bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SIKAP DAN KEPUASAN KONSUMEN TERHADAP PRODUK KERIPIK SINGKONG TURBO SAKTI DI KABUPATEN SUMENEP
Authors: Diana Diana , Hayati Mardiyah
Published: May 2022

Keripik singkong merupakan makanan ringan yang banyak diproduksi oleh UMKM di Kabupaten Sumenep, sehingga memunculkan persaingan yang ketat antar pelaku usaha keripik singkong. Adanya persaingan yang semakin ketat, menuntut UMKM Turbo Sakti yang bergerak sebagai produsen keripik singkong untuk mengetahui sikap dan kepuasan konsumen. Penelitian ini betujuan untuk memahami karakteristik konsumen, sikap konsumen terhadap atribut-atribut keripik singkong Turbo Sakti, dan tingkat kepuasan konsumen. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode analisis deskriptif, multiatribut fishbein, serta customer satisfaction index (CSI). Hasil yang diperoleh menujukkan bahwa karakteristik konsumen keripik singkong Turbo Sakti adalah perempuan dengan usia 25 tahun, memiliki jumlah anggota keluarga 4-6 orang, bekerja sebagai pelajar/mahasiswa, berstatus belum menikah dengan pendidikan D3/S1 dan memiliki pendapatan per bulan Rp. 500.000. Sikap konsumen terhadap atribut keripik singkong Turbo Sakti rata-rata memiliki sikap yang positif dan atribut yang paling diutamakan adalah rasa. Kepuasan konsumen terhadap keripik singkong Turbo Sakti adalah puas.
Analisis Nilai Tambah Ubi Kayu sebagai Bahan Baku Keripik di UD. Sinar Gemilang Desa Bobol Kecamatan Sekar Kabupaten Bojonegoro
Authors: Firnanda Fina Alysia , Tamami Novi Diana Badrut
Published: May 2022

Ubi kayu merupakan salah satu produk pertanian yang berpotensi cukup besar untuk dikembangkan. Ubi kayu mempunyai manfaat yang bermacam-macam dan secara ekonomi mampu mengentas kemiskinan di pedesaan serta meningkatkan perekonomian nasional. Penelitian dilakukan untuk mengetahuiproses pengolahan keripik ubi kayu, efisiensi usaha pengolahan ubi kayu menjadi keripik dan nilai tambah pada usaha keripik ubi kayu di UD. Sinar Gemilang. Lokasi penelitian dipilih dengan cara sengaja (purposive) yaitu di UD. Sinar Gemilang yang bertempat di Desa Bobol, Kecamatan Sekar, Kabupaten Bojonegoro, dengan mempertimbangkan bahwa usaha tersebut merupakan tempat produksi ubi kayu menjadi keripik, yang sudah beroperasi dalam waktu yang lama. Metode penelitian yang diterapkan yaitu metode kuantitatif dengan mendeskripsikan hasil penelitian menggunakan Analisis Nilai Tambah dan Analisis Biaya dalam satu bulan proses produksi (26 kali produksi). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan penerimaan usaha pengolahan keripik ubi kayu sebesar Rp57.200.000,-/bulan, dengan total biaya yang dikeluarkan sebesar Rp28.936.004,-/bulan, sehingga pendapatan bersih yang diperoleh sebesar Rp28.263.996,-/bulan. Nilai R/C rasio sebesar 1,97, menunjukkan bahwa usaha keripik ubi kayu di UD. Sinar Gemilang tersebut efisien dan layak dikembangkan karena nilai R/C rasio 1. Nilai tambah pengolahan keripik ubi kayu selama sebulan produksi tambah tergolong tinggi karena rasio nilai tambah sebesar 65,1% lebih besar dari 40%.
Electrical Submersible Pump Design Enhancements for Hydrogen Sulfide Harsh Environments
Authors: Al-Khalifa Mohammed , Pessoa Rodrigues Rui , Sinclair Derek
Published: May 2022

Electrical submersible pumping (ESP) remains the preferred artificial lift method for high rate production when technically viable. ESP, on the other hand, is sensitive to downhole conditions and pumped fluid. Sour fields, in particular, are considered as a major challenge for producing facilities and well completion elements. Reservoirs producing fluids with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) present a special challenge to ESP systems.

This paper uses ESP field observations and pulled equipment findings from many dismantle inspection and failure analyses (DIFAs). The findings confirmed H2S behavior and root causes of electrical and mechanical failures within multiple ESP components. The outcome of these investigations and the recommended system upgrades to enhance ESP reliability in corrosive environments will be illustrated.

Critical ESP system materials will deteriorate and fail when subjected to sour environments. H2S can penetrate the pump’s cable insulation, attack the copper, and react to form copper sulfide, resulting in electrical failure. It can also permeate the seal bags and o-rings, diffuse in the seal dielectric oil, and attack the bronze and copper components in the seal and the motor. To improve reliability, a new version of motor lead extension (MLE) using three individually armored connectors and a seal with H2S sacrificial anode scavenger inside each chamber were introduced. The improved design encapsulated the insulated conductors individually within metal tubes made of high nickel alloy. The tubes can be terminated individually at the motor and above the production packer with proven swage type connectors.

