bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study protocol for developing, piloting and disseminating the PRISMA-COSMIN guideline: a new reporting guideline for systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments
Authors: Elsman Ellen B. M. , Butcher Nancy J. , Mokkink Lidwine B. , Terwee Caroline B. , Tricco Andrea , Gagnier Joel J. , Aiyegbusi Olalekan Lee , Barnett Carolina , Smith Maureen , Moher David , Offringa Martin
Published: June 2022

Background

Systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments are important tools in the evidence-based selection of these instruments. COSMIN (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments) has developed a comprehensive and widespread guideline to conduct systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments, but key information is often missing in published reviews. This hinders the appraisal of the quality of outcome measurement instruments, impacts the decisions of knowledge users regarding their appropriateness, and compromises reproducibility and interpretability of the reviews’ findings. To facilitate sufficient, transparent, and consistent reporting of systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments, an extension of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020 guideline will be developed: the PRISMA-COSMIN guideline.

Methods

The PRISMA-COSMIN guideline will be developed in accordance with recommendations for reporting guideline development from the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network. First, a candidate reporting item list will be created through an environmental literature scan and expert consultations. Second, an international Delphi study will be conducted with systematic review authors, biostatisticians, epidemiologists, psychometricians/clinimetricians, reporting guideline developers, journal editors as well as patients, caregivers, and members of the public. Delphi panelists will rate candidate items for inclusion on a 5-point scale, suggest additional candidate items, and give feedback on item wording and comprehensibility. Third, the draft PRISMA-COSMIN guideline and user manual will be iteratively piloted by applying it to systematic reviews in several disease areas to assess its relevance, comprehensiveness, and comprehensibility, along with usability and user satisfaction. Fourth, a consensus meeting will be held to finalize the PRISMA-COSMIN guideline through roundtable discussions and voting. Last, a user manual will be developed and the final PRISMA-COSMIN guideline will be disseminated through publications, conferences, newsletters, and relevant websites. Additionally, relevant journals and organizations will be invited to endorse and implement PRISMA-COSMIN. Throughout the project, evaluations will take place to identify barriers and facilitators of involving patient/public partners and employing a virtual process.

Discussion

The PRISMA-COSMIN guideline will ensure that the reports of systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments are complete and informative, enhancing their reproducibility, ease of use, and uptake.
Higher order difference equations with homogeneous governing functions nonincreasing in each variable with unbounded solutions
Authors: Stević Stevo , El-Sayed Ahmed A. , Iričanin Bratislav , Kosmala Witold
Published: June 2022

By using a comparison method and some difference inequalities we show that the following higher order difference equation$$ x_{n+k}=\frac{1}{f(x_{n+k-1},\ldots ,x_{n})},\quad n\in{\mathbb{N}},$$xn+k=1f(xn+k−1,…,xn),n∈N,where$k\in{\mathbb{N}}$k∈N,$f:[0,+\infty )^{k}\to [0,+\infty )$f:[0,+∞)k→[0,+∞)is a homogeneous function of order strictly bigger than one, which is nondecreasing in each variable and satisfies some additional conditions, has unbounded solutions, presenting a large class of such equations. The class can be used as a useful counterexample in dealing with the boundedness character of solutions to some difference equations. Some analyses related to such equations and a global convergence result are also given.
On a cubic–quadratic equation relative to elliptic curves
Authors: Bae Jae-Hyeong , Park Won-Gil
Published: June 2022

We investigate the Hyers–Ulam stability of the following cubic–quadratic functional equation relative to elliptic curves $f(x+y+z,u+v+w)+f(x+y-z,u+v+w)+2f(x,u-w)+2f(y,v-w) =f(x+y,u+w)+f(x+y,v+w)+f(x+z,u+w)+f(x-z,u+v-w)+f(y+z,v+w)+f(y-z,u+v-w)$
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Research on singular Sturm–Liouville spectral problems with a weighted function
Authors: Tang Shuning
Published: June 2022

As early as 1910, Weyl gave a classification of the singular Sturm–Liouville equation, and divided it into the Limit Point Case and the Limit Circle Case at infinity. This led to the study of singular Sturm–Liouville spectrum theory. With the development of applications, the importance of singular Sturm–Liouville problems with a weighted function becomes more and more significant. This paper focuses on the study of singular Sturm–Liouville problems with a weighted function. Finally, an example of singular Sturm–Liouville problems with a weighted function is given.
From COVID to fibrosis: lessons from single-cell analyses of the human lung
Authors: Justet Aurelien , Zhao Amy Y. , Kaminski Naftali
Published: June 2022

The increased resolution of single-cell RNA-sequencing technologies has led to major breakthroughs and improved our understanding of the normal and pathologic conditions of multiple tissues and organs. In the study of parenchymal lung disease, single-cell RNA-sequencing has better delineated known cell populations and identified novel cells and changes in cellular phenotypes and gene expression patterns associated with disease. In this review, we aim to highlight the advances and insights that have been made possible by applying these technologies to two seemingly very different lung diseases: fibrotic interstitial lung diseases, a group of relentlessly progressive lung diseases leading to pulmonary fibrosis, and COVID-19 pneumonia, an acute viral disease with life-threatening complications, including pulmonary fibrosis. We discuss changes in cell populations and gene expression, highlighting potential common features, such as alveolar cell epithelial injury and aberrant repair and monocyte-derived macrophage populations, as well as relevance and implications to mechanisms of disease and future directions.
Noma staging: a review
Authors: Khammissa Razia Abdool Gafaar , Lemmer Johan , Feller Liviu
Published: June 2022

