bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Mocca Pode Inovar?
Authors: Beuter Junior Nelson , Faccin Kadígia , Fassina Santini Mateus Augusto , Kremer Sott Michele
Published: December 2022

Este caso é uma narrativa com enredo fictício baseado em fatos reais vivenciados pelos autores ao longo das suas trajetórias profissionais. Para tanto, apresenta-se a Mocca, uma empresa familiar do ramo calçadista com 34 anos de existência e que viveu seu ápice no final dos anos 90. Entretanto, no início dos anos 2000 viu suas vendas diminuírem por conta da redução de barreiras comerciais e da migração do setor calçadista para os grandes centros do país – desde então a empresa passa por uma estagnação. Agora a Mocca precisa se reinventar e inovar para voltar a crescer. Algumas questões são levantadas e os gestores da Mocca precisam identificar ferramentas de inovação que auxiliem a implementação de estratégias de inovação para o crescimento do negócio. Assim, a Mocca busca alternativas para implementar inovações que a recoloquem em um patamar competitivo. Neste caso, com o apoio de ferramentas de gestão da inovação, os alunos são orientados a discutirem e explorarem soluções para a Mocca.
Divino Gol: aos 45 Minutos do Segundo Tempo, Haverá Prorrogação?
Authors: Silva Jose Marconde Souza da , Belletti Maffezzoli Aline , Alberton Anete
Published: December 2022

Nem sempre uma boa ideia pode ser um bom negócio! Essa é a frase chave que permeia este caso para ensino. Onde um empresário muda de ramo de atividade apostando em uma ideia inovadora, mas investe no negócio desconhecendo parcialmente o mercado que irá atuar devido à falta de diagnóstico e planejamento, o que ocasiona infortúnios que poderiam ter sido identificados antes mesmo de sua concepção e assim evitados. O caso conta a trajetória do proprietário do estabelecimento Divino Gol, um pub temático futebolístico que para sobreviver diante da concorrência terá́ que ser capaz a se adaptar as mudanças rápidas que os cenários atuais apresentam e ter criatividade de criar estratégias para inovar e se reinventar. Neste caso o objetivo é colocar o aluno no papel do gerente ou empreendedor diante de uma decisão a tomar frente ao declínio do negócio. O caso foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de explorar e praticar vários conceitos relacionados a administração, provocando a criatividade do aluno.
High saturation photocurrent THz waveguide-type MUTC-photodiodes reaching mW output power within the WR3.4 band
Authors: Grzeslo Marcel , Dülme Sebastian , Clochiatti Simone , Neerfeld Tom , Haddad Thomas , Lu Peng , Tebart Jonas , Makhlouf Sumer , Biurrun-Quel Carlos , Fernández Estévez José Luis , Lackmann Jörg , Weimann Nils , Stöhr Andreas
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we report on waveguide-type modified uni-traveling-carrier photodiodes (MUTC-PDs) providing a record high output power level for non-resonant photodiodes in the WR3.4 band. Indium phosphide (InP) based waveguide-type 1.55 µm MUTC-PDs have been fabricated and characterized thoroughly. Maximum output powers of −0.6 dBm and −2.7 dBm were achieved at 240 GHz and 280 GHz, respectively. This has been accomplished by an optimized layer structure and doping profile design that takes transient carrier dynamics into account. An energy-balance model has been developed to study and optimize carrier transport at high optical input intensities. The advantageous THz capabilities of the optimized MUTC layer structure are confirmed by experiments revealing a transit time limited cutoff frequency of 249 GHz and a saturation photocurrent beyond 20 mA in the WR3.4 band. The responsivity for a 16 µm long waveguide-type THz MUTC-PD is found to be 0.25 A/W. In addition, bow-tie antenna integrated waveguide-type MUTC-PDs are fabricated and reported to operate up to 0.7 THz above a received power of −40 dBm.
Development of hidden Markov modeling method for molecular orientations and structure estimation from high-speed atomic force microscopy time-series images
Authors: Ogane Tomonori , Noshiro Daisuke , Ando Toshio , Yamashita Atsuko , Sugita Yuji , Matsunaga Yasuhiro
Published: December 2022

High-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) is a powerful technique for capturing the time-resolved behavior of biomolecules. However, structural information in HS-AFM images is limited to the surface geometry of a sample molecule. Inferring latent three-dimensional structures from the surface geometry is thus important for getting more insights into conformational dynamics of a target biomolecule. Existing methods for estimating the structures are based on the rigid-body fitting of candidate structures to each frame of HS-AFM images. Here, we extend the existing frame-by-frame rigid-body fitting analysis to multiple frames to exploit orientational correlations of a sample molecule between adjacent frames in HS-AFM data due to the interaction with the stage. In the method, we treat HS-AFM data as time-series data, and they are analyzed with the hidden Markov modeling. Using simulated HS-AFM images of the taste receptor type 1 as a test case, the proposed method shows a more robust estimation of molecular orientations than the frame-by-frame analysis. The method is applicable in integrative modeling of conformational dynamics using HS-AFM data.
A fast lasso-based method for inferring higher-order interactions
Authors: Elmes Kieran , Heywood Astra , Huang Zhiyi , Gavryushkin Alex
Published: December 2022

