bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Rank-Based Selection of Geological Realizations for Optimum Field Development Planning
Authors: Arouri Yazan , Sayyafzadeh Mohammad , Begg Steve
Published: March 2022

Uncertainties are present in many decision-making processes. In field development planning, these uncertainties, typically represented by a set of geological realizations, need to be propagated in response to any proposed alternative (solution). Incorporation of the full set of realizations results in the oil and gas field development optimization problem—where either an algorithm iteratively tries to find the best solution from all the possible alternatives or the best solution must be selected from a set of predefined engineering judgment-driven development scenarios (i.e., set of either well control or well placement settings)—becoming computationally demanding. As such, realization subset selection techniques are required to reduce the computational overhead. We first introduce a reformulation of the subset selection problem to one that aims at ensuring consistent ranking of alternatives between those obtained by the full set and the selected subset. We argue that this should be the ultimate goal of any subset selection technique in such problems. In addition, we also propose a technique which selects a subset that minimizes the difference between the rankings obtained by the full set and subset, for a small batch of alternatives. The key idea, which we investigate thoroughly, is that there is a positive association between the goodness (in terms of ranking alternatives) of the subset selected using a small batch of alternatives and its fidelity in ranking other alternatives. Unlike previous methods, this technique does not depend on selecting subjective (static) properties to perform the subset selection nor does it rely only on flow-response vectors of a base-case scenario. In this work, the proposed technique is assessed using well placement and well control development alternatives to determine the applicability within field development planning. Additionally, the proposed subset selection technique is implemented in an adaptive scheme to solve a well placement optimization problem. The results are promising as the proposed technique consistently selects subsets that are able to rank development alternatives in a similar manner to the full set regardless of the type of development strategy (well control settings or well placement). Furthermore, the implementation of the proposed technique in an adaptive scheme is able to reduce the computational costs, on average, by a factor close to 9 without compromising the solution found for well placement optimization.
Effects of Exercise on Inflammatory Factors and IGF System in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Zhou Yanan , Jia Ningxin , Ding Meng
Published: March 2022

Background: To analyze the effects of exercise on IGF system and inflammatory factors in breast cancer survivors, and to provide evidence for the relationship between exercise and the hypothetical mechanism of preventing the development of breast cancer and improving its prognosis.Methods: Pubmed, Embase, Web of science, CNKI , Wanfang and VIP (China Science and Technology Journal) were systematically searched until April 2021. Search terms included “exercise”, "inflammatory factors", "IGF system" and "breast cancer". A total of 1066 related articles were searched. All the statistical results were analyzed by STATA 14.0 and Rstudio 4.1.1.Results: We found that exercise significantly reduced the level of IGF-1 (WMD, -19.947ng/ml; 95%CI, -22.669 to -17.225; P=0.000). Subgroup analysis showed that in the studies with intervention period> 12 weeks, exercise could significantly reduce the level of IL-6 (WMD,-0.761 pg/ml; 95%CI,-1.369 to -0.153 ; p= 0.014), while in the studies with intervention period ≤ 12 weeks, exercise could significantly reduce the level of CRP (WMD,- 2.381 mg/ L; 95% CI,-4.835 to 0.073, P=0.001) and IL-10 (WMD,-7.141 pg/ml, 95% CI,-10.853 to -3.428; P=0.000) .In addition, aerobic exercise plus resistance training can significantly reduce the IL-6 level (WMD,-1.474 pg/ml; 95% CI,-1.653 to - 1.296; P=0.000). The results of sensitivity analysis showed that after excluding the high heterogeneity study, exercise can significantly reduce the level of TNF- α in patients with breast cancer (WMD, -1.399 pg/ml; 95%CI, -1.718 to -1.080; P=0.000).Conclusion: Exercise can reduce the levels of IGF-1, IL-6, CRP, IL-10 and TNF- α in woman with breast cancer. This may be due to the period or type of exercise.Registration number :INPLASY2021100101
Characterization of cavitation evolution in centrifugal pumps through motor current signal analysis
Authors: Sun Hui , Si Qiaorui , Yuan Shouqi
Published: March 2022

Cavitation detection is quite significant for safety and stability of centrifugal pump operation. In this research work, motor current signal analysis (MCSA) technique is improved to extract indicators for quantitative characterization of cavitation status. The method of Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (CEEMDAN) is preliminarily used for denoising and isolating Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) containing cavitation characteristics from current signals. IMFs revealing pump operation are selected based on the concurrent frequency bands in spectrograms. IMFs are analyzed by Hilbert Transform to select the components that could reveal energy variation, so that the irrelevant components are removed. According to the feature analysis of cavitation, the peak value in marginal spectrum of IMF 6 is extracted to indicate incipient cavitation. And the peak value in marginal spectrum of IMF 7-8 is extracted as the indicator for characterization of cavitation evolution. Results of this research could provide technical assistance for pump cavitation detection.
Hydroxyzine dihydrochloride premedication is a necessity for pediatric patients undergoing strabismus surgery: An observational prospective clinical trial
Authors: Kartufan Fatma Ferda , Kizilcik Nurcan , Ziylan Sule , Menda Ferdi
Published: March 2022

