bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amelioration of glucose intolerance through directly acting antiviral agents in chronic hepatitis C cirrhotic patients without overt diabetes
Authors: Jang Tyng‐Yuan , Lin Yi‐Hung , Liang Po‐Cheng , Yeh Ming‐Lun , Huang Ching‐I , Liu Ta‐Wei , Wei Yu‐Ju , Hsu Po‐Yao , Yang Jeng‐Fu , Hou Nai‐Jen , Wang Chih‐Wen , Hsieh Ming‐Yen , Lin Zu‐Yau , Huang Chung‐Feng , Huang Jee‐Fu , Dai Chia‐Yen , Chuang Wan‐Long , Yu Ming‐Lung
Published: June 2022

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication through antivirals ameliorates metabolic profiles. The changes in 2‐h plasma glucose (2HPG) levels by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who receive directly acting antivirals (DAAs) was elusive. Five hundred and thirty‐three CHC patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR, undetectable HCV RNA throughout 3 months after the end‐of‐treatment) by DAAs were consecutively enrolled. Pre‐ and posttreatment 2HPG levels and glucose status were compared. The proportion of patients with improved, worsened, and stable 2HPG was 14.4% (n = 77), 18.6% (n = 99), and 67.0% (n = 357), respectively. Compared with patients with worsening 2HPG, those with improved 2HPG had a higher proportion of cirrhosis (45.5% vs. 24.2%, p = 0.004) and higher pretreatment 2HPG levels (175.3 vs. 129.5 mg/dl, p < 0.001). High baseline 2HPG was independently associated with improved 2HPG in multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR]/CI: 1.05/1.03–1.06, p < 0.001). When baseline 2HPG was not taken into account, cirrhosis was the only factor independently associated with improved 2HPG status (OR/CI: 2.58/1.29–5.15, p = 0.007). Linear regression analysis revealed that factors independently correlated to changes in 2HPG levels were female sex (β: 8.78; 95% CI:2.34, 15.22; p = 0.01), diabetes (β: −27.72; 95% CI: −50.16, −5.28; p = 0.02), liver cirrhosis (β: −8.91; 95% CI: −16.75, −2.20; p = 0.01), and genotype 1 of HCV (β: −0.12; 95% CI: −15.19, −2.43; p = 0.01). 2HPG improved after HCV eradication by DAAs, particularly in cirrhotic patients.
The AMSTAR‐2 critical appraisal tool and editorial decision‐making for systematic reviews: Retrospective, bibliometric study
Authors: Chapman Stephen J. , Dossa Fahima , de Groof E. Joline , Keane Celia , van Ramshorst Gabrielle H. , Smart Neil J.
Published: June 2022

AMSTAR‐2 is a critical appraisal instrument for systematic reviews and may have a role in editorial processes. This study explored whether associations exist between AMSTAR‐2 assessments and editorial decisions. A retrospective, cross‐sectional study of manuscripts submitted to a single journal between 2015 and 2017 was undertaken. All submissions that reported an eligible systematic review were assessed using AMSTAR‐2 by two assessors. Inter‐rater agreement (IRR) was calculated for all AMSTAR‐2 items. Associations between AMSTAR‐2 assessments and the editorial decision, final publication status in any journal, and measures of impact were explored. One hundred and twenty‐two manuscripts were included. Across all AMSTAR‐2 items, the IRR varied from 0.03 (slight agreement) to 0.82 (substantial agreement). All submissions contained at least two critical methodological weaknesses. There was no difference in the number of weaknesses (median: 4; IQR: 3–5 vs. median: 4; IQR: 3.5–4.5; p = 0.482) between accepted and rejected submissions. Neither was there a difference between rejected submissions published elsewhere and those which remained unpublished (median: 4; IQR: 3.5–4.5 vs. median: 4; IQR: 4.5–5; p = 0.103). The number of weaknesses was not associated with academic impact. There was no association with AMSTAR‐2 assessments and editorial outcomes. Further work is required to explore whether the instrument can be prospectively operationalized for use during editorial processes.
Quantification and visualization of aerosols in ear, nose, and throat exam and flexible laryngoscopy
Authors: B. Cardin Guillaume , Rivest Dominic , Ayad Tareck , Robert Étienne , Rahal Akram , Christopoulos Apostolos
Published: June 2022

Objective

To measure and visualize aerosol generation during ear, nose, and throat (ENT) exam and flexible laryngoscopy, as safety recommendations are currently to defer routine and low‐priority examinations.

Methods

Aerosols generated during ENT examination and flexible laryngoscopy were quantified by laser aerosol spectrometry and visualized live by high‐speed imaging during those procedures for three participants who were tested three times for each test.

Results

Routine ENT examination and flexible laryngoscopy produce aerosols at levels comparable to normal breathing and speech.

Conclusion

During ENT examination and flexible laryngoscopy, the practitioner should wear a surgical mask and potentially contaminated surfaces should be cleaned after the procedure. For flexible laryngoscopy, it is recommended in addition that the patient wear a mask over the mouth in case the procedure induces a sneeze. The time during which the patient is unmasked should be minimized. In these settings, the risk to the practitioner is minimal unless the patient is sneezing or symptomatic.

