bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy and Exergy Analysis of an Open-Aperture Partially Evacuated Receiver with Internal Twisted Inserts in Solar Parabolic Trough Reflectors
Authors: Avargani Vahid Madadi , Zendehboudi Sohrab
Published: July 2022

To prevent major problems caused by highly non-uniform solar flux distribution on the surface of the receiver in trough collectors, a partially open-aperture evacuated receiver (OAER) with a twisted internal insert is introduced, and its performance is compared to that of conventional evacuated receivers (CERs). The CFD simulation results show that the proposed receiver has a more uniform solar flux distribution, and consequently greater energy and exergy efficiencies compared to CERs. The daily average exergy efficiency of an OAER with 10 blades is about 27.8% higher than a CER without blades. The daily average exergy efficiency of a CER is obtained to be about 7.55%, while it decreases to 7.42% for a CER with 6 blades due to larger exergy destruction caused by air pressure drop. The introduced design for the receiver acts as a fluid turbulator, offers a higher potential for efficient absorption of solar energy (proper sensible heat storage device), leads to a more appropriate distribution of temperature gradient inside the absorber, and is in direct contact with the goal stream and provides more useful contact area, and shifts the maximum temperature on the outer surface of the CERs to the internal surface and reduces radiative losses.
Identification of soybean CNGC gene family and screening of root rot resistance genes
Authors: Cui Yu xing , Wang Jing xuan , Bai Ying xue , Ban Li ping , Ren Jun da , Shang Qiao xia , Li Wei yu
Published: July 2022

Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) are non-selective cation channels localized on the plasmalemma, which are involved in the growth and development as well as the regulatory mechanism in adversity of a plant. In this study, a total of 143 CNGC genes in legumes were identified and divided into four groups according to the grouping method of Arabidopsis thaliana for evolutionary analysis. According to the phylogenetic relationship with CNGCs in Arabidopsis thaliana, we assigned the names for all individual CNGC members. The CNGC genes in soybean are localized on chromosomes with a relatively random distribution. And all CNGC genes show similar conserved motifs and gene structures, especially the closer the homology, the higher the similarity. The identification of cis-elements well illustrates the key role of CNGC genes in adversity stress. The functional verification results of disease stress showed that four GmCNGCs were specifically expressed in the plasmalemma position during the stress process, and through functional enrichment, it was found that the mode of its participation and coordination is to regulate the concentration of inorganic ions inside and outside the membrane through the transmembrane ion channel. In this paper, CNGC family genes in soybean were identified, and those involved in disease stress were screened combined with physiological stress response and omics analysis, preliminarily revealing the basic laws of CNGCs involved in the disease and stress resistance of soybean, and providing important gene resources and theoretical reference for resistance breeding of soybean.
ZnO-doped PFPAMA: a novel transparent conducting polymer for fast photodiodes
Authors: Ocaya Richard , Erol Ibrahim , Al-Sehemi Abdullah G , Dere Aysegul , Al-Ghamdi Ahmed A , Yakuphanoglu Fahrettin
Published: July 2022

In this article, a new Schottky diode based on a transparent conducting polymer 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-oxoethyl-2-methylprop-2-enoate (PFPAMA) that is doped up to 5% with ZnO is presented. PFPAMA is a promising transparent polymer that is inclined towards n-type behavior with the potential to be used as an electron transport layer. Each device had the Al/p-Si:(PFPAMA:ZnO)/Al structure. The diode ideality factor was found to depend on bias and illumination but the calculated interface state density is lower than for most reported Al/p-Si diodes, suggesting that the presence of the polymer suppresses interface states. The measured electrical and photo response characteristics confirm that the resulting diodes are suitable for fast photodiodes over the intensity range of dark to 100 mW/cm2 whose performance is optimizable by ZnO doping.
Forecasting hourly intermittent rainfall by deep belief networks with simple exponential smoothing
Authors: Huang Guo-Yu , Lai Chi-Ju , Pai Ping-Feng
Published: July 2022

Accurate rainfall forecasting is essential and useful in planning and managing water resource systems efficiently. The intermittent rainfall patterns increase the difficulty of accurately forecasting rainfall values. Recently, deep learning techniques have been popular and powerful in the forecasting area. Thus, this study employs deep belief networks with a simple exponential smoothing procedure (DBNSES) to forecast hourly intermittent rainfall values in Taiwan. Weather factors are used as independent variables to forecast rainfall volume. The simple exponential smoothing data preprocessing procedure is used to deal with the intermittent data patterns. Other three forecasting models, namely the least squares support vector regression (LSSVR), the generalized regression neural network (GRNN), and the back propagation neural network (BPNN), are employed to forecast rainfall with the same data sets. In addition, genetic algorithms are utilized to determine the parameters of four forecasting models. The empirical results indicate that the developed DBNSES models are superior to the other forecasting models in terms of forecasting accuracy. In addition, the DBNSES can obtain smaller values of RMSE than the previous studies. Therefore, the DBNSES model is a suitable and effective way of forecasting rainfall with intermittent data patterns.
Spatial-temporal phenological asynchrony induced by climate change threatens the integrity of the avian migration network
Authors: Wei Jie , Cole Eleanor , Sheldon Ben , de Boer Willem , Wielstra Ben , Xu Fei , Gong Peng , Si Yali
Published: July 2022

