bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symptomatology, Distribution and Incidence of Basal Stem Rot of Oil Palm in Côte d'Ivoire
Authors: Abraham Cissé Ismael , Martine Kablan Kan Aurore Bel , Sékou Diabaté , Mongomaké Koné
Published: May 2023

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is a tree plant cultivated for its fruits, from which fatty substances are extracted for food and industrial uses. The oil palm sector has a positive impact on the socio-economic situation of producing countries such as Côte d’Ivoire. However, oil palm cultivation is subject to pests and pathologies, such as basal stem rot, which have been attacking Ivorian palm groves for several decade. This study was carried out to assess the spatial distribution and incidence of this pathology in the traditional oil palm cultivation area in Côte d'Ivoire. The method adopted for this study consisted of making an inventory of all the palm trees in a given plot, noting the presence or absence of symptoms of the disease and determining the incidence in each locality. The characteristic symptoms of the disease were observed: a pale appearance of the leaves, the arrows not open, the appearance of carpophore at the base of the stem or on root. Disease is present in the localities of Ehania, Eloka, Anguédédou, Boubo and Okroyo. But absent from the locality of Iboké. The incidence of the disease was between 0% Iboké and Ehania 1.15 %. This study establishes for the first time a summary map of the distribution of basal rot of the oil palm in Côte d'Ivoire
Determinant of Whistleblowing Intention with Remuneration as Moderation in Indonesian Open University
Authors: Winnanda Junita Dinna , Harnovinsah  , Nurmala Ahmar
Published: May 2023

The purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that influence whistleblowing intentions at the Indonesian Open University, with remuneration as a moderating variable. The research sample included 138 finance managers and state property managers from the Indonesian Open University. Because it supports income addition for Indonesian Open University employees, remuneration is used as a moderating variable. The research method employed is quantitative with primary data approach, namely a closed questionnaire assessed via Google Forms. This research found that the three independent variables namely attitude, organizational commitment, and personal costs have a significant influence on whistleblowing intentions. Remuneration as a moderating variable found to moderate the effect of organizational commitment on whistleblowing intentions. The contribution of this research is a discussion of research findings and differences with previous findings and related theories, and the findings can be implemented in the Indonesian Open University's whistleblowing system.
Properties of Mucoid Serotype 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae From Children in China
Authors: Yang Ying , Hua Chun-Zhen , Fang Chao , Xie Yong-Ping , Li Wei , Fu Yong , Gao Feng , Yao Kai-Hu
Published: May 2023

Objective

To investigate the characteristics of hosts, antimicrobial susceptibility, and molecular epidemiology of mucoid serotype 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) isolated from children in China.

Method

S. pneumoniae isolates collected between January 2016 and December 2019 were analyzed. S. pneumoniae isolates with mucoid phenotype were selected visually, and serotype 3 isolates were confirmed by Quellung reaction. The antimicrobial susceptibility was measured by E-test. Multilocus sequence typing was used for clonal analysis.

Results

Twenty (3.04%) isolates of mucoid serotype 3 S. pneumoniae were identified from 657 clinical isolates, and all of them were noninvasive strains. The mean age of the hosts was 5.69 ± 3.28 years. The isolates included: 50.0% from the dissected tonsil or adenoid tissue in children with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, 45.0% from sputum or bronchial lavages in children with pneumonia, and 5.0% from vaginal secretions of one patient with vulvovaginitis. All isolates were susceptible to penicillin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, meropenem, vancomycin, levofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and rifampin but resistant to erythromycin. Sequence type (ST)505 and its clonal complex (CC) were the main genotypes (95%). Antimicrobial susceptibility of ST180 and ST505 were compared, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ST505 isolates was significantly higher than that of ST180 for tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and meropenem.

Conclusions

Mucoid serotype 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae can be isolated from various body parts, among which the respiratory system is the most common. It can cause noninvasive infection in children, and it has high susceptibility to a variety of antibiotics, especially β-lactams, but is resistant to macrolides. CC505 is the novel clonal complex found in China, which may be related to the worldwide mainstream clonal complex (CC180) but has its own biological characteristics.
Re-recognize early recurrence of persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Fu Kaixuan , Zhu Xuefeng , Chu Hongxia , Zhong Lin , Wang Zhen , Li Wenjing , Wang Chunxiao , Li Jianping , Gong Lei , Wang Guangqiang , Yao Rao , Wang Lihong
Published: May 2023

Aims

Few studies on early recurrence (ER) focused on patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to investigate the characteristics and clinical significance of ER in patients with persistent AF after catheter ablation (CA).

Methods

A total of 348 consecutive patients who underwent first-time CA for persistent and long-standing persistent AF between January 2019 and May 2022 were investigated.

