bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Efficacy of the RTN1 Gene in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Zamani-Ahmadmahmudi Mohamad , Nassiri Seyed Mahdi , Asadabadi Amir
Published: August 2021

Gene expression profiling has been vastly used to extract the genes that can predict the clinical outcome in patients with diverse cancers, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). With the aid of bioinformatics and computational analysis on gene expression data, various prognostic gene signatures for DLBCL have been recently developed. The major drawback of the previous signatures is their inability to correctly predict survival in external data sets. In other words, they are not reproducible in other datasets. Hence, in this study, we sought to determine the gene(s) that can reproducibly and robustly predict survival in patients with DLBCL. Gene expression data were extracted from 7 datasets containing 1636 patients (GSE10846 [n=420], GSE31312 [n=470], GSE11318 [n=203], GSE32918 [n=172], GSE4475 [n=123], GSE69051 [n=157], and GSE34171 [n=91]). Genes significantly associated with overall survival were detected using the univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis with a P value <0.001 and a false discovery rate (FDR) <5%. Thereafter, significant genes common between all the datasets were extracted. Additionally, chromosomal aberrations in the corresponding region of the final common gene(s) were evaluated as copy number alterations using the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data of 570 patients with DLBCL (GSE58718 [n=242], GSE57277 [n=148], and GSE34171 [n=180]). Our results indicated that reticulon family gene 1 (RTN1) was the only gene that met our rigorous pipeline criteria and associated with a favorable clinical outcome in all the datasets (P<0.001, FDR<5%). In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, this gene remained independent of the routine international prognostic index components (i.e., age, stage, lactate dehydrogenase level, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] performance status, and number of extranodal sites) (P<0.0001). Furthermore, no significant chromosomal aberration was found in the RTN1 genomic region (14q23.1: Start 59,595,976/ End 59,870,966).
Depression is associated with discoordination between heart rate variability and physical acceleration in older women
Authors: Taniguchi Kentaro , Shimouchi Akito , Jinno Naoya , Seiyama Akitoshi
Published: August 2021

Depression associates closely with autonomic nervous system and physical activity, however, there have been no studies on the relationship between depression and the coordination of heart rate variability (HRV) and physical acceleration (PA). Ninety-five adult women were divided into non-older and older groups. The non-older group comprised 50 adulte women (below 60 years), and the older group comprised 45 women (above 60 years). HRV and PA data were simultaneously obtained every minute for 24 h during the free-moving day by using the ActiveTracer accelerometer. The ratios of low frequency/high frequency and high frequency were used as HRV indices, indicating sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous activities, respectively. Lag time was determined as the time difference indicated by the maximum absolute cross-correlation coefficients obtained from the analysis between the HRV components and the PA. We defined %Lag0 as the % frequency of the lag = 0 min between HRV and PA in 1 h. The General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ28) was used to evaluate the effects of psychological distress, including depression. In the hour before the night’s sleep, %Lag0 was significantly lower in older women with depression (GHQ28 subscale D) than in older women without depression (p <0.05). However, no significant difference between %Lag0 and depression status was observed in the hour after waking in older women. The results suggest that impairments in coordination between HRV and PA are associated with depression in older women, particularly in the hour before a night’s sleep on free-moving days.
Investigation of Disease Spectrum and Analysis of Risk Factor for Digestive System Diseases of Chinese Army During a Field Training on The Midland of China
Authors: Zhang Guanjun , Li Mingyang , Lin Fan , Zhang Yizhe , Li Haohui , Song Hongwen , Li Bin
Published: August 2021

Objective To investigate the digestive disease spectrum of Chinese army servicemen during a field training on the midland and to analyze risk factors of diseases in order to discuss the relative prevention and treatment strategies.Methods Seven troops during a field training on the midland of China were randomly selected by using stratified cluster random sampling methods, all soldiers in that received a questionnaire survey, and then we collected all questionnaires and summarized the soldiers’ digestive system disease spectrum, and discussed risk factors for diseases.Results 3055 valid questionnaires were finally collected,896 soldiers had digestive symptoms, and of all symptoms diarrhea was the most common,whose ratio was 29.3%; 507 soldiers suffered from digestive system diseases, including gastritis, enteritis,digestive ulcer, functional bowel disease, which were more common. By the logistic regression analysis, length of military service time, identity of army officer,length of a field training time,training pressure, chilled abdomen, and defiled food were possible risk factors for digestive diseases.Conclusions During a field training, a healthy and regular diet, the thermal outfit, appropriate decompression of negative emotions and reasonable training time may effectively decrease the risk of digestive diseases, so that to reduce attrition.
The Effect of Upfront Intensive Therapy on Primary Resistance in Metastatic Castration-sensitive Prostate Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
Authors: Tanaka Toshikazu , Hatakeyama Shingo , Noro Daisuke , Kodama Hirotake , Konishi Sakae , Okita Kazutaka , Hosogoe Shogo , Ozaki Kai , Narita Takuma , Tokui Noriko , Okamoto Teppei , Yamamoto Hayato , Imai Atsushi , Yoneyama Takahiro , Hashimoto Yasuhiro , Ohyama Chikara
Published: August 2021

