bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluación mediante técnicas de dinámicas y propuesta de intervención de la estructura de un teatro
Authors: Peralta María Haydée , Pico Leonel Osvaldo , ERcoli Norma Luján , Bacchiarello Raúl , La Malfa Salvador
Published: March 2022

En este trabajo se muestran los análisis realizados sobre la estructura resistente de un entrepiso delTeatro Municipal de la ciudad de Olavarría, Argentina. Su objetivo es la evaluación delcomportamiento, su diagnóstico y la propuesta de intervención mediante la realización de refuerzosde la estructura resistente del teatro debido a la percepción de vibraciones indeseadas durante larealización de espectáculos.Para ello, se efectuaron mediciones vibratorias y predicciones a partir de análisis numéricosestáticos, en el entrepiso del teatro en dos etapas. La primera etapa se realizó en las condicionesoriginales de la estructura y la segunda etapa luego de la inclusión de refuerzos estructuralesrecomendados para lograr un comportamiento adecuado. Las mediciones determinadas fueronfrecuencias naturales, amplitudes vibratorias de desplazamientos, velocidades y aceleraciones. Losresultados obtenidos, que muestran buena concordancia entre las metodologías teórica, numérica yexperimental, se compararon con las pautas internacionales disponibles que permiten determinar elestado de la estructura.Las evaluaciones efectuadas permiten indicar que el análisis dinámico constituye una adecuadatécnica de evaluación y diagnóstico de estructuras. Esto permite establecer el grado de seguridad delcomportamiento en servicio y la adopción de decisiones en cuanto a la necesidad de intervencionessi correspondiera.
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis in a Paediatric Patient: An Atypical Presentation
Authors: Haider Maryam , Awadelkarim Abdalaziz , Awadalla Huyam , Tariq Tooba , Mohamad Bashar
Published: March 2022

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an autoimmune chronic liver disease that studies have shown is rare in children. Here, a challenging case of PSC in a 13-year-old male, without preceding manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease and with evidence of biliary obstruction, is reported. The patient presented with progressive scleral icterus; their total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase levels were raised, with negative autoimmune work-up, and an ultrasound scan of their abdomen was unremarkable. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed marked dilatation of the intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts, with strictures in the hepatic duct and proximal common bile duct (CBD). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed a very narrow CBD with high-grade severe biliary stricture at the common hepatic duct. A cholangiogram revealed the beaded appearance of the intrahepatic ducts, and a left percutaneous external biliary drainage tube was placed. Overall, the findings were suggestive of PSC with high-grade CBD strictures. This case is unique due to the absence of preceding clinical manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease and predominantly obstructive symptoms at the time of presentation, which is highly unusual in the paediatric population.
Rhino-orbital mucormycosis after COVID-19 in the emergency department
Authors: Çelik Burak , Karakısa Halit , Emem Mehmet Kemal , Karaca Bahadır
Published: March 2022

Introduction
Rhino-orbital mucormycosis (ROM) is an acute and fulminant infection. The number of ROM cases developing after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is increasing.
Case Report
A 62-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department in northern Syria complaining of new-onset vision loss, swelling, and severe swelling of the left eye. It was noted that a 3-day course of prednisolone 250 mg was given to treat COVID-19. We found that he had a history of diabetes mellitus (DM) for 10 years. Physical examination revealed ptosis, proptosis, and ocular movement restriction in all directions in the left eye. All other systemic examinations were normal. A cranial and orbital magnetic resonance imaging scan performed after hospitalization for further evaluation and treatment showed an increase in the density of the sphenoid, ethmoid, and frontal sinus walls in the left orbit. Despite antifungal and surgical treatment, the patient died on day 14.
Conclusion
The use of steroids in treatment and the presence of concomitant DM are the main predisposing factors. The prognosis of this disease, which has a high mortality and morbidity, is adversely affected in geographic regions where health care is inadequate.
Pelatihan Pembuatan Video Digital Marketing Dan Poster Bisnis Bagi Tenant Program Mahasiswa Wirausaha Inkubator Bisnis ETU POLINEMA
Authors: Utoyo Suselo , Evelina Tri Yulistyawati , Sakti Radhia Jatu Noviarsita , Murtiyanto Rizky Kurniawan , Charits Moh.
Published: March 2022

