bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principais instrumentos utilizados para mensuração de habilidades sociais em diferentes contextos: revisão integrativa
Authors: Costa Filho Carlos Winston Luz , Sanders Lia Lira Olivier , Oliveira Alissandra Lima Barbosa de , Jucá Daniele Guedes , Souza Júnior Francisco Emanoel Albuquerque de , Aguiar Ridson Guilherme Parente de , Machado Marília Girão de Oliveira , Souza Antônia Maria Ferreira de , Santos Caroline Dantas dos , Azevedo Analayde Lima de , Oliveira Luize Caroline Sampaio de , Palhano Samira Rodrigues Aguiar , Barbosa Suzana Benetti Bahlis Aires , Maia Márcia Maria de Oliveira , Peixoto Júnior Arnaldo Aires
Published: December 2021

O termo Habilidades Sociais tem sido utilizado para denominar o modo de uma pessoa ao se comportar adequadamente aos diferentes tipos de ambientes, pessoas, grupos e comunidades. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar os principais instrumentos utilizados para mensuração de HS em diferentes contextos. Trata-se de uma Revisão integrativa de literatura nas bases de dados Scielo, LILACS e PubMed, com a utilização dos descritores: Habilidades Sociais, Inventário de Habilidades Sociais e Comportamento Social. Os critérios de inclusão foram artigos publicados nos últimos cinco anos (2015 a 2020), que estivessem disponíveis on-line, na íntegra e gratuitamente e que abordassem informações a respeito do uso de ferramentas de mensuração de HS. Foram excluídos editoriais, cartas ao editor, teses, dissertações, monografias e trabalhos de conclusão de curso, que não estivessem em conformidade com o objetivo do estudo, além dos artigos repetidos em mais de uma base de dados. Foram identificados o total de 15 artigos, agrupados em três categorias temáticas: Instrumentos de HS utilizados em adultos; Instrumentos de HS utilizados em crianças e adolescentes e Instrumentos de HS utilizados em estudantes universitários, internos e residentes. A revisão identificou que o principal instrumento utilizado foi o Inventário de Habilidades Sociais de Del Prette e Del Prette. Esses instrumentos oportunizam o diagnóstico precoce e facilitam o planejamento de estratégias de intervenção. Os estudos encontrados sinalizam a necessidade de novas pesquisas com maior rigor metodológico sobre a avaliação das habilidades sociais em diversos cenários.
Viabilidade econômica da geração de energia elétrica em motor dual biogás/diesel no meio rural
Authors: Souza Juliano de , Souza Samuel Nelson Melegari de , Bassegio Doglas , Secco Deonir , Vaz Victor , Nadaleti Willian Cézar , Gurgacz Flávio , Machado Junior Waldir Mariano
Published: December 2021

O biogás resultante da digestão anaeróbia de resíduos agrícolas é interessante para geração própria de eletricidade. Com a normatização de micro e mini geração distribuída de eletricidade em 2012 no Brasil, abriu-se uma grande oportunidade para uso de biomassa e energia solar para geração de eletricidade renovável em propriedades rurais.  O estudo de viabilidade das tecnologias de uso do biogás na geração de eletricidade é importante em tomadas de decisões. Geralmente a geração de eletricidade com biogás é realizada em motores geradores a gás com ignição por compressão. Neste estudo é proposto a utilização de motores dual ciclo diesel, o qual utiliza simultaneamente dois combustíveis, gás e diesel ou biodiesel. Este trabalho teve como objetivo geral a análise da viabilidade econômica da utilização do motor dual biogás/diesel, na produção de energia elétrica para meio rural. Foram analisadas três condições: motor gerador com 100% de diesel, 50% diesel e 50% biogás, 90% biogás e 10% diesel, operando 5, 10 ou 20 horas por dia. Os resultados gerados comprovaram a viabilidade dessa prática somente com motores geradores de potência 50kW ou mais operando no mínimo 10 horas por dia e ajustado para consumir 90% de biogás e 10% de diesel. Observou-se que os custos de geração dependem da economia de escala.
Perfil sociodemográfico dos trabalhadores de saúde afastados durante a pandemia de Covid-19 no Piauí
Authors: Reis Bárbara Lima , França Lara Beatriz Pereira , Silva Williams Cardec da
Published: December 2021

A Covid-19 é uma enfermidade respiratória causada pelo novo coronavírus (SARS-Cov-2), que. A Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) declarou, em janeiro de 2020, que essa doença constitui uma Emergência de Saúde Pública de Importância Internacional, com mais de 5 milhões de casos confirmados e alto índice de mortalidade. Durante a pandemia, ocorreram profundas alterações de jornada de trabalho, principalmente dos profissionais de saúde, que estão na linha de frente de combate ao coronavírus e passaram a realizar horas extras, aumentaram a intensidade de trabalho, consequentemente, tiveram maior tempo de contato com vírus ocasionando assim um alto índice de infecção por parte dos trabalhadores. Essas infecções estão associadas à, pouco conhecimento sobre o vírus e suas medidas de diagnostico, transmissão e tratamento; inadequação ou falhas nas medidas de precaução e de proteção contra o surto; escassez de equipamentos de proteção individual (máscaras cirúrgicas e do tipo PFF2 e vestuário) e indivíduos infectados e assintomáticos que mantiveram contato com colaboradores de saúde. A importância desse trabalho é avaliar o impacto do coronavírus na saúde dos trabalhadores de saúde nessa pandemia, analisar e estratificar a quantidade de profissionais que foram afastados da sua atividade laboral por estar contaminado por Covid-19. Desse modo, todos os serviços de saúde precisam garantir mecanismos e medidas de proteção e de promoção à saúde, uma vez que a atuação desses servidores da saúde é essencial para o enfrentamento da pandemia.
Detection of Coliform, faecal Coliform And Total Bacterial Count From Drinking Water Of
Varanasi (U.P.) India
Authors: Singh Alok Kumar , Singh Anand Prakash , Srivastava Sanjay
Published: December 2021

