Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Department of Nursing, Mahidol University Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.

Objective: To develop a screening tool for the risk factors potentially indicating methamphetamine use in pregnant women who are not receiving prenatal care.

Method: This prospective cohort, Institutional Review Board-approved study was performed at a university hospital in Thailand between January 2017 and January 2019. A screening tool was developed using data from 125 pregnant women not receiving prenatal care upon their first admission for childbearing at the hospital delivery room. Read More

Physiol Meas 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Medical Information Technology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, GERMANY.

Objective: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) for lung perfusion imaging is attracting considerable interest in intensive care, as it might open up entirely new ways to adjust ventilation therapy. A promising technique is bolus injection of a conductive indicator to the central venous catheter, which yields the indicator-based signal (IBS). Lung perfusion images are then typically obtained from the IBS using the maximum slope technique. Read More

J Exp Child Psychol 2021 Jun 21;210:105182. Epub 2021 Jun 21.

Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland; Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), 8032 Zurich, Switzerland; Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland.

Young children have difficulties in understanding untypical causal relations. Although we know that hearing a causal description facilitates this understanding, less is known about what particular features of causal language are responsible for this facilitation. Here, we asked two questions. Read More

J Hazard Mater 2021 Jun 17;419:126426. Epub 2021 Jun 17.

Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy. Electronic address:

The invertebrate innate immunity is a crucial characteristic that represents a valuable basis for studying common biological responses to environmental pollutants. Cell defence mechanisms are key players in protecting the organism from infections and foreign materials. Many haemocyte-associated immunological parameters have been reported to be immunologically sensitive to aquatic toxins (natural or artificial). Read More

Neural Netw 2021 Jun 12;143:291-302. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Graduate School of Science and Technology, Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5, Takayama, Ikoma, Nara, Japan. Electronic address:

Policy search reinforcement learning has been drawing much attention as a method of learning a robot control policy. In particular, policy search using such non-parametric policies as Gaussian process regression can learn optimal actions with high-dimensional and redundant sensors as input. However, previous methods implicitly assume that the optimal action becomes unique for each state. Read More

Public Health 2021 May 24;196:85-90. Epub 2021 May 24.

Department of Media and Communication, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Electronic address:

Objectives: Promoting health knowledge during a public health crisis is essential. This study aims to examine how fact-checking habit influences COVID-19 knowledge in the COVID-19 infodemic.

Study Design: This study uses a cross-sectional survey. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2021 Jun 21:114361. Epub 2021 Jun 21.

Department of Pharmacy, Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali, Rajasthan, India. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cedrus deodara (Roxb. ex D.Don) G. Read More

Life Sci 2021 Jun 21:119760. Epub 2021 Jun 21.

LAQV/REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address:

Cardiotoxicity is a major side effect of the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (Dox), which is further exacerbated when it is combined with trastuzumab, a standard care approach for Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor-type 2 (HER2) positive cancer patients. However, the molecular mechanisms of the underlying cardiotoxicity of this combination are still mostly elusive. Increased oxidative stress, impaired energetic substrate uses and topoisomerase IIB inhibition are among the biological processes proposed to explain Dox-induced cardiomyocyte dysfunction. Read More

Neuron 2021 Jun 16. Epub 2021 Jun 16.

Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. Electronic address:

Animals must rapidly respond to threats to survive. In rodents, threat-related signals are processed through a subcortical pathway from the superior colliculus to the amygdala, a putative "low road" to affective behavior. This pathway has not been well characterized in humans. Read More

Conserv Biol 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Agrárias, Alta Floresta, Brazil.

The reintroduction of a species that is extinct in the wild demands caution because reintroduction locations may be associated with threats, such as hunting, poor-quality habitat, and climate change. This is the case for Cyanopsitta spixii (Spix's Macaw), which has been extinct in the wild since 2000. The few living individuals were created in captivity and will be used in a reintroduction project within the species' original distribution area, the Caatinga domain (Brazil). Read More

PLoS One 2021 24;16(6):e0253526. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Centre for Research in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Clinical Research, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.

