bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Covid19-related Scientific Literature Exploration: Short Survey and Comparative Study
Authors: Bahaj Adil , Lhazmir Safae , Ghogho Mounir , Benbrahim Houda
Published: May 2022

The urgency of the COVID19 pandemic caused a surge in related scientific literature. This surge made the manual exploration of scientific articles time-consuming and inefficient. Therefore, a range of exploratory search applications have been created to facilitate access to the available literature. In this survey, we give a short description of certain efforts in this direction and explore the different approaches that they used.
Neuroendocrine Carcinoma at the Sphenoid Sinus Misdiagnosed as an Olfactory Neuroblastoma and Resected Using a High-Flow Bypass
Authors: Takabayashi Kosuke , Shindo Takafumi , Kikuchi Tomoki , Takizawa Katsumi
Published: May 2022

In the diagnosis of olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), the presence of S-100–positive sustentacular cells surrounding the tumor is important; however, these are also present in normal nasal sinus epithelium. Although ONB often has a different final diagnosis, complete resection of the tumor has a good prognosis and minimally affects the patient's treatment plan. When the tumor extends around the internal carotid artery (ICA), complete resection is difficult due to the high risk of vascular injury; revascularization using a high-flow bypass can avoid this complication. In the present case, the tumor was located in the left sphenoid sinus and extended around the ICA. Preoperative biopsy tissue was positive for neuroendocrine markers and slightly positive for S-100 protein, leading to a diagnosis of ectopic ONB. High-flow bypass revascularization with trapping of the ICA allowed complete tumor resection. The postoperative histopathological diagnosis was neuroendocrine carcinoma, showing no S-100 protein–positive cells. There was no sign of recurrence two and a half years after surgery without additional treatment. This case demonstrates that the presence of S-100 protein–positive cells in ONB may be misleading. Although misdiagnosis of ectopic ONB should be anticipated, a complete resection of the tumor is an effective treatment strategy.
CRISPR/Cas9-directed Gene Trap Constitutes a Selection System for Corrected BCR/ABL Leukemic Cells in CML
Authors: Vuelta Elena , Ordoñez José Luis , Sanz David José , Ballesteros Sandra , Hernández-Rivas Jesús María , Méndez-Sánchez Lucía , Sánchez-Martín Manuel , García-Tuñón Ignacio
Published: May 2022

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a haematological neoplasm driven by the BCR/ABL fusion oncogene. The monogenic aspect of the disease and the feasibility of ex vivo therapies in haematological disorders make CML an excellent candidate for gene therapy strategies. The ability to abolish any coding sequence by CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases offers a powerful therapeutic opportunity to CML patients. However, a definitive cure can only be achieved when only CRISPR-edited cells are selected. A gene-trapping approach combined with CRISPR technology would be an ideal approach to ensure this. Here, we have developed a CRISPR-Trap strategy that efficiently inserts a donor gene trap (SA-CMV-Venus) cassette into the BCR-ABL1-specific fusion point in the CML K562 human cell line. The trapping cassette interrupts the on-cogene coding sequence and expresses a reporter gene that enables the selection of edited cells. Quantitative expression analyses showed significantly higher level of expression of the BCR-Venus allele coupled with a drastically lower level of BCR/ABL expression in Venus+ cell fractions. Functional in vitro experiments showed cell proliferation arrest and apoptosis in selected Venus+ cells. Finally, xenograft experiments with the selected Venus+ cells showed a large reduction in tumour growth, thereby demonstrating a therapeutic benefit in vivo. This study is a proof of concept for the therapeutic potential of a CRISPR-Trap system as a novel strategy for gene elimination in haematological neoplasms.
Synergistic Effect of Biomass and Industrial Waste Reuse in Bio-Composite Construction Materials for Decreasing of Natural Resources Use and Mitigation the Environmental Impact of the Construction Industry. A Review.
Authors: Ryłko-Polak Iwona , Komala Wojciech , Białowiec Andrzej
Published: May 2022

The new climate law introduces a policy of sustainable construction, the assumption of which is the reduction of CO2 by the construction industry and the use of environmentally friendly materials, such as agricultural, mineral, and recycled waste, while limiting the consumption of natural resources. The article is a literature review that analyzes selected waste materials from various sectors of the economy that can be used as additives or partial substitutes for natural resources in the production of cement and in and cement building materials, the production of which reduces CO2 emissions, producing materials with high mechanical strength and environmentally friendly.
Tanning Bed Legislation for Minors: A Comprehensive International Comparison
Authors: Diehl Katharina , Lindwedel Karla S. , Mathes Sonja , Görig Tatiana , Gefeller Olaf
Published: May 2022

