bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative plastomes and phylogenetic analysis of seven Korean endemic Saussurea (Asteraceae)
Authors: Yun Seon A , Kim Seung-Chul
Published: May 2022

Background: Saussurea is one of the most species-rich genera in the Cardueae, Asteraceae. There are approximately 40 Saussurea species distributed in Korea, with nearly 40% of them endemics. Infrageneric relationships remain uncertain due to insufficient resolutions and low statistical support. In this study, we sequenced the plastid genomes of five Korean endemic Saussurea (S. albifolia, S. calcicola, S. diamantica, S. grandicapitula, and S. seoulensis), and comparative analyses including two other endemics (S. chabyoungsanica and S. polylepis) were conducted. Results: The plastomes of Korean endemics were highly conserved in gene content, order, and numbers. Exceptionally, S. diamantica had mitochondrial DNA sequences including two tRNAs in SSC region. There were no significant differences of the type and numbers of SSRs among the seven Korean endemics except in S. seoulensis. Nine mutation hotspots with high nucleotide diversity value (Pi > 0.0033) were identified, and phylogenetic analysis suggested that those Korean endemic species most likely evolved several times from diverse lineages within the genus. Moreover, molecular dating estimated that the Korean endemic species diverged since the late Miocene.Conclusions: This study provides insight into understanding the plastome evolution and evolutionary relationships of highly complex species of Saussurea in Korean peninsula.
Barriers to childhood tuberculosis case detection and management in Cambodia: the perspectives of healthcare providers and caregivers
Authors: An Yom , Teo Alvin Kuo Jing , Huot Chan Yuda , Tieng Sivanna , Khun Kim Eam , Pheng Sok Heng , Leng Chhenglay , Deng Serongkea , Song Ngak , Nop Sotheara , Nonaka Daisuke , Yi Siyan
Published: May 2022

Childhood tuberculosis (TB) case detection remains low in many high-burden countries, including Cambodia. This study aimed to determine the barriers to childhood TB detection and management from the perspectives of healthcare providers and caregivers in Cambodia.We conducted in-depth interviews with 16 healthcare providers from four operational districts and 28 caregivers of children with TB and children in close contact with bacteriological confirmed pulmonary TB residing under the selected districts. Data were analysed using thematic analyses.Identified key barriers to childhood TB case detection and management included inadequate TB staff, limited knowledge on childhood TB, poor collaboration among healthcare providers, limited quality of TB diagnostic tools, and interruption of supplies of childhood TB medicines, lack of collaboration from caregivers, ignorance of healthcare provider's advice, parent movement, transportation costs, out-of-pocket expenditure, time-consuming, no clear explanation from healthcare providers, and aging of caregivers.The national TB program should further invest in staff development for TB, scale-up appropriate TB diagnostic tools and ensuring its functionalities such as rapid molecular diagnostic systems and X-ray machines, strengthen childhood TB drug management at all levels such as drug forecasting, a clear mechanism for drug distribution, and drug monitoring, and increasing community awareness about TB in order to increase community engagement.
Identification and characterization of resistance quantitative trait loci against bacterial wilt caused by the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex in potato
Authors: Habe Ippei , Miyatakae Koji
Published: May 2022

Bacterial wilt (BW) caused by the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) represents one of the most serious diseases affecting potato cultivation. The development of BW-resistant cultivars represents the most efficient strategy to control this disease. The resistance-related quantitative trail loci (QTLs) in plants against different RSSC strains have not been studied extensively. Therefore, we performed QTL analysis for evaluating BW resistance using a diploid population derived from Solanum phureja, Solanum chacoense, and Solanum tuberosum. Plants cultivated in vitro were inoculated with different strains (phylotype I/biovar 3, phylotype I/biovar 4, and phylotype IV/biovar 2A) and incubated at 24°C or 28°C under controlled conditions. Interval mapping was performed for the disease indexes using the resistant parent-derived map consisting of 1,476 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and the susceptible parent-derived map consisting of 2,663 SNP markers. We identified five major and five minor resistance QTLs on potato chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11. The major QTLs qBWR-3 and qBWR-7 conferred stable resistance against Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum (phylotype I) and Ralstonia syzygii (phylotype IV), while qBWR-6b was a strain-specific major resistance QTL against phylotype I/biovar 3 and was more effective at a relatively lower temperature. Therefore, we suggest that broad-spectrum QTLs and strain-specific QTLs can be combined to develop the most effective BW-resistant cultivars for particular areas.
SUDS selection methodology based on continuous modelling on EPA SWMM: a case study for Colombian and Spanish cities
Authors: Ferrans Pascual , Temprano Javier
Published: May 2022

