bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pain in Rett syndrome: two pilot studies on the assessment of pain and the construction of a suitable measuring scale
Authors: Fabio Rosa Angela , Chiarini Liliana , Canegallo Virginia
Published: June 2022

Background: Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a severe, neurodevelopmental disorder mainly caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene, affecting around 1 in 10,000 female births. Severe physical, language, and social impairments impose a wide range of limitations in the quality of life of the patients with RTT. Comorbidities of patients with RTT are varied and cause a lot of pain, but communicating this suffering is difficult for these patients due to their problems, such as apraxia that does not allow them to express pain in a timely manner, and their difficulties with language that also do not permit them to communicate. Two pilot studies investigate the manifestation of pain of patients with RTT and propose a suitable scale to measure it. Aims of this study: the first aim was to describe pain situations of RTT by collecting information by parents; the second aim was to test and compare existing questionnaires for non-communicating disorders on pain such as PAINAD, CPOT, and NCCPC-R to assess which of them is best related to the pain behavior of patients with RTT. The third aim was to identify the specific verbal and non-verbal behaviors that characterize pain in girls with Rett syndrome, discriminating them from non-pain behaviors. Method: eighteen girls with RTT and one girl with RTT with 27 manifestations of pain were video-recorded both in pain and base-line conditions. Two independent observers codified the 90 video-recording (36 and 54) to enhance their behavioral characteristics.Results: The two studies showed that the most significant pain behaviors expressed by girls with respect to the baseline condition, at the facial level were a wrinkled forehead, wide eyes, grinding, banging teeth, complaining, making sounds, crying and screaming, and the most common manifestations of the body were tremors, forward and backward movement of the torso, tension in the upper limbs, increased movement of the lower limbs and a sprawling movement affecting the whole body. Conclusion: The results of the two studies helped to create an easy-to-apply scale that healthcare professionals can use to assess pain in patients with Rett's syndrome. This scale used PAINAD as its basic structure, with some changes in the items related to the behavior of patients with RTT.
Carbon prices in time and space
Authors: Dolphin Geoffroy
Published: June 2022

Existing carbon pricing policies vary in their institutional design, sectoral scope, and price. Comparing and evaluating policies across jurisdictions therefore requires a harmonized approach. This paper’s contribution is twofold. First, I present newly collected data that provide a detailed and standardized
record of carbon pricing mechanisms in force worldwide. Second, I develop a methodology that uses this data to calculate average (emissions-weighted) carbon prices in all national and subnational jurisdictions where carbon pricing mechanisms have been implemented. This comprehensive assessment leads to three observations: (i) at constant scope, emissions covered by such mechanisms tend to decline over time, as a share of both total jurisdiction and world emissions, (ii) a significant gap
between the maximum and economywide average price on emissions exists, and (iii) this average price is well below the global social cost of carbon and levels compatible with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Applications of Sliding Sampling to Biological Sequences
Authors: Gonzalez-Lugo Octavio
Published: June 2022

Biological sequences contain information about the function and regulation of different components within a biological system. Accurate modeling will yield a deeper understanding of the system, as well as better experimental designs. Nonetheless, computational constraints of the different available methods continue to prevent its use on large scale. Sliding sub-sampling of biological sequences can generate either vector-based or graph-based sequence encodings. Each one of them can be used to train generative models for an unsupervised representation learning task. Offering a suitable tool to analyze fast-evolving biological systems such as SARS-Cov2. Analysis of variational autoencoders bottleneck representation shows a distinguishable temporal component. Changes in 4-mer composition in the region that codes for the structural SARS-Cov2 proteins. Non-symmetrical changes in 4-mer composition drive the viral temporal adaptation process. Furthermore, mean nucleotide composition and encodings of SARS-Cov2 appear to be constrained by day length. Development and refinement of sequence analysis methods will lead to a better understanding of viral adaptation and evolution.
Effectiveness measure in change-based three-way decision
Authors: Jiang Chunmao , Duan Ying , Guo Doudou
Published: June 2022

The trisecting-acting-outcome (TAO) model of a three-way decision is a practical approach to solving complex problems, consisting of three components: trisecting, acting, and outcome. Trisecting means dividing a complex problem into three parts based on an evaluation function, and acting means designing the corresponding action to apply to these three parts. The outcome denotes evaluation effectiveness based on the first two steps. Measuring this outcome is a challenging and moving question after trisecting-and-acting (T\&A). This paper proposes a method to measure outcome based on object changes before and after T\&A based on top-down and bottom-up perspectives, depending on the decision needs. First, evaluation functions are constructed that extend the traditional evaluation functions to measure changes. Then, based on the introduced evaluation functions, qualitative and quantitative of three-way changes are introduced and analyzed. Furthermore, we present the processes that determine the optimal strategy with the quantitative analysis. The analysis of several examples shows the effectiveness and practicality of our proposed method.
Expression of DNA-repair genes and its relevance for DNA repair in peripheral immune cells of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder
Authors: Mack Matthias , Behnke Alexander , Fieres Judy , Christmann Markus , Bürkle Alexander , Moreno-Villanueva Maria , Kolassa Iris-Tatjana
Published: June 2022

