bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy-efficient high-fidelity image reconstruction with memristor arrays for medical diagnosis
Authors: Zhao Han , Liu Zhengwu , Tang Jianshi , Gao Bin , Qin Qi , Li Jiaming , Zhou Ying , Yao Peng , Xi Yue , Lin Yudeng , Qian He , Wu Huaqiang
Published: October 2022

Medical imaging is an important tool to make accurate medical diagnosis and disease intervention. Current medical image reconstruction algorithms mainly run on Si-based digital processors with von Neumann architecture, which faces critical challenges to process massive amount of data for high-speed and high-quality imaging. Here, we present a memristive image reconstructor (MIR) to greatly accelerate image reconstruction with discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) by computing-in-memory (CIM) with memristor. To implement DFT on memristor arrays efficiently, we proposed a high-accuracy quasi-analogue mapping (QAM) method and generic complex matrix transfer (CMT) scheme, to improve the mapping precision and transfer efficiency, respectively. With these two strategies, we used MIR to demonstrate high-fidelity magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) image reconstructions, achieving software-equivalent qualities with peak signal-to-noise ratios (PSNR) of 40.88 dB and 22.38 dB, respectively. The reconstructed images were then segmented using a popular nnU-Net algorithm to further evaluate the reconstruction quality. For the MRI task, the final DICE scores were 0.979 and 0.980 for MIR and software, respectively; while for the CT task, the DICE scores were 0.977 and 0.985 for MIR and software, respectively. These results validated the feasibility of using memristor-reconstructed images for medical diagnosis. Furthermore, our MIR also exhibited more than 153× and 79× improvements in energy efficiency and normalized image reconstruction speed, respectively, compared to graphics processing unit (GPU). This work demonstrates MIR as a promising platform for high-fidelity image reconstruction for future medical diagnosis, and also largely extends the application of memristor-based CIM beyond artificial neural networks.
Antiretroviral Therapy Regimen Modification Rates and Associated Factors in a Cohort of HIV/AIDS Patients in Asmara, Eritrea: A 16-year Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Tekle Samuel , Yohannes Arsema , Issaias Hermon , Mesfn Mical , Zerufael Simon , Dirar Aman , Teklemariam Habtemichael M. , Ghebremeskel Ghirmary Ghebrekidane , Achila Oliver Okoth , Basha Saleem
Published: October 2022

Background: Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) durability and time to modification are important quality indicators in HIV/AIDs treatment programs. This analysis describes the incidence, patterns, and factors associated with cART modifications in HIV patients enrolled in four treatment centers in Asmara, Eritrea from 2005-2021.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study combining data from 5,020 (males, 1,943 (38.7%) vs. females, 3,077 (61.3%)) patients were utilized. Data on multiple demographic and clinical variables were abstracted from patient’s charts and cART program registry. Independent predictors of modification and time to specified events were evaluated using a multi-variable Cox-proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier analysis.
Results: The median (±IQR) age, CD4+ T-cell count, and proportion of patients with WHO Clinical stage III/IV were 48 (IQR: 41-55) years; 160 (IQR: 80-271) cells/µL; and 2,667 (53.25%), respectively. The cumulative frequency of all cause cART modification was 3,223 (64%): 2,956 (58.8%) substitutions; 37 (0.7%) switches; and both, 230 (4.5%). Following 241,194 person-months (PMFU) of follow-up, incidence rate of cART substitution and switch were 12.3 (95% CI: 11.9-12.8) per 1,000 PMFU and 3.9 (95% CI: 3.2-4.8) per 10,000 PMFU, respectively. Prominent reasons for cART substitution included toxicity/intolerance, drug-shortage, new drug availability, treatment failure, tuberculosis and pregnancy. The most common adverse event (AEs) associated with cART modification included lipodystrophy, anemia and peripheral neuropathy, among others. In the adjusted multivariate Cox regression model, Organisation (Hospital B: aHR=1.293, 95% CI: 1.162-1.439, p-value<0.001) (Hospital D: aHR=1.799, 95% CI: 1.571-2.060, p-value<0.001); Initial WHO clinical stage (Stage III: aHR=1.116, 95% CI: 1.116-1.220, p-value<0.001); NRTI backbone (D4T-based: aHR=1.849, 95% CI: 1.449-2.360, p value<0.001) were associated with increased cumulative hazard of treatment modification. Baseline weight (aHR =0.996, 95% CI: 0.993-0.999, p-value=0.013); address within Maekel (aHR=0.854, 95% CI: 0.774-0.942, p value=0.002); AZT-based backbones (aHR=0.654, 95% CI: 0.515-0.830, p-value<0.001); TDF-based backbones: aHR=0.068, 95% CI: 0.051-0.091, p-value<0.001), NVP-based anchors (aHR=0.889, 95% CI: 0.806-0.980, p-value=0.018) were associated with lower cumulative hazards of attrition.
Conclusion: The minimal number of switching suggests inadequate VL testing. However, the large number of toxicity/intolerance and drug-shortage driven substitutions highlight important problems in this setting. Consequently, the need to advocate for both sustainable access to safer ARVs in SSA and improvements in local supply chains is warranted.
Genetic Association of Intelligence with Longevity in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Khan Mousumee , Lkhagva Enkhchimeg , Siddiqui Sharif Hasan , Hong Seong-Tshool
Published: October 2022

