bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Meta-analysis of Adipose Tissue Transcriptomics Data in PCOS Patients and Healthy Controls Women
Authors: Saedi Saman , Panahi Reza , Orak Najmeh , Shirazi Mohammad Reza Jafarzadeh
Published: January 2022

Background Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) seem to have disturbances in lipid metabolism in subcutaneous adipose tissue. Nevertheless, gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue of PCOS women and its relation to other disturbances have been fragmentarily investigated. Methods and results We utilized microarray data to identify the most important up and down-regulated candidate genes in adipose tissue of PCOS women in contrast to healthy women using the meta-analysis technique. Microarray data produced from three independent experiments (n=3) conducted on adipose tissue in women with PCOS were retrieved from ArrayExpress. Then, the datasets were merged using the metaSeq package in Rstudio and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in studies were selected. The integrative bioinformatics analyses of candidates were performed by gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, and Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction. Twelve up-regulated genes and twelve down-regulated genes were identified and assessed as the most important DEGs. These the most important DEGs that were annotated by KEGG analysis were mainly involved in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, pathways in cancer, breast cancer, metabolic pathways, ovarian steroidogenesis, and insulin secretion. In the PPI networks, PRDM10, FGFR2, IGF1R, and FLT1 were the key nodes in the up-regulated networks, while the NDUFAB1 and NME2 proteins were key in the down-regulated networks. Conclusion Overall, these findings provide a comprehensive system biology based insight into the gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue of PCOS women and its relation to other disturbances.
A Retrospective Analysis on the Clinical Efficiency of Dual Trigger During Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET) Treatment for Women with Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Authors: Zhang Ling , Wu Li-mei , Huang Qiong-xiao , Ji Meng-xia , Li Shi-shi , Zhang Lin , Jin Zhen , Zhou Yi-er , Shu Chong-yi , Shu Jing , Xu Wei-hai
Published: January 2022

Background: Due to poor number and quality of oocytes, the reproductive prognosis of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) patients is obstinately disapproving. This study will compare the effects of double trigger and hCG trigger on the culture outcome and implantation outcome during the IVF treatment for DOR patients. Methods: a total of 857 controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) cycles and 366 frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles were included in this study. The difference in retrieval cancellation, oocyte retrieval, number of oocytes, maturation oocytes, fertilization, embryos were evaluated between the two groups in the COS dataset, while implantation, clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, and spontaneous abortion were analyzed based on FET dataset. To robustly evaluate the marginal effect of the study factor as well as other covariates, a cluster-weighted GEE model was exploited to fit the uniqueness of IVF-ET data.Results: Neither the retrieval outcome, nor cultural or implantation outcomes were improved after dual-trigger. The OR values were 1.08 (95% CI: 0.41 ~2.78) for retrieval cancellation, 1.33 (95% CI: 0.89 ~2.00) for oocyte harvest, 0.99 (95%: 0.97 ~1.02) for oocyte maturation, 1.03 (95%CI: 0.94 ~1.12) for fertilization, 1.04 (95%CI: 0.94 ~1.15) for viable embryo, and 1.03 (95%CI: 0.88 ~1.19) for top quality embryo. As to the transfer outcome, no difference was identified between the two groups, with the ORs 0.90 (95%CI: 0.62 ~1.30) for implantation and 0.97 (95%CI: 0.56 ~1.69) for clinical pregnancy. This insignificance remained unchanged after adjusting for the covariates such as age, BMI, infertility duration, etc.Conclusions: Dual triggering the final oocyte maturation combined of GnRH-a and standard dose of hCG cannot significantly improve the retrieval, cultural or implantation outcomes of IVF-ET treatments in women with DOR.
A quantitative analysis of the relationship between absorbed and applied phosphorous and their contribution to seed production in soybeans under various applied nitrogen conditions
Authors: Kakiuchi Jin , Kobata Tohru
Published: January 2022

Aims

This study aimed to model the relationship between assimilated (PA) and applied (PF) phosphorus under diverse nitrogen applications (NF), and to determine the contribution of P to N assimilation (NA) and seed production in soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], as this has not been done before.
Methods

Over three years, pot experiments were conducted using nodulated [Lee(+)] and non-nodulated isoline [Lee(–)] soybeans under multiple levels of basal-dressed PF and top-dressed NF from R2 to R7.
Results

PA in each NF was represented by a function of PF as a straight line with a positive slope and an intercept (PS, soil P) connecting with a ceiling line of constant height. The slope [SLOPE = (PA – PS) / PF], which represented the efficiency of PF usage for PA, asymptotically increased with NF. As a result, PA was represented by a single function of PF × SLOPE, which consisted of slope = 1 and a ceiling across different NF rates. Seed production each year was explained by NA regardless of PA for both nodulation types, although responses of seed yield to PA in Lee(–) differed due to NA. PA asymptotically increased the maximum NA and N fixation by nodulation which were approximated by the N quantitative model.
Conclusion

