bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender Differences Associated with the Prognostic Value of BPIFB4 in COVID-19 Patients: A Single-Center Preliminary Study
Authors: Lopardo Valentina , Conti Valeria , Montella Francesco , Iannaccone Teresa , Esposito Roberta Maria , Sellitto Carmine , Manzo Valentina , Maciag Anna , Ricciardi Rosaria , Pagliano Pasquale , Puca Annibale Alessandro , Filippelli Amelia , Ciaglia Elena
Published: June 2022

In the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, male sex is a risk factor for severe disease and death, and the reasons for these clinical discrepancies are largely unknown. The aim of this work is to study the influence of sex on the course of infection and the differences in prognostic markers between genders in COVID-19 patients. Our cohort consisted of 64 adult patients (n = 34 men and n = 30 women) with PCR-proven SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further, a group of patients was characterized by a different severity degree (n = 8 high- and n = 8 low-grade individuals for both male and female patients). As expected, the serum concentrations of LDH, fibrinogen, CRP, and leucocyte count in men were significantly higher than in females. When serum concentrations of the inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-2, IP-10 and IL-4 and chemokines like MCP-1, were measured with multiplex ELISA, no significant differences between male and female patients were found. In COVID-19 patients, we recently attributed a new prognostic value to BPIFB4, a natural defensin against dysregulation of the immune responses. Here, we clarify that BPIFB4 is inversely related to the disease degree in men but not in women. Indeed, higher levels of BPIFB4 characterized low-grade male patients compared to high-grade ones. On the contrary, no significant difference was reported between low-grade female patients and high-grade ones. In conclusion, the identification of BPIFB4 as a biomarker of mild/moderate disease and its sex-specific activity would open an interesting field for research to underpin gender-related susceptibility to the disease.
Head and Neck Cancer Types and Risks of Cervical–Cranial Vascular Complications within 5 Years after Radiation Therapy
Authors: Liu Chi-Hung , Huang Bing-Shen , Lin Chien-Yu , Yeh Chih-Hua , Lee Tsong-Hai , Wu Hsiu-Chuan , Chang Chien-Hung , Chang Ting-Yu , Huang Kuo-Lun , Jiang Jian-Lin , Chang Joseph Tung-Chieh , Chang Yeu-Jhy
Published: June 2022

Background and purpose: to investigate the frequency of cervical–cranial vascular complications soon after radiation therapy (RT) and identify differences among patients with various types of head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods: We enrolled 496 patients with HNC who had received their final RT dose in our hospital. These patients underwent carotid duplex ultrasound (CDU) for monitoring significant carotid artery stenosis (CAS). Brain imaging were reviewed to detect vertebral, intracranial artery stenosis, or preexisted CAS before RT. Primary outcome was significant CAS at the internal or common carotid artery within first 5 years after RT. We categorized the patients into nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and non-NPC groups and compared the cumulative occurrence of significant CAS between the groups using Kaplan–Meier and Cox-regression analyses. Results: Compared to the NPC group, the non-NPC group had a higher frequency of significant CAS (12.7% vs. 2.0%) and were more commonly associated with significant CAS after adjusting the covariates (Adjusted hazard ratio: 0.17, 95% confident interval: 0.05–0.57) during the follow-up period. All the non-NPC subtypes (oral cancer/oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers) were associated with higher risks of significant CAS than the NPC group (p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: Significant CAS was more frequently noted within 5 years of RT among the patients with non-NPC HNC than among the patients with NPC. Scheduled carotid artery surveillance and vascular risk monitoring should be commenced earlier for patients with non-NPC HNC. By contrast, vascular surveillance could be deferred to 5 years after RT completion in NPC patients.
An Efficient Gait Abnormality Detection Method Based on Classification
Authors: Jani Darshan , Varadarajan Vijayakumar , Parmar Rushirajsinh , Bohara Mohammed Husain , Garg Dweepna , Ganatra Amit , Kotecha Ketan
Published: June 2022

In the study of human mobility, gait analysis is a well-recognized assessment methodology. Despite its widespread use, doubts exist about its clinical utility, i.e., its potential to influence the diagnostic-therapeutic practice. Gait analysis evaluates the walking pattern (normal/abnormal) based on the gait cycle. Based on the analysis obtained, various applications can be developed in the medical, security, sports, and fitness domain to improve overall outcomes. Wearable sensors provide a convenient, efficient, and low-cost approach to gather data, while machine learning methods provide high accuracy gait feature extraction for analysis. The problem is to identify gait abnormalities and if present, subsequently identify the locations of impairments that lead to the change in gait pattern of the individual. Proper physiotherapy treatment can be provided once the location/landmark of the impairment is known correctly. In this paper, classification of multiple anatomical regions and their combination on a large scale highly imbalanced dataset is carried out. We focus on identifying 27 different locations of injury and formulate it as a multi-class classification approach. The advantage of this method is the convenience and simplicity as compared to previous methods. In our work, a benchmark is set to identify the gait disorders caused by accidental impairments at multiple anatomical regions using the GaitRec dataset. In our work, machine learning models are trained and tested on the GaitRec dataset, which provides Ground Reaction Force (GRF) data, to analyze an individual’s gait and further classify the gait abnormality (if present) at the specific lower-region portion of the body. The design and implementation of machine learning models are carried out to detect and classify the gait patterns between healthy controls and gait disorders. Finally, the efficacy of the proposed approach is showcased using various qualitative accuracy metrics. The achieved test accuracy is 96% and an F1 score of 95% is obtained in classifying various gait disorders on unseen test samples. The paper concludes by stating how machine learning models can help to detect gait abnormalities along with directions of future work.
Methionine Promotes the Growth and Yield of Wheat under Water Deficit Conditions by Regulating the Antioxidant Enzymes, Reactive Oxygen Species, and Ions
Authors: Maqsood Muhammad Faisal , Shahbaz Muhammad , Kanwal Saba , Kaleem Muhammad , Shah Syed Mohsan Raza , Luqman Muhammad , Iftikhar Iqra , Zulfiqar Usman , Tariq Arneeb , Naveed Shahzad Amir , Inayat Naila , Din Atta Mohi Ud , Uzair Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Ramzan , Farhat Fozia
Published: June 2022

