bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thin film-based colorful radiative cooler using diffuse reflection for color display
Authors: Wen Junren , Chen Xiao , Zhu Zeyu , Zhu Yining , Luo Hao , Wang Yusi , Liu Yujie , Wang Hailan , Yuan Wenjia , Zhang Yueguang , Yang Chenying , Shen Weidong
Published: August 2023

Colorful radiative coolers (CRCs) can be widely applied for energy sustainability especially and meet aesthetic purposes simultaneously. Here, we propose a high-efficiency CRC based on thin film stacks and engineered diffuse reflection unit, which brings out 7.1 °C temperature difference compared with ambient under ~ 700 W·m−2 solar irradiation. Different from analogous schemes, the proposed CRCs produce vivid colors by diffuse reflection and rest of the incident light is specular-reflected without being absorbed. Adopting the structure of TiO2/SiO2 multilayer stack, the nanophotonic radiative cooler shows extra low absorption across the solar radiation waveband. Significant radiative cooling performance can be achieved with the emissivity reaching 95.6% in the atmosphere transparent window (8–13 μm). Moreover, such CRC can be fabricated on flexible substrates, facilitating various applications such as the thermal management of cars or wearables. In conclusion, this work demonstrates a new approach for color display with negligible solar radiation absorption and paves the way for prominent radiative cooling.
Efficient source wavefield reconstruction for full-waveform inversion
Authors: Lee Dawoon , Chung Wookeen , Kim Young Seo
Published: August 2023

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) is a useful tool for estimating the properties of subsurface media, but it has the disadvantage of incurring considerable computing costs. Therefore, we develop a method for reducing the computing memory requirement in the time domain of FWI that uses a new approach with the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and the Nyquist sampling theorem. Our method enables accurate reconstruction of a wavefield with several optimal DCT coefficients derived by considering the maximum wavenumber component of the virtual source wavefield and the maximum frequency of the source wavelet. Consequently, virtual source wavefields can be stored in a computer’s memory rather than on a disk. Our FWI algorithm is compared with existing compression methods that use DCT and wavelet transform in a numerical example. The results of this comparison demonstrate that our algorithm provides significantly improved computational efficiency.
A cognitive–behavioural therapy programme for managing depression and anxiety in long-term physical health conditions: mixed-methods real-world evaluation of the COMPASS programme
Authors: Seaton Natasha , Moss-Morris Rona , Hulme Katrin , Macaulay Hannah , Hudson Joanna
Published: August 2023

Background

Mental health comorbidities are common in physical long-term health conditions.

Aims

We evaluate the effectiveness of COMPASS, a therapist-supported, digital cognitive–behavioural therapy programme specifically designed to treat anxiety/depression in the context of long-term conditions. We also investigate patient experiences of the programme.

Method

We utilised a mixed-methods, non-randomised design. We analysed pre–post data from 76 patients with long-term conditions who were receiving psychological treatment (COMPASS) via local NHS services, using paired sample t-tests and Cohen's d, with depression, anxiety, distress and functional impairment self-report scales. Qualitative interviews explored patients’ experiences of using COMPASS. Twenty-one semi-structured interviews were completed and underwent inductive thematic analysis.

Results

Patients who received COMPASS had significantly reduced depression (−2.47, 95% CI −3.7 to −1.3, P < 0.001; Cohen's d = −0.376), anxiety (−2.30, 95% CI −3.6 to −1.2, P < 0.001; Cohen's d = −0.420) and psychological distress (−4.87, 95% CI −7.0 to −2.7, P < 0.001; Cohen's d = −0.422) and significantly improved functional impairment (−3.00, 95% CI −4.8 to −1.2, P ≤ 0.001; Cohen's d = −0.282). Effect sizes were larger when analyses included only patients with clinically significant baseline symptoms: depression (−4.02, 95% CI −5.6 to −2.5, P < 0.001; Cohen's d = −0.701), anxiety (−3.60, 95% CI −5.3 to −1.9, P < 0.001; Cohen's d = −0.739), psychological distress (−5.58, 95% CI −7.9 to −3.2, P < 0.001; Cohen's d = −0.523), functional impairment (−3.28, 95% CI −5.4 to −1.1, P ≤ 0.001; Cohen's d = −0.355). Qualitative analysis yielded two meta-themes: engagement and integration of mental and physical health.

Conclusions

Results suggest that COMPASS is effective in NHS settings, and is acceptable to patients. Content tailored to long-term conditions, therapist support and clear delivery strategies should be prioritised to aid intervention implementation.
A scoping review of social media in child, adolescents and young adults: research findings in depression, anxiety and other clinical challenges
Authors: Hilty Donald M. , Stubbe Dorothy , McKean Alastair J. , Hoffman Pamela E. , Zalpuri Isheeta , Myint Myo T. , Joshi Shashank V. , Pakyurek Murat , Li Su-Ting T.
Published: August 2023

Background

Social media and other technologies are reshaping communication and health.

Aims

This review addresses the relationship between social media use, behavioural health conditions and psychological well-being for youth aged <25 years.