Phenological responses to climate change frequently vary among trophic levels, which can result in increasing mismatch between the peak energy requirements of consumers and the availability of resources. Migratory birds use multiple habitats with seasonal food resources along traditional migration flyways. Spatially heterogeneous climate changes could cause this phenology of food availability along the migration flyway to become mismatched. This so-called spatial-temporal phenological asynchrony could pose a challenge by reducing food intake along the migration path and consequently influencing survival and reproduction. We develop a novel graph-based approach to quantify this problem and deploy it to evaluate the risks of, and the drivers behind, the spatial-temporal phenological asynchrony for 16 migratory herbivorous waterfowl species in Asia. We show that climate change-induced spatial-temporal phenological asynchrony could cause in average 48% loss of migration network connectivity for all study species. Species that winter at a lower latitude or that have a wider migration corridor are subjected to higher risk to the integrity of their migration network. These findings highlight the susceptibility of migratory species to climate change, and our proposed methodological framework could be applied to migratory species in general and contribute to formulate targeted actions for biodiversity conservation in the face of climate-related risks.
Major concerns of surface water quality in south-west coastal regions of Vietnamese Mekong Delta
Authors: Nguyen Giao Thanh , Phan Kim Anh , Huynh Thi Hong Nhien
Published: July 2022

This study aimed to appraise seasonal variations in surface water quality on the coasts of Southwestern Vietnam using entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) and multivariate statistics: cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and discriminant analysis (DA). Forty-nine samples monitored in Kien Giang province during the rainy and dry seasons were analysed for 16 physiochemical and biological parameters. Compared to the Vietnamese standard, surface water quality in the study areas was contaminated with organic matter (high BOD and COD), nutrients (high NH4+-N, NO2ˉ-N, and PO43ˉ-P), TSS, Fe, and coliform. Seasonal variations in surface water quality in the coastal regions were observed. TSS, organic matter and microbial problems in water bodies tend to be more serious in the rainy seasons due to an increase in water flow containing pollutants from the upstream and wastes from regional human activities. Meanwhile, the salinity in the dry season (0-31.8 ‰) was greatly higher, which caused only 10% of samples to be suitable for irrigation. CA extracted 11 and 13 clusters from 49 locations in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively. 5PCs obtained from PCA can explain 74.79% and 70.34% of total water quality variations in dry and rainy seasons, respectively. Moreover, the results of PCA suggested that natural factors (hydrological regimes, temperature, rainfall, sea-level rise) and human sources (domestic, agriculture, industry, and tourism) are accountable for these fluctuations. DA extracted 7 parameters (pH, TSS, salinity, Fe, NO3ˉ-N, NH4+-N, and Clˉ) for leading the difference in water quality, with 87.76% of correct assignation. EWQI revealed that 65.5% of total samples were classified as a very bad quality for drinking in the dry season. However, this ratio declined to 59.2% in the rainy season. Although the surface water quality was slightly improved during the rainy season, organic matter and microbial pollution need to be concerned. The findings of this study can provide insights into seasonal variations in surface water with the application of multivariate statistics and EWQI, which could support policymakers in developing water management strategies.
Mercury and selenium concentrations in the oysters Saccostrea palmula and Crassostrea corteziensis from coastal lagoons of Northwest Mexico and the risk assessment on human health
Authors: Sepúlveda Carlos H. , Gonzalez Maria I. Sotelo , Ulloa Manuel García , Gómez Andrés M. Góngora , Alonso Laura G. Espinosa , Martínez Carmen C. Osuna , Cárdenas Rebeca Sánchez
Published: July 2022

The toxicity of mercury (Hg) in bivalves can be reduced when it is associated with selenium (Se) as mercury selenide, a stable non-toxic compound. Mercury and Se were seasonally studied (summer 2019-spring 2020) in the soft tissue of oysters Saccostrea palmula and Crassostrea corteziensis from four coastal lagoons of Northwest Mexico. The higher Hg concentration (≈ 0.13 µg g−1, wet weight) in both oyster species were obtained in summer−autumn 2019. Mercury level was similar among the coastal lagoons and did not exceed the limit established by the Norma Official Mexicana, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Drug Agency (< 1.0 μg g−1 Hg). The higher Se concentration (≈ 4.55 µg g−1) occurred in spring 2020 for both oyster species. Regarding Se/Hg molar ratios, they were above 1; the positive selenium health benefit value index suggested that Se concentration in oysters could reduce the potential toxic effect of Hg; and the hazard quotient for Hg (methylmercury) and Se in both species was below 1. Therefore, the consumption of S. palmula and C. corteziensis not represented a risk due to Hg ingestion. Continuous monitoring of the Se/Hg ratio is recommended in oysters from NW Mexico for a more precise assessment of human health risk.
Trajectory detection of quadrotor UAVs based on parameter prediction and anti-disturbance
Authors: Li Dongfang , Wang Chao , Deng Hong-bin
Published: July 2022

