bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Proteomic Landscape of Candida albicans in the Stepwise Evolution to Fluconazole Resistance
Authors: Song Nana , Zhou Xiaowei , Li Dongmei , Li Xiaofang , Liu Weida
Published: March 2022

As an opportunistic fungal pathogen,
Candida albicans
is a major cause of superficial and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. The increasing rate of azole resistance in
C. albicans
has brought further challenges to clinical therapy.
No Cameras, No Problem: Creating an Inclusive Research-Driven Classroom Environment Using Student-Generated Avatars
Authors: Gavaldon Luzconsuelo , Nieto-Gavaldon Socorro , D’Arcy Christina E. , Olimpo Jeffrey T.
Published: March 2022

Student involvement in distance education has continued to increase over the last decade and has been accelerated by the unplanned transition to remote instruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Empirical data demonstrate variable levels of student learning and engagement in such environments, including limited use of technologies (e.g., laptop cameras) to interact with peers and course instructors.
Increasing Student Engagement through Course Attributes, Community, and Classroom Technology: Lessons from the Pandemic
Authors: Donham Cristine , Pohan Cathy , Menke Erik , Kranzfelder Petra
Published: March 2022

While many STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) instructors returned to in-person instruction in fall 2021, others found themselves continuing to teach via online, hybrid, or hybrid flexible (i.e., hyflex) formats. Regardless of one’s instructional modality, the findings from our own and other studies provided insight into effective strategies for increasing student engagement and decreasing cognitive overload. As part of this perspective, we included data from undergraduate students, many of whom are first generation and low income and from marginalized backgrounds, to identify instructional practices that helped them thrive and succeed during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Teaching Microscopy Remotely: Two Engaging Options
Authors: Lionetti Kathryn A. , Townsend Heather
Published: March 2022

The rapid switch to remote teaching with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to become resourceful and creative to meet course learning objectives. This was especially challenging for undergraduate microbiology laboratory exercises.
Decoding the Absolute Stoichiometric Composition and Structural Plasticity of α-Carboxysomes
Authors: Sun Yaqi , Harman Victoria M. , Johnson James R. , Brownridge Philip J. , Chen Taiyu , Dykes Gregory F. , Lin Yongjun , Beynon Robert J. , Liu Lu-Ning
Published: March 2022

A wide range of bacteria use special protein-based organelles, termed bacterial microcompartments, to encase enzymes and reactions to increase the efficiency of biological processes. As a model bacterial microcompartment, the carboxysome contains a protein shell filled with the primary carbon fixation enzyme Rubisco.
Complete Genomes of Two Xanthomonas translucens pv. translucens Strains Isolated from Barley in North Dakota
Authors: Schachterle Jeffrey K. , Shi Gongjun , Baldwin Thomas , Liu Zhaohui
Published: March 2022

Xanthomonas translucens
causes the disease bacterial leaf streak in several cereal crops and grasses. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of two isolates of
X. translucens
pv. translucens that were isolated from barley in an important cereal crop production region.
Complete Genome Sequences of Five Bacteriophages That Infect
Enterobacteriales
Hosts
Authors: Evans Seth , Cobbley Hunter , Davis Kye , Divis Tyler , Eberhard Nathaniel , Flor Samuel , Harris Evan B. , Gordon J. Ben , Hyer Matthew , Larson Weston , Suorsa Aurora R. , Sharma Ruchira , Sork Carson , Thompson Daniel W. , Wells Lauren , Casjens Sherwood R. , Grose Julianne H.
Published: March 2022

Full genome sequences of five bacteriophages that were isolated from raw sewage samples and infect
Enterobacteriales
hosts are presented. Brookers is a P22-like
Proteus
phage, OddieOddie is a 9g-like
Escherichia coli
phage, Diencephelon is a Kp3-like
Klebsiella
phage, and Rgz1 and Lilpapawes are classic T4-like and T7-like virulent
Proteus
phages, respectively.
Extracellular Polysaccharide Extraction from
Streptococcus thermophilus
in Fermented Milk
Authors: Wa Yunchao , Chanyi Ryan Matthew , Nguyen Hanh Thi Hong , Gu Ruixia , Day Li , Altermann Eric
Published: March 2022

Extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production by milk-fermenting microorganisms is a highly sought-after trait in improving the perceived thickness, creaminess, and mouthfeel of yogurt.
Streptococcus thermophilus
are commonly isolated and their EPS production is quantified in the search for higher-producing strains. In this study, we demonstrated that two commonly used methods for isolating EPS from milk samples significantly underestimated the true amount of EPS present.
Percutaneous sclerotherapy of microcystic lymphatic malformations: the use of an innovative gravity-dependent technique
Authors: Berenstein Alejandro , Bazil Maximilian Jeremy , Sorscher Michelle , Blei Francine , De Leacy Reade , Shigematsu Tomoyoshi , Waner Milton , Fifi Johanna T
Published: March 2022

Background

In the last few decades there has been development of innovative therapies for the treatment of craniofacial lymphatic malformations. Percutaneous sclerotherapy has demonstrated efficacy in the management of macrocystic lymphatic lesions, but it is less suitable for microcystic lesions given their size. The gravity-dependent technique is a novel augmentation of standard percutaneous sclerotherapy: the technique enables a sclerosing agent to permeate the small microchannels seen in microcystic lesions that would otherwise be difficult to treat.

