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An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is a period of significant anatomical and functional brain changes, and complex interactions occur between mental health risk factors. The Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study commenced in 2018, to monitor environmental and psychosocial factors influencing mental health in 500 adolescents, for 5 years. Participants are recruited at age 12 from the community in Australia's Sunshine Coast region. In this baseline, cross-sectional study of N = 64 participants, we draw on the network perspective, conceptualising mental disorders as causal systems of interacting entities, to propose a Bayesian network (BN) model of lifestyle and psychosocial variables influencing chances of individuals being psychologically well or experiencing psychological distress. Sensitivity analysis of network priors revealed that psychological distress (Kessler-10) was most affected by eating behaviour. Unhealthy eating increased the chance of moderate psychological distress by 600%. Low social connectedness increased the chance of severe psychological disorder by 200%. Certainty for psychological wellness required 33% decrease in unhealthy eating behaviours, 11% decrease in low social connectedness, and 9% reduction in less physical activity. BN can augment clinician judgement in mental disorders as probabilistic decision support systems. The full potential of BN methodology in a complex systems approach to psychopathology has yet to be realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related cognitive decline has been linked to alterations of the dopaminergic system and its subcortical trajectories. Recent work suggests a critical role of iron accumulation within the basal ganglia (BG) in verbal memory performance, and increased iron levels have been related to demyelination. However, the specificity of age-related iron increases with respect to cognitive functions remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the interplay of age, cognitive performance, and structural integrity of the BG. In total, 79 healthy older participants underwent a broad cognitive assessment (fluid and crystallized intelligence, verbal and numeric memory, processing speed, executive functions) and structural MRI. As expected, performance in most cognitive tests had a negative relationship with age. Moreover, BG grey matter volume and magnetization transfer (MT, indicative of myelin) decreased, and R2* (indicative of iron) increased with age. Importantly, R2* and demyelination negatively correlated with verbal memory and executive functions. Within the SN/VTA, age correlated negatively with MT, but there was no clear evidence in favor of a relationship between behavior and R2* or MT. Our results suggest that age-related increases in iron and demyelination within the BG, which are part of a fronto-striatal network, not only impact on verbal memory but also executive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head-out water immersion alters respiratory compliance which underpins defining pressure at a "Lung centroid" and the breathing "Static Lung Load". In diving medicine as in designing dive-breathing devices a single value of lung centroid pressure is presumed as everyone's standard. On the contrary, we considered that immersed respiratory compliance is disparate among a homogenous adult group (young, healthy, sporty). We wanted to substantiate this ample scattering for two reasons: (i) it may question the European standard used in designing dive-breathing devices; (ii) it may contribute to understand the diverse individual figures of immersed work of breathing. Resting spirometric measurements of lung volumes and the pressure–volume curve of the respiratory system were assessed for 18 subjects in two body positions (upright Up, and supine Sup). Measurements were taken in air (Air) and with subjects immersed up to the sternal notch (Imm). Compliance of the respiratory system (Crs) was calculated from pressure–volume curves for each condition. A median 60.45% reduction in Crs was recorded between Up-Air and Up-Imm (1.68 vs 0.66 L/kPa), with individual reductions ranging from 16.8 to 82.7%. We hypothesize that the previously disregarded scattering of immersion-reduced respiratory compliance might participate to substantial differences in immersed work of breathing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does multisensory distractor-target context learning enhance visual search over and above unisensory learning? To address this, we had participants perform a visual search task under both uni- and multisensory conditions. Search arrays consisted of one Gabor target that differed from three homogeneous distractors in orientation; participants had to discriminate the target's orientation. In the multisensory session, additional tactile (vibration-pattern) stimulation was delivered to two fingers of each hand, with the odd-one-out tactile target and the distractors co-located with the corresponding visual items in half the trials; the other half presented the visual array only. In both sessions, the visual target was embedded within identical (repeated) spatial arrangements of distractors in half of the trials. The results revealed faster response times to targets in repeated versus non-repeated arrays, evidencing 'contextual cueing'. This effect was enhanced in the multisensory session—importantly, even when the visual arrays presented without concurrent tactile stimulation. Drift–diffusion modeling confirmed that contextual cueing increased the rate at which task-relevant information was accumulated, as well as decreasing the amount of evidence required for a response decision. Importantly, multisensory learning selectively enhanced the evidence-accumulation