bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient agri food supply chain in a sustainable transportation perspective
Authors: Kresnanto N C , Putri W H , Lantarsih R , Harjiyatni F R
Published: November 2021

Transportation is an essential part of the supply chain. Transportation in a supply chain is the movement of a product from origin to destination, especially the warehouse’s movement from the warehouse to the end-user. At present, the success of managing a supply chain is measured by its low cost and its environmental and social impact, which is what is called a sustainable supply chain. Because transportation is the most crucial part of supporting the supply chain to achieve a sustainable supply chain, transportation must also have a sustainability orientation. The sustainability context includes three central pillars (often referred to as the three Es): social equity, economic efficiency, and environmental responsibility. Based on this background, this paper will discuss transportation sustainability in support of a sustainable supply chain, especially in agri-food products. The study results show that implementing multi-mode concepts can improve the sustainability of the supply chain.
Food waste handling perception in Indonesia: communicating the sustainability of Food and environment
Authors: Susilo Daniel , de Leon Myra V. , Dwi Putranto Teguh , Kurnia Hartati Fadjar
Published: November 2021

Every week, Indonesia discards approximately 10 million pieces of bread, cakes, and cookies, equating to 292,000 tons of CO2 emissions similar to Indonesia’s annual CO2 emissions. Due to a lack of resources and infrastructure, most impoverished countries rely on antiquated technologies such as anaerobic digestion (AD) to handle food waste. Bakery trash is a biologically formed organic waste that poses a serious threat to public health and the environment, including natural ecosystem contamination. The goal of this study is to find out how much effort Indonesians put into garbage management. How do they spread the word about leftovers through the media? How do they know about waste, particularly bread waste? As well as community-wide corrective steps to protect the environment from domestic food waste management. This study employs a quantitative approach. In order to send 100 questionnaires to persons in Indonesia, purposive sampling was used. Surveys are carried out using Google forms, which require a valid Google email address in order to ensure that each person only takes the survey once. The study’s conclusion is that food waste management efforts among Indonesians are hampered by the public’s lack of understanding of food waste management and disposal information in the media. The research sample understands the process of recycling food into pet food when it becomes garbage, according to their perceptions about the end process of food. In terms of food waste awareness, the majority of the participants in this study were aware that food waste is disposed of in landfills rather than being recycled.
Enhancing adhesion and anti-corrosion performance of hot-dip galvanized steels by sandblasting/phosphating co-treatment
Authors: Zhang Jingwen , Kong Gang , Wang Wenjun , Zhang Shuanghong , Che Chunshan
Published: November 2021

The substations outdoor steel structures employed in aggressive marine environments can accelerate corrosion damage and cause incredible degradation of performance. Hot-dip galvanizing and organic coating dual-coated anticorrosion system is currently the most effective and efficient protection strategy. In present paper, sandblasting and phosphating technique were applied to the surface of zinc plating, the effect of various grit-blasting and phosphating technology conditions on the adhesion performance and corrosion resistance of duplex-coated system were systematically investigated. Results revealed that the bonding strength of the duplex coating after grit-blasting and phosphating pretreatment was 3.25 and 2.71 times higher than that of the untreated, respectively. In particular, sandblasting and phosphating coprocessing of duplex coating could furtherly improve the adhesion behavior and corrosion resistance, which mainly due to their synergistic effect. Sandblasting can rough the surface of galvanized coating and generate many pits and scratches. Thus, phosphating can form more needle-like zinc phosphate crystals in those positions, anchoring and pinning firmly the interface between galvanized coating and organic coating. Meanwhile, the phosphating film still acted as an anti-corrosion physical barrier to hinder the intrusion of corrosive medium and protect galvanized steels from storage rust before painting for a long time.
Influence of multiple load indentation on the mechanical and material behaviour of steel cone-cylinder under axial compression
Authors: Ifayefunmi O , Malingam Sivakumar Dhar , Sazali A H
Published: November 2021

The first set of test data on axial collapse of cone-cylinder assembly having multiple load indentation (MLI) and its accompanying numerical studies is presented in this paper. Two perfect and two imperfect steel cone-cylinders were prepared in pairs. The cone-cylinder models have the following geometric parameters: cone radius of 40 mm, cylinder radius of 70 mm,wall thickness of 0.5 mm and cone angle of 16.7°. Cone and cylinder part were combined using Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding technique. Results show that the repeatability of the experiment was good (3% for the perfect and 7% for the imperfect). Also, numerical prediction tends to reproduce the test data with good accuracy. The error between both approches ranges from 1% to −8%. Furthermore, the influence of geometric parameters are also significant in determining the collapse load of this type of structure. Finally, the worst multiple load indentation (WMLI) was explored for steel cone-cylinders assembly using different number of load indentations. Results indicate that as the number of indents increases, the sensitivity of the cone-cylinder models to imperfection also increases. However, at different imperfection amplitude, A, two regions were observed; (i) the region where cone-cylinder with N = 8 is more sensitive (A < 1.5), and (ii) the region where N = 4 produce the worst imperfection (1.5 < A ≤ 1.68).
Uncertainty quantification and prediction for mechanical properties of graphene aerogels via Gaussian process metamodels
Authors: Zheng Bowen , Zheng Zeyu , Gu Grace X
Published: November 2021

