bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Telephone Referral to a Paediatric Emergency Department: Why Do Parents Not Show Up?
Authors: Freiermuth Mélanie , Newman Christopher J. , Villoslada Judit
Published: January 2023

Medical call centres can evaluate and refer patients to an emergency department (ED), a physician or provide guidance for self-care. Our aim was (1) to determine parental adherence to an ED orientation after being referred by the nurses of a call centre, (2) to observe how adherence varies according to children’s characteristics and (3) to assess parents’ reasons for non-adherence. This was a prospective cohort study set in the Lausanne agglomeration, Switzerland. From 1 February to 5 March 2022, paediatric calls (<16 years old) with an ED orientation were selected. Life-threatening emergencies were excluded. Parental adherence was then verified in the ED. All parents were contacted by telephone to respond to a questionnaire regarding their call. Parental adherence to the ED orientation was 75%. Adherence decreased significantly with increasing distance between the place the call originated and the ED. The child’s age, sex and health complaints within calls had no effect on adherence. The three major reasons for non-adherence to telephone referral were: improvement in the child’s condition (50.7%), parents’ decision to go elsewhere (18.3%) and an appointment with a paediatrician (15.5%). Our results offer new perspectives to optimise the telephone assessment of paediatric patients and decrease barriers to adherence.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Construction Materials in 2022
Authors:   Construction Materials Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Dynamics in 2022
Authors:   Dynamics Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
The Determinants of Mathematics Achievement: A Gender Perspective Using Multilevel Random Forest
Authors: Bertoletti Alice , Cannistrà Marta , Diaz Lema Melisa , Masci Chiara , Mergoni Anna , Rossi Lidia , Soncin Mara
Published: January 2023

This paper investigates the determinants of mathematics performance by gender, exploiting a multilevel random forest approach. OECD PISA 2018 data from 28 European countries are employed to explore the performance of male and female students as a function of students’ family characteristics, their attitudes towards education, and class and school environment. Results show that the gender gap in favour of boys persists in most European countries. However, teacher and school practices like fostering student reading and creating a cooperative environment allow mitigating the influence of family background in countries without gender gap. Policy implications to foster performance equality are provided.
Insurance Literacy: Significance of Its Dimensions for Insurance Inclusion in Uganda
Authors: Kiwanuka Archillies , Sibindi Athenia Bongani
Published: January 2023

The aim of the study was to establish the significance of the individual components of insurance literacy—knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviour—in explaining insurance inclusion in Uganda. The study was correlational and cross-sectional by design. Hence, 400 responses were obtained from individuals who enrolled for insurance. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was adopted to test the predictive power of the dimensions of insurance literacy on insurance inclusion in Uganda. Before performing correlational and regression analyses, the study variables were tested for parametric assumptions, convergent and discriminant validity, common method variance and exploratory factors. The results of the study revealed that knowledge, skills and attitude significantly and positively predicted insurance inclusion in Uganda. Contrary to prior studies, behaviour was found to have an insignificant positive influence on insurance inclusion in Uganda. Overall, the individual components of insurance literacy explained 38.5% of the variation in insurance inclusion in Uganda. Notably, the current study contributes to the nascent literature on insurance literacy and insurance inclusion. Earlier studies have ignored the insurance component of financial inclusion. The originality of this study lies in that it is the first to examine the significance of the individual dimensions of insurance literacy towards explaining insurance inclusion. The implication of this study is that policymakers should consider insurance literacy in national financial inclusion strategies and financial literacy programmes in order to foster insurance inclusion.
Lossless Encoding of Mental Cutting Test Scenarios for Efficient Development of Spatial Skills
Authors: Tóth Róbert , Hoffmann Miklós , Zichar Marianna
Published: January 2023

In the last decade, various mobile applications have been developed to improve and measure spatial abilities using different spatial tests and tasks through augmented reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), or embedded 3D viewers. The Mental Cutting Test (MCT) is one of the most well-known and popular tests for this purpose, but it needs a vast number of tasks (scenarios) for effective practice and measurement. We have recently developed a script-aided method that automatically generates and permutes Mental Cutting Test scenarios and exports them to an appropriate file format (to GLB (glTF 2.0) assets) representing the scenarios. However, the significant number of permutations results in more than 1,000,000 assets, requiring more than 6 GB of storage space. This paper introduces an encoding scheme consisting of four stages to handle this issue through significantly reducing the storage space, making the app suitable for everyday individual use, even on a mobile phone. The proposed method encodes a subset of assets from which it can decode the whole dataset with 3% time complexity compared to classical Blender’s computations, exceeding the compression ratio of 10,000 and storage space saving 99.99%. This paper explains the features of the original assets, introduces the encoding and decoding functions with the format of documents, and then measures the solution’s efficiency based on our dataset of MCT scenarios.
An Improved Energy Management Strategy of Diesel-Electric Hybrid Propulsion System Based on FNN-DP Strategy
Authors: Li Wang , Wang Chao , Pei Haoying , Xu Chunmei , Lin Gengyi , Deng Jiangming , Jiang Dafa , Huang Yuanju
Published: January 2023

Diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system (HPS) is widely applied for shunting locomotive due to the characteristics of flexible configuration, economic and environmental protection in the world. Energy management strategy (EMS) is an important design factor of HPS that can optimize the energy distribution of each power sources, improve system efficiency, and reduce fuel consumption. In this paper, the model of HPS for shunting locomotive and system operating profile are firstly carried out. Then the EMS consist of the conventional rule-based (RB) strategy rule, and a fuzzy neural network base on dynamic programming (FNN-DP) strategy are studied. Finally, the simulations were carried out with these EMSs in the system model at full operating conditions to derive the fuel consumption. The conclusion is that the theoretical optimal solution of DP provides reference and guidance for the fuzzy neural network strategy to improve the rules, and the fuel consumption of the FNN-DP strategy is 10.2% lower than the conventional RB strategy.
A Fast Homeostatic Inhibitory Plasticity Rule Circuit with a Memristive Synapse
Authors: Ma Guilei , Man Menghua , Zhang Yongqiang , Liu Shanghe
Published: January 2023

Learning from the robust mechanism of the biological nervous system is critical for creating reliable neuromorphic hardware. The homeostatic inhibition plasticity rule is a robust biological mechanism to balance Hebbian plasticity and resist external environmental disturbances and local damage. It plays an essential role in maintaining the homeostatic sparse firing patterns of the nervous system. This paper imitates this mechanism and provides a fast homeostatic inhibitory plasticity rule circuit with a memristive synapse. Firstly, the design method and principle of the circuit are demonstrated. Secondly, the function of the circuit was verified in PSpice© using a commercial Knowm memristor as a synapse. The PSpice© simulation results show that the circuit can achieve a weight update curve similar to the biological homeostatic inhibitory plasticity rule, and the time scale of the circuit is improved by a factor of 1000 compared to that of the biological nervous system. Furthermore, the circuit has wide applicability due to the tunable qualities of the homeostatic learning window, scaling factor, and homeostatic factor. This study provides new opportunities for building fast and reliable neuromorphic hardware.
Active Disturbance Rejection Control of an Interleaved High Gain DC-DC Boost Converter for Fuel Cell Applications
Authors: Smadi Ahmed Abdelhak , Khoucha Farid , Amirat Yassine , Benrabah Abdeldjabar , Benbouzid Mohamed
Published: January 2023

In this paper, a simplified and robust control strategy of an interleaved high gain DC/DC boost converter (IHGBC) is proposed in order to enhance DC bus voltage regulation in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. The fluctuation of the energy source voltage and external load, and the change in system parameters lead to the instability of output voltage. Based on the creation of an average state space model of the DC/DC boost converter, the proposed controller is designed based on a linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC), which has an external voltage loop and an internal current loop to meet the output voltage requirements under parameters uncertainties and disturbances. The effectiveness of the proposed approach strategy and its superiority were examined under different operating conditions and scenarios. Simulation and experiment results showed the efficiency and robustness of the suggested approach and the great effectiveness in the reference tracking and disturbance rejection.
Power Planning for a Reliable Southern African Regional Grid
Authors: Ndlela Nomihla Wandile , Davidson Innocent Ewean , Moloi Katleho
Published: January 2023

Southern Africa has suffered from multiple power disruptions in the past decade due to inadequate electrical generation capacity, as well as load developments in locations that were not suitably planned for. Southern African countries are able to have reliable, sustainable, and efficient electrical power grids. The use of power interconnections for exchange power, especially for long-distance transmission networks, is important. Installing a suitable high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) with a high-voltage direct current (HVdc) will improve the active–reactive power compensation when transmitting electrical power over long distances (when transmitting bulk power is possible). Flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) devices are typically combinations of shunt and series converters. These approaches are capable of improving the power stability and voltage while allowing power to be transferred with minimal losses to an alternating current transmission system for the power exchange. In this article, two HVDC line-commutated converter (LCC) links, i.e., Angola–Namibia and Aggeneys–Kokerboom, were applied to minimize losses from 2657.43 to 2120.91 MW, with power setpoints of 1000 and 600 MW, respectively. The 2500 and 475 MVAr SVCs were used to control the voltage instabilities at Namibia and Mozambique substations, respectively. The use of HVdc to reduce losses and FACTS devices to enhance controllability and power transfer is extremely effective, particularly in long transmission lines transporting bulk power.
Study on the Rotation Effect on the Modal Performance of Wind Turbine Blades
Authors: Chen Yewen , Zhou Shuni , Cai Chang , Wang Weilong , Hao Yuheng , Zhou Teng , Wang Xinbao , Li Qingan
Published: January 2023

