bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flavonoids for Treating Viral Acute Respiratory Tract Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 30 Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Yao Jia , Zhang Yuan , Wang Xian-Zhe , Zhao Jia , Yang Zhao-Jun , Lin Yu-Ping , Sun Lu , Lu Qi-Yun , Fan Guan-Jie
Published: March 2022

Background

This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of flavonoids in treating viral acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs).

Methods

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were entered into meta-analyses performed separately for each indication. Efficacy analyses were based on changes in disease-specific symptom scores. Safety was analyzed based on the pooled data from all eligible trials, by comparing the incidence of adverse events between flavonoids and the control.

Results

In this study, thirty RCTs (n = 5,166) were included. In common cold, results showed that the flavonoids group decreased total cold intensity score (CIS), the sum of sum of symptom intensity differences (SSID) of CIS, and duration of inability to work vs. the control group. In influenza, the flavonoids group improved the visual analog scores for symptoms. In COVID−19, the flavonoids group decreased the time taken for alleviation of symptoms, time taken for SARS-CoV−2 RT-PCR clearance, the RT-PCR positive subjects at day 7, time to achievement of the normal status of symptoms, patients needed oxygen, patients hospitalized and requiring mechanical ventilation, patients in ICU, days of hospitalization, and mortality vs. the control group. In acute non-streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis, the flavonoids group decreased the tonsillitis severity score (TSS) on day 7. In acute rhinosinusitis, the flavonoids group decreased the sinusitis severity score (SSS) on day 7, days off work, and duration of illness. In acute bronchitis, the flavonoids group decreased the bronchitis severity score (BSS) on day 7, days off work, and duration of illness. In bronchial pneumonia, the flavonoids group decreased the time to symptoms disappearance, the level of interleukin−6 (IL−6), interleukin−8 (IL−8), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In upper respiratory tract infections, the flavonoids group decreased total CIS on day 7 and increased the improvement rate of symptoms. Furthermore, the results of the incidence of adverse reactions did not differ between the flavonoids and the control group.

Conclusion

Results from this systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that flavonoids were efficacious and safe in treating viral ARTIs including the common cold, influenza, COVID−19, acute non-streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis, acute rhinosinusitis, acute bronchitis, bronchial pneumonia, and upper respiratory tract infections. However, uncertainty remains because there were few RCTs per type of ARTI and many of the RCTs were small and of low quality with a substantial risk of bias. Given the limitations, we suggest that the conclusions need to be confirmed on a larger scale with more detailed instructions in future studies.

Systematic Review Registration:inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-8-0107/, identifier: INPLASY20218010
Effects of Social Attachment on Experimental Drug Use From Childhood to Adolescence: An 11-Year Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chiang Yi-Chen , Li Xian , Lee Chun-Yang , Wu Chi-Chen , Chang Hsing-Yi , Zhang Shuoxun
Published: March 2022

Background

Drug use among adolescents are still crucial issues that endanger their lifetime health. Evidence concerning the interpersonal-related factors influencing youngsters' experimental drug use behavior, especially from longitudinal and school-based prospective cohort studies, is insufficient. We aimed to describe the annual incidence rate and mean annual incidence rate of experimental drug use from childhood to adolescence by education stage, clarify the risk in childhood and examine the longitudinal relationship between social attachment factors and experimental drug use.

Materials and Methods

The data were derived from the 1st to 11th wave of the longitudinal study. In total, 1,106 respondents aged 19–20-year-old were followed up for 11 years (from 9 to 10-year-old) in Taiwan. A survival analysis was used to analyze the time-invarying/time-dependent effects of social attachment factors on experimental drug use.

Results

The mean annual incidence rate of experimental drug use from childhood to adolescence was 6.8‰. The incidence increased over time and was the highest in the first year of university (19.3‰). Boys were more likely to use drugs than girls. A low degree of self-perceived likeability in childhood was a risk factor influencing experimental drug use. On average, a low degree of parental supervision and a high degree of family conflict were both influential risk factors. According to the time-dependent models, a high degree of parental supervision, a high degree of family support and a low degree of family conflict in the current year can protect children and adolescents from drug use, whereas a sustained low degree of parental supervision and a high degree of family conflict may promote students' experimental drug use.