Level of Evidence

1
The effects of acoustic and optokinetic stimulus on the postural stability
Authors: Hojan‐Jezierska Dorota , Kawałkiewicz Weronika , Peeckhaus Agata , Marcinkowska‐Gapińska Anna , Urbaniak‐Olejnik Marta , Majewska Anna , Loba Wawrzyniec , Stieler Olgierd , Kubisz Leszek
Published: June 2022

Objectives

This article addresses the question of whether the simultaneous auditory and optokinetic stimulation affects the postural stability differently than only the stimulation with a single auditory or optokinetic stimulus.

Methods

The study involved 30 volunteers. The postural stability was evaluated by means of the posturography platform, which allows for both stable and dynamic posturography tests as well as for applying optokinetic stimulus. Three series of measurements were performed in each patient: measurements on an only with the optokinetic stimulus, measurements using only the acoustic stimulus, and finally measurements with both stimuli applied simultaneously.

Results

The results indicate that there are statistically significant differences in the findings obtained with the simultaneous auditory and visual stimulation and the observed results with only one of the stimuli on the dynamic platform. Hence, on the basis of the results obtained, it is possible to conclude that the acoustic stimulus has the potential to help maintain a stable posture. However, this process is not sufficiently compensated with the optokinetic stimulation alone.

Conclusion

The sense of sight may be essential for the maintenance of a stable posture. The presence of a sound stimulus improves the postural stability, although this improvement does not compensate for the disturbance caused by the optokinetic stimulus. Hence, functioning of auditory and visual system can influence patients posture.

Level of Evidence

4
Integrating multibeam echosounder water‐column data into benthic habitat mapping
Authors: Porskamp Peter , Schimel Alexandre C. G. , Young Mary , Rattray Alex , Ladroit Yoann , Ierodiaconou Daniel
Published: June 2022

Kelp forests worldwide are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic impacts including kelp harvesting, pollution, and higher sea surface temperatures due to climate change. Accurate mapping of these habitat types is required to inform effective conservation policies. We show that adding the acoustic energy from the multibeam echosounder water‐column data immediately above the seafloor as a variable in models of the distribution of benthic marine habitats can significantly improve the accuracy of the resulting maps, specifically for habitat categories that include large species of macroalgae on shallow subtidal reefs. Observations from a comprehensive towed‐video survey were used as ground‐truth and classified according to a hierarchical marine biotope classification scheme. The multibeam echosounder water‐column data were processed into a 2D layer akin to a seafloor backscatter mosaic, but instead representing the average acoustic energy in a layer 0–1 m above the seabed, excluding the echo from the seafloor itself and after filtering the specular artifact. Including this “water‐column mosaic” in models increased the maps' overall accuracy by up to 1.18 percent points and improved producer accuracies for habitats that contained macroalgae by up to 2.95 percent points. With increasing pressure on temperate macroalgal communities arising from warming oceans, our work provides a timely advance for mapping these critical habitats and monitoring changes in their distribution.
Mass spectrometry‐based retina proteomics
Authors: Prokai Laszlo , Zaman Khadiza , Prokai‐Tatrai Katalin
Published: June 2022

A subfield of neuroproteomics, retina proteomics has experienced a transformative growth since its inception due to methodological advances in enabling chemical, biochemical, and molecular biology techniques. This review focuses on mass spectrometry's contributions to facilitate mammalian and avian retina proteomics to catalog and quantify retinal protein expressions, determine their posttranslational modifications, as well as its applications to study the proteome of the retina in the context of biology, health and diseases, and therapy developments.
State‐owned enterprises' political capital, city administrative rank and economic resources acquisition: Empirical evidence from Chinese capital markets
Authors: Yu Han , Nahm Abraham , Song Zengji
Published: June 2022

This paper examines the impact of Chinese State‐Owned Enterprises' (SOE) corporate political capital and the administrative rank of the city where the firm is located on their ability to acquire economic resources. The study found that the stronger the political capital owned by SOEs and the higher the administrative rank of the cities in which SOEs were located, the easier it was for them to obtain more loans and subsidies. We also found that as the city administrative rank increased, the positive effect of SOEs' political capital on economic resources acquisition also increased. When SOEs were divided into commercial competitive versus specific functional enterprises, the administrative rank of the city in which the enterprise was located played a significant positive role in obtaining economic resources for commercial competitive enterprises, while the role of their political capital played a limited role. For specific functional enterprises, their own political capital played the more significant positive role. This paper expands the research scope of corporate political connections with a new perspective.
Stability analysis for delayed Cohen–Grossberg Clifford‐valued neutral‐type neural networks
Authors: Sriraman Ramalingam , Rajchakit Grienggrai , Kwon Oh‐Min , Lee Sang‐Moon
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study is to explore the global stability of Cohen–Grossberg Clifford‐valued neutral‐type neural network models with time delays. In order to achieve the aim of this paper, and to solve the non‐commutativity problem caused by Clifford numbers multiplication, the original Clifford‐valued system is first decomposed into ‐dimensional real‐valued systems. Some sufficient criteria for the global stability of the addressed network models are established by constructing an appropriate Lyapunov functional. The established stability conditions have not been affected by the neutral delay and time delay values. The proposed method and results of this paper are new. The feasibility of the stability criteria obtained are verified using two numerical examples.
Conservation laws and exact solutions of a generalized Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP)‐like equation
Authors: Iqbal Anjum , Naeem Imran
Published: June 2022

