bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of dorsal penile nerve block alone and in combination with lidocaine–prilocaine cream in neonates undergoing circumcision: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Ogundele Ibukunolu Olufemi , Nwokoro Chigbundu Collins , Adedeji Tewogbade Adeoye , Igwe Arua Obasi , Adumah Collins Chijioke , Talabi Ademola Olusegun , Shonubi Aderibigbe Modupe , Sowande Oludayo Adedapo
Published: November 2022

Background

Suboptimal neonatal circumcision analgesia causes a significant stress response. There is continued search for more effective analgesia for neonatal circumcision. We aimed to determine whether lidocaine–prilocaine cream (LPC) prior to dorsal penile nerve block (DPNB) offers better analgesia than DPNB alone.

Methods

A prospective randomized study of 72 neonates undergoing plastibell circumcision was randomized into two groups of 36 each. Group I received DPNB alone with 4 mg/kg plain lidocaine. Group II had 1 g LPC applied to the phallus 1 hour before DPNB. Serum cortisol levels were measured 30 min preoperatively and 30 min postoperatively. Heart rate (HR) and peripheral arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) were noted at 30 min preoperatively, after DPNB injection, after excising the prepuce, and at 30 min thereafter. The primary outcome measure was change in serum cortisol levels, while secondary outcomes were changes in HR and SpO2.

Results

Both groups had increased mean serum cortisol levels, decreased mean SpO2and increased mean HR from baseline. The rise in mean serum cortisol level was significantly lower in group II (8.09±4.53 µg/dL) than that in group I (11.42±7.83 µg/dL) (p=0.034). Changes in SpO2and HR were significantly less in group II than that in group I patients (p<0.05), except for HR changes at 30 min after excision of the prepuce (p=0.086).

Conclusion

These data suggest that neonates who received LPC prior to DPNB experienced significantly less pain from plastibell circumcision than those who had DPNB alone.

Trial registration number

PACTR201906554747665.
Definability Results for Top-Down Tree Transducers
Authors: Maneth Sebastian , Seidl Helmut , Vu Martin
Published: November 2022

Top-down tree transducers are well established formalism for describing tree translations. Such transducers can be further enhanced with look-ahead allowing them to inspect input subtrees before processing them. Oftentimes it is advantageous to know when the look-ahead can be eliminated and the translation be implemented by a simpler transducer. We show that for a given top-down transducer with look-ahead it is decidable whether or not its translation is definable (1) by a linear deterministic top-down tree transducer or (2) by a tree homomorphism. We present algorithms that construct equivalent such transducers if they exist. Our results also apply to bottom-up transducers as well as compositions of transducers.
Conversion to almost classical virtual links and pseudo Goeritz matrices
Authors: Kamada Naoko
Published: November 2022

The notion of a virtual link is a generalization of a classical link. Alexander numbering is a numbering of [Formula: see text] to arcs of a classical link diagram which is due to a numbering to disks of a complement of a link diagram in [Formula: see text]. Every classical link diagram admits Alexander numbering. A virtual link diagram corresponds to a link diagram in a closed oriented surface. Some virtual link diagrams do not admit any Alexander numbering. If a virtual link diagram admits Alexander numbering, we call it an almost classical virtual link diagram. In this paper, we construct a map from the set of virtual link diagrams to that of almost classical virtual link diagrams. It induces a map from the set of virtual links to that of almost classical virtual links. Using this map, we define a kind of Goeritz matrix of virtual link diagrams and introduce invariants of virtual links.
An Efficient Blood Pressure Estimation and Risk Analysis System of PPG Signals Using IDA and MPPIW-DLNN Algorithms
Authors: Thakkar Priyanka Bibay , Talwekar R. H.
Published: November 2022

The non-invasive Blood Pressure Estimation (BPE) utilizing the technology of photoplethysmography (PPG) gains significant interest because PPG could be extensively employed to wearable sensors. Here, a method for estimating Systolic Blood pressure (SBP), as well as Diastolic Blood pressure (DBP), grounded only on a PPG signal utilizing the Image Denoising Algorithms (IDA) algorithms is proposed. Also, a classification methodology to execute the risk analysis (RA) of the BP patients utilizing Moore–Penrose Pseudo-Inverse Matrix-Deep Learning Neural Network (MPPIW-DLNN) is proposed. The preprocessing is then done on the input PPG signal utilizing the Modified–Chebyshev Filter (CF) to eradicate the unwanted information existent in the signal. Afterward, the BPE is done utilizing IDA, which categorizes those components into (i) SBP and (ii) DBP. The MPPIW-DLNN provides the results of four sorts of risk classes like (i) stroke, (ii) heart failure (HF), (iii) heart attack (HA), and (iv) aneurysm identified from the inputted PPG signal.
Uniform and Controllable Preparation of Ag–Au Composite Cascade Hollow Nanoarrays and Applications in SERS Trace Molecules Detection
Authors: Wu Jing , Yuan Xiaotong , Che Wenkuan , Jin Yonglong , Fang Jinghuai , Cheng Mingfei
Published: November 2022

