bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The female reproductive tract microbiotas, inflammation, and gynecological conditions
Authors: Gholiof Mahsa , Adamson-De Luca Emma , Wessels Jocelyn M.
Published: August 2022

The intricate interactions between the host cells, bacteria, and immune components that reside in the female reproductive tract (FRT) are essential in maintaining reproductive tract homeostasis. Much of our current knowledge surrounding the FRT microbiota relates to the vaginal microbiota, where ‘health’ has long been associated with low bacterial diversity and Lactobacillus dominance. This concept has recently been challenged as women can have a diverse vaginal microbial composition in the absence of symptomatic disease. The structures of the upper FRT (the endocervix, uterus, Fallopian tubes, and ovaries) have distinct, lower biomass microbiotas than the vagina; however, the existence of permanent microbiotas at these sites is disputed. During homeostasis, a balance exists between the FRT bacteria and the immune system that maintains immune quiescence. Alterations in the bacteria, immune system, or local environment may result in perturbances to the FRT microbiota, defined as dysbiosis. The inflammatory signature of a perturbed or “dysbiotic” FRT microbiota is characterized by elevated concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in cervical and vaginal fluid. It appears that vaginal homeostasis can be disrupted by two different mechanisms: first, a shift toward increased bacterial diversity can trigger vaginal inflammation, and second, local immunity is altered in some manner, which disrupts the microbiota in response to an environmental change. FRT dysbiosis can have negative effects on reproductive health. This review will examine the increasing evidence for the involvement of the FRT microbiotas and inflammation in gynecologic conditions such as endometriosis, infertility, and endometrial and ovarian cancer; however, the precise mechanisms by which bacteria are involved in these conditions remains speculative at present. While only in their infancy, the use of antibiotics and probiotics to therapeutically alter the FRT microbiota is being studied and is discussed herein. Our current understanding of the intimate relationship between immunity and the FRT microbiota is in its early days, and more research is needed to deepen our mechanistic understanding of this relationship and to assess how our present knowledge can be harnessed to assist in diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic conditions.
Right hemihepatectomy combined with ligation of the common hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery for the treatment of intrahepatic HHT: A case report
Authors: Xiang Jifeng , Xie Wei , Zhang Cuncheng , Wang Huaizhi
Published: August 2022

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare disease that lacks effective treatment. Here, the authors report the case of a 30-year-old woman presenting with abdominal pain accompanied by severe malnutrition. After a definite diagnosis of HHT involvement in the liver, liver transplantation was the first-choice treatment according to the guidelines of HHT. However, the patient firmly refused liver transplantation. Finally, a new type of surgery, right hemihepatectomy combined with ligation of the common hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery, was performed based on careful study of the case and with the maximum benefit of the patient in mind. Although the patient developed transient liver dysfunction after surgery, she eventually recovered well and continued to be followed up. As far as we know, this is the first report of this kind of surgery for the treatment of intrahepatic HHT.
Clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of patients with pneumonectomies: A population-based study
Authors: Wang Linlin , Ge Lihui , Zhang Guofeng , Wang Ziyi , Liu Yongyu , Ren Yi
Published: August 2022

Background

Prognostic factors in a pneumonectomy (PN) are not yet fully defined. This study sought to analyze and evaluate long-term survival after pneumonectomies (PNs) for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

We obtained data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for patients who underwent PNs between 2004 and 2015. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis and Kaplan–Meier curves were used to estimate overall survival (OS), while univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were applied to create a forest plot.

Results

In total, 1,376 patients were grouped according to right/left PNs. Before matching, OS was worse after a right PN [hazard ratio (HR): 1.459; 95% CI 1.254–1.697; P < 0.001] and after matching, survival differences between groups were not significant (HR: 1.060; 95% CI 0.906–1.240; P = 0.465). Regression analysis revealed that age, gender, grade, lymph node dissection, N-stage, and chemotherapy were independent predictors of OS (P < 0.05). Chemotherapy was associated with improved OS (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Laterality was not a significant prognostic factor for long-term survival after a PN for NSCLC. Chemotherapy was a significant independent predictor of improved OS. Long-term survival and outcomes analyses should be conducted on larger numbers of patients.
Totally laparoscopic treatment of intestinal tuberculosis complicated with bowel perforation: The first case report in worldwide literature with a brief review
Authors: Di Buono Giuseppe , Vella Roberta , Amato Giuseppe , Romano Giorgio , Rodolico Vito , Saverino Marta , De Lisi Giovanni , Romano Giorgio , Buscemi Salvatore , Agrusa Antonino
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Bowel perforation is a relatively rare presentation of abdominal tuberculosis, whose diagnosis is challenging but fundamental to minimize morbidity and mortality. Laparoscopy is considered an effective modality for diagnosis, but its role in surgical treatment is still not established. We reported the first worldwide case of totally laparoscopic treatment of intestinal tuberculosis complicated with bowel perforation.

