bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Archaeal Orc1 protein interacts with T-rich single-stranded DNA
Authors: Wegrzyn Katarzyna , Konieczny Igor
Published: July 2021

Objective

The ability to form nucleoprotein complexes is a fundamental activity of DNA replication initiation proteins. They bind within or nearby the region of replication origin what results in melting of a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and formation of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) region where the replication machinery can assemble. For prokaryotic initiators it was shown that they interact with the formed ssDNA and that this interaction is required for the replication activity. The ability to interact with ssDNA was also shown for Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication initiation protein complex ORC. For Archaea, which combine features of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, there was no evidence whether DNA replication initiators can interact with ssDNA. We address this issue in this study.

Results

Using purified Orc1 protein from Aeropyrum pernix (ApOrc1) we analyzed its ability to interact with ssDNA containing sequence of an AT-rich region of the A. pernix origin Ori1 as well as with homopolymers of thymidine (polyT) and adenosine (polyA). The Bio-layer interferometry, surface plasmon resonance and microscale thermophoresis showed that the ApOrc1 can interact with ssDNA and it binds preferentially to T-rich ssDNA. The hydrolysis of ATP is not required for this interaction.
Huge scalp Morel-Lavallée lesion with eye involvement in a 3-year-old girl: a case report
Authors: Masumbuko Claude Kasereka , Bunduki Gabriel Kambale , Mumbere Mupenzi
Published: July 2021

Background

Morel-Lavallée lesions are posttraumatic, closed degloving injuries in which the skin and subcutaneous tissue are separated abruptly from superficial underlying fascia. This condition leads to an effusion containing hemolymph and necrotic fat. Magnetic resonance imaging, when available, is the modality of choice in the evaluation of Morel-Lavallée lesion. Early diagnosis and management is essential as any delay in diagnosis or missed lesion will lead to the effusion becoming infected or leading to extensive skin necrosis. We present a condition of a Morel-Lavallée lesion involving the scalp and complicated by conjunctival chemosis.

Case presentation

We report on a 3-year-old black African girl who presented a fluctuant swelling of entire scalp, extending to upper part of the face on the seventh day after a forehead trauma due to falling on a rock while playing. Skull x-ray revealed soft-tissue swelling, giving an impression of large fluid collection in the deep subcutaneous tissues with no bone fracture. A diagnosis of Morel-Lavallée lesion of the scalp complicated by conjunctival chemosis was made. The patient was managed with percutaneous drainage and compression bandage. The patient improved well and was subsequently discharged without any vision impairment. There was no recurrence of the lesion on follow-up.

Conclusions

The Morel-Lavallée lesion of the scalp complicated with conjunctival chemosis is a rare presentation of this condition. Prompt diagnosis and management are crucial for preventing complications. Image-guided diagnosis and treatment still remain a challenge in the setting of low-resource health facilities.
Emergency department impaired adherence to personal protective equipment donning and doffing protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lamhoot Tomer , Ben Shoshan Noa , Eisenberg Hagit , Fainberg Gilad , Mhiliya Mansour , Cohen Neta , Bisker-Kassif Orly , Barak Orly , Weiniger Carolyn , Capua Tali
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious viral pandemic that has claimed the lives of millions. Personal protective equipment (PPE) may reduce the risk of transmission for health care workers (HCWs), especially in the emergency setting. This study aimed to compare the adherence to PPE donning and doffing protocols in the Emergency Department (ED) vs designated COVID-19 wards and score adherence according to the steps in our protocol.

Design

Prior to managing COVID-19 patients, mandatory PPE training was undertaken for all HCWs. HCWs were observed donning or doffing COVID-19 restricted areas.

Setting

Donning and doffing was observed in COVID-19 designated Emergency department and compared to COVID-19 positive wards.

Participants

All HCWs working in the aforementioned wards during the time of observation.

Results

We observed 107 donning and doffing procedures (30 were observed in the ED). 50% HCWs observed donned PPE correctly and 37% doffed correctly. The ED had a significantly lower mean donning score (ED: 78%, Internal: 95% ICU: 96%, p < 0.001); and a significantly lower mean doffing score (ED: 72%, Internal: 85% ICU: 91%, p = 0.02).

Conclusions

As hypothesized, HCWs assigned to the designated ED wing made more protocol deviations compared with HCWs positive COVID-19 wards. Time management, acuity, lack of personnel, stress and known COVID-19 status may explain the lesser adherence to donning and doffing protocols. Further studies to assess the correlation between protocol deviations in use of PPE and morbidity as well as improvement implementations are required. Resources should be invested to ensure PPE is properly used.
Benchmarking geospatial database on Kubernetes cluster
Authors: Sharma Bharti , Bansal Poonam , Chugh Mohak , Chauhan Adisakshya , Anand Prateek , Hua Qiaozhi , Jain Achin
Published: July 2021

Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration system for automating container application operations and has been considered to deploy various kinds of container workloads. Traditional geo-databases face frequent scalability issues while dealing with dense and complex spatial data. Despite plenty of research work in the comparison of relational and NoSQL databases in handling geospatial data, there is a shortage of existing knowledge about the performance of geo-database in a clustered environment like Kubernetes. This paper presents benchmarking of PostgreSQL/PostGIS geospatial databases operating on a clustered environment against non-clustered environments. The benchmarking process considers the average execution times of geospatial structured query language (SQL) queries on multiple hardware configurations to compare the environments based on handling computationally expensive queries involving SQL operations and PostGIS functions. The geospatial queries operate on data imported from OpenStreetMap into PostgreSQL/PostGIS. The clustered environment powered by Kubernetes demonstrated promising improvements in the average execution times of computationally expensive geospatial SQL queries on all considered hardware configurations compared to their average execution times in non-clustered environments.
Pansharpening based on convolutional autoencoder and multi-scale guided filter
Authors: AL Smadi Ahmad , Yang Shuyuan , Kai Zhang , Mehmood Atif , Wang Min , Alsanabani Ala
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we propose a pansharpening method based on a convolutional autoencoder. The convolutional autoencoder is a sort of convolutional neural network (CNN) and objective to scale down the input dimension and typify image features with high exactness. First, the autoencoder network is trained to reduce the difference between the degraded panchromatic image patches and reconstruction output original panchromatic image patches. The intensity component, which is developed by adaptive intensity-hue-saturation (AIHS), is then delivered into the trained convolutional autoencoder network to generate an enhanced intensity component of the multi-spectral image. The pansharpening is accomplished by improving the panchromatic image from the enhanced intensity component using a multi-scale guided filter; then, the semantic detail is injected into the upsampled multi-spectral image. Real and degraded datasets are utilized for the experiments, which exhibit that the proposed technique has the ability to preserve the high spatial details and high spectral characteristics simultaneously. Furthermore, experimental results demonstrated that the proposed study performs state-of-the-art results in terms of subjective and objective assessments on remote sensing data.
The ESCRT-III protein VPS4, but not CHMP4B or CHMP2B, is pathologically increased in familial and sporadic ALS neuronal nuclei
Authors: Coyne Alyssa N. , Rothstein Jeffrey D.
Published: July 2021

Nuclear pore complex injury has recently emerged as an early and significant contributor to familial and sporadic ALS disease pathogenesis. However, the molecular events leading to this pathological phenomenon characterized by the reduction of specific nucleoporins from neuronal nuclear pore complexes remain largely unknown. This is due in part to a lack of knowledge regarding the biological pathways and proteins underlying nuclear pore complex homeostasis specifically in human neurons. We have recently uncovered that aberrant nuclear accumulation of the ESCRT-III protein CHMP7 initiates nuclear pore complex in familial and sporadic ALS neurons. In yeast and non-neuronal mammalian cells, nuclear relocalization of CHMP7 has been shown to recruit the ESCRT-III proteins CHMP4B, CHMP2B, and VPS4 to facilitate nuclear pore complex and nuclear envelope repair and homeostasis. Here, using super resolution structured illumination microscopy, we find that neither CHMP4B nor CHMP2B are increased in ALS neuronal nuclei. In contrast, VPS4 expression is significantly increased in ALS neuronal nuclei prior to the emergence of nuclear pore injury in a CHMP7 dependent manner. However, unlike our prior CHMP7 knockdown studies, impaired VPS4 function does not mitigate alterations to the NPC and the integral transmembrane nucleoporin POM121. Collectively our data suggest that while alterations in VPS4 subcellular localization appear to be coincident with nuclear pore complex injury, therapeutic efforts to mitigate this pathogenic cascade should be targeted towards upstream events such as the nuclear accumulation of CHMP7 as we have previously described.
New class of Lindley distributions: properties and applications
Authors: Hamed Duha , Alzaghal Ahmad
Published: July 2021

A new generalized class of Lindley distribution is introduced in this paper. This new class is called theT-Lindley{Y} class of distributions, and it is generated by using the quantile functions of uniform, exponential, Weibull, log-logistic, logistic and Cauchy distributions. The statistical properties including the modes, moments and Shannon’s entropy are discussed. Three new generalized Lindley distributions are investigated in more details. For estimating the unknown parameters, the maximum likelihood estimation has been used and a simulation study was carried out. Lastly, the usefulness of this new proposed class in fitting lifetime data is illustrated using four different data sets. In the application section, the strength of members of theT-Lindley{Y} class in modeling both unimodal as well as bimodal data sets is presented. A member of theT-Lindley{Y} class of distributions outperformed other known distributions in modeling unimodal and bimodal lifetime data sets.
Bayesian probabilistic forecasting with large-scale educational trend data: a case study using NAEP
Authors: Kaplan David , Huang Mingya
Published: July 2021