rate, expediting target detection even when the context memories were triggered by visual stimuli alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a critical need for development of real time physiological biomarkers for birth asphyxia that constitutes a major global public health burden. Our recent study (Scientific Reports, V10:9183, 2020) established a novel non-invasive neurovascular coupling (NVC) assessment in newborns using dynamic wavelet transform coherence (WTC) analysis irrespective of different aEEG algorithms. As an extended study, the current paper examines whether the variability in processed EEG and amplitude-EEG (aEEG) outputs would impact the determination of NVC in newborns with encephalopathy. Concurrent processed EEG tracings and regional near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (SctO2) readings during a period of twenty hours in their first day of life were selected and processed in this study. After bandpass-filtered in 2–15 Hz, rectified, and down-sampled at 0.21 Hz, the processed EEG tracings along with NIRS-SctO2 (0.21 Hz) were used to perform WTC analysis, followed by comparison of WTC-metrics between SctO2-processed EEG coherence and SctO2-aEEG coherence using Bland–Altman statistics. Our results demonstrated high and significant correlation (R2 = 0.96, p < 0.001) between NVC assessments by SctO2-processed EEG and SctO2-aEEG coherence, confirming that band-passed, rectified, and down-sampled processed EEG, or aEEG, can be paired with NIRS-SctO2 to assess NVC in newborns with encephalopathy. Findings indicate the feasibility of a simpler approach to NVC in neonates by using directly processed EEG, instead of aEEG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perineural invasion (PNI) as a grossly underreported independent risk predictor in rectal cancer is hard to identify preoperatively. We aim to predict PNI status in rectal cancer using multi-modality radiomics. In total, 396 radiomics features were extracted from T2-weighted images (T2WIs), diffusion-weighted images (DWIs), and portal venous phase of contrast-enhanced CT (CE-CT) respectively of 94 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed rectal cancer. T2WI score, DWI score, and CT score were calculated via the radiomics features selection and optimization. Discrimination, calibration, and clinical benefit ability were used to evaluate the performance of the radiomics scores in both training and testing datasets. CT score and T2WI score were independent risk predictors [CT score, OR (95% CI) = 4.218 (1.070–16.620); T2WI score, OR (95% CI) = 105.721 (3.091–3615.790)]. The concise score which combined CT score and T2WI score, showed the best performance [training dataset, AUC (95% CI) = 0.906 (0.833–0.979); testing dataset, AUC (95% CI) = 0.884 (0.761–1.000)] and good calibration (P > 0.05 in the Hosmer–Lemeshow test for the training and testing datasets). Decision curve analysis showed that the multi-modality radiomics nomogram had a higher clinical net benefit. The multi-modality radiomics score could be used to preoperatively assess PNI status in rectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of city size and vehicle interconnection, visual analysis technology is playing a very important role in the course of city calculation and city perception. A Reasonable visual model can effectively present the feature of city. In order to solve the problem of traditional density algorithm that cluster the large scale data slowly and cannot find cluster centers to adapt taxi track data. The DBSCAN+ (density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise plus) algorithm that can split data and extract maximum density clusters under the large scale data was proposed in the paper. The passenger points should be cleaned from the original point of the passenger trajectory data firstly, and then the massive passenger points are sliced and clustered cyclically. In the clustering process, the cluster centers can be extracted based on maximum density, and finally the clustering results are visualized according to the results. The experimental results show that compared with other popular methods, the proposed method has significant advantages in clustering speed, precision and visualization for large-scale city passenger hotspots. Moreover, it provides important decisions for further urban planning and promotes the traffic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to show that geographic barriers alone cannot contain the virus. Asymptomatic carriers play a critical role in the nature of this virus, which is rapidly escalating into a global pandemic. Asymptomatic carriers can inadvertently transmit the virus through the air stream. Many diseases can infect human bodies with tiny droplets or particles that carry various viruses and bacteria that are generated by the respiratory system of infected patients. This article presents the numerical results of the spread of droplets or particles in a room. The proposed numerical model in this work takes into account the sedimentation of particles or droplets under the action of gravitational sedimentation and transport in the room during the process of breathing and sneezing or coughing. Three different cases are numerically investigated taking into account normal breathing and coughing or sneezing, respectively, and three different rates of particle ejection from the mouth are considered. Navier–Stokes equations for incompressible flows were used to describe three-dimensional air flow inside ventilated rooms. The influence of ventilation rate on social distancing is also computationally investigated. It was found that particles can move up to 5 m with a decrease in concentration in the direction of the air flow. The conclusions made in this work show that, given the environmental