bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolites as Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A 12-Year Follow-up Study
Authors: Fernandes Silva Lilian , Hokkanen Jenna , Vangipurapu Jagadish , Oravilahti Anniina , Laakso Markku
Published: August 2023

Context

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a specific microvascular complication in patients with diabetes and the leading cause of blindness. Recent advances in omics, especially metabolomics, offer the possibility identifying novel potential biomarkers for DR.

Objective

The aim was to identify metabolites associated with DR.

Methods

We performed a 12-year follow-up study including 1349 participants with type 2 diabetes (1021 without DR, 328 with DR) selected from the METSIM cohort. Individuals who had retinopathy before the baseline study were excluded (n = 63). The diagnosis of retinopathy was based on fundus photography examination. We performed nontargeted metabolomics profiling to identify metabolites.

Results

We found 17 metabolites significantly associated with incident DR after adjustment for confounding factors. Among amino acids, N-lactoyl isoleucine, N-lactoyl valine, N-lactoyl tyrosine, N-lactoyl phenylalanine, N-(2-furoyl) glycine, and 5-hydroxylysine were associated with an increased risk of DR, and citrulline with a decreased risk of DR. Among the fatty acids N,N,N-trimethyl-5-aminovalerate was associated with an increased risk of DR, and myristoleate (14:1n5), palmitoleate (16:1n7), and 5-dodecenoate (12:1n7) with a decreased risk of DR. Sphingomyelin (d18:2/24:2), a sphingolipid, was significantly associated with a decreased risk of DR. Carboxylic acid maleate and organic compounds 3-hydroxypyridine sulfate, 4-vinylphenol sulfate, 4-ethylcatechol sulfate, and dimethyl sulfone were significantly associated with an increased risk of DR.

Conclusion

Our study is the first large population-based longitudinal study to identify metabolites for DR. We found multiple metabolites associated with an increased and decreased risk for DR from several different metabolic pathways.
Criteria of Tragic Form: Toward a Reconstruction of Lukács’s Earliest Critical Theory
Authors: Wetters Kirk
Published: August 2023

The dynamics of Georg Lukács’s development and divergent scholarly perspectives are reconsidered in light of his little-read 1909 dissertation, The Developmental History of Modern Drama. This long early work, with its detailed methodological apparatus, establishes a baseline of comparison for his later and better-known works, especially in Soul and Form (1911), The Theory of the Novel (1916), and History and Class Consciousness (1923). This framework can reconnect Lukács’s early theory of literary genres to contemporary debates on form in literature, epistemology, and political and social theory. Attention to the systematics of Lukács’s earliest historical-transcendental criteria of literary form allows his genre poetics to be understood more flexibly than has often been assumed. The difference between novel and modern drama, for example, is not categorical but functions as a differential of protagonists’ possible forms of agency and autonomy in a world defined by passivity and heteronomy. The political subtext of Lukács’s early theory of the tragic pursues a double agenda of historical symptomatics (defining tragedy as the genre of a class achieving consciousness of its own decline) and existential radicalization (totalizing onstage and offstage tragedy as the pinnacle of aesthetic experience and the heroic rupture into a new historical era).
Polytheism as Political Form: Schmitt, Cassirer, Blumenberg
Authors: Fischer André
Published: August 2023

This article revisits the intersection of myth and political theology through readings of relevant texts by Carl Schmitt, Ernst Cassirer, and Hans Blumenberg. At stake is the question of whether myth can inform a concept of political polytheism that avoids the absolutist threat to democracy of Schmitt’s monotheistic brand of political theology. To answer this question, the present essay proceeds in three steps. It reconstructs the Schmittian model in contrast to polytheistic concepts of the political, then traces the notion of the myth of the state in Cassirer’s and Blumenberg’s work. Finally, it shows how Blumenberg arrives at a preliminary yet operative model of political polytheism that goes beyond conceptions of the liberal democratic consensus and reveals a political form of resistance to power.
Convertase-dependent regulation of membrane-tethered and secreted ligands tunes dendrite adhesion
Authors: Ramirez-Suarez Nelson J. , Belalcazar Helen M. , Rahman Maisha , Trivedi Meera , Tang Leo T. H. , Bülow Hannes E.
Published: August 2023