Large-scale genotype-phenotype screens provide a wealth of data for identifying molecular alterations associated with a phenotype. Epistatic effects play an important role in such association studies. For example, siRNA perturbation screens can be used to identify combinatorial gene-silencing effects. In bacteria, epistasis has practical consequences in determining antimicrobial resistance as the genetic background of a strain plays an important role in determining resistance. Recently developed tools scale to human exome-wide screens for pairwise interactions, but none to date have included the possibility of three-way interactions. Expanding upon recent state-of-the-art methods, we make a number of improvements to the performance on large-scale data, making consideration of three-way interactions possible. We demonstrate our proposed method, Pint, on both simulated and real data sets, including antibiotic resistance testing and siRNA perturbation screens. Pint outperforms known methods in simulated data, and identifies a number of biologically plausible gene effects in both the antibiotic and siRNA models. For example, we have identified a combination of known tumour suppressor genes that is predicted (using Pint) to cause a significant increase in cell proliferation.
Systematic analysis of cilia characteristics and Hedgehog signaling in five immortal cell lines
Authors: Gómez Arianna Ericka , Christman Angela K. , Van De Weghe Julie Craft , Finn Malaney , Doherty Dan
Published: December 2022

Dysfunction of the primary cilium, a microtubule-based signaling organelle, leads to genetic conditions called ciliopathies. Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is mediated by the primary cilium in vertebrates and is therefore implicated in ciliopathies; however, it is not clear which immortal cell lines are the most appropriate for modeling pathway response in human disease; therefore, we systematically evaluated Hh in five commercially available, immortal mammalian cell lines: ARPE-19, HEK293T, hTERT RPE-1, NIH/3T3, and SH-SY5Y. Under proper conditions, all of the cell lines ciliated adequately for our subsequent experiments, except for SH-SY5Y which were excluded from further analysis. hTERT RPE-1 and NIH/3T3 cells relocalized Hh pathway components Smoothened (SMO) and GPR161 and upregulated Hh target genes in response to pathway stimulation. In contrast, pathway stimulation did not induce target gene expression in ARPE-19 and HEK293T cells, despite SMO and GPR161 relocalization. These data indicate that human hTERT RPE-1 cells and murine NIH/3T3 cells, but not ARPE-19 and HEK293T cells, are suitable for modeling the role of Hh signaling in ciliopathies.
Investigating the market for cultivated meat as pet food: A survey analysis
Authors: Oven Alice , Yoxon Barbara , Milburn Josh
Published: December 2022

The number of people reducing their meat consumption due to ethical and environmental concerns is growing. However, meat reducers sometimes care for omnivorous or carnivorous pets, creating the ‘vegetarian’s dilemma’. Some meat-reducers opt to feed plant-based diets to companion animals, but others express reservations. Cultivated meat offers a possible third path, but consumer perceptions of cultivated meat as pet food have received little scholarly attention. Using survey data from 729 respondents, we analyzed consumers’ willingness to feed cultivated meat to companion animals, particularly with reference to their own current dietary practices, and their own willingness to eat cultivated meat. Though not all our respondents willing to eat cultivated meat were willing to feed it to their companions, a large majority were (81.4%, 193/237). However, for those unwilling to eat cultivated meat, the story was more complicated. Vegans and vegetarians were less likely to say they would eat cultivated meat (16.4%, 39/238) than meat-eating respondents (40.3%, 198/491). However, among vegans and vegetarians who would not consume cultivated meat, the majority (55.9%, 86/154) indicated that theywouldstill feed it to their pets. Among meat-eating respondents, only a small minority (9.6%, 11/114) unwilling to eat cultivated meat would feed it to their pets. Consequently, we suggest that the potential market for cultivated meat for pet food is markedly different from the potential market for cultivated meat from human consumption. A key concern among our respondents about feeding cultivated meat to pets was a worry that it was not healthy, indicating that there may be easy gains in cultivated pet food’s uptake through messaging relating to safety and nutritional completeness.
Standardization of laparoscopic trays using an inventory optimization model to produce immediate cost savings and efficiency gains
Authors: Toor Jay , Shah Ajay , Abbas Aazad , Du Jin Tong , Kennedy Erin
Published: December 2022

Perioperative services comprise a large portion of hospital budgets; the procurement and processing of surgical inventories can be an area for optimization in operational inefficiency. Surgical instrument trays can be customized as procedure-specific or standardized as trays that can be used in numerous procedure types. We conducted an interventional study to determine the cost savings from standardizing laparoscopic surgery instrument trays. A single-period inventory optimization model was used to determine the configuration of a standardized laparoscopic (SL) tray and its minimal stock quantity (MSQ). Utilization of instruments on the general surgery, gynecology, and gynecological oncology trays was recorded, and daily demand for trays (mean, SD) was assessed using daily operating room (OR) case lists. Pre- and post-intervention costs were evaluated by reviewing procurement data and quantifying medical device reprocessing (MDR) and OR processes. The SL tray was trialled in the OR to test clinical safety and user satisfaction. Prior to standardization, the customized trays had a total inventory size of 391 instruments (mean instruments per tray: 17, range: 12–22). Daily demand was an MSQ of 23 trays. This corresponded to a procurement cost of $322,160 and reprocessing cost of $41,725. The SL tray (mean instruments per tray: 15, mean trays/day: 9.2 ± 3.2) had an MSQ of 17 trays/day. The total inventory decreased to 255 instruments, corresponding to a procurement cost of $266,900 with savings of $55,260 and reprocessing cost of $41,562 with savings of $163/year. After 33 trial surgeries, user satisfaction improved from 50% to 97% (p < .05). Standardization to a single SL tray using the inventory optimization model led to increased efficiency, satisfaction, and significant savings through aggregating specific service demands. The inventory optimization model could provide custom solutions for various institutions with the potential for large-scale financial savings. Thus, future work using this model at different centres will be necessary to validate these results.
Use of volatile anesthetics for sedation in the ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national survey in France (VOL’ICU 2 study)
Authors: Blondonnet Raiko , Balde Aissatou , Zhai Ruoyang , Pereira Bruno , Futier Emmanuel , Bazin Jean-Etienne , Godet Thomas , Constantin Jean-Michel , Lambert Céline , Jabaudon Matthieu
Published: December 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of patients in ICUs leading to a worldwide shortage of the intravenous sedative agents obligating physicians to find alternatives including inhaled sedation. Inhaled sedation in French ICU has been previously explored in 2019 (VOL’ICU study). This survey was designed to explore the use of inhaled sedation two years after our first survey and to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the use of inhaled sedation.