Methods

Between 2005 and 2021, 124 patients with microcystic or mixed lymphatic malformations were treated using a novel gravity-dependent sclerotherapy technique. Bleomycin at a maximum dose of 15 IU per session was used as the main sclerosing agent. Fluoroscopy and ultrasound were used to ensure proper positioning of the catheter prior to injecting the sclerosing agent. The response to treatment was assessed clinically and with cross-sectional imaging.

Results

Nearly all cases showed significant improvement after the gravity-dependent technique. There have been no permanent complications from sclerotherapy treatment. There was a mild transient adverse effect from bleomycin in one case of erythema and tenderness that lasted several weeks then ameliorated.

Conclusions

The gravity-dependent sclerotherapy technique is a suitable treatment option for microcystic lymphatic malformations.
The newly observed state $$D_{s0}(2590)^{+}$$
Authors: Wang Guo-Li , Li Wei , Feng Tai-Fu , Wang Ying-Long , Liu Yu-Bin
Published: March 2022

We choose the Reduction Formula, PCAC and Low Energy Theory to reduce the S matrix of a OZI allowed two-body strong decay involving a light pseudoscalar, the covariant transition amplitude formula with relativistic wave functions as input is derived. After confirm this method by the decay $$D^*(2010)\rightarrow D\pi $$

D
∗

(
2010
)

→
D
π

, we study the newly observed $$D_{s0}(2590)^{+}$$

D

s
0

(
2590
)

+

with supposing it to be the state $$D_s(2^1S_0)^+$$

D
s

(

2
1

S
0

)

+

, we find its decay width $$\Gamma $$
Γ
is highly sensitive to the $$D_{s0}(2590)^{+}$$

D

s
0

(
2590
)

+

mass, which result in the meaningless comparison of widths by different models with various input masses. Instead of width, we studied the overlap integral over the wave functions of initial and final states, here we parameterized it as X which is model-independent, and the ratio $$\Gamma /{|{\mathbf {P}_f}|^3}$$

Γ
/

|

P
f

|

3

, both are almost mass independent, to give us useful information. The results show that, all the existing theoretical predictions $$X_{D_s(2S) \rightarrow D^*K}=0.25\sim 0.41$$

X

D
s

(
2
S
)

→

D
∗

K

=
0.25
∼
0.41

and $$\Gamma /{|{\mathbf {P}_f}|^3}=0.81\sim 1.77$$

Γ
/

|

P
f

|

3

=
0.81
∼
1.77

$$\hbox {MeV}^{-2}$$

MeV

-
2

are smaller than experimental data $$0.585^{+0.015}_{-0.035}$$

0
.

585

-
0.035

+
0.015

and $$4.54^{+0.25}_{-0.52}$$

4
.

54

-
0.52

+
0.25

$$\hbox {MeV}^{-2}$$

MeV

-
2

. Further compared with $$X^{ex}_{D^*(2010) \rightarrow D\pi }=0.540\pm 0.009$$

X

D
∗

(
2010
)

→
D
π

ex

=
0.540
±
0.009

, the current data $$X^{ex}_{D_s(2S) \rightarrow D^*K}=0.585^{+0.015}_{-0.035}$$

X

D
s

(
2
S
)

→

D
∗

K

ex

=
0
.

585

-
0.035

+
0.015

is too big to be an reasonable value, so it is early to say $$D_{s0}(2590)^{+}$$

D

s
0

(
2590
)

+

is the conventional $$D_s(2^1S_0)^+$$

D
s

(

2
1

S
0

)

+

meson.
Stellar solutions with zero complexity obtained through a temporal metric deformation
Authors: Andrade J.
Published: March 2022

Two new static and spherically symmetric interior solutions in the regime isotropic and anisotropic fluid pressure with vanishing complexity are constructed. For the construction of these interior solutions the framework of Gravitational Decoupling considering an unusual way through the choose a temporal metric deformation is used. We use the Einstein’s universe solution and an ansatz as seed solutions. The solutions fulfill the fundamental physical acceptability conditions for a restricted set of compactness parameters.
A fractional-order mathematical model for COVID-19 outbreak with the effect of symptomatic and asymptomatic transmissions
Authors: Ali Zeeshan , Rabiei Faranak , Rashidi Mohammad M. , Khodadadi Touraj
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the transmission dynamics of a fractional-order mathematical model of COVID-19 including susceptible ($$\textsc {S}$$
S
), exposed ($$\textsc {E}$$
E
), asymptomatic infected ($$\textsc {I}_1$$

I
1

), symptomatic infected ($$\textsc {I}_2$$

I
2

), and recovered ($$\textsc {R}$$
R
) classes named $$\mathrm {SEI_{1}I_{2}R}$$

SEI
1

I
2

R

model, using the Caputo fractional derivative. Here, $$\mathrm {SEI_{1}I_{2}R}$$

SEI
1

I
2

R

model describes the effect of asymptomatic and symptomatic transmissions on coronavirus disease outbreak. The existence and uniqueness of the solution are studied with the help of Schaefer- and Banach-type fixed point theorems. Sensitivity analysis of the model in terms of the variance of each parameter is examined, and the basic reproduction number $$(R_{0})$$

