bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopic and Magnetic Performance of Cobalt (Co) Incorporated NiMn0.05Fe1.95O4 Nanoferrites: A Potent Antifungal Activity Against Aspergillus niger (MT675916)
Authors: Kumari Poonam , Thakur Sapna , Guleria Geetika , Thakur Shweta , Sharma Sushma
Published: November 2022

We investigated the impact of cobalt (Co) incorporation on the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of ferrite Ni[Formula: see text]CoxMn[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]O4, also known as NCMF for [Formula: see text], 0.02, and 0.04, which were successfully synthesized using a low-temperature sol-gel combustion process with nitrates as cations and citric acid (C6H8O7) as the combustion/chelating agent. In X-ray diffraction studies, cobalt incorporation resulted in a significant increase in lattice parameter from 8.31 to 8.36, as well as a significant increase in density from 5.42 to 5.52[Formula: see text]g/cm3; crystal size formation was observed in the range of 44.76[Formula: see text]nm to 48.54[Formula: see text]nm for all samples. Raman spectra analysis confirmed that single phase belongs to the Fd3m space group. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were used to identify functional clusters and residual groups in all samples. UV–visible spectroscopy showed a redshift of 0.92[Formula: see text]eV for [Formula: see text]. The effect of dopants on nickel ferrites’ magnetization was observed in the range 52–59[Formula: see text]emu/g, indicating that all samples contain soft magnetic content. Antifungal activity of synthesized sample was analyzed against Aspergillus niger (MT675916) species of plant pathogenic fungi isolated from Capsicum during storage. Biological analysis designated that the sample for [Formula: see text] has shown a 100% potent antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger (MT675916) species. For [Formula: see text] treatment completely inhibits the growth of fungus after 7 days. Therefore, NCMF NPs can be used as applicant resources for industrial, medical, and biological applications.
Deep-learning-based methods for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy
Authors: Liao Jianhui , Qu Junle , Hao Yongqi , Li Jia
Published: November 2022

The algorithm used for reconstruction or resolution enhancement is one of the factors affecting the quality of super-resolution images obtained by fluorescence microscopy. Deep-learning-based algorithms have achieved state-of-the-art performance in super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and are becoming increasingly attractive. We firstly introduce commonly-used deep learning models, and then review the latest applications in terms of the network architectures, the training data and the loss functions. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and limits when using deep learning to analyze the fluorescence microscopic data, and suggest ways to improve the reliability and robustness of deep learning applications.
Guide to key Bowland Shale Formation outcrop localities in the Craven and Edale basins
Authors: Waters Colin N. , Haslam Richard B. , Emmings Joseph F. , Riley Nick J.
Published: November 2022

This is a guide to the key exposures of the Bowland Shale Formation present within the Craven and Edale basins of England, providing contrasting settings from respectively the northern and southern parts of the Craven Group extent. It provides a description of the evolution of the deposition of the hemipelagic mudstone-dominated components of the Craven Group during the Visean to early Namurian (Mississippian to early Pennsylvanian). It explains the significance of the chosen localities in understanding the development of the Bowland Shale Formation and gives details on the sections visible at the time of compilation, providing useful guidance for field visits.
Rediscovering the Traditional UNESCO World Heritage Hawamahal through 3D Animation and Immersive Technology
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Kumar Ankit , Raja Linesh , Singh Kamred Udham
Published: November 2022

Nowadays, humans are searching for alternative energy resources due to the high demand in energy consumption by several means like automobiles, electronic devices, household items, and many more. Nature has given us limited resources, but population and pollution levels increase daily. This article aims at improving the thermal environment, which is becoming increasingly important due to the energy-saving effects on occupants and health concerns. The focus of the research would be a change in the procedures to follow nature and draw attention and inspiration from the ancient architecture of the Hawamahal (a palace in the city of Jaipur, India). This article examines Hawamahal’s ancient architecture regarding temperature and passive cooling insulation. It makes recommendations for combining traditional ideas with a method of integrated, immersive technology to demonstrate environmental challenges and preserve the ethnic heritage digitally. The simulation results represent the temperature difference between Hawamahal’s inner and outer spaces during summer days. The study’s findings include using a digital twin system to discover the immersive experience of Jaipur’s Hawamahal without requiring physical participation. For the culture and tourism industries, this has the potential to be a digital revolution. The findings also show the wealth of ancient Indian architecture compared to modern twenty-first-century infrastructure and provide a virtual reality experience of Hawamahal.
Improving the Endurance of Next Generation SSD’s using WOM-v Codes
Authors: Jaffer Shehbaz , Mahdaviani Kaveh , Schroeder Bianca
Published: November 2022

