bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influenza’s plummeting and future dynamics: the roles of mask wearing, mobility change and SARS-CoV-2 interference
Authors: Han Shasha , Zhang Ting , Lyu Yan , Lai Shengjie , Dai Peixi , Zheng Jiandong , Yang Weizhong , Zhou Xiao-Hua , Feng Luzhao
Published: October 2021

Untangling lessons from the influenza’s plummeting during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical for mitigating seasonal and pandemic influenza. Here we explored a country-specific inference model to estimate the effects of mask-wearing, mobility changes (international and domestic) and SARS-CoV-2 interference in China, England and the United States. We found that mask wearing had a larger reduction than mobility changes in all the regions. Only in 2019-2020, SARS-CoV-2 interference had an observable effect, with values varying at the timing of the influenza season and the speed of SARS-CoV-2 community transmission. Compared to the epidemics in 2017–2019, longer and blunter rebounds could occur in the incoming 2021–2022 season, but the rebound would be smaller if less stringent mask mandates continued or the international mobility stayed low. Our results bear implications for understanding how influenza evolves under non-pharmaceutical interventions and other respiratory diseases, and will inform designing of tailored public health measures.
HELP-DKT: An Interpretable Cognitive Model of How Students Learn Programming Based on Deep Knowledge Tracing
Authors: Liang Yu , Peng Tianhao , Pu Yanjun , Wu Wenjun
Published: October 2021

Student cognitive models are playing an essential role in intelligent online tutoring for programming courses. These models capture students' learning interactions and store them in the form of a set of binary responses, thereby failing to utilize rich educational information in the learning process. Moreover, the recent development of these models has been focused on improving the prediction performance and tended to adopt deep neural networks in building the end-to-end prediction frameworks. Although this approach can provide an improved prediction performance, it may also cause difficulties in interpreting the student's learning status, which is crucial for providing personalized educational feedback. To address this problem, this paper provides an interpretable cognitive model named HELP-DKT, which can infer how students learn programming based on deep knowledge tracing. HELP-DKT has two major advantages. First, it implements a feature-rich input layer, where the raw codes of students are encoded to vector representations, and the error classifications as concept indicators are incorporated. Second, it can infer meaningful estimation of student abilities while reliably predicting future performance. The experiments confirm that HELP-DKT can achieve good prediction performance and present reasonable interpretability of student skills improvement. In practice, HELP-DKT can personalize the learning experience of novice learners.
Prediction and Prevention of Pandemics via Graphical Model Inference and ConvexProgramming
Authors: Krechetov Mikhail , Sikaroudi Amir Mohammad Esmaieeli , Efrat Alon , Polishchuk Valentin , Chertkov Michael
Published: October 2021

Hard-to-predict bursts of COVID-19 pandemic revealed significance of statistical modeling which would resolve spatio-temporal correlations over geographical areas, for example spread of the infection over a city with census tract granularity. In this manuscript, we provide algorithmic answers to the following two interrelated public health challenges of immense social impact which have not been adequately addressed (1) Inference Challenge: assuming that there are N census blocks (nodes) in the city, and given an initial infection at any set of nodes, e.g. any N of possible single node infections, any N(N − 1)/2 of possible two node infections, etc, what is the probability for a subset of census blocks to become infected by the time the spread of the infection burst is stabilized? (2) Prevention Challenge: What is the minimal control action one can take to minimize the infected part of the stabilized state footprint? To answer the challenges, we build a Graphical Model of pandemic of the attractive Ising (pair-wise, binary) type, where each node represents a census track and each edge factor represents the strength of the pairwise interaction between a pair of nodes, e.g. representing the inter-node travel, road closure and related, and each local bias/field represents the community level of immunization, acceptance of the social distance and mask wearing practice, etc. Resolving the Inference Challenge requires finding the Maximum-A-Posteriory (MAP), i.e. most probable, state of the Ising Model constrained to the set of initially infected nodes. (An infected node is in the +1 state and a node which remained safe is in the −1 state.) We show that almost all attractive Ising Models on dense graphs result in either of the two possibilities (modes) for the MAP state: either all nodes which were not infected initially became infected, or all the initially uninfected nodes remain uninfected (susceptible). This bi-modal solution of the Inference Challenge allows us to restate the Prevention Challenge as the following tractable convex programming: for the bare Ising Model with pair-wise and bias factors representing the system without prevention measures, such that the MAP state is fully infected for at least one of the initial infection patterns, find the closest, in l 1 norm, therefore prevention-optimal, set of factors resulting in all the MAP states of the Ising model, with the optimal prevention measures applied, to become safe.
ITS Sequence Analysis of Ophidascaris Baylisi from Burmese Pythons
Authors: Zhao Qi , Abuzeid Asmaa , Zhuang Tingting , He Long , Liu Jumei , Li Xiu , Li Guoqing
Published: October 2021