Tanning beds have been classified as carcinogenic to humans. As a result, many countries have enacted laws regulating the use of commercial tanning beds, including bans for minors. However, there is no international overview of the current legal status of access restrictions for minors that provides details on their specific design regarding age limits and possible exceptions to the statutory regulation. Therefore, we performed a comprehensive web search of current tanning bed legislation for minors on the three continents North America, Australia, and Europe. Our findings regarding existence and concrete design of access restrictions are presented graphically using maps. We found a wide variety of different legislations. In Australia, a total ban on tanning beds exists, while in New Zealand tanning bed use is banned for minors. In Europe about half of the countries have implemented a strict ban for minors. In North America we found differences in the age limit for access restrictions between the states, provinces and territories for those regions that implemented a ban for minors. In the United States, some states have rather ‘soft bans’ that allow use by minors with different types of parental consent. The patchwork in legislation calls for harmonization. Therefore, our comparison is an important starting point for institutions such as the World Health Organization or the European Commission to advance their goals towards a harmonization of tanning bed legislation in general and for minors in particular.
Effect of Mushroom Root Fermentation Broth on the Umami Taste and Nutrients of Flammulina velutipes
Authors: Xin Guang , Wang Zijian , Bao Xiujing , Xia Rongrong , Hou Zhenshan , Li Yunting , Feng Yao , Pan Song , Xu Heran
Published: May 2022

As one of the most appealing edible mushrooms, the quality of Flammulina velutipes can be affected by the cultivation substrate, which has an impact on the mushroom umami taste and nutrients. In our study, the effect of mushroom root fermentation broth (MRFB) based substrate on umami taste and nutrients of F. velutipes were evaluated; four proportions of MRFB was conducted (CK 0%, E1 6.7%, E2 13.4%, E3 20.1%). Results indicated that MRFB was an effective nutrient supplement for mushroom cultivation substrate. E2 and E3 showed higher crude fiber, crude fat, soluble protein, and soluble sugar. Compared to CK, the content of monosodium glutamate-like (MSG-like) amino acids, essential amino acids, total amino acids and total 5'-nucleotides in E2 and E3 were higher. The equivalent umami concentration (EUC) values in E1, E2 and E3 were 1.70, 2.43 and 1.56 times of CK, respectively. Higher umami, saltness and sweetness taste values were found in E2. Thereby, it signified that better umami and richer nutrients were achieved by using substrate with proper volume of MRFB, especially, E2 with 13.4% of MRFB. Overall, better mushroom quality could be derived from the application of MRFB in cultivation. MRFB was a favorable nutrient supplement for Flammulina velutipes cultivation substrate.
COVID-19 and Diabetes: Pathophysiological Mechanism of Multi-System Organ Failure
Authors: Roy Bipradas , Runa Sadia Afrin
Published: May 2022

Since the discovery of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, a vast majority of studies have been carried out that confirmed the worst outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in people with preexisting health conditions, including diabetes. Both diabetes and SARS-CoV-2 have their independent ability to induce the pathogenesis of multi-system organ dysfunction, while the co-existence of these two culprits can accelerate the pathophysiology and magnify the severity of the diseases. However, the exact pathophysiology of multi-system organ failure in diabetic patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection is still obscure. This review summarized the organ-specific possible molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 and diabetes-induced pathophysiology of several diseases, including the lungs, heart, kidney, brain, eyes, gastrointestinal system, and bones and subsequent manifestation of multi-system organ failure.
State-of-the-art in Open-domain Conversational AI: A Survey
Authors: Adewumi Tosin , Liwicki Foteini , Liwicki Marcus
Published: May 2022

We survey SoTA open-domain conversational AI models with the purpose of presenting the prevailing challenges that still exist to spur future research. In addition, we provide statistics on the gender of conversational AI in order to guide the ethics discussion surrounding the issue. Open-domain conversational AI are known to have several challenges, including bland responses and performance degradation when prompted with figurative language, among others. First, we provide some background by discussing some topics of interest in conversational AI. We then discuss the method applied to the two investigations carried out that make up this study. The first investigation involves a search for recent SoTA open-domain conversational AI models while the second involves the search for 100 conversational AI to assess their gender. Results of the survey show that progress has been made with recent SoTA conversational AI, but there are still persistent challenges that need to be solved, and the female gender is more common than the male for conversational AI. One main take-away is that hybrid models of conversational AI offer more advantages than any single architecture. The key contributions of this survey are 1) the identification of prevailing challenges in SoTA open-domain conversational AI, 2) the unusual discussion about open-domain conversational AI for low-resource languages, and 3) the discussion about the ethics surrounding the gender of conversational AI.
Ensuring Food Safety for Americans: The Role of Local Health Departments
Authors: Shah Gulzar H. , Shankar Padmini , Sittaramane Vonoth , Ayangunna Elizabeth , Afriyie-Gyawu Evans
Published: May 2022

