bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Addition of Mifamurtide To Adjuvant Chemotherapy For Early Osteosarcoma: A Retrospective Analysis From Greece.
Authors: Kokkali Stefania , Kotsantis Ioannis , Magou Elpida , Sophia Talagani , Kormas Theodoros , Diakoumis Giakoumis , Spathas Nikolaos , Psyrri Amanda , Ardavanis Alexandros
Published: February 2022

Background: Current treatment recommendations for high grade non-metastatic osteosarcoma include perioperative chemotherapy and surgery. Despite this intensive protocol, approximately 40% of patients will relapse. The addition of mifamurtide to adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy was associated with a significant improvement in 6-year overall survival (OS) in young patients with resectable osteosarcoma, leading to its approval in Europe and other countries. Very limited real-world data are reported on its use.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated data from osteosarcoma patients who received mifamurtide in the adjuvant setting. Data were obtained from medical records in 2 high-volume bone sarcoma centers. The aim of this study was to collect real-world data on mifamurtide safety and efficacy in Greece. Results: We identified 15 patients with completely resected osteosarcoma who received mifamurtide from September 2015 to January 2020. Median age at diagnosis was 24 years old (16-76). Osteosarcoma arose in the lower extremities (n=12), in the upper extremities (n=2) or in the ilium (n=1). The majority of patients (n=13) received cisplatin/doxorubicin/methotrexate as perioperative chemotherapy and the remaining patients cisplatin/doxorubicin. After a median follow-up of 46.9 months (range, 32.8-61.1), the median recurrence-free survival was 58.7 months (range, 18.5-98.8) and the median OS 64.1 months (range, 25.6-102.6). Except for fever and chills, the only adverse event probably related to mifamurtide was pericarditis (n=1). Conclusions: Mifamurtide was well tolerated in a Greek osteosarcoma population, including patients older than 30 years. The small sample size and the non-comparative design do not allow drawing conclusions on the drug benefit in terms of survival.
Wild Animal Densities as Predictor of Cattle Disease Risks and Breed Types in South-Western Uganda
Authors: Nina Pius Mbuya , Mugisha Samuel , Herwig Leirs , Damme Patrick Van
Published: February 2022

Background
This study investigated the spatial distribution of wild ungulates that pastoralist communities perceive as culprits in the transmission of cattle diseases outside protected areas in south-western Uganda. Diseases are hypothesized as having influence on pastoralists’ choice of cattle breed types. Until the time of his study no information was available on spatial patterns of wild animal species and cattle breeds reared in Lake Mburo Conservation Area, and how diseases transmitted therein potentially influence cattle breed herd sizes.
Methods
Animal population survey was carried out on cattle and wild ungulate species along transect lines laid perpendicular to the northern boundary of Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP). Household survey generated data on costs of disease control through interview. Data were analyzed for unit cost of disease control at herd level and correlated with spatial distribution patterns of cattle breeds and wild ungulate populations.
Results
Our results show inverse association of distance away from LMNP with wild ungulate populations and the cost of disease control, which in turn favored higher abundance of Friesian cattle. Cost of disease control and cattle abortion incidences were much lower in rangelands far away from LMNP (R² = 0.965, P < 0.001). Mean population of indigenous cattle significantly decreased while those of exotic breed increased with increasing distance away from the park boundary.
Conclusion
Spatial distribution of wild ungulates in cattle grazing rangelands potentially influence cattle disease prevalence levels which had significant associated with spatial patterns of cattle breeds and breed herd sizes.
SunCatcher: Clonal Barcoding with qPCR Detection Enables Live Cell Functional Analyses to Study Cancer Heterogeneity, Progression, and Metastasis
Authors: McAllister Sandra , Guo Qiuchen , Spasic Milos , Maynard Adam , Goreczny Gregory , Bizuayehu Amanuel , Olive Jessica
Published: February 2022

Single cell tracing and “omics” methods are valuable research tools; however, current approaches do not easily enable live cell retrieval. That is a particular issue when further study of cells that were eliminated or otherwise not selected during experimentation could provide critical information. We report a clonal molecular barcoding method, called SunCatcher, that enables longitudinal tracking and functional analysis of live cells. Single cell-derived clonal populations are generated from complex cell populations, infected with a unique molecular barcode, and stocks of each barcoded clone (BC) are retained. BCs can be combined to create a version of the original cell population or to generate custom BC pools. We developed both quantitative PCR-based and next-generation sequencing methods for identifying and quantifying BCs in vitro and in vivo. We applied SunCatcher to various breast cancer cell lines. Heterogeneous pools of BCs reliably reproduced the proliferation and cancer progression rates of the original parental cell lines. Individual BCs, however, displayed a diversity of proliferation rates and molecular phenotypes that associated with their positive or negative selection in vivo. SunCatcher also enabled identification and quantification of early spontaneous metastases that were not detected by conventional methods. We envision that SunCatcher will serve as a reliable and widely accessible research and discovery tool.
An Analytical Approach of Error Detection and Correction for On-board Nano Satellite
Authors: Hasan Mahmudul , Islam Md. Motaharul
Published: February 2022

