bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation And Applicability Of Tumour Budding And Poorly Differentiated Clusters As Additional Prognostic Markers In Colorectal Cancers
Authors: Sarkar Sagarika , Guha Rena , Mukherjee Srinjani , Kundu Sayan , Chakrabarti Sudipta
Published: September 2022

Purpose
Very few studies have assessed Tumour budding (TB) and poorly differentiated cell clusters (PDC) simultaneously in colorectal cancers (CRCs). The goal of this study is to establish a correlation between these two pertinent histological features and to reinforce the importance of their incorporation in routine histopathological reporting of CRC cases as a means to predict clinical outcome.
Methods
Resection specimens of colorectal carcinoma were included in the study. Patients who received presurgical therapy, or refused consent were excluded. PDC and TB were evaluated in routine haematoxylin and eosin stained histopathological sections taken from the advancing edge of the tumor. TB and PDC were reported by selecting a “hotspot” chosen after review of all available slides with invasive tumor. It was then followed by their correlation with other known prognostic factors.
Results
Spearman’s Rho calculator for strength of association between TB & PDC as well as association of TB and PDC individually with known prognostic factors revealed statistical significance. Correlation of TB and PDC with histologic grade, primary tumor (pT) and regional lymph node (pN) stage was done based on One-Way ANOVA Calculator, which yielded statistically significant results.
Conclusion
Evaluation of these two histological parameters in the same hotspot field at the tumor invasive front, plays a fundamental role in the definition of cancer aggressiveness and prediction of tumor behaviour.
A Study of Validity and Usability Evidence for Non-Technical Skills Assessment Tools in Simulated Adult Resuscitation Scenarios
Authors: Higham Helen , Greig Paul , Crabtree Nicholas , Hadjipavlou George , Young Duncan , Vincent Charles
Published: September 2022

Background:
Non-technical skills (NTS) assessment tools are widely used to provide formative and summative assessment for healthcare professionals and there are now many of them. This study has examined three different tools designed for similar settings and gathered evidence to test their validity and usability.
Methods:
Three NTS assessment tools designed for use in the UK were used by three experienced faculty to review standardized videos of simulated cardiac arrest scenarios: ANTS (Anesthetists’ Non-Technical Skills), Oxford NOTECHS (Oxford NOn-TECHnical Skills) and OSCAR (Observational Skill based Assessment tool for Resuscitation). Internal consistency, interrater reliability and quantitative and qualitative analysis of usability were analyzed for each tool.
Results:
Internal consistency and interrater reliability (IRR) varied considerably for the three tools across NTS categories and elements. Intraclass correlation scores of three expert raters ranged from poor (task management in ANTS [0.26] and situation awareness in Oxford NOTECHS [0.34]) to very good (problem solving in Oxford NOTECHS [0.81] and cooperation [0.84] and SA [0.87] in OSCAR). Furthermore, different statistical tests of IRR produced different results for each tool. Quantitative and qualitative examination of usability also revealed challenges in using each tool.
Conclusions:
The lack of standardization of NTS assessment tools and training in their use is unhelpful for healthcare educators and students. Educators require ongoing support in the use of NTS assessment tools for the evaluation of individual healthcare professionals or healthcare teams. Summative or high-stakes examinations using NTS assessment tools should be undertaken with at least two assessors to provide consensus scoring. In light of the renewed focus on simulation as an educational tool to support and enhance training recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19, it is even more important that assessment of these vital skills is standardized, simplified and supported with adequate training.
Conservation Priorities for the Genus Serjania (Sapindaceae, Paullinieae), a Key Component in the Secondary Succesion of the Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Bolivia
Authors: Coulleri Juan Pablo , Brem Marta C.
Published: September 2022

Bolivia is a country with a huge environmental variety, most of which are classified as seasonally dry forest, these ecosystems are threatened due land use, then subsequent abandonment promote the regrowth of the forest by secondary succession. Therefore, identify species that lead this process is key in order to protect them, being lianas good candidates as it theSerjaniagenus. Our objectives were defining conservation priorities ofSerjaniaspecies richness estimation; determine environmental factors that influence the distribution of these species and understand the dynamic of the SDTFs and secondary forest in America through present and futureSerjanianiche modelling. Our results set the conservation priorities in the Yungas slopes and the Chiquitano dry forest of Bolivia, these are the most diverse forests formations of the country, being the Chiquitano dry forest one of the most long-term stable American dry forests. Regarding to the environmental factors, for the species that only vegetate in the Chiquitano dry forest the temperature was the most important one, while the species that inhabit in the Yungas slope the precipitation regime represent the most influential variable for the presence of the species in these habitats. As for the dynamics of the Seasonally dry forest throughSerjaniadistribution modelling, an increase in the land coverage by these ones at the expense of their neighboring wet forest is projected, which also indicate the progression of the secondary forest due land use and climate change.
Influence of dentifrices containing tricalcium phosphate on dental enamel microhardness, color, and topography
Authors: Lopes Marina Paparotto , Gonçalves Iana Maria Costa , Garcia Raíssa Manoel , Sobral-Souza Danielle Ferreira , Aguiar Flávio Henrique Baggio , Lima Débora Alves Nunes Leite
Published: September 2022

