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This study presents a comprehensive comparison of U-Net and Ghost U-Net for road crack segmentation, emphasizing their performance and memory efficiency across various data representation formats, including FP32, FP16, and INT8 quantization. A dataset of 12,480 images was used, with preprocessing steps such as binarization and normalization to improve segmentation accuracy. Results show that Ghost U-Net achieved a marginally higher performance, with an IoU of 0.5041 and a Dice coefficient of 0.6664, compared to U-Net’s IoU of 0.5034 and Dice coefficient of 0.6662. Ghost U-Net also demonstrated significant memory efficiency, reducing GPU usage by up to 60% in FP16 and INT8 formats. However, a sharp decline in performance was observed for Ghost U-Net in the INT8 format, where the IoU dropped to 0.2038 and the Dice coefficient to 0.3227, whereas U-Net maintained stable performance across all formats. These findings suggest that Ghost U-Net is preferable for applications prioritizing memory efficiency and inference speed, while U-Net may be better suited for tasks requiring consistent accuracy across different quantization levels. This study underscores the importance of considering both performance stability and memory efficiency when selecting models for deployment in real-world applications.

Objective: Biliary atresia (BA) is an obstructive cholangiopathy that involves the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. Ultrasound (US) can aid in evaluation of the biliary system and be efficiently used in daily practice. However, most studies on US for diagnosing BA have been conducted in developed countries. Therefore, we have aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of US in BA in infants with cholestasis from a developing country. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study used data collected from our hospital medical records. The US findings were compared with the gold standard intraoperative or cholangiography findings. Results: Thirty-five BA patients (19 males and 16 females) and 36 controls (20 males and 16 females) were included in the study. Most of the patients (85.7%) were ≤ 6 months old. The absence of a gallbladder demonstrated 71.42% sensitivity (Sn), 91.67% specificity (Sp), 89.29% positive predictive value (PPV), 76.74% negative predictive value (NPV), 8.57 positive likelihood ratio (LR+), and 0.31 negative likelihood ratio (LR−) for diagnosing BA. The triangular cord sign demonstrated 14.28% Sn, 100% Sp, 100% PPV, 76.74% NPV, ∞ LR+, and 0.86 LR- for diagnosing BA. The combination of gallbladder absence and a positive triangular cord sign demonstrated 82.85% Sn, 91.67% Sp, 90.63% PPV, 84.61% NPV, 9.95 LR+, and 0.19 LR− for diagnosing BA. Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of US in BA is high, indicating that it can be the imaging tool of choice in infants with cholestasis. Ultrasound is safe and can be easily used in daily practice without the risk of radiation exposure.

IntroductionOvarian and other peritoneal cancers have a strong tendency to metastasize into the surrounding adipose tissue. This study describes an effect of the adipose microenvironment on upregulation of sialic acid-containing glycans in ovarian cancer (OC). Heterogeneous populations of glycosylated OC tumors converged to a highly sialylated cell state that regulates tumorigenesis in an immune-dependent manner.MethodsWe modeled the adipose microenvironment by conditioning growth media with human patient-derived adipose tissue. OC cell lines grown in the presence vs. absence of adipose conditioned media (ACM) were characterized by transcriptomics, western blotting, and chemical biology glycan labeling methods. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting was used to separate adipose-driven upregulation of hypersialylated (“SNA-high”) vs. hyposialylated (“SNA-low”) OC subpopulations. The two subpopulations were characterized by further transcriptomic and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses, then injected into a syngeneic mouse model. Immune system involvement was implicated using wild type and athymic nude mice with a primary endpoint of overall survival.ResultsAdipose conditioning resulted in upregulation of sialyltransferases ST3GAL1, ST6GAL1, ST6GALNAC3, and ST8Sia1. In culture, OC cells displayed two distinct sialylated subpopulations that were stable for up to 9 passages, suggesting inherent heterogeneity in sialylation that is maintained throughout cell division and media changes. OC tumors that implanted in the omental adipose tissue exclusively reprogrammed to the highly sialylated subpopulation. In wild type C57BL/6 mice, only the hypersialylated SNA-high subpopulation implanted in the adipose, whereas the hyposialylated SNA-low subpopulation failed to be tumorigenic (p=0.023, n=5). In the single case where SNA-low established a tumor, post-mortem analysis revealed reprogramming of the tumor to the SNA-high state in vivo. In athymic nude mice, both subpopulations rapidly formed tumors, implicating a role of the adaptive immune system.ConclusionsThese findings suggest a model of glycan-dependent tumor evolution wherein the adipose microenvironment reprograms OC to a tumorigenic state that resists the adaptive immune system. Mechanistically, adipose factors upregulate sialyltransferases. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the effect of adipose microenvironment on OC tumor sialylation. Our results set the stage for translational applications targeting sialic acid pathways in OC and other peritoneal cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis.

