bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain MRI Segmentation Binary U-Net Based Architecture using Deep learning algorithm
Authors: B Nageshwar Rao , Re D.Lakshmi Sreenivasa , Gujja Harish
Published: September 2022

In medical image processing, Brain tumor segmentation is one of the most important tasks because the segmented region is helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of a disease. In any region, Gliomas may appear and they can be in any shape and size, which is helpful for automatic detection due to segmentation. One of the most evident tools of image processing is to provide complete information about brain tumor anatomy and makes an effective diagnosis through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To replace the manual detection system MRI is essential. Kaggle dataset proposed a brain tumor segmentation and detection system. To handle the task of segmentation of glioma, MRI scan based Binary U-Net-based deep learning model is proposed. By using this Binary U-Net Architecture, it identifies the boundary region of the tumor, which is present in the dataset. It detects the type of tumor present in the assigned dataset. This tumor detection is done by masking the original image and binary prediction is done internally by processing through skull removal, feature extraction, and multiple iterations. The binary prediction is compared with the human prediction, if it meets the pixel length, the model is saved and the glioma mask is predicted, else it is returned to data processing. From Binary prediction, some of the parameters are calculated based on the overlap of the segmentation region and pixels between the ground truth and predicted segmentation. Where Sensitivity, Dice, and Sensitivity metrics measure the overlap of pixels and Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) measures the overlap of segmentation region. Compare to previous techniques, Binary U-Net has Recall and Precision rises by 1.07 percent and 1.04 percent once residual dense blocks are included. As a result, residual dense blocks aid in the stabilization of the deep network and the integration of global features.
Occurrence of Onchocerciasis infection after decades of mass drug administration in the Western North Region of Ghana: The case of Sefwi Akontombra district
Authors: Mensah Derrick Adu , Debrah Linda Batsa , Boateng John , Ahiadorme Monica , Osei-Mensah Jubin , Opoku Vera Serwaa , Obeng Michael Agyemang , Kuutiero Eunice Kyaakyile , Opoku John , Rahamani Abu Abudu , Amponsem Sarfowaa , Obeng Prince , Gyasi Charles , Kutu Emmanuel Donawugube , Debrah Alexander Yaw
Published: September 2022

Background
Onchocerciasis is the world’s second leading cause of infectious blindness and a major public health problem in many parts of the world, including Ghana, with severe impact on the skin also. Mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin began in the Sefwi Akontombra district of the Western North Region of Ghana in 1994. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the impact of about three decades of MDA on onchocerciasis and its clinical manifestations by investigating the current nodule and microfilaria (MF) prevalence in the Sefwi Akontombra district using established protocols.
Methodology
This cross-sectional study had participants examined for signs of dermal/skin onchocerciasis and palpated, and those with ≥ 1 palpable sub-cutaneous nodule had skin snips taken from the left and right iliac crests for later parasitological (microfilariae) assessment. Logistic regression models were used to identify independent predictive and risk factors significantly associated with nodule and MF prevalence.
Results
A total of 1980 participants from 25 communities in three sub-districts were recruited. Compliance to the MDA intervention in the district was 93.7%. The study recorded Onchocerca nodule prevalence of 35.4% (N = 701), out of which 31.5% (N = 221) were MF positives, with district community microfilariae load (CMFL) and geometric mean intensity of 0.25 MF/ss and 0.26 MF/ss respectively. Adawu, the central community among the 25 surveyed recorded the highest CMFL (0.77 MF/ss)— with 14 communities being hypoendemic and 11, mesoendemic for the onchocerciasis infection. The overall estimated district onchocerciasis MF prevalence was 11.2%, making the district hypoendemic. Of the 17 participants who presented with dermal symptoms, acute papular onchodermatitis (41.2%) was the most prevalent. Age, ivermectin intake and gender were the independent predictive factors significantly associated (p < 0.05) with onchocerciasis in the district.
Conclusion
Despite decades of ivermectin administration in the district, the MF prevalence in the district was > the 1% threshold required for elimination. As the focus of the Ghana Onchocerciasis Control Programme has changed from control to elimination, MDA should be intensified in areas with MF prevalence > 1%. Though the district’s CMFL was far below the 5.0 MF/ss public health problem threshold, macrofilaricidal drugs should be explored to complement the microfilaricidal ivermectin.
An NLP-Assisted Bayesian Time Series Analysis for Prevalence of Twitter Cyberbullying During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Perez Christopher , Karmakar Sayar
Published: September 2022

COVID-19 has brought about many changes in social dynamics. Stay-at-home orders and disruptions in school teaching can influence bullying behavior in-person and online, both of which leading to negative outcomes in victims. To study cyberbullying specifically, 1 million tweets containing keywords associated with abuse were collected from the beginning of 2019 to the end of 2021 with the Twitter API search endpoint. A natural language processing model pre-trained on a Twitter corpus generated probabilities for the tweets being offensive and hateful. To overcome limitations of sampling, data was also collected using the count endpoint. The fraction of tweets from a given daily sample marked as abusive is multiplied to the number reported by the count endpoint. Once these adjusted counts are assembled, a Bayesian autoregressive Poisson model allows one to study the mean trend and lag functions of the data and how they vary over time. The results reveal strong weekly and yearly seasonality in hateful speech but with slight differences across years that may be attributed to COVID-19.
A modified Conveyor-belt Algorithm to solve the critical section problem
Authors: Chanda Nilanjan
Published: September 2022

