bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of a peer-based education on fruits and vegetables intake among housewives
Authors: Sheybani Roya , Hosseini Zahra , Davoodi Sayed Hossein , Aghamolaei Teamur , Ghanbarnejad Amin
Published: December 2021

Background

Evidence indicates the lower intake of fruits and vegetables than the recommended daily amount. Study aimed at determining the effects of peer education intervention on the consumption of fruits and vegetable in housewives.

Methods

A quasi-experimental was conducted with 130 housewives referring to health care centers in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Sixty-five subjects were recruited in each of the intervention and the control groups. Intervention group were divided into three subgroups each receiving a seven-sessions educational programs (lecturing and group discussion) through peers about the importance of benefits of fruits and vegetables consumption. Participants were followed for two months. Data were collected using a questionnaire in two stages of pre- and post-intervention. Differences in the outcome before and after the intervention were tested using T-test and paired T-test.

Results

The daily servings of fruits and vegetables in the intervention group increased from 1.73 to 4.20 and in the control group from 1.96 to 2.16; a statistically significant difference was also observed between the groups (P < 0.001). After the intervention benefits and self-efficacy of fruits and vegetables consumption significantly increased and perceived barriers of fruits and vegetables consumption significantly decreased in the intervention group (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Peer education improves benefits and self-efficacy, reduces barriers, and increases the daily servings of fruits and vegetables in housewives.
Postpartum hemorrhage - what the interventional radiologist should know
Authors: Menon Blaine E. , Kaufman Claire S. , Kennedy Anne M. , Ingraham Christopher R. , Monroe Eric J.
Published: December 2021

Postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality around the world and can be caused by multiple etiologies. Distinguishing between the various etiologies that lead to PPH and identifying high risk features are crucial to implementing effective clinical management. In this review, the diagnostic imaging features and management principles of some of the most important causes of postpartum hemorrhage are discussed, with an emphasis on the pearls and pitfalls when minimally invasive treatment via interventional radiologic techniques are employed.
Leiomyosarcoma of urinary bladder with unusual recurrence in intestinal mucosa and peritoneum: a case report
Authors: Vias Poorva , Goyal Shikha , Periasamy Kannan , Madan Renu , Devana Sudheer Kumar , Bal Amanjit , Kundu Reetu
Published: December 2021

Background

Leiomyosarcomas of urinary bladder constitute rare malignant sarcomas with very few cases reported in literature.

Case presentation

Here, we present a case of bladder leiomyosarcoma in a well-preserved female. She failed to respond to standard chemotherapy and had a rapidly downhill course with unusual metastases in anastomotic site and peritoneum soon after surgery. Despite multimodality management including resection of primary and metastatic site, systemic therapy and pelvic radiotherapy, our patient had dismal prognosis with an overall survival of 1.7 years.

Conclusion

Leiomyosarcomas of bladder are aggressive tumors and have a very poor prognosis; thus, future research should focus on optimizing more effective treatment regimes.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rate in Patients With Cancer and Health Care Workers in a Chemoradiotherapy Unit During the Pandemic: A Prospective Cohort in Mexico
Authors: Meneses-Medina Monica Isabel , Hernandez-Felix Jorge Humberto , Anaya-Sánchez Luis Guillermo , Valenzuela-Vidales Ana Karen , Rosas-Camargo Vanessa , Martos-Armendariz Edgar Omar , Torres-Valdiviezo Lucero Itzel , Cedro-Tanda Alberto , Noguez-Ramos Alejandro , Herrera-Montalvo Luis Alonso , Hidalgo-Miranda Alfredo , Valdez-Echeverria Raymundo David , Galindo-Fraga Arturo , Huitzil-Meléndez Fidel David
Published: December 2021

PURPOSE

Cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic represents a challenge. Hospital visits to receive treatment and interaction with health care workers (HCW) represent potential contagious events. We aimed to determine SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among patients with cancer and HCW of a chemoradiotherapy unit localized in a center designated as a COVID-19 priority facility in Mexico City. We also determined the diagnostic performance of a clinical questionnaire (CQ) as a screening tool and anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroconversion rate.

METHODS

HCW and patients with solid tumors attending the chemoradiotherapy unit signed informed consent. To determine SARS-CoV-2 infection rate prospectively, a nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed every 2 weeks in asymptomatics. An electronic CQ interrogating COVID-19–related symptoms was sent daily. Anti–SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were measured at baseline and at the end of the study period.

RESULTS

From June to September 2020, we included 130 asymptomatic participants, 44.6% HCW and 55.4% patients with cancer. During a median follow-up of 85 days, 634 nasopharyngeal swabs were performed. Average SARS-CoV-2 monthly incidence was 4.6% (3.15%-7.47%), and cumulative infection rate was 13.8% (18 of 130). Cases were mostly asymptomatic (66%), and no hospitalizations or deaths were recorded. The CQ as a screening tool provided a sensitivity of 27.7%, a positive predictive value of 26.3%, and a positive likelihood ratio of 12. SARS-CoV-2 IgG seroconversion rate was 27.7% among those with a positive RT-PCR.

