bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Irisin and Bone in Sickness and in Health: A Narrative Review of the Literature
Authors: Tsourdi Elena , Anastasilakis Athanasios D. , Hofbauer Lorenz C. , Rauner Martina , Lademann Franziska
Published: November 2022

Irisin is a hormone-like myokine produced by the skeletal muscle in response to exercise. Upon its release into the circulation, it is involved in the browning process and thermogenesis, but recent evidence indicates that this myokine could also regulate the functions of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes. Most human studies have reported that serum irisin levels decrease with age and in conditions involving bone diseases, including both primary and secondary osteoporosis. However, it should be emphasized that recent findings have called into question the importance of circulating irisin, as well as the validity and reproducibility of current methods of irisin measurement. In this review, we summarize data pertaining to the role of irisin in the bone homeostasis of healthy children and adults, as well as in the context of primary and secondary osteoporosis. Additional research is required to address methodological issues, and functional studies are required to clarify whether muscle and bone damage per se affect circulating levels of irisin or whether the modulation of this myokine is caused by the inherent mechanisms of underlying diseases, such as genetic or inflammatory causes. These investigations would shed further light on the effects of irisin on bone homeostasis and bone disease.
Sublingual Sufentanil Tablet System (SSTS-Zalviso®) for Postoperative Analgesia after Orthopedic Surgery: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Angelini Andrea , Parise Gian Mario , Cerchiaro Mariachiara , Ambrosio Francesco , Navalesi Paolo , Ruggieri Pietro
Published: November 2022

Background: The aim of this study is to compare sublingual sufentanil and the administration device for its delivery (SSST-Zalviso®) with the traditional strategies used for the control of postoperative pain to establish if there is an actual benefit for the patient and healthcare personnel. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to compare the efficacy of SSTS in the management of postoperative pain after orthopedic surgery between October 2018 and June 2020. We analyzed 50 patients who underwent a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The control group consisted of 21 patients who underwent TKA and during the hospitalized recovery received a continuous femoral nerve block (cFNB). The statistical study was conducted with a level of significance p = 0.05 using “U” test, Mann–Whitney, to verify if patients had a better control of pain and fewer calls for rescue analgesia. Results: Patients involved in the study showed a significant reduction in pain intensity with the use of SSTS in the 24 h following surgery (p = 0.0568), also a drastic drop of the calls for rescue analgesia (p < 0.0001) reduces the number of calls for its control. Conclusions: This study demonstrates how SSTS might reduce pain intensity in the first 24 h after surgery and reduce the number of calls for its control, indicating better analgesic coverage and implying reduced interventions from healthcare personnel. This could allow a redistribution of resources and a reduction in the use of analgesic drugs in wards where the SSTS is used.
The Association of Sex with Unplanned Cardiac Readmissions following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Australia: Results from a Multicentre Outcomes Registry (GenesisCare Cardiovascular Outcomes Registry)
Authors: Conradie Andre , Atherton John , Chowdhury Enayet , Duong MyNgan , Schwarz Nisha , Worthley Stephen , Eccleston David
Published: November 2022

Background and aim: Unplanned cardiac readmissions in patients with percutaneous intervention (PCI) is very common and is seen as a quality indicator of in-hospital care. Most studies have reported on the 30-day cardiac readmission rates, with very limited information being available on 1-year readmission rates and their association with mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of biological sex at 1-year post-PCI on unplanned cardiac readmissions. Methods and results: Patients enrolled into the GenesisCare Cardiovascular Outcomes Registry (GCOR-PCI) from December 2008 to December 2020 were included in the study. A total of 13,996 patients completed 12 months of follow-up and were assessed for unplanned cardiac readmissions. All patients with unplanned cardiac readmissions in the first year of post-PCI were followed in year 2 (post-PCI) for survival status. The rate of unplanned cardiac readmissions was 10.1%. Women had a 29% higher risk of unplanned cardiac readmission (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.48; p = 0.001), and female sex was identified as an independent predictor of unplanned cardiac readmissions. Any unplanned cardiac readmission in the first year was associated with a 2.5-fold higher risk of mortality (HR 2.50, 95% CI 1.67 to 3.75; p < 0.001), which was similar for men and women. Conclusion: Unplanned cardiac readmissions in the first year post-PCI was strongly associated with increased all-cause mortality. Whilst the incidence of all-cause mortality was similar between women and men, a higher incidence of unplanned cardiac readmissions was observed for women, suggesting distinct predictors of unplanned cardiac readmissions exist between women and men.
Efficacy of Serotonin Type 3 Receptor Antagonist Ramosetron on Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-D)-Like Symptoms in Patients with Quiescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Tomita Toshihiko , Fukui Hirokazu , Morishita Daisuke , Mori Sumire , Oshima Tadayuki , Shinzaki Shinichiro , Miwa Hiroto
Published: November 2022