Graphene aerogels (GAs), a special class of 3D graphene assemblies, are well known for their exceptional combination of high strength, lightweightness, and high porosity. However, due to microstructural randomness, the mechanical properties of GAs are also highly stochastic, an issue that has been observed but insufficiently addressed. In this work, we develop Gaussian process metamodels to not only predict important mechanical properties of GAs but also quantify their uncertainties. Using the molecular dynamics simulation technique, GAs are assembled from randomly distributed graphene flakes and spherical inclusions, and are subsequently subject to a quasi-static uniaxial tensile load to deduce mechanical properties. Results show that given the same density, mechanical properties such as the Young’s modulus and the ultimate tensile strength can vary substantially. Treating density, Young’s modulus, and ultimate tensile strength as functions of the inclusion size, and using the simulated GA results as training data, we build Gaussian process metamodels that can efficiently predict the properties of unseen GAs. In addition, statistically valid confidence intervals centered around the predictions are established. This metamodel approach is particularly beneficial when the data acquisition requires expensive experiments or computation, which is the case for GA simulations. The present research quantifies the uncertain mechanical properties of GAs, which may shed light on the statistical analysis of novel nanomaterials of a broad variety.
Flow behind the magnetogasdynamical cylindrical shock wave in rotating non-ideal dusty gas with monochromatic radiation
Authors: Sahu P K
Published: November 2021

The proliferation of the cylindrical shock in non-ideal rotating gases accompanying the mixture of crystalline solids with monochromatic radiation as well as magnetic (azimuthal/axial) field is examined. The fluid velocity of ambient media is considered to contain radial, axial, and azimuthal heads. Similarity solutions are achieved. The distribution of flow variables in the medium just behind the shock for the cases of power-law shock paths are analyzed. This is worthy to note, the pressure and density at piston disintegrate in occupancy of an azimuthal magnetic field, therefore suction structures at the axis of symmetry, which is identically in accord with controlled circumstances for trying to produce shock waves.
NetSolP: predicting protein solubility in Escherichia coli using language models
Authors: Thumuluri Vineet , Martiny Hannah-Marie , Almagro Armenteros Jose J , Salomon Jesper , Nielsen Henrik , Johansen Alexander Rosenberg
Published: November 2021

Motivation

Solubility and expression levels of proteins can be a limiting factor for large-scale studies and industrial production. By determining the solubility and expression directly from the protein sequence, the success rate of wet-lab experiments can be increased.

Results

In this study, we focus on predicting the solubility and usability for purification of proteins expressed in Escherichia coli directly from the sequence. Our model NetSolP is based on deep learning protein language models called transformers and we show that it achieves state-of-the-art performance and improves extrapolation across datasets. As we find current methods are built on biased datasets, we curate existing datasets by using strict sequence-identity partitioning and ensure that there is minimal bias in the sequences.

Availability and implementation

The predictor and data are available at https://services.healthtech.dtu.dk/service.php?NetSolP and the open-sourced code is available at https://github.com/tvinet/NetSolP-1.0.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
GPA-Tree: statistical approach for functional-annotation-tree-guided prioritization of GWAS results
Authors: Khatiwada Aastha , Wolf Bethany J , Yilmaz Ayse Selen , Ramos Paula S , Pietrzak Maciej , Lawson Andrew , Hunt Kelly J , Kim Hang J , Chung Dongjun
Published: November 2021

Motivation

In spite of great success of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), multiple challenges still remain. First, complex traits are often associated with many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), each with small or moderate effect sizes. Second, our understanding of the functional mechanisms through which genetic variants are associated with complex traits is still limited. To address these challenges, we propose GPA-Tree and it simultaneously implements association mapping and identifies key combinations of functional annotations related to risk-associated SNPs by combining a decision tree algorithm with a hierarchical modeling framework.

Results

First, we implemented simulation studies to evaluate the proposed GPA-Tree method and compared its performance with existing statistical approaches. The results indicate that GPA-Tree outperforms existing statistical approaches in detecting risk-associated SNPs and identifying the true combinations of functional annotations with high accuracy. Second, we applied GPA-Tree to a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) GWAS and functional annotation data including GenoSkyline and GenoSkylinePlus. The results from GPA-Tree highlight the dysregulation of blood immune cells, including but not limited to primary B, memory helper T, regulatory T, neutrophils and CD8+ memory T cells in SLE. These results demonstrate that GPA-Tree can be a powerful tool that improves association mapping while facilitating understanding of the underlying genetic architecture of complex traits and potential mechanisms linking risk-associated SNPs with complex traits.

