bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of a Clinically Indicated Peripheral Intravenous Replacement on Indwelling Time and Complications of Peripheral Intravenous Catheters in Pediatric Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Lin Su-Wen , Chen Shu-Ching , Huang Fang-Yi , Lee Ming-Ying , Chang Chun-Chu
Published: April 2021

Peripheral intravenous catheters (PVCs) are common treatment modalities for pediatric patients, and may cause infection, infiltration, occlusion, and phlebitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a clinically indicated peripheral intravenous replacement (CIPIR) on PVC indwelling time and complication rates in pediatric patients. This study used a randomized, pre- and post-repeated measures design. A total of 283 participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 140) and a control group (n = 143). The experimental group received CIPIR and the control group received usual care with routine PVC replacement every three days. The insert sites of PVC were assessed every day until the signs of infiltration, occlusion, or phlebitis were presented. Patients in the experimental group had significantly longer PVC indwelling times compared to those in the control group (t = −18.447, p < 0.001). No significant differences were noted between groups in infiltration (χ2 = 2.193, p = 0.139), occlusion (χ2 = 0.498, p = 0.481), or phlebitis (χ2 = 3.865, p = 0.050). CIPIR can prolong the PVC indwelling time in pediatric patients with no increase in the rate of adverse events.
Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Improves Sleep Disturbance and Quality of Life: A Prospective Study
Authors: Longo Umile Giuseppe , Candela Vincenzo , De Salvatore Sergio , Piergentili Ilaria , Panattoni Nicolò , Casciani Erica , Faldetta Aurora , Marchetti Anna , De Marinis Maria Grazia , Denaro Vincenzo
Published: April 2021

Sleep disturbances are very common in patients with rotator cuff injury. Improvement of sleep quality in these patients can be considered a significant factor for healing in conjunction with surgery. The primary objective of this prospective study was to evaluate changes in sleep quality after surgery in patients with rotator cuff repair by analyzing the PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) score. The secondary aim was to evaluate the improvement in quality of life in terms of functional limitations and shoulder pain after surgery. Fifty-eight patients with rotator cuff tears treated by arthroscopic surgery were included. All the patients completed the PSQI, the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), the Simple Shoulder Test (SST), the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder Score (ASES), the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and the Constant-Murley Score (Constant) before and at one, three and six months after surgery. Overall improvement in all the scores analyzed (p < 0.001) was found. Preoperative and postoperative PSQI scores correlated with SF-36, SST, ASES and Constant scores at each follow-up. Preoperative and one-month postoperative OSS correlated with the PSQI score. Using the Friedman test, we found an overall improvement in all score analyses (p < 0.001). The results prove that after rotator cuff repair, sleep disturbances improve three to six months after surgery improving the quality of life of these patients.
Multi-Parametric Analysis of Below-Knee Compression Garments on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness
Authors: Hotfiel Thilo , Höger Svenja , Nagel Armin M. , Uder Michael , Kemmler Wolfgang , Forst Raimund , Engelhardt Martin , Grim Casper , Heiss Rafael
Published: April 2021

To investigate below-knee compression garments during exercise and a post-exercise period of 6 h on clinical, functional, and morphological outcomes in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Eighteen volunteers (age: 24.1 ± 3.6, BMI 22.7 ± 2.7 kg/m2) were enrolled. Measures were acquired at baseline, 6 h, and 48 h after eccentric and plyometric exercise, with wearing a compression garment (21–22 mmHg) on a calf during and for the first 6 h after exercise. 3T MRI was performed for quantification of intramuscular edema (T2 signal intensity (SI), T2 time, and manual volume segmentation); jump height, calf circumference, ankle dorsiflexion (DF), creatine kinase (CK), and muscle soreness were assessed. DOMS was confirmed in all participants after 48 h, with an increase in soreness (p < 0.001) and CK (p = 0.001), decrease in jump height (p < 0.01), and the presence of intramuscular edema (p < 0.01) in both the compressed and non-compressed limbs. No differences between the compressed and non-compressed limbs were observed for muscle soreness and jump height. MRI T2 SI, T2 time, soreness, and manual segmentation revealed no effect of the compression treatment. The assessment of calf circumference and DF showed no changes in either the compression or non-compression limb (p = 1.0). Wearing compression garments during combined eccentric and plyometric exercise and for 6 h post-exercise has no effect on clinical signs of DOMS, jump performance, or the development of intramuscular edema.
The Impacts of Pilates and Yoga on Health-Promoting Behaviors and Subjective Health Status
Authors: Lim Eun-Ju , Hyun Eun-Jung
Published: April 2021