Background: Patients with haematologic malignancies are increasingly treated by oral anticancer medications, heightening the challenge of ensuring optimal adherence to treatment. However, except for chronic myelogenous leukaemia or acute lymphoid leukaemia, the extent of non-adherence has rarely been investigated in outpatient settings, particularly for migrant population. With growing numbers of migrants in Belgium, identifying potential differences in drug use is essential. Read More

IEEE/ACM Trans Comput Biol Bioinform 2021 Jun 24;PP. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

An in-depth exploration of gene prognosis using different methodologies aids in understanding various biological regulations of genes in disease pathobiology and molecular functions. Interpreting gene functions at biological and molecular levels remains a daunting yet crucial task in domains such as drug design, personalized medicine, and next-generation diagnostics. Recent advancements in omics technologies have produced diverse heterogeneous genomic datasets like micro-array gene expression, miRNA expression, DNA sequence, 3D structures, which are significant resources for understanding the gene functions. Read More

IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2021 Jun 24;PP. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Objective: Cognitive workload monitoring (CWM) can enhance human-machine interaction by supporting task execution assistance considering the operators cognitive state. Therefore, we propose a machine learning design methodology and a data processing strategy to enable CWM on resource-constrained wearable devices.

Methods: Our CWM solution is built upon edge computing on a simple wearable system, with only four peripheral channels of electroencephalography (EEG). Read More

Anal Chem 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States.

Widely used isotope ratio mass spectrometers have limited capabilities to measure metabolites, drugs, or small polyatomic ions without the loss of structural isotopic information. A new approach has recently been introduced that uses electrospray ionization Orbitrap to measure multidimensional isotope signatures of intact polar compounds. Using nitrate as a model compound, this study aims to establish performance metrics for comparisons with conventional IRMS at the natural abundance level. Read More

Top Cogn Sci 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory, Social and Decision Sciences Department, Carnegie Mellon University.

A major challenge for research in artificial intelligence is to develop systems that can infer the goals, beliefs, and intentions of others (i.e., systems that have theory of mind, ToM). Read More

Glob Chang Biol 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 756 51, Uppsala, Sweden.

Inland waters play an active role in the global carbon cycle and emit large volumes of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) methane (CH ) and carbon dioxide (CO ). A considerable body of research has improved emissions estimates from lakes, reservoirs, and rivers but recent attention has been drawn to the importance of small, artificial waterbodies as poorly quantified but potentially important emission hotspots. Of particular interest are emissions from drainage ditches and constructed ponds. Read More

Adv Mater 2021 Jun 24:e2101757. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland.

Strongly electric fish use gradients of ions within their bodies to generate stunning external electrical discharges; the most powerful of these organisms, the Atlantic torpedo ray, can produce pulses of over 1 kW from its electric organs. Despite extensive study of this phenomenon in nature, the development of artificial power generation schemes based on ion gradients for portable, wearable, or implantable human use has remained out of reach. Previously, an artificial electric organ inspired by the electric eel demonstrated that electricity generated from ion gradients within stacked hydrogels can exceed 100 V. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Department of Economics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

The detection of Escherichia coli bacteria is essential to prevent health diseases. According to the laboratory-based methods, 12-48 h is required to detect bacteria in water. The drawback of depending on laboratory-based methods for the detection of E. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.

To understand rural sustainability, it is necessary to scrutinize the relationship between rural transition and economic growth. The article uses rural multifunctionality as an analytical lens through which to view the processes of the development of rural occupancy. There is a pressing need to ascertain how to quantify rural multifunctionality and reveal its spatial differentiation, as well as garner and investigate how multifunctional rural transition (MRT) responds to economic growth. Read More

Bioinformatics 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.

Motivation: Recent developments of spatial transcriptomic sequencing technologies provide powerful tools for understanding cells in the physical context of tissue microenvironments. A fundamental task in spatial gene expression analysis is to identify genes with spatially variable expression patterns, or spatially variable genes (SVgenes). Several computational methods have been developed for this task. Read More

Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2021 Jun 24:1-3. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Department of Clinical Biochemistry, PathWest, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Australia.

