bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Frequency Pressure Based Downhole Monitoring System Implemented in Mexico Land Assets
Authors: Kabannik Artem , Khudorozhkova Aleksandra , Fedorov Andrey , Korkin Roman , Demidov Demid , Cardenas Edgar , Nieczkoski Micaela
Published: October 2022

The positive pressure increase effect from a displacement plug hitting the landing collar is often a signal for the end of cement displacement. Occasionally the plug is damaged by frictional wear, chemicals, and temperature, however displacement can also be affected by the mud compressibility, a complex value dependent on the downhole conditions (rheology, density, temperature, etc.) and pump efficiency, which are never truly 100 percent efficient. Using a high frequency pressure monitoring system, it is possible to detect the location of the wiper plug when passing through each casing joint as it produces a pulse that can be detected in real time, even as the displacement plug fins are worn away with friction. Controlling displacement volume is crucial for the cementing job as overdisplacement of cement can complicate the isolation of the string cemented due to contaminated cement pushed up into the annulus and under-displacement may result in extra drill out time and therefore nonproductive time in both scenarios.

Testing of a novel cement displacement method by measuring pressure at high frequencies to see the pulses generated by the displacement plug passing through the casing joints consisted of validating the technology to an accuracy of one casing joint or around 12 meters. The Mexico Land analysis has shown that on average, 45 m of cement is left above the retention collar, or 45 meters of cement that was never planned to be left inside the casing. The technology demonstrated great success where casing joints have a positive internal diameter change. By combining the measurements of displacement volume and pressure pulses produced as the plug passes through a casing joint, a more accurate measurement of the wiper plug location is achieved versus conventional displacement methods.
Assessing inhibitory control in the real world is virtually possible: a virtual reality demonstration
Authors: Rocabado Francisco , Duñabeitia Jon Andoni
Published: October 2022

Executive functions are the key ingredient for behavior regulation. Among them, Inhibitory control is one of main exponents of executive functions, and in the last decades it has received a good amount of attention thanks to the development of chronometric tasks associated with paradigms that allowed exploring human behaviour when the inhibitory component is needed. Among the different paradigms typically used, the Simon and flanker tasks are probably the most popular ones. These have been subjected to modifications in order to assess inhibitory control from different perspectives (e.g., in different samples, or in combination with different research techniques). However, its use has been relegated to classical presentation modalities within laboratory settings. The accessibility of virtual reality (VR) technology has opened new research avenues to explore research on inhibition control assessment with increased ecological validity, still ensuring laboratory-like controlled conditions and high precision in the measurements. Relying on this technology, here we present two state-of-the-art adaptations of the classical Simon and flanker tasks reinterpreted and adapted to real-world circumstances. Our results show that VR is a reliable tool to assess inhibitory control that could provide valid experimental data with a high level of real-world transferability and generalizability.
Empowering Catchment Health Center to Deliver A Comprehensive Obstetric Care Near Home: An Institutional Experience from Ethiopia
Authors: Kebede Dawit , Adem Abdu , Anteneh Dagmawi
Published: October 2022

Background: Nearly all maternal complications that result in three-quarters of maternal deaths can be prevented by proper emergency referral procedures, early recognition of obstetric complications, and timely and adequate care. But, many women still face setbacks in timely accessing emergency obstetric interventions that will save their life.
Aim: This project aimsto establish and deliver comprehensive emergency obstetric care at the highest referring catchment health center to St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) over a period of 16 months (from December 2020 to April 2022).
Methods: A pre and post-intervention follow-up study design was employed to evaluate the impact of establishing and supporting a health center on the access and quality of maternal service. After identifying a highly referring catchment health center, we established a multidisciplinary team (MDT) responsible for preparing a readiness plan, facilitating staff training on comprehensive emergency obstetric care, resource mobilization, and continuous supportive supervision.
Result:Caesarian section delivery, holistic obstetric ultrasound service, comprehensive abortion care, and antenatal care service were started. The total monthly delivery at Anne Dimma health center almost quadrupled from a baseline of 94 to an average of 334, referral out from the health center to SPHMMC decreased from a baseline of 156 mothers to a median of 12, and increased maternal emergency referral-in to Anne Dimma health center from the surrounding health center from zero to a median of 42.5. The total number of deliveries at SPHMMC decreased from a monthly average of 902 to a monthly average of 827 over the project period.
Conclusion: Delivering comprehensive emergency obstetric care near the client’s home by empowering the catchment health center has a significant role in reducing unnecessary referrals and costs, overcrowding of tertiary hospitals, and increasing antenatal and postnatal care attendance and institutional delivery.
Evaluation of the immunization effectiveness of a bOPV booster immunization at 48 months of age after basic polio sequential immunization with bOPV and IPV
Authors: Yang Jingsi , zhao Yuping , Li Jing , Huang Teng , Huang Teng , Zhao Ting , Che Yanchun , Zhao Zhimei , Fu Yu ting , Tao Jun hui , Yang Qing hai , Wei Ding kai , Li Guoliang , Yang Xiaolei , Yi Li , Chen Hongbo , Wang Jianfeng , Jiang Ruiju , Yu Lei , Cai Wei , Yang Wei , Xie Ming xue , Yin Qiongzhou , Pu Jing , Shi Li , Hong Chao , Deng Yan , Cai Lukui , Zhou Jian , Wen Yu , Li Hong sen , Huang Wei , Mo Zhao jun , Li Qihan
Published: October 2022

