bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Doctors During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
Authors: He Lanying , Wang Jian , Zhang Lijuan , Wang Feng , Dong Weiwei , Zhao Wang
Published: June 2021

Background: The purpose of our study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms and their risk factors among doctors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: A hospital-based survey study was conducted. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze anxiety and depressive symptoms across independent variables.

Results: A total of 1,521 doctors were included; 11.11% (169/1,521) of the doctors had anxiety symptoms, and 16.90% (257/1,521) had depressive symptoms. Female sex [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.69; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21–2.34; P = 0.002] and having a minor child (aOR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.50–3.56; P < 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of anxiety symptoms. Female sex (aOR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.18–2.06; P = 0.002) and having a minor child (aOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.06–2.01; P = 0.022) were associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. Older age (aOR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.98–0.99; P = 0.008) was associated with a decreased risk of depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: Anxiety and depressive symptoms have been common mental health problems in doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that female sex, having a minor child, and younger age were major risk factors for the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms among doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Role of Implicit and Explicit Staff Attitudes in the Use of Coercive Measures in Psychiatry
Authors: Vandamme Angelika , Wullschleger Alexandre , Garbe Amelie , Cole Celline , Heinz Andreas , Bermpohl Felix , Mielau Juliane , Mahler Lieselotte , Montag Christiane
Published: June 2021

Many determinants leading to the use of different coercive measures in psychiatry have been widely studied and it seems that staff attitudes play a crucial role when it comes to the decision-making process about using coercion. However, research results about staff attitudes and their role in the use of coercive measures are inconsistent. This might be due to a focus on self-report studies asking for explicit answers, which involves the risk of bias. This study aimed to expand research on this topic by examining the impact of explicit and implicit staff attitudes on the use of coercive measures in clinical practice. In addition, the influence of gender, profession (nurses, psychiatrists), and years of professional experience as well as their influence on staff attitudes were examined. An adaption of the implicit association measure, the Go/No-Go Association Task (GNAT), with the target category coercion and distracter stimuli describing work load, as well as the explicit questionnaire Staff Attitudes to Coercion Scale (SACS) was completed by staff (N = 149) on 13 acute psychiatric units in 6 hospitals. Data on coercive measures as well as the total number of treated cases for each unit was collected. Results showed that there was no association between staff's implicit and explicit attitudes toward coercion, and neither measure was correlated with the local frequency of coercive measures. ANOVAs showed a significant difference of the GNAT result for the factor gender (F = 9.32, p = 0.003), demonstrating a higher tendency to justify coercion among female staff members (M = −0.23, SD = ±0.35) compared to their male colleagues (M = −0.41, SD = ±0.31). For the SACS, a significant difference was found for the factor profession (F = 7.58, p = 0.007), with nurses (M = 2.79, SD = ±1.40) showing a more positive attitude to the use of coercion than psychiatrists (M = 2.15, SD = ±1.11). No significant associations were found regarding the extent of professional experience. Results indicate a complex interaction between implicit and explicit decision-making processes dependent on specific contexts. We propose future research to include primers for more context-related outcomes. Furthermore, differences in gender suggest a need to direct attention toward occupational safety and possible feelings of anxiety in the workplace, especially for female staff members.
Perceived Stress During the First Wave of COVID-19 Outbreak: Results From Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Estonia
Authors: Reile Rainer , Kullamaa Lembe , Hallik Reeli , Innos Kaire , Kukk Maarja , Laidra Kaia , Nurk Eha , Tamson Merili , Vorobjov Sigrid
Published: June 2021

Objective: To study the population-level mental health responses during the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Estonia and analyze its socio-demographic, behavioral, and health-related variations among general population.

Methods: This study used nationally representative data on 4,606 individuals, aged 18–79 years from a rapid-response cross-sectional survey conducted in April 2020. Point prevalence and mutually adjusted prevalence rate ratios for perceived stress from log-binomial regression analysis were presented for socio-demographic, behavioral, and health-related variables.

Results: This study found that 52.2% of population aged 18–79 reported elevated stress levels in relation to COVID-19 outbreak. Higher levels of perceived stress were found in women, in younger age groups, in Estonians, and in those with higher self-perceived infection risk, presence of respiratory symptoms, and less than optimal health, according to self-reports.

