bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau in canine immune-mediated meningoencephalitis
Authors: Son Mingyun , Chae Yeon , Kim Sanggu , Yun Taesik , Koo Yoonhoi , Lee Dohee , Kim Hakhyun , Yang Mhan-Pyo , Kang Byeong-Teck , Kim Soochong
Published: May 2022

Background
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein involved in the assembly and stabilization of microtubules. In human medicine, hyperphosphorylation of tau is associated with microtubule instability and is considered to play a role in the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune neurological disease that shares many characteristics, including pathological mechanisms, with canine meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology (MUE). With this background, this study investigated the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau in dogs with MUE and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).
Methods
Totally, eight brain samples of the dogs were examined that included two neurological normal dogs, three dogs with MUE, and three canine EAE models. Anti-tau (phospho-S396) antibody was used for immunohistochemistry (IHC), which stained hyperphosphorylated tau.
Results
In normal brain tissues, the expression of hyperphosphorylated tau was not identified. In all the dogs with EAE and one of the dogs with MUE, immunoreactivity for S396 + p-tau was observed in the glial cell cytoplasm and background in the periphery of the inflammatory lesion.
Conclusion
These results suggest for the first time that tau pathology may be involved in the progression of neuroinflammation in dogs, similar to human MS.
A study on the comprehensive utilization of water resources from the perspective of water footprint and water ecological footprint: A case study of Anyang City, China
Authors: Ma Xiaolei , Jiao Shixing
Published: May 2022

Agriculture is the largest freshwater consumer, accounting for nearly 70% of global freshwater consumption. The agricultural water footprint and water resources ecological footprint which is used to describe the ecological environment and socioeconomic functions of water resources are two complementary indicators of water resources use in relation to human consumption. Anyang, a typical shortage area of fresh water resources in the North China Plain, was selected as a study area to estimate water consumption of agriculture. In this work, we estimate the temporal and spatial variation of green, blue and grey water footprint of five crops in Anyang during 1990–2018 based on the water footprint (WF) theory, water resources ecological footprint (EFw) and water resources carrying capacity (ECw) methods. To analyze the EFw of specific crops, the paper develops the framework between agricultural WF and EFw, and quantifies the EFw of specific crops. The results show that the WFgreen, WFblue and WFgrey of Anyang all increased from 1188, 1560 and 511 million m³ in 1990 to 1440, 1736 and 1010 million m³ in 2018, respectively, which is mainly resulted from the increase of cultivated area and agricultural nitrogen amount. Winter wheat and maize were the two leading crops in both green and blue water consumption, taking 31.35%, 55.25% of the total WFgreen and 71.32%, 22.52% of total WFblue, respectively. The average unit mass WFgreen and WFblue of crops show a reduction trend in the period between 1990 and 2018 because of the urbanization of farmland and the increase of crop yields. Both water ecological carrying capacity (ECw) per capital and the water ecological deficit (EDw) per capital of Anyang decreased. Anyang has been in a state of water ecological deficit since 2000. The results imply that Anyang imports a large number of water resources from other areas for its consumption since 2000. This study is expected to contribute to agricultural water management by providing suitable information to policy-makers. Also, the results indicate that it is urgent to make strict water resources management measures and water pollution prevention to improve the water use efficiency in Anyang in order to ease pressure on water scarcity.
Comparative transcriptional analysis and identification of hub genes associated with wing differentiation of male in Aphis gossypii
Authors: Huangfu Ningbo , Shi Qingyu , Chen Lulu , Ma Xiaoyan , Zhang Kaixin , Li Dongyang , Wang Li , Zhu Xiangzhen , Ji Jichao , Luo Junyu , Cui Jinjie
Published: May 2022

Background
Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a worldwide polyphagous phloem-feeding agricultural pest, has three wing morphs (winged parthenogenetic female, gynopara and male) in the life cycle, in which the exclusive males could fly from second hosts to winter hosts and are essential for gene exchange of cotton aphid populations from different host or regions. However, the molecular mechanism of wing differentiation of male in A. gossypii remains unclear.
Results
Morphological observation of male A. gossypii showed that no distinct differences existed in the external morphologies of the 1st and 2nd instar nymphs, while the obvious differentiation of wing buds started in 3rd instar nymphs and were visible via naked eyes in 4th instar nymphal stage, then adult male emerged with fully wings. According to morphological dynamic changes, the development of wings in males were divided into four stages: preliminary stage (1st instar to 2nd instar), prophase (3rd instar), metaphase (4th instar), anaphase (5th instar). Results of feeding behavior monitoring via EPG (electrical penetration graph) technology indicated that although the male cotton aphids had strong desire to feed (longer duration of C 55.24%, F 5.05% and Pd waves 2.56%), its feeding efficiency to summer host cotton was low (shorter E1 3.56% and E2 waves 2.63%). Dynamic transcriptome analysis of male aphid at 5 different developmental periods found that in 3rd instar nymphs, the number of up-regulated DEGs were significant increased, and time-course gene transcriptional pattern analyses results also showed numerous genes categorized in clusters 3, 5, and 8 had the highest expressed level, which were consistent with morphological changes of wing buds. These results indicate that the 3rd instar nymphs are the critical stage of wing bud differentiation in males. Further, pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs and WGCNA analysis revealed that the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, Ras signaling pathway, dopaminergic synapse, circadian entrainment and corresponding the candidate hub genes PLK1, BUB1, SMC2, TUBG, ASPM, the kinesin family members (KIF23, KIF20, KIF18-19) and the novel subfamily of serine/threonine (Aurora kinase A and Aurora kinase B) probably played important roles in the critical stage of wing bud differentiation.
Conclusion
This study explored changes of the morphological and transcriptional level from the 1st instar nymphs to adults of male cotton aphid, revealed the phenomenon of low feeding efficiency of winged male cotton aphid on secondary hosts, and identified key signaling pathways and potential hub genes potentially involved in wing bud differentiation of male in A. gossypii.
Lightweight Assimilation of Open Urban Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Data and Numerical Simulations with Unknown Uncertainty
Authors: Miasayedava Lizaveta , Tuhtan Jeffrey A. , Kaugerand Jaanus
Published: May 2022