Objetives: To evaluate the effect of using dentifrices containing tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) on microhardness, enamel color, and topography before bleaching treatment with 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP).
Material and Methods: Fifty bovine incisor enamel/dentin blocks (4 × 4 × 2 mm) were randomized into five groups (n=10): negative control (no treatment; C), positive control (35% HP), Colgate Total 12 then 35% HP (CT 12 + 35% HP), Elmex Sensitive then 35% HP (ES + 35% HP), and Bianco Pro Clinical then 35% HP (BPC + 35% HP). Knoop microhardness (KHN) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed. The color was evaluated using CIELAB and CIEDE 2000. A significance of 5% was used.
Results: KHN was significantly higher in the BPC + 35% HP and ES + 35% HP groups than in the C and 35% HP groups (p=0.0295). ∆L was greater in the groups that received 35% HP than in the C group 24 hours after bleaching (p=0.0001). There was no significant difference between groups in ∆Eab* (p=0.0679) and ∆E00 (p=0.1463) 24 hours after bleaching.
Conclusion: Using dentifrices containing β-TCP before bleaching treatment with 35% HP increases enamel microhardness but does not significantly alter tooth color.
Clinical Relevance: Dentifrices containing β-TCP in their formulation increase enamel microhardness without interfering with substrate color when used with previous in-office tooth bleaching.
Anxiety, war exposure trauma and the mediating role of daily stressors in Romanian and Ukrainian civilians
Authors: Huțul Tudor-Daniel , Karner-Huțuleac Adina , Huțul Andreea
Published: September 2022

In this study, we want to point out the negative psychological impact on the population brought about by the war that started in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. In this research, we aimed to test for the mediating effect of daily stressors on the relationships between the centrality of the event and anxiety, respectively between the impact of the event and anxiety. The study was conducted on a sample of 738 people, the participants being individuals who lived either in Ukraine or outside Ukraine, but at a maximum distance of 100 km from the border (in Romania) when the conflict started. The results highlighted the mediating effect of daily stressors on the aforementioned relationships. At the end of the paper, we will list a number of limitations of the present study, as well as offer suggestions for future research.
Trigger Point Injections Followed by Immediate Myofascial Release in the Treatment of Myofascial Pelvic Pain
Authors: Lewis Gregory Kirk , Chen Anita , Craver Emily , Crook Julia , Carrubba Aakriti
Published: September 2022

Purpose
Pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) is first line therapy for treatment of myofascial pelvic pain (MFPP). Pelvic floor trigger point injections (PFTPI) are added if symptoms are refractive to conservative therapy or if patients experience a flare. The primary objective was to determine if a session of physical therapy with myofascial release immediately following PFTPI provides improved pain relief compared to trigger point injection alone.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort analysis of 87 female patients with MFPP who underwent PFTPI alone or PFTPI immediately followed by PFPT. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were recorded pre-treatment and 2 weeks post-treatment. The primary outcome was the change in VAS between patients who received PFTPI alone and those who received PFTPI followed by myofascial release.
Results
Of the 87 patients in this study, 22 received PFTPI alone and 65 patients received PFTPI followed by PFPT. The median pre-treatment VAS score was 8 for both groups. The median post-treatment score was 6 for the PFTPI only group and 4 for the PFTPI followed by PFPT group, showing a median change in VAS score of 2 and 4 respectively (p = 0.042). Seventy-seven percent of patients in the PFTPI followed by PFPT group had a VAS score improvement of 3 or more, while 45% of patients in the PFTPI only group had a VAS score improvement greater than 3 (p = 0.008).
Conclusions
PFTPI immediately followed by PFPT offered more improvement in pain for patients with MFPP. This may be due to greater tolerance of myofascial release immediately following injections.
Takeoff simulation of eVTOL airplane with coaxial propellers by fluid–rigid body interaction
Authors: Gomi Ritsuka , Takii Ayato , Yamakawa Masashi , Asao Shinichi , Takeuchi Seiichi , Nishimura Momoha
Published: September 2022

In this study, we adopt the coupled fluid–rigid body simulation using the moving computational domain method and the multi–axis sliding mesh method to the takeoff, hovering, and yawing flight of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The aircraft model has four pairs of coaxial propellers, and the computational domain is divided into three domains to move the aircraft and eight propeller domains to rotate the propellers. As a result, we clarify the behavior and aerodynamic force of the aircraft when the input values are determined by the automatic control. The results in the flow field also show that the downwash spreads in a crisscross pattern on the ground, that the wind reaches different ranges on the ground depending on the flight altitude, and that the coaxial propeller causes a asymmetry in the velocity field during yawing. Consequently, we conclude that this method is effective for the flight simulation of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
The impact of HIV on non-adherence for tamoxifen among women with breast cancer in South Africa
Authors: Ayeni Oluwatosin Adetayo , Chiwambutsa Shingirai , Chen Wenlong Carl , Kapungu Nyasha , Kanji Comfort , Thelingwani Roslyn , Murugan Nivashni , Mathiba Rofhiwa , Phakathi Boitumelo , Nietz Sarah , Ramiah Duvern , O’Neil Daniel S. , Jacobson Judith S. , Ruff Paul , Cubasch Herbert , Chirwa Tobias , Joffe Maureen , Masimirembwa Collen , Neugut Alfred I.
Published: September 2022

