bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empirically derived dietary patterns and their association with mental health: a cross-sectional sample of Iranian migraine patients (2019–2020)
Authors: Arab Arman , Rafie Nahid , Hadi Amir , Khorvash Fariborz , Heidari Zahra , Askari Gholamreza
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Based on a comprehensive search, we realized that there is no previous study conducted among migraine patients to assess the association between major dietary patterns and mental health. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the relationship between empirically-derived dietary patterns and depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of Iranian migraine patients.

Methods

A total of 262 migraine patients (20–50 years) were selected through simple random sampling method for this study. Dietary intake during the previous year was determined using a validated 168-item, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and major dietary patterns were derived using principal component analysis (PCA). For mental health evaluation, authors used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS- 21) questionnaire. Statistical analysis included multinomial logistic regression analysis and results were expressed as odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

We identified three major dietary patterns including “traditional”, “western”, and “healthy”. After controlling for potential confounders, those in the highest tertile of the healthy dietary pattern had lower odds of depression (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.88; P for trend: 0.030) and stress (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.99; P for trend: 0.049). However, no significant association was observed between western and traditional dietary patterns and mental disorders.

Conclusions

In summary, significant associations were documented between healthy dietary patterns and risk of depression and stress. Current findings urge migraine patients to increase their intakes of fruits, vegetables, eggs, whole grains, nuts and seeds, meat, and poultry and reduce the intake of fast foods and snacks, processed meat, fish, cola drink, condiments, dairy, and vegetable pickles to diminish the chance of depression and stress.
Simple linear regression approach for evaluating models to estimate stature based on upper limb dimensions of adult Bangladeshi males
Authors: Hossain Parash M Tanveer , Rahman Mohammad Mostafizur , Naushaba Humaira , Haque Sharmin , Shimmi Sadia Choudhury
Published: April 2022

Background

The stature of a living human reflects the nutritional, genetic, and disease patterns of individual experiences. This study adopted a simple linear regression method and R2 values to identify the preferred model for stature estimation based on the lengths of the arm, radius, ulna, and hand; breadth of the hand; and circumference of the wrist of the adult Bangladeshi male population. This cross-sectional study was performed in the Anatomy Department of Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, from January 2009 to June 2011. One hundred right-handed adult Muslim Bangladeshi males aged 25 to 45 years participated in the study.

Results

The regression model using right and left ulnar length explained 63% of the measured stature with the least standard error of the estimate (0.435 and 0.436), the model using left and right arm length explained 60%, the model using left and right radius length explained 51%, and the model using left- and right-hand length explained 44% of the measured stature. However, the models using left and right handbreadth and wrist circumference explained only 11 to 13% of the measured stature with a higher standard error of the estimate (6.66 to 6.73). For 25- to 45-year-old Bangladeshi Muslim males, the ulnar length of both sides was the best predictor of stature.

Conclusions

Linear regression equations in estimating stature effectively may encourage its application in future studies addressing different age groups, sexes, nutritional statuses, religions, and ethnicities of Bangladesh.
Quality of sleep in a sample of Egyptian medical residency
Authors: Hendawy Heba , Abdelnaser Omar , Sohair Elghonemy , Eman Shorub , Nawara Mayar , Hossam Elkhatib
Published: April 2022

Background

Sleep disturbances among medical staff are common serious entities with devastating consequences. Numerous studies have analyzed the effects of residency on the quality of sleep of the medical trainees in various specialties, but only few studies were conducted in Egypt.

Results

One hundred fifty medical residents from various medical and surgical specialties who work in the hospitals of Ain Shams University, Egypt, agreed to participate in our study. Sociodemographic and work-related data were collected by a semi-structured sheet. Sleep quality was assessed by self-administered questionnaire—Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). According to the PSQI, 96.7% of the residents had poor sleep quality with mean PSQI score of 10.4 ± 2.5. No statistically significant difference was detected among the different specialties. Poorer sleep quality was more frequent among senior residents who spent longer duration in residency. The number of hours of sleep before residency and the number of days off during residency were the main predictors of total PSQI score and determinants of sleep quality

Conclusions

Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent among medical residents and is associated with work-related factors. It is necessary to consider residents’ sleep estate and conduct more analyses to diagnose, treat, and improve their sleep quality.
Learned lesson from COVID-19: can routine immunizations be the first line of defense against the next pandemic?
Authors: AbdelMassih Antoine , Gaber Hanya , El Shershaby Meryam , Hanafy Maram , Omar Yasmin , Husseiny Reem , AlShehry Nada , Ismail Habiba-Allah , Kamel Aya , Hozaien Rafeef , Khaled Ghadeer , Amer Mohamed , Turki Aya , Fawzy Heba , Puligheddu Stefano , Khaled Dalia , Thabet Nardine Nasry , Abdelaziz Mariam Sherif , Barakat Mustafa , Sharaf Sara , Mohamed Ahmed , Mohsen Dina , El Feky Amr , Adly Hadil , Ibrahim Eman , Mahmoud Rana , Reda Mirna , Riad Felopateer , Vasile Carmen , Shohdi Mahitab Adel , Hesham Nadine , El-Husseiny Nadine , Ragy Rana , Fouda Raghda
Published: April 2022

Background

Single-cell sequencing studies on the lung microenvironment have revealed that the outcome of COVID-19 depends largely on the immune system response rather than the viral load. A robust innate immune response and a regulated adaptive immunity can prevent the worst outcomes such as hospitalization and the need for mechanical ventilation.