In the domain of Operating System, critical problem and its related concepts play an important role. Process Management is the most vital part for executing various programs required where every process completes for CPU and may use some common variables and changes made to these variables in concurrent processing can produce undesirable results. In this paper, a different type of algorithm is proposed which deals effectively for solving the critical section problem. This algorithm is based on the working of a conveyor belt that a given set of processes shall circulate over the conveyor belt and any process should be able to execute their critical section when it is its turn while the other processes must continue to circulate, waiting for its turn to enter the critical section until all of them are executed.
In vivo and in vitro validation of powdery mildew resistance in garden pea genotypes
Authors: Rana Chanchal , Sharma Akhilesh , Rathour Rajeev , . Bansuli , Banyal Devinder Kumar , Sharma Parveen , Rana Ranbir Singh
Published: September 2022

Powdery mildew is one of the serious diseases of garden pea which causes a large number of yield losses. Genetic resistance is quite effective, being cost-effective and environment friendly than fungicide applications. In the present studies an initial attempt has been made to identify resistant genotypes against powdery mildew disease developed from hybridization followed by validation of the disease. The newly isolated 44 lines along with four checks were screened under natural and artificial conditions. Ten lines viz., SP7, SN-1, SN-6-1, SN-7-1, SN-2, SN-5-2, SN-6-2, SN-21 and SP-28-1 showed resistant reaction along with check Palam Sumool while 27 lines were identified as moderately resistant in comparison to susceptible check Azad P-1. Besides, six lines namely, SP-2, SP-5, SP-10, SP-24, SA-4 and SP-12-1 gave moderately susceptible reaction along with checks Pb-89 and Palam Priya. Only, SP-19 was categorized as susceptible. The high yielding lines SP-3, SP-6 and SP-22 showed moderately resistant reaction in both natural and artificial conditions. Validation of resistance using molecular markers revealed that neither the parental genotypes nor the progenies possess the er1 gene of JI1559. The er2 linked marker ScOPX-171700 was polymorphic between Palam Sumool and Palam Priya but the marker didn’t show polymorphism between er2 harboring line (JI2480). These results suggested that the lines showing resistance under field conditions may have some other genes or alleles for resistance and further confirmation is needed by developing mapping populations with specific gene or gene combinations.
What do medical students and their trainers understand by primary health care in South Africa? A qualitative study
Authors: Mabuza Langalibalele Honey , Moshabela Mosa
Published: September 2022

Background:

The definition of Primary Health Care (PHC) issued by the World Health Organisation in 1978 indicated that it is essential health care which should be made accessible to individuals and their communities, close to where they live and work. In 2010 Starfield introduced the four pillars of PHC: the patient’s first contact with healthcare, comprehensive care, coordinated care and continuous care. This study sought to explore what undergraduate (UG) medical students and their trainers understood by PHC in four South African medical schools.

Methods:

A qualitative study using the phenomenological design was conducted among undergraduate medical students and their trainers. The setting were four medical schools in South Africa (Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Walter Sisulu University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Witwatersrand University). A total of 27 in-depth interviews were conducted among the trainers and 16 focus group discussions among the students who were in their clinical years of training (MBChB 4–6). Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim, followed by thematic data analysis using the MAXQDA 2020 (Analytics Pro) software.

Results:

Six themes emerged in the understanding of PHC among students and their trainers: PHC as the patient’s first contact with the healthcare system; comprehensive care; coordination of care and continuity of care. There was agreement between students and their trainers in these four themes. However, there was a difference of opinion on whether PHC was a level or an approach to healthcare and the role of specialist trainers PHC.

Conclusions:

There were areas of convergence and divergence in the understanding of PHC among the students and their trainers. Since understanding should be the basis for training, there is need for trainers and their students to seek common understanding of PHC.
Using random forest to find the discontinuity points for carbon efficiency during COVID-19
Authors: Qu Yingchi , Lim Ming K. , Yang Mei , Ni Du , Xiao Zhi
Published: September 2022

As there is a constant trade-off between carbon dioxide emissions against economic growth for every government, carbon efficiency is a key indicator to guide sustainable development. However, the energy crisis and COVID-19 recovery could affect carbon efficiency. Therefore, this paper combines the fuzzy regression discontinuity and random forest algorithm to estimate the discontinuity of the energy crisis and COVID-19 recovery on carbon efficiency. The results show that there are two cutoffs between carbon efficiency and coal prices. The positive treatment effect at cutoff 1 proves that the “zero-tolerance” policies effectively promote carbon efficiency. Besides, the negative treatment effect at cutoff 2 proves that electricity rationing has not always improved carbon efficiency during the energy crisis.
The Construction and Operational Models of Internet Hospitals in China: A Hospital-Based Survey Study
Authors: Chen Xuejiao , Wu Xinxia , Zhang Qihang , Jing Ran , Cheng Weibin , Tian Junzhang , Jin Changxiao
Published: September 2022

