bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decentralisation in Times of Crisis: Asset Or Liability? The Case of Germany and Italy During Covid‐19
Authors: Kuhn Katharina , Morlino Irene
Published: October 2021

How did the legal and political‐administrative relationship between central and local governments of two decentralised states shape their response to COVID‐19? Literature and theories on decentralisation argue that federal and decentralised states are less able to respond to crises in a coordinated manner due to their perceived greater susceptibility to political conflict. Situated within this theoretical debate and based on the analysis of legal acts, political decisions, and relevant national news media articles between March and August 2020 in Germany and Italy, this research note shows that, counterintuitively, more decentralisation does not necessarily translate into more legal and political stress during pandemic management. In responding to the COVID‐19 pandemic, Germany, a highly decentralised state, experienced less legal and political tensions than the less decentralised Italy. The key to understanding this variation lies in different institutional arrangements, complemented by the specific political cultures of both states.
Building fuzzy areal geographical objects from point sets
Authors: Guo Jifa , Du Shihong
Published: October 2021

Representations of fuzzy geographic objects and analyses of their spatial relationships have received considerable attention in the GIS and spatial database domains over the past 30 years. However, building fuzzy geographical objects from real data is still a challenge. Simple fuzzy areal object models are too restrictive for many applications, and general fuzzy areal models may not be restrictive enough; as a result, the extent of fuzzy regions that satisfy the relevant conditions may be too large to affect the location description and spatial analysis. A condition by which the number of cores is not greater than one is added for the general object model, and an operable method for constructing fuzzy objects from the point set is proposed. Two peak and pass sets are determined for the membership surface by the fuzzy morphometric analysis method. The first set is used to initially divide the footprint of the fuzzy surface into smaller subfootprints, and the second set is used to merge insignificant fuzzy objects with their nearest significant fuzzy objects; thus, unreasonable division is avoided. Cross‐validation is adopted to evaluate the generated fuzzy objects. An experiment is provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Road intersection identification from crowdsourced big trace data using Mask‐RCNN
Authors: Yang Xue , Hou Liang , Guo Mingqiang , Cao Yanjia , Yang Mingchun , Tang Luliang
Published: October 2021

Road intersection data are critical in many spatial applications and analyses. Approaches to identifying road intersections from various sensor data have been widely discussed in many existing studies, which focused on macroscopic information detection (e.g., location and size confirmation) and microscopic structure extraction (e.g., traffic rules at lane level). As the premise and basis for microscopic structure construction, the accuracy of macroscopic information has an important influence on extracting the detailed spatial structure of road intersections. In this article, we proposed applying a mask region convolutional neural network (Mask‐RCNN) framework to automatically detect the macroscopic information of road intersections from crowdsourced big trace data. There are two key points: (1) Mask‐RCNN‐based road intersection detection; and (2) result optimization and localization. Two real‐world GNSS (global navigation satellite system) trace datasets collected in Wuhan and Rome, respectively, were used to verify the applied Mask‐RCNN system. The results showed that the identification of various common types of road intersections achieved an overall precision of 97, 99, and 96%; recall of 93, 87, and 90%; and F1 score of 95, 92, and 93 in Wuhan, Shanghai, and Rome, respectively. These indices revealed a better model performance than the existing popular RCNN‐based models.
Stomatocytosis in a Beagle and Australian Cattle Dog
Authors: Castillo Daniel , Williams Tim L.
Published: October 2021

Background

Canine stomatocytosis is a well‐recognized rare erythrocyte disorder characterized by nonsyndromic forms with selective erythroid involvement, syndromic forms with extra‐hematologic disease, and acquired forms.

Objectives

We describe serial clinicopathologic changes in two dogs with stomatocytosis of breeds that are different from those previously reported.

Methods

Blood samples were obtained from a 12‐year‐old female neutered Australian Cattle Dog and a 12‐year‐old male neutered Beagle for hematologic and biochemical analyses, including a morphologic examination of peripheral blood films. Serial clinicopathologic data were reviewed, including CBCs performed by the referring veterinary surgeons.

Results

Serial CBC data in both cases reported a variable decrease in RBC numbers commonly associated with a normal hematocrit, macrocytosis, hypochromasia, changes in red cell distribution width parameters including marked histogram abnormalities in volume distribution of the RBC population, and mildly increased or normal reticulocyte counts. Morphologic examination of peripheral blood films identified variable numbers of stomatocytes, knizocytes (Case 1, Day 1, Day 4), mild anisocytosis, mild macrocytosis, and mild polychromasia.