conditions, the two meter social distance recommended by WHO is insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic (EM) metasurfaces are essential in a wide range of EM engineering applications, from incorporated into antenna designs to separate devices like radome. Near-field manipulators are a class of metasurfaces engineered to tailor an EM source's radiation patterns by manipulating its near-field components. They can be made of all-dielectric, hybrid, or all-metal materials; however, simultaneously delivering a set of desired specifications by an all-metal structure is more challenging due to limitations of a substrate-less configuration. The existing near-field phase manipulators have at least one of the following limitations; expensive dielectric-based prototyping, subject to ray tracing approximation and conditions, narrowband performance, costly manufacturing, and polarization dependence. In contrast, we propose an all-metal wideband phase correcting structure (AWPCS) with none of these limitations and is designed based on the relative phase error extracted by post-processing the actual near-field distributions of any EM sources. Hence, it is applicable to any antennas, including those that cannot be accurately analyzed with ray-tracing, particularly for near-field analysis. To experimentally verify the wideband performance of the AWPCS, a shortened horn antenna with a large apex angle and a non-uniform near-field phase distribution is used as an EM source for the AWPCS. The measured results verify a significant improvement in the antenna's aperture phase distribution in a large frequency band of 25%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical metal processing is a process that generates harmful pollution. An important goal often disregarded by researchers is not only the achievement of the best possible quality of electropolished surface, but also minimising the load of metal ions in the wastewater generated in the process. The conducted experiments on the electropolishing of stainless steel in laboratory conditions, varied time, temperature and current density conditions, as well as process bath contamination (ranging from 0 to 6% Fe mass) allowed us to develop a multi-factorial mathematical model. This model offers the possibility of being able to select the process parameters recommended for achieving the desired effects. It takes into account such surface quality parameters as roughness and gloss, process duration and current density that determine power consumption, as well as the weight loss of the electropolished element that influence the rate of contamination in processing baths and wastewater. The study presents the composition of a passive film of stainless steel after the electropolishing process at the initial and final stages of the process bath's exploitation. The results obtained from XPS tests were then correlated with the results of corrosion tests and resistance to pitting corrosion in the environment of 0.1 M NaCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we demonstrate customized depolarization spatial patterns by imaging a dynamical time-dependent pixelated retarder. A proof-of-concept of the proposed method is presented, where a liquid–crystal spatial light modulator is used as a spatial retarder that emulates a controlled spatially variant depolarizing sample by addressing a time-dependent phase pattern. We apply an imaging Mueller polarimetric system based on a polarization camera to verify the effective depolarization effect. Experimental validation is provided by temporal integration on the detection system. The effective depolarizance results are fully described within a simple graphical approach which agrees with standard Mueller matrix decomposition methods. The potential of the method is discussed by means of three practical cases, which include non-reported depolarization spatial patterns, including exotic structures as a spirally shaped depolarization pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressive behaviour is an unwanted and serious problem in pet dogs, negatively influencing canine welfare, management and public acceptance. We aimed to identify demographic and environmental factors associated with aggressive behaviour toward people in Finnish purebred pet dogs. We collected behavioural data from 13,715 dogs with an owner-completed online questionnaire. Here we used a dataset of 9270 dogs which included 1791 dogs with frequent aggressive behaviour toward people and 7479 dogs without aggressive behaviour toward people. We studied the effect of several explanatory variables on aggressive behaviour with multiple logistic regression. Several factors increased the probability of aggressive behaviour toward people: older age, being male, fearfulness, small body size, lack of conspecific company, and being the owner's first dog. The probability of aggressive behaviour also differed between breeds. These results replicate previous studies and suggest that improvements in the owner education and breeding practices could alleviate aggressive behaviour toward people while genetic studies could reveal associated hereditary factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy has garnered increased public health focus because patients who suffer from epilepsy experience pronounced and persistent health and socioeconomic disparities despite treatment and care advances. The epidemiology of epilepsy is diverse in different countries and regions. This nationwide population-based cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the life time prevalence and health related factors of epilepsy for the first time in Iran through a two-phase door-to-door survey method. In phase I, a screening for epilepsy was performed on 68,035 people. Then in phase II, after the neurological