Members of genus Ophidascaris are common parasitic roundworms in snakes that cause gastric granulomas, adenocarcinomas, intestinal obstruction, death, and serious economic losses in snakes and their products. To identify molecular marker of Ophidascaris baylisi from the Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus), we amplified internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence from this roundworm and analyzed their homology and phylogeny. The amplified ITS sequence length was 1140 bp, comprising the complete ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 sequences and a partial 28S sequence. The ITS1+ sequence was homologous (85.8% homology) to the related species Ophidascaris robertsi. The phylogenetic tree revealed a close genetic distance between O. baylisi and O. robertsi, which formed a separate branch within family Ascaridae clade. The results indicated that the identified ITS sequence could be a good molecular marker for further study on the molecular classification and genetic variation of Ophidascaris species.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma With Gastric Metastasis, A Rare Presentation: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Durastante Vittorio , Conte Antonello , Brollo Pier Paolo , Biddau Carlo , Graziano Michele , Bresadola Vittorio
Published: October 2021

Introduction.
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an infrequent, but highly aggressive neuroendocrine neoplasm of the skin with a propensity for recurrence and metastasis. We report a rare case of gastric metastatic localization of this cancer by focusing on the diagnostic, clinical and surgical approach to the patient.
Case report.
Clinical presentation begins with a peripheral lymphadenopathy whose immunohistochemical characterization identifies the lymphatic dissemination of the disease. Gradually the patient develops a severe anaemic state which requires several blood transfusions and surgical gastric resection to remove a large bleeding lesion of the antral region. The histopathological analysis of the specimen confirms the metastatic origin from MCC, but the primitive lesion remains unknown.
Discussion.
Since this clinical situation is very rare, we conducted a review of the literature selecting the few cases reported, in order to evaluate the current knowledge on this topic. Metastatic involvement of the stomach from Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare presentation of this disease progression with a frequent delay in formulating the correct diagnosis and in further treatment which may be life-threatening for the patient. As regards the local treatment, there is no specific guideline, and the therapeutic indication should be tailored on the specific case.
The relationship between net GHG emissions and radiative forcing with an application to Article 4.1 of the Paris Agreement.
Authors: Wigley Tom M. L.
Published: October 2021

This paper provides an assessment of Article 4.1 of the Paris Agreement on climate; the main goal of which is to provide guidance on how “to achieve the long-term temperature goal set out in Article 2”. Paraphrasing, Article 4.1 says that, to achieve this end, we should decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions so that net anthropogenic GHG emissions fall to zero in the second half of this century. To aggregate net GHG emissions, 100-year Global Warming Potentials (GWP-100) are commonly used to convert non-CO2 emissions to equivalent CO2 emissions. As a test case using methane, temperature projections using GWP-100 scaling are shown to be seriously in error. This throws doubt on the use of GWP-100 scaling to estimate net GHG emissions. An alternative method to determine the net-zero point for GHG emissions based on radiative forcing is derived. This shows that the net-zero point needs to be reached as early as 2036, much sooner than in the Article 4.1 window. Other scientific flaws in Article 4.1 that further undermine its purpose to guide efforts to achieve the Article 2 temperature targets are discussed.
PlantRep: a resource of plant repeats
Authors: Luo Xizhi , Chen Shiyu , Zhang Yu
Published: October 2021

We re-annotated repeats of 459 plant genomes and released a new datatabase: PlantRep (http://www.plantrep.cn/). PlantRep sheds lights of repeat evolution and provides fundamental data for deep exploration of genome.
An improved droplet digital PCR assay reveals the stability of intrahepatic hepatitis B virus cccDNA.
Authors: Hayashi Sanae , Isogawa Masanori , Kawashima Keigo , Ito Kyoko , Chuaypen Natthaya , Morine Yuji , Shimada Mitsuo , Higashi-Kuwata Nobuyo , Tangkijvanich Pisit , Mitsuya Hiroaki , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: October 2021

The persistence of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) poses a major obstacle to curing chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Here, we used droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) for cccDNA quantitation. ddPCR measured a less than two-fold difference in the intrahepatic cccDNA content more accurately than conventional real-time PCR (qPCR), (R2=0.9416 and R2=0.8963, respectively) and had also higher sensitivity and specificity than qPCR. The results of ddPCR correlated closely with serum HB core-related antigen and HB surface antigen (HBsAg) in 24 HBV-infected human-liver-chimeric mice (PXB-mice). We demonstrated that the total cccDNA content did not change during liver repopulation, although the cccDNA content per hepatocyte was reduced in PXB-mice after entecavir treatment. In the 6 patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma, ddPCR detected cccDNA in both tumor and non-tumor tissues. In 13 HBeAg-negative CHB patients with pegylated interferon alpha-2a, cccDNA contents from paired biopsies were more significantly reduced in virological response (VR) than in non-VR at week 48 (p=0.0051). Interestingly, cccDNA levels were the lowest in VR with HBsAg clearance but remained detectable after the treatment. Collectively, ddPCR revealed that cccDNA content is stable during hepatocyte proliferation and persists at quantifiable levels, even after serum HBsAg clearance.
Identification and Molecular Mapping of a Major Quantitative Trait Locus Underlying Branch Angle in Soybean
Authors: Chance Clark , Wang Weidong , Wang Ying , Fear Gabriel , Wen Zixiang , Wang Dechun , Ren Bo , Ma Jianxin
Published: October 2021