Inkubator Bisnis ETU Polinema merupakan pusat pengembangan kewirausahaan yang konsisten menjalankan program Dikti yaitu Program Mahasiswa Wirausaha (PMW) yang mendukung pengembangan program-program kewirausahaan serta menumbuhkan jiwa bisnis (sense of business) sehingga memiliki keberanian untuk memulai usaha yang didukung dengan modal yang diberikan dan pendampingan secara terpadu dan menghasilkan tenant-tenant wirausaha muda yang dapat menciptakan lapangan kerja dan calon pengusaha sukses masa depan.  Pada tahun 2020 ini kegiatan PMW telah meloloskan sebanyak 35 kelompok usaha mahasiswa dengan sekitar 150 peserta mahasiswa di dalamnya. Adapun bidang usahanya meliputi: 1) Desain kreatif; 2) Kuliner; dan 3) Technopreneurship. Pelatihan-pelatihan telah diberikan oleh Inkubator Bisnis ETU Polinema untuk menumbuhkan motivasi berwirausaha dan membangun sikap mental wirausaha. Namun di era digital dan pandemi Covid-19, pemasaran produk yang dilakukan oleh para tenant PMW masih dirasa kurang maksimal. Hal ini dikarenakan tidak semua mahasiswa dapat menggunakan dan memanfaatkan digital marketing dalam memasarkan produknya. Pemanfaatan digital marketing ini digunakan untuk membuat video dan poster bisnis sebagai konten promosi bagi produk tenant PMW. Produk-produk mahasiswa yang kreatif dan berdaya jual tinggi akan dapat mencapai sasaran konsumen yang dituju khususnya di pandemi Covid-19. Oleh karena itu, penting dilakukan pelatihan bagi tenant Program Mahasiswa Wirausaha Inkubator Bisnis ETU Polinema, berupa 1) Pelatihan pembuatan digital marketing untuk menunjang pemasaran secara online guna meningkatkan penjualan produk-produk tenant mahasiswa; 2) Pelatihan pembuatan video dan poster bisnis sebagai media promosi untuk mendukung pemasaran digital.
PELATIHAN INSTALASI DAN SETTING RUNNING TEXT UNTUK TAMPILAN INFORMASI DI DESA DUWET KECAMATAN TUMPANG
Authors: Donny Radianto  , Muhammad Khairuddin  , Hari Kurnia Safitri  , Subiyantoro  , Siswoko
Published: March 2022

The development of electronic technology requires the availability of human resources who have adequate skills. This technology can be used not only in the world of education but can also be used as a promotional medium for a superior product. Installation training and running text settings conducted in Duwet Village conducted by the PkM team for youth groups in Duwet Village. It is hoped that with this service activity, Duwet Village residents, especially youth members, are able to install, operate and set running text, so that youth groups there can use running text correctly and can use running text to market their products as much as possible
PELATIHAN PEMANFAATAN GOOGLE CLASSROOM BAGI GURU DAN SISWA TPQ AL-AMIN SAWOJAJAR
Authors: Syuliswati Atika , Novi Nugrahani  , Sri Hudiarini  , Nurafni Eltifia  , Atik Andhayani
Published: March 2022

This community service activity aims to share knowledge related to online learning methods which is currently needed during the pandemic by using online learning media as a support for improving educational services to teachers and students in the use of the Google Classroom application at the TPQ Al- Amin, which is located in Sawojajar inside Al-Furqan mosque. The method used is a practical and educative training method through lectures, simulations, and practices Google Classroom application which are carried out offline and online through Google meets, zoom, and Whatsapp class meetings. The training materials include classroom management, teachers, students, content, assignments, and grades. The result of this activity is the achievement of equal abilities in understanding and mastering the Google Classroom application for TPQ teachers and students as a supporter of online learning so that it can run effectively.
PELATIHAN MANAJEMEN USAHA UNTUK UKM BATIK MALANGAN
Authors: Nugrahani Novi , Siti Amerieska  , Andi Kusuma Indrawan  , Ahmad Jarnuzi  , Anik Kusmintarti
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this Community Service activity is to introduce the concept of Planet, People and Profit in business management management at UKM Batik Blimbing Malang. This Community Service Activity is carried out in the implementation of this activity divided into 2 (two) stages including a preliminary survey in the form of observations and interviews. From the results of observations and interviews. After that, the implementation was carried out on March 27, 2021. The activities were carried out using lecture and question and answer methods. UKM Batik Blimbing Malang has actually implemented the concept of Planet, People and Profit but has not yet known the terms in detail in the concept. The implementation of this PKM can help make it easier to introduce products by combining the uniqueness of batik and the 3P concept
BIMBINGAN DAN PELATIHAN TENTANG ETIKA KOMUNIKASI PADA ANGGOTA PKK RW 01 KELURAHAN JATIMULYO KECAMATAN LOWOKWARU KOTA MALANG
Authors: Himma Mahmudatul , Lilies Nur Ainie  , Muhamad Muwidha  , Yosi Afandi  , Arni Utamaningsih
Published: March 2022

Kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk memberikan bimbingan dan pelatihan tentang Etika komunikasi kepada masyarakat khususnya kaum wanita yang terkelompok dalam kegiatan sosial kemasyarakatan khususnya kelompok PKK. Sesuai dengan tujuan dari organisasi ini adalah untuk memberikan pendidikan kesejahteraan keluarga dan masyarakat secara intensif agar para ibu-ibu sebagai pendidik paling pertama di keluarga dan anak- anaknya dirumah serta lingkungan masyarakat pada umumnya

Metode yang digunakan dalam kegiatan pengabdian ini adalah ceramah dan tanya jawab, yaitu penyampaian materi tentang pentingnya etika komunikasi dan cara mengembangkannya. Selain ceramah juga dilakukan diskusi dan Tanya Jawab untuk memberikan kesempatan kepada peserta dalam memahami materi yang disampaikan. Hasil dari kegiatan ini adalah bahwa para peserta memperoleh wawasan dan pemahaman (kognisi) tentang pentingnya etika komunikasi serta cara mengembangkan diri khususnya dalam menghadapi perkembangan kehidupan di era teknologi ini, sehingga dapat menerapkan etika yang baik dalam berkomunikasi di kehidupan sehari-hari baik di lingkungan masyarakat maupun lingkungan bisnis, secara langsung maupun melaui media sosial serta mudah beradaptasi dengan perkembangan teknologi
A Simulation Approach to Solve Power System Transmission Problems
Authors: Blas María Julia , Alvarez Gonzalo E.
Published: March 2022

