bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traffic Count Analysis during COVID-19: Case Study of Toll Plazas under Project Highway along Nagpur-Jabalpur National Highway (NH44) near Nagpur, India
Authors: Kawathekar (Thakare) Kalpana N , Bakde V K
Published: October 2022

The Corona virus is originated in Wuhan, China, and has spread throughout the world since December 2019. Despite being close to China, India took two months to detect its first case. In months’ time it reached major countries of the world. Since then, the social life of the people has been disrupted because of the lockdown situations. Senior members were shocked to see such a situation for the first time in their lives, as all activities have been affected by the restrictions on both domestic and international travel and transport.

This case study is an attempt to analyze the vehicle traffic counts at four toll plazas namely Khumari, KKBP, NBP and Borkhedi Toll Plaza located along Nagpur-Jabalpur National Highway (NH44) near Nagpur city from Maharashtra state of India during Session 2020 (during January to December) as an effect of COVID -19 under lockdown and unlocking situations. Tolls at Nagpur have been selected for being the national geographic centre with a hub of all activities. The study critically analyses the vehicle traffic count along with the comparative study of four toll plazas thereby making the analytical remarks with conclusions.
Application of circular economy in wastewater treatment using biochar based adsorbent derived from sewage sludge
Authors: Kenchannavar Pooja , Surenjan Anupama
Published: October 2022

The Circular Economy intends to reuse wastewater and recover resources and energy from the sludge in the wastewater sector. The conversion of sewage sludge into biochar by pyrolysis technique is a sustainable, environmentally friendly option for sewage sludge management. In the current work, biochar was produced by co-pyrolyzing sewage sludge and coconut shell, and it was then utilized as an adsorbent to eliminate methylene blue (the model pollutant) from wastewater. The sewage sludge is abundant in functional groups and metal ions, and the addition of coconut shells increased the porosity of the adsorbent. The biochar produced by mixing coconut shell and sewage sludge in the ratio1:1 showed higher adsorption capacity compared to biochar obtained from pure sewage sludge; hence the co-pyrolyzed biochar was used for further studies. The morphology and functional groups present on biochar were examined using SEM and FTIR analysis. The kinetics and mechanism of methylene blue adsorption was adequately explained by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Using the Langmuir isotherm model, the maximal adsorption capacity of the methylene blue dye on biochar was observed to be 31.64 mg/g.
Analysis of Blended Concrete Cubes under Impact loading using ANSYS
Authors: Singh Janhavi , Pal Shilpa
Published: October 2022

Blended concretes, with the partial replacement of the cement with secondary cementitious material like fly ash, rice husk ash, GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast Slag), silica fume etc. are gaining a wide range of applications in civil engineering nowadays. The behaviour of concrete structures has been studied by many researchers under different types of loads like impact load, wind load, earthquake load etc. Impact loading analysis has applications like ship impact resistance design for marine structures, impact-resistant structural design against military and terrorist attacks etc. This study aims to perform a FEM analysis of blended concrete cubes under impact load. Deformation and stress response has been obtained from the velocity impact simulations in ANSYS Explicit dynamics module. Parametric analysis has been done by changing the height of the impactor, shape of the impactor, boundary conditions and partial replacement of cement in the blended concrete with different supplementary cementitious material. It is observed that the strength of the blended concrete cube decreases with an increase in height of the impact.
Compressive Strength of Waste PET Bottle Based Fibre
Authors: Somwanshi Devendra Kumar , Sharma Vijay Prakash , Sharma Sikha , Jain Kalpit
Published: October 2022

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles have progressively turned into a crucial and fundamental piece of an everyday person’s life. Thus the need emerges to course these waste plastic containers to their ideal use. To add to it, incorporation of waste PET bottles in concrete composites is a promising technique for developing sustainable composite materials which may be applied to the construction industry. Hence concrete with waste PET bottles proves not only as an effective plastic waste management technique, but also an approach towards economic, environment friendly and sustainable development of building materials in the future. In the research work, an experimental study has been carried out to analyze the possibility of using waste PET bottle fibres with 3 different aspect ratios of 10, 20, and 30, in concrete at different replacement dosages of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% of sand by weight, and compared against control mix with no replacements of sand.
Tainted Wastewater Remediation through Inverted Multimedia Biofilter
Authors: Kharwade Amit M , Yadav Shalini , Patil Ranjit , Sharma Sunil K
Published: October 2022