CONCLUSION

Patients with cancer on treatment can have uncomplicated COVID-19 outcomes. Biweekly RT-qPCR testing detects asymptomatic infections, prevents transmission, and should be implemented in units to increase patient safety. CQ increase RT-qPCR diagnostic yield and may prioritize testing in resource-deprived settings. Post-infection IgG seroconversion is unreliable.
Changes of FGF23 and the Renin-Angiotensin-System in Male Mouse Models of Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Okamoto Kohei , Fujii Hideki , Watanabe Kentaro , Goto Shunsuke , Kono Keiji , Nishi Shinichi
Published: December 2021

Serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) are elevated in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and their association with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has been reported. However, whether the FGF23 elevation is the cause or result of LVH remains unclear. At 10 weeks, male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups: sham, CKD (5/6 nephrectomy), LVH (transaortic constriction), and CKD/LVH group. At 16 weeks, the mice were euthanized, and blood and urine, cardiac expressions of FGF23 and RAAS-related factors, and cardiac histological analyses were performed. Heart weight, serum FGF23 levels, and cardiac expression of FGF23 and RAAS-related factors, except for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, were more increased in the CKD/LVH group compared to the other groups. A significant correlation between LVH and cardiac expressions of FGF23 and RAAS-related factors was observed. Furthermore, there was a significantly close correlation of the cardiac expression of FGF23 with LVH and RAAS-related factors. The coexisting CKD and LVH increased serum and cardiac FGF23 and RAAS-related factors, and there was a significant correlation between them. A close correlation of cardiac, but not serum FGF23, with LVH and RAAS suggests that local FGF23 levels may be associated with LVH and RAAS activation.
Transesophageal Echocardiography–Guided Aspiration of Venous Air Embolism During Liver Transplantation: A Case Report
Authors: Poorsattar Sophia P. , Lin Michael Y.
Published: December 2021

Transesophageal echocardiography can be useful not only in diagnosing venous air embolism but also in guiding aspiration of air from the pulmonary artery. A 59-year-old man with a history of cirrhosis underwent combined kidney and liver transplantations. He developed acute hypotension after the native liver was removed due to a massive venous air embolism via a retained transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt catheter. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed air in the pulmonary artery resulting in outflow obstruction. Under echocardiographic guidance, the pulmonary arterial catheter was withdrawn to the air pocket and aspirated, resulting in improved hemodynamics and successful completion of transplantations.
Platform Battlefield
Authors: Benvegnù Carlotta , Cuppini Niccolò , Frapporti Mattia , Milesi Floriano , Pirone Maurilio ,   (Into the Black Box)
Published: December 2021

Platforms are transforming society, economy, and politics and becoming essential infrastructures of our lives. In this way, digital spaces overlap with other spatialities, urban areas in particular. This process is not peaceful but generates bottlenecks, resistances, and oppositions. In this article, we propose to combine platform studies with infrastructure studies to frame the capacity of such enterprises to build new urban postindustrial environments. We focus on the potential conflicts emerging in the face of the growing platformization and sketch the outlines of a counter-platform politics.
Three Currents of Platformization in China
Authors: Wang June , Yu Xinyue
Published: December 2021

This essay explores the three currents of user-generated content (UGC) platform development in China: one is full of improvised endeavors in the cultural production through amateur creativity; one is featured with affective laboring and networking by prosumers, who struggle with the algorithm-conditioned visibility of platforms; and one is featured with regulatory attempts by platforms and authorities to introduce a new “creator economy.” Our investigation into the platformization has focused on the multifaceted role of networking that unfolds among prosumers and platforms, and subsequently the changing networks and hierarchies of the crowd-based economy. We argue for an emerging landscape of multiple networked territories at multiple scales. The logic of visibility-making coordinates the distributed agency of networking by prosumers, platforms, and cultural and political authorities, giving birth to territories at multiple scales, from themed cultural communities to techno-giants with a sense of national pride.
Rider Platforms?
Authors: Grohmann Rafael
Published: December 2021

The aim of this article is to analyze the emergence of worker-owned platforms—whether cooperatives or collectives—as a laboratory of platform labor, considering the circulation of workers’ struggles. The research involves six cases in three different countries (Spain, France, Brazil) according to the following dimensions: productive processes and work organization, technological challenges and building platforms, use of social media to communicate with and organize workers, cooperation among cooperatives, and the future of worker-owned experiences. The analysis highlights that, despite different contexts, there are issues in common, such as the low number of workers, the central role of social media for communicating and organizing work, and the emergence of cooperation among cooperatives. This is an ongoing and emerging process that can be the beginning of a broader process of reinventing local economic circuits of production and consumption that involves digital platforms for the common good.
Generation Left after Corbynism
Authors: Milburn Keir
Published: December 2021

Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party has allowed age to emerge as a dramatic new axis of political division. This article treats the political generation gap as, in part, a transformation in class composition. Most notably, starting with the political age divide makes recognition of a shift toward an asset-based economy hard to avoid. The economic crisis of 2008, and the British government responses to it, have provoked a contradiction between the two main avenues through which neoliberal subjectivities are trained. While neoliberal institutional reform and the styles of management that accompany it continue to train the young in line with theories of human capital, the specific nature of their entrainment in bonds of debt increasingly undermine the notions of meritocracy on which the human capital metaphor implicitly depends. This contradiction opens up possibilities for constructing more open conceptions of the future which can, in turn, be embedded within institutions yet to be created.
Redundant functions of the SLC5A transporters Rumpel, Bumpel, and Kumpel in ensheathing glial cells
Authors: Yildirim Kerem , Winkler Bente , Pogodalla Nicole , Mackensen Steffi , Baldenius Marie , Garcia Luis , Naffin Elke , Rodrigues Silke , Klämbt Christian
Published: December 2021

Neuronal processing is energy demanding and relies on sugar metabolism. To nurture the Drosophila nervous system, the blood-brain barrier forming glial cells take up trehalose from the hemolymph and then distribute the metabolic products further to all neurons. This function is provided by glucose and lactate transporters of the solute carrier (SLC) 5A family. Here we identified three SLC5A genes that are specifically expressed in overlapping sets of CNS glial cells, rumpel, bumpel and kumpel. We generated mutants in all genes and all mutants are viable and fertile, lacking discernible phenotypes. Loss of rumpel causes subtle locomotor phenotypes and flies display increased daytime sleep. In addition, in bumpel kumpel double mutants, and to an even greater extent in rumpel bumpel kumpel triple mutants, oogenesis is disrupted at the onset of the vitollegenic phase. This indicates a partially redundant function between these genes. Rescue experiments exploring this effect indicate that oogenesis can be affected by CNS glial cells. Moreover, expression of heterologous mammalian SLC5A transporters, with known transport properties, suggest that Bumpel and/or Kumpel transport glucose or lactate. Overall, our results imply a redundancy in SLC5A nutrient sensing functions in Drosophila glial cells, affecting ovarian development and behavior.
Ras signaling and RREB1 are required for the dissociation of medial edge epithelial cells in murine palatogenesis
Authors: Inubushi Toshihiro , Fujiwara Ayaka , Hirose Takumi , Aoyama Gozo , Uchihashi Toshihiro , Yoshida Naoki , Shiraishi Yuki , Usami Yu , Kurosaka Hiroshi , Toyosawa Satoru , Tanaka Susumu , Watabe Tetsuro , Kogo Mikihiko , Yamashiro Takashi
Published: December 2021

Cleft palate is one of the major congenital craniofacial birth defects. The etiology underlying the pathogenesis of cleft palate has yet to be fully elucidated. Dissociation of the medial edge epithelium (MEE) at the contacting region of palatal shelves and subsequent migration or apoptosis of MEE cells is required for proper MEE removal. Ras-responsive element-binding protein 1 (RREB1), a RAS transcriptional effector, has recently been shown to play a crucial role in developmental epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which loss of epithelial characteristics is an initial step, during mid-gastrulation of embryonic development. Interestingly, the involvement of RREB1 in cleft palate has been indicated in humans. Here, we demonstrated that pan-Ras inhibitor prevents the dissociation of MEE during murine palatal fusion. Rreb1 is expressed in the palatal epithelium during palatal fusion, and knockdown of Rreb1 in palatal organ culture resulted in palatal fusion defects by inhibiting the dissociation of MEE cells. Our present findings provide evidence that RREB1-mediated Ras signaling is required during palatal fusion. Aberrant RREB1-mediated Ras signaling might be involved in the pathogenesis of cleft palate.
The genome sequence of the ornate tailed digger wasp, Cerceris rybyensis (Linnaeus, 1771)
Authors: Crowley Liam ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: December 2021

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Cerceris rybyensis (the ornate tailed digger wasp; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). The genome sequence is 574 megabases in span. The majority of the assembly, 89.81%, is scaffolded into 14 chromosomal pseudomolecules.
Educational Pairings and Fertility Across Europe: How Do the Low-Educated Fare?
Authors: Nitsche Natalie , Matysiak Anna , Van Bavel Jan , Vignoli Daniele
Published: December 2021

Recent research suggests that the fertility-education relationship may be mediated by the educational attainment of the partner, especially among the tertiary-educated. However, there are no studies focusing on the couple-education-fertility nexus among couples who achieved only basic educational attainment, even though resource pooling theory predicts differences in family formation by couples’ joint levels of socio-economic resources. We address this research gap and investigate how educational pairings among married and cohabiting partners relate to second and third birth transitions across 22 European countries, using data from the EU-SILC (European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) panel and discrete time event history models. Our findings show significantly lower second and third birth transition rates among homogamous low-educated couples compared to heterogamous couples with one low- and one medium or highly-educated partner in the Nordic countries, but not across the rest of Europe. However, couples with one or two low-educated partners have significantly lower second birth rates compared with couples with two highly-educated partners in all European regions.
Three administrative texts from the time of the 3rd Dynasty of Ur, in anonymous collection in Poland
Authors: Stępień Marek , Drewnowska Olga
Published: December 2021

