bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tracking the molecular evolution and transmission patterns of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.466.2 in Indonesia based on genomic surveillance data
Authors: Zhu Mingjian , Zeng Qianli , Saputro Bryanna Infinita Laviashna , Chew Sien Ping , Chew Ian , Frendy Holie , Tan Joanna Weihui , Li Lanjuan
Published: June 2022

Background

As a new epi-center of COVID-19 in Asia and a densely populated developing country, Indonesia is facing unprecedented challenges in public health. SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.466.2 was reported to be an indigenous dominant strain in Indonesia (once second only to the Delta variant). However, it remains unclear how this variant evolved and spread within such an archipelagic nation.

Methods

For statistical description, the spatiotemporal distributions of the B.1.466.2 variant were plotted using the publicly accessible metadata in GISAID. A total of 1302 complete genome sequences of Indonesian B.1.466.2 strains with high coverage were downloaded from the GISAID’s EpiCoV database on 28 August 2021. To determine the molecular evolutionary characteristics, we performed a time-scaled phylogenetic analysis using the maximum likelihood algorithm and called the single nucleotide variants taking the Wuhan-Hu-1 sequence as reference. To investigate the spatiotemporal transmission patterns, we estimated two dynamic parameters (effective population size and effective reproduction number) and reconstructed the phylogeography among different islands.

Results

As of the end of August 2021, nearly 85% of the global SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.466.2 sequences (including the first one) were obtained from Indonesia. This variant was estimated to account for over 50% of Indonesia’s daily infections during the period of March–May 2021. The time-scaled phylogeny suggested that SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.466.2 circulating in Indonesia might have originated from Java Island in mid-June 2020 and had evolved into two disproportional and distinct sub-lineages. High-frequency non-synonymous mutations were mostly found in the spike and NSP3; the S-D614G/N439K/P681R co-mutations were identified in its larger sub-lineage. The demographic history was inferred to have experienced four phases, with an exponential growth from October 2020 to February 2021. The effective reproduction number was estimated to have reached its peak (11.18) in late December 2020 and dropped to be less than one after early May 2021. The relevant phylogeography showed that Java and Sumatra might successively act as epi-centers and form a stable transmission loop. Additionally, several long-distance transmission links across seas were revealed.

Conclusions

SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the tropical archipelago may follow unique patterns of evolution and transmission. Continuous, extensive and targeted genomic surveillance is essential.
Depth image conversion model based on CycleGAN for growing tomato truss identification
Authors: Jung Dae-Hyun , Kim Cheoul Young , Lee Taek Sung , Park Soo Hyun
Published: June 2022

Background

On tomato plants, the flowering truss is a group or cluster of smaller stems where flowers and fruit develop, while the growing truss is the most extended part of the stem. Because the state of the growing truss reacts sensitively to the surrounding environment, it is essential to control its growth in the early stages. With the recent development of information and artificial intelligence technology in agriculture, a previous study developed a real-time acquisition and evaluation method for images using robots. Furthermore, we used image processing to locate the growing truss to extract growth information. Among the different vision algorithms, the CycleGAN algorithm was used to generate and transform unpaired images using generated learning images. In this study, we developed a robot-based system for simultaneously acquiring RGB and depth images of the growing truss of the tomato plant.

Results

The segmentation performance for approximately 35 samples was compared via false negative (FN) and false positive (FP) indicators. For the depth camera image, we obtained FN and FP values of 17.55 ± 3.01% and 17.76 ± 3.55%, respectively. For the CycleGAN algorithm, we obtained FN and FP values of 19.24 ± 1.45% and 18.24 ± 1.54%, respectively. When segmentation was performed via image processing through depth image and CycleGAN, the mean intersection over union (mIoU) was 63.56 ± 8.44% and 69.25 ± 4.42%, respectively, indicating that the CycleGAN algorithm can identify the desired growing truss of the tomato plant with high precision.

Conclusions

The on-site possibility of the image extraction technique using CycleGAN was confirmed when the image scanning robot drove in a straight line through a tomato greenhouse. In the future, the proposed approach is expected to be used in vision technology to scan tomato growth indicators in greenhouses using an unmanned robot platform.
Development and pilot implementation of Iranian Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Registry
Authors: Lazem Mina , Hooman Nakysa , Sheikhtaheri Abbas
Published: June 2022

Background

Patients with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) face late diagnosis and lack of appropriate treatment because of a lack of knowledge and experience in this field. A prerequisite for such knowledge is the development of research infrastructures such as a registry system. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and describe the HUS registry in accordance with the Iranian health system and implement its software system.

Methods

We first interviewed 10 pediatric nephrologists and after analyzing the interviews, we identified the features and requirements and the data related to HUS. Then, during two rounds of the Delphi technique (the first round with 23 participants and the second round with 18 participants), the model of this registry was finalized based on the agreement of at least 75% of specialists. At the next step, based on the agreed requirements, IRI.HUS.Reg (Iranian Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Registry) software was developed and implemented in a pediatric hospital.