Rosenau and Hyman introduced compactons as a solution of the
equation which generalizes the celebrated Korteweg–De Vries (KdV) equation. The inclusion of the generalized
equation as a central part of the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) equation results in a generalized KP‐like equation
. In this article, we present the general form of conservation laws for the nonlinear
equation, in terms of unknown functions
and
, by employing the multipliers approach. For suitable choices of
, and
, the derived conservation laws are utilized to obtain conservation laws for several variants of the KP equation, including the logarithmic KP‐like equation, the generalized Gardner KP equation, and the KP equation with p‐power non‐linearity. The double reduction theory is employed to construct reductions and exact solutions of various KP‐like generalized equations, including the
equation for different values of
and
. The structure of these solutions is analyzed by some graphs that illustrate soliton and compacton solutions for different parameter values.
(Re)presentation of dental wear for ethical consideration: Analysis of a digital how‐to guide
Authors: Lagan Emma M.
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Using photographs of human remains, including bones and teeth, in publications may have unethical implications when considering descendant communities. In the United States, many museums in deference to agreement with descendent communities prohibit publication of photos. In order to convey specific information to audiences and respect the wishes of descendent communities, authors should turn to digital illustrations, where appropriate. This article seeks to demonstrate that, regardless of skill or experience with digital illustration software, this technique is accessible to all researchers.

Materials and Methods

Forty participants completed a tutorial on digitizing a mandibular molar with wear and caries. Each participant was provided the same base image and instructions. Participants had various levels of experience with (1) human remains, (2) dentition, and (3) digital illustration software. All participants used the opensource freeware program, Krita.

Results

A majority of participants (75%) took 30 to 90 min to complete the exercise; 25 illustrations were produced and showed strong similarities in occlusal outline, occlusal fissures, and dentine exposure. There was a 3.56% (± 0.93%) discrepancy in total tooth outline between participants' outlines (n = 23) and the author's reference image. The average participant satisfaction with their final image was 3.73 (out of 5), and the average user‐friendly rating was 4.2 (out of 5).

Discussion

The consistency of illustrations across participants, as well as the satisfactory self‐ratings, demonstrates that digital illustrations, regardless of experience with illustration programs, are accessible to researchers. As a result, more authors should consider replacing photographs of human remains with digital illustrations in publications. While this technique can, and should, be used across any population, the implementation may be one step along a path of a more inclusive anthropology.
A child left behind: Malnutrition and chronic illness of a child from the Erie County Poorhouse Cemetery
Authors: Byrnes Jennifer F. , Muller Jennifer L.
Published: June 2022

This osteobiography describes a probable disease co‐occurrence in a juvenile interred in the Erie County Poorhouse (ECPH) cemetery, Buffalo, New York. The remains were associated with a salvage excavation project at the University at Buffalo. The osteobiography details the palaeopathology of the skeletal remains of an 11‐ to 12‐year‐old child who died between 1851 and 1913 at the ECPH. The skeleton displayed lesion patterning consistent with co‐occurrence of healing scurvy, probable tuberculosis or another type of chronic bacterial infection, and possibly other metabolic disorders via co‐morbidity or co‐occurrence. In 19th‐century Buffalo, New York, a child with these pathologies, and their associated functional limitations, was likely disabled by society. This may have contributed to the child's stay in the ECPH and ultimate interment in its associated cemetery. The palaeopathology community will find the lesion manifestations insightful when attempting to diagnose co‐occurrence via skeletal remains in children. We were limited in the certainty of our diagnoses due to the pathological skeletal manifestations and preservation of the vertebral column, inability to conduct histological analyses, reburial of material in 2017, and thus no photos/radiographs of certain diagnostic items. Considerations about how age intersects with pathology can lead to insightful investigations of disability and impairment in the past.
Untargeted metabolomics study and identification of potential biomarkers in the six sections of the genus Stachys L. (Lamiaceae) using HPLC‐MQ‐API‐MS/MS
Authors: Mohammadi Mozhgan , Kharazian Navaz
Published: June 2022

Introduction

The genus Stachys L., belonging to the family Lamiaceae, is one of the largest genera with remarkable medicinal properties. Plants of this genus produce a broad range of secondary metabolites.

Objectives

Due to the incomplete comprehensive assessment of chemical profiles in Stachys species, we conducted an untargeted metabolomics study and identified potential biomarkers in the six sections of Stachys with chemotaxonomic importance.