This study investigates whether Pilates and yoga lead people to adopt generally health-promoting lifestyle elements and feel better about their physical and mental fitness. To this end, we designed an 8 week exercise program of Pilates and yoga reviewed by veteran practitioners and conducted an experimental study through which we collected the data from 90 volunteered adult subjects between ages 30 and 49 (mean age = 35.47), equally represented by women and men without previous experience with Pilates or yoga. In the 8 week long experiment, we assigned the subjects to three groups, where subjects in the two exercise groups regularly took part in either Pilates or yoga classes, and the control group participated in neither exercise classes. All participants completed two surveys, the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP II) and the Health Self-Rating Scale (HSRS), before and after their assigned program. In our analysis of pre- and post-treatment differences across the three groups, we ran ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Sheffé test, implemented using SPSS PASW Statistics 18.00. Our results indicate that Pilates and yoga groups exhibited a higher engagement in health-promoting behaviors than the control group after the program. Subjective health status, measured with HSRS, also improved significantly among Pilates and yoga participants compared to those in the control group after the program. The supplementary analysis finds no significant gender-based difference in these impacts. Overall, our results confirm that Pilates and yoga help recruit health-promoting behaviors in participants and engender positive beliefs about their subjective health status, thereby setting a positive reinforcement cycle in motion. By providing clear evidence that the promotion of Pilates or yoga can serve as an effective intervention strategy that helps individuals change behaviors adverse to their health, this study offers practical implications for healthcare professionals and public health officials alike.
Perceived Effectiveness, Restrictiveness, and Compliance with Containment Measures against the Covid-19 Pandemic: An International Comparative Study in 11 Countries
Authors: Georgieva Irina , Lantta Tella , Lickiewicz Jakub , Pekara Jaroslav , Wikman Sofia , Loseviča Marina , Raveesh Bevinahalli , Mihai Adriana , Lepping Peter
Published: April 2021

National governments took action to delay the transmission of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) by implementing different containment measures. We developed an online survey that included 44 different containment measures. We aimed to assess how effective citizens perceive these measures, which measures are perceived as violation of citizens’ personal freedoms, which opinions and demographic factors have an effect on compliance with the measures, and what governments can do to most effectively improve citizens’ compliance. The survey was disseminated in 11 countries: UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, India, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Sweden. We acquired 9543 unique responses. Our findings show significant differences across countries in perceived effectiveness, restrictiveness, and compliance. Governments that suffer low levels of trust should put more effort into persuading citizens, especially men, in the effectiveness of the proposed measures. They should provide financial compensation to citizens who have lost their job or income due to the containment measures to improve measure compliance. Policymakers should implement the least restrictive and most effective public health measures first during pandemic emergencies instead of implementing a combination of many restrictive measures, which has the opposite effect on citizens’ adherence and undermines human rights.
COVID-19 Lockdown and the Behavior Change on Physical Exercise, Pain and Psychological Well-Being: An International Multicentric Study
Authors: Sonza Anelise , da Cunha de Sá-Caputo Danúbia , Sartorio Alessandro , Tamini Sofia , Seixas Adérito , Sanudo Borja , Süßenbach Jessica , Provenza Marcello Montillo , Xavier Vinicius Layter , Taiar Redha , Bernardo-Filho Mario
Published: April 2021

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the following lockdown on physical exercise (PEx) practice, pain, and psychological well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional multicentric study was performed using a nonrandom convenience sampling from the general population (≥18 years-old) of 6 countries (Brazil, Italy, France, Portugal, Germany, and Spain) adopting social isolation (SI). The validated self-administered online survey (PEF-COVID19) was used. The tests T-test and Chi-square with Bonferroni correction were used for statistical analysis and a multivariate logistic regression model (p ˂ 0.05). Results: We included 3194 replies and ~80% of the respondents were in SI. Brazilian sample was highly influenced by the pandemic considering PEx practice and habits, pain, anxiety, and stress (p ˂ 0.05). Among the European countries, Italy presented the major changes. The model to predict the non-practice of PEx during SI showed that the variables countries, smoking, SI, and PEx level were significant predictors (p ˂ 0.001). Conclusion: The pandemic changed the PEx practice and habits, and the psychological well-being of populations in different manners. Countries, smoking, SI, and PEx level were predictors for the non-practice of PEx. Public health strategies are suggested to avoid sedentary lifestyles and quality of life decrease.
Sociodemographic and Service Use Characteristics of Abortion Fund Cases from Six States in the U.S. Southeast
Authors: Rice Whitney S. , Labgold Katie , Peterson Quita Tinsley , Higdon Megan , Njoku Oriaku
Published: April 2021

Abortion funds are key actors in mitigating barriers to abortion access, particularly in contexts where state-level abortion access restrictions are concentrated. Using 2017–2019 case management data from a regional abortion fund in the southeastern U.S., we described the sociodemographic and service use characteristics of cases overall (n = 9585) and stratified by state of residence (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Overall, cases represented people seeking abortion fund assistance who predominately identified as non-Hispanic Black (81%), 18–34 years of age (84%), publicly or uninsured (87%), having completed a high school degree or some college (70%), having one or more children (77%), and as Christian (58%). Most cases involved an in-state clinic (81%), clinic travel distance under 50 miles (63%), surgical abortion (66%), and pregnancy under 13 weeks’ gestation (73%), with variation across states. The median abortion fund contribution pledge was $75 (interquartile range (IQR): 60–100), supplementing median caller contributions of $200 (IQR: 40–300). These data provide a unique snapshot of a population navigating disproportionate, intersecting barriers to abortion access, and abortion fund capacity for social care and science. Findings can inform abortion fund development, data quality improvement efforts, as well as reproductive health, rights and justice advocacy, policy, and research.
A Methodology of Workshops to Explore Mutual Assistance Activities for Earthquake Disaster Mitigation
Authors: Karashima Kazuki , Ohgai Akira
Published: April 2021

