bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of 3D Arterial Centerline Extraction in Spiral CT Coronary Angiography
Authors: Cai Wenjuan , Wang Yanzhe , Gu Liya , Ji Xuefeng , Shen Qiusheng , Ren Xiaogang
Published: August 2021

This paper presents an in-depth study and analysis of the 3D arterial centerline in spiral CT coronary angiography, and constructs its detection and extraction technique. The first time, the distance transform is used to complete the boundary search of the original figure; the second time, the distance transform is used to calculate the value of the distance transform of all voxels, and according to the value of the distance transform, unnecessary voxels are deleted, to complete the initial contraction of the vascular region and reduce the computational consumption in the next process; then, the nonwitnessed voxels are used to construct the maximum inner joint sphere model and find the skeletal voxels that can reflect the shape of the original figure. Finally, the skeletal lines were optimized on these initially extracted skeletal voxels using a dichotomous-like principle to obtain the final coronary artery centerline. Through the evaluation of the experimental results, the algorithm can extract the coronary centerline more accurately. In this paper, the segmentation method is evaluated on the test set data by two kinds of indexes: one is the index of segmentation result evaluation, including dice coefficient, accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity; the other is the index of clinical diagnosis result evaluation, which is to refine the segmentation result for vessel diameter detection. The results obtained in this paper were compared with the physicians’ labeling results. In terms of network performance, the Dice coefficient obtained in this paper was 0.89, the accuracy was 98.36%, the sensitivity was 93.36%, and the specificity was 98.76%, which reflected certain advantages in comparison with the advanced methods proposed by previous authors. In terms of clinical evaluation indexes, by performing skeleton line extraction and diameter calculation on the results obtained by the segmentation method proposed in this paper, the absolute error obtained after comparing with the diameter of the labeled image was 0.382 and the relative error was 0.112, which indicates that the segmentation method in this paper can recover the vessel contour more accurately. Then, the results of coronary artery centerline extraction with and without fine branch elimination were evaluated, which proved that the coronary artery centerline has higher accuracy after fine branch elimination. The algorithm is also used to extract the centerline of the complete coronary artery tree, and the results prove that the algorithm has better results for the centerline extraction of the complete coronary vascular tree.
Facilitators and Barriers to Health Seeking among People Who Use Drugs in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Cadri Abdul , Nagumsi Bonyo Abdul Aziz , Twi-Yeboah Alberta , Yeboah Linda Darko , Adomah-Afari Augustine , Ane-Loglo Maria Goretti , Aboagye Richard Gyan
Published: August 2021

Drug use is one of the global public health issues, and its accompanying disorders have consequences on people’s mental, physical, and environmental health. Nevertheless, the majority of people who use drugs have never been treated for drug dependence and other health conditions whilst others discontinue their treatment for drug use disorder. Using the health belief model, the study aimed at exploring facilitators and barriers to health‐seeking among people who use drugs in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana. A descriptive study design was used, employing a qualitative approach. In‐depth interviews were conducted with a total of 22 participants, including two key informants (male and female). The first group of participants was recruited from the ghetto (an area in the municipality where people who use drugs are usually located). The other group of participants was recruited using hospital‐based records. The interview data were transcribed, coded, and analysed for the generation of themes with the aid of Nvivo version 12 pro. The results showed that people who use drugs face health challenges such as drug dependence, malaria, lungs and breathing complications, cardiovascular complications, and skin complications. People who use drugs experienced poor perceived quality of life and low health status. Health‐seeking behaviours of interviewees were influenced by the perceived benefit, perceived severity, cues to action, among others. Multiple sources of healthcare were used by the people who use drugs. Whereas ease of communication, perceived severity, benefit, among others were facilitators to their health‐seeking behaviours, cost, dwindling social support, lack of knowledge of the condition, and fear of arrest by law enforcement agencies also served as barriers to seeking healthcare at the orthodox health facilities. This paper suggests a holistic approach to help improve the health and health‐seeking behaviours of people who use drugs. The researchers wish to indicate that an earlier version of this manuscript has been presented at the University of Ghana as a thesis.
Application of Epoxy‐Asphalt Composite in Asphalt Paving Industry: A Review with Emphasis on Physicochemical Properties and Pavement Performances
Authors: Chen Yu , Hossiney Nabil , Yang Xu , Wang Hainian , You Zhanping
Published: August 2021

One of the failure mechanisms associated with asphalt paving layers, especially on steel deck bridges, is large permanent deformation, which adversely affects its long‐term performance in service. Thus, epoxy resin was introduced in asphalt paving industry to tackle permanent deformation of asphalt mixtures due to its thermosetting nature. In this review, epoxy resin as a dominant component of the epoxy‐asphalt composite system was first considered, followed by a discussion on its curing methods and curing mechanism. Furthermore, the physicochemical property and mechanical performance of epoxy asphalt and epoxy asphalt mixture were thoroughly examined. Crosslink density of epoxy asphalt dictates its viscosity and thus the allowable construction time. Phase separation and dispersion of asphalt particles in the epoxy matrix was observed for epoxy‐asphalt composite, and it showed superior elastic behavior and deformation resistance capability when compared with conventional asphalt materials. Furthermore, epoxy asphalt mixture exhibited significantly higher compressive strength, much better rutting resistance, and superior durability and water resistance properties. However, its low‐temperature cracking resistance was slightly compromised.
Research on the Design and Application of Sports Competition Ticketing Platform Based on Edge Computing
Authors: Dai Wenfeng , Shao Jiajia , Zhang Xiuli
Published: August 2021

