bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interoperable Multi-Blockchain Platform Based on Integrated REST APIs for Reliable Tourism Management
Authors: Zhang Linchao , Hang Lei , Jin Wenquan , Kim Dohyeun
Published: December 2021

The tourism industry can significantly benefit from the blockchain since its implementation can build trust among stakeholders and improve customer satisfaction. However, most of the existing tourism-specified blockchain platforms are single-chains that provide business support for enterprises without guaranteeing transaction information privacy. Besides, these platforms are specified to a single use case and lack interoperability with other platforms to support heterogenous tourism services. This paper aims to address this issue by introducing a multi-chain architecture that utilizes multiple blockchains to enhance processing capability and provide various business services for the tourism industry. The proposed multi-chain architecture improves the interoperability between the activities in different chains by providing functional requirements in practical applications and supports the inter-ledger application. In addition, the private blockchain will be made available to allow users to access the network through central authorization. It also increases the transaction processing capability by distributing multiple tasks across the chains for large-scale applications. To demonstrate the usability and efficiency of the developed approach, a case study on hotel booking is conducted using the blockchain frameworks Winding Tree and Hyperledger Fabric. A comprehensive evaluation experiment is conducted, and the results show the significance of the proposed system.
Sliding Mode Robust Active Disturbance Rejection Control for Single-Link Flexible Arm with Large Payload Variations
Authors: Wang Fan , Liu Peng , Jing Feng , Liu Bo , Peng Wei , Guo Min , Xie Meilin
Published: December 2021

This paper proposes a novel robust control scheme for tip trajectory tracking of a lightweight flexible single-link arm. The developed control scheme deals with the influence of tip payload changes and disturbances during the working process of the flexible arm, thus realizing the accurate tracking for the tip reference trajectory. The robust control scheme is composed of an inner loop and an outer loop. The inner loop adopts the traditional PD control, and an active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) with a sliding mode (SM) compensation is designed in the outer loop. Moreover, the sliding mode compensation is mainly used to cope with the disturbance estimation error from the extended state observer (ESO), by which the insensitivity to tip payload variations and strong disturbance resistance is achieved. Finally, some numerical simulations are performed to support the theoretical analysis. The results show that the system is more robust to the tip mass variations of the arm and more resistant to the external torque after adding the sliding mode robustness term to the ADRC.
Open Data Based Machine Learning Applications in Smart Cities: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Hurbean Luminita , Danaiata Doina , Militaru Florin , Dodea Andrei-Mihail , Negovan Ana-Maria
Published: December 2021

Machine learning (ML) has already gained the attention of the researchers involved in smart city (SC) initiatives, along with other advanced technologies such as IoT, big data, cloud computing, or analytics. In this context, researchers also realized that data can help in making the SC happen but also, the open data movement has encouraged more research works using machine learning. Based on this line of reasoning, the aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review to investigate open data-based machine learning applications in the six different areas of smart cities. The results of this research reveal that: (a) machine learning applications using open data came out in all the SC areas and specific ML techniques are discovered for each area, with deep learning and supervised learning being the first choices. (b) Open data platforms represent the most frequently used source of data. (c) The challenges associated with open data utilization vary from quality of data, to frequency of data collection, to consistency of data, and data format. Overall, the data synopsis as well as the in-depth analysis may be a valuable support and inspiration for the future smart city projects.
A Hybrid Antenna with Equal Beamwidth in Two Frequency Bands for Radar Applications
Authors: Zhang Ning , Deng Changjiang , Sun Houjun
Published: December 2021

This paper presents a novel hybrid antenna with equal beamwidth in two frequency bands for short-range radar applications. The proposed design consists of a 2 × 2 patch array and a SIW-fed dielectric rod antenna. The two kinds of radiators are responsible for the 5.8 GHz and 24 GHz ISM bands, respectively. Pencil beams are obtained in both lower and upper bands. The beamwidth generated by the dielectric rod can be flexibly tuned to coincide with that of the patch array. Magneto-electric (ME) dipole, composed of a slot and two parasitic monopoles, is constructed to replace the conventional 3-D waveguide feeder, which can excite the dielectric rod effectively. The complementary structure is helpful to obtain a pencil beam. The 2 × 2 patch array has the size of 70 × 70 mm2 and is fed by a four-way power divider. Due to no overlapping radiating aperture, the two radiators can work independently with high port isolation. The measured peak gain in the two bands is 12.5 dBi and 12.7 dBi. The measured 3-dB beamwidth at 5.8 GHz and 24 GHz is 42° and 39° in x-z plane, and 43° and 42° in the y-z plane. The proposed antenna features a small beamwidth difference in two frequency bands, thus being attractive for dual-band radar systems.
Deep Time-Series Clustering: A Review
Authors: Alqahtani Ali , Ali Mohammed , Xie Xianghua , Jones Mark W.
Published: December 2021

