bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inscription of high order fiber Bragg gratings using point-by-point femtosecond laser technique
Authors: Cotillard Romain , Roussel Nicolas , Laffont Guillaume
Published: February 2024

We present a new kind of optical fiber component called High Order Fiber Bragg Gratings combining the spectral qualities of Fiber Bragg Gratings and Fabry-Perot cavity by writing a Bragg grating with a millimetric period.
Skin CO2 monitoring for early detection of pressure ulcers using an optical fiber CO2 sensor
Authors: Afroze Nadia , Correia Ricardo , Worsley Pete , Hayes-Gill Barrie , Lee Seung-Woo , Morgan Stephen P. , Korposh Serhiy
Published: February 2024

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by the skin during loading is a potential biomarker for the early detection of pressure ulcers (PUs). In this work, a reflection mode optical fibre CO2 sensor (OFCS) was developed for early prediction of PUs formation. The optical fibre tip was coated with thymol blue using a sol‒gel coating process. The highest absorption peak of the OFCS was achieved at a wavelength of approximately 600 nm. The OFCS had response and recovery times of 60 seconds and 413 seconds, respectively, in the range of 0 ppm (0% CO2) to 50000 ppm (5% CO2). The sensor was tested on ten healthy volunteers measuring CO2 emitted from the skin during weight loading to mimic conditions that could lead to tissue breakdown. The CO2 concentration increased during tissue loading indicating local tissue ischemia, a precursor to pressure ulcer formation.
Waist diameter effect over sensitivity of temperature and strain sensor based on Multicore fiber tapering
Authors: Hernández-Ambato Valeria , Barrera David , Moreno-Avilés Hugo , Sales Salvador
Published: February 2024

This paper analyses the waist diameter effect over the sensitivity of a sensor based on a multicore fiber taper. We report the maximum sensitivities of 56.94 pm/°C and -5.2 pm/µɛ to measure temperature and strain variation, respectively.
Practical Triaxial Accelerometer Using a Base-Embedded Semicircular Hetero-Core Fiber-Optic Sensor
Authors: Kadokura Miyuki , Kasai Tokio , Watanabe Kazuhiro , Nishiyama Michiko
Published: February 2024

We propose a base-embedded practical triaxial hetero-core fiber-optic accelerometer and evaluate the frequency and amplitude characteristics. The proposed design shows less transverse sensitivity than a conventional triaxial hetero-core fiber optic accelerometer.
Investigations on practical aspects of a long-term monitoring system for a ground anchor based on distributed fiber optic sensing
Authors: Winkler Madeleine , Woschitz Helmut , Lienhart Werner , Račanský Václav
Published: February 2024

For the long-term monitoring of ground anchors, distributed strain sensing provides a new method to measure the strain behavior along the entire anchor length. This article highlights practical issues to be considered.
Application of Optical Fiber Sensing for Geophysical Exploration in Geothermal Fields Using High-temperature and Deep Geothermal Boreholes
Authors: Kasahara Junzo , Hasada Yoko , Mikada Hitoshi , Ohnuma Hiroshi
Published: February 2024

Using optical fiber in geothermal boreholes, we conducted DTS and DAS measurements. We obtained temperature profiles in the borehole and seismic velocity and seismic reflection images in the geothermal fields.
Mid-infrared dual electro-optic comb spectroscopy with tunable spectral resolution
Authors: Yuan Zhengchao , Fan Xinyu , Xu Bingxin , He Zuyuan
Published: February 2024

We propose a novel mid-infrared dual electro-optic comb spectroscopy method with tunable spectral resolution. It offers an adjustable repetition frequency range of 5.9-18 GHz, providing a maximum bandwidth of 450 GHz.
Extension of measurement range in OCDR based on double-modulation scheme
Authors: Sakamoto Mana , Miyamae Tomoya , Noda Kohei , Nakamura Kentaro , Lee Heeyoung , Mizuno Yosuke
Published: February 2024

We extend the measurement range of optical correlation-domain reflectometry (OCDR) by modulating the laser output frequency at two frequencies, while preserving spatial resolution. We demonstrate distributed reflectivity sensing with a ten-fold extended measurement range.
Frequency diversity receiver applied to modulated vibration transmission system using Mach–Zehnder interferometer
Authors: Nagamatsu Nozomi , Manabe Tetsuya , Nakamura Atsushi , Koshikiya Yusuke
Published: February 2024

This work proposed a frequency diversity receiver applied to a modulated vibration transmission system using a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. Experimental validation confirmed the improvement in reception characteristics and demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed method.
Enhancing Water Leak Detection with Distributed Temperature and Humidity Fiber Sensor
Authors: Neves Tiago , Soeiro Manuel , Santos Mariana , Maia Paulo , Carvalho Maurício , Rodrigues João
Published: February 2024