To minimize the damage caused by large earthquakes, mutual assistance activities between residents and rescue victims (i.e., to support residents who cannot evacuate individually) are important. To enhance these activities, the technologies and methods for creating a Community Disaster Management Plan (CDMP), based on the quantitative evaluation of mutual assistance abilities, are required. However, the lack of a method for it is a key issue. This study aims to develop a methodology of workshops for making CDMPs by using the developed support tool by the authors to explore and promote mutual assistance activities. Through the demonstration and examination of a Community Disaster Management Plan on actual districts, the findings mentioned in this article were obtained. Moreover, the usability of this method is shown. In particular, this method is effective at revising CDMPs, and raising resident awareness on the importance of mutual assistance. The suggested method can also improve the lack of techniques involved in promoting mutual assistance.
Healthy Food on the Twitter Social Network: Vegan, Homemade, and Organic Food
Authors: Pilař Ladislav , Kvasničková Stanislavská Lucie , Kvasnička Roman
Published: April 2021

Online social networks have become an everyday aspect of many people’s lives. Users spend more and more time on these platforms and, through their interactions on social media platforms, they create active and passive digital footprints. These data have a strong potential in many research areas; indeed, understanding people’s communication on social media is essential for understanding their attitudes, experiences, behaviors and values. Researchers have found that the use of social networking sites impacts eating behavior; thus, analyzing social network data is important for understanding the meaning behind expressions used in the context of healthy food. This study performed a communication analysis of data from the social network Twitter, which included 666,178 messages posted by 168,134 individual users. These data comprised all tweets that used the #healthyfood hashtag between 2019 and 2020 on Twitter. The results revealed that users most commonly associate healthy food with a healthy lifestyle, diet, and fitness. Foods associated with this hashtag were vegan, homemade, and organic. Given that people change their behavior according to other people’s behavior on social networks, these data could be used to identify current and future associations with current and future perceptions of healthy food characteristics.
Caregivers’ and Health Extension Workers’ Perceptions and Experiences of Outreach Management of Childhood Illnesses in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Defar Atkure , Alemu Kassahun , Tigabu Zemene , Persson Lars Åke , Okwaraji Yemisrach B.
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Ethiopian Health Extension Workers provide facility-based and outreach services, including home visits to manage sick children, aiming to increase equity in service coverage. Little is known about the scope of the outreach services and caregivers’ and health workers’ perceptions of these services. We aimed at exploring mothers’ and health extension workers’ perceptions and experiences of the outreach services provided for the management of childhood illnesses. Methods: Four focus groups and eight key informant interviews were conducted. A total of 45 community members participated. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. We applied thematic content analysis, identified challenges in providing outreach services, and suggestions for improvement. We balanced the data collection by selecting half of the participants for interview and focus group discussions from remote areas and the other half from areas closer to the health posts. Results: Mothers reported that health extension workers visited their homes for preventive services but not for managing childhood illnesses. They showed lack of trust in the health workers’ ability to treat children at home. The health extension workers reported that they provide sick children treatment during outreach services but also stated that in most cases, mothers visit the health posts when their child is sick. On the other hand, mothers considered distance from home to health post not to be a problem if the quality of services improved. Workload, long distances, and lack of incentives were perceived as demotivating factors for outreach services. The health workers called for support, incentives, and capacity development activities. Conclusions: Mothers and health extension workers had partly divergent perceptions of whether outreach curative services for children were available. Mothers wanted improvements in the quality of services while health workers requested capacity development and more support for providing effective community-based child health services.
Barriers and Facilitators for Exclusive Breastfeeding in Women’s Biopsychosocial Spheres According to Primary Care Midwives in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)
Authors: Llorente-Pulido Seila , Custodio Estefanía , López-Giménez Maria Rosario , Sanz-Barbero Belén , Otero-García Laura
Published: April 2021

(1) The objective of our study is to determine, from a primary care midwife’s perspective, which biopsychosocial factors can favour or be detrimental to exclusive breast feeding. (2) The study was carried out in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) and is based on qualitative methodology. Twenty in-depth interviews were carried out with midwives working in primary care centres in Tenerife, using a content analysis approach. The transcript data was then encoded following an inductive approach. (3) According to the perceptions of the primary care midwives who were interviewed, the barriers and facilitators that influence exclusive breastfeeding related to the biopsychosocial spheres of women are, at an individual level, the physical and emotional aspects during the postnatal period; at the relationship level, the presence or not of support from the close family and partner; at the community level, the environment and social networks the new mothers may have; and at the work level, characteristics of jobs and early return to work. (4) The findings of our research can help healthcare professionals to approach the promotion and encouragement of exclusive breast feeding at each of the levels studied, with the aim of increasing rates following recommendations issued by The World Health Organization.
Psychological Profile in Female Cyclists and Its Relationship with Age, Training Parameters, Sport Performance, and Injury Incidence
Authors: Abenza-Cano Lucía , Chung Linda H. , Vaquero-Cristóbal Raquel , Mateo-Orcajada Adrián , Encarnación-Martínez Alberto
Published: April 2021