In India source of drinking water at Varanasi city for common people are tap water, well, hand pump, Ganga river and stored tank water collected from bore well. All water samples were studied to assess their bacteriological characteristics and suitability for potable purposes. A cross-sectional epidemiological method was adopted to investigate the drinking water of six different sites of Varanasi city. The bacteriological examination of water samples included the most probable number of presumptive coliforms, faecal coliforms, and total bacterial count. The results showed that the total coliform count was detected in all the site. In all the methods coliforms presence was indicated. Maximum number of coliform observed in all the seasons, were from river and well water followed by hand pump, tap water and stored tank. The most common group of indicator organisms used in water quality monitoring are coliforms. These organisms are representative of bacteria normally present in the intestinal tract of mammals including human. Contamination of water may occur through different way like sewage disposal in the river, seepage of bathing near sites, fecal excreta of human, bird and other animals. Improving and expanding the existing water treatment and sanitation systems are more likely to provide good, safe and sustainable sources of water in the long term.
Ethnomedicinal plants used for diarrhoea and dysentery by Tribal people of Sonbhadra
district, Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Kant Shashi , Pandey Sneha
Published: December 2021

In this study, an attempt has been made to collect and document the ethnomedicinal plants used for the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery by the tribal people of Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The present study deals with twenty plant species represented by fifteen families, which are being used in aforesaid ailments. These plants species were enumerated alphabetically with their botanical name, vernacular names, family and ethnomedicinal uses.
Water quality analysis of Chiklod wetland with reference to Pollution
Authors: Dixit Mukesh , Dixit Seema , Pani Subrata
Published: December 2021

The present study was conducted to evaluate the water quality of Chiklod Wetland, which is one of the most pristine wetlands in Madhya Pradesh situated about 45km towards south direction from the capital Bhopal. Analysis of various indicative parameters show that the water of Chiklod wetland is suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes.
A preliminary checklist of moths (insect : lepidoptera) of Karanja (Ghadge), District
Wardha (Maharashtra) India
Authors: Wankhade Lokesh N , Bidwai Pushpanjali A , Dongre Sagar T
Published: December 2021

Diversity of moth species (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) was studied in the Karanja (Ghadge), District Wardha of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. A total 64 species of moths belonging to 14 families and 31 subfamilies were recorded from different sites. Family Erebidae (22 species) was found to be dominating taxon, followed by Geometridae (11 species), Cambridae (10 species) Noctuidae (07 species), Sphingidae (4 Species), Cossidae (3 Species) and 1 species each from family Eupterotidae, Pterophoridae, Saturnidae, Uranidae, Bombycidae,Lasiocampidae and Scythrididae was reported first time.
Record of partial Leucism in Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) from PJTS
Agricultural University, Hyderabad (Telangana) India
Authors: Swamy K. , Yadav BharathSimha , Naresh B. , Rao V. Vasudeva
Published: December 2021

The bird Dicrurus macrocercus shows partial leucism in P.J.T.S.A.U. campus, Hyderabad (Telangana) India. The bird shows white patches on head, the greater coverts in the wings.
Hallervorden-Spatz Syndrome: Case Report of a Typical Form
Authors: da Rocha Leandro de Holanda , Alves de Sousa Milena Nunes , Veiga Quemelo Paulo Roberto , Farias Lucena Paulo Antônio
Published: December 2021

Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome is a rare neurodegenerative disease, related to mutations in a gene located on chromosome 20p13. Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome is characterized by iron accumulation in the basal ganglia, which leads to variable neurologic manifestations. It is reported the case of a 6 years old male patient, with history of neuro psycho motor development involution noticed since 1 year and 5 months of age and progressive development of dystonia, mostly on upper limbs and neck. Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed bilaterally symmetric signal changes in globus pallidus and in the posterior limb of the internal capsule, findings that suggest neurodegenerative disease with iron accumulation or metabolic disease.
A Case Study of Material Selection Method Based on Engineering and Material Perception Applied to the Smartphone Rear Panel
Authors: Choi Jaeho
Published: December 2021

