bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention Before and During The COVID-19 Pandemic in the Acute Care Settings: A Systematic Review
Authors: Elshenawy Rasha Abdelsalam , Umaru Nkiruka , Alharbi Amal Bandar , Aslanpour Zoe
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Antibiotics are widely administered for various indications, leading to increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in acute care hospitals. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) effective strategies should be used to maintain the rational use of antibiotics and decrease the threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Aim: To investigate the AMS intervention Pre-pandemic (PP) and During-the-pandemic (DP) from the literature. Design and Setting: Systematic review of primary studies on AMS implementation in acute care settings. Methods: Relevant studies published between 2000 and March 2021 were obtained from Medline (via PubMed), Embase, OVID, CINAHL, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Psych Info, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, OpenGrey, and Google Scholar, using a comprehensive list of search terms. Public Health England (PHE) toolkit was agreed as a gold standard for the AMS intervention strategies. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Programme. Results: There were 8763 articles retrieved from the databases. Out of these, 16 full-text articles met the inclusion criteria for the review. The AMS implementation was identified as AMS strategies, which include core and supplemental strategies and AMS measures PP and DP. Conclusion: This Systematic review summarises AMS implementation strategies and measures. Appropriate interventions appeared to be effective in maintaining the proper use of antibiotics and decreasing the AMR threat, especially DP. Further studies to investigate AMS implementation presented in this systematic review are imperative.
Intestinal Performance upon Broiler Chickens fed with or without Epidermal Growth Factor
Authors: Shan Chunqiao , Liu Qiuchen , Li Juan , Liu En , Tian Jing , Liu Yan , Yu Hongmin , Jiang Guotuo
Published: August 2022

Antibiotic abuse causes increasing occurance of antibiotic-resistance drug (ARD) species, further jeopardizes food safety. However, specific antibiotics, such as chlortetracycline, were traditionally used as growth promoting supplement. This dilemma remains to be unsolved until alternatives for antibiotics. We explore the potential of chEGF as an antibiotic substitute in this research. Here, we obtained and optimized a chEGF sequence, which was cloned to express and purify, and then fed broilers. The detection of alkaline protease, lipases and α-amylase by sandwich ELISA indirectly showed that EGF ameliorate digestive function of broilers with the regulation of enzyme activity in the normal diet, EGF supplement, and chlortetracycline supplement groups. Through histo-morphological methods, intestinal epithelial growth and induced EGFR expression, especially in duodenum, shows significant difference with comparison of each groups. We finally evaluate survival rate, ratio of feeding-weight, and european efficient index with pilot-scale chEGF in clinical study. The results shows chEGF can significantly increase economic efficiency index of broiler feeding. In conclusion, chEGF could be one kind of antibiotic alternatives in the broiler feeding industry by regulating the upper digestive system function and promoting nutrient uptake.
The IGF-independent role of IRS-2 in the secretion of MMP-9 enhances the growth of prostate carcinoma cell line PC3
Authors: Hakuno Fumihiko , Furuta Haruka , Sheng Yina , Kataoka Naoyuki , perks claire , Barker Rachel , Takahashi Shin-Ichiro
Published: August 2022

Insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2), a substrate of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I receptor, is highly expressed in the prostate cancer cell line, PC3s. We recently demonstrated that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk1/2), a kinase downstream of IGF signaling, is activated in PC3 cells under serum starvation, and this activation can be inhibited by IRS-2 knockdown. Here, we found that the addition of an IGF-I neutralizing antibody to the culture medium inhibited the activation of Erk1/2. Further, suppression of Erk1/2 in IRS-2 knockdown cells was restored by the addition of PC3 serum-free conditioned medium. In contrast, IRS-2-silenced PC3 conditioned medium could not restore Erk1/2 activation, suggesting that IRS-2 promotes the secretion of proteins, yet to be identified that activate the IGF signaling pathway. Gelatin zymography analysis of conditioned medium showed that matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) was secreted extracellularly in IRS-2 dependent manner when PC3s were cultured under serum starvation conditions. Finally, MMP-9 knockdown suppressed Erk1/2 activation, DNA synthesis, and migratory activity. Taken together with the positive correlation of IRS-2 levels with Gleason Grade in human prostate cancer tissues, this suggests that highly expressed IRS-2 activates IGF signaling by enabling the secretion of MMP-9, which is associated with hyperproliferation and malignancy of prostate cancer.
The Effect of Robotics on Bilateral Trade Flows in Global Value Chains
Authors: QI PENGBO , Chen Yifeng(Philip) , Velu Chander
Published: August 2022

