bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Pre-symptomatic Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia: A Pilot Study
Authors: Poos Jackie M. , van den Berg Esther , Papma Janne M. , van der Tholen Fleur C. , Seelaar Harro , Donker Kaat Laura , Kievit J Anneke , Tibben Aad , van Swieten John C. , Jiskoot Lize C.
Published: April 2022

Pre-symptomatic frontotemporal dementia (FTD) mutation carriers and first-degree family members that are 50% at-risk for FTD may experience symptoms of anxiety and depression as a result of the ambiguity of when or if symptoms of the disease will manifest. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the use of an online mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in presymptomatic frontotemporal dementia (FTD) mutation carriers and individuals 50% at-risk. Seven known mutation carriers and six individuals 50% at-risk completed a standardized 8-week MBSR course, and filled out pre- and post and two-month follow-up questionnaires. The primary outcome measure was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Measures of psychological distress (SCL-90-R), coping style (UCL), quality of life (SF-36) and mindfulness skills (FFMQ) were administered as secondary outcome. Group effects were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA or Friedman's test, and the individual reliability change index (RCI) was calculated per participant for each outcome measure. Semi-quantitative data included an evaluation and process measure post-intervention. Significant decline was found on the HADS-A post-intervention and after 2 months (p = 0.01), with 54% and 62% of participants demonstrating a clinically significant RCI, respectively. On the HADS-D, significant decline was found 2 months post-intervention (p = 0.04), which was driven by 23% of participants whom had a clinically significant RCI. Additional changes were found between baseline and post-intervention on the seeking distraction and reassuring thoughts subscales of the UCL, the depression and interpersonal sensitivity subscales of the SCL, the observe subscale of the FFMQ, and on physical role limitations of the SF-36 (all p < 0.05). The process evaluation form indicated that the course was found beneficial by participants, and that they applied it in a wide range of everyday situations. This exploratory pilot study indicates the feasibility of MBSR in reducing anxiety and depression in presymptomatic FTD mutation carriers and 50% at-risk individuals. A randomized controlled trial is necessary to replicate these results.
Efficacy of Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation in Catatonia: A Review and Case Series
Authors: Haroche Alexandre , Giraud Nolwenn , Vinckier Fabien , Amad Ali , Rogers Jonathan , Moyal Mylène , Canivet Laetitia , Berkovitch Lucie , Gaillard Raphaël , Attali David , Plaze Marion
Published: April 2022

Catatonia is a severe neuropsychiatric syndrome, usually treated by benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy. However, therapeutic alternatives are limited, which is particularly critical in situations of treatment resistance or when electroconvulsive therapy is not available. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising non-invasive neuromodulatory technique that has shown efficacy in other psychiatric conditions. We present the largest case series of tDCS use in catatonia, consisting of eight patients in whom tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction was employed. We used a General Linear Mixed Model to isolate the effect of tDCS from other confounding factors such as time (spontaneous evolution) or co-prescriptions. The results indicate that tDCS, in addition to symptomatic pharmacotherapies such as lorazepam, seems to effectively reduce catatonic symptoms. These results corroborate a synthesis of five previous case reports of catatonia treated by tDCS in the literature. However, the specific efficacy of tDCS in catatonia remains to be demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial. The development of therapeutic alternatives in catatonia is of paramount importance.
DEEMD-SPP: A Novel Framework for Emotion Recognition Based on EEG Signals
Authors: Chen Jing , Li Haifeng , Ma Lin , Soong Frank
Published: April 2022

Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of the most widely-used biosignal capturing technology for investigating brain activities, cognitive diseases, and affective disorders. To understand the underlying principles of brain activities and affective disorders using EEG data, one of the fundamental tasks is to accurately identify emotions from EEG signals, which has attracted huge attention in the field of affective computing. To improve the accuracy and effectiveness of emotion recognition based on EEG data, previous studies have successfully developed numerous feature extraction methods and classifiers. Among them, ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) is an efficient signal decomposition technique for extracting EEG features. It can alleviate the mode-mixing problem by adding white noise to the source signal. However, there remain some issues when applying this method to recognition tasks. As the added noise cannot be filtered completely, spurious modes are generated due to the residual noise. Therefore, it is crucial to perform intrinsic mode function (IMF) selection to find the most valuable IMF components that represent brain activities. Furthermore, the number of decomposed IMFs is various to different original signals, thus how to unify feature dimensions needs better solutions. To solve these issues, we propose a novel forecasting framework, named DEEMD-SPP, to identify emotions from EEG signals, based on the combination of denoising ensemble empirical mode decomposition (DEEMD) and Spatial Pyramid Pooling Network (SPP-Net). First, DEEMD is proposed to decompose the EEG signals, which effectively eliminates residual noise in the IMFs and selects the most valuable IMFs. Second, time-domain and frequency-domain features are extracted from the selected IMFs. Finally, SPP-net is employed as the classifier to recognize emotions, which can effectively transform various-sized feature maps into fixed-sized feature vectors through the pyramid pooling layer. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed DEEMD-SPP framework can effectively reduce the effect of spike-in white noise, accurately extract EEG features, and significantly improve the performance of emotion recognition.
Equalisation of Children‘s Various Levels of Physical Activity Using Increased Physical Activity at School Among Ninth Graders
Authors: Lomsdal Hege Hov , Lomsdal Sondre Arntzen Arntzen , Lagestad Pål
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine whether 60 min of physical activity implemented during school hours, would have an impact on 15-year-olds' MVPA (moderate to vigorous physical activity) throughout the school day, and what effect it would have on low-, average-, and high- physically-active students. The intervention study included a sample of every 93 students in the ninth grade from a school in Trøndelag, Norway. Data on the students' physical activity levels during schooltime were measured using accelerometers and analyzed using the Actilife program. A significant higher change in MVPA was found in the intervention group compared to the control group, with an average increase of 25 min in MVPA in the pre-test to 42 min in post-test. Further analyses showed that the that both the low-active and the high-active had a significant increase in MVPA, taking the results of the control group into consideration. However, the low-active participants had the largest increase, with a 123% increase in MVPA during schooltime. The implication of the study is that PA interventions in school have the largest percentage effect among the low-active students in the study, which indicates that school-based interventions can be important in bridging social differences in MVPA among adolescents.
Prospective Association Between Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Eating Disorder Symptoms and the Mediating Effect of Resilience in Chinese College Students: A 1-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Li Shaojie , Cui Guanghui , Yin Yongtian , Tang Kaixuan , Chen Lei , Liu Xinyao
Published: April 2022

