Rapid Procedure Research Articles

Cytomorphological Spectrum of Head and Neck Lesions by Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in a Tertiary Care Center.

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is considered the first line investigation of choice for evaluating head and neck swellings as it is a quick, safe, and rapid diagnostic procedure. This is a retrospective study that included 242 cases of head and neck lesions in the Department of Pathology, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha. FNAC was performed by aspiration and non aspiration techniques, and cytological diagnosis was given and correlated with clinical findings and investigations. The most common age group affected was 21-30 years. Male to female ratio was 1:1.49. Out of 242 cases, maximum lesions were found in lymph nodes (128 cases), followed by thyroid gland in 81 cases, salivary gland in 23 cases, and miscellaneous group in 10 cases. Maximum number of cases reported were inflammatory (55.37%), followed by benign (29.33%) and malignant (11.15%) cases. Most swellings occurring in the head and neck region are inflammatory in nature. Our study concluded that FNAC is a simple, safe, and minimal invasive technique that differentiates between neoplastic and non neoplastic lesions and avoids unnecessary surgeries.

Policy Analysis of Healthy Community Movement (Germas) during Pandemi COVID-19 in Yogyakarta

The social environment, including policies, is one of the instruments to encourage health promotion toward a healthy life, preventing and controlling COVID-19. This was to analyze the content, process, content and policy actors related toThe Healthy Community Movement (Germas) and the prevention of COVID-19 in Yogyakarta.We apply a-qualitative research of policy. We apply rapid assessment procedures (RAP) using focus group discussion (FGD) and desk review to observe various of policy from the government website. Research conducted in Yogyakarta from March to May 2021. Data was analysis by qualitative content analysis based on content, process, context, and actor categories. Results showed that policies related to Germas already exist at all levels, both national, provincial and district/city locally. According to policy content, Germas was movement to promote the culture/behavior of healthy living based on community empowerment, that were 7 points were physical activity, consuming fruits and vegetables, not smoking, not consuming alcoholic beverages, early detection and medical examination routine, clean healthy and lifestyle, and using toilet. Base on process, there were national, provincial, and local policy level. At the national level there was presidential instructions, regulations of the minister of national development planning, while governor's, regent’s policy at level province and region respectively. Locally, some policy regulate special context on COVID-19 preventing and controlling to increase awareness of the risk of transmission of COVID-19 infection in Yogyakarta. The policy actors were all of local government organizations, universities, CSR, and community. The conclusion is The Special Region of Yogyakarta already has many policies covering various sectors of life to support the implementation of Germas in the pandemic era and has been carried out by stakeholders, CSR, universities, and all of government

Prospects of Using Machine Learning and Diamond Nanosensing for High Sensitivity SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis

The worldwide death toll claimed by Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Disease 2019 (SARS-CoV), including its prevailed variants, is 6,812,785 (worldometer.com accessed on 14 March 2023). Rapid, reliable, cost-effective, and accurate diagnostic procedures are required to manage pandemics. In this regard, we bring attention to quantum spin magnetic resonance detection using fluorescent nanodiamonds for biosensing, ensuring the benefits of artificial intelligence-based biosensor design on an individual patient level for disease prediction and data interpretation. We compile the relevant literature regarding fluorescent nanodiamonds-based SARS-CoV-2 detection along with a short description of viral proliferation and incubation in the cells. We also propose a potentially effective strategy for artificial intelligence-enhanced SARS-CoV-2 biosensing. A concise overview of the implementation of artificial intelligence algorithms with diamond magnetic nanosensing is included, covering this roadmap’s benefits, challenges, and prospects. Some mutations are alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and Omicron with possible symptoms, viz. runny nose, fever, sore throat, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing accompanied by severe body pain. The recommended strategy would deliver reliable and improved diagnostics against possible threats due to SARS-CoV mutations, including possible pathogens in the future.