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves elevated levels of cellular oxidative stress which jeopardizes the integrity of essential cell compartments. Previously, we demonstrated higher levels of DNA lesions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in PTSD. Retaining vital levels of DNA integrity requires cells to mobilize compensatory efforts in elevating their DNA-repair capacity. Accordingly, we hypothesized to find increased expression rates of the DNA-repair genes X-ray repair cross complementing 1 (XRCC1), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), and polymerase β (Polβ) in PBMCs of PTSD patients as compared to controls, leading to functionally relevant changes in DNA-repair kinetics. In a cohort of 14 refugees with PTSD and 15 without PTSD, we found significantly higher XRCC1 expression in PTSD patients than controls (U = 161.0, p = .009, Cohen’s r = .49), and positive correlations between the severity of PTSD symptoms and the expression of XRCC1 (rS = .57, p = .002) and PARP1 (rS = .43, p = .022). Higher XRCC1 (F = 2.39, p = .010, η²p = .10) and PARP1 (F = 2.15, p = .022, η²p = .09) expression accounted for slower repair of experimentally X-ray irradiation-induced DNA damage, highlighting the possible physiological relevance of altered DNA-repair gene expression in PTSD. Our study provides first evidence for a compensatory regulation of DNA-repair mechanisms in PTSD. We discuss the implications of increased DNA damage and altered DNA-repair mechanisms in immune senescence, premature aging, and increased physical morbidity in PTSD.
Impaired expression of the TWIK2 channel leads to reduced IL-1 family cytokine production in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease
Authors: Jung Bock-Gie , Dean Kristin , Wadle Carly , Samten Buka , Tripathi Deepak , Wallace Richard J. , Brown-Elliott Barbara A. , Tucker Torry , Idell Steven , Philley Julie V. , Vankayalapati Ramakrishna
Published: June 2022

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) cause pulmonary disease in individuals without obvious immunodeficiency. This study was initiated to gain insight into the immunological factors that predispose persons to NTM pulmonary disease (NTMPD). Blood was obtained from 15 pairs of NTMPD patients and their healthy household contacts. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were stimulated with the M. avium complex (MAC). A total of 34 cytokines and chemokines were evaluated in plasma and PBMC culture supernatants using multiplex immunoassays, and gene expression in the PBMCs was determined using real-time PCR. PBMCs from NTMPD patients produced significantly less interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, IL-1α and IL-10 than PBMCs from their healthy household contacts in response to MAC. Although plasma RANTES levels were high in NTMPD patients, they had no effect on IL-1β production by macrophages infected with MAC. TLR2 and TWIK2 were impaired in response to MAC in PBMCs of NTMPD patients. A TLR2 inhibitor decreased all 4 cytokines, whereas a TWIK2 inhibitor decreased the production of IL-1β, IL-18, and IL-1α, but not IL-10, by MAC-stimulated PBMCs and monocytes. We suggest that an attenuated TWIK2-mediated IL-1 response may increase susceptibility to NTM pulmonary infection.
Using multi-source national forest inventory data for predicting tree characteristics of individual stands
Authors: Siipilehto Jouni , Henttonen Helena , Katila Matti , Mäkisara Kai , Mäkinen Harri
Published: June 2022

Satellite-based remote sensing data are utilised in forest inventories and the results are typically presented by region and municipality. We evaluated if imagery pixel-based data could be used in generating trees of individual stands, and predicting diameter distributions, stem volumes and tree species proportions. We compared alternative methods (k-nearest neighbors, k-NN) varying k and applying either measured trees (k-NN_trees) or stand characteristics (k-NN_stand). In the k-NN_trees method, a stand was generated based on the measured trees of the National Forest Inventory plots, whereas in the k-NN_stand method a diameter distribution was recovered from the stand characteristics of the same inventory plots. Both methods performed well and resulted in 8–14% differences in the total volume compared with the field inventory of the 27 stands used for the evaluation. The RMSE in total volume ranged from 25% (5-NN_stand) to 31% (1-NN_stand), while the smallest RMSEs in volume by tree species were 61% for broadleaves (3-NN_trees), 65% for pine (3-NN_trees) and 65% for spruce (4-NN_stand). Moreover, the main tree species was correctly predicted for 74% of cases. In the k-NN methods, increasing value of k decreased the difference in most of the evaluated variables. The satellite-based data with NFI plots were useful for predicting trees for pixels of a stand. When generating input data for a long-term simulation, the choice of the method was less influential as the effect of the error in the initial stand characteristics decreased over time during the simulation period.
MyProstateScore in Men Considering Repeat Biopsy: Validation of a Simple Testing Approach
Authors: Tosoian Jeffrey , Sessine Michael , Trock Bruce , Ross Ashley , Xie Cassie , Zheng Yingye , Samora Nathan , Siddiqui Javed , Niknafs Yashar , Chopra Zoey , Tomlins Scott , Kunju Lakshmi , Palapattu Ganesh , Morgan Todd , Wei John , Salami Simpa , Chinnaiyan Arul
Published: June 2022