Nowadays, under the encouragement of national and sports competition related policies, sports industry is gradually rising. In this case, how to provide ticketing services conveniently, quickly, and accurately for sports spectators all over the country and the world and how to keep up with the times and improve traditional ticketing services are two major problems that need to be solved urgently by those who are in charge of sports events. When investigating the current traditional ticketing platform for sports competitions, it is not difficult to find that most ticketing services rely heavily on manual services. From ticket purchase to ticket checking, consumers have poor experience, there is a lot of waste of manpower and material resources, and scalpers easily sell high‐priced tickets. In addition, the traditional ticket sales mode still uses old‐fashioned paper tickets or cards, which are difficult to preserve, making it difficult to prevent counterfeiting and use and control information statistics. Data confusion leads to financial risks. The “paralysis” of the ticketing system of many large‐scale sports competitions, especially super‐large sports competitions, just proves the importance and necessity of reforming ticketing platform of sports competitions in order to keep pace with development. This paper will study a large‐scale (or super‐large), flexible, efficient, and excellent performance, which can meet the burst peak access requirements of sports competition ticketing platform. We will first consider the overall demand of the sports competition ticketing market, then make a general analysis according to the demand, design a sports competition ticketing platform that can effectively serve large‐scale or super‐large sports competitions, and raise and solve the problems encountered when building the platform.
[Retracted] The Effectiveness of Pictorial Aesthetics Based on Multiview Parallel Neural Networks in Art‐Oriented Teaching
Authors: Gang Liang , Weishang Gao
Published: August 2021

How to effectively improve the effectiveness of art teaching has always been one of the hot topics concerned by all sectors of society. Especially, in art teaching, situational interaction helps improve the atmosphere of art class. However, there are few attempts to quantitatively evaluate the aesthetics of ink painting. Ink painting expresses images through ink tone and stroke changes, which is significantly different from photos and paintings in visual characteristics, semantic characteristics, and aesthetic standards. For this reason, this study proposes an adaptive computational aesthetic evaluation framework for ink painting based on situational interaction using deep learning techniques. The framework extracts global and local images as multiple input according to the aesthetic criteria of ink painting and designs a model named MVPD‐CNN to extract deep aesthetic features; finally, an adaptive deep aesthetic evaluation model is constructed. The experimental results demonstrate that our model has higher aesthetic evaluation performance compared with baseline, and the extracted deep aesthetic features are significantly better than the traditional manual design features, and its adaptive evaluation results reach a Pearson height of 0.823 compared with the manual aesthetic. In addition, art classroom simulation and interference experiments show that our model is highly resistant to interference and more sensitive to the three painting elements of composition, ink color, and texture in specific compositions.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of a Novel Aminothiol Compound as Potential Radioprotector
Authors: Li Xuejiao , Wang Xinxin , Miao Longfei , Guo Yuying , Yuan Renbin , Ren Jingming , Huang Yichi , Tian Hongqi
Published: August 2021

The risk of radiation damage has increased with the rapid development of nuclear technology and radiotherapy. Hence, research on radioprotective agents is of utmost importance. In the present study, a novel aminothiol compound 12, containing a linear alkylamino backbone and three terminal thiols, was synthesized. Owing to the appropriate capped groups in the chains, it has an improved permeability and oral bioavailability compared to other radioprotective agents. Oral administration of compound 12 improved the survival of mice that received lethal doses of γ‐irradiation. Experimental results demonstrated that compound 12 not only mitigated total body irradiation‐induced hematopoietic injury by increasing the frequencies of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells but also prevented abdominal irradiation‐induced intestinal injury by increasing the survival of Lgr5+ intestinal cells, lysozyme+ Paneth cells, and Ki67+ cells. In addition, compound 12 decreased oxidative stress by upregulating the expression of Nrf2 and NQO1 and downregulating the expression of NOX1. Further, compound 12 inhibited γ‐irradiation‐induced DNA damage and alleviated G2/M phase arrest. Moreover, compound 12 decreased the levels of p53 and Bax and increased the level of Bcl‐2, demonstrating that it may suppress radiation‐induced apoptosis via the p53 pathway. These results indicate that compound 12 has the possibility of preventing radiation injury and can be a potential radioprotector for clinical applications.
Cloves Regulate Na+‐K+‐ATPase to Exert Antioxidant Effect and Inhibit UVB Light‐Induced Skin Damage in Mice
Authors: Gao Xi , Luo Fuling , Zhao Hengguang
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of cloves (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry) on the mouse skin using a UVB‐induced skin injury mouse model. The serum, liver, and skin indexes of mice were determined by kits, H&E tissue staining, and qPCR assay. The compound composition of cloves was determined by HPLC. The results showed that cloves increased the activity of Na+‐K+‐ATPase in the skin and then maintained the sodium and potassium pump in the damaged skin muscle membrane. Cloves alleviated the oxidative stress injury induced by UVB irradiation by normalizing the related oxidative stress indexes (T‐SOD, CAT, AGEs, and H2O2) in serum and skin. Inhibition of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 and increased activation of anti‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐4 and IL‐10 occurred after treatment with cloves, which ultimately reduced the inflammatory damage to the body. Further results showed that cloves upregulate SOD1, SOD2, CAT, GSH, IL‐10, IκB‐α, AMPK, SIRT1, LKB1, PGC‐1α, APPL1, and FoxO1 and downregulate NF‐κB p65, TNF‐α, IL‐6, and mTOR mRNA expression in the skin tissues of UVB‐damaged mice. The results of composition analysis showed that the five most abundant compounds in cloves are rutin, isoquercitrin, ferulic acid, dihydroquercetin, and quercitrin. Cloves regulate the skin sarcomembrane Na+‐K+‐ATPase through these five compounds, and because they regulate the oxidation, inflammation, and ATP energy consumption of the body, they subsequently protect the skin from UVB damage.
Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment of a Cervical Carcinoma Complicated by Genital Prolapse
Authors: Evangelopoulou Aikaterini-Eirini , Zacharis Konstantinos , Balafa Konstantina , Daponte Alexandros , Koukoura Ourania
Published: August 2021