Of critical importance to education policy is monitoring trends in education outcomes over time. In the United States, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has provided long-term trend data since 1970; at the state/jurisdiction level, NAEP has provided long-term trend data since 1996. In addition to the national NAEP, all 50 states and United States jurisdictions participate in the state NAEP assessment. Thus, NAEP provides important monitoring and forecasting information regarding population-level academic performance of relevance to national and international goals. However, an inspection of NAEP trend reports shows that relatively simple trend plots are provided; and although these plots are important for communicating general trend information, we argue that much more useful information can be obtained by adopting a Bayesian probabilistic forecasting point of view. The purpose of this paper is to provide a Bayesian probabilistic forecasting workflow that can be used with large-scale assessment trend data generally, and to demonstrate that workflow with an application to the state NAEP assessments.
Processing and extraction methods of medicinal cannabis: a narrative review
Authors: Lazarjani Masoumeh Pourseyed , Young Owen , Kebede Lidya , Seyfoddin Ali
Published: July 2021

Introduction

As the cannabis industry transitions from a black market to a legal market, product development, and methods of extraction have become a focal point. To date, more than thousands of chemical constituents have been identified from the cannabis plant, all of which possess different chemical properties that require different conditions for preservation during drying and extraction. However, scientific publications that explore these areas for the cannabis plant are currently lacking.

Method

This is a narrative review paper which focuses on critiquing drying and extraction methods of Cannabis sativa L. plant. Relevant keywords such as medicinal cannabis, extraction, solvent, cannabinoids, and terpenes have been searched in PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library (Wiley) databases.

Result

To find relevant papers for this narrative review, 93 papers have been reviewed. Among them, 12 irrelevant papers were discarded. The excluded papers were either about hemp seed oil or hemp fiber and protein. Based on this review, solvent extraction is the most common method for cannabis plants. Although solventless and hydrodynamic extraction are known for their high yield and feasibility, more investigation is needed in these areas. Regarding the drying process, hang-drying is the most convenient method; however, it may be substituted by freeze-drying in the near future.

Discussion

This review analyses various drying and extraction processes to guide the selection of suitable methods for various types of cannabis products and applications. This is done by outlining traditional and modern methods of drying techniques, exploring the importance of solvents for extraction, visiting solventless extraction procedures, and finally comparing conventional and alternative methods of extraction.

Conclusion

In conclusion, based on the current knowledge, using organic solvents is the most convenient method for medicinal cannabis extraction. However, more research is needed for some of the drying and extraction methods. Also, developing a green and sustainable cannabis extraction method should be considered for future studies.
Toxicity assessment of the methanol extract of Jatropha tanjorensis (Euphorbiaceae) leaves
Authors: Chibuogwu C. Christian , Njoku U. Obioma , Nwodo F. C. Okwesili , Ozougwu E. O. Vincent , Nweze N. Victor
Published: July 2021

Background

The leaves of Jatropha tanjorensis have been found to have important application both in traditional medicine and as an edible vegetable in Nigerian soups. It is popularly employed in Nigeria for the treatment of anemia, diabetes, and malaria. The dearth of information on its toxicity prompted this study. Mice were administered single oral doses of 10, 100, 1000, 1600, 2900, and 5000 mg/kg b.wt (n = 3/group) of the extract and were observed for 24 h for any sign of toxicity and mortality in the acute toxicity study. For the sub-acute toxicity study, doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg b.wt of the extract were administered to experimental rats (n = 6/group) for 28 days after which the assessment of hematological and biochemical parameters, as well as liver and kidney histology was conducted post-treatment. Body weight of the animals was also taken weekly.

Results

The result showed that percentage weight gain decreased as the dose of extract increased. The haematological and biochemical parameters showed that the extract had no toxic effect on experimental animals, though there was a non-significant dose-dependent decrease in WBC. The extract also showed potential to cause hepatotoxicity at the highest dose.

Conclusion

Though the median lethal dose of the plant extract suggests relative safety of the plant material, consuming large amounts over a prolonged time may need to be discouraged to avoid potential damage to vital organs such as the liver.
Deep learning for multidimensional seismic impedance inversion
Authors: Wu Xinming , Yan Shangsheng , Bi Zhengfa , Zhang Sibo , Si Hongjie
Published: July 2021

Deep-learning (DL) methods have shown promising performance in predicting acoustic impedance from seismic data that is typically considered as an ill-posed problem for traditional inversion schemes. Most of DL methods are based on a 1D neural network that is straightforward to implement, but they often yield unreasonable lateral discontinuities while predicting a multidimensional impedance model trace by trace. We have developed an improvement over the 1D network by replacing it with a 2D convolutional neural network (CNN) and incorporating the constraints of an initial impedance model. The initial model is fed to the network to provide low-frequency trend control, which is helpful for 1D and 2D CNNs to yield stable impedance predictions. Our 2D CNN architecture is quite simple; however, due to the lack of 2D impedance labels, training it is not straightforward. To prepare a 2D training data set, we first define a random path that passes through multiple well logs. We then follow the path to extract a 2D seismic profile and an initial impedance profile that together form an input to the 2D CNN. The set of well logs (traversed by the path) serves as a partially labeled target. We train the 2D CNN with weak supervision by using an adaptive loss in which the output 2D impedance model is adaptively evaluated at the well logs only in the partially labeled target. Because the training data sets are randomly extracted in all directions in a 3D survey, the trained 2D CNN can predict a consistent 3D impedance model section by section in either the inline or crossline directions. Synthetic and field examples indicate that our 2D CNN is more robust to noise, recovers thin layers better, and yields a laterally more consistent impedance model than a 1D CNN with the same network architecture and the same training logs.
An analysis of acquisition-related subsampling effects on Marchenko focusing, redatuming, and primary estimation
Authors: Peng Haorui , Vasconcelos Ivan , Sripanich Yanadet , Zhang Lele
Published: July 2021

