bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Status Predicts Return to Functional Independence After Minor Stroke: A Decision Tree Analysis
Authors: Heldner Mirjam R. , Chalfine Caroline , Houot Marion , Umarova Roza M. , Rosner Jan , Lippert Julian , Gallucci Laura , Leger Anne , Baronnet Flore , Samson Yves , Rosso Charlotte
Published: February 2022

About two-thirds of patients with minor strokes are discharged home. However, these patients may have difficulties returning to their usual living activities. To investigate the factors associated with successful home discharge, our aim was to provide a decision tree (based on clinical data) that could identify if a patient discharged home could return to pre-stroke activities and to perform an external validation of this decision tree on an independent cohort. Two cohorts of patients with minor strokes gathered from stroke registries at the Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière and University Hospital Bern were included in this study (n = 105 for the construction cohort coming from France; n = 100 for the second cohort coming from Switzerland). The decision tree was built using the classification and regression tree (CART) analysis on the construction cohort. It was then applied to the validation cohort. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false positive, and false-negative rates were reported for both cohorts. In the construction cohort, 60 patients (57%) returned to their usual, pre-stroke level of independence. The CART analysis produced a decision tree with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as the first decision point, followed by discharge NIHSS score or age, and then by the occupational status. The overall prediction accuracy to the favorable outcome was 80% in the construction cohort and reached 72% accuracy in the validation cohort. This decision tree highlighted the role of cognitive function as a crucial factor for patients to return to their usual activities after a minor stroke. The algorithm may help clinicians to tailor planning of patients' discharge.
Dietary Patterns Are Associated With Multi-Dimensional Cognitive Functions Among Adults Aged 55 and Older in China
Authors: Huang Qiumin , Jiang Hongru , Zhang Jiguo , Jia Xiaofang , Huang Feifei , Wang Huijun , Zhang Bing , Wang Liusen , Gu Minxia , Huang Yuelong , Shi Wei , Ma Yuxia , Zhang Xinjing , Wang Zhihong
Published: February 2022

Background

The intake of certain food and nutrients may play a crucial role in cognitive health. However, research on the relationship between dietary patterns and cognitive function is limited. This study aims to investigate the associations between dietary patterns and multi-dimensional cognitive functions, such as global cognitive status and related domain profiles, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and four major subtypes of Chinese adults.

Methods

Using the baseline data from the Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Diseases (2018–2019), we selected 4,309 Chinese adults aged 55 years and older as subjects with complete diet, cognition, and other related data. We collected food data for the past 12 months with a valid semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Diving 49 food items into 13 subgroups, we used factor analysis to derive the main dietary patterns. We evaluated cognitive functions based on the scores of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and used quantile regression and multivariable logistic regression to examine the relationship between dietary patterns and cognitive-related outcomes.

Results

We identified four dietary patterns, explaining 50.11% of the total variance: “meat-preferred” pattern, “plant-preferred” pattern, “eggs- and dairy-preferred” pattern, and “grain-preferred” pattern. After adjusting for all potential confounders, the “meat-preferred” pattern and the “plant-preferred” pattern were associated with higher scores of global cognition and several cognitive domains (p <0.05), while the “grain-preferred” pattern was associated with lower scores of global cognition (β = −0.36, p <0.05), execution (β = −0.19, p <0.05), visuospatial (β = −0.09, p <0.05), and language (β = −0.05, p <0.05). Adults adhering to the “meat-preferred” pattern and the “plant-preferred” pattern had decreased odds of MCI and some MCI subtypes (p-trend <0.05); in contrast, those in the top quartiles of the “grain-preferred” pattern had increased odds of MCI [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.11–1.63, p-trend = 0.003].

Conclusions

Adhering to the “plant-preferred” pattern and the “meat-preferred” pattern may help improve the multi-dimensional cognitive functions; on the contrary, adhering to the “grain-preferred” pattern may worse cognitive health. More prospective studies in this field are needed to strengthen the evidence.
The Effects of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Supplementation on Cognitive Function in Adults With Self-Reported Mild Cognitive Complaints: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
Authors: Lopresti Adrian L. , Smith Stephen J. , Drummond Peter D.
Published: February 2022

Background

Lutein and zeaxanthin are fat-soluble, dietary carotenoids with high concentrations in human brain tissue. There have been a number studies confirming an association between lutein and zeaxanthin and cognitive function.

Purpose

Examine the effects of lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation on cognitive function in adults with self-reported cognitive complaints.

Study Design

Two-arm, parallel-group, 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Methods

Ninety volunteers aged 40–75 years received either 10 mg of lutein and 2 mg of zeaxanthin, once daily or a placebo. Outcome measures included computer-based cognitive tasks, the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Profile of Mood States, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29.

Results

Compared to the placebo, lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation was associated with greater improvements in visual episodic memory (p = 0.005) and visual learning (p = 0.001). However, there were no other statistically-significant differences in performance on the other assessed cognitive tests or self-report questionnaires. Lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation was well-tolerated with no reports of significant adverse effects.