The growth of industry leads to the contamination of surface as well as groundwater. Improper industrial wastewater disposal causes a serious problem of metal accumulation in the soil and freshwater. To tackle this issue there is a need of recycling and reuse wastewater using low-cost sustainable treatment. The main objective of this research is to check the feasibility of multimedia vermifilter for the efficiency removal of physicochemical parameter and fluoride metal ions of fluoride-tented used water (wastewater). For the treatment, we used fluoride contaminated used water (wastewater) from the fluoride contaminated site. In this study multimedia vermifilter integrated with moringa seed extract, activated charcoal powder, and earthworm Eisenia fetida were used as bio-media to treat contaminated used wastewater, In this experimental analysis, we checked the removal efficiency on different HLR in m3/day/m2. The result showed that percentage removal efficiency for BOD, COD, TDS and Fluoride using inverted multimedia filter was observed for the optimized hydraulic loading rate at 0.933m3/day/m2 was found to be BOD (81.64%), COD (51.47%), TDS (82.17%), Fluoride (35.81%) respectively. The earthworm, moringa seed extract, and activated charcoal play a vital role in the removal of Bioconversion of organic matter. Furthermore Treated effluent waste-water is then used for gardening and irrigation purposes.
Corrosion Analysis of RCC Beam using Simplified FEM Model
Authors: Bhagwat Yamuna , Nayak Gopinatha , Pandit Poornachandra , Harithakrishnan  , Lakshmi Aishwarya
Published: October 2022

The durability of the reinforced concrete structures highly influenced by many important factors including steel corrosion. Corrosion starts off with the availability of the water and oxygen, products formed due to this get deposited in the interface between the concrete and steel. As the depositing corrosion volume increases, an expansive pressure at the interface exerts on the surrounding concrete and eventually causes structural degradation, which reduces concrete and steel bond. This work focuses on a parametric study on rust expansion pressure to understand the effect of grade of concrete, diameter of the rebar, position of the rebar and c/d ratio using ABAQUS software. After the analysis, it is found that rust expansion pressure increases as the grade of concrete and c/d ratio increases, which means the pressure required to cause surface cracks due to corrosion is more in higher grades concrete and high c/d ratio. Position of the bar did not affect the corrosion pressure requirement to cause surface cracks. As the corrosion level increased, deflection of the beam also increased. But position of the corroded reinforcing bars in the beam slightly affects the deflection of the beam.
Nanotechnology and building construction: Towards effective stakeholder engagement
Authors: Thammadi Swetha Priya Darshini , Pisini Sateesh Kumar
Published: October 2022

Innovative construction materials and techniques are imminent to survive the climate change associated extreme weather impacts. Nanotechnology in construction sector improves the comfortability and quality of life by enhancing the mechanical properties of cement and concrete, stronger and lighter structural composites, low maintenance coating, reducing the thermal transfer rate and/or insulation, and construction-related nano-sensors. Various types of nanoparticles used in construction sector are Nano-titania, Carbon nanotubes, Nano-silica, Copper and Clay nanoparticles, Zycosoil, and nanostructured metals such as Nano-ferric oxide, and Nano-aluminium oxide. Advantages of nanomaterials application in building construction are displayed in materials such as concrete, steel, timber, glass, insulations, coatings, energy and nanosensors. The objective of this study is to analyze the nanomaterials application in construction industry besides environmental, health and social impacts. The novelty of this study includes stakeholder engagement matrix for nanomaterials in construction sector. Although nanotechnology is in its infancy, there is a need to develop a framework for nanotechnology regulation especially in construction sector due to its impact on climate change and vice versa due to the significant contribution of construction sector to greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, a nanotechnology regulation framework has been proposed for identification and effective stakeholder engagement. Implications of nanotechnology on construction materials, narrowing the nano-divide, scope for sustainable development and concepts of implementation have been discussed in detail.
Energy Efficient Buildings in India: Key Area and Challenges
Authors: Tarkar Preeti
Published: October 2022

A common dilemma for developing countries is to balance economic growth and environmental protection. Since the major issue in designing the building is energy conservation. The costing of building project is another issue in applying the principle of energy. A building uses a huge amount of energy during its lifetime. It is greater than the energy consumed in construction. There are numerous causes why building will use more energy during its life. Taking into account the building materials used in the built environment as well as the overall energy use should be taken into account when looking for ways to minimize energy consumption. In light of climate change, by 2030, India has to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions to 35%. Thus, the aim of this research is to is to find out the measures that can reduce the energy consumption of building not only at the time of construction but also lifetime. The study suggests various energy efficient measures for construction of building and for further functioning. In this paper the concept of green building was discussed to make a building energy efficient. Green building focuses on the reduction of carbon emissions and conservation of energy using a progressive difference-in-differences method. The study suggests the various energy saving concepts. Further, there are many green building rating systems to rate the building on various dimension to measure whether a building is environmental-friendly or not. In the end of the paper various issues involved in energy efficient building’s construction are discussed.
Manufacturing of Brick from Medical Waste (MW)
Authors: Das Debasish , Banerjee Debargha , Paul Swarup Rudra , Pal Shaswatika , Das Jagriti , Chandra Archanava , Singh Princu Kumar , Adhikari Sujoy
Published: October 2022