PA can be represented as a function of PF by excluding P retained in soils, which is influenced by NF. Accordingly, PA effects seed production via NA behavior determined by fertilizer, soil and fixed N.
CXCR7 agonist TC14012 improves angiogenic function of endothelial progenitor cells via activating Akt/eNOS pathway and promotes ischemic angiogenesis in diabetic limb ischemia
Authors: Wang Kai , Sun Shiyue , Zhang Guigui , Lu Zixian , Chen Hui , Fan Xia , Gu Chunjie , Pan Xiaohong , Lin Qian , Chen Oscar , Cai Lu , Dai Xiaozhen , Yan Xiaoqing , Tan Yi
Published: January 2022

Purpose Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a critical role in repairing damaged vessels and triggering ischemic angiogenesis, but their number is reduced and function is impaired under diabetic conditions. Improving EPC function has been considered as a promising strategy to ameliorate diabetic vascular complications. In present study, we want to investigate whether and how CXCR7 agonist TC14012 promotes the angiogenic function of diabetic EPCs. Methods High glucose (HG) treatment was used to mimic the hyperglycemia in diabetes. Tube formation, cell scratch recovery, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays were used to evaluate the angiogenic capability, cell migration and apoptosis of EPCs, respectively. Hind limb ischemia (HLI) model was used to appraise the ability of TC14012 in promoting diabetic ischemic angiogenesis in vivo. Results HG treatment impaired EPC tube formation and migration, and induced EPC apoptosis and oxidative damage, while TC14012 rescued tube formation and migration, and prevented HG-induced apoptosis and oxidative damage of EPCs. Furthermore, these beneficial effects of TC14012 on EPCs were attenuated by specific siRNAs against CXCR7, validating that CXCR7 is a functional target of TC14012 in EPCs. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that HG treatment reduced CXCR7 expression in EPCs, impaired Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation and nitric oxide (NO) production; similarly, these signal impairments in HG-exposed EPCs could be rescued by TC14012. However, the protective effects of TC14012 on Akt and eNOS phosphorylation and NO production were almost completely abolished by siRNAs against CXCR7 or Akt specific inhibitor Wortmannin. More importantly, in vivo study showed that TC14012 administration enhanced blood perfusion recovery and angiogenesis in the ischemic hind limb and increased the EPC number in circulating of db/db mice, demonstrating the capability of TC14012 in promoting EPC mobilization and ischemia angiogenic function.Conclusion TC14012 can prevent EPCs from HG-induced dysfunction and apoptosis, improve eNOS activity and NO production via CXCR7/Akt signal pathway, and promote EPC mobilization and diabetic ischemia angiogenesis.
Efflux Dynamics of the Anti-Epileptic, Levetiracetam, Through the P-Glycoprotein Channel Revealed by Advanced Comparative Molecular Simulations
Authors: Behmard Esmaeil , Barzegari Ebrahim , Najafipour Sohrab , Kouhpayeh Amin , Ghasemi Younes , Asadi-Pooya Ali A.
Published: January 2022

Understanding the precise mechanistic details of the possible binding and transport of antiepileptic drugs through the efflux pump, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), is essential to find strategies for the treatment of epileptic patients resistant to anti-seizure medicines. In the present work, conventional molecular dynamics, binding free energy calculations, steered molecular dynamics and umbrella sampling were applied to study the interactions of levetiracetam and brivaracetam with P-gp and their possible egress path from the binding site. Comparative results for the control drugs, zosuquidar and verapamil, confirmed their established P-gp inhibitory activity. Brivaracetam, a non-substrate of P-gp, demonstrated stronger static and dynamic interactions with the exporter protein, than levetiracetam. The potential of mean force calculations indicated that the energy barriers through the ligand export were the lowest for levetiracetam, suggesting the drug as a P-gp substrate with facile passage along the transporter channel. Our findings also stressed the contribution of nonpolar interactions with P-gp channel lining as well as with membrane lipid molecules to hampering the antiepileptic drug efflux by the transmembrane exporter. Appropriate structural engineering of the anti-seizure medications is thus recommended to address the drug-resistant epilepsy.
Weather Factors in Different Growing Periods Determine Inter-annual Change in Growth of Four Sphagnum Species: Evidence From an Eight-year Study
Authors: Koronatova Natalia G. , Kosykh Natalia P. , Saib Ekaterina A. , Stepanova Vera A. , Vishnyakova Evgenia K. , Granath Gustaf
Published: January 2022

The growth of peat mosses is crucial for the functioning and carbon uptake and storage in high latitude peatlands. Nevertheless, a little is known on the response of Sphagnum functional traits and primary production to weather fluctuations. Here we investigated if weather variables affect Sphagnum growth differently across the season. An eight-year study was carried out in a mire complex in the southern taiga of Western Siberia. We collected weather data, and data on functional traits (length increment, increment weight, capitulum numerical density and capitulum weight) and assessed primary productivity of four Sphagnum species growing in raised bogs and poor fens. Overall, growing season averages of weather variables were often as good predictors of Sphagnum functional traits and productivity as early or late seasonal averages, but not necessarily for the same variables. The most important factors were those related moisture conditions. The more sensitive traits to weather fluctuation were length increment (for S. magellanicum, S. angustifolium, S. fallax) and numerical density (for S. fuscum). Primary productivity of S. fuscum and S. magellanicum were the highest under warm and wet conditions with S. fuscum being less sensitive to the weather; productivity of S. angustifolium increased under cool and wet conditions; and productivity of S. fallax was the highest under dry weather. Diversity in interspecific response to weather fluctuations may result in high peatland resistance towards environmental variability, and thereby maintaining a stable Sphagnum productivity in time across the mire complex.
Indirect All-Quadrilateral Meshing Based on Bipartite Topological Labeling.
Authors: Georgiadis Christos , Reberol Maxence , Remacle Jean-François
Published: January 2022

