bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
QTL mapping of seedling and field resistance to stem rust in DAKIYE/Reichenbachii durum wheat population
Authors: Megerssa Shitaye Homma , Ammar Karim , Acevedo Maricelis , Bergstrom Gary Carlton , Dreisigacker Susanne , Randhawa Mandeep , Brown-Guedira Gina , Ward Brian , Sorrells Mark Earl
Published: October 2022

Stem rust caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici Eriks. & E. Henn. (Pgt) threatens the global production of both durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum (Desf.) Husnot) and common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The objective of this study was to evaluate a durum wheat recombinant inbred line (RIL) population from a cross between a susceptible parent ‘DAKIYE’ and a resistant parent ‘Reichenbachii’ developed by the International Center for the Improvement of Maize and Wheat (CIMMYT) 1) for seedling response to races JRCQC and TTRTF and 2) for field response to a bulk of the current Pgt races prevalent in Ethiopia and Kenya and 3) to map loci associated with seedling and field resistances in this population. A total of 224 RILs along with their parents were evaluated at the seedling stage in the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research greenhouse at Debre Zeit, Ethiopia and in the EIAR and KALRO fields in Ethiopia and Kenya, for two seasons from 2019 to 2020. The lines were genotyped using the genotyping-by-sequencing approach. A total of 843 single nucleotide polymorphism markers for 175 lines were used for quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses. Composite interval mapping (CIM) identified three QTL on chromosomes 3B, 4B and 7B contributed by the resistant parent. The QTL on chromosome 3B was identified at all growth stages and it explained 11.8%, 6.5%, 6.4% and 15.3% of the phenotypic variation for responses to races JRCQC, TTRTF and in the field trials ETMS19 and KNMS19, respectively. The power to identify additional QTL in this population was limited by the number of high-quality markers, since several markers with segregation distortion were eliminated. A cytological study is needed to understand the presence of chromosomal rearrangements. Future evaluations of additional durum lines and RIL families identification of durable adult plant resistance sources is crucial for breeding stem rust resistance in durum wheat in the future.
An experimental investigation on the dark side of emotions and its aftereffects
Authors: Ibanez Lisette , Saadaoui Hayet
Published: October 2022

The economic literature is so far overwhelmingly dedicated to the effect of incidental emotions on virtuous behavior. However, it is not so explicit for destructive behavior and the way it evolves with emotional states. To fill this gap, we explore how incidental emotions impact antisocial behavior in a laboratory experiment. As our vehicle of research, we used the open treatment of the joy-of-destruction mini-game. In addition to that, we elicited players’ first and second-order beliefs via an incentivized questionnaire. We find that destructive behavior is driven by two motives: spite (Machiavellian traits) and preemptive retaliation (Expected destruction by partners). Emotional states do not impact destructive behavior directly. However, positive emotions brighten the expectations of other player beliefs on his partner’s destruction, and indirectly reduces the willingness to destroy partner’s money.
Maximum acceptable communication delay for the realization of telesurgery
Authors: Nankaku Akitoshi , Tokunaga Masanori , Yonezawa Hiroki , Kanno Takahiro , Kawashima Kenji , Hakamada Kenichi , Hirano Satoshi , Oki Eiji , Mori Masaki , Kinugasa Yusuke
Published: October 2022

Aim

To determine acceptable limits of communication delays in telesurgery, we investigated the impact of communication delays under a dynamic environment using a surgical assist robot. Previous studies have evaluated acceptable delays under static environments. Effects of delays may be enhanced in dynamic environments, but studies have not yet focused on this point.

Methods

Thirty-four subjects with different surgical experience (Group1: no surgical experience; Group2: only laparoscopic surgical experience; Group3: robotic surgery experience) performed 4 tasks under different delays (0, 70, 100, 150, 200, or 300 ms) using a surgical assist robot. Task accomplishment time and total movement distance of forceps were recorded and compared under different communication delays of 0–300 ms. In addition, surgical performance was compared between Group1or Group2 without delay and Group3 with communication delays.

Results

Significant differences in task accomplishment time were found between delays of 0 and 70 ms, but not between delays of 70 and 100 ms. Thereafter, the greater the communication delay, the longer the task accomplishment time. Similar results were obtained in total movement distance of forceps. Comparisons between Group3 with delay and Group1 or Group2 without delay demonstrated that surgical performance in Group3 with delay was superior or equal to that of Group1 or Group2 without delay as long as the delay was 100 ms or less.

