Changes in Primary HIV-1 Drug Resistance Due to War Migration from Eastern Europe

Abstract

In recent years, especially as a result of war in Ukraine, enormous movements of migration to Poland from eastern European countries have been reported, including people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). We have conducted multi-center, prospective study, which aimed to establish HIV-1 subtype and assess the presence of primary drug resistance mutations to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors in antiretroviral treatment naïve patients. The clinical trial recruited 117 individuals during 2 years period (2020–2022). The prevalence of HIV-1 subtype A was statistically significantly more frequent in Ukrainian, and HIV-1 subtype B in Polish patients (p < 0.05). Drug resistance mutations were detected in 44% of all cases and the comparison of presence of mutations in the analyzed groups, as well as in the subgroups of subtype A and B HIV-1 has not revealed any significant differences (p > 0.05), nevertheless Polish patients had multidrug resistance mutations more frequent (p < 0.05). The results from our trial show no increased risk of transmission of multidrug resistant HIV strains in our cohort of Ukrainian migrants.

Clinical trials. Gov number NCT04636736; date of registration: November 19, 2020.

Corruption as a push and pull factor of migration flows: evidence from European countries

Abstract

Conclusive evidence on the relationship between corruption and migration has remained scant in the literature to date. Using 2008–2018 data on bilateral migration flows across EU28 and EFTA countries and four measures of corruption, we show that corruption acts as both push and pull factors on migration patterns. Based on a gravity model, a 1-unit increase in the corruption level in the origin country is associated with an 11% increase in out-migration. The same 1-unit increase in corruption in the destination country is associated with a 10% decline in in-migration.

Classification of lung cancer with deep learning Res-U-Net and molecular imaging

Abstract

Lung cancer is a prevalent malignancy, despite the great breakthroughs in detection and prevention, and it remains the important cause of death. In recent days, artificial intelligence has exploded in all fields of science. The use of deep learning in medical science has improved in accuracy and precision of predicting this infestation in the initial stages. In the work, a novel molecular imaging-based Res-U-Net is proposed for classifying two different types of lung cancer. The PET/CT (positron emission tomography/computed tomography) employing an injection 18F-FDG has developed as a useful tool in therapeutic oncologic imaging for both metabolic and anatomic analysis. The proposed model uses Res-U-Net to classify small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from normal by using 18F-FDG PET/CT images from the radiogenomics dataset. This dataset images are pre-processed by Gaussian smoothing to reduce the noise from the PET/CT images. Finally, the classification result is obtained through the support vector machine (SVM) classifier which proves the efficiency of the proposed technique. The outcome of the proposed technique yields the best and most accurate results, and it yields the classification accuracy rate of 96.45%for lung cancer into NSCLC and SCLC.

Technical Strategy for Pancreatic Body Cancers: A Raison d’etre of Distal Pancreatectomy with Portal Resection

Abstract

Background

Advancements in multiagent chemotherapy have expanded the surgical indications for pancreatic cancer. Although pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) with portal vein resection (PVR) has become widely adopted, distal pancreatectomy (DP) with PVR remains rarely performed because of its technical complexity. This study was designed to assess the feasibility of DP-PVR compared with PD-PVR for pancreatic body cancers, with a focus on PV complications and providing optimal reconstruction techniques when DP-PVR is necessary.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted on consecutive pancreatic body cancer patients who underwent pancreatectomy with PVR between 2005 and 2020. An algorithm based on the anatomical relationship between the arteries and PV was used for optimal surgical selection.

Results

Among 119 patients, 32 underwent DP-PVR and 87 underwent PD-PVR. Various reconstruction techniques were employed in DP-PVR cases, including patch reconstruction, graft interposition, and wedge resection. The majority of PD-PVR cases involved end-to-end anastomosis. The length of PVR was shorter in DP-PVR (25 vs. 40 mm; p < 0.001). Although Clavien-Dindo ≥3a was higher in DP-PVR (p = 0.002), inpatient mortality and R0 status were similar. Complete PV occlusion occurred more frequently in DP-PVR than in PD-PVR (21.9% vs. 1.1%; p < 0.001). A cutoff value of 30 mm for PVR length was determined to be predictive of nonrecurrence-related PV occlusion after DP-PVR. The two groups did not differ significantly in recurrence or overall survival.

Conclusions

DP-PVR had higher occlusion and postoperative complication rates than PD-PVR. These findings support the proposed algorithm and emphasize the importance of meticulous surgical manipulation when DP-PVR is deemed necessary.