Previous studies have highlighted the importance of psychology on sports performance and its relationship with the incidence of sport injuries. The objectives of the present investigation were: (1) to analyze the psychological profile of female cyclists as a function of age, training parameters, sport performance, and injuries suffered and (2) to design a model to predict their psychological profile. Sixty-one female cyclists participated in the study. Differences were found as a function of a competitive category for team cohesion (F = 5.035; p = 0.002), sport level effect on performance evaluation (F = 5.030; p = 0.004) and team cohesion (F = 64.706; p = 0.000), the effect of having reached the podium in the last competition on performance evaluation (t = 2.087; p = 0.041) and motivation (t = 4.035; p = 0.000), and injury severity on stress management (F = 6.204; p = 0.008). The factors that affected the psychological profile of the female cyclists the most, in addition to the independent psychological parameters, were the number of podiums in the last year and the years of cycling experience. In conclusion, there is an interaction between the psychological profile, sociodemographic variables, training, performance, and injuries suffered in female cyclists.
Stiff Landings, Core Stability, and Dynamic Knee Valgus: A Systematic Review on Documented Anterior Cruciate Ligament Ruptures in Male and Female Athletes
Authors: Larwa Joseph , Stoy Conrad , Chafetz Ross S. , Boniello Michael , Franklin Corinna
Published: April 2021

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are the most common ligament injury of the knee, accounting for between 100,000 and 200,000 injuries among athletes per year. ACL injuries occur via contact and non-contact mechanisms, with the former being more common in males and the later being more common in females. These injuries typically require surgical repair and have relatively high re-rupture rates, resulting in a significant psychological burden for these individuals and long rehabilitation times. Numerous studies have attempted to determine risk factors for ACL rupture, including hormonal, biomechanical, and sport- and gender-specific factors. However, the incidence of ACL injuries continues to rise. Therefore, we performed a systematic review analyzing both ACL injury video analysis studies and studies on athletes who were pre-screened with eventual ACL injury. We investigated biomechanical mechanisms contributing to ACL injury and considered male and female differences. Factors such as hip angle and strength, knee movement, trunk stability, and ankle motion were considered to give a comprehensive, joint by joint analysis of injury risk and possible roles of prevention. Our review demonstrated that poor core stability, landing with heel strike, weak hip abduction strength, and increased knee valgus may contribute to increased ACL injury risk in young athletes.
Unexpected Effects on Some Spanish Cultural Landscapes of the Mediterranean Diet
Authors: Tomé Pedro
Published: April 2021

The declaration of the Mediterranean Diet as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in order to preserve a cultural and gastronomical legacy included the protection of lifestyles, knowledge, sociability, and environmental relationships. However, the patrimonialization, popularization, and globalization of a certain conception of this diet have turned it into a de-territorialized global phenomenon. As a consequence of this process, it has been necessary to notably increase the production of its ingredients to satisfy its growing demand, which, in turn, has generated “secondary effects” in some Mediterranean environments of Southeastern Spain. If, on the one hand, their wealth has increased and population has been established, on the other hand, the continuity of certain cultural landscapes linked to local knowledge and particular lifestyles has been broken, replacing them with agro-industrial landscapes exclusively at the service of production. This, at the same time, has caused social and environmental inequalities
Weekly Variations in the Workload of Turkish National Youth Wrestlers: A Season of Complete Preparation
Authors: Nobari Hadi , Silva Rui , Clemente Filipe Manuel , Akyildiz Zeki , Ardigò Luca Paolo , Pérez-Gómez Jorge
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to describe the weekly acute workload (wAW), chronic workload (wCW), acute/chronic workload ratio (wACWR), training monotony (wTM), and strain (wTS) across the preparation season (PS), and (2) to analyze the variations of wAW, wCW, wACWR, wTM, and training strain (wTS) between periods of PS (early-, mid-, and end). Ten elite young wrestlers were monitored daily during the 32 weeks of the season. Internal loads were monitored using session rating of perceived exertion, and weekly workload measures of wACWR, wTM, and wTS were also calculated. Results revealed that the greatest differences were found between early- and mid-PS for wAW (p = 0.004, g = 0.34), wCW (p = 0.002, g = 0.90), wTM (p = 0.005, g = 0.39), and wTS (p = 0.009, g = −1.1), respectively. The wACWR showed significant differences between early- and end-PS (p ≤ 0.001, g = −0.30). We concluded that wAW, wCW, and wTM are slightly lower during the first weeks of the PS. The wTM remained relatively high during the entire season, while wAW and wCW remained balanced throughout the PS. The greatest workload changes seem to happen from the early to mid-PS season.
‘I’m Gonna Tell You about How Mrs Rona Has Affected Me’. Exploring Young People’s Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic in North East England: A Qualitative Diary-Based Study
Authors: Scott Stephanie , McGowan Victoria J. , Visram Shelina
Published: April 2021

