bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the anti-inflammatory activities, mechanism of action and prospective drug delivery systems of tocotrienol to target neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Mathew Angela Maria , Bhuvanendran Saatheeyavaane , Nair Rajesh Sreedharan , K Radhakrishnan Ammu
Published: March 2023

A major cause of death in the elderly worldwide is attributed to neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD (Alzheimer’s disease), PD (Parkinson’s disease), ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), FRDA (Friedreich’s ataxia), VaD (Vascular dementia) etc. These can be caused due to multiple factors such as genetic, physiological problems like stroke or tumor, or even external causes like viruses, toxins, or chemicals. T3s (tocotrienols) exhibit various bioactive properties where it acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorigenic, and cholesterol lowering agent. Since T3 interferes with and influences several anti-inflammatory mechanisms, it aids in combating inflammatory responses that lead to disease progression. T3s are found to have a profound neuroprotective ability, however, due to their poor oral bioavailability, their full potential could not be exploited. Hence there is a need to explore other drug delivery techniques, especially focusing on aspects of nanotechnology. In this review paper we explore the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of T3 to apply it in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and also discusses the possibilities of nano methods of administering tocotrienols to target neurodegenerative diseases.
Barriers to the utilization of wellness days in graduate medical education
Authors: Kinzler Wendy L. , Mooney Melissa , Ding Helen , Scalice Kara , Filangieri Carole , Akerman Meredith , Rekawek Patricia
Published: March 2023

Background: Personal well-being is an important component of a resilient physician and can reduce the risk of burnout. To address this, our institution implemented a wellness-day policy to promote self-care.  The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency in which house staff (HS) use wellness days and to identify barriers to their utilization.

Methods: A questionnaire was administered to all HS at a single sponsoring institution through a secure online survey platform in 2019-2021. Those that took one or both of the wellness days were compared with those that took none using Chi-square. Comparisons across years were made using Cochran-Armitage Trend test, with a P value <0.05 denoting statistical significance.

Results: There were 386/878 responses, representing a 44% response rate. Only 31% of HS took both wellness days and 50% took none. Reasons for not taking a wellness day included not wanting to burden the program, having no need for them and being discouraged by the program. HS that took one or both days were more likely to identify as female (60% vs 45%, p=0.007) but not more likely to be married or have children. Interns were less likely (38% vs 51%; p=0.04) and fellows were more likely (61% vs 47%; p=0.03) to take a wellness day. 

Conclusions: The utilization of wellness days is variable. Increased utilization can serve to normalize their use and minimize the burden felt by house staff. Education at orientation and leadership buy-in is essential to policy success.
Behavior, attitudes and knowledge of healthcare workers about breastfeeding
Authors: Čatipović Marija , Puharić Zrinka , Golić Lorena
Published: March 2023

Breastfeeding is undoubtedly the best food for newborns and infants. In the process of breastfeeding, the child establishes the foundations of attachment, on which he will build the foundations of all subsequent relationships. Breastfeeding has health benefits for the mother. The invitation to participate in this research was answered by a small number of men in terms of gender, and doctors in terms of profession. The results of the research show in general scarce participation of health professionals in education about breastfeeding (frequently/regularly less than 20%). Counseling parents on exclusive and complete breastfeeding is often contrary to UNICEF/WHO guidelines. The worst responses of healthcare workers on the scale of attitudes are regarding breastfeeding in a public place, acceptance of breastfeeding as a fundamental human relationship and the role of the father in supporting the breastfeeding mother. On the scale of knowledge, the worst responses are regarding knowledge of the legal regulation of public advertising of breast milk substitutes, stopping breastfeeding when the mother is febrile or taking some medication, the importance of rooming in and the need to stop breastfeeding when the child starts nursery/kindergarten. Breastfeeding education for future healthcare workers during their education should be improved. In working with healthcare professionals who are already employed, work should be done to raise awareness of the obligation to provide information about breastfeeding in accordance with WHO/UNICEF recommendations. Parents who have already decided to breastfeed their child have the right to continuous support during the entire period of breastfeeding. To achieve the goals of the WHO/UNICEF in 2030, only positive developments in the health system will not be enough, but at the level of the entire society
Staged reconstruction of radial longitudinal deficiency and thumb aplasia – case report and a review of the literature
Authors: Kralj Rok , Tadić Karlo , Kurtanjek Mario , Weber Daniel Max , Višnjić Stjepan
Published: March 2023

Purpose: Presentation of surgical treatment of a girl with type IV radial longitudinal deficiency and type IV thumb hypoplasia as well as review of the most relevant literature published in the previous 25 years. Methods: The treatment consisted of placement of an external fixator and subsequent distraction in the radioulnar and proximodistal axis as the initial procedure followed by radialization according to Buck-Gramcko around the 2nd birthday, 10 weeks after the primary procedure. The last step of the treatment was a pollicization of the index finger performed before the 4th birthday. Results: The surgical treatment resulted with a very favorable outcome – a clinically stable wrist, radiologically well aligned carpus over the ulna and an index pollicised in such a manner that enables adequate opposition to the other fingers. Conclusion: A review of literature in the last 25 years shows that radialization of the ulna with a preceding distraction offers benefits over centralization alone. Distraction of the wrist protects the distal ulnar growth plate and thus promotes growth. Soft tissue release with a bilobar flap can also provide a good outcome as wells as a microvascular joint transfer from the 2nd toe whereas the latter requires advanced microsurgical skills.
Design and analysis of a weakly coupled few-mode hollow-core U-shaped tube nested antiresonant fiber
Authors: Ou Jie , Li Jianping , Zheng Weiqin , Qin Yuwen , Lin Ning , Xu Ou , Huang Quandong , Peng Di , Xiang Meng , Xu Yi , Fu Songnian
Published: March 2023