Conclusion: Although, the potential long-term health effects of the current crisis are yet unknown, the alarmingly high stress levels among people indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic might have had a widespread effect on people's mental health.
COVID-19-Related Stressors and Mental Health Among Chinese College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Han Zaichao , Tang Xiujuan , Li Xiaoshan , Shen Youtian , Li Li , Wang Jingjing , Chen Xiaowei , Hu Zhijun
Published: June 2021

This study aims to examine the relation between COVID-19-related stressors and mental health among Chinese college students during the pandemic outbreaks, and the possible mediator or moderator between them. Five hundred and fifty Chinese college students were invited to complete an anonymous survey, and the data were analyzed with SPSS 16.0 software. The results shows that the number of stressors has a negative direct and indirect (through risk perception of being infected with COVID-19 disease) impacts on college students' mental health. Adaptive coping is a protective factor of students' mental health, and could be regarded as a buffer that attenuates the negative effect of the COVID-19-related stressors on risk perception of being infected with COVID-19 disease (or mental health). With regard to demographic variables, females, junior and senior students, or students whose family residence was worst hit by the pandemic tend to report poorer mental health during the pandemic outbreak. These findings enrich our understanding about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college population and have implications for university counseling services during times of acute, large-scale infective disease outbreaks.
How Can Health Systems Better Prepare for the Next Pandemic? Lessons Learned From the Management of COVID-19 in Quebec (Canada)
Authors: Alami Hassane , Lehoux Pascale , Fleet Richard , Fortin Jean-Paul , Liu Joanne , Attieh Randa , Cadeddu Stéphanie Bernadette Mafalda , Abdoulaye Samri Mamane , Savoldelli Mathilde , Ag Ahmed Mohamed Ali
Published: June 2021

The magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic challenged societies around our globalized world. To contain the spread of the virus, unprecedented and drastic measures and policies were put in place by governments to manage an exceptional health care situation while maintaining other essential services. The responses of many governments showed a lack of preparedness to face this systemic and global health crisis. Drawing on field observations and available data on the first wave of the pandemic (mid-March to mid-May 2020) in Quebec (Canada), this article reviewed and discussed the successes and failures that characterized the management of COVID-19 in this province. Using the framework of Palagyi et al. on system preparedness toward emerging infectious diseases, we described and analyzed in a chronologically and narratively way: (1) how surveillance was structured; (2) how workforce issues were managed; (3) what infrastructures and medical supplies were made available; (4) what communication mechanisms were put in place; (5) what form of governance emerged; and (6) whether trust was established and maintained throughout the crisis. Our findings and observations stress that resilience and ability to adequately respond to a systemic and global crisis depend upon preexisting system-level characteristics and capacities at both the provincial and federal governance levels. By providing recommendations for policy and practice from a learning health system perspective, this paper contributes to the groundwork required for interdisciplinary research and genuine policy discussions to help health systems better prepare for future pandemics.
Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis in the United States: Cure, Poison, or Both?
Authors: Paine Lilliann , de la Rocha Patanjali , Eyssallenne Antonia P. , Andrews Courtni Alexis , Loo Leanne , Jones Camara Phyllis , Collins Anne Marie , Morse Michelle
Published: June 2021

Declaring racism a public health crisis has the potential to shepherd meaningful anti-racism policy forward and bridge long standing divisions between policy-makers, community organizers, healers, and public health practitioners. At their best, the declarations are a first step to address long standing inaction in the face of need. At their worst, the declarations poison or sedate grassroots momentum toward anti-racism structural change by delivering politicians unearned publicity and slowing progress on health equity. Declaring racism as a public health crisis is a tool that must be used with clarity and caution in order to maximize impact. Key to holding public institutions accountable for creating declarations is the direct involvement of Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) led groups and organizers. Sharing power, centering their voices and working in tandem, these collaborations ensure that declarations push for change from the lens of those most impacted and authentically engage with the demands of communities and their legacies. Superficial diversity and inclusion efforts that bring BIPOC people and organizers into the conversation and then fail to implement their ideas repeat historical patterns of harm, stall momentum for structural change at best, and poison the strategy at worst. In this paper we will examine three declarations in the United States and analyze them utilizing evaluative criteria aligned with health equity and anti-racism practices. Finally, we offer recommendations to inform anti-racist public health work for meaningful systematic change toward decentralization and empowerment of communities in their health futures.
Age-Related Metabolic Pathways Changes in Dental Follicles: A Pilot Study
Authors: Bastos Victor Coutinho , Vitório Jéssica Gardone , Martins-Chaves Roberta Rayra , Leite-Lima Flávia , Lebron Yuri Abner Rocha , Moreira Victor Rezende , Duarte-Andrade Filipe Fideles , Pereira Thaís dos Santos Fontes , Santos Lucilaine Valéria de Souza , Lange Liséte Celina , Macedo Adriana Nori de , Canuto Gisele André Baptista , Gomes Carolina Cavaliéri , Gomez Ricardo Santiago
Published: June 2021