(

R
0

)

to discuss the local stability at two equilibrium points is proposed. Using the Routh–Hurwitz criterion of stability, it is found that the disease-free equilibrium will be stable for $$R_{0} < 1$$

R
0

<
1

whereas the endemic equilibrium becomes stable for $$R_{0} > 1$$

R
0

>
1

and unstable otherwise. Moreover, the numerical simulations for various values of fractional-order are carried out with the help of the fractional Euler method. The numerical results show that asymptomatic transmission has a lower impact on the disease outbreak rather than symptomatic transmission. Finally, the simulated graph of total infected population by proposed model here is compared with the real data of second-wave infected population of COVID-19 outbreak in India.
Easing the Hubble constant tension
Authors: Ambjørn J. , Watabiki Y.
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we show how a modified Friedmann equation, originating from a model of the universe built from a certain [Formula: see text] algebra, has the potential to explain the difference between the Hubble constants extracted from CMB data and from supernova data.
Exploration and mining perspectives of the critical elements for green technologies in Ukraine
Authors: Mykhailov Volodymyr A. , Hrinchenko Oleksandr V. , Malyuk Boris I.
Published: March 2022

The state of the mineral resource base of Ukraine for a number of elements that are essential for the development of ‘green power energy’ in Europe is analysed. Four groups can be distinguished that differ in degree of geological certainty, available reserves and stages of potential and/or commercial development. (1) Iron, manganese and graphite – large-scale deposits that have been developed for a long time in Ukraine and have almost unlimited resources/perspectives for further production. (2) Lithium and rare-earth elements (REEs) – deposits that have mostly been explored and possess considerable reserves; these deposits are not under exploitation but can be brought into commercial production pending appropriate geological and economic evaluation. (3) Cobalt and nickel – deposits that have been discovered but their reserves are rather small and some technological problems of ore beneficiation exist; these deposits can be developed only in the case of additional confirmation of their economic feasibility by objective economic and geological evaluation. (4) Aluminium and lead – small deposits and manifestations that are known but their reserves and ore grades are rather low, and, as a result, their exploitation is doubtful and perspectives for commercial output are not clear.
Testing the Plasticity of Reinforcement Learning-based Systems
Authors: Biagiola Matteo , Tonella Paolo
Published: March 2022

The dataset available for pre-release training of a machine-learning based system is often not representative of all possible execution contexts that the system will encounter in the field. Reinforcement Learning (RL) is a prominent approach among those that support continual learning, i.e., learning continually in the field, in the post-release phase. No study has so far investigated any method to test the plasticity of RL-based systems, i.e., their capability to adapt to an execution context that may deviate from the training one.

We propose an approach to test the plasticity of RL-based systems. The output of our approach is a quantification of the adaptation and anti-regression capabilities of the system, obtained by computing the adaptation frontier of the system in a changed environment. We visualize such frontier as an adaptation/anti-regression heatmap in two dimensions, or as a clustered projection when more than two dimensions are involved. In this way, we provide developers with information on the amount of changes that can be accommodated by the continual learning component of the system, which is key to decide if online, in-the-field learning can be safely enabled or not.
Impact of UX Internships on Human-computer Interaction Graduate Students: A Qualitative Analysis of Internship Reports
Authors: Kang Jin , Girouard Audrey
Published: March 2022

Objectives.
Internships can bring a host of professional and academic benefits to students. Then, how do User Experience (UX) internships influence Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) graduate students’ professional and academic growth? What are the challenges experienced by HCI graduate students during internships? We explored these two research questions.

Participants.
Our study participants were 42 HCI graduate students who completed UX internships. They came from computing and related disciplines, including computer science, information technology, psychology, and design. Some of the participants’ internship titles were Interaction Designer, Design Researcher, UX Programmer, and Business Intelligence Analyst.

Study Method.
We conducted a thematic analysis on 42 graduate students’ UX internship reports that were collected over 6 years to uncover themes in relation to our two research questions.

Findings.
As for UX internship benefits, we found that students learned about the workplace culture (e.g., academia vs. industry/government on research design processes) and core UX technical (e.g., research, design, programming) and people skills (e.g., teamwork, empathy toward end-users); they also realized what they wanted in future careers after completing their internships. We also found internship challenges that were related to the internship program (e.g., the availability of internship opportunities), the host organizations (e.g., the quality of mentorship received), and remote working (e.g., difficulty over conducting remote usability testing).

Conclusions.
We make practical recommendations for HCI educators, UX practitioners, and HCI graduate students on how they can work collaboratively to create a meaningful UX internship experience. These recommendations include researching the host organization prior to internships, providing comprehensive onboarding, and being transparent with internship constraints.
Evolutionary Dynamic Multi-objective Optimisation: A Survey
Authors: Jiang Shouyong , Zou Juan , Yang Shengxiang , Yao Xin
Published: March 2022