By utilizing high nickel alloy tubes as barriers against H2S and removing all connections below the packer, the H2S effect has been eliminated. On the other hand, the seal with H2S passive scavenger will retain most of the H2S in the dielectric oil before it reaches the motor. These novelty technologies resulted in a threefold improvement, leading to longer up time, less workover jobs, and more sustainable production.
Multiple biomarker responses in Female Clarias gariepinus exposed to Acetaminophen
Authors: Erhunmwunse Nosakhare Osazee , Tongo Isioma , Ezemonye Lawrence Ikechukwu
Published: May 2022

There are increasing concerns over the detection of acetaminophen (APAP) in surface and ground waters across the globe. Its impacts on non-target aquatic organisms have often been under monitored due to cost implication with specific biomarkers in the exposed organisms increasing the underestimation of the impacts of APAP thus generating some questions on the credibility of the choice single monitored marker. This study evaluated the possible multi-toxic effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of APAP in female catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed for 28 days using multiple biomarkers. Our results show that acetaminophen triggered oxidative stress with superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) activities significantly differ in the acetaminophen-exposed female catfish from the control. Histopathological alterations in the liver of acetaminophen-exposed female fish showed apoptotic hyperplasia, sinusoidal congestion, and necrosis of the hepatocytes, which were concentration-dependent. APAP exposure enhanced the fusion and shortening of some filaments, hyperplasia of the epithelia gills cells, aneurism, congestion and epithelia rupture of the gills and was ovarian toxic. Multivariate results indicated that there was a distinct response from the acetaminophen-exposed female catfish with over 95% of the biomarkers significantly contributing to the discriminate between the acetaminophen-exposed female catfish and the control groups. Based on the data presented in this study for female catfish exposed to acetaminophen, it can be concluded that monitoring multiple biomarkers provides a more comprehensive picture of the exposed fish's health than single markers. As a result, pharmaceuticals may cause several alterations or multiple effects in non-targeted exposed organisms in the aquatic environment, yielding a less realistic risk assessment result in monitoring programs using single marker. Our research provides evidence supporting the use of a multiple-biomarkers approach to evaluate the impacts of drugs on the health status of female C. gariepinus over single markers.
Collective optical behavior from coupled quantum dots visualized by wavelength-resolved and polarization-resolved super-resolution microscopy
Authors: Ryan Duncan , Dunlap Megan , Hollingsworth Jennifer , Majumder Somak , Gelfand Martin , Werner James , Orden Alan Van , Goodwin Peter
Published: May 2022

Applications of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) that place particles into close proximity with other QDs must contend with the effects of interactions between the particles. Electronic coupling facilitates energy transfer, but these environments can also alter the native properties of the individual QDs. How QDs behave collectively due to coupling is a largely unexplored topic. We developed a super-resolution wavelength-resolving and polarization-resolving microscope to capture correlations among the signatures QD coupling. Nanoassemblies containing 2—10 QDs exhibited features of energy transfer: regions of high fluorescence activity from exciton funneling to acceptor particles, and spectral-intensity distributions consistent with donor/acceptor relationships. Spatial distributions of these features were localized with ~10 nm precision, on the order of the size of individual particles. Unexpectedly, polarization signatures from nanoassemblies were uniform, indicating a single emission polarization state for a group of QDs. This demonstrates a strong electronic coupling that alters the native behavior of the individual particles.
Existence of solutions for a class of quasilinear elliptic equations involving the p-Laplacian
Authors: SAEEDI GH , Waseel Farhad
Published: May 2022

This paper is concerned with the existence of solutions for the quasilinear elliptic equations−∆ p u − ∆ p (|u| 2α )|u| 2α−2 u + V (x)|u| p−2 u = |u| q−2 u, x ∈ R N, where α ≥ 1, 1 < p < N, p ∗ = N p/(N − p), ∆ p is the p-Laplace operator and the potential V (x) > 0 is a continuous function. In this work we mainly focus on nontrivial solutions. When 2αp < q < p ∗ , we establish the existence of nontrivial solutions by using Mountain-Pass lemma; when q ≥ 2αp ∗ , by using a Pohozaev type variational identity, we prove that the equation has no nontrivial solutions.
OFMSW fermentation with different inocula and its effects on methane production
Authors: Jojoa-Unigarro German Dimitriv , González-Marínez Simón
Published: May 2022

Thermodynamically, lactic acid and ethanol allow the best energy recovery among all common metabolites for methane production. The main objective of this work was to favor the fermentation of OFMSW for better lactic acid and ethanol production. First, OFMSW fermented with three different inocula: Naturally occurring microorganisms (NOM), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and UASB sludge. Second, methanization of digestates from the fermentations. OFMSW fermentation with NOM and UASB sludge + NOM mainly produces lactic acid; yeast fermentation mainly produces ethanol, lactic acid, and volatile fatty acids. Methane production increased with decreasing substrate concentration, and higher methane production was obtained with the digestate from NOM fermentation. Every one of the fermented digestates produced more methane than unfermented OFMSW. Higher concentrations of propionic and butyric acids were observed for higher digestate concentrations from yeast and NOM after 30-day methanization. Methane produced from unfermented OFMSW was not inhibited as propionic, and butyric acids concentrations were the lowest of all four cases.
Rapid epidemic expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 subvariant during China’s largest outbreaks
Authors: Dai Yeyu
Published: May 2022