Noma is a bacterial, non-communicable, grossly destructive and disfiguring necrotising oro-facial disease. It is rare, but occurs most commonly in chronically malnourished children with other debilitating illnesses, in remote, poverty-stricken communities, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, and much more rarely in central Latin America and in parts of Asia. In South Africa and in Zimbabwe, noma is observed, again rarely, in immunosuppressed HIV-seropositive subjects. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified noma into five sequential stages: stage 1, acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis; stage 2, oedema; stage 3, gangrene; stage 4, scarring; stage 5, sequela. In the opinion of the authors, this WHO classification requires fundamental re-appraisal. The purpose of this viewpoint article is to highlight the weaknesses of this classification, and to propose a simpler, more logical and practical evidence-based staging of noma, which if used should improve the quality and value of future epidemiological data about noma.
Global emergence of Enterovirus 71: a systematic review
Authors: Nayak Gayatree , Bhuyan Sanat Kumar , Bhuyan Ruchi , Sahu Akankshya , Kar Dattatreya , Kuanar Ananya
Published: June 2022

Background

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral infection caused by a virus from the enterovirus genus of picornavirus family that majorly affects children. Though most cases of HFMD do not cause major problems, the outbreaks of Enterovirus 71 (EV71) can produce a high risk of neurological sequelae, including meningoencephalitis, lung difficulties, and mortality. In Asia, HFMD caused by EV71 has emerged as an acutely infectious disease of highly pathogenic potential, which demands the attention of the international medical community.

Main body of the abstract

Some online databases including NCBI, PubMed, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Scopus, and EBSCO were also accessed using keywords relating to the topic for data mining. The paid articles were accessed through the Centre Library facility of Siksha O Anusandhan University. This work describes the structure, outbreak, molecular epidemiology of Enterovirus 71 along with different EV71 vaccines. Many vaccines have been developed such as inactivated whole-virus live attenuated, subviral particles, and DNA vaccines to cure the patients. In Asia–Pacific nations, inactivated EV71 vaccination still confronts considerable obstacles in terms of vaccine standardization, registration, price, and harmonization of pathogen surveillance and measurements.

Short conclusion

HFMD has emerged as a severe health hazard in Asia–Pacific countries in recent decades. In Mainland China and other countries with high HFMD prevalence, the inactivated EV71 vaccination will be a vital tool in safeguarding children's health. When creating inactivated EV71 vaccines, Mainland China ensured maintaining high standards of vaccine quality. The Phase III clinical studies were used to confirm the safety and effectiveness of vaccinations.

Graphical Abstract
Food insecurity and severe mental illness: understanding the hidden problem and how to ask about food access during routine healthcare
Authors: Smith Jo , Ker Suzy , Archer Darren , Gilbody Simon , Peckham Emily , Hardman Charlotte A.
Published: June 2022

Food insecurity occurs when an individual lacks the financial resources to ensure reliable access to sufficient food to meet their dietary, nutritional and social needs. Adults living with mental ill health, particularly severe mental illness, are more likely to experience food insecurity than the general adult population. Despite this, most interventions and policy reforms in recent years have been aimed at children and families, with little regard for other vulnerable groups. Initiating a conversation about access to food can be tricky and assessing for food insecurity does not happen in mental health settings. This article provides an overview of food insecurity and how it relates to mental ill health. With reference to research evidence, the reader will gain an understanding of food insecurity, how it can be assessed and how food-insecure individuals with severe mental illness can be supported. Finally, we make policy recommendations to truly address this driver of health inequality.
Prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-harm hospitalizations in France: A nationwide retrospective observational study
Authors: Jollant F. , Roussot A. , Corruble E. , Chauvet-Gelinier J. C. , Falissard B. , Mikaeloff Y. , Quantin C.
Published: June 2022

Background

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in France was associated with a reduced number of hospitalizations for self-harm, with the exception of older people. The on-going pandemic may have both sustained and delayed effects.

Methods

Data were extracted from the French national hospital database (PMSI), a nationwide exhaustive database. The number of self-harm hospitalizations (ICD-10 codes X60–84) between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021 (N = 85,679) was compared to 2019 (N = 88,782) using Poisson regression models.

Results

There was a decrease in the total number of self-harm hospitalizations during the studied period versus 2019 (−3.5%; Relative Risk [RR] [95% Confidence Intervals] = 0.97 [0.96–0.97]; p < 0.0001). However, sex and age effects were identified. While adults aged 30–59-years-old showed a decrease (monthly decreases: −12.6 to −15.0%), we found an increase in adolescent girls (+27.7%, RR = 1.28 [1.25–1.31]; p < 0.0001), notably since January 2021. Moreover, the numbers were similar to 2019 in adolescent boys, in youths aged 20–29 years, and in people aged 70 and more. Hospitalizations in intensive care units decreased (−6.7%, RR = 0.93 [0.91–0.96]; p < 0.0001) and deaths at hospital following self-harm remained stable (+0.6%, Hazard Ratio = 0.99 [0.91–1.08], p = 0.79).

