bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bornavirus infection in human diseases and its molecular neuropathology
Authors: Honda Tomoyuki
Published: January 2022

Bornavirus is a non‐cytolytic, neurotropic RNA virus that persistently infects the central nervous systems of vertebrates. Although bornavirus epidemiology has been investigated mainly in human psychiatric diseases for several decades, the involvement of persistent bornavirus infection in these diseases remains controversial. Recent studies have shown that two bornaviruses, Borna disease virus 1 and variegated squirrel bornavirus 1, can cause fatal encephalomyelitis in humans. In animal models, acute bornavirus infection causes immune‐mediated encephalomyelitis, whereas persistent infection induces neurobehavioral disturbances resembling human neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism. The neuropathology of persistent infection involves impairment in neural circuit formation and/or plasticity. Bornavirus P is a major pathogenic factor, which regulates neurite outgrowth, cell migration and synaptic plasticity. In addition, P disrupts the insulin‐like growth factor pathway and induces Purkinje cell loss in the cerebellum, thereby causing autism‐like neuropathology. Furthermore, bornavirus infection has been shown to disrupt neurogenesis. During neurogenesis, long interspersed nucleotide element‐1, a retrotransposon, generates neuronal genomic and transcriptomic variances that are important for neural plasticity. Long interspersed nucleotide element‐1 retrotranspose their own mRNAs in uninfected cells, whereas they also retrotranspose bornavirus mRNAs in infected cells; therefore, the long interspersed nucleotide element‐1 retrotransposition required for neural plasticity might be disturbed by infections. The aim of the present article is to provide fundamental information on bornavirus infection in humans. Clinicians should consider bornavirus infection in at least two types of suspicious cases: non‐purulent fatal encephalitis with unknown etiology among patients who have had contact with animals or lived in a rural area and those related to organ transplantation.
TUBB3 immunostaining improves the diagnostic accuracy of oral liquid‐based cytology in squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Oya Kaori , Kondo Yuko , Fukuda Yasuo , Kishino Mitsunobu , Toyosawa Satoru
Published: January 2022

Objective

Although class III beta‐tubulin (TUBB3) is not expressed in normal epithelium, its expression in cancers of some organs has been reported. Herein, we investigated the expression pattern and expression levels of TUBB3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and assessed whether TUBB3 immunostaining could improve the diagnostic accuracy of oral scraping liquid‐based cytology (LBC).

Methods

Paraffin sections of biopsies from 107 patients with primary SCC and 30 patients with squamous papilloma of the tongue or gingiva were immunostained for TUBB3. In addition, 15 LBC samples obtained from the study participants with SCC were immunostained for TUBB3. Seven LBC samples were false‐negative. The TUBB3 expression level in each sample was evaluated and classified as 3+, 2+, 1+, or 0.

Results

TUBB3 expression was confirmed in 91.6% of paraffin‐embedded SCC specimens. Clear and diffuse positivity (2+ or above) was observed in 77.6% of the total cases. In the well‐differentiated type, tumour cells in the middle layer of the parenchyma specifically expressed TUBB3. In almost LBC samples, cancerous intermediate cells showed immunopositivity similar to that of paraffin samples, even if cellular atypia was not clear in Papanicolaou staining.

Conclusions

TUBB3 immunostaining is useful for diagnosing oral SCC in scraping LBC, especially when samples consist of intermediate cells with little morphological change. Moreover, TUBB3 immunostaining could improve the diagnostic accuracy of oral scraping LBC by reducing false‐negatives.
Endoscopic full‐thickness resection with endoscopic hand suturing for rectal neoplasm involved in an anastomotic line
Authors: Goto Osamu , Kaise Mitsuru , Iwakiri Katsuhiko
Published: January 2022

Watch a video of this article.
Acute localized exanthematous pustulosis because of cefixime in a child: case report and review of pediatric cases
Authors: Akbayrak Atiye , Yazar Cemre , Alev Deresoy Faik , Sencan Mehtap , Yildiz Seckin Havva , Kutlu Omer
Published: January 2022

Background

Acute localized exanthematous pustulosis (ALEP), a localized variant of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, is characterized by pin‐sized, non‐follicular, sterile pustules that typically appear on the face, neck, and chest.

Objective

The purpose of this report is to describe a case of ALEP in an 11‐year‐old girl because of cefixime and the etiological factors and clinical presentation of ALEP in pediatric group.

Methods

We described a case of ALEP in an 11‐year‐old girl because of cefixime; a systematic review of the literature was performed to identify the etiological factors and clinical presentation of ALEP in children.

Results

We identified eight pediatric cases with ALEP. The causative agent was an herbal product in six cases, and pustular eruption was located on the face. In two cases, responsible agents were drugs (lamotrigine and amoxicillin‐clavulanic acid). The eruptions were localized on the penis and extremities, respectively.