Objective: In this single-blind, observational prospective trial we aimed to determine and compare the effect of premedication with hydroxyzine plus midazolam and midazolam alone on the incidence of Oculocardiac Reflex (OCR).Methods: Forty-five patients divided into three groups retrospectively after surgery; according to the oral premedication before surgerys. Group M received 0.5mg/kg midazolam alone, Group H received 0.5 mg/kg hydroxyzine plus 0.5 mg/kg midazolam, and Group HM received 1mg/kg hydroxyzine plus 0.5 mg/kg midazolam. The observational part of the study was carried out prospectively during surgery. The Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS), the heart rates (HR1: after induction of anesthesia; HR2: before retraction of orbital muscle; and HR3: right after retraction of orbital muscle), the muscles with OCR and the incidence of OCR (20% decrease of the HR right after the traction) were recorded and compared between the three groups. Results: The mean HR1, HR2 and HR3 values were significantly increased (p=0.002, p<0.001, p<,0.001) and the incidence of OCR (p=0.004) was significantly decreased in the Group H, and in the Group HM (for all, p<0.01) compared to the Group M. No statistically significant difference was found between the Group H and Group HM in terms of RSS, HR1, HR2, HR3 and the incidence of OCR (for all, p>0.05). The most common orbital muscle in which OCR occurred was the rectus medialis. Conclusion: Premedication with a combination of 0.5 or 1 mg hydroxyzine with 0.5 mg midazolam significantly reduced the incidence of OCR compared to the premedication with midazolam alone.
Copula Function method of the kinematic accuracy of cylindrical roller bearing
Authors: lihong li , XUE Yujun , LI Jishun , Wang Weihang
Published: March 2022

The kinematic accuracy of cylindrical rollers bearing isn’t only influenced by the size and form precision of its parts, but also more influenced by the cooperation among them. For cylindrical rollers bearing, the main indices of the kinematic accuracy are the ending beat and the radial run out of bearings. There must be dependent relationship between the cooperative action among the parts of bearings and the ending beat or the radial run out of bearings. This relationship is hardly expressed by mathematical formula. However, because the parts dimension deviation and the run out of bearings follow statistic law and have their distribution characteristics, while the copula joint distribution function can connect the run out of bearings with multiple parts dimension accuracy. The copula function is introduced to analyze the dependent relationship between bearing parts cooperative action and its kinematic accuracy. Based on the copula function of statistic theory, the kinematic accuracy of bearings can be forecast by parts geometric accuracy.
Assessing Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among An Urban Pediatric Asthma Population: A Geospatial Analysis
Authors: Parker Sarah , DeLaroche Amy , Hill Alex , Arora Rajan , Gleason-Comstock Julie
Published: March 2022

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children. Children with asthma are at high risk for complications from influenza; yet, annual influenza vaccination rates are suboptimal. The overall aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of a high-risk group of children with asthma according to influenza vaccination status. Methods: The study was a retrospective chart review of 4355 patients aged 2 to 18 years evaluated in the pediatric emergency department (PED) between November 1, 2017 and April 30, 2018 with an ICD-10-CM code for asthma (J45.x). Eligible patient PED records were matched with influenza vaccination records for the 2017-2018 influenza season from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry. Geospatial analysis was employed to examine the distribution of influenza vaccination status. Results: 1049 patients (30.9%) with asthma seen in the PED had received an influenza vaccine. Influenza vaccination coverage varied by Census Tract, ranging from 10% to >99%. Most vaccines were administered in a primary care setting (84.3%) and were covered by public insurance (76.8%). The influenza vaccination rate was lowest for children aged 5-11 (30.0%) years and vaccination status was associated with race (p<0.001) and insurance type (p<0.001). Conclusions: Identification of neighborhood Census Tract and demographic groups with suboptimal influenza vaccination could guide development of targeted public health interventions to improve vaccination rates in high-risk patients. Given the morbidity and mortality associated with pediatric asthma, a data-driven approach may improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare-associated costs.
How Does Spiritual Leaders Inspire Employees' Innovative Behavior? The Role of Psychological Capital and Intrinsic Motivation
Authors: Li Bin , Lei Yongxin , Hu Mingqi , Li Wenjing
Published: March 2022

Spiritual leadership is an emerging type of leadership that focuses on using intrinsic motivation to help subordinates achieve spiritual enrichment and thus motivate employees to work. This study adopts the method of questionnaire to investigate 886 employeess of Chinese companies in three stages, and tests the mediating effect by using the bootstrap method. Our results showed that: (1) Spiritual leadership had a positive correlation on employeess' innovative behavior; (2) both psychological capital and intrinsic motivation mediated the relationship between spiritual leadership and innovative behavior; (3) we found a sequential mediating effect between spiritual leadership and followers’ innovative behavior. The findings deepened our understanding of the psychological mechanisms by which the spiritual leadership inspires innovative behavior, and provide a practical reference for managers to stimulate individual innovative behavior.
Evaluation of optical coherence tomography findings and visual evoked potentials in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Authors: Kaplan Aysin Tuba , Yalcin Sibel Oskan , Sager Safiye Gunes , Türkyılmaz Ayberk , İnan Rahşan
Published: March 2022