Case presentation

A 30-year-old man with a history of weight loss, preceded by 2 years of nonproductive cough, was admitted to the Infectious Disease Department with a presumed diagnosis of tuberculosis. A microbiological culture test confirmed the diagnosis, and the patient undertook quadruple antituberculous therapy. During hospitalization, he presented sudden abdominal pain, fever, and vomit. An abdominal CT scan showed small bowel perforation with granulomatous reaction. Laparoscopy was performed and revealed a 2 cm perforation on the medium ileum. Small bowel resection and totally intracorporeal side-to-side anastomosis were performed. No complication occurred until a clinical follow-up of 2 months.

Conclusion

In consideration of the increasing incidence of intestinal TB in both underdeveloped and Western countries, the diagnosis of this pathology should be taken into account in high-risk patients. Probably, the diagnostic challenges and emergency settings of intestinal TB with perforation and peritonitis, together with the lack of standardized guidelines regarding surgical management, make the use of laparoscopy apparently arduous, but the known advantages of laparoscopy and its technical feasibility should make it a conceivable option for the treatment of complicated cases.
Case Report: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine: A rare case with dysphagia and neurological deficit and literature review
Authors: Li Chaoyuan , Luo Wenqi , Zhang Hongchao , Zhao Jianhui , Gu Rui
Published: August 2022

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is characterized by the calcification and ossification of ligaments and tendons. Progressive dysphagia caused by DISH-related anterior cervical osteophytes and deteriorating dysphagia caused by DISH combined with neurological dysfunction resulting from the posterior longitudinal ligament is rare. The initial diagnosis is misleading and patients often consult several specialists before spine surgeons. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on this challenging pathological association. We also present a case illustration where a 53-year-old man presented with progressive dysphagia and foreign body sensation in the pharynx, accompanied by a neurological numbness defect in the right upper limb. Radiography and computed tomography confirmed the existence of osteophytes at the anterior edge of the C4–C7 pyramid and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, in which the giant coracoid osteophyte could be seen at the anterior edge of the C4–C5 pyramid. The anterior cervical osteophyte was removed, and decompression and fusion were performed. The symptoms were relieved postoperatively. No recurrence of symptoms was found during the six-month follow-up. Spine surgeons should consider progressive dysphagia caused by DISH-related osteophytes at the anterior edge of the cervical spine as it is easily misdiagnosed and often missed on the first evaluation. When combined with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, following cervical osteophyte resection it is necessary to consider stabilizing the corresponding segments via fusion.
A multicenter prospective study on postoperative pulmonary complications prediction in geriatric patients with deep neural network model
Authors: Peng Xiran , Zhu Tao , Chen Guo , Wang Yaqiang , Hao Xuechao
Published: August 2022

Aim

Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) can increase the risk of postoperative mortality, and the geriatric population has high incidence of PPCs. Early identification of high-risk geriatric patients is of great value for clinical decision making and prognosis improvement. Existing prediction models are based purely on structured data, and they lack predictive accuracy in geriatric patients. We aimed to develop and validate a deep neural network model based on combined natural language data and structured data for improving the prediction of PPCs in geriatric patients.

Methods

We consecutively enrolled patients aged ≥65 years who underwent surgery under general anesthesia at seven hospitals in China. Data from the West China Hospital of Sichuan University were used as the derivation dataset, and a deep neural network model was developed based on combined natural language data and structured data. Data from the six other hospitals were combined for external validation.

Results

The derivation dataset included 12,240 geriatric patients, and 1949(15.9%) patients developed PPCs. Our deep neural network model outperformed other machine learning models with an area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) of 0.657(95% confidence interval [CI], 0.655–0.658) and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.884(95% CI, 0.883–0.885). The external dataset included 7579 patients, and 776(10.2%) patients developed PPCs. In external validation, the AUPRC was 0.632(95%CI, 0.632–0.633) and the AUROC was 0.889(95%CI, 0.888–0.889).

Conclusions

This study indicated that the deep neural network model based on combined natural language data and structured data could improve the prediction of PPCs in geriatric patients.
Gender-focused analysis and opportunities for upgrading within Vietnam's smallholder pig value chains
Authors: Nguyen-Thi-Duong Nga , Pham-Van Hung , Duong-Nam Ha , Nguyen-Thi-Thu Huyen , Ninh-Xuan Trung , Dang-Xuan Sinh , Unger Fred , Nguyen-Viet Hung , Grace Delia
Published: August 2022

