bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential factors associated with the blood metal concentrations of reproductive-age women in Taiwan
Authors: Ying Tsung-Ho , Huang Chun-Jui , Hsieh Chia-Jung , Wu Pei-Ju , Yeh Chang-Ching , Hung Ping-Kun , Chang Wei-Hsiang , Wu Meng-Hsing , Hung Hsin , Chang Jung-Wei , Wang Chen-Tai , Arcega Rachelle D. , Mahmudiono Trias , Lee Ching-Chang , Chen Hsiu-Ling
Published: October 2022

Exposure of reproductive-age women to toxic trace elements warrants attention because of their negative effects. This study aimed to investigate the levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) in the blood of 837 Taiwanese childbearing-age women and establish the correlation between their dietary pattern and heavy metal concentration. The concentrations of Cd and Pb were significantly higher in nonpregnant women than in pregnant women (Cd: 2.41 µg/L vs. 2.12 µg/L; Pb: 0.83 µg/dL vs. 0.73 µg/dL), whereas the concentration of Cr was significantly lower in nonpregnant women than in pregnant women (Cr: 0.98 µg/L vs. 1.05 µg/L). Otherwise, no significant differences in As (9.02 µg/L vs. 9.51 µg/L) and Hg (3.71 µg/L vs. 3.79 µg/L) were found between the nonpregnant and pregnant women. Overall, the levels of As, Hg, and Cd were higher in women from Taiwan than in those from other countries, and the blood metal concentrations of Cd and Hg showed a decreasing trend in the different pregnancy stages. The levels of As and Hg were highly correlated with seafood intake. Finally, lifestyle habits, such as burning incense usage and Chinese herb intake may contribute to metal accumulation in maternal or reproductive-age women. Preventive risk communication and educational strategies should be applied to these subgroups in view of food safety and public health concern.
The First Successful Desensitization Protocol in Exenatide Allergy: A Case Report
Authors: Yeğit Osman Ozan , Sarıbeyliler Göktuğ , Karadağ Pelin , Demir Semra , Gül Nurdan , Ünal Derya , Gelincik Aslı
Published: October 2022

Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are important treatment options in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. To date, few immediate allergic reactions due to GLP1 analogues were reported. One report revealed that a patient with an immediate hypersensitivity reaction due to exenatide was able to tolerate liraglutide, the alternative GLP-1 receptor agonist. Since exenatide is the only available GLP-1 receptor agonist covered by insurance in our country, a drug desensitization protocol, the only therapeutic method in hypersensitivity reactions used in case of absence of an alternative drug, was considered. Here we report a successful desensitization protocol for the first time in two obese diabetic patients with an immediate hypersensitivity to exenatide.
Case presentation: The first patient was a 47-year-old female. She was referred to our outpatient allergy clinic because of a generalized urticaria developed within minutes in the first week of an exenatide BID 5 mcg/20 mcl treatment. The second patient was a 46-year-old female. She had a large local immediate injection site reaction appeared in 15 minutes following an exenatide BID 5 mcg/20 mcl injection for a month. We applied desensitization with exenatide to two patients who need GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment. Protocol was completed in 7 steps in approximately 3 hours, with the aim of reaching the daily dosage of exenatide. Throughout this process, we observed that both cases tolerated the protocol without any complaints or complications.
Conclusions: We present the first successful desensitization protocol to exenatide in both local and/or systemic immediate hypersensitivity reactions and indicate the importance of desensitization in patients who do not have alternative therapies.
Urinary bis(monacylglycerol) phosphate (BMP) levels are higher in LRRK2 and GBA1 variant carriers but do not predict disease progression in PPMI cohorts
Authors: Merchant Kalpana , Simuni Tanya , Fedler Janel , Caspell-Garcia Chelsea , Brumm Michael , Nudelman Kelly , Tengstrand Elizabeth , Hsieh Frank , Alcalay Roy , Coffey Chris , Chahine Lana , Foroud Tatiana , Singleton Andrew , weintraub daniel , Hutten Samantha , Sherer Todd , Siderowf Andrew , Mollenhauer Brit , Tanner Caroline , Marek Ken
Published: October 2022

We quantified concentrations of three isoforms of the endolysosomal lipid, bis(monoacylglycerol) phosphate (BMP) in urine of deeply phenotyped cohorts in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative: LRRK2 G2019S PD (N = 134) and non-manifesting carriers (NMC) (G2019S + NMC; N = 182), LRRK2 R1441G PD (N = 15) and R1441G + NMC (N = 15), GBA1 N409S PD (N = 76) and N409S + NMC (N = 178), sporadic PD (sPD, N = 379) and healthy controls (HC) (N = 190). Effects of each mutation and disease status were analyzed using nonparametric methods. Longitudinal changes in BMP levels were analyzed using linear mixed models. At baseline, all LRRK2 carriers had 3-7x higher BMP levels compared to HC, irrespective of the disease status. GBA1 N409S carriers also showed significant, albeit smaller, elevation (~ 30–40%) in BMP levels compared to HC. In LRRK2 G2019S PD, urinary BMP levels remained stable over two years. Furthermore, baseline BMP levels did not predict disease progression as measured by striatal DaT imaging, MDS-UPDRS III Off or MoCA in any of the cohorts. These data support the utility of BMP as a target modulation biomarker in therapeutic trials of genetic and sPD but not as a prognostic or disease progression biomarker.
QTL mapping of oleic acid content in modern VNIIMK sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. ) lines by using GBS-based SNP map
Authors: Gubaev Rim , Boldyrev Stepan , Martynova Elena , Chernova Alina , Kovalenko Tatyana , Chebanova Yuliya , Peretyagina Tatyana , Goryunova Svetlana , Goryunov Denis , Mukhina Zhanna , Ben Cecile , Gentzbittel Laurent , Khaitovich Philipp , Demurin Yakov
Published: October 2022

Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid increasing oil oxidative stability. High content of oleic acid is thus a valuable trait in oilseed crops. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) normally accumulates linoleic acid as a major fatty acid, but a mutant expressing a high oleic phenotype form was previously obtained by chemical mutagenesis and mapped on the sunflower genome. Several studies suggest the presence of additional genes involved in the control of the high content of oleic acid, with their expression possibly depending on the genetic background. To test this hypothesis, we performed a QTL mapping of the high oleic acid trait within two independent F2 crosses involving lines with contrasting oleic acid content from the Pustovoit All-Russia Research Institute of Oil Crops (VNIIMK) collection. We applied genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to construct single nucleotide polymorphism-based genetic maps and performed QTL mapping using quantitative and qualitative encoding for oleic acid content. Our results support the finding that the oleic acid content in the assessed crosses is controlled by one major effect locus. However, different dominant/recessive effects of the major locus were reported for both crosses. Additionally, a possible translocation between chromosome 7 and 14 was reported in one assessed cross. We defined a set of single nucleotide polymorphism markers for each cross which could be used for marker-assisted selection.
A dual deep neural network for auto-delineation in cervical cancer radiotherapy with clinical validation
Authors: Nie Shihong , Zhao Fen , Wei Yuanfeng , Dong Ya , Chen Yan , Li Qiaoqi , Du Wei , Li Xin , Yang Xi , Li Zhiping
Published: October 2022

Background and purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are capable of automatically detecting contouring boundaries in medical images. However, the algorithms impact on clinical practice of cervical cancer are unclear. We aimed to develop an AI-assisted system for automatic contouring of the clinical target volume (CTV) and organs-at-risk (OARs) in cervical cancer radiotherapy and conduct clinical-based observations.
Materials and methods: We first retrospectively collected data of 203 patients with cervical cancer from three groups (A, B, C). The proposed method named as SegNet was developed and trained with different data groups. Quantitative metrics and clinical-based grading were used to evaluate differences between several groups of automatic contours. Then, 20 additional cases were conducted to compare the workload and quality of AI-assisted contours with manual delineation from scratch.
Results: For automatic CTVs, SegNet trained with incorporating multi-group data achieved 0.85±0.01, which was statistically better than SegNet independently trained with the single group A (0.82±0.04), B (0.82±0.03) or C (0.81±0.04). The clinical-based grading also showed that SegNet trained with multi-group data obtained better performance of 352/360 relative to it trained with the single group A (334/360), B (333/360) or C (320/360). The manual revision time for automatic CTVs (OARs not yet include) was 9.54±2.42 minutes relative to fully manual delineation with 30.95 ± 15.24 minutes.
Conclusion: The proposed SegNet can improve the performance at automatic delineation for cervical cancer radiotherapy by incorporating multi-group data. It is clinically applicable that the AI-assisted system can shorten manual delineation time at no expense of quality.
Changing the game in purchasing health services: findings from a provider-purchaser engagement in Kenya
Authors: Kazungu Jacob , Mbithi Leonora , Onyes Uju , Nwaononiwu Ebubechi , Marangu Moses , Mamo Anabay , Nyalita Anastasia , Mbuthia Boniface , Musuva Anne , Bodunrin Oludare , Kwesiga Brendan
Published: October 2022

Background: Kenya has committed to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030 and has prioritized purchasing reforms. Enhancing effective provider-purchaser engagements is quintessential to transitioning to strategic purchasing reforms on provider selection or empanelment, benefits package design and provider payments mechanism. This study assessed the challenges hindering effective provider-purchaser engagement in Kenya and proposed actionable solutions to policymakers and actors.
Methods: The study applied a cross-sectional qualitative study design. Data was collected using interviews – incorporating both focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews (IDIs) and a consensus-building workshop with stakeholders representing healthcare providers, medical professional bodies, the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF – at county/branch and national level), health insurance beneficiaries, the Council of Governors (COG) and the ministry of health (MOH). Purposive sampling was employed to select stakeholder representatives for each of the stakeholder clusters.
Results: Provider-purchaser challenges were identified to result from 1) human resource gaps (understaffing and staff turnover), 2) infrastructure gaps (both hardware and software), 3) knowledge and skill gaps, and 4) governance issues attributed to bureaucratic processes, poor accountability mechanisms and poor mechanisms of communication between providers and purchasers.
Providers and purchasers emphasized the need for 1) automation of processes, 2) review of provider payment mechanisms (PPMs), 3) regular capacity building of providers, 4) effective communication and accountability and 5) development of public-private contracting frameworks as key actionable solutions for implementation.
Conclusion: Challenges hindering effective provider-purchaser engagements result largely from human resources, infrastructure, capacity, communication and accountability gaps. Reforms aimed at addressing these gaps must focus on building staff capacity in the payment process , employment or prioritization of staff to the payment process, adoption of information systems or technology to automate processes (both on empanelment and payment) and establishment of working communication channels (both automated and in-person processes) that are regular. Such reforms should be tailored to the stakeholders' actions and monitored to ensure adequate implementation to enhance provider-purchaser engagements.
Orbital Angular Momentum in the near-field of a fork grating
Authors: Dettlaff Krispin , Zolliker Peter , Mavrona Elena , Hack Erwin
Published: October 2022