Evolutionary dynamic multi-objective optimisation (EDMO) is a relatively young but rapidly growing area of investigation. EDMO employs evolutionary approaches to handle multi-objective optimisation problems that have time-varying changes in objective functions, constraints, and/or environmental parameters. Due to the simultaneous presence of dynamics and multi-objectivity in problems, the optimisation difficulty for EDMO has a marked increase compared to that for single-objective or stationary optimisation. After nearly two decades of community effort, EDMO has achieved significant advancements on various topics, including theoretic research and applications. This article presents a broad survey and taxonomy of existing research on EDMO. Multiple research opportunities are highlighted to further promote the development of the EDMO research field.
Physics-Based Combustion Simulation
Authors: Nielsen Michael B. , Bojsen-Hansen Morten , Stamatelos Konstantinos , Bridson Robert
Published: March 2022

We propose a physics-based combustion simulation method for computer graphics that extends the mathematical models of previous efforts to automatically capture more realistic flames as well as temperature and soot distributions. Our method includes mathematical models for the thermodynamic properties of real-world fuels which enables, for example, the prediction of adiabatic flame temperatures. We couple this with a model of heat transfer that includes convection, conduction as well as both radiative cooling and heating. This facilitates among other things ignition at a distance without heating up the intermediate air. We model the combustion as infinitely fast chemistry and couple this with the thin flame model, spatially varying laminar burning velocities based on local species and empirical measurements, physically validated soot formation and oxidation as well as water vapor production and condensation. We implement this on adaptive octree-like grids with collocated state variables, a new SBDF2-derived semi-Lagrangian time integrator for velocity, and a multigrid scheme used for multiple solver components. In combination, these models enable us to simulate deflagration phenomena ranging from small scale premixed and diffusion flames to fireballs and subsonic explosions which we demonstrate by several examples. In addition, we validate several of the results based on reference footage and measurements and discuss the relation of prevalent heuristic techniques arising in visual effects production to some of the physics-based models we propose.
The Duration of an Auditory Icon Can Affect How the Listener Interprets Its Meaning
Authors: Cabral João P. , Remijn Gerard B.
Published: March 2022

Initially introduced in the field of informatics, an auditory icon consists of a short sound that is present in everyday life, used to represent a specific event, object, function, or action. Auditory icons have been studied in various fields, and overall, compared to other types of auditory alarms, they can be very efficient in informing the listener about a situation or event. So far, auditory icons have been used with a wide range of durations, ranging from a few hundreds of milliseconds up to several seconds. Still little is known, however, about whether and how icon duration influences its interpretation. In the present study, we therefore asked listeners to rate 12 auditory icons, divided into four different sound categories (nonverbal human sounds, machine sounds, human activities, and animal vocalizations), in five different durations (200, 400, 800, 1,600, and 3,200 ms). They rated (1) how appropriately the icon sound itself represented the icon's referent and (2) how appropriately each duration of the icon sound represented the icon's referent. Overall, results demonstrate that the duration of the auditory icons in this stimulus set can directly affect how the icon represents the referent. Auditory icons in the test set characterized by
human activities
represented their referent most appropriately in a relatively shorter duration (400 or 800 ms). The majority of the auditory icons in the set consisting of
machine sounds, nonverbal human sounds
, and
animal vocalizations
, however, were considered as more appropriately representing their referent in longer durations (800 ms and 1,600 ms). Further systematic research is necessary to determine whether the duration effects shown here may generalize to other stimulus sets.
A novel VCP modulator KUS121 exerts renoprotective effects in ischemia-reperfusion injury with retaining ATP and restoring ERAD-processing capacity
Authors: Hata Yusuke , Date Ryosuke , Fujimoto Daisuke , Ikeda Hanako Ohashi , Umemoto Shuro , Kanki Tomoko , Nishiguchi Yoshihiko , Mizumoto Teruhiko , Hayata Manabu , Kakizoe Yutaka , Izumi Yuichiro , Kakizuka Akira , Mukoyama Masashi , Kuwabara Takashige
Published: March 2022

Novel findings of this study are as follows: 1) Kyoto University substance 121 (KUS121), a novel valosin-containing protein (VCP) modulator, can reduce ATP consumption of VCP; 2) KUS121 reduced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and improved cell viability in proximal tubular cells; 3) KUS121 exerted renoprotective effects against ischemia-reperfusion injury; and 4) KUS121 may prevent ischemic acute kidney injury with ATP retention and restoring ER-associated degradation capacity.
Salivary gland function, development, and regeneration
Authors: Chibly Alejandro M. , Aure Marit H. , Patel Vaishali N. , Hoffman Matthew P.
Published: March 2022

Salivary glands produce and secrete saliva, which is essential for maintaining oral health and overall health. Understanding both the unique structure and physiological function of salivary glands, as well as how they are affected by disease and injury, will direct the development of therapy to repair and regenerate them. Significant recent advances, particularly in the OMICS field, increase our understanding of how salivary glands develop at the cellular, molecular, and genetic levels: the signaling pathways involved, the dynamics of progenitor cell lineages in development, homeostasis, and regeneration, and the role of the extracellular matrix microenvironment. These provide a template for cell and gene therapies as well as bioengineering approaches to repair or regenerate salivary function.
Association of Serum Creatinine Level with Prognosis of Laparotomy for Acute Mesenteric Ischemia after Cardiovascular Surgery
Authors: Miyagawa Yusuke , Yamamoto Yuta , Kitazawa Masato , Tokumaru Shigeo , Nakamura Satoshi , Koyama Makoto , Ehara Takehito , Hondo Nao , Iijima Yasuhiro , Soejima Yuji
Published: March 2022

