bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Yoga to improve maternal mental health and immune function during the COVID-19 crisis (Yoga-M2 trial): study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.
Authors: Shidhaye Rahul , Bangal Vidyadhar , Bhargav Hemant , Tilekar Swanand , Thanage Chitra , Suradkar Rakhee , Game Kalpesh , Pulate Vandana , Tambe Sonali , Murhar Vaibhav , Kunkulol Rahul
Published: August 2022

Background: Mental health of women is adversely affected during pregnancy. Stress and depression during pregnancy negatively impact birthweight and neuro-cognitive development of the fetus. The current crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic further adds to the stressful situation. Yoga practiced during pregnancy has beneficial effects on improving stress and depression and preliminary evidence suggests that yoga-based interventions can improve immunity. This study aims to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a Yoga -based intervention for maternal Mental health and iMmunity (Yoga-M 2) in a rural community in India. 

  

Methods: The study design will be a single-blind individual randomized parallel group-controlled pilot trial with 1:1 allocation ratio. Adult pregnant women, with gestational age between 12–24 weeks will be randomly allocated to either the Yoga-M 2 group or the Enhanced Usual Care (EUC) group. Participants in the Yoga-M 2 arm will attend weekly group yoga sessions for 12 weeks and will be encouraged to practice yoga at home. In the EUC arm, participants will receive a single session of health education. Eligibility of the participants, recruitment, retention-in-care, and study completion rates will be estimated and feasibility of delivering Yoga-M 2 and acceptability of this intervention by the participants will be assessed. Change in the scores of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), EuroQoL 5 Dimensions Score (EQ-5D-5L), Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Severity Scale (WURSS-21), and serum C-Reactive Protein at three-months from baseline will be used to assess preliminary efficacy.

Discussion: The key outputs of this trial will be a structured intervention manual and evidence about the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the intervention, establishing the foundation to undertake an explanatory randomized controlled trial to assess efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Yoga-M 2 intervention. 

Trial registration: CTRI/2022/01/039701. Prospectively registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India on 25 January 2022.
Impact of gut microbiota on severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - a short review
Authors: Niewęgłowski Kacper , Wilczek Natalia , Rycharski Michał , Niewęgłowska Julita
Published: August 2022

Introduction and purpose 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has an unclear etiology. Genetic and environmental factors dominate among the etiologic factors. The disorder is characterized by the presence of obsessions (repetitive and persistent thoughts, images, impulses or urges) and compulsions (rituals; repetitive behaviours or mental acts that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession). This disorder has less than 4% of the population. Treatment is a long and difficult process, and the best results are with SSRIs (e.g., fluoxetine) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The aim of the study was to review articles linking gut microbiota and obsessive-compulsive disorder issues. 

 

A brief description of the state of knowledge 

The gut microbiota-gut-brain axis perhaps has an impact on the etiology of psychiatric diseases. Its existence has been well researched in animals. Researches suggest that there possibly may be changes in the composition of the gut microbiota in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Quantitative and qualitative changes in the gut microbiota composition may worsen the patient's condition. The use of probiotics may help improve the patient's condition and reduce symptoms of the disorder. 

 

Summary (conclusions) 

More research is needed to explore the potential impact of the gut microbiota on obsessive-compulsive disorder. This could perhaps lead to future applications of probiotics, e.g., in the adjunctive treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
LITERATURAS AFRICANAS DE LÍNGUA PORTUGUESA E LITERATURA AFRO-BRASILEIRA: LEITURA E FORMAÇÃO DE LEITORES / Portuguese Language and afro-brazilian literature african literatures: reading and reader training
Authors: Lima Norma Sueli Rosa , Curvelo Sandra Regina Brito
Published: August 2022

O artigo discorre sobre a importância da leitura de obras das literaturas africanas de língua portuguesa e da literatura afro-brasileira, na escola, em diferentes gêneros e suportes com o objetivo não só de ampliar a competência leitora dos discentes, mas também para incentivar o debate pedagógico e social contra o racismo e todas as formas de preconceito, no diálogo com a Lei 10.639/2003. No incentivo a instigar nos alunos e nas alunas o gosto pela leitura, a África é um continente percebido como importante parte da cultura brasileira e como difusor de conhecimento, em reversão às percepções estereotipadas, evidenciado como berço da humanidade e da civilização em perspectiva epistemológica. Na abordagem teórica de Angela Kleiman, Eliane Cavalleiro, Ingedore Villaça Koch, Nilma Lino Gomes, Petronilha Gonçalves e Silva e Roxane Rojo, entre outros tivemos como resultado mostrar a luta e o talento de escritores, escritoras e poetas – Amílton Levy, Hera de Jesus e Paulina Chiziane,- que desconstruíram a imagem prévia de enfoque do africano/africana/afro-brasileira/afro-brasileiro apenas nas perspectivas banais da miséria, da morte e da pobreza. O resultado dessa experiência fez com que os alunos/as alunas participantes redimensionassem as suas formas de lidar com as próprias identidades e com as dos outros/outras.
TENSÕES E INTERVENÇÕES NO USO DOS SABERES DE MATRIZ AFRICANA COMO PRÁTICA PEDAGÓGICA DO ENSINO DE EDUCAÇÃO MUSICAL / Tensions and interventions in the use of knowledge of african matrix as a pedagogical practice in the teaching of music education
Authors: Castro Edna Alencar de , Santos Elisângela De Jesus
Published: August 2022

