bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insights into the Divergence of Chinese Ips Bark Beetles during Evolutionary Adaptation
Authors: Du Huicong , Fang Jiaxing , Shi Xia , Yu Chunmei , Deng Mei , Zhang Sufang , Liu Fu , Zhang Zhen , Han Fuzhong , Kong Xiangbo
Published: March 2022

Many bark beetles of the genus Ips are economically important insect pests that cause severe damage to conifer forests worldwide. In this study, sequencing the mitochondrial genome and restriction site-associated DNA of Ips bark beetles helps us understand their phylogenetic relationships, biogeographic history, and evolution of ecological traits (e.g., pheromones and host plants). Our results show that the same topology in phylogenetic trees constructed in different ways (ML/MP/BI) and with different data (mtDNA/SNP) helps us to clarify the phylogenetic relationships between Chinese Ips bark beetle populations and Euramerican species and their higher order clades; Ips bark beetles are polyphyletic. The structure of the mitochondrial genome of Ips bark beetles is similar and conserved to some extent, especially in the sibling species Ips typographus and Ips nitidus. Genetic differences among Ips species are mainly related to their geographic distribution and different hosts. The evolutionary pattern of aggregation pheromones of Ips species reflects their adaptations to the environment and differences among hosts in their evolutionary process. The evolution of Ips species is closely related to the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and host switching. Our study addresses the evolutionary trend and phylogenetic relationships of Ips bark beetles in China, and also provides a new perspective on the evolution of bark beetles and their relationships with host plants and pheromones.
The Relationship between Plasma Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Polymers and Lung or Liver Function in ZZ Alpha-1-Antitrypsin-Deficient Patients
Authors: Sark Annelot D. , Fromme Malin , Olejnicka Beata , Welte Tobias , Strnad Pavel , Janciauskiene Sabina , Stolk Jan
Published: March 2022

Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (AAT) is a protein of the SERPINA1 gene. A single amino acid mutation (Lys342Glu) results in an expression of misfolded Z-AAT protein, which has a high propensity to intra- and extra-cellular polymerization. Here, we asked whether levels of circulating Z-AAT polymers are associated with the severity of lung disease, liver disease, or both. We obtained cross sectional data from the Dutch part of the Alpha1 International Registry of 52 ZZ-AAT patients who performed a pulmonary function test and donated a blood sample on the same day. From the Alpha-1 Liver Aachen Registry, we obtained a cohort of 40 ZZ-AAT patients with available data on their liver function. The levels of plasma Z-AAT polymers were determined using a LG96 monoclonal antibody-based sandwich ELISA. In a Dutch cohort, the median plasma level of Z-AAT polymers of patients diagnosed for pulmonary disease was 947.5 µg/mL (733.6–1218 µg/mL (95% CI)), which did not correlate with airflow obstruction or gas transfer value. In the Alpha-1 liver patient cohort, the median polymer level was 1245.9 µg/mL (753–2034 µg/mL (95% CI)), which correlated with plasma gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT, rs = 0.57, p = 0.001), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH, rs = 0.48, p = 0.002) and triglycerides (TG, rs = 0.48, p = 0.0046). A Wilcoxon rank test showed higher Z-AAT polymer values for the liver over the lung group (p < 0.0001). These correlations support a possible link between plasma Z-AAT polymers and the liver function.
Intracerebroventricular Administration of Human Umbilical Cord Blood—Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induces Transient Inflammation in a Transgenic Mouse Model and Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Myeong Su Hyeon , Kim Hyeongseop , Lee Na Kyung , Hwang Jung Won , Kim Hee Jin , Jang Hyemin , Choi Soo Jin , Na Duk L.
Published: March 2022

Previously we conducted a Phase I/IIa clinical trial in nine patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Unexpectedly, all patients who were given injections of human-umbilical cord-blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) developed fever which subsided after 24 h. Several possible causes of transient fever include bacterial infection, inflammatory reaction from the cell culture media composition, or the cells themselves. To delineate these causes, first we compared the levels of several cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD patients who received saline (placebo) or hUCB-MSC injections, respectively. Compared to the placebo group, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and c-reactive protein (CRP) levels were increased in the hUCB-MSC group. Negative bacterial culture results of the CSF samples and the fact that the same hUCB-MSC administration procedure was used for both the placebo and hUCB-MSC groups ruled out the bacterial infection hypothesis. However, it was not yet clear as to whether the transplanted cells or the composition of the cell culture media generated the transient fever. Therefore, we carried out intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of hUCB-MSCs in a 5xFAD mouse model of AD. Interestingly, we discovered that pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were higher in the hUCB-MSC group. Taken together, our data suggest that the cause of transient inflammatory response observed from both the clinical trial and mouse study was due to the transplanted hUCB-MSCs.
Blood M2-like Monocyte Polarization Is Associated with Calcific Plaque Phenotype in Stable Coronary Artery Disease: A Sub-Study of SMARTool Clinical Trial
Authors: Sbrana Silverio , Cecchettini Antonella , Bastiani Luca , Di Giorgi Nicoletta , Mazzone Annamaria , Ceccherini Elisa , Vozzi Federico , Caselli Chiara , Neglia Danilo , Clemente Alberto , Scholte Arthur J. H. A. , Parodi Oberdan , Pelosi Gualtiero , Rocchiccioli Silvia
Published: March 2022

Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. The balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory factors, acting on the arterial wall, promotes less or more coronary plaque macro-calcification, respectively. We investigated the association between monocyte phenotypic polarization and CTCA-assessed plaque dense-calcium volume (DCV) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: In 55 patients, individual DCV component was assessed by quantitative CTCA and normalized to total plaque volume. Flow cytometry expression of CD14, CD16, CD18, CD11b, HLA-DR, CD163, CCR2, CCR5, CX3CR1 and CXCR4 was quantified. Adhesion molecules and cytokines were measured by ELISA. Results: DCV values were significantly associated, by multiple regression analysis, with the expression (RFI) of CCR5 (p = 0.04), CX3CR1 (p = 0.03), CCR2 (p = 0.02), CD163 (p = 0.005) on all monocytes, and with the phenotypic M2-like polarization ratio, RFI CCR5/CD11b (p = 0.01). A positive correlation with the increased expression of chemokines receptors CCR2, CCR5 and CX3CR1 on subsets Mon1 was also present. Among cytokines, the ratio between IL-10 and IL-6 was found to be strongly associated with DCV (p = 0.009). Conclusions: The association between DCV and M2-like phenotypic polarization of circulating monocytes indicates that plaque macro-calcification in stable CAD may be partly modulated by an anti-inflammatory monocyte functional state, as evidenced by cell membrane receptor patterns.
Intermittent Hypoxic-Hyperoxic Exposures Effects in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: Correction of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Profile
Authors: Bestavashvili Afina , Glazachev Oleg , Bestavashvili Alexander , Suvorov Alexander , Zhang Yong , Zhang Xinliang , Rozhkov Andrey , Kuznetsova Natalia , Pavlov Chavdar , Glushenkov Dmitriy , Kopylov Philippe
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and applicability of the “intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic exposures at rest” (IHHE) protocol as an adjuvant method for metabolic syndrome (MS) cardiometabolic components. A prospective, single-center, randomized controlled clinical study was conducted on 65 patients with MS subject to optimal pharmacotherapy, who were randomly allocated to IHHE or control (CON) groups. The IHHE group completed a 3-week, 5 days/week program of IHHE, each treatment session lasting for 45 min. The CON group followed the same protocol, but was breathing room air through a facial mask instead. The data were collected 2 days before, and at day 2 after the 3-week intervention. As the primary endpoints, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure at rest, as well as arterial stiffness and hepatic tissue elasticity parameters, were selected. After the trial, the IHHE group had a significant decrease in SBP and DBP (Cohen’s d = 1.15 and 0.7, p < 0.001), which became significantly lower (p < 0.001) than in CON. We have failed to detect any pre-post IHHE changes in the arterial stiffness parameters (judging by the Cohen’s d), but after the intervention, cardio-ankle vascular indexes (RCAVI and LCAVI) were significantly lowered in the IHHE group as compared with the CON. The IHHE group demonstrated a medium effect (0.68; 0.69 and 0.71 Cohen’s d) in pre-post decrease of Total Cholesterol (p = 0.04), LDL (p = 0.03), and Liver Steatosis (p = 0.025). In addition, the IHHE group patients demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in pre-post differences (deltas) of RCAVI, LCAVI, all antropometric indices, NTproBNP, Liver Fibrosis, and Steatosis indices, TC, LDL, ALT, and AST in comparison with CON (p = 0.001). The pre-post shifts in SBP, DBP, and HR were significantly correlated with the reduction degree in arterial stiffness (ΔRCAVI, ΔLCAVI), liver fibrosis and steatosis severity (ΔLFibr, ΔLS), anthropometric parameters, liver enzymes, and lipid metabolism in the IHHE group only. Our results suggested that IHHE is a safe, well-tolerated intervention which could be an effective adjuvant therapy in treatment and secondary prevention of atherosclerosis, obesity, and other components of MS that improve the arterial stiffness lipid profile and liver functional state in MS patients.
Clinical Manifestations of Various Molecular Cytogenetic Variants of Eight Cases of “8p Inverted Duplication/Deletion Syndrome”
Authors: Yurchenko Darya A. , Minzhenkova Marina E. , Dadali Elena L. , Markova Zhanna G. , Rudenskaya Galina E. , Matyushchenko Galina N. , Kanivets Ilya V. , Shilova Nadezda V.
Published: March 2022

Inverted duplication syndrome with an adjacent terminal deletion of the short arm of chromosome 8—inv dup del(8p)—is a rare complex structural chromosomal rearrangement with a wide range of clinical manifestations. Molecular cytogenetic variants of chromosomal imbalance depend on the mechanism of rearrangement formation. We analyzed the clinical–genetic and molecular cytogenetic characteristics of the 8p inverted duplication/deletion syndrome, as well as the genotype–phenotype correlation in eight unrelated cases with the rearrangement of inv dup del(8p). The main clinical manifestations in all cases are psychomotor and language delay, muscle hypotonia, and dysmorphic facial features. Malformations of the central nervous system, such as corpus callosum agenesis, were found in five cases. Seizures were reported in only one case. We found that the cause of the formation of the rearrangement was generally ectopic recombination (seven out of eight cases) and this was due to U-type exchange in only one case. Depending on the mechanism of formation, the characteristics of the genomic imbalance were different, which made it possible to identify two molecular cytogenetic variants in the cases we describe here. No association between molecular cytogenetic variants and clinical manifestations was found.
Photodynamic Antibiofilm and Antibacterial Activity of a New Gel with 5-Aminolevulinic Acid on Infected Titanium Surfaces
Authors: Petrini Morena , Di Lodovico Silvia , Iezzi Giovanna , Cellini Luigina , Tripodi Domenico , Piattelli Adriano , D’Ercole Simonetta
Published: March 2022