High density Solid State Drives, such as QLC drives, offer increased storage capacity, but a magnitude lower Program and Erase (P/E) cycles, limiting their endurance and hence usability. We present the design and implementation of non-binary, Voltage-Based Write-Once-Memory (WOM-v) Codes to improve the lifetime of QLC drives. First, we develop a FEMU based simulator test-bed to evaluate the gains of WOM-v codes on real world workloads. Second, we propose and implement two optimizations, an efficient garbage collection mechanism and an encoding optimization to drastically improve WOM-v code endurance without compromising performance. Third, we propose analytical approaches to obtain estimates of the endurance gains under WOM-v codes. We analyze the Greedy garbage collection technique with uniform page access distribution and the Least Recently Written (LRW) garbage collection technique with skewed page access distribution in the context of WOM-v codes. We find that although both approaches overestimate the number of required erase operations, the model based on greedy garbage collection with uniform page access distribution provides tighter bounds. A careful evaluation, including microbenchmarks and trace-driven evaluation, demonstrates that WOM-v codes can reduce Erase cycles for QLC drives by 4.4×–11.1× for real world workloads with minimal performance overheads resulting in improved QLC SSD lifetime.
XSpace: An Augmented Reality Toolkit for Enabling Spatially-Aware Distributed Collaboration
Authors: Herskovitz Jaylin , Cheng Yi Fei , Guo Anhong , Sample Alanson P. , Nebeling Michael
Published: November 2022

Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to leverage environmental information to better facilitate distributed collaboration, however, such applications are difficult to develop. We present XSpace, a toolkit for creating spatially-aware AR applications for distributed collaboration. Based on a review of existing applications and developer tools, we design XSpace to support three methods for creating shared virtual spaces, each emphasizing a different aspect: shared objects, user perspectives, and environmental meshes. XSpace implements these methods in a developer toolkit, and also provides a set of complimentary visual authoring tools to allow developers to preview a variety of configurations for a shared virtual space. We present five example applications to illustrate that XSpace can support the development of a rich set of collaborative AR experiences that are difficult to produce with current solutions. Through XSpace, we discuss implications for future application design, including user space customization and privacy and safety concerns when sharing users' environments.
Design and Evaluation of a Silent Speech-Based Selection Method for Eye-Gaze Pointing
Authors: Pandey Laxmi , Arif Ahmed Sabbir
Published: November 2022

We investigate silent speech as a hands-free selection method in eye-gaze pointing. We first propose a stripped-down image-based model that can recognize a small number of silent commands almost as fast as state-of-the-art speech recognition models. We then compare it with other hands-free selection methods (dwell, speech) in a Fitts' law study. Results revealed that speech and silent speech are comparable in throughput and selection time, but the latter is significantly more accurate than the other methods. A follow-up study revealed that target selection around the center of a display is significantly faster and more accurate, while around the top corners and the bottom are slower and error prone. We then present a method for selecting menu items with eye-gaze and silent speech. A study revealed that it significantly reduces task completion time and error rate.
NoteWordy: Investigating Touch and Speech Input on Smartphones for Personal Data Capture
Authors: Luo Yuhan , Lee Bongshin , Kim Young-Ho , Choe Eun Kyoung
Published: November 2022

Speech as a natural and low-burden input modality has great potential to support personal data capture. However, little is known about how people use speech input, together with traditional touch input, to capture different types of data in self-tracking contexts. In this work, we designed and developed NoteWordy, a multimodal self-tracking application integrating touch and speech input, and deployed it in the context of productivity tracking for two weeks (N = 17). Our participants used the two input modalities differently, depending on the data type as well as personal preferences, error tolerance for speech recognition issues, and social surroundings. Additionally, we found speech input reduced participants' diary entry time and enhanced the data richness of the free-form text. Drawing from the findings, we discuss opportunities for supporting efficient personal data capture with multimodal input and implications for improving the user experience with natural language input to capture various self-tracking data.
Visual Transitions around Tabletops in Mixed Reality: Study on a Visual Acquisition Task between Vertical Virtual Displays and Horizontal Tabletops
Authors: Perelman Gary , Dubois Emmanuel , Probst Alice , Serrano Marcos
Published: November 2022

See-through Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) offer interesting opportunities to augment the interaction space around screens, especially around horizontal tabletops. In such context, HMDs can display surrounding vertical virtual windows to complement the tabletop content with data displayed in close vicinity. However, the effects of such combination on the visual acquisition of targets in the resulting combined display space have scarcely been explored. In this paper we conduct a study to explore visual acquisitions in such contexts, with a specific focus on the analysis of visual transitions between the horizontal tabletop display and the vertical virtual displays (in front and on the side of the tabletop). To further study the possible visual perception of the tabletop content out of the HMD and its impact on visual interaction, we distinguished two solutions for displaying information on the horizontal tabletop: using the see-through HMD to display virtual content over the tabletop surface (virtual overlay), i.e. the content is only visible inside the HMD’s FoV, or using the tabletop itself (tabletop screen). 12 participants performed visual acquisition tasks involving the horizontal and vertical displays. We measured the time to perform the task, the head movements, the portions of the displays visible in the HMD’s field of view, the physical fatigue and the user’s preference. Our results show that it is faster to acquire virtual targets in the front display than on the side. Results reveal that the use of the virtual overlay on the tabletop slows down the visual acquisition compared to the use of the tabletop screen, showing that users exploit the visual perception of the tabletop content on the peripheral visual space. We were also able to quantify when and to which extent targets on the tabletop can be acquired without being visible within the HMD's field of view when using the tabletop screen, i.e. by looking under the HMD. These results lead to design recommendations for more efficient, comfortable and integrated interfaces combining tabletop and surrounding vertical virtual displays.
LightMeUp: Back-print Illumination Paper Display with Multi-stable Visuals
Authors: Campos Cuauhtli , Kljun Matjaž , Sandak Jakub , Čopič Pucihar Klen
Published: November 2022

