bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discrete Element-Based Optimization Parameters of an Experimental Corn Silage Crushing and Throwing Device
Authors: Bai Shenghe , Yang Qizhi , Niu Kang , Zhao Bo , Zhou Liming , Yuan Yanwei
Published: June 2021

Highlights

A discrete element simulation model was used to improve the performance of a corn silage crushing and throwing device.

Feed rate, crushing speed, and dial speed were used as the test factors, and the average cutting force and average energy loss were used as the evaluation indexes in orthogonal testing.

The order of significance of the factors was crushing speed > feed rate > dial speed for average cutting force and crushing speed > dial speed > feed rate for average energy loss.

Abstract. To improve the performance of a corn silage crushing and throwing device and address the problems of low crushing quality and high power consumption, a discrete element simulation model of a corn silage crushing and throwing device and granular straw was established based on discrete element theory using EDEM, a general-purpose CAE software program designed with modern discrete element model technology to simulate and analyze particle processing and production operations. The average cutting force and average energy loss of the particles were the evaluation indexes, and the influence of feed rate, crushing speed, and dial speed on the evaluation indexes was analyzed using single-factor simulation tests. The order of significance was crushing speed > feed rate > dial speed for the average cutting force and crushing speed > dial speed > feed rate for the average energy loss. Using multi-objective optimization, the optimal combination of feed rate, crushing speed, and dial speed was 3.52 kg s-1, 892.06 rpm, and 1502 rpm, respectively. With the optimal parameters, the average cutting force was 58.20 N and the average energy loss was 0.85 J. To verify the feasibility of the EDEM simulation, field tests were conducted using a trial-produced device, with the acceptability of straw crushing and power consumption as the test indicators. During the field tests, the feed rate, crushing speed, and dial speed were set to 3.52 kg s-1, 890 rpm, and 1500 rpm, respectively. The field tests showed that the acceptability of straw crushing and the power consumption were 93.60% and 6.73 kW·h, respectively, with the optimal parameters, which satisfied the corn silage crushing standard and provides a theoretical and scientific basis for the design and optimization of the device. Keywords: Corn silage, Crushing and throwing device, Discrete element simulation, Motion simulation, Multi-objective optimization method.
Highly sensitive crumpled 2D material-based plasmonic biosensors
Authors: Faramarzi Vahid , Ahmadi Vahid , Hwang Michael T. , Snapp Peter
Published: June 2021

We propose surface plasmon resonance biosensors based on crumpled graphene and molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) flakes supported on stretchable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or silicon substrates. Accumulation of specific biomarkers resulting in measurable shifts in the resonance wavelength of the plasmon modes of two-dimensional (2D) material structures, with crumpled structures demonstrating large refractive index shifts. Using theoretical calculations based on the semiclassical Drude model, combined with the finite element method, we demonstrate that the interaction between the surface plasmons of crumpled graphene/MoS2 layers and the surrounding analyte results in high sensitivity to biomarker driven refractive index shifts, up to 7499 nm/RIU for structures supported on silicon substrates. We can achieve a high figure of merit (FOM), defined as the ratio of the refractive index sensitivity to the full width at half maximum of the resonant peak, of approximately 62.5 RIU-1. Furthermore, the sensing properties of the device can be tuned by varying crumple period and aspect ratio through simple stretching and integrating material interlayers. By stacking multiple 2D materials in heterostructures supported on the PDMS layer, we produced hybrid plasmon resonances detuned from the PDMS absorbance region allowing higher sensitivity and FOM compared to pure crumpled graphene structures on the PDMS substrates. The high sensitivity and broad mechanical tunability of these crumpled 2D material biosensors considerable advantages over traditional refractive index sensors, providing a new platform for ultrasensitive biosensing.
Explainable liver tumor delineation in surgical specimens using hyperspectral imaging and deep learning
Authors: Zhang Yating , Yu Si , Zhu Xueyu , Ning Xuefei , Liu Wei , Wang Chuting , Liu Xiaohu , Zhao Ding , Zheng Yongchang , Bao Jie
Published: June 2021

Surgical removal is the primary treatment for liver cancer, but frequent recurrence caused by residual malignant tissue remains an important challenge, as recurrence leads to high mortality. It is unreliable to distinguish tumors from normal tissues merely under visual inspection. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has been proved to be a promising technology for intra-operative use by capturing the spatial and spectral information of tissue in a fast, non-contact and label-free manner. In this work, we investigated the feasibility of HSI for liver tumor delineation on surgical specimens using a multi-task U-Net framework. Measurements are performed on 19 patients and a dataset of 36 specimens was collected with corresponding pathological results serving as the ground truth. The developed framework can achieve an overall sensitivity of 94.48% and a specificity of 87.22%, outperforming the baseline SVM method by a large margin. In particular, we propose to add explanations on the well-trained model from the spatial and spectral dimensions to show the contribution of pixels and spectral channels explicitly. On that basis, a novel saliency-weighted channel selection method is further proposed to select a small subset of 5 spectral channels which provide essentially as much information as using all 224 channels. According to the dominant channels, the absorption difference of hemoglobin and bile content in the normal and malignant tissues seems to be promising markers that could be further exploited.
Side-view holographic endomicroscopy via a custom-terminated multimode fibre
Authors: Silveira Beatriz M. , Pikálek Tomáš , Stibůrek Miroslav , Ondráčková Petra , Jákl Petr , Leite Ivo T. , Čižmár Tomáš
Published: June 2021