During neural development, cellular adhesion is crucial for interactions among and between neurons and surrounding tissues. This function is mediated by conserved cell adhesion molecules, which are tightly regulated to allow for coordinated neuronal outgrowth. Here, we show that the proprotein convertase KPC-1 (homolog of mammalian furin) regulates the Menorin adhesion complex during development of PVD dendritic arbors in Caenorhabditis elegans. We found a finely regulated antagonistic balance between PVD-expressed KPC-1 and the epidermally expressed putative cell adhesion molecule MNR-1 (Menorin). Genetically, partial loss of mnr-1 suppressed partial loss of kpc-1, and both loss of kpc-1 and transgenic overexpression of mnr-1 resulted in indistinguishable phenotypes in PVD dendrites. This balance regulated cell-surface localization of the DMA-1 leucine-rich transmembrane receptor in PVD neurons. Lastly, kpc-1 mutants showed increased amounts of MNR-1 and decreased amounts of muscle-derived LECT-2 (Chondromodulin II), which is also part of the Menorin adhesion complex. These observations suggest that KPC-1 in PVD neurons directly or indirectly controls the abundance of proteins of the Menorin adhesion complex from adjacent tissues, thereby providing negative feedback from the dendrite to the instructive cues of surrounding tissues.
Harnessing developmental cues for cardiomyocyte production
Authors: Maas Renee G. C. , van den Dolder Floor W. , Yuan Qianliang , van der Velden Jolanda , Wu Sean M. , Sluijter Joost P. G. , Buikema Jan W.
Published: August 2023

Developmental research has attempted to untangle the exact signals that control heart growth and size, with knockout studies in mice identifying pivotal roles for Wnt and Hippo signaling during embryonic and fetal heart growth. Despite this improved understanding, no clinically relevant therapies are yet available to compensate for the loss of functional adult myocardium and the absence of mature cardiomyocyte renewal that underlies cardiomyopathies of multiple origins. It remains of great interest to understand which mechanisms are responsible for the decline in proliferation in adult hearts and to elucidate new strategies for the stimulation of cardiac regeneration. Multiple signaling pathways have been identified that regulate the proliferation of cardiomyocytes in the embryonic heart and appear to be upregulated in postnatal injured hearts. In this Review, we highlight the interaction of signaling pathways in heart development and discuss how this knowledge has been translated into current technologies for cardiomyocyte production.
Y-27632 acts beyond ROCK inhibition to maintain epidermal stem-like cells in culture
Authors: Witkowski Travis A. , Li Bin , Andersen Jason G. , Kumar Bhavna , Mroz Edmund A. , Rocco James W.
Published: August 2023

Conditional reprogramming is a cell culture technique that effectively immortalizes epithelial cells with normal genotypes by renewing epidermal stem cells. Y-27632, a compound that promotes conditional reprogramming through an unknown mechanism, was developed to inhibit the two Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) isoforms. We used human foreskin keratinocytes (HFKs) to study the role of Y-27632 in conditional reprogramming and learn how ROCKs control epidermal stem cell renewal. In conditional reprogramming, Y-27632 increased HFK adherence to culture dishes, progression through S, G2 and M phases of the cell cycle, and epidermal stem cell marker levels. Although this correlated with ROCK inhibition by Y-27632, we generated CRISPR–Cas9-mediated HFK ROCK knockouts to test the direct role of ROCK inhibition. Knockout of single ROCK isoforms was insufficient to disrupt ROCK activity or promote HFK propagation without Y-27632. Although ROCK activity was reduced, HFKs with double knockout of ROCK1 and ROCK2 still required Y-27632 to propagate. Y-27632 was the most effective among the ROCK inhibitors we tested at promoting HFK proliferation and epidermal stem cell marker expression. Thus, the ability of Y-27632 to promote an epidermal stem cell state in conditional reprogramming not only depends upon ROCK inhibition but also acts via as-yet-unidentified mechanisms. Epidermal stem cell renewal might in part be regulated by ROCKs, but also involves additional pathways.
In vitro methylation of the U7 snRNP subunits Lsm11 and SmE by the PRMT5/MEP50/pICln methylosome
Authors: Yang Xiao-cui , Desotell Anthony , Lin Min-Han , Paige Andrew S. , Malinowska Agata , Sun Yadong , Aik Wei Shen , Dadlez Michał , Tong Liang , Dominski Zbigniew
Published: August 2023

U7 snRNP is a multisubunit endonuclease required for 3′ end processing of metazoan replication-dependent histone pre-mRNAs. In contrast to the spliceosomal snRNPs, U7 snRNP lacks the Sm subunits D1 and D2 and instead contains two related proteins, Lsm10 and Lsm11. The remaining five subunits of the U7 heptameric Sm ring, SmE, F, G, B, and D3, are shared with the spliceosomal snRNPs. The pathway that assembles the unique ring of U7 snRNP is unknown. Here, we show that a heterodimer of Lsm10 and Lsm11 tightly interacts with the methylosome, a complex of the arginine methyltransferase PRMT5, MEP50, and pICln known to methylate arginines in the carboxy-terminal regions of the Sm proteins B, D1, and D3 during the spliceosomal Sm ring assembly. Both biochemical and cryo-EM structural studies demonstrate that the interaction is mediated by PRMT5, which binds and methylates two arginine residues in the amino-terminal region of Lsm11. Surprisingly, PRMT5 also methylates an amino-terminal arginine in SmE, a subunit that does not undergo this type of modification during the biogenesis of the spliceosomal snRNPs. An intriguing possibility is that the unique methylation pattern of Lsm11 and SmE plays a vital role in the assembly of the U7 snRNP.
Quartz crystal based sensor head design and analysis for robot torque sensor application
Authors: Fu Hao , Chen ChinYin , Wang Chongchong , Chao MinChiang , Zhou Qiang , Yang Guilin , Wang Guozhi
Published: August 2023

Background: Background: In recent years, with the gradual development of robot human-computer interaction, robots need to meet the precise control of more complex movements. Torque sensors play an important role. The traditional sensor uses metal strain gauge as the sensing element, which makes the sensor slow in response and low in resolution. In view of the shortcomings of strain gauge sensor, a sensor with cut quartz square as the sensing head is proposed.