The environmental concern of Medical Waste (MW) generation has escalated to an alarming level due to the versatility and high demand in various applications due to COVID 19. Reusing MW to make construction material looks to be an environmentally acceptable solution to finding an effective way to use them. This is also because traditional building materials take a lot of energy to manufacture, which has numerous negative environmental consequences. This paper summarises prior investigations on repurposing various MW as a construction raw material and aggregate, as well as their quality, with a focus on bricks and paving blocks. This research begins by demonstrating the characteristics of plastics and the environmental effects of MW. After that, there will be a talk of MW reuse and how it influences total construction material quality. According to this study, only a few investigations on the use of MW in the production of paving blocks have been conducted. Furthermore, the majority of studies used compressive strength and water absorption as the principal criteria for evaluating brick and paving block quality. The compressive strength is found to be 12-13 N/mm2 and water absorption is found to be less than 1% for the prepared sample.
Relationship of shading devices and its effects on daylight in Commercial buildings in Pune
Authors: Joshi Neha , Patki Pradnya
Published: October 2022

Day lighting is a critical part of visual environment in workspaces. It creates a sense of well-being and contributes to the efficiency of the occupants. Research has established that solar radiation admitted through the windows have serious effects on visual comfort of the occupants in the indoor spaces. Use of solar shading devices can address glare problems. This signifies the need for design of optimal shading devices that increase daylight levels with desirable control on excessive sunlight with an aim to reduce glare and discomfort for the occupants. In this research various configurations of conventional shading devices used for commercial buildings located in Pune, India was examined. A typical commercial building is modelled using the simulation program Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) where existing as well as different identified configuration of shading devices was analysed for daylight performance and visual comfort with respect to amount and uniformity of illumination with Radiance rendering tool. The analysis indicated that use of appropriate shading device result in improved visual comfort for occupants. The performance of different shading device presented aimed to help architects to select suitable shading device in order to contribute to sustainability aspects of office buildings in warm and humid climatic regions.
Response Spectrum Analysis of a RC Building Based on Complete Quadratic Combination (CQC) Method
Authors: Banerjee Debargha , Das Debasish , Ghosh Uddipta , Debnath Dina , Debnath Santanu , Malakar Snehasish , Das Ratnadwipa , Datta Sanjoy , Hossain Syed Ealham
Published: October 2022

In the realm of structural design, Seismic Analysis is crucial. Many structures have collapsed because of earthquakes; as a result of numerous studies, different methods for analysing and determining vibration modes of a structure have been created. Seismic analysis can be done in two ways: static analysis and dynamic analysis. The basic mode of vibration dominates the response in the static technique of seismic analysis, and the mass and stiffness of the structures are evenly distributed, resulting in a regular shape, however this assumption fails for irregular buildings. As a result, dynamic methods are used to solve this issue. Response spectrum is one such dynamic method that is relatively simple to utilize compared to others. The benefit of employing the seismic response spectrum method is that it aids in the prediction of displacement and member forces in structural systems. As a result, this method aids in determining peak structural responses within a linear range, which can then be used to calculate lateral forces created in structures due to earthquakes, allowing for more earthquake-resistant building design. Although this method is approximate, it is a cost-effective and beneficial method for preliminary design research. The response spectrum method is used on STAAD.PRO V8i software to design a G+4 residential structure in our study. The building’s measurements are 16 meters long, 12 meters wide and 15 meters tall. The foundation was built to a depth of 1.5 meters. The structure was built to withstand earthquakes in seismic zone III on medium-density soil. Dead load (IS 875 Part I), Live load (IS 875 Part II), Seismic Load (IS 1893 Part I), and Wind Load are some of the load instances that were presented based on Indian Standard code (IS 875 Part III). To acquire the best response, the response spectrum modal combination Complete Quadratic Combination (CQC) is used. Various parameters like wind intensity, seismic parameters, dynamic weight, modal participation factors, base shear and peak storey shear are calculated. Base shear and peak storey shear are found to maximum in Mode 2 and between 5th and 6th respectively.
Methodology for assessing of the restoration processes in reclaimed areas disturbed by polymetallic ore mining
Authors: Stefanova V , Petrov P
Published: October 2022

The present study develops a methodology for assessing the restoration processes in recultivated lands, disturbed by polymetallic ore mining. The methodology classifies the recultivated lands into four classes based on the recovery coefficient and the threat coefficient introduced through it. The coefficients are calculated for three groups of indicators - soils (formation of soil profile, mechanical composition, soil fertility), microflora (qualitative and quantitative composition), lack of threats (total pollution with heavy metals and metalloids, salinization, and acidification) relative to the studied site and a pre-selected reference site with similar characteristics.
Experimental investigation on simultaneous machining of EDM and ECM with different electrode materials
Authors: Meng Jianbing , Guan Qingyi , Wang Shuaike , Dong Xiaojuan , Li Li , Yu Haoyang , Zhao Guoyong , Zhao Yugang
Published: October 2022