With the large-scale development of wind turbines, large flexible blades bear heavier loads. In the actual rotating work of blades, the coupling of structural deformation and motion produces a dynamic stiffening effect and spin softening effect, which affects the dynamic characteristics of blades. In this study, the finite element method is used to model the NREL 5MW blade, and the dynamic stiffening and spin softening effects are investigated using the modal analysis. The influence of rotating effects on the blade’s natural frequency is revealed. It is concluded that the effect of dynamic stiffening is more significant than that of spin softening, and the comprehensive result of the two effects is not simply the superposition of them but presents obvious nonlinearity.
CFD Simulation Study on the Air Side of a CO2 Evaporator in a Motor Train Unit Air Conditioning System
Authors: Cui Hongjiang , Su Xiaoke , Guan Ying , Fei Jiyou
Published: January 2023

At present, China’s high-speed rail is in a period of rapid development. Most of the refrigerants used in Chinese motor train units at this stage are still R134a and R407c, which have an impact on the environment. In response to the environmental protection concept of green travel, it is of great significance to study the air conditioning system of motor train units using CO2 refrigerant. Using CFD simulation analysis technology, the heat transfer performance of the air side of the CO2 finned tube evaporator used in the air conditioning system of the motor train unit is studied. We select the air outlet temperature, pressure drop, heat transfer factor, and resistance factor as the objective function, in addition, monitoring points are set up in the air flow channel to monitor the turbulent flow field and pipe wall pressure. Our research shows that the cooling capacity of the CO2 evaporator can reach up to 29.76 kW, which can meet the heat exchange required in the air conditioning system of the motor train unit. In order to obtain a better structure and the conditions of the heat transfer effect, structural optimization was conducted. The simulation results demonstrate several trends: (i) With the augment of the air inlet velocity, the cooling capacity of the evaporator increases and the heat exchange effect improves; when the air inlet ve > 2.2 m/s, the effect of continuing to augment ve on heat exchange is weak. (ii) Following appropriate reduction of the diameter of the heat exchange tube, the wind resistance is reduced and the cooling capacity of the evaporator is improved. (iii) With the enlargement of the fin spacing, the turbulent motion in the flow channel can be fully developed, there is a peak in the change in the heat exchange tube area optimization factor, and the optimal fin spacing is between 1.6 mm and 1.7 mm; at this time, the average turbulent kinetic energy of the air side is larger and the turbulent dissipation rate is smaller. These results provide a reference for the practical application of CO2 refrigerant in the motor train unit.
Areas of Fan Research—A Review of the Literature in Terms of Improving Operating Efficiency and Reducing Noise Emissions
Authors: Piwowarski Marian , Jakowski Damian
Published: January 2023

Fans as industrial devices are among the most significant single recipients of driving energy. Therefore, they represent an important area of energy savings to reduce CO2 emissions. The ubiquity of fans and their operation under conditions different from the optimum provides an opportunity for more significant global reductions in the energy used to drive them. The second important aspect, besides energy efficiency, related to the operation of fans is the noise they generate. This article studies fans in various operating configurations, emphasizing improving operating efficiency and reducing noise emissions. The subject matter undertaken is based on the current trends and needs of the industry, notably the ventilation and power industry. The article attempts a detailed literature review taking into account just these aspects. The paper is divided into three main sections, with an analysis of the literature in the areas of energy efficiency, considering the operation of fans with the necessary instrumentation, the incidence of vibration, and noise optimization. The final area of analysis is the parameters and components of the plant in which the fans operate. This article identifies possible sites for further research and scientific work to improve and optimize the areas identified earlier.
Decision Support Models and Methodologies for Fire Suppression
Authors: Granda Bibiana , León Javier , Vitoriano Begoña , Hearne John
Published: January 2023

Wildfires are recurrent natural events that have been increasing in frequency and severity in recent decades. They threaten human lives and damage ecosystems and infrastructure, leading to high recovery costs. To address the issue of wildfires, several activities must be managed and coordinated in order to develop a suitable response that is both effective and affordable. This includes actions taken before (mitigation, prevention, and preparedness), during (response), and after the event (recovery). Considering the available resources and the safety of the involved personnel is a key aspect. This article is a review focused on fire suppression, which comprises actions belonging to the preparedness phase (deployment) and the response phase (dispatching) of the wildfire management scheme. It goes through the models and methodologies that, applying operations research and optimization techniques, address the management of resources to address fire suppression. This article presents a review of the studies published after the last review on the topic in 2017, but also includes some interesting papers before that date. It concludes with some classifying tables and a few conclusions about possible future lines of research.
Creatine Kinase Activity as an Indicator of Energetic Impairment and Tissue Damage in Fish: A Review
Authors: Baldissera Matheus D. , Baldisserotto Bernardo
Published: January 2023