The use of a new gel containing aminolevulinic acid and red light (ALAD–PDI) was tested in order to counteract bacterial biofilm growth on different titanium implant surfaces. The varying antibacterial efficacy of ALAD–PDI against biofilm growth on several titanium surfaces was also evaluated. A total of 60 titanium discs (30 machined and 30 double-acid etched, DAE) were pre-incubated with saliva and then incubated for 24 h with Streptococcus oralis to form bacterial biofilm. Four different groups were distinguished: two exposed groups (MACHINED and DAE discs), covered with S. oralis biofilm and subjected to ALAD + PDI, and two unexposed groups, with the same surfaces and bacteria, but without the ALAD + PDI (positive controls). Negative controls were non-inoculated discs alone and combined with the gel (ALAD) without the broth cultures. After a further 24 h of anaerobic incubation, all groups were evaluated for colony-forming units (CFUs) and biofilm biomass, imaged via scanning electron microscope, and tested for cell viability via LIVE/DEAD analysis. CFUs and biofilm biomass had significantly higher presence on unexposed samples. ALAD–PDI significantly decreased the number of bacterial CFUs on both exposed surfaces, but without any statistically significant differences among them. Live/dead staining showed the presence of 100% red dead cells on both exposed samples, unlike in unexposed groups. Treatment with ALAD + red light is an effective protocol to counteract the S. oralis biofilm deposited on titanium surfaces with different tomography.
Synthesis and Photoelectrocatalytic Applications of TiO2/ZnO/Diatomite Composites
Authors: Yang Beibei , Ma Zixu , Wang Qian , Yang Junjiao
Published: March 2022

ZnO and TiO2 are semiconductor nanomaterials that are widely used in photocatalysis. However, the relatively high recombination rate and low quantum yield of photogenerated electron–hole pairs limit their practical applications. In this study, a series of TiO2/ZnO/diatomite composites with various compositions were successfully prepared via a two-step precipitation method. They exhibited stronger UV–visible absorption properties and substantially lower fluorescence intensities than those of ZnO and ZnO/diatomite, which was mainly due to the low recombination rate of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs in the composite system. The reaction intermediates of methylene blue were detected by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, and the degradation process was determined. The best composite catalyst was used for the degradation of gaseous methylbenzene and gaseous acetone. The gaseous acetone degradation product was determined to be acetaldehyde via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The results show that the composite catalyst exhibited a good photocatalytic degradation of both liquid pollutants and harmful volatile gases. When applied to the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, the composite catalyst retained a good photoresponsivity and electrolytic efficiency.
Ionic Liquid-Modified Porous Organic Polymers as Efficient Metallocene Catalyst Supports
Authors: Kang Wenqian , Chen Sheng , Wang Xiong , Li Guangquan , Han Xiaoyu , Da Minfeng
Published: March 2022

Porous organic polymers (POPs) are widely used in various areas such as adsorption, separation and catalysis. In the present work, ionic liquid-modified porous organic polymers (IL-POPs) synthesized by dispersion polymerization were applied to immobilize metallocene catalysts for olefin polymerization. The prepared IL-POPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), nitrogen sorption porosimetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. The IL-POPs obtained pores with surface specific area (SSA) ranging from 16.9 m2/g to 561.8 m2/g, and total pore volume (TPV) ranging from 0.08 cm3/g to 0.71 cm3/g. The supported catalysts Zr/MAO@IL-POPs exhibit great activity (3700 kg PE/mol·Zr·bar·h) in ethylene polymerization, and the GPC-IR results show that the polyethylene has narrow molecular weight distribution (2.2 to 2.8). The DSC results show that the melting point of prepared polyethylene was as high as 138 °C, and the TREF analysis results indicate that they have similar chemical composition distribution with elution temperature at 100.5–100.7 °C.
Green Synthesis of Magnetite-Based Catalysts for Solar-Assisted Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation
Authors: López Jorge , Rey Ana , García-Araya Juan F. , Álvarez Pedro M.
Published: March 2022