Background: Men with persistent risk of Grade Group (GG) ≥2 cancer after a negative biopsy present a unique clinical challenge. The validated MyProstateScore test is clinically-available for pre-biopsy risk stratification. In biopsy-naïve patients, we recently validated a straightforward testing approach to rule out GG≥2 cancer with 98% negative predictive value (NPV) and 97% sensitivity. We sought to establish a practical MPS-based testing approach in men with a previous negative biopsy being considered for repeat biopsy. Methods: Patients provided post-digital rectal examination urine prior to repeat biopsy. MyProstateScore was calculated using the validated, locked model including urinary PCA3 and TMPRSS2:ERG scores with serum PSA. In a clinically-appropriate training cohort, we identified a lower (rule-out) threshold approximating 90% sensitivity and an upper (rule-in) threshold approximating 80% specificity for GG≥2 cancer. These thresholds were applied to an external validation cohort, and performance measures and clinical outcomes associated with their use were calculated.Results: MyProstateScore thresholds of 15 and 40 met pre-defined performance criteria in the training cohort (422 patients; median PSA 6.4, IQR 4.3-9.1). In the 268-patient validation cohort, 25 men (9.3%) had GG≥2 cancer on repeat biopsy. The rule-out threshold of 15 provided 100% NPV and sensitivity for GG≥2 cancer and would have prevented 23% of unnecessary biopsies. Use of MyProstateScore >40 to rule-in biopsy would have prevented 67% of biopsies while maintaining 95% NPV. The prevalence of GG≥2 cancer was 0% for MyProstateScore 0-15, 6.5% for MyProstateScore 15-40, and 19% for MyProstateScore >40.Conclusions: In patients who previously underwent a negative prostate biopsy, the MyProstateScore values of 15 and 40 yielded clinically-actionable rule-in and rule-out risk groups. Using this straightforward testing approach, MyProstateScore can meaningfully inform patients and physicians weighing the need for repeat biopsy.
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Supracardiac Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection in Children: Comparison With Multi-layer Spiral CT
Authors: Zhao Ni , Hu Yun , Tuo Shengjun , Zhou Jieli , Zhang Shiqian , Liu Liwen , Meng Xin
Published: June 2022

Objective To explore the clinical value of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the differentiation of Supracardiac Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection (SAPVC) in children.Materials and methods A total of 118 children with concurrent TTE and CT databases of cases diagnosed with SAPVCs were included. We analyzed the consistency between the two for the ability to diagnose the classification of SAPVC, drainage sites, ectopic pulmonary veins and the segments of superior vena cava (SVC).Results The consistency between TTE and CT in diagnosing the existence of SAPVC and the classification were 88.1% (95% CI: 80.9%-93.4%) and 91.0% (95% CI: 84.1%-95.6%), respectively. The error rate of partial type diagnosed by TTE was significantly higher than that of total and mixed type (20.5% vs. 2.8%, P=0.003). The consistency between TTE and CT to determine drainage sites was 91.9% (95% CI: 85.2%-96.2%). TTE had a significantly higher error rate in determining pulmonary vein drainage to the SVC than in those draining into the left innominate vein (17.5 vs. 2.5%, P=0.007). The consistency of TTE and CT in judging the number of veins was 87.4% (95% CI: 79.7%-92.9%). The error rate in determining the presence of 2 and 5 ectopic pulmonary veins was significantly higher than those of 1 and 4 veins (P<0.05).Conclusion TTE for diagnosing partial SAPVC and identifying the drainage site of SVC has a high error rate of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. The extra attention should be given to these factors in clinical practice to improve the accuracy of TTE in diagnosing SAPVC.
Association of TNF-α-308G/A gene polymorphism with the risk of allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yuan Huajie , Wang Lingling , Li Huaqiang , Huang Jiye , Xiao Limian , Liu Siyuan , Wang Yan , Yang Yuping , Zhang Hua
Published: June 2022

Purpose
Inconsistent reports of the association between tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) 308G/A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and allergic rhinitis (AR) prompted a meta-analysis to determine a relatively precise and reliable linkage between TNF-α-308G/A gene polymorphism and risk of AR.
Methods
PubMed, Web of Science, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Database were used to search all published case-control studies on the relationship between TNF-α-308G/A polymorphism and susceptibility to AR. Data for each study were extracted using standardized forms, and summary odds ratios (ORs), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) used to evaluate the intensity of the association by RevMan 5.4.1 software.
Results
7 studies (1383 AR cases and 1313 controls) were obtained for the meta-analysis. Comprehensive results showed that the polymorphism of TNF-α-308G/A gene was significantly associated with increased AR risk in the following two models: (1) AA vs. GG + GA: OR = 2.91, P = 0.003; (2) AA vs. GG: OR = 3.89, P = 0.0002. When participants were stratified by race, the TNF-α-308G/A polymorphism showed obviously increased AR risk in Asians under the following three models: (1) AA vs. GG + GA: OR = 3.08, P = 0.004; (2) AA vs. GG: OR = 4.38, P = 0.0002. In Europe, however, no obvious correlation was detected in any genetic models.
Conclusions
The results of our present analysis indicated that the TNF-α-308G/A gene polymorphism was associated with the susceptibility of AR, especially within the Asian population.
Structuring the local handedness of synthetic chiral light: global chirality versus polarization of chirality
Authors: Rego Laura , Ayuso David
Published: June 2022

