bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KIAI DAN PENGEMBANGAN NILAI-NILAI MULTICULTURAL DI PONDOK PESANTREN AMANATUL UMMAH, PACET MOJOKERTO
Authors: Saifuddin Saifuddin , Cikusin Yaqub
Published: March 2021

Multikulturalisme sesungguhnya sangat dekat dengan Islam. Nilai-nilai multicultural berjalan beriringan dengan nilai-nilai ajaran Islam. Implementasi dan praktik multikulturalisme di dunia pendidikan Islam telah berjalan dalam kehidupan alamiah masyarakat pesantren. Namun, multikulturalisme di pesantren tidak dapat dipisahkan dari peran serta seorang kiai sebagai pimpinan tertinggi. Tulisan ini mengungkap nilai multikultural yang terdapat dalam kehidupan alamiah masyarakat pesantren; ketika santri belajar, di asrama, mengaji, ketika santri makan, shalat, membaca wirid dan sebagainya. Selain itu, tulisan ini mengungkap keberadaan sosok kiai yang menjadi aktor dibalik berkembangnya nilai multikultural. Nilai-nilai multicultural diungkap dengan menelisik kehidupan sehari-hari santri, yang dalam pembumian nilai-nilai multicultural berjalan dengan alami. Dibalik itu semua, terdapat pola atau model yang dikembangkan oleh kiai yaitu; membentuk komunitas multicultural menghindari konflik sectarian menumbuhkan Islam moderat dan menangkal ideologi radikal.Kata Kunci: Kiai, Pondok Pesantren, Nilai-nilai Multikultural Multiculturalism is highly relevant to Islam.  Multicultural values go alongside Islamic values.  The implementation and practice of multiculturalism in Islamic education has been running in the natural life of the pesantren community.  However, multiculturalism in pesantren cannot be separated from the participation of a kiai as the highest leader. This paper reveals the multicultural values found in the natural life of the pesantren community; when the students study, in the dormitory, the Koran, when they eat, pray, read wirid and so on.  In addition, this paper reveals the existence of a kiai figure who is the actor behind the development of multicultural values.  Multicultural values are revealed by examining the daily life of students, which in the grounding of multicultural values runs naturally.  Behind all that, there are patterns or models developed by the kiai, namely; building multicultural communities — avoiding sectarian conflicts — fostering moderate Islam and countering radical ideologies.Keywords: Kiai, Islamic Boarding School, Multicultural Values
Seascape ecology: identifying research priorities for an emerging ocean sustainability science
Authors: Pittman SJ , Yates KL , Bouchet PJ , Alvarez-Berastegui D , Andréfouët S , Bell SS , Berkström C , Boström C , Brown CJ , Connolly RM , Devillers R , Eggleston D , Gilby BL , Gullström M , Halpern BS , Hidalgo M , Holstein D , Hovel K , Huettmann F , Jackson EL , James WR , Kellner JB , Kot CY , Lecours V , Lepczyk C , Nagelkerken I , Nelson J , Olds AD , Santos RO , Scales KL , Schneider DC , Schilling HT , Simenstad C , Suthers IM , Treml EA , Wedding LM , Yates P , Young M
Published: March 2021

Seascape ecology, the marine-centric counterpart to landscape ecology, is rapidly emerging as an interdisciplinary and spatially explicit ecological science with relevance to marine management, biodiversity conservation, and restoration. While important progress in this field has been made in the past decade, there has been no coherent prioritisation of key research questions to help set the future research agenda for seascape ecology. We used a 2-stage modified Delphi method to solicit applied research questions from academic experts in seascape ecology and then asked respondents to identify priority questions across 9 interrelated research themes using 2 rounds of selection. We also invited senior management/conservation practitioners to prioritise the same research questions. Analyses highlighted congruence and discrepancies in perceived priorities for applied research. Themes related to both ecological concepts and management practice, and those identified as priorities include seascape change, seascape connectivity, spatial and temporal scale, ecosystem-based management, and emerging technologies and metrics. Highest-priority questions (upper tercile) received 50% agreement between respondent groups, and lowest priorities (lower tercile) received 58% agreement. Across all 3 priority tiers, 36 of the 55 questions were within a ±10% band of agreement. We present the most important applied research questions as determined by the proportion of votes received. For each theme, we provide a synthesis of the research challenges and the potential role of seascape ecology. These priority questions and themes serve as a roadmap for advancing applied seascape ecology during, and beyond, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
Quantum optics of quantum emitters in the near field of a nanoparticle
Authors: Vladimirova Yu V , Zadkov V N
Published: March 2021

This review is devoted to studies of quantum optics effects for quantum emitters (QEs) in the near field of nanoparticles (NPs). In the simple model of a two-level QE located near a plasmon NP, we analyze the mechanisms for modifying the radiative and nonradiative decay rates and discuss the distribution of the near-field intensity and polarization around the NP. This distribution has a complex structure, being significantly dependent on the polarization of the external radiation field and on the parameters of NP plasmon resonances. The quantum optics effects in the system (NP + QE + external laser field) are analyzed, including the near-field modification of the resonance fluorescence spectrum of a QE, the bunching/antibunching effects and photon quantum statistics effects in the spectrum, the formation of squeezed light states, and quantum entangled states in such systems.
Apelin Rejuvenates Aged Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Regulating Autophagy and Improves Cardiac Protection After Infarction
Authors: Zhang Hao , Zhao Chengling , Jiang Guojun , Hu Bei , Zheng Huifeng , Hong Yimei , Cui Zhen , Shi Linli , Li Xin , Lin Fang , Ding Yue , Wei Lu , Li Mimi , Liang Xiaoting , Zhang Yuelin
Published: March 2021

