Strong Negative Linear Correlation Research Articles

Investigating the interplay between urban dynamics and environmental factors in Thimphu, Bhutan: a satellite remote sensing approach.

The ability of the land surface temperature (LST) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to examine land surface change is regarded as an important climate variable. However, no significant systematic examination of urbanization concerning environmental variables has been undertaken in the narrow valley of Thimphu, Bhutan. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics on LST, NDVI, and elevation, using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data collected in Thimphu, Bhutan, from 2000 to 2020. The results showed that LSTs varied substantially among different land use types, with the highest occurring in built-up areas and the lowest occurring in forests. There was a strong negative linear correlation between the LST and NDVI in built-up areas, indicating the impact of anthropogenic activities. Moreover, elevation had a noticeable effect on the LST and NDVI, which exhibited very strong opposite patterns at lower elevations. In summary, LULC dynamics significantly influence LST and NDVI, highlighting the importance of understanding spatiotemporal patterns and their effects on ecological processes for effective land management and environmental conservation. Moreover, this study also demonstrated the applicability of relatively low-cost, moderate spatial resolution satellite imagery for examining the impact of urban development on the urban environment in Thimphu city.

Comprehensive transferability assessment of short-term cross-building-energy prediction using deep adversarial network transfer learning

Data-driven models are widely used for building-energy predictions (BEPs). In practice, these models may fail when the available data on the target building is insufficient. Transfer learning (TL), where useful knowledge from information-rich source buildings with sufficient data is learned to enhance the prediction of information-poor buildings with data shortages, can address the problem of poor prediction performance caused by insufficient data. However, an important issue is finding suitable information-rich buildings to maximize the advantages of TL in cross- BEP. To address this issue, this study explored the selection of source buildings from three perspectives: building-energy data similarity between source and target buildings, building information characteristics, and the volume of training data. The impact of these three factors on the performance improvement of cross- BEP was assessed in a data-centric manner. Based on our previous studies, we selected a deep adversarial neural network (DANN) as the TL strategy for cross-BEP and systematically investigated the performance improvement and transferability of DANN from multiple perspectives of both post-hoc and ex-ante analysis. The Building Data Genome Project datasets were used for validation. Thirty-six buildings of six types and 180 source-target building pairs were considered. Our results demonstrated that DANN could effectively improve model performance by 40–90 % and 20%–80 % compared to non-optimized LSTM and parameter-optimized LSTM. When the same type and location source-target building pairs were only considered, the DTW index showed a relative strong negative linear correlation with the DANN prediction performance improvement, and the goodness of fitting is around 0.80. For building energy data within one year considered, DANN should be trained using no less than 6-month source domain data and no more than 4-week target domain data to improve transferability and reduce the cross-building energy prediction error.

Exploring the Relationship Between Serum Creatinine and Salivary Creatinine Levels in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease in South India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background In this study, researchers investigated non-invasive methods for analyzing creatinine levels by using saliva to address the need for frequent phlebotomy in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, which can damage their veins due to repeated blood withdrawals for creatinine level assessments. Methods This is a cross-sectional study in a tertiary healthcare setting conducted on 50 patients diagnosed with CKD. After collecting serum and salivary creatinine, we used Pearson correlation to assess the correlation between the two factors. Results The mean age of the patients was 50 years with a standard deviation of ± 15.32 years. 33 (66%) patients were males and 17 (34%) were females. Most patients were in the age group of 51 - 70 years, comprising 26 (52%) of the sample. The serum creatinine and salivary creatinine values ranged between 7.26-12.00 and 0.45-0.98, respectively. The median values were 9.72 and 0.75, respectively. There was a very weak positive linear relationship between serum and salivary creatinine levels; however, there was no significant association between them (p = 0.52). Nonetheless, a statistically significant, moderately negative linear correlation exists between serum urea and serum albumin (r = -0.36; p = 0.01). Additionally, there is a statistically significant weak negative linear correlation between serum chloride and serum urea (r = -0.3; p = 0.03). Comparing serum chloride and serum sodium reveals a statistically significant, moderately positive linear relationship (r = 0.4; p = 0.004). Serum phosphorus and serum creatinine display a statistically significant moderate positive linear relationship (r = 0.44; p = 0.001). Moreover, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serum creatinine exhibit a statistically significant strong negative linear correlation (r = -0.79; p < 0.001), while eGFR and serum phosphorus demonstrate a statistically significant weak negative linear correlation (r = -0.30; p = 0.03). Conclusion The study found no significant association between salivary and serum creatinine levels. Further multicentric studies on a larger population must be conducted to find the potential correlation between serum and salivary markers.

