bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Before Slater: A history of field guides to Australian birds to 1970
Authors:   College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811, Australia, McGregor Russell
Published: July 2022

This article traces the evolution of field guides to Australian birds from the first in 1911 up to the publication of Peter Slater’s ground-breaking guide to non-passerines in 1970. The classic guides, John Leach’s An Australian Bird Book (1911) and Neville Cayley’s What Bird Is That? (1931), receive due attention, but I also scrutinise the many more guides to specific parts of Australia and particular avian families and orders that were published over those six decades. I set the development of Australian field guides in international context, with particular attention to the works of the American, Roger Tory Peterson, whose influence is apparent in many of the guides of more restricted scope, but not in the reissues of the classics by Leach and Cayley. Innovation in Australian field guides is also contextualised within the broader transformations of birding practice over the period under consideration. Field guides were among the drivers of those transformations, while at the same time being shaped by them.
A Combined Cell-Worm Approach to Search for Compounds Counteracting the Toxicity of Tau Oligomers in Vivo
Authors: Natale Carmina , Barzago Maria Monica , Colnaghi Luca , De Luigi Ada , Orsini Franca , Fioriti Luana , Diomede Luisa
Published: July 2022

A clear relationship between the tau assemblies and toxicity has still to be established. To correlate the tau conformation with its proteotoxic effect in vivo we developed an innovative cell-worm-based approach. HEK293 cells expressing tau P301L under a tetracycline-inducible system (HEK T-Rex) were employed to produce different tau assemblies whose proteotoxic potential was evaluated using C. elegans. Lysates from cells induced for five days, significantly reduced the worm’s locomotor activity. This toxic effect was not related to the total amount of tau produced by cells or to its phosphorylation state but was related to the formation of multimeric tau assemblies, particularly tetrameric ones. We investigated the applicability of this approach for testing compounds acting against oligomeric tau toxicity, using doxycycline (Doxy) as prototype drug. Doxy affected the tau solubility and promoted the disassembly of already formed toxic aggregates in lysates of cells induced for five days. These effects translated into a dose-dependent protective action in C. elegans. These findings confirm the validity of the combined HEK T-Rex cells and C. elegans-based approach as a platform for pharmacological screening.
Present and future changes of winter cyclonic activity in the Mediterranean-Black Sea region in the 21st century in CMIP6 models’ ensemble
Authors: Voskresenskaya Elena N. , Maslova Veronika N. , Lubkov Andrey S. , Zhuravskiy Viktor Y.
Published: July 2022

A better understanding of the expected future cyclonic activity, especially in the Mediterranean Basin in winter, is essential for developing scientifically based adaptation and mitigation methods to extreme precipitation and wind anomalies. The aim of this study is to analyze the change of winter cyclonic activity in the Mediterranean-Black Sea region, within the Atlantic–European region, at the beginning (as the recent historical period), middle and end of the 21st century. The projections are based on an ensemble of seven CMIP6 models, which showed the best consistency with NCEP/NCAR and ERA5 reanalysis, under the intermediate SSP2-4.5 and highest-emission SSP5-8.5 scenarios. The results show a consistent increase of the frequency of cyclones over Central Europe and the British Isles associated with the shift of cyclone tracks: norward from the Western Mediterranean region and southward from the Iceland Low. The latter leads to a decrease of the frequency in the north of the Atlantic–European region. At the same time, there is a reduction of the frequency of cyclones over the east of the Mediterranean Sea consistent with the decrease of cyclogenesis events. Area-averaged cyclone numbers in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea subregions reduce to the end of the century under the highest-emission scenario, but not constantly and with a raise in the middle of the 21st century under both scenarios, which may be linked to the long-term multidecadal variability or regional features. In general, our study shows that the future winter cyclonic activity in the Mediterranean-Black Sea region responds unevenly to global climate changes, because regional and monthly features are important, as well as accounting for the long-term quasiperiodic variability.
New therapeutic options for otitis media with effusion in children
Authors:   Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Ear, Throat, Nose and Speech, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Drozdova M.V. , Ryazantsev S.V. ,   Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Ear, Throat, Nose and Speech, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Bykova A.V. ,   Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Ear, Throat, Nose and Speech, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
Published: July 2022