The protective effects of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy for myocardial infarction (MI) are largely hampered as they age. Apelin is an endogenous ligand of its receptor APJ and plays an essential role in regulating multiple biological activities including MSC proliferation and survival. In this study, we investigated whether Apelin regulates MSC senescence and whether its overexpression could rejuvenate aged MSCs (AMSCs) to improve cardiac protection following infarction in mice. MSC senescence was evaluated by senescence-associated β-galactosidase assays. Apelin level was examined by western blotting. Autophagy was determined by transmission electron microscopy. The cardioprotective effect of AMSCs with Apelin overexpression (Apelin-AMSCs) was assessed in a mouse MI model. Apelin expression was dramatically reduced in AMSCs. Interestingly, knockdown of Apelin induced young MSCs (YMSC) senescence, whereas overexpression rescued AMSC senescence. Apelin overexpression also increased AMSC angiogenic capacity. Mechanistically, Apelin overexpression upregulated the autophagy level of AMSCs by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling, thereby rejuvenating AMSCs. Compared with AMSCs, transplantation of Apelin-AMSCs achieved better therapeutic efficacy for MI by enhancing cell survival and angiogenesis. In conclusion, our results reveal that Apelin activates AMPK to rejuvenate AMSCs by increasing autophagy and promotes cardioprotection following infarction in mice. This study identified a novel target to rejuvenate AMSCs and enhance their therapeutic efficacy.
Cellular and Supracellular Planar Polarity: A Multiscale Cue to Elongate the Drosophila Egg Chamber
Authors: Popkova Anna , Rauzi Matteo , Wang Xiaobo
Published: March 2021

Tissue elongation is known to be controlled by oriented cell division, elongation, migration and rearrangement. While these cellular processes have been extensively studied, new emerging supracellular mechanisms driving tissue extension have recently been unveiled. Tissue rotation and actomyosin contractions have been shown to be key processes drivingDrosophilaegg chamber elongation. First, egg chamber rotation facilitates the dorsal-ventral alignment of the extracellular matrix and of the cell basal actin fibers. Both fiber-like structures form supracellular networks constraining the egg growth in a polarized fashion thus working as ‘molecular corsets’. Second, the supracellular actin fiber network, powered by myosin periodic oscillation, contracts anisotropically driving tissue extension along the egg anterior-posterior axis. During both processes, cellular and supracellular planar polarity provide a critical cue to controlDrosophilaegg chamber elongation. Here we review how different planar polarized networks are built, maintained and function at both cellular and supracellular levels in theDrosophilaovarian epithelium.
Plasmodium knowlesi – Clinical Isolate Genome Sequencing to Inform Translational Same-Species Model System for Severe Malaria
Authors: Oresegun Damilola R. , Daneshvar Cyrus , Cox-Singh Janet
Published: March 2021

Malaria is responsible for unacceptably high morbidity and mortality, especially in Sub-Saharan African Nations. Malaria is caused by member species’ of the genusPlasmodiumand despite concerted and at times valiant efforts, the underlying pathophysiological processes leading to severe disease are poorly understood. Here we describe zoonotic malaria caused byPlasmodium knowlesiand the utility of this parasite as a model system for severe malaria. We present a method to generate long-read third-generationPlasmodiumgenome sequence data from archived clinical samples using the MinION platform. The method and technology are accessible, affordable and data is generated in real-time. We propose that by widely adopting this methodology important information on clinically relevant parasite diversity, including multiple gene family members, from geographically distinct study sites will emerge. Our goal, over time, is to exploit the duality ofP. knowlesias a well-used laboratory model and human pathogen to develop a representative translational model system for severe malaria that is informed by clinically relevant parasite diversity.
Comparison of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion and Multiple Daily Injections in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: A Meta‐Analysis and Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Xu , Zhao Xue , Chen Danrong , Zhang Mingzhi , Gu Wei
Published: March 2021

Background

The incidence of pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D) is increasing worldwide, and the appropriate choice of therapy regimens is important for children, especially in developing countries with inadequate resources.

Methods

We conducted a design combining meta-analysis and prospective cohort study. In meta-analysis, 14 studies involving 69,085 TID cases reported glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, including 48,363 multiple daily insulin injections therapy (MIT) and 20,722 continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). In our prospective cohort study, TID cases were recruited from a tertiary children’s hospital, and randomly divided into Group MIT and Group CSII. After the 4-year follow-up, the effects of MDI (n = 112) and CSII (n = 76) therapy on glycemic control, long-term complications, as well as the growth and pubertal development were explored.