(1) Background: Several agencies in the United States play a primary role in ensuring food safety, yet foodborne illnesses result in about 3,000 deaths and cost more than $15.6 billion each year. The study objectives included analyzing local health departments’ (LHDs) level of engagement in food safety and other related services, and LHDs’ characteristics associated with those services. (2) Methods: We used data from 1,496 LHDs that participated in the 2019 National Profile of Local Health Departments Survey, administered to all 2,459 LHDs in the United States. Logistic regression analyses were performed to model multiple dichotomous variables. (3) Results: An estimated 78.9% of LHDs performed food safety inspections, 78.3% provided food safety education, 40.7% provided food processing inspections, and 48.4% engaged in policy and advocacy. The odds for LHDs to directly provide preventive nutrition services were 20 times higher if the LHD had one or more nutritionists on staff (Adjusted Odds Ratio or AOR=20.0; Confidence Interval, CI=12.4-32.2) compared to LHDs with no nutritionists. Other LHD characteristics significantly associated with the provision of nutrition services (p<.05) included population size, state governance (rather than local), and LHD having at least one registered, licensed, practical, or vocational nurse. The odds of providing food processing services were lower for locally governed than state governed LHDs (AOR=0.5; CI=0.4-0.7). The odds of performing food safety inspections varied by LHD’s population size, whether a nutritionist was on staff or not, state governance (vs. local), and having completed a community health assessment (CHA) within 5 years. (4) Conclusions: LHDs play a critical role in ensuring safe food for Americans, yet variations exist in their performance, based on their specific characteristics. Adequate funding and a competent workforce are essential for LHDs to utilize evidence-based practices and engage in policymaking and advocacy concerning food safety.
First Identification of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4 Lineage in Italy: Genomic Comparison with Omicron Lineages
Authors: Peronace Cinzia , Tallerico Rossana , Colosimo Manuela , De Fazio Marco , Pasceri Federica , Talotta Ilenia , Panduri Giuseppina , Pintomalli Letizia , Oteri Rosaria , Calantoni Valeria , Fiorillo Maria Teresa , Caroleo Maria Cristina , Dolce Vincenza , Cione Erika , Minchella Pasquale
Published: May 2022

The rapid emergence and worldwide detection of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant underscore the importance of robust genomic surveillance systems and prompt information sharing among global public health partners. The Omicron variant has rapidly replaced the delta variant as a dominating SARS-CoV-2 variant because of natural selection, favoring the variant with higher infectivity and more strong vaccine breakthrough ability. Omicron has three lineages or sub-variants, BA.1 (B.1.1.529.1), BA.2 (B.1.1.529.2), and BA.3 (B.1.1.529.3). Among them, BA.1 is the currently prevailing sub-variant. BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly re-infect patients originally infected by omicron BA.1. BA.3 lineage is a combination of mutations in BA.1 and BA.2 spike proteins. Today any data are reported on BA.4 lineage. Here we describe the new emerging BA.4 lineage, first detected in Italy, and its genomic comparison with the other three lineages of the omicron variant, which harbor a deletion of the ORF1 ab gene never reported till now. We can speculate that omicron BA.4 will become a new dominating “variant of concern”. Besides that, we show also the capability of five different types of rapid antigenic tests to recognize it.
Skeletal Muscle Cells Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: A Platform for Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophies
Authors: Bruge Celine , Geoffroy Marine , Benabides Manon , Pellier Emilie , Dhiab Jamila , Gicquel Evelyne , Hoch Lucile , Richard Isabelle , Nissan Xavier
Published: May 2022

Limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD), caused by mutations in 29 different genes, are the fourth most prevalent group of genetic muscle diseases, leading to progressive weakness and atrophy of the skeletal muscles. Although the link between LGMD and their genetic origins has been determined, LGMD still represent an unmet medical need. In this paper, we describe a platform for modeling LGMD based on the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). Thanks to the self-renewing and pluripotency properties of hiPSC, this platform provides an alternative and renewable source of skeletal muscle cells (skMC) to primary, immortalized or overexpressing cells. We report that skMC derived from hiPSC express the majority of the genes and proteins causing LGMD. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the importance of this cellular model for studying LGMDR9 by evaluating disease-specific phenotypes in skMC derived from hiPSC obtained from four patients.
Clusters of Hepatitis of Unknown Origin and Etiology (Acute Non HepA–E Hepatitis) Among Children in 2021/2022: A Review of the Current Findings
Authors: Sallam Malik , Mahafzah Azmi , Şahin Gülşen Özkaya
Published: May 2022

Several clusters and individual cases of acute —often severe— hepatitis have been reported in Europe —mainly in the United Kingdom (U.K.)—, the United States (U.S.) and recently in Asia since October 2021. Laboratory investigation of the common viral hepatitis agents (HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HEV) yielded negative results prompting the use of the term “acute non hepA–E hepatitis” to describe this condition. The cases were characterized by the manifestations of acute hepatitis (abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice and very high levels of liver enzymes) affecting children with a median age of 3–4 years. The exact underlying etiology has not been revealed yet; however, a leading hypothesis is that an infectious agent is the culprit underlying cause or at least a risk factor for acute non hepA–E hepatitis occurrence. So far, laboratory testing has shown the presence of adenovirus serotype 41 (Ad–41) which is classified in group F of adenoviruses in about three-fourths of the reported cases. However, the definitive link between adenoviruses and acute non hepA–E hepatitis has not been fully elucidated, which necessitates further investigation of this possible correlation. As of the end of April 2022, more than 200 cases were reported worldwide, the majority of which were in Europe: the U.K. (n=114), Italy (n=17), Spain (n=13), Israel (n=12), the U.S. (n=9), Denmark (n=6), Netherlands and Ireland (n=4), Japan (n=3), Austria, Belgium, France, and Norway (n=2), Germany, Poland, and Romania (n=1). Possible cases are being evaluated in Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Wisconsin states of the U.S., Canada, Singapore and Slovenia. Vigilant surveillance and epidemiologic investigation to identify further cases are warranted at the global level to delineate the features of this emergent public health issue. The possible role of environmental and toxic agents including foodborne toxins should not be overlooked as well. Specific guidelines for identification of further cases is necessary particularly in low-income settings where testing for adenoviruses is not considered routinely. Genetic analysis of Ad–41 isolates is recommended to assess the potential changes in virus genome with subsequent possible altered virus behavior. Immunopathogenesis is another possibility that should be examined as well considering the absence of virus detection in liver biopsies of the affected children in the U.S.
Research and Comparative Modeling of the Si, GaAs and GaN JFET/CMOS Buffer Amplifiers for Sallen-Key LPF Design Problems with A Low Offset Voltage's Systematic Component
Authors: Prokopenko Nikolay , Budyakov Petr , Bugakova Anna
Published: May 2022