A previous cross-sectional study found that problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) was associated with students' eating disorder symptoms. However, since the cross-sectional study cannot infer the causality and the direction of effect, the longitudinal relationship between the two and the mechanism behind this relationship are unclear. Therefore, the present study explores the prospective association between PMPU and eating disorder symptoms and related mediation mechanisms using a 1-year longitudinal study of 1,181 college students (from December 2019 [T1] to December 2020 [T2]). Survey tools used include the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale, the 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale, and the 12 item Short Form of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. The longitudinal relationship between PMPU and eating disorder symptoms and the mediating effect of resilience was analyzed using a cross-lagged model. The results showed that PMPU (β = 0.086, P < 0.01) and resilience (β = −0.145, P < 0.01) at T1 predicted eating disorder symptoms at T2, but not vice versa. PMPU was bidirectionally associated with resilience, and the prediction effect of PMPU at T1 to resilience at T2 (β = −0.151, P < 0.001) was higher than the prediction effect of resilience at T1 to PMPU at T2 (β = −0.134, P < 0.001). The standardized indirect effect of PMPU at T1 on eating disorder symptoms at T2 via resilience was significant (β = 0.022, 95% CI = 0.010~0.040, P < 0.001). Therefore, PMPU and resilience were predictive for eating disorder symptoms in college students, and resilience may play a mediating role in the prospective association between PMPU and eating disorder symptoms. This study provides new ideas and higher-level evidence for the development of prevention and intervention measures for college students' eating disorder symptoms.
NBCA-Lipiodol Mixture Embolization of Persistent Urine Leakage After Orthotopic Neobladder Formation: Techniques and Outcomes
Authors: Han Jang Hee , Yuk Hyeong Dong , Choi Jin Woo , Ku Ja Hyeon
Published: April 2022

Objective

To show the effective and successful technical approach of percutaneous embolization for persistent urine leakage that occurred after orthotopic neobladder formation.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent percutaneous embolization of N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) and lipiodol mixture after orthotopic neobladder formation at the Seoul National University Hospital (Seoul, Korea) from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020.

Results

Among total of 182 patients of neobladder formation, five patients (four males and one female) were enrolled in this study, and their median age was 61.0 years (interquartile range (IQR): 42.5–69.5 years). All the patients showed persistent urine leakage at the neobladder-urethral anastomosis site and percutaneous drainage was primarily performed. The median time to perform percutaneous embolization was 40 days (IQR: 31.5–71.5 days) postoperatively. Elective two-staged embolization was performed in three cases for large diameter with a large fluid-filled cavity, while re-embolization was needed for delayed recurrence of urine leakage in two cases. Complete resolution of urine leakage was seen in all the cases and the median time to leakage closure was 55 days (IQR: 27.5–82.5 days). The median follow-up period after leakage closure was 26 months (IQR: 15.5–36.4 months), and embolization material-related bladder stone was a noticeable complication (two cases) during follow-up, which was removed endoscopically within 1 year after embolization. All patients' quality of life (EQ-5D-5L score) was well-maintained during the entire period.

Conclusions

Persistent urine leakage after neobladder formation can be effectively managed with percutaneous embolization of “dumbbell technique” by reinforcing the closure of leakage tract from inner opening to the outer opening even for large diameter (>1 cm).
The Application of Anatomy Combined With Ultrasound Knife in Transaxillary Endoscopic Biplane Breast Augmentation
Authors: Xiong Jiachao , Hou Qiang , Hu Zheyuan , Gao Yakun , Lu Lu , Sun Meiqing , Hu Hao , Qian Yuxin , Wang Hui , Jiang Hua
Published: April 2022

Objective

We aim to clarify the vascular and nerve anatomy of the breast and combine it with an ultrasound knife to use in transaxillary endoscopic biplane breast augmentation.