Purpose
Women living with HIV (WLWH) and breast cancer (BC) have worse overall survival than HIV-negative women with BC, and poor adherence to prescribed tamoxifen is known to contribute to poor survival.
Methods
Among 4,097 women diagnosed with breast cancer at six hospitals in the prospective South African Breast Cancer and HIV Outcomes (SABCHO) cohort study between July 2015 and December 2020, we focused on black women with stages I-III HR-positive breast cancer who were prescribed 20mg of adjuvant tamoxifen daily. We analyzed concentrations of tamoxifen and its metabolites using a triple quadruple mass spectrometer. We defined non-adherence as a tamoxifen level < 60ng/mL after 3 months of daily tamoxifen use. We compared tamoxifen-related side effects, and concurrent medication use among women with and without HIV and developed multivariable logistic regression models of tamoxifen non-adherence.
Results
Among 369 subjects, 78 (21.1%) were WLWH and 291 (78.9%) were HIV-negative. After a median (interquartile range) time of 13.0 (6.2–25.2) months since tamoxifen initiation, 208 (56.4%) women were non-adherent to tamoxifen. Women < 40 years of age were more likely to be non-adherent than women > 60 years (73.4% vs 52.6%, odds ratio (OR) = 2.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26–4.94); likewise, WLWH (70.5% vs 52.6%, OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.26–3.70) than HIV-negative women. In an adjusted model WLWH had twice the odds of non-adherence to tamoxifen, compared to HIV-negative women (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.11–5.20).
Conclusion
High rates of non-adherence to adjuvant tamoxifen may limit the overall survival of black South African women with HR-positive breast cancer, especially among WLWH.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids play roles in skeletal muscle-adipose tissue crosstalk through myokines
Authors: Wei Wenting , Zeng Huanting , Mao Limei
Published: September 2022

Purpose: Skeletal muscle-adipose tissue crosstalk is important for maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Myokine plays an indispensable role in the skeletal muscle-adipose tissue crosstalk. This study was conducted to elucidate the association between Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) and myokine and figure out the role of n-3 PUFAs in the skeletal muscle-adipose tissue crosstalk.
Methods: The mRNA expression of myokines, including IL-6, Irisin, IL-15, myostatin, FGF21, adiponectin, leptin and TNF-α, in myotube cells incubated with ALA, DHA, EPA, and DHA/EPA mixture for 24 h were evaluated. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with the culture supernatant of myotube cells incubated with the DHA/EPA mixture, and the mRNA levels of genes associated with lipid metabolism and browning were evaluated. Moreover, the level of p-AMPK and PGC-1α were evaluated to determine whether AMPK signaling was involved in the process of n-3 PUFAs regulating myokines expression.
Results: Different forms of n-3 PUFAs increased the expression of multiple myokines in C2C12 myotubes. The expression of p-AMPK and PGC-1α in C2C12 myotubes were up-regulated by DHA/EPA mixture and Metformin. Except Irisin, the expression of other myokines was further up-regulated after inhibiting AMPK. The culture supernatant of myotube cells incubated with the DHA/EPA mixture regulated the lipid metabolism-related genes and stimulated browning in adipocytes.
Conclusions: n-3 PUFAs play roles in the skeletal muscle-adipose tissue crosstalk by regulating the expression and release of myokines associated with lipid metabolism and browning. Part of the mechanism of this process should be attributed to DHA/EPA activating AMPK signaling in C2C12 myotube.
Candidate biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer based on bioinformatics methods
Authors: Chen Shuchao , Li Yongshun , Ouyang Zichen , Fu Wei , Li Qixin , You Xujun
Published: September 2022

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in men. In this study, candidate biomarkers related to the diagnosis and prognosis of PCa were identified using bioinformatics approach.Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PCa tissues and matched normal tissues were screened using the R software. Enrichment analysis of the DEGs was performed to determine their functions and related pathways. PPI network was constructed, and 10 hub genes were screened using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to extract key module genes, from which 5 key genes were identified by Venn diagram. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify the diagnostic value of the key genes, and their prognostic value was verified via survival analysis, which was further validated using the Human Protein Atlas.Results: We identified 661 DEGs (249 upregulated and 412 downregulated) between the PCa group and healthy controls. Overlap of PPI and WCCNA networks identified 5 key genes: BUB1B, HMMR, RRM2, CCNA2 and MELK, as candidate biomarkers for PCa. Although ROC analysis suggested that these genes had diagnostic potential in PCa, survival analysis showed that RRM2 and BUB1B were significantly associated with PCa prognosis.Conclusion: Our results showed that BUB1B, HMMR, RRM2, CCNA2 and MELK could be diagnostic biomarkers for PCa, while RRM2 and BUB1B were also associated with prognosis and could be potential therapeutic targets for PCa.
Screening of nanobody targeting alkaline phosphatase PhoX in Microcystis and detection of the PhoX in situ by fluorescence immunoassays
Authors: Zu Yao , Hong Sujuan , Yin Congcong , Luo Yu , Xu Chen , Li Jianhong
Published: September 2022