Conclusion

Parents should be informed and educated to avoid family conflict during childhood, maintain consistent supervision of their children's behavior, provide adequate family support, and pay attention to their children's interpersonal relationships in school. Teachers should focus on the social attachment status of their students while considering their attachments to their families and peers.
Role of Technological Innovation in Achieving Social and Environmental Sustainability: Mediating Roles of Organizational Innovation and Digital Entrepreneurship
Authors: Xiao Daiyou , Su Jinxia
Published: March 2022

Innovation has been a major growing driver of sustainability. The topic addressed in this study is a much-required transition to environmental and social sustainability considering the role of innovation in pacing up those changes. Digital evolution has greatly helped in dealing with climatic changes and promoting sustainability. This has helped the entrepreneurial organizations to adopt innovative approaches to tackle the inflexible challenges. Few developed and developing countries are at the forefront regarding technological innovation that encounter significant challenges in terms of innovation and adoption of new technologies and there is still a study vacuum as to whether the influence of technical innovation on achieving social and environmental sustainability differs depending on the stage of sustainability. This quantitative study has explored these effects collecting data from the SME's (small and medium enterprises). The findings of the study show that attitude toward technological innovation has a strong role to play in organizational innovation, digital entrepreneurship, environmental and social sustainability. Organizational innovation has been found a strong mediator between technological innovation and sustainability while digital entrepreneurship could not find significant results as mediator. This study will be useful for the countries and organizations involved in adopting new technologies considering their organization's role in achieving an overall eco-friendly and social sustainability.
A Tale of Two Cities: Understanding Children's Cycling Behavior From the Socio-Ecological Perspective
Authors: Yesiltepe Demet , Pepping Rian , Ling Fiona Chun Man , Tempest Gavin , Mauw Steven , Janssen Mirka , Hettinga Florentina
Published: March 2022

The childhood obesity epidemic has persisted for over three decades, which has presented serious social, economic and health consequences worldwide. For researchers and policy makers alike, cycling has been a promising focus over recent years for developing long-term physically active lifestyles in urban environments, in addition to contributing to the global quest to combat climate change. Promoting cycling thus presents a win-win situation not just for individuals' well-being, but for multiple involved sectors such as public health, transport ministry and environmental agencies. For children, cycling promotes exercise engagement, active transport opportunities, motor skill development and social interaction. However, across European cities, there are considerable discrepancies in the uptake of cycling amongst children. To understand and subsequently promote children's cycling behavior, it is crucial that the complex social, physical and policy environment, and their interrelationships, are considered. Therefore, in this perspective article, we adopt the socio-ecological model to gain insight into how children's cycling behavior is shaped at the interpersonal, organizational and community level embedded within city policies, relevant to increase future cycling participation in children. Our perspective is based on a review of cycling policies of two European cities, Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Newcastle (UK), where stark contrasts in children's cycling participation can be observed. Our findings show that cycling policies in Amsterdam have mainly contributed to comprehensive organizational level changes, for example, cycling infrastructure development within the city, whereby these initiatives have made significant progress at the community level where cycling has become part of the “Dutch culture”. Hence, cycling is a more common transportation mode among children in Amsterdam than in Newcastle. In Newcastle, policies primarily focus on organizational or community level changes, and progress has recently been accelerated in response to COVID-19. In addition to differences, we have also identified similar challenges in the two cities, such as the urgency to support uptake of cycling for children with low socio-economic background or challenges related to cultural differences. We also propose a “shared (cycle-)path” for policy makers and researchers as working together is crucial in producing multi-component interventions at a policy level that recognize individual, as well as interpersonal, community and organizational factors.
The Evaluation of the Effects of Two Probiotic Strains on the Oral Ecosystem: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Volgenant Catherine M. C. , van der Waal Suzette V. , Brandt Bernd W. , Buijs Mark J. , van der Veen Monique H. , Rosema N. A. M. , Fiebich Bernd L. , Rose Thorsten , Schmitter Tim , Gajfulin Max , Crielaard Wim , Zaura Egija
Published: March 2022

Introduction

In the current study, we evaluated the effectiveness of two well-defined probiotic strains, Lactobacillus paracasei LPc-G110 (CCTCC M 2013691) and Lactobacillus plantarum GOS42 (DSM 32131), during an experimental gingivitis challenge. The primary objective was to evaluate clinically the effectiveness of lozenges containing one of the two oral probiotic strains, compared with placebo lozenges, on the gingival bleeding (bleeding on marginal probing; BOMP change) after a two-week experimental gingivitis period. The secondary objectives were to assess the effects of the test products on gingival health (Modified Gingival Index; MGI), dental plaque accumulation and fluorescence, and the dynamics of immunological and microbiological aspects after the wash-in phase, followed by a two-week period refraining from oral hygiene and a two-week wash-out phase.

Methods

This single-center challenge intervention study was a triple-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial with three parallel groups. The full study population consisted of 117 healthy 18–55 years old human volunteers. Subjects were instructed to use one lozenge, 3 times daily after each meal, containing either L. plantarum, L. paracasei, or lozenges without probiotics (placebo group). After a 2-week wash-in period, the subjects were requested to refrain from any form of oral hygiene for 2 weeks.

Results

There were no differences in the primary outcome (BOMP change) among the groups. However, gingival health (MGI) in individuals from the groups exposed to the test products recovered better from experimental gingivitis than the individuals in the placebo group (p = 0.021, one-way ANOVA). The two test products inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß production, measured in saliva, during the experimental gingivitis period. Both test strains significantly reduced bacterial DNA in tongue samples and L. paracasei strain showed stronger microbiome-modulating potential than the L. plantarum strain.