To provide a basis for further optimization of the polio sequential immunization schedule, this study evaluated the effectiveness of booster immunization with one dose of bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV) at 48 months of age after different primary polio immunization schedules. At 48 months of age, one dose of bOPV was administered, and their poliovirus types 1–3 (PV1, PV2, and PV3, respectively)-specific neutralizing antibody levels were determined. Participants found to be negative for any type of PV-specific neutralizing antibody at 24, 36, or 48 months of age were re-vaccinated with inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). The 439 subjects who received a bOPV booster immunization at the age of 48 months had lower PV2-specific antibody levels compared with those who received IPV. One dose of IPV during basic polio immunization induced the lowest PV2-specific antibody levels. On the basis of our findings, to ensure that no less than 70% of the vaccinated have protection efficiency, we recommend the following: if basic immunization was conducted with 1IPV + 2bOPV (especially Sabin strain-based IPV), a booster immunization with IPV is recommended at 36 months of age, whereas if basic immunization was conducted with 2IPV + 1bOPV, a booster immunization with IPV is recommended at 48 months of age. A sequential immunization schedule of 2IPV + 1bOPV + 1IPV can not only maintain high levels of antibody against PV1 and PV3 but also increases immunity to PV2 and induces early intestinal mucosal immunity, with relatively good safety. Thus, this may be the best sequential immunization schedule for polio in countries or regions at high risk for polio.
Effect of dietary Bacillus subtilis supplement on Cd toxicokinetics and Cd-induced immune and antioxidant impairment of Procambarus clarkii
Authors: Dai Caijiao , Xiao Lin , Mo Aijie , Yuan Yongchao , Yuan Junfa , Gu Zemao , Wang Jianghua
Published: October 2022

Cadmium (Cd), a non-biodegradable contaminant in freshwater ecosystems, can pose a serious threat to aquatic animals at high levels. In this study, the Cd toxicokinetics and the immune and antioxidant defense were explored after the crayfish exposed to different levels of Cd (0, 0.1, 1.0 mg Cd/L) or treated with 1.0 mg Cd/L and dietary Bacillus subtilis supplementation (1 x 107 cfu/g). Results from the 21-day uptake and depuration experiment revealed that Cd exposure elicited a dose-and time-dependent uptake in all crayfish tissues, and the rank order of Cd concentration was: gill > hepatopancreas > exoskeleton > muscle. The two-compartment model demonstrated that gills had the highest ku value after Cd aqueous exposure and the ku and kd values in gill, hepatopancreas, and exoskeleton of the group with 1.0 mg Cd/L were higher than those of the group with low Cd concentration (0.1 mg Cd/L). However, B. subtilis could increase Cd ku and decrease Cd kd in hepatopancreas, resulting in the reduction of BCF, Css and Tb1/2. A positive correlation was found between aqueous Cd concentration and the severity of hepatopancreas histopathological injury, while B. subtilis could ameliorate the pathological damage in the high Cd group. Similarly, Cd aqueous exposure elevated malonaldehyde (MDA) content and suppressed the activities of lysozyme (LZM), acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) in hemolymph. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in hepatopancreas were also inhibited. Nevertheless, they were all recovered with the dietary addition of B. subtilis. In conclusion, our results indicated that exposure to Cd significantly increased Cd accumulation and toxic damages in crayfish hepatopancreas, while dietary administration of B. subtilis to crayfish significantly decreased Cd accumulation and improved the immune and antioxidant defense, leading to the prevention in toxic effects of Cd.
Glucocorticoid-induced microRNA-378 signaling mediates the progression of pancreatic cancer by enhancing autophagy
Authors: Liu Li , Han Shanshan , Xiao Xi , An Xuefeng , Gladkich Jury , Hinz Ulf , Hillmer Stefan , Hoppe-Tichy Torsten , Xu Yi , Schäfer Michael , Strobel Oliver , Herr Ingrid
Published: October 2022

