bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Strengthening the capacity of healthcare providers to administer intermittent preventive therapy for malaria in pregnancy in Nigeria using a quality improvement strategy
Authors: Busari Simbiat Sophia , Eboreime Ejemai , Okonkwo Rita Ifeyinwa , Ajayi Ikeoluwapo , Ibisomi Latifat 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackgroundIntermittent Preventive Therapy using Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine (IPTp‐SP) is a malaria control strategy to reduce cases of malaria in pregnancy in endemic countries. However, the administration of the recommended three doses of Intermittent Preventive Therapy (IPTp) throughout the stages of pregnancy still remains low in Nigeria. Limited knowledge by health workers on the administration of the recommended doses of IPTp to pregnant women receiving antenatal care (ANC) services is partly responsible for this gap. This study applied Quality Improvement (QI) approach to improve knowledge and practice among healthcare providers with respect to the administration of IPTp‐SP.MethodsA quasi‐experimental study design was carried out to evaluate the effect of QI approach consisting of training and coaching of healthcare providers to improve the administration of IPTp during ANC services. Primary Healthcare Centre Samaru was purposively selected and 11 healthcare providers participated in the study. The total duration of the intervention was for a period of 4 weeks which comprises of four training sessions conducted over a period of 2 weeks and four coaching sessions conducted for a period of another 2 weeks. The training package involved the use of the Information, Education and Communication approach of healthcare providers on IPTp administration while the coaching package involved supervision and follow‐up meetings guiding healthcare providers on the protocol of IPTp administration. Antenatal care daily register was reviewed pre‐intervention, intervention and post‐intervention period of the study. Data were analysed using line graphs and run charts.ResultsA total of 36 ANC visit weeks were observed between 21 November 2016 and 27 July 2017. There was overestimation of first dose of IPTp (IPTp1) as 8 of the 16 Weeks in the pre‐intervention period had more than 100% of eligible women administered IPTp1. There was evidence indicating the process of IPTp1 was relatively stable post‐intervention as the data crosses the median line only six times that is, 7 runs. This indicates that the process of IPTp1 was within normal variation over the post‐intervention period. The patterns of IPTp2+ administrations shows the levels of IPTp2+ administration were erratic. There was an upward shift showing immediate improvement of the administration of IPTp2+ post‐intervention.ConclusionsThe integrated training and coaching intervention approach improved the administration of the recommended three doses of IPTp within the context of a Primary Healthcare Centre. The data quality of the ANC daily register improved post‐intervention.
Proglacial river sediment fluxes in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau: Mingyong Glacier in the Upper Mekong River
Authors: Lu Xixi , Zhang Ting , Hsia Boey Lai , Li Dongfeng , Fair Heather , Niu Hewen , Chua Samuel D. X. , Li Li , Li Shaojuan 
Published: October 2022

AbstractGlacial and proglacial erosion are important sediment sources in river basins. The retreat of many glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau has important implications on the supply of fresh water and sediment dynamics for downstream river basins. Despite the importance of water and sediment dynamics at these catchments, existing quantification of suspended sediment fluxes from glacial catchments on the Tibetan Plateau is limited due to poor accessibility and challenging environments. This study presents the results of in‐situ investigations of water discharge and suspended sediment fluxes from the Mingyong Glacier catchment in Yunnan, Southwest China, between August 2013 and July 2017. The results show that the variation in water discharge and suspended sediment was highly seasonal. The variation of average suspended sediment concentration was large—69 ± 45; 119 ± 104; and 94 ± 97 mg/L in 2013, 2015, and 2016, respectively. We estimate that the sediment yield from the Mingyong catchment was highly variable ranging from 1104 t/km2/year in 2013 to 2281 t/km2/year in 2016, with 65%–78% of the total annual sediment load occurring during the summer (June to August). These annual variations in sediment yield can be attributed largely to precipitation patterns and extreme melting events. This study has provided a benchmark dataset that can be used for further works that investigate the impact of climate change on sediment dynamics in glacierized catchments in the Tibetan Plateau. Subsequently, the study helps us to better understand the increasing sediment supply to the Upper Mekong River from glacierized headwater catchments.
