bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pelvic splenosis mimicking a suspicious adnexal mass
Authors: Peter Clarisse , Tille Jean-Christophe , Botsikas Diomidis , Petignat Patrick
Published: July 2021

A 58-year-old asymptomatic woman was referred to our gynecologic oncology unit for the management of a left adnexal mass found during a routine gynecologic examination. Her personal history included an emergency splenectomy at the age of 4 years old, following traumatic splenic laceration after a car accident. The patient’s work-up (including transvaginal ultrasound and MRI) confirmed a pelvic solid mass, which was reported as suspicious for malignancy and classified as Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting & Data System-MRI 5. An exploratory laparoscopy was performed, showing a reddish blue lesion located at the left broad ligament. Histologic analysis showed the presence of splenic tissue and normal adnexa. The postoperative follow-up was uneventful.

Pelvic splenosis is a challenging diagnosis rarely made preoperatively due to concern for malignancy. In the presence of a pelvic mass, the collection of a detailed patient’s history, including information about previous splenic rupture, might raise suspicion for pelvic splenosis.
Valsalva manoeuvre to detect isolated hyoid bone fracture
Authors: Mohd Hamdan Mohd Hadzrie , Saniasiaya Jeyasakthy , Narayanan Prepageran
Published: July 2021

The hyoid bone fracture has traditionally been attributed to strangulation and hanging. Although rare, ensuing its vague presentation, hyoid bone fracture is oftentimes overlooked and missed, leading to delayed complications. Herein, we are reporting an overlooked hyoid bone fracture in a man who attempted suicide by strangulating himself, whereby Valsalva manoeuvre performed during bedside flexible nasopharyngolaryngoscopy revealed the fractured segment. As the patient was stable and asymptomatic, he was successfully managed conservatively. We would like to highlight the awareness of the Valsalva manoeuvre, which could elicit hyoid bone fracture as missing or overlooking the fracture may lead to devastating complications which may ensue, such as respiratory distress.
Strangulated Morgagni hernia masquerading as an acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Ohn May Honey , Ng Jun Rong , Mehan Theviga Neela , Luen Ng Pey
Published: July 2021

Morgagni hernia is the rarest type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, which can present late in adulthood. Here, we report a case of Morgagni hernia in an elderly woman who presented as an acute coronary syndrome with raised troponin level. X-ray of the chest (CXR) showed air–fluid level in the right lower hemithorax with loss of right diaphragmatic outline and subsequently confirmed strangulated Morgagni hernia with CT. She was treated with emergency laparotomy to reduce the hernia content and surgical repair with mesh done. In conclusion, Troponin can be falsely positive in Morgagni hernia patients, possibly due to strain on the heart by herniated bowel contents. Basic imaging such as a (CXR) is useful in the case of chest pain to rule out the non-cardiac causes. Although ‘time is the myocardium’ in the setting of all cases of chest pain with raised troponin, CXR should be done before treatment that poses bleeding risk and unnecessary delay in laparotomy.
Optimising expert dyad performance in acute care settings: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Walker Katie , Asoodar Maryam , Rudolph Jenny , Meguerdichian Michael , Yusaf Tricia , Campbell-Taylor Kimberly , van Merriënboer Jeroen
Published: July 2021

Introduction

When there is miscommunication and poor coordination between experienced clinician dyads, teamwork suffers. Research on expert learning practices for the smallest team, and arguably the most important team, the healthcare dyad, is limited. The objective of this study is to map the extent and range of evidence available on learning practices which experienced dyads use, to achieve excellent performance, and to identify the gaps in effective practice. This will guide future research, policy and practice.

Methods and analysis

We are using the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews Extension Fillable Checklist, searching for literature that meets the inclusion criteria. The searches will be conducted using Maastricht University’s Libsearch, which includes MEDLINE, Education Resources Information Center and PsycINFO and a second search on Web of Science online databases. We will search grey literature and references of selected sources. Search limits include sources from 2016 to 2021, using English language only. A data extraction tool was developed, and charting will use a thematic analysis approach.

Implications and dissemination

This review will be the first to examine the learning practices that experienced dyads use, which ensures excellent performance in acute care settings. The findings will be used to develop best-practices and shared with New York City hospital system. Dissemination will occur through peer-reviewed publications and at healthcare conferences.
National cross-sectional survey of 1.14 million NHS staff SARS-CoV-2 serology tests: a comparison of NHS staff with regional community seroconversion rates
Authors: Coltart Cordelia E M , Wells David , Sutherland Esther , Fowler Aidan
Published: July 2021

Objectives

An initial report of findings from 1.14 million SARS CoV-2 serology tests in National Health Service (NHS) staff to compare NHS staff seroconversion with community seroconversion rates at a regional level.

Design

A national cross-sectional survey.

Setting

A SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing programme offered across all NHS Trusts.

Participants

1.14 million NHS staff.