Conclusion

ALEP is very rare in the pediatric age group, and topical/systemic drugs or herbal products may be involved in the etiology.
Multi‐objective optimization of transporting blood products by routing UAVs: the case of Istanbul
Authors: Ozkan Omer
Published: January 2022

Since the blood is necessary for surgical operations, disease treatments, chronic disorders, and traumatic accidents, it is staminal to manage the flow in the supply chain of blood products from donors to patients that can save lives. Therefore, this paper focuses on transporting blood products from distribution centers to hospitals in cities by routing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The problem includes two objective functions as minimizing the used number of UAVs and their total travel distances, simultaneously by considering range, payload weight, and payload volume of UAVs. The problem also covers the blood product demands of hospitals and the supply capacities of distribution centers. A multi‐objective integer programming (MOIP) model and three multi‐objective metaheuristics are designed to solve the defined problem. To test the effectiveness of the proposed methods, real‐life blood product demands of hospitals in Istanbul for the year 2019 are obtained from the Turkish Red Crescent and several scenarios are created as the case study. In scenarios, two types of vertical take‐off and landing UAVs are considered, the MOIP is developed by using ILOG, solved via CPLEX, and the metaheuristics are coded in MATLAB. The results reveal that the proposed methods can find good solutions for the problem in acceptable CPU times.
Fonctions narratives et maximes idéologiques
Authors: Angenot Marc
Published: January 2022

La constitution d'une séquence de fonctions narratives présuppose l'existence de maximes idéologiques sous‐jacentes aux fonctions appariées. Ces maximes déterminent le vraisemblable propre au récit mais aussi un champ d'intercompréhension idéologique. Les interventions explicites du narrateur ne sont pas nécessairement homogènes avec ce système de présupposés idéologiques. L'examen de ces présupposés dans des récits réalistes ou «non mimétiques» conduit à reconsidérer le problème même du mode réaliste dans ses relations avec l'univers empirique et à effacer la dichotomie entre mimesis et antimimesis. L’étude s'achève sur quelques considérations relatives aux rapports entre maximes idéologiques et isotopies, dans le genre romanesque.
Repressing high‐temperature radiative heat transfer in thermal barrier coatings
Authors: Aziz Hafiz Sartaj , Huang Muzhang , Li Zongyuan , Wan Chunlei , Pan Wei
Published: January 2022

Photon diffusion in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) significantly deteriorates the overall performance of gas turbines operating at high temperatures. This study presents the strategy of high‐temperature photon suppression, based on a ceramic composite consisting of the second component with a smaller refractive index and controlled particle size. Using the Mie theory, it is theoretically demonstrated that controlling the second component particle size closer/equal to the infrared radiation wavelength region (1–5 μm) could reduce photon diffusion. Ceramic composites comprised of 8 wt.% yttria‐stabilized zirconia (8YSZ, matrix) and corundum (second component) with different particle sizes were prepared. The total and the photon thermal conductivity of the 8YSZ/corundum composites are lower than pure 8YSZ by ∼48.9% and ∼96.4% at 1200°C, respectively. With the addition of corundum into 8YSZ, the thermal radiation transport of 8YSZ is significantly suppressed due to the photon scattering produced by the lower refractive index and proper particle size of the corundum. Besides, the fracture toughness and hardness of composites increased by ∼20% and ∼13%, respectively, compared to the 8YSZ. Composite with the corundum particles size of 1 μm displays the lowest values of total and photon thermal conductivity at high temperature.
Ecological momentary assessment of mental health in adults at suicide risk: An observational study protocol
Authors: Kim Hyein , Park Sunyoung , Kim Youkyung , Kwon Seongae , Kim Heejung
Published: January 2022

Aims

To describe the research protocol for an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) designed to examine patterns of suicidal ideation and relevant psychosocial stress indicators in adults at risk for suicide.

Design

This observational and longitudinal study will collect data for 28 consecutive days.

Methods

A total of 150 adults at risk for suicide will be recruited from a single suicide prevention centre and an outpatient clinic in Korea. Self‐report questionnaires will be administrated during weeks 0, 1, 3 and 5. Participants will receive text messages three times a day for 4 weeks prompting them to access an online survey link for daily mood survey including depression, anxiety, stress and suicidal ideation. In addition, for the first 2 weeks, they will wear an actigraphy device designed to collect actigraphic data in terms of sleep patterns and physical activity. Data analyses such as descriptive statistics, independent t‐tests, one‐way ANOVA, chi‐squared statistics and time‐series and correlation analyses will be performed using IBM SPSS 26.0 and SAS version 9.3. The study received funding from National Research Foundation of Korea in February 2020. Institutional Review Board approval for our study was obtained in April 2021.

Discussions

This study will yield fundamental information about daily patterns of suicide ideation and psychosocial stress indicators to develop preventive interventions for adults at risk for suicide.

Impact

Our study will contribute to the development of EMAs and interventions for adults at risk for suicide aimed at providing timely and individualized mental health services in a community setting.