Abstract Background Chromobox protein homolog 7 (CBX7), a member of the Polycomb repressor complex, is a potent epigenetic regulator and gene silencer. Our group has previously reported that CBX7 functions as a tumor suppressor in ovarian cancer cells and its loss accelerated formation of carcinomatosis and drove tumor progression in an ovarian cancer mouse model. The goal of this study is to identify specific signaling pathways in the ovarian tumor microenvironment that down-regulate CBX7. Given that adipocytes are an integral component of the peritoneal cavity and the ovarian tumor microenvironment, we hypothesize that the adipose microenvironment is an important regulator of CBX7 expression. Results Using conditioned media from human omental explants, we found that adipose-derived exosomes mediate CBX7 downregulation and enhance migratory potential of human ovarian cancer cells. Further, we identified adipose-derived exosomal miR-421 as a novel regulator of CBX7 expression and the main effector that downregulates CBX7. Conclusion In this study, we identified miR-421 as a specific signaling pathway in the ovarian tumor microenvironment that can downregulate CBX7 to induce epigenetic change in OC cells, which can drive disease progression. These findings suggest that targeting exosomal miR-421 may curtail ovarian cancer progression.

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging public health threat. Foodborne illnesses are typically caused by bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus, which are frequently resistant to common antimicrobial agents. Rice is a staple grain in most parts of the world. Our previous work showed that Phatthalung Sangyod rice seed protein hydrolysates (SYPs), especially SYP4, exhibit antifungal activity against several fungal species that are pathogenic for both humans and animals and are non-cytotoxic to animal red blood cells. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of the bioactive peptides in SYPs against several pathogenic bacteria in humans and animals. Materials and Methods: After isolating SYP1, it was treated as follows: heated (SYP2), and hydrolyzed using pepsin (SYP3), and proteinase K (SYP4). Then, we used 500 μg of protein to evaluate the antibacterial effects on four pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli, P. aeruginosa, B. cereus, and S. aureus, using agar well diffusion. Using a broth microdilution assay, we determined the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration (MIC and MBC, respectively) values of active SYPs. Using the agar well diffusion and microtube incubation methods, we also assessed the inhibitory effects of SYPs on the bacterial quorum sensing (QS) activity of Chromobacterium violaceum. Sangyod rice seed protein hydrolysates were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the biofilm formation of bacterial cells by a crytal violet assay. Furthermore, using the dropping method, we tested the inhibitory effects of SYPs on the bacterial pigments pyocyanin in P. aeruginosa and staphyloxanthin in S. aureus. Results: Our results showed that the crude protein lysate (SYP1) did not exhibit antibacterial activity against any of the test bacteria. Intriguingly, after boiling (SYP2) and enzymatic hydrolysis (SYP3 and SYP4), the protein hydrolysates were transformed into bioactive peptides and displayed antibacterial properties against all of the test bacteria at a concentration of 500 μg as determined by agar well diffusion. SYP4 demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity as it completely inhibited all test strains, with inhibition zones ranging from 16.88 ± 0.25 to 21.25 ± 0.5 mm, and also yielded the highest MIC/MBC values against P. aeruginosa, B. cereus, and E. coli, at 256 and >256 μg/mL, respectively. We observed that at least 256 μg/mL of SYP4 is required to exhibit optimal antibacterial activity. At 16–128 μg/mL, it exhibited antibiofilm activity against S. aureus. Furthermore, at 256 μg/mL, SYP4 inhibited pyocyanin in P. aeruginosa and staphyloxanthin in S. aureus. Although SYP2 and SYP3 displayed weak antibacterial activity and their MIC values could not be obtained for all bacteria, they showed strong QS inhibition in C. violaceum at 256 μg protein. Moreover, SYP2 and SYP3, at a minimum concentration of 32 μg/mL, significantly reduced violacein production. SYP3 also showed biofilm reduction activity on S. aureus at least 16-512 μg/mL. Conclusion: Sangyod Phatthalung protein hydrolysates exerted excellent inhibitory effects against the growth of bacteria and their virulence factors, such as QS, biofilm formation, and/or pigment production. These factors include zoonotic and foodborne pathogens. Therefore, daily consumption of Sangyod Phatthalung rice might reduce the risk of bacterial pathogenesis and foodborne diseases. In conclusion, functional foods or alternate methods of treating bacterial illnesses may be developed in humans and animals.