We develop a framework to investigate the relationship between robotics and bilateral trade flows at the country level between 2000 and 2014. We find that the adoption of industrial robots improves value-added bilateral trade. However, robot adoption is also negatively associated with the growth rate of value-added bilateral trade, suggesting diminishing returns to the use of robots. This may be attributable to a lack of business model innovation compatible with robotization, a lack of relevant skills among the labor force and an uneven distribution of the trade benefit among robot-using countries. By establishing an empirical link between the use of an emerging technology, robotics, and its impact on value-added bilateral trade, we draw a number of implications for policymakers to help improve their decisions with regards to the wider context of automation in global value chains.JEL classification: F40, F62, O33, O47
Nth-order smooth positon and breather-positon solutions for a generalized integrable discrete nonlinear Schr o¨dinger equation
Authors: Tian Hongjuan , Yang Jun
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we investigate the smooth positon and breather-positon solutions of the a generalized integrable discrete nonlinear Schr¨ o dinger (NLS) equation by the generalized Darboux transformation (DT). Starting from the zero seed solution, the Nth-order smooth positon solutions are obtained by degenerate DT. The breather solutions including Akhmediev breather, Ma breather and space-time periodic breather are derived from the nonzero seed solution. Then the breather-positon solutions are constructed by gradual Taylor series expansion of the eigenfunctions in breather solutions. We study the effect of higher-order nonlinear terms on these discrete smooth positon solutions and breather-positon solutions, which demonstrates that the interacting region of soliton-positon and breather-positon are highly compressed by higher-order nonlinear effects, but the distance between the two positons have an opposite effect in two waveforms.
Constructed Recognition: How Nationalism Influences Public Acceptance of Domestic COVID-19 Vaccines in China
Authors: Ye Yanyu , Zhou Qian , Su Zhenhua , Gu Zheng
Published: August 2022

Background
Despite numbers of vaccine scandals and the potential side effects, COVID-19 vaccines have gained widespread acceptance in China. The purpose of the study was to explain why the support of vaccines is so high in China.
Methods
Based on existing literature, we proposed hypotheses from three aspects: self-interests, altruism and nationalism. Adopting data from a survey conducted in May of 2021, we used ordered logit regression models to examine the three explanations. Moreover, we explored how individuals’ trust in domestic scientists influences their assessment of the quality of COVID-19 vaccines.
Results
A total of 2038 participants completed our questionnaire online (females = 48.72%). The statistical results shows that the self-interest and altruism can partially explain public’s positive opinions toward COVID-19 vaccines. And the main finding of this paper is that the nationalistic values are important sources of their acceptance of the vaccines, for the Chinese government has further strengthened the linkage between the vaccine and patriotism. Trust in scientists, as an extension of nationalism, is another important motivation of vaccine acceptance in China, for the reputations of these experts are deliberately shaped by the government.
Conclusion
This paper finds that citizens’ high recognition of domestic vaccines is a derivative of nationalistic ideology, which implies that public’s attitudes toward vaccines are consciously constructed by the Chinese government.
The Effect of Online Social Evaluation on Mood and Cognition in Young People
Authors: Grunewald Karina , Deng Jessica , Wertz Jasmin , Schweizer Susanne
Published: August 2022

Adolescence is characterised by increased peer interactions and heightened sensitivity to evaluation by peers. Increasingly, young people’s social interactions and evaluation happen in online contexts. Yet, little is known about the impact of online social interaction and evaluation on adolescent emotional and cognitive functioning. The present study examined the impact of online social evaluative threat on young people’s mood and cognition and whether this varied as a function of known offline social risk and protective factors. 255 participants completed a perceptual learning task under online social evaluative threat and a perceptually-matched control condition. Participants reported a greater increase in negative mood following social evaluative threat compared to the control condition. Heightened social rejection sensitivity and lower perceived social support were associated with elevated negative mood across the study. Social evaluative threat also adversely impacted overall accuracy on the perceptual matching task, but not learning. These findings provide preliminary evidence that online social evaluative threat impacts adolescent mood and cognitive functioning.
Colla-Config: a stakeholders preferences-based approach for product lines collaborative configuration
Authors: Sassi Sihem Ben , Edded Sabrine , Mazo Raùl , Ghezala Henda Ben , Salinesi Camille
Published: August 2022

During collaborative configuration of software product lines (SPL), multiple stakeholders contribute together in building a single product specification. Conflicting situations can arise during the configuration process due to contradictions between some/all stakeholders' configuration choices. Detecting and resolving such situation rise two major challenges: choosing which choices to omit and taking stakeholders' preferences into account. While several approaches are available for SPL collaborative configuration, most of the existing ones either do not present detailed information on the strategies for conflict resolution or they rely on a systematic process which resolves conflicts by prioritizing configuration decisions made at earlier stage, constraining therefore some stakeholders' choices. The lack of flexibility may hinder conflict resolution as choices taken in earlier stages overlay those in later phases. To mitigate these limitations, we propose a new collaborative configuration approach (Colla-Config) which provides a preference-based conflict resolution method within a free-order configuration process; each stakeholder expresses his/her preferences through a set of substitution rules, and freely makes his/her configuration decisions towards the desired product without being constrained by the configuration decisions made by the other ones. To assess the feasibility and the usability of the proposed approach, we conducted a usability test designed by following the ISO/IEC 25062:2006 Common Industry Format for usability tests. Results of the experiments provided preliminary evidence of the approach feasibility and the tool ability to properly support the SPL collaborative configuration.
Investigation into Climate Change Effects on carbon and water fluxes, and water use efficiency of the Temperate Grassland Ecosystems in Inner Mongolia of China
Authors: Wu Zhijun , Li Qiongfang , Xu Shuhong , Chen Qihui
Published: August 2022