Conclusions

During this second stage, the number of self-harm hospitalizations remained at a lower level than in the prepandemic period. However, significant variations over time, age, and sex were observed. Young people (notably adolescent girls) appear to have particularly suffered from the persistence of the pandemic, while older people did not show any decrease since the beginning. Vigilance and continuing prevention are warranted.
A Retrospective Analysis of the Impact of HIV Infection on Outcomes of Locally Advanced Cervical Cancers Treated With Either Conventional or Hypofractionated Radiotherapy: The Uganda Experience
Authors: Kavuma Awusi , Luutu Israel , Kibudde Solomon , Kanyike Daniel
Published: June 2022

PURPOSE

We annually treat more than 800 new patients with cervical cancer, where the majority (approximately 60%) have locally advanced disease and approximately 40% of them are infected with HIV. To optimally care for this large number of patients in low-income settings is difficult. From July 2011, we started using 45.0 Gy/15# hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) as a substitute to 50.0 Gy/25# conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT), for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). This study aims at comparing the 5-year treatment outcomes between patients with LACC, known HIV serostatus, and treated with either CFRT or HFRT.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted according to demographic/clinical data, radiotherapy fractionations, and outcomes. Factors considered were FIGO stages IIB-IIIB, known HIV serostatus, and had completed external-beam radiotherapy and intracavitary brachytherapy. The primary end point was overall survival; the secondary end points were toxicity and compliance.

RESULTS

The study included 221 patients. Squamous cell carcinomas were 95.1% and adenocarcinomas 2.3%. The median age was 45.0 (interquartile range, 38.0-52.0) years. Stages IIB, IIIA, and IIIB were 38.9%, 6.3%, and 54.8%, respectively. HIV-positive and HIV-negative were 87 (39.4%) and 134 (60.6%), respectively. Chemoradiation was administered in 100 (45.2%), and 52 (52.0%) completed chemotherapy. CFRT/HFRT were 116 (52.5%)/105 (47.5%). At 24 months, the overall response was 54.1% for HIV-negative compared with 45.0% for HIV-positive ( P value .262). There was no significant differences in acute/late toxicity grades ≥ 2 for HIV-negative/positive treated with HFRT/CFRT. At 60 months, the survival probabilities were 45.7% and 27.7% for HIV-negative and HIV-positive treated with CFRT ( P value = .006), whereas it was 44.2% and 30.7% for HIV-negative and HIV-positive treated with HFRT ( P value = .048), respectively.

CONCLUSION

For the treatment of LACC with known HIV serology, there was no significant statistical difference in terms of response, toxicity, and compliance between CFRT and HFRT. However, the difference in overall survival between HIV-negative and HIV-positive was significant.
Industry Relationships With Medical Oncologists: Who Are the High-Payment Physicians?
Authors: Wright Kristin , Meyers Daniel E. , Chisamore Timothy M. , McInnes Matthew D.F. , Sismondo Sergio , Gyawali Bishal , Prasad Vinay , Booth Christopher M.
Published: June 2022

PURPOSE:

Many oncologists have relationships with industry. Previous work has shown that these payments are usually modest; however, there exist a subset of medical oncologists who receive more than $100,000 US dollars (USD) annually. Here, we describe the characteristics of these physicians.

METHODS:

This retrospective cohort study used the Open Payments data set to identify all US-based medical oncologists/hematologists who received $100,000+ USD in general payments linked to cancer medications in 2018. Open Payments and a web-based search were used to identify physician characteristics, demographics, research profile, and leadership positions.

RESULTS:

One hundred thirty-nine medical oncologists received > $100,000 USD in general payments. The median payment was $154,613 USD, and the total payment was $24.2 million USD. These high-payment physicians represent 1% of all US medical oncologists (N = 10,620) yet account for 37% of all industry payments in 2018. Sixty percent (84 of 139) and 21% (29 of 139) of these high-payment physicians hold hospital and specialty association leadership roles, respectively. One quarter (24%, 33 of 139) serve on journal editorial boards, and 10% (14 of 139) have authored clinical practice guidelines; 72% (100 of 139) hold faculty appointments.

CONCLUSION:

A small number of medical oncologists receive very high payments from the pharmaceutical industry. These physicians hold major leadership roles within oncology. Further work is needed to understand the extent to which these conflicts of interest may shape clinical practice and policy.
Application of Artificial Neural Networks in the Process Analytical Technology of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing—a Review
Authors: Nagy Brigitta , Galata Dorián László , Farkas Attila , Nagy Zsombor Kristóf
Published: June 2022

Industry 4.0 has started to transform the manufacturing industries by embracing digitalization, automation, and big data, aiming for interconnected systems, autonomous decisions, and smart factories. Machine learning techniques, such as artificial neural networks (ANN), have emerged as potent tools to address the related computational tasks. These advancements have also reached the pharmaceutical industry, where the Process Analytical Technology (PAT) initiative has already paved the way for the real-time analysis of the processes and the science- and risk-based flexible production. This paper aims to assess the potential of ANNs within the PAT concept to aid the modernization of pharmaceutical manufacturing. The current state of ANNs is systematically reviewed for the most common manufacturing steps of solid pharmaceutical products, and possible research gaps and future directions are identified. In this way, this review could aid the further development of machine learning techniques for pharmaceutical production and eventually contribute to the implementation of intelligent manufacturing lines with automated quality assurance.