Purpose: To evaluate the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings and pattern visual evoked potential (VEP) in Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.Methods: Seventeen patients with CMT disease and 17 control subjects were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to conduction velocity and inheritance pattern as demyelinating type (CMT 1) and axonal type (CMT 2). The average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, RNFL thicknesses of all quadrants, and thicknesses of the ganglion cell layer complex (GCC) were measured using SD-OCT. Pattern VEP recordings were evaluated in both groups.Results: The average and four quadrants of RNFL thicknesses, and superior and inferior GCC thicknesses were significantly thinner in the CMT patients compared with healthy individuals, but there were no statistically significant differences between the CMT groups. There was a significant positive correlation between age and all RNFL and GCC thicknesses in the CMT 2 group and between age and RNFL thickness of the temporal quadrant in the CMT 1 group. P100 latencies were significantly delayed in the CMT groups compared with controls and there were no significant differences in P100 latencies between the CMT groups (p<0.001). VEP amplitudes were in normal ranges in the CMT groups.Conclusion: This study showed that RNFL and GCC thicknesses were significantly reduced and VEP latencies were prolonged in patients with CMT with normal clinical examinations. Our results suggest that optic nerves may be affected more frequently in patients with CMT than is detected in clinical examinations.
Repairing of Missing Data in Scheduling Based on Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Chen Jing , Song Ying , yi guodong , Zhang Shuyou , Bu Wanghui
Published: March 2022

In the manufacturing process of modern smart factories, when product family design and variant design are carried out on the basis of existing products, local design changes will generate new technological processes. Process changes lead to partial lack of scheduling data, which in turn affects the efficiency of workshop scheduling in the manufacturing process. most of the research results related to scheduling problems are focused on the optimization of various scheduling objectives, without considering the problem of missing scheduling data. Therefore, this paper proposes a data processing method that combines missing data removal and data expansion based on processing order for optimal training of GAN to solve the problem of insufficient training data when the scheduling data set is small. In this paper, We use GAN to generate local data, and combine the missing vector of the data and the hint vector to strengthen the training process, complete the repair of the missing data, and then further study the effectiveness of the repair. Experimental results show that this method of using historical process data to repair scheduling data can effectively repair the problem of partial missing data in the same product family and improve the efficiency of workshop production scheduling.
Doppler Ultrasonography of Ocular Blood Flow in Non–glaucoma versus Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Subjects at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu
Authors: Onwubiko Stella Ngozi , Nwachukwu Nkiru Zuada , Nkwegu Ogbonna Markson , Arinze Ifeoma , Onwasigwe Ernest Nnaemeka , Umeh Rich Enujioke
Published: March 2022

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the ocular blood flow in non-glaucoma versus primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) subjects attending the ophthalmic clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu using Doppler ultrasonography. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was adopted. Fifty-Eight POAG and 58 non-glaucoma subjects were recruited. Information on their socio-demographic and clinical profiles was obtained via an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Ocular Doppler Imaging was performed on all the Subjects. Peak systolic volume, End diastolic volume, mean flow velocity and Resistive Index (RI) of the central retinal artery and ophthalmic artery were recorded. Data were analysed using the SPSS version 21. Person correlation was used to determine the relationship between the Doppler indices and demographic and clinical variables. The level of significance was at p <0.05.Results: The subjects were mainly males, 71(61.7%), with an age range of 40 to 79 years. The POAG Subjects lived with glaucoma for 5.57±4.2 years, and mainly on medical treatment 52(89.7%) with beta-blockers and prostaglandin analogues. The RI was significantly higher (p=0.01) in POAG subjects. A significant positive relationship (P = 0.014) was observed between RI and intraocular pressure (IOP) of the POAG subjects.Conclusion: In POAG subjects, RI was significantly higher; as the IOP increased there was an increase in RI translating to a sub-optimal ocular blood flow. Interventions aimed at modifying the RI would therefore be synergistic with IOP lowering measures. Additionally, RI assessment may offer a new target for glaucoma case finding.
Radar-Based Timed Up And Go Test For Multiperson Providing A Risk Of Falling Assessment
Authors: Ayena Johannes C. , Chioukh Lydia , Deslandes Dominic
Published: March 2022