Background
China empowered and continues to empower internet hospitals, which saw an increase in their development due to the pandemic, to fight against COVID-19. The construction and operational models of internet hospitals can be categorized as self-constructed and self-managed models, self-constructed and enterprise-run models, hospital and enterprise joint-owned models, and as being hosted by a third-party platform. Despite the increasing importance of internet hospitals, there have been few systematic summaries of its construction and operational models.
Objective
The study’s primary purpose was to understand the construction and operational models of internet hospitals in China.
Methods
Data were collected from September 2020 from the internet hospital survey and hospital staff survey based on 39 medical institutions and 356 medical staff. T-tests were used to compare the continuous variables’ values. Chi-square tests were used to compare the proportions of the categorical variables. The self-perception of the internet hospitals’ services was assessed on 17 aspects using a 5-point Likert scale. A root cause analysis was used to identify the root causes and influencing factors of the current deficiencies faced by internet hospitals.
Results
Among the 39 internet hospitals, 22 (56.4%) were self-constructed and self-managed. Self-constructed and self-managed hospitals had lower percentages of professionals providing online services (P=0.006), numbers of doctors outside of the entity (P=0.006), numbers of online nurses (P=0.004), and ratio of online nurses to offline doctors as compared to other models of internet hospitals (P < 0.001). Among the 17 evaluation aspects of the medical staff’s self-perception of the internet hospitals’ services, fee transparency, fee rationality, travel cost capital, patience and responsibility, and consultation behaviors had the highest scores. The root causes included five aspects: human, channels, prices, services, and time.
Conclusions
There were differences between self-constructed and self-managed models and other models of internet hospitals. This study enriches the literature on the construction and operational models of internet hospitals and provides additional policy implications for tele-medicine management.
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Almost 24000 Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 by Sex and Severity During the First 12 Months of the Pandemic in Yazd, the Central City of Iran
Authors: Namayandeh Seyedeh Mahideh , Dehghan HamidReza , Lotfi MohammadHassan , Khajehaminian Mohammad Reza , Hosseini Saeed , Bahrevar Vali , Jarrahi AliAkbar , Majidpour Fatemeh
Published: September 2022

This study was designed and implemented to analyze and establish documents related to the above cases in the first to third COVID-19 epidemic waves for the use of researchers and doctors during and after the epidemic. The current case series study was conducted on 24563 thousand hospitalized COVID-19 patients by examining their clinical characteristics within a one-year period from the beginning of the pandemic on 02.22.2020 to 02.14.2021, which included the first to the third waves, based on gender and severity of COVID-19. The mean age of the participants was 56 ± 20.71, and 51.8% were male. Out of a total of 24563 thousand hospitalized COVID-19 patients until February 2021, there were 2185 mortalities (9.8%) and 2559 cases of severe COVID-19 (13.1%). The median duration of hospitalization was 13 days for patients with severe cases of COVID-19 (IQR-7-23). The rate of hospital mortality was higher in severe (37.8%) than in non-severe (4.8%) cases of COVID-19, While the risk of severe cases increased significantly in the third and early fourth waves (HR=1.672, 95% CI: 1.48-1.89, P<0.001). Also, the risk of contracting severe COVID-19 increased significantly in patients aged ≥ 65 years old (HR=2.1, 95%CI: 1.1.93-2.72, P<0.001). As shown by the results, the rates of hospital mortality (9.3% vs. 8.5%) and severe cases of COVID-19 (13.6% vs. 12.5%) were higher among men than women (P<0.01). In our study, the mortality rate and severity of COVID-19 were within the scope of global studies. Men experienced higher severity and mortality than women. The was a significantly higher prevalence of old age and underlying diseases in individuals with severe COVID-19. Our data also showed that patients with a previous history of COVID-19 had a more severe experience of COVID-19, while most of these patients were also significantly older and had an underlying disease.
Evaluation of preoperative calculation methods of osteotomy size in ankylosing spondylitis with thoracolumbar or lumbar kyphosis
Authors: Cheng Jie , Zhang Shuwen , Sheng Weibin
Published: September 2022