In order to improve the machining efficiency and the surface quality of EDM/ECM, adding a small amount of sodium nitrate into deionized water as the working medium, a novel simultaneous machining approach of EDM and ECM (SEDCM) was developed. In this work, a comparative study was conducted on the SEDCM performance of TC4 alloy using different electrode materials viz. brass, copper and copper-tungsten alloy. In addition, the effects of process parameters, such as peak current, pulse on time and gap voltage on material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), surface roughness (Ra), and surface micromorphology were investigated. The results show that brass electrode provides the smallest MRR, the highest TWR and the worst surface quality. The copper electrode has the smallest average diameter of a single discharge craters and the best surface finish. The MRR and TWR of copper-tungsten electrode are similar to those of copper electrode. As peak current increases, TWR increases and Ra deteriorates for all the electrodes, as well MRR increases and then decreases for copper and copper-tungsten electrodes. Increase in pulse on time and gap voltage, MRR and TWR increases and then decreases gradually. At higher pulse on time and gap voltage, Ra becomes greater for three type electrodes.
One-step synthesis of n-CdO/n-SnO2 heterojunction nanofibers for high-performance 3-hydroxy-2-butanone gas sensing
Authors: Jiang Ziqiao , Wang Ce , Yang Zhenglong
Published: October 2022

Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a pathogenic bacterium which can release 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (3H-2B) as a biological indicator. We report a high-performance 3H-2B gas sensing strategy for the selective detection of LM. This strategy is realized by n-CdO/n-SnO2 hetero-nanofibers with controllable compositions, synthesized via a facile one-step electrospinning method. The tailored morphologies and microstructures of CdO/SnO2 nanofibers were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With the introduction of CdO into SnO2 nanofibers, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed to investigate the effects of crystal phases and elemental states on the 3H-2B sensing properties. According to the gas sensing results, the variation of Cd/Sn molar ratios has a great influence on the 3H-2B sensing properties of CdO/SnO2 nanofibers. The maximum response (45) to 5 ppm 3H-2B is found for 5 mol% CdO/SnO2 nanofibers at 260 °C. Meanwhile, 5 mol% CdO/SnO2 nanofibers exhibit a short response/recovery time (9 s/5 s), outstanding stability, and discriminative selectivity to 3H-2B. The enhanced sensing performance is mainly attributed to the synergy between the resistance modulation of n-CdO/n-SnO2 heterojunctions and the doping effect of Cd2+ ions.
Adaptive energy-preserving algorithms for guiding center system
Authors: ZHU Beibei , LIU Jian , ZHANG Jiawei , ZHU Aiqing , TANG Yifa
Published: October 2022

We develop two types of adaptive energy preserving algorithms based on the averaged vector field for the guiding center dynamics, which plays a key role in magnetized plasmas. The adaptive scheme is applied to the Gauss Legendre’s quadrature rules and time stepsize respectively to overcome the energy drift problem in traditional energy-preserving algorithms. These new adaptive algorithms are second order, and their algebraic order is carefully studied. Numerical results show that the global energy errors are bounded to the machine precision over long time using these adaptive algorithms without massive extra computation cost.
Impact of a subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab clinic in outpatients with symptomatic COVID-19: A single-center, propensity-matched cohort study
Authors: Rhudy Christian , Bochenek Samantha , Thomas Justin , St. James Gerald , Zeltner Matthew , Platt Thom
Published: October 2022

Purpose

To evaluate the success of a clinic for subcutaneous administration of casirivmab and imdevimab (REGEN-COV; Regeneron) for treatment of patients with symptomatic mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in terms of preventing disease progression and healthcare utilization.

Methods

This retrospective single-center, propensity-matched cohort study examined healthcare utilization outcomes for patients who received subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab at a pharmacist-led clinic of an academic health system. Eligible patients were treated between August 1, 2021, and January 5, 2022, and were at high risk for COVID-19 disease progression. Treatment patients were propensity matched with high-risk control patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 in the same timeframe who did not receive casirivimab and imdevimab. Patients were followed for 30 days for collection of data on inpatient admissions, emergency department visits, and mortality. Risk of a 30-day healthcare utilization event was assessed and tested for statistical significance utilizing McNemar’s test.

Results

A total of 585 patients who received treatment with subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab were matched with 585 patients who did not receive casirivimab and imdevimab therapy. Patients who received casirivimab and imdevimab had significantly lower risk of a 30-day all-cause inpatient admission event than untreated patients (relative risk reduction, 62.4%; P < 0.0001). Treated patients also had a significantly lower risk of 30-day all-cause emergency department visit than untreated subjects (relative risk reduction, 36.5%; P = 0.0021). There were 6 mortality events in the untreated group and no mortality events in the treatment group.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of a subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab clinic in preventing progression of symptomatic mild to moderate COVID-19.
Regional Pain Blocks and Perioperative Pain Control in Patients Undergoing Breast Implant Removal with Capsulectomy
Authors: Katsnelson Jacob Y , Goodman David A , Paterson Casey K , Buinewicz Brian R
Published: October 2022

Background

Demand for breast implant removal with capsulectomy is on the rise, with more than 36,000 explants performed in 2020, an increase of nearly 7.5% from previous years. Postoperative analgesia is an important consideration in this patient group due to scar tissue surrounding the implant and the potential for extensive dissection during capsulectomy.