Creatine kinase (CK) is an enzyme that produces and uses phosphocreatine to transfer energy to maintain tissue and cellular energy homeostasis, being considered the main controller of cellular energy homeostasis. Its activity in plasma/serum has been commonly used to evaluate tissue damage, since CK is released into the bloodstream during damage. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the use of CK activity in fish, focusing on its potential as an indicator of the impairment of energetic homeostasis and tissue damage during stressful situations, such as exposure to contaminants (metals, pesticides, microplastic), hypoxia, thermal stress, and diseases (fungal, parasitic, and bacterial). Based on the data, we can conclude that tissue CK activity can be used as a suitable indicator of the impairment of energetic homeostasis in fish exposed to different aquaculture challenge conditions, while serum/plasma CK activity can be used as the first evidence of possible tissue damage, due to its release into the bloodstream.
Pesticide Residues in Bananas from the Canary Islands
Authors: Méndez Juan M. , Gutiérrez-Fernández Ángel J. , Hardisson Arturo , Niebla-Canelo Daniel , Alejandro-Vega Samuel , Rubio-Armendáriz Carmen , Paz-Montelongo Soraya
Published: January 2023

There are a large number of pests which are detrimental to plant production, specifically to banana cultivation, and the use of pesticides is the main method of control of these pests. Therefore, the number of active substances in pesticides has been steadily increasing since before the Second World War. There is growing consumer concern about the health effects of pesticide residues and there is certainly evidence of a link between pesticide exposure and the prevalence of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is of particular interest to study the presence of pesticide residues in bananas and their toxicological, agricultural and legal implications. In this study, the content of pesticide residues in bananas produced in the Canary Islands during a ten-year period from 2008 to 2017 was determined. A total of 733 samples of bananas were analysed during the study period, in which 191 different active substances were investigated, involving 103,641 assessments. The samples analysed were selected in such a way that they are representative of the banana sector in the Canary Islands as a whole, taking into account geographical and climatic factors, cultivation methods and the processing of bananas in packaging, which are the differentiating factors in the use of pesticides. The reference parameter for the residue investigation is the MRL (maximum residue limit).
Advances in Spectrometric Techniques in Food Analysis and Authentication
Authors: Cozzolino Daniel
Published: January 2023

The demand from the food industry and consumers for analytical tools that can assure the quality (e [...]
High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatments Improved Properties of Fermentation of Apple Juice Accompanied by Higher Reserved Lactobacillus plantarum
Authors: Ma Jing , Wang Yu , Zhao Mengya , Tong Pengyan , Lv Liuqing , Gao Zhenpeng , Liu Jing , Long Fangyu
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to assess the feasibility of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment to obtain high quality juice, and prepared functional apple juice using fermentation technology. The physicochemical properties of HHP (10 min) pasteurized and pasteurized (85 °C, 15 min) apple juices were compared during fermentation. Moreover, the survival of Lactobacillus plantarum after fermentation under simulated gastrointestinal conditions was evaluated. Results showed that HHP-treated apple juice had better properties than that of pasteurized in terms of color difference, total phenol content, and antioxidant activity. After fermentation, about 2.00 log CFU/mL increase in viability of cells was observed and there was around 0.8 reduction in pH value, and the antioxidant capacities were also significantly improved. Additionally, the content of caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and chlorogenic acid significantly increased after 24 h of fermentation. The survival of Lactobacillus plantarum in simulated gastric fluid reached 97.37% after fermentation. Overall, HHP treatment is expected to be a substitute technology to pasteurization in order to obtain higher quality fermented fruit juice. This study could also be helpful for exploitation of fermented juice.
The ‘Nigerian Diet’ and Its Evolution: Review of the Existing Literature and Household Survey Data
Authors: Petrikova Ivica , Bhattacharjee Ranjana , Fraser Paul D.
Published: January 2023

Natural and social science studies have commonly referenced a ‘typical’ or ‘habitual’ Nigerian diet, without defining what such a diet entails. Our study, based on a systematic review of the existing literature and an analysis of household-level survey data, describes the general outline of a common Nigerian diet and how it varies based on spatial, demographic, and socio-economic characteristics. We further try to establish whether Nigeria has embarked on a dietary transition common in most modern economies, marked by a greater consumption of processed foods, fats, and sugar at the expense of traditional whole cereals and pulses. We conclude that while a traditional Nigerian diet is still relatively healthy from an international perspective, it has indeed been transitioning, with an increasing inclusion of high-energy, high-fat, and high-sugar processed foods and a related growing incidence of overweight, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases.
Monascus Red Pigment Liposomes: Microstructural Characteristics, Stability, and Anticancer Activity
Authors: Long Pengcheng , Zhu Lisha , Lai Huafa , Xu Suyin , Dong Xingxing , Shao Yanchun , Wang Liling , Cheng Shuiyuan , Liu Gang , He Jingren , He Yi
Published: January 2023