The consistent and accurate monitoring and modeling of urban ambient air quality are essential to reduce risks to public health. The growing number of open data sources now allow for data assimilation algorithms to improve air quality monitoring, including uncertainty estimates. The robust assimilation of model data with observations for urban ambient air quality monitoring requires the estimation of uncertainty to cope with unknown events and changing environmental conditions. However, uncertainty estimates from open access model simulations and observations are frequently unavailable. To address this gap, we propose a lightweight framework for ambient air quality data assimilation suitable for low-powered embedded hardware used by the Internet of Things. The proposed framework includes computationally efficient assimilation algorithms for the data-driven estimation of unknown uncertainty. The algorithms are compared and validated to assimilate open-access urban ambient air pollution observations and global numerical model simulations from the System for Integrated modeLling of Atmospheric composition (SILAM). This work is significant because it offers a computationally lightweight approach to sequentially assimilate open time series data without prior uncertainty estimates.
Nonlinear Robust Control for the Mechanical Leg of Lunar-Based
Authors: Chen Zheng-Han , Xu Zhao-Dong , Lu Hong-Fang , Yu Deng-Yun , Yang Jian-Zhong , Pan Bo , Zhao Xue-Liang , Hu Zhong-Wei , Ge Teng , Zhu Chen , Zhen Sheng-Chao
Published: May 2022

The research on the movement of lunar-based equipment is an essential subject in lunar exploration. The uncertainties of the complex lunar surface environment affect the steady movement of lunar-based equipment. In this paper, a novel nonlinear robust control strategy, namely model-based p-sectionalized control strategy (MPS control), is proposed for the mechanical legs of lunar-based equipment to maintain stability. The novel controller is designed based on the nonlinear dynamic model of the mechanical leg and the controller is proved theoretically based on Lyapunov stability theory. The numerical simulation and the real-time experiment are carried out and traditional controllers are introduced in the comparison. The results of both the simulation and the experiment verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Hydroclimate changes in Antarctica during 1900-2014
Authors: Silva Natália , Wainer Ilana , Pezzi Luciano P , de Souza Ronald Buss
Published: May 2022

The hydroclimate of southern high latitudes impacts the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) and, by consequence, the global climate. In the AIS, precipitation (PPT) is directly related to the surface mass balance, and it has increased over the past centuries as a response to global warming. In particular, this upward PPT trend accelerated in the late 20th Century, when anthropic activity became as relevant as natural agents in forcing the climate. Using data from 23 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models and seven reanalyses, we described PPT changes Antarctica considering the periods before (1900–1979) and after (1980–2014) the year 1980. In the region south of 60o S, the reanalyses ensemble mean indicated that the PPT trends increased 60%, from 8.2 x 10− 3 to 1.3 x 10− 2 mm day− 1 decade− 1, when comparing the previous period (1900–1979, “before 1980”) with the contemporary (1980–2014, “after 1980”); The multi-model mean captured a sevenfold acceleration in PPT trends from the “before 1980” to the “after 1980” period (from 2.1 x 10− 3 to 1.5 x 10− 2 mm day− 1 decade− 1). However, PPT changes were spatially heterogeneous in the study area. While a general increase occurred south of 60° S, the western West AIS and the Ross Sea regions became dryer. We also analyzed the Southern Ocean's sea surface temperature (SST) and atmospheric circulation, two principal modulators of the Antarctic PPT. We found that PPT in Antarctica throughout 1900–2014 was primarily determined by changes in the atmospheric circulation rather than variations in the Southern Ocean's SST.
Synthesis of BiVO4 and Au/BiVO4 nanocomposites to achieve the visible-light-driven photocatalytic reduction of Cr+6 in pure and tap water – Optimization of the reaction conditions
Authors: Durán-Álvarez Juan C. , Karathuparathottathil Drisya , García-Tablas Rodrigo , Lartundo-Rojas Luis , Solís-López Myriam , Zanella Rodolfo , Subramaniam Velumani
Published: May 2022