Method

A scoping review of 11 literature databases from 2000 to 2020 explored research studies in youth in five areas: clinical depression and anxiety, quantitative use, social media mode, engagement and qualitative dimensions and health and well-being.

Results

Out of 2820 potential literature references, 140 met the inclusion criteria. The foci were clinical depression and anxiety disorders (n= 78), clinical challenges (e.g. suicidal ideation, cyberbullying) (n= 34) and psychological well-being (n= 28). Most studies focused on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Few studies are longitudinal in design (n= 26), had comparison groups (n= 27), were randomised controlled trials (n= 3) or used structured assessments (n= 4). Few focused on different youth and sociodemographic populations, particularly for low-income, equity-seeking and deserving populations. Studies examined association (n= 120; 85.7%), mediating (n= 16; 11.4%) and causal (n= 4; 2.9%) relationships. Prospective, longitudinal studies of depression and anxiety appear to indicate that shorter use (≤3 h/day) and purposeful engagement is associated with better mood and psychological well-being. Depression may predict social media use and reduce perception of support. Findings provide families, teachers and providers ways to engage youth.

Conclusions

Research opportunities include clinical outcomes from functional perspective on a health continuum, diverse youth and sociodemographic populations, methodology, intervention and privacy issues. More longitudinal studies, comparison designs and effectiveness approaches are also needed. Health systems face clinical, training and professional development challenges.
Acute Statin Withdrawal Does not Interfere With the Improvements of a Session of Exercise in Postprandial Metabolism
Authors: Alvarez-Jimenez Laura , Morales-Palomo Felix , Moreno-Cabañas Alfonso , Ortega Juan F , Mora-Gonzalez Diego , Mora-Rodriguez Ricardo
Published: August 2023

Background

The risk for atherogenic plaque formation is high after ingestion of meals in individuals with high blood lipid levels (ie, dyslipidemia). Statins and exercise reduce the rise of blood triglyceride concentrations after a meal, but the effect of their combination is unclear.

Methods

In a randomized crossover design, 11 individuals with dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome treated with statins underwent a mixed-meal (970 ± 111 kcal, 24% fat, and 34% carbohydrate) tolerance test. Plasma lipid concentrations, fat oxidation, glucose, and glycerol kinetics were monitored immediately prior and during the meal test. Trials were conducted with participants under their habitual statin treatment and 96 hours after blinded statin withdrawal. Trials were duplicated after a prolonged bout of low-intensity exercise (75 minutes at 53 ± 4% maximal oxygen consumption) to study the interactions between exercise and statins.

Results

Statins reduced postprandial plasma triglycerides from 3.03 ± 0.85 to 2.52 ± 0.86 mmol·L−1 (17%; P = .015) and plasma glycerol concentrations (ie, surrogate of whole-body lipolysis) without reducing plasma free fatty acid concentration or fat oxidation. Prior exercise increased postprandial plasma glycerol levels (P = .029) and fat oxidation rates (P = .024). Exercise decreased postprandial plasma insulin levels (241 ± 116 vs 301 ± 172 ρmol·L−1; P = .026) but not enough to increase insulin sensitivity (P = .614). Neither statins nor exercise affected plasma glucose appearance rates from exogenous or endogenous sources.

Conclusions

In dyslipidemic individuals, statins reduce blood triglyceride concentrations after a meal, but without limiting fat oxidation. Statins do not interfere with exercise lowering the postprandial insulin that likely promotes fat oxidation. Last, statins do not restrict the rates of plasma incorporation or oxidation of the ingested glucose.
When Men Get No Share
Authors: Kooria Mahmood
Published: August 2023

In matrilineal societies, women had more status, power, and property than men. Most scholars of Islam believed that matrilineal cultures were against the ethos of the religion, which is patrilineal, patrilocal, and patriarchal. But millions of Muslims across the Indian Ocean littoral have been following matriliny for several centuries. It was also one of the most convenient ways to engage in Indian Ocean trade: men could voyage as merchants, sailors, and itinerants, while women stayed on land with the property and controlled households and wider social spheres. This economic and social stability gave women an upper hand in economic and personal choices, and within marriages, they could and did move about freely. The matrilineal system not only connected maritime Muslims but also raised serious questions about the Islamic jurisprudential tradition that evolved in the Middle East through its peculiar practices of ownership of property, kinship, and marital norms. From the late eighteenth century onward, the system has been subjected to significant internal and external criticisms. These especially targeted inheritance-related customs where men got no share in the property. With a special focus on debates over inheritance laws, this article explores the transregional and transtemporal ways in which matrilineal Muslims defended the system within Islamic legal epistemologies and maritime social systems.
The genome sequence of an ichneumonid wasp, Tromatobia lineatoria (Villers, 1789)
Authors: Price Benjamin W. , Broad Gavin R. ,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: August 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Tromatobia lineatoria (an ichneumonid wasp; Arthropoda; Insecta; Hymenoptera; Ichneumonidae). The genome sequence is 383.6 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 21 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 23.25 kilobases in length.
Atypical varicella-zoster virus reactivation: a case report
Authors: Salvotti Francesca , Trapletti Simone , Chiarini Giulia , Castellano Maurizio , Muiesan Maria Lorenza
Published: August 2023