Conclusion

The results from this trial suggest that 6-months of supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin may improve visual memory and learning in community-dwelling adults with self-reported cognitive complaints. However, it had no other effect on other computer-based measures of cognitive performance or self-report measures of cognition, memory, mood, or physical function.
Case Report: Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Combined With DC-CIK for Pulmonary and Mediastinal Metastases From Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Gan Yi-Xiu , Li Gui-Hua , Ou Xue , Wang Chun-Hui , Du Qing-Hua
Published: February 2022

Introduction

The optimal treatment for pulmonary and mediastinal metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is still controversial, and the therapeutic effect is poor recently. In one case, we demonstrated a long-term survival after postoperative chemoradiotherapy combined with dendritic cell and cytokine-induced killer (DC-CIK) immunotherapy for pulmonary and mediastinal metastases from NPC.

Baseline Characteristics

A 53-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital in June 2008. Pathological biopsy revealed a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma located in the nasopharynx with the invasion of internal pterygoid muscles, the sphenoid bone, and unilateral neck lymph node metastasis. No distant metastases were observed. The stage of NPC was T3N1M0 III (AJCC8). The patient received concurrent chemoradiotherapy for primary lesion and neck lymph nodes and achieved complete remission (CR) of the disease after 3 months. Follow-up at 3-month intervals was carried out. Pulmonary and mediastinal lymph node metastases were found in July 2009. The patient then underwent right upper lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection and five cycles of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) regimen chemotherapy, following radiotherapy and DC-CIK immunotherapy.

Results

After a follow-up time of 13 years, no tumor recurrence or metastasis and severe adverse reactions were found.

Conclusion

Postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy in combination with DC-CIK immunotherapy may produce a synergistic therapeutic effect on patients with mediastinal lymph node metastasis from NPC.
Long Non-Coding RNA AL513318.2 as ceRNA Binding to hsa-miR-26a-5p Upregulates SLC6A8 Expression and Predicts Poor Prognosis in Non-Small Lung Cancer
Authors: Fan Yongfei , Zhou Yong , Li Xinwei , Lou Ming , Gao Zhaojia , Yuan Kai , Tong Jichun
Published: February 2022

Background

Studies have demonstrated that the regulatory role of competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks is closely related to tumorigenesis, which provides new targets for tumor therapy. In this study, the focus was to explore the ceRNA networks that regulate SLC6A8 expression and their prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Firstly, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data combined with immunohistochemical staining was used to compare SLC6A8 expression in NSCLC tissues and normal tissues. Thereafter, samples from the immunohistochemical staining of NSCLC were integrated with clinical follow-up data for prognostic analysis. The Starbase database was employed to search for SLC6A8-targeted miRNAs and lncRNAs, and survival analysis was performed using clinical data from TCGA to obtain SLC6A8 expression and prognosis-related ceRNA networks. Finally, the prognostic and therapeutic prospects of SLC6A8 in NSCLC were further analyzed from methylation sites and the immune microenvironment.

Results

The study results revealed that SLC6A8 was significantly overexpressed in NSCLC tissues compared to normal tissues, and clinical follow-up data showed that the overexpression group was associated with poor prognosis. In addition, the Starbase data combined with TCGA clinical data analysis demonstrated that the AL513318.2/hsa-miR-26a-5p/SLC6A8 network regulates SLC6A8 overexpression in NSCLC and is associated with poor prognosis. Methylation analysis revealed that 11 methylation sites were closely associated with the prognosis of NSCLC. In addition, the immune prognostic risk model showed that the high-risk group was associated with a poorer prognosis than the low-risk group, despite showing a better immunotherapy outcome.

Conclusion

In summary, the AL513318.2/hsa-miR-26a-5p/SLC6A8 network upregulates SLC6A8 expression in NSCLC and is associated with poor prognosis. Therefore it may be a prognostic biomarker of NSCLC and a potential therapeutic target.
Abiraterone, Orteronel, Enzalutamide and Docetaxel: Sequential or Combined Therapy?
Authors: Chen Ming-kun , Liang Zhi-jian , Luo Dao-Sheng , Xue Kang-yi , Liao De-ying , Li Zheshen , Yu Yuzhong , Chen Zhe-Sheng , Zhao Shan-Chao
Published: February 2022

Objective: To summarize the current therapeutic status using chemotherapeutic agent docetaxel and endocrine therapeutic agents (ARAT, abiraterone, orteronel or enzalutamide) for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), including sequential therapy and combined therapy, to promote the consensus on the optimal regimen for achieving superior treatment efficacy.

Methods: Through literature search in PubMed, articles with the following relevant keywords were collected and anlyzed: CRPC, abiraterone, orteronel and enzalutamide, median survival, overall survival, prostate specific antigen (PSA), PSA response rate and median radiologic progression-free survival.

Results: Fifty-eight articles were obtained and analyzed in this review. These articles included androgen axis-targeting agents after docetaxel, docetaxel after androgen axis-targeting agents, Triple sequential and combination therapy, covering four current drugs for mCRPC treatment: docetaxel, abiraterone, orteronel, and enzalutamide. It was found that there may be some cross-resistance between androgen axis-targeting agents, which will reduce the efficacy of subsequent drug treatment. Although neither of the studies of using combination therapy showed serious drug toxicity, the efficacy of sequential therapy was not as good as expected. Most adverse reactions after treatment were reported to be level 1–2.