Soybean branch angle is a critical architectural trait that affects many other traits of agronomic importance associated with the plant’s productivity and grain yield, and is thus a vital consideration in soybean breeding. However, the genetic basis for modulating this important trait in soybean and many other crops remain unknown. Previously, we developed a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between a domesticated soybean (Glycine max) variety, Williams 82, and a wild soybean (Glycine soja) accession, PI 479752, and observed drastic variation in plant architecture including branch angle among individual RILs. In this study, one of the RILs possessing extremely wide branch angle (WBA) was crossed with an elite soybean cultivar (LD00-3309) possessing narrow branch angle (NBA) to produce an F2 population composed of 147 plants and F2-derived F3 families for inheritance analysis and QTL mapping. We found that branch angle is controlled by a major QTL located on chromosome 19, designated qGmBa1, and that WBA – derived from the wild soybean accession – is dominant over NBA. This locus was also detected as a major one underlying branch angle by QTL mapping using a subset of the soybean nested association mapping (SoyNAM) population composed of 140 RILs, which were derived from a cross between a landrace, PI 437169B, possessing WBA and an elite variety, IA3023, possessing NBA. Molecular markers located in the QTL region defined by both mapping populations can be used for marker-assisted selection of branch angle in soybean breeding.
Ninjinyoeito Ameliorated Cigarette Smoke Extract-induced Apoptosis and Inflammation Through JNK Signaling Inhibition in Human Lung Fibroblasts
Authors: Murata Kenta , Fujita Nina , Takahashi Ryuji
Published: October 2021

BackgroundCigarette smoke is a major risk factor for various lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ninjinyoeito (NYT), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been prescribed for patients with post-illness or post-operative weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, rash, cold limbs, and anemia. In addition to its traditional use, NYT has been prescribed for treating frailty in gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urinary functions. Further, NYT treatment can ameliorate cigarette smoke-induced lung injury, which is a destructive index in mice; however, the detailed underlying mechanism remains unknown. PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether NYT ameliorates cigarette smoke-induced lung injury and inflammation in human lung fibroblasts and determine its mechanism of action. MethodsWe prepared a cigarette smoke extract (CSE) from commercially available cigarettes to induce cell injury and inflammation in the human lung fibroblast cell line HFL1. The cells were pretreated with NYT for 24 h prior to CSE exposure. Cytotoxicity and cell viability were measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assay and cell counting kit (CCK)-8. IL-8 level in the cell culture medium was measured by performing Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA). To clarify the mechanisms of NYT, we used CellROX Green Reagent for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and western blotting analysis for cell signaling.ResultsExposure of HFL1 cells to CSE for 24 h induced apoptosis and interleukin (IL)-8 release. Pretreatment with NYT inhibited apoptosis and IL-8 release. Furthermore, CSE exposure for 24 h increased the production of ROS and phosphorylation levels of p38 and JNK. Pretreatment with NYT only inhibited CSE-induced JNK phosphorylation, and not ROS production and p38 phosphorylation. These results suggest that NYT acts as a JNK-specific inhibitor.ConclusionNYT treatment ameliorated CSE-induced apoptosis and inflammation by inhibiting the JNK signaling pathway. Finally, these results suggest that NYT may be a promising therapeutic agent for patients with COPD.
Highly efficient top-down processed blue InGaN nanoscale light-emitting diodes
Authors: Lee Changhee , Sheen Mihyang , Ko Yunhyuk , Kim Dong-uk , Kim Jongil , Byun Jinho , Yeon Ki Young , Kim Do hyung , Jung Jungwoon , Choi Jinyoung , Kim Ran , Yoo Jewon , Kim Inpyo , Joo Chanwoo , Hong Nami , Lee Joohee , Jeon Sang Ho , Oh Sang Ho , Lee Jaekwang , Ahn Nari
Published: October 2021

Demands for high-performance displays with high pixel density and picture quality are ever increasing. Indium gallium nitride (InGaN)-based micro-LEDs (μLEDs) are suitable for meeting such demands owing to their high efficiency, brightness, and stability. However, the poor yield of the pick-and-place technique, defect repair, and visibility of edge lines between modules limit the applications of μLEDs. Furthermore, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) decreases (<10%) when μLED size is reduced to less than 10 μm for high pixel densities, thereby limiting the luminance. Here, we demonstrate a top-down-processed blue InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum well (MQW) nanorod-LED (nLED) can be made highly efficient as well as become an enabling technology for reducing manufacturing cost of large-screen displays. A pixel array comprising of horizontally-aligned nLEDs between pixel electrodes can be cost-effectively fabricated by applying the dielectrophoretic force to the inkjet-printed nLEDs dispersed in ink solution. To overcome size-dependent EQE reduction problem, we studied the interaction between the GaN surface and the surface passivation layer via various analyses and found that minimizing the point defects created during the passivation process is crucial to manufacturing high-performance nanoscale LEDs. Notably, the sol–gel method is advantageous for the passivation because SiO2 nanoparticles are adsorbed on the GaN surface, thereby minimizing its atomic interactions. The fabricated nLEDs exhibited an EQE of 20.2±0.6%, the highest EQE value ever reported for the LED in the nanoscale. This work opens the way for manufacturing self-emissive nLED displays that can fully meet the industry requirements of high efficiency and brightness and low-power consumption, contributing to energy saving, carbon neutrality and mitigating climate crisis.
Numerical Investigation of Tool Parameters Influence on the Interlock Forming During Flat Clinching Process
Authors: Wang Zhiyong , Han Shanling , Li Zhiyong , Li Yong
Published: October 2021