evaluation of participants and reviewing medical records, 1130 subjects with epilepsy was confirmed. The life time prevalence of epilepsy was achieved to be 16.6 per 1000 people (95% CI 15.4–17.8) with the average age onset 19.1 ± 21.1 (active prevalence 9.5 per 1000 people). Focal seizure (59.3%), generalized epilepsy (38%) and unknown types of epilepsy (2.7%) were detected among participants. The overall life time prevalence of febrile convulsion was 4.1 per 1000 people. The frequency of attacks per year and per month were 3.0 ± 1.6 and 0.5 ± 0.1, respectively. Age-specific life time prevalence was highest among the age group of 15–19 years old [32.7 per 1000 persons (95% CI 29.1–36.8)] and it was higher in male (53.8%) than female (46.2%) participants. Our results showed that the life time prevalence of epilepsy in Iran is higher than worldwide average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comparative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 viral load (VL), T lymphocyte count and respiratory index PaO2:FiO2 ratio as prospective markers of COVID-19 course severity and prognosis. 8806 patients and asymptomatic carriers were investigated in time interval 15 March–19 December 2020. T cell count demonstrated better applicability as a marker of aggravating COVID-19 clinical course and unfavourable disease prognosis than SARS-CoV-2 VL or PaO2:FiO2 ratio taken alone. Using T cell count in clinical practice may provide an opportunity of early prediction of deteriorating a patient's state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature change under adiabatic stress, i.e., the elastocaloric effect, is a well-understood phenomenon and of particular interest due to its potential application in alternative ways for refrigeration. Here, we demonstrate that in the regime of low-temperatures (a few mK) real paramagnets can be magnetized when compressed adiabatically without applied magnetic field. Such adiabatic magnetization is a genuine many-body problem, stemming from the inherent dipolar mutual interactions between adjacent magnetic moments. We showcase experimental setups to carry out adiabatic magnetization and thus to access such a subtle effect. Perspectives of further investigations by controlling the mutual interactions in Bose–Einstein condensates in magnetic insulators and dipolar spin-ice systems via the adiabatic increase of temperature are also presented. Yet, we discuss the connection between the elastic Grüneisen parameter and the shift on the critical temperature of second-order phase transitions under adiabatic stress, as well as its connection with the Ehrenfest relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power devices (PD) are ubiquitous elements of the modern electronics industry that must satisfy the rigorous and diverse demands for robust power conversion systems that are essential for emerging technologies including Internet of Things (IoT), mobile electronics, and wearable devices. However, conventional PDs based on "bulk" and "single-crystal" semiconductors require high temperature (> 1000 °C) fabrication processing and a thick (typically a few tens to 100 μm) drift layer, thereby preventing their applications to compact devices, where PDs must be fabricated on a heat sensitive and flexible substrate. Here we report next-generation PDs based on "thin-films" of "amorphous" oxide semiconductors with the performance exceeding the silicon limit (a theoretical limit for a PD based on bulk single-crystal silicon). The breakthrough was achieved by the creation of an ideal Schottky interface without Fermi-level pinning at the interface, resulting in low specific on-resistance Ron,sp (< 1 × 10–4 Ω cm2) and high breakdown voltage VBD (~ 100 V). To demonstrate the unprecedented capability of the amorphous thin-film oxide power devices (ATOPs), we successfully fabricated a prototype on a flexible polyimide film, which is not compatible with the fabrication process of bulk single-crystal devices. The ATOP will play a central role in the development of next generation advanced technologies where devices require large area fabrication on flexible substrates and three-dimensional integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to characterize the key survival-specific genes for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) using machine-based learning approaches. Gene expression profiles were download from gene expression omnibus to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in LUAD tissues versus healthy lung tissue and to construct protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks. Using high-dimensional datasets of cancer specimens from clinical patients in the cancer genome atlas, gene set enrichment analysis was employed to assess the independent effect of meiotic nuclear divisions 1 (MND1) expression on survival status, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to determine the associations of clinic-pathologic characteristics and MND1 expression with overall survival (OS). A set of 495 DEGs (145 upregulated and 350 downregulated) was detected, including 63 hub genes with ≥ 10 nodes in the PPI network. Among them, MND1 was participated in several important pathways by connecting with other genes via 17 nodes in lung cancer, and more frequently expressed in LUAD patients with advancing stage (OR = 1.68 for stage III vs. stage I). Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses demonstrated that the expression level of MND1 was significantly and negatively correlated with OS. Therefore, MND1 is a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target for LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Average biodegradation rate of newly filled municipal solid waste (MSW) in landfills is relatively fast, and the landfill gas produced by the new MSW biodegradation can cause great variations in gas pressure. To predict the gas pressure distribution in the MSW layer, a one-dimensional gas transport model is established in this study. The following factors are considered in this model: (1) the variation of gas permeability with depth; (2) the anisotropy ratio of gas permeability; (3) the settlement caused by waste biodegradation. Furthermore, a single peak model for gas production is applied as the source term of gas production. The equation for settlement caused by waste biodegradation is presented, and the time of peak gas production rate is obtained by fitting the settlement of the newly filled layer. The stratification of the unsaturated and saturated regions is taken into account by distinguishing the difference in gas saturation. The layering of the new and old waste layers is considered by distinguishing the difference in the length of time that waste has been degraded to produce gas. Based on the method of numerical calculation, the gas pressure distribution in the landfill with layered new and old MSW is well simulated. The position where the maximum gas pressure occurs is found. The sensitivity analysis shows that the influence of the anisotropy ratio on gas pressure distribution is more significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum key agreement enables remote participants to fairly establish a secure shared key based on their private inputs. In the circular-type multiparty quantum key agreement mode, two or more malicious participants can collude together to steal private inputs of honest participants or to generate the final key alone. In this work, we focus on a powerful collusive attack strategy in which two or more malicious participants in particular positions, can learn sensitive information or generate the final key alone without revealing their malicious behaviour. Many of the current circular-type multiparty quantum key agreement protocols are not secure against this collusive attack strategy. As an example, we analyze the security of a recently proposed multiparty key agreement protocol to show the vulnerability of existing circular-type multiparty quantum key agreement protocols against this collusive attack. Moreover, we design a general secure multiparty key agreement model that would remove this vulnerability from such circular-type key agreement protocols and describe the necessary steps to implement this model. The proposed model is general and does not depend on the specific physical implementation of the quantum key agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study describes the construction of various ligand-based machine learning models to be used for drug-repurposing against the family of G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs). In building these models, we collected > 500,000 data points, encompassing experimentally measured molecular association data of > 160,000 unique ligands against > 250 GPCRs. These data points were retrieved from the GPCR-Ligand Association (GLASS) database. We have used diverse molecular featurization methods to describe the input molecules. Multiple supervised ML algorithms were developed, tested and compared for their accuracy, F scores, as well as for their Matthews' correlation coefficient scores (MCC). Our data suggest that combined with molecular fingerprinting, ensemble decision trees and gradient boosted trees ML algorithms are on the accuracy border of the rather sophisticated deep neural nets (DNNs)-based algorithms. On a test dataset, these models displayed an excellent performance, reaching a ~ 90% classification accuracy. Additionally, we showcase a few examples where our models were able to identify interesting connections between known drugs from the Drug-Bank database and members of the GPCR family of receptors. Our findings are in excellent agreement with previously reported experimental observations in the literature. We hope the models presented in this paper synergize with the currently ongoing interest of applying machine learning modeling in the field of drug repurposing and computational drug discovery in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of polygenic scores has transformed our ability to investigate whether and how genetic and environmental factors jointly contribute to the variation of complex traits. Modelling the complex interplay between genes and environment, however, raises serious methodological challenges. Here we illustrate the largely unrecognised impact of gene-environment dependencies on the identification of the effects of genes and their variation across environments. We show that controlling for heritable covariates in regression models that include polygenic scores as independent variables introduces endogenous selection bias when one or more of these covariates depends on unmeasured factors that also affect the outcome. This results in the problem of conditioning on a collider, which in turn leads to spurious associations and effect sizes. Using graphical and simulation methods we demonstrate that the degree of bias depends on the strength of the gene-covariate correlation and of hidden heterogeneity linking covariates with outcomes, regardless of whether the main analytic focus is mediation, confounding, or gene × covariate (commonly gene × environment) interactions. We offer potential solutions, highlighting the importance of causal inference. We also urge further caution when fitting and interpreting models with polygenic scores and non-exogenous environments or phenotypes and demonstrate how spurious associations are likely to arise, advancing our understanding of such results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient route was developed for the selective preparation of two stable nanocomposites, Ti3+/TiO2/CNT (labeled as TTOC-1 