Availability and implementation

The GPATree software is available at https://dongjunchung.github.io/GPATree/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Associations between MRI-assessed locus coeruleus integrity and cortical gray matter microstructure
Authors: Elman Jeremy A , Puckett Olivia K , Hagler Donald J , Pearce Rahul C , Fennema-Notestine Christine , Hatton Sean N , Lyons Michael J , McEvoy Linda K , Panizzon Matthew S , Reas Emilie T , Dale Anders M , Franz Carol E , Kremen William S
Published: November 2021

The locus coeruleus (LC) is one of the earliest sites of tau pathology, making it a key structure in early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression. As the primary source of norepinephrine for the brain, reduced LC integrity may have negative consequences for brain health, yet macrostructural brain measures (e.g. cortical thickness) may not be sensitive to early stages of neurodegeneration. We therefore examined whether LC integrity was associated with differences in cortical gray matter microstructure among 435 men (mean age = 67.5; range = 62–71.7). LC structural integrity was indexed by contrast-to-noise ratio (LCCNR) from a neuromelanin-sensitive MRI scan. Restriction spectrum imaging (RSI), an advanced multi-shell diffusion technique, was used to characterize cortical microstructure, modeling total diffusion in restricted, hindered, and free water compartments. Higher LCCNR (greater integrity) was associated with higher hindered and lower free water diffusion in multiple cortical regions. In contrast, no associations between LCCNR and cortical thickness survived correction. Results suggest lower LC integrity is associated with patterns of cortical microstructure that may reflect a reduction in cytoarchitectural barriers due to broader neurodegenerative processes. These findings highlight the potential utility for LC imaging and advanced diffusion measures of cortical microstructure in assessing brain health and early identification of neurodegenerative processes.
Cognitive effort exertion enhances electrophysiological responses to rewarding outcomes
Authors: Bogdanov Mario , Renault Héléna , LoParco Sophia , Weinberg Anna , Otto A Ross
Published: November 2021

Recent work has highlighted neural mechanisms underlying cognitive effort-related discounting of anticipated rewards. However, findings on whether effort exertion alters the subjective value of obtained rewards are inconsistent. Here, we provide a more nuanced account of how cognitive effort affects subsequent reward processing in a novel task designed to assess effort-induced modulations of the Reward Positivity, an event-related potential indexing reward-related neural activity. We found that neural responses to both gains and losses were significantly elevated in trials requiring more versus less cognitive effort. Moreover, time–frequency analysis revealed that these effects were mirrored in gain-related delta, but not in loss-related theta band activity, suggesting that people ascribed more value to high-effort outcomes. In addition, we also explored whether individual differences in behavioral effort discounting rates and reward sensitivity in the absence of effort may affect the relationship between effort exertion and subsequent reward processing. Together, our findings provide evidence that cognitive effort exertion can increase the subjective value of subsequent outcomes and that this effect may primarily rely on modulations of delta band activity.
On the effects of temperature and pH on tropical and temperate holothurians
Authors: González-Durán Enrique , Hernández-Flores Álvaro , Headley Maren D , Canul José Duarte
Published: November 2021

Ocean acidification and increased ocean heat content has direct and indirect effects on marine organisms such as holothurians (sea cucumbers) that are vulnerable to changes in pH and temperature. These environmental factors have the potential to influence organismal performance and fitness at different life stages. Tropical and temperate holothurians are more vulnerable to temperature and pH than those from colder water environments. The high level of environmental variation observed in the oceans could influence organismal responses and even produce a wide spectrum of compensatory physiological mechanisms. It is possible that in these areas, larval survival will decline by up to 50% in response to a reduction of 0.5 pH units. Such reduction in pH may trigger low intrinsic growth rates and affect the sustainability of the resource. Here we describe the individual and combined effects that temperature and pH could produce in these organisms. We also describe how these effects can scale from individuals to the population level by using age-structured spatial models in which depensation can be integrated. The approach shows how physiology can improve the conservation of the resource based on the restriction of growth model parameters and by including a density threshold, below which the fitness of the population, specifically intrinsic growth rate, decreases.
Early life, life course and gender influences on levels of C-reactive protein among migrant Bangladeshis in the UK
Authors: Begum Khurshida , Cooper Gillian D , Akhter Nasima , Nahar Papreen , Kasim Adetayo , Bentley Gillian R
Published: November 2021

Background and objectives

Humans co-evolved with pathogens, especially helminths, that educate the immune system during development and lower inflammatory responses. The absence of such stimuli in industrialized countries is associated with higher baseline levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) among adults who appear at greater risk for inflammatory disorders. This cross-sectional study examined effects of early life development on salivary CRP levels in 452 British-Bangladeshis who spent varying periods growing up in Bangladesh or UK. We also analyzed how gender and central obesity modulate effects on CRP. We hypothesized that: (i) first-generation Bangladeshis with higher childhood exposure to pathogens would have chronically lower CRP levels than second-generation British-Bangladeshis; (ii) effects would be greater with early childhoods in Bangladesh; (iii) effects by gender would differ; and (iv) increasing obesity would mitigate early life effects.

Methodology

Saliva samples were assayed for CRP using ELISAs, and anthropometric data collected. Participants completed questionnaires about demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle and health histories. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression.

Results

First-generation migrants who spent early childhoods in mostly rural, unhygienic areas, and moved to UK after age 8, had lower salivary CRP compared to the second-generation. Effects differed by gender, while waist circumference predicted higher CRP levels. CRP increased with years in UK, alongside growing obesity.