Patients with quiescent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently suffer diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D)-like symptoms, such as abdominal pain or stool irregularities. Here, we assessed the effect of ramosetron, a serotonin type 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist, on IBS-D-like symptoms in patients with quiescent IBD. Seventy patients with quiescent IBD, who met the Rome III diagnostic criteria for IBS-D, were randomly assigned to receive either ramosetron (5 μg; n = 35) or a placebo (n = 35) orally once daily for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was the responder rate for global assessment of relief from overall IBS-D-like symptoms. The responder rates for relief of abdominal pain/discomfort and improvement of bowel habits were also evaluated. The responder rate for relief from overall IBS-D-like symptoms at the final evaluation point was significantly higher in the ramosetron group (35.5%) than in the placebo group (11.4%) (p = 0.037). The responder rate for improvement of bowel habits was significantly higher in the ramosetron group (38.7%) than in the placebo group (14.3%) (p = 0.028). The reduction of stool frequency was significantly greater in the ramosetron group than in the placebo group (p = 0.044). Ramosetron is effective for relief of overall IBS-D-like symptoms in patients with quiescent IBD.
Biodegradable Mg-Sc-Sr Alloy Improves Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis to Accelerate Bone Defect Restoration
Authors: Aboutalebianaraki Nadia , Neal Craig J. , Seal Sudipta , Razavi Mehdi
Published: November 2022

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys are considered to be biodegradable metallic biomaterials for potential orthopedic implants. While the osteogenic properties of Mg alloys have been widely studied, few reports focused on developing a bifunctional Mg implant with osteogenic and angiogenic properties. Herein, a Mg-Sc-Sr alloy was developed, and this alloy’s angiogenesis and osteogenesis effects were evaluated in vitro for the first time. X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and metallography images were used to evaluate the microstructure of the developed Mg-Sc-Sr alloy. Human umbilical vein/vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to evaluate the angiogenic character of the prepared Mg-Sc-Sr alloy. A mix of human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hBM-MSCs) and HUVEC cell cultures were used to assess the osteogenesis-stimulating effect of Mg-Sc-Sr alloy through alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Von Kossa staining. Higher ALP activity and the number of calcified nodules (27% increase) were obtained for the Mg-Sc-Sr-treated groups compared to Mg-treated groups. In addition, higher VEGF expression (45.5% increase), tube length (80.8% increase), and number of meshes (37.9% increase) were observed. The Mg-Sc-Sr alloy showed significantly higher angiogenesis and osteogenic differentiation than pure Mg and the control group, suggesting such a composition as a promising candidate in bone implants.
Why Is Tantalum Less Susceptible to Bacterial Infection?
Authors: Chen Xin , Bi Yikang , Huang Moran , Cao Huiliang , Qin Hui
Published: November 2022

Periprosthetic infection is one of the trickiest clinical problems, which often leads to disastrous consequences. The emergence of tantalum and its derivatives provides novel ideas and effective methods to solve this problem and has attracted great attention. However, tantalum was reported to have different anti-infective effects in vivo and in vitro, and the inherent antibacterial capability of tantalum is still controversial, which may restrict its development as an antibacterial material to some extent. In this study, the polished tantalum was selected as the experimental object, the implant-related tibia osteomyelitis model was first established to observe whether it has an anti-infective effect in vivo compared to titanium, and the early studies found that the tantalum had a lower infectious state in the implant-related tibia osteomyelitis model in vivo than titanium. However, further in vitro studies found that the polished tantalum was not superior to the titanium against bacterial adhesion and antibacterial efficacy. In addition, we focus on the state of interaction between cells, bacteria and materials to restore the internal environment as realistically as possible. We found that the adhesion of fibroblasts to tantalum was faster and better than that of titanium. Moreover, what is more, interesting is that, in the early period, bacteria were more likely to adhere to cells that had already attached to the surface of tantalum than to the bare surface of it, and over time, the cells eventually fell off the biomaterials and took away more bacteria in tantalum, making it possible for tantalum to reduce the probability of infection in the body through this mechanism. Moreover, these results also explained the phenomenon of the “race for the surface” from a completely different perspective. This study provides a new idea for further exploring the relationship between bacteria and host tissue cells on the implant surface and a meaningful clue for optimizing the preparation of antibacterial implants in the future.
Cognitive and Developmental Functions in Autistic and Non-Autistic Children and Adolescents: Evidence from the Intelligence and Development Scales–2
Authors: Odermatt Salome D. , Möhring Wenke , Grieder Silvia , Grob Alexander
Published: November 2022