In recent years, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique based on localized electromagnetic field enhancement on noble metal surfaces has received extensive attention in the field of trace molecule sensing and detection. However, in the process of practical application, the current SERS detection performance is still unable to achieve high detection sensitivity and high repeatability at the same time. In this paper, an efficient and controllable preparation method of Ag–Au composite cascade hollow nanoarray SERS substrates were provided based on nanoimprinting, conformal transfer and electrodeposition techniques. Crystal Violet (CV) was used as the probe molecule, and a low relative standard deviation of 6.65% of SERS intensity was obtained, and the detection concentration could be as low as 10[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M, which can meet the needs of practical applications. The structure has multi-scale cascade characteristics, and significantly broadens the electromagnetic field enhancement characteristics of traditional single-scale configuration nanostructures on the premise of ensuring the uniformity of SERS detection. Such substrates can provide more abundant molecular adsorption sites, which is conducive to improving SERS detection sensitivity and stability. This method is universal, simple and with controllable and repeatable preparation process, which has good application potential in the construction of large-area uniform cascaded nanoarray structure SERS substrates.
Commodity futures price forecast based on multi-scale combination model
Authors: Liu Yijia , Gao Yukun , Shi Yufeng , Zhang Yuxue , Li Li , Han Qimeng
Published: November 2022

Along with developing the commodity futures market, its promoting effect on China’s economic development has gradually increased. Research on the price prediction of commodity futures has important practical significance to society and enterprises. However, commodity futures price series often show nonstationary and nonlinear characteristics In this paper, a new multi-scale combined prediction model is proposed, which combines variational mode decomposition (VMD), long short-term memory neural network (LSTM), and improved self-attention mechanism (XNSA). First, VMD decomposes futures prices into several components to reduce their nonstationarity. Then, the LSTM model with an improved self-attention mechanism (XNSA) is used to model and optimize the decomposed sub-sequences so that the model can concentrate on learning more important data features and further improve the prediction performance. In order to verify the effectiveness of this method, this paper takes No. 1 Soybeans Futures, Corn Futures, and Soybean Meal Futures daily closing price series from Dalian Commodity Exchange as representatives to predict their future return trend. The results show that compared with the existing combination forecasting models, the proposed multi-scale combination model (VMD-LSTM-XNSA) has better forecasting performance. It lays the foundation for developing a corresponding quantitative investment strategy.
Tripartite Transmitting Methodology for Intermittently Connected Mobile Network (ICMN)
Authors: Sekaran Ramesh , Al-Turjman Fadi , Patan Rizwan , Ramasamy Velmani
Published: November 2022

Mobile network is a collection of devices with dynamic behavior where devices keep moving, which may lead to the network track to be connected or disconnected. This type of network is called
Intermittently Connected Mobile Network (ICMN)
. The ICMN network is designed by splitting the region into `n' regions, ensuring it is a disconnected network. This network holds the same topological structure with mobile devices in it. This type of network routing is a challenging task. Though research keeps deriving techniques to achieve efficient routing in ICMN such as Epidemic, Flooding, Spray, copy case, Probabilistic, and Wait, these derived techniques for routing in ICMN are wise with higher packet delivery ratio, minimum latency, lesser overhead, and so on. A new routing schedule has been enacted comprising three optimization techniques such as
Privacy-Preserving Ant Routing Protocol (PPARP), Privacy-Preserving Routing Protocol (PPRP),
and
Privacy-Preserving Bee Routing Protocol (PPBRP)
. In this paper, the enacted technique gives an optimal result following various network characteristics. Algorithms embedded with productive routing provide maximum security. Results are pointed out by analysis taken from spreading false devices into the network and its effectiveness at worst case. This paper also aids with the comparative results of enacted algorithms for secure routing in ICMN.
Efficiently Cleaning Structured Event Logs: A Graph Repair Approach
Authors: Huang Ruihong , Wang Jianmin , Song Shaoxu , Lin Xuemin , Zhu Xiaochen , Pei Jian
Published: November 2022

Event data are often dirty owing to various recording conventions or simply system errors. These errors may cause serious damage to real applications, such as inaccurate provenance answers, poor profiling results, or concealing interesting patterns from event data. Cleaning dirty event data is strongly demanded. While existing event data cleaning techniques view event logs as sequences, structural information does exist among events, such as the task passing relationships between staffs in workflow or the invocation relationships among different micro-services in monitoring application performance. We argue that such structural information enhances not only the accuracy of repairing inconsistent events but also the computation efficiency. It is notable that both the structure and the names (labeling) of events could be inconsistent. In real applications, while an unsound structure is not repaired automatically (which requires manual effort from business actors to handle the structure error), it is highly desirable to repair the inconsistent event names introduced by recording mistakes. In this article, we first prove that the inconsistent label repairing problem is NP-complete. Then, we propose a graph repair approach for (1) detecting unsound structures, and (2) repairing inconsistent event names. Efficient pruning techniques together with two heuristic solutions are also presented. Extensive experiments over real and synthetic datasets demonstrate both the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposal.
Approaches, Methods, and Resources for Assessing the Readability of Arabic Texts
Authors: Nassiri Naoual , Cavalli-Sforza Violetta , Lakhouaja Abdelhak
Published: November 2022

