bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of supported self-management with a pictorial action plan to improve asthma control
Authors: Sazlina Shariff Ghazali , Lee Ping Yein , Cheong Ai Theng , Hussein Norita , Pinnock Hilary , Salim Hani , Liew Su May , Hanafi Nik Sherina , Abu Bakar Ahmad Ihsan , Ng Chiu-Wan , Ramli Rizawati , Mohd Ahad Azainorsuzila , Ho Bee Kiau , Mohamed Isa Salbiah , Parker Richard A. , Stoddart Andrew , Pang Yong Kek , Chinna Karuthan , Sheikh Aziz , Khoo Ee Ming ,   RESPIRE collaboration, Sazlina Shariff Ghazali , Khoo Ee Ming , Pinnock Hilary , Sheikh Aziz
Published: September 2022

Supported self-management reduces asthma-related morbidity and mortality. This paper is on a feasibility study, and observing the change in clinical and cost outcomes of pictorial action plan use is part of assessing feasibility as it will help us decide on outcome measures for a fully powered RCT. We conducted a pre–post feasibility study among adults with physician-diagnosed asthma on inhaled corticosteroids at a public primary-care clinic in Malaysia. We adapted an existing pictorial asthma action plan. The primary outcome was asthma control, assessed at 1, 3 and 6 months. Secondary outcomes included reliever use, controller medication adherence, asthma exacerbations, emergency visits, hospitalisations, days lost from work/daily activities and action plan use. We estimated potential cost savings on asthma-related care following plan use. About 84% (n = 59/70) completed the 6-months follow-up. The proportion achieving good asthma control increased from 18 (30.4%) at baseline to 38 (64.4%) at 6-month follow-up. The proportion of at least one acute exacerbation (3 months: % difference −19.7; 95% CI −34.7 to −3.1; 6 months: % difference −20.3; 95% CI −5.8 to −3.2), one or more emergency visit (1 month: % difference −28.6; 95% CI −41.2 to −15.5; 3 months: % difference −18.0; 95% CI −32.2 to −3.0; 6 months: % difference −20.3; 95% CI −34.9 to −4.6), and one or more asthma admission (1 month: % difference −14.3; 95% CI −25.2 to −5.3; 6 months: % difference −11.9; 95% CI −23.2 to −1.8) improved over time. Estimated savings for the 59 patients at 6-months follow-up and for each patient over the 6 months were RM 15,866.22 (USD3755.36) and RM268.92 (USD63.65), respectively. Supported self-management with a pictorial asthma action plan was associated with an improvement in asthma control and potential cost savings in Malaysian primary-care patients.

Trial registration number: ISRCTN87128530; prospectively registered: September 5, 2019, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN87128530.
Different inhaled corticosteroid doses in triple therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
Authors: Lee Hyun Woo , Park Hee Moon , Jang Eun Jin , Lee Chang-Hoon
Published: September 2022

A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis is necessary to evaluate the efficacy and safety of triple therapy with different doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We selected 26 parallel randomized controlled trials (41,366 patients) comparing triple therapy with ICS/long-acting beta-agonist (LABA), LABA/long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), and LAMA in patients with stable COPD for ≥ 12 weeks from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and clinical trial registries (search from inception to June 30, 2022). Triple therapy with high dose (HD)-ICS exhibited a lower risk of total exacerbation in pre-specified subgroups treated for ≥ 48 weeks than that with low dose (LD)-ICS (odds ratio [OR] = 0.66, 95% credible interval [CrI] = 0.52–0.94, low certainty of evidence) or medium dose (MD)-ICS (OR = 0.66, 95% CrI = 0.51–0.94, low certainty of evidence). Triple therapy with HD-ICS exhibited a lower risk of moderate-to-severe exacerbation in pre-specified subgroups with forced expiratory volume in 1 s < 65% (OR = 0.6, 95% CrI = 0.37–0.98, low certainty of evidence) or previous exacerbation history (OR = 0.6, 95% CrI = 0.36–0.999, very low certainty of evidence) than triple therapy with MD-ICS. Triple therapy with HD-ICS may reduce acute exacerbation in patients with COPD treated with other drug classes including triple therapy with LD- or MD-ICS or dual therapies.
Synthesis and comparative evaluation of 177Lu-labeled PEG and non-PEG variant peptides as HER2-targeting probes
Authors: Sharma Amit Kumar , Sharma Rohit , Vats Kusum , Sarma Haladhar Dev , Mukherjee Archana , Das Tapas , Satpati Drishty
Published: September 2022

Highest global cancer incidence of female breast cancer is a matter of great concern. HER2-positive breast cancers have high mortality rate hence detection at an early stage is vital for successful treatment, improved cancer care and survival rate. Radiolabeled peptides have emerged as new alternatives to radiolabeled antibodies to overcome the limitations of slow clearance and uptake in non-target tissues. Herein, DOTA-A9 peptide and its pegylated variant were constructed on solid phase and radiolabeled with [177Lu]LuCl3. [177Lu]DOTA-A9 and [177Lu]DOTA-PEG4-A9 displayed high binding affinity (Kd = 48.4 ± 1.4 and 55.7 ± 12.3 nM respectively) in human breast carcinoma SKBR3 cells. Two radiopeptides exhibited renal excretion and rapid clearance from normal organs. Uptake in SKBR3 tumor and tumor-to-background ratios were significantly higher (p < 0.05) for [177Lu]DOTA-PEG4-A9 at the three time points investigated. Xenografts could be clearly visualized by [177Lu]DOTA-PEG4-A9 in SPECT images at 3, 24 and 48 h p.i. indicating the potential for further exploration as HER2-targeting probe. The encouraging in vivo profile of PEG construct, [177Lu]DOTA-PEG4-A9 incentivizes future studies for clinical applications.
Evaluation and comparison of unsupervised methods for the extraction of spatial patterns from mass spectrometry imaging data (MSI)
Authors: Prasad Mridula , Postma Geert , Franceschi Pietro , Buydens Lutgarde M. C. , Jansen Jeroen J.
Published: September 2022