A complete and accurate statistical analysis of cases of the contraction with the SARS-CoV-2, under the conditions of strict mandatory quarantine and isolation and of a high rate of full vaccination, during the largest COVID-19 outbreaks driven by the Omicron BA.2 subvariant in China are given. Sars-Cov-2 is still new, and little is known about either its directions of variations or its laws of propagation. No country other than China has been able to disclose every case of infection in every epidemic or outbreak since April of 2020. Here, this study reveals that the BA.2 subvariant can still spread very fast and wide in areas with strict “dynamic zero-COVID strategy”[i] in China, that there exist cities twenty-fold differences in morbidity rates unrelated to any of the known factors contributing to incidence of infectious diseases, and that the Omicron BA.2 subvariant is unpredictable in its virulence, although its severity rate of symptomatic cases is low. This analysis provides first-hand original and valuable information for further research on similar epidemics in the future. It may bring new thoughts for correction of present epidemiological theory and mathematical models. It may also give other countries time to be better prepared for the coming 6th wave driven by Omicron BA.2.
In situ microcosm remediation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons: efficiency and impacts of nanozerovalent iron and activated carbon
Authors: Albarano Luisa , Toscanesi Maria , Trifuoggi Marco , Guida Marco , Lofrano Giusy , Libralato Giovanni
Published: May 2022

Nano Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI) and Activated Carbon (AC) addition is recently developed techniques applied for the remediation of sediments and aqueous solutions contaminated with hydrophobic organic compounds. However, an important point that must be underlined consists in the possible occurrence of eco(toxico)logical secondary effects, especially when applied in situ. In this study, we investigated AC and nZVI as remediation methods in contaminated water and sediment, evaluating also their possible negative impact on marine crustacean Artemia franciscana. The results showed that the AC and nZVI efficiency removal were similar for both sediment and seawater; and the survival of both nauplii and adults was mainly impacted by nZVI than by AC. At the molecular level, the nZVI-addition induced variations in the expression of stress and developmental genes. In conclusion, these data suggest potential ecotoxicological effects of nZVI and stress the need for a detailed further investigation of secondary effects of this technique.
High performance stemming algorithm to handle multi-level inflections in Urdu Language
Authors: Jabbar Abdul , Iqbal Sajid , Ilahi Manzoor
Published: May 2022

Stemming is an essential step in varied Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications. It is used to reduce different variants of the query words to a standard form to avoid the vocabulary mismatch issue in Information Retrieval (IR) systems. There are a lot of stemming algorithms in English language, but Urdu NLP still in its infancy. A stemmer develops and evaluates in a language cannot be efficiently used for other languages . Urdu has the highly inflected and complex morphological structure, and most of the current Urdu stemmers remove a few numbers of affixes and leads to inefficient results. In this context, according to the best of our knowledge, this is a first comprehensive effort towards the proposition and evaluation of a novel Urdu Text Stemmer (UTS) that cope with multi-level inflection and derivation forms in Urdu text. The experimental evaluation of the proposed scheme has been conducted on the text-based and words-based custom developed corpus. The proposed stemming technique is rigorously evaluated and compared with state-of-the-art stemming algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate that UTS outperforms existing Urdu stemmers and achieves an accuracy of 94.92% and 91.8% on word and text corpus, respectively.
Transitory sustainability effects of behavioral changes: Benefits of COVID-19 lockdowns reversed over time, resulting in more forest fires in Amazon
Authors: Liu Wenman , Ibáñez Inés , Agrawal Arun
Published: May 2022

To control the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide deployed unprecedented policies. Mandatory lockdowns, mobility restrictions, and calls for social distancing and voluntary individual constraints were among the key interventions to reduce exposure risks. The resulting global reductions in human mobility constitute a massive natural experiment on whether and how changes in human activities affect natural ecosystems and sustainability. This analysis focuses on the relationship between human activities and tropical forest fires. Human activities contribute to forest fires, both directly and indirectly, threatening ecological, environmental, and climatic stability, as well as human health. Prior research of the effects of lockdowns on forest fires uses proxies for changes in human activities, e.g., covid cases and official lockdown dates. Our analysis relies, instead, on a direct indicator of human activity levels- the human mobility rate- to model the relationship between fires and reduced mobility and examine how fires patterns changed in Amazon basin countries during the initial COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 and thereafter. Our analysis reveals that constraining human mobility significantly reduced forest fires in the Amazon regions of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil during a brief initial period, but the effects dissipated after 30 days. After 60 days, the number of fires was higher than previous years’ average, controlling for environmental conditions. The unintended sustainability effects of behavioral changes after COVID-19 were short-lived and we document a compensatory effect that resulted in higher fire incidence. By highlighting how rapidly societies returned to business-as-usual practices, our analysis points towards the need for durable institutional and policy changes for effective shifts in human behaviors towards longer-term sustainability outcomes.
SARS CoV-2 Delta variant structural proteins: Homology with opportunistic bacteria
Authors: Khavinson Vladimir , Kormilets Dmitry , Maryanovich Alexander
Published: May 2022