Conclusions

Communication delays in telesurgery may be acceptable if 100 ms or less. Experienced surgeons with more than 100 ms of delay could outperform less-experienced surgeons without delay.
A method to detect influencers in social networks based on the combination of amplification factors and content creation
Authors: Huynh Tai , Nguyen Hien D. , Zelinka Ivan , Pham Xuan Hau , Pham Vuong T. , Selamat Ali , Krejcar Ondrej
Published: October 2022

A social network is one of the efficient tools for information propagation. The content is the bridge between the product and its customers. Evaluating the user’s content creation is a valuable feature to improve information spreading on the social network. This paper proposes a method for extracting brand value with influencers by combining the user’s amplification and content creation in influencer marketing. The amplification factors are studied based on the propagation of the posts on the social network in a duration time. Those factors are more valuable than before when using influencer marketing at a determined time. Moreover, the content creation score is also studied to measure content creation based on the passion point with a brand and its quality. The amplification factors and content creation score are combined to analyze posts’ interest in detecting the emerging influent users for a product in the influencer marketing campaign. Using the amplification factors, the passion points, and the content creation score, a system to manage the influencer marketing on Facebook has been constructed and tested in the real-world campaign. The experimental results show that the proposed method’s influencers bring the conversion rate’s efficiency and revenue in the influencer marketing campaign.
Factors associated with early pregnancy anemia in rural Sri Lanka: Does being ‘under care’ iron out socioeconomic disparities?
Authors: Amarasinghe Gayani Shashikala , Agampodi Thilini Chanchala , Mendis Vasana , Agampodi Suneth Buddhika
Published: October 2022

Globally, more than a third of pregnant women are anemic, and progress in its prevention and control is slow. Sri Lanka is a lower-middle-income country with a unique public health infrastructure that provides multiple interventions across the lifecycle for anemia prevention, despite which anemia in pregnancy remains a challenge. Studying the factors associated with maternal anemia in this context would provide unique information on challenges and opportunities encountered as low-and-middle-income countries attempt to control anemia by improving health care coverage. All first-trimester pregnant women registered for antenatal care in the Anuradhapura district between July 2019 to September 2019 were invited to participate in the baseline of a cohort study. Interviewer-administered and self-completed questionnaires were used. Anemia was defined using a full blood count. A hierarchical logistic regression model was built to identify factors associated with anemia. Out of 3127 participants, 451 (14.4%) were anemic. According to the regression model (Chi-square = 139.3, p<0.001, n = 2692), the odds of being anemic increased with the Period of gestation (PoG) (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.01–1.13). While controlling for PoG, age and parity, history of anemia (OR = 3.22, 95%CI = 2.51–4.13), being underweight (OR = 1.64, 95%CI = 1.24–2.18), having the last pregnancy five or more years back (OR = 1.57,95%CI = 1.15–2.15) and having used intrauterine devices for one year or more (OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.16–2.30) increased the odds of anemia. Breast feeding during the last year (OR = 0.66, 95%CI = 0.49–0.90) and having used contraceptive injections for one year or more (OR = 0.61,95%CI = 0.45–0.83) reduced the risk of anemia. Proxy indicators of being in frequent contact with the national family health program have a protective effect over the socioeconomic disparities in preventing early pregnancy anemia. Maintaining the continuum of care through the lifecycle, especially through optimizing pre and inter-pregnancy care provision should be the way forward for anemia control.
Patterns of cancer in Wolaita Sodo University Hospital: South Ethiopia
Authors: Kibret Yitbarek M. , Leka Yohannes A. , Tekle Natnael F. , Tigeneh Wondemagegnehu
Published: October 2022

Background

Variations in cancer occurrence between populations in different places are expected because of many factors. In Ethiopia there is no national cancer registry and here we are reporting the pattern of cancer in Wolaita Sodo University hospital located in Southern region of Ethiopia with catchment area of over ten million peoples.

Methodology

A retrospective record analysis of all pathologically confirmed malignancies from January 2021 up to June 2021. Data was filtered and descriptive analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 22 (Chicago IL USA).

Result

In the Wolaita Sodo University Teaching Referral Hospital during the first six months of 2021, out of 1,810 histopathologically tested samples 19.5% (354) were confirmed malignant cases. Among 354 patient samples, most of them (62.4%) were in females and the rest (37%) found to be in males. The age pattern shows occurrence of 336 (95%) cases in adults and 18 (5%) cases in children. Breast cancer, soft tissue sarcomas, cancer of uteri cervix, non melanomatous skin cancer, and non hodgkin lymphomas were the five top common cancers of all age groups. In adult population, breast cancer, soft tissue sarcomas, and cancer of uteri cervix are the most common. In children of age less than 14 years non hodgkin lymphomas, soft tissue sarcomas and bone sarcomas were the three top cancers. Breast cancer, cancer of uteri cervix and soft tissue sarcomas are found to be the commonest cancers in females. On the other hand, soft tissue sarcomas, non melanomatous skin cancers and Non Hodgkin lymphomas, are the three top commonest cancers in males.

Conclusion

Based on our current study cancer is one of the common finding from histopathology samples analyzed at the hospital and the pattern of cancer was similar to those reported in other regions of the country as well as neighboring countries. However, Comprehensive demographic and clinical data using population or facility-based cancer registry is required to get better information. Additionally, our finding of higher proportion of soft tissue sarcomas both in males and females of all age groups in this region is disparate and requires further investigation.
Binary dwarf mongoose optimizer for solving high-dimensional feature selection problems
Authors: Akinola Olatunji A. , Agushaka Jeffrey O. , Ezugwu Absalom E.
Published: October 2022