For the extraction of spatially important regions from mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) data, different clustering methods have been proposed. These clustering methods are based on certain assumptions and use different criteria to assign pixels into different classes. For high-dimensional MSI data, the curse of dimensionality also limits the performance of clustering methods which are usually overcome by pre-processing the data using dimension reduction techniques. In summary, the extraction of spatial patterns from MSI data can be done using different unsupervised methods, but the robust evaluation of clustering results is what is still missing. In this study, we have performed multiple simulations on synthetic and real MSI data to validate the performance of unsupervised methods. The synthetic data were simulated mimicking important spatial and statistical properties of real MSI data. Our simulation results confirmed that K-means clustering with correlation distance and Gaussian Mixture Modeling clustering methods give optimal performance in most of the scenarios. The clustering methods give efficient results together with dimension reduction techniques. From all the dimension techniques considered here, the best results were obtained with the minimum noise fraction (MNF) transform. The results were confirmed on both synthetic and real MSI data. However, for successful implementation of MNF transform the MSI data requires to be of limited dimensions.
In vitro and in vivo low-dose exposure of simulated cooking oil fumes to assess adverse biological effects
Authors: Li Shuangde , Wang Li , Guan Shanyue , Zhou Shuyun , Chen Yunfa
Published: September 2022

Cooking oil fumes (COFs) represent a major indoor environmental pollutant and exhibit potent mutagenic or carcinogenic health effects caused by containing various heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and long-chain aldehydes. Despite some evaluation of the cumulative exposure of COFs to cancer cells under high concentration were evaluated, their biological adverse effects with low-dose exposure to healthy cells had been inadequately investigated. Herein, we firstly scrutinized the three selected typically toxic compounds of heterocyclic amine 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), 3,8-dimethylammidazo[4,5-f]quinoxalin-2-amine (MeIQx) and trans, trans-2,4-decadienal (TDA)) emitted from COFs. In vitro studies revealed that the PhIP, MeIQx and TDA aerosol particles were negligible toxicity to cancer cells (A549 and HepG-2) but strong cytotoxicity to normal healthy cells (HelF and L02) under 0.5–4 μg/mL low dose exposure based on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) mechanism. In vivo studies demonstrated that PhIP caused significant lung and liver damage after exposure to PhIP for 30 days with mice. These results indicated the direct proof of healthy cell damage even at low-dose exposure to HAAs and aldehydes.
Effect of different revascularization times on intermediate-risk non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Kong Xiangyong , Yin Jun , Chen Hongwu , Wu Jiawei , Yu Xiaofan , Zhou Ningtian , Ma Likun
Published: September 2022

Non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) is a specific type of acute coronary syndrome. We applied the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) score for risk stratification of patient prognosis. There was uncertainty about the routine revascularization time in patients with intermediate-risk NSTE-ACS. A total of 2835 patients with intermediate-risk NSTE-ACS (TIMI score 3–4) included in the China Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry from November 2014 to January 2017 were analyzed according to the time window from symptom onset to revascularization: within 24 h, Group I (814/28.7%); within 24 to 48 h, Group II (526/18.6%); within 48 to 72 h, Group III (403/14.2%); and after 72 h, Group IV (1092/38.5%). Risk factors, management and in-hospital outcomes were analyzed in the four groups. The results of the chi-square test showed that there was a significant difference in the incidence of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) when revascularization was completed within 48 h than when it was completed after 48 h (P < 0.05). The results of revascularization within 48 h were similar, and the incidence of in-hospital MACEs was lower than when revascularization was completed after 48 h. The incidence of in-hospital MACEs among patients who underwent revascularization within 48 h is lower than that of patients who underwent revascularization after 48 h.
Emerging investigator series: environment-specific auxiliary substrates tailored for effective cometabolic bioremediation of 1,4-dioxane
Authors: Deng Daiyong , Pham Dung Ngoc , Li Mengyan
Published: September 2022

DD4 can coordinate with native microbiomes to degrade 1,4-dioxane when fueled with propane and 1-propanol in biomass-rich and -poor environments, respectively.
L’EPR Flamanville : de la construction à l’exploitation
Authors:   La rédaction
Published: September 2022

L’EPR Flamanville se trouve dans la dernière ligne droite avant son chargement en combustible prévu au deuxième trimestre 2023. Alors que 90 % des bâtiments ont déjà été transférés à l’exploitant, quelles sont les dernières avancées du site et les ultimes étapes avant la mise en service de ce réacteur de 1 650 MWe ?
Olkiluoto 3, le premier EPR européen connecté au réseau
Authors:   La rédaction
Published: September 2022

L’EPR finlandais a divergé le 21 décembre 2021. Une fois sa pleine puissance atteinte, il fournira à lui seul 14 % de la consommation électrique finlandaise. Un atout important pour l’indépendance énergétique du pays dans le contexte de complète reconfiguration énergétique liée à la guerre en Ukraine.
Endoscopic necrosectomy of infected WON in acute necrotising pancreatitis – Development of an effective therapeutic algorithm based on a single-center consecutive patient cohort
Authors: Jaeger Kristin , Meyer Frank , Füldner Frank , Will Uwe
Published: September 2022

Objective Development of an effective therapeutic algorithm for interventional (minimally invasive) approach to infected walled-off necrosis (WON) in patients with necrotising pancreatitis reflecting real-word data.