Conclusions

The two tested lozenges with the L. paracasei or L. plantarum strains did show potential for beneficial effects for the oral health of the host during experimental gingivitis to the oral ecosystem.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Role of Sugar-Free Chewing Gum on Plaque Quantity in the Oral Cavity
Authors: Nasseripour Melanie , Newton Jonathon Timothy , Warburton Fiona , Awojobi Oluwatunmise , Di Giorgio Sonya , Gallagher Jennifer Elizabeth , Banerjee Avijit
Published: March 2022

Background

The aim of this systematic review of published literature was to answer the research question, “What is the difference in the level of plaque quantity, in adults and children who chew sugar-free gum (SFG), compared with those who do not chew SFG, who do not chew gum, or who use alternatives such as probiotics or fluoride varnish?”.

Methods

The systematic review [registered on PROSPERO 2018 (CRD42018094676)] included studies on adults and children with chewing of SFG as the main intervention, where “sugar” referred to monosaccharides and disaccharides. Included studies were in English and corresponded to primary research published between 1946 and 2020. The search conducted spanned all relevant databases using both Medical Subject Headings (MESH) and free text with combinations of “chewing gum,” “sugar-free,” “caries,” “xerostomia,” “periodontal disease.”

Results

Eight articles included plaque quantity as part of their outcomes. Meta-analysis showed that SFG significantly reduced plaque quantity (effect size−0.778; 95% CI−1.167 to−0.39). The correlation between the baseline and the end of study data was assumed to be 0.95 for the control and 0.65 for the SFG group. A sensitivity analysis was conducted with the pre- to post-test correlation, set at 0.95 for the SFG group. This gave an effect size of−1.098 (95% CI−1.539 to−0.656) with I2 = 89.73%. When looking more specifically at xylitol gum, the results of the meta-analysis showed that it significantly reduced plaque quantity (effect size−0.743; 95% CI−1.148 to−0.338). There was a high degree of heterogeneity between studies with I2 = 86.0%.

Conclusion

There is some evidence that chewing sugar-free gum, in particular xylitol SFG, reduces the quantity of plaque in the oral cavity in comparison to non SFG chewing or no chewing controls. Further research with improved design, lengthier timeframes and higher number of participants should be considered.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=94676.
We Make the Delta, and the Delta Makes us
Authors: Kraus-Polk Alejo , Fulton Julian
Published: March 2022

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California was largely shaped, and is maintained by, an immense amount of human activity. Evidence of this activity can be felt everywhere in the Delta, from rock-lined levees to the straight channels, from the non-native fish and plant species to the amount of water that flows through the Delta and where that water goes. How the Delta looks, feels, smells, and functions also impacts the people who live, work, and play in the Delta, and who drink or eat crops grown with Delta water. This article will explore how people have made the Delta and how the Delta influences people’s lives, both within and beyond this unique region.
Exercise Science Graduates in the Healthcare System: A Comparison Between Australia and Switzerland
Authors: Carrard Justin , Gut Maurin , Croci Ilaria , McMahon Stephen , Gojanovic Boris , Hinrichs Timo , Schmidt-Trucksäss Arno
Published: March 2022

Physical inactivity (PI) is a leading risk factor for global mortality worldwide, a major preventable cause of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and a socioeconomic burden for healthcare systems. Fortunately, evidence shows that exercise interventions delivered by qualified exercise science graduates is an effective way to reduce PI, prevent and treat NCDs. This study compares the integration of exercise science graduates, defined as university graduates with degrees in sport and exercise science, in the healthcare systems of Australia, a commonly cited model in this regard, and Switzerland, a country considered to have an effective but costly healthcare system. For both countries, three domains were reviewed: healthcare system, exercise science graduates' education, and roles played by exercise science graduates in healthcare system. Australia formally recognizes specifically trained exercise science graduates (referred to as Accredited Exercise Physiologists) as healthcare professionals. The exercise interventions they deliver, which were shown to be cost-effective and lead to positive health outcomes, are covered by Medicare, the Australian universal health insurance. However, Medicare covers only a maximum of 5 yearly sessions of all allied-health services taken together. Conversely, Switzerland, despite offering university master's degrees that focus on physical activity delivery to clinical populations, does not recognize the respective graduates as healthcare providers. As a result, their services are not covered by the Swiss health insurances. The latter do, however, cover a generous number of services (not formally limited) delivered by other allied-health professionals. In conclusion, Australia makes a better use of exercise science graduates than Switzerland does. Switzerland would benefit from establishing a clinical profession for exercise science graduates, defining competencies that they should acquire and setting their scope of practice. The very restricted number of therapy sessions covered by Medicare might limit the positive impact exercise science graduates have on the Australian healthcare system. Overall, mutual learning between countries can promote development and global recognition of clinical positions for exercise science graduates.
The Determinants of Performance in Biathlon World Cup Sprint and Individual Competitions
Authors: Björklund Glenn , Laaksonen Marko S.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The present study aimed to determine the association of skiing speed (SS), range time (RT), and the number of missed targets (MT) with rank in sprint and individual biathlon competitions.