Smartphones were launched in the market as a product in the early 2000’s. Today, less than 20 years later, the smartphone has become one of the most frequently used devices for human contact. The market is saturated, and competition between products has intensified, and it is not difficult to find products that are culled. To be selected by consumers, product differentiation must be outstanding, which is not easy when the basic technology is standardized. Currently, competition in the fields of cameras and displays is intensifying, but it is expected that advanced technology will become commonplace in the near future. There are several ways to increase the competitiveness and differentiation of a product, for example, by considering the technical aspects, or making the personality of the product unique. Consumers communicate with products through materials. The process and selection of materials suitable for the design requirements of a product is a very important component in competitive product manufacturing. The final material selection is performed by dividing the design requirements into function, constraints, personality, objectives, and supporting information aspects, and the selecting materials suitable for each stage. By capturing the overall concept as a function, the processes of selecting materials that meet the constraints, determining the type of material that matches the personality, and using the objectives to obtain the top-ranked materials, the final material suitable for all conditions can be selected by referring to supporting information from the top-ranked materials.
The Vampire Lovers and Hammer's Post-1970 Production Strategy
Authors: Barnett Vincent L.
Published: December 2021

This article firstly examines the artistic and commercial merits of The Vampire Lovers, which was adapted from the Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla. The production of the film was subcontracted by James Carreras at Hammer to Fantale Films, a company established by Harry Fine, Michael Style and Tudor Gates. The article then proceeds by examining various different and competing artistic judgements that have been made about the film, and also the construction of its unusual dreamy atmosphere. It documents both its UK and US box-office performances and goes on to examine Hammer's post-1970 production strategy in more general terms and in relation to the overall financial performance of the company in the period 1967–72, just before and after The Vampire Lovers. Finally, it examines Hammer's receipt of the Queen's Award for Industry in 1968, the effect of its rolling production-line (or ‘pipeline’) model of film-making on the company's general level of profitability, and some of the consequences of Michael Carreras's assumption of managerial control at Hammer after 1970.
Royal Family Members and Financial Reporting Timeliness: Evidence from UAE
Authors: Almuzaiqer Mohammed Ali
Published: December 2021

This study aims to examine the association between Royal family members on the board of directors and financial reporting quality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). UAE has two markets, namely Abu Dhabi Exchange Security (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM). The data of the current study were collected from these two markets listed companies for the periods of 2011 to 2018 which resulted in 437 observations. The results of this study showed that the existence of royal family members on the board of the UAE listed companies is significantly associated with financial reporting timeliness. This study provides evidence on the role played by the elite groups (Royal Family members) in UAE in enhancing the role of the board of directors. The findings also reported that board independence, audit committee size, audit committee expert, and firm profitability are significantly associated with financial reporting timeliness. The findings of this study contribute to the existing theory and empirical evidence of how the existence of Royal family members on the board of directors adds values to the company and improves its financial reporting quality.
O desemprego e a saúde mental do trabalhador: impactos e enfrentamentos
Authors: Oliveira Amanda Rebeca Borges de , Lins Isabela Biserra , Blogoslawski Isadora de Moraes , Sartori Romeia Satie , Costa Waldeciria
Published: December 2021

O desemprego como fenômeno estrutural do sistema de produção capitalista vem sendo um tema cada vez mais estudado no campo das ciências humanas e sociais, mas que demanda mais estudos no campo da psicologia, face aos inúmeros danos à saúde mental causado às pessoas que estão fora do mercado de trabalho. O presente documento apresenta os resultados de um trabalho realizado no âmbito de um Programa Institucional de Iniciação Científica que teve como objetivo identificar as consequências do desemprego sobre a saúde mental dos trabalhadores, buscando ainda investigar junto a pessoas desempregadas o significado que o trabalho e o desemprego têm para elas; os tipos de agravos à saúde mental mais recorrentes, quando presentes e; verificar as formas de enfrentamento à situação de desemprego. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de cunho qualitativo em que foram entrevistadas cinco pessoas com idades entre 27 e 59 anos que estavam desempregadas entre 4 meses a 4 anos, utilizando roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada. Pelas análises das entrevistas foi possível concluir que o contexto de desemprego e a falta de apoio institucional deixam o trabalhador bastante vulnerável quanto à manutenção da sua saúde mental. Apresentam-se ao final algumas propostas de intervenções institucionais possíveis para o atendimento a necessidades dessa população.
Readaptação do docente ao trabalho: a experiência de professores de uma escola pública de Maringá-PR
Authors: Feltrim Melissa Pinheiro de Matos , Silva Guilherme Elias da
Published: December 2021

A pesquisa objetivou analisar como se configura a (re)construção do sentido no trabalho para os professores readaptados diante das novas circunstâncias funcionais, como também investigar se o processo de readaptação vem cumprindo efetivamente a proposta legal e de saúde do trabalhador. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com professoras readaptadas de uma escola estadual de Maringá-PR e estas passaram por um processo de Análise dos Núcleos de Sentido substanciado pelo referencial teórico da Psicodinâmica do Trabalho. Verificou-se que as readaptações revelaram dificuldades não consideradas pela gestão e organização do trabalho, deixando os trabalhadores desassistidos e, comumente, impedidos de realizarem atividades compatíveis com suas capacidades e preservação de saúde. É flagrante a necessidade, conforme a legislação apregoa, de considerar as limitações/potencialidades do indivíduo, de forma a atribuir-lhe afazeres compatíveis com sua nova condição, de modo que o sujeito, ao retornar para seu ambiente de trabalho, tenha possibilidades de identificar-se com a nova função.
Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Induce Abnormal Angiogenesis via TRPV4 Downregulation and Subsequent Activation of YAP and VEGFR2
Authors: Guarino Brianna , Katari Venkatesh , Adapala Ravi , Bhavnani Neha , Dougherty Julie , Khan Mahmood , Paruchuri Sailaja , Thodeti Charles
Published: December 2021