Marchenko methods can retrieve Green’s functions and focusing functions from single-sided reflection data and a smooth velocity model, as essential components of a redatuming process. Recent studies also indicate that a modified Marchenko scheme can reconstruct primary-only reflection responses directly from reflection data without requiring a priori model information. To provide insight into the artifacts that arise when input data are not ideally sampled, we study the effects of subsampling in both types of Marchenko methods in 2D earth and data — by analyzing the behavior of Marchenko-based results on synthetic data subsampled in sources or receivers. With a layered model, we find that for Marchenko redatuming, subsampling effects jointly depend on the choice of integration variable and the subsampling dimension, originated from the integrand gather in the multidimensional convolution process. When reflection data are subsampled in a single dimension, integrating on the other yields spatial gaps together with artifacts, whereas integrating on the subsampled dimension produces aliasing artifacts but without spatial gaps. Our complex subsalt model indicates that the subsampling may lead to very strong artifacts, which can be further complicated by having limited apertures. For Marchenko-based primary estimation (MPE), subsampling below a certain fraction of the fully sampled data can cause MPE iterations to diverge, which can be mitigated to some extent by using more robust iterative solvers, such as least-squares QR. Our results, covering redatuming and primary estimation in a range of subsampling scenarios, provide insights that can inform acquisition sampling choices as well as processing parameterization and quality control, e.g., to set up appropriate data filters and scaling to accommodate the effects of dipole fields, or to help ensuring that the data interpolation achieves the desired levels of reconstruction quality that minimize subsampling artifacts in Marchenko-derived fields and images.
Readmission after discharge from acute mental healthcare among 231 988 people in England: cohort study exploring predictors of readmission including availability of acute day units in local areas
Authors: Osborn David P. J. , Favarato Graziella , Lamb Danielle , Harper Terri , Johnson Sonia , Lloyd-Evans Brynmor , Marston Louise , Pinfold Vanessa , Smith Deb , Kirkbride James B. , Weich Scott
Published: July 2021

Background

In the UK, acute mental healthcare is provided by in-patient wards and crisis resolution teams. Readmission to acute care following discharge is common. Acute day units (ADUs) are also provided in some areas.

Aims

To assess predictors of readmission to acute mental healthcare following discharge in England, including availability of ADUs.

Method

We enrolled a national cohort of adults discharged from acute mental healthcare in the English National Health Service (NHS) between 2013 and 2015, determined the risk of readmission to either in-patient or crisis teams, and used multivariable, multilevel logistic models to evaluate predictors of readmission.

Results

Of a total of 231 998 eligible individuals discharged from acute mental healthcare, 49 547 (21.4%) were readmitted within 6 months, with a median time to readmission of 34 days (interquartile range 10–88 days). Most variation in readmission (98%) was attributable to individual patient-level rather than provider (trust)-level effects (2.0%). Risk of readmission was not associated with local availability of ADUs (adjusted odds ratio 0.96, 95% CI 0.80–1.15). Statistically significant elevated risks were identified for participants who were female, older, single, from Black or mixed ethnic groups, or from more deprived areas. Clinical predictors included shorter index admission, psychosis and being an in-patient at baseline.

Conclusions

Relapse and readmission to acute mental healthcare are common following discharge and occur early. Readmission was not influenced significantly by trust-level variables including availability of ADUs. More support for relapse prevention and symptom management may be required following discharge from acute mental healthcare.
Revisiting Regulators of Human β-cell Mass to Achieve β-cell–centric Approach Toward Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Sasaki Hironobu , Saisho Yoshifumi , Inaishi Jun , Itoh Hiroshi
Published: July 2021

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is characterized by insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction. Because patients with T2DM have inadequate β-cell mass (BCM) and β-cell dysfunction worsens glycemic control and makes treatment difficult, therapeutic strategies to preserve and restore BCM are needed. In rodent models, obesity increases BCM about 3-fold, but the increase in BCM in humans is limited. Besides, obesity-induced changes in BCM may show racial differences between East Asians and Caucasians. Recently, the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis, which states that the risk of developing noncommunicable diseases including T2DM is influenced by the fetal environment, has been proposed. It is known in rodents that animals with low birthweight have reduced BCM through epigenetic modifications, making them more susceptible to diabetes in the future. Similarly, in humans, we revealed that individuals born with low birthweight have lower BCM in adulthood. Because β-cell replication is more frequently observed in the 5 years after birth, and β cells are found to be more plastic in that period, a history of childhood obesity increases BCM. BCM in patients with T2DM is reduced by 20% to 65% compared with that in individuals without T2DM. However, since BCM starts to decrease from the stage of borderline diabetes, early intervention is essential for β-cell protection. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on regulatory factors of human BCM in health and diabetes and propose the β-cell–centric concept of diabetes to enhance a more pathophysiology-based treatment approach for T2DM.
Born in the USA? A Comparison of “Inspired” Health Care Reforms in Germany and France
Authors: Brunn Matthias
Published: July 2021

Context: Despite numerous examples of health policy transfer in Western health systems, the nature of such “inspired” reforms has received little detailed attention. The aim of this article is to apply and refine a specific theoretical angle for the analysis of these reforms using the theoretical frameworks of transfer and translation.

