bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic accuracy of online visual acuity testing of paediatric patients
Authors: Painter Sally , Hamilton Ruth , Livingstone Iain
Published: August 2022

Background/Objectives: Remote assessment of children’s visual acuity became necessary during the COVID19 pandemic. We aimed to assess the extent of agreement between hospital-based clinical testing and clinician-led home-based testing.Subjects/Methods: 50 children aged 2–16 years attending hospital eye services at two UK hospitals had routine hospital-based acuities compared with subsequent online, orthoptist-supervised home visual acuities. Agreement was assessed using Bland-Altman plots, as was test-retest (TRT) agreement of two, repeated home acuity tests.Results: Monocular acuities tested at hospital and at home were obtained from all 50 children; 33 also had binocular acuities in both settings and 35 had acuities retested immediately at home. Most children were tested at home using a computer or tablet: two were tested with a smartphone. No mean test differences were found for hospital vs home testing, and limits of agreement (LOAs) were ± 0.32 and ± 0.35 logMAR for binocular and monocular testing respectively. LOAs for inter-ocular acuity differences were -0.15–0.25 logMAR. TRT agreement was excellent, with LOA of ± 0.14 logMAR.Conclusions: We found excellent agreement between hospital and home acuity testing. LOAs were in keeping with multiple changes between measures (test; setting; time; tester) and a cohort including patients as young as two years old. Even smartphone testing proved feasible. Inability of the supervising orthoptist to check test distance or device calibration/orientation were limitations likely contributing to breadth of LOAs. Home vision testing is feasible and accurate, but its precision, acceptability, health economic impact and carbon impact require more attention.
An alkaline protease from Bacillus cereus NJSZ-13 can act as a pathogenicity factor in infection of pinewood nematode
Authors: Li Liangliang , Sun Yufeng , Chen Fengmao , Hao Dejun , Tan Jiajin
Published: August 2022

Endophytic bacteria are an important biological control for nematodes. We isolated the nematicidal Bacillus cereus NJSZ-13 from healthy Pinus elliottii trunks. Bioassay experiments showed killing of all tested nematodes by proteins from the NJSZ-13 culture filtrate within 72 h. Degradation of the nematode cuticles was observed, suggesting the action of extracellular bacterial enzymes. The responsible protease was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, and SDS-PAGE. The protease had a molecular weight of 28 kDa and optimal activity at 55℃ and pH 9, indicating an alkaline protease. The study suggests the potential for using this B. cereus NJSZ-13 strain protease to prevent pinewood nematode infection.
Menorrhagia as main presentation sign of severe hypothyroidism in a pediatric patient: a case report.
Authors: Barbero Arianna , Pagano Manuela , Tuli Gerdi , Buganza Raffaele , de Sanctis Luisa , Bondone Claudia
Published: August 2022

BACKGROUND: The relative high frequency of menstrual irregularities in the first two-three years after menarche may lead to the risk of underestimation of associated pathological conditions, which are always to be accurately researched with careful examination and anamnesis. The association between menstrual irregularities and hypothyroidism is described in literature but the available data are scarce and mainly based on adult case series. It is described that low plasma levels of thyroid hormone can shift the hemostatic system towards a hypocoagulable and hyperfibrinolytic state and seem to lead to an increased bleeding risk.CASE PRESENTATION: This case report describes the case of a thirteen years old girl who presented to our Emergency Department complaining of menorrhagia for the last fifteen days, leading to severe anemia. The objective examination revealed clinical signs of hypothyroidism and a severe short stature, lower than mid-parental height, with stunting of growth and a significant bone age delay. Blood exams and thyroid ultrasound were consistent with the diagnosis of severe hypothyroidism in autoimmune thyroiditis with acquired von Willebrand syndrome, growth hormone deficiency. Magnetic resonance showed pituitary functional hyperplasia.The substitutive therapy with levothyroxine led to the resolution of heavy bleeding after five days and following normalization of coagulative parameters and pituitary hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Hypothyroidism usually presents with unspecific symptoms, with consequent risk of diagnostic delay. It can influence the coagulation system and it seems to be associated to increased risk of menstrual irregularities. We underline the importance of a regular follow up of the pubertal development, including height measurements, thyroid palpation and menstrual anamnesis to intercept red flags findings for hypothyroidism.
Otus scops adenovirus – the complete genome sequence of a novel aviadenovirus discovered from wild owl
Authors: Zheng Weibo , Jiang Tingshu , Zhang Zhe , Pan Dong , Tang Wenli , Li Youzhi , Jiang Linlin , Zhu Hongwei , Yu Xin , Chen Guozhong , Wang Jiao , Zhang Jianlong , Zhang Xingxiao
Published: August 2022