Monascus red pigments (MRPs), which are a kind of natural colorant produced by Monascus spp., are widely used in the food and health supplements industry but are not very stable during processing and storage. Thus, MRPs were embedded into liposome membranes using a thin-film ultrasonic method to improve stability in this study. Monascus red pigments liposomes (MRPL) exhibited spherical unilamellar vesicles (UV) with particle size, polydispersity indexes (PDI), and zeta potential of 20–200 nm, 0.362 ± 0.023, and −42.37 ± 0.21 mV, respectively. pH, thermal, light, metal ion, storage, and in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion stability revealed that, compared with free MRPs, liposomes embedding significantly enhanced the stability of MRPs when exposed to adverse environmental conditions. Furthermore, anticancer assay suggested that MRPL exhibited a stronger inhibitory effect on MKN-28 cells by damaging the integrity of cells, with the IC50 value at 0.57 mg/mL. Overall, MRPLs possess stronger stability in external environment and in vitro simulated digestion with greater anticancer activity, indicating that MRPLs have the potential for promising application in the functional foods and pharmaceutical industries.
Explicit Soliton Structure Formation for the Riemann Wave Equation and a Sensitive Demonstration
Authors: Majid Sheikh Zain , Faridi Waqas Ali , Asjad Muhammad Imran , Abd El-Rahman Magda , Eldin Sayed M.
Published: January 2023

The motive of the study was to explore the nonlinear Riemann wave equation, which describes the tsunami and tidal waves in the sea and homogeneous and stationary media. This study establishes the framework for the analytical solutions to the Riemann wave equation using the new extended direct algebraic method. As a result, the soliton patterns of the Riemann wave equation have been successfully illustrated, with exact solutions offered by the plane solution, trigonometry solution, mixed hyperbolic solution, mixed periodic and periodic solutions, shock solution, mixed singular solution, mixed trigonometric solution, mixed shock single solution, complex soliton shock solution, singular solution, and shock wave solutions. Graphical visualization is provided of the results with suitable values of the involved parameters by Mathematica. It was visualized that the velocity of the soliton and the wave number controls the behavior of the soliton. We are confident that our research will assist physicists in predicting new notions in mathematical physics.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Geriatrics in 2022
Authors:   Geriatrics Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Intravitreal Injection Planning during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study of Two Tertiary University Centers in Italy
Authors: Mazzuca Daniela , Demarinis Giuseppe , Della Corte Marcello , Caputo Fiorella , Caruso Antonello , Pallocci Margherita , Marsella Luigi Tonino , Tatti Filippo , Pintor Emanuele Siotto , Mangoni Lorenzo , Piccoli Gabriele , Carnevali Adriano , Vaccaro Sabrina , Scorcia Vincenzo , Peiretti Enrico , Nobile Carmelo , Gratteri Nicola , Giannaccare Giuseppe
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has hampered the optimum management of retinal diseases. This study examined the impact of the pandemic on the intravitreal-injection practice in two academic centers in Italy along with the related medico-legal implications. A retrospective analysis of electronic medical records from 16 March 2020 to 14 March 2021 at the ophthalmological departments of University of Cagliari (SGD) and University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro (UMG) was conducted. The data collected between 16 March 2020 and 14 June 2020 (lockdown), 15 June 2020 and 13 September 2020 (unlock), and 14 September 2020 and 14 March 2021 (second wave) were compared with those of the same period of the previous year. Weekly data on the administered drug and the number and type of treated disease were collected and analyzed. During the lockdown, a drop of 59% at SGD (p < 0.00001) and 77% at UMG (p < 0.00001) in intravitreal injections was found. In the first year of the pandemic, the reduction in injections was approximately of 27% (p < 0.0008) and 38% (p < 0.0001) at SGD and UMG, respectively. The COVID-19-related containment measures and the health resources redistribution have led to a delay in the treatment of chronic diseases of the retina, prioritizing the undeferrable ones. The lack of management guidelines has conceived relevant ethical and medico-legal issues that need to be considered in future measures planning.
Oral Manifestations in Children Diagnosed with COVID-19: A Narrative Review
Authors: Moca Abel Emanuel , Juncar Raluca Iulia , Moca Rahela Tabita , Bota Teofana , Sabău Denisa Tabita , Juncar Mihai
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 disease has many symptoms, including fever, dry cough, tachypnea, and shortness of breath, but other symptoms can accompany the disease. The disease can also have oral manifestations. The aim of this narrative review is to describe the oral manifestations of COVID-19 in children and adolescents by summarizing the current knowledge as it was described in various case reports and original articles. A review of the literature was carried out by searching the online databases PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, between October 2022 and 12 November 2022. For this narrative review, 890 articles from three databases and manual search were screened. Saliva was discovered to be a potential screening tool for the infection with the SARS-CoV-2, although it is most reliable in the first few days of infection. Different alteration of the oral mucosa, such as ulcers, erosions and gingivitis were reported. Oral manifestations accompanied children with COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome, Kawasaki disease, thrombocytopenic purpura and erythema multiforme. COVID-19 had an indirect effect on oral harmful habits by decreasing their frequency during the lockdown. Although they occur more rarely, oral manifestations can accompany COVID-19 disease in children and adolescents, and they can be an early sign of the disease.
Cladosporium Species: The Predominant Species Present on Raspberries from the U.K. and Spain and Their Ability to Cause Skin and Stigmata Infections
Authors: Farwell Lauren Helen , Deakin Greg , Harris Adrian Lee , Fagg Georgina , Passey Thomas , Verheecke-Vaessen Carol , Magan Naresh , Xu Xiangming
Published: January 2023