Aging is not a matter of choice; it is our fate. The “time-dependent functional decline that affects most living organisms” is coupled with several alterations in cellular processes, such as cell senescence, epigenetic alterations, genomic instability, stem cell exhaustion, among others. Age-related morphological changes in dental follicles have been investigated for decades, mainly motivated by the fact that cysts and tumors may arise in association with unerupted and/or impacted teeth. The more we understand the physiology of dental follicles, the more we are able to contextualize biological events that can be associated with the occurrence of odontogenic lesions, whose incidence increases with age. Thus, our objective was to assess age-related changes in metabolic pathways of dental follicles associated with unerupted/impacted mandibular third molars from young and adult individuals. For this purpose, a convenience sample of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) dental follicles from young (<16 y.o., n = 13) and adult (>26 y.o., n = 7) individuals was selected. Samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS)-based untargeted metabolomics. Multivariate and univariate analyses were conducted, and the prediction of altered pathways was performed by mummichog and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) approaches. Dental follicles from young and older individuals showed differences in pathways related to C21-steroid hormone biosynthesis, bile acid biosynthesis, galactose metabolism, androgen and estrogen biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and lipoate metabolism. We conclude that metabolic pathways differences related to aging were observed between dental follicles from young and adult individuals. Our findings support that similar to other human tissues, dental follicles associated with unerupted tooth show alterations at a metabolic level with aging, which can pave the way for further studies on oral pathology, oral biology, and physiology.
Impact of Crop Diversity on Dietary Diversity Among Farmers in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Connors Kaela , Jaacks Lindsay M. , Prabhakaran Poornima , Veluguri Divya , Ramanjaneyulu G. V. , Roy Aditi
Published: June 2021

Crop diversity is thought to have small, positive impacts on dietary diversity among farming households, particularly when market access is restricted. Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted market access. To date, no study has explored the relationship between crop and dietary diversity in this context. To address this gap, we used longitudinal data collected from 833 farmers across 12 states in India at three time points between May and August 2020. Dietary diversity was measured using a modified version of the FAO Minimum Dietary Diversity score for women, which has been used in representative samples of the Indian population in both men and women. Eight food groups were included: (1) starchy staples (rice, wheat, and potatoes), (2) pulses, (3) nuts, (4) vegetables, (5) fruits, (6) dairy, (7) eggs, and (8) fleshy foods (meat, poultry, and fish). Multivariate polynomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association between crop and dietary diversity. Models were adjusted for educational attainment, caste, farm size, having a kitchen garden, and livestock ownership. Participants were, on average, 42.2 years old and 94.2% were male. Dietary diversity decreased over the study period, especially between baseline and follow-up 1, when lockdown measures were the most restrictive (34.2% of participants experienced a decline compared to 16.1% from follow-up 1 to follow-up 2). Compared to farmers who cultivated 1 crop (monocroppers), farmers who cultivated 2 crops or 3 or more crops were significantly less likely to experience a decline in dietary diversity from baseline to follow-up 1: adjusted relative risk (RR) (95% confidence interval [CI]), 0.52 (0.35, 0.78) and 0.48 (0.31, 0.75), respectively. There was no significant association between crop diversity and change in dietary diversity from follow-up 1 to follow-up 2, when phased re-opening had begun. These findings suggest that farmers with greater crop diversity in India were more resilient to market disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, while the links between crop and dietary diversity may be small under normal circumstances, diversifying production systems may play an increasingly important role, as there is greater uncertainty due to global events such as pandemics and climate change.
Therapeutic Effect of Large Channel Endoscopic Decompression in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Authors: Wei Fei-Long , Du Ming-Rui , Li Tian , Zhu Kai-Long , Zhu Yi-Li , Yan Xiao-Dong , Yuan Yi-Fang , Wu Sheng-Da , An Bo , Gao Hao-Ran , Qian Ji-Xian , Zhou Cheng-Pei
Published: June 2021

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic decompression (PED) is a minimally invasive surgical technique that is now used for not only disc herniation but also lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). However, few studies have reported endoscopic surgery for LSS. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the outcomes and safety of large channel endoscopic decompression.

Methods: Forty-one patients diagnosed with LSS who underwent PED surgery were included in the study. The estimated blood loss, operative time, length of hospital stay, hospital costs, reoperations, complications, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and SF-36 physical-component summary scores were assessed. Preoperative and postoperative continuous data were compared through paired-samples t-tests. The significance level for all analyses was defined as p < 0.05.

Results: A total of 41 consecutive patients underwent PED, including 21 (51.2%) males and 20 (48.8%) females. The VAS and ODI scores decreased from preoperatively to postoperatively, but the JOA and SF-36 physical component summary scores significantly increased. The VAS (lumbar) score decreased from 5.05 ± 2.33 to 0.45 ± 0.71 (P = 0.000); the VAS (leg) score decreased from 5.51 ± 2.82 to 0.53 ± 0.72 (P = 0.000); the ODI score decreased from 52.80 ± 20.41 to 4.84 ± 3.98 (P = 0.000), and the JOA score increased from 11.73 ± 4.99 to 25.32 ± 2.12 (P = 0.000). Only 1 patient experienced an intraoperative complication (2.4%; dural tear), and 1 patient required reoperation (2.4%).