Methods

This study is a retrospective review of patients undergoing transaxillary endoscopic biplane breast augmentation between October and October 2021. Related variables were collected using a standardized data collection template. The detailed process of the transaxillary endoscopic biplane breast augmentation under anatomy instruction is carefully described in this study, and the postoperative effect was closely observed.

Results

Sixty-three female patients underwent transaxillary endoscopic biplane breast augmentation. The average implants volume counted 242.46 ± 31.34 cc, and the average operation time was 155.92 ± 22.34 min. Patients were followed up for a mean of 13.67 months (range, 3–27 months), and most of the patients achieved good postoperative results and no severe complications and were satisfied with both appearance and function.

Conclusions

The application of anatomy combined with an ultrasound knife in transaxillary endoscopic biplane breast augmentation is a promising way to achieve good breast shapes with high patient satisfaction and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.
Effectiveness and Clinical Value of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Cholangiography in the Diagnosis of Biliary Calculi
Authors: Zhao Yunqing , Tao Hongbo , Liu Yanqin , Sha Gen , Yi Xianyun , Qin Qin , Jin Dong , He Chengjie , Wu Xianghong , Zhou Qing
Published: April 2022

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness and clinical value of cholangiography in the diagnosis of bile duct stones in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods

200 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2019 were randomly divided into research group and control group, with 100 cases in each group. The research group underwent choledochotomy and exploration with the help of choledochoscope, while the control group underwent cholangiography to diagnose bile duct stones. The cure rate, residual stone rate, complication rate, intraoperative bleeding, hospital stay and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups.

Results

in the control group, 9 cases were converted to laparotomy, 20 cases of common bile duct stones, 10 cases of bile duct injury and 6 cases of common bile duct variation. In the research group, there were 2 cases of conversion to laparotomy, 12 cases of common bile duct stones, 2 cases of bile duct injury and 4 cases of common bile duct variation. The cure rate of the researchgroup was higher than that of the control group, There was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The residual amount of stones in the research group was lower than that in the control group, and there was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the research group was lower than that in the control group, and there was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The patient satisfaction in the research group was higher than that in the control group, and there was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The intraoperative blood output of the research group was lower than that of the observation group, and there was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

cholangiography is an effective method for the diagnosis of bile duct stones in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Clarifying the variation and anatomical structure of bile duct is helpful to improve the surgical cure rate, reduce the residual rate of postoperative stones and the incidence of complications, reduce the amount of intraoperative bleeding, shorten the hospital stay, and promote the postoperative rehabilitation of patients.
Impact of Medical Community Model on Intravenous Alteplase Door-to-Needle Times and Prognosis of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Li Hongfei , Xu Dongjuan , Xu Yunyun , Wei Lianyan
Published: April 2022

Objective

In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 795 AIS patients who received intravenous alteplase for thrombolytic therapy in one third-class hospital or three second-class hospitals in Dongyang City and sought to evaluate the effects of the medical community model on intravenous alteplase door-to-needle time (DNT) and prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods

According to whether the medical community model is established or not, 303 AIS patients (204 cases from the third-class hospital and 99 cases from three second-class hospitals) were assigned to control group unavailable to the medical community model and 492 AIS patients (297 cases from the third-class hospital, and 195 cases from three second-class hospitals) into observational group available to the medical community model.

Results

A higher thrombolysis rate, a shorter DNT, more patients with DNT ≤ 60 min and DNT ≤ 45 min, a shorter ONT, lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores at 24 h, 7 d, 14 d, and modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores at 3 months after thrombolytic therapy, a shorter length of hospital stay, and less hospitalization expense were found in the observational group than the control group. Subgroup analysis based on different-class hospitals revealed that the medical community model could reduce the DNT and ONT to increase the thrombolysis rate of AIS patients, especially in low-class hospitals. After the establishment of the medical community model, the AIS patients whether from the third-class hospital or three second-class hospitals exhibited lower NIHSS scores at 24 h, 7 d, 14 d after thrombolytic therapy (p < 0.05). After a 90-day follow-up for mRS scores, a significant difference was only noted in the mRS scores of AIS patients from the third-class hospital after establishing the medical community model (p < 0.05). It was also found that the medical community model led to reduced length of hospital stay and hospitalization expenses for AIS patients, especially for the second-class hospitals.