Methods: In order to study the quartz square sensitive head, COMSOL56 simulation modeling was first used to obtain the stress ratio relationship between the square quartz chip and the circular quartz chip. The formula for calculating the force frequency coefficient of the circular quartz chip was modified based on the ratio coefficient, and the formula for calculating the force frequency coefficient of the square quartz chip was obtained. The feasibility of the formula was verified through practical experiments; Secondly, theoretical simulation and experimental research were conducted on the buckling limit force of quartz chips, and the calculation formula for the buckling limit force during the installation process of quartz chips was revised, laying the foundation for the theoretical design of quartz sensors; Finally, the designed sensitive head is installed on the elastomer structure for verification; In order to collect frequency signals at a sampling rate of 1000Hz, the frequency signal output by the square quartz sensitive head is mixed, filtered, and amplified to form a 3.3V square wave between peaks. The frequency signal is collected by STM32.

Conclusion: the test shows that the sensor with square quartz chip as the sensor head has a range of 150Nm, a sensitivity of 350 Hz / Nm, a linearity of 98.14%, a hysteresis of 0.51%, a repeatability of 98.44% and a resolution of 0.02%.
New findings on ligand series used as SARS-CoV-2 virus inhibitors within the frameworks of molecular docking, molecular quantum similarity and chemical reactivity indices
Authors: Morales-Bayuelo Alejandro , Sánchez-Márquez Jesús
Published: August 2023

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 virus causes an infectious illness named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus from the Betacoronavirus genus. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) has an important role in the viral life cycle and its active site is a very accessible region, thus a potential therapeutic approach may be to target this region to study the inhibition of viral replication. Various preexisting drugs have been proposed for the treatment of COVID-19 and the use of existing antiviral agents may reduce the time and cost of new drug discoveries, but the efficacy of these drugs is limited. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate a number of ligands used as SARS-CoV-2 virus inhibitors to determine the suitability of them for potential COVID-19 treatment.

Methods: In this study, we selected a series of ligands used as SARS-CoV-2 virus inhibitors such as: abacavir, acyclovir, amprenavir, ascorbic acid vitamin C, azithromycin, baloxavir, boceprevir, cholecalciferol vitamin D, cidofovir, edoxudine, emtricitabine, hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir. These ligands were analyzed using molecular docking, molecular quantum similarity, and chemical reactivity indices defined within a conceptual density functional theory framework.

Results: The analysis of molecular quantum similarity indices on inhibitors showed a high number of differences from a structural point of view. However, they are quite similar in their electronic density, obtaining the highest values in the electronic similarity index. Global and local chemical reactivity indices were analyzed.

Conclusions: These studies allowed for the identification of the main stabilizing interactions using the crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp. The molecular quantum similarity and chemical reactivity descriptors provide novel insights into these ligands that can be used in the design of new COVID-19 treatments.
The odd log-logistic generalized exponential distribution: Application on survival times of chemotherapy patients data
Authors: Fulment Arnold K. , Gadde Srinivasa Rao , Peter Josephat K.
Published: August 2023

Background: The creation of developing new generalized classes of distributions has attracted applied and theoretical statisticians owing to their properties of flexibility. The development of generalized distribution aims to find distribution flexibility and suitability for available data. In this decade, most authors have developed classes of distributions that are new, to become valuable for applied researchers.

Methods: This study aims to develop the odd log-logistic generalized exponential distribution (OLLGED), one of the lifetime newly generated distributions in the field of statistics. The advantage of the newly generated distribution is the heavily tailed distributed lifetime data set. Most of the probabilistic properties are derived including generating functions, moments, and quantile and order statistics.

Results: Estimation of the model parameter is done by the maximum likelihood method. The performance of parametric estimation is studied through simulation. Application of OLLGED and its flexibilities is done using two data sets and while its performance is done on the randomly simulated data set.

Conclusions: The application and flexibility of the OLLGED are ensured through empirical observation using two sets of lifetime data, establishing that the proposed OLLGED can provide a better fit in comparison to existing rival models, such as odd generalized log-logistic, type-II generalized log-logistic, exponential distributions, odd exponential log-logistic, generalized exponential, and log-logistic.
A cross-sectional study on exploring the antecedents of patient’s revisit intention: Mediating role of trust in the hospital among patients in India
Authors: Akthar Nahima , Nayak Smitha , Pai P Yogesh
Published: August 2023

Background: In the healthcare domain, patients’ trust in the hospital plays an instrumental role in determining the behavioral intention of the patient.  This article attempts to investigate the impact of service quality perception on behavioral intention with the mediating effect of trust in the hospital and patient satisfaction. 