Dynamic Grain Growth Driven by Subgrain Boundaries in an Interstitial-Free Steel During Deformation at 850 °C

Abstract

A mechanism is proposed for dynamic grain growth (DGG) by subgrain boundaries driving grain-boundary migration. This mechanism is evaluated against data from an interstitial-free steel tested in tension at 850 °C and a true-strain rate of \(10^{-4}\)  s \(^{-1}\) and rapidly quenched to preserve microstructures evolved during deformation. Tensile tests produced steady-state flow, distinct subgrains, and rapid DGG. Static annealing alone produced static grain growth (SGG) that was much slower than DGG. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) provided grain size and orientation measurements. High-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) was used to accurately measure subgrain sizes and subgrain boundary misorientations. The average grain size increased linearly with strain during DGG, but the average subgrain size remained constant during straining. The average subgrain boundary misorientation increased with strain, initially rapidly and then slowly. The dihedral angle imposed in grain boundaries by intersecting subgrain boundaries decreased with increasing subgrain boundary misorientation, which supports the proposed mechanism for DGG. The driving pressure for grain-boundary migration from subgrain boundaries is estimated to be approximately one order in magnitude greater than that from dislocation density reduction under the conditions examined.

Identification of erosion-prone areas using morphometric, hypsometric, and compound factor approaches in the Ruvu River Basin, Tanzania

Abstract

Erosion status resulting from the denudation process in data-limited basins can be achieved through analysis of hydro-morphological parameters. This study aims to the identification of erosion-prone areas using morphometric, hypsometric, and compound factor approaches in the Ruvu River Basin (RRB), Tanzania under a geoinformatics environment. The morphometric and hypsometric parameters were successfully computed. The hypsometric integral (HI) and Compound Factor (CF) ranking techniques were used to assess the erosional vulnerability of the basin. It was found that RRB is a 5th stream order basin having 475 total stream segments and an overall area of 5512.54 km2 with a dendritic-type drainage pattern. The bifurcation ratio for the sub-basins from 2.64 to 12 reflects the structural stability of the basin. Drainage density values of 0.121–0.967 km/km2 indicate the coarser soil formation, covered by dense vegetation, with low to moderate soil erosion. Results from shape parameters viz.; form factor (0.18–0.441); circularity ratio (0.019–0.424); elongation ratio (0.479–0.749) and compactness ratio (1.536–7.225) indicates sub-basins are elongated in shape, taking moderate lag times for peak runoff to occur, and have low to moderate soil erosion. Ruggedness number (1.625–3.110) confirms that SB1, SB2, SB4, and SB15 are situated in the highly elevated regions of the RRB, and exhibit moderate to steep slopes. These localities have a sturdy influence on intrinsically erosional susceptibility. The hypsometric curve shows the maturity stages of sub-basins and the hypsometric integral exhibits its erosivity in terms of numeric magnitude. Based on both HI and CF prioritization, SB15 has the highest susceptibility to soil erosion followed by SB1 and SB7, ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively. The study proposes that remedial measures, including engineering and non-engineering means, should be considered for SB15 to mitigate soil erosion in the study area.

Global cities, the liability of foreignness, and theory on place and space in international business

Abstract

Goerzen et al. (J Int Bus Stud 44:427–450, 2013) became influential because it generated a broader view of the international business (IB) domain. The paper broke new ground by going beyond the country and regional levels to analyze MNE location choices, a novel approach that revealed the importance of global cities. The original argument suggested that global connectedness, cosmopolitanism, and advanced producer services mitigated the liability of foreignness, thereby highlighting the complexity of MNE location decisions. It also drew attention to the need for IB research to take a more nuanced view of MNE behavior. Developments since 2013, however, have rendered a very different world. Our goal in this commentary, therefore, is to challenge the IB community to think more deeply about the future of global cities specifically and about IB more generally. We do this by re-evaluating the role of cities as micro-locations against the emergence of megatrends that are shaping our future, including demographic shift and an increase in social awareness, the changing natural environment and an increase in sustainability concerns, and the rise in capability and application of digital technologies. We conclude by suggesting that IB research must connect more deeply with interdisciplinary theories and methodologies to produce generative IB research.