Conclusions and implications

Our study supports the hypothesis that pathogen exposure in early life lowers inflammatory responses in adults. However, protective effects differed by gender and can be eroded by growing obesity across the life course which elevates risks for other inflammatory disorders.

Lay Summary: Migrants to the UK who spent early childhoods in less hygienic environments in Bangladesh that help to educate their immune systems had lower levels of the inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein (CRP) compared to migrants who grew up in UK. Both gender and increasing obesity were associated with increased levels of CRP.
Effect of empagliflozin in patients with heart failure across the spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction
Authors: Butler Javed , Packer Milton , Filippatos Gerasimos , Ferreira Joao Pedro , Zeller Cordula , Schnee Janet , Brueckmann Martina , Pocock Stuart J , Zannad Faiez , Anker Stefan D
Published: November 2021

Aims

No therapy has shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure across the entire range of ejection fractions seen in clinical practice. We assessed the influence of ejection fraction on the effect of the sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin on heart failure outcomes.

Methods and results

A pooled analysis was performed on both the EMPEROR-Reduced and EMPEROR-Preserved trials (9718 patients; 4860 empagliflozin and 4858 placebo), and patients were grouped based on ejection fraction: <25% (n = 999), 25–34% (n = 2230), 35–44% (n = 1272), 45–54% (n = 2260), 55–64% (n = 2092), and ≥65% (n = 865). Outcomes assessed included (i) time to first hospitalization for heart failure or cardiovascular mortality, (ii) time to first heart failure hospitalization, (iii) total (first and recurrent) hospitalizations for heart failure, and (iv) health status assessed by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). The risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure declined progressively as ejection fraction increased from <25% to ≥65%. Empagliflozin reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization, mainly by reducing heart failure hospitalizations. Empagliflozin reduced the risk of heart failure hospitalization by ≈30% in all ejection fraction subgroups, with an attenuated effect in patients with an ejection fraction ≥65%. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were: ejection fraction <25%: 0.73 (0.55–0.96); ejection fraction 25–34%: 0.63 (0.50–0.78); ejection fraction 35–44%: 0.72 (0.52–0.98); ejection fraction 45–54%: 0.66 (0.50–0.86); ejection fraction 55–64%: 0.70 (0.53–0.92); and ejection fraction ≥65%: 1.05 (0.70–1.58). Other heart failure outcomes and measures, including KCCQ, showed a similar response pattern. Sex did not influence the responses to empagliflozin.

Conclusion

The magnitude of the effect of empagliflozin on heart failure outcomes was clinically meaningful and similar in patients with ejection fractions <25% to <65%, but was attenuated in patients with an ejection fraction ≥65%.

Key Question

How does ejection fraction influence the effects of empagliflozin in patients with heart failure and either a reduced or a preserved ejection fraction?

Key Finding

The magnitude of the effect of empagliflozin on heart failure outcomes and health status was similar in patients with ejection fractions <25% to <65%, but it was attenuated in patients with an ejection fraction ≥65%.

Take Home Message

The consistency of the response in patients with ejection fractions of <25% to <65% distinguishes the effects of empagliflozin from other drugs that have been evaluated across the full spectrum of ejection fractions in patients with heart failure.
Soccer as a Markov process: modelling and estimation of the zonal variation of team strengths
Authors: Hirotsu Nobuyoshi , Inoue Keita , Yamamoto Kenji , Yoshimura Masafumi
Published: November 2021

This study models soccer as a Markov process. We discretize the pitch into nine zones, and define the states of the Markov process according to the zone of the pitch in which the ball is located, the team in possession and the score. Log-linear models are used to represent state transitions. Using the log-linear models, we estimate team strengths not only with respect to scoring or conceding, but also with respect to gaining or losing possession, while considering the discretized zones in which the ball is located. We use play-by-play data from Japan League Division 1 games in the 2015 season to illustrate our approach, and characterize the strengths of teams in this league. Sanfrecce Hiroshima is used as a particular example. We determine the goodness-of-fit of the log-linear models. Additionally, we introduce random effects into the log-linear models and discuss the complexity of the state transition process. We demonstrate that our Markov model, at the nine-zone level, provides estimates of teams’ strengths to a good approximation.
Infants Younger Than 6 Months Infected With SARS-CoV-2 Show the Highest Respiratory Viral Loads
Authors: Ochoa Valeria , Díaz Fernando Erra , Ramirez Ezequiel , Fentini María Clara , Carobene Mauricio , Geffner Jorge , Arruvito Lourdes , Remes Lenicov Federico ,   INBIRS COVID-19 Study Group, Adamczyk Alan , Azzolina Sabrina , Baquero Lucía , Benencio Paula , Berini Carolina , Biglione Mirna , Bleichmar Lucía , Cabrerizo Gonzalo , Cassime Silvia , Cassime Ricardo , Ceballos Ana , Cevallos Cintia , Czernikier Alejandro , Delpino Victoria , Di Diego García Facundo , Ducasa Nicolás , Elizalde Mercedes , Flichman Diego , Gatti Ramiro , Ghiglione Yanina , Giannone Denise , Gómez Claudio , Gonzalez Polo Virginia , Laufer Natalia , Leicaj Luz , Longueira Yesica , Lopez Malizzia Alvaro , Mazzitelli Ignacio , Melucci Ganzarain Claudia , Montesano Fernando , Morando Nicolás , Ostrowski Matías , Pampuro Sandra , Paletta Ana , Pando María , Penas Federico , Pérez Paula , Piccardo Claudio , Pieralisi Azul , Pippo Mónica , Polo Laura , Quiroga Florencia , Sabatté Juan , Salvatori Melina , Sananes Inés , Seery Vanesa , Speroni Micaela , Turk Gabriela , Varese Augusto , Vecchione Belén , Vera Aguilar Douglas
Published: November 2021