Objectives

We sought to compare perioperative pain control between several different types of ultrasound-guided regional anesthetic techniques in patients undergoing implant removal with capsulectomy.

Methods

We reviewed all patients who received an ultrasound-guided block and underwent breast implant removal with capsulectomy at our outpatient surgical center over a two-year period. We compared intraoperative, postoperative opioid requirement, and patient-reported pain on the first postoperative day (POD1) between three different block techniques using chi-square analysis. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

352 patients met inclusion criteria. 26 patients (7.4%) underwent a serratus plane block (SP), 13 (3.7%) underwent an erector spinae combined with pectointercostal fascial plane block (ES+PIFP), and 313 (88.9%) underwent an erector spinae combined with pectoral nerve block (ES+PECS1). ES+PECS1 was associated with less intraoperative and postoperative opioid use compared with SP and ES+PIFP (1.9% vs 19.2% vs 61.5%, p<0.001 for intraoperative, 26.8% vs 34.6% vs 38.5% postoperative, p<0.001). ES+PECS1 block was associated with mild pain on POD1 compared with the other two regional block techniques (p=0.001).

Conclusions

Regional pain blocks, and specifically the ES block offer effective pain control for patients undergoing breast implant removal with capsulectomy, demonstrating high patient satisfaction in the postoperative period with low opioid requirements.
Improving and evaluating deep learning models of cellular organization
Authors: Sun Huangqingbo , Fu Xuecong , Abraham Serena , Jin Shen , Murphy Robert F
Published: October 2022

Motivation

Cells contain dozens of major organelles and thousands of other structures, many of which vary extensively in their number, size, shape and spatial distribution. This complexity and variation dramatically complicates the use of both traditional and deep learning methods to build accurate models of cell organization. Most cellular organelles are distinct objects with defined boundaries that do not overlap, while the pixel resolution of most imaging methods is n sufficient to resolve these boundaries. Thus while cell organization is conceptually object-based, most current methods are pixel-based. Using extensive image collections in which particular organelles were fluorescently labeled, deep learning methods can be used to build conditional autoencoder models for particular organelles. A major advance occurred with the use of a U-net approach to make multiple models all conditional upon a common reference, unlabeled image, allowing the relationships between different organelles to be at least partially inferred.

Results

We have developed improved Generative Adversarial Networks-based approaches for learning these models and have also developed novel criteria for evaluating how well synthetic cell images reflect the properties of real images. The first set of criteria measure how well models preserve the expected property that organelles do not overlap. We also developed a modified loss function that allows retraining of the models to minimize that overlap. The second set of criteria uses object-based modeling to compare object shape and spatial distribution between synthetic and real images. Our work provides the first demonstration that, at least for some organelles, deep learning models can capture object-level properties of cell images.

Availability and implementation

http://murphylab.cbd.cmu.edu/Software/2022_insilico.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Critical Reflective Learning in Social Work Graduate Research: Learnings from an Australian Study in Child Protection Service Delivery
Authors: Modderman Corina , McMahon Mishel , McPherson Lynne , Threlkeld Guinever
Published: October 2022

Assumptions and worldviews shape social work research, particularly when influenced by settler colonialism in contemporary Australia. This article explores experiences from graduate research drawing on Ruch’s model of reflective learning and Fook and Gardner’s action-orientated approach to critical reflection. Written following PhD completion, it investigates significant learnings by reviewing reflective journal entries, feedback on draft manuscripts and supervision notes that were made during the time of the study. Deconstructing and reconstructing assumptions across all phases of graduate research show the trajectory from experienced social worker to novice researcher and the context within which this learning takes place. This process foregrounds graduate research influenced by Australia’s demographic, historical and political context in which the impact of colonisation continues to reverberate. Critical interrogation is required for socially just change. Currently, there remains a risk that graduate research produces knowledge that is founded on and shared through white perspectives, maintaining the status quo. Critical reflective learning needs a stimulating and safe learning environment that encourages hidden assumptions to surface and be openly questioned. This study concludes that personal and professional biases unconsciously influence graduate research and need to be identified in a constructive and supportive learning environment.
Clinically Adjudicated Reference Standards for Evaluation of Infectious Diseases Diagnostics
Authors: Patel Robin , Tsalik Ephraim L , Evans Scott , Fowler Vance G , Doernberg Sarah B ,   for The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group
Published: October 2022

Lack of a gold standard can present a challenge for evaluation of diagnostic test accuracy of some infectious diseases tests, particularly when the test's accuracy potentially exceeds that of its predecessors. This approach may measure agreement with an imperfect reference, rather than correctness, because the right answer is unknown. Solutions consist of multitest comparators, including those that involve a test under evaluation if multiple new tests are being evaluated together, using latent class modeling, and clinically adjudicated reference standards. Clinically adjudicated reference standards may be considered as comparator methods when no predefined test or composite of tests is sufficiently accurate; they emulate clinical practice in that multiple data pieces are clinically assessed together.
A Modified Firefly Deep Ensemble for Microarray Data Classification
Authors: S Arul Antran Vijay , V Jothi Prakash
Published: October 2022