We present a comprehensive, detailed review of time-series data analysis, with emphasis on deep time-series clustering (DTSC), and a case study in the context of movement behavior clustering utilizing the deep clustering method. Specifically, we modified the DCAE architectures to suit time-series data at the time of our prior deep clustering work. Lately, several works have been carried out on deep clustering of time-series data. We also review these works and identify state-of-the-art, as well as present an outlook on this important field of DTSC from five important perspectives.
Effects of Forestry Transformation on the Landscape Level of Biodiversity in Poland’s Forests
Authors: Referowska-Chodak Ewa , Kornatowska Bożena
Published: December 2021

At all times, historical, political, economic, and social factors have affected the management of forests, with direct and indirect effects on the landscape. This study aimed to trace the impact of Poland’s forestry evolution over the last 75 years (1945–2020) on forest biodiversity at the landscape level. Five indicators were selected (forest area, forest fragmentation, protected forests, protective forests, harvesting intensity) to identify directions and dynamics of changes of the forest landscape and their determinants and repercussions. In addition, there were determined forest landscapes threats and recommendations for further action and intervention were formulated. The study period embraced two eras of widely divergent political-economic conditions in Poland (socialism and democracy). In the socialism era (1945–1989), there promptly increased total forest cover, wood resources (total growing stock) and the total area of protective forests (essential for safeguarding biodiversity, including the landscape level). In the era of democracy (1990–2020), average growing stock density increased intensely, and at the same time, a greater emphasis was put on reducing forest fragmentation and clear-cut logging. The results obtained showed equal average increase in the area of protected forests in both eras under the study (most intense at their crossing point). In view of the protection of biodiversity at the forest landscape level, the changes throughout the study period were considered positive, although not without problems and challenging consequences for foresters. The determined pressures to the forest landscapes, requiring legal, political, or financial solutions, include a risk of alteration of the ownership structure of Poland’s forests or possibility of operational changes in the State Forests National Forest Holding; outdated forest policies; organizational difficulties in the forest landscape protection; insufficient conservation funding; uneven distribution and further fragmentation of forests; and—last but not least—climate change impacts, including extreme weather events and droughts.
Evidence for the Widespread Occurrence of Bacteria Implicated in Acute Oak Decline from Incidental Genetic Sampling
Authors: Gathercole Louise A. P. , Nocchi Gabriele , Brown Nathan , Coker Timothy L. R. , Plumb William J. , Stocks Jonathan J. , Nichols Richard A. , Denman Sandra , Buggs Richard J. A.
Published: December 2021

Acute Oak Decline (AOD) is complex syndrome affecting Britain’s keystone native oak species, (Quercus robur L. and Q. petraea L. (Matt.) Liebl.), in some cases causing mortality within five years of symptom development. The most distinguishable symptom is weeping stem lesions, from which four species of bacteria have been isolated: Brenneria goodwinii, Gibbsiella quercinecans, Lonsdalea britannica and Rahnella victoriana. We do not yet know where else these bacteria exist, and little is known about the relationship of the wider oak leaf microbiome (phyllosphere) to acute oak decline. Here we investigate whether incidental evidence from a large oak genome re-sequencing dataset could be used to detect these bacteria in oak foliage, and whether bacterial incidence co-varied with AOD status or location. Oak leaves and buds were sampled from 421 trees at five sites in England. Whole genomic DNA from these samples was shot-gun sequenced with short reads. Non-oak reads were extracted from these data and queried to microbial databases. Reads uniquely matching AOD-associated bacterial genomes were found to be present on trees from all five sites and included trees with active lesions, trees with historic lesions and trees without AOD symptoms. The abundance of the AOD-associated bacteria did not differ between tree health categories but did differ among sites. We conclude that the AOD-associated bacteria may be members of the normal oak microbiome, whose presence on a tree is not sufficient to cause AOD symptoms.
Data-Driven Modeling of Geometry-Adaptive Steady Heat Convection Based on Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Peng Jiang-Zhou , Liu Xianglei , Xia Zhen-Dong , Aubry Nadine , Chen Zhihua , Wu Wei-Tao
Published: December 2021

Heat convection is one of the main mechanisms of heat transfer, and it involves both heat conduction and heat transportation by fluid flow; as a result, it usually requires numerical simulation for solving heat convection problems. Although the derivation of governing equations is not difficult, the solution process can be complicated and usually requires numerical discretization and iteration of differential equations. In this paper, based on neural networks, we developed a data-driven model for an extremely fast prediction of steady-state heat convection of a hot object with an arbitrary complex geometry in a two-dimensional space. According to the governing equations, the steady-state heat convection is dominated by convection and thermal diffusion terms; thus the distribution of the physical fields would exhibit stronger correlations between adjacent points. Therefore, the proposed neural network model uses convolutional neural network (CNN) layers as the encoder and deconvolutional neural network (DCNN) layers as the decoder. Compared with a fully connected (FC) network model, the CNN-based model is good for capturing and reconstructing the spatial relationships of low-rank feature spaces, such as edge intersections, parallelism, and symmetry. Furthermore, we applied the signed distance function (SDF) as the network input for representing the problem geometry, which contains more information compared with a binary image. For displaying the strong learning and generalization ability of the proposed network model, the training dataset only contains hot objects with simple geometries: triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and dodecagons, while the testing cases use arbitrary and complex geometries. According to the study, the trained network model can accurately predict the velocity and temperature field of the problems with complex geometries, which has never been seen by the network model during the model training; and the prediction speed is two orders faster than the CFD. The ability of accurate and extremely fast prediction of the network model suggests the potential of applying reduced-order network models to the applications of real-time control and fast optimization in the future.
Bacillus cereus as a Major Cause of Discarded Pasteurized Human Banked Milk: A Single Human Milk Bank Experience
Authors: Jandová Miroslava , Měřička Pavel , Fišerová Michaela , Landfeld Aleš , Paterová Pavla , Hobzová Lenka , Jarkovská Eva , Kacerovský Marian , Houška Milan
Published: December 2021