Methods

We designed a national survey, contacting medical directors of French ICUs between June and October 2021. Over a 50-item questionnaire, the survey covered the characteristics of the ICU, data on inhaled sedation, and practical aspects of inhaled ICU sedation for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. Answers were compared with the previous survey, VOL’ICU.

Results

Among the 405 ICUs contacted, 25% of the questionnaires were recorded. Most ICU directors (87%) knew about the use of inhaled ICU sedation and 63% of them have an inhaled sedation’s device in their unit. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the use of inhaled sedation in French ICUs. The main reasons said by the respondent were “need for additional sedative” (62%), “shortage of intravenous sedatives” (38%) and “involved in a clinical trial” (30%). The main reasons for not using inhaled ICU sedation were “device not available” (76%), “lack of familiarity” (60%) and “no training for the teams” (58%). More than 70% of respondents were overall satisfied with the use of inhaled sedation. Almost 80% of respondents stated that inhaled sedation was a seducing alternative to intravenous sedation for management of COVID-19 patients.

Conclusion

The use of inhaled sedation in ICU has increased fastly in the last 2 years, and is frequently associated with a good satisfaction among the users. Even if the COVID-19 pandemic could have impacted the widespread use of inhaled sedation, it represents an alternative to intravenous sedation for more and more physicians.
Using moss as a bio-indicator to evaluate soil quality in litchi orchard
Authors: Chen Siyu , Sun Yan , Yang Da , Yang Shandong , Liang Tian , Tan Hongwei
Published: December 2022

Moss, was frequently found growing in litchi orchards. However, less known about whether it can be used as a visual bio-indicator for evaluating soil fertility and health. Therefore, soil chemical and biological properties, microbial community structures and the metabolic functions of microbes in soils between moss- and non-moss-growth areas were analyzed using traditional and high-throughput sequencing technologies. The results showed that pH and the contents of and available phosphorus (AP) in moss growth areas were significantly lower than those of non-moss growth areas, but the contents of alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN) and available potassium (AK) were significantly increased. In comparison with the soil of the non-moss-growth area, the abundances of hypotrophic microorganisms, such as Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria and WPS-2 enriched in the soil of the moss-grown area. Moreover, the proportions of eutrophic microorganisms, such as Proteobacteria and Firmicutes also declined in the soils of the moss-growth area. Furthermore, the metabolic pathways of soil bacteria and fungi were also degraded in the moss-growth area. All above results indicated that not only lower soil fertility, but also soil microbial diversity also declined in moss growth area which compared to those of non-moss growth area. In one word, moss can be considered using as a visual bio-indicator for representing soil degradation in litchi orchards.
Satellite tracking resident songbirds in tropical forests
Authors: Reeve Andrew Hart , Willemoes Mikkel , Paul Luda , Nagombi Elizah , Bodawatta Kasun H. , Ortvad Troels Eske , Maiah Gibson , Jønsson Knud Andreas
Published: December 2022

Advances in tracking technology have helped elucidate the movements of the planet’s largest and most mobile species, but these animals do not represent faunal diversity as a whole. Tracking a more diverse array of animal species will enable testing of broad ecological and evolutionary hypotheses and aid conservation efforts. Small and sedentary species of the tropics make up a huge part of earth’s animal diversity and are therefore key to this endeavor. Here, we investigated whether modern satellite tracking is a viable means for measuring the fine-scale movement patterns of such animals. We fitted five-gram solar-powered transmitters to resident songbirds in the rainforests of New Guinea, and analyzed transmission data collected over four years to evaluate movement detection and performance over time. Based upon the distribution of location fixes, and an observed home range shift by one individual, there is excellent potential to detect small movements of a few kilometers. The method also has clear limitations: total transmission periods were often short and punctuated by lapses; precision and accuracy of location fixes was limited and variable between study sites. However, impending reductions in transmitter size and price will alleviate many issues, further expanding options for tracking earth’s faunal diversity.
Forecasting and change point test for nonlinear heteroscedastic time series based on support vector regression
Authors: Wang HsinKai , Guo Meihui , Lee Sangyeol , Chua Cheng-Han
Published: December 2022