The individual application of pure and active compounds such as methionine may help to address water scarcity issues without compromising the yield of wheat. As organic plant growth stimulants, amino acids are popularly used to promote the productivity of crops. However, the influence of the exogenous application of methionine in wheat remains elusive. The present investigation was planned in order to understand the impact of methionine in wheat under drought stress. Two wheat genotypes were allowed to grow with 100% field capacity (FC) up to the three-leaf stage. Twenty-five-day-old seedlings of two wheat genotypes, Galaxy-13 and Johar-16, were subjected to 40% FC, denoted as water deficit-stress (D), along with 100% FC, called control (C), with and without L-methionine (Met; 4 mM) foliar treatment. Water deficit significantly reduced shoot length, shoot fresh and dry weights, seed yield, photosynthetic, gas exchange attributes except for transpiration rate (E), and shoot mineral ions (potassium, calcium, and phosphorus) in both genotypes. A significant increase was recorded in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and sodium ions (Na+) due to water deficiency. However, foliar application of Met substantially improved the studied growth, photosynthetic, and gas exchange attributes with water deficit conditions in both genotypes. The activities of SOD, POD, and CAT were further enhanced under stress with Met application. Met improved potassium (K), calcium (Ca2+), and phosphorus (P) content. In a nutshell, the foliar application of Met effectively amended water deficit stress tolerance by reducing MDA and H2O2 content under water deficit conditions in wheat plants. Thus, we are able to deduce a positive association between Met-induced improved growth attributes and drought tolerance.
Dabigatran in Cerebral Sinus Vein Thrombosis and Thrombophilia
Authors: Kellermair Lukas , Zeller Matthias W. G. , Kulyk Caterina , Tomasits Josef , von Oertzen Tim J. , Vosko Milan R.
Published: June 2022

Background and Purpose: Thrombophilic gene alterations are a major risk factor for cerebral sinus vein thrombosis (CSVT). Up to 30% of all patients with cerebral sinus vein thrombosis (CSVT) are found to have thrombophilic defects such as prothrombin mutation (PTM) or factor V Leiden (FVL). Their repercussions on the plasma levels of dabigatran etexilate are unclear. In this prospective case–control study, we aimed to investigate whether thrombophilia in CSVT has an influence on dabigatran peak-plasma levels. Methods: We monitored 10 patients over 12 months with acute CSVT, genetic thrombophilia with off-label use of dabigatran etexilate 150 mg twice a day and measured dabigatran peak-plasma levels and radiological outcome. We also monitored patients without genetic thrombophilia with dabigatran etexilate 150 mg twice a day and compared the efficiency and dabigatran peak-plasma levels. Results: Patients with homozygote PTM had significantly lower dabigatran peak concentration compared to patients with FVL or the control group (23 ± 4.2 vs. 152.3 ± 27.5 and 159.6 ± 63.08; p-value ≤ 0.05) There was no significant difference in dabigatran etexilate plasma levels between the heterozygote PTM group compared to patients with FVL or the control group (p = 0.29). There was no correlation between dabigatran peak concentration and delayed thrombus dissolution. Conclusions: Dabigatran peak concentration was stable in patients with heterozygote FVL and heterozygote PTM, but not in homozygote PTM, compared to controls. Genetic screening for thrombophilia in patients after CSVT may be useful to make patient tailored therapeutic decisions regarding oral anticoagulation and may decrease thrombotic events.
Protective Effects of High-Fat Diet against Murine Colitis in Association with Leptin Signaling and Gut Microbiome
Authors: Lee Yun-Ha , Kim Hyeyoon , Nam Sorim , Chu Jae-Ryang , Kim Jung-Hwan , Lim Jong-Seok , Kim Sung-Eun , Sung Mi-Kyung
Published: June 2022