Water leak detection is crucial for resource management. This paper introduces a pioneering method: a Rayleigh scattering-based distributed temperature and humidity fiber sensor enabling 1-meter accurate water leak detection within seconds.
High-resolution low-coherence Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry with suppressed systematic error
Authors: Otsubo Kenta , Kiyozumi Takaki , Noda Kohei , Nakamura Kentaro , Lee Heeyoung , Mizuno Yosuke
Published: February 2024

We show that the systematic error unique to Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry (BOCDR) can be effectively suppressed by use of low-coherence light, and demonstrate distributed strain measurement with ~3 cm spatial resolution.
Broadband Acoustic Sensing Based on Low-Noise Narrow-Linewidth Brillouin Random Fiber Laser with DCFRR
Authors: Pang Yuxi , Xu Yanping , Ma Shaonian , Ji Qiang , Zhao Xian , Qin Zengguang , Liu Zhaojun
Published: February 2024

A highly-sensitive acoustic sensor based on low-noise narrow-linewidth Brillouin random fiber laser with DCFRR is proposed and demonstrated for detecting short- and long-range acoustic signals in the range of 2Hz~200kHz with high signal-to-noise ratios.
Fiber-optic sensor arrays for liquid identification
Authors: Naku Wassana , Nambisan Anand K. , Roman Muhammad , Zhu Chen , Gerald Rex E. , Huang Jie
Published: February 2024

We propose an array of fiber-optic sensors based on the Fabry-Perot interference principle and machine learning-based analyses for identifying volatile organic liquids (VOL).
Non-invasive Vital Signs Monitoring and Premature Beats Recognition System Based on a Six Holes High Birefringence Fiber
Authors: Lyu Weimin , Chen Shuyang , Liu Zhengyong , Xu Pin , Li Yujian , Yu Changyuan
Published: February 2024

This paper proposes a vital sign monitoring system based on a homemade six holes high birefringence fiber (SH-HiBiF) Sagnac interferometer (SI), which can be used for non-invasive premature beat recognition.
Instrumented Extension-Spring for Directional Curvature Monitoring using a Multimode Fiber Sensor and a Pattern Recognition Algorithm
Authors: Esquivel-Hernandez J. , Martinez-Guerrero M. , Martinez-Manuel R. , Valentin-Coronado L. , LaRochelle S.
Published: February 2024

Instrumentation of an off-the-shelf extension-spring using a multimode fiber-sensor for directional curvature monitoring is proposed. Implementing multimode interference and a pattern-recognition algorithm allows identifying each direction and magnitude of curvature using one piece of fiber.
Optical fiber coupler for ppm-level carbon dioxide gas sensing
Authors: Tang Yaqi , Wang Chao , Jiang Shoulin , Zhang Wenwei , Liu Qingxia
Published: February 2024

We report an optical-fiber spectroscopic carbon dioxide gas sensor based on a near-infrared dispersion turning coupler. The noise-equivalent absorption coefficient of 3.47×10-7 cm-1 is achieved with a sample having the coupling-region-length of about 6 mm.
3D Structured Optical Fiber Pressure Sensors Based on Femtosecond Laser Fabrication
Authors: Liu Tongyu , Song Zipei , Wang Mohan , Doyle Crispin T.M. , Booth Martin J. , Fells Julian A.J.
Published: February 2024

Pressure sensors based on air-hole fiber have limitations in design and materials. We fabricate and test pressure sensors with complex 3D structures in commercial fibers, with potential for many types of high-performance fibers.
Pressure Sensing Based on Sagnac Interferometers with Vernier Effect Assisted by Deep Learning Method
Authors: Mei Yongchang , Xia Titi , Cai Haoen , Liu Zhengyong
Published: February 2024

This paper presents a new approach to characterize pressure sensing employing cascaded Sagnac interferometers with Vernier effect via deep learning methods. Results show it could obtain a prediction error of 2.35×10-2 MPa in real-time performance.
Direct Comparison of the Strain Measurement Performance of Fibre Bragg Gratings and Fibre Segment Interferometry
Authors: Barrington James H , Kissinger Thomas , James Stephen W , Tatam Ralph P
Published: February 2024

The strain sensing performance of an optical fibre Bragg grating (FBG), demodulated using a state-of-the-art commercial interrogator, is compared directly with that of a fibre segment interferometer (FSI) of near equivalent gauge length. It is shown that the FSI segment displayed a 5 fold improvement in noise,
1nε/Hz for a bandwidth of 1 kHz, compared to
5nε/Hz at 1 kHz to that of the FBG. Furthermore, by exploiting a longer gauge length, it was also demonstrated that this could further reduce noise levels.
3C fiber-optic geophone interrogated by uDAS®
Authors: Yang Tianyuan , Jing Qiang , Meng Lingfeng , Xiao Yanbo , Ran Zengling , Rao Yunjiang
Published: February 2024

A three-component (3C) fiber-optic geophone interrogated by uDAS® is proposed and demonstrated, which integrates three pairs of orthogonal push-pull compliant cylinders with high signal-to-noise ratio and low crosstalk, enabling DAS-based quasi-distributed 3C seismic detection.
Tensor Attributes of Forward Brillouin Fiber Sensors
Authors: Bernstein Alon , Zehavi Elad , London Yosef , Suna Rafael , Ben-Ami Shai , Hen Mirit , Zadok Avi
Published: February 2024