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used in tumor therapy to reduce tumor growth, inflammation, edema, and other side effects. Controversially, GCs may also cause the progression of epithelial tumors involving highly aggressive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Because microRNA (miR) and autophagy signaling support the invasive growth of PDAC, we asked whether these mechanisms may be targeted by GCs. Six established human PDAC cell lines, tissue from patients who received GC medication (n = 35) prior to surgery, or not (n = 35), and tumor xenografts were examined by RT‒qPCR, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining, immunohistochemistry,in situhybridization, gene array and Kaplan‒Meier analysis with bioinformatics, and MTT, western blot, colony, spheroid, migration, and invasion assays. We found that various GCs, including dexamethasone (DEX), induced typical features of macroautophagy with the appearance of autolysosomes, enhanced LC3-II, decreased SQSTM1/p62 expression and induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and gemcitabine resistance. The GC receptor (GR) antagonist mifepristone (RU486) counteracted DEX-induced autophagy features, suggesting that the GC-GR complex is involved in the induction of autophagy. The autophagy-related miR-378i and miR-378a-3p were selected as the top upregulated candidates, and their high expression in PDAC patient tissue correlated with low survival. siRNA-mediated downregulation of miR-378 inhibited DEX-induced autophagy, colony and spheroid formation, wound healing, invasion, migration, and tumor progression. Bioinformatics confirmed the contribution of miR-378 to the regulation of signaling networks involved in GC-induced autophagy and tumor progression. The construction of a molecular docking model revealed stable binding of miR-378 to the DEX-GR complex, suggesting direct regulation. These substantial, novel, in-depth data reveal that GCs favor autophagy-mediated cancer progression by inducing miR-378 and GR binding and implicate GR and miR-378 as new therapeutic targets.
Photonic p-orbital higher-order topological insulators
Authors: Zhang Yahui , Bongiovanni Domenico , Wang Ziteng , Wang Xiangdong , Xia Shiqi , Hu Zhichan , Song Daohong , Jukić Dario , Xu Jingjun , Morandotti Roberto , Buljan Hrvoje , Chen Zhigang
Published: October 2022

The orbital degrees of freedom play a pivotal role in understanding fundamental phenomena in solid-state materials as well as exotic quantum states of matter including orbital superfluidity and topological semimetals. Despite tremendous efforts in engineering synthetic cold-atom, as well as electronic and photonic lattices to explore orbital physics, thus far high orbitals in an important class of materials, namely, the higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs), have not been realized. Here, we demonstrate p-orbital corner states in a photonic HOTI, unveiling their underlying topological invariant, symmetry protection, and nonlinearity-induced dynamical rotation. In a Kagome-type HOTI, we find that the topological protection of p-orbital corner states demands an orbital-hopping symmetry, in addition to the generalized chiral symmetry. Due to orbital hybridization, the nontrivial topology of the p-orbital HOTI is “hidden” if bulk polarization is used as the topological invariant, but well manifested by the generalized winding number. Our work opens a pathway for the exploration of intriguing orbital phenomena mediated by higher band topology applicable to a broad spectrum of systems.
Multimodal physical exercise and functional rehabilitation program in oncological patients with cancer-related fatigue. A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Rodriguez Eduardo Jose Fernandez , Gomez Celia Sanchez , Hernandez Juan Jesus Cruz , Rodriguez Jose Ignacio Recio , Gonzalez Ana Silvia Puente , Sanchez Roberto Mendez , Galve Maria Isabel Rihuete , Sanchez Jesus Gonzalez
Published: October 2022

Background

The increase in life expectancy and survival time implies an increase in the possible side-effects of pharmacological treatments in these patients. Cancer-related fatigue is one of them. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of a multimodal program of physical exercise and functional rehabilitation on asthenia, pain, functional capacity and quality of life in cancer patients with cancer-related fatigue.

Methods

This was a randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial, with two arms (experimental and control group), and it was conducted over the course of a year in the Oncology Hospitalization Unit at the CAUSA. Participants were assessed at three points during the study. First assessment was prior to hospital discharge, second assessment was after 15 days, and final assessment was at one-month post-hospital follow-up. The main variables to be studied are the dependency levels (Barthel), cancer-related fatigue (FACT-An), health-related quality of life (EuroQoL-5D), functional capacity (SPPB) and kinesiophobia (TSK-F).

Results

Sample size (n = 44). Mean age 63.46 ± 12.36 years. Significant differences between control and experimental group participants in Barthel, FACT-An, TSK-F and SPPB scores (p = 0.000) at follow-up and final assessment.

Conclusions

There are beneficial effects of a multimodal physical exercise and functional rehabilitation program in improving the autonomy of cancer-related fatigue patients.
Trials registration: The clinical trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04761289). (18/02/2021). https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol?sid=S000AP1U&selectaction=Edit&uid=U0004OJ7&ts=2&cx=bz92lb
A Clinical Trial on Anti-diabetic Efficacy of Submerged Culture Medium of Ceriporia lacerata Mycelium
Authors: Kim Bo-Hyung , Yim Sung-Vin , Hwang Seong Deok , Kim Yoon Soo , Kim Jeong-Hwan
Published: October 2022