The authors of the article performed computer simulation of buffer amplifiers (BA), which have medium and extremely small values of the offset voltage's systematic component (Voff), for different technological processes (Si, GaAs and GaN). The proposed control units are distinguished by a small number of elements and allow operation in the range of low and high temperatures. The variants of circuitry implementation of control units based on GaAs, GaN depletion-mode CMOS and JFET technological processes are considered. The results of the comparative modeling showed that the basic circuit of the BA on two field-effect transistors, when implemented on various modifications of GaN MOS and depletion-mode MOS transistors, provides sufficiently low values of the offset voltage's systematic component (less than 2 μV). The proposed BAs are designed for use in the structure of the Sallen-Key low-pass filter (LPF) when they are implemented both on mid-frequency Si CJFET and on GaAs microwave transistors. Low values of the LPF Voff have a positive effect on the effective capacity of the ADC. An example of switching on a BA in the JFET OpAmp structure based on the depletion-mode MOS input stage and a “folded” cascode, which, with 100% negative feedback, can be used in the Sallen-Key LPF, is considered. Computer simulation of the JFET/MOS OpAmp showed that the OpAmp has an open-loop voltage gain of 76-85dB, and its Voff is within 7µV in the temperature range from -60°C to +120°C. The presented circuitry of buffer amplifiers is intended, first of all, for the tasks of designing precision Sallen-Key low-pass filter (low-pass filter, high-pass filter, PF, RF).
Government’s Efforts To Minimize The Threat of Coastline Changes on the North Coast of Bengkalis Island
Authors: Sarah Siti , Aris Tomi , Wiranto Surya , Purwanto Purwanto
Published: May 2022

This study aims to analyse the changes in the coastline that will occur using geographic information system technology and formulate anticipatory efforts from the government to overcome the threat of abrasion on the north coast of Bengkalis Island, Riau Province. Bengkalis is a Regency located on the north coast of Riau Province, where the coastal area is very vulnerable to maritime disasters. This is evidenced by tidal waves or high tides that regularly occur at the end of the year in the north coastal area of the Bengkalis Regency. There are hundreds of houses and shopping centre shops submerged by the tide; this is causes harm to the community. In addition, the threat of abrasion, which causes changes to the coastline toward settlements, continues to increase every year; this problem threatens the country’s sovereignty because the worst possibility is to eliminate the island. This study found that coastal abrasion that occurred on the coast of Bengkalis Island reached 39 meters a year, and the average rate of change of the coastline was 14 meters a year.Without serious handling and countermeasures from the government, this will become a big problem.
Influence of High-Temperature Treatment on Strength and Failure Behaviors of a Quartz-Rich Sandstone under True Triaxial Condition
Authors: Li Xiaoshuang , Peng Jun , Xie Yulin , Li Qihang , Zhou Tao , Wang Jiawen , Zheng Wenbo
Published: May 2022

In this paper, the effect of high temperature on the mechanical properties of quartz-rich sandstone was studied by true triaxial pressure experiment. The density, P-wave velocity, elastic modulus, peak stress, peak strain, and failure mode of quartz-rich sandstone before and after heat treatment were analyzed and compared. It was found that the color of quartz-rich sandstone changes greatly when heated to 500°C. In detail, the brittleness of quartz-rich sandstone gradually decreased and the ductility increased at high temperature. Although the density, P-wave velocity, and elastic modulus fluctuate, they showed a decreasing trend as a whole. In addition, the peak stress and peak strain showed an overall upward trend with the increase of temperature, and 500°C was the high-temperature failure threshold of quartz-rich sandstone. The failure mode of quartz-rich sandstone at high temperature changes from shear failure to shear-tension combined failure, and the number of cracks increases. Therefore, these research results can provide a certain reference for high-temperature underground operation.
Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma rapidly arising from the chest wall that was difficult to distinguish from lung tumours: A case report
Authors: Narukami Eri , Yamamoto Marino , Okada Hironobu , Miyazaki Ryohei , Bunno Yujiro , Iguchi Mitsuko , Anayama Takashi
Published: May 2022