Tumor angiogenesis is initiated and maintained by the tumor microenvironment through secretion of autocrine and paracrine factors, including extracellular vesicles (EVs). Although tumor-derived EVs (t-EVs) have been implicated in tumor angiogenesis, growth and metastasis, most studies on t-EVs are focused on proangiogenic miRNAs and growth factors. We have recently demonstrated that conditioned media from human lung tumor cells (A549) downregulate TRPV4 channels and transform normal endothelial cells to a tumor endothelial cell-like phenotype and induce abnormal angiogenesis in vitro, via t-EVs. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of t-EVs on endothelial cell phenotypic transition and abnormal angiogenesis in vivo remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that t-EVs downregulate TRPV4 expression post-translationally and induce abnormal angiogenesis by activating Rho/Rho kinase/YAP/VEGFR2 pathways. Further, we demonstrate that t-EVs induce abnormal vessel formation in subcutaneously implanted Matrigel plugs in vivo (independent of tumors), which are characterized by increased VEGFR2 expression and reduced pericyte coverage. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that t-EVs induce abnormal angiogenesis via TRPV4 downregulation-mediated activation of Rho/Rho kinase/YAP/VEGFR2 pathways and suggest t-EVs and TRPV4 as novel targets for vascular normalization and cancer therapy.
Integrated Cascade Biorefinery Processes to Transform Woody Biomass Into Phenolic Monomers and Carbon Quantum Dots
Authors: Chen Xue , Zhu Jiubin , Song Wenlu , Xiao Ling-Ping
Published: December 2021

A novel cascade biorefinery strategy toward phenolic monomers and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) is proposed here via coupling catalytic hydrogenolysis and hydrothermal treatment. Birch wood was first treated with catalytic hydrogenolysis to afford a high yield of monomeric phenols (44.6 wt%), in which 4-propanol guaiacol (10.2 wt%) and 4-propanol syringol (29.7 wt%) were identified as the two major phenolic products with 89% selectivity. An available carbohydrate pulp retaining 82.4% cellulose and 71.6% hemicellulose was also obtained simultaneously, which was further used for the synthesis of CQDs by a one-step hydrothermal process. The as-prepared CQDs exhibited excellent selectivity and detection limits for several heavy metal cations, especially for Fe3+ ions in an aqueous solution. Those cost-efficient CQDs showed great potential in fluorescent sensor in situ environmental analyses. These findings provide a promising path toward developing high-performance sensors on environmental monitoring and a new route for the high value-added utilization of lignocellulosic biomass.
External Validation of the Prognostic Value of an Immune-Associated Gene Panel for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Xie Zhiwen , Wu Lei , Hua Shan , Zhang Yongqing , Shi Fei , Chen Min , Zhao Sheng , Liu Zhihong , Liu Meng , Jiang Juntao
Published: December 2021

Clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) are highly immune infiltrates, and many of them respond to immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors including anti-PD-L1 or anti-PD1 agents. However, the effect of immune genes on clinical outcomes in ccRCCs has not been fully studied. Here, we show in this study that an immune-associated gene panel has a prognostic value for clear cell renal cell carcinomas. We performed single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and cell type identification by estimating subsets of RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithms on patient-matched normal renal and RCC tissues to characterize two immunophenotypes and immunological characteristic subpopulations. Furthermore, LASSO Cox regression was applied to develop a novel prognosis-associated model for ccRCC patients based on an immune-gene panel. The results were verified by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset and coordinated with the clinicopathological characteristics of ccRCCs, along with genomic signatures. Finally, based on the above perspectives, we generated a nomogram with a high prognostic efficiency for ccRCC patients. Overall, this study offers a unique perspective that can contribute to improving the accuracy of prognosis prediction and treatment with immunotherapy.
Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 by Targeting Conserved Viral RNA Structures and Sequences
Authors: Hegde Shalakha , Tang Zhichao , Zhao Junxing , Wang Jingxin
Published: December 2021

The ongoing COVID-19/Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has become a significant threat to public health and has hugely impacted societies globally. Targeting conserved SARS-CoV-2 RNA structures and sequences essential for viral genome translation is a novel approach to inhibit viral infection and progression. This new pharmacological modality compasses two classes of RNA-targeting molecules: 1) synthetic small molecules that recognize secondary or tertiary RNA structures and 2) antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that recognize the RNA primary sequence. These molecules can also serve as a “bait” fragment in RNA degrading chimeras to eliminate the viral RNA genome. This new type of chimeric RNA degrader is recently named ribonuclease targeting chimera or RIBOTAC. This review paper summarizes the sequence conservation in SARS-CoV-2 and the current development of RNA-targeting molecules to combat this virus. These RNA-binding molecules will also serve as an emerging class of antiviral drug candidates that might pivot to address future viral outbreaks.
Susceptibility of Human Airway Tissue Models Derived From Different Anatomical Sites to Bordetella pertussis and Its Virulence Factor Adenylate Cyclase Toxin
Authors: Sivarajan Rinu , Kessie David Komla , Oberwinkler Heike , Pallmann Niklas , Walles Thorsten , Scherzad Agmal , Hackenberg Stephan , Steinke Maria
Published: December 2021