Results

About 5/348 (1.44%) patients who failed to convert to sinus rhythm after CA were excluded. A total of 110/343 (32.1%) patients had ER, in which 98 (89.1%) were persistent and 50.9% occurred in the first 24 h after CA. Compared with the patients without ER, those with ER were more likely to have late recurrence (LR) (92.7% vs. 1.7%, P < 0.001) during a median follow-up of 13 (IQR 6–23) months. ER was the most significant independent predictor for LR (OR 120.5, 95% CI 41.5–349.8, P < 0.001). ER as atrial flutter (AFL) had a lower risk of LR when compared with ER as AF (P = 0.011) and both AF and AFL (P = 0.003). Early intervention of the patient with ER improved the short-term outcomes (P < 0.001), not long-term outcomes. Only 22/251 (8.76%) patients of LR appears among those who had no recurrence in the first month.

Conclusions

Patients with persistent AF may not have a blanking period but rather have a risk period. Clinical significance of the blanking period should be given differential treatment between paroxysmal AF and persistent AF.
Comparative analysis of MTP -493G/T and ABCG2 34G/A polymorphisms and theirs expression in HIV-associated lipodystrophy patients
Authors: Singh HariOm , Jori Chandrashekhar , Shyamveer  , Mahajan Supriya D. , Aalinkeel Ravikumar , Kaliyappan Kathiravan , Schwartz Stanley A. , Bhattacharya Meenakshi , Shaikh Ruhi , Salve Madhukar , Deshmukh Jyoti , Ali Nemat , Parvez Mohammad Khalid
Published: May 2023

HIV-associated lipodystrophy (HIVLD) is a metabolic condition with an irregularity in the production of lipoprotein particles, and its occurrence varies among HIV-infected patients. MTP and ABCG2 genes have a role in the transport of lipoproteins. The polymorphisms of MTP -493G/T and ABCG2 34G/A affect its expression and influence the secretion and transportation of lipoproteins. Hence, we investigated the MTP -493G/T and ABCG2 34G/A polymorphisms in 187 HIV-infected patients (64 with HIVLD and 123 without HIVLD) along with 139 healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism and expression analysis using real-time PCR. ABCG2 34A allele showed an insignificantly reduced risk of LDHIV severity [P = 0.07, odds ratio (OR) = 0.55]. MTP -493T allele exhibited a non-significantly reduced risk for the development of dyslipidemia (P = 0.08, OR = 0.71). In patients with HIVLD, the ABCG2 34GA genotype was linked with impaired low-density lipoprotein levels and showed a reduced risk for LDHIV severity (P = 0.04, OR = 0.17). In patients without HIVLD, the ABCG2 34GA genotype was associated with impaired triglyceride levels with marginal significance and showed an increased risk for the development of dyslipidemia (P = 0.07, OR = 2.76). The expression level of MTP gene was 1.22-fold decreased in patients without HIVLD compared with that in patients with HIVLD. ABCG2 gene was upregulated 2.16-fold in patients with HIVLD than in patients without HIVLD. In conclusion, MTP -493C/T polymorphism influences the expression level of MTP in patients without HIVLD. Individuals without HIVLD having ABCG2 34GA genotype with impaired triglyceride levels may facilitate dyslipidemia risk.
Eye tracking as feedback tool in physics teacher education
Authors: Schweinberger Matthias , Watzka Bianca , Girwidz Raimund
Published: May 2023

The ability to direct pupils’ attention to relevant information during the experimental process is relevant for all science teachers. The aim of this article is to investigate the effects of training the ability of prospective physics teachers to direct attention during the presentation of experiments with eye tracking visualizations of pupils’ visual attention as a feedback tool. Many eye tracking studies in the field of learning use eye movement recordings to investigate the effectiveness of an instructional design by varying cues or the presentation format. Another important line of research relates to study the teacher’s gaze in a real classroom setting (mobile eye tracking). Here we use eye tracking in a new and innovative way: Eye tracking is used as a feedback tool for prospective teachers, showing them the effects of their verbal moderations when trying to direct their pupils’ attention. The study is based on a mixed methods approach and is designed as a single factor quasi-experiment with pre-post measurement. Pre- and post-test are identical. Prospective teachers record their verbal moderations on a “silent” experimental video. The quality of the moderation is rated by several independent physics educators. In addition, pupils’ eye movements while watching the videos are recorded using eye tracking. The resulting eye movements are used by the lecturer to give individual feedback to the prospective teachers, focusing on the ability to control attention in class. The effect of this eye tracking feedback on the prospective teachers is recorded in interviews. Between the pre-test and the post-test, the results show a significant improvement in the quality of the moderations of the videos. The results of the interviews show that the reason for this improvement is the perception of one’s own impact on the pupils’ attention through eye tracking feedback. The overall training program of moderating “silent videos” including eye tracking as a feedback tool allows for targeted training of the verbal guidance of the pupils’ attention during the presentation of experiments.
Hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Gao Yang , Fan Zheng-Rui , Shi Fang-Yuan
Published: May 2023

Background

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data showed that the relationship between hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk remains under debate. This study is conducted to test the causal relationship of hypothyroidism and RA.

Methods

A two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis was employed to estimate the causality of hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis in European ancestry and Asian ancestry. Integrating the effects generated by TSMR, functional annotations and noncoding variant prediction framework were applied to analyze and interpret the functional instrument variants (IVs).