Cervical squamous cell carcinoma of the uterus associated with pelvic organ prolapse is very rare and usually occurs in elderly women. We hereby present an 81-year-old postmenopausal woman presented to the outpatient department with an ulcerated irreducible uterine procidentia. The prolapse was reduced under general anesthesia and biopsy of the lesions confirmed a cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Pretreatment clinical staging revealed a 16 cm enlarged uterus and mild to moderate unilateral hydroureteronephrosis, secondary to periureteric infiltration, clinical stage IIIB. The patient was disqualified from surgery, and palliative chemotherapy plus radiotherapy was recommended. Patient’s general condition was rapidly deteriorated, and three months after the diagnosis, the patient passed away. Therapeutic management of cervical cancer associated with uterovaginal prolapse is not well established. Hence, this article presents the clinical concerns that arise in such rare and neglected cases.
Intermittent Abdominal Pressure Ventilation: An Alternative for Respiratory Support
Authors: Fiorentino Giuseppe , Annunziata Anna , Coppola Antonietta , Marotta Antonella , Simioli Francesca , Imitazione Pasquale , Lanza Maurizia , Cauteruccio Rosa , Esquinas Antonio M.
Published: August 2021

Intermittent abdominal pressure ventilation is a positive pressure ventilation technique that works with abdominal compressions. It has been known since 1938; however, for many years, it was out of production. In recent years, a new device has been produced that has captured the attention to this old respiratory support technique. We considered eight patients with respiratory failure secondary to a neuromuscular disease (congenital myopathy, Duchenne dystrophy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) intolerant to daytime noninvasive ventilation (NIV). IAPV was proposed as an alternative to NIV. We performed baseline and post-IAPV respiratory function assessment. All patients, two years later, are still using intermittent abdominal ventilation. Intermittent positive abdominal mechanical ventilation can be a valid alternative to noninvasive mechanical ventilation with a nasal or face mask. It improves gas exchange, symptoms, and quality of life, decreases the incidence of pneumonia, and can avert the need for intubation and tracheotomy.
A Feasibility Study on Monitoring Pile‐Soil Bonding Condition Using Piezoceramic Transducer and Horizontal Impact
Authors: Zhu Daopei , Tian Siyuan , Yan Haocheng , Wang Zhangli
Published: August 2021

The in situ evaluation of pile‐soil bonding condition plays an important role for pile safety assessment in its life cycle. However, so far, there is still no fully mature tool to analyze such couplings, since the pile‐soil coupling exhibits complex and time‐varying relationships. This paper innovatively proposes a health monitoring approach to evaluate the bonding status of the soil and pile contact area. An impact method based on a piezoelectric ceramic sensor is proposed to monitor the bond of pile and soil. A horizontal impact was introduced near the top of the pile, and the induced stress waves were detected by the piezoceramic smart aggregate (SA) sensor embedded in the pile. Different crack damage sizes were made between the soil and the pile to investigate the change of the bonding. An energy index was developed to quantitatively evaluate the quality of the bonding as a pile‐soil bonding index. The proposed approach inspired a potential way to directly judge if there is crack damage between the pile and soil and to evaluate pile safety.
Sex Differences in HIV Testing among Older Adults in Sub‐Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gebremeskel Akalewold T. , Gunawardena Nathali , Omonaiye Olumuyiwa , Yaya Sanni
Published: August 2021