Identification of hydraulic conductivity field of a karst aquifer by using transition probability geostatistics and discrete cosine transform with an ensemble method
Authors: Duan Xianqian , Deng Yinger , Chu Xuewei , Peng Xin , Su Hu , Yang Hongkun 
Published: November 2022

AbstractKnowledge of the spatial distribution characteristics of hydraulic parameters is essential for the management and protection of karst groundwater resources. In this study, we propose a workflow integrating the transition probability geostatistics (T‐PROGS) and the discrete cosine transform (DCT) with the ensemble smoother with multiple data assimilation (ES‐MDA) method to map the hydraulic conductivity of karst aquifers that usually follow a multimodal distribution. The priori parameter ensemble is constructed from the T‐PROGS and transformed into an approximately Gaussian distributed coefficient field containing critical spatial structural features about the aquifer using DCT. The ES‐MDA method is employed to update the DCT coefficients by assimilating the measurements. In addition, a postprocessing process based on cumulative distribution function (CDF) mapping is used to address the problem of parameters gradually tending to a Gaussian distribution after updating using the ES‐MDA and the inappropriate selection of initial parameter values. In practice, the limited amount of available data makes it difficult to fully capture the spatial distribution of the parameters in the initial ensemble of a single realization. Therefore, we suggest a new strategy for structuring the initial ensemble by mixing samples from multiple realizations. We then apply the proposed approach to four single realization models and a combined multiple realizations model in a field hydraulic tomography investigation of a real karst aquifer. The computed results show that this method can effectively identify the characteristics of the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity in karst aquifers. Compared with an individual realization model, the uncertainty of the hydraulic conductivity estimated by the combined multiple realizations model is significantly reduced. Therefore, including more uncertainty of the aquifer in the initial ensemble is beneficial to improve the accuracy of the parameter estimation.
MiR‐548k suppresses apoptosis in breast cancer cells by affecting PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Yadollahi‐Farsani Mahtab , Amini‐Farsani Zeinab , Moayedi Fatemeh , Khazaei Niusha , Yaghoobi Hajar 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBreast cancer is the most aggressive and fatal form of cancer among women globally. Although the role of some miRNAs that are often dysregulated in breast cancer has been deciphered, the regulatory function of others still remains unknown. The current study was aimed at determining the biological role and underlying mechanism of miR‐548k in breast cancer. In this study, the significant overexpression of miR‐548k in breast cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues was confirmed. Also, bioinformatics analysis indicated that PTEN, as a negative regulator of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, was a potential target of miR‐548k, and its expression was downregulated in breast cancer tissues rather than normal tissues. Furthermore, the ectopic increase of miR‐548k decreased the expression of PTEN in breast cancer, suggesting that PTEN is one of the potential downstream targets of miR‐548k. Besides, functional analysis was conducted to assess the capability of miR‐548k to alter apoptosis along with the changed expression levels of miR‐548k in breast cancer cells. Based on this investigation, forced increase of miR‐548k disrupted programmed cell death in MCF‐7 cells. Apart from this, in silico study of miR‐548 family supported its association with the main components of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, opening a prospective research area in cancer therapy. In brief, suppression of PTEN partly mediated by miR‐548k diminished apoptosis and promoted cell proliferation through PI3K/Akt pathway in breast cancer, suggesting a novel therapeutic axis, miR‐548k/PTEN/ PI3K/Akt, for treatment of breast cancer in the future.