The impact of climate change on Quaternary glaciers of Gharaghom Basin in Iran

Abstract

This research has mapped the Quaternary equilibrium line altitude (ELA) using White’s and Porter’s methods to reconstruct past and present temperatures using a regression model in the Gharaghom basin located in northeastern Iran. The potential impact of climate change on glaciers was detected by using an artificial neural network. A regression model between temperature and altitude based on available observation data and reconstructed data indicated that the present temperature lapse rate of − 0.41 °C would occur for every hundred meters of increasing altitude in stations. The reconstruction of the past temperature of the Pleistocene revealed an increase of about 10.36–10.5 °C for the mean annual temperature of the current temperature in the basin. The recent ELA rises from the Pleistocene 2236 m and 2200 m a.s.l. according to White and Porter’s methods, respectively. So, considering the present temperature lapse rate and the highest altitude of 3271 m, the maximum Pleistocene ELA depression would be about 800 m due to modern temperature increase of 10.36–10.5 °C compared to the past Pleistocene temperature. Based on the neural network projection model, linear growth in temperature would occur for the next three decades (2021–2051) in the Gharaghom basin. The minimum temperature has been much more affected than the maximum temperature, so global warming has caused an increase in the monthly minimum and maximum temperature in most seasons in different parts of the basin based on trend analysis. The average temperature rise of 0.19 °C for future decades would consequently affect the water resources.

Spatiotemporal differentiation and attribution of land surface temperature in China in 2001–2020

Abstract

The variation of land surface temperature (LST) has a vital impact on the energy balance of the land surface process and the ecosystem stability. Based on MDO11C3, we mainly used regression analysis, GIS spatial analysis, correlation analysis, and center-of -gravity model, to analyze the LST variation and its spatiotemporal differentiation in China from 2001 to 2020. Furthermore, we employed the Geodetector to identify the dominant factors contributing to LST variation in 38 eco-geographic zones of China and investigate the underlying causes of its pattern. The results indicate the following: (1) From 2001 to 2020, the LST climate average in China is 9.6°C, with a general pattern of higher temperatures in the southeast and northwest regions, lower temperatures in the northeast and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and higher temperatures in plains compared to lower temperatures in mountainous areas. Generally, LST has a significant negative correlation with elevation, with a correlation coefficient of −0.66. China’s First Ladder has the most pronounced negative correlation, with a correlation coefficient of −0.76 and the lapse rate of LST is 0.57°C/100 m. (2) The change rate of LST in China during the study is 0.21°C/10 a, and the warming area accounts for 78%, demonstrating the overall spatial pattern a “multi-core warming and axial cooling”. (3) LST’s variation exhibits prominent seasonal characteristics in the whole country. The spatial distribution of average value in winter and summer differs significantly from other seasons and shows more noticeable fluctuations. The centroid trajectory of the seasonal warming/cooling area is close to a loop shape and displays corresponding seasonal reverse movement. Cooling areas exhibit more substantial centroid movement, indicating greater regional variation and seasonal variability. (4) China’s LST variation is driven by both natural influences and human activities, of which natural factors contribute more, with sunshine duration and altitude being key factors. The boundary trend between the two dominant type areas is highly consistent with the “Heihe-Tengchong Line”. The eastern region is mostly dominated by human activity in conjunction with terrain factors, while the western region is predominantly influenced by natural factors, which enhance/weaken the change range of LST through mutual coupling with climate, terrain, vegetation, and other factors. This study offers valuable scientific references for addressing climate change, analyzing surface environmental patterns, and protecting the ecological environment.

Solar radiation variability across Nigeria’s climatic zones: a validation and projection study with CORDEX, CMIP5, and CMIP6 models

Abstract

Harnessing energy from the sun is crucial for locations battling with energy poverty and generation, especially in Africa, where equity in energy distribution and generation is a daily challenge. However, the evaluation and analysis of solar radiation has been limited by the paucity of atmospheric data in the African region. This study used monthly downward surface solar radiation (SSRD) from ERA5 as reference data to evaluate simulations of solar radiation from CORDEX, CMIP5 and CMIP6 models spanning the period 1990−2020 (present-day), mid-future (2020−2050), and far-future (2070−2100) across 4 climatic zones (Coastal, Forest, Guinea and Sahel) in Nigeria. Solar radiation were found to be overestimated in the Guinea and Sahel zones of the country, but fairly good performance were made in the Coastal and Forest zones. CMIP5, CMIP6 and CORDEX individual models all exhibit strong agreement in the projection of solar dimming across the four climatic zones in the mid- and far-future under both RCP4.5/SSP5 \(-\) 4.5 and RCP8.5/SSP5 \(-\) 8.5 scenarios. However, under the RCP8.5/SSP5 \(-\) 8.5 the greatest magnitude of dimming ( \(-\,35 W/m^2\) ) was found in CMIP6 models in the far-future and ( \(-12 W/m^2\) ) in the mid-future. The projected solar dimming was also predominant in all climatic regions under SSP5 \(-\) 4.5 for CORDEX, CMIP5, and CMIP6 models but at a much lower magnitude.