A construção dos saberes no Processo de Ensino-aprendizagem, vem se estabelecendo ao longo dos tempos de maneira a articular relações de poder que garantam a permanência e hegemonia de abordagens etnocêntricas no desenvolvimento de práticas pedagógicas. Em decorrência disso, há, nos ambientes de ensino, desvalorização de ordem social e cultural com traços identitários de africanidades marcantes. O dimensionamento dos currículos é pautado por parâmetros que reconhecem somente as formas dos saberes hegemônicos como sendo os pilares sustentadores dos conteúdos históricos a serem reiterados de maneira dissociativa e descontextualizada com a sociedade multirracial em que vivemos. Há defasagens a serem compensadas no âmbito da educação para o atendimento à demanda escolar e acadêmica. No caso do Brasil não há como refutar, dentro do cenário educacional, a significativa presença de afrodescendentes disseminados pela diáspora. Diante deste quadro, faz-se necessário intervir na realidade social criando estratégias de transformação e implementação de práticas pedagógicas descolonizadoras que se tornem capazes de compartilhar os saberes tradicionais de matriz africana, para viabilizar uma redemocratização no ensino. Nosso intuito neste trabalho será problematizar as tensões e conjecturas decorrentes da criação de novos parâmetros redimensionadores das práticas pedagógicas no ensino de música. Para tanto, nos utilizaremos do campo da Etnomusicologia e faremos incursões à Sociologia da Música a fim de aferirmos as questões pertinentes à Educação Musical no que concerne à identidade musical africana.
Cultura de segurança em unidade de terapia intensiva materna [Safety culture in a maternal intensive care unit] [Cultura de seguridad en una unidad de cuidados intensivos maternos]
Authors: Santos José Augustinho Mendes , Santos Amuzza Aylla Pereira dos , Bernardo Thaís Honório Lins , Gaedke Mari Ângela , Santos Wanderlei Barbosa dos , Oliveira Julio Cesar Silva
Published: August 2022

Objetivo: identificar a cultura de segurança do paciente em uma unidade de terapia intensiva materna, na perspectiva da equipe de saúde. Método:  estudo do tipo survey, aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa, que utilizou o instrumento Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture para coleta de dados. Os dados foram analisados mediante estatística descritiva e as dimensões da cultura foram classificadas em forte, neutra e frágil. Resultados: identificou-se uma dimensão forte, quatro neutras e seis frágeis. A dimensão com maior percentual de respostas positivas foi “Trabalho em equipe dentro da unidade”, já a com menor percentual foi “Frequência de notificações de eventos”. Conclusão: a cultura de segurança do paciente na unidade de terapia intensiva materna foi considerada frágil, apontando para necessidade de prestação de cuidados com maior segurança as gestantes e puérperas que necessitam de cuidados intensivos.ABSTRACTObjective: to identify the patient safety culture in a maternal intensive care unit as seen by the healthcare team. Method: in this survey study approved by the research ethics committee, data were collected using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The culture dimensions were classified as strong, neutral or weak. Results: one dimension was found to be strong, four neutral, and six weak. "Unit teamwork" returned the highest percentage of positive responses, while the lowest-scoring dimension was "Event notification frequency". Conclusion: the patient safety culture in the maternal intensive care unit was considered weak, pointing to the need to provide safer care to pregnant and postpartum women requiring intensive care.RESUMENObjetivo: identificar la cultura de seguridad del paciente en una unidad de cuidados intensivos maternos, desde la perspectiva del equipo sanitario. Método: estudio por encuesta de opinión (Survey), aprobado por el Comité de Ética de la Investigación, que utilizó el instrumento Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture para la recolección de datos. Los datos se analizaron por medio de una estadística descriptiva y las dimensiones de la cultura se clasificaron en fuerte, neutra y frágil. Resultados: se identificaron una dimensión fuerte, cuatro neutras y seis frágiles. La dimensión cuyo porcentaje de respuestas positivas fue más alto: "Trabajo en equipo dentro de la unidad"; mientras que la dimensión cuyo porcentaje fue más bajo fue: "Frecuencia de las notificaciones de eventos". Conclusión: la cultura de seguridad del paciente en la unidad de cuidados intensivos maternos se consideró frágil, lo que apunta hacia la necesidad de proporcionar una atención con mayor seguridad a las mujeres embarazadas y puérperas que requieren cuidados intensivos.
Nurses' role in diabetes management and prevention in community care
Authors: O'Flynn Sinéad
Published: August 2022