The daily gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET) in the Xilingol temperate grassland ecosystem of Inner Mongolia, China were simulated during 2003 to 2019 and under future climate change scenarios by the BioGeochemical Cycles (Biome-BGC) model, which was optimized by the system response parameter calibration method (SRPCM), the temporal variations of GPP, ET and WUE (GPP/ET) on multiple time scales were investigated, and the impacts of precipitation and temperature on them were explored. The results revealed: the BIOME-BGC model performed better optimized by SRPCM than by PEST; GPP and ET at annual and seasonal scales all showed an insignificant increasing trend; WUE at annual scale and in growing seasons all showed an insignificant increasing trend with it presenting a slight decrease trend in non-growing seasons; the intra-annual distributions of GPP, ET and WUE were very uneven with the highest GPP and ET appearing in July and the highest WUE in September; annual GPP and ET are more sensitive to the changes in precipitation than in temperature with WUE keeping relatively stable with years; precipitation is a critically controlling factor to GPP and ET in growing seasons and to ET and WUE in non-growing seasons; monthly precipitation exhibited greater influence on GPP, ET and WUE than monthly temperature with the previous month’s precipitation imposing bigger effects on GPP than the current month’s; the combined increase scenarios in temperature and precipitation impose greater impacts on GPP/ET/WUE than the ones only increasing in temperature or precipitation.
The role of artificial intelligence in accurate interpretation of HER2 IHC 0 and 1+ in breast cancers
Authors: Wu Si , Yue Meng , Zhang Jun , Li Xiaoxian (Bill) , Li Zaibo , Zhang Huina , Wang Xinran , Han Xiao , Cai Lijing , Shang Jiuyan , Jia Zhanli ,   Xiaoxiao 9 Wang, Li Jinze , Liu Yueping
Published: August 2022

The new HER2-targeting antibody drug conjugate offers the opportunity to treat patients with HER2-low breast cancer. Distinguishing HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) scores of 0 and 1+, is critical but also challenging due to HER2 heterogeneity and variability of observers. In this study, we aimed to increase interpretation accuracy and consistency of HER2 IHC 0 and 1 + evaluations through assistance from artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm. In addition, we examined the value of AI algorithm in evaluating HER2 IHC scores in tumors with heterogeneity. The AI-assisted interpretation consisted of AI algorithms and an augmenting reality module with microscope. Fifteen pathologists (5 junior, 5 mid-level and 5 senior) participated this multi-institutional two-round ring study that included 246 infiltrating duct carcinoma not otherwise specified (NOS) cases. In round 1, pathologists analyzed 246 HER2 IHC slides by microscope without AI assistance. After 2 weeks of washout period, the pathologists read the same slides with AI algorithm assistance and rendered the final results by adjusting to the AI algorithm. The interpretation accuracy was significantly increased with AI assistance (Accuracy 0.93 vs 0.80), as well as the evaluation precision of HER2 0 and the recall of HER2 1+. The AI algorithm also improved the total consistency (ICC = 0.542 to 0.812), especially in HER2 1 + cases. In cases with heterogeneity, the accuracy was improved significantly (Accuracy 0.68 to 0.89) and to similar level as cases without heterogeneity (Accuracy 0.95). Both accuracy and the consistency of junior pathologists were better improved than the mid-level and senior pathologists. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study to show that the accuracy and consistency of HER2 IHC 0 and 1 + evaluations and the accuracy of HER2 IHC evaluation in breast cancers with heterogeneity can be significantly improved using AI-assisted interpretation.
Sex difference in effect of ankle landing biomechanics in sagittal plane on knee valgus moment during single-leg landing
Authors: Lee Jinkyu , Shin Choongsoo S.
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is a sex difference in the effect of ankle plantar flexion at the contact angle, ankle range of motion (ROM), and ankle plantar flexion moment on knee valgus loading during single-leg landing. Twenty-five females and twenty-four males performed a single-leg landing. Joint kinematics and kinetics of the lower extremities were measured. Correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between ankle biomechanics in the sagittal plane (ankle plantar flexion angle at contact, ROM, and peak ankle plantar flexion moment) and peak knee valgus moment. In males, the larger ankle plantarflexion angle at contact and ROM were significantly associated with lower peak knee valgus moment (r = − 0.46, p < 0.05; and r = − 0.42, p < 0.05). In addition, in males only, a greater peak ankle plantar flexion moment was significantly associated with a lower peak knee valgus moment (r = − 0.83, p < 0.001) and greater peak ankle inversion moment (r = 0.75, p < 0.001). Altering ankle landing strategies in the sagittal plane during single-leg landing may reduce the knee valgus moment, which is one risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury, in males only.
Disturbance of the topography of Cu layers deposited by magnetron sputtering as a potential technique for increasing the absorption area of photovoltaic cells
Authors: Grudniewski Tomasz , Michaluk Estera
Published: August 2022