In this work, we proposed a weakly coupled few-mode hollow-core U-shaped tube nested antiresonant fiber (FM-UARF) for the potential large-capacity mode-division multiplexing transmission without multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) digital signal processing. Through theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, the six-tube FM-UARF can be a good candidate for two-mode and three-mode transmission with better performance. After parameter optimization, the weakly coupled condition of effective refractive index difference (Δneff) larger than 5×10−4 can be achieved. Under the two-mode case, the confinement loss (CL) of the LP01 and LP11 modes is less than 0.005 dB/km and 0.1 dB/km in the 700 nm bandwidth range (0.9−1.6µm), respectively. In addition, LP01 achieves the lowest CL of 0.00038 dB/km at a wavelength of 1.06 µm, which gives it potential applications in high-power laser transmission. Under the three-mode case, the CL of the LP01, LP11, and LP21 modes are less than 0.006 dB/km, 0.1 dB/km, and 10 dB/km, respectively, in the wavelength range of 0.95 to 1.65 µm. Both the CL ratios are larger than 150 (23 dB), which ensures the high purity of the supported fiber modes. The results show that the proposed FM-UARF with optimized parameters has the potential in the MIMO-less large-capacity data transmission and so on.
Accurate simulation of THz generation with finite-element time domain methods
Authors: Margenberg Nils , Kärtner Franz X. , Bause Markus
Published: March 2023

We investigate the accurate full broadband simulation of complex nonlinear optical processes. A mathematical model and numerical simulation techniques in the time domain are developed to simulate complex nonlinear optical processes without the usual used slowly varying envelope approximation. We illustrate the accuracy by numerical simulations. Furthermore, they are used to elucidate THz generation in periodically poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) including optical harmonic generation.
High-precision angular rate detection based on an optomechanical micro hemispherical shell resonator gyroscope
Authors: Huang Wenyi , Zhang Senyu , Hassan Jamal N. A. , Yan Xing , Chen Dingwei , Wen Guangjun , Chen Kai , Deng Guangwei , Huang Yongjun
Published: March 2023

Cavity optomechanics with picometer displacement measurement resolution has shown vital applications in high-precision sensing areas. In this paper, an optomechanical micro hemispherical shell resonator gyroscope (MHSRG) is proposed, for the first time. The MHSRG is driven by the strong opto-mechanical coupling effect based on the established whispering gallery mode (WGM). And the angular rate is characterized by measuring the transmission amplitude changing of laser coupled in and out from the optomechanical MHSRG based on the dispersive resonance wavelength shift and/or dissipative losses varying. The detailed operating principle of high-precision angular rate detection is theoretically explored and the fully characteristic parameters are numerically investigated. Simulation results show that the optomechanical MHSRG can achieve scale factor of 414.8 mV/ (°/ s) and angular random walk of 0.0555 °/ h1/2 when the input laser power is 3 mW and resonator mass is just 98 ng. Such proposed optomechanical MHSRG can be widely used for chip-scale inertial navigation, attitude measurement, and stabilization.
Formation mechanism of DKDP surface in single point diamond fly-cutting process and the resulting degradation of laser-induced damage performance
Authors: Wang Shengfei , Tan Ting , Zhuo Jin , Lei Xiangyang , Liu Zhichao , Geng Feng , Feng Wenfei , Wang Jian , Zhang Qinghua , Xu Qiao
Published: March 2023

Laser damage performance of DKDP (KD2xH2(1-x)PO4) crystal is largely determined by the surface microstructures generated in the manufacturing process, more specifically, single point diamond fly-cutting process. However, because of the lack of knowledge about the formation mechanism and damage performance of the microstructures, laser induced damage of DKDP crystal remains a key issue limiting the output energy of the high power laser systems. In this paper, the influence of fly-cutting parameters on the generation of DKDP surface and the underlying material deformation mechanism have been investigated. Except for cracks, two kinds of new microstructures, namely micro grains and ripples, have been found on the processed DKDP surfaces. GIXRD, nano-indentation and nano-scratch test results prove that the micro grains are generated by the slip motion of the crystal, while the simulation results show that the cracks are induced by the tensile stress formed behind the cutting edge. Moreover, the formation of micro grains can facilitate the plastic chip flow through the mechanism of grain boundary sliding, which will further lead to a periodic fluctuation of the chip separation point and the formation of micro ripples. Finally, laser damage test results demonstrate that cracks will degrade the damage performance of DKDP surface significantly, while the formation of micro grains and micro ripples has little impact. The results of this study can deepen the understanding of the formation mechanism of the DKDP surface during the cutting process and provide guidance to improve the laser-induced damage performance of the crystal.
Studying an off-axis optical bench for future gravity missions from the perspective of carrier-to-noise ratio
Authors: Peng Bo , Wu Kailan , Yang Yichao , Wu Jingui , Guo Zhongkai , Wang Yun , Zheng Yongchao , Lin Xuling
Published: March 2023