We present a complete genome sequence of an aviadenovirus Otus scops adenovirus (OsAdV) discovered from the cloaca of an Otus scops (a small raptor widely distributed in the world), which was collected from an island off the northeast coast of China. Thirty protein coding genes were predicted in this 40239-bp-long genome, which contains the largest fiber protein among all reported aviadenoviruses. This owl genome is highly divergent and has only 55% average protein identity compared with other adenovirus genomes and all reported proteins. Phylogenetic analyses placed OsAdV deep within the genus Aviadenovirus and formed a single clade with a previous reported owl adenovirus in Japan. This is the second complete genome sequence of aviadenovirus discovered in owls, which has 62% average protein identity compared with the first reported owl adenovirus. Combining this result with comparative genomic analysis of all aviadenoviruses, we propose that this owl virus and previous reported owl virus in Japan can be assigned as two new species in the genus Aviadenovirus. This research contributes to an improved understanding of infectious disease among raptors and owls.
Comparing Eurocode 8-5 and AASHTO methods for earth pressure analysis against centrifuge tests, finite elements, and the Generalized Coefficients of Earth Pressure
Authors: Pantelidis Lysandros , Christodoulou Panagiotis
Published: August 2022

This paper presents an exhaustive comparison of the earth pressure methods included in EN1998-5:2004 (use of Mononobe-Okabe method, M-O), prEN1998-5:2021 and AASHTO (M-O with half peak ground acceleration) standards, against contemporary centrifuge tests, finite elements, and the method proposed by the first author in 2019. The latter is a continuum mechanics approach for deriving earth pressure coefficients for any soil state between the “at-rest” state and the active or passive state, applicable to cohesive-frictional soils and both horizontal and vertical pseudo-static conditions. The same method also provides analytical expressions for the calculation of the required wall movement for the mobilization of the active (or passive) failure state, as well as for the mobilized shear strength values of soil. The comparison includes among others, centrifuge test results from two different studies, and results from 157 finite element models from two different programs. All experimental, numerical, and analytical results show that the EN19985-5:2004 method gives conservative to excessively conservative active earth pressure values, AASHTO’s approach fairly good behavior, while prEN1998-5:2021 excessively conservative values. For the passive state, all methods included in the above-mentioned standards, return unreliable and unconservative results. In contrast, the results obtained by the proposed method show a remarkable agreement with the respective ones obtained both by the finite element method and the various centrifuge tests. Also, it is shown that a pseudo-static earth retention analysis, can be replaced by a respective static analysis, just substituting the (c', φ') values of soil of the original problem with the mobilized ones.
Assessing germline mutational profile and its clinicopathological associations in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Bapat Ashwini , Gahlaut Siddharth , Mishra Rupa , Luke Naveen , Kumar Rahul , John Jisha , Konnur Aishwarya , Namewar Namrata , Reddy Ruhi , Shaikh Shahin , Banale Rituja , Nagarkar Sanket , Nare Smeeta , Thomas George , Busheri Laleh , Reddy Asha , Kelkar Devaki , Dixit Santosh , Mannan Ashraf ul , Sabarinathan Radhakrishnan , Radhakrishna Selvi , Koppiker Chaitanyanand B.
Published: August 2022

Purpose
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Indian women with a high incidence of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The high TNBC prevalence (> 25%) in India remains a challenge in clinical management. Association of germline BRCA1/2 mutations in TNBCs is well-established as a predisposing factor for hereditary breast cancer risk. These studies are however predominantly representative of western population. Therefore, we investigated germline profiles of multi-institutional cohort of TNBC patients in India
Methods
Using a multi-gene NGS (next-generation sequencing) panel of 26 ACMG recommended genes associated with inherited cancers.
Results
In our study cohort of 193 TNBC patients, we identified 57 pathogenic mutations of which BRCA1 (71.93%) and BRCA2 (14.03%) were most commonly mutated. Additionally, 8 pathogenic mutations were identified in non-BRCA genes associated with the HR pathway. 10 novel mutations were identified in 3 genes namely BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2. Comparison of allele-frequency with the global databases like TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas), gnomAD and Genome Asia 100K indicated that the novel mutations were unique. Furthermore, we identified 48 variants of uncertain significance (VUS) (24.9%).
Conclusions
Our study confirms the major proportion of mutations in BRCA1/2 genes in TNBCs in India. Interestingly, a higher proportion of VUS were found in the non-BRCA genes compared to BRCA1/2 emphasizing the need for functional studies of the non-BRCA genes. Additionally, large scale studies are also warranted to elucidate the landscape of germline mutations relevant to the Indian population and their probable clinical implications.
A deeper insight into the deepest vertebrate of the sea
Authors: Xu Wen-Jie , Zhu Chenglong , Wu Baosheng , Hu Ming-Liang , Xu Han , Feng Chen-Guang , Gan Xiaoni , Zheng Jiangmin , Bo Jing , He Lisheng , Qiu Qiang , Wang Wen , He Shunping , Wang Kun
Published: August 2022