Background
To evaluate the accuracy of different preoperative calculation methods of osteotomy size in ankylosing spondylitis with thoracolumbar or lumbar kyphosis and analyze its clinical significance.
Methods
Twenty-two cases of AS patients with thoracolumbar or lumbar kyphosis, from January 2015 to December 2018, who underwent one-level SPO surgery in our hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. The sagittal parameters were measured at pre-operation and last follow up using Surgimap software, and theoretical values of sagittal parameters were calculated according to pre-operative PI. The osteotomy angles of different methods were measured using Surgimap software. Paired t test was used to for the statistical analysis.
Results
The mean follow-up time of all patients was 30.00±3.56 months. The osteotomy sites were located at T12 in 3 cases, L1 in 6 cases, L2 in 9 cases, and L3 in 4 cases. Compared to pre-operative sagittal parameters, post-operative PT, SS, LL, and SVA were significantly improved (P<0.05). Compared to the OVA (46.57±2.32°), there was a significantly larger angle predicted by Surgimap method (53.80±9.79°), CAM-HA method (56.61±8.58°), and HP-HA method (60.07±13.58°), respectively (P<0.05). But no significant difference was found between the postoperative osteotomy angle and those of SFA method (51.24±12.14°) and FBI method (48.08±12.49°) (P>0.05).
Conclusion
For AS patients with thoracolumbar or lumbar kyphosis, the SFA method, FBI method, and Surgimap method can be used to predict the osteotomy angle precisely, however, considering the rationality of parameter settings and the operability, SFA method is relatively more suitable for such population.
Effect of a 3-month L-carnitine supplementation and resistance training program on circulating markers and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Olek Robert A. , Samborowska Emilia , Wisniewski Piotr , Wojtkiewicz Pawel , Wochna Krystian , Zielinski Jacek
Published: September 2022

Background: Higher circulating levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is a metabolite that can be produced by the gut microbiota from L-carnitine (LC), have been associated with bone mineral density (BMD). Because, LC supplementation can improve bone density and microstructural properties in animal models, this study aimed to examine the effects of 12 weeks of LC supplementation on BMD and selected blood markers involved in bone metabolism of postmenopausal women participating in a resistance training program.
Methods: Twenty-seven postmenopausal women, who had not been treated for osteoporosis, with a total T-score above -3.0 and no diet differences completed 12 weeks of resistance training. The participants’ diets were supplemented with either 1 g of LC-L-tartrate and 3 g of leucine per day (LC group) or 4 g of leucine per day as a placebo (PLA group), in a double-blind fashion.
Results: After the intervention in the LC group, plasma total carnitine and serum decorin levels were higher than the corresponding preintervention values (p = 0.040 and p = 0.042, respectively). Moreover, plasma TMAO and serum SPARC levels were higher in the LC group than the corresponding preintervention values in the PLA group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.030, respectively). No changes in the BMD were observed after 3 months of the intervention.
Conclusions: Administration of LC increased plasma TMAO levels and appeared to affect signaling molecules, as indicated by the increase in the resting SPARC and decorin levels, with no significant modification in the BMD.
Trial registration: Retrospectively registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05120011).
Trends in Emergency Department Visits and Surgeries Due to Traumatic Brain Injury During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Finland
Authors: Jäntti Saara , Ponkilainen Ville , Kuitunen Ilari , Uimonen Mikko , Luoto Teemu , Mattila Ville M.
Published: September 2022

Background
We aim to evaluate the changes in the incidence of TBI, trauma craniotomies, and craniectomies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland.
Methods
This retrospective register study was conducted at three Finnish hospitals. We retrieved the numbers of emergency department (ED) visits, inpatient admissions, and trauma craniotomies and craniectomies due to TBI in the adult population from 2017 to 2020.We calculated the incidences per 100 000 inhabitants and compared the year 2020 to the reference years (2017-2019) by incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals.
Results
The incidence of TBI-related ED visits during the study period compared to the reference years started to decrease in March 2020 (IRR 0.86, CI: 0.73-1.02), and the lowest incidence was seen in April 2020 (IRR 0.83, CI: 0.68-1.01). The incidence of ED visits showed a second decrease in December (IRR 0.80, CI: 0.67-0.96). The incidence of concussion decreased during the national lockdown in March (IRR 0.80, CI 0.66-0.97).
Conclusions
The incidence of ED visits due to TBI decreased after the declaration of national lockdown in spring 2020 and showed a second decrease during regional restrictions in December. In addition, the incidence of neurosurgically treated TBI decreased during restaurant restrictions in the spring.
Development and clinical validation of a microfluidic-based platform for CTC enrichment and downstream molecular analysis
Authors: Cai Songhua , Deng Youjun , Wang Zhe , Zhu Junyu , Huang Chujian , Du Longde , Wang Chunguang , Yu Xiangyang , Liu Wenyi , Yang Chenglin , Wang Lixu , Ma Kai , Huang Rui , Zhou Xiaoyu , Zou Heng , Zhang Wenchong , Huang Yan , Li Zhi , Qin Tiaoping , Xu Tao , Guo Xiaotong , Yu Zhentao , Wang Zhe
Published: September 2022