Results

The results of the inverse variance weighted method showed a strong significant causal relationship between hypothyroidism and risk of RA in European ancestry [odds ratio (OR) = 1.96; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49, 2.58; p < 0.001]. The outcomes of MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode also showed that hypothyroidism was significantly associated with increased risk of RA in European ancestry. The MR-PRESSO method also showed significant results [Outlier-corrected Causal Estimate = 0.70; standard error (SE) = 0.06; p < 0.001]. An independent dataset and an Asian ancestry dataset were applied to estimate and obtain the coincident results. Furthermore, we integrated the effect of variants in TSMR analysis, functional annotations, and prediction methods to pinpoint the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs4409785 as one of the causal variants, which suggested that this variant could impact the binding of CTCF-cohesin and play a vital role in immune cells.

Conclusion

In this study, we prove that hypothyroidism is significantly causally associated with increased RA risk, which has not been shown in previous studies. Furthermore, we pinpoint the potential causal variants in RA.
The dual environmental and economic effects of the emission trading scheme under local fiscal pressure: “efficient markets” and “promising governments”
Authors: Song Yuyuan , Cheng Qinliang , Gan Xuewei , Huang Hengjun
Published: May 2023

Compared with developed economies, China implements the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) within a fundamentally distinct political-economic-institutional context. This study aims to investigate the internal mechanisms and external constraints of emission trading scheme in achieving the dual benefits of environmental preservation and economic advancement within the institutional context of fiscal decentralization. We demonstrate that the transmission from emission reduction to economic returns inherently facilitates the realization of dual benefits, and further propose a restrictive effect of local fiscal pressure on the effectiveness of the emission trading scheme. Using panel data of 284 prefectural-level cities from 2003 to 2017, we conduct a quasi-experiment based on China’s emission trading scheme pilot policy in 2007. The results indicate three primary conclusions: First, the implementation of emission trading scheme in China generally yields dual environmental-economic benefits, with emission reduction serving as a transmission channel for realizing economic gains. Second, high fiscal pressure on local governments not only directly undermines policy effects but also indirectly affects the transmission channel. Finally, the dual benefits have been realized in eastern China, but not yet in the central and western regions. This study contributes to the research on market-oriented environmental governance under fiscal decentralization. The theoretical logic of this study can be applied to a wide range of market-based mechanisms for green factors trading, providing valuable insights for countries facing similar challenges.
Radiotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in locally advanced/metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: clinical trials, efficacy and future directions
Authors: Jiang Mengjie , Hu Yujie , Lin Gang , Chen Chao , Li Huafeng
Published: May 2023

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignancy worldwide and often diagnosed at advanced stages with poor prognosis. Combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy seems to be a promising approach for treating ESCC. This comprehensive review article summarizes the current state of combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy in locally advanced/metastatic ESCC, delineates the clinical trials that merit attention, and outlines unresolved issues and future research directions in this field. The clinical trial findings suggest that radio-immunotherapy combination may improve tumor response and overall survival with manageable side effects, highlighting the importance of patient selection and the necessity for further research to optimize treatment strategies. Issues such as irradiation dosage, fractionation regimen, irradiation site and technique of radiotherapy, as well as the timing, sequence and duration of combination therapy will all affect treatment outcomes, justifying further in-depth investigation.
Stapled peptide PROTAC induced significantly greater anti-PD-L1 effects than inhibitor in human cervical cancer cells
Authors: Shi Yu-Ying , Wang An-Jin , Liu Xue-Lian , Dai Meng-Yuan , Cai Hong-Bing
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are monoclonal antibodies that target immune checkpoints that suppress immune cell activity. Low efficiency and high resistance are currently the main barriers to their clinical application. As a representative technology of targeted protein degradation, proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are considered to have potential for addressing these limitations.

Methods

We synthesized a stapled peptide-based PROTAC (SP-PROTAC) that specifically targeted palmitoyltransferase ZDHHC3 and resulted in the decrease of PD-L1 in human cervical cancer cell lines. Flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, protein immunoblotting, Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA), and MTT assay analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of the designed peptide and verify its safety in human cells.

Results

In cervical cancer celllines C33A and HeLa, the stapled peptide strongly downregulated PD-L1 to < 50% of baseline level at 0.1 μM. DHHC3 expression decreased in both dosedependentand time-dependent manners. MG132, the proteasome inhibitor, can alleviate the SP-PROTAC mediated degradation of PD-L1 in human cancer cells. In a co-culture model of C33A and T cells, treatment with the peptide induced IFN-γ and TNF-α release in a dose-dependent manner by degrading PD-L1. These effects were more significant than that of the PD-L1 inhibitor, BMS-8.