Anti-inflammatory therapy for otitis media with effusion (OME) in patients with chronic diseases of the Waldeyer's tonsillar ring is a key stage of treatment. Patients and methods. This observational study included 85 patients. Group 1 comprised 50 OME patients with grade I–II pharyngeal tonsil hypertrophy who were further divided into two subgroups: 1A (n = 30) and 1B (n = 20). Group 2 involved 35 OME patients on the second day after adenectomy; they were divided into subgroups 2A (n = 20) and 2B (n = 15). Children in subgroups 1A and 2A received standard OME therapy plus ammonium glycyrrhizinate (AG) for 30 days, whereas children in subgroups 1B and 2B received standard OME therapy alone. Results. Patients from the experimental subgroups (1A and 2A) who received AG demonstrated significantly lower VAS scores of both auditory symptoms (hearing loss and congestion/noise in the ear) and initial manifestations (rhinorrhea and nasal congestion) already by first follow-up visits compared to controls (subgroups 1B and 2B). Maximum differences were observed on day 30: the severity of symptoms in children from group 1A was 2.5 times lower than in children from subgroup 1B; patients from subgroup 2A also demonstrated a 2-fold reduction in symptom severity compared to children from subgroup 2B (p < 0.05). Tympanometry showed that 90% of patients in the experimental subgroups (1A and 2A) had complete restoration of auditory tube function by day 30, while in control subgroups 1B and 2B, the proportion of such patients was significantly lower (55% and 73%, respectively). Audiometry results suggest that complete hearing restoration by day 30 was more frequent in patients receiving AG than in controls (1A and 1B: 94% vs 70%; 2A and 2B: 100% vs 80%). Patients of the experimental subgroups were more satisfied with treatment results. Conclusion. The inclusion of AG into the treatment scheme for OME and auditory tube dysfunction after elective adenectomy increases treatment efficacy by normalizing drainage and ventilation functions of the middle ear, elimination of exudate, and ensuring hearing restoration. Key words: otitis media with effusion, children, auditory tube, Waldeyer's tonsillar ring, hearing loss, impedance audiometry, ammonium glycyrrhizinate
Predictors of chronic diarrhea in young children
Authors:   Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russian Federation, Pechkurov D.V. , Tyazheva A.A. ,   Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russian Federation, Konovalova A.M. ,   Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russian Federation
Published: July 2022

Chronic diarrhea in young children requires long multi-stage diagnosis, which often results in delayed therapy and, as a consequence, poorer quality of life. Objective. To identify risk factors for chronic diarrhea in young children. Patients and methods. This study included 70 children with chronic diarrhea and 70 healthy children matched for main characteristics. Results. We identified the following predictors of chronic diarrhea in young children: chronic genitourinary infections during pregnancy, Cesarian section, late initiation of breastfeeding, early initiation of formula feeding, and antibacterial therapy in the neonatal period. Family history of food intolerance and allergic diseases were also found to be significant risk factors for chronic diarrhea in young children (food-dependent forms of diarrhea). Key words: chronic diarrhea, young children, risk factors
STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF INTENSIFYING ADDITIVES ON LOW-TEMPERATURE SYNTHESIS OF SLAVSONITE AND CELZIAN IN THE CREATION OF RADIOTRANSPARENT CERAMIC MATERIALS
Authors: Georgiy Lisachuk  , Ruslan Kryvobok  , Artem Zakharov  , Valentyna Voloshchuk  , Lidiia Lisachuk  , Yevhen Chefranov
Published: July 2022

The studies carried out concern the development of structural radiotransparent ceramic materials based on the four-component system BaO–SrO–Al2O3–SiO2. Due to the widespread use of radar equipment at modern aviation facilities, the development of radiotransparent fairings for them is a rather important and urgent task.The purpose of the fairings is to protect the antenna devices of radar stations from environmental influences during flight. Based on this, the fairings must meet a complex set of requirements for aerodynamic, thermal, radio engineering and mechanical properties. These requirements at supersonic flight speeds of modern objects increase significantly, since the improvement of the aerodynamic shape, the increase in the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the fairings contradicts the interests of radio engineering, leading to a significant deterioration in their radiotransparency and to distortions of antenna directional patterns. The consequence is a decrease in the range of radar stations and serious deterioration in their accuracy characteristics.The aim of the research was to obtain, on the basis of the BaO–SrO–Al2O3–SiO2 system, crystalline phases of slavsonit and celsian at low temperatures and times of synthesis, by introducing sintering intensifiers with fluxing and modifying action.The influence of a number of additives on the intensification of the low-temperature synthesis of slavsonit and celsian is investigated. The positive effect of the eutectic additive of the SnO2–Li2O system on the preparation of a densely sintered ceramic material based on solid solutions of slavsonit and monoclinic celsian is shown. It has been established that, according to its dielectric properties, the obtained ceramic material can be classified as structural radio-transparent materials.
DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF A DAILY DIET QUALITY FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
Authors: Zaparenko Anna , Borysova Alina , Yakimenko-Tereschenko Natalia , Oliinyk Nataliia , Ноntar Tetiana
Published: July 2022

The problem of designing a balanced diet for primary school-aged children as a very important lever to improve the health of children and adults is considered. It is demonstrated that children's nutrition differs from adult nutrition in several signs, in particular, it needs calcium in an easily digestible form, more nutrients and energy per unit of body weight, requires the use of gentle processing methods such as cooking, stewing and baking, removing some ingredients from the diet, etc. It is proposed to use mathematical models of the recipe and nutritional composition of rations for the design of rations, taking into account restrictions on the content of raw materials in the diet, ratios that ensure a high balance of fat, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as the conditions for the enrichment of diets with certain deficient nutrients regarding their daily needs. The choice of the target function for each diet model is justified based on preliminary calculations performed using the MS Excel spreadsheet. Using the proposed models, four single-use diets were developed for primary school-aged children - the first and second breakfast, lunch and dinner, which together form a balanced and varied daily diet. The rations are designed based on traditional or raw materials widespread in Ukraine with the involvement of only natural ingredients allowed by the current legislation of Ukraine for use in school meals. As a result of optimization carried out with the help of the method of built-in functions in the MathCAD system, optimal values ​​of raw ingredients contained in the diet were obtained. Based on the received data, the daily diet menu is composed. According to the results of testing the recipes of the proposed diet, their high quality was noted and the possibility of further use in children's and school nutrition was shown. According to the results of the analysis of the nutrients’ balance in the composition of the proposed single-use diets and the daily diet provided by the scientists, their high quality has been proven.
INVESTIGATION OF PHENOL SORPTION REMOVAL PROCESS BY COMPOSITE SORBENT F300-MnO2
Authors: Khokhotva Oleksandr , Butchenko Liudmyla
Published: July 2022