Trial Registration: The trial is registered with the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS). CRIS Registration Number: KCT0006165.
Chronic exposure to biomass ambient particulate matter triggers alveolar macrophage polarization and activation in the rat lung
Authors: Wang Shenlin , Chen Yuhua , Hong Wei , Li Bing , Zhou Yumin , Ran Pixin
Published: January 2022

The role of alveolar macrophages (AMs) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is unclear. We characterized the function of AMs in rats chronically exposed to biomass fuel smoke (BMF) and studied the signal pathways that regulate AMs polarization. One hundred and eighty male Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided into BMF group and clean air control (CON) group. After BMF smoke exposure for 4 days, 1 month and 6 months, the cytokine secretion and function of AMs were determined by flow cytometry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting and immunofluorescence. Bone marrow‐derived macrophages were cultured and exposed to particulate matter (PM) from the smoke. Exposure initially promoted pro‐inflammatory factors, but pro‐inflammatory macrophages shared features of anti‐inflammatory macrophages. Consistent with IL‐4 upregulated in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, p‐Stat6 and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in AMs elevated at 4 days of exposure. After 6 months of exposure, CD206, TGF‐β1 and p‐Smad3 were significantly higher than the control groups. PPARγ reversed the M1 phenotype induced by PM in vitro and drove the macrophages into the M2 phenotype. Altogether, the study demonstrates the dynamic phenotype and functional changes in AMs during exposure to BMF smoke.
Ion channels of cilia: Paramecium as a model
Authors: Valentine Megan S. , Van Houten Judith
Published: January 2022

Holotrichous ciliates, like Paramecium, swim through their aqueous environment by beating their many cilia. They can alter swimming speed and direction, which seems to have mesmerized early microscopists of the 1600s. We know from extensive and elegant physiological studies and generation of mutants that these cells can be considered little swimming neurons because their ciliary beating is under bioelectric control of ion channels in the cilia. This chapter will focus on the ionic control of swimming behavior by ciliary ion channels, primarily in the holotrichous ciliate Paramecium. Voltage‐gated and calcium‐activated channels for calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium are regulated in a closely orchestrated manner that allows cilia to bend and propel the cell forward or backward. Sensory input that generates receptor potentials feeds into the control of this channel activity and allows the cell to turn or speed up. This in turn helps the cell to avoid predators or toxic conditions. While the focus is on P. tetraurelia and P. caudatum, the principles of ciliary ion channel activity and control are easily extendable to other ciliates and protists. The high conservation of channel and ion pump structures also extends the lessons from Paramecium to higher organisms.
Growth performance and hepatic antioxidants responses to early thermal conditioning in broiler chickens
Authors: Madkour Mahmoud , Aboelazab Osama , Abd El‐Azeem Nafisa , Younis Eman , Shourrap Mohamed
Published: January 2022

There are little data about antioxidants’ status responses to early thermal conditioning (TC) on broiler chickens. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the different time ages of thermal conditioning on antioxidants responses and the growth rate of broiler chicks. A total of two hundred forty‐one‐day‐old male broiler chicks (Cobb 500) weighed on average 51.5 ± 0.5g were randomly distributed into four equal groups (60 chicks each), and chicks of each group were ranked in five replicates. The first group reared under the ambient temperature, while the second, third and fourth groups (TC3, TC5 and TC7) were subjected to early‐age thermal conditioning at 39°C for 6 h on the third, fifth and seventh day of age respectively. Broilers were fed ad‐libitum, and drinking water was a free choice during the experimental period. At the end of the experimental period that lasted 5 weeks, all experimental groups were exposed to heat challenge at 36°C for 6 h. Early‐age thermal conditioning did not affect growth performance. Plasma corticosterone elevation in TC5 (as a post‐challenge response) was the lowest among the experimental groups. Hepatic malondialdehyde significantly increased in TC5 and TC7 groups both at the post‐conditioning stage and at the end of the experimental period. Hepatic glutathione, glutathione S‐transferases, catalase and superoxide dismutase significantly decreased by early‐age thermal conditioning compared with non‐conditioned broilers. Microscopic examination of the liver sections from broilers chickens in TC5 and TC7 groups showed all the basic features of normal liver tissue, while the control and TC3 groups showed few necrotic areas. It could be concluded that early‐age thermal conditioning at 39°C for 6 h on the fifth day of age could improve the antioxidant defence system of broilers without any adverse effects on growth performance.
Development of a simple evaluation instrument for liquid thickness measurement
Authors: Sei Hirofumi , Yasuda Kazunori , Asayama Rie , Tanaka Kaori , Oba Shiori , Shidahara Mutsumi , Hato Naohito
Published: January 2022

Simple methods, such as the line spread test (LST), are often used to evaluate thickened liquids in clinical settings. Although it is desirable for these simple methods to be rapid, even the LST requires approximately 1 min to complete the evaluation. Herein, we aimed to shorten this time by developing a new simple instrument for evaluating thickened liquids considering the fluid engineering perspective with improved funnel design and evaluation methods. A thickened liquid was prepared with a xanthan gum‐based thickening agent and water. Samples with viscosities of approximately 50, 150, 300, and 500 mPa∙s were prepared. For evaluation, 30 ml of the sample was injected manually with the outlet closed. The outlet was then opened to allow the liquid to fall as soon as the evaluation began. The time taken for the water surface of the liquid to move 50 mm from the starting point to the target point was measured eight times using a stopwatch, and the average was taken as the evaluation time. The instrument took 2.22–3.29 s, 3.29–9.16 s, and 9.16–23.14 s to classify mildly thick, moderately thick, and extremely thick samples, respectively. This method enabled extremely thick samples to be evaluated in 23 s, which is 27 s less than the time taken by the conventional funnel method. Verification results showed that this developed evaluation instrument for thickened liquids could perform classification according to the criteria of the Japanese Dysphagia Diet 2013. We aim to improve its design for clinical use in the future.
Changes in renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system during cardiac remodeling after mitral valvuloplasty in dogs
Authors: Cheng Chieh‐Jen , Mandour Ahmed S. , Yoshida Tomohiko , Watari Toshihiro , Tanaka Ryou , Matsuura Katsuhiro
Published: January 2022