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is used to mineralize organic pollutants and inactivate pathogens in water, whereas the removal of heavy metals is less explored. In this work, BiVO4 was synthesized through the hydrothermal route to achieve the photocatalytic reduction of Cr+6 in water. Monoclinic BiVO4 displayed high crystallinity and a fern-leaf-like form; specific surface area and bandgap energy were determined as 5.68 m2 g-1 and 2.49 eV, respectively. Surface plasmon resonance was identified in the Au/BiVO4 nanocomposites, while the specific surface was reduced to 3.16 m2 g-1 after the deposition of gold nanoparticles. Different sacrificial agents were tested to boost the photocatalytic performance of BiVO4, including methanol, ethanol, formic acid, dimethyl sulfoxide, and KI, finding the best results with 0.01 M formic acid. The optimal photocatalyst dosage was 1.5 g L-1, achieving the complete photoreduction of Cr+6 after 90 min of visible light irradiation. No improvement in the photocatalytic activity was observed when metallic gold nanoparticles were deposited on BiVO4 nanocomposites, more likely due to the reduced specific surface area. Chromium was precipitated on the BiVO4 surface as Cr+3, Cr+4 and Cr+5 oxidized species. The catalyst displayed high stability across three consecutive reaction cycles, and good performance was observed in tap water, with the complete photoreduction of Cr+6 upon 2 h of visible light irradiation. Purging dissolved O2 from the water was an essential factor to achieve the highest photocatalytic performance.
Deep structured learning realizes variant prioritization for Mendelian diseases
Authors: Danzi Matt , Dohrn Maike , Fazal Sarah , Beijer Danique , Rebelo Adriana , Cintra Vivian , Züchner Stephan
Published: May 2022

Effective computer-aided or automated variant evaluations for monogenic diseases will expedite clinical diagnostic and research efforts of known and novel disease-causing genes. Here we introduce MAVERICK: a Mendelian Approach to Variant Effect pRedICtion built in Keras. MAVERICK is an ensemble of transformer-based neural networks that can classify a wide range of protein-altering SNVs and indels and assesses whether a variant would be pathogenic in the context of dominant or recessive inheritance. We demonstrate that MAVERICK outperforms all other major programs that assess pathogenicity in a Mendelian context. In a cohort of 644 previously solved patients with Mendelian diseases, MAVERICK ranks the causative pathogenic variant within the top five variants in over 95% of cases. Seventy-six percent of cases were resolved outright. MAVERICK particularly excels at identifying pathogenic variants in novel disease genes: it ranks the true causal variant in hitherto novel disease genes within the first five candidate variants in 70% of cases. MAVERICK has recently facilitated the identification of three novel disease genes. These results represent a significant step towards automated identification of causal variants in patients with Mendelian diseases.
Factors Associated With Poor Quality of Life of Transgender People
Authors: Coswosck Kaio Henrique Cesconetto , Moreira Juliana Almeida , Navarro Joel Hirtz do Nascimento , Guandalini Valdete Regina , Marques-Rocha Jose Luiz
Published: May 2022

Background
The term transgender (TRANS) may be used for people whose gender identity differs from the one assigned at birth. A large part of this population segment faces social (lack of social support, discrimination, rejection, transphobia) and psychological (anxiety, depression) challenges. These factors, in turn, may negatively impact the quality of life (QoL) of these individuals. The aim of this study is to identify factors that influence the quality of life of transgender people when compared with cisgender people (CIS).
Methods
Cross-sectional case-control study with non-probability sample, conducted with transgender and cisgender adults living in a southeastern Brazilian state. The research questionnaire was accessed electronically and comprised sociodemographic, health, and QoL information. QoL was assessed through the Short-Form 6 dimensions (SF-6D) instrument. Multivariate logistic regression was used to verify the participation of the independent variables in QoL. Odds ratio (OR) values and their respective confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. The analyses were carried out in the SPSS® software, version 22.0, with a significance level of 5%.
Results
The sample included 65 transgender and 78 cisgender individuals. The cisgender group showed a predominance of people with higher education (p = 0.002) and higher income (p = 0.000) when compared with the transgender group. Transgender participants had worse QoL score (p = 0.014) and the same was observed when QoL was assessed by dimension (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, having an income between 1 to 3 minimum wages (MW) reduced by 94.6% (OR = 0.054, CI = 0.004–0.707, p = 0.026) the chances of having better QoL, when compared with those with income higher than 3 MW. Living in the state’s capital reduced the chances of having better QoL by 96.2% (OR = 0.038, CI = 0.004–0.387, p = 0.006) when compared with those living in the countryside.
Conclusion
The transgender population showed worse QoL when compared with the cisgender population, with income and place of residence being the factors that influenced this indicator.
Factors Associated With Diabetes-related Distress Among Asian Patients With Poorly Controlled Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Cross-Sectional Study in Primary Care
Authors: Guo Xiaoxuan , Wong Pang Nee Frida , Koh Yi Ling Eileen , Tan Ngiap Chuan
Published: May 2022