한국, 미국, 유럽의 코로나19 백신 및 치료제 허가·승인 현황 비교

As demand for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments has soared, each country has applied appropriate approval/authorization system according to circumstances, such as emergency use authorization, conditional marketing approval, or other rapid procedures to introduce COVID-19 related items quickly. This study compared and analyzed the approval/authorization status of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments in Korea, the United States, and Europe. There were differences in the number and types of approved vaccines and treatments and also in the approval procedures used across countries. The United States adopted the emergency use authorization system, and Europe utilized the conditional marketing authorisation system, while Korea mainly applied conditional approval for vaccines and emergency use authorization for treatments. After initial approval in the US, Europe, most vaccines and treatments were introduced with delay in Korea. For instance, the average of Drug lag time for vaccines was about two months(61.5days). In the case of treatments, the difference between Drug lag time among items was relatively large. Considering that Korea's review period for drug approval is similar to that of the United States or Europe, it is necessary to proceed more quickly with approval applications and emergency authorization reviews in the event of other public health emergencies in the future.

Augmented Reality-Assisted Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Model towards Industrial Training and Maintenance for NanoDrop Spectrophotometer.

The use of augmented reality (AR) technology is growing in the maintenance industry because it can improve efficiency and reduce costs by providing real-time guidance and instruction to workers during repairs and maintenance tasks. AR can also assist with equipment training and visualization, allowing users to explore the equipment's internal structure and size. The adoption of AR in maintenance is expected to increase as hardware options expand and development costs decrease. To implement AR for job aids in mobile applications, 3D spatial information and equipment details must be addressed, and calibrated using image-based or object-based tracking, which is essential for integrating 3D models with physical components. The present paper suggests a system using AR-assisted deep reinforcement learning (RL)-based model for NanoDrop Spectrophotometer training and maintenance purposes that can be used for rapid repair procedures in the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) setting. The system uses a camera to detect the target asset via feature matching, tracking techniques, and 3D modeling. Once the detection is completed, AR technologies generate clear and easily understandable instructions for the maintenance operator's device. According to the research findings, the model's target technique resulted in a mean reward of 1.000 and a standard deviation of 0.000. This means that all the rewards that were obtained in the given task or environment were exactly the same. The fact that the reward standard deviation is 0.000 shows that there is no variability in the outcomes.

A Rapid Review of Sociocultural Dimensions in Nigeria's Solid Waste Management Approach.

Against the background of an arguable dearth of scholarship on the sociocultural dimensions of Nigeria's solid waste management strategies and practices, this rapid review searched for evidence in the literature. A rapid evidence review and qualitative meta-summary procedure were implemented to utilize the rigor of systematic literature review that met the timelines and limited funding available for this study. It is more appropriate to identify, extract, and synthesize a mixture of qualitative and/or quantitative empirical evidence in the literature. This rapid review found little substantive evidence of scholarly sociocultural approaches in Nigeria's solid waste management. It also discovered constant factors of inadequate and weak multidisciplinary or non-holistic approaches to driving innovation and effective social impact in Nigeria's solid waste management practices. The results were interpreted vis-à-vis the need to leverage the social sciences, particularly the range and scope of social work practice configurations and possibilities, to scientifically advance and substantially accelerate the implementation of evidence-based policy and practice in Nigeria's solid waste management system. This rapid review concluded that the negative results are due to the insufficient conceptual and theoretical bases for Nigeria's solid waste management strategies and/or practices.

Role of energy transfer in a nanoinitiator complex for upconversion-driven polymerization

Upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP)-driven polymerization attracts great attention due to the ability of near-infrared light to penetrate deeper into biological media and synthetic materials than ultraviolet or visible light. Despite significant progress, the limitation of near-infrared light-triggered polymerization is associated with a key element of the photocurable composition, a UCNP/photoinitiator complex or a nanoinitiator. To determine the impact of resonance energy transfer from UCNPs to photoinitiator (PI) and its effect on polymerization, we developed two different photocurable compositions consisting of the polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEG-DA), ultraviolet- and blue-emitting NaYF4: Yb3+, Tm3+ UCNPs with hydrophobic surface combined with water-soluble or insoluble PI. We found that transfer energy in these nanoinitiators proceeds differently: in UCNP/water-soluble PI (lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate or LAP), it occurs through the photon-mediated transfer while in UCNP/water-insoluble PI (2-benzyl-2-(dimethylamino)-4′-morpholinobutyrophenone or Irgacure 369), it takes place via the non-radiative resonant energy transfer. The impact of these processes in homolytic decomposition of initiator is extremely important in terms of the precisely controlled fabrication of polymer structures. PEG-DA facilitates the affinity between hydrophilic and hydrophobic components of the photocurable composition, which provides UCNP-driven cross-linking of biopolymers such as methacrylated hyaluronic acid and gelatin. 3D structures were prototyped to demonstrate the one-step rapid procedure of nanoinitiator preparation and emphasize the control of the energy transfer in UCNP/PI complexes for further development of UCNP-driven polymerization.

Structural Health Evaluation of Arch Bridge by Field Test and Optimized BPNN Algorithm

Arch bridges play an important role in rural roads in China. Due to insufficient funds and a lack of management techniques, many rural arch bridges are in a state of disrepair, unable to meet the increasing transportation needs. Thus, it is of great significance to develop a set of rapid and economic damage identification procedures for the management and maintenance of old arch bridges. Sanliushui Bridge, located in Chenggu County, Hanzhong, is selected as a model case. Field tests and numerical simulations were carried out to identify the damage states of Sanliushui Bridge. The sum square of wavelet packet energy change rate, a damage identification index based on wavelet packet analysis method was implemented to process the measured data of the load test and the simulated data of the numerical calculation model with assumed damage. BPNN, GA-BPNN, PSO-BPNN and test data analysis are adopted to compare the measured data with the simulated data to quantitatively identify the damage degree of the selected bridge. By comparing the results of the two methods mentioned above, it is found that the proposed damage identification approach realized a precise damage identification of the selected arch bridges.

Simple purification and characterization of soluble and homogenous ABC-F translation factors from Enterococcus faecium

The family of ATP-binding cassette F proteins (ABC-F) is mainly made up of cytosolic proteins involved in regulating protein synthesis, and they are often part of a mechanism that confers resistance to ribosome-targeting antibiotics. The existing literature has emphasized the difficulty of purifying these recombinant proteins because of their very low solubility and stability. Here, we describe a rapid and efficient three-step purification procedure that allows for the production of untagged ABC-F proteins from Enterococcus faecium in the heterologous host Escherichia coli. After four purified ABC-F proteins were produced using this protocol, their biological activities were validated by in vitro experiment. In conclusion, our study provides an invaluable tool for obtaining large amounts of untagged and soluble ABC-F proteins that can then be used for in vitro experiments.

Analysis of Infant and Children Feeding Practices in Subulussalam City

One in three Indonesian children is stunted. The presence of stunting in Indonesia, particularly in the city of Subulusssalam, was consistent with the practice of feeding sick infants and children. The aim of this study analyzed infant and young child feeding practices in the study area Pulo Belen, Sultan Daulat District, Subulusssalam City. Qualitative study design A rapid evaluation procedure with a sample of mothers with children aged 6-18 months and older and health care workers: the head of public health center and nutritionist. Data collection method used focus group discussion and in-depth interview. Data analysis used content analysis to obtain detailed information related to the deployment of PMBA, or MP-ASI. As a result, PMBA practice in Pulo Belen villages of all ages was associated with 7 out of 36 informants who provided complementary feeding early and 1 out of 36 informants who started complementary feeding late, indicated that 4 of 36 people misreported the texture of complementary foods. 7 of 36 respondents did not offer supplements, 4 of 36 respondents gave her MP-ASI immediately, and most of her MP-ASI was given in response to positive. In addition, most information about her maternal FPIC was obtained from health care providers, all of whom supported her correct FPIC practice. The presence of balanced training with MP-ASI demonstration methods and the formation of community groups to support breastfeeding and complementary feeding can support the correct implementation of PMBA in Pulo Belen Village, Subulussalam city.