and TTOC-3) and Ti3+/TiO2/carbon layer (labeled as TTOC-2), from the same precursor by varying the amount of single-walled carbon nanotubes used in the synthesis. TiO2 is an effective photocatalyst; however, its wide bandgap limits its usefulness to the UV region. As a solution to this problem, our prepared nanocomposites exhibit a small bandgap and wide visible-light (VL) absorption because of the introduction of carbonaceous species and Ti3+ vacancies. The photocatalytic efficiency of the nanocomposites was examined via the degradation of methylene blue dye under VL. Excellent photocatalytic activity of 83%, 98%, and 93% was observed for TTOC-1, TTOC-2, and TTOC-3 nanocomposites within 25 min. In addition, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of TTOC-2 toward methyl orange, phenol, rhodamine B, and congo red was 28%, 69%, 71%, and 91%, respectively, under similar experimental conditions after 25 min. Higher reusability and structural integrity of the as-synthesized photocatalyst were confirmed within five consecutive runs by photocatalytic test and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively. The resulting nanocomposites provide new insights into the development of VL-active and stable photocatalysts with high efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myofascial pelvic pain (MFPP) of pelvic floor muscles is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain (CPP). The pathological mechanisms and treatments of MFPP are complex and still unclear until now. The levator ani muscle (LAM) is the major pelvic floor muscle. The purpose of this study was to examine the fascia and attachment of LAM through the electromyogram (EMG) and cadaver dissection. Electrophysiological stimulation of the obturator fascia above the arcus tendinous levator ani (ATLA) could trigger contraction and electrophysiological changes in LAM insertion. The LAM of embalmed adult cadavers was examined especially in the area above the ATLA. Some skeletal muscle fibers were found above the ATLA within the obturator fascia and were confirmed by Masson's trichrome section staining. Our electromyography (EMG) and anatomical data implied that the attachment of LAM aponeurosis extended beyond ATLA to the inferior border of the superior ramus of the pubic bone. The new discovered attachment of LAM could provide a reference position for clinical diagnosis and treatment of MFPP or CPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we propose to use Deep Learning to automatically calculate the coordinates of the vertebral corners in sagittal x-rays images of the thoracolumbar spine and, from those landmarks, to calculate relevant radiological parameters such as L1–L5 and L1–S1 lordosis and sacral slope. For this purpose, we used 10,193 images annotated with the landmarks coordinates as the ground truth. We realized a model that consists of 2 steps. In step 1, we trained 2 Convolutional Neural Networks to identify each vertebra in the image and calculate the landmarks coordinates respectively. In step 2, we refined the localization using cropped images of a single vertebra as input to another convolutional neural network and we used geometrical transformations to map the corners to the original image. For the localization tasks, we used a differentiable spatial to numerical transform (DSNT) as the top layer. We evaluated the model both qualitatively and quantitatively on a set of 195 test images. The median localization errors relative to the vertebrae dimensions were 1.98% and 1.68% for x and y coordinates respectively. All the predicted angles were highly correlated with the ground truth, despite non-negligible absolute median errors of 1.84°, 2.43° and 1.98° for L1–L5, L1–S1 and SS respectively. Our model is able to calculate with good accuracy the coordinates of the vertebral corners and has a large potential for improving the reliability and repeatability of measurements in clinical tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dingo population on world heritage-listed K'gari-Fraser Island (K'gari) is amongst the most well-known in Australia. However, an absence of population genetic data limits capacity for informed conservation management. We used 9 microsatellite loci to compare the levels of genetic diversity and genetic structure of 175 K'gari dingo tissue samples with 264 samples from adjacent mainland regions. Our results demonstrated that the K'gari population has significantly lower genetic diversity than mainland dingoes (AR, HE, PAR; p < 0.05) with a fourfold reduction in effective population size (Ne = 25.7 vs 103.8). There is also strong evidence of genetic differentiation between the island and mainland populations. These results are in accordance with genetic theory for small, isolated, island populations, and most likely the result of low initial diversity and founder effects such as bottlenecks leading to decreased diversity and drift. As the first study to incorporate a large sample set of K'gari dingoes, this provides invaluable baseline data for future research, which should incorporate genetic and demographic monitoring to ensure long-term persistence. Given that human-associated activities will continue to result in dingo mortality, it is critical that genetic factors are considered in conservation management decisions to avoid deleterious consequences for this iconic dingo population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Markov-type stochastic models were developed to describe the kinetics of acid hydrolysis of cellulose. One of them involved a Gauss (normal) distribution of probabilities of chemical bond breaking, the other a Weibull distribution. It was considered that the random breaking of cellulose was based on the cleavage of a parent macromolecule into two descendants. Model equations and kinetics