Methods

Data were collected from the International Biathlon Union's database for 17 seasons (2002/2003–2018/2019). Furthermore, the biathletes were divided into three rank groups (G3, rank 1–3; G10, rank 4–10; and G20, rank 11–20). Multinominal regression was used to detect odds ratios associated with group rank for both sexes, separately.

Results

MT was the only variable that was constantly related to G3 (OR 1.90–6.35, all p < 0.001) for both women and men. SS was associated with G3 in the last lap in the sprint for both sexes (OR 0.46–0.66, all p < 0.001) and RT for standing shooting (OR 1.04–1.14, all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

These results show that shooting is the fundamental factor for performance in both competitions, but that SS is increasingly important for the last lap in the sprint for both sexes. Further, a fast RT in the standing shooting for women in individual and men in the sprint seems important for improving final rank.
Exploring Purchasing Determinants for a Low Fat Content Salami: Are Consumers Willing to Pay for an Additional Premium?
Authors: Di Vita Giuseppe , Zanchini Raffaele , Spina Daniela , Maesano Giulia , La Via Giovanni , D'Amico Mario
Published: March 2022

Consumers today are increasingly moving toward healthier lifestyles and food purchasing habits. This new awareness has also prompted the meat industry, usually indicted for the use of harmful compounds and ingredients such as additives, salt, and fat, to introduce innovative measures to meet demand. This study aims to assess consumer willingness to pay an additional price premium (APP) for a healthy salami by identifying which factors are more likely to have an effect on the willingness to purchase, such as socio-demographic and product and market-related attributes. An Ordered Logit model has been applied to define factors influencing consumers' willingness to pay for a low-fat salami. Results show a favorable consumer acceptance of reduced-fat salami conveyed by the willingness of consumers to pay an additional price for this product and confirm that the health awareness of consumers is an important driving force in cured meat marketing strategies.
Estimating the Potential of Building Integration and Regional Synergies to Improve the Environmental Performance of Urban Vertical Farming
Authors: Martin Michael , Weidner Till , Gullström Charlie
Published: March 2022

Vertical farms have expanded rapidly in urban areas to support food system resilience. However, many of these systems source a substantial share of their material and energy requirements outside their urban environments. As urban areas produce significant shares of residual material and energy streams, there is considerable potential to explore the utilization of these streams for urban agriculture in addition to the possibility of employing underutilized urban spaces in residential and commercial buildings. This study aims to explore and assess the potential for developing more circular vertical farming systems which integrate with buildings and utilize residual material and energy streams. We focus on the symbiotic development of a hypothetical urban farm located in the basement of a residential building in Stockholm. Life cycle assessment is used to quantify the environmental performance of synergies related to energy integration and circular material use. Energy-related scenarios include the integration of the farm's waste heat with the host building's heating system and the utilization of solar PV. Circular material synergies include growing media and fertilizers based on residual materials from a local brewery and biogas plant. Finally, a local pick-up system is studied to reduce transportation. The results point to large benefits from integrating the urban farm with the building energy system, reducing the vertical farm's GHG emissions up to 40%. Synergies with the brewery also result in GHG emissions reductions of roughly 20%. No significant change in the environmental impacts was found from the use of solar energy, while the local pick-up system reduces environmental impacts from logistics, although this does not substantially lower the overall environmental impacts. However, there are some trade-offs where scenarios with added infrastructure can also increase material and water resource depletion. The results from the synergies reviewed suggest that proximity and host-building synergies can improve the material and energy efficiency of urban vertical farms. The results provide insights to residential building owners on the benefits of employing residual space for urban food provisioning and knowledge to expand the use of vertical farming and circular economy principles in an urban context.
Tobacco Taxes as the Unsung Hero: Impact of a Tax Increase on Advancing Sustainable Development in Colombia
Authors: Maldonado Norman , Llorente Blanca , Reynales-Shigematsu Luz Myriam , Saenz-de-Miera Belen , Jha Prabhat , Shannon Geordan
Published: March 2022

Objective: Tobacco taxes are a well-established cost-effective policy to prevent Noncommunicable Diseases. This paper evaluates the expected effects of a tobacco tax increase on the Sustainable Development Goals in Colombia.

Methods: We use microsimulation to build an artificial society that mimics the observed characteristics of Colombia’s population, and from there we simulate the behavioral response to a tax increase of COP$4,750 (an increase that has been discussed by policy makers and legislators) and the subsequent effects in all SDGs.

Results: The tobacco tax hike reduces the number of smokers (from 4.51 to 3.45 MM smokers) and smoking intensity, resulting in a drop in the number of cigarettes smoked in Colombia (from 332.3 to 215.5 MM of 20-stick packs). Such reduction is expected to decrease premature mortality, healthcare costs, poverty and people facing catastrophic expenditure on healthcare, to increase health, income and gender equity, and to strengthen domestic resource mobilization even in the presence of illicit cigarettes.