SVR-ARMA-GARCH models provide flexible model fitting and good predictive powers for nonlinear heteroscedastic time series datasets. In this study, we explore the change point detection problem in the SVR-ARMA-GARCH model using the residual-based CUSUM test. For this task, we propose an alternating recursive estimation (ARE) method to improve the estimation accuracy of residuals. Moreover, we suggest using a new testing method with a time-varying control limit that significantly improves the detection power of the CUSUM test. Our numerical analysis exhibits the merits of the proposed methods in SVR-ARMA-GARCH models. A real data example is also conducted using BDI data for illustration, which also confirms the validity of our methods.
Predictive simulation of sit-to-stand based on reflexive-controllers
Authors: Muñoz David , De Marchis Cristiano , Gizzi Leonardo , Severini Giacomo
Published: December 2022

Sit-to-stand can be defined as a set of movements that allow humans to rise from a sitting position to a bipedal standing pose. These movements, often categorized as four distinct kinematic phases, must be coordinated for assuring personal autonomy and can be compromised by ageing or physical impairments. To solve this, rehabilitation techniques and assistive devices demand proper description of the principles that lead to the correct completion of this motor task. While the muscular dynamics of the sit-to-stand task have been analysed, the underlying neural activity remains unknown and largely inaccessible for conventional measurement systems. Predictive simulations can propose motor controllers whose plausibility is evaluated through the comparison between simulated and experimental kinematics. In the present work, we modelled an array of reflexes that originate muscle activations as a function of proprioceptive and vestibular feedback. This feedback encodes torso position, displacement velocity and acceleration of a modelled human body with 7 segments, 9 degrees of freedom, and 50 actuators. We implemented two controllers: a four-phases controller where the reflex gains and composition vary depending on the kinematic phase, and a simpler two-phases controller, where three of the kinematic phases share the same reflex gains. Gains were optimized using Covariance Matrix Adaptation. The results of the simulations reveal, for both controllers, human-like sit-to-stand movement, with joint angles and muscular activity comparable to experimental data. The results obtained with the simplified two-phases controller indicate that a simple set of reflexes could be sufficient to drive this motor task.
Vaccines, media and politics: A corpus-assisted discourse study of press representations of the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines
Authors: Liu Ming , Zhao Ruinan , Ngai Cindy Sing Bik
Published: December 2022

This study gives a corpus-assisted discourse study of the representations of the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in three representative newspapers from the US, Hong Kong, and the Chinese mainland:New York Times(NYT),South China Morning Post(SCMP), andChina Daily(CD). The primary purpose is to explicate the dynamics between vaccines, media, and politics. Combining the theories and methods of critical discourse analysis and corpus linguistics, this study has revealed their preferential ways of constructing the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines at different levels of discourse. The safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines thus serve as an important ideological battlefield for newspapers from different origins to advance their respective national or regional interests and shape understanding of different COVID-19 vaccines in the international arena.
Extension of the Composite Quality Score (CQS) as an appraisal tool for prospective, controlled clinical therapy trials–A systematic review of meta-epidemiological evidence
Authors: Mickenautsch Steffen , Rupf Stefan , Miletić Ivana , Yengopal Veerasamy
Published: December 2022

Aim

To conduct a survey of current meta-epidemiological studies to identify additional trial design characteristics that may be associated with significant over- or underestimation of the treatment effect and to use such identified characteristics as a basis for the formulation of new CQS appraisal criteria.

Materials and methods

We retrieved eligible studies from two systematic reviews on this topic (latest search May 2015) and searched the databases PubMed and Embase for further studies from June 2015 –March 2022. All data were extracted by one author and verified by another. Sufficiently homogeneous estimates from single studies were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Trial design characteristics associated with statistically significant estimates from single datasets (which could not be pooled) and meta-analyses were used as a basis to formulate new or amend existing CQS criteria.

Results

A total of 38 meta-epidemiological studies were identified. From these, seven trial design characteristics associated with statistically significant over- or underestimation of the true therapeutic effect were found.

Conclusion

One new criterion concerning double-blinding was added to the CQS, and the original criteria for concealing the random allocation sequence and for minimum sample size were amended.
Erector spinae plane block versus thoracic paravertebral block for the prevention of acute postsurgical pain in breast cancer surgery: A prospective observational study compared with a propensity score-matched historical cohort
Authors: Premachandra Antoine , Wang Xiaomeng , Saad Mary , Moussawy Sahar , Rouzier Roman , Latouche Aurélien , Albi-Feldzer Aline
Published: December 2022

Background

Preventing acute postsurgical pain (PSP) following breast cancer surgery is a major issue. Thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) has been widely studied for this indication. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has been assumed to be effective. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of ESPB over TPVB in preventing acute PSP.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, 120 patients admitted for unilateral major oncologic breast surgery received T2/T3 ESPB (ropivacaine 0.75%, 0.35 ml.kg-1), and 102 were analysed. Then, the ESPB cohort was compared to a TPVB cohort from the experimental arm of a randomized controlled study with the same protocol (NCT02408393) using propensity score matching analysis. The primary outcome was the need for morphine consumption in the PACU. Secondary outcomes were the morphine total dose, the incidence of ESPB and TPVB complications, and discontinuous visual analogue scale measurement trends at rest and at mobilization in the 24 hours after surgery.