This paper addresses the influence of the sputtering time and hence thickness of thin copper (Cu) layers on the grain size, surface morphology and electrical properties. Cu layers 54–853 nm thick were deposited at room temperature from a Cu target with a sputtering power of 2.07 W⋅cm− 2 in an argon atmosphere at a pressure of 8⋅10− 3 mbar. The structural and electrical properties were determined on the basis of four-contact probe measurements, stylus profilometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with an X-ray microanalysis (EDS) detector, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of the conducted experiments show that the structure of thin copper layers can significantly change depending on the thickness and deposition process parameters. Three characteristic areas of structural changes and growth of copper crystallites/grains were distinguished. Ra and the RMS roughness linearly increase with increasing film thickness, while the crystallite size significantly changes only for copper films thicker than 600 nm. In addition, the resistivity of the Cu film is reduced to approximately 2 microohm⋅cm for films with a thickness on the order of 400 nm, and a further increase in their thickness does not have a significant effect on their resistivity. This paper also determines the bulk resistance for the Cu layers under study and estimates the reflection coefficient at the grain boundaries.
Structural Basis for the self-recognition of sDSCAM in Chelicerata
Authors: Cheng Jie , Yu Yamei , Wang Xingyu , Liu Ting , Hu Daojun , Jin Yongfeng , Lai Ying , Fu Tian-Min , Chen Qiang
Published: August 2022

To create a functional neural circuit, neurons develop a molecular identity to discriminate self from non-self. The invertebrate Dscams and vertebrate Pcdhs are implicated in determining synaptic specificity. Recently identified in Chelicerata, a shortened Dscam (sDscam) has been shown to resemble the isoform-generating characters of both Dscam and Pcdh and represent an evolutionary transition. Here we presented the molecular details of sDscam self-recognition via both trans and cis interactions using X-ray crystallographic data, functional assays and mathematical analysis. Based on our results, we proposed a molecular zipper model for the assemblies of sDscam to mediate cell-cell recognition. In this model, sDscam utilized FNIII domain to form side-by-side interactions with neighboring molecules in the same cell while established hand-in-hand interactions via Ig1 domain with molecules from another cell around. Together, our study provided a framework for understanding the assembly, recognition, and evolution of sDscam.
Psychometric Properties of the Disruptive Behavior in Physical Education Scale in Mexican students. Prediction of satisfaction with physical education
Authors: Baños Raúl , Barretos-Ruvalcaba Michelle , Baena-Extremera Antonio , Granero-Gallegos Antonio
Published: August 2022

The aim of the present study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Questionnaire for Disruptive Behavior in Physical Education (CCD-EF) in the Mexican context. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational-causal study was designed in which 378 girls (Mean = 13.99; SD = .30) and 375 boys (Mean = 14.02; SD = .33), all high school students participated. The psychometric properties of the scale were analyzed by means of different exploratory and confirmatory analyses that demonstrate that this instrument with four correlated factors, and as higher order models, is valid, reliable, and invariant as a function of sex. A regression model with latent variables showed a positive and significant prediction of boredom with Physical Education on disruptive behaviors, finding that this prediction is higher in boys than in girls. The CCD-EF has proven to be a reliable and valid instrument to use with Mexican high school students.
Evaluation of Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk in Infants with Intraventricular Hemorrhage
Authors: Shehzad Irfan , Raju Muppala , Jackson Ineshia , Beeram Madhava , Govande Vinayak , Chiruvolu Arpitha , Vora Niraj
Published: August 2022

Objective: To evaluate the ASD risk in infants with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) using the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised with Follow Up (M-CHAT-R/F). Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Infants with IVH admitted to the Baylor Scott & White Health NICU from January 2014 through June 2020. M-CHAT-R/F questionnaire results for ASD risk assessment was used, in addition to the cranial ultrasound findings at NICU discharge.Results: M-CHAT-R/F screening results were found in 165 infants, 80 children had IVH and 85 children had no IVH, 35 infants failed (ASD Risk) and 130 infants passed the M-CHAT-R/F (No-ASD risk). Median birth weight and gestational age were significantly lower in ASD risk group. ASD risk and cerebral palsy were significantly associated with severe IVH. Based on discharge cranial ultrasound findings, ASD risk of infants with resolved IVH was comparable to No-IVH group. Conclusions: The ASD risk increases with lower gestational age, lower birth weight and severe IVH.
A convection-permitting and limited-area model hindcast driven by ERA5 data: precipitation performances in Italy
Authors: Capecchi Valerio , Pasi Francesco , Gozzini Bernardo , Brandini Carlo
Published: August 2022