Forward Brillouin scattering through torsional radial modes is studied in bare and coated fibers in liquids. Tensor characteristics distinguish between two mode types. Shear dominated modes are significantly less affected by liquids outside the fiber.
Intra-mode forward stimulated Brillouin scattering enabled by high-order optical mode in few-mode fibers for temperature sensing
Authors: Li Yichun , Wang Han , Wei Zizhou , Shou Haozhe , Zhu Mengshi , Wei Heming , Pang Fufei , Wang Tingyun , Zhang Liang
Published: February 2024

Temperature fiber sensing based on high-order optical modes-activated intra-mode forward stimulated Brillouin scattering in few-mode fibers has been theoretically and experimentally demonstrated.
Multiplicative-noise-multiplexing holography with ultrahigh capacity and low cross talk
Authors: Tang Wenhao , Yuan Huan , Zhong Zheqiang , Zhang Bin
Published: February 2024

Optical multiplexing technologies, by utilizing various dimensions of light, can effectively expand the information capacity and density for holography but may also lead to multiplexing cross talk. Here, we propose and demonstrate a novel, to our knowledge, multiplicative-noise-multiplexing holography by utilizing the orthogonality between multiplicative noises as a multiplexing dimension. The results prove that this holography can provide a new multiplexing dimension, significantly enhancing information capacity and effectively lowering cross talk. This promising scheme for ultrahigh-capacity holography has the potential to address the limitations of traditional holographic multiplexing technologies.
Self-care practice and its barriers among diabetes patients in North East Ethiopia: A facility-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Asefa Adisu , Belete Abebe Muche , Talarge Feredegn , Molla Daniel
Published: February 2024

Diabetes prevention and management through self-care practice is critical to reducing severe complications and death due to diabetes. Data on the prevalence of self-care practices will help us to design and implement prevention and management strategies to foster adherence and compliance with the interventions. This study was intended to assess self-care preparation and its barriers among diabetes patients in Northeast Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among diabetes patients visiting Debre Berhan Town Public Health Institutions from March 10, 2021- April 10, 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was utilized to select 392 samples. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Measures. Reliability analysis was done using Cronbach’s alpha test, and the Hosmer and Lemeshow test also checked for model fitness. Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression was done to identify the factors associated with dietary practices. For all statistically significant tests, p- a value < 0.05 was used as a cut-off point. The mean age of the respondents was 47.1 years, with a standard deviation (SD) of ± 13.4 years. The mean adherence to self-care practice was 29.00 ± 10.37 SD. More than half, 218 (61.1%) of the study subjects had poor self-care practices. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, being a governmental worker (AOR = 7.06 (1.61–30.9) and having social support from partners (AOR = 5.83(3.01–11.3) showed a statistically significant association with good self-care practice. The current study showed that the overall level of self-care practice of study subjects was poor. Therefore, health facilities should provide adequate health education and promotion activities to enhance patients’ level of adherence. In addition, families, partners, or friends of diabetes patients should be informed about their essential roles in patients’ self-care practice.
Health outcomes after myocardial infarction: A population study of 56 million people in England
Authors: Hall Marlous , Smith Lesley , Wu Jianhua , Hayward Chris , Batty Jonathan A. , Lambert Paul C. , Hemingway Harry , Gale Chris P.
Published: February 2024

Background

The occurrence of a range of health outcomes following myocardial infarction (MI) is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the long-term risk of major health outcomes following MI and generate sociodemographic stratified risk charts in order to inform care recommendations in the post-MI period and underpin shared decision making.

Methods and findings

This nationwide cohort study includes all individuals aged ≥18 years admitted to one of 229 National Health Service (NHS) Trusts in England between 1 January 2008 and 31 January 2017 (final follow-up 27 March 2017). We analysed 11 non-fatal health outcomes (subsequent MI and first hospitalisation for heart failure, atrial fibrillation, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, severe bleeding, renal failure, diabetes mellitus, dementia, depression, and cancer) and all-cause mortality. Of the 55,619,430 population of England, 34,116,257 individuals contributing to 145,912,852 hospitalisations were included (mean age 41.7 years (standard deviation [SD 26.1]); n = 14,747,198 (44.2%) male). There were 433,361 individuals with MI (mean age 67.4 years [SD 14.4)]; n = 283,742 (65.5%) male). Following MI, all-cause mortality was the most frequent event (adjusted cumulative incidence at 9 years 37.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] [37.6,37.9]), followed by heart failure (29.6%; 95% CI [29.4,29.7]), renal failure (27.2%; 95% CI [27.0,27.4]), atrial fibrillation (22.3%; 95% CI [22.2,22.5]), severe bleeding (19.0%; 95% CI [18.8,19.1]), diabetes (17.0%; 95% CI [16.9,17.1]), cancer (13.5%; 95% CI [13.3,13.6]), cerebrovascular disease (12.5%; 95% CI [12.4,12.7]), depression (8.9%; 95% CI [8.7,9.0]), dementia (7.8%; 95% CI [7.7,7.9]), subsequent MI (7.1%; 95% CI [7.0,7.2]), and peripheral arterial disease (6.5%; 95% CI [6.4,6.6]). Compared with a risk-set matched population of 2,001,310 individuals, first hospitalisation of all non-fatal health outcomes were increased after MI, except for dementia (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.01; 95% CI [0.99,1.02];p = 0.468) and cancer (aHR 0.56; 95% CI [0.56,0.57];p < 0.001).