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic intestinal-tract inflammation with dysregulated immune responses, which are partly attributable to dysbiosis. Given that diet plays a critical role in IBD pathogenesis and progression, we elucidated the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) feeding on IBD development in relation to immune dysfunction and the gut microbiota. Five-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed either a normal diet (ND) or HFD for 14 weeks. The animals were further divided into ND, ND+ dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), HFD, and HFD+DSS treatment groups. The HFD+DSS mice exhibited lower body weight loss, lower disease activity index, longer colon length, and increased tight-junction protein expression and goblet-cell proportions compared with the ND+DSS mice. The T helper (h)1 and Th17 cell populations and pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in colitis pathogenesis were significantly more reduced in the HFD+DSS mice than in the ND+DSS mice. The HFD+DSS mice showed significantly increased serum leptin concentrations, colonic leptin receptor expression, enhanced anti-apoptotic AKT expression, and reduced pro-apoptotic MAPK and Bax expression compared with the ND+DSS mice, suggesting the involvement of the leptin-mediated pathway in intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis. The alterations in the gut-microbiota composition in the HFD+DSS group were the opposite of those in the ND+DSS group and rather similar to those of the ND group, indicating that the protective effects of HFD feeding against DSS-induced colitis are associated with changes in gut-microbiota composition. Overall, HFD feeding ameliorates DSS-induced colitis and colonic mucosal damage by reinforcing colonic barrier function and regulating immune responses in association with changes in gut-microbiota composition.
Equivalent Circuit Models: An Effective Tool to Simulate Electric/Dielectric Properties of Ores—An Example Using Granite
Authors: Fukushima Kyosuke , Kabir Mahmudul , Kanda Kensuke , Obara Naoko , Fukuyama Mayuko , Otsuki Akira
Published: June 2022

The equivalent circuit model is widely used in high-voltage (HV) engineering to simulate the behavior of HV applications for insulation/dielectric materials. In this study, equivalent circuit models were prepared in order to represent the electric and dielectric properties of minerals and voids in a granite rock sample. The HV electric-pulse application shows a good possibility of achieving a high energy efficiency with the size reduction and selective liberation of minerals from rocks. The electric and dielectric properties were first measured, and the mineral compositions were also determined by using a micro-X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Ten patterns of equivalent circuit models were then prepared after considering the mineral distribution in granite. Hard rocks, as well as minerals, are dielectric materials that can be represented as resistors and capacitors in parallel connections. The values of the electric circuit parameters were determined from the known electric and dielectric parameters of the minerals in granite. The average calculated data of the electric properties of granite agreed with the measured data. The conductivity values were 53.5 pS/m (measurement) and 36.2 pS/m (simulation) in this work. Although there were some differences between the measured and calculated data of dielectric loss (tanδ), their trend as a function of frequency agreed. Even though our study specifically dealt with granite, the developed equivalent circuit model can be applied to any other rock.
Construction of 0D/2D Schottky Heterojunctions of ZnO and Ti3C2 Nanosheets with the Enriched Transfer of Interfacial Charges for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Ahmad Irshad , Shukrullah Shazia , Hussain Humaira , Atif Muhammad , Legutko Stanislaw , Petru Jana , Hatala Michal , Naz Muhammad Yasin , Rahman Saifur
Published: June 2022

The development of cost-effective co-catalysts of high photocatalytic activity and recyclability is still a challenge in the energy transformation domain. In this study, 0D/2D Schottky heterojunctions, consisting of 0D ZnO and 2D Ti3C2, were successfully synthesized by the electrostatic self-assembling of ZnO nanoparticles on Ti3C2 nanosheets. In constructing these heterojunctions, Ti3C2 nanosheets acted as a co-catalyst for enhancing the transfer of excitons and their separation to support the photocatalytic response of ZnO. The as-prepared ZnO/Ti3C2 composites demonstrate an abbreviated charge transit channel, a huge interfacial contact area and the interfacial electrons’ transport potential. The extended optical response and large reactive area of the ZnO/Ti3C2 composite promoted the formation of excitons and reactive sites on the photocatalyst’s surface. The ZnO/Ti3C2 Schottky heterojunction showed significantly high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production from a water–ethanol solution under the light illumination in the visible region. The hydrogen evolution overoptimized the ZnO/Ti3C2 composition with 30 wt.% of Ti3C2, which was eight times higher than the pristine ZnO. These findings can be helpful in developing 0D/2D heterojunction systems for photocatalytic applications by utilizing Ti3C2 as a low-cost co-catalyst.
A Review of the Use of Titanium for Reinforcement of Masonry Structures
Authors: Haile Fitsum , Adkins Jill , Corradi Marco
Published: June 2022

Titanium has exceptional durability, very high specific strength, a thermal expansion coefficient similar to construction materials, low weight density, and its cost has drastically decreased over the last decades. One of the main requirements in conservation engineering is the durability of the retrofit materials and the reversibility of interventions, and a possible interesting solution is the use of titanium alloys coupled with inorganic matrices made of low-cement or lime mortars. Titanium has recently been used to reinforce important masonry and archeological monuments, but little is known about this. Its use is increasing in conservation engineering without adequate knowledge of its characteristics, grades, and properties. This paper summarizes the main features of titanium alloys, its recent applications, and discusses its drawbacks and advantages compared to other retrofit materials and methods. It is demonstrated that titanium alloys can be effectively used in many applications to reinforce masonry structures while complying with requirements in terms of durability, compatibility, and reversibility. Given its mechanical properties, its use in the repair and reinforcement of masonry structures could be particularly interesting in seismically prone areas.
Trivariate Spectral Collocation Approach for the Numerical Solution of Three-Dimensional Elliptic Partial Differential Equations
Authors: Mkhatshwa Musawenkhosi Patson , Khumalo Melusi
Published: June 2022