To study the interaction of human pathogens with their host target structures, human tissue models based on primary cells are considered suitable. Complex tissue models of the human airways have been used as infection models for various viral and bacterial pathogens. The Gram-negative bacterium Bordetella pertussis is of relevant clinical interest since whooping cough has developed into a resurgent infectious disease. In the present study, we created three-dimensional tissue models of the human ciliated nasal and tracheo-bronchial mucosa. We compared the innate immune response of these models towards the B. pertussis virulence factor adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) and its enzymatically inactive but fully pore-forming toxoid CyaA-AC-. Applying molecular biological, histological, and microbiological assays, we found that 1 µg/ml CyaA elevated the intracellular cAMP level but did not disturb the epithelial barrier integrity of nasal and tracheo-bronchial airway mucosa tissue models. Interestingly, CyaA significantly increased interleukin 6, interleukin 8, and human beta defensin 2 secretion in nasal tissue models, whereas tracheo-bronchial tissue models were not significantly affected compared to the controls. Subsequently, we investigated the interaction of B. pertussis with both differentiated primary nasal and tracheo-bronchial tissue models and demonstrated bacterial adherence and invasion without observing host cell type-specific significant differences. Even though the nasal and the tracheo-bronchial mucosa appear similar from a histological perspective, they are differentially susceptible to B. pertussis CyaA in vitro. Our finding that nasal tissue models showed an increased innate immune response towards the B. pertussis virulence factor CyaA compared to tracheo-bronchial tissue models may reflect the key role of the nasal airway mucosa as the first line of defense against airborne pathogens.
Multimodal Affect Models: An Investigation of Relative Salience of Audio and Visual Cues for Emotion Prediction
Authors: Wu Jingyao , Dang Ting , Sethu Vidhyasaharan , Ambikairajah Eliathamby
Published: December 2021

People perceive emotions via multiple cues, predominantly speech and visual cues, and a number of emotion recognition systems utilize both audio and visual cues. Moreover, the perception of static aspects of emotion (speaker's arousal level is high/low) and the dynamic aspects of emotion (speaker is becoming more aroused) might be perceived via different expressive cues and these two aspects are integrated to provide a unified sense of emotion state. However, existing multimodal systems only focus on single aspect of emotion perception and the contributions of different modalities toward modeling static and dynamic emotion aspects are not well explored. In this paper, we investigate the relative salience of audio and video modalities to emotion state prediction and emotion change prediction using a Multimodal Markovian affect model. Experiments conducted in the RECOLA database showed that audio modality is better at modeling the emotion state of arousal and video for emotion state of valence, whereas audio shows superior advantages over video in modeling emotion changes for both arousal and valence.
Acute Myocardial Infarction During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Update on Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes
Authors: Toscano Olga , Cosentino Nicola , Campodonico Jeness , Bartorelli Antonio L. , Marenzi Giancarlo
Published: December 2021

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a worldwide pandemic. On top of respiratory complications, COVID-19 is associated with major direct and indirect cardiovascular consequences, with the latter probably being even more relevant, especially in the setting of time-dependent cardiovascular emergencies. A growing amount of data suggests a dramatic decline in hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly since patients did not activate emergency medical systems because hospitals were perceived as dangerous places regarding the infection risk. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with AMI had a significantly higher in-hospital mortality compared to those admitted before COVID-19, potentially due to late arrival to the hospital. Finally, no consensus has been reached regarding the most adequate healthcare management pathway for AMI and shared guidance on how to handle patients with AMI during the pandemic is still needed. In this review, we will provide an update on epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients with AMI during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a special focus on its collateral cardiac impact.
South Asian-Specific MYBPC3Δ25bp Deletion Carriers Display Hypercontraction and Impaired Diastolic Function Under Exercise Stress
Authors: Bazrafshan Sholeh , Sibilia Robert , Girgla Saavia , Viswanathan Shiv Kumar , Puckelwartz Megan J. , Sangha Kiranpal S. , Singh Rohit R. , Kakroo Mashhood , Jandarov Roman , Harris David M. , Rubinstein Jack , Becker Richard C. , McNally Elizabeth M. , Sadayappan Sakthivel
Published: December 2021

Background: A 25-base pair (25bp) intronic deletion in the MYBPC3 gene enriched in South Asians (SAs) is a risk allele for late-onset left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, hypertrophy, and heart failure (HF) with several forms of cardiomyopathy. However, the effect of this variant on exercise parameters has not been evaluated.

Methods: As a pilot study, 10 asymptomatic SA carriers of the MYBPC3Δ25bp variant (52.9 ± 2.14 years) and 10 age- and gender-matched non-carriers (NCs) (50.1 ± 2.7 years) were evaluated at baseline and under exercise stress conditions using bicycle exercise echocardiography and continuous cardiac monitoring.