Tool parameters play a vital role in the mechanical interlock formation during the flat clinching process, to understand the influence of tool parameters on the interlock formation, the finite element software DEFORM-2D was used to build the numerical model of the flat clinching process, and the numerical model was verified by the experiment. The influences of the punch radius, punch fillet radius, and blank holder radius on the interlock formation of the clinched joint were investigated using the numerical model. Then, the relationship between the punch radius and blank holder radius was studied. The results showed that the interlock gradually increases with the increase of the blank holder radius, after that, the interlock begins to decrease. To maximize the interlock, the punch radius and the blank holder radius should be increased simultaneously. It can be concluded that the blank holder radius and the punch radius should keep in a linear relationship when designing the geometric dimensions of the flat clinch tools, which can promote the application of flat clinching process in car body manufacturing.
Cadmium Exposure Decreases Fasting Blood Glucose Levels and Exacerbates Type-2 Diabetes in a Mouse Model
Authors: Li Mengyang , Wang Shuai , Liu Xiuxiu , Sheng Zhijie , Li Bingyan , Li Jiafu , Zhang Jie , Zhang Zengli
Published: October 2021

Purpose
Although the effects of cadmium (Cd) on the development of diabetes have been extensively investigated, the relationship between Cd exposure and the severity of established diabetes is unclear. Herein, we investigate the effects of long-term exposure to Cd in a streptozotocin-induced mouse model of type 2 diabetes and the underlying mechanism.
Methods
C57BL/6 Mice were divided into the following four groups: 1) control group; 2) Cd-exposed group; 3) diabetic group; 4) Cd-exposed diabetic group. Cd exposure was established by the administration of 155 ppm CdCl2 in drinking water. After 25 weeks of treatment, serum fasting glucose and insulin were measured. Meanwhile, the liver and pancreas specimens were sectioned and stained with Hematoxylin and eosin. Gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, lactate concentration and fibrosis in liver were evaluated.
Results
Clinical signs attributable to diabetes were more apparent in Cd-exposed diabetic mice. Interestingly, Cd exposure significantly decreased fasting blood glucose levels in diabetic group. We further demonstrated that the glycolysis related hepatic enzymes, pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM-2) and lactic dehydrogenase A (LDHA) were both increased, while the gluconeogenesis related hepatic enzymes, phosphoenolpyruvate-1 (PCK-1) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) were both decreased in Cd exposed diabetic mice, indicating that Cd increased glycolysis and inhibited gluconeogenesis in diabetic model. Moreover, lactate accumulation was noted accompanied by the increased inflammation and fibrosis in the livers of diabetic mice following Cd exposure.
Conclusions
Cd exposure disturbed glucose metabolism and exacerbated diabetes, providing a biological relevance that DM patients are at greater risk when exposed to Cd.
Identification of Osteoporosis Using Ensemble Deep Learning Model with Panoramic Radiographs and Clinical Covariates
Authors: Sukegawa Shintaro , Fujimura Ai , Taguchi Akira , Yamamoto Norio , Kitamura Akira , Goto Ryosuke , Nakano Keisuke , Takabatake Kiyofumi , Kawai Hotaka , Nagatsuka Hitoshi , Furuki Yoshihiko
Published: October 2021

Osteoporosis is becoming a global health issue due to increased life expectancy. However, it is difficult to detect in its early stages owing to a lack of discernible symptoms. Hence, screening for osteoporosis with widely used dental panoramic radiographs would be very cost-effective and useful. In this study, we investigate the use of deep learning to classify osteoporosis from dental panoramic radiographs. In addition, the effect of adding clinical covariate data to the radiographic images on the identification performance was assessed. For objective labeling, a dataset containing 778 images was collected from patients who underwent both skeletal-bone-mineral density measurement and dental panoramic radiography at a single general hospital between 2014 and 2020. Osteoporosis was assessed from the dental panoramic radiographs using convolutional neural network (CNN) models, including EfficientNet-b0, -b3, and -b7 and ResNet-18, -50, and -152. An ensemble model was also constructed with clinical covariates added to each CNN. The ensemble model exhibited improved performance on all metrics for all CNNs, especially accuracy and AUC. The results show that deep learning by CNN can accurately classify osteoporosis from dental panoramic radiographs. Furthermore, it was shown that the accuracy can be improved using an ensemble model with patient covariates.
Perceptions and Experiences of Inequity in The Provision and Utilization of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Services in Tigray, Ethiopia: A Qualitative Exploratory Study
Authors: Wuneh Alem Desta , Bezabih Afework Mulugeta , Persson Lars Åke , Okwaraji Yemisrach Behailu , Medhanyie Araya Abrha
Published: October 2021