Despite the drive to digitise learning, paper still holds a prominent role within educational settings. While computational devices have several advantages over paper (e.g. changing and showing content based on user interaction and needs) their prolonged or incorrect usage can hinder educational achievements. In this paper, we combine the interactivity of computational devices with paper whilst reducing the usage of technology to the minimum. To this end, we developed and evaluated a novel back-print illumination paper display called LightMeUp where different information printed on the back side of the paper becomes visible when paper is placed on an interactive display and back-illuminated with a particular colour. To develop this novel display, we first built a display simulator that enables the simulation of various spectral characteristics of the elements used in the system (i.e. light sources such as tablet computers, paper types and printing inks). By using our simulator, we designed various use-case prototypes that demonstrate the capabilities and feasibility of the proposed system. With our simulator and use-cases presented, educators and educational content designers can easily design multi-stable interactive visuals by using readily available paper, printers and touch displays.
Population Genomics for Insect Conservation
Authors: Webster Matthew T. , Beaurepaire Alexis , Neumann Peter , Stolle Eckart
Published: November 2022

Insects constitute vital components of ecosystems. There is alarming evidence for global declines in insect species diversity, abundance, and biomass caused by anthropogenic drivers such as habitat degradation or loss, agricultural practices, climate change, and environmental pollution. This raises important concerns about human food security and ecosystem functionality and calls for more research to assess insect population trends and identify threatened species and the causes of declines to inform conservation strategies. Analysis of genetic diversity is a powerful tool to address these goals, but so far animal conservation genetics research has focused strongly on endangered vertebrates, devoting less attention to invertebrates, such as insects, that constitute most biodiversity. Insects’ shorter generation times and larger population sizes likely necessitate different analytical methods and management strategies. The availability of high-quality reference genome assemblies enables population genomics to address several key issues. These include precise inference of past demographic fluctuations and recent declines, measurement of genetic load levels, delineation of evolutionarily significant units and cryptic species, and analysis of genetic adaptation to stressors. This enables identification of populations that are particularly vulnerable to future threats, considering their potential to adapt and evolve. We review the application of population genomics to insect conservation and the outlook for averting insect declines.
Genetics of Kidney Disease: The Unexpected Role of Rare Disorders
Authors: Elliott Mark D. , Rasouly Hila Milo , Gharavi Ali G.
Published: November 2022

Hundreds of different genetic causes of chronic kidney disease are now recognized, and while individually rare, taken together they are significant contributors to both adult and pediatric diseases. Traditional genetics approaches relied heavily on the identification of large families with multiple affected members and have been fundamental to the identification of genetic kidney diseases. With the increased utilization of massively parallel sequencing and improvements to genotype imputation, we can analyze rare variants in large cohorts of unrelated individuals, leading to personalized care for patients and significant research advancements. This review evaluates the contribution of rare disorders to patient care and the study of genetic kidney diseases and highlights key advancements that utilize new techniques to improve our ability to identify new gene–disease associations.
International Energy Politics in an Age of Climate Change
Authors: Colgan Jeff D. , Hinthorn Miriam
Published: November 2022

Global climate change is opening up new questions and reinvigorating old lines of inquiry in the study of international energy politics. Many policymakers and stakeholders are pushing for a clean energy transition away from the fossil fuels that have long dominated the world's energy supply. On some issues, there is considerable consensus between political scientists and other analysts, such as the basic categories of the “winners” and “losers” from the clean energy transition. On other issues, however, political science tends to depart significantly from other disciplines. The politics of the desired clean energy transition are highly complicated and filled with obstacles beyond those typically highlighted by either economics or physical sciences. For these reasons, energy politics associated with oil and other fossil fuels are far from over and continue to develop, even as new political dynamics associated with the clean energy transition emerge.
Tripartite motif-containing protein 32 regulates Ca2+ movement in skeletal muscle
Authors: Choi Jun Hee , Jeong Seung Yeon , Kim Jooho , Woo Jin Seok , Lee Eun Hui
Published: November 2022