Cyanobacterial alkaline phosphatases (APases) play a key role in organophosphate utilization in freshwater. Tracking the distribution of APases could provide insights into the physiological response of phytoplankton to phosphorus nutrition. Extracellular APase PhoX, one of three prokaryotic APase families, is important for organophosphate utilization. Because the existing methods only give information on bulk APases activity, the specific contribution of the PhoX is hardly evaluated. To develop an immunoassay for PhoX detection, the phoX gene of Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806 was expressed in E. coli BL21 and the purified PhoX was used as a coated antigen for screening anti-PhoX nanobodies from an alpaca antibody library. After three rounds of panning, a nanobody 3H with the highest affinity was selected. Further tests showed 3H could specifically bind to Microcystis PhoX and be used for PhoX detection by immunoblotting analysis. Then we constructed two different fluorescent-labeled 3H, EGFP-3H (with an enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP) and FITC-3H (with fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate, FITC), as specific fluorescent dyes for PhoX. The fluorescence staining tests with laboratory strains and water bloom samples showed that both fluorescent-labeled nanobodies could visualize the distribution and evaluate relative expression levels of PhoX in Microcystis. The nanobody 3H could be a useful regent to develop fluorescence immunoassays for in situ analyses of Microcystis PhoX.
Preparation of chitosan based antibacterial agent CS-g-DMC and its long-effective antibacterial finishing for cotton fabric
Authors: Zhang Hao , He Shiqi , Hu Yanli , Li Fengyan , Zhou Baoming
Published: September 2022

In this study, a chitosan-based high polymer antibacterial agent CS-g-DMC was synthesized through grafting copolymerization with an environmentally friendly initiator system of H2O2 and ascorbic acid (Vc). The CS-g-DMC was used for the long-effective antibacterial finishing of cotton fabric. The SEM, EDS, FTIR, XPS, and XRD were conducted for the characterization of the fabric. Result showed CS-g-DMC combined with cellulose macro-molecule chemical bond, and had uniformly distributed on surface of cotton fiber. After finishing, the cotton fabric had antibacterial rates against S. aureus and E. coli above 99.9% after 10 times of standard washing. The finished cotton fabric had significantly improved hydrophily, its contact angle decreased from 107° to 104°. Its breaking force significantly increased from 173.38 N to 219.33 N, and its breaking elongation and moisture transmission rate had not dropped obviously. In general, the cotton fabric finished by CS-g-DMC obtained long-effective antibacterial and increased mechanical properties, at meantime kept its comfortable capability to a great extent.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking Global and Segmental Strain in Acute and Chronic ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Erley Jennifer , Starekova Jitka , Sinn Martin , Muellerleile Kai , Chen Hang , Harms Phillip , Naimi Lieda , Meyer Mathias , Cavus Ersin , Schneider Jan , Blankenberg Stefan , Lund Gunnar K. , Adam Gerhard , Tahir Enver
Published: September 2022

Objectives: Strain is an important imaging
parameter to determine myocardial deformation. This study sought to
1) assess changes in left ventricular strain and ejection fraction
(LVEF) from acute to chronic ST-elevation myocardial infarction
(STEMI) and 2) analyze strain as a predictor of late gadolinium
enhancement (LGE).

Methods: 32 patients with STEMI and 18
controls prospectively underwent cardiac magnetic resonance
imaging. Patients were scanned 8±5 days and six months after
infarction (±1.4 months). Feature tracking was performed and LVEF
was calculated. LGE was determined visually and quantitatively on
short-axis images and myocardial segments were grouped according to
the LGE pattern (negative, non-transmural and transmural).

Results: Global strain was impaired in
patients compared to controls, but improved within six months after
STEMI (longitudinal strain from -14±4 to -16±4%, p<0.001; radial
strain from 38±11 to 42±13%, p=0.006; circumferential strain from
-15±4 to -16±4%, p=0.023). Regional strain persisted impaired in
LGE-positive segments. LVEF was preserved (51±12 and 53±10%,
p=0.206). Circumferential strain could best distinguish between
LGE-negative and -positive segments (AUC 0.73- 0.77).

Conclusion: Strain improves within six months
after STEMI, but remains impaired in LGE-positive segments. Strain
may serve as an imaging biomarker to analyze myocardial viability.
Especially circumferential strain could predict LGE.
Application of Moringa leaves as soil amendment to Tiger-nut suppressed weeds in the Nigerian Guinea Savanna
Authors: Fadeyi Olasupo James , James Olasupo , Fabunmi Thomas Oladeji , Soretire Adeniyi Adebowale , Olowe Victor Idowu Olugbenga , Adeyemi Olusegun Raphael
Published: September 2022