Raspberry (Rosales: Rosaceae) production in the U.K. has moved rapidly in the last 10 years to under polythene, combined with a reduced availability of broad-spectrum fungicides. Hence, the incidence of previously less prevalent diseases, such as Cladosporium (Capnodiales: Cladosporiaceae), has largely increased. This study aimed to identify the predominant Cladosporium species on raspberry and to understand the nature of its infection on raspberry fruit. Raspberries were collected from farms across the U.K. and Spain and incubated; fungal isolates were then isolated from typical Cladosporium lesions and identified to the species level based on the sequences of the trans elongation factor α and actin genes. Cladosporium cladosporioides (Fres) de Vries was confirmed as the predominant species responsible for infecting raspberry fruit close to harvest on fruit from the U.K. and Spain, being present on 41.5% of U.K. fruit and 84.6% of Spanish fruit. Raspberries were subsequently inoculated at different developmental stages with C. cladosporioides isolates to determine the susceptibility to Cladosporium skin lesions and stigmata infections in relation to the developmental stage. Only the ripening and ripe raspberries were susceptible to Cladosporium, resulting in skin lesions. Cladosporium can colonise the stigmata of raspberries earlier in fruit development and future research is required to determine if such stigmata infections could cause subsequent skin lesion infections. This study has provided the necessary epidemiological information to develop effective management measures against the Cladosporium species.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Hydrobiology in 2022
Authors: Hydrobiology Editorial Office Hydrobiology Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of IJGI in 2022
Authors:   IJGI Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Superoxide Anion Chemistry—Its Role at the Core of the Innate Immunity
Authors: Andrés Celia María Curieses , Pérez de la Lastra José Manuel , Andrés Juan Celia , Plou Francisco J. , Pérez-Lebeña Eduardo
Published: January 2023

Classically, superoxide anion O2•− and reactive oxygen species ROS play a dual role. At the physiological balance level, they are a by-product of O2 reduction, necessary for cell signalling, and at the pathological level they are considered harmful, as they can induce disease and apoptosis, necrosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis and autophagic cell death. This revision focuses on understanding the main characteristics of the superoxide O2•−, its generation pathways, the biomolecules it oxidizes and how it may contribute to their modification and toxicity. The role of superoxide dismutase, the enzyme responsible for the removal of most of the superoxide produced in living organisms, is studied. At the same time, the toxicity induced by superoxide and derived radicals is beneficial in the oxidative death of microbial pathogens, which are subsequently engulfed by specialized immune cells, such as neutrophils or macrophages, during the activation of innate immunity. Ultimately, this review describes in some depth the chemistry related to O2•− and how it is harnessed by the innate immune system to produce lysis of microbial agents.
Genetic Background and Molecular Mechanisms of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: La Bella Saverio , Rinaldi Marta , Di Ludovico Armando , Di Donato Giulia , Di Donato Giulio , Salpietro Vincenzo , Chiarelli Francesco , Breda Luciana
Published: January 2023

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic rheumatic disease in the paediatric population. JIA comprises a heterogeneous group of disorders with different onset patterns and clinical presentations with the only element in common being chronic joint inflammation. This review sought to evaluate the most relevant and up-to-date evidence on current knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of JIA subtypes to provide a better understanding of these disorders. Despite significant improvements over the past decade, the aetiology and molecular mechanisms of JIA remain unclear. It has been suggested that the immunopathogenesis is characterised by complex interactions between genetic background and environmental factors that may differ between JIA subtypes. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes and non-HLA genes play a crucial role in the abnormal activation of both innate and adaptive immune cells that cooperate in causing the inflammatory process. This results in the involvement of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, IL-21, IL-23, and others. These mediators, interacting with the surrounding tissue, cause cartilage stress and bone damage, including irreversible erosions. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the genetic background and molecular mechanisms of JIA.
Identification of Compounds Preventing A. fumigatus Biofilm Formation by Inhibition of the Galactosaminogalactan Deacetylase Agd3
Authors: Seegers Carla I. I. , Lee Danielle J. , Zarnovican Patricia , Kirsch Susanne H. , Müller Rolf , Haselhorst Thomas , Routier Françoise H.
Published: January 2023