The cost of electricity is an indicator of a country's level of development. This industry involves billions of dollars. Hence, the operation of Electric Power Systems constitutes a real problem that consists of a set of stages related to distinct components. In this paper, we propose a novel simulation model to study the state of transmission line systems due to scheduled and unscheduled maintenances. The simulation model is founded in an extension of the Discrete Event System Specification formalism called Routed DEVS. The transmission line system is modeled with a set of discrete-event simulation models that provide a complete state description of components. Such a simulation model can be adapted to describe any transmission line system through a network topology. A case study is presented with aims to show who the simulation works. Our proposal is the starting point to study real-life operations of Electric Power Systems from generation to transmission stages.
Capturing the Differential Impacts of Easing COVID-19 Restrictions: Application of a Hybrid Model of Entropy and TOPSIS
Authors: Neogi Debasis
Published: March 2022

The paper aims to carry out the ordinal evaluation of 30 countries of North and South Americas, separately at two different points of time on 30th July 2020 and on 30th November 2020, on the basis of 13 select criteria. It also compares the changes in the relative rankings, if any, between these two points of time of the nations caused by changes in the pandemic mitigation strategy – i,e by easing the restrictions. The study has used the Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach for evaluation. The data analysis part has two major sections. The first section assigns weights to all of the thirteen criteria using the Entropy method. The second section uses the TOPSIS method of MCDA. The assigned weights indicate that two of the least important criteria are the counts of daily new cases per million population and the daily new deaths per million populations. The rankings of most of the nations differ on 30th November, 2020 over that on 30th July 2020. Changes in the values of these two criteria, in fact, caused the changes in the ordinal rankings of the nations. These two parameters represent the outcome of the COVID-19 mitigation efforts put forth by the nations. It also establishes that the COVID-19 mitigation strategy really matters when it comes to the ordinal ranking and performance appraisal of the nations. The novelty of the paper is that for the first time, the MCDA technique is used to analyse the impact of policy intervention in pandemic mitigation.
Applied Picture Fuzzy Sets for Group Decision-Support in the Evaluation of Pedagogic Systems
Authors: Pham Hai Van , Khoa Nguyen Dang , Bui Thi Thuy Hang , Giang Nguyen Thi Huong , Moore Philip
Published: March 2022

Evaluation of E-Learning resources plays a significant role in the context of pedagogic systems. Resource evaluation is important in both conventional ‘talk-and-chalk’ teaching and in blended learning. In on-line (e-learning) teaching [an enforced feature of pedagogic systems in tertiary education during the Covid-19 pandemic] the effective evaluation of teaching resources has obtained importance given the lack of ‘face-to-face’ student-teached interaction. Moreover, the enforced use of e-learning has demonstrated the effectiveness of on-line pedagogic systems, which has been argued in blended learning pedagogic systems. Additionally, in e-learning, the lack of ‘face-to-face’ meetings [between teaching staff and students and in staff meetings] makes feedback (positive and negative) important for all actors in the pedagogic system. In this paper we present a novel approach to enable effective evaluation of teaching resources, which provides effective group decision-support designed to evaluate e-learning resources, enhancing students’ satisfaction. The proposed approach employs Picture Fuzzy Sets to quantify survey responses from actors, including: agree, disagree, neutral, and refuse to answer. In our approach, the system can manage the evaluation of e-learning resources based on both explicit and tacit knowledge using a picture fuzzy rule-based approach in which linguistic semantic terms are used to express rules and preferences. The proposed system has been tested using e-learning case studies with the goal of enhancing the learning experience and increasing students' satisfaction. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach achieves a significant improvement in performance in the evaluation of e-learning resources.
Spatial Assessment of Heterogeneous Tissue Natural Frequency Using Micro-Force Optical Coherence Elastography
Authors: Lan Gongpu , Shi Qun , Wang Yicheng , Ma Guoqin , Cai Jing , Feng Jinping , Huang Yanping , Gu Boyu , An Lin , Xu Jingjiang , Qin Jia , Twa Michael D.
Published: March 2022

Analysis of corneal tissue natural frequency was recently proposed as a biomarker for corneal biomechanics and has been performed using high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based elastography (OCE). However, it remains unknown whether natural frequency analysis can resolve local variations in tissue structure. We measured heterogeneous samples to evaluate the correspondence between natural frequency distributions and regional structural variations. Sub-micrometer sample oscillations were induced point-wise by microliter air pulses (60–85 Pa, 3 ms) and detected correspondingly at each point using a 1,300 nm spectral domain common path OCT system with 0.44 nm phase detection sensitivity. The resulting oscillation frequency features were analyzed via fast Fourier transform and natural frequency was characterized using a single degree of freedom (SDOF) model. Oscillation features at each measurement point showed a complex frequency response with multiple frequency components that corresponded with global structural features; while the variation of frequency magnitude at each location reflected the local sample features. Silicone blocks (255.1 ± 11.0 Hz and 249.0 ± 4.6 Hz) embedded in an agar base (355.6 ± 0.8 Hz and 361.3 ± 5.5 Hz) were clearly distinguishable by natural frequency. In a beef shank sample, central fat and connective tissues had lower natural frequencies (91.7 ± 58.2 Hz) than muscle tissue (left side: 252.6 ± 52.3 Hz; right side: 161.5 ± 35.8 Hz). As a first step, we have shown the possibility of natural frequency OCE methods to characterize global and local features of heterogeneous samples. This method can provide additional information on corneal properties, complementary to current clinical biomechanical assessments, and could become a useful tool for clinical detection of ocular disease and evaluation of medical or surgical treatment outcomes.
Development, Pathogenesis, and Regeneration of the Intervertebral Disc: Current and Future Insights Spanning Traditional to Omics Methods
Authors: Hickman Tara T. , Rathan-Kumar Sudiksha , Peck Sun H.
Published: March 2022