Methods: This research was carried out in multispecialty hospitals located in Bangalore Urban and Mysore districts of Karnataka during August 2021. This was a questionnaire-based study and the sample size was 242. Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) 27.0 and SmartPLS 3.0 software was used to analyze the data.

Results: The findings revealed that perceived service quality significantly influences trust through patient satisfaction (observed partial mediation) and patient satisfaction significantly impacts behavioral intention through trust (observed partial mediation).

Conclusion: This study empowers hospital managers to understand the factors influencing behavioral intention. Healthcare professionals must ensure that good quality service is delivered to enhance patient satisfaction and trust in adverse services, which influence behavioral intention among the patients.
Community preventive behaviour and perception on the severity of COVID-19 disease in Indonesia, 2021-2022: Structural equation modelling
Authors: Eryando Tris , Sipahutar Tiopan , Poddar Sandeep
Published: August 2023

Background: This study investigated the determinants of community preventive behavior in complying with the Indonesian regulations to prevent COVID-19 local transmission.

Methods: A cross-sectional study used to collect the data via an online cross using a form created from a google questionnaire forms. A total of 1,802 respondents were gathered at a single point in time. The authors used the Health Belief Model (HBM) approach to measure and create a model of preventive behavior for COVID-19.

Results: The findings showed that self-efficacy and perceived barriers had statistically significant relationships with preventive behavior. However, the goodness of fit index showed that the proposed model was not fit for the data, which means that it was not fit to describe the empirical phenomenon under study.

Conclusions: This study found that more than half of the respondents still had low perceived susceptibility and severity. Only a few respondents had significant barriers to implementing COVID-19 transmission prevention behaviors. Still, most respondents had low perceived self-efficacy, and only 60% had good behaviors related to COVID-19 prevention. We recommended increasing perceived susceptibility and severity by providing the correct information about COVID-19 in the local cultural context.
Digital twin maturity levels: a theoretical framework for defining capabilities and goals in the life and environmental sciences
Authors: Metcalfe Brett , Boshuizen Hendriek C. , Bulens Jandirk , Koehorst Jasper J.
Published: August 2023

Background: Digital twins (DT) are the coupling of a real-world physical asset to a virtual representation to provide insight and actionable knowledge. The benefits of DT are considered to include improvements in reproducibility, reliability of interventions, increased productivity, as well as increased time for innovation. For instance, a DT could be used to boost agricultural productivity whilst also meeting various targets (e.g., biodiversity, sustainability). Or a DT could be used to monitor a cell culture, predict interactions, and make subtle adjustments to maintain the environment allowing researchers to conduct other work. Yet in developing DT two fundamental questions emerge: ‘What will the DT capabilities be?’ (i.e., the range of features and possible actions) and ‘What will the DT do?’ (i.e., which capabilities will it utilise). 

Methods: Here we discuss a theoretical framework for DTs developed during Wageningen University & Research’s Investment Programme on DTs that aims to answer these questions. Focusing on the Life and Environmental Sciences to help developers and stakeholders to agree on the capabilities, purpose, and goal of a DT. As well as identifying iterative design stages that may help set interim development goals such as a minimum viable product.

Results: This framework defines a DT as sitting at one of five maturity, or capability, levels associated with specific types of DT: a status, an informative, a predictive, an optimisation, and an autonomous twin.

Conclusions: The aim of DTs is to make better, data-driven, decisions yet there can be a gulf between expectations of what a Digital Twin will do and the reality. The five maturity levels outlined here can be used to first identify and communicate about the type of Digital Twin required for a particular project prior to DT development. Bridging the gap between what project leads, developers, and stakeholders envision the end-product will be.
The long-term outcomes of patients with negative prolonged ambulatory electroencephalography tests: A cross-sectional follow-up study
Authors: Ouchida Sumika , Nikpour Armin , Zhang Xin , Faulkner Howard , Senturias Maricar , Reid Nicole , Stephens Eleanor , Fairbrother Greg
Published: August 2023

Background: Ambulatory electroencephalography (AEEG) recording is an essential aid for detecting interictal discharges and providing a clinical diagnosis. This study aimed to describe long-term outcomes among a cohort of patients who yielded negative results on AEEG at the time of assessment and identify factors associated with contemporary quality of life (QOL) and ultimate epilepsy diagnosis.

Methods: This cross-sectional telephone follow-up study was conducted in June-November 2021 at the Neurology Department in a metropolitan hospital in Sydney, Australia.

Results: Forty-seven of 105 eligible (45%) participants were enrolled. Twenty-one (45%) participants had been diagnosed with epilepsy at a 12-year follow-up. Taking anti-seizure medication, having experienced a seizure event, and having marriage and education-related characteristics were associated with an epilepsy diagnosis. QOL was found to be associated with age, employment status and history of experience of a seizure event. QOL and an epilepsy diagnosis were not shown to be statistically related.