The development of computational tools based on urban drainage models is fundamental for the correct adoption of SUDS. The present study proposes a systematic approach based on continuous modeling on EPA SWMM to properly select SUDS, by evaluating several aspects related to their design and configuration. The analysis of the design parameters showed that only the surface variables evidenced a sensitivity of around 20% for some typologies. Likewise, the optimal area, number of structures, combination and interconnection of SUDS typologies were found for a case study in Santander, Spain. When applying the results to different geographic regions, the high dependence of the methodology on the performance variable, the region and the type of modeling used was evidenced. It is essential to develop tools that automate the SUDS selection process and, at the same time allow the inclusion of social and economic aspects, and the mediation with different stakeholders.
Lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio can differentiate disease severity of COVID-19 patients and serve as an assistant screening tool for hospital and ICU admission
Authors: Zhang Jian-Nan , Gao Yang , Wang Xin-Tong , Tang Yu-Jia , Lai Qi-Qi , Chen Peng-Fei , Yue Chuang-Shi , Wu Ji-Han , Du Xue , Li Na-Na , Kang Kai , Zhao Ming-Yan
Published: May 2022

In this study, we aimed to explore whether Lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) can differentiate disease severity of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and its value as an assistant screening tool for admission to the hospital and the intensive care unit (ICU). A total of 184 adult COVID-19 patients from the COVID-19 Treatment Center in Heilongjiang Province at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between January 2020 and March 2021 were included in this study. Patients were divided into asymptomatic infection group, mild group, moderate group, severe group, and critical group according to the Diagnosis and Treatment of New Coronavirus Pneumonia (9th edition). Demographic and clinical data including gender, age, comorbidities, severity of COVID-19, white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil proportion (NEUT%), lymphocyte count (LYMPH), lymphocyte percentage (LYM%), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), platelet (PLT), C-reaction protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum creatinine (SCr), albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DBIL), indirect bilirubin (IBIL), and D-Dimer were obtained and collated from medical records at admission, from which sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and LCR were calculated, and all above indicators were compared among groups. Multiple clinical parameters, including LYMPH, CRP and LCR, showed significant differences among groups. The related factors to classify COVID-19 patients into moderate, severe and critical groups included age, number of comorbidities, WBC, LCR, and AST. Among these factors, number of comorbidities showed the greatest effect, and only WBC and LCR were protective factors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of LCR to classify COVID-19 patients into moderate, severe and critical groups was 0.176. The cut-off value of LCR, and the sensitivity and specificity of ROC curve were 1780.7050, 84.6% and 66.2%, respectively. The related factors to classify COVID-19 patients into severe and critical groups included number of comorbidities, PLT, LCR, and SOFA score. Among these factors, SOFA score showed the greatest effect, and LCR was the only protective factor. The area under ROC curve of LCR to classify COVID-19 patients into severe and critical groups was 0.106. The cut-off value of LCR and the sensitivity and specificity of ROC curve were 571.2200, 81.3% and 90.0%, respectively. In summary, LCR can differentiate disease severity of COVID-19 patients and serve as a simple and objective assistant screening tool for hospital and ICU admission.
Oral Microbes are a Signature of Disease in the Gut
Authors: Kelly Libusha , Khan Saad
Published: May 2022

Case-control studies have identified human gut microbiome taxa associated with diseases including diabetes, inflammatory bowel, and colorectal cancer. However, many taxa are significantly associated with different diseases, confounding the utility of taxa as disease-specific diagnostics and potentially indicating underlying similarities in physiologically distinct diseases. Using a meta-analysis of 4446 gut metagenomic samples linked to 55 diseases across 21 datasets, we identify taxa consistently associated with health or disease and validate these results on external datasets. We find that taxa associated with disease in the gut are either oral microbiome commensals or are members of the polyphyletic class Clostridiales, whereas healthy taxa are gut specialists. Prevalence of organisms in the oral cavity correlates with gut disease association, revealing a novel, conserved relationship between disease and the gut microbiome. Our work highlights a major limitation of traditional metagenomics analysis methods for identifying disease-specific markers, a key goal of many microbiome studies.
Safety and feasibility of neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a surgical bridge for acute left-sided malignant colorectal obstruction : a retrospective study
Authors: Zhang Jiawei , Deng Jiaxin , Hu Jiancong , Zhong Qinghua , Li Juan , Su Mingli , Liu Wei , Lv Miwei , Xu Tian , Lin Dezheng , Guo Xuefeng
Published: May 2022

Background: For colorectal cancer, preoperative (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy is more effective than postoperative chemotherapy because it eradicates micrometastases more effectively and reduces the risk of incomplete intraoperative resection and tumor cell shedding. For the treatment of acute left-sided malignant colorectal obstruction, colorectal stents as well as stoma are being used to relieve the obstructive colorectal cancer, and as a bridge to surgery, allowing easy mobilization and resection of the colon. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with self-expanding metal stents or neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with stoma can be used as a bridge to elective surgery as an alternative to emergency surgery in patients with acute left-sided malignant colorectal obstruction, but its benefit is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a bridge to surgery in the treatment of acute left-sided malignant colorectal obstruction.Methods: Data from patients who were admitted withacute left-sided malignant colorectal obstruction between January 2012 and December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed；Patients with peritonitis or bowel perforation were excluded. We performed one-to-two propensity score matching to compare the stoma requirement, postoperative complications, and other short-term oncological outcomes between the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and surgery groups.Results: There were no differences in intraoperative blood loss, operative time,one-year postoperative mortality, and postoperative tumor markers between the two groups. The 1-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates of the surgery group and neoadjuvant chemotherapy group were 91.3% and 96.8%(p=0.562).The neoadjuvant chemotherapy group was able to reduce stoma rate one year after surgery(p =0.047).Besides,the neoadjuvant group significantly reduced postoperative bowel function time (p <0.001), postoperative hospital stay (p <0.001), total hospital stay (p = 0.002), postoperative complications (p = 0.017),and fewer access to intensive care unit treatment(p = 0.042).Conclusions: The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a bridge to elective surgery in patients with acute left-sided malignant colorectal obstruction has many advantages, including faster recovery bowel function, enables early closure of the colostomy,reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, fewer transitions to intensive care unit or treatment,and reduce postoperative hospital stay. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a bridge to elective surgery for acute left-sided malignant colorectal obstruction is safe and feasible.
Croton yellow vein leaf curl virus: a novel begomovirus infecting Croton bonplandianum in India
Authors: G Sravya , Prabhudas Sudheesh K , Sharma Susheel Kumar , Mandal Bikash , Roy Anirban , A Swapnageetanjali
Published: May 2022