Many researchers are using microarray technology to examine and investigate the levels of gene expression in a specific organism, which is an emerging trend in the field of genetic research. Microarray studies have a wide range of applications in the health sector, including disease prediction and diagnostics, as well as cancer research. Due to the existence of irrelevant or duplicated data in microarray datasets, it is difficult to correctly and immediately capture possible patterns using existing algorithms. Feature selection (FS) has evolved into a critical approach for identifying and eliminating the most pertinent qualities. The enormous dimensionality of microarray datasets, on the other hand, presents a significant barrier to the majority of available FS techniques. In this research, we propose a Modified Firefly Feature Selection (MFFS) algorithm that will reduce the irrelevant attributes needed for classification and a Deep Learning Model for classifying the microarray data. The experimental outcomes show that the proposed MFFS algorithm combined with a Hybrid Deep Learning Algorithm outperforms the existing methods in terms of feature set size, accuracy, precision, recall, F-measure and AUC for a dataset with larger number of features.
Prognostic implication of premature ventricular contractions in patients without structural heart disease
Authors: Scorza Raffaele , Jonsson Martin , Friberg Leif , Rosenqvist Mårten , Frykman Viveka
Published: October 2022

Aims

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a common form of arrhythmia associated with an unfavourable prognosis in patients with structural heart disease. However, the prognostic significance in absence of heart disease is debated. With this study, we aim to investigate whether subjects with PVC, without structural heart disease, have a worse prognosis than the general population.

Methods and results

Patients evaluated for PVC at a secondary care centre in Stockholm County from January 2010 to December 2016 were identified. We included patients without history of previous heart disease who had undergone echocardiography and exercise test with normal findings. Based on sex and age, we matched the PVC cohort to a four times bigger control group from the general population and compared the outcome in terms of mortality and cardiovascular morbidity during a median follow-up time of 5.2 years. We included 820 patients and 3,264 controls. Based on a non-inferiority analysis, the PVC group did not have a higher mortality than the control group (0.44, CI 0.27–0.72). Sensitivity analysis with propensity score matching confirmed this result.

Conclusions

PVC patients, who after thorough evaluation showed no signs of structural heart disease, did not have a worse prognosis when compared to an age- and sex- control group based on the general population.
On the Three-dimensionality of Flow in the Neo-sinus and its Implications for Subclinical Leaflet Thrombosis
Authors: Qiu Dong , Azadani Ali N
Published: October 2022

OBJECTIVES

Subclinical leaflet thrombosis is a silent phenomenon commonly observed following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Leaflet thrombosis is associated with ischaemic complications and structural valve deterioration. Prior studies have shown that blood stasis in neo-sinus contributes to the initiation and growth of subclinical leaflet thrombosis. This study aimed to quantify temporal and spatial characteristics of the flow field from a fundamental perspective.

METHODS

in vitro experimental analysis and fluid-solid interaction simulations were employed to characterize the flow field of a transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) with an intra-annular design in a pulse duplicator. Blood residence time (BRT) and flow-induced viscous shear stress were measured in the neo-sinus and on the surface of TAV leaflets.

RESULTS

Temporal and spatial velocity variations were observed in neo-sinus, indicating that the flow is time-dependent and fully three-dimensional. The degree of blood stasis in the neo-sinus (bulk fluid) and on the surface of the TAV leaflets highly depends on the local flow characteristics. Regional flow variation in the neo-sinus resulted in substantial variations in BRT magnitude in the neo-sinus and on the surface of the TAV leaflet. Areas with a high degree of blood stasis were observed near the fixed boundary edge of the leaflets.

CONCLUSIONS

The study indicated that leaflet motion is a primary driver of flow in neo-sinus. Considering the substantial variations in BRT magnitude in the neo-sinus (bulk fluid), blood stasis should be quantified locally on the surface of foreign (valve) materials to avoid errors in forecasting the risk of subclinical leaflet thrombosis in patients undergoing TAVI.
Integrating real-world data from Brazil and Pakistan into the OMOP common data model and standardized health analytics framework to characterize COVID-19 in the Global South
Authors: Junior Elzo Pereira Pinto , Normando Priscilla , Flores-Ortiz Renzo , Afzal Muhammad Usman , Jamil Muhammad Asaad , Bertolin Sergio Fernandez , Oliveira Vinícius de Araújo , Martufi Valentina , de Sousa Fernanda , Bashir Amir , Burn Edward , Ichihara Maria Yury , Barreto Maurício L , Salles Talita Duarte , Prieto-Alhambra Daniel , Hafeez Haroon , Khalid Sara
Published: October 2022

Objectives

The aim of this work is to demonstrate the use of a standardized health informatics framework to generate reliable and reproducible real-world evidence from Latin America and South Asia towards characterizing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Global South.