Text readability assessment is a well-known problem that has acquired even more importance in today’s information-rich world. In this article, we survey various approaches to measuring and assessing the readability of texts. Our specific goal is to provide a perspective on the state-of-the-art in readability assessment research for Arabic, which differs significantly from other languages on which readability studies have tended to focus. We provide background on readability assessment research and tools for English, for which readability studies are the most advanced. We then survey approaches adopted for Arabic, both classical formula-based approaches and studies that combine Machine Learning (ML) with Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. The works we cover target text corpora for different audiences: school-age first language readers (L1), foreign language learners (L2), and adult readers in non-academic contexts. Therefore, we explore differences between reading in L1 and L2 and consider how they play out specifically in Arabic after describing language characteristics that may impact readability. Finally, we highlight challenges for Arabic readability research and propose multiple future directions to improve readability assessment and related applications that would benefit from more attention.
Talking Face Generation via Facial Anatomy
Authors: Liu Shiguang , Wang Huixin
Published: November 2022

To generate the corresponding talking face from a speech audio and a face image, it is essential to match the variations in the facial appearance with the speech audio in subtle movements of different face regions. Nevertheless, the facial movements generated by the existing methods lack detail and vividness, or the methods are only oriented toward a specific person. In this article, we propose a novel two-stage network to generate talking faces for any target identity through annotations of the action units (AUs). In the first stage, the relationship between the audio and the AUs in the audio-to-AU network is learned. The audio-to-AU network needs to produce the consistent AU group for the input audio. In the second stage, the AU group in the first stage and a face image are fed into the generation network to output the resulting talking face image. Various results confirm that, compared to state-of-the-art methods, our approach is able to produce more realistic and vivid talking faces for arbitrary targets with richer details of facial movements, such as the cheek motion and eyebrow motion.
The Relevance of SourceForge Data in the Age of GitHub
Authors: AlMarzouq Mohammad , AlZaidan Abdullatif , Al Dallal Jehad
Published: November 2022

GitHub's current prominence over SourceForge among Open Source Software (OSS) developers calls into question the continued relevance of SourceForge data, as well as the external validity and relevance of studies that investigate OSS theories using SourceForge data. In this paper, we investigate the continued relevance of SourceForge data and propose that using SourceForge or GitHub data is not an either/or proposition but rather two parts of a bigger picture. Echoing the call in the IS literature to contextualize theories, we highlight a number of significantly different contextual factors apparent in the two data sources and argue that data from both GitHub and SourceForge may be leveraged in comparative and replication studies to arrive at richer OSS theories. To enable engagement in cross-context comparative studies and the replication of OSS studies in multiple contexts, we suggest that the broader IS community should embrace a culture of open research to increase the transparency, replicability, and rigorousness of IS research.
Climate Change Adaptation: An Ecosystem-Based Approach for Livelihood Improvement of Fringe Communities around Worobong South Forest Reserve in Ghana
Authors: Adu-Acheampong Samuel , Kyei-Mensah Conrad , Kyerematen Rosina
Published: November 2022

Anthropogenic and climate-induced change can potentially impact negatively on direct dependents of forest ecosystem services. To help build resilient societies, we examined the vulnerability of ecosystem-dependent communities in the Worobong South Forest Reserve (WSFR). We also examined climate variability impacts on forests and further suggested ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) strategies for livelihood improvements in the study area. The reserve can be found in the Eastern region of Ghana. We administered 250 questionnaires as well as studied time series data for temperature and rainfall with satellite images using the mixed method approach. The types of questionnaires used were open-ended and closed-ended semistructured questionnaires. The study also involved a focus group discussion and the development of trend analysis of relationships between the two data sets in 2016. Our results show that respondents perceived variation in average annual temperature and rainfall over the past few decades as the main reasons for the decline in the supply of bush meat, freshwater, tree barks, and leaves in the study area. The results of the questionnaire corroborated those of the data for the time series obtained from the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMeT) which is correlated with changes in the structure of (WSFR). To build resilient livelihoods and ecosystems, residents suggested strategies such as intensification of agroforestry systems with gain sharing arrangements, forest regulation enforcement, and bushfire control as ways to sustain the forests in the WSFR. We conclude that any measure to develop any climate change resilient mechanism in the WSFR should include those suggestions from residents.
A Multi-Industry Analysis of the Future Use of AI Chatbots
Authors: Kelly Sage , Kaye Sherrie-Anne , Oviedo-Trespalacios Oscar
Published: November 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are set to be the defining technology of the next decade due to their ability to increase human capability at a low cost. However, more research is required to assess individuals’ behavioural intentions to use this technology when it becomes publicly available. This study applied an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), with additional predictors of trust and privacy concerns, to assess individuals’ behavioural intentions to use AI chatbots across three industries: mental health care, online shopping, and online banking. These services were selected due to the current popularity of regular chatbots in these fields. Participants (