Perbaikan Retensi Air dengan Aplikasi Bahan Organik pada Pertanaman Sorgum

This study aimed to determine the role of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes Mart.) organic matter on water retention at pF 2.54 and pF 4.2, available water content, and bulk density (BD). The research method used was a factorial randomized block design. The first factor was the sorghum variety, which consisted of 2 levels, namely, V1 (variety) and V2 (Kawali). The second factor was the dose of water hyacinth organic matter, which consisted of 5 levels, namely P0 (without the application of water hyacinth organic matter), P1 (10 tons.ha-1), P2 (20 tons.ha-1), P3 (30 tons.ha-1), and P4 (40 tons.ha-1). Water retention was measured at pF 2.54 and pF 4.2 using a pressure plate apparatus and pressure membrane apparatus, respectively, and BD was measured using the ring method. The results showed that the treatment of organic matter application and varieties had a significant effect on water retention at pF 2.54, available water content, and BD with the best treatment of 40 tons of organic matter application and Kawali variety, but not affecting water retention at pF 4.2. There was no interaction between water hyacinth organic matter and sorghum varieties to improve water retention and BD. The highest water retention at pF 2.54 was 32.24% (P4), and the highest available water content was 11.67% (P4) but not significantly different from P3 (11.55%); the lowest BD was 1.11 g.cm-3 (P4) but not significantly different from P3 (1.13 g.cm-3). A very strong positive linear and negative linear correlation exists between available water content and BD with plant height, panicle length, and sorghum yield.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: bulk density, water hyacinth, water content, water retention, sorghum

Relationship between cell volume and particulate organic matter for different size phytoplankton

Phytoplankton biomass is an intuitive indicator to evaluate the stability of marine ecosystems. How to obtain phytoplankton biomass quickly and accurately is the focus of marine research. In this work, we selected 12 phytoplankton species to explore the relationship between cell volume and cellular compounds. Results indicated that the volume of 12 species spanned 6 orders of magnitude from 0.11 μm3 (Synechococcus sp. XM-5) to 1.26 × 105 μm3 (Ditulum brightwellii). Besides, a strong negative linear correlation between cell abundance and volume was observed. For per-cell of phytoplankton, the log-log relationship between cell volume and particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate organic nitrogen (PON), chlorophyll a (Chl-a) results reflected a positive correlation. On the contrary, the density of cellular compounds (POC, PON and Chl-a) presented a negative correlation in cell volume. In addition, for ratio of particulate organic carbon and particulate organic nitrogen (C/N), the average value was 5.46, diatoms had the lowest values, 4.72. Moreover, the ratio of carbon and chlorophyll a (C/Chl-a) varied from 15.09 to 79.75, indicating that the C/Chl-a values affected by the different categories. Meanwhile, diatoms usually have a lower C/Chl-a value for their special structure. Finally, we excluded the Synechococcus group of small individuals and found that the slope of their corresponding carbon-volume relationship was not very different, indicating that the smaller individuals had no effect on the assessment of carbon-volume relationship. The physiological variation, based on the cell volume, provides us with a new perspective to simplify the relationship between carbon and volume, and further simplify the methods and analysis of experiments and model simulations of ecosystem biological rate and flux.

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering aptasensor for output-signal detection of aflatoxin B1 based on peroxidase-like Cu2O@Au hybrid nanozyme

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) as toxic secondary metabolite significantly threatens human health. Hence, we designed a reliable “target control signal output” surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensor based on catalytic reaction and signal amplification induced by bifunctional semiconductor-bimetallic plasmonic assemblies to monitor AFB1 contamination. SH-modified AFB1 aptamers were coupled to hollow Au–Ag NPs with enhanced SERS features, enabling rapid identification of AFB1. As artificial nanoenzymes, self-assembled Cu2O@Au NCs with peroxidase-like activity produced synergistic catalytic enhancement effects. Complementary chain-modified Cu2O@Au NCs promoted the construction of bifunctional composites. Besides, the preferred binding of the aptamer to AFB1 triggered the dissociation of Au–Ag NPs, causing the reduced SERS effect. Then, in the 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) reaction mediated by nanoenzymes, oxidation products (ox TMB) with intrinsic Raman signals appeared, which were ideal quantitative signal. Compared with the labeled detection, the novel post-output mode of SERS signal reduced the signal fluctuation in the sensor construction and improved the accuracy of the results. Thus, the aptasensor exhibited a strong negative linear correlation (R2 = 0.991) in the AFB1 concentration ranging from 0.001 ng/mL to 100 ng/mL, and the detection limit (LOD) was 0.7 pg/mL, indicating that the integration of SERS and enzymatic reactions has potential application prospects in test technology.