Diabetes care—particularly in a community setting as a form of prevention and management, is a growing requirement across England and Ireland. Self-management skills are an essential part of diabetes management and nurses in the community setting are one of the first points of care to ensure this. It is therefore imperative that nurses working within these primary and community care settings have the knowledge and skills necessary to support those in the community setting to effectively manage their condition, improve their health outcomes and their quality of life. Primary care has been tasked with providing both routine and more complex diabetes care and highlights a risk of adverse outcomes if people with diabetes are transferred to general practices without adequate support. Developing an approach for effective and efficient joint collaboration for primary care and specialists to manage the population of people with diabetes under their care is vital in its prevention and management. So how can this be achieved and what resources are required? This article will discuss current research into clinical practice and pilots which can contribute to supporting a more holistic multi-disciplinary approach to diabetes management and prevention, and hence, a provision of community based services aimed at health prevention.
Exploring the experiences of a community palliative care team as services were adapted to meet the demand of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mann Denise , Cushen-Brewster Noreen , Zeppetella Giovambattista
Published: August 2022

During COVID-19, it was critical that services adapted to meet the high demands of the pandemic. This qualitative study explores the experiences of several staff members of the community palliative care team, as they adapted the delivery of their services to such pressures. Semi-structured interviews via a virtual platform were conducted and four themes were identified: service development, communication, inter-professional relationships and support mechanisms. The participants supported the change in service delivery and use of technology to triage patients. The participants also reported improved collaboration and patient care-coordination, and enhanced support mechanisms used by the team helped sustain resilience and wellbeing. Although challenging, the team embraced the changes and described improved collaboration and coordination of patient care.
The enrichment process and morphological identification of anaerobic fungi isolated from buffalo rumen
Authors: AGUSTINA SINTA , WIRYAWAN KOMANG GEDE , SUHARTI SRI , MERYANDINI ANJA
Published: August 2022

Abstract. Agustina S, Wiryawan KG, Suharti S, Meryandini A. 2021. The enrichment process and morphological identification of anaerobic fungi isolated from buffalo rumen. Biodiversitas 23: 469-477. Anaerobic fungi are one of the microbes that have an important role in rumen fiber degradation because they can produce cellulase enzymes and penetrate feed particles. Nevertheless, few studies were performed to test the potential of anaerobic fungi in Indonesia. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate the impact of the enrichment process on pH value, the zoospores population, NH3 (ammonia) concentration, and VFA (Volatile Fatty Acid) proportion. In addition, this research was also performed to isolate anaerobic fungi from buffalo rumen and identify their morphological characteristics. The enrichment stage of anaerobic fungi was carried out using the Hungate method. Results showed that the population of fungi zoospores, pH value, ammonia concentration, the proportion of acetate, and total VFA were significantly affected by the incubation time (P<0.01). In addition, Caecomyces, Neocallimastix, and Piromyces were rumen anaerobic fungi isolated from buffalo rumen with different morphological characteristics. It can be concluded that the incubation time increased the zoospore population, the concentration of NH3, acetate proportion, and total VFA but decreased media's pH value.
Antibacterial activity of endophytic fungi isolated from the stem bark of jambu mawar (Syzygium jambos)
Authors: ‘AINI KURRATUL , ELFITA ELFITA , WIDJAJANTI HARY , SETIAWAN ARUM , KURNIAWATI ALFIA R.
Published: August 2022

Abstract. ‘Aini K, Elfita, Widyajanti H, Setiawan A, Kurniawati AR. 2021. Antibacterial activity of endophytic fungi isolated from the stem bark of jambu mawar (Syzygium jambos). Biodiversitas 23: 521-532. Syzygium jambos (jambu mawar) is widely used in South Sumatra as a traditional medicine to treat various diseases, including pathogenic bacterial infections. Literature studies report that parts of S. jambos have been used worldwide for treating diarrhea accompanied by fever, dysentery, sore throat, diabetes, and other infectious diseases. Endophytic fungi isolated from medicinal plants have high diversity, and the biological activity of their secondary metabolites is associated with their host. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the diversity of endophytic fungi from the stem bark of S. jambos and the antibacterial activity of secondary metabolites of endophytic fungi. Fungal isolates with high antibacterial activity were identified to obtain fungal species, and the structure of their compounds was determined. The disc diffusion method carried the antibacterial activity test against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) bacteria. Characteristics of endophytic fungi were identified microscopically and macroscopically. Active endophytic fungi were identified by molecular analysis of the internal transcribed region (ITS) of the ribosomal DNA. Isolation of antibacterial compounds using chromatographic techniques and determination of chemical structures using spectroscopy was performed. Eight endophytic fungi were obtained from the stem bark of S. jambos, namely SJ1–SJ8. The endophytic fungus SJ6 showed the highest activity and base on phylogenetic analysis, was identified as Fusarium verticillioides. Pure compounds isolated as yellowish-white solids showed good antibacterial activity against S. aureus and S. typhi with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 64 g/mL each. Based on 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis, compound 1 was identified as 3-hydroxy-4-(hydroxy(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl)dihydrofuran-2-on.
Short Communication: Characterization and biological synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles by new strain of Bacillus foraminis
Authors: EL-GHWAS DINA E.
Published: August 2022