N
=
360

, 202 females) aged between 17 and 85 years (

M
=
38.17

,

SD
=
17.66

) completed a 71-item online, cross-sectional survey. As hypothesised, perceived usefulness and trust were significant positive predictors of behavioural intentions across all three behaviours. However, the influence of the perceived ease of use and privacy concerns on behavioural intentions differed across the three behaviours. These findings highlight that the combination of predictors within the extended TAM have different influences on behavioural intentions to use AI chatbots for mental health care, online shopping, and online banking. This research contributes to the literature by demonstrating that the influence of the variables in one field cannot be generalised across all uses of AI chatbots.
Fault Diagnosis Method for Bearing Based on Digital Twin
Authors: Xie Xuyang , Yang Zichun , Wu Wenhao , Zhang Lei , Wang Xuefeng , Zeng Guoqing , Chen Guobing
Published: November 2022

The bearing is an essential component of rotating machinery, as its reliability and running state have a direct impact on the machinery’s performance. Considering that deep learning-based fault diagnosis methods for bearing require a large amount of labelled sample data, a novel fault diagnosis framework based on digital twin is proposed. In the case of fault data available, self-organizing maps with minimum quantization error and support vector machine are employed to analyze the data. Where fault data is unavailable, a bearing digital twin model is first constructed to simulate the data, and the convolutional neural network combined with transfer learning is utilized to diagnose the bearing faults. Then, the law of bearing performance degradation is investigated. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified using bearing vibration data.
Proteomic Analyses Reveals the Mechanism of Acupotomy Intervention on the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis in Rabbits
Authors: Liu Jing , Zeng Weiquan , Lin Qiaoxuan , Dai Rongqiong , Lu Liming , Guo Zexing , Lian Xiaowen , Pan Xigui , Liu Hong , Xiu Zhong-Biao
Published: November 2022

Acupotomy intervention (AI) is an available treatment for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in China, which is a common health problem over the world. However, the underlying mechanism of AI on the KOA treatment is still unknown. To further understand the mechanism of acupotomy in treating KOA, the morphological observation and TMT proteomic analyses were conducted in rabbits. By using X-ray and MRI, we found that the space of the knee joint was bigger in AI than in KOA. Moreover, the chondrocytes were neatly arranged in AI but disordered in KOA. With proteomic analyses in chondrocytes, 68 differently accumulated proteins (DAPs) were identified in AI vs. KOA and DAPs related to energy metabolism and the TCA cycle were suggested to play a central role in response to AI. Furthermore, AIFM1 was proposed to be an important regulator in controlling the energy production in mitochondrial. Besides, FN1, VIM, COL12A1, COL14A1, MYBPH, and DPYSL3 were suggested to play crucial roles in AI for the treatment of KOA. Our study was systematically elucidating the regulation mechanism of acupotomy intervention in the treatment of KOA.
PIS-YOLO: Real-Time Detection for Medical Mask Specification in an Edge Device
Authors: Zhao Zuopeng , Liu Xiaofeng , Hao Kai , Zheng Tianci , Xu Junjie , Cui Shuya
Published: November 2022

Wearing masks in a crowded environment can reduce the risk of infection; however, wearing nonstandard cloud does not have a good protective effect on the virus, which makes it necessary to monitor the wearing of masks in real time. You only look once (YOLO) series models are widely used in various edge devices. The existing YOLOv5s method meets the requirements of inference time, but it is slightly deficient in terms of accuracy due to its generality. Considering the characteristics of our driver medical mask dataset, a position insensitive loss which is cloud extract shared area feature in different categories and half deformable convolution net methods with cloud concern noteworthy features were introduced into YOLOv5s to improve accuracy, with an increase of 6.7% mean average in @.5 (mAP@.5) and 8.3% in mAP@.5:.95 for our dataset. To ensure that our method can be applied in a real scenario, TensorRT and CUDA were introduced to reduce the inference time in two edge devices (Jetson TX2 and Jetson Nano) and one desktop device, whose inference time was faster than that of previous methods.
Study on the Mechanism of miR-125b-5p Affecting Melanocyte Biological Behavior and Melanogenesis in Vitiligo through Regulation of MITF
Authors: Wang Xiaochuan , Wu Yifei , Du Peng , Xu Liangheng , Chen Yuan , Li Jingzi , Pan Xuying , Wang Zhiqiong
Published: November 2022