Conclusion

The data suggest that the medical community model could significantly reduce intravenous alteplase DNT and improve the prognosis of patients with AIS.
The Role of the Wild Boar Spreading African Swine Fever Virus in Asia: Another Underestimated Problem
Authors: Cadenas-Fernández Estefanía , Ito Satoshi , Aguilar-Vega Cecilia , Sánchez-Vizcaíno José Manuel , Bosch Jaime
Published: April 2022

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly lethal infectious disease in naive populations of domestic pigs and wild boar. In Asia, from the first outbreak in August 2018 until the end of November 2021, ASF has been reported in 16 Asian countries. The ASF virus (ASFV) circulation in domestic pigs is considered the main problem in Asia. On the other hand, there are very few reports of ASF in wild boar in this region. However, considering the high wild boar density within the same area of smallholder domestic pig farms in Asia, the occurrence of ASFV infection in wild boar may be underestimated. The role of the wild boar in other ASF epidemiological scenarios, such as Europe, is a key for the maintenance and transmission of the disease. Hence, we performed a preliminary study estimating the extent of ASFV infection in the Asian wild boar population. The potential risk area of ASF-infected wild boar was calculated based on the habitat suitability for wild boar, the kernel density of ASF notification in smallholder farms and wild boar, and the ASFV transmission rate of wild boar. As a result of the analysis, high-, medium-, and low-risk areas were identified throughout Southeast and East Asia. The highest risk area was detected in China, followed by Myanmar, Far East Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Additionally, another risk area was detected from northeastern China to the Korean Peninsula, including Far East Russia. This study shows hot spots where a high risk of infection in wild boar is most likely to occur, helping to control ASF.
An Emotion and Attention Recognition System to Classify the Level of Engagement to a Video Conversation by Participants in Real Time Using Machine Learning Models and Utilizing a Neural Accelerator Chip
Authors: Kodithuwakku Janith , Arachchi Dilki Dandeniya , Rajasekera Jay
Published: April 2022

It is not an easy task for organizers to observe the engagement level of a video meeting audience. This research was conducted to build an intelligent system to enhance the experience of video conversations such as virtual meetings and online classrooms using convolutional neural network (CNN)- and support vector machine (SVM)-based machine learning models to classify the emotional states and the attention level of the participants to a video conversation. This application visualizes their attention and emotion analytics in a meaningful manner. This proposed system provides an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered analytics system with optimized machine learning models to monitor the audience and prepare insightful reports on the basis of participants’ facial features throughout the video conversation. One of the main objectives of this research is to utilize the neural accelerator chip to enhance emotion and attention detection tasks. A custom CNN developed by Gyrfalcon Technology Inc (GTI) named GnetDet was used in this system to run the trained model on their GTI Lightspeeur 2803 neural accelerator chip.
Dietary Supplementation with Agave tequilana (Weber Var. Blue) Stem Powder Improves the Performance and Intestinal Integrity of Broiler Rabbits
Authors: Martínez Yordan , Iser Maidelys , Valdivié Manuel , Rosales Manuel , Albarrán Esther , Sánchez David
Published: April 2022

This study evaluated the effect of Agave tequilana (Weber var. azul) stem powder on the growth performance and the intestinal integrity in rabbits. A total of 120 male rabbits [New Zealand × California] were weaned for 35 days and randomized into four dietary treatments, 15 replicates per treatment, and two rabbits per replicate. The treatments consisted of a basal diet (T0) and dietary supplementation with 0.5% (T1), 1.0% (T2) and 1.5% (T3) of Agave tequilana stem powder. The T3 treatment improved the body weight and average daily gain (p < 0.05) compared to the other groups, without affecting viability and feed conversion ratio (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the T3 treatment enhanced (p < 0.05) the thickness of the muscular and mucous layers, and the height, thickness, and number of villi in the duodenum (p < 0.05). However, this treatment (T3) significantly decreased (p < 0.05) values for the area and depth of the crypts in the duodenum and the villus/crypt ratio. Likewise, in the cecum, T3 treatment provoked a marked decrease (p < 0.05) in the depth and thickness of the crypts. The results indicate that the dietary use with 1.5% of A. tequilana stem powder had a natural growth-promoting effect and enhanced the histomorphometry of the concentric layers (muscle and mucosa), villi, and crypts as indicators of intestinal health in rabbits.
Project Design and Management of Optimized Self-Protection Plans: A Case Study for Spanish Public Buildings
Authors: Gejo-García Javier , Gallego-García Sergio , García-García Manuel
Published: April 2022

Self-protection plans are the fundamental tool established to prevent and control the risks that threaten people and assets. In turn, they are essential to provide an adequate response to possible emergency situations that may occur in public or private buildings, facilities, or events. In this context, current and future challenges advocate increasing the usefulness, versatility, and adaptability of self-protection plans. For this purpose, this paper aims to develop a conceptual model for the project management of self-protection plans with a lifecycle approach. The research provides results concerning guidelines, aspects, and potential regulations, technologies, tools, methodologies, and maintenance frameworks to be followed for any building in different project phases. The methodology followed has consisted of a process in stages, with literature review and a conceptual development to obtain an adaptable model to any public building. The adaptability of the framework relies on the definition of potential methods, information systems, and technologies that can support any phase during the Self-Protection Plan life cycle. Moreover, it was applied in a specific environment, such as in public buildings under the Spanish regulation using the most common tools and applications available. Results proved that although it is possible to make a base model applicable to any publicly owned building, there is an extensive and precise subsequent work of adaptation to specific cases in which the applicable legal framework makes this task challenging. Finally, the results obtained have allowed us to reflect on future research needs.
Study on the Interference Distribution Characteristics of the HVDC Grounding Electrode Current with Buried Pipelines Based on MoM and FEM
Authors: Li Xiong , Li Chengrong , Bai Feng , Cao Fangyuan
Published: April 2022