In the convergence of cultural heritage preservation and computational research, this paper presents a comprehensive dataset capturing the nuanced artistry of traditional Balinese dancing. This endeavour not only documents but also aims to protect these intricate dance movements, bridging technological advancements with rich cultural traditions. The dataset includes 1740 and 828 high-definition video recordings of female and male dancers, respectively, showcasing 24 unique dance movements. These recordings, made using multiple smartphone cameras from various perspectives, reflect the dance's complex nature and emphasize gender-based movement variations, key for detailed cultural analysis. Our systematic approach involved three strategically placed cameras, capturing diverse angles for a holistic view. The subsequent preprocessing stage, including segmenting and labelling, has enhanced the dataset's clarity, making it a valuable resource for cultural studies and computational analysis in preserving intangible cultural heritage. The videos, stored in MP4 format, are categorized by dancer gender, dance type, and camera angle, offering researchers a rich, multifaceted tool for exploring this traditional art form.

PURPOSE: The International Myopia Institute (IMI) Yearly Digest highlights new research considered to be of importance since the publication of the first series of IMI white papers. METHODS: A literature search was conducted for articles on myopia between 2019 and mid-2020 to inform definitions and classifications, experimental models, genetics, interventions, clinical trials, and clinical management. Conference abstracts from key meetings in the same period were also considered. RESULTS: One thousand articles on myopia have been published between 2019 and mid-2020. Key advances include the use of the definition of premyopia in studies currently under way to test interventions in myopia, new definitions in the field of pathologic myopia, the role of new pharmacologic treatments in experimental models such as intraocular pressure-lowering latanoprost, a large meta-analysis of refractive error identifying 336 new genetic loci, new clinical interventions such as the defocus incorporated multisegment spectacles and combination therapy with low-dose atropine and orthokeratology (OK), normative standards in refractive error, the ethical dilemma of a placebo control group when myopia control treatments are established, reporting the physical metric of myopia reduction versus a percentage reduction, comparison of the risk of pediatric OK wear with risk of vision impairment in myopia, the justification of preventing myopic and axial length increase versus quality of life, and future vision loss. CONCLUSIONS: Large amounts of research in myopia have been published since the IMI 2019 white papers were released. The yearly digest serves to highlight the latest research and advances in myopia.