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are shed from primary or metastatic tumors into the peripheral blood circulation which carry a wealth of information for cancer diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. However, most of current CTCs isolation and detection methods provide only cancer cell counting information which is far from meeting clinical needs. In addition to the numbers of CTCs, the target proteins and gene mutations carried by CTCs can also be used for clinical diagnosis, disease monitoring and therapeutic selection. In this work, we develop a novel microfluidic-based CTCs separation and enrichment platform that enables the extraction of CTCs information, including cell number, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) subtypes, protein expression levels, and target gene mutations. The platform offers a high CTCs recovery rate (> 85%), high CTCs purification (∼104enrichment) and intact viable CTCs for downstream analysis. This platform can successfully enrich tumor cells from a 4 mL blood sample within 15 minutes. CTCs were detected in clinical samples from cancer patients with a detection rate of 95.8%. Furthermore, the CTCs subtypes (epithelial, mesenchymal or mix type), the expression levels of selected proteins (PD-L1, HER2, VEGF), and the target mutations in selected genes (EGFR, KRAS, BRAF) could also be directly analyzed by immunofluorescence and digital PCR for clinical utility. PD-L1 expression detected in the CTCs was consistent with the immunohistochemical results. This microfluidic-based CTCs enrichment platform and downstream molecular analysis provide a possible alternative to tissue biopsy for precision cancer management, especially for patients whose tissue biopsies are unavailable.
Linear stability of homogeneous and quasi-homogeneous N-body problem by symmetry groups
Authors: Li Yingli
Published: September 2022

Motivated by Xia-Zhou's recent work on applying symmetry groups to the N-body problem, we will study relative equilibria of the equilateral triangle and the square configurations under $\alpha$-homogeneous and quasi-homogeneous potentials with this method. After linearizing the corresponding second order equations, with appropriate coordinate transformations, we study the linear stability of the relative equilibria by decomposing each $2n\times 2n$ matrix into a series of $2\times 2$ matrices.
The New Technique in Hemorrhoid Disease: A Combination of Laser Hemorrhoidoplasty and Ferguson Hemorrhoidectomy
Authors: Yanar Fatih , Abbasov Aykhan , Ilhan Burak , Ozcınar Beyza , Yanar Hakan
Published: September 2022

Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the early and long-term results of the three surgical methods (Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy, laser hemorrhoidoplasty, and combined method) of hemorrhoidal disease.
Methods
Between January 2018 and January 2020, 154 consecutive patients diagnosed with symptomatic grade II-III hemorrhoid disease were treated with Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy (FH group), laser hemorrhoidoplasty (LHP group), or combined (FH + LHP group) method. Patients were evaluated in terms of duration of surgery, recovery time of symptoms, postoperative pain, early and late complications, and recurrence.
Results
Postoperative pain scores on the 6th, 12th, 24th hours, and 7th day were significantly lower in the LHP group compared to other groups (p < 0.001). Upon development of postoperative perianal thrombosis in 2 patients of the LHP group, one patient underwent thrombectomy and the other patient underwent medical treatment. In the FH group, reoperation and hemostasis are done for bleeding on the postoperative 6th day in 1 patient, and a foley catheter was applied due to urinary retention in 1 patient. Two anal fissures were seen in postoperative one month in the FH group and recovered with medical treatment and sitz bath. There were two hemorrhoid disease recurrences the median follow-up period of 24 (12–36) months in the LHP group only.
Conclusion
In patients with multiple hemorrhoid packages with both grade 2 and also grade 3 disease, the combined method can be better used safely and effectively, despite relatively higher pain scores, and prolonged operation time compared to the LHP method but considering rare complications and recurrences.
Do Human Capital and Governance Thresholds Matter for the Environmental Impact of Fdi?: the Evidence From Mena Countries
Authors: Taşdemir Fatma , Özçelik Seda Ekmen
Published: September 2022

This paper studies whether foreign direct investment (FDI)-CO2 emissions relationship may change depending on the data-driven estimated threshold levels for the country characteristics (CC) including human capital and governance in a sample of 13 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) economies during the 1996–2019 period. Our results strongly suggest that endogenously estimated CC thresholds matter for the impact of FDI on CO2 emissions. The pollution haven hypothesis which maintains that FDI is associated with higher levels of pollution, appears to be valid for economies with weak CC. In addition to this, the pollution halo argument suggesting FDI lowers the emissions appears to be hold in countries with strong CC. The results in this study may indicate that policies aiming to improve human capital and governance may be expected not only to increase the economic benefits of FDI in terms of growth but also mitigate the negative environmental impacts of FDI in the MENA region.
JEL Classification: C13, C33, F21, F30, O50, Q56.
The Effect of Using Task-based Activities on Reading Comprehension Skill among Iranian Intermediate Pre-university Students
Authors: Hosseiny Mohammad
Published: September 2022