Conclusions: Surgical treatment for LSS is to sufficiently decompress and minimize the trauma and complications caused by surgery. This study did not reveal any obvious shortcomings of PED and suggested PED is a safe and effective treatment for LSS.
Case Report: Liver Cysts and SARS-CoV-2: No Evidence of Virus in Cystic Fluid
Authors: D'Amico Francesco Enrico , Glavas Dajana , Noaro Giulia , Bassi Domenico , Boetto Riccardo , Gringeri Enrico , De Luca Maurizio , Cillo Umberto
Published: June 2021

Background: In December 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia, caused by a new type of coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It quickly spread worldwide, resulting in a pandemic. The clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 range from mild non-specific symptoms to severe pneumonia with organ function damage. In addition, up to 60% of patients have liver impairment or dysfunction, confirmed by several studies by the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the liver tissue.

Methods: We report two cases of symptomatic liver cyst requiring fenestration after recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Both patients had hospital admission due to documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. Recently, after the infection, they developed symptoms caused by an enlarged hepatic cyst: one had abdominal pain, and the other had jaundice. They underwent surgery after two negative swab tests for SARS-CoV-2.

Results: Cystic fluid was sent for microbiological test, and real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 nucleic-acid assay of the cyst fluid was found to be negative in both cases.

Discussion: Although there are no current data that can document a viral contamination of cystic fluid, there are data that document a hepatotropism of COVID-19 virus. Herein we report that after viral clearance at pharyngeal and nasal swab, there is no evidence of viral load in such potential viral reservoir.
A Multiomic Approach to Investigate the Effects of a Weight Loss Program on the Intestinal Health of Overweight Horses
Authors: Walshe Nicola , Cabrera-Rubio Raul , Collins Roisin , Puggioni Antonella , Gath Vivian , Crispie Fiona , Cotter Paul D. , Brennan Lorraine , Mulcahy Grace , Duggan Vivienne
Published: June 2021

Obesity is endemic in human populations in the western society, and with mounting evidence that the intestinal ecological environment plays a major role in its pathogenesis, identification of therapies based on intestinal microbiota modulation are gaining attention. Obesity in companion animals is also a common clinical problem. We set out using a multidimensional approach, to determine the effectiveness and safety of a weight loss program for horses incorporating diet restriction and exercise. In addition, we aimed to investigate the effect of this program on the overall intestinal health of overweight sedentary horses. The investigation comprised of a randomized, controlled, 6-week study of 14 overweight sedentary horses and ponies who were blocked for age, gender, and breed (controls n = 7, treatment n = 7). The treatment group were fed a restricted diet (1.4% of body weight dry matter intake) and the control group a maintenance diet (2% of body weight as dry matter intake) over the study period. The treatment group were subjected to a prescribed exercise regime, while the control group were exercised to mimic foraging conditions. Several clinical measurements were taken at the start and end of the study, including morphological parameters, ultrasound measurements of subcutaneous fat, and blood pressure. Fecal microbiota analysis was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, and fecal metabolome was analyzed using NMR spectroscopy, on samples taken at weeks 1, 3, and 6 of the study. All horses completed the study period successfully. However, two of the treatment group had to have modified exercise regimes. The treatment group showed significant weight loss (p < 0.00001) and an associated decrease in waste circumference (p < 0.0001) when compared with the control group. The alpha-diversity of the fecal microbiota in the treatment group showed a significant increase from the start to the end of the study period (p < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference between groups at any sampling point. There were significant changes (p < 0.05) in the metabolome in both groups between the start and end of the study, but not between groups at any sampling point. Finally, the resting blood pressure of all horses was significantly lower by the end of the study.
Polyhydroxyalkanoate/Antifungal Polyene Formulations with Monomeric Hydroxyalkanoic Acids for Improved Antifungal Efficiency
Authors: Pekmezovic Marina , Kalagasidis Krusic Melina , Malagurski Ivana , Milovanovic Jelena , Stępień Karolina , Guzik Maciej , Charifou Romina , Babu Ramesh , O’Connor Kevin , Nikodinovic-Runic Jasmina
Published: June 2021

Novel biodegradable and biocompatible formulations of “old” but “gold” drugs such as nystatin (Nys) and amphotericin B (AmB) were made using a biopolymer as a matrix. Medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHA) were used to formulate both polyenes (Nys and AmB) in the form of films (~50 µm). Thermal properties and stability of the materials were not significantly altered by the incorporation of polyenes in mcl-PHA, but polyene containing materials were more hydrophobic. These formulations were tested in vitro against a panel of pathogenic fungi and for antibiofilm properties. The films containing 0.1 to 2 weight % polyenes showed good activity and sustained polyene release for up to 4 days. A PHA monomer, namely 3-hydroxydecanoic acid (C10-OH), was added to the films to achieve an enhanced synergistic effect with polyenes against fungal growth. Mcl-PHA based polyene formulations showed excellent growth inhibitory activity against both Candida yeasts (C. albicans ATCC 1023, C. albicans SC5314 (ATCC MYA-2876), C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019) and filamentous fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus ATCC 13073; Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 9533, Microsporum gypseum ATCC 24102). All antifungal PHA film preparations prevented the formation of a C. albicans biofilm, while they were not efficient in eradication of mature biofilms, rendering them suitable for the transdermal application or as coatings of implants.
Comparative Genomics of 42 Arcanobacterium phocae Strains
Authors: Aaltonen Kirsi J. , Kant Ravi , Kvist Nikolaisen Nanett , Lindegaard Mikkel , Raunio-Saarnisto Mirja , Paulin Lars , Vapalahti Olli , Sironen Tarja
Published: June 2021