Innovative hydrogeophysical approach for detecting the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity in Bahri city, Sudan: A comparative study of Csókás and Heigold methods

Hydraulic conductivity is one of the crucial parameters used to identify the potentiality and productivity of groundwater aquifers. This research employs an integrated approach using geophysical well logging, exploratory factor analysis and surface electrical resistivity methods to detect the vertical and horizontal variation of hydraulic conductivity in Bahri city, Sudan. Based on the geophysical well logs of Spontaneous potential (SP), natural gamma ray (GR), and electrical resistivity (RS), Csókás method is used to determine the continuous variation of hydraulic conductivity along the aquifer. Csókás method is an experimentally modified version of the Kozeny–Carman equation and is based on the formation factor of the groundwater aquifer and the effective grain size. This approach is performed in three groundwater boreholes, and the obtained hydraulic conductivities showed a close agreement with that of the pumping test analysis. Furthermore, the hydraulic conductivity is measured using multivariate statistical factor analysis. This statistical approach relies on the correlation between the extracted factors and petrophysical and hydrogeological parameters. In this research, a strong negative linear correlation between the first factor and hydraulic conductivity is indicated. Consequently, a site-specific equation is suggested for continuous estimation of hydraulic conductivity along the aquifer. In the last stage, the results obtained from the Csókás method are interpolated with vertical electrical sounding (VES) measurements using to detect the horizontal variation of hydraulic conductivity throughout the studied area. This was achieved by combining the hydraulic conductivities of geophysical well logging and vertical electrical soundings to obtain a consistent estimation. As a result, the variation of hydraulic conductivity is obtained, and the average was 1.9 m/day which shows a close agreement with the average of the previous investigations (1.5 m/day). This approach is highly recommended since it can enhance data coverage, cutting down the expense of hydrogeological investigations and lowering the uncertainty of the hydrogeological models.

Unraveling the synergistic development of carbon skeleton and pore networks involved in lignin pyrolysis

To gain new insights into lignin pyrolysis, the synergistic development of carbon skeleton and pore networks in a wide temperature range of 200–800 °C was unraveled. The relative abundance of aromatic carbon structures increased exponentially with increasing temperature, as determined by 13C NMR deconvolution. Additionally, the g-factor type of radicals changed from O-centered (g-factor <2.0030) to C-centered (g-factor >2.0040) radicals. The evolution of the char macromolecules structure from disorder to order was principally characterized by a decrease in aromatic spacing (d002, 3.36→3.37 Å) and an increase in stacking degree (Lc, 7.89→8.67 Å) and aromaticity (fa, 75.19%→96.94%). fa has a strong negative linear correlation with d002 (R2 = 0.965). Ternary quadratic polynomials can relate specific surface area, total pore volume, and relative carbon content to the pore fractal dimension. The hypothesized chemical reaction networks and synergistic development of carbon skeleton and pore networks are essential for lignin effective valorization by a pyrolysis-based biorefinery strategies.

Evaluation of Iodinated Contrast Media Use in Abdominal CT Scans in Cancer Assessments: A Cross-Sectional Study in Lomé (Togo).

There is great variability between centers regarding contrast injection protocols. They should only be injected if they can provide useful information for diagnosis with the necessary and sufficient quantity of iodine. We wanted to know through this study if the use of iodinated contrast media is optimised in abdominal CT scans performed for cancer assessment in Lomé. It was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study with a prospective collection over a period of 6 months in three CT units in Lomé. It involved abdominal CT scans performed for oncological evaluation. Data were reported as the mean ± standard deviation. The Pearson correlation coefficient, ANOVA, chi-square, and the Fisher test were used. A total of 218 examinations were recorded. The female sex represented 56.88% of the patients. The mean age was 50.92 ± 15.78 years. The mean weight was 70.46 ± 15.23 kg. The mean BMI was 24.91 ± 5.32 kg/m2. The examinations were performed with a voltage of 120 kV in 195 cases (89.45%). The mean dose of injected iodine was 0.42 ± 0.09 gI/kg with a dose of 0.40 gI/kg at 80 kV and 0.45 gI/kg at 130 kV. The mean injection rate was 2.90 ± 0.34 mL/s. The mean injected volume was 83.19 ± 7.29 mL. The mean duration of the injection was 30.60 ± 7.39 s. The mean iodine delivery rate was 0.98 ± 0.17 gI/s. There was no saline injection in 152 cases (69.72%). Liver contrast enhancement was satisfactory in 94.5% of cases. There was a strong negative linear correlation between the dose of injected iodine and weight. Optimization guidelines for the use of iodinated contrast media are not always applied. Therefore, monitoring and benchmarking programmes for iodinated contrast injection protocols that involve all radiology personnel should be implemented.