Objective: Over the past decade, the research community has made major advances in technologies for detecting risk of falling in elderly, which led to assistive systems that can help to improve physical strength and limit isolation. However, it is still expensive to extend these systems to a multi-user performing a clinical test, such as the Timed Up and Go (TUG). In this paper, we therefore propose a new avenue, a radar-based system that transcends these limitations. Results: The proposed methodology is evaluated using data from real-world scenarios. It is found that distinguishing two participants performing a TUG test at the same time is more accurate when they are walking in opposite direction compared to perfectly synchronized walking in the same direction. However, although it was more challenging to distinguish two participants in this latter scenario, our results show that when they are offset by a certain distance, the proposed algorithm can track them separately. Our goal was therefore to relieve congestion in medical settings by investigating the feasibility of administering a clinical test with more than one participant at the same time thanks to an UWB radar sensor.
Algerian Registry for Inborn Errors of Immunity in Children: Report of 887 children (1985 - 2021)
Authors: Yagoubi Abdelghani , Tahiat Azzeddine , Touri Nabila Souad , Ladj Mohamed Samir , Drali Ouardia , Belaid Brahim , Mohand-Oussaid Ayda , Dehimi Abdelhak , Belbouab Reda , Ferhani Yacine , Melzi Souhila , Guedouar Assia , Hakem Saliha , Khemici Ouardia , Inouri Yacine , Meddour Yanis , Dib Saadeddine , Mansouri Zohra , Iddir Samir , Boufersaoui Abderrahmane , Boudiaf Houda , Bouhdjila Abderrachid , Ibsaine Ouardia , Maouche Hachemi , Dahlouk Djazia , Mekki Azzedine , Bioud Belkacem , Bouzerar Zahir , Zeroual Zoulikha , Benhassine Fadila , Bekkat-Berkani Dahila , Naamoune Soumeya , Salah Samir Sofiane , Chaib Samia , Attal Nabila , Bensaadi Nadia , Bouchair Nadira , Cherif Nacira , Kedji Leila , Bendeddouche Salih , Atif Mohamed Lamine , Djenouhat Kamel , Kechout Nadia , Djidjik Reda , Benhalla Keltoum Nafissa , Smati Leila , Boukari Rachida
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) represent a heterogeneous large group of genetic disorders characterized by susceptibility of affected individuals to recurrent infections, autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, allergies and malignancy. We aim to report for the first time the Algerian registry for IEI in children.Methods: We describe the characteristics of IEI in Algerian children from the data collected in the Algerian registry for IEI over a long period of 37 years.Results: Between 1985 and 2021, we included 887 children (530 male, 59.6%) with a mean age at diagnosis of 3.23y and a mean diagnosis delay of 2y. The prevalence rate was estimated at 1.97/100,000 inhabitants or 5.91/100,000 children. The parental consanguinity was found in 52.6%. The most prevalent category was combined immunodeficiencies (CID) (35.5%) followed by predominantly antibody deficiencies (24.4%) and CID with syndromic features (17.9%). The most predominant diseases were severe CID (120 cases), MHC II deficiency (99 cases), agammaglobulinemia (81 cases), common variable immunodeficiency (74 cases), hyper IgE syndromes (60 patients), ataxia telangiectasia (46 patients), Wiskott Aldrich syndrome (40 patients) and chronic granulomatous disease (39 cases). The clinical presentation was dominated by lower respiratory tract infections (69%), failure to thrive (38.3%) and chronic diarrhea (35.2%). Genetic analysis was performed in 156 patients (17.6%). The global mortality rate was 28.4% mainly caused by CID.Conclusion: This is the first report of the Algerian registry for IEI in children. Data is globally similar to that of Middle East and North African (MENA) registries with high consanguinity, predominance of CID, and significant mortality. This registry highlights the weak points that should be improved in order to provide better patient care.
When Host Populations Move North, but Disease Moves South: Counter-intuitive Impacts of Climate Warming on Disease Spread
Authors: Moran E. Joe , Martignoni Maria , Lecomte Nicolas , Leighton Patrick , Hurford Amy
Published: March 2022

Empirical observations and mathematical models show that climate warming can lead to the northern (or, more generally, poleward) spread of host species ranges and their corresponding diseases. Here, we explore an unexpected possibility whereby climate warming induces disease spread in the opposite direction to the directional shift in the host species range. To test our hypothesis, we formulate a reaction-diffusion equation model with a Susceptible-Infected (SI) epidemiological structure for two host species, both susceptible to a disease, but spatially isolated due to distinct thermal niches, and where prior to climate warming the disease is endemic in the northern species only. Previous theoretical results show that species’ distributions can lag behind species’ thermal niches when climate warming occurs. As such, we find that climate warming, by shifting both species' niches forward, may increase the overlap between northern and southern host species ranges, due to the northern species lagging behind its thermal tolerance limit, thus facilitating a southern disease spread. As our model is general, our findings may apply to viral, bacterial, and prion diseases that do not have thermal tolerance limits and are inextricably linked to their hosts’ distributions, such as the spread of rabies from arctic to red foxes.
Persistence of conjunctival colonization by coagulase-negative staphylococci in patients undergoing cataract surgery
Authors: Samudio Margarita , Abente Sonia , Fariña Norma , López Yolanda , Carolina Carolina , Laspina Florentina , Guillén Rosa , Salinas Claudia de los Ángeles , Castillo Verónica , Nentwich Martin
Published: March 2022