We investigated the effect of upfront intensive therapy on primary resistance in patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) in real-world practice. We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 348 patients with newly diagnosed mCSPC who had a high tumor-burden between January 2008 and May 2021. We compared the oncological outcomes between patients who received conventional androgen deprivation therapy ± bicalutamide (ADT group) and those treated with upfront intensive therapies (upfront group). The primary purpose was comparing the rate of primary resistance between the ADT and upfront groups. The primary resistance was defined as a castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progression < 6 or < 12 months. The secondary purposes were comparing the CRPC-free survival and overall survival (OS) between the ADT and upfront groups, and assessing safety in the upfront group. We identified 206 and 142 patients for the ADT and upfront groups, respectively. We found the rate of CRPC progression < 6 and < 12 months was significantly lower in the upfront group (9.2% and 18%, respectively) than that in the ADT group (21% and 51%, respectively). The upfront therapy was significantly associated with favorable CRPC-free survival and OS than that in the ADT group in propensity-score adjusted models. A higher rate of any grade adverse events was observed in the upfront docetaxel (94%) than that of the upfront abiraterone (34%) or apalutamide/enzalutamide (39%). In conclusion, the upfront intensive therapy significantly improved the rate of primary resistance and oncological outcomes in patients with mCSPC in real-world practice.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Methanol Synthesis via CO2 Hydrogenation Reaction
Authors: Kanuri Suresh , Singh Satyapaul A. , Datta Santanu P. , Chakraborty Chanchal , Roy Sounak , Dinda Srikanta
Published: August 2021

The most inspiring opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is direct hydrogenation of CO2 into a commodity of products, which is also an appealing choice for generating renewable energy. CO2 hydrogenation can yield methanol which has a broad range of applications. In the present study, a thermodynamic feasibility analysis of the CO2 hydrogenation reaction is carried out using the Aspen Plus tool. CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, reverse-water-gas-shift (RWGS), and methanol decomposition reactions were considered in this analysis. The effect of different parameters such as temperature (ranging from 50 to 500°C), pressures (ranging from 1 bar to 50 bar), and CO2:H2 molar ratio (ranging from 1:3 to 1:20) on methanol yield has been investigated. The Aspen predicted data is compared with the fixed-bed reactor experimental data. High pressure and low-temperature conditions are found to be the favourable option for a higher value of methanol yield. The CO2 conversion and CH3OH selectivity are favourable when the H2/CO2 molar ratio is greater than 3. A substantial gap between the Aspen predicted equilibrium conversion of CO2 and the experimental value of CO2 conversion is observed in the study.
Federated Disentangled Representation Learning for Unsupervised Brain Anomaly Detection
Authors: Bercea Cosmin , Wiestler Benedikt , Rueckert Daniel , Albarqouni Shadi
Published: August 2021

Recent advances in Deep Learning (DL) and the increased use of brain MRI have provided a great opportunity and interest in automated anomaly segmentation to support human interpretation and improve clinical workflow. However, medical imaging must be curated by trained clinicians, which is time-consuming and expensive. Further, data is often scattered across multiple institutions, with privacy regulations limiting its access. Here, we present FedDis (Federated Disentangled representation learning for unsupervised brain pathology segmentation) to collaboratively train an unsupervised deep convolutional neural network on 1532 healthy MR scans from four different institutions, and evaluate its performance in identifying abnormal brain MRIs including multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions, low-grade tumors (LGG), and high-grade tumors/glioblastoma (HGG/GB) on a total of ~500 scans from 5 different institutions and datasets. FedDis mitigates the statistical heterogeneity given by different scanners by disentangling the parameter space into global, i.e., shape and local, i.e., appearance. We only share the former with the federated clients to leverage common anatomical structure while keeping client-specific contrast information private.
We have shown that our collaborative approach, FedDis, improves anomaly segmentation results by 99.74% for MS and 40.45% for tumors over locally trained models without the need for annotations or sharing private local data. We found out that FedDis is especially beneficial for clients that share both healthy and anomaly data coming from the same institute, improving their local anomaly detection performance by up to 227% for MS lesions and 77% for brain tumors.
Two-pronged anti-tumor therapy by a new polymer-paclitaxel conjugate micelle with an anti-multidrug resistance effect
Authors: Du Juan , Zong Lanlan , Li Mengmeng , Qiao Yonghui , Yu Keke , Pu Xiaohui
Published: August 2021

Cancerous tumors are still a major disease that threatens human life, with tumor multidrug resistance (MDR) being one of the main reasons for the failure of chemotherapy. Here, a reduction-sensitive polymer prodrug micelle, mPEG-DCA-SS-PTX (PDSP), was manufactured with a new polymer inhibitor of drug-resistance as a carrier to overcome MDR and improve the anti-tumor effect of paclitaxel (PTX). The PDSP micelles display good stability, double-responsive drug release, and excellent biocompatibility. The PDSP micelles reduced the cytotoxicity of PTX to normal HL-7702 cells, and enhanced that to SMMC-7721 and MCF-7 cells in vitro. Improved sensitivity of A549/ADR to PDSP was also observed in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo experiments show reduced systemic toxicity and enhanced therapeutic efficacy of DOX to H22 subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice. This work proves the reduction sensitive polymer prodrug micelles carried by the new polymer inhibitor can be used as an alternative delivery system to target tumors and reverse MDR for paclitaxel and other tumor-resistant drugs.
Determinants Of Adherence To Dietary Prescription Among Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease Undergoing Hemodialysis In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Authors: Benjamin Rahab , Mwansisya Tumbwene E. , Lyimo Mary
Published: August 2021