Results

A total of 102 patients completed the study between December 2018 and August 2019. Propensity score matching formed 94 matched pairs. The proportion of morphine titration in the PACU was higher in the ESPB group than in the TPVB group (74.5% vs. 41.5%, p<0.001), with a between-group difference of 33.0% (95% CI [19.3%, 46.7%]). No ESPB-related complications were observed.

Conclusion

ESPB is less effective in preventing morphine consumption in the PACU than TPVB. Our findings do not support the use of ESPB as the first-line regional anaesthesia for major breast cancer surgery. Randomized trials comparing ESPB and TPVB are needed.
Implementation of a cylindrical distribution function for the analysis of anisotropic molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Mandle Richard J.
Published: December 2022

The cylindrical distribution function (CDF) is a convenient anisotropic analogue of the radial distribution function, the difference being the use of cylindrical shells for binning. As such, CDF analysis can be a powerful tool for the analysis of positional correlations within anisotropic systems, such as liquid crystals. Here we describe a lightweight Python tool, cylindr, for the calculation of cylindrical distribution function, which is compatible with the output of a number of popular MD engines. We demonstrate the use of cylindr in computing the CDF of a number of exemplar materials: classical and ferroelectric nematics; lamellar and columnar liquid crystals.
Preventive ceftriaxone in patients at high risk of stroke-associated pneumonia. A post-hoc analysis of the PASS trial
Authors: Sluis Wouter M. , Westendorp Willeke F. , van de Beek Diederik , Nederkoorn Paul J. , van der Worp H. Bart
Published: December 2022

Background

Infections complicate the acute phase of stroke in one third of patients and especially pneumonia is associated with increased risk of death or dependency. In randomized trials of stroke patients, preventive antibiotics reduced overall infections, but did not reduce pneumonia or improve outcome. This may be explained by broad selection criteria, including many patients with a low risk of pneumonia. To assess the potential of selection of patients at high risk of pneumonia, we performed a post-hoc analysis in the Preventive Antibiotics in Stroke Study (PASS).

Methods

PASS was a multicentre phase 3 trial in acute stroke patients who were randomized to preventive ceftriaxone for four days within 24 hours or standard care. For this analysis patients were divided based on the ISAN risk score for pneumonia as follows: low (0–6), medium (7–14) and high (15–21). Primary outcomes were pneumonia rate during admission as judged by the treating physician, and by an independent committee; secondary outcomes were overall infections and unfavorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale ≥3). We adjusted with multivariable regression for possible confounders: age, stroke subtype and severity, pre-stroke dependency and diabetes.

Results

Pneumonia occurred more frequently in higher risk groups (25.7% (high), 9.0% (medium) 1.5%, (low)). The absolute difference in pneumonia rate between patients treated with ceftriaxone or standard care increased with the ISAN score (low: 0.5%, medium: 1.2%, high: 10.1%). After adjustment ceftriaxone reduced overall infections in the low and medium groups, not in the high-risk group. There was a trend towards reduction of pneumonia as judged by the committee (3.7% vs 13.6%, aOR = 0.164, p = 0.063) in the high-risk group.

Conclusions

This post-hoc analysis of PASS confirmed higher rates of pneumonia with higher ISAN scores, and suggests that in acute stroke patients with an ISAN score of ≥15, preventive ceftriaxone for four days may reduce pneumonia rate.
Tactile sensitivity and motor coordination in infancy: Effect of age, prior surgery, anaesthesia & critical illness
Authors: Cornelissen Laura , Underwood Ellen , Gabard-Durnam Laurel J. , Soto Melissa , Tao Alice , Lobo Kimberly , Hensch Takao K. , Berde Charles B.
Published: December 2022

Background

Tactile sensitivity in the infant period is poorly characterized, particularly among children with prior surgery, anaesthesia or critical illness. The study aims were to investigate tactile sensitivity of the foot and the associated coordination of lower limb motor movement in typically developing infants with and without prior hospital experience, and to develop feasible bedside sensory testing protocols.

Materials and methods

A prospective, longitudinal study in 69 infants at 2 and 4 months-old, with and without prior hospital admission. Mechanical stimuli were applied to the foot at graded innocuous and noxious intensities. Primary outcome measures were tactile and nociceptive threshold (lowest force required to evoke any leg movement, or brisk leg withdrawal, respectively), and specific motor flexion threshold (ankle-, knee-, hip-flexion). Secondary analysis investigated (i) single vs multiple trials reliability, and (ii) the effect of age and prior surgery, anaesthesia, or critical illness on mechanical threshold.

Results

Magnitude of evoked motor activity increased with stimulus intensity. Single trials had excellent reliability for knee and hip flexion at age 1-3m and 4-7m (ICC range: 0.8 to 0.98, p >0.05). Nociceptive threshold varied as a function of age. Tactile sensitivity was independent of age, number of surgeries, general anaesthesia and ICU stay.