PurposeTo establish the conjunctival contamination source by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) during cataract surgery and discuss the implications of this colonization as a potential risk of acquiring endophthalmitis.Methods Conjunctiva samples for culture from 59 patients undergoing cataract surgery were taken of the fellow eye at baseline (T1) and from the eye to be operated before (T0) and immediately after (T2) irrigation with povine-iodine IOP5%, and at the end of surgery (T3). Genes responsible for virulence (mecA, ica and atlE) and antibiotic profile were determined; strain clonality of persistent colonizing S. epidermidis strains was established by the Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST).Results The frequency of CNS was significantly reduced in T2 (13.6%) from 81.4% in T0 and 86.4% in T1. The frequency of mecA, ica and atlE genes was 35.9%, 41.7% and 67.2%, respectively; and methicillin phenotypic resistance was 35.4%. S. epidermidis was the most frequent species isolated in every time point. MLST revealed in 7 patients 100% coincidence of the 7 alleles of the S. epidermidis isolated previous to povine-iodine 5% disinfection and at the end of the surgery. CNS isolates from T2 or T3 corresponded to the same species, antibiotic and virulence profile as those isolates from T1 or T0.Conclusion Pre-surgical prophylactic scheme significantly reduced conjunctival contamination; in those that persisted, the source of contamination was mostly the patient's microbiota confirmed by the MLST system.
One-step synthesis and characterization of hydrophilic polymer microspheresimmobilized with polyphenylsulfone ultrafiltration membranes for protein rejection application
Authors: Rajashekhara Panchami Heggabailu , Isloor Arun M. , Ismail Ahmad Fauzi
Published: March 2022

An effective single-step polymerization was followed for the synthesis of hydrophilicP(MBAm-co-MAA) microspheres. The distillation-precipitation polymerization (DPP) technique utilized N,N՛- methylenebis(acrylamide) (MBAm) as a crosslinker, methacrylic acid (MAA) as a monomer, solvent acetonitrile (ACN) and an initiator 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) for synthesizing the P(MBAm-co-MAA) polymer particle.Simultaneously, in the reaction system, the polymer particles were formed as a precipitateand acetonitrile from the reaction was distilled out. The reaction takes placewithoutaddition of any surfactant or stabilizers. The morphology of the resultant microspheres, which were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), attenuated total reflectance fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis.These microspheres were used as an additive for improving the performance of the fabricated membrane. The modified membranes showed increased hydrophilicity, porosity and water uptake.Membranes also exhibitedimproved permeability (63.7 Lh-1m-2bar-1), flux recovery ratio (80.7%)andthe highest protein rejection values of 94.8% (bovine serum albumin), 68.4% (pepsin), 86.9% (egg albumin) were observed. Therefore, the as-prepared membrane can potentially beusedfor protein removal from industrial wastewater.
The surface density profile of a lens galaxy is 97.6 per cent elliptical power-law
Authors: Powell Devon , Vegetti Simona , McKean John , Spingola Cristiana , Stacey Hannah , Fassnacht Chris
Published: March 2022

The projected density profiles of gravitational lens galaxies are often assumed to be consistent with a simple elliptical power-law. Previous studies at low angular resolution have found this description to be satisfactory, but the limitations of this smooth model assumption have not yet been observationally tested. Here we report the analysis of a gravitational lens system observed at milli-arcsecond angular resolution with very long baseline interferometry at 1.7 GHz using a state-of-the-art Bayesian lens modelling technique for interferometric data. An elliptical power-law mass distribution is found to be a remarkably good description of the data, but there remain source-plane light components that are misaligned by several milli-arcseconds. The addition of angular multipole perturbations gives a significantly better fit (Bayes factor of +4751), while the best-focused source model is recovered using pixellated corrections to the lens potential. The projected density in our best model deviates from an elliptical power-law by 2.4 per cent (RMS) inside a region within 17 mas of the lensed images. The assumption of a perfect elliptical power-law would bias the measurement of H_0 by +0.6 per cent, and the observed flux ratios by up to 10.3 per cent, for this lens. Our results demonstrate that low-level density perturbations exist in this massive elliptical galaxy. Their presence can significantly affect studies of galaxy formation via flux-ratio anomalies, but do not strongly affect time-delay measurements of the Hubble constant.
Acute Placental Insufficiency Two Weeks After an Asymptomatic COVID-19 Maternal Infection: The Deleterious Effects of The SARS-Cov-2 Placentitis Associated with B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant. Report of Two Cases.
Authors: Chiaie Loredana Delle , Stolpner Ilona , Baltz-Ghahremanpour Katrin
Published: March 2022

We present two cases of acute severe placental insufficiency in the late second trimester and in the third trimester of pregnancy, emerging within 14 days following a mild COVID-19 (Delta variant) disease in two not vaccinated healthy women with hitherto unremarkable pregnancies. The pathognomonic histopathological findings and the RT-PCR positivity of the placenta suggest the SARS-CoV-2 placentitis as the possible cause of the severe fetal distress. At present, propagation of vaccination and a strict feto-maternal surveillance in the first weeks after maternal infection seem to be the only way to protect the gestation from the risks of acute placental insufficiency associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Biotic interactions prior to seed dispersal determine recruitment probability of peyote (Lophophora diffusa, Cactaceae), a threatened species pollinator-dependent
Authors: Briseño-Sánchez María Isabel , Martorell Carlos , Valverde Pedro Luis , Mandujano Maria Carmen
Published: March 2022