Graphical Abstract
Excess 11-Oxygenated Androgens in Women With Severe Insulin Resistance Are Mediated by Adrenal Insulin Receptor Signaling
Authors: Walzer Dalia , Turcu Adina F , Jha Smita , Abel Brent S , Auchus Richard J , Merke Deborah P , Brown Rebecca J
Published: June 2022

Context

Syndromes of severe insulin resistance (SIR) include insulin receptoropathy, in which all signaling downstream of the insulin receptor is lost, and lipodystrophy, in which some signaling pathways are impaired and others preserved. Women with SIR commonly have ovarian hyperandrogenemia; adrenal-derived 11-oxygenated androgens, produced by CYP11B1, have not been studied.

Objective

We aimed to evaluate classic pathway androgens (androstenedione, testosterone) and 11-oxygenated androgens in women with SIR and hyperandrogenemia, and to elucidate the role of insulin receptor signaling for 11-oxygenated androgen production by comparing lipodystrophy and receptoropathy.

Methods

Steroid hormones were quantified using LC-MS/MS in a cross-sectional study of 18 women with hyperandrogenemia and SIR (11 lipodystrophy, 7 receptoropathy) and 23 controls. To assess ovarian vs adrenal origin, steroids were compared in receptoropathy patients with (Ovary+) vs without (Ovary-) ovarian function.

Results

Compared with controls, classic androgens were elevated in both lipodystrophy and receptoropathy, and 11-oxygenated androgens were increased in lipodystrophy (2.9-fold higher 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11OHA4), 2.4-fold higher 11-ketoandrostenedione (11KA4), 3.6-fold higher 11-ketotestosterone (11KT); P < 0.01), but not receptoropathy. Product-to-precursor ratios for CYP11B1 conversion of androstenedione to 11OHA4 were similar in lipodystrophy and controls but decreased in receptoropathy (6.5-fold lower than control; P = 0.001). Classic androgens were elevated in Ovary + but not Ovary- patients.

Conclusions

11-Oxygenated androgens are elevated in lipodystrophy but not receptoropathy. In SIR, insulin receptor signaling is necessary for adrenal hyperandrogenemia but not ovarian hyperandrogenemia; excess classic androgens are derived from the ovaries. Insulin receptor signaling increases adrenal 19-carbon steroid production, which may have implications for more common disorders of mild IR.
Exploring Agriculture in the Age of Industrial Capitalism
Authors: Auderset Juri , Moser Peter
Published: June 2022

This article explores how Swiss agronomists and farmers experienced, perceived, and interpreted the modernization of North American agriculture from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries by examining a series of travel reports, correspondence, diaries, photographs, and film material that they produced about their study trips to the United States and Canada. These sources are an interesting point of departure for transnational perspectives in agricultural history; they reveal not only a great deal about the expectations, anxieties, perceptions, and prejudices that Swiss agriculturalists expressed in their encounter with agricultural institutions, economic mentalities, and farming practices on the other side of the Atlantic, but, in a much broader sense, also about the contested visions of agriculture in the age of industrial capitalism. The article examines how these visitors perceived and interpreted the patterns of agricultural modernization in the United States and Canada and how they comparatively embedded these observations in the epistemic paradigms shaped by their experiences at home. Furthermore, the article explores how the preoccupation with American agriculture and the transformation of knowledge, technology, and practices across the Atlantic shaped the patterns of change in agriculture in Switzerland.
In Service and Observation of the State
Authors: Dimas Carlos S.
Published: June 2022

In 1872 the Argentine state founded the Argentine Meteorological Service (AMS) as an appendage of the National Observatory. Under the guidance of US astronomer Benjamin Apthorp Gould and his successor Walter Davis, the AMS created a national network of amateur weather observers spread throughout the nation and even past the nation's nineteenth-century borders. The AMS proposed to state officials that in time the weather data could help to better understand Argentina's environmental and climatological diversity and have significant political and economic influence on the nation's future. This article examines the AMS's foundation and development, placing it within the Argentine nation-state building process of the last third of the nineteenth century. It argues that the state used weather observation more as a tool of expansion, as in the case of Patagonia, than as a scientific endeavor. In the Patagonian territory of Chubut, settlers and soldiers who completed weather observations argued that their findings demonstrated Patagonia to be a region of limitless agricultural possibilities, even if the truth was far from that.
Restructuring the Specialized University
Authors: Droge Abigail
Published: June 2022

