bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Complete Genome Analysis of a Novel Escherichia Phage, vB_EcoM-RPN242
Authors: Imklin Napakhwan , Sripras Pattaraporn , Thanantong Narut , Lekcharoensuk Porntippa , Nasanit Rujikan
Published: January 2022

The novel Escherichia phage vB_EcoM-RPN242 was isolated using a strain of Escherichia coli host originated from a diarrheal piglet. The phage was able to form plaques on the E. coli lawn at 15−45ºC. Moreover, it was stable over a wide pH (4−10) and temperature (4−70ºC) range. The vB_EcoM-RPN242 genome was found to be a linear, double-stranded DNA consisting of 154,840 base pairs. There were 195 protein-encoding genes and 2 tRNAs detected in the genome, however no unfavorable gene was found. According to the overall nucleotide sequence comparison, the vB_EcoM-RPN242 possibly represents a new phage species in the genus Agtrevirus.
Incidence and Predictors of Cerebral Salt Wasting Syndrome in Stroke Patients – Results of a Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Ranasinghe Vindya Shalini , Bowatte Gayan , Antonypillai Charles , Gawarammana Indika Bandara
Published: January 2022

BackgroundCerebral salt wasting syndrome (CSWS) and Syndrome of Inappropriate Anti Diuretic Hormone secretion (SIADH) are the most common aetiological factors for developing hyponatremia following stroke. The differentiation of these two entities is crucial as the treatment options are completely different. Hence the knowledge on predictors of CSWS is important to make a more accurate diagnosis of CSWS. MethodsTwo hundred and fourty six patients with confirmed stroke were prospectively observed throughout the hospital stay in a tertiary referral center in Sri Lanka to identify the possible predictors of CSWS. Hyponatremia was defined as serum Na+ level less than 131mmo/l. Serum osmolality, urine osmolality, urinary Na+, serum cortisol and thyroid function tests were performed on all the hyponatremic patients. Differentiation of the CSWS and SIADH was based on physical examination findings and laboratory parameters. ResultsThe incidence of hyponatremia in our study population was 19.1% (95% Confidence Interval 14.39-24.58). The majority of patients (24, 51%) were attributed to CSWS. SIADH group comprised of 17 (36.2%) patients and 6 (12.7%) patients had other undetermined causes. There was a significant statistical difference between the aetiologies of hyponatremia and laboratory investigations like urinary Na+, urinary osmolality and serum osmolality. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, imaging findings and clinical parameters like systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, on admission GCS were considered in the multivariable logistic regression model and the overall model was not significant. Conclusion The incidence of CSWS is higher than the incidence of SIADH. The demographic characteristics, comorbidities, imaging and clinical parameters like blood pressure, on admission GCS could not predict the occurrence of CSWS
Synthesis, Antibacterial, Thrombolytic and Cytotoxic Evaluation of Substituted and Un-substituted Selenium-n-heterocyclic Carbene Adducts
Authors: Kamal Amna , Iqbal Muhammad Adnan , Bhatti Haq Nawaz , Ghaffar Abdul
Published: January 2022

N-heterocyclic carbene salts bearing alkyl substituents (1-8) and their selenium N-heterocyclic carbene adducts (9-12) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, NMR (1HNMR, 13CNMR) spectroscopic techniques. All the adducts were found to be stable in air and moisture at room temperature. Compounds (5-12) were evaluated against Bacillus subtilis Macrococcus brunensis and Bacillus cereus in vitro. The biological assay revealed that antibacterial activity of Selenium-N-heterocyclic carbene adducts are comparatively better than the salts. MIC and inhibition zone values showed that Bacillus subtilis is more active to selenium adducts (9-12) than Macrococcus brunensis and Bacillus cereus whereas opposite in the salts (5-8). In vitro studies of hemolysis and thrombolysis demonstrated that the synthesized compounds are innocuous for pre-clinical trials to mouse blood.
Nonlinear Tactile Estimation Model based on Perceptibility of Mechanoreceptors improves Quantitative Tactile Sensing
Authors: Sagara Momoko , Nobuyama Lisako , Takemura Kenjiro
Published: January 2022

Tactile sensing has attracted significant attention as a tactile quantitative evaluation method because the tactile sensation is an important factor while evaluating consumer products. While the human tactile perception mechanism has nonlinearity, previous studies have often developed linear regression models. In contrast, this study proposes a nonlinear tactile estimation model that can estimate sensory evaluation scores from physical measurements. We extracted features from the vibration data obtained by a tactile sensor based on the perceptibility of mechanoreceptors. In parallel, a sensory evaluation test was conducted using 10 evaluation words. Then, the relationship between the extracted features and the tactile evaluation results was modeled using linear/nonlinear regressions. The best model was concluded by comparing the mean squared error between the model predictions and the actual values. The result implies that there are multiple evaluation words suitable for adopting nonlinear regression models, and the average error was 43.8% smaller than that of building only linear regression models.
An Optimizing Method for Performance and ResourceUtilization in Quantum Machine Learning Circuits
Authors: Salehi Tahereh , Zomorodi Mariam , Pławiak Paweł , Abbaszade Mina , Salari Vahid
Published: January 2022