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) commonly causes benign skin manifestations in children; it then establishes a latent infection and may reactivate, causing herpes zoster. The most common zoster complication is postherpetic neuralgia, but complications can also occur without a rash. VZV infection may cause neurological manifestations and even vasculopathy may occur, in both primary and reactivated VZV infection. Thrombotic complications are mainly described in children, while a few case reports have described cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), deep-vein thrombosis of the lower limbs and pulmonary embolism in adults. In this article we report the case of a young woman who developed systemic thromboembolic sequelae due to a hypercoagulable state following VZV reactivation. She had deep venous lower-limb thrombosis extended to the inferior vena cava (IVC), massive pulmonary embolism and CVST. Moreover, VZV reactivation caused an acute hepatitis and clinical manifestations suggesting viral encephalitis.
Anaphylaxis caused by taking pantoprazole: case series
Authors: Telaku Skender , Veliu Arber , Zenelaj Qendrim , Telaku Mimoza , Fejza Hajrullah , Alidema Fitim
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Pantoprazole is one of the most widely used proton pump inhibitors, but anaphylaxis occurs rarely during its use. The purpose of reporting these two cases is to show that pantoprazole is not a drug without problems; it can also cause anaphylactic reactions. Cases description: A 42-year-old woman presented to the emergency department due to dyspeptic complaints. Immediately at the end of the infusion of pantoprazole, there started to be numbness of the tongue, itching all over the body, and difficulty in breathing. Half an hour after taking a pantoprazole 40 mg capsule, a 58-year-old woman started to experience redness of the face, thickening of the tongue, itching, bloating, and dizziness. Arterial pressure was 80/60 mmHg, pulse 150/minute, while saturation had dropped to 88%. In both cases, fluids, adrenaline, antihistamines, methylprednisolone, and calcium were immediately started. After the improvement of their general conditions, both patients were discharged home. Discussion: The first case relates to anaphylaxis after the intravenous administration of pantoprazole, and the second case relates to the appearance of anaphylaxis after its oral administration. Conclusion: Health workers need to be informed about the possibility of anaphylaxis in patients taking both oral and parenteral pantoprazole.
People Clipped with Orthodontic Wire made of Ni-Cr Alloy should Avoid Taking Copper Barrel Hard Drink Orally
Authors: Krishnaveni Arjunan , Susmitha S. , Muniyammal Kandasamy , Jeevitha Murugesan , Kantos J. Kavitha , Shanmugapriya R. B. , Rincy A , Rajendran Susai , Singh Gurmeet , Al-Hashem Abdulhameed
Published: August 2023

Copper barrel brandy can be taken orally with dilution using bisleri water or soda water and without dilution. People clipped with orthodontic wires may take copper barrel brandy orally, with dilution of without dilution.
How far the orthodontic wires will be affected by these items? To find an answer the present research work is undertaken. Ni-Cr alloys have good corrosion resistance. This is attained by arrangement of protective oxide film in oral environment. Corrosion resistance of orthodontic wires prepared from Ni-Cr alloy in artificial saliva in existence & nonexistence of copper barrel, water and soda water has been estimated by polarization technique. It is generally noted that corrosion resistance of Ni-Cr alloy in synthetic saliva in existence of copper barrel, water and soda water decreases. When orthodontic wire made of Ni-Cr is engrossed in simulated saliva, the linear polarization resistance (LPR) value is 792355 Ohmcm.2 When it is submerged in copper barrel + artificial saliva (AS) system, linear polarization resistance (LPR) value decreases to 334516 Ohmcm.2 Corrosion current increases from 5.448 x 10-8 A/cm2 to 14.47 x 10-8 When it is engrossed in soda water + artificial saliva (AS) system, LPR value decreases to 245052
Supplemental information for "The Development of Empirical Correlations to Understand the Frictional Behavior of Aqueous Biomass Slurry Flows in Vertical Pipes"
Authors: Javed Kashif , Kurian Vinoj , Kumar Amit
Published: August 2023

Data is related to pipeline transport of biomass in the form of slurry with water.
Mutual Aid as Effective Altruism
Authors: Mouser Ricky
Published: August 2023

ABSTRACT: Effective altruism has a strategy problem. Overreliance on a strategy of donating to the most effective charities keeps us on the firefighter's treadmill , continually pursuing the next-highest quantifiable marginal gain. But on its own, this is politically shortsighted. Without any long-term framework within which these individual rescues fit together to bring about the greatest overall impact, we are almost certainly leaving a lot of value on the table. Thus, effective altruists' preferred means undercut their professed aims. Alongside the charity framework, the more effective altruist ought to consider a mutual aid framework, which better acknowledges and honors the unavoidably political commitments of effective altruism to reimagine and remake the world.
Large-scale cascading of first-order FBG array in a highly multimode coreless fiber using femtosecond laser for distributed thermal sensing
Authors: Mumtaz Farhan , Zhang Bohong , O’Malley Ronald J. , Huang Jie
Published: August 2023