For the last 13 years, the fur industry in Europe has suffered from epidemic spouts of a severe necrotizing pyoderma. It affects all species currently farmed for fur and causes animal welfare problems and significant losses to the farmers. The causative agent of this disease was identified as Arcanobacterium phocae. Previously, this bacterium has been isolated from seals and other marine mammals, apparently causing wound and lung infections. Attempts at antibiotic treatment have been unsuccessful and the current advice on preventing the disease is to cull all animals with clinical signs. This poses an urgent question regarding possible vaccine development, as well as the need for further understanding of the pathogenicity of this organism. This study compared the whole genomes of 42 A. phocae strains isolated from seals, blue foxes, finnraccoons, mink and otter. The sequences were created using the Illumina technology and annotations were done using the RAST pipeline. A phylogenetic analysis identified a clear separation between the seal strains and the fur-animal-derived isolates, but also indicated that the bacterium readily adapts to new environments and host species with reasonable diversity. A pan- and core-genome was created and analyzed for proteins. A further analysis identified several virulence factors as well as multiple putative and secreted proteins of special interest for vaccine development.
Peroxiredoxins—The Underrated Actors during Virus-Induced Oxidative Stress
Authors: Karpenko Inna L. , Valuev-Elliston Vladimir T. , Ivanova Olga N. , Smirnova Olga A. , Ivanov Alexander V.
Published: June 2021

Enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggered by various stimuli, including viral infections, has attributed much attention in the past years. It has been shown that different viruses that cause acute or chronic diseases induce oxidative stress in infected cells and dysregulate antioxidant its antioxidant capacity. However, most studies focused on catalase and superoxide dismutases, whereas a family of peroxiredoxins (Prdx), the most effective peroxide scavengers, were given little or no attention. In the current review, we demonstrate that peroxiredoxins scavenge hydrogen and organic peroxides at their physiological concentrations at various cell compartments, unlike many other antioxidant enzymes, and discuss their recycling. We also provide data on the regulation of their expression by various transcription factors, as they can be compared with the imprint of viruses on transcriptional machinery. Next, we discuss the involvement of peroxiredoxins in transferring signals from ROS on specific proteins by promoting the oxidation of target cysteine groups, as well as briefly demonstrate evidence of nonenzymatic, chaperone, functions of Prdx. Finally, we give an account of the current state of research of peroxiredoxins for various viruses. These data clearly show that Prdx have not been given proper attention despite all the achievements in general redox biology.
Nonaqueous Polyethylene Glycol as a Safer Alternative to Ethanolic Propolis Extracts with Comparable Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Šuran Jelena , Cepanec Ivica , Mašek Tomislav , Starčević Kristina , Tlak Gajger Ivana , Vranješ Mihaela , Radić Božo , Radić Saša , Kosalec Ivan , Vlainić Josipa
Published: June 2021

We compared the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of two propolis extracts: one obtained with nonaqueous polyethylene glycol, PEG 400 (PgEP), and the other obtained with ethanol (EEP). We analyzed the total phenolic content (TPC) and the concentrations of ten markers of propolis antioxidant activity with HPLC-UV: caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, kaempferol, apigenin, pinocembrin, chrysin, CAPE, and galangin. Antioxidant activity was tested using DPPH and FRAP assay, and antimicrobial activity was assessed through minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) determination. Maceration gave the yield of propolis of 25.2 ± 0.08% in EEP, and 21.5 ± 0.24% in PgEP. All ten markers of antioxidant activity were found in both extracts, with all marker concentrations, except kaempferol, higher in EEP. There was no significant difference between the TPC and antioxidant activity of the PgEP and the EEP extract; TPC of PgEP was 16.78 ± 0.23 mg/mL, while EEP had TPC of 15.92 ± 0.78 mg/mL. Both extracts had antimicrobial activity against most investigated pathogens and Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Escherichia coli biofilms. EEP was more effective against all tested susceptible pathogens, except E. coli, possibly due to higher content of kaempferol in PgEP relative to other polyphenols. Nonaqueous PEG 400 could be used for propolis extraction. It gives extracts with comparable concentrations of antioxidants and has a good antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. It is a safe excipient, convenient for pediatric and veterinary formulations.
Newborns of Mothers with Venous Disease during Pregnancy Show Increased Levels of Lipid Peroxidation and Markers of Oxidative Stress and Hypoxia in the Umbilical Cord
Authors: Ortega Miguel A. , Sánchez-Trujillo Lara , Bravo Coral , Fraile-Martinez Oscar , García-Montero Cielo , Saez Miguel A. , Alvarez-Mon Miguel A. , Sainz Felipe , Alvarez-Mon Melchor , Bujan Julia , De Leon-Luis Juan A. , García-Honduvilla Natalio
Published: June 2021