Background
Increased glucose level and insulin resistance are major factors in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2M), which is chronic and debilitating disease worldwide. Submerged culture medium of Ceriporia lacerata mycelium (CLM) is known to have glucose lowering effects and improving insulin resistance in a mouse model in our previous studies. The main purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate the functional efficacy and safety of CLM in subjects with impaired fasting blood sugar or mild T2D for 6-12 weeks.
Methods
A total of 72 subjects with glucose intolerance or mild T2D were participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. All subjects were randomly assigned into the CLM group or placebo group. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c, insulin, C-peptide, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-IR by C-peptide were used to assess the anti-diabetic efficacy of CLM for 6-12 weeks.
Results
In this study, the effectiveness of CLM on lowering all the anti-diabetic indicators (C-peptide levels, insulin, and FBG) was confirmed. CLM significantly elicited anti-diabetic effects after 6-12 weeks of ingestionwithout showing any side effects in both groups of subjects. After the CLM treatment, FBG levels were effectively dropped by 63.9% (ITT), while HOMA-IR level of in the CLM group with FBG >110 mg/dL showed a marked decrease by 34% up to 12 weeks. Remarkably, the effect of improving insulin resistance was significantly increased in the subgroup of subjects with insulin resistance, exhibiting effective reduction at 6 weeks (42.5%) and 12 weeks (61%), without observing a recurrence or hypoglycemia. HbA1c levels were also decreased by 50% in the subjects with reduced indicators. Additionally, it is noteworthy that the levels of insulin and C-peptide were significantly reduced despite the CLM group with FBG >110 mg/dL. No significant differences were detected in the other parameters (lipids, blood, serum, and blood pressure) after 12 weeks.
Conclusion
The submerged culture medium of CLM showed clinical efficacy in the improvement of FBG, insulin, C-peptide, HbAc1, and HOMA-index. Thiswork could guide the new treatment pathway of diabetes in a non-invasive manner using a microbiome-based anti-diabetic ingredient to surge global diabetic epidemic.
The risk of cervical lesions caused by HPV16/18 combined with other high-risk and low-risk HPV types: A retrospective study
Authors: Wang Yan-Ling , Li Shu , Zhu Jing-fen , Wang Xiao-yun , Ma Ming-jun , Xiao Rui-ying , Li Li-dan , Wu Su-fang , Zhu Ya-ping , Yang Yong-bin
Published: October 2022

Background HPV16 and 18 are the most common high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types causing cervical lesions. Women with HPV16 and/or 18(HPV16/18) infections are the main targets for cervical screening. But the HPV16/18 infection status is complex, and clarifying the risk of different infection patterns for cervical lesions is essential for subsequent management options. Our study aimed to assess the risk of HPV16 or 18 combined with other high-risk(HR) and/or low-risk(LR) HPV types for cervical lesions and their clinical characteristics. Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical data of 3,217 patients with HPV16/18 infection.We divided HPV16 or HPV18 multiple infections into 8 patterns: HPV16 + HR, HPV16 + LR, HPV16 + HR + LR, HPV18 + HR, HPV18 + LR, HPV18 + HR + LR, HPV16 + 18 and HPV16 + 18 + other-HPV. The analysis of data was performed by Chi-square test and multinational logistic regression.P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Among the HPV16/18 positive population, multiple infections accounted for 41.5% (1336/3217), and multiple infections were mainly associated with LSIL while single infection was more associated with HSIL+. And the risk of cervical lesions varied with different infection patterns. After adjusting co-factors, multiple logistic regression showed that compared with single HPV16 or 18 infection, HPV16 + HR and HPV18 + HR had a higher risk for LSIL(OR = 1.659, 95%=1.278–2.153; OR = 1.744,95%=1.046–2.907) while HPV16 + LR had a lower risk for HSIL+(OR = 0.477, 95%CI = 0.277–0.822). Conclusion Single HPV16 or 18 infection is more relevant to HSIL + with respect to multiple infections. Multiple infections may be transient that mainly lead to LSIL. Different infection patterns of multiple infections have different risks for cervical lesions, HPV16 or 18 combined with other HR-HPV are associated with a higher risk of LSIL, but HPV16 combined with LR-HPV decreases the risk of HSIL+. We propose that there is antagonistic relationship between HPV16 and some LR-HPV types.
Significant influence of North Pacific Ocean variability on summer rainfall in the Central Europe
Authors: Hari Vittal , Zhang Wei , Rakovec Oldrich , Koppa Akash , Gao Si , Yang Wenchang , Vecchi Gabriel , Kumar Rohini
Published: October 2022

Since the beginning of the 21st century, Central Europe (CE) has experienced a series of dry summers with substantial socioeconomic and environmental impacts1-7. Large-scale atmospheric mechanisms and teleconnection patterns leading to such events are still ambiguous8. Here, using observations and controlled climate model experiments, we demonstrate the prominent role of the far-reaching Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM)9,10 on the CE summer rainfall (CESR) inter-annual variability. A strong positive phase of PMM leads to a significant rainfall deficit over CE (10--15%; p-value < 0.05) during the boreal summer and vice-versa. We demonstrate the implications of this novel teleconnection pattern in improving the prediction of CESR -- along with the mutually exclusive and independent North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) climatic mode, which is one of several well-established large-scale atmospheric drivers affecting the European climate11. Our study thus reveals the far-reaching influences of the North Pacific Ocean on improved prediction of the CESR variability, whose value to adaption and mitigation strategies can hardly be overemphasized.
High purity silicon whiskers extraction from silica by novel simple technology
Authors: Kudyakova Valeriya S. , Vagizova Elizaveta M. , Shishkin Roman A.
Published: October 2022

Si dendrites and whiskers were obtained by interaction of gaseous AlF with SiO2 during transport chemical reaction, using Al, AlF3 and SiO2 as starting materials. The dependence of the reaction yield on such technological parameters as temperature, transport gas flow-rate, reactor chamber pressure and molar ratio of the initial compounds was determined. The thermodynamic simulation of processes in reaction chamber was performed by the HSC Chemistry program using HSC-Reaction and HSC-Gibbs modules. Reaction products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Obtained Si crystallizes as dendrites and whiskers with diameters varying in 100 nm – 24 µm range. The obtained data shows perspectives for adaptation of the proposed technology for production of Si anode material; moreover, the mechanism of proposed synthesis method can be improved for one-stage production of Si/C composite by using CO2 in process as C source as well as development of a novel CO2 utilization technology.
Membrane mediated mechanical stimuli produces distinct active states in the AT1 receptor
Authors: Poudel Bharat , T. Rajitha Rajeswhar , Vanegas Juan
Published: October 2022