Background. Despite being sexually active and engaging in risky sexual behaviours similar to young adults, older adults (50 years or older) are less likely to receive HIV testing, and disaggregated data are still scarce about HIV prevention and treatment in this vulnerable population in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). This systematic review is aimed at examining sex differences in HIV testing and counseling (HTC) among older adults in SSA. Methods. A systematic search of four databases, namely, MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), Web of Science, and Global Health, was conducted from 2000 to January 2020. The primary outcome of interest for this study was gender differences in HTC among older adults in SSA. Observational studies including cross‐sectional, retrospective, and prospective cohort studies were included. Eligible studies must have reported sex differences in HIV testing uptake in a standard HTC service among older adults in SSA. Results. From the database search, 4143 articles were identified. Five studies were ultimately included in the final review. Of the 1189 participants, 606 (51.1%) and 580 (48.9%) were female and male, respectively. The review findings suggested that both men and women preferred HTC providers that are the same sex as them with women additionally preferring a provider who is also of a similar age. Men and women differed in their pathways to getting tested for HIV. The review documented mixed results with regard to the associations between sex of older adults and uptake of HTC. Older adult HTC uptake data are limited in scope and coverage in sub‐Saharan Africa. Conclusion. This review revealed shortage of evidence to evaluate optimum HTC utilization among older adults. Few studies examined sex differences in HIV testing among older adults in the region. There is a need for stakeholders working in the area of HIV prevention and treatment to focus on older adult health utilization evidence organization, disaggregated by age and sex. Hence, high‐quality research designs are needed on the topic in order to generate good quality evidence for targeted interventions to improve HTC among older adults in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Effect of Birth Interval on Foetal and Postnatal Child Growth
Authors: Saaka Mahama , Aggrey Benjamin
Published: August 2021

Background. Although available evidence suggests short birth intervals are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, little is known about the extent to which birth spacing affects postnatal child growth. The present study assessed the independent association of birth interval with birth weight and subsequent postnatal growth indices. Methods. This retrospective cohort study carried out in the rural areas of Kassena-Nankana district of Ghana compared postnatal growth across different categories of birth intervals. Birth intervals were calculated as month difference between consecutive births of a woman. The study population comprised 530 postpartum women who had delivered a live baby in the past 24 months prior to the study. Results. Using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) that adjusted for age of the child, gender of the child, weight-for-length z-score (WLZ), birth weight, adequacy of antenatal care (ANC) attendance, and dietary diversity of the child, the mean length-for-age z-score (LAZ) among children of short preceding birth interval (<24 months) was significantly higher than among children of long birth interval (that is, at least 24 months) ((0.51 versus −0.04) (95% CI: 0.24–0.87),p = 0.001). The adjusted mean birth weight of children born to mothers of longer birth interval was 74.0 g more than children born to mothers of shorter birth interval (CI: 5.89–142.0,p< 0.03). Conclusions. The results suggest that a short birth interval is associated positively with an increased risk of low birth weight (an indicator of foetal growth), but birth spacing is associated negatively with the LAZ (an indicator of postnatal growth).
Iris Recognition Development Techniques: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Malgheet Jasem Rahman , Manshor Noridayu Bt , Affendey Lilly Suriani
Published: August 2021

Recently, iris recognition techniques have achieved great performance in identification. Among authentication techniques, iris recognition systems have received attention very much due to their rich iris texture which gives robust standards for identifying individuals. Notwithstanding this, there are several challenges in unrestricted recognition environments. In this article, the researchers present the techniques used in different phases of the recognition system of the iris image. The researchers also reviewed the methods associated with each phase. The recognition system is divided into seven phases, namely, the acquisition phase in which the iris images are acquired, the preprocessing phase in which the quality of the iris image is improved, the segmentation phase in which the iris region is separated from the background of the image, the normalization phase in which the segmented iris region is shaped into a rectangle, the feature extraction phase in which the features of the iris region are extracted, the feature selection phase in which the unique features of the iris are selected using feature selection techniques, and finally the classification phase in which the iris images are classified. This article also explains the two approaches of iris recognition which are the traditional approach and the deep learning approach. In addition, the researchers discuss the advantages and disadvantages of previous techniques as well as the limitations and benefits of both the traditional and deep learning approaches of iris recognition. This study can be considered as an initial step towards a large‐scale study about iris recognition.
Safety Evaluation and Flow Modification in the Anterior Cerebral Artery after Pipeline Embolization Device Deployment across the Internal Carotid Artery Terminus
Authors: Xu Chao , Wu Pei , Han Jianyi , Sun Bowen , Wang Chunlei , Xu Shancai , Luo Bin , Yang Xinjian , Mu Qingchun , Shi Huaizhang
Published: August 2021