The article is a full edition (photography, autography, transliteration, translation and commentary) of three previously unpublished Neo-Sumerian administrative documents, which are in one of the anonymous collections in Poland. The tablets come from the two provincial archives of the kingdom of Third Dynasty of Ur - Puzriš-Dagan and Girsu-Lagaš, and their content is typical of this group of cuneiform texts.
Pieczęć sądu wyższego prawa niemieckiego na zamku sandomierskim.
Authors: Wroniszewski Jan
Published: December 2021

W 1336 r. został założony przez króla Kazimierza Wielkiego sąd wyższy prawa niemieckiego na zamku w Sandomierzu. W 1475 r. król Kazimierz Jagiellończyk wystawił dokument ustanowienia pieczęci dla tego sądu. Dokument ten prowokuje do refleksji nad wieloma zagadnieniami. Po pierwsze, jest jedynym polskim źródłem pisanym z czasów średniowiecza wyjaśniającym powód wprowadzenia i określenie zakresu kompetencji pieczęci rangi sigillum authenticum. Wyjątkowa jest również treść obrazowa pieczęci zawierającej (obok postaci Chrystusa) herb ziemi sandomierskiej, co stanowi ewenement, jeżeli idzie o używanie tego rodzaju herbów na pieczęciach urzędowych. Opis pieczęci, inaczej niż zaobserwowano w ówczesnej praktyce kancelaryjnej, zawiera deskrypcję herbu ziemskiego, włącznie z podaniem barw heraldycznych. Jest to jednocześnie jedyne świadectwo nieznanego dotąd wariantu herbu ziemi sandomierskiej. Stylistyka blazonowania stanowi przesłankę pozwalającą dopatrywać się udziału Jana Długosza, wybitnego polskiego historiografa, w redakcji dokumentu z 1475 r. Wspierają to również fakty z życia Długosza, zwłaszcza relacje z kolegium mansjonarzy sandomierskich oraz ślad jego udziału w redakcji dokumentu królewskiego z 1476 r. powiązanego z majątkowymi sprawami tego kolegium.
Urzędnicy kancelarii grodzkiej powiatu kcyńskiego w XVI–XVIII wieku
Authors: Klint Paweł
Published: December 2021

Artykuł przedstawia urzędników kancelaryjnych w XVI–XVIII w. na tle funkcjonowania kancelarii grodzkich powiatu kcyńskiego i innych jednostek administracyjnych Wielkopolski. Analizie zostały poddane: pochodzenie terytorialne i społeczne urzędników, ich kariery, a także majątek. Dopełnieniem tekstu jest aneks zawierający szczegółowe informacje o urzędnikach kancelarii grodzkiej w Kcyni w XVI–XVIII w.
"Wrocław nasz!"
Authors: Kaszuba Elżbieta Romana
Published: December 2021

Po zakończeniu drugiej wojny światowej polonizacja Wrocławia stała się sprawą pierwszorzędnej wagi – zarówno z przyczyn politycznych, jak i psychospołecznych. Prezentowany tekst ma na celu wskazanie określonych tendencji w działaniach nastawionych na nadanie historycznej stolicy regionu dobitnie polskiego wyrazu. Koncentruje się na takich zjawiskach, jak degradacja przestrzeni miejskiej i zniszczenia tkanki architektonicznej, odgruzowywanie i odbudowa miasta, wydobywanie z obcego otoczenia kulturowego „piastowskich” świadectw polskości, usuwanie symboliki prusko-niemieckiej (zwłaszcza hitlerowskiej) oraz eksponowanie tradycji Kresów Wschodnich. Ramy dociekań wyznaczają dwa radykalne zwroty, które w ciągu kilku powojennych lat zdecydowały o kulturowym
Modelos de comportamiento ambiental en estudiantes universitarios
Authors: Valencia Ordóñez Daniela , Rivas Tovar Luis Artuto , Cárdenas Tapia Magali María Isabel
Published: December 2021

El objetivo de la investigación es analizar los modelos de comportamiento ambiental dirigidos a estudiantes universitarios creados de 2016 a 2020 y contrastarlos con el análisis factorial exploratorio del modelo de conducta ecológica ambiental. El método consistió en un análisis documental basado en seleccionar modelos de comportamiento y conducta ambientales aplicados en estudiantes de 2016 a 2020, con representatividad en bases científicas como Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO, Redalyc, EBSCOhost y Elsevier, identificando tres modelos relevantes. La originalidad del estudio radica en su enfoque en una escuela de negocios en México, con una muestra grande, equilibrada y con alfa de Cronbach alto. Una de las limitaciones es que los modelos se seleccionaron internacionalmente, excluyendo modelos desarrollados por región. El principal hallazgo es que la revisión de la literatura revela una asombrosa escasez de investigación de calidad y un campo cuasivirgen para desarrollar investigaciones sobre la cultura y el comportamiento ambiental.
Access courses and their contribution to the widening participation agenda in the UK
Authors: Haslam Michael B , Flynn Anita , Connor Karen
Published: December 2021