Abstract. El-Ghwas DE. 2021. Short Communication: Characterization and biological synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles by new strain of Bacillus foraminis. Biodiversitas 23: 548-553. The production of ZnO Nanoparticles (ZnONPs) has gained a lot of interest because of its wide antibacterial and eco-friendly activity. This work was performed for the biosynthesis of ZnONPs using isolated bacteria strains. A new bacterial strain isolated from farm soil in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was identified by molecular identification using 16S ribosomal RNA. The isolated sequence had the highest similarity (99 %) with Bacillus foraminis. On the other hand, the appearance of white precipitate at the end of incubation time confirms the production of ZnONPs. Also, UV, TEM, and FTIR were used to investigate the stability and structure of ZnONPs. The absorbance of ZnONPs was measured at 386 nm in a UV experiment. TEM result revealed that the particles were polydisperse and usually spherical, with maximum particles in the 5.40 - 6.79 nm range. In addition, FTIR confirms the reduction of zinc ions by bacteria. This is the first report on the biosynthesis of ZnONPs by B. foraminis.
Potential of dadiah kapau from Agam District, West Sumatra, Indonesia as a source of probiotics for health
Authors: ROZA ELLY , ARITONANG SALAM N. , YELLITA YULIA , SUSANTY HILDA , RIZQAN RIZQAN , PRATAMA YUDHA ENDRA
Published: August 2022

Abstract. Roza E, Aritonang SN, Yellita Y, Susanty H, Rizqan, Pratama YE. 2021. Potential of dadiah kapau from Agam District, Indonesia as a source of probiotics for health. Biodiversitas 23: 564-571. Dadiah is a fermented product of buffalo milk prepared in a bamboo container as a traditional food in the Minangkabau tribe of West Sumatra, Indonesia. This study aimed to identify lactic acid bacteria that are potentially probiotics from dadiah products. The method used in this research includes an experimental survey with descriptive data analysis. The dadiah used in this study was taken from dadiah breeders and processors in Nagari Kapau, Agam District, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Tests for selection of probiotic candidates included macroscopic and microscopic observations, catalase test, fermentative type, resistance to gastric acid (pH 3), resistance to bile salts, antimicrobial activity using test bacteria Escherichia coli O157, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella sp. Molecular identification was carried out by using 16S rRNA to determine the relationship of species using MEGA version 7.0 application. The study results revealed that the total colonies of dadiah kapau lactic acid bacteria were 128 x 108 CFU/g, and 12 isolates were obtained from the isolation results. Catalase negative for 12 isolates and 9 homofermentative types and 3 including heterofermentative types. Tests for resistance to gastric acid (pH 3) and bile salt resistance, the best viability was 84.61% and 86.51% respectively. The best antimicrobial activity showed a clear zone against the test bacteria E. coli O157, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella sp. The phylogenetic analysis of the sequencing results shows that the dadiah kapau lactic acid bacteria are closely related to Lactobacillus plantarum.
Uneven wrapped phase pattern denoising using a deep neural network
Authors: Li Jianming , Tang Chen , Xu Min , Lei Zhenkun
Published: August 2022

The wrapped phase patterns obtained from an object composed of different materials have uneven gray values. In this paper, we improve the dilated-blocks-based deep convolution neural network (DBDNet) and build a new dataset for restoring the uneven gray values of uneven wrapped phase patterns as well as eliminating the speckle noise. In our method, we improve the structure of dilated blocks in DBDNet to enhance the ability of obtaining full scales of gray values and speckle noise information in the uneven phase patterns. We use the combined

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loss function to improve the denoising and restoration performance of our method. We compare three representative networks ResNet-based, ADNet, and BRDNet in denoising with our proposed method. We test the three compared methods and our method on one group of computer-simulated and one group of experimentally obtained uneven noisy wrapped phase patterns from a dynamic measurement. We also conduct the ablation experiments on the improved model structure and the combined loss function used in our method. The denoising performance has been evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. The denoising results demonstrate that our proposed method can reduce high speckle noise, restore the uneven gray values of wrapped phase patterns, and get better results than the compared methods.
Encoder-decoder deep learning network for simultaneous reconstruction of fluorescence yield and lifetime distributions
Authors: Cheng Jiaju , Zhang Peng , Liu Fei , Liu Jie , Hui Hui , Tian Jie , Luo Jianwen
Published: August 2022

A time-domain fluorescence molecular tomography in reflective geometry (TD-rFMT) has been proposed to circumvent the penetration limit and reconstruct fluorescence distribution within a 2.5-cm depth regardless of the object size. In this paper, an end-to-end encoder-decoder network is proposed to further enhance the reconstruction performance of TD-rFMT. The network reconstructs both the fluorescence yield and lifetime distributions directly from the time-resolved fluorescent signals. According to the properties of TD-rFMT, proper noise was added to the simulation training data and a customized loss function was adopted for self-supervised and supervised joint training. Simulations and phantom experiments demonstrate that the proposed network can significantly improve the spatial resolution, positioning accuracy, and accuracy of lifetime values.
Mach–Zehnder-Sagnac interferometric curvature sensor based on polarization-maintaining multi-mode fiber using a specified core offset
Authors: Ruan Juan , Li Haiping , Zhu Jianfeng
Published: August 2022