Background: The increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease means it has become a leading cause of death worldwide and a global health concern. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Tanzania is 12.4%. A major cause of mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease is non-adherence to dietary prescription. However, factors associated with non-adherence to dietary prescription remain unknown. Methods: This study used a quantitative descriptive cross sectional design, To investigate determinants of adherence to dietary prescription among patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis in Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Result: Data were obtained from 150 participants; 56.7% adhered to their prescribed diet. Factors significantly associated with adherence to dietary prescription were permanent residence in the city where the hospital was located (p=0.018), age (p=0.000), employment status (p=0.017), duration of chronic kidney disease (p=0.001), comorbidity (p=0.029), family awareness (p=0.003), affordability (p=0.044) and convenience of nutritional counseling services (p=0.046), and conversation with a healthcare provider regarding diet (p=0.039). Predictors of adherence were permanent residence (p=0.010), age (p=0.002), duration of chronic kidney disease (p=0.012), and conversation regarding diet with a healthcare provider (p=0.018). Conclusion These findings highlight a need for interventions to improve adherence to dietary prescription. Building understanding of determinants of adherence to dietary regimens among patients with end-stage renal disease is critical because of the poor progress associated with non-adherence. Further mixed method research should be conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of adherence to dietary prescription and associated factors.
Preparation, Characterization, and Biodistribution of Glutathione PEGylated Nanoliposomal Doxorubicin for Brain Drug Delivery with A Post-insertion Approach
Authors: mehrabian Amin , Vakili-Ghartavol Roghayyeh , Mashreghi Mohammad , Saremi Sara Shokooh , Badiee Ali , Arabi Leila , Alavizadeh Hoda , Moosavian Seyedeh Alia , Jaafari Mahmoud Reza
Published: August 2021

Brain cancer treatments have been largely unsuccessful due to the blood-brain barrier. Several publications support the presence of glutathione (GSH) receptors on the surface of the BBB and consequently the products such as the 2B3-101, which is almost 5% pre-inserted GSH PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin, is under process in clinical studies. Here we conducted the PEGylated nanoliposomal doxorubicin particles that are covalently attached to the glutathione using the post-insertion technique. The post-insertion methodology is noticeably simpler, faster, and more cost-effective compared to the pre-insertion method which makes it desirable for large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing. The 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 ligands of the DSPE PEG(2000) Maleimide-GSH complexes were incorporated into the available Caelyx. According to the animal studies such as biodistribution, fluorescent microscopy, and pharmacokinetic studies, the 200L and 400L treatment arms were the most promising formulations compared to the Caelyx. They proved that post-inserted nanocarriers with 40 times lower levels of GSH micelles compared to the 2B3-101 have significantly increased the penetrance through the blood-brain barrier. Other tissue analysis showed that the doxorubicin will likely accumulate in the liver, spleen, heart, and lung in comparison with the Caelyx due to the expressed GSH receptors on tissues as an endogenous antioxidant. In conclusion, as was expected, the post-insertion technique was found a successful approach with more pharmaceutical aspects for large-scale production. Moreover, it is highly recommended further investigations to determine the efficacy of 5% post-inserted GSH targeted nanoliposomes versus the 2B3-101 as a similar formulation with a different preparation method.
Design And Power Generation Performance Analysis of A Rim-Driven Wave Energy Generator
Authors: Jian Zhang , Ren Yaoyao , Hou Xiangying , Zhang Hong
Published: August 2021

Wave energy exploitation is getting more attention from researchers Many types of devices that can convert wave energy into electricity have been designed. At present, engineers and scientists are researching how to make a simple and efficient wave energy capture device. This paper explored the rim-driven generator. In a rim-driven wave energy generator, the rotor blade could harvest kinetic energy of wave motions. The blade is inside of the generator and the gap between the stator and the rotor is water-filled. This structure could improve the compactness and reliability of the wave energy generator. The paper studied the influence of the arrangement of the blade and the structure of the generator on the performance of the generator. Analytical models were designed to obtain generator’s performance. The result could optimize the design of generator and improve the energy conversion efficiency.
Conventional Laboratory Blood Indicators Are Valuable for Early Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Gan Xia , Chen Zhi-Yong , Li Zi-Hua , Zhou Jian-Ming , Sun Ying , Cai Dan , Liu Rong-Hua , Luo Qing-Qing , Wang Ting , Zhang Kun-He
Published: August 2021