Background: Diabetes-related distress (DRD) is a negative emotional state related to the burden of living with diabetes mellitus. It has been associated with poor self-care and glycaemic control. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the factors associated with DRD among urban Asian patients with poorly controlled type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in primary care in Singapore. The factors included demographics, diabetes history, medical co-morbidities, mood disorders and social history. Methods: Patients with T2DM and HbA1c of 8% or more were recruited from 2 public primary care centres in Singapore. They were administered a questionnaire survey to identify DRD based on the Problem Area In Diabetes (PAID) scale. Their anxiety and depression were screened using GAD-7 and PHQ-9, and quality of life (QOL) measured using the EQ-5D-5L. Their clinical data, including HbA1c, comorbidities and medications, were extracted from the electronic medical recordsResults: Among the 356 subjects, the prevalence of DRD was 17.4%. DRD was significantly associated with younger age (AOR (95% CI) = 0.93 (0.89-0.97), p=0.001), ex-smoker status (AOR (95% CI) = 22.30 (2.43-204.71), p=0.006) and history of kidney disease (AOR (95% CI) = 3.41 (1.39-8.35), p=0.007). Those who screened positive for depression (AOR (95% CI) = 4.98 (1.19-20.86), p=0.028) were almost five times more likely to have DRD. Quality of life was lower among those with DRD (EQ5D index score AOR (95% CI) = 0.11 (0.01-0.97), p=0.047), who also tended to feel that diabetes pharmacotherapy interfered with their normal life (AOR (95% CI) = 2.89 (1.38-6.08), p=0.005).Conclusion: About 1 in 6 patients with poorly controlled T2DM had DRD. Younger age, ex-smoker status, history of kidney disease, and those with depressive symptoms were most at risk.
Experience and confidence in health technologies: evidence from malaria testing and treatment in Western Kenya
Authors: Mangeni Judith Nekesa , Abel Lucy , Taylor Steve M. , Obala Andrew , Prudhomme Wendy , Saran Indrani
Published: May 2022

Background
Low adoption of effective health technologies increases illness morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the case of malaria, effective tools such as malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin-combination therapies (ACTs) are both under-used and used inappropriately. Individuals’ confidence in RDTs and ACTs likely affects the uptake of these tools.
Methods
In a cohort of 36 households (280 individuals) in Western Kenya observed for 30 months starting in June 2017, we examined if experience with RDTs and ACTs changes people’s beliefs about these technologies and how those beliefs affect treatment behavior. Household members requested a free RDT from the study team any time they suspected a malaria illness, and positive RDT results treated with a free ACT. We conducted annual, monthly, and sick visit surveys to elicit beliefs about the accuracy of malaria RDT results and the effectiveness of ACTs. Beliefs were elicited on a 5-point Likert scale from “very unlikely” to “very likely.”
Results
Over the study period, the proportion of survey respondents that said a hypothetical negative RDT result was “very likely” to be correct increased from approximately 55–75%. Controlling for initial beliefs, people who had been tested at least once with an RDT in the past year had 3.6 times higher odds (95% CI [1 1.718 7.679], P = 0.001) of saying a negative RDT was “very likely” to be correct. Confidence in testing is associated with treatment behavior: those who believed a negative RDT was “very likely” to be correct had 1.78 times higher odds (95% CI [1.079 2.934], P = 0.024) of adhering to a negative RDT result (by not taking ACTs) than those who were less certain about the accuracy of negative RDTs. Adherence to a negative test also affects subsequent beliefs: controlling for prior beliefs, those who adhered to their previous test result had approximately twice the odds (OR = 2.19, 95% CI [1.661 2.904], P < 0.001) of saying that a hypothetical negative RDT was “very likely” to be correct compared to those who did not.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that greater experience with RDTs can not only increase people’s confidence in their accuracy but also improve adherence to the test result.
Establishment of a Zimbabwe National SME sector, a major priority to enhance the performance of the national economy
Authors: Musabayana Godfrey Tambudzayi , Mutambara Emmanuel , Ngwenya Tony
Published: May 2022

A sound administration strategy is an effective tool to improve the performance SMEs. The establishment of a national SME sector will assist in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes that aim to improve the performance of SMEs. The administration of the SMEs by the Ministry of Women affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development has failed to improve the performance of SMEs. This study established that the administration of SMEs by the ministry lacks value addition and value creation, technological innovation and research and development and it is disjointed from the implementers, hence the need to establish a new Zimbabwe National SME sector which can improve the performance of SMEs. The mixed method research was used in the study following the sequential exploratory strategy which employed both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The study followed the dominant sequential mixed strategy which collected data in two phases The findings of the study will assist the government to establish a new SME sector that will address the plight of the SMEs. From the study, the researcher deduces that the ministry responsible for SMEs is overwhelmed with responsibilities and is not reaching out to the SMEs. The researcher proposed the structure of a new Zimbabwe National SME sector that focusses on the improvement of SME performance.
The cold effect of ambient temperature on acute aortic dissection hospital admission: utilizing distributed lag nonlinear analysis
Authors: Zhang Qian-Ru , Li Kai-Di , Wang Yi-Yu , Wang Hua , Li Xian-Bao , Zhu Ji-Rong , Li Bao-Zhu
Published: May 2022