An interferometric bending sensor based on polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF) in combination with multi-mode fiber (MMF) is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. One end of MMF was fusion spliced to PMF, and the other was fusion spliced to the single mode fiber (SMF) pigtail of a 3 dB optical fiber coupler with a core offset. One stress zone in lead-out Panda type PMF was intentionally aligned and fusion spliced to the core of SMF to enhance mode coupling. A pronounced interference pattern with a fringe contrast of 28.1 dB was obtained, and a bending sensitivity of

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was achieved experimentally. Such a bending sensor with easy fabrication could be a potential candidate for curvature measurements.
Tracking objects outside the line of sight using laser Doppler coherent detection
Authors: Lu Zhenzhong , Cao Yuping , Peng Tao , Han Biao , Dong Qian
Published: August 2022

Based on the laser Doppler coherent detection method, a laser Doppler Non-Line-of Sight imaging technique (LD-NLOS) is proposed to obtain a series of effective information about the detected objects outside the line of sight. According to the analysis of the frequency and light intensity characteristics of the scattered signal, the information of the detected object hidden in the intermediate scattering surface is decoded. Without relying on complicated back-end algorithm processing and expensive experimental detection cost, the proposed LD-NLOS technique can detect the target vibration velocity and stably reconstruct its 2D shape.
Twin-tube terahertz fiber for a polarization filter
Authors: Jiang Xiaogang , Yang Haoling , Luo Weixuan , Liu Huabei , Chen Daru , Liu Xuan
Published: August 2022

A simple polymer twin-tube terahertz (THz) fiber that can be used as a polarization filter is proposed and investigated using the finite element method in this paper. The twin-tube THz fiber consists of two closely spaced identical tubes located symmetrically inside the protecting jacket. The simulation results show that the y-polarization fundamental mode (YPFM) can be well confined between the two tube walls near the fiber center, while the x-polarization fundamental mode (XPFM) has a huge confinement loss due to the coupling with the tube mode. For the fundamental mode (FM), a polarization extinction ratio (PER) of 30 dB can be realized after a 1.3 cm length of the fiber, and the insertion loss of the YPFM is less than 0.5 dB at 1 THz. In addition, higher order modes (HOMs) can be effectively suppressed by further increasing the fiber length. Simulation results indicate that all HOMs have powers being 30 dB lower than that of the supported YPFM after a 7.44 cm length of the fiber, and the insertion loss of the YPFM is less than 2.7 dB at 1 THz. Furthermore, the effects of fiber structure parameters on the loss properties are investigated, proving that the proposed fiber has a good fabrication tolerance. Owing to the simple structure, the proposed fiber polarization filter is easy to be fabricated and low-cost, which makes it a potential application in commercial THz systems.
Modeling and optimization of cascaded lasing in a holmium doped fluoride fiber laser with efficient output at 3.92 µm
Authors: Cao Jianing , Wei Chen , Zhou Hongrong , Liu Wenshu , Shang Chencheng , Yue Huimin , Liu Yong
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we investigate the output performance of a continuous-wave Ho3+-doped fluoride fiber laser operating at 3.92 µm from the 5I5 → 5I6 transition of Ho3+ using numerical simulation. A double-clad Ho3+-doped fluoroindate fiber with a doping concentration of 10.0 mol.% is assumed, with direct pumping at 888 nm. We propose simultaneous lasing on the 5I6 → 5I7 transition to enhance the slope efficiency while reducing the threshold and heat accumulation. Simulation results indicate that a slope efficiency of 17% and a threshold of 2.5 W can be obtained using a 9 cm-long fiber. Moreover, with the heat accumulation reduced by >40%, watt level laser output can be achieved in this cascade system at room temperature without the gain fiber being damaged by heat accumulation. The theoretical maximum output power of 1.27 W is 6 times higher than the highest reported value (197 mW), which is limited by the fiber damage due to excess heat load.
Measurement of delayed fluorescence in N2
+ with a streak camera
Authors: Rastegari Ali , Diels Jean-Claude , Kamer Brian , Liu Lee R. , Arissian Ladan
Published: August 2022

Using a streak camera, we directly measure time- and space-resolved dynamics of

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emission from a self-seeded filament. Fluorescence emission does not start with ionization, but with a delay in the tenth of ps range.
A High-Rate Receiver for Satellite Quantum Key Distribution
Authors: Rößler Conrad , Günthner Kevin , Hacker Bastian , Leuchs Gerd , Marquardt Christoph
Published: August 2022

We present a high-rate fiber-integrated quantum receiver for phase-encoded satellite-based QKD. We highlight concepts for time synchronization as well as compensation of the Doppler shift and optimized quantum signal processing.
GaN laser technology for cold-atom quantum sensors and optical atomic clocks
Authors: Najda S.P. , Perlin P. , Suski T. , Stanczyk S. , Kafar A. , Leszczyński M. , Schiavon D. , Slight T. , Gwyn S. , Watson S. , Kelly A.E. , Macarthur J. , McKnight L. , Knapp M. , Haji M.
Published: August 2022