Children and young people risk being ‘disproportionately harmed’ by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst an evolving body of literature focuses on the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, less attention has been paid to the collection of qualitative, exploratory data. The aim of this study was to examine young people in North East England’s experiences of COVID-19 and associated control measures. Flexible, qualitative diaries were collected with 31 young people aged 13–17 for six weeks between July and October 2020. Diary extracts were curated using Instagram Direct Messaging (DM), email and text messaging. At the end of this study, participants took part in a follow-up interview (conducted by telephone or Zoom), asking them to reflect on their diary entries. Thematic analysis of diaries and interviews yielded three central themes: (1) impacts upon mental health and emotional wellbeing; (2) disruptions and changes to education and school life; and (3) frustration, burden and responsibility. These findings highlight acute mental health impacts (loneliness, isolation, anxiety) as well as longer-term repercussions from disrupted education (missed parts of curriculum, home schooling, cancelled exams, periods of isolation) on young people aged 13–17 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Detecting Digoxin Toxicity by Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Electrocardiography
Authors: Chang Da-Wei , Lin Chin-Sheng , Tsao Tien-Ping , Lee Chia-Cheng , Chen Jiann-Torng , Tsai Chien-Sung , Lin Wei-Shiang , Lin Chin
Published: April 2021

Although digoxin is important in heart rate control, the utilization of digoxin is declining due to its narrow therapeutic window. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of digoxin toxicity is common due to the lack of awareness and the time-consuming laboratory work that is involved. Electrocardiography (ECG) may be able to detect potential digoxin toxicity based on characteristic presentations. Our study attempted to develop a deep learning model to detect digoxin toxicity based on ECG manifestations. This study included 61 ECGs from patients with digoxin toxicity and 177,066 ECGs from patients in the emergency room from November 2011 to February 2019. The deep learning algorithm was trained using approximately 80% of ECGs. The other 20% of ECGs were used to validate the performance of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) system and to conduct a human-machine competition. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were used to evaluate the performance of ECG interpretation between humans and our deep learning system. The AUCs of our deep learning system for identifying digoxin toxicity were 0.912 and 0.929 in the validation cohort and the human-machine competition, respectively, which reached 84.6% of sensitivity and 94.6% of specificity. Interestingly, the deep learning system using only lead I (AUC = 0.960) was not worse than using complete 12 leads (0.912). Stratified analysis showed that our deep learning system was more applicable to patients with heart failure (HF) and without atrial fibrillation (AF) than those without HF and with AF. Our ECG-based deep learning system provides a high-accuracy, economical, rapid, and accessible way to detect digoxin toxicity, which can be applied as a promising decision supportive system for diagnosing digoxin toxicity in clinical practice.
Structural Mutations in the Organellar Genomes of Valeriana sambucifolia f. dageletiana (Nakai. ex Maekawa) Hara Show Dynamic Gene Transfer
Authors: Kim Hyoung , Kim Jung
Published: April 2021

Valeriana sambucifolia f. dageletiana (Nakai. ex Maekawa) Hara is a broad-leaved valerian endemic to Ulleung Island, a noted hot spot of endemism in Korea. However, despite its widespread pharmacological use, this plant remains comparatively understudied. Plant cells generally contain two types of organellar genomes (the plastome and the mitogenome) that have undergone independent evolution, which accordingly can provide valuable information for elucidating the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary histories of terrestrial plants. Moreover, the extensive mega-data available for plant genomes, particularly those of plastomes, can enable researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of the transfer of genes between different types of genomes. In this study, we analyzed two organellar genomes (the 155,179 bp plastome and the 1,187,459 bp mitogenome) of V. sambucifolia f. dageletiana and detected extensive changes throughout the plastome sequence, including rapid structural mutations associated with inverted repeat (IR) contraction and genetic variation. We also described features characterizing the first reported mitogenome sequence obtained for a plant in the order Dipsacales and confirmed frequent gene transfer in this mitogenome. We identified eight non-plastome-originated regions (NPRs) distributed within the plastome of this endemic plant, for six of which there were no corresponding sequences in the current nucleotide sequence databases. Indeed, one of these unidentified NPRs unexpectedly showed certain similarities to sequences from bony fish. Although this is ostensibly difficult to explain, we suggest that this surprising association may conceivably reflect the occurrence of gene transfer from a bony fish to the plastome of an ancestor of V. sambucifolia f. dageletiana mediated by either fungi or bacteria.
Genome and Pangenome Analysis of Lactobacillus hilgardii FLUB—A New Strain Isolated from Mead
Authors: Gustaw Klaudia , Koper Piotr , Polak-Berecka Magdalena , Rachwał Kamila , Skrzypczak Katarzyna , Waśko Adam
Published: April 2021