Background

Information regarding changes in renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) during cardiac remodeling after mitral valvuloplasty (MVP) in dogs remains lacking.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To assess the longitudinal effects of MVP on circulating RAAS activity.

Animals

Eight client‐owned dogs receiving MVP for myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).

Methods

This is a cohort study. Plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin II (AT2), aldosterone (PAC), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine concentrations, were measured in these dogs before (baseline) and at 3 consecutive monthly follow‐ups (Post‐1M, Post‐2M, Post‐3M). Echocardiography was concomitantly used to assess the process of cardiac recovery after MVP.

Results

The echocardiography revealed a significant decrease in LVIDDN, LA/Ao, FS, E velocity, E/A, E′ sep, S′ lat, E′ lat, and A′ lat after MVP compared with baseline (P < .05). There was a significant reduction in the PRA (2.45, 3.05, 2.74 vs 8.8 ng/mL/h;P = .002), AT2 (466, 315, 235 vs 1200 pg/mL;P = .009), and PAC (39.88, 47, 54.62 vs 179.5 pg/mL;P = .01), respectively at Post‐1M, Post‐2M, Post‐3M compared to the baseline. Additionally, BUN and creatinine concentrations decreased from Post‐1M. The RAAS variables showed significant, weak to moderate, relationship with selected echocardiographic variables.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Mitral valvuloplasty contributes to decreased RAAS activity in MMVD dogs, which paralleled the process of cardiac reverse remodeling up to Post‐3M. This information facilitates formulating strategies to optimize clinical outcomes for dogs after MVP.
Post‐filling phase ichthyofaunal community and fishery potential of Chitsuwa Reservoir, a small tropical reservoir in Zimbabwe
Authors: Madzivanzira Takudzwa C. , Mungenge Chipo , Chakandinakira Adroit T. , Rugwete Nyasha , Kavhu Blessing
Published: January 2022

Many small reservoirs exist throughout Southern Africa, and with adequate management have the potential to contribute significantly to food security. The fisheries and limnology of the newly created Chitsuwa Reservoir in Zimbabwe were studied with the objective of generating information to support the development, management and sustainable use of fisheries to enhance the socio‐economic status of riparian communities. Based on gill nets of various mesh sizes, it was confirmed that the reservoir is presently inhabited by a fairly diverse fish community comprising ten species belonging to five families (Clarias gariepinus; Coptodon rendalli; Labeo cylindricus; Marcusenius macrolepidotus; Micropterus salmoides; Momyrus longirostris; Oreochromis mossambicus; Oreochromis niloticus; Serranochromis microcephalus; and Tilapia sparrmanii). Oreochromis niloticus dominated the reservoir with respect to both abundance, biomass and catch. The index of relative importance revealed O. niloticus and M. macrolepidotus were the most important species. Results from the Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed a clear division of the fish species that followed the environmental variables. Although fisheries may benefit from the invasive M. salmoides and the established O. niloticus, their presence in the reservoir is a cause for concern for conserving native congeneric species that risk extirpation through documented mechanisms. The results of the present study suggest sound management of the reservoir is required to raise its potential of supporting the livelihoods of the surrounding communities with a predicted annual fish yield of 61.5 t/year. Management of this reservoir should involve the local communities, empowering them so that they practice sustainable non‐destructive fishing methods.
The usefulness of concepts as a methodological point of reference in applied ethics
Authors: Ahlin Marceta Jesper
Published: January 2022

Concepts are central in applied ethics as points of reference for moral deliberation. Applied ethicists generally rely on shared methodological standards for the justification of the use of concepts, such as standards of coherence and of relevance; concepts that are incoherent or irrelevant for the purposes of any particular moral inquiry are not justified as points of reference in that inquiry. This article treats one such standard of justification, namely, the standard of usefulness. According to that standard, concepts are not justified as points of reference if they do not contribute to solving real‐world problems. It is argued that many applied ethicists implicitly rely on the standard of usefulness, which merits the attention of applied ethicists and theorists dedicated to methodological problems in applied ethics.
The clinical value of psycho‐gastroenterological interventions for functional esophageal symptoms
Authors: Hurtte Edward , Rogers Benjamin D. , Richards Cheryl , Gyawali C. Prakash
Published: January 2022

Background

Disorders of gut–brain interaction (DGBI) are associated with high symptom burden and poor quality of life. We evaluated the clinical value of multimodal therapy with psycho‐gastroenterological interventions in patients with refractory functional symptoms.