Emergency department presentations of sodium nitrate poisoning are increasing in frequency. Point-of-care blood gas analysis is useful for identifying methaemoglobinaemia and other abnormalities in such patients. Topically applied nitrate is known to positively interfere with chloride measurement in both point-of-care instruments and automated analysers of the clinical chemistry laboratory. Read More

Pharm Biol 2021 Dec;59(1):778-788

Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.

Context: Since ancient times, traditional Arabic medicine (TAM) has been used to treat various diseases in Syria. They are cost-effective with fewer side effects and are more suitable for long-term use compared with chemically synthesized medicines. In addition, the scientific importance is manifested, as this survey proceeds, for the purposes of verifying and documenting these traditional medicines and their common uses. Read More

J Appl Clin Med Phys 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Purpose: In this study, we evaluate and compare single isocenter multiple target VMAT (SIMT) and Conformal Arc Informed VMAT (CAVMAT) radiosurgery's sensitivity to uncertainties in dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) and treatment delivery. CAVMAT is a novel planning technique that uses multiple target conformal arcs as the starting point for limited inverse VMAT optimization.

Methods: All VMAT and CAVMAT plans were recalculated with DLG values of 0. Read More

Cereb Cortex 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160, USA.

As our understanding of volitional motor function increases, it is clear that complex movements are the result of the interactions of multiple cortical regions rather than just the output properties of primary motor cortex. However, our understanding of the interactions among these regions is limited. In this study, we used the activity-dependent stimulation (ADS) technique to determine the short/long-term effects on network activity and neuroplasticity of intracortical connections. Read More

Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ) 2020 Oct.-Dec.;18(72):329-332

Nepal Health Research Council, Ramshah Path, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Background The global health community has emphasized the importance of reporting epidemiological data by age and sex groups in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, age and sex disaggregated data of COVID-19 cases and deaths are rarely reported. Such data are very crucial for public to make truly informed choices about their own diseases risk and also for governments for public policy response. Read More

Pain Manag 2021 Jun 24. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Northwest Eye Surgeons, Seattle, WA 98133, USA.

Pain and inflammation are common experiences following ocular surgery and, if uncontrolled, can compromise patients' vision, functioning and quality of life. Corticosteroid drugs are available to manage inflammation and discomfort but have limitations in penetrating the ocular mucus barrier to reach the target ocular tissues. KPI-121 1% (INVELTYS) is a novel formulation of loteprednol etabonate that employs innovative proprietary technology to deliver nanoparticle-sized mucus-penetrating particles to the cornea. Read More

J Biomed Opt 2021 Jun;26(6)

Univ. of Alberta, Canada.

Significance: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) offers depth-resolved imaging of optical scattering contrast but is limited in sensitivity to optical absorption. Dual-modality imaging combined with the noncontact absorption contrast of photoacoustic remote sensing (PARS) microscopy can augment SD-OCT applications with specific molecular and functional contrasts in an all-optical, fiber-based platform.

Aim: To develop a fiber-based multimodal PARS and SD-OCT imaging system, which efficiently uses a common 1050-nm light source for SD-OCT and PARS interrogation. Read More

Sustainability 2021 May 17;13(10):5568. Epub 2021 May 17.

Ministry for Primary Industries, PO Box 2526, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.

Dietary transitions, such as eliminating meat consumption, have been proposed as one way to reduce the climate impact of the global and regional food systems. However, it should be ensured that replacement diets are indeed nutritious and that climate benefits are accurately accounted for. This study uses New Zealand food consumption as a case study for exploring the cumulative climate impact of adopting the national dietary guidelines and the substitution of meat from hypothetical diets. Read More

Chem Sci 2021 Feb 10;12(9):3130-3145. Epub 2021 Feb 10.

College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University Jinan 250014 P. R. China

Cancer immunotherapy is a revolutionary treatment method in oncology, which uses a human's own immune system against cancer. Many immunomodulators that trigger an immune response have been developed and applied in cancer immunotherapy. However, there is the risk of causing an excessive immune response upon directly injecting common immunomodulators into the human body to trigger an immune response. Read More