Quantum computing is a new and advanced topic that refers to calculations based on the principles of quantum mechanics. Itmakes certain kinds of problems be solved easier compared to classical computers. This advantage of quantum computingcan be used to implement many existing problems in different fields incredibly effectively. One important field that quantumcomputing has shown great results in machine learning. Until now, many different quantum algorithms have been presented toperform different machine learning approaches. In some special cases, the execution time of these quantum algorithms will bereduced exponentially compared to the classical ones. But at the same time, with increasing data volume and computationtime, taking care of systems to prevent unwanted interactions with the environment can be a daunting task and since thesealgorithms work on machine learning problems, which usually includes big data, their implementation is very costly in terms ofquantum resources. Here, in this paper, we have proposed an approach to reduce the cost of quantum circuits and to optimizequantum machine learning circuits in particular. To reduce the number of resources used, in this paper an approach includingdifferent optimization algorithms is considered. Our approach is used to optimize quantum machine learning algorithms forbig data. In this case, the optimized circuits run quantum machine learning algorithms in less time than the original onesand by preserving the original functionality. Our approach improves the number of quantum gates by 10.7% and 14.9% indifferent circuits and the number of time steps is reduced by three and 15 units, respectively. This is the amount of reduction forone iteration of a given sub-circuit U in the main circuit. For cases where this sub-circuit is repeated more times in the maincircuit, the optimization rate is increased. Therefore, by applying the proposed method to circuits with big data, both cost andperformance are improved.
Genomic and Immunological Features of Micropapillary Pattern in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Huo Yansong , Sun Leina , Yuan Jie , Zhang Hua , Zhang Zhenfa , Zhang Lianmin , Huang Wuhao Huang , Sun Xiaoyan , Tang Zhe , Feng Yingnan , Mo Huilan , Yang Zuoquan , Zhang Chao , Yu Zicheng , Yue Dongsheng , Zhang Bin , Wang Changli
Published: January 2022

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) usually contain heterogeneous histological subtypes, among which the micropapillary (MIP) subtype was associated with poor prognosis while the lepidic (LEP) subtype possessed the most favorable outcome. A more comprehensive analysis involving discovery and public validation cohorts on the two subtypes could better decipher the key biological and evolutionary mechanisms.Methods: We firstly retrospectively studied the survival status of 286 LUAD patients with different subtypes. MIP and LEP components were micro-dissected for whole-exome sequencing (WES). Shared and private alterations as well as genomic alternation characteristics between the two components were investigated. Four public cohorts containing LEP and MIP samples were further selected for genomic profile comparison, novel therapeutic target investigation and immune infiltration quantification.Results: LEP and MIP subtypes exhibited largest disease free survival (DFS) in our patients. A total of 2035 SNV and 2757 InDels were identified in the sequenced LEP and MIP components. EGFR was found with highest mutation frequency. Distinct biological processes or pathways were involved in the evolutionary of the two components. Besides, analyses on copy number variation (CNV) and intratumor heterogeneity further discovered the possible immunosurveillance escape, the discrepancy between mutation and CNV level ITH and the pervasive DNA Damage Response as well as WNT pathway gene alternations in MIP component. Phylogenetic analysis on 5 pairs of LEP and MIP components further confirmed the presence of ancestral EGFR mutations. Through comprehensive analysis in our samples and public cohorts, PTP4A3, NAPRT and RECQL4 were identified as novel therapeutic and diagnostic targets in MIP subtype. Immunosuppression prevalence in MIP component was finally confirmed by multi-omics data.Conclusion: We identified genetic differences responsible for variated prognosis. The subtype evolution trajectory was additionally unraveled. Novel gene targets and the immunological analyses also provided therapeutic suggestions for MIP subtype.
A Rapid Search Method for Scheduling Delivery of Multiple Automated Guided Vehicles
Authors: Meno Koki , Yorozu Ayanori , Ohya Akihisa
Published: January 2022

In this study, a method was developed to address the automated guided vehicle (AGV) transportation scheduling problem. For deliveries in factories and warehouses, it is necessary to quickly plan a feasible transportation schedule without delay within a specified time. This study focused on obtaining a transport schedule without delay from the specified time while maintaining the search for a better solution during the execution of the transport task. Accordingly, a method was developed for constructing a solution with a two-dimensional array of delivery tasks for each AGV, arranged in the order in which they are executed, as well as for searching for a schedule by performing exchange and insertion operations. For the exchange and insertion, a method that considers the connectivity between the end point of a task and the start point of the next task was adopted. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, numerical simulations were performed assuming an actual transportation task.
Age-Related Memory and Novel Object Avoidance Differences in Family Dogs: Measuring the Validity and Reliability of a Rapid Behaviour Test Battery
Authors: Piotti Patrizia , Piseddu Andrea , Aguzzoli Enrica , Sommese Andrea , Kubinyi Eniko
Published: January 2022