Objective: Some conventional laboratory indicators have been found to be of value for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study aimed to systematically analyze the diagnostic value of conventional laboratory blood indicators for CRC, especially for early CRC. Methods: A total of 505 patients with CRC (n=210), colorectal adenoma (CRA) (n=167) or polyp (CRP) (n=128) were retrospectively collected. Clinical, laboratory and imaging data available before treatment were extracted. The diagnostic performances of laboratory blood indicators for discriminating total and early CRCs from CRA and CRP (CRA&P) were evaluated.Results: Fifty-three of 76 (69.7%) laboratory blood indicators were significant for discriminating CRC from CRA&P with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) ranging within 0.554-0.819, of these indicators, 17 had AUC > 0.7, three had AUC > 0.8, and five had AUCs greater than that for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Fifteen indicators had overall sensitivities comparable to CEA for the diagnosis of CRC (35.7-55.4% vs. 47.7%, all P>0.05) at a specificity of 90%, and they were not or weakly correlated with CEA (absolute r = 0.058-0.333). For differentiating early CRC (TNM stage I+II, n=102) from CRA&P, the sensitivities for the 15 indicators ranged within 30.4%-55.5% at a specificity of 90% and similar to stage III+IV CRC.Conclusion: Conventional laboratory blood indicators are valuable for early CRC diagnosis, and are comparable to or better than CEA.
A Novel Method for Tooth Bending Stress Calculation of Gears With Asymmetric Teeth
Authors: DOGAN Oguz , YUCE Celalettin , KARPAT Fatih
Published: August 2021

Today, gear designs with asymmetric tooth profiles offer essential solutions in reducing tooth root stresses of gears. Although numerical, analytical, and experimental studies are carried out to calculate the bending stresses in gears with asymmetric tooth profiles a standard or a simplified equation or empirical statement has not been encountered in the literature. In this study, a novel bending stress calculation procedure for gears with asymmetric tooth profiles is developed using both the DIN3990 standard and the finite element method. The bending stresses of gears with symmetrical profile were determined by the developed finite element model and was verified by comparing the results with the DIN 3990 standard. Using the verified finite element model, by changing the drive side pressure angle between 20° and 30° and the number of teeth between 18 and 100, 66 different cases were examined and the bending stresses in gears with asymmetric profile were determined. As a result of the analysis, a new asymmetric factor was derived. By adding the obtained asymmetric factor to the DIN 3390 formula, a new equation has been derived to be used in tooth bending stresses of gears with asymmetric profile. Thanks to this equation, designers will be able to calculate tooth bending stresses with high precision in gears with asymmetric tooth profile without the need for finite element analysis.
Governance Frameworks for COVID-19 Research Ethics Review and Oversight in Latin America: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Palmero Ana , Carracedo Sarah , Cabrera Noelia , Bianchini Alahí
Published: August 2021

Background Research has been an essential part of the COVID-19 pandemic response, including in Latin American (LA) countries. However, implementing research in emergency settings poses the challenge of producing valuable knowledge rapidly while upholding research ethical standards. Research ethics committees (RECs) therefore must conduct timely and rigorous ethics reviews and oversight of COVID-19 research. In the LA region, there is limited knowledge on how countries have responded to this need. To address this gap, the objective of our project is to explore if LA countries developed policies to streamline ethics review and oversight of research in response to the pandemic while ensuring its adherence to ethical standards, and to analyze to what extent these governance frameworks are in accordance with international guidance.Methods We conducted a descriptive and exploratory study assessing the COVID-19 research ethics governance frameworks of 19 LA countries, considering 4 dimensions based on international COVID-19 ethics guidance documents: (i) ethics review organizational model adopted, (ii) measures to coordinate between RECs and other research stakeholders, (iii) operational guidance for RECs, and (iv) key ethical issues for review and oversight of COVID-19 research.Results 10 out of 19 LA countries have some policy to streamline ethics review of COVID-19 research. Of these countries only 6 issued comprehensive documents following international guidance that contemplated strategies with recommendations for concrete actions for a timely and rigorous review.ConclusionLA countries adopted partial strategies and operational guidance that may demonstrate a lack of a comprehensive view of research ethics for the review and oversight of COVID-19 research. Continuing efforts should be directed to strengthen LA countries' research capacity to respond timely and ethically to future health emergencies. Past lessons and the ones from this pandemic should be the basis to develop international standards and operational guidelines for ethics review and oversight of any research for public health emergencies of international concern.
A Case of Malaria Patient with SARS-CoV-2 Antibody False-Positive
Authors: zhou hong
Published: August 2021

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection are used to diagnose or exclude suspected COVID-19 patients as a supplement to nucleic acid detection. False-positive results of SARS-CoV-2 antibody have been reported but rarely associated with malaria. A case of malaria patient with SARS-CoV-2 antibody false-positive is described.Case presentation: A 24 year-old male returned from Côte d’Ivoire was diagnosed Plasmodium falciparum by Malaria rapid diagnostic test. The patient had suspicious exposure to COVID-19. His SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibody was positive one day before admission and turned negative on the 18th day of admission, while the IgG antibody and nasopharyngeal swabs SARS-Cov-2 nucleic acid had been negative. Conclusion: Malaria might cause false positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibody. A careful interpretation of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody result is useful to avoid wasting medical resources especially malaria-endemic areas.
Inter-Observer Agreement and Image Quality of Model-Based Algorithm Applied to the Coronary Artery Disease Reporting and Data System Score
Authors: Ippolito Davide , Franzesi Cammillo Talei , Cangiotti Cecilia , Riva Luca , De Vito Andrea , Gandola Davide , Maino Cesare , Sironi Sandro
Published: August 2021