The inter-satellite laser ranging heterodyne interferometer is vital for future gravity missions to achieve high ranging accuracy. This paper proposes a novel off-axis optical bench design which integrates merits of the off-axis optical bench design of GRACE Follow-On mission and other on-axis designs. This design makes use of lens systems subtly to restrict the tilt-to-length coupling noise and takes advantage of the DWS feedback loop to maintain the transmitting beam and receiving beam anti-parallel. The critical parameters of the optical components are determined and the carrier-to-noise ratio for a single channel of the photoreceiver is calculated to be more than 100 dB-Hz for the high case. The off-axis optical bench design is a potential candidate for China’s future gravity missions.
Up-converted photorefractive optical transient detection with femtosecond laser pulses
Authors: Sukeert  , Chaitanya Kumar S. , Schunemann P. G. , de Valcárcel Germán J. , Ebrahim-Zadeh M. , Esteban-Martín A.
Published: March 2023

We report on experimental demonstration of optical transient detection (OTD) based on photorefractive two-wave mixing of femtosecond pulses. The demonstrated technique also combines nonlinear-crystal-based OTD with up-conversion from infrared into the visible range. The approach enables measurement of phase changes of a dynamic signal in the infrared using GaP- or Si-based detectors while suppressing stationary background. Experimental results reveal existence of the relation between input phases in the infrared and output phases in the visible wavelength range. We further present experimental evidence of additional merits of up-converted transient phase analysis under noisy conditions, such as residual continuous-wave emission affecting the ultrashort pulses from the laser.
Mid-infrared frequency domain optical parametric amplifier
Authors: Dalla-Barba Gilles , Jargot Gaëtan , Lassonde Philippe , Tóth Szabolcs , Haddad Elissa , Boschini Fabio , Delagnes Jean-Christophe , Leblanc Adrien , Ibrahim Heide , Cormier Eric , Légaré François
Published: March 2023

We report on an optical architecture delivering sub-120 femtosecond laser pulses of 20 µJ tunable from 5.5 µm to 13 µm in the mid-infrared range (mid-IR). The system is based on a dual-band frequency domain optical parametric amplifier (FOPA) optically pumped by a Ti:Sapphire laser and amplifying 2 synchronized femtosecond pulses each with a widely tunable wavelength around 1.6 and 1.9 µm respectively. These amplified pulses are then combined in a GaSe crystal to produce the mid-IR few-cycle pulses by means of difference frequency generation (DFG). The architecture provides a passively stabilized carrier-envelope phase (CEP) whose fluctuations has been characterized to 370 mrad RMS.
Optimization of optical and structural properties of Al2O3/TiO2 nano-laminates deposited by atomic layer deposition for optical coating
Authors: Gao Ling-Shan , Cai Qing-Yuan , Hu Er-Tao , Zhang Qiu-Yu , Yang Yu-Ting , Xiong Yun-Bo , Liu Bao-Jian , Duan Wei-Bo , Yu Tian-Yan , Liu Ding-Quan
Published: March 2023

Optimizing the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process of films is particularly important in preparing multilayer interference films. In this work, a series of Al2O3/TiO2 nano-laminates with a fixed growth cycle ratio of 1:10 were deposited on Si and fused quartz substrates at 300 °C by ALD. The optical properties, crystallization behavior, surface appearance and microstructures of those laminated layers were systematically investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry, spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope and transmission electron microscopy. By inserting Al2O3 interlayers into TiO2 layers, the crystallization of the TiO2 is reduced and the surface roughness becomes smaller. The TEM images show that excessively dense distribution of Al2O3 intercalation leads to the appearance of TiO2 nodules, which in turn leads to increased roughness. The Al2O3/TiO2 nano-laminate with a cycle ratio 40:400 has relatively small surface roughness. Additionally, oxygen-deficient defects exist at the interface of Al2O3 and TiO2, leading to evident absorption. Using O3 as an oxidant instead of H2O for depositing Al2O3 interlayers was verified to be effective in reducing absorption during broadband antireflective coating experiments.
Rewritable photonic integrated circuits using dielectric-assisted phase-change material waveguides
Authors: Miller Forrest , Chen Rui , Fröch Johannes E. , Rarick Hannah , Geiger Sarah , Majumdar Arka
Published: March 2023