Effect of Genotype on the Pharmacokinetics and Bleeding Events of Direct Oral Anticoagulants: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Shi Jinying , Wu Tingting , Wu Shuyi , Chen Xiaochun , Ye Qin , Zhang Jinhua 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis meta‐analysis aimed to investigate the effect of the genotype on the pharmacokinetics and bleeding events of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and comprehensively searched electronic databases. Weighted mean difference (WMD) was used to assess the kinetic indicators, odds ratio, and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to calculate the clinical outcomes. Thirteen articles with 1543 participants were finally included in this study. The peak concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time 0 to infinity of individuals with the ABCB1 rs 1045642 CT + TT were higher than that of the CC (WMD = −31.9, 95% CI [−49.94, −12.24], P = .02; WMD = −79.97, 95%CI [−152.38 to −7.56], P = .03, I2 = 0). The Cmax of individuals with mutated genes in ABCB1 2677–3435 is higher than that the wild type (WMD = −19.20, 95%CI [36.62 to −1.79], P = .03, I2 = 0). Carriers of the CYP3A5 rs776746 GG genotype had a higher Cmax than the GA gene (WMD = −51.22, 95%CI [−92.26 to −10.19], P = .01, I2 = 0). Bleeding events were more common in the CES1 rs 2244613 AA + AC than in the CC (odds ratio, 2.62, 95%CI [1.06, 6.47], P = .04; I2 = 0). The Cmax of DOACs was affected by individuals with ABCB1 rs 1045642, ABCB1 2677‐343, and cytochrome P450 3A5 rs 776746. Carriers of the ABCB1 rs 1045642 affected the change of area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time 0 to infinity of DOACs. Bleeding events were affected by CES1 rs 2244613.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Tuberculosis Infection in Lung Cancer: A Case Series and Systematic Review With Pooled Analysis
Authors: He Yanqing , Peng Duanyang , Liang Pingan , Long Jie , Liu Anwen , Zeng Zhimin 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe association between immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and tuberculosis (TB) infection in patients with lung cancer remains largely elusive. We performed a systematic review and conducted a retrospective analysis of TB infection in patients with lung cancer and ICI exposure to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes using PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. The time interval from ICI administration to diagnosis of TB between patients with and without a history of TB was compared using Kaplan–Meier analysis. A multivariate Cox regression model was used to identify potential risk factors associated with the time interval of TB development. Twenty‐four studies including 53 patients with lung cancer were included. The median age of the patients was 64 years. Eight patients had a history of TB. The median time interval from ICI administration to TB diagnosis was 3 months. In retrospective analysis, 5 (1.16%, 95%CI 0.38% to 2.68%) patients with lung cancer developed TB during ICI treatment. The median time interval was 10.4 months. In a pooled analysis, the median time interval in the without‐TB and with‐TB groups was 7.00 and 2.35 months, respectively (P = .034). Multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed a history of TB to be an independent factor affecting the time interval of TB activation in patients with lung cancer and ICI exposure (HR 3.59; 95%CI 1.17 to 11.02; P = .026). Therefore, TB infection should be considered in patients with lung cancer during or after ICI treatment. Moreover, we found TB history to be a positive risk factor for a shorter median time interval from ICI to TB diagnosis in patients with lung cancer receiving ICI.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Mivavotinib (TAK‐659), a Dual Spleen Tyrosine Kinase and FMS‐Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors or Hematologic Malignancies
Authors: Li Cheryl , Watson Kenny , Wang Shining , Diderichsen Paul Matthias , Gupta Neeraj 
Published: October 2022

AbstractMivavotinib (TAK‐659), an orally administered, small‐molecule, dual inhibitor of spleen tyrosine kinase and FMS‐like tyrosine kinase 3 (SYK/FLT3), is under development for the treatment of patients with advanced malignancies. In this analysis, we evaluated the population pharmacokinetics (PK) of mivavotinib and its sources of variability (covariates) in adult patients with advanced solid tumors, or relapsed/refractory B‐cell lymphomas or acute myeloid leukemia, using pooled data from 159 patients enrolled in 2 phase 1/2 clinical studies. A 2‐compartment model with first‐order linear elimination and a first‐order absorption rate (and associated lag time) adequately described the PK of mivavotinib in this patient population. The population estimates of apparent clearance (CL/F) and apparent central compartment volume (Vc/F) were 31.6 L/h and 893 L, respectively, resulting in a half‐life of ≈20 hours. In the final model, creatinine clearance was included as a covariate of CL/F, and sex as a covariate of Vc/F. Simulations showed that steady‐state exposure to mivavotinib increased with decreasing renal function. Expanding eligibility by enrolling patients with moderate renal impairment in phase 1 increased the diversity of patients in early trials and allowed the model to inform dose adjustment in patients with moderate renal impairment in future trials. In addition, simulations showed median steady‐state trough concentration of mivavotinib following 70 mg twice daily and 160 mg daily dosing to be commensurate with 100 ng/mL, the level leading to >90% FLT3 inhibition per ex vivo plasma immune assays and considered a potential exposure threshold required for FLT3‐driven efficacy.