The opportunistic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus causes a set of diseases ranging from allergy to lethal invasive mycosis. Within the human airways, A. fumigatus is embedded in a biofilm that forms not only a barrier against the host immune defense system, but also creates a physical barrier protecting the fungi from chemicals such as antifungal drugs. Novel therapeutic strategies aim at combining drugs that inhibit biofilm synthesis or disrupt existing biofilm with classical antimicrobials. One of the major constituents of A. fumigatus biofilm is the polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan (GAG) composed of α1,4-linked N-acetylgalactosamine, galactosamine, and galactose residues. GAG is synthesized on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane and is extruded in the extracellular space, where it is partially deacetylated. The deacetylase Agd3 that mediates this last step is essential for the biofilm formation and full virulence of the fungus. In this work, a previously described enzyme-linked lectin assay, based on the adhesion of deacetylated GAG to negatively charged plates and quantification with biotinylated soybean agglutinin was adapted to screen microbial natural compounds, as well as compounds identified in in silico screening of drug libraries. Actinomycin X2, actinomycin D, rifaximin, and imatinib were shown to inhibit Agd3 activity in vitro. At a concentration of 100 µM, actinomycin D and imatinib showed a clear reduction in the biofilm biomass without affecting the fungal growth. Finally, imatinib reduced the virulence of A. fumigatus in a Galleria mellonella infection model in an Agd3-dependent manner.
The Role of Sex Hormones in Pain-Related Conditions
Authors: Athnaiel Onella , Cantillo Santiago , Paredes Stephania , Knezevic Nebojsa Nick
Published: January 2023

Millions of people are affected by pain-related conditions worldwide. Literature has consistently shown that each individual experiences and perceives pain in a unique manner due to biological, environmental, and cultural factors in which they have been raised. It has been established that biological males and females perceive pain differently and that it may be partially explained by their distinct hormonal profiles since birth, which are only further magnified during puberty. For biological males, high levels of testosterone have shown to increase their pain threshold; and for biological females, estrogen fluctuations have shown to increase pain intensity and perception. However, sex hormones have not been studied in the context of pain treatment or their impact on biochemical pathways involved in pain perception. For this purpose, the transgender community serves as a unique population to investigate the impact of hormone replacement therapy on molecular pathways involved in the perception of pain. The purpose of this review is to explore the biochemistry of hormone replacement in transgender patients who also have other pain-related conditions such as headaches, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular myalgia, and visceral pain.
Discrimination between Complete versus Non-Complete Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy Using Ultrasensitive Mutation Analysis: A Proof-of-Concept Study in BRCA1-Driven Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Sokolenko Anna P. , Moiseyenko Fedor V. , Iyevleva Aglaya G. , Ivantsov Alexandr O. , Dolmatov Georgiy D. , Shelekhova Ksenia V. , Gulo Elizaveta V. , Topal Anastasya X. , Artemieva Elizaveta V. , Abduloeva Nuriniso H. , Rysev Nikita A. , Barsova Daria A. , Levchenko Natalia V. , Volkov Nikita M. , Egorenkov Vitaliy V. , Moiseyenko Vladimir M. , Imyanitov Evgeny N.
Published: January 2023

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for breast cancer (BC) often results in pathologic complete response (pCR), i.e., the complete elimination of visible cancer cells. It is unclear whether the use of ultrasensitive genetic methods may still detect residual BC cells in complete responders. Breast carcinomas arising in BRCA1 mutation carriers almost always carry alterations of the TP53 gene thus providing an opportunity to address this question. The analysis of consecutive BC patients treated by NACT revealed a higher pCR rate in BRCA1-driven vs. BRCA1-wildtype BCs (13/24 (54%) vs. 29/192 (15%), p < 0.0001). Twelve pre-/post-NACT tissue pairs obtained from BRCA1 mutation carriers were available for the study. While TP53 mutation was identified in all chemonaive tumors, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) analysis of the post-NACT tumor bed revealed the persistence of this alteration in all seven pCR-non-responders but in none of five pCR responders. Eleven patients provided to the study post-NACT tissue samples only; next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis revealed mutated TP53 copies in all six cases without pCR but in none of five instances of pCR. In total, TP53 mutation was present in post-NACT tissues in all 13 cases without pCR, but in none of 10 patients with pCR (p < 0.000001). Therefore, the lack of visible tumor cells in the post-NACT tumor bed is indeed a reliable indicator of the complete elimination of transformed clones. Failure of ultrasensitive methods to identify patients with minimal residual disease among pCR responders suggests that the result of NACT is a categorical rather than continuous variable, where some patients are destined to be cured while others ultimately fail to experience tumor eradication.
Proteomic Analysis of Proteins Related to Defense Responses in Arabidopsis Plants Transformed with the rolB Oncogene
Authors: Vereshchagina Yulia V. , Mironova Anastasiya A. , Bulgakov Dmitry V. , Bulgakov Victor P.
Published: January 2023