The intervertebral disc (IVD) is the fibrocartilaginous joint located between each vertebral body that confers flexibility and weight bearing capabilities to the spine. The IVD plays an important role in absorbing shock and stress applied to the spine, which helps to protect not only the vertebral bones, but also the brain and the rest of the central nervous system. Degeneration of the IVD is correlated with back pain, which can be debilitating and severely affects quality of life. Indeed, back pain results in substantial socioeconomic losses and healthcare costs globally each year, with about 85% of the world population experiencing back pain at some point in their lifetimes. Currently, therapeutic strategies for treating IVD degeneration are limited, and as such, there is great interest in advancing treatments for back pain. Ideally, treatments for back pain would restore native structure and thereby function to the degenerated IVD. However, the complex developmental origin and tissue composition of the IVD along with the avascular nature of the mature disc makes regeneration of the IVD a uniquely challenging task. Investigators across the field of IVD research have been working to elucidate the mechanisms behind the formation of this multifaceted structure, which may identify new therapeutic targets and inform development of novel regenerative strategies. This review summarizes current knowledge base on IVD development, degeneration, and regenerative strategies taken from traditional genetic approaches and omics studies and discusses the future landscape of investigations in IVD research and advancement of clinical therapies.
Preparation of Plasmonic Ag@PS Composite via Seed-Mediated In Situ Growth Method and Application in SERS
Authors: Tian Xiaoran , Yu Qian , Kong Xianming , Zhang Miao
Published: March 2022

The colloidal polystyrene (PS) was synthesized and decorated with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The plasmonic Ag@PS nanocomposite was prepared by loading Ag NPs on PS microsphere through a seed-mediated in situ growth route. The property of Ag NPs deposited on the PS microsphere could be precisely controlled by adjusting the concentration of the chemicals used in the growth medium. The growth step is only limited by the diffusion of growing species in the growth media to the surface of the Ag seed. The Ag@PS prepared via the in situ growth method exhibited two advantages compared with the self-assembled PS/Ag. First, the high-density of Ag NPs were successfully deposited on the surface of PS as the electroless-deposited Ag seed process, which brings nearly three times SERS enhancement. Second, the rapid preparation process for in situ growth method (half an hour, 10 h for the self-assembled method). The PS/Ag could detect Nile blue A (NBA) down to 10–7 M by SERS. Furthermore, the plasmonic Ag@PS SERS substrate was used for pesticide identification. The on-site monitoring malachite green (MG) from fish was achieved by portable Raman spectrometer, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.02 ppm. The Ag@PS substrate has also shown capability for simultaneously sensing multiple pesticides by SERS.
Production of the 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid Bio-Monomer From 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Over a Molybdenum-Vanadium Oxide Catalyst
Authors: Liu Jian , Wen Sha , Wang Fei , Zhu Xiaoting , Zeng Zhijuan , Yin Dulin
Published: March 2022

2, 5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is an important bio-monomer that can potentially replace terephthalic acid to synthesize degradable polyesters. Efficient selective oxidation of biomass-based 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to FDCA has been a significant but challenging work in the past decades. In this study, a novel molybdenum-vanadium oxide (Mo-V-O) catalyst was prepared by a simple method and showed excellent catalytic activity for converting HMF to FDCA. A high FDCA selectivity of 94.5 and 98.2% conversion of HMF were achieved under the optimal conditions with tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the oxidant. FT-IR, SEM, XRD and TG were applied to investigate the properties of Mo-V-O catalyst. After fitting experimental data with the first-order kinetics equation, the evaluated apparent activation energies of HMF oxidation were obtained. The experimental design and study were carried out by response surface methodology (RSM) to test the effects of reaction conditions on the catalytic process.
Direct Electrodeposition of Bimetallic Nanostructures on Co-Based MOFs for Electrochemical Sensing of Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Xie Yixuan , Shi Xianhua , Chen Linxi , Lu Jing , Lu Xiange , Sun Duanping , Zhang Luyong
Published: March 2022