A novel synthesis method under green philosophy for the preparation of some magnetite-based catalysts (MBCs) is presented. The synthesis was carried out in aqueous media (i.e., absence of organic solvents) at room temperature with recovery of excess reactants. Terephthalic acid (H2BDC) was used to drive the synthesis route towards magnetite. Accordingly, bare magnetite (Fe3O4) and some hybrid magnetite-carbon composites were prepared (Fe3O4-G, Fe3O4-GO, and Fe3O4-AC). Graphene (G), graphene oxide (GO), and activated carbon (AC) were used as starting carbon materials. The recovered H2BDC and the as-synthetized MBCs were fully characterized by XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, SQUID magnetometry, TGA-DTA-MS, elemental analysis, and N2-adsorption-desorption isotherms. The recovered H2BDC was of purity high enough to be reused in the synthesis of MBCs. All the catalysts obtained presented the typical crystalline phase of magnetite nanoparticles, moderate surface area (63–337 m2 g−1), and magnetic properties that allowed their easy separation from aqueous media by an external magnet (magnetization saturation = 25–80 emu g−1). The MBCs were tested in catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of an aqueous solution of metoprolol tartrate (MTP) under simulated solar radiation. The Fe3O4-AC materials showed the best catalytic performance among the prepared MBCs, with MTP and total organic carbon (TOC) removals higher than 90% and 20%, respectively, after 3 h of treatment. This catalyst was fairly successfully reused in nine consecutive runs, though minor loss of activity was observed, likely due to the accumulation of organic compounds on the porous structure of the activated carbon and/or partial oxidation of surface Fe2+ sites.
The Effect of Timing of Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis on Weight Velocity in Infants Affected by Severe Robin Sequence
Authors: Mao Zhe , Battaglino Ricardo , Zhou Jiawei , Cui Yingqiu , Shrivastava Mayank , Tian Gabriel , Sahebdel Faezeh , Ye Liang
Published: March 2022

Background: Impaired weight gain is prevalent in Robin Sequence (RS) newborns. Although mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) has been proven to improve oral feeding, its impact on postoperative weight gain remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore whether MDO can help RS babies reach a normal weight, as well as the effect of MDO timing on weight velocity. Methods: One hundred infants with severe RS and one hundred with normal controls met the inclusion criteria for the study. Included patients underwent MDO. Weights at different timing points were recorded and analyzed and compared to normal controls. Results: After the distractor removal weights of patients undergoing MDO at <1 month and 1–2 months were close to the normal control (6.81 ± 0.93 kg versus 7.18 ± 0.61 kg, p = 0.012, and 6.82 ± 0.98 kg versus 7.37 ± 0.75 kg, p = 0.033, respectively), the weights of patients undergoing MDO at 2–3 months and 3–4 months still lagged behind (7.56 ± 1.29 kg versus 8.20 ± 0.61 kg, p = 0.000206 and 7.36 ± 1.05 kg versus 8.25 ± 0.77 kg, p = 0.004, respectively). The weights of all RS infants undergoing MDO showed no significant difference compared to the controls when they aged to 1 year (9.34 ± 0.99 kg versus 9.55 ± 0.45 kg, p = 0.254 for MDO at <1 month; 9.12 ± 0.91 kg versus 9.33 ± 0.46 kg, p = 0.100 for MDO at 1 to 2 months; 9.38 ± 0.29 kg versus 9.83 ± 0.53 kg, p = 0.098 for MDO at 2 to 3 months; and 9.38 ± 0.29 kg versus 9.83 ± 0.53 kg, p = 0.098 for MDO at 3 to 4 months). Conclusion: The MDO procedure helped patients with severe RS to reach a normal weight; and MDO intervention was recommended at an early stage for early weight gain.
Health-Related Quality of Life after Adolescent Fractures of the Femoral Shaft Stabilized by a Lateral Entry Femoral Nail
Authors: Liebs Thoralf Randolph , Meßling Anna , Milosevic Milan , Berger Steffen Michael , Ziebarth Kai
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: In adolescents, fractures of the femoral shaft that are not suitable for elastic-stable-intramedullary-nailing (ESIN), are challenging. We aimed to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and complications in adolescents treated with intramedullary rodding using the adolescent lateral trochanteric entry femoral nail (ALFN), and to assess if HRQoL was associated with additional injuries. (2) Methods: We followed-up on 15 adolescents with a diaphyseal femoral fracture who were treated with an ALFN from 2004 to 2017. Patients were asked to fill in a questionnaire that includes the iHOT, Peds-QL, and the Pedi-IKDC. (3) Results: The ALFN was used as a primary method of fixation in 13 patients, and as a fixation for failed ESIN in two cases. All 15 fractures healed radiographically. One distal locking screw broke. After a mean follow-up of 2.8 years, the mean iHOT-12 was 14.0 (SD 15.4), PedsQL-function was 85.7 (SD 19.3), PedsQL-social-score was 86.2 (SD 12.5), and the mean Pedi-IKDC was 77.2 (SD 11.3). In patients where the femoral fracture was an isolated injury, the HRQoL-scores were consistently higher compared with patients who sustained additional injures. (4) Conclusions: Treating diaphyseal fractures in adolescents with an ALFN resulted in good radiographic outcomes in all our cases. HRQoL, as measured by the iHOT, PedsQL, and Pedi-IKDC, was good to excellent; but it was consistently inferior in patients with additional injuries. These results suggest that the ALFN is a good alternative when patients are not suitable for ESIN, and that the HRQoL of adolescents who were treated with an ALFN is mainly influenced by the presence of additional injures, and less by the fracture of the femur itself.
Heterogeneous Condition of Asthmatic Children Patients: A Narrative Review
Authors: Caruso Cristiano , Colantuono Stefania , Arasi Stefania , Nicoletti Alberto , Gasbarrini Antonio , Coppola Angelo , Di Michele Loreta
Published: March 2022