Nanosatellites are persistently progressing and creating global communication and data transmission over the world. It builds up a colossal request for more progressed and dependable frameworks that are able to perform faster and reliable information transmission. An approach has been distinguished as a reasonable plot for the anticipation of single bit and multiple bit errors that are influencing On-board Nanosatellites. In this paper, we have proposed an Analytical Approach of Error Detection and Correction for On-board Nanosatellite. We have planned the framework with three distinctive parts as a encoding, error checking, and decoding portion separately. It has created in such a way that amid information exchange from satellite to ground station to analyze six camera pictures at the same time with the assistance of FPGA and EDAC strategies. To extend the proficiency, we have presented the progressed turbo mechanics EDAC for distinctive transfer speeds of satellite communication and execution examination with the AWGN and Rayleigh channel. EDAC strategies codes are tried in MATLAB and appeared in graphical plots. This method is straightforward and accomplishes unwavering quality and exactness, compared to other comparable strategies.
VATS Resection of Anterior Mediastinal Disease: Superiority of Subxiphoid Approach Comparing to Lateral Intercostal Approach
Authors: Gengxu He , Yao Tong , zhao lei , geng hong , ji qiang , zuo kun , Yuanzhi Luo , Kai Zhou
Published: February 2022

Background & Aim: Optimal approaches for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) resection of anterior mediastinal diseases remain controversial. The present study was designed to compare subxiphoid approach with lateral intercostal approach, together with perioperative indices.Methods: Patients diagnosed with anterior mediastinal diseases between January 1, 2018 and October 31, 2019 were prospectively randomly assigned to two groups, to receive lateral intercostal approach vs. subxiphoid approach for VATS resection. Intraoperation PaCO2, SaO2, PaO2 and circulation changes were recorded. Perioperative outcomes, including clinical and surgical parameters such as operation time and blood loss, postoperative complication, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and postoperative pain scores were compared. Results: A total 59 patients diagnosed with anterior mediastinal tumors or myasthenia gravis underwent VATS resection. 31 patients treated with subxiphoid approach and 28 patients treated with lateral intercostal approach had comparable baseline characteristics. Intraoperation PaCO2 was increased significantly whereas SaO2 remained stable in subxiphoid group. By contrast, PaCO2 was increased significantly whereas SaO2 was decreased in lateral intercostal group, and operations were more frequently interrupted due to hypoxia or circulation disturbance during thymus dissection in the lateral intercostal approach. Compared with lateral intercostal group, patients in subxiphoid group experienced less inflammation reaction, while yielded lower pain scores and shorter postoperative hospital stay. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications between the two groups. All these patients recovered well when discharged. There were no perioperative deaths. Conclusion: Subxiphoid approach may influence pulmonary and circulation lesser than lateral intercostal approach. Procedure may be safer and easier for subxiphoid approach, as an ideal choice for anterior mediastinal diseases.
The Impact of Air Quality on International Tourism Arrivals: A Global Panel Data Analysis
Authors: SU Yan , Lee Chien-Chiang
Published: February 2022

Using data from World Development Indicators (WDI), this research constructs panel data of 99 countries from 1996 to 2018 and uses a spatial econometric model to analyze the impact of air quality on international tourism arrivals. Findings present that Moran’s I values are significantly positive, indicating a strong positive spatial dependence in each country, and that poor air quality does have a negative impact on the number of tourist arrivals. The results of grouped data show that middle-income countries, low-income countries, high concentrations of PM2.5, and countries that less numbers of tourists have negative effects on tourist arrivals in neighboring countries at least at the 10% significance level. The contrary groups, however, have positive effects on tourist arrivals - that is, the influence of air quality on the number of tourist arrivals exhibits heterogeneity. In addition, tests of the interaction term show that countries with higher R&D intensity have better air quality and thus attract more tourists. Therefore, countries with poor air quality should improve the environment through international cooperation and undertake technology transfer, thus ultimately increasing the number of tourists.
Influence of Preventive Sex Education Programmes in Compulsory Secondary Education Students: a Descriptive Observational Study
Authors: Berutich Arturo Hidalgo , Cortes María Barbosa , Feria Esther Cárdenas , Rufete Margarita Carrillo , González Miguel Pedregal , Razquin Eduardo Perez , Arcos Esteban Delgado
Published: February 2022