Light beams that carry Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) are explored in applications from microscopy to quantum communication. At the same time, a revival of the Talbot effect is seen in modern optics from atomic systems to x-ray phase contrast interferometry. In this paper, we link these two phenomena through a symbiotic interaction in the THz range by means of binary amplitude fork gratings. While the assessment of OAM in the far-field diffraction orders of a fork grating is well-established, here we show how the topological charge of the diffracted beam can be evidenced in the near-field by means of the Talbot effect. For this purpose, the evolution of the diffracted beam behind the fork grating is analysed in Fourier domain. We obtain the typical donut-shaped power distribution and isolate the inherent phase vortex using the Fourier phase retrieval method.
Facile preparation of high performance low concentration HCHO degradation catalyst from waste Li-MnO2 batteries
Authors: Liu WanTong , Yu Tian Shou , Dai Zhifeng , Zhang Ming , Jin Hongxiao , Ge Hongliang , Wang Xinqing , Jin Dingfeng , Lou Hui
Published: October 2022

The recycling and utilization of lithium-ion batteries has received a lot of attention. The use of recycled waste lithium-manganese batteries to degrade formaldehyde contaminated gas by adsorption is certainly killing two birds with one stone. In this paper, efficient catalysts capable of degrading formaldehyde were obtained using lithium-manganese button batteries being discharged to different levels and then recovering the cathode material by a simple method and labelled as LixMnO2 (x = 0.00; 0.25; 0.50; 0.75; 1.00). The fully discharged cathode material Li1.00-MnO2 degraded formaldehyde at nearly 100% (less than 0.1 ppm) within 24 h at room temperature, which is twice the degradation rate of the undischarged cathode material. The high degradation efficiency is attributed to the continuous doping of Li+ as the discharge proceeds and the conversion of Mn(IV) to Mn(III), so the lattice gap, defects, surface oxygen species and specific surface area of the catalyst increase. and the surface oxygen involved in the degradation of formaldehyde increases. The catalytic activity of the catalyst for formaldehyde gradually increased with the discharge, promoting the catalytic degradation effect. The degradation rate of formaldehyde at low concentrations was close to 100% within 24 hours. This study provides an attractive approach for converting lithium battery electrode materials into formaldehyde degradation catalysts to improve the indoor environment.
Ultra-broadband polarization-independent omnidirectional reflectors via dielectric-reversal quasicrystal heterostructure multilayer films
Authors: WANG HUANHUAN , GUO XIAOFAN , ZHAO XIANG , DONG GUOYAN
Published: October 2022

Since quasicrystals provide additional freedom to expand photonic bandgap, dielectric quasi-periodic sequences of broadbands become crucial for implementing low-loss omnidirectional reflectors or filters. The current major challenge is to find an elegant scheme to construct angle-insensitive multilayer structures with fewer layer numbers. In this work, we create an appealing quasiperiodic ordering of the dielectric-reversal Fibonacci sequence to optimize the properties of omnidirectional reflectors. We have concatenated it to a periodic sequence to construct the omnidirectional reflector of hybrid multilayers with thin thickness and reflectivity above 99% over a visible scope from 436 nm to 559 nm. An ultrabroad polarization-independent omnidirectional bandgap of the relative bandwidth of 39.8% has been achieved by cascading two dielectric-reversal ordering sequences. The self-similarity of Fibonacci multilayer structures along with this characteristic quasiperiodic order guarantees the existence of perfect omnidirectional reflections at any scale. This ordering strategy of dielectric-reverse essentially differs from previous conjugate and recursion methods, which will significantly enrich the variety of quasiperiodic orders in theory and applied science domains.
RNA interference targeting hepatic angiopoietin-like protein 3 results in prolonged reductions in serum triglyceride and non-HDL-cholesterol concentrations: first human results with ARO-ANG3
Authors: Watts Gerald , Schwabe Christian , Scott Russell , Gladding Patrick , Sullivan David , Baker John , Clifton Peter , Given Bruce , Hamilton James , Melquist Stacey , Chang Ting , Zhou Rong , Martin Javier San , Gaudet Daniel , Goldberg Ira , Knowles Joshua , Hegele Robert , Ballantyne Christie
Published: October 2022