Results

We classified 369 meaning units of interviews in 41 codes and 7 final themes including purposes of the registry (10 codes), inclusion criteria (7 codes), data collection method (4 codes), data quality control (6 codes), data sources (4 codes), data analysis (3 codes) and software features (7 codes). These 7 feature groups (67 subgroups) and 12 data classes (138 data elements) include demographic data, referrals, examinations, clinical signs, causes, laboratory tests, medical histories, paraclinical measures, treatments, outcomes, patient’s status at discharge, and follow-up data were reviewed by the Delphi panelists, and finally, 64 features and 131 data elements were accepted by at least 78% agreement. Then, we developed and implemented a registry software system in a hospital.

Conclusion

We implemented IRI.HUS.Reg based on related features, 12 data classes agreed by specialists, literature review, and comparison with other existing registries. Therefore, the data collected in this registry can be compared with other data from existing registries in other countries.
Microbial-derived metabolites as a risk factor of age-related cognitive decline and dementia
Authors: Connell Emily , Le Gall Gwenaelle , Pontifex Matthew G. , Sami Saber , Cryan John F. , Clarke Gerard , Müller Michael , Vauzour David
Published: June 2022

A consequence of our progressively ageing global population is the increasing prevalence of worldwide age-related cognitive decline and dementia. In the absence of effective therapeutic interventions, identifying risk factors associated with cognitive decline becomes increasingly vital. Novel perspectives suggest that a dynamic bidirectional communication system between the gut, its microbiome, and the central nervous system, commonly referred to as the microbiota-gut-brain axis, may be a contributing factor for cognitive health and disease. However, the exact mechanisms remain undefined. Microbial-derived metabolites produced in the gut can cross the intestinal epithelial barrier, enter systemic circulation and trigger physiological responses both directly and indirectly affecting the central nervous system and its functions. Dysregulation of this system (i.e., dysbiosis) can modulate cytotoxic metabolite production, promote neuroinflammation and negatively impact cognition. In this review, we explore critical connections between microbial-derived metabolites (secondary bile acids, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), tryptophan derivatives and others) and their influence upon cognitive function and neurodegenerative disorders, with a particular interest in their less-explored role as risk factors of cognitive decline.
Spectrum of germline pathogenic variants using a targeted next generation sequencing panel and genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with suspected hereditary breast cancer at an academic medical centre in Pakistan
Authors: Akbar Fizza , Siddiqui Zahraa , Waheed Muhammad Talha , Ehsan Lubaina , Ali Syed Ibaad , Wiquar Hajra , Valimohammed Azmina Tajuddin , Khan Shaista , Vohra Lubna , Zeeshan Sana , Rashid Yasmin , Moosajee Munira , Jabbar Adnan Abdul , Zahir Muhammad Nauman , Zahid Naila , Soomro Rufina , Ullah Najeeb Niamat , Ahmad Imran , Haider Ghulam , Ansari Uzair , Rizvi Arjumand , Mehboobali Arif , Sattar Abida , Kirmani Salman
Published: June 2022

Background

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, affecting over 1.5 million women every year, which accounts for the highest number of cancer-related deaths in women globally.

Hereditary breast cancer (HBC), an important subset of breast cancer, accounts for 5–10% of total cases. However, in Low Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), the population-specific risk of HBC in different ethnicities and the correlation with certain clinical characteristics remain unexplored.

Methods

Retrospective chart review of patients who visited the HBC clinic and proceeded with multi-gene panel testing from May 2017 to April 2020.

Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze clinical characteristics of patients. Fisher’s exact, Pearson’s chi-squared tests and Logistic regression analysis were used for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used for quantitative variables. For comparison between two independent groups, Mann-Whitney test was performed. Results were considered significant at a p value of < 0.05.

Results

Out of 273 patients, 22% tested positive, 37% had a VUS and 41% had a negative genetic test result. Fifty-five percent of the positive patients had pathogenic variants in either BRCA1 or BRCA2, while the remaining positive results were attributed to other genes. Patients with a positive result had a younger age at diagnosis compared to those having a VUS and a negative result; median age 37.5 years, IQR (Interquartile range) (31.5–48). Additionally, patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) were almost 3 times more likely to have a positive result (OR = 2.79, CI = 1.42–5.48 p = 0.003). Of all patients with positive results, 25% of patients had a negative family history of breast and/or related cancers.

Conclusions

In our HBC clinic, we observed that our rate of positive results is comparable, yet at the higher end of the range which is reported in other populations. The importance of expanded, multi-gene panel testing is highlighted by the fact that almost half of the patients had pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in genes other than BRCA1/2, and that our test positivity rate would have only been 12.8% if only BRCA1/2 testing was done. As the database expands and protocol-driven referrals are made across the country, our insight about the genetic architecture of HBC in our population will continue to increase.
Fluconazole in hypercalciuric patients with increased 1,25(OH)2D levels: the prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind FLUCOLITH trial
Authors: Bertholet-Thomas Aurélia , Portefaix Aurélie , Flammier Sacha , Dhelens Carole , Subtil Fabien , Dubourg Laurence , Laudy Valérie , Le Bouar Myrtille , Boussaha Inesse , Ndiaye Marietou , Molin Arnaud , Lemoine Sandrine , Bacchetta Justine
Published: June 2022

Background

Hypercalciuria is one of the most frequent metabolic disorders associated with nephrolithiasis and/or nephrocalcinosis possibly leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and bone complications in adults. Orphan diseases with different underlying primary pathophysiology share inappropriately increased 1,25(OH)2D levels and hypercalciuria, e.g., hypersensitivity to vitamin D and renal phosphate wasting. Their management is challenging, typically based on hyperhydration and dietary advice.