During Agrobacterium rhizogenes–plant interaction, the rolB gene is transferred into the plant genome and is stably inherited in the plant’s offspring. Among the numerous effects of rolB on plant metabolism, including the activation of secondary metabolism, its effect on plant defense systems has not been sufficiently studied. In this work, we performed a proteomic analysis of rolB-expressing Arabidopsis thaliana plants with particular focus on defense proteins. We found a total of 77 overexpressed proteins and 64 underexpressed proteins in rolB-transformed plants using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and MALDI mass spectrometry. In the rolB-transformed plants, we found a reduced amount of scaffold proteins RACK1A, RACK1B, and RACK1C, which are known as receptors for activated C-kinase 1. The proteomic analysis showed that rolB could suppress the plant immune system by suppressing the RNA-binding proteins GRP7, CP29B, and CP31B, which action are similar to the action of type-III bacterial effectors. At the same time, rolB plants induce the massive biosynthesis of protective proteins VSP1 and VSP2, as well as pathogenesis-related protein PR-4, which are markers of the activated jasmonate pathway. The increased contents of glutathione-S-transferases F6, F2, F10, U19, and DHAR1 and the osmotin-like defense protein OSM34 were found. The defense-associated protein PCaP1, which is required for oligogalacturonide-induced priming and immunity, was upregulated. Moreover, rolB-transformed plants showed the activation of all components of the PYK10 defense complex that is involved in the metabolism of glucosinolates. We hypothesized that various defense systems activated by rolB protect the host plant from competing phytopathogens and created an effective ecological niche for A. rhizogenes. A RolB → RACK1A signaling module was proposed that might exert most of the rolB-mediated effects on plant physiology. Our proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD037959.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Information in 2022
Authors:   Information Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

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Yellow-Green and Blue Fluorescent 1,8-Naphthalimide-Based Chemosensors for Metal Cations
Authors: Grabchev Ivo , Angelova Silvia , Staneva Desislava
Published: January 2023

Two new 1,8-naphthalimides (NI), emitting yellow-green or blue fluorescence depending on the type of substituents at the C-4 position, have been synthesized and characterized. Their basic photophysical characteristics have been investigated in organic solvents of different polarities. Their ability to detect metal ions (Ag+, Cu2+, Zn2+ Ca2+, Mg2+, Ni2+, and Fe3+) has been studied in DMF solution. The amino (NI1) and alkoxy (NI2) functionalized 1,8-naphthalimides exhibit different optical and metal ion sensing properties attributable to the nature of the C-4 substituents. In addition, theoretical calculations based on the affordable but effective density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) methods were performed in order to investigate the geometric and electronic structure of the title NI compounds.
Established and Novel Risk Factors for 30-Day Readmission Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Modified Delphi and Focus Group Study to Identify Clinically Important Predictors
Authors: Gould Daniel , Dowsey Michelle , Spelman Tim , Bailey James , Bunzli Samantha , Rele Siddharth , Choong Peter
Published: January 2023

Thirty-day readmission following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an important outcome influencing the quality of patient care and health system efficiency. The aims of this study were (1) to ascertain the clinical importance of established risk factors for 30-day readmission risk and give clinicians the opportunity to suggest and discuss novel risk factors and (2) to evaluate consensus on the importance of these risk factors. This study was conducted in two stages: a modified Delphi survey followed by a focus group. Orthopaedic surgeons and anaesthetists involved in the care of TKA patients completed an anonymous survey to judge the clinical importance of risk factors selected from a systematic review and meta-analysis and to suggest other clinically meaningful risk factors, which were then discussed in a focus group designed using elements of nominal group technique. Eleven risk factors received a majority (≥50%) vote of high importance in the Delphi survey overall, and six risk factors received a majority vote of high importance in the focus group overall. Lack of consensus highlighted the fact that this is a highly complex problem which is challenging to predict and which depends heavily on risk factors which may be open to interpretation, difficult to capture, and dependent upon personal clinical experience, which must be tailored to the individual patient.
Safe Zone to Avoid Pneumothorax in a CT-Guided Lung Biopsy
Authors: Maalouf Nour , Abou Mrad Mazen , Lavric Daniela , Vasileva Lora , Mahnken Andreas H. , Apitzsch Jonas
Published: January 2023

Pneumothorax is one of the most frequent complications of computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsies. We aim to identify the safe zone of the needle–pleura angle during a CT-guided lung biopsy. Fifty-two patients underwent CT-guided lung biopsies between January 2020 and September 2022 (27 males, 25 females, median age 70 years). Right and left needle angles were measured and correlated to the incidence of pneumothorax. The minimum delta (δmin) was calculated as the absolute value of the difference between a 90° angle and the right and left angles. t-test p-values for δmin were conducted. We recorded 29 patients with pneumothorax, including intraprocedural and transient, postprocedural with minimal symptoms, or postprocedural requiring a chest tube insertion. Thirty-two patients had a δmin ≥ 10°, while 20 had a δmin < 10°. Of the patients with a δmin < 10°, 30% experienced pneumothorax compared to 71.8% in patients with δmin ≥ 10° (p = 0.0023). The study results show that as the needle’s angle deviates from the perpendicular, with an absolute value of more than 10°, the likelihood of pneumothorax increases significantly. A needle–pleura angle between 80° and 100° gives the operator a safe zone to reduce the risk of pneumothorax.