Intervention

SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing was used to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in NHS staff by region, compared with community seroprevalence as determined by the COVID-19 Infection Survey (Office for National Statistics). We also explored seroprevalence trends by regional COVID-19 activity, using regional death rates as a proxy for COVID-19 ‘activity’.

Results

1 146 310 tests were undertaken on NHS staff between 26 May and 31 August 2020. 186 897 NHS tests were positive giving a seroconversion rate of 16.3% (95% CI 16.2% to 16.4%), in contrast to the national community seroconversion rate of 5.9% (95% CI 5.3% to 6.6%). There was significant geographical regional variation, which mirrored the trends seen in community prevalence rates. NHS staff were infected at a higher rate than the general population (OR 3.1, 95% CI 2.8 to 3.5). NHS seroconversion by regional death rate suggested a trend towards higher seroconversion rates in the areas with higher COVID-19 ‘activity’.

Conclusions

This is the first cross-sectional survey assessing the risk of COVID-19 disease in healthcare workers at a national level. It is the largest study of its kind. It suggests that NHS staff have a significantly higher rate of COVID-19 seroconversion compared with the general population in England, with regional variation across the country which matches the background population prevalence trends. There was also a trend towards higher seroconversion rates in areas which had experienced high COVID-19 clinical activity. This work has global significance in terms of the value of such a testing programme and contributing to the understanding of healthcare worker seroconversion at a national level.
Ambulance waiting and associated work flow improvement strategies: a pilot study to improve door-in-door-out time for thrombectomy patients in a primary stroke center
Authors: Gaynor Eva , Griffin Emma , Thornton John , Alderson Jack , Martin Mary , O'Driscoll Anne , Daly Patricia , O'Donnell Cathal , Conroy Ronan , O'Brien Paul
Published: July 2021

Background

Rapid access to thrombectomy for patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is critical for improving outcome. A major challenge for the ‘drip and ship’ model is reducing the door-in-door-out time (DIDO). We propose a new protocol with the aim of reducing DIDO, without adversely affecting emergency service usage time.

Methods

Consecutive patients with suspected LVO AIS admitted to a Primary Stroke Center (PSC) from October 2018 to January 2021 were included. On arrival, the ambulance crew remained with the patient. Following immediate clinical and radiological evaluation, patients were transferred to the Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) by the same waiting crew. Key time metrics were collected and compared with historical data prior to the new protocol.

Results

27 patients had an LVO amenable for mechanical thrombectomy during the time period. There was a significant reduction in the DIDO times compared with the historical group (median 45 min vs 96 min; p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in ambulance usage time between the two time periods (median 53 min vs 45 min; p=0.530). There was an increase in ambulance usage time in FAST-positive patients not for transfer in the pilot group compared with FAST-positive patients not for transfer in the historical group (27 min vs 58 min; p<0.001). In addition, door-to-needle times (24 min vs 40 min; p=0.018) and door-to-CT times (11 min vs 25 min; p<0.0001) improved between the two groups.

Conclusion

Our data show a significant reduction in the DIDO for patients transferred for thrombectomy, with no adverse effects on ambulance usage time.
A method to predict desiccation crack depth in a compacted clayey soil
Authors: Hassanikhah Arash , Miller Gerald A. , Cerato Amy B.
Published: July 2021

Estimation of crack depths and spacing due to desiccation of clayey soils is needed to predict changes in mechanical or hydraulic properties in the cracked layer. These changes affect the infiltration of water, stability, and deformation of a soil mass. Desiccation cracks are associated with increasing suction due to moisture loss accompanied by restrained shrinkage, which results in tensile stresses in near surface soil layers. Cracks propagate when the developed tensile stresses exceed the tensile strength of soil. A simple analytical method is presented to predict crack depths in compacted clayey soil due to changes in matric suction with depth. The model equation is based on the Hookean elastic equation relating incremental strain to incremental stress and incorporates two stress state variables including net normal stress and matric suction. Input to the model equation includes the tensile strength and elastic parameters, and to complete the prediction of crack depth, the suction change profile of interest is needed. The method validity was investigated by comparing predicted crack depths to those observed in soil compacted in a bench scale apparatus for studying desiccation cracking. Tensile strength and elastic properties were determined from tests conducted on soil during desiccation under approximate uniaxial conditions. Predicted crack depths were obtained based on changes in suction interpreted from water content sensors at various depths in the soil bed and compared favorably to observed desiccation crack depths.
Transcriptome analysis reveals genes potentially related to high fiber strength in a Gossypium hirsutum line IL9 with Gossypium mustelinum introgression
Authors: Chen Qi , Wang Wei , Khanal Sameer , Han Jinlei , Zhang Mi , Chen Yan , Li Zhenjiang , Wang Kai , Paterson Andrew H. , Yu Jiwen , Chee Peng W. , Wang Baohua
Published: July 2021