The capacity of SARS CoV-2 for immune evasion can be considered universally recognized. Coronavirus and human protein homology may be one of the mechanisms of immune evasion. Delta variant necessarily has structural features that explain its specific qualities. The aim of our study is to find out whether mutations in the structural proteins of Delta variant change its homology with proteins present in the human body, i.e. human, bacterial and dietary. Using bioinformatics tools we detected homology on the heptamer level between Delta variant structural proteins and human proteins as well as some opportunistic bacteria proteins of the upper respiratory tract, lung and gut. Delta variant spike (S) and membrane (M) proteins have a large number of similarities (homologous correspondences) with the listed proteins, with the S:Δ156,157;R158G mutation having the greatest amount. The reason why SARS CoV-2 Delta variant has specific characteristics, most importantly increased lethality, is most likely to be found in a mutation at positions 156–158 of spike protein.
Research on co-disposal and utilization of ferrous packaging containers contaminated with hazardous wastes by steel converter
Authors: WANG Yi , CHEN Junfu , Fu Benquan , ZHANG LEI , LIU Heng , HUANG Yanjun , SONG Guangsen
Published: May 2022

The disposal of waste oil, paint and coating barrels (WOPCBs) after use is an ongoing social and environmental problem. A novel co-disposal and utilization method of WOPCBs has been proposed in this paper. Compared with the traditional methods, the method presented takes full advantages of the production process and environmental protection facilities of steel converter, and has many advantages, such as a large disposal capacity, high incineration temperatures, thorough decomposition of organic compounds, low cost, easy operation, highly efficient and environmentally friendly. Results of industrial tests revealed that the addition of 180–540 kg WOPCBs for each furnace load(250 ton capacity per batch), none of the assessed pollutant discharge indices deteriorated, meeting the relevant national standards. Furthermore, WOPCBs were suitable for use as supplementary materials for scrap steel. Therefore, this study provides important insights for sustainable resource utilization from WOPCBs.
A preliminary exploration of pancreatic ferroptosis: Inhibition of ferroptosis alleviates pancreatic injury through the NLRP3 pathway in acute pancreatitis
Authors: Li Jie , Cheng Long , Ji Liang , Tang De-sheng , Yan Chang-sheng , Guo Xiao-yu , Cui Ji-tao , Cao Feng , Wang Gang
Published: May 2022

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore whether ferroptosis exists in acute pancreatitis (AP) and the effect of iron ions on the NLRP3 pathway. Materials and Methods A total of 45 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups (control, AP, AP+2, 2'-bipyridyl). A total of 12 injections (caerulein, 50 μg/kg) were given at one-hour intervals. The mice in the AP+2, 2'-bipyridyl group were pretreated with 2, 2'-bipyridyl (20 mg/kg) for 1 hour and then injected with caerulein. The mice in the control group were injected with an equal volume of normal saline. All of the mice were killed one hour after the last injection. The pancreases were harvested for histopathological evaluation, immunohistochemistry analyses and western blotting. One-way ANOVA and Student’s t test were performed. Results The ferroptosis inhibitor 2, 2'-bipyridyl can prevent the accumulation of iron ions, reduce the formation of lipid peroxides and alleviate injury in the process of AP, and reduce pancreatic inflammation through the NLRP3 pathway. Conclusion This experiment revealed the presence of ferroptosis in AP. The application of 2, 2'-bipyridyl can obviously alleviate pancreatic damage through the NLRP3 pathway.
Machine Learning Techniques on Homological Persistence Features for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
Authors: Rammal Abbas , Assaf Rabih , Gopil Alban , Vrabie Valeriu
Published: May 2022

The rapid evolution of image processing equipment and techniques ensures the development of novel picture analysis methodologies. One of the most powerful yet computationally possible algebraic techniques for measuring the topological characteristics of functions is persistent homology. It's an algebraic invariant that can capture topological details at different spatial resolutions. Persistent homology investigates the topological features of a space using a set of sampled points, such as pixels. It can track the appearance and disappearance of topological features caused by changes in the nested space created by an operation known as filtration, in which a parameter scale, in our case the intensity of pixels, is increased to detect changes in the studied space over a range of varying scales. In addition, at the level of machine learning there were many studies and articles witnessing recently the combination between homological persistence and concepts derived from these domains. On another level, prostate cancer is diagnosed referring to a scoring criterion describing the severity of the cancer called Gleason score. The classical Gleason system defines five histological growth patterns (grades). In our study we propose to study the Gleason score on some glands issued from a new optical microscopy technique called SLIM. This new optical microscopy technique that combines two classic ideas in light imaging: Zernike’s phase contrast microscopy and Gabor’s holography. Persistent homology features are computed on these images, we suggested interfering methods issued from machine learning to classify these images into their corresponding Gleason score. Machine learning techniques applied on homological persistence features was very effective in the detection of the right Gleason score of the prostate cancer in these kinds of images and showed an accuracy of above 95%.
The Effectiveness of Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) on Drug Tolerance, Mediated by Receptor Signaling, Signal Transduction and Intracellular Transport
Authors: Makvand Mina , Mirtorabi Seyed Davood , Hassanzadeh Gholamreza , Campbell Arezoo , Ahangari Ghasem
Published: May 2022