This essay examines the relationship between academic and industrial practices of specialization and suggests pedagogical paths forward to foster greater interdisciplinary engagement in higher education and the workplace. After considering the common structures of current interdisciplinary initiatives in academia and highlighting the challenges often presented by specialization when amplified in the corporate sphere, this essay imagines a future university of 2050 in which interdisciplinarity has become structurally integral and transformative. The essay closes by proposing concrete pedagogical actions that could provide sustained opportunities for students to cultivate connections between fields, both in college and in their subsequent careers.
Introduction
Authors: Blejmar Jordana
Published: June 2022

On June 3, 2015, thousands of people in Argentina gathered in the streets to protest the murder of fourteen-year-old Chiara Paez at the hands of her boyfriend. Following her brutal death, a wave of indignation spread on social media with the viral hashtags #NiUnaMenos and #VivasNosQueremos. What started as an act of public grief and defiance against patriarchy rapidly found an angry but also unexpectedly upbeat tone, a combination of collective fury and exhaustion expressed in highly theatrical and political performances of affection and resistance. “We are moved by desire” became one of the movement's taglines. María Pia López's Not One Less: Mourning, Disobedience, and Desire (2021), among the first English accounts from inside the movement, reflects on this phenomenon and serves as a practical tool in current feminist struggles, feeding the very same transnational, intersectional, transformative movement in which the author has participated as protagonist, connoisseur, and chronicler. López is one of the leading voices of the fourth wave of Latin American feminisms. This collection of commentaries is animated by the dialogical spirit of her book, addressing issues ranging from the transnational identity of feminist political activism; the connection between gender equality and class struggle; the movement's combination of mourning, ecstasy, and desire; and—arguably one of the most important achievements of NUM—feminism's ability to alter the political imagination and common sense.
The Lives of Jessie Sampter
Authors: Imhoff Sarah
Published: June 2022

In The Lives of Jessie Sampter, Sarah Imhoff tells the story of an individual full of contradictions. Jessie Sampter (1883–1938) was best known for her Course in Zionism (1915), an American primer for understanding support of a Jewish state in Palestine. In 1919, Sampter packed a trousseau, declared herself “married to Palestine,” and immigrated there. Yet Sampter’s own life and body hardly matched typical Zionist ideals. Although she identified with Judaism, Sampter took up and experimented with spiritual practices from various religions. While Zionism celebrated the strong and healthy body, she spoke of herself as “crippled” from polio and plagued by sickness her whole life. While Zionism applauded reproductive women’s bodies, Sampter never married or bore children; in fact, she wrote of homoerotic longings and had same-sex relationships. By charting how Sampter’s life did not neatly line up with her own religious and political ideals, Imhoff highlights the complicated and at times conflicting connections between the body, queerness, disability, religion, and nationalism.
Kir2.1 channel regulates macrophage polarization via the Ca2+/CaMK II/ERK/NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Chen Kuihao , Man Qiaoyan , Miao Jiaen , Xu Wenjing , Zheng Yangchen , Zhou Xiuli , Gao Zhe
Published: June 2022

Macrophage polarization plays a key role in the inflammatory response. Various ion channels expressed in macrophages have been documented, but very little is known about their roles in macrophage polarization. We found that knockdown or blockade of the Kir2.1 (also known as KCNJ2) channel significantly inhibited M1 macrophage polarization, but promoted M2 macrophage polarization. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced M1 polarization was also remarkably suppressed in high extracellular K+ solutions (70 mM K+), and this inhibition was partially abolished by adding Ca2+ to the culture medium. Ca2+ imaging showed that Ca2+ influx was dependent on the hyperpolarized membrane potential generated by the Kir2.1 channel. The upregulation of phospho (p)-CaMK II, p-ERK, and p-NF-κB proteins in macrophages from the RAW264.7 cell line that were stimulated with LPS was significantly reversed by blocking the Kir2.1 channel or culturing the cells with 70 mM K+ medium. Furthermore, in vivo studies showed that mice treated with a Kir2.1 channel blocker were protected from LPS-induced peritonitis. In summary, our data reveal the essential role of the Kir2.1 channel in regulating macrophage polarization via the Ca2+/CaMK II/ERK/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Chemical manipulation of mitochondrial function affects metabolism of red carotenoids in a marine copepod (Tigriopus californicus)
Authors: Powers Matthew J. , Baty James A. , Dinga Alexis M. , Mao James H. , Hill Geoffrey E.
Published: June 2022

The shared-pathway hypothesis offers a cellular explanation for the connection between ketocarotenoid pigmentation and individual quality. Under this hypothesis, ketocarotenoid metabolism shares cellular pathways with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation such that red carotenoid-based coloration is inextricably linked mitochondrial function. To test this hypothesis, we exposed Tigriopus californicus copepods to a mitochondrially targeted protonophore, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), to induce proton leak in the inner mitochondrial membranes. We then measured whole-animal metabolic rate and ketocarotenoid accumulation. As observed in prior studies of vertebrates, we observed that DNP treatment of copepods significantly increased respiration and that DNP-treated copepods accumulated more ketocarotenoid than control animals. Moreover, we observed a relationship between ketocarotenoid concentration and metabolic rate, and this association was strongest in DNP-treated copepods. These data support the hypothesis that ketocarotenoid and mitochondrial metabolism are biochemically intertwined. Moreover, these results corroborate observations in vertebrates, perhaps suggesting a fundamental connection between ketocarotenoid pigmentation and mitochondrial function that should be explored further.
Metabolic changes in chronic hepatitis C patients receiving direct acting antivirals
Authors: Abdel Fattah Nehal K. , Shaheen Sara M. , Ahmed Osama A. , Elsaeed Kadry , Sabri Nagwa A.
Published: June 2022