There is a paucity of reports on the characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in infants, because most studies have grouped infants with older children. We analyzed the viral loads of 45318 SARS-CoV-2–positive nasopharyngeal swab samples obtained in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Infants younger than 6 months presented higher viral loads than any other age group. Children older than 6 months showed significantly lower viral loads, similar to those founds in adults. This observation raises new questions regarding the role of infants in the spreading of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Regression of diabetic nephropathy by treatment with empagliflozin in BTBR ob/ob mice
Authors: Hudkins Kelly L , Li Xianwu , Holland Alexander L , Swaminathan Shreya , Alpers Charles E
Published: November 2021

Background

The sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor empagliflozin lowers blood glucose via reduced tubular reabsorption of filtered glucose and is an important new therapy for diabetic nephropathy (DN). This study tested whether treatment with empagliflozin would ameliorate proteinuria and the pathologic alterations of DN including podocyte number and integrity in the leptin-deficient BTBR ob/ob mouse model of DN.

Methods

Study cohorts included wild-type (WT) BTBR mice, untreated diabetic BTBR ob/ob mice and mice treated with empagliflozin for 6 weeks after development of established DN at 18 weeks of age.

Results

Hyperglycemia, proteinuria, serum creatinine, accumulation of mesangial matrix and the extent of mesangiolysis were reversed with empagliflozin treatment. Treatment with empagliflozin resulted in an increased podocyte number and podocyte density, improvement in the degree of podocyte foot process effacement and parietal epithelial cell activation. SGLT2 inhibition reduced renal oxidative stress, measured by urinary excretion of markers of RNA/DNA damage and in situ demonstration of decreased carbonyl oxidation. There was no discernable difference in accumulations of advanced glycation end-products by immunohistochemistry.

Conclusion

The structural improvements seen in BTBR ob/ob mice treated with empagliflozin provide insights into potential long-term benefits for humans with DN, for whom there is no comparable biopsy information to identify structural changes effected by SGLT2 inhibition. The findings suggest SGLT2 inhibition may ameliorate DN through glucose lowering–dependent and –independent mechanisms that lead to podocyte restoration and delay or reversal of disease progress.
Theoretical study of infrared spectra of interstellar PAH molecules with N, NH, and NH2 incorporation
Authors: Vats Akant , Pathak Amit , Onaka Takashi , Buragohain Mridusmita , Sakon Itsuki , Endo Izumi
Published: November 2021

This work presents theoretical calculations of infrared spectra of nitrogen (N)-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules with the incorporation of N, NH, and NH2 using density functional theory (DFT). The properties of their vibrational modes in 2–15 μm are investigated in relation to the Unidentified Infrared (UIR) bands. It is found that neutral PAHs, when incorporated with NH2 and N (at inner positions), produce intense infrared bands at 6.2, 7.7, and 8.6 μm that have been normally attributed to ionized PAHs so far. The present results suggest that strong bands at 6.2 and 11.2 μm can arise from the same charge state of some N-containing PAHs, arguing that there might be some N-abundant astronomical regions where the 6.2 to 11.2 μm band ratio is not a direct indicator of the PAHs’ ionization. PAHs with NH2 and N inside the carbon structure show the UIR band features characteristic to star-forming regions as well as reflection nebulae (Class A), whereas PAHs with N at the periphery have similar spectra to the UIR bands seen in planetary nebulae and post-AGB stars (Class B). The presence of N atoms at the periphery of a PAH may attract H or H+ to form N–H and N–H2 bonds, exhibiting features near 2.9–3.0 μm, which are not yet observationally detected. The absence of such features in the observations constrains the contribution of NH and NH2 substituted PAHs that could be better tested with concentrated observations in this range. However, PAHs with N without H either at the periphery or inside the carbon structure do not have the abundance constraint due to the absence of 2.9–3.0 μm features and are relevant in terms of positions of the UIR bands. Extensive theoretical and experimental studies are required to obtain deeper insight.
Markets versus Mechanisms
Authors: Boleslavsky Raphael , Hennessy Christopher A , Kelly David L
Published: November 2021

We establish limitations to the usage of direct revelation mechanisms (DRMs) by corporations seeking decision-relevant information in economies with securities markets. In this environment, posting a DRM increases the informed agent’s outside option: if the agent rejects the DRM, he convinces the market he is uninformed, and he can aggressively trade with low price impact, thereby generating large (off-equilibrium) trading gains. This endogenous outside option may make using a DRM to screen uninformed agents impossible. When screening is possible, solely relying on the market for information is optimal if the increase in outside option is sufficiently large.

Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Periosteal Rotation Flap Technique in Management of Tibialis Anterior Muscle Hernia: A Case Series
Authors: Moharram Ashraf N. , Reda Walid , Farahat Ahmed S.M. , Ibrahim Mohamed A. , Saladin Mostafa
Published: November 2021

Introduction:

Traumatic herniation of the leg muscle is not an uncommon condition. This may be a direct traumatic hernia caused by open injury to the leg, or an indirect traumatic hernia following blow to a contracted muscle causing rupture of the fascia and its consequent herniation. Tibialis anterior muscle herniation has been reported to be the most common form of muscle hernia of the lower extremities.

Materials and Methods:

We report on 3 cases of traumatic herniation of the tibialis anterior muscle who were treated using a periosteal rotation flap raised from the anteromedial aspect of the tibia and used to close the fascial defect.

Conclusions:

We have found this to be a safe surgical procedure in the adult and adolescent age group with satisfying results and reduced recurrence rate and postoperative complications.
Angiogenesis inhibition in lung cancer: emerging novel strategies
Authors: Lazzari Chiara , Bulotta Alessandra , Damiano Giuseppe , Mirabile Aurora , Viganó Mariagrazia , Veronesi Giulia , Gregorc Vanesa
Published: November 2021

Purpose of review

In the current review, we will explore the molecular bases that have determined the design of clinical trials exploring the efficacy of antivascular agents in combination with chemotherapy, immune check point inhibitors and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Recent findings

Recent clinical trials have demonstrated the synergistic effect of antivascular agents with immune checkpoint inhibitors and EGFR-TKIs, despite no molecular marker has been identified yet to select patients.

Lung cancer remains one of the first causes of cancer-related death. However, thanks to the development of stratified molecular medicine and the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, patients’ survival has significantly improved. Due to the critical role of pro-angiogenic factors in cancer progression, antivascular agents targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor (VEGFR) have been developed. Their efficacy has been explored in combination with chemotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, with promising but not definitive conclusions about their impact on prolonging patients’ survival.
Regulation and Use of Health Information Systems in Brazil and Abroad
Authors: Alves Thaís Fávero , Almeida Fabio Araujo , Brito Fabiana Almeida , Tourinho Francis Solange Vieira , de Andrade Selma Regina
Published: November 2021

There is increasing debate about the importance of using information and communication technologies to strengthen health systems. Information systems are one of the most widespread technologies for this end in different healthcare contexts. The primary objective of this study was to highlight and discuss the main characteristics of the regulation and use of health information systems in Brazil and abroad. As a secondary objective, the main characteristics identified in Brazil were compared with the findings for other countries. A robust search strategy incorporated five electronic databases. The research question was defined using the SPIDER strategy, and thematic content analysis was applied. Fourteen articles composed the final sample, and three analytic categories were identified: “Use in the Context of Health Systems”; “Implications for Health Management”; and “Communication and Interoperability.” The regulation and use of health information systems in different countries was directly related to their socioeconomic context. In Latin America and Africa, policy strengthening and implementation possibilities for health management were discussed. In the United States, Europe, and Asia, the discussions on interoperability between different services was emphasized. The complexity of the Brazilian health system leads to similarities in the data analysis with several countries from different regions and with distinct political configurations.
Actinic Keratosis Color and Its Associations: A Retrospective Photographic, Dermoscopic, and Histologic Evaluation
Authors: Labadie Jessica G. , Compres Elsy , Sunshine Joel C. , Alam Murad , Gerami Pedram , Harikumar Vishnu , Poon Emily , Arndt Kenneth A. , Dover Jeffrey S.
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Actinic keratoses (AKs) have been described with varying color and morphology; however, no reports have demonstrated associations between color, vasculature, and inflammation. In this retrospective study, we analyze the clinical, dermoscopic, and histopathologic features of AKs to elucidate this relationship.

METHODS

A retrospective search for patients diagnosed with AK between January 2018 and October 2019 was performed. Clinical and dermoscopic photographs and pathology slides for all included subjects were reviewed.

RESULTS

Forty-nine images and histopathology slides were analyzed. Dermoscopy of white AKs demonstrated scale and absence of erythema with corresponding absence of inflammation on histopathology. Dermoscopy of brown AKs revealed pseudonetwork, absent scale, and a variable vessel pattern with pigment incontinence and absence of inflammation on histopathology. Red AKs had a distinct polymorphous vessel pattern and presence of erythema on dermoscopy. On histopathology, about half of samples showed increased vascularity and variable inflammation. Pink AK dermoscopy revealed a presence of erythema with corresponding presence of inflammation on histopathology.