Conclusions

This brief sensory testing protocol may reliably measure tactile and nociceptive reactivity in human infants. Age predicts nociceptive threshold which likely reflects ongoing maturation of spinal and supraspinal circuits. Prior hospital experience has a negligible global effect on sensory processing demonstrating the resilience of the CNS in adverse environments.
Decreased cerebrospinal fluid orexin levels not associated with clinical sleep disturbance in Parkinson’s disease: A retrospective study
Authors: Ogawa Takuya , Kajiyama Yuta , Ishido Hideaki , Chiba Shigeru , Revankar Gajanan S. , Nakano Tomohito , Taniguchi Seira , Kanbayashi Takashi , Ikenaka Kensuke , Mochizuki Hideki
Published: December 2022

Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often suffer from sleep disturbances, including excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). These symptoms are also experienced by patients with narcolepsy, which is characterized by orexin neuronal loss. In PD, a decrease in orexin neurons is observed pathologically, but the association between sleep disturbance in PD and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) orexin levels is still unclear. This study aimed to clarify the role of orexin as a biomarker in patients with PD. CSF samples were obtained from a previous cohort study conducted between 2015 and 2020. We cross-sectionally and longitudinally examined the association between CSF orexin levels, sleep, and clinical characteristics. We analyzed 78 CSF samples from 58 patients with PD and 21 samples from controls. CSF orexin levels in patients with PD (median = 272.0 [interquartile range = 221.7–334.5] pg/mL) were lower than those in controls (352.2 [296.2–399.5] pg/mL, p = 0.007). There were no significant differences in CSF orexin levels according to EDS, RBD, or the use of dopamine agonists. Moreover, no significant correlation was observed between CSF orexin levels and clinical characteristics by multiple linear regression analysis. Furthermore, the longitudinal changes in orexin levels were also not correlated with clinical characteristics. This study showed decreased CSF orexin levels in patients with PD, but these levels did not show any correlation with any clinical characteristics. Our results suggest the limited efficacy of CSF orexin levels as a biomarker for PD, and that sleep disturbances may also be affected by dysfunction of the nervous system other than orexin, or by dopaminergic treatments in PD. Understanding the reciprocal role of orexin among other neurotransmitters may provide a better treatment strategy for sleep disturbance in patients with PD.
Comparison of chloroplast genomes and phylogenomics in the Ficus sarmentosa complex (Moraceae)
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Zhang De-Shun , Zou Lu , Yao Chi-Yuan
Published: December 2022

Due to maternal inheritance and minimal rearrangement, the chloroplast genome is an important genetic resource for evolutionary studies. However, the evolutionary dynamics and phylogenetic performance of chloroplast genomes in closely related species are poorly characterized, particularly in taxonomically complex and species-rich groups. The taxonomically unresolved Ficus sarmentosa species complex (Moraceae) comprises approximately 20 taxa with unclear genetic background. In this study, we explored the evolutionary dynamics, hotspot loci, and phylogenetic performance of thirteen chloroplast genomes (including eleven newly obtained and two downloaded from NCBI) representing the F. sarmentosa complex. Their sequence lengths, IR boundaries, repeat sequences, and codon usage were compared. Both sequence length and IR boundaries were found to be highly conserved. All four categories of long repeat sequences were found across all 13 chloroplast genomes, with palindromic and forward sequences being the most common. The number of simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci varied from 175 (F. dinganensis and F. howii) to 190 (F. polynervis), with the dinucleotide motif appearing the most frequently. Relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) analysis indicated that codons ending with A/T were prior to those ending with C/T. The majority of coding sequence regions were found to have undergone negative selection with the exception of ten genes (accD, clpP, ndhK, rbcL, rpl20, rpl22, rpl23, rpoC1, rps15, and rps4) which exhibited potential positive selective signatures. Five hypervariable genic regions (rps15, ycf1, rpoA, ndhF, and rpl22) and five hypervariable intergenic regions (trnH-GUG-psbA, rpl32-trnL-UAG, psbZ-trnG-GCC, trnK-UUU-rps16 and ndhF-rpl32) were identified. Overall, phylogenomic analysis based on 123 Ficus chloroplast genomes showed promise for studying the evolutionary relationships in Ficus, despite cyto-nuclear discordance. Furthermore, based on the phylogenetic performance of the F. sarmentosa complex and F. auriculata complex, the chloroplast genome also exhibited a promising phylogenetic resolution in closely related species.
StarD7 deficiency hinders cell motility through p-ERK1/2/Cx43 reduction
Authors: Cruz Del Puerto Mariano , Rojas María Laura , Racca Ana Cristina , Kourdova Lucille Tihomirova , Miranda Andrea Lis , Panzetta-Dutari Graciela , Genti-Raimondi Susana , Flores-Martín Jésica Belén
Published: December 2022

StarD7 belongs to START protein family involved in lipid traffic, metabolism, and signaling events. Its precursor, StarD7.I which is important for mitochondrial homeostasis, is processed to the StarD7.II isoform that lacks the mitochondrial targeting sequence and is mainly released to the cytosol. StarD7 knockdown interferes with cell migration by an unknown mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that StarD7 silencing decreased connexin 43 (Cx43), integrin β1, and p-ERK1/2 expression in the non-tumoral migratory HTR-8/SVneo cells. StarD7-deficient cells exhibited Golgi disruption and reduced competence to reorient the microtubule-organizing center. The migratory capacity of StarD7-silenced cells was reestablished when Cx43 level was resettled, while p-ERK1/2 expression remained low. Importantly, ectopic expression of the StarD7.II isoform not only restored cell migration but also ERK1/2, Cx43, and integrin β1 expression. Thus, StarD7 is implicated in cell migration through an ERK1/2/Cx43 dependent mechanism but independent of the StarD7.I function in the mitochondria.
DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF METHOD FOR ISOLATION AND QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF WATER-SOLUBLE POLYSACCHARIDES FROM SUNFLOWER ROOTS OF ONE-YEAR-OLD
Authors: Dyakova Nina Alekseyevna
Published: December 2022