The prolonged lifespan of companion dogs has resulted in an increased occurrence of behavioural and physical challenges linked to old age. The development of behavioural tests for identifying and monitoring age-related differences has begun. However, standardised testing requires validation. The present study aimed to assess external validity, interobserver reliability, and test-retest reliability of an indoor test battery for the rapid assessment of age-related behavioural differences in dogs. Two experimenters tested young and old dogs on a first occasion and after two weeks. Our results found external validity for two subtests out of six. On both test occasions, old dogs committed more errors than young dogs in a memory test and showed more object avoidance when encountering a novel object. Interobserver reliability and test-retest reliability was high. We conclude that the Memory and Novel object tests are valid and reliable for monitoring age-related memory performance and object neophobic differences in dogs.
Maternal Health Services as Determinant Factors for Low Birth Weight in public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a Case-control Study.
Authors: Abebe Yonas , Kebede Maedot , Getahun Tomas , Habtamu Marekegn , Tariku Behailu , Tesfahun Esubalew
Published: January 2022

Background: The birth weight of a newborn has a substantial impact on infant mortality, morbidity, development, and long-term health. It is determined by the mother's overall health status. More than 20 million babies are born with low birth weight across the world. In developing countries, almost 17% of all newborns are born with low birth weights, with no exception in Ethiopia. Alleviating this problem, needs a clear understanding of the determinants. Thus, this study was done in Addis Ababa, the most populous city in the country, where the lifestyles of mothers might be affected by the dynamic city life.Method: An unmatched case-control study was applied to assess the risk factors of low birth weight in three randomly selected public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Data was collected through interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 24. Descriptive statistics using frequencies and percentages were used to describe the socio-demographic characteristics of the study participants. Bi-variable and multi-variable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the possible effect of determinant factors on low birth weight, with their respective odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. P-values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Result: We enrolled 168 cases and 336 controls; all completed the study with no refusal. Of all pregnancies, 90 (17.8%) were unplanned and unwanted. And, 153 (30.3%) of mothers have a history of prior abortion. Among the factors we studied, maternal age below 18 years (AOR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.24, 5.84), unwanted and unplanned pregnancy (AOR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.66), ANC visit in the last pregnancy below three (AOR: 3.23, 95% CI: 1.61, 6.49), female neonate (AOR: 1.09, 95% CI: 2.04, 3.20), not supplemented with iron and folic acid (AOR: 3.11, 95% CI: 1.36, 7.11) and hematocrit level of < 30 (AOR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.00, 5.22) showed a statistically significant association with low birth weight.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the age of mothers below 18 years, unwanted and unplanned pregnancy, low ANC visits, lack of iron and folic acid supplements, and low maternal hemoglobin level were the significant determinants of low birth weight among term babies. Thus, women of childbearing age should be screened and educated about the risks of pregnancy and should get the necessary care and support when they get pregnant.
Rolipram and Pentoxifylline Combination Ameliorates Experimental Diabetic Neuropathy Through Inhibition of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Pathways in the Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons
Authors: Dastgheib Mona , Shetab-Boushehri Seyed Vahid , Baeeri Maryam , Gholami Mahdi , Karimi Mohammad Yahya , Hosseini Asieh
Published: January 2022

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is the most challenging microvascular complication of diabetes and there is no suitable treatment for it, so the development of new agents to relieve DN is urgently needed. Since oxidative stress and inflammation play an essential role in the development of DN, clearance of these factors are good strategies for the treatment of this disease. According to key role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways, it seems that phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDEIs) can be as novel drug targets for improving DN through enhancement of cAMP level. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of rolipram, a selective PDE4 inhibitor, and pentoxifylline, a general PDE inhibitor on experimental model of DN and also to determine the possible mechanisms involved in the effectiveness of these agents. We investigated the effects of rolipram (1mg/kg) and pentoxifylline (100 mg/kg) and also combination of rolipram (0.5 mg/kg) and pentoxifylline (50 mg/kg), orally for five weeks in rats that became diabetic by STZ (55 mg/kg, i.p.). After treatments, motor function was evaluated by open-field test, then rats were anesthetized and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons isolated. Next, oxidative stress biomarkers and inflammatory factors were assessed by biochemical and ELISA methods, and RT-PCR analysis in DRG neurons. Rolipram and/or pentoxifylline treatment significantly attenuated DN – induced motor function deficiency by modulating distance moved and velocity. Rolipram and/or pentoxifylline treatment dramatically increased the cAMP level, as well as suppressed DN – induced oxidative stress which was associated with decrease in LPO and ROS and increase in TAC, total thiol, CAT and SOD in DRG neurons. On the other hand, the level of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, NF-kB and COX2) significantly decreased following rolipram and/or pentoxifylline administration.The maximum effectiveness was with rolipram and/or pentoxifylline combination on mentioned factors.These findings provide novel experimental evidence for further clinical investigations on rolipram and pentoxifylline combination for the treatment of DN.
Multiobjective Design Optimization of Reentrant Auxetic Model Using Lichtenberg Algorithm Based on Metamodel
Authors: Francisco Matheus Brendon , Pereira João Luiz Junho , de Oliveira Lucas Antonio , Cunha Sebastião Da , Gomes Guilherme Ferreira
Published: January 2022