A systematic study, performed from 2017–2020 looked at the rate of positive post-pasteurization B. cereus findings, the quantity of B. cereus in pasteurized banked human milk (PBM), and the rate of B. cereus toxicogenic isolates from PBM. During the study period, 6815.71 L (30,943 tested bottles) of PBM were tested, with an average amount per year of 1703.93 L (7736 tested bottles). The PBM discard rate per year due to bacterial contamination varied between 8.7–10.0% and contamination with B. cereus was the most frequent reason. The total number of B. cereus positive tests was 2739 and the proportion of its positivity from all positive tests was between 56.7–66.6%. The prevalence of B. cereus positive tests rose significantly in the summer months. The production of enterotoxin was found in 3 of the 20 tested samples (15.0%). The B. cereus CFU-quantities in the PBM were below 10 CFU/mL in 80% of cases (16 of 20 samples tested). The quantitative data can be used in the risk assessment of cold storage of PBM at temperatures above zero and manipulation of PBM prior to its administration.
Characteristics of Pork Muscles Cooked to Varying End-Point Temperatures
Authors: Cauble Reagan N. , Ball Jase J. , Zorn Virginia E. , Reyes Tristan M. , Wagoner Madison P. , Coursen Madison M. , Lambert Barry D. , Apple Jason K. , Sawyer Jason T.
Published: December 2021

M. biceps femoris (BF), m. semimembranosus (SM) and m. semitendinosus (ST) from fresh pork ham were evaluated for characteristics of quality after cooking to an internal endpoint temperature of 62 °C or 73 °C. Fresh ham muscles from the left side (N = 68) were cut into 2.54 cm thick chops and allocated to cooking loss, Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF), pH and instrumental cooked color analysis. Cooking losses were greater (p < 0.0001) for SM and chops cooked to an internal temperature of 73 °C (p < 0.0001), whereas WBSF did not differ (p = 0.2509) among the three muscles, but was greater (p < 0.0001) in chops cooked to 73 °C. Fresh muscle’s pH was greater (p < 0.05) in ST than BF or SM. Lastly, the interactive effect (p < 0.05) of muscle × endpoint temperature for ST chops cooked to 73 °C was lighter (L*), but, when cooked to 62 °C, they were more red (a*), more yellow (b*) and incurred less color change from red to brown than BF or SM. The current results suggest it is plausible for BF, SM and ST to be considered for alternative uses instead of traditional value-added manufacturing.
Identification of Heavy Tobacco Smoking Predictors-Influence of Marijuana Consuming Peers and Truancy among College Students
Authors: Popa Mihaela-Daiana , Sharma Abhinav , Kundnani Nilima Rajpal , Gag Otilia Lavinia , Rosca Ciprian Ilie , Mocanu Valeria , Tudor Anca , Popovici Ramona Amina , Vlaicu Brigitha , Borza Claudia
Published: December 2021

Background: Poorly informed college students tend to adopt the habit of cigarette smoking. This habit often continues into their adulthoods, adversely affecting the population’s health and increasing the burden on healthcare systems. Aim: We aimed at exploring the predictors of the avoidable habit of smoking. We performed an analysis of the correlation between the potential predictors (marijuana use among peers and truancy) and the tobacco smoking statuses of the students. Material and method: Our study sample included 2976 students from colleges in Timis County, Romania, during the 2018–2019 period. The gender distribution of the participants was 62.5% girls and 37.5% boys, between the ages 18 and 25 years. A logistic regression test was performed to determine the impact of some personal and environmental factors, which are responsible for heavy smoking in this population. Results: Our findings suggest that the degree of marijuana smoking among friends and the frequency of college truancy are meaningful predictors of heavy smoking among young adults. The students with higher cigarette smoking rates had significantly more marijuana-smoking friends when compared to the students with average smoking rates. The truancy was higher among the students with higher cigarette smoking rates, compared to the students with average smoking rates.
Reducing the Healthcare-Associated Infections in a Rehabilitation Hospital under the Guidance of Lean Six Sigma and DMAIC
Authors: Cesarelli Giuseppe , Petrelli Rita , Ricciardi Carlo , D’Addio Giovanni , Monce Orjela , Ruccia Maria , Cesarelli Mario
Published: December 2021