In order to improve the trajectory detection accuracy of highly coupled and nonlinear quadrotor UAVs, a trajectory detection method of UAVs based on parameter prediction and anti-disturbance is developed. This method establishes the mechanical model of UAVs with external disturbance. By predicting the uncertain state parameters of the system, the flight state can be compensated and chattering of the airframe in flight can be eliminated. By designing the predicted value update law of time-varying external disturbances, the attitude control input and position control input of the system are compensated, the negative impact of disturbances such as airflow, wind resistance and actuator failure on UAV trajectory detection is reduced, and the adaptability and anti-disturbance ability of the UAV to the environment are improved. Besides, the stability of the attitude and position subsystem of the UAV are verified by the Lyapunov method. Rigorous theoretical analysis and extensive simulation research show that this method can make the quadrotor UAV have good trajectory detection accuracy and stability.
Effect of chemotherapy on gray matter and brain activation in breast cancer patients: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Bin , Lyu Cui , Yu Jing , Du Xia , Yin Yi , Huang Mingming , Gao Bo , Chen Bihong T
Published: July 2022

Purpose Utilizing activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to investigate alterations of gray matter (GM) and brain activations in patients with breast cancer treated with chemotherapy. Methods Systematic literature search was performed to identify relevant reports. ALE method was used to assess pooled neuroimaging data obtained from selected reports for both GM alteration via voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis and brain activation changes from task-based functional MRI (fMRI). Results There were 9 GM studies and 14 fMRI studies included in this meta-analysis. In ALE analysis of GM studies, GM reduction was noted in right superior frontal gyrus, right declive, right insula, right supramarginal gyrus, right culmen, etc. GM increase was noted in left cingulate gyrus, left lentiform nucleus, right cingulate gyrus, right caudate, left superior frontal gyrus, etc. In ALE analysis of fMRI, hyperactivation clusters included regions in left thalamus, left claustrum, left lentiform nucleus, left inferior frontal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, etc. Hypo-activation clusters included regions in left cingulate gyrus, left precuneus, right fusiform gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, left cuneus, etc. Conjunction analyses showed only overlapping area with both GM reduction and brain hyperactivation was located in inferior parietal lobule. Conclusion This study identified alterations of GM and task-based brain activation in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. This study contributed to the literature on chemotherapy associated neural correlates of brain changes in breast cancer patients.
Conservative Surgical Approach towards Placenta Accreta Spectrum Disorders for Uterine Preservation
Authors: Siraj Shahul Hameed Mohamed , TAN Kok Hian , Wright Ann
Published: July 2022

Objective
We previously described a technique for repair of the myometrial defect at repeat Caesarean section which increases residual myometrial thickness thereby potentially reducing future niche-related complications. Here we describe how this technique can be modified for use for placenta accreta spectrum disorders which is supported by emerging evidence that this is more a disorder of myometrial deficiency than morbid adherence
Design:
The surgical performance of peripartum hysterectomy was compared with that of the modified technique in all women having repeat Caesarean delivery for placenta accrete spectrum disorder in a tertiary unit in Singapore between December 2019 and October 2021.
Methods
Modification of the original technique involved the systematic delivery of the placenta starting from its most posterior attachment after uterine exteriorisation, followed by the identification, mobilization and apposition of the boundaries of myometrial defects as described previously.
Results
Ten women had Caesarean hysterectomy and ten had Caesarean section using the modified approach. Age and gestational age at delivery were similar for the two groups. Women in the modified technique group had had fewer prior Caesarean sections and had a lower body mass index. Operating time, estimated blood loss and need for transfusion were all lower in the myometrial repair group but without statistical significance and there were no visceral injuries. There was one bladder injury in the hysterectomy group.
Conclusion
The modified approach provides an effective alternative to peripartum hysterectomy with favourable surgical profile and allows uterine conservation with restoration of myometrial thickness.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of tuberculosis detection strategy based on close contact cohort
Authors: Bao Liangliang , Razbek Jaina , Zhang Yan , Xu Wanting , Mao Hongkai , Cao Mingqin , Zhang Xiaoxu , Daken Mayisha , Xia Wenjun
Published: July 2022