Main body

Intriguingly, several vaccines pertaining to the routine vaccination schedule, not only BCG, can skew the immune response towards the aforementioned beneficial effects.

Short conclusion

This means that routine immunization not only can help in the current pandemic but can also offer a rapid rescue in the subsequent epidemics or pandemics until a vaccine is developed.
Role of varicocele sclerotherapy in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia and its associated lower urinary tract symptoms (pilot study)
Authors: Aly Zeinab Aly Moussa , El Gharib Mohamed , Hetta Waleed M. , Soliman Khaled Sayed
Published: April 2022

Background

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is inescapable with aging and can cause lower urinary tract symptoms, worsening the quality of life. New pathophysiologic mechanisms of BPH development are currently under study to modulate its management. The valvular destruction of the spermatic veins (varicoceles development) incurs a testicular-prostatic hydrostatic pressure gradient, which conveys free undiluted testosterone to the prostate via a testicular-prostatic backdoor passage. Subsequently, prostatic congestion and androgen-dependent prostatic hyperplasia occur resulting in lower urinary symptoms development. The purpose of our study is to detect the effect of testicular venous sclerotherapy on the prostatic enlargement and the related urinary symptoms.

Results

Our single-arm interventional study included 36 patients with an age range of 40–80 years. The patients complained of urinary symptoms and had prostatomegaly with varicoceles by sonography. A median international prostatic symptom score (IPSS) of 19 and a quality of life (QoL) score ranging (3–6) reflected the severity of the urinary symptoms. Venography showed reflux in all cannulated spermatic veins with subsequent sclerotherapy on the left side and bilaterally in 80.6% and 11.1% of the patients, respectively. The technical and clinical success rates reached 91.7% and 83.3%, respectively, with a statistically significant reduction in the IPSS and QoL scores. We observed a statistically insignificant improvement in the sexual satisfaction, prostatic volumes, post-void residual volumes, and PSA levels. Minimal self-limiting complications occurred with an overall rate of 38.9%. Only 16.66% of cases needed further surgery, while the rest had sufficient symptomatic relief post sclerotherapy.

Conclusion

Varicoceles sclerotherapy can be employed to resolve the testicular venous insufficiency and mitigate the severity of the prostatic-related urological symptoms in middle-aged and elderly men, so varicoceles can be considered a confounding variable in the development of the prostatic-related lower urinary tract symptoms.
Blood purification in sepsis and COVID-19: what´s new in cytokine and endotoxin hemoadsorption
Authors: Ruiz-Rodríguez Juan Carlos , Plata-Menchaca Erika P. , Chiscano-Camón Luis , Ruiz-Sanmartin Adolf , Ferrer Ricard
Published: April 2022

Sepsis and COVID-19 are two clinical conditions that can lead to a dysregulated inflammatory state causing multiorgan dysfunction, hypercytokinemia, and a high risk of death. Specific subgroups of critically ill patients with particular characteristics could benefit from rescue treatment with hemoadsorption. There is a lack of adequately designed randomized controlled trials evaluating the potential benefits of cytokine or endotoxin hemoadsorption. Critically ill COVID-19 patients with severe acute respiratory failure poorly responsive to conventional treatment could be candidates to receive cytokine hemoadsorption in the presence of high levels of interleukin 6. This treatment can also be suitable for patients with refractory septic shock and hypercytokinemia. In the context of high endotoxin activity, hemoadsorption with polymyxin B could improve clinical parameters and the prognosis of patients with refractory septic shock. Predictive enrichment, using biomarkers or other individual features, identifies potential responders to cytokine, endotoxin, or sequential hemoadsorption. Besides, recognizing the particular subsets of patients likely to respond to one or both types of hemoadsorption will aid the design of future studies that accurately validate the effectiveness of these therapies.
Oncologist Peer Comparisons as a Behavioral Science Strategy to Improve Hospice Utilization
Authors: Sedhom Ramy , Blackford Amanda L. , Gupta Arjun , Smith Thomas J. , Shulman Lawrence N. , Carducci Michael A.
Published: April 2022

PURPOSE:

Hospice utilization metrics are essential for any serious effort to improve end-of-life care in oncology. However, oncologists do not routinely receive these personalized reports. We evaluated whether a behavioral science intervention, using peer comparisons coupled with social norms, was associated with improvements in hospice use.

METHODS:

Oncologists at two academic practices of Johns Hopkins Medicine were randomly assigned to receive a peer comparison report by e-mail displaying individual hospice utilization metrics compared with top-performing peers or to receive no report. The data accrued for the intervention represented hospice utilization for the previous calendar year. The intervention period was from June 1, 2020, to December 30, 2020, and included oncologists from both the solid and hematologic malignancies programs. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients between groups with short hospice length of stay (LOS; defined as ≤ 7 days) after 6 months. Secondary outcomes included hospice referral rate, enrollment rate, and median LOS.