It is very important to calculate the interference of high voltage direct current (HVDC) grounding current with pipelines accurately and take proper protective measures to ensure energy transmission safety. There is still a lack of systematic research into related prediction methods that consider the nonlinear polarization on the interface between the soil and pipelines. In this paper, a methodology is proposed for calculating the coupling voltage and current on buried pipelines induced by grounding currents that accounts for nonlinear polarization based on the method of moments (MoM) and the finite element method (FEM). The validity of the proposed mathematical model is verified by a scale experiment. The interference distribution characteristics under different parameters are analyzed using the proposed method. The results show that the relationship between the maximum leakage current density and the electrode grounding current satisfy the linear function. The corrosion area becomes more concentrated as the grounding current increases. The corrosion area range increases substantially as the distance increases, whereas the influence degree decreases substantially. Both the maximum leakage current density and corrosion risk area are positively correlated with the soil resistivity.
Case Studies of Aerosol Pollution in Different Public Transport Vehicles in Hungarian Cities
Authors: Papp Enikő , Angyal Anikó , Furu Enikő , Szoboszlai Zoltán , Török Zsófia , Kertész Zsófia
Published: April 2022

In this case study, aerosol pollution and passenger exposure were investigated while travelling on different public transport vehicles in Hungary. Two sampling campaigns were carried out: one in autumn 2012 and the other in spring 2014. Concentration, elemental composition and the size distribution of aerosol samples were determined in order to characterize the atmospheric particulate matter (APM) pollution inside the vehicles. The concentration of the PMcoarse fraction inside the different vehicles varied between 29 and 354 μg m−3, while the PM2.5 concentrations were found to be between 12 and 192 μg m−3. This was significantly (2–19 times) higher than the outdoor concentration values. The main sources of the increased exposure were the resuspended mineral and road dust, including salt and fertilizers, and the direct exhaust of the vehicles. Rail abrasion and disinfectant and cleaning materials also contributed considerably to the aerosol pollution inside the vehicles. Moreover, organic fibrous particles were found in great number on the samples by single particle analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Quantitative Analysis of Indoor Gaseous Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds Using Solid-Phase Microextraction: Active Sampling and Calibration
Authors: Cao Jianping , Zhang Li , Cheng Zhibin , Xie Siqi , Li Runze , Xu Ying , Huang Haibao
Published: April 2022

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are important pollutants in indoor environments. Quantification of gaseous SVOC concentrations is essential to assess the pollution levels. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is considered to be an attractive sampling technique with merits, including simplicity of use, rapid sampling, and solvent free. However, the applications of SPME for sampling gaseous SVOCs are often limited by the fluctuating velocity of indoor air (leading to an unstable sampling rate) and the uncertainties associated with the traditional calibration of SPME. Therefore, we established an SPME-based active sampler to ensure the stable sampling of SVOCs in fluctuating air and developed a two-step calibration method based on the sampling principle of SPME. The presented method and a traditional method (sorbent tubes packed with Tenax TA) were simultaneously used to measure SVOC concentrations in an airstream generated in experiments. Three typical indoor SVOCs, diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBzP) were chosen as the analytes. Mean concentrations measured by SPME agreed well with the sorbent tubes (relative deviations <12%), supporting the feasibility of the presented method. Further studies are expected to facilitate the application of the presented method (especially the problem associated with the sampling-tube loss of low volatile SVOCs).
Early Detection of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy by fMRI: An Evidence-Based Review
Authors: Chitneni Ahish , Rupp Adam , Ghorayeb Joe , Abd-Elsayed Alaa
Published: April 2022

With the significant rise in the prevalence of diabetes worldwide, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) remains the most common complication among type 1 and 2 diabetics. The adverse sequelae of DPN, which include neuropathic pain, diabetic foot ulcers and lower-limb amputations, significantly impact quality of life and are major contributors to the biopsychosocial and economic burden of diabetes at the individual, societal and health system levels. Because DPN is often diagnosed in the late stages of disease progression by electromyography (EMG), and neuropathic pain as a result of DPN is difficult to treat, the need for earlier detection is crucial to better ascertain and manage the condition. Among the various modalities available to aid in the early detection of DPN, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has emerged as a practical tool in DPN imaging due to its noninvasive radiation-free nature and its ability to relate real-time functional changes reflecting the local oxygen consumption of regions of the CNS due to external stimuli. This review aims to summarize the current body of knowledge regarding the utility of fMRI in detecting DPN by observing central nervous system (CNS) activity changes among individuals with DPN when compared to controls. The evidence to date points toward a tendency for increased activity in various central neuroanatomical structures that can be detected by fMRI and positively correlates with diabetic neuropathic pain.
Cerebral Blood Flow in Healthy Subjects with Different Hypnotizability Scores
Authors: Rashid Anas , Santarcangelo Enrica Laura , Roatta Silvestro
Published: April 2022