Background
In earlier studies, we could show that rural Ethiopian maternal health services were distributed pro-rich, while child immunization coverage was equitably distributed. Hence, this study aimed at exploring rural Ethiopian mothers’ and primary healthcare workers’ perceptions of inequities and their causes in the provision and utilization of maternal, newborn, and child health services.
Methods
The study was conducted from August to December 2019 in two rural districts in Tigray, Ethiopia. We performed 22 in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions with mothers who had given birth the last year before the survey. We also interviewed women’s development group leaders, health extension workers at health posts, and health workers at health centers. The final sample was determined based on the concept of saturation. The interviews and focus group discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, translated, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results
Mothers perceived the provision and utilization of antenatal care, facility-based delivery, and care-seeking for sick children inequitably distributed, while immunization was seen as an equitable service. The inequity in providing and utilizing maternal and child health services was linked to the economy, distance, social and cultural norms, health systems, maternal age, and education. Poor implementation of the Government’s equity-oriented policies, such as community-based health insurance, was perceived to result in health inequities.
Conclusions
Mothers and primary health care providers in rural Ethiopia indicated weaknesses in delivering equitable services and reasons for inequitable utilization. The narratives could inform efforts to provide universal health coverage for mothers, newborns, and children. These problems require multisectoral actions to address the identified sources of inequities.
Chemical and Functional Separation of Pro- and Antiangiogenic Components of Danhong Injection in Ischemic or Tumor Vascular Models
Authors: He Shuang , Chen Rongrong , Peng Li , Jiang Zhenzuo , Liu Haixin , Chen Zihao , Zhao Tiechan , Orgah John , Ren Jie , Zhang Peng , Wang Yuefei , Gao Xiumei , Zhu Yan
Published: October 2021

Objective: We aimed to investigate the chemical basis and mechanism of angiogenesis regulation by a multicomponent Chinese medicine Danhong injection (DHI). Methods: A chemical fraction library of DHI was screened and validated for angiogenesis activities by tube formation and migration assays. Mouse ischemic and tumor vascular models were used to verify the angiogenesis effects in vivo. Migration ability of the main monomers of proangiogenic component (PAC) and antiangiogenic component (AAC) in EA.hy926 cells were determined by migration assay. qPCR analyses were performed to access whether the main monomers of PAC or AAC could affect the expression of angiogenesis-related genes in ECs. Western blotting was used to verify the main monomers PAC and AAC effects on CXCR4 protein expression. Results: Two chemically-distinct fractions, including promotion and inhibition of angiogenesis, were identified in DHI. PAC enhanced angiogenesis and improved recovery of ischemic limb perfusion while AAC reduced Lewis lung tumor growth in vivo in VEGFR-2-Luc mice. CA and RA upregulated the expression of TSP1 and downregulated the expression of KDR and PECAM genes. CXCR4 expression was significantly decreased by CA and RA, but increased by PAI, consistent with their differential effects on EC migration. Conclusion: DHI is capable of bi-directional regulation of angiogenesis in a disease-specific manner. The proangiogenesis activity of DHI promotes ischemic vascular injury repair, whereas the anti-angiogenesis activity inhibits tumor growth. The best pro- and anti-angiogenesis activities are composed of unique chemical combinations that differentially regulate angiogenesis-related gene network.
Formulating a Multi-Layered Framework for Automobile Architecture
Authors: Chandra Sushil
Published: October 2021

Product architecture is defined as allocation of components to functions and their interfaces. But what makes this formulation insufficient for automobile architecture is their multi-layered allocation of components and the visual aspect of the architecture. This paper suggests, through an empirical study of two- wheeler models being manufactured by a prominent manufacturer, a multi-tiered framework along with a visual template for two- wheeler architecture which includes their visual schema as well. This paper investigates and demonstrates that this framework and template satisfy the requirements of product architecture by using examples from the domain of motorcycle design. Further, this paper investigates the utility of this framework for platforming strategy, innovation, adoption of new technology and standardization.
Implementing AIRM: A New AI Recruiting Model for the Saudi Arabia Labour Market
Authors: aleisa monirah Ali , Beloff Natalia , White Martin
Published: October 2021

Artificial intelligence is one of the most rapidly evolving technologies today, and it has been used in a variety of application domains. Recently, AI technology has shone in the field of recruiting. Many researchers are working on expanding its capabilities with various applications that will aid in the recruitment process. However, importantly, having an open labour market without a cohesive data centre makes it difficult to monitor, integrate, analyse, and build an evaluation matrix that helps reach the best match of a job candidate to a job vacancy. Moreover, previous research in this domain, where AI serves in the recruiting field, has focused solely on linear and non-linear models that, once trained, lack user preference personalisation. Furthermore, it was more focused on commercial applications than on government services. This paper implements the AIRM architecture and found impressive results by exploring AI and Natural Language Processing matching job candidates. We used a suitable data repository technique with three processing layers, each with a different appropriate model. First, the Initial Screening layer usesthe BIRCH clustering algorithm. The Mapping layer then performs an approximate nearest neighbour search using a Sentence transformer and ranking with a Facebook AI Similarity Search Finally, the Preferences layer takes the user's preferences as a list and sorts the results using a pretrained Cross-Encoders model that considers the weight of the more important words. We completed the implementation of AIRM and obtained some promising results. We discovered that when at least one expert agrees with the system's choice, the AIRM achieves an overall matching accuracy of 82%. In the time performance test, AIRM outperforms human performance in terms of task execution time. It completed the task in 2.4 minutes, but humans took more than three days on average, which is essential when pre-selecting a set of candidates and positions. AIRM will empower the Saudi government's immediate and strategic decisions by gaining comprehensive insight into the labour market and speeding up the recruiting process.
Adaptive insertion of the hydrophobic anchor into poly(ethylene glycol) host for programmable surface functionalization
Authors: Zhang Shaohua , Li Wei , Luan Jiabin , Sun Jiawei , Wang Danni , Teora Serena , Wilson Daniela
Published: October 2021