Conclusions

Cells treated with 0.1 μM of SP-PROTAC or BMS-8 for 4 h revealed that the stapled peptide decreased PD-L1 more effectively than BMS-8. DHHC3-targeting SP-PROTAC decreased PD-L1 in human cervical cancer more effectively than the inhibitor BMS-8.
Safe Discharge Home With Telemedicine of Patients Requiring Nasal Oxygen Therapy After COVID-19
Authors: Dinh Aurélien , Mercier Jean-Christophe , Jaulmes Luc , Artigou Jean-Yves , Juillière Yves , Yordanov Youri , Jourdain Patrick ,   The AP-HP/Universities/INSERM COVID-19 Research Collaboration
Published: May 2023

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. To allow overwhelmed hospitals to focus on the most fragile and severely ill patients, new types of management had to be set up. During the pandemic, patients with COVID-19 from greater Paris area were monitored at home using a web-based remote system called COVIDOM™, using self-administered questionnaires, which triggered alerts to a regional control center. To ease hospital discharge and to prevent hospital from being overwhelmed, patients still requiring low-flow oxygen therapy discharged home were also included in this telemedicine solution. We aim to evaluate the safety of this original management.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort of patients discharged home from hospital after COVID-19 and still requiring nasal oxygen therapy, who were monitored by questionnaire and trained physicians using COVIDOM. During late follow-up, the status of the patients using a Euro-Qol (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire, and the Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnea scale was collected.

Results: From March 21st to June 21st 2020, 73 COVID-19 patients still receiving nasal oxygen at hospital discharge were included. Median [Inter-Quartile Range (IQR)] age was 62.0 [52.5–69.0] years, 64.4% were male. Altogether, risk factors were observed in 49/73 (67%) patients, mainly hypertension (35.6%), diabetes mellitus (15.1%) and active neoplasia (11.0%). Among the cohort, 26% of patients were previously managed in ICU. Oxygen therapy was required for a median [IQR] of 20 [16–31] days. No death or urgent unplanned hospitalization were observed during the COVIDOM telemonitoring. During the late follow-up evaluation (6 months after inclusion), the mean EQ-5D-5L questionnaire score was 7.0 ± 1.6, and the mean MRC dyspnea scale was 0.8 ± 1.0, indicating absence of dyspnea. Five patients have died from non-COVID causes.

Conclusions: In this preliminary study, early discharge home of patients with severe COVID-19 disease who still required low-oxygen therapy seems to be safe.
A continuous-time Markov chain model of fibrosis progression in NAFLD and NASH
Authors: Meyer Lyndsey F. , Musante Cynthia J. , Allen Richard
Published: May 2023

The specific pathways, timescales, and dynamics driving the progression of fibrosis in NAFLD and NASH are not yet fully understood. Hence, a mechanistic model of the pathogenesis and treatment of fibrosis in NASH will necessarily have significant uncertainties. The rate of fibrosis progression and the heterogeneity of pathogenesis across patients are not thoroughly quantified. To address this problem, we have developed a continuous-time Markov chain model that is able to capture the heterogeneity of fibrosis progression observed in the clinic. We estimated the average time of disease progression through various stages of fibrosis using seven published clinical studies involving paired liver biopsies. Sensitivity analysis revealed therapeutic intervention at stage F1 or stage F2 results in greatest potential improvement in the average fibrosis scores for a typical patient cohort distribution. These results were in good agreement with a retrospective analysis of placebo-controlled pioglitazone clinical trials for the treatment of NAFLD and NASH. This model provides support for determining patient populations, duration, and potential successful endpoints for clinical trial design in the area of NAFLD and NASH.
Evaluation of single-delay arterial spin labeling-based spatial coefficient of variation and histogram-based parameters in relation to cerebrovascular reserve in patients with Moyamoya disease
Authors: Fahlström Markus , Svedung Wettervik Teodor , Enblad Per , Lewén Anders , Wikström Johan
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Single-delay Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL)-based spatial coefficient of variation (CoVCBF) has been suggested as a measure of hemodynamic disturbance in patients with cerebrovascular diseases. However, spatial CoVCBF and other histogram-based parameters such as skewness and kurtosis and the volume of the arterial transit time artefact (ATAvol), has not been evaluated in patients with MMD nor against cerebrovascular reserve (CVR). The aim of this study was to assess whether any associations between spatial CoVCBF, skewness, kurtosis, and ATAvol are present and to analyze any potential associations with CVR, derived from single-delay ASL in patients with MMD.

Methods

Fifteen MMD patients were included before or after revascularization surgery. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) maps were acquired using pseudo-continuous ASL before, and 5, 15, and 25 min after an intravenous acetazolamide injection. CVRmax was defined as the highest percentual increase in CBF at any of the three post-injection time points. A vascular territory template was spatially normalized to each patient, including the bilateral anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries. All affected anterior and middle cerebral artery regions and all unaffected posterior cerebral artery regions were included, based on Suzuki grading by digital subtraction angiography.

Results

Significant differences between affected and unaffected regions were found for CBF, CVRmax, and ATAvol. No association was found between CVRmax and any other parameter. High correlations were found between spatial CoVCBF, skewness and ATAvol.