This research focuses on the performance analysis and characterization of a fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) array, consisting of 10 first-order FBGs inscribed by a femtosecond (FS) laser in a highly multimode coreless fiber. The study evaluates the FBG array's ability to function as a distributed thermal sensing (DTS) platform, with the coreless fiber chosen as the sensing element due to its immunity to dopant migration at high temperatures. The design of a large cascaded first-order FBG array effectively eliminates unwanted harmonic peaks across a wide spectrum range. In contrast, higher-order FBGs introduce limitations due to the overlapping of Bragg peaks with harmonics. The FBG array's performance is evaluated by measuring the reflection spectrum of each grating at different temperatures, showing a high temperature sensitivity of 15.05 pm/°C at a Bragg wavelength of 1606.3 nm, with a linear response in the temperature range of 24 - 1100 °C. The FBG array was designed for a spatial resolution of 5 mm. A mode scrambler in the sensing network is employed, which suppresses multimodal interference, characterizes FBG peak visibility, and stabilizes the interference spectrum. The stability of the FBG array is also assessed over 24 hrs at 1100 °C, and it is observed to be stable during thermal treatment. Heat treatment at 1100°C improves the signal to noise ratio of the FBG array, demonstrating the robustness and suitability of the proposed FBG array on highly multimode coreless fiber as a potential sensing platform for DTS applications in harsh environmental conditions, overcoming the issues of dopant migration presented by dopes silica optical fibers at high temperatures.
Two-dimensional phase unwrapping based on U2-Net in complex noise environment
Authors: Chen Jie , Kong Yong , Zhang Dawei , Fu Yinghua , Zhuang Songlin
Published: August 2023

This paper proposes applying the nested U2-Net to a two-dimensional phase unwrapping (PU). PU has been a classic well-posed problem since conventional PU methods are always limited by the Itoh condition. Numerous studies conducted in recent years have discovered that data-driven deep learning techniques can overcome the Itoh constraint and significantly enhance PU performance. However, most deep learning methods have been tested only on Gaussian white noise in a single environment, ignoring the more widespread scattered noise in real phases. The difference in the unwrapping performance of deep network models with different strategies under the interference of different kinds of noise or drastic phase changes is still unknown. This study compares and tests the unwrapping performance of U-Net, DLPU-Net, VUR-Net, PU-GAN, U2-Net, and U2-Netp under the interference of additive Gaussian white noise and multiplicative speckle noise by simulating the complex noise environment in the real samples. It is discovered that the U2-Net composed of U-like residual blocks performs stronger anti-noise performance and structural stability. Meanwhile, the wrapped phase of different heights in a high-level noise environment was trained and tested, and the network model was qualitatively evaluated from three perspectives: the number of model parameters, the amount of floating-point operations, and the speed of PU. Finally, 421 real-phase images were also tested for comparison, including dynamic candle flames, different arrangements of pits, different shapes of grooves, and different shapes of tables. The PU results of all models are quantitatively evaluated by three evaluation metrics (MSE, PSNR, and SSIM). The experimental results demonstrate that U2-Net and the lightweight U2-Netp proposed in this work have higher accuracy, stronger anti-noise performance, and better generalization ability.
Predicting nonlinear multi-pulse propagation in optical fibers via a lightweight convolutional neural network
Authors: Sui Hao , Zhu Hongna , Jia Huanyu , Li Qi , Ou Mingyu , Luo Bin , Zou Xihua , Yan Lianshan
Published: August 2023

The nonlinear evolution of ultrashort pulses in optical fiber has broad applications, but the computational burden of convolutional numerical solutions necessitates rapid modeling methods. Here, a lightweight convolutional neural network is designed to characterize nonlinear multi-pulse propagation in highly nonlinear fiber. With the proposed network, we achieve the forward mapping of multi-pulse propagation using the initial multi-pulse temporal profile as well as the inverse mapping of the initial multi-pulse based on the propagated multi-pulse with the coexistence of group velocity dispersion and self-phase modulation. A multi-pulse comprising various Gaussian pulses in 4-level pulse amplitude modulation is utilized to simulate the evolution of a complex random multi-pulse and investigate the prediction precision of two tasks. The results obtained from the unlearned testing sets demonstrate excellent generalization and prediction performance, with a maximum absolute error of 0.026 and 0.01 in the forward and inverse mapping, respectively. The approach provides considerable potential for modeling and predicting the evolution of an arbitrary complex multi-pulse.
VarSCAT: A computational tool for sequence context annotations of genomic variants
Authors: Wang Ning , Khan Sofia , Elo Laura L.
Published: August 2023