Phenolic compounds are widespread wastewater pollutants that are produced in the oil and petrochemical industry, coal conversion, and phenol production. Phenols are widely used for the commercial production of a wide variety of plastics, which are used as structural materials for automobiles and equipment, at production of epoxy resins and adhesives. The discharge of phenol-containing waters into water bodies and watercourses sharply worsens their general sanitary status, affecting living organisms not only by their toxicity but also by a significant change in the regime of biogenic elements and dissolved gases. Among the methods of phenols removal from wastewater, there is a wide variety of oxidation methods such as photochemical, aerobic biological, enzymatic, ozone, electrochemical oxidation. The paper is devoted to the investigation of the conditions of phenol removal using a composite sorbent with an active oxidation phase. The composite sorbent F300-MnO2 was obtained by deposition of manganese dioxide on the surface of pores of activated carbon Filtrasorb 300. The conditions of modification of activated carbon by the KMnO4 solution were studied to intensify the process of phenol removal from aqueous solutions. It was determined that the best effect of water purification is achieved when coal was treated by KMnO4 solution with concentration of 0.025 mol-eq/dm3 within 5‑15 minutes. The investigation of the effect of pH on phenol removal by composite sorbent and unmodified coal revealed the highest efficiency in a weak acidic environment: at pH 4-5 for F300-MnO2 and 5-6 for unmodified coal. The obtained isotherms of phenol sorption on F300 and F300-MnO2 showed that modification with the KMnO4 solution enhanced the sorption capacity of the coal. The effect of oxidative pollutant removal is more noticeable when carrying out the process for a relatively long time (several days or weeks). Otherwise, the limiting factors are reduced specific surface area of the sorbent due to its partial filling with MnO2 nanoparticles, and diffusion within the grains of the composite sorbent, which makes the extraction of phenol by unmodified coal becomes more efficient.
Tendencias del cine asiático. Análisis de la filmografía de Chung Mong-hong (鍾孟宏 / Zhōng Mèng-hóng)
Authors: Martínez Cano Francisco Julián
Published: July 2022

La práctica cinematográfica en Asia despierta interés en occidente, y concretamente en el área de los estudios fílmicos, donde todavía no ha sido explorada en profundidad. El presente estudio se centra en analizar las tendencias del East Asian Cinema, poniendo el foco en el cine taiwanés a través del análisis de la filmografía en el periodo 2008-2019 de Chung Mong-hong, uno de sus representantes y heredero del Nuevo Cine Taiwanés de finales del XX.
 
Este análisis fílmico se basa en una metodología cualitativa dividida en dos fases, una inicial de revisión bibliográfica de la literatura científica, y de manera paralela se llevó a cabo un estudio de la filmografía propuesta, aplicando una herramienta de análisis propia, estructurada en dos bloques. En primer lugar, se analizaron las cuestiones temáticas de la obra de Chung Mong-hong. Posteriormente se observaron e identificaron las cuestiones formales. Finalmente tratamos de identificar los puntos en común de las prácticas cinematográficas del este de Asia y las posibles causas en relación al cine de autor en Taiwán. Como resultados, cabe destacar la influencia del cine negro clásico y la obsesión por el encuadre, combinada con una fotografía estilizada, en la que el color saturado y el contraste generan un estilo visual distintivo al que se aproximan diversos autores del este de Asia. Además, resulta relevante el sistema de coproducciones en la industria cinematográfica de la región, siendo la taiwanesa una de las más activas en la coproducción con países de occidente y la segunda región que más coproduce con China continental, lo que facilita la aparición de tendencias comunes en el cine de los diferentes países del este de Asia.
Drillers vs. Granite Hard Rock Is Losing Its Edge
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen
Published: July 2022

At the Utah FORGE test site, they are drilling wells to try to accomplish something others have failed to in 50 years of trying—inject water into hot rock and produce enough steam to power a commercial electric generator.

There are many reasons why it is hard, particularly finding a way to use fracturing to create what amounts to a slow-moving, high-volume waterflood that heats the water as it flows from an injection well to a production well.

Multiple well pairs per power plant are likely needed, so another problem is finding a way to speed up the drilling, which at the site requires drilling through a mile of granite at temperatures exceeding 400°F.

“This approach will take hundreds and hundreds of wells. The challenge is cost, like in an unconventional well,” said Fred Dupriest, professor of engineering practices at Texas A&M University, while delivering a paper at the recent SPE/IADC International Drilling Conference (SPE 208798).