Synthetic chiral light enables ultrafast and highly efficient imaging of molecular chirality. Unlike standard circularly polarized light, the handedness of synthetic chiral light does not rely on the spatial structure of the light field: it is encoded locally, in the chiral trajectory that the tip of the electric-field vector draws in time, at each point in space. Being locally chiral, already within the electric-dipole approximation, synthetic chiral light is a highly efficient chiral photonic reagent. Synthetic chiral light that is locally and globally chiral allows us to selectively quench the nonlinear response of a selected molecular enantiomer while maximizing it in its mirror twin at the level of total signal intensities. Synthetic chiral light that exhibits polarization of chirality allows us to realize a chiral version of Young’s double-slit experiment that leads to enantio-sensitive light bending. Here we connect these two new concepts and show how one can structure the local and global handedness of synthetic chiral light in space, and how these local and global properties are imprinted in the enantio-sensitive response of the chiral molecules, creating new opportunities for ultrafast, all-optical and highly efficient imaging of molecular chirality.
Advertising of foods and beverages in social media aimed at children: high exposure and low control
Authors: Meléndez-Illanes Lorena , Díaz Cristina González , Álvarez-Dardet Carlos
Published: June 2022

Background: This work is aimed to describe the recent scientific literature developed in the food/beverage sector and social networks aimed at children and adolescents, as well as current regulations. Methods: A quick review of the studies on advertising and social media aimed at children, published from 2010 tp 2020 is carried out, following the established inclusion criteria. In addition, the regulations in the countries in which the studies were carried out were also reviewed. Results: Of the 573 articles, 7 met these criteria. The great attraction of unhealthy foods for children is observed, who remembered and recognized a greater number of unhealthy food brands and, by extension, the ability to influence of communication in social networks. Each country has its own self-regulation, two (Ireland and USA) have legislation on children’s food advertising, and Australia has legislation that applies only to open television. However, none of the analyzed countries have specific regulations on food, children and media advertising. Conclusions: Given the fact that there is evidence about the great attraction that social networks suppose for the child, that they are a stimulus for the consumption of food and that many of these foods are harmful to their health; we should work in two directions: 1) Promote public policies based on promoting healthy habits among minors; and 2) Monitor and implement regulations in commercial communication social media.
Construction of an Escherichia coli cell factory to synthesize taxadien-5α-ol, the key precursor of anti-cancer drug paclitaxel
Authors: Wu Qing-Yang , Huang Zheng-Yu , Wang Jin-Yi , Yu Hui-Lei , Xu Jian-He
Published: June 2022

Paclitaxel (Taxol ™), an alkaloid of diterpenoid family, is one of the most widely used anticancer drugs due to its effectiveness against a variety of tumors. Rather than directly extraction and chemical synthesis of paclitaxel or its intermediates from yew plants, construction of a microbial cell factory for paclitaxel biosynthesis will be more efficient and sustainable. In this study, we report a recombinant Escherichia coli strain engineered with a heterologous mevalonate pathway, a taxadiene synthase from yew, and a cytochrome P450-mediated oxygenation system for the de novo production of taxadien-5α-ol, the first product of the multi-step taxadiene oxygenation metabolism. The key enzymes including taxadiene synthases and cytochrome P450 reductases were screened, and the linker for fusing taxadiene-5α-hydroxylase with its reductase partner cytochrome P450 reductase was optimized. By reducing the metabolic burden and optimizing the fermentation conditions, the final production of total oxygenated taxanes was raised up to 27 mg L− 1 in a 50-mL flask cultivation, of which the yield of taxadien-5α-ol was 7.0 mg L− 1, representing approximately a 12-fold and 23-fold improvements respectively, as compared with the initial titers
Development and validation of a modified albumin-bilirubin grade and α-fetoprotein score (mALF score) for hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving atezolizumab and bevacizumab.
Authors: Hatanaka Takeshi , Kakizaki Satoru , Hiraoka Atsushi , Tada Toshifumi , Hirooka Masashi , Kariyama Kazuya , Tani Joji , Atsukawa Masanori , Takaguchi Koichi , Itobayashi Ei , Fukunishi Shinya , Tsuji Kunihiko , Ishikawa Toru , Tajiri Kazuto , Ochi Hironori , Yasuda Satoshi , Toyoda Hidenori , Ogawa Chikara , Nishimura Takashi , Shimada Noritomo , Kawata Kazuhito , Kosaka Hisashi , Tanaka Takaaki , Ohama Hideko , Nouso Kazuhiro , Morishita Asahiro , Tsutsui Akemi , Nagano Takuya , Itokawa Norio , Okubo Tomomi , Arai Taeang , Imai Michitaka , Naganuma Atsushi , Koizumi Yohei , Nakamura Shinichiro , Kaibori Masaki , Iijima Hiroko , Hiasa Yoichi , Kumada Takashi
Published: June 2022