This article is concerned with the numerical solution of three-dimensional elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs) using the trivariate spectral collocation approach based on the Kronecker tensor product. By using the quasilinearization method, the nonlinear elliptic PDEs are simplified to a linear system of algebraic equations that can be discretized using the spectral collocation method. The method is based on approximating the solutions using the triple Lagrange interpolating polynomials, which interpolate the unknown functions at selected Chebyshev–Gauss–Lobatto (CGL) grid points. The CGL points are preferred to ensure simplicity in the conversion of continuous derivatives to discrete derivatives at the collocation points. The collocation process is carried out at the interior points to reduce the size of differentiation matrices. This work is aimed at verifying that the algorithm based on the method is simple and easily implemented in any scientific software to produce more accurate and stable results. The effectiveness and spectral accuracy of the numerical algorithm is checked through the determination and analysis of errors, condition numbers and computational time for various classes of single or system of elliptic PDEs including those with singular behavior. The communicated results indicate that the proposed method is more accurate, stable and effective for solving elliptic PDEs. This good accuracy becomes possible with the usage of few grid points and less memory requirements for numerical computation.
Sensitive Channel Selection for Mental Workload Classification
Authors: Jin Lin , Qu Hongquan , Pang Liping , Zhang Zheng
Published: June 2022

Mental workload (MW) assessment has been widely studied in various human–machine interaction tasks. The existing researches on MW classification mostly use non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) caps to collect EEG signals and identify MW levels. However, the activation region of the brain stimulated by MW tasks is not the same for every subject. It may be inappropriate to use EEG signals from all electrode channels to identify MW. In this paper, an EEG rhythm energy heatmap is first established to visually show the change trends in the energy of four EEG rhythms with time, EEG channels and MW levels. It can be concluded from the presented heatmaps that this change trend varies with subjects, rhythms and channels. Based on the analysis, a double threshold method is proposed to select sensitive channels for MW assessment. The EEG signals of personalized selected channels, named positive sensitive channels (PSCs) and negative sensitive channels (NSCs), are used for MW classification using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm. The results show that the selection of personalized sensitive channels generally contributes to improving the performance of MW classification.
Preservation of Extreme Points
Authors: Mena-Jurado Juan Francisco , Navarro-Pascual Juan Carlos
Published: June 2022

We characterize the extreme points of the closed unit ball of the dual of a Banach space which are preserved by the adjoint of any extreme operator. The result is related to the structure topology introduced by Alfsen and Effros on the set of all extreme points in the dual of any Banach space. As a consequence, we prove that c0(I) is the only Banach space such that the adjoint of every extreme operator taking values into it preserves extreme points.
Insights into the Antimicrobial Activities and Metabolomes of Aquimarina (Flavobacteriaceae, Bacteroidetes) Species from the Rare Marine Biosphere
Authors: Silva Sandra Godinho , Paula Patrícia , da Silva José Paulo , Mil-Homens Dalila , Teixeira Miguel Cacho , Fialho Arsénio Mendes , Costa Rodrigo , Keller-Costa Tina
Published: June 2022

Two novel natural products, the polyketide cuniculene and the peptide antibiotic aquimarin, were recently discovered from the marine bacterial genus Aquimarina. However, the diversity of the secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (SM-BGCs) in Aquimarina genomes indicates a far greater biosynthetic potential. In this study, nine representative Aquimarina strains were tested for antimicrobial activity against diverse human-pathogenic and marine microorganisms and subjected to metabolomic and genomic profiling. We found an inhibitory activity of most Aquimarina strains against Candida glabrata and marine Vibrio and Alphaproteobacteria species. Aquimarina sp. Aq135 and Aquimarina muelleri crude extracts showed particularly promising antimicrobial activities, amongst others against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The metabolomic and functional genomic profiles of Aquimarina spp. followed similar patterns and were shaped by phylogeny. SM-BGC and metabolomics networks suggest the presence of novel polyketides and peptides, including cyclic depsipeptide-related compounds. Moreover, exploration of the ‘Sponge Microbiome Project’ dataset revealed that Aquimarina spp. possess low-abundance distributions worldwide across multiple marine biotopes. Our study emphasizes the relevance of this member of the microbial rare biosphere as a promising source of novel natural products. We predict that future metabologenomics studies of Aquimarina species will expand the spectrum of known secondary metabolites and bioactivities from marine ecosystems.
Effect of Temperature and Light Intensity on the Polar Lipidome of Endophytic Brown Algae Streblonema corymbiferum and Streblonema sp. In Vitro
Authors: Chadova Oksana , Skriptsova Anna , Velansky Peter
Published: June 2022