Small beams, fast predictions: a comparison of machine learning dose prediction models for proton minibeam therapy
Authors: Mentzel F. , Kröninger K. , Lerch M. , Nackenhorst O. , Rosenfeld A. , Tsoi A. C. , Weingarten J. , Hagenbuchner M. , Guatelli S. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackgroundDose calculations for novel radiotherapy cancer treatments such as proton minibeam radiation therapy is often done using full Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. As MC simulations can be very time consuming for this kind of application, deep learning models have been considered to accelerate dose estimation in cancer patients.PurposeThis work systematically evaluates the dose prediction accuracy, speed and generalization performance of three selected state‐of‐the‐art deep learning models for dose prediction applied to the proton minibeam therapy. The strengths and weaknesses of those models are thoroughly investigated, helping other researchers to decide on a viable algorithm for their own application.MethodsThe following recently published models are compared: first, a 3D U‐Net model trained as a regression network, second, a 3D U‐Net trained as a generator of a generative adversarial network (GAN) and third, a dose transformer model which interprets the dose prediction as a sequence translation task. These models are trained to emulate the result of MC simulations. The dose depositions of a proton minibeam with a diameter of 800μm and an energy of 20–100 MeV inside a simple head phantom calculated by full Geant4 MC simulations are used as a case study for this comparison. The spatial resolution is 0.5 mm. Special attention is put on the evaluation of the generalization performance of the investigated models.ResultsDose predictions with all models are produced in the order of a second on a GPU, the 3D U‐Net models being fastest with an average of 130 ms. An investigated 3D U‐Net regression model is found to show the strongest performance with overall 61.00.5% of all voxels exhibiting a deviation in energy deposition prediction of less than 3% compared to full MC simulations with no spatial deviation allowed. The 3D U‐Net models are observed to show better generalization performance for target geometry variations, while the transformer‐based model shows better generalization with regard to the proton energy.ConclusionsThis paper reveals that (1) all studied deep learning models are significantly faster than non‐machine learning approaches predicting the dose in the order of seconds compared to hours for MC, (2) all models provide reasonable accuracy, and (3) the regression‐trained 3D U‐Net provides the most accurate predictions.