Objective. The goal was to confirm the mechanism by which miR-125b-5p influences melanocyte biological behavior and melanogenesis in vitiligo by regulating MITF. Methods. oe-MITF, sh-MITF, miR-125b-5p mimic, NC-mimic, NC-inhibitor, and miR-125b-5p inhibitor were transfected into cells by cell transfection. Western blotting was used to detect the related protein expression, qRT–PCR was used to detect miR-125b-5p and MITF expression, immunohistochemistry was used to detect the MITF-positive cells in vitiligo patients tissues, and a dual-luciferase reporter system was used to detect the target of miR-125b-5p and MITF. PIG1 and PIG3V cell proliferation by the CCK-8 method, cell cycle progression and apoptosis by flow cytometry, apoptosis was detected by TUNEL, Tyr activity and melanin content were measured using Tyr and melanin content assay kits. Results. Compared with the healthy control group, the expression of miR-125b-5p in the tissues and serum of vitiligo patients was upregulated, and the expression of MITF was downregulated; compared with PIG1 cells, the expression of miR-125b-5p and MITF in the PIG3V group was consistent with the above. Compared with the NC-minic group, the cell proliferation activity of the miR-125b-5p mimic group decreased, apoptosis increased, and the expression levels of melanogenesis-related proteins Tyr, Tyrp1, Tyrp2, and DCT were downregulated. Compared with the NC-inhibitor group, the above indices in the miR-125b-5p inhibitor group were all opposite to those in the miR-125b-5p mimic group. Transfection of oe-MITF into the miR-125b-5p mimic group reversed the effect of the miR-125b-5p mimic, while transfection of sh-MITF enhanced the effect of the miR-125b-5p mimic. Conclusion. miR-125b-5p affects vitiligo melanocyte biological behavior and melanogenesis by downregulating MITF expression.
Epidemiology, Disease Severity and Outcome of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and Influenza Viruses Coinfection Seen at Egypt Integrated Acute Respiratory Infections Surveillance, 2020–2022
Authors: Fahim Manal , Roshdy Wael H. , Deghedy Ola , Kamel Reham , Naguib Amel , Showky Shymaa , Elguindy Nancy , Abdel Fattah Mohammad , Afifi Salma , Mohsen Amira , Kandeel Amr , Abdelghaffar Khaled
Published: November 2022

Background. Cocirculation of influenza (Flu) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (SARS-CoV-2/Flu) represent a public health concern as it may worsen the severity and increase fatality from coronavirus disease 2019. An increase in the number of patients with coinfection was recently reported. We studied epidemiology, severity, and outcome of patients with SARS-CoV-2/Flu coinfection seen at Egypt’s integrated acute respiratory infections surveillance to better describe disease impact and guide effective preventive measures. Methods. The first two outpatients were seen daily, and every fifth patient admitted to 19 sentinel hospitals with respiratory symptoms was enrolled. Patients were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire and provided nasopharyngeal swabs to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza by real-time polymerase chain reaction at the central laboratory. Data from all patients with coinfection were obtained, and descriptive data analysis was performed for patients’ demographics, clinical course, and outcome. Results. The total number of patients enrolled between January 2020 and April 2022 was 18,160 and 6,453 (35.5%) tested positive for viruses, including 52 (0.8%) coinfection. Of them, 36 (69.2%) were coinfected with Flu A/H3, 9 (17.3%) Flu-B, and 7 (13.5%) Flu A/H1. Patients’ mean age was 33.2 ± 21, 55.8% were males, and 20 (38.5%) were hospitalized, with mean hospital days 6.7 ± 6. At the hospital, 14 (70.0%) developed pneumonia, 6 (30.0%) ICU admitted, and 4 (20.0%) died. The hospitalization rate among patients coinfected with Flu-B and Flu A/H3 was 55.6 and 41.7%, with mean hospital days (8.0 ± 6 and 6.4 ± 6), pneumonia infection (40.0 and 80.0%), ICU admission (40.0 and 26.7%), and death (20.0% for both), while no patients hospitalized with A/H1. Conclusions. The recent increase in the number of SARS-CoV-2/Flu coinfections was identified in Egypt. The disease could have a severe course and high fatality, especially in those coinfected with Flu-B and Flu A/H3. Monitoring disease severity and impact is required to guide preventive strategy.
Knowledge, Hygienic Practices, and Toxi‐Infectious Risks Associated with Ready‐to‐Eat Gbeli: A Particular Chip Derived from Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Tuber Vended in Streets of Abomey‐Calavi Municipality, Benin
Authors: Noumavo Agossou D. P. , Ohin Messan A. B. , Fadipe Ibilola G. , Hadji Bruno , Ahouangansi Sébastien , Akin Yanik Y. , Baba-Moussa Lamine , Baba-Moussa Farid
Published: November 2022

The lack of regulations relating to street food remains a real problem in most developing countries. To remedy this, it is essential to have reliable data on the actors and the conditions of streed food activity. The present study is aimed at (i) establishing the sociodemographic profile of producers and vendors of Gbeli in the municipality of Abomey‐Calavi, (ii) developing the technical production diagram and assessing the adoption level of good hygienic practices during the production and sale of Gbeli, and finally, (iv) evaluating the microbiological contamination risks associated with Gbeli consumption. Direct observations followed by a semistructured survey on 92 Gbeli vendors were carried out in Abomey‐Calavi municipality. A Gbeli sample was collected from each vendor for microbiological analyses according to standard microbiology analytical techniques. Forty vendors were assisted during Gbeli production. The results showed that the production and sale of Gbeli are activities carried out solely by women (100%), mostly adults (97.82%) and unschooled (58.69%). This trade generates income allowing the vendors to contribute to their household expenses and to save. No major difference was noted in the production process of Gbeli contrary to the sale modes (stationary, itinerant, and mixed). Production process, packaging form, and sale condition of Gbeli present enormous hygienic practice deficiencies. Some corrective measures were thus suggested. About 56% of Gbeli samples analyzed were microbiologically not up to standard. The prevalence and abundance of mycotoxinogenic molds, thermotolerant coliforms, and coagulase‐positive Staphylococci in these chips are very worrying. The consumption of Gbeli therefore exposes its consumers to a permanent risk of food poisoning. Training of Gbeli vendors on good hygiene and production practices is indispensable.
Awareness of Prostate Cancer among the Sportsmen in the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Panajotović Tamara , Panajotović Nikola , Vukcević Milos , Dragicevic Aleksandra , Vojinović Iva , Kovacević Sladjana , Dimitrijević Mina
Published: November 2022