RESULTS:

Forty-seven oncologists participated. The percent of patients with a short hospice stay in the intervention group was lower (17.4%) compared with patients treated by physicians in the usual care group (46.3%, difference = 21.8%; 95% CI, 16.0 to 41.6; P < .001). Receipt of peer comparisons was associated with a greater likelihood of enrolling in hospice (73.7% v 42.8%; difference = 31.1%; 95% CI, 20.4 to 41.7; P < .001) and a longer hospice LOS (37.2 v 18.3 days; difference = 17.2; 95% CI, 8.8 to 25.7 days; P < .001).

CONCLUSION:

Peer comparisons improved hospice utilization metrics among a group of academic oncologists. Behavioral science offers one pragmatic strategy to overcome suboptimal oncologist decision-making biases related to hospice use.
Hounsfield Unit as a Predictor of Adjacent-Level Disease in Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery
Authors: De Stefano Frank , Elarjani Turki , Warner Tyler , Lopez Jose , Shah Sumedh , Basil Gregory W. , Urakov Timur
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND:

Bone density has been associated with a successful fusion rate in spine surgery. Hounsfield units (HUs) have more recently been evaluated as an indirect representation of bone density. Low preoperative HUs may be an early indicator of global disease and chronic process and, therefore, indicative of the need for future reoperation.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess preoperative HUs and their association with future adjacent segment disease requiring surgical intervention through retrospective study.

METHODS:

Patients who underwent lumbar interbody fusion at a single institution between 2007 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Hounsfield unit values were measured from preoperative computed tomography (CT) using sagittal images, encircling cancellous portion of the vertebral body. Patient charts were reviewed for follow-up data and adjacent-level disease development.

RESULTS:

A total of 793 patients (age: 56.1 ± 13.7 years, 54.4% female) were included in this study. Twenty-two patients required surgical intervention for adjacent segment disease. Patients who underwent lumbar interbody fusion and did not subsequently require surgical intervention for adjacent-level disease were found to have a higher mean preoperative HU than patients who did require reoperation (180.7 ± 70.0 vs 148.4 ± 8.1, P = .032). Preoperative CT HU was a significant independent predictor for the requirement of adjacent-level surgery after spinal arthrodesis (odds ratio = 0.891 [0.883-0.899], P = .029).

CONCLUSION:

Patients who underwent lumbar interbody fusion that did not require reoperation for adjacent-level degeneration were found to have a higher mean preoperative HU than patients who did require surgical intervention. Lower preoperative CT HU was a significant independent predictor for the requirement of adjacent-level surgery after spinal arthrodesis.
Regulation of microtubule detyrosination by Ca2+ and conventional calpains
Authors: Bär Julia , Popp Yannes , Koudelka Tomas , Tholey Andreas , Mikhaylova Marina
Published: April 2022

Detyrosination is a major post-translational modification of microtubules (MTs), which has significant impact on MT function in cell division, differentiation, growth, migration and intracellular trafficking. Detyrosination of α-tubulin occurs mostly via the recently identified complex of vasohibin 1 or 2 (VASH1 and VASH2, respectively) with small vasohibin binding protein (SVBP). However, there is still remaining detyrosinating activity in the absence of VASH1 and/or VASH2 and SVBP, and little is known about the regulation of detyrosination. Here, we found that intracellular Ca2+ is required for efficient MT detyrosination. Furthermore, we show that the Ca2+-dependent proteases calpains 1 and 2 (CAPN1 and CAPN2, respectively) regulate MT detyrosination in VASH1- and SVBP-overexpressing human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cells. We identified new calpain cleavage sites in the N-terminal disordered region of VASH1. However, this cleavage did not affect the enzymatic activity of vasohibins. In conclusion, we suggest that the regulation of VASH1-mediated MT detyrosination by calpains could occur independently of vasohibin catalytic activity or via another yet unknown tubulin carboxypeptidase. Importantly, the Ca2+ dependency of calpains could allow a fine regulation of MT detyrosination. Thus, identifying the calpain-regulated pathway of MT detyrosination can be of major importance for basic and clinical research.
Machine learning techniques for predicting depression and anxiety in pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional regional study
Authors: Qasrawi Radwan , Amro Malak , VicunaPolo Stephanny , Abu Al-Halawa Diala , Agha Hazem , Abu Seir Rania , Hoteit Maha , Hoteit Reem , Allehdan Sabika , Behzad Nouf , Bookari Khlood , AlKhalaf Majid , Al-Sabbah Haleama , Badran Eman , Tayyem Reema
Published: April 2022

Background: Maternal depression and anxiety are significant public health concerns that play an important role in the health and well-being of mothers and children. The COVID-19 pandemic, the consequential lockdowns and related safety restrictions worldwide negatively affected the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women.

Methods: This regional study aimed to develop a machine learning (ML) model for the prediction of maternal depression and anxiety. The study used a dataset collected from five Arab countries during the COVID-19 pandemic between July to December 2020. The population sample included 3569 women (1939 pregnant and 1630 postpartum) from five countries (Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain). The performance of seven machine learning algorithms was assessed for the prediction of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Results: The Gradient Boosting (GB) and Random Forest (RF) models outperformed other studied ML algorithms with accuracy values of 83.3% and 83.2% for depression, respectively, and values of 82.9% and 81.3% for anxiety, respectively. The Mathew’s Correlation Coefficient was evaluated for the ML models; the Naïve Bayes (NB) and GB models presented the highest performance measures (0.63 and 0.59) for depression and (0.74 and 0.73) for anxiety, respectively. The features’ importance ranking was evaluated, the results showed that stress during pregnancy, family support, financial issues, income, and social support were the most significant values in predicting anxiety and depression.