The sequence contexts of genomic variants play important roles in understanding biological significances of variants and potential sequencing related variant calling issues. However, methods for assessing the diverse sequence contexts of genomic variants such as tandem repeats and unambiguous annotations have been limited. Herein, we describe the Variant Sequence Context Annotation Tool (VarSCAT) for annotating the sequence contexts of genomic variants, including breakpoint ambiguities, flanking bases of variants, wildtype/mutated DNA sequences, variant nomenclatures, distances between adjacent variants, tandem repeat regions, and custom annotation with user customizable options. Our analyses demonstrate that VarSCAT is more versatile and customizable than the currently available methods or strategies for annotating variants in short tandem repeat (STR) regions or insertions and deletions (indels) with breakpoint ambiguity. Variant sequence context annotations of high-confidence human variant sets with VarSCAT revealed that more than 75% of all human individual germline and clinically relevant indels have breakpoint ambiguities. Moreover, we illustrate that more than 80% of human individual germline small variants in STR regions are indels and that the sizes of these indels correlated with STR motif sizes. VarSCAT is available from https://github.com/elolab/VarSCAT.
Influence of cell type specific infectivity and tissue composition on SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics within human airway epithelium
Authors: Raach Benjamin , Bundgaard Nils , Haase Marika J. , Starruß Jörn , Sotillo Rocio , Stanifer Megan L. , Graw Frederik
Published: August 2023

Human airway epithelium (HAE) represents the primary site of viral infection for SARS-CoV-2. Comprising different cell populations, a lot of research has been aimed at deciphering the major cell types and infection dynamics that determine disease progression and severity. However, the cell type-specific replication kinetics, as well as the contribution of cellular composition of the respiratory epithelium to infection and pathology are still not fully understood. Although experimental advances, including Air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures of reconstituted pseudostratified HAE, as well as lung organoid systems, allow the observation of infection dynamics under physiological conditions in unprecedented level of detail, disentangling and quantifying the contribution of individual processes and cells to these dynamics remains challenging. Here, we present how a combination of experimental data and mathematical modelling can be used to infer and address the influence of cell type specific infectivity and tissue composition on SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics. Using a stepwise approach that integrates various experimental data on HAE culture systems with regard to tissue differentiation and infection dynamics, we develop an individual cell-based model that enables investigation of infection and regeneration dynamics within pseudostratified HAE. In addition, we present a novel method to quantify tissue integrity based on image data related to the standard measures of transepithelial electrical resistance measurements. Our analysis provides a first aim of quantitatively assessing cell type specific infection kinetics and shows how tissue composition and changes in regeneration capacity, as e.g. in smokers, can influence disease progression and pathology. Furthermore, we identified key measurements that still need to be assessed in order to improve inference of cell type specific infection kinetics and disease progression. Our approach provides a method that, in combination with additional experimental data, can be used to disentangle the complex dynamics of viral infection and immunity within human airway epithelial culture systems.
Collaborative nowcasting of COVID-19 hospitalization incidences in Germany
Authors: Wolffram Daniel , Abbott Sam , an der Heiden Matthias , Funk Sebastian , Günther Felix , Hailer Davide , Heyder Stefan , Hotz Thomas , van de Kassteele Jan , Küchenhoff Helmut , Müller-Hansen Sören , Syliqi Diellë , Ullrich Alexander , Weigert Maximilian , Schienle Melanie , Bracher Johannes
Published: August 2023

Real-time surveillance is a crucial element in the response to infectious disease outbreaks. However, the interpretation of incidence data is often hampered by delays occurring at various stages of data gathering and reporting. As a result, recent values are biased downward, which obscures current trends. Statistical nowcasting techniques can be employed to correct these biases, allowing for accurate characterization of recent developments and thus enhancing situational awareness. In this paper, we present a preregistered real-time assessment of eight nowcasting approaches, applied by independent research teams to German 7-day hospitalization incidences during the COVID-19 pandemic. This indicator played an important role in the management of the outbreak in Germany and was linked to levels of non-pharmaceutical interventions via certain thresholds. Due to its definition, in which hospitalization counts are aggregated by the date of case report rather than admission, German hospitalization incidences are particularly affected by delays and can take several weeks or months to fully stabilize. For this study, all methods were applied from 22 November 2021 to 29 April 2022, with probabilistic nowcasts produced each day for the current and 28 preceding days. Nowcasts at the national, state, and age-group levels were collected in the form of quantiles in a public repository and displayed in a dashboard. Moreover, a mean and a median ensemble nowcast were generated. We find that overall, the compared methods were able to remove a large part of the biases introduced by delays. Most participating teams underestimated the importance of very long delays, though, resulting in nowcasts with a slight downward bias. The accompanying prediction intervals were also too narrow for almost all methods. Averaged over all nowcast horizons, the best performance was achieved by a model using case incidences as a covariate and taking into account longer delays than the other approaches. For the most recent days, which are often considered the most relevant in practice, a mean ensemble of the submitted nowcasts performed best. We conclude by providing some lessons learned on the definition of nowcasting targets and practical challenges.
Systematic analysis of tup1 and cyc8 mutants reveals distinct roles for TUP1 and CYC8 and offers new insight into the regulation of gene transcription by the yeast Tup1-Cyc8 complex
Authors: Lee Brenda , Church Michael , Hokamp Karsten , Alhussain Mohamed M. , Bamagoos Atif A. , Fleming Alastair B.
Published: August 2023