Microendoscopes based on optical fibres have recently come to the fore as promising candidates allowing in-vivo observations of otherwise inaccessible biological structures in animal models. Despite being still in its infancy, imaging can now be performed at the tip of a single multimode fibre, by relying on powerful holographic methods for light control. Fibre based endoscopy is commonly performed en face, resulting in possible damage of the specimen owing to the direct contact between the distal end of the probe and target. On this ground, we designed an all-fibre probe with an engineered termination that reduces compression and damage to the tissue under investigation upon probe insertion. The geometry of the termination brings the field of view to a plane parallel to the fibre’s longitudinal direction, conveying the probe with off-axis imaging capabilities. We show that its focusing ability also benefits from a higher numerical aperture, resulting in imaging with increased spatial resolution. The effect of probe insertion was investigated inside a tissue phantom comprising fluorescent particles suspended in agarose gel, and a comparison was established between the novel side-view probe and the standard en face fibre probe. This new concept paves the way to significantly less invasive deep-tissue imaging.
Terahertz time-domain derivative spectrometer using a large-aperture piezoelectric micromachined device
Authors: Amirkhan Fatemeh , Gratuze Mathieu , Ropagnol Xavier , Ozaki Tsuneyuki , Nabki Frederic , Blanchard François
Published: June 2021

The engineering of optomechanical systems has exploded over the past decades, with many geometries and applications arising from the coupling of light with mechanical motion. The modulation of electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz (THz) frequency range through optomechanical systems is no exception to this research effort. However, some fundamental modulation capabilities for THz communications and/or high-speed data processing applications are yet to be established. Here, we demonstrate a THz time-domain derivative spectrometer based on a piezoelectric micromachined (PM) device. Insertion of the PM device into the THz beam path provides reference modulation for the lock-in detection unit, which in turn provides access to the nth-order derivative information of the incoming THz signal. Strikingly, the integration of the recorded derived signal leads to a recovered reference signal with an equivalent or even better signal-to-noise ratio, opening the door to a new type of highly sensitive THz measurements in the time domain.
Ultrawideband unidirectional surface magnetoplasmons based on remanence for the microwave region
Authors: Shen Qian , Yan Jinhua , Zheng Xiaodong , Shen Linfang
Published: June 2021

Ultrawideband unidirectional surface magnetoplasmons (USMPs) are theoretically achieved in both planar and coaxial configurations without an external magnetic field. It is shown that the two proposed structures, which are formed by ferrite layers with opposite remanences, can support USMP without low-frequency cutoff, thus the USMP bandwidth is increased at least twice compared to (microwave) USMPs previously reported. For the coaxial structure, the dispersion of USMP is closely dependent on the thickness of the ferrite layers, and based on this, USMP can be slowed down significantly by reducing the ferrite-layer thickness. Moreover, by using a tapered coaxial structure, subwavelength focusing can be realized with a giant enhancement of the magnetic field.
Analyzing cancer gene expression data through the lens of normal tissue-specificity
Authors: Frost H. Robert
Published: June 2021

The genetic alterations that underlie cancer development are highly tissue-specific with the majority of driving alterations occurring in only a few cancer types and with alterations common to multiple cancer types often showing a tissue-specific functional impact. This tissue-specificity means that the biology of normal tissues carries important information regarding the pathophysiology of the associated cancers, information that can be leveraged to improve the power and accuracy of cancer genomic analyses. Research exploring the use of normal tissue data for the analysis of cancer genomics has primarily focused on the paired analysis of tumor and adjacent normal samples. Efforts to leverage the general characteristics of normal tissue for cancer analysis has received less attention with most investigations focusing on understanding the tissue-specific factors that lead to individual genomic alterations or dysregulated pathways within a single cancer type. To address this gap and support scenarios where adjacent normal tissue samples are not available, we explored the genome-wide association between the transcriptomes of 21 solid human cancers and their associated normal tissues as profiled in healthy individuals. While the average gene expression profiles of normal and cancerous tissue may appear distinct, with normal tissues more similar to other normal tissues than to the associated cancer types, when transformed into relative expression values, i.e., the ratio of expression in one tissue or cancer relative to the mean in other tissues or cancers, the close association between gene activity in normal tissues and related cancers is revealed. As we demonstrate through an analysis of tumor data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and normal tissue data from the Human Protein Atlas, this association between tissue-specific and cancer-specific expression values can be leveraged to improve the prognostic modeling of cancer, the comparative analysis of different cancer types, and the analysis of cancer and normal tissue pairs.
Correlation between renal distribution of leptospires during the acute phase and chronic renal dysfunction in a hamster model of infection with Leptospira interrogans
Authors: Maruoka Tsukasa , Nikaido Yasuhiko , Miyahara Satoshi , Katafuchi Eisuke , Inamasu Yoshinori , Ogawa Midori , Fukuda Kazumasa , Nakayama Toshiyuki , Horishita Takafumi , Saito Mitsumasa
Published: June 2021

Background

Leptospirosis has been described as a biphasic disease consisting of hematogenous dissemination to major organs in the acute phase and asymptomatic renal colonization in the chronic phase. Several observational studies have suggested an association between leptospirosis and chronic kidney disease (CKD). We investigated the dynamics of leptospires and histopathological changes in the kidney to understand the relationship between them, and also investigated the extent of renal dysfunction in the acute and chronic phases of leptospirosis using a hamster model.