Conclusion: Overall, the study evidenced the power of ML models in predicting maternal depression and anxiety and proved to be an efficient tool for identifying and predicting the associated risk factors that influence maternal mental health. The deployment of machine learning models for screening and early detection of depression and anxiety among pregnant and postpartum women might facilitate the development of health prevention and intervention programs that will enhance maternal and child health in low- and middle-income countries.
Dataset of the adoption of digital tools for research sharing among academics in African Varsities during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020
Authors: Owan Valentine Joseph , Uzoamaka Duruamaku-Dim Jennifer , Nonyelum Odigwe Francisca , Owan Mercy Valentine
Published: April 2022

This dataset was collected from a total of 1,977 university lecturers across 24 African countries, that were purposively targeted due to their level of exposure to scholarly publications. The dataset was collected through an online survey that was sent to respondents through email, WhatsApp, and the Association of African Universities Telegram group. The questionnaire was designed by the researchers and validated by five experts for face and content validity. The demographic information of the data was analysed and the softcopy of the data uploaded to the Mendeley database for easy retrieval after deidentification (see Data Availability statement). The associated questionnaire can be found in the extended data. In Africa, this appears to be the broadest dataset associated with academics’ perception of utilizing digital platforms for research sharing. This implies that scholars can use this dataset to quantitatively analyse the extent to which different digital tools are being utilized for research communication. Considering the current restrictions on in-person social gatherings due to COVID-19, researchers working on related studies may readily utilize this set of data, saving time and cost. A comprehensive but non-exhaustive number of 20 digital tools were assessed based on academics' awareness and current engagement with them, and the challenges they have faced using them. This offers a wide range of areas for studies to be anchored. Furthermore, researchers interested in specific digital tools can also evaluate the extent to which academic staff in African universities are aware of and willing to utilize them for research dissemination. This data will enable scholars and researchers in Africa and beyond to understand the extent to which academics in varsities are willing to adopt digital repositories for research sharing in the context of Africa.
The genome sequence of the bird’s nest moth, Tinea trinotella (Thunberg, 1794)
Authors: Boyes Douglas ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective, Chua Physilia ,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: April 2022

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Tinea trinotella (the bird’s nest moth; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Tineidae). The genome sequence is 372 megabases in span. The majority of the assembly (99.98%) is scaffolded into 30 chromosomal pseudomolecules, with the Z sex chromosome assembled. The mitochondrial genome was also assembled, and is 16.9 kilobases in length.
Historia, patrimonio e identidades. Material didáctico sobre el centro histórico de Lima para estudiantes de Secundaria
Authors: Luque Azcona Emilio José , Pérez Miguel Liliana
Published: April 2022

El centro histórico de Lima fue declarado Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad por la UNESCO en 1991 a partir de los criterios de excepcionalidad, integridad y autenticidad. Este libro está conformado por una serie de unidades didácticas que abordan diferentes aspectos relacionados con su historia y con su patrimonio material e inmaterial; de esta manera, se examina la evolución del paisaje urbano y arquitectónico de la ciudad en el pasado a partir del análisis de diversos aspectos, tales como las similitudes con otros centros urbanos de América Latina y España o la destrucción y desaparición de elementos significativos provocados por la acción humana y los desastres naturales. Asimismo, el volumen se centra en la influencia que los diferentes grupos sociales tuvieron en la construcción de las identidades peruanas y en la conformación de un legado inmaterial de gran riqueza. Uno de los principales objetivos de este material didáctico sobre el centro histórico de Lima ha sido ofrecer a los docentes de secundaria herramientas para que los estudiantes puedan conocer y valorar diferentes aspectos del pasado de la capital peruana, pero se trata también de una obra útil para todas aquellas personas interesadas en acercarse a este enclave privilegiado.
Imagen y palabra poética como ensoñación antropocósmica: reflexiones en torno a la imaginación estética en Gaston Bachelard.
Authors: Martínez Moreno Arturo
Published: April 2022

El ser del hombre y el ser del mundo se relacionan desde unas fuerzas imaginativas que determinan nuestra realidad. En esa relación, mediada por la palabra poética y las imágenes, nuevos núcleos de sentido irrumpen cohesionando en forma de matriz las múltiples fuerzas que el mundo expresa e interrelaciona. El cómo esas fuerzas y esas imágenes crean un tejido ontológico y su sentido oculto puede ser explicado a través de la interpretación que Bachelard ofrece en lo referente al imaginario y sus estructuras cosmológicas. En ese equilibrio la imagen y la palabra aparecen como límite capaz de captar el devenir de la vida, de la ensoñación hecha cosmos. La recepción de esa verdad en forma de imagen en la conciencia se dará, según Bachelard, en el tiempo del instante, y para ello recurrirá a una fenomenología heterodoxa capaz de captar la esencia de lo allí dado.
La última reforma de los contratos formativos: un nuevo intento para potenciar su utilización y mejorar la formación de los jóvenes.
Authors: Mercader Uguina Jesús R. , Moreno Solana Amanda
Published: April 2022