The effect of temperature and light intensity on the polar lipidome of endophytic brown algae Streblonema corymbiferum and Streblonema sp. in vitro was investigated. More than 460 molecular species have been identified in four glycoglycerolipids classes, five phosphoglycerolipids classes and one betaine lipid class. The lipids glucuronosyldiacylglycerol and diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethyl-homoserine were found in the algae of the order Ectocarpales for the first time. A decrease in cultivation temperature led to an increase in the unsaturation level in all classes of polar lipids. Thus, at low temperatures, the content of 18:4/18:4 monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), 20:5/18:4 digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), 18:3/16:0 sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG), 18:3/18:3 and 18:3/18:4 phosphatidylglycerol (PG), 20:4/20:5 and 20:5/20:5 phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), 14:0/20:5, 16:0/20:5 and 20:5/20:5 phosphatidylcholine (PC), 20:5/20:4 phosphatidylhydroxyethylglycine and 18:1/18:2 DGTS increased. At high temperatures, an increase in the content of chloroplast-derived MGDG, DGDG and PG was observed. Both low and high light intensities caused an increase in 20:5/18:3 MGDG and 18:3/16:1 PG. At low light intensity, the content of DGDG with fatty acid (FA) 18:3 increased, and at high light intensity, it was with FA 20:5. The molecular species composition of extraplastid lipids also showed a dependence on light intensity. Thus, the content of PC and PE species with C20-polyunsaturated FA at both sn-positions, 18:1/18:1 DGTS and 16:0/18:1 phosphatidylinositol increased. Low light intensity induced a significant increase in the content of chloroplast-derived 18:1/16:1 phosphatidylethanolamine.
Fractional Flow Reserve Cardio-Oncology Effects on Inpatient Mortality, Length of Stay, and Cost Based on Malignancy Type: Machine Learning Supported Nationally Representative Case-Control Study of 30 Million Hospitalizations
Authors: Chauhan Siddharth , Monlezun Dominique J. , Kim Jin wan , Goel Harsh , Hanna Alex , Hoang Kenneth , Palaskas Nicolas , Lopez-Mattei Juan , Hassan Saamir , Kim Peter , Cilingiroglu Mehmet , Marmagkiolis Konstantinos , Iliescu Cezar A.
Published: June 2022

Background and Objectives: There are no nationally representative studies of mortality and cost effectiveness for fractional flow reserve (FFR) guided percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in patients with cancer. Our study aims to show how this patient population may benefit from FFR-guided PCI. Materials and Methods: Propensity score matched analysis and backward propagation neural network machine learning supported multivariable regression was performed for inpatient mortality in this case-control study of the 2016 National Inpatient Sample (NIS). Regression results were adjusted for age, race, income, geographic region, metastases, mortality risk, and the likelihood of undergoing FFR versus non-FFR PCI. All analyses were adjusted for the complex survey design to produce nationally representative estimates. Results: Of the 30,195,722 hospitalized patients meeting criteria, 3.37% of the PCIs performed included FFR. In propensity score adjusted multivariable regression, FFR versus non-FFR PCI significantly reduced inpatient mortality (OR 0.47, 95%CI 0.35–0.63; p < 0.001) and length of stay (LOS) (in days; beta −0.23, 95%CI −0.37–−0.09; p = 0.001) while increasing cost (in USD; beta $5708.63, 95%CI, 3042.70–8374.57; p < 0.001), without significantly increasing complications overall. FFR versus non-FFR PCI did not specifically change cancer patients’ inpatient mortality, LOS, or cost. However, FFR versus non-FFR PCI significantly increased inpatient mortality for Hodgkin’s lymphoma (OR 52.48, 95%CI 7.16–384.53; p < 0.001) and rectal cancer (OR 24.38, 95%CI 2.24–265.73; p = 0.009). Conclusions: FFR-guided PCI may be safely utilized in patients with cancer as it does not significantly increase inpatient mortality, complications, and LOS. These findings support the need for an increased utilization of FFR-guided PCI and further studies to evaluate its long-term impact.
High Level of Mid-Regional Proadrenomedullin during ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Is an Independent Predictor of Adverse Cardiac Events within 90-Day Follow-Up
Authors: Hartopo Anggoro Budi , Puspitawati Ira , Anggraeni Vita Yanti
Published: June 2022

Background and Objectives: the cardiovascular adverse events including mortality and heart failure, persist significantly during the first months after the acute phase of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The increased level of midregional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM), at hospital presentation in STEMI patients is considered an independent predictor of short-term and long-term mortality and heart failure. This study aimed to measure MR-proADM levels during the acute and recovery phases of STEMI and corroborate whether MR-proADM level was associated with the adverse cardiac events after recovering from STEMI. Materials and Methods: this prospective study enrolled subjects with acute phase STEMI admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit. After recovering and discharged from hospitalization, subjects were followed-up for 90 days. For MR-proADM measurement, the blood samples during acute phase were withdrawn on hospital admission (MR-proADM-0) and during recovery at the day-30 follow up (MR-proADM-30). Adverse cardiac events were evaluated at 30-day and 90-day follow up, namely a composite of death, chronic heart failure, and hospital readmission of any cardiac causes. Results: 83 subjects were enrolled. The median MR-proADM-0 was 3313.33 pg/mL and MR-proADM-30 was significantly reduced at 292.50 pg/mL, p < 0.001. Nineteen subjects (22.9%) experienced adverse cardiac events at 30-day follow up. The MR-proADM-0 level was independently associated with 30-day adverse cardiac events (adjustedOR 1.002, 95%CI: 1.001–1.003, p = 0.040), after adjustment with other variables. In this case, 25 subjects (32.5%) experienced adverse cardiac events at 90-day follow-up. The MR-proADM-0 level was independently associated with 90-day adverse cardiac events (adjustedOR 1.002, 95%CI: 1.001–1.003, p = 0.049). The higher changes of MR-proADM-0 to MR-proADM-30 also associated with adverse cardiac events at 90 days. Conclusions: The MR-proADM was significantly increased during the acute phase of STEMI and declined during recovery phase. The higher MR-proADM level during the acute phase of STEMI and its change intensity were predictors of adverse cardiac events within the 90-day follow up.
Usefulness of Contrast-Enhanced CT in a Patient with Acute Phlegmonous Esophagitis: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Yun Su Min , Jeong Yeon Joo , Hwang Minhee , Lee Geewon , Lee Ji Won , Kim Gwang Ha , Yeom Jeong A
Published: June 2022