Here we report the complete nucleotide sequence of the begomovirus associated with new yellow vein diseases of Croton bonplandianum. Severe leaf curl and yellow vein symptoms on C. bonpandiaum were recorded in the surveys conducted at Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India during August, 2016. The complete genome sequence of RCA-amplified clone WK3 (2773 bp in length) shared highest nucleotide sequence identity of 89.62% and 89.26% with papaya leaf curl virus (PaLCuV) (MK087120) and bhendi yellow vein Bhubaneshwar virus (BYVBhV) (FJ589571) respectively which is below the species demarcation threshold of 91% of begomoviruses Phylogenetic inference exhibited the placement of WK3 sequence in the clade of BYVBV and PaLCuV with strongly bootstrap. Based on these findings, we propose a new tentative virus species named as Croton yellow vein leaf curl virus for the first time from India.
Attribution of Mental State in Strategic Human-Robot Interactions
Authors: Rossignoli Domenico , Manzi Federico , Gaggioli Andrea , Marchetti Antonella , Massaro Davide , Riva Giuseppe , Maggioni Mario
Published: May 2022

The paper, based on an experiment in which human subjects are paired with either another human or an anthropomorphic robot, when playing an iterated prisoner’s dilemma, investigates whether (and how) the level of mental state attributed to an anthropomorphic robot by subjects depends on the the “earnestness” of the robot, i.e. the correspondence of what the robot said and how the robot behaved after a non optimal social outcome is achieved.
An enhanced heterogeneous public key searchable encryption scheme supporting multiple keywords
Authors: Luo Ming , Huang Dashi , Qiu Minrong
Published: May 2022

Searchable encryption (SE) technology allows users to use keywords to retrieve encrypted data and ensure that useful plaintext information of encrypted data will not be disclosed. For a secure SE scheme, if it is able to meet the multi-trapdoor privacy (MTP), the security will be improved compare with the traditional SE scheme. However, there are few searchable encryption schemes that can meet the requirement of MTP. In addition, many existing schemes ignore the need of multi keyword search, and both sides of communication use the same cryptosystem and cryptographic parameters, which leads to the problem of low search efficiency and practicability. Therefore, we propose a heterogeneous SE scheme that supports multi-keyword search, provides MTP and allows both sides of communication to be worked in different cryptosystems with different cryptographic parameters. With the use of the random oracle model (ROM), we demonstrate the security of the proposed scheme, and we show the excellent performance of the proposed scheme at the end of the article.
Computed Tomography findings of Intersigmoid Hernia
Authors: Tashiro Yuki , Takeyama Nobuyuki , Kachi Mana , Hori Yoshiro , Kijima Kazuhiro , Umemoto Takahiro , Tanaka Kuniya , Ryu Kiyotaka , Satoh Shuichi , Hashimoto Toshi
Published: May 2022

Purpose
To evaluate the computed tomography findings of intersigmoid hernias.
Methods
Between April 2010 and March 2018, seven patients who were surgically diagnosed with intersigmoid hernia from three institutions were enrolled in this study. Two radiologists evaluated imaging findings for the herniated small bowel, the distance between the occlusion point and bifurcation of the left common iliac artery, and its relationships with the surrounding structures.
Results
All patients were male ,and their mean age (standard deviation, range) was 61.0 (13.5, 36–85) years. The mean size of the bowel loops was 5.19 (1.34, 4.0-8.3) cm in the caudal direction, 3.59 (0.79, 2.5–5.1) cm in the lateral, and 3.43 (0.64, 2.5–4.7) cm in the anterior-posterior direction, 37.88 (27.79, 15.6–103.0) cm3 calculated by the length. The obstruction point was located 3.57 (0.59, 2.84–4.70) cm inferior to the bifurcation of the left common iliac artery. In all cases, the small bowel ran under the point that the inferior mesenteric vessels bifurcated to the superior rectal vessels and the sigmoid vessels and formed a sac-like appearance between the left psoas muscle and the sigmoid colon. The ureter ran dorsal to the point of the bowel stenosis, and the left gonadal vein outside the small bowel loops.
Conclusion
In all cases, the small bowel ran under the position of the inferior mesenteric vessel's bifurcation and became strangulated at the anterior of the left ureter, showing a sac-like appearance medial to the left gonadal vein. These findings may be characteristic of the intersigmoid hernia.
Projection of COVID-19 Pandemic - A Deep Learning Approach
Authors: S Marimuthu , Mani Thenmozhi , Joy Melvin , Lakshmanan Jeyaseelan
Published: May 2022