Methods: The design is based on a comparative case study: the introduction of disease management programs (DMPs) for diabetes in Germany in 2002 and in France in 2008, drawing on a literature review and semistructured interviews.

Findings: In introducing its DMP, Germany chose and combined several components in a process of selective borrowing, while France opted for copying a specific foreign program and adapting it. Such differences in process are linked to distinct system structures, in particular the setup of health insurance and the representation of physicians. Furthermore, the displayed versus actual degree of inspiration varied significantly, with a branding strategy in Germany (high display of foreign influence) and the inverse picture in France (high degree of actual inspiration).

Conclusions: This analysis has applied the dual perspective of transfer and translation. Both perspectives proved complementary and necessary, and translation appeared as a main determinant of implementation success.
The Limits of Family: Military Law and Sex Panics in Contemporary South Korea
Authors: Gitzen Timothy
Published: July 2021

This article explores the limits of family in contemporary South Korea by simultaneously examining the discourses and practices of anti-LGBT protesters and the state alongside an ethnography of queer and HIV/AIDS activism. The author argues that the limits of family in Korea ought to be conceived as a problem with sex incorporating both “substance” and the practice of having sex. He explores these limits of family through a broadening understanding of family law in Korea, focusing on the anti-sodomy clause in the Military Penal Code and mandatory HIV/AIDS testing. The author contends that to broaden the concept of family law to laws such as the anti-sodomy clause and mandatory HIV/AIDS testing demonstrates the intricate and unexplored ways the Korean family is produced through military laws and regulations. This is a recursive process, for the heteronormative expectations of family members are inscribed within military law, rhetorically casting the family as a threatened body that needs protection. However, the normative experience of the family in crisis produces violence against gender and sexual minorities. The author concludes by discussing the dangerous implications of these family laws.
Muscle forces and the demands of human walking
Authors: Sylvester Adam D. , Lautzenheiser Steven G. , Kramer Patricia Ann
Published: July 2021

Reconstructing the locomotor behavior of extinct animals depends on elucidating the principles that link behavior, function, and morphology, which can only be done using extant animals. Within the human lineage, the evolution of bipedalism represents a critical transition, and evaluating fossil hominins depends on understanding the relationship between lower limb forces and skeletal morphology in living humans. As a step toward that goal, here we use a musculoskeletal model to estimate forces in the lower limb muscles of ten individuals during walking. The purpose is to quantify the consistency, timing, and magnitude of these muscle forces during the stance phase of walking. We find that muscles which act to support or propel the body during walking demonstrate the greatest force magnitudes as well as the highest consistency in the shape of force curves among individuals. Muscles that generate moments in the same direction as, or orthogonal to, the ground reaction force show lower forces of greater variability. These data can be used to define the envelope of load cases that need to be examined in order to understand human lower limb skeletal load bearing.
Syntheses and Properties of Open-Shell π-Conjugated Molecules
Authors: Kubo Takashi
Published: July 2021

Organic compounds with an open-shell electronic structure, in which unpaired electrons remain in the molecule, have attracted much attention in recent years due to their high reactivity and unique physical and functional properties. This paper presents my recent studies on the investigation of the properties of organic radical species through a structural organic chemistry approach to synthesize molecules with new frameworks. In particular, this paper focuses on (1) elucidation of the electronic structure of singlet biradicals and exploration of the properties characterized by the unique electronic structure, (2) molecular interpretation of the strange magnetic state of graphene nanoribbons, and (3) elucidation of the new association mode of organic radical species.
Experiences of Hijra (transgender) communities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
Authors: Ahmed Faria , Sifat Ridwan Islam
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we study the transgender or Hijra communities to recognize and discuss the ongoing and long-term economic, mental, and emotional effects of lockdown on the most vulnerable who are worse off than daily wage earners. Hijras are a group of transgender people, non-binary and intersex women who have been assigned to be male at birth. In Bangladesh, they are deprived of basic human rights such as access to health care because of discrimination. Hijras in Bangladesh, especially during the national lockdown, have been adversely affected by the pandemic. There is a need for support and awareness to improve mental health awareness and eliminate stigma and prejudice. This article stands for the impact of COVID-19 on the Hijra or transgender community in Bangladesh.
Whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in Uganda: implementation of the low-cost ARTIC protocol in resource-limited settings
Authors: Mboowa Gerald , Mwesigwa Savannah , Kateete David , Wayengera Misaki , Nasinghe Emmanuel , Katagirya Eric , Katabazi Ashaba Fred , Kigozi Edgar , Kirimunda Samuel , Kamulegeya Rogers , Kabahita Jupiter Marina , Luutu Moses Nsubuga , Nabisubi Patricia , Kanyerezi Stephen , Bagaya Bernard Ssentalo , Joloba Moses L
Published: July 2021

Background: In January 2020, a previously unknown coronavirus strain was identified as the cause of a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). The first viral whole-genome was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing from a sample collected in Wuhan, China. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is imperative in investigating disease outbreak transmission dynamics and guiding decision-making in public health.