Purpose: To evaluate the inter-observer agreement of the CAD-RADS reporting system and compare image quality between model-based iterative reconstruction algorithm (MBIR) and standard iterative reconstruction algorithm (IR) of low dose cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Methods: One-hundred-sixty patients undergone a 256-slice MDCT scanner using low-dose CCTA combined with prospective ECG-gated techniques were prospectively enrolled. CCTA protocols were reconstructed with both MBIR and IR. Each study was evaluated by two readers using the CAD-RADS lexicon. Vessels enhancement, image noise, SNR, and CNR were computed in the axial native images and inter-observer agreement was assessed. Radiation dose exposure as dose–length product (DLP) and effective dose (ED) were finally reported. Results: The overall agreement was very good (k = 0.90). Moreover, a significantly higher value of subjective qualitative analysis, SNR, and CNR in MBIR images compared to IR were found, due to a lower noise level (p<0.05). The mean DLP measured was 63.9 mGy*cm and the mean effective dose was 0.9 mSv.Conclusion: Inter-observer agreement of CAD-RADS was excellent confirming the importance, the feasibility, and the reproducibility of the CAD-RADS scoring system for CCTA. Moreover, lower noise and higher image quality with MBIR compared to IR were found.
A Novel Fluorescent Probe for Detecting Hydrogen Sulfide in Osteoblasts During Lipopolysaccharide-Mediated Inflammation Under Periodontitis
Authors: Lu Xiaoya , Zhu Hanchuang , Chen Yi , Wu Yue , Zhang Dongsheng , Zhu Baocun , Huang Shengyun
Published: August 2021

Periodontitis, one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases, affects the quality of life. Osteogenesis makes an important role of the disease. There is a connection between hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and periodontitis, but according to the study has been published, the precise role of H2S in inflammation remains in doubt. The main reason of the lack of research is that H2S is an endogenous gasotransmitter, difficult to discern through testing. So, we synthesis a novel fluorescence probe which can detective H2S in vitro. By using the novel H2S fluorescence probe, we found that H2S changes in osteoblasts mainly by cystathionine-γ-lyase, and H2S increases under LPS stimulation. H2S could be a potential marker for diagnosis of inflammatory diseases of bone, and might help deeper studies of the changes of H2S level and promote the progression on the researches about pathogenesis of periodontitis.
Few-shot cotton leaf spots disease classification based on metric learning
Authors: Liang Xihuizi
Published: August 2021

Background: Cotton diceases seriously affect the yield and quality of cotton. The type of pest or disease suffered by cotton can be determined by the disease spots on the cotton leaves. This paper presents a small-sample learning framework that can be used for cotton leaf disease spot classification task, which using deep learning techniques is constructed based on a metric learning approach, to prevent and control cotton diseases timely. First, disease spots on cotton leaf's disease images are segmented by different methods, compared by using support vector machine (SVM) method and threshold segmentation, and discussed the suitable one. With segmented disease spot images as input, a disease spot dataset is established, and the cotton leaf disease spots were classified using a classical convolutional neural network classifier, the structure and framework of convolutional neural network had been designed, and the setting of relevant parameters and the detailed network structure configuration are analyzed according to the experimental environment. The features of two different images are extracted by a parallel two-way convolutional neural network with weight sharing. Then, the network uses a loss function to learn the metric space, in which similar leaf samples are close to each other and different leaf samples are far away from each other. Results: To achieve the classification of cotton leaf spots by small sample learning, this paper constructs a metric-based learning method to extract cotton leaf spot features and classify the leaves. In the process of leaf spot extraction, image segmentation of the spots is performed by threshold segmentation and SVM, and comparative analysis is performed. In the process of leaf spot classification, the structural framework of leaf spot feature extractor and feature classifier is constructed, and the overall framework is built using the idea of two-way parallel convolutional neural network. A variety of excellent convolutional neural network feature extractors such as Vgg, DesenNet, and ResNet were used for feature extraction work, and a combination design based on the small sample classification framework was performed and compared. Experimentally, it is demonstrated that the classification accuracy is improved by nearly 7.7% on average for different number of samples in the case of using this optimizer. S-DesneNet have the highest accuracy. When n is 5, 10, 15 and 20, the accuracy is 58.63%, 84.41% ,92.51% and 91.75%, respectively, and the average accuracy is improved by nearly 7.7% compared with DenseNet. Conclusions: To solve the problem of classification accuracy degradation due to small number of samples in small sample training tasks, a spatial structure optimizer (SSO) acting on the training process is proposed for this purpose.
Identification and Evaluation of Effective Strategies in a Dynamic Visual Task Using Eye Gaze Dynamics
Authors: Veerabhadrappa Rakesh , Hettiarachchi Imali T. , Hanoun Samer , Jia Dawei , Hosking Simon G. , Bhatti Asim
Published: August 2021