Reasons for mental health nursing shortages in the UK are many and complex. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to fill vacant posts, while at the same time negatively impacting on the UK's international recruitment strategy. Whereas international recruitment is essential to reduce workforce shortages, it offers only a short-term solution and potentially leaves lower-income countries with increased nursing shortages themselves. This article considers that a long-term domestic approach to recruitment is needed to reduce future workforce deficits. It is argued that benefits of access courses are increased if delivered by the university directly, as a familiarity with systems, the campus and supportive networks are promoted, and the potential for targeted support is increased. Further research is needed to establish the benefits, but access courses delivered this way may provide a more sustainable solution to nursing workforce shortages in the UK and beyond.
Far field calculation of distorted Gaussian beams
Authors: Pflaum Christoph , Rall Phillip , Lindlein Norbert
Published: December 2021

Far field calculations of beams, such as laser beams, are often applied in optical engineering. Current beam propagation methods fail in certain range parameters due to high storage requirements of the algorithms. This paper presents a new beam propagation method for far field calculations of distorted Gaussian beams in a homogeneous medium including optical elements, such as lenses. The method works even in the case of a large distance from the observation plane to the beam waist and can be applied to larger divergence angles. This new simulation technique factors out the phase of the Gaussian TEM00 beam and solves the resulting partial differential equation by suitable finite difference or finite element discretization methods.
Coded-pulse-bunch-laser-based single-photon lidar for fast long-distance ranging
Authors: Ding Yichen , Wu Hanxuan , Gao Xilun , Wu Bo , Shen Yonghang
Published: December 2021

Laser ranging based on a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD), offering single-photon level high sensitivity, has been widely adopted in light detection and ranging (lidar) systems for long-distance ranging and imaging applications. Count detection through multiple pulses is commonly used when considering the existence of dark counting and strong background counting during the daytime, which improves the signal-to-noise ratio but at the expense of low detection speed. Here, we report a novel coded-pulse-bunch-laser-based single-photon lidar system, which aims to improve the ranging speed greatly and to expand the unambiguous distance to several kilometers. The schematic principle and construction of the lidar system, as well as the encoding method, are introduced. The time-of-flight (TOF) ranging information is extracted through real-time correlation between the transmitted pulse-bunch patterns and the received echo signals in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). A daytime ranging experiment is demonstrated on a non-cooperative mountain target that is 5.4 km away. The method will be of great potential in fast three-dimension (3D) single-photon lidar imaging application for its relatively high data refreshing rate and large unambiguous distance.
Experimental self-testing for photonic graph states
Authors: Xu Jia-Min , Zhou Qing , Yang Yu-Xiang , Cheng Zi-Mo , Xu Xin-Yu , Ren Zhi-Cheng , Wang Xi-Lin , Wang Hui-Tian
Published: December 2021

Graph states—one of the most representative families of multipartite entangled states—are important resources for multiparty quantum communication, quantum error correction, and quantum computation. Device-independent certification of highly entangled graph states plays a prominent role in quantum information processing tasks. Here we have experimentally demonstrated device-independent certification for multipartite graph states by adopting the robust self-testing scheme based on scalable Bell inequalities. Specifically, the prepared multi-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states and linear cluster states achieve a high degree of Bell violation, which are beyond the nontrivial bounds of the robust self-testing scheme. Furthermore, our work paves the way to the device-independent certification of complex multipartite quantum states.
Single-shot phase reconstruction based on beam splitting encoding and averaging
Authors: Xu Yingming , Pan Xingchen , Liu Cheng , Zhu Jianqiang
Published: December 2021

Coherent modulation imaging (CMI) can effectively improve the convergence performance of coherent diffraction imaging by introducing a pre-characterized wave modulator. However, traditional CMI algorithms suffer from a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), with insufficient information redundancy inheriting from a single diffraction pattern. Additionally, the strong modulation capability of the modulator with a small basic pitch is preferred; however, it leads to the difficulty of fabrication and measurement with a limited aperture size of the detector. To overcome those obstacles, this study proposes a revised CMI algorithm based on beam splitting encoding and averaging. A diffraction pattern array was recorded after the incident wave was split by grating and modulated by a weak scattering modulator simultaneously. This approach differed from the previous grating-based single-shot phase retrieval algorithm because the diffraction array was not segmented and used integrally during the iteration process, which guarantees the capability of diffraction-limited resolution in theory. Additionally, an average process was employed in the image plane of the object to improve SNR significantly. The performance of the revised algorithm was demonstrated by simulations and experiments and can be applied as a universal single-shot phase retrieval algorithm to various fields practically with fast convergence speed and high SNR.
Efficient Dion–Jacobson perovskite light-emitting diodes via mixed cation engineering
Authors: Lian Yajun , Yang Ye , Gao Jiulin , Qin Chaochao
Published: December 2021

Quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) perovskites with high exciton binding energy (Eb) can confine carriers to form an energy funnel cascade, accelerate carrier localization to the emitting domain, and decrease nonradiative recombination loss. Herein, it is shown that partially alloying Cs+ cations into formamidinium (FA)-based Dion–Jacobson (DJ) perovskites and adjusting the stoichiometric ratio can simultaneously modify the tolerance factor, decrease the phase formation enthalpy, improve the morphology, modulate the phase distribution, and boost the current efficiency. By incorporating CsBr to substitute for some of the FABr, perovskite films with narrower phase distributions and fewer defects are obtained, and the current efficiency is boosted from 18.2 to 25.3 cd/A. A high current efficiency of 42.1 cd/A, a record (as far as we are aware) external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 10.5%, and a maximum luminance of 18600 cd/m2 with an emission peak at 529 nm are obtained when the Lewis base passivation agent TPBi is dissolved in the antisolvent. This is the first time, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, that efficient 1,4-phenyldimethylammonium dibromide (PHDMADBr)-based green-light DJ perovskite light emitting diodes (PeLEDs) based on mixed Cs+ and FA+ cations have been fabricated.
Ratiometric 4Pi single-molecule localization with optimal resolution and color assignment
Authors: Chen Jianwei , Yao Benxi , Yang Zhichao , Shi Wei , Luo Tingdan , Xi Peng , Jin Dayong , Li Yiming
Published: December 2021

4Pi single-molecule localization microscopy (4Pi-SMLM) with two opposing objectives achieves sub-10 nm isotropic 3D resolution when as few as 250 photons are collected by each objective. Here, we develop a new ratiometric multi-color imaging strategy for 4Pi-SMLM that employs the intrinsic multi-phase interference intensity without increasing the complexity of the system and achieves both optimal 3D resolution and color separation. By partially linking the photon parameters between channels with an interference difference of π during global fitting of the multi-channel 4Pi single-molecule data, we show via simulated data that the loss of localization precision is minimal compared with the theoretical minimum uncertainty, the Cramer–Rao lower bound.
CoRE-ATAC: A deep learning model for the functional classification of regulatory elements from single cell and bulk ATAC-seq data
Authors: Thibodeau Asa , Khetan Shubham , Eroglu Alper , Tewhey Ryan , Stitzel Michael L. , Ucar Duygu
Published: December 2021

Cis-Regulatory elements (cis-REs) include promoters, enhancers, and insulators that regulate gene expression programs via binding of transcription factors. ATAC-seq technology effectively identifies active cis-REs in a given cell type (including from single cells) by mapping accessible chromatin at base-pair resolution. However, these maps are not immediately useful for inferring specific functions of cis-REs. For this purpose, we developed a deep learning framework (CoRE-ATAC) with novel data encoders that integrate DNA sequence (reference or personal genotypes) with ATAC-seq cut sites and read pileups. CoRE-ATAC was trained on 4 cell types (n = 6 samples/replicates) and accurately predicted known cis-RE functions from 7 cell types (n = 40 samples) that were not used in model training (mean average precision = 0.80, mean F1 score = 0.70). CoRE-ATAC enhancer predictions from 19 human islet samples coincided with genetically modulated gain/loss of enhancer activity, which was confirmed by massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs). Finally, CoRE-ATAC effectively inferred cis-RE function from aggregate single nucleus ATAC-seq (snATAC) data from human blood-derived immune cells that overlapped with known functional annotations in sorted immune cells, which established the efficacy of these models to study cis-RE functions of rare cells without the need for cell sorting. ATAC-seq maps from primary human cells reveal individual- and cell-specific variation in cis-RE activity. CoRE-ATAC increases the functional resolution of these maps, a critical step for studying regulatory disruptions behind diseases.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the potential non-human animal reservoirs and arthropod vectors of the Mayaro virus
Authors: Celone Michael , Okech Bernard , Han Barbara A. , Forshey Brett M. , Anyamba Assaf , Dunford James , Rutherford George , Mita-Mendoza Neida Karen , Estallo Elizabet Lilia , Khouri Ricardo , de Siqueira Isadora Cristina , Pollett Simon
Published: December 2021