As the deepest vertebrate in the ocean, the hadal snailfish, which lives at a depth of about 7,000m, is a representative case for studying adaptation to extreme environments. Three years after the publication of its first genome, we re-investigated this species using more resequencing individuals and more refined comparative genomic analyses. We found that the hadal snailfish have the ability to migrate across different trenches in the Pacific Ocean after fully adapting to the hadal zone. The loss and retention of sensory genes suggests that the auditory and mechanosensory perception of the hadal snailfish may have undergone compensatory enhancement in complete darkness, while the visual system gradually disappeared. The special environment of the hadal zone has also affected this species in ways that are reflected in genetic changes related to circadian rhythms, behavior, bone mineralization, and high-hydrostatic pressure adaptation. We report here further advances in our understanding of the origin, specific characteristics and adaptive mechanisms of hadal snailfish.
Biological function research of the long non-coding RNA Malnc2310 in bananas induced by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense
Authors: Li wenbin , Zhao Pingjuan , Sun Jianbo , Zou Liangping , Li Shuxia , Ruan Mengbin , Peng Ming
Published: August 2022

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in the biological processes of plants under biotic and abiotic stresses. The lncRNA Malnc2310 is greatly induced in banana roots with the infection of Fusarium. To further understand the characteristics and functions of Malnc2310, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), RNA pull-down assay, and 35S::Malnc2310 transgenic Arabidopsis were acquired in this study. The result indicated that Malnc2310 was in the nucleus and the binding proteins mainly included phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), catalase isozyme (CAT), NOL1/NOL2, and cytochrome f (CYTf), which were intimately related to flavonoid biosynthesis, pathogen infection, programmed cell death, and the Calvin cycle. Furthermore, the 35S::Malnc2310 transgenic Arabidopsis had accumulated more anthocyanin and higher activity of PAL protein under Fusarium crude extract, verifying the conclusion that Malnc2310 involved in flavonoid metabolism through regulating PAL protein. The 35S::Malnc2310 transgenic Arabidopsis showed more susceptible to abiotic stresses, indicating that Malnc2310 should be an important negative regulator in plant under stresses.
Effects of Myco-Entomopathogens on Bio-Control of Trialeurodes Vaporariorum, Endophytic Colonization of Tomato, and Compatibility with selected pesticides
Authors: Gebramariam Amha , Mekuriaw Eyerus , Assefa Fassil
Published: August 2022

Purpose
The biological pest control efficiency of entomopathogenic fungi is improved by the endophytic establishment and combination with agricultural recommended pesticides and plant extracts. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae on biological control of T. vaporariorum, endophytic colonization, and compatibility with selected pesticides.
Methods
The endophytic colonization ability of entomopathogenic fungal isolates was evaluated by using soil drenching and foliar spraying methods under greenhouse condition. Compatibility interaction of potential entomopathogenic fungi with selected pesticides was calculated based on the biological index formula.
Results
The endophytic colonization pattern of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae isolates using soil drench and foliar spray inoculation methods exhibited significant differences in the different parts of tomato plants. The endophytic B. bassiana and M. anisopliae isolates induced a significant reduction in the number of nymphs and adults of T. vaporariorum (p < 0.001). Thus, the application of B. bassiana AAUMB-29 reduced nymphs by 67% while M. anisopliae AAUDM-43 reduced adults with a percentage reduction of 52% over control. The compatibility study revealed that all tested concentrations of neem extract and chemical pesticides were caused by different levels of inhibition on vegetative growth, germination, and sporulation of M. anisopliae AAUDM-43, B. bassiana AAUMFB-77, and B.bassiana AAUMB-29. The biological index vales indicated that all isolates were compatible with neem oil, neem seed crud extract, and chemical insecticides at both half and recommended doses.
Conclusion
The tomato endophytic B. bassiana AAUMB-29 and M. anisopliae AAUDM-43 were convinced significant reduction of T. vaporariorum, and highly compatible with selected pesticides. These potential isolates should be used in integrated pest management programs
Wild and domesticated lettuce species differ in intestinal biological efficacy
Authors: Masereeuw Rosalinde , Jochems Paulus , Heming Bo , Lapin Dmitry , Moonen Naomi , Ackerveken Guido van den
Published: August 2022

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most consumed and cultivated vegetables globally. Its breeding is focused on the improvement of yield and disease resistance. However, potential detrimental or beneficial health effects for the consumer are often not targeted in the breeding programs. Here, a bioengineered intestinal tubule was used to assess the intestinal efficacy of extracts from five plant accessions belonging to four Lactuca species. These four species include the domesticated L. sativa, closely related wild species L. serriola, and phylogenetically more distant wild relatives L. saligna and L. virosa. We assessed the epithelial barrier integrity, cell viability, cell attachment, brush border enzyme activity, and immune markers. Extracts from L. sativa cv. Salinas decreased cell attachment and brush border enzyme activity. However, extracts from the non-edible wild species L. saligna and L. virosa strongly affected epithelial barrier, cell attachment, cell viability, and brush border enzyme activity. Since wild species represent a valuable germplasm pool, the bioengineered intestinal tubules could open ways to evaluate the safety and nutritional properties of the lettuce breeding material originating from crosses with wild Lactuca species.
Computer-aided Diagnosis System for Grading Brain Tumor Using Histopathology Images Based on Color and Texture Features
Authors: Elazab Naira , GabAllah Wael , Elmogy Mohammed
Published: August 2022