Material/methods All consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic necrosectomy for necrotising pancreatitis through a defined study period were enclosed in this retrospective observational case study. The therapeutic approach was analysed for clinical success rate, complication spectrum and rate as well as mortality and compared with data from the literature. Finally, a therapeutic algorithm was derived.

Results From 2004 to 2019, 126 patients with necrotising pancreatitis (median of APACHE II score, 10.5 points) were treated. In 92.9 % of cases (n=117), an infected WON with microbial pathogen detection was found. After a median of 18 days from symptom onset, first intervention was performed (53.2 % as percutaneous drainage with programmed rinsing, 29.4 % as EUS-guided internal drainage). From 2004 to 2010, double pigtail stents were used. Later, lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) such as AXIOSTM stent (Boston Scientific, Ratingen, Germany) was preferred. The combined percutaneous and internal drainage was performed in approximately 50 % of subjects.

Endoscopic transluminal necrosectomy was performed in 123 patients (97.6 %) at a median of 33 days from symptom onset. Endoscopic percutaneous necrosectomy was conducted in 11.1 % of the individuals. A median number of two endoscopic necrosectomy sessions per patient was necessary for the therapy. The clinical success rate (discharge without surgical intervention) was 82.5 %. The complication rate (bleeding and perforation) and the need for surgery were both 9.5 %. The overall mortality was 8.7 %.

Conclusion Therapy of necrotising pancreatitis with infected WON consists of early calculated antibiotic therapy with adequate drainage. Combined external and internal drainages with programmed rinsing seem to improve prognosis, as well as minimise i) the need for forced necrosectomies (mainly via a transluminal access site) and ii) complication rate as well as, thus, improve outcome.
Nationales Kompetenznetzwerk Contergan – Sicherstellung der medizinischen Versorgung von Menschen mit Thalidomid-Embryopathie
Authors: Beyer Rudolf , Peters Klaus M. , Schulte-Hillen Jan , Stück Volker , Niecke Alexander
Published: September 2022

In Deutschland hat sich 2021 ein nationales Netzwerk von multidisziplinären medizinischen Kompetenzzentren etabliert, das sich der Sicherstellung der Versorgung Contergan-geschädigter Menschen verpflichtet fühlt. Der vorliegende Beitrag möchte auf dieses Kompetenznetzwerk aufmerksam machen und einen Überblick über die wichtigsten medizinischen Versorgungsbedarfe von alternden Menschen mit Thalidomid-induzierten Körper- und Sinnesbeeinträchtigungen geben. Hierbei werden die vorliegende wissenschaftliche Evidenz und klinische Besonderheiten in der medizinischen Versorgung aus allgemeinmedizinisch-internistischer, orthopädisch-schmerztherapeutischer, sozialmedizinischer und psychosomatisch-psychotherapeutischer Perspektive präsentiert und zukünftige Aufgaben diskutiert.
Gallenblasenmetastase eines malignen Melanoms
Authors: Strick Alexander , Busch Hans , Friedhoff Klaus
Published: September 2022

Anamnese und klinischer Befund Ein 56-jähriger Patient stellte sich mit rezidivierenden rechtsseitigen Oberbauchschmerzen in unserer Sprechstunde vor. Bei sonst allgemeinem Wohlbefinden präsentierte er ein weiches Abdomen bei insgesamt unauffälligem Untersuchungsbefund. Außer einer Appendektomie sowie Exzision eines malignen Melanoms am Ellenbogen vor einigen Jahren bestanden keine weiteren Vorerkrankungen oder Voroperationen.

Untersuchungen Ein bereits extern angefertigtes CT des Abdomens zeigte eine Cholezystolithiasis sowie eine unklare Wandverdickung der Gallenblase. Laborchemisch konnten keine relevanten Auslenkungen festgestellt werden.

Diagnose, Therapie und Verlauf Nach unkomplizierter Cholezystektomie erfolgte histopathologisch im Präparat der Nachweis einer Metastase des vor Jahren behandelten malignen Melanoms. Im angeschlossenen Staging wurden außerdem weitere pulmonale Metastasen diagnostiziert und im weiteren Verlauf in palliativer Intention reseziert.

Folgerung Gallenblasenmetastasen sind eine Rarität – einige Studien lassen aber gerade beim malignen Melanom eine hohe Dunkelziffer vermuten.