Selecting appropriate feature subsets is a vital task in machine learning. Its main goal is to remove noisy, irrelevant, and redundant feature subsets that could negatively impact the learning model’s accuracy and improve classification performance without information loss. Therefore, more advanced optimization methods have been employed to locate the optimal subset of features. This paper presents a binary version of the dwarf mongoose optimization called the BDMO algorithm to solve the high-dimensional feature selection problem. The effectiveness of this approach was validated using 18 high-dimensional datasets from the Arizona State University feature selection repository and compared the efficacy of the BDMO with other well-known feature selection techniques in the literature. The results show that the BDMO outperforms other methods producing the least average fitness value in 14 out of 18 datasets which means that it achieved 77.77% on the overall best fitness values. The result also shows BDMO demonstrating stability by returning the least standard deviation (SD) value in 13 of 18 datasets (72.22%). Furthermore, the study achieved higher validation accuracy in 15 of the 18 datasets (83.33%) over other methods. The proposed approach also yielded the highest validation accuracy attainable in the COIL20 and Leukemia datasets which vividly portray the superiority of the BDMO.
The IL-4/IL-13 signaling axis promotes prostatic fibrosis
Authors: D’Arcy Quentin , Gharaee-Kermani Mehrnaz , Zhilin-Roth Alisa , Macoska Jill A.
Published: October 2022

Background

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a costly and pervasive medical problem for millions of aging men. Recent studies have showed that peri-urethral tissue fibrosis is an untreated pathobiology contributing to LUTS. Fibrosis results from excessive extracellular matrix deposition which increases transition zone and peri-urethral tissue stiffness and compromises prostatic urethral flexibility and compliance, producing urinary obstructive symptoms. Inflammatory cells, including neutrophils, macrophages, and T-lymphocytes, secrete a medley of pro-fibrotic proteins into the prostatic microenvironment, including IFNγ, TNFα, CXC-type chemokines, and interleukins, all of which have been implicated in inflammation-mediated fibrosis. Among these, IL-4 and IL-13 are of particular interest because they share a common signaling axis that, as shown here for the first time, promotes the expression and maintenance of IL-4, IL-13, their cognate receptors, and ECM components by prostate fibroblasts, even in the absence of immune cells. Based on studies presented here, we hypothesize that the IL-4/IL-13 axis promotes prostate fibroblast activation to ECM-secreting cells.

Methods

N1 or SFT1 immortalized prostate stromal fibroblasts were cultured and treated, short- or long-term, with pro-fibrotic proteins including IL-4, IL-13, TGF-β, TNF-α, IFNγ, with or without prior pre-treatment with antagonists or inhibitors. Protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, ELISA, immunoblot, or Sircoll assays. Transcript expression levels were determined by qRT-PCR. Intact cells were counted using WST assays.

Results

IL-4Rα, IL-13Rα1, and collagen are concurrently up-regulated in human peri-urethral prostate tissues from men with LUTS. IL-4 and IL-13 induce their own expression as well as that of their cognate receptors, IL-4Rα and IL-13Rα1. Low concentrations of IL-4 or IL-13 act as cytokines to promote prostate fibroblast proliferation, but higher (>40ng/ml) concentrations repress cellular proliferation. Both IL-4 and IL-13 robustly and specifically promote collagen transcript and protein expression by prostate stromal fibroblasts in a JAK/STAT-dependent manner. Moreover, IL-4 and IL-13-mediated JAK/STAT signaling is coupled to activation of the IL-4Rα receptor.

Conclusions

Taken together, these studies show that IL-4 and IL-13 signal through the IL-4Rα receptor to activate JAK/STAT signaling, thereby promoting their own expression, that of their cognate receptors, and collagens. These finding suggest that the IL-4/IL-13 signaling axis is a powerful, but therapeutically targetable, pro-fibrotic mechanism in the lower urinary tract.
Development of constructs to measure client satisfaction with pharmacy services in resource-limited settings. A multicenter cross-sectional study
Authors: Berhanu Nimona , Birhanu Zewdie , Mulugeta Tidenek , Gudeta Tadesse , Umeta Belachew , Tilahun Gizachew
Published: October 2022

Background

Satisfaction with pharmacy services has many implications, including the degree of interaction with health care providers, the type and quality of service provided, and the extent to which needs and desires are met. This study aimed to identify the dimensions of pharmacy services and quantify client satisfaction with them.

Methods

A quantitative cross-sectional study was employed to guide this study. Data were entered into Epi Data, exported to SPSS 26.0, and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis to identify the underlying dimensions of pharmacy service. The study was conducted between 14th August 2020 and 28th December 2020. For standardization and comparison purposes, items loaded onto each dimension were computed and rescaled, and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results. Stepwise linear regression was performed to quantify the contribution of each dimension to overall satisfaction and to identify determinant variables for overall satisfaction. A 95% CI, and a P-value of < 0.05 were used for the declaration of statistical significance.

Results

The mean overall satisfaction with pharmacy service was found to be (21.62±6.74)/30. There were eight dimensions of pharmacy service identified, and poor customer satisfaction was recorded for the premises and supply dimensions, with mean satisfaction of (12.08±8.49)/30 and (13.66±10.06)/30, respectively. The highest mean satisfaction was recorded with waiting time (24.24±6.54). Of the emergent dimensions, only four (supply, compassion and care, privacy, and premises) were predictors of overall satisfaction (P<0.05). The supply component was the strongest predictor of overall satisfaction, accounting for 20% of the variance in overall satisfaction. The number of prescribed and dispensed pharmaceuticals, marital status, and gender of participants also predicted overall satisfaction (P<0.05).