Effects of different ablation settings on lesion dimensions in an ex vivo swine heart model: Baseline impedance, irrigant, and electrode configuration.

Intramural or epicardial locations of the arrhythmogenic substrate are regarded as one of the main reasons for radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation failure. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of various factors including baseline impedance, irrigant and electrode configuration at similar ablation index (AI) value. In 12 ex vivo swine hearts, RF ablation was performed at a target AIvalue of 500 and a multistep impedance load (100-180 Ω) in 4 settings: (1) conventional unipolar configuration with an irrigant ofnormal saline (NS); (2) conventional unipolar configuration with an irrigant of half normal saline (HNS); (3) bipolar configuration with an irrigant of NS; (4) sequential unipolar configuration with an irrigant of NS. The relationships between lesion dimensions and above factors were examined. Baseline impedance had a strong negative linear correlation with lesion dimensions at a certain AI. The correlation coefficient between baseline impedance and depth, width, and volume were R = -0.890, R = -0.755 and R = -0.813, respectively (p < .01). There were 10 (total: 10/100, 10%; bipolar: 10/25, 40%) transmural lesions during the whole procedure. Bipolar ablation resulted in significantly deeper lesion than other electrode configurations. Other comparisons in our experiment did not achieve statistical significance. There is a strong negative linear correlation between baseline impedance and lesion dimensions at a certain AI value. Baseline impedance has an influence on the overall lesion dimensions among irrigated fluid and ablation configurations. Over a threshold impedance of 150 Ω, the predictive accuracy of AI can be compromised.

The sufficient multidisciplinary specialists under a government-led health care system associated with the downward mortality trend of Fournier's gangrene in Taiwan.

To explore the trends in Fournier's gangrene (FG) incidence and mortality rate in Taiwan and to investigate the contributing factors to such changes. Between 2002 and 2016, hospitalized FG patients who underwent subsequent surgical intervention were included in this retrospective study. Incidence, outcomes, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI), hospitalization cost, surgical timing, and the number of multidisciplinary specialists involved in the first-line management of FG in each year were collected. Simple linear regression and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) were used for the subsequent analysis. The national cohort enrolled 2183 FG patients from 2002 to 2016 in Taiwan. The age-standardized incidence rate of FG was between 0.4 and 0.8 per 100 000 population, and overall mortality was 7.8% in these 15 years. We illustrated the downward trendline of FG mortality with a 0.62 coefficient of determination. The mortality of FG patients who underwent surgery within 24 h and after 24 h were found to be 8.3 ± 3.9% and 14.6 ± 25.2%, respectively (p=0.02). The numbers of urologists, anesthesiologists, emergency doctors, and physicians per 100 000 population had a strong negative linear correlation with FG mortality (r=0.8, p < 0.001). ACCI score had a moderate linear relationship with FG mortality (r=0.57, p=0.027). The hospitalization cost showed a weak linear correlation with FG mortality (r=-0.03, p=0.92). We demonstrated the downward trend of the FG mortality rate in Taiwan from 2002 to 2016. Besides underlying comorbidities and surgical timing, sufficient multidisciplinary specialists are essential for the survival benefit of FG patients in Taiwan experience.