The Angiotensin II Type 1 (AT1) receptor is one of the most widely studied GPCRs within the context of biased signaling. While the AT1 receptor is activated by agonists such as the peptide AngII, it can also be activated by mechanical stimuli such as membrane stretch or shear in the absence of a ligand. Despite the importance of mechanical activation of the AT1 receptor in biological processes such as vasoconstriction, little is known about the structural changes induced by external physical stimuli mediated by the surrounding lipid membrane. Here, we present a systematic simulation study that characterizes the activation of the AT1 receptor under various membrane environments and mechanical stimuli. We show that stability of the active state is highly sensitive to membrane thickness and tension. Structural comparison of membrane-mediated vs.~agonist-induced activation shows that the AT1 receptor has distinct active conformations. This is supported by multi-microsecond free energy calculations that show unique landscapes for the inactive and various active states. Our modeling results provide structural insights into the mechanical activation of the AT1 receptor and how it may produce different functional outcomes within the framework of biased agonism.
Development and validation of a risk predictive model for cognitive frailty in elderly patients with chronic pain in the community: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Liu Yanping , Tan Mingyang , Xu Chaoqiang , Li Hongyu
Published: October 2022

Background Chronic pain is a common health problem among older people in the community, due to chronic pain elderly are prone to physical frailty and cognitive decline, leading to reduced quality of life and increased mortality. Aim To understand the prevalence of cognitive frailty among elderly chronic pain patients in the community and identify risk factors for cognitive frailty, constructed a risk prediction model to draw nomogram and validated the model's effectiveness. Methods Conveniently selected 540 elderly patients with chronic pain in a community in Jinzhou City from January 2022 to July 2022 were randomly assigned to 70% development set (378 cases) and 30% validation set (162 cases). Using General information questionnaire, Numerical Rating Scale, Short-Form Mini-Nutritional Assessment, Athens Insomnia Scale, Self-rating depression Scale, Frail scale and Minimental State Examination for assessment, binary logistic regression analysis to determine risk factors, R software to establish a risk prediction model for cognitive frailty, and validation by ROC curve and calibration curve etc. Results The prevalence of cognitive frailty in elderly patients with chronic pain in the community was 28.04%, and binary logistic regression analysis showed that age, exercise habit, pain level, insomnia, malnutrition and depression were independent risk factors for cognitive frailty (P < 0.05), and nomogram was drawn based on the above risk factors. Hosmer-Lemeshow test,X2 = 1.951 (P = 0.377). The area under the ROC curve was 0.914 (95%CI: 0.883–0.944) in the development set and 0.940 (95%CI: 0.896–0.985) in the validation set. Conclusions The high prevalence of cognitive frailty in elderly patients with chronic pain in the community is influenced by age, exercise habit, pain level, insomnia, malnutrition and depression, had a predictive role to inform early screening and intervention.
The Environmental Impact of the Sugar Industry Waste in Sudan
Authors: Ibrahim Tageldeen Saeed Tageldeen , Workneh Tilahun Seyoum
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Sudanese sugar manufacture waste on the communities surrounding the industries. The study employed across-sectional survey approach comprising of 311 respondents living around factories areas. The selected sugar industries included; Kenana, Guneid, Halfa, Sinnar, Assalaya and White-Nile. Data were analysed by using SPSS version 19; the descriptive statistics, nonparametric statistics and logistic regression were employed. The results showed that the wastewater discharge has a significant (P < 0.05) effect on the community health. The respondents indicated that the waste creates suitable environment for the reproduction of parasites, off-odor development and finally contaminates the drinking water. The multinomial logistic regression model showed that the wastewater (i.e. creates off-odor and mosquito) have significant (P < 0.05) influences on causing health risks (i.e. malaria) to the people residing around the sugar factories areas. The study was also revealed that the lack of the sugar industry wastewater management has significantly affected the crop and animal production. The suspending particles and bagasse fly were found significantly (P < 0.05) caused high rate of occurrence of eye and respiratory systems diseases in the region. The health services provided by the industries were found significantly (P < 0.05) affected the community satisfaction. It is therefore, the study designed a framework for enhance handling the industrial waste to be adopted by the Sudanese sugar industries decision makers. The framework focused on decreasing the impact of waste to the lowest level through sufficient improvement of the management strategies.
“Why take the patient back home?”: exploring the lived experiences of caregivers of COVID-19 infected individuals in Blantyre, Malawi
Authors: Nyondo-Mipando Alinane Linda , Nyirenda Deborah , Suwedi-Kapesa Leticia , Chirwa Marumbo , Nyapigoti Wezzie , Chirambo Lusungu , Singini Ruth , Mwapasa Victor
Published: October 2022