Background and Aim: Fungal zoonoses are an economic and public health concern because they can cause various degrees of morbidity and mortality in animals and humans. To combat this issue, alternative natural antifungals, such as products derived from rice protein hydrolysates or rice antifungal protein/peptide are being considered because they are highly bioactive and exhibit various functional properties. Thailand is a leading rice producer and exporter. Among the various cultivated rice varieties, Sangyod rice (Oryza sativa L.) is exclusively indigenous to Thailand’s Phatthalung province; it has a Thai geographical indication tag. Here, we investigated whether the Phatthalung Sangyod rice seeds have bioactive antifungal peptides. Materials and Methods: Antifungal activity in four Sangyod rice seed extracts (SYPs) – namely, (1) the crude lysate, SYP1; (2) the heat-treated lysate, SYP2; (3) the heat- and pepsin digested lysate, SYP3; and (4) the heat- and proteinase K-digested lysate, SYP4 – was analyzed. Protein concentrations in these SYPs were determined using the Bradford assay. The total phenolic compound content was determined using the modified Folin–Ciocalteu method in a 96-well microplate. Then, the SYP protein pattern was determined using the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Subsequently, using the agar well diffusion method, the antifungal properties of these SYPs were tested against ten medically important pathogenic fungi. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration values were determined for the active SYPs – SYP2-4. Finally, the clinical safety of SYP4 was determined using a hemolytic assay (using canine red blood cells [RBCs]). Results: The crude lysate SYP1 did not show antifungal activity against any of the ten tested pathogenic fungi. Surprisingly, hydrolysates SYP2, SYP3, and SYP4 displayed antifungal properties against the ten tested pathogenic fungi. Thus, heat and enzymatic hydrolysis seem to transform the bioactivity of the crude protein extract – SYP1. Further, SYP4 shows the most effective antifungal activity. It completely inhibited Cryptococcus neoformans, Talaromyces marneffei yeast phase, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton rubrum. A partial inhibitory action on Candida albicans and Microsporum gypseum was possessed while showing the least activity to C. neoformans. SYP4 was nontoxic to canine RBCs. Hemolysis of canine RBCs was undetectable at 1 × MIC and 2 × MIC concentrations; therefore, it can be safely used in further applications. Conclusion: These results indicate that heat and proteinase K hydrolyzed SYP is a very potent antifungal preparation against animal and human fungal pathogens and it can be used in future pharmaceuticals and functional foods.

Sago hampas are a waste with a high starch content. The starch from sago hampas can be used as a raw material for bioplastics. However, because bioplastics have a lower heat resistance than conventional plastics, additives are required to increase heat resistance. Aluminum oxide can be used as a metal compound that acts as an additive to increase heat resistance. Bioplastics were created using a weight percentage of 0, 1, 3, and 5% Al2O3. DTA was used to determine the melting point of bioplastics, as well as their mechanical properties, density, and water resistance. The best results were identified using FTIR and SEM. The results showed that adding Al2O3 at 1, 3, and 5% increased the heat resistance of bioplastics with melting points of 270, 274, and 280 oC. Except for mechanical properties, the best results were obtained with a melting point of 280 oC, tensile strength of 3.41 Mpa, elongation of 38.66%, density of 5.52 g cm-3, and 80.28% water resistance for bioplastics with 5% Al2O3 that suitable on Indonesian National Standard 7188.7:2016. The FTIR analysis revealed that bioplastics containing Al2O3 experienced physical interactions. Morphological analysis revealed that Al2O3 was evenly distributed on the bioplastic's surface.

This study aimed to evaluate the risk factor and insidence of Extended-spectrum b-lactamase (ESBL) produced by Escherichia coli in dairy cattle. The samples obtained were 38 rectal swabs from dairy cows from the Successful Mutual Livestock Group, Deyeng Village, Kediri Regency, East Java. The study started with interviews and observations using a questionnaire to obtain data on risk factors (source of drinking water, cleanliness of feedlots, cleanliness of drinking places, administration of antibiotics, history of mastitis). A sampling of the rectal swab of cattle was carried out using Nutrient Broth as carrier media. Isolation of bacteria using Mac Conkey Agar (MCA) media with the antibiotic cefotaxime 1 mg/L. The addition of antibiotics is intended so that the bacteria that grow are coliform bacteria resistant to the cefotaxime antibiotic, a beta-lactam group. Bacterial isolation was continued with MCA media to enrich ESBL bacteria. Bacterial identification was continued on EMBA media, gram staining, IMViC biochemical test, TSIA, and urease to obtain isolates of E. coli bacteria. The E. coli isolates tested for ESBL Double Disc Synergy Test (DDST) phenotype. The close relationship between each risk factor and the incidence of ESBL-producing E. coli was tested statistically using the Spearman Rank correlation test. The results showed that the incidence of ESBL-producing E. coli in the tested samples was 21.05%, or there were eight positive samples of ESBL-producing E. coli. The risk factors for finding a positive incidence of E. coli producing ESBL in this study were 87% of the use of drinking water sources from wells, 25% did not pay attention to the cleanliness of drinking places, 25% did not pay attention to the cleanliness of eating places, 38% were given antibiotics during maintenance, and 100% had a history of mastitis. These risk factors were not statistically closely related to the incidence of ESBL-producing E. coli.