Currently, asthma represents the most common chronic disorder in children, showing an increasingly consistent burden worldwide. Childhood asthma, similar to what happens in adults, is a diversified disease with a great variability of phenotypes, according to genetic predisposition of patients, age, severity of symptoms, grading of risk, and comorbidities, and cannot be considered a singular well-defined disorder, but rather a uniquely assorted disorder with variable presentations throughout childhood. Despite several developments occurring in recent years in pediatric asthma, above all, in the management of the disease, some essential areas, such as the improvement of pediatric asthma outcomes, remain a hot topic. Most treatments of the type 2 (T2) target phenotype of asthma, in which IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 modulate the central signals of inflammatory reactions. Although, there may be an unresolved need to identify new biomarkers used as predictors to improve patient stratification using disease systems and to aid in the selection of treatments. Moreover, we are globally facing many dramatic challenges, including climate change and the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, which have a considerable impact on children and adolescent asthma. Preventive strategies, including allergen immunotherapy and microbiome evaluation, and targeted therapeutic strategies are strongly needed in this population. Finally, the impact of asthma on sleep disorders has been reviewed.
Polymeric Surfactant P84/Polyoxometalate α-PW12O403−—A Model System to Investigate the Interplay between Chaotropic and Hydrophobic Effects
Authors: Schmid Philipp , Graß Xaver , Bahadur Pratap , Grillo Isabelle , Diat Olivier , Pfitzner Arno , Bauduin Pierre
Published: March 2022

Low charge density nanometric ions were recently shown to bind strongly to neutral hydrated matter in aqueous solution. This phenomenon, called the (super-)chaotropic effect, arises from the partial dehydration of both the nano-ion and the solute, leading to a significant gain in enthalpy. Here, we investigate the chaotropic effect of the polyoxometalate α-PW12O403− on the triblock copolymer P84: (EO)19(PO)43(EO)19 with (EO)19 the polyethoxylated and (PO)43 the polypropoxylated chains. The combination of phase diagrams, spectroscopic (nuclear magnetic resonance) and scattering (small angle neutron/X-ray scattering) techniques revealed that: (i) below the micellization temperature of P84, PW12O403− exclusively binds to the propylene oxide moiety of P84 unimers; and (ii) above the micellization temperature, PW12O403− mostly adsorbs on the ethylene oxide micellar corona. The preferential binding of the PW12O403− to the PPO chain over the PEO chains suggests that the binding is driven by the chaotropic effect and is reinforced by the hydrophobic effect. At higher temperatures, copolymer micellization leads to the displacement of PW12O403− from the PPO chain to the PEO chains. This study deepens our understanding of the subtle interplay between the chaotropic and hydrophobic effects in complex salt-organic matter solutions.
A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Methylprednisolone Pulse Therapy for COVID-19 Pneumonia
Authors: Yokota Kazuhiro , Noma Hisashi , Tarumoto Norihito , Ishibashi Noriomi , Sakai Jun , Maesaki Shigefumi , Iida Shinichiro , Uchida Yoshitaka , Uchida Takahiro , Nakayama Hideto , Haga Yoshiyuki , Mimura Toshihide
Published: March 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with fatal acute respiratory distress syndrome, which can be ameliorated by methylprednisolone pulse therapy, thereby reducing the risk of progression to respiratory failure and death. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of methylprednisolone pulse therapy for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. In this retrospective, observational cohort study, seventy patients (age, 35–91 years) who were admitted to Saitama Medical University Hospital in Japan between March 2020 and January 2021 due to COVID-19 pneumonia were included. The difference in mortality between the methylprednisolone pulse therapy (n = 22) and dexamethasone therapy (n = 48) groups was the primary outcome. Between-group differences in the average length of intensive care unit stay, duration of invasive mechanical ventilation, and incidence of treatment-related adverse events were the secondary outcomes. The methylprednisolone pulse therapy group showed a significantly lower mortality rate (3.8% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.006) and increased survival rate compared with the dexamethasone therapy group (p = 0.044). Additionally, without statistical significance, the average length of intensive care unit stay tended to be shorter in the methylprednisolone pulse therapy group (11.5 ± 6.1 days) than in the dexamethasone therapy group (22.3 ± 23.1 days) (p = 0.793). The average duration of invasive mechanical ventilation also tended to be shorter in the methylprednisolone pulse therapy group (15.3 ± 10.1 vs. 28.8 ± 9.2 days, p = 0.120). There were no significant differences in the incidence of treatment-related serious adverse events between the two groups. In conclusion, methylprednisolone pulse therapy for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia significantly reduced mortality and increased the survival rate compared to conventional dexamethasone therapy.
Pacificimonas pallium sp. nov., an Isolated Bacterium from the Mantle of Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas in Germany, and Prediction of One-Carbon Metabolism
Authors: Pira Hani , Risdian Chandra , Müsken Mathias , Schupp Peter J. , Wink Joachim
Published: March 2022