Background Close contacts of active pulmonary tuberculosis patients are high-risk groups for tuberculosis. Through active screening of contacts, more contacts who have recently been exposed to pulmonary tuberculosis patients, early existing pulmonary tuberculosis patients, and latent infections can be found. Methods The decision tree Markov model of close contacts screening strategy was established to simulate the cohort of close contacts of tuberculosis. The cost effects of passive screening strategy and active screening once, twice, and once a year were compared. Single-factor and probability sensitivity analyses were conducted to test the impact of assumptions and parameter estimates in the model on cost-effectiveness analysis. Results Compared with passive screening, active screening once, twice, and once a year could reduce the incidence of latent infection by 0.21%, 14.286%, and 63.48%, respectively; Compared with the passive screening strategy, active screening once, twice, and once a year can reduce the incidence of active tuberculosis by 4.13%, 11.22%, and 50.04% respectively; Compared with the passive screening strategy, the active screening once, twice and once a year strategy reduced the incidence of TB deaths by 2.86%, 5.71%, and 11.43% respectively. Compared with the passive screening strategy, active screening once, active screening twice, and active screening once a year will cost 8800.43 RMB, 5781.70 RMB, and 13825.04 RMB more for each additional QALY, which is lower than the willingness of Chinese people to pay and is less than twice the GDP of Xinjiang. The increased cost of obtaining an additional QALY is entirely worth it. All these are advantageous strategies. Conclusion Compared with the passive screening strategy, the cost and effect of the active screening strategy of once, twice, and once a year increase in turn, which can reduce the incidence of LTBI, tuberculosis, and tuberculosis death, and are all advantageous strategies. Continuous active screening of tuberculosis in critical populations is one of the key measures to quickly reduce the epidemic situation of tuberculosis. It is recommended to carry out regular screening for all close contacts of active tuberculosis patients. Reasonably allocate health resources, and propose reasonable screening methods for different age groups and critical groups.
Cross-Sectional Study of the Relationship between Trait Emotional Intelligence and Career Adaptability of Chinese Youths
Authors: Pong Hok Ko , Leung Chi Hung
Published: July 2022

Background: This research examined the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and the career adaptability of Chinese youths in Hong Kong.Method: Cross-sectional data (N = 500) were collected from two universities in 2019 and 2020. The 2019 sample consisted of 256 Chinese university students (117 males, 139 females; ages 21-25). The 2020 sample included 244 Chinese university students (132 males, 112 females; ages 21-25). The participants were asked to complete the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) to evaluate their emotional intelligence in the domains of self-emotion appraisal, other people's emotion appraisal, regulation of emotion, and use of emotion. The participants completed the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) to assess their career adaptability in the areas of concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. Results: All domains of trait emotional intelligence were positively associated with career adaptability. Multiple Regression analysis showed that self-emotion appraisal and other people's emotional appraisal were the most predictive of career adaptability. Together, these two dimensions of emotional intelligence explained 12.5%, 26.2%, 13.4% and 69.4% of the variance in students’ concern, control, curiosity, and confidence in relation to career adaptability, respectively. Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of incorporating emotional intelligence into the curriculum for students, so they are better prepared for changes over the course of their careers.
Interobserver variation in the assessment of HER2 low expression in breast cancer: can we improve by adjusting criteria? An international interobserver study.
Authors: Navarro Ximena Baez , Bockstal Mieke Rosalie van , Nawawi Diënna , Broeckx Glenn , Colpaert Cecile , Doebar Shusma Charlane , Hogenes Marieke C.H. , Koop Esther , Lambein Kathleen , Peeters Dieter J.E. , Sinke Renata , Brakel Johannes Bastiaan van , Starre-Gaal José van der , Vegt Bert Van der , de Vijver Koen Van , Vreuls Celien P.H. , Vreuls Willem , Westenend Pieter , Deurzen Carolien van
Published: July 2022

The classification of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) expression is optimized to detect HER2-amplified breast cancer (BC). However, novel HER2-targeting agents are also effective for BCs with low levels of HER2. This raises the question whether the current guidelines for HER2-testing are sufficiently reproducible to identify HER2 low BC. The aim of this multicenter international study was to assess the interobserver agreement of HER2 low scoring according to the current American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) guidelines. Furthermore, we evaluated whether the agreement improved by redefining immunohistochemistry (IHC) scoring criteria, or by adding fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). We performed a two-round study of 105 non-amplified BCs. During the first assessment, sixteen pathologists used the latest version of the ASCO/CAP guidelines. After a consensus meeting, the same pathologists scored the same digital slides using modified IHC scoring criteria based on the 2007 ASCO/CAP guideline, and an extra ‘ultralow’ category was added. Overall, the interobserver agreement was limited (4.7% of cases with 100% agreement) in the first round, but this improved by clustering IHC categories. In the second round, the highest reproducibility was seen when comparing IHC 0 versus the grouped cluster of ultralow/1+/2+ (74.3% of cases with 100% agreement). FISH results were not statistically different between HER2 0 and HER2 low cases, regardless of the IHC criteria used. In conclusion, our study suggests that the modified 2007 ASCO/CAP criteria were more reproducible to distinguish HER2 0 from HER2 low cases as compared to the 2018 ASCO/CAP criteria. However, the reproducibility was still moderate, which was not improved by adding FISH. This could lead to suboptimal selection of patients eligible for novel HER2-targeting agents. There is a need for clearer, more reproducible IHC definitions, training and/or development of more accurate methods to detect HER2 low BC.
Modeling tropospheric zenith wet delays in the Chinese mainland based on machine learning
Authors: Li Qinzheng , Yuan Linguo , Jiang Zhongshan
Published: July 2022