Autistic individuals often show impairments in cognitive and developmental domains beyond the core symptoms of lower social communication skills and restricted repetitive behaviors. Consequently, the assessment of cognitive and developmental functions constitutes an essential part of the diagnostic evaluation. Yet, evidence on differential validity from intelligence and developmental tests, which are commonly used with autistic individuals, varies widely. In the current study, we investigated the cognitive (i.e., intelligence, executive functions) and developmental (i.e., psychomotor skills, social–emotional skills, basic skills, motivation and attitude, participation during testing) functions of autistic and non-autistic children and adolescents using the Intelligence and Development Scales–2 (IDS-2). We compared 43 autistic (Mage = 12.30 years) with 43 non-autistic (Mage = 12.51 years) participants who were matched for age, sex, and maternal education. Autistic participants showed significantly lower mean values in psychomotor skills, language skills, and the evaluation of participation during testing of the developmental functions compared to the control sample. Our findings highlight that autistic individuals show impairments particularly in motor and language skills using the IDS-2, which therefore merit consideration in autism treatment in addition to the core symptoms and the individuals’ intellectual functioning. Moreover, our findings indicate that particularly motor skills might be rather neglected in autism diagnosis and may be worthy of receiving more attention. Nonsignificant group differences in social–emotional skills could have been due to compensatory effects of average cognitive abilities in our autistic sample.
Optimization of Wire-EDM Process Parameters for Al-Mg-0.6Si-0.35Fe/15%RHA/5%Cu Hybrid Metal Matrix Composite Using TOPSIS: Processing and Characterizations
Authors: Kumar Jatinder , Sharma Shubham , Singh Jujhar , Singh Sunpreet , Singh Gurminder
Published: November 2022

The current experimental study concerns obtaining the optimal set of wire-EDM processing factors for a novel Al-Mg-0.6Si-0.35Fe/15%RHA/5%Cu hybrid aluminum matrix composite. The composite exhibits hardness of 64.2 HRB, tensile strength 104.6 MPa, impact energy 4.8 joules, when tested using standard testing techniques. For this, composite is formulated with the help of a stir casting route. The tests are conducted as per Taguchi’s L27 OA, to explore the influence of processing factors on the surface roughness (Ra), radial overcut (ROC) and material removal rate (MRR). The optimization is executed using the Taguchi approach, followed by multiple objective optimizations with TOPSIS (one of the MADM techniques). For optimal values of Ra, MRR and ROC, the optimum set of input variables is suggested as 150 A of current, 125 μs of pulse duration, 50 μs of pulse interval and 8 mm/min of wire feed-rate. Predicted performance index value was calculated and was compared with the experiment value. It has been observed that both values are very close to each other with only 1.33% error, which means the results are validated. ANOVA confirms that current is a predominant factor influencing response characteristic parameters, which contributes 24.09%, followed by pulse duration (16.78%) and pulse interval (15.18%). The surface characterization using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS) and optical microscope (OM) has also been carried out to affirm the existence of the reinforcing particles in the base matrix.
The p16 Antagonist Gankyrin Is Overexpressed in Melanocytic Neoplasms
Authors: Moradi Sara , Ehrig Torsten
Published: November 2022

Gankyrin has a household function in essentially all cells by acting as a chaperone in the assembly of the 26S proteasome, but also functions as a tumor-promoting protein by antagonizing the tumor suppressors retinoblastoma protein, p16, and p53. While gankyrin is overexpressed in many neoplasms outside the skin, its expression in normal skin and cutaneous neoplasms has not been reported previously. We studied the expression of gankyrin in archival human formalin-fixed tissues of cutaneous neoplasms by immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal antibody, and found gankyrin to be overexpressed in 3 of 20 squamous cell carcinomas, none of 10 basal cell carcinomas, 13 of 18 melanocytic nevi, and 7 of 10 melanomas, in many cases with a predominantly nuclear location. Normal epidermal melanocytes expressed gankyrin to a lesser extent than neoplastic melanocytes. The overexpression in the in situ stage of squamous cell carcinoma and in melanocytic nevi suggests that gankyrin acts as a tumor-promoting protein in the early stages of the transition from normal to neoplastic cells. The frequent overexpression of gankyrin in melanocytic neoplasms is significant because it antagonizes the tumor suppressor, p16, which is strongly expressed in melanocytic nevi and some melanomas.
Formation of MASS Collision Avoidance and Path following Based on Artificial Potential Field in Constrained Environment
Authors: Chen Xiangyu , Gao Miao , Kang Zhen , Zhou Jian , Chen Shuai , Liao Zihao , Sun Haixin , Zhang Anmin
Published: November 2022

It is essential to promote the intelligence and autonomy of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASSs). This study proposed an automatic collision-avoidance method based on an improved Artificial Potential Field (APF) with the formation of MASSs (F-MASSs). Firstly, the navigation environment model was constructed by the S-57 Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) data in Tianjin Port. The Formation Ship State Parameter (FSSP) definition was proposed for the port environment under multiple constraints that considered the navigation conditions of the MASSs. The formation pattern transformation was settled by changing the formation ship state parameter. Considering the constraints of an ‘unmanned–manned’ encounter situation, the static obstacles, and the design of the channel area improved artificial potential method for the formation. Finally, the simulation experiment was carried out in the sea near Tianjin Port to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm under multiple constraints. The results indicate that the method can satisfy the integrated operation of collision avoidance and path following in a constrained environment, and it can support the application of merchant F-MASS autonomous navigation in the future.
Frequency Characteristics of Sloshing Resonance in a Three-Dimensional Shallow-Water Rectangular Tank
Authors: Yuan Xinyi , Su Yan , Xie Peng
Published: November 2022