IntroductionOvarian cancer recurs in most High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) patients, including initial responders, after standard of care. To improve patient survival, we need to identify and understand the factors contributing to early or late recurrence and therapeutically target these mechanisms. We hypothesized that in HGSOC, the response to chemotherapy is associated with a specific gene expression signature determined by the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we sought to determine the differences in gene expression and the tumor immune microenvironment between patients who show early recurrence (within 6 months) compared to those who show late recurrence following chemotherapy.MethodsPaired tumor samples were obtained before and after Carboplatin and Taxol chemotherapy from 24 patients with HGSOC. Bioinformatic transcriptomic analysis was performed on the tumor samples to determine the gene expression signature associated with differences in recurrence pattern. Gene Ontology and Pathway analysis was performed using AdvaitaBio’s iPathwayGuide software. Tumor immune cell fractions were imputed using CIBERSORTx. Results were compared between late recurrence and early recurrence patients, and between paired pre-chemotherapy and post-chemotherapy samples.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between early recurrence or late recurrence ovarian tumors pre-chemotherapy. However, chemotherapy induced significant immunological changes in tumors from late recurrence patients but had no impact on tumors from early recurrence patients. The key immunological change induced by chemotherapy in late recurrence patients was the reversal of pro-tumor immune signature.DiscussionWe report for the first time, the association between immunological modifications in response to chemotherapy and the time of recurrence. Our findings provide novel opportunities to ultimately improve ovarian cancer patient survival.

Bisnis clothing line berbasis online banyak digeluti generasi milenial yang membutuhkan perilaku kerja inovatif. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh competence terhadap innovative work behavior melalui opportunity motive. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah kuantitatif dan menggunakan Partial Least Square sebagai teknik analisis data. Ukuran sampel yang digunakan adalah sebanyak 100 orang pengusaha clothing line khususnya Instagram yang bisnisnya telah beroperasi minimal selama 1 tahun. Teknik pengambilan sampel yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah teknik purposive sampling. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa competence dan opportunity motive memiliki pengaruh signifikan positif terhadap innovative work behavior pengusaha clothing line. Selain itu, opportunity motive secara signifikan positif memediasi pengaruh competence terhadap innovative work behavior.