Results: Baseline echocardiography parameters were not different between the two groups. However, in response to exercise stress, the carriers of Δ25bp had significantly higher LV ejection fraction (%) (CI: 4.57 ± 1.93; p < 0.0001), LV outflow tract peak velocity (m/s) (CI: 0.19 ± 0.07; p < 0.0001), and higher aortic valve (AV) peak velocity (m/s) (CI: 0.103 ± 0.08; p = 0.01) in comparison to NCs, and E/A ratio, a marker of diastolic compliance, was significantly lower in Δ25bp carriers (CI: 0.107 ± 0.102; p = 0.038). Interestingly, LV end-diastolic diameter (LVIDdia) was augmented in NCs in response to stress, while it did not increase in Δ25bp carriers (CI: 0.239 ± 0.125; p = 0.0002). Further, stress-induced right ventricular systolic excursion velocity s' (m/s), as a marker of right ventricle function, increased similarly in both groups, but tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion increased more in carriers (slope: 0.008; p = 0.0001), suggesting right ventricle functional differences between the two groups.

Conclusions: These data support that MYBPC3Δ25bp is associated with LV hypercontraction under stress conditions with evidence of diastolic impairment.
Aortic Pressure Levels and Waveform Indexes in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Impact of Calibration Method on the Differences With Respect to Non-HIV Subjects and Optimal Values
Authors: Diaz Alejandro , Grand Marina , Torrado Juan , Salazar Federico , Zócalo Yanina , Bia Daniel
Published: December 2021

Background: There are scarce and controversial data on whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with changes in aortic pressure (aoBP) and waveform-derived indexes. Moreover, it remains unknown whether potential differences in aoBP and waveform indexes between people living with HIV (PLWHIV) and subjects without HIV (HIV-) would be affected by the calibration method of the pressure waveform.

Aims: To determine: (i) whether PLWHIV present differences in aoBP and waveform-derived indexes compared to HIV- subjects; (ii) the relative impact of both HIV infection and cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) on aoBP and waveform-derived indexes; (iii) whether the results of the first and second aims are affected by the calibration method.

Methods: Three groups were included: (i) PLWHIV (n = 86), (ii) HIV- subjects (general population; n = 1,000) and (iii) a Reference Group (healthy, non-exposed to CRFs; n = 398). Haemodynamic parameters, brachial pressure (baBP; systolic: baSBP; diastolic: baDBP; mean oscillometric: baMBPosc) and aoBP and waveform-derived indexes were obtained. Brachial mean calculated (baMBPcalc=baDBP+[baSBP-baDBP]/3) pressure was quantified. Three waveform calibration schemes were used: systolic-diastolic, calculated (baMBPcalc/baDBP) and oscillometric mean (baMBPosc/baDBP).

Results: Regardless of CRFs and baBP, PLWHIV presented a tendency of having lower aoBP and waveform-derived indexes which clearly reached statistical significance when using the baMBPosc/baDBP or baMBPcalc/baDBP calibration. HIV status exceeded the relative weight of other CRFs as explanatory variables, being the main explanatory variable for variations in central hemodynamics when using the baMBPosc/baDBP, followed by the baMBPcalc/baDBP calibration.

Conclusions: The peripheral waveform calibration approach is an important determinant to reveal differences in central hemodynamics in PLWHIV.
RNA-Binding Profiles of CKAP4 as an RNA-Binding Protein in Myocardial Tissues
Authors: Zhu Hong , Zhang Yanfeng , Zhang Chengliang , Xie Zhongshang
Published: December 2021

Background: Pathological tissue remodeling such as fibrosis is developed in various cardiac diseases. As one of cardiac activated-myofibroblast protein markers, CKAP4 may be involved in this process and the mechanisms have not been explored.

Methods: We assumed that CKAP4 held a role in the regulation of cardiac fibrotic remodeling as an RNA-binding protein. Using improved RNA immunoprecipitation and sequencing (iRIP-seq), we sought to analyze the RNAs bound by CKAP4 in normal atrial muscle (IP1 group) and remodeling fibrotic atrial muscle (IP2 group) from patients with cardiac valvular disease. Quantitative PCR and Western blotting were applied to identify CKAP4 mRNA and protein expression levels in human right atrium samples.

Results: iRIP-seq was successfully performed, CKAP4-bound RNAs were characterized. By statistically analyzing the distribution of binding peaks in various regions on the reference human genome, we found that the reads of IP samples were mainly distributed in the intergenic and intron regions implying that CKAP4 is more inclined to combine non-coding RNAs. There were 913 overlapping binding peaks between the IP1 and IP2 groups. The top five binding motifs were obtained by HOMER, in which GGGAU was the binding sequence that appeared simultaneously in both IP groups. Binding peak-related gene cluster enrichment analysis demonstrated these genes were mainly involved in biological processes such as signal transduction, protein phosphorylation, axonal guidance, and cell connection. The signal pathways ranking most varied in the IP2 group compared to the IP1 group were relating to mitotic cell cycle, protein ubiquitination and nerve growth factor receptors. More impressively, peak analysis revealed the lncRNA-binding features of CKAP4 in both IP groups. Furthermore, qPCR verified CKAP4 differentially bound lncRNAs including LINC00504, FLJ22447, RP11-326N17.2, and HELLPAR in remodeling myocardial tissues when compared with normal myocardial tissues. Finally, the expression of CKAP4 is down-regulated in human remodeling fibrotic atrium.