Conclusion

Spatial CoVCBF derived from single-delay ASL does not correlate with CVR in patients with MMD. Moreover, skewness and kurtosis did not provide additional information of clinical value.
Younger age and induction failure predict outcomes in infant leukemia: 30 years of experience in a tertiary center
Authors: Ochoa-Fernández Bárbara , Galán-Gómez Víctor , Guerra-García Pilar , Sanromán Sonsoles , Martínez Isabel , Bueno David , Mozo Yasmina , Sisinni Luisa , Losantos Itsaso , González Berta , Pérez-Martínez Antonio
Published: May 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of infant patients with leukemia.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted in a cohort of 39 patients diagnosed with infant leukemia from 1990 to 2020 who underwent treatment at the pediatric hemato-oncology department of a tertiary hospital in Madrid, Spain.

Results

Of the 588 diagnosed cases of childhood leukemia, 39 (6.6%) cases were infant leukemia. The 5-year event-free survival and the 5-year overall survival were 43.6% (SE 4.1) and 46.5% (SD 24.08), respectively. In a univariate analysis, a younger age at diagnosis was associated with poorer outcomes (p = 0.027), as was induction failure (p = 0.0024). Patients treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation had better outcomes than non-transplanted patients (p = 0.001); however, the group comparisons that exclude patients who were unable to undergo transplantation due to refractoriness/relapse or death during treatment showed no significant differences.

Conclusions

The main risk factors that affected survival in our study were an age younger than 6 months and a poor response to induction therapy. It is important to identify poor prognostic factors in this population in order to seek different approaches that could improve outcomes.
Blunted diurnal interleukin-6 rhythm is associated with amygdala emotional hyporeactivity and depression: a modulating role of gene-stressor interactions
Authors: Hakamata Yuko , Hori Hiroaki , Mizukami Shinya , Izawa Shuhei , Yoshida Fuyuko , Moriguchi Yoshiya , Hanakawa Takashi , Inoue Yusuke , Tagaya Hirokuni
Published: May 2023

Background

The immune system has major roles in the brain and related psychopathology. Disrupted interleukin-6 secretion and aberrant amygdala emotional reactivity are well-documented in stress-related mental disorders. The amygdala regulates psychosocial stress-related interleukin-6 affected by related genes. These led us to comprehensively examine the relationship between interleukin-6, amygdala activity, and stress-related mental symptoms under gene-stressor interactions.

Methods

One hundred eight nonclinical participants with various levels of anxiety/depression underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans during an emotional face task for amygdala activity and saliva collection (at 10-time points across 2 days) for the total output and diurnal patterns of interleukin-6. Gene-stressor interactions between rs1800796 (C/G) and rs2228145 (C/A) and stressful life events for the biobehavioral measures were explored.

Results

The blunting of interleukin-6 diurnal pattern was associated with hypoactivation of the basolateral amygdala in response to fearful (vs. neutral) faces (t = 3.67, FWE-corrected p = 0.003), and was predominantly observed in individuals with rs1800796 C-allele homozygotes and negative life changes in the past year (F = 19.71, p < 0.001). When considered in a comprehensive model, the diminished diurnal pattern predicted greater depressive symptoms (β = −0.40), modulated by the amygdala hypoactivity (β = 0.36) and rs1800796-stressor interactions (β = −0.41; all p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Here we show that the blunted interleukin-6 diurnal rhythm predicts depressive symptoms, modulated by amygdala emotional hyporeactivity and gene-stressor interactions. These findings indicate a potential mechanism underlying vulnerability to depressive disorders, suggesting their early detection, prevention, and treatment through the understanding of immune system dysregulation.
Adaptation under strain: an ethnographic process evaluation of community-based psychosocial support services for refugee claimants during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Montreal, Canada
Authors: Wu Yufei Mandy , Alzaghoul Aseel Fawaz , King Leonora Indira , Kuftedjian Rosy , Kronick Rachel
Published: May 2023

During the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, tens of thousands of refugee claimants faced worsened resettlement stress with limited access to services. Community-based programs that address social determinants of health faced significant disruptions and barriers to providing care as a result of public health restrictions. Little is known about how and if these programs managed to function under these circumstances. This qualitative study aims to understand how community-based organizations based in Montreal, Canada, responded to public health directives and the challenges and opportunities that arose as they attempted to deliver services to asylum seekers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used an ethnographic ecosocial framework generating data through in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine service providers from seven different community organizations and 13 refugee claimants who were purposively sampled, as well as participant observation during program activities. Results show that organizations struggled to serve families due to public health regulations that limited in-person services and elicited anxiety about putting families at risk. First, we found a central trend in service delivery that was the transition from in-person services to online, which presented specific challenges including (a) technological and material barriers, (b) threats to claimants’ sense of privacy and security, (c) meeting linguistic diversity needs, and (d) disengagement from online activities. At the same time, opportunities of online service delivery were identified. Second, we learned that organizations adapted to public health regulations by pivoting and expanding their services as well as fostering and navigating new partnerships and collaborations. These innovations not only demonstrated the resilience of community-organizations, but also revealed tensions and areas of vulnerability. This study contributes to a better understanding of the limits of online service delivery for this population and also captures the agility and limits of community-based programs in the COVID-19 context. Its results can inform decision-makers, community groups and care providers to develop improved policies and program models that preserve what are clearly essential services for refugee claimants.
Emm type distribution of group A Streptococcus in China during 1990 and 2020: a systematic review and implications for vaccine coverage
Authors: Xiang Caixin , Zhang Jianzhong , Zhao Fei , You Yuanhai
Published: May 2023

Background

The recent increase of group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections in Europe has aroused global concern. We aim to provide molecular biological data for GAS prevention and control in China by analyzing the temporal shift of emm type.