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) can drastically expand the capabilities of quantum and classical optical information science and engineering. PICs are commonly fabricated using selective material etching, a subtractive process. Thus, the chip’s functionality cannot be substantially altered once fabricated. Here, we propose to exploit wide-bandgap non-volatile phase-change materials (PCMs) to create rewritable PICs. A PCM-based PIC can be written using a nanosecond pulsed laser without removing any material, akin to rewritable compact disks. The whole circuit can then be erased by heating, and a new circuit can be rewritten. We designed a dielectric-assisted PCM waveguide consisting of a thick dielectric layer on top of a thin layer of wide-bandgap PCMs Sb2S3 and Sb2Se3. The low-loss PCMs and our designed waveguides lead to negligible optical loss. Furthermore, we analyzed the spatiotemporal laser pulse shape to write the PICs. Our proposed platform will enable low-cost manufacturing and have a far-reaching impact on the rapid prototyping of PICs, validation of new designs, and photonic education.
Clean hundred-µJ-level sub-6-fs blue pulses generated with helium-assisted solid thin plates
Authors: Hu Feilong , Wang Zhihao , Yao Qinyi , Cao Wei , Zhang Qingbin , Lu Peixiang
Published: March 2023

In this work, 85 µJ, 5.5 fs pulses spanning 350–500 nm with 96% energy concentrated on the main pulse are generated by pulse compression using a helium-assisted, two-stage solid thin plate apparatus. To the best of our knowledge, these are the highest energy sub-6 fs blue pulses obtained to date. Furthermore, during the spectral broadening process, we observe that solid thin plates are much more easily damaged by blue pulses in a vacuum than in a gas-filled environment at the same field intensity. Helium, with the highest ionization energy and extremely low material dispersion, is adopted to create a gas-filled environment. Thus, the damage to solid thin plates is eliminated, and high-energy, clean pulses can be obtained with only two commercially available chirped mirrors in a chamber. Furthermore, the excellent output power stability of 0.39% root mean square (rms) fluctuations over 1 h is maintained. We believe that few-cycle blue pulses at the hundred-µJ level can open the door to numerous new ultrafast and strong-field applications in this spectral region.
Receive-diversity-aided power-fading compensation for C-band IM/DD OFDM systems
Authors: Zhang Junwei , Tan Heyun , Lu Liwang , Sun Lin , Wu Xiong , Tao Lau Alan Pak , Lu Chao
Published: March 2023

A receive-diversity-aided power-fading compensation (RDA-PFC) scheme is proposed and demonstrated to eliminate the chromatic dispersion (CD)-induced power fading for C-band double-sideband (DSB) intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. By combining the responses before and after a dispersive element using a maximal-ratio combining (MRC) algorithm, the CD-induced power fading dips within the signal bandwidth of around 50 GHz can be effectively compensated for, which results in an up to 17.6-dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement for the fading subcarriers after transmission over 10 km of standard single-mode fiber (SSMF). Using the 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) format, a diversity receiver with the proposed RDA-PFC scheme can support 170.6-Gbit/s OFDM signal transmission over a 10-km SSMF and reduces the bit error rate (BER) by more than an order of magnitude compared with a conventional receiver. Moreover, 208.1-Gbit/s adaptive bit and power loading OFDM signal transmission over a 10-km SSMF is realized by the proposed RDA-PFC scheme, which improves the capacity by 15.3% compared with the case without RDA-PFC at a BER of 3.8 × 10−3. The proposed RDA-PFC scheme shows great potential in CD-induced power-fading compensation for high-speed IM/DD OFDM systems.
Thermalization of the Ablowitz–Ladik lattice in the presence of non-integrable perturbations
Authors: Selim Mahmoud A. , Pyrialakos Georgios G. , Wu Fan O. , Musslimani Ziad , Makris Konstantinos G. , Khajavikhan Mercedeh , Christodoulides Demetrios
Published: March 2023

We investigate the statistical mechanics of the photonic Ablowitz–Ladik lattice, the integrable version of the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation. In this regard, we demonstrate that in the presence of perturbations, the complex response of this system can be accurately captured within the framework of optical thermodynamics. Along these lines, we shed light on the true relevance of chaos in the thermalization of the Ablowitz–Ladik system. Our results indicate that when linear and nonlinear perturbations are incorporated, this weakly nonlinear lattice will thermalize into a proper Rayleigh–Jeans distribution with a well-defined temperature and chemical potential, in spite of the fact that the underlying nonlinearity is non-local and hence does not have a multi-wave mixing representation. This result illustrates that in the supermode basis, a non-local and non-Hermitian nonlinearity can in fact properly thermalize this periodic array in the presence of two quasi-conserved quantities.
Allelic diversity uncovers protein domains contributing to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance
Authors: Grant Trudy-Ann , López-Pérez Mario , Haro-Moreno Jose Manuel , Almagro-Moreno Salvador
Published: March 2023

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a major threat to global health. To date, tractable approaches that decipher how AMR emerges within a bacterial population remain limited. Here, we developed a framework that exploits genetic diversity from environmental bacterial populations to decode emergent phenotypes such as AMR. OmpU is a porin that can make up to 60% of the outer membrane of Vibrio cholerae, the cholera pathogen. This porin is directly associated with the emergence of toxigenic clades and confers resistance to numerous host antimicrobials. In this study, we examined naturally occurring allelic variants of OmpU in environmental V. cholerae and established associations that connected genotypic variation with phenotypic outcome. We covered the landscape of gene variability and found that the porin forms two major phylogenetic clusters with striking genetic diversity. We generated 14 isogenic mutant strains, each encoding a unique ompU allele, and found that divergent genotypes lead to convergent antimicrobial resistance profiles. We identified and characterized functional domains in OmpU unique to variants conferring AMR-associated phenotypes. Specifically, we identified four conserved domains that are linked with resistance to bile and host-derived antimicrobial peptides. Mutant strains for these domains exhibit differential susceptibility patterns to these and other antimicrobials. Interestingly, a mutant strain in which we exchanged the four domains of the clinical allele for those of a sensitive strain exhibits a resistance profile closer to a porin deletion mutant. Finally, using phenotypic microarrays, we uncovered novel functions of OmpU and their connection with allelic variability. Our findings highlight the suitability of our approach towards dissecting the specific protein domains associated with the emergence of AMR and can be naturally extended to other bacterial pathogens and biological processes.
Identification of gene networks mediating regional resistance to tauopathy in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Ayoub Christopher A. , Wagner Connor S. , Kuret Jeff
Published: March 2023