The antifungal azoles are known to inhibit the 1α-hydroxylase and therefore decrease 1,25(OH)2D levels; they are commonly used, with well described pharmacokinetic and tolerability data. Fluconazole has been successfully reported to reduce calciuria in patients with CYP24A1 or SLC34A3 mutations, with no safety warnings. Thus, based on these case reports, we hypothesize that fluconazole is effective to decrease and normalize calciuria in patients with hypercalciuria and increased 1,25(OH)2D levels.

Methods

The FLUCOLITH trial is a prospective, interventional, randomized in parallel groups (1:1), placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. A total of 60 patients (10–60 years) with nephrolithiasis and/or nephrocalcinosis history, hypercalciuria (> 0.1 mmol/kg/day), increased 1,25(OH)2D levels (> 150 pmol/L), and 25-OH-D levels >20 nmol/L will be included. Inclusions will be performed only from mid-September to the beginning of February to avoid bias due to sunlight-induced vitamin D synthesis. The primary endpoint will be the proportion of patients with normalization of 24-h calciuria between baseline and 16 weeks, or with a relative decrease of at least 30% of 24-h calciuria in patients who still display at W16 a 24-h hypercalciuria.

Discussion

The current challenge is to propose an efficient treatment to patients with hypercalciuria and increased 1,25(OH)2D levels in order to prevent later complications and notably CKD that can ultimately lead to end-stage renal disease. Based on improvement of knowledge in phosphate/calcium metabolism, pathophysiology and genetics, the “off-label” use of fluconazole was recently reported to be useful in hypercalciuric patients with increased 1,25(OH)2D levels. Thus, the FLUCOLITH study is a unique opportunity to develop a new indication of a well-known and not expensive drug in orphan renal diseases, the ultimate objective being the secondary prevention of CKD worsening in these patients.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04495608. Registered on July 23, 2020.
Qatar Diabetes Mobile Application Trial (QDMAT): an open-label randomised controlled trial to examine the impact of using a mobile application to improve diabetes care in type 2 diabetes mellitus—a study protocol
Authors: Suleiman Noor , Alkasem Meis , Al Amer Zaina , Salameh Obada , Al-Thani Noora , Hamad Mohammad Khair , Baagar Khaled , Abdalhakam Ibrahem , Othman Manal , Dughmosh Ragae , Al-Mohanadi Dabia , Al Sanousi Ali , Bashir Mohammed , Chagoury Odette , Taheri Shahrad , Abou-Samra Abdul-Badi
Published: June 2022

Background

Mobile health (mHealth) is increasingly advocated for diabetes management. It is unclear if mobile applications are effective in improving glycaemic control, clinical outcomes, quality of life and overall patient satisfaction in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). A new mobile application was specifically built for people with T2DM with the help of the local expertise. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the mobile app.

Methods

The planned study is an ongoing open-label randomised controlled trial in which adults living with T2DM treated with insulin will be randomised 1:1 to the use of this diabetes application versus current standard care. The primary outcome will be the difference in mean HbA1c from baseline to 6 months. Other outcome measures include anthropometric measures, hypoglycaemic events, medication adjustments, number of clinical interactions and missed appointments and patient perceptions of their disease and diabetes self-management. The study will randomise 180 subjects for assessment of the primary outcome.

Discussion

We hypothesise that the diabetes-specific mobile application will improve glycaemic control, increase patient empowerment for self-management of diabetes and improve interaction between patients and healthcare providers. If the Qatar Diabetes Mobile Application Trial (QDMAT) demonstrates this, it will inform clinical services for the future self-management of T2DM.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03998267. Registered on 26 June 2019
Effect of hospital-at-home vs. traditional brick-and-mortar hospital care in acutely ill adults: study protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yao Xiaoxi , Paulson Margaret , Maniaci Michael J. , Dunn Ajani N. , Nelson Chad R. , Behnken Emma M. , Hart Melissa S. , Sangaralingham Lindsey R. , Inselman Shealeigh A. , Lampman Michelle A. , Dunlay Shannon M. , Dowdy Sean C. , Habermann Elizabeth B.
Published: June 2022

Background

Delivering acute hospital care to patients at home might reduce costs and improve patient experience. Mayo Clinic’s Advanced Care at Home (ACH) program is a novel virtual hybrid model of “Hospital at Home.” This pragmatic randomized controlled non-inferiority trial aims to compare two acute care delivery models: ACH vs. traditional brick-and-mortar hospital care in acutely ill patients.