Methods

We collected studies reporting GAS emm types in China from 1990 to 2020 by PRISMA statement and established a summary database including emm types and literature quality assessment. Based on the database we analyzed the geographic distribution of emm types from 1990 to 2020 and assessed the coverage of the known GAS 30-valent vaccine. Outbreak-associated emm types that had been reported over the past 30 years were also included.

Results

47 high quality studies were included for a systematic analysis of emm type distribution. This generated a database including totally 12,347 GAS isolates and 85 emm types. Shift of dominant emm type was witnessed during the past 30 years in China. In mainland China, dominant types changed from emm3, emm1, emm4, emm12 in 1990s to emm12 and emm1 in 2000s and 2010s. Hong Kong and Taiwan were dominated by emm12, emm4 and emm1, of which emm4 reduced but emm12 increased in 2010s significantly. From 1990 to 2020, newly found emm types were increasingly reported in various regions of China. The reported 30-valent M protein vaccine covered 26 M types prevalent in China, including all dominant types.
Dual Synthetic Jets Actuator and Its Applications Part V: Novel Valveless Continuous Micropump Based on Dual Synthetic Jets with a Tesla Structure
Authors: Zhang Jian-Yuan , Peng Wen-Qiang , Luo Zhen-Bing , Zhao Zhi-Jie , Gong Jian-Yu , Dong Zhao-Feng
Published: May 2023

The valveless micropump based on dual synthetic jets is a potential fluid pumping device that has the ability to transport fluid continuously. In order to improve the performance of this device, a novel valveless continuous micropump based on dual synthetic jets with a Tesla structure was proposed by combining a double Tesla symmetrical nozzle and a dual synthetic jets actuator. The mechanism of the novel micropump and its flow field characteristics were analyzed, combined with numerical simulation and a PIV experiment. The performance of the novel micropump was compared with that of a dual synthetic jet micropump based on a traditional shrinking nozzle. The novel micropump achieved continuous flow with a larger and more stable flow rate in one cycle. The maximum pump flow speed reached 12 m/s. Compared with the traditional type, the pump flow rate was increased by 5.27% and the pump flow pulsation was reduced by 214.93%. The backflow and vortex inside the nozzle were prevented and inhibited effectively by the Tesla structure. The velocity and influence range of the pump flow increased with the intensification of driving voltage in a certain range.
Simulation-Based Prediction of Departure Aircraft Performance from Surveillance-like Data Using Neural Networks
Authors: Askari Kiumars , Cremaschi Michele
Published: May 2023

Estimating the environmental impact of aviation, in terms of noise and emissions, requires accurate knowledge of flight parameters such as departure/arrival procedure, aircraft mass, thrust and flap settings. However, these parameters are not available from radar/ADS-B data, which are the main sources of multiple flight-specific information including aircraft position over time. This paper introduces a novel approach to estimating these parameters from radar/ADS-B data using three neural network models trained on flight simulator data for the Boeing 747-400 airplane. The models are tested on 2204 simulated flights that are not used for training and that are transformed into radar/ADS-B data formats. The models are capable of predicting the unknown parameters for the ADS-B data format, with the weight prediction error being 2.63% of maximum takeoff weight, the average R2 score for the thrust profile prediction being 89.90% and the flap setting profile having an average R2 score of 84.68%, while for the radar-like data format, the values are 2.11%, 95.74% and 88.24%, respectively. The predicted parameters can be used to improve the environmental impact assessment of individual flights and to support policy-making and management decisions. This approach is a proof of concept based on simulation data that will need to be validated on real data before being applied in practice.
Energy-Efficient Resource Allocation Algorithm for CR-WSN-Based Smart Irrigation System under Realistic Scenarios
Authors: Hassan Emad S.
Published: May 2023