Covalent and non-covalent molecular binding represent two strategies to tailor surface properties and functions. However, the lack of responsiveness or the requirement of specific binding groups challenged the spatial-temporal control of surface functionalization. Here, we report the adaptive insertion of the hydrophobic anchor into poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) host as a new non-covalent binding strategy for surface functionalization. By using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as the hydrophobic anchor, hydrophilic charged and non-charged functional modules were spontaneously loaded onto the polymeric membrane in 2 minutes without the assistance of any catalysts and binding groups. The thermodynamically favorable insertion of hydrophobic anchors can be reversed by pulling the functional modules, enabling the programmable surface functionalization. We anticipate that the adaptive molecular recognition between hydrophobic anchor and PEG will challenge the hydrophilic understanding of PEG and enhance the progress in nanomedicine, advanced materials, and nanotechnology.
Age-Related Changes to Vestibular Heave and Pitch Perception and Associations with Postural Control
Authors: Gabriel Grace A , Harris Laurence R , Gnanasegaram Joshua J , Cushing Sharon L , Gordon Karen A , Haycock Bruce C , Campos Jennifer L
Published: October 2021

Falls are a common cause of injury in older adults (OAs), and age-related declines across the sensory systems are associated with an increased risk of falls. The vestibular system is particularly important for maintaining balance and supporting safe mobility, and aging has been associated with declines in vestibular end-organ functioning. However, few studies have examined potential age-related differences in vestibular perceptual sensitivities or their association with postural stability. Here we used an adaptive-staircase procedure to measure detection and discrimination thresholds in 19 healthy OAs and 18 healthy younger adults (YAs), by presenting participants with passive heave and pitch movements on a motion-platform in the dark. We also examined participants’ postural stability under various standing-balance conditions. Associations among these postural measures and vestibular perceptual thresholds were further examined. Ultimately, OAs showed larger heave and pitch detection thresholds compared to YAs, and larger perceptual thresholds were associated with greater postural sway, but only in OAs. Overall, these results suggest that vestibular perceptual sensitivity declines with older age and that such declines are associated with poorer postural stability. Future studies could consider the potential applicability of these results in the development of screening tools for falls prevention in OAs.
The Utility of Real-Time Remote Auscultation Using an Internet-Connected Electronic Stethoscope: An Open-Label Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial
Authors: Ito Takahiro , Hirosawa Takanobu , Harada Yukinori , Ikenoya Kohei , Kakimoto Shintaro , Shimizu Taro
Published: October 2021

Objective: This study aimed to assess the utility of real-time remote auscultation using the cardiopulmonary simulators.Methods: In this open-label, randomized controlled trial, the researchers randomly assigned general internal medicine doctors to the real-time remote auscultation group (intervention group) or the classical auscultation group (control group). In the training session, participants listened to five different lung sounds and five cardiac sounds in a previously determined order with the correct classification. In the test session, participants had to classify the five lung sounds and five cardiac sounds in random order. For both sessions, the intervention group auscultated at a distance of 220 m, with an Internet-connected electronic stethoscope while watching the auscultation places on the computer screen. The control group performed direct auscultation using a classical stethoscope. The primary outcome was the total test score.Results: Twenty participants were included in the study. The total test scores of lung auscultation in the intervention (86%) and control (90%) groups were not significantly different (P = .54). The total test score of cardiac auscultation in the control group (94%) was superior to that in the intervention group (72%, P < .05). Valvular diseases were not misclassified as normal sounds in real-time remote cardiac auscultation. Discussion and Conclusions: The utility of real-time remote lung auscultation using an Internet-connected electronic stethoscope was comparable to that of classical lung auscultation. Classical cardiac auscultation was superior to real-time remote cardiac auscultation. However, real-time remote cardiac auscultation is useful for classifying valvular diseases and normal sounds. Trial Registration: UMIN-CTR UMIN000043153; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000049259 The date of first registration:28/01/2021
Effect of chemotherapy and weight change on the gut microbiome of breast cancer patients during the first year of treatment
Authors: Wu Anna H , Vigen Cheryl , Tseng Chiuchen , Garcia Agustin A , Spicer Darcy
Published: October 2021

Objective: The effects of chemotherapy and weight changes on the gut microbiome of breast cancer patients are not well understood.
Methods: We conducted a 1-year follow-up study of 33 breast cancer patients and investigated gut microbiome before initiation of chemotherapy and after completion of treatment. We compared alpha diversity and mean taxa abundance at baseline and absolute changes (Δ; final-baseline) in taxa abundance by treatment (16 neoadjuvant- neoADJ, 13 adjuvant- ADJ, 4 no chemotherapy-noC) using Wilcoxon rank sum and negative binomal tests and evalauted whether these changes were affected by weight changes during follow-up.