Author(s): Vaibhav Ahluwalia [sup.1], Yahya Almodallal [sup.2], Adham K. Alkurashi [sup.3], Hasan Ahmad Hasan Albitar [sup.1], Hussam Jenad [sup.1], Suartcha Prueksaritanond [sup.1], Rudy Tedja [sup.1], Bibek Pannu [sup.1], Prashant Jagtap [...], Introduction Blastomycosis is an uncommon; potentially life-threatening granulomatous fungal infection. The aim of this study is to report hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes of patients admitted with blastomycosis. Methods All patients admitted for treatment of blastomycosis at the Mayo Clinic-Rochester, Minnesota between 01/01/2006 and 09/30/2019 were included. Demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentation, ICU admission, and outcomes were reviewed. Results A total of 84 Patients were identified with 90 unique hospitalizations primarily for blastomycosis. The median age at diagnosis was 49 (IQR 28.1-65, range: 6-85) years and 56 (66.7%) were male. The most frequent comorbidities included hypertension (n = 28, 33.3%); immunosuppressed state (n = 25, 29.8%), and diabetes mellitus (n = 21, 25%). The lungs were the only organ involved in 56 (66.7%) cases and the infection was disseminated in 19 (22.6%) cases. A total of 29 patients (34.5%) underwent ICU admission due to complications of blastomycosis. ICU related events included mechanical ventilation (n = 20, 23.8%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (n = 13, 15.5%), tracheostomy (n = 9, 10.7%), renal replacement therapy (n = 8, 9.5%), and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (n = 4, 4.8%). A total of 12 patients (14.3%) died in the hospital; all of whom had undergone ICU admission. In-hospital mortality was associated with renal replacement therapy (RRT) (P = 0.0255). Conclusion Blastomycosis is a serious, potentially life-threatening infection that results in significant morbidity and mortality with a 34.5% ICU admission rate. RRT was associated with in-hospital mortality.

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui: 1) Pengaruh keberhasilan perkembangan identitas terhadap identitas karier, 2) perencanaan karier, dan 3) resiliensi karier, 4) Pengaruh identitas karier, 5) perencanaan karier, dan 6) resiliensi terhadap intensi turnover, 7) Pengaruh keberhasilan perkembangan identitas terhadap intensi turnover, serta pengaruh keberhasilan perkembangan identitas terhadap intensi turnover dengan (8) identitas karier, (9) perencanaan karier, dan (10) resiliensi karier sebagai mediasi. Responden diperoleh dengan metode sampling insidential. Penemuan dari riset ini adalah keberhasilan perkembangan identitas memiliki pengaruh positif terhadap identitas karier, perencanaan karier, dan resiliensi karier. Perencanaan karier dan resiliensi karier memiliki pengaruh positif terhadap intensi turnover. Keberhasilan perkembangan identitas memiliki pengaruh positif terhadap intensi turnover dengan mediasi perencanaan karier dan resiliensi karier. Kontribusi dari riset ini dapat memberikan masukan bagi organisasi-organisasi yang ada di Jabodetabek untuk mengurangi intensi turnover.

A new generation of rapid, easy to use and robust colorimetric point of care (POC) nanocellulose coated-paper sensors to measure glucose concentration in blood is presented in this study. The cellulose gel containing the enzyme with co-additive is coated and dried onto a paper substrate. Nanocellulose gel is used to store, immobilize and stabilize enzymes within its structure to prolong enzyme function and enhance its availability. Here, we immobilize glucose oxidase within the gel structure to produce a simple colorimetric blood glucose sensor. Increase in blood glucose concentration increases the concentration of reaction product which decreases the system pH detected by the pH indicative dye entrapped in the nanocellulose gel. The sensor produces a color change from red to orange as pH decreases due to the enzymatic reaction of glucose into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. This sensor can measure glucose concentrations of 7–13 mM (medical range for diabetes control) at temperatures of 4°C–40°C. Stability tests confirm that no denaturation of enzyme occurs by measuring enzyme activity after 4 weeks. A prototype device is designed to instantly measure the glucose concentration from blood in a two steps process: 1) red blood cell separation and 2) quantification of glucose by color change. This study demonstrates nanocellulose sensor as an economical, robust, and sensitive diagnostic technology platform for a broad spectrum of diseases.