A yellow bacterium from marine agar, strain WHA3T, was isolated from the mantel of the Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas in the Wilhelmshaven Sea in northern Germany. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain WHA3T had a high similarity to Pacificimonas flava JLT2015T (95.80%) and 94.79% to Pacificimonas aurantium JLT2012T. Furthermore, the dDDH and ANI value analysis between WHA3T and other closest type strains were lower than 70% and 95%, respectively. The percentage of conserved proteins (POCP) and the average amino acid identity (AAI) value against Pacificimonas flava JLT2015T and Pacificimonas aurantium JLT2012T represented in the ranges of higher than 50% and 60%, respectively. Strain WHA3T contained ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) as the predominant quinone, and the major fatty acids were C16:1 ω7c and C18:1 ω7c. Granules of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) were absent. The main polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, several sphingoglycolipids, an unknown phospholipid, an unknown glycolipid, and an unknown polar lipid. The polyamines contained spermidine and spermine. The DNA G + C content of strain WHA3T was 61.69%. An analysis of the whole-genome sequence in the frame of genome mining strain WHA3T predicted the presence of genomes for one-carbon metabolism, TonB-dependent transporters, vitamin B12 transporter, iron siderophore receptor protein, and other genes, some of which play important roles against restricted nutrient sources. The extract of strain WHA3T moderately inhibited the growth of Candida albicans DSM 1665. The polyphasic taxonomic analysis results suggested that strain WHA3T could be separated from its closest type strains. Strain WHA3T represents a novel species in the genus Pacificimonas, for which we propose the name Pacificimonaspallium sp. nov., with the type strain WHA3T (= DSM 111825T = NCCB 100832T).
DNA Barcoding of Invertebrates Inhabiting Olive Orchards and Vineyards Accelerates Understudied Mediterranean Biodiversity Assessment
Authors: Anđelić Dmitrović Barbara , Jelić Mišel , Rota Emilia , Šerić Jelaska Lucija
Published: March 2022

The Mediterranean region has a high but unevenly studied level of invertebrate diversity. Genetic-based methods, such as DNA barcoding and metabarcoding, are proposed for biodiversity assessment; however, their application is not always straightforward. The current state of data available in genetic databases limits species identification, especially in the case of certain invertebrate groups. The aim of the study was (1) to assess the diversity of seven invertebrate groups, which are potential prey for predatory arthropods, in order to facilitate the analysis of the metabarcoding of trophic interactions and, thus, expand our knowledge on biocontrol potential, and (2) to estimate the representation of local species in BOLD and NCBI GenBank databases. The DNA barcoding results consisting of sequences for 269 specimens, collected in Zadar County, within Mediterranean part of Croatia, were used for species identification and species richness assessment through the comparison of our data with the data available in BOLD and NCBI databases, and by applying species delimitation methods. Previous barcode records enabled Lepidopteran, Hemipteran, Dipteran, and Hymenopteran species identification, while Collembolan and Oligochaetes species numbers were assessed using species delimitation. Our results showed that a high number of species were unique to the study area, especially in the case of Collembolans and Oligochaetes. We confirmed that the studied area is under-researched, which was particularly evident in taxonomically demanding groups, such as Collembolans and Oligochaetes, which are rich in rare endemic species.
H-Prop and H-Prop-News: Computational Propaganda Datasets in Hindi
Authors: Chaudhari Deptii , Pawar Ambika Vishal , Barrón-Cedeño Alberto
Published: March 2022

In this digital era, people rely on the internet for their news consumption. As people are free to express their opinions on social media, much information shared on the internet is loaded with propaganda. Propagandist contents are intended to influence public opinion. In the mainstream media or prominent news agencies, the authors’ and news agencies’ own bias may impact in the news contents. Hence, it is required to detect such propaganda spread through news articles. Detection and classification of propagandist text require standard, high-quality, annotated datasets. A few datasets are available for propaganda classification. However, these datasets are mostly in English. Hindi is the most spoken language in India, and efforts are needed to detect its propagandist contents. This research work introduces two new datasets: H-Prop and H-Prop-News, which consist of news articles in Hindi annotated as propaganda or non-propaganda. The H-Prop dataset is generated by translating 28,630 news articles from the QProp dataset. The H-Prop-News dataset contains 5500 news articles collected from 32 prominent Hindi news websites. We experiment with the proposed datasets using four supervised machine learning models combined with different feature vectors and word embeddings. Our experiments achieve 87% accuracy using Logistic Regression with TF-IDF feature vectors. The datasets provide high-quality labeled news articles in Hindi and open new avenues for researchers to explore techniques for analyzing and classifying propaganda in Hindi text.
Bihourly Subterranean Temperature and Relative Humidity Data from the Nullarbor Plain, Australia (Nov 2019–Mar 2021)
Authors: Lipar Matej , Ferk Mateja
Published: March 2022

This research provides bihourly temperature and relative humidity data from ten measuring locations in eight caves from one of the largest contiguous arid karst areas in the world, the Nullarbor Plain in south Australia. The current data span the period from November 2019 to March 2021, and represent the first continuous published monitoring of the subterranean features in this area. The data were recorded using ten TGP-4500 Tinytag Plus 2 self-contained temperature (resolution ±0.01 °C or better with a reading range from −25 °C to +85 °C) and relative humidity (resolution ±3.0% or better with a reading range from 0% to 100%) data loggers and are available in the form of a spreadsheet. The text also describes reported (but only occasional) visits to the caves, so that the data for those particular days and/or hours can be treated as anthropogenically influenced. The data have great potential to provide insight into underground karst processes, air mass movements, hydrogeology, speleothems and (palaeo)climate, current climatic changes, and biology.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Italian Footwear Supply Chain of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)—Evaluation of Two Case Studies
Authors: Braglia Marcello , Marrazzini Leonardo , Padellini Luca
Published: March 2022