The comparison to shale is apt because he was brought in at Utah FORGE to teach drillers how to use the hardware and methods that speeded drilling in unconventionals to accelerate drilling through hard rock.

The high cost of slow drilling in hard rock has inspired futuristic ideas such as using plasma energy to disintegrate hard rock. The technology was the basis of a startup, GA Drilling, which was recently bought by Nabors which hopes to commercialize it for hard rock sections.

The challenge faced by Dupriest and his partner on the project, Sam Noynaert, an associate professor of engineering practice at Texas A&M, was to demonstrate that faster drilling methods are possible using available technology.

The future of geothermal energy depends on efforts like Utah FORGE’s, which are funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), to overcome the subsurface barriers that have limited geothermal power to less than 1% of the US electric supply.

Growth has been limited by the available resources. There are so few places in the US or the world that combine geothermal heating, water, and naturally conductive fractures that make it possible to drill wells that produce superheated steam.

On the other hand, it is not hard to find hot, dry rock. If profitable systems can be built to inject the water into hot formations and produce enough very hot water, geothermal power plants could be located near big, urban power markets.
An Investigation into Gender Distributions in Scholarly Publications among Dental Faculty Members in Iran
Authors: Mansuri Asra , Sofi-Mahmudi Ahmad , Mahmoum Masoumeh , Zobairy Hosna , DeTora Lisa M , Bierer Barbara E , Ekmekci Perihan Elif , Folayan Morenike Oluwatoyin , Crawley Francis P , Lii Ching Shan , Tovani-Palone Marcos Roberto , Shamsoddin Erfan
Published: July 2022

Background: To investigate gender differences in scientometric indices among faculty members in dental schools across Iran. This included overall data and speciality-specific data.Methods: The publication profiles of academic staff in all dental schools were examined using the Iranian Scientometric Information Database (ISID, http://isid.research.ac.ir). Variables analysed were working field, academic degree, total number of papers, papers per year, total number of citations, percentage of self-citation, h-index, g-index, citations per paper, gender, university type, number of years publishing, proportion of international papers, first-author papers, and corresponding-author papers. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric tests were used to analyse the relationship between background characteristics and scientometric indicators. The extracted data were analysed using R v4.0.1.Results: The database included 1850 faculty members, of which about 60% (1104 of 1850) were women. Men (n=746) had a higher number of papers (6583 vs 6255) and citations (60410 vs 39559) compared with women; 234 of the 376 faculty members with no papers were women. Almost half of the women (N=517 of 1104) were in Type 2 universities, and nearly half of the men (N=361 of the 746) were faculty members at Type 1 universities (Type 1 universities ranking higher than Type 2 and 3 universities). The medians of scientometric indices were higher in men, except for self-citation percentage (0 (IQR=2) vs 0 (IQR=3), P=0.083), international papers percentage (0 (IQR=7.5) vs 0 (IQR=16.7), P<0.001). The proportion of corresponding-author papers was more than 62% higher in women (25 (IQR=50) vs 15.4 (IQR=40), P<0.001). Men had a two-fold higher median h-index (2 (IQR=4) vs 1 (IQR=3), P<0.001). Restorative dentistry and paediatric dentistry had the highest men-to-women ratios (1.5 for both). Dental materials and oral and maxillofacial surgery showed the lowest men-to-women ratios (0.42 and 0.5, respectively).Conclusions: Women made up the majority of dental faculty members in Iran. Nevertheless, men showed better scientometric results in several significant indices. Having identified scientometric information reflecting difference across faculty members, further research is now needed to better understand the drivers of these differences.
Power mean based image segmentation in the presence of noise
Authors: Rahman Afzal , Ali Haider , Badshah Noor , Zakarya Muhammad , Hussain Hameed , Rahman Izaz Ur , Ahmed Aftab , Haleem Muhammad
Published: July 2022

In image segmentation and in general in image processing, noise and outliers distort contained information posing in this way a great challenge for accurate image segmentation results. To ensure a correct image segmentation in presence of noise and outliers, it is necessary to identify the outliers and isolate them during a denoising pre-processing or impose suitable constraints into a segmentation framework. In this paper, we impose suitable removing outliers constraints supported by a well-designed theory in a variational framework for accurate image segmentation. We investigate a novel approach based on the power mean function equipped with a well established theoretical base. The power mean function has the capability to distinguishes between true image pixels and outliers and, therefore, is robust against outliers. To deploy the novel image data term and to guaranteed unique segmentation results, a fuzzy-membership function is employed in the proposed energy functional. Based on qualitative and quantitative extensive analysis on various standard data sets, it has been observed that the proposed model works well in images having multi-objects with high noise and in images with intensity inhomogeneity in contrast with the latest and state-of-the-art models.
Pembrolizumab in combination with gemcitabine for patients with HER2-negative advanced breast cancer: GEICAM/2015-04 (PANGEA-Breast) study
Authors: Cruz-Merino Luis de la , Gion María , Cruz Josefina , Alonso-Romero Jose Luis , Quiroga Vanesa , Moreno Fernando , Andrés Raquel , Santisteban Marta , Ramos Manuel , Holgado Esther , Cortés Javier , López-Miranda Elena , Cortés Alfonso , Henao Fernando , Palazón-Carrión Natalia , Rodriguez Luz Milva , Ceballos Isaac , Soto Asunción , Puertes Ana , Casas Maribel , Benito Sara , Chiesa Massimo , Bezares Susana , Caballero Rosalía , Jiménez-Cortegana Carlos , Sánchez-Margalet Víctor , Rojo Federico
Published: July 2022