The frequency characteristics of free surface elevation time histories of shallow-water sloshing in a three-dimensional rectangular tank is presented. The numerical model for sloshing motion uses an accurate velocity potential Boussinesq-type equation. A particular solution is adopted to express the external excitations and a linear damping term is introduced to replace a friction effect produced by tank walls. The excitation amplitude of the forced movement of the tank is tiny, while the excitation frequency varies around the first resonance frequency. The numerical results show that the wave energy in the rectangular tank under resonance is concentrated in the integer multiple of excitation frequencies, the sum excitation frequencies, and the difference excitation frequencies.
Sedimentology and Diagenesis of the Early–Middle Eocene Carbonate Deposits of the Ceno-Tethys Ocean
Authors: Bilal Ahmer , Yang Renchao , Mughal Muhammad Saleem , Janjuhah Hammad Tariq , Zaheer Muhammad , Kontakiotis George
Published: November 2022

An integrated study based on field observation, petrography, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on the Early–Middle Eocene carbonate rocks has been carried out, which were deposited in the Ceno-Tethys Ocean. The study area of the Yadgaar Section lies on the eastern margin of the Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan. The Early–Middle Eocene Margalla Hill Limestone and Chorgali Formation act as reservoir rocks in other parts of the basin and are also present in the Yadgaar Section. The lack of comprehensive study in this area makes these reservoir rocks highly attractive for sedimentological evaluations and future exploration of hydrocarbons. The Early–Middle Eocene carbonate rocks are divided into nine microfacies: dolomicritic foraminiferal mudstone–wackestone microfacies (EMI); green algae dominated, mixed foraminiferal wackestone–packstone microfacies (EMII); ostracod, green algae and gypsum dominating mudstone–wackestone microfacies (EMIII); algae and mixed foraminiferal wackestone–packstone microfacies (EMIV); Nummulites dominating mudstone–wackestone microfacies (EMV); algal limestone mudstone microfacies (EMVI); Assilina bed wackestone–packstone microfacies (EMVII); micritized larger benthic foraminiferal wackestone–packstone microfacies (EMVIII); and algal limestone, mudstone microfacies (EMIX). The transgressive-regressive environment in the Ceno-Tethys Ocean leads to the deposition of these microfacies in the platform interior, open marine platform, platform edge, platform margin reef, toe of the slope apron, arid–humid platform interior, platform edge, open marine platform interior, and restricted marine platform interior, respectively. Initial post-depositional diagenetic stages are identified from the base to the top of the strata by their respective cement types, i.e., the base–lower middle part of the strata demonstrates an eogenetic sub-stage with the appearance of drusy cement, the middle section indicates a mesogenetic sub-stage by the appearance of blocky cement, while the top portion again reveals an eogenetic sub-stage of diagenesis by the presence of drusy and blocky types of cement. The ascending–descending hierarchy of cement generations is directly proportional to the grade of diagenesis from the base to the top of the carbonate strata. Variable diagenetic effects on the various microfacies also increase the secondary porosity range and enhance the reservoir characteristics of the Formations. The presence of foraminifera microfossils determined that these carbonate formations date from the Early–Middle Eocene.
O2 and CO2 Responses of the Synaptic Period to Under-Ice Phytoplankton Bloom in the Eutrophic Razdolnaya River Estuary of Amur Bay, the Sea of Japan
Authors: Semkin Pavel , Tishchenko Pavel , Pavlova Galina , Barabanshchikov Yuri , Tishchenko Petr , Shvetsova Maria , Shkirnikova Elena , Fedorets Yulia
Published: November 2022