Background: Several mathematical models have been developed to project the COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, which are helps for administration to plan effectively and strengthening public health services and facilities. Many researchers incorporated long short term memory model (LSTM) and reported a better performance as compared to classical models. However, they have not clearly explained the workflow and steps involved in the LSTM models in a simple manner. Moreover, these models are not popularized among many biomedical researchers due to lack of expertise. Therefore, our aim of the study is to present such models as a tutorial, in a simple way with Python codes using real time data with good amount of instructions so that many researchers could use these methods to project pandemics like COVID-19.Data and Methods: A daily case in India from 1st December 2021 to 10th February 2022, and in UK from 1st May 2021 to 10th February 2022 was used to train the models. We used Convolutional Long Short Term Memory (CNN-LSTM) model and simple LSTM models to forecast COVID-19 cases. Both models were validated using data from 11th - 25th February 2022.Results: CNN-LSTM and simple LSTM models fit very well with R2 0.95 and 0.97 for India. Validation data, RMSE and MAE of CNN-LSTM model were 9972.81 and 8993.33. And these were 19285.57 and 18870.87 for simple LSTM model. The R2 value of CNN-LSTM and simple LSTM models for UK data were 0.77 and 0.84 respectively. And validation data, RMSE was 12111.95 for CNNLSTM and 8935.75 for simple LSTM. The MAE of CNN-LSTM and simple LSTM model were 10060.9 and 7824.821 respectively.Conclusion: Simple LSTM model works better than CNN-LSTM model while training. The performance of CNN is better in the validation for India. Therefore, our suggestion is, train various models instead of sticking into one model to project the future cases and report the range of values. Revise the models weekly once or once in a couple of week as the behaviour of an epidemic may change over a time.
Optimizing Hill Climbing Algorithm Parameters for Generation of Cryptographically Strong S-Boxes
Authors: Kuznetsov Alexandr , Romeo Luca , Poluyanenko Nikolay , Kandiy Sergey , Kuznetsova Kateryna
Published: May 2022

Nonlinear substitutions (S-boxes) are an important component of modern symmetric ciphers. They are designed to complicate the plaintext-ciphertext dependency. According to modern ideas, the S-box should be bijective, have high nonlinearity and algebraic immunity, low delta uniformity and linear redundancy. These criteria directly affect the cryptographic strength of ciphers, providing resistance to statistical, linear, algebraic, differential, and other cryptanalysis techniques. Many researchers have used various heuristic techniques to generate random S-boxes with high nonlinearity. However, the complexity of this task is still high. For example, the best-known algorithm to generate a random 8-bit bijective S-box with nonlinearity 104 requires high computational effort (i.e. more than 65 thousand intermediate estimates [search iterations]). In this article, we explore an iterative hill-climbing algorithm and optimize the heuristic search parameters. We show that the complexity of generating S-boxes can be significantly reduced. To search for a random bijective S-box with nonlinearity 104, only about 50 thousand intermediate search iterations are required. In addition, we generate Cryptographically Strong S-Boxes for which additional criteria are provided. We present estimates of the complexity of the search and estimates of the probabilities of generating substitutions with various cryptographic indicators. The extracted results demonstrate a significant improvement in our approach compared to the state of the art in terms of providing linear nonredundancy, nonlinearity (104), algebraic immunity (3) and delta uniformity (8).
Numerical Simulation of Indoor Living Wall Effects Using an Evapotranspiration Model in Hygroscopic Porous Medium
Authors: Moosavi Rouhollah , Lin Cheng-Xian , Zhu Yimin , Chen Yan
Published: May 2022

The potential effect of a living wall on the indoor temperature and humidity of a room is numerically modeled and investigated through a novel approach. The studied room has a dimension of \(10 m\times 6 m\times 3 m\) with part of the wall areas covered by a living wall. The water transportation process in the active living wall, which is composed of transpiration from leaves and evaporation from potting media, was simulated as evaporation from a hygroscopic porous medium material. The governing equations of fluid flow, moisture transport, and heat transfer were solved simultaneously. The Navier–Stokes equations were used for fluid flow fields for the convective transport and Brinkman and Darcy’s law for single and multiphase flow in porous media. The inlet conditions are the ambient temperature of 298 K, the humidity of 10% and 40%, with the mass flux set at 0.01–0.16 kg/m2.s and the inlet velocity set at 0.1–1.5 m/s. The results revealed that an active living wall can improve the comfort conditions of the indoor environment, with relative humidity up to 75% and decreased temperature up to 5 K degrees. In addition, results showed that increasing the percentage of plant leaf cover to the total surface (1–100%) significantly increased relative humidity and reduced room temperature.
Total Family Risk in Displaced Families in a Municipality of Colombia
Authors: Ospina Martha Cecilia , Arenas Dolly Villegas , Coral Imer Andrés Díaz , Salazar Angie Loriteh Narváez , Naranjo José Over Garzón
Published: May 2022