The reduction of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is one of the most important issues in the healthcare context for every type of hospital. In three operational units of the Scientific Clinical Institutes Maugeri SpA SB, a rehabilitation hospital in Cassano delle Murge (Italy), some corrective measures were introduced in 2017 to reduce the occurrence of HAIs. Lean Six Sigma was used together with the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) roadmap to analyze both the impact of such measures on HAIs and the length of hospital stay (LOS) in the Rehabilitative Cardiology, Rehabilitative Neurology, Functional Recovery and Rehabilitation units in the Medical Center for Intensive Rehabilitation. The data of 2415 patients were analyzed, considering the phases both before and after the introduction of the measures. The hospital experienced a LOS reduction in both patients with and without HAIs; in particular, Cardiology had the greatest reduction for patients with infections (−7 days). The overall decrease in HAIs in the hospital was 3.44%, going from 169 to 121 cases of infections. The noteworthy decrease in LOS implies an increase in admissions and in the turnover indicator of the hospital, which has a positive impact on the hospital management as well as on costs.
Examining the Environmental Impacts of the Dairy and Baby Food Industries: Are First-Food Systems a Crucial Missing Part of the Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems Agenda Now Underway?
Authors: Pope Daniel H. , Karlsson Johan O. , Baker Phillip , McCoy David
Published: December 2021

Food systems are increasingly being understood as driving various health and ecological crises and their transformation is recognised as a key opportunity for planetary health. First-food systems represent an underexplored aspect of this transformation. Despite breastfeeding representing the optimal source of infant nutrition, use of commercial milk formula (CMF) is high and growing rapidly. In this review, we examine the impact of CMF use on planetary health, considering in particular its effects on climate change, water use and pollution and the consequences of these effects for human health. Milk is the main ingredient in the production of CMF, making the role of the dairy sector a key area of attention. We find that CMF use has twice the carbon footprint of breastfeeding, while 1 kg of CMF has a blue water footprint of 699 L; CMF has a significant and harmful environmental impact. Facilitation and protection of breastfeeding represents a key part of developing sustainable first-food systems and has huge potential benefits for maternal and child health.
Surveillance of Injury Types, Locations, and Intensities in Male and Female Tennis Players: A Content Analysis of Online Newspaper Reports
Authors: Musa Rabiu Muazu , Hassan Isyaku , Abdullah Mohamad Razali , Azmi Mohd Nazri Latiff , P. P. Abdul Majeed Anwar , Abu Osman Noor Azuan
Published: December 2021

The popularity of modern tennis has contributed to the increasing number of participants at both recreational and competitive levels. The influx of numerous tennis participants has resulted in a wave of injury occurrences of different types and magnitudes across both male and female players. Since tennis injury harms both players’ economic and career development, a better understanding of its epidemiology could potentially curtail its prevalence and occurrences. We used online-based tennis-related injury reports to study the prevalence, location types, and injury intensities in both male and female tennis players for the past five years. It is demonstrated from the chi-square analysis that injury occurrences are significantly associated with a specific gender (χ2(18) = 50.773; p = 0.001), with male players having a higher risk of injury manifestation (68.10%) as compared with female players (31.90%). Nonetheless, knee, hip, ankle, and shoulder injuries are highly prevalent in both male and female players. Moreover, the injury intensities are distributed across gender (χ2(2) = 0.398; p = 0.820), with major injuries being dominant, followed by minor injuries, whilst a few cases of career-threatening injuries were also reported. It was similarly observed that male players recorded a higher degree of both major, minor, and career-threatening injuries than female players. In addition, male players sustained more elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, and thigh injuries than female players. Whereas, female players mostly suffered from Achilles and back injuries, ankle and hamstring injuries affected both genders. The usage of online newspaper reports is pivotal in characterizing the epidemiology of tennis-related injuries based on locations and gender to better understand the pattern and localization of injuries, which could be used to address the problem of modern tennis-related injuries.
The Societal Echo of Severe Weather Events: Ambient Geospatial Information (AGI) on a Storm Event
Authors: Hologa Rafael , Glaser Rüdiger
Published: December 2021

The given article focuses on the benefit of harvested Ambient Geographic Information (AGI) as complementary data sources for severe weather events and provides methodical approaches for the spatio-temporal analysis of such data. The perceptions and awareness of Twitter users posting about severe weather patterns were explored as there were aspects not documented by official damage reports or derived from official weather data. We analysed Tweets regarding the severe storm event Friederike to map their spatio-temporal patterns. More than 50% of the retrieved >23.000 tweets were geocoded by applying supervised information retrievals, text mining, and geospatial analysis methods. Complementary, central topics were clustered and linked to official weather data for cross-evaluation. The data confirmed (1) a scale-dependent relationship between the wind speed and the societal echo. In addition, the study proved that (2) reporting activity is moderated by population distribution. An in-depth analysis of the crowds’ central topic clusters in response to the storm Friederike (3) revealed a plausible sequence of dominant communication contents during the severe weather event. In particular, the merge of the studied AGI and other environmental datasets at different spatio-temporal scales shows how such user-generated content can be a useful complementary data source to study severe weather events and the ensuing societal echo.
RGS4 RNA Secondary Structure Mediates Staufen2 RNP Assembly in Neurons
Authors: Fernández-Moya Sandra M. , Ehses Janina , Bauer Karl E. , Schieweck Rico , Chakrabarti Anob M. , Lee Flora C. Y. , Illig Christin , Luscombe Nicholas M. , Harner Max , Ule Jernej , Kiebler Michael A.
Published: December 2021