Conclusions

In both cases, the changes exhibited in the erythrogram raise suspicion for an RBC membrane disorder with cell volume dysregulation and stomatocytosis, although they did not appear to cause clinically relevant hemolysis.
Plane nonlinear shear wave propagation in transversely isotropic soft solids
Authors: Cormack John M.
Published: October 2021

Nonlinear wave equations are obtained for the two plane shear wave modes in a transversely isotropic soft solid. The material is modeled using a general expansion of the strain energy density up to fourth order in strain. Whereas, in an isotropic soft solid, leading order nonlinearity for plane wave propagation appears at cubic order in strain, elastic anisotropy in a transversely isotropic material introduces nonlinear effects at quadratic order, including interaction between the modes of a wave with two displacement components. Expressions for second harmonic generation in an elliptically polarized wave field illustrate the low efficiency of nonlinear interactions between the two displacement components, which results from the disparity between propagation speeds of the two shear wave modes. Coupled wave equations with up to cubic nonlinearity are presented and then approximated to describe linearly polarized waves by neglecting interaction between modes. Evolution equations are obtained for linearly polarized progressive waves, and explicit expressions are given in terms of elastic moduli and propagation direction for the coefficients of leading order nonlinearity. Expressions are presented for up to third harmonic generation from a time-harmonic source.
Estimating target strength of estuarine pelagic fish assemblages using fisheries survey data
Authors: Stevens Justin R. , Jech J. Michael , Zydlewski Gayle B. , Brady Damian C.
Published: October 2021

In fisheries acoustics, the target strength (TS; dB re m2) is used to compute biological metrics such as fish biomass and density. The TS is challenging to characterize because of its stochastic relationship with fish physiology, orientation, depth, species assemblage, and size distributions. These challenges were addressed by using acoustic and physical samples of fish from trawls in the Penobscot River Estuary, Maine. The pelagic species assemblage was dominated by clupeids and osmerids. The TS was measured from individual fish using single target detection and echo tracking algorithms. An expectation–maximization algorithm was applied to identify the components of the TS and total length (TL; cm) distributions for the mixed species assemblages. Regressions were used to estimate the parameters of TS = α log10(TL) + β. The parameters, α = 31.2 [standard error (SE) 0.87] and β = –79.6 (SE 0.93), were similar to published studies from these species, but our slope and intercept were higher than those in studies from freshwater and lower than those from marine systems. These results suggest that acoustic surveys in estuaries with mixed species assemblages should carefully consider alternatives to “standard” TS-fish length equations. These results will provide necessary parameters to allow for interpretation of acoustic survey data from systems with a similar composition of pelagic species.
Deep learning based speaker separation and dereverberation can generalize across different languages to improve intelligibility
Authors: Healy Eric W. , Johnson Eric M. , Delfarah Masood , Krishnagiri Divya S. , Sevich Victoria A. , Taherian Hassan , Wang DeLiang
Published: October 2021

The practical efficacy of deep learning based speaker separation and/or dereverberation hinges on its ability to generalize to conditions not employed during neural network training. The current study was designed to assess the ability to generalize across extremely different training versus test environments. Training and testing were performed using different languages having no known common ancestry and correspondingly large linguistic differences—English for training and Mandarin for testing. Additional generalizations included untrained speech corpus/recording channel, target-to-interferer energy ratios, reverberation room impulse responses, and test talkers. A deep computational auditory scene analysis algorithm, employing complex time-frequency masking to estimate both magnitude and phase, was used to segregate two concurrent talkers and simultaneously remove large amounts of room reverberation to increase the intelligibility of a target talker. Significant intelligibility improvements were observed for the normal-hearing listeners in every condition. Benefit averaged 43.5% points across conditions and was comparable to that obtained when training and testing were performed both in English. Benefit is projected to be considerably larger for individuals with hearing impairment. It is concluded that a properly designed and trained deep speaker separation/dereverberation network can be capable of generalization across vastly different acoustic environments that include different languages.
Assessing room acoustic listening expertise
Authors: von Berg Markus , Steffens Jochen , Weinzierl Stefan , Müllensiefen Daniel
Published: October 2021

Musicians and music professionals are often considered to be expert listeners for listening tests on room acoustics. However, these tests often target acoustic parameters other than those typically relevant in music such as pitch, rhythm, amplitude, or timbre. To assess the expertise in perceiving and understanding room acoustical phenomena, a listening test battery was constructed to measure the perceptual sensitivity and cognitive abilities in the identification of rooms with different reverberation times and different spectral envelopes. Performance in these tests was related to data from the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index, self-reported previous experience in music recording and acoustics, and academic knowledge on acoustics. The data from 102 participants show that sensory and cognitive abilities are both correlated significantly with musical training, analytic listening skills, recording experience, and academic knowledge on acoustics, whereas general interest in and engagement with music do not show any significant correlations. The regression models, using only significantly correlated criteria of musicality and professional expertise, explain only small to moderate amounts (11%–28%) of the variance in the “room acoustic listening expertise” across the different tasks of the battery. Thus, the results suggest that the traditional criteria for selecting expert listeners in room acoustics are only weak predictors of their actual performances.
Synthesis of musical instrument directivities with a single common loudspeaker (L)
Authors: Hara Ryoko , Iwami Takahiro , Kashiwazaki Hiroshi , Omoto Akira
Published: October 2021