Methods

We aim to enroll 360 acutely ill adult patients (≥18 years) who are admitted to three hospitals in Arizona, Florida, and Wisconsin, two of which are academic medical centers and one is a community-based practice. The eligibility criteria will follow what is used in routine practice determined by local clinical teams, including clinical stability, social stability, health insurance plans, and zip codes. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to ACH or traditional inpatient care, stratified by site. The primary outcome is a composite outcome of all-cause mortality and 30-day readmission. Secondary outcomes include individual outcomes in the composite endpoint, fall with injury, medication errors, emergency room visit, transfer to intensive care unit (ICU), cost, the number of days alive out of hospital, and patient-reported quality of life. A mixed-methods study will be conducted with patients, clinicians, and other staff to investigate their experience.

Discussion

The pragmatic trial will examine a novel virtual hybrid model for delivering high-acuity medical care at home. The findings will inform patient selection and future large-scale implementation.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govNCT05212077. Registered on 27 January 2022
Implementation of patient-reported outcomes for symptom management in oncology practice through the SIMPRO research consortium: a protocol for a pragmatic type II hybrid effectiveness-implementation multi-center cluster-randomized stepped wedge trial
Authors: Hassett Michael J. , Wong Sandra , Osarogiagbon Raymond U. , Bian Jessica , Dizon Don S. , Jenkins Hannah Hazard , Uno Hajime , Cronin Christine , Schrag Deborah ,   SIMPRO Co-Investigators
Published: June 2022

Background

Many cancer patients experience high symptom burden. Healthcare in the USA is reactive, not proactive, and doctor-patient communication is often suboptimal. As a result, symptomatic patients may suffer between clinic visits. In research settings, systematic assessment of electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs), coupled with clinical responses to severe symptoms, has eased this symptom burden, improved health-related quality of life, reduced acute care needs, and extended survival. Implementing ePRO-based symptom management programs in routine care is challenging. To study methods to overcome the implementation gap and improve symptom control for cancer patients, the National Cancer Institute created the Cancer-Moonshot funded Improving the Management of symPtoms during And following Cancer Treatment (IMPACT) Consortium.

Methods

Symptom Management IMplementation of Patient Reported Outcomes in Oncology (SIMPRO) is one of three research centers that make up the IMPACT Consortium. SIMPRO, a multi-disciplinary team of investigators from six US health systems, seeks to develop, test, and integrate an electronic symptom management program (eSyM) for medical oncology and surgery patients into the Epic electronic health record (EHR) system and associated patient portal. eSyM supports real-time symptom tracking for patients, automated clinician alerts for severe symptoms, and specialized reports to facilitate population management. To rigorously evaluate its impact, eSyM is deployed through a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster-randomized trial. The primary study outcome is the occurrence of an emergency department treat-and-release event within 30 days of starting chemotherapy or being discharged following surgery. Secondary outcomes include hospitalization rates, chemotherapy use (time to initiation and duration of therapy), and patient quality of life and satisfaction. As a type II hybrid effectiveness-implementation study, facilitators and barriers to implementation are assessed throughout the project.

Discussion

Creating and deploying eSyM requires collaboration between dozens of staff across diverse health systems, dedicated engagement of patient advocates, and robust support from Epic. This trial will evaluate eSyM in routine care settings across academic and community-based healthcare systems serving patients in rural and metropolitan locations. This trial’s pragmatic design will promote generalizable results about the uptake, acceptability, and impact of an EHR-integrated, ePRO-based symptom management program.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03850912. Registered on February 22, 2019. Last updated on November 9, 2021.
Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of sexually transmitted infections among Kenyan women using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis: study protocol for an open-label randomized trial
Authors: Stewart Jenell , Bukusi Elizabeth , Sesay Fredericka A. , Oware Kevin , Donnell Deborah , Soge Olusegun O. , Celum Connie , Odoyo Josephine , Kwena Zachary A. , Scoville Caitlin W. , Violette Lauren R. , Morrison Susan , Simoni Jane , McClelland R. Scott , Barnabas Ruanne , Gandhi Monica , Baeten Jared M.
Published: June 2022

Background

Women in Africa face disproportionate risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition, accounting for more than half of new infections in Africa and similarly face a disproportionate burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Very high STI prevalence is being observed globally, especially among people taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (dPEP) has been proposed as an STI prevention strategy to reduce chlamydia, syphilis, and possibly gonorrhea, and trials are ongoing among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women who are taking PrEP in high-income settings. We designed and describe here the first open-label trial to determine the effectiveness of dPEP to reduce STI incidence among cisgender women.

Methods

We are conducting an open-label 1:1 randomized trial of dPEP versus standard of care (STI screening and treatment and risk-reduction counseling without dPEP) among 446 Kenyan women aged ≥ 18 and ≤ 30 years old women taking PrEP. Women are followed for 12 months, with quarterly STI testing, treatment, and adherence counseling. The primary trial outcome will be the combined incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Treponema pallidum, compared between the randomized groups. We will also assess dPEP acceptability, tolerability, safety, impact on sexual behavior, adherence, and occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis isolates. Finally, we will estimate cost per incident STI case and complications averted accounting for nonadherence and benefits relative AMR or side effects.