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) act as posttranscriptional regulators controlling the fate of target mRNAs. Unraveling how RNAs are recognized by RBPs and in turn are assembled into neuronal RNA granules is therefore key to understanding the underlying mechanism. While RNA sequence elements have been extensively characterized, the functional impact of RNA secondary structures is only recently being explored. Here, we show that Staufen2 binds complex, long-ranged RNA hairpins in the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of its targets. These structures are involved in the assembly of Staufen2 into RNA granules. Furthermore, we provide direct evidence that a defined Rgs4 RNA duplex regulates Staufen2-dependent RNA localization to distal dendrites. Importantly, disrupting the RNA hairpin impairs the observed effects. Finally, we show that these secondary structures differently affect protein expression in neurons. In conclusion, our data reveal the importance of RNA secondary structure in regulating RNA granule assembly, localization and eventually translation. It is therefore tempting to speculate that secondary structures represent an important code for cells to control the intracellular fate of their mRNAs.
Exerting the Appropriate Application of Methylprednisolone in Acute Spinal Cord Injury Based on Time Course Transcriptomics Analysis
Authors: Yang Liang-Yo , Tsai Meng-Yu , Juan Shu-Hui , Chang Shwu-Fen , Yu Chang-Tze Ricky , Lin Jung-Chun , Johnson Kory R. , Lim Hendrick Gao-Min , Fann Yang C. , Lee Yuan-Chii Gladys
Published: December 2021

Methylprednisolone (MP) is an anti-inflammatory drug approved for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries (SCIs). However, MP administration for SCIs has become a controversial issue while the molecular effects of MP remain unexplored to date. Therefore, delineating the benefits and side effects of MP and determining what MP cannot cure in SCIs at the molecular level are urgent issues. Here, genomic profiles of the spinal cord in rats with and without injury insults, and those with and without MP treatment, were generated at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h post-injury. A comprehensive analysis was applied to obtain three distinct classes: side effect of MP (SEMP), competence of MP (CPMP), and incapability of MP (ICMP). Functional analysis using these genes suggested that MP exerts its greatest effect at 8~12 h, and the CPMP was reflected in the immune response, while SEMP suggested aspects of metabolism, such as glycolysis, and ICMP was on neurological system processes in acute SCIs. For the first time, we are able to precisely reveal responsive functions of MP in SCIs at the molecular level and provide useful solutions to avoid complications of MP in SCIs before better therapeutic drugs are available.
Feed and Host Genetics Drive Microbiome Diversity with Resultant Consequences for Production Traits in Mass-Reared Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae
Authors: Greenwood Matthew P. , Hull Kelvin L. , Brink-Hull Marissa , Lloyd Melissa , Rhode Clint
Published: December 2021

Mass rearing the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, for waste bioremediation and valorisation is gaining traction on a global scale. While the health and productivity of this species are underpinned by associations with microbial taxa, little is known about the factors that govern gut microbiome assembly, function, and contributions towards host phenotypic development in actively feeding larvae. In the present study, a 16S rDNA gene sequencing approach applied to a study system incorporating both feed substrate and genetic variation is used to address this knowledge gap. It is determined that the alpha diversity of larval gut bacterial communities is driven primarily by features of the larval feed substrate, including the diversity of exogenous bacterial populations. Microbiome beta diversity, however, demonstrated patterns of differentiation consistent with an influence of diet, larval genetic background, and a potential interaction between these factors. Moreover, evidence for an association between microbiome structure and the rate of larval fat accumulation was uncovered. Taxonomic enrichment analysis and clustering of putative functional gut profiles further suggested that feed-dependent turnover in microbiome communities is most likely to impact larval characteristics. Taken together, these findings indicate that host–microbiome interactions in this species are complex yet relevant to larval trait emergence.
Flight and Reproduction Variations of Rice Leaf Roller, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis in Response to Different Rearing Temperatures
Authors: Lv Weixiang , Jiang Xingfu , Chen Xiujie , Cheng Yunxia , Xia Jixing , Zhang Lei
Published: December 2021