Conclusion: Nearly half of the participants had received an epilepsy diagnosis at long-term follow-up, despite having tested negative on AEEG at the time of assessment. Prolonged AEEG testing is an important tool to aid the diagnostic process. However, clinical examination, including accurate history taking, is vital in establishing an epilepsy diagnosis.
Design and development of an eHealth intervention to support self-management in people with musculoskeletal disorders - ‘eHealth: It’s TIME’: a study protocol
Authors: Kelly Marie , Fullen Brona , Martin Denis , Bradley Colin , O'Mahony Billy , McVeigh Joseph G.
Published: August 2023

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a leading cause of global morbidity, with the burden expected to increase in the near future. Self-management, with the support of healthcare professionals, is recommended for many MSDs. However, frequent clinical contact is not feasible. Previous research has highlighted the need for a co-designed eHealth-mediated self-management follow-up support intervention which integrates remote monitoring and behavioural change. Thus, the current study aims to develop and design a user-centred, eHealth-mediated self-management support prototype for people with MSDs.

Methods: A three-step, iterative system development cycle will be utilised to develop and design the “eHealth: It’s TIME prototype”. The three-step process will include creating website features and content using two sequential focus groups with people with MSDs (n = 6 – 8); heuristic testing using the 10 heuristic principles of Nielsen (n = 5); and usability testing through in-person 60-minute interviews with people with MSDs (n = 3 – 5) and musculoskeletal physiotherapists (n = 3 – 5).

Conclusion: The eHealth: It’s TIME prototype will be a systematically developed, follow-up self-management support intervention guided by behavioural change theory and the preferences of end users.
Traducir poesía es descubrir los volcanes sepultados debajo de los pies. A propósito de Valitud tõlkeluulet 1970–2020 (Selección de la poesía traducida, 1970–2020), por Jüri Talvet
Authors: Kotta Merilin
Published: August 2023

Jüri Talvet, Valitud tõlkeluulet. I. Hiliskeskajast modernismini. TÜ Kirjastus, 2021, 298 pp.

Jüri Talvet, Valitud tõlkeluulet. II. 20. sajandi keskpaigast 21. sajandi alguseni. TÜ Kirjastus, 2021, 489 pp.
Is a College Education Still Enough? The IT-Labor Relationship with Education Level, Task Routineness, and Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Zhang Dawei (David) , Peng Gang , Yao Yuliang , Browning Tyson R.
Published: August 2023

This study investigates the relationship between information technology (IT) and human labor through the lens of education level, task routineness, and artificial intelligence (AI). It makes use of a comprehensive data set covering 60 U.S. industries from 1998 to 2013. The results show that a college degree may not be sufficient, especially in routine-intensive industries, where a graduate degree may be increasingly necessary to meet the demands of computerized work environments. They also suggest that continuous education and IT skill development are essential for workers to thrive in a technology-driven economy. Governments should continue to support higher education to meet the demands driven by IT implementation, particularly as advanced technologies like AI emerge. Long-term training programs should be established to equip less-educated workers with the necessary skills to navigate technological changes. Additionally, policy makers should be cautious about the potential impact of advanced IT, such as AI, on employment rates and consider the consequences of increasing minimum wage levels, as it may incentivize firms to invest more in automation. Overall, this study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of the IT-labor relationship, guiding decision making for individuals, firms, educators, and policy makers in adapting to the challenges and opportunities presented by advancing technology.
Coordination in a Digital Platform Organization
Authors: Leong Carmen , Lin Silvia , Tan Felix , Yu Jie
Published: August 2023

The value of a digital platform (DP) can only be achieved through the coordinated actions of participating sides. Therefore, the question of how platform owners can coordinate multiple side actions is central. By positioning platform sides as part of the DP organization rather than viewing DP as a market or technological architecture, we highlight the differences in platform sides and how these differences must be acknowledged and managed as they are a source of misalignment among platform sides. Given that DP owners do not possess formal power over the sides (they are free to join other DPs simultaneously), our study demonstrates how a DP owner, in addition to putting in place structures to enable or constrain certain actions of platform sides, must also influence their narrowing of possibilities of action toward achieving coordinated actions. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to offer a process model of digital platform coordination that explains digital platform coordination in terms of the contextual conditions (when platform sides could enact their agency), the mechanisms of the platform sides’ agency enactment and digital orienting (an expanded repertoire of actions in coordinating platform sides through technology), and the resultant outcome.
Predictive validity of the EVARUCI scale to evaluate risk for pressure injury in critical care patients
Authors: de Souza Mariana Fernandes Cremasco , Zanei Suely Sueko Viski , Whitaker Iveth Yamaguchi
Published: August 2023

Objective:

To compare the predictive capacity of the current risk assessment scale for pressure ulcers in intensive care (EVARUCI), translated into Brazilian Portuguese, using the Braden scale.