Epidemiological studies in different populations, in different countries, and in different epochs consistently showed that high intelligence is positively correlated with longevity. The link between high intelligence and longevity has remained unknown, only to be assumed as a consequence of the socioeconomic difference associated with intelligence in human population. Here, we report that genome stability contributes both to lifespan and intelligence in Drosophila melanogaster. The intelligence of the genetically heterogenous flies was determined by T-maze olfactory memory assay, and the flies moving to the right direction defined as intelligent flies (INT) were separated from the flies moving to the wrong direction defined as non-intelligent flies (NINT). INT male and female lived 26.40% and 21.35% longer than NINT male and female, respectively, suggesting a possible genetic linkage between intelligence and longevity. The bidirectional selective breeding based on intelligence extended lifespans gradually generation by generation in INT breeding contrast to the reversed pattern in NINT breeding. INT of F12 generation lived longer than NINT of F12 generation, 63.91% for male and 67.88% for female, as a result from slower aging. The whole-genome transcriptome analysis showed the activation of the genes in ribosome and autophagy in INT and the pathways of genome stability and immune reaction in NINT. Especially, the genetic pathway associated with genome stability was most noticeable, indicating that genome stability contributes both to lifespan and intelligence in D. melanogaster.
Progress, Challenges and Prospects of Urban Air Pollution and Climate in Iran
Authors: Taghizadeh Farzaneh , Mokhtarani Babak , Rahmanian Nejat
Published: October 2022

Air pollution has been integrated into global challenges over the last few years due to its negative impact on the health of human beings, increasing socio-economic risks and its contribution to climate change. This paper highlights the general status of air pollution worldwide. It then attempts to systematically evaluate the current status of Iran's air pollution with regard to the sources of emissions, control policies, as well as the health and climate consequences that have resulted through available data from monitoring stations reported in the literature and official documents. The challenges and opportunities are also discussed to provide feedback on the efficacy of control measures and policy-making. Many large cities in Iran surpass the permissible concentration of air pollutants, particularly particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, black carbon and ozone. Although the regulations and policies are in place and enormous efforts are being made to address air pollution issues in the country, implementation and enforcement are not as effective as they could be. The significant challenges may be regarded as the inefficiency of regulation and supervision systems, the lack of air quality monitoring systems and technology, particularly in industrial cities rather than Tehran as well as the lack of continual feedback and investigations on the efficiency of regulation. Providing such a comprehensive and up-to-date report can bring opportunities for international collaboration, which is essential in addressing the air pollution issue worldwide.
Universal narrowband wavefront shaping with high quality factor meta-reflect-arrays
Authors: Lawrence Mark , Lin Lin , Hu Jack , Dagli Sahil , Dionne Jennifer
Published: October 2022

Optical metasurfaces offer unprecedented flexibility in light wave manipulation but suffer weak resonant enhancement. Tackling this problem, we experimentally unveil a new phase gradient metasurface platform made entirely from individually addressable high-quality-factor (high-Q) silicon meta-atoms. Composed of pairs of nearly identical nano-blocks, these meta-atoms support dipolar-guided-mode-resonances that, due to the controlled suppression of radiation loss, serve as highly sensitive phase pixels when placed above a mirror. A key novelty of this platform lies in the vanishingly small structural perturbations needed to produce universal phase-fronts. Having fabricated elements with Q-factor~380 and spaced by λ/1.2, we achieve strong beam steering, up to 59% efficient, to angles 32.2°, 25.3°and 20.9° with variations in nanoantenna volume fractions across the metasurfaces of ≤2.6%, instead of >50% required by traditional versions. Aside from extreme sensitivity, the metasurfaces exhibit nearfield intensity enhancement over 1000x. Taken together, these properties represent an exciting prospect for dynamic and nonlinear wave-shaping.
Regorafenib inhibits EphA2 phosphorylation damages the liver via ERK/MDM2/p53 axis
Authors: Yan Hao , Wu Wentong , Hu Yuhuai , Li Jinjin , Chen Xueqin , Xu Zhifei , Yang Bo , He Qiaojun , Luo Peihua
Published: October 2022

Hepatotoxicity of regorafenib is one of the most noteworthy concerns for patients, however the mechanism has poorly understood. Hence, lack of effective intervention strategy. In this study, we found that regorafenib-induced liver injury mainly derived from its non-therapeutic target EPH receptor A2 (EphA2) by comparing the target with sorafenib. EphA2 deficiency attenuated liver damage and cell apoptosis under regorafenib treatment. Overexpression of EphA2-S898A could directly cause hepatocyte apoptosis, while recovering EphA2 Ser898 phosphorylation greatly alleviated regorafenib-induced liver injury. Mechanistically, regorafenib inhibits EphA2 Ser897 phosphorylation and reduced ubiquitination of p53 by altering the intracellular localization of mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) through affecting the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/MDM2 axis. Meanwhile, we found Schisandrin C which could upregulate the phosphorylation of EphA2 at Ser897 also had protective effect against the toxicity in vivo. Collectively, our findings identify the inhibition of EphA2 Ser897 phosphorylation as a key cause of regorafenib-induced hepatotoxicity, and chemical activation on EphA2 Ser897 represents a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent regorafenib-induced hepatotoxicity.
Point Prevalence Surveys of Antibiotic Prescribing in Children at a Tertiary Hospital in a resource constraint, low- income sub-Saharan African country.
Authors: AKINTAN PATRICIA , Oshun Phillip , Osuagwu Chioma , Ola-Bello Olafoyekemi , Fajolu Iretiola , Roberts Alero , Temiye Edamisan , Oyinlola Oduyebo
Published: October 2022

