bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward a Model of Planetary Rotation
Authors: Levenson Barton Paul
Published: August 2022

A simple computer simulation of protoplanet growth was written with a view to explaining planetary rotation, using simplified overall planet models with iron cores and less dense mantles–silicate for terrestrial planets and solid hydrogen for giant planets. The general trend of increasing rotational kinetic energy with increasing mass was maintained (r2 0.78 versus the actual r2 0.99). Deviations from the expected results seem to correlate with relative density effects, in that gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, β Pictoris b) fell below the expected line while ice giants (Uranus, Neptune) fell above it. This implies that improvements in the model could eventually help better understand the origin of planetary rotation periods.
Repeated Closed-Head Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Induces Robust Caspase-1 Mediated Inflammation that Contributes to Nociplastic Pain.
Authors: Nguyen Tyler , Nguyen Natalie , Cochran Ashlyn G. , Smith Jared A. , Al-Juboori Mohammed , Saxena Saahil , Talley Sarah , Campbell Edward M. , Obukhov Alexander G. , White Fletcher A.
Published: August 2022

Patients who have experienced concussive mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) suffer from a number of comorbidities including chronic pain. Despite extensive studies investigating the underlining mechanisms of mTBIs-associated chronic pain, the role of inflammation after brain injury, and its contribution towards long-term pain, are still poorly understood. Given the shifting dynamics of inflammation, it is important to understand the spatial-longitudinal changes and its effects on TBI-related pain. Utilizing a recently developed transgenic caspase-1 luciferase reporter mouse, we characterized the bioluminescence signal evident in both in vivo and ex vivo tissue following repetitive closed head mTBIs. This allowed us to reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics of caspase-1 activation in individual animals across time. We established that there are significant increases in bioluminescent signal upon protease cleavage in the brain, thorax, abdomen, and paws in vivo which lasted for at least one week after each injury. Enhanced inflammation also was also in ex vivo brain slice preparations following injury event that lasted for at least 3 days. Concurrent with the in vivo detection of bioluminescent signal were persistent decreases in mouse hind paw withdrawal thresholds that lasted for more than two months post-injury. Using a potent small molecule inhibitor of NLRP3 inflammasome-caspase 1 activity, MCC950, we observed reductions in both caspase-1 bioluminescent signal in vivo, caspase-1 p45 expression by immunoblot and increase in hind paw withdrawal thresholds. Overall, these findings suggest that neuroinflammation in the brain following repeated mTBIs is coincidental with a chronic nociplastic pain state, and repeated mTBI associated events can be ameliorated by a highly specific small molecule inhibitor of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
A new model of vegetation and desertification pattern formation: coupled Lefever and Hardenberg equations
Authors: Franco Rebeca , Morales Marco A. , Rodríguez-Mora José I. , Agustín-Serrano Ricardo
Published: August 2022

This work proposes a new mathematical model for reproducing desertification and vegetation patterns. The model consists of two nonlinear partial differential equations. One of them describes the Spatio-temporal dynamic of vegetation in an analogous way to Lefever’s model, while the precipitation dynamic is given by one equation of Hardenberg’s model. The model’s equations are solved using a numerical-functional difference method for the Spatio-temporal terms. The numerical results reproduce various bi-dimensional (2D) patterns observed in water-limited regions, including stripes, spots, hollows, and labyrinths. 2D patterns with these morphologies are characterized by their Fourier spectra and quantified their dimension fractal. The numerical solutions of the model also predict transitions from bare soil at low precipitation to homogeneous vegetation at high rainfall. These results reveal an underlying mechanism for the local desertification process and the vegetation self-organization. The broad context of matter order-disorder transitions. The proposed model even reproduces the desertification patterns for local instabilities of the hydrodynamic type beyond the instability induced by diffusion.
An Enzymatic Solubilization Method to Analyze Bipyridinium Herbicide Residues in Agricultural Products
Authors: Kikukawa Koji , Koide Takara , Yagi Keisuke , Fujiyoshi Tomoharu , Kosaka Satoru , Yamamoto Ryohei , Kasai Naoya , Yamamoto Atsushi
Published: August 2022

Pesticide measurement in foods is essential for human health. In recent years, multi-residue analysis has become the mainstream method for pesticides, but because the extraction method uses medium-polarity solvents, highly polar pesticides cannot be extracted using this method. Bipyridinium is a highly polar herbicide that is highly adsorbable. Its extraction therefore requires harsh conditions, such as a high concentration of a strong acid. The aim of this study is to investigate whether diquat and paraquat, typical bipyridinium herbicides, can be completely extracted under mild conditions by enzymatically solubilizing plant cell walls. Bipyridinium herbicides are difficult to measure by LC-MS/MS because of their highly cationic property. However, by using an ultra-weak cation exchange column, we were able to measure these herbicides with a separation and sensitivity that meet EU and Japan regulations.
Catalytic Disconnection of C–O Bonds in Epoxy Resins and Composites
Authors: Skrydstrup Troels , Ahrens Alexander , Bonde Andreas , Sun Hongwei , Wittig Nina , Sommerfelt Andreas , Frølich Simon , Birkedal Henrik
Published: August 2022