The optimization of five different responses of an auxetic model was considered: mass; critical buckling load under compression effort; natural frequency; Poisson’s ratio; and failure load. The Response Surface Methodology was applied, and a new meta-heuristic of optimization called the Multi-Objective Lichtenberg Algorithm was used to find the optimized configuration of the model. It was possible to increase the failure load by 26,75% in compression performance optimization. Furthermore, in the optimization of modal performance, it was possible to increase the natural frequency by 37.43%. Finally, all 5 responses analyzed simultaneously were optimized. In this case, it was possible to increase the critical buckling load by 42.55%, the failure load by 28.70% and reduce the mass and Poisson’s ratio by 15.97% and 11%, respectively. This paper shows something unprecedented in the literature to date when evaluating in a multi-objective optimization problem, the compression and modal performance of an auxetic reentrant model.
Association of Serum Biomarkers with Post-Thrombolytic Early Neurological Improvement in Stroke: A Comprehensive Protein Microarray Analysis From INTRECIS Study
Authors: Cui Yu , Wang Xin-Hong , Zhao Yong , Chen Shao-Yuan , Sheng Bao-Ying , Wang Li-Hua , Meng Wei-Hong , Chen Hui-Sheng
Published: January 2022

Objective
Early neurological improvement (ENI) after intravenous thrombolysis is associated with favorable outcome, but associated serum biomarkers were not fully determined. We aimed to investigate the issue in a prospective cohort.
Methods
In INTRECIS study, five centers were designed to consecutively collect the blood sample from enrolled patients. Enrolled patients with ENI and without ENI were matched by propensity score matching with the ratio of 1:1. Preset 49 biomarkers were measured by protein microarray analysis. Enrichment of Gene Ontology and pathway, and protein-protein interaction network were analyzed in the identified biomarkers.
Results
Of 358 patients, 19 occurred ENI, who were assigned as ENI group, while 19 matched patients without ENI were assigned as Non ENI group. A total of 9 biomarkers were found different, among which levels of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand (CCL)-23, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)-12, insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-6, interleukin (IL)-5, lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor (LYVE)-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, suppression of tumorigenicity (ST)-2, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were higher in ENI group, compared with those in Non ENI group.
Interpretation:
Our finding indicated that pretreatment serum CCL-23, CXCL-12, IGFBP-6, IL-5, LYVE-1, PAI-1, PDGF-AA, ST-2, and TNF-α levels were associated with post-thrombolytic ENI in ischemic stroke. The role of these biomarkers warrant further investigation.
Registration-URL
: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02854592.
NOD2 Genes Mutation in a Blau Syndrome Accompany with Congenital Hyperuricemia: A Case Report
Authors: Wang Zhaoling , Lu MeiPing
Published: January 2022

Rationale: Blau syndrome (BS) is a chronic auto-inflammatory granulomatous disorder associated with the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing 2 (NOD2) gene mutations. Gene mutation is one cause of congenital hyperuricemia, However, the relationship between NOD2 and hyperuricemia was unknown. Patient concerns: A 3.5-year-old girl was admitted to hospital because of pain in the left calf and red eyes, otherwise, she suffered from skin rash, and skin cysts in the wrist and ankle joints before.Diagnoses: The girl was diagnosed with sporadic BS (SBS) accompanied with congenital hyperuricemia according to her clinical presentation and gene mutation.Interventions: The patient received prednisolone combined with adalimumab and methotrexate for controlling SBS. Oral febuxostat to alleviate uric acid levels. Outcomes: Her serum uric acid decreased to normal levels after 2 weeks with oral febuxostat tablet. Four months following the treatment, the number of cysts was decreased and ocular damage was not progressed. Lessions: Blau syndrome is a relatively new entity that clinical spectrum continues to expand. This patient provides some information, which would be assist the diagnosis.
Evaluating predictors of successful postoperative day 1 discharge following posterior fossa tumor resection
Authors: King Hunter , Morell Alexis A. , Luther Evan , Hernandez Melissa , Valdez Mynor Mendez , Shah Ashish H. , Eichberg Daniel E. , Lu Victor M. , Kader Michael , Patel Nitesh , Higgins Dominique , Komotar Ricardo J. , Ivan Michael E.
Published: January 2022