Feed tossing behaviour of Holstein cows: evaluation of physiological stress state and rumen fermentation function

BackgroundAbnormal or stereotyped behaviours in dairy cows are common in large-scale indoor farms and are usually accompanied by high physiological stress levels. Feed tossing is an abnormal behaviour commonly seen in cows while being fed, making farm management difficult. However, the reasons behind this behaviour have not been sufficiently reported. The objective of this study was to explore the changes in rumen fermentation, serum indicators, inflammatory conditions and the performance of cows with feed tossing behaviour. Holstein cows with similar lactation stages in the same barn were subjected to behaviour observations two times per day for 21 consecutive days. Ten cows with feed tossing behaviour (FT) and ten cows without abnormal behaviours (CON) were selected for further sampling. Plasma samples, rumen fluid, milk yield data of cows, and an indoor environment temperature-humidity index (THI) were collected.ResultsThere was no significant difference in average daily milk yield during the observation period between feed-tossing cows (n = 68) and the other cows (n = 112). The number of cows showing FT behaviour had a moderately strong negative linear correlation with the THI of the environment. Compared to the CON cows, the FT cows had higher cortisol, norepinephrine and urea nitrogen levels in plasma, as well as higher plasma levels of inflammatory indicators, including total protein, lactate dehydrogenase, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase levels, and the ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase. The FT cows had no significant variations from the CON cows regarding their rumen fermentation indicators, such as pH, ammonia nitrogen, and volatile fatty acids. In addition, 16S rRNA analysis revealed that there might be no clear association between the diversity and abundance of rumen bacteria and feed tossing behaviour.ConclusionsOur findings suggested that cows might have suffered from high levels of physiological stress and immune state for a long period when they exhibited FT behaviour. The environmental THI could affect the FT behaviour of cows; as the THI increases, the willingness of cows to throw decreases. This work provided the first evidence that feed tossing might be a response associated with high levels of physiological stress and immune. It also explored our insights into a commonly observed behavioural response to cow welfare traits.

Clinical and prognostic importance of craniospinal elastance and pressure volume index in pediatric pseudotumor cerebri syndrome.

The aim of the study was to determine the clinical and prognostic significance of craniospinal elastance (Ecs), pressure volume index (PVI), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total protein data in terms of resolution of papilledema and improvement of headache in children with pseudotumor cerebri syndrome (PTCS). This is a retrospective observational study of 33 children with definitive PTCS. The relationships between lumbar puncture (LP) measurements, especially Ecs and PVI, and papilledema and headache resolution time were investigated. In children with definite primary and secondary PTCS, higher opening pressure and decreased PVI were found to be associated with faster resolution of papilledema and faster improvement of headache (r = 0.904, P < 0.01; r = 0.894, P < 0.01 respectively). This effect was higher in children with secondary PTCS (P = 0.022). While papilledema resolution time and treatment time were statistically significantly higher in the secondary group (P = 0.035, P = 0.040), there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of headache relief time (P = 0.051). Based on the primary and secondary groups, from the cut-off points determined, it was found that ≤ 41.60 ((AUC = 0.706, P = 0.0420), specificity 56%, sensitivity 86.7%) for opening pressure and ≤ 69.37 ((AUC = 0.702, P = 0.0448), specificity 48.2%, sensitivity 83.3%) for PVI were statistically significant. A very strong negative linear correlation was found between CSF total protein and lumbar puncture measurements and clinical outcomes (P < 0.001). Ecs and PVI may be markers that can provide potentially important data on pediatric PTCS prognosis. CSF total protein may also provide clinical benefit.

Impact of First Metatarsal Hyperpronation on First Ray Alignment: A Cadaveric Study