The study includes data from secondary care only—as such diagnoses made outside of secondary care may have been missed leading to the potential underestimation of the total burden of disease following MI.

Conclusions

In this study, up to a third of patients with MI developed heart failure or renal failure, 7% had another MI, and 38% died within 9 years (compared with 35% deaths among matched individuals). The incidence of all health outcomes, except dementia and cancer, was higher than expected during the normal life course without MI following adjustment for age, sex, year, and socioeconomic deprivation. Efforts targeted to prevent or limit the accrual of chronic, multisystem disease states following MI are needed and should be guided by the demographic-specific risk charts derived in this study.
Enhanced multimodal biometric recognition systems based on deep learning and traditional methods in smart environments
Authors: A. El_Rahman Sahar , Alluhaidan Ala Saleh
Published: February 2024

In the field of data security, biometric security is a significant emerging concern. The multimodal biometrics system with enhanced accuracy and detection rate for smart environments is still a significant challenge. The fusion of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal with a fingerprint is an effective multimodal recognition system. In this work, unimodal and multimodal biometric systems using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) are conducted and compared with traditional methods using different levels of fusion of fingerprint and ECG signal. This study is concerned with the evaluation of the effectiveness of proposed parallel and sequential multimodal biometric systems with various feature extraction and classification methods. Additionally, the performance of unimodal biometrics of ECG and fingerprint utilizing deep learning and traditional classification technique is examined. The suggested biometric systems were evaluated utilizing ECG (MIT-BIH) and fingerprint (FVC2004) databases. Additional tests are conducted to examine the suggested models with:1) virtual dataset without augmentation (ODB) and 2) virtual dataset with augmentation (VDB). The findings show that the optimum performance of the parallel multimodal achieved 0.96 Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) and sequential multimodal achieved 0.99 AUC, in comparison to unimodal biometrics which achieved 0.87 and 0.99 AUCs, for the fingerprint and ECG biometrics, respectively. The overall performance of the proposed multimodal biometrics outperformed unimodal biometrics using CNN. Moreover, the performance of the suggested CNN model for ECG signal and sequential multimodal system based on neural network outperformed other systems. Lastly, the performance of the proposed systems is compared with previously existing works.
Characterization of covalent inhibitors that disrupt the interaction between the tandem SH2 domains of SYK and FCER1G phospho-ITAM
Authors: Bashore Frances M. , Katis Vittorio L. , Du Yuhong , Sikdar Arunima , Wang Dongxue , Bradshaw William J. , Rygiel Karolina A. , Leisner Tina M. , Chalk Rod , Mishra Swati , Williams C. Andrew , Gileadi Opher , Brennan Paul E. , Wiley Jesse C. , Gockley Jake , Cary Gregory A. , Carter Gregory W. , Young Jessica E. , Pearce Kenneth H. , Fu Haian ,   the Emory-Sage-SGC TREAT-AD Center, Axtman Alison D.
Published: February 2024

RNA sequencing and genetic data support spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) and high affinity immunoglobulin epsilon receptor subunit gamma (FCER1G) as putative targets to be modulated for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapy. FCER1G is a component of Fc receptor complexes that contain an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM). SYK interacts with the Fc receptor by binding to doubly phosphorylated ITAM (p-ITAM) via its two tandem SH2 domains (SYK-tSH2). Interaction of the FCER1G p-ITAM with SYK-tSH2 enables SYK activation via phosphorylation. Since SYK activation is reported to exacerbate AD pathology, we hypothesized that disruption of this interaction would be beneficial for AD patients. Herein, we developed biochemical and biophysical assays to enable the discovery of small molecules that perturb the interaction between the FCER1G p-ITAM and SYK-tSH2. We identified two distinct chemotypes using a high-throughput screen (HTS) and orthogonally assessed their binding. Both chemotypes covalently modify SYK-tSH2 and inhibit its interaction with FCER1G p-ITAM, however, these compounds lack selectivity and this limits their utility as chemical tools.
Analysis of the influencing factors of vitality and built environment of shopping centers based on mobile-phone signaling data
Authors: Bai Xiaohe , Zhou Min , Li Weiming
Published: February 2024