The Tup1-Cyc8 complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was one of the first global co-repressors of gene transcription discovered. However, despite years of study, a full understanding of the contribution of Tup1p and Cyc8p to complex function is lacking. We examined TUP1 and CYC8 single and double deletion mutants and show that CYC8 represses more genes than TUP1, and that there are genes subject to (i) unique repression by TUP1 or CYC8, (ii) redundant repression by TUP1 and CYC8, and (iii) there are genes at which de-repression in a cyc8 mutant is dependent upon TUP1, and vice-versa. We also reveal that Tup1p and Cyc8p can make distinct contributions to commonly repressed genes most likely via specific interactions with different histone deacetylases. Furthermore, we show that Tup1p and Cyc8p can be found independently of each other to negatively regulate gene transcription and can persist at active genes to negatively regulate on-going transcription. Together, these data suggest that Tup1p and Cyc8p can associate with active and inactive genes to mediate distinct negative and positive regulatory roles when functioning within, and possibly out with the complex.
Community-based newborn care intervention fidelity and its implementation drivers in South Wollo Zone, North-east Ethiopia
Authors: Molla Asressie , Mekonnen Solomon , Alemu Kassahun , Tigabu Zemene , Gebeyehu Abebaw
Published: August 2023

Community-based newborn care (CBNC) has been implemented in Ethiopia across the maternal, neonatal, and child health continuum of care with the goal of lowering newborn mortality. However, neonatal mortality rate in Ethiopian is among the highest in the world. Why neonatal mortality remains high in the face of such effective interventions is the issue. As a result, the authors claim that it is unknown whether the planned intervention is carried out effectively or not. The purpose of this study was to investigate the fidelity of community-based newborn care intervention and its implementation drivers. Multicenter community-based mixed method study was employed on 898 postpartum women, 16 health extension workers (HEWs) and 10 health posts to evaluate CBNC intervention fidelity. Structured questionnaire and facility audit checklist was used to collect quantitative data. In-depth interview technique was used to explore lived experiences of HEWs on CBNC implementation. CBNC intervention fidelity was computed as a composite index of the product of program coverage, frequency and contents. Multilevel linear regression model with adjusted β-coefficients at P-value of 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to declare a significant relation between CBNC intervention fidelity and its implementation drivers. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed for qualitative data analysis. CBNC intervention fidelity was found to be 4.5% (95% CI: 3.6–5.4) with only two women received the intervention with full fidelity. The overall CBNC intervention coverage was 38.4% (95% CI: 35.2–41.6). Only 8.1% and 1.5% of women received all CBNC interventions with recommended frequency and content, respectively. HEWs knowledge of danger sign was significant facilitator while lack of: health center’s feedback, related short-term training, health development army support, health center staff’s technical assistance to HEWs and shortage of medical equipment supply were barriers for CBNC intervention fidelity. In conclusion the CBNC intervention fidelity was too low in this study. This indicates that CBNC intervention package was not implemented as envisioned implying an implementation gap. All implementation drivers were poorly implemented to result in improved fidelity and intervention outcomes.
Household antibiotic use in Malawi: A cross-sectional survey from urban and peri-urban Blantyre
Authors: MacPherson Eleanor E. , Mankhomwa John , Dixon Justin , Pongolani Raymond , Phiri Mackwellings , Feasey Nicholas , O’Byrne Thomasena , Tolhurst Rachel , MacPherson Peter
Published: August 2023

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant threat to public health. Use of antibiotics, particularly in contexts where weaker regulatory frameworks make informal access easier, has been identified as an important driver of AMR. However, knowledge is limited about the ways antibiotics are used in communities in Malawi and sub-Saharan Africa. Between April and July 2021, we undertook a cross-sectional survey of community antibiotic use practices in Blantyre, Malawi. We selected two densely-populated neighbourhoods (Chilomoni and Ndirande) and one peri-urban neighbourhood (Chileka) and undertook detailed interviews to assess current and recent antibiotic use, supported by the innovative “drug bag” methodology. Regression modelling investigated associations with patterns of antibiotic recognition. We interviewed 217 households with a total of 1051 household members. The number of antibiotics recognised was significantly lower among people with poorer formal health care access (people with unknown HIV status vs. HIV-negative, adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.77-.099) and amongst men (aOR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.69–0.99), who are less likely to support healthcare-seeking for family members. Reported antibiotic use was mostly limited to a small number of antibiotics (amoxicillin, erythromycin and cotrimoxazole), with current antibiotic use reported by 67/1051 (6.4%) and recent use (last 6 months) by 440/1051 (41.9%). Our findings support the need for improved access to quality healthcare in urban and peri-urban African settings to promote appropriate antibiotic use and limit the development and spread of AMR.
Impact of COVID-19 on feto-maternal and neonatal health in Karachi, Pakistan, A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Zehra Syeda Mahjabeen , Parkar Sadia , Kazi Zaubina , Pethani Asma , Malik Ayesha , Mirza Adnan , Abro Falak , Jabbar Hassan Abdul , Saleem Ali Faisal
Published: August 2023