Gender influences participation in food value chains (VCs) with implications for VC upgrading. This study investigated roles as well as differences in production activities, awareness, training, and attitudes between men and women in Vietnam's smallholder pig VCs. Data were gathered from a survey of 1,014 actors in different nodes along the chain, and the results showed that both men and women participated in all nodes of the VCs. Women were mainly in charge of routine husbandry activities (e.g., preparing feed, feeding animals, and cleaning pig pens) and participated in input supply (34.7%), pig production (60.2%), pork processing (63.6%), retailing (93.1%), and home preparation and cooking (100%). Men were more often responsible for tasks requiring strength, knowledge, and skills (e.g., disease management) and had greater involvement in larger-scale farming (60–80%) and slaughtering activities (98.0%). Selling of pigs was handled by both genders, but mainly men (73–80%), especially in larger farms. Likely challenges for upgrading pig VCs include limited training for producers, low concern for occupational health risks in all nodes, and misperceptions about food safety. In general, this study found no clear evidence of perceived gender inequality in the smallholder pig VCs in lowland Vietnam. Gendered upgrading in pig VCs should focus on improving women's ability to access veterinary services and animal disease management and on educating relevant VC actors about occupational health risks.
Retinoids: novel potential therapeutics in the pursuit of HIV-1 cure
Authors: Purssell Andrew , McGuinty Michaeline , Vulesevic Branka , Angel Jonathan B.
Published: August 2022

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains a global epidemic. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses viral replication, cessation of ART results in viral rebound necessitating lifelong treatment. This is a result of a reservoir of latently infected cells, resistant to clearance by ART and the major obstacle in curing HIV. HIV cure strategies have focused on reactivating this latent reservoir with latency reversal agents (LRAs) along with enhancement of anti-HIV immunity to eliminate reactivated HIV. Retinoic acid (RA) derivatives are promising therapeutics that may promote clearance HIV latent reservoir allowing for definitive cure. In addition to plausible mechanisms for depleting the latent reservoir with LRA activityviathe p300 acetyl transferase pathway, countering HIV-mediated suppression of RIG-I and IRF-3, and proposed induction of selective apoptosis of HIV-infected cellsviaRIG-I, RA may also limit HIV spread by augmenting cellular traffickingviaCCR7 and CCR9 and induce accumulation of high-affinity effector CD8+ T cells that aid immune clearance of HIV-infected cells. Furthermore, due to their specificity for HIV-infected cells, retinoids are attractive agents to form the basis of multidrug regimens. Altogether, retinoids have many compelling properties as potential novel therapeutics in the cure of HIV.
Climate Impact Mitigation Potential of Novel Aircraft Features
Authors: Barner Nils M. , Ghafourpour Luca , Güverte Mustafa S. , Modesti Davide , Hulshoff Steven J.
Published: August 2022

This work presents a transpacific airliner designed for minimal climate impact, incorporating several novel design features. These include open rotor engines, sustainable aviation fuels, natural laminar flow airfoils, and riblets. The design’s configuration and mission have been optimised simultaneously using a combination of standard preliminary techniques, experimental data, a multi-point mission analysis, and a model of average temperature response. It is demonstrated that, on an 8000 km mission, the design offers an 89.8% reduction in average temperature response relative to an Airbus A330-200, at the expense of a 7.3% increase in direct operating cost. The sensitivity of these results is investigated by comparing the performance over a range of operating conditions. In addition, several alternative designs incorporating only some of the above-mentioned features are analysed, allowing for an assessment of their individual contribution. Finally, a life-cycle average temperature response analysis is presented to place the climate impact of operation, manufacturing and end-of-life procedures in context.
Effectiveness of Grassland Protection and Pastoral Area Development under the Grassland Ecological Conservation Subsidy and Reward Policy
Authors: Zhang Yiran , Wuriliga  , Ding Yong , Li Fang , Zhang Yujuan , Su Min , Li Shuhui , Liu Li
Published: August 2022

In 2011, the Grassland Ecological Conservation Subsidy and Reward Policy (GECSRP) was implemented in China. The purpose of implementing the policy was to protect grassland ecosystems, secure the supply of livestock products, and increase the income of herders. Through quantitative research data collection methods, based on analysis and comparison of the effects of the GECSRP before and after its implementation in 2011 on grassland ecology, livestock production, and herder incomes on a national scale, this study summarized the effectiveness of the policy and main problems encountered during the policy implementation period and offered suggestions for optimizing the GECSRP. The results show that the GECSRP has been significantly effective in protecting grassland ecology, regulating livestock production, and safeguarding the livelihoods of pastoralists. Under the existing policies, low subsidy and reward standards caused an increase in the overgrazing rate, livestock production remained the main income source for herders, and a lack of technical support reduced forage and livestock quality, which subsequently reduced the income of herders. In conclusion, the existing policies can be improved by gradually enhancing evaluation standards, considering the balance between livestock grazing and grassland ecology, promoting industrialization of livestock products, and valuing the production skills of herders.
Intra- and Inter-Cultivar Variability of Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) Landraces from the Island of Hvar, Croatia
Authors: Jug-Dujaković Marija , Ninčević Runjić Tonka , Grdiša Martina , Liber Zlatko , Šatović Zlatko
Published: August 2022

Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) was brought to the Island of Hvar (Croatia) in the 1920s, coinciding with the beginning of large-scale cultivation of lavandin in France. Although the cultivation of lavandin and the production of essential oils are of great importance worldwide, the genetic diversity of lavandin has been little studied. We performed an AFLP-based genetic analysis that included the landraces ‘Bila’ and ‘Budrovka’ and two lavandin cultivars from France ‘Grosso’ and ‘Abrialis’, as well as the parental species of the hybrid (L. angustifolia and L. latifolia). Distance-based cluster analysis revealed the existence of the third landrace, named ‘Budrovka Sveti Nikola’. This result was confirmed by the model-based cluster analyses implemented in STRUCTURE and BAPS, where the optimal number of clusters was three. ‘Budrovka’ clearly separated from all other samples, while ‘Bila’ and ‘Budrovka Sveti Nikola’ showed some degree of admixture, indicating ancestral polyclonality. The landrace ‘Bila’ showed higher polymorphism than ‘Budrovka’ and ‘Budrovka Sveti Nikola’. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that genetic diversity (56.63%) was higher within landraces than among (43.37%). This research will provide a basis for conservation of the Island landraces and will help in the establishment of a high-quality regional brand.
Effect of Duration of High-Grain Feeding on Chewing, Feeding Behavior, and Salivary Composition in Cows with or without a Phytogenic Feed Supplement
Authors: Rivera-Chacon Raul , Ricci Sara , Petri Renée , Haselmann Andreas , Reisinger Nicole , Zebeli Qendrim , Castillo-Lopez Ezequias
Published: August 2022

Switching diets from forage to a high-grain (HG) diet increases the risk of rumen fermentation disorders in cattle. However, the effects of the duration of the HG feeding, after the diet switch, on animal behavior and health have received considerably less attention. This experiment primarily aimed to assess the effects of the duration of an HG diet on the chewing, eating, and lying behavior and salivation dynamics in a control group (CON) and a group of cows receiving a phytogenic feed supplement (TRT) at 0.04% (DM basis), which included L-menthol, thymol, eugenol, mint oil, and cloves powder. The experiment was a crossover design with nine non-lactating cows, and two experimental periods with an intermediate washout of four weeks. In each period, the cows were first fed a forage diet for a week to collect baseline measurements representing week 0; then, the diet was switched over a week to HG (65% concentrate), which was fed for four continuous weeks (week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 on an HG diet, respectively). The cows were divided in two groups of four and five animals and were randomly allocated to CON or TRT. The data analysis revealed that at the start of the HG feeding, the dry matter intake and the cows’ number of lying bouts increased, but the eating time, rumination time, and meal frequency decreased, resulting in a greater eating rate. We also found that an advanced duration on an HG diet further decreased the rumination time, total chewing time, chewing index, and sorting in favor of short feed particles, with the lowest values in week 4. The feed bolus size increased but feed the ensalivation decreased in week 4 compared to week 0. The dietary switch increased salivary lysozyme activity, and the advanced duration on the HG diet increased salivary pH, but salivary phosphate decreased in weeks 1 and 2 on the HG diet. Supplementation with TRT increased sorting in favor of physically effective NDF (peNDF) in week 2 and increased salivary pH in week 4 on an HG diet. Overall, the negative effects of the HG diet in cattle are more pronounced during the initial stage of the HG feeding. However, several detrimental effects were exacerbated with the cows’ advanced duration on feed, with host adaptive changes still observed after 3 and 4 weeks following the diet switch. The TRT mitigated some of the negative effects through the temporal improvement of the salivary properties and the intake of peNDF, which are known to modulate rumen fermentation.
Genetic Aspects of Corneal Sequestra in a Population of Persian, Himalayan and Exotic Cats
Authors: Schipper Tom , Storms Goedele , Janssens Gerlinde , Schoofs Sabine , Capiau Eveline , Verdonck Dieter , Smets Pascale , Peelman Luc J. , Broeckx Bart J. G.
Published: August 2022

Corneal sequestra are ophthalmic lesions that are remarkably common in Persian, Himalayan and exotic cats. In this study, the genetic aspects of this disease were investigated in a population of cats originating from a single cattery. Odds ratios were calculated for parents with affected offspring. The heritability of (owner-reported) corneal sequestra was estimated with a Markov chain Monte Carlo procedure. Well-phenotyped cases and controls were used for a genome-wide association study. Data from 692 cats originating from the cattery, of which 61 were affected, were used. Cats from two specific mothers had significantly higher odds of developing corneal sequestra, but no significant effect of the fathers was found (after correction for the mothers). The heritability of corneal sequestra was estimated to be 0.96. A genome-wide association study with 14 cases and 10 controls did not reveal an associated chromosomal region. The large effect that genetic factors had on the development of corneal sequestra in this study suggests that selective breeding could be an effective way to reduce the prevalence of this condition in these cat breeds.
Thymol as an Adjuvant to Restore Antibiotic Efficacy and Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Gene Expression in Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Strains
Authors: Bonetti Andrea , Tugnoli Benedetta , Piva Andrea , Grilli Ester
Published: August 2022