Findings

Hamsters (n = 68) were subcutaneously infected with 1 × 104 cells of the Leptospira interrogans serovar Manilae strain UP-MMC-SM. A total of 53 infected hamsters developed fatal acute leptospirosis, and the remaining 15 hamsters recovered from the acute phase, 13 of which showed Leptospira colonization in the kidneys in the chronic phase. Five asymptomatic hamsters also had renal colonization in the chronic phase. Immunofluorescence staining showed that leptospires were locally distributed in the renal interstitium in the early acute phase and then spread continuously into the surrounding interstitium. The kidneys of the surviving hamsters in the chronic phase showed patchy lesions of atrophic tubules, a finding of chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis, which were substantially consistent with the distribution of leptospires in the renal interstitium. The degree of atrophic tubules in kidney sections correlated statistically with the serum creatinine level in the chronic phase (rs = 0.78, p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Subcutaneous infection with pathogenic leptospires could cause acute death or chronic leptospirosis in hamsters after surviving the acute phase. We suggest that the renal distribution of leptospires during the acute phase probably affected the extent of tubular atrophy, leading to CKD.
Repeatability of corneal and epithelial thickness measurements with anterior segment optical coherence tomography in keratoconus
Authors: Li Ye , Gokul Akilesh , McGhee Charles , Ziaei Mohammed
Published: June 2021

Purpose

To investigate the repeatability in corneal thickness (CT) and epithelial thickness (ET) measurements using spectral domain anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT, REVO NX, Optopol) in keratoconus, and examine the effect of corneal crosslinking (CXL) on repeatability.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 259 eyes of 212 patients with keratoconus attending the corneal disease clinic at a university hospital tertiary referral center were enrolled. Two groups were analysed: eyes with no prior history of CXL (Group A) and eyes with prior CXL (Group B). Repeatability of measurements was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV).

Results

In Group A, central corneal thickness (CCT) was 472.18 ± 45.41μm, and the ET was found to be the thinnest in the inferior-temporal aspect at 51.79 ± 5.97μm and thickest at the superior-nasal aspect at 56.07 ± 5.70μm. In Group B, CCT was 465.11± 42.28μm, and the ET was the thinnest at the inferior-temporal aspect at 50.63 ± 5.52μm and thickest at the superior aspect at 56.80 ± 6.39μm. When evaluating CT measurements, ICC was above 0.86 and 0.83 for Group A and Group B respectively. When evaluating ET measurements, ICC was above 0.82 for both groups. CXL had no statistically significant impact on the repeatability of measurements.

Conclusions

AS-OCT provides repeatable CT and ET measurements in the central and peripheral cornea in patients with keratoconus. Repeatability is not affected by a history of CXL.
Social support for breast cancer patients in the occupied Palestinian territory
Authors: Almuhtaseb Mona I. A. , Alby Francesca , Zucchermaglio Cristina , Fatigante Marilena
Published: June 2021

Previous research indicates that social support is beneficial to cancer patients in adjusting to the stress of the disease. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis of 36 semi-structured interviews, this article explores sources and types of social support in Arab-Palestinian women with breast cancer. Results show that members of the immediate family, husbands in particular, are reported to be the most supportive social sources. Given the limitations that characterize access to cancer care in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) and the collectivistic values of the society, women with breast cancer seem to rely mainly on their husbands to handle emotional, functional and informational needs. Emotional support includes the provision of care, trust, reassurance, and companionship. Functional support includes the practical assistance that the cancer patients receive in terms of financial support, attendance during treatment or help with domestic chores and childcare. Accessing appropriate informational support can be quite challenging in the OPT since available information is not always reliable. The family plays a key role in mediating communication with doctors. Contact with breast cancer patients and survivors is also a source of supporting information, with however a possible negative impact in terms of emotional coping. In this context, the immediate family becomes a fundamental resource for coping and a relational space that mediates connections with others, including doctors, acting as a “proxy” between the patient and the social environment. Findings are discussed in light of the historical and sociocultural context of the OPT.
Insulin resistance genetic risk score and burden of coronary artery disease in patients referred for coronary angiography
Authors: Skals Regitze , Krogager Maria Lukács , Appel Emil Vincent R. , Schnurr Theresia M. , Have Christian Theil , Gislason Gunnar , Poulsen Henrik Enghusen , Køber Lars , Engstrøm Thomas , Stender Steen , Hansen Torben , Grarup Niels , Lee Christina Ji-Young , Andersson Charlotte , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Weeke Peter E.
Published: June 2021

Aims

Insulin resistance associates with development of metabolic syndrome and risk of cardiovascular disease. The link between insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease is complex and multifactorial. Confirming the genetic link between insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and coronary artery disease, as well as the extent of coronary artery disease, is important and may provide better risk stratification for patients at risk. We investigated whether a genetic risk score of 53 single nucleotide polymorphisms known to be associated with insulin resistance phenotypes was associated with diabetes and burden of coronary artery disease.