Discussion

The results of this trial may have immediate implications for the global epidemic of STIs and sexual health. If effective, dPEP could put STI prevention into women’s hands. While dPEP may be able to prevent STIs, it carries important risks that could counter its benefits; global debate about the balance of these potential risks and benefits requires data to inform policy and implementation and our study aims to fill this gap.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04050540.
Hormone therapy and the decreased risk of dementia in women with depression: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Kim Hyewon , Yoo Juhwan , Han Kyungdo , Lee Dong-Yun , Fava Maurizio , Mischoulon David , Jeon Hong Jin
Published: June 2022

Background

The literature has shown depression to be associated with an increased risk of dementia. In addition, hormone therapy can be a responsive treatment option for a certain type of depression. In this study, we examined the association between hormone therapy, including lifetime oral contraceptive (OC) use, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause with the occurrence of dementia among female patients with depression.

Methods

The South Korean national claims data from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2018, was used. Female subjects aged 40 years or older with depression were included in the analyses. Information on hormone therapy was identified from health examination data and followed up for the occurrence of dementia during the average follow-up period of 7.72 years.

Results

Among 209,588 subjects, 23,555 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and 3023 with vascular dementia (VD). Lifetime OC usage was associated with a decreased risk of AD (OC use for < 1 year: HR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.88–0.97]; OC use for ≥ 1 year: HR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.84–0.94]), and HRT after menopause was associated with a decreased risk of AD (HRT for < 2 years: HR, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.79–0.89]; HRT for 2–5 years: HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.74–0.88]; and HRT for ≥ 5 years : HR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.71–0.85]) and VD (HRT < 2 years: HR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.71–0.96]; HRT for 2–5 years: HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.64–1.02]; and HRT for ≥ 5 years: HR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.47–0.79]).

Conclusions

In this nationwide cohort study, lifetime OC use was associated with a decreased risk of AD, and HRT after menopause was associated with a decreased risk of AD and VD among female patients with depression. However, further studies are needed to establish causality.
Genetics of cerebral malaria: pathogenesis, biomarkers and emerging therapeutic interventions
Authors: Nortey Lydia Nkuah , Anning Alberta Serwah , Nakotey Gideon Kwesi , Ussif Abdala Mumuni , Opoku Yeboah Kwaku , Osei Silas Acheampong , Aboagye Benjamin , Ghartey-Kwansah George
Published: June 2022

Background

Cerebral malaria (CM) is a preeminent cause of severe disease and premature deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 90% of cases occur. The key features of CM are a deep, unarousable coma that persists for longer than 1 h in patients with peripheralPlasmodium falciparumand no other explanation for encephalopathy. Significant research efforts on CM in the last few decades have focused on unravelling the molecular underpinnings of the disease pathogenesis and the identification of potential targets for therapeutic or pharmacologic intervention. These efforts have been greatly aided by the generation and study of mouse models of CM, which have provided great insights into key events of CM pathogenesis, revealed an interesting interplay of host versus parasite factors that determine the progression of malaria to severe disease and exposed possible targets for therapeutic intervention in severe disease.

Main Body

This paper reviews our current understanding of the pathogenic and immunologic factors involved in CM. We present the current view of the roles of certain gene products e.g., the var gene, ABCA-1, ICAM-1, TNF-alpha, CD-36, PfEMP-1 and G6PD, in CM pathogenesis. We also present alterations in the blood–brain barrier as a consequence of disease proliferation as well as complicated host and parasite interactions, including the T-cell immune reaction, reduced deformation of erythrocytes and cytoadherence. We further looked at recent advances in cerebral malaria treatment interventions by emphasizing on biomarkers, new diagnostic tools and emerging therapeutic options.

Conclusion

Finally, we discuss how the current understanding of some of these pathogenic and immunologic factors could inform the development of novel therapeutic interventions to fight CM.
Fixed points of single-valued and multi-valued mappings in sb-metric spaces
Authors: Tassaddiq Asifa , Kanwal Shazia , Perveen Saba , Srivastava Rekha
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we have established some fixed point theorems in the context of strong b-metric spaces. For this purpose, Ciric type contraction for single-valued mapping and Nadler’s type Banach and Chatterjea contractions for set-valued mappings are applied to obtain fixed point and common fixed points. A simple and different technique has been used to obtain the results. Our results unify, extend and generalize the existence of corresponding present and conventional results existing in the literature of fixed point theory.
The optimal dietary arginine level of laying hens fed with low-protein diets
Authors: Sun Mingfa , Ma Ning , Liu Hui , Liu Yu , Zhou Yunlei , Zhao Jingpeng , Wang Xiaojuan , Li Haifang , Ma Baishun , Jiao Hongchao , Lin Hai
Published: June 2022

Background

Arginine (Arg) is an essential amino acid (EAA) in poultry, an important substrate for protein synthesis and a precursor of several molecules. Supplementation of EAAs with low protein (LP) diet increases the utilization efficiency of dietary crude protein (CP). However, if the EAA requirement is changed in hens fed a LP diet remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the optimal level of dietary Arg in the LP diet of hens. A total of 1350 Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly allocated to six dietary treatments: a basal diet (16% CP, positive control), or an isoenergetic LP diet (14% CP, 0.80% Arg) supplemented 0, 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, and 0.20% L-Arg, corresponding to 0.80%, 0.85%, 0.90%, 0.95% and 1.00% dietary Arg, respectively.