Background: Sex education programmes conducted by health professionals and educators are essential for young people to adopt healthy habits and attitudes towards their sexuality. The Forma Joven Program, promoted by the Andalusian Regional Government's Ministry of Health and Families and Education, is a good example of this. The aim of the study is to determine if different “degrees of intervention” in the informative consultancies of the Forma Joven Program imply differences in knowledge and attitudes towards sexuality.Methods: This descriptive observational study analysed 27 Compulsory Secondary Education high schools in Huelva. These were included in the Program and belonged to a Primary Care Health District. Out of the 17 institutes initially selected because they met the inclusion criteria (4,256 students), finally 14 (3,596 students) participated. During the 2018/2019 school year, students from 3rd, 4th year of Secondary Compulsory Education (ESO), 1st, and 2nd Baccalaureate of the selected centres were asked to fill in a questionnaire of knowledge and attitudes towards sexuality. It collected variables such as age, sex, school year, institute, educational level and employment status of the father or mother and profile of the professional who delivers the counselling. Results: A total of 1.237 students completed the questionnaire, which represents a participation rate of 34.4%. The average age was 15.59 years (SD 1.26) and 39.9% were girls. In some evaluated questions, we found statistically significant differences between the groups with different levels of exposure to counselling and the acquisition of knowledge and attitudes towards students' sexuality, although in most of them no such differences were found. The results of this study suggest the importance of the quality of counselling over quantity. Some classic myths persist in relation to sexuality and in some situations, they can be decisive when adopting preventive measures to avoid risks related to pregnancy and contagion of STIs.Conclusions: A greater number of counselling sessions does not imply acquiring a higher level of knowledge or better attitudes towards sexuality. Perhaps the quality of the education is more important than the quantity of counselling sessions.
Intensive management disrupts belowground multi-trophic resources transfers in response to drought
Authors: Chomel Mathilde , Lavallee Jocelyn , Segura Nil Alvarez , Baggs Elizabeth , Caruso Tancredi , de Castro Francisco , Emmerson Mark , Magilton Matthew , Rhymes Jennifer , Stott Heather , de Vries Franciska , Johnson David , Bardgett Richard
Published: February 2022

Modification of soil food webs by historical land management may alter the response of ecosystem processes to climate extremes, but empirical support for this is limited and the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Here, we quantified how historical grassland management modifies transfers of recent photosynthate and soil nitrogen through plants and soil food web in response to drought, using in situ 13C and 15N pulse-labelling in paired intensively and extensively managed fields. We show that intensive management decreased plant carbon capture, its transfer through key components of food webs and soil respiration compared to extensive management. Drought only affected carbon transfer pathways in intensively managed grasslands, by increasing plant C assimilation but decreasing its transfer to plant roots, bacteria and Collembola. However, drought lowered the reduction of added nitrate to nitrous oxide in extensively managed grassland only. Our findings indicate that intensive management disrupts fluxes of recent photosynthates belowground, which impaired resistance of this process in response to drought. By contrast, extensive grassland management provides a greater potential to buffer impacts to drought by promoting the transfer of recent photosynthate belowground. Our work highlights that capture and rapid transfer of photosynthate through multitrophic networks is a key process for maintaining grassland resilience to drought.
Arterial injury mechanism of homocysteine after PCI in patients with premature coronary heart disease
Authors: Liu Mei , Yin Ya-Juan , Zheng Ming qi , Shi Xiao-Cui , Liu Da , Liu Dong-Yue , Liu Gang , Wei Mei
Published: February 2022

Background: One cause of mortality among young people in modern societies is coronary heart disease (CHD). Numerous studies have demonstrated an association between major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with premature CHD, but the risk factors for MACEs after PCI are poorly understood. This study investigated the risk factors for premature CHD after PCI and compared the long-term prognosis of patients with premature CHD with or without MACEs after PCI. Homocysteine was found to be an independent risk factor for patients with early CHD. Previous animal studies have demonstrated that atorvastatin inhibits homocysteine-induced inflammation and that atorvastatin has preventive and therapeutic effects in patients with early CHD.Methods: A total of 1408 patients who underwent PCI were enrolled and divided into a MACE group and a non-MACE group according to the recurrence of cardiovascular events. Basic information and follow-up data of the patients were recorded, and risk factors affecting prognosis were analysed. Western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to identify that atorvastatin inhibited the expression of NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-6, and CRP inflammatory factors induced by homocysteine, thereby inhibiting the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis.Results: Univariate Cox proportional risk models showed that the homocysteine level is a risk factor for recurrent MACEs. Multivariate Cox regression analysis also suggested that homocysteine is an independent risk factor for MACEs. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that Hcy was a strong factor for predicting the occurrence of MACEs in patients with premature CHD. Atorvastatin was found to inhibit the expression of NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-6, and CRP inflammatory factors induced by homocysteine and delay the occurrence of reactive oxygen species.Conclusions: Homocysteine is an independent risk factor for MACEs in patients with premature CHD after PCI. Atorvastatin can effectively antagonize the expression of NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-6, CRP and other inflammatory factors induced by homocysteine.
Lp (a): An Independent Predictive Marker In Diseases
Authors: Wu Mingyang , Liu Wenen , Xiang Zhongyuan
Published: February 2022