Background: We evaluated a combination of two immunomodulatory agents considering a synergism that may induce long-term clinical benefit in advanced breast cancer (ABC). Methods: HER2-negative ABC patients received 21-day cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg (day 1) and gemcitabine (days 1 and 8). A run-in-phase (6+6 design) was planned with two dose levels (DL) of gemcitabine (1,250 mg/m2 [DL0]; 1,000 mg/m2 [DL1]) to determine the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). The primary objective was objective response rate (ORR). Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) density and PD-L1 expression in tumors and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) levels in peripheral blood were analyzed. Results: Fourteen patients were treated with DL0, resulting in RP2D. Thirty-six patients were evaluated during the first stage of Simon’s design. Recruitment was stopped as statistical assumptions were not met. The median age was 52; 21 (58%) patients had triple-negative disease, 28 (78%) visceral involvement, and 27 (75%) ≥2 metastatic locations. Progression disease was observed in 29 patients. ORR was 15% (95% CI, 5–32). Eight patients were treated ≥6 months before progression. Fourteen patients reported grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events. No association was found between TILs density and treatment efficacy. Patients with negative PD-L1 expression showed significantly prolonged progression-free survival. MDSCs levels were associated with treatment response.Conclusion: Pembrolizumab 200 mg and gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m2 were considered as RP2D. The objective of ORR was not met; however, 22% patients were on treatment for ≥6 months. Tumor PD-L1 expression and MDSCs levels suggested a potential predictive role in this population.Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov and EudraCT (NCT03025880 and 2016-001779-54, respectively). Registration dates: 20/01/2017 and 18/11/2016, respectively.
Learning to Detect Boundary Information for Brain Image Segmentation
Authors: Khaled Afifa , Han Jian-Jun , A.Ghaleb Taher
Published: July 2022

MRI brain images are always of low contrast, which makes it difficult to identify to which area the information at the boundary of brain images belongs. This can make the extraction of features at the boundary more challenging, since those features can be misleading as they might mix properties of different brain regions. Hence, to alleviate such a problem, image boundary detection plays a vital role in medical image segmentation, and brain segmentation in particular, as unclear boundaries can worsen brain segmentation results. Yet, given the low quality of brain images, boundary detection in the context of brain image segmentation remains challenging. Despite the research invested to improve boundary detection and brain segmentation, these two problems were addressed independently, i.e., little attention was paid to applying boundary detection to brain segmentation tasks. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a boundary detection-based model for brain image segmentation. To this end, we first design a boundary segmentation network for detecting and segmenting images brain tissues. Then, we design a boundary information module (BIM) to distinguish boundaries from the three different brain tissues. After that, we add a boundary attention gate (BAG) to the encoder output layers of our transformer to capture more informative local details. We evaluate our proposed model on two datasets of brain tissue images, including infant and adult brains. The extensive evaluation experiments of our model show better performance (a Dice Coefficient (DC) accuracy of up to 5.3% compared to the state-of-the-art models) in detecting and segmenting brain tissue images.
Remifentanil but not sufentanil induces cardioprotection in human ischemic heart muscle in vitro.
Authors: Kunecki Marcin , Oleksy Tomasz , Martynów Jan , Zygmunt Michalina , Deja Marek , Kargul Tomasz , Biernat Jolanta , Podolec Piotr , Gołba Krzysztof , Płazak Wojciech
Published: July 2022

Background
Previous studies on animal models have suggested that δ-opioid receptor (OR) signaling is the primary pathway responsible for opioids' cardioprotective effect. We hypothesize that the µ-OR's activation protects the human heart muscle.
Methods
We performed the experiments on muscular trabeculae obtained from the right atrial appendages of 104 consecutive patients subjected to coronary artery bypass surgery. Two trabeculae from each patient were studied simultaneously and exposed to 60 min of hypoxia with subsequent 60 min of reoxygenation. Remifentanil (5uM or 50uM) or sufentanil (40uM or 400uM) was used from the time of reoxygenation. Trabeculae contractility was assessed as the maximal amplitude of the contraction at baseline, after 60 min of hypoxia, during reoxygenation, and after norepinephrine application.
Results
During reperfusion, the application of remifentanil improved cardiomyocytes' function as compared to the control group (time from reperfusion: 15 min: 39.8% vs. 21.7%, p = 0.01; 30 min: 41.4% vs. 21.8%, p = 0.01; 60 min: 42.7% vs. 26.9%, p = 0.04; after norepinephrine: 64.7% vs. 43.2%, p = 0.03). The application of sufentanil did not influence cardiomyocyte function as can be seen when comparing the results of the experimental and control group.
Conclusions
Remifentanil, but not sufentanil, induces a cardioprotective effect on human right atria muscle in vitro conditions, manifested as the increased amplitude of their contraction during reperfusion after 60 min of ischemia.
Effects of Undaria pinnatifida (Wakame) on postprandial glycaemia: in vitro and in vivo studies
Authors: Mitamura Rieko , Yoshinaga Keiko
Published: July 2022