Background Antibiotic resistance has been widely described in children by various pathogens to multiple antibiotics, these have become a global health crisis and an emergency. Factors associated with antibiotic use are both community and hospital based as studies have reported increased use of antibiotics by parents and caregivers as well as health care providers This study aimed to describe prevalence rates of antibiotic prescribing and evaluate antibiotic prescribing practices as well as targets for improving the quality of antimicrobial prescribing in children over time. Method Point prevalence survey of antimicrobial use was performed yearly for 4 years to monitor trends in antimicrobial prescribing., Data from all patients admitted before 8 am on the day of the PPS were included. A web-based application designed by the University of Antwerp was used for data-entry, validation and analysis (http://www.global-pps.com). Results A total of 260 children including 90 (34.6%) neonates and 170 (65.4%) older children were admitted during the four surveys. Overall, 179 (68.8%) patients received at least one antibiotic. In neonates, the prevalence of antibiotic use increased from 78.9–89.5% but reduced from 100–58.8% in older children. There was a reduction in the use of antibiotics for prophylaxis from 45.7–24.6%. The most frequently prescribed antibiotic groups were third generation cephalosporins and aminoglycosides. The most common indication for antibiotic prescribing was sepsis in neonates and central nervous system infection in older children. The documentation of reason in notes increased from 33–100% while stop review date also increased from 19.4–82.1%. Conclusion The prevalence of antibiotic use was high with cephalosporins being the most prescribed antibiotic.
Risk assessment and exploration on invasive peculiarities of ornamental grasses to the urban greening routine
Authors: Chen Chao , Teng Wen-Jun , Zhang Hui , Wu Ju-Ying , Scullion John , Bye Ruby
Published: October 2022

Two risk assessment protocols, the Weed Risk Assessment for Central Europe (WG-WRA) and the Australian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA), were adapted to evaluate the invasion risk of eighty-two ornamental grasses. Meanwhile, some particular characteristics of these ornamental grasses, like ornamental value, biological and ecological characteristics were highlighted and assessed for their potential risk by field observations and method of expert ranking. There was a positive correlation between scores derived from the two risk protocols, though WRA was considered to be more acceptable than WG-WRA according to the analysis of ornamental grasses. Well-cultivated cultivars were less-efficiently predicted by the two risk protocols compared with the protospecies in the study, as well as some outliers with higher fecundity. In details, the risk classification differed: risk categorization using the WG-WRA protocol allocated high and moderate risk to 81.1% of 45 native ornamentals, yet only 22.2% of 37 alien ornamentals. Assessment using the WRA protocol scored 91.5% of the studied ornamentals to pose invasion risk following a diverse criterion, of which 97.3% were for native species and 86.7% for alien species. Ranked scores of biological and ecological characteristics of ornamental grasses highlighted herein were correlated with risk scores, although the significance of these relationships varied; while ornamental value had a weak relationship to the risk scores. In addition, some features peculiar to ornamental grasses relating to their invasive tendency are presented that most (72.0%) of the alien ornamentals exhibit perenniality, intentionally introduced from the Americas and Europe, and to a lesser extent from Asia, Africa, and Australia. In general, the ornamentals with high fecundity and adaptability presented a higher risk of invasion, while well-domesticated cultivars or hybrid species with high aesthetic scores yet relatively low levels of fecundity and adaptability, presenting a low invasion risk.
Dabrafenib plus trametinib treatment in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: the Argentinian experience
Authors: Bueno Fernanda , Smulever Anabella , Califano Inés , Guerra Jorguelina , Grecco Andrés Del , Carrera Juan Manuel , Giglio Raúl , Rizzo Manglio , Lingua Alejo , Voogd Ana , Negueruela María del Carmen , Abelleira Erika , Pitoia Fabián
Published: October 2022

Purpose: To present our real-life experience with dabrafenib and trametinib (D-T) treatment in patients with BRAF V600E-mutated ATC in Argentina. Patients y
methods: We included five patients from four different hospitals. The median age was 70 years, and 60% were male. The performance status at diagnosis was grade 0 in 60% and grade 2 in 40% of patients. Four patients could undergo total thyroidectomy; in one of them, surgical treatment was amenable due to the indication of D-T as neoadjuvant therapy. From the total cohort, the best response to treatment was complete response in 40%, partial response in 20%, and stable disease in 20%. The median duration of response was 20 weeks; ranging from 16 to 92 weeks. All patients experienced at least one adverse event (AE). Grade ≥3 AEs were observed in two (40%) patients. They were upper gastrointestinal bleeding and subclavian vein thrombosis. The median follow-up was 20 weeks (range: 16 to 92).
Conclusion: This report contributes to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of D-T treatment in five patients with loco-regionally advanced and metastatic BRAF V600E-mutated ATC in a real-life setting. A multidisciplinary approach and rapid molecular tailored testing are essential to begin this therapeutic option.
USP35 promotes cell proliferation and chemotherapeutic resistance through stabilizing FUCA1 in colorectal cancer
Authors: Zhang Pengju , Xiao Yi , Jiang Xiaoyu , Miao Tianshu , Lu Hanlin , Wang Wenqing , Ma Lijuan , Zhao Yinghui , Liu Chunyan , Qiao Yun
Published: October 2022