Background: Treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with direct acting antivirals (DAAS) improves the rates of sustained virological response (SVR). However, derangements with lipid profile and glycemic status have been observed. This study aimed to compare the effect of sofosbuvir/daclatasvir (SOF/DAC) versus sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (SOF/LED) regimens on metabolic status of CHC patients.

Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted on a total of 140 easy-to-treat treatment-naïve genotype-4 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected Egyptian patients. Patients received either 400 mg SOF/60 mg DAC or SOF 400 mg/90 mg LED daily for 12 weeks. Patients were followed-up for 12 weeks after end-of-treatment. Total lipid profile, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured at baseline, four weeks (during treatment), and 12 weeks post-treatment (24 weeks). Clinical laboratory tests and treatment side effects during the treatment period were assessed to ensure safety. Complete blood picture, liver function tests, fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) were performed at baseline and week 12.

Results: Both groups had 100% SVR. In both groups, no significant difference in body mass index was found after treatment. FIB-4 decreased significantly after treatment in the SOF/LED group. Regarding lipid profile, total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were significantly increased then slightly decreased between week four and week 24 respectively in both groups with higher percentage change in the SOF/LED group. On the other hand, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) decreased throughout the follow-up period in both groups with no significant difference between two groups. Regarding glycemic status, HbA1c and FBS were significantly decreased in both groups throughout the study period with significant difference in the percentage change of HbA1c and FBS between two groups.

Conclusions: SOF/LED regimen showed a significant change in lipid profile parameters more than the SOF/DAC regimen, while both regimens showed favorable outcomes in HbA1C and FBS levels.
Atypical course of type 1 diabetes mellitus in a patient with Ollier's disease - a case report
Authors: Kochanowska Anna , Knop Kinga , Piasecka Zuzanna , Kowalczuk Maria , Rudzki Grzegorz
Published: June 2022

Background

Nowadays, we can distinguish more than two types of diabetes mellitus. Due to blood glucose measurement and genetic tests, different types of diabetes (such as autoimmune, monogenetic, atypical) can be detected. Despite the constantly updated recommendations and the progress of diagnostic tests, making a diagnosis may be difficult.

Case report

A 23-year old patient was admitted to the Department of Endocrinology due to diagnosed diabetes mellitus to determine its primary cause. Elevated blood glucose level was identified during periodic medical test and was confirmed by OGTT test. In the patient’s medical history: Ollier’s disease with multiple enchondromas, treated surgically in childhood, no typical symptoms and risk factors of hyperglycaemia.  During hospitalization the laboratory tests showed decreased level of C-peptide, nevertheless the patient represented acceptable levels of glycaemia following only by diet restriction. MODY, LADA and diabetes due to Ollier’s disease was speculated. Due to suspicion of autoimmunological cause the diagnostic was extended by testing antibodies: IAA, IA2, GAD, IC, which confirmation allowed to recognise untypical diabetes mellitus type 1. The patient objected to insulin treatment, limited it only to a diet and maintained normoglycemia for 15months. However, after an increase in glycaemia and in HbA1c, insulin therapy was introduced.

Disscussion with conclusion

Atypical course of diabetes should be considered in patients with a known disorder or with comorbidities associated with diabetes and without typical symptoms of hyperglycaemia. Atypical forms of diabetes are uncommon and require etiology-specific therapies.
Gone with the Vol: A Decline in Asset Return Predictability During the Great Moderation
Authors: Hsu Alex , Palomino Francisco , Qian Liang
Published: June 2022

We document and examine a significant shift in the comovement of asset returns and macroeconomic volatility during the Great Moderation. Strong U.S. stock and bond return predictability from several macroeconomic volatility series before 1982 was followed by a significant predictability decline during the Great Moderation (1982–2008). These findings are robust to alternative empirical specifications and out-of-sample tests. In a calibrated equilibrium model with time-varying volatility, the predictability decline requires changes in several model elements. Lower return predictability is consistent with stronger policy responses to inflation and output, a larger slope in the New Keynesian Phillips curve, and reduced sensitivity of both macroeconomic and financial variables to a volatility factor. Our results contribute to the examination of macroeconomic volatility as a driver of expected asset returns and the instability in predictive regressions. We further identify sources of the Great Moderation using asset price dynamics.

This paper was accepted by Tomasz Piskorski, finance.