Neurofibrillary lesions composed of tau protein aggregates are defining hallmarks of Alzheimer’s Disease. Despite tau filaments appearing to spread between networked brain regions in a prion-like manner, certain areas including cerebellum resist trans-synaptic spread of tauopathy and degeneration of their constituent neuronal cell bodies. To identify molecular correlates of resistance, we derived and implemented a ratio of ratios approach for disaggregating gene expression data on the basis of regional vulnerability to tauopathic neurodegeneration. When applied to vulnerable pre-frontal cortex as an internal reference for resistant cerebellum, the approach segregated adaptive changes in expression into two components. The first was enriched for neuron-derived transcripts associated with proteostasis including specific members of the molecular chaperone family and was unique to resistant cerebellum. When produced as purified proteins, each of the identified chaperones depressed aggregation of 2N4R tau in vitro at sub-stoichiometric concentrations, consistent with the expression polarity deduced from ratio of ratios testing. In contrast, the second component enriched for glia- and microglia-derived transcripts associated with neuroinflammation, segregating these pathways from susceptibility to tauopathy. These data support the utility of ratio of ratios testing for establishing the polarity of gene expression changes with respect to selective vulnerability. The approach has the potential to identify new targets for drug discovery predicated on their ability to promote resistance to disease in vulnerable neuron populations.
Influence of conspiracy theories and distrust of community health volunteers on adherence to COVID-19 guidelines and vaccine uptake in Kenya
Authors: Ireri Edward Mugambi , Mutugi Marion Wanjiku , Falisse Jean-Benoît , Mwitari James Mwirigi , Atambo Lydia Kemunto
Published: March 2023

Public trust is key for compliance to government protocols in times of health mitigating COVID-19 measures and its vaccination initiative, and thus understanding factors related to community health volunteers (CHVs) trusting the government and conspiracy theories is vital during the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of universal health coverage in Kenya will benefit from the trust between the CHVs and the government through increased access and demand for health services. This cross-sectional study collected data between 25 May to 27 June 2021 and it involved CHVs sampled from four counties in Kenya. The sampling unit involved the database of all registered CHVs in the four counties, who had participated in the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy study in Kenya. Mombasa and Nairobi (represented cosmopolitan urban counties). Kajiado represented a pastoralist rural county, while Trans-Nzoia represented an agrarian rural county. Probit regression model was the main analytical method which was performed using R script language version 4.1.2. COVID-19 conspiracy theories weakened generalised trust in government (adjOR = 0.487, 99% CI: 0.336–0.703). Banking on COVID-19 related trust in vaccination initiatives (adjOR = 3.569, 99% CI: 1.657–8.160), use of police enforcement (adjOR = 1.723, 99% CI: 1.264–2.354) and perceived risk of COVID-19 (adjOR = 2.890,95% CI: 1.188–7.052) strengthened generalised trust in government. Targeted vaccination education and communication health promotion campaigns should fully involve CHVs. Strategies to counter COVID-19 conspiracy theories will promote adherence to COVID-19 mitigation measures and increase vaccine uptake.
Sporotrichosis in the nasal mucosa: A single-center retrospective study of 37 cases from 1998 to 2020
Authors: Izoton Carlos Felipe Gomes , de Brito Sousa Antonio Xavier , Valete Cláudia Maria , Schubach Armando de Oliveira , Procópio-Azevedo Anna Carolina , Zancopé-Oliveira Rosely Maria , de Macedo Priscila Marques , Gutierrez-Galhardo Maria Clara , Castro-Alves Julio , Almeida-Paes Rodrigo , Martins Ana Cristina da Costa , Freitas Dayvison Francis Saraiva
Published: March 2023

Background

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous or implantation mycosis caused by some species of the genus Sporothrix. Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, experiences hyperendemic levels of zoonotic sporotrichosis, with increasing cases of disseminated disease, especially in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Involvement of the nasal mucosa is rare and occurs isolated or in disseminated cases, with a delayed resolution.