Conclusion

The survey uncovered eight underlying aspects of pharmacy services that influence client satisfaction. A significant gap was recorded with premises and supply chain-related components. These dimensions’ contributions to total satisfaction were substantial in terms of practical relevance. As a result, improving the availability of pharmaceuticals and the infrastructure surrounding pharmacy services may enhance consumer satisfaction considerably. Stakeholders must work on addressing supply related and premises difficulties to increase client satisfaction.
Comparing virtual reality, desktop-based 3D, and 2D versions of a category learning experiment
Authors: Barrett Robin Colin Alexander , Poe Rollin , O’Camb Justin William , Woodruff Cal , Harrison Scott Marcus , Dolguikh Katerina , Chuong Christine , Klassen Amanda Dawn , Zhang Ruilin , Joseph Rohan Ben , Blair Mark Randall
Published: October 2022

Virtual reality (VR) has seen increasing application in cognitive psychology in recent years. There is some debate about the impact of VR on both learning outcomes and on patterns of information access behaviors. In this study we compare performance on a category learning task between three groups: one presented with three-dimensional (3D) stimuli while immersed in the HTC Vive VR system (n = 26), another presented with the same 3D stimuli while using a flat-screen desktop computer (n = 26), and a third presented with a two-dimensional projection of the stimuli on a desktop computer while their eye movements were tracked (n = 8). In the VR and 3D conditions, features of the object to be categorized had to be revealed by rotating the object. In the eye tracking control condition (2D), all object features were visible, and participants’ gaze was tracked as they examined each feature. Over 240 trials we measured accuracy, reaction times, attentional optimization, time spent on feedback, fixation durations, and fixation counts for each participant as they learned to correctly categorize the stimuli. In the VR condition, participants had increased fixation counts compared to the 3D and 2D conditions. Reaction times for the 2D condition were significantly faster and fixation durations were lower compared to the VR and 3D conditions. We found no significant differences in learning accuracy between the VR, 3D, and 2D conditions. We discuss implications for both researchers interested in using VR to study cognition, and VR developers hoping to use non-VR research to guide their designs and applications.
Modality attention fusion model with hybrid multi-head self-attention for video understanding
Authors: Zhuang Xuqiang , Liu Fang’ai , Hou Jian , Hao Jianhua , Cai Xiaohong
Published: October 2022

Video question answering (Video-QA) is a subject undergoing intense study in Artificial Intelligence, which is one of the tasks which can evaluate such AI abilities. In this paper, we propose a Modality Attention Fusion framework with Hybrid Multi-head Self-attention (MAF-HMS). MAF-HMS focuses on the task of answering multiple-choice questions regarding a video-subtitle-QA representation by fusion of attention and self-attention between each modality. We use BERT to extract text features, and use Faster R-CNN to ex-tract visual features to provide a useful input representation for our model to answer questions. In addition, we have constructed a Modality Attention Fusion (MAF) framework for the attention fusion matrix from different modalities (video, subtitles, QA), and use a Hybrid Multi-headed Self-attention (HMS) to further determine the correct answer. Experiments on three separate scene datasets show our overall model outperforms the baseline methods by a large margin. Finally, we conducted extensive ablation studies to verify the various components of the network and demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of our method over existing methods through question type and required modality experimental results.
Succession of the intestinal bacterial community in Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) larvae
Authors: Taniguchi Akito , Aoki Ryuichiro , Inoue Isamu , Eguchi Mitsuru
Published: October 2022

We investigated the succession process of intestinal bacteria during seed production in full-cycle aquaculture of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis). During the seed production, eggs, healthy fish, rearing water, and feeds from three experimental rounds in 2012 and 2013 were collected before transferring to offshore net cages and subjected to a fragment analysis of the bacterial community structure. We identified a clear succession of intestinal bacteria in bluefin tuna during seed production. While community structures of intestinal bacteria in the early stage of larvae were relatively similar to those of rearing water and feed, the bacterial community structures seen 17 days after hatching were different. Moreover, although intestinal bacteria in the late stage of larvae were less diverse than those in the early stage of larvae, the specific bacteria were predominant, suggesting that the developed intestinal environment of the host puts selection pressure on the bacteria in the late stage. The specific bacteria in the late stage of larvae, which likely composed ‘core microbiota’, were also found on the egg surface. The present study highlights that proper management of the seed production process, including the preparation of rearing water, feeds, and fish eggs, is important for the aquaculture of healthy fish.
Maternal autonomy and associated factors in making decision to utilize health service for themselves and neonates in south Ethiopia: A community based cross-sectional survey
Authors: Tesfaye Degefa Gomora , Efa Yohannes Tekalegn , Desta Fikreab , Gebeyehu Mulugeta Adugnew , Abdella Sana’a Kedir
Published: October 2022

Background

The definition of women’s autonomy used in the study is control over finances, decision–making power, and the extent of freedom of movement by women. Lower autonomy of women affects the socio-economic, emotional, fertility decision, contraceptive use, and sexual life of the women. Thus, this study aimed to assess maternal autonomy and associated factors in making a decision to utilize health services for themselves and neonates in south Ethiopia.