Background: Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS) is a rare mesenchymal tumour, predominantly arising in the limbs and trunks of young adults.　This tumour rarely arises in the chest cavity.Case presentation: An 84-year-old Japanese woman visited our hospital because of a right intrathoracic mass that was discovered on routine chest radiography. Based on computed tomography (CT) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography findings, primary lung cancer with chest wall invasion was suspected. Chest CT performed 3 years prior did not reveal any abnormalities. CT-guided needle biopsy did not provide a definitive diagnosis. During the operation, the mass was detected in the right lower lobe of the lung and suspected to have invaded the chest wall directly at the sixth–eighth ribs. Right lower lobectomy and combined resection of the ribs were performed. Microscopically, it was a low-grade spindle cell tumour arising from the pleura and demonstrating focal invasion of the lung. Immunohistochemically, the tumour was positive for MUC4, negative for CD34 and β-catenin, and finally diagnosed as LGFMS. The patient has been well for 5 months after surgery.Conclusions: LGFMS may be histomorphologically diagnosed as a low-grade tumour by needle biopsy; however, in the current case, it was clinically highly malignant because of the appearance of an 8-cm mass over 3 years. Therefore, postoperative, long-term regular medical imaging is recommended, considering the highly malignant nature of the tumour and high risk of local recurrence and pulmonary metastasis.
A continuously tunable and filter-less QPSK modulated millimeter-wave signal generation with frequency quadrupling just based on an MZM
Authors: Wang Dongfei , Li Zichen , Ding Haiyang
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we propose a new frequency quadrupling scheme to generate quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulated vector millimeter-wave signal, in which optical filter is needless. To eliminate constellation overlapping of the generated vector millimeter-wave signal caused by phase multiplication in the process of frequency multiplication, precoding assisted technique is adopted. The principle and feasibility of the proposed scheme is deduced by detailed mathematical formula. Simulations are done to generate 40 GHz QPSK modulated vector millimeter-wave signals using a 10 GHz radio frequency source and the BER performance is analyzed in detail. The results show that BER of the generated 5/10-Gbaud/s vector millimeter-wave signal is below 3.8 x 10-3, when the input optical power for into photo-detector is higher than -20.67dBm.
REGEN-COV antibody cocktail (casirivimab/imdevimab) for the treatment of inpatients with early hospital-acquired COVID-19: a single center experience
Authors: Faraone Antonio , Fabbrizzi Francesca , Picchioni Tommaso , Lovicu Elena , Tofani Lorenzo , Scocchera Giulia , Forte Aldo Lo , Crociani Andrea , Carrai Paolo , Sbaragli Serena , Bettucchi Michael , Fortini Alberto
Published: May 2022

Inpatients with hospital-acquired (HA) COVID-19 have mortality rates above 30%. Subjects with early diagnosis of COVID-19 and risk factors for disease progression are suitable for treatment with anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). We retrospectively assessed the outcome of a cohort of hospitalized patients with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 nosocomial infection who were admitted to the COVID-19 general ward of an acute-care Italian hospital between October 25, 2020 and April 30, 2021. Patients receiving the REGEN-COV mAb cocktail (casirivimab/imdevimab) were compared with those receiving standard care. Of 34 patients, 11 (mean age, 73.1; 9 males) underwent treatment with REGEN-COV and 23 received standard care. The 2 study groups were well balanced regarding age, sex, comorbidities, acute illness severity at diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and all participants had at least 2 risk factors for disease progression. Five of 11 patients in the REGEN-COV group and 16 of 23 in the standard care group were asymptomatic at diagnosis; the remaining had symptoms of mild COVID-19. All patients received REGEN-COV within 3 days of infection confirmation. Treatment with REGEN-COV was inversely associated with oxygen requirement for COVID-19 during hospital stay (OR 0.02, CI 0–0.52, p=0.0174). No 28-day deaths were registered in the REGEN-COV group, compared to 8 (34.8%) in the standard care group (p=0.0339). Kaplan-Meier analysis confirmed the survival advantage of REGEN-COV group (log-rank p=0.00324). No serious adverse events related to REGEN-COV administration were recorded. Based on these findings, REGEN-COV appears safe and might prevent disease progression in high-risk inpatients with early diagnosis of HA-COVID-19.
Suggesting time frequency representation of the obtained reaction time of the consecutive tasks in a driving simulator for determining the rate of change of brain’s frequency
Authors: Rajdeep Prashant , Patel Lajja , CD Steffy , Panchal Preeti
Published: May 2022

Objective – Suggesting an approach to determine the rate of change of brain’s frequency (ROCOF).Background – Reaction time (RT) is mostly well estimated in any driving simulator, especially the visual reaction time. However, an appropriate representation of RT in a driving simulator can help determine the changes in brain’s frequency. Method – We propose, use a driving simulator which can efficiently measure and record the participant’s reaction times for the rapidly successive tasks in a simulator. A reciprocal presentation of each RT can be used as the brain’s frequency for performing that task. Using this concept, a simulator software can calculate the brain’s frequencies for all the tasks. While its graphical representation over time can yield time frequency distribution (TFD). Results – Analysis of this time frequency representation (TDR) of RT may help to study the pattern of brain activity and to derive ROCOF, which can be used to classify the drivers.
Changing honey bee overwintering dynamics under warmer autumns and winters create new risks for pollination services.
Authors: Rajagopalan Kirti , DeGrandi-Hoffman Gloria , Pruett Matthew , Jones Vincent P. , Corby-Harris Vanessa , Pireaud Juien , Curry Robert , Hopkins Brandon , Northfield Tobin
Published: May 2022