Cotton (Gossypium L.) is the most important fiber crop worldwide. Here, transcriptome analysis was conducted on developing fibers of a G. mustelinum introgression line, IL9, and its recurrent parent, PD94042, at 17 and 21 days post-anthesis (dpa). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of PD94042 and IL9 were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the annotated DEGs were rich in two main biological processes and two main molecular functions. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis likewise showed that the annotated DEGs were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. In total, 52 DEGs were selected as candidate genes based on comparison of the DEGs and GO function annotation information. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis results for 12 randomly selected DEGs were consistent with transcriptome analysis. SNP identification based on G. mustelinum chromatin segment introgression showed that 394 SNPs were identified in 268 DEGs, and two genes with known functions were identified within fiber strength quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions or near the confidence intervals. We identified 52 key genes potentially related to high fiber strength in a G. mustelinum introgression line and provided significant insights into the study of cotton fiber quality improvement.
Interacting quintessence in light of generalized uncertainty principle: cosmological perturbations and dynamics
Authors: Paliathanasis Andronikos , Leon Genly , Khyllep Wompherdeiki , Dutta Jibitesh , Pan Supriya
Published: July 2021

We consider a cosmological scenario endowed with an interaction between the universe’s dark components – dark matter and dark energy. Specifically, we assume the dark matter component to be a pressure-less fluid, while the dark energy component is a quintessence scalar field with Lagrangian function modified by the quadratic Generalized Uncertainty Principle. The latter modification introduces new higher-order terms of fourth-derivative due to quantum corrections in the scalar field’s equation of motion. Then, we investigate asymptotic dynamics and general behaviour of solutions of the field equations for some interacting models of special interests in the literature. At the background level, the present interacting model exhibits the matter-dominated and de Sitter solutions which are absent in the corresponding quintessence model. Furthermore, to boost the background analysis, we study cosmological linear perturbations in the Newtonian gauge where we show how perturbations are modified by quantum corrected terms from the quadratic Generalized Uncertainty Principle. Depending on the coupling parameters, scalar perturbations show a wide range of behavior.
Manifest form of the spin-local higher-spin vertex $$\varUpsilon ^{\eta \eta }_{\omega CCC}$$
Authors: Gelfond O. A. , Korybut A. V.
Published: July 2021

Vasiliev generating system of higher-spin equations allowing to reconstruct nonlinear vertices of field equations for higher-spin gauge fields contains a free complex parameter $$\eta $$
η
. Solving the generating system order by order one obtains physical vertices proportional to various powers of $$\eta $$
η
and $${\bar{\eta }}$$

η

¯

. Recently $$\eta ^2$$

η
2

and $${\bar{\eta }}^2$$

η

¯

2

vertices in the zero-form sector were presented in Didenko et al. (JHEP 2012:184, 2020) in the Z-dominated form implying their spin-locality by virtue of Z-dominance Lemma of Gelfond and Vasiliev (Phys. Lett. B 786:180, 2018). However the vertex of Didenko et al. (2020) had the form of a sum of spin-local terms dependent on the auxiliary spinor variable Z in the theory modulo so-called Z-dominated terms, providing a sort of existence theorem rather than explicit form of the vertex. The aim of this paper is to elaborate an approach allowing to systematically account for the effect of Z-dominated terms on the final Z-independent form of the vertex needed for any practical analysis. Namely, in this paper we obtain explicit Z-independent spin-local form for the vertex $$\varUpsilon ^{\eta \eta }_{\omega CCC}$$

Υ

ω
C
C
C

η
η

for its $$\omega CCC$$

ω
C
C
C

-ordered part where $$\omega $$
ω
and C denote gauge one-form and field strength zero-form higher-spin fields valued in an arbitrary associative algebra in which case the order of product factors in the vertex matters. The developed formalism is based on the Generalized Triangle identity derived in the paper and is applicable to all other orderings of the fields in the vertex.
Estimation of temperature of cosmological apparent horizons: a new approach
Authors: Chatterjee Bhramar , Banerjee Narayan
Published: July 2021

We consider radiation from cosmological apparent horizon in Friedmann–Lemaitre–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) model in a double-null coordinate setting. As the spacetime is dynamic, there is no timelike Killing vector, instead we have Kodama vector which acts as dynamical time. We construct the positive frequency modes of the Kodama vector across the horizon. The conditional probability that a signal reaches the central observer when it is crossing from the outside gives the temperature associated with the horizon.
Flavored axion in the UV-complete Froggatt–Nielsen models
Authors: de la Vega Leon M. G. , Nath Newton , Nellen Stefan , Peinado Eduardo
Published: July 2021

We propose UV-completions of Froggatt–Nielsen–Peccei–Quinn models of fermion masses and mixings with flavored axions, by incorporating heavy fields. Here, the U(1) Froggatt–Nielsen symmetry is identified with the Peccei–Quinn symmetry to solve the strong CP problem along with the mass hierarchies of the Standard Model fermions. We take into account leading order contributions to the fermion mass matrices giving rise to Nearest-Neighbour-Interaction structure in the quark sector and $$A_2$$