Elevated triglycerides and non-HDL-cholesterol (C) are risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). AROANG3 is a RNA interference therapy targeting hepatocyte production of angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3), a regulator of lipoprotein metabolism. This Phase 1 trial (NCT03747224) investigated single and repeat doses of AROANG3 in healthy volunteers and repeat doses in subjects with hepatic steatosis. AROANG3 was well tolerated without adverse changes in liver fat in steatotic subjects. In healthy volunteers, ARO-ANG3 produced reductions in ANGPTL3 (mean − 45% to -78%) 12 weeks post-dose. Concurrent reductions in triglycerides (median 34% to 54%) and nonHDL-C (mean 18% to 29%) were observed with the 3 highest doses. Reduced LDL-C was seen with repeat dosing. The data support ANGPTL3 as a potential therapeutic target for treatment of ASCVD.
Obesity and hyperlipidemia aggravate serum amino acid metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Xia Hui , Wang Ying , Yu Junhui , Pan Da , Lu Yifei , Xu Dengfeng , Wang Shaokang , Yang Ligang , Sun Guiju
Published: October 2022

Aims: Obesity and dyslipidemia are risk factors for insulin resistance and T2D development. The potential mechanism of progression of diabetes by the metabolomics approach is still unclear. This cross-sectional study aims to identify the metabolites related to T2D and T2D combined with obesity or hyperlipidemia.
Materials and methods: 58 T2D patients were allocated to 3 groups (T2D (n=20), T2D + obesity (n=12), T2D + hyperlipidemia groups (n=26)). An age-matched healthy subjects were recruited as the control group (n=20). The fasting serum was obtained for cytokine detection and metabolomics analysis.
Results: The highest levels of serum growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) were found in the patients with T2D and obesity. Finally, 20 metabolites between the T2D + obesity and Healthy control groups, 32 metabolites between the T2D + hyperlipidemia and Healthy control groups, 11 metabolites between the T2D + obesity and the T2D groups, and 13 metabolites between the T2D + hyperlipidemia and the T2D groups were found significantly distinct. Amino acid metabolism was disturbed for patients with T2D with/without obesity or hyperlipidemia mainly including D-glutamine and D-glutamate, taurine and hypotaurine, beta-alanine, alanine, aspartate and glutamate, arginine and proline, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate and glycine, serine and threonine metabolism. In addition, beta-alanine, glycine, serine and threonine, arginine and proline, and pyruvate metabolism may be involved in the patients with T2D with obesity or hyperlipidemia compared with patients with T2D.
Conclusions: Overall, obesity and hyperlipidemia may aggravate the progression of T2D by disruption of amino acid metabolism.
Neutrophil to High-density Lipoprotein ratio (NHR) as a Potential Predictor of Disease severity and survival time in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Authors: Kong Yu , Chen Zhongyun , Zhang Jing , Wu Liyong
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal and irreversible neurodegenerative disease. Identification of inexpensive and easy-to-implement biomarkers of CJD which could predict disease severity and patient survival is important for improving disease management. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of peripheral neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), monocyte to HDL ratio (MHR) and neutrophil to HDL ratio (NHR) for CJD.
Methods: Patients with definite or probable CJD admitted to the Neurology Department of Xuanwu Hospital from 2014 to 2021 were enrolled and followed up until April 2022. Clinical information including sex, age, Barth Index, survival time and results of auxiliary examination were collected, and NLR, HDL, NHR and MHR were measured for all enrolled patients. The associations between NLR, HDL, NHR and MHR, and disease severity (evaluated by Barth Index), survival time and auxiliary examinations were evaluated.
Results: A total of 88 CJD patients were enrolled and all were deceased. NLR (r=-0.341, p=0.001), NHR (r=-0.346, p=0.001) and MHR (r=-0.327, p=0.002) were significantly associated with disease severity. Higher NHR (HR=2.344, 95% CI=1.277-4.303 p=0.006) and lower HDL (HR=0.567, 95% CI=0.346-0.930, p=0.025) were associated with shorter survival time in the CJD patients.
Conclusions: Peripheral inflammatory biomarkers can potentially predict disease severity and prognosis in CJD patients. NHR in particular is significantly associated with disease severity and survival duration. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms and treatment strategies of CJD.
A Survey of Israeli Physical Therapists Regarding Perturbation-Based Balance Training
Authors: Margalit Noam , Kurz Ilan , Wacht Oren , Mansfield Avril , Melzer Itshak
Published: October 2022

Background: ‘Perturbation-based balance training’ was developed to improve balance reactions to unexpected losses of balance. Although this training method is effective, its practical usage in the field of physical-therapy in Israel and world-wide is still unclear.
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the extent of perturbation-based balance training use in physical-therapy clinics in Israel, to identify the significant barriers to/facilitators for implementing perturbation-based balance training in clinical practice among physical therapists, and to determine which aspects of perturbation-based balance training most interest physical therapists in Israel.
Methods: Physical therapists in Israel completed a survey using a questionnaire regarding their knowledge and use of perturbation-based balance training in their clinical practices. We compared the specific use of perturbation-based balance training among users; non-users; and open-to-use physical therapists. The odds ratios of the facilitators and barriers were calculated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.
Results: Four-hundred and two physical therapists responded to a yes/no question regarding their use of perturbation-based balance training. Three-quarters (75.4%) of physical therapists reported using perturbation-based balance training in their practices. The most prevalent barrier cited was insufficient space for setting up equipment and most prevalent facilitator was having a colleague who uses perturbation-based balance training. Most of the respondents wanted to learn more about perturbation-based balance training, and most of the non-users wanted to expand their knowledge and mastery of perturbation-based balance training principles.
Conclusions: There are misconceptions and insufficient knowledge about perturbation-based balance training among physical therapists in Israel. Reliable information may help to improve general knowledge regarding perturbation-based balance training, and to facilitate the more widespread implementation of perturbation-based balance training as an effective fall-prevention intervention method.
Loneliness and trust issues reshape mental stress of expatriates during early COVID-19: a structural equation modelling approach
Authors: Billah Md Arif , Akhter Sharmin , Khan Md. Nuruzzaman
Published: October 2022