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly occurring cancer in men. Regardless of statistics, screening for prostate cancer is an individual decision and most male patients come for their first examination with an already developed disease, as they are not adequately informed. The study aimed to emphasize the importance of preventive tests for urological diseases in the Republic of Serbia, raise awareness about urinary problems, and present social marketing strategies for prevention. The results confirm the generally lower awareness of respondents under the age of 30, followed by those who finished university, go to the doctor two or three times a year, and receive information other than by watching TV. Implemented research indicates the influence of the marketing principles and social marketing strategies on possible target groups of the male population over 50, which is aimed at raising awareness of the importance of prevention of urological diseases and the expected changes in the health behavior of the target population.
A Reliability-Based Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Strategy considering Interval Uncertainty Based on the Point-Infilled Kriging Model
Authors: Yuan Chao , Zhang Hao , Sun Yong , Ling Yunhan , Pan Lidong , Sun Yue , Fu Dianyu , Hu Zhengguo
Published: November 2022

Generally, traditional uncertainty design optimization (UDO) methods are based on probability density distribution function or fuzzy membership function. In this situation, a large amount of uncertain information is necessary to construct the UDO model accurately. While, the interval UDO methods require less design information. Only the upper and lower bounds of interval uncertainty are utilized to construct the optimization model. In this study, to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of UBDO considering interval uncertainty, a reliability-based multidisciplinary design optimization (RBMDO) strategy using the point-infilled Kriging model is proposed. In the given method, a double-nested RBMDO model considering interval uncertainty is established. The collaborative optimization is utilized to deal with coupling relationships among complex systems. Then, the point-infilled Kriging response surface strategy is introduced to approximate the RBMDO model. The procedure of the interval multidisciplinary collaborative optimization method based on the Kriging model is discussed. Two examples are given to illustrate the application of the proposed method.
Intravitreal Injection of Brolucizumab for Recalcitrant Macular Edema due to Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: A Small Case Series
Authors: Chakraborty Debdulal , Mondal Soumen , Boral Subhendu , Das Arnab
Published: November 2022

This was a single center, prospective uncontrolled nonrandomized case series. Two eyes with recalcitrant ME secondary to CRVO, who have received a minimum of ten intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections, underwent IVI brolucizumab (BRZ). Patients underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) testing, ophthalmic examination, and optical coherence tomography at baseline and follow-up visits (weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16). Both patients demonstrated notable improvement in BCVA and reduction of fluid on SD-OCT lasting up to week 12. At week 16, though both the eyes maintained the visual acuity gains, early increase in fluid was noted in both cases, for which second dose of IVI BRZ was given. No ocular or systemic adverse events were noted in these 2 cases.
Purtscher-Like Retinopathy with Cardioembolic Stroke: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Elwood Kevin F. , Dieu Andrew C. , Kuranz Clara V. , Mititelu Mihai
Published: November 2022

Purtscher-like retinopathy (PUR) is a rare condition characterized by sudden vision loss with associated retinal white patches thought to be due to precapillary arteriolar occlusion. We present a case of PUR associated with a cardioembolic stroke in a patient following temporary cessation of anticoagulant therapy for a surgical procedure. Our patient presented with multiple risk factors for PUR and classic signs and symptoms including multiple peripapillary white retinal lesions near arterioles and sudden unilateral decrease in visual acuity. Optical coherence tomography showed inner retinal hyperreflectivity and thinning consistent with inner retinal ischemia, and fluorescein angiography showed delayed retinal filling. Her complement C5 factor was elevated on laboratory testing. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed acute/subacute left occipital lobe ischemia thought to be from a cardioembolic stroke. Shortly prior to visual symptoms, our patient’s apixaban was held due to surgical drainage of a gluteal abscess. This case highlights the rare occurrence of PUR associated with cardioembolic stroke and the importance of cerebral imaging in a patient presenting with PUR of uncertain etiology.
Histopathological Features of Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism: Presence of Intrathrombus Cancer Cells and Prothrombotic Factors
Authors: Gi Toshihiro , Kuwahara Aya , Yamashita Atsushi , Matsuda Shuntaro , Maekawa Kazunari , Moriguchi-Goto Sayaka , Sato Yuichiro , Asada Yujiro
Published: November 2022

Background:

Cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a critical complication in patients with cancer. However, the pathological findings of VTE are limited. Here, we investigated the histopathological features of cancer-associated VTE in human autopsy cases.

Methods:

We clinically examined the autopsy cases of VTE with (n=114) and without cancer (n=66) and immunohistochemically analyzed the expression of prothrombotic factors in intrathrombus cancer cells, the thrombus contents of erythrocytes, fibrin, platelets, citrullinated histone H3, and degree of organization.