Within the framework of Task-based Language Teaching / Learning, it is believed that since learners work to complete a task, they have abundant opportunity to interact. Such interaction is thought to facilitate language acquisition as learners have to work to understand each other and to express their own meaning. The research study reported herein was designed to investigate the effects of using task-based activities on reading comprehension skill among Iranian intermediate pre-university students. To this end, sixty male EFL participants from pre-university level in Hamedan were selected and assigned to two groups (experimental and control) on the basis of their performance on the Oxford Placement Test as pre-test. Then, the subjects in experimental group underwent practice on reading passages through using different kinds of task-based activities during a one-month period. During the treatment, the experimental group participants had the opportunity to produce output (use language) through negotiation based on doing task-based activities both orally and in written form. The control group did not produce but answered some cliché comprehension exercises (true/false, multiple-choice items). They received some placebo activities with no treatment. Both groups were exposed to the same passages but did different tasks. At the end of the experimental period, the subjects in the two groups were given the post-test of reading comprehension. The raw scores were submitted to a series of t-tests. The results showed that using task-based activities during treatment period contributed significantly to the performance on reading comprehension in experimental group. In addition, the experimental group showed significant difference in their general language proficiency. Further studies are needed to investigate the impact of other task-based criteria on reading comprehension skill as well as speaking, writing and also listening comprehension by changing the type of elicitation instruments, the time of experimental treatment and the subjects’ proficiency level.
Relationship between prior entrepreneurship exposure and entrepreneurial intention among secondary school learners in Gauteng, South Africa
Authors: Malebana Mmakgabo Justice , Mothibi Nkosinathi Henry
Published: September 2022

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of prior entrepreneurship exposure on entrepreneurial intention and its antecedents. Data were collected from 349 secondary school learners in Mamelodi, Gauteng province of South Africa using a cross-sectional survey. The results revealed that prior entrepreneurship exposure in the form of current business ownership, prior start-up experience, entrepreneurial role models in the family, among friends, and knowing other entrepreneurs have no significant effect on entrepreneurial intention and its antecedents. Prior start-up experience, knowledge of successful entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurship education had a significant positive relationship with entrepreneurial intention. Prior start-up experience and knowledge of successful entrepreneurs were positively related to attitude towards entrepreneurship and subjective norms. Knowledge of successful entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship education had a significant positive relationship with perceived behavioural control. Additionally, a significant positive relationship was found between entrepreneurship education and subjective norms.
Quality of Life Evaluation in Saudi Arabian Pediatric Patients with Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Receiving Subcutaneous IgG Infusions at Home
Authors: Al-Saud Bandar , AlRumayyan Nora , Alfattani Areej , Awwad Sawsan Abu , Saud Dema Al , Mohammed Reem , Albuhairi Sultan , Elshorbagi Sahar , Balhareth Sakra , Al-Dhekri Hasan , Arnaout Rand , De Vol Edward , Al-Mousa Hamoud
Published: September 2022

Background and aims

Subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) home infusion is widely used as an alternative to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). The aim of this study is to determine the quality of life in primary immunodeficiency (PID) patient’s after switching to home based SCIG.

Methods

Prospective open-label, single center study. Quality of life (QoL) was determined using a validated Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) (HealthActCHQ, Boston, MA, USA) in Arabic at baseline, 3 and 6 months after switching from IVIG to SCIG.

Results

From July 2018 to August 2021, 29 patients were recruited and 25 patient’s data were available for analysis: 15 females and 10 males. The median age was 5 years old (Range 0–14 years). The patient’s diagnoses were 11 severe combined immunodeficiency, 3 combined immunodeficiency, 2 agammaglobulinemia, 2 Omenn syndrome, 2 immunodysregulation, 2 hyper-IgE syndrome, 1 common variable immunodeficiency, 1 bare lymphocyte syndrome, and 1 chronic granulomatous disease. The median time on IVIG was 57 months (Range 3–125 months). The baseline mean serum IgG trough levels was 8.8 g/L ± 2.1. The mean serum IgG level was significantly higher on SCIG at 11.7 ± 2.3 and 11.7 ± 2.5 at 3 months and 6 months respectively. The QoL score showed a significant improvement in the child’s global health at 3 and 6 months compared to baseline (P-value 0.001 and 0.001 respectively) and a significant improvement in the child general health in the 3 and 6 months compared to the baseline (P-value 0.01 and 0.03 respectively).

Conclusions

This is the first study in an Arab population showing improvement in the QoL for PID patients after switching from hospital based IVIG to home based SCIG.
Safety of oral Molnupiravir administration for hospitalized elderly COVID-19 patients aged 80 years old or older
Authors: Gonda Kenji , Suzuki Kouichi , Kono Koji , Takenoshita Seiichi
Published: September 2022

Objective: The number of elderly people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is increasing. To reduce the risk of progression of COVID-19, Molnupiravir, an oral small molecule antiviral prodrug that is active against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, was administered. The targets of administration were 29 elderly people aged over 80 years old (median 87 years old, range 80-100). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of treatment with Molnupiravir; oral administration was started within 24 hours after the onset of signs or symptoms in hospitalized elderly patients with at least one confirmed risk factor for severe COVID-19.Molnupiravir (800 mg) was administered twice daily for 5 days.
Results: There were no deaths within 28 days, and the treatment was effective. Adverse events occurred in only 55% of the target patients within 7 days after oral administration, but only nausea was observed, and no serious side effects were observed; thus, the drug could be safely administered to elderly patients. Early treatment with Molnupiravir reduced the risk of death in elderly individuals at risk for COVID-19.
TRN: ISRCTN79981540, Registration date: 15/07/2022
MicroRNA expression profile in TSC cell lines and the impact of mTOR inhibitor
Authors: Pawlik Bartłomiej , Grabia Szymon , Smyczyńska Urszula , Fendler Wojciech , Dróżdż Izabela , Liszewska Ewa , Jaworski Jacek , Kotulska Katarzyna , Jóźwiak Sergiusz , Młynarski Wojciech , Trelińska Joanna
Published: September 2022