El presente trabajo tiene por objeto hacer un primer acercamiento a la regulación actual del contrato formativo, analizando sus dos modalidades: el contrato de formación en alternancia y el contrato para la obtención de la práctica profesional. El trabajo parte de la premisa de la formación como elemento nuclear de estos contratos, observando cómo las reformas han ido encaminadas a una puesta en valor de tal elemento. También se hace alusión a los problemas que podría seguir planteando esta regulación si no va acompañada de otras reformas normativas que regulan las mismas o parecidas situaciones a través de becas o prácticas que se encuentran fuera del ámbito laboral.
La flexibilidad “interna” en el real decreto-ley 32/2021 a través de los expedientes de regulación temporal de empleo y el mecanismo red.
Authors: Álvarez Cortés Juan Carlos
Published: April 2022

La reforma laboral aprobada el 28 de diciembre de 2021 ha consolidado, de manera definitiva, como instrumento clave de flexibilidad interna, una figura que ha demostrado, durante la crisis sanitaria por COVID19, que es una herramienta clave para empresas y trabajadores ante situaciones complejas. Una herramienta que facilita el tránsito hacia la recuperación empresarial mientras que preserva el empleo, siendo, por tanto, un elemento de equilibrio entre los intereses de los antagonistas sociales en el marco de las relaciones de trabajo. El RDL 32/2021 ha configurado una ordenación normativa fruto del equilibrio entre el respeto a lo ya existente, la incorporación de aquellos aspectos que han sido probados con éxito durante la pandemia y aquellos otros elementos que han pretendido mejorar su diseño anterior. La eficacia de la medida ya quedó acreditada en momentos de máxima dificultad, queda ver cómo responderá en el período postpandémico, pero, sea como sea, el éxito de la misma ya se concreta por el hecho de venir respaldada por un acuerdo en el marco del Diálogo Social.
Motivating Innovation: Tunnels vs. Funnels
Authors: Klingebiel Ronald
Published: April 2022

The tentative pursuit of parallel projects in an innovation funnel helps firms improve selection under uncertainty. Yet a risk of premature project termination may make employees more hesitant to innovate. Rewards to innovation, if at risk, become less attractive. My laboratory experiment indeed shows that employees who believe they have low task efficacy and, thus, face a high risk of termination often forego innovation. But funnels also attract: employees with high efficacy beliefs choose innovation more often although they, too, face an additional, albeit smaller, termination risk. Their innovation choices reveal a preference for allocation regimes that are more likely to spot and reward the ultimately most deserving innovators. Such meritocracy increases alongside project-selection accuracy. The uncertainty of innovation, thus, proves a rare context in which employees view a lack of organizational commitment positively. The meritorious self-sorting I document has implications for motivating risk-taking and organizing innovation within firms.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/stsc.2022.0156 .
Cocrystal Formulation: A Novel Approach to Enhance Solubility and Dissolution of Etodolac
Authors: P. Ahirrao Sapana , Sonawane Mayur P. , Bhambere Deepak S. , Udavant Pavan B. , D. Ahire Eknath , Kanade Rupali , kuber Dinesh
Published: April 2022

Etodolac (ETD) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) given in rheumatoid arthritis treatment. As it comes under BCS class II drug hence it exhibits low water solubility. Also, its dissolution rate-limited oral absorption results in delayed onset of action. The Novel approach in the solubility enhancement field; crystal engineering was preferred to prepare pharmaceutical cocrystals of etodolac with GRAS (generally recognized as safe) molecules. Pharmaceutical cocrystals of etodolac were prepared with p-hydroxybenzoic acid and glutaric acid with the drug: coformer ratio 1:1 and 1:2. Cooling cocrystallization was used to prepare etodolac cocrystals. Cocrystal formulations were characterized by saturation solubility study, in-vitro dissolution studies, and stability study. Cocrystal was also characterized by analytical parameters like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Optimized Cocrystal formulation dissolved more rapidly and their equilibrium solubility is greater than the plain drug.
Isolation, Screening and Molecular Characterization of Exopolysaccharide Producing Moderately Halotolerant Bacteria from Various Coastal Sites of Gujarat
Authors: H Patel Vishal , P Soni Harsha , R Patel Falguni
Published: April 2022

The exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are natural polymers of carbohydrates and are excreted by some bacteria outside of their cell walls. The microbial EPS have several biotechnological applications viz. cosmetics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, paints and petroleum industries. The wide range of applications and bioactive roles of EPS has triggered increased interest for search unusual and novel EPS.The bacteria from marine ecosystem are also known to secrete novel EPSs. In this context, the main objective of this research is isolation, screening of most potent culturable EPS producing halotolerant bacteria with novel EPS characteristics which can be used in uncommon applications related to the environment. All the bacterial isolates were isolated from coastal regions of Gujarat as it contains 1600 km long costal area, with wide microbial diversity and can serve as a source for promising EPS producers. 9 soil samples were collected from various coastal sites viz. Mundra, Jodiya, Dwarka, Somnath, Diu, Bhavnagar, Khambhat, Dumas and Umargam. Total 59 EPS producing bacterial isolates were obtained in Primary Screening. Based on the results of primary screening, potential morphologically diverse 9 isolates were selected for EPS production in liquid medium. The EPS production ranged from 22.3 to 33.5 mg/ml. The isolate VHP 34 gave best EPS production and was identified as Enterobacter cloacae by 16 s rRNA gene sequencing method. The isolate Enterobacter cloacae VHP-34 was able to grow 0-15% NaCl concentration, hence categorized as Moderately Halotolerant.
Predictors of Uptake and Completion of Hepatitis B Vaccine amongst Health Care Personnel in a Rural Teaching Hospital in South-South Nigeria
Authors: E. F. Osagiede E. F. Osagiede , N. S. Awunor N. S. Awunor , E. T. Osagiede E. T. Osagiede , S. O. Abah S. O. Abah
Published: April 2022

Hepatitis B and C viral infections are amongst the most critical occupation-related infections in the hospital workplace. This study assesses the determinants of uptake and completion of hepatitis B vaccine amongst health care personnel (HCP) in a tertiary health facility in South-South, Nigeria. This study employs a descriptive cross-sectional study design, and data were collected using a quantitative method. Pre-tested, semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were administered to 280 HCP. The IBM SPSS version 21.0 was used for data analysis. About half of HCP had received the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, with less than half of that number completing the third dose. It is significantly higher amongst the core healthcare professionals than the non-healthcare professionals. There is a high drop-out rate in the hepatitis B vaccination process which was more amongst the non-clinical group than the clinical. The short duration of work (1-5 years) is a significant predictor of initiation of the vaccination process, while good knowledge of hepatitis B and C viruses was a strong predictor for complete uptake. This study reveals a fair uptake of the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine amongst HCP with a high drop-out rate and a concomitant low completion of the vaccine course amongst respondents. Priority should be given to ensure planned programmes that will help enhance optimal uptake of hepatitis B vaccine amongst HCP.
Gastroprotective Effects of Brassica Oleracea Var. Capitata Extraction by Suppressing Histamine Releasing in HCl-Ethanol Induced Gastritis Rat Model
Authors: Lim Jung Sik , Kim Chae Rim , Shin Kwang Soon , Yoon Taek Joon , Park Hee Jung
Published: April 2022

This study evaluates the gastroprotective effect of cabbage extract with sulforaphane content of 5.19 mg/L and Smethylmethionine content of 469.28 μg/L. In vitro, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated group had an increased NO activity compared to the normal group, and the concentration of NO was reduced when the cabbage extract was treated in the dose manner. The level of IL-6 induced by LPS was dose-dependently reduced when the extract was treated. The cabbage extract concentration was orally administered in rats at 5.75 mg/kg, 11.5 mg/kg, and 23 mg/ kg, and the inhibitory effect on gastric damage by HCl-ethanol was observed. Histological analysis exhibited mucosal erosion in the gastritis model compared to the normal group, while the ameliorating effect of the generated erosion was observed in the cabbage-treated group. The histamine concentration was significantly increased in the gastritis-induced animal model, and the histamine concentration was decreased in the 23 mg/L-treated group of cabbage extract. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that cabbage extract not only down-regulates cytokines in vitro, but is also directly involved in histamine secretion in an animal model of gastritis; therefore, cabbage extract can help inhibit gastrointestinal disorders by improving the protective barrier.
A Study on the Quality Characteristics of Apple and Carrot Mixed Juice With Different Amounts of Beet
Authors: Jung Yen-Hee , Ahn Sun-Choung
Published: April 2022

This study analyzed the quality characteristics and antioxidant activity of a mixture of apple and carrot juices with different amounts of beet. The pH of the mixed juice sample group increased as the beet amount increased, and the acidity and soluble solid content tended to decrease. As for the L value, the control group was the highest, the beet addition rate decreased, and the a value and b value showed a decreasing trend. As for dietary fiber, B0.1 was found to have the highest dietary fiber content at 0.20 mg/L. As for the mineral, Zn, Fe, and Ca had the highest control group, Mn, Mg, and K had the highest B0.5, and Na and P had the highest B0.1 and B0.3 juices, respectively. Compared to the control group, free sugars increased sucrose as the beet juice added increased. DPPH radical scavenging and total phenol content significantly increased DPPH scavenging as the beet added increased. Therefore, it was found that B0.3 was the most suitable when manufacturing apple and carrot mixed juice with different amounts of beet added, and it is considered as a manufacturing optimization method to improve the marketability and functionality of the product.
Effects of Bactocease Treatment on Microbial Growth and Quality of Fried Fish Paste During Storage
Authors: Kang Ji-Hoon , Ra Chae Hun , Kim Seon Hwa , Shon Hee Won , Chung Ha-Yull
Published: April 2022