Pollinators are critical for food and nutritional security and face multiple stresses including climate change. Climate change research has mostly overlooked managed pollinators (honey bees) – in spite of them playing an outsized role in providing pollination services for agriculture – and focused on feral pollinator species range shifts and altered plant-pollinator interactions that affect forage availability. Impacts of warmer autumn temperatures have also received limited focus, even though they can have subtle but important effects on plants and animals. We highlight that warmer autumns and winters in higher latitudes result in expanded geographic areas with conditions conducive for late-season honey bee flight. Utilizing honey bee colony population dynamics model simulations, we demonstrate that this late-season flight alters the overwintering colony age structure, skews the population towards older bees, leading to greater risks of colony failure. Management interventions such as overwintering colonies in cold storage facilities will likely become a critical tool to reduce honey bee colony losses. There are critical gaps in our current understanding of winter management strategies to improve the survival of overwintering colonies, and it is imperative that we bridge this gap to sustain honey bees and the beekeeping industry and ensure food and nutritional security.
Shape Memory and Underwater Superelastic MOF@Cellulose Aerogels for Rapid and Large-capacity Adsorption of Metal Ions
Authors: Wang Meng , Shao Lupeng , Jia Mengying
Published: May 2022

Cellulose aerogels (CA) have been used in widespread areas, such as absorbents, thermal insulation material and medical material. Herein, a robust strategy to fabricate cellulose aerogels by combining cellulose nanofibers with PVA “glue”. The CA not only had a robust chemical-bond cross-link network, but also had a strong H-bond, which enhanced underwater mechanical properties. Moreover, the compressible CA provided a large number of nucleation sites for the growth of Metal-organic frame (MOF) nanoparticles (ZIF-67 and ZIF-8) through interface self-assemble. The obtained aerogels with a low density of 9.8-11.2 mg cm -3 and highly porous of 99.4-99.5% possessed excellent mechanical properties both in air and underwater. The adsorption capacities of the MOF@CA for Pb 2+ and Cu 2+ are up to 105.21 mg g -1 and 54.78 mg g -1 , respectively. The novel MOF@CA adsorbents with excellent mechanical properties display application prospects in the removal of heavy metals from wastewater.
Assessing Acute Cardiac Inflammation One Month after Left-sided Breast Cancer Radiotherapy with Hybrid PET/MRI
Authors: Chau Oi Wai , Islam Ali , Lock Michael , Yu Edward , Dinniwell Robert , Yaremko Brian , Brackstone Muriel , Pavlosky William , Butler John , Biernaski Heather , Kovacs Michael , Graf Chantelle , Wisenberg Gerald , Prato Frank S , Gaede Stewart
Published: May 2022

Purpose: To investigate the utility of hybrid 18FDG-PET/MRI and serial blood work to detect early inflammatory response and cardiac functionality changes at one-month post-radiation therapy (RT) in patients with left-sided breast cancer.Methods: Fifteen left-sided breast cancer patients enrolled in the RICT-BREAST study underwent hybrid PET/MRI cardiac imaging at baseline and one-month after standard RT. Eleven patients received deep-inspiration breath-hold RT, while others received free-breathing RT. A list-mode 18FDG/PET scan with glucose suppression was acquired. Myocardial inflammation was quantified by the change of mean 18FDG standard uptake and analyzed based on the coronary vascular territory (left anterior descending (LAD), left circumflex or right coronary artery).MR assessments, including LV functional and extracellular volume matrices (ECV), were extracted from T1 (pre and during-constant infusion of gadolinium) and cine images, respectively, acquired simultaneously during PET acquisition. Cardiac injury and inflammation biomarker measurements of hs-TnT, hs-CRP and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were compared at the 1-month follow-up in this study.Results: At one-month follow-up, a significant increase (10%) of 18FDG/PET myocardial uptake (meanSUVbw) in LAD segments (p=0.04) and ECV in slices at the apex (6%) and base (5%) were detected (p≤0.02). Further, a significant reduction of LV stroke volume (-7%) was seen (p <0.02). No significant changes in all circulating biomarkers at follow-up were shown. Conclusions: 18FDG/PET myocardial uptake and functional MR, including SV and ECV were sensitive to changes at one-month after breast cancer RT with findings suggesting an acute cardiac inflammatory response which is an important cardiotoxicity surrogate to RT. The clinical pilot study (NCT03748030, November 16, 2018) was approved by the Western University Human Research Ethics Board (HSREB ID 112991), funded by Lawson Strategic Research Fund (R19-292).
Plasma Cytokine Expression as a Marker of Immunoadjuvant Strategy in HIV-infected Patients Undergoing Early or Delayed Antiretroviral Treatment
Authors: Li Chao , Sun Jianping , Wang Ni , Yan Ping , Wang Rui , Su Bin , Zhang Tong , Wu Hao , Chen Hui , Li Zhen , Huang Xiaojie
Published: May 2022