A
2

texture in the neutrino sector. A comprehensive numerical analysis has been performed for the fermion mass matrices. Subsequently, we investigate the resulting axion flavor violating couplings and the axion-photon coupling arising from the model.
SnO2–ZnO nanocomposite thin films: The influence of structure, composition and crystallinity on optical and electrophysical properties
Authors: Bayan E. M. , Petrov V. V. , Volkova M. G. , Storozhenko V. Yu , Chernyshev A. V.
Published: July 2021

SnO2–ZnO thin films consisting of nanoscale crystallites were obtained on glass and silicon substrates by solid-phase low-temperature pyrolysis. The synthesized materials were studied by XRD and SEM methods, electrophysical and optical properties were evaluated, as well as the band gap was calculated. It was shown that regardless of the phase composition all films were optically transparent in the visible range (310–1000 nm). The nanocrystallites’ minimum size, the highest activation energy of the conductivity and the smallest band gap calculated for indirect transitions were shown for a thin film 50SnO2–50ZnO. It was assumed that the band gap decreasing might be attributed to the existence of surface electric fields with a strength higher than 4 × 105 V/cm.
A Survey on Windows-based Ransomware Taxonomy and Detection Mechanisms
Authors: Moussaileb Routa , Cuppens Nora , Lanet Jean-Louis , Bouder Hélène Le
Published: July 2021

Ransomware remains an alarming threat in the 21st century. It has evolved from being a simple scare tactic into a complex malware capable of evasion. Formerly, end-users were targeted via mass infection campaigns. Nevertheless, in recent years, the attackers have focused on targeted attacks, since the latter are profitable and can induce severe damage. A vast number of detection mechanisms have been proposed in the literature. We provide a systematic review of ransomware countermeasures starting from its deployment on the victim machine until the ransom payment via cryptocurrency. We define four stages of this malware attack: Delivery, Deployment, Destruction, and Dealing. Then, we assign the corresponding countermeasures for each phase of the attack and cluster them by the techniques used. Finally, we propose a roadmap for researchers to fill the gaps found in the literature in ransomware’s battle.
A Guideline on Pseudorandom Number Generation (PRNG) in the IoT
Authors: Kietzmann Peter , Schmidt Thomas C. , Wählisch Matthias
Published: July 2021

Random numbers are an essential input to many functions on the Internet of Things (IoT). Common use cases of randomness range from low-level packet transmission to advanced algorithms of artificial intelligence as well as security and trust, which heavily rely on unpredictable random sources. In the constrained IoT, though, unpredictable random sources are a challenging desire due to limited resources, deterministic real-time operations, and frequent lack of a user interface.

In this article, we revisit the generation of randomness from the perspective of an IoT operating system (OS) that needs to support general purpose or crypto-secure random numbers. We analyze the potential attack surface, derive common requirements, and discuss the potentials and shortcomings of current IoT OSs. A systematic evaluation of current IoT hardware components and popular software generators based on well-established test suits and on experiments for measuring performance give rise to a set of clear recommendations on how to build such a random subsystem and which generators to use.
Applying Machine Learning for Sensor Data Analysis in Interactive Systems
Authors: PlÖtz Thomas
Published: July 2021

With the widespread proliferation of (miniaturized) sensing facilities and the massive growth and popularity of the field of machine learning (ML) research, new frontiers in automated sensor data analysis have been explored that lead to paradigm shifts in many application domains. In fact, many practitioners now employ and rely more and more on ML methods as integral part of their sensor data analysis workflows—thereby not necessarily being ML experts or having an interest in becoming one. The availability of toolkits that can readily be used by practitioners has led to immense popularity and widespread adoption and, in essence, pragmatic use of ML methods. ML having become mainstream helps pushing the core agenda of practitioners, yet it comes with the danger of misusing methods and as such running the risk of leading to misguiding if not flawed results.

Based on years of observations in the ubiquitous and interactive computing domain that extensively relies on sensors and automated sensor data analysis, and on having taught and worked with numerous students in the field, in this article I advocate a considerate use of ML methods by practitioners, i.e., non-ML experts, and elaborate on pitfalls of an overly pragmatic use of ML techniques. The article not only identifies and illustrates the most common issues, it also offers ways and practical guidelines to avoid these, which shall help practitioners to benefit from employing ML in their core research domains and applications.
A Comprehensive Survey of Privacy-preserving Federated Learning
Authors: Yin Xuefei , Zhu Yanming , Hu Jiankun
Published: July 2021

The past four years have witnessed the rapid development of federated learning (FL). However, new privacy concerns have also emerged during the aggregation of the distributed intermediate results. The emerging privacy-preserving FL (PPFL) has been heralded as a solution to generic privacy-preserving machine learning. However, the challenge of protecting data privacy while maintaining the data utility through machine learning still remains. In this article, we present a comprehensive and systematic survey on the PPFL based on our proposed 5W-scenario-based taxonomy. We analyze the privacy leakage risks in the FL from five aspects, summarize existing methods, and identify future research directions.
Resilient Team Formation with Stabilisability of Agent Networks for Task Allocation
Authors: Barambones Jose , Richoux Florian , Imbert Ricardo , Inoue Katsumi
Published: July 2021