of acid hydrolysis of cellulose consisting of 10 and 100 units of cellobiose were presented. The effects of acid concentration and temperature on the kinetics of hydrolysis process were taken into account. The results obtained applying both stochastic models were in a reasonable agreement with those obtained using a deterministic kinetic model. These stochastic models can accurately describe the kinetics of acid hydrolysis and cover the drawbacks of some deterministic kinetic models, e.g., large number of model equations and parameters, modification of parameter values by changing the process conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Articular cartilage heals poorly but experiences mechanically induced damage across a broad range of loading rates and matrix integrity. Because loading rates and matrix integrity affect cartilage mechanical responses due to poroviscoelastic relaxation mechanisms, their effects on cartilage failure are important for assessing and preventing failure. This paper investigated rate- and integrity-dependent crack nucleation in cartilage from pre- to post-relaxation timescales. Rate-dependent crack nucleation and relaxation responses were obtained as a function of matrix integrity through microindentation. Total work for crack nucleation increased with decreased matrix integrity, and with decreased loading rates. Critical energy release rate of intact cartilage was estimated as 2.39 ± 1.39 to 2.48 ± 1.26 kJ m−2 in a pre-relaxation timescale. These findings showed that crack nucleation is delayed when cartilage can accommodate localized loading through poroviscoelastic relaxation mechanisms before fracture at a given loading rate and integrity state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Felidae as definitive hosts for Toxoplasma gondii play a major role in transmission to all warm-blooded animals trough oocysts dissemination. Therefore the current comprehensive study was performed to determine the global status of T. gondii infection in domestic and wild felids aiming to provide comprehensive data of interest for further intervention approaching the One Health perspective. Different databases were searched by utilizing particular key words for publications related to T. gondii infecting domestic and wild feline host species, worldwide, from 1970 to 2020. The review of 337 reports showed that the seroprevalence of T. gondii in domestic cats and wild felids was estimated in 37.5% (95% CI 34.7–40.3) (I2 = 98.3%, P < 0.001) and 64% (95% CI 60–67.9) (I2 = 88%, P < 0.0001), respectively. The global pooled prevalence of oocysts in the fecal examined specimens from domestic cats was estimated in 2.6% (95% CI 1.9–3.3) (I2 = 96.1%, P < 0.0001), and that in fecal samples from wild felids was estimated in 2.4% (95% CI 1.1–4.2) (I2 = 86.4%, P < 0.0001). In addition, from 13,252 examined soil samples in 14 reviewed studies, the pooled occurrence of T. gondii oocysts was determined in 16.2% (95% CI 7.66–27.03%). The observed high rates of anti-T. gondii antibodies seroprevalence levels and oocyst excretion frequency in the felids, along with soil (environmental) contamination with oocysts may constitute a potential threat to animal and public health, and data will result of interest in further prophylaxis programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collections of microfungi on bamboo and grasses in Thailand revealed an interesting species morphologically resembling Lophiostoma, but which can be distinguished from the latter based on multi-locus phylogeny. In this paper, a new genus, Sublophiostoma is introduced to accommodate the taxon, S. thailandica sp. nov. Phylogenetic analyses using combined ITS, LSU, RPB2, SSU, and TEF sequences demonstrate that six strains of the new species form a distinct clade within Pleosporales, but cannot be assigned to any existing family. Therefore, a new family Sublophiostomataceae (Pleosporales) is introduced to accommodate the new genus. The sexual morph of Sublophiostomataceae is characterized by subglobose to hemisphaerical, ostiolate ascomata, with crest-like openings, a peridium with cells of textura angularis to textura epidermoidea, cylindric-clavate asci with a bulbous or foot-like narrow pedicel and a well-developed ocular chamber, and hyaline, fusiform, 1-septate ascospores surrounded by a large mucilaginous sheath. The asexual morph (coelomycetous) of the species are observed on culture media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory demyelination and axonal injury of the optic nerve are hallmarks of optic neuritis (ON), which often occurs in multiple sclerosis and is a major cause of visual disturbance in young adults. Although a high dose of corticosteroids can promote visual recovery, it cannot prevent permanent neuronal damage. Novel and effective therapies are thus required. Given the recently defined capacity of matrine (MAT), a quinolizidine alkaloid derived from the herb Radix Sophorae flavescens, in immunomodulation and neuroprotection, we tested in this study the effect of matrine on rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis. MAT administration, started at disease onset, significantly suppressed optic nerve infiltration and demyelination, with reduced numbers of Iba1+ macrophages/microglia and CD4+ T cells, compared to those from vehicle-treated rats. Increased expression of neurofilaments, an axon marker, reduced numbers of apoptosis in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Moreover, MAT treatment promoted Akt phosphorylation and shifted the Bcl-2/Bax ratio back towards an antiapoptotic one, which could be a mechanism for its therapeutic effect in the ON model. Taken as a whole, our results demonstrate that MAT attenuated inflammation, demyelination and axonal loss in the optic nerve, and protected RGCs from