We describe the implementation and performances of a weather hindcast obtained by dynamically downscaling the ERA5 data across the period 1979-2019. The limited-area models used to perform the hindcast are BOLAM (with a grid spacing of 7 km over the Mediterranean domain) and MOLOCH (with a grid spacing of 2.5 km over Italy). BOLAM is used to provide initial and boundary conditions to the inner grid of the MOLOCH model, which is set in a convection-permitting configuration. The performances of such limited-area, high-resolution and long-term hindcast are evaluated comparing modelled precipitation data against two high-resolution gridded observational datasets. Any potential added-value of the BOLAM/MOLOCH hindcast is assessed with respect to ERA5-Land data, which are used as benchmark. Results demonstrate that the MOLOCH hindcast provides a lower bias than ERA5-Land as regards both the mean annual rainfall (-1.3% vs +8.7%) and the 90th percentile of summer daily precipitation, although a wet bias is found in southern Italy (bias \(\simeq\) +17.1%). Improvements are also gained in the simulation of the 90th percentile of hourly precipitations both in winter and, to a minor extent, in summer. The diurnal cycle of summer precipitations is found to be better reconstructed in the Alps than in the hilly areas of southern Italy. We also analyse rainfall peaks obtained in the simulation of two well-known severe precipitation events that caused floods and damages in north-western Italy in 1994 and 2011. We finally discuss how the demonstrated reliability of the BOLAM and MOLOCH models associated to the relatively low computational cost, promote their use as a valuable tool for downscaling not only reanalyses but also climate projections.
Risk factors for portopulmonary hypertension in patients with cirrhosis: A prospective, multicenter study
Authors: Atsukawa Masanori , Tsubota Akihito , Kondo Chisa , Koyano Kaori-Shioda , Ishikawa Toru , Toyoda Hidenori , Takaguchi Koichi , watanabe Tsunamasa , Matsuura Kentaro , Ogawa Chikara , Hiraoka Atsushi , Okubo Hironao , Tateyama Masakuni , Uojima Haruki , Nozaki Akito , Chuma Makoto , Kato Keizo , Mikami Shigeru , Tani Joji , Morishita Asahiro , Kawata Kazuhito , Tada Toshifumi , Furuichi Yoshihiro , Okubo Tomomi , Kawano Tadamichi , Arai Taeang , Kawabe Naoto , Kawamura Naohiro , Ikegami Tadashi , Nakamuta Makoto , Shigefuku Ryuta , Iwasa Motoh , Tanaka Yasuhito , Hatano Masaru , Iwakiri Katsuhiko
Published: August 2022

Background Measurement of the tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient (TRPG) by echocardiography is recommended as the most objective examination for the detection of portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH). This prospective study aimed to identify factors associated with a high TRPG in patients with cirrhosis and develop a screening method for identifying patients most likely to benefit from investigation with echocardiography.Results Four hundreds and eighty-six patients with cirrhosis underwent Doppler echocardiography, and were analyzed in the present study. Of the 486 patients, 51 (10.5%) had TRPG ≥35 mmHg. The median BNP was 39.5 (range, 3.3–712.0) pg/mL. Ninety-one (18.7%) patients reported shortness of breath. Multivariate analysis identified female, shortness of breath, and BNP ≥49 pg/mL as independent factors for TRPG ≥35 mmHg. The risk score for predicting TRPG ≥35 mmHg was calculated: risk score = −3.230 + 0.622 × gender (female: 1, male: 0) + 1.403 × shortness of breath (presence: 1, absence: 0) + 0.726 × BNP (≥ 49pg/mL: 1, <49 pg/mL: 0). An optimal cut-off risk score for predicting TRPG ≥35 mmHg was −1.882 (AUC, 0.731; sensitivity, 68.6%; specificity, 70.6%). The prevalence of TRPG ≥35 mmHg in patients with a risk score ≥−1.882 (21.5%) was significantly higher than that in patients with a risk score <−1.882 (5.0%) (p = 7.02 × 10−8).Conclusions We clarified the characteristics of patients with suspected PoPH, and developed a scoring model for identifying patients at high risk of PoPH, which may have utility in selecting patients with cirrhosis that may benefit from echocardiography.
Identification of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seed sources and farmers’ seed production practices in northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Yitayew Yekoye Abebaw , Sisay Dawit Tsegaye , Ayalew Dereje
Published: August 2022

Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia are involved in multiple seed sources to access both local cultivars and seed of improved varieties. The present study was conducted in Baso Liben district, Northwest Ethiopia with the objectives to identify the existing seed sources, factors affecting the use of improved bread wheat seed, and to assess practitioners’ (farmers and experts) suggestions to improve the existing bread wheat seed sources. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 108 farmers and five local experts using semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions, respectively. The data were analyzed both using descriptive statistics and line-by-line examination of the FGDs’ transcripts. Results were revealed that the presence of formal and informal seed sources where farmers can access bread wheat seed. Farmers accessed the seed through different mechanisms including those that were farm-saved from the previous cropping seasons (41.5%), from neighboring farmers (11.4%), from relatives (7.5%) and from formal seed suppliers (39.6%). Yield advantage, disease tolerance, market value and food quality were found the most common criteria in making decision to use improved bread wheat varieties. The study confirms both formal and informal seed sources are playing vital role in improving the seed access to the farmers. Hence, the importance of informal seed sources should be well-considered in policy development. Moreover, the government and development partners need to develop a mechanism to integrate both the formal and informal seed systems to improve the seed availability.
Genetic contribution to microglial activation in schizophrenia
Authors: Koistinaho Jari , Koskuvi Marja , Pörsti Elina , Wu Ying Chieh , Trontti Kalevi , McQuade Amanda , Ojansuu Ilkka , Cannon Tyrone , Lönnqvist Jouko , Therman Sebastian , Suvisaari Jaana , Kaprio Jaakko , Blurton-Jones Mathew , Hovatta Iiris , Lähteenvuo Markku , Rolova Taisia , Lehtonen Sarka , Tiihonen Jari
Published: August 2022