Objective: Biliary atresia (BA) is an obstructive cholangiopathy that involves the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. Ultrasound (US) can aid in evaluation of the biliary system and be efficiently used in daily practice. However, most studies on US for diagnosing BA have been conducted in developed countries. Therefore, we have aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of US in BA in infants with cholestasis from a developing country. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study used data collected from our hospital medical records. The US findings were compared with the gold standard intraoperative or cholangiography findings. Results: Thirty-five BA patients (19 males and 16 females) and 36 controls (20 males and 16 females) were included in the study. Most of the patients (85.7%) were ≤ 6 months old. The absence of a gallbladder demonstrated 71.42% sensitivity (Sn), 91.67% specificity (Sp), 89.29% positive predictive value (PPV), 76.74% negative predictive value (NPV), 8.57 positive likelihood ratio (LR+), and 0.31 negative likelihood ratio (LR−) for diagnosing BA. The triangular cord sign demonstrated 14.28% Sn, 100% Sp, 100% PPV, 76.74% NPV, ∞ LR+, and 0.86 LR- for diagnosing BA. The combination of gallbladder absence and a positive triangular cord sign demonstrated 82.85% Sn, 91.67% Sp, 90.63% PPV, 84.61% NPV, 9.95 LR+, and 0.19 LR− for diagnosing BA. Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of US in BA is high, indicating that it can be the imaging tool of choice in infants with cholestasis. Ultrasound is safe and can be easily used in daily practice without the risk of radiation exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During each day of harvest, wasted banana stems are obtained in large quantities. These stems are composed mainly of 74.37% cellulose which is a very important raw material. This study aims to isolate cellulose from banana stems using liquefaction, delignification and bleaching processes with a microwave at power variations of 450, 600 and 800 W. The results showed that the highest cellulose content of 86.43% was obtained at 800 W for 14 minutes. Meanwhile, the fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis result did not show a peak at wavenumber 1519 cm-1 which is the specific peak for lignin but showed a peak for cellulose at wavenumber 898 cm-1. Furthermore, XRD analysis of crystallinity showed a typical diffraction peak of cellulose at 22.5o with a degree of crystallinity of 56.8% while, morphological analysis with SEM showed that the sizes of the cellulose fibers produced varied, ranging from 5 to hundreds of micrometers and visible fibrillary fibers

Here, the authors report a multi-ethnic genome wide association meta-analysis of 12 studies from the International Cataract Genetics Consortium. They find six new loci associated with age-related nuclear cataract, in addition to replicating the association at CRYAA, and suggest a strong genetic link between age-related nuclear and congenital cataracts.

Advances in information and communication technology have an impact on the increasing number of scientific publications in the world. Scientific papers are indicators of a country's progress in the academic field. One strategy used to improve the quality of research is to collaborate with researchers. There is not much research that addresses the collaboration of researchers. This article provides an overview of the cooperation of researchers including the background of the partnership, as well as aspects that influence the teamwork of researchers, especially in the era of acceleration of information and communication technology. The method used is the study of literature. Reviews aim as the basis for assessing research productivity, especially in Indonesia.

Aircraft maintenance is an essential cost borne by the airline. Improving maintenance practices for day-to-day operations can lead to significant financial savings. The benefits of effective maintenance are derived from the avoided costs caused by unexpected breakdowns and from maximising aircraft flight time transporting passengers. The fuel system is a crucial part of the entire aircraft as it ensures delivery of the fuel to the engine and a key component within this system are the fuel pumps. These airborne fuel pumps are classified between the pumps installed in the airframe fuel system and in the engine fuel system. Past works have investigated the performance characteristics of these pumps during flight, however there are no reviews related to the present Health Monitoring (HM) capabilities under flight conditions. HM refers to the field of diagnosing faults or predicting the remaining useful life (RUL) of the pump and the focus of this review is to highlight the HM technologies suitable for aircraft fuel pumps. This is done by first reviewing the technologies and concepts related to HM of fuel pumps. Second a literature review is carried out on pump and motor faults is carried out, drawing on examples from aerospace and other relevant industries. Section 6: Conclusion, discusses the HM technologies have been applied to aerospace fuel pumps and highlights the gaps in capabilities, based on the findings of the literature review carried out in Section 4: Common Faults and Section 5: HM Sensing Methods to suggest future developments in this field. It was found that there is a large scope for development for the HM airframe fuel pumps, based on reviewing the present state of the art. Furthermore, there are no clear strategies formulated by airframe manufacturers and equipment suppliers to test and implement existing HM solutions to operate under flight conditions. This highlights the need to develop HM in this field and a requirement for further research to allow this technology to be a part of routine aircraft