In Colombia, the civil war has generated family displacement, leading to experiences of social and cultural uprooting. The total Family Risk was determined in a group of 30 displaced Afro-descendant families, for which the RFT 5–33 instrument was used, with prior informed consent. The results show a predominance of nuclear families (40%), predominance of threatened families (56%), especially in the dimensions of housing and neighborhood, socioeconomic situation, health practices and services, and psycho-affective conditions. The correlation showed that Total Family Risk has a strong correlation with health practices and services (0.888) and with the management of minors (0.86). The findings provide elements to implement family care actions in health promotion and prevention.
Unintended effects of transgenic rice on grain yield and quality traits determined by quantitative proteomics
Authors: Sun Yue , Chen Huizhen , Chen Zhongkai , Wang Chunlei , Qin Lu , Lin Xiaoli , Cai Yicong , Zhou Dahu , Ouyang Linjuan , Zhu Changlan , Peng Xiaosong , He Haohua
Published: May 2022

Omics techniques provide effective detection tools for assessing the potential impact of plant composition at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels. Among these, protein is the executor of gene function and the embodiment of biological traits, so that organisms show various genetic characteristics. Proteomics can be used to assess whether genetic engineering will lead to changes in plant traits beyond those introduced by conventional plant breeding. Here, we compare the extent of the proteome occurring in the leaves of three transgenic rice restore lines expressing CRY1C and CRY2A genes developed by genetic engineering and their corresponding recurrent parents developed by conventional breeding. CRY1C and CRY2A genes were inserted into chromosomes 11 and 12, respectively, which significantly improved the resistance of restore lines to Chilo suppressalis. Although differentially expressed proteins could be distinguished between transgenic rice and its recurrent parents, these differences were not sufficient to cause unintended effects on grain yield and quality traits of transgenic rice. In contrast, differences in phenotypic traits are more because of differences in genetic background. Functional cluster analysis showed that the differentially expressed proteins caused by the insertion of exogenous genes did not involve harmful metabolic pathways. The study successfully used 4D label-free quantitative proteomics technology to assess the unexpected changes in new rice varieties, and the results showed that transgenic rice did not cause unintended effects.
Evaluation of satellite-based air temperature estimates at eight diverse sites in Africa
Authors: Parsons Danny , Stern David , Ndanguza Denis , Sylla Mouhamadou Bamba
Published: May 2022

High resolution satellite and reanalysis-based air temperature estimates have huge potential to complement the sparse networks of air temperature measurements from ground stations in Africa, and support vital studies in health, agriculture, diseases, and climate change. The recently released Climate Hazards Center Infrared Temperature with Stations (CHIRTS-daily) dataset provides daily minimum and maximum air temperature estimates on a near-global scale from 1983 to 2016. This study assesses the performance of CHIRTS-daily in comparison with measurements from eight ground stations in diverse locations across Africa from 1983 to 2016 and benchmarked against the ERA5 and ERA5-Land reanalysis in order to understand its potential to provide localised temperature information. CHIRTS-daily maximum temperature exhibits good performance across the sites, measures and time scales. Compared to ERA5 and ERA5-Land, CHIRTS-daily has higher correlation and lower bias of daily, annual mean maximum and annual extreme maximum temperature, often within 1.0° on average. It also exhibits significant trends in annual mean maximum temperature, comparable to those from the station data. CHIRTS-daily minimum temperatures generally has higher correlation, but larger bias than ERA5 and ERA5-Land, at more than 2° at four sites. However, the results indicate that CHIRTS-daily minimum temperature biases may be largely systematic, and therefore could potentially be corrected for. Overall, CHIRTS-daily is highly promising as it outperforms ERA5 and ERA5-Land in many areas, and exhibits good results across a small, but diverse set of sites in Africa. Further studies to understand performance in specific geographic areas and terrains could help support these findings.
The pancreas-to-muscle signal intensity ratio on T 1 -weighted MRI as predictive biomarker for postoperative pancreatic fistula after distal pancreatectomy: A single-center retrospective study
Authors: Fukada Masahiro , Murase Katsutoshi , Higashi Toshiya , Fujibayashi Seito , Kuno Masashi , Yasufuku Itaru , Sato Yuta , Kiyama Shigeru , Tanaka Yoshihiro , Okumura Naoki , Matsuhashi Nobuhisa , Takahashi Takao
Published: May 2022