Results

The feed efficiency was decreased (P < 0.05) by 0.80% and 1.00% Arg-LP diets, compared to control. Within LP diets, dietary Arg level had significant quadratic effects (P < 0.05) on laying rate, egg mass, and feed efficiency. Compared to control, the plasma CAT activity or T-AOC content were decreased by 0.80% (P < 0.001). However, the hens offered 0.85% and 0.90% Arg-LP diets had higher CAT activity (P < 0.001) than 0.80% Arg-LP diet. In contrast, 1.00% Arg-LP group had the highest MDA and the lowest T-AOC content in plasma, liver, duodenal and jejunal mucosa (P < 0.05). Compared to control, the villus height was decreased by 0.80%, 0.95% and 1.00% Arg-LP diets, while the villus height to crypt depth (V/C) ratio was reduced by 0.95% and 1.00% Arg-LP diets in duodenum.

Conclusion

The result demonstrates that LP diet (14% CP) deficient in Arg (0.80% Arg) result in augmented oxidative damage and impaired development of intestinal mucosa. According to the quadratic broken-line regression model, the optimal dietary arginine levels for Hy-Line Brown laying hens fed with low protein diet (14% CP) aged 33 to 40 weeks are 0.85%, 0.86%, and 0.86% to obtained the maximum laying rate, egg mass, and feed efficiency, respectively.
A multi-analytical approach to identify red colorants on woodblock prints attributed to Suzuki Harunobu
Authors: Kissell Lyndsay N. , Quady Trine K. , Durastanti Dario , Springer Samantha , Kenmotsu Jeannie , Clare Tami Lasseter
Published: June 2022

Red organic dye identification is an important topic for conservation of Japanese ukiyo-e prints. Of particular interest are the works of Suzuki Harunobu, who was working at the inception of full-color printmaking. These prints were made on thin kōzo paper and woodblock printed with semi-transparent to opaque regions of dye(s) and/or pigment(s) mixed with binder. This study used imaging analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Raman, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopies (SERS) to identify the red dyes and pigments on Harunobu prints in the collection of the Portland Art Museum. Through image analysis (visible, UV, and IR illuminations), 23 prints were categorized by appearance. XRF results provided identification of vermilion and ochre pigments, and identified color fields that contained lead. Raman analysis allowed the identification of red lead, and SERS was used to identify both safflower and madder dyes. This work is expected to contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the red dye and pigment palette and mixtures in use in the mid- to late eighteenth century, in the critical early years of full-color printmaking.

Graphical Abstract
Deep learning for component fault detection in electricity transmission lines
Authors: Maduako Iyke , Igwe Chukwuemeka Fortune , Abah James Edebo , Onwuasaanya Obianuju Esther , Chukwu Grace Amarachi , Ezeji Franklin , Okeke Francis Ifeanyi
Published: June 2022

Component fault detection and inventory are one of the most significant bottlenecks facing the electricity transmission and distribution utility establishments especially in developing countries for delivery of efficient services to the customers and to ensure proper asset audit and management for network optimization and load forecasting. For lack of technology and data, insecurity, the complexity associated with traditional methods, untimeliness, and general human cost, electricity assets monitoring, and management have remained a big problem in many developing countries. In view of this, we explored the use of oblique UAV imagery with high spatial resolution and fine-tuned deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for automatic faulty component inspection and inventory in an Electric power transmission network (EPTN). This study investigated the capability of the Single Shot Multibox Detector (SSD), a one-stage object detection model on the electric transmission power line imagery to localize, detect and classify faults. Our proposed neural network model is a CNN based on a multiscale layer feature pyramid network (FPN) using aerial image patches and ground truth to localise and detect faults through a one-phase procedure. The SSD Rest50 architecture variation performed the best with a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 89.61%. All the developed SSD-based models achieve a high precision rate and low recall rate in detecting faulty components, thus achieving acceptable balance levels of F1-score and representation. We have established in this paper that combined use of UAV imagery and computer vision presents a low-cost method for easy and timely electricity asset inventory, especially in developing countries. This study also provides the guide to various considerations when adopting this technology in terms of the choice of deep learning architecture, adequate training samples over multiple fault characteristics, effects of data augmentation, and balancing of intra-class heterogeneity.
Revisiting critical STEM interventions: a literature review of STEM organizational learning
Authors: López Norma , Morgan Demetri L. , Hutchings Quortne R. , Davis Kendrick
Published: June 2022