CONCLUSION

This report adds to our understanding of AKs and confirms that, in general, the pinker or redder the AK, the more prominent the inflammatory infiltrate and vasculature, respectively. Dermatologists should continue to use their diagnostic skills to successfully diagnose and triage AKs.
Rhizoma polygonati from Mount Tai: nutritional value and usefulness as a traditional Chinese medicine, source of herbzyme, and potential remediating agent for COVID-19 and chronic and hidden hunger
Authors: Nurtay Lazzat , Sun Qinglei , Mu Chenglin , Cao Zhongshan , Wang Qian , Liang Zongsuo , Ma Cuiping , Li Xugang , Amin Amr , Xie Yingqiu
Published: November 2021

Recently, traditional Chinese medicine-based treatment has succeeded in fighting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and Rhizoma polygonati (Huangjing) has been one of the recommended components. Its processed products play antidiabetic, antiviral, antitumor, antioxidation, antifatigue, antiaging, and immune enhancement roles. The climate in Mount Tai is mild, and the dense forest is suitable for the growth of Rhizome polygonati, which has gradually evolved into a unique specie. Considering the important medicinal value and pleasant taste of Mount Tai-Rhizoma polygonati, various healthy and functional food products, controlled by quality markers with anti-COVID-19 potential, as well as emergency foods can be developed. The study aimed to review current evidence on the nutritional value of Rhizoma polygonati from Mount Tai and its usefulness as a traditional Chinese medicine, source of herbzyme, and potential remediating agent for COVID-19 and food shortage. Most recent findings regarding herbal nanomedicine have revealed that nanoscale chemical compounds are potentially efficient in drug delivery or nanozyme catalysis upon bioprocessing. Nanoflower structure is found in processed Rhizoma polygonati by self-assembly and has wide application in enzymatic events, particularly nanoscale herbzyme. The novel findings regarding Mount Tai-Rhizoma polygonati could enhance its novel applications in chronic and hidden hunger, clinical nanomedicine, and as an anti-COVID-19 agent.
Chemical constituents isolated from the aerial parts of Swertia pseudochinensis and their potential neuroprotective effects
Authors: Xiang Ke , He Qi , Chen Yanmei , Yang Dongxin , Duan Yanwei , Li Hua , Chen Lixia
Published: November 2021

Objective:

Swertia pseudochinensis, an annual herb of the genus Swertia in the family Gentianaceae. Some constituents and extracts from the Swertia genus have been recently reported to possess neuroprotective effects, suggesting their potential utility in the prevention and treatment of Parkinson disease (PD). The aim of this work is to identify the chemical constituents and evaluate the potential biological activists of Swertia pseudochinensis.

Methods:

The phytochemicals from the aerial parts of S. pseudochinensis were isolated and purified by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 gel, semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography, and identified by the spectroscopic methods. All compounds were evaluated for their potential neuroprotective effects against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced apoptosis in the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. Then, we performed an enrichment analysis using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery and investigated the mechanisms by which bellidifolin regulates neurodegenerative disease.

Results:

Two new anthraquinone, 1,5,6-trimethoxy-2-hydroxy-3-methy-anthraquinone (1) and 1,5,6,8-tetramethoxy-2-hydroxy-3-methyanthraquinone (2), together with nine known including 7-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-1,8-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone (3), gentisin (4), swertianolin (5), bellidifolin (6), gentiacaulein (7), norswertianolin (8), 5-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-1,3,8-trihydroxyapatone (9), 1-hydroxy-3,5,8-trimethoxyxanthone (10), and aurantio-obtusin (11), were isolated and compounds 6–8 and 10 exhibited neuroprotective effects at a concentration of 50 μmol/L. Among them, bellidifolin showed significant protective activity, and might have potential as a neuroprotective agent for the treatment of PD, possibly by acting on oxidative damage and reactive oxygen species.

Conclusions:

These findings indicate that further research on the genus Swertia and its bioactive constituents toward neurodegenerative disorders could be extremely rewarding.
Effects of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Smoking on Changes in Corneal Endothelial Morphology and Cell Density
Authors: Antičić-Eichwalder Marija , Lex Susanne , Sarny Stephanie , Schweighofer Jakob , Marić Ivana , El-Shabrawi Yosuf
Published: November 2021

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to compare the corneal endothelial morphology and cell density of diabetic smokers and nonsmokers with 50 to 70 age-matched healthy subjects and to determine whether smoking increases the effects of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) on these corneal parameters.

Methods:

This prospective cohort study included 200 patients who were assigned to 4 groups, including smokers with type 2 DM (group 1), nonsmokers with type 2 DM (group 2), healthy smokers (group 3), and healthy nonsmokers (control group, group 4). Noncontact specular microscopy was used to measure central endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation of cell area, percentage of hexagonal cells, and central corneal pachymetry (CCT).

Results:

According to the ECD and CCT values (P< 0.001 andP= 0.013, respectively), a significant difference was observed between the groups. The mean ECD was lowest in diabetic smokers (1917 ± 399 cells/mm2). Healthy smokers and diabetic smokers had significantly lower ECD compared with the control group (P= 0.03 andP< 0.001, respectively). Healthy smokers and diabetic smokers had significantly lower ECD compared with diabetic nonsmokers (P= 0.012 andP< 0.001, respectively). The cornea was significantly thicker in the diabetic smokers than in the control group (P= 0.013).