The continuous spread of antimicrobial resistance is endangering the efficient control of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), which is mainly responsible for post-weaning diarrhea onset in piglets. Thymol, the key constituent of thyme essential oil, is already used in animal nutrition for its antimicrobial action. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential adjuvant effect of thymol to re-establish antibiotic efficacy against highly resistant ETEC field strains. Secondly, we evaluated the modulation of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. Thymol showed the capacity to control ETEC growth and, when combined with ineffective antibiotics, it increased their antimicrobial power. In particular, it showed significant effects when blended with colistin and tetracycline, suggesting that the adjuvant effects rely on the presence of complementary mechanisms of action between molecules, or the absence of resistance mechanisms that inactivate antibiotics and target sites. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that, when added to antibiotics, thymol can help to further downregulate several virulence and antibiotic resistance genes, offering new insights on the potential mechanisms of action. Therefore, in a one-health approach, our study supports the beneficial effects of combining thymol with antibiotics to restore their efficacy, together with the possibility of targeting gene expression as a pioneering approach to manage ETEC pathogenicity.
Short Tryptamine-Based Peptoids as Potential Therapeutics for Microbial Keratitis: Structure-Function Correlation Studies
Authors: Bahatheg Ghayah , Kuppusamy Rajesh , Yasir Muhammad , Black David StC. , Willcox Mark , Kumar Naresh
Published: August 2022

Peptoids are peptidomimetics that have attracted considerable interest as a promising class of antimicrobials against multi-drug-resistant bacteria due to their resistance to proteolysis, bioavailability, and thermal stability compared to their corresponding peptides. Staphylococcus aureus is a significant contributor to infections worldwide and is a major pathogen in ocular infections (keratitis). S. aureus infections can be challenging to control and treat due to the development of multiple antibiotic resistance. This work describes short cationic peptoids with activity against S. aureus strains from keratitis. The peptoids were synthesized via acid amine-coupling between naphthyl-indole amine or naphthyl-phenyl amine with different amino acids to produce primary amines (series I), mono-guanidines (series II), tertiary amine salts (series III), quaternary ammonium salts (series IV), and di-guanidine (series V) peptoids. The antimicrobial activity of the peptoids was compared with ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic that is commonly used to treat keratitis. All new compounds were active against Staphylococcus aureus S.aureus 38. The most active compounds against S.aur38 were 20a and 22 with MIC = 3.9 μg mL−1 and 5.5 μg mL−1, respectively. The potency of these two active molecules was investigated against 12 S. aureus strains that were isolated from microbial keratitis. Compounds 20a and 22 were active against 12 strains with MIC = 3.2 μg mL−1 and 2.1 μg mL−1, respectively. There were two strains that were resistant to ciprofloxacin (Sa.111 and Sa.112) with MIC = 128 μg mL−1 and 256 μg mL−1, respectively. Compounds 12c and 13c were the most active against E. coli, with MIC > 12 μg mL−1. Cytoplasmic membrane permeability studies suggested that depolarization and disruption of the bacterial cell membrane could be a possible mechanism for antibacterial activity and the hemolysis studies toward horse red blood cells showed that the potent compounds are non-toxic at up to 50 μg mL−1.
Special Issue: Deep Learning and Neuro-Evolution Methods in Biomedicine and Bioinformatics
Authors: Castelli Mauro
Published: August 2022

Emerging technologies in biomedicine and bioinformatics are generating an increasing amount of complex and heterogeneous data [...]
Falls among Older Adults: Screening, Identification, Rehabilitation, and Management
Authors: Giovannini Silvia , Brau Fabrizio , Galluzzo Vincenzo , Santagada Domenico Alessandro , Loreti Claudia , Biscotti Lorenzo , Laudisio Alice , Zuccalà Giuseppe , Bernabei Roberto
Published: August 2022

A fall is an event where a person unintentionally and traumatically finds themselves on the floor or a lower level. Falls are very common, especially in the older adult population. One in four people falls at least once a year after age 65. Because of falls, there can be injuries, whereby there can be an impairment of health status. Fractures, reduced mobility, disability, and the need for institutionalization are potential consequences after falls. In older adult patients, especially frail ones, these types of complications are more common. There are several risk factors for falls. Falls generally result from a combination of factors operating simultaneously. Sarcopenia, cognitive impairment, or poly-pharmacotherapy are just a few examples of risk factors that are common in the older people. Through careful clinical evaluation, it is possible to identify risk factors and conditions predisposing to falls. In some cases, it is possible to correct these factors. Several types of treatment are available to restore the health status before the fall and prevent subsequent falls. Using multi-component interventions, the risk of falls can be effectively reduced. Aware that this review will not be exhaustive of such a broad topic, the purpose of this narrative review is to summarize relevant and recent evidence in the current literature to encapsulate fall-related risk factors, risk identification, fall prevention, and management, including various rehabilitation techniques. This article conforms to the Scale for Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) guidelines.
Vibrational Model of Heat Conduction in a Fluid of Hard Spheres
Authors: Khrapak Sergey
Published: August 2022