Introduction. Acute mesenteric ischemia is a life-threatening complication after cardiovascular surgery with a mortality rate of 52.9–81.3%. However, few studies have evaluated the predictors of clinical outcome after treatment for acute mesenteric ischemia following cardiovascular surgery. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate prognostic factors in patients who underwent laparotomy for acute mesenteric ischemia after cardiovascular surgery. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 29 patients (20 men and 9 women; median age, 71.0 years) who underwent laparotomy for acute mesenteric ischemia after cardiovascular surgery between January 2010 and August 2020. These patients were classified into the survivor group (comprising patients who were discharged or referred to another hospital, n = 16) and the nonsurvivor group (comprising those who experienced in-hospital mortality, n = 13). We compared clinical parameters between the groups to identify the predictors of outcomes. Results. More patients in the nonsurvivor group underwent emergency cardiovascular surgery (62.5% vs. 100%,

p

 = 0.017) and received hemodialysis (12.5% vs. 61.5%,

p

 = 0.008) at the onset of acute mesenteric ischemia than those in the survivor group. The prelaparotomy serum creatinine level was higher in the nonsurvivor group than in the survivor group (1.27 vs. 2.33 mg/dL,

p

 = 0.004). Logistic regression analysis revealed an association between preoperative serum creatinine level and in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 5.047,

p

 = 0.046), and Cox regression analysis demonstrated a relationship between serum creatinine level and in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio 1.610,

p

 = 0.009). The area under the curve (receiver operating characteristic analysis) for the serum creatinine level was 0.813. Furthermore, the optimal cutoff value of the serum creatinine level was 1.59 mg/dL with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.846 and 0.687, respectively, in predicting in-hospital mortality. Conclusions. The elevated serum creatinine level was associated with a poor clinical outcome after surgery for acute mesenteric ischemia following cardiovascular surgery.
Application of Different Ventilation Modes Combined with AutoFlow Technology in Thoracic Surgery
Authors: Lixian Wang , Yanfang Yang , Chengzong Cui , Ning Jiang , Yufeng Guo
Published: March 2022

To investigate the effect of AutoFlow on airway pressure and hemodynamics in mechanical ventilation constant volume-control ventilation mode, 100 patients receiving mechanical ventilation were randomly divided into observation group (SIMV-PSV-PEEP + AutoFlow) and control group (SIMV-PSV-PEEP). The results showed that the peak airway pressure and average airway pressure decreased with different flow rate settings and automatic flow conversion (

P
<
0.05

). The peak airway pressure and mean airway pressure decreased with different resistance settings (

P
<
0.05

). With different compliance settings, the peak airway pressure and average airway pressure decreased after being assisted with an automatic converter (

P
<
0.05

). Adding AutoFlow on the basis of SIMV-PSV mode can significantly reduce peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), mean airway pressure (Pmean), and airway resistance (R). There was no significant difference in hemodynamic monitoring results between the observation group and the control group. It is proved that the SIMV constant volume-controlled ventilation mode combined with AutoFlow can not only ensure tidal volume but also avoid excessive airway pressure, which has little effect on hemodynamics.
Efficacy of Endoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation for Treatment of Reflux Hypersensitivity: A Study Based on Rome IV Criteria
Authors: Jiang Yuan-Xi , Dong Zhi-Yu , Wang Jun-Wen , Chen Ying , Sun Hui-Hui , Xu Shu-Chang
Published: March 2022

Objective. Effective therapies for reflux hypersensitivity are lacking. Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation may reduce the sensitivity of the distal esophagus through direct interference with nociceptors or vagal afferent fibers and thus may be useful in reflux hypersensitivity. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness and possible mechanisms of endoscopic radiofrequency ablation in reflux hypersensitivity patients. Methods. Patients with reflux hypersensitivity who fulfilled the Rome IV criteria and who wished to receive further treatment were recruited. Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation was delivered to the gastroesophageal junction. Data were collected by questionnaire using a 6-point Likert scale. The primary outcome measure was effect on symptoms including heartburn, regurgitation, and chest pain. The secondary outcomes were degree of satisfaction, medication use, acid exposure time (AET), low esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure, and total reflux episodes. We also assessed positive cell density of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 receptor (TRPV1) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), both of which are biomarkers of afferent fibers, in biopsies obtained from esophageal mucosa 0.5 cm-1 cm above the Z line. These scales will be administered at baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. Results. A total of 22 reflux hypersensitivity patients were enrolled (14 males, median age 50.0 years). A significant improvement in symptom scores (heartburn, regurgitation, and chest pain) was noted at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months (

P
<
0.001

). Satisfaction with life increased to 72.7% (16/22), 72.7% (16/22), and 68.2% (15/22) at 3, 6, and 12 mo, respectively, compared with baseline (