The neutral atmospheric refraction effect is one of the main error sources in the analyses of space geodetic data and its modeling is still limited due to the high variations of the atmospheric water vapor. In this study, the tropospheric zenith wet delay (ZWD) modeling was realized based on the nonlinear regression analysis of 7 years (2013–2019) of radiosonde data at 182 sites in the mainland of China and the surroundings through two machine learning (ML) approaches including the back propagation neural network (BPNN) and random forest (RF). Furthermore, the forecasting performance of the ML-based models and other formulae for ZWD calculation was assessed by the comparisons with the numerical integration of temperature and humidity profiles at discrete sites for the year 2020. Our results show that the RF-based and BPNN-based blind ZWD models obtain an overall accuracy of 4.7 cm in the mainland of China, which is slightly superior to that of the empirical GPT3 model (RMS error: 4.8 cm). On the other hand, when sites are accessible to surface meteorological data, the RF-based and BPNN-based models with meteorological parameterization (CZWD-C and CZWD-F) can achieve overall accuracies of 3.5 cm and 3.7 cm in the Chinese mainland, respectively, whose accuracies are better than that of the traditional Saastamoinen model (RMS error: 4.4 cm) and Askne and Nordius (1987) formula (RMS error: 4.0 cm). Moreover, ZWD forecasting accuracy in the mainland of China is significantly improved by introducing surface meteorological parameters into the functional formulation, in particular with the surface water vapor pressure. Concerning the spatial distribution of model accuracy, it can be found that these empirical ZWD models such as the GPT3 exhibit prominent large RMS errors exceeding 6 cm in the regions with Indian monsoon climate and East Asia monsoon climate types. Whereas the ML-based models with meteorological parameterization can improve ZWD forecasting accuracy across the mainland of China, especially in these regions with monsoon climate patterns.
Research on pulse transmission characteristics based on combined dispersion- decreasing fiber loop mirror
Authors: Zhang Qiaofen , Pang Liangyu , Wang Guitang , Gao Zihao , Chen Chubang
Published: July 2022

This paper investigates a combined dispersion-decreasing fiber loop mirror consisting of a fourth order super-Gaussian dispersion-decreasing fiber and a Gaussian dispersion-decreasing fiber. The length ratio of the two optical fibers in the loop mirror is analyzed and optimized to achieve a high-quality ultra-short output pulse. The results show that the optimal output pulse with no pedestal and a high compression ratio of F = 49.6 can be obtain at the fiber length L = 4.3km. Compared with the traditional dispersion-decreasing fiber loop mirror, the compression ratio is increased by 18.5 times, achieving ultra-short pulse output at the picosecond level.
Association between testosterone and bone mineral density in females aged 40-60 years from NHANES 2011- 2016
Authors: Zhang Han , Ma Kun , Li Run-Min , Li Jia-ni , Gao Shan-feng , Ma Lin-na
Published: July 2022

Introduction:
Growing evidence indicates that testosterone is a conspicuous marker for assessing male bone mineral density (BMD). However, research regarding testosterone levels and BMD is sparse and controversial for females. Hence, we aimed to investigate the association between testosterone levels and BMD among adult females aged 40–60 years in America.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, all individuals were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011–2016). A weighted general linear model was used to estimate the association between testosterone and lumbar BMD. Age, race, income level, education level, body mass index (BMI), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level, serum uric acid (UA) level, serum calcium (Ca) level, serum phosphorus (P) level, oral contraceptive use, female hormones use(estrogen and progesterone), smoking status, drinking status were adjusted using a weighted multiple regression model.
Results
We included 2198 female individuals in the study, testosterone levels were positively associated with lumbar BMD after adjusting for all the covariates (β = 0.0008, 95% confidence interval = 0.0001, 0.0015, P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that the results remained stable.
Conclusions
In US adults female aged 40–60 years, the testosterone level was an independent positive correlation with the lumbar BMD after adjusting for covariates. Based on our findings, testosterone may be a marker for predicting osteoporosis in females.
ATR1 Angiotensin II Receptor Reduces Hemoglobin S Polymerization, Phosphatidylserine Exposure and Increases Deformability of Sickle Cell Disease Erythrocytes
Authors: Nobre Camila Cristina Guimarães , Reis Evelyn Mendonça , Teixeira-Alves Lyzes Rosa , Miranda-Alves Leandro , Berto-Junior Clemilson
Published: July 2022

Background: Ang II (Ang II) regulates blood volume and stimulates erythropoiesis through AT1 (ATR1) and AT2 (ATR2) receptors, being found in multiple tissues, including erythrocytes. Sickle cell disease (SCD) patients presents altered Ang II (Ang II) levels.Hypothesis: Hemoglobin S polymerization, erythrocyte adhesion, deformability and eryptosis are important features of mature erythrocyte, therefore, our hypothesis is Ang II affect these parameters and, if does, which would be the influence of AT1R and AT2R in these effects.Methods: A Polymerization Assay (PA), static adhesion, deformability and annexin V binding were performed in SCD erythrocytes samples adding Ang II, ATR1 antagonist (losartan or eprosartan), and ATR2 antagonist (PD123319).Results: Through the PA test, we observed a dose-dependent polymerization inhibition effect when comparing Ang II to control. Losartan did not affect nor the level nor the rate of Ang II inhibition, while PD123319 showed an increased level of protection against polymerization and eprosartan brought levels back to control. Ang II does not change static adhesion but was able to reduce eryptosis in the presence of PD123319. Also, ATR1 shows a positive effect increasing deformability.Conclusion: our data shows that ATR1 is important for maintenance of erythrocyte physiological function in SCD and for prolonging its life.
The impact of age on rectal cancer treatment, complications and survival
Authors: Høydahl Øystein , Edna Tom-Harald , Xanthoulis Athanasios , Lydersen Stian , Endreseth Birger Henning
Published: July 2022