Entsprechende Beschwerden bei onkologischer Anamnese sollten also eine aufmerksame Diagnostik zur Folge haben und die Indikation zur Cholezystektomie sollte großzügig gestellt werden.
Progress and prospects in the quantum anomalous Hall effect
Authors: Chi Hang , Moodera Jagadeesh S.
Published: September 2022

The quantum anomalous Hall effect refers to the quantization of the Hall effect in the absence of an applied magnetic field. The quantum anomalous Hall effect is of topological nature and well suited for field-free resistance metrology and low-power information processing utilizing dissipationless chiral edge transport. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of the recent achievements as well as the material challenges and opportunities, pertaining to engineering intrinsic/interfacial magnetic coupling, that are expected to propel future development in this field.
Defect-induced magnetism in homoepitaxial SrTiO3
Authors: Rata A. D. , Herrero-Martin J. , Maznichenko I. V. , Chiabrera F. M. , Dahm R. T. , Ostanin S. , Lee D. , Jalan B. , Buczek P. , Mertig I. , Ernst A. , Ionescu A. M. , Dörr K. , Pryds N. , Park D.-S.
Published: September 2022

Along with recent advancements in thin-film technologies, the engineering of complex transition metal oxide heterostructures offers the possibility of creating novel and tunable multifunctionalities. A representative complex oxide is the perovskite strontium titanate (STO), whose bulk form is nominally a centrosymmetric paraelectric band insulator. By tuning the electron doping, chemical stoichiometry, strain, and charge defects of STO, it is possible to control the electrical, magnetic, and thermal properties of such structures. Here, we demonstrate tunable magnetism in atomically engineered STO thin films grown on STO (001) substrates by controlling the atomic charge defects of titanium (VTi) and oxygen (VO) vacancies. Our results show that the magnetism can be tuned by altering the growth conditions. We provide deep insights into its association to the following defect types: (i) VTi, resulting in a charge rearrangement and local spin polarization, (ii) VO, leading to weak magnetization, and (iii) VTi–VO pairs, which lead to the appearance of a sizable magnetic signal. Our results suggest that controlling charged defects is critical for inducing a net magnetization in STO films. This work provides a crucial step for designing magnetic STO films via defect engineering for magnetic and spin-based electronic applications.
Boron arsenate and its pressure-dependent auxetic properties
Authors: Grima-Cornish James N. , Vella-Żarb Liana , Grima Joseph N. , Evans Kenneth E.
Published: September 2022

The mechanical properties of single crystals boron arsenate, BAsO4, are simulated through density functional theory simulations over a wide range of pressures from −10 to +90 GPa. It was shown that the elastic constants, as well as the extent of auxeticity, are highly pressure dependent. In particular, the Poisson’s ratio in the (001) plane for stretching in the [100] crystallographic direction is only found to be negative up to pressures of ∼30 GPa, with maximum auxeticity being predicted to occur at ∼15 GPa. It was also shown that the extent of auxetic behavior may be explained through two mechanisms that act concurrently, namely (i) a mechanism which involves rotations of tetrahedra that project in the (001) plane in the form of “rotating semi-rigid squares” and (ii) a mechanism, which is being reported for the first time, whereby the tetrahedra deform and become flatter.
TGFB2-AS1 inhibits triple-negative breast cancer progression via interaction with SMARCA4 and regulating its targetsTGFB2andSOX2
Authors: Zhou Cixiang , Wang Difei , Li Jingchi , Wang Qiuyu , Wo Lulu , Zhang Xin , Hu Zhexuan , Wang Zheng , Zhan Mengna , He Ming , Hu Guohong , Chen Xiaosong , Shen Kunwei , Chen Guo-Qiang , Zhao Qian
Published: September 2022

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most challenging breast cancer subtype for its high rates of relapse, great metastatic potential, and short overall survival. How cancer cells acquire metastatic potency through the conversion of noncancer stem-like cells into cancer cells with stem-cell properties is poorly understood. Here, we identified the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) TGFB2-AS1 as an important regulator of the reversibility and plasticity of noncancer stem cell populations in TNBC. We revealed that TGFB2-AS1 impairs the breast cancer stem-like cell (BCSC) traits of TNBC cells in vitro and dramatically decreases tumorigenic frequency and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, TGFB2-AS1 interacts with SMARCA4, a core subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, and results in transcriptional repression of its target genes includingTGFB2andSOX2in anin cisorin transway, leading to inhibition of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling and BCSC characteristics. In line with this, TGFB2-AS1 overexpression in an orthotopic TNBC mouse model remarkably abrogates the enhancement of tumor growth and lung metastasis endowed by TGFβ2. Furthermore, combined prognosis analysis of TGFB2-AS1 and TGFβ2 in TNBC patients shows that high TGFB2-AS1 and low TGFβ2 levels are correlated with better outcome. These findings demonstrate a key role of TGFB2-AS1 in inhibiting disease progression of TNBC based on switching the cancer cell fate of TNBC and also shed light on the treatment of TNBC patients.
The Place of Jakób Handel (1888–c.1942) in the History of Language Study in Poland
Authors: Kilarski Marcin , Szeptyński Rafał
Published: September 2022