Conclusion: Tobacco taxes are an effective intervention for public health and a powerful instrument to advance on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Relevance: A comprehensive analysis of the impact of tobacco taxes on all areas of Sustainable Development is missing in the empirical literature. Such perspective is needed to break the barriers for further tobacco tax increases by gathering wider societal support, especially from stakeholders and key decision makers from development areas other than health.

SDG Nr: SDG3 (health), SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 4 (education), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG6 (water), SDG10 (inequality), SDG12 (responsible production and consumption), SDG17 (partnerships).
Performance of Parallel K-Means Algorithms in Java
Authors: Nigro Libero
Published: March 2022

K-means is a well-known clustering algorithm often used for its simplicity and potential efficiency. Its properties and limitations have been investigated by many works reported in the literature. K-means, though, suffers from computational problems when dealing with large datasets with many dimensions and great number of clusters. Therefore, many authors have proposed and experimented different techniques for the parallel execution of K-means. This paper describes a novel approach to parallel K-means which, today, is based on commodity multicore machines with shared memory. Two reference implementations in Java are developed and their performances are compared. The first one is structured according to a map/reduce schema that leverages the built-in multi-threaded concurrency automatically provided by Java to parallel streams. The second one, allocated on the available cores, exploits the parallel programming model of the Theatre actor system, which is control-based, totally lock-free, and purposely relies on threads as coarse-grain “programming-in-the-large” units. The experimental results confirm that some good execution performance can be achieved through the implicit and intuitive use of Java concurrency in parallel streams. However, better execution performance can be guaranteed by the modular Theatre implementation which proves more adequate for an exploitation of the computational resources.
False Information Detection via Multimodal Feature Fusion and Multi-Classifier Hybrid Prediction
Authors: Liang Yi , Tohti Turdi , Hamdulla Askar
Published: March 2022

In the existing false information detection methods, the quality of the extracted single-modality features is low, the information between different modalities cannot be fully fused, and the original information will be lost when the information of different modalities is fused. This paper proposes a false information detection via multimodal feature fusion and multi-classifier hybrid prediction. In this method, first, bidirectional encoder representations for transformers are used to extract the text features, and S win-transformer is used to extract the picture features, and then, the trained deep autoencoder is used as an early fusion method of multimodal features to fuse text features and visual features, and the low-dimensional features are taken as the joint features of the multimodalities. The original features of each modality are concatenated into the joint features to reduce the loss of original information. Finally, the text features, image features and joint features are processed by three classifiers to obtain three probability distributions, and the three probability distributions are added proportionally to obtain the final prediction result. Compared with the attention-based multimodal factorized bilinear pooling, the model achieves 4.3% and 1.2% improvement in accuracy on Weibo dataset and Twitter dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed model can effectively integrate multimodal information and improve the accuracy of false information detection.
Regional Differences in the Prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis among Schoolchildren in Japan and Its Associated Factors from 2006 to 2018
Authors: Okui Tasuku , Nakashima Naoki
Published: March 2022

The trends in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis for each prefecture over recent years have not been investigated in Japan, and no studies investigating the factors associated with the prevalence using nationwide data have been conducted. We investigated the trends in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis among schoolchildren for each prefecture in Japan from 2006 to 2018 and identified the factors associated with regional differences in prevalence. The data on the atopic dermatitis prevalence in schoolchildren aged 6–17 years were collected as part of the School Health Statistics Research. The demographic, socioeconomic, medical, and environmental characteristics of the prefectures were examined for possible associations with the prevalence. The age-standardized prevalence rates of atopic dermatitis were calculated separately for boys and girls and by prefecture and year. We examined the associations between the age-standardized prevalence rates and prefectural characteristics using an ecological study. The age-standardized prevalence rates of atopic dermatitis tended to be stable for Japan as a whole, whereas the trend in the age-standardized prevalence rates differed across prefectures. In the regression analysis, the year was negatively associated and the number of medical clinics per 100,000 persons was positively associated with the age-standardized prevalence in girls. The taxable income per capita was positively associated with the age-standardized prevalence both in boys and in girls.
Application of Fractional Grey Forecasting Model in Economic Growth of the Group of Seven
Authors: Liao Yumei , Wang Xu , Wang Jinrong
Published: March 2022

This paper uses the idea of fractional order accumulation instead of the form of grey index, and applies the fractional order accumulation prediction model to the economic growth prediction of the member states of the Group of Seven from 1973 to 2016. By comparing different evaluation indexes such as R2, MAD and BIC, it is found that the prediction performance of fractional order cumulative grey prediction model (GM(α,1)) is significantly improved in the medium and long term compared with the traditional grey prediction model (GM(1,1)).
Deterministic and Stochastic Prey–Predator Model for Three Predators and a Single Prey
Authors: Alnafisah Yousef , El-Shahed Moustafa
Published: March 2022