Objectives: To explore the relationship of perceived stress (PSS) regarding loneliness (PLS) interpersonal (IPT) and institutional trust (IT) among the expatriates during the early COVID-19 period.
Methods: Using the COVIDiSTRESS global survey data for 21,439 expatriates, this study applied pairwise correlation, structural equation modelling (SEM) and hierarchical linear regression analysis (HLRA). Descriptive statistics were provided for the sample representation.
Results: Expatriates were mostly female (73.85%), married (60.20%), highly educated (47.76%), and employed (48.72%). Over 63% of them reported that the COVID-19 changed their life. Age, PSS, PLS, IPT and IT were moderately interrelated to each other at p<0.001. SEM evaluated that lack of trust enhances the loneliness of expatriates and loneliness increases the perceived stress. Trust in a person was more likely found to be associated with the stress whereas loneliness mediated trusts and perceived stress. HLRA was found an insignificant contributor of institutional trusts.
Conclusion: PSS can be reduced through trusting others and elucidating the loneliness where the loneliness can be reduced through trusting others. This chain of psychosocial facts can be established over in the society for migrants and expatriates for mental wellbeing.
ITransformer_CNN: A Malicious DNS Detection Method with Flexible Feature Extraction
Authors: Zhang Wenyue , Chen Wei , Zhang Zhen , Zhang Fan , Wu Lifa
Published: October 2022

Attackers can use the domain name system (DNS), a crucial service of the network, to carry out harmful activity. The task of detecting malicious domain names has grown in importance in the fight against network crime. The increasing complexity of DNS attack requires new detection methods to deal with new threats. With machine learning and deep learning approaches, malicious DNS detection methods have made considerable strides in recent years. However there are still certain difficulties, such as inflexible feature extraction. To solve this problem, the combination model presented in this paper is based on an enhanced Transformer and a convolutional neural network (CNN). The encoder portion of the Transformer is used to extract domain name features once the network packet has been parsed. Using a multi-head attention mechanism, we pay particular attention to the sequence relationship between the domain name characters. The position relations and word vectors are directly inserted into the word embedding layer using one-hot encoding. They are forwarded to the CNN model for flow-based feature extraction after other traffic information has been analyzed. The features that were extracted by CNN and Transformer are combined into a feature matrix before being categorized, which increases the adaptability of feature extraction. The results of the experiments show that the proposed method is capable of accurately identifying different categories of malicious DNS with various features.
DFT study of regio- and stereo-selective 13DC reaction between diazopropane and substituted chalcone derivatives: Molecular docking of novel pyrazole derivatives as Anti-Alzheimer’s Agents
Authors: Zouaghi Mohamed Oussama , Omrani Rania , Arfaoui Youssef , Koko Waleed , Al-Hazmy Sadeq M. , Mansour Lamjed , Al-Tamimi Jameel , bouazizi younes , hamdi naceur
Published: October 2022

We report a mechanistic DFT study of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of diazopropane with substituted chalcones. All calculations were carried out at DFT/B3LYP, M06, and M06-2X with 6-311 + G(d,p) basis set using Gaussian program 09. Based on the IRC calculations, we have shown the stability of the pyrazoles over the oxadiazoles. Also, as a novelty, we have found that the use of two DAP equivalents leads to the obtaining of two thermodynamic products. Docking simulations were performed in order to investigate the biological activities of the studied molecules. We have found that products 1, 3, 4 and 14 were bound mainly to the CAS and PAS of AChE and BuChE inhibitors, respectively.
WITHDRAWN: Analyzing governing equations of multibody dynamic systems through kinematic properties of joints and effects of kinematic chains on closed-form mechanism
Authors: Mohammadi Yousef , Fatouraee Nasser , Bostanshirin Mehdi
Published: October 2022

In this study, the governing equations of dynamic systems were derived using a novel method that integrated the kinematic properties of joints and the complex kinematic chains of multibody systems into a set of governing equations. The governing equations of multibody systems were then transformed into ODE using the calculus of matrix-valued functions. This algorithm can efficiently obtain recursive differential equations of motion for multibody systems. Consequently, the computational cost of the simulation was reduced successfully. Andrew’s squeezing and carpet scraping mechanisms were utilized with kinematic constraints to validate the proposed method. Results indicated that the proposed method was 4.2 and 5.4 times faster than the other methods based on algebraic differential equations in Andrew’s squeezing and carpet scraping mechanism, respectively.
Thermal spread with Voyant 5 mm Fusion versus LigaSure 5 mm Blunt Tip Devices
Authors: Carmack Austin , Satchell Emma K. , Patel Apar S. , Bashiri Amir , Cagir Burt , Rizzo Anne
Published: October 2022