Micromorphology of pineal gland calcification in age‐related neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Bukreeva Inna , Junemann Olga , Cedola Alessia , Brun Francesco , Longo Elena , Tromba Giuliana , Wilde Fabian , Chukalina Marina V. , Krivonosov Yuri S. , Dyachkova Irina G. , Buzmakov Alexey V. , Zolotov Denis A. , Palermo Francesca , Gigli Giuseppe , Otlyga Dmitry A. , Saveliev Sergey V. , Fratini Michela , Asadchikov Victor E. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe formation of concrements in human pineal gland (PG) is a physiological process and, according to many researchers, is associated with the involution of PG structures. The majority of scientific publications concern progressive calcification of PG, leaving out studies on the destruction of already formed calcified concrements. Our study fills the gap in knowledge about calcified zones destruction in PG in normal aging and neuropathological conditions, which has not been addressed until now.PurposeOur objective is to gain insight into human PG tissue impairment in both normal aging and neurodegenerative conditions. X‐ray phase‐contrast tomography (XPCT) allowed us to study PG tissue degeneration at high spatial resolution and, for the first time, to examine the damaged PG concrements in detail. Our research finding could potentially enhance the understanding of the PG involvement in the process of aging as well as in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD).MethodsThe research was carried out on human PG autopsy material in normal aging, VD, and AD conditions. Laboratory‐based micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT) was used to collect and evaluate samples of native, uncut, and unstained PG with different degrees of pineal calcification. The detailed high‐resolution 3D images of the selected PGs were produced using synchrotron‐based XPCT. Histology and immunohistochemistry of soft PG tissue confirmed XPCT results.ResultsWe performed via micro‐CT the evaluation of the morphometric parameters of PG such as total sample volume, calcified concrements volume, and percentage of concrements in the total volume of the sample. XPCT imaging revealed high‐resolution details of age‐related PG alteration. In particular, we noted signs of moderate degradation of concrements in some PGs from elderly donors. In addition, our analysis revealed noticeable degenerative change in both concrements and soft tissue of PGs with neuropathology. In particular, we observed a hollow core and separated layers as well as deep ragged cracks in PG concrements of AD and VD samples. In parenchyma of some samples, we detected wide pinealocyte‐free fluid‐filled areas adjacent to the calcified zones.ConclusionThe present work provides the basis for future scientific research focused on the dynamic nature of PG calcium deposits and PG soft tissue in normal aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
A new stochastic method based on the Taylor expansion to compute response probability densities of uncertain systems
Authors: Navarro‐Quiles Ana , Laudani Rossella , Falsone Giovanni 
Published: October 2022

AbstractIn this article, a new stochastic approach is proposed for the analysis of structural systems with uncertainties. This novel strategy method combines the probability transformation method, expressed in terms of characteristic function with a probabilistic version of the Taylor expansion. Some notes about the convergence and the accuracy of the proposed method are reported. The results of these notes and several examples here reported evidence an optimum level of accuracy, coupled with great simplicity of application of this approach, even for relatively high levels of uncertainties. Hence, this method can be considered a valuable tool for the solution of stochastic analyses of engineering systems. Several examples are performed to show the capability of the results established. These applications show how the method is a useful technique for engineering analysis.
Potential of UV‐C for management of two‐spotted spider mites and thrips in Florida strawberry
Authors: Montemayor Joseph D. , Smith Hugh A. , Peres Natalia A. , Lahiri Sriyanka 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBACKGROUNDMajor pests of Florida strawberry (two‐spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch; chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood; and western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande) are difficult to manage using only conventional chemical control. Previous research has demonstrated high mortality of T. urticae eggs after exposure to ultraviolet B (UV‐B) light. Additionally, ultraviolet C (UV‐C) light has been shown to suppress powdery mildew in strawberry at doses between 85 and 200 J m−2 with no damage to the plant. Therefore, UV‐C may also have the potential to be used as an integrated pest management tool for arthropod pests of strawberry. The objectives of this study were to: (i) determine the effect of UV‐C on T. urticae, S. dorsalis, and F. occidentalis natural populations in open‐field strawberry; and (ii) determine the effect of UV‐C on T. urticae egg hatch after application in open‐field strawberry. Field studies were conducted during the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 strawberry seasons in Florida, USA. Four treatments were compared: (i) foliar application of spinetoram in response to natural pest pressure; (ii) application of UV‐C 200 J m−2 twice a week; (iii) application of UV‐C 350 J m−2 twice a week; and (iv) a non‐treated control.RESULTSIn the field trials, suppression of T. urticae was observed at 350 J m−2 in 2020–2021. In the other field trials, no effect was observed due to low natural infestations. No negative impact on yield was observed from UV‐C applications.CONCLUSIONUV‐C shows promise as a component of an integrated pest management program for T. urticae in strawberry. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.