Mutations in tripartite motif-containing protein 32 (TRIM32), especially in NHL repeats, have been found in skeletal muscle in patients with type 2H limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD2H). However, the roles of the NHL repeats of TRIM32 in skeletal muscle functions have not been well addressed. In the present study, to examine the functional role(s) of the TRIM32 NHL repeats in skeletal muscle, TRIM32-binding proteins in skeletal muscle were first searched using a binding assay and MALDI-TOF/TOF. Sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 1a (SERCA1a) was found to be a TRIM32-binding protein. Next, a deletion mutant of TRIM32 missing the NHL repeats (NHL-Del) was expressed in mouse primary skeletal myotubes during myoblast differentiation into myotubes. Ca2+ movement in the myotubes was examined using single-cell Ca2+ imaging. Unlike wild-type (WT) TRIM32, NHL-Del did not enhance the amount of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), Ca2+ release for excitation-contraction (EC) coupling, or extracellular Ca2+ entry via store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). In addition, even compared with the vector control, NHL-Del resulted in reduced SOCE due to reduced expression of extracellular Ca2+ entry channels. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation of the myotubes revealed that NHL-Del induced the formation of abnormal vacuoles and tubular structures in the cytosol. Therefore, by binding to SERCA1a via its NHL repeats, TRIM32 may participate in the regulation of Ca2+ movement for skeletal muscle contraction and the formation of cellular vacuoles and tubular structures in skeletal muscle. Functional defects in TRIM32 due to mutations in NHL repeats may be pathogenic toward LGMD2H.
Static and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Recycled Concrete under Microwave Irradiation
Authors: Shi Dandan , Shi Qingxuan , Yang Lei
Published: November 2022

The application of recycled concrete can alleviate environmental pollution and has great practical value. In this study, microwave irradiation technology is used to treat recycled concrete in order to obtain reinforced recycled coarse aggregate. Then, the quasi-static and dynamic mechanical properties of concrete (C), recycled concrete (RC), and recycled concrete irradiated by microwave (MRC) were studied, and the effect of the replacement rate of coarse aggregates on its mechanical properties was also studied. The results showed that the quasi-static compressive strength of MCR is higher than that of CR at all replacement rates. With the increase in the replacement rate, the quasi-static compressive strength of MCR decreases gradually, while the quasi-static compressive strength of CR decreases first and then increases, reaching the minimum value at 60%. The dynamic mechanical properties of CR and MCR all have an obvious strain rate effect. The dynamic increase factor (DIF) has an exponential relationship with the natural logarithm of the strain rate. The dynamic constitutive model of RC was established based on composite material mechanics and viscoelastic theory. The research content can provide guidance and basis for the study of mechanical properties and constitutive relationship of RC.
The Impact of intra-abdominal Pressure on Perioperative Outcomes in Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Yang Yuan , Duan Yushan , Wan Xiaohong , Wan Linjun , Wang Gang , Shao Jianlin
Published: November 2022

Objective. The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) on perioperative outcomes in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Methods. We searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science, Embase, and CNKI databases systematically, and the retrieval date was from the inception of the databases to April 2022. Randomized controlled trials on high intraabdominal pressure (HIAP) and low intraabdominal pressure (LIAP) in RARP were included. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager software (version 5.3). Results. Six studies involving 2,271 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with patients who experienced HIAP, those who experienced LIAP had a lower incidence of postoperative ileus (POI) (risk ratio (RR): 0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.24 to 0.72;

p
=
0.002

). However, there were no significant differences in hematoma (RR 2.22; 95% CI, 0.61 to 8.15;

p
=
0.23

), positive margin rate (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.32;

p
=
0.64

), urinary retention (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.51 to 1.94;

p
=
0.98

), operative time (mean difference (MD), −0.36; 95% CI, −12.24 to 6.12;

p
=
0.51

), or intraoperative blood loss (MD, −21.80; 95% CI, −55.28 to 11.68;

p
=
0.20

) among patients undergoing LIAP and HIAP. Conclusion. Our study of published trials indicates that using LIAP during RARP may reduce the incidence of POI, and there were no differences in terms of hematoma, positive margin rate, urinary retention, operative time, or intraoperative blood loss.
Application of Radiomics Model of CT Images in the Identification of Ureteral Calculus and Phlebolith
Authors: Yu Qiuyue , Liu Jiaqi , Lin Huashan , Lei Pinggui , Fan Bing
Published: November 2022