Thermal spread is an unavoidable side-effect of electrocautery, however limiting it is important for minimizing damage to surrounding tissues. LigaSure 5 mm Blunt Tip has been in use since 2009 while Voyant 5 mm Fusion has only been FDA approved since 2018. Our hospital, a rural academic tertiary care center, recently moved to purchasing Voyant because of cost concerns. We aimed to compare the thermal spread of the two tools on raw pork meat at two different cut depths and on both right and left sides. The LigaSure device had significantly less thermal spread than Voyant across all measurements. Based on our data, the LigaSure device should be chosen for use despite the increased cost.
Low immunoglobulin levels affect the course of COPD in hospitalized patients
Authors: Palikhe Nami Shrestha , Niven Malcena , Fuhr Desi , Sinnatamby Tristan , Rowe Brian H , Bhutani Mohit , Stickland Michael , Vliagoftis Harissios
Published: October 2022

Background
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects up to 10% of Canadians. Patients with COPD, as a result of chronic disease, poor nutrition, or frequent courses of oral corticosteroids, may present with secondary humoral immunodeficiency that might predispose them to mucosal infections. We hypothesized that decreased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels was associated with the severity of an acute COPD exacerbations (AECOPD).
Methods
A prospective study to examine inflammation and cardiovascular risk in patients hospitalized for COPD recruited patients on hospital admission and collected data on length of hospital stay at index admission, subsequent emergency department visits and hospital readmissions. Immunoglobulin levels were measured in serum collected prospectively at recruitment.
Results
Among the 51 patients recruited an admission for an AECOPD, 14 (27%) had low IgG, 1 (2.0%) low IgA and 16 (31.4%) low IgM; in total, 51% had at least one immunoglobulin below the normal range. Patients with low IgM had longer hospital stay during the index admission compared to patients with normal IgM levels (6.0 vs. 3.0 days, p = 0.003), but no difference in other clinical outcomes. In the whole cohort, there was a negative correlation between serum IgM levels and length of hospital stay (R= -0.317, p=0.024). There was no difference in clinical outcomes between subjects with normal and low IgG levels.
Conclusion
In patients presenting with AECOPD, low IgM is associated with longer hospital stay and may indicate a patient phenotype that would benefit from efforts to prevent respiratory infections.
Haplotype-resolved assemblies and variant benchmark of a Chinese Quartet
Authors: Jia Peng , Dong Lianhua , Yang Xiaofei , Wang Bo , Wang Tingjie , Lin Jiadong , Wang Songbo , Zhao Xixi , Xu Tun , Che Yizhuo , Dang Ningxin , Ren Luyao , Zhang Yujing , Wang Xia , Liang Fan , Wang Yang , Ruan Jue , Zheng Yuanting , Shi Leming , Wang Jing , Ye Kai
Published: October 2022

As the state-of-the-art sequencing technologies and computational methods enable investigation of challenging regions in the human genome, an update variant benchmark is demanded. Herein, we sequenced a Chinese Quartet, consisting of two monozygotic twin daughters and their biological parents, with multiple advanced sequencing platforms, including Illumina, BGI, PacBio, and Oxford Nanopore Technology. We phased the long reads of the monozygotic twin daughters into paternal and maternal haplotypes using the parent-child genetic map. For each haplotype, we utilized advanced long reads to generate haplotype-resolved assemblies (HRAs) with high accuracy, completeness, and continuity. Based on the ingenious quartet samples, novel computational methods, high-quality sequencing reads, and HRAs, we established a comprehensive variant benchmark, including 3,883,283 SNVs, 859,256 Indels, 9,678 large deletions, 15,324 large insertions, 40 inversions, and 31 complex structural variants shared between the monozygotic twin daughters. In particular, the preciously excluded regions, such as repeat regions and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region, were systematically examined. Finally, we illustrated how the sequencing depth correlated with the de novo assembly and variant detection, from which we learned that 30 × HiFi is a balance between performance and cost. In summary, this study provides high-quality haplotype-resolved assemblies and a variant benchmark for two Chinese monozygotic twin samples. The benchmark expanded the regions of the previous report and adapted to the evolving sequencing technologies and computational methods.
Efficiency Evaluation and Spatial Differences of Infrastructure Investment: Analysis by SBM-Undesirable and Spatial Auto-correlation
Authors: Zhang Qin , Yue Guanglong , Yu Xinping , He Chongyu , Bao Yinzi , Zhang Lening , Ni Taohan
Published: October 2022

Taking ecological benefits outputs into composition of index system, the efficiency of infrastructure investment is evaluated by SBM-Undesirable model, and spatial differences are processed by ArcGIS and Geoda model, based on data from 31 provinces in China. The conclusions are conducted as follows. Firstly, infrastructure investment efficiency in China is generally at a low level, and there are large differences among regions, in which the eastern shows the highest infrastructure investment efficiency, followed by the central region, and then the western region. Secondly, a significant positive spatial autocorrelation of infrastructure investment efficiency shows in each region, after the analysis taking the global Moran's I index. Thirdly, high spatial stability for infrastructure investment efficiency in most regions in China, taking the methodology of the LISA agglomeration plot and significance level plot. Then the suggestions are proposed including expanding input of infrastructure investment, highlighting cooperation among regions and promoting technology innovation in enterprises, to increase the efficiency of infrastructure investment.
Adaptive trio-ensemble deep neural network for high-frequency stock price prediction
Authors: Srivas Lokesh Kumar , KUMAR RAVINDER
Published: October 2022