Background: Currently, there is insufficient information on the impact of anti-HIV drugs on immune-inflammatory conditions at various stages of infection. Early initiation of antiretroviral treatment has been approved for better therapeutic effects. Understanding the effects of antiretroviral therapy on the immune function of HIV patients plays a crucial role in the selection and optimization of treatment regimens. Therefore, we analyzed multiple HIV-context situations to examine the levels of different cytokines under these conditions to determine the need for immunoadjuvant therapy.Methods: Luminex was used to measure variations in the levels of 45 cytokines during antiretroviral treatment of HIV. Plasma samples were collected from 15 patients in the early treatment group and 18 patients in the delayed treatment group (CD4 < 350 cell/mm3). Samples were drawn at 0, 24, 48, and 96 weeks, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the natural course of infection under normal conditions. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to describe the changes at each time point during antiretroviral therapy. The changes in the early and delayed treatments were verified using the Wilcoxon test. The results obtained after 96 weeks of treatment were compared to those obtained under normal conditions to confirm the curative effect. Spearman’s test was used to build cytokine networks for the identification of crucial cytokines that manipulate the HIV-related immune environment.Results: In our study, a few cytokines, such as TRAIL, fractalkine, and Fit-3 ligand, in the plasma were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), which finally returned to normal. Chronically high or low levels (consisting of 40 cytokines) were dominant, even after long-term antiretroviral therapy. Cytokine networks provide further insights into the activities and correlations of cytokines with each other. Th1/Th2 cells showed considerably reduced expression, whereas chemotactic factors or CSF exhibited high expression.Conclusions: The levels of various cytokines could not be restored to normal even after long-term antiretroviral therapy. Under exceptional circumstances, efficient measures should be implemented to establish a better immune environment. Precise regulation of the levels of these crucial cytokines may help further establish a benign prognosis and favorable therapeutic effects.
Genetic parameters for growth reproductive, carcass and meat quality in Polled Nellore Cattle
Authors: Mamede Mariana Márcia dos Santos , Rosa Guilherme Jordão de Magalhães , Eifert Eduardo da Costa , Lopes Fernando Brito , Baldi Fernando , Costa Marcos Fernando Oliveira , Sainz Roberto Daniel , Carmo Adriana Santana do , Mascioli Arthur dos Santos , Magnabosco Claudio Ulhoa
Published: May 2022

Genetic parameters were estimated for scrotal circumference adjusted to 365 (SC365) and 450 (SC450) days of age, age at first calving (AFC), accumulated productivity (AP), stayability (STAY), loin eye area (LMA), thickness of subcutaneous fat over the 12th-13th ribs (BF), thickness of subcutaneous fat over the rump (RF), and shear force measured by Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of polled Nellore cattle. Bayesian analysis bi characteristics were performed by adopting linear animal model, whereas STAY analyzes used the linear threshold model. Heritability estimates were equal to 0.31 (SC365), 0.37 (SC450), 0.16 (AFC), 0.25 (AP), 0.16 (STAY), 0.30 (LMA), 0.13 (BF), 0.24 (RF), and 0.15 (WBSF), indicating moderate response to selection. Genetic and residual correlations between SC365 and SC450 were high and positive (0.91 and 0.74, respectively), as well as the genetic correlations of AP with SC365, SC450, AFC, and STAY (0.61, 0.62, -0.69, and 0.83, respectively). Genetic and residual correlations of WBSF with reproductive and carcass characteristics exhibited high standard deviations, however favorable.
Comparative evaluation of photon-induced water splitting under visible light irradiation using Cd-doped TiO 2 nanoparticles and nanofibers
Authors: Erfan Nehal A. , Barakat Nasser A. M. , Mahmoud Mohamed S.
Published: May 2022

Nanofibrous morphology and the doping technique can overcome the problem of electron/hole fast recombination and improve the activity of such important photocatalysts under visible light irradiation. In this study, nanoparticulate and nanofibrous forms of Cd-doped TiO2 were synthesized with different cadmium contents. For photocatalysts characterization, SEM, (TEM), EDX, and XRD techniques were used. The nanomorphology, cadmium content, and reaction temperature of Cd-doped TiO2 nanostructures were found to strongly affect the hydrogen production rate. Nanofibrous morphology improves the rate of hydrogen evolution by around 2,000 folds over the rate for nanoparticles, due to electron confinement in 0D nanostructures. The average rates of hydrogen production for samples of 0.5 wt% Cd are 0.7 and 16.5 ml/gcat. min for nanoparticles and nanofibers, respectively. We hypothesize that the formation of type II heterostructures between the TiO2 matrix and cadmium nanoparticles is the main reason for the observed enhancement of photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. Varying reaction temperature suggests that hydrogen evolution over the proposed catalyst is incompatible with the Arrhenius equation. In particular, reaction temperature was found to have a negative influence on photocatalytic activity. This work shows, for the first time, the prospects for using low-cost Cd as a co-catalyst in photon-induced water splitting and indicates a substantial enhancement in the rate of H2 production when using the Cd-doped TiO2 nanofiber photocatalyst.
Objective Video Quality Assessment with Motion Vector-based SIFT and SURF Feature Matching
Authors: Shinde Pooja S. , Dongre Yashwant V.
Published: May 2022

The significant consumption of video data over limited bandwidth mostly compromises in video quality. Video quality assessment (VQA) algorithms aim to estimate the quality of a distorted video data. For this, the scores are created in such a way that agrees with the quality judgments aligned to human visual perception. To measure the quality of the video, we need to compare the subjective score and objective score. Video quality assessment (VQA) is a challenging task due to the complexity of modelling perceived quality characteristics in both spatial and temporal domains. We proposed novel work on feature-based VQA. SIFT and SURF are used to compare the features in the original video against features of the distorted video. A mechanism using weighted features is illustrated to provide a better quality assessment. The subjective score is available in many image databases. Ex. LIVE, IPVL, and CSIQ database. An objective score is obtained by using formulas, and it is used to find a correlation between subjective score and objective score. The efficacy of the proposed method is evaluated against state-of-the-art VQA algorithms. Our method is observed to be consistent with the best VQA results.
Craniofacial growth and function in achondroplasia: a multimodal 3D study on 15 patients
Authors: Morice Anne , Taverne Maxime , Eché Sophie , Griffon Lucie , Fauroux Brigitte , Leboulanger Nicolas , Couloigner Vincent , Baujat Geneviève , Picard Arnaud , Legeai-Mallet Laurence , Kadlub Natacha , Khonsari Roman Hossein
Published: May 2022