Aim
This study aims to validate the modified albumin-bilirubin grade and α-fetoprotein score (mALF score).
Methods
This retrospective study included a total 426 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) at 22 institutions in Japan from September 2020 to January 2022. Each patient was randomized 3:2 to a training set (n = 255) and a validation set (n = 171). We investigated prognostic factors in the training set and developed an easily applicable mALF score. This score was evaluated in the validation set.
Results
We built the mALF score using mALBI grade 2b or 3 (HR 2.36, 95% CI 1.37–4.05, p = 0.002) and α-fetoprotein ≥ 100 ng/ml (HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.49–4.55, p < 0.001), which were identified as unfavorable prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis. The 1-year OS rates were 82.7% (95% CI 68.9–90.8) in patients who meet neither of the criteria (mALF 0 points, n = 101), 61.7% (95% CI 44.5–74.9) in patients who meet either of the two criteria (mALF 1 point, n = 109), and 24.6% (95% CI 9.0-44.3) in patients who meet both criteria (mALF 2 points, n = 45); the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The median PFS in patients with mALF 0, 1, and 2 points was 9.5 months (95% CI 4.3-NA), 6.6 months (95% CI 6.0–8.0), and 3.8 months (95% CI 3.0-5.2), respectively, which amounted to a significant difference (p < 0.001). These results were confirmed in the validation set (1-year OS rates, 0/1/2 points = 94.2%/62.1%/46.3%, p < 0.001; median PFS, 0/1/2 points = 9.3/6.7/4.7 months, p = 0.018).
Conclusions
The mALF score can reliably predict the prognosis of HCC patients receiving Atez/Bev.
Graphene quantum dots coated cationic polymer for targeted drug delivery and imaging of breast cancer
Authors: Mirzababaei Mahdi , Larijani Kambiz , Hashemi-Moghaddam Hamid , Mirjafary Zohreh , Madanchi Hamid
Published: June 2022

One of the important goals of cancer treatment in drug delivery systems (DSS) is to increase the concentration of the drug only around the tumor cells to prevent damage to normal cells. In this study, doxorubicin HCl (DOX) was imprinted by the cationic polymer, graphene quantum dots (GQD) Poly (methacrylic acid-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PMA-DDA-DOX). Chemical structure (PMA-DDA-DOX) was investigated and confirmed by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Particle size and morphology of (PMA-DDA-DOX) was evaluated by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM). Then the toxicity of (PMA-DDA-DOX) was investigated in vitro study. Also to evaluate the effectiveness of (PMA-DDA-DOX) in the living organism, Nanoparticles were injected into BALB/C mice containing 4T1 breast cancer cells. Then in vivo imaging was performed at the excitation wavelength of 400 nm and emission of 535 nm. The images showed that particles (PMA-DDA-DOX) had accumulated around the cancer cell.
Understanding how balance and sample size impact bias in the estimation of causal treatment effects: a simulation study
Authors: Markoulidakis Andreas , Holmans Peter , Pallmann Philip , Griffin Beth Ann
Published: June 2022

Observational studies are often used to understand relationships between exposures and outcomes. When analyzing such data, propensity score (PS) and balance weighting are commonly used techniques that aim to reduce the imbalances between exposure groups by weighting the groups to look alike on the observed confounders. There is now a plethora of available methods to estimate PS and balancing weights as well as rich guidance on how to properly employ these in an analysis. In such studies, unbiased and robust estimation of the causal treatment effect is not guaranteed unless several conditions hold. The literature has shown that accurate inference requires these key criteria: 1) the treatment allocation mechanism is known (e.g., no unobserved confounders), 2) the relationship between the baseline covariates and the outcome is known (if one is to rely on the outcome model itself), 3) adequate balance (comparability) of baseline covariates is achieved post-weighting, 4) a proper set of covariates to control for confounding bias is known, and 5) a large enough sample size is available. In this article, we use simulated data of various sizes to investigate the influence of these five criteria on statistical inference. We have two notable new findings to help improve practice. First, our findings provide important new evidence that the maximum Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic is the proper statistical measure to assess balance on the baseline covariates, in contrast to the mean standardised mean difference used in many applications, and 0.1 is a suitable threshold to consider as acceptable balance. Second, we also find a clear recommendation that 60 − 80 observations, per confounder per treatment group, are required to obtain a reliable and unbiased estimation of the causal treatment effect.
Global warming and increasing CO2 emission are the Consequences of increase sea level and climate change refugees in Bangladesh
Authors: Sarkar Chandan Kumar
Published: June 2022

The Climate change is significant and over 100 years temperature, carbon emission and sea level have increased globally and there is significant impact in different countries including Bangladesh. Bangladesh is settled on a delta areas easy affected to increase sea level rise. There are 10 million people (6.3% of the population) are displaced and most vulnerable due to climate change induced disasters in 2021 in Bangladesh. The study exercised few categories that the increase temperature, emission of CO2 and impact on the sea level and causes to increase climate change refugees. Due to subsidence of local land Bangladesh affects much more than the world average, sea level rises 1.00 meter it will submerge 20 percent of the country. The study has uncovered evidence of nexus between the global warming and climate change refuges in Bangladesh. The specific model is supported by a few diagnostic tests of the evidence.
Genetic diversity of the spotted seal (Phoca largha) in Liaodong Gulf following long-term conservation activities
Authors: Liu Weidong , Gao Xianggang , Tian Jiashen , Wang Zhen , Kong Zhongren , Lu Zhichuang
Published: June 2022