We report on GaN lasers with extremely narrow linewidth (~1MHz) at ‘magic wavelengths’ for cold-atom quantum sensors and optical atomic clocks, using extended cavity GaN laser diodes and DFB GaN laser diodes.
Bidirectional optimal quantum control: A use case of polarization in liquid crystals
Authors: Vašinka Dominik , Bielak Martin , Neset Michal , Ježek Miroslav
Published: August 2022

We present optimal control of quantum devices using deep neural networks. Our approach avoids the ambiguity of classical control variables by unsupervised-like learning. The method is used for the accurate preparation of polarization quantum bits.
Computational approach to modeling microbiome landscapes associated with chronic human disease progression
Authors: Li Lu , Sohn Jiho , Genco Robert J. , Wactawski-Wende Jean , Goodison Steve , Diaz Patricia I. , Sun Yijun
Published: August 2022

A microbial community is a dynamic system undergoing constant change in response to internal and external stimuli. These changes can have significant implications for human health. However, due to the difficulty in obtaining longitudinal samples, the study of the dynamic relationship between the microbiome and human health remains a challenge. Here, we introduce a novel computational strategy that uses massive cross-sectional sample data to model microbiome landscapes associated with chronic disease development. The strategy is based on the rationale that each static sample provides a snapshot of the disease process, and if the number of samples is sufficiently large, the footprints of individual samples populate progression trajectories, which enables us to recover disease progression paths along a microbiome landscape by using computational approaches. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed strategy, we developed a bioinformatics pipeline and applied it to a gut microbiome dataset available from a Crohn’s disease study. Our analysis resulted in one of the first working models of microbial progression for Crohn’s disease. We performed a series of interrogations to validate the constructed model. Our analysis suggested that the model recapitulated the longitudinal progression of microbial dysbiosis during the known clinical trajectory of Crohn’s disease. By overcoming restrictions associated with complex longitudinal sampling, the proposed strategy can provide valuable insights into the role of the microbiome in the pathogenesis of chronic disease and facilitate the shift of the field from descriptive research to mechanistic studies.
Characterizing clinical pediatric obesity subtypes using electronic health record data
Authors: Campbell Elizabeth A. , Maltenfort Mitchell G. , Shults Justine , Forrest Christopher B. , Masino Aaron J.
Published: August 2022

In this work, we present a study of electronic health record (EHR) data that aims to identify pediatric obesity clinical subtypes. Specifically, we examine whether certain temporal condition patterns associated with childhood obesity incidence tend to cluster together to characterize subtypes of clinically similar patients. In a previous study, the sequence mining algorithm, SPADE was implemented on EHR data from a large retrospective cohort (n = 49 594 patients) to identify common condition trajectories surrounding pediatric obesity incidence. In this study, we used Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to identify potential subtypes formed by these temporal condition patterns. The demographic characteristics of patients in each subtype are also examined. An LCA model with 8 classes was developed that identified clinically similar patient subtypes. Patients in Class 1 had a high prevalence of respiratory and sleep disorders, patients in Class 2 had high rates of inflammatory skin conditions, patients in Class 3 had a high prevalence of seizure disorders, and patients in Class 4 had a high prevalence of Asthma. Patients in Class 5 lacked a clear characteristic morbidity pattern, and patients in Classes 6, 7, and 8 had a high prevalence of gastrointestinal issues, neurodevelopmental disorders, and physical symptoms respectively. Subjects generally had high membership probability for a single class (>70%), suggesting shared clinical characterization within the individual groups. We identified patient subtypes with temporal condition patterns that are significantly more common among obese pediatric patients using a Latent Class Analysis approach. Our findings may be used to characterize the prevalence of common conditions among newly obese pediatric patients and to identify pediatric obesity subtypes. The identified subtypes align with prior knowledge on comorbidities associated with childhood obesity, including gastro-intestinal, dermatologic, developmental, and sleep disorders, as well as asthma.
Photogrammetric reconstruction of 3D carpological collection in high resolution for plants authentication and species discovery
Authors: Wang Ho Lam , Wong Tin Hang , Chan Yiu Man , Cheng Yat Sum , Lau David Tai Wai
Published: August 2022

This study provides an accurate and efficient method to reconstruct detailed and high-resolution digital 3D models of carpological materials by photogrammetric method, in which only about 100 to 150 images are required for each model reconstruction. The 3D models reflect the realistic morphology and genuine color of the carpological materials. The 3D models are scaled to represent the true size of the materials even as small as 3 mm in diameter. The interfaces are interactive, in which the 3D models can be rotated in 360° to observe the structures and be zoomed to inspect the macroscopic details. This new platform is beneficial for developing a virtual herbarium of carpological collection which is thus the most important to botanical authentication and education.
Assessment of Tennessee’s county-level vulnerability to hepatitis C virus and HIV outbreaks using socioeconomic, healthcare, and substance use indicators
Authors: Vakili Jessica , Sizemore Lindsey , Rebeiro Peter F. , Tyndall Ben , Talley Pamela , Whaley Kristyn , Brantley Meredith
Published: August 2022

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and injection drug use are syndemic in the central Appalachian states. In Tennessee (TN), declines in HIV among persons who inject drugs (PWID) stalled, and HCV infection rates increased significantly from 2013–2017. To better target strategies to address the syndemic, county-level socioeconomic, opioid use, access to healthcare, and health factors were modeled to identify indicators predictive of vulnerability to an HIV/HCV outbreak among PWID in TN.