Methods

Of 80 DGBI patients managed over a 12‐month period, 26 patients undergoing multimodal therapy (median age 60.0 years, 73.1%F) were compared to 54 patients (median age 56.0 years, 68.5%F) managed using conventional approaches. Psycho‐gastroenterological multimodal therapy was individualized and included relaxation training (diaphragmatic breathing, passive muscle relaxation) and gut‐direct hypnotherapy/guided imagery. All patients completed documentation of symptom frequency and severity using a 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS) and assessment of health‐related quality of life (BEST score) before and following therapy. Data were analyzed to determine comparative change in symptom burden between the two cohorts.

Key Results

Baseline demographics and symptom burden were similar between the two treatment subgroups. While patients improved with both multimodal and conventional therapies, BEST score demonstrated greater improvement with multimodal therapy (p = 0.03). Physician perception of symptom burden at baseline and on follow‐up did not correspond to self‐reported questionnaire data. On multivariable analysis, multimodal therapy (OR 7.9, 95% CI 1.8–34.6, p = 0.006) and functional esophageal disorders (OR 17.6, 95% CI 2.6–121.1, p = 0.004) predicted >50% improvement in BEST score, while the presence of psychiatric disease was a negative predictor (OR 0.22, CI 0.05–0.94, p = 0.04).

Conclusions & Inferences

Psychological intervention using multimodal therapy provides clinical value to the management of functional esophageal symptoms among patients refractory to conventional therapy.
Contextual recipes for adopting private control and trust in public–private partnership governance
Authors: Song Jinbo , Liu Hongyan , Sun Yan , Song Lingchuan
Published: January 2022

In governing public–private partnerships (PPPs), transferring control rights to the private sectors and building trust among partners are recognized as solutions to improve efficiency and adaptability. However, what contexts would fit into the adoption of these solutions remains unclear. Building on the relevant literature on project attributes and project environments, this article divides the context into several crucial factors: asset specificity, project publicness, institutional completeness, market maturity, and regulatory quality. A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted on 1378 PPP projects in developing countries to examine the contexts that support the outcomes of private control and trust. Six causal paths created by a mix of contextual conditions are found to be sufficient for the outcomes, to which certain factors make unique contributions. Knowledge of these paths and context configurations can help to match the context to the considered governance solutions, thereby contributing to successful PPP governance.
Public value creation and appropriation mechanisms in public–private partnerships: How does it play a role?
Authors: dos Reis Claudio José Oliveira , Gomes Ricardo Corrêa
Published: January 2022

Scholars have extensively investigated public value creation and appropriation concerning public services delivered strictly by the government and public–private arrangements, such as public–private partnerships (PPPs). However, such studies often focus on value for money and economic performance criteria. This study examines how public value can be created and appropriated in PPP settings and how public value mechanisms can influence these phenomena. Considering that the literature lacks an integrated and structured analytical framework to assess such phenomena, this conceptual article addresses four mainstream PPP topics regarding public value mechanisms (information sharing, public and private capabilities, risk governance, and stakeholder orientation), which can be associated with PPPs' public value creation (destruction) and appropriation (misappropriation). Thus, this article highlights a need to evaluate PPPs in terms of public value creation beyond the economic performance criteria and fills the literature gap by proposing a public value creation and appropriation framework.
What's in a name? The politics of name changes inside bureaucracy
Authors: Yesilkagit Kutsal , Bezes Philippe , Fleischer Julia
Published: January 2022

In this article, we examine the effects of political change on name changes of units within central government ministries. We expect that changes regarding the policy position of a government will cause changes in the names of ministerial units. To this end we formulate hypotheses combining the politics of structural choice and theories of portfolio allocation to examine the effects of political changes at the cabinet level on the names of intra‐ministerial units. We constructed a dataset containing more than 17,000 observations on name changes of ministerial units between 1980 and 2013 from the central governments of Germany, the Netherlands, and France. We regress a series of generalized estimating equations (GEE) with population averaging models for binary outcomes. Finding variations across the three political‐bureaucratic systems, we overall report positive effects of governmental change and ideological positions on name changes within ministries.
Whole liver transplantation in children under 10 kg: How to minimize the high risks of a still challenging procedure
Authors: Peters Maren , Sturm Ekkehard , Hartleif Steffen , Capobianco Ivan , Radtke Arnold , Müller Markus , Gerbig Ines , Schäfer Jürgen , Königsrainer Alfred , Nadalin Silvio
Published: January 2022

Background

Whole liver transplantation in infants <10 kg is a rare procedure with moderate outcomes (67%–79% graft survival at 1 year) and high rates of vascular complications (hepatic artery thrombosis 5–26%).

Methods

Retrospective single‐center analysis of whole liver transplantation in infants <10 kg and systematic review of the literature focused on survival rates and surgical complications.