Conclusions: We reveal certain RNA-binding features of CKAP4 suggesting a relevant role as an unconventional RNA-binding protein in cardiac remodeling process. Deeper structural and functional analysis will be helpful to enrich the regulatory network of cardiac remodeling and to identify potential therapeutic targets.
Real-World Anticoagulatory Treatment After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Retrospective, Observational Study on 4,800 Patients
Authors: Hohmann Christopher , Ludwig Marion , Walker Jochen , Wienemann Hendrik , Baldus Stephan , Pfister Roman
Published: December 2021

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has developed to the therapy of choice for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who are unsuitable for surgical aortic valve replacement and elderly patients with intermediate or high operative risk. However, the optimal anticoagulant therapy post-TAVR still remains a matter of debate.

Aims: This study sought to investigate current anticoagulant treatment patterns and clinical outcome in patients undergoing TAVR.

Methods: In a retrospective study based on anonymized health claims data of approximately seven million Germans with statutory health insurance (InGef database), anticoagulant treatment regimens were assessed using any drug prescription post discharge within the first 90 days after TAVR procedure. Clinical events between 30 days and 6 months were examined by treatment regime.

Results: The study population comprised 4,812 patients with TAVR between 2014 and 2018: 29.4% received antiplatelet monotherapy, 17.8% dual antiplatelet therapy, 17.4% oral anticoagulation (OAC) plus antiplatelet therapy, 12.9% OAC monotherapy, 2.2% triple therapy and 19.2% did not receive any anticoagulatory drugs. Sixty-four percentage of patients with OAC received direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). Hence, 68% of all patients were treated non-adherent to current guidelines. Forty percentage of patients with OAC prior to TAVR did not have any OAC after TAVR. The adjusted risk of all-cause mortality was significantly increased in patients with OAC (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.03–1.90, p = 0.03) and no anticoagulatory treatment (HR 3.95, 95% CI 2.95–5.27, p < 0.0001) when compared to antiplatelet monotherapy.

Conclusions: This large real-world data analysis demonstrates substantial deviations from guideline recommendations and treatment after TAVR. Considering relevant differences in clinical outcome across treatment groups, major effort is warranted to examine underlying causes and improve guideline adherence.
Weighting Methods for Rare Event Identification From Imbalanced Datasets
Authors: He Jia , Cheng Maggie X.
Published: December 2021

In machine learning, we often face the situation where the event we are interested in has very few data points buried in a massive amount of data. This is typical in network monitoring, where data are streamed from sensing or measuring units continuously but most data are not for events. With imbalanced datasets, the classifiers tend to be biased in favor of the main class. Rare event detection has received much attention in machine learning, and yet it is still a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a remedy for the standing problem. Weighting and sampling are two fundamental approaches to address the problem. We focus on the weighting method in this paper. We first propose a boosting-style algorithm to compute class weights, which is proved to have excellent theoretical property. Then we propose an adaptive algorithm, which is suitable for real-time applications. The adaptive nature of the two algorithms allows a controlled tradeoff between true positive rate and false positive rate and avoids excessive weight on the rare class, which leads to poor performance on the main class. Experiments on power grid data and some public datasets show that the proposed algorithms outperform the existing weighting and boosting methods, and that their superiority is more noticeable with noisy data.
Numerical Simulation Research on Influencing Factors of Post-Fracturing Flowback of Shale Gas Wells in the Sichuan Basin
Authors: Wu Jiangfa , Di Yunting , Zhang Jian , Li Peiyun , Zhang Deliang , Wang Yan , Zhou Hong
Published: December 2021

The horizontal well multistage hydraulic fracturing technology is the most effective way to exploit shale gas resources. Compared with conventional reservoir fracturing, the flowback rate of a fracturing fluid in a shale reservoir is extremely low, and a large amount of fracturing fluid remains in the formation. Therefore, the research on the mechanism of shale reservoir fracturing fluid flowback process will contribute to laying a theoretical foundation for improving the effect of the innovation for increasing output of shale gas wells. Based on the shale in the Sichuan Basin, this study first describes basic experiments on physical properties such as the porosity, permeability, mineral composition, wettability, and microstructure. The physical properties of shale reservoirs were also analyzed, which laid the foundation for subsequent modeling. Second, CMG software is used to establish a numerical model that fits the characteristics of the flowback process. The effect of reservoir properties, fracturing parameters, drainage–production system, chemical permeability on gas and water production in the flowback process and their mechanisms are also analyzed. According to most numerical simulation results, the lower cumulative gas production will be with the higher cumulative water production which means the higher flowback rate. The pursuit of only a high flowback rate is not advisable, and the development of the drainage–production system requires reasonable control of the fracturing fluid flowback rate. This study provides a theoretical basis for the optimization of shale gas drainage–production system after hydraulic fracturing.
Inclusive Higher Education in United Arab Emirates: Will Perceived Knowledge of Inclusion Impact Positively on University Students’ Attitudes Towards Learning With Peers With Disabilities?
Authors: Alzyoudi Mohammed , Opoku Maxwell Peprah , Moustafa Ashraf
Published: December 2021