Introduction: In chronic drug abuse, opioidergic, dopaminergic signaling, and endocytosis are implicated in neural circuit disruption. We evaluate the impact of Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) on opioid addiction.Method: The expression of dopamine (DRD1- DRD5) and opioid (mu-, delta-, and kappa) receptors, Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), Dynamin 1 like (DNM1L), and RAS-associated (RAB22A) genes in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from MMT (n= 40) and control (n= 40) were detected by qPCR. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) investigation into addiction-associated genes was performed to elucidate the possible pathways which may have an interference impact on the treatment of addiction.Results: We found that DRD1, DRD2, MOR, DOR, and KOR expressions increased, and the COMT and DNM1L expressions were decreased in MMT. A complex brain network orchestrated by three stages of interactions I) opioid receptors II) Dopamine receptors III) Intracellular vesicular transport (RAB22A), and synaptic vesicle recycling (DNM1L), involved which led to resistance. We elucidate possible pathways that may have an interfering effect on the opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) studies were performed on addiction-associated genes.Conclusion: We introduce Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling as a significant mediator in addiction and represent DRD2 as a potential therapeutic target for OUD. PPI downstream off-target stimulation may involve ERK activation. Thus, the use of novel agonists and antagonists, in combination with ERK inhibitors, may be of particular interest for future research in addiction treatment.
Simulation Design of A 4GHz Remote Control Broadband Omnidirectional Miniaturized Antenna
Authors: weiqiang ying , lingyan zhang , Shijian luo , cheng yao , fangtian ying
Published: May 2022

In view of the complex requirements of the application environment, considering that the back transmission of PCB antenna will be blocked and the receiving range of cylindrical antenna is wide, an omnidirectional microstrip monopole antenna in S/C band is designed by combining printed circuit board and radiation vibrator;The standing wave ratio (VSWR) is less than 2 between 3.45GHz and 4.75GHz. It is characterized by monopole E-plane pattern, gain variation range of 0.2~2.5DBI and good omnidirectivity.In this paper, the monopole application antenna is designed through full wave and circuit simulation, the best parameters are found, the theory is verified by experiments, and an omnidirectional antenna with good performance is designed.
Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup Compared with Sucrose in Female Wistar Rat Promotes Concomitant Cerebral and Hepatic Injuries in Comparable clinical responses.
Authors: Mirzaei Roya , Bidgoli Sepideh Arbabi , Khosrokhavar Roya , Shoeibi Shahram , Ashtiani Hamidreza Ahmadi
Published: May 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
The theta splitting function
Authors: Agama Theophilus
Published: May 2022

In this paper we study the Theta splitting function $\Theta(s+1)$, a function defined on the positive integers. We study the distribution of this function for sufficiently large values of the integers. As an application we show that

\begin{align}

\sum \limits_{m=0}^{s}\prod \limits_{\substack{0\leq j \leq m\\\sigma:[0,m]\rightarrow [0,m]\\\sigma(j)\neq \sigma(i)}}(s-\sigma(j))\sim s^s\sqrt{s}e^{-s}\sum \limits_{m=1}^{\infty}\frac{e^m}{m^{m+\frac{1}{2}}}.\nonumber

\end{align} and that

\begin{align}

\sum \limits_{j=0}^{s-1}e^{-\gamma j}\prod \limits_{m=1}^{\infty}\bigg(1+\frac{s-j}{m}\bigg)e^{\frac{-(s-j)}{m}}\sim \frac{e^{-\gamma s}}{\sqrt{2\pi}}\sum \limits_{m=1}^{\infty}\frac{e^m}{m^{m+\frac{1}{2}}}.\nonumber

\end{align}
PCR-SSP detection of ADH1B rs1229984 and ALDH2 rs671 gene polymorphisms and their correlation with gastric and esophageal cancer in Lianyungang Han population
Authors: Zhu Qing , Liu Liping , Li Na , Chen Huimin , Fang Yewei , Wang Fang , Wang Lei , Shang Qingyi , Liang Wei
Published: May 2022

Background: ADH1B rs1229984 and ALDH2 rs671 polymorphisms are associated with digestive tract tumors. In this study, we aimed to establish a method to detect ADH1B rs1229984 and ALDH2 rs671 based on PCR-SSP. The polymorphisms of rs1229984 and rs671 were detected in a Lianyungang Han healthy population; we further investigated the correlation between the distribution of the two SNPs in patients with gastric and esophageal cancer.Methods: We enrolled 200 healthy Han blood donors from Lianyungang Central Blood Bank in Jiangsu Province, and 50 patients with gastric cancer and 50 patients with esophageal cancer from the Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang (Tumor Hospital). Mismatched bases were introduced near the 3' end of the primer to increase PCR specificity. Polymorphisms of the two SNPs were detected by PCR-SSP. Standard plasmids containing SNP sites were synthesized by TA cloning. After fragment insertion was verified by sequencing, the limit of detections and detection specificities of PCR-SSP were studied. Finally, 10 samples were selected for sequencing. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS.Results: PCR-SSP was successful in the genotyping of ADH1B rs1229984 and ALDH2 rs671. Gene sequencing demonstrated an accuracy of 100%. The limits of detection of rs1229984 AA and GG were 102 and 105 copies/μL, respectively, while the LODs of rs671 AA and GG were 103 and 106 copies/μL, respectively. The specificities of rs1229984- A-R, rs1229984-G-R, and rs671-A-R were 100%, while rs671-G-R was very weakly interfered by alleles. The frequencies of rs1229984 AA, AG, and GG genotypes in healthy subjects were 42.5%, 53.5%, and 4%, respectively, and the frequencies of rs671 AA, AG, and GG genotypes were 1%, 26.5%, and 72.5%, respectively. Genotype analysis of these SNPs revealed that GG of rs1229984 is a risk genotype (p = 0.02) for esophageal cancer. Significant association was also observed between rs671 AA, AG, and the incidence of gastric cancer (p = 0.003, 0.016, respectively). Moreover, the gene frequencies of rs671AG were also statistically significant between esophageal cancer patients and healthy subjects (p = 0.000).Conclusion: We developed a method for the detection of rs1229984 and rs671 based on PCR-SSP. The sensitivity and specificity of this method were high, and operation of this method is simple and economical. We also identified the distribution of the gene polymorphisms in the Han population in the Lianyungang area, and found there was a significant difference in the gene distribution composition ratio between gastric cancer and esophageal cancer and the healthy control group.
Collaborating with transgender youth to train healthcare professionals: randomized controlled trial of a didactic enhanced by brief videos
Authors: Martin Andrés , Celentano Jillian , Olezeski Christy , Halloran Justin , Penque Brent , Aguilar Jemel , Amsalem Doron
Published: May 2022