Materials and Methods

Patient-level COVID-19 records collected in a patient self-reported notification system, hospital in-patient and out-patient records, and community diagnostic labs were harmonized to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership common data model and analyzed using a federated network analytics framework. Clinical characteristics of individuals tested for, diagnosed with or tested positive for, hospitalized with, admitted to intensive care unit with, or dying with COVID-19 were estimated.

Results

Two COVID-19 databases covering 8.3 million people from Pakistan and 2.6 million people from Bahia, Brazil were analyzed. 109 504 (Pakistan) and 921 (Brazil) medical concepts were harmonized to Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership common data model. In total, 341 505 (4.1%) people in the Pakistan dataset and 1 312 832 (49.2%) people in the Brazilian dataset were tested for COVID-19 between January 1, 2020 and April 20, 2022, with a median [IQR] age of 36 [25, 76] and 38 (27, 50); 40.3% and 56.5% were female in Pakistan and Brazil, respectively. 1.2% percent individuals in the Pakistan dataset had Afghan ethnicity. In Brazil, 52.3% had mixed ethnicity. In agreement with international findings, COVID-19 outcomes were more severe in men, elderly, and those with underlying health conditions.

Conclusions

COVID-19 data from 2 large countries in the Global South were harmonized and analyzed using a standardized health informatics framework developed by an international community of health informaticians. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates a potential open science framework for global knowledge mobilization and clinical translation for timely response to healthcare needs in pandemics and beyond.
A Unified Protocol for CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Knockout in Tephritid Fruit Flies Led to the Recreation of White Eye and White Puparium Phenotypes in the Melon Fly
Authors: Paulo Daniel F , Cha Alex Y , Kauwe Angela N , Curbelo Keena , Corpuz Renee L , Simmonds Tyler J , Sim Sheina B , Geib Scott M
Published: October 2022

Tephritid fruit flies are among the most invasive and destructive agricultural pests worldwide. Over recent years, many studies have implemented the CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology to dissect gene functions in tephritids and create new strains to facilitate their genetics, management, and control. This growing literature allows us to compare diverse strategies for delivering CRISPR/Cas9 components into tephritid embryos, optimize procedures, and advance the technology to systems outside the most thoroughly studied species within the family. Here, we revisit five years of CRISPR research in Tephritidae and propose a unified protocol for candidate gene knockout in fruit flies using CRISPR/Cas9. We demonstrated the efficiency of our protocol by disrupting the eye pigmentation gene white eye (we) in the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae). High rates of somatic and germline mutagenesis were induced by microinjecting pre-assembled Cas9-sgRNA complexes through the chorion of embryos at early embryogenesis, leading to the rapid development of new mutant lines. We achieved comparable results when targeting the we orthologue in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), illustrating the reliability of our methods when transferred to other related species. Finally, we functionally validated the recently discovered white pupae (wp) loci in the melon fly, successfully recreating the white puparium phenotype used in suppression programs of this and other major economically important tephritids. This is the first demonstration of CRISPR-based genome-editing in the genus Zeugodacus, and we anticipate that the procedures described here will contribute to advancing genome-editing in other non-model tephritid fruit flies.
A New Species of the GenusPeriglischrus(Acari: Spinturnicidae) onLeptonycteris nivalis(Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) From Mexico, Including a Key to Species of thevargasiSpecies Group
Authors: Morales-Malacara Juan B , López-Ortega Gerardo
Published: October 2022

Periglischrus calcariflexus new species, was found on the Greater Long-tongued bat Leptonycteris nivalis (Saussure) in Mexico. The female, male, deutonymphs, and protonymph are described and illustrated. Additionally, we evaluate the morphological variability of this species based on its geographical distribution. Considering this new species, the number of species in the vargasi species group within the genus Periglischrus increases to five; therefore, herein we include a key for the known species in the vargasi species group for the Neotropics.
Impact of mass rapid antigen testing for SARS-CoV-2 to mitigate Omicron outbreaks in China
Authors: Shao Zengyang , Ma Lijia , Bai Yuan , Tan Qi , Liu Xiao Fan , Liu Shiyong , Ali Sheikh Taslim , Wang Lin , Lau Eric H Y , Cowling Benjamin J , Du Zhanwei
Published: October 2022

We analysed the effectiveness of various non-pharmaceutical interventions in containing the 2022 Omicron outbreak in China. The results show that the Rapid Antigen Test contributed to containing the outbreak, reducing the reproduction number by 0.788 (95% CI:−0.306, 1.880) in studied cities.
Neutron stars colliding with binary companions: formation of hypervelocity stars, pulsar planets, bumpy superluminous supernovae and Thorne–Żytkow objects
Authors: Hirai Ryosuke , Podsiadlowski Philipp
Published: October 2022