The effects of ambient temperature on acute aortic dissection (AAD) admissions in China have not been well addressed. So, the aim of study was to explore the effect of ambient daily mean temperature for AAD admissions, especially in Hefei, China. Data on daily mean temperature, daily maximum temperature, daily minimum temperature, air pressure, relative humidity and AAD admissions in Hefei were obtained between 2015 and 2020. Distributed lag non-linear model was employed to determine the association between daily ambient temperature and AAD admissions. Relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated based on gender, age group and hypertensive status. A total number of 1648 AAD admitted cases were documented. A non-linear acute effect of cold temperature on AAD was evaluated. Compared with median reference temperature (17.56 °C), the cumulative RR of extreme low temperature increased the risk of AAD admissions. The cumulative effect was at lag 0 day (RR: 1.639, 95% CI: 1.120, 2.398), and got the peak at lag 3 days (RR: 2.176, 95% CI: 1.345, 3.519). Then the effect size was gradually reduced until lag 8 days (RR: 1.953, 95% CI: 1.010, 3.776). The impact of extreme low temperature on AAD admissions was found to be more obvious in male, the elderly, and hypertensive patients. Overall, exposure to extreme low temperature was associated with increasing AAD daily admissions risk in Hefei, China.
In-plane ferroelectric tunnel junctions based on 2D α-In2Se3/semiconductor heterostructures
Authors: Yang Qiong , Liu Zifang , Jiang Jie , Hou Pengfei , sun lizhong , Tsymbal Evgeny
Published: May 2022

Ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) have been extensively studied due to their great potential in the application of high-density and non-volatile memories. Recently, α-In2Se3 was found to exhibit robust in-plane and out-of-plane ferroelectric polarizations at a monolayer thickness, which is ideal to serve as a ferroelectric component in miniaturized ferroelectric devices. In this work, we design two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures composed of an α-In2Se3 ferroelectric and a hexagonal IV-VI semiconductor (SnTe and PbSe) and propose an in-plane FTJ based on these heterostructures. Our first-principles calculations show that the designed heterostructures exhibit a pronounced band tuning property, where ferroelectric polarization reversal leads to transition between insulating and metallic states. We demonstrate that the in-plane FTJ exhibits two distinct transport regimes, tunneling and metallic, for the OFF and ON states, respectively, leading to a giant tunneling electroresistance effect with the ON/OFF ratio exceeding 5 ´ 103. Our results offer a promising approach for the high-density ferroelectric memory based on the 2D In2Se3/semiconductor heterostructures and ferroelectric tunnel junctions.
Investigation of selected physico-chemical quality parameters in industrial wastewater by electrocoagulation process, Ethiopia
Authors: Tibebe Dessie , Negash Almaz , Mulugeta Marye , Kassa Yezbie , Moges Zerubabel , Yenealem Dereje
Published: May 2022

Nowadays, there are more than fourteen major state and private owned textile industries and garment factories in Ethiopia. However, these textile effluents are directly discharged without treatment to the surrounding environment, as a result, the pollutants bring serious problem to the surrounding community including health such as skin diseases, asthma, abortion, carcinogenic effect, biodiversity loss and mutagenic effect on the. The main objective of this study is characterization and treatment of the textile effluent using aluminum electrodes in the electrocoagulation process. EC experimental setups were designed and different parameters were optimized. Electrocoagulation treatment process eliminates physicochemical quality indicators such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC); turbidity, biological oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia; nitrate, nitrite, total nitrogen (TN) and phosphate were determined using standard procedures. From the result, the maximum removal efficiency of phosphate, ammonia, TN, electrical conductivity, turbidity and BOD were obtained 97, 87, 88, 89, 99 and 66%, respectively. Analyses of the electrochemically generated sludge by X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that the expected crystalline aluminum oxides (bayerite (Al(OH)3 diaspore (AlO(OH)) were found in the sludge. The amorphous phase was also found in the floc. Therefore, a treatment technology was good and encourages the community to apply the technique for the treatment of textile effluent before discharging into the environment.
Bacterial bioindicators for biological status classification along a continental river
Authors: Eiler Alexander , Fontaine Laurent , Pin Lorenzo , Savio Domenico , Friberg Nikolai , Kirschner Alexander , Farnleitner Andreas
Published: May 2022

Despite the importance of bacteria in aquatic ecosystems and their predictable diversity patterns across space and time, biomonitoring tools for status assessment relying on these organisms are widely lacking. This is partly due to insufficient data and models to identify reliable microbial predictors. Here, we used metabarcoding in combination with multivariate statistics and machine learning to identify bacterial bioindicators for existing biological status classification systems based on macroinvertebrates as well as for prediction of chlorophyll a concentration along the Danube River. Bacterial beta-diversity dynamics followed environmental gradients and the observed associations highlighted potential bioindicators at different taxonomic levels. Spatio-temporal links spanning the microbial communities along the river allowed accurate prediction of downstream biological status from upstream information. Network analysis on Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASV) identified as good indicators revealed informational redundancy among taxa, which coincided with taxonomic relatedness. The redundancy among bacterial bioindicators revealed mutually exclusive taxa, which allow accurate biological status modeling using only a few ASVs holding sufficient shares of non-redundant information. Our study shows bacterial indicators are robust for biological status classification and therefore should be considered for integration into bioassessment schemes such as ecological status classification in the EU Water Framework Directive.
Plasmonic characteristics of the graphene-photonic crystal composite structure in the IR regime
Authors: Zhang Yue , Xiong Tao , Dong Dandan , Wang Wei , Sun Cheng
Published: May 2022