INTRODUCTION: Current trends in surgical neuro-oncology have shown that early discharges are both safe and feasible with shorter lengths of stay (LOS) associated with fewer thromboembolic complications, less hospital-acquired infections, reduced costs, and greater patient satisfaction. Traditionally, infratentorial tumor resections have been associated with longer LOS and limited data exists evaluating predictors of early discharge in these patients. The objective was to assess patients undergoing posterior fossa craniotomies for tumor resection and identify variables associated with a postoperative day 1 (POD1) discharge and determine any differences in outcomes and readmission rates. METHODS: A retrospective review of posterior fossa craniotomies for tumor resection at our institution was performed from 2011 to 2020. Laser ablations, craniotomies for non-tumoral pathologies, and biopsies were excluded. Complete demographic, clinical, surgical and postoperative data was collected for each patient. RESULTS: 173 patients were identified and 25 (14.5%) were discharged on POD1. Median length of stay was 6 days. The POD1 discharges had significantly better preoperative Karnofsky performance scores (p<0.001) and modified Rankin scores (p=0.002) and less frequently presented emergently (p=0.006) or with preoperative neurologic deficits (p=0.021). No statistically significant difference in 30-day readmissions and rates of PE, UTI, and DVT were found between the POD1 discharge cohort and those discharged later. Univariate logistic regression identified better preoperative functional status, elective admission, and lack of preoperative hydrocephalus as independent predictors of POD1 discharge however only the latter remained significant in the multivariable model (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Discharging patients on POD1 is feasible following posterior fossa tumor resections and does not introduce any significant undue risk or result in higher readmissions. Although we found that the only independent predictor for a longer LOS was preoperative hydrocephalus, larger, prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
In-situ Synthesis and Characterization of Ceramic Reinforced Inconel 718 Coatings Using B4C-Inconel 718 Powders by Laser Directed Laser Energy Deposition
Authors: Li Yunze , Zhang Dongzhe , Zhao Bo , Cong Weilong
Published: January 2022

Inconel 718 has been widely used in aerospace, nuclear and marine industries due to excellent high-temperature mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. In recent years, laser directed energy deposition (DED) become a competitive method in the fabrication of Inconel 718 coatings. Compared with other surface coating processes, laser DED has the advantage of extremely fine-grained structures, strong metallurgical bonding, and high density. However, the hardness and wear resistance of Inconel 718 coatings still need to be improved. To further improve these properties, ceramic reinforced Inconel 718 coatings have been investigated. Compared with ex-situ ceramic reinforcements, the in-situ synthesized reinforcements have the advantage of refined ceramic particle size, uniform distribution, and low thermal stress. B4C was a preferable additive material to fabricate in-situ synthesized multi-component ceramic reinforced Inconel 718 coatings. The addition of B4C could form a large number of borides and carbides as ceramic reinforcements. In addition, the in-situ reactions between Inconel 718 and B4C could release heat during the fabrication, thereby promoting the melting of material powders. However, there are currently no investigations on the in-situ synthesis mechanisms, microstructure, and mechanical properties of laser DED fabricated B4C-Inconel 718 coatings. In this study, the effects of B4C on the properties of Inconel 718 coatings were investigated. Results show that Ni3B, NbB, and Cr3C2 phases were formed. With the addition of B4C, the size of Laves phase was refined and the porosity was decreased. The hardness and wear resistance of B4C reinforced coatings were improved by about 34% and 28%, respectively.
Lithium Chloride Sensitivity Connects the Activity of PEX11 and RIM20 to PGM2 translation
Authors: Golshani Ashkan , Jagadeesan Sasi Kumar , Algafari Mustafa , Hajikarimlou Maryam , Takallou Sarah , Moteshareie Houman , Tayabali Azam , Samanfar Bahram , Smith Myron
Published: January 2022

Lithium chloride (LiCl) is a widely used and extensively researched drug for the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD). As a result, LiCl has been the subject of research studying its toxicity, mode of action, and downstream cellular responses. LiCl has been shown to influence cell signalling and signalling transduction pathways through protein kinase C and glycogen synthase kinase-3 in mammalian cells. LiCl's significant downstream effects on the translational pathway necessitate further investigation. In yeast, LiCl is found to lower the activity and alter the expression of PGM2, a gene encoding a sugar-metabolism phosphoglucomutase. When phosphoglucomutase activity is reduced in the presence of galactose, intermediates of galactose metabolism aggregate, causing cell sensitivity to LiCl. In this study, we identified that deleting the genes PEX11 and RIM20 increases yeast LiCl sensitivity. We further show that PEX11 and RIM20 regulate the expression of PGM2 mRNA at the translation level. The observed alteration of translation seems to target the structured 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of the PGM2 mRNA.
Comparative Analysis on Transcriptomics of Ivermectin Resistant and Sensitive Strains of Haemonchus Contortus
Authors: Tuersong Waresi , Zhou Caixian , WU Simin , Qin Peixi , Wang Chunqun , Di Wenda , liu lu , liu Hui , Hu Min
Published: January 2022