Background and Objective. Whether anterior cerebral artery occlusion occurs after pipeline embolization devices (PEDs) are implanted to treat posterior communicating artery aneurysm is controversial. The purposes of this study were to explore the effect of a PED covering A1 on patients’ clinical prognosis and to evaluate the factors related to vascular occlusion. Method. The clinical and imaging data of PEDs in the postmarket multicenter registry study (PLUS) in China were retrospectively analyzed, and patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the follow‐up angiographic results: group 1 (no significant change in A1 blood flow) and group 2 (A1 occlusion or decreased blood flow). We collected patients’ baseline data and evaluated the following imaging indicators: diameter and ratio of bilateral A1, M1, and internal carotid artery (ICA) vessels before stenting and the ratio of the PED size (sPED) to the ipsilateral ICA (I‐ICA) diameter on the implantation side. Results. A total of 1171 patients were included, of whom 48 met the inclusion criteria (17 in group 1 and 31 in group 2). In group 2, three patients experienced neurological deterioration at follow‐up. From the univariate analysis of outcomes, single PED without coils, incomplete aneurysm occlusion (IAO), maximum aneurysm diameter, aneurysms involving the ICA bifurcation (ICAb), and large sPED/I‐ICA diameter ratio were included in the multivariate analysis (P < 0.20). The multivariate regression analysis results showed that the ratio of sPED/I‐ICA diameter was the factor influencing A1 vessel occlusion. The area under the ROC curve was 73.2%. When the sPED/I‐ICA diameter ratio was 1.14, sensitivity was 70.6%, and specificity was 77.4%. Conclusion. When an oversized PED is placed from M1 to the ICA, the higher porosity formed at the covered A1 orifice is conducive to maintaining stable A1 blood flow and reducing the risk of A1 vessel occlusion. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03831672.
The Prevalence of Asthma among Iranian Children and Adolescent: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Rahimian Neda , Aghajanpour Mohammad , Jouybari Leila , Ataee Pedram , Fathollahpour Asadollah , Lamuch-Deli Nasrin , Kooti Wesam , Kalmarzi Rasoul Nasiri
Published: August 2021

Background. Asthma is an important reason for hospitalization in children aged under five years. Information about the current status of asthma in Iranian children can help the Iranian health sector plan carefully and prevent asthma incidence by educating the families. The present systematic review and meta‐analysis is aimed at estimating asthma prevalence in Iranian children and adolescents. Method. Data were found using keywords such as prevalence, epidemiology, asthma, adolescent, children, pediatrics, Iran in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases. Three national databases, including Magiran, Barakat Pharmed Co (Iran medex), and Scientific Information Databank (SID) were searched until 1 October 2020. Cross‐sectional and original studies were included in the study, and then, quality assessment was done using the National Institutes of Health’s Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross‐Sectional Studies. A pooled estimated prevalence of asthma was calculated using Der Simonian‐Laird random model. Egger’s test was used to evaluate publication bias. The data were analyzed using the STATA software version 16. Results. 30 studies were selected and investigated. The prevalence of asthma in children and adolescents was 6% and 8%, and the prevalence in boys and girls was 9% and 8%, respectively. Among the asthma symptoms, wheezing had the most prevalence (17% in children and 19% in adolescents) and sleep disturbance had the lowest prevalence (6% in children and 6% in adolescents). Conclusion. The prevalence of asthma in Iranian children and adolescents is lower than in the world. Existing strategies should be pursued followed. Also, guidelines for asthma control and prevention should be considered in the future.
Experimental Study of Effects of the Third Medium on the Maximum Friction Coefficient between Wheel and Rail for High‐Speed Trains
Authors: Ma He , Niu Yan , Zou Xiaochun , Zhang Jun
Published: August 2021

The changes of the friction coefficient between wheel and rail affect the wheel‐rail adhesion characteristics of high‐speed trains. The adhesion state in the wheel‐rail contact area could be distinguished by the maximum friction coefficient between wheel and rail. The wheel‐rail adhesion is of great significance for high‐speed train traction. In order to study the influence of water, oil, fallen leaves, quartz sand, or their mixtures on the maximum friction coefficient between high‐speed wheel and rail, a wheel‐rail contact test bed is built to carry out the wheel‐rail contact test and wheel‐rail friction contact test. The comparative analysis of the test results shows that the axle load has little influence on the maximum friction coefficient between wheel and rail. Water, oil, and fallen leaves would reduce the maximum friction coefficient. Quartz sand could increase the maximum friction coefficient in a short time, while the excessive static friction coefficient would damage the wheel and rail. Besides, the maximum friction coefficient of water, oil, and fallen leaves mixing in pairs is lower than each of them existing alone. Both water and oil could increase the adhesion of quartz sand, and the effect of water is better. Therefore, when the sand still could not meet enough traction, it could be considered to add some water to increase the wheel‐rail adhesion.
Role of Aminoglycoside‐Modifying Enzymes (AMEs) in Resistance to Aminoglycosides among Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the North of Iran
Authors: Ahmadian Leila , Norouzi Bazgir Zahra , Ahanjan Mohammad , Valadan Reza , Goli Hamid Reza
Published: August 2021