Surface-Fe-doped cobalt sulfide as a highly active and stable oxygen evolution reaction catalyst for seawater splitting

The development of highly active and stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is crucial, yet challenging, for seawater splitting. In this study, a surface-Fe-doped cobalt sulfide OER catalyst for seawater splitting was designed and fabricated via a facile and rapid surface doping procedure. The obtained optimal catalyst exhibited a high OER performance in alkaline seawater, achieving 100 and 500 mA cm−2 at overpotentials of 0.30 and 0.37 V, respectively, and an ultra-high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of approximate 100%. In addition, the catalyst exhibited excellent stability; after 250 h of continuous operation under 100 mA cm−2 in alkaline seawater, no obvious decay in performance was observed. The high performance and stability of the catalyst demonstrates its potential for practical and commercial applications. Moreover, the developed strategy can be applied for the rational design and fabrication of OER catalysts with high activity and stability for seawater splitting.

Maximizing supercontinuum bandwidths in gas-filled hollow-core fibers using artificial neural networks

Machine learning has been used to accelerate studies in the dynamics of optical pulses. In this study, we use machine learning to investigate the optimal design of supercontinuum-generating hollow-core antiresonant fibers (HC-ARFs) pressurized and filled with methane. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are trained to replace the numerical solvers, accelerate the simulation of fibers, and provide a more rapid fiber design procedure. We first use an analytical model to approximate the dispersion and loss of the methane-filled silica HC-ARF. This approximation is used by the generalized unidirectional pulse propagation equation solver to simulate the pulse propagation and generate training data for our ANNs by varying design parameters including the pump center wavelength, fiber hollow-core radius, fiber length, cladding strut thickness, and gas pressure. We evaluate the performance of different spectral-predicting ANN architectures and use the trained ANN along with a custom fiber performance function to search the full parameter space. Subsequently, the regions with design parameters with predicted high performance are identified, and these high-performance HC-ARF designs are further optimized for supercontinuum generation at target supercontinuum bandwidths. We also extend our effort to maximizing the total spectral energy outside of the input pump wavelength by integrating the ANN with a global optimization technique for the search of an optimal HC-ARF design.

Sodium Azide as a Chemical Mutagen in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): Patterns of the Genetic and Epigenetic Effects with iPBS and CRED-iPBS Techniques

Wheat, which is scientifically known as Triticum aestivum L., is a very nutritious grain that serves as a key component of the human diet. The use of mutation breeding as a tool for crop improvement is a reasonably rapid procedure, and it generates a variety that may be used in selective breeding programs as well as functional gene investigations. The present experiment was used to evaluate the potential application of a conventional chemical mutagenesis technique via sodium azide (NaN3) for the germination and seedling growth stage in wheat. Experiments with NaN3 mutagenesis were conducted using four different treatment periods (0, 1, 2, and 3 h) and five different concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 mM). The genomic instability and cytosine methylation of wheat using its seeds were investigated after they were treated. In order to evaluate the genomic instability and cytosine methylation in wheat that had been treated, interprimer binding site (iPBS) markers were used. The mutagenic effects of NaN3 treatments had considerable polymorphism on a variety of impacts on the cytosine methylation and genomic instability of wheat plants. The results of the experiment showed considerable changes in the iPBS profiles produced by the administration of the same treatments at different dosages and at different times. Coupled restriction enzyme digestion interprimer binding site (CRED-iPBS) assays identified changes in gDNA cytosine methylation. The highest polymorphism value was obtained during 1 h + 2 mM NaN3, while the lowest (20.7%) was obtained during 1 h + 1.5 mM NaN3. Results showed that treatments with NaN3 had an effect on the level of cytosine methylation and the stability of the genomic template in wheat plants in the germination stage. Additionally, an integrated method can be used to for mutation-assisted breeding using a molecular marker system in wheat followed by the selection of desired mutants.