Conclusion: Based on the results of the current studies, abiraterone followed by enzalutamide treatment is the best sequential treatment for most docetaxel-naïve patients. This treatment achieves not only good OS, but also PFS and PSA response rates. In addition, for patients who have previously failed docetaxel treatment, enzalutamide is the best choice as the subsequent treatment.
Highly Efficient Dual-Beam Frequency Scanning Based on SSPPs With Parasitic Patch Array
Authors: Pan Bai Cao , Guo Ben Jian , Yu Ping , Cai Ben Geng , Dai Xi Wang , Luo Guo Qing
Published: February 2022

A leaky-wave antenna (LWA) realizes radiation of travelling wave along guiding structures. Periodic modulation is an effective approach to turn non-radiating modes into radiating modes. A high-efficient LWA based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) loaded with parasitic patch array is proposed. Sinusoidal modulation is used for the radiation of SSPPs, while parasitic array mitigates the open stopband (OSB) effect. A prototype is fabricated and measured. The measured and simulated results agree well with each other. Such design shows wide angle coverage of 83° from backward to forward and stable gain distribution of about 12 dB within the whole operating band.
Unraveling the Factors Determining Development of Type 2 Diabetes in Women With a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Through Machine-Learning Techniques
Authors: Ilari Ludovica , Piersanti Agnese , Göbl Christian , Burattini Laura , Kautzky-Willer Alexandra , Tura Andrea , Morettini Micaela
Published: February 2022

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a type of diabetes that usually resolves at the end of the pregnancy but exposes to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to unravel the factors, among those that quantify specific metabolic processes, which determine progression to T2DM by using machine-learning techniques. Classification of women who did progress to T2DM (labeled as PROG, n = 19) vs. those who did not (labeled as NON-PROG, n = 59) progress to T2DM has been performed by using Orange software through a data analysis procedure on a generated data set including anthropometric data and a total of 34 features, extracted through mathematical modeling/methods procedures. Feature selection has been performed through decision tree algorithm and then Naïve Bayes and penalized (L2) logistic regression were used to evaluate the ability of the selected features to solve the classification problem. Performance has been evaluated in terms of area under the operating receiver characteristics (AUC), classification accuracy (CA), precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F1. Feature selection provided six features, and based on them, classification was performed as follows: AUC of 0.795, 0.831, and 0.884; CA of 0.827, 0.813, and 0.840; precision of 0.830, 0.854, and 0.834; sensitivity of 0.827, 0.813, and 0.840; specificity of 0.700, 0.821, and 0.662; and F1 of 0.828, 0.824, and 0.836 for tree algorithm, Naïve Bayes, and penalized logistic regression, respectively. Fasting glucose, age, and body mass index together with features describing insulin action and secretion may predict the development of T2DM in women with a history of GDM.
Comparative Microbial Nitrogen Functional Gene Abundances in the Topsoil vs. Subsoil of Three Grassland Habitats in Northern China
Authors: Liu Yuqing , Chi Qiaodong , Cheng Hui , Ding Huanxin , Wen Teng , Zhao Jun , Feng Xiaojuan , Zhang Jinbo , Cai Zucong , Liu Guohua
Published: February 2022

The microbial groups of nitrogen fixers, ammonia oxidizers, and denitrifiers play vital roles in driving the nitrogen cycle in grassland ecosystems. However, the understanding of the abundance and distribution of these functional microorganisms as well as their driving factors were limited mainly to topsoil. In this study, the abundances of nitrogen functional genes (NFGs) involved in nitrogen fixation (nifH), ammonia oxidation (amoA), and denitrification (nirK, nirS, and nosZ) were investigated in both topsoil (0–10 cm, soil layer with concentrated root) and subsoil (30–40 cm, soil layer with spare root) of three grassland habitats in northern China. The abundance of NFGs decreased with soil depth except for the archaeal amoA gene and the distribution of nifH, archaeal amoA, nirK, and nirS gene was significantly impacted by grassland habitats. Moreover, the distribution of NFGs was more responsive to the vertical difference than horizontal spatial heterogeneity. Redundancy analysis revealed that the distribution pattern of overall NFGs was regulated by grassland habitats, and these regulations were more obvious in the subsoil than in the topsoil. Variance partitioning analysis further indicated that soil resource supply (e.g., organic matter) may control the vertical distribution of NFGs. Taken together, the findings in this study could fundamentally improve our understanding of the distribution of N cycling-associated microorganisms across a vertical scale, which would be useful for predicting the soil N availability and guiding the soil N management in grassland ecosystems.
Variation in Tracheid Dimensions of Conifer Xylem Reveals Evidence of Adaptation to Environmental Conditions
Authors: Zheng Jingming , Li Yajin , Morris Hugh , Vandelook Filip , Jansen Steven
Published: February 2022