Background: Ivermectin (IVM) is one of the most important and widely used anthelmintics in veterinary medicine. However, its efficacy is increasingly compromised by widespread resistance, and the exact mechanism of IVM resistance remains unclear for most parasitic nematodes including Haemonchus contortus, a blood-sucking parasitic nematode of small ruminants.Methods: In this study, we isolated and assessed an IVM resistant strain from Zhaosu, Xinjiang, China. Subsequently, the comparative analyses on transcriptomics of IVM susceptible and resistant H. contortus adult worms were carried out using RNA sequencing and bioinformatics.Results: In total, 543 and 359 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in male and female adult worms of the resistant strain compared with the susceptible strain, respectively. The DEGs encode molecules involved in receptor activities, transport, detoxification, lipid metabolism and cuticle collagen formation. In addition, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that transcriptional changes were dominant in genes associated with ligand-gated channel activity, oxidation-reduction process, lipid metabolic process, and structural constituent of cuticle. The results support previous proposal that the IVM resistant mechanism of H. contortus involved in both neuromuscular and non-neuromuscular pathways. Finally, the quantitative RT-PCR results confirmed that the transcriptional profiles of selected DEGs (male: 8 genes, female: 10 genes) were consistent with those obtained by the RNA-Seq.Conclusions: The findings from this work provided valuable information for further studies on the IVM resistance in H. contortus.
Two Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation Protocols of White Clover (Trifolium Repens) Through the Callus System
Authors: Jia Tong , Cheng Bizhen , Feng Huahao , Hassan Muhammad Jawad , Iqbal Muhammad Zafar , Li Zhou , Bai Shiqie , Peng Yan
Published: January 2022

White clover (Trifolium repens) is one of the most widely cultivated livestock forage legumes co-cultivated worldwide with pasture grass in a mixed-sward setting, however, its persistence and aesthetic quality are severely affected by abiotic stresses. In this study, regeneration of white clover plants was conducted through a callus system for 4-5 months with a regeneration frequency of 36-41%. Inoculating 4-day-old cotyledons into MS media fortified with 0.4 mg·L-1 6-BA and 2 mg·L-1 2,4-D significantly increased the callus formation rate. Roots and cotyledons were better induced, followed by hypocotyls, leaves, and petioles. The development of differentiated structures performed effectively on MS supplemented with 1 mg·L-1 6-BA and 0.1 mg·L-1 NAA. Further, we determined factors affecting the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient transformation for root-derived callus and 4-day-old cotyledons. The parameters that facilitated transient transformation were: Agrobacterium suspension density of 0.5 (OD600), 20 mg·L-1 AS, and 4-days co-cultivation duration. Subsequently, we developed two transformation protocols: transformation after callus formation in root segments (Protocol A) and transformation before callus initiation in 4-day-old cotyledons (Protocol B). The transformation frequencies varied from 1.92% to 3.17% in Protocol A and from 2.76% to 3.47% in Protocol B. We offer the possibility to regenerate multiple transgenic white clover from a single genetic background. In addition to assistance in identification of functional genes associated with yield, resistance and aesthetic quality, our research will also contribute to successful genetic manipulation and genome editing in white clover.
A Neural Network-Based Distributed Compressed Sensing Algorithm to Derive Continuous Hyperspectral Images in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Hasanuzzaman Md. Sarkar
Published: January 2022

Hyperspectral imaging is a versatile and powerful technology for gathering geo-data. Planes and satellites equipped with hyperspectral cameras are currently the leading contenders for large-scale imaging projects. Aiming at the shortcomings of traditional methods for detecting sparse representation of multi-spectral images, this paper proposes wireless sensor networks (WSNs) based single-hyperspectral image super-resolution method based on deep residual convolutional neural networks. We propose a different strategy that involves merging cheaper multispectral sensors to achieve hyperspectral-like spectral resolution while maintaining the WSN's spatial resolution. This method studies and mines the nonlinear relationship between low-resolution remote sensing images and high-resolution remote sensing images, constructs a deep residual convolutional neural network, connects multiple residual blocks in series, and removes some unnecessary modules. For this purpose, a decision support system is used that provides the outcome to the next layer. Finally, this paper, fully explores the similarities between natural images and hyperspectral images, use natural image samples to train convolutional neural networks, and further use migration learning to introduce the trained network model to the super-resolution problem of high-resolution remote sensing images, and solve the lack of training samples problem. A comparison between different algorithms for processing data on datasets collected in situ and via remote sensing is used to evaluate the proposed approach. The experimental results show that the method has good performance and can obtain better super-resolution effects.
dsSurvival: Privacy preserving survival models for federated individual patient meta-analysis in DataSHIELD
Authors: banerjee soumya
Published: January 2022

Objective

Achieving sufficient statistical power in a survival analysis usually requires large amounts of data from different sites. Sensitivity of individual-level data, ethical and practical considerations regarding data sharing across institutions could be a potential challenge for achieving this added power. Hence we implemented a federated meta-analysis approach of survival models in DataSHIELD, where only anonymous aggregated data are shared across institutions, while simultaneously allowing for exploratory, interactive modelling.