Methods and results

We genotyped patients with a coronary angiography performed in the capital region of Denmark from 2010–2014 and constructed a genetic risk score of the 53 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Logistic regression using quartiles of the genetic risk score was performed to determine associations with diabetes and coronary artery disease. Associations with the extent of coronary artery disease, defined as one-, two- or three-vessel coronary artery disease, was determined by multinomial logistic regression.

We identified 4,963 patients, of which 17% had diabetes and 55% had significant coronary artery disease. Of the latter, 27%, 14% and 14% had one, two or three-vessel coronary artery disease, respectively. No significant increased risk of diabetes was identified comparing the highest genetic risk score quartile with the lowest. An increased risk of coronary artery disease was found for patients with the highest genetic risk score quartile in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, OR 1.21 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.42, p = 0.02) and 1.25 (95% CI 1.06, 1.48, p<0.01), respectively. In the adjusted multinomial logistic regression, patients in the highest genetic risk score quartile were more likely to develop three-vessel coronary artery disease compared with patients in the lowest genetic risk score quartile, OR 1.41 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.82, p<0.01).

Conclusions

Among patients referred for coronary angiography, only a strong genetic predisposition to insulin resistance was associated with risk of coronary artery disease and with a greater disease burden.
Quantifying frequency content in cross-sectional retinal scans of diabetics vs. controls
Authors: Papay Joel A. , Elsner Ann E.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

To examine subtle differences in the structure of diabetic vs. control retinas.

Methods

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images were compared for the retinas of 33 diabetic subjects who did not have clinical evidence of diabetic macular edema and age-matched controls, with central macular thicknesses of 275 and 276 microns, respectively. Cross-sectional retinal images through the fovea, called B-scans, were analyzed for spatial frequency content. The B-scans were processed to remove and smooth the portions of the retinal image not within regions of interest in the retina. The remaining retinal images were then quantified using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) approach that provided amplitude as a function of spatial frequency.

Results

The FFT analysis showed that diabetic retinas had spatial frequency content with significantly higher power compared to control retinas particularly for a deeper fundus layer at mid-range spatial frequencies, ranging from p = 0.0030 to 0.0497 at 16.8 to 18.2 microns/cycle. There was lower power at higher spatial frequencies, ranging from p = 0.0296 and 0.0482 at 27.4 and 29.0 microns/cycle. The range of mid-range frequencies corresponds to the sizes of small blood vessel abnormalities and hard exudates. Retinal thickness did not differ between the two groups.

Conclusions

Diabetic retinas, although not thicker than controls, had subtle but quantifiable pattern changes in SD-OCT images particularly in deeper fundus layers. The size range and distribution of this pattern in diabetic eyes were consistent with small blood vessel abnormalities and leakage of lipid and fluid. Feature-based biomarkers may augment retinal thickness criteria for management of diabetic eye complications, and may detect early changes.
COVID-19 in persons aged 70+ in an early affected German district: Risk factors, mortality and post-COVID care needs—A retrospective observational study of hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients
Authors: Herrmann Matthias L. , Hahn Johannes-Martin , Walter-Frank Birgit , Bollinger Desiree M. , Schmauder Kristina , Schnauder Günter , Bitzer Michael , Malek Nisar P. , Eschweiler Gerhard W. , Göpel Siri
Published: June 2021

Background

Cohorts of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have been studied in several countries since the beginning of the pandemic. So far, there is no complete survey of older patients in a German district that includes both outpatients and inpatients. In this retrospective observational cohort study, we aimed to investigate risk factors, mortality, and functional outcomes of all patients with COVID-19 aged 70 and older living in the district of Tübingen in the southwest of Germany.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed all 256 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in one of the earliest affected German districts during the first wave of the disease from February to April 2020. To ensure inclusion of all infected patients, we analysed reported data from the public health department as well as the results of a comprehensive screening intervention in all nursing homes of the district (n = 1169). Furthermore, we examined clinical data of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (n = 109).

Results

The all-cause mortality was 18%. Screening in nursing homes showed a point-prevalence of 4.6%. 39% of residents showed no COVID-specific symptoms according to the official definition at that time. The most important predictors of mortality were the need for inpatient treatment (odds ratio (OR): 3.95 [95%-confidence interval (CI): 2.00–7.86], p<0.001) and care needs before infection (non-hospitalized patients: OR: 3.79 [95%-CI: 1.01–14.27], p = 0.037, hospitalized patients: OR: 2.89 [95%-CI 1.21–6.92], p = 0.015). Newly emerged care needs were a relevant complication of COVID-19: 27% of previously self-sufficient patients who survived the disease were not able to return to their home environment after discharge from the hospital.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate the importance of a differentiated view of risk groups and long-term effects within the older population. These findings should be included in the political and social debate during the ongoing pandemic to evaluate the true effect of COVID-19 on healthcare systems and individual functional status.
Prolonged overall treatment time negatively affects the outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer: A propensity score-weighted, single-center analysis
Authors: Ikawa Toshiki , Tabuchi Takahiro , Konishi Koji , Morimoto Masahiro , Hirata Takero , Kanayama Naoyuki , Wada Kentaro , Toratani Masayasu , Okawa Sumiyo , Ogawa Kazuhiko , Teshima Teruki
Published: June 2021