Globally distributed extant conifer species must adapt to various environmental conditions, which would be reflected in their xylem structure, especially in the tracheid characteristics of earlywood and latewood. With an anatomical trait dataset of 78 conifer species growing throughout China, an interspecific study within a phylogenetic context was conducted to quantify variance of tracheid dimensions and their response to climatic and soil conditions. There was a significant difference in tracheid diameter between earlywood and latewood while no significant difference was detected in tracheid wall thickness through a phylogenetically pairedt-test. Through a phylogenetic principle component analysis, Pinaceae species were found to be strongly divergent in their tracheid structure in contrast to a conservative tracheid structure in species of Cupressaceae, Taxaceae, and Podocarpaceae. Tracheid wall thickness decreased from high to low latitudes in both earlywood and latewood, with tracheid diameter decreasing for latewood only. According to the most parsimonious phylogenetic general least square models, environment and phylogeny together could explain about 21∼56% of tracheid structure variance. Our results provide insights into the effects of climate and soil on the xylem structure of conifer species thus furthering our understanding of the trees’ response to global change.
Grammatical Gender in Spoken Word Recognition in School-Age Spanish-English Bilingual Children
Authors: Baron Alisa , Connell Katrina , Griffin Zenzi M.
Published: February 2022

This study investigated grammatical gender processing in school-age Spanish-English bilingual children using a visual world paradigm with a 4-picture display where the target noun was heard with a gendered article that was either in a context where all distractor images were the same gender as the target noun (same gender; uninformative) or in a context where all distractor images were the opposite gender than the target noun (different gender; informative). We investigated 32 bilingual children (ages 5;6–8;6) who were exposed to Spanish since infancy and began learning English by school entry. Along with the eye-tracking experiment, all children participated in a standardized language assessment and told narratives in English and Spanish, and parents reported on their child's current Spanish language use. The differential proportion fixations to target (target − averaged distractor fixations) were analyzed in two time regions with linear mixed-effects models (LME). Results show that prior to the target word being spoken, these bilingual children did not use the gendered articles to actively anticipate upcoming nouns. In the subsequent time region (during the noun), it was shown that there are differences in the way they use feminine and masculine articles, with a lack of use of the masculine article and a potential facilitatory use of the feminine article for children who currently use more Spanish than English. This asymmetry in the use of gendered articles in processing is modulated by current Spanish language use and trends with results found for bilingual and second-language learning adults.
Active Engagement, Protective Buffering, and Depressive Symptoms in Young-Midlife Couples Surviving Cancer: The Roles of Age and Sex
Authors: Lyons Karen S. , Gorman Jessica R. , Larkin Brandon S. , Duncan Grace , Hayes-Lattin Brandon
Published: February 2022

Objective

Cancer researchers have found midlife couples to have poorer outcomes compared to older couples due to the off-time nature of the illness for them. It is unknown if young couples (aged 18–39), who are under-represented in cancer studies and overlooked for supportive programs, are at further risk. This study explored the moderating roles of survivor age and sex on the associations between active engagement and protective buffering and depressive symptoms in couples surviving cancer.

Methods

The exploratory study comprised 49 couples (aged 27–58) 1–3 years post-diagnosis. Multilevel modeling was used to explore the moderating roles of survivor age and sex, controlling for interdependent data.

Results

Approximately, 37% of survivors and 27% of partners met clinical criteria for further assessment of depression, with 50% of couples having at least one member meeting the criteria. Survivors and their partners did not significantly differ on depressive symptoms, active engagement, or protective buffering. Male survivors reported significantly higher levels of active engagement by their partners than female survivors and female survivors reported significantly higher levels of protective buffering by their partners than male survivors. We found some evidence to suggest that survivor age and sex may play moderating roles between active engagement and protective buffering and depressive symptoms. Older partners and female survivors appeared to experience more positive effects from engaging in positive dyadic behaviors than younger partners and male survivors.

Conclusion

Findings not only confirm the important role of dyadic behaviors for couples surviving cancer together, but also the important roles of survivor age and sex may play in whether such behaviors are associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Future research that examines these complex associations over time and across the adult life span in diverse populations is needed.
Experience of Managing Countertransference Through Self-Guided Imagery in Meditation Among Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Aasan Olaug Julie , Brataas Hildfrid Vikkelsmo , Nordtug Bente
Published: February 2022

Introduction

As a part of the therapeutic relationship, a significant, well-established predictor of outcomes in psychiatric healthcare, healthcare professionals' emotional reactions to patients may affect treatment outcomes.

Aim

The aim of our study was to explore and describe healthcare professionals' experiences with managing countertransference using skills from a training program on self-guided imagery in meditation (SIM).

Method

Following an exploratory descriptive design, we conducted qualitative interviews with 10 healthcare professionals who care for patients with mental illness and subjected the collected data to thematic content analysis.

Results

Participants reported that SIM had helped them to manage countertransference and had prompted changes that we categorized into three themes: managing personal vulnerability, setting clearer boundaries, and practicing self-care.