Results

Compared to CSII in TID, HbA1c levels in MDI (WMD = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.23) were increased significantly in meta-analysis. Among 188 clinical cases, mean age at recruitment was 7.55 (SD 2.91) years. Duration of TID was 4.23 (SD 2.61) years. 50.53% (n = 95) of them were boys. The 4-year follow-up showed that children’s HbA1c was 0.67 (95% CI −1.28, −0.05) % lower in children with CSII compared to children with MDI in multivariable regression models with adjustment for potential confounders (children’s age at follow-up, duration of TID, gender, birthweight, parity, and delivery method). CSII was associated with 2.31 kg higher in children’s weight (95% CI 0.59, 4.04) in the adjusted model. No difference was found in peripheral nerve and fundus consequences as well as the status of obesity and thin and pubertal development between CSII and MIT.

Conclusion

CSII might be associated with better glycemic control and better effect for children growth development. No higher risks of long-term complications and delayed pubertal development were observed in CSII. Our findings provided evidence for a better therapy regimen for T1D in children, nevertheless, they need to be validated by a larger sample size study.
In Vivo Imaging of Pancreatic Islet Grafts in Diabetes Treatment
Authors: Arifin Dian R. , Bulte Jeff W. M.
Published: March 2021

Transplantation of pancreatic islets has potential to offer life-long blood glucose management in type I diabetes and severe type II diabetes without the need of exogenous insulin administration. However, islet cell therapy suffers from autoimmune and allogeneic rejection as well as non-immune related factors. Non-invasive techniques to monitor and evaluate the fate of cell implants in vivo are essential to understand the underlying causes of graft failure, and hence to improve the precision and efficacy of islet therapy. This review describes how imaging technology has been employed to interrogate the distribution, number or volume, viability, and function of islet implants in vivo. To date, fluorescence imaging, PET, SPECT, BLI, MRI, MPI, and ultrasonography are the many imaging modalities being developed to fulfill this endeavor. We outline here the advantages, limitations, and clinical utility of each particular imaging approach.
Glomerulonephritis in AKI: From Pathogenesis to Therapeutic Intervention
Authors: Pesce Francesco , Stea Emma D. , Rossini Michele , Fiorentino Marco , Piancone Fausta , Infante Barbara , Stallone Giovanni , Castellano Giuseppe , Gesualdo Loreto
Published: March 2021

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasingly emerging as a global emergency. Sepsis, major surgery, and nephrotoxic drugs are the main causes of AKI in hospitalized patients. However, glomerulonephritis accounts for about 10% of AKI episodes in adults, mainly related to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis resulting from granulomatous polyangiitis (GPA, Wegener granulomatosis), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease. Also, diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, mixed cryoglobulinemia, mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis, membranous nephropathy, hemolytic uremic syndrome, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and scleroderma can induce acute renal failure. Early diagnosis of AKI due to glomerulonephritis is crucial for prompt, effective management to improve short- and long-term outcomes. Kidney biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of glomerular disease, but it is not frequently performed in critically ill patients because of their clinical conditions. In this setting, a growing number of diagnostic assays can support the working hypothesis, including antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs), anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies, anti-GBM antibodies, antistreptolysin O and anti-DNase B antibodies, cryoglobulins, antiphospholipid antibodies, and complement levels. Therapeutic strategies in AKI patients with glomerulonephritis include high-dose corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, and plasma exchange. This article reviews the wide spectrum of glomerulopathies associated with AKI, describing the immunological mechanisms underlying glomerular diseases and presenting an overview of the therapeutic options.
Not One, but Many Critical States: A Dynamical Systems Perspective
Authors: Gross Thilo
Published: March 2021

The past decade has seen growing support for the critical brain hypothesis, i.e., the possibility that the brain could operate at or very near a critical state between two different dynamical regimes. Such critical states are well-studied in different disciplines, therefore there is potential for a continued transfer of knowledge. Here, I revisit foundations of bifurcation theory, the mathematical theory of transitions. While the mathematics is well-known it's transfer to neural dynamics leads to new insights and hypothesis.
Endovascular Management of Intracranial Atherosclerosis-Related Large Vessel Occlusion With the A Direct Aspiration First-Pass Thrombectomy Compared With Solumbra Technique
Authors: Li Zhao-Shuo , Zhou Teng-Fei , Li Qiang , Guan Min , Liu Huan , Zhu Liang-Fu , Wang Zi-Liang , Li Tian-Xiao , Gao Bu-Lang
Published: March 2021

Background: To investigate the effect of the A Direct Aspiration First-Pass Thrombectomy (ADAPT) vs. Solumbra technique in the treatment of acute intracranial atherosclerosis-related large vessel occlusion (LVO).

Methods: Patients with acute atherosclerosis-related LVO who had undergone endovascular treatment were retrospectively enrolled into two groups: The Solumbra and ADAPT groups. The clinical data were analyzed.