In recent years, the prevalence of resistance to aminoglycosides among clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is increasing. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of aminoglycoside‐modifying enzymes (AMEs) in resistance to aminoglycosides in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa. The clinical isolates were collected from different hospitals. Disk agar diffusion test was used to determine the antimicrobial resistance pattern of the clinical isolates, and the minimum inhibitory concentration of aminoglycosides was detected by microbroth dilution method. The PCR was performed for discovery of aminoglycoside‐modifying enzyme‐encoding genes. Among 100 screened isolates, 43 (43%) isolates were resistant to at least one tested aminoglycosides. However, 13 (13%) isolates were resistant to all tested aminoglycosides and 37 isolates were detected as multidrug resistant (MDR). The resistance rates of P. aeruginosa isolates against tested antibiotics were as follows: ciprofloxacin (41%), piperacillin‐tazobactam (12%), cefepime (32%), piperacillin (26%), and imipenem (31%). However, according to the MIC method, 13%, 32%, 33%, and 37% of the isolates were resistant to amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, and netilmicin, respectively. The PCR results showed that AAC(6  ′ )-Ib was the most commonly (26/43, 60.4%) identified AME‐encoding gene followed by AAC(6  ′ )-IIa (41.86%), APH(3  ′ )-IIb (34.8%), ANT(3  ″ )-Ia (18.6), ANT(2  ″ )-Ia (13.95%), and APH(3  ″ )-Ib (2.32%). However, APH(3  ′ )-Ib was not found in any of the studied isolates. The high prevalence of AME‐encoding genes among aminoglycoside‐resistant P. aeruginosa isolates in this area indicated the important role of AMEs in resistance to these antibiotics similar to most studies worldwide. Due to the transmission possibility of these genes between the Gram‐negative bacteria, we need to control the prescription of aminoglycosides in hospitals.
An Optimization Model to Address Overcrowding in Emergency Departments Using Patient Transfer
Authors: Oveysi Zeynab , McGarvey Ronald G. , Seo Kangwon
Published: August 2021

Overcrowding of emergency departments (EDs) is a problem that affected many hospitals especially during the response to emergency situations such as pandemics or disasters. Transferring nonemergency patients is one approach that can be utilized to address ED overcrowding. We propose a novel mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model that explicitly considers queueing effects to address overcrowding in a network of EDs, via a combination of two decisions: modifying service capacity to EDs and transferring patients between EDs. Computational testing is performed using a Design of Experiments to determine the sensitivity of the MINLP solutions to changes in the various input parameters. Additional computational testing examines the effect of ED size on the number of transfers occurring in the system, identifying an efficient frontier for the tradeoff between system cost (measured as a function of the service capacity and the number of patient transfers) and the systemwide average expected waiting time. Taken together, these results suggest that our optimization model can identify a range of efficient alternatives for healthcare systems designing a network of EDs across multiple hospitals.
ACE2 Promotes the Synthesis of Pulmonary Surfactant to Improve AT II Cell Injury via SIRT1/eNOS Pathway
Authors: Xu Hailing , Xiao Jianguang
Published: August 2021

Objective. We aimed to explore the level of PS, cell viability, inflammatory factors, and apoptosis in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Besides, we explored the potential relationship between ACE2, SIRT1/eNOS pathway, and hypoxia-induced AT II cell damage. Methods. The hUC-MSC-derived AT II cells were verified by IF and ICC, whereas qRT-PCR was used for PS and AT II cell marker (CK-8 and KGF). The AT II cell damage model was established by hypoxia exposure. The enhanced expression of ACE2 was tested after transfection with pcDNA3.1-ACE2 by western blot. The effects of hypoxia and ACE2 on AT II cells were evaluated by MTT, western blot, ELISA, and flow cytometry. The involvement of the SIRT1/eNOS pathway in AT II cell’s protective functions against NRDS was verified with the addition of SIRT1 inhibitor EX527. Results. Based on the successful differentiation of AT II cells from hUC-MSCs and the buildup of AT II cell damage model, the overexpressed ACE2 impeded the hypoxia-induced cellular damage of AT II cells. It also counteracted the inhibitory effects of hypoxia on the secretion of PS. Overexpression of ACE2 rescued the cell viability and suppressed the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and the apoptosis of AT II cells triggered by hypoxia. And ACE2 activated the SIRT1/eNOS pathway to play its cell-protective and anti-inflammatory roles. Conclusion. Our findings provided information that ACE2 prevented AT II cells from inflammatory damage through activating the SIRT1/eNOS pathway, which suggested that ACE2 might become a novel protective agent applied in the protection and treatment of NRDS.
Clinical and Laboratory Improvement in Hyperadrenergic Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) after COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Ocher Rebecca A. , Padilla Erika , Hsu Jonathan C. , Taub Pam R.
Published: August 2021

A 32-year-old woman with a history of symptomatic supraventricular tachycardia, inappropriate sinus tachycardia, and hyperadrenergic POTS was treated with ivabradine and metoprolol. She then presented with bradycardia and Mobitz II second-degree AV block on event monitoring six weeks after COVID-19 infection. Her post-viral workup revealed normalization of catecholamine levels and significant symptomatic improvement in heart rate. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of improvement in POTS after COVID-19 infection. As our understanding of COVID-19 continues to improve, it will be vital to better understand the impact of COVID-19 dysautonomia on cardiac patients.
A Tripartite Game Analysis of Environmental Pollution Control Based on Complicated Intergovernmental Relations
Authors: Li Ling , Song Yao , Zhang Zhiqiang
Published: August 2021