Inclusive education is widely acknowledged as useful in promoting the involvement of all students. One core objective for the implementation of inclusive education is to promote acceptance and peaceful co-existence between students with disabilities and typically developing peers in classrooms. Since 2006, the federal government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has developed policies aimed at achieving inclusive education at all academic levels. However, the link between typically developing students’ perceived knowledge of inclusive education and their attitudes towards their peers with disabilities is understudied in the UAE context, especially at the university level; hence, this study aspired to assess those views. A revised Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes towards Children with Handicaps (CATCH) scale was adapted and completed by 233 university students. The data were subjected to a t-test, an analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression. The findings showed feelings of negativity towards peers with disabilities. Interestingly, those who indicated they were unaware of inclusive policies held more positive perceptions of their peers with disabilities than those who stated otherwise. The study’s limitations, recommendations for future research, and implications for policymaking and practices are also discussed.
Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment Regularity in Traditional Chinese Medicine for Type 2 Diabetes: A Text Mining Analysis
Authors: Dou Zhili , Xia Ye , Zhang Jiawei , Li Yizhen , Zhang Yunan , Zhao Lei , Huang Zhe , Sun Haonan , Wu Lin , Han Dongran , Liu Yixing
Published: December 2021

Objective

The goal of this study was to systematically summarize and categorize the syndrome differentiation, medication rules, and acupoint therapy in the domestic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) literature on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), such that guidelines and new insights can be provided for future practitioners and researchers.

Methods

Taking randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the treatment of T2DM in TCM as the research theme, we searched for full-text literature in three major clinical databases, including CNKI, Wan Fang, and VIP, published between 1990 and 2020. We then conducted frequency statistics, cluster analysis, association rules extraction, and topic modeling based on a corpus of medical academic words extracted from 3,654 research articles.

Results

The TCM syndrome types, subjective symptoms, objective indicators, Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture points, and TCM prescriptions for T2DM were compiled based on invigorating the kidney and Qi, nourishing Yin, and strengthening the spleen. Most TCM syndrome differentiation for T2DM was identified as “Zhongxiao” (the lesion in the spleen and stomach) and “Xiaxiao” (the lesion in the kidney) deficiency syndromes, and most medications and acupoint therapies were focused on the “Spleen Channel” and “Kidney Channel.” However, stagnation of liver Qi was mentioned less when compared with other syndromes, which did not have symptomatic medicines.

Conclusion

This study provides an in-depth perspective for the TCM syndrome differentiation, medication rules, and acupoint therapy for T2DM and provides practitioners and researchers with valuable information about the current status and frontier trends of TCM research on T2DM in terms of both diagnosis and treatment.
Patient Age Is Significantly Related to Distant Metastasis of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma
Authors: Huang Hui , Xu Siyuan , Wang Xiaolei , Liu Shaoyan , Liu Jie
Published: December 2021

Objective

Distant metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is rare but fatal, and its relationship with patient age remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the association between age at diagnosis and metachronous distant metastasis in PTMC.

Methods

Consecutive patients who underwent thyroidectomy for PTC measuring 10 mm or less at a tertiary hospital from January 2000 to December 2016 were enrolled. Patients who had evidence of distant metastasis at diagnosis or underwent postoperative radioiodine (RAI) ablation were excluded. A Cox proportional hazards model with restricted cubic splines (RCS) was applied to examine the association between age at diagnosis and distant metastasis.

Results

A total of 4,749 patients were evaluated. The median age was 44 years (range, 8–78 years), and 3,700 (78%) were female. After a median follow-up of 65 months, 21 distant metastases (20 lung, 1 liver) were recognized. A univariate Cox proportional model using a 5-knot RCS revealed a significant overall (p = 0.01) and a potential nonlinear association (p = 0.08) between distant metastasis and age at diagnosis. In multivariate analysis, age at diagnosis, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), and lymph node metastasis (pN+) were independent risk factors for distant metastasis. Compared with the middle-aged group (30–45 years old), younger and older patients had a higher risk of distant metastasis [HR, 95% CI, p-value, age ≤ 30, 4.54 (0.91–22.60), 0.06, age > 45, 6.36 (1.83–22.13), <0.01].

Conclusion

Age at diagnosis is associated with metachronous distant metastasis of PTMC, and patients with younger or older age have a higher risk of distant metastasis than middle-aged patients.
Case Report: A Chinese Family of Woodhouse-Sakati Syndrome With Diabetes Mellitus, With a Novel Biallelic Deletion Mutation of the DCAF17 Gene
Authors: Zhou Min , Shi Ningjie , Zheng Juan , Chen Yang , Wang Siqi , Xiao Kangli , Cui Zhenhai , Qiu Kangli , Zhu Feng , Li Huiqing
Published: December 2021

Woodhouse–Sakati syndrome (WSS) (OMIM#241080) is a rare multi-system autosomal recessive disease with homozygous mutation of the DCAF17 gene. The main features of WSS include diabetes, hypogonadism, alopecia, deafness, intellectual disability and progressive extrapyramidal syndrome. We identified a WSS family with a novel DCAF17 gene mutation type in China. Two unconsanguineous siblings from the Chinese Han family exhibiting signs and symptoms of Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome were presented for evaluation. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a homozygous deletion NM_025000.4:c.1488_1489delAG in the DCAF17 gene, which resulted in a frameshift mutation that led to stop codon formation. We found that the two patients exhibited low insulin and C-peptide release after glucose stimulation by insulin and C-peptide release tests. These findings indicate that the DCAF17 gene mutation may cause pancreatic β cell functional impairment and contribute to the development of diabetes.