Previous studies have reported conflicting results for the effect of overall treatment time with stereotactic body radiotherapy on tumor control in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer. To examine this effect, we conducted a propensity score-weighted, retrospective, observational study at a single institution. We analyzed the data of 200 patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer who underwent stereotactic body radiotherapy (48 Gy in 4 fractions) at our institution between January 2007 and October 2013. Patients were grouped into consecutive (overall treatment time = 4–5 days, n = 116) or non-consecutive treatment groups (overall treatment time = 6–10 days, n = 84). The outcomes of interest were local control and overall survival. The Cox regression model was used with propensity score and inverse probability of treatment weighting. The median overall treatment times in the consecutive and non-consecutive groups were 4 and 6 days, respectively. The 5-year local control and overall survival rates in the consecutive vs. the non-consecutive group were 86.3 vs. 77.2% and 55.5 vs. 51.8%, respectively. After propensity score weighting, consecutive stereotactic body radiotherapy was associated with positive local control (adjusted hazard ratio 0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.14–0.65; p = 0.002) and overall survival (adjusted hazard ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.34–0.91; p = 0.019) benefits. The prolonged overall treatment time of stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment negatively affected the outcomes of patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that in patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer treated with the same dose-fractionation regimen, consecutive stereotactic body radiotherapy has a more beneficial effect on tumor control than non-consecutive stereotactic body radiotherapy.
Influence of collagen and some proteins on gel properties of jellyfish gelatin
Authors: Lueyot Artima , Rungsardthong Vilai , Vatanyoopaisarn Savitri , Hutangura Pokkwan , Wonganu Benjamaporn , Wongsa-Ngasri Pisit , Charoenlappanit Sawanya , Roytrakul Sittiruk , Thumthanaruk Benjawan
Published: June 2021

Marine gelatin is one of the food proteins used in food and non-food products, offering desirable functionalities such as gelling, thickening, and binding. Jellyfish has been chosen for this gelatin research, in view of the benefits of its main collagen protein and lower fat content, which may reduce the amounts of chemicals used in the preparative steps of gelatin production. To date, the lack of identified proteins in gelatin has limited the understanding of differentiating intrinsic factors quantitatively and qualitatively affecting gel properties. No comparison has been made between marine gelatin of fish and that of jellyfish, regarding protein type and distribution differences. Therefore, the study aimed at characterizing jellyfish gelatin extracted from by-products, that are i.e., pieces that have broken off during the grading and cleaning step of salted jellyfish processing. Different pretreatment by hydrochloric acid (HCl) concentrations (0.1 and 0.2 M) and hot water extraction time (12 and 24 h) were studied as factors in jellyfish gelatin extraction. The resultant jellyfish gelatin with the highest gel strength (JFG1), as well as two commercial gelatins of fish gelatin (FG) and bovine gelatin (BG), were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results show that the jellyfish gelatin (JFG1) extracted with 0.1 M HCl at 60°C for 12 h delivered a maximum gel strength of 323.74 g, which is lower than for FG and BG, exhibiting 640.65 and 540.06 g, respectively. The gelling and melting temperatures of JFG1 were 7.1°C and 20.5°C, displaying a cold set gel and unstable gel at room temperature, whereas the gelling and melting temperatures of FG and BG were 17.4°C, 21.3°C, and 27.5°C, 32.7°C, respectively. Proteomic analysis shows that 29 proteins, of which 10 are types of collagen proteins and 19 are non-collagen proteins, are common to all BG, FG, and JFG1, and that JFG1 is missing 3 other collagen proteins (collagen alpha-2 (XI chain), collagen alpha-2 (I chain), and collagen alpha-2 (IV chain), that are important to gel networks. Thus, the lack of these 3 collagen types influences the inferior gel properties of jellyfish gelatin.
Guideline adherence and lost workdays for acute low back pain in the California workers’ compensation system
Authors: Gaspar Fraser W. , Thiese Matthew S. , Wizner Kerri , Hegmann Kurt
Published: June 2021

Context

The use of clinical-practice guidelines is a suggested method for improving health outcomes by the earlier provision of necessary and effective medical interventions.

Objective

To quantify the influence of adherence to guideline-recommended interventions in the first week of treatment for an initial low back pain (LBP) injury on lost workdays.

Methods

In a retrospective cohort of California’s workers’ compensation claims data from May 2009 to May 2018, 41 diagnostic and treatment interventions were abstracted from the medical claims for workers with acute LBP injuries and compared with guideline recommendations. Lost workdays within 1-year post-injury were compared by guideline adherence using quantile regressions.

Results

Of the 59,656 workers who met the study inclusion criteria, 66.1% were male and the average (SD) age was 41 (12) years. The median number (IQR) of lost workdays was 27 (6–146) days. In the first week of treatment, 14.2% of workers received only recommended interventions, 14.6% received only non-recommended interventions, and 51.1% received both recommended and non-recommended interventions. Opioid prescriptions fell 86% from 2009 to 2018. Workers who received only guideline-recommended interventions experienced significantly fewer lost workdays (11.5 days; 95% CI: -13.9, -9.1), a 29.3% reduction, than workers who received only non-recommended interventions. The percentage of workers receiving only recommended interventions increased from 10.3% to 18.2% over the 9 years.