The analysis and forecasting of stock price is a highly complex task since its inception. Researchers have proposed a hundreds of mathematical and machine learning based models to solve this high frequency prediction problem. The constraints that restricts the effective stock market forecasting method is its dependency on variety of factors like news, announcement of dividends, company policy, drastic changes at management level, launch of new products etc. The characteristics of Deep learning algorithms like choice of network structure, activation function, and other model parameters etc voted it as a best choice for prediction. This paper proposed an ensemble prediction model by exploiting three most promising variant of Deep Neural Network (DNN) namely Gaussian, Poisson, and Gamma out of six available probability distributions (Quantile, Gaussian, Poisson, Laplace, Huber, and Gamma). The experimental results show that the proposed ensemble deep learning model claimed the best accuracy of R2: 0.92 and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE): 0.17 as per the literature reviewed in this category.
Full life-cycle cutting force prediction in ball helical milling based on oblique cutting analysis
Authors: Zhou Zhitong , Wang Haiyan
Published: October 2022

In order to predict the change of cutting force in ball helical milling of titanium alloy, considering the kinematics of helical milling and the geometric model of ball end cutter, the cutting process is divided into three stages, cutting-in, steady and cutting-out stages, and the shape and volume of undeformed chip in different stages are described. Then according to the oblique cutting theory and the principle of maximum shear stress, the constraint relationships among the parameters such as friction angle, shear angle and shear stress in the micro-element are established. Thus based on the position parameters at different stages, a three-direction full life-cycle cutting force model is established, the cutting force coefficients are identified and expressed as Weibull functions of instantaneous undeformed chip thickness. Finally, the predicted cutting forces are compared with the experimental values. The results show that the maximum average error is less than 18%, which verify the accuracy of the model.
Coral reef structural complexity loss exposes coastlines to waves
Authors: Carlot Jérémy , Vousdoukas Michalis , Rovere Alessio , Karambas Theofanis , Lenihan Hunter S. , Kayal Mohsen , Adjeroud Mehdi , Pérez-Rosales Gonzalo , Hedouin Laetitia , Parravicini Valeriano
Published: October 2022

Coral reefs offer natural coastal protection by attenuating incoming waves. Here we combine unique coral disturbance-recovery observations with hydrodynamic models to quantify how structural complexity dissipates incoming wave energy. We find that if the structural complexity of healthy coral reefs conditions is halved, extreme wave run-up heights that occur once in a 100-years will become 50 times more frequent, threatening reef-backed coastal communities with increased waves, erosion, and flooding.
Optimal Design of Photovoltaic/Wind Turbine Systems for Producing Hydrogen Using a PEM Electrolyzer and MPPT Controller
Authors: Elbarbary Z. M. Salem , Awad Mohamed , Omar Ahmed I.
Published: October 2022

The current trend is to use renewable energy such as solar energy and wind energy to produce hydrogen. It is necessary for us to make a comparison of the effect of each of these sources on hydrogen production, and which one is more efficient in different environmental variables. This paper studied and modeled two sources of renewable energy which are Photovoltaic (PV) and Wind Turbine (WT) to power Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolyzer (PEMEL). By using MATLAB software, it is measured the input, and output power of PV and WT, the efficiency of the MPPT controller, and calculated the green hydrogen production rate and efficiency of each system separately. It is analyzed under variable irradiance from 600 to 1000 W/m2 for a PV system and fixed temperature equal to 25°C. While under variable wind speed from 10 to 14 m/s and zero fixed pitch angle for WT system. The results obtained that, the optimal power of WT to feed PEMEL is to be approximately two times PEMEL powered. Also, PV system is designed to be equal to PEMEL power. This study will be a reference for designing PV or WT to feed an electrolyzer.
Techniques predatory journals use to solicit manuscripts: a contrast between Africa (lower- income countries) and Canada (high income country)
Authors: Rafiq Rumana , Ashaba Scholastic , Wechuli Geoffrey , Bortolussi Robert , MacDonald Noni E
Published: October 2022

Background
Predatory journals charge authors for publication without quality peer review or editorial services. They target researchers not only in high-(HIC) but also in lower income countries (LIC). The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of predatory journals and their recruitment techniques aimed at researchers in LIC and HIC.
Methods
Four clinician researchers, two in lower income countries (Kenya and Uganda) and two in a high-income country (Canada), identified and collected unsolicited emails from suspected predatory journals over a six-month period in 2019; 50 randomly selected emails from researchers in Canada and 50 from African researchers. These were assessed for similarities and differences using a set of criteria derived from the literature on predatory publishing.
Findings:
Features common to both the LIC and HIC groups included requesting email not website manuscript submission and claiming a very rapid processing timeline. In comparison to the HIC group, emails from the LIC group were significantly more likely to have impersonal greetings, poor integrity, request an urgent reply, and request an email back to unsubscribe from further emails. The websites of journals targeting LIC researchers were significantly more likely to use language that overly flattered authors and lacked a description of the peer review process. HIC target emails were more likely to be from journals out of scope of the authors’ work.
Interpretation:
We identified similarities and differences between LIC and HIC predatory journal submission request emails and their websites. Being aware of these different approaches may help authors better avoid predatory publishing in future.
Prediction of multi-sectoral longitudinal water withdrawals using hierarchical machine learning models
Authors: Shortridge Julie
Published: October 2022