Team formation (TF) faces the problem of defining teams of agents able to accomplish a set of tasks. Resilience on TF problems aims to provide robustness and adaptability to unforeseen events involving agent deletion. However, agents are unaware of the inherent social welfare in these teams. This article tackles the problem of how teams can minimise their effort in terms of organisation and communication considering these dynamics. Our main contribution is twofold: first, we introduce the Stabilisable Team Formation (STF) as a generalisation of current resilient TF model, where a team is stabilisable if it possesses and preserves its inter-agent organisation from a graph-based perspective. Second, our experiments show that stabilisability is able to reduce the exponential execution time in several units of magnitude with the most restrictive configurations, proving that communication effort in subsequent task allocation problems are relaxed compared with current resilient teams. To do so, we developed SBB-ST, a branch-and-bound algorithm based on Distributed Constrained Optimisation Problems (DCOP) to compute teams. Results evidence that STF improves their predecessors, extends the resilience to subsequent task allocation problems represented as DCOP, and evidence how Stabilisability contributes to resilient TF problems by anticipating decisions for saving resources and minimising the effort on team organisation in dynamic scenarios.
Biology and Models of the Blood–Brain Barrier
Authors: Hajal Cynthia , Le Roi Baptiste , Kamm Roger D. , Maoz Ben M.
Published: July 2021

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is one of the most selective endothelial barriers. An understanding of its cellular, morphological, and biological properties in health and disease is necessary to develop therapeutics that can be transported from blood to brain. In vivo models have provided some insight into these features and transport mechanisms adopted at the brain, yet they have failed as a robust platform for the translation of results into clinical outcomes. In this article, we provide a general overview of major BBB features and describe various models that have been designed to replicate this barrier and neurological pathologies linked with the BBB. We propose several key parameters and design characteristics that can be employed to engineer physiologically relevant models of the blood–brain interface and highlight the need for a consensus in the measurement of fundamental properties of this barrier.
Dietary and Physiological Effects of Zinc on the Immune System
Authors: Wessels Inga , Fischer Henrike Josephine , Rink Lothar
Published: July 2021

Evidence for the importance of zinc for all immune cells and for mounting an efficient and balanced immune response to various environmental stressors has been accumulating in recent years. This article describes the role of zinc in fundamental biological processes and summarizes our current knowledge of zinc's effect on hematopoiesis, including differentiation into immune cell subtypes. In addition, the important role of zinc during activation and function of immune cells is detailed and associated with the specific immune responses to bacteria, parasites, and viruses. The association of zinc with autoimmune reactions and cancers as diseases with increased or decreased immune responses is also discussed. This article provides a broad overview of the manifold roles that zinc, or its deficiency, plays in physiology and during various diseases. Consequently, we discuss why zinc supplementation should be considered, especially for people at risk of deficiency.
Advances in Viroid-Host Interactions
Authors: Navarro Beatriz , Flores Ricardo , Di Serio Francesco
Published: July 2021

Viroids are small, single-stranded, circular RNAs infecting plants. Composed of only a few hundred nucleotides and being unable to code for proteins, viroids represent the lowest level of complexity for an infectious agent, even below that of the smallest known viruses. Despite the relatively small size, viroids contain RNA structural elements embracing all the information needed to interact with host factors involved in their infectious cycle, thus providing models for studying structure-function relationships of RNA. Viroids are specifically targeted to nuclei (family Pospiviroidae) or chloroplasts (family Avsunviroidae), where replication based on rolling-circle mechanisms takes place. They move locally and systemically through plasmodesmata and phloem, respectively, and may elicit symptoms in the infected host, with pathogenic pathways linked to RNA silencing and other plant defense responses. In this review, recent advances in the dissection of the complex interplay between viroids and plants are presented, highlighting knowledge gaps and perspectives for future research.
New Insights into Chikungunya Virus Infection and Pathogenesis
Authors: Kril Vasiliya , Aïqui-Reboul-Paviet Olivier , Briant Laurence , Amara Ali
Published: July 2021

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging mosquito-borne alphavirus responsible for major outbreaks of disease since 2004 in the Indian Ocean islands, South east Asia, and the Americas. CHIKV causes debilitating musculoskeletal disorders in humans that are characterized by fever, rash, polyarthralgia, and myalgia. The disease is often self-limiting and nonlethal; however, some patients experience atypical or severe clinical manifestations, as well as a chronic rheumatic syndrome. Unfortunately, no efficient antivirals against CHIKV infection are available so far, highlighting the importance of deepening our knowledge of CHIKV host cell interactions and viral replication strategies. In this review, we discuss recent breakthroughs in the molecular mechanisms that regulate CHIKV infection and lay down the foundations to understand viral pathogenesis. We describe the role of the recently identified host factors co-opted by the virus for infection and pathogenesis, and emphasize the importance of CHIKV nonstructural proteins in both replication complex assembly and host immune response evasion.
Editors’ Choice—Quantification of the Impact of Chemo-Mechanical Degradation on the Performance and Cycling Stability of NCM-Based Cathodes in Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Conforto Gioele , Ruess Raffael , Schröder Daniel , Trevisanello Enrico , Fantin Roberto , Richter Felix H. , Janek Jürgen
Published: July 2021