objective To investigate the serum lipoprotein (a)(Lp (a)) level and analyze the correlation between Lp (a) and sex, age, smoking, drinking, different diseases and other blood lipid indexes.Methods 7432 inpatients in Second Xiangya Hospital from 2013 to 2020 were selected, 8 items of medical records were collected, and statistic were analyzed by SSPS 24.0 software.Results The differences of LP (a) in different age groups and smoking or not groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were noteworthy differences in Lp (a) between chronic kidney disease (CKD) group, atherosclerosis (AS) group and AS patients with other diseases compared with the control group. Significant differences were seen in myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke groups, but not for the diabetes mellitus (DM) group and the high blood pressure group with the control group. The correlation coefficients of LP (a) with apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB), cholesterol (CHO), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL-C) were 0.179, 0.132, 0.143 and 0.143, respectively. Linear regression analysis showed that LP (a) level was positively correlated with age, smoking or not, AS, MI , CKD,β=0.101, 0.042, 0.086, 0.119, 0.015, respectively.Conclusion LP (a) is related to apo-B, CHO, HDL-C and LDL-C t, AS, MI and CKD.
The study of the performance of a biological fuel cell: A progress towards the improvement of low electrical bioenergy output by using an amplification system
Authors: benghernit mohammed , kameche mostefa , zerhouni fatima zohra , krim fatima zohra , sahraoui tewfik , innocent christophe
Published: February 2022

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) has been conceived and constructed for the treatment of the sheep manure wastes and conversion them into clean sustainable renewable energy. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 10 days running MFC increased by 58.7% showing simultaneously an increase in the cell voltage. However, this MFC technology faces practical barriers since it produces low electric energy. A power management system including the MFC, operational amplifier, solar photovoltaic panel and a boost DC/DC converter, was elaborated in this respect. The low voltage output obtained from the MFC, was thus substantially increased by the amplifier prior to polarization by a photovoltaic module with solar radiation. The amplified voltage was thus sufficiently enough and in consequence, utilized to feed a light emitting diode. The low output voltage 0.5 V was simply harvested, successfully boosted up to approximately 2 V (i.e. 4 times higher) and effectively harnessed as a power supply. This novel application is very interesting to utilize the natural bioenergy contained in wastes to supply small electronic devices.
Toxicity of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Toward Embryonic Stages of Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena Hippurus)
Authors: Gebreab Kiflom Y. , Benetti Daniel , Grosell Martin , Stieglitz John D. , Berry John P
Published: February 2022

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent organic pollutants that have been detected in a wide array of environmental matrices and, in turn, biota including humans and wildlife wherein they have been associated with a multitude of toxic, and otherwise adverse effects, including ecosystem impacts. In the present study, we developed a toxicity assay for embryonic stages of mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), as an environmentally relevant pelagic fish species, and applied this assay to the evaluation of the toxicity of “legacy” and “next-generation” PFAS including, respectively, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and several perfluoroethercarboxylic acids (PFECA). Acute embryotoxicity, in the form of lethality, was measured for all five PFAS toward mahi-mahi embryos with median lethal concentrations (LC50) in the micromolar range. Consistent with studies in other similar model systems, and specifically the zebrafish, embryotoxicity in mahi-mahi generally (1) correlated with fluoroalkyl chain length and hydrophobicity, i.e., log P, of PFAS, and thus, aligned with a role of uptake in the relative toxicity; and (2) increased with continuous exposure, suggesting a possible role of developmental stage specifically including a contribution of hatching (and loss of protective chorion) and/or differentiation of target systems (e.g., liver). Compared to prior studies in the zebrafish embryo model, mahi-mahi was significantly more sensitive to PFAS which may be related to differences in either exposure conditions (e.g., salinity) and uptake, or possibly differential susceptibility of relevant targets, for the two species. Moreover, when considered in the context of the previously reported concentration of PFAS within upper sea surface layers, and co-localization of buoyant eggs (i.e., embryos) and other early developmental stages (i.e., larvae, juveniles) of pelagic fish species to the sea surface, the observed toxicity potentially aligns with environmentally relevant concentrations in these marine systems. Thus, impacts on ecosystems including, in particular, population recruitment are a possibility. The present study is the first to demonstrate embryotoxicity of PFAS in a pelagic marine fish species, and suggests that mahi-mahi represents a potentially informative, and moreover, environmentally relevant, ecotoxicological model for PFAS in marine systems.
Characteristics of Osteoporosis Prevalence and Management in Different Outpatient Departments of a University Affiliated Hospital in South Korea
Authors: Choi Gawan , Roh Yongkyun , Choi Minkyu , Yoon Yonghyun , Ma Xiao , Hwang Jihyo , Yoo Jehyun
Published: February 2022