Objective. To investigate the clinical application of the three-dimensional (3D) radiomics model of the CT image in the diagnosis and identification of ureteral calculus and phlebolith. Method. Sixty-one cases of ureteral calculus and 61 cases of phlebolith were retrospectively investigated. The enrolled patients were randomly categorized into the training set (n = 86) and the testing set (n = 36) with a ratio of 7 : 3. The plain CT scan images of all samples were manually segmented by the ITK-SNAP software, followed by radiomics analysis through the Analysis Kit software. A total of 1316 texture features were extracted. Then, the maximum correlation minimum redundancy criterion and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm were used for texture feature selection. The feature subset with the most predictability was selected to establish the 3D radiomics model. The performance of the model was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was also calculated. Additionally, the decision curve was used to evaluate the clinical application of the model. Results. The 10 selected radiomics features were significantly related to the identification and diagnosis of ureteral calculus and phlebolith. The radiomics model showed good identification efficiency for ureteral calculus and phlebolith in the training set (AUC = 0.98; 95%CI: 0.96–1.00) and testing set (AUC = 0.98; 95%CI: 0.95–1.00). The decision curve thus demonstrated the clinical application of the radiomics model. Conclusions. The 3D radiomics model based on plain CT scan images indicated good performance in the identification and prediction of ureteral calculus and phlebolith and was expected to provide an effective detection method for clinical diagnosis.
Acupuncture Alleviates Corneal Inflammation in New Zealand White Rabbits with Dry Eye Diseases by Regulating α7nAChR and NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Ding Ning , Wei Qingbo , Xu Qian , Liu Chengyong , Ni Yongcheng , Zhao Jun , Xu Wanli , Gao Weiping
Published: November 2022

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to determine the mechanism of improvement in dry eye diseases (DEDs) treated by acupuncture. The inflammatory molecules and related pathways will be analyzed in our study. Methods. In order to establish the animal model for DEDs, healthy New Zealand white rabbits were treated with scopolamine (Scop) hydrobromide for 21 consecutive days. After 21 days, acupuncture, fluorometholone (Flu), and α7nAChR antagonist (α-BGT) treatments were performed, and the Scop injections were continued until day 35. The therapeutic effect of acupuncture on DED inflammation was evaluated by corneal fluorescence staining, tear film rupture time, tear flow measurement, in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM), corneal histopathology, and cytokine protein chip technology. The influence of acupuncture on the corneal pathology and inflammatory factors ACh, α7nAChR, and NF-κB was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot. Results. Compared with the group Scop, acupuncture can significantly reduce corneal staining and increase the tear film rupture time and tear flow, which are accompanied by a decrease in corneal epithelial detachment and lymphocyte infiltration. Acupuncture can relieve the inflammation of corneal stroma and mitigate the expression of proinflammatory factors and chemokines. Acupuncture can upregulate the expression of ACh and α7nAChR and downregulate the expression of NF-κB. Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate that acupuncture can alleviate corneal inflammation in New Zealand white rabbits with DEDs via α7nAChR and NF-κB signaling pathway regulation. The expression indicates that α7nAChR/NF-κB signaling pathway may be active and that acupuncture is a potential therapeutic target for dry eye.
Evaluation of Improving Water Flooding Technology by Volume Fracturing of Water Injection Wells in Complex Fractured Reservoirs: A Case Study of Chang 6 Reservoirs in Huaqing Oilfield, Ordos Basin
Authors: He Shengping , Zhang Jiaosheng , Li Chao , Tan Xiqun , Ping Yi , Li Desheng , Chen Jiang
Published: November 2022

Given the problems of multiple natural microfractures developed in Chang 6 reservoir of Huaqing oilfield in Ordos Basin, the injected water flows along with the natural fractures during water injection development, resulting in low water drive recovery. The concept of volume fracturing is introduced into water injection well fracturing, and the technical idea of reconstructing the seepage field through volume fracturing of water injection well is proposed to improve the water flooding effect. On the basis of previous studies, firstly, the development of fractures and the rock mechanical properties of reservoirs are studied, and then the expansion law of volumetric fracturing fractures in the study area is analyzed. Combined with numerical simulation research, the feasibility of improving water drive by volumetric fracturing in water injection wells is demonstrated. Based on the above research, field tests of three well groups are carried out. The test shows that the volume fracturing of water injection wells can form a fracture zone along the direction of the maximum principal stress (with an average bandwidth of 56 meters), and then change the original dominant direction of water drive to realize the effective matching between fractures and injection production well pattern; the row spacing is reduced, and the effect of waterflooding is improved obviously. After the test, the average daily oil production of a single well increased from 0.6 tons to 1.0 tons, the water cut decreased from 74.6% to 42.0%. The oil recovery rate increased from 0.44% to 0.77%. The recovery increased by 5-8%.
Epidemiologic Investigation of Intestinal Parasite Infection and Associated Risk Factors among Primary Schoolchildren in the Manzini and Lubombo Provinces, the Kingdom of Eswatini
Authors: Yin Ai-Wen , Lee Yueh-Lun , Dlamini Sindisiwe , Maphalala Gugu , Liao Chien-Wei , Fan Chia-Kwung
Published: November 2022