Methods

Community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from January 1 to March 2, 2021, in Shashamane town. Four hundred ten postpartum mothers were selected using a stratified random sampling technique and interviewed for the survey using questions composed of decision-making autonomy components (decision–making power, control over finances, and freedom of movement). The data were checked for consistency, coded, and entered using EpiData Manager (version 4.6.0.4) and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26. Descriptive statistics, composite score analysis, and binary and multivariate logistic regression were done to capture the objectives.

Result

410 postpartum mothers were interviewed while the mean and standard deviation of the participants’ age was 26.96 ± 5.38. About 48.5% of mothers had high decision-making autonomy for their own and their neonates’ health service utilization. Being in monogamous marriage (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.74), and mode of delivery (Cesarean section) (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.18, 3.07) were significantly associated with having high maternal decision-making autonomy.

Conclusions

More than half of the study participants had low maternal decision-making autonomy for their own and their neonates’ health service utilization. Being in monogamous marriage, and mode of delivery (Cesarean section) were factors significantly associated with high maternal decision-making autonomy. Encouraging mothers to use facility delivery was recommended.
Depression among people with dyspepsia and H. pylori infection: A community based cross-sectional study in Ethiopia
Authors: Soboka Matiwos , Gudina Esayas Kebede , Gashaw Mulatu , Amare Hiwot , Berhane Melkamu , Desalegn Hailemichale , Tewolde Dagimawi , Jebena Mulusew Gerbababa , Ali Solomon , Wieser Andreas , Froeschl Guenter , Tesfaye Markos
Published: October 2022

Background

Depression is the most common mental health problem, and frequently associated with physical illnesses. A link between depression, dyspepsia and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has previously been reported. However, there is limited data regarding the association between these conditions from sub-Saharan Africa where they are highly prevalent.

Objective

This study aimed at elucidating the potential associations between depression, dyspepsia and H. pylori infection in Ethiopia.

Methods

We conducted a community based cross-sectional study involving urban and rural residents aged 13 years or older in Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia. A total of 871 participants were evaluated using a structured case reporting format for symptoms of dyspepsia and the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression. Additionally, participants were assessed for H. pylori infection using stool antigen and serology tests. A multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the association between depression, dyspepsia and H. pylori infection after controlling for potential confounders.

Results

The prevalence of PHQ-9 scores indicative of probable case of depression among all participants was 10.9%. The prevalence of probable case of depression among patients who had at least one symptom of dyspepsia was 13.3% (X2 = 15.1 = p-value<0.001), while it was 11.9% (X2 = 1.23, p-value = 0.26) among patients who had H. pylori infection. Out of patients who took medications for their heartburn in the past 30 days, 14.9% (X2 = 3.6, p-value = 0.06) had probable case of depression. Dyspepsia symptoms such as epigastric discomfort (aOR = 2.59, 95%CI = 1.14, 5.87), postprandial fullness (aOR = 1.70, 95%CI = 1.48, 5.51), nausea (aOR = 1.71, 95%CI = 1.04, 2.82) excessive belching (aOR = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.31, 0.92) were associated with probable case of depression. However, being H. pylori test positive, gender, and age were not associated with probable case of depression.

Conclusions

There was an increased prevalence of probable case of depression among patients who had dyspepsia symptoms and H. pylori infection. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine possible further determinants of association between symptoms of dyspepsia and probable case of depression.
Quantitation of ethanol in UTI assay for volatile organic compound detection by electronic nose using the validated headspace GC-MS method
Authors: Than Nam , Chik Zamri , Bowers Amy , Bozano Luisa , Adebiyi Aminat
Published: October 2022

Disease detection through gas analysis has long been the topic of many studies because of its potential as a rapid diagnostic technique. In particular, the pathogens that cause urinary tract infection (UTI) have been shown to generate different profiles of volatile organic compounds, thus enabling the discrimination of causative agents using an electronic nose. While past studies have performed data collection on either agar culture or jellified urine culture, this study measures the headspace volume of liquid urine culture samples. Evaporation of the liquid and the presence of background compounds during electronic nose (e-nose) device operation could introduce variability to the collected data. Therefore, a headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for quantitating ethanol in the headspace of the urine samples. By leveraging the new method to characterize the sample stability during e-nose measurement, it was revealed that ethanol concentration dropped more than 15% after only three measurement cycles, which equal 30 minutes for this study. It was further shown that by using only data within the first three cycles, better accuracies for between-day classification were achieved, which was 73.7% and 97.0%, compared to using data from within the first nine cycles, which resulted in 65.0% and 81.1% accuracies. Therefore, the newly developed method provides better quality control for data collection, paving ways for the future establishment of a training data library for UTI.
Maternal body mass index in early pregnancy is associated with overweight and obesity in children up to 16 years of age
Authors: Önnestam Lisa , Vad Orsolya Haahr , Andersson Tobias , Jolesjö Åsa , Sandegård Jenny , Bengtsson Boström Kristina
Published: October 2022

Aims

Childhood obesity is an increasing public health problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between maternal body mass index in early pregnancy and body mass index in children up to the age of 16 years, and to estimate the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in a rural municipality in Sweden.