Conclusion and relevance

When workers received guideline-recommended interventions, they typically returned to work in fewer days. The majority of workers received at least one non-recommended intervention, demonstrating the need for adherence to guideline recommendations. Fewer lost workdays and improved quality care are outcomes that strongly benefit injured workers.
Replacement of Arg in the conserved N-terminal RLFDQxFG motif affects physico-chemical properties and chaperone-like activity of human small heat shock protein HspB8 (Hsp22)
Authors: Shatov Vladislav M. , Sluchanko Nikolai N. , Gusev Nikolai B.
Published: June 2021

The small heat shock protein (sHsp) called HspB8 (formerly, Hsp22) is one of the least typical sHsp members, whose oligomerization status remains debatable. Here we analyze the effect of mutations in a highly conservative sequence located in the N-terminal domain of human HspB8 on its physico-chemical properties and chaperone-like activity. According to size-exclusion chromatography coupled to multi-angle light scattering, the wild type (WT) HspB8 is present as dominating monomeric species (~24 kDa) and a small fraction of oligomers (~60 kDa). The R29A amino acid substitution leads to the predominant formation of 60-kDa oligomers, leaving only a small fraction of monomers. Deletion of the 28–32 pentapeptide (Δ mutant) results in the formation of minor quantities of dimers (~49 kDa) and large quantities of the 24-kDa monomers. Both the WT protein and its Δ mutant efficiently bind a hydrophobic probe bis-ANS and are relatively rapidly hydrolyzed by chymotrypsin, whereas the R29A mutant weakly binds bis-ANS and resists chymotrypsinolysis. In contrast to HspB8 WT and its Δ mutant, which are well phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent and ERK1 protein kinases, the R29A mutant is poorly phosphorylated. R29A mutation affects the chaperone-like activity of HspB8 measured in vitro. It is concluded that the irreplaceable Arg residue located in the only highly conservative motif in the N-terminal domain of all sHsp proteins affects the oligomeric structure and key properties of HspB8.
Precursors of self-reported subclinical hypomania in adolescence: A longitudinal general population study
Authors: Nielsen Louise Gunhard , Køster Rimvall Martin , Van Os Jim , Verhulst Frank , Rask Charlotte Ulrikka , Skovgaard Anne Mette , Olsen Else Marie , Jeppesen Pia
Published: June 2021

Symptoms of subclinical hypomania (SHM) are common in the general population of adolescents and young adults. SHM are most often transient yet might be risk markers of later bipolar disorder. The current study aimed to assess the clinical correlates of SHM at age 11 in the general population, examine the continuity of SHM from age 11-age 16 and explore the clinical precursors of age 16 SHM. As part of the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000, 1,632 preadolescents participated in the examination of SHM and various clinical correlates at age 11, 893 were re-assessed for SHM at age 16 years. At age 11, SHM, psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms were assessed by semi-structured psychopathological interviews. Furthermore, the participants were diagnostically assessed by the Development and Well-Being Assessment and interviewed about sleep length. At age 16, SHM was assessed by self-report, using the Hypomania Checklist-32. Cannabis use occurring at age 15 or earlier was assessed at age 16. At age 11, SHM was associated with depressive disorders (Relative Risk [RR] = 2.96 [95% CI 1.26–6.96]), interview-based depressive symptoms (RR = 9.22 [5.93–14.34]), neurodevelopmental disorders (RR = 2.94 [1.66–5.20]), psychotic experiences (RR = 4.51 [2.90–7.01]) and insufficient sleep (RR = 2.10 [1.28–3.43]. In the longitudinal analyses, age 16 SHM was preceded by age 11 SHM (RR = 1.89 [1.02–3.49]), psychotic experiences (RR = 2.06, [1.28–3.33]), emotional disorders (RR = 1.77, [1.02–3.09]) and cannabis use (RR = 3.14, [1.93–5.10]), after mutual adjustment and adjustment for sex, and sociodemographic factors. In conclusion, age 11 SHM was statistically significantly associated with other types of psychopathology in cross-sectional analyses and showed some continuity with later self-reported SHM at age 16. Particularly early psychotic experiences and cannabis use stood out as independent precursors of self-reported SHM and might constitute important risk markers for the development of future SHM and bipolar disorder. An important potential caveat of the current study includes the self-report assessment of SHM.
The mobility limitation in healthy older people is due to weakness and not slower muscle contractile properties
Authors: Degens Hans , Attias Julia , Evans Daniel , Wilkins Frederick , Hodson-Tole Emma
Published: June 2021