Material and Methods

Dried leaves of 17 taxa were utilized for analysis of all the constituents using HPLC‐MQ‐API‐MS. The obtained data were processed and analyzed using multivariate statistical methods, including heatmaps, PLS‐DA score plots, functional analysis of metabolic pathways, metabolite set enrichment analysis, and biomarker and network analysis.

Results

Among the 129 metabolites, 111 flavonoids and 18 non‐flavonoids were recognized. The most represented flavonoids, including 41 flavones and 20 flavonols, displayed remarkable abundance. In non‐flavonoid compounds, a total of six coumarins and six phenolic acids were present at high levels. In terms of approved markers in six sections, 76 chemical compounds, mainly flavonoids, coumarins, quinic acids, and cinnamic acids, were identified as potential biomarkers or chemotaxonomic indicators. Accordingly, the taxonomic complexities of some Stachys species in sections Fragilicaulis, Aucheriana, and Setifolia were properly resolved.

Conclusion

An HPLC‐MS/MS‐based metabolomics approach integrated with multivariate statistical methods was employed to identify (1) valuable markers and analyze metabolic diversity and (2) predict the pharmaceutical properties of Stachys species. The obtained chemical profiles provide a new perspective for investigation of the Stachys genus.
Antibacterial‐associated acute kidney injury among older adults: A post‐marketing surveillance study using the FDA adverse events reporting system
Authors: Chinzowu Tichawona , Chyou Te‐Yuan , Nishtala Prasad S.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Antibacterials induce a differential risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) in older adults. This study investigated the reporting risk of AKI associated with antibacterials using the individual case safety reports (ICSRs) submitted to the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database.

Methods

A case/non‐case method was used to assess AKI risk associated with antibacterials between 1 January 2000 and 30 September 2021. Cases were ICSRs for antibacterials with AKI as preferred terms included in the Medical Dictionary of Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) system organ classes ‘Renal and urinary disorders’ disorders. The analyses were completed on a de‐duplicated data set containing only the recent version of the ICSR. Signals were defined by a lower 95% confidence interval (CI) of reporting odds ratio (ROR) ≥ 2, proportional reporting ratio (PRR) ≥ 2, information component (IC) > 0, Empirical Bayes Geometric Mean (EBGM) > 1 and reports ≥4. Sensitivity analyses were conducted a priori to assess the robustness of signals.

Results

A total of 3 680 621 reports on ADEs were retrieved from FAERS over the study period, of which 92 194 were antibacterial reports. Gentamicin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and vancomycin consistently gave strong signals of disproportionality on all four disproportionality measures and across the different sensitivity analyses: gentamicin (ROR = 2.95[2.51–3.46]), sulfamethoxazole (ROR = 2.97[2.68–3.29]), trimethoprim (ROR = 2.81[2.29–3.46]) and vancomycin (ROR = 3.35[3.08–3.64]).

Conclusion

Signals for gentamicin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and vancomycin were confirmed by using antibacterials as a comparator, adjusting for drug‐related competition bias and event‐related competition bias.
Validation of international classification of diseases, tenth revision, clinical modification diagnosis codes for heart failure subtypes
Authors: Pocobelli Gaia , Ichikawa Laura , Yu Onchee , Green Beverly B. , Meyers Kelly , Gray Regan , Shea Mary , Chubak Jessica
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To estimate the positive predictive value (PPV) of International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD‐10‐CM) diagnosis codes for identifying HF subtypes.

Methods

We validated ICD‐10‐CM HF diagnosis codes among Kaiser Permanente Washington enrollees who were ≥18 years of age and had an ICD‐10‐CM HF diagnosis code during 2017–2018 and a procedure code for an echocardiogram in the 12 months before through 6 months after the HF code. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ascertained from medical chart review was used as the gold standard for classifying patients as having reduced ejection fraction (rEF), mid‐range ejection fraction (mEF), or preserved ejection fraction (pEF).

Results

Among 6194 eligible patients, we randomly sampled 1000 for medical chart review. A total of 974 patients had LVEF information in their chart. The ICD‐10‐CM HF code group with the highest PPV for rEF was I50.20‐I50.23, “Systolic (congestive) heart failure,” PPV = 41.4% (95% CI, 34.5–48.7%); and the highest PPV for mEF or rEF was also I50.20‐I50.23, PPV = 70.2% (95% CI, 63.1–76.4%). The highest PPV for pEF was the I50.30‐I50.33 group, “Diastolic (congestive) heart failure,” PPV = 92.0% (95% CI, 88.1–94.7%); and the highest PPV for mEF or pEF was also I50.30‐I50.33, PPV = 97.7% (95% CI, 95.1–99.0%).