Acute phlegmonous esophagitis is a very rare, life-threatening form of esophagitis, characterized by diffuse bacterial infection and pus formation within the submucosal and muscularis layers of the esophagus. We describe a case in which contrast-enhanced chest CT was useful for evaluating the severity of phlegmonous esophagitis, which was overlooked and underestimated by endoscopy.
Eosinophilic Angiocentric Fibrosis of the Nasal Cavities: A Report of an Uncommon Lesion with Emphasis on the Etiology and Differential Diagnosis
Authors: Farina Jessica , Broggi Giuseppe , Federico Carmelo , Zanelli Magda , Palicelli Andrea , Caltabiano Rosario
Published: June 2022

Background and Objectives: Eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis (EAF) is an indolent but sometimes locally destructive lesion with a predilection for the sinonasal tract. Although it was first described in 1983, its etiology remains unknown. Some authors initially attributed EAF to trauma, hypersensitivity, and/or surgical manipulation, while it has been recently suggested to include EAF within the spectrum of IgG4-related systemic diseases. Materials and Methods: We report an uncommon case of idiopathic EAF in a 76-year-old male who developed two bilateral tumefactive masses in the nasal cavities. Results: As the histological examination showed a subepithelial proliferation of fibroblasts along with sclero-hyaline fibrosis around small-sized vessels (an “onion skin-like” pattern) and an eosinophils-rich inflammatory infiltrate, a diagnosis of EAF was rendered. The differential diagnosis included granuloma faciale, Wegener’s granulomatosis, and Churg–Strauss syndrome. Conclusions: Pathologists should be aware of the possibility that this lesion can be part of the wide spectrum of IgG4-related systemic diseases by performing IgG4 investigations to assess adherence to IgG4-related systemic disease criteria.
Preparation of Nanofiltration Membrane Modified with Sawdust-Derived Cellulose Nanocrystals for Removal of Nitrate from Drinking Water
Authors: Adeniyi Amos , Gonzalez-Ortiz Danae , Pochat-Bohatier Céline , Mbakop Sandrine , Onyango Maurice Stephen
Published: June 2022

In this work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) derived from sawdust were successfully incorporated into a nanofiltration membrane produced by the interfacial polymerization of piperazine (PIP) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). The characteristics of unmodified and CNC-modified membranes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), zeta potential measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle measurement. The performance of the membranes in terms of nitrate removal and water flux was investigated using 60 mg/L of potassium nitrate solution in a dead-end test cell. The characteristics of the modified membrane revealed a more nodular structure, higher roughness, increased negative surface charge, and higher hydrophilicity than the pristine membrane, leading to nitrate rejection of 94%. In addition, the membrane gave an average water flux of 7.2 ± 1.8 L/m2/h/bar. This work implies that nanofiltration, a relatively low-pressure process compared to reverse osmosis, can be used for improved nitrate removal from drinking water using an NF membrane modified with sawdust-derived cellulose nanocrystals.
Intangibles, Intellectual Capital, and the Performance of Listed Non-Financial Services Firms in West Africa: A Cross-Country Analysis
Authors: Duho King Carl Tornam
Published: June 2022

This study aims to examine the impact of intellectual capital and intangible value on the performance of listed non-financial firms in West Africa. The study used the Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAIC™) to measure intellectual capital performance (with components as ICE—Intellectual Capital Efficiency an additive measure of the next two metrics, HCE—Human Capital Efficiency, SCE—Structural Capital Efficiency and CEE—Capital Employed Efficiency), financial ratios to measure intangible value and return on assets to measure performance while controlling for firm-level and macroeconomic variables. Using the panel-corrected standard error regression on 59 firms operating from 2007 to 2018, the study found that VAIC, ICE, HCE and SCE measures of intellectual capital are the pièce de résistance that drive the performance of firms. It is found that the relationship is curvilinear taking the shape of an inverted U. CEE does not drive the performance of firms, and asset tangibility inhibits performance but the investment in intangible fixed assets has a positive insignificant effect on performance. Firm size has a positive impact while financial leverage has a negative impact on performance. Human development does not drive performance but foreign direct investment and economic development do. There are country-specific insights where in Ghana intellectual capital and intangible value have a very strong positive effect on performance, followed by a relatively high impact in Cote D’Ivoire while there is a weak effect in the Nigerian context. The study also explores the effect of other variables such as firm size, financial leverage, human development, foreign direct investment and economic development. The findings are useful for policy, accounting, finance, economic and human resource practitioners as well as, for the academic community.
Strain Rate and Temperature Effects on Formability and Microstructure of AZ31B Magnesium Alloy Sheet
Authors: Xue Song , Yang Tao , Liu Xuedong , Ren Yi , Peng Yi , Zheng Lixuan
Published: June 2022