Introduction: This sStudy have shown reported that the ratio of osteoporosis tests,test medicationsmedication and the prevalence of osteoporosis in each clinical departmentdepartments. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of prescription of osteoporosis prescriptions in each outpatientout-patient departmentdepartments atin aUniversity university affiliated-affiliatedaffiliated hospital in South Korea.. Methods: Data were derived from the University affiliated hospital which have 600 beds and 30 deferent clinical departments. The pParticipants included 700 adults patients aged 22 years or older who were prescribedprescribe by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)DEXA. The Data onclinics which ordered the DEXA and prescribed the osteoporosis medicationsmedication prescribed were analyzed. The An analysis of the prevalence of osteoporosis examinations and medications atin the hospital and the medication characteristics of medication in each department clinics were was performed. Results: ApproximatelyAbout 63% of clinicians ordered DEXA for the bone quality evaluation inat outpatientout-patient sdepartments. The orthopedic surgery department most commonly ordered DEXAsOrthopedic surgery was the 1st clinical department which orders DEXA. The neurosurgery department most commonly prescribed osteoporosis medications among the DEXA performing patients The neurosurgery is the 1st ranked clinic which prescribed osteoporosis medication. GynecologistsGynecologist prescribed theis the clinic for the most versatile diverse osteoporosis medicationsmedication. The most common medicationsmedication used werewas vitamins and calcium. The Bisphosphonatebisphosphonate was the 2nd second most commonly medicine which was prescribed medication to outpatientsat out-patient department. Conclusion : The prevalence of osteoporosis examinations and prescriptions was high in our the university affiliated-affiliatedUniversity affiliated hospitalhospital in South Korea. However, eEach departmentclinics hadhas different characteristics in medication characteristics. Calcium, and vitaminVit D, and bisphosphonatesbisphosphonate areis still frequently prescribed medication in South Korea.
The Impact of Pregnancy and Childbirth on Pelvic Sensation: a Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Mahoney Charlotte , Reid Fiona , Smith Anthony , Myers Jenny
Published: February 2022

Pelvic organ prolapse, urinary, bowel and sexual dysfunction, collectively called pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) affects 1 in 3 women and has a significant public health impact. The causes of PFD are not fully understood but involve injury to connective tissue and motor nerve during childbirth. Women with PFD also have sensory nerve impairment, and it is likely this occurs during childbirth, but this has never been investigated. In the current study 150 women underwent quantitative sensory testing for vibration sensation at the vagina and clitoris, and stretch sensation at the vagina and introitus, in the third trimester, three and six months postnatal. Antenatally vibration sensation was reduced but stretch sensation was normal. Postnatally vibration sensation deteriorated whilst stretch sensation initially deteriorated but recovered by six months postnatal to antenatal levels (all p<0.001).Mode of birth had a significant impact on sensation, with caesarean section appearing neuroprotective, normal vaginal birth resulted in a transient deterioration in sensation that recovered by six months, whilst assisted vaginal delivery was prolonged suggesting persistent neurological impairment (all p<0.015). Further research is required to study the clinical effect of these changes on pelvic floor dysfunction in the medium and long-term.
Association Between Dose Reduction Of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitors Before Coronary Artery Angiography And Acute Kidney Injury: A Propensity Matched Study
Authors: Hashimoto Hiroyuki , Takeuchi Masato , Kawakami Koji
Published: February 2022

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI), which is commonly observed in hospitalized patients, increases mortality. Although renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASis) and coronary artery angiography (CAG) are reported to be risk factors for AKI, whether dose reduction of RAASis can prevent AKI after CAG remains unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between dose reduction of RAASis and AKI.Methods: In this retrospective propensity score (PS)-matched cohort of patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 15-60 ml/min/1.73 m2 who were prescribed RAASis, we examined the impact of dose reduction of RAASis on the development of AKI after CAG with the RWD database, which includes 20 million patients from 190 hospitals in Japan. The exposure of interest was the presence of a dose reduction in RAASis within the 3 days before CAG was performed. The propensity score was derived from 19 baseline characteristics using a logistic regression model.Results: We identified 3,289 patients who were prescribed RAASis at least one month before admission and underwent CAG. Six hundred seventy-four patients had a dose reduction 3 days prior to undergoing CAG, and 2,640 patients did not. AKI was observed in 42 (4.7%) patients in the reduction group and 121 (5.1%) patients in the control group. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome between the two groups in the PS-matched cohort (OR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.69-1.47).Conclusions: A reduction in the dose of RAASis did not prevent the development of AKI among patients undergoing CAG.
Continuous-Time Quantum Walk Based Centrality Testing On Weighted Graphs
Authors: Wang Yang , Xue Shichuan , Wu Junjie , Xu Ping
Published: February 2022