The use of solid electrolytes in lithium batteries promises to increase their power and energy density, but several challenges still need to be overcome. One critical issue is capacity-fading, commonly ascribed to various degradation reactions in the composite cathode. Chemical, electrochemical as well as chemo-mechanical effects are discussed to be the cause, yet no clear understanding of the mechanism of capacity fading is established. In this work, a model is proposed to interpret the low-frequency impedance of the cathode in terms of lithium diffusion within an ensemble of LiNi1−x−y
Co
x
Mn
y
O2 (NCM) cathode active material particles with different particle sizes. Additionally, an electrochemical technique is developed to determine the electrochemically active mass in the cathode, based on the estimation of the state-of-charge via open circuit potential-relaxation. Tracking the length of lithium diffusion pathways and active mass over 40 charge-discharge cycles demonstrates that the chemo-mechanical evolution in the composite cathode is the major cause for cell capacity fading. Finally, it is shown that single-crystalline NCM is far more robust against chemo-mechanical degradation compared to polycrystalline NCM and can maintain a high cycling stability.
Mangiferin Inhibits Human Lung Adenocarcinoma by Suppressing MiR-27b and MiR-92a
Authors: Chi Xiao-Jv , Meng Jian-Jun , Lin Chun-Yu , Su Qi-Sheng , Qin Yuan-Yuan , Wei Ru-Hua , Lan Dong , Huang Chao
Published: July 2021

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most prevalent malignancies. However, its mechanism and therapeutic strategy remain to be clarified. Mangiferin is a flavonoid derived from the leaves of mango trees of the lacquer family that has many pharmacological and physiological effects. This research aimed to elucidate the biological effect of mangiferin in LUAD cell lines and clarify the in vitro mechanism of mangiferin. Mangiferin was shown to significantly restrain the proliferation of LUAD cells (A549, H1299, and H2030 cells) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, mangiferin was capable of stimulating apoptosis, and more cells were blocked in G1 and S phase in the mangiferin-treated cells than in those not treated with mangiferin. Microarrays and micro-RNA sequencing data suggested that there is a higher level of miR-27b and miR-92a in LUAD tissues than in non-LUAD tissues. Additional experiments indicated that mangiferin may be related to the downregulated levels of miR-92a and miR-27b. In conclusion, mangiferin likely regulates proliferation and apoptosis in LUAD cells by reducing the expression levels of miR-92a and miR-27b.
Antimalarial Property and Acute Toxicity of the Leaves of Theobroma cacao L.
Authors: Komlaga Gustav , Forkuo Arnold Donkor , Suleman Nadiatu , Nkrumah Desmond , Nketia Reinhard , Bekoe Samuel Oppong
Published: July 2021

The leaf of Theobroma cacao L. is used in traditional medicine in Ghana for the treatment of malaria, yet, with no scientific evidence of its antimalarial property in animals. It was, therefore, studied to validate the antimalarial property in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Infected mice were treated with an aqueous extract of T. cacao leaf at different doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg daily for four days. Parasitaemia was determined before treatment and 24 hours following the last dose of extract. The % reduction in parasitaemia and ED50 and ED90 of the extract were determined. Body weight, rectal temperature, and daily mortality of mice were also recorded. The extract had ED50 and ED90 of 242.20 ± 29.38 and 351.00 ± 29.52 mg/kg/day, respectively. Percentage parasitaemia suppression was significant for all doses. The extract at the maximum dose of 400 mg/kg body weight had the highest % parasitaemia suppression of 79.19%; mean survival time of 24.00 ± 2.19 days and median survival of 23 days; body weight increase of 3.82 ± 0.59; and the lowest body temperature reduction of 0.79 ± 0.11°C. T. cacao leaf extract showed an antimalarial property in P. berghei-infected mice. This reinforces the justification for the use of the plant material in treating malaria in Ghana.
Grouping‐Based Channel Estimation and Tracking for Millimeter Wave Massive MIMO Systems
Authors: Yin Rui , Zhou Xin , Qi Wei , Wu Celimuge , Cai Yunlong
Published: July 2021