P
<
0.001

). Nineteen patients reduced their medication use after treatment. Of these, 22.7% (5/22), 31.8% (7/22), and 40.9% (9/22) subjects stopped medication use at 3 mo, 6 mo, and 12 mo, respectively. No statistical differences were noted in AET, LES pressure, or total reflux episodes from preoperation to 12 mo postoperation. After treatment, the positive cell density of both TRPV1 and CGRP decreased significantly; however, only TRPV1 had a positive correlation with heartburn (

r
=
0.51

,

P
=
0.03

) and chest pain (

r
=
0.77

,

P
<
0.01

). Conclusion. Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation was an effective and safe therapeutic option in reflux hypersensitivity patients. Further studies with large sample size are required to validate the role of radiofrequency in reflux hypersensitivity.
Dynamic Data-Driven Modelling of Water Allocation for the Internet of Things
Authors: Du Zhong , Dong Zengchuan
Published: March 2022

The allocation of water resources is an important aspect of maintaining public security, but there are still many problems in water resources management. The application of IoT technology in water resources management mainly focuses on water quality detection and water flow monitoring. For the allocation of water resources, the application of the Internet of things technology is not deep and sufficient, and the advantages of the Internet of things technology in water resources management are not fully utilized. In view of the above problems in the current situation, this paper proposes solutions for smart water resources. Smart water resources combine geographic information technology and Internet of things technology to visualize a map of water resources and realize the whole process management from the source to the end user and automatic data collection and analysis. Therefore, an intelligent system with remote control function is constructed, which can be applied to the practice of water resources allocation and realize the full utilization of water resources.
Foliar Application of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Increases the Photosynthetic Efficiency and Antioxidant Activity in Brassica juncea
Authors: Faraz Ahmad , Faizan Mohammad , Hayat Shamsul , Alam Pravej
Published: March 2022

In the last few decades, use of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) has been increased significantly that eventually included as a growth stimulator. This makes it essential to examine their impact on several plants. In the study detailed here, we investigated the effects of CuO NPs on the growth, physiological efficiency, biochemical assays, and antioxidant system in the mustard plant. Varying concentrations (0, 2, 4, 8, and 16 mg/L) of CuO NPs were applied at 25 days after sowing (DAS), and sampling took place at 30 and 45 DAS. The results indicate that CuO NPs-treated plants registered an increase in the growth and biomass over their respective control. Among different concentrations of CuO NPs (0, 2, 4, 8, and 16 mg/L), 8 mg/L proved to be the optimum foliar spray treatment and increase the chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, leaf proline content, and antioxidant enzymes activity. We concluded that CuO NPs interact with meristematic cells triggering biochemical pathways conductive to an enhancement of the growth attributes. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms of CuO NPs in mustard.
Acute and Subacute Toxicity Assessment of Andrographolide-2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Complex via Oral and Inhalation Route of Administration in Sprague-Dawley Rats
Authors: Chandrama Singh Shashi , Choudhary Muskan , Mourya Atul , Khatri Dharmendra Kumar , Singh Pankaj Kumar , Madan Jitender , Singh Harshpal
Published: March 2022

Objective. Acute and subacute toxicity analysis of AND-2-HyP-β-CYD complex was conducted in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats following oral and inhalation routes of administration. Methods and Results. Single dose acute toxicity was carried out at 2000 mg/kg of AND-2-HyP-β-CYD complex, while the doses of 200, 400, and 666 mg/kg were administered, over a period of 28 days under repeated dose oral toxicity study. Hence, LD50 (lethal dose) was found to be >2000 mg/kg in addition to NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) of 666 mg/kg. Correspondingly, single dose acute inhalation toxicity of AND-2-HyP-β-CYD complex was carried out at 5 mg/L/4 h/day and subacute inhalation toxicity at 0.5, 1, and 1.66 mg/L/4 h/day over a period of 28 days. The NOAEL and LOAEL (lowest observed adverse effect level) were estimated to be 0.5 mg/L/4 h/day and 1 mg/L/4 h/day, respectively. Conclusion. The findings of the present study would further be useful in assessing and utilizing the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of AND-2-HyP-β-CYD complex.
Ab initio Investigation of the Structural and Electronic Properties of Alkaline Earth Metal - TiO2 Natural Polymorphs
Authors: Mbae Jane Kathure , Muthui Zipporah Wanjiku
Published: March 2022

Titanium (IV) oxide (TiO2) has gained much attention due to its application in technologies such as optoelectronics, electronics, sensors, photocatalysts, and sustainable energy generation. However, its optical absorption falls in the ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum, resulting in a low absorption ratio of solar light. In addition, rapid electron-hole recombination limits its photocatalytic activity. To extend the application range of TiO2, the structural and chemical properties can be modified by adding various dopants to tune its electronic structure for applications within a wider range of the solar energy spectrum and ideally extend towards the visible region, which forms the dominant part of the solar energy spectrum. In this study, the structural and electronic properties of three polymorphs of TiO2 have been studied using density functional theory (DFT) as implemented in the Quantum ESPRESSO simulation package. The exchange-correlation potential has been treated with the generalised gradient approximation (GGA). Cationic substitution with non-toxic alkaline earth metal dopants Mg and Ca has been carried out with the aim of modifying the electronic structure of the polymorphs of TiO2. On 1–4% Mg and Ca cationic substitution, there is a slight expansion of the optimal unit cell volume and modulation of the band gap energy by raising the valence band maximum to higher energies. In addition, dopant inter and intra-band states are observed.
Research on Precision Marketing of Real Estate Market Based on Data Mining
Authors: Huang Rong , Mao Shuai
Published: March 2022