Quadrilateral meshes offer certain advantages compared to triangular ones, such as reduced number of elements and alignment with problem-specific directions. We present a pipeline for the generation of quadrilateral meshes on complex geometries. It is based on two key components: robust surface meshing and efficient indirect conversion of a triangular mesh to an all-quad one. The input is a valid geometric surface mesh, i.e., a triangulation that accurately represents the geometry of the model. A right-angled triangular surface mesh is initially created by continuously modifying the input mesh while always preserving its topological validity. The main advantages of our local mesh modification based approach are to (i) allow the generation of meshes that are globally aligned with a given direction field and (ii) to reliably handle non-manifold feature edges (in multi-volume models) and small features. The final quadrilateral mesh is obtained by merging pairs of triangles into quadrilaterals. We develop a novel bipartite labeling scheme in order to identify and correct inconsistent pairings. The procedure is based on local operations and is much more efficient than previous global strategies for tri-to-quad conversion. The whole pipeline is tested on a large number of models with diverse characteristics.
Circ_0001174 Facilitates Osteosarcoma Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion by Targeting the miR-186-5p/MACC1 Axis
Authors: Wang Qingyu , Lin Feifei , Wang Xiaonan , Zhao Xin , Ren Min , Wang Jincheng
Published: January 2022

Background. Studies of aberrantly expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) can provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of osteosarcoma (OS). However, the role of circ_0001174 in OS progression remains unknown. The study was conducted to identify differentially expressed circRNAs and mRNAs in patients with OS and to investigate potential regulatory ways of circ_0001174.Methods. High-throughput sequencing was performed to screen aberrantly expressed circRNAs and mRNAs between tumor and paracancerous tissues from patients with OS. Several bioinformatics tools were used to analyze the functions and pathways of the differentially expressed genes between the tissues. Cell counting kit-8, cell migration, and invasion assays were performed to evaluate the functions of the critical circRNAs. RNA interference experiments, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting were used to explore the roles of the circRNAs and mRNAs in OS.Results. Compared with the paracancerous tissues, 109 circRNAs and 1264 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the OS tissues, including 88 circRNAs and 707 mRNAs that were upregulated and 21 circRNAs and 557 mRNAs that were downregulated. The expression of four upregulated and four downregulated circRNAs was validated using RT-qPCR; the results were consistent with the sequencing data, and circ_0001174 was found to be significantly upregulated in 16 pairs of OS tissues and OS cell lines (fold change >2.0, P value<0.05). Knockdown of circ_0001174 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS cells. Additionally, circ_0001174 directly and negatively modulated the expression of miR-186-5p and positively regulated the expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1).Conclusions. Abnormally high expression of circ_0001174 may promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS cells by targeting the miR-186-5p/MACC1 axis. These results provide insight into therapeutic targets for preventing and treating OS.
CO2 Electrolysis via Surface-Engineering Electrografted Pyridines on Silver Catalysts
Authors: Burdyny Thomas , Abdinejad Maryam , Irtem Erdem , Farzi Amirhossein , Sassenburg Mark , Subramanian Siddhartha , Montfort Hugo-Pieter Iglesias van , Ripepi Davide , Li Mengran , Middelkoop Joost , Seifitokaldani Ali
Published: January 2022

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to value-added materials has received considerable attention. Both bulk transition metal catalysts, and molecular catalysts affixed to conductive non-catalytic solid supports, represents a promising approach towards electroreduction of CO2. Here, we report a combined silver (Ag) and pyridine catalyst through a green and irreversible electrografting process, which demonstrates enhanced CO2 conversion versus the individual counterparts. We find by tailoring the pyridine carbon chain length, a 200 mV shift in the onset potential is obtainable compared to the bare silver electrode. A 10-fold activity enhancement at -0.7 V vs RHE is then observed with demonstratable higher partial current densities for CO indicating a co-catalytic effect is attainable through the integration of the two different catalytic structures. We extended performance to a flow cell operating at 150 mA/cm2, demonstrating the approach’s potential for substantial adaption with various transition metals as supports, and electrografted molecular co-catalysts.
Effect of Boron-based Gel on Postpartum Episiotomy Wound Healing in Primiparous Pregnant Women
Authors: Gül Derya Kanza , MERCAN Yeliz
Published: January 2022