Chronic venous disease (CVD) encompasses a set of disorders of the venous system that have a high prevalence in Western societies and are associated with significant sociohealth costs. Pregnancy is a period in which different hormonal and haemodynamic changes occur that lead to significant changes in the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of developing venous problems, especially during the third trimester of gestation. In turn, CVD involves a series of local and systemic alterations that can have negative repercussions in pregnancy. In this context, the role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of this condition has been shown to significantly affect other vascular structures during pregnancy, such as the placenta. However, the effects of oxidative stress on the umbilical cord in women with CVD have not yet been fully elucidated. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyse the gene and protein expression of the enzymes NOX-1, NOX-2 and iNOS, which are involved in the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, respectively. Similarly, the presence of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) in the umbilical cord in women with CVD was compared to that of pregnant control women, and the levels of the lipid peroxidation marker malonyldialdehyde (MDA) in cord tissue and blood was also analysed. Our results support a significant increase in the enzymes NOX-1, NOX-2 and iNOS and HIF-1α and MDA in the umbilical cord tissue and blood of women with CVD. For the first time, our work demonstrates an increase in oxidative stress and cellular damage in the umbilical cords of pregnant women who develop this condition, deepening the understanding of the consequences of CVD during pregnancy.
RCBi-CenterNet: An Absolute Pose Policy for 3D Object Detection in Autonomous Driving
Authors: An Kang , Chen Yixin , Wang Suhong , Xiao Zhifeng
Published: June 2021

3D Object detection is a critical mission of the perception system of a self-driving vehicle. Existing bounding box-based methods are hard to train due to the need to remove duplicated detections in the post-processing stage. In this paper, we propose a center point-based deep neural network (DNN) architecture named RCBi-CenterNet that predicts the absolute pose for each detected object in the 3D world space. RCBi-CenterNet is composed of a recursive composite network with a dual-backbone feature extractor and a bi-directional feature pyramid network (BiFPN) for cross-scale feature fusion. In the detection head, we predict a confidence heatmap that is used to determine the position of detected objects. The other pose information, including depth and orientation, is regressed. We conducted extensive experiments on the Peking University/Baidu-Autonomous Driving dataset, which contains more than 60,000 labeled 3D vehicle instances from 5277 real-world images, and each vehicle object is annotated with the absolute pose described by the six degrees of freedom (6DOF). We validated the design choices of various data augmentation methods and the backbone options. Through an ablation study and an overall comparison with the state-of-the-art (SOTA), namely CenterNet, we showed that the proposed RCBi-CenterNet presents performance gains of 2.16%, 2.76%, and 5.24% in Top 1, Top 3, and Top 10 mean average precision (mAP). The model and the result could serve as a credible benchmark for future research in center point-based object detection.
Effect of Earthing Enhancing Compound (EEC) on Improving Tower Footing Resistance of a 500 kV Tower in a Rocky Area
Authors: Nasir Nur Alia Farina Mohd , Kadir Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab , Osman Miszaina , Abd Rahman Muhamad Safwan , Ungku Amirulddin Ungku Anisa , Mohd Nasir Mohd Solehin , Zaini Nur Hazirah , Nik Ali Nik Hakimi
Published: June 2021

This paper presents a comparative analysis of different earthing designs’ performances, with particular interest on the use of earthing enhancing compound (EEC) for a selected earthing design of 500 kV transmission towers in a rocky soil, using the SESCAD tool of the Current distribution, electromagnetic field grounding and soil structure analysis (CDEGS) software. The simulation included the interpretation of soil profile and comparison between designs A, B and C, which are currently used for the 500 kV tower footing resistance (TFR) improvement. Results showed each design had reduced the TFR by 66%, 54.7% and 63.2% for the towers T42, T48 and T50, respectively. In some cases, further improvement of TFR is required, especially in the rocky area where the soil resistivity (SR) value is of more than 500 Ω⋅m. In this case, EEC was used in Design C, encasing both the vertical and horizontal electrodes, and it reduced the TFR further by 16% to 20%. The characteristics of the soil and earthing arrangement design play an important role in achieving a low TFR value, which is directly proportional to the backflashover occurrence and thus to the transmission line performance.
N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Gold(I) Complexes Targeting Actin Polymerization
Authors: Iacopetta Domenico , Ceramella Jessica , Rosano Camillo , Mariconda Annaluisa , Pellegrino Michele , Sirignano Marco , Saturnino Carmela , Catalano Alessia , Aquaro Stefano , Longo Pasquale , Sinicropi Maria Stefania
Published: June 2021