This letter synthesizes musical instrument directivities by sequentially rotating a loudspeaker through multiple orientations. The synthesis is conducted in a spherical harmonic domain using the actual measured directivity of a commercial loudspeaker and an open database of musical instrument directivities. The letter further proposes a practically useful set of 26 loudspeaker orientations named Step45, which can be used to reproduce the target directivity as well as if the orientations were determined adopting mathematical methods that give equilibrium configurations.
Water Permeation Across Biological Membranes: Mechanism and Dynamics of Aquaporin-1 and GlpF
Authors: de Groot Bert L. , Grubmüller Helmut
Published: October 2021

“Real time” molecular dynamics simulations of water permeation through human aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and the bacterial glycerol facilitator GlpF are presented. We obtained time-resolved, atomic-resolution models of the permeation mechanism across these highly selective membrane channels. Both proteins act as two-stage filters: Conserved fingerprint [asparagine-proline-alanine (NPA)] motifs form a selectivity-determining region; a second (aromatic/arginine) region is proposed to function as a proton filter. Hydrophobic regions near the NPA motifs are rate-limiting water barriers. In AQP1, a fine-tuned water dipole rotation during passage is essential for water selectivity. In GlpF, a glycerol-mediated “induced fit” gating motion is proposed to generate selectivity for glycerol over water.
Triplet Repeat Mutations in Human Disease
Authors: Caskey C. Thomas , Pizzuti Antonio , Fu Ying-Hui , Fenwick Raymond G. , Nelson David L.
Published: October 2021

Triplet repeats are the sites of mutation in three human heritable disorders, spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), fragile X syndrome, and myotonic dystrophy (DM). These repeats are GC-rich and highly polymorphic in the normal population. Fragile X syndrome and DM are examples of diseases in which premutation alleles cause little or no disease in the individual, but give rise to significantly amplified repeats in affected progeny. This newly identified mechanism of mutation has, so far, been identified in two of the most common heritable disorders, fragile X syndrome and DM, and one rare disease, SBMA.
Malignant Hyperthermia
Authors: MacLennan David H. , Phillips Michael S.
Published: October 2021

In humans genetically predisposed to malignant hyperthermia, anesthesia can induce skeletal muscle rigidity, hypermetabolism, and high fever, which, if not immediately reversed, can lead to tissue damage or death. The corresponding condition in swine leads to stress-induced deaths and devalued meat products. Abnormalities in the Ca
2+
release channel of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (the ryanodine receptor) have been implicated in the cause of both the porcine and human syndromes by physiological and biochemical studies and genetic linkage analysis. In swine, a single founder mutation in the ryanodine receptor gene (
RYR
1) can account for all cases of malignant hyperthermia in all breeds, but a series of different
RYR
1 mutations are likely to be uncovered in human families with MH. Moreover, lack of linkage between malignant hyperthermia and
RYR
1 in some families indicates a heterogeneous genetic basis for the human syndrome.
Gaucher Disease: New Molecular Approaches to Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Beutler Ernest
Published: October 2021

Gaucher disease is characterized by the accumulation of glucocerebroside, leading to enlargement of the liver and spleen and lesions in the bones. It is caused by an inherited deficiency of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase. Many mutations exist, but four of these account for over 97% of the mutations in Ashkenazi Jews, the population group in which Gaucher disease is the most common. Although there is a strong relation between the mutations and disease manifestations, genetic counseling is made difficult by the fact that within each genotype there is considerable variability in the severity of the disease. Intravenous infusion of glucocerebrosidase is an effective treatment, but the availability of enzyme replacement therapy is limited by its high cost. Marrow transplantation is also effective in treating the disease, but is rarely performed because of the risks involved. In the future gene transfer may become the treatment of choice.
On the Molecular Genetics of Retinitis Pigmentosa
Authors: Humphries Peter , Kenna Paul , Farrar G. Jane
Published: October 2021

The human retina carries specialized neurons, the rod and cone photoreceptors, which absorb and transduce light energy and transmit impulses through the optic nerve to the brain. The most prevalent group of inherited retinopathies, affecting approximately 1.5 million people, is collectively termed retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Mutations responsible for RP have now been found in two genes encoding transmembrane proteins of the rod photoreceptor outer segment disc, and a number of additional causative genes have been localized. It is likely that characterization of the majority of such genes over the next few years will lead to a substantial elucidation of the molecular pathology of this debilitating group of hereditary conditions.
Human Gene Therapy
Authors: Anderson W. French
Published: October 2021

Human gene therapy is a procedure that is being used in an attempt to treat genetic and other diseases. Eleven clinical protocols are under way at the present time, each with scientific and clinical objectives. Human genetic engineering raises unique safety, social, and ethical concerns.
Metallo-Carbohedrenes: Formation of Multicage Structures
Authors: Wei S. , Guo B. C. , Purnell J. , Buzza S. , Castleman A. W.
Published: October 2021