Background The number of older patients with rectal cancer is increasing. Treatment outcome discrepancies persist, despite similar treatment guidelines. To offer the oldest patients optimal individually adjusted care, further knowledge is needed regarding treatment strategy and outcome. The present study aimed to evaluate treatment, postoperative complications, and survival in older patients treated for rectal cancer. Methods This retrospective study included all 666 patients (n=255 females, n=411 males) treated for rectal cancer at Levanger Hospital during 1980-2016 (n=193 <65 years, n=329 65-79 years, n=144 ≥80 years). We performed logistic regression to analyse associations between complications, 90-day mortality, and explanatory variables. We performed a relative survival analysis to identify factors associated with short- and long-term survival.Results Despite a similar distribution of cancer stages across age-groups, patients aged ≥80 years were treated with a non-curative approach more frequently than younger age groups. Among patients aged ≥80 years, 42% underwent a non-curative treatment approach, compared to 25% of patients aged <65 years, and 25% of patients aged 65-79 years. The 90-day mortality was 15.3% among patients aged ≥80 years, compared to 5.7% among patients aged <65 years, and 9.4% among patients aged 65-79 years. Among 431 (65%) patients treated with a major resection with curative intent, the 90-day mortality was 5.9% among patients aged ≥80 years (n=68), compared to 0.8% among patients aged <65 years (n=126), and 3.8% among patients aged 65-79 years (n=237). The rate of postoperative complications was 47.6%. Pneumonia was the only complication that occurred more frequently in the older patient group. The severity of complications increased with three factors: age, American Society of Anaesthesiologists score, and >400 ml perioperative blood loss. Among patients that survived the first 90 days, the relative long-term survival rates, five-year local recurrence rates, and metastases rates were independent of age.Conclusion Patients aged ≥80 years were less likely to undergo a major resection with curative intent and experienced more severe complications after surgery than patients aged <80 years. When patients aged ≥80 years were treated with a major resection with curative intent, the long-term survival rate was comparable to that of younger patients.
Associations between traumatic event experiences, psychiatric disorders, and suicidal behavior in the general population of Afghanistan: findings from Afghan National Mental Health Survey
Authors: Sabawoon Ajmal , Keyes Katherine M , Karam Elie , Kovess-Masfety Viviane
Published: July 2022

Background: The role of traumatic event exposure and psychiatric disorders as central risk factors for suicidal behavior has been established, but there is limited data in high conflict regions with significant trauma exposures such as Afghanistan. Methods: A nationally-representative, cross-sectional survey was conducted through systematic stratified random sampling in 8 regions of Afghanistan in 2017 (N=4,474). Well-validated instruments were used to establish trauma exposure, psychiatric disorders. Death preference, suicidal ideation, plan, and attempts were assessed. Results: In the total sample, 2.2% reported suicidal ideation in the past 12-months, and 7.1% of respondents reported that they had suicidal ideation at some point in their lives; 3.4% reported a suicide attempt. Women were at higher risk than men. All traumatic event exposures were strongly associated with suicidal behavior. Respondents who reported experiencing sexual violence were 4.4 times more likely to report lifetime suicide attempts (95% CI: 2.3-8.4), and 5.8 times more likely to report past 12-month suicidal ideation (95% CI: 2.7-12.4). Associations were strong and significant for all psychiatric disorders related to suicidal behavior. Respondents who met criteria for major depressive episodes (OR=9.8; 95% CI: 5.9-16.1), generalized anxiety disorder (OR=9.2; 95% CI: 5.2-16.3), and PTSD (OR=9.3; 95% CI: 5.5-15.7) had the highest risk of past 12-month suicidal ideation. Conclusions: Traumatic event exposures and psychiatric disorders increase risk of suicidal behavior in the Afghan general population; women are at high risk. Interventions to reduce trauma exposure, including expansion of a mental health workforce in the region, is critically important.
A Predictive and Empirical Analysis of CPI Rate on Key Financial Indicators
Authors: Hungund Bilal , Rastogi Shilpa
Published: July 2022

The assessment and performance of national economy involves the aggregation of major economic indicators. The Consumer Price Index is perhaps the most used indicator among the numerous statistical indicators that are available to the planners, administrators, policy makers and the general public at large to analyse the status of the national economy at any point of time. Additionally, the six core financial indicators of an Indian economy namely, foreign exchanges reserves, supply of money, nominal exchange rates, stock market index, country’s industrial production, and CPI rate have a significant relationship in the development of an economy. The aggregation of these indicators could imply that the change in one indicator may affect the other indicator. The relationship of the indicators was explored and it was concluded that there is a correlation between CPI rate and five specified key financial indicators (considering sub-components). Additionally, there is a multicollinearity present in the specified key financial indicators. Furthermore, by using a comprehensive data science tool a predictive deep learning model was built to predict the CPI rate.
Local neuroplasticity in adult glaucomatous visual cortex
Authors: Carvalho Joana , Invernizzi Azzurra , Martins Joana , Renken Remco J. , Cornelissen Frans W.
Published: July 2022