The spotted seal (Phcoa largha) is the only pinniped species reproducing in the wild in China. Wild populations of this species have declined sharply in China due to anthropogenic impacts. Forty-six individuals died accidentally in Liaodong Gulf between 2018 to 2020 and were collected. The genetic diversity and population structure of this population were investigated using mitochondrial ND4L and D-loop sequences, and the results were compared with the same population in 2005. The haplotype diversity of Liaodong Gulf spotted seals was low compared to other spotted seal populations in other habitats. Fortunately, the genetic diversity of the current Liaodong Gulf spotted seal population was higher than 15 years ago, and the population expanded between 2005 and 2020. Our findings indicated that conservation activities for Liaodong Gulf spotted seals in recent decades have been valuable, and should persist in the future.
Characteristics and therapeutic strategies of radiation-induced glioma : case series and comprehensive review of the literature
Authors: Onishi Shumpei , Yamasaki Fumiyuki , Amatya Vishwa Jeet , Takayasu Takeshi , Yonezawa Ushio , Taguchi Akira , Ohba Shinji , Takeshima Yukio , Horie Nobutaka , Sugiyama Kazuhiko
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Secondary glioma after cranial irradiation, so-called radiation-induced glioma (RIG), is one of the serious late effects after cranial radiation therapy. However, clinical characteristics and ideal treatment strategies of these tumors are unclear. In this report, we analyzed our case series and conducted a comprehensive review to reveal the characteristics of RIG.Methods: We performed literature review and investigated individual cases. In our institutes, we found pathologically diagnosed 6 cases of RIG. Totally, 360 cases were analyzed. The latency periods from irradiation to development of RIG and median overall survival of RIGs were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier analysis. Spearman’s correlation test was used to determine the relationship between age at irradiation and the latency years.Results: The mean age at the development of RIG was 27.42±17.87 years and the mean latency periods was 11.35±8.58 years. Multiple gliomas were observed in 28.4%. WHO grade 3 and 4 RIGs were account for 93.3%. The latency periods showed significant shorter in higher WHO grade group (p=0.0366) and concomitant systemic chemotherapy group (p<0.0001). Age at irradiation was negatively associated with the latency periods (r=-0.2287, p=0.0219). RIG treated with radiotherapy showed longer survival compared to RIG treated without radiotherapy (p=0.0011).Conclusions: Development in younger age, multiplicity, and high incidence of grade 3 and 4 are the clinical characteristics of RIG. Cranial irradiation at older ages, and concomitant chemotherapy were associated with a shorter latency period for the development of RIG. Radiation therapy is the feasible treatment option despite radiation-induced gliomas.
IoT-enabled Pest Identification and Classification with New Meta-Heuristic-based Deep Learning Framework
Authors: kathole atul b
Published: June 2022

The insect pests and crop diseases are the most critical factors that affect agricultural production, which reduces the sustainable development of agriculture. While detecting the pest, it is inconsistent to place the surveillance cameras near the target pests and the captured images from the Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring equipment at a constant location that is mostly insufficient for pest detection. IoT is a well-known advanced technology and an analytics system incorporated in diverse industries based on its unique abilities and flexibilities over a particular environment like agriculture. There is a demand for the IoT in agricultural areas to reduce the chemical crop protection agents and fertilizers to manage the efficient crop state and crop production. Hence, the data collection is through the IoT devices in this research model. This research aims to develop a pest identification and classification model to detect and identify the pests in the images. Initially, the IoT platform is created, and IoT devices conduct the data collection. Then, object detection is performed using Yolov3 to detect the pests in the images from the gathered images. The detected images are subjected to the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for gathering the deep features, which are then forwarded to the enhanced classifier, termed Convolution Neural Long Short-Term Memory (CNLSTM) for getting the classified outcomes as pest details, in which the optimization of parameters is done by Adaptive Honey Badger Algorithm (AHBA). These results demonstrated that the proposed method shows enhanced performance by rapidly collecting the information in agriculture and ensures the technical indication for population estimation and pest monitoring.
Incomplete excision of the intrapancreatic part of choledochal cyst lead to malignant transformation- Technical challenges and management
Authors: Mulpuri Venu Bhargava , Bhuria Dinesh Kumar , Rana Surinder Singh , Gupta Rajesh
Published: June 2022

Complete excision of the choledochal cyst is the procedure of choice for a choledochal cyst. Excision of the intrapancreatic portion of the choledochal cyst poses a technical challenge especially when the distance between the union of the pancreatic duct and common bile duct cyst is < 5mm and when the entire intrapancreatic bile duct is dilated. We present a case of malignant transformation of the intrapancreatic portion of the choledochal cyst following delay in the identification of choledochal cyst and incomplete excision.
Conformal Vector Fields on F-cosymplectic Manifolds
Authors: Sardar Arpan , De Uday Chand
Published: June 2022

In this paper, at first we characterize f-cosymplectic manifolds admitting conformal vector fields. Next, we establish that if a 3-dimensional f-cosymplectic manifold admits a homothetic vector field V, then either the manifold is of constant sectional curvature -\tilde{f} or, V is an infinitesimal contact transformation. Furthermore, we also investigate η-Ricci-Yamabe soliton with conformal vector fields on f-cosymplectic manifolds. At last, two examples are constructed to validate our outcomes.
The association between sugar at breakfast and energy intake in people with or at high risk of type 2 diabetes: a within-person analysis of STAMP-2 data
Authors: Carroll Harriet A. , Toumpakari Zoi , Andrews Robert C. , Falconer Catherine , James Lewis J. , Betts James A. , England Clare , Cooper Ashley R. , Johnson Laura
Published: June 2022