Application of a vibrational model of heat transfer to a fluid made of hard spheres is discussed. The model was originally proposed to describe heat conduction in fluids with soft pairwise interactionsHere, it is shown that only minor modifications are required to apply the model in the opposite limit of hard sphere interactions. Good agreement with recent results from molecular dynamics simulation is documented in the moderately dense regime. Near the freezing point, however, the model overestimates the thermal conductivity coefficient (by ≃50%). The new approach is compared with other simple models for the thermal conductivity coefficients such as Bridgman’s expression and the Enskog formula. The value of the coefficient in the Bridgman’s expression, appropriate for the hard sphere fluid, is determined. A new expression for the dependence of the reduced thermal conductivity coefficient on the reduced excess entropy is proposed. The obtained results can be useful for rough estimates of the thermal conductivity coefficient of simple fluids with steep interactions when more accurate experimental results are not available.
Development of an Open-Source Testbed Based on the Modbus Protocol for Cybersecurity Analysis of Nuclear Power Plants
Authors: de Brito Israel Barbosa , de Sousa Rafael T.
Published: August 2022

The possibility of cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure, and in particular nuclear power plants, has prompted several efforts by academia. Many of these works aim to capture the vulnerabilities of the industrial control systems used in these plants through computer simulations and hardware in the loop configurations. However, general results in this area are limited by the cost and diversity of existing commercial equipment and protocols, as well as by the inherent complexity of the nuclear plants. In this context, this work introduces a testbed for the study of cyber-attacks against a realistic simulation of a nuclear power plant. Our approach consists in surveying issues regarding realistic simulations of nuclear power plants and to design and experimentally validate a software testbed for the controlled analysis of cyberattacks against the simulated nuclear plant. The proposal integrates a simulated Modbus/TCP network environment containing basic industrial control elements implemented with open-source software components. We validate the proposed testbed architecture by performing and analyzing a representative cyberattack in the developed environment, thus showing the principles for the analysis of other possible cybernetic attacks.
End-Effectors Developed for Citrus and Other Spherical Crops
Authors: Xiao Xu , Wang Yaonan , Jiang Yiming
Published: August 2022

Citrus harvesting is time-intensive and labor-intensive, relying mainly on manual harvesting. The automatic harvesting of fruit and vegetable crops can not only reduce the physical labor of fruit farmers in the harsh field environment but also greatly improve the harvesting efficiency. Based on the principle of manual citrus picking, an end-effector with three-finger grasping is designed in this study. First, the structure of the end-effector was designed to achieve the function of stable grasping and effective cutting of citrus fruits, and then the working process and key parameters of the end-effector were explained in detail. Finally, a picking test was conducted without considering robot vision. The test results show that the end-effector has a picking success rate of 95.23% for citrus with a diameter of 30–100 mm and an average picking time of 4.65 s for a single fruit. This end-effector can realize the picking function for citrus of different sizes and shapes and has the advantages of high adaptability, stable gripping and no damage to the fruit.
New Industry 4.0 Advances in Industrial IoT and Visual Computing for Manufacturing Processes: Volume II
Authors: López de Lacalle Luis Norberto , Posada Jorge
Published: August 2022

The second volume of the Special Issue New Industry 4 [...]
Trajectory Tracking Control Method Based on Adaptive Higher Order Sliding Mode
Authors: He Jingang , Meng Yuanjie , You Jun , Zhang Jin , Wang Yuanzhuo , Zhang Cheng
Published: August 2022

To resolve the problem of high-precision trajectory tracking control under interference conditions in a missile’s mid-guidance phase, according to the constructed nominal trajectory, an improved adaptive high-order sliding mode trajectory tracking controller (AHSTC) is proposed. In this method, the open-loop nominal trajectories are established according to the nonlinear programming and Gaussian pseudospectra method. A high-precision trajectory tracking controller is developed by designing a nonlinear sliding mode surface and an adaptive high-order sliding mode approaching law combined with the trajectory tracking nonlinear error model. To verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method, analysis and simulation are carried out through the example of a missile mid-guidance phase tracking control. Compared to the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) and active disturbance rejection controller (ADRC) method, the simulation results show that the proposed AHSTC method shows faster convergence and improved tracking effect. Therefore, the proposed AHSTC method has a good results and engineering application value.
Dissociation between Caloric and Video Head Impulse Tests in Dizziness Clinics
Authors: Waissbluth Sofia , Sepúlveda Valeria
Published: August 2022

Vestibular assessment tests such as the video head impulse test (vHIT) for the horizontal semicircular canal, and caloric test (Cal), both evaluate horizontal canal function. One would assume that the outcomes for these tests should lead to concordant results, yet several studies have suggested that dissociation can occur in certain pathological conditions. As this topic remains inconclusive, this review aims to analyze the scientific evidence regarding the patterns of hypofunction observed in vHIT and Cal in different otoneurological diseases. A comprehensive review of the literature regarding dissociation between these tests in common neurotological diseases was carried out. Articles were analyzed when data for vHIT and Cal were described in a way that it was possible to calculate discordance rates; both retrospective and prospective studies were analyzed. In this review, the discordance rates were as follows: 56% in Ménière’s disease, 51.5% in vestibular migraine, 37.2% in vestibular schwannoma, and 20.8% in vestibular neuritis. These results highlight the benefit of using both Cal and vHIT, and that they are complementary tests.
Impactful Digital Twin in the Healthcare Revolution
Authors: Hassani Hossein , Huang Xu , MacFeely Steve
Published: August 2022