A Simple, Rapid, and Cost-Effective PCR Procedure for Detection of NUDT15 Gene Variants in Vietnamese Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Objective The NUDT15 variants impact thiopurine dose selection in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. The ability to rapidly detect variants is important in clinical practice. This study aims to develop a simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure for detecting NUDT15 variants in Vietnamese patients. Materials and Methods Sanger sequencing was used to determine NUDT15 variants from 200 patients. We designed primers and optimized the PCR procedure for detection of wild-type and variant alleles and compared with Sanger sequencing results. Results The inserted variant c.55_56insGAGTCG was detected by differences in size through conventional PCR. The tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system PCR was successful in detecting two variations, c.52G > A and c.415C > T. The sensitivity and specificity of PCR procedure achieved 100% when compared to 200 Sanger sequencing results. Conclusion Our PCR procedure is suitable for replacing Sanger sequencing to detect the NUDT15 variants in clinical setting.

Synthesis of N-Monosubstituted Sulfondiimines by Metal-free Iminations of Sulfiliminium Salts.

Sulfondiimines are marginalized entities among nitrogencontaining organosulfur compounds, despite offering promising properties for applications in various fields including medicinal and agrochemical. Herein, we present a metal-free and rapid synthetic procedure for the synthesis of N-monosubstituted sulfondiimines that overcomes current limitations in their synthetic accessibility. Particularly, S,S-dialkyl substrates, which are commonly difficult to convert by existing methods, react well with a combination of iodine, 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-en (DBU), and iminoiodanes (PhINR) in acetonitrile (MeCN) to furnish the corresponding sulfondiimines in yields up to 85% (25 examples). Valuable "free" NH-N'Hsulfondiimines can then be accessed by N-deprotection under mild reaction conditions. Several experimental observations suggest a mechanistic pathway diverging from the common radical-based iodine/iminoiodane mechanism. Based on the experimental results in combination with data obtained by 1H-NMR spectroscopy, ESI mass spectrometry, and crystallographic analysis we propose a direct amination from PhINNs and a reaction path via a cationic iodonitrene.

Synthesis of N‐Monosubstituted Sulfondiimines by Metal‐free Iminations of Sulfilimium Salts

AbstractSulfondiimines are marginalized entities among nitrogen‐containing organosulfur compounds, despite offering promising properties for applications in various fields including medicinal and agrochemical. Herein, we present a metal‐free and rapid synthetic procedure for the synthesis of N‐monosubstituted sulfondiimines that overcomes current limitations in their synthetic accessibility. Particularly, S,S‐dialkyl substrates, which are commonly difficult to convert by existing methods, react well with a combination of iodine, 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐en (DBU), and iminoiodinanes (PhINR) in acetonitrile (MeCN) to furnish the corresponding sulfondiimines in yields up to 85 % (25 examples). Valuable “free” NH‐N′H‐sulfondiimines can then be accessed by N‐deprotection under mild reaction conditions. Several experimental observations suggest a mechanistic pathway diverging from the common radical‐based iodine/iminoiodinane mechanism. Based on the experimental results in combination with data obtained by 1H NMR spectroscopy, ESI mass spectrometry, and crystallographic analysis we propose a direct amination from PhINNs and a reaction path via a cationic iodonitrene.

A Programmable CRISPR/Cas9 Toolkit Improves Lycopene Production in Bacillus subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis has been widely used and generally recognized as a safe host for the production of recombinant proteins, high-value chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Thus, its metabolic engineering attracts significant attention. Nevertheless, the limited availability of selective markers makes this process difficult and time-consuming, especially in the case of multistep biosynthetic pathways. Here, we employ CRISPR/Cas9 technology to build an easy cloning toolkit that addresses commonly encountered obstacles in the metabolic engineering of B. subtilis, including the chromosomal integration locus, promoter, terminator, and guide RNA (gRNA) target. Six promoters were characterized, and the promoter strengths ranged from 0.9- to 23-fold that of the commonly used strong promoter P43. We characterized seven terminators in B. subtilis, and the termination efficiencies (TEs) of the seven terminators are all more than 90%. Six gRNA targets were designed upstream of the promoter and downstream of the terminator. Using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter, we confirmed integration efficiency with the single-locus integration site is up to 100%. We demonstrated the applicability of this toolkit by optimizing the expression of a challenging but industrially important product, lycopene. By heterologous expression of the essential genes for lycopene synthesis on the B. subtilis genome, a total of 13 key genes involved in the lycopene biosynthetic pathway were manipulated. Moreover, our findings showed that the gene cluster ispG-idi-dxs-ispD could positively affect the production of lycopene, while the cluster dxr-ispE-ispF-ispH had a negative effect on lycopene production. Hence, our multilocus integration strategy can facilitate the pathway assembly for production of complex chemicals and pharmaceuticals in B. subtilis. IMPORTANCE We present a toolkit that allows for rapid cloning procedures and one-step subcloning to move from plasmid-based expression to stable chromosome integration and expression in a production strain in less than a week. The utility of the customized tool was demonstrated by integrating the MEP (2C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate) pathway, part of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and the hetero-lycopene biosynthesis genes by stable expression in the genome. The tool could be useful to engineer B. subtilis strains through diverse recombination events and ultimately improve its potential and scope of industrial application as biological chassis.