The allelopathic effect of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaves applied as organic manure in tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) production on associated weeds was investigated in the guinea savanna of South West Nigeria, during the 2014 (September - November) and 2015 (June - August) wet seasons. Five Moringa leaves rates (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 t/ha) and three tuber sizes (0.28 g, 0.49 g and 0.88 g dry weight) were laid out in the main plot and sub-plot, respectively in a split-plot arrangement fitted into randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Parameters measured, weed cover score (WCS), weed density (WD) and weed dry matter production (WDMP) were significantly (p<0.05) influenced in both years by Moringa leaf. In 2015, WCS, WD and WDMP significantly (p<0.05) reduced by 25-73%, 35-78% and 26-70% on Moringa leaves-treated plots respectively. There were significant (p<0.05) interactions between quantity of Moringa leaves incorporated and tuber size. The bigger the tuber and the higher the quantity of Moringa leaves incorporated the lower the WCS, WD and WDMP. Consequently, application of 10 t.ha-1Moringa leaves and planting of large or medium-sized tubers are recommended for optimum weed suppression in tiger nut production in South West Nigeria.
Generalized conformable fractional Newton-type method for solving nonlinear systems
Authors: Candelario Giro , Cordero Alicia , Torregrosa Juan R. , Vassileva María P.
Published: September 2022

In a recent paper, a conformable fractional Newton-type method was proposed for solving nonlinear equations. This method involves a lower computational cost compared to others fractional iterative methods. Indeed, the theoretical order of convergence is held in practice, and it presents a better numerical behaviour than fractional Newton-type methods formerly proposed, even compared to classical Newton-Raphson method. In this work, we design a generalization of this method for solving nonlinear systems by using a new conformable fractional Jacobian matrix, and a suitable conformable Taylor power series; and it is compared with classical Newton’s scheme. The necessary concepts and results are stated in order to design this method. Convergence analysis is made and a quadratic order of convergence is obtained, as in classical Newton's method. Numerical tests are made, and the Approximated Computational Order ofo Convergence (ACOC) supports the theory. Also, the proposed scheme shows good stability properties observed by means of convergence planes.
Characterization of qPL5, a Novel Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) that controls Panicle Length in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Xu Zuopeng , Li Meng , Du Yuanyue , Li Xixu , Wang Ruixuan , Chen Zhiai , Tang Shuzhu , Liu Qiaoquan , Zhang Honggen
Published: September 2022

Panicle length (PL) is an important trait that determines panicle architecture and strongly affects grain yield and quality in rice. However, this trait has not been well characterized genetically, and its contribution to yield improvement is not well understood. Characterization of novel genes related to PL is of great significance for breeding high-yielding rice varieties. In our previous research we identified qPL5, a quantitative trait locus for PL. In this study, we aimed to determine the exact position of qPL5 in the rice genome and identify the candidate gene. Through substitution mapping, we mapped qPL5 to a region of 21.86 kb flanked by the molecular marker loci STS5-99 and STS5-106 in which two candidate genes were predicted. By sequence analysis and relative expression analysis, LOC-Os05g41230, which putatively encodes a BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-associated receptor kinase 1 precursor, was considered to be the most likely candidate gene for qPL5. In addition, we successfully developed a pair of near-isogenic lines (NILs) for qPL5 in different genetic backgrounds to evaluate the genetic effects of qPL5. Agronomic trait analysis of the NILs indicated that qPL5 positively contributes to plant height, grain number per panicle, panicle length, grain yield per panicle, and flag leaf length, but it had no influence on heading date and grain-size-related traits. Therefore, qPL5 and the markers tightly linked to it should be available for molecular breeding of high-yielding varieties.
Interest Rates and Inequality: Does the Choice of Inequality Measure Matter?
Authors: Fagerstrom Matthew J.
Published: September 2022

Since the 1980s, interest rates have declined in many of the world's advanced economies. Concurrently, capital's share of income and both income and wealth inequality have risen. Although there is a growing literature on the relation between monetary policy and inequality, no study has yet to look at income and wealth inequality across multiple samples simultaneously. Using a century of data covering the US, France, and the UK, a panel of eight countries over the period 1960-2010, and a panel of 41 countries over the period 2000-2014, I estimate local projections and find that increases in long-term interest rates always decrease inequality regardless of how it is measured. This result is robust to the choice of country and time period. Increases in capital's share increase income inequality, but the impact of capital's share on wealth inequality is sensitive to the sample chosen.
JEL: D31, E25, E52
Efficient design of a quantum absolute-value circuit using Clifford+T gates
Authors: Orts Francisco , Ortega Gloria , Combarro Elías F. , Rúa Ignacio F. , Puertas Antonio M. , Garzón Ester M.
Published: September 2022

Current quantum computers have a limited number of resources and are heavily affected by internal and external noise. Therefore, small, noise-tolerant circuits are of great interest. With regard to circuit size, it is especially important to reduce the number of required qubits. Concerning to fault-tolerance, circuits entirely built with Clifford+T gates allow the use of error correction codes. However, the T-gate has an excessive cost, so circuits with a high number of T-gates should be avoided. This work focuses on optimising in such terms an operation that is widely used in larger circuits and algorithms: the calculation of the absolute-value of two's complement encoded integers. The proposed circuit reduces by more than half the number of required T gates with respect to the best circuit currently available in the literature. Moreover, our proposal is the circuit that requires the fewest qubits for such an operation.
They do not have symptoms – Why do they need to take medicines? Challenges in tuberculosis preventive treatment among children in Cambodia: a qualitative study
Authors: An Yom , Teo Alvin Kuo Jing , Huot Chan Yuda , Tieng Sivanna , Khun Kim Eam , Pheng Sok Heng , Leng Chhenglay , Deng Serongkea , Song Ngak , Nonaka Daisuke , Yi Siyan
Published: September 2022