Hypnotizability is a cognitive trait associated with differences in the brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation of individuals with high hypnotizability (highs) and low hypnotizability scores (lows). The study investigated possible hypnotizability-related cerebrovascular differences. Among 24 healthy volunteers, the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale Form A identified 13 medium-to-lows (med-lows), 11 medium-to-highs (med-highs), and 1 medium hypnotizable. Hypnotizability did not influence the significant changes produced by the trail making task (TMT), mental arithmetic task (MAT), hyperventilation (HVT), and rebreathing (RBT) on heart rate (HR), arterial blood pressure (ABP), and partial pressure of end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2), but moderated the correlations between the changes occurring during tasks with respect to basal conditions (Δ) in ABP and PETCO2 with middle cerebral artery flow velocity (MCAv). In HVT, med-lows exhibited a significant correlation between ΔMCAv and ΔPETCO2, and med-highs showed a significant correlation between ΔABP and ΔMCAv. Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and conductance (ΔCVCi) were significantly correlated with ΔMCAv only in med-lows during HVT and RBT. For the first time, cerebrovascular reactivity related to hypnotizability was investigated, evidencing different correlations among hemodynamic variables in med-highs and med-lows.
Learning to Perceive Non-Native Tones via Distributional Training: Effects of Task and Acoustic Cue Weighting
Authors: Liu Liquan , Yuan Chi , Ong Jia Hoong , Tuninetti Alba , Antoniou Mark , Cutler Anne , Escudero Paola
Published: April 2022

As many distributional learning (DL) studies have shown, adult listeners can achieve discrimination of a difficult non-native contrast after a short repetitive exposure to tokens falling at the extremes of that contrast. Such studies have shown using behavioural methods that a short distributional training can induce perceptual learning of vowel and consonant contrasts. However, much less is known about the neurological correlates of DL, and few studies have examined non-native lexical tone contrasts. Here, Australian-English speakers underwent DL training on a Mandarin tone contrast using behavioural (discrimination, identification) and neural (oddball-EEG) tasks, with listeners hearing either a bimodal or a unimodal distribution. Behavioural results show that listeners learned to discriminate tones after both unimodal and bimodal training; while EEG responses revealed more learning for listeners exposed to the bimodal distribution. Thus, perceptual learning through exposure to brief sound distributions (a) extends to non-native tonal contrasts, and (b) is sensitive to task, phonetic distance, and acoustic cue-weighting. Our findings have implications for models of how auditory and phonetic constraints influence speech learning.
Intraoperative Brain Mapping in Multilingual Patients: What Do We Know and Where Are We Going?
Authors: Martín-Fernández Jesús , Gabarrós Andreu , Fernandez-Coello Alejandro
Published: April 2022

In this review, we evaluate the knowledge gained so far about the neural bases of multilingual language processing obtained mainly through imaging and electrical stimulation mapping (ESM). We attempt to answer some key questions about multilingualism in the light of recent literature evidence, such as the degree of anatomical–functional integration of two or more languages in a multilingual brain, how the age of L2-acquisition affects language organization in the human brain, or how the brain controls more than one language. Finally, we highlight the future trends in multilingual language mapping.
Literacy Acquisition Trajectories in Bilingual Language Minority Children and Monolingual Peers with Similar or Different SES: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Bonifacci Paola , Ferrara Ida Carmen , Pedrinazzi Jessica , Terracina Francesco , Palladino Paola
Published: April 2022

Bilingualism and socio-economic status (SES) differentially affect linguistic and cognitive development. However, less evidence has been collected regarding their impact on literacy trajectories. The present longitudinal study evaluated the literacy development of language minority bilingual children (LMBC) and monolingual peers with different SES. A group of LMBC with low-SES (n = 18) and monolingual peers with low (n = 18) or high (n = 14) SES were followed from 2nd to 5th grade through a set of tasks assessing decoding (words, nonwords, passage), reading, and listening comprehension, and spelling skills. The results showed that all groups achieved better performances over time in all measures, except listening comprehension. However, low-SES LMBC underperformed in spelling tasks compared to the monolingual groups. In reading comprehension, there was a time*group interaction that showed how low-SES LMBC reached similar performances of low-SES monolinguals in fifth grade, but both groups underperformed compared to the high SES monolingual group. The discussion is focused on the need for research and educational settings to consider the differential impact of bilingualism and SES. Bilingualism seems to be associated with a longer time in developing adequate spelling skills, whereas SES was the primary underpinning of the reading comprehension gap over time.
EEG Hyperscanning and Qualitative Analysis of Moments of Interest in Music Therapy for Stroke Rehabilitation—A Feasibility Study
Authors: Tucek Gerhard , Maidhof Clemens , Vogl Julia , Heine Astrid , Zeppelzauer Matthias , Steinhoff Nikolaus , Fachner Jörg
Published: April 2022