Several lines of evidence indicate the involvement of neuroinflammatory processes in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ). Microglia are brain resident immune cells responding toward invading pathogens and injury-related products, and additionally, have a critical role in improving neurogenesis and synaptic functions. Hyperactivation of microglia in SCZ is one of the leading hypotheses for disease pathogenesis, but due to the lack of proper human cell models, the role of microglia in SCZ is not well studied. We used monozygotic twins discordant for SCZ and healthy individuals to generate human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia to assess the transcriptional and functional differences in microglia between healthy controls, affected twins and unaffected twins. The microglia from affected twins had increased expression of several common inflammation-related genes, such as AIF1, HLA-DRA and IL1β compared to healthy individuals. Microglia from affected twins had also reduced response to IL1β treatment, but no significant differences in migration or phagocytotic activity. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) showed abnormalities related to extracellular matrix signaling. RNA sequencing predicted downregulation of extracellular matrix structure constituent GO terms and hepatic fibrosis pathway activation that were shared by microglia of both affected and unaffected twins, but the upregulation of MHC class II receptors was observed only in affected twin microglia. Also, the microglia of affected twins had heterogeneous response to clozapine, minocycline, and sulforaphane treatments. Overall, despite the increased expression of inflammatory genes, we observed no clear functional signs of hyperactivation in microglia from patients with SCZ. We conclude that microglia of the patients with SCZ have genetic aberrations related to inflammation response and extracellular matrix without contributing to microglia hyperactivation.
Simultaneous Control of Venous Reservoir Level and Arterial Flow Rate in Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Authors: Takahashi Hidenobu , Kinoshita Takuya , Soh Zu , Okahara Shigeyuki , Miyamoto Satoshi , Ninomiya Shinji , Tsuji Toshio
Published: August 2022

Performing a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) requires a well-trained perfusionist with skill and experience. In particular, operating the two occluders is difficult because it changes both the blood flow rate and reservoir level, and failure of the operation puts the patient’s life at risk. This study proposes an automatic control system with a two-degrees-of-freedom model matching controller nested in an I-PD feedback controller to simultaneously regulate the blood flow rate and the reservoir level. Experiments simulating CPB initiation and weaning were conducted using glycerin and bovine blood as perfusates. The results demonstrated that the arterial flow rate tracked the manually adjusted venous flow rate with a percentage error below 7.57%, and the reservoir level was maintained with an error below 4.89%. Then, experiments were conducted that simulated disturbances caused by venting/suction of blood from the surgical field and afterload fluctuation in the patient. The results showed that the control accuracies were not affected by afterload fluctuation; venting/suction disturbance worsened the accuracy of controlling the flow rate (3.26% error), while the reservoir level was maintained at 2.22% error. Thus, the robustness and control accuracies of the proposed system were demonstrated, and the system marks another step toward the automation of CPB.
ECG Signal Denoising Using Optimized Adaptive Hybrid Filter With Empirical Wavelet Transform
Authors: Subbiah Balasubramanian
Published: August 2022

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the world's leading cause of death; therefore cardiac health of the human heart has been a fascinating topic for decades. The electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is a comprehensive non-invasive method for determining cardiac health. Various health practitioners use the ECG signal to ascertain critical information about the human heart. In this article, swarm intelligence approaches are used in the biomedical signal processing sector to enhance adaptive hybrid filters and Empirical wavelet Transforms (EWT). At first, the white Gaussian noise is added to the input ECG signal and then applied to the EWT. The ECG signals are denoised by the proposed Adaptive hybrid filter. The Honey Badge Optimization (HBO) algorithm is utilized to optimize the EWT window function and adaptive hybrid filter weight parameters. The experiments are conducted on the MIT-BIH dataset and the proposed filter built using the HBO algorithm, attains a significant enhancement in reliable parameters, according to the testing results in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), mean difference (MD), mean square error (MSE), normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE), peak reconstruction error (PRE), maximum error (ME), and normalized root mean error (NRME) with existing algorithms namely, PSO, AOA, MVO, etc.
Investigation of Mechanical Behavior of an AA5083/AA6061 Friction Stir Welding Using Modal analysis
Authors: ÇAVUŞ Emre Can , KOÇAR Oğuz
Published: August 2022

Solid-state joining is used for welding similar or dissimilar materials due to its many advantages (avoiding fusion and formation of a thick intermetallic layer). Determination of process parameters (feed rate and rotation speed) and tool geometry (shoulder and pin) is significant in friction stir welding in order to obtain adequate weld quality. The experiments were performed using three process parameters: feed rate (mm/min), rotation speed (rpm), and pin geometry for friction stir welding of Al5083 and Al6061. Eighteen experiments were performed by varying the process parameters and mechanical tests (microhardness and tensile measurements) have been carried out to determine the weld quality. When the results were evaluated according to ultimate strength, the best result (198.5 MPa) was obtained in triangle pin geometry, 1250 rpm, and 100 mm/min parameters. The similarity was determined in the microhardness results. Effects of tool geometry, feed rate, and rotation speed on the vibration properties and weld quality are also investigated experimentally. The effects of the FSW parameters used are discussed using vibration analysis.
Pandemic Pets: How The Demand For Dogs Affects In-Home Domestic Violence During COVID-19
Authors: Davies Erika , Rodriguez Zachary
Published: August 2022