Nowadays, shopping centers not only provides commercial function but also serve as a public space. In this article, we take Nanshan district of Shenzhen as an example, based on the characteristics information of people activities provided by Mobile-phone Signaling Data, using the standard deviation ellipse method to classify the direction of people in shopping centers, and then applying the entropy weighting method to analyze the vitality factors of shopping centers from three perspectives: visitors’ density, revisit rate, and the average length of stay. Finally, we analyzed the influence factors of the surrounding built environment based on correlation analysis to discuss the results with field survey data. The results show that (1) shopping centers in Nanshan District are classified into wide-area type and geo-regional type according to the gathering of visitors. The shopping centers with high comprehensive vitality are basically wide-area type. (2) The factors influencing the vitality of shopping centers are different between wide-area type and geo-regional type. The vitality of wide-area type is mainly influenced by the traffic accessibility and whether they are located in adjacent to large public spaces such as squares and green public; the vitality of geo-regional type shopping centers is mainly influenced by the number of people within a 15-minute walking circle, and the high-vitality of geo-regional shopping centers are generally located in densely populated areas.
Impact of chronic diseases on the periapical health of endodontically treated teeth: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: de Araujo Bianca Marques de Mattos , de Miranda Bruna Marlene , Kowaltschuk Tatiana Carvalho , Gonçalves Flávio Magno , Schroder Angela Graciela Deliga , Kuchler Erika Calvano , Guariza-Filho Odilon , Carneiro Everdan , de Araujo Cristiano Miranda , Xavier da Silva-Neto Ulisses
Published: February 2024

Systemic diseases affecting the immune system can influence the body’s response time to endodontic treatment, potentially necessitating a longer duration for the complete resolution of existing infections when compared to healthy controls. This systematic review aims to evaluate the association between the presence of chronic diseases and periapical status after endodontic treatment through a systematic and comprehensive assessment of existing literature on this topic. The search strategy covered seven electronic databases and grey literature, encompassing articles published until October 2023. Two reviewers independently assessed potentially eligible studies based on the following criteria: Included were studies involving populations exposed to pre-existing chronic diseases who underwent endodontic treatment in permanent teeth. These studies evaluated periapical health status, making comparisons with healthy individuals. There were no language or publication date restrictions. Additionally, two reviewers independently extracted data regarding the characteristics of the included studies. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Assessment Checklist. Meta-analysis was conducted using random effects models. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE tool. Twenty-three studies were included in the synthesis. Patients with diabetes were found to have about half the odds of having periapical health compared to non-diabetic patients (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.30–0.70%; I2 = 58%) in teeth that underwent endodontic treatment. On the other hand, other systemic diseases like HIV, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis did not demonstrate significant differences concerning the outcome. In conclusion, diabetic patients showed a lower likelihood of maintaining periapical health. Conversely, patients with HIV, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis did not exhibit significant differences, although the existing evidence is still considered limited. It is crucial to manage these patients in a multidisciplinary manner to provide appropriate care for this population.
Publication bias in psychology: A closer look at the correlation between sample size and effect size
Authors: Linden Audrey Helen , Pollet Thomas V. , Hönekopp Johannes
Published: February 2024

Previously observed negative correlations between sample size and effect size (n-ES correlation) in psychological research have been interpreted as evidence for publication bias and related undesirable biases. Here, we present two studies aimed at better understanding to what extent negative n-ES correlations reflect such biases or might be explained by unproblematic adjustments of sample size to expected effect sizes. In Study 1, we analysed n-ES correlations in 150 meta-analyses from cognitive, organizational, and social psychology and in 57 multiple replications, which are free from relevant biases. In Study 2, we used a random sample of 160 psychology papers to compare the n-ES correlation for effects that are central to these papers and effects selected at random from these papers. n-ES correlations proved inconspicuous in meta-analyses. In line with previous research, they do not suggest that publication bias and related biases have a strong impact on meta-analyses in psychology. A much higher n-ES correlation emerged for publications’ focal effects. To what extent this should be attributed to publication bias and related biases remains unclear.
De novo prediction of RNA 3D structures with deep generative models
Authors: Ramakers Julius , Blum Christopher Frederik , König Sabrina , Harmeling Stefan , Kollmann Markus
Published: February 2024

We present a Deep Learning approach to predict 3D folding structures of RNAs from their nucleic acid sequence. Our approach combines an autoregressive Deep Generative Model, Monte Carlo Tree Search, and a score model to find and rank the most likely folding structures for a given RNA sequence. We show that RNA de novo structure prediction by deep learning is possible at atom resolution, despite the low number of experimentally measured structures that can be used for training. We confirm the predictive power of our approach by achieving competitive results in a retrospective evaluation of the RNA-Puzzles prediction challenges, without using structural contact information from multiple sequence alignments or additional data from chemical probing experiments. Blind predictions for recent RNA-Puzzle challenges under the name “Dfold” further support the competitive performance of our approach.
Investigation of new inflammatory biomarkers in patients with brucella
Authors: Canpolat Erkan Revşa Evin , Tekin Recep
Published: February 2024

Background

Delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases, such as Brucella, lead to high rates of mortality and morbidity. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between serum levels of apelin, presepsin, and irisin with inflammation, laboratory parameters, and blood culture in patients with brucella.