An excellent ecological environment is conducive for improving economic benefits and social benefits. The environmental pollution control requires the cooperation of governments at all levels and a large amount of capital investment. However, under the system with Chinese characteristics, the intergovernmental relations present complex and dynamic characteristics: the central government is authoritative, the local governments are obedient and self‐interested, and the environmental pollution control usually involves multiple government departments, while it has strong externality, which makes it easy to breed “free rider” behavior in the process of environmental pollution control. Therefore, the cross‐regional environmental pollution control cooperation model of governments at all levels is a complex and worthwhile research problem. Based on this, the paper studies a tripartite game problem of environmental pollution control from both horizontal and vertical intergovernmental relations. The Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation was used to obtain the optimal effort strategy, environmental pollution control level, and environmental pollution losses under the Nash game model, the Stackelberg game model, and the Cooperative game model. The results show the following: firstly, the governments’ environmental pollution control efforts are positively related to their own execution ability and influence ability and negatively related to the cost coefficient; secondly, from the perspectives of environmental pollution control level and environmental pollution losses, the Cooperative game model is superior to the Nash game model and the Stackelberg game; thirdly, this paper analyzes the relationship between the loss‐bearing ratio, the special financial funds, the effort level of government, and the environmental pollution control level; finally, the conclusions are verified by numerical analysis, which proves the validity of the models.
Renoprotective Effects of Incretin‐Based Therapy in Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Yaribeygi Habib , Atkin Stephen L. , Montecucco Fabrizio , Jamialahmadi Tannaz , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: August 2021

Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonists are recently discovered antidiabetic drugs with potent hypoglycemic effects. Among different mechanisms of activity, these compounds were shown to reduce blood glucose by suppression of glucagon secretion and stimulation of glucose‐dependent insulin secretion. These antidiabetic agents have a minor risk of hypoglycemia and have been suggested as a second‐line therapy to be added to metformin treatment to further optimize glycemic control in diabetes. More recently, scientific evidence suggests that GLP‐1 receptor agonists may particularly afford protection from diabetic nephropathy through modulation of the molecular pathways involved in renal impairment and so improve renal function. This additional benefit adds further weight for these compounds to become promising drugs not only for glycemic control but also to prevent diabetic complications. In this review, we have updated evidence on the beneficial effects of GLP‐1 receptor agonists on diabetic nephropathy and detailed the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.
Influence of Migration and Plugging of Nanoparticles on Coal Permeability in Coal Reservoirs
Authors: Zhai Xiaopeng , Chen Weihong , Xu Yun , Lou Yishan , Xu Shuhong , Zheng Lihui , Guo Zhiyang , Chen Yuanchang , Hao Hongyong , Jiang Jianfang
Published: August 2021

The plugging of nanopores in low-permeability coal reservoirs is an important factor that affects productivity reduction. However, the mechanism of plugging of the nanopores in coal reservoirs remains unclear. In this study, the coal samples from the Anze coalbed methane block of the North China Oilfield are used as the research object. Experiments are conducted on the mechanism of nanopore plugging by the variation of nanopore permeability based on the pressure oscillation method and the nanopore (scanning electron microscope) method. The research shows that the foreign working fluid invades a coal sample; the sample changes from being hydrophobic to being water absorbent within a certain period. The instability caused by the expansion of coal clay mineral particles promotes the dispersion and shedding of particles, and the migration of particles is accelerated under the shear stress of the working fluid. In addition, the viscosity and pressure difference of the working fluid are important factors that affect particle plugging. The viscosity of the fluid increased by two times, and permeability decreased by 1.21 times. As the pressure difference increases by two times, permeability can be reduced by up to two orders of magnitude. The findings of this study can help for better understanding of the mechanism of plugging of the nanopores in coal reservoirs and the reasons of production reduction in low-permeability coal reservoirs. Such findings provide theoretical support for the selection of the working fluid, and reasonable production pressure difference can effectively reduce the damage on coal permeability in a low-permeability coal reservoir.
Curcumin Alleviates Palmitic Acid‐Induced LOX‐1 Upregulation by Suppressing Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in HUVECs
Authors: Luo Ruixi , Zhao Lifeng , Li Shuaishuai , Chen Peng , Wang La , Yu Honghong , Cai Kun , Yu Qi , Tian Weiyi
Published: August 2021

Excessive free fatty acid‐ (FFA‐) induced endothelial lipotoxicity is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is mechanistically related to endothelial lipotoxicity. Lectin‐like oxidized low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐1 (LOX‐1) is the major oxidatively modified low‐density lipoprotein (OxLDL) receptor in endothelial cells and is highly abundant in atherosclerotic lesions. Curcumin reduces the LOX‐1 expression; however, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unknown. In the current study, we explored whether curcumin ameliorates palmitic acid‐ (PA‐) induced endothelial lipotoxicity and LOX‐1 upregulation by reducing ER stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We built endothelial lipotoxicity in vitro and found that LOX‐1 was upregulated after PA stimulation, during which ER stress played an important role. Next, we observed that curcumin substantially alleviated PA‐induced lipotoxicity by restoring cell viability, increasing angiogenesis, and decreasing lipid deposition. Furthermore, LOX‐1 upregulation in HUVECs was blocked by curcumin, possibly via ER stress suppression. Overall, our findings demonstrated that curcumin alleviates endothelial lipotoxicity and LOX‐1 upregulation, and ER stress inhibition may play a critical role in this effect.
Elucidation of Tumor-Stromal Heterogeneity and the Ligand-Receptor Interactome by Single-Cell Transcriptomics in Real-world Pancreatic Cancer Biopsies
Authors: Lee Jaewon J. , Bernard Vincent , Semaan Alexander , Monberg Maria E. , Huang Jonathan , Stephens Bret M. , Lin Daniel , Rajapakshe Kimal I. , Weston Brian R. , Bhutani Manoop S. , Haymaker Cara L. , Bernatchez Chantale , Taniguchi Cullen M. , Maitra Anirban , Guerrero Paola A.
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

Precision medicine approaches in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are imperative for improving disease outcomes. With molecular subtypes of PDAC gaining relevance in the context of therapeutic stratification, the ability to characterize heterogeneity of cancer-specific gene expression patterns is of great interest. In addition, understanding patterns of immune evasion within PDAC is of importance as novel immunotherapeutic strategies are developed.

