and clinical fetures of the deformation., and a consensus is yet to be reached for an ideal treatment plan. This study aims to explore the development of left ventricular myocardial deformation in septic patients by observing the serial changes in three- and two-dimensional strain parameters.Methods In this single-centered, prospective, and observational study, we eventually included 103 patients diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock at the intensive care unit (ICU) from December 2020 until December 2021. Demographic data, medicine, laboratory and ultrasound values were collected and measured on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th days after sepsis or septic shock. A total of 88 adult patients for 2D-STE and 3D-STE were divided into two groups according to their wall motion status: the non-hypokinetics group and the secondary hypokinesia group. Results Patients underwent both 3D and 2D echocardiography to evaluate left ventricular function. Comparison of four time points between the two groups showed that 2D-LVEF demonstrated a progressive, stepwise improvement each time point assessed (Ptime=0.033, Pgroup=0.041, respectively). Although 3D-LVEF slightly underestimated the LV volumes at each time point, it displayed a same changing tendency during the 10 days (Ptime=0.002, Pgroup=0.011, respectively). Then, we used both 3D and 2D STE to observe left ventricular myocardial function and validated the applicability and feasibility of 3D-STE: 2D-LVGLS Ptime=0.000, Pgroup=0.018, respectively, 2D-LVGCS Ptime=0.000, Pgroup=0.332 respectively; 3D-LVGLS Ptime=0.000, Pgroup=0.391, respectively, 3D-LVGCS Ptime=0.022, Pgroup=0.362 respectively. The level of strain first decreased and then increased in these two groups during hospitalization, but both 3D and 2D strain imaged at the 10th day assessed were lower compared to that of normal healthy people. Moreover, 3D-LVGLS had a stronger correlation with 2D- LVGLS (r=0.772, P＜0.0001).ConclusionPatients with sepsis or septic shock demonstrated improvement of LV myocardial function during hospitalization, but their myocardial function was not fully recovered to normal on the 10th day. Both 3D and 2D LVGLS could quickly detect changes of patients with covert septic myocardial dysfunction, whereas LVEF could not.
Modelling of Lead and Cadmium Removal by Porous Biosorbent in Silent and Ultrasound-assisted Systems
Authors: Ahmed Shaalan Bdaiwi , Dobre Tănase , Kamar Firas Hashim , Mocanu Alexandra , Deleanu Iuliana Mihaela
Published: February 2022

Present work aimed to analyse experimentally, statistically and using mathematical modelling the behaviour of single and competitive lead and cadmium batch adsorption. The process was conducted in silent, and ultrasound (US)-assisted systems, in aqueous environment, on grinded hazelnut shells (HS) as sustainable and cost-effective porous biosorbent. The dynamic study was based on experimentally obtained removal rates, modelled considering species diffusion with reversible kinetics of sorption inside solid particles. The influence of process factors (pH, adsorbent concentration, adsorbent particle size, and initial species concentration in liquid phase) on species removal efficiency was studied when process equilibrium was attained. The study, following a 24 factorial experimental design, allowed the development of a statistical model to predict variables influences. Based on the obtained results a deeper analysis of separation efficiency depending on process factors was conducted. Hence, the dynamics of removal efficiency was determined for several representative experiments. The equilibrium isotherms data, best fitted by an appropriate Langmuir model, were used in the dynamic model to reduce the number of model parameters which normally require experimental identification.
Breast Cancer Detection by Analyzing the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Signature in Human Urine
Authors: Benet Judit Giró , Seo Minjun , Khine Michelle , Kurdahi Fadi , Padró Josep Gumà , Martínez Antonio Pardo
Published: February 2022