Results: Patients (104) were enrolled with 48 in the Solumbra and 56 in the ADAPT group. The mean time from femoral access to recanalization was significantly (P < 0.05) shorter in the ADAPT than in the Solumbra group. The recanalization time at the first line was significantly shorter in the ADAPT group than in the Solumbra group (17 ± 10.21 vs. 26 ± 15.55 min, P = 0.02). However, the rate of switching to the alternative was significantly higher in the ADAPT group than that in the Solumbra group (46.42 vs. 33.33%, P = 0.01). Eighty-two patients had eventual recanalization, resulting in a final recanalization rate of 78.85%. At 3-month clinical follow-up for all patients, the good prognosis rate reached 51.92% with good prognosis in 24 patients (50%) in the Solumbra and 30 (53.57%) in the ADAPT group. The rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was 18.75% (n = 9) in the Solumbra and 19.64% (n = 11) in the ADAPT group. The mortality rate was 21.15% (22/104). Among 80 (76.92%) patients who had angiographic follow-up (3–30 months), five (6.25%) patients experienced in-stent stenosis, and two (2.5%) experienced asymptomatic stent occlusion.

Conclusion: In patients with acute intracranial atherosclerosis-related LVO, clinical outcomes treated using the ADAPT technique are comparable with those using the Solumbra technique, and more patients need additional remedial measures if treated with the ADAPT technique.
Intraoperative Cognitive Mapping Tasks for Direct Electrical Stimulation in Clinical and Neuroscientific Contexts
Authors: Bu Linghao , Lu Junfeng , Zhang Jie , Wu Jinsong
Published: March 2021

Direct electrical stimulation (DES) has been widely applied in both guidance of lesion resection and scientific research; however, the design and selection of intraoperative cognitive mapping tasks have not been updated in a very long time. We introduce updated mapping tasks for language and non-language functions and provide recommendations for optimal design and selection of intraoperative mapping tasks. In addition, with DES becoming more critical in current neuroscientific research, a task design that has not been widely used in DES yet (subtraction and conjunction paradigms) was introduced for more delicate mapping of brain functions especially for research purposes. We also illustrate the importance of designing a common task series for DES and other non-invasive mapping techniques. This review gives practical updated guidelines for advanced application of DES in clinical and neuroscientific research.
Combined Ultrasound and CT-Guided Iodine-125 Seeds Implantation for Treatment of Residual Hepatocellular Carcinoma Located at Complex Sites After Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization
Authors: Ren Yanqiao , Dong Xiangjun , Chen Lei , Sun Tao , Alwalid Osamah , Kan Xuefeng , Su Yangbo , Xiong Bin , Liang Huimin , Zheng Chuansheng , Han Ping
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of iodine-125 (125I) seeds implantation under ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) guidance in the treatment of residual hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) located at complex sites after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed the consecutive medical records of 31 HCC patients with residual tumors located at complex sites (such as large blood vessels, gallbladder, diaphragm dome, etc.) after TACE from May 2014 to December 2018, all of whom received 125I seeds implantation therapy. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), recurrence, and complications were documented.

Results

A total of 607 seeds were implanted in 31 patients, with an average of 19.6±10.4 (range, 8–48) seeds per patient. Median OS and PFS were 33 months (95% CI: 27.1 months, 38.9 months) and 15 months (95% CI: 9.6 months, 20.4 months), respectively. Although univariate analysis showed that albumin, prothrombin time, alpha-fetoprotein level, Child-Pugh score, and lipiodol deposition in tumor were associated with OS, multivariate analysis showed that none of them was an independent prognostic factor for OS. Multivariate analysis showed that prothrombin time was an independent prognostic factor for PFS. No operation-related deaths in this study. Although pneumothorax was present in two patients and subcutaneous abscess in one patient, symptoms improved in all three patients with appropriate treatment. Common minor complications included fever, abdominal pain and leukopenia and no grade≥3 adverse events were observed.

Conclusions

125I seeds implantation under the combined guidance of ultrasound and CT is safe and effective for patients with residual HCC located at complex sites after TACE. This is a promising treatment approach and deserves further discussion.
Use of Salmonella Bacteria in Cancer Therapy: Direct, Drug Delivery and Combination Approaches
Authors: Badie Fereshteh , Ghandali Maryam , Tabatabaei Seyed Alireza , Safari Mahmood , Khorshidi Ahmad , Shayestehpour Mohammad , Mahjoubin-Tehran Maryam , Morshedi Korosh , Jalili Amin , Tajiknia Vida , Hamblin Michael R. , Mirzaei Hamed
Published: March 2021