There is inconclusive evidence on the ability of scientific research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to scale-up from one context to another and ultimately become institutionalized. The dearth of evidence draws focus on how organizations change and evolve or the process of organizational learning. We designed this systematic review of the literature to uncover to what extent and how organizational theory has been leveraged within STEM interventions or as a research tool to inform the policies and practices of STEM education organizations. Unlike previous reviews, we explicitly focused on how organizational learning informs cultural transformation toward the success of racially and ethnically underrepresented minority (URM) students in STEM. The research question was: How has organizational theory and learning informed the potential for STEM education to center the success of URM students? Our results reveal that STEM entities that did not leverage organizational theory consistently fell into either the “decision trap” identified by Langely et al. created by ignoring temporal structures or deemed the innovation threatening, as Kezar suggested. We conclude with practical recommendations for the design of STEM education interventions.
Native T1 mapping for differentiating the histopathologic type, grade, and stage of rectal adenocarcinoma: a pilot study
Authors: Li Juan , Gao Xuemei , Dominik Nickel Marcel , Cheng Jingliang , Zhu Jinxia
Published: June 2022

Background

Previous studies have indicated that T1 relaxation time could be utilized for the analysis of tissue characteristics. T1 mapping technology has been gradually used on research of body tumor. In this study, the application of native T1 relaxation time for differentiating the histopathologic type, grade, and stage of rectal adenocarcinoma was investigated.

Methods

One hundred and twenty patients with pathologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma were retrospectively evaluated. All patients underwent high-resolution anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and T1 mapping sequences. Parameters of T1 relaxation time and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were measured between the different groups. The diagnostic power was evaluated though the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

The T1 and ADC values varied significantly between rectal mucinous adenocarcinoma (MC) and non-mucinous rectal adenocarcinoma (AC) ([1986.1 ± 163.3 ms] vs. [1562.3 ± 244.2 ms] and [1.38 ± 0.23 × 10−3mm2/s] vs. [1.03 ± 0.15 × 10−3mm2/s], respectively; P < 0.001). In the AC group, T1 relaxation time were significantly different between the low- and high-grade adenocarcinoma cases ([1508.7 ± 188.6 ms] vs. [1806.5 ± 317.5 ms], P < 0.001), while no differences were apparent in the ADC values ([1.03 ± 0.14 × 10−3mm2/s] vs. [1.04 ± 0.18 × 10−3mm2/s], P > 0.05). No significant differences in T1 and ADC values were identified between the different T and N stage groups for both MC and AC (all P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Native T1 relaxation time can be used to discriminate MC from AC. The T1 relaxation time was helpful for differentiating the low- and high-grade of AC.
Reliability of dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion metrics in pre- and post-treatment glioma
Authors: Kouwenberg Valentina , van Santwijk Lusien , Meijer Frederick J. A. , Henssen Dylan
Published: June 2022

Background

In neuro-oncology, dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance (DSC-MR) perfusion imaging emerged as a tool to aid in the diagnostic work-up and to surveil effectiveness of treatment. However, it is believed that a significant variability exists with regard to the measured in DSC-MR perfusion parameters. The aim of this study was to assess the observer variability in measured DSC-MR perfusion parameters in patients before and after treatment. In addition, we investigated whether region-of-interest (ROI) shape impacted the observer variability.

Materials and methods

Twenty non-treated patients and a matched group of twenty patients post-treatment (neurosurgical resection and post-chemoradiotherapy) were included. Six ROIs were independently placed by three readers: circular ROIs and polygonal ROIs covering 1) the tumor hotspot; 2) the peritumoral region (T2/FLAIR-hyperintense region) and 3) the whole tumor region. A two-way random Intra-class coefficient (ICC) model was used to assess variability in measured DSC-MRI perfusion parameters. The perfusion metrics as assessed by the circular and the polygonal ROI were compared by use of the dependent T-test.

Results

In the non-treated group, circular ROIs showed good–excellent overlap (ICC-values ranging from 0.741–0.963) with the exception of those representing the tumor hotspot. Polygonal ROIs showed lower ICC-values, ranging from 0.113 till 0.856. ROI-placement in the posttreatment group showed to be highly variable with a significant deterioration of ICC-values. Furthermore, perfusion metric assessment in similar tumor regions was not impacted by ROI shape.