The aim of the study was to develop and validate an express method for the isolation and quantitative determination of water-soluble polysaccharides from the roots of sunflower of a one-year-old. To accelerate the process of extracting biologically active substances from the roots of one-year-old sunflower, as well as increasing the yield of water-soluble polysaccharides, it was decided to use an ultrasonic bath. Varying the process parameters, it was possible to select the optimal conditions for extracting water-soluble polysaccharides of sunflower roots of one-year-old under ultrasound treatment conditions: crushing of raw materials 0.5–1.0 mm, temperature – 80 °C, extraction rate – 3, duration of extractions - 30 minutes, ultrasound frequency – 30 kHz, ratio of raw materials and extractant 1 g per 15 ml. The proposed technique allows intensifying the process of producing water-soluble polysaccharides from sunflower roots of one-year old and reducing the time spent on it to 5–6 hours, as well as increasing the product yield to 16.29% in terms of absolutely dry raw materials. The developed technique is precision in the conditions of repeatability, correct, stable and has a fairly rigid linear dependence of the mass of the sediment on the mass of the analyzed raw materials in gravimetric determination of water-soluble polysaccharides in the roots of sunflower of a one-year-old. The procedure can be used for express analysis of the quality of sunflower roots of one-year old, as well as in industrial production of water-soluble polysaccharides from this kind of raw material.
STUDY OF THE PROCESS OF CARBONIZATION OF POWDERED CELLULOSE GRANULES IMPREGNATED WITH AgNO3 AND Pd(NO3)2
Authors: Shishmakov Andrey Borisovich , Mikushina Yuliya Vladimirovna , Koryakova Ol'ga Vasil'yevna
Published: December 2022

A comparative study of the process of carbonization of powdered cellulose granules and powdered cellulose granules impregnated with silver and palladium nitrate salts was carried out. The process was carried out in the temperature range 200–600 °С. The influence of the presence of metals on the course of carbonization of powdered cellulose and the features of the reduction of silver and palladium during carbonization were studied by IR spectroscopy and X-ray phase analysis. It has been established that the presence of silver in powdered cellulose does not affect the yield of carbonized material. The presence of palladium in powdered cellulose leads to the fact that the yield of carbonizate in the temperature range of 300–600 °C is reduced relative to the yield of carbonizate simply from powdered cellulose. It has been established by IR spectroscopy that impregnation with salts and subsequent drying at 90 °C of powdered cellulose granules leads to the appearance of carboxyl groups in it, which are not observed in unimpregnated powdered cellulose. With an increase in the heat treatment temperature to 200 °C, the amount of these groups in the silver-containing material increases sharply, while in the palladium-containing material it remains unchanged. A significant increase in the number of C=O groups in the palladium-containing material begins at 300 °C. The increased relative content of C=O groups in the metal-containing material is also preserved in the temperature range of 300–500 °C. The presence of metals in powdered cellulose at pyrolysis temperatures of 300–500 °C leads to a decrease in the content of C=C groups in the carbon matrix relative to methylene (methine) groups. At 600 °C, the carbon matrix of all coals is completely carbonized. X-ray diffraction analysis recorded the appearance of metallic silver and palladium in metal-containing coals at a temperature of 300 °C As the carbonization temperature increases, the content of crystalline Ag(0) and Pd(0) in coals increases. No other forms of silver and palladium are found in the temperature range of 300–600 °С. Testing of metal-containing coals in a model reaction of hydrogen peroxide decomposition showed: in silver-containing carbonizates, the availability of silver particles for H2O2 increases due to an increase in the pyrolysis temperature; in Pd/C, an additional factor that increases the availability of metal particles is the interaction of palladium with carbonizate during pyrolysis.
SPECIES OF THE GENUS AGASTACHE J.CLAYTON EX GRONOV.: DISTRIBUTION, USE, DEGREE OF KNOWLEDGE (REVIEW)
Authors: Kolomiets Natalia Eduardovna , Shplis Olga Nikolaevna
Published: December 2022

The review summarizes information from the literature on the distribution, systematics, study of the composition and biological activity of metabolites, total extracts of plants of the genus Agastache J.Clayton ex Gronov. To date, 22 species of the genus are known, most of them are endemic to North America. Only one species – Agastache rugosa is grows in Asia and Russian Far East. Only 7 species of this genus are known to be used in ethnomedicine. In the world's official medicine, species of the genus are not used, with the exception of A. rugosa, which is a means of traditional Chinese medicine and is part of several well-known, often prescribed herbal remedies. The most studied composition of metabolites and pharmacological properties of .Agastache rugosa, A. foeniculum, A.mexicana. There is no information in the literature about A.eplingiana, A. breviflora, A. cusickii, A.mearnsii, A. pallida, A. pallidiflora, A. palmeri. Over 90 substances related to terpenoids, fatty acids, phenolcarboxylic acids, tannins, vitamins, lignans, sterols, amino acids, flavonoids, macro- and microelements and etc. Total extracts and individual compounds of the studied species in the experiment have a wide range of pharmacological activity: anxiolytic, antidepressant, antihypertensive, antinociceptive, antibacterial, insecticidal, immunotropic, antiviral, antimutagenic, cytotoxic. The information provided in the review shows that plants of the genus Agastache, are promising for further study and use in various industries.