Fiber-reinforced epoxy composites are well established for load bearing applications in the aerospace, automotive and wind power industries, due to their light weight and high durability. These composites are based on thermoset resins, consisting of σ bond-based linkages and aromatic backbones, embedding glass or carbon fibers1. In lieu of viable recycling strategies, end-of-use composite-based structures such as wind turbine blades are commonly landfilled1-4. Due to the negative environmental impact of plastic waste5,6, the need for circular economies of plastics has become pressing7,8. However, recycling thermoset plastics is not trivial1-4. Here, we report a transition metal catalysed protocol for recovering the base chemical bisphenol A and fibers from thermoset epoxy resins. Our approach is based on disconnecting C(alkyl)–O bonds of the most common linkages of the polymer, using a ruthenium-catalysed dehydrogenation-bond cleavage-reduction cascade. We showcase the application of this methodology to relevant unmodified amine-cured epoxy resins as well as commercial composites, including the shell of a wind turbine blade. The high quality of the recovered fibers was confirmed using X-ray micro-computed tomography. Our results demonstrate that chemical recycling approaches for thermoset epoxy resins and composites are achievable. We anticipate that this study is a starting point for developing methodologies that hold the potential for establishing a circular economy for unmodified epoxy-based materials.
Predictors of prolonged pleural effusion after Fontan operation
Authors: Çınar Betül , Atik Sezen Ugan , Gökalp Selman , Çilsal Erman , Şahin Murat , Kamalı Hacer , Onan İsmihan Selen , Yıldız Okan , Genç Serhat Bahadır , Haydin Sertaç , Baydili Kürşat Nuri , Ergül Yakup , Güzeltaş Alper
Published: August 2022

Prolonged pleural effusion (PPE) is a fairly common condition which has considerable impact on complicated and longer hospital stays in the process of adaptation to new physiology after Fontan surgery. Identifying the patient population which is prone to have pleural effusions is still seeking for an answer. The purpose of this study is to determine the variables that may predict PPE according to the data of 69 patients who underwent Fontan operation between June 2018 -December 2020 and survived to date. Prolonged pleural effusion was defined as the need for a chest tube for more than 7 days. Two patient groups (with prolonged effusion: PPE group and without prolonged effusion: Non-PPE) were compared in terms of pre, peri and postoperative variables. Moreover, the patients were subdivided into "high risk" and "low risk" groups ( high risk is defined by either of : PVR/SVR ratio> 0.3, mPAP>15 mmHg , VEDP >12 mmHg , TPG>10 mmHg, RPA or LPA Z-score <-2.00) based on the preoperative catheterization data. The most frequent main diagnosis was tricuspid atresia (n: 13, 19%). Among 69 patients, 28 (40%) had PPE whereas 11 (16%) had effusion that lasted longer than 14 days. Ten patients among PPE group (35%) had pulmonary atresia coexistent with the main diagnosis. Fontan operation was performed in 6 patients (8.7%) over the age of 10, and 4 of these patients (67%) had PPE, while in 2 patients PPE lasted longer than 14 days. The most common angiographically obtained "high risk" factor was elevated mPAP (4 patients-14%) in PPE group, and in 2 patients, both of whom had more than one risk factor, effusion lasted longer than 14 days. [Among numerous variables, statistical significance between two groups was achieved in preoperative mPAP; postoperative albumin, C reactive protein (CRP) levels, lenght of hospital stay, duration of chest tube drainage and amount of effusion per day]. As PPE increases the duration of hospital stay after Fontan operation, early recognition and treatment strategies with routinely used medical protocols remain to be the cornerstone for management of postoperative effusions.
The Dynamics of Financial Toxicity in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Fiala Mark A. , Silberstein Alice E. , Schroeder Mark A. , Stockerl-Goldstein Keith E. , Vij Ravi
Published: August 2022

People with multiple myeloma may be more susceptible to financial toxicity and its sequelae than other cancer types due to the high cost of treatment and its onset occurring typically late in life. However, little data exist regarding financial toxicity among people with myeloma. In this study, a cohort of 135 patients were recruited from an ongoing observational trial to complete the Comprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST). Participants were sent follow-up surveys at 3, 6, and 12 months. The median age was 68 years; the majority were Caucasian (88%), male (63%), held a college degree (61%), and had left the workforce (70%). The median time from myeloma diagnosis was 28 months. The median COST score was 27; 48% of participants had a score below 27 and considered to have higher levels of financial toxicity. The only characteristic associated with financial toxicity was a college degree. After controlling for other covariates, those with a college education were 69% less likely to have higher financial toxicity. Of the 108 participants who completed a follow-up survey, 34% had their financial toxicity status reclassified at a subsequent time point. Reclassification from lower to higher financial toxicity was more common than the reverse. Because financial toxicity is a dynamic process, which patients are experiencing it at any given time is difficult to predict. Moving the research agenda from prediction to improved detection and intervention is likely warranted.
The incidence of COVID-19: a geographical analysis of 7676 Brazilian CrossFit participants
Authors: Zecchin Arthur , Domiciano Rafael Augusto Mendes , Pisa Marcel Frezza , Puggina Enrico Fuini
Published: August 2022