This study investigated the effect of bactocease, as a natural preservative, on the microbial growth and quality of fried fish paste during storage. To select the optimal concentration of bactocease, the inhibition effect of its different treatment concentrations (0.2, 0.4, and 0.8%) on total aerobic bacteria in fish paste dough during 5 days of storage was examined. The sample treated with 0.4% bactocease showed a 1.21 log reduction in microorganisms compared with that of the control. This result was higher than that with 0.2% bactocease and potassium sorbate and similar to that with 0.8% bactocease. Consequently, 0.4% bactocease was chosen as the best concentration for preparing the fried fish paste. Microbial growth on fried samples treated with preservatives was more inhibited by adding preservatives regardless of their type than that of the control after 15 days of storage. In addition, there were no significant differences in the quality between the samples treated with 0.4% bactocease and 0.2% potassium sorbate, such as volatile basic nitrogen contents, TBARS values, pH, and acidity. Therefore, these results indicate that food preservatives should be added into fried fish paste for controlling microbial growth, and bactocease can have a high potential to replace potassium sorbate in processed marine foods, including fried fish paste.
Wear Resistance and Hardness Assessment of Five US Hardwoods for Bridge Decking and Truck Flooring*
Authors: Khademibami Laya , Shmulsky Rubin , Snow Dusty , Sherrington Alan , Montague Iris , Ross Robert J. , Wang Xiping
Published: April 2022

The wear resistance and Janka hardness of five United States hardwood species were evaluated for potential use in bridge decking and truck flooring. The species tested include ash (Fraxinus sp.), hickory (Carya sp.), red oak (Quercus sp.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and white oak (Quercus sp.). The specimens were prepared with the sizes of 1 by 2 by 4 inches (2.54 by 5.08 by 10.16cm) for abrasion test and 1 by 2 by 6 inches (2.54 by 5.08 by 15.24 cm) for Janka hardness testing. The specimens were cut from 30 individual parent boards of random width with clear sections for each species. The abrasion and Janka hardness tests were performed according to the American Society of Testing and Materials standards. All wear and hardness data were statistically analyzed by 1-way analysis of variance. The results of this study demonstrated that sweetgum with the lowest density had the greatest amount of thicknesses loss and thus lowest wear resistance. White oak was found to have the least thicknesses loss, thus highest wear resistance among the hardwood species tested. Hickory, with the highest density, had the highest hardness among the hardwood species tested, but it had relatively lower wear resistance comparing to ash, red oak, and white oak.
Symbol division multiplexing in optical fiber communication systems
Authors: Dong Ze , Yu Jianjun , Chen Yifan , Li Fan , Xin Xiangjun
Published: April 2022

Modern emerging data services and applications have put forward an ever-increasing bandwidth requirement for fiber-optic communication channels. To this end, we propose a novel symbol division multiplexing technology (SDM) by multiplexing/de-multiplexing of multiple quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbols onto one complex constellation point. In our SDM scheme, every 7-bit 128QAM symbol is multiplexed per complex valued signal sequentially according to the optimal many-to-one mapping law, forming a 32QAM in the constellation and achieving an extra 40% gain for symbol capacity in an optical discrete multi-tone transmission system. The experiments prove that the SDM-32QAM successfully mitigates the signal impairments induced by fiber chromatic dispersion and Kerr nonlinearity, thus leading to 3.91-dB superior receiver power sensitivity and 2-dB enhancement of systematic tolerance to fiber nonlinear effect. The results highly motivate a fundamental paradigm in multiplexing techniques for optical fiber communication systems.
Phase retrieval by random binary amplitude modulation and ptychography principle
Authors: Xu Cheng , Pang Hui , Cao Axiu , Deng Qiling , Yang Huajun
Published: April 2022

An improved binary amplitude modulation-based phase retrieval method studied by means of simulations and experiments is presented in this paper. The idea of ptychography is introduced for the purpose of designing random binary amplitude masks. The masks have the features that part of the light transmission regions is overlapped with each other and the overlapping positions are randomly distributed. The requirement for the consistency of light field in overlapping regions forms a strong constraint which is similar to the overlap constraint in ptychography. The constraint makes the iterative algorithm have high convergence accuracy in comparison to that of the original binary amplitude modulation method. Influences of amounts and overlap ratio of the modulation mask on reconstruction accuracy and speed of imaging process are analyzed. The comparison between our method and the original binary amplitude modulation method is performed in order to verify the feasibility of the proposed method.
Free-standing plasmonic nanoarrays for leaky optical waveguiding and sensing
Authors: Manzato Giacomo , Giordano Maria Caterina , Barelli Matteo , Chowdhury Debasree , Centini Marco , de Mongeot Francesco Buatier
Published: April 2022

Flat optics nanogratings supported on thin free-standing membranes offer the opportunity to combine narrowband waveguided modes and Rayleigh anomalies for sensitive and tunable biosensing. At the surface of high-refractive index Si3N4 membranes we engineered lithographic nanogratings based on plasmonic nanostripes, demonstrating the excitation of sharp waveguided modes and lattice resonances. We achieved fine tuning of these optical modes over a broadband Visible and Near-Infrared spectrum, in full agreement with numerical calculations. This possibility allowed us to select sharp waveguided modes supporting strong near-field amplification, extending for hundreds of nanometres out of the grating and enabling versatile biosensing applications. We demonstrate the potential of this flat-optics platform by devising a proof-of-concept nanofluidic refractive index sensor exploiting the long-range waveguided mode operating at the sub-picoliter scale. This free-standing device configuration, that could be further engineered at the nanoscale, highlights the strong potential of flat-optics nanoarrays in optofluidics and nanofluidic biosensing.
Elastic and inelastic collision dynamics between soliton molecules and a single soliton
Authors: He Jiangyong , Wang Pan , He Ruijing , Liu Congcong , Zhou Mengjie , Liu Yange , Yue Yang , Liu Bo , Xing Dengke , Zhu Kaiyan , Chang Kun , Wang Zhi
Published: April 2022