Ubiquitin-specific-processing proteases 35 (USP35) is an under-characterized deubiquitinase and its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. Here, we focus on delineating the impact of USP35 on CRC cell proliferation and chemo-resistance, as well as the possible regulatory mechanism. By examining the genomic database and clinical samples, we found that USP35 was overexpressed in CRC. Further functional studies showed that enhanced USP35 expression promoted CRC cell proliferation and resistance to oxaliplatin (OXA) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), whereas USP35 depletion impeded cell proliferation and sensitized cells to OXA and 5-FU treatments. Then, to explore the possible mechanism underlying USP35-triggered cellular responses, we performed co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) followed by mass spectrometry (MS) analysis and identified α-L-fucosidase 1 (FUCA1) as a direct deubiquitiation target of USP35. Importantly, we demonstrated that FUCA1 was an essential mediator for USP35-induced cell proliferation and chemo-resistance in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we observed that nucleotide excision repair (NER) components (e.g., XPC, XPA, ERCC1) were up-regulated by USP35-FUCA1 axis, indicating a potential mechanism for USP35-FUCA1-mediated platinum resistance in CRC. Together, our results for the first time explored the role and important mechanism of USP35 in CRC cell proliferation and chemotherapeutic response, providing a rationale for USP35-FUCA1-targeted therapy in CRC.
Application value of cardiac magnetic resonance image fusion technique in patients with acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Li Ziwen , Yin Hongbin , Zhang Ziqian , Zhang Yayun , Feng Yongli , Zhou Yi , Zhou Ying
Published: October 2022

Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is feasible for detecting acute myocardial edema in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, cardiac motion artifacts can cause severe attenuation or loss of DWI signal in well-contracting myocardial segments. Our study aimed to investigate the application value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) image fusion technique in patients with AMI.
Methods: Patients with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and CMR were prospectively enrolled. Image fusion was performed on cardiac cine imaging and DWI. Using late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) as the reference standard, the acute myocardial edema diagnostic efficiency, image quality score and correlation with infarct size were compared between DWI and cine-DWI.
Results: A total of 52 patients with AMI were enrolled in this study. No significant difference was found in the positive rate of acute myocardial edema diagnosis between DWI and cine-DWI (92.3% vs. 96.2%, p = 0.500). Cine-DWI had higher normal and overall myocardial scores than DWI (all p < 0.001); no significant difference was observed in edematous myocardial score between DWI and cine-DWI (p = 0.239). The correlation coefficient r between the edema area measured using DWI and the infarct size measured using LGE was 0.826 (p< 0.001); and the correlation coefficient r between the edema area measured using cine-DWI and the infarct size measured using LGE was 0.905 (p< 0.001) .
Conclusions: Compared with DWI, the fusion image base on cine and DWI improved the image quality, and its edema area had a stronger correlation with the infarct size measured using LGE.
Intercropping of two maize varieties shifts the bacterial community and enhances nutrient uptake and grain yield under different fertilization managements
Authors: Jia xucun , Song Rui , Chen Yibo , Wang Jingjing , Miao Zhengyan , Zhao Wenlong , Dong Pengfei , Chen Yinglong , Zhang Yongen , Wang Qun
Published: October 2022

Background and aims:
Intercropping contributes to agricultural productivity and resources efficient utilization. However, whether intraspecific intercropping affects rhizosphere bacterial community, nutrient uptake, plant growth and yield remains unknown.
Methods
A two-year lysimetric experiment was conducted using two maize varieties with different root system architectures planted alone (monocropping) or in mixture (intercropping) under normal fertilization (NF), reduced fertilization (RF) or no addition of fertilizer (CK) and was assessed at the silking and maturity stages.
Results
Intercropping increased shoot biomass and total root length at silking stage, and increased the shoot biomass and nutrient uptake at maturity stage and grain yield under NF and RF conditions. Intercropping also increased the bacterial diversity (Shannon index), altered the bacterial community structure, and increased the relative abundance of the class of Bacteroidia under NF and RF conditions compared with the monoculture. The abundance of biomarkers of Chitinophagaceae and Saprospiraceae (Bacteroidia) were relatively higher in the rhizosphere of intercropping under NF and RF conditions compared to these of the monoculture. Moreover, the bacterial network of intercropping was more stable compared with the monoculture under NF and RF conditions, respectively. The bacterial diversity, bacterial community structure and the modularity of bacterial network were significantly positively correlated with plant nutrient accumulation.
Conclusion
Intercropping of maize varieties improved plant growth and nutrient acquisition, which was related to bacterial diversity and community. And distinct bacterial community assembly of intraspecific intercropping of maize could benefit plant nutrient acquisition and plant growth under intensive agriculture.
Explicating the genetic diversity and population structure of Saanen x Beetal goats using pedigree analysis
Authors: Sahoo Shweta , Alex Rani , Vohra Vikas , Mukherjee Sabyasachi , Gowane G.R.
Published: October 2022