In this paper we examine the life and work of Jakób Handel (1888–c.1942), an underappreciated Polish-Jewish
scholar whose interests ranged from comparative-historical linguistics and the history of linguistics to classical history and
Jewish studies. Apart from printed publications, his contributions include various forms of outreach directed towards the Jewish
community in Lviv (Ukrainian Львів [L'viv], Polish Lwów, German Lemberg). Based
among others on the available records of his involvement in professional societies and the reviews of his books, we point to the
reasons behind the relative lack of appreciation of his work among contemporary and later scholars despite its in-depth and
original nature.
A hierarchy of correlates for objectively measured physical activity, sedentary time, and physical fitness in older adults: A CHAID analysis
Authors: Rosa Gil B. , Júdice Pedro B. , Hetherington‐Rauth Megan , Magalhães João P. , Correia Inês R. , Sardinha Luís B.
Published: September 2022

The aging process reflects, in many cases, not only a decline in physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF), but also an increase in overall levels of sedentary time (ST). In order to hierarchically identify the most powerful correlates related to low and high levels of objectively assessed PA, ST, and PF during the late adulthood, a total of 2666 older adults were cross‐sectionally evaluated. Multidimensional correlates were obtained through interview. Using chi‐squared automatic detection analysis to identify the cluster of correlates with most impact on PA (<21.4 min/day), ST (≥8 h/day), and PF (<33.3th percentile), was found that the most likely subgroup to be physically inactive consisted of widowers not owning a computer and sport facilities in the neighbourhood (94.7%), while not being widowed, reporting to have a family that exercises and a computer at home (54.3%) represented the subgroup less likely to be inactive. Widowers without sidewalks in the neighbourhood were the most sedentary group (91.0%), while being a married woman and reporting to have space to exercise at home (40%) formed the most favourable group of correlates regarding ST. Men reporting a financial income <500€ and physical problems frequently formed the group with the lowest PF level (70.3%). In contrast, the less likely subgroup to have low levels of PF level consisted of having a financial income ≥1000€ and a computer at home (3.4%). Future interventions should target widowers with limited accessibility to computer and urban/sport‐related infrastructures, as well as impaired older adults with low financial income.
Aging and tribological behavior of styrene butadiene rubber conveyor belts under combined seawater dry-wet conditions
Authors: Hu Kun , Yang Jinhan
Published: September 2022

In this study, the aging and tribological behaviors of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) conveyor belts exposed to seawater dry–wet cycles were investigated. Using hardness as a measure of the aging performance, the worst seawater dry-wet (W-SDW ) cycle conditions were selected using an orthogonal design method, the study was conducted based on such conditions. The changes in SBR surface properties and tribological properties with aging time before and after aging and the degree were investigated by using a hardness tester, SEM, EDS, etc. The performance degradation, microscopic morphological changes of wear surface, and evolutionary behavior of wear mechanism of styrene-butadiene rubber conveyor belt after aging by dry and wet cycles of seawater were discussed. The results show that the most severe combination of wet-dry cycles of seawater for the aging of SBR conveyor belts comprised a soak temperature of 45 °C, soak time of 12 h, drying temperature of 100 °C, and drying time of 9 h. The total surface discoloration of the conveyor belt increases as the number of W-SDW cycles increases, along with the hardness. The friction coefficient of the belt increases with increasing load and decreases with the increasing number of W-SDW cycles. The mass loss increases gradually with the number of W-SDW cycles and load. The wear mechanism gradually changes from fatigue wear to the damage mechanism of coexistence of adhesive wear and fatigue.
Optimization of print quality of inkjet printed PEDOT:PSS patterns
Authors: Buga Cláudia , C Viana Júlio
Published: September 2022

This work investigates which factors and interactions are more influential in the inkjet printing process of conductive poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (styrenesulfonate) patterns. The chosen experimental design is an L16 Taguchi experiment with seven different factors with two levels each and eight interactions. The studied factors are printhead voltage, print resolution, substrate temperature, substrate treatment, printhead height, printhead velocity, and the number of printed layers. The analyzed dependent variables are printing accuracy, printing error ratio, and electrical resistance. The results suggest that the resolution, substrate treatment, and printhead height are the most influential factors affecting printing quality, whereas the electrical resistance output is mainly determined by the print resolution, the substrate treatment, and the number of printed layers. Some interactions are also identified between print resolution and substrate treatment, print resolution and number of layers, and substrate temperature and printhead velocity. Some conclusions indicate that lower print resolution benefits printing accuracy, but hinders the electrical conductivity. Furthermore, it was found that plasma treatment can be counterproductive for the printing quality, but beneficial for the electrical conductivity of the patterns. Moreover, great electrical conductivity can be obtained for a lower number of printed layers, as long as the print resolution is increased. Lower printhead height also strongly benefits the printing quality.
Aesthetic Austerity in Persuasion
Authors: Dow Jamie
Published: September 2022

How can we distinguish the permissible use of aesthetic features in persuasive communication from their manipulative misuse? The paper reconstructs the basic argument (proposed by Stoics and others in antiquity) that persuasive speech should be aesthetically austere. The argument, it is suggested, is fundamentally sound. But the view it sustains is subject to challenge, on the grounds that it is implausible and impractical in the real world. By making clear the grounds on which the “austere” view is justified, and by making precise the arguments that underlie those challenges, the paper identifies and evaluates three different possible responses to those challenges. The most promising of these accepts the argument for “austerity” but proposes a more moderate interpretation of its conclusion. In doing so, it takes up the challenge of providing a defensible rationale for distinguishing the permissible from the impermissible use of aesthetic features in persuasive communication.
Translating God on the Borders of Sovereignty
Authors: Kliger Gili
Published: September 2022