Magnesium alloys play an important role in lightweight structures, which are extensively used in different industries due to their excellent mechanical and physical properties. In this paper, the formability of the AZ31B magnesium alloy sheet was studied by using tensile tests at different temperatures (from 25 to 250 °C) and strain rates (from 0.017 s−1 to 0.34 s−1). The results showed that the material behaves with positive temperature sensitivity when forming at a temperature lower than 200 °C. The effect of the strain rates on the formability of AZ31B was larger at high temperatures. The metallography of AZ31B at different temperatures and strain rates was observed by OM. The results showed that the partially recrystallized structure was exhibited at a temperature of 150 °C. With the increase in temperature, the approximate complete recrystallization was exhibited at a temperature of 250 °C. The fracture morphology of AZ31B was observed at different strain rates and temperatures by SEM. Additionally, the main fracture pattern was quasi-cleavage at room temperature. However, with the increase in temperature, the fracture pattern was transited from a quasi-cleavage pattern to a ductile fracture pattern. The ductile fracture pattern was the main fracture pattern at a temperature of 250 °C.
The Characteristics of Spiral Pipe Increasing Resistance and Reducing Pressure and the Amendment Equation of Stowing Gradient
Authors: Wang Weixiang , Mu Hongwei , Mei Guodong , Guo Lijie , Lu Xinqi , Wang Anhu , Sun Ran
Published: June 2022

To solve the high slurry pressure and severe wear at some sections in backfilling pipelines, this study investigates the solution of using an auxiliary pipe to increase the resistance and reduce the pressure of the mine backfilling pipeline. Using computational fluid dynamics, three auxiliary pipe models, a Z-shaped pipe, a S-shaped pipe and a spiral pipe were constructed and the velocity and pressure distribution characteristics of the filling slurry in the auxiliary pipes were analyzed. The function of friction loss in spiral pipes with different pitches and spiral diameters was established, and the amendment equation for calculating the effective stowing gradient was studied when using spiral pipes to increase resistance and reduce pressure. The results show that, compared with the Z-shaped pipe and the S-shaped pipe, the velocity and pressure in the spiral pipe change continuously and steadily, and there is no obvious sudden change in the local velocity and pressure. Therefore, it is difficult to burst the pipe. When the velocity is 2.5 m/s and the vertical height of the pipe is 2.5 m, the friction loss of the filling slurry in the spiral pipe can reach 3.87~21.26 times that in the vertical pipe, indicating that the spiral pipe can effectively play the role of increasing resistance and reducing pressure. The relationship between the friction loss and spiral diameter is a linear function, and the relationship between the friction loss and pitch is a quadratic function. The three are binary quadratic function relationships. The equation for calculating the effective stowing gradient is obtained, which provides a convenient method for engineering applications and industrial design.
Effect of Damage Rate on the Cavity Swelling of Pure Nickel Irradiated with Triple Ion Beams
Authors: Huang Jia , Gao Zhiying , Liu Haocheng , Ma Pengfei , Liu Yan , Ge Wei , Luo Fengping , Cao Liuxuan , Huang Jinchi , Xue Jianming , Wang Yugang , Wang Chenxu
Published: June 2022

He-H synergistic effects influence the performance of structural materials in fusion reactors. Due to the lack of high-intensity fusion neutron sources, multiple ion beam irradiation has been widely used as an emulation method to study its synergistic effects. However, the damage rate under multiple ion beam irradiation is three to four orders of magnitude higher than that under fusion neutron irradiation, and its effect on the cavity swelling is still unclear. In this study, pure nickel was irradiated with single and triple ion beams to ~1 displacements per atom (dpa) at 450 °C. The damage rate ranged from 1.4 × 10−4 to 1.4 × 10−3 dpa/s, with the identical gas-dose ratios of ~400 H appm/dpa and 100 He appm/dpa. Large and isolated cavities formed under single ion irradiation, while triple ion irradiation induced smaller and denser cavities and higher swelling. As the damage rate increased, the cavity size, density, and swelling decreased, due to the constraint of cavity nucleation and growth processes. The effect of damage rate on cavity evolution under triple ion irradiation strongly depends on two competing factors: the enhancement of aggregation and binding of H/He/vacancies, and the enhancement of vacancies–interstitials recombination with increasing damage rate.
A Study on the Thermo-Mechanical History, Residual Stress, and Dynamic Recrystallization Mechanisms in Additively Manufactured Austenitic Stainless Steels
Authors: Yan Zhou , Zou Xi , Li Simeng , Luo Guoyun , Song Lijun
Published: June 2022