Patients and methods

This prospective case-control study involves 30 patients with brucellosis and 30 healthy, matched control subjects. Thirty patients who were diagnosed with brucellosis were aged ≥ 18 years. Blood samples were taken from the patients on the first day they were diagnosed with brucellosis. The values of irisin, presepsin, and apelin were studied. In addition, blood samples were also taken from 30 healthy individuals for the control group. Irisin, presepsin, and apelin values that were measured in the patients on the first day were compared with those values measured in the control group.

Results

The sex and age statuses of the subjects are matched among the groups. The levels of irisin were significantly higher in patients with brucellosis compared to the control group (p<0.045). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of apelin and presepsin levels (p values 0.087 and 0.162, respectively). There was a positive correlation between irisin levels and elevated ALT levels, as well as positive blood cultures.

Conclusions

It appears that the measurement of irisin levels may be beneficial in patients with brucellosis. Irisin can be used as a diagnostic marker for brucella infection and may greatly clinicians to predict the severity disease and treatment response.
Antioxidant and antiproliferative effect of a glycosaminoglycan extract from Rapana venosa marine snail
Authors: Gaspar-Pintiliescu Alexandra , Stefan Laura M. , Mihai Elena , Sanda Catalina , Manoiu Vasile S. , Berger Daniela , Craciunescu Oana
Published: February 2024

Marine glycosaminoglycans (GAG) isolated from different invertebrates, such as molluscs, starfish or jellyfish, have been described as unique molecules with important pharmacological applications. Scarce information is available on GAG extract from Rapana venosa marine snail. The aim of this study was to isolate a GAG extract from R. venosa marine snail and to investigate its physicochemical, antioxidant and antiproliferative properties for further biomedical use. The morphology, chemical and elemental composition of the extract were established as well as the sulfate content and N- to O-sulfation ratio. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated that GAG extract presented similar structural characteristics to bovine heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate. The pattern of extract migration in agarose gel electrophoresis and specific digestion with chondroitinase ABC and heparinase III indicated the presence of a mixture of chondroitin sulfate-type GAG, as main component, and heparan sulfate-type GAG. Free radical scavenging and ferric ion reducing assays showed that GAG extract had high antioxidant activity, which slightly decreased after enzymatic treatment. In vitro MTT and Live/Dead assays showed that GAG extract had the ability to inhibit cell proliferation in human Hep-2 cell cultures, at cytocompatible concentrations in normal NCTC clone L929 fibroblasts. This capacity decreased after enzymatic digestion, in accordance to the antioxidant activity of the products. Tumoral cell migration was also inhibited by GAG extract and its digestion products. Overall, GAG extract from R. venosa marine snail exhibited antioxidant and antiproliferative activities, suggesting its potential use as novel bioactive compound for biomedical applications.
Self-care interventions to assist family physicians with mental health care of older patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: Feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes of a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yaffe Mark J. , McCusker Jane , Lambert Sylvie D. , Haggerty Jeannie , Meguerditchian Ari N. , Pineault Marc , Barnabé Alexandra , Belzile Eric , Minotti Simona , de Raad Manon
Published: February 2024

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has required family physicians to rapidly address increasing mental health problems with limited resources. Vulnerable home-based seniors with chronic physical conditions and commonly undermanaged symptoms of anxiety and depression were recruited in this pilot study to compare two brief self-care intervention strategies for the management of symptoms of depression and/or anxiety.

Methods

We conducted a pilot RCT to compare two tele-health strategies to address mental health symptoms either with 1) validated CBT self-care tools plus up to three telephone calls from a trained lay coach vs. 2) the CBT self-guided tools alone. The interventions were abbreviated from those previously trialed by our team, to enable their completion in 2 months. Objectives were to assess the feasibility of delivering the interventions during a pandemic (recruitment and retention); and assess the comparative acceptability of the interventions across the two groups (satisfaction and tool use); and estimate preliminary comparative effectiveness of the interventions on severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. Because we were interested in whether the interventions were acceptable to a wide range of older adults, no mental health screening for eligibility was performed.

Results

90 eligible patients were randomized. 93% of study completers consulted the self-care tools and 84% of those in the coached arm received at least some coaching support. Satisfaction scores were high among participants in both groups. No difference in depression and anxiety outcomes between the coached and non-coached participants was observed, but coaching was found to have a significant effect on participants’ use and perceived helpfulness of the tools.