Over the long nineteenth century, translations of Christian scripture into indigenous languages were produced at a far greater rate than at any time previously, a product of both the rise of the modern Protestant missionary movement and the acceleration of British imperial and Anglo settler colonial conquest. This article explores a dimension of the global evangelical translation project: the translation of the word “God.” Where, at the close of the sixteenth century, there were just under 30 different words used to translate “God” in published vernacular, between 1800 and the early twentieth century close to 400 new “Gods” entered the Christian lexicon. Reading translation conflicts for what they tell us about the way power was imagined on the modern Anglo-American colonial frontier, this article argues that contests over the translation of “God” offer a window into the cultural and intellectual dimension of colonial conflict, and reveal a neglected chapter in the conceptual history of sovereignty: at the very moment when the concept of sovereignty was increasingly imagined on the model of the law-bound territorial state, alternative theories of sovereign power entered global circulation.
Is there a cyber security dilemma?
Authors: Beckerman Carly E
Published: September 2022

In recent years, scholars, commentators and politicians have discussed the prospect of a ‘cyber security dilemma’. If states race to develop superior cyberattacks, how far might this escalate? Are state-led cyberattacks likely to provoke a full war? To address these related questions, I apply a multi-level Neoclassical Realist framework that progresses from systemic logic to an assessment of leader cues and cognition. This contributes much-needed coherence to debates about escalation and cyber warfare and demonstrates the framework’s utility for addressing contemporary and evolving problems in international affairs. The framework reveals that, according to both a systemic and societal cue analysis, fears regarding unchecked escalation from state competition in cyberspace to kinetic warfare are largely unfounded. Nevertheless, it also points toward one caveat and direction for further research in that cyber warfare directed at foreign leaders’ political survival may be unexpectedly provocative in a way not currently addressed by escalation models.
The Latest Amendment to the German Law on Patent Injunctions: The New Statutory Disproportionality Exception and Third-Party Interests
Authors: Stierle Martin , Hofmann Franz
Published: September 2022

Germany is a prominent jurisdiction for patent litigation. After a long and controversial discussion between stakeholders, the legislator amended the law on injunctive relief in summer 2021 and introduced a statutory disproportionality exception. This article gives an overview of the background to the reform and describes and analyses its implementation, the methodology to assess disproportionality, and the relation to the law on compulsory licensing as well as the special regime for standard-essential patents. The paper focuses particularly on the most controversial ground for denying an injunction: third-party interests in the infringing implementation of the invention.
How patent rights affect university science
Authors: Bergé Laurent R , Doherr Thorsten , Hussinger Katrin
Published: September 2022

How do intellectual property rights influence academic science? We investigate the consequences of the introduction of software patents in the United States on the publications of university researchers in the field of computer science. Difference-in-difference estimations reveal that software scientists at US universities produced fewer publications (both in terms of quantity and quality) than their European counterparts after patent rights for software inventions were introduced. We then introduce a theoretical model that accounts for substitution and complementarity between patenting and publishing as well as for the direction of research. In line with the model’s prediction, further results show that the decrease in publications is largest for scientists at the bottom of the ability distribution. Furthermore, we evidence a change in the direction of research following the reform toward more applied research.
P009 Investigation of in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing and genetic diversity of clinical isolates of Trichophyton benhamiae and Trichophyton eriotrephon in Iran
Authors: Sarvestani Hasti Kamali , Ansari Saham , Shokoohi Gholam-Reza , Ahmadi Bahram , Rezaei-Matehkolaei Ali , Hedayati Mohammad T
Published: September 2022

Poster session 1, September 21, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

 

Background

Trichophyton benhamiae is a zoophilic dermatophyte, known as one of the causative agents of dermatophytosis.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to explore the genotypes of T. benhamiae strains isolated from geographically different areas of Iran and also to evaluate in vitro antifungal susceptibility profile of these strains against seven antifungal drugs.

Methods

A total of 22 strains of T. benhamiae and 2 strains of T. eriotrephon were isolated from patients with distinct types of dermatophytosis. DNA extraction and amplification of rDNA regions using ITS1 and ITS4 primers were conducted on the isolates. The in vitro antifungal susceptibility of posaconazole (PSC), voriconazole (VRC), itraconazole (ITC), ketoconazole (KET), caspofungin (CAS), terbinafine (TRB) and griseofulvin (GRZ) was evaluated according to CLSI M38-A2 protocol.

Results

The multiple alignments of the ITS-rDNA sequences of T. benhamiae indicated a mean similarity of 99.5%, with 0-3 interspecies nucleotide differences. The geometric mean (GM) values of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum effective concentrations (MECs) across the all isolates were respectively: TRB: 0.025 mg/l, PSC: 0.032 mg/l, ITC: 0.050 mg/l, and VRC: 0.059 mg/l with lower values and CAS: 0.31 mg/l, KTZ: 0.56 mg/l, and GRZ: 0.76 mg/l with higher values.

Conclusion

Diverse ITS sequence types of T. benhamiae were shown in different geographical regions of Iran. The TRB, PSC, and ITC were the most effective drugs against T. benhamiae strains, respectively. Furthermore, in our study, two strains of T. eriotrephon as a scarce dermatophyte species were described.
P024 Genetic determinants of antifungal drug resistance in Fusarium solani species complex
Authors: Trivedi Pinal , Gajjar Devarshi
Published: September 2022

Poster session 1, September 21, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Due to its challenging diagnosis and treatment, fungal keratitis is one of the most serious kinds of corneal infection. The Fusarium solani species complex is responsible for nearly half of all fungal keratitis cases. Fusarium infection is difficult to treat because of the increased antifungal resistance of Fusarium species.