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effects of boron-based gel on episiotomy wound healing and episiotomy pain in primiparous women.Method: This retrospective study included 450 primiparous women who had a normal delivery with episiotomy at Private Nisa Hospital between January 2019 and March 2020. The participants were grouped as 150 women who used the Boron-Based Gel on the postpartum episiotomy site (cases-1), 150 women who used Beta Chlorhexidine Gel (cases-2), and 150 women who refused treatment or did not use any topical gel (controls). Wound healing status was evaluated on days 2, 5-7, and 10-14 after birth along with Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge with Approximation (REEDA) Scale and the pain levels felt in the episiotomy area were evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS).Results: No statistically significant differences were detected between the three groups in terms of age and other variables (p>0.05). The mean scores of VAS and REEDA on days 2, 5-7, and 10-14 after birth were significantly different in the Boron-Based Gel Group compared to Chlorhexidine Gel and control group (p<0.001).Conclusion: It was found that the use of Boron-Based Gel increased episiotomy wound healing and reduced pain at significant levels.
Terrestrial nutrient exports and environmental changes explain eutrophication trends in fifty large lakes of Yangtze Plain, China
Authors: Guan Qi , Tang Jing , Feng Lian , Olin Stefan , Schurgers Guy
Published: January 2022

Over the past two decades, lakes in Yangtze Plain have suffered from serious eutrophication, in some regions with increased frequency of cyanobacteria blooms over years. In this study, we investigated the underlying causes of eutrophication using a combination of process-based ecosystem modelling and statistical data analysis. We found that terrestrial nutrient exports with runoff have significantly increased from 1979 to 2018 in Yangtze Plain, directly linked to the enhanced usage of chemical fertilizer for crops. Based on statistical analyses of environmental variables, terrestrial nutrient exports and satellite-observed probability of eutrophication occurrence (PEO), we separated the studied fifty lakes into five classes with similarities in environmental and nutrient variations, and attributed key factors in controlling the temporal changes of PEO. The results showed that the satellite-observed PEO trends in five classes could be largely linked to the terrestrial nutrient exports and environmental changes. Specifically, we found agricultural activities can explain the observed eutrophication trends in western lakes where lake catchments are dominated with arable and natural land, and the reduced discharge of industrial wastewater was found to be linked to the declining trends in eutrophication for eastern lakes where the green growth of industrialization were promoted from 2003 to 2011. These findings highlight the importance of sustainable management of agriculture and industrialization to overcome eutrophication issues in this region.
A bi-objective green closed-loop supply chain with retailer's location and possibility allocating vertices by probabilistic customers
Authors: Keramatlou Omid , Javadian Nikbakhsh , Didehkhani Hosein , Amirkhan Mohammad
Published: January 2022

The closed-loop supply chain networks include the return processes and the producers aim to capture additional values by considering further integration of all supply chain activities. In this paper, a closed-loop supply chain is modeled to obtain the best allocation and location of retailers including production and distribution centers, the warehouse of manufactured products, retailers' centers, probabilistic customers, collection, repair, and disposal centers so that the amount of environmental pollution and CO2 emissions by taking into account the conversion of CO2 to O2 in vehicles’ gas converters, is minimized. In this research, two strategies are considered to find the best places for retailers by focusing on 1- the type of expected movement (Rectangular, Euclidean, Euclidean Square, and Chebyshev); 2- expected coverage (distance and time). To this end, a bi-objective nonlinear programming model is proposed. This model concurrently compares strategies 1 and 2 and selects the best competitor. Based on the selected strategy, the best allocation is made by employing a heuristic algorithm and the locations of the best retailers are determined. As the proposed model is NP-hard in the nature of the problem, a meta-heuristics, namely, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm is employed for the solution process. Eventually, to authenticate and confirm the effectiveness of the suggested model, a numerical example is given and solved utilizing optimization software, and the results are analyzed.
Epidemiology and Prognostic Nomogram for Esophageal Cancer With Liver Metastasis Based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database
Authors: Xiang Zhenfei , Xiong Huacai , Hu Danfei , Li Mingyao , Chen Tian , Jiang Wei
Published: January 2022

Background: The prognosis of esophageal cancer with liver metastasis (ECLM) is poor. This study evaluated the incidence and prognostic factors of ECLM at initial diagnosis and developed a visual nomogram to predict outcomes. Methods: 1892 eligible ECLM patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (SEER). The incidence, patient overall survival (OS), and prognosis of liver metastasis were evaluated according to patient information, tumor characteristics, and therapy. Cox regression analyses were applied to evaluate prognostic factors. Based on the significant demographic and clinicopathologic factors, a novel visual nomogram was established to predict 6-month and 1-year survival for ECLM patients. Results: The incidence of ECLM increased with age, but survival rates showed the opposite trend. From 2010 to 2016, as age increased, the incidence also increased annually, peaking at age 70 to 79 years and then decreasing. The 1-, 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-month relative cancer survival rates for ECLM patients were 84.6%, 61.3%, 44.0%, 31.4%, and 21.8%, respectively. Multivariate cox regression analysis revealed that age, gender, grade, histological type, bone metastasis, lung metastasis, brain metastasis, chemotherapy and local treatment were independent prognostic factors related to OS. Moreover, our nomogram predicted the 6-month and 1-year survival times of the population, with a C-index of 0.735 (95% CI: 0.723-0.748). The nomogram demonstrated good clinical applicability. Conclusions: The incidence of ECLM increased with age, but survival rates showed the opposite trend. Age, gender, tumor characteristics, and therapy should be considered when predicting the prognosis of ECLM patients. The nomogram may improve clinicians’ abilities to predict individual survival and recommend treatments for ECLM patients.
Engraftment and proliferation of thermoreversible-gelation-polymer-encapsulated human corneal limbal-stem-cells on ocular surface of a cadaver cornea
Authors: Senthilkumar Rajappa , Yoshioka Hiroshi , Katoh Shojiro , Iwasaki Masaru , Prakash Vaddi Surya , Balamurugan Madasamy , Dedeepiya Vidyasagar Devaprasad , Preethy Senthilkumar ,   Samuel JK Abraham2
Published: January 2022