Although the millimeter wave (mmWave) massive multiple‐input and multiple‐output (MIMO) system can potentially boost the network capacity for future communications, the pilot overhead of the system in practice will greatly increase, which causes a significant decrease in system performance. In this paper, we propose a novel grouping‐based channel estimation and tracking approach to reduce the pilot overhead and computational complexity while improving the estimation accuracy. Specifically, we design a low‐complexity iterative channel estimation and tracking algorithm by fully exploiting the sparsity of mmWave massive MIMO channels, where the signal eigenvectors are estimated and tracked based on the received signals at the base station (BS). With the recovered signal eigenvectors, the celebrated multiple‐signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm can be employed to estimate the direction of arrival (DoA) angles and the path amplitude for the user terminals (UTs). To improve the estimation accuracy and accelerate the tracking speed, we develop a closed‐form solution for updating the step‐size in the proposed iterative algorithm. Furthermore, a grouping method is proposed to reduce the number of sharing pilots in the scenario of multiple UTs to shorten the pilot overhead. The computational complexity of the proposed algorithm is analyzed. Simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed schemes in terms of the estimation accuracy, tracking speed, and overhead reduction.
An Improved Parameter‐Adaptive Variational Mode Decomposition Method and Its Application in Fault Diagnosis of Rolling Bearings
Authors: Li Cuixing , Liu Yongqiang , Liao Yingying
Published: July 2021

Variational mode decomposition (VMD) has been applied in the field of rolling bearing fault diagnosis because of its good ability of frequency segmentation. Mode number K and quadratic penalty term α have a significant influence on the decomposition result of VMD. At present, the commonly used method is to determine these two parameters adaptively through intelligent optimization algorithm, namely, the parameter‐adaptive VMD (PAVMD) method. The key of the PAVMD method is the setting of an objective function, and the traditional PAVMD method is prone to overdecomposition or underdecomposition. To solve these problems, an improved parameter‐adaptive VMD (IPAVMD) method is proposed. A new objective function, the maximum average envelope kurtosis (MAEK), is proposed in this paper. The new objective function fully considers the equivalent filtering characteristics of VMD, and squared envelope kurtosis has good antinoise performance. In the optimization method, this paper uses an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The MAEK and PSO can make sure the IPAVMD method reaches the best complete decomposition of the signal without an underdecomposition or overdecomposition problem. Through the analysis of simulation data and experimental data, the performance of the IPAVMD and the traditional PAVMD is compared. The comparison results show that the proposed IPAVMD has better performance and stronger robustness than the traditional method and is suitable for both single‐fault and multiple‐fault cases of rolling bearings. The research results have certain theoretical significance and application value for improving the fault diagnosis effect of rolling bearings.
Variation of Phenolics (Bound and Free), Minerals, and Antioxidant Activity of Twenty‐Eight Wild Edible Fruits of Twenty‐Three Species from Far North Region of Cameroon
Authors: Koubala B. B. , Bayang J. P. , Wangso H. , Kolla M. C. , Laya A.
Published: July 2021

The present study is aimed at investigating the variation of phenolics (bound and free), minerals, and antioxidant potentials of the wild edible fruits (fresh and dry) native from Far North Region of Cameroon. The results showed significant (p < 0.01) differences among fruits and species for all parameters. Bound phenolic content (mgGAE/100 g) of dry fruits (DF) ranged from 95.58 to 407.72; however, the contents were varied from 28.97 to 306.04 in fresh fruits (FF). Free phenolic content varied from 46.43 to 344.73 in DF and fold from 119.54 to 315.79 for those FF. Flavonoids (4.27‐256.87 mg QE/100 g), tannins (3.24‐63.42 mg CE/100 g), and anthocyanin content (8.65‐168.10 mg C3GE/100 g) in fruits varied also significantly in respect with DF and FF. The mineral content analysis indicates that the wild fruits are rich in valuable macro‐ and trace elements. For antioxidant activities, except high 2.2‐diphenyl‐1‐picyhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity obtained with free phenolics, the bound phenolics of FF and DF had significantly high ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzylthiozoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging activity. Furthermore, free and bound phenolic content was highly and positively correlated with ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP activities confirmed by the principal component analysis (F1×F2: 60.17%). The present study revealed that the wild edible fruits of twenty‐three species investigated are important sources of bioactive compounds, natural antioxidants, and nutraceutical potential to prevent/to treat chronic diseases which could be benefits for the consumers.
A General Analytical Solution for Axisymmetric Consolidation of Unsaturated Soil with Impeded Drainage Boundaries
Authors: Huang Ming-hua , Lv Chang , Zhou Zheng-lin
Published: July 2021