Seedlings recruitment is key to maintaining populations and depends on diverse biotic interactions before and after seed dispersal. Cacti recruitment is infrequent and occurs at sporadic pulses associated with rainy years. Furthermore, biotic interactions can limit seeds availability due to scarce or inefficient pollinators, dispersers or to antagonistic interactions with florivores and seed predators, as cactus depend on animals for pollination and dispersal. We identified interactions and traits involved in the regeneration process of Lophophora diffusa, during seven-years (2015–2021). We assessed floral rewards, pollination rates, intensity of florivory and seed removal, to estimate the probability of recruitment in a population located in Queretaro, Mexico. We found that pre-dispersal events reduced recruitment as flower–fruit transition has a low probability. High florivory and low pollinator visitation rate due to low nectar availability decreased seed formation in all years. Seed predation was not limiting recruitment, since most seeds escaped predation. Even so, a low proportion of seeds established as seedlings, possibly due to water limitation or seed dormancy. The interactions with pollinators and florivores decreased ovule-seed transition, once the seeds are formed, there is a high probability of evade predation. Hence, pre-dispersal interactions during flowering determine the availability of seeds, and reduce recruitment in peyote, rather than post-dispersal interactions.
Effects of Quadratus Lumborum Block on Perioperative Multimodal Analgesia and Postoperative Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Hu Zhen , Zhou Yingjie , Zhao Guohao , Zhang Xinxin , Liu Chunchun , Xing Huan , Liu Ji , Wang Fen
Published: March 2022

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block (QLB) on perioperative multimodal analgesia and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.Methods: A total of 80 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were randomly divided into two groups: general anaesthesia with QLB (QLB group; n = 40) and general anaesthesia with sham QLB (normal saline [NS] group; n = 40). QLB or sham QLB was performed before the induction of anaesthesia. Sufentanil was intravenously administered for postoperative analgesia. The primary outcome was the pain score (measured using a numerical rating scale [NRS]) at different time points within 48h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included the cumulative dose of sufentanil within 48 h postoperatively, subjective comfort, grip strength, first time of exhaustion, first fluid intake time, time to get out of bed, length of postoperative hospital stay and overall satisfaction. The SPSS software, version 17.0, was used for all statistical analyses.Results: Postoperative NRS at rest was significantly lower at 2 h (1.7 ± 1.1 versus 3.0 ± 2.1), 4 h (1.8 ± 1.2 versus 4.1 ± 2.3), 6 h (1.9 ± 2 versus 4.4 ± 2) and 12 h (3.5 ± 2.3 versus 5 ± 3.3) and was also lower when coughing at 2 h (2.3 ± 1.1 versus 4 ± 2.1), 4 h (2.3 ± 1. 1 versus 4.3 ± 2) and 6 h (2.4 ± 1.1 versus 5.9 ± 2.3) in the QLB than that in the NS group. The cumulative dose of sufentanil was significantly lower in the QLB than that in the NS group at 4 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h. The nausea score was significantly lower in the QLB group at 24 h postoperatively, and the first time of exhaustion and time to get out of bed were significantly shorter (P < 0.05). The overall satisfaction score was significantly higher in the QLB than in the NS group (4 ± 0.7 versus 2.6 ± 0.9).Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided bilateral QLB can provide effective postoperative analgesia for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, reduce the need for sufentanil, facilitate comfort and improve postoperative outcomes. QLB can be a good component of multimodal analgesia.Trial registration: The clinical trial is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR). Current Controlled Trials：ChiCTR1900022009. the date of registration：2019/03/20. http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=30934&htm=4
Stochastic and deterministic analysis of a COVID-19 pandemic model under vaccination strategy : Real cases application
Authors: Ez-Zetouni Adil , Khyar Omar , Allali Karam , Akdim Khadija , Zahid Mehdi
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we present a novel SICVS COVID-19 pandemic model incorporating a vaccination strategy and crowding effect. First, we investigate the steady states and proved the local stability of the corresponding deterministic problem. Then we study the proposed stochastic epidemic model; we have considered a random incidence highlighting all the improbable fluctuations that appear in the infection process. Hence, the COVID 19 transmission parameter in the considered model will be stochastically perturbed by the white noise. We show the disease extinction of the pandemic according to the stochastic noise intensity. It was established, in the stochastic study, the existence of a possible extinction of the pandemic even if the base reproduction number is greater than unity. Furthermore we discuss the persistence in mean of the studied infection in terms of the stochastic model parameters. Our numerical simulations confirm the theoretical findings. The proposed model was validated and supported by a comparison, during the second wave of the pandemic in Morocco, between the trajectories of the clinical data of Covid-19 and those which represent our SICVS model. In addition, the impact of vaccination and social distancing strategies on reducing the infection severity were observed.
Longitudinal Trends in Produce Purchasing Behavior: A Descriptive Study of Transaction Level Data from Loyalty Card Households
Authors: Fernandez Isabel Diana , Johnson Brent A. , Wixom Nellie , Kautz Amber , Janciuras Joanne , Prevost Steve , Luo Jiebo , Ramchandran Rajeev S
Published: March 2022