An unusual structural growth pattern has been found in the system of Zr

m

C

n

, in which multicage structures are formed. The experimental evidence shows that the first cage closes at Zr
8
C
12
. Surprisingly, subsequent cluster growth does not lead to the enlargement of the cage size as it usually does in the case of pure carbon clusters and water clusters, for example. Rather, multicage structures are developed, that is, a double cage at Zr
13
C
22
and Zr
14
C
21/23
, a triple cage at Zr
18
C
29
, and a quadruple cage at Zr
22
C
35
. This feature distinguishes the class of metallo-carbohedrenes from the regular doped fullerenes.
Oncogenic Forms of p53 Inhibit p53-Regulated Gene Expression
Authors: Kern Scott E. , Pietenpol Jennifer A. , Thiagalingam Sam , Seymour Albert , Kinzler Kenneth W. , Vogelstein Bert
Published: October 2021

Mutant forms of the gene encoding the tumor suppressor p53 are found in numerous human malignancies, but the physiologic function of p53 and the effects of mutations on this function are unknown. The p53 protein binds DNA in a sequence-specific manner and thus may regulate gene transcription. Cotransfection experiments showed that wild-type p53 activated the expression of genes adjacent to a p53 DNA binding site. The level of activation correlated with DNA binding in vitro. Oncogenic forms of p53 lost this activity. Moreover, all mutants inhibited the activity of coexpressed wild-type p53, providing a basis for the selection of such mutants during tumorigenesis.
Initiation of Deregulated Growth of Multipotent Progenitor Cells by
bcr-abl
in Vitro
Authors: Gishizky Mikhail L. , Witte Owen N.
Published: October 2021

Expression of the
bcr-abl
oncogene in multipotent progenitor cells (MPPCs) is implicated as a key event in the development of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Bone marrow enriched for MPPCs was infected with a retrovirus that carried
bcr-abl
. The mixed-lineage colonies that resulted were responsive to growth factors and could differentiate. These cells later became growth factor-independent but, when injected into severe combined immunodeficient mice, were not leukemogenic. Thus, the presence of
bcr-abl
alone does not cause growth factor independence, although it initiates a stepwise process. This system may prove useful in the study of other oncogenes that cause leukemia.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors for treatment of periorbital squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Goldfarb Jeremy Allan , Ferrarotto Renata , Gross Neil , Goepfert Ryan , Debnam James Matthew , Gunn Brandon , Nagarajan Priyadharsini , Esmaeli Bita
Published: October 2021

Purpose

To report on the outcomes of immunotherapy in patients with locally advanced periorbital squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods

We performed a retrospective chart review of seven consecutive patients with locally advanced periorbital cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma treated with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Treatments and therapeutic outcomes were reviewed.

Results

Of the seven patients, six were treated with cemiplimab, and one was treated with pembrolizumab. Five patients were treated with immunotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy before planned surgical resection; two patients received immunotherapy for treatment of advanced recurrent lesions deemed unresectable following multiple previous excisions and radiation therapy. In all seven patients, measurable clinical and/or radiologic response was observed.

Conclusions

Our findings support the emerging role of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in the management of locally advanced periorbital cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
Prehospital management of exertional heat stroke at sports competitions for Paralympic athletes
Authors: Hosokawa Yuri , Adami Paolo Emilio , Stephenson Ben Thomas , Blauwet Cheri , Bermon Stephane , Webborn Nick , Racinais Sebastien , Derman Wayne , Goosey-Tolfrey Victoria L
Published: October 2021

Objectives

To adapt key components of exertional heat stroke (EHS) prehospital management proposed by the Intenational Olympic Committee Adverse Weather Impact Expert Working Group for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 so that it is applicable for the Paralympic athletes.

Methods

An expert working group representing members with research, clinical and lived sports experience from a Para sports perspective reviewed and revised the IOC consensus document of current best practice regarding the prehospital management of EHS.

Results

Similar to Olympic competitions, Paralympic competitions are also scheduled under high environmental heat stress; thus, policies and procedures for EHS prehospital management should also be established and followed. For Olympic athletes, the basic principles of EHS prehospital care are: early recognition, early diagnosis, rapid, on-site cooling and advanced clinical care. Although these principles also apply for Paralympic athletes, slight differences related to athlete physiology (eg, autonomic dysfunction) and mechanisms for hands-on management (eg, transferring the collapsed athlete or techniques for whole-body cooling) may require adaptation for care of the Paralympic athlete.

Conclusions

Prehospital management of EHS in the Paralympic setting employs the same procedures as for Olympic athletes with some important alterations.
Relationship between hormonal contraceptives and sleep among women of reproductive age: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Ma Jinhui , Cheng Megan , Thabane Lehana , Ma Caihong , Zhang Ning , Wang Qi , Kim Hyunwoo , Reza Hameed , Wang Chunxue , Yao Xiaomei
Published: October 2021

Introduction

The aetiology of sleep disruptions is unknown, but hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause have been shown to potentially affect how well a woman sleeps. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether hormonal contraceptives are associated with a decreased quality of sleep and increased sleep duration in women of reproductive age.