Conclusion

The results suggest that by cultivating wellbeing and dealing with unresolved inner conflicts, SIM can help healthcare professionals to manage countertransference.
Cultural Adaptation of the Mothers and Babies Intervention for Use in Tribal Communities
Authors: Ward Erin A. , Iron Cloud-Two Dogs Ethleen , Gier Emma E. , Littlefield Linda , Tandon S. Darius
Published: February 2022

Objective

While one in five women may experience mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and postpartum, Indigenous identity increases that risk by 62%, especially among younger Indigenous women. The need for evidence-based perinatal mental health interventions that provide culturally relevant well-being perspectives and practices is critical to improving maternal, child, and community outcomes for Indigenous peoples, and reducing health inequities.

Methods

Through a collaboration between community maternal and child health professionals, intervention researchers, and a cultural consultant, our workgroup developed cultural adaptations to Mothers and Babies, an evidence-based perinatal depression prevention intervention. Applying a cultural interface model, the workgroup identified existing intervention content for surface adaptations, as well as deep, conceptual adaptations to incorporate traditional teachings into this evidence-based intervention.

Results

This collaboration developed a culturally adapted facilitator manual for intervention providers, including guidance for implementation and further adaptation to represent local tribal culture, and a culturally adapted participant workbook for Indigenous perinatal women that reflects cultural teachings and traditional practices to promote well-being for mother and baby.

Implications

Committing to a culturally respectful process to adapt Mothers and Babies is likely to increase the reach of the intervention into Indigenous communities, reengage communities with cultural practice, improve health outcomes among parents, children, and the next generation's elders, and reduce disparities among Indigenous groups. Replication of this community-engaged process can further the science and understanding of cultural adaptations to evidence-based interventions, while also further reducing health inequities. Future steps include evaluating implementation of the culturally adapted intervention among tribal home visiting organizations.
Moral Risk in the Behavior of Doctors of the Comprehensive Health Insurance in the Province of San Román, Puno-Peru, 2021
Authors: Quispe Mamani Julio C. , Quilca Soto Yessica , Calcina Álvarez Dominga A. , Yapuchura Saico Cristóbal R. , Ulloa Gallardo Nelly J. , Aguilar Pinto Santotomas L. , Quispe Quispe Betsy , Quispe Maquera Nelly B. , Cutipa Quilca Balbina E.
Published: February 2022

Objective

The objective of the research was to determine which socioeconomic factors are the ones that most influence the moral hazard in the behavior of the doctors of the Comprehensive Health Insurance in the province of San Román and to identify the attitude of the doctor to a gift and its influence in moral hazard.

Methods

The methodology used has a mixed, non-experimental and correlational approach, the Binomial Probit econometric model was used, applying a survey to 32 active doctors who work in the different SIS centers.

Results

It is concluded that the factors that influenced the moral hazard and the behavior of the doctors were the bad reputation with a positive relation (27%), the social pressure with a negative relation (98%) and the behavioral attitude with a positive relation (94 %).

Conclusion

Of the survey carried out, 40.6% of doctors reject the offer of a gift or bribe, reducing the influence of moral hazard by 94%.
Conversion Paralysis After Cervical Surgery: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Fang Miao , Zhou Jiaojiao , Zeng Yong , Huang Shishu , Song Yueming
Published: February 2022

We report a case of conversion paralysis triggered by cervical surgery that was caused by cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). A 67-year-old man underwent anterior cervical corpectomy decompression and fusion for CSM. Upon awakening from the anesthesia, he had incomplete paraplegia. Emergency surgery for hematoma evacuation was performed, but no obvious hematoma was found. After the second surgical procedure, he showed paraplegic. When the patient was informed that a third operation was needed, he recovered almost completely without any treatment. This case reminds us that spine surgeons should be aware of possible conversion paralysis, especially in patients who develop a new neurological deficit after spinal surgery.
Acoustic Attenuation of COVID-19 Face Masks: Correlation to Fibrous Material Porosity, Mask Breathability and Bacterial Filtration Efficiency
Authors: Martarelli Milena , Montalto Luigi , Chiariotti Paolo , Simoni Serena , Castellini Paolo , Battista Gianmarco , Paone Nicola
Published: February 2022

This paper presents an experimental study on acoustic attenuation of different types of face masks in use by the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, measurements are performed on ten samples of masks, of which four are medical masks, three are respirators, and three are community masks. Breathability and Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) tests, in compliance to the standard characterization process of medical masks, are also carried out. The porosity on each layer composing the masks is measured by processing their scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The analysis of the results aims to establish if acoustic attenuation is correlated to any of these parameters. It emerges that porosity and breathability are strongly correlated to acoustic attenuation, while bacterial filtration efficiency is not.
Influence of Blade Fracture on the Flow of Rotor-Stator Systems with Centrifugal Superposed Flow
Authors: Zhao Gang , Qiu Tian , Liu Peng
Published: February 2022