Method:

This cross-sectional study collected prospective data from adult patients in three intensive care units. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision-recall curve (PR curve) were used to analyse the predictive capacity for pressure injury (PI) using both predictive values and odds ratios (ORs).

Results:

The incidence of PIs in the study sample of 324 patients was 14.2%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.807 for EVARUCI and 0.798 for the Braden scale. At a cutoff point of 10 on the EVARUCI scale, sensitivity was 69.6%; specificity 78.4%; positive predictive value 34.8%; and OR 8.3. At a cutoff point of 11 on the Braden scale, sensitivity was 76.1%; specificity 75.9%; positive predictive value 34.3%; and OR 10. The area under the PR curve was 0.396 for the EVARUCI scale and 0.348 for the Braden scale, reflecting a smaller area for both. The F1 score value was 0.476 with 37.5% precision and 65.2% recall for the EVARUCI scale, and 0.473 with 34.3% precision and 76.1% recall for the Braden scale.

Conclusion:

The EVARUCI scale predictive capacity was similar to that of the Braden scale. However, the precision of both scales was low for the accurate prediction of patients at risk of developing PIs.
Age Estimation Using the Demirjian and Willems Methods in a Southern Thai Population
Authors:   Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand, Theerasopon Pornpat , Charoemratrote Chairat ,   Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90112, Thailand, Duangto Phuwadon ,   Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand
Published: August 2023

The objective of this study was to test the accuracies of the Demirjian and the Willems dental age estimation methods using the seven left permanent mandibular teeth (excluding the third molar tooth) in children in southern Thailand. Digital panoramic radiographs of 240 Thai children (120 males and 120 females) aged from 8 to 15 years were chosen and separated into eight age groups. Dental age was assessed using the Demirjian and the Willems methods. Differences between the dental age and the chronological age were statistically evaluated by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results showed that the Demirjian method overestimated age by 0.28 years and 0.24 years for males and females, respectively, while the Willems method underestimated age by −0.04 years and −0.23 years for males and females, respectively. Moreover, the mean absolute errors were 0.68 years in males and 0.56 years in females for the Demirjian method and 0.55 years in males and 0.60 years in females for the Willems method. In conclusion, the Willems method was more accurate for dental age estimation compared to the Demirjian method. However, both methods can be applied to estimate the age of children in southern Thailand since the mean error and mean absolute error values were less than one year. Keywords: Dental age estimation, Demirjian method, Tooth developmental stage, Thai population, Willems method
Antioxidant, Antibacterial Activities and Cytotoxicity of Garlic Leaf Extract from Garlic Waste
Authors:   Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Sirisa-ard Panee , Pholsonklam Kiatisak ,   Faculty of Science, Payap University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Satchachai Apinya ,   Northern Siam Seedlac Co., Ltd., Lampang 52100, Thailand, Tragoolpua Yingmanee ,   Division of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Natural Extracts and Innovative Products for Alternative Healthcare Research Group, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Kaewkod Thida ,   Division of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Natural Extracts and Innovative Products for Alternative Healthcare Research Group, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Published: August 2023

Five garlic parts (root, clove skin, leaf, flower stalk and garlic peel) of garlic waste from garlic harvest processing were used in this study. Each part of the garlic waste was screened for total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant activity after extraction with 70% ethanol. Interestingly, garlic leaf (GLf) showed the greatest richness of total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant activity. GLf was selected to extract with water and 70% ethanol and the highest extraction yield was achieved with water extract. The GLf extracts demonstrated a good quality standard of physical and chemical properties. The aqueous extract of GLf revealed the highest total phenolic content of 1,676.40 ± 18.02 mg GAE/100 g extract. Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts did not differ regarding total flavonoid contents, showing values of 118.60 ± 6.10 mg QUE/100 g extract and 110.90 ± 2.30 mg QUE/100 g extract, respectively. Phenolic compounds including gallic acid, catechin and tannic acid were detected in the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of GLf by HPLC assay. Moreover, four flavonoid compounds including isoquercetin, quercetin, kaempferol and rutin were detected in aqueous extract whereas the ethanolic extract presented apigenin, isoquercetin, quercetin and kaempferol. The ethanolic extract of GLf demonstrated the stronger antioxidant activity than aqueous extract. GLf extracts also exhibited antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria with MIC and MBC values of 125-250 mg/mL. In addition, GLf aqueous extract showed lower toxicity on Vero cells than ethanolic extract. Therefore, GLf waste can be used as a cheap source of natural compounds and antioxidants, with potential applications in different biological, medicinal and food products. Keywords: Allium sativum L., Antibacteria, Antioxidant, Garlic, Toxicity
Introduction: Unearthing Technology in Public Histories of Food
Authors: Frohlich Xaq
Published: August 2023

abstract: While there is significant public interest in the culture and history of food, popular and scholarly studies often overlook that food is technological. This article argues that public histories foregrounding food technology offer historians of technology opportunities to engage the public in topics that are both intimately familiar to all and yet riddled with misconceptions about the past, especially on pressing moral concerns relating to public health and the environment. Looking at past innovations in food requires unearthing tacit skills and invisible work routinely done by people whose stories, because of their gender, class, race, or nationality, were often erased from conventional histories of technology. Works that unmask food's hidden complexity demonstrate how even mundane, everyday objects are products of contested innovation.
Controllable experimental modulation of high-order Laguerre–Gaussian laser modes
Authors: Meena Hemant Kumar , Pant Bhavesh , Singh Brijesh Kumar
Published: August 2023