Understanding how species that follow different life-history strategies respond to stressful temperature can be essential for efficient treatments of agricultural pests. Here, we focused on how the development, reproduction, flight, and reproductive consequences of migration of Cnaphalocrocis medinalis were influenced by exposure to different rearing temperatures in the immature stage. We found that the immature rice leaf roller that were reared at low temperatures (18 and 22 °C) developed more slowly than the normal temperature 26 °C, while those reared at high temperatures (34 °C) grew faster. Female adults from low immature stage rearing temperatures showed stronger reproductive ability than those at 26 and 34 °C, such as the preoviposition period (POP) significantly decreased, while the total lifetime fecundity obviously increased. However, 34 °C did not significantly reduce the reproductive performances of females compared to 26 °C. On the contrary, one relative decreased tendency of flight capacity was found in the lower immature temperature treatments. Furthermore, flight is a costly strategy for reproduction output to compete for limited internal resources. In the lower temperature treatments, after d1-tethered flight treatment, negative reproductive consequences were found that flight significantly decreased the lifetime fecundity and mating frequency of females from low rearing temperatures in the immature stage compared to the controls (no tethered-flight). However, in the 26 and 34 °C treatments, the same flight treatment induced a positive influence on reproduction, which significantly reduced the POP and period of first oviposition (PFO). The results suggest that the experience of relative high temperatures in the immature stage is more likely to trigger the onset of migration, but lower temperatures in the immature stage may induce adults to have a greater resident propensity with stronger reproductive ability.
Temporal Course of Plasma Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO) Levels in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Almesned Mohammad A. , Prins Femke M. , Lipšic Erik , Connelly Margery A. , Garcia Erwin , Dullaart Robin P. F. , Groot Hilde E. , van der Harst Pim
Published: December 2021

The gut metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) at admission has a prognostic value in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. However, its sequential changes and relationship with long-term infarct-related outcomes after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain elusive. We delineated the temporal course of TMAO and its relationship with infarct size and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) post-PCI, adjusting for the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). We measured TMAO levels at admission, 24 h and 4 months post-PCI in 379 STEMI patients. Infarct size and LVEF were determined by cardiac magnetic resonance 4 months after PCI. TMAO levels decreased from admission (4.13 ± 4.37 μM) to 24 h (3.41 ± 5.84 μM, p = 0.001) and increased from 24 h to 4 months (3.70 ± 3.86 μM, p = 0.026). Higher TMAO values at 24 h were correlated to smaller infarct sizes (rho = −0.16, p = 0.024). Larger declines between admission and 4 months suggestively correlated with smaller infarct size, and larger TMAO increases between 24 h and 4 months were associated with larger infarct size (rho = −0.19, p = 0.008 and rho = −0.18, p = 0.019, respectively). Upon eGFR stratification using 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 as a cut-off, significant associations between TMAO and infarct size were only noted in subjects with impaired renal function. In conclusion, TMAO levels in post-PCI STEMI patients are prone to fluctuations, and these fluctuations could be prognostic for infarct size, particularly in patients with impaired renal function.
Evaluation of a Clinical Pathway for Thyroid Nodular Disease: Timings and Delays in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Sifontes-Dubón Mildred , García-López Jose Manuel , González-Ortega Noel , Pazos-Couselo Marcos
Published: December 2021

Background: Due to the high prevalence of nodular thyroid disease in the general population and the need to rule out malignant tumours, a clinical pathway for nodular thyroid disease was created at our tertiary-level hospital. Our study aimed to quantify timings and delays in diagnosis and treatment in this clinical pathway, specifically for patients who were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of patients who were newly diagnosed with thyroid cancer and who had been previously evaluated in the clinical pathway for nodular thyroid disease at our institution during 2015–2017. Patient demographics, previous diagnostic studies, cytological results, tumour details and key dates were analysed to identify wait times in diagnosis and treatment. Results: Forty patients with thyroid cancer were included. The diagnostic delay had a median time of 60 days, and the treatment delay was dependent on cytopathological results. The main cause for delay in the diagnostic phase was the timing of the thyroid ultrasound performed by the radiology department. In the treatment phase, patients with a cytological result of Bethesda III, V or VI underwent surgery at the suggested time, while those in the Bethesda II or IV category did not. Conclusions: The major delay found in the diagnostic phase was the timing of the thyroid ultrasound performed by the radiology department. We are not suggesting that this step must be eliminated, though the implementation of routine ultrasonography in a thyroid clinic can help identify patients who need more urgent evaluation for fine needle aspiration cytology. In our hospital, decision for surgery is based mainly on the cytopathological report. Imaging studies and/or molecular testing could be considered to reduce treatment delays.
Infrared Clinical Enamel Crack Detector Based on Silicon CCD and Its Application: A High-Quality and Low-Cost Option
Authors: Zheng Yuchen , Oh Min-Hee , Song Woo-Sub , Kim Ki-Hyun , Shin In-Hee , Kim Min-Seok , Cho Jin-Hyoung
Published: December 2021