BackgroundIn collaboration with members of the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community, we created a didactic resource about the unique needs of TGD youth. MethodsWe developed teaching materials enhanced by video clips of two TGD adolescents openly sharing aspects of their lived experience. We compared the video and no video conditions in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which participants were assigned to one of four parallel conditions: 1) a transgender [TgV] or 2) a cisgender [CgV] woman presenting with videos embedded into the presentation, 3) the same cisgender woman presenting without the videos [CgN], or 4) a no intervention control [NiC]. Our primary outcome was change in the total score of the Transgender Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Scale (T-KAB). ResultsWe recruited and proportionally randomized 467 individuals, 200 of whom completed ratings before and after the intervention: TgV (n = 46), CgV (N = 46), CgN (n = 44), and NiC (n = 64). Mean scores on all measures of TGD acceptance increased in the video group, compared to the no video group. Improvements persisted after 30 days (p < 0.01), except on perceptions about TGD family members. The three active intervention groups did not differ in efficacy.ConclusionsThese findings provide empirical evidence that a well-informed presenter, regardless of their gender, can achieve similar improvements in perceptions and knowledge about TGD youth when using a resource that can be disseminated free of cost.
Differences in spermatozoa acquisition rates between patients with non-obstructive azoospermia of different etiologies
Authors: Xiao-ting Zheng , Ling Ma , Sheng-hui Chen , Yao Wen-liang , zhang ming-liang , Zhou Yu-liang
Published: May 2022

Objective: This study aimed to investigate and compare the sperm acquisition rates achieved by microdissection testicular sperm extraction in patients with different causes of non-obstructive azoospermia. Methods: The medical records of 225 non-obstructive azoospermia patients who underwent microdissection testicular sperm extraction after January 2018 in the Reproductive Andrology Department of the Reproductive Hospital affiliated to Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. We investigated whether age, testicular volume, reproductive endocrine hormone levels, and etiological differences were correlated with sperm acquisition rates. Results: The patients were divided into two groups: those from whom sperm was successfully acquired and those from whom it was not. In the sperm acquisition group, there were 107 patients; in the non-acquisition group, there were 118 patients. There were no significant differences in age, testicular volume, endocrine hormone levels, body mass index, or inhibin B antigen levels between the two groups. A significant difference was found between the acquisition group (2.32±1.334) and the non-acquisition group (3.16±1.680) in levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (p<0.01). The patients were then classified based on the etiology of their non-obstructive azoospermia. Those patients whose condition was caused by a history of mumps, surgery for cryptorchidism, Klinefelter syndrome, and AZFc deletion had significantly higher sperm retrieval rates than patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia. Conclusion: Microdissection testicular sperm extraction is an established and effective treatment for infertility resulting from non-obstructive azoospermia. No correlation was found between testicular sperm extraction rates and age, obesity, testicular volume, endocrine hormone levels, or inhibin B levels. Anti-Müllerian hormone can be used to predict sperm retrieval rates but should be used alongside other indicators where possible. Sperm acquisition rates were found to be significantly correlated to the etiological origins of non-obstructive azoospermia. This can be used to predict the surgical sperm acquisition rates of non-obstructive azoospermia patients.
First Strike personalized predictive radioiodine prescription for inoperable metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer
Authors: Kao Yung Hsiang
Published: May 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
The Shift to Personal Learning Environment has been FruitfulPredicting Performance in Future Tasks Based on Personal Learning Environment Management during the Corona Epidemic
Authors: ibrahem usama mohamed , alharbi badr , Moussa Mahmoud , Alrashidi Muna , Radi Bahgat
Published: May 2022

The study aimed to study the performance expectation in future tasks based on personal learning management during the Corona epidemic. A random sample of 871 students from the University of Hail was selected. The study samples were from humanities, engineering, and medical colleges. The study was based on a cross-sectional study design. The study prepared a measure of future expectation of performance on the tasks. The scale is 28 items. Factor analysis was used to verify the validity of the scale, and the scale achieved acceptable indicators of good fit. The scale achieved acceptable stability using Cronbach's alpha coefficient for emotional factor 0.57, cognitive factor 0.94, and behavioral factor 0.90. The results revealed that there are differences in the future expectation on performance because of gender and type of college. The results revealed that there are positive correlations between future expectation of cognitive and emotional performance, as well as a positive relationship between emotional and behavioral performance. There was also a negative relationship between behavioral and cognitive performance.
Social inequality and barriers to healthcare-seeking with lung cancer symptoms – a population-based study
Authors: Sætre Lisa , Rasmussen Sanne , Balasubramaniam Kirubakaran , Søndergaard Jens , Jarbøl Dorte
Published: May 2022