Pedigree analysis is required to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of a close breeding population in order to effectively manage the breeding program and keep inbreeding under acceptable limits. Saanen x Beetal is a crossbred population of goats, reared at National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Karnal for the last five decades. This germplasm has been acclimated to a tropical climate and has a higher milk potential and prolificacy. Objective of this study was to elucidate the genetic diversity, population structure, and inbreeding in the flock of the Saanen x Beetal goats. The data were collected from the Animal Genetics and Breeding Division of ICAR-NDRI, Karnal for 2603 animals from the year 1971–2021. Animals born between 2014–2017 were considered as a reference cohort. Results revealed that the average generation interval was 3.44 years for the complete pedigree. The average inbreeding coefficient and the average relatedness were 4.20% and 6.87%, respectively, for the complete pedigree and 10.78% and 10.80%, for the reference population. Higher inbreeding coefficient and average relatedness in the reference cohort demonstrated impact of enclosed gene pool and demands immediate intervention for managing diversity in the closed nucleus under study. Ancestors contributing 50% of the gene pool were 8 and 3 for the complete pedigree and reference cohort, respectively, which illustrates the fact that very few ancestors were responsible for genetic diversity in the flock, which results in the decline of effective population size. Effective number of founders (fe), ancestors (fa), and founder genome equivalents (fg) were 15, 7, and 3.11, respectively. The (fe/fa) ratio in the reference population was 2.14 indicating the occurrence of the bottleneck effect in the flock. We observed that inbreeding was non-significant for all reproductive traits except for age at first service and age at first kidding. To lessen inbreeding and augment genetic diversity in the flock, the stratified breeding plan needs to be followed, where, mate sele ction would be based on relatedness. Furthermore, introduction of unrelated Saanen and Beetal crosses will help alleviate the inbreeding accumulation.
Step engineering for nucleation and domain orientation control in WSe2 epitaxy on c-plane sapphire
Authors: Zhu Haoyue , nayir Nadire , Choudhury Tanushree , Bansal Anushka , Huet Benjamin , Zhang Kunyan , Puretzky Alexander , Bachu Saiphaneendra , York Krystal , Knight Thomas Mc , Trainor Nicholas , Wang Ke , Makin Robert , Durbin Steven , Huang Shengxi , Alem Nasim , Crespi Vincent , Duin Adri Van , Redwing Joan
Published: October 2022

Epitaxial growth of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) on sapphire has emerged as a promising route to wafer-scale single crystal films. Steps on the sapphire act as sites for TMD nucleation and can impart a preferred domain orientation resulting in a significant reduction in mirror twins. Here we demonstrate control of both the nucleation site and unidirectional growth direction of WSe2 on c-plane sapphire by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The unidirectional orientation is found to be intimately tied to growth conditions via changes in the sapphire surface chemistry which control the step edge location of WSe2 nucleation imparting either a 0° or 60° orientation relative to the underlying sapphire lattice. The results provide insight into the role of surface chemistry on TMD nucleation and domain alignment and demonstrate the ability to engineer domain orientation over wafer-scale substrates.
Arthropod beta-diversity is spatially and temporally structured by latitude
Authors: Seymour Mathew , Roslin Tomas , deWaard Jeremy , Perez Kate , D'Souza Michelle , Ratnasingham Sujeevan , Ashfaq Muhammad , Levesque-Beaudin Valerie , Blagoev Gergin , Bukowski Belén , Cale Peter , Crosbie Denise , Decaëns Thibaud , deWaard Stephanie , Ekrem Torbjørn , Elansary Hosam , Ondo Fidèle Evouna , Fraser David , Geiger Matthias , Hajibabaei Mehrdad , Hallwachs Winnie , Hanisch Priscila , Hausmann Axel , Heath Mark , Hogg Ian , Janzen D , Kinnaird Margaret , Kohn Joshua , Larrivée Maxim , Lees David , León-Règagnon Virginia , Liddell Michael , Lijtmaer Darío , Lipinskaya Tatsiana , Locke Sean , Manjunath Ramya , Martins Dino , Martins Marlúcia , Mazumdar Santosh , McKeown Jaclyn , Miller Scott , Milton Megan , Miskie Renee , Morinière Jérôme , Mutanen Marko , Naik Suresh , Nichols Becky , Noguera Felipe , Novotny Vojtech , Penev Lyubomir , Pentinsaari Mikko , Quinn Jenna , Ramsay Leah , Rochefort Regina , Schmidt Stefan , Smith M. , Sobel Crystal , Somervuo Panu , Sones Jayme , Staude Hermann , Jaques Brianne St. , Stur Elisabeth , Telfer Angela , Tubaro Pablo , Wardlaw Timothy , Worcester Robyn , Yang Zhaofu , Young Monica R. , Zemlak Tyler , Zakharov Evgeny , Zlotnick Bradley , Ovaskainen Otso , Hebert Paul
Published: October 2022

Global gradients in species biodiversity are expected to reflect tighter packing of species closer to the equator. Yet, empirical validation of these patterns has so far focused on less diverse taxa, with comparable assessments of mega-diverse groups historically constrained by the taxonomic impediment. Here we assess the temporal and spatial turnover dynamics of arthropod communities sampled across 129 globally distributed monitoring sites. Overall, we encountered more than 150,000 unique BINs (i.e., species proxies). We show that global differences in community compositional change are linked to latitudinal, spatial, and temporal gradients, which are largely consistent across biogeographic regions. This general latitudinal imprint on community composition provides a mechanistic underpinning for global biodiversity gradients.
Decolorization properties and mechanism of reactive-dyed cotton fabrics with different structures utilized to prepare cotton pulp
Authors: Wang Wei , Yin Yuanyuan , Xu Zhixi , Wang Huaifang , Guo Xiaoqing , Gong Zhaoqin , Zhu Ping , Zhang Chuanjie
Published: October 2022