Background: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is the most serious complication in pancreatic surgery. When POPF occurs and becomes severe, it causes secondary complications and leads to a longer treatment period. We previously reported a correlation between pancreatic fibrosis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and MRI may have potential to predict for POPF. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic ability of the pancreas-to-muscle signal intensity ratio on T1-weighted MRI (SIR on T1-w MRI) for POPF after distal pancreatectomy (DP). Methods: This retrospective, single-institution study comprised 117 patients who underwent DP for pancreatic disease between 2010 and 2021 at the Gifu University Hospital. We statistically analyzed pre-, intra-, and post-operative factors to assess the correlation with POPF. Results: According to the definition and grading of the International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF), 29 (24.8%) of 117 patients had POPF grades B and C. In the univariate analysis, POPF was significantly associated with the pancreas-to-muscle SIR on T1-w MRI, the drainage fluid amylase concentration (D-Amy) levels on postoperative day (POD)1 and 3, white blood cell count on POD1 and 3, C-reactive protein level on POD3, and heart rate on POD3. In multivariate analysis, only the pancreas-to-muscle SIR on T1-w MRI (>1.37; odds ratio [OR] 23.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.93 – 454.03; p < 0.01) and D-Amy level on POD3 (>737 U/L; OR 3.91; 95% CI 1.02 – 16.36; p = 0.046) were identified as independent predictive factors. In addition, the pancreas-to-muscle SIR on T1-w MRI showed significant positive correlations with D-Amy levels both on POD1 and 3(p < 0.01), and was significantly higher in non-pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cases (p < 0.01) and soft pancreas cases (p=0.04).Conclusions: The pancreas-to-muscle SIR on T1-w MRI was able to diagnose the development of POPF after DP as well as postoperative D-Amy levels. Furthermore, the pancreas-to-muscle SIR on T1-w MRI also showed significantly correlated with pancreatic disease and pancreatic texture. The pancreas-to-muscle SIR on T1-w MRI may be a potential objective biomarker reflecting pancreatic status.
A Scoping Review of the 3D-Printing Applications in Ostomy Creation and Complex Intestinal Fistula Management
Authors: Soh Chien Lin , Pandiaraja Madhumitha , Powar Michael P
Published: May 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
A Multicenter, Dose-Escalation, Open-Label, Phase IIa Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of TTAC-0001 (olinvacimab), a Fully Human Monoclonal Antibody in Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma
Authors: Balasubramanian Adithya , Iatropoulos George , Bowyer Samantha , Gan Hui Kong , Long Anne P , Bynevelt Michael , Jackson Graeme , Lee Seon Young , Lee Weon Sup , Yoo Jinsan , Nowak Anna , Cher Lawrence
Published: May 2022

Introduction The VEGF pathway remains an important target in GBM given its vascularity and autocrine VEGF signalling. Olinvacimab is a fully humanised VEGFR2 monoclonal antibody that binds and inhibits the receptor. This report assesses the safety, dosing schedules and efficacy of olinvacimab in recurrent GBM (rGBM). Methods Adult patients with a measurable lesion, histopathological diagnosis of primary GBM with tumour progression after chemoradiotherapy were included. No prior biologic treatment was allowed. Three dose levels of intravenous olinvacimab were assessed: 8 mg/kg (dose level 1) and 12mg/kg (dose level 2) weekly for 3 out of 4 weeks, and 12 mg/kg weekly (dose level 3). Efficacy was assessed by MRI using RANO criteria. Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRIs (DCE-MRIs) were analysed for changes in perfusion parameters during treatment. Results Twelve patients were enrolled in this study: three each in dose levels 1 and 2, and six in dose level 3. The main toxicity was development of grade 1 (67%) and 2 (8%) cutaneous haemangiomas. Common toxicities noted with other VEGF directed therapies- including hypertension, impaired wound healing, and proteinuria- were not seen. The 6-month progression free survival rate was 17%, disease control rate 25%, and the longest response 15 months. No significant difference in perfusion parameters was found between baseline and 1st follow-up DCE-MRI comparing those with stable and progressive disease. ConclusionOlinvacimab was well tolerated across three dose levels and had a distinct toxicity profile. Disease control was seen in 25% of patients and warrants further follow up in further clinical trials.
Unidirectional Single-File Transport of Full-Length Proteins Through a Nanopore
Authors: Yu Luning , Kang Xinqi , Li Fanjun , Mehrafrooz Behzad , Makhamreh Amr , Fallahi Ali , Aksimentiev Aleksei , Chen Min , Wanunu Meni
Published: May 2022

Nanopore sequencing is one of only a few methods that can potentially determine the amino acid sequence of individual protein molecules as these are passed through a pore sensor. However, mechanisms for unfolding and translocation of proteins are still unavailable to date. Here we describe a general approach for realizing unidirectional transport of full-length proteins through nanopores. We combine a chemically resistant biological nanopore platform with a high concentration guanidinium chloride buffer to achieve unidirectional, single-file protein transport that is propelled by a giant electro-osmotic effect, as revealed by molecular dynamics simulations and confirmed experimentally. Remarkably, we observed that protein velocities are uniform regardless of the protein sequence, which allows the identification and discrimination among proteins based on their electrical signatures, as well as to distinguish protein signatures by their threading orientation (N-to-C vs. C-to-N terminus). With average transport velocities of 10 µs per amino acid, our method can enable direct, enzyme-free protein fingerprinting and protein sequencing when combined with a high-resolution pore and high-speed nanopore readout.
An Enhanced Donkey and Smuggler Optimization Algorithm for Choosing the Precise Job Applicant
Authors: Hasan Nazir M. , Rashid Tarik A. , Alsadoon Abeer , Qosaeri Ahmed S. , Abualigah Laith
Published: May 2022