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the most significant reactive oxygen species in biological systems. Here, we reported an electrochemical sensor for the detection of H2O2 on the basis of bimetallic gold-platinum nanoparticles (Au3Pt7 NPs) supported by Co-based metal organic frameworks (Co-MOFs). First, Au3Pt7 NPs, with optimal electrocatalytic activity and accessible active surface, can be deposited on the surface of the Co-MOF–modified glassy carbon electrodes (Au3Pt7/Co-MOFs/GCE) by one-step electrodeposition method. Then, the electrochemical results demonstrated that the two-dimensional (2D) Co-MOF nanosheets as the supporting material displayed better electrocatalytic properties than the 3D Co-MOF crystals for reduction of H2O2. The fabricated Au3Pt7/2D Co-MOF exhibited high electrocatalytic activity, and the catalytic current was linear with H2O2 concentration from 0.1 μM to 5 mM, and 5–60 mM with a low detection limit of 0.02 μM (S/N = 3). The remarkable electroanalytical performance of Au3Pt7/2D Co-MOF can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the high dispersion of the Au3Pt7 NPs with the marvelous electrochemical properties and the 2D Co-MOF with high-specific surface areas. Furthermore, this sensor has been utilized to detect H2O2 concentrations released from the human Hela cells. This work provides a new method for improving the performance of electrochemical sensors by choosing the proper support materials from diverse crystal morphology materials.
Circulating Monocyte-Like Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells and CD16 Positive Monocytes Correlate With Immunological Responsiveness of Tuberculosis Patients
Authors: Amiano Nicolás O. , Pellegrini Joaquín M. , Morelli María P. , Martinena Camila , Rolandelli Agustín , Castello Florencia A. , Casco Nicolás , Ciallella Lorena M. , de Casado Graciela C. , Armitano Rita , Stupka Juan , Gallego Claudio , Palmero Domingo J. , García Verónica E. , Tateosian Nancy L.
Published: March 2022

Alterations of myeloid cell populations have been reported in patients with tuberculosis (TB). In this work, we studied the relationship between myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and monocytes subsets with the immunological responsiveness of TB patients. Individuals with active TB were classified as low responders (LR-TB) or high responders (HR-TB) according to their T cell responses against a cell lysate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb-Ag). Thus, LR-TB, individuals with severe disease, display a weaker immune response to Mtb compare to HR-TB, subjects with strong immunity against the bacteria. We observed that LR-TB presented higher percentages of CD16 positive monocytes as compared to HR-TB and healthy donors. Moreover, monocyte-like (M-MDSC) and polymorphonuclear-like (PMN-MDSC) MDSC were increased in patients and the proportion of M-MDSC inversely correlated with IFN-γ levels released after Mtb-Ag stimulation in HR-TB. We also found that LR-TB displayed the highest percentages of circulating M-MDSC. These results demonstrate that CD16 positive monocytes and M-MDSC frequencies could be used as another immunological classification parameter. Interestingly, in LR-TB, frequencies of CD16 positive monocytes and M-MDSC were restored after only three weeks of anti-TB treatment. Together, our findings show a link between the immunological status of TB patients and the levels of different circulating myeloid cell populations.
Indirect Transfer to Catheterization Laboratory for ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Is Associated With Mortality Independent of System Delays: Insights From the France-PCI Registry
Authors: Beygui Farzin , Roule Vincent , Ivanes Fabrice , Dechery Thierry , Bizeau Olivier , Roussel Laurent , Dequenne Philippe , Arnould Marc-Antoine , Combaret Nicolas , Collet Jean Philippe , Commeau Philippe , Cayla Guillaume , Montalescot Gilles , Benamer Hakim , Motreff Pascal , Angoulvant Denis , Marcollet Pierre , Chassaing Stephan , Blanchart Katrien , Koning René , Rangé Grégoire
Published: March 2022

Background

First medical contact (FMC)-to-balloon time is associated with outcome of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We assessed the impact on mortality and the determinants of indirect vs. direct transfer to the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL).

Methods

We analyzed data from 2,206 STEMI patients consecutively included in a prospective multiregional percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) registry. The primary endpoint was 1-year mortality. The impact of indirect admission to CCL on mortality was assessed using Cox models adjusted on FMC-to-balloon time and covariables unequally distributed between groups. A multivariable logistic regression model assessed determinants of indirect transfer.

Results

A total of 359 (16.3%) and 1847 (83.7%) were indirectly and directly admitted for PCI. Indirect admission was associated with higher risk features, different FMCs and suboptimal pre-PCI antithrombotic therapy.

At 1-year follow-up, 51 (14.6%) and 137 (7.7%) were dead in the indirect and direct admission groups, respectively (adjusted-HR 1.73; 95% CI 1.22–2.45). The association of indirect admission with mortality was independent of pre-FMC and FMC characteristics. Older age, paramedics- and private physician-FMCs were independent determinants of indirect admission (adjusted-HRs 1.02 per year, 95% CI 1.003–1.03; 5.94, 95% CI 5.94 3.89–9.01; 3.41; 95% CI 1.86–6.2, respectively).