Healthcare-seeking with lung cancer symptoms is a prerequisite for improving timely diagnosis of lung cancer. In this study we aimed to explore barriers to healthcare-seeking with lung cancer symptoms, and to analyse the impact of social inequality. The study is based on a nationwide survey with 69,060 individuals aged ≥40 years, randomly selected from the Danish population. Survey information on lung cancer symptoms, healthcare-seeking, and smoking status. Information about socioeconomics by linkage to Danish Registers. “Being too busy” and “Being worried about wasting the doctor’s time” were the most frequent barriers to healthcare-seeking with lung cancer symptoms. Individuals out of workforce and current smokers more often reported “Being worried about what the doctor might find” and “Being too embarrassed” about the symptoms. The social inequality in barriers to healthcare-seeking with lung cancer symptoms is noticeable, which emphasises the necessity of focus on vulnerable groups at risk of postponing relevant healthcare-seeking.
Effect of processing temperatures on decarbonisation of calcium carbonate in sodium hydroxide solutions at ambient conditions
Authors: Simoni Marco , Hanein Theodore , Woo Chun Long , Nyberg Magnus , Provis John L. , Kinoshita Hajime , Tyrer Mark
Published: May 2022

The CO2 released upon calcination of limestone (process CO2 and combustion CO2) accounts for the largest portion of the emissions from the cement manufacturing industry. Our previous works highlighted the possibility for a no-combustion decarbonisation of CaCO3 through reaction with NaOH solutions to produce Ca(OH)2 at ambient conditions, while sequestrating the process CO2 in a stable mineral Na2CO3∙H2O/Na2CO3. In this study, the effect of temperature was assessed within the range of 45–80°C, highlighting a higher impact at short residence times. The proportioning of the precipitated phases Na2CO3∙H2O /Na2CO3 was also assessed at varying conditions, and the data was supported with related simulation. Experiments performed on targeted CaCO3:NaOH:H2O compositions also allowed for the detection of the Arrhenius parameters characterising each ternary system. An increasing activation energy (Ea) was found to be correlated to lower NaOH concentrations initially reacting with CaCO3. The present work offers a further understanding of the effect of temperature on the process with the potential to minimise the GHG emissions from cement and lime industries, and correctly assess eventual industrial applicability.
DRD1 signaling enhances recovery after traumatic brain injury via an autophagy dependent pathway.
Authors: Lin Chao , Chang Hanxiao , Bao Zhongyuan , Luo Hui , Xu Lei , Wu Wei , Liu Ning , Ji Jing
Published: May 2022

Although the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) plays a crucial pathophysiologic role after traumatic brain injury (TBI), its function and specific underlying mechanisms of action remain unclear. In this study, DA inhibits neural death induced by TBI or stretch injury, which is mediated via the dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1). Our results showed that DRD1 signaling promotes receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) ubiquitination via the E3 ubiquitin ligase Chip and degradation through autophagy. Importantly, in vivo data revealed that DRD1 signaling prevented neuronal death, suppressed neuroinflammation, and restored many TBI-related functional sequelae through an autophagy-dependent mechanism. These data reveal a novel mechanism involving dopamine, and suggest that DRD1 activation positively regulates Chip-mediated ubiquitylation of RIPK1—leading to its autophagic degradation.
A Bayesian network optimization method for ranked search under constraints
Authors: Jinhua WANG , XUN Ming rui , Jie ，CAO
Published: May 2022

Bayesian networks can deal with uncertainty and polymorphism and are widely used in the field of fault diagnosis. However, the directed acyclic graph (DAG) space is large, and it is an NP-hard problem to get the optimal BN structure from the data. The current research combines constraint-based and search-based methods to search for the optimal BN structure in the DAG to solve this problem. However, when the constraint space is constant and imprecise, the optimal solution is most likely to be lost, resulting in low model accuracy. In addition, the search space expands with the increase of the number of nodes, which leads to the structure quickly falling into local optimum and low learning efficiency. Therefore, this paper proposes a Bayesian Network Modeling for Ranking Search under Constrained Conditions (BNMRSCC) method to find a BN structure that fits the data set in the constrained search space. Firstly, in the constraint phase, the MIC algorithm and CI test are used as double constraints to limit the search space and two estimatorsB anda are introduced in the original MIC algorithm to change the search space during the operation to reduce the computation time and improve the learning efficiency. Secondly, in the search phase, the XGboost algorithm is used to calculate the feature importance scores and rank them, and the search space is further determined based on the ranking under the double constraint. Finally, the feature ranking is used as the input of the K2 algorithm to improve the accuracy of network inference. The experimental results show that the model built by this algorithm is better and more effective for learning BN structures.
Convolutional neural network based portable computer vision system for freshness assessment of crayfish (Prokaryophyllus clarkii)
Authors: Wang Chao , Liu Yan , Xia Zhenzhen , Wang Qiao , Duan Shuo , Gong Zhiyong , Chen Jiwang
Published: May 2022