Results: Alpha diversity measures increased in the neoADJ (+16.4% in OTU p =0.03; +51.6% in Chao1 p =0.03; +7.0% in Shannon index P=0.02; +11.0% in PD whole tree p =0.09) but not in the non-neoADJ group (ADJ+noC). The difference in change in Chao1 index between groups was statistically significant ( p NEOADJ vs ADJ+noC =0.04). Wilcoxon p values of 0.03 to 0.003 were observed for five taxa: Bacteroidetes (g _Alistipes) , Firmicutes (g_Clostridium, g_Eubacterium, g_Bilophila) and Preteobacteria g_Haemophilus). In the negative binomial analysis, changes in abundance differed at Bonferroni-adjusted p values ≤0.0007 for four taxa: two Bacteroidetes taxa ( g_Alistipes, f _S247 ) and two Firmicutes taxa (g_Catenibacterium, g_Eubacterium ). The negative binomial results remained largely the same when we adjusted for weight changes.

Conclusions and Relevance: This pilot longitudinal study showed changes in alpha diversity measures and abundance of select taxa that appeared to differ by chemotherapy type. Further investigations are needed to confirm these findings and to assess the impact of these microbiome changes on patient outcome.
Microbiological Contamination and Food Hygiene Practices In old Restaurants In Nablus Governorate, Palestine
Authors: MENAWI WAFAA , Saeeri Nada Maher , Quzmar Maimona Jalal , Hijleeh Noor Baker Abu , Antar Hala Salah Alden , Soudi Zahra Ibrahim , Makhlouf Dana Rateb
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Personal hygiene is important in maintaining food quality and health safety, so the low level of personal hygiene causes contamination leading to food spoilage and the occurrence of sick cases for consumers.Objective: This study was conducted under the Corona pandemic to verify food safety in Nablus old restaurants, Palestine, in the year 2021.Research methodology: This study covered 32 restaurants and 160 employees randomly selected. Data collection began between April and June in 2021 using 160 questionnaires that included 20 questions were answered by workers in these restaurants.Results: Contamination with coliform bacteria was found in the restaurant samples with a percentage (42.5%), where the samples have taken from the tables having the highest contamination of this bacterium (50%). Furthermore, the data revealed that there was a relationship between coliform bacteria contamination and age, educational level, and food safety training, as the contamination being seen in the group that got the training, In contrast to those who didn't at the P-value <0.20.Conclusion: There was an association of bacterial contamination with age, especially among the younger group who were less concerned with hygiene and food safety practices compared to the elderly group. And it turns out that restaurant workers must be properly trained in food safety and monitored regularly.
Determining the Effect of Hesperidin Supplementation to Japanese Quail Rations on Blood Serum, Tissue Antioxidant Parameters, Intestine Histomorphology, and Feces Microflora
Authors: ÖZBILGIN Abdullah , MOGULKOÇ Mahmut , ERHAN Füsun , ERCAN Nazlı , KARA Kanber
Published: October 2021

This study was conducted to determine the effects of hesperidin, a flavonoid added to quail rations, on blood serum, antioxidant enzymes in tissues, intestinal histomorphology and fecal microflora. In this context, three groups have been created. The first group has been administered basal ration (Group C). The second group (HES1) has been administered basal ration with hesperidin (1g / kg feed). The third group (HES2) has been administered basal ration with additional hesperidin (2g / kg feed). The experiment lasted 35 days. Blood, tissue and feces samples were taken at the end of the experiment. A significant difference has been found in the blood serum in terms of ALT, AST, LDH and Amylase enzymes in the groups with hesperidin compared to the control group (p < 0.05). A significant difference was found in the hesperidine groups in tissue antioxidant GSH, CAT and SOD enzyme parameters compared to the control group (p < 0.05). When looking at the intestinal histomorphology, a significant difference has been found within the test groups in the colon in terms of both villus height and crypt depth, and at villus height in the cecum tissue. As a result, the study's hypothesis has been supported by the fact that hesperidin positively affects the lipid concentration of quail, rump, liver and serum antioxidant enzyme levels, intestinal histomorphology and feces microflora of anaerobe bacteria, particularly Clostridium spp.
Comparative Antibacterial Analysis of the Anthraquinone Compounds Based on the AIM Theory and Molecular Docking Analysis
Authors: Qi Yanjiao , Wang Mingyang , Zhang Bo , Liu Yue , Zhang Hong , Ma Zhongren , Jin Nengzhi , Lu Huining
Published: October 2021