‘They could not see our eyes, they cannot see our faces, they do not know who we are and that is hard’: a qualitative interview study with staff caring for children and families in a UK specialist children’s hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesDespite lower rates of illness, morbidity and mortality associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in children during the COVID-19 pandemic, their health and well-being has been significantly impacted. Emerging evidence indicates that...

Spatial Distribution of Flood Vulnerability in Langkat Regency, North Sumatera Province, Indonesia

Deforestation has a real impact on increasing the level of disaster risk, especially flooding. The real impact of the flood disaster is experienced by Langkat Regency community, North Sumatera Province, Indonesia. The impact of flooding is physical, social, economic, and environmental losses that are perceived directly by the community close to the disaster site. The objective of this study is to analyze the distribution of flood vulnerability levels in Langkat Regency, North Sumatera Province. Determination of the distribution of the flood vulnerability level area used spatial modeling with a scoring method with several variables, including rainfall, land slope, soil texture, land use, landform, and riparian buffers. The distribution of flood vulnerability areas is mostly at very low level with the percentage of the area reaching 53% of the Langkat Regency area. The three districts that have the widest high - very high flood vulnerability levels are Wampu District covering an area of 63,805.92 ha or 14.56%, of the total area of Langkat Regency, Pematang Jaya District covers 78,882.02 ha or 18.01% and Hinai District covers an area of 70,311.41 ha with or 16.05%. This study offers suggestions that the spatial distribution data of flood vulnerability level areas can be developed into an early warning system, for making rapid disaster response procedures.

CRISPR/deadCas9-based high-throughput gene doping analysis (HiGDA): A proof of concept for exogenous human erythropoietin gene doping detection.

A genetic approach targeted toward improving athletic performance is called gene doping and is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Currently, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein (Cas)-related assays have been utilized to detect genetic deficiencies or mutations. Among the Cas proteins, deadCas9 (dCas9), a nuclease-deficient mutant of Cas9, acts as a DNA binding protein with a target-specific single guide RNA. On the basis of the principles, we developed a dCas9-based high-throughput gene doping analysis for exogenous gene detection. The assay comprises two distinctive dCas9s, a magnetic bead immobilized capture dCas9 for exogenous gene isolation and a biotinylated dCas9 with streptavidin-polyHRP that enables rapid signal amplification. For efficient biotin labeling via maleimide-thiol chemistry, two cysteine residues of dCas9 were structurally validated, and the Cys574 residue was identified as an essential labeling site. As a result, we succeeded in detecting the target gene in a concentration as low as 12.3fM (7.41×105 copies) and up to 10nM (6.07×1011 copies) in a whole blood sample within 1h with HiGDA. Assuming an exogenous gene transfer scenario, we added a direct blood amplification step to establish a rapid analytical procedure while detecting target genes with high sensitivity. Finally, we detected the exogenous human erythropoietin gene at concentrations as low as 2.5 copies within 90min in 5μL of the blood sample. Herein, we propose that HiGDA is a very fast, highly sensitive, and practical detection method for actual doping field in the future.