Background: Latent tuberculosis (TB) infection has been known as seedbeds for TB disease later in life. The interruption from latent TB infection to TB disease can be done through TB preventive treatment (TPT). In Cambodia, only about 83.0% of children under five years old who were the household contacts to bacteriologically confirmed TB cases were initiated with TPT in 2020. Scientific studies of context-specific operational challenges in TPT provision and uptake among children are scarce, particularly in high TB-burden countries. This study identified challenges in TPT provision and uptake among children in Cambodia from the perspective of healthcare providers and caregivers.
Methods: Between October and December 2020, we conducted in-depth interviews with four operational district TB supervisors, four clinicians and four nurses in charge of TB in referral hospitals, four nurses in charge of TB in health centers, and 28 caregivers with children currently or previously on TB treatment, on TPT, and those who refused TPT for their eligible children. Data were audio recorded along with field notetaking. After verbatim transcription, data analyses were performed using a thematic approach.
Results: The mean age of healthcare providers and caregivers were 40.19 years (SD 12.0) and 47.9 years (SD 14.6), respectively. The majority of healthcare providers (93.8%) were male, and 75.0% of caregivers were female. More than one-fourth of caregivers were grandparents, and 25.0% of the caregivers had no formal education. Identified key barriers to TPT implementation among children included TPT side effects, poor adherence to TPT, poor understanding of TPT among caregivers, TPT risk perception among caregivers, child-unfriendly formula, TPT supply-chain issues, caregivers’ concern about the effectiveness of TPT, being non-parental caregivers, and poor community engagement.
Conclusion: The national TB program should invest in capacity building on TPT among healthcare providers, ensuring appropriate mechanisms to ensure adequate TPT drug supply, and improving community awareness of TPT. These context-specific interventions will play a crucial role in expanding the TPT program to interrupt the development from latent TB infection to active and ultimately lead to ending TB in the country.
Face based mental health classification
Authors: Malick Rauf A. S. , Lodhi Rubab
Published: September 2022

Mental Health has been the concern of multiple eras and facial expressions and gestures identification plays a vital role in mental health identification. Cognitive theories suggest people with depression interpret self-referential social information negatively. Mental Illness is curable and if treated timely it can lead to a permanent solution. Timely diagnosis is a compulsory factor and it can be done by identifying the behavior, actions and personality traits that the person possess through gestures and facial expression analysis. This can be a great help in timely diagnosis of various mental illnesses and will eventually help professionals choose suitable treatment therapies according to patient’s personality traits and level of illness. The proposed researched worked on rule based model to classify mental state from facial image data and perform comparison of results using various machine learning models over multiclass data, validating the outcome of rule based model.
Probing the allosteric modulation of P-glycoprotein: A medicinal chemistry approach towards the identification of non-competitive P-gp inhibitors.
Authors: Bonito Cátia A. , Ferreira Ricardo J. , Ferreira Maria-José. U. , Durães Fernando , Sousa Emília , Gillet Jean-Pierre , Cordeiro Maria Natália , Santos Daniel J. V. A. dos
Published: September 2022

A medicinal chemistry approach combining in silico and in vitro methodologies was performed aiming at identifying and characterizing putative allosteric drug-binding sites (aDBS) at the interface of the transmembrane- and nucleotide-binding domains (TMD-NBD) of P-glycoprotein. Two aDBSs were identified, one in each NBD, by means of in silico fragment-based molecular dynamics, and characterized in terms of size, polarity, and lining residues. From a small library of thioxanthone and flavanone derivatives, experimentally described to bind at the TMD-NBD interfaces, several compounds were identified to be able to decrease the verapamil-stimulated ATPase activity. An IC50 of 81 ± 6.6 μM is reported for a flavanone derivative in the ATPase assays, providing evidence for an allosteric efflux modulation in P-glycoprotein. Molecular docking and Molecular Dynamics gave additional insights on the binding mode on how flavanone derivatives may act as allosteric inhibitors.
Intermittent bursting oscillations and the bifurcation analysis in an excited Rayleigh-Duffing oscillator
Authors: Zhang Chun , Tang Qiaoxia , Wang Zhixiang
Published: September 2022