We perform three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamical simulations of new-born neutron stars (NSs) colliding with main-sequence binary companions after a supernova explosion. Based on those hydrodynamical models, we construct a semi-analytical formula that describes the drag force inside stars with steep density gradients. We then compute the outcome of NS–companion collisions over a wide range of parameters using the semi-analytical formula. Depending on the direction and magnitude of the natal kick, we find that the collision may lead to various outcomes. For relatively fast kicks and high impact parameters, the NS may penetrate the companion star envelope without merging. By allowing the NS to plunge through their companions, the companion can be accelerated to have runaway velocities up to ∼10 per cent above the theoretical upper limit considered in classical binary disruption scenarios. The NS can capture and carry away up to a few per cent of the companion envelope as it escapes, which may form pulsar planets or cause outflows through accretion to heat the ejecta from inside and power the supernova light curve. For lower impact parameters, the NS will directly merge with the companion and form a Thorne–Żytkow object. In intermediate cases, the NS penetrates the companion envelope several times before merging, possibly causing multiple bumps in the supernova light curve like in SN2015bn and SN2019stc.
BIC: a database for the transcriptional landscape of bacteria in cancer
Authors: Chen Kai-Pu , Hsu Chia-Lang , Oyang Yen-Jen , Huang Hsuan-Cheng , Juan Hsueh-Fen
Published: October 2022

Microbial communities are massively resident in the human body, yet dysbiosis has been reported to correlate with many diseases, including various cancers. Most studies focus on the gut microbiome, while the bacteria that participate in tumor microenvironments on site remain unclear. Previous studies have acquired the bacteria expression profiles from RNA-seq, whole genome sequencing, and whole exon sequencing in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). However, small-RNA sequencing data were rarely used. Using TCGA miRNA sequencing data, we evaluated bacterial abundance in 32 types of cancer. To uncover the bacteria involved in cancer, we applied an analytical process to align unmapped human reads to bacterial references and developed the BIC database for the transcriptional landscape of bacteria in cancer. BIC provides cancer-associated bacterial information, including the relative abundance of bacteria, bacterial diversity, associations with clinical relevance, the co-expression network of bacteria and human genes, and their associated biological functions. These results can complement previously published databases. Users can easily download the result plots and tables, or download the bacterial abundance matrix for further analyses. In summary, BIC can provide information on cancer microenvironments related to microbial communities. BIC is available at: http://bic.jhlab.tw/.
In vitro structural maturation of an early stage pre-40S particle coupled with U3 snoRNA release and central pseudoknot formation
Authors: Cheng Jingdong , La Venuta Giuseppe , Lau Benjamin , Berninghausen Otto , Beckmann Roland , Hurt Ed
Published: October 2022

The transition of the 90S to the pre-40S pre-ribosome is a decisive step in eukaryotic small subunit biogenesis leading to a first pre-40S intermediate (state Dis-C or primordial pre-40S), where the U3 snoRNA keeps the nascent 18S rRNA locally immature. We in vitro reconstitute the ATP-dependent U3 release from this particle, catalyzed by the helicase Dhr1, and follow this process by cryo-EM revealing two successive pre-40S intermediates, Dis-D and Dis-E. The latter has lost not only U3 but all residual 90S factors including the GTPase Bms1. In vitro remodeling likewise induced the formation of the central pseudoknot, a universally conserved tertiary RNA structure that comprises the core of the small subunit decoding center. Thus, we could structurally reveal a key tertiary RNA folding step that is essential to form the active 40S subunit.
Overcoming barriers to implementing new guideline-directed therapies for chronic kidney disease
Authors: Nee Robert , Yuan Christina M , Narva Andrew S , Yan Guofen , Norris Keith C
Published: October 2022

For the first time in many years, guideline-directed drug therapies have emerged that offer substantial cardiorenal benefits, improved quality of life and longevity in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes. These treatment options include sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. However, despite compelling evidence from multiple clinical trials, their uptake has been slow in routine clinical practice, reminiscent of the historical evolution of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin II receptor blocker use. The delay in implementation of these evidence-based therapies highlights the many challenges to optimal CKD care, including: (i) clinical inertia; (ii) low CKD awareness; (iii) suboptimal kidney disease education among patients and providers; (iv) lack of patient and community engagement; (v) multimorbidity and polypharmacy; (vi) challenges in the primary care setting; (vii) fragmented CKD care; (viii) disparities in underserved populations; (ix) lack of public policy focused on health equity; and (x) high drug prices. These barriers to optimal cardiorenal outcomes can be ameliorated by a multifaceted approach, using the Chronic Care Model framework, to include patient and provider education, patient self-management programs, shared decision making, electronic clinical decision support tools, quality improvement initiatives, clear practice guidelines, multidisciplinary and collaborative care, provider accountability, and robust health information technology. It is incumbent on the global kidney community to take on a multidimensional perspective of CKD care by addressing patient-, community-, provider-, healthcare system- and policy-level barriers.