Experimental Design:

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is readily applicable to limited biopsies from human primary and metastatic PDAC and identifies most cancers as being an admixture of previously described epithelial transcriptomic subtypes.

Results:

Integrative analyses of our data provide an in-depth characterization of the heterogeneity within the tumor microenvironment, including cancer-associated fibroblast subclasses, and predicts for a multitude of ligand-receptor interactions, revealing potential targets for immunotherapy approaches.

Conclusions:

Our analysis demonstrates that the use of de novo biopsies from patients with PDAC paired with scRNA-seq may facilitate therapeutic prediction from limited biopsy samples.
Activating Natural Killer Cell Receptors, Selectins, and Inhibitory Siglecs Recognize Ebolavirus Glycoprotein
Authors: Jarahian Mostafa , Marstaller Katharina , Banna Nadine , Ahani Roshanak , Etemadzadeh Mohammad Hossein , Boller Lea K. , Azadmanesh Kayhan , Cid-Arregui Angel , Khezri Abdolrahman , Berger Martin R. , Momburg Frank , Watzl Carsten
Published: August 2021

Expression of the extensively glycosylated Ebolavirus glycoprotein (EBOV-GP) induces physical alterations of surface molecules and plays a crucial role in viral pathogenicity. Here we investigate the interactions of EBOV-GP with host surface molecules using purified EBOV-GP, EBOV-GP-transfected cell lines, and EBOV-GP-pseudotyped lentiviral particles. Subsequently, we wanted to examine which receptors are involved in this recognition by binding studies to cells transfected with the EBOV-GP as well as to recombinant soluble EBOV-GP. As the viral components can also bind to inhibitory receptors of immune cells (e.g., Siglecs, TIM-1), they can even suppress the activity of immune effector cells. Our data show that natural killer (NK) cell receptors NKp44 and NKp46, selectins (CD62E/P/L), the host factors DC-SIGNR/DC-SIGN, and inhibitory Siglecs function as receptors for EBOV-GP. Our results show also moderate to strong avidity of homing receptors (P-, L-, and E-selectin) and DC-SIGNR/DC-SIGN to purified EBOV-GP, to cells transfected with EBOV-GP, as well as to the envelope of a pseudotyped lentiviral vector carrying the EBOV-GP. The concomitant activation and inhibition of the immune system exemplifies the evolutionary antagonism between the immune system and pathogens. Altogether these interactions with activating and inhibitory receptors result in a reduced NK cell-mediated lysis of EBOV-GP-expressing cells. Modulation of these interactions may provide new strategies for treating infections caused by this virus.
Alice em São Paulo: atravessamentos do corpo na metrópole inacabada
Authors: Leal João Vitor Resende
Published: August 2021

O artigo busca examinar alguns dos princípios que regem a representação da metrópole contemporânea na produção audiovisual brasileira. Para além do progresso e do dinamismo típicos da cidade moderna, o discurso contemporâneo aborda a metrópole como espaço de desorientação, que catalisa e amplifica experiências sensoriais. Investigaremos em particular a representação de São Paulo na série televisiva Alice (2008), na qual a protagonista tem a vida afetiva atravessada por suas descobertas da cidade, numa “estratégia feminina de leitura do espaço” (Bruno, 2007). Destacando outras produções paulistanas da primeira década dos anos 2000, refletiremos ainda sobre as estratégias de abordagem do espaço urbano no cinema contemporâneo, questionando a tendência de “retorno ao real” através da sensorialidade.
Os excessos de Elena: o ensaio e o devir mulher na obra de Petra Costa
Authors: Gusman Juliana
Published: August 2021

Este artigo pretende problematizar como o devir feminino é trabalhado no documentário Elena (2012), de Petra Costa. O filme, de corte ensaístico e (auto)biográfico, almeja reflexionar sobre as agruras do processo de “vir a ser mulher”, lançando mão de diferentes matérias de expressão articuladas criticamente para tensionar padrões culturais de gênero violentos. Isso posto, objetiva-se analisar não apenas a obra em si, mas também discursos que a tangenciam. Investigarei como outras narrativas audiovisuais – especificamente um conjunto de treze vídeos divulgados nas redes oficiais do filme – extrapolam e excedem os conteúdos do documentário, exercendo uma função paratextual. Supõe-se que Elena, além de propor questões centrais à emancipação feminina, consegue potencializar, por meio dos seus “excessos”, sua própria circulação e mediação social.