Although the deworming program has been executed since 2000, the intestinal parasitic infection (IPI) rates among primary schoolchildren (PSC) in the two provinces of the Kingdom of Eswatini investigated in 2010 remained high, reaching 32.2%. In this study, we monitored the IPI status along with the associated risk factors for PSC in two provinces—Manzini and Lubombo. After consent from their parents/guardians, a total of 316 samples collected from PSC with grades 1 to 3 from four primary schools in Manzini and Lubombo were examined by the Merthiolate-Iodine-Formaldehyde (MIF) method. In addition, demographic characteristics and risk factors acquired by questionnaire surveys were included to be statistically analyzed. The overall prevalence was 40.5% (128/316), of which the infection rate in Manzini and Lubombo was 28.8% (19/66) and 58.3% (74/140), respectively. Pathogenic protozoa had the highest infection rate of 20.6% (65/316), including Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (8.5%, 27/316), Giardia duodenalis (14.6%, 46/316), and Blastocystis hominis (9.8%, 31/316). In terms of helminth infection, the infection rate was quite low, 1.6% only, and these five infected cases included four cases of Hymenolepis nana and one case of Enterobius vermicularis infection. Present study showed that 27.8% (88/316) of PSC were infected by more than one pathogenic parasite. Personal hygiene like washing hands before a meal has a significant protection effect (OR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.14–0.75,

p
=
0.009

). Rain or well water and the type of water supply from which they drank also showed a considerable risk factor (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.25–4.79,

p
=
0.04

). The IPI rate in PSC seems unlikely changed compared to that of the previous survey conducted in 2010, especially when the pathogenic protozoan infection rate remains high. Treatment of infected PSC with appropriate medication to reduce intestinal pathogenic protozoan infection should be seriously considered by Eswatini Health Authority.
A Grid-Connected Solar PV/Wind Turbine Based Hybrid Energy System Using ANFIS Controller for Hybrid Series Active Power Filter to Improve the Power Quality
Authors: Cholamuthu Pazhanimuthu , Irusappan Baranilingesan , Paramasivam Suresh Kalichikadu , Ramu Senthil Kumar , Muthusamy Suresh , Panchal Hitesh , Nuvvula Ramakrishna S S , Kumar Polamarasetty P , Khan Baseem
Published: November 2022

The current needs of more nonlinear loads and the frequent usage of single-phase loads in three-phase system drastically create power quality issues in the grid-connected system. As a consequence, it creates an undesirable power quality issue (PQI) in the form of a change in the nature of voltage and current magnitude and waveforms in the power system. The voltage-related PQI leads to a huge disturbance in the system when compared with the current-related PQI. The hybrid series active power filter provides grids with the required voltage in series and suppresses the voltage-related harmonics caused by grid-connected nonlinear loads. The present work deals with an adaptive neurofuzzy inference system controller for the generation of a reference voltage signal that uses a reduced active filter rating. The simulation study was done in the MATLAB 2020b/Simulink environment and the experimental effectiveness of the proposed ANFIS controller was compared with that of a conventional controller. In the grid-connected system, this system prevents voltage quality problems such as voltage sag, flickering, voltage swell, neutral currents, and reactive power. The renewable energy sources interfaced into the DC-link minimize short and long voltage challenges so that they improve the overall performance of the system. In accordance with IEEE standard 519-1992, a prototype model was proved to demonstrate that the power delivery system works effectively under different conditions and reduces the total harmonic distortion by approximately 30%, which is less than the 5% acceptable limit.
Cannabis sativa and Cannabidiol: A Therapeutic Strategy for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases?
Authors: Viana Milena de Barros , Aquino Pedro Everson Alexandre de , Estadella Débora , Ribeiro Daniel Araki , Viana Glauce Socorro de Barros
Published: November 2022

This work is a literature review, presenting the current state of the use of cannabinoids on neurodegenerative diseases. The emphasis is on Parkinson’s (PD) and Alzheimer’s (AD) diseases, the two most prevalent neurological diseases. The review goes from Cannabis sativa and its hundreds of bioactive compounds to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and mainly cannabidiol (CBD) and their interactions with the endocannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). CBD molecular targets were also focused on to explain its neuroprotective action mechanism on neurodegenerative diseases. Although THC is the main psychoactive component of C. sativa, and it may induce transient psychosis-like symptoms, growing evidence suggests that CBD may have protective effects against the psychotomimetic effects of THC and therapeutic properties. Furthermore, a great number of recent works on the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory CBD effects and its molecular targets are also reviewed. We analyzed CBD actions in preclinical and in clinical trials, conducted with PD and AD patients. Although the data on preclinical assays are more convincing, the same is not true with the clinical data. Despite the consensus among researchers on the potential of CBD as a neuroprotective agent, larger and well-designed randomized clinical trials will be necessary to gather conclusive results concerning the use of CBD as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diseases such as PD and AD.
Standards für den Datenaustausch in der Teleophthalmologie: Aktuelle und zukünftige Entwicklungen
Authors: Schweitzer Marco , Steger Bernhard , Hoerbst Alexander , Augustin Marco , Pfeifer Bernhard , Hausmann Ulrich , Baumgarten Daniel
Published: November 2022