In this work, both numerical simulations and experimental characterization were used to obtain a broad understanding of the thermo-mechanical history, residual stress, and microstructure of the directed energy deposition (DED) process of austenitic stainless steels. To investigate the effect of process factors on residual stress, the global sensitivity analysis approach based on D-MORPH-HDMR was utilized. The results of the research reveal that the amplified effect of the influence of the three input variables (layer thickness, L; laser power, P; and scanning speed, v) on the transverse residual stress and thickness-direction residual stress is L > P > v; in contrast, the influence of longitudinal residual stress is P > L > v. We also found that general tendencies in local plastic strain accumulation are analogous to the relative distribution of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs). Additionally, we investigated post-solidification structures connected to residual stress, such as submicron dislocation cells and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) in austenitic stainless steels during DED. The investigation revealed that the DDRX and CDRX phenomena were caused by the bulging of initial grain boundaries and progressive sub-grain rotation (PSR). The fact that the sample bottom had more thermo-mechanical cycles than the top led to a higher dislocation density and hence more DDRX. This study presents a unique perspective on the link between residual stress and microstructure in additive manufacturing.
Susceptibility of Dissimilar IN600 Welded Joints to Stress Corrosion Cracking Using Slow Strain Rate Test in Sodium Electrolytes
Authors: Granados-Becerra Heriberto , López-Morelos Víctor H. , Contreras Antonio , Curiel-López Francisco Fernando , García-Hernández Rafael , González-Sánchez Jorge Antonio , Cortés Eduardo
Published: June 2022

The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of aged plates of Inconel 600 welded to Inconel 600 plates in the as-received condition was studied using the slow strain rate test (SSRT) in two sodium containing electrolytes at 25 and 80 °C. The aged plate was used to simulate damage by the operation service. Electrochemical noise (EN) was used to monitor the SCC. The plates were gas metal arc welded (GMAW) employing ERNiCrMo-3 and ER310 filler wires along with 95% Ar + 3% N2 + 2% O2 and 97% Ar + 3% N2 as the shielding gas, respectively. The microstructure of the welded joints was characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results of the SCC revealed that when sodium thiosulfate was used, the loss in plasticity was higher in the NiCrMo-3 joint with around a 20 percent decrease. Conversely, in the 310 welds, the loss in plasticity was higher in the sodium hydroxide, which diminished by 12 percent. A few secondary microcracks were observed in the transversal section in specimens of both welds. The results of the EN showed an increase in the potential and current when the sample reached the tensile strength and then decreased when the neck was formed; these changes indicate that some events occurred during the SSRT. The EN data showed two types of corrosion: general corrosion for NiCrMo-3 and mixed corrosion for the 310 welded joint in both environments. Electrochemical polarization was also employed to understand the mechanism of SCC.
Methodology to Evaluate the Performance of Portable Photogrammetry for Large-Volume Metrology
Authors: Puerto Pablo , Heißelmann Daniel , Müller Simon , Mendikute Alberto
Published: June 2022

The increased relevance of large-volume metrology (LVM) in industrial applications entails certain challenges: measurements must be cost-efficient and the technologies must be easy to use while ensuring accuracy and reliability. Portable photogrammetry shows great potential to overcome such challenges, but industrial users do not yet rely on its accuracy for large scenarios (3 to 64 m), especially when mass-market cameras are not conceived of as industrial metrology instruments. Furthermore, the measurement results might also depend on the operator’s skills and knowledge of the key process variables. In this work, a methodology was designed so that the measurement uncertainty of portable photogrammetry can be evaluated under controlled conditions for LVM. To do so, PTB’s reference wall, which was designed to assess laser-based methods applied to large volumes, was used as a reference artefact to study the measurement performance under different conditions, enabling an analysis of the relative influence of two process variables: the spatial arrangement of the optical instruments on the scene, and the relative camera poses for an accurate triangulation. According to these variables, different measuring conditions were designed (Monte Carlo analysis), and experimentally evaluated and reported (LME, length measuring errors), analysing the performance figures expected from both unskilled and expert users.
The Dark Annulus of a Drop in a Hele-Shaw Cell Is Caused by the Refraction of Light through Its Meniscus
Authors: Ryu Sangjin , Zhang Haipeng , Emeigh Carson
Published: June 2022

Knowing the meniscus shape of confined drops is important for understanding how they make first contact and then coalesce. When imaged from the top view by brightfield microscopy, a liquid drop (e.g., corn syrup) confined in a Hele-Shaw cell, surrounded by immiscible liquid (e.g., mineral oil), had a dark annulus, and the width of the annulus decreased with increasing concentration of corn syrup. Since the difference in the annulus width was presumed to be related to the meniscus shape of the drops, three-dimensional images of the drops with different concentrations were obtained using confocal fluorescence microscopy, and their cross-sectional meniscus profile was determined by image processing. The meniscus of the drops remained circular despite varying concentration. Since the refractive index of corn syrup increased with concentration, while the surface tension coefficient between corn syrup and mineral oil remained unchanged, the observed change in the annulus width was then attributed to the refraction of light passing through the drop’s meniscus. As such, a ray optics model was developed, which predicted that the annulus width of the drop would decrease as the refractive index of the drop approached that of the surrounding liquid. Therefore, the dark annulus of the drops in the Hele-Shaw cell was caused by the refraction of light passing through the circular meniscus of the drop.