Purpose
We aimed to investigate in the CrossFit population the incidence of COVID-19 hospitalization, the proportional relationship between Brazilian region and motivation, the proportional relationship between age and COVID-19 positive diagnosis, the proportional relationship between COVID-19 positive diagnosis and training experience, the proportional relationship between COVID-19 positive diagnoses and training frequency, and finally proportional relationship between genre and COVID-19 positive diagnose and genre.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 7676 CrossFit subjects. Subjects were asked about their age, genre, demographic region resident, training experience, weekly practice training, motivation to training, COVID-19 contamination (y/n), hospitalization due to COVID-19, days hospitalized by COVID-19, and treatment used against COVID-19.
Results
The positive COVID-19 index was 26.1% (1997 cases). Only 0.3% of the CrossFit subjects were hospitalized. The North demographic region was less motivated to train CrossFit than the South region. We did not find significance for COVID-19 contamination and genre, training frequency, training experience, and age.
Conclusions
We concluded that CrossFit subjects were low exposed to being hospitalized due to COVID-19. They were low motivated, and the North regions were less motivated to train CrossFit than the South region. This study strengthens the evidence of physical exercise as a part of the protection against COVID-19 hospitalization. Exercise coaches should rethink how to insert CrossFit training into lockdown periods to maintain its participants' highly motivated training.
Complementary molecular tests: diagnosis of megaesophagus with conventional nonreactive or inconclusive serology for Chagas disease
Authors: Batista Angelica Martins , Pavan Tycha Bianca Sabaini , de Almeida Eros Antônio , Andrade Paula Durante , Martins Luiz Cláudio , Wanderley Jamiro Silva , Costa Sandra Cecília Botelho
Published: August 2022

Background: The current laboratory diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease (CD) relies on two serological tests based on distinct principles (ELISA, HAI, or IFI), which may yield false-positive and false-negative results. Blood culture (BC) can also be used as a diagnostic method, but its sensitivity in the chronic phase is limited. To assist in the outcome of a possible diagnosis of CD in cases of adult patients in which serological methods have conflicting or inconclusive results, both conventional and quantitative molecular methods have been used, especially the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of qualitative and quantitative molecular methods for diagnostic purposes in patients with megaesophagus and nonreactive or inconclusive conventional serology for CD.Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 26 participants with negative or inconclusive conventional serology for CD and 33 participants with positive serology who were treated at a referral center from 2010–2011. Peripheral blood samples were collected intravenously at the same time for serological (ELISA and IFI), BC and molecular tests such as qualitative PCR, targeting the Sat-DNA and kDNA of T. cruzi and quantitative PCR (qPCR).Results: For the BC method, the results were negative in all cases in Group I and positive in five cases (21.73%) in Group II, with no statistically significant difference between the groups. For the molecular methods, positivity in relation to the kDNA target was 45.83% for Group I and 33.33% in Group II; for the Sat-DNA target, it was 76.29% in Group I and 63.63% in Group II, with a significant difference.Conclusion: Molecular tests can be used in nonreactive or inconclusive serological results and can be useful to confirm Chagas disease in cases of megaesophagus and nonreactive or inconclusive conventional serology for CD.
A Retrospective Analysis of CPR effectiveness in confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients
Authors: Stepanek Kevin , Hatahet Mohamad
Published: August 2022

Background
The idea for this study is to investigate if patients with COVID-19 had worse cardiac arrest outcomes as compared to patients without COVID-19.
Objectives
Our goal is to compare cardiac arrest outcomes in the context of individual patient variables such as COVID-19 results, age, and comorbid condition. We hypothesize worse prognosis for COVID-19 patients, and this may be beneficial in discussions about prognosis and to help providers establish goals of care.
Methods
A retrospective review was conducted of 9,522 patients admitted between March 2020 and November 2021. Data collected included age, sex, COVID-19 PCR result, length of stay, CODE BLUE (cardiac arrest), result of code and hospitalization, and specific cardiac indices such as ejection fraction and cardiac biomarkers.
Results
This study found 3,392 patients (35.6%) were COVID-19 positive/suspected. There was a higher incidence of CODE BLUE (p = 0.01) in the COVID-19 positive / suspected group. There was a higher incidence of patient expiration in the COVID-19 positive / suspected group (p = 0.01). There was a significant association with expiration after CODE BLUE in COVID-19 positive/suspected patients. Patients with an elevated troponin or BNP had more cardiac arrests and worse post-arrest outcomes, regardless of COVID-19 result. There was no difference in Ejection Fraction and outcomes, regardless of COVID-19 result.
Conclusions
This study found a significantly higher incidence of cardiac arrest in patients with confirmed/suspected COVID-19. The post-arrest outcomes were also worse for COVID-19 positive/suspected patients. Elevated cardiac biomarkers correlate with more cardiac arrest and worse outcomes overall.
Clinical application of double-capsule fecal catheter device in ICU patients with fecal incontinence: a single-center retrospective study across five years
Authors: Chen Shujuan , Liu Yanquan , Zhu Hongquan , Lin Jie , Li Zuotao , Liu Xin , Xie Jiangbo , Xu Qinglin
Published: August 2022