Conclusions

If the accuracy measure of greatest interest is PPV, our results suggest that ICD‐10‐CM HF codes alone may not be adequate for identifying patients with rEF but may be adequate for identifying patients with pEF. HF coding practices may vary across settings, which may impact generalizability of our findings.
Gene expression and organization of thylakoid protein complexes in the PSII‐less mutant of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Authors: Kılıç Mehmet , Gollan Peter J. , Lepistö Anniina , Isojärvi Janne , Sakurai Isamu , Aro Eva‐Mari , Mulo Paula
Published: June 2022

Photosystems I and II (PSI and PSII) are the integral components of the photosynthetic electron transport chain that utilize light to provide chemical energy for CO2 fixation. In this study, we investigated how the deficiency of PSII affects the gene expression, accumulation, and organization of thylakoid protein complexes as well as physiological characteristics of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by combining biochemical, biophysical, and transcriptomic approaches. RNA‐seq analysis showed upregulated expression of genes encoding the PSII core proteins, and downregulation of genes associated with interaction between light‐harvesting phycobilisomes and PSI. Two‐dimensional separation of thylakoid protein complexes confirmed the lack of PSII complexes, yet unassembled PSII subunits were detected. The content of PsaB representing PSI was lower, while the content of cytochrome b6f complexes was higher in the PSII‐less strain as compared with control (CS). Application of oxygraph measurements revealed higher rates of dark respiration and lower PSI activity in the mutant. The latter likely resulted from the detected decrease in the accumulation of PSI, PSI monomerization, increased proportion of energetically decoupled phycobilisomes in PSII‐less cultures, and low abundance of phycocyanin. Merging the functional consequences of PSII depletion with differential protein and transcript accumulation in the mutant, in comparison to CS, identified signal transduction from the photosynthetic apparatus to the genome level.
CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated saturated mutagenesis of the cotton MIR482 family for dissecting the functionality of individual members in disease response
Authors: Zhu Qian‐Hao , Jin Shuangxia , Yuan Yuman , Liu Qing , Zhang Xianlong , Wilson Iain
Published: June 2022

Many genes encoding nucleotide‐binding leucine‐rich repeat receptors (NLRs) are regulated and fine‐tuned by miR482 to balance the trade‐off between disease resistance and growth. Dicotyledonous plants, including cotton, usually have multiple miR482 isoforms. Each miR482 isoform can regulate several NLRs that in turn can be regulated by several different miR482 isoforms. Dissecting the functionality of individual miR482 isoforms in disease response and in balancing the disease resistance and growth trade‐off demands a collection of mutants mutated in individual miR482 members (single or multiple). In this study, we generated such a collection of cotton miR482 mutants using CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9) genome editing and transformation of pooled guide RNAs (gRNAs). In total, 84 T0 plants representing 40 independent transgenic events and harboring mutation in each of the 10 miR482 isoforms were generated. The average editing efficiency of the 18 transformed gRNAs is 75%, ranging from 0 (3 gRNAs) to 100% (8 gRNAs). Most miR482 isoforms have a diverse range of mutations, including small indels (1–44 bp) and substitutions, which are expected to impair biogenesis of miR482. All nine mutant populations used in Verticillium dahliae infection experiments showed a disease index lower than the control, with four being significantly lower. The disease assay also suggests a different role of different miR482 isoforms in disease response and a potential dosage effect of miR482l. The study demonstrates the feasibility of saturation mutagenesis of plant miRNA families with dozens of genetic loci using CRISPR/Cas9 and provides the cotton community a valuable resource for uncovering the miR482‐NLR module(s) underlying the interaction between cotton and different pathogens.
Theoretical investigations on the reactions of criegee intermediates with SO2 to form SO3
Authors: Zhao Hui , Wang Shuangjun , Lu Chenggang , Tang Yizhen , Guan Jing
Published: June 2022

Using quantum chemistry methods, the mechanism, structure‐activity‐relationship, and water effect in the reactions of criegee intermediates (CIs) with SO2 to form SO3 and aldehydes was investigated. Result indicates that S atom added to the terminal O atom in CIs, and one of the O atoms in SO2 added to C center leading to a five‐membered‐ring intermediate, in which the C‐O and O‐O bond cleavage subsequently to give out SO3. Although the barriers reach to be around 90 kJ/mol, the relative energy of transition states is lower than the initial reactants, and thus, this channel is feasible to undergo. With one H atom in CH2OO substituted by methyl group, energy barrier increases slightly; while methyl replaced by larger n‐alkyl group (from C2H5 to n‐C5H11), the energy converged to be 91 kJ/mol. When 1–4 water molecules take part in the reactions of CH2OO, anti‐/syn‐CH3CHOO and (CH3)2COO with SO2, hydrogen‐bond will be formed between H2O molecules and intermediates or transition states. Result shows that three water molecules is feasible for the reactions of CH2OO and syn‐CH3CHOO with SO, while two H2O molecules give out the lowest barrier in the reactions of anti‐CH3CHOO and (CH3)2COO with SO2.
Video game‐based exercise in children and adolescents with non‐cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: A randomized comparative study of aerobic and breathing exercises
Authors: Ucgun Hikmet , Gurses Hulya Nilgun , Kaya Meltem , Cakır Erkan
Published: June 2022

Background

Video game‐based systems have been proposed to improve effectiveness and compliance with exercise training in children and adolescents with noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). This study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic and breathing video game‐based exercises (VGE) on pulmonary function, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, functional capacity, and balance in children and adolescents with NCFB.