inflammation-induced cell death. MAT may therefore have potential as a novel treatment for this disease that may result in blindness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is scarcity of data on whether differences exist in clinical characteristics and outcomes of bloodstream infection (BSI) between venoarterial (VA) and venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and whether they differ between Candida BSI and bacteremia in adult ECMO patients. We retrospectively reviewed data of patients who required ECMO for > 48 h and had BSIs while receiving ECMO between January 2015 and June 2020. Cases with a positive blood culture result within 24 h of ECMO implantation were excluded. We identified 94 (from 64 of 194 patients) and 38 (from 17 of 56 patients) BSI episodes under VA and VV ECMO, respectively. Fifty nine BSIs of VA ECMO (59/94, 62.8%) occurred in the first 2 weeks after ECMO implantation, whereas 24 BSIs of VV ECMO (24/38, 63.2%) occurred after 3 weeks of ECMO implantation. Gram-negative bacteremia (39/59, 66.1%) and gram-positive bacteremia (10/24, 41.7%) were the most commonly identified BSI types in the first 2 weeks after VA ECMO implantation and after 3 weeks of VV implantation, respectively. Timing of Candida BSI was early (6/11, 54.5% during the first 2 weeks) in VA ECMO and late (6/9, 66.7% after 3 weeks of initiation) in VV ECMO. Compared with bacteremia, Candida BSI showed no differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes during VA and VV ECMO, except the significant association with prior exposure to carbapenem in VA ECMO (vs. gram-negative bacteremia [P = 0.006], vs. gram-positive bacteremia [P = 0.03]). Our results suggest that ECMO modes may affect BSI clinical features and timing. In particular, Candida BSI occurrence during the early course of VA ECMO is not uncommon, especially in patients with prior carbapenem exposure; however, it usually occurs during the prolonged course of VV ECMO. Consequently, routine blood culture surveillance and empiric antifungal therapy might be warranted in targeted populations of adult ECMO patients, regardless of levels of inflammatory markers and severity scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass structures of multicomponent oxide systems (CaO–Al2O3–SiO2) are studied using a simulated pulsed laser with molecular dynamics. The short- and intermediate-range order structures revealed a direct correlation between the transformation of Al(IV) to Al(V), regions of increased density following laser processing, inherent reduction in the average T–O–T (T = Al, Si) angle, and associated elongation of the T–O bonding distance. Variable laser pulse energies were simulated across calcium aluminosilicate glasses with high silica content (50–80%) to identify densification trends attributed to composition and laser energy. High-intensity pulsed laser effects on fictive temperature and shockwave promotion are discussed in detail for their role in glass densification. Laser-induced structural changes are found to be highly dependent on pulse energy and glass chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work compares the electrochemical impedance response of polished and unpolished boron doped diamond (BDD) electrodes, during mercury detection measurements. For each substrate type both bare electrodes and electrodes decorated with average diameter 30 nm AuNPs were used, to investigate the role of AuNPs during mercury sensing with diamond electrodes. In square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) measurements for mercury detection, the mercury ions in the electrolyte are deposited onto, then stripped from the diamond electrode surface. To investigate the different electrode performances during these steps, the EIS measurements were made at the deposition and stripping potentials, alongside scans at open circuit potential for comparison. The performance of the electrodes is assessed in terms of their electron transfer rate (k0). The electrodes decorated with AuNPs are shown to have lower capacitance and higher reactivity than the bare pBDD and BDD electrodes, until the mercury concentration in the electrolyte is < 500 µM, when the sp2/sp3 carbon ratio at the surface of the electrodes has a greater influence on the sensitivity for mercury detection than the presence of AuNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is aimed to examine the genetic variability and the distribution pattern of beneficial Trichoderma spp. isolated from rhizosphere samples and their mode of action in improving the plant health. A total of 131 suspected fungi were isolated from the rhizospheric soil and 91 isolates were confirmed as Trichoderma spp. T. asperellum and T. harzianum were found high in the frequency of occurrence. Genetic diversity analysis using RAPD and ISSR revealed the diverse distribution pattern of Trichoderma spp. indicating their capability to adapt to broad agroclimatic conditions. Analysis of genetic diversity using molecular markers revealed intra-species diversity of isolated Trichoderma spp. The frequency of pearl millet (PM) root colonization by Trichoderma spp. was found to be 100%. However, they showed varied results for indole acetic acid, siderophore, phosphate solubilization, β-1,3-glucanase, chitinase, cellulase, lipase, and protease activity. Downy mildew disease protection studies revealed a strong involvement of Trichoderma spp. in direct suppression of the pathogen (mean 37.41) in the rhizosphere followed by inducing systemic resistance. Our findings highlights the probable distribution and diversity profile of Trichoderma spp. as well as narrate the possible utilization of Trichoderma spp. as microbial fungicides in PM cultivation across different agroclimatic zones of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]