Enamel cracks generated in the anterior teeth not only affect the function but also the aesthetics of the teeth. Chair-side tooth enamel crack detection is essential for clinicians to formulate treatment plans and prevent related dental disease. This study aimed to develop a dental imaging system using a near-IR light source to detect enamel cracks and to investigate the relationship between anterior enamel cracks and age in vivo. A total of 68 subjects were divided into three groups according to their age: young, middle, and elderly. Near-infrared radiation of 850 nm was used to identify enamel cracks in anterior teeth. The results of the quantitative examination showed that the number of enamel cracks on the teeth increased considerably with age. For the qualitative examination, the results indicated that there was no significant relationship between the severity of the enamel cracks and age. So, it can be concluded that the prevalence of anterior cracked tooth increased significantly with age in the young and middle age. The length of the anterior enamel cracks tended to increase with age too; however, this result was not significant. The silicon charge-coupled device (CCD) with a wavelength of 850 nm has a good performance in the detection of enamel cracks and has very good clinical practicability.
An Analysis of the 8.85- and 4.42-Year Cycles in the Gulf of Maine
Authors: Zong Xiaolong , Zhang Ruzhen , Zhang Shuwen , Deng Fangjing , Zhou Wei , Chen Zhaoyun
Published: December 2021

In the background of global warming and climate change, nuisance flooding is only caused by astronomical tides, which could be modulated by the nodal cycle. Therefore, much attention should be paid to the variation in the amplitude of the nodal cycle. In this paper, we utilize the enhanced harmonic analysis method and the independent point scheme to obtain the time-dependent amplitudes of the 8.85-year cycle of N2 tide and the 4.42-year cycle of 2N2 tide based on water level records of four tide gauges in the Gulf of Maine. Results indicate that the long-term trends of N2 and 2N2 tides vary spatially, which may be affected by the sea-level rise, coastal defenses, and other possible climate-related mechanisms. The comparison between Halifax and Eastport reveals that the topography greatly influences the amplitudes of those cycles. Moreover, a quasi 20-year oscillation is obvious in the 8.85-year cycle of N2 tide. This oscillation probably relates to a 20-year mode in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Cavitation of Multiscale Vortices in Circular Cylinder Wake at Re = 9500
Authors: Gu Fadong , Huang Yadong , Zhang Desheng
Published: December 2021

Cavitation characteristics in the wake of a circular cylinder, which contains multiscale vortices, are numerically investigated via Large Eddy Simulation (LES) in this paper. The Reynolds number is 9500 based on the inlet velocity, the cylinder diameter and the kinematic viscosity of the noncavitation liquid. The Schneer–Sauer (SS) model is applied to cavitation simulation because it is more sensitive to vapor–liquid two-phase volume fraction than the Zwart–Gerber–Belamri (ZGB) model, according to theoretical analyses. The wake is quasiperiodic, with an approximate frequency of 0.2. It is found that the cavitation of vortices could inhibit the vortex shedding. Besides, the mutual aggregation of small-scale vortices in the vortex system or the continuous stripping of small-scale vortices at the edge of large-scale vortices could induce the merging or splitting of cavities in the wake.
Benchmarking Outcomes after Ablative Radiotherapy for Molecularly Characterized Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: De Brian , Abu-Gheida Ibrahim , Patel Aashini , Ng Sylvia , Zaid Mohamed , Thunshelle Connor , Elganainy Dalia , Corrigan Kelsey , Rooney Michael , Javle Milind , Raghav Kanwal , Lee Sunyoung , Vauthey Jean-Nicolas , Tzeng Ching-Wei , Tran Cao Hop , Ludmir Ethan , Minsky Bruce , Smith Grace , Holliday Emma , Taniguchi Cullen , Koong Albert , Das Prajnan , Koay Eugene
Published: December 2021

We have previously shown that ablative radiotherapy (A-RT) with a biologically effective dose (BED10) ≥ 80.5 Gy for patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is associated with longer survival. Despite recent large-scale sequencing efforts in ICC, outcomes following RT based on genetic alterations have not been described. We reviewed records of 156 consecutive patients treated with A-RT for unresectable ICC from 2008 to 2020. For 114 patients (73%), next-generation sequencing provided molecular profiles. The overall survival (OS), local control (LC), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Univariate and multivariable Cox analyses were used to determine the associations with the outcomes. The median tumor size was 7.3 (range: 2.2–18.2) cm. The portal vein thrombus (PVT) was present in 10%. The RT median BED10 was 98 Gy (range: 81–144 Gy). The median (95% confidence interval) follow-up was 58 (42–104) months from diagnosis and 39 (33–74) months from RT. The median OS was 32 (29–35) months after diagnosis and 20 (16–24) months after RT. The one-year OS, LC, and intrahepatic DMFS were 73% (65–80%), 81% (73–87%), and 34% (26–42%). The most common mutations were in IDH1 (25%), TP53 (22%), ARID1A (19%), and FGFR2 (13%). Upon multivariable analysis, the factors associated with death included worse performance status, larger tumor, metastatic disease, higher CA 19-9, PVT, satellitosis, and IDH1 and PIK3CA mutations. TP53 mutation was associated with local failure. Further investigation into the prognostic value of individual mutations and combinations thereof is warranted.
CHU9D Normative Data in Peruvian Adolescents
Authors: Palacios-Cartagena Roxana Paola , Pastor-Cisneros Raquel , Adsuar Jose Carmelo , Pérez-Gómez Jorge , García-Gordillo Miguel Ángel , Mendoza-Muñoz María
Published: December 2021