Background Household food purchases (HFP) are in the pathway between the community food environment and the foods available in households for consumption. As such, HFP data have emerged as alternatives to monitor population dietary trends over-time. In this paper, we investigate the use of loyalty card datasets as unexplored sources of continuously collected HFP data to describe temporal trends in household produce purchases. Methods We partnered with a grocery store chain to obtain a loyalty card database with all grocery transactions by household from January 2016 to October 2018. We included households in an urban county with complete observations for head of household agegroup, household income group, and family size. Data were summarized as weighted averages (95% CI) of percent produce purchased out of all foods purchased by household per month. We modeled seasonal and linear trends in the proportion of produce purchases by agegroup and income while accounting for repeated observations per household using generalized estimating equations. Results There are 290,098 households in the database (88% of all county households). At baseline, the smallest and largest percent produce purchases are observed among the youngest and lowest income (12.2%, CI 11.1; 13.3) and the oldest and highest income households (19.3, CI 18.9; 19.6); respectively. The seasonal variations are consistent in all age-and income-groups with an April-June peak gradually descending until December. However, the average linear change in percent produce purchased per household per year varies by age and income being the steepest among the youngest households at each income level (from 1.42%, CI 0.98;1.8 to 0.69%, CI 0.42;0.95) while the oldest households experience almost no annual change. Conclusions We explored the potential of a collaboration with a food retailer to use continuously collected loyalty card data for public health nutrition purposes. Our findings suggest a trend towards a healthier pattern in long-term food purchases and household food availability among the youngest households that may lessen the population chronic disease burden if sustained. Understanding the foods available for consumption within households allows public health advocates to develop and evaluate policies and programs promoting foods and nutrients along the life course.
Assessment of arsenic contamination in agricultural soils of Gangetic basin in Buxar, Bhojpur and Patna districts in Bihar, India
Authors: Pathak Saurabh Kumar , Upadhyay Munish Kumar , Shukla Anurakti , Majumdar Arnab , Srivast Sudhakar
Published: March 2022

Arsenic (As) is a nonessential and toxic metalloid found in sediments, soils and aquatic environments. The contamination of As is a serious problem in South and Southeast Asia threatening the health of millions of people. In this study, 71 soil samples were collected from agricultural fields from Bihar, India situated in the middle Gangetic basin to understand the status of As contamination. The 71 samples from Bihar were taken from three districts; Buxar (n = 21), Bhojpur (n = 34) and Patna (n = 16). Arsenic concentration in soil samples was determined by the wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) method. The pH, oxidation reduction potential (ORP), organic matter (OM) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the samples were also analysed. The mean and range of As concentration were found to be 16.72 mg kg− 1 (13.9–19.4 mg kg− 1), 17.18 mg kg− 1 (13.9–21.1 mg kg− 1) and 17.16 mg kg− 1 (14.8–20.5 mg kg− 1) in Buxar, Bhojpur and Patna, respectively. Of the 71 samples from Bihar, five samples had As levels equal to or higher than the maximum permissible limit i.e. 20 mg kg− 1 for agricultural soil. These five samples were taken from the village of Salempur, Benwaliya, Gundi, Daulatpur and Katesar. To assess the contamination level, various indices like contamination factor, ecological risk assessment and geoaccumulation index were calculated, which indicated “moderate to high” As contamination in the studied areas. The study provides information about the As contamination scenario in middle Gangetic basin and proposes to conduct more comprehensive surveys to understand As contamination in the hugely populated state of Bihar.
Habitat Distribution Affects Connectivity and Population Size in Migratory Networks
Authors: Patel Swati , Taylor Caz
Published: March 2022

Population dynamics of migratory species can be modeled using spatial bipartite networks in which breeding and winter regions, or nodes, are distributed longitudinally and connected by links representing migratory movements. Understanding the factors that influence the connectivity and population size of such networks is important for effective conservation. In migration ecology terminology, strong migratory connectivity is a network with low node degree and weak or diffuse connectivity is a network with high node degree. We present a model of migration networks using a Lotka-Volterra system of differential equations in which each winter-breeding link is represented as a subpopulation which competes with other subpopulations that share breeding or winter regions. We use persistence theory to determine which links coexist with one another under different parameter regimes in a 2 x 2 network where only three patterns of connectivity (weak, moderate, and strong) are possible. We find that, in the absence of dispersal among subpopulations, strong connectivity occurs when winter habitat has the same longitudinal distribution as breeding habitat, and/or costs of cross-longitudinal migration are high. Moderate connectivity arises otherwise. Total population size is maximized when each longitudinal region has the same amount of breeding habitat as winter habitat and decreases with the costs of migration. Including any degree of dispersal leads to weak connectivity and also reduces population size. Our results suggest that actions that conserve habitat so as to preserve matching habitat distributions and minimize costs of migration would be most effective.
In-Beam PET And Compton Imaging For Enhanced Accuracy Proton-Range Verification
Authors: Balibrea-Correa Javier , Lerendegui-Marco Jorge , Ladarescu Ion , Domingo-Pardo César , Guerrero Carlos , Rodríguez-González Teresa , Jiménez-Ramos Maria del Carmen , Fernández-Martínez Begoña
Published: March 2022