Corneal limbal stem cell (LSC) transplantation is a standard approach to treating corneal epithelial diseases. Scaffolds such as human amniotic membrane (hAM) are commonly employed for the in vitro culture and as a carrier for in vivo transplantation. However, they carry the risk of biological contamination. We have earlier reported a thermoreversible gelation polymer (TGP) scaffold to support the in vitro culture of human LSC and the transplantation in a rabbit animal model. We herein report the capabilities of the TGP scaffold to serve as an encapsulation support during transplantation and to enable engraftment for corneal regeneration. The results showed that TGP allowed human-donor cornea-derived LSCs to proliferate well in vitro, compared to hAM and the cells encapsulated in TGP and transplanted in vitro onto a human cadaver donor cornea denuded of its epithelium, migrated on the ocular surface to cover it almost totally, and proliferated to form a continuous layer in 25 days. Immunofluorescence staining of TGP-cultured cells was positive for LSC markers (p63, ABCG2, Connexin 43 and Integrin β), proving that the TGP helps to preserve the limbal cells’ stemness. TGP is found to be a multipurpose scaffold for (i) in vitro culture, (ii) in vivo encapsulation, and transplantation (iii), enabling engraftment of LSCs in this study, with potentials to extend its application in cell-based therapies in several regenerative medicine approaches.
Normal coronary myocardial infarction due to COVID-19: A case series
Authors: Kazemi Erfan , Gheshlaghi Mehran , Mansoursamaei Ali , Homatash Saba , Sheibani Hossein
Published: January 2022

Background: The prevalence of cardiovascular complications in COVID-19 infection varied in different studies. One of these complications is myocardial infarction. A disturbance of the blood supply can lead to myocardial infarction by clot formation in the arteries. However, no evidence of significant coronary stenosis has been found in more than 50% of patients with COVID-19 and ST elevation.Case Presentation: 38 and 49 years old men (patients 1,2) were admitted to our hospital with the complaint of typical chest pain and COVID-19 symptoms. The real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test confirmed COVID-19 in both. Patient 1 represented inferior posterior ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) in his electrocardiogram (ECG). Also, patient 2 has ST-elevation in high lateral and septal leads (I, AVL, V1, V2) and ST-segment depression in AVR and inferior leads (III, AVF). Their troponin was positive. The vital signs were normal in both of them. Patient 2 just had a history of aortic valve replacement (AVR) 5 years ago. However, Patient 1 had no medical history. Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE) data demonstrated some disturbances in patient 1 Severe hypokinesia of Inferior, Posterior, Lateral, and Septal walls. However, TTE data were unremarkable for patient 2. We prescribed recommended medications for them. Therefore, their ECG changes were corrected, and his condition improved. In addition, Coronary angiography was done that demonstrated patent and normal coronary arteries in both of them.Conclusion: COVID-19 infection can cause normal coronary arteries myocardial infarction with probable two mechanisms prolonged vasospasm or intraluminal coronary thrombogenesis.
Exposure Knowledge Impact on Regional Seismic Risk Assessment of Bridge Portfolios
Authors: Abarcaa Andres , Monteiro Ricardo , O’Reillya Gerard J.
Published: January 2022

The lack of structural information on existing bridges is a common problem faced by engineers when performing regional seismic risk assessment of large bridge portfolios. In most regions, the bridge inventory is composed of structures built over decades and detailed structural information of the existing configurations is difficult to obtain and can be expensive to survey. Most of the regional risk studies for bridges are done with incomplete exposure knowledge and usually rely on macro taxonomy-based approaches that average fragility information of assets with similar configurations. This leads to an unknown level of uncertainty in the results that is commonly not quantified or accurately communicated to the stakeholders. Accordingly, there is a need for a better understanding on how much uncertainty can be expected in results using such approaches, as well as for recommendations to those dealing with this type of project to define an appropriate required minimum knowledge of the inventory to obtain reasonable results. In this study, the seismic risk assessment of a portfolio of 617 bridges with complete structural information was performed and its results were used as a benchmark to quantify the expected uncertainty when considering different knowledge levels using a taxonomy-based approach as well as a machine learning model. The obtained results suggest that having detailed information on at least one third of the portfolio leads to a considerable reduction in uncertainty and that machine learning models can outperform traditional taxonomy-based methodologies only when a considerable level of knowledge of the inventory is available.
Varicella Zoster Precipitating a case of Covid-19 Myelitis
Authors: Verma Rajesh , Chakraborty Rajarshi , DB Keerthiraj
Published: January 2022