Results:

Vascular wall invasion or small cell clusters of cancer cells was observed in thrombi in 27.5% of deep vein thrombosis and 25.9% of pulmonary embolism cases. The majority of the cancer cells in deep vein thrombi appeared to be invading the vessel wall, whereas the majority of pulmonary thrombi had cancer cell clusters, consistent with embolization via blood flow. These cancer cells were immunohistochemically positive for TF (tissue factors) or podoplanin in up to 88% of VTE cases. The frequency of TF-positive monocyte/macrophages in thrombi was higher in cancer-associated VTE than that in VTE without cancer. Citrullinated histone H3 was predominantly observed in the early stages of organizing thrombi. There was no significant difference in thrombus components between VTE with cancer and without cancer groups.

Conclusions:

Vascular wall invasion or cancer cell clusters in thrombi might influence thrombogenesis of cancer-associated VTE. TF and podoplanin in cancer cells and in monocyte/macrophages may induce coagulation reactions and platelet aggregation. Neutrophil extracellular traps may play a role in the early stages of VTE, regardless of cancer status.
Targeting VEGF-A/VEGFR2 Y949 Signaling-Mediated Vascular Permeability Alleviates Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Zhou Weibin , Liu Keli , Zeng Lei , He Jiaqi , Gao Xinbo , Gu Xinyu , Chen Xun , Jing Li Jing , Wang Minghui , Wu Duoguang , Cai Zhixiong , Claesson-Welsh Lena , Ju Rong , Wang Jingfeng , Zhang Feng , Chen Yangxin
Published: November 2022

Background:

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with increased expression of VEGF-A (vascular endothelial growth factor A) and its receptor, VEGFR2 (vascular endothelial growth factor 2), but whether and how activation of VEGF-A signal participates in the pathogenesis of PH is unclear.

Methods:

VEGF-A/VEGFR2 signal activation and VEGFR2 Y949–dependent vascular leak were investigated in lung samples from patients with PH and mice exposed to hypoxia. To study their mechanistic roles in hypoxic PH, we examined right ventricle systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary vasculopathy in mutant mice carrying knock-in of phenylalanine that replaced the tyrosine at residual 949 of VEGFR2 (

Vefgr2
Y949F

) and mice with conditional endothelial deletion of
Vegfr2
after chronic hypoxia exposure.

Results:

We show that PH leads to excessive pulmonary vascular leak in both patients and hypoxic mice, and this is because of an overactivated VEGF-A/VEGFR2 Y949 signaling axis. In the context of hypoxic PH, activation of Yes1 and c-Src and subsequent VE-cadherin phosphorylation in endothelial cells are involved in VEGFR2 Y949-induced vascular permeability. Abolishing VEGFR2 Y949 signaling by

Vefgr2
Y949F

point mutation was sufficient to prevent pulmonary vascular permeability and inhibit macrophage infiltration and Rac1 activation in smooth muscle cells under hypoxia exposure, thereby leading to alleviated PH manifestations, including muscularization of distal pulmonary arterioles, elevated right ventricle systolic pressure, and right ventricular hypertrophy. It is important that we found that VEGFR2 Y949 signaling in myeloid cells including macrophages was trivial and dispensable for hypoxia-induced vascular abnormalities and PH. In contrast with selective blockage of VEGFR2 Y949 signaling, disruption of the entire VEGFR2 signaling by conditional endothelial deletion of
Vegfr2
promotes the development of PH.

Conclusions:

Our results support the notion that VEGF-A/VEGFR2 Y949–dependent vascular permeability is an important determinant in the pathogenesis of PH and might serve as an attractive therapeutic target pathway for this disease.
From correlation to communication: Disentangling hidden factors from functional connectivity changes
Authors: Yu Yuhua , Gratton Caterina , Smith Derek M.
Published: November 2022

While correlations in the BOLD fMRI signal are widely used to capture functional connectivity (FC) and its changes across contexts, its interpretation is often ambiguous. The entanglement of multiple factors including local coupling of two neighbors and nonlocal inputs from the rest of the network (affecting one or both regions) limits the scope of the conclusions that can be drawn from correlation measures alone. Here we present a method of estimating the contribution of nonlocal network input to FC changes across different contexts. To disentangle the effect of task-induced coupling change from the network input change, we propose a new metric, “communication change,” utilizing BOLD signal correlation and variance. With a combination of simulation and empirical analysis, we demonstrate that (1) input from the rest of the network accounts for a moderate but significant amount of task-induced FC change and (2) the proposed “communication change” is a promising candidate for tracking the local coupling in task context-induced change. Additionally, when compared to FC change across three different tasks, communication change can better discriminate specific task types. Taken together, this novel index of local coupling may have many applications in improving our understanding of local and widespread interactions across large-scale functional networks.
Women and Femininity under the Metaxas Regime in Greece
Authors: Vasilaki Rosa
Published: November 2022