Results

Between January 2005 and December 2020, 175 liver transplantations in 173 children were performed at our center. A total of 92 (53%) children weighed less than 10 kg; 19 (21%) of them underwent WLT and constitute the study population. Median age of the recipients was 10 months (21 days–24 months) and median body weight 6.5 (3.1–9.8) kg. Median age of the donors was 5 (1–84) months and median body weight 6.1 (4–21) kg. Median donor‐to‐recipient body weight ratio was 1.2 (range: 0.6–4.5). Postoperatively, neither hepatic artery nor portal vein thrombosis occurred. A biliary complication occurred in 4 cases: 1 bile leak (early), 3 anastomotic stenoses (1 delayed and 2 late), and 1 non‐anastomotic stenosis (late). Patient survival rate at 1, 5, and 10 years was 100%, 92%, and 92%, respectively. Overall, death‐censored graft survival after 1, 5, and 10 was 100%.

Conclusion

Our results are excellent in terms of complications and graft and patient survival. This involves not only high‐end surgical performance but also close interdisciplinary perioperative cooperation based on strong standard operating procedures and mainly focused on fluid management, hemostasiology, and strict monitoring of vessel patency.
The Enduring Pertinence of the Basic Principle of Retribution☆
Authors: Geeraets Vincent
Published: January 2022

Many philosophers and legal scholars believe that the principle of retribution can be employed as a basis for respecting the offender as a person and for imposing relatively soft sentences. This belief is inspired, at least to a certain extent, by the penal philosophy of Kant and Hegel. My aim in this article is to question this widely held belief, with my contention being that retributivists locate the basis of these normative considerations in the wrong place. It is not the application of the principle of retribution that makes systems of criminal law fair and restrained, but rather the other way around: Only by restricting the application of the principle of retribution in various ways can we arrive at a system of penal law that is reasonable and just. These restrictions themselves are not retributive in nature, but are intended to keep the principle of retribution in check. To substantiate these claims, I discuss the views of an older generation of philosophers and scientists, specifically those of Sidgwick, Durkheim, Malinowski, and Piaget, and hold that these provide a fruitful basis for a better understanding of the principle of retribution. In the second part of the article, I investigate how this alternative understanding relates to the principles of proportionality and mens rea, while also making some clarifying remarks about the issue of moral luck.
HLA‐DRB1*15:01:43 and HLA‐DRB1*15:01:44 alleles were identified by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: He Yanmin , You Xuan , Tao Sudan , He Ji , Zhu Faming
Published: January 2022

Compared with HLA‐DRB1*15:01:01:01, the alleles HLA‐DRB1*15:01:43 and HLA‐DRB1*15:01:44 each show one nucleotide substitution respectively.
Electroceutical treatment of infected chronic wounds in a dog and a cat
Authors: Heald Rachel , Salyer Sarah , Ham Kathleen , Wilgus Traci A. , Subramaniam Vish V. , Prakash Shaurya
Published: January 2022

Objectives

To describe the use of an innovative printed electroceutical dressing (PED) to treat non‐healing, infected chronic wounds in one dog and one cat and report outcomes.

Animals

A 4‐year‐old female spayed Mastiff and a 1‐year‐old female spayed domestic shorthair cat.

Study Design

Short case series.

Methods

Both cases had chronic wounds (duration: approximately 1 year for the dog and 6 3/4 months for the cat) that remained open and infected despite various wound management strategies. Both animals were treated with the PED. Observations from the records regarding wound size, antimicrobial susceptibility, and the time to healing were recorded.

Results

After 10 days of PED treatment in the dog and 17 days of PED treatment in the cat, the wounds had decreased in size by approximately 4.2 times in the dog and 2.5 times in the cat. Culture of punch biopsies yielded negative results. Wounds were clinically healed at 67 days in the dog and 47 days in the cat. No further treatment of the wounds was required beyond that point.

Conclusion

Application of a PED led to closure of two chronic wounds and resolution of their persistent infection.

Clinical Significance

PEDs may provide a new treatment modality to mitigate infection and promote healing of chronic wounds.
Safety-Aware Adversarial Inverse Reinforcement Learning for Highway Autonomous Driving
Authors: Li Fangjian , Wagner John , Wang Yue
Published: January 2022

Inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) has been successfully applied in many robotics and autonomous driving studies without the need for hand-tuning a reward function. However, it suffers from safety issues. Compared to the reinforcement learning algorithms, IRL is even more vulnerable to unsafe situations as it can only infer the importance of safety based on expert demonstrations. In this paper, we propose a safety-aware adversarial inverse reinforcement learning (S-AIRL) algorithm. First, the control barrier function is used to guide the training of a safety critic, which leverages the knowledge of system dynamics in the sampling process without training an additional guiding policy. The trained safety critic is then integrated into the discriminator to help discern the generated data and expert demonstrations from the standpoint of safety. Finally, to further enforce the importance of safety, a regulator is introduced in the loss function of the discriminator training to prevent the recovered reward function from assigning high rewards to the risky behaviors. We tested our S-AIRL in the highway autonomous driving scenario. Comparing to the original AIRL algorithm, with the same level of imitation learning performance, the proposed S-AIRL can reduce the collision rate by 32.6%.
Electrical and Optical Characterization Methodologies for Advanced Spark Ignition
Authors: Wang Linyan , Chen Guangyun , Tjong Jimi , Zheng Ming
Published: January 2022