Covid-19 disease has plethora of clinical manifestations. There have been certain viral coinfection and presence of autoimmunity in Covid-19 disease. The predominant neurological manifestations of Covid-19 disease reported are encephalopathy, anosmia, headache, bell’s palsy, Guillain barre syndrome, acute transverse myelitis, acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis and strokes. In this illustration we presented an 11-year-old girl suffering from Covid-19 illness, presented with acute transverse myelitis along with Varicella-zoster co-infection substantiated by cerebrospinal fluid PCR positivity. There is a scarce literature of coexistence of varicella-zoster co-infection triggering myelitis in Covid-19 illness.
Distinct characteristics of the COVID-19 among children and young adolescents treated at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital; Northern Uganda: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Aloyo Judith , Acullu Denis , Onira Nelson Alema , Baguma Steven , Okot Christopher , Oloya Johnson Nyeko , Oyat Freddy Wathum Drinkwater , Oballim Lawence , Ikoona Eric Nzirakaindi , Kitara David Lagoro
Published: January 2022

Background

Ever since the appearance of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan in mid-December 2019, its spread has been dramatic worldwide. It became apparent that the number of pediatric COVID-19 patients was much lower than in adults. Variable clinical presentations and progression have characterized morbidity and mortality in children and young adults.
Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the characteristics of the COVID-19 among children and adolescents below 20 years in Northern Uganda and determine factors associated with treatment outcomes in the study population.
Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study conducted a retrospective data abstraction of the COVID-19 patients registered in the Gulu Hospital Health Management Information System (HMIS) database and other tools. The study covered the period between March 2020 and October 2021. Data that met the inclusion criteria were consecutively extracted from the Gulu Hospital HMIS database. A local IRB approved the study. SPSS version 25.0 was used for data analysis, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results

There were 41 COVID-19 patients below 20 years among the 664 total COVID-19 patient population, constituting 41/664(6.2%) of the total COVID-19 patients treated at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital from March 2020 to October 2021. The median age was 19 years (ranging from 13 to 20 years), the mean age was 18.2 years SD±1.95 at 95% CI:17.51-18.74. Females constituted 58.5% of the study population. The mean duration of hospital stay was 14.44 days SD±10.45 at 95% CI:11.14-17.74, and the mean duration of symptoms at admission was 7.96 days SD±7.38 at 95% CI:4.84-11.07. The comorbidities were cardiovascular diseases 3/41(7.3%) and hypertension 3/41(7.3%) and were not in the same patients. Pneumonia 1/41(3.3%) and acute liver injury 1/41(3.3%) were the observed complications. The morbidity and mortality rates were 2/41(4.9%) and 0/41(0.0%), respectively. Participants’ symptoms, signs, complications, and comorbidities by gender were not statistically significant.
Conclusion

Data showed excellent treatment outcomes of the COVID-19 among children and adolescents below 20 years in Northern Uganda with a recovery rate of 100.0%. The burden of symptoms of the illness, comorbidities, and complications was fewer. There is a need to conduct more extensive studies on the role played by age in the successful recovery of COVID-19 patients, even in a low-resource milieu.
Flood Susceptibility Mapping in Arid Region of Pakistan through ensemble Machine Learning Model.
Authors: Yaseen Andaleeb , LU Jianzhong , Xiaoling Chen
Published: January 2022

Floods are among the most destructive natural hazards. Therefore, their prediction is pivotal for flood management and public safety. Factors contributing to flooding are different for every region as they depend upon the characteristics of each region. Therefore, this study evaluated the factors contributing to flood and the precise location of high and very high flood susceptibility regions in Karachi. A new ensemble model (LR-SVM-MLP) is introduced to develop the susceptibility map and evaluate influencing factors. This ensemble model was formed by employing a stacking ensemble on Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). A spatial database was generated for the Karachi watershed, which included; twelve conditioning factors as independent variables, 652 flood points and the same number of non-flood points as dependent variables. This data was then randomly divided into 70% and 30% to train and validate models, respectively. To analyse the collinearity among factors and to scrutinize each variable's predictive power, multicollinearity test and Information Gain Ratio were applied, respectively. After training, the models were evaluated on various statistical measures and compared with benchmark models. Results revealed that the proposed ensemble model outperformed Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and produced a precise and accurate map. Results of the ensemble model showed 99% accuracy in training and 98% accuracy in validation datasets. This ensemble model can be used by flood management authorities and the government to contribute to future research studies.
A Coherent Accumulation Detection Method Based on SA-DPT for Highly Maneuvering Target
Authors: Pang Cunsuo , Hou huiling , guo hualing
Published: January 2022

The emergence of highly maneuverable weak targets has led to a serious degradation or even failure of traditional radar detection. In this paper, a coherent accumulation algorithm based on combination of scaling algorithm (SA) and discrete polynomial-phase Transform (DPT) is proposed in terms of the calculation burden and detection performance, which can, firstly, perform fewer times of speed parameter compensation based on SA for the transmitted signal, and selects the effective delay range of the target signal; secondly, for the extracted echo signal, the DPT algorithm is used to estimate the target speed and acceleration. The proposed algorithm analyzes the influence of time delay range, compensation speed and delay unit on the detection performance, and gives the improvement degree of output SNR and the amount of complex multiplication . Finally, the experimental data verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in accumulation gain and parameter estimation. This method is for sub-optimal estimation, requiring much less computation than joint search methods, but performs better than cross-correlation methods.
Kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf Geschlecht und Medien – ein heterogenes interdisziplinäres Forschungsfeld
Authors: Stoltenhoff Ann-Kathrin , Grabensteiner Caroline
Published: January 2022