Developing novel techniques for freshness assessment are of the utmost importance in yield and trade of aquatic products. The crayfish (Prokaryophyllus clarkii) is one of the most popular freshwater products in China and its food safety should be seriously concerned. In this study, a convolutional neural network (CNN) based portable computer vision system for freshness assessment of crayfish method was proposed. A portable microscope was utilized to collect the microscopic images of crayfish with different freshness levels. The convolutional neural network was constructed and then optimized to extract features from the microscopic images. For the pictures from the portable microscope, the prediction accuracies of freshness could be 86.5% and 83.3% when the optimized networks were applied. The results indicate that the convolutional neural network based portable computer vision system may provide an alternative way for the freshness assessment in crayfish industrial chain.
Study on local bifurcation of nonlinear energy sink with inerter and grounded stiffness
Authors: Sui Peng , Shen Yong-Jun , Wang Xiaona
Published: May 2022

Novel and efficient vibration control units such as inerter and grounded stiffness have contributed significantly to structural vibration reduction. However, as the performance of vibration suppression systems gradually improves, their structures become more complex. And the coupling effects among complex structures, as well as the effects on the system dynamics, are hazy. This aims to investigate the influence of combined structure of inerter and grounded stiffness on the bifurcation behaviors of nonlinear energy sink. The damping of the primary system, a parameter that has been neglected in the majority of studies, is also included in the model. The closed-form solutions of the system steady-state response are derived by the complexification-averaging method and verified numerically. Then, the control equations of stability judgment, saddle-node bifurcation, and Hopf bifurcation are calculated. Sensitivity analysis is performed for each parameter and is visualized in the form of two-dimensional and three-dimensional bifurcation diagrams. It is found that two kinds of bifurcation boundaries on the ( ξ 2 , f ) plane move slightly up and Hopf bifurcation boundaries become complicated both owing to the introduction of the damping in the primary system. The bifurcation zones on the ( ξ 2 , f ) and ( K 2 , f ) planes enlarge with the increase of inerter coefficient. Increasing grounded stiffness has the opposite influence on areas of the bifurcation boundary about ( ξ 2 , f ) and ( μ , f ), except for the special case that the area of saddle-node bifurcation on the ( μ , f ) plane increases accordingly. The amplitude of external force leading to bifurcations will increase when the inerter and grounded stiffness get greater jointly.
Hydroclimatic impacts of ‘8.2-ka event’ in western Indo-Pacific Warm Pool
Authors: Dixit Yama , Chua Stephen , Yan Yu Ting , Switzer Adam
Published: May 2022

The most prominent abrupt climate event during the Holocene, the ‘8.2 ka event’, was characterized by severe cooling at high northern latitudes causing diverse hydroclimate shifts globally. To date, a precise understanding of the hydroclimate response of the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP) region to abrupt climate changes in the North Atlantic around 8.2 ka remains elusive. Here we present a high-resolution stable carbon isotope record on foraminifera species Asterorotalia pulchella and sediment characteristics of a marine sediment core from the Kallang River Basin, Singapore. Foraminifer stable isotope data in concert with sedimentological proxies provide coherent evidence of weakened rainfall for ~ 180 years in the western tropical Indo-Pacific region from ~ 8.14 ka to 7.96 ka BP. A robust age model suggests that the timing of the onset of reduced convective activity in the western IPWP region lags the cooling in the North Atlantic and the synchronous droughts in the Asian and Indian monsoon regions, by ~ 100years possibly implying a north-south signal propagation via oceanic route that operates on centennial scales. The termination of the ‘8.2 ka event’, however may have occurred near synchronously between high and low tropical regions at ~ 7.96ka BP possibly linked via both atmospheric and oceanic processes.
Chemical composition, toxicity and physiological effects of thyme oil and its two components on mulberry pyralid moth
Authors: Goharrostami Maryam , Sendi Jalal Jalali , Hosseini Reza , Mahmoodi Nosrat O Allah
Published: May 2022

Thymus vulgaris is a plant with known insecticidal properties. In order to explore its use in the control of the mulberry snout moth, the essential oil this plant and two of its major components, thymol and carvacrol, were evaluated in laboratory bioassays. GC-MS analysis of the oil depicted thymol (26.9%) and carvacrol (5.7%) as the major constituents. The estimated LD50 values for thyme essential oil, thymol and carvacrol were 2.82, 32.18 and 56.54 µg/larva, respectively. However, the thyme essential oil was more toxic than its two main compounds.The activity of certain detoxifying enzymes such as α- and β-esterase, glutathione S-transferase and cytochrome P450 were significantly inhibited in thymol-treated larvae compared to the control group. Similarly, the activity of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatases enzymes in thymol-treated larvae decreased while the activity of acid phosphatases increased. Our results suggest that thyme essential oil and its components have potential for the control of G. pyloalis larvae in mulberry orchards, where no synthetic chemicals are allowed.
A novel guide for minimally invasive genioplasty
Authors: Macedo Diogo de Vasconcelos , Monnazzi Marcelo Silva , de Almeida Matheus Spinella , Claus Jonathas Daniel Paggi
Published: May 2022

Mentoplasty or genioplasty is a simple procedure to enhance facial aesthetics. While usually considered simple, it might present certain difficulties during execution, especially when a minimally invasive approach is preferred. Drilling and cutting guides are a valuable tool to overcome such challenges but usually require larger incision and dissection to allow adequate positioning and bone rigid fixation. In this article, we describe a novel guide design that permits adequate bone repositioning while preserving minimally invasive protocols.