Hydrological conditions are an important factor for aquatic ecosystems. Their contribution to stimulating phytoplankton bloom in eutrophic estuaries is not quite clear. We present the results of an outbreak of a phytoplankton bloom event observed in the eutrophic Razdolnaya R. estuary in 2022 from January 22 to February 23, when the estuary was covered by ice. The bloom spreads over 21 km from the river mouth bar to upstream in the near-bottom layer below the halocline. The Chl-a concentration in the bloom area increased from 15 to 100 μg/L, and the dissolved oxygen concentration from 350 to 567 μmol/kg at a rate of 11 μmol/(kg day) over the study period, while the CO2 partial pressure was reduced to 108 µatm in the most oxygen-supersaturated waters. The Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii Cleve sea diatom was the dominant phytoplankton species in the bloom area. The opposite trend was observed near the boundary of the saline water wedge penetration over 29 km from the river mouth bar to upstream where the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased from 140 to 53 μmol/kg over a month, and partial pressure of CO2 reached 4454 μatm. We also present the results obtained in February 2016 before and after a snowfall, when the ability of PAR to penetrate through the ice was impeded by a layer of snow. After the snowfall, photosynthesis in the under-ice water stopped and the oxygen concentration decreased to almost zero due to the microbiological destruction of the phytoplankton biomass. As such, the main effect of phytoplankton bloom is the formation of superoxia/hypoxia (depending on the light conditions), during the period of maximum ice thickness and minimum river discharge. Thus, this study demonstrates that the eutrophication in the future could lead to unstable ecosystems and large synoptic variations of dissolved oxygen and CO2 partial pressure of the estuaries.
Candida Genotyping of Blood Culture Isolates from Patients Admitted to 16 Hospitals in Madrid: Genotype Spreading during the COVID-19 Pandemic Driven by Fluconazole-Resistant C. parapsilosis
Authors: Díaz-García Judith , Gómez Ana , Machado Marina , Alcalá Luis , Reigadas Elena , Sánchez-Carrillo Carlos , Pérez-Ayala Ana , de la Pedrosa Elia Gómez-García , González-Romo Fernando , Cuétara María Soledad , García-Esteban Coral , Quiles-Melero Inmaculada , Zurita Nelly Daniela , Algarra María Muñoz , Durán-Valle María Teresa , Sánchez-García Aída , Muñoz Patricia , Escribano Pilar , Guinea Jesús ,   on behalf of the CANDIMAD Study Group
Published: November 2022

Background: Candidaemia and invasive candidiasis are typically hospital-acquired. Genotyping isolates from patients admitted to different hospitals may be helpful in tracking clones spreading across hospitals, especially those showing antifungal resistance. Methods: We characterized Candida clusters by studying Candida isolates (C. albicans, n = 1041; C. parapsilosis, n = 354, and C. tropicalis, n = 125) from blood cultures (53.8%) and intra-abdominal samples (46.2%) collected as part of the CANDIMAD (Candida in Madrid) study in Madrid (2019–2021). Species-specific microsatellite markers were used to define the genotypes of Candida spp. found in a single patient (singleton) or several patients (cluster) from a single hospital (intra-hospital cluster) or different hospitals (widespread cluster). Results: We found 83 clusters, of which 20 were intra-hospital, 49 were widespread, and 14 were intra-hospital and widespread. Some intra-hospital clusters were first detected before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the number of clusters increased during the pandemic, especially for C. parapsilosis. The proportion of widespread clusters was significantly higher for genotypes found in both compartments than those exclusively found in either the blood cultures or intra-abdominal samples. Most C. albicans- and C. tropicalis-resistant genotypes were singleton and presented exclusively in either blood cultures or intra-abdominal samples. Fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis isolates belonged to intra-hospital clusters harboring either the Y132F or G458S ERG11p substitutions; the dominant genotype was also widespread. Conclusions: the number of clusters—and patients involved—increased during the COVID-19 pandemic mainly due to the emergence of fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis genotypes.
Opinionated Opposition and Pragmatic Government: The Online Argumentation of Political Parties and Party Leaders during the 2022 Hungarian Parliamentary Election Campaign
Authors: Juhász Vanessza , Bene Márton
Published: November 2022

The current paper studies the 2022 parliamentary election campaign, in regards to what extent and quality certain elements of political debate can appear in political actors’ social media communication. During our research, we analyzed 2441 Facebook posts from parties and party leaders prior to the election. According to our results, political actors engage in opinionated discourse on social media and largely focus on public policy issues. They rarely rely on factual reasoning; instead, they tend to use individual phenomena to justify their claims. Ad hominem fallacy also plays a significant role in their Facebook posts when they are making an argument. However, other argumentation errors, so-called fallacies are quite rare in their communication. The main patterns are similar between the actors, but in general, parties and politicians from the opposition are more argumentative compared to the ruling party coalitions.
Ordinary People and Social Media as Sources in Norwegian Newspapers
Authors: Wold Thomas
Published: November 2022

Ordinary people have always been of interest to journalists, and social media has become a common place to find material for new stories. This paper presents a quantitative content analysis of Norwegian news articles that are based on social media posts published by ordinary people. The analysis focuses on the topics of the news stories, sources, headlines, lead paragraphs, use of amateur photos, and what news criteria they fulfill. The news articles generated covered a wide variety of topics but were mostly soft news. Social issues, culture, and politics were the largest categories. They were episodic in form and replicated much of the content from the original social media post together with an interview with the person who posted it. There was little use of other sources or follow-up stories. Most of the photos used were amateur photos. The journalistic processing of the material is at a minimum. Compared with Norwegian news in general, the sources in the material were slightly more female and of a wider age range, and they were picked up by journalists because of popularity cues on social media. For journalists, this poses an opportunity and a challenge to develop the stories into something more than mere snapshots of society. For the individuals involved it poses an opportunity to reach a larger audience, but also the challenge of context collapse when the audience shifts from their contacts on social media to the general news audience.
Everyday Life after the First Psychiatric Admission: A Portuguese Phenomenological Research
Authors: Tomás Margarida Alexandra Rodrigues , Rebelo Maria Teresa dos Santos
Published: November 2022