Rezension zu

Hoffarth, Britta, Eva Reuter, und Susanne Richter, Hrsg. 2020. Geschlecht und Medien: Räume, Deutungen, Repräsentationen. Hildesheimer Geschlechterforschung, Band 1. Frankfurt New York: Campus Verlag.
Publishing statistical models: Getting the most out of particle physics experiments
Authors: Cranmer Kyle , Kraml Sabine , Prosper Harrison , Bechtle Philip , Bernlochner Florian , Bloch Itay M. , Canonero Enzo , Chrzaszcz Marcin , Coccaro Andrea , Conrad Jan , Cowan Glen , Feickert Matthew , Ferreiro Nahuel , Fowlie Andrew , Heinrich Lukas A. , Held Alexander , Kuhr Thomas , Kvellestad Anders , Madigan Maeve , Mahmoudi Farvah Nazila , Morå Knut Dundas , Neubauer Mark S. , Pierini Maurizio , Rojo Juan , Sekmen Sezen , Silvestrini Luca , Sanz Veronica , Stark Giordon H. , Torre Riccardo , Thorne Robert , Waltenberger Wolfgang , Wardle Nicholas , Wittbrodt Jonas
Published: January 2022

The statistical models used to derive the results of experimental analyses are of incredible scientific value and
are essential information for analysis preservation and reuse.
In this paper, we make the scientific case for systematically publishing the full statistical models and discuss the technical developments that make this practical.
By means of a variety of physics cases -
including parton distribution functions, Higgs boson measurements, effective field theory interpretations, direct searches for new physics, heavy flavor physics, direct dark matter detection, world averages, and beyond the Standard Model global fits -
we illustrate how detailed information on the statistical modelling can enhance the short- and long-term impact of experimental results.
PRISE EN CHARGE DE LA FRACTURE DE PENISPRISE EN CHARGE DE LA FRACTURE DE PENIS A L HOPITAL DE SIKASSO: A PROPOS DE 7 CAS A L HOPITAL DE SIKASSO: A PROPOS DE 7 CAS
Authors: Traore Salifou , Dembele Ousmane , Traorealy B. Diallo Soumaila
Published: January 2022

Contexte : la fracture de verge est une de nos rares urgences urologiques. Objectif : Analyser les aspects epidemio-cliniques, therapeutique de la fracture de penis et proceder a une revue de la litterature Materiels et methode : Etude retrospective des patients admis pour fracture de verge dans notre service entre juillet 2017 et octobre 2019. Les informations relatives a lage, le statut matrimonial, les circonstances de survenue du traumatisme, les signes cliniques et iconographiques ainsi que le traitement, ont ete analyses. Resultat : Sept patients ont ete colliges dont 5 maries et 2 celibataires. Age moyen : 35.42ans (19 ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚Â€Ã‚Â“ 65ans). Le mecanisme dominant (71.50%) est le faux pas du coÃƒÂƒÃ‚Â¯t .Sur la base de la clinique, lechographie nous a permis detablir le diagnostic. Une prise en charge chirurgicale(PEC) urgente a ete adoptee pour cinq patients reÃƒÂƒÃ‚Â§us dans un delai court et celle des deux vieux fut conservative. Lalbuginorraphie a ete effectuee par abord electif chez 4 patients et sous coronale circonferentielle avec degantage chez un patient. La duree moyenne de sejour (DMS) : 2.80jours (1 ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚Â€Ã‚Â“ 7jours).A lissue de 6 mois de suivi, les cinq patients ayant beneficies dune PEC urgente, ont presentes un resultat excellent sur le plan esthetique et fonctionnel pendant que le resultat a ete juge mediocre (Plaque fibreuse, score IIEF-5 <7) chez les deux vieux. Conclusion : La fracture du penis est une des rares urgences urologique. Lechographie est un examen simple non invasif et accessible dont lapport dans le diagnostic est certain mais le choix de labord chirurgical doit ÃƒÂƒÃ‚Âªtre base sur la clinique .la PEC urgente est necessaire pour ameliorer le pronostic.
Morphology Behavior of Copper Films Deposited after Wet Surface Treatment on Polished Alumina
Authors: Flacker Alexander , Gomes Gabriela , Silva Michele , Teixeira Ricardo
Published: January 2022