The aim of this study was to assess the potential implication of microRNA on tuberous sclerosis (TSC) pathogenesis by performing microRNA profiling on cell lines silencing TSC1 or TSC2 genes using qPCR panels, before and after incubation with rapamycin. (Qiagen). Significant differences in expression were observed between samples before and after rapamycin treatment in 19 miRNAs in TSC1, five miRNAs in TSC2 and seven miRNAs in controls. Of six miRNAs dysregulated before rapamycin treatment in the TSC1 group, three normalized after treatment (miR-21-3p, miR-433-3p, let-7g-3p). Of three miRNAs dysregulated before rapamycin incubation in TSC2 group, one normalized after treatment (miR-1224-3p). Of the miRNAs dysregulated before rapamycin treatment in TSC1 and TSC2 group, two did not normalize after treatment (miR-33a-3p, miR-29a-3p). The results of the possible targets indicated that there are four common genes with seed regions susceptible to the regulation by those miRNAs: ZBTB20, PHACTR2, PLXNC1 and ATP1B4. Our data show no changes in mRNA expression of these targets before rapamycin treatment. These data suggest that miRNA may play a pivotal role in TSC pathogenesis. Some may serve as biomarkers of treatment efficacy. The variability of miR-29a-3p and miR-33a-3p after rapamycin treatment and the lack of changes in their downstream regulatory targets suggests that they might be mTOR independent.
The evaluation of the adjacency effect on the seismic response of homogenous hills
Authors: Babaadam Niloufar , Uromeihy Ali , Havenith Hans-Balder , Sohrabi-Bidar Abdollah , Maghami Shahram
Published: September 2022

A brief review of previous studies shows that topographic features play an important role in the amplification (de-amplification) of seismic waves. Most researchers who have focused on topographic effects have paid attention to the distribution of amplification on isolated features, whereas what is seen in nature is often more complicated. it is known that 2D or 3D geological structures further contribute to the amplification of seismic ground motion. the main objective of this study is an investigation of the influence of adjacent hills on seismic responses. First, a parametric study has been performed, considering five models (consisting of one to five 2D symmetric homogeneous semi-sinusoidal hills), which are subjected to vertical incident waves. The 2D numerical results show that the largest values of spectral amplification for a series of 2D semi-sinusoidal hills are observed at the crest stations of the central hill, and it increases when the number of hills increases symmetrically on both sides of the central hill. This means that the spectral amplification increases from 3.3 for the single-hill model to 4.37 for the five-hill model. in the following, to validate the parametric results, three adjacent hills located in the city of Arak are studied using the horizontal to vertical spectral ratio analysis of microtremor recording. The comparison with the amplification results obtained from the distinct element (UDEC) and boundary element (HYBRID) numerical approaches indicates that the central hill is more affected by adjacency, rather than the side hills. The spectral amplification for the crest station on the central hill is higher than the two other stations.
Research on prediction method of surface roughness in weak magnetorheological shear thickening fluid polishing
Authors: Ming Yang , Huang Xiangming , Yunhui Cai , Dongdong Zhou
Published: September 2022

A joint prediction method of "mathematical modeling and finite element calculation" is proposed to improve the prediction of machining quality in weak magnetorheological shear thickening fluid polishing of complex surfaces. The study proceeded in several steps. First, based on both impact energy model and material removal model, a numerical prediction model of surface roughness is established. Second, based on the multi-peak fitting method, the field induced rheological properties of the polishing fluid are characterized and material properties of the flow field medium in the polishing zone are defined. Third, the numerical boundaries of polishing flow velocity and shear stress in the above prediction model are obtained. Fourth, the polishing experiments with parameters consistent with the above simulation model are conducted, and the initial surface roughness values are substituted into the above prediction model. The results show that the joint prediction method can effectively predict the machining quality of workpiece surface. The absolute error of Sa value of surface roughness is up to10.6 nm, and the maximum relative error is 12.3%.
Explainable AI for unveiling deep learning pollen classification model based on fusion of scattered light patterns and fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Brdar Sanja , Panić Marko , Matavulj Predrag , Stanković Mira , Bartolić Dragana , Šikoparija Branko
Published: September 2022