In this paper, a deterministic prey–predator model is proposed and analyzed. The interaction between three predators and a single prey was investigated. The impact of harvesting on the three predators was studied, and we concluded that the dynamics of the population can be controlled by harvesting. Some sufficient conditions were obtained to ensure the local and global stability of equilibrium points. The transcritical bifurcation was investigated using Sotomayor’s theorem. We performed a stochastic extension of the deterministic model to study the fluctuation environmental factors. The existence of a unique global positive solution for the stochastic model was investigated. The exponential–mean–squared stability of the resulting stochastic differential equation model was examined, and it was found to be dependent on the harvesting effort. Theoretical results are illustrated using numerical simulations.
On the Problem of “Super” Storage of Hydrogen in Graphite Nanofibers
Authors: Nechaev Yury S. , Denisov Evgeny A. , Cheretaeva Alisa O. , Shurygina Nadezhda A. , Kostikova Ekaterina K. , Öchsner Andreas , Davydov Sergei Yu.
Published: March 2022

This article is devoted to some fundamental aspects of “super” storage in graphite nanofibers (GNF) of “reversible” (~20–30 wt.%) and “irreversible” hydrogen (~7–10 wt.%). Extraordinary results for hydrogen “super” storage were previously published by the group of Rodriguez and Baker at the turn of the century, which been unable to be reproduced or explained in terms of physics by other researchers. For the first time, using an efficient method of processing and analysis of hydrogen thermal desorption spectra, the characteristics of the main desorption peak of “irreversible” hydrogen in GNF were determined: the temperature of the highest desorption rate (Tmax = 914–923 K), the activation energy of the desorption process (Q ≈ 40 kJ mol−1), the pre-exponential rate constant factor (K0 ≈ 2 × 10−1 s−1), and the amount of hydrogen released (~8 wt.%). The physics of hydrogen “super” sorption includes hydrogen diffusion, accompanied by the “reversible” capture of the diffusant by certain sorption “centers”; the hydrogen spillover effect, which provides local atomization of gaseous H2 during GNF hydrogenation; and the Kurdjumov phenomenon on thermoelastic phase equilibrium. It is shown that the above-mentioned extraordinary data on the hydrogen “super” storage in GNFs are neither a mistake nor a mystification, as most researchers believe.
Surfaces and Interfaces in Biocatalysis
Authors: Lesiak-Orłowska Beata
Published: March 2022

Biocatalysis is related to the application of all naturally occurring living biological systems (e [...]
Path-Integral Monte Carlo Worm Algorithm for Bose Systems with Periodic Boundary Conditions
Authors: Spada Gabriele , Giorgini Stefano , Pilati Sebastiano
Published: March 2022

We provide a detailed description of the path-integral Monte Carlo worm algorithm used to exactly calculate the thermodynamics of Bose systems in the canonical ensemble. The algorithm is fully consistent with periodic boundary conditions, which are applied to simulate homogeneous phases of bulk systems, and it does not require any limitation in the length of the Monte Carlo moves realizing the sampling of the probability distribution function in the space of path configurations. The result is achieved by adopting a representation of the path coordinates where only the initial point of each path is inside the simulation box, the remaining ones being free to span the entire space. Detailed balance can thereby be ensured for any update of the path configurations without the ambiguity of the selection of the periodic image of the particles involved. We benchmark the algorithm using the non-interacting Bose gas model for which exact results for the partition function at finite number of particles can be derived. Convergence issues and the approach to the thermodynamic limit are also addressed for interacting systems of hard spheres in the regime of high density.
Tightly Secure PKE Combiner in the Quantum Random Oracle Model
Authors: Goncalves Brian , Mashatan Atefeh
Published: March 2022

The development of increasingly sophisticated quantum computers poses a long-term threat to current cryptographic infrastructure. This has spurred research into both quantum-resistant algorithms and how to safely transition real-world implementations and protocols to quantum-resistant replacements. This transition is likely to be a gradual process due to both the complexity and cost associated with transitioning. One method to ease the transition is the use of classical–quantum hybrid schemes, which provide security against both classical and quantum adversaries. We present a new combiner for creating hybrid encryption schemes directly from traditional encryption schemes. Our construction is the only existing proposal in the literature with IND-CCA-security in the classical and quantum random oracle models, respectively.
The Effect of Slag on the Mechanical Properties of Coralline-Activated Materials and the Formation and Transformation of Mineral Crystals
Authors: Huang Guodong , Zhu Jielei , Zhang Yuting , Li Dawei , Wang Bo , Li Mengrong , Jin Lina , Gong Jinghai
Published: March 2022