Category: Midfoot/Forefoot; Bunion Introduction/Purpose: Hyperpronation of the first metatarsal (M1) is present in Hallux Valgus (HV) but its impact is still unknown. A previous biomechanical study showed that an increase in hallucal pronation might lead to a medial soft tissue failure of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP1). Conversely, an increase in supination and adduction of the first ray when weight-bearing is present in case of HV. The objective of our study was to sequentially answer the following questions: (1) Does an increase in M1 pronation cause an increase in hallucal pronation? (2) Can a combination of intrinsic M1 hyperpronation and MTP1 medial soft tissue failure induce a supination motion of the first ray during weight-bearing? (3) Can a first ray supination motion during weight- bearing be accompanied by an increase in IMA and HVA? Methods: A cadaveric model allowing a simulated standing position was developed and secured with a radiolucent frame (Figure 1). A midshaft osteotomy of M1 was performed allowing either 0° or 30° in pronation. MTP1 medial soft tissue release was performed to simulate failure. Twelve specimens underwent 6 Weight-Bearing CT acquisitions under different conditions listed below. The first 3 acquisitions had 0° pronation of M1:1. Simulated non-weight-bearing condition (Figure 2a) 2. Simulated weight- bearing condition (Figure 2b) 3. Simulated weight-bearing condition with medial soft tissue failure (Figure 2c). The next 3 WBCT acquisitions followed the same sequence but with 30° pronation of M1 (Figure 2d to 2f). On each WBCT acquisition, the HVA, IMA, Metatarsal Pronation Angle (MPA, M1 head pronation relative to the ground) and the hallucal pronation (HP) were measured (Figure 3). Motions were indirectly calculated from the differential values of these angular measurements produced by these 6 different conditions. Results: 1.The increase in MPA and HP induced by the 30° pronation osteotomy of M1 in simulated non weight bearing- conditions were respectively 27.6+/-4.1 and 25.5+/-5.6 degrees (p=0.202). 2.The first ray motion induced by weight-bearing without pronation osteotomy combined with a MTP1 medial soft tissue failure was 3.7+/-3.6 degrees pronation (differential value on MRA between Figure 2a and 2c) compared to 11+/-7.5 degrees supination after the 30 degrees pronation osteotomy of M1 combined with a MTP1 medial soft tissue failure (p&lt;0.01) (differential value on MPA between Figure 2d and 2f). 3.Regarding the static angular measurements, the HVA and the IMA presented fair positive linear correlations with the MPA (respectively ρ=0.2 and ρ=0.22). Regarding the motions, the increase of the HVA and the IMA during weight-bearing presented respectively a very strong negative (ρ=-0.82) and a strong negative (ρ=-0.77) linear correlations with the pronation motion of the first ray during weight-bearing. Conclusion: The combination of M1 intrinsic hyperpronation and MTP1 medial soft tissue failure led to an HV deformity in our cadaveric study. The static measurement of M1 head pronation relative to the ground (MPA) does not reflect the real intrinsic pronation of the first ray and foot and ankle specialists should be careful when interpreting these measures. HV is a dynamic condition, and the deformity could be more correlated with motions when WB than with plain static measurements. The first ray supination motion compensating a M1 intrinsic hyperpronation might be an important factor in the HV pathogenesis.

Wolbachia wPip Blocks Zika Virus Transovarial Transmission in Aedes albopictus.

ABSTRACTWolbachia is being developed as a biological tool to suppress mosquito populations and/or interfere with their transmitted viruses. Adult males with an artificial Wolbachia infection have been released, successfully yielding population suppression in multiple field trials. The main characteristic of the artificial Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes used in the suppression program is the lower vector competence than that in native infected/uninfected mosquitoes in horizontal and vertical transmission. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the Aedes albopictus HC line infected with a trio of Wolbachia strains exhibited almost complete blockade of dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) in horizontal and vertical transmission. However, the extent to which Wolbachia inhibits virus transovarial transmission is unknown since no studies have been performed to determine whether Wolbachia protects ovarian cells against viral infection. Here, we employed ovarian cells of the Ae. albopictus GUA (a wild-type mosquito line superinfected with two native Wolbachia strains, wAlbA and wAlbB), HC, and GT lines (tetracycline-cured, Wolbachia-uninfected mosquitoes), which exhibit key traits, and compared them to better understand how Wolbachia inhibits ZIKV transovarial transmission. Our results showed that the infection rate of adult GT progeny was significantly higher than that of GUA progeny during the first and second gonotrophic cycles. In contrast, the infection rates of adult GT and GUA progeny were not significantly different during the third gonotrophic cycle. All examined adult HC progeny from three gonotrophic cycles were negative for ZIKV infection. A strong negative linear correlation existed between Wolbachia density and ZIKV load in the ovaries of mosquitoes. Although there is no obvious coexistence area in the ovaries for Wolbachia and ZIKV, host immune responses may play a role in Wolbachia blocking ZIKV expansion and maintenance in the ovaries of Ae. albopictus. These results will aid in understanding Wolbachia-ZIKV interactions in mosquitoes.IMPORTANCE Area-wide application of Wolbachia to suppress mosquito populations and their transmitted viruses has achieved success in multiple countries. However, the mass release of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes involves a potential risk of accidentally releasing fertile females. In this study, we employed ovarian cells of the Ae. albopictus GUA, HC, and GT lines, which exhibit key traits, and compared them to better understand how Wolbachia inhibits ZIKV transovarial transmission. Our results showed an almost complete blockade of ZIKV transmission in HC female mosquitoes. Wolbachia in natively infected GUA mosquitoes negative affected ZIKV, and this interference was shown by slightly lower loads than those in HC mosquitoes. Overall, our work helps show how Wolbachia blocks ZIKV expansion and maintenance in the ovaries of Ae. albopictus and aids in understanding Wolbachia-ZIKV interactions in mosquitoes.