Objective: To explore the clinical effect and potential value of double-capsule fecal catheter device in patients with fecal incontinence in intensive care unit (ICU).Methods: The double-capsule fecal catheter device in this study has been granted a utility model patent by the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China (Patent grant number: ZL201520691458.6) before its implementation. Design patents have been transformed into physical medical supplies and used in clinical and nursing practice. A total of 62 patients with fecal incontinence who were admitted to the ICU of the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University from May 2017 to May 2022 were selected and randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group, with 32 cases in the experimental group and 30 cases in the control group. The experimental group was given a double-capsule fecal catheter device, and the control group was given an ordinary fecal catheter device for drainage. The catheter prolapse rate, catheter obstruction rate, stool leakage rate and prognostic value were compared between the two groups.Results: The catheter prolapse rate, catheter obstruction rate, and stool leakage rate in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01), and the length of hospital stay and prognostic indicators were better than those in the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion: The use of the newly developed double-capsule fecal catheter device can reduce the rate of catheter prolapse, catheter obstruction, and stool leakage in patients with fecal incontinence in the ICU. Correspondingly, patients with fecal incontinence who used the double-capsule fecal catheter device had shorter ICU days than those who did not, and it improved relevant prognostic indicators during the patient's hospitalization. It has good clinical practicability and popularity for fecal incontinence patients, and is worthy of use and promotion.
A novel filter bank design for speech emotion recognition
Authors: PARLAK Cevahir , ALTUN Yusuf
Published: August 2022

In this study, a novel filter bank design is proposed for speech emotion recognition to replace current state-of-the-art MFCC (Mel Filter Cepstral Coefficients) and Mel filter banks. These novel filter banks are considered to have a great impact and pave the way for great developments and improvements over speech emotion recognition applications. Many filter banks have been proposed to model speech recognition applications but these models either contain too many banks or need some cumbersome mathematical operations to compute. MFCC requires the calculation of DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform), and it is also too difficult to interpret the MFCC coefficients. Mel filters are easy to interpret but they contain too many filters. The novel filter banks are faster and easier to compute. Moreover, they can be interpreted better compared to the MFCC and Mel filters. We apply these filter banks with NVIDIA’s CNN model and SVM-SMO classifier to compare them with MFCC and Mel filter banks. We also implement feature selection, data augmentation, and various techniques to combat problems of imbalanced datasets to show the effectiveness of proposed filter banks.
Prevention of cholera and COVID-19 pandemics in Uganda: understanding vaccine coverage survey Plus
Authors: Bwire Godfrey , Kisakye Annet , Amulen Esther , Bwanika John Baptist , Badebye Joan , Aanyu Christine , Nakirya Brenda Doreen , Okello Alfred , Okello Stephen Acellam , Bukenya Justine N. , Orach Christopher Garimoi
Published: August 2022

Background
Between March, 2020 and December, 2021, Uganda experienced high prevalence of cholera and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) leading to 1,534 cholera cases with 14 deaths and 136,065 COVID-19 cases with 3,285 deaths reported respectively. This study investigated mass vaccination campaigns for the prevention of the two pandemics namely Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) and COVID-19 vaccine coverages; Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI); barriers and enablers for the vaccine uptake and the feasibility of incorporating Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) assessments into vaccine coverage surveys.
Methods
A household survey was conducted between January and February, 2022 in the six districts of Uganda which had recently conducted OCV mass vaccination campaigns or had ongoing COVID-19 mass vaccination campaigns. The survey randomly enrolled 900 households with 4,315 persons of whom 2,085 were above 18 years. Data were collected and analysed using STATA statistical package. Frequencies, percentages, Odds ratios, confidence intervals and maps were generated and interpreted.
Results
The OCV coverage for dose one and two were 85% (CI: 84.2–86.4) and 67% (CI: 65.6–68.4) respectively. Among the 4,315 OCV recipients, 2% reported mild AEFI, 0.16% reported moderate AEFI and none reported severe AEFI. The COVID-19 vaccination coverage for dose one and two were 69.8% (CI: 67.8–71.8) and 18.8% (CI: 17.1–20.5) respectively. Approximately, 23% (478/2,085) of COVID-19 vaccine recipient reported AEFI; 94% were mild, 0.6% were moderate and 2 cases were severe. The commonest reason for missing COVID-19 vaccine was fear of the side effects. For most districts (5/6), sanitation (latrine/toilet) coverages were low at 7.4% − 37.4%.
Conclusion
There were high OCV coverages but low COVID-19 vaccine and sanitation coverages with high number of moderate cases of AEFI recorded due to COVID-19 vaccines. The low COVID-19 coverage could indicate vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccines. Furthermore, incorporation of WASH assessment in the OCV coverage surveys is recommended for similar settings to generate data for better planning. However, more studies are required on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
Tax Incentives, Ease of Doing Business and inflows of FDI in Africa: Does Governance Matter?
Authors: Abille Adamu Braimah , Mumuni Sulemana
Published: August 2022