Returning to daily life after psychiatric admission can be difficult and complex. We aimed to explore, describe and interpret the lived experience of returning to everyday life after the first psychiatric admission. We designed this research as a qualitative study, using van Manen’s phenomenology of practice. We collected experiential material through phenomenological interviews with 12 participants, from 5 June 2018 to 18 December 2018. From the thematic and hermeneutic analysis, we captured seven themes: (1) (un)veiling the imprint within the self; (2) the haunting memories within the self; (3) from disconnection to the assimilation of the medicated body in the self; (4) from recognition to overcoming the fragility within the self; (5) the relationship with health professionals: from expectation to response; (6) the relationship with others: reformulating the bonds of alterity; (7) the relationship with the world: reconnecting as a sense of self. The results allow us to establish the phenomenon as a difficult, complex, demanding and lengthily transitional event that calls into question the person’s stability and ability for well-being and more-being. Thus, implementing structured transitional interventions by health services seems crucial. Mental health specialist nurses can present a pivotal role in establishing a helping relationship with recovery-oriented goals, coordinating patients’ transitional care, and assuring continuity of care sensitive to the person’s subjective experiences, volitions, and resources.
Psychosocial Impact of Huntington’s Disease and Incentives to Improve Care for Affected Families in the Underserved Region of the Slovak Republic
Authors: Hubčíková Katarína , Rakús Tomáš , Mühlbäck Alžbeta , Benetin Ján , Bruncvik Lucia , Petrášová Zuzana , Bušková Jitka , Brunovský Martin
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Huntington’s disease (HD) is often on the margin of standard medical practice due to its low prevalence, the lack of causal treatment, and the typically long premanifest window prior to the onset of the symptoms, which contrasts with the long-lasting burden that the disease causes in affected families. Methods: To capture these socio-psychological aspects of HD and map the experiences of affected individuals, persons at risk of HD, and caregivers, we created a questionnaire using a qualitative research approach. The questionnaire containing 16 questions was conducted online for a period of three months through patient associations in Slovakia and their infrastructures. Results: In total, we received 30 responses. The survey results, in particular, indicate insufficient counselling by physicians with explicitly missing information about the possibility of preimplantation genetic diagnostic. There was also a necessity to improve comprehensive social and health care in the later stages of the disease, raise awareness of the disease in the general health community, and provide more information on ongoing clinical trials. Conclusion: The psychosocial effects, as well as the burden, can be mitigated by comprehensive genetic counselling as well as reproductive and financial guidelines and subsequent therapeutic programs to actively support patients, caregivers, children, and adolescents growing up in affected families, preferably with the help of local HD community association. Limitations: We have used online data collection to reach a wider HD community, but at the same time, we are aware that the quality of the data we would obtain through face-to-face interviews would be considerably better. Therefore, future studies need to be conducted to obtain more detailed information.
Transactional Leadership and Innovative Behavior as Factors Explaining Emotional Intelligence: A Mediating Effect
Authors: Norena-Chavez Diego , Thalassinos Eleftherios I.
Published: November 2022

This research aimed to determine the mediating effect of innovative behavior on the relationship between transactional leadership and emotional intelligence in a SARS-CoV-2 context. During this period, behavioral issues among and between employees have been modified in a way that transactional leadership and innovative behavior were considered differently as factors explaining emotional intelligence. This research gap gave room for additional research to re-define the hypothesis of an existing mediating effect between these issues. In fact, as the empirical part of the research has proven, there is evidence of a mediating effect on the relationship of these variables in the sample used. A random sample of 403 owners of textile companies from the Gamarra Commercial Emporium in the district of La Victoria in Lima, Peru, was used to test the existing model regarding the factors explaining emotional intelligence. Data were evaluated by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). It was determined that innovative behavior has a total mediating effect on the relationship between transactional leadership and emotional intelligence and that 15.9% of the variance of the emotional intelligence variable is explained by the model. This study theoretically contributes to the literature and provides empirical evidence of the relationship between the variables included in the model. Likewise, the model of the variables generated is useful both for the academic and business worlds; yet it must be strengthened and improved by adding more variables. This research contributes to deepening the understanding of the relationship between emotional intelligence, transactional leadership, and innovative behavior in the textile field during the SARS-CoV-2 period.
Optimization of Switch Allocation Problems in Power Distribution Networks
Authors: Lângaro Ricardo R. , Teixeira Marcelo , Ribeiro Richardson , Oliva Jefferson T. , Barbosa Marco A. C.
Published: November 2022

This paper presents the implementation of the mono-objective Switch Allocation Problem (SAP) optimization model for electric power distribution networks, considering the equivalent interruption duration per consumer unit EIDCU and non-distributed energy END reliability indexes. We use the current summation algorithm to solve the power flow, and we employ an intelligent bee colony algorithm to solve the model. Two network topologies, one with 43 and another with 136 bars, adapted from the literature, are used to illustrate the solution. Results show a significant reduction in the financial cost of planning a power distribution network.
What’s Black and White and Pink All Over? Lesser Flamingo Nocturnal Behaviour Captured by Remote Cameras
Authors: Rose Paul E. , Chapman Jess , Brereton James E. , Riley Lisa M.
Published: November 2022