Methods

The study population comprised 312 pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinics in Lidköping during the year 1999 and their 319 children. Data on body mass index from antenatal clinics, child health care centres and school health care were used in linear and multinomial logistic regressions adjusted for maternal age, smoking status, and parity.

Results

Overweight or obesity were found in 23.0% of 16-year-olds. The correlation between maternal and child body mass index at all studied ages was positive and significant. Body mass index in 16-year-old boys showed the strongest correlation with maternal body mass index (adjusted r-square = 0.31). The adjusted relative-risk ratio for 16-year old children to be classified as obese as compared to normal weight, per 1 unit increase in maternal body mass index was 1.46 (95% confidence interval 1.29–1.65, p<0.001). Among adolescents with obesity, 37.6% had been overweight or obese at 4 years of age.

Conclusions

This study confirms the correlation between maternal and child body mass index and that obesity can be established early in childhood. Further, we showed a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in children, especially in boys, in a Swedish rural municipality. This suggests a need for early intervention in the preventive work of childhood obesity, preferably starting at the antenatal clinic and in child health care centres.
Factors associated with use of long-acting reversible and permanent contraceptives among married women in rural Kenya: A community-based cross-sectional study in Kisii and Kilifi counties
Authors: Orwa James , Gatimu Samwel Maina , Ngugi Anthony , Agwanda Alfred , Temmerman Marleen
Published: October 2022

Long-acting and permanent contraceptive methods (LAPM) are effective and economical methods for delaying or limiting pregnancies, however they are not widely used. The Kenya government is promoting the use of modern methods of family planning through various mechanisms. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the use of LAPM among married women of reproductive age in targeted rural sub-counties of Kilifi and Kisii counties, Kenya. Baseline and end line Data from a program implemented on improving Access to Quality Care and Extending and Strengthening Health Systems (AQCESS) in Kilifi and Kisii counties of Kenya were used. Multi-stage sampling was used to sample 1117 and 1873 women for the end line and baseline surveys, respectively. Descriptive analysis was used to explore the respondents’ characteristics and use of LAPM on a self-weighted samples. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression models usingsvycommand were used to assess factors associated with the use of LAPM. A total of 762 and 531 women for the baseline and end line survey, respectively were included in this study. The prevalence of use of LAPM for baseline and end line survey were 21.5% (95% CI: 18.7–24.6%) and 23.2% (95% CI: 19.6%-27.0%), p-value = 0.485. The use of LAPM in Kisii and Kilifi counties was higher than the national average in both surveys. The multivariable analysis for the end line survey showed having 3–5 number of children ever born (aOR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.24–3.36) and future fertility preference to have another child (aOR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.26–0.96) were significantly associated with odds of LAPM use. The baseline showed that having at least secondary education (aOR = 1.93; 95%CI: 1.04–3.60), joint decision making about woman’s own health (aOR = 2.08; 95%CI: 1.36–3.17), and intention to have another child in future (aOR = 0.59; 95%CI: 0.40–0.89) were significantly associated with the use of LAPM. Future fertility preference to have another child was significantly associated with the use of LAPM in the two surveys. Continued health promotion and targeted media campaigns on the use of LAPM in rural areas with low socioeconomic status is needed in order to improve utilization of these methods. Programs involving men in decision making on partner’s health including family planning in the rural areas should be encouraged.
Risk of retinal detachment and exposure to fluoroquinolones, common antibiotics, and febrile illness using a self-controlled case series study design: Retrospective analyses of three large healthcare databases in the US
Authors: Londhe Ajit A. , Holy Chantal E. , Weaver James , Fonseca Sergio , Villasis-Keever Angelina , Fife Daniel
Published: October 2022

Objective

The risk of retinal detachment (RD) following exposure to fluoroquinolone (FQ) has been assessed in multiple studies, however, results have been mixed. This study was designed to estimate the risk of RD following exposure to FQ, other common antibiotics, and febrile illness not treated with antibiotics (FINTA) using a self-controlled case series (SCCS) study design to reduce risk of confounding from unreported patient characteristics.

Design

Retrospective database analysis–SCCS.

Setting

Primary and Secondary Care.

Study population

40,981 patients across 3 US claims databases (IBM® MarketScan® commercial and Medicare databases, Optum Clinformatics).

Outcome

RD.

Methods

Exposures included FQ as a class of drugs, amoxicillin, azithromycin, trimethoprim with and without sulfamethoxazole, and FINTA. For the primary analysis, all drug formulations were included. For the post hoc sensitivity analyses, only oral tablets were included. Risk windows were defined as exposure period (or FINTA duration) plus 30 days. Patients of all ages with RD and exposures in 3 US claims databases between 2012 to 2017 were included. Diagnostics included p value calibration and pre-exposure outcome analyses. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) comparing risk window time with other time were calculated.

Results

Our primary analysis showed an increased risk for RD in the 30 days prior to exposure to FQ or trimethoprim without sulfamethoxazole. This risk decreased but remained elevated for 30 days following first exposure. Our post-hoc analysis, which excluded ophthalmic drops, showed no increased risk for RD at any time, with FQ and other antibiotics.