Throughout the last few decades, Nature-Inspired Algorithms (NIA) have become very popular in solving real-world problems by getting inspiration from nature and animals' and insects' social behavior. This work suggests the Modified Donkey and Smuggler Optimization (MDSO) algorithm for solving the selection problem to choose the suitable job applicants for a specific position. The original Donkey and Smuggler Optimization algorithm (DSO) has two modes: smuggler and donkey mode (non-adaptive and adaptive, respectively). In the smuggler mode, the algorithm tries to find the best solutions, which is the path to send the donkey to the destination; once the best path is found, the smuggler will send the donkey through the selected path. The donkey's actions will start when the smuggler mode's best solution is no longer the best one. Certain modifications have been made in the smuggler mode, including replacing the original fitness with a new fitness equation since that method can work more accurately. The Human Resource (HR) department in Korek-telecom has been used as a resource to achieve real-world data to test the original and Modified DSO. By using MDSO, not only will organizations be able to choose suitable job applicants more accurately but will manage to do so at a faster pace as well.
Developing a conceptual model for understanding nutritional problems and health-related outcomes among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes: implications for digital health interventions
Authors: Yun WANG , Xiangping YUAN , Xianju GU , Changxiu MENG , Yanling ZHENG
Published: May 2022

Background: It is generally agreed that a healthy diet could promote the management of diabetes, with emerging research indicating the potential delay and prevention of T2DM and its complications. This study used a qualitative method to obtain a first-hand and in-depth understanding of nutritional problems and concerns among patients with type 2 diabetes and explored the negative impacts of insufficient nutrition management on quality of life.Methods: Twenty-one adult patients with type 2 diabetes participated in a semi structured interview regarding nutritional problems and negative impacts on quality of life. Recordings were transcribed verbatim, and content analysis was used to identify themes.Results: Four themes emerged from the analysis to represent nutritional problems and negative impacts on quality of life: nutrition literacy, sociocultural aspects of nutrition, behaviours and nutrition management, and negative health-related outcomes .Conclusions: Considering the nutrition issues and the negative impacts among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes, digital health intervention was an effective way to improve their health-related outcomes. Personal, social, cultural and religious factors should all be taken into consideration when promoting nutrition knowledge and behaviours.
A multi-criteria approach for improving streamflow prediction in a rapidly urbanizing data scarce catchment
Authors: Panchanathan Anandharuban , Haghighi Ali Torabi , Oussalah Mourad
Published: May 2022

This study advocates a multi-criteria approach to improve the streamflow predictions in a data-scarce catchment of Chennai metropolitan city of India using the Soil Water and Assessment Tool (SWAT). The remotely sensed evapotranspiration (ET) data, groundwater recharge estimation and parameter regionalization were used to improve model prediction. Dynamic change of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) was accounted for along with multi-parameter calibration for reducing the uncertainty in model parameters. The results revealed an improved streamflow prediction accuracy by 10%, especially in the prediction of medium and high flows with the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.60. The enhanced parameters were regionalized to ungauged sub-basins and validated using a measured flow event downstream of regionalization with 15% prediction uncertainty. This semi-arid catchment is dominated by ET (58%) and runoff (27%) in the region's hydrology. The finding of this study can be applied to improve the hydrological modeling and predictions in data-scarce regions.
Structural and Functional Annotation and Molecular Docking Analysis of a Hypothetical Protein from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, An In-silico Approach
Authors: Mazumder Lincon , Hasan Md. Rakibul , Fatema Kanij , Islam Md Zahirul
Published: May 2022

Background
The threat of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is a significant public health concern. Blood, sperm, vaginal, and other bodily fluids can transport bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause sexually transmitted diseases from one person to another. Neisseria gonorrhoeae is one of the microorganisms responsible for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It is an aerobic gram-negative bacterium with a large genome that contains numerous proteins, some of which are considered hypothetical.
Methods
In this study, the hypothetical protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae F0T10 13280 was chosen for analysis and used an in-silico approach to explore various properties such as physicochemical characteristics, subcellular localization, secondary structure, 3D structures, and functional annotation. Finally, a molecular docking analysis was performed to design an epitope-based vaccine against this protein.
Results
This study has identified the potential role of the HP in plasmid transfer, cell cycle control, cell division, and chromosome partitioning. Acidic nature, thermal stability, cytoplasmic localization of the protein and some of its other physicochemical properties has also been identified through this study. Molecular docking analysis has demonstrated that one of the T cell epitopes of the protein has a significant binding affinity with the human leucocyte antigen HLA-B*3501.
Conclusions
The in-silico characterization of this protein will help us understand its molecular mechanism of action and get an insight into novel therapeutic identification processes. This research will, therefore, enhance our knowledge to find new medications to tackle this potential threat to humankind.
Correlation analysis of the elastic-ideal plastic material behavior of short fiber-reinforced composites
Authors: Rauter Natalie
Published: May 2022

For the numerical simulation of short fiber-reinforced composites and the correct analysis of the deformation information about the plastic behavior and its spatial distribution is essential. When using purely deterministic modeling approaches information of the probabilistic microstructure is not included in the simulation process. One possible approach for the integration of stochastic information is the use of random fields, which requires information about the correlation structure of all material input parameters. In this study the correlation structure for finite strain elasto-plastic material behavior of short fiber-reinforced composites is analyzed. This approach combines the use of already established procedures for linear-elastic material behavior with a homogenization method for plasticity. The obtained results reveal a complex correlation structure, which is approximated with triangle and exponential correlation functions influenced by the window size. Due to the dependence of the hyperelastic and plastic material parameters on the fiber volume fraction, the strain-energy density function coefficients are cross-correlated with the yield strength of the composite. Subsequently, in a subsequent part of this study numerical simulations of tensile tests are conducted that cover the elastic and plastic domain and include spatially distributed material properties.
Low-level laser therapy (photo-biomodulation therapy) for breast cancer-related lymphedema: A systematic review
Authors: Mahmood Dania , Ahmad Ashfaq , Arslan Asad , Sharif Faiza
Published: May 2022