Conclusions

Our study showed that, indirect admission to PCI for STEMI is associated with 1-year mortality independent of FMC to balloon time and should be considered as an indicator of quality of care. Indirect admission is associated with higher-risk features and suboptimal antithrombotic therapy. Older age, paramedics-FMC and self-presentation to a private physician were independently associated with indirect admission. Our study, supports population education especially targeting elderly, more adequately dispatched FMC and improved pre-CCL management.
Reduction of Stabilin-2 Contributes to a Protection Against Atherosclerosis
Authors: Kayashima Yukako , Clanton Connor A. , Lewis Amanda M. , Sun Xinghui , Hiller Sylvia , Huynh Phillip , Wilder Jennifer , Hagaman John , Li Feng , Maeda-Smithies Nobuyo , Harris Edward N.
Published: March 2022

We have previously identified a novel atherosclerosis quantitative trait locus (QTL), Arch atherosclerosis 5 (Aath5), on mouse chromosome 10 by three-way QTL analyses between Apoe−/− mice on a DBA/2J, 129S6 and C57BL/6J background. The DBA/2J haplotype at the Aath5 locus was associated with smaller plaque size. One of the candidate genes underlying Aath5 was Stabilin-2 (Stab2), which encodes a clearance receptor for hyaluronan (HA) predominantly expressed in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs). However, the role of Stab2 in atherosclerosis is unknown. A congenic line of Apoe−/− mice carrying Aath5 covering the Stab2DBA allele on a background of 129S6 confirmed the small reductions of atherosclerotic plaque development. To further determine whether Stab2 is an underlying gene for Aath5, we generated Stab2−/−Apoe−/− mice on a C57BL/6J background. When fed with a Western diet for 8 weeks, Stab2−/−Apoe−/− males developed approximately 30% smaller plaques than Stab2+/+Apoe−/− mice. HA was accumulated in circulation but not in major organs in the Stab2 deficient mice. STAB2-binding molecules that are involved in atherosclerosis, including acLDL, apoptotic cells, heparin and vWF were not likely the direct cause of the protection in the Stab2−/−Apoe−/− males. These data indicate that reduction of Stab2 is protective against atherosclerotic plaque development, and that Stab2 is a contributing gene underlying Aath5, although its effect is small. To test whether non-synonymous amino acid changes unique to DBA/2J affect the function of STAB2 protein, we made HEK293 cell lines expressing STAB2129 or STAB2DBA proteins, as well as STAB2129 proteins carrying each of five DBA-unique replacements that have been predicted to be deleterious. These mutant cells were capable of internalizing 125I -HA and DiI-acLDL similarly to the control cells. These results indicate that the amino acid changes unique to DBA/2J are not affecting the function of STAB2 protein, and support our previous observation that the reduced transcription of Stab2 in the liver sinusoid as a consequence of the insertion of a viral-derived sequence, intracisternal A particle, is the primary contributor to the athero-protection conferred by the DBA/2J allele.
Hypoxia Induces Saturated Fatty Acids Accumulation and Reduces Unsaturated Fatty Acids Independently of Reverse Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle in L6 Myotubes
Authors: Vacek Lukas , Dvorak Ales , Bechynska Kamila , Kosek Vit , Elkalaf Moustafa , Trinh Minh Duc , Fiserova Ivana , Pospisilova Katerina , Slovakova Lucie , Vitek Libor , Hajslova Jana , Polak Jan
Published: March 2022

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, characterized by repetitive episodes of tissue hypoxia, is associated with several metabolic impairments. Role of fatty acids and lipids attracts attention in its pathogenesis for their metabolic effects. Parallelly, hypoxia-induced activation of reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle (rTCA) with reductive glutamine metabolism provides precursor molecules for de novo lipogenesis. Gas-permeable cultureware was used to culture L6-myotubes in chronic hypoxia (12%, 4% and 1% O2) with 13C labelled glutamine and inhibitors of glutamine uptake or rTCA-mediated lipogenesis. We investigated changes in lipidomic profile, 13C appearance in rTCA-related metabolites, gene and protein expression of rTCA-related proteins and glutamine transporters, glucose uptake and lactate production. Lipid content increased by 308% at 1% O2, predominantly composed of saturated fatty acids, while triacylglyceroles containing unsaturated fatty acids and membrane lipids (phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylinositol) decreased by 20-70%. rTCA labelling of malate, citrate and 2-hydroxyglutarate increased by 4.7-fold, 2.2-fold and 1.9-fold in 1% O2, respectively. ATP-dependent citrate lyase inhibition in 1% O2 decreased lipid amount by 23% and increased intensity of triacylglyceroles containing unsaturated fatty acids by 56-80%. Lactate production increased with hypoxia. Glucose uptake dropped by 75% with progression of hypoxia from 4% to 1% O2. Protein expression remained unchanged. Altogether, hypoxia modified cell metabolism leading to lipid composition alteration and rTCA activation.
Low Birth Weight, β-Cell Function and Insulin Resistance in Adults: The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health
Authors: Branda Julia Ines F. , de Almeida-Pititto Bianca , Bensenor Isabela , Lotufo Paulo A. , Ferreira Sandra Roberta G.
Published: March 2022

Background

Adverse intrauterine environment—reflected by low birth weight (LBW)—has been linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes later in life. Whether β-cell function reduction and insulin resistance could be detected even in middle-aged adults without overt diabetes is less investigated. We examined the association of LBW with β-cell function and insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic middle-aged adults from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

Methods

This is a cross-sectional analysis of 2,634 ELSA-Brasil participants aged between 34 and 59 years, without diabetes. Participants were stratified according to LBW defined as <2.5 kg and their clinical data were compared. HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, HOMA-adiponectin, TyG index, QUICKI and TG/HDL were calculated and their association with LBW were tested using multiple linear regression including adjustments suggested by Directed Acyclic Graphs and propensity score matching was applied.