Conclusion

Our results did not suggest an association between FQ and RD. Oral FQ was not associated with an increased risk for RD during the pre- or post-exposure period.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03479736-March 21, 2018.
Asymptotic behaviour of solutions of quasilinear
differential-algebraic equations
Authors: Linh Vu Hoang , Nga Ngo , Tuan Nguyen
Published: October 2022

This paper is concerned with the asymptotic behavior of solutions of
linear differential-algebraic equations (DAEs) under small nonlinear
perturbations. Some results on the asymptotic behavior of solutions which
are well known for ordinary differential equations are extended to DAEs.
The main tools are the projector-based decoupling and the contractive
mapping principle. Under certain assumptions on the linear part and the
nonlinear term, asymptotic behavior of solutions are characterized. As the
main result, a Perron type theorem that establishes the exponential growth
rate of solutions is formulated.
Existence of positive ground state solutions of critical nonlinear
Klein–Gordon–Maxwell systems
Authors: Xu Liping , Chen Haibo
Published: October 2022

In this paper we study the following nonlinear Klein–Gordon–Maxwell
system

{

−

Δ

u
+
[

m
0
2

−

(
ω

+
φ

)
2

]
u
=
f
(
u
)

in
 

R

3

,

Δ

φ

=
(
ω

+
φ

)
u

in
 

R

3

,

where
0
<
ω

<

m
0

. Based on an abstract critical
point theorem established by Jeanjean, the existence of positive ground
state solutions is proved, when the nonlinear term
f
(
u
)
exhibits linear
near zero and a general critical growth near infinity. Compared with other
recent literature, some different arguments have been introduced and some
results are extended.
Trabalho feminino e desigualdade de gênero a partir da percepção de jovens
Authors: Parisoto Dyeniffer Jessica Bezerra , Favoreto Aparecida
Published: October 2022

Este artigo tem como objetivo compreender aspectos de mudanças e de permanências da desigualdade de gênero nas relações de trabalho. Desta forma, foi realizado um questionário com 145 estudantes de cinco colégios do Ensino Médio de Cascavel-PR, visando compreender aspectos de suas relações familiares e de trabalho, tanto na organização do trabalho doméstico como sobre suas experiências com o trabalho remunerado. A partir de suas respostas, buscou-se captar se a desigualdade de gênero e a cultura machista permanecem, ou não, em suas vivências, e como esses estudantes têm compreendido e vivenciado a questão.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Trabalho Feminino. Desigualdade de Gênero. Jovens.
Feminismo teen e religiosidade
Authors: Santos Ana Carolina Vila Ramos dos
Published: October 2022

Por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, este trabalho focaliza as relações estabelecidas por adolescentes entre feminismo e religiosidade com o objetivo de explorar novas gramáticas de participação política em um contexto social marcado por noções renovadas de identidade.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Feminismo. Religião. Adolescência.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in surfactant protein A1 are not associated with a lack of responsiveness to antenatal steroid therapy in a pregnant sheep model
Authors: Takahashi Tsukasa , Takahashi Yuki , Fee Erin L. , Usuda Haruo , Furfaro Lucy , Newnham John P. , Jobe Alan H. , Kemp Matthew W.
Published: October 2022

Treatment with antenatal steroids (ANS) is standard practice for reducing the risk of respiratory distress in the preterm infant. Despite clear overall benefits when appropriately administered, many fetuses fail to derive benefit from ANS therapies. In standardized experiments using a pregnant sheep model, we have demonstrated that around 40% of ANS‐exposed lambs did not have functional lung maturation significantly different from that of saline‐treated controls. Surfactant protein A is known to play an important role in lung function. In this genotyping study, we investigated the potential correlation between polymorphisms in SFTPA1, messenger RNA and protein levels, and ventilation outcomes in animals treated with ANS. 45 preterm lambs were delivered 48 h after initial ANS therapy and 44 lambs were delivered 8 days after initial ANS therapy. The lambs were ventilated for 30 min after delivery. SFTPA1 mRNA expression in lung tissue was not correlated with arterial blood PaCO2 values at 30 min of ventilation in lambs delivered 48 h after treatment. SFTPA1 protein in lung tissue was significantly correlated with PaCO2 at 30 min of ventilation in lambs ventilated both 48 h and 8 days after ANS treatment. Six different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Ovis aries SFTPA1 sequence were detected by Sanger Sequencing. No individual SNPs or SNP haplotypes correlated with alterations in PaCO2 at 30 min of ventilation or SFTPA1 protein levels in the lung. For the subset of animals analyzed in the present study, variable lung maturation responses to ANS therapy were not associated with mutations in SFTPA1.
Entire and meromorphic solutions for systems of the differential difference equations
Authors: Xu Hong Yan , Li Hong , Ding Xin
Published: October 2022

With the help of the Nevanlinna theory of meromorphic functions, the purpose of this article is to describe the existence and the forms of transcendental entire and meromorphic solutions for several systems of the quadratic trinomial functional equations:

f

(

z

)

2

+
2
α
f

(

z

)

g

(

z
+
c

)

+
g

(

z
+
c

)