Methods

This review will analyse data from randomised controlled trials or non-randomised comparative studies investigating the association between hormonal contraceptives and sleep outcomes among women of reproductive age. Reviews addressing the same research question with similar eligibility criteria will be included. A literature search will be performed using the MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from inception to 7 March 2021. The Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias for Randomised Trials V.2.0 and The Risk of Bias for Non-randomised Studies of Interventions tool will be used to assess risk of bias for each outcome in eligible studies. Two reviewers will independently assess eligibility of studies and risk of bias and extract the data. All extracted data will be presented in tables and narrative form. For sleep measures investigated by two or more studies with low heterogeneity, we will conduct random-effects meta-analysis to estimate the magnitude of the overall effect of hormonal contraceptives. If studies included in this systematic review form a connected network, a network meta-analysis will be conducted to estimate the comparative effect of different contraceptives. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach will be used to summarise the quality of evidence. Our protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols 2015 guidelines.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval is not required as data were sourced from previously reported studies. The findings of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020199958.
Vitality, resilience and the need for support among hospital employees during the COVID-19 pandemic: study protocol of a mixed-methods study
Authors: van Mol Margo , de Veer Mathijs , de Pagter Anne , Kouwenhoven-Pasmooij T A , Hoogendijk Witte J G , Busschbach Jan J van , Oude Hengel Karen , Kranenburg Leonieke
Published: October 2021

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the physical and mental functioning of healthcare professionals, especially those working on the ‘frontline’, and other hospital workers. At the onset of the crisis, various interventions were introduced to promote resilience and offer mental support to these professionals. However, it is unknown whether the interventions will meet the needs of professionals as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

The goal of this exploratory study is to gain insight in factors that protect the vitality and resilience of Dutch hospital employees during the so-called ‘second wave’ of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper describes the study protocol.

Methods and analysis

This exploratory study applies a mixed-methods design, using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. The first part of the study (substudy I) consists of surveys among doctors and nurses in COVID-19 departments and non-COVID-19 departments, and other professionals in the hospital (ie, managers and homeworkers) in 2020 and 2021. The second part of the study (substudy II) consists of focus groups and interviews among professionals of the intensive care unit, COVID-19 departments and infection prevention units.

Ethics and dissemination

The research protocol for this study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee (MEC-2020-0705). The outcomes of this study will be used to develop and implement interventions to support hospital employees maintaining their vitality and resilience during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees with vitality experience less work-related stress and make a positive contribution to healthcare quality.
What is a public health approach to substance use? Protocol for a qualitative systematic review
Authors: Crépault Jean-François , Watson Tara Marie , Strike Carol , Bonato Sarah , Rehm Jürgen
Published: October 2021

Introduction

The concept of a ‘public health approach’ to substance use is frequently but inconsistently invoked. This inconsistency is reflected in public policy, with governments using the term ‘public health approach’ in contradictory ways. This aim of this study is to clarify what is meant and understood when the term ‘public health approach’ is used in the context of substance use.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a systematic search of Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts and PAIS Index. Eligible articles will be from peer-reviewed journals, in English, with full text available. There will be no limits on year of publication. Substance use must be the primary topic of the article. Editorials, commentaries and letters to the editor will be included, but not commentaries on other articles, unless the definition of a public health approach is central to the commentary. Data selection and collection will be conducted independently by two researchers, with a third separately resolving any disagreement. To answer the research question, we will extract authors’ definitions of a public health approach to substance use as well as any descriptions of the central principles, characteristics and components of such an approach. To synthesise the data, we will employ thematic synthesis. Coding will be conducted by one researcher and verified by a second; two researchers will then group the codes into themes using an inductive process. Finally, the full research team will develop a set of analytic themes, which will be presented as a narrative.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval is not needed since the research will only involve published work. Our findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and, if possible, at conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021270632.
Low profile sheaths in pediatric neurointervention: a multicenter experience
Authors: Chen Karen , Dawkins Demi , Orbach Darren B , Aagaard-Kienitz Beverly
Published: October 2021

Background

Pediatric neurointervention is challenged by the appropriateness of adult catheters and devices. This multicenter report on the smallest groin access sheaths offers technical notes and clinical outcomes in the pediatric neurointerventional population.

Methods

All pediatric neurointerventional cases from 2019 to 2021 were reviewed for use of a 3.3F Pediavascular or a 4F Merit Prelude Ideal low profile sheath. Hospital records were reviewed for complications and technical notes and compared with arterial groin access with the 4F Terumo Pinnacle in infants less than 1 year old, before the low profile sheaths at one author’s institution were introduced.