Supplemental Material: Data files and the online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4429 .
Overriding in Teams: The Role of Beliefs, Social Image, and Gender
Authors: Guo Joyce , Recalde María P.
Published: June 2022

To shed light on the factors that affect who speaks up in teams in the workplace, we study willingness to speak up after someone has raised an opinion. We call voicing disagreement overriding and study this behavior in a laboratory experiment where participants answer multiple choice questions in pairs. In a control treatment, participants interact anonymously. In a photo treatment, both participants see the photo of the person they are matched with at the beginning of the group task. Using a series of incentivized tasks, we elicit beliefs about the likelihood that each possible answer option to a question is correct. This allows us to measure disagreement and to tease apart the role of disagreement versus preferences in the decision to override ideas in teams. Results show that anonymity increases overriding. This treatment effect is driven by social image costs. Analysis of heterogeneity in behavior by gender reveals no differences between the likelihood that men and women override. However, we find some evidence that men and women are treated differently; when participants disagree with their partner, they are more likely to override a woman than a man. Preferences seem to in part explain the differential treatment of men and women. Studying group performance, we find that overriding helps groups on average, while the gender composition of teams does not affect team performance.

This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis.

Funding: This work was supported by the University of Melbourne and the Australian Research Council [Grant DE190100585]. J. Guo received a Kinsman Studentship from the University of Melbourne to conduct this research.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4434 .
How Artificial Intelligence Enhances Human Learning Abilities: Opportunities in the Fight Against COVID-19
Authors: Mele Cristina , Marzullo Marialuisa , Morande Swapnil , Spena Tiziana Russo
Published: June 2022

This paper widens the focus on how artificial intelligence (AI) can foster the learning abilities of human actors, adopting a wider view with respect to a strict focus on tasks and activities. The interaction between AI and human learning has not been investigated in service research. Placing its theoretical roots in work by Huang and Rust [Huang MH, Rust RT (2021) Engaged to a robot? The role of AI in service. J. Service Res. 24(1):30–41.] in service research and on Bloom’s revised taxonomy in education studies [Anderson LW, Krathwohl DR, Airasian PW, Cruikshank KA, Mayer RE, Pintrich PR, Raths J, Wittrock MC (2001) A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Longman, London).], this study offers an integrative framework for the ways AI enhances human learning abilities. Some cases in the context of COVID-19 offer insightful illustrations of the framework.
Subsurface Drainage for Minimizing the Risk of Subsoil Compaction in Seasonally-Frozen Soils
Authors: Mante Afua Adobea , Ndulue Emeka Leonard , Sri Ranjan Ramanathan , Zvomuya Francis , Kaja Krishna
Published: June 2022

Highlights

Subsoil is highly susceptible to compaction based on texture and packing density.

Imperfect natural drainage increases the risk of subsoil vulnerability to compaction.

Irrespective of drain spacing, the risk for subsoil compaction was high.

The upper soil layer protects the subsoil from compaction at drain spacing = 12 m in this soil.

Abstract. Subsoil compaction negatively impacts soil hydrological processes and promotes anaerobic conditions, reducing soil productivity and enhancing greenhouse gas emissions from the soil. Additionally, it is challenging and expensive to alleviate subsoil compaction once it occurs. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of subsurface drainage in minimizing the risk of subsoil compaction under different weather patterns in Southern Manitoba. The assessment of the risk of subsoil compaction was done in two stages. That is, 1) determination of the subsoil’s intrinsic susceptibility to compaction based on soil texture and packing density and 2) determination of the wetness condition of the subsoil and ability of the strength of the upper layer of the soil to protect the subsoil. A long-term simulation of soil water content data (i.e., 2000 to 2015) under different drainage spacings (i.e., 8, 10, 12, 15, 25, and 30 m) maintained at 0.9-m depth was obtained to determine the soil wetness condition using a validated HYDRUS 2D/3D model. The study showed that the subsoil’s intrinsic susceptibility level to compaction at the study site was high, implying that the subsoil had a very weak natural potential to resist compaction. Throughout the 16 years considered, the subsoil wetness condition was either “moist” or “wet” irrespective of drain spacing, making the subsoil very vulnerable to compaction. However, for drain spacing = 12 m, the subsoil was found to be protected for most of the spring operation period with minimum impact on the spring operation days based on the criterion that the soil water content in the upper layer should be equal to or less than 90% of the lower plastic limit. In contrast, drain spacing wider than 12 m resulted in a lack of protection of the subsoil for 21 to 50 d. The intrinsic susceptibility of the subsoil to compaction, the “imperfect” internal natural drainage, and excess soil water during the early growing season suggest it is critical to consider the benefits of installing subsurface drains at narrower spacing (= 12 m) because of the ability to improve the soil wetness condition for field operations and prevent short and long-term impacts due to subsoil compaction. Keywords: Bulk density, HYDRUS (2D/3D), Lower plastic limit, Sandy loam, Soil water content.
Precise Segmentation of Remote Sensing Cage Images Based on SegNet and Voting Mechanism
Authors: Liu Yunpeng , Xia Xin , Hu Zhuhua , Fu Shengpeng
Published: June 2022

Highlights

A Remote Sensing Cage Segmentation (RSCS) dataset is constructed.

The SegNet network is introduced to achieve precise segmentation.

Random cropping, data augmentation, and three-channel separation operations are used to construct the training sets.

The proposed sliding window overlap cropping method and two rounds of voting are used to improve the segmentation accuracy.