Due to the high transiency and high voltage characteristics of spark ignition (SI), precise measurements are in demand for efficient ignition in future clean combustion engines. The practical challenges of SI systems arise as the gaseous substances vary extensively in density, flow, and temperature. In this paper, a typical transistor coil ignition system with a current management module maintains the transient discharge condition for more credible measurements. Suitable apparatus with field-programmable gate array (FPGA) multi-task control systems are established to effectively control and stabilize the discharge current level and duration. The electrical waveforms and spark plasma patterns are correlated, via concurrent electric probing and shadowgraph imaging, under quiescent and flow conditions. The multi-task FPGA provides synchronization of ignition control and data acquisition. The empirical setup and analyzing methods of this work provide essential guidance for facilitating broader innovations in spark ignition, and for advancing the clean and efficient combustion in automotive and aviation engines.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Machine Learning Technologies in Improving Real-Time Drilling Data Quality
Authors: Al-Gharbi Salem , Al-Majed Abdulaziz , Elkatatny Salaheldin , Abdulraheem Abdulazeez
Published: January 2022

Due to high demand for energy, oil and gas companies started to drill wells in remote environments conducting unconventional operations. In order to maintain safe, fast, and more cost-effective operations, utilizing machine learning (ML) technologies has become a must. The harsh environments of drilling sites and the transmission setups are negatively affecting the drilling data, leading to less than acceptable ML results. For that reason, a big portion of ML development projects was actually spent on improving the data by data-quality experts. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of ML on improving the real-time drilling-data quality and compare it to human expert knowledge. To achieve that, two large real-time drilling datasets were used; one dataset was used to train three different ML techniques: artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), and decision tree (DT); the second dataset was used to evaluate it. The ML results were compared with the results of a real-time drilling-data-quality expert. Despite the complexity of ANN and good results in general, it achieved a relative root-mean-square error (RRMSE) of 2.83%, which was lower than DT and SVM technologies that achieved RRMSE of 0.35% and 0.48%, respectively. The uniqueness of this work is in developing ML that simulates the improvement of drilling-data quality by an expert. This research provides a guide for improving the quality of real-time drilling data.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of a Semispherical Solar Still, Chamber Stepwise Basin, With and Without a Photovoltaic-Powered Electrical Heater
Authors: Aldarabseh Safa M. , Abdallah Salah
Published: January 2022

The world's need for drinkable water is increasing with a growing population. The desalination process using solar energy is the cheapest and most straightforward method that can be used to generate pure water from saline water by utilizing energy from the sun's free heat source. A semispherical and chamber stepwise basin solar still with an inclined glass cover, with and without photovoltaic (PV)-powered electrical heaters as another power source, can increase the rate of evaporation of saline water, thus increasing the productivity of semispherical solar still. In this investigation, a conventional solar still and semispherical solar still with and without PV-powered electrical heaters were invented and worked in parallel with the experimental setup to make a good comparison between these models. The experimental results show that stepped semispherical with PV-powered electrical heater and without PV-powered electrical heater solar stills enhanced the productivity of freshwater from a conventional solar still by 156.6% and 72.5%, respectively. The theoretically simulated model is obtained using mathcad software and is compared with experimental results. Semispherical solar still productivity increases with increased solar intensity and with a PV-powered electrical heater as an additional power source. The theoretical results concluded from the mathematical model are in good agreement with experimental results.
A Modified Discrete Scheme in the Ausas Cavitation Algorithm
Authors: Xu Wanjun , Zhao Shanhui , Geng Zhengyang , Niu Miaomiao
Published: January 2022

In order to reduce the dependence of accuracy on the number of grids in the Ausas cavitation algorithm, a modified Ausas algorithm was presented. By modifying the mass-conservative Reynolds equation with the concept of linear complementarity problems (LCPs), the coupling of film thickness h and density ratio θ disappeared. The modified equation achieved a new discrete scheme that ensured a complete second-order-accurate central difference scheme for the full film region, avoiding a hybrid-order-accurate discrete scheme. A journal-bearing case was studied to show the degree of accuracy improvement and the calculation time compared to a standard LCP solver. The results showed that the modified Ausas algorithm made the asymptotic and convergent behavior with the increase of nodes disappear and allowed for the use of coarse meshes to obtain sufficient accuracy. The calculation time of the modified Ausas algorithm is shorter than that of the LCP solver (Lemke’s pivoting algorithm) for middle- and large-scale problems.
Cross-Sectional Differences in Race Demands Between Junior, Under 23, and Professional Road Cyclists
Authors: Gallo Gabriele , Leo Peter , Mateo-March Manuel , Giorgi Andrea , Faelli Emanuela , Ruggeri Piero , Mujika Iñigo , Filipas Luca
Published: January 2022