Results

The sample (47.4 ± 6.3 years) was composed of 57.5% of women and 9% had LBW. Subjects with LBW and normal-weight reported similar BMI values at the age of 20 years and current BMI was slightly lower in the LBW group. In average, cardiometabolic risk profile and also indexes of β-cell function and insulin sensitivity were within normal ranges. In regression analysis, log-transformed HOMA-β—but not with the other indexes—was associated with LBW (p = 0.014) independent of sex, skin color, prematurity, and family history of diabetes. After applying propensity-score matching in a well-balanced sample, HOMA-AD and TG/HDL indexes were associated with LBW.

Conclusion

The association between LBW and insulin sensitivity markers may occur in healthy middle-aged adults before overt glucose metabolism disturbances. Our data are coherent with the detection of early life events consequent with insulin resistance markers that could contribute to the risk of glucose metabolism disturbances.
Casual Associations and Shape Between Prepuberty Body Mass Index and Early Onset of Puberty: A Mendelian Randomization and Dose–Response Relationship Analysis
Authors: Fang Jiao , Yuan Jingyi , Zhang Dandan , Liu Wanxu , Su Puyu , Wan Yuhui , Zhang Zhihua , Tao Fangbiao , Sun Ying
Published: March 2022

Background

There is an ongoing controversial issue regarding whether onset of puberty is related to childhood BMI.

Objectives

This study aims at investigating the causal association and its shape between prepuberty BMI and early puberty onset.

Methods

Breast development and testicular volume were assessed annually from a population-based prospective cohort of 997 children for consecutive years by professional endocrinologists. Seventeen puberty- and BMI-related SNPs were selected to calculate the polygenic risk score. The two-stage least square method was used to assess and confirm causal effects. A dose–response association between prepuberty BMI and early puberty onset was conducted by using restricted cubic spline Cox regression.

Results

After adjusting for covariates, prepuberty BMI was positively associated with early thelarche among girls (coefficients = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.29). A non-linear model suggested an inverted U-shaped relationship between prepuberty BMI and risk for early thelarche (χ2 = 276.3, p < 0.001). The risk for early thelarche increased rapidly from prepuberty BMI at 15.70 kg/m2 (P25) to 20.75 kg/m2 (P85) and gradually decreased afterward. Compared with the P25 of prepuberty BMI, the HRs (95% CI) for early thelarche were 5.08 (1.15, 8.55), 4.48 (1.02, 7.74), 10.15 (3.93, 17.50), and 8.43 (1.91, 13.71) for percentiles P25–P50, P50–P75, P75–P85, and ≥P85 of BMI categories, respectively. In boys, compared with the P25 of prepuberty BMI, boys with BMI between P25 and P50 showed an increased risk of early puberty (HR: 3.94, 95% CI: 1.44, 6.80).

Conclusions

Prepuberty BMI may serve the purpose of identifying the girls at higher risk of early thelarche, which could assist in the adaptation of prevention and intervention strategies targeting childhood obesity. The findings emphasize a non-linear correlation between prepuberty BMI and early puberty onset.
The Implications of Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue on Inflammaging
Authors: Aaron Nicole , Costa Samantha , Rosen Clifford J. , Qiang Li
Published: March 2022

Once considered an inert filler of the bone cavity, bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) is now regarded as a metabolically active organ that plays versatile roles in endocrine function, hematopoiesis, bone homeostasis and metabolism, and, potentially, energy conservation. While the regulation of BMAT is inadequately understood, it is recognized as a unique and dynamic fat depot that is distinct from peripheral fat. As we age, bone marrow adipocytes (BMAds) accumulate throughout the bone marrow (BM) milieu to influence the microenvironment. This process is conceivably signaled by the secretion of adipocyte-derived factors including pro-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines. Adipokines participate in the development of a chronic state of low-grade systemic inflammation (inflammaging), which trigger changes in the immune system that are characterized by declining fidelity and efficiency and cause an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory networks. In this review, we discuss the local effects of BMAT on bone homeostasis and the hematopoietic niche, age-related inflammatory changes associated with BMAT accrual, and the downstream effect on endocrine function, energy expenditure, and metabolism. Furthermore, we address therapeutic strategies to prevent BMAT accumulation and associated dysfunction during aging. In sum, BMAT is emerging as a critical player in aging and its explicit characterization still requires further research.
Tuning Analysis and Optimization of a Cluster-Based Aiming Methodology for Solar Central Receivers
Authors: García Jesús , Barraza Rodrigo , Soo Too Yen Chean , Vásquez Padilla Ricardo , Acosta David , Estay Danilo , Valdivia Patricio
Published: March 2022