A rising number of authors are drawing evidence to the diagnostic capacity of specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) resulting from some body fluids. While cancer incidence in society is on the rise, it becomes clear that the analysis of these VOCs can yield new strategies to mitigate advanced cancer incidence rates. This paper presents the methodology implemented to test whether a device consisting of an electronic nose inspired after a dog’s olfactory system and olfactory neurons is significantly informative to detect breast cancer (BC). To test this device, 90 human urine samples were collected from control subjects and BC patients at a hospital. To test this system, an artificial intelligence-based classification algorithm was developed. The algorithm was firstly trained and tested with data resulting from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) urine readings, leading to a classification rate of 92.31%, sensitivity of 100.00%, and specificity of 85.71% (N=90). Secondly, the same algorithm was trained and tested with data obtained with our eNose prototype hardware, and class prediction was achieved with a classification rate of 75%, sensitivity of 100%, and specificity of 50%.
Perennial rice improves farmer livelihood and ecosystem security
Authors: Hu Fengyi , Zhang Shilai , Huang Guangfu , Zhang Yujiao , Lv Xiutao , Wan Kejiang , Liang Jian , Dao Jinrong , Wu Shukang , Zhang Lin , Yang Xu , Lian Xiaoping , Huang Liyu , Shao Lin , Zhang Jing , Qin Shiwen , Tao Da-yun , Crews Timothy , Sacks Erik , Lv Jun , Wade Len
Published: February 2022

To tackle food insecurity faced by an ever-growing population, there is an urgent need to develop new forms of highly productive and ecologically-secure agricultural systems. Crop perennialization provides a novel and promising solution to both food security and environmental challenges. Compared with annual grain production systems, which often undermine basic ecosystem services, perennial crops could maintain important ecosystem functions and reduce agricultural inputs. Here, we report our successful breeding of perennial rice (PR) taking over 20 years. We introduced perennial growth into domesticated Asian rice by interspecific hybridization and subsequently developed several perennial cultivars that have been commercialized recently in China and successfully trialed in multiple countries. The perennial cultivars produce yields comparable to commercialized annual rice (AR) varieties and maintain them for 4-5 consecutive years from a single planting. They exhibit robust regrowth, acceptable grain and milling quality, and are strongly preferred by farmers. We also quantified the social-economic, ecological and soil benefits attributable to perennial rice cultivation. Finally, we estimated the geographical areas potentially suitable for perennial rice cultivation worldwide, based on the correlation between regrowth rate and over-winter temperatures. Our innovation would help maintain food security and ecological integrity, and also inspire research on other perennial grains.
Deconwolf enables high-performance deconvolution of widefield fluorescence microscopy images
Authors: Wernersson Erik , Gelali Eleni , Girelli Gabriele , Wang Su , Castillo David , Langseth Christoffer Mattsson , Nguyen Huy , Chattoraj Shyamtanu , Casals Anna Martinez , Lundberg Emma , Nilsson Mats , Marti-Renom Marc , Wu Chao-ting , Crosetto Nicola , Bienko Magda
Published: February 2022

Microscopy-based spatially resolved omic methods are transforming biology and medicine. Currently, these methods rely on high magnification objectives and cannot resolve crowded molecular targets, which limits the amount of biological information that can be extracted from a sample. To overcome these limitations, we developed Deconwolf (DW), an open-source software enabling high-performance deconvolution of widefield fluorescence microscopy image stacks and large tissue scans on a laptop computer. DW significantly outperformed two popular deconvolution tools on images generated by standard immunofluorescence as well as on images of crowded diffraction limited fluorescence dots generated by single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) and high-definition DNA FISH. In addition, widefield imaging followed by DW produced images comparable, if not superior in quality to confocal microscopy, but more than 200 times faster. Application of DW to smFISH images enabled accurate quantification of Ki-67 gene transcripts across a tumor microarray tissue core imaged with a 20x air objective. Finally, we applied DW to deconvolve images generated by in situ spatial transcriptomics (ISST) and in situ genomics by OligoFISSEQ. In ISST, DW increased the number of transcripts identified more than three times, while its application to OligoFISSEQ images drastically improved the efficiency of chromosome tracing without the need for signal interpolation. We conclude that DW greatly facilitates the use of deconvolution in many bioimaging applications and paves the way to the application of microscopy-based spatially resolved omic technologies in diagnostics.