Centrality measure is an essential tool in network analysis and widely used in the domain of computer science, biology and sociology. Taking advantage of the speedup offered by quantum computation, various quantum centrality measures have been proposed. However, few work of quantum centrality involves weighted graphs, while the weight of edges should be considered in certain real-world networks. In this work, we extend the centrality measure based on continuous-time quantum walk to weighted graphs. We testify the feasibility and reliability of this quantum centrality using an ensemble of 41675 graphs with various topologies and comparing with the eigenvector centrality measure. The average Vigna’s correlation index of all the tested graphs with all edge weights in [1,10] is as high as 0.967, indicating the pretty good consistency of rankings by the continuous-time quantum walk centrality and the eigenvector centrality. The intuitive consistency of the top-ranked vertices given by this quantum centrality measure and classical centrality measures is also demonstrated on large-scale weighted graphs. Moreover, the range of the continuous-time quantum walk centrality values is much bigger than that of classical centralities, which exhibits better distinguishing ability to pick the important vertices from the ones with less importance. All these results show that the centrality measure based on continuous-time quantum walk still works well on weighted graphs.
A qualitative assessment of routine Vitamin A supplementation integrated with complementary feeding and family planning counselling within a six-monthly contact point program
Authors: Owusu Diana Ofori , Kamara Daniel , Yumkella Fatu , Hodges Mary Hamer
Published: February 2022

ObjectivesTo assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, learning and replicability of the transition from mass vitamin A supplementation to a routine six monthly contact point, integrated with complementary feeding and family planning counselling.Study designProgram performance was assessed taking into consideration the knowledge, attitudes and practices of both healthcare providers and caregivers to understand barriers and enablers to service uptake. A cross sectional qualitative survey with 63 key informant interviews with stakeholders and implementation staff and focus group discussions with 60 caregivers. Data was transcribed then coded through a framework analysis (developing themes from specific objectives) and thematic analysis (developing emerging themes not identified by the objectives). MethodsThe ‘routine six-monthly contact point’ included vitamin A, Albendazole, growth monitoring plus the promotion of optimal infant and young child feeding practices with complementary feeding demonstrations, the promotion of personal and food hygiene, access to confidential, family planning counselling and the provision of modern contraceptives for caregivers including hormonal implants. ResultsThe six-monthly contact point was found to be highly relevant, effective, efficient, with a positive impact on maternal and child health and sustainable. Lessons for replicability focus mainly on the extensive need for sensitisation of men/husbands and religious leaders regarding family planning. The challenges that prevent health seeking behaviour included distance to the facilities, poor roads, difficulty/cost of transportation and workload. The participatory complementary feeding demonstrations and community health workers encouraged attendance and appear to have contributed to the reduction of malnutrition but stockouts of essential commodities remain discouraging. ConclusionsThe program has been fully adopted by all levels of the health sector. The integration of family planning and its acceptance by caregivers is commendable and there has been an increase in the uptake of modern especially hormonal implants. This integrated approach was thought to have contributed to the reduction of childhood malnutrition. Recommendations include increasing awareness of affordable, accessible local foods for complementary feeding, more training for health workers on reporting and family planning counselling for the provision of long-term reversible contraceptives and further sensitisation of men and religious leaders on the importance of child spacing.
Scientometric analysis of seed improvement in underutilized crops: prospects for enhancing food security
Authors: Adelabu Dolapo Bola , Franke Angelinus C
Published: February 2022

Assessing research activity is important for planning future direction and adaptive approaches. We studied the trends and research activity conducted on seed improvement of underutilized crops, where research hotspots were determined based on keywords, productive research titles, and journal sources mapped from five decades (1971 to 2021). This was done using the combined data retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus databases, loaded in bibliometric R-package and VOSviewers software tools. Our results show the annual publication growth rate in the studies was 13.7%, with the increased number of studies and citations on seed improvement of underutilized crops (SUC) relating to seed genetic diversity, seed conservation, food security. Among the most cited studies or relevant researches were research findings carried out in the United Kingdom, India, USA and China. The strongest co-authorship linkages were found among researchers from India, the United Kingdom, Italy, Malaysia and the United States while Benin, Ghana and South Africa were among the most cited countries in Africa. The most cited journal source in the field was Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution which had a g-index of 14. Among the trending research focuses are; diverse genetic resources, nutritional values, seed enhancement, genetic analysis tools and farming system of the SUC. Research on SUC is rising with main themes on genetic resources, diversity, conservation and genetic tools-related studies. The SUC field still needs more international research collaboration and funding, with a focus on qualitative studies, adequate methodological procedures and advanced breeding resources that could help understand and promote seed improvement of underutilized crops.
Securing Cloud Data: A Machine Learning based Data Categorization Approach for Cloud Computing
Authors: Ahmad Fahad Burhan , Nawaz Asif , Ali Tariq , Kiani Azaz Ahmed , Mustafa Ghulam
Published: February 2022