Brown seaweeds, such as Undaria pinnatifida (wakame), contain sodium alginate, which can affect postprandial blood glucose levels. We previously reported the effects of wakame on postprandial glycaemia in humans; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the influence of ingested wakame on postprandial blood glucose levels. Glucose release rate of wakame extracts was measured using an in vitro cell-free digestion model. The in vivo study was conducted using a crossover method, wherein healthy young adult participants were given 150 g of rice with or without wakame (2 g or 4 g dried wakame). The glucose release rates of all wakame extracts were significantly lower than that of the control. The soluble fraction significantly inhibited the release of glucose. In the in vivo study, blood glucose levels 15 min after ingestion were significantly lower after consuming rice with 2 g of wakame than when consuming rice alone. Moreover, the ingestion of 4 g of wakame resulted in significantly lower blood glucose levels after meal consumption. These results suggest that the highly viscous soluble fraction of wakame might increases the viscosity of the gastrointestinal contents and delays glucose absorption.
COVID-19 Prevention Measures Among Refugees: Perspectives of Healthcare Providers Working in Refugee Camps in Rwanda
Authors: Nzeyimana Zephanie , Rwibasira Gallican , Manishimwe Fraterne , Winterhalter Frieda S. , Ndoli Ella Larissa , Ngomi Nicholas Njau , Dzinamarira Tafadzwa
Published: July 2022

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that emerged from Wuhan, China in 2019 rapidly spread throughout the globe in less than 6 months. In June 2020, Rwanda was a home of approximately 149,602 refugees. About 92% of the refugees were living in camps including Kiziba, Gihembe, Nyabiheke, Kigeme, Mugombwa, and Mahama. While entire world was in some level of lockdown, people living in refugee camps and other similar settings were more vulnerable to the pandemic than their counterparts who were staying in their homes. Prevention measures such as social distancing, handwashing, and face mask wearing were often difficult to implement in these settings. Current study aimed to assess perspectives of HCPs working in refugee camps on prevention of COVID-19 in camp settings. MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional study and due to movement restriction from March 14 to November 3, 2020, we collected data remotely by sharing a structured questionnaire, in google form, to HCPs via WhatsApp and email. The questionnaire collected HCPs’ perspectives on the feasibility of COVID-19 prevention measures, the prevalence of COVID-19 comorbidities, and how the pandemic can be prevented in refugee camp settings. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of IBM SPSS V.21. ResultsThis study shows that handwashing, social distancing and wearing masks are feasible measures in refugee camp settings, voted by 71 to 100% of the HCPs. However, lockdown or stay home can be hardly applied in such settings, supported by 80.6% of the respondents. Regarding COVID-19 comorbid conditions, pregnant women in their late or recent term and Heart disease like Hypertensive disorders were voted the most common in refugee camps by 56% and 50% of the HCPs, respectively. Steps to COVID-19 prevention in camps include community awareness, preparing and activating the pandemic response task force, stopping non-essential mass gathering activities, and monitoring of COVID-19 prevention measures during essential service delivery. ConclusionsAll in all, except lockdown or stay home, other COVID-19 prevention measures like social distancing, handwashing, and face mask wearing can be easily applied in refugee camp and other similar settings.
Exploring staff perspectives on caring for isolated hospitalised patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study
Authors: Digby Robin , Hopper Ingrid , Hughes Leanne , McCaskie Doug , Tuck Michelle , Fallon Kethly , Hunter Peter , Bucknall Tracey
Published: July 2022

BackgroundStrict isolation of COVID-19 patients to prevent cross infection may inadvertently cause serious adverse outcomes including psychological harm, limitations to care, increased incidence of delirium, deconditioning and reduced quality of life. Previous research exploring the staff perspective of the effect of isolation on patients is limited. The aim of this study is to understand staff perceptions of the care and treatment of isolated patients and the impact of isolation on patients, families, and staff.Method This qualitative, exploratory study is set in a major metropolitan, quaternary hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Data was collected in focus groups with clinical and non-clinical staff and analysed using content analysis. The hospital ethics committee granted approval. Each participant gave informed verbal consent.Results Participants included 58 nursing, medical, allied health, and non-clinical staff. Six main themes were identified: 1) Communication challenges during COVID-19; 2) Impact of isolation on family; 3) Challenges to patients’ health and safety; 4) Impact on staff; 5) Challenging standards of care; 6) Contextual influences: policy, decision-makers and the environment.Conclusion Isolating patients and restricting visitors resulted in good pandemic management, but staff perceived it came at considerable cost to staff and consumers. Innovative communication technology may facilitate improved connection between all parties. Mental health support is needed for patients, families, and staff. Further research using a co-design model with input from patients, families and staff is recommended to determine appropriate interventions to improve care. Preventing the spread of infection is essential for good pandemic management, but the cost to consumers and staff must be mitigated. Preparation for future pandemics must consider workforce preparedness, adapted models of care and workflow.
Genome-wide identification of MATE family, and functional analysis of MATE involved in anthocyanin accumulation in Daucus carota
Authors: Saad Kirti R. , Kumar Gyanendra , Puthusseri Bijesh , Srini Sudhanva M. , Giridhar Parvatam , Shetty Nandini Prasad
Published: July 2022

Multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) is a family of membrane transporters that transport ions and secondary metabolites like anthocyanins in plants. Although various research on MATE has been carried out on different plant species, this is the first comprehensive report to exploit the Daucus carota genome to identify the MATE gene family. We investigated the chromosomal distribution, gene duplication, motif identification, cis-element analysis, in vitro cultures, stress treatment, protein docking, and simulation of DcMATEs. Our studies identified 45 DcMATEs through genome-wide analysis and detected five segmental and six tandem duplications from its genome. The chromosome distribution, phylogenetic analysis, and cis-regulatory elements revealed the structural diversity and numerous functions associated with the DcMATEs. Further, we quantified anthocyanin content and identified the co-expression of DcMATE21 with anthocyanin biosynthesis genes in in vitro cultures under ABA, SA, MJ, SNP, and PHE stress treatments. In addition, membrane dynamics of DcMATE21 with anthocyanin (cyanidin-3-glucoside) identified the binding pocket showing extensive H-bond interactions with ten amino acids present in the transmembrane helix of 7, 8, and 10 of DcMATE21. This investigation speculates the involvement of DcMATE21 in anthocyanin accumulation in in vitro cultures of D. carota.
A sutible model for drying kenitic of wood fiber using halogen moistuer analayzer
Authors: Arabi Mohammad , Ghalehno Mohammad Dahmardeh
Published: July 2022

Drying wood fiber is a complex, dynamic, highly nonlinear, and energy-intensive process involving simultaneous heat and mass transfer. So, the theoretical modeling of wood fiber drying because wood fiber shrinks anisotropically during a drying process is very complicated. The semi-theoretical and empirical thin-layer drying models developed on a laboratory scale are a suitable option for examining the drying kinetics of lignocellulose materials. In this study, drying kinetics of wood fibers were evaluated using 18 semi-empirical models at three temperatures of 105 °C, 120 °C, and 135 °C, utilizing a halogen moisture analyzer. The findings revealed that raising the temperature increased the drying constant while decreasing the drying time of wood fibers. According to drying curves, no constant drying rate was observed and all the drying process occurred in two falling drying rate periods. More specifically, despite the high initial moisture content of wood fiber about 170% (based on dry weight), the wood fiber drying process was mainly controlled by diffusion mechanism. The fitness of drying curves on semi-theoretical and empirical models based on statistical parameters, including root mean square error (RMSE), sum of square errors (SSE), and coefficient of determination (R2) showed that the Midilli et al. model had the highest coefficient of determination and the lowest error percentage. Also, the moisture content was more accurately predicted by ANN model than the Midilli et al. model.
Evaluation of Plasmid incidence in Bacterial and its Genetic elements in Heavy Metals Tolerant-Antibiotics Resistant Microbes from Petroleum Hydrocarbon Polluted sites
Authors: Peter Antai Sylvester , Bessong Agbor Reagan , Dickson Iwatt Godwin , Emmanuel Ubi Stanley
Published: July 2022

This present study was on evaluation of plasmid incidence in bacterial and its genetic elements in heavy metals tolerant-antibiotics resistant microbes from petroleum hydrocarbon polluted sites. Plasmid incidence among multiple heavy metal tolerant bacterial species from hydrocarbons polluted sites were higher than those from the pristine site but not statistically significant. Class 1 integron incidence was significantly higher in heavy metal tolerant bacterial isolates from polluted ecosystems than those from pristine ecosystems. Plasmid replicon typing of bacteria with multiple heavy metal tolerance and antibiotics resistance index revealed IncN plasmid replicon type carrying class 1 integron, encoding resistance to sulphamethazole/trimethoprim, ampicillin, and tolerance to Cd, Ni, and Cu in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate from petroleum polluted soil. This is the first report of IncN plasmid in environmental bacteria in Nigeria, particularly from petroleum polluted environment. Conjugation experiment confirmed the possible transferability of antibiotic resistance determinants among isolates in polluted ecosystems. This study shows that petroleum hydrocarbon pollution vis-a-vis heavy metal selective pressure with the abundance of mobile genetic elements amongst isolates from polluted ecosystems could contribute to the dispersing of antibiotic resistance genes, thus posing a serious public health concern.
Prevalence and Factors Associated with Burnout among Nurses in Jeddah: A Single-Institution Cross- sectional Study
Authors: Qedair Jumanah T. , Balubaid Renad , Almadani Raghad , Ezzi Suzana , Qumosani Tarteel , Zahid Rania , Alfayea Turki
Published: July 2022