Fragmentation and lack of information on the composition of metabolites, pharmacological activity of most species of the genus Agastache opens up great opportunities for researchers from different areas of scientific knowledge.
THE STUDY OF ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANALGESIC ACTIVITY OF CERTAIN CYTIZINE ALKALOID COMBINED DERIVATIVES
Authors: Mukusheva Gulim Kenesbekovna , Seidakhmetova Roza Battalovna , Zhassymbekova Aigerim Rysbekovna , Nurkenov Oralgazy Aktaevich , Nurmaganbetov Zhangeldy Seitovich , Seilkhanov Tulegen Muratovich , Tazhybay Aizhan Maratovna , Mazhytov Alisher Sabyrovich
Published: December 2022

The modern vegetable matter studies in the republic and abroad are devoted to a multi-faceted and comprehensive research of plant raw materials, including desorbing and structure of plant component chemical properties, the study of their biological activity, as well as the development of effective and environmentally friendly methods for соmprehensive mineral processing of plant raw materials.

The 1,2,3-triazoles attraction is due to their reactivity versatility, as well as practical application of 1,2,3-triazole derivatives as medicines. Modification of natural compound molecules by introducing such a substituent is one of promising directions in the search for new biologically active compounds.

According to the data obtained, the antimicrobial activity of sample (5) is higher than that of sample (3). Thus, sample (5) showed a moderate antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, whereas sample (3) showed a weak antimicrobial activity against this test strain.

The analysis of test results concerning the analgesic activity assessment showed that samples (5) and (3) can reduce the rats ‘specific nociceptive responses severity when testing abdominal constriction. It is important to emphasize that when injecting a 1% acetic acid solution abdominally, all test animals developed “acetic writhing’s” (characteristic animal movements, including the abdominal muscles contraction, alternating with their relaxation, hind limbs stretching and back arching).
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES OF KITAGAWIA BAICALENSIS (REDOW. EX WILLD.) PIMENOV ESSENTIAL OILS
Authors: Tykheev Zhargal Aleksandrovich , Dylenova Elena Petrovna , Taraskin Vasiliy Vladimirovich , Taraskina Anna Sergeyevna , Zhigzhitzhapova Svetlana Vasil'yevna
Published: December 2022

Kitagawia baicalensis (Redow. ex Willd.) Pimenov (Umbelliferae) is a perennial monocarpic plant with Siberian-Mongolian type of habitats. Decoction of flowers and roots has been used in Tibetan medicine for intoxication and as diuretic agent to treat edema. The essential oils of the aerial part of K. baicalensis growing within the territory of the Republic of Buryatia were obtained by steam distillation method. The isolated essential oils were yellow oily liquids, lighter than water, with characteristic pleasant odour. The qualitative composition and quantitative content of the components of essential oils were determined by GC/MS. 26 compounds with aromatic, mono- and sesquiterpenoid structures were identified in the composition of essential oils. The main components of the essential oils of the aerial part of the Kitagawia baicalensis from Buryatia were limonene (34.40%), β-myrcene (21.10%), γ-terpinene (12.60%), β-elemen (5.70%), sabinene (5.30%), germacren B (3.20%) and germacrene D (3.10%). Monoterpenoids (83.00%) predominated in general composition of essential oils. The content of compounds with sesquiterpenoid structure was 14.70%. The group of aromatic compounds was represented only by p-cymene (2.30%). Bactericidal and bacteriostatic activities of essential oils against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans were determined in this paper. The most pronounced antibacterial effect of essential oils was found against Streptococcus pyogenes (1 : 64 dilution).
PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOME KAZAKHSTAN PLANT SPECIES OF THE GENUS PETROSIMONIA, FAMILY CHENOPODIACEAE
Authors: Seitimova Gulnaz Absattarovna , Toktarbek Meruyertkozha , Yeskaliyeva Balakyz Kymyzgalievna , Burasheva Gaukhar Shakhmanovna , Choudhary Muhammad Iqbal
Published: December 2022

The qualitative composition and quantitative content of the main groups of biologically active compounds of Kazakh plant species of the genus Petrosimonia, collected in the Almaty region, were determined. For the first time a comparative phytochemical analysis of Petrosimonia triandra (Pall.) Simonk. and Petrosimonia brachiata (Pall.) Bunge was presented. Studies of the mineral composition have been carried out. It was revealed that the content of toxic heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead) in plant raw materials does not exceed the permissible standards. The content of amino acids in plant objects was studied for the first time. A high concentration among amino acids was noted for aspartic (1.246–1.286%) and glutamic acids (2.420–2.502%). This paper presents the results of the analysis of extraction processes with the maximum yield of biologically active compounds from Petrosimonia triandra by two methods: supercritical fluid CO2-extraction and maceration. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for the first time in order to detect lipophilic substances in hexane and SCF CO2-extracts from P. triandra. The research results show that these extracts of P. triandra plant are promising sources for obtaining of essential oils, fatty acids and phenolic compounds. Hexane extract from the aerial part of P. triandra exhibits pronounced anti-inflammatory activity.