In response to the novel Coronavirus of 2020 the county of Dallas, Texas ordered residents to shelter in place for 52 days. During the pandemic reports of domestic violence increased across the US as victims were forced to remain home with their abusers. Using daily reports of domestic violence and pet adoptions, surrenders, and fosters in Dallas, TX, we find an increase in domestic violence during shelter in place orders and identify the outflow for pets from the home as a trigger for this increase. As animals are surrendered to shelters in-home violence decreases, while violence increases during the shelter in place order– specifically when pets are confiscated from the home. Our results align with family violence literature by identifying a victim’s dependents as a main deterrent to escape. If more women’s shelters accommodated pets, victims would leave their abusers sooner. Any policy intended to decrease family violence ought to include animal shelters, women’s shelters, and police departments. Together, these offices can identify potential abusers, decrease in-home violence, and ensure the safety of families and pets.JEL Codes: K0, D1, I1
Generalising uncertainty improves accuracy and safety of deep learning analytics applied to oncology
Authors: MacDonald Samual , Foley Helena , Yap Melvyn , Johnston Rebecca , Steven Kaiah , Koufariotis Lambros , Sharma Somwya , Wood Scott , Addala Venkateswar , Pearson John , Roosta Fred , Waddell Nicola , Kondrashova Olga , Trzaskowski Maciej
Published: August 2022

Trust and transparency are critical for deploying deep learning (DL) models into the clinic. DL application poses generalisation obstacles since training/development datasets often have different data distributions to clinical/production datasets that can lead to incorrect predictions with underestimated uncertainty. To investigate this pitfall, we benchmarked one pointwise and three approximate Bayesian DL models used to predict cancer of unknown primary with three independent RNA-seq datasets covering 10,968 samples across 57 primary cancer types. Our results highlight simple and scalable Bayesian DL significantly improves the generalisation of uncertainty estimation (e.g., p-value = 0.0013 for calibration). Moreover, we demonstrate Bayesian DL substantially improves accuracy under data distributional shifts when utilising ‘uncertainty thresholding’ by designing a prototypical metric that evaluates the expected (accuracy) loss when deploying models from development to production, which we call the Area between Development and Production curve (ADP). In summary, Bayesian DL is a hopeful avenue of research for generalising uncertainty, which improves performance, transparency, and therefore safety of DL models for deployment in real-world.
Age- and Sex-Specific Changes in visceral fat mass Throughout the Lifespan
Authors: Falkentoft Rikke , Jensen Mads , Hansen Ole , Haddock Bryan , Prescott Eva , Hovind Peter , Simonsen Lene , Bülow Jens , Suetta Charlotte
Published: August 2022

Background High visceral fat mass (VFM) is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus and malignancy, however, normative data are limited. The aim of this study was to provide reference data for VFM from a large apparently healthy Caucasian adult population. Materials and methods Volunteers aged 20-93 years from the Copenhagen City Heart Study had a standardized whole-body Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan performed using the iDXA (GE Lunar). Total and regional fat mass was assessed, and VFM was quantified using the CoreScanTM application.Results We included 1277 participants [708 women (mean±SD age: 56 ± 19 years, height: 1.66 ± 0.07 m, body mass index: 24.64 ± 4.31 kg/m2 and 569 men, age: 57 ± 18 years, height: 1.80 ± 0.07 m, body mass index: 25.99 ± 3.86 kg/m2]. Visceral fat mass was associated with age in both sexess, but men had significantly higher VFM both in mass (g) and after normalization to body size (height, m2) and total fat mass (p<0.001). With the same BMI, body fat % (BF %) and fat mass index (total fat mass/height2 (FMI)), men had significantly higher VFM. In contrast, VFM increased more in women with high values of android-gynoid ratio, while this relationship was linear in men.Conclusion Normative data of visceral fat mass (VFM) from a large healthy Danish cohort aged 20-93 years are presented. Notably, VFM increased with age in both sexes, but men had significantly higher VFM compared to women with the same BMI, BF % and FMI.
A Feature Based Approach on Automatic Stopword Detection
Authors: Kucukyilmaz Tayfun , Akin Tayfun
Published: August 2022

In information retrieval, words that contribute little to the semantic information within a text are called stopwords. Identification of stopwords is considered an asset for many retrieval tasks as removal of such words from the text collection increase the regularization within the dataset and reduce the volume and computational complexity. Traditional techniques for identification of stopwords either involve manual construction of stopword lists by analyzing terms individually or employing sorting-based techniques that uses global term characteristics as a proxy. Due to the context-dependant and non-precise definition of what really classifies as a stopword, transfer and application of these traditional methodologies to different languages or domains leaves room for generalized and interpretable results. To address this concern, we propose a feature based supervised machine learning technique for automatic detection of stopwords. We have tested the validity of the proposed technique with extensive experiments and compared the results with a general English stopword list. Furthermore, we have evaluated the proposed technique with both formal written and social media text. The results reveal that the proposed technique leads to promising results and is also capable of addressing the changes in the dialect.
A robust procedure for determination of immunosuppressants Cyclosporine A and Tacrolimus in blood samples with detection of LC-MS/MS
Authors: Huo Yumei , Zhang Shangqing , Pan Chao , Shan Hongbo , Xu Yuxuan , Cai Xin
Published: August 2022