Over the years, conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy with only a limited specificity for tumors, have undergone significant improvement. Moreover, newer therapies such as immunotherapy have undergone a revolution to stimulate the innate as well as adaptive immune responses against the tumor. However, it has been found that tumors can be selectively colonized by certain bacteria, where they can proliferate, and exert direct oncolytic effects as well as stimulating the immune system. Bacterial-mediated cancer therapy (BMCT) is now one example of a hot topic in the antitumor field. Salmonella typhimurium is a Gram-negative species that generally causes self-limiting gastroenteritis in humans. This species has been designed and engineered in order to be used in cancer-targeted therapeutics. S. typhimurium can be used in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy for synergistic modification of the tumor microenvironment. Considerable benefits have been shown by using engineered attenuated strains for the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. Some of these treatment approaches have received FDA approval for early-phase clinical trials. This review summarizes the use of Salmonella bacteria for cancer therapy, which could pave the way towards routine clinical application. The benefits of this therapy include an automatic self-targeting ability, and the possibility of genetic manipulation to produce newly engineered attenuated strains. Nevertheless, Salmonella-mediated anticancer therapy has not yet been clinically established, and requires more research before its use in cancer treatment.
Brain Mapping-Aided SupraTotal Resection (SpTR) of Brain Tumors: The Role of Brain Connectivity
Authors: Giammalva Giuseppe Roberto , Brunasso Lara , Costanzo Roberta , Paolini Federica , Umana Giuseppe Emmanuele , Scalia Gianluca , Gagliardo Cesare , Gerardi Rosa Maria , Basile Luigi , Graziano Francesca , Gulì Carlo , Messina Domenico , Pino Maria Angela , Feraco Paola , Tumbiolo Silvana , Midiri Massimo , Iacopino Domenico Gerardo , Maugeri Rosario
Published: March 2021

Brain gliomas require a deep knowledge of their effects on brain connectivity. Understanding the complex relationship between tumor and functional brain is the preliminary and fundamental step for the subsequent surgery. The extent of resection (EOR) is an independent variable of surgical effectiveness and it correlates with the overall survival. Until now, great efforts have been made to achieve gross total resection (GTR) as the standard of care of brain tumor patients. However, high and low-grade gliomas have an infiltrative behavior and peritumoral white matter is often infiltrated by tumoral cells. According to these evidences, many efforts have been made to push the boundary of the resection beyond the contrast-enhanced lesion core on T1w MRI, in the so called supratotal resection (SpTR). SpTR is aimed to maximize the extent of resection and thus the overall survival. SpTR of primary brain tumors is a feasible technique and its safety is improved by intraoperative neuromonitoring and advanced neuroimaging. Only transient cognitive impairments have been reported in SpTR patients compared to GTR patients. Moreover, SpTR is related to a longer overall and progression-free survival along with preserving neuro-cognitive functions and quality of life.
Sleep Disturbances and Patterns in Children With Neurodevelopmental Conditions
Authors: Halstead Elizabeth J. , Joyce Anna , Sullivan Emma , Tywyn Carwyn , Davies Kyle , Jones Alexandra , Dimitriou Dagmara
Published: March 2021

Background: Children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDC) often experience sleep problems which are long-lasting and more complex than typically developing children. These sleep problems impact their families and there is little guidance for management specifically for sleep for families of children with neurodevelopmental conditions. The present study aims to use parental report to evaluate sleep disturbances and sleep patterns in a large sample of children with NDC. We aim to identify associations with age, diagnosis, and medication groups.

Methods: Data on 601 children aged between 2 and 17 years was analyzed from a UK non-profit service for sleep for families of children with NDC. Parents/carers completed the children's sleep habit questionnaire, a 7 day sleep diary, and information on child age, diagnosis, and medication. Parents also reported previous sleep management techniques they had tried.

Results: Overall, we found differences between age, diagnosis, and medication use groups for sleep disturbances and sleep diary parameters in these populations. Sensory conditions were associated with high night time waking duration. Parents reported their child's short sleep duration was the most common problem for them.

Conclusions: Key areas for further research are outlined including the long term considerations for parental presence at bedtime for sleep anxiety, melatonin use and efficacy, and consideration for interventions to reduce daytime fatigue in children aged 7–11 years old.
Considerations on D-mannose Mechanism of Action and Consequent Classification of Marketed Healthcare Products
Authors: Scaglione Francesco , Musazzi Umberto M. , Minghetti Paola
Published: March 2021

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common disorders that affect adult women. Indeed, 50% of all women suffer from UTIs at least one time in their lifetime; 20–40% of them experience recurrent episodes. The majority of UTIs seems to be due to uropathogenicEscherichia colithat invades urothelial cells and forms quiescent bacterial reservoirs. Recurrences of UTIs are often treated with non-prescribed antibiotics by the patients, with increased issues connected to antibiotics resistance. D-mannose, a monosaccharide that is absorbed but not metabolized by the human body, has been proposed as an alternative approach for managing UTIs since it can inhibit the bacterial adhesion to the urothelium. This manuscript discusses the mechanisms through which D-mannose acts to highlight the regulatory aspects relevant for determining the administrative category of healthcare products placed on the market. The existing literature permits to conclude that the anti-adhesive effect of D-mannose cannot be considered as a pharmacological effect and, therefore, D-mannose-based products should be classified as medical devices composed of substances.
Pre-trained Deep Convolution Neural Network Model With Attention for Speech Emotion Recognition
Authors: Zhang Hua , Gou Ruoyun , Shang Jili , Shen Fangyao , Wu Yifan , Dai Guojun
Published: March 2021