The production of mead holds great value for the Polish liquor industry, which is why the bacterium that spoils mead has become an object of concern and scientific interest. This article describes, for the first time, Lactobacillus hilgardii FLUB newly isolated from mead, as a mead spoilage bacteria. Whole genome sequencing of L. hilgardii FLUB revealed a 3 Mbp chromosome and five plasmids, which is the largest reported genome of this species. An extensive phylogenetic analysis and digital DNA-DNA hybridization confirmed the membership of the strain in the L. hilgardii species. The genome of L. hilgardii FLUB encodes 3043 genes, 2871 of which are protein coding sequences, 79 code for RNA, and 93 are pseudogenes. L. hilgardii FLUB possesses three clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), eight genomic islands (44,155 bp to 6345 bp), and three (two intact and one incomplete) prophage regions. For the first time, the characteristics of the genome of this species were described and a pangenomic analysis was performed. The concept of the pangenome was used not only to establish the genetic repertoire of this species, but primarily to highlight the unique characteristics of L. hilgardii FLUB. The core of the genome of L. hilgardii is centered around genes related to the storage and processing of genetic information, as well as to carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Strains with such a genetic constitution can effectively adapt to environmental changes. L. hilgardii FLUB is distinguished by an extensive cluster of metabolic genes, arsenic detoxification genes, and unique surface layer proteins. Variants of MRS broth with ethanol (10–20%), glucose (2–25%), and fructose (2–24%) were prepared to test the strain’s growth preferences using Bioscreen C and the PYTHON script. L. hilgardii FLUB was found to be more resistant than a reference strain to high concentrations of alcohol (18%) and sugars (25%). It exhibited greater preference for fructose than glucose, which suggests it has a fructophilic nature. Comparative genomic analysis supported by experimental research imitating the conditions of alcoholic beverages confirmed the niche specialization of L. hilgardii FLUB to the mead environment.
The Growth Model of Forensically Important Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in South Korea
Authors: Shin Sang Eon , Park Ji Hye , Jeong Su Jin , Park Seong Hwan
Published: April 2021

Development of forensically important Lucilia sericata (Meigen) was analyzed in South Korea. Rearing was replicated five times at seven constant temperatures between 20–35 °C to elucidate changes in accumulated degree hours, based on developmental stage and body length, and 2673 individuals were statistically analyzed. The results indicated that the optimum temperature, the base temperature, and the overall thermal constant were 22.31 °C (±1.21 °C, 95% CI), 9.07 °C, and 232.81 ± 23 (mean ± SD) accumulated degree days, respectively. In the minimum ADH models of each development stage, nonlinear regression graphs were parallel at the immature stages. Based on the scatter plot (n = 973) of immature stages using ADH values and body length, the logarithmic model using Log10ADH as the dependent variable was identified as the best fitting regression model. Additionally, the adjusted R2 value and mean square of error were 0.911 and 0.007, respectively. This is the first forensically focused study on the development of L.sericata for the estimation of minimum postmortem interval in South Korea. In future studies, we intend to study the development of other necrophagous fly species and to identify parameters for the determination of age at post-feeding and pupal stages.
Sex-Specific Associations between Blood Pressure and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation Subtypes in the Tromsø Study
Authors: Espnes Hilde , Ball Jocasta , Løchen Maja-Lisa , Wilsgaard Tom , Njølstad Inger , Mathiesen Ellisiv B. , Gerdts Eva , Sharashova Ekaterina
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study was to explore sex-specific associations between systolic blood pressure (SBP), hypertension, and the risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) subtypes, including paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent AF, in a general population. A total of 13,137 women and 11,667 men who participated in the fourth survey of the Tromsø Study (1994–1995) were followed up for incident AF until the end of 2016. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted using fractional polynomials for SBP to provide sex- and AF-subtype-specific hazard ratios (HRs) for SBP. An SBP of 120 mmHg was used as the reference. Models were adjusted for other cardiovascular risk factors. Over a mean follow-up of 17.6 ± 6.6 years, incident AF occurred in 914 (7.0%) women (501 with paroxysmal/persistent AF and 413 with permanent AF) and 1104 (9.5%) men (606 with paroxysmal/persistent AF and 498 with permanent AF). In women, an SBP of 180 mmHg was associated with an HR of 2.10 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.60–2.76) for paroxysmal/persistent AF and an HR of 1.80 (95% CI 1.33–2.44) for permanent AF. In men, an SBP of 180 mmHg was associated with an HR of 1.90 (95% CI 1.46–2.46) for paroxysmal/persistent AF, while there was no association with the risk of permanent AF. In conclusion, increasing SBP was associated with an increased risk of both paroxysmal/persistent AF and permanent AF in women, but only paroxysmal/persistent AF in men. Our findings highlight the importance of sex-specific risk stratification and optimizing blood pressure management for the prevention of AF subtypes in clinical practice.
Cognitive and Adaptive Characterization of Children and Adolescents with KBG Syndrome: An Explorative Study
Authors: Alfieri Paolo , Caciolo Cristina , Lazzaro Giulia , Menghini Deny , Cumbo Francesca , Dentici Maria Lisa , Digilio Maria Cristina , Gnazzo Maria , Demaria Francesco , Pironi Virginia , Zampino Giuseppe , Novelli Antonio , Tartaglia Marco , Vicari Stefano
Published: April 2021