Over the last few decades, our digitally expanding world has experienced another significant digitalization boost because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital transformations are changing every aspect of this world. New technological innovations are springing up continuously, attracting increasing attention and investments. Digital twin, one of the highest trending technologies of recent years, is now joining forces with the healthcare sector, which has been under the spotlight since the outbreak of COVID-19. This paper sets out to promote a better understanding of digital twin technology, clarify some common misconceptions, and review the current trajectory of digital twin applications in healthcare. Furthermore, the functionalities of the digital twin in different life stages are summarized in the context of a digital twin model in healthcare. Following the Internet of Things as a service concept and digital twining as a service model supporting Industry 4.0, we propose a paradigm of digital twinning everything as a healthcare service, and different groups of physical entities are also clarified for clear reference of digital twin architecture in healthcare. This research discusses the value of digital twin technology in healthcare, as well as current challenges and insights for future research.
Contrastive Self-Supervised Learning for Stress Detection from ECG Data
Authors: Rabbani Suha , Khan Naimul
Published: August 2022

In recent literature, ECG-based stress assessment has become popular due to its proven correlation to stress and increased accessibility of ECG data through commodity hardware. However, most ECG-based stress assessment models use supervised learning, relying on manually-annotated data. Limited research is done in the area of self-supervised learning (SSL) approaches that leverage unlabelled data and none that utilize contrastive SSL. However, with the dominance of contrastive SSL in domains such as computer vision, it is essential to see if the same excellence in performance can be obtained on an ECG-based stress assessment dataset. In this paper, we propose a contrastive SSL model for stress assessment using ECG signals based on the SimCLR framework. We test our model on two ECG-based stress assessment datasets. We show that our proposed solution results in a 9% improvement in accuracy on the WESAD dataset and 3.7% on the RML dataset when compared with SOTA ECG-based SSL models for stress assessment. The development of more accurate stress assessment models, particularly those that employ non-invasive data such as ECG for assessment, leads to developments in wearable technology and the creation of better health monitoring applications in areas such as stress management and relaxation therapy.
Correlation between Carbonic Anhydrase Isozymes and the Evolution of Myocardial Infarction in Diabetic Patients
Authors: Magheru Sorina , Magheru Calin , Maghiar Florin , Sachelarie Liliana , Marc Felicia , Moldovan Corina Maria , Romila Laura , Hoza Anica , Farcas Dorina Maria , Gradinaru Irina , Hurjui Loredana Liliana
Published: August 2022

(1) Background: Myocardial infarction was, until recently, recognized as a major coronary event, often fatal, with major implications for survivors. According to some authors, diabetes mellitus is an important atherogenic risk factor with cardiac determinations underlying the definition of the so-called “diabetic heart”. The present study aims to establish a correlation between the evolution of myocardial infarction in diabetic patients, by determining whether lactic acid levels, the activity of carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes, and the magnitude of ST-segment elevation are correlated with the subsequent evolution of myocardial infarction. (2) Methods: The study analyzed 2 groups of 30 patients each: group 1 consisted of diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction, and group 2 consisted of non-diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction. Patients were examined clinically and paraclinical, their heart markers, lactic acid, and the activity of carbonic anhydrase I and II isozymes were determined. All patients underwent electrocardiogram and echocardiography analyses. (3) Results: The results showed that diabetics develop acute myocardial infarction more frequently, regardless of how much time has passed since the diagnosis. The value of myocardial necrosis enzymes was higher in diabetics than in non-diabetics, and acute coronary syndrome occurs mainly in diabetics with poor metabolic balance. Lethality rates in non-diabetic patients with lactic acid values above normal are lower than in diabetics. (4) Conclusions: Lactic acid correlated with the activity of isozyme I of carbonic dioxide which could be early markers of the prognosis and evolution of diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Human Blood Serum Inhibits Ductal Carcinoma Cells BT474 Growth and Modulates Effect of HER2 Inhibition
Authors: Kamashev Dmitrii , Shaban Nina , Suntsova Maria , Raevskiy Mikhail , Efimov Victor , Moisseev Aleksey , Sorokin Maxim , Buzdin Anton
Published: August 2022