Background
Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to have serious health and socio-economic consequences. World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends several measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In Malawi, COVID-19 cases are managed at home with hospital admission reserved for severe cases. This study described the lived experiences of caregivers of COVID-19-infected individuals in Blantyre, Malawi.
Methods
This descriptive qualitative study was conducted from January to June 2021 in Blantyre Malawi, among caregivers of confirmed SARS-COV-2 cases enrolled in the SARS-CoV-2 study aimed to explore infections, transmission dynamics, and household impact. We conducted 37 in-depth interviews with caregivers of SARS-COV-2 cases. We captured data using telephonic interviews, digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, managed using NVivo, and analysed thematically.
Results
The economic status of a family largely influenced the caregiving roles and abilities because it determined the resources that a household could access or not. Caregivers were committed to their role despite being ill-prepared to manage a COVID-19 patient at home in addition to fears about the contagious nature of COVID-19. They prioritised their patients’ health by ensuring that they were present to offer nutritional and medical treatment. The implementation of preventive measures was however challenging because of financial limitations and cultural factors. The increase in death rates and the lack of proper information challenged their expectation of having their patients healed. Caregivers managed their role by sharing responsibilities, getting better at their role with time, and also getting support from religious institutions and social networks.
Conclusion
The economic status of a household determined the experiences of caregivers as they managed their COVID-19 patients at home. Caring for confirmed cases of COVID-19 demanded commitment from the caregivers while ensuring that the transmission of the virus is minimised. There is a need to support households while in isolation with the right information on how to manage their patients and streamline social support for the ultra-poor.
Effects of combined pollution of tetracycline and sulfamethazine on tomato growth and antibiotic absorption
Authors: Xu Qiutong , Zhang Mingkui
Published: October 2022

Food safety has raised immense concern globally. Due to the improper use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, antibiotic pollution in vegetable land is becoming increasingly serious. In this study, the effects of single and combined pollution of tetracycline and sulfamethazine on tomato plants were studied. The results showed that tomato plants simultaneously absorbed tetracycline and sulfamethazine from soil and transferred them to leaves, stems and fruits. The contents of tetracycline and sulfamethazine in plant tissues elevated with the increase of soil antibiotics, which were higher in the growth stage than that in the late growth stage. Antibiotics exhibited the highest concentration in roots, followed by leaves, stems and fruits. At the concentrations of 25 and 50 mg/kg, both tetracycline and sulfamethazine hampered the growth and physiology of tomato in terms of photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, plant height and biomass. High concentration of antibiotic contamination led to the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in leaves, reduced the carbon/nitrogen ratio in leaves, and reduced the vitamin C and sugar contents in fruits. Overall, our results indicated that the combined pollution of antibiotics can strengthen the impact on plant growth, physiological indicators and biomass.
Development and validation of a clinical nomogram for differentiating hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke prehospital
Authors: Ye Sheng , Pan Huiqing , Li Weijia , Wang Jingqiang , Zhang Hailong
Published: October 2022

Objectives: The early detection and identification of stroke are essential to the prognosis of patients with suspected stroke symptoms out-of-hospital. We aimed to develop a risk prediction model based on the FAST score to identify the different types of strokes early for emergency medical services (EMS).
Methods: This retrospective observational study enrolled 394 stroke patients at a single center from January 2020 to December 2021. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, and stroke risk factors with patients were collected from the EMS record database. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk predictors. The nomogram was developed based on the independent predictors, in which the discriminative value and calibration of the nomogram were verified by the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration plots.
Results: A total of 31.90% (88/276) of patients were diagnosed with hemorrhagic stroke in the training set, while 36.40% (43/118) in the validation set. The nomogram was developed based on the multivariate analysis, including age, systolic blood pressure, hypertension, vomiting, arm weakness, and slurred speech. The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC with nomogram was 0.796 (95% CI: 0.740-0.852,P<0.001) and 0.808 (95% CI:0.728-0.887, P<0.001) in the training set and validation set, respectively. In addition, the AUC with the nomogram was superior to the FAST score in both two sets. The calibration curve showed a good agreement with the nomogram and the decision curves analysis also demonstrated that the nomogram had a wider range of threshold probabilities than the FAST score in the prediction risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
Conclusions: This novel noninvasive clinical nomogram shows a good performance in differentiating hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke for EMS staff prehospital. Moreover, all of the variables of nomogram are acquired in clinical practice easily and inexpensively out-of-hospital.
Just a ‘romantic idea’? – a theory-based interview study on medication review implementation with pharmacy owners
Authors: Michel Dorothee Elsbeth , Tonna Antonella P , Dartsch Dorothee C , Weidmann Anita Elaine
Published: October 2022

Background

Recent legal changes in Germany entitle patients on multiple medications to receive a medication review (MR). However, the provision of MRs is not mandatory and pharmacy owners decide whether to implement this service in their pharmacies.

Aim

To determine pharmacy owners’ attitudes towards MRs, investigate their willingness to include MRs in the remit of their pharmacies and explore their experiences with MR-implementation.

Methods

Pharmacy owners were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used with selection criteria being MR-implementation stage, and geographical location of the pharmacy. The topic guide was based on a systematic review and the Framework for Implementation of Services in Pharmacy (FISpH). Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded directly against the FISpH.