Cancer pathology shows disease development and associated molecular features. It provides extensive phenotypic information that is cancer-predictive and has potential implications for planning treatment. Based on the exceptional performance of computational approaches in the field of digital pathogenic, the use of rich phenotypic information in digital pathology images has enabled us to identify low-level gliomas (LGG) from high-grade gliomas (HGG). The purpose of this paper is to create an automated diagnostic system based on brain cancer histopathology images. In this paper, several imaging characteristics, including conventional intensity and advanced texturing features (grey co-occurrence, gray-level run-length matrix, and local binary pattern), were included in the training of a hybrid ensemble classification model. The textural and color characteristics were validated in the glioma patients using the 10-fold cross-validation technique with an accuracy equals to 94.6%. The combination of the color and texture characteristics produced significantly better accuracy, which supported their synergistic significance in the predictive model. The result indicates that the textural characteristics can be an objective, accurate, and comprehensive glioma prediction when paired with conventional imagery. The proposed model can help stratify patients in clinical studies, choose patients for targeted therapy, and customize specific treatment schedules.
Preferences in the willingness to download a mobile health app: A discrete choice experiment in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands
Authors: Folkvord Frans , Bol Nadine , Stazi Giacomo , Peschke Lutz , Lupiáñez-Villanueva Francisco
Published: August 2022

Background
Despite the worldwide growth in mHealth tools and the possible benefits for both patients and healthcare providers, adoption of mHealth is low and only a limited number of studies have examined the intention to download mHealth apps. In the current study, we investigated individuals’ preferences in the adoption of a health app.
Methods
We conducted a discrete choice experimental study in three countries (Spain [N = 800], Germany [N = 800], and the Netherlands [N = 416]) with four different vignettes (i.e., revenue models, data protection models, recommendation models, manufacturer models) with different attributes. Participants were randomly assigned.
Results
The results showed that price and data protection were considered important factors that significantly increased the probability to download a mobile health app. In general, the recommendation and the manufacturer affected the probability to download the health app less. However, in Germany and the Netherlands we found that if the app was manufactured by a pharmaceutical company, the probability to download the health app decreased.
Conclusions
mHealth tools are highly promising to reduce healthcare costs and increase the effectiveness of traditional health interventions and therapies. Improving data protection, reducing costs, and creating sound business models are the major driving forces to increase the adoption of mobile health apps in the future. It is thereby essential to create trustworthy standards for mobile applications, whereby prices, legislation concerning data protection, and health professionals can have a leading role to inform the potential consumers.
Reduction of BSI associated mortality after a Sepsis Project implementation in the ER of a tertiary referral Hospital
Authors: Seminari Elena , Colaneri Marta , Corbella Marta , Silvestri Annalisa , Muzzi Alba , Perlini Stefano , Martino Ilaria Francesca , Cambieri Patrizia , Marone Piero , Bruno Raffaele
Published: August 2022

The emergency room (ER) is the first gateway for patients with sepsis to inpatient units, and identifying best practices and benchmarks to be applied in this setting might crucially result in better patient’s outcomes. In this study, we want to evaluate the results in terms of decreased the in-hospital mortality of patients with sepsis of a Sepsis Project developed in the ER. All patients admitted to the ER of our Hospital from the 1st January, 2016 to the 31stJuly 2019 with suspect of sepsis (MEWS score ≥ of 3) and positive blood culture upon ER admission were included in this retrospective observational study. The study comprises of two periods: Period A: From the 1st Jan 2016 to the 31st Dec 2017, before the implementation of the Sepsis project Period B: From the 1st Jan 2018 to the 31stJul 2019, after the implementation of the Sepsis project. To analyze the difference in mortality between the two periods, a univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used. The risk of in-hospital mortality was expressed as an odds ratio (OR) and a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Overall, 722 patients admitted in ER had positive BC on admissions, 408 in period A and 314 in period B. In-hospital mortality was 18.9 % in period A and 12.7% in period B (p=0.03). At multivariable analysis, mortality was still reduced in period B compared to period A (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.41-0.98; p=0.045). Having an infection due to GP bacteria or polymicrobial was associated with an increased risk of death, as it was having a tumor or diabetes.A marked reduction in in-hospital mortality of patients with documented BSI associated with signs or symptoms of sepsis after the implementation of a sepsis project based on the application of sepsis bundles in the ER.
An in Vivo Study on the Reliability of Using a Modified Pulse Oximeter for Chair Side Determination of Pulpal Inflammatory Status
Authors: Mazumdar Paromita , Bhattacharya Sagnik
Published: August 2022