Coffee constitutes a plant product high in economic value. Extremely abundant throughout Indonesia, different varieties can be found in each region. Coffee leaves represent a by-product of coffee production which are disposed of without being subjected to further processing. One advantage of coffee leaf waste is that it can be made into coffee leaf tea, to prevent various diseases. The caffeine and tannin content can be optimized by temperature and brewing time. Research on coffee leaf tea remains limited, with little study of Liberica coffee leaf tea. This investigation was to determine the optimal brewing time and temperature of Robusta (Coffea canephora) and Liberica (Coffea liberica) coffee leaf tea. This research used the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) method with Central Composite Design (CCD). Data analysis using RSM method was conducted incorporating two factors. The first factor was the brewing temperature with a minimum value of 91 °C and a maximum value of 99 °C. The second factor was brewing time with minimum and maximum values of three and seven minutes respectively. Identifying the optimal treatment was based on two factors, caffeine and tannin content. Optimized processes were applied to conduct organoleptic tests on 110 untrained panelists using the Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) method to highlight the majority attributes experienced by the panelists. The optimal brewing temperature and duration for robusta coffee leaf tea were 93.43 °C and 4.80 minutes which produced caffeine and tannin levels of 74.90 mg.100mL-1 and 293.01 µg.g-1 respectively. In contrast, in the case of Liberica coffee leaf tea, the optimal brewing conditions comprised a temperature of 91.65 °C and duration of 4.84 minutes which produced caffeine and tannin levels of 72.52 mg.100mL-1 and 415.87 µg.g-1. Results of sensory analysis showed that the majority produced five significant characteristics, namely: sweet flavor, fire flavor, sweet taste, bitter taste and astringent mouthfeel.

Introduction: Ovarian and other peritoneal cancers have a strong tendency to metastasize into the surrounding adipose tissue. This study describes an effect of the adipose microenvironment on upregulation of sialic acid-containing glycans in ovarian cancer (OC). Heterogeneous populations of glycosylated OC tumors converged to a highly sialylated cell state that regulates tumorigenesis in an immune-dependent manner. Methods: We modeled the adipose microenvironment by conditioning growth media with human patient-derived adipose tissue. OC cell lines grown in the presence vs. absence of adipose conditioned media (ACM) were characterized by transcriptomics, western blotting, and chemical biology glycan labeling methods. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting was used to separate adipose-driven upregulation of hypersialylated ("SNA-high") vs. hyposialylated ("SNA-low") OC subpopulations. The two subpopulations were characterized by further transcriptomic and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses, then injected into a syngeneic mouse model. Immune system involvement was implicated using wild type and athymic nude mice with a primary endpoint of overall survival. Results: Adipose conditioning resulted in upregulation of sialyltransferases ST3GAL1, ST6GAL1, ST6GALNAC3, and ST8Sia1. In culture, OC cells displayed two distinct sialylated subpopulations that were stable for up to 9 passages, suggesting inherent heterogeneity in sialylation that is maintained throughout cell division and media changes. OC tumors that implanted in the omental adipose tissue exclusively reprogrammed to the highly sialylated subpopulation. In wild type C57BL/6 mice, only the hypersialylated SNA-high subpopulation implanted in the adipose, whereas the hyposialylated SNA-low subpopulation failed to be tumorigenic (p=0.023, n=5). In the single case where SNA-low established a tumor, post-mortem analysis revealed reprogramming of the tumor to the SNA-high state in vivo. In athymic nude mice, both subpopulations rapidly formed tumors, implicating a role of the adaptive immune system. Conclusions: These findings suggest a model of glycan-dependent tumor evolution wherein the adipose microenvironment reprograms OC to a tumorigenic state that resists the adaptive immune system. Mechanistically, adipose factors upregulate sialyltransferases. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the effect of adipose microenvironment on OC tumor sialylation. Our results set the stage for translational applications targeting sialic acid pathways in OC and other peritoneal cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]