The degree to which the adult human visual cortex retains the ability to functionally adapt to damage at the level of the eye remains ill-understood. Previous studies on cortical neuroplasticity primarily focused on the consequences of foveal visual field defects (VFD), yet these findings may not generalize to peripheral defects such as occur in glaucoma. Moreover, recent findings on neuroplasticity are often based on population receptive field (pRF) mapping, but interpreting these results is complicated in the absence of appropriate control conditions. Here, we used fMRI-based neural modeling to assess putative changes in pRFs associated with glaucomatous VFD. We compared the fMRI-signals and pRF estimates in participants with glaucoma to those of controls with case-matched simulated VFD. We found that the amplitude of the fMRI-signal is reduced in glaucoma compared to control participants and correlated with disease severity. Furthermore, while coarse retinotopic structure is maintained in all participants with glaucoma, we observed local pRF shifts and enlargements in early visual areas, relative to control participants. These differences imply that the adult brain retains local neuroplasticity. This finding has translational relevance, as it is consistent with VFD masking, which prevents glaucoma patients from noticing their VFD and seeking timely treatment.
Photochemical growth of silver nanoplates on graphene oxide for the electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Pilicita Johana , Briceño Sarah , Suppan Gottfried , Vizuete Karla , Debut Alexis
Published: July 2022

In this work, we growth silver nanoplates on graphene oxide (GO) as an electrochemical sensor for detecting hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Silver nanoplates on GO were obtained by the in-situ photoreduction method at 540 nm excitation wavelength. The nanocomposites were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and the electrochemical properties were measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Our results reveal the transformation of quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles from 12 nm to planar faces of 25 nm on GO. The preeminent detection range for H2O2 determination was 0.4 mM to 3 mM with a detection limit of 0.28 mM and sensitivity of 444.51 µA mM−1 cm−2. The results reveal that a synergistic effect between silver nanoplates on GO enhances the electrochemical properties for the determination of H2O2.
Study of Thyroid function among COVID-19 affected and non-affected people during pre and post vaccination
Authors: Razu Mamudul Hasan , Hossain Md. Iqbal , Ahmed Zabed Bin , Bhowmik Mousumi , Hasan Md. Kazy Ebnul , Kibria Md. Kaderi , Moni Dil Afroz , Khan Mala
Published: July 2022

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has caused a global pandemic with many long-ranging effects on the human body's physiological balance. The impact of COVID-19 on the thyroid axis remains uncertain. Our aim was to assess the long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection and its vaccination with thyroid hormones. Thirty laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-positive patients with no vaccination record, thirty COVID-19 negative patients with vaccination records, and ten healthy subjects were retrospectively and cross-sectionally enrolled in this study. An ELISA assay was used to evaluate the thyroid function tests, including total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). We found decreased levels of TT3, normal or low plasma T4 levels, and normal or slightly decreased TSH levels in unvaccinated COVID-19 positive patients than in the healthy group, while the vaccinated COVID-19 negative group had normal thyroid hormone levels compared to controls. The correlation between TT3 and TSH levels appeared to gradually shift from no association to a negative pattern in the unvaccinated COVID-19 positive group. Again, a highly significant negative correlation between TSH and TT3 was observed on days above 150, although a slight fluctuation was noted on day 90. This pilot study from Bangladesh shows that abnormalities in thyroid function can be observed during COVID-19 infection and after vaccination, which gradually recovers over time.
Factors associated with health facility delivery among reproductive age women in Nepal: An analysis of Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019
Authors: Thapa Naba Raj , Upreti Shanti Prasad
Published: July 2022

BackgroundDelivery in health facility is an essentials factor in improving maternal health. Reducing maternal mortality is the one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 3. Health facility delivery is still major concern in Nepal. This study aims to determine the factors associated with delivery in health facility among women aged 15-49 years in Nepal. Methods This study used data from Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey. This survey was a two-stage, stratified cluster sampling. A total of 1,950 married women age 15-49 years who had at least one live birth in the last two years preceding the survey were included in the analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed in this study.ResultsSeventy-eight percent of women delivered in health facility. Women from urban area (AOR= 1.64, p<0.01), women residing in Sudurpaschim province (AOR=5.68, p<0.001), women who used internet (AOR=1.53, p<0.05), women with first parity (AOR=2.79, p<0.001), and women from richest household status (AOR= 6.10, p<0.005) and women who attained at least four ANC visits (AOR=12.77, p<0.001) were associated with higher odds of delivering in a health facility. ConclusionConsideration should be given to female education, poverty reduction and promotion of maternal healthcare services with particular attention to uneducated women or with low education levels, who reside in rural areas, women from poor household status and disparity in maternal health services across the provinces.
Mechanical interaction between the ground and a tibial prosthesis: a new characterisation protocol
Authors: Doyen Élodie , Szmytka Fabien , Semblat Jean-François
Published: July 2022