Background: The role of nutrient timing in energy intake amongst people with dysglycaemia is understudied but could be a simple method to help regulate appetite. This study analysed within-person associations of sugar intake at breakfast and subsequent energy intake. Methods: We used 4-day diet diary data from 147 participants (47 % men) encompassing 547 days of diet recording in the Sedentary Time and Metabolic Health in People with Type 2 diabetes project (STAMP-2). Linear two-level models were used to investigate within- (day-level) and between-person (participant-level) variation in total and post-breakfast energy intake according to skipping breakfast, low- (> 0-14.2 g) or high- (> 14.2 g) sugar intake at breakfast, adjusting for potential confounding or mediation. Results: Post-breakfast energy intakes were observed to be lower after eating low- and high-sugar breakfasts (compared to skipping), but higher total energy intake was associated with eating a high-sugar breakfast. Compared to breakfast skipping, both low- and high-sugar breakfasts were strongly associated with lower post-breakfast energy intake (-178, 95 % confidence interval [CI] -261, -94 kcal/d; ‑151, 95 % CI -235, -67 kcal/d, respectively). However, compared to skipping breakfast, low-sugar breakfasts were weakly associated with higher total daily energy intake (64, 95 % CI -18, 146 kcal/d), whereas high-sugar breakfasts had a strong association (135, 95 % CI 52, 217 kcal/d). Post-breakfast energy intakes were similar between low- and high-sugar breakfast days (27, 95 % CI -53, 106 kcal/d), whilst total daily energy intake tended to be higher with high- (compared to low-) sugar breakfasts (70, -8, 149 kcal/d). We also observed evidence of energy compensation whereby 86 % of the extra energy consumed in a low-sugar breakfast was compensated for by reductions in post-breakfast energy intakes, compared to only 53 % after a high-sugar breakfast. Conclusion: Overall, high-, but not low-, sugar breakfasts were associated with higher total daily energy intake when compared to breakfast skipping, despite a similar reduction in post-breakfast energy intake. We found evidence of poorer post-breakfast energy intake compensation with high-sugar breakfasts than low-sugar breakfasts. These findings suggest portion size may be important to consider in future breakfast research, with sugar being a proxy of portion size.
FILSAFAT PRAGMATISME: MENINJAU ULANG INOVASI PENDIDIKAN ISLAM
Authors: Wiranata Rz. Ricky Satria , Maragustam Maragustam , Abrori M. Sayyidul
Published: June 2022

This article is motivated by the fact that educational innovation in Indonesia is still low, this is reflected in the competitiveness of Indonesian human resources which is still weak when compared to Southeast Asian countries. The presence of the theory of pragmatism is expected to be a theoretical alternative to the approach of Islamic education innovation. This article seeks to formulate the design and innovation process of Islamic Education based on qualitative research and literature studies. This article is a philosophical study as an effort to construct the process of Islamic Education innovation from the perspective of Islamic philosophy and pragmatism. This study concludes that the innovation process is a necessity. In the Islamic perspective, aqidah sohihah is the key and initial step in finding the purity of Islamic education innovation. Whereas pragmatism offers an innovative process of Islamic education based on systematic steps that begin with reflective criticism, diagnosis, inventory, reflection, testing of hypotheses, public analysis, and finally implementation.
PERAN GURU PAI DALAM PEMBELAJARAN BERBASIS ‎‎TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI UNTUK MENCEGAH PAHAM ‎‎RADIKALISME SISWA DI SDIT AL-HUSNA GONDANG ‎‎TULUNGAGUNG
Authors: Thohiri M. Kholid , Ernawati Ernawati
Published: June 2022

Abstrak : Guru Pendidikan Islam mempunyai peran vital untuk memberikan pemahaman tentang toleransi dan akidah yang benar dengan tidak mengesampingkan nilai-nilai kebhinekaan dan kebangsaan, sebagai bekal untuk dapat mencegah konflik antar umat Islam maupun umat beragama lain, serta menghindari ajaran radikal untuk mencegah aksi-aksi kekerasan yang mengatasnamakan agama. Dalam penelitian ini mengungkap peran dan upaya strategis guru Pendidikan Agama Islam dalam menangkal radikalisme  melalui pembelajaran berbasis teknologi informasi di SDIT Al-Husna Gondang Tulungagung. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah jenis penelitian kualitatif dengan teknik pengumpulan data observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi. Sedangkan analisis   data dengan langkah reduksi, display data dan konklusi. Teknik  keabsahan data menggunakan trianggulasi dan diskusi sejawat. Hasil penelitiannya adalah peran guru PAI sebagai perencana, mediator, fasilitator, dan filter  dalam proses pembelajaran PAI berbasis teknologi Informasi yang berwawasan nilai-nilai moderasi Islam.