Introduction- Sensory supply to the pulp are of two types A∂ and C fibres of which A∂ have low threshold of conduction and C fibres have higher excitation threshold. The activation of A∂ fibres indicate reversible pulpal inflammation whereas C fibre activation indicate irreversible pulpal inflammation. The currently available pulpal sensibility tests heat cold and electrical pulp tests stimulate the neural response and do not indicate whether the pulp is vital or not. Aims and Objectives- The aim of this study is to measure pulp oxygenation rates (%SpO2) in teeth with clinical diagnoses of reversible, irreversible pulpitis and pulpal necrosis and to correlate with blood oxygen saturation levels, pulpal neural tests and tooth with healthy pulp status so that it can be assertively said that SpO2 of pulp is a reliable method to assess vitality and thereby values for pulp oxygen saturation rate can be assigned for different pulpal conditions.Materials and Methods- The study was carried out in 100 patients attending the department of conservative Dentistry and Endodontics. The patients based on their pain history, clinical examination and radiographic findings were divided into 3 groups – Group I-Reversible Pulpitis, Group II- Irreversible Pulpitis and Group III-Pulpal Necrosis. The diagnosis was confirmed using heat cold and electrical pulp tests. The pulpal oxygen saturation of the symptomatic tooth and asymptomatic control tooth was measured using a modified pulse oximeter along with the systemic oxygen saturation on all ten fingers.Results- The mean oxygen saturation levels for teeth with normal pulpal status was 95.16(90-98), for Group I reversible pulpitis was 85.12%(83-92), for Group II irreversible pulpitis was 81.72%(79-88) and Group III 69.96%(68-73) for teeth with pulpal necrosis. The differences were statistically significant amongst all the groups(all P < 0.001)Conclusion- The pulse oximeter can be a useful instrument to not only determine the vitality of the pulp but also the degree of pulpal inflammation thus aiding in the diagnosis.
Levels and Sources of Hydrocarbons in the Patos Lagoon Estuary and Cassino Beach Mud Bank (South Atlantic, Brazil): Evidence of Transference Between Environments
Authors: Neves Patricia Andrade , Costa Patricia G. , Portz Luana C. , Garcia Marina R. D. , Fillmann Gilberto
Published: August 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the concentrations and sources of natural and anthropogenic aliphatic (AHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surficial sediments collected along the Patos Lagoon estuary and in sediment cores obtained from the Cassino Beach mud bank. Levels and distribution of n-alkanes indicate terrestrial sources, overlapping with a low amount of petrogenic hydrocarbons (heavy oils). A small unresolved complex mixture (UCM) was observed in all samples. On the other hand, the distribution of PAHs in the sediments showed a predominance of pyrolytic over petrogenic sources. In general, hydrocarbons (HCs) contamination in the Patos Lagoon estuary and its adjacent coastal area can be considered low, except for sites near urban or industrial effluents, where moderate to high levels of contamination were found. Concentrations of HCs were homogeneous throughout the sediment cores, suggesting that mixing processes may have occurred along the layers or that HCs inputs to the mud banks were uniform during the studied deposition period. In addition, the levels and profile of HCs levels in the coastal sediments were similar to those observed in the estuary, suggesting that HCs are promptly exported without any significant dilution and/or degradation during this process. Moreover, the frequent remobilization of sediments from the mud bank towards Cassino beach does not seem to pose any threats to the local biota or beach users since the levels of contamination were relatively low.
Comparative epidemiology of four waves of COVID-19 in Mexico, March 2020 - April 2022
Authors: Ascencio-Montiel Ivan de Jesus , Ovalle-Luna Oscar David , Rascón-Pacheco Ramón Alberto , Borja-Aburto Victor Hugo , Chowell Gerardo
Published: August 2022

Background
The Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) is the largest health provider in Mexico, covering about 40% of the Mexican population. In this report we described the epidemiological patterns related to cases, hospitalizations, intubations, and in-hospital mortality due to COVID-19 during the four epidemic waves reported in the IMSS surveillance system.
Methods
A descriptive study was conducted using the information from the Online Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINOLAVE). COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed cases with onset of symptoms from March 29th, 2020, to April 30th, 2022, were analyzed. Weekly epidemic curves describing the temporal evolution of confirmed cases and hospitalizations by age, gender, and wave were constructed. Hospitalization percentage, intubation percentages, hospital case fatality rate and mean days of in-hospital stay, and hospital admission delay were calculated across four pandemic waves.
Results
A total of 2,624,225 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases were analyzed. Overall estimates were 13.7% for hospitalization, 21.2% for intubation and 46.1% for hospital case fatality rate. The mean in-hospital stay was 9.01 days, and the mean hospital admission delay was 5.4 days. The most recent peak dominated by the Omicron variant that occurred during winter 2021 was the highest case incidence followed by peaks during the third, second and first waves. Hospitalization, intubation and mean hospitalization days decreased during subsequent waves. The hospital case fatality rate fluctuated during the study period and reached its highest value during the second wave in winter 2020 dominated by the Alpha variant. A notable decrease in hospitalization rates was observed especially among individuals > = 60 yrs. The winter 2021 wave, driven by the Omicron variant, exhibited the highest reproduction number (R ~ 4.02).
Conclusion
During the four epidemic waves in the IMSS we observed an increase in the number of reported cases, but the severity metrics tended to decline over subsequent waves.
Synergistic Effects of Mixing and Strain
in High Entropy Spinel Oxides for Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Baek Jihyun , Hossain Md Delowar , Mukherjee Pinaki , Lee Junghwa , Winther Kirsten , Leem Juyoung , Jiang Yue , Chueh William , Bajdich Michal , Zheng Xiaolin
Published: August 2022