Methods: We retrieved archived SARS-CoV-2 samples at the Integrated Biorepository of H3Africa Uganda, Makerere University (IBRH3AU). These samples were collected previously from individuals diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using real-time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). 30 samples with cycle thresholds (Cts) values <25 were selected for WGS using SARS-CoV-2 ARTIC protocol at Makerere University Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory.

Results: 28 out of 30 (93.3%) samples generated analyzable genomic sequence reads. We detected SARS-CoV-2 and lineages A (22/28) and B (6/28) from the samples. We further show phylogenetic relatedness of these isolates alongside other 328 Uganda (lineage A = 222, lineage B = 106) SARS-CoV-2 genomes available in GISAID by April 22, 2021 and submitted by the Uganda Virus Research Institute.

Conclusions: Our study demonstrated adoption and optimization of the low-cost ARTIC SARS-CoV-2 WGS protocol in a resource limited laboratory setting. This work has set a foundation to enable rapid expansion of SARS-CoV-2 WGS in Uganda as part of the Presidential Scientific Initiative on Epidemics (PRESIDE) CoV-bank project and IBRH3AU.
Data Note: COVID-19, social distancing, and pipeline vandalism in Nigeria
Authors: Onwuachi-Iheagwara P. N. , Iheagwara B.I
Published: July 2021

We present a dataset of the monthly cases of pipeline vandalism in Nigeria from January 2015 to January 2021. Data used in this study were collated from the Monthly Financial and Operations Reports (MFOR) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Each MFOR provides cases of pipeline vandalism during a 12-month span from five key locations; Mosimi, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Gombe. Recorded incidences of pipeline vandalism from these locations were summed and assembled into five groups; namely: historical data, prior-COVID-19, COVID-19 lockdown, and post-COVID-19 lockdown. The data were grouped based on dates. These dates were January 2015 to July 2019, August 2019 to January 2020, February 2020 to July 2020, and August 2020 to January 2021 respectively. The historical data were further sub-divided into four sub-groups based on the deployment (May 2016) of sophisticated weapons, satellite imagery, and geographical information system into the security apparatus to checkmate pipeline vandalism. The four sub-groups are sub-group A (one-year before deployment), sub-group B (the year of deployment), sub-group C (one-year after deployment), and sub-group D (two-years after deployment). The dates span for each sub-group is May 2015-April 2016, May 2016-April 2017, May 2017-April 2018, and May 2018-April 2019 respectively. After the deployment of GIS devices in May 2016, the accumulated national number of pipeline vandalism cases declined from 400 cases in January 2016 to 293 in February 2016, and 259 cases in March 2016 as opposed to 60, 49, and 94 cases in the same months in 2017; but over the years, 2017 to 2021 these methods have proved less effective, and cases of pipeline vandalism have risen once more. Similar changes in the number of cases and patterns were observed during the COVID-19 movement restrictions. From the dataset, it can be seen that COVID-19 influenced incidences of pipeline vandalism.
Quantifying long-term health and economic outcomes for survivors of group B Streptococcus invasive disease in infancy: protocol of a multi-country study in Argentina, India, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa
Authors: Paul Proma , Procter Simon R. , Dangor Ziyaad , Bassat Quique , Abubakar Amina , Santhanam Sridhar , Libster Romina , Gonçalves Bronner P. , Madhi Shabir A. , Bardají Azucena , Mwangome Eva , Mabrouk Adam , John Hima B. , Sánchez Yanotti Clara , Chandna Jaya , Sithole Pamela , Mucasse Humberto , Katana Patrick V. , Koukounari Artemis , Harden Lois M. , Aerts Celine , Ghoor Azra , Leahy Shannon , Mbatha Sibongile , Lowick Sarah , Lala Sanjay G. , Bramugy Justina , Newton Charles , Hossain A. K. M. Tanvir , Sadeq-ur Rahman Qazi , Lambach Philipp , Jit Mark , Lawn Joy E.
Published: July 2021