Cloud computing (CC) a new systematic model that allows users to store data on remote servers that are accessible via the internet. Due to this approach, the personal and essential data are being stored with easy to access and move. Because of this, it demands is increasing day by day. On this, one can store different data such as financial transactions, paperwork based files and multimedia content. Not only this, but CC also reduce the services dependency on local storage by reducing operational and maintenance costs. Existing systems such as encrypt all data with the same key size, regardless of the data's level of confidentiality due to which the processing cost and time become increased. Moreover, all such techniques classify the data with a low accuracy rate and don’t provide better confidentiality. In this research, a cloud computing approach based on automated data classification has been presented for data sensitivity. The proposed model is based on three level of sensitivity i.e. basic, confidential and highly confidential using Random Forest (RF), Naïve Bayes (NB), k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers for training the proposed model with automated feature extraction. The proposed model achieved 92% accuracy that has been showed in simulation results. From this, we conclude that RF, NB, KNN performs better than SVM. The proposed research also provides useful guidelines for cloud service providers (e.g., drop box and Google drive) and researchers.
Shear Wave Splitting of the 2018 Lombok Earthquake Aftershock Area, Indonesia
Authors: Sasmi Annisa Trisnia , Nugraha Andri Dian , Muzli Muzli , Widiyantoro Sri , Syuhada Syuhada , Muttaqy Faiz , Zulfakriza Zulfakriza , Wei Shengji , Priyono Awali , Afif Haunan , Supendi Pepen , Husni Yayan Mi'rojul , Prabowo Billy S , Sarjan Achmad Fajar Narotama
Published: February 2022

Lombok is one of the islands in the transitional zone from the Sunda Arc to the Banda Arc, Indonesia. In the mid-2018, the island of Lombok was shaken by a series of strong earthquakes, started with a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on July 29, 2018 followed by earthquakes on August 5 (M 7.0), August 9 (M 5.9), and August 19 (M 6.3 and 6.9). Some researchers suggested that this phenomenon occurred due to a segmentation rupture in the northern part of Lombok Island.
This study aims to obtain information on the distribution of the Lombok earthquake rupture zone 2018, through Shear Wave Splitting (SWS) study. Splitting, or S-wave separation, occurs when the S-wave passes through an anisotropic medium. The S wave is split into fast and slow S waves with almost orthogonal polarizations and has parameters such as delay time and polarization direction of the fast S wave. To determine the SWS parameters, we used a Lombok earthquake aftershock data set recorded from 4 August to 9 September 2018, using 16 seismographic stations. The steps taken to obtain the SWS parameters are event selection, windowing using short time Fourier transform, and rotation-correlation process. The results of the SWS analysis indicate that the fast polarization directions probably have a linkage with the local fault system and the fault related to the Lombok earthquake rupture zone.
Reduced Graphene Oxide on Activated Carbon/Manganese Dioxide Composite Materials for High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes
Authors: Fachrudin Adinandra Caesar , Sabarman Harsojo
Published: February 2022

This study presents the addition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the surface of activated carbon-manganese dioxide (ACMnO2) composite material via high-temperature variations of 350 to 450 °C to increase the specific capacitance of the ACMnO2/rGO composite electrode. The composite material is synthesized by coating the slurry mixture on the aluminum sheet using a 2-step doctor blade method with polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) material and dimethylformamide (DMF) solution as a binder. Then symmetric supercapacitor is fabricated using filter paper as a separator and 3M potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution as an electrolyte. The composite material analysis is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well as cyclic voltammetry (CV) for the electrochemical properties. The ACMnO2/rGO composite electrode at a temperature variation of 350 °C showed the highest specific capacitance of 459.79 F g−1 at a scan rate of 9 mV s−1 with an energy density of 63.859 Wh kg−1. The addition of rGO on the surface of the ACMnO2 composite material increased the specific capacitance by about 58% compared to without rGO, showing promises for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.
Reduced Graphene Oxide on Activated Carbon/Manganese Dioxide Composite Materials for High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes
Authors: Fachrudin Adinandra Caesar , Sabarman Harsojo
Published: February 2022

This study presents the addition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the surface of activated carbon–manganese dioxide (ACMnO2) composite material via high-temperature variations of 350 to 450 °C to increase the specific capacitance of the ACMnO2/rGO composite electrode. The composite material is synthesized by coating the slurry mixture on the aluminum sheet using a 2-step doctor blade method with polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) material and dimethylformamide (DMF) solution as a binder. Then symmetric supercapacitor is fabricated using filter paper as a separator and 3M potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution as an electrolyte. The composite material analysis is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well as cyclic voltammetry (CV) for the electrochemical properties. The ACMnO2/rGO composite electrode at a temperature variation of 350 °C showed the highest specific capacitance of 459.79 F g-1 at a scan rate of 9 mV s-1 with an energy density of 63.859 Wh kg-1. The addition of rGO on the surface of the ACMnO2 composite material increased the specific capacitance by about 58% compared to without rGO, showing promises for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.
Synthesis of 2-aryl Indoles and Fused Indole Derivatives via Fischer Indolisation and Their Antibacterial Evaluation
Authors: Mishra Sushanta Kumar , Mohanta Prajna Parimita , Behera Ajaya Kumar
Published: February 2022