Interdisciplinary research into the underlying neural processes of music therapy (MT) and subjective experiences of patients and therapists are largely lacking. The aim of the current study was to assess the feasibility of newly developed procedures (including electroencephalography/electrocardiography hyperscanning, synchronous audio–video monitoring, and qualitative interviews) to study the personal experiences and neuronal dynamics of moments of interest during MT with stroke survivors. The feasibility of our mobile setup and procedures as well as their clinical implementation in a rehabilitation centre and an acute hospital ward were tested with four phase C patients. Protocols and interviews were used for the documentation and analysis of the feasibility. Recruiting patients for MT sessions was feasible, although data collection on three consecutive weeks was not always possible due to organisational constraints, especially in the hospital with acute ward routines. Research procedures were successfully implemented, and according to interviews, none of the patients reported any burden, tiredness, or increased stress due to the research procedures, which lasted approx. 3 h (ranging from 135 min to 209 min) for each patient. Implementing the research procedures in a rehabilitation unit with stroke patients was feasible, and only small adaptations were made for further research.
Breast Cancer Patient-Derived Scaffolds Can Expose Unique Individual Cancer Progressing Properties of the Cancer Microenvironment Associated with Clinical Characteristics
Authors: Garre Elena , Gustafsson Anna , Leiva Maria Carmen , Håkansson Joakim , Ståhlberg Anders , Kovács Anikó , Landberg Göran
Published: April 2022

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease in terms of cellular and structural composition, and besides acquired aggressive properties in the cancer cell population, the surrounding tumor microenvironment can affect disease progression and clinical behaviours. To specifically decode the clinical relevance of the cancer promoting effects of individual tumor microenvironments, we performed a comprehensive test of 110 breast cancer samples using a recently established in vivo-like 3D cell culture platform based on patient-derived scaffolds (PDSs). Cell-free PDSs were recellularized with three breast cancer cell lines and adaptation to the different patient-based microenvironments was monitored by quantitative PCR. Substantial variability in gene expression between individual PDS cultures from different patients was observed, as well as between different cell lines. Interestingly, specific gene expression changes in the PDS cultures were significantly linked to prognostic features and clinical information from the original cancer. This link was even more pronounced when ERα-status of cell lines and PDSs matched. The results support that PDSs cultures, including a cancer cell line of relevant origin, can monitor the activity of the tumor microenvironment and reveal unique information about the malignancy-inducing properties of the individual cancer niche and serve as a future complementary diagnostic tool for breast cancer.
The Cellular Tumor Immune Microenvironment of Childhood Solid Cancers: Informing More Effective Immunotherapies
Authors: Holterhus Malcolm , Altvater Bianca , Kailayangiri Sareetha , Rossig Claudia
Published: April 2022

Common pediatric solid cancers fail to respond to standard immuno-oncology agents relying on preexisting adaptive antitumor immune responses. The adoptive transfer of tumor-antigen specific T cells, such as CAR-gene modified T cells, is an attractive strategy, but its efficacy has been limited. Evidence is accumulating that local barriers in the tumor microenvironment prevent the infiltration of T cells and impede therapeutic immune responses. A thorough understanding of the components of the functional compartment of the tumor microenvironment and their interaction could inform effective combination therapies and novel engineered therapeutics, driving immunotherapy towards its full potential in pediatric patients. This review summarizes current knowledge on the cellular composition and significance of the tumor microenvironment in common extracranial solid cancers of childhood and adolescence, such as embryonal tumors and bone and soft tissue sarcomas, with a focus on myeloid cell populations that are often present in abundance in these tumors. Strategies to (co)target immunosuppressive myeloid cell populations with pharmacological anticancer agents and with selective antagonists are presented, as well as novel concepts aiming to employ myeloid cells to cooperate with antitumor T cell responses.
PD-1+ T-Cells Correlate with Nerve Fiber Density as a Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with Resected Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Tan Xiuxiang , Bednarsch Jan , Rosin Mika , Appinger Simone , Liu Dong , Wiltberger Georg , Garcia Vallejo Juan , Lang Sven Arke , Czigany Zoltan , Boroojerdi Shiva , Gaisa Nadine T. , Boor Peter , Bülow Roman David , De Vos-Geelen Judith , Valkenburg-van Iersel Liselot , Clahsen-van Groningen Marian C. , de Jong Evelien J. M. , Groot Koerkamp Bas , Doukas Michail , Rocha Flavio G. , Luedde Tom , Klinge Uwe , Sivakumar Shivan , Neumann Ulf Peter , Heij Lara Rosaline
Published: April 2022