Background: Due to the vulnerability to protective and risk factors during adolescence, there is a growing interest in the study of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at this stage. The CHU9D is a generic and practical HRQoL instrument that provides values on all dimensions of self-perceived health, in addition to providing utilities and a cost-utility assessment fee, unlike other instruments. This study was conducted with an adolescent population in Peru. The main objective of this article is to report the normative values of the CHU9D questionnaire in Peruvian adolescents. Methods: The CHU9D questionnaire was administered to Peruvian adolescent students. A total of 1229 young people participated in the survey. The CHU9D score was reflected as a function of gender, age, weight, height, and educational level. Results: The mean CHU9D utility index for the total sample was 0.890; this rating was significantly better for boys with 0.887 and girls with 0.867. The ceiling effect was higher for male adolescents with 32.6 than for female adolescents. Conclusions: The results of the present study show that adolescents in school show a positive perception of HRQoL. It is also concluded that the CHU9D instrument can be effectively applied to economic evaluations for interventions to improve the quality of life of adolescents.
Perioperative Magnesium for Postoperative Analgesia: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Choi Geun Joo , Kim Young Il , Koo Young Hyun , Oh Hyoung-Chul , Kang Hyun
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study was to summarize and evaluate evidence on the effectiveness of perioperative magnesium as an adjuvant for postoperative analgesia. We conducted an umbrella review of the evidence across systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of perioperative magnesium on pain after surgical procedures. Two independent investigators retrieved pain-related outcomes and assessed the methodological quality of the evidence of included studies using the A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. In addition, an updated meta-analysis of postoperative pain-related outcomes with a trial sequential analysis (TSA) was conducted. Of the 773 articles initially identified, 17 systematic reviews and meta-analyses of 258 RCTs were included in the current umbrella review. Based on the AMSTAR tool, the overall confidence of the included systematic reviews was deemed critically low to low. Pain score, analgesic consumption, time to first analgesic request, and incidence of analgesic request were examined as pain-related outcomes. According to the GRADE system, the overall quality of evidence ranged from very low to moderate. While the updated meta-analysis showed the beneficial effect of perioperative magnesium on postoperative analgesia, and TSA appeared to suggest sufficient existing evidence, the heterogeneity was substantial for every outcome. Although the majority of included systematic reviews and updated meta-analysis showed a significant improvement in outcomes related to pain after surgery when magnesium was administered during the perioperative period, the evidence reveals a limited confidence in the beneficial effect of perioperative magnesium on postoperative pain.
Method for Fast Map Construction Based on GPS Data and Compressed Grid Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Jian , Ling Shuai , Wang Ping , Hu Xiaoyang , Liu Lu
Published: December 2021

Electronic maps play an important role in the field of urban traffic management, but the interface functions provided by map service agencies are limited, and commercial maps are generally expensive. Furthermore, the map generation algorithms based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) data can be very complex and take up a lot of storage space, which limits their application to specific practical problems, such as the real-time update of area maps, temporary road control, emergency route planning, and other scenarios. In order to solve this problem, an intuitive, extensible, and flexible method of constructing urban road maps is proposed. Using the Othello-coordinated method, the representation of the unit grid cell was redesigned. Through this method, the disadvantages of the raster map’s large storage space and computing resource requirements are compensated for during processing, improving the topological expression ability of the raster map and the speed with which the construction of the map is realized. The application potential of the proposed method is demonstrated by the evaluation of public transport service and road network resilience. In our experiments, the optimization efficiency of storage space was up to 99.914%, and the calculation accuracy of bus coverage was about 99.86%.
Chronic Stress and Gonadectomy Affect the Expression of Cx37, Cx40 and Cx43 in the Spinal Cord
Authors: Jurić Marija , Balog Marta , Ivić Vedrana , Benzon Benjamin , Racetin Anita , Bočina Ivana , Kević Nives , Konjevoda Suzana , Szűcs Kálmán F. , Gáspár Róbert , Heffer Marija , Vukojević Katarina , Vari Sandor G. , Filipović Natalija
Published: December 2021

The study aimed to determine whether the exposure to chronic stress and/or performance of gonadectomy might lead to disturbance in the expression of connexin (Cx) 37, 40 and 43 in the spinal cord (SC), as a potential explanation for sex differences in stress-related chronic pain conditions. After the rats were sham-operated or gonadectomized, three 10-day sessions of sham or chronic stress were applied. Immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to examine Cx localization and expression in the SC. The gonadectomy resulted in an increase of Cx37 expression in the dorsal horn (DH) of the female rats, but chronic stress suppressed the effects of castration. In male rats, only the combined effects of castration and chronic stress increased Cx37 expression. The influence of chronic stress on the DH Cx40 expression was inversely evident after the castration: increased in the ovariectomized female rats, while decreased in the orchidectomized male rats. We did not find any effect of chronic stress and castration, alone or together, on Cx43 expression in the DH, but the percentage of Cx43 overlapping the astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (gfap) increased in the male stressed group after the castration. In conclusion, the association of the chronic stress with sex hormone depletion results in disturbances of the SC Cx expression and might be a possible mechanism of disturbed pain perception after chronic stress exposure.