Apart from the corporate tax rates, the ease of doing business (EDB) index accounts for the cross-country or regional differences in the inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) as established in the literature. However, this study contends that institutional quality indicators are critical to complement the role of the EDB in attracting the desired FDI into Africa. For empirical evidence, the study performs governance indicators-related step-wise system-GMM estimations of the effect of corporate tax, un-interacted EDB, and the interplay between EDB and governance indicators on the net inflows of FDI using data from 2015 to 2019 for 50 African countries. The findings show that the corporate tax rate and the un-interactive EDB have significant negative effects on the inflows of FDI in Africa in the short- and long runs. In contrast, governance indicators such as control of corruption, political stability, regulatory quality, rule of law, and government effectiveness complement EDB to exert positive effects on the inflows of FDI in Africa, albeit the findings are not generally significant. Thus, to attract the desired FDI, the study inter-alia calls for strict institutional quality assurance in Africa.
Exonized Alu repeats in the 3’UTR of a CYP20A1_Alu-LT transcript act as a miRNA sponge
Authors: Singhal Khushboo , Dhamija Sonam , Mukerji Mitali
Published: August 2022

Objective
Alu repeats have gained huge importance in the creation and modification of regulatory networks. We previously reported a unique isoform of human CYP20A1 i.e. CYP20A1_Alu-LT with 23 Alu repeats exonized in its 9 kb long 3’UTR with 3,000 potential binding sites for 140 miRNAs. The role of this transcript was hypothesized as a potential miRNA sponge in primary neurons as its expression correlated with that of 380 genes having shared miRNA sites and enriched in neuro-coagulopathy. This study provides experimental evidence for the miRNA sponge activity of CYP20A1_Alu-LT in neuronal cell lines.
Results
We studied the Alu-rich fragment of the CYP20A1_Alu-LT extended 3’UTR with > 10 binding sites for miR-619-5p and miR-3677-3p. Enrichment of the Alu-rich fragment with Ago2 confirmed miRNA association of this transcript. Cloning the fragment downstream of a reporter gene led to a 90% decrease in luciferase activity. Overexpression and siRNA knockdown of CYP20A1_Alu-LT was positively correlated with the expression of miR-619-5p and miR-3677-3p target genes. GAP43, one of the key modulators of nerve regeneration, was significantly altered by the expression of CYP20A1_Alu-LT. This study, for the first time, provides evidence for a unique regulatory function of exonized Alu repeats as miRNA sponges.
Cidofovir for treating complicated monkeypox in a man with severe acquired immunodeficiency
Authors: Fabrizio Claudia , Bruno Giuseppe , Cristiano Letizia , Buccoliero Giovanni Battista
Published: August 2022

On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox (MPX) a global health emergency of international concern given its rapid spreading. So far, most current MPX outbreaks have involved young men who have sex with men (MSM), although with overall mild, self-limiting clinical manifestations. We aim to describe the case of a young MSM, HIV positive, whose status of utter immune suppression probably contributed to worsen the clinical course of MPX disease, thus requiring hospitalization and antiviral treatment. He was effectively treated with Cidofovir that may be a valuable component of a multi-faceted management of severe MPX.
Retinal Vessel Geometry in Patients with Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane
Authors: Lee Eun Kyoung , Kim Hye Jee , Lee Sang-Yoon , Song Su Jeong , Yu Hyeong Gon
Published: August 2022

We investigated the associations between retinal vascular geometric measurements and idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). Whether changes in retinal vascular geometry are independent of systemic cardiovascular risk factors was also evaluated. This retrospective, cross sectional study included 98 patients with idiopathic ERM, and 99 healthy age-matched controls. Quantitative retinal vascular parameters were measured from digital retinal fundus photographs using a semi-automated computer-assisted program. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between retinal vascular geometric parameters and the presence of idiopathic ERM after adjusting for systemic cardiovascular risk factors. There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics of the two groups, except that the ERM group had a higher proportion of females than the control group. In multivariate regression analyses, after adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, and body mass index, wider retinal venular caliber (odds ratio [OR] = 1.058, P < 0.001) and decreased total fractal dimension (OR = 0.911, P = 0.001) were associated with idiopathic ERM. Idiopathic ERM was associated with alterations in global retinal microvascular geometric parameters, wider retinal venules, and less complex vascular branching patterns, independent of cardiovascular risk factors. These changes may reflect hemodynamic disturbances in the microcirculation of eyes with idiopathic ERM.
Human biting mosquitoes and implications for WNV transmission
Authors: Uelmen Johnny A. , Lamcyzk Bennett , Irwin Patrick , Bartlett Dan , Stone Chris , Mackay Andrew , Arsenault-Benoit Arielle , Ryan Sadie J. , Mutebi John-Paul , Hamer Gabriel L. , Fritz Megan , Smith Rebecca L.
Published: August 2022