The study of animal behaviour is important for the development of husbandry and management practices for zoo-housed species. Yet, data are typically only collected during daylight hours, aligning with human work schedules rather than animal activity patterns. To remedy this, 24 h data collection is needed. This study investigated the behaviour of a captive flock of lesser flamingos to understand temporal changes in their time-activity patterns. Two remote camera traps were placed around the birds’ outdoor enclosure and one within the indoor house. Counts of birds visible within specific enclosure zones were recorded from photographic data. Behaviour was defined as active or inactive, and modified Spread of Participation Index (SPI) was used to calculate enclosure zone occupancy. Results indicated that lesser flamingos are active overnight, and to a similar amount as in the daytime. Proportions of birds observed as active were significantly higher at later times of the day (i.e., dusk) when compared to the number of active birds in the morning. Enclosure usage was diverse and indoor and outdoor zones could be used by different numbers of birds at different times of the day. Variation in enclosure usage may indicate the changing needs of the flamingos when housed indoors overnight and when they have night-time access to an outdoor enclosure. This research has identified the need for further research into the nocturnal behaviour and space use of lesser flamingos and suggests the need for 24 h research in captive birds, and other zoo-held species, especially when species are locked indoors or face behavioural restriction overnight due to biosecurity measures surrounding zoonoses outbreaks, e.g., Avian Influenza.
Estimation of Heat Released from Fire Based on Combustible Load in Inner Mongolian Grasslands
Authors: Jiang Li , Du Wala , Yu Shan
Published: November 2022

The grasslands of Inner Mongolia are prone to wildfires, which can endanger the grassland ecosystem, as well as people’s lives and property. The amount of heat released by grassland fires must be determined for the quantitative evaluation of grassland fires. On the basis of a field survey of combustible load and an indoor heat release experiment, together with the acquisition of NDVI and fire area data, this study evaluated the amount of combustible load, plant heat release, potential heat release, and fire-caused heat release in Inner Mongolia grasslands. The following results were obtained: (1) The models for determining Inner Mongolia’s combustible load (Y) per unit area throughout the growing and nongrowing seasons were Yi = 412.74NDVIi1.5917 and Yj = −7.21tj + Y10 (i represents May–October of the growing season; j represents November–April of the following year). In the northern temperate zones, grasslands and meadows showed a decline in combustible load per unit area. The interannual combustible load variance increased between 2001 and 2016; (2) the per square meter average heat release of Stipa capillata, Cleistogenes squarrosa, Carex doniana, Leymus chinensis, and other plants was 0.51, 0.18, 0.17, 0.3, and 1.42 MJ/g, respectively. Unit weights were released at 2.13, 1.77, 2.06, 1.9, and 3.99 MJ/m2; (3) from 2001 to 2016, Inner Mongolia’s grassland fires predominantly occurred in northern temperate grasslands and meadows. Over the 16 year period, the total heat emission was 1.01 × 1012 MJ, with variable decreasing trends noted in spring and fall. The main practical objectives of this paper were to provide basic data for fire spread modeling and suggest more scientific and effective fire management methods for the future.
Extracellular Vesicles in Chronic Demyelinating Diseases: Prospects in Treatment and Diagnosis of Autoimmune Neurological Disorders
Authors: Ovchinnikova Leyla A. , Zalevsky Arthur O. , Lomakin Yakov A.
Published: November 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent membrane-enclosed structures that are likely to be secreted by all living cell types in the animal organism, including cells of peripheral (PNS) and central nervous systems (CNS). The ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) provides the possibility not only for various EV-loaded molecules to be delivered to the brain tissues but also for the CNS-to-periphery transmission of these molecules. Since neural EVs transfer proteins and RNAs are both responsible for functional intercellular communication and involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, they represent attractive diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Here, we discuss EVs’ role in maintaining the living organisms’ function and describe deviations in EVs’ structure and malfunctioning during various neurodegenerative diseases.
Novel Biomarkers Predictive of Diabetic Charcot Foot—An Overview of the Literature
Authors: Bobircă Anca , Musetescu Anca Emanuela , Bordianu Anca , Pantea Stoian Anca , Salmen Teodor , Marinescu Dan-Cristian , Alexandru Cristina , Florescu Alesandra , Radu Raluca , Isac Sebastian , Patrascu Traian , Serban Dragos , Bobircă Florin
Published: November 2022