In this paper, a pre-treatment process for electroless copper (Cu) deposition on the polished alumina (Al2O3) 99.9% and the behavior of Cu plating by electroless process after Al2O3 surface treatment were explored. Our work was carried out by changing the roughness of Al2O3 through micro-etching (coarsening), nucleation its surface by a two-step method (sensitization and activation) and electroless Cu plating deposited using non-commercial solution having formaldehyde as reducer, alkaline pH and operating temperature of 30 ºC. Contact angle system (CA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), mechanical profilometer (DekTak XT) atomic force microscopy (AFM) and analysis by Gwyddion v2.27 software were used to evaluate the wet treatment and the morphology of the electroless deposition (ED) of Cu on the Al2O3 surface. The results show that the surface treatment of purity polished Al2O3 with 0.1% of vitreous materials present into the substrate surface, presents a high performance in ED film at low temperature (30 ºC), during the Cu deposition, obtaining more compact and uniform film, with small grain size, uniform thickness, and a high purity Cu metallic deposit.
Peculiarities of performance strategies among cadet and junior basketball players
Authors: Malinauskas Ramualdas Kazemirovich , Vishtaitis Deividas
Published: January 2022

The purpose of the study was to compare performance strategies of cadets and junior basketball players. To achieve this goal, a test of performance strategies (TOPS) was used as an instrument, designed to measure psychological sports skills used both during competition and during practice. The results showed that juniors, in comparison with cadets, have higher indicators in the strategies "Goal setting" and " Self-talk".
Notas a Anna Tropia, La teoria della conoscenza di Francisco Macedo. Un filosofo a confronto con Tommaso e Scoto
Authors: Silva Paula Oliveira e
Published: January 2022

In Chapter XVII of the Commentary on the Gospel of John, Eckhart comments on John 17, 3: «Now this is eternal life: may they know you, the only true God, and the one you sent, Jesus Christ». The comment begins like this: «If the beatitude consists of an act of the intellect or the will, it is an old question. From the words above [from the Gospel of John] it seems that it consists essentially of knowledge and intellect». To make his position clear, Eckhart cites some texts by Augustine, for example: De moribus Ecclesiae; Retracticiones; De beata vitaand De Trinitate. In our work, we intend to show how Eckhart builds his exhibition from Augustine, focusing on the analysis of Chapter XVII of that comment.
Marthamyces manglicola, a new species (Ascomycota, Marthamycetaceae) on black mangrove from Cozumel Island, Mexico
Authors: Raymundo Tania , García- Martínez Yenitze , Martínez Pineda Michelle , Valenzuela Ricardo
Published: January 2022

Background and Aims: The genus Marthamyces is characterized by its orbicular to polygonal apothecia, immersed within the host tissue, erumpent from the substrate surface, by the hymenium with pruinose appearance due to the presence of small crystals on its surface and amongst the paraphyses, and by filiform, 0- to 3-septate ascospores. Members of this genus grow on leaves of plants throughout the world, mainly in the tropics and subtropics. The aims of this study are to describe and illustrate Marthamyces manglicola as a new species that grows on Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) from Cozumel Island and to elaborate a key to all species of the genus Marthamyces described until now.Methods: Specimens were collected on fallen leaves of black mangrove in Punta Sur Ecological Park, Cozumel Island Biosphere Reserve. Field data and morphological characteristics were recorded using the traditional techniques in mycology. The material was deposited in the ENCB herbarium of the Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional.Key results: Marthamyces manglicola is characterized by its apothecia opening by 3-5 pruinose and yellowish white to pale yellow flaps, a hymenial surface greyish blue to dull blue in young specimens, fading to bluish white to pale blue or pale yellow in mature apothecia. Microscopically, it has paraphyses swelling slightly near the apex, with several short, finger-like projections and straight to slightly curved ascospores on release. A key to all described species of Marthamyces is presented.Conclusions: Marthamyces manglicola on Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) is the only species of this genus described from mangroves.
Using Large-scale Social Media Analytics to Understand Patient Perspectives About Urinary Tract Infections: Thematic Analysis
Authors: Gonzalez Gabriela , Vaculik Kristina , Khalil Carine , Zektser Yuliya , Arnold Corey , Almario Christopher V , Spiegel Brennan , Anger Jennifer
Published: January 2022

Background

Current qualitative literature about the experiences of women dealing with urinary tract infections (UTIs) is limited to patients recruited from tertiary centers and medical clinics. However, traditional focus groups and interviews may limit what patients share. Using digital ethnography, we analyzed free-range conversations of an online community.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate and characterize the patient perspectives of women dealing with UTIs using digital ethnography.

Methods

A data-mining service was used to identify online posts. A thematic analysis was conducted on a subset of the identified posts. Additionally, a latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) probabilistic topic modeling method was applied to review the entire data set using a semiautomatic approach. Each identified topic was generated as a discrete distribution over the words in the collection, which can be thought of as a word cloud. We also performed a thematic analysis of the word cloud topic model results.

Results

A total of 83,589 posts by 53,460 users from 859 websites were identified. Our hand-coding inductive analysis yielded the following 7 themes: quality-of-life impact, knowledge acquisition, support of the online community, health care utilization, risk factors and prevention, antibiotic treatment, and alternative therapies. Using the LDA topic model method, 105 themes were identified and consolidated into 9 categories. Of the LDA-derived themes, 25.7% (27/105) were related to online community support, and 22% (23/105) focused on UTI risk factors and prevention strategies.

Conclusions

Our large-scale social media analysis supports the importance and reproducibility of using online data to comprehend women’s UTI experience. This inductive thematic analysis highlights patient behavior, self-empowerment, and online media utilization by women to address their health concerns in a safe, anonymous way.