Speech emotion recognition (SER) is a difficult and challenging task because of the affective variances between different speakers. The performances of SER are extremely reliant on the extracted features from speech signals. To establish an effective features extracting and classification model is still a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a new method for SER based on Deep Convolution Neural Network (DCNN) and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory with Attention (BLSTMwA) model (DCNN-BLSTMwA). We first preprocess the speech samples by data enhancement and datasets balancing. Secondly, we extract three-channel of log Mel-spectrograms (static, delta, and delta-delta) as DCNN input. Then the DCNN model pre-trained on ImageNet dataset is applied to generate the segment-level features. We stack these features of a sentence into utterance-level features. Next, we adopt BLSTM to learn the high-level emotional features for temporal summarization, followed by an attention layer which can focus on emotionally relevant features. Finally, the learned high-level emotional features are fed into the Deep Neural Network (DNN) to predict the final emotion. Experiments on EMO-DB and IEMOCAP database obtain the unweighted average recall (UAR) of 87.86 and 68.50%, respectively, which are better than most popular SER methods and demonstrate the effectiveness of our propose method.
Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Sequelae of COVID-19
Authors: Kumar Sanjay , Veldhuis Alfred , Malhotra Tina
Published: March 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is likely to have long-term mental health effects on individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. Rightly, there is a global response for recognition and planning on how to deal with mental health problems for everyone impacted by the global pandemic. This does not just include COVID-19 patients but the general public and health care workers as well. There is also a need to understand the role of the virus itself in the pathophysiology of mental health disorders and longer-term mental health sequelae. Emerging evidence suggests that COVID-19 patients develop neurological symptoms such as headache, altered consciousness, and paraesthesia. Brain tissue oedema and partial neurodegeneration have also been observed in an autopsy. In addition, there are reports that the virus has the potential to cause nervous system damage. Together, these findings point to a possible role of the virus in the development of acute psychiatric symptoms and long-term neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19. The brain pathologies associated with COVID-19 infection is likely to have a long-term impact on cognitive processes. Evidence from other viral respiratory infections, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), suggests a potential development of psychiatric disorders, long-term neuropsychiatric disorders, and cognitive problems. In this paper, we will review and evaluate the available evidence of acute and possible long-term neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19. We will discuss possible pathophysiological mechanisms and the implications this will have on preparing a long-term strategy to monitor and manage such patients.
Polymorphisms in the HTR2A and HTR3A Genes Contribute to Pain in TMD Myalgia
Authors: Louca Jounger Sofia , Christidis Nikolaos , Hedenberg-Magnusson Britt , List Thomas , Svensson Peter , Schalling Martin , Ernberg Malin
Published: March 2021

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to monoaminergic neurotransmission, in particular the serotonergic pathway, contribute to pain perception in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) myalgia and if there is a correlation to jaw function as well as psychosocial factors such as stress, anxiety and depression.

Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventeen individuals with TMD myalgia were included. A venous blood or saliva sample was taken for genetic analyses and genotyped regarding HTR2A (rs9316233) HTR3A (rs1062613), HTR3B (rs1176744), SERT (5-HTTLPR) and COMT (rs4680). A clinical examination according to Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) was performed and axis II data (psychosocial factors) were compared between participants with different genotypes for each gene using Kruskall–Wallis test. The characteristic pain intensity (CPI) was tested for correlations to scores for the Perceived Stress Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Patient Health Questionnaires using Spearman's rank correlation test with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. To further explore data factor analysis was performed to identify latent factors associated to the outcome variables.

Results: Participants carrying at least one copy of the rare allele of the HTR2A (rs9316233) and HTR3A (rs1062613) had higher CPI compared with the participants with the homozygous common genotype (P = 0.042 and P = 0.024, respectively). Correlation analyses showed several significant positive correlations between CPI on one hand, and self-reported psychosocial distress and jaw function on the other hand for several genotypes that mostly were weak to moderate. The factor analysis identified two latent variables. One was positively correlated to the HTR3B gene, jaw function and self-reported parafunctions, and the other was positively correlated to psychological distress and negatively correlated to SERT.

Conclusion: Taken together, the polymorphism rs1062613 in the HTR3A gene contributes to pain intensity in TMD myalgia. This together with positive interactions between pain variables and psychological factors in genotypes strengthens that pain and psychological distress are related. Further research is needed to explore this as well as the influence of gene-to-gene interactions on pain and psychological distress.
Analysis and Management of Motor Failures of Hexacopter in Hover
Authors: Wen Fu-Hsuan , Hsiao Fu-Yuen , Shiau Jaw-Kuen
Published: March 2021

This research presents an analysis and management strategy for hovering hexacopter with one or more failing motors. Of late, multirotor drones have become particularly popular, and all drones have been increasing in popularity. Unlike a fixed-wing drone, failure of motors in a multirotor craft may cause safety problems. Numerous published articles have proposed solving this problem by redesigning the control law or control gain. This approach, however, is difficult to implement because change of control gain usually involves connecting external devices. This paper proposes to keep the control gain unchanged but reallocate the thrusts. Simulations are conducted on a hexacopter in various hovering modes. Some hovering state problems are investigated for the linearized dynamics but also numerically verified for the original nonlinear dynamics. In case some motors of a hexacopter fail in flight, an allocation matrix is proposed to redistribute required thrusts to functional motors. Seven cases of motor failure are studied. This paper analytically proves that limited controllability for emergency landing is feasible in four scenarios at the linear level, but the other three scenarios are completely uncontrollable. Numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the validity of our algorithm. An online video of real flight also confirms our results. This paper potentially helps the design of failure management of rotors and increases the successful rate of emergent landing.
Distribution of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL)-Encoding Genes among Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Pathogens Collected from Three Different Countries
Authors: Azab Khaled S. M. , Abdel-Rahman Mohamed Ali , El-Sheikh Hussien H. , Azab Ehab , Gobouri Adil A. , Farag Mohamed M. S.
Published: March 2021