Correlation of dyslipidemia and athrogenic index of plasma with anthropometric measurements and clinical variables among diabetic patients in Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia, 2021

Background: Control of increased athrogenic index of plasma and lipid parameters in the early stage of diabetes mellitus helps diabetic patients to improve their quality of life and treatment outcomes. Limited studies were conducted on the assessment of dyslipidemia and its correlation with clinical and anthropometric variables among diabetes patients but no study was conducted on the correlation of the athrogenic index of plasma with anthropometric measurements among diabetes patients in this study area. The objective of this study was to assess the correlation of dyslipidemia and athrogenic index of plasma with anthropometric measurements and clinical variables among diabetic patients in Dessie Compressive Specialized Hospital, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: Institution-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2020 to June 2021. A total of 250 diabetic and healthy control respondents were included in the study with convenience sampling. Semi-structured questionnaire of a modified WHO stepwise Approach to Surveillance for chronic disease was used to collect data. Finally, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted to assess the correlation between variables. A p - value of less than 0.05 was declared as the level of significance. Results: Athrogenic Index of Plasma, Triglyceride to High-density Lipoprotein Ratio, Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, waist circumference, WHtR and BMI were statistically significantly higher among Type 2 DM groups. There was a significant positive linear correlation between triglycerides and waist circumference, between TG/HDL and WHtR, and between cholesterol and WHtR, but a significant negative linear correlation between HDL and waist circumference among the Type 2 DM group. Systolic blood pressure and pulse showed a significant positive linear correlation with WC, BMI, and WHtR among diabetics groups only. Our study showed that the pattern of lipid abnormalities observed among DM patients was high AIP in 68%, moderate AIP in 16% and all four groups of hyperlipidemia were found in 9% of diabetic patients. All lipid profiles showed a significant very strong positive linear correlation with AIP, but DHL has a significant very strong negative linear correlation with AIP among Type 2 DM groups. Conclusion: The proportions of high athrogenic index of plasma and lipid profile disorders were higher in DM patients compared to healthy controls. Dyslipidemia and a high athrogenic index of plasma had a considerable correlation with anthropometric measurements and clinical outcomes of Type 2 DM patients. DM patients who have a higher athrogenic index of plasma and higher lipid parameters should be strictly followed based on their anthropometric measurements.

Effect of Abdominal Circumference on the Irradiated Bowel Volume in Pelvic Radiotherapy for Rectal Cancer Patients: Implications for the Radiotherapy-Related Intestinal Toxicity.

BackgroundTo effectively reduce the irradiated bowel volume so as to reduce intestinal toxicity from pelvic radiotherapy, treatment in the prone position with a full bladder on a belly board is widely used in pelvic radiotherapy for rectal cancer patients. However, the clinical applicable condition of this radiotherapy mode is unclear. The aim of this study was to preliminarily identify patients who were not eligible for this radiotherapy mode by analyzing the effect of abdominal circumference on the irradiated bowel volume.MethodsFrom May 2014 to September 2019, 179 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer were retrospectively reviewed in our center. All patients received pelvic radiotherapy. Weight, height, AC, and body mass index (BMI) were used as the research objects, and the irradiated bowel volume at different dose levels (V10, V20, V30, V40, V50) was selected as the outcome variable. Multivariate linear regression and sensitivity analyses were used to evaluate the correlation between AC and irradiated bowel volume. Generalized additive model (GAM) and piecewise linear regression were used to further analyze the possible nonlinear relationship between them.ResultsAmong the four body size indicators, AC showed a negative linear correlation with the irradiated bowel volume, which was the most significant and stable. In adjuvant radiotherapy patients, we further discovered the threshold effect between AC and irradiated bowel volume, as AC was greater than the inflection point (about 71 cm), irradiated bowel volume decreased rapidly with the increase in AC. t-test showed that in patients with small AC (<71 cm), the irradiated bowel volume was significantly higher than that of patients with medium-large AC (≥71 cm). Especially in patients with adjuvant radiotherapy, the mean irradiated bowel volume of patients with small AC was the highest in this study. Compared with adjuvant radiotherapy, in neoadjuvant radiotherapy, the mean difference of irradiated bowel volume between patients with medium-large AC and those with small AC was larger.ConclusionAC is an independent factor influencing the irradiated bowel volume and has a strong negative linear correlation with it. Patients with small AC may not benefit from this common mode of radiotherapy, especially in adjuvant radiotherapy.