Scientific literature suggests that pregnant women are at greater risk of acquiring a more severe form of COVID-19 exposing both mother and child to a higher risk of obstetric and neonatal complications. These include increased hospitalization rates, ICU admissions, or ventilatory support among pregnant women when compared to COVID-19 negative pregnant womenA case-control study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan with the objective of evaluating the clinical presentation of COVID-19 in pregnancy and its effect on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Data was retrospectively collected from April 2020 till January 2022 of obstetric patients with COVID-19 positive cases and were compared with COVID-19 negative cases from the same time. A total of 491 women were included in the study, 244 cases and 247 controls. The most common complication amongst cases was gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 59, 24%), followed by gestational hypertension (n = 16, 31.7%), pre-eclampsia (n = 13, 5%) Pre-rupture of membrane (85.7%). Amongst the COVID positive mothers the most common presenting complaints were fever followed by dry cough, headache, and shortness of breath. It was observed that COVID-19 did not result in increased adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes compared to COVID-19 negative mothers.
HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and incidence of sexually transmitted infections in Brazil, 2018 to 2022: An ecological study of PrEP administration, syphilis, and socioeconomic indicators
Authors: Mendonça Gil Paula Knoch , Conrado Danilo dos Santos , Nascimento Ana Isabel do , Azevedo Micael Viana de , Cunha João Cesar Pereira da , Koch Gabriel Serrano Ramires , Maciel Camila Guadeluppe , Ribeiro Alisson André , Paranhos Filho Antonio Conceição , Medeiros Márcio José de , Santos-Pinto Cláudia Du Bocage , Falcão de Oliveira Everton
Published: August 2023

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is one of the pillars of a combination prevention strategy for reducing the risk of new infections caused by HIV. The daily use of antiretroviral drugs by individuals who are not infected with HIV is required to prevent infection. Although its efficacy has been well established in the literature, in recent years, the decreased supply of antiretroviral drugs has been associated with an increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and changes in the social determinants of health. An ecological study was conducted covering a five-year period (2018–2022), starting from the year of initiation of PrEP administration in Brazilian state capitals.

Principal findings

Descriptive analysis was performed, and the spatial distribution of study data was taken into account. Correlation analysis was used to assess the association between PrEP administration, the incidence and detection rate of STI, and socioeconomic data. The southern region showed the highest incidence rates of STI, but the northern and northeastern regions demonstrated the worst socioeconomic indicators, especially those related to illiteracy and basic sanitation. PrEP administration was significantly correlated with illiteracy (ρ = -0.658), per capita income (ρ = 0.622), public garbage collection (ρ = 0.612), syphilis (ρ = 0.628) and viral hepatitis (ρ = 0.419) incidences. Further, all STI were significantly associated with illiteracy and per capita income.

Significance

Our findings highlight the need to continue exploring PrEP use and rising syphilis rates. In terms of policy, PrEP administration appears to be inversely associated with regions of greater social vulnerability. Further efforts should focus on the social determinants and health needs of this population to improve access to PrEP and reduce social disparities.
Genetic diversity and demographic history of the leopard seal: A Southern Ocean top predator
Authors: Bender Arona N. , Krause Douglas J. , Goebel Michael E. , Hoffman Joseph I. , Lewallen Eric A. , Bonin Carolina A.
Published: August 2023

Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are top predators that can exert substantial top-down control of their Antarctic prey species. However, population trends and genetic diversity of leopard seals remain understudied, limiting our understanding of their ecological role. We investigated the genetic diversity, effective population size and demographic history of leopard seals to provide fundamental data that contextualizes their predatory influence on Antarctic ecosystems. Ninety leopard seals were sampled from the northern Antarctic Peninsula during the austral summers of 2008–2019 and a 405bp segment of the mitochondrial control region was sequenced for each individual. We uncovered moderate levels of nucleotide (π = 0.013) and haplotype (Hd = 0.96) diversity, and the effective population size was estimated at around 24,000 individuals (NE = 24,376; 95% CI: 16,876–33,126). Consistent with findings from other ice-breeding pinnipeds, Bayesian skyline analysis also revealed evidence for population expansion during the last glacial maximum, suggesting that historical population growth may have been boosted by an increase in the abundance of sea ice. Although leopard seals can be found in warmer, sub-Antarctic locations, the species’ core habitat is centered on the Antarctic, making it inherently vulnerable to the loss of sea ice habitat due to climate change. Therefore, detailed assessments of past and present leopard seal population trends are needed to inform policies for Antarctic ecosystems.
Impact of vericiguat on baroreflex-mediated sympathetic circulatory regulation: An open-loop analysis
Authors: Yokoi Aimi , Kawada Toru , Yokota Shohei , Kakuuchi Midori , Matsushita Hiroki , Nishiura Akitsugu , Li Meihua , Uemura Kazunori , Alexander Joe , Tanaka Ryou , Saku Keita
Published: August 2023

Aims

To quantify in vivo the effects of the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, vericiguat, on autonomic cardiovascular regulation in comparison with the nitric oxide (NO) donor, sodium nitroprusside.