Pollen monitoring have become data-intensive in recent years as real-time detectors are deployed to classify airborne pollen grains. Machine learning models with a focus on deep learning, have an essential role in the pollen classification task. Within this study we developed an explainable framework to unveil a deep learning model for pollen classification. Model works on data coming from single particle detector (Rapid-E) that records for each particle optical fingerprint with scattered light and laser induced fluorescence. Morphological properties of a particle are sensed with the light scattering process, while chemical properties are encoded with fluorescence spectrum and fluorescence lifetime induced by high-resolution laser. By utilizing these three data modalities, scattering, spectrum, and lifetime, deep learning-based models with millions of parameters are learned to distinguish different pollen classes, but a proper understanding of such a black-box model decisions demands additional methods to employ. Our study provides the first results of applied explainable artificial intelligence (xAI) methodology on the pollen classification model. Extracted knowledge on the important features that attribute to the predicting particular pollen classes is further examined from the perspective of domain knowledge and compared to available reference data on pollen sizes, shape, and laboratory spectrofluorometer measurements.
Toxicity of mint and eucalyptus extracts and some chemical insecticides on black legume aphid, Aphis craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its predator, Hippodamia variegata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: Danaye-Tous Amir-Hossein
Published: September 2022

Aphis craccivora also known as black legume aphid is a critical pests related to cowpeas, alfalfa, and grain legumes in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Several different insecticides have been used to control this pest. The adonis ladybird, Hippodamia variegata is an active predators of this pest and can reportedly found all over the world. Aiming to reduce chemical insecticides, this study compares of the toxicity of the mint and eucalyptus extracts (Palizin®) (SL65%) and the chemical pesticides imidacloprid, pirimicarb, and spirotetramat onA. craccivora and its natural enemy H. variegata in the laboratory using leaf dipping method and the spraying technique. According to the results, the LC50 value of the botanical pesticide Palizin on A. craccivora was 50.017 ppm and on the H. variegata 54.606 ppm. Also, the mortality rate after 24 hours was as follows: Palizin used on A. craccivora at concentrations of 1250 ppm and 833 ppm caused 100% and 76.67% mortality, respectively while pirimicarb, with 70% mortality, performed better than spirotetramat (63.83% mortality) and imidacloprid (10% mortality). Furthermore, Palizin used on H. variegata at concentrations of 1250 ppm and 833 caused mortality rates of 66.68% and 63.33% respectively. Pirimicarb, however caused a mortality rate of 43.33% while spirotetramat and imidacloprid led to mortality rates of 10% and 100% respectively. Thus, it can be said that Palizin, at concentrations of 1250 and 833 ppm is suitable for farmers to use in controling A. craccivora while conserving part of the its predator population, H. variegata.
Optimization of glutathione production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae HBSD-W08 using Plackett–Burman and central composite rotatable designs
Authors: Hu Xinyi , Shen Xinlei , Zhu Shen , Zeng Huawei , Shuai Yuying
Published: September 2022

Background
Glutathione (GSH) is an important bioactive tripeptide and is widely used in the food, medicine, and cosmetics industries. The aim of this study was to provide an efficient method for producing GSH and to explore its synthesis mechanism. Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain HBSD-W08 was screened for GSH production, and its fermentation medium was optimized using single-factor experiments of the Plackett-Burman and central composite rotatable designs. This method was used to analyze the effects of the presence and concentration of various carbon sources, organic and inorganic nitrogen sources, metal ions, and precursor amino acids on GSH production and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) activity.
Results
The three most significant factors affecting GSH production were peptone (optimal concentration [OC]: 2.50 g L− 1), KH2PO4 (OC: 0.13 g L− 1), and glutamic acid (OC: 0.10 g L− 1). GSH productivity of HBSD-W08 was obtained at 3.70 g L− 1 in the optimized medium. The activity of γ-GCS, which is a marker for oxidative stress, was found to be highly positively correlated with GSH production.
Conclusions
This finding revealed an underlying relationship between GSH synthesis and oxidative stress, providing useful information for developing effective GSH fermentation control strategies.
Study of Sterilization Mechanism of Acidic Electrolyzed Water on Saprolegnia and the Control of Saprolegniasis in grass carp
Authors: Yang Hu , Li Jia , Xu Huizhong , Peng Chunfeng , Cui Jun , Hu Shengbiao , Xia Liqiu , Zhang Youming
Published: September 2022

Saprolegnia infection of freshwater fish causes considerable economic loss to the aquaculture industry. Acidic electrolytic water (AEW) is highly valued by researchers for its rapid, efficient and broad-spectrum advantages in disinfection. This study investigated the bactericidal effect, mechanism and application of AEW on Saprolegnia. The results showed that AEW had a bactericidal effect on both Saprolegnia mycelia and spores, yet the bactericidal effect on Saprolegnia mycelia were superior. The available chlorine concentration (ACC), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and treatment time were the main factors affecting the bactericidal effect of AEW. AEW mainly affected the normal physiological function of mycelium by destroying the cell membrane structure and causing leakage contents. However, the mycelium treated with AEW showed a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity, which led to a massive outbreak of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and eventually induced apoptosis and necrosis. To investigate the safety assessment of AEW for grass carp and its application in Saprolegnia disease control, the results showed that AEW with dilution greater than 100 is safe for grass carp juveniles and has a preventive effect on Saprolegnia infection in grass carp. In conclusion, AEW provides a new technical method for the prevention and control of Saprolegnia in the future, and it has potential application in the aquaculture industry.