The consolidation of soil is one of the most common phenomena in geotechnical engineering. Previous studies for the axisymmetric consolidation of unsaturated soil have usually idealized the boundary conditions as fully drained and absolutely undrained, but the boundaries of unsaturated soil are actually impeded drainage in most practical situations. In this study, we present a general analytical solution for predicting the axisymmetric consolidation behavior of unsaturated soil that incorporates impeded drainage boundary conditions in both the radial and vertical directions simultaneously. The impeded drainage boundary is modeled using the third kind boundary, and it can also realize fully drained and absolutely undrained ones by changing the drainage parameter. A general analytical solution is developed to predict the excess pore-air and pore-water pressures as well as the average degree of consolidation in an unsaturated soil stratum using the common methods of eigenfunction expansion and Laplace transform. The newly developed solution is expressed in the product of the terms of time, depth, and radius, which are derived using Laplace transform, usual Fourier, and Fourier-Bessel series, respectively. The eigenfunctions and eigenvalues are evaluated from the impeded drainage boundaries in both radial and depth dimensions. Then, the correctness of the proposed analytical solution is verified against the existing analytical solution for the case of traditional boundaries and against the finite difference solution for the case of general impeded drainage boundaries, and excellent agreements are obtained. Finally, the axisymmetric consolidation behavior of unsaturated soil involving impeded drainage boundaries is demonstrated and analyzed, and the effects of the drainage parameters are discussed. The results indicate that the larger drainage parameter generally expedites the dissipations of the excess pore pressures and further promotes the soil settling process. As the drainage parameter increases, its influence gradually diminishes and even can be neglected when it is larger than 100. The general analytical solution and findings of this study can help for better understanding the axisymmetric consolidation behavior of the unsaturated soil stratum in the ground improvement project with vertical drains as well as the gas-oil gravity drainage mechanism in the naturally fractured reservoirs.
Ni(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), and Fe(II) Metal Complexes Containing 1,3-Bis(diphenylphosphino)propane and Pyridine Derivative: Synthesis, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Al-Fakeh Maged S. , Allazzam Gadah A. , Yarkandi Naeema H.
Published: July 2021

Four of the coordination compounds of the general formula, [M(DPPP)(APY)(H2O) Cl2].xH2O, where M = Ni(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), and Fe(II) and x = 0, 1, or 2 molecules of H2O, DPPP = 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane, and APY = 2-aminopyridine, have been prepared and characterized. The structure of the complexes has been confirmed by elemental analysis, FT-IR, and UV-Vis spectral data. Thermal analysis (thermogravimetry, derivative thermogravimetry, and differential thermal studies) has been used to study the thermal decomposition stages. Biological activity of all synthesized complexes was tested against five bacterial strains and three fungal strains. Bacteria and fungi strains are common contaminants of the environment in Saudi Arabia, some of which are frequently reported from contaminated water, soil, and food.
NMU Is a Poor Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tang Yan , Hu Chunsheng
Published: July 2021

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most prevalent histologic type of lung cancer, associated with a high incidence rate and substantial mortality rate worldwide. Accumulating evidence shows that the aberrant expression of neuromedin U (NMU) contributes to the initiation and progression of cancer. Herein, we explored whether NMU could be adopted as a new diagnostic and therapeutic marker in LUAD. The UALCAN and GEPIA web resources were employed to assess data on the NMU expression in LUAD. The STRING web resource was used to develop the PPI (protein-protein interaction) network of NMU, whereas Cytoscape was applied for module analysis. The Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of NMU and the interacting proteins were examined using the WebGestalt tool. Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan-Meier plotter tool. Results revealed that the NMU expression in LUAD was significantly higher than in the nonmalignant tissues. Moreover, higher NMU levels were dramatically related to shorter overall survival, first progression survival, and postprogression survival. The specific gene mutations G45V, R143T, and F152L of NMU occurred in LUAD samples and were associated with a worse prognosis in patients. KEGG and western blot analyses demonstrated an association of NMU with the cell cycle and the cAMP signaling cascade. Bioinformatic analysis and the in vitro experiments implicated NMU as a promising prognostic signature and treatment target for LUAD.
Prevalence, Patterns, and Determinants of Malaria and Malnutrition in Douala, Cameroon: A Cross‐Sectional Community‐Based Study
Authors: Kojom Foko Loick Pradel , Nolla Nicolas Policarpe , Nyabeyeu Nyabeyeu Hervé , Tonga Calvin , Lehman Leopold Gustave
Published: July 2021

Background. Malaria and malnutrition are major public health problems in developing countries. This studywas mainly focused on the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of these conditions and their associations. Methods. A cross‐sectional community study was conducted from February to March 2018 among 281 participants living in two districts in Douala. A questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information and parasitological and anthropometric data of participants. Nutritional status was determined using age, weight, and height. Body mass index for age (BMIAZ), height‐for‐age (HAZ), weight‐for‐age (WAZ), and weight‐for‐height (WHZ) Z scores were computed based on the World Health Organization growth reference curves. Malaria infection was diagnosed using light‐emitting diode fluorescence microscopy. Results. The overall prevalence of malaria was 18.9%, mostly asymptomatic cases. Malaria infection was associated with study site (p = 0.04), age (p = 0.01), WAZ (p = 0.0049), HAZ (p = 0.03), and BMI (p = 0.02). The overall prevalence of malnutrition was 43.1%, and stunting was the main form of malnutrition recorded in children under five years of age (23.6%). The risk of being stunted in this group was about quintupled in malaria‐infected participants (ARR = 4.70; p = 0.02). In those aged 5‐19 years, the prevalence of underweight was significantly higher in malaria‐positive individuals as compared to their negative counterparts (p = 0.02). The overall prevalence of malaria and malnutrition cooccurrence was 8.5% and varied with age (p < 0.0001) and study site (p = 0.04). Conclusion and Recommendation. Malaria was associated with malnutrition among the study participants. Early detection and treatment of these ailments would reduce morbidity and mortality.