Abstrack: Islamic education teachers have a vital role to provide an understanding of tolerance and the correct creed without neglecting the values ​​of diversity and nationality, as a provision to prevent conflicts between Muslims and other religious communities, and avoid radical teachings to prevent violent acts. In this study reveals the role and strategic efforts of Islamic Religious Education teachers in counteracting radicalism through information technology-based learning at SDIT Al-Husna Gondang Tulungagung. The research method used is a type of qualitative research with observation data collection techniques, interviews and documentation. Meanwhile, data analysis using reduction steps, data display and conclusion drawing. The data validity technique used triangulation and peer discussion. The result of the research is the role of Islamic Education teachers as planners, mediators, facilitators, and filters in the learning process of Islamic Education based on Information technology with the insight into Islamic moderation values.
NILAI-NILAI PENDIDIKAN ISLAM DALAM PROTOKOL KESEHATAN DI MASA PANDEMI COVID-19
Authors: Daheri Mirzon , Desi Apri Ana
Published: June 2022

Abstract: The existence of counter-religious beliefs in the health protocol has resulted in resistance to its implementation. In addition, there are also issues of negative impacts on health that have exploded on various social media. So it is important to examine the perspective of religion, especially Islam, on this health protocol. This research is a research library that uses content analysis as a technique in analyzing data. Primary data to be taken is the Decree of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia number HK.01.07 / Menkes / 382/2020 regarding health protocols. The results show that the health protocol is in line with the values of Islamic education, namely the values of aqidah, morals, worship and social values.
Chinese Consumers’ Purchase Intention for Organic Meat: An Extension of the Theory of Planned Behaviour
Authors: Muhammad Yaseen Bhutto  , Fue Zeng  , Mussadiq Ali Khan  , Waheed Ali
Published: June 2022

There are various factors, such as the use of growth hormones, chemical additives in animal feed, animal welfare, health issues, and environmental concerns, which have led to a steady increase in global consumption of organic meat. The literature on organic consumer behaviour recently focuses on emerging Asian markets, especially China’s most populous markets. This study aims to investigate the factors that affect Chinese consumers’ intention to purchase organic meat. Survey questionnaire method has been employed to collect the required data. The data were collected from 305 consumers from three different organic stores in Wuhan, China. The partial least structural equation modelling (PLS- SEM) has been employed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the consumers’ attitude, health consciousness, food safety concern, and green self-identity are key factors in developing Chinese consumers’ intention to purchase organic meat. The findings further revealed that subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, meat characteristics, and organic knowledge about organic meat have a non-significant relationship in developing the consumers’ intention to purchase organic meat. It has been observed that the concept of organic meat has been less studied and less investigated. This study’s findings could help farm owners, market managers, advertising managers, food control authority officials, and all those related to meat business, in planning and executing future strategies to attract the maximum number of organic meat consumers in China.
Modes of access to water for domestic use in rural Chile: a typological proposal
Authors: Chloé Nicolas-Artero , Gustavo Blanco , Carlos Bopp , Noelia Carrasco
Published: June 2022

A typology is proposed regarding the modes of access to water for the rural population in Chile as well as four explanatory dimensions of its heterogeneity. The typology emerges from a systematic review of the literature and an analysis of quantitative data based on rural water organizations' databases. The modes of access are defined by the following five criteria: their socio-technical system, their type of management, their level of spatial action, the source of their financing, and the type of technical assistance they received. The findings dispute the systemic vision of access to water in rural areas and invite us to consider the structural heterogeneity in regulations and public policies to guarantee the human right to water.
Determination of Bioactive Protein Product Produced During Fermentation Using an Optical Biosensor
Authors: Gill Andrew , Harrison Joanna , Holwill Ian , Lowe Peter A , Hoare Mike
Published: June 2022

The fermentation of Escherichia coli to produce recombinant antibody fragments, Dl.3 Fv, specific for hen egg lysozyme, has been studied. The expression of antibody fragments has been monitored using an optical biosensor system to detect bioactive Fv in broth and cell homogenate supcrnatants during the course of fermentation. The system has permitted rapid detection, within seconds of sample application to the sensor, of bioactive product. Increase in pcriplasmic product was first detected 4 hours after inoculation of the vessel.
Folding Behaviour of Retro-Rubredoxin
Authors: Ruvo Menotti , Fassina Giorgio
Published: June 2022

The hypothesis that retro proteins should adopt conformations similar to that of the parent protein has been tested by preparing the retro derivative of (Ala 31) rubredoxin, a 45 residue polypeptide that is able to adopt stable structures in solution and displaying affinity for bivalent metal ions. Circular dichroism and UV measurements indicated that while the synthetic rubredoxin mutant acquired the typical conformation and iron binding ability in solution, the retro derivative did not show any evidence of structure nor of iron binding activity.
Complete Amino Acid Sequences of Two γ-Thionins From Maize (Zea Mays L.) Seeds
Authors: de Souza Castro Mariana , Fontes Wagner , Morhy Lauro , Bloch Jr. Carlos
Published: June 2022

Two γ-thionins were purified from maize (Zea mays L.) seeds by saline extraction, ammonium sulfate precipitation, pseudo-affinity and RP-HPLC chromatographies. Their complete amino acid sequences were determined by automated Edman degradations of the intact and S-alkylated proteins and peptides obtained from proteolytic digests and confirmed by ES/MS analysis. These sequences show remarkable homology with sorghum α-amylase isoinhibtors.