This paper investigates the bursting oscillations of a externally and parametrically forced Rayleigh-Duffing oscillator, in which three intermittent bursting types and one normal bursting type, namely intermittent “supHopf/supHopf-supHopf/supHopf” bursting, intermittent “fold/Homoclinic-Homoclinic/supHopf” bursting, intermittent “fold/Homoclinic-supHopf/supHopf” bursting and “fold/Homoclinic” bursting, are analyzed respectively. Recognizing the excitations as slow-varying state variables, the corresponding autonomous system can be exhibited and the bifurcation characteristics is briefly investigated, in particular, the Homoclinic bifurcation is analyzed by means of the Melnikov criterion. This paper shows that the dynamical behaviors of the excited Rayleigh-Duffing oscillator is touchy to the chosen of system parameters, different parameter conditions lead to distinct bifurcation structures that result in the trajectory approaching to different stable attractors and the appearance of different bursting forms. Our study increases the variousness of bursting oscillations and deepens the cognition of the generation mechanism of bursting dynamics. Lastly, the accuracy of the analysis presented in this paper is fully vindicated by the numerical simulations.
BP-180 can be Found in Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Blister Fluid in Bullous Pemphigoid
Authors: Gasparini Giulia , Tasso Roberta , Palamà Maria Elisabetta Federica , Ciferri Maria Chiara , Gentili Chiara , Zenzo Giovanni , Salemme Adele , Quarto Rodolfo , Parodi Aurora , Cozzani Emanuele
Published: September 2022

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune blistering disease that targets the haemidesmosomal proteins, mainly BP180. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been demonstrated to carry tissue-specific autoantigens in the setting of autoimmune diseases and transplant organ rejection; this phenomenon was demonstrated to have pathogenic implications in autoimmune diseases and to correlate with transplant rejection severity.
The purpose of this study was to identify the presence of BP targeted autoantigens in blister fluid derived EVs.
We isolated, by size exclusion chromatography, EVs derived from blisters of BP-patients and from suction blisters of healthy donors. EV characterization was performed by flow cytometry and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Western blot analysis was used to investigate the presence of autoantigens.
A suspension enriched in EVs was efficiently obtained from blister fluid from patients and healthy donors. EV-enriched fractions were enriched in particles with a size distribution characterizing small-EVs (main peak was present at 94.5nm). BP180 was found, by western blot analysis, in EVs derived from blister fluid of 3 out 6 BP patients and in none of EVs isolated from suction blister fluid of healthy donors. BP230 and Dsg1 were not detectable in EVs of any of the samples. No specific clinical characteristics seemed to correlate to the presence of BP180 in EVs.
The discovery of BP180, the most important autoantigen targeted in BP, in EVs derived from blister fluid represent a milestone in the understanding of BP pathogenesis.
Research on the evolution and the driving forces of land use classification for production, living and ecological space in China's Qilian Mountains Nature Reserve from 2000 to 2020
Authors: Wang Yaobin , Zhao Ruitao , Li Ying , Yao Rong , Wu Ruoxue , Li Wenlin
Published: September 2022

This research constructed a production-living-ecological function evaluation index system, used entropy method, land use transfer matrix, kernel density analysis and geodetector to evaluate the production-living-ecological functions of 13 districts and counties in China's Qilian Mountains for the period 2000-2020. The results of the study showed: There are obvious spatial differences in the function of production-living-ecological in the Qilian Mountains. The production and living function index are rising. The most advantaged areas are in the northern part of the research area where the terrain is flat and transportation is convenient. The ecological function index rises, falls, then rises again. The high-value area is mainly located in the south of the study area and its ecological function is intact. The Qilian Mountains are dominated by ecological spatial distribution; the area of production and living space increased throughout the study period. The increase in production space mainly comes from ecological space and unused land; the increase in living space mainly comes from production space and unused land. Ecological degradation is a serious problem in northern Qilian County and central Menyuan County. Among geographical factors, altitude has a significant impact on the evolution of living space; other geographical factors have a limited impact on functional space. Population density is the main factor in changing the areas of production and ecological space. The interaction affects production, living and ecological space more than any individual factor.
Smart Education with Deep Learning and Social Media for Disaster Management in the pursuit of Environmental Sustainability While avoiding Fake News
Authors: Zair Bouzidi , Abdelmalek Boudries , Mourad Amad
Published: September 2022

Networking continues to increase day by day to invest increasingly our daily, creating huge volume of various and precise data: it is not easy to collect content, especially in crisis times. We focus on Smart Education proposed as primary tool of a hybrid of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN)-Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)-based model to retrieving content efficiently: CNN is used to extract meaningful features from multiple sources, enabling to have qualitative and sure information, notably with an efficient fake news security, and LSTM is used to maintain long-term dependencies in the extracted features with recurrent connections.
This model has been compared to previous approaches to the performance of a publicly available dataset to demonstrate its highly satisfactory performance. This new approach makes it possible to integrate artificial intelligence technologies, deep learning, social media and detecting or avoiding fake news into the crisis management model. It is based on an extension of our previous approach, namely disaster management based on short-term memory and education: this experience constitutes a background for this model. It combines representation training with awareness and education, while retrieving pattern information by combining various search results from multiple sources. We have extended it to improve our disaster management model and evaluate it in the case of Covid-19 while obtaining promising results, through past programs and experience that have shown overwhelmingly positive effects of education for vulnerability reduction and disaster risk management, in the pusuit of Environmental Sustainability.
Theme: Impact of early food diversification on the composition of the gut microbiota in infants during the first 200 days of life from three municipalities in the District of Abidjan
Authors: jerome mouroufie abo kouadio
Published: September 2022

The gastrointestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in host health and disease through its impact on nutrition. Gut microbial composition is linked to different diets, but an association of gut microbiota with different infant diets has been lightly studied. In this work, we compared the faecal microbiota of breastfed infants receiving dietary diversification (LM+DA), infants fed formula milk combined with complementary foods (LA+DA) and infants on a mixed breastfeeding diet accompanied by food supplements (LM+LA+DA). Differences in gut microbiota were found between the three groups using Illumina high-throughput sequencing.
Actinobacteria and Bacteroides are the most dominant phyla in all three groups. However, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes are less represented in infants on LA+DA diets. For infants on the LM+DA diet, Bifidobacterium (17.84%), Escherichia-Shigella (9.37%) and Streptococcus (7.4%) dominate more, whereas in LA+DA infants, the domination is observed with Bifidobacterium(24.33%), Escherichia-Shigella (14.35%). Finally, LM+LA+DA infants are also Bifidobacterium(14.99%), Escherichia-Shigella (9.17%) and Streptococcus (7.68%) which dominate (p=0.05). In addition, at age level, there is a significant difference (p<0.05). Between 0-119 daysBifidobacterium (15.70%), Enterobacteriaceae (11.28%) dominate; between 120-179 days Bifidobacterium (20.62%) and Enterobacteriaceae (8.95%) which also dominate, but in lower proportions compared to infants of 0-119 days. Finally, at 200 days, Bifidobacterium (14%) and Enterobacteriaceae (9.31%) also dominate, but in low proportions.
ENAH regulates survival, self-renewal, and migration of patient-derived primary glioblastoma neurospheres
Authors: Rock Mitchell , Bryant Jean-Paul , Walbridge Stuart , Dalmage Mahalia , Namagiri Sriya , Chowdhury Ashis , Edwards Nancy , Jackson Sadhana , Ray-Chaudhury Abhik , Heiss John , Kumbar Sangamesh , Banasavadi-Siddegowda Yeshavanth Kumar
Published: September 2022

Purpose: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults. Despite standard treatment, the median survival of GBM patients is only 15 months. Enabled homolog (ENAH) is a member of the Ena/VASP protein family and regulates actin dynamics. ENAH has been implicated in a wide variety of cancers. But its role in GBM is less explored. We sought to understand the role of ENAH in GBM tumor biology.
Methods: Expression of ENAH in GBM tumor specimens was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Patient-derived primary GBM neurosphere (GBMNS) models transfected with scrambled or target-specific ENAH siRNA were subjected to viability, apoptosis, neurosphere formation, western blot, transwell migration, and F-actin immunofluorescence assays. In vivo, we implanted mice with ENAH-intact and -depleted GBMNS intracranially and analyzed survival duration.
Results: IHC analysis suggests that the expression of ENAH is higher in GBM tumor samples compared to low-grade gliomas and normal brain tissues. In vitro, ENAH knockdown reduced the viability of GBMNS by more than 50% by inducing apoptosis and significantly decreased the self-renewal ability. Also, we show that depletion of ENAH reduced the migration of GBMNS and demonstrated that ENAH is required for actin polymerization. Further, the expression of AXL-GAS6 was downregulated with the knockdown of ENAH. In vivo, transient depletion of ENAH significantly increased the survival of tumor-bearing mice.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that ENAH is required for survival, self-renewal, and migration of GBMNS. Hence, ENAH can serve as a potential target for GBM therapy.
Research on the impact of urbanization on Climate and Ecological Environment of World Cultural Heritage Site-- A case study of Fuling Mausoleum in Qing Dynasty
Authors: Wang Jing , Wang Xiaoyu , Han Zhigen , Zhang Keqing
Published: September 2022

Taking the Fuling Mausoleum,a world cultural heritage, as the research object, this paper analyzes the impact of urbanization on the climate and ecological environment of the World Cultural Heritage site.Based on the Landsat series remote sensing image data and meteorological station data from 2005 to 2020, the spatial and temporal change characteristics of urban land in the region where the world cultural heritage located are characterized. The temporal and spatial change characteristics and influencing factors of climate change and habitat quality in the study area are quantitatively evaluated and analyzed by GIS technology and Habitat Quality module of InVEST model.The results show that: (1) the urban land in the area where Fuling Mausoleum is located shows a trend of expanding eastward and southward along the existing urban land from 2005 to 2020, and agricultural land and woodland to construction land are the main sources of new urban land, which is in line with the characteristics of urban development and changes in Shenyang in recent years.(2)During the study period, the temperature in the area where the Fuling Mausoleum was located showed a fluctuating upward trend, the average temperature increased by 0.15C / 10a, and the precipitation increased by 102mm/10a. At the same time, NDVI showed a significant negative correlation with the average temperature, and a positive correlation with precipitation as a whole.(3)From 2005 to 2020, the habitat quality of the Fuling Mausoleum heritage site showed an overall downward trend: among them, the average annual decline rate was 0.36% in the areas with high habitat quality levels, 0.14% in the middle regions, and 0.5% in the areas with low habitat quality levels. The heritage site is strongly disturbed by human factors, especially the degradation in the east of Qing Fuling is very obvious, but the distribution of the degraded area is relatively scattered. The low-value and non-degraded areas of habitat degradation index are mainly located in the heritage area and the eastern mountain region.