Sepsis and meningitis due to invasive group B Streptococcus (iGBS) disease during early infancy is a leading cause of child mortality. Recent systematic estimates of the worldwide burden of GBS suggested that there are 319,000 cases of infant iGBS disease each year, and an estimated 147,000 stillbirths and young-infant deaths, with the highest burden occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa.  The following priority data gaps were highlighted: (1) long-term outcome data after infant iGBS, including mild disability, to calculate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and (2) economic burden for iGBS survivors and their families. Geographic data gaps were also noted with few studies from low- and middle- income countries (LMIC), where the GBS burden is estimated to be the highest. In this paper we present the protocol for a multi-country matched cohort study designed to estimate the risk of long-term neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI), socioemotional behaviors, and economic outcomes for children who survive invasive GBS disease in Argentina, India, Kenya, Mozambique, and South Africa. Children will be identified from health demographic surveillance systems, hospital records, and among participants of previous epidemiological studies. The children will be aged between 18 months to 17 years. A tablet-based custom-designed application will be used to capture data from direct assessment of the child and interviews with the main caregiver. In addition, a parallel sub-study will prospectively measure the acute costs of hospitalization due to neonatal sepsis or meningitis, irrespective of underlying etiology. In summary, these data are necessary to characterize the consequences of iGBS disease and enable the advancement of effective strategies for survivors to reach their developmental and economic potential. In particular, our study will inform the development of a full public health value proposition on maternal GBS immunization that is being coordinated by the World Health Organization.
Predation of the hooded skunk, Mephitis macroura, by the great horned owl, Bubo virginianus, in the Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve, Hidalgo, México
Authors: Sánchez-Rojas Gerardo , Zepeda-Hernández Zeltzin K. , Hernández-Melo Juan A. , Maciel-Mata Carlos A. , Hernández- Silva Dante A.
Published: July 2021

Documentar y describir los eventos de historia natural como la depredación son de gran ayuda para entender las respuestas ecológicas de las especies.  En esta nota se describe la depredación del búho cornudo (Bubo virginianus) sobre un zorrillo listado (Mephitis macroura) mediante la descripción de un video y una serie de fotografías.  El material audiovisual se obtuvo durante un muestreo enfocado en mamíferos carnívoros usando trampas cámara durante los meses de agosto a diciembre de 2016, en la Reserva Barranca de Metztitlán.  El material registra la hora y el día de los eventos por lo que se pudo registrar la interacción entre el búho y el zorrillo.  Se obtuvieron tres fotografías y dos videos de 10 segundos, en uno de ellos se registró la vocalización del zorrillo cuando es atacado por el búho.  El segundo video se mantiene con la misma imagen del zorrillo abatido.  En las fotografías es posible distinguir sin duda la identidad de ambas especies.  Los zorrillos son una especie con una coloración aposemática que suele ser muy efectiva para camuflajearse de depredadores terrestres.  Sin embargo, en el caso de las rapaces nocturnas, ésta parece ser inefectiva y probablemente los búhos sean los principales reguladores de las poblaciones de zorrillos.  Este registro implica que esta interacción se mantiene aún en las regiones más sureñas de la distribución de ambas especies.
Antimicrobial resistance: how changes have improved practices in the UK dairy industry
Authors: Bellini Jenny
Published: July 2021

The UK dairy industry has embraced the principles of prescribing and using antimicrobials responsibly, with great advances made over the past few years. There has been a collaborative industry approach to reduce and refine antimicrobial use on farm, with a series of case studies presented below demonstrating how farms have made huge changes to their antimicrobial use, with no compromise to herd health and welfare. With the publication of the latest Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) targets 2021–2024, there is undoubtedly still work that can be done as an industry. Harnessing and utilising antimicrobial sales and on-farm data will be crucial to motivate further change on farm.
Energized calf milk: is it worth investing in early life nutrition?
Authors: Sherwin Ginny , Thomas Georgina , Tennant Laura
Published: July 2021

Research has indicated that daily liveweight gain (DLWG) is a key component of efficient heifer rearing, in terms of reducing age at first calving as well as future production, health and survival. While DLWG is impacted by multiple factors, one of the main factors is milk feeding, with whole milk (WM) having the optimal composition to maximise DLWGs in heifers. Commercial milk replacers (CMR) have been shown to be highly variable in terms of formulation balance, raw material inclusion and nutrient digestibility. Energized calf milk (ECM) has been designed to have a similar osmolality and lower lactose level than whole milk (WM), resulting in a decreased risk of osmotic diarrhoea. ECM has been designed to have a higher fat content than standard CMRs, with increased digestibility and improved solubility of fats as a result of homogenisation and encapsulation of the fats. Higher levels of fat in CMR has been reported to have potential health benefits, increased DLWG and increased future milk yields. One of the downsides of ECM is the higher price per tonne; however combined with the higher feed conversion efficiency of pre-weaned calves, ECM can result in increased DLWG and potentially decreased health issues and therefore the price per kg weight gain can make ECM an economically viable option, before considering the potential longer-term benefits.
Enzootic abortion in sheep: a review
Authors: Strycharczyk Kaz
Published: July 2021

Enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE) is the most commonly diagnosed cause of abortion in sheep in the UK. This document will review disease background, how to reach a diagnosis of EAE, and recent developments in diagnostics and preventative approaches. It also explores the scope for progress and how that may be achieved. There is significant scope for more widespread screening and vaccination against EAE to yield benefits to animal health, human health, antibiotic stewardship, individual farm profitability and the UK sheep sector.
The increase in paediatric orthopaedic trauma injuries following the end of the curfew during the COVID-19 period
Authors: Kalem Mahmut , Özbek Emre Anıl , Kocaoğlu Hakan , Merter Abdullah , Karaca Mustafa Onur , Şahin Ercan , Başarir Kerem
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to compare the injury patterns of orthopaedic trauma patients in the paediatric age group who presented to our hospital during and after lifting the curfew due to the pandemic, with the patients of the same age group who presented to our institution during the same time period last year.