Background: West Nile virus (WNV), primarily vectored from Culex genus mosquitoes, is the most important mosquito-borne pathogen in North America, infecting thousands of humans and countless wildlife since its arrival in 1999. In locations with dedicated mosquito control programs, surveillance methods often rely on frequent testing of mosquitoes collected from a network of gravid traps (GTs) and CO2-baited light traps (LTs). Traps targeting oviposition-seeking (e.g. GTs) and host-seeking (e.g. LTs) mosquitoes are vulnerable to trap bias, and captured specimens are often damaged, making morphological identification difficult. Methods: This study leverages an alternative mosquito collection method, the human landing catch (HLC), as a means to compare sampling of potential WNV vectors to traditional trapping methods. Human collectors exposed one limb for 15 minutes at crepuscular periods (5:00-8:30am and 6:00-9:30pm daily, the time when Culex species are most actively host-seeking) at each of 55 sites in suburban Chicago, Illinois, for two summers (2018-2019). Results: HLC collections resulted in 223 human seeking mosquitoes, of which 46 (20.6%) were Culex. Of the 46 collected Culex, 34 (73.9%) were Culex salinarius, a potential WNV vector species not thought to be highly abundant in the upper Midwestern United States. Per trapping effort, GTs and LTs collect greater than 7.5 times the number of individual Culex specimens than HLC efforts. Conclusions: The less-commonly used HLC method provides important insight into the complement of human-biting mosquitoes in a region with consistent WNV epidemics. This study underscores the value of HLC collection methods as a complementary tool for surveillance to aid in WNV vector species characterization. However, given the added risk to the collector, novel mitigation methods or alternatives approaches must be explored to incorporate HLC collections safely and strategically into control programs.
Labile carbon inputs support the recovery of prokaryotic communities, but not fungal communities, from a simulated bovine urine event
Authors: Dopheide Andrew , Davis Carina , Wakelin Steve A. , David Whitehead  , Grelet Gwen-Aëlle
Published: August 2022

Inputs of carbon to soil may be used to stimulate microbial growth and immobilize excess nitrogen from sources such as livestock urine. However, the growth responses of microbial taxa to carbon inputs under conditions of excess soil nitrogen remain poorly understood. Using DNA metabarcoding and a field-based soil lysimeter experiment, we characterised the temporal responses (up to 112 days) of bacterial and fungal communities to a simulated bovine urine event plus inputs of labile carbon (sucrose) at two concentrations. Fungal communities were impacted more strongly than bacterial communities by carbon inputs under simulated urine patch conditions and had more variable responses among taxa. The richness of Chytridiomycota and Glomeromycota were most negatively affected, and Tremellomycetes most positively affected, by carbon inputs. A minority of fungal ASVs had greatly increased abundances in response to carbon, while fungal trophic composition became highly dominated by saprotrophs by the experiment end. Bacterial taxa showed consistent trends of declining (to about 14 days) and recovering (to 112 days) richness in response to urine and carbon inputs, but carbon-related evenness and abundance trends varied between taxa. Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria each increased in abundance in response to carbon, whereas Acidobacteria, candidate division WPS-1, Planctomycetes, Deltaproteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia each decreased in abundance. These results show that labile carbon inputs to limit nitrogenous leaching support the resilience of prokaryote communities to bovine urine events but may have long-term impacts on fungal community composition and function, with potential consequences for soil food webs, carbon sequestration, and agricultural productivity.
Integrative medicine rehabilitation for post-stroke limb spasticity: A multicenter randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wang Meng , Liu Shouguo , Peng Zhihang , Zhu Yi , Feng Xiaodong , Gu Yihuang , Sun Jianhua , Tang Qiang , Chen Hongxia , Huang Xiaolin , Hu Jun , Chen Wei , Xiang Jie , Wan ChunXiao , Fan Gangqi , Lu Jianhu , Xia Wenguang , Chen Liping , Wang Lihua , Lu Xiao , Li Jianan
Published: August 2022

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether integrative medicine rehabilitation (IMR) that combines conventional rehabilitation (CR) with Tui Na and traditional Chinese external medicine Baimai-ruangao is more effective than CR alone for treatment of post-stroke limb spasticity.Design: We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled intervention trial that involved 16 hospitals in ten cities in China.Subject: 444 patients with post-stroke limb spasticity were randomly assigned to an IMR group (n=222) and a CR group (n=222). Methods: Tui Na was performed for patients with post-stroke limb spasticity. Traditional Chinese external medicine Baimai-ruangao as the massage medium was applied on the skin surface. The course of treatment was 1 month. Muscle tone in the spastic muscles (elbow flexors, wrist flexors, finger flexors, knee extensors, ankle plantar flexors) was evaluated using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and the primary endpoint was the change in MAS score from baseline to 4 weeks. Results: The IMR group had a significantly better reduction in the MAS scores for five muscle groups than the CR group did after 4 weeks of intervention. Improvements were sustained at the 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. Furthermore, patients who had a baseline muscle tone score of 1+ to 4 on the MAS for the affected limb were recommended to receive IMR. No adverse reaction was observed in the IMR group. Conclusion: Conventional rehabilitation combined with IMR is safe and more effective for alleviating post-stroke limb spasticity.
Toward an integrative theory of identity formation? Three components of the religious identity formation process
Authors: Halevy Gai
Published: August 2022

Objective
The religious identity formation process plays an important role in some people’s lives; however, this identity domain has a lack of research. The aim of this study is to understand the process of religious identity development based on identity formation theory from a temporal integration perspective (Syed and McLean, 2016), which represents the developmental dimension of Erikson theory.
Methods
Using qualitative methodology, we conducted 158 interviews: 45 semistructured reflective interviews and 113 monthly expressive open interviews over 1.5 years with 20 male emerging adults aged 18–20 years in three religious Mechina gap-year programs in Israel.
Results
Content analysis distinguished three components of religious identity: a conceptual component, a practical component and a collective component, which were found to be dominant in different stages of the religious identity formation process and in a different social context.
Discussion
The findings that point to two developmental models also relate to the person-society integration perspective (Syed and McLean, 2016), which represents the contextual dimension of Erikson’s theory; both the developmental and the contextual dimensions are lacking in Marcia's operationalization of Erikson's theory. These findings also shed light on the necessity to relate all these components in the religious identity domain and have the potential for an integrative view of identity formation, as we discuss below.
The dual role of glioma exosomal microRNAs: glioma eliminates tumor suppressor miR-1298-5p via exosomes to promote immunosuppressive effects of MDSCs
Authors: Qi Yanhua , Jin Chuandi , Qiu Wei , Zhao Rongrong , Wang Shaobo , Li Boyan , Zhang Zongpu , Guo Qindong , Zhang Shouji , Gao Zijie , Zhao Shulin , Pan Ziwen , Fan Yang , chen Zihang , Wang Huizhi , Xu Jianye , Deng Lin , Ni Shilei , Wang Jian , Xue Hao , Xue Fuzhong , Li Gang
Published: August 2022