Transition metal complexes are attracting attention because of their various chemical and biological properties. In particular, the NHC-gold complexes represent a productive field of research in medicinal chemistry, mostly as anticancer tools, displaying a broad range of targets. In addition to the already known biological targets, recently, an important activity in the organization of the cell cytoskeleton was discovered. In this paper, we demonstrated that two NHC-gold complexes (namely AuL4 and AuL7) possessing good anticancer activity and multi-target properties, as stated in our previous studies, play a major role in regulating the actin polymerization, by the means of in silico and in vitro assays. Using immunofluorescence and direct enzymatic assays, we proved that both the complexes inhibited the actin polymerization reaction without promoting the depolymerization of actin filaments. Our outcomes may contribute toward deepening the knowledge of NHC-gold complexes, with the objective of producing more effective and safer drugs for treating cancer diseases.
Analysis of Compound Stained Cervical Cell Images Using Multi-Spectral Imaging
Authors: Fang Run , Zeng Libo , Yi Fan
Published: June 2021

Multi-spectral imaging technique plays an important role in real-world applications such as medicine and medical detections. This paper proposes a cervical cancer cell screening method to simultaneously adopt TBS classification and DNA quantitative analysis for a single cell smear. Through using compound staining on a smear, the cytoplasm is stained by Papanicolauo and the nucleus is stained by Feulgen. The main evaluation parameter is the DNA content of the nucleus, not the subjective description of cell morphology, which is more objective than the TBS classification method and reduces the chances of missing a diagnosis due to subjective factors. Each nucleus has its own DI value and color image of the whole cell, which is convenient for doctors as it allows them to review and confirm the morphology of cells with a nucleus DI of over 2.5. Mouse liver smears and cervical cases are utilized as the measuring specimens to evaluate the performance of the microscope multi-spectral imaging system; illustrative results demonstrate that the proposed system qualifies, with high accuracy and reliability, and further presents wide application prospects in the early diagnosis of cervical cancer.
Mechanical and Thermal Properties for Uranium and U–6Nb Alloy from First-Principles Theory
Authors: Söderlind Per , Yang Lin H. , Landa Alexander , Wu Amanda
Published: June 2021

Elasticity, lattice dynamics, and thermal expansion for uranium and U–6Nb alloy (elastic moduli) are calculated from density functional theory that is extended to include orbital polarization (DFT+OP). Introducing 12.5 at.% of niobium, substitutionally, in uranium softens all the cii elastic moduli, resulting in a significantly softer shear modulus (G). Combined with a nearly invariant bulk modulus (B), the quotient B/G increases dramatically for U–6Nb, suggesting a more ductile material. Lattice dynamics from a harmonic model coupled with a DFT+OP electronic structure is applied for α uranium, and the obtained phonon density of states compares well with inelastic neutron-scattering measurements. The Debye temperature associated with the lattice dynamics falls within the range of experimentally observed Debye temperatures and it also validates our quasi-harmonic (QH) phonon model. The QH Debye–Grüneisen phonon method is combined with a DFT+OP electronic structure and used to explore the anisotropic thermal expansion in α uranium. The anomalous negative thermal expansion (contraction) of the b lattice parameter of the α-phase orthorhombic cell is relatively well reproduced from a free-energy model consisting of QH-phonon and DFT+OP electronic structure contributions.
Recurrent Neural Networks and ARIMA Models for Euro/Dollar Exchange Rate Forecasting
Authors: Escudero Pedro , Alcocer Willian , Paredes Jenny
Published: June 2021

Analyzing the future behaviors of currency pairs represents a priority for governments, financial institutions, and investors, who use this type of analysis to understand the economic situation of a country and determine when to sell and buy goods or services from a particular location. Several models are used to forecast this type of time series with reasonable accuracy. However, due to the random behavior of these time series, achieving good forecasting performance represents a significant challenge. In this paper, we compare forecasting models to evaluate their accuracy in the short term using data on the EUR/USD exchange rate. For this purpose, we used three methods: Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) of the Elman type, and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The analyzed period spanned from 2 January 1998, to 31 December 2019, and was divided into training and validation datasets. We performed forecasting calculations to predict windows with six different forecasting horizons. We found that the window of one month with 22 observations better matched the validation dataset in the short term compared to the other windows. Theil’s U coefficients calculated for this window were 0.04743, 0.002625, and 0.001808 for the ARIMA, Elman, and LSTM networks, respectively. LSTM provided the best forecast in the short term, while Elman provided the best forecast in the long term.
Exercise and Manual Therapy for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hernández-Secorún Mar , Vidal-Peracho Concepción , Márquez-Gonzalvo Sergio , Corral-de-Toro Jaime , Müller-Thyssen-Uriarte Julián , Rodríguez-Sanz Jacobo , Lucha-López María Orosia , Tricás-Moreno José Miguel , Hidalgo-García César
Published: June 2021