2-aryl indoles and some fused indole derivatives were synthesized from the condensation of 2-(4-Hydrazino-phenyl)-ethanesulfonic acid methylamide hydrochloride with different types of aryl ketones. The target molecules were afforded via hydrazone intermediate formed in situ under one-pot tandem microwave protocol or conventional method using isolated hydrazone intermediate on acid catalyzed cyclization. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized compounds in vitro were screened against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris respectively.
Mainstreaming Climate Adaptation into Sectorial Policies in Seychelles
Authors: Etongo Daniel
Published: February 2022

Mainstreaming climate adaptation objectives into existing policies and practices, as opposed to developing new or dedicated adaptation policies has several advantages for achieving sustainable change. Based on in-depth analysis of 31 strategic policy documents together with 34 stakeholder interviews, this article addresses the following questions across six sectors as follows: (i) to what extent has climate adaptation been mainstreamed into sectoral policies; (ii) what are the constraints impeding adaptation mainstreaming; (iii) what steps are needed to address inherent constraints/obstacles in order to facilitate adaptation mainstreaming across sectoral policies in Seychelles. While significant progress has been made in mainstreaming climate adaptation into the agriculture, water and energy sectors, little progress seems to have occurred in the Blue Economy, forestry, and health sectors. The lack of progress in these sectors can be attributed to the absence of national policies and or lack of add-ons on adaptation projects in these sectors. For example, mainstreaming climate adaptation into sector policies and strategies have occurred on an ad hoc basis through different projects. Stakeholder further indicated that there are still many obstacles such as the lack of human and financial resources that need to be addressed to enhance climate adaptation mainstreaming especially in the health, agriculture and BE sectors. Further, sectoral objectives were given greater priorities when compared to adaptation objectives especially for sectors whose mandate were not directly linked to climate change. In fact, the issue of coordination and corporation not just among government entities, but also between the government and private sectors was highlighted another barrier. Strategies for improvement include long-term climate impact studies, better public-private partnership, building on existing adaptation projects, ensure consistency in policy, and enhance access to resources – human, technical and financial. Lastly, adaptation mainstreaming is a process that should institutionalized across sector to promote sustainable growth.
Efficacy and Safety of Lenalidomide in HIV-associated Cryptococcal Meningitis (HIV-CM) Patients with Persistent Intracranial Inflammation： An Open-label, Single-arm Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Tao Ran , Wan Zhikai , Hui Jiangjin , Liu Xiang , Peng Xiaorong , Guo Yongzheng , Zhu Xueling , Hang Ying , Zhu Biao
Published: February 2022

Background Several HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis (HIV-CM) patients were found to have persistent intracranial inflammation despite negative Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fungal cultures after being optimally treated for CM, which could be devastating for the central nervous system. However, there is no definitive treatment strategy for this condition. Method We identified 14 HIV-CM patients with persistent intracranial inflammation and conducted a 24 weeks, prospective cohort study. All participants received oral lenalidomide 25 mg on days 1 to 21 of a 28-day cycle. The follow-up lasted for 24 weeks with visits performed at the baseline, week 4,8,12,24. The primary endpoint was the efficacy of lenalidomide therapy which was determined by the clinical manifestations, the changes in routine CSF parameters, and radiological findings within 24 weeks post-treatment. In addition, an exploratory analysis was made on the changes of CSF cytokine. Safety and efficacy analysis was performed in patients who received at least one dose of lenalidomide. Results Of the 14 participants, 11 patients completed the 24 weeks of follow-up. it was observed that rapid clinical remission followed lenalidomide therapy, clinical presentation such as fever, headache, and cognitive impairment was fully recovered at week 4 and remained stable during follow-up. And a significant reduction of CSF white blood cell (WBC) count occurred at week 4 [Median count 3.00×10 6 /L (IQR 0-45.00 P=0.009)] from baseline [35×10 6 /L (IQR 4.50 to 90.00)]. Median CSF protein concentration decreased from 1.39 g/L (IQR 0.74-3.23) at baseline to 0.91 g/L (IQR 0.63-1.41) at week 4 (P=0.004). CSF WBC count, CSF protein remained stable and approached the normal range through week 24. And after the 24‐week lenalidomide therapy, CSF IgG levels were also decreased, though not statistically significant. Brain MRI demonstrated that the multiple lesions were also absorbed post-therapy. In addition, it was observed that TNF-α G-CSF, IL-6, IL-17A decreased significantly during the 24-week follow-up. 2(14.3%) patients had a mild skin rash, which resolved spontaneously without drug interruption. No study drug-related serious adverse events were observed and no patient withdrew from therapy because of unacceptable toxicity. Conclusion Our study found that lenalidomide can significantly improve persistent intracranial inflammation of HIV-CM patients and have well tolerance and without notable side effects.