Discussion

This study shows that posttreatment quantitative interpretation of DSC-MR perfusion imaging is highly variable and should be carried out with precaution. Pretreatment assessment of DSC-MR images, however, could be carried out be a single reader in order to provide valid data for further analyses.
Small Stories in Charity Fundraising Letters and the Ethics of Interwoven Individualism
Authors: Macrae Andrea
Published: June 2022

The explicit imperative to “tell a story” recently dominating UK and US fundraising discourse refers specifically to the central compelling “story” of the representative victim/beneficiary, and yet there are multiple stories at work in charity fundraising letters, with interdependent narrative trajectories. This article draws on small stories research and on scholarship on storytelling and ethics to explore the relative narrativity of the stories within charity fundraising letters and their marked contingence upon lack of resolution. This article also disentangles and investigates the interactions among the stories of the representative beneficiary, the addressee as potential donor, and the charitable organization. It discusses the affirmation and exploitation of Western neoliberal individualism in the selective spotlighting of an individual beneficiary, and in the individualized appeal to the addressee. It discusses the tensions between the charitable organization and the addressee as competing contenders for the archetypal role of the “hero” in the narrative of the victim/beneficiary, and reflects on the ways in which the complex narratives of supraindividual social processes involved both in the causes of suffering and need and in their alleviation are downplayed in the service of more impactful individualistic narratives.
At War with Stories: A Vernacular Critique of the Storytelling Boom from American Military Veterans
Authors: Willsey Kristiana
Published: June 2022

In a post-draft era in which American civilians have grown increasingly apart from their military, veterans are urged to share their stories, to personalize distant and poorly understood conflicts—to make war meaningful. But individual veterans can't control the larger conversation in which their stories are interpreted or used. Veterans’ stories are ventriloquized by candidates in campaign rallies, recapped in late-night news monologues, retweeted by celebrities, optioned for film, and consistently cited as evidence of why we should, or shouldn't, be at war. This politically charged landscape for the telling of personal narrative (and the speed and ease with which stories circulate via mass media) creates unique challenges for veterans, who need to find meaning in their experiences for their own sakes, but resist the ready-made plots and morals imposed on them by politicians and popular culture. Caught between what Amy Shuman calls “competing promises of narrative,” veterans learn how to not tell war stories, relying on the denial or deferral of storytelling to assert small-scale meanings that resist recirculation and politicization. But to reject narrative outright is antisocial at best, and at worst pathological. Instead, the management of narrative—learning to select and edit stories for a given audience—is critical to avoiding the stigmatized identity of the traumatized veteran, who is either stubbornly silent or disturbingly voluble. Framing the withholding of narrative in positive rather than negative terms, my interlocutors stressed their need to curate the situations in which storytelling could keep its promises.
From Swallowing the Red Pill to Failing to Build the Wall: Allusive Cognitive Metaphors in Advocating Political and Extremist Views
Authors: Nurminen Matias
Published: June 2022

The article analyzes how allusive cognitive metaphors (ACMs) function as a persuasive narrative strategy in contemporary social media–fueled storytelling cultures. The ACM is a concise way of combining intertextual and metaphorical meaning-making for use in viral storytelling. Well-known works of fiction function as a shared baseline that can be easily alluded to. This narrative-metaphorical strategy has been adopted especially frequently by populists and online groups advocating extreme ideologies, one of the prominent and influential cases being “the red pill,” coined by the antifeminist manosphere. The popularity of ACMs suggests that the interpretive contexts and target texts that narrative scholarship has grown accustomed to are changing, and that scholars of narrative and fiction need to adapt to the new challenges stemming from the ever-expanding digital sphere.
Social Networking Sites as Contexts for Uses of Narrative: Toward a Story-Critical Approach to Digital Environments
Authors: Roine Hanna-Riikka , Piippo Laura
Published: June 2022

Narrative theorists have identified the role of social networking sites as elementary in the contemporary story economy. This article argues that they have, however, neglected to treat the sites as part of the digital infraculture which creates blind spots in current analyses of the digital as a context for narrative. The aim is to construct tools for a semiotics of the imperceptible, an approach to analyze the ways in which the digital shapes human agency in dimensions the users cannot directly perceive but which nevertheless affect users’ sense of what is possible for them. The article first reevaluates affordance and affect as concepts to demonstrate digital environments as a new type of context for uses of narrative. It then shows how these concepts can be applied to readings of experientiality and narrativity in digital environments which shape users’ narrative agency on multiple layers. Finally, the article examines how different agencies on these layers can be analyzed within the wider affective logic of the social networking sites. Finally, the article's findings are summarized as a story-critical approach to digital environments, one which accounts for the entanglement of individual agents in collectivities and points the way toward recognizing the ethics of shared responsibility.
Strange Tensions
Authors: Meyers Quincy
Published: June 2022

This article analyzes the history of trans identities and intersex subjectivities to understand intersex and trans intercommunity relations and identify coalitional strategies. Citing Black and postcolonial studies scholars such as C. Riley Snorton and Zine Magubane, it concludes that trans identity and intersex subjectivity share a colonial racial history. Specifically, it builds on Snorton's “analysis of gender as a racial arrangement wherein the fungibility of captive flesh produced a context for understanding sex and gender as mutable and subject to rearrangement in medicine and law” to account for how the same racial arrangement of gender also formed intersex subjectivity. Trans identity and intersex subjectivity, then, have roots in colonialism and slavery, and the ungendering of Black flesh made interchangeable goods. This history has left a legacy of intercommunity tension in the form of whiteness. Consequently, addressing sex/gender as a racial arrangement is necessary to address tensions and build coalitions.