Rotor-stator cavities are often found in turbomachinery; they supply cold air that is bled from the compressor to the turbine blades. The pressure of the outlet of a rotor-stator cavity is axisymmetric under normal circumstances. However, its pressure would be non-axisymmetric in the event of blade fracture. The impact of blade fracture on a rotor-stator cavity with centrifugal superposed flow is studied in this paper. The Euler number E, the rotational Reynolds number Reφ, and the low-pressure zone range θ are investigated and, for the first time, with the non-axisymmetrical boundary conditions employing numerical simulation. The results of the numerical calculations show that after turbine blade fracture, the velocity is more affected in the downstream region at a high radius, especially when the Reφ is large. As for the distribution of the mass flow rate, there may be a critical θc at which the other blades are least affected. The θc would increase as the Reφ or the E increase, and the θc≅0.2 when Cw=10,137, Reφ=5.12×105, and 0.2≤E≤0.4. In addition, the thrust coefficient increases as the E or the θ increases, and the increase in the thrust coefficient does not exceed 4% when the E=0.2 and the θ=0.1 in this paper. However, the moment coefficient on the rotating shaft is almost independent of the E and the θ. An increase in the Reφ will reduce the effect of turbine blade fracture on the thrust and moment coefficients, when the Reφ is small.
Grazing Management Targets for Tangolagrass Pastures
Authors: Mocelin Nemora Guliane , Schmitt Daniel , Zanini Guilherme Doneda , Camacho Pedro Antonio Garzón , Sbrissia André Fischer
Published: February 2022

Tangolagrass (Brachiaria arrecta × Brachiaria mutica) is a stoloniferous warm-season grass considered as an alternative to forming permanent grasslands in waterlogged tropical regions. However, information about grazing management targets for such species is still scarce. This two-year study aimed to identify pre-grazing canopy heights that do not compromise both leaf lamina production and nutritive value of tangolagrass pastures, and to test whether lower canopy height could decrease stolon elongation process. To this end, three pre-grazing canopy heights (20, 30, or 40 cm, all lowered in 40% of their initial heights) were assigned to nine 390-m2 plots grazed by cattle. Herbage, leaf, and stem accumulation rates were not different among treatments (57, 23, and 27 kg DM ha−1 d−1, respectively; p > 0.05). Also, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were similar among treatments (56 and 24% DM, respectively; p > 0.05), but crude protein (CP) was greater (p = 0.0180) in pastures managed with 30 cm (24.7% DM × 22.5% DM). Thus, pre-grazing canopy heights between 20–40 cm combined with low levels of defoliation (up to 40% of the initial height) provide the same primary productivity in tangolagrass pastures. However, stolon elongation could not be reduced within such canopy height targets.
Chitosan-Based Bioactive Formulations for the Control of Powdery Mildew in Viticulture
Authors: Ruano-Rosa David , Sánchez-Hernández Eva , Baquero-Foz Rubén , Martín-Ramos Pablo , Martín-Gil Jesús , Torres-Sánchez Sergio , Casanova-Gascón José
Published: February 2022

Grapevine is highly susceptible to fungal diseases, whose incidence and severity increase due to climate change. The present work focuses on the assessment of eight combinations of natural products with chitosan oligomers with fungicidal capacity that may be effective in the integrated control of powdery mildew, in compliance with Article 14 of the European Directive 2009/128/EC. Their efficacy was evaluated in field conditions against natural infections, in a plot with high disease pressure during a growing season (assaying both foliar or root application), and against overwintering inoculums (chasmothecia) through in vitro tests. In addition, their possible biostimulant capacities were evaluated based on harvest yields. Treatments based on chitosan oligomers in combination with secondary metabolites of Streptomyces spp. and chitosan oligomers combined with hydrolyzed gluten showed the best results in terms of disease control. Given the high efficacy of these formulations, comparable to that of conventional antifungals, they constitute an interesting alternative for the control of this disease whose treatment can, in some cases, represent almost half of the production costs.
An Assessment of Cataract Severity Based on Antioxidant Status and Ascorbic Acid Levels in Aqueous Humor
Authors: Tsao Yu-Ting , Wu Wei-Chi , Chen Kuan-Jen , Liu Chun-Fu , Hsueh Yi-Jen , Cheng Chao-Min , Chen Hung-Chi
Published: February 2022

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness throughout the world. Currently, the cataract severity evaluation is based on the subjective LOCS III guideline. To ameliorate the evaluation system and develop an objective and quantitative analysis, we investigated the relationships among aqueous humor total antioxidant capacity (AqTAC), ascorbic acid (AqAA) concentration, and cataract severity. In this study, we enrolled 130 cataract patients who underwent phacoemulsification between April 2019 and March 2020. The AqTAC and AqAA were measured by our own developed TAC assay and commercially available kit. Cataract severity was recorded by nuclear opalescence (NO) and cortical cataract (CC) degree according to LOCS III. Cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) during phacoemulsification was recorded to verify the severity of the cataract. As a result, we found a moderate correlation between AqTAC and CDE (p < 0.001). In addition, we found AqTAC independently associated with the CDE when analyzed by multivariate linear regression (p < 0.001). AqTAC also negatively correlated to cataract severity when measured by NO and CC (p = 0.012 in NO grade 3 vs. grade 1; p = 0.012 in CC grade 2 vs. grade 1; p < 0.001 in CC grade 3 vs. grade 1). We further found AqAA provided 71.9 ± 13.5% of AqTAC, and showed a high correlation (rho = 0.79, p < 0.001). In conclusion, we found a significant correlation between AqTAC/AqAA and cataract severity measured by CDE. The correlation was superior to the correlation between LOCS III and CDE. Aqueous humor TAC owns the potential to assess cataracts in an objective and quantitative way.
Zebrafish Model-Based Assessment of Indoxyl Sulfate-Induced Oxidative Stress and Its Impact on Renal and Cardiac Development
Authors: Tang Paul Wei-Hua , Wu Ping-Hsun , Lin Yi-Ting , Chiu Chen-Hao , Cheng Tien-Li , Guan Wen-Hui , Lin Hugo You-Hsien , Lee Kun-Tai , Chen Yau-Hung , Chiu Chien-Chih , Liu Wangta
Published: February 2022