Cognitive radio wireless sensor networks (CR-WSNs) are a type of WSNs that use cognitive radio technology to enhance the spectrum utilization and energy efficiency. This paper proposes an energy-efficient resource allocation algorithm (EERAA) to prolong the lifetime of a WSN-based smart irrigation system under realistic scenarios. In the proposed algorithm, power allocation and subcarrier assignment are performed consecutively. Considering the impact of the intercarrier interference (ICI) caused by timing offset, the problem of maximizing network-averaged capacity is formulated considering power and interference constraints in realistic scenarios. The obtained results reveal that the proposed algorithm attempts to maximize the averaged capacity of the CR-WSN subject to the total power constraint and tolerable interference. Numerically, the proposed algorithm can reduce the network energy consumption by up to 30%, compared with conventional approaches, while maintaining a high level of system performance in terms of secondary users’ (SUs) averaged capacity.
Bacillus aryabhattai Mitigates the Effects of Salt and Water Stress on the Agronomic Performance of Maize under an Agroecological System
Authors: Castelo Sousa Henderson , Gomes de Sousa Geocleber , de Araújo Viana Thales Vinícius , Prudêncio de Araújo Pereira Arthur , Nojosa Lessa Carla Ingryd , Pires de Souza Maria Vanessa , da Silva Guilherme José Marcelo , Ferreira Goes Geovana , da Silveira Alves Francisco Gleyson , Primola Gomes Silas , Barbosa da Silva Fred Denilson
Published: May 2023

The use of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be one option for mitigating the impact of abiotic constraints on different cropping systems in the tropical semi-arid region. Studies suggest that these bacteria have mechanisms to mitigate the effects of water stress and to promote more significant growth in plant species. These mechanisms involve phenotypic changes in growth, water conservation, plant cell protection, and damage restoration through the integration of phytohormone modulation, stress-induced enzyme apparatus, and metabolites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth, leaf gas exchange, and yield in maize (Zea mays L.—BRS Caatingueiro) inoculated with Bacillus aryabhattai and subjected to water and salt stress. The experiment followed a randomised block design, in a split-plot arrangement, with six repetitions. The plots comprised two levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water (0.3 dS m−1 and 3.0 dS m−1); the subplots consisted of three irrigation depths (50%, 75%, and 100% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc)); while the sub-subplots included the presence or absence of B. aryabhattai inoculant. A water deficit of 50% of the ETc resulted in the principal negative effects on growth, reducing the leaf area and stem diameter. The use of B. aryabhattai mitigated salt stress and promoted better leaf gas exchange by increasing the CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, and internal CO2 concentration. However, irrigation with brackish water (3.0 dS m−1) reduced the instantaneous water-use efficiency of the maize. Our results showed that inoculation wiht PGPR mitigates the effect of abiotic stress (salt and water) in maize plants, making it an option in regions with a scarcity of low-salinity water.
Entomophages of the Colorado Potato Beetle, Population Dynamics of Perillus bioculatus Fabr. and Its Compatibility with Biological and Chemical Insecticides
Authors: Agasyeva Irina , Nefedova Mariya , Ismailov Vladimir , Nastasy Anton
Published: May 2023

Modern plant biosecurity strategies include the use of a wide range of living organisms regulating the number, development and spread of harmful organisms at an economically safe level. We aimed to study the species composition of entomophages of the Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say and their efficiency in pest control. We observed the population dynamics of the stink bug Perillus bioculatus Fabr. and the Colorado potato beetle from 2013 to 2015. Besides, the species composition of entomophages of the Colorado potato beetle in Krasnodar Krai (a region in southwestern Russia) was researched in 2013–2015. The study showed that with a ratio of P. bioculatus: Colorado beetle 1:10–1:15, the efficiency of the entomophage is about 98%. In addition to P. bioculatus, there are other insects that feed on the Colorado potato beetle. Among them, it is worth noting Zicrona caerulea L., Polistes gallicus L., representatives of the Coccinellidae family, etc. The food base and parasitic activity of scelionid ovi-eaters and phasia flies are the main biotic factors influencing the number of predatory bugs. The possibility of combined use of P. bioculatus and preparations of biological origin was studied. The survival rate of adult P. bioculatus under the use of insecticides based on Bacillus thuringiensis var. thuringiensis and Streptomyces avermitilis (ex., Burg et al.) Kim and Goodfellow was 97% and 91%; that of older nymphs—58% and 52%, respectively. Chemical preparations destroyed all age stages of the predator.
Influence of Season and Organic Amendment on the Effectiveness of Different Biosolarization Treatments against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae
Authors: Guerrero María del Mar , Lacasa Carmen Mª , Martínez Victoriano , Monserrat Antonio , López-Pérez José Antonio , Ortega Raúl , Nieto José Carlos , Miralles Isabel , Larregla Santiago
Published: May 2023