This paper aims to provide a case study related to two small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the Italian footwear supply chain, comparing sales and production data from pre-pandemic years with those affected by the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Specifically, two Tuscany companies in the world of fashion footwear sector have been assisted in the analysis of their supply chains. In particular, the case research method has been employed for theory building to evaluate how companies reacted to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on potential resilience strategies that could be adopted to deal with a disruption, such as that caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, in order to understand the dynamics of the supply chains, the standard production processes were initially studied and mapped, analyzing in detail the planning, programming, and control phase. After conducting a descriptive analysis of the data, possible resilience factors of SMEs’ fashion supply chains have been extracted, and strategies that SMEs could adopt to better cope with the disruption caused by the pandemic have been suggested. The outcomes of this study can be used by decision-makers to predict the operative and long-term impacts of epidemic outbreaks on the supply chains with some suggestions of potential resilience improvement strategies. The paper is concluded by summarizing the most important insights and outlining future research agenda.
Active Power Sharing in a Micro-Grid with Multiple Grid Connections
Authors: Rizvi Syed , Abu-Siada Ahmed
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a mechanism for active power sharing among multiple dispatchable and distributed generation units within a micro grid comprising one or multiple interconnections with the main grid. Ideally, a micro grid should act as a constant load or a constant voltage source when connected to the main grid. However, to achieve ideal operation, natural load variations and the intermittency of renewable energy sources within the microgrid need to be adequately and timely compensated for by dispatchable power sources. While several control algorithms have been reported in the literature to achieve ideal microgrid operation, the majority of the proposed methods assumed a micro grid with a single interconnection to the main grid. In the real world, micro grids may have to maintain multiple live links with the main grid for several technical and operational reasons such as reliability, power-dispatch restriction, and operational limitations requirements. Therefore, a new method of active power sharing is proposed in this paper, which is equally effective for micro grids with one or multiple grid connections. The robustness of the proposed method is examined under different microgrid operating conditions. The results reveal the flexibility of the proposed method to adapt under various real-world operating conditions.
About One Approach to Using Dynamic Models to Build Digital Twins
Authors: Vodyaho Alexander Ivanovich , Zhukova Nataly Alexandrovna , Shichkina Yulia Alexandrovna , Anaam Fahem , Abbas Saddam
Published: March 2022

The modern stage of technology development is characterized by the emergence of new paradigms for the construction of anthropogenic systems, such as cyber-physical systems, socio-cybernetic systems, etc. The task of data acquisition about the state of a multi-level system and managing the structure and behavior of a system consisting of many thousands of elements of different physical nature is a complex task. This article describes one of possible approaches to solving the problem of data acquisition and management of the structure of a large-scale heterogeneous system. The proposed approach is based on the idea of using dynamic digital twins, which are dynamic models of the observed system. This approach was used for the development of systems in various subject domains, in particular, in production management systems built on the Industry 4.0 principle, in the development of a technical support system for cable television networks and in the development of support systems for the construction of educational trajectories.
Role of Anterior Segment-Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Acute Ocular Burns
Authors: Kate Anahita , Basu Sayan
Published: March 2022

Acute ocular burns have varied manifestations which require prompt diagnosis and management to prevent chronic sequelae. Of these, the detection of limbal ischemia poses a challenge because of the subjective nature of its clinical signs. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography angiography (AS-OCTA) offers an objective method of assessing ischemia in these eyes. This review provides an overview of the technology of AS-OCTA and its applications in acute burns. AS-OCTA generates images by isolating the movement of erythrocytes within blood vessels from sequentially obtained b-scans. Limbal ischemia manifests in these scans as absent vasculature and the extent of ischemia can be quantified using different vessel-related parameters. Of these, the density of vessels is most commonly used and correlates with the severity of the injury. Incorporation of the degree of ischemia in the classification of acute burns has been attempted in animal studies and its extension to human trials may provide an added dimension in determining the final prognosis of these eyes. Thus, AS-OCTA is a promising device that can objectively evaluate limbal ischemia. This will facilitate the identification of patients who will benefit from revascularization therapies and stem cell transplants in acute and chronic ocular burns, respectively.
A Comprehensive Survey on Bone Segmentation Techniques in Knee Osteoarthritis Research: From Conventional Methods to Deep Learning
Authors: Ahmed Sozan Mohammed , Mstafa Ramadhan J.
Published: March 2022