Kidney disease patients may have concurrent chronic kidney disease-associated mineral bone disorder and hypertension. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and neuropathy occur due to kidney failure-induced accumulation of uremic toxins in the body. Indoxyl sulfate (IS), a product of indole metabolism in the liver, is produced from tryptophan by the intestinal flora and is ultimately excreted through the kidneys. Hemodialysis helps renal failure patients eliminate many nephrotoxins, except for IS, which leads to a poor prognosis. Although the impacts of IS on cardiac and renal development have been well documented using mouse and rat models, other model organisms, such as zebrafish, have rarely been studied. The zebrafish genome shares at least 70% similarity with the human genome; therefore, zebrafish are ideal model organisms for studying vertebrate development, including renal development. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of IS on the development of zebrafish embryos, especially cardiac and renal development. At 24 h postfertilization (hpf), zebrafish were exposed to IS at concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 10 mM. IS reduced survival and the hatching rate, caused cardiac edema, increased mortality, and shortened the body length of zebrafish embryos. In addition, IS decreased heart rates and renal function. IS affected zebrafish development via the ROS and MAPK pathways, which subsequently led to inflammation in the embryos. The results suggest that IS interferes with cardiac and renal development in zebrafish embryos, providing new evidence about the toxicity of IS to aquatic organisms and new insights for the assessment of human health risks. Accordingly, we suggest that zebrafish studies can ideally complement mouse model studies to allow the simultaneous and comprehensive investigation of the physiological impacts of uremic endotheliotoxins, such as IS, on cardiac and renal development.
Special Issue on Applied Machine Learning
Authors: Dudek Grzegorz
Published: February 2022

Machine learning (ML) is one of the most exciting fields of computing today [...]
Content-Adaptive and Attention-Based Network for Hand Gesture Recognition
Authors: Cao Zongjing , Li Yan , Shin Byeong-Seok
Published: February 2022

For hand gesture recognition, recurrent neural networks and 3D convolutional neural networks are the most commonly used methods for learning the spatial–temporal features of gestures. The calculation of the hidden state of the recurrent neural network at a specific time is determined by both input at the current time and the output of the hidden state at the previous time, therefore limiting its parallel computation. The large number of weight parameters that need to be optimized leads to high computational costs associated with 3D convolution-based methods. We introduced a transformer-based network for hand gesture recognition, which is a completely self-attentional architecture without any convolution or recurrent layers. The framework classifies hand gestures by focusing on the sequence information of the whole gesture video. In addition, we introduced an adaptive sampling strategy based on the video content to reduce the input of gesture-free frames to the model, thus reducing computational consumption. The proposed network achieved 83.2% and 93.8% recognition accuracy on two publicly available benchmark datasets, NVGesture and EgoGesture datasets, respectively. The results of extensive comparison experiments show that our proposed approach outperforms the existing state-of-the-art gesture recognition systems.
Incremental Dynamic Analysis Considering Main Aftershock of Structures Based on the Correlation of Maximum and Residual Inter-Story Drift Ratios
Authors: Qu Jiting , Pan Chuyun
Published: February 2022

Aftershocks often occur after strong earthquakes and aggravate structural damage. Commonly, the incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) considering the main aftershocks only used a single index such as the maximum or the residual inter-story drift ratio. However, results of IDA using different indices may suggest that a structure has collapsed but is still repairable, which is not realistic. Given these shortcomings, this paper proposes selecting two indices in the IDA method based on the correlation between the maximum and the residual inter-story drift ratio, considering the main aftershocks. The influence of the double-indices model on the structural vulnerability analysis was discussed by establishing a commercial building in SAP2000 software, and single-index and double-index IDA were carried out, respectively. The joint distribution probability of the two indices under fixed seismic intensity was also calculated. The difference between the single-index and double-index IDA results was compared considering both the main shock and the main aftershock. The results showed that the effect of aftershocks would improve the correlation coefficient between the maximum and the residual inter-story drift ratio, and the building model has a higher probability of overrun after considering the correlation of the two indices. This paper provides a new method for IDA and vulnerability analysis using multiple indices.
Laboratory Assessment and In-Field Monitoring of Macro-Encapsulated Phase Change Materials for Building Envelope Applications
Authors: Fantucci Stefano , Autretto Giorgia , Fenoglio Elisa , Sassaroli Emanuela , Perino Marco
Published: February 2022