Designing electrochemically active, stable, and earth-abundant electrocatalysts is essential for boosting oxygen evolution reaction (OER) rates for sustainable hydrogen production. High entropy oxides (HEOs) consist of five or more metal cations, offering ample opportunities to tune their catalytic properties toward high OER efficiency. In this work, we combine theoretical and experimental studies to scrutinize the OER activity and stability for spinel-type HEOs. Our density functional theory calculations unequivocally confirm that randomly mixed metal sites are more thermodynamically stable, while we also show that adsorption energies of the intermediates display widening distributions accompanied by the equatorial strain of active metal-oxygen bonds under mixing. The rapid sol-flame method was successfully employed to synthesize spinel oxides up to five third-row metal cations (Co, Fe, Ni, Cr, and Mn) with high degree of entropy. Such catalyst exhibits the highest OER activity of 309 mV at 10 mA cm− 2 and prolonged durability up to 168 hours under alkaline conditions over less complex mixtures despite partial formation of surface oxyhydroxide. The high-entropy model developed in this work identifies mixed Co3+ active site as the most active center of this system. Overall, this work reveals that a key feature controlling the enhanced activity of high-entropy oxides is related to mixing and resulting strain near the active site.
Element selection for functional materials discovery by integrated machine learning of elemental contributions to properties
Authors: Rosseinsky Matthew , Vasylenko Andrij , Antypov Dymtro , Gusev Vladimir , Gaultois Michael , Dyer Matthew
Published: August 2022

Fundamental differences between materials originate from the unique nature of their constituent chemical elements. Before specific differences emerge according to the precise ratios of elements (the composition) in a given crystal structure (a phase), a material can be represented by its phase field defined simply as the set of the constituent chemical elements. By working at the level of the periodic table, classification of materials at the level of their phase fields reduces the combinatorial complexity to accelerate screening, and circumvents the challenges associated with composition-level approaches – poor extrapolation within phase fields, and the impossibility of exhaustive sampling. Here, we demonstrate that phase fields can be classified with respect to the maximum expected value of a target functional property and ranked according to synthetic accessibility. We develop and present PhaseSelect, an end-to-end machine learning model that combines the representation, classification, and ranking of phase fields. First, PhaseSelect constructs elemental characteristics from the co-occurrence of chemical elements in computationally and experimentally reported materials, then it employs attention mechanisms to classify the phase fields by their functional performance. At the level of the periodic table, PhaseSelect quantifies the probability of observing a functional property within a phase field and also ranks its synthetic accessibility, which we demonstrate with significant accuracy for three avenues of materials’ applications: high-temperature superconductivity, high-temperature magnetism, and targeted bandgap energy.
Wavelet Image Scattering Based Glaucoma Detection
Authors: Zaccheus Jesuloluwa Emmanuel , Agboola Hafeez Alani
Published: August 2022

The ever-growing need for cheap, simple, fast, and reliable healthcare solutions spurred a lot of research activities that are aimed at the reliable deployment of artificial intelligence in the medical fields. However, this has proved to be a daunting task especially when looking to make automated diagnoses using biomedical image data. Biomedical image data have complex patterns which human experts find very hard to comprehend. This paper studies the efficacy of wavelet scattering features from retinal fundus images for automatic glaucoma diagnosis/detection. The influence of wavelet image scattering network parameter settings as well as 2-D channel image representation type on the detection correctness is also examined. The wavelet image scattering network developed in the Matlab environment was used on the RIM-ONE DL image dataset to execute the scattering decomposition and obtain the scattering coefficients. Features from the coefficients were then used to build simple classification algorithms. Maximum detection correctness of 98% was achieved on the held-out test set. Results showed that detection correctness is highly sensitive to scattering network parameter settings and 2-D channel representation type. A superficial comparison of the classification results obtained from the proposed method and those obtained using a convolutional neural network underscores the potentiality of our method.
Does MARPE therapy have effects on Intracranial Pressure?A Clinical Study
Authors: BASER Baris , BOLUKBASİ Merve , UZLU Dilek , OZBAY Ahmet Duhan
Published: August 2022