Objective

To check the antifungal susceptibility in keratitis-causing isolates of F. solani species complex.

To find the genetic determinants of resistance using whole genome sequencing.

Methodology

Prior to AFST and according to CLSI, clinical isolates of Fusarium species (n = 5) were cultured on potato dextrose agar for 7 days at room temperature. Fungal spores were harvested using 0.8% NaCl and antifungal drug susceptibility testing of 6 different antifungal drugs were tested using CLSI standards broth microdilution method and minimum inhibitory concentrations were obtained. After 24 and 48 h, broth microdilution plates were manually examined. The wells for growth control were also examined. The minimum inhibitory concentration of anti-fungal drugs was the lowest dose that inhibits growth completely (compared to the growth control well). Minimal effective concentration (MEC) was also determined against antifungal drugs. Whole genome sequencing was done using Illumina Hiseqx10. Bioinformatics analysis was done using different bioinformatics tools and software (FASTQC, SPAdes, OmicsBox, AUGUSTUS, etc.).

Results

In this study the antifungal drug susceptibility from average MIC value were found as fluconazole (512 μg/ml) > itraconazole (32 μg/ml) > amphotericin B (8 μg/ml) > natamycin (8 μg/ml) > posaconazole (2 μg/ml) > voriconazole (1 μg/ml). Fluconazole had a higher MIC value (512 g/ml) in all isolates, however, voriconazole was shown to be more sensitive, with a lower MIC range (0.25-4 g/ml). Glyoxalase/Bleomycin resistance protein, mfs—multidrug resistance transporter, fusaric acid resistance protein, efflux pump antibiotic resistance protein, and copper resistance protein were found by genome-based analysis.

Conclusion

As a conclusion of this study, we observed antifungal drug resistance in Fusarium spp., which is often used to treat keratitis in patients, employing fluconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin B. Resistance to first-line azoles was as a gene variant which contributed to antifungal drug resistance. This study using the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of drug resistance patterns will help to combat antifungal drug resistance.
P028 To Study the Susceptibility of Caspofungin in Azole Resistant Candidemia of High-Risk Neonates of Nicu by E-STRIP (MIC) Method andTime to Think for Preventive Measures
Authors: Amritha Anugula , Vagarali Manjula
Published: September 2022

Poster session 1, September 21, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

 

Background

The rise in azole-resistant candidemia among bloodstream infections of critically ill neonates had made treatment choices difficult for neonate ICU clinicians. There is gross evidence of an epidemiological shift to non-albicans Candida. Newer class of antifungal drugs especially Echinocandins (caspofungin) came into real-time practice in azole-resistant Candida causing sepsis.

Objective

1) To study the azole-resistance in the Candida isolates from the blood sample.

2) To develop preventive strategies and protocols.

Material and Methods

A total of 222 blood samples collected from NICU from the high-risk neonates with suspected sepsis, who were admitted in the study period and were processed and were evaluated as per the Standard Mycological techniques followed by antifungal susceptibility done according to CLSI guidelines (M44-A2 and M60).

Results

Of 222 blood samples 58 (26.12%) were pure isolates of Candida, of which 17 (29.31%) were C. albicans and 41 (70.68%) were non-albicans Candida. In which C. glabrata (30/41), C. tropicalis (4/41), C. parapsiliosis (6/41), C. krusei (1/41). Maximum resistance was found against fluconazole 39/58 (67.24%) by disc diffusion method. These isolates are maintained and checked for caspofungin and fluconazole susceptibility by the e-strip method in under process (results will be disclosed later).

Conclusion

This study concludes that fluconazole resistance is on the rise. A newer class of drugs Echinocandins have come to the rescue. Strict infection control strategies, appropriate preventive, and therapeutic measures such as prophylactic antifungal use, and a restrictive policy of antibiotic use should be implemented by the health care workers and officials in NICU. Care should be taken for emerging multi-drug resistant species like C. auris.
P046 Local adaptation to antifungal compounds in the model organism Neurospora crassa
Authors: Gonçalves A. Pedro
Published: September 2022

Poster session 1, September 21, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

 

 

The domestication of Neurospora crassa has been a major driver of the fields in fungal molecular and cell biology. Not only this filamentous species enjoys modest nutritional requirements and grows swiftly in the laboratory, but also its genome is considerably well annotated, and a near-complete deletion strain collection is available for functional analyses. Furthermore, decades of research with N. crassa have been accompanied by the accrual of wild isolates from different points of the globe, which are an invaluable tool to study local adaptation. Using a panel of antifungal compounds, we found that drug resistance is naturally heterogeneous in wild populations of N. crassa, and chromosomal mapping of the causal loci is underway to unveil the genetic basis of the observed natural diversity. Furthermore, we are interested in the regulatory role played by two Zn2Cys6 transcription factors, CZT-1, and TAH-3, during fungal responses to various drugs. In summary, despite it being non-pathogenic, N. crassa presents many advantages as a model to study antifungal drug resistance. Since the paucity of valid molecular targets in the fungal cell has been hindering the discovery of new antifungal drugs, we consider that the identification and functional characterization of new genes and pathways involved in drug resistance may inform the adoption of new therapeutic schemes.
P049 Candidemia: Isolate profiling and antifungal susceptibility testing experience from Jodhpur, Western India
Authors: Jain Vidhi , Nare Tejashree , Vishwakarma Kirti , Kundu Aditya , Radhkrishnan Anjuna , Tak Vibhor , Kumar Deepak , Sharma Ankur , Kothari Nikhil
Published: September 2022