Results

From January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2021 there were 347 procedures performed at Boston Children’s Hospital and University of Wisconsin. Forty-four procedures in 26 patients were identified in which a 3.3F (38 cases, 20 patients) or 4F (6 cases, 6 patients) sheath was used. The average age was 2.2 years (1.5 days to 18 years). Retinoblastoma intra-arterial chemotherapy infusion (18 of 44) was the most common indication. The remaining procedures comprised vein of Galen embolization (12), diagnostic cerebral angiography (13), and one preoperative tumor embolization. Morbidity included a groin hematoma and decreased pulses (4.5%). No major groin complications occurred. There was no statistically significant difference compared with the historical cohort (132 procedures), which had seven instances of decreased pulses (5.3%, p>0.05).

Conclusion

The 3.3F Pediavascular and 4F Merit Prelude Ideal sheaths are easily incorporated into the pediatric neurointerventionalist’s armamentarium for infants and readily accommodate various microcatheters for distal embolization and catheterization.
Hydrological control of a floodplain subsidy to littoral riverine fish
Authors: Farly Luc , Hudon Christiane , Cattaneo Antonia , Cabana Gilbert
Published: October 2021

Ecological subsidies have been hypothesized to be key factors affecting the dynamics of the recipient ecosystems. We assessed the impact of the flood regime on the assimilation of a trophic subsidy produced in the floodplain of a large fluvial lake, Lake Saint-Pierre (Quebec, Canada) on five invertivore littoral fish species (yellow perch (Perca flavescens), pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), bridle shiner (Notropis bifrenatus), golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), and banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus)). We hypothesized that the incorporation of floodplain-derived carbon into fish biomass and individual fitness would increase in years with higher magnitude and longer duration floods. Studying four consecutive years with contrasting spring-flood events, we used a stable isotope mixing model to estimate floodplain contribution, and linear mixed models to analyze the impact of hydrology on floodplain contribution and fish body condition. Floodplain and main river’s invertebrates exhibited statistically distinct isotopic ratios (t test: p value < 0.001). Floodplain contribution and body condition were positively correlated with flooding intensity and duration for all species. Body condition was positively correlated with the assimilation of floodplain-subsidy for golden shiner and banded killifish. Our study identified flooding intensity as a main driver influencing the assimilation of floodplain-derived carbon by littoral fish and their fitness in a large river ecosystem.
Light like segment compactification and braneworlds with dynamical string tension
Authors: Guendelman E. I.
Published: October 2021

There is great interest in the construction of brane worlds, where matter and gravity are forced to be effective only in a lower dimensional surface, the brane . How these could appear as a consequence of string theory is a crucial question and this has been widely discussed. Here we will examine a distinct scenario that appears in dynamical string tension theories and where string tension is positive between two surfaces separated by a short distance and at the two surfaces themselves the string tensions become infinite, therefore producing an effective confinement of the strings and therefore of all matter and gravity to the space between these to surfaces, which is in fact a new type of stringy brane world scenario. The specific model studied is in the context of the modified measure formulation the string where tension appear as an additional dynamical degree of freedom and these tensions are not universal, but rather each string generates its own tension, which can have a different value for each string. We consider a new background field that can couple to these strings, the tension scalar is capable then of changing locally along the world sheet and then the value of the tension of the extended object changes accordingly. When many types of strings probing the same region of space are considered this tension scalar is constrained by the requirement of quantum conformal invariance. For the case of two types of strings probing the same region of space with different dynamically generated tensions, there are two different metrics, associated to the different strings, that have to satisfy vacuum Einsteins equations and the consistency of these two Einsteins equations determine the tension scalar. The universal metric, common to both strings generically does not satisfy Einsteins equation . The two metrics considered here are flat space in Minkowshi space and flat space after a special conformal transformation and the tension field behaves in such a way that strings are confined inside a light like Segment or alternatively as expanding Braneworlds where the strings are confined between two expanding bubbles separated by a very small distance at large times.
Identification of Specific Cell Subpopulations and Marker Genes in Ovarian Cancer Using Single‐Cell RNA Sequencing
Authors: Li Yan , Wang Juan , Wang Fang , Gao Chengzhen , Cao Yuanyuan , Wang Jianhua
Published: October 2021

Objective. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynaecological cancer globally. In our study, we aimed to analyze specific cell subpopulations and marker genes among ovarian cancer cells by single‐cell RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq). Methods. Single‐cell RNA‐seq data of 66 high‐grade serous ovarian cancer cells were employed from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Using the Seurat package, we performed quality control to remove cells with low quality. After normalization, we detected highly variable genes across the single cells. Then, principal component analysis (PCA) and cell clustering were performed. The marker genes in different cell clusters were detected. A total of 568 ovarian cancer samples and 8 normal ovarian samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed genes were identified according to ∣log2fold change (FC) | >1 and adjusted p value <0.05. To explore potential biological processes and pathways, functional enrichment analyses were performed. Furthermore, survival analyses of differentially expressed marker genes were performed. Results. After normalization, 6000 highly variable genes were identified across the single cells. The cells were divided into 3 cell populations, including G1, G2M, and S cell cycles. A total of 1,124 differentially expressed genes were identified in ovarian cancer samples. These differentially expressed genes were enriched in several pathways associated with cancer, such as metabolic pathways, pathways in cancer, and PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway. Furthermore, marker genes, STAT1, ANP32E, GPRC5A, and EGFL6, were highly expressed in ovarian cancer, while PMP22, FBXO21, and CYB5R3 were lowly expressed in ovarian cancer. These marker genes were positively associated with prognosis of ovarian cancer. Conclusion. Our findings revealed specific cell subpopulations and marker genes in ovarian cancer using single‐cell RNA‐seq, which provided a novel insight into the heterogeneity of ovarian cancer.
Upregulation of Nei-Like DNA Glycosylase 3 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wu Dongyu , Zhang Guangcong , Ma Jiamei , Wu Hongfen , Xiong Ju , Huang Xiaoxi , Tian Yuanyuan , Deng Taozhi , Han Xiangyang , Sun Xiaoning , Xiang Tian , Yu Xiangnan , Jiang Xuemei
Published: October 2021