High-order helical and sinusoidal Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) laser modes have uneven energy distribution among their multiple concentric vortex core rings and lobes, respectively. Here, we explore an experimental method to reshuffle the optical energy among their multiple concentric vortex core rings and lobes of high-order LG modes in a controllable manner. We numerically designed a diffractive optical element displayed over a spatial light modulator to rearrange optical energy among multiple concentric vortex core rings. This changes outer low-intensity concentric vortex core rings into high-intensity vortex core rings of high-order helical LG modes at the Fourier plane. The precise generation of a high-order modulated helical LG laser mode has a maximum number of highly intense concentric vortex core rings compared to known standard helical LG modes. Further, this method is extended to high-order sinusoidal LG modes consisting of both low- and high-intensity lobes to realize modulated sinusoidal LG modes with a maximum number of highly intense lobes in a controllable manner. We envisage that the modulated helical and sinusoidal high-order LG modes may surpass standard LG modes in many applications where highly intense rings and lobes are crucial, as in particle manipulation of micro- and nanoparticles, and optical lithography.
Pump-tailored alternative Bell state generation in the first-order Hermite–Gaussian basis
Authors: Kan Zhe , Voitiv Andrew A. , Ford Patrick C. , Lusk Mark T. , Siemens Mark E.
Published: August 2023

We demonstrate entangled-state swapping, within the Hermite–Gaussian (HG) basis of first-order modes, directly from the process of spontaneous parametric downconversion within a nonlinear crystal. The method works by explicitly tailoring the spatial structure of the pump photon such that it resembles the product of the desired entangled spatial modes exiting the crystal. Importantly, the result is an entangled state of balanced HG modes, which may be beneficial in applications that depend on symmetric accumulations of geometric phase through optics or in applications of quantum sensing and imaging with azimuthal sensitivity. Furthermore, the methods are readily adaptable to other spatial mode bases.
Asymmetric manipulations on the coherent Raman sideband generation under molecular modulations
Authors: Yu Penghong , Wu Xiaoxiong , Dong Zhaohui , Chen Juan , Wang Kai , Wang Luojia , Chen Xianfeng , Yuan Luqi
Published: August 2023

We study the light evolution through a Raman-active medium, where a pair of fields pump molecules near-resonantly and excite the molecular coherence. A synthetic lattice including multiple frequency sidebands via the coherent Raman process is constructed. By varying the density of molecules in the light propagation direction, the system can present a lattice model undergoing dynamic modulations. Further considering the frequency-dependent couplings between synthetic lattice sites, we explore intriguing phenomena, including spectral Bloch oscillation and super Bloch oscillation with asymmetric patterns, which leads to interesting frequency-conversion phenomena with the Raman sideband generations. Our work could be useful for future experiments in coherent Raman sideband processes towards ultrashort pulse generations and higher-frequency conversion.
Tunable topological slow-light in gyromagnetic photonic crystal waveguides with unified magnetic field
Authors: Li Xiaobin , Li Zhi-Yuan , Liang Wenyao
Published: August 2023

We have proposed a tunable topological slow-light in a photonic crystal (PC) waveguide with unified magnetic field. The waveguide is constructed by bringing close two gyromagnetic photonic crystals (GPCs) with different structural parameters and introducing a row of Al2O3 rods as the coupling layer. The two GPCs are applied with a unified external static magnetic field (ESMF) instead of two opposite ESMFs. Such waveguide supports a slow-light state originated from the coupling effect of two one-way edge states on both sides of the waveguide. By simply changing the strength of ESMF, one can achieve a tunable slow-light state with large normalized delay-bandwidth product (NDBP) (0.36< NDBP <0.84). Based on these excellent properties, we further design an optical delayer with a compact structure and expansibility simultaneously. This unique topological slow-light state with simple unified magnetic condition, high maneuverability and strong immunity to defects holds promise for many fields such as signal processing, optical modulation, and the design of various slow-light devices.
Long-range distributed vibration sensing using phase-sensitive forward optical transmission
Authors: Chen George Y. , Liu Kuan , Rao Xing , Wang Yuhang , Khalid Mamoona , He Jun , Wang Yiping
Published: August 2023