One strategy presented as an alternative to avoid using chemical substances in soil disinfestation consists in the technique of biosolarization. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of seasonality on the effectiveness of biosolarization with different organic amendments for the control of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae (FOLAC) on lettuce plants, and to compare the results obtained using a classical soil infectivity bioassay and a qPCR-based molecular technique. None of the plants subjected to biosolarization in the summer season (469–700 and 0–463 h with temperature > 42 °C at 15 and 30 cm soil depth, respectively) showed damage by the pathogen except the untreated control. Conversely, in autumn (3–5 and 0–0 h at temperature = 38–40 °C at 15 and 30 cm soil depth, respectively), only two biosolarization treatments (wheat + semi-composted manure, sunflower pellets) that reduced FOLAC inoculum in soil and plants did not show any disease at the lowest depth (15 cm) in the soil infectivity bioassay. This same result was only obtained at 30 cm soil depth in the biosolarization treatment with sunflower pellets. The number of FOLAC sequences per gram of soil determined with qPCR was null in the biosolarization treatments in summer at both soil depths and corresponded to the absence of disease in the soil infectivity bioassay. A threshold of 145 sequences per gram of soil determined by the qPCR-based molecular technique corresponded to the presence of 10% of diseased lettuce plants infected by FOLAC. Therefore, this molecular technique has been shown to be useful for establishing the soil inoculum thresholds required for crop infection by pathogens, while reducing the time and execution tasks necessary to perform soil infectivity bioassays.
Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns and Virulence-Associated Factors of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcal Isolates from Tertiary Care Hospitals
Authors: Doss Susai backiam Arockia , Duraisamy Senbagam , Karuppaiya Palaniyandi , Balakrishnan Senthilkumar , Chandrasekaran Balaji , Kumarasamy Anbarasu , Raju Amutha
Published: May 2023

This study explored the prevalence of multi-drug resistance and virulence factors of enterococcal isolates obtained from various clinical specimens (n = 1575) including urine, blood, pus, tissue, catheter, vaginal wash, semen, and endotracheal secretions. Out of 862 enterococcal isolates, 388 (45%), 246 (29%), 120 (14%), and 108 (13%) were identified as Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus durans, and Enterococcus hirae, respectively, using standard morphological and biochemical methods. The antibiotic resistance profile of all these enterococcal isolates was checked using the disc diffusion technique. High-level resistance was observed for benzylpenicillin (70%) and vancomycin (43%) among E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates, respectively. This study also revealed the prevalence of ‘multi-drug resistance (resistant to 3 antibiotic groups)’ among the vancomycin-resistant enterococcal strains, and this was about 11% (n = 91). The virulence determinants associated with vancomycin resistance (VR) were determined phenotypically and genotypically. About 70 and 39% of E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates showed to be positive for all four virulence factors (gelatinase, protease, hemolysin, and biofilm). Among the several virulence genes, gelE was the most common virulence gene with a prevalence rate of 76 and 69% among E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates, respectively. More than 50% of VRE isolates harbored other virulence genes, such esp, asa, ace, and cylA. Similarly, the majority of the VR enterococcal isolates (n = 88/91) harbored vanA gene and none of them harbored vanB gene. These results disclose the importance of VR E. faecalis and E. faecium and the associated virulence factors involved in the persistence of infections in clinical settings.
Beneficial Effects of Opuntia spp. on Liver Health
Authors: Besné-Eseverri Irene , Trepiana Jenifer , Gómez-Zorita Saioa , Antunes-Ricardo Marilena , Cano M. Pilar , Portillo María P.
Published: May 2023

The genus Opuntia spp. includes plants capable of growing in arid, temperate and tropical climates. The vast majority of wild species grow in Mexico, but O. ficus-indica (prickly pear or nopal) is cultivated around the world and it is one of the most studied. This review shows the currently available knowledge concerning the action of O. ficus-indica and other Opuntia species (Opuntia vulgaris, Opuntia robusta, Opuntia streptacantha, Opuntia microdasys, Opuntia dillenii and Opuntia dejecta) on liver health. The available data demonstrate the positive effects of extracts, vinegar, juices or seed oil of the Opuntia genus on the alterations induced in the liver by inadequate feeding patterns or the administration of chemicals. In this regard, the potential beneficial effects of nopal are related to the attenuation of triglyceride accumulation, oxidative stress and/or inflammation. Nevertheless, there is no information concerning the bioactive compound’s characterisation in most of these studies; consequently, it is not possible to link the therapeutic effects of these plants to the presence of specific compounds in the nopal extracts. Therefore, further research is needed to confirm if the positive effects observed in animal models are also found in humans, in order to determine whether Opuntia can represent an effective tool to prevent and/or manage hepatic alterations.
Adversarial Attack for Deep Steganography Based on Surrogate Training and Knowledge Diffusion
Authors: Tao Fangjian , Cao Chunjie , Li Hong , Zou Binghui , Wang Longjuan , Sun Jingzhang
Published: May 2023

Deep steganography (DS), using neural networks to hide one image in another, has performed well in terms of invisibility, embedding capacity, etc. Current steganalysis methods for DS can only detect or remove secret images hidden in natural images and cannot analyze or modify secret content. Our technique is the first approach to not only effectively prevent covert communications using DS, but also analyze and modify the content of covert communications. We proposed a novel adversarial attack method for DS considering both white-box and black-box scenarios. For the white-box attack, several novel loss functions were applied to construct a gradient- and optimizer-based adversarial attack that could delete and modify secret images. As a more realistic case, a black-box method was proposed based on surrogate training and a knowledge distillation technique. All methods were tested on the Tiny ImageNet and MS COCO datasets. The experimental results showed that the proposed attack method could completely remove or even modify the secret image in the container image while maintaining the latter’s high quality. More importantly, the proposed adversarial attack method can also be regarded as a new DS approach.