It is critical to develop the mild decolorization technology to accomplish clean pulping in order to overcome the issues caused by the high consumption of energy and severe degradation of cellulose during the preparation of cotton pulp from waste cotton textiles. Discarded cotton fabrics was treated using a technique named as the sodium hydroxide-sodium dithionite system to remove color. During the procedure, the function of decolorization parameters, the effect of decolorization treatment on the structure and properties of cotton fabrics, and mild decolorization mechanism were investigated according to the different chromogenic systems and active groups of reactive dyes, especially. The findings demonstrate that NaOH can hydrolyzes covalent bonds between dye and cotton fiber and Na2S2O4 destroys chromophores to achieve decolorization. The chemical makeup and crystal structures of cotton cellulose are barely affected throughout the decolorization process. It is worth noting that the strength of the decolored cotton fabric can be retained by more than 90%, thus not affecting the subsequent pulping requirements.
Treatment satisfaction with molidustat in CKD-related anemia in non-dialysis patients
Authors: Yamamoto Hiroyasu , Yamada Takashi , Miyazaki Ken , Yamashita Takuto , Kato Takuya , Ohara Kenichi , Nakamura Yusuke , Sakai Yoko , Crawford Bruce , Akizawa Tadao
Published: October 2022

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are a standard treatment for patients with renal anemia to increase hemoglobin (Hb) levels and reduce their need for blood transfusions. However, treatments targeting high Hb levels require high doses of ESAs by the intravenous injection which are associated with an elevated risk of adverse cardiovascular events. In response to this key limitation other erythropoietin-promoting medications have been developed such as hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PH inhibitor). This post-hoc analysis of two clinical trials evaluates patients’ treatment satisfaction with a HIF-PH inhibitor, molidustat, compared to a standard ESA, darbepoetin alfa, as part of therapy for patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) and renal anemia. Exploratory outcome data using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medicine version II (TSQM-II) showed that both arms in both trials had increased treatment satisfaction over the course of the study period as well as improvements in most TSQM-II domains at week 24. Molidustat was associated with convenience domain scores at multiple timepoints depending on the trial and more patients were highly satisfied with the convenience of molidustat compared to darbepoetin alfa. Patients treated with molidustat also had increases in global satisfaction domain scores compared to darbepoetin alfa, but the differences s in global satisfaction domain scores were not significant. These patient-reported satisfaction outcomes provide findings supporting the use of molidustat as a patient-centered treatment option for CKD-related anemia.
Antibiotic susceptibility and resistance of P. aeruginosa uropathogenic isolates
Authors: Khabipova Nailya , Valeeva Lia , Shaidullina Elvira , Mardanova Ayslu , Gimadeev Zufar , Sharipova Margarita
Published: October 2022

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infectious morbidities among hospitalized patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic human pathogen responsible for the many human infectious diseases. Although, P. aeruginosa provokes only 7–10% of healthcare-associated UTIs, its flexible biochemical and adaptive mechanisms results in the high antibiotic resistance, followed by the increased mortality of patients that makes P. aeruginosaextremely dangerous. A resistance of P. aeruginosa to different classes of antibiotics related to a broad range of its intrinsic, acquired, and adaptive mechanisms including expression of specific β-lactamases. Herein, we studied antibiotic susceptibility of 22 P. aeruginosa urine isolates and the occurrence of metallo-β-lactamases genes in their genomes as one of the main factors of a high resistance to carbapenems. It was shown that all studied P. aeruginosa isolates were resistant or susceptible in increased exposure to carbapenems (imipenem, ceftazidime, and piperacillin/tazobactam) and fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin. The only effective carbapenem were meropenem, showed inhibition activity against seven isolates. A sensitivity to aminoglycoside class antibiotic amikacin was detected in 82% of the isolates. Only six of isolates contained VIM-type metallo-β-lactamase genes in their genomes.
Women who Ever had Breast Lump: The determinants
Authors: Ngmenbelle David , Ofori Michael Fosu , Antwi Terah
Published: October 2022

Background
Breast lumps or lumpiness are a prevalent issue among women seeking guidance, with 40–70% reporting lumps or lumpiness. Any woman, regardless of age, who discovers a breast lump by self-examination, screening, or medical intervention begins to worry about developing breast cancer. Late stage of reporting suspected lumps is on the rise and this was hitted by the pandemic. The study examined factors that are associated breast lump and the risk on women who ever had breast lump.
Method
An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on women who visited the facility for breast screening or other medical consultation. Closed-ended questionnaire was used to solicit information from 301 women within a period of six weeks. Chi-square and binary logistic regression model was used to determine the association and the risk respectively.
Results
Breast lump was dominant in women between 41–50 years and in those who do not have family history of breast cancer. The findings reveal that educational level [χ2 = 11.170; p = 0.011] and the practice of breast self-examination [χ2 = 7.998; p = 0.005] were significantly associated with breast lump. Married women were 0.764 less likely to have breast lump than those who are singles. Women between 31–40 years were 2 times more likely [AOR = 2.061, CI = 0.876–4.846] and those between 41–50 years 1 time more likely [AOR = 1.131,CI = 0.451–2.837] to have breast lump than women between 18–30 years.
Conclusion
Breast lump is predominant in women between 31–50 years. Factors associated with a woman having breast lump are educational background and the practice of breast self-examination. Surgeon managing a breast lump in women over 30 years old are encouraged to be extremely suspicious and cautious in order to detect and treat malignant lumps early.
Process variations and short channel effects analysis in gate-all-around nanowire field-effect transistor using a statistical Taguchi-Pareto ANOVA framework
Authors: Yau Shi Kai , Hatta Sharifah Fatmadiana Wan Muhamad , Wahab Yasmin Abdul , Aidit Siti Nabila , Hussin Hanim
Published: October 2022