In this work a graphene-photonic crystal composite structure is proposed, in which graphene nanoribbons are placed on top of a photonic crystal that is composed of two alternating dielectric materials. The optical properties of the composite structure are investigated in the infrared regime, by varying the Fermi energy, the layer number of the graphene, as well as the polarization angle of the incident light. Plasmonic resonance effects are revealed and the resonance wavelength, the peak width, and the peak intensity are determined. Quantitatively, the polarization-angle dependent peak intensity is well fitted to a trigonometric function. It is demonstrated that the resonance peak is quite sensitive to the dielectric material that is adjacent to the graphene. It is also shown that the structure has a high sensitivity of 7660 nm/RIU to the refractive index of the surrounding environment, with a figure of merit of 6.38. Based on the results, the graphene-photonic crystal composite structure proposed in this work may have potential applications in designing of plasmonic devices, such as ones that can be used to detect subtle variations in the refractive index of surrounding environments.
Gender equity in the health workforce: Analysis of national data in China
Authors: Yu Wenya , Liu Xiang , Chen Hong , Tian Jiahe , Cao Zilong , Li Meina , Mu Wei , Ge Yang
Published: May 2022

Background: Gender equity in the health workforce benefits a lot for health and economic development, and the use of gender data can better reflect problems and monitor progress in gender equity. The aim of this study was to dissect the gender equity issues in China to contribute the gender equity in the health workforce.Methods: Data on gender compositions in the health workforce were extracted from the China Health Statistics Yearbook (2011-2020) and a national survey publication.Results: The descriptive analysis results showed that women accounted for the majority of the health workforce in China, especially among nurses, technicians and administrators, which also indicated that most female health workers always play a role of auxiliary medical work. The completely opposite gender compositions were observed in community health centers and maternal and children’s health hospitals, and village health clinics. In the former two institutions, women dominated in all occupations, while in the latter one, women only accounted for a small proportion, even including nurses. Female scientists only accounted for a small proportion of academicians.Conclusions: To accelerate the gender equity in the health workforce in China, policies should further guide to break through cultural malady to create a better environment for women. It should encourage men to give more support for women, and protect girls to have equal higher education opportunities as boys. Gender data in China should be given more attention to reflect and promote gender equity in the health workforce.
Application of Factorial and Binomial identities in Communication and Cybersecurity
Authors: Annamalai Chinnaraji
Published: May 2022

This paper presents application of the binomial and factorial identities and expansions that are used in communication and cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting the computing systems, communication networks, data and programs from cyber-attacks. Its objective is to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks and protect against the unauthorized exploitation of systems and networks. For this purposes, we need a strong security mathematical algorithm like RSA algorithm and Elliptic Curve Cryptography. In this connection, computing technique based on factorial and binomial identities is developed for the researchers who are working in communication and cybersecurity.
A joint PCR-based gene-targeting method using electroporation in the pathogenic fungus Trichosporon asahii
Authors: Matsumoto Yasuhiko , Nagamachi Tae , Yoshikawa Asami , Yamada Tsuyoshi , Sugita Takashi
Published: May 2022

Trichosporon asahii is a pathogenic fungus that causes deep-seated fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. Established methods for generating gene-deficient T. asahii mutants exist, but the frequency of obtaining transformants by electroporation remains low. In the present study, we optimized the conditions for gene transfer by electroporation using a ku70 gene-deficient mutant with high recombination efficiency. Introducing a DNA fragment by electroporation into T. asahii cells on Sabouraud dextrose agar to generate a cnb1 gene-deficient mutant and incubating for 1 day led to the growth of approximately 100 transformants. When the incubation period was extended to 2 days or 5 days, however, only 2 or no transformants, respectively, were grown. The highest number of transformants was grown by electroporation when a square wave at 1.8 kV (9 kV/cm) was applied for 5 ms. In addition, the number of transformants increased with an increase in the length of the homologous region, and transformants did not grow when the homologous region was less than 500 base pairs. A DNA fragment was produced for deletion of the cnb1 gene by joint PCR, and the cnb1 gene-deficient mutant was obtained by introducing the DNA fragment by electroporation. These results indicate that DNA fragments produced by joint PCR can be used to generate gene-deficient mutants of T. asahii through gene transfer by electroporation.
Investigating thermal stability, mechanical and thermal properties for Si/Ge core-shell nanowires at atomic scale
Authors: dandan zhao , Cui Yang , li jing , Sun Naipeng , Zhang Lin
Published: May 2022