As one of the basic industries in China, the real estate industry contributes much to the national GDP every year and plays an important role in stimulating the economy. After years of development, the real estate industry has accumulated a large number of sales data, includes the data of customer and construction. However, the utilization of them is still in the stage of extensive collection and use, which is not sufficient for the accumulated data. Therefore, a precise marketing management system for real estate enterprises based on data mining technology is developed in this paper. Through big data mining, the target customers can be accurately subdivided and portraited, which realizes the matching and prediction of resources. On this basis, accurate marketing and promotion of multichannel collaboration are implemented, which realizes the innovation of real estate marketing mode in the era of big data.
Effect of Levothyroxine Sodium Tablets on Pregnancy Outcome and Offspring Development Quotient of SCH during Pregnancy
Authors: Qian Xiaoling , Sun Yunying , Xu Xiaohua
Published: March 2022

Objective. To investigate the effect of levothyroxine sodium tablets (L-T4) on pregnancy outcome and offspring development quotient in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) during pregnancy. Material and Methods. Pregnant women with gestational age less than 12 weeks who underwent the first prenatal examination in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2019 were prospectively selected as subjects. According to the level of thyroid hormone in pregnant women, they were divided into the treatment group (n = 63) and received L-T4 treatment, untreated group (n = 64), and control group (n = 54). Three groups of pregnancy outcomes, children’s physical development, and the development of offspring were compared at when one full year of life. Results. After treatment, the contrast difference of the three groups about abortion and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

). The abortion rate and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the untreated group were higher than those in the control group (

P
<
0.05

). The contrast difference of the treatment group and control group about abortion and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is not statistically significant (

P
>
0.05

); The contrast difference of the three groups about a filial generation at birth and one-year-old body length is not statistically significant (

P
>
0.05

). The contrast difference between the three groups of individual children who are one-year old having the individual action energy, material ability, speech ability, and human ability is statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

). One-year-old developmental quotient (DQ) of the treatment group and control group was higher than that of the untreated group (

P
<
0.05

); the Pearson correlation analysis showed that the treatment group TSH levels have no correlation between the offspring developmental quotient (DQ) level of one-year-old children (

P
>
0.05

). Conclusion. Levothyroxine sodium tablets (L-T4) can not only improve the pregnancy outcome of patients with SCH during pregnancy but also play a positive role in improving the neurointellectual development of their offspring.
Folecitin Isolated from Hypericum oblongifolium Exerts Neuroprotection against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuronal Synapse and Memory Dysfunction via p-AKT/Nrf-2/HO-1 Signalling Pathway
Authors: Farooq Umar , Sahibzada Muhammad Umar Khayam , Khan Taous , Ullah Rahim , Shahid Muhammad , Khusro Ameer , Seidel Veronique , Abdellattif Magda H. , Emran Talha Bin
Published: March 2022

Neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are characterised with neuronal synapse and memory dysfunction, and thus, there is an urgent need to find novel therapeutic medicines that can target different pathways to restore the deficits. In this investigation, we assessed the medicinal potency of folecitin (a flavonoid isolated from Hypericum oblongifolium Wall.) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced amyloidogenic amyloid beta (Aβ) production pathway-mediated memory impairment in mice. The LPS was administered intraperitonially (i.p.) 250 μg/kg/day for 3 consecutive weeks, followed by the coadministration of folecitin (30 mg/kg/day) with LPS for the last two weeks (2nd and 3rd week). The expression of various proteins involved in synapse, neuronal death, and Aβ generation was evaluated using the Western blot approach. Results indicated that folecitin significantly decreased LPS-induced apoptotic proteins; expressed BAX, PARP-1, and caspase-3 proteins; and inhibited BACE1 that cleaves transmembrane amyloid precursor protein and the amyloidogenic Aβ production pathway. Folecitin restored both preneural and postneuronal synapse, accompanied by the improvement in memory impairment. Moreover, folecitin significantly activated endogenous antioxidant proteins Nrf-2 and HO-1 by stimulating the phosphorylation of Akt proteins. These findings indicate that folecitin might be a promising target for developing novel medication to treat neurodegenerative disorders caused by neurotoxins.
SC-Dynamic R-CNN: A Self-Calibrated Dynamic R-CNN Model for Lung Cancer Lesion Detection
Authors: Wang Xun , Wang Lisheng , Zheng Pan
Published: March 2022

Lung cancer has complex biological characteristics and a high degree of malignancy. It has always been the number one “killer” in cancer, threatening human life and health. The diagnosis and early treatment of lung cancer still require improvement and further development. With high morbidity and mortality, there is an urgent need for an accurate diagnosis method. However, the existing computer-aided detection system has a complicated process and low detection accuracy. To solve this problem, this paper proposed a two-stage detection method based on the dynamic region-based convolutional neural network (Dynamic R-CNN). We divide lung cancer into squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma. By adding the self-calibrated convolution module into the feature network, we extracted more abundant lung cancer features and proposed a new regression loss function to further improve the detection performance of lung cancer. After experimental verification, the mAP (mean average precision) of the model can reach 88.1% on the lung cancer dataset and it performed particularly well with a high IoU (intersection over union) threshold. This method has a good performance in the detection of lung cancer and can improve the efficiency of doctors’ diagnoses. It can avoid false detection and miss detection to a certain extent.
Implementing a Skin Cancer Prevention Lesson to Enact Institutional Change: A Schoolwide Survey
Authors: Sharma Shay N. , Sharma Shonit N. , Sharma Ajay N. , Sharma Aneelam N. , Sharma Jasdeep K.
Published: March 2022