Abstract. In mariculture, improper cage layout and excessive density of mariculture will lead to deterioration of water quality and the growth of harmful bacteria. However, relying solely on manual measurement will consume a considerable amount of manpower and material resources. Therefore, we propose a precise segmentation scheme for remote sensing cage images based on SegNet and voting mechanism. First, a Remote Sensing Cage Segmentation (RSCS) dataset is constructed. Second, the number of collected samples is too small and the sample sizes are too large. Random cropping, data augmentation, and three-channel separation operations are used to construct the training sets. Nine training sets consisting of three image sizes and three single channels are generated. Finally, the proposed sliding window overlap cropping method and two rounds of voting are used on the test samples to improve the segmentation accuracy. The experimental results show that using sliding window overlap cropping, three-channel voting, and three-size voting can improve mIoU (mean Intersection over Union) by up to 0.9%, 1.9%, and 0.6%, respectively. By using the proposed final scheme, the mIoU of test samples can reach 0.89. Keywords: Mariculture, Remote image segmentation, SegNet, Sliding window overlap cropping, Voting mechanism.
Investigating the Influence of Grain Drying with Ambient Air Versus Heated Air within an Eighth-Scale Grain Drying Bin
Authors: Lewis Micah A. , Trabelsi Samir
Published: June 2022

Highlights

Drying of corn and wheat was monitored and controlled in real-time via the eighth-scale grain drying system

Heat and mass transfer during drying were simulated for corn and wheat when dried with heated and ambient air

Simulated results provided prediction of preheating, constant-rate, and falling-rate periods at different heights within the drying grain

Moisture content determined from simulation compared well with empirical data; root mean square error (RMSE) for corn and wheat (heated and ambient) were 0.61%, 0.45%, 0.61%, and 0.50% moisture content w.b., respectively

Abstract. The choice of whether to use heated or ambient air during grain and oilseed drying is often complex, and it has a great effect on the overall quality of the product. A significant problem when drying with heated air is overdrying the bottom layer in attempting to dry the top layer. This is possible because grains or oilseeds within a storage bin can be more than 15.2 m deep. However, while the bottom layer is less likely to be overdried when using ambient air, there is a risk that the upper layers could be subject to mold and degradation if moisture is not removed quickly enough. An eighth-scale grain drying bin was equipped with temperature, moisture, and relative humidity sensors at different heights to observe temperature and moisture migration throughout the 60-cm deep bed as corn and wheat were dried. For both commodities, trials were run where they were dried with heated air and ambient air. Likewise, thin-layer drying models were applied to the deep bed, and the drying process was simulated using the finite difference method for both commodities using ambient and heated air. The absolute humidity, air temperature, grain temperature, and moisture content were modeled throughout the drying bed with respect to location and time. Data obtained from the simulations compared well with the experimental data. When comparing the moisture content determined from simulation with the same measured with the microwave moisture sensor within the drying system, root mean square error (RMSE) values for corn and wheat were 0.61 (heated air), and 0.45% and 0.50% (ambient air) moisture content wet basis (w.b.), respectively. A 30% increase in drying time was observed when ambient air was used to dry wheat. A 2-% increase in ending moisture content was observed when drying with ambient air for both commodities. The empirical results obtained from the eighth-scale drying system confirmed the results obtained from simulation for each trial. While results obtained may be unique to the current study, the effectiveness of the models was demonstrated. Keywords: Drying modeling, Grain drying, Heat transfer, Mass transfer, Microwave sensing.
Optimization and Experimental Study of Structural Parameters of Compliant End-Effector for Robotic Cherry Tomato Harvesting
Authors: Xie Huaibei
Published: June 2022

Highlights

A compliant end-effector with nonlinear structure was proposed for robotic cherry tomato harvesting.

The key parameters of compliant end-effector were optimized by response surface methodology(RSM), and the optimal parameter combination was obtained.

Experiments verified the harvesting performance of the optimized compliant end-effector. For fruits of different sizes, the picking success rate reached 84.2%.

The damage percentage of cherry tomato could be controlled below 4.22%, and the extrusion deformation of cherry tomato could be controlled below 3.98mm.

Abstract.The harvesting performance of end-effector is very important for robotic cherry tomato harvesting. In this article, in order to obtain good harvesting performance, a compliant end-effector with nonlinear structure was proposed and its key structural parameters were optimized by response surface methodology(RSM). According to the expected results, the angle (ESA) formed by the extension segments of two compliant grippers 10° and the difference of the shape variable (SVD) 13 mm, at optimal settings, which was obtained by the addition of the length of the offset section (OSL) 1.3 mm, the angle of the inclined section (ISA) 17°, the thickness of the extension section (EST) 4.6 mm and the length of the extension section (ESL) 20 mm. Besides, experiments verified the harvesting performance of the optimized compliant end-effector. For fruits of different sizes, the picking success rate reached 84.2%. The damage percentage of cherry tomato could be controlled below 4.22%, and the extrusion deformation of cherry tomato could be controlled below 3.98 mm. Keywords: Cherry tomato, Compliant mechanism, End-effector, Response surface, Robotic harvesting.