Methods

Newly reported chronic HCV cases among persons aged 13–39 years in 2016–2017 were used as a proxy for county-level HIV/HCV vulnerability among TN’s 95 counties. Seventy-five publicly available county-level measures from 2016–2017 were collected and reduced through multiple dimension reduction techniques. Negative binomial regression identified indicators associated with HCV which were used to calculate county-level vulnerability to a local HIV/HCV outbreak.

Results

Thirteen county-level indicators were identified as strongly predictive of HIV/HCV vulnerability with the statistically significant indicators being percentage of the population aged 20–44 years, per capita income, teen birth rate, percentage of clients in TDMHSAS-funded opioid treatment and recovery, syphilis case rate, and percentage of homes with at least one vehicle. Based on the 13 indicators, we identified the distribution of vulnerability to an HIV/HCV outbreak among TN’s counties. Eleven high vulnerability counties were identified, with the preponderance located in east and middle TN.

Conclusion

This analysis identified the county-level factors most associated with vulnerability to an HIV/HCV outbreak among PWID in TN. These results, alongside routine surveillance, will guide targeted prevention and linkage to care efforts for the most vulnerable communities.
Prevalence of modifiable risk factors of tuberculosis and their population attributable fraction in Iran: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Sadeghi Kamal , Poorolajal Jalal , Doosti-Irani Amin
Published: August 2022

Background

The mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is necessary for the morbidity of tuberculosis (TB), but it is insufficient. Many risk factors increase the risk of disease among infected people. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of modifiable risk factors of TB and their related population attributable fraction (PAF) in the marginal population of Markazi province in Iran.

Design

In this cross-sectional study, the prevalence of the modifiable risk factors of TB was estimated. We designed and validated a questionnaire to determine the risk factors. The measures of association for the modifiable risk factors of TB were obtained via the review of published literature. We calculated the PAF for each modifiable risk factor.

Results

Out of the 1275 calculated sample size, 1146 people participated in this study, and the participation rate was 89.9%. The mean age was 39.26. Out of 1146 participants, 76% did not know anything regarding TB. The highest prevalence was related to the lack of physical activity (58.73%), lack of fish consumption (50.79%), lack of red meat consumption (21.20%), and secondhand smoke (19.02%). The highest PAF was related to secondhand smoke; this value based on the crude relative risk (RR) and crude odds ratio (OR) was 24.54% and 23.44%, respectively. Based on crude hazard ratio (HR) and crude OR, the PAF for smoking was 14.81% and 11.19%, respectively. PAF for lack of BCG vaccination based on the crude OR was 14.79%.

Conclusion

Based on this study’s results, poor nutrition, secondhand smoke, smoking, lack of BCG vaccination, and diabetes are the main prevalent modifiable risk factors for TB. The highest PAF for TB was related to secondhand smoke, smoking, lack of BCG vaccination, and diabetes.
Automatic identification of intestinal parasites in reptiles using microscopic stool images and convolutional neural networks
Authors: Parra Carla , Grijalva Felipe , Núñez Bryan , Núñez Alejandra , Pérez Noel , Benítez Diego
Published: August 2022

Captive environments trigger the propagation and multiplication of parasites among different reptile species, thus weakening their immune response and causing infections and diseases. Technological advances of convolutional neural networks have opened a new field for detecting and classifying diseases which have shown great potential to overcome the shortcomings of manual detection performed by experts. Therefore, we propose an approach to identify six captive reptiles parasitic agents (Ophionyssus natricis,Blastocystis sp,Oxiurdo egg,Rhytidoides similis,Strongyloides,Taenia) or the absence of such parasites from a microscope stool images dataset. Towards this end, we first use an image segmentation stage to detect the parasite within the image, which combines the Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) technique, the OTSU binarization method, and morphological operations. Then, we carry out a classification stage through MobileNet CNN under a transfer learning scheme. This method was validated on a stool image dataset containing 3616 images data samples and 26 videos from the six parasites mentioned above. The results obtained indicate that our transfer learning-based approach can learn a helpful representation from the dataset. We obtained an average accuracy of 94.26% across the seven classes (i.e., six parasitic agents and the absence of parasites), which statistically outperformed, at a 95% confidence level, a custom CNN trained from scratch.
Dynamic evaluation of the ecological civilization of Jiangxi Province: GIS and AHP approaches
Authors: Xu Wei , Yi Jiahui , Shuai Jing , Yu Zhen , Cheng Jinhua
Published: August 2022