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative joint disease, which significantly affects middle-aged and elderly people. The majority of KOA is primarily based on hyaline cartilage change, according to medical images. However, technical bottlenecks such as noise, artifacts, and modality pose enormous challenges for an objective and efficient early diagnosis. Therefore, the correct prediction of arthritis is an essential step for effective diagnosis and the prevention of acute arthritis, where early diagnosis and treatment can assist to reduce the progression of KOA. However, predicting the development of KOA is a difficult and urgent problem that, if addressed, could accelerate the development of disease-modifying drugs, in turn helping to avoid millions of total joint replacement procedures each year. In knee joint research and clinical practice there are segmentation approaches that play a significant role in KOA diagnosis and categorization. In this paper, we seek to give an in-depth understanding of a wide range of the most recent methodologies for knee articular bone segmentation; segmentation methods allow the estimation of articular cartilage loss rate, which is utilized in clinical practice for assessing the disease progression and morphological change, ranging from traditional techniques to deep learning (DL)-based techniques. Moreover, the purpose of this work is to give researchers a general review of the currently available methodologies in the area. Therefore, it will help researchers who want to conduct research in the field of KOA, as well as highlight deficiencies and potential considerations in application in clinical practice. Finally, we highlight the diagnostic value of deep learning for future computer-aided diagnostic applications to complete this review.
Impact of UAV Hardware Options on Bridge Inspection Mission Capabilities
Authors: Ameli Zahra , Aremanda Yugandhar , Friess Wilhelm A. , Landis Eric N.
Published: March 2022

Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) constitute a rapidly evolving technology field that is becoming more accessible and capable of supplementing, expanding, and even replacing some traditionally manual bridge inspections. Given the classification of the bridge inspection types as initial, routine, in-depth, damage, special, and fracture critical members, specific UAV mission requirements can be developed, and their suitability for UAV application examined. Results of a review of 23 applications of UAVs in bridge inspections indicate that mission sensor and payload needs dictate the UAV configuration and size, resulting in quadcopter configurations being most suitable for visual camera inspections (43% of visual inspections use quadcopters), and hexa- and octocopter configurations being more suitable for higher payload hyperspectral, multispectral, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) inspections (13%). In addition, the number of motors and size of the aircraft are the primary drivers in the cost of the vehicle. 75% of vehicles rely on GPS for navigation, and none of them are capable of contact inspections. Factors that limit the use of UAVs in bridge inspections include the UAV endurance, the capability of navigation in GPS deprived environments, the stability in confined spaces in close proximity to structural elements, and the cost. Current research trends in UAV technologies address some of these limitations, such as obstacle detection and avoidance methods, autonomous flight path planning and optimization, and UAV hardware optimization for specific mission requirements.
A Review of Counter-UAS Technologies for Cooperative Defensive Teams of Drones
Authors: Castrillo Vittorio Ugo , Manco Angelo , Pascarella Domenico , Gigante Gabriella
Published: March 2022

In recent years, the drone market has had a significant expansion, with applications in various fields (surveillance, rescue operations, intelligent logistics, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, inspection and measuring in the construction industry). Given their increasing use, the issues related to safety, security and privacy must be taken into consideration. Accordingly, the development of new concepts for countermeasures systems, able to identify and neutralize a single (or multiples) malicious drone(s) (i.e., classified as a threat), has become of primary importance. For this purpose, the paper evaluates the concept of a multiplatform counter-UAS system (CUS), based mainly on a team of mini drones acting as a cooperative defensive system. In order to provide the basis for implementing such a system, we present a review of the available technologies for sensing, mitigation and command and control systems that generally comprise a CUS, focusing on their applicability and suitability in the case of mini drones.
Variational Bayesian Inference for Nonlinear Hawkes Process with Gaussian Process Self-Effects
Authors: Malem-Shinitski Noa , Ojeda César , Opper Manfred
Published: March 2022

Traditionally, Hawkes processes are used to model time-continuous point processes with history dependence. Here, we propose an extended model where the self-effects are of both excitatory and inhibitory types and follow a Gaussian Process. Whereas previous work either relies on a less flexible parameterization of the model, or requires a large amount of data, our formulation allows for both a flexible model and learning when data are scarce. We continue the line of work of Bayesian inference for Hawkes processes, and derive an inference algorithm by performing inference on an aggregated sum of Gaussian Processes. Approximate Bayesian inference is achieved via data augmentation, and we describe a mean-field variational inference approach to learn the model parameters. To demonstrate the flexibility of the model we apply our methodology on data from different domains and compare it to previously reported results.
Students’ Perceptions and Experiences of Online Education in Pakistani Universities and Higher Education Institutes during COVID-19
Authors: Iqbal Saad Arslan , Ashiq Murtaza , Rehman Shafiq Ur , Rashid Shaista , Tayyab Namra
Published: March 2022

This study investigates the perceptions and experiences of students regarding the various aspects of online education while studying at the Pakistani Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and universities that shifted to online modes of instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of this study was to identify the level of satisfaction of students with the support being provided to them by their institutes and instructors; the use of different modes of communication and assessment methods; and their home study environment. It also explored the positively and negatively influencing factors affecting online education, as perceived by them. An online questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey research design was chosen for conducting this study. Data were collected from 707 respondents belonging to various Pakistani HEIs and universities and analyzed using the SPSS software. The results revealed a considerable dissatisfaction among the study population regarding online education being provided to them during the COVID pandemic. The participants raised concerns over the lack of institutional support and the quality of online instruction. Other issues raised included unsuitable study environments, unavailability of electricity, and connectivity issues. Overall, the majority of the students indicated that they would not like to opt for online classes in the future once the pandemic was over.