Background and Aims: Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) is a hepatobiliary malignancy, with a dismal prognosis. Nerve fiber density (NFD)—a novel prognostic biomarker—describes the density of small nerve fibers without cancer invasion and is categorized into high numbers and low numbers of small nerve fibers (high vs low NFD). NFD is different than perineural invasion (PNI), defined as nerve fiber trunks invaded by cancer cells. Here, we aim to explore differences in immune cell populations and survival between high and low NFD patients. Approach and Results: We applied multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) on 47 pCCA patients and investigated immune cell composition in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of high and low NFD. Group comparison and oncological outcome analysis was performed. CD8+PD-1 expression was higher in the high NFD than in the low NFD group (12.24 × 10−6 vs. 1.38 × 10−6 positive cells by overall cell count, p = 0.017). High CD8+PD-1 expression was further identified as an independent predictor of overall (OS; Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.41; p = 0.031) and recurrence-free survival (RFS; HR = 0.40; p = 0.039). Correspondingly, the median OS was 83 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 18–48) in patients with high CD8+PD-1+ expression compared to 19 months (95% CI: 5–93) in patients with low CD8+PD-1+ expression (p = 0.018 log rank). Furthermore, RFS was significantly lower in patients with low CD8+PD-1+ expression (14 months (95% CI: 6–22)) compared to patients with high CD8+PD-1+ expression (83 months (95% CI: 17–149), p = 0.018 log rank). Conclusions: PD-1+ T-cells correlate with high NFD as a prognostic biomarker and predict good survival; the biological pathway needs to be investigated.
New Insight into Adherence of Ni-P Electroless Deposited Coatings on AA6061 Alloy through Al2O3 Ceramic
Authors: Bikulčius Gedvidas , Jankauskas Sigitas , Selskienė Aušra , Staišiūnas Laurynas , Matijošius Tadas , Asadauskas Svajus Joseph
Published: April 2022

The adhesion quality of Ni-P coatings on aluminum is important for mechanical and anticorrosion properties. In this study, the adhesion of Ni-P coatings on nanoporous Al2O3 ceramic (NAC) was evaluated by impact testing. NAC was fabricated on AA6061 alloy by anodizing in sulfuric acid. The deposition of Ni-P coating was carried out on NAC with and without zincate pretreatment. It was found that zincate activation of Al2O3 accelerates the formation of Ni-P coating. A cross-sectional analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that the mechanical properties and impact resistance of the Ni-P coating are strongly related to the chemical composition in the vicinity of its interface with Al2O3. The course of the formation process of Ni-P coating and its mechanisms are also very important. Although the formation of Ni-P coating was slower without zincate treatment, its stronger adhesion to NAC led to superior impact resistance compared to zincate-treated Al2O3. Improved durability of items with Ni-P coatings can benefit many applications.
Surface Uniformity of Wafer-Scale 4H-SiC Epitaxial Layers Grown under Various Epitaxial Conditions
Authors: Zhao Siqi , Wang Jiulong , Yan Guoguo , Shen Zhanwei , Zhao Wanshun , Wang Lei , Liu Xingfang
Published: April 2022

Wide band gap semiconductor 4H-SiC is currently widely used in the manufacture of high-frequency and high-voltage power devices. The size of commercial 4H-SiC wafers is increasing, from 4 inches to 6 inches. Surface roughness, as one of the parameters reflecting the quality of epitaxial wafers, is closely related to the performance of power devices. Most studies on the uniformity of epitaxial layers did not focus on RMS; however, the uniformity of epitaxial surface roughness also affects the device yield. In this paper, the root mean square roughness (RMS) and uniformity (σ) of epitaxial wafers are investigated as a function of epitaxy conditions, including C/Si ratio, growth temperature, and Si/H ratio. It was found that the best values of RMS and σ were obtained with C/Si ratio = 1 in the experimental range. Growth temperature had opposite effects on RMS and σ, with better RMS uniformity obtained at lower growth temperatures. An insignificant effect on RMS and σ has been found with the Si/H ratio changes in the experimental range. We hope that our experiments can play a certain role in promoting the improvement of the surface roughness of wafer-scale 4H-SiC epitaxial layers.
Structural Aspects of “Memory Effect” for MgGa LDHs: New Data Obtained by Simulation of XRD Patterns for 1D Disordered Crystals
Authors: Leont’eva Natalia N. , Cherepanova Svetlana V. , Stepanova Liudmila N. , Drozdov Vladimir A. , Lavrenov Aleksandr V.
Published: April 2022

Simulation of diffraction patterns for 1D disordered crystals was used to investigate the structure of the initial CO32− containing MgGa LDHs with a different Mg2+/(Mg2+ + Ga3+) ratio equal to 0.67, 0.75, and 0.80; mixed oxides obtained by calcination of LDHs at a temperature of 550 °C; and the hydroxide obtained by hydration of MgGa oxide with the Mg2+ content of 0.80. The initial LDHs contain lamellar inclusions of manasseite structure (polytype 2H1) in the hydrotalcite structure (3R1). A loss of water at 200 °C leads to the formation of a metastable dehydrated phase where layers are packed, as in polytypes 3R2 and 1H, with turbostratic disorder. The structure of mixed oxides is also layered and consists of periclase-like octahedral layers and spinel-like octahedral-tetrahedral layers. Hydration of the oxides results in restoring the initial layered hydrotalcite structure (polytype 3R1) for Mg2+ mole fractions 0.67 and 0.75. For the Mg2+ content of 0.80, the phase composition is represented by the hydroxide with hydrotalcite structure and the layered mixed hydroxide with the alternation of hydrotalcite and brucite lamellar domains, which was also revealed by calculation of diffraction patterns using models of 1D disordered crystals.