Simulation-based training utilising visual displays are common in many defence and civil domains. The performance of individuals in these tasks depends on their ability to employ effective visual strategies. Quantifying the performance of the trainees is vitally important when assessing training effectiveness and developing future training requirements. The approach, attitudes and processes of an individual’s learning varies from one to another. In this light, some visual strategies may be better suited to the dynamics of a task environment than others, the result of which could be observed in the superior performance outcomes of some individuals. In this study, eye gaze data is used to investigate the relationship between performance outcomes and visual strategies. In an attempt to emulate real operational settings, a challenging task environment using multiple targets that had minimal salient features was selected for the study. Eye gaze of participants performing a simulation-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) refuelling task was used to facilitate the investigation. Cross recurrence quantification analysis (CRQA) and Epistemic network analysis (ENA) were employed on eye gaze data to provide spatial-temporal mapping of visual strategies. A CRQA measure of recurrence rate was used to observe participants’ fixation interest on various regions of the task environment. The recurrence behaviours were categorised into cases of visual strategies using an unsupervised clustering algorithm. This article discusses the relationship between the visual strategy cases and performance outcomes to observe which are the most effective. Using the relationship between recurrence rates and performance outcomes, we demonstrate and discuss a gaze-based measure that could objectively quantify performance.
The Value of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing in the Diagnosis of Birth Defects: Insights from a Large Multicentre Study in Southern China
Authors: Cai Meiying , Lin Na , Chen Xuemei , Li Ying , Lin Min , Fu Xianguo , He Shuqiong , Xu Liangpu , Huang Hailong
Published: August 2021

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is a fast, safe, and non-disruptive diagnostic method. At present, few studies have evaluated the screening efficiency of NIPT positive predictive value (PPV) in study subjects. Here, the results of NIPT in pregnant women were retrospectively analysed, and the detection rate, PPV and follow-up data were evaluated to determine its clinical value. A large multicentre study was conducted involving 52,855 pregnant women who received NIPT. Based on gestational age, amniotic fluid or umbilical cord blood were extracted for simultaneous karyotype and chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) in NIPT-positive patients. Among the 52,855 cases, 754 were NIPT-positive, with a positivity rate of 1.4%. Karyotype analysis and/or CMA confirmed 323 cases of chromosomal abnormalities, with a PPV of 45.1%. PPV of Trisomy 21 (T21), Trisomy 18 (T18), Trisomy 13 (T13), sex chromosomal aneuploidies (SCA) and copy number variations (CNV) were 78.9%, 35.3%, 22.2%, 36.9% and 32.9%, respectively. The PPV of T21, T18, and T13 increased with age whereas, the PPV of SCA and CNVs had little correlation with age. The PPV was significantly high in patients with advanced age along with an abnormal ultrasound.NIPT had a high PPV for T21, and a low PPV for T13 and T18, while screening for SCA and CNVs showed clinical significance. However, in case of NIPT screening for SCA and CNVs, simultaneous karyotype and CMA should be performed to increase the detection rates. Interventional prenatal diagnosis is still required in NIPT-positive cases to avoid false positives or unnecessary termination of pregnancy.
The Prognostic Value of m6A-related LncRNAs in Patients with HNSCC
Authors: Zhou Liu-qing , Zhou Jie-yu , Hu Yao
Published: August 2021

Background: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications play an essential role in tumorigenesis. m6A modifications are known to modulate RNAs, including mRNAs and lncRNAs. However, the prognostic role of m6A-related lncRNAs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is poorly understood.Methods: Based on LASSO Cox regression, enrichment analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, a risk prognostic model, and consensus clustering analysis, we analyzed the 12 m6A-related lncRNAs in HNSCC samples data using the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.Results: We found twelve m6A-related lncRNAs in the training cohort and validated in all cohorts by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses, and revealing their independent prognostic value in HNSCC. Moreover, ROC analysis was conducted, confirming the strong predictive ability of this signature for HNSCC prognosis. GSEA and detailed immune infiltration analyses revealed specific pathways associated with m6A-related lncRNAs.Conclusions: In this study, a novel risk model including twelve genes (SAP30L-AS1, AC022098.1, LINC01475, AC090587.2, AC008115.3, AC015911.3, AL122035.2, AC010226.1, AL513190.1, ZNF32-AS1, AL035587.1 and AL031716.1) was built. It could accurately predict HNSCC prognosis and provide potential prediction outcome and new therapeutic target for HNSCC patients.
Platelet Priming Following Naturally Occurring Thermal Burn Injuries And Wildfire Smoke Exposure is Associated with Intracardiac Thrombosis in Feline Survivors
Authors: Li Ronald H. L. , Tan Avalene W. K. , Ueda Yu , Stern Joshua A. , Hussain Mehrab , Haginoya Satoshi , Sharpe Ashley N. , Gunther-Harrington Catherine T. , Epstein Steven E. , Nguyen Nghi
Published: August 2021