Background: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a frequent issue that arises after mastectomy surgery in women and compromises physical and mental function. Previously published studies have shown positive effects with the use of Photo-biomodulation is another term for low-level laser treatment (LLLT) (PBM). This research investigated the efficacy of LLLT (PBM) in the treatment of Metastatic breast cancer related lymphedema.Methods: PubMed, PEDro, Medline, and the Cochrane Library were searched for LLLT clinical trials published before October 2021. The methodological quality of randomized trials and the effectiveness of Laser therapy for BCRL were evaluated. The primary objectives were arm circumference or arm volume, whereas the secondary goals were shoulder mobility and pain severity.Results: Eight clinical trials were analysed in total. Typically, the included RCTs had good research quality. At four weeks, there was a considerable reduction in arm circumference/volume, and this continued with long-term follow-up. However, no statistically significant change in shoulder mobility or pain severity was seen between the laser and placebo groups at 0-, 1-, 2-, and 3-month short-term follow-up.Conclusions: The findings of this comprehensive study demonstrated that LLLT (PBM) was successful in diminishing arm circumference and volume than improving shoulder mobility and pain. Data indicate that laser therapy (PBM) may be a beneficial treatment option for females with PML. Because of the scarcity of evidence, there is a strong need for well-conducted trials in this field.Trial registration: Details of the protocol for this systematic review were registered on PROSPERO and can be accessed at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42022315076.
Epigraphene: the first viable platform for seamless zero-mode graphene nanoelectronics
Authors: Prudkovskiy Vladimir , Hu Yiran , Hu Yue , Zhang Kaimin , Ji Peixuan , Nunn Grant , Zhao Jian , Shi Chengqian , Tejeda Antonio , Wander David , de Cecco Alessandro , Winkelmann Clemens , Jiang Yuxuan , Zhao Tianhao , Wakabayashi Katsunori , Jiang Zhigang , Ma Lei , Berger Claire , de Heer Walt
Published: May 2022

A graphene nanoelectronics platform -envisioned as scalable seamlessly integrated graphene nanoscale devices -has failed to materialize due to pervasive edge disorder caused by lithographic processes that diminish the mobility and destroy the edge state in exfoliated graphene nanoribbons. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, graphene edge state transport in conventionally patterned graphene ribbon networks produced on graphene that is epitaxially grown on non-polar faces of electronics grade silicon carbide wafers (epigraphene). The epigraphene edge state is extremely robust to lithography processing, as the graphene edge atoms bind to the SiC substrate. The protected edge state has a mean free path that is greater than 50 microns, 5000 times greater than the bulk states. It involves a non-degenerate, spin polarized, zero-energy electronic band that does not produce a Hall voltage. In seamless integrated structures, the edge state forms a zero-energy one-dimensional ballistic network with essentially dissipationless nodes at ribbon-ribbon junctions. Its novel properties point to an unconventional charge carrier that is half-electron and half-hole. Seamless integrated graphene edge state device structures that are phase coherent at low temperatures offer a variety of switching possibilities. This makes epigraphene the only technologically viable graphene nanoelectronics platform that has the potential to succeed silicon nanoelectronics.
Physical, physicochemical and functional technological properties of flours produced from yellow mombin (Spondias mombin L.) epicarp
Authors: Pinheiro Gleyce Kelle Ilidio , Oliveira Daniel Emanuel Cabral de , Resende Osvaldo , Junior Weder Nunes Ferreira , Cabral Jennifer Cristhine Oliveira , Quequeto Wellytton Darci , Silva Lígia Campos de Moura , Souza Diene Gonçalves
Published: May 2022

Yellow mombin (Spondias mombin L.) is a plant native to tropical America and occurs in several states in Brazil. Yellow mombin fruit has desirable characteristics for industrialization, but its epicarp (peel) having good nutritional characteristics is discarded. Flour obtained by dehydration processes is an alternative in the food industry for the utilization of by-products. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a product from an industrial residue and analyze the physical, physicochemical and functional technological characteristics of the yellow mombin epicarp flours produced by drying in an oven, subjected to different temperatures (40, 50, 60 and 70 ºC) and by lyophilization. To reach these final moisture contents, the required times were 11.5, 9.0, 7.0 and 4.5 h, respectively, for the temperatures of 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C. For lyophilization, 24 hours were required. After the samples were dried, they were processed to obtain the flour and evaluated for color, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, bulk density and granulometry. Flour produced by lyophilized epicarp of yellow mombin showed a lighter color and a higher tendency to yellow, greater amount of soluble solids and lower density. FEPL particles were smaller, i.e., finer flour. All flours had low pH values, between 2.65 and 2.83