Methods

In anesthetized Wistar–Kyoto rats, baroreflex-mediated changes in sympathetic nerve activity (SNA), arterial pressure (AP), central venous pressure (CVP), and aortic flow (AoF) were examined before and during the intravenous continuous administration (10 μg·kg−1·min−1) of vericiguat or sodium nitroprusside (n = 8 each). Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) was calculated as SVR = (AP–CVP) / AoF.

Results

Neither vericiguat nor sodium nitroprusside affected fitted parameters of the baroreflex-mediated SNA response. Both vericiguat and sodium nitroprusside decreased the AP mainly through their peripheral effects. Vericiguat halved the slope of the SNA–SVR relationship from 0.012 ± 0.002 to 0.006 ± 0.002 mmHg·min·mL−1·%−1 (P = 0.008), whereas sodium nitroprusside caused a near parallel downward shift in the SNA–SVR relationship with a reduction of the SVR intercept from 1.235 ± 0.187 to 0.851 ± 0.123 mmHg·min/mL (P = 0.008).

Conclusion

Neither vericiguat nor sodium nitroprusside significantly affected the baroreflex-mediated SNA response. The vasodilative effect of vericiguat became greater toward high levels of SNA and AP, possibly reflecting the increased sGC sensitivity to endogenous NO. By contrast, the effect of sodium nitroprusside was more uniform over the range of SNA. These results help better understand cardiovascular effects of vericiguat.
Robust deep learning-based gait event detection across various pathologies
Authors: Dumphart Bernhard , Slijepcevic Djordje , Zeppelzauer Matthias , Kranzl Andreas , Unglaube Fabian , Baca Arnold , Horsak Brian
Published: August 2023

The correct estimation of gait events is essential for the interpretation and calculation of 3D gait analysis (3DGA) data. Depending on the severity of the underlying pathology and the availability of force plates, gait events can be set either manually by trained clinicians or detected by automated event detection algorithms. The downside of manually estimated events is the tedious and time-intensive work which leads to subjective assessments. For automated event detection algorithms, the drawback is, that there is no standardized method available. Algorithms show varying robustness and accuracy on different pathologies and are often dependent on setup or pathology-specific thresholds. In this paper, we aim at closing this gap by introducing a novel deep learning-based gait event detection algorithm called IntellEvent, which shows to be accurate and robust across multiple pathologies. For this study, we utilized a retrospective clinical 3DGA dataset of 1211 patients with four different pathologies (malrotation deformities of the lower limbs, club foot, infantile cerebral palsy (ICP), and ICP with only drop foot characteristics) and 61 healthy controls. We propose a recurrent neural network architecture based on long-short term memory (LSTM) and trained it with 3D position and velocity information to predict initial contact (IC) and foot off (FO) events. We compared IntellEvent to a state-of-the-art heuristic approach and a machine learning method called DeepEvent. IntellEvent outperforms both methods and detects IC events on average within 5.4 ms and FO events within 11.3 ms with a detection rate of ≥ 99% and ≥ 95%, respectively. Our investigation on generalizability across laboratories suggests that models trained on data from a different laboratory need to be applied with care due to setup variations or differences in capturing frequencies.
The investigation of WNT6 and WNT10A single nucleotide polymorphisms as potential biomarkers for dental pulp calcification in orthodontic patients
Authors: Ramirez Iago , Kirschneck Christian , Corrêa Silva-Sousa Alice , Proff Peter , S. Antunes Leonardo , Gabbardo Marilisa C. L. , Silva Barroso de Oliveira Daniela , Sousa-Neto Manoel D. , Baratto-Filho Flares , Küchler Erika C.
Published: August 2023

The aim of this study is to evaluate if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in WNT6 and WNT10A are associated with the risk of dental pulp calcification in orthodontic patients. This cross-sectional study followed the “Strengthening the Reporting of Genetic Association Studies” (STREGA) guidelines. Panoramic radiographs (pre- and post-orthodontic treatment) and genomic DNA from 132 orthodontic patients were studied. Dental pulp calcification (pulp stones and/or pulp space narrowing) was recorded in upper and lower first molars. The SNPs in WNT6 and WNT10A (rs7349332, rs3806557, rs10177996, and rs6754599) were assessed through genotyping analysis using DNA extracted from buccal epithelial cells. The association between pulp calcification and SNPs were analyzed using allelic and genotypic distributions and haplotype frequencies (p<0.05). Prevalence of dental pulp calcification was 42.4% in the 490 studied molars. In the genotypic analysis, the SNPs in WNT10A showed a statistically significant value for molar calcification (p = 0.027 for rs1017799), upper molar calcification (p = 0.040 for rs1017799) (recessive model), and molar calcification (p = 0.046 for rs3806557) (recessive model). In the allelic distribution, the allele C of the SNP rs10177996 in WNT10A was associated with molar calcifications (p = 0.042) and with upper first molar calcification (p = 0.035). Nine combinations of haplotypes showed statistically significant value (p<0.05). The findings of this study indicates that SNPs in WNT10A and WNT6 are associated with dental pulp calcification in molars after orthodontic treatment and may be considered as biomarkers for dental pulp calcification.