Poster session 1, September 21, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

 

Objectives

The study was undertaken over a 9-month study period at a tertiary care and super specialty hospital situated in Jodhpur, Western Rajasthan, India, with the following objectives:

Methods

Automated blood culture bottles (BD BACTEC 960) that flagged positive were taken up for gram staining. Those bottles which showed gram-positive budding yeast with or without pseudohyphae were selected as the study isolates for candidemia. All such bottles were subcultures on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and incubates aerobically at 37°C for 2-5 days. Creamy, pasty, off-white colonies of Candida were further taken up for identification by germ tube testing, CHROM agar, and VITEK-MS.

Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed for all isolates by VITEK 2 against fluconazole, caspofungin, voriconazole, micafungin, flucytosine, and amphotericin B.

Results

During the study period May 1, 2021-January 31, 2022, the microbiology laboratory received a total of 10 841 automated blood culture bottles, of which, overall, 1051 flagged positive. Budding yeasts were seen in 92 bottles.

The prevalence of candidemia was found to be 1.49%. Budding yeasts made up 8.75% of all positive blood cultures.

Conventional and automated identification methods showed the non-albicans Candida made up the majority (85.87%) of isolates. Candida tropicalis (43.47%) was the most common species overall, followed by C. parapsilosis (17.37%), C. albicans (14.13%), C. guilliermondi (5.43%), C. glabrata (5.43%), and C. auris (4.34%). Two isolates each of C. kruzei, C. utilis, C. rugosa, and Trichosporon spp. were also obtained.

The antifungal susceptibility testing results for the commonest species C. tropicalis showed susceptibility of 90% against caspofungin and micafungin, 82% against fluconazole and voriconazole, 45% for flucytosine, and 47.5% against amphotericin B. C. albicans showed 100% susceptibility to fluconazole, and caspofungin, while C. parapsilosis showed a lower susceptibility percentage against all drugs in the panel. The two strains of C. auris were solely susceptible to caspofungin.

Demography of the patients showed a male preponderance (M:F ratio was 2:1). The mean age of patients was 44 years.

Conclusion

The prevalence of candidemia in Jodhpur, Western India was found to be 1.45%, a figure much less than that reported from most other tertiary care centers of the country. The commonest isolate was C. tropicalis (43.47%), same as that reported from most Indian studies. Our isolates were largely (>90%) susceptible to the drug of choice caspofungin, including the multidrug-resistant C. auris strains. The study findings reflect a low prevalence of candidemia, indicating adequate antibiotic and antifungal stewardship practices at Jodhpur.
P050 Candida auris and non- auris candidemia in adult patients in a tertiary care set-up, New Delhi, India
Authors: Jangra Priyanka , Capoor Malini , Sachdeva Harish , Tripathi BK , Gupta DK
Published: September 2022

Poster session 1, September 21, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

 

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the species distribution, compare Candida auris and non-C. auris candidemia risk factors and antifungal susceptibility pattern of candidemia cases in adult patients at a tertiary care hospital, New Delhi, India.

Materials and Methods

Candida species identification was performed by phenotypic methods, VITEK (Biomerieux, France), and DNA sequencing (PGIMER, Chandigarh). The antifungal susceptibility was performed by broth microdilution method as per CLSI M27-A4 guidelines 2017.

Results

Out of 1274 blood samples, 70 samples (5.5%) yielded the growth of Candida species. There was a predominance of NAC spp. over C. albicans in candidemia patients. C. auris (12.85%, 9/70) and non-auris candidemia (87.14%, 61/70) was isolated in this study. In non-auris candidemia, C. tropicalis (28.57%, 20/70) was the predominant Candida species followed by C. parapsilosis (22.85%, 16/70), C. glabrata (14.28%, 10/70). Rare species among NAC spp. included C. mesorugosa, C. lusitaniae, C. krusei and C. haemulonii were isolated. The most common predisposing factor for C. auris and non-auris candidemia was urinary catheter (72.85%, 51/70) followed by an increased period of hospitalization (42.85%, 30/70), diabetes mellitus (21.5%, 15/70), etc. The significantly associated risk factor associated with C. auris was diabetes mellitus (P = .02). The overall resistance was 22.57% to all antifungal drugs. The multidrug resistance (MDR) was noted in 5.71% of isolates.

Conclusions

Early identification of risk factors, Candida speciation, and timely management are crucial for the outcome of candidemia cases. Non-albicans species were predominant over C. albicans depicting the change in the epidemiology and emergence of MDR Candida spp. like C. auris, C. glabrata, C. mesorugosa, C. lusitaniae, and Pichia kudriavzevii (C. kruseii). This warrants routine antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) and close monitoring. The knowledge of local epidemiological profiles of Candida spp., accurate species identification, and their antifungal susceptibility is crucial for overall patient management.