Wildfires pose a major health risk for humans, wildlife, and domestic animals. We previously discovered pathophysiologic parallels between domestic cats with naturally occurring smoke inhalation and thermal burn injuries and human beings with similar injuries; these were characterized by transient myocardial thickening, cardiac troponin I elevation and formation of intracardiac thrombosis. While the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, results from murine models suggest that platelet priming and activation may contribute to a global hypercoagulable state and thrombosis. Herein, we evaluated and compared the degree of platelet activation, platelet response to physiologic agonists and levels of platelet-derived microvesicles (PDMV) in 29 cats with naturally occurring wildfire thermal injuries, 21 clinically healthy cats with subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and 11 healthy cats without HCM (CC). We also quantified and compared circulating PDMVs in WF cats to CC cats. In addition, we examined the association between thrombotic events, severity of burn injuries, myocardial changes, and the degree of platelet activation in cats exposed to wildfires. Flow cytometric detection of platelet surface P-selectin expression showed that cats in the wildfire group (WF) had increased platelet response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and thrombin compared to the 2 control groups indicating the presence of primed platelets in circulation. In addition, cats in the WF group had increased circulating levels of PDMV, characterized by increased phosphatidylserine on the external leaflet. Cats in the WF group with documented intracardiac thrombosis had elevated platelet activation and platelet priming in the presence of ADP or thrombin. While high dose arachidonic acid (AA) mostly resulted in platelet inhibition, persistent platelet activation in response to AA was noted among cats in the WF group with intracardiac thrombosis. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses demonstrated that increased platelet response to AA was independently associated with thrombotic events. This is the first study reporting the significant association between platelet priming and intracardiac thrombosis in domestic cats with naturally occurring wildfire-related injuries and smoke inhalation. Further studies are required to delineate additional mechanisms between inflammation and thrombosis, especially regarding platelet primers and the cyclooxygenase pathway.
Analysis Of Dose At 3D-Crt And Imrt Techniques In Left Breast Cancer Case With Hypofractionation Using Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold (Dibh)
Authors: - Samsun - , Arif Muhammad Arif , Septayudha Gregorius Septayudha
Published: August 2021

In terms of breast cancer radiation treatment, it has radiation using the 3D-Conformal Radiotherapy (3D-CRT) technique and the continuation of the 3D-CRT technique, namely the Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) technique. This study aims to evaluate the dosage aspects of PTV and OAR between the 3D-CRT and IMRT techniques in cases of left breast cancer with hypofractionation using the Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) method using the Conformity Index (CI) and Homogeneity Index (H.I.) and H.I. organ at risk uses tolerance limits. This type of research is comparative quantitative with ten samples with primary data conducted at Siloam T.B. Hospital. Simatupang from November 2019 to April 2020. The research was carried out in the form of radiation planning with 3D-CRT techniques and IMRT techniques, and the results of planning both techniques were evaluated between 3D-CRT techniques and IMRT techniques through PTV evaluations using CI and H.I. values. Furthermore, the organs at risk use tolerance limits on each organ. The results showed the assessment between 3D-CRT and IMRT on PTV and organs at risk received different doses. The PTV shows the CI value, which is almost the same as the difference of 0.034, and there is a slight difference in H.I. with an average value in the IMRT technique of 0.07 and 3D-CRT of 0.11, and it can be seen that the IMRT is slightly superior because the excellent H.I. value is the closest to 0. Then at the dose of organ at risk received by the sample, the 3D-CRT technique is slightly superior by obtaining a lower dose that obtains the difference in the heart by 0.53%, lung by 3.46%, spinal cord by 6.51 Gy, esophagus at 4.5 Gy, and larynx at 5.18 Gy.
Design and Synthesis of a Siderophore-Based Fluorescent Probe and Its Application in Selective Detection of Aeromonas
Authors: Cisneros-Sureda Javier , Rey-Varela Diego , Rodríguez Jaime , Balado Miguel , Lemos Manuel L. , Jiménez Carlos
Published: August 2021

Amonabactins, the siderophores produced by some pathogenic bacteria belonging to Aeromonas genus, can be used for the preparation of conjugates that can be imported into the cell using their specific transport machinery. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a new amonabactin-based fluorescent probe by conjugation of the appropiate amonabactin analogue to sulforhodamine B (AMB-SRB) using a thiol-maleimide click reaction. Growth promotion assays and fluorescence microscopy studies demonstrated that AMB-SRB fluorescent probe was able to label the fish pathogenic bacterium A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida through its outer membrane transport (OMT) protein FstC. The labelling of other Aeromonas species such as the human pathogenic A. hydrophila, indicates that this probe can be a very useful molecular tool for studying the amonabactin-dependent iron uptake mechanism. Furthermore, the selective labelling of A. salmonicida and other Aeromonas species in presence of other fish pathogenic bacteria, suggest the potential application of this probe for detection of Aeromonas in water and other fish farming samples through fluorescence assays.
SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Predominant at a Tertiary-Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alhamlan Fatimah , Al-Qahtani Ahmed , Obeid Dalia , Aljumaah Suliman , Alghamdi Salem , ALNAFEE KHALED , Alsanea Madain , Alahideb Basma , Almutairi Shuruq , Alsuwairi Feda , Al-Abdulkarim Maha , Asiri Mohamed , Alkahtani Jalwa , Altamimi Sara , Mutabagani Maysoon , Althawadi Sahar , Almaghrabi Reem
Published: August 2021