Authoritarian regimes place significant emphasis on gender roles as part of their ‘imagined communities’, where everyone has their place attributed through evocation of the nation’s ‘history’ and ‘mission’. By placing gender at the core of historical analysis, this article examines the antinomies related to the role of women, and the shifting perceptions of femininity, under the Metaxas regime. It examines the female branch of the National Youth Organisation (EON), a laboratory of a ‘new femininity’, analyses the regime’s discourses and idealised representations of femininity and masculinity, and offers critical exploration of affinities between the Metaxist understanding of womanhood and pre-existing aspects of Greek interwar feminism. The article interprets from these fields the oscillations and contradictions marking Metaxist ideology and practices via-à-vis the role of women, and in doing so sheds new light upon the character of the regime itself.
Consenso di Irmandade: Reading Bissau-Guinean Political Thought on Community and Consensus
Authors: Favarato Claudia
Published: November 2022

This paper explores the political thought of Guinea-Bissau, focusing on the endogenous notions of community and consensus. The analysis turns on discerning the principles underpinning political power and power relations in the organicist setting. The paper considers the indigenous polity and its underlying tenets, by unveiling the centrality of the past, land (tchon), and kinship (djorson) in conceptualizations of the political community. These determine a polity ruled by participatory politics and “brotherhood consensus” (consenso di irmandade, in local creole). As this notion of “brotherhood” is tightly linked to the foundations of the political community, the Bissau-Guinean polity pins consensual politics to ontology. This ontological basis fosters commitment to engage in and reach consensus.

This analysis adds to studies on African political thought and theories of consensual democracy. Moreover, the insights offered, however spatial-specific, exemplify the potential of renewed analysis of notions of the political community in Africa and beyond, enriching the repertoire of political theory research.
Lophopetalum tanahgambut, a new endemic giant tree species from peat swamp forest of Sumatera, Indonesia, with the first pseudoverticillate leaf arrangement in genus Lophopetalum (Celastraceae)
Authors: RANDI AGUSTI , WIJEDASA LAHIRU S. , UTTERIDGE TIMOTHY M.A.
Published: November 2022

A new large tree species from peat swamp forest of Sumatera, Indonesia is described here with new notes on vegetative characters for the genus. Colour plates, as well as distribution, habitat, phenology, uses and observation notes are provided.
Snake fauna of the Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal—A review of species richness, taxonomy, distribution, natural history and conservation status
Authors: CHANDRAMOULI S.R.
Published: November 2022

The snake fauna of the Andaman archipelago was studied over a duration of four years across twenty islands. This paper presents information on the species richness and taxonomy of snakes of the Andaman archipelago along with observations on natural history and a review of their distribution records, including new, precise ones. Natural history observations for some of the recently re-evaluated species are presented herein for the first time. Field observations on snakes made during this study are supplemented with a compilation of data from specimen collections (n=34) examined in various museums. Based on this dataset and reliable, verified literature records, distribution maps are presented for all the snake species in the Andaman Islands. In addition, unsubstantiated old records of certain species that are shown to be ambiguous are removed from the updated checklist presented here, which consists of 23 species from 22 genera and eight families. Nine of these terrestrial (non-marine) species (56%) are endemic to the Andaman Islands. However, some of the non-endemic species are still in need of a proper molecular taxonomic assessment. The majority (70%) of species are of Least Concern, with 13% of the species being Data Deficient, 9% being Endangered, 5% of the species still in need of evaluation of their conservation status and 4% each being Near Threatened and Vulnerable.
Antibiotic Resistance, Biofilm Formation and Sub-Inhibitory Hydrogen Peroxide Stimulation in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Dawadi Prabin , Khanal Santosh , Prasai Joshi Tista , KC Sudeep , Tuladhar Reshma , Maharjan Bijaya Laxmi , Darai Anjani , Joshi Dev Raj
Published: November 2022

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most prevalent cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance could be high among the causative agent. The purpose of this study was to determine antibiotic resistance, biofilm production, and biofilm-associated genes, bcsA and csgD, and sub-inhibitory hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) stimulation in UPEC for biofilm formation. A total of 71 UPEC were collected from a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu and subjected to identify antibiotic susceptibility using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion. The biofilm formation was assessed using microtiter culture plate method while pellicle formation was tested by a tube method. In representative 15 isolates based on biofilm-forming ability, bcsA and csgD were screened by conventional polymerase chain reaction, and treated with sub-lethal H2O2. The UPEC were found the most susceptible to meropenem (90.2%), and the least to ampicillin (11.3%) in vitro and 90.1% of them were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Most UPEC harbored biofilm-producing ability (97.2%), and could form pellicle at 37°C. Among representative 15 isolates, csgD was detected only among 10 isolates (66.67%) while bcsA gene was present in 13 isolates (86.67%). This study revealed that level of biofilm production elevated after sub-lethal H2O2 treatment ( P = .041). These findings suggested that the pathogens are emerging as MDR. The biofilm production is high and the majority of selected strains contained bcsA and csgD genes. Pellicle formation test was suggestive to be an alternative qualitative method to screen biofilm production in UPEC. The sub-inhibitory concentration of H2O2 may contribute in increasing biofilm formation in UPEC.