Purpose: To compare the race demands of junior (JUN), under 23 (U23), and professional (PRO) road cyclists. Methods: Thirty male cyclists, divided into 3 age-related categories (JUN, n = 10; U23, n = 10; and PRO, n = 10), participated in this study. Race data collected during the 2019 competitive season were retrospectively analyzed for race characteristics, external, and internal competition load. Results: Higher annual and per race duration, distance, elevation gain, Edward’s training impulse, total work, and work per hour were observed in PRO versus U23 and JUN, and U23 versus JUN (P < .01). PRO and U23 recorded higher mean maximal power (RPOs) between 5 and 180 minutes compared with JUN (P < .01). Edward’s training impulse per hour was higher in JUN than PRO and U23 (P < .01). Accordingly, JUN spent a higher percentage of racing time in high internal intensity zones compared with U23 and PRO, while these 2 categories spent more time at low internal intensity zones (P < .01). Conclusions: JUN races were shorter and included less elevation gain per distance unit compared to U23 and PRO races, but more internally demanding. JUN produced less power output in the moderate-, heavy-, and severe-intensity exercise domains compared with U23 and PRO (RPOs: 5–180 min). U23 and PRO races presented similar work demands per hour and RPOs, but PRO races were longer than U23.
Imaging dark charge emitters in diamond via carrier-to-photon conversion
Authors: Lozovoi Artur , Vizkelethy Gyorgy , Bielejec Edward , Meriles Carlos A.
Published: January 2022

Color centers capturing diffusive photo-induced charge carriers reveal otherwise invisible point defects in a crystal.
A Lagerstätte from Australia provides insight into the nature of Miocene mesic ecosystems
Authors: McCurry Matthew R. , Cantrill David J. , Smith Patrick M. , Beattie Robert , Dettmann Mary , Baranov Viktor , Magee Charles , Nguyen Jacqueline M. T. , Forster Marnie A. , Hinde Jack , Pogson Ross , Wang Helen , Marjo Christopher E. , Vasconcelos Paulo , Frese Michael
Published: January 2022

The discovery of an exceptionally well-preserved fossil site provides new insight into the nature of Miocene ecosystems.
The building blocks of igneous sheet intrusions: Insights from 3-D seismic reflection data
Authors: Köpping Jonas , Magee Craig , Cruden Alexander R. , Jackson Christopher A.-L. , Norcliffe James R.
Published: January 2022

The propagating margins of igneous sills (and other sheet intrusions) may divide into laterally and/or vertically separated sections, which later inflate and coalesce. These components elongate parallel to and thus record the magma flow direction, and they can form either due to fracture segmentation (i.e., “segments”) or brittle and/or non-brittle deformation of the host rock (i.e., “magma fingers”). Seismic reflection data can image entire sills or sill-complexes in 3-D, and their resolution is often sufficient to allow us to identify these distinct elongate components and thereby map magma flow patterns over entire intrusion networks. However, seismic resolution is limited, so we typically cannot discern the centimeter- to meter-scale host rock deformation structures that would allow the origin of these components to be interpreted. Here, we introduce a new term that defines the components (i.e., “elements”) of sheet-like igneous intrusions without linking their description to emplacement mechanisms. Using 3-D seismic reflection data from offshore NW Australia, we quantify the 3-D geometry of these elements and their connectors within two sills and discuss how their shape may relate to emplacement processes. Based on seismic attribute analyses and our measurements of their 3-D geometry, we conclude that the mapped elements likely formed through non-elastic-brittle and/or non-brittle deformation ahead of the advancing sill tip, which implies they are magma fingers. We show that thickness varies across sills, and across distinct elements, which we infer to represent flow localization and subsequent thickening of restricted areas. The quantification of element geometries is useful for comparisons between different subsurface and field-based data sets that span a range of host rock types and tectonic settings. This, in turn, facilitates the testing of magma emplacement mechanisms and predictions from numerical and physical analogue experiments.
Network Mendelian randomization study: exploring the causal pathway from insomnia to type 2 diabetes
Authors: Xiuyun Wen , Jiating Lin , Minjun Xie , Weidong Li , Qian Wu , Lizhen Liao
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Insomnia is a novel pathogen for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, mechanisms linking insomnia and T2DM are poorly understood. In this study, we apply a network Mendelian randomization (MR) framework to determine the causal association between insomnia and T2DM and identify the potential mediators, including overweight (body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, and body fat percentage) and glycometabolism (HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, and fasting blood insulin).

Research design and methods

We use the MR framework to detect effect estimates of the insomnia–T2DM, insomnia–mediator, and mediator–T2DM associations. A mediator between insomnia and T2DM is established if MR studies in all 3 steps prove causal associations.

Results

In the Inverse variance weighted method, the results show that insomnia will increase the T2DM risk (OR 1.142; 95% CI 1.072 to 1.216; p=0.000), without heterogeneity nor horizontal pleiotropy, strongly suggesting that genetically predicted insomnia has a causal association with T2DM. Besides, our MR analysis provides strong evidence that insomnia is causally associated with BMI and body fat percentage. There is also suggestive evidence of an association between insomnia and the waist-to-hip ratio. At the same time, our results indicate that insomnia is not causally associated with glycometabolism. Higher BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and body fat percentage levels are strongly associated with increased risk of T2DM.

Conclusions

Genetically predicted insomnia has a causal association with T2DM. Being overweight (especially BMI and body fat percentage) mediates the causal pathway from insomnia to T2DM.