Long-range vibration sensing is an important tool for real-time structural health monitoring. A new, to the best of our knowledge, design of a distributed fiber-optic vibration sensor is introduced and experimentally demonstrated in this study. The proposed system utilizes the transmission of light in the forward direction for sensing, and a self-interference method for laser source simplification. To extract vibration information from phase modulation of light, two Mach–Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) are employed with a 3 × 3 coupler-based differential cross multiplication algorithm for phase calculation. A folded double-ended detection configuration allows the time-of-flight difference via cross correlation (CC) to provide vibration positioning. Experimental results demonstrate a sensing range of up to ∼80 km without optical amplification, accompanied by a position accuracy of 336 m.
Nonlinear expression patterns and multiple shifts in gene network interactions underlie robust phenotypic change in Drosophila melanogaster selected for night sleep duration
Authors: Souto-Maior Caetano , Serrano Negron Yazmin L. , Harbison Susan T.
Published: August 2023

All but the simplest phenotypes are believed to result from interactions between two or more genes forming complex networks of gene regulation. Sleep is a complex trait known to depend on the system of feedback loops of the circadian clock, and on many other genes; however, the main components regulating the phenotype and how they interact remain an unsolved puzzle. Genomic and transcriptomic data may well provide part of the answer, but a full account requires a suitable quantitative framework. Here we conducted an artificial selection experiment for sleep duration with RNA-seq data acquired each generation. The phenotypic results are robust across replicates and previous experiments, and the transcription data provides a high-resolution, time-course data set for the evolution of sleep-related gene expression. In addition to a Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model analysis of differential expression that accounts for experimental replicates we develop a flexible Gaussian Process model that estimates interactions between genes. 145 gene pairs are found to have interactions that are different from controls. Our method appears to be not only more specific than standard correlation metrics but also more sensitive, finding correlations not significant by other methods. Statistical predictions were compared to experimental data from public databases on gene interactions. Mutations of candidate genes implicated by our results affected night sleep, and gene expression profiles largely met predicted gene-gene interactions.
Soil-transmitted helminths: A critical review of the impact of co-infections and implications for control and elimination
Authors: Lebu Sarah , Kibone Winnie , Muoghalu Chimdi C. , Ochaya Stephen , Salzberg Aaron , Bongomin Felix , Manga Musa
Published: August 2023

Researchers have raised the possibility that soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections might modify the host’s immune response against other systemic infections. STH infections can alter the immune response towards type 2 immunity that could then affect the likelihood and severity of other illnesses. However, the importance of co-infections is not completely understood, and the impact and direction of their effects vary considerably by infection. This review synthesizes evidence regarding the relevance of STH co-infections, the potential mechanisms that explain their effects, and how they might affect control and elimination efforts. According to the literature reviewed, there are both positive and negative effects associated with STH infections on other diseases such as malaria, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, gestational anemia, pediatric anemia, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, and trachoma, as well as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and human papillomavirus (HPV). Studies typically describe how STHs can affect the immune system and promote increased susceptibility, survival, and persistence of the infection in the host by causing a TH2-dominated immune response. The co-infection of STH with other diseases has important implications for the development of treatment and control strategies. Eliminating parasites from a human host can be more challenging because the TH2-dominated immune response induced by STH infection can suppress the TH1 immune response required to control other infections, resulting in an increased pathogen load and more severe disease. Preventive chemotherapy and treatment are currently the most common approaches used for the control of STH infections, but these approaches alone may not be adequate to achieve elimination goals. Based on the conclusions drawn from this review, integrated approaches that combine drug administration with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, hygiene education, community engagement, and vaccines are most likely to succeed in interrupting the transmission of STH co-infections. Gaining a better understanding of the behavior and relevance of STH co-infections in the context of elimination efforts is an important intermediate step toward reducing the associated burden of disease.
Effects of antennal segments defects on blood-sucking behavior in Aedes albopictus
Authors: Zhou Yiyuan , Deng Dongyang , Chen Rong , Lai Chencen , Chen Qian
Published: August 2023

After mating, female mosquitoes need a blood meal to promote the reproductive process. When mosquitoes bite infected people and animals, they become infected with germs such as viruses and parasites. Mosquitoes rely on many cues for host selection and localization, among which the trace chemical cues emitted by the host into the environment are considered to be the most important, and the sense of smell is the main way to perceive these trace chemical cues. However, the current understanding of the olfactory mechanism is not enough to meet the needs of mosquito control. Unlike previous studies that focused on the olfactory receptor recognition spectrum to reveal the olfactory mechanism of mosquito host localization. In this paper, based on the observation that mosquitoes with incomplete antennae still can locate the host and complete blood feeding in the laboratory, we proposed that there may be some protection or compensation mechanism in the 13 segments of antennae flagella, and only when the antennae are missing to a certain threshold will it affect the mosquito’s ability to locate the host. Through rational-designed behavioral experiments, we found that the 6th and 7th flagellomeres on the Aedes albopictus antenna are important in the olfactory detection of host searching. This study preliminarily screened antennal segments important for host localization of Ae. albopictus, and provided a reference for subsequent cell biology and molecular biology studies on these segments. Meanwhile, the morphology and distribution of sensilla on each antenna flagellomere were also analyzed and discussed in this paper.