Clear evidence shows that tumor could secrete microRNAs (miRNAs) via exosomes to modulate tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the mechanisms sorting specific miRNAs into exosomes are still unclear. In order to study the biological function and characterization of exosomal miRNAs, we performed whole-transcriptome sequencing in 59 patients’ whole course cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) small extracellular vesicles (sEV) and matched glioma tissue samples. The results demonstrate that miRNAs could be divided into exosome-enriched miRNAs (ExomiRNAs) and intracellular-retained miRNAs (CLmiRNAs), and exosome-enriched miRNAs generally play a dual role. Among them, miR-1298-5p was enriched in CSF exosomes and suppressed glioma progression in vitro and vivo experiments. Interestingly, exosomal miR-1298-5p could promote Immunosuppressive effects of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) to facilitate glioma. Therefore, we found miR-1298-5p had different effects on glioma cells and MDSCs. Mechanically, downstream signaling pathway analyses showed that miR-1298-5p plays distinct roles in glioma cells and MDSCs via targeting SETD7 and MSH2, respectively. Moreover, reverse verification was performed on the intracellular-retained miRNA miR-9-5p. Thus, we confirmed that tumor-suppressive miRNAs in glioma cells could be eliminated through exosomes and target tumor-associated immune cells to induce tumor-promoting phenotypes. Glioma could get double benefit from it. These findings uncover the mechanisms that glioma selectively sorts miRNAs into exosomes and modulates tumor immunity.
Total Chromatic Number for Some Classes of Cayley Graphs
Authors: Prajnanaswaroopa S. , Geetha J. , K Somasundaram
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we have obtained the total chromatic number for some classes of Cayley graphs, particularly the Unitary Cayley graphs on even order and some other Circulant graphs. We have also proved the Total coloring conjecture for some perfect Cayley graphs.MSC Classification: 05C15 (Primary), 05B15 (Secondary)
Determination of Alcohol in Citrus Juice by Gas Chromatographic Analysis of Headspace1
Authors: Davis Paul L. , Chace William G.
Published: August 2022

A gas chromatographic method for the determination of alcohol in citrus juice by analysis of headspace is described. The volume of juice is not critical, but the bath temperature for samples must be constant. Juice samples should be analyzed as soon as possible, or kept refrigerated to avoid alcohol production by contaminating organisms.
Chemical Changes and Amylase Activity of Freshly Shelled Southern Peas, Vigna sinensis1
Authors: Park J. R. , Collins J. L. , McCarty I. E. , Johnston M. R.
Published: August 2022

Southern peas were held under conditions simulating those which exist at the processing plant. Freshly shelled peas were held in small cylinders up to 3 days at 7°-10° and 24°-27°C before they were frozen. Samples, taken from the upper and lower positions of the cylinders, were analyzed for starch and maltose content, total acidity, and amylase activity.

During the holding period the starch content decreased, the maltose content rose initially and remained stable, total acidity increased, and amylase activity decreased. Peas held at 7°-10°C had less starch degradation, higher maltose accumulation, lower total acidity, but higher amylase activity than peas held at 24°-27°C. Position in the cylinder did not influence the starch content, but peas from the upper position (higher oxygen tension) had a higher maltose content, higher total acidity, and lower amylase activity.

Significant correlation coefficients were found between total acidity and amylase activity (r = -0.93), starch content and amylase activity (r = 0.84), and starch and maltose contents (r = -0.58).
Effects of Different Nematicides on Yield and Quality of Centennial Sweetpotato and Root-Knot Nematode Damage1
Authors: Johnson W. A. , Cairns E. J.
Published: August 2022

Effects of different nematicides on yields of sweetpotatoes and on root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) damage at two different locations were studied over a period of 3 years. Average yields of marketable size roots were significantly increased on Hartsells fine sandy loam from use of Penphene, D-D, Dowfume W-85, Telone, and Nellite; the increased yield from Furadan was nearly significant. All nematicides reduced the root-knot infection counts on steam-peeled roots and root-knot larvae per pint of soil at harvest. Furadan gave the best nematode control. Average' yields were increased on Alaga sand from use of Penphen, D-D, D-D + SD14647, Vorlex, Furadan, Temik, and Mocap. Average root-knot infection counts and root-knot larvae per pint of soil at harvest were significantly reduced by all nematicides used; the greatest reductions followed applications of Temik, Mocap, Furadan, and D-D + SD14647.
Possible Use of Tuberculous Recombinant Allergen Test in the Differential Diagnosis of Diseases in the Upper Lung Lobes in Adults
Authors: Stogova N. A.
Published: August 2022