Molecular dynamics simulations using Tersoff potential are performed to study the structure, atomic pressure and mechanical properties as well as thermal properties for Si/Ge core-shell nanowires with different core-shell ratios at different temperatures. Potential energy and pair distribution functions indicate structural features of these nanowires at different temperatures. During uniaxial tensile along the wire axis at different temperature, different stages including elasticity, plasticity, necking, and fracture are characterized through stress-strain curves, Young’s modulus and tensile strength are obtained. The simulation results indicate that as the temperature increases, the elasticity during the stretching process becomes less apparent. The Young’s modulus of the Ge@Si and Si@Ge nanowires at room temperature show differences with changing the core-shell ratio. In addition, the atomic level pressures show the differences of these atoms under compression or tension, and the temperature and strain significantly affect the pressure distribution in these wires. Phonon density of states with varying the composition and strain suggest different vibration modes at room temperature, and then the heat capacities of these nanowires are determined.
High-resolution imaging in acoustic microscopy using deep learning
Authors: BANERJEE PRAGYAN , AKARTE SHIVAM MILIND , KUMAR PRAKHAR , SHAMSUZZAMAN MUHAMMAD , AGARWAL KRISHNA , BUTOLA ANKIT , PRASAD DILIP K. , MELANDSØ FRANK , ANOWARUL HABIB
Published: May 2022

Acoustic microscopy is a cutting-edge label-free imaging technique to visualize surface and internal structure of industrial and biological specimens. Focusing high-frequency acoustic waves to the object followed by detection of echo signals results in the final acoustic image. However, resolution of the acoustic image depends on the signal to noise ration, step size, and frequency of the transducer. In this work, we propose a deep learning enabled high-resolution imaging in acoustic microscopy. The approach is based on training various generative adversarial networks (GAN) to transform low-resolution transducer limited images into super-resolved images. Total five different type of GAN model i.e., SRGAN, ESRGAN, IMDN, DBPN-RES-MR64-3, and SwinIR is used to show 2.5 times resolution enhancement in acoustic images. The performance of the trained model is evaluated by calculating PSNR and SSIM between the network predicted and ground truth images. SwinIR provided an average SSIM AND PSNR of 0.92 and 35, respectively. A biological sample was tested on the model and it resulted in a SSIM score of 0.8778 and PSNR score of 32.93. Our acoustic microscopy +GAN framework is applicable for various industrial applications such as electronic manufacturing, micro-structural characterization of material and other biomedical applications in general.
The impact of family social support on postpartum quality of life: the structural equation modeling
Authors: khademi Khadijeh , Kaveh Mohammad Hossein , Ghahremani Leila , Nazari Mahin , Karimi Masoud
Published: May 2022

Background: The postpartum period is one of the most important stressful situations in women's lives that affects their quality of life (QOL). The important factor affecting the QOL in the postpartum period is social support, especially family social support (FSS). The present study has been designed to assess the impact of FSS on postpartum quality of life (PQOL).Methods: In this analytical cross-sectional study, 240 postpartum women completed the PQOL questionnaire, and FSS questionnaire (FSSQ). The Pearson correlation and multivariate regression were used to determine the relationship between variables. A structural equation model (SEM) was used for path mapping of the impact of FSS on PQOL.Results: The mean scores of PQOL and FSS were 61.63±9.59 and 69.80±11.19 respectively. The fit indices of the SEM were GFI: 1.00 and NFI: 1.00 that demonstrated, the fit of the SEM can be acceptable. The family support seeking (0.16), emotional support seeking (-0.13) and FSS (0.12) were three factors that influenced PQOL.Conclusion: Our findings showed a picture of the association between FSS and the QOL of women in the postpartum period. The support from the family as the first people around the women who gave birth can improve their QOL by improving their physical, mental, and childcare performance and can be very effective in overcoming this challenging situation.
Analysis of Contextual Features’ Granularity for Fake News Detection
Authors: Agarwal Isha , Rana Dipti , Panwala Kalp , Shah Raj , Kathiriya Viren
Published: May 2022

While the world is battling COVID-19 pandemic and its variants; neti- zens are combating Infodemic – “Proliferation of fake news online”. Spread of fake news during this global pandemic COVID-19 has dan- gerous consequences. Precise automated fake news detection is the need of the hour. This is the driving force behind this study. Intrin- sic quality of news data: precision and objectivity can be studied to detect the credibility. However, to gain the knowledge or infer- ence from it further it is a challenge. To address this challenge, this work proposes derivation of features into two categories: intrinsic word level features (Fine-grained) and sentence level features (Coarse- grained).For experimentation, fine-grained features are learned from word vector representation of the news articles. Psycho-linguistic and sentiment level word level features are derived using Empath library. Coarse-grained features (sentence-level) comprise of vectors generated by Text summarizationand DOC2Vec. Taking the advantages of existing approaches, this paper proposes a new framework GRAnularity based Fake news Detection (GRAFED) that explores fusion of fine and coarse-grained features. The fusion of feature set is more powerful than individual fine or coarse-grained feature sets as they can cap- ture complex interdependence of words in the sentence along with the semantics. Exhaustive experimentation using traditional classifiers with hybrid granular feature vector of GRAFED outperformed the existing approaches for publicly available state-of-art LIAR dataset. Experimental results show that the hybrid feature set is superior to individual feature set and the results are promising when compared to the existing state-of-art approaches as analysed in the comparative analysis section.
A Novel Elasto-Geometric Model Exploiting Loaded Circular Test on a Machine Tool
Authors: Beglarzadeh Babak , Mayer René , Archenti Andreas
Published: May 2022