Methodology/Principal findings

This study aimed to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic profiles of 37 cases of sporotrichosis with involvement of the nasal mucosa treated at the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) outpatient clinic of the Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, from 1998 to 2020. Data were reviewed from the medical records and stored in a database. The Mann–Whitney test was used to compare the means of quantitative variables, and Pearson chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to verify the association between qualitative variables (p<0.05). Most patients were males, students or retirees, with a median age of 38 years, residents in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, and infected through zoonotic transmission. Disseminated sporotrichosis forms in patients with comorbidities (mostly PLHIV) were more common than the isolated involvement of the mucosa. The main characteristics of lesions in the nasal mucosa were the presence/elimination of crusts, involvement of various structures, mixed appearance, and severe intensity. Due to therapeutic difficulty, itraconazole was combined with amphotericin B and/or terbinafine in most cases. Of the 37 patients, 24 (64.9%) healed, with a median of 61 weeks of treatment, 9 lost follow-up, 2 were still treating and 2 died.

Conclusions

Immunosuppression was determinant to the outcome, with worse prognosis and lower probability of cure. Notably in this group, the systematization of the ENT examination for early identification of lesions is recommended to optimize the treatment and outcome of the disease.
Determinants of QuantiFERON Plus-diagnosed tuberculosis infection in adult Ugandan TB contacts: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Mayito Jonathan , Martineau Adrian R. , Tiwari Divya , Nakiyingi Lydia , Kateete David P. , Reece Stephen T. , Biraro Irene Andia
Published: March 2023

Background

The tuberculin skin test is commonly used to diagnose latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in resource-limited settings, but its specificity is limited by factors including cross-reactivity with BCG vaccine and environmental mycobacteria. Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) overcome this problem by detecting M. tuberculosis complex-specific responses, but studies to determine risk factors for IGRA-positivity in high TB burden settings are lacking.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine factors associated with a positive IGRA by employing the QuantiFERON-TB® Gold-plus (QFT Plus) assay in a cohort of asymptomatic adult TB contacts in Kampala, Uganda. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with forward stepwise logit function was employed to identify independent correlates of QFT Plus-positivity.

Results

Of the 202 participants enrolled, 129/202 (64%) were female, 173/202 (86%) had a BCG scar, and 67/202 (33%) were HIV-infected. Overall, 105/192 (54%, 95% CI 0.48–0.62) participants had a positive QFT Plus result. Increased risk of QFT-Plus positivity was independently associated with casual employment/unemployment vs. non-casual employment (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.18, 95% CI 1.01–4.72), a family vs. non-family relation to the index patient (aOR 2.87, 95% CI 1.33–6.18), living in the same vs. a different house as the index (aOR 3.05, 95% CI 1.28–7.29), a higher body mass index (BMI) (aOR per additional kg/m2 1.09, 95% CI 1.00–1.18) and tobacco smoking vs. not (aOR 2.94, 95% CI 1.00–8.60). HIV infection was not associated with QFT-Plus positivity (aOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.42–1.96).

Conclusion

Interferon Gamma Release Assay positivity in this study population was lower than previously estimated. Tobacco smoking and BMI were determinants of IGRA positivity that were previously unappreciated.
Comparing the antibacterial efficacy and functionality of different commercial alcohol-based sanitizers
Authors: Lim Kaiyang , Li Wei Yi , Dinata Afrah , Ho En Ting
Published: March 2023

The use of alcohol-based sanitizers has been recommended as an effective alternative to clean hands, especially in the case when hand washing is not doable. This is especially critical with the COVID-19 pandemic, where personal hygiene is an important factor to deter the spread of the virus. This study assesses and evaluates the differences in antibacterial efficacy and functionalities of five different commercial alcohol-based sanitizers with different formulations. All sanitizers were able to provide instant sanitization functionality, effectively killing 5x105CFU/mL of inoculated bacteria. However, comparing pure alcohol-based sanitizers against alcohol-based sanitizers with a secondary active ingredient demonstrated that the addition of a secondary active ingredient enhanced the effectiveness and functionalities of the sanitizers. Alcohol-based sanitizers with secondary active ingredients demonstrated a more rapid antimicrobial mode of action, eradicating all 106CFU/mL of bacteria within 15 seconds of contact, in contrast to the 30 min for purely alcohol-based sanitizers. The secondary active ingredient also provided additional anti-biofilm functionality to prevent opportunistic microbes from attaching and proliferating on the treated surface, leading to serious biofilm formation. On top of that, treatment of surfaces with alcohol-based sanitizers with secondary active ingredients also imparted prolonged antimicrobial protection to the surface lasting up to 24 h. On the other hand, purely alcohol-based sanitizers do not seem to possess such quality with the treated surface being vulnerable to microbial contamination within minutes after application. These results highlighted the benefits of adding a secondary active ingredient in sanitizer formulation. However, care needs to be taken to evaluate the type and concentration of antimicrobial agents chosen as the secondary active ingredient.
The dominance–diversity dilemma in animal conservation biology
Authors: Martin Charles A. , Watson Christopher J. , de Grandpré Arthur , Desrochers Louis , Deschamps Lucas , Giacomazzo Matteo , Loiselle Audréanne , Paquette Cindy , Pépino Marc , Rainville Vincent , Rheault Guillaume , Proulx Raphaël
Published: March 2023