Hydroxyanthraquinones and anthraquinone glucoside derivatives are always considered as the active antibacterial components. In the present text, a comprehensive comparison and analysis of these compounds were performed for their structure characteristics and antibacterial effect by applying quantum chemical calculations, atoms in molecules theory and molecular docking procedure. The molecular geometric configuration, electrostatic potential, the frontier orbital energies and topological properties were analyzed. Once glucose ring is introduced into the hydroxyanthraquinone rings, almost all of the positive molecular potentials are distributed among the hydroxyl hydrogen atoms of the glucose rings. The anthraquinone glucoside compounds have generally higher intermolecular binding energies than the corresponding aglycones due to the strong interaction between the glucose rings and the surrounding amino acids. Once glucoside ring is introduced into the emodin, low electron density ρ(r) and positive Laplacian value of the O-H bond are the evidences of the highly polarized and covalently decreased bonding interactions. The type of carboxyl, hydroxyl, hydroxylmethyl groups on phenyl ring and the substituent glucose rings are important to the interactions with the topoisomerase type II enzyme DNA gyrase B.
SDVCA – A Robust and Secure Data Communication Protocol for Manet
Authors: Kannan Anusha , N Manikandan , Nandi Mallikarjuna , Chaitanya Morsa , Anilkumar Chunduru
Published: October 2021

The existence of intruders is a threat factor in any network. Degradation of the network operation occur which include delay in transmission, reduced network energy level, low throughput and many. In heterogeneous networks, the threat is complex since it has several interconnected devices working with different operating systems. To solve the trust dispute in the network a Robust and Secure Data Communication Protocol for MANET termed as Software Defined networking enabled Virtual Certification Authority (SDVCA) is proposed. In MANET, the nodes forward information among them. To control the data flow in a MANET the network has to establish a controller node and forwarder nodes for transmitting or forwarding data. The forwarder node carries out the operation of router. The VCA provides authentication certificate for all the network nodes. Without this authentication, the node will be declared as an untrusted intruder. No data will be transferred to or through them. Hence a trusted network is formed and efficient safe data transfer is achieved. In the proposed scheme, the control logic of MANET is moved from forwarding plane (node) to control plane (node) for improving the network performance. A social network model in MANET is designed to create controller-based architecture. This controller node will function as a host and also as a pathway of connecting different social networks in MANET architecture. The results provide improved performances and the network has better throughput, and lesser end to end delay when compared with the existing techniques.
Identifying Simultaneous Matrix Metalloproteinases/Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitors
Authors: El-Sherbeni Ahmed A. , Bhatti Rabia , Isse Fadumo A. , El-Kadi Ayman O.S.
Published: October 2021

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) have completely unrelated biological functions, however, their dysregulation produce similar effects on biological systems. Based on the similarity in the reported structural requirements for their inhibition, the current study aimed to identify a simultaneous inhibitor for MMP and sEH. Six compounds were identified as potential simultaneous MMP/sEH inhibitors and tested for their capacity to inhibit MMP and sEH. Inhibition of MMP and sEH activity using their endogenous and exogenous substrates was measured by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry and zymography. Two compounds, CTK8G1143 and ONO-4817, were identified to inhibit both MMP and sEH activity. CTK8G1143 and ONO-4817 inhibited the recombinant human sEH activity by an average of 67.4% and 55.2%, respectively. The IC50 for CTK8G1143 and ONO-4817 to inhibit recombinant human sEH were 5.2 and 3.5 µM, respectively, whereas, their maximal inhibition values were 71.4% and 42.8%, respectively. Also, MMP and sEH activity of human cardiomyocytes were simultaneously inhibited by CTK8G1143 and ONO-4817. Regarding other compounds, they showed either MMP or sEH inhibitory activity but not both. In conclusion, these two simultaneous inhibitors of MMP and sEH could provide a promising intervention for the prevention and control of several diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases.
Development of a Split Fluorescent Protein-Based RNA Live-Cell Imaging System to Visualize mRNA Distribution in Plants
Authors: Huang Nien-Chen , Luo Kai-Ren , Yu Tien-Shin
Published: October 2021

Background: RNA live-cell imaging systems have been used to visualize subcellular mRNA distribution in living cells. The MS2-based RNA imaging system exploits the coat protein (MCP) of MS2 bacteriophage with RNA-binding activity and the RNA hairpin structure MS2 binding sequences (MBS) recognized by MCP to indirectly label mRNAs. Co-expression of fluorescent protein (FP)-fused MCP and target mRNA conjugated with multiple copies of MBS allows for visualizing of mRNA localization by confocal microscopy. To minimize the background fluorescence in cytosol, the nucleus localization sequence was used to sequester the MCP-FP not bound to mRNA in the nucleus. However, strong fluorescence in the nucleus may limit the application of RNA visualization in the nucleus and sometimes may interfere in detecting fluorescence signals in cytosol, especially in cells with low signal-to-noise ratio. Results: By using the split FP-based approach, we eliminated the background fluorescence derived from MCP-FP not bound to mRNAs. MCP and PCP, a coat protein of PP7 bacteriophages with RNA-binding activity, were fused with the N- or C-terminus of split FPs (FPN or FPC). On co-expression of MCP-FPN and PCP-FPC with the target mRNA conjugated with multiple copies of the hairpin structure recognized by MCP and PCP, the interaction of RNA and proteins can bring split FPs together to reconstitute functional FPs that allow for visualizing target mRNAs in living cells. We optimized the combinations of MCP- and PCP-FPs with minimal background fluorescence and applied the imaging system to visualize mRNAs in living plant cells.Conclusions: We established a background-free RNA live-cell imaging system that provides a platform to visualize subcellular mRNA distribution in living plant cells.