(1) Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Control of hyperglycaemia as well as surgical decompression are effective treatments for these patients. However, surgery is not indicated for all candidates. Manual therapy and physical exercise have been shown to be effective for peripheral neuropathies, and exercise for DM. The aim is to review the effectiveness of manual therapy and/or exercise in patients with DPN. (2) Methods: Randomised controlled clinical trials comparing the effects of manual therapy and/or exercise on pain, function and/or balance were selected. The search strategy was performed in PubMed, PEDro, Scopus, Cochrane and Web of Science databases. The PRISMA statement was followed. (3) Results: A total of 656 articles were registered, and 29 were selected. There was little consensus on DPN criteria selection. Aerobic, strength and balance exercises are beneficial for DPN. Sessions of 30–60 min, three times per week for 8 weeks seems to be the most used dose. Manual therapy is effective in the short term. A combination of both modalities was more beneficial than alone in one study. (4) Conclusions: Exercise and manual therapy are beneficial for patients with DPN. More studies should be carried out for analysing the potential effect of combining manual therapy and exercise.
Validation of Selected Optical Methods for Assessing Polyethylene (PE) Liners Used in High Pressure Vessels for Hydrogen Storage
Authors: Gąsior Paweł , Wachtarczyk Karol , Błachut Aleksander , Kaleta Jerzy , Yadav Neha , Ozga Marcin , Baron Amelie
Published: June 2021

A polyethylene (PE) liner is the basic element in high-pressure type 4 composite vessels designed for hydrogen or compressed natural gas (CNG) storage systems. Liner defects may result in the elimination of the whole vessel from use, which is very expensive, both at the manufacturing and exploitation stage. The goal is, therefore, the development of efficient non-destructive testing (NDT) methods to test a liner immediately after its manufacturing, before applying a composite reinforcement. It should be noted that the current regulations, codes and standards (RC&S) do not specify liner testing methods after manufacturing. It was considered especially important to find a way of locating and assessing the size of air bubbles and inclusions, and the field of deformations in liner walls. It was also expected that these methods would be easily applicable to mass-produced liners. The paper proposes the use of three optical methods, namely, visual inspection, digital image correlation (DIC), and optical fiber sensing based on Bragg gratings (FBG). Deformation measurements are validated with finite element analysis (FEA). The tested object was a prototype of a hydrogen liner for high-pressure storage (700 bar). The mentioned optical methods were used to identify defects and measure deformations.
Adaptive Salp Swarm Algorithm as Optimal Feature Selection for Power Quality Disturbance Classification
Authors: Chamchuen Supanat , Siritaratiwat Apirat , Fuangfoo Pradit , Suthisopapan Puripong , Khunkitti Pirat
Published: June 2021

Power quality disturbance (PQD) is an influential situation that significantly declines the reliability of electrical distribution systems. Therefore, PQD classification is an important process for preventing system reliability degradation. This paper introduces a novel algorithm called “adaptive salp swarm algorithm (SSA)” as an optimal feature selection algorithm for PQD classification. Feature extraction and classifier of the proposed classification system were based on the discrete wavelet and the probabilistic neural network, respectively. The classification was focused on the 13 types of power quality signals. The optimal number of selected features for the proposed classification system was firstly determined. Then, it demonstrated that the optimally selected features resulted in the highest classification accuracy of 98.77%. High performance of the proposed classification system in the noisy environment, as well as based on the real dataset was also verified. Furthermore, the proposed SSA indicates a very high convergence rate compared to other well-known algorithms. A comparison of the proposed classification system’s performance to existing works was also carried out, revealing that the proposed system’s accuracy is on a high-range scale. Hence, the adaptive SSA becomes another efficient optimal feature selection algorithm for PQD classification.
Special Issue: ‘Reconsidering the State(s) of Criticism’
Authors: Moonie Stephen
Published: June 2021

The ‘crisis’ of criticism has recurred intermittently since the late 1960s, in which we encounter challenges to supposed authority—or, even, to its very credibility [...]
Deflationist Caprice: “Imperfections” in the Sculpture of Leon Podsiadły
Authors: Tomczak Karolina
Published: June 2021

This article is an attempt to define the ambiguous specificity of artistic deflation in the sculpture of the Wroclavian artist Leon Podsiadły. At the outset, the author describes the principle of deflationist art and proposes a method of approach. She then discusses the “imperfections” within Podsiadły’s sculpture, the main manifestations of which include the use of common materials and mundane objects, secondary anti-mastery, and dememorization. These features coexist with well-thought-out composition, the inventiveness of the choice-making artist, and the creative fascination of unconventional artistic qualities, to which deflationist unlearning adds a unique slant. Seen from this perspective, Podsiadły’s deflationist caprice persuasively affirms the elasticity of the oscillation between the optics of modernism and postmodernism that defines his art. This oscillation can be seen, for instance, in those among his sculptures that were inspired by his stay in Africa in 1960s; in his “erotic” compositions; and in his installations of the 2010s in which he used the ready made. His “reductive” artistic experiments testify to a need for ironic distance; they individually gravitate toward the transgressive avant-garde and at the same time respond to the current trend of deskilling in art.