BackgroundAchondroplasia is the most frequent FGFR3-related chondrodysplasia, leading to rhizomelic dwarfism, craniofacial anomalies, stenosis of the foramen magnum, and sleep apnea. Craniofacial growth and its correlation with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome has not been assessed in achondroplasia. In this study, we provide a multimodal analysis of craniofacial growth and anatomo-functional correlations between craniofacial features and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.Methods A multimodal study was performed based on a paediatric cohort of 15 achondroplasia patients, including clinical and sleep study data, 2D cephalometrics, and 3D geometric morphometry analyses.ResultsCraniofacial phenotype was characterized by maxillo-zygomatic retrusion, deep nasal root, and prominent forehead. 2D cephalometric studies showed constant maxillo-mandibular retrusion, with excessive vertical dimensions of the lower third of the face, and modifications of cranial base angles. All patients with available CT-scan had premature fusion of skull base synchondroses. 3D morphometric analyses showed an aggravation of the craniofacial phenotype with age, predominantly affecting the midface - with increasing maxillary retrusion with age - as well as the skull base - with closure of the spheno-occipital angle. At mandibular level, both mandibular corpus and ramus showed significant levels of shape modifications with age, the highest level concerned the mandibular corpus (+119%). Anatomo-functional studies revealed significant correlation between the severity of maxillo-mandibular retrusion and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (p<0.01). ConclusionsOur study provides new insights on the impact of FGFR3 activating mutations on craniofacial growth, and highlights anatomo-functional correlation between the severity of craniofacial features and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
Motivating Change in Resident Language Use through Narrative Medicine Workshops
Authors: Collier Kristin , Gupta Amit , Vinson Alexandra
Published: May 2022

BackgroundThere are many ways that students and trainees learn to talk about patients. The way trainees and physicians use language during clinical care is important, as labeling patients can have adverse effects on patient safety. Communication is considered a core competency by The Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Past research has shown that participants in narrative medicine curricula report developing stronger communication skills however it is not clear how these workshops motivated trainees to use language differently during patient care. To explore this, we interviewed second-year residents in academic year 19–20 about their experiences both in participating in narrative medicine workshops and giving patient care.MethodsThe framing context for this constructivist thematic analysis is a series of narrative medicine workshops facilitated for interns in an internal medicine residency program at a large academic medical center during the 18–19 academic year. We developed a semi-structured interview study that allowed residents to reflect on their experiences in these workshops. Eighteen out of 60 residents (30%) were interviewed.ResultsWe found that sessions regarding language use in patient care shaped how interns thought about and used language during clinical work, a finding that arose spontaneously during interviews.ConclusionsOur research suggests that workshops aimed specifically at addressing the use of language in healthcare can have meaningful impact on trainees. Our study makes a unique contribution to the scholarship by suggesting that training in narrative medicine can lead to a change in the way that trainees use language during their clinical work.Trial registrationretrospectively registered.
Circulating blood eNAMPT drives the circadian rhythms in locomotor activity and energy expenditure
Authors: Park Jae Woo , Roh Eun , Kang Gil Myoung , Gil So Young , Kim Hyun Kyong , Lee Chan Hee , Jang Won Hee , Park Se Eun , Moon Sang Yun , Kim Seongjun , Jeong So Yeon , Park Chae Beom , Lim Hyo Sun , Oh Yu Rim , Min Se Hee , Kwon Obin , Youn Byung-Soo , Son Gi Hoon , Kim Min-Seon
Published: May 2022

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an essential cofactor of critical enzymes including protein deacetylase Sirtuins/SIRTs and its levels in mammalian cells rely on the nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT)-mediated salvage pathway. Intracellular NAMPT (iNAMPT) is secreted and found in the blood as extracellular NAMPT (eNAMPT). In the liver, the iNAMPT-NAD+ axis oscillates in a circadian manner and regulates the cellular clockwork. Here we show that the hypothalamic NAD+ contents show a distinct circadian fluctuation with a nocturnal rise in lean mice. This rhythm is in phase with that of plasma eNAMPT levels but not with that of hypothalamic iNAMPT levels. Chemical and genetic blockade of eNAMPT profoundly inhibited the nighttime elevations in hypothalamic NAD+ levels as well as those in locomotor activity (LMA) and energy expenditure (EE). Conversely, systemic administration of NAMPT peptide increased hypothalamic NAD+ levels during the physically-inactive daytime and stimulated LMA and EE through the hypothalamic NAD+-SIRT2-FOXO1-melanocortin pathway. Notably, obese humans and animals displayed a markedly blunted diurnal oscillation in blood eNAMPT and hypothalamic NAD+-FOXO1 levels as well as LMA and EE. Our findings indicate that the eNAMPT-mediated interorgan regulation of NAD+ biosynthesis underlies circadian physiology and that this system can be significantly disrupted by obesity.