The objective of the study: to evaluate the possible use of the subcutaneous test with tuberculous recombinant allergen (TRA) in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis localized in the upper lobes.Subjects and Methods. Data of examinations with subcutaneous TRA and Mantoux tests with 2 units in 648 patients aged 18 to 90 years with various lung pathologies and HIV-negative status and 122 healthy individuals were retrospectively analyzed. Among these subjects, the following diseases were diagnosed: tuberculosis, pneumonia, cancer, post-tuberculosis changes, and sclerotic changes after nonspecific diseases.Results. The sensitivity of TRA test in adults with tuberculous lesions in the upper lobes was 59.87%; the rate of negative responses in those without active tuberculosis was 76.0%; the sensitivity of Mantoux test with 2 units was higher and made 83.6%, but the rate of negative responses in those without tuberculosis was lower – 44.1%. TRA test is most important in the differential diagnosis of tuberculosis and pneumonia in which positive and hyperergic reactions are observed in 59.87 and 13.95% of cases, respectively.The comparative analysis of the rates for tuberculosis and post-tuberculosis changes showed no statistically significant difference in both Mantoux test (83.6 and 78.4%, respectively, p > 0.05) and TRA test (59.87 and 50.77%, respectively, p > 0.05). This indicates that these tests cannot be used to assess the activity of tuberculosis localized in the upper lobes of the lungs in adults.
A novel self-adaptation and sorting selection-based differential evolutionary algorithm applied to water distribution system optimization
Authors: Du Kun , Xiao Bang , Song Zhigang , Xu Yue , Tang Zhiyi , Xu Wei , Duan Huanfeng
Published: August 2022

The differential evolution (DE) algorithm has been demonstrated to be the most powerful evolutionary algorithm (EA) to optimally design water distribution systems (WDSs), but issues such as slow convergence speed, limited exploratory ability, and parameter adjustment remain when used for large-scale WDS optimization. This paper proposes a novel self-adaptation and sorting selection-based differential evolutionary (SA-SSDE) algorithm that can solve large-scale WDS optimization problems more efficiently while having the greater ability to explore global optimal solutions. The following two unique features enable the better performance of the proposed SA-SSDE algorithm: (1) the DE/current-to-pbest/n mutation and sorting selection operators are used to speed up the convergence and thus improve the optimization efficiency; (2) the parameter adaptation strategy in JADE (an adaptive differential evolution algorithm proposed by Zhang & Sanderson 2009) is introduced and modified to cater for WDS optimization, and it is capable of dynamically adapting the control parameters (i.e., F and CR values) to the fitness landscapes characteristic of larger-scale WDS optimization problems, allowing for greater exploratory ability. The proposed SA-SSDE algorithm found new best solutions of $7.068 million, €1.9205 million, and $30.852 million for three well-known large networks (ZJ164, Balerma454, and Rural476), having the convergence speed of 1.02, 1.92, and 5.99 times faster than the classic DE, respectively. Investigations into the searching behavior and the control parameter evolution during optimization are carried out, resulting in a better understanding of why the proposed SA-SSDE algorithm outperforms the classic DE, as well as the guidance for developing more advanced EAs.
Instalación de un proceso de observación de aula: experiencia y desafíos
Authors:   Investigadora Independiente, Maray Hernandez Virginia , Berrios Ayala Felipe ,   Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santos Reyes Jonathan ,   Investigadora Independiente, Cabrera Maray Pamela ,   Investigadora Independiente
Published: August 2022

El presente trabajo expone la descripción y análisis de un proceso de observación de aula en contexto presencial, llevado adelante en 10 de los 15 establecimientos educacionales pertenecientes a la Corporación Municipal de Peñalolén, en la Región Metropolitana de Santiago de Chile. Dicho proceso, propuesto e implementado por la Corporación Educacional Focoescuela, se encuentra centrado en relevar la importancia que posee la reflexión profesional sobre las interacciones pedagógicas, tanto para reflexión conjunta de los equipos docentes, como para los desafíos de liderazgo pedagógico que poseen los equipos directivos de establecimientos educacionales.
Opinion: “High-Dose Immunosuppression to Prevent Death after Paraquat
Self-Poisoning”- Under Estimation of a Significant Effect with Small
Mortality Rate Reduction
Authors: Anvari Bita
Published: August 2022

A randomised double blinded clinical trial about high dose immunosuppression in Paraquat
self-poisoning was published by Professor I. Gawaramanna et al. Before their research, it
seems that a little overestimation might be present in the small previous non-randomised clinical
trials. This new valuable work clarified the previous exaggerated favourable response to immunosuppression
in paraquat self-poisoning; however, their analysis underestimated the favourable
response to high dose immunosuppression. According to their results, high dose immunosuppression
could decrease mortality considering serum paraquat level and effect time of immunosuppressive
drugs but the opposite is concluded. They did not mention the impact of incomplete sample size on
their results. Severe paraquat self-poisoning seems to be unresponsive to any treatment and these
patients should be analyzed separately according to serum paraquat level. So after reanalysis of their
results, the findings seem to be in favour of immunosuppression benefit in paraquat-self poisoning.