Background. Accumulating evidence has suggested that Nei-like DNA glycosylase 3 (NEIL3) is associated with human tumors. However, there are few studies on the role of NEIL3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression profile of NEIL3 and its clinical relevance in HCC. Materials and Methods. A total of 130 HCC and corresponding nontumor tissues were collected to perform immunohistochemistry (IHC). The clinical relevance and prognostic value of NEIL3 in HCC were analyzed by the chi-square test, Kaplan–Meier analysis, the Cox proportional hazard model, and nomogram. Results. IHC showed that the NEIL3 protein level was remarkably upregulated in tumor tissues compared with nontumor tissues (fold change = 1.24;

P
<
0.001

). High NEIL3 expression was significantly correlated with BCLC stage (

P
=
0.004

) and TNM stage (

P
=
0.005

). Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates in the high NEIL3 expression group were significantly worse than those in the low NEIL3 expression group (

P
=
0.007

and

P
=
0.004

, respectively). Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed that high NEIL3 expression predicted worse OS and DFS for HCC patients with advanced TNM stage, poorly differentiated tumor, HBsAg positive, or cirrhosis. Multivariate analysis and the prognostic nomograms revealed that tumor NEIL3 level may serve as a promising prognostic indicator for OS and DFS in HCC patients. Conclusion. Our findings suggested that NEIL3 might be a potential prognosis assessment marker and therapeutic target for HCC patients.
Applications of Nanomaterials in Agrifood and Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Ahmed Hiwa M. , Roy Arpita , Wahab Muhammad , Ahmed Mohammed , Othman-Qadir Gashaw , Elesawy Basem H. , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin , Islam Mohammad Nazmul , Emran Talha Bin
Published: October 2021

Nanotechnology recently emerged among the most exciting science-related innovations. Nanotechnology-produced metal nanoparticles got a lot of attention. This is emerging as a rapidly developing field due to its effective applications that targeted the manufacturing of new materials at the nanoscale level. There is considerable interest in the application of nanomaterials in many areas of industry including agrifood and biomedical products. In the agrifood area, nanomaterials have benefits in diverse areas which include fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, sensors, and quality stimulants, among other food processing, food packaging, and nutraceuticals to improve nutritional value. These applications in agriculture result in enhanced quality and crop yield, reduction in pollution caused by various chemicals, etc. In the pharmaceutical area, nanomaterials are claimed to ameliorate drug safety and efficacy, as well as bioavailability. They are utilized for targeting various drugs to a specific location in the body. However, there are also concerns that some nanoparticles may have adverse effects on human health. These include titanium dioxide, copper oxides, and other nanomaterials which lead to liver damage, skin damage, lung damage, and various other human health-related problems. This review is aimed at presenting a briefing on the state of the art in the application of nanotechnology in food and human nutrition and drug administration, consumer attitudes, and their challenges and opportunities with future perspectives.
Probiotic Pediococcus pentosaceus ABY 118 to Modulation of ChIFN-γ and ChIL-10 in Broilers Infected by Eimeria tenella Oocyst
Authors: Yulianto Andreas Berny , Suwanti Lucia Tri , Widiyatno Thomas Valentinus , Suwarno Suwarno , Yunus Muchammad , Tyasningsih Wiwiek , Hidanah Sri , Sjofjan Osfar , Lokapirnasari Widya Paramita
Published: October 2021