KBG syndrome (KBGS) is a rare Mendelian condition caused by heterozygous mutations in ANKRD11 or microdeletions in chromosome 16q24.3 encompassing the gene. KBGS is clinically variable, which makes its diagnosis difficult in a significant proportion of cases. The present study aims at delineating the cognitive profile and adaptive functioning of children and adolescents with KBGS. Twenty-four Italian KBGS with a confirmed diagnosis by molecular testing of the causative ANKRD11 gene were recruited to define both cognitive profile as measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale and adaptive functioning as measured by Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II Edition or the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-II Edition. Among children and adolescents, 17 showed intellectual disability, six presented borderline intellectual functioning and only one child did not show cognitive defects. Concerning cognitive profile, results revealed significant differences between the four indexes of Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Namely, the verbal comprehension index was significantly higher than the perceptual reasoning index, working memory index and the processing speed index. Concerning adaptive functioning, no difference between the domains was found. In conclusion, in our cohort, a heterogeneous profile has been documented in cognitive profiles, with a spike on verbal comprehension, while a flat-trend has emerged in adaptive functioning. Our cognitive and adaptive characterization drives professionals to set the best clinical supports, capturing the complexity and heterogeneity of this rare condition.
Retinal Vascularization Analysis on Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography before and after Intraretinal or Subretinal Fluid Resorption in Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Pilot Study
Authors: Mathis Thibaud , Dimassi Sarra , Loria Olivier , Sudhalkar Aditya , Bilgic Alper , Denis Philippe , Pradat Pierre , Kodjikian Laurent
Published: April 2021

The aim was to analyze the variations in macular vascularization on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) according to the presence of intraretinal fluid (IRF) induced by exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We included exudative AMD patients with IRF and/or subretinal fluid (SRF) and age-matched control eyes. All patients underwent a macular 6 × 6 mm swept-source OCTA. The mean perfusion density (MPD) and mean vascular density (MVD) were calculated in the superficial (SCP) and the deep (DCP) capillary plexus at two timepoints: during an episode of exudation (T0) and after its total resorption (T1). A total of 22 eyes in the IRF ± SRF group, 11 eyes in the SRF group and 11 eyes in the healthy group were analyzed. At T0, the IRF ± SRF group showed significantly lower MPD and MVD than healthy eyes in the SCP (p < 0.001) and DCP (p < 0.001). At T1, MPD and MVD significantly increased from T0 in the SCP (p = 0.027 and p = 0.0093) and DCP (p = 0.013 and p = 0.046) but remained statistically lower than in the healthy eyes. For the SRF group, only the DCP showed significantly lower MPD (p = 0.012) and MVD (p = 0.046) in comparison to the healthy eyes at T0. The present study shows that retinal vascular changes do occur in the case of exudative AMD.
Nailfold Capillaroscopy in Systemic Sclerosis Patients with and without Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Minopoulou Ioanna , Theodorakopoulou Marieta , Boutou Afroditi , Arvanitaki Alexandra , Pitsiou Georgia , Doumas Michael , Sarafidis Pantelis , Dimitroulas Theodoros
Published: April 2021

Systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH) is a leading cause of mortality in SSc. The extent of peripheral microvasculopathy assessed through nailfold capillaroscopy might correlate with the presence of PAH in SSc patients. We searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and performed a random effects meta-analysis of observational studies comparing nailfold capillaroscopic alterations in SSc-PAH versus SSc-noPAH patients. Weighted mean differences (WMD) with the corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using a modified Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Seven studies with 101 SSc-PAH and 277 SSc-noPAH participants were included. Capillary density was marginally reduced in the SSc-PAH group (WMD: −1.0, 95% CI: −2.0 to 0.0, I2 = 86%). This effect was strengthened once PAH diagnosis was confirmed by right heart catheterization (WMD: −1.2, 95% CI: −2.3 to −0.1, I2 = 85%). An increase in capillary loop width was observed in SSc-PAH compared to SSc-noPAH patients (WMD: 10.9, 95% CI: 2.5 to 19.4, I2 = 78%). Furthermore, SSc-PAH patients had a 7.3 times higher likelihood of active or late scleroderma pattern (95% CI: 3.0 to 18.0, I2 = 4%). SSc-PAH patients presented with worse nailfold capillaroscopic findings compared to SSc-noPAH patients.
Proteinuria Indicates Decreased Normal Glomeruli in ANCA-Associated Glomerulonephritis Independent of Systemic Disease Activity
Authors: Tampe Désirée , Korsten Peter , Ströbel Philipp , Hakroush Samy , Tampe Björn
Published: April 2021