Background
We aimed to evaluate possible intracranial pressure changes caused by screw activation during the microimplant-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) treatment of post-pubertal individuals by measuring the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) under ultrasonography (US) guidance.
Methods
This study’s participants comprised 15 patients (7 males, 8 females) with posterior crossbite and a mean age of 16.7 years (14.25–20.08 years). The Maxillary Skeletal Expander (MSE) appliance was used to perform MARPE in all patients. Their vital signs were recorded. The ONSD was measured by US immediately before the first screw activation (T0), and the measurements were repeated 1 minute (T1) and 10 minutes (T2) after the first activation. In the last session of the MARPE treatment, the same measurement procedure as in the first activation session (T3, T4, and T5) was followed. The patients’ perceptions of pain during the screw activation were also noted at T1 and T4 using a four-category verbal rating scale. A p value of < 0.05 was considered significant for the analyses.
Results
The ONSD values ​​(T1 and T4) relatively increased within 1 minute after screw activation but did not reach a statistically significant level (p > 0.01). There was also no significant difference between the initial (T0) and the final (T7) ONSD values ​​during the active MARPE treatment (p > 0.01).
Conclusion
There was no clinically or statistically significant change in the ONSD values ​​measured by US at different times after screw activation.
Ti3C2 MXene/Gold nanorods-based hybrid nanoparticles with synergistically enhanced photodynamic antibacterial activities
Authors: Zhu Beibei , Song Pingan , Li Jingguo , Cao Shaokui , Shi Jun
Published: August 2022

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an antibiotic-free method could effectively solve the bacterial infection problem and avoid the emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. In this paper, Ti3C2@gold nanorods (GNRs)/PDA nanoparticles with synergistic photodynamic antibacterial properties were obtained by coating PDA on the surface of in-situ growth Ti3C2@GNRs. GNRs growing on the surface of Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets effectively prevented the aggregation of Ti3C2 nanosheets, which ensured the distinct photodynamic antibacterial performance of Ti3C2. In addition, the introduction of SH-PEG-CH3 to Ti3C2@GNRs nanosheets endowed Ti3C2@GNRs/PDA nanoparticles with good biocompatibility. Furthermore, Ti3C2@GNRs/PDA nanoparticles possessed synergistically enhanced photodynamic properties, caused by the remarkable photodynamic properties of Ti3C2 MXene and PDA. In addition, with the increase of PDA content, Ti3C2@GNRs/PDA nanoparticles could produce more 1O2 under 660 nm laser irradiation and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of Ti3C2@GNRs/PDA50 nanoparticles against E. coli and S. aureus decreased to about 0.07 mg/mL. Thus, this work utilizes the 1O2-generating performance of Ti3C2 MXene and PDA to fabricate Ti3C2@GNRs/PDA nanoparticles with synergistically enhanced photodynamic antibacterial activities, which is expected to be applied in antibiotic-free antibacterial field.
Hypertension Contributes to Exacerbated Osteoarthritis Pathophysiology in Rats in a Sex-Dependent Manner
Authors: Yeater Taylor D. , Griffith Jacob L. , Cruz Carlos J. , Patterson Folly M. , Aldrich Jessica L. , Allen Kyle D.
Published: August 2022

Background: Hypertension is a common comorbidity of osteoarthritis (OA) with known autonomic dysregulation; thus, the autonomic nervous system may provide a shared underlying mechanism. The objective of this study was to examine the role of the autonomic nervous system in a preclinical model of OA and hypertension.Methods: Experiments were conducted in spontaneously hypertensive rats and a normotensive control strain, including male and female rats. OA was surgically induced with skin incision used as a sham control (n=7-8/strain/sex/surgery). Tactile sensitivity, anxiety-related behavior, and serum corticosterone were measured at baseline then bi-weekly across 8 weeks. At week 9-10, cardiovascular responses to a chemical vagal nerve agonist were determined to indirectly evaluate vagus nerve function. Joint structure was assessed via grading of histological sections.Results: In males, OA resulted in thinner cartilage in both hypertensive (OA vs. non-OA p<0.001) and normotensive (OA vs. non-OA p<0.001). Only females with comorbid hypertension and OA displayed thinner cartilage (p=0.013). Male hypertensive OA animals had increased calcified subchondral bone compared to normotensive OA animals (p=0.043) while female hypertensive OA animals had increased calcified subchondral bone compared to hypertensive sham animals (p<0.001). Additionally, hypertension led to larger drops in blood pressure with vagal activation in both OA (hypertensive vs. normotensive p=0.018) and sham (hypertensive vs. normotensive p<0.001) male animals. In females, this trend held true only in OA animals (normotensive vs. hypertensive p=0.005).Conclusion: These data provide preliminary evidence that hypertension influences OA progression, and encourages further study into the autonomic nervous system as a possible mechanism.
The multiple uses of telemedicine during the pandemic: the evidence from a cross-sectional survey of medical doctors in Brazil
Authors: Scheffer Mário César , Cassenote Alex Jones Flores , Alves Maria Teresa Seabra Soares de Britto e , Russo Giuliano
Published: August 2022