Improving our understanding of Mayaro virus (MAYV) ecology is critical to guide surveillance and risk assessment. We conducted a PRISMA-adherent systematic review of the published and grey literature to identify potential arthropod vectors and non-human animal reservoirs of MAYV. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, SciELO and grey-literature sources including PAHO databases and dissertation repositories. Studies were included if they assessed MAYV virological/immunological measured occurrence in field-caught, domestic, or sentinel animals or in field-caught arthropods. We conducted an animal seroprevalence meta-analysis using a random effects model. We compiled granular georeferenced maps of non-human MAYV occurrence and graded the quality of the studies using a customized framework. Overall, 57 studies were eligible out of 1523 screened, published between the years 1961 and 2020. Seventeen studies reported MAYV positivity in wild mammals, birds, or reptiles and five studies reported MAYV positivity in domestic animals. MAYV positivity was reported in 12 orders of wild-caught vertebrates, most frequently in the orders Charadriiformes and Primate. Sixteen studies detected MAYV in wild-caught mosquito genera including Haemagogus, Aedes, Culex, Psorophora, Coquillettidia, and Sabethes. Vertebrate animals or arthropods with MAYV were detected in Brazil, Panama, Peru, French Guiana, Colombia, Trinidad, Venezuela, Argentina, and Paraguay. Among non-human vertebrates, the Primate order had the highest pooled seroprevalence at 13.1% (95% CI: 4.3–25.1%). From the three most studied primate genera we found the highest seroprevalence was in Alouatta (32.2%, 95% CI: 0.0–79.2%), followed by Callithrix (17.8%, 95% CI: 8.6–28.5%), and Cebus/Sapajus (3.7%, 95% CI: 0.0–11.1%). We further found that MAYV occurs in a wide range of vectors beyond Haemagogus spp. The quality of evidence behind these findings was variable and prompts calls for standardization of reporting of arbovirus occurrence. These findings support further risk emergence prediction, guide field surveillance efforts, and prompt further in-vivo studies to better define the ecological drivers of MAYV maintenance and potential for emergence.
Leprosy and cutaneous leishmaniasis affecting the same individuals: A retrospective cohort analysis in a hyperendemic area in Brazil
Authors: Carvalho Amanda Gabriela de , Tiwari Anuj , Luz João Gabriel Guimarães , Nieboer Daan , Steinmann Peter , Richardus Jan Hendrik , Ignotti Eliane
Published: December 2021

Background

Leprosy and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affecting the skin. Their control is challenging but the integration of skin NTDs control programs is recommended to improve timely detection and treatment. However, little is known about the occurrence of leprosy and CL in the same individuals, and what are the characteristics of such patients. This study aimed to identify and characterize patients diagnosed with both leprosy and CL (i.e., outcome) in the hyperendemic state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Also, we investigated the demographic risk factors associated with the period between the diagnosis of both diseases.

Methodology/principal findings

A retrospective cohort study was conducted with patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2017. From the leprosy (n = 28,204) and CL (n = 24,771) databases of the national reporting system, 414 (0.8%; 414/52,561) patients presenting both diseases were identified through a probabilistic linkage procedure. This observed number was much higher than the number of patients that would be expected by chance alone (n = 22). The spatial distribution of patients presenting the outcome was concentrated in the North and Northeast mesoregions of the state. Through survival analysis, we detected that the probability of a patient developing both diseases increased over time from 0.2% in the first year to 1.0% within seven years. Further, using a Cox model we identified male sex (HR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.7–2.9) and low schooling level (HR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2–1.9) as positively associated with the outcome. Furthermore, the hazard of developing the outcome was higher among individuals aged 40–55 years.

Conclusions/significance

Leprosy and CL are affecting the same individuals in the area. Integration of control policies for both diseases will help to efficiently cover such patients. Measures should be focused on timely diagnosis by following-up patients diagnosed with CL, active case detection, and training of health professionals.
Eye-tracking as a proxy for coherence and complexity of texts
Authors: Torres Débora , Sena Wagner R. , Carmona Humberto A. , Moreira André A. , Makse Hernán A. , Andrade José S.
Published: December 2021

Reading is a complex cognitive process that involves primary oculomotor function and high-level activities like attention focus and language processing. When we read, our eyes move by primary physiological functions while responding to language-processing demands. In fact, the eyes perform discontinuous twofold movements, namely, successive long jumps (saccades) interposed by small steps (fixations) in which the gaze “scans” confined locations. It is only through the fixations that information is effectively captured for brain processing. Since individuals can express similar as well as entirely different opinions about a given text, it is therefore expected that the form, content and style of a text could induce different eye-movement patterns among people. A question that naturally arises is whether these individuals’ behaviours are correlated, so that eye-tracking while reading can be used as a proxy for text subjective properties. Here we perform a set of eye-tracking experiments with a group of individuals reading different types of texts, including children stories, random word generated texts and excerpts from literature work. In parallel, an extensive Internet survey was conducted for categorizing these texts in terms of their complexity and coherence, considering a large number of individuals selected according to different ages, gender and levels of education. The computational analysis of the fixation maps obtained from the gaze trajectories of the subjects for a given text reveals that the average “magnetization” of the fixation configurations correlates strongly with their complexity observed in the survey. Moreover, we perform a thermodynamic analysis using the Maximum-Entropy Model and find that coherent texts were closer to their corresponding “critical points” than non-coherent ones, as computed from the Pairwise Maximum-Entropy method, suggesting that different texts may induce distinct cohesive reading activities.
The impact of conducting preclinical systematic reviews on researchers and their research: A mixed method case study
Authors: Menon Julia M. L. , Ritskes-Hoitinga Merel , Pound Pandora , van Oort Erica
Published: December 2021

Background

Systematic reviews (SRs) are cornerstones of evidence-based medicine and have contributed significantly to breakthroughs since the 1980’s. However, preclinical SRs remain relatively rare despite their many advantages. Since 2011 the Dutch health funding organisation (ZonMw) has run a grant scheme dedicated to promoting the training, coaching and conduct of preclinical SRs. Our study focuses on this funding scheme to investigate the relevance, effects and benefits of conducting preclinical SRs on researchers and their research.