Background: Although Charcot diabetic foot (CDF) is a frequent complication of diabetic neuropathy, less is known about the possibility of its early prevention. Methods: A review of the original articles published in English, using the “biomarkers AND Charcot’s foot” criterion, resulted in 33 articles from the PubMed database and seven articles from the Web of Science database. The five duplicates were eliminated, and two independent reviewers selected the most relevant articles, leaving a total of 21 articles. Results: The biomarkers identified are exhaustively described, related to the system of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their soluble receptors (sRAGE), inflammatory cascade, osteoclastogenesis, and, respectively, osteoblastic activity. Conclusions: This article highlights the importance of potential early identifiable biomarkers that can lead to microstructural changes in the affected bones.
Association of Glycosylated Hemoglobin with Long-Term Adverse Cardiac Events after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Non Diabetes and Controlled Diabetes Patients: An Observational Study from the Korean COACT Registry
Authors: Park Ha-Wook , Her Sung-Ho , Jung Jin , Chun Hyunji , Chung Wook-Sung
Published: November 2022

Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is an established marker associated with cardiovascular risk, even if it is below the diagnostic threshold for diabetes mellitus (DM). However, whether or not prediabetic and controlled diabetic levels of HbA1c are associated with increased major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains unclear. This observational study included a total of 9128 patients who underwent PCI in the COACT registry from eight centers in Korea. A total of 2517 non-DM patients were divided into three groups (Groups I, II, III) according to their HbA1c levels and compared with 965 controlled DM patients (HbA1c < 7.0%, Group IV). During 22 months of median follow-up, there was no significant differences in MACE (p = 0.294) and cardiac death (p = 0.105) among the four groups. In addition, there were also no significant differences in MACE (p = 0.058) between Group III and Group IV. Although patients were diagnosed as DM, they had a similar prognosis in the same range of newly diagnosed DM patients in HbA1c, if they were treated well. The results of this study suggest that intensive treatment is required to reach the Hba1c target in diabetic patients with PCI in order to have a similar prognosis to patients not previously diagnosed with diabetes.
RNN and BiLSTM Fusion for Accurate Automatic Epileptic Seizure Diagnosis Using EEG Signals
Authors: Samee Nagwan Abdel , Mahmoud Noha F. , Aldhahri Eman A. , Rafiq Ahsan , Muthanna Mohammed Saleh Ali , Ahmad Ijaz
Published: November 2022

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition. The effects of epilepsy are not restricted to seizures alone. They comprise a wide spectrum of problems that might impair and reduce quality of life. Even with medication, 30% of epilepsy patients still have recurring seizures. An epileptic seizure is caused by significant neuronal electrical activity, which affects brain activity. EEG shows these changes as high-amplitude spiky and sluggish waves. Recognizing seizures on an electroencephalogram (EEG) manually by a professional neurologist is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, hence an efficient automated approach is necessary for the identification of epileptic seizure. One technique to increase the speed and accuracy with which a diagnosis of epileptic seizures could be made is by utilizing computer-aided diagnosis systems that are built on deep neural networks, or DNN. This study introduces a fusion of recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and bi-directional long short-term memories (BiLSTMs) for automatic epileptic seizure identification via EEG signal processing in order to tackle the aforementioned informational challenges. An electroencephalogram’s (EEG) raw data were first normalized after undergoing pre-processing. A RNN model was fed the normalized EEG sequence data and trained to accurately extract features from the data. Afterwards, the features were passed to the BiLSTM layers for processing so that further temporal information could be retrieved. In addition, the proposed RNN-BiLSTM model was tested in an experimental setting using the freely accessible UCI epileptic seizure dataset. Experimental findings of the suggested model have achieved avg values of 98.90%, 98.50%, 98. 20%, and 98.60%, respectively, for accuracy, sensitivity, precision, and specificity. To further verify the new model’s efficacy, it is compared to other models, such as the RNN-LSTM and the RNN-GRU learning models, and is shown to have improved the same metrics by 1.8%, 1.69%, 1.95%, and 2.2% on using 5-fold. Additionally, the proposed method was compared to state-of-the-art approaches and proved to be a more accurate categorization of such techniques.
Plazomicin against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria: A Scoping Review
Authors: Alfieri Aniello , Di Franco Sveva , Donatiello Valerio , Maffei Vincenzo , Fittipaldi Ciro , Fiore Marco , Coppolino Francesco , Sansone Pasquale , Pace Maria Caterina , Passavanti Maria Beatrice
Published: November 2022

Plazomicin is a next-generation semisynthetic aminoglycoside antibiotic that can be used to treat infections by multi-resistant bacteria. It is effective against many bacteria-producing carbapenemases or other specific hydrolases. This scoping review aims to define the role acquired by plazomicin from its approval by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) in 2018 to the present day. Furthermore, we aim to provide a base for a future meta-analysis. This project was conducted following the recommendations presented in the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews and the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Among 901 potentially engaging citations, 345 duplicates were removed, and only 81 articles were selected for the analysis. According to the data analysis, plazomicin has been used to treat urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and ventilation-associated pneumonia. The pathogens killed included multi-resistant E. coli, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus. Plazomicin can be a manageable, valid non-beta-lactam alternative for treating multi-resistant bacteria infections.