Conclusions:

The coexistence of DM and smoking causes a significant decrease in ECD and an increase in CCT. Cigarette smoking is more harmful to corneal endothelial cells than DM alone.
Combining sinus plain film and sinus ultrasound as a screening tool for maxillary fungal sinusitis
Authors: Ho Nien-Hsuan , Hung Li-Ting , Kuan Edward C. , Ho Ching-Yin , Hsu Cheng-Chieh , Lan Ming-Ying
Published: November 2021

Background:

Early identification of fungal sinusitis remains a challenge. Previously, we observed a high false negative rate of using A-mode ultrasound to diagnose maxillary fungal sinusitis. This study aims to assess the accuracy of the diagnosis of fungal maxillary sinusitis using sinus plain film and ultrasound.

Methods:

The screening criteria is defined as the combination of a positive sinus plain film and a false negative sinus ultrasound. We retrospectively reviewed preoperative imaging of patients with fungal sinusitis and unilateral bacterial sinusitis of the maxillary sinus undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery from May 2013 to December 2019 in our hospital and evaluated the diagnostic performance of this screening method.

Results:

Forty-eight patients were included. Twenty-two and 26 patients were diagnosed with fungal sinusitis and bacterial sinusitis, respectively. Sixteen patients (72.7%) with fungal sinusitis presented with a false negative sinus ultrasound and met our screening criteria for fungal sinusitis. The screening criteria reached significance in the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (p < 0.001). The area under the curve was 0.829. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy are 72.7%, 93.2%, and 88.4%, respectively.

Conclusion:

A high false negative rate of sinus ultrasound in patients with fungal sinusitis was found. A positive sinus plain film combined with a false negative sinus ultrasound can potentially become an easy and cost-effective screening tool for diagnosing fungal maxillary sinusitis before consideration of computed tomography scanning.
Protective ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome related to COVID-19: always, sometimes or never?
Authors: Mega Chiara , Cavalli Irene , Ranieri Vito Marco , Tonetti Tommaso
Published: November 2021

Purpose of review

To review current evidence on the pathophysiology of COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and on the implementation of lung protective ventilation.

Recent findings

Although multiple observations and physiological studies seem to show a different pathophysiological behaviour in COVID-19-ARDS compared with ‘classical’ ARDS, numerous studies on thousands of patients do not confirm these findings and COVID-19-ARDS indeed shares similar characteristics and interindividual heterogeneity with ARDS from other causes. Although still scarce, present evidence on the application of lung protective ventilation in COVID-19-ARDS shows that it is indeed consistently applied in ICUs worldwide with a possible signal towards better survival at least in one study. The levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) usually applied in these patients are higher than in ‘classical’ ARDS, proposing once again the issue of PEEP personalization in hypoxemic patients. In the absence of robust evidence, careful evaluation of the patient is needed, and empiric settings should be oriented towards lower levels of PEEP.

According to the present evidence, a lung protective strategy based on low tidal volume and plateau pressures is indicated in COVID-19-ARDS as in ARDS from other causes; however, there are still uncertainties on the appropriate levels of PEEP.
Skilled Nursing Facility Participation in a Voluntary Medicare Bundled Payment Program
Authors: Ying Meiling , Temkin-Greener Helena , Thirukumaran Caroline P. , Joynt Maddox Karen E. , Holloway Robert G. , Li Yue
Published: November 2021

Importance:

Model 3 of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) is an alternative payment model in which an entity takes accountability for the episode costs. It is unclear how BPCI affected the overall skilled nursing facility (SNF) financial performance and the differences between facilities with differing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status (SES) composition of the residents.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to determine associations between BPCI participation and SNF finances and across-facility differences in SNF financial performance.

Design, Setting, and Participants:

A longitudinal study spanning 2010–2017, based on difference-in-differences analyses for 575 persistent-participation SNFs, 496 dropout SNFs, and 13,630 eligible nonparticipating SNFs.

Main Outcome Measures:

Inflation-adjusted operating expenses, revenues, profit, and profit margin.

Results:

BPCI was associated with reductions of $0.63 million in operating expenses and $0.57 million in operating revenues for the persistent-participation group but had no impact on the dropout group compared with nonparticipating SNFs. Among persistent-participation SNFs, the BPCI-related declines were $0.74 million in operating expenses and $0.52 million in operating revenues for majority-serving SNFs; and $1.33 and $0.82 million in operating expenses and revenues, respectively, for non–Medicaid-dependent SNFs. The between-facility SES gaps in operating expenses were reduced (differential difference-in-differences estimate=$1.09 million). Among dropout SNFs, BPCI showed mixed effects on across-facility SES and racial/ethnic differences in operating expenses and revenues. The BPCI program showed no effect on operating profit measures.

Conclusions:

BPCI led to reduced operating expenses and revenues for SNFs that participated and remained in the program but had no effect on operating profit indicators and mixed effects on SES and racial/ethnic differences across SNFs.