The incidence of Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-encoding genes (blaCTX-M and blaTEM) among Gram-negative multidrug-resistant pathogens collected from three different countries was investigated. Two hundred and ninety-two clinical isolates were collected from Egypt (n = 90), Saudi Arabia (n = 162), and Sudan (n = 40). Based on the antimicrobial sensitivity against 20 antimicrobial agents from 11 antibiotic classes, the most resistant strains were selected and identified using the Vitek2 system and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. A total of 85.6% of the isolates were found to be resistant to more than three antibiotic classes. The ratios of the multidrug-resistant strains for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan were 74.4%, 90.1%, and 97.5%, respectively. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed inconstant resistance levels to the different classes of antibiotics. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae had the highest levels of resistance against macrolides followed by penicillins and cephalosporin, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa was most resistant to penicillins followed by classes that varied among different countries. The isolates were positive for the presence of the blaCTX-M and blaTEM genes. The blaCTX-M gene was the predominant gene in all isolates (100%), while blaTEM was detected in 66.7% of the selected isolates. This work highlights the detection of multidrug-resistant bacteria and resistant genes among different countries. We suggest that the medical authorities urgently implement antimicrobial surveillance plans and infection control policies for early detection and effective prevention of the rapid spread of these pathogens.
Taurine Protects against Postischemic Brain Injury via the Antioxidant Activity of Taurine Chloramine
Authors: Seol Song-I , Kim Hyun Jae , Choi Eun Bi , Kang In Soon , Lee Hye-Kyung , Lee Ja-Kyeong , Kim Chaekyun
Published: March 2021

Taurine is ubiquitously distributed in mammalian tissues and is highly concentrated in the heart, brain, and leukocytes. Taurine exerts neuroprotective effects in various central nervous system diseases and can suppress infarct formation in stroke. Taurine reacts with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-derived hypochlorous acid (HOCl) to produce taurine chloramine (Tau-Cl). We investigated the neuroprotective effects of taurine using a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model and BV2 microglial cells. Although intranasal administration of taurine (0.5 mg/kg) had no protective effects, the same dose of Tau-Cl significantly reduced infarct volume and ameliorated neurological deficits and promoted motor function, indicating a robust neuroprotective effect of Tau-Cl. There was neutrophil infiltration in the post-MCAO brains, and the MPO produced by infiltrating neutrophils might be involved in the taurine to Tau-Cl conversion. Tau-Cl significantly increased the levels of antioxidant enzymes glutamate–cysteine ligase, heme oxygenase-1, NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase 1, and peroxiredoxin-1 in BV2 cells, whereas taurine slightly increased some of them. Antioxidant enzyme levels were increased in the post-MCAO brains, and Tau-Cl further increased the level of MCAO-induced antioxidant enzymes. These results suggest that the neutrophils infiltrate the area of ischemic injury area, where taurine is converted to Tau-Cl, thus protecting from brain injury by scavenging toxic HOCl and increasing antioxidant enzyme expression.
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammaging Ability of Prune (Prunus Spinosa L.) Extract Result in Improved Wound Healing Efficacy
Authors: Coppari Sofia , Colomba Mariastella , Fraternale Daniele , Brinkmann Vanessa , Romeo Margherita , Rocchi Marco Bruno Luigi , Di Giacomo Barbara , Mari Michele , Guidi Loretta , Ramakrishna Seeram , Ventura Natascia , Albertini Maria Cristina
Published: March 2021

Prunus spinosa L. fruit (PSF) ethanol extract, showing a peculiar content of biologically active molecules (polyphenols), was investigated for its wound healing capacity, a typical feature that declines during aging and is negatively affected by the persistence of inflammation and oxidative stress. To this aim, first, PSF anti-inflammatory properties were tested on young and senescent LPS-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). As a result, PSF treatment increased miR-146a and decreased IRAK-1 and IL-6 expression levels. In addition, the PSF antioxidant effect was validated in vitro with DPPH assay and confirmed by in vivo treatments in C. elegans. Our findings showed beneficial effects on worms’ lifespan and healthspan with positive outcomes on longevity markers (i.e., miR-124 upregulation and miR-39 downregulation) as well. The PSF effect on wound healing was tested using the same cells and experimental conditions employed to investigate PSF antioxidant and anti-inflammaging ability. PSF treatment resulted in a significant improvement of wound healing closure (ca. 70%), through cell migration, both in young and older cells, associated to a downregulation of inflammation markers. In conclusion, PSF extract antioxidant and anti-inflammaging abilities result in improved wound healing capacity, thus suggesting that PSF might be helpful to improve the quality of life for its beneficial health effects.
A Global-Local Blur Disentangling Network for Dynamic Scene Deblurring
Authors: Li Xiaoguang , Yang Feifan , Huang Jianglu , Zhuo Li
Published: March 2021