We report on a combined in-beam PET and prompt-gamma Compton imaging system aimed at ion-range verification in proton-therapy treatments. A proof-of-concept experiment was carried out at the radiobiology beam line of the CNA cyclotron facility using a set of two synchronous Compton imagers and different target materials. The time structure of the 18 MeV proton beam was shaped with a series of beam-on and beam-off intervals, thereby mimicking a pulsed proton beam on a long time scale. During beam-on Compton imaging was performed utilizing the high energy γ-rays promptly emitted from the nuclear reactions in the target. In the course of the beam-off intervals in-situ positron-emission tomography was accomplished with the same imagers using the β + decay of short-lived activated nuclei. The targets used were stacks of different materials covering also various proton ranges and energies. The experimental results obtained in this work are compared with a Monte Carlo model of the experimental setup. The results demonstrate the possibility to combine both imaging techniques in a concomitant way, where high-efficiency Compton imaging is complemented with the high spatial accuracy of PET. Empowered by these results we discuss a new methodology for enhanced accuracy and real-time ion-range monitoring. We suggest that a pulsed beam with a suitable duty cycle, in conjunction with in-situ Compton- and PET-imaging may help to attain both real-time and high-accuracy range monitoring.
Spatio-temporal dynamics and evolution of land use transition and landscape patterns in response to ecological protection project in Guizhou Province, China
Authors: Wang Quan , Bai Xuepiao
Published: March 2022

Restoration of degraded ecological environment is a global core issue, particularly in the ecologically fragile mountainous areas where excessive loss of natural vegetation has occurred, and the rational land use and ecological protection need high attention from academia. This study explored the dynamics of land use transition and landscape pattern by using large-scale remote sensing, geological information model, and landscape pattern method, to understand internal mechanism process for spatial difference at the prefecture-level city level. The results showed that the area of forestland, grassland, and urban and rural construction land showed an increasing trend during 1990—2015. The land use transition trend was mainly based on the mutual conversion between grassland, urban and rural construction land, cultivated land, and forestland, and were widely distributed in Guiyang, Qiannan, Zunyi, and Tongren. During 1990—2000 and 2005—2010, the largest changes of land use rising were forestland and grassland; during 2000—2005 and 2010—2015, the areas of land use shrinkage changes were cultivated land and grass land, as well as overall land use transition was becoming more intensive and efficient. Under the interaction of natural environment and human activities, severe land use transition led to the increasing trend of landscape pattern from low density to high fragmentation, patch richness, diversity, and irregular patch shape, enhancing regional spatial heterogeneity. Finally, we put forward realistic policy recommendations to provide a basis for the development of land space planning, regional ecological protection, and sustainable development in mountainous areas.
Exploring Differential Exon Usage via Short- and Long-read RNA Sequencing Strategies
Authors: Leshkowitz Dena , Kedmi Merav , Fried Yael , Pilzer David , Keren-Shaul Hadas , Ainbinder Elena , Dassa Bareket
Published: March 2022

Background Alternative splicing is a post-transcriptional biological process that produces various messenger RNAs, and thereby various protein products, from one gene, impacting a wide range of cellular activities and disease processes. However, the accurate reconstruction and quantification of full-length transcripts using short-reads is limited, due to their length. Recent long-reads sequencing technologies may provide a solution by sequencing full-length transcripts, yet to address their higher error rates and lower yields, dedicated analysis tools are being developed and assessed. We wanted to explore the use of both short reads and long Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) RNA-Seq reads, with different strategies and tools, for detecting global alternative splicing changes, namely differential splicing (DS), during embryonic stem cell differentiation. Specifically, we used two major strategies for DS analysis: isoform-based and count-based. Isoform based requires a complete and accurate isoform construction and quantification of full-length transcripts as the basis for a confident DS analysis. Alternatively, count-based strategy uses count units, such as exonic regions or junction regions to detect differential exon usage. Exon-based methods, when utilized with short reads, perform better than the isoform-based methods, however, the benefits of applying this method on long reads are yet to be evaluated. ResultsBioinformatics analysis of three platforms, Illumina short reads and two long ONT sequencing technologies, namely cDNA and Direct RNA, revealed the strongest gene-level similarity compared to exon-based and isoform-based. Furthermore, the exon-based strategy was advantageous for long reads in detecting differential exon usage (DEU) at the 3’ UTRs, whereas short reads were advantageous in overall detecting more DEUs. Specifically, many genes with DEUs were discovered, mostly in a platform depended manner. Of them, exons within 20 genes, detected in one or more platforms, were validated by PCR, including key differentiation genes, such as Mdb3 and Aplp1.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that the exon count–based strategy is also applicable and reliable for long reads. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the tested sequencing platforms complement one another in the detection of DEUs, thus enabling novel biological insights. Specifically, we provide an important sequence and analysis resource for discovering transcriptome changes occurring during stem cell development.