The challenges encountered while concentrating solar radiation from multiple heliostats into a relatively small receiver have inspired numerous aiming methodologies to distribute such concentrated radiation. Likewise, this concentrated radiation, denominated heat flux, needs to satisfy certain constraints that primarily depend on the receiver geometry, its building materials, the operating mass flow of the heat transfer fluid, and the overall solar radiation conditions. A recent study has demonstrated the effectiveness of an aiming strategy wherein a group of heliostats use a single parameter for the entire cluster and achieve the desired heat flux profile by adjusting the tuning parameters. Along similar lines, the current study was conducted to find the optimal values and the effect of two such parameters. The first parameter limits how far the aiming point of the heliostat can move from the equator line of the receiver, while the second represents its direction (upward or downward) from this line toward the edge of the receiver. Each section of a solar field was subdivided; both parameters were estimated for each subgroup, and their effect on the heat flux profile was determined. Furthermore, a parametric study was conducted using three sets of constraints for the optimization procedure. This procedure resulted in a heat flux profile that accomplished the constraints given by the allowable flux density for the receiver during the design day. The improvement using the optimal tuning parameters for the design scenario reached around 27%. Further analysis of the set of optimal values showed an adequate performance of the system at different times of the day and different days of the year. Finally, this study demonstrates how the calculated values function as a starting point for implementing the aiming methodology in different solar field and receiver combinations.
Dynamic Characteristic Study of Supercritical CO2 Recompression Brayton Cycle System
Authors: Zhu Qinghui , Han Ruiyan , Yang Siyuan , Zhang Bo , Yang Zhuqiang
Published: March 2022

The supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) Brayton cycle has been regarded as the main development direction of future nuclear power generation by more and more scholars, due to its high environmental efficiency and high thermoelectric conversion rate. However, due to fluctuations in the operation of the primary loop of the system with nuclear energy, parameters such as the power of the heat source and the mass flow of the working medium in the system will change, which will affect the dynamic performance and operation of the SCO2 Brayton cycle system. Therefore, it is necessary to study the dynamic response of the system performance under disturbance conditions, analyze the operating characteristics of the SCO2 Brayton cycle system. In this paper, a comprehensive dynamic model of SCO2 recompression Brayton cycle, which analyzes the response curves of critical parameters under the disturbance of heat source heating power and system mass flow rate, is accurately developed based on Simulink software. In order to verify the validity of the proposed model, the simulation results are compared with the experimental results conducted by Sandia Laboratory under the same conditions. The results show that the model has high accuracy, and can reflect the dynamic response of system performance under parameter perturbation. In this paper, the closed-loop simulation is innovatively performed to show the dynamic response to step-change in the heat source power and mass flow rate. And the thermal efficiency is about 31.85%, when the system operates stably at the design point of working condition. If a disturbance is applied to the system, the temperature change will be mainly concentrated near the heat source of the cycle, and the change near the precooler will be relatively small. The change of the heat source power will lead to a large monotonic variation of cycle efficiency. By contrast, an inflection point in cycle efficiency will be resulted in by changing the system mass flow rate. The results of this paper would provide good approaches for the design, control, and improvement of the SCO2 Brayton cycle.
Research on the Advance Role of Institutional Quality on Achieving Environmental Efficiency in Sub Sahara Africa
Authors: Bahizire Grace Mulindwa , Fanglin Li , Appiah Michael , Xicang Zhao
Published: March 2022

The study investigates the impact of institutional quality on environmental efficiency in the presence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) using data on desirable and undesirable outputs as well as institutional quality dimensions from the World Governance Indicators (WGI) for 19 Sub-Sahara African (SSA) countries over an annual period from 2005 to 2014. Environmental efficiency was low in eight SSA countries and excellent in eleven others, according to the efficiency results. Two countries had the highest average environmental efficiency over the first period, while one had the lowest. In 2013, the majority of SSA countries had high efficiency indexes, with one country having an index of 2.098 and four countries having efficiency rates of one. After controlling for industrialization, energy consumption, and population variables, the results show that corruption control and regulatory quality lower environmental efficiency while government effectiveness increases. The DH causality test revealed that environmental efficiency, control of corruption, regulatory quality, energy consumption, and population had no causal relationship. There are also one-way causal linkages between environmental efficiency and government effectiveness and industrialization.
Practical Challenges in Hybrid Communication Ecosystems Based on ITS-G5 and LTE for CACC and GLOSA
Authors: Cimoli Bruno , Xing Haitao , Ho Victor , Passchier Igor , Kakes Geerd , Rommel Simon , Nijmeijer Henk , Tafur Monroy Idelfonso
Published: March 2022

In this paper we report the implementation and experimental evaluation of a proposed hybrid communication ecosystem for CCAM applications such as cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) and smart intersections. Three wireless technologies have been suggested for communications between vehicles and intelligent traffic lights and are evaluated in this work: ITS-G5 based on IEEE 802.11p and LTE sidelink with PC5 air interface for direct short range links, and regular mobile LTE with LTE Uu air interface for long range or indirect links. The applications used are independent of the communication channel, to enable a comparison on the application level of the different communication technologies. Field experiments were carried out with two CACC-equipped vehicles and three intelligent traffic lights in two field test locations under ideal, i.e., no-traffic, conditions and with real traffic. Experimental results related to CACC show that the best performance in terms of latency is achieved by the ITS-G5 system, while LTE PC5 and LTE Uu links show a penalty of 20 and 50 ms respectively. However, experimental results show that all three communication technologies were still able to guarantee string stable performance of the vehicle platoon. Regarding the smart intersections, an analysis based on field measurements and comparison between long- and short-range solutions is proposed; the analysis includes the impact of each channel on the applications such as speed advisory and green light prediction. The reported experimental evaluation shows the potential of current mobile technologies for CCAM use cases and highlights the way for further CCAM applications based on 5G and beyond mobile networks.