Despite the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the delta (B.1.617.2) variant of concern (VOC) has spread globally, and breakthrough infections have been reported. We identified the circulating variants and effectiveness of those vaccines between April and June 2021 at a tertiary-care hospital in Saudi Arabia. Among 320 patients with confirmed COVID-19 (mean age, 39 years; 53.6% male), 70.6% received a one-dose vaccination; 15.1% received two-dose vaccinations; 14. 3% were unvaccinated; 64.9% received Oxford-AstraZeneca; and 32.5% received Pfizer-BioNTech. Most breakthrough cases involving VOCs (71%) occurred among patients who received a one-dose Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination, and most patients with breakthrough disease were infected with the delta variant. Among all VOCs and non-VOCS, the delta variant was most frequently detected and was associated with young age (20–49 years), males, symptoms, and low cycle threshold value. These findings indicate an increased rate of transmission for the delta variant in this cohort.
The neuromorphic Mosaic: re-configurable in-memory small-world graphs
Authors: Dalgaty Thomas , Moro Filippo , De Pra Alessio , Indiveri Giacomo , Vianello Elisa , Payvand Melika
Published: August 2021

Thanks to their non-volatile and multi-bit properties, memristors have been extensively used as synaptic weight elements in neuromorphic architectures. However, their use to define and re-program the network connectivity has been overlooked.
Here, we propose, implement and experimentally demonstrate Mosaic, a neuromorphic architecture based on a systolic array of memristor crossbars. For the first time, we use distributed non-volatile memristors not only for computation, but also for routing (i.e., to define the network connectivity). Mosaic is particularly well-suited for the implementation of re-configurable small-world graphical models, with dense local and sparse global connectivity - found extensively in the brain. We mathematically show that, as the networks scale up, the Mosaic requires less memory than in conventional memristor approaches. We map a spiking recurrent neural network on the Mosaic to solve an Electrocardiogram (ECG) anomaly detection task. While the performance is either equivalent or better than software models, the advantage of the Mosaic was clearly seen in respective one and two orders of magnitude reduction in energy requirements, compared to a micro-controller and address-event representation-based processor. Mosaic promises to open up a new approach to designing neuromorphic hardware based on graph-theoretic principles with less memory and energy.
Seroprevalence of Antibodies against SARS COV- 2 among Health Care Workers at Tertiary Care Hospital, Uttarakhand: A Retrospective study
Authors: Saini Amit K , Panda Prasan Kumar , Bahurupi Yogesh Arvind , Omar Balram , T Akhil , Panwar Pooja , Sharma Maneesh
Published: August 2021

Background: The number of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections is vastly underestimated. In this context, Seroprevalence surveys are of utmost importance to assess the proportion of the population that has already developed antibodies against the virus and might potentially be protected against subsequent infection. Health care workers face greater risk of developing SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, present retrospective study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers at tertiary care institute, Uttarakhand. Material and Methods : Data was gathered from Hospital records of 704 healthcare workers admitted at COVID 19 Unit and attended Covid-OPD of tertiary care institute, Uttarakhand in-between 15th July to 14th Aug 2020. Result: Out of the 704 recruited participants, 14 (1.99%) were seropositive for IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The cumulative prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (presence of antibodies or past or current positive RT-PCR) was 4.40%. Conclusion: The present study shows a low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies among health care workers. In addition, posting in COVID-19-positive areas was not associated with increased seropositivity. More studies are warranted to assess IgG/IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among those HCW who are exposed to COVID-19 patients.
Phenolic Composition of Dipteryx alata Vogel Pulp + Peel and Its Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Properties
Authors: Barizão Érica , Boeing Joana , Rotta Eliza , Volpato Hélito , Nakamura Celso , Maldaner Liane , Visentainer Jesuí
Published: August 2021

Dipteryx alata Vogel is a native fruit from Brazil, which has been poorly investigated concerning its phenolic composition and the biological effects of its pulp + peel. Thus, in this study we evaluated the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of the D. alata pulp + peel extracts obtained with different solvents, as well as determined the phenolic compounds by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. In addition, cytotoxic effects of D. alata pulp + peel extract on non-tumor and cancer cell lines were investigated for the first time. The results showed that phenolic compounds can be efficiently extracted from pulp + peel of D. alata by organic solvent-water mixtures as an extraction system. The developed UHPLC-MS/MS method allowed the quantification of eighteen phenolic compounds in D. alata pulp + peel extract for the first time, which luteolin and trans-cinnamic acid were predominant. In addition, D. alata pulp + peel extract exhibited better cytotoxity against SiHa and C33A cervical cancer cell lines, while weak cytotoxicity was noticed against non-tumor HaCaT and L929 cell lines, pointing out its safety and providing preliminary evidence of its anticancer potential. Our findings indicate that D. alata pulp + peel can be explored as a natural source of phenolic compounds with promising antioxidant and cytotoxic properties.