Phase Change Material (PCM) based products represent an emerging technology for the building sector. For their application in the building envelope, they are usually macro-encapsulated in plastic/metal containers or placed in bags/pouches that allow an easier and safer installation. Unfortunately, most of the product data on PCMs are obtained by means of the differential scanning calorimetry method (DSC) applied to bulk PCMs. This method, even though accurate, can lead to results that are not fully representative of the complex behavior of PCM-based products. The results of an experimental laboratory campaign, aimed at characterizing the thermal properties of a full-scale PCM product, are presented in this paper. Tests were carried out on a commercial macro-encapsulated PCM considering three different melting temperatures. The obtained results show that the overall equivalent thermal properties of the macro-encapsulated PCM products maybe somewhat different from those of bulk PCMs. In a second step, two PCM products were selected and applied to a parallel roof testing room system, directly exposed to the outdoor environment. The results of the monitoring of this system have demonstrated the effectiveness of PCMs in reducing the peak heat gains through the roof components by up to 48%. Nevertheless, by comparing the laboratory results with the monitored data, it was also possible to observe that the latent heat capacity of the PCM was never fully exploited. Thus, greater benefits could be achieved in different monitoring periods, or if a PCM with a lower melting temperature were adopted.
Contribution of Vocal Tract and Glottal Source Spectral Cues in the Generation of Acted Happy and Aggressive Spanish Vowels
Authors: Freixes Marc , Socoró Joan Claudi , Alías Francesc
Published: February 2022

The source-filter model is one of the main techniques applied to speech analysis and synthesis. Recent advances in voice production by means of three-dimensional (3D) source-filter models have overcome several limitations of classic one-dimensional techniques. Despite the development of preliminary attempts to improve the expressiveness of 3D-generated voices, they are still far from achieving realistic results. Towards this goal, this work analyses the contribution of both the the vocal tract (VT) and the glottal source spectral (GSS) cues in the generation of happy and aggressive speech through a GlottDNN-based analysis-by-synthesis methodology. Paired neutral expressive utterances are parameterised to generate different combinations of expressive vowels, applying the target expressive GSS and/or VT cues on the neutral vowels after transplanting the expressive prosody on these utterances. The conducted objective tests focused on Spanish [a], [i] and [u] vowels show that both GSS and VT cues significantly reduce the spectral distance to the expressive target. The results from the perceptual test show that VT cues make a statistically significant contribution in the expression of happy and aggressive emotions for [a] vowels, while the GSS contribution is significant in [i] and [u] vowels.
An Elliptic Blending Turbulence Model-Based Scale-Adaptive Simulation Model Applied to Fluid Flows Separated from Curved Surfaces
Authors: Yang Xianglong , Yang Lei
Published: February 2022

On the basis of a previously developed elliptic blending turbulence model (SST–k–ω–φ–α model), a scale-adaptive simulation (SAS) model is developed by following Menter and Egorov’s SAS concept. An SAS source term, which is related to the ratio of the modeled turbulence scale to the von Kármán length scale, is introduced into the corresponding length-scale determining equation. The major motivation of this study is that the conventional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) models provide only large-scale unsteadiness. The introduction of the SAS term allows the proposed SAS model to dynamically adjust to resolved structures in a URANS framework because this term is sensitive to resolved fluctuations. The predictive capabilities of the proposed SAS model are demonstrated by computing the complex flow configurations in three cases with flow separation from curved surfaces, namely, three-dimensional (3D) diffuser flow, two-dimensional (2D) periodic hills flow, and 2D U-turn duct flow. For comparison, the results predicted by the SST–k–ω–φ–α model and the Menter and Egorov’s SAS model (SST–SAS) are provided. The results are also compared with the relevant experimental, direct numerical simulation, and large eddy simulation data. The results show that the SST–k–ω–φ–α model cannot capture the critical features for all three flows, and that the SST–SAS model is able to predict the results reasonably well. The proposed SAS model is capable of resolving more portions of the turbulence structures, and it yields the best results in all the cases.
Generation of Intense and Temporally Clean Pulses—Contrast Issues of High-Brightness Excimer Systems
Authors: Szatmári Sándor , Dajka Rita , Almási Gábor , Földes István B.
Published: February 2022

In high-brightness excimer systems, the direct amplification of short pulses allows temporal filters to be integral parts of the ultraviolet (UV) amplifier chain, where the only origin of the noise is the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE), generated by the amplifier(s) following the filter. The ASE, however, develops faster than the short main pulse; in this paper, the dynamic short- and long-pulse amplification properties of KrF, XeCl and XeF excimers are studied, with special emphasis on the temporal contrast. It was found that, beyond the saturation of amplification, the relaxation of the B state in KrF, together with the contribution of the absorption of the transiently populated X state in XeCl and XeF, are the main limitations for both the extraction efficiency and the contrast. For all excimers, the stimulated transition rates and the dependence of the achievable contrast on the level of saturation were derived. Local quantities were introduced to characterize the deterioration of the contrast for a unit gain length of KrF amplifiers. A KrF power amplifier of limited gain (G ≈ 3), following the newly introduced nonlinear Fourier filter, is capable of reaching contrast levels beyond the previously reported 1011–1012.