The maximal power generating capacity of a muscle declines with age and has a negative impact on the performance of daily life activities. As muscle power is the product of force and velocity, we recruited 20 young (10 men, 10 women: 20–31 years) and 20 older (10 men, 10 women: 65–86 years) people to investigate which of these components contributes to the lower power and performance in old age. After determination of the maximal isometric knee extension torque (MVC), they performed a countermovement jump (CMJ) in 1) the normal situation (normal), 2) with an extra load of 15% body weight (loaded) and 3) 15% lower body weight (unloaded with a pulley system), and a timed up-and-go test (TUG) in the normal or loaded condition. The TUG and CMJ performance was lower in old than young participants (p<0.001). Below a critical CMJ peak power of ~23.7 W·kg-1 TUG showed a progressive decrease. The CMJ take-off velocity (Voff) in the normal condition was lower in old than young participants (p<0.001). However, the Voff vs. body weight/MVC relationship of the normal, loaded and unloaded data combined was similar in the old and young participants and fitted the Hill equation (R2 = 0.396). This indicates that 1) only when peak power drops below a critical threshold TUG becomes impaired and 2) there was no evidence for intrinsic slowing of the muscle contractile properties in older people, but rather the older people were working on a slower part of the force-velocity relationship due to weaker muscles.
The radioenhancement potential of Schiff base derived copper (II) compounds against lung carcinoma in vitro
Authors: Tsakanova Gohar , Stepanyan Ani , Arakelova Elina , Ayvazyan Violetta , Tonoyan Vahan , Arakelyan Arsen , Hildebrandt Guido , Schültke Elisabeth
Published: June 2021

For the last years, copper complexes have been intensively implicated in biomedical research as components of cancer treatment. Herewith, we provide highlights of the synthesis, physical measurements, structural characterization of the newly developed Cu(II) chelates of Schiff Bases, Cu(Picolinyl-L-Tryptopahanate)2, Cu(Picolinyl-L-Tyrosinate)2, Cu(Isonicotinyl-L-Tyrosinate)2, Cu(Picolinyl-L-Phenylalaninate)2, Cu(Nicotinyl-L-Phenylalaninate)2, Cu(Isonicotinyl-L-Phenylalaninate)2, and their radioenhancement capacity at kV and MV ranges of irradiation of human lung carcinoma epithelial cells in vitro. The methods of cell growth, viability and proliferation were used. All compounds exerted very potent radioenhancer capacities in the irradiated lung carcinoma cells at both kV and MV ranges in a 100 μM concentration. At a concentration of 10 μM, only Cu(Picolinyl-L-Tyrosinate)2, Cu(Isonicotinyl-L-Tyrosinate)2, Cu(Picolinyl-L-Phenylalaninate)2 possessed radioenhancer properties at kV and MV ranges. Cu(Picolinyl-L-Tryptophanate)2 showed radioenhancer properties only at kV range. Cu(Nicotinyl-L-Phenylalaninate)2 and Cu(Isonicotinyl-L-Phenylalaninate)2 showed remarkable radioenhancer activity only at MV range. All compounds acted in dose-dependent manner at both tested energy ranges. These copper (II) compounds, in combination with 1 Gy irradiation at either 120 kV or 6 MV, are more efficient at delaying cell growth of lung cancer cells and at reducing cell viability in vitro than the irradiation administered alone. Thus, we have demonstrated that the studied copper compounds have a good potential for radioenhancement.
Phenotypic characterization of exotic tomato germplasm: An excellent breeding resource
Authors: Hassan Zeshan , Ul-Allah Sami , Khan Azhar Abbas , Shahzad Umbreen , Khurshid Muhammad , Bakhsh Ali , Amin Huma , Jahan Muhammad Shah , Rehim Abdul , Manzoor Zahid
Published: June 2021

Tomato production in Pakistan faces significant problems of low yields due to various biotic and abiotic stresses primarily because of a narrow genetic base of the cultivars being used. Therefore, Introduction and evaluation of the exotic tomato germplasm has become necessary to acquire elite material to develop future breeding programs. To this end, the present study was conducted for the phenotypic characterization of twenty exotic tomato genotypes along with two locally grown cultivars in semi-arid subtropical climate. Data were collected for morphological, fruit quality and fruit yield traits. A significant (p<0.05) phenotypic variation was observed for all the studied traits. Maximum yield was obtained from “Rober” i.e., 1508.31 g per plant. The maximum shelf life was observed in the Cromco, with the least weight loss (2.45%) and loss in the firmness of fruit (22.61%) in 4 days. Correlation analyses revealed a strong genetic association among morphological and yield related traits. High estimates of the heritability (ranged from 79.77% to 95.01% for different traits), along with a high genetic advance (up to 34%) showed the potential usefulness of these traits and genotypes to develop breeding programs to improve the tomato yield and fruit quality.
Power in Hidden Figures: A critical discourse analysis
Authors: McCardy Adria , Matusitz Jonathan
Published: June 2021

This article examines the concept of power in the 2016 movie Hidden Figures. This true story portrays the lives of three mathematicians who prevailed over oppressive racial and gender relations (i.e. as African American women) while working at National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the early 1960s. The method driving this analysis is critical discourse analysis (CDA). The ultimate objective of this analysis is to expose the racial and sexist discrimination experienced by the main protagonists in the movie and, more generally, the inequalities that Black women faced in the post-Second World War era. Several key constructs are emphasized: racial discrimination, sexism and discursive power tools such as word connotations, social semiotics and suppression/lexical absence.
On country: Identity, place and digital place
Authors: Devine Kit
Published: June 2021