Eimeria causes coccidiosis, which has long been recognized as a disease in chickens that significantly affects the economy. The global chicken population continues to grow, and its contribution to food security increases, making it increasingly important to produce chicken meat that is safe for human and health. This study aims to prove Pediococcus pentosaceus ABY 118 to modulation of ChIFN-γ and ChIL-10 in chickens infected with E. tenella oocysts. This study used 100 of day-old chickens (DOC), randomly divided into 5 treatments; each treatment consists of 20 chickens. The treatments was as follows: P0 (−): negative control; P0 (+): positive control; P1: monensin; P2: probiotic 1.5 × 108 CFU/ml; and P3: probiotic 3.0 × 108 CFU/ml. At the age of 20 days, Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) oocysts were inoculated orally at a dose of 1 × 104. The probiotic P. pentosaceus ABY 118 was given orally through drinking water from DOC to 35 days. Monensin was given orally through feed from the age of 14–26 days. The results of statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between treatments on ChIFN-γ and ChIL-10 at 6 and 8 days postinfected with E. tenella oocysts. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that the use of P. pentosaceus ABY 118 isolates at a dose of 1.5 × 108 CFU/ml and 3.0 × 108 CFU/ml per liter of drinking water can increase health by stimulation of ChIFN-γ and ChIL-10 in broiler infected with E. tenella oocyst.
Effect of Health Belief Model Education on Increasing Cognition and Self-Care Behaviour among Elderly Women with Malignant Gynaecological Tumours in Fujian, China
Authors: Liu Chenyin , Chen Xianjing , Huang Mengli , Xie Qun , Lin Qiaoming , Chen Siai , Shi Danfeng
Published: October 2021

Objective. This study evaluated the effect of a health belief model (HBM) educational intervention on the self-perception of and complications related to disease in elderly gynaecological malignancy patients. Methods. This randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Fujian Maternal and Child Health Hospital, China. A total of 301 women aged 60 years and older who were diagnosed with gynaecological malignancies from January 2019 to August 2020 were recruited. Participants were randomly divided into the HBM education and basic nursing groups. The participants in the HBM education group received perioperative rehabilitation education based on the HBM, and the participants in the basic nursing group received routine basic nursing. Rehabilitation training compliance, psychological resilience, psychological flexibility, self-efficacy, self-care ability, and lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (LEDVT) incidence were assessed before and after the intervention. Results. Thirty-three women were excluded based on the exclusion criteria, and 268 participants were eventually included and randomly divided into two groups: 134 participants in the HBM education group and 134 participants in the basic nursing group. Before HBM education, there were no significant differences in the mean scores of psychological resilience (50.43 ± 3.29 vs. 50.55 ± 2.29,P = 0.738), psychological flexibility (48.98 ± 3.45 vs. 49.29 ± 3.59,P = 0.465), self-efficacy (26.49 ± 5.26 vs. 26.29 ± 6.41,P = 0.781), or rehabilitation training compliance (28.4% vs. 27.8%,P = 0.922) between the two groups. After HBM education, the scores of training compliance (80.6% vs. 30.1%,P < 0.001), psychological resilience (55.47 ± 5.01 vs. 50.46 ± 2.62,P < 0.001), psychological flexibility (56.53 ± 4.51 vs. 49.13 ± 3.62,P < 0.001), self-efficacy (30.79 ± 4.56 vs. 26.41 ± 6.37,P < 0.001), self-care knowledge (43.36 ± 7.60 vs. 34.05 ± 6.99,P < 0.001), self-concept (29.57 ± 5.67 vs. 20.11 ± 3.86,P < 0.001), self-care responsibility (27.54 ± 5.09 vs. 20.86 ± 4.53,P < 0.001), and self-care skills (34.51 ± 5.62 vs. 21.62 ± 5.64,P < 0.001) were higher in the HBM education group than those in the basic nursing group. Additionally, the incidence of LEDVT was lower in the HBM group than that in the basic nursing group (2.2% vs. 8.3%,P = 0.027). Conclusion. This study indicated that perioperative HBM education can improve the cognition and self-care ability of elderly gynaecological malignancy patients and reduce postoperative complications.
LncRNA-URHC Functions as ceRNA to Regulate DNAJB9 Expression by Competitively Binding to miR-5007-3p in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Niu Kunwei , Qu Shibin , Zhang Xuan , Dai Jimin , Wang Jianlin , Nie Ye , Zhang Hong , Tao Kaishan , Song Wenjie
Published: October 2021

Background. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often diagnosed at a late stage, when the prognosis is poor. The regulation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) plays a crucial role in HCC. However, the precise regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA signaling in HCC remain largely unknown. Our study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms of lncRNA (upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma) URHC in HCC. Objective. To study the in vivo and in vitro localization and biological effects of URHC on liver cancer cells. Through bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter gene analysis and rescue experiments revealed the possible mechanism of URHC. Methods. RT-qPCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) staining, EdU, colony formation, and tumor xenograft experiments were used to identify localized and biological effects of URHC on HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. The bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and rescue experiments revealed the potential mechanism of URHC. Results. URHC silencing may inhibit the HCC cells’ proliferation in vitro and in vivo. We found that URHC was mainly localized in the cytoplasm. The expression of miR-5007-3p was negatively regulated by URHC. And miR-5007-3p could reverse the effect of URHC in HCC cells. The expression of DNAJB9 was negatively regulated by miR-5007-3p but positively regulated by URHC. These suggestive of lncRNA-URHC positively regulated the level of DNAJB9 by sponging miR-5007-3p. Conclusion. Together, our study elucidated the role of URHC as a miRNA sponge in HCC and shed new light on lncRNA-directed diagnostics and therapeutics in HCC.