Two-Body Abrasive Wear Behavior and Its Correlation With Mechanical Properties of Aged AA6063 Alloy

Abstract This study aims to correlate the abrasive wear performance with mechanical properties, considering AA6063 Al–Mg–Si alloy as the model material. The selected alloy specimens are subjected to artificial ageing at 150 °C for an ageing duration ranging from 1 to 672 h, covering severely under-aged (SUA) to peak-aged (PA) to severely over-aged (SOA) states. Apart from the hardness and tensile properties, two-body abrasive wear properties are also evaluated for differently aged alloys in terms of wear-rate, coefficient of friction, and roughness of the abraded surfaces. Furthermore, the generated wear debris, surface, and subsurface of the abraded specimens are critically examined to reveal the micro-mechanisms of abrasion. The lowest amount of wear-rate is observed for a PA alloy with maximum hardness, while the OA alloy exhibits a slightly lower wear-rate than the UA alloy at a similar level of hardness. Statistical analyses of wear-rate and various mechanical properties of all heat-treated alloys establish a strong negative linear correlation between the wear-rate and hardness, yield strength, tensile strength, and strength coefficient, whereas a positive linear correlation with the strain hardening exponent. Relationships between wear-rate and different roughness parameters are also discussed. Under the investigated wear condition, the aged alloys endure significant plastic deformation; micro-plowing, micro-cutting, and delamination are found to be the predominant mechanisms during abrasion.

Mineralogical and Geochemistry Study of Darnah Formation in Wadi Al Kharsha, Northeast Libya

This paper has been carried out to determine the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of Eocene Darnah limestone which outcrops at Wadi Al Kharsha as an example of the Darnah Formation. The most conspicuous phenomenon is the upward increase of the dolomitization process, whereas, the dolomite content ranges from 4.34 to 15.48 % with an average value of 8.99%. The lime (CaO) represents the major predominant with a high content (48.08%), it can be blend with other carbonates to improve its quality to meet the specifications of raw material for cement manufacture. The relationship between calcium (CaO) and magnesium (MgO) exhibits a significantly strong negative linear correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.967), which emphasizes the dolomitization process, while the relationship between SiO2 and Al2O3 is a positive linear significant relationship with a strong correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.98), whereas, the SiO2 increases with increasing of Al2O3. The calculated mineralogical composition revealed that halite, gypsum, and hematite are considered to be minor constituents, almost less than 1.0%. Keywords: Limestone; Darnah Formation; Mineralogy; Geochemistry; Dolomitization; Characterizations; Cement

The relationship between glycosylated hemoglobin, time-in-range and glycemic variability in type 1 diabetes patients under flash glucose monitoring

ObjectivesFlash glucose monitoring in patients with type 1 diabetes provides new glucometric data that allow for the assessment of glycemic control beyond HbA1c. The objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between HbA1c, time-in-range (TIR) and glycemic variability in a cohort of paediatric and adult patients with type 1 diabetes and treatment with flash glucose monitoring. Material and methodsThis was a cross-sectional study in 195 patients with type 1 diabetes (42.6% females, 70 paediatric, 26.2% continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, 28.7% coefficient of variation [CV]≤36%) in intensive treatment and flash glucose monitoring. Clinical, analytical and glucometric data were evaluated. ResultsThe relationship between the TIR and HbA1c showed a strong negative linear correlation (R=−0.746; R2=0.557; P<.001), modified in those patients with CV≤36% (R=−0.852; R2=0.836) compared to CV>36% (R=−0.703; R2=0.551). A similar correlation was found when evaluating the TIR and the Glucose Management Indicator (R=−0.846; R2=0.715; P<.001); in patients with CV≤36% (R=−0.980; R2=0.960) versus CV>36% (R=−0.837; R2=0.701); P<.001. Both correlations remained stable in the paediatric population (R=−0.724; R2=0.525; P<.001) and adults (R=−0.706; R2=0.498; P<.001) and by type of treatment: multiple doses of insulin (R=−0.747; R2=0.558; P<.001) and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (R=−0.711; R2=0.506; P<.001). In a multiple regression analysis evaluating HbA1c as dependent variable, the only parameters that maintained statistical significance were the TIR (β=−0,031; P<.001), CV (β=0.843; P<.05) and TIR-CV interaction (β=−0.017; P<.01). ConclusionsThe glycemic variability defined by the CV modifies the relationship between the TIR and HbA1c/Glucose Management Indicator and should be taken into account when individualising TIR targets, regardless of age or the type of treatment used.