Place is central to the identity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Narrabeen Camp Project explores the use of immersive technologies to offer opportunities to engage with Indigenous histories, Storytelling and cultural heritage in ways that privilege place. While nothing can replace being ‘on Country’, the XR technologies of AR and VR support different modalities of engagement with real, and virtual, place. The project documents the Stories, Language and Lore associated with the Gai-mariagal clan and, in particular, with the Aboriginal Camp that existed on the north-western shore of Narrabeen Lakes from the end of the last ice age to 1959 when it was demolished to make way for the Sydney Academy of Sports and Recreation. The project will investigate evolving Aboriginal Storytelling dynamics when using immersive digital media to teach culture and to document a historically important site that existed for thousands of years prior to its demolition in the mid-twentieth century. It expects to generate new knowledge about Aboriginal Storytelling and about the history of urban Aboriginals. Expected outcomes include a schema connecting Aboriginal Storytelling with immersive digital technologies, and truth-telling that advances understanding of modern Australia and urban Aboriginal people. The research should promote better mental, social and emotional health and wellbeing for Indigenous Australians and benefit all Australians culturally, socially and economically.
Productivity and carcass characteristics of lambs fed fibrous agricultural wastes to substitute grass
Authors: Purbowati Endang , Lestari C. M. Sri , Adiwinarti Retno , Restitrisnani Vita , Mawati Sri , Purnomoadi Agung , Rianto Edy
Published: June 2021

Background and Aim: Grass is often scarce for ruminants during the dry season in Indonesia; thus agricultural by-products are widely used as a substitute for grass. This study aimed to determine the effect of replacing Napier grass (NG) with agricultural by-products on the productivity and carcass characteristics of lambs.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-four 3-month-old male lambs with initial body weights of 13.26±1.29 kg (coefficient of variation=9.73%) were allocated into a completely randomized design with four treatments and six replications. The treatments included: NG=100% NG; corn cobs (CCs)=50% NG and 50% CCs; bagasse (BG)=50% NG and 50% BG; and peanut shells (PSs)=50% NG and 50% PSs. All treatment diets were pelleted and consisted of 40% fibrous feed and 60% concentrate feed, and contained 10.36-11.65% crude protein and 55.47-57.31% total digestible nutrients. Parameters observed included dry matter intake (DMI), dry matter digestibility, body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed cost per gain (FC/G), and carcass characteristics.

Results: Lambs fed the PSs diet had the highest (p<0.05) DMI (781 g/d), digestibility, and body weight gain (92.5 g/d; p<0.05). The FCR of the PSs diet (9.13) was similar to NG. The FC/G of the PSs diet (IDR 23,541/kg) was the lowest of all diets. The BG diet had the lowest (p<0.05) digestibility, body weight gain (54.4 g/d), and the highest (13.53) FCR. No significant differences (p>0.05) were found in the carcass or meat characteristics of any diets. The averages of slaughter weight, carcass weight, and carcass percentage were 20.03 kg, 8.02 kg, and 40.0%, respectively. The average meat bone ratio was 3.67.

Conclusion: It was concluded that agricultural wastes could be used as an alternative to NG at the level of 50% in the diet of lambs without a negative effect on production performance and carcass traits.
Abiotic stresses induced physiological, biochemical, and molecular changes in Betula platyphylla: a review
Authors: Ritonga Faujiah , Ngatia Jacob , Song Run , Farooq Umar , Somadona Sonia , Lestari Andi , Chen Su
Published: June 2021

Abiotic stress is one of the major factors in reducing plant growth, development, and yield production by interfering with various physiological, biochemical, and molecular functions. In particular, abiotic stress such as salt, low temperature, heat, drought, UV-radiation, elevated CO2, ozone, and heavy metals stress is the most frequent study in Sukaczev. is one of the most valuable tree species in East Asia facing abiotic stress during its life cycle. Using transgenic plants is a powerful tool to increase the abiotic stress tolerance. Generally, abiotic stress reduces leaves water content, plant height, fresh and dry weight, and enhances shed leaves as well. In the physiological aspect, salt, heavy metal, and osmotic stress disturbs seed germination, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, and photosynthesis. In the biochemical aspect, salt, drought, cold, heat, osmotic, UV-B radiation, and heavy metal stress increases the ROS production of cells, resulting in the enhancement of enzymatic antioxidant (SOD and POD) and non-enzymatic antioxidant (proline and AsA) to reduce the ROS accumulation. Meanwhile, upregulates various genes, as well as proteins to participate in abiotic stress tolerance. Based on recent studies, several transcription factors contribute to increasing abiotic stress tolerance in , including , and . These transcription factors bind to different cis-acting elements to upregulate abiotic stress-related genes, resulting in the enhancement of salt, drought, cold, heat, osmotic, UV-B radiation, and heavy metal tolerance. These genes along with phytohormones mitigate the abiotic stress. This review also highlights the candidate genes from another Betulacea family member that might be contributing to increasing abiotic stress tolerance.Betula platyphyllaBetula platyphyllaB. platyphyllaB. platyphyllaB. platyphyllaB. platyphyllaBplMYB46, BpMYB102, BpERF13, BpERF2, BpHOX2, BpHMG6, BpHSP9, BpUVR8, BpBZR1, BplERD15BpNACsB. platyphylla