Background: Schools can play a major role in protecting students from skin cancer by instituting preventive policies and educational programs. Methods: A high school-wide study was conducted to assess students’ current understanding of skin cancer prevention, provide an up-to-date instruction lesson, and evaluate changes in students’ knowledge and behaviors. Results: Written surveys were distributed to 2,688 high school students with a return rate of 38.1% (n = 1,025). Surveys were administered prior to (survey 1), immediately after (survey 2), and 1 month after (survey 3) presenting a video lesson. Significant changes in knowledge gain (an increase from survey 1 to survey 2), knowledge decay (a decrease from survey 2 to survey 3), and knowledge persistence (an increase from survey 1 to survey 3) throughout all grade levels were found. Behavioral changes included an increase in students wearing sunscreen 5–7 days per week (p < 0.001) and students examining themselves for changing moles (p = 0.10). With this survey, the Health Education Framework for California Public Schools was revised to include updated recommendations regarding skin cancer prevention efforts in schools. Conclusions: A skin cancer video lesson given to high school students effectively increased students’ knowledge and promoted healthy behaviors.
Extracorporeal Removal of Myoglobin in Patients with Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Kidney Injury: Comparison of High and Medium Cut-Off Membrane and an Adsorber Cartridge
Authors: Jerman Alexander , Andonova Milena , Persic Vanja , Gubensek Jakob
Published: March 2022

Introduction: The role of extracorporeal myoglobin removal in the treatment of rhabdomyolysis-associated severe acute kidney injury (AKI) is not yet fully established. High cut-off (HCO) and medium cut-off (MCO) dialysis membrane and cytokine adsorber (CytoSorb®) have been used to this purpose in clinical practice. The data on comparative effectiveness of those methods are scarce. Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, we included patients with AKI and concomitant rhabdomyolysis (myoglobin >20,000 μg/L), who underwent at least one extracorporeal myoglobin removal procedure. The main outcome parameter was myoglobin reduction ratio, whereas albumin was assessed as a safety parameter. Results: We analyzed data for 15 patients, who underwent 28 procedures (13 HCO, 9 MCO, and 6 adsorber). Pre-treatment serum myoglobin levels were similar between the groups and myoglobin reduction was significant in HCO (p = 0.03) and MCO groups (p < 0.01) and borderline significant in adsorber group (p = 0.06). Reduction ratios were comparable between the groups (median 0.64 (inter-quartile range IQR 0.13–0.72), 0.54 (IQR 0.51–0.61) and 0.50 (IQR 0.37–0.62), respectively, p = 0.83). Both pre- and post-procedure serum albumin levels were significantly lower in the MCO group. However, with routine albumin substitution in the HCO group only, serum albumin remained stable during the procedures in all subgroups. Conclusions: Novel MCO membrane might represent the optimal mode of treatment of severe rhabdomyolysis-associated AKI, as it allows for efficient removal of myoglobin, avoids albumin supplementation and is associated with lower costs. For patients requiring cytokine removal, the adsorption capsule can simultaneously reduce cytokine and myoglobin levels.
Pancreaticopleural Fistula: A Rare Presentation of Bilateral Pleural Effusions and Trapped Lung
Authors: Ali Myra , MacDonald Madeline , Bui Aileen , Zhang Kevin , Kim Jin Sun , Cruz Amanda , González José Luis , Tsai Arnold
Published: March 2022

A pancreaticopleural fistula (PPF) is a rare complication of chronic pancreatitis secondary to a pancreatic pseudocyst or any disruption of the main pancreatic duct. It commonly presents as a recurrent left-sided pleural effusion after multiple thoracentesis. We present a rare case of a 41-year-old woman with numerous flares of chronic pancreatitis presenting with large bilateral serosanguinous pleural effusions and trapped lung secondary to a PPF. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of a PPF leading to bilateral pleural effusions resulting in a trapped lung.
Expression and Bioinformatics Analysis of Key miRNAs in Stored Red Blood Cells
Authors: Jian Fang , Peng Yang , Bian Maohong
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Erythrocyte transfusion is the most common therapeutic procedure in hospitalized patients. Adding standard preservatives to red blood cells allows them to be stored for up to 42 days. However, whether storage has an effect on the erythrocyte transcriptome has not been well-studied. Objective: This study was designed to explore the change of key risk microRNA (miRNAs) in stored erythrocytes. Methods: We reanalyzed differentially expressed genes in the gene expression dataset GSE114990 and predicted their target genes, followed by experimental Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Furthermore, the PPI network of target genes was constructed by the STRING database, and the module analysis was carried out. Results: We found two differential miRNAs, which were hsa-miR-1245a and hsa-miR-381. Enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG pathways confirmed that these target genes were significantly enriched in organ and system development, anchoring junction, transcription factor binding, and pathways of cancer. Conclusion: The results suggest that the miRNAs hsa-miR-381 and hsa-miR-1245a may serve as biomarkers for storage products of erythrocytes.