Background: Health care workers, especially nurses, experience significantly elevated levels of emotional and social stressors in the work environment. Therefore, nurses develop high levels of burnout as the stress persists for prolonged periods. The main purpose of this paper is to measure burnout levels amongst nurses and find a relation between burnout levels and demographic factors.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was held from the 23rd of May till the 6th of September 2021 in King Abdulaziz Medical City of National Guard Health Affairs (KAMC-JD) in Jeddah. Data had been collected voluntarily from the nurses through electronic surveys that included demographic data and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) that measures three dimensions of burnout which are emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA). The association between demographic variables and burnout had been studied using the Fisher Exact test and binary logistic regression.Results: Out of the 1300 nurses working in KAMC-JD, 250 completed the survey. Burnout had been detected in 112 nurses (44.8%). Out of the 250 nurses, 26.4% were found to be at a high risk of burnout, which means they have high or moderate scores of EE and DP, with low ones in PA. The majority of the participants had high burnout levels in each of burnout components, and 99.6% of them scored high in at least one of the three dimensions. Level of burnout was significantly correlated to certain demographic factors which were the nationality (p-value= 0.01) and working unit (p-value= 0.02). On the other hand, there was no significant association between burnout and age, gender, or marital status.Conclusion: This study proves that a high percentage of nurses fell victims to burnout with a strong association between certain demographic data namely nationality as well as working unit and burnout levels. Taking into consideration the negative impact of burnout on both nurses and patients, conducting more studies about burnout among nurses, its effect on them, and the risk factors behind it is needed. Early treatment and management are also recommended to avoid the undesirable outcomes.
Modified Model Predictive Control based Adaptive Steering Strategy with Nonlinear Compensation by Using Double Deep Q-learning Network Algorithm
Authors: Lin Xinyou , Chen Qianlian , Zhou Binhao , Peng Yuhui
Published: July 2022

Steering control for autonomous vehicles is used for more complex scenarios, such as nonlinear scenarios and varied vehicle speeds scenarios during the actual driving process. Model Predictive Control (MPC) is known as a feasible method for multi-constraints. However, a complicated mathematical model will lead to a great computational burden. To deal with this issue, a modified MPC-based adaptive steering strategy with nonlinear compensation by using Double Deep Q-learning Network Algorithm (DDQN) is proposed. Considering the real-time requirement for steering control, MPC is used as a basic controller to calculate the linear turning case. Then a DDQN algorithm is applied for compensating the errors caused by the nonlinear feature of the vehicle and the time-varying speed. Finally, numerical validations and experimental tests in a real vehicle are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. The traditional MPC and only the DDQN method are applied as the benchmark strategies. The comparison validation results under different speed and vehicle parameters indicate that the proposed method has superior performance in adapting to time-varying speeds and vehicle nonlinear features. And the experimental tests based on actual driving scenarios also validate the remarkable stability of the developed control method.
Bayesian Earthquake Forecasting approach based on the Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence model
Authors: Petrillo Giuseppe , Zhuang Jiancang
Published: July 2022

The Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) model is used as a baseline model both for earthquake clustering and earthquake prediction. In most forecasting experiments, the ETAS parameters are estimated based on a short and local catalog, therefore the model parameter optimization carried out by means of a Maximum Likelihood Estimation may be not as robust as expected. We use Bayesian forecast techniques to solve this problem, where a non-informative flat prior distributions of the parameters is adopted. A Metropolis-Hasting algorithm is employed to sample the model parameters and earthquake events. We also show, through a forecasting experiment, how the Bayesian inference of the parameters allows to obtain a less confident prediction.
The oncogenic roles of JC polyomavirus T antigen in cervical cancer
Authors: Xue Hang , Zheng Huachuan , Xu Hailan , Zhang CongYu , Fan Yinjie , Ha Minwen , Cui Zhengguo
Published: July 2022

BackgroundAccording to pathological and transgenic data, there is a close link between JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) T antigen and various epithelial cancers. The aim of this study was to explore the role of T antigen in cervical tumorigenesis.MethodsThe phenotypes were observed in T antigen-overexpressing HeLa cells by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, Annexin V staining, Transwell assay, and a xenograft model. Phenotype-related and T antigen partner proteins were screened by western blot. Nested, real-time, and in situ PCR were used to detect T antigen in cervical cancer.ResultsOverexpression of T antigen promoted the proliferation, anti-apoptosis, anti-pyroptosis, chemoresistance, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of HeLa cells. All mutants impaired the positively regulated effects of T antigen on proliferation. According to a general PCR, the positive rate of T antigen was higher in cervical cancer than in adjacent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and normal tissues (p < 0.05), in line with the JCPyV copy number (p < 0.05). T antigen-positive cells were detectable in the nuclei of cervical cancer, CIN, and squamous cells by in situ PCR. Strong nuclear immunoreactivity against T antigen was observed in cervical cancers, but not in CIN or normal squamous epithelium.ConclusionsJCPyV T antigen may insert into the genome of cervical squamous epithelial cells and encode T antigen for its oncogenesis. T antigen participates in the aggressive progression of these cells by promoting proliferation, anti-apoptosis, anti-pyroptosis, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and chemoresistance.