Methods

Patients, aged 0 years to 18 years, who presented to our clinic between 21 March 2020 and 31 May 2020 (during curfew) (Group A1, n = 111), between 01 June 2020 and 31 August 2020 (Group A2, n = 214) and during the same periods in 2019 Group B1 (n = 220) and Group B2 (n = 211) were included. Patients with pathological fractures, traumas occurring earlier than the aforementioned date range and those consulted while being hospitalized in another department were excluded from study. Patients’ demographics, the department they presented to, the anatomical region affected by trauma, trauma mechanism, the location of trauma, the treatment applied and the length of hospital stay were recorded.

Results

The prevalence of outdoor traumas (72.9% versus 61.1%), high-energy traumas (40.1% versus 26.5%), the rate of the patients treated with surgery (28% versus 17.1%) and the rate of admission to the emergency department (90.2% versus 58.3%) were significantly higher in Group A2 when compared with Group B2 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The significant increase was observed in the number of outdoor injuries, high-energy traumas and fracture patterns that require surgical treatment during the first three months following the lift of the curfew, in comparison with the corresponding dates from last year. We think that children's lower extremity muscle strength and neuromuscular control was decreased due to staying home for a prolonged period of time.

Level of Evidence

Level III, Case-control study.
Tunable diode laser-based two-line thermometry: a noncontact thermometer for active body temperature measurement
Authors: Duan Kun , Ma Liuhao , Yi Yong , Ren Wei
Published: July 2021

A precise and fast optical thermometer based on a tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy is developed for breath diagnostics with relevance to noncontact body temperature measurement. As water vapor (

H

2

O

) is the major component in human breath, two optimal absorption lines of

H

2

O

at 1392 nm and 1371 nm are selected for sensitive body temperature measurement by systematically investigating the near-infrared spectral database. The optical thermometer is developed using two distributed feedback diode lasers with the time-division multiplexing technique to achieve real-time measurement. The sensor performance such as accuracy, repeatability, and time response is tested in a custom-designed gas cell with its temperature controlled in the range of 20°C–50°C. By measuring the test air with different water concentrations, the sensor consistently shows a quadratic response to temperature with an R-squared value of 0.9998. Under the readout rate of 1 s, the sensor achieves a measurement precision of 0.16°C, suggesting its potential applications to fast, accurate, and noncontact body temperature measurements.
FL-QKD based on optical-THz biphotons generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion in inter-satellite wireless communication
Authors: Liu Cheng-Ji , Zhu Chang-Hua , Nie Min , Yang Hong , Pei Chang-Xing
Published: July 2021

Floodlight quantum key distribution (FL-QKD) is a new QKD protocol that can achieve a 2 Gbps secret key rate (SKR) in a 50 km fiber link without multiplexing technology [Q. Zhuang et al., Phys. Rev. A 94, 012322 (2016)PLRAAN1050-294710.1103/PhysRevA.94.012322]. In this paper, we propose a wireless FL-QKD at terahertz bands (THz-FL-QKD) in inter-satellite links. THz-FL-QKD is the two-way protocol that sends quantum signals in the forward channel, modulates and amplifies the received signals at the receiver, and then returns to the transmitter through the backward channel for homodyne detection and decoding. We analyze the security of THz-FL-QKD against individual attacks and optimum collective attacks. Numerical simulations show that THz-FL-QKD is capable of a 50 Mbps SKR at 10 THz frequency in a 200 km inter-satellite wireless link. We expect this work will provide an efficient path to build a high-speed global quantum communication network.
Improving axial localization of weak phase particles in digital in-line holography
Authors: Shangraw Maxwell , Ling Hangjian
Published: July 2021

One shortcoming of digital in-line holography (DIH) is the low axial
position accuracy due to the elongated particle traces in the
reconstruction field. Here, we propose a method that improves the
axial localization of DIH when applying it to track the motion of weak
phase particles in dense suspensions. The proposed method detects
particle positions based on local intensities in the reconstruction
field consisting of scattering and incident waves. We perform both
numerical and experimental tests and demonstrate that the proposed
method has a higher axial position accuracy than the previous method
based on the local intensities in the reconstructed scattered field.
We show that the proposed method has an axial position error below 1.5
particle diameters for holograms with a particle concentration of

4700

p
a
r
t
i
c
l
e
s

/

m
m

3

. The proposed method is further
validated by tracking the Brownian motion of

1

µ

m

p
a
r
t
i
c
l
e
s

in dense suspensions.