In this case, meta-analysis techniques to combine analysis results from each site are a solution, but a manual analysis workflow hinders exploration. Thus, the aim is to provide a framework for performing meta-analysis of Cox regression models across institutions without manual analysis steps for the data providers.

Results

We introduce a package ( dsSurvival) which allows privacy preserving meta-analysis of survival models, including the calculation of hazard ratios. Our tool can be of great use in biomedical research where there is a need for building survival models and there are privacy concerns about sharing data.
Toggle-like current-induced Bloch point dynamics of 3D skyrmion strings in a room-temperature nanowire
Authors: Birch Max , Cortés-Ortuño David , Litzius Kai , Wintz Sebastian , Schulz Frank , Weigand Markus , Štefančič Aleš , Mayoh Daniel , Balakrishnan Geetha , Hatton Peter , Schütz Gisela
Published: January 2022

Research into practical applications of magnetic skyrmions, nanoscale solitons with interesting topological and transport properties [1,2], has traditionally focused on two dimensional (2D) thin-film systems[3,4]. However, the recent observation of novel three dimensional (3D) skyrmion-like structures, such as hopfions [5], skyrmion strings (SkS) [6-9], skyrmion bundles [11] and skyrmion braids [12], motivates the investigation of new designs, aiming to exploit the third spatial dimension for more compact and higher performance spintronic devices in 3D or curvilinear geometries [13-15]. A crucial requirement of such device schemes is the control of the 3D magnetic structures via charge or spin currents, which has yet to be experimentally observed. In this work, we utilise real-space imaging to investigate the dynamics of a 3D SkS within a nanowire of Co8Zn9Mn3 at room temperature. Utilising single, nanoscale current pulses, we demonstrate current-induced nucleation of a single SkS, and a toggle-like positional switching of an individual Bloch point at the end of a SkS. The observations highlight the possibility to locally manipulate 3D topological spin textures, opening up a range of design concepts for future 3D spintronic devices.
CSO and Media Contributions to the Fight Against Corruption in Ghana’s Extractive Sector: A Political Economy Analysis
Authors: Ofosu-Peasah Gideon
Published: January 2022

Estimates show that Ghana losses approximately 30 percent of domestic revenue to corruption. Although losses due to corruption in Ghana’s extractive sector have not yet been quantified, the sector is plagued with incidents of corruption despite the country's commitment to international conventions, transparency mechanisms and best practices. A concerted efforts by state and non-actors is key to ease this canker. Understanding the role of CSOs and media in exposing corruption, promoting oversight and identifying the enablers and obstacles to their work is key to informing practise in the development space. This study examines the role of CSOs and media in the fight against extractive sector corruption. It identifies political economy factors that enable or hinder them in exposing corruption. Lastly, it identifies practical suggestions for surmounting the identified adverse political and economic factors. The research examines two cases of corruption, based on a desktop review and a survey of 11 state and non-state actors. A direct association between the role of CSOs and media and the level of corruption were established. Coalition building, using legal suits, sustaining advocacy, collaborations between media and CSOs are some enabling political economy factors identified. Inadequate resources to sustain advocacy, excessive duplicity of roles amongst oversight institutions, vested interests in extractive sector, inadequate prosecution of offenders by the legal system, inadequate evidence-based policy solutions by government, inadequate political will, limited access to information; little or no funding for legal action, increasing CSO and media employee turnover rates, are identified as some key political economy factors militating against efforts towards stemming corruption in Ghana’s extractive sector. These findings provide reliable information for CSOs and media in development practice, informs advocacy design, evaluates and improves media and CSO effectiveness in ridding the extractive sector of corruption.
Effect of Propolis on Precocious Puberty in Female Rats
Authors: Polat Recep , Çokluk Erdem , Budak Özcan , Tuncer Fatıma Betül
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Nutrition and exposure to various chemicals, including environmental pollution, insecticides, and plant phytoestrogens (having oestrogen-like effects), are environmental factors that affect puberty onset. We aimed to identify the effects of propolis on precocious puberty and the reproductive system in prepubertal female rats (ovary, endometrium, breast).Methods: Thirty-four 25-day-old prepubertal female Sprague-Dawley rats were included in the study. Rats were randomly divided into the propolis (n 17) and control groups (n 17). The primary endpoint was the number of rats that developed vaginal opening (It's a sign of puberty) at 12-day follow-up. In addition, the effect of propolis on ovary, uterus and breast tissue was evaluated.Results: Vaginal patency occurred earlier in the propolis group. At the same time, a greater number of rats developed vaginal opening. The number of ovarian follicles (in all follicles), endometrial thickness, and mammary gland secretory gland area were significantly higher in the propolis group than in the control group (p-values <0.001, <0.001, <0.001, respectively). In addition, Ki-67 activity in the endometrium, breast tissue and ovary was more intense in the propolis group compared to the control group (p-values <0.001, <0.001, <0.001, respectively).Conclusion: Propolis triggers precocious puberty in female rats, possibly by interacting with the oestrogen receptor. The mechanism of action of propolis should be considered before prescribing it. In addition, further studies are needed to explore the mechanism of action of propolis and to determine the component of propolis that triggers puberty.
Effect of Temperature and Germania on the Performance of Germania Doped Silica Fiber Raman Scattering Amplifier
Authors: El-den B. M. , zaghloul Adel
Published: January 2022