2

=
1
,

g

(

z

)

2

+
2
α
g

(

z

)

f

(

z
+
c

)

+
f

(

z
+
c

)

2

=
1
,

\left\{\begin{array}{l}f{\left(z)}^{2}+2\alpha f\left(z)g\left(z+c)+g{\left(z+c)}^{2}=1,\\ g{\left(z)}^{2}+2\alpha g\left(z)f\left(z+c)+f{\left(z+c)}^{2}=1,\end{array}\right.

f

(

z
+
c

)

2

+
2
α
f

(

z
+
c

)

g
′

(

z

)

+
g
′

(

z

)

2

=
1
,

g

(

z
+
c

)

2

+
2
α
g

(

z
+
c

)

f
′

(

z

)

+
f
′

(

z

)

2

=
1
,

\left\{\begin{array}{l}f{\left(z+c)}^{2}+2\alpha f\left(z+c)g^{\prime} \left(z)+g^{\prime} {\left(z)}^{2}=1,\\ g{\left(z+c)}^{2}+2\alpha g\left(z+c)f^{\prime} \left(z)+f^{\prime} {\left(z)}^{2}=1,\end{array}\right.

and

f

(

z
+
c

)

2

+
2
α
f

(

z
+
c

)

g

″

(

z

)

+

g

″

(

z

)

2

=
1
,

g

(

z
+
c

)

2

+
2
α
g

(

z
+
c

)

f

″

(

z

)

+

f

″

(

z

)

2

=
1
.

\left\{\begin{array}{l}f{\left(z+c)}^{2}+2\alpha f\left(z+c){g}^{^{\prime\prime} }\left(z)+{g}^{^{\prime\prime} }{\left(z)}^{2}=1,\\ g{\left(z+c)}^{2}+2\alpha g\left(z+c){f}^{^{\prime\prime} }\left(z)+{f}^{^{\prime\prime} }{\left(z)}^{2}=1.\end{array}\right.

We obtain a series of results on the forms of the entire solutions with finite order for such systems, which are some improvements and generalizations of the previous theorems given by Gao et al. Moreover, we provide some examples to explain the existence and forms of solutions for such systems in each case.
Evaluation the performance of the tin (IV) oxide (SnO2) in the removal of sulfur compounds via oxidative-extractive desulfurization process for production an eco-friendly fuel
Authors: Humadi Jasim I. , Issa Yousif S. , Aqar Dhia Y. , Ahmed Mustafa A. , Ali Alak Hassan H. , Mujtaba Iqbal M.
Published: October 2022

Catalysts play a vital role in petroleum and chemical reactions. Intensified concerns for cleaner air with strict environmental regulations on sulfur content in addition to meet economic requirements have generated significant interests for the development of more efficient and innovative oxidative catalysts recently. In this study, a novel homemade nano catalyst (manganese oxide (MnO2) over tin (IV) oxide (SnO2)) was used for the first time as an effective catalyst in removing dibenzothiophene (DBT) from kerosene fuel using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as oxidant in catalytic oxidative-extractive desulfurization process (OEDS). The catalyst was prepared by impregnation method with various amount of MnO2 loaded on SnO2. The oxidation step was carried out at different operating parameters such as reaction temperature and reaction time in batch reactor. The extractive desulfurization step was performed by using acetonitrile as solvent under several operating conditions (agitation speed and mixing time). The activity of MnO2/SnO2 catalyst in removing various sulfur compounds from kerosene fuel at the best operating conditions was investigated in this work. The results of the catalyst characterization proved that a high dispersion of MnO2 over the SnO2 was obtained. The experiments showed that the highest DBT and various sulfur compounds removal efficiency from kerosene fuel under the best operating conditions (oxidation: 5% MnO2/SnO2, reaction temperature of 75 °C, and reaction time of 100 min, extraction: acetonitrile, agitation speed of 900 rpm, and mixing time of 30 min) via the catalytic oxidative-extractive desulfurization process was 92.4 and 91.2%, respectively. Also, the MnO2/SnO2 catalyst activity was studied after six consecutive oxidation cycles at the best operating conditions, and the catalyst prove satisfactory stability in terms of sulfur compounds removal. After that, the spent catalyst were regenerated by utilizing different solvents (methanol, ethanol and iso-octane), and the experimental data explained that iso-octane achieved highest regeneration efficiency.
Controllability discussion for fractional stochastic Volterra–Fredholm integro-differential systems of order 1 < r < 2
Authors: Dineshkumar Chendrayan , Vijayakumar Velusamy , Udhayakumar Ramalingam , Shukla Anurag , Nisar Kottakkaran Sooppy
Published: October 2022

The main motivation of our conversation is the existence and approximate controllability for fractional stochastic Volterra–Fredholm integro-differential systems having order 1 < r < 2. The primary outcomes are obtained by applying concepts and ideas from fractional calculus, multivalued maps, the theory of cosine family, Martelli and Dhage, and Leray–Schauder fixed point techniques. We begin by emphasizing the existence, and then demonstrate the approximate controllability of the considered system. Additionally, we determine the approximate controllability outcomes for the system with infinite delay. At last, an application is established for drawing the theoretical conclusions of primary outcomes.