Results

Twenty-one pharmacy owners were interviewed. Despite participants’ consistent positive attitude towards MRs, most believed that providing MRs on an economically viable basis would be challenging. Several practical suggestions emerged which would enable community pharmacies a smoother implementation of MRs. Suggestions included employing ‘change facilitators’, who visit and support implementing pharmacies; national awareness campaigns targeting patients and health professionals; reducing bureaucracy; continuous professional development; involving technicians in some MR-tasks; and offering an additional incentive to lower the initial implementation threshold.

Conclusion

This research identified numerous factors that are likely to increase owners’ and managers’ support to the idea of MRs. This may be of interest to any country planning implementation of MRs.
Mg alloy matrix syntactic foams filled with MgO coated Al2O3 hollow spheres: microstructure and mechanical properties
Authors: Qu Haobo , Rao Dewang , Cui Junge , Gupta Nikhil , Wang Hanzhang , Chen Yongbin , Pan Liwen
Published: October 2022

The AZ31B Magnesium alloy matrix syntactic foams containing Al2O3 hollow spheres (Al2O3 − HS) were successfully synthesized by the process of gravity infiltration casting. Extremely high chemical activity of magnesium melt with ceramics at high temperature makes it challenging to synthesize Mg-matrix syntactic foams (MgSFs) by casting. In this work, Al2O3 − HS were coated with MgO using MgCl2 solution after high-temperature calcination to successfully prevent the interfacial reaction. The porosity of the syntactic foams is strongly influenced by the concentration of the MgCl2 solution because it determines the coverage of Al2O3 − HS with the MgO coating and survival of particles. The maximum porosity of the syntactic foam was 41.64 vol.%, and the corresponding density is 1.17 g/cm3. At the MgCl2 solution coating concentration of 0.15 g/ml, the plateau stress of the syntactic foam reaches the maximum value of 55.96 MPa, the energy absorption capacity was 39.27 MJ/m3, and the maximum energy absorption was 26.06 kJ/kg. These properties are comparable to some MgSFs prepared by other methods in recent years.
Dietary guarana (Paullinia cupana) powder for tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum): growth, hemato-immunological parameters and bacterial challenge
Authors: Moreira Luís Felipe Serra , Fernandes Iana Elza Costa , Fernandes Indra Mary Costa , Soares Maiara Jurema , Ribeiro Isis Miranda da Silva , Sampaio Geni Rodrigues , Torres Elizabeth Aparecida Ferraz da Silva , Gonçalves Ligia Uribe , Dantas Francisco de Matos , Valladão Gustavo Moraes Ramos
Published: October 2022

The present study evaluated the effects of commercial guarana (Paullinia cupana) powder as a growth-promoter and natural antioxidant supplement in aquafeeds. In Experiment 1, fish were fed with graded levels of guarana powder (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 g/kg) during 60 days. Growth, hemato-immunological and biochemical performance were evaluated in healthy fish and in fish after infection byAeromonas jandaei. In Experiment 2, the supplemented feed was stored for 90 days, in which tests were carried out regarding the quantity of phenolic compounds and the inhibition of lipid peroxidation. As a result of Experiment 1, fish fed guarana-supplemented diets and infected byA.jandaeipresented better parameters of leukocyte respiratory activity, total proteins, globulin, albumin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), leukocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes and thrombocytes. As a result of Experiment 2, levels of phenolic compounds were not altered (p > 0.05) by the guarana-supplemented diets. An increase in the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and a lower oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) was observed in the fish fed diets with the highest level of guarana supplementation. As conclusion, guarana did not impair productivity and revealed a possible cytoprotective and hepatoprotective effect in fish infected byA.jandaei. Therefore, guarana seems to be an interesting additive to be included at levels of up to 1% in special feeds to be used prior to stressful situations in aquaculture. Additionally, guarana had no protective effect against lipid peroxidation and showed a pro-oxidant effect in diets with higher supplementation levels.
High Sucrose consumption decouples intrinsic and synaptic excitability of AgRP neurons without altering body weight
Authors: Korgan Austin , Oliveira-Abreu Klausen , Wei Wei , Martin Sophie , Bridges Zoey , Leal-Cardoso José Henrique , Kaczorowski Catherine , O'Connell Kristen
Published: October 2022

As the obesity epidemic continues, the understanding of macronutrient influence on central nervous system function is critical for understanding diet-induced obesity and potential therapeutics, particularly in light of the increased sugar content in processed foods. Previous research showed mixed effects of sucrose feeding on body weight gain but has yet to reveal insight into the impact of sucrose on hypothalamic functioning. Here, we explore the impact of liquid sucrose feeding for 12 weeks on body weight, body composition, caloric intake, and hypothalamic AgRP neuronal function and synaptic plasticity. While mice given sugar-sweetened water do not gain significant weight, they do show subtle differences in body composition and caloric intake. When given sugar-sweetened water, mice show similar alterations to AgRP neuronal excitability as in high-fat diet obese models. Increased sugar consumption also primes mice for increased caloric intake and weight gain when given access to a HFD. Our results show that elevated sucrose consumption increased activity of AgRP neurons and altered synaptic excitability. This may contribute to obesity in mice and humans with access to more palatable (HFD) diets.
DPP9 Overexpression in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Causes Ferroptosis Suppression and Sorafenib Resistance Through the KEAP1–NRF2 Pathway
Authors: Chang Kun , Chen yingji , Zhang Xuanzhi , Zhang Wei , Zeng Bohan , Dai Bo , Xu Fujiang , Ye Dingwei , Wang Chenji
Published: October 2022

The Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1)-nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (NRF2) axis is the principal regulator of cellular responses against oxidative and electrophilic stressors. NRF2 hyperactivation, which is frequently observed in many types of cancers, promotes cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, and resistance to various therapies. Here, we determined that dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9) was markedly overexpressed at the mRNA and protein levels in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), and its overexpression was correlated with advanced tumour stage and poor prognosis in ccRCC patients. We searched for functional partners of DPP9 using protein affinity purification and determined that DPP9 interacts with KEAP1 via a conserved ESGE motif. The KEAP-NRF2 interaction was disrupted by DPP9, which competed with NRF2 for binding to KEAP1, independent of DPP9’s enzymatic function. Overexpression of DPP9 stabilized the NRF2 protein, drove NRF2-dependent transcription, and reduced cellular relative oxygen species (ROS) levels. Moreover, DPP9 overexpression suppressed ferroptosis and caused resistance to sorafenib in ccRCC cells, which was largely dependent on the NRF2 transcriptional target-SLC7A11. Collectively, our findings indicated that the pathological process associated with the accumulation of DPP9 results in hyperactivation of the NRF2 pathway, which contributes to tumorigenesis and intrinsic drug resistance in ccRCC.
Colloidal synthesis and characterization of nanostructured pure ZnO and In doped ZnO thin films
Authors: Khantoul Ahmed Reda , Dadda Noureddine , Medjaldi Malika , Boudine Boubekeur , Sebais Miloud , Halimi Ouahiba
Published: October 2022

In this study, we report the effects of concentrations of the Indium doping (from 0 to 10wt%) on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of Indium doped ZnO thin films prepared by the colloidal method and deposited with the dip coating technique on glass substrates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates that the all pure and doped ZnO thin films have a polycrystalline nature with a hexagonal wurtzite phase. XRD results demonstrate that the particle size of ZnO varied with the concentrations of the Indium doping. Raman scattering spectra confirmed the wurtzite phase and the presence of intrinsic defects in our samples. UV–Vis spectrometer measurements show that all the pure anddoped ZnO thin films are highly transparent in the visible wavelength region (≥ 85%).The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the thin films exhibit defects related visible emission peaks, with intensities differing owing to different concentrations of zinc vacancies.
Improved fluoroscopy-guided biopsies in the diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures: A multi-center retrospective study
Authors: Xiong Zhe , Wang Kuangjing , Zhang Huahui , Fang Ying , Li Fengdong , Huang Jin
Published: October 2022

Aim
To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of improved fluoroscopy-guided biopsies for indeterminate biliary strictures (IBDS).
Methods
A multi-center retrospective study was performed. Patients with IBDS who underwent digital single-operator cholangioscopy (DSOC) and improved fluoroscopy-guided biopsies procedures were included. The individual sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were analyzed.
Results
A total of 67 patients were enrolled in this multi-center retrospective study. The DSOC and improved fluoroscopy-guided biopsies procedures were successfully performed in all cases (100%). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values were 83.3%, 89.5%, and 85.1% for DSOC visual impression; 95.8%, 94.7%, and 95.5% for improved fluoroscopy-guided biopsies procedures, respectively. The sensitivity and accuracy of improved fluoroscopy-guided biopsies were significantly higher compared with DSOC visual impression. Four patients (6.0%, 4/67) occurred adverse events after the procedures.
Conclusions
Improved fluoroscopy-guided biopsies had a high diagnostic accuracy of IBDS diagnosis.
Real-Time Vascular Graph Extraction for Surgical Navigation
Authors: Schüle Johannes , Salehah AR , Somers Peter , Harland Niklas , Tarín Cristina , Stenzl Arnulf , Sawodny Oliver
Published: October 2022

Surgical soft-tissue navigation requires the visualfeatures used to be unaffected by deformation. To this end,the observed vascular structures can be extracted as deformation-invariant graph features. A key subprocedure of theoverall navigation task is therefore the instantaneous extractionof graph structures from the observed images. Existingwork shows that the graph extraction procedure is complex,computationally expensive, and thus not real-time capable.Additionally, there is a dimensionality problem in storingthe graph data, as the number of graph nodes vary for eachimage observed. In this paper, a neural network (NN)-basedgraph extraction framework which addresses both the latencyand dimensionality problems is proposed. This paperprovides implementation details for the main components ofthe framework, which are the node extraction and edge extractionsubtasks respectively. Additionally, this work introducesvariations of an adjacency combination (AC) schemethat constructs a correctly dimensioned graph output. Weshow that the proposed framework is capable of performingspeedy graph extraction from a preprocessed ‘skeletonised’image with good precision, opening the way to a real-timegraph extraction procedure for use in surgical soft-tissue navigation.