Faced with the increasingly severe ecological environment, China promotes the construction of ecological civilization vigorously. Therefore, it is of great significance to adopt scientific, effective and comprehensive methods to evaluate development status of ecological civilization. Based on the panel data from 2010 to 2014, this paper employs GIS and AHP methods to dynamically examine the level of ecological civilization construction in Jiangxi Province. The results indicate that: (1) The ecological civilization construction in Jiangxi Province is 13.23% higher than the national average, whereas there is an imbalance in the development of different cities within the province; (2) The ecological civilization construction in the whole province rises first and then falls; (3) The performances of the cities vary in different dimensions of the construction of ecological civilization that cities in Jiangxi province perform well in the dimension of ecological environment, but perform poorly in the dimension of social development. Finally, we put forward policy recommendations for improving ecological environment to realize harmonious development between human and nature.
Adaptation of a school-based mental health program for adolescents in Vietnam
Authors: La Nga Linh , Shochet Ian , Tran Thach , Fisher Jane , Wurfl Astrid , Nguyen Nga , Orr Jayne , Stocker Ruby , Nguyen Huong
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Cultural adaptation of a school-based mental health intervention developed in a high-income country is a cost-effective method to address the mental health needs of adolescents in resource-constrained settings. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the Resourceful Adolescent Program for Adolescents (RAP-A) for adolescents attending high school in Vietnam.

Methods

The translation and adaptation were conducted using a five-step process including (1) initial stakeholder consultation, (2) forward translation, (3) backward translation, (4) adaptation, and (5) finalising the adapted version. An adaptation panel was established, including the RAP-A authors and mental health and public health experts from Australia, and psychology and public health experts from Vietnam. The panel collaborated closely with a group of stakeholders, including bilingual psychologists and psychiatrists, high school (grades 10–12) students and teachers throughout the adaptation process.

Results

The adapted version of RAP-A was named ‘Happy House’. Happy House was adapted to be delivered in larger groups and in longer sessions than the RAP-A. The 11 sessions in RAP-A were restructured to 6 sessions in Happy House. Major changes were not required for any of the materials. However, some content, illustrations and videos were adapted to be more feasible for the school context and to enhance the comprehensibility, acceptability and appropriateness.

Conclusion

Happy House has great potential to be relevant, comprehensible and acceptable for Vietnamese adolescents. Further research is warranted to examine the relevance, comprehensibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of this program on adolescents’ mental health before advocating for scaling up program delivery in high schools throughout Vietnam.
A novel endocast technique providing a 3D quantitative analysis of the gastrovascular system in Rhizostoma pulmo: An unexpected through-gut in cnidaria
Authors: Avian Massimo , Mancini Lucia , Voltolini Marco , Bonnet Delphine , Dreossi Diego , Macaluso Vanessa , Pillepich Nicole , Prieto Laura , Ramšak Andreja , Terlizzi Antonio , Motta Gregorio
Published: August 2022

The investigation of jellyfish gastrovascular systems mainly focused on stain injections and dissections, negatively affected by thickness and opacity of the mesoglea. Therefore, descriptions are incomplete and data about tridimensional structures are scarce. In this work, morphological and functional anatomy of the gastrovascular system of Rhizostoma pulmo (Macri 1778) was investigated in detail with innovative techniques: resin endocasts and 3D X-ray computed microtomography. The gastrovascular system consists of a series of branching canals ending with numerous openings within the frilled margins of the oral arms. Canals presented a peculiar double hemi-canal structure with a medial adhesion area which separates centrifugal and centripetal flows. The inward flow involves only the “mouth” openings on the internal wing of the oral arm and relative hemi-canals, while the outward flow involves only the two outermost wings’ hemi-canals and relative “anal” openings on the external oral arm. The openings differentiation recalls the functional characteristics of a through-gut apparatus. We cannot define the gastrovascular system in Rhizostoma pulmo as a traditional through-gut, rather an example of adaptive convergence, that partially invalidates the paradigm of a single oral opening with both the uptake and excrete function.
Evaluation of serum uric acid and liver function tests among pregnant women with and without preeclampsia at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Hassen Fethya Seid , Malik Tabarak , Dejenie Tadesse Asmamaw
Published: August 2022

Background

Pre-eclampsia can be described as new-onset hypertension (blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg) together with proteinuria (24-hr urinary protein ≥ 0.3 g) or any indication of end-organ damage after 20 weeks of gestation. Liver and kidney dysfunction, thrombocytopenia, pulmonary edema, and neurologic dysfunction are common manifestations of end-organ damage due to pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is the most common cause of liver and kidney dysfunction due to hypoxia and endothelial dysfunction. Hyperuricemia indicates kidney dysfunction and is considered a predictor of the severity of preeclampsia. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the utility of the levels of serum uric acid and liver function tests [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)] as biomarkers of preeclampsia-related organ damage.

Methods and materials

An institutional-based comparative cross-sectional study design was conducted, and a total of 102 subjects (51 patients with preeclampsia and 51 normotensive pregnant women) were recruited. The parameters measured were levels of serum uric acid and liver function tests.

Results and discussion

There were statistically significant differences in the mean serum uric acid, ALT, and AST levels between preeclamptic pregnant women and normotensive pregnant women (p<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the mean total and direct bilirubin levels. There was also a significant difference in mean serum uric acid, alanine transaminase, and aspartate transaminase levels across different gestational age categories.

Conclusion

Our study revealed that serum uric acid, ALT, and AST levels were higher in pre-eclamptic pregnant women compared to those of normotensive pregnant women, and the differences were statistically significant. As such, serum uric acid and liver function tests may be considered biomarkers of pre-eclampsia-related end-organ damage.