Conclusion

Both interventions were feasible and acceptable to patients. Trained lay coaching increased patients’ engagement with the tools. Self-care tools offer a low cost and acceptable remote activity that can be targeted to those with immediate needs. While effectiveness results were inconclusive, this may be due to the lack of eligibility screening for mental health symptoms, abbreviated toolkit, and fewer coaching sessions than those used in our previous effective interventions.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0460937.
Gene co-expression network analysis reveal core responsive genes in Parascaris univalens tissues following ivermectin exposure
Authors: Dube Faruk , Delhomme Nicolas , Martin Frida , Hinas Andrea , Åbrink Magnus , Svärd Staffan , Tydén Eva
Published: February 2024

Anthelmintic resistance in equine parasite Parascaris univalens, compromises ivermectin (IVM) effectiveness and necessitates an in-depth understanding of its resistance mechanisms. Most research, primarily focused on holistic gene expression analyses, may overlook vital tissue-specific responses and often limit the scope of novel genes. This study leveraged gene co-expression network analysis to elucidate tissue-specific transcriptional responses and to identify core genes implicated in the IVM response in P. univalens. Adult worms (n = 28) were exposed to 10−11 M and 10−9 M IVM in vitro for 24 hours. RNA-sequencing examined transcriptional changes in the anterior end and intestine. Differential expression analysis revealed pronounced tissue differences, with the intestine exhibiting substantially more IVM-induced transcriptional activity. Gene co-expression network analysis identified seven modules significantly associated with the response to IVM. Within these, 219 core genes were detected, largely expressed in the intestinal tissue and spanning diverse biological processes with unspecific patterns. After 10−11 M IVM, intestinal tissue core genes showed transcriptional suppression, cell cycle inhibition, and ribosomal alterations. Interestingly, genes PgR028_g047 (sorb-1), PgB01_g200 (gmap-1) and PgR046_g017 (col-37 & col-102) switched from downregulation at 10−11 M to upregulation at 10−9 M IVM. The 10−9 M concentration induced expression of cuticle and membrane integrity core genes in the intestinal tissue. No clear core gene patterns were visible in the anterior end after 10−11 M IVM. However, after 10−9 M IVM, the anterior end mostly displayed downregulation, indicating disrupted transcriptional regulation. One interesting finding was the non-modular calcium-signaling gene, PgR047_g066 (gegf-1), which uniquely connected 71 genes across four modules. These genes were enriched for transmembrane signaling activity, suggesting that PgR047_g066 (gegf-1) could have a key signaling role. By unveiling tissue-specific expression patterns and highlighting biological processes through unbiased core gene detection, this study reveals intricate IVM responses in P. univalens. These findings suggest alternative drug uptake of IVM and can guide functional validations to further IVM resistance mechanism understanding.
Association between smoking and height loss in Japanese workers: A retrospective study
Authors: Shimizu Yuji , Sasaki Nagisa , Hayakawa Hidenobu , Honda Eiko , Takada Midori , Okada Takeo , Ohira Tetsuya
Published: February 2024

Height loss is reported to be an independent risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Smoking, which is responsible for a considerable proportion of deaths due to any cause, is also associated with lumbar disc degeneration, a major risk factor for height loss. Therefore, smoking could be an independent risk factor for height loss. To clarify the association between smoking status and height loss, a retrospective study with 8,984 (5,518 men and 3,466 women) Japanese workers was conducted. The present study population comprised 9,681 workers aged 40–74 years who participated in annual medical examinations between 2011 and 2017 (baseline). Subjects without a height measurement during 2012–2018 (endpoint) were excluded from the analysis (n = 697). Height loss was defined as being in the highest quartile of annul height decrease (1.48 mm/year for men and 1.79 mm/year for women). Independent of known cardiovascular risk factors, smoking was positively associated with height loss among men but not among women. With never smokers as the referent group, the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.15 (0.98, 1.35) for former smokers and 1.24 (1.05, 1.46) for current smokers among men, respectively. Among women, the corresponding values were 0.98 (0.79, 1.21) and 0.90 (0.71, 1.16), respectively. Since height loss and smoking are independent risk factors for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, these results help clarify the mechanisms underlying the association between height loss and mortality risk.
Whole-genome comparison of two same-genotype macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis isolates collected in Japan
Authors: Koide Kentaro , Uchitani Yumi , Yamaguchi Takahiro , Otsuka Nao , Goto Masataka , Kenri Tsuyoshi , Kamachi Kazunari
Published: February 2024

The emergence of macrolide-resistant Bordetella pertussis (MRBP) is a significant problem because it reduces treatment options for pertussis and exacerbates the severity and spread of the disease. MRBP has been widely prevalent in mainland China since the 2010s and has been sporadically detected in other Asian countries. In Japan, two MRBP clinical strains were first isolated in Tokyo and Osaka between June and July 2018. The isolates BP616 in Osaka and BP625 in Tokyo harbored the same virulence-associated allelic genes (including ptxP1, ptxA1, prn1, fim3A, and fhaB3) and MT195 genotype and exhibited similar antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. However, despite their simultaneous occurrence, a distinguishable epidemiological link between these isolates could not be established. To gain further insight into the genetic relationship between these isolates in this study, we performed whole-genome analyses. Phylogenetic analysis based on genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms revealed that the isolates belonged to one of the three clades of Chinese MRBP isolates, but there were 11 single-nucleotide polymorphism differences between BP616 and BP625. Genome structure analysis revealed two large inversions (202 and 523 kbp) and one small transposition (3.8 kbp) between the genomes. These findings indicate that the two Japanese MRBP isolates are closely related to Chinese MRBP isolates but are genomically distinct, suggesting that they were introduced into Japan from mainland China through different transmission routes.
Convergent and environmentally associated chromatic polymorphism in Bryconops Kner, 1858 (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Iguanodectidae)
Authors: Gonçalves Andressa S. , Netto-Ferreira André L. , Saldanha Samantha C. , Rocha Ana C. G. , Gales Suellen M. , Silva Derlan J. F. , Carvalho Daniel C. , Sales João B. L. , Burlamaqui Tibério C. T. , Ready Jonathan S.
Published: February 2024