Gate-all-around nanowire field-effect transistor (GAA NWFET) is a viable alternative to reduce short
channel effects. A 3D model of the GAA NWFET was explored by studying the effect of process parameters such as nanowire materials, gate oxide materials and high-κ coverage angles on vital transistor performance metrices specifically threshold voltage, leakage current, current ratio, subthreshold swing (SS) and drain induce barrier lowering (DIBL). It has been observed that the nanowire material of InP provides the lowest threshold voltage and highest drive current. Gate oxide material of HfO2 showed improved leakage current by 88.39%, current ratio by 1439.63%, SS by 24.16% and DIBL by 13.11% relative to the conventional NWFET with SiO2 gate oxide. Moreover, as the high-κ dielectric (HfO2) covers the gate oxide over the channel region, the gate electrostatic control over the channel region increases, thus reducing SS to an ideal value. An exhaustive Taguchi Method with Conceptual Signal-To-Noise Ratio Approach and Pareto Analysis of Variance optimization was conducted to determine the optimal design for high current ratio and low threshold voltage. This work inherently provides a framework in designing an optimized GAA NWFET by considering the device’s highest to lowest domineering design factors in affecting its performance matrices.
Rapid detection of duck ingredient in adulterated foods by isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification assays
Authors: zhou cang , Wang Jinfeng , Xiang Jialin , Fu Qi , Sun Xiaoxia , Liu Libing , Ai Lianfeng , Wang Jianchang
Published: October 2022

Duck is commonly used for premium meat adulteration. A simple, rapid, accurate, and affordable method is urgently needed for duck ingredient identification. Therefore, we developed two recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays based on the duck-specific Cytb gene for rapid detection of duck ingredient in this study, and there were less than 30 min from sample to answer. Two RPA assays were validated to demonstrate good inter- and intra-species specificity. The real-time RPA could detect as low as 10 pg of duck DNA while the RPA combined with lateral flow test strips (LFS RPA) could detect down to 1 pg, and both could detect 0.1% duck meat adulteration. Then the two RPA assays applicability was confirmed using 113 different foods. The effects of background DNA and whole blood on RPA amplification were also analyzed, which did not affect the feasibility of the developed two RPA assays. The developed real-time RPA and LFS RPA would be promising user-friendly on-site detection methods for rapid detecting duck ingredient in different meat products.
Assessing tsunami vertical evacuation processes based on Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment for West Coast of Aceh Besar, Indonesia
Authors: Ibrahim Ibrahim , Syamsidik Syamsidik , Azmeri Azmeri , Hasan Muttaqin , Irwansyah Abdullah , Farizi Muhammad Daffa Al
Published: October 2022

Tsunamis are rare events compared to other disasters but have devastating consequences. In the last 100 years, more than 24 tsunamis and more than 235,000 fatalities have occurred globally. Indonesia has a high risk of a tsunami disaster. Since the devastating 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, much research and preparatory work have been done to reduce the impact of future tsunamis in Indonesia, including in the province of Aceh, especially along the western coast where West Aceh is located. This coastal area was destroyed by a tsunami as high as 15-30 metres, resulting in the loss of life, housing, tourist areas, industrial areas, and other public facilities. Given that tsunami disasters are rare and sometimes occur long in advance, human memory and awareness are reduced, making research on the level of tsunami awareness of disasters a challenging task. Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment (PTHA) is a method that has been developed to predict tsunami hazards with a return period of hundreds to thousands of years, beyond the limited availability of historical data. The PTHA method can provide important information that supports tsunami risk management measures. This study aims to estimate recurrence period-based tsunami risk on the west coast of the district of Aceh Besar using the PTHA method. In this study, the source of the tsunami is caused by fault activity at sea. Seven tsunami scenarios based on fault parameters (earthquakes of magnitudes Mw 8.0 to 9.2 with interval 0,2) with the fault location focusing on the Aceh-Andaman Mega Thrust Segment, as applied in this study. This segment was a similar source to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that created a rupture area along a distance of 1,155 km, with six parts of the fault. The maximum inundation distance reached 6 km for the flat area, with a flow depth of 13 metres. The site has a cliff that is close to the shoreline, with an inundation distance shorter than the distance across the flat area. With an arrival time of less than 25 minutes, it is recommended to have an evacuation building and evacuation road in a wide inundated area, and an arrangement of hills close to the beach as an evacuation area, in order to reduce the number of casualties. For 100 years return period or exceedance probability rate 0.01, the average flow depth on the coast may exceed 5 metres, and the maximum flow depth for a 1000-year return period or annual probability of 0.001 is 12 metres. With the potential tsunami in the future, continuous tsunami drills and tsunami education are needed so that people can maintain an awareness of the threat posed by tsunamis.
Revealing the effects of high Al loading incorporation in the SBA-15 silica mesoporous material
Authors: Gajardo Jorge , Zerpa Julio Cesar Colmenares , Peixoto Andreia Filipa Ribeiro de Oliveira , Silva Domingos Sérgio A. , SILVA Juliana Alves da , Gispert-Guirado Francesc , Llorca Jordi , Urquieta-Gonzalez Ernesto A. , Santos J.B.O. , Szanyi Janos , Muñoz Catherine Sepúlveda , Álvarez M.G. , Chimentão Ricardo J
Published: October 2022