The alteration of environmental conditions has two major outcomes on the demographics of living organisms: population decline of the common species and extinction of the rarest ones. Halting the decline of abundant species as well as the erosion of biodiversity require solutions that may be mismatched, despite being rooted in similar causes. In this study, we demonstrate how rank abundance distribution (RAD) models are mathematical representations of a dominance-diversity dilemma. Across 4,375 animal communities from a range of taxonomic groups, we found that a reversed RAD model correctly predicts species richness, based solely on the relative dominance of the most abundant species in a community and the total number of individuals. Overall, predictions from this RAD model explained 69% of the variance in species richness, compared to 20% explained by simply regressing species richness on the relative dominance of the most abundant species. Using the reversed RAD model, we illustrate how species richness is co-limited by the total abundance of a community and the relative dominance of the most common species. Our results highlight an intrinsic trade-off between species richness and dominance that is present in the structure of RAD models and real-world animal community data. This dominance-diversity dilemma suggests that withdrawing individuals from abundant populations might contribute to the conservation of species richness. However, we posit that the positive effect of harvesting on biodiversity is often offset by exploitation practices with negative collateral consequences, such as habitat destruction or species bycatches.
Semantic-based memory-encoding strategy and cognitive stimulation in enhancing cognitive function and daily task performance for older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A pilot non-randomised cluster controlled trial
Authors: Mraz Hannah , Tong Choy-Ying , Liu Karen P. Y.
Published: March 2023

Aim

To investigate the effectiveness of a semantic-based memory-encoding strategy intervention and cognitive stimulation that enhances function for older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods

A two-armed single-blind non-randomised cluster controlled trial was conducted. Participants in two centres were allocated to the semantic-based memory-encoding experimental group and those in the other two centres received cognitive stimulation. In both groups, one centre- or community-based session and one home-based session were provided weekly for 10 weeks. Outcome measures included attention, memory and general cognitive function (Word List Memory and Word List Recall of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for the Alzheimer’s disease, Digit Span Forwards and Backwards and the Cognistat), and daily task performance (Disability Assessment for Dementia and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale). They were administered pre- and post-intervention.

Results

Thirty-nine participants completed the study. No significant differences were revealed in the demographic or baseline data. The experimental group showed significant improvements in daily task performance (Disability Assessment for Dementia; p = 0.003), memory outcomes (Word List Recall; p < 0.001), general cognitive function (Cognistat subtests of Memory and Similarity; ps = 0.002 and < 0.001). The cognitive stimulation control group did not show any significant improvement in the measures. Between-group analysis showed significant differences in favour of the experimental group for the outcome measures of the Word List Recall and Cognistat Similarity subtest (ps < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study shows that the semantic-based memory-encoding strategy is more superior than cognitive stimulation with improvements in attention, memory, general cognitive function and daily task performance for people with a mild cognitive impairment.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System (NCT02953964).
A tree based eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) machine learning model to forecast the annual rice production in Bangladesh
Authors: Noorunnahar Mst , Chowdhury Arman Hossain , Mila Farhana Arefeen
Published: March 2023

In this study, we attempt to anticipate annual rice production in Bangladesh (1961–2020) using both the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) methods and compare their respective performances. On the basis of the lowest Corrected Akaike Information Criteria (AICc) values, a significant ARIMA (0, 1, 1) model with drift was chosen based on the findings. The drift parameter value shows that the production of rice positively trends upward. Thus, the ARIMA (0, 1, 1) model with drift was found to be significant. On the other hand, the XGBoost model for time series data was developed by changing the tunning parameters frequently with the greatest result. The four prominent error measures, such as mean absolute error (MAE), mean percentage error (MPE), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), were used to assess the predictive performance of each model. We found that the error measures of the XGBoost model in the test set were comparatively lower than those of the ARIMA model. Comparatively, the MAPE value of the test set of the XGBoost model (5.38%) was lower than that of the ARIMA model (7.23%), indicating that XGBoost performs better than ARIMA at predicting the annual rice production in Bangladesh. Hence, the XGBoost model performs better than the ARIMA model in predicting the annual rice production in Bangladesh. Therefore, based on the better performance, the study forecasted the annual rice production for the next 10 years using the XGBoost model. According to our predictions, the annual rice production in Bangladesh will vary from 57,850,318 tons in 2021 to 82,256,944 tons in 2030. The forecast indicated that the amount of rice produced annually in Bangladesh will increase in the years to come.
From the dual cyclone harvest performance of single conidium powder to the effect of Metarhizium anisopliae on the management of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae)
Authors: Velozo Simone Graziele Moio , Velozo Murilo Rodrigues , Domingues Maurício Magalhães , Becchi Luciane Katarine , Carvalho Vanessa Rafaela de , Passos José Raimundo de Souza , Zanuncio José Cola , Serrão José Eduardo , Stephan Dietrich , Wilcken Carlos Frederico
Published: March 2023