Method

Thirty‐nine children and adolescents aged between 8 and 18 years with NCFB were randomly allocated into three groups as “home‐based chest physiotherapy group” (CP), “aerobic VGE given in addition to home‐based chest physiotherapy group” (CP + aerobic VGE), and “breathing VGE given in addition to home‐based chest physiotherapy group” (CP + breathing VGE). All three groups performed chest physiotherapy program twice a day for 7 days per week for 8 weeks. Pulmonary function, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, functional capacity, and balance were assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks of training.

Results

The improvement in maximum expiratory pressure and balance scores were significantly higher in both CP + aerobic and CP + breathing VGE groups. The significant improvement in maximum inspiratory pressure was greater in the CP + breathing VGE group. The changes in peripheral muscle strength and functional capacity were significantly higher in the CP + aerobic VGE group.

Conclusions

The present study showed that aerobic VGE provides additional benefits in improving peripheral muscle strength and functional capacity, while breathing VGE provides further increase in improving respiratory muscle strength. In addition, both aerobic and breathing VGE were effective in improving balance, but they were not superior to each other.
Dupilumab in children with moderate‐to‐severe asthma: A cost utility analysis
Authors: Buendía Jefferson A. , Patiño Diana G.
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Dupilumab is an effective and safe medicine for the management of severe asthma. Due to its high cost, concerns are generated regarding its cost‐effectiveness. This study aimed to estimate the cost‐utility of dupilumab plus standard of care (SoC) versus SoC alone in children between 6 and 11 years old with severe asthma and eosinophilic phenotype.

Methods

A Markov‐type model was developed to estimate costs and health outcomes of a simulated cohort of pediatric patients with persistent asthma treated over a 6‐year period. To determine the robustness of the model deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted.

Results

The quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs) per patient estimated were 0.85 with dupilumab and 0.84 with SoC. The total mean of discounted costs per patient per cycle were US$ 379 for dupilumab and US$ 19 for SoC. The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio estimated was $24 660 US$ per QALY

Conclusion

Dupilumab is not cost‐effective in Colombia in children between 6 and 11 years old with severe asthma and eosinophilic phenotype. Our evidence should motivate regulatory agencies to improve negotiations for new drugs with better information and evidence.
Generalizable strategy to analyze domains in the context of parent protein architecture: A CheW case study
Authors: Vass Luke R. , Branscum Katie M. , Bourret Robert B. , Foster Clay A.
Published: June 2022

Domains are the three‐dimensional building blocks of proteins. An individual domain can occur in a variety of domain architectures that perform unique functions and are subject to different evolutionary selective pressures. We describe an approach to evaluate the variability in amino acid sequences of a single domain across architectural contexts. The ability to distinguish different evolutionary outcomes of one protein domain can help determine whether existing knowledge about a specific domain will apply to an uncharacterized protein, lead to insights and hypotheses about function, and guide experimental priorities. We developed and tested our approach on CheW‐like domains (PF01584), which mediate protein/protein interactions and are difficult to compare experimentally. CheW‐like domains occur in CheW scaffolding proteins, CheA kinases, and CheV proteins that regulate bacterial chemotaxis. We analyzed 16 domain architectures that included 94% of all CheW‐like domains found in nature. We identified six Classes of CheW‐like domains with presumed functional differences. CheV and most CheW proteins contained Class 1 domains, whereas some CheW proteins contained Class 6 (~20%) or Class 2 (~1%) domains instead. Most CheA proteins contained Class 3 domains. CheA proteins with multiple Hpt domains contained Class 4 domains. CheA proteins with two CheW‐like domains contained one Class 3 and one Class 5. We also created SimpLogo, an innovative method for visualizing amino acid composition across large sets of multiple sequence alignments of arbitrary length. SimpLogo offers substantial advantages over standard sequence logos for comparison and analysis of related protein sequences. The R package for SimpLogo is freely available.
Multi‐phase multi‐layer mechanistic dermal absorption (MPML MechDermA) model to predict local and systemic exposure of drug products applied on skin
Authors: Patel Nikunjkumar , Clarke James F. , Salem Farzaneh , Abdulla Tariq , Martins Frederico , Arora Sumit , Tsakalozou Eleftheria , Hodgkinson Arran , Arjmandi‐Tash Omid , Cristea Sinziana , Ghosh Priyanka , Alam Khondoker , Raney Sam G. , Jamei Masoud , Polak Sebastian
Published: June 2022

Physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic models combine knowledge about physiology, drug product properties, such as physicochemical parameters, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion characteristics, formulation attributes, and trial design or dosing regimen to mechanistically simulate drug pharmacokinetics (PK). The current work describes the development of a multiphase, multilayer mechanistic dermal absorption (MPML MechDermA) model within the Simcyp Simulator capable of simulating uptake and permeation of drugs through human skin following application of drug products to the skin. The model was designed to account for formulation characteristics as well as body site‐ and sex‐ population variability to predict local and systemic bioavailability. The present report outlines the structure and assumptions of the MPML MechDermA model and includes results from simulations comparing absorption at multiple body sites for two compounds, caffeine and benzoic acid, formulated as solutions. Finally, a model of the Feldene (piroxicam) topical gel, 0.5% was developed and assessed for its ability to predict both plasma and local skin concentrations when compared to in vivo PK data.
Evaluation of covariate effects using forest plots and introduction to the coveffectsplot R package
Authors: Marier Jean‐Francois , Teuscher Nathan , Mouksassi Mohamad‐Samer
Published: June 2022

The current tutorial describes why forest plots are needed for an effective communication of covariates effects, how they are constructed, and how they should be presented. Simulation‐based methodologies allowing the user to evaluate the marginal impact of changing one covariate at a time or by considering the joint effects of correlated covariates are introduced along with graphical tools for an optimal assessment of the covariate effects. The R package coveffectsplot and an associated R Shiny application are provided to facilitate the design and construction of forest plots for the visualization of covariate effects. All codes and materials are available on a public Github repository.
Development of the generator inspection vehicle and the inspection equipment
Authors: Ekkachai Kittipong , Leelasawassuk Teesid , Chaopramualkul Wuttikorn , Komin Udom , Kwansud Phanuphan , Bunnun Pished , Komeswarakul Prakob , Tantaworrasilp Apicit , Seekhao Pongsakorn , Nithi‐uthai Sirichai , Pudson Pichet , Vimolmongkolporn Vitvasin , Prakancharoen Satawat , Chaihan Rachan , Sothisansern Piengsak , Surinkon Chainarong , Covanich Wutthiphat , Tungpimolrut Kanokvate
Published: June 2022

This article presents a development of a robot which is used for inspecting electrical generators. Traditionally, to inspect an electrical power generator, its rotor is required to remove first and the inspection task is then performed by human. This process consumes time and cost of operation. Moreover, there are risks to damage generator while removing the rotor as well as accidents during the operation. An alternative approach without removing the rotor by using robot inspection becomes important. Therefore, a small robot called generator inspection vehicle (GIV) has been developed for the purpose of the inspection without removing the rotor. The proposed robot's thickness is 20 mm height that is suited for using in small generators. By this size, small on‐board controllers installed in the GIV robot have been especially designed to reduce connections between the master station (i.e., a laptop and a joystick or controller pad) and the remote side (i.e., the robot). This approach requires only two wires for the connections. A new method for controlling the robot's alignment while operating inside the generator by using fusion signal from camera and inertial measurement unit (IMU) is also proposed. The robot can also carry equipment for specific tasks which are a wedge tightness detector (WTD) and an articulating gripper. Both of the proposed equipment, the WTD and the articulating gripper, are also presented. The proposed robot was tested in small generators, which their rotor diameter ranged from 980 and 1050 mm. Case studies of our design in field tests have also been reported in the article.
Color‐Tunable Fluorescent Hierarchical Nanoassemblies with Concentration‐Encoded Emission
Authors: Kong Jia , Li Wenxin , Zhao Shixuan , Zhang Jiaxing , Yue Tianli , Wang Yuefei , Xia Yinqiang , Li Zhonghong
Published: June 2022

Cephalopods possess a dynamic coloration behavior to change their iridescence due to the concentration‐induced optical properties of chromatophores and hierarchical assembly of reflectin. However, cephalopods rarely have iridescence in the darkfield. It would be interesting to develop color‐tunable fluorescent hierarchical nanoassemblies with concentration‐encoded emission. Herein, to construct the bioavailable fluorophore with dynamic coloration properties, a histidine‐rich peptide is designed, which can self‐assemble into hierarchical nanoassemblies stabilized by hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions. The peptidyl nanoassemblies emit fluorescent iridescence, encompassing the blue to orange region due to the assembly‐induced emission. The fluorescence of histidine‐rich peptides is color‐tunable and reversible, which can be dynamically controlled in a concentration‐encoded mode. Due to the coloration ability of histidine‐rich peptides, fluorescent polychromatic human cells are developed, highlighting its potential role as a fluorescent candidate for future applications such as bioimaging, implantable light‐emitting diodes, and photochromic camouflage.
Block Length‐Dependent Protein Fouling on Poly(2‐oxazoline)‐Based Polymersomes: Influence on Macrophage Association and Circulation Behavior
Authors: Najer Adrian , Belessiotis‐Richards Alexis , Kim Hyemin , Saunders Catherine , Fenaroli Federico , Adrianus Christopher , Che Junyi , Tonkin Renée L. , Høgset Håkon , Lörcher Samuel , Penna Matthew , Higgins Stuart G. , Meier Wolfgang , Yarovsky Irene , Stevens Molly M.
Published: June 2022