A novel elasto-geometric model is introduced that simultaneously estimates joint compliances and geometric error parameters by employing the loaded double ball bar apparatus. The model parameters are estimated from tests at different force levels by distinguishing between errors that change with the applied force (compliance effect) from those that do not (geometric effects). At lower forces, the geometric errors are dominant whilst at higher forces compliance-induced errors dominate. By feeding the elasto-geometric model with pairs of adjacent force data the evolution of the estimated equivalent local compliance parameters and geometric errors with changes in the applied force are observed. Although theoretically unexpected, the estimated geometric errors also change across the force range. As the force increases the majority of equivalent compliance terms increase such as the dominant equivalent compliances CXXX and CYYY as well as the less significant compliances CXYX and CCCY. As for CCXY and CCYY, no clear trend was observed. Given this observed dependence of the compliance on the force level, the model was enriched by modeling the compliances as linear functions of the applied force. A single set of geometric errors could then be estimated and deemed valid across the load range. The root mean square error (RMSE) value for predicting the radial readings for all force levels for the constant and linearly variable compliance models are 0.0011 and 0.0009 mm, respectively, representing an 18% improvement for the linear compliance model. Both the constant and linearly variable compliance models exhibit over 91% fit to the experimental data with just over 1% improvement for the linear compliance model.
The “Y”-shaped Denonvilliers’ fascia and its adjacent relationship with the urogenital fascia based on the male cadaveric anatomical study
Authors: Yi Li , Ya-Min Zhao , Yan-Bing Ma , Jin-Song Zhou , Cong Tong , Li-Kun Yan Yan
Published: May 2022

Purpose The controversies about the anatomical structure of the Denonvilliers’ fascia and the relationship with surrounding fasciae have sparked a heated discussion, especially about whether it contains multilayers. This study aimed to expound on the anatomical structure of the Denonvilliers’ fascia and its correlation with the peritoneum from the sagittal position and clarify the complex fasciae relationship. MethodsOur study was performed on 20 adult male pelvic specimens fixed in formalin, including 2 entire pelvic specimens and 18 semi-pelvic specimens. By dissecting the local adjacent organs and fasciae, the Denonvilliers’ fascia was observed and removed for histological examination. ResultsAlmost the Denonvilliers’ fascia was a single layer and tough fascia. In the sagittal position, the peritoneum constituting peritoneum reflection and the Denonvilliers’ fascia showed a “Y” shape. The Denonvilliers’ fascia was originated from the peritoneum reflection, continually ran on the ventral side of the seminal vesicles and prostate, terminated at the perineal body, and gradually both sides thinned to fuse with the urogenital fascia (UGF). In addition, the histology preliminarily manifested that the basal cell layers of the peritoneum and that of the Denonvilliers’ fascia were continuous, and they also showed a “Y” shape. Also, the basal cells of the two peritonea extended to the Denonvilliers’ fascia, showing a fused double-layer structure. Some tiny blood vessels or a network of them extended from the peritoneum to the Denonvillier’ fascia.ConclusionAs the extension of the peritoneum in the pelvic floor, the Denonvilliers’ fascia is a “Y”-shaped monolayer layer fascia in the sagittal position. Our study provides new support for the peritoneum fusion theory of it. Understanding the anatomical characteristics of the Denonvilliers’ fascia and its relationship with the UGF is a guiding significance for youth colorectal surgeons to conduct rectal cancer surgery.
A Cross-sectional Analysis of MEP Urine Content and Asthma Incident in US Children and Adolescents
Authors: Cao Ren Shuang , Huang Tian Jiao , Zhang Wei , Yang Fan , Liu Xue , Yan Xiao Yan
Published: May 2022

Objectives: To explore the potential association between MEP Urine Content and Asthma Incident and to provide a reference for asthma control strategies for Children and Adolescents.Setting: Multivariate regression was used to evaluate the association between MEP urine content and adolescents and children Asthma Incident.Participants: Participants aged 20 years below who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013 to 2018 were eligible.Results: Potential association of increased urinary MEP levels with self-reported risk of asthma events in people under 20 years of age (OR 1.3, 95%CI: 1.1, 1.5). After stratified analysis of age and sex, the intimate relationship was stronger in the group of female children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years (OR 1.3, 95%CI: 1.1, 1.7).Conclusions: This study suggests that MEP Urine Content is associated with self-reported asthma Incident in US children and adolescents. Asthma prevention measures for children and adolescent’s female should include cautious toiletry selection and avoid continuous, high-dose environmental exposure to Diethyl phthalate whenever possible. Furthermore, the conclusion may need to be supported by other randomized controlled trials or cohort studies.