Bryconops Kner, 1858, includes two well defined subgenera based on morphological evidence, with each containing at least one species (B. (Bryconops) caudomaculatus and B. (Creatochanes) melanurus) with a very wide distribution, within which regional populations present color variations. To test if phenotypic variation is related to cladogenetic events, we performed tests for phylogenetic independence and determined the strength of convergence for color characters in relation to water type, as the variation between clear, black and white waters is considered to be one of the major driving forces in the evolution of Amazonian fishes. Color characters for fins above the median line of the body were generally found to be independent from phylogeny and the Wheatsheaf test strongly supports convergence of the dorsal fin color between populations of species in the same type of water, with a similar trend suggested for the color of the dorsal lobe of the caudal fin. This means that simple color characters cannot necessarily be relied upon for taxonomic revisions of the genus as local phenotypic variants may represent environmentally determined plasticity or convergent evolution. Further studies are required to determine the validity of these characters.
Spatial-temporal evolution of population aging in the yangtze river delta urban agglomeration of China
Authors: Zhang Lei , Tang Jie , Xu Meisa , Zhang Daliang , Chen Haixiao , Zhang Dayong
Published: February 2024

The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA) is China’s most representative region with remarkable economic development vitality. The purpose of this study is to provide valuable data analysis to actively respond to the population aging in China. We mainly focus on the spatial and temporal evolution of population aging in YRDUA from 2000 to 2020 using city-level population data. This study constructs a multi-dimensional index system to measure population aging including population aging degree, speed, and density. It finds out: (1) the elderly population rate (EPR), the elder-child ratio (ECR), and the elderly dependency ratio (EDR) in the YRDUA area are gradually increasing from 2000 to 2020. In addition, the trends of these indicators in various cities and regions are relatively consistent. All 27 cities in YRDUA entered an aging society, from the primary to the moderate aging stage from 2000 to 2010 and from the moderate to the hyper aging stage from 2010 to 2020. (2) the absolute and relative growth rate of EPR is increasing from 2000 to 2020. However, the absolute and relative growth rate of ECR is increasing from 2000 to 2010 and then decreasing from 2010 to 2020. These results indicate that the two-child policy adopted by the Chinese government plays a positive role. (3) the density level of the elderly population in the YRDUA evolved from low in 2000 to middle in 2010 and then to high in 2020. (4) There are remarkable differences in the process of population aging among three provinces and one city. The contribution of this study is mainly reflected in two aspects: firstly, it constructs a multi-dimensional index system to measure population aging; secondly, using this multi-dimensional index system, it systematically observes the spatial and temporal evolution of population aging from 2000 to 2020 in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration.
Automatic vectorization of historical maps: A benchmark
Authors: Chen Yizi , Chazalon Joseph , Carlinet Edwin , Ôn Vũ Ngoc Minh , Mallet Clément , Perret Julien
Published: February 2024

Shape vectorization is a key stage of the digitization of large-scale historical maps, especially city maps that exhibit complex and valuable details. Having access to digitized buildings, building blocks, street networks and other geographic content opens numerous new approaches for historical studies such as change tracking, morphological analysis and density estimations. In the context of the digitization of Paris atlases created in the 19th and early 20th centuries, we have designed a supervised pipeline that reliably extract closed shapes from historical maps. This pipeline is based on a supervised edge filtering stage using deep filters, and a closed shape extraction stage using a watershed transform. It relies on probable multiple suboptimal methodological choices that hamper the vectorization performances in terms of accuracy and completeness. Objectively investigating which solutions are the most adequate among the numerous possibilities is comprehensively addressed in this paper. The following contributions are subsequently introduced: (i) we propose an improved training protocol for map digitization; (ii) we introduce a joint optimization of the edge detection and shape extraction stages; (iii) we compare the performance of state-of-the-art deep edge filters with topology-preserving loss functions, including vision transformers; (iv) we evaluate the end-to-end deep learnable watershed against Meyer watershed. We subsequently design the critical path for a fully automatic extraction of key elements of historical maps. All the data, code, benchmark results are freely available athttps://github.com/soduco/Benchmark_historical_map_vectorization.