Accurate models of water withdrawal are crucial in anticipating the potential water use impacts of drought and climate change. Machine-learning methods are increasingly used in water withdrawal prediction due to their ability to model the complex, nonlinear relationship between water use and potential explanatory factors. However, most machine learning methods do not explicitly address the hierarchical nature of water use data, where multiple observations through time are typically available for multiple facilities, and these facilities can be grouped in a variety of different ways. This work presents a novel approach for prediction of water withdrawals across multiple usage sectors using an ensemble of models fit at different hierarchical levels. A dataset of over 300,000 records of water withdrawal was used to fit models at the facility and sectoral grouping levels, as well as across facility clusters defined by temporal water use characteristics. Using repeated holdout cross validation, it demonstrates that ensemble predictions based on models learned from different data groupings improve withdrawal predictions for 63% of facilities relative to facility-level models. The relative improvement gained by ensemble modeling was greatest for facilities with fewer observations and higher variance, indicating its potential value in predicting withdrawal for facilities with relatively short data records or data quality issues. Inspection of the ensemble weights indicated that cluster level weights were often higher than sector level weights, pointing towards the value of learning from the behavior of facilities with similar water use patterns, even if they are in a different sector.
An integrated organoid omics map extends modeling potential of kidney disease
Authors: Lassé Moritz , Eddy Sean , Saghir Jamal El , Fischer Matthew , Hutzfeldt Arvid , Berthier Celine , Bonin Léna , Dumoulin Bernhard , Menon Rajasree , Vega-Warner Virginia , Eichinger Felix , Alakwaa Fadhl , Fermin Damian , McCown Phillip , Godfrey Bradley , Brandts Paul , Ju Wenjen , Reinhard Linda , Hoxha Elion , Grahammer Florian , Lindenmeyer Maja , Huber Tobias , Schlüter Hartmut , Thiel Steffen , Mariani Laura , Kretzler Matthias , Demir Fatih , Harder Jennifer , Rinschen Markus
Published: October 2022

Kidney organoids are a promising model to study kidney disease, but use is constrained by limited knowledge of their functional protein expression profile. We aimed to define the organoid proteome and transcriptome trajectories over culture duration and upon exposure to TNFα, a cytokine stressor. Older organoids increased deposition of extracellular matrix but decreased expression of glomerular proteins. Single cell transcriptome integration revealed that most proteome changes localized to podocytes, tubular and stromal cells. TNFα-treatment of organoids effected 320 differentially expressed proteins, including cytokines and complement components. Transcript expression of these 320 proteins was significantly higher in individuals with poorer clinical outcomes in proteinuric kidney disease. Key TNFα-associated protein (C3 and VCAM1) expression was increased in both human tubular and organoid kidney cell populations, highlighting the potential for organoids to advance biomarker development. By integrating kidney organoid omic layers, incorporating a disease-relevant cytokine stressor and comparing to human data, we provide crucial evidence of functional relevance of the kidney organoid model to human kidney disease.
Ammonia volatilization and marandu grass production in response to enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers
Authors: Cassimiro Juliana Bonfim , de Oliveira Clayton Luis Baravelli , Boni Ariele da Silva , Donato Natália de Lima , Heinrichs Reges
Published: October 2022

Aims The objective of this study was to evaluate dry matter (DM) production of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu and ammonia volatilization in response to rates and sources of enhanced-efficiency N fertilizers.
Methods The experiment was installed in a pasture area, evaluated over two growing seasons. A randomized block design with four replications was used, in a 4x2+1 factorial arrangement, consisting of four N sources (Urea - Ur Conv ; Ammonium nitrate - AN; Ureia+NBPT - Ur NBPT ; Urea+Duromide - Ur Duromide ) and two nitrogen rates (100 and 200 kg ha -1 year), plus a treatment without nitrogen fertilization (control).
Results At both N rates, ammonia volatilization from Ur Conv100/200 was highest. Ammonia volatilization was lower after Ur NBPT and Ur Duromide application, with values similar to AN. Ammonia losses from Ur Duromide tend to be lower than from Ur NBPT . The N use efficiency in dry matter production of Marandu was influenced by the N sources and rates. At both N rates, the efficiency of Ur Duromide and Ur NBPT was greater than that of Ur Conv . With regard to total DM and leaf percentage in response to N rates, DM production increased after 200 kg N ha -1 rates in response to all sources, in both years.
Conclusions The Ur Duromide reduce N losses by volatilization compared to Ur NBPT and Ur conv, and resulted in greater total DM production and relative leaf production of Marandu, in comparison to Ur NBPT, AN and Ur conv.