Trastuzumab, a HER2-targeted antibody, is widely used for targeted therapy of HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) patients; yet, not all of them respond to this treatment. We investigated here whether trastuzumab activity on the growth of HER2-overexpressing BT474 cells may interfere with human peripheral blood endogenous factors. Among 33 individual BC patient blood samples supplemented to the media, BT474 sensitivity to trastuzumab varied up to 14 times. In the absence of trastuzumab, human peripheral blood serum samples could inhibit growth of BT474, and this effect varied ~10 times for 50 individual samples. In turn, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) suppressed the trastuzumab effect on BT474 cell growth. Trastuzumab treatment increased the proportion of BT474 cells in the G0/G1 phases of cell cycle, while simultaneous addition of EGF decreased it, yet not to the control level. We used RNA sequencing profiling of gene expression to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in EGF- and human-sera-mediated attenuation of the trastuzumab effect on BT474 cell growth. Bioinformatic analysis of the molecular profiles suggested that trastuzumab acts similarly to the inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling axis, and the mechanism of EGF suppression of trastuzumab activity may be associated with parallel activation of PKC and transcriptional factors ETV1-ETV5.
Polygenic Risk Score Improves Cataract Prediction in East Asian Population
Authors: Hsu Chih-Chien , Chuang Hao-Kai , Hsiao Yu-Jer , Teng Yuan-Chi , Chiang Pin-Hsuan , Wang Yu-Jun , Lin Ting-Yi , Tsai Ping-Hsing , Weng Chang-Chi , Lin Tai-Chi , Hwang De-Kuang , Hsieh Ai-Ru
Published: August 2022

Cataracts, characterized by crystalline lens opacities in human eyes, is the leading cause of blindness globally. Due to its multifactorial complexity, the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Larger cohorts of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are needed to investigate cataracts’ genetic basis. In this study, a GWAS was performed on the largest Han population to date, analyzing a total of 7079 patients and 13,256 controls from the Taiwan Biobank (TWB) 2.0 cohort. Two cataract-associated SNPs with an adjustment of p < 1 × 10−7 in the older groups and nine SNPs with an adjustment of p < 1 × 10−6 in the younger group were identified. Except for the reported AGMO in animal models, most variations, including rs74774546 in GJA1 and rs237885 in OXTR, were not identified before this study. Furthermore, a polygenic risk score (PRS) was created for the young and old populations to identify high-risk cataract individuals, with areas under the receiver operating curve (AUROCs) of 0.829 and 0.785, respectively, after covariate adjustments. Younger individuals had 17.45 times the risk while older people had 10.97 times the risk when comparing individuals in the highest and lowest PRS quantiles. Validation analysis on an independent TWB1.0 cohort revealed AUROCs of 0.744 and 0.659.
Prevention of Initial Bacterial Attachment by Osteopontin and Other Bioactive Milk Proteins
Authors: Kristensen Mathilde Frost , Sørensen Esben Skipper , Del Rey Yumi Chokyu , Schlafer Sebastian
Published: August 2022

A considerable body of work has studied the involvement of osteopontin (OPN) in human physiology and pathology, but comparably little is known about the interaction of OPN with prokaryotic cells. Recently, bovine milk OPN has been proposed as a therapeutic agent to prevent the build-up of dental biofilms, which are responsible for the development of caries lesions. Bioactive milk proteins are among the most exciting resources for caries control, as they hamper bacterial attachment to teeth without affecting microbial homeostasis in the mouth. The present work investigated the ability of OPN to prevent the adhesion of three dental biofilm-forming bacteria to saliva-coated surfaces under shear-controlled flow conditions in comparison with the major milk proteins α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, αs1-casein, β-casein and κ-casein, as well as crude milk protein. OPN was the most effective single protein to reduce the adhesion of Actinomyces naeslundii, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei and Streptococcus mitis. β-casein and crude milk protein also had a pronounced effect on all three species, which suggests binding to different microbial surface structures rather than the blocking of a specific bacterial adhesin. Bioactive milk proteins show potential to delay harmful biofilm formation on teeth and hence the onset of biofilm-related oral disease.
Anisotropic Wettability of Bioinspired Surface Characterized by Friction Force
Authors: Zhang Jinhong , Li Lijun , Xu Peng , Lei Yifeng , Song Qianlin , Liu Junwei , Xiong Yunhe , Yang Sixing , Zhang Yurong , Xue Longjian
Published: August 2022

Bioinspired surfaces with special wettabilities attract increasing attention due to their extensive applications in many fields. However, the characterizations of surface wettability by contact angle (CA) and sliding angle (SA) have clear drawbacks. Here, by using an array of triangular micropillars (ATM) prepared by soft lithography, the merits of measuring the friction force of a water droplet on ATM over measurements of CA and SA in characterizing the surface wettability are demonstrated. The CA and SA measurements show ignorable differences in the wettabilities of ATM in opposite directions (1.13%) and that with different periodic parameters under the elongation ranging from 0 to 70%. In contrast, the friction measurement reveals a difference of > 10% in opposite directions. Moreover, the friction force shows a strong dependence on the periodic parameters which is regulated by mechanical stretching. Increasing the elongation from 0 to 50% increases the static and kinetic friction force up to 23.0% and 22.9%, respectively. Moreover, the stick-slip pattern during kinetic friction can reveal the periodic features of the measured surface. The friction force measurement is a sensitive technique that could find applications in the characterization of surface wettabilities.