BackgroundThe use of Telemedicine, or the provision of healthcare and communication services through distance-based technologies, has increased substantially since the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, it is still unclear what are the innovative features of the widespread use of such modality, its forms of employment and the context in which it is used across pluralist health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. We have sought to provide empirical evidence on the above issues by analysing the responses of medical doctors in a representative cross-sectional survey in two states in Brazil: São Paulo and Maranhão.ResultsIn our sample from two Brazilian states, telemedicine was employed as a form of clinical collaboration by the majority of doctors, but only a third of them used it as a modality to provide healthcare services. During the pandemic, this modality was used predominantly in COVID-19-related areas, particularly for hospital-based in-patient services and in private clinics and ambulatory settings. Male, younger doctors used this modality the most. The use of telemedicine in São Paulo was more frequent than in Maranhão; doctors in urban settings reported using such a modality more than doctors in rural areas. Approximately three-quarters of doctors in large hospitals reported using telemedicine services, followed by doctors working for smaller private clinics. Only by a minority of primary care doctors used telemedicine services.ConclusionsOur study suggests that telemedicine may have helped ensure and expand the range of communication and healthcare services in low- and middle-income settings during the pandemic. However, the modality appears to lend itself to be disproportionally used by doctors working in specific sections of pluralistic health systems, and presumably by patients seeking care there. Regulation and incentives will be required to support the adoption and use of the technology across health systems in low- and middle-income countries in order to increase access to services for less disadvantaged populations.
Peer Led Team Learning in an Undergraduate Biology Course: Impacts on Recruitment, Retention, and Imposter Phenomenon
Authors: Wiles Jason R. , Snyder Julia J. , Dunk Ryan D. P. , Sloane Jeremy D. , Cannon Isabella , Maxwell Mariah C.
Published: August 2022

Objectives: The data presented in this note were collected during a multi-year project conducted in the context of large-enrollment introductory biology course at a large private R-1 research institution in the Northeastern United States. The project aimed to examine the impact of Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) on the recruitment and retention of marginalized groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors. While several results from the project have been published, additional data of interest have yet to be reported. This data note reports on additional associations between PLTL participation and improved outcomes for students from groups that have historically been excluded in STEM. Additional data reported herein were collected to determine if students in the course experienced imposter phenomenon, and whether PLTL may be associated with reduced levels of imposter feelings.Data description: The data in this note includes academic information such as final course grades and academic level; socio-demographic information such as gender identity, minority status, and first-generation status; and information on student recruitment, retention, imposter feelings, and participation in Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL). These data might be useful and of value to education researchers and undergraduate STEM instructors who are interested in improving equity in STEM education.
Characterization of multi-domain postoperative recovery trajectories after cardiac surgery using a digital platform
Authors: Krumholz Harlan , Mori Makoto , Dhruva Sanket , Geirsson Arnar
Published: August 2022

Understanding postoperative recovery is critical for guiding efforts to improve post-acute phase care. How recovery evolves during the first 30 days after cardiac surgery is not well-understood. A digital platform may enable granular quantification of recovery by frequently capturing patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) that can be logistically translatable to clinical implementation strategies that support recovery.We conducted a prospective cohort study using a digital platform to measure recovery after cardiac surgery using a PROM sent every 3 days for 30 days after surgery to characterize recovery in multiple domains (e.g., pain, sleep, activities of daily living, anxiety) and to identify factors related to the patient’s perception of overall recovery. We enrolled patients who underwent cardiac surgery at a tertiary center between January 2019 and March 2020 and automatically delivered PROMs and reminders electronically. Of the 10 surveys delivered per patient, a median 8 (IQR 6-10) were completed. Patients who experienced postoperative complications more commonly belonged to the worst overall recovery trajectory. Of the 12 domains modeled, only the worst anxiety trajectory was associated with the worse overall recovery trajectory membership, suggesting that even when patients struggle in the recovery of other domains, the patient may still feel progress in their recovery.We demonstrate that using a digital platform, automated PROM data collection and characterization of multi-domain recovery trajectories is feasible and likely implementable in clinical practice. Overall recovery may be impacted by complications, while slow progress in constituent domains may still allow for the perception of overall recovery progression.
How the diversity of constructed wetlands improves the plankton communities discharged into a protected Mediterranean wetland
Authors: Carabal Nuria , Segura Matilde , Puche Eric , Rojo Carmen , Rodrigo María A.
Published: August 2022

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are created to enhance wildlife and improve water quality. These services are especially relevant when the CWs are linked to a natural wetland. The CWs effectiveness in improving water quality has been demonstrated, but their role in enhancing the plankton biodiversity discharged into the wetland has not. To assess this, we analysed the plankton community of three structurally different CWs created within a protected Mediterranean wetland (Albufera de València Natural Park) over two years (2014–2015). We hypothesize that alpha-diversity in the inlet communities (a species mix from anthropically disturbed environments) will be higher than those from inner and outlet sites where natural assembly processes occur, and the beta-diversity of the Natural Park will increase due to the different communities found within and between the CWs. The first hypothesis was only partially supported: in two CWs the diversity decreased due to the loss of chlorophytes and cyanobacteria, or the dominance of large copepods or cladocerans. However, when organisms in the inlet bloomed, the emerging assemblages within the CW increased the diversity, as occurred in the third CW. The species of the resulting communities were indicative of improved water quality. The second hypothesis was also proved: the CWs contributed to beta-diversity as they functioned as generators of communities. Within the CWs, vegetation and sediment supplied benthic species to the water column. Communities being discharged into the wetland were much more dissimilar than those arriving in the CWs. Therefore, the wetland assemblage beta-diversity increased thanks to the diversity of CWs.