Insect pests introduced in eucalyptus plantations in Brazil are mostly of Australian origin, but native microorganisms have potential for their management. High quality biopesticide production based on entomopathogenic fungi depends on adequate technologies. The objective of this study was to evaluate Mycoharvester® equipment to harvest and separating particles to obtain pureMetarhizium anisopliaeconidia to manageThaumastocoris peregrinusCarpintero & Dellapé, 2006 (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae). The Mycoharvester® version 5b harvested and separatedM.anisopliaespores. The pure conidia were suspended in Tween 80® (0.1%) and calibrated to the concentrations of 1 x 106, 107, 108and 109conidia/ml to evaluate the pathogenicity, lethal concentration 50 and 90 (LC50, LC90) and lethal time 50 and 90 (LT50, LT90) of this fungus toT.peregrinus. This equipment harvested 85% of the conidia from rice, with production of 4.8 ± 0.38 x 109conidia/g dry mass of substrate + fungus. The water content of 6.36% of the single spore powder (pure conidia) separated by the Mycoharvester® was lower than that of the agglomerated product. The product harvested at the concentrations of 108and 109conidia/ml caused high mortality toT.peregrinusthird instar nymphs and adults. The separation of conidia produced by solid-state fermentation with the Mycoharvester® is an important step toward optimizing the fungal production system of pure conidia, and to formulate biopesticides for insect pest management.
Video games and board games: Effects of playing practice on cognition
Authors: Martinez Léa , Gimenes Manuel , Lambert Eric
Published: March 2023

The worldwide popularity of playing practices has led to a growing research interest in games’ impact on behavior and cognition. Many studies have already reported the benefits of both video games and board games for cognitive functions. However, these studies have mainly defined the term players according to a minimum play time or in connection to a specific game genre. No study has confronted the cognitive implications of video games and board games in the same statistical model. Thus, it remains unclear whether the cognitive benefits of play are due to play time or game type. To address this issue, in this study, we conducted an online experiment in which 496 participants completed six cognitive tests and a playing practice questionnaire. We examined the between the participants’ overall video game and board game play times and cognitive abilities. The results demonstrated significant relations between overall play time and all cognitive functions. Importantly, video games significantly predicted mental flexibility, planning, visual working memory, visuospatial processing, fluid intelligence, and verbal working memory performance, while board games were not found to predict any cognitive performance. These findings suggest that video games affect cognitive functions in specific ways compared to board games. We encourage further investigation to consider players’ individual differences through their play time and the specific features of the games they play.
Increased flexibility of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-binding site causes resistance to remdesivir
Authors: Torii Shiho , Kim Kwang Su , Koseki Jun , Suzuki Rigel , Iwanami Shoya , Fujita Yasuhisa , Jeong Yong Dam , Ito Jumpei , Asakura Hiroyuki , Nagashima Mami , Sadamasu Kenji , Yoshimura Kazuhisa ,   The Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium, Sato Kei , Matsuura Yoshiharu , Shimamura Teppei , Iwami Shingo , Fukuhara Takasuke
Published: March 2023

Mutations continue to accumulate within the SARS-CoV-2 genome, and the ongoing epidemic has shown no signs of ending. It is critical to predict problematic mutations that may arise in clinical environments and assess their properties in advance to quickly implement countermeasures against future variant infections. In this study, we identified mutations resistant to remdesivir, which is widely administered to SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, and discuss the cause of resistance. First, we simultaneously constructed eight recombinant viruses carrying the mutations detected in in vitro serial passages of SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of remdesivir. We confirmed that all the mutant viruses didn’t gain the virus production efficiency without remdesivir treatment. Time course analyses of cellular virus infections showed significantly higher infectious titers and infection rates in mutant viruses than wild type virus under treatment with remdesivir. Next, we developed a mathematical model in consideration of the changing dynamic of cells infected with mutant viruses with distinct propagation properties and defined that mutations detected in in vitro passages canceled the antiviral activities of remdesivir without raising virus production capacity. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations of the NSP12 protein of SARS-CoV-2 revealed that the molecular vibration around the RNA-binding site was increased by the introduction of mutations on NSP12. Taken together, we identified multiple mutations that affected the flexibility of the RNA binding site and decreased the antiviral activity of remdesivir. Our new insights will contribute to developing further antiviral measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Allele-dependent interaction of LRRK2 and NOD2 in leprosy
Authors: Dallmann-Sauer Monica , Xu Yong Zhong , da Costa Ana Lúcia França , Tao Shao , Gomes Tiago Araujo , Prata Rhana Berto da Silva , Correa-Macedo Wilian , Manry Jérémy , Alcaïs Alexandre , Abel Laurent , Cobat Aurélie , Fava Vinicius M. , Pinheiro Roberta Olmo , Lara Flavio Alves , Probst Christian M. , Mira Marcelo T. , Schurr Erwin
Published: March 2023

Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, rarely affects children younger than 5 years. Here, we studied a multiplex leprosy family that included monozygotic twins aged 22 months suffering from paucibacillary leprosy. Whole genome sequencing identified three amino acid mutations previously associated with Crohn’s disease and Parkinson’s disease as candidate variants for early onset leprosy: LRRK2 N551K, R1398H and NOD2 R702W. In genome-edited macrophages, we demonstrated that cells expressing the LRRK2 mutations displayed reduced apoptosis activity following mycobacterial challenge independently of NOD2. However, employing co-immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy we showed that LRRK2 and NOD2 proteins interacted in RAW cells and monocyte-derived macrophages, and that this interaction was substantially reduced for the NOD2 R702W mutation. Moreover, we observed a joint effect of LRRK2 and NOD2 variants on Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-induced respiratory burst, NF-κB activation and cytokine/chemokine secretion with a strong impact for the genotypes found in the twins consistent with a role of the identified mutations in the development of early onset leprosy.