High aluminum loading incorporation in the SBA-15 silica structure was investigated. Different Si/Al molar ratios (15, 10, and 2) were evaluated. The SBA-15 and the aluminum-containing materials (Al-SBA-15) were prepared by the “pH adjusting” method with modifications. The mesoporous structure of the materials was demonstrated by the type IV isotherms. The SBA-15 pore changed from a cylindrical to a slit-like structure in the presence of higher aluminum content. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) pointed out that the structural order is compromised in the presence of a higher aluminum load in the Al-SBA-15 materials, although the mesoporous structure was preserved. Higher Al loading increases the total quantity of Lewis acid sites as well as generates Brönsted acid sites. CO adsorption FTIR spectroscopy suggests aluminum incorporation into the SBA-15 and generation of acid sites. The Si-O-Al linkage in the aluminum-containing materials was corroborated by UV-Vis DRS due to the presence of a peak centered at 216 nm related to the Al-O bond, which is ascribed to four-coordinated framework aluminum in the SBA-15 structure. XPS spectra of Al 2p suggested that the Al species are less oxidized than the Al2O3 phase giving some indication of Al incorporation into the SBA-15 framework. 27Al MAS NMR results revealed that the aluminum species are in a tetrahedral oxygen coordination environment for Al-SBA-15 with Si/Al molar ratios of 15 and 10. Aluminum species in both tetrahedral and octahedral environments were evidenced for Al-SBA-15 with a Si/Al molar ratio of 2.
Software Requirements Negotiation: a Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Abdullahi Shamsu , Zakari Abubakar , Abaker Ibrahim , Imam Abdullahi Abubakar , Maitama Jaafar Zubairu , Nura Amina
Published: October 2022

Software requirements negotiation (SRN) is one of the most essential stages of software requirements engineering. SRN involves the stakeholder's interaction to reach a mutual understanding of the requirements for developing a software project. The increased research interest in requirements engineering has resulted in huge literature in the SRN domain. There is a need to investigate the broad of techniques, processes, and evaluation mechanisms used in the SRN research community. This study aims to examine and identify the existing methods, processes, evaluation mechanisms, quantity of publications, publication trends and demographics shaping SRN research domain. To accomplish our aim, we used an evidence-based systematic approach, and 67 relevant studies were ultimately chosen from the search process based on the formulated research questions. Our study result shows broad and promising SRN techniques that include agent-based negotiation, TAICOS, wikiwinwin and winbook. However, we found that the existing SRN techniques suffer from limitations that have stakeholders' communication gaps, interface issues to non-technical users, decision-making, and managing requirements changes. Moreover, our study found that 63% of the selected studies stated their SRN processes, with 22% adopting the basic SRN processes in winwin model. Five evaluation mechanisms were discovered, with case study and experiment most adopted by the selected studies with 44% and 30%, respectively. In conclusion, although research on SRN is recently gaining some traction, the works in the domain are insufficient. Concrete proposals are needed to improve SRN in software requirements engineering research domain.
Antimicrobial peptide-loaded decellularized placental sponge as an excellent antibacterial skin substitute against XDR clinical isolates
Authors: Hamidabadi Hatef Ghasemi , Alizadeh Sanaz , Mahboobi Leila , Khosrowpour Zahra , Bojnordi Maryam Nazm , Ahovan Zahra Aliakbar , Shafaroudi Majid Malekzadeh , Zahiri Maria , Chauhan Narendra Pal Singh , Gholipourmalekabadi Mazaher
Published: October 2022

Post-wound infections have remained a serious threat to society and healthcare worldwide. Attempts are still being made to develop an ideal antibacterial wound dressing with high wound healing potential and strong antibacterial activity against extensively drug-resistant bacteria (XDR). In this study, a biological-based sponge was made from decellularized human placenta (DPS), then loaded with different concentrations (0, 16 µg/mL, 32 µg/mL, 64µg/mL) of an antimicrobial peptide (AMP, CM11) to optimize an ideal antibacterial wound dressing. The decellularization of DPS was confirmed by histological evaluations and DNA content assay. The DPS loaded with different contents of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) showed uniform morphology under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and cytobiocompatibility for human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Antibacterial assays indicated that the DPS/AMPs had antibacterial behavior against both standard strain and XDR Acinetobacter baumannii in a dose-dependent manner, as DPS loaded with 64µg/mL showed the highest bacterial growth inhibition zone and elimination of bacteria under SEM than DPS alone and DPS loaded with 16 µg/mL, 32 µg/mL AMP concentrations. The subcutaneous implantation of all constructs in the animal model demonstrated no sign of acute immune system reaction and graft rejection, indicating in vivo biocompatibility of the scaffolds. Our findings suggest the DPS loaded with 64 µg/mL as an excellent antibacterial skin substitute, and now promises to proceed with pre-clinical and clinical investigations.
A novel approach for Swarm's synergic behaviors on manifolds based on Riemannian Geometry
Authors: Tang Lunxiao Tang , Yu Tao Yu , Luo Maokang Luo
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we gave a geometric description of the synergic behaviors' features. Then we established a second-order dynamic model to address aggregation, collision evasion, obstacle avoidance and target pursuit problems of a swarm moving on a Riemannian manifold. Finally, the large-time behaviors of a swarm (consisted of 100 particles) on unit sphere and a complex manifold with obstacles and target were simulated using our model.