Methods

We recruited researchers who attended funded preclinical SR workshops and who conducted, are still conducting, or prematurely stopped a SR with funded coaching. We gathered data using online questionnaires followed by semi-structured interviews. Both aimed to explore the impact of conducting a SR on researchers’ subsequent work, attitudes, and views about their research field. Data-analysis was performed using Excel and ATLAS.ti.

Results

Conducting preclinical SRs had two distinct types of impact. First, the researchers acquired new skills and insights, leading to a change in mindset regarding the quality of animal research. This was mainly seen in the way participants planned, conducted and reported their subsequent animal studies, which were more transparent and of a higher quality than their previous work. Second, participants were eager to share their newly acquired knowledge within their laboratories and to advocate for change within their research teams and fields of interest. In particular, they emphasised the need for preclinical SRs and improved experimental design within preclinical research, promoting these through education and published opinion papers.

Conclusion

Being trained and coached in the conduct of preclinical SRs appears to be a contributing factor to many beneficial changes which will impact the quality of preclinical research in the long-term. Our findings suggest that this ZonMw funding scheme is helpful in improving the quality and transparency of preclinical research. Similar funding schemes should be encouraged, preferably by a broader group of funders or financers, in the future.
Association of treatments for acute appendicitis with pregnancy outcomes in the United States from 2000 to 2016: Results from a multi-level analysis
Authors: Yang Jianzhou , Wen Shi Wu , Krewski Daniel , Corsi Daniel J. , Walker Mark , Mattison Donald , Moog Ryan , McNair Doug , Huang Huiping , Zhuang Guihua
Published: December 2021

Background

Open appendectomy, laparoscopic appendectomy, and non-surgical treatment are three options to treat acute appendicitis during pregnancy. Previous studies on the association of different treatment methods for acute appendicitis with pregnancy outcomes have been limited by small sample sizes and residual confounding, especially with respect to hospital-level factors. This study aimed to investigate the association of treatment method for acute appendicitis with pregnancy outcomes using a multi-level analysis.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on a large electronic health records database in the United States during the period 2000 to 2016. All pregnancies diagnosed with acute appendicitis and treated in participating hospitals during the study period were included. We conducted multi-level hierarchical logistic regression to analyze both individual- and hospital-level factors for abortion, preterm labor, and cesarean section.

Results

A total of 10,271 acute appendicitis during pregnancy were identified during the study period. Of them, 5,872 (57.2%) were treated by laparoscopic appendectomy, 1,403 (13.7%) by open appendectomy, and 2,996 (29.2%) by non-surgical treatment. Compared with open appendectomy, both laparoscopic appendectomy (adjusted OR, 0.6, 95% CI, 0.4, 0.9) and non-surgical treatment (adjusted OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.3–0.7) showed a decreased risk of preterm labor. Other important individual-level determinants of adverse pregnancy outcomes included maternal age, gestational hypertension, and anemia during pregnancy, the hospital-level determinant included the number of beds.

Conclusions

Compared with open appendectomy, both laparoscopic appendectomy and non-surgical treatment may be associated with a lower risk of preterm labor, without increased risks of abortion and cesarean section.
Anthropometric, biochemical, and nutritional risk factors for osteoporosis in Korean adults based on a large cross-sectional study
Authors: Yoo Junghun , Lee Bum Ju
Published: December 2021

Background

Osteoporosis a common bone disorder characterized by decreases in bone mass, tension, and strength. Although many previous studies worldwide have sought to identify the risk factors for osteoporosis, studies that simultaneously examine a variety of factors, such as biochemical, anthropometric and nutritional components, are very rare. Therefore, the objective of this study was to simultaneously examine the association of osteoporosis with biochemical profiles, anthropometric factors, and nutritional components in a large-scale cross-sectional study.

Method

This cross-sectional study was based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI-VII) from 2015 to 2018. Based on data from 16,454 participants, logistic regression was used to examine the association between various parameters in a crude analysis and in models adjusted for confounders.

Results

In men, osteoporosis was significantly associated with the anthropometric variables height and weight; the biochemical components hemoglobin, hematocrit, urea nitrogen and urine pH and creatinine; and the nutritional components total food intake, energy, water, protein, phosphorus, and kalium. However, these associations disappeared in adjusted model 2. In women, osteoporosis was significantly related to the anthropometric measures height, weight, and systolic blood pressure; the biochemical components hemoglobin, hematocrit and urine pH; and the nutritional components total food intake, water, calcium, phosphorus, and kalium. Most of these associations were maintained in the adjusted models.

Conclusion

Osteoporosis was linked to various anthropometric, biochemical and urine and nutritional components in Korean women, but the association between osteoporosis and risk factors differed according to sex.