Background: Renal involvement is a common and severe complication of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), potentially resulting in a pauci-immune necrotizing and crescentic ANCA glomerulonephritis (GN) with acute kidney injury (AKI), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or death. There is recent evidence that the degree of proteinuria at diagnosis is associated with long-term renal outcome in ANCA GN. Therefore, we here aimed to systematically describe the association between proteinuria and clinicopathological characteristics in 53 renal biopsies with ANCA GN and corresponding urinary samples at admission. Methods: A total number of 53 urinary samples at admission and corresponding renal biopsies with confirmed renal involvement of AAV were retrospectively included from 2015 to 2021 in a single-center study. Results: Proteinuria correlated with myeloperoxidase (MPO) subtype, diagnosis of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and severe deterioration of kidney function. Proteinuria was most prominent in sclerotic class ANCA GN and ANCA renal risk score (ARRS) high risk attributed to nonselective proteinuria, including both glomerular and tubular proteinuria. Finally, there was no association between proteinuria and systemic disease activity, suggesting that proteinuria reflected specific renal involvement in AAV rather that systemic disease activity. Conclusions: In conclusion, proteinuria correlated with distinct clinicopathological characteristics in ANCA GN, mostly attributed to a reduced fraction of normal glomeruli. Furthermore, proteinuria in ANCA GN reflected specific renal involvement in AAV rather than systemic disease activity. Therefore, urinary findings could further improve our understanding of mechanisms promoting kidney injury and progression of ANCA GN.
SCATTER: Service Placement in Real-Time Fog-Assisted IoT Networks
Authors: Khosroabadi Fariba , Fotouhi-Ghazvini Faranak , Fotouhi Hossein
Published: April 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) networks dependent on cloud services usually fail in supporting real-time applications as there is no response time guarantees. The fog computing paradigm has been used to alleviate this problem by executing tasks at the edge of the network, where it is possible to provide time bounds. One of the challenging topics in a fog-assisted architecture is to task placement on edge devices in order to obtain a good performance. The process of task mapping into computational devices is known as Service Placement Problem (SPP). In this paper, we present a heuristic algorithm to solve SPP, dubbed as clustering of fog devices and requirement-sensitive service first (SCATTER). We provide simulations using iFogSim toolkit and experimental evaluations using real hardware to verify the feasibility of the SCATTER algorithm by considering a smart home application. We compared the SCATTER with two existing works: edge-ward and cloud-only approaches, in terms of Quality of Service (QoS) metrics. Our experimental results have demonstrated that SCATTER approach has better performance compared with the edge-ward and cloud-only, 42.1% and 60.2% less application response times, 22% and 27.8% less network usage, 45% and 65.7% less average application loop delays, and 2.33% and 3.2% less energy consumption.
Long-Term but Not Short-Term Maternal Fasting Reduces Nephron Number and Alters the Glomerular Filtration Barrier in Rat Offspring
Authors: Alshamrani Abdullah , Aldahmash Waleed , Falodah Fawaz , Arafah Maria , Harrath Abdel Halim , Alwasel Saleh
Published: April 2021

The present study examined the effects of maternal Ramadan-type fasting during selected days in the first, second, or third trimester, or during the entire pregnancy, on the kidney structure of male rat offspring. Pregnant rats were provided with food ad libitum during pregnancy (control group, C), or they were exposed to 16 h of fasting/day for three consecutive days in the middle of the first (FT1), second (FT2), or third trimester (FT3), or during whole pregnancy (FWP). Our results showed that dams in the FWP group demonstrated lower food intake and body weight during gestation. Litter size was unaltered by fasting in all groups; however, litter weight was significantly reduced only in the FWP group. Nephron number was decreased in the FWP group, but it remained unchanged in the other fasting groups. The ultrastructure of the glomerular filtration barrier indicated that the kidneys of offspring of the FWP group demonstrated wider diameters of fenestrations and filtration slits and smaller diameters of basement membranes. This was reflected by a significant increase in proteinuria in FWP only. These results suggest that, unlike with short-term fasting, which seems to be safe, maternal long-term fasting induces structural changes that were non-reversible, and that may contribute to impaired renal function, leading to chronic diseases in later life.
Effect of the Addition of Biobased Polyols on the Thermal Stability and Flame Retardancy of Polyurethane and Poly(urea)urethane Elastomers
Authors: Mizera Kamila , Sałasińska Kamila , Ryszkowska Joanna , Kurańska Maria , Kozera Rafał
Published: April 2021

Due to the current trends in sustainable development and the reduction in the use of fossil fuels (Green Deal strategy and the circular economy), and thus, the increased interest of the polyurethane industry in polyols derived from renewable sources, it is important to study the impact of these polyols on the flammability of new bioelastomers. The goal of this study was to check the influence of biobased polyols, such as tall oil (TO)-based polyols, soybean oil (SO)-based polyol, and rapeseed oil (RO)-based polyol, on the reduction in the burning and fume emissions of polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane elastomers (EPURs and EPUURs). The thermal stability of these materials was tested using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In turn, the flame retardancy and smoke emissions were checked using a cone calorimetry test. The released gases were identified using TGA coupled with Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy (TGA/FT-IR). Moreover, the morphological and structural characteristics of the char residues were characterized using FT-IR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The obtained data were compared to the results received for elastomers produced with petroleum substrates. The addition of biobased polyols led to a reduction in the burning as a result of the formation of char, especially RO polyol. Moreover, the TO and RO polyols increased the thermal stability of the elastomers.