Dissipative systems form various self-organized states owing to the abundant attractor structures. The study of the response of different self-organized states under collision perturbation is of great significance for understanding the dissipative nonlinear systems. The collision dynamics of single soliton and soliton molecules can not only assist the stability analysis of attractors, but also reveal the rich physical connotations of soliton interactions. Here, for the first time, the collision processes of single soliton and soliton molecules in different excited states are detected using the dispersive Fourier transform technology. The collision processes include the disintegration and rebuilding of soliton molecules as well as chaotic oscillating evolution, accompanied by the emergence of transition states such as triple binding state, soliton fusion and acceleration. According to whether the soliton molecule can return to its initial excited state, the collisions are classified as elastic and inelastic. The different interaction strength between solitons is an important condition for rebuilding stable soliton molecules. Numerical simulations show that the gain dynamics are the main physical origin of collisions. Our research will stimulate in-depth research on the interaction of self-organized states in nonlinear systems such as chemical molecules, and have potential applications in optical logic gates.
High-gain narrowband radio frequency signal amplifier based on a dual-loop optoelectronic oscillator
Authors: Wang Xiaoyi , Wu Ruihuan , Li Bo , Wang Ziyang , Liu Yue , Yuan Jia , Guo Jianping , Liu Hongzhan
Published: April 2022

A novel photonic-assisted method for radio frequency (RF) signal amplification with high-gain and narrowband based on a dual-loop optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed system, the low-power RF signal is injected into a dual-loop OEO which is below the threshold oscillation state. And the maximum gain is obtained when the frequency of the RF signal matches with the potential oscillation mode of the dual-loop OEO. The approach provides an average gain greater than 22 dB for the RF signal which matches with oscillation mode. After amplification, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) turns out to be 40 dB. Furthermore, the 3 dB bandwidth of the suggested system can be narrower than 1.2 kHz which can effectively remove the out-of-band noise and spurious effects. Meanwhile, the performance of sensitivity and phase noise are also investigated.
Thulium-doped fiber laser mode-locked by nonlinear polarization rotation in a chalcogenide tapered fiber
Authors: Alamgir Imtiaz , Rochette Martin
Published: April 2022

We demonstrate a thulium-doped fiber laser that is mode-locked thanks to nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) in a chalcogenide tapered fiber. The high nonlinearity of the tapered fiber leads to a combined reduction in mode-locking threshold power and cavity length compared to any all-silica NPR based mode-locked lasers. In the continuous wave mode-locking regime, the laser generates stable, tunable solitons pulses. In the Q-switched mode-locked regime, it allows single and multiwavelength pulses, tunable central wavelength and tunable multiwavelength separation.
Convex fiber-tapered seven core fiber-convex fiber (CTC) structure-based biosensor for creatinine detection in aquaculture
Authors: Li Muyang , Singh Ragini , Soares Maria Simone , Marques Carlos , Zhang Bingyuan , Kumar Santosh
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this article is to propose an optical fiber sensor probe based on the localized surface plasma resonance (LSPR) technique for the detection of creatinine in aquaculture. The sensing probe is functionalized through the use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), niobium carbide (Nb2CTx) MXene, and creatinase (CA) enzyme. The intrinsic total internal reflection (TIR) mechanism is modified to increase the evanescent field intensity using a heterogeneous core mismatch and tapering probe structure (i.e., convex fiber-tapered seven core fiber-convex fiber (CTC) structure). Strong evanescent fields can stimulate AuNPs and induce the LSPR effect, thereby increasing probe sensitivity. The specific recognition is enhanced by Nb2CTx MXene adsorbing more active CA enzymes. The developed sensor probe has a sensitivity and limit of detection of 3.1 pm/µM and 86.12 µM, respectively, in the linear range of 0-2000 µM. Additionally, the sensor probe's reusability, reproducibility, stability, and selectivity were evaluated, with satisfactory results obtained with impact for areas like food protein, marine life and healthcare.
Autofocusing self-imaging: symmetric Pearcey Talbot-like effect
Authors: Zhao Jiajia , Wu You , Lin Zejia , Xu Danlin , Huang Haiqi , Xu Chuangjie , Tu Zhifeng , Liu Hongzhan , Shui Lingling , Deng Dongmei
Published: April 2022

The Talbot-like effect of symmetric Pearcey beams (SPBs) is presented numerically and experimentally in the free space. Owing to the Talbot-like effect, the SPBs have the property of periodic, multiple autofocusing and self-healing. Meanwhile, the focusing positions and focusing times of SPBs are controlled by the beam shift factor and the distribution factors. Furthermore, the beam shift factor can also affect the Talbot-like effect and the Talbot period. It is believed that the results can diversify the application of the Talbot effect.