The study of Running Specific Prostheses (RSPs) is often limited to the blade. The setup developed and presented here is a simple experiment based on a testing machine and a camera that assesses two indicators relevant to coaches and athletes in the field of athletics: secant stiffness and energy dissipation. The influence of four parameters on global prosthesis behaviour was assessed: the load line adjustment, the prosthesis-ground angle, the sole type and the flooring type. The load line adjustment and the flooring type have little to no influence on their behaviour. The prosthesis-ground angle impacts the stiffness: an increase in angle brings a significant decrease in stiffness. The influence of the type of sole is harder to use for athletics since the practice of sport imposes the use of spikes. The camera images allow assessing the local behaviour of the sole, thus enabling to follow its strain through the compression process.
Prognostic impact of the number of metastatic lymph nodes after surgery in locally advanced hypopharyngeal cancer
Authors: Nishimura Ari , Yokota Tomoya , Hamauchi Satoshi , Onozawa Yusuke , Notsu Akifumi , Sato Fuyuki , Kawakami Takeshi , Ogawa Hirofumi , Onoe Tsuyoshi , Mukaigawa Takashi
Published: July 2022

Background
Postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a standard therapy for patients with high-risk factors for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, including incomplete resection and extra-nodal extension (ENE). However, the prognostic impact of the number of pathological metastatic lymph nodes (pLNs) in hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC) is unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate postoperative prognostic factors for locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HPSCC) with a focus on the number of pLNs.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 99 consecutive patients with LA-HPSCC who underwent total pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy (TPLE) and bilateral neck dissection (ND) between December 2002 and May 2019.
Results
The median follow-up time for all censored patients was 63.2 months. The median overall survival was 101.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 48.1–134.9). Forty-five (45.5%) and 56 (56.5%) patients had pLNs < 3 and ≥ 3, respectively. Forty-six (45.5%) patients were diagnosed with ENE. Twenty (20.2%) patients received postoperative CRT and 79 (79.8%) did not. The multivariate analysis revealed that pLNs ≥ 3 (hazard ratio [HR] 2.39, 95% CI 1.16–4.94, p < 0.01) and ENE (HR 4.60, 95% CI 2.26–9.36, p < 0.01) were significantly associated with poor prognosis and that postoperative CRT (HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.16–0.72, p < 0.01) was significantly associated with better prognosis. The cumulative incidence of distant metastasis was higher in patients with pLNs ≥ 3 than in those with pLNs < 3 (p < 0.01).
Conclusions
pLNs ≥ 3 and ENE were significant poor prognostic factors for patients with LA-HPSCC who underwent TPLE and bilateral ND.
Exosomal miR-135a-5p promotes neovascularization via targeting SIRT1 in diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Li Yingxue , Fu Yan , Tong Yao , Zheng Yuanyuan , Yang Lu , Chen Yichen
Published: July 2022

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most serious microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Retinal neovascularization （RNV) under the continuous influence of hyperglycemia is the main cause of blindness in DR patients, but the mechanism of neovascularization has not been fully elucidated yet. In this study, we investigated the effect of exosomes secreted by human retinal pigmented epithelial (ARPE-19) cells at high glucose concentrations on in vitro angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs). The role of exosomal miRNAs in the pathogenesis of DR was explored.Methods: Exosomes were extracted from the supernatant of ARPE-19 cells by differential centrifugation. Confocal microscopy was used to observe whether exosomes could be taken up by HUVEC, and the effects of exosomes on HUVEC angiogenesis under three sets of glucose concentrations were observed by co-culture and in vitro angiogenesis. The expression of 21 candidate miRNAsin exosomes and 22 candidate mRNAsin HUVEC after the effect of three sets of glucose concentrations was examined by qRT-PCR. Prediction of miRNA-targeted regulatory mRNAs by bioinformatics. Regulation of miR-135a-5p expression by transfection of small interfering RNA and miRNA mimic. Western blot and qRT-PCR were performed to detect the expression of SITR1.Results: Confocal images show that high glucose-induced exosomes （HG-exo） can be taken up by HUVECs and promote the tube formation of HUVECs in vitro. The results of qRT-PCR showed that the expressions of miR-9-3p, miR-135a-5p, miR-134-5p, miR-195-3p, miR-181c-5p and miR-132-3p were upregulated in HG-exo (P < 0.05). The expressions of HIF-1α, SIRT1 and SPRED1 in HUVECs co-cultured with HG-exo were decreased (P < 0.05). Bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-135a-5p binds to the SIRT1 3'UTR region. We verified this by transfection experiments and showed that miR-135a-5p could inhibit the expression of SIRT1 mRNA and protein.Conclusions:In the presence of high glucose, exosomal miR135a-5p secreted by ARPE-19 cells targeted the SIRT1 3'UTR region and inhibited SIRT1 expression, which in turn promoted neovascularization.