Therapeutic monitoring of immunosuppressants is a key tool in the treatment of transplant patients. It is essential to develop accurate methods to obtain precise and reliable results. a simple protein precipitation method with absence of zinc sulfate was explored to pretreat blood samples, the influence of matrix was eliminated, Cyclosporine A and Tacrolimus were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The linearity, matrix effect, carry over, accuracy, intraday and interday precision of this method were investigated. The linear relationship of tacrolimus and cyclosporine were 1–40 ng/mL and 50-2000 ng/mL, respectively; The correlation coefficient (R2) was both greater than 0.995. The intraday and interday precision of cyclosporine and tacrolimus were ≤ 10%. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of tacrolimus and cyclosporine A were 1 ng mL− 1 and 50 ng mL− 1, respectively. The main features of this method are simplicity, promptness, robustness, high sensitivity and throughput and good selectivity. It is suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporine A and tacrolimus in routine clinical diagnostics.
Bibliometric Analysis to Assess the Relationship Between Foreign Direct Investment, Environmental Emissions, and Green Economy
Authors: Trinh Nguyen Thi Hoai
Published: August 2022

The green economy is an unavoidable shift in economic structures toward sustainability. Foreign direct investment drives the economic growth of a nation. However, the process of foreign direct investment always includes unintended repercussions, such as environmental pollution. This topic is the subject of several hypotheses, including the polluted aura and polluted paradise hypotheses. The author investigated the association between FDI, environmental emissions, and Green economy using a bibliometric analysis approach and two softwares, VOS viewer and Citespaces. The author conducted literature synthesis study by keyword search, analysis of keyword patterns over time, and analysis of co-citation networks to determine the development of research on foreign direct investment and how to establish a green economic model. The findings demonstrate a connection between foreign direct investment, environmental emissions, and the green economy. The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and sustainable development; to propose solutions to restructure the economy from a brown economy to a green economy; to make rational use of FDI sources; and to provide researchers in this field with a framework for focusing future research on the relationship between FDI and sustainable development.
Long-term behavioral effects of social separation during early life in a social mammal, Octodon degus
Authors: Ukyo Rina , Shinohara Akio , Koshimoto Chihiro , Nagura-Kato Goro A. , Ieiri Seiji , Tsuzuki Yasuhiro , Sakamoto Shinsuke H.
Published: August 2022

Social separation is thought to induce a strong stress response in social juvenile mammals, but little is known about how this response might vary throughout the development. The present study examines the long-term effects of early-life stress (ELS) induced by social separation on individual behaviors later in life using the social and precocious species Octodon degus. Four experimental groups were established a positive control group of mothers and siblings from three litters comprised the socially housed (SH) group, while pups from six litters were randomly assigned to three treatments: pups experiencing no separation (NS) treatment while their siblings did; repeated bouts of consecutive separation (CS); intermittent separation (IS). We analyzed the effects of separation treatment on the frequency and duration of freezing, rearing and grooming behaviors. ELS was correlated with higher hyperactivity later in life, especially in developed males, and hyperactivity increased with more frequent separation. The SH group containing siblings that did not experience parental separation gained more weight than the other groups. The findings suggest that the NS group was indirectly affected by ELS, especially females. In summary, the long-term effects of ELS are more direct in males while those are more indirect in females.
Systemic mastocytosis mimicking blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm: A case report
Authors: Zhang Xin , Han Jing , Ji Yuan , Hou Yingyong
Published: August 2022

Background: Systemic mastocytosis (SM), a rare myeloid neoplasm, is defined as a clonal and neoplastic proliferation of mast cells in at least one extracutaneous organ(s). The pathologic diagnosis and treatment of SM are challenging. Case presentation: We presented a 44-year-old male patient who had endured abdomen discomfort for 4 years and diarrhea for 5 months. Colonoscopy and PET/CT found a protuberant lesion in the cecum with adjacent lymphadenopathy. Histopathology of the cecum biopsy showed diffuse infiltration of medium-sized round/oval cells in lamina propria with immunohistochemical expressions of CD45, CD117, CD25, CD123, CD56, CD4, CD35, CD68, and CD163, mimicking blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. Molecular analysis revealed missense mutation (D816V) in the exon 17 of KIT gene. Serum tryptase level was 38.56 ng/ml. No abnormality was found in skin examination and bone marrow biopsy. The diagnosis of aggressive SM with intestinal tract involvement was established. The patient received avapritinib treatment at an initial dosage of 200 mg once daily and exhibited dramatic clinical improvement but memory impairment within 1 month. No recurrence was observed in 1-year follow-up at the adjusted avapritinib dose (75 mg once daily). Conclusions: SM is very rare and should be considered in patients with long-term diarrhea symptoms and hematopoietic/lymphoid-appearing tumors. KIT D816V mutation contributes to the differentiation of CD123, CD4, and CD56 immunoreactive SM from blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. The rare side-effect of memory impairment in this case helps to accumulate the experience of avapritinib in treating KIT D816V-mutant SM.