Hintergrund: Teleophthalmologische Dienstleistungen gelten als geeignet, das Screening, die Frühdiagnose und die Überwachung der wichtigsten Erblindungsursachen auf globaler Ebene zu unterstützen. Hierfür werden Standards und bewährte Verfahren benötigt, um medizinische Augenbilder und zugehörige Daten nahtlos und mit maximaler Interoperabilität zwischen den relevanten Akteuren im Gesundheitswesen auszutauschen. Zielsetzungen: Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt einen Überblick über die aktuellen Standards im Bereich des Store-and-Forward-Datenaustauschs in der Teleophthalmologie und erläutert weitere Entwicklungen in diesem Bereich. Methoden: Es wurde eine Literaturrecherche zu Gesundheitsstandards mit Schwerpunkt auf dem Datenaustausch in der Augenheilkunde durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: IHE, HL7 FHIR, DICOM sowie klinische Terminologien gelten als die wichtigsten Standards und bieten unterschiedliche Konzepte, Lösungen und Richtlinien für die Augenheilkunde. Schlussfolgerung: Die verfügbaren Standards bilden die notwendige Grundlage für die technische und semantische Interoperabilität in der Teleophthalmologie. Dennoch ist die praktische Anwendung aufgrund fehlender Prozessinteroperabilität nur bedingt möglich. Dies zeigt sich in den häufig herstellerspezifischen Schnittstellen der Soft- und Hardwareanbieter und in weiterer Folge auch in der Ablehnung der Technologie bei den Augenärzten. Weitere Untersuchungen sollten den prozessbezogenen Bedarf an Standards für den Datenaustausch in der Augenheilkunde analysieren.
Protocol-Dependent Morphological Changes in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Aggregates during Differentiation toward Early Pancreatic Fate
Authors: Rezaei Zonooz Elmira , Ghezelayagh Zahra , Moradmand Azadeh , Baharvand Hossein , Tahamtani Yaser
Published: November 2022

Cell therapy is one of the promising approaches used against type 1 diabetes. Efficient generation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived pancreatic progenitors (PPs) is of great importance. Since signaling pathways underlying human pancreas development are not yet fully understood, various differentiation protocols are conducted, each considering variable duration, timing, and concentrations of growth factors and small molecules. Therefore, we compared two PP differentiation protocols in static suspension culture. We tested modified protocols developed by Pagliuca et al. (protocol 1) and Royan researchers (protocol 2) until early PP stage. The morphological changes of hESC aggregates during differentiation, and also gene and protein expression after differentiation, were evaluated. Different morphological structures were formed in each protocol. Quantitative gene expression analysis, flow cytometry, and immunostaining revealed a high level of PDX1 expression on day 13 of Royan’s differentiation protocol compared to protocol 1. Our data showed that using protocol 2, cells were further differentiated until day 16, showing higher efficiency of early PPs. Moreover, protocol 2 is able to produce hESCs-PPs in a static suspension culture. Since protocol 2 is inexpensive in terms of media, growth factors, and chemicals, it can be used for massive production of PPs using static and dynamic suspension cultures.
Analysis of Left Atrial Function after Percutaneous Intramyocardial Septal Radiofrequency Ablation in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Dai Silu , Wu Lina , Duan Huican , Wang Honghu , Song Xinhao , Guo Weitao , Qin Junchang , Zhang Ruifang
Published: November 2022

Introduction: The main goal of our research was to explore the effect of percutaneous intramyocardial septal radiofrequency ablation (PIMSRA) on left atrial (LA) phasic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods: The study included 13 patients who underwent PIMSRA at our hospital. The function of LA including reservoir, conduit, and booster pump was analyzed and compared before and 6 months after PIMSRA in HCM patients. LA reservoir function parameters contain maximal LA volume, minimal LA volume (LAV min), LA ejection fraction (LAEF), LA expansion index (LAEI), and reservoir strain; LA conduit function includes LA volume before atrial systole, LA passive volume, LA passive ejection fraction, and conduit strain; LA booster function involves LA booster volume, LA active ejection fraction, and LA contraction strain. Additionally, 20 healthy controls were selected to compare the LA function of HCM patients. Results: The preoperative LA reservoir and conduit function in HCM patients were significantly impaired compared with the control group, while the change in booster pump function was not obvious. HCM patients at 6 months after PIMSRA had remarkably enhanced reservoir and conduit functions which were manifested by lower LAV min, higher LAEF, LAEI, reservoir, and conduit strain than before the operation, and the differences among these parameters between patients after PIMSRA and the healthy control group were not significant. However, with regard to LA contraction function, there was no significant improvement at 6 months after PIMSRA compared with before operation. Conclusion: PIMSRA is effective in the amelioration of LA reservoir and conduit function in patients with HCM but not in a marked improvement of LA contraction function in these individuals in short term.
Extração de contextos definitórios do Corpus COVID-19 com CQL
Authors: Bocorny Ana Eliza Pereira , Rebechi Rozane , Kilian Cristiane Krause
Published: November 2022