In this study, coralline-activated materials were prepared using ball-milled coral powder as cementitious material and coral sand as fine aggregate. XRF (X-ray fluorescence) and chemical dissolution tests were carried out to determine the content and reactivity of various elements in coral powder. The compressive strength of the developed composites was evaluated at different ages, and the formation and transformation of mineral crystals in coralline-activated samples were further analyzed by XRD (X-ray diffractometer). The results show that the calcium content in coral powder was as high as 89.5% (loss on ignition). However, only 56% of the active calcium could participate in the polymerization reaction. The silicon and aluminum content was too low, and the slag addition could improve the deficiency of silicon and aluminum in coral powder. With the increase in slag content (from 0% to 50%), the compressive strength of the composites increases significantly. Nevertheless, the enhancement is not pronounced when the slag content exceeds 50%. The increase in slag amount can stimulate the transformation of calcium minerals, e.g., aragonite and calcite, into hydrated calcium silicate and calcium aluminosilicate gels, which significantly enhances the resulting compressive strength.
Whole-Exome Sequencing Identifies the VHL Mutation (c.262T > C, p.Try88Arg) in Non-Obstructive Azoospermia-Associated Cystic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Man Yonghong , Shang Xuejun , Liu Chunyu , Zhang Wei , Huang Qian , Ma Suheng , Shiang Rita , Zhang Feng , Zhang Ling , Zhang Zhibing
Published: March 2022

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) genes are intimately involved in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), including clear cell RCC (ccRCC) pathogenesis. However, the contribution of pathogenic VHL mutations to ccRCC remains poorly understood. We report a xanthoderm with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA)-associated cystic ccRCC, and the missense VHL mutation (c.262T > C, p.Try88Arg). In a 34-year-old patient, a urologic physical examination identified hard epididymis, and imaging tests revealed deferens-associated NOA, as well as multi-organ hydatid cysts, including bilateral epididymal cysts, bilateral testicular cysts, bilateral renal cysts, and pancreatic cysts. Five years later, ccRCC was developed based on clinical and radiologic evidence. Two different prediction models of protein structure and multiple sequence alignment across species were applied to assess the pathological effects of the VHL mutation. The reliability of the assessment in silico was determined by both the cellular location and protein levels of the mutant products, using IF and Western blot, respectively. Our study shows that the missense VHL mutation (c.262T > C, p.Try88Arg) plays a deleterious role in pVHL functions, as predicted by multiple sequence alignment across species. While a structural analysis identified no significant structural alterations in pVHL, the detrimental effects of this mutation were determined by exogenous expression, evidenced by a markedly different spatial distribution and reduced expression of mutant pVHL. This is the first report of the VHL gene mutation (c.475T > C, p.Try88Arg) in a xanthoderm.
Antibody-Negative Paraneoplastic Autoimmune Multiorgan Syndrome (PAMS) in a Patient with Follicular Lymphoma Accompanied by an Excess of Peripheral Blood CD8+ Lymphocytes
Authors: Gambichler Thilo , Lee Yi-Pei , Oschlies Ilske , Scheel Christina H. , Klapper Wolfram , Nowack Nico , Doerler Martin , Stücker Markus , Abolmaali Nasreddin , Susok Laura
Published: March 2022

Paraneoplastic autoimmune multiorgan syndrome (PAMS) is a life-threatening autoimmune disease associated with malignancies. Here, we present a patient initially misdiagnosed with “chronic” Stevens–Johnson syndrome. Over a year later, the patient was diagnosed with stage IV follicular lymphoma and treated with an anti-CD20 antibody. At this time, his skin condition had significantly worsened, with erythroderma and massive mucosal involvement, including in the mouth, nose, eyes, and genital region. Histopathology revealed lichenoid infiltrates with interface dermatitis, dyskeratoses, necrotic keratinocytes, and a dense CD8+ infiltrate with strong epidermotropism. Direct and indirect immunofluorescence tests for autoantibodies were negative. Remarkably, we retrospectively discovered a chronic increase in peripheral CD8+ lymphocytes, persisting for over a year. Consequently, the patient was diagnosed with antibody-negative PAMS. Three weeks later, he succumbed to respiratory failure. This dramatic case highlights the challenges in diagnosing PAMS, particularly in cases where immunofluorescence assays are negative. Importantly, we observed, for the first time, a chronic excess of CD8+ peripheral blood lymphocytes, associated with PAMS, consistent with the systemic, autoreactive T-cell-driven processes that characterize this condition.
Optimization of the Clinical Effectiveness of Radioembolization in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Dosimetry and Patient-Selection Criteria
Authors: d’Abadie Philippe , Walrand Stephan , Lhommel Renaud , Hesse Michel , Borbath Ivan , Jamar François
Published: March 2022

Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) is part of the treatment strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Strong clinical data demonstrated the effectiveness of this therapy in HCC with a significant improvement in patient outcomes. Recent studies demonstrated a strong correlation between the tumor response and the patient outcome when the tumor-absorbed dose was assessed by nuclear medicine imaging. Dosimetry plays a key role in predicting the clinical response and can be optimized using a personalized method of activity planning (multi-compartmental dosimetry). This paper reviews the main clinical results of SIRT in HCC and emphasizes the central role of dosimetry for improving it effectiveness. Moreover, some patient and tumor characteristics predict a worse outcome, and toxicity related to SIRT treatment of advanced HCC patient selection based on the performance status, liver function, tumor characteristics, and tumor targeting using technetium-99m macro-aggregated albumin scintigraphy can significantly improve the clinical performance of SIRT.
Comprehensive Data via Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics of Chemically Treated Graphene Nanoplatelets
Authors: Farinre Olasunbo Z. , Alghamdi Hawazin , Mhatre Swapnil M. , Kelley Mathew L. , Biacchi Adam J. , Davydov Albert V. , Hacker Christina A. , Rigosi Albert F. , Misra Prabhakar
Published: March 2022

Graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) are promising candidates for gas sensing applications because they have a high surface area to volume ratio, high conductivity, and a high temperature stability. The information provided in this data article will cover the surface and structural properties of pure and chemically treated GnPs, specifically with carboxyl, ammonia, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorocarbon, and argon. Molecular dynamics and adsorption calculations are provided alongside characterization data, which was performed with Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine the functional groups present and effects of those groups on the structural and vibrational properties. Certain features in the observed Raman spectra are attributed to the variations in concentration of the chemically treated GnPs. XRD data show smaller crystallite sizes for chemically treated GnPs that agree with images acquired with scanning electron microscopy. A molecular dynamics simulation is also employed to gain a better understanding of the Raman and adsorption properties of pure GnPs.
Ice Accretion on Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle—A Review Study
Authors: Muhammed Manaf , Virk Muhammad Shakeel
Published: March 2022

Ice accretion on commercial aircraft operating at high Reynolds numbers has been extensively studied in the literature, but a direct transformation of these results to an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operating at low Reynolds numbers is not straightforward. Changes in Reynolds number have a significant impact on the ice accretion physics. Previously, only a few researchers worked in this area, but it is now gaining more attention due to the increasing applications of UAVs in the modern world. As a result, an attempt is made to review existing scientific knowledge and identify the knowledge gaps in this field of research. Ice accretion can deteriorate the aerodynamic performance, structural integrity, and aircraft stability, necessitating optimal ice mitigation techniques. This paper provides a comprehensive review of ice accretion on fixed-wing UAVs. It includes various methodologies for studying and comprehending the physics of ice accretion on UAVs. The impact of various environmental and geometric factors on ice accretion physics is reviewed, and knowledge gaps are identified. The pros and cons of various ice detection and mitigation techniques developed for UAVs are also discussed.
Automating Aircraft Scanning for Inspection or 3D Model Creation with a UAV and Optimal Path Planning
Authors: Sun Yufeng , Ma Ou
Published: March 2022

Visual inspections of aircraft exterior surfaces are required in aircraft maintenance routines for identifying possible defects such as dents, cracks, leaking, broken or missing parts, etc. This process is time-consuming and is also prone to error if performed manually. Therefore, it has become a trend to use mobile robots equipped with visual sensors to perform automated inspections. For such a robotic inspection, a digital model of the aircraft is usually required for planning the robot’s path, but a CAD model of the entire aircraft is usually inaccessible to most maintenance shops. It is very labor-intensive and time-consuming to generate an accurate digital model of an aircraft, or even a large portion of it, because the scanning work still must be performed manually or by a manually controlled robotic system. This paper presents a two-stage approach of automating aircraft scanning with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or autonomous drone equipped with a red–green–blue and depth (RGB-D) camera for detailed inspection or for reconstructing a digital replica of the aircraft when its original CAD model is unavailable. In the first stage, the UAV–camera system follows a predefined path far from the aircraft surface (for safety) to quickly scan the aircraft and generate a coarse model of the aircraft. Then, an optimal scanning path (much closer to the surface) in the sense of the shortest flying distance for full coverage is computed based on the coarse model. In the second stage, the UAV–camera system follows the computed path to closely inspect the surface for possible defects or scan the surface for generating a dense and precise model of the aircraft. We solved the coverage path planning (CPP) problem for the aircraft inspection or scanning using a Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) algorithm. We also implemented the max–min ant system (MMAS) strategy to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. We carried out a digital experiment and the results showed that our approach can scan 70% of the aircraft surface within one hour, which is much more efficient than manual scanning.
Techniques and Algorithms for Hepatic Vessel Skeletonization in Medical Images: A Survey
Authors: Zhang Jianfeng , Wu Fa , Chang Wanru , Kong Dexing
Published: March 2022

Hepatic vessel skeletonization serves as an important means of hepatic vascular analysis and vessel segmentation. This paper presents a survey of techniques and algorithms for hepatic vessel skeletonization in medical images. We summarized the latest developments and classical approaches in this field. These methods are classified into five categories according to their methodological characteristics. The overview and brief assessment of each category are provided in the corresponding chapters, respectively. We provide a comprehensive summary among the cited publications, image modalities and datasets from various aspects, which hope to reveal the pros and cons of every method, summarize its achievements and discuss the challenges and future trends.