Images captured in a real scene usually suffer from complex non-uniform degradation, which includes both global and local blurs. It is difficult to handle the complex blur variances by a unified processing model. We propose a global-local blur disentangling network, which can effectively extract global and local blur features via two branches. A phased training scheme is designed to disentangle the global and local blur features, that is the branches are trained with task-specific datasets, respectively. A branch attention mechanism is introduced to dynamically fuse global and local features. Complex blurry images are used to train the attention module and the reconstruction module. The visualized feature maps of different branches indicated that our dual-branch network can decouple the global and local blur features efficiently. Experimental results show that the proposed dual-branch blur disentangling network can improve both the subjective and objective deblurring effects for real captured images.
Efficient Operative Cost Reduction in Distribution Grids Considering the Optimal Placement and Sizing of D-STATCOMs Using a Discrete-Continuous VSA
Authors: Montoya Oscar Danilo , Gil-González Walter , Hernández Jesus C.
Published: March 2021

The problem of reactive power compensation in electric distribution networks is addressed in this research paper from the point of view of the combinatorial optimization using a new discrete-continuous version of the vortex search algorithm (DCVSA). To explore and exploit the solution space, a discrete-continuous codification of the solution vector is proposed, where the discrete part determines the nodes where the distribution static compensator (D-STATCOM) will be installed, and the continuous part of the codification determines the optimal sizes of the D-STATCOMs. The main advantage of such codification is that the mixed-integer nonlinear programming model (MINLP) that represents the problem of optimal placement and sizing of the D-STATCOMs in distribution networks only requires a classical power flow method to evaluate the objective function, which implies that it can be implemented in any programming language. The objective function is the total costs of the grid power losses and the annualized investment costs in D-STATCOMs. In addition, to include the impact of the daily load variations, the active and reactive power demand curves are included in the optimization model. Numerical results in two radial test feeders with 33 and 69 buses demonstrate that the proposed DCVSA can solve the MINLP model with best results when compared with the MINLP solvers available in the GAMS software. All the simulations are implemented in MATLAB software using its programming environment.
Gazing Characteristics of a Driver during Vehicle Backing
Authors: Matsui Yasuhiro , Oikawa Shoko
Published: March 2021

We investigated a driver’s gazing time during backing vehicle maneuvers in a 90-degree reverse parking system for the phase from start to the 5-m point (start phase) and the phase from backing from the 5-m point to stop (stop phase). The objective of this study was to elucidate the driver’s gaze while approaching the parking area and in the parking area during backing. We used a sport utility vehicle with the driver’s seat at the right-hand side. We modified the vehicle with four technological conditions: no-tech vehicle, sonar vehicle, backup-camera vehicle, and backup camera with sonar vehicle. The monitor, rearview mirror, left-side mirror, and right-side mirror were designated as the area of interest (AOI) in the gaze. For the start phase, there were no significant differences in the total gazing time of all the AOIs in the four technologies. For the stop phase, however, the total gazing time of all the AOIs for the vehicle with a backup camera was significantly longer than that of the vehicle without a backup camera owing to the increase in the gazing time of the monitor. The results obtained from these experiments will form a basis for the future development of vehicle camera systems.
Evaluation of Cracks on the Welding of Austenitic Stainless Steel Using Experimental and Numerical Techniques
Authors: Berkache Azouaou , Lee Jinyi , Choe Eunho
Published: March 2021

This paper deals with investigation and characterization of weld circumferential thin cracks in austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304) pipe with eddy current nondestructive testing technique (EC-NDT). During welding process, the heat source applied to the AISI 304 was not uniform, accompanied by a change of the physical property. To take into consideration this change, the relative magnetic permeability was considered as a gradiently changed variable in the weld and the heat affected zone (HAZ), which was generated by the Monte Carlo Method based on pseudo random number generation (PRNG). Numerical simulations were performed by means of MATLAB software using 2D finite element method to solve the problem. To verify, results from the modeling works were conducted and contrasted with findings from experimental ones. Indeed, the results of comparison agreed well. In addition, they show that considering this changing of this magnetic property allows distinguishing the thin cracks in the weld area.
Autonomous Environment Generator for UAV-Based Simulation
Authors: Nakama Justin , Parada Ricky , Matos-Carvalho João P. , Azevedo Fábio , Pedro Dário , Campos Luís
Published: March 2021

The increased demand for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has also led to higher demand for realistic and efficient UAV testing environments. The current use of simulated environments has been shown to be a relatively inexpensive, safe, and repeatable way to evaluate UAVs before real-world use. However, the use of generic environments and manually-created custom scenarios leaves more to be desired. In this paper, we propose a new testbed that utilizes machine learning algorithms to procedurally generate, scale, and place 3D models to create a realistic environment. These environments are additionally based on satellite images, thus providing users with a more robust example of real-world UAV deployment. Although certain graphical improvements could be made, this paper serves as a proof of concept for an novel autonomous and relatively-large scale environment generator. Such a testbed could allow for preliminary operational planning and testing worldwide, without the need for on-site evaluation or data collection in the future.