Termos representam os conceitos de um domínio e sua compreensão permite o acesso aos saberes contidos nos textos especializados. Entender o significado dos termos, portanto, é de grande importância não apenas para que pesquisadores possam socializar seus estudos e descobertas, mas também para que profissionais e estudantes de várias áreas possam se valer da informação especializada em contextos de estudo e de trabalho. A evolução rápida do conhecimento muitas vezes não permite que a terminologia criada para designar conceitos seja dicionarizada com a necessária rapidez. Tal fato pode representar um grande desafio para aqueles que necessitam ter acesso ao conhecimento especializado. Tendo em vista o contexto descrito, este estudo parte da revisão de abordagens utilizadas para a extração automática de traços definitórios (TDs) e contextos definitórios (CDs) e propõe a utilização da ferramenta Corpus Query Language (CQL) para a extração de informações que auxiliem no entendimento da terminologia empregada em textos especializados. Em especial, verificamos a utilidade das sintaxes de busca construídas com a CQL para esse propósito, aplicando-as ao Corpus COVID-19. O percurso apresentado neste estudo poderá auxiliar não apenas especialistas da área médica, mas também tradutores, lexicógrafos e professores a processarem, de forma mais rápida e precisa, o conhecimento contido em textos especializados.
Abstract EC101: Premature Stop Mutations In
Mybphl
Share The Common Pathomechanism Of Preventing Protein Incorporation Into The Cardiac Myofilament
Authors: Alvarez-Arce Alejandro , Araujo Kelly , Wittenkeller Lucas , Barefield David Y
Published: November 2022

Cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia are diseases with significant genetic linkage. Cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) is a myofilament associated protein with a C-terminal composed of repeating immunoglobulin (Ig) and fibronectin III (FnIII) domains that bind to the myosin thick filaments and titin. Truncating mutations in the C-terminal of MyBP-C result in improper myofilament incorporation and degradation of the truncated protein and is a major cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Myosin-binding protein-H like (
MyBP-HL
) is a protein that was recently identified that is structurally related to MyBP-C. Both cMyBP-C and
MyBP-HL
contain repeated C-terminal Ig and FnIII domains that bind to myosin.
MyBP-HL
is different in that it is primarily expressed in the atria where it interacts with the myofilament.
MyBP-HL
premature stop mutations are associated with improper myofilament incorporation, and has been linked to ventricular conduction system abnormalities, atria enlargement, and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in humans. The gnomAD database reports 9 stop-gain mutations for
MYBPHL
in humans including: Gln29, Trp54, Arg113, Tyr123, Trp158, Trp192, Lys250, Arg255 and Tyr307. Prior investigation modeled the
MyBP-HL
Arg255X mutation and showed no
MyBP-HL
localization into the myofilament. A null mouse model showed that loss of
MyBP-HL
resulted in arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy, similar to that observed in humans. We hypothesize that all
MyBP-HL
truncation mutations will share a common mechanism by failing to produce
MyBP-HL
that integrates into the sarcomere. We test this hypothesis by transfecting neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with
MyBP-HL
constructs containing these mutations. We tested Trp54, Arg113, Tyr123, Trp158, Trp192, Lys250 and Arg255
MyBP-HL
mutations. We measured co-localization events between
MyBP-HL
mutants and MyBP-C in atrial and ventricular overexpressed cells and observed that stop gained mutations disrupt normal localization as we expected. Moreover, we tested wild-type
MyBP-HL
overexpression, and both showed to be able to incorporate in a similar pattern to cMyBP-C C-zone doublets. These truncating mutations in
MYBP-HL
may increase risk for developing arrhythmias, atria enlargement and DCM.
Abstract EC102: RBPMS, An RNA-binding Protein That Mediates Cardiomyocyte Binucleation And Cardiovascular Development
Authors: Gan Peiheng , Bassel-Duby Rhonda S , Liu Ning , Olson Eric N
Published: November 2022

Noncompaction cardiomyopathy is a common congenital cardiac disorder associated with abnormal ventricular cardiomyocyte trabeculation and impaired pump function. The genetic basis and underlying mechanisms of this disorder remain elusive. We show that genetic deletion of RNA binding protein with multiple splicing (Rbpms), an uncharacterized RNA binding and splicing factor, causes perinatal lethality in mice due to congenital cardiovascular defects, including noncompaction cardiomyopathy, ventricular septal defects, and patent ductus arteriosus. Loss of Rbpms causes premature onset of cardiomyocyte binucleation and cell cycle arrest during development, thus disturbing embryonic heart growth. Human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes with RBPMS gene deletion have a similar blockade to cytokinesis, and Rbpms expression is decreased in human patients with congenital cardiomyopathy, implicating an essential role of Rbpms in human heart development. Paired-end RNA sequencing analysis revealed that RBPMS plays a role in RNA splicing and influences RNAs involved in cytoskeletal signaling pathways. We found that RBPMS mediates isoform switching of the heart-specific LIM domain protein Pdlim5. Loss of Rbpms leads to abnormal accumulation of Pdlim5-short isoforms, disrupting cardiomyocyte cytokinesis. Our findings connect premature cardiomyocyte binucleation to noncompaction cardiomyopathy and highlight the role of Rbpms in this process.