The Raman gain coefficient, the attenuations at signal and pump wavelengths and the refractive indices of both core and cladding of silica doped Germania optical fiber are functions of the Germania ratio, temperature and wavelengths. The Raman amplifier gain increases with Germania ratio but it decreases with temperature. Also, Raman gain either increases or decreases with signal wavelength. As the fiber core radius increases, the Raman gain decreases. The gain distribution through the amplifier length of dual pumps with power divided ratio (S=0.5) is better than that for the forward pump amplifier and the backward pump amplifier. The forward pump has a maximized gain but the backward pump has a minimized gain, while the dual pumps have both the maximum and minimized gains. The final amplifier gain for the three kinds of pumps with the same pump power (Pp) is equally.The pump wavelength (λp=1.4553μm) gives the biggest Raman gain at the center of wideband signal wavelength (λs=1.50 to 1.60μm). With λp =1.48μm, the gain increases with λs until λs=1.57μm and after that the gain decreases with λs and so with the above three kinds of pumps, gain fluctuations over the band wavelength of signal. The threshold pump power and gain saturation are studied.
Dietary Adherence and Associated Factors among Hypertensive Patients in Bahir Dar City Administration, Ethiopia, 2020
Authors: Feleke Mulualem Gete , Abate Teshager Woldegiorgis , Biresaw Henok , Dile Abebu Tegenaw , Abate Moges Wubneh , woleli Tamiru Alene
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Hypertension is considered one of the most challenging public health problems worldwide. Adherence to the recommended diet has a key role to reduce uncontrolled hypertension and hypertension-related complications. A study on dietary adherence among hypertensive patients and associated factors are limited in Ethiopia. So,this study aimed to assess dietary adherence and associated factors among hypertensive patients in Bahir Dar city governmental hospitals, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Bahir Dar city governmental hospitals from February- March 2020. Proportional allocation and systematic random sampling techniques were used to select 386 individuals with hypertension. The logistic regression model was used to assess the association between predictors and dietary adherence. The association was interpreted using the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Result: In this the proportion of dietary adherence was 32.8% (CI: 28.0, 37.6). Educational level college and above (AOR=3.0, CI=1.26, 7.08), received nutritional education (AOR=1.9, CI=1.05, 3.62), knowledgeable about hypertension (AOR=2.5, CI=1.36, 4.58), who had no co-morbidities (AOR=2.8, CI=1.49, 5.20), who lived two to four years with hypertension (AOR=2.4, CI=1.17, 5.07), and who had strong social support (AOR=7.1, CI=2.85, 17.46) had significantly association with dietary adherence. Conclusion and recommendations: This study demonstrated that low proportion of hypertensive individuals were adhered to recommended diet. Therefore, availed a social network of family and friends; providing dietary education to address the participants’ knowledge of hypertension, promote survival skill to new diagnosed and considered co-morbidities are an integral part of overall health in people with hypertension.
Early Malaria diagnosis and treatment seeking Behavior among clients attending outpatient department Sekou-Toure regional referral Hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania; A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Mvandal Samson Peter , Marandu Gotfrida
Published: January 2022

Background

Early diagnosis of malaria and treatment seeking behavior play key role in controlling and preventing further complication related to malaria disease. Aim of this study was to determine the responses on early malaria diagnosis and treatment seeking behavior among outpatient clients attending at Sekou toure regional referral hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among outpatient client at Sekou-Touré regional referral hospital, convenient simple random sampling used and self-administered questionnaire were used to collect data and data was entered into Microsoft excel and then exported to SPSS version 25.0 for further analysis and presented on the percentages and table. The analysis of strength of relationships between categorical variables was conducted using the Chi-square test. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
Results

A total of 192 respondents completed the study with a response rate of 97.6%. The study revealed that Most of the respondents about 90.6% stated they would seek treatment from health facility when symptoms appear. However, only 6.3% seek treatment within 24 hours of onset of illness (p= 0.017). Half of respondents (50.5%) experienced malaria symptoms in the past six months and only 30% seek for treatment at health facility. Preference of health facility, (51%) respondents were going direct to pharmacy to buy medicine for self-treatment. Overall, cost of service, time consumed and distance of health facility especially health center shows significant with such delay.
Conclusion

A low proportion of malaria-suspected patients sought treatment within 24 h of fever onset compared to the national target. Distance from the health facility, cost of service and time consumed were found to be predictors of early treatment-seeking behavior for malaria. Strengthening strategies tailored to increasing awareness for communities about malaria, importance of going hospital and early treatment-seeking behavior is essential.