Polymersomes are vesicular structures self‐assembled from amphiphilic block copolymers and are considered an alternative to liposomes for applications in drug delivery, immunotherapy, biosensing, and as nanoreactors and artificial organelles. However, the limited availability of systematic stability, protein fouling (protein corona formation), and blood circulation studies hampers their clinical translation. Poly(2‐oxazoline)s (POx) are valuable antifouling hydrophilic polymers that can replace the current gold‐standard, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), yet investigations of POx functionality on nanoparticles are relatively sparse. Herein, a systematic study is reported of the structural, dynamic and antifouling properties of polymersomes made of poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline)‐block‐poly(dimethylsiloxane)‐block‐poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) (PMOXA‐b‐PDMS‐b‐PMOXA). The study relates in vitro antifouling performance of the polymersomes to atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of polymersome membrane hydration behavior. These observations support the experimentally demonstrated benefit of maximizing the length of PMOXA (degree of polymerization (DP) > 6) while keeping PDMS at a minimal length that still provides sufficient membrane stability (DP > 19). In vitro macrophage association and in vivo blood circulation evaluation of polymersomes in zebrafish embryos corroborate these findings. They further suggest that single copolymer presentation on polymersomes is outperformed by blends of varied copolymer lengths. This study helps to rationalize design rules for stable and low‐fouling polymersomes for future medical applications.
Social trust and patterns of growth
Authors: Bjørnskov Christian
Published: June 2022

The association between social trust and long‐run economic growth is well documented. However, which determinants of growth are affected by social trust remains an open question. This paper therefore explores to which extent social trust affects the rate of factor accumulation versus productivity improvements. Previous studies indicate that social trust could affect both the accumulation of physical and human capital and the rate of productivity increases. Existing literature also indicates that part of the growth effects may be due to how trust affects the quality of formal institutions. The effects of trust are estimated in a panel of 64 countries observed in 5‐year periods between 1977 and 2017, using growth accounting to separate patterns of growth. The results unequivocally show that social trust predominantly affects long‐run growth by affecting the growth of productivity and that only a small share of that effect runs through the effects of trust on formal institutions.
Android malware detection using network traffic based on sequential deep learning models
Authors: Fallah Somayyeh , Bidgoly Amir Jalaly
Published: June 2022

The increasing trend of smartphone capabilities has caught the attention of many users. This has led to the emergence of malware that threatening the users' privacy and security. Many malware detection methods have been proposed to deal with emerging threats. One of the most effective ones is to use network traffic analysis. This article proposed a method based on LSTM (Long Short‐term Memory) for malware detection which is capable of not only distinguishing malware and benign samples, but also detecting and identify the new and unseen families of malware. As far as we know, this is the first time that traffic data has been modeled as a sequence of flows and a sequential based deep learning model is employed. In this article, we have performed several case studies to exhibit the capabilities of the proposed method including malware detection, malware family identification, new (not seen before) malware family detection, as well as evaluating the minimum time required to detect malware. The case studies show that the model is even capable of detecting new families of malware with more than 90% accuracy, although these results can only be verified on existing families in this dataset and such a claim cannot be generalized to other examples of malware. Moreover, it is shown the model is able to detect the malware through capturing 50 connection flows (about 1600 packets in average) with the AUC of more than 99.9%.
Mangrove forests under climate change in a 2°C world
Authors: Friess Daniel A. , Adame Maria Fernanda , Adams Janine B. , Lovelock Catherine E.
Published: June 2022

The world's nations are committed to keeping global temperature rises to less than 2°C to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Such a target is crucial for mangrove forests, because they are located primarily in tropical and subtropical regions that are expected to see large changes in climatic conditions; their intertidal location and sensitivity to changes in environmental conditions means that mangroves are expected to be on the front line of climate change impacts. We conceptualize what a 2°C world might look like for mangroves, and in particular the potential negative and positive responses of the mangrove ecosystem to anticipated changes in future atmospheric CO2 concentrations, temperature, sea level, cyclone activity, storminess and changes in the frequency, and magnitude of climatic oscillations. We also assess the spatial distribution of such stressors, their relative contributions to mangrove ecosystem dynamics, and discuss the challenges in attributing mangrove ecosystem dynamics to climate change versus other global change stressors. Such knowledge can help future‐proof conservation and restoration activities, improve the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's confidence level ascribed to climate change impacts on mangrove forests, and highlight the key temperature thresholds beyond which the future of the world's mangroves is less certain.

This article is categorized under:

Climate, Ecology, and Conservation > Modeling Species and Community Interactions

Climate, Ecology, and Conservation > Observed Ecological Changes
Limitations of reanalysis data for wind power applications
Authors: Davidson Michael R. , Millstein Dev
Published: June 2022

Wind energy resource estimates commonly depend on simulated wind speed profiles generated by reanalysis or weather models due to the lack of long time series measurements with sufficient coverage at relevant heights (roughly 90 m above ground). However, modeled data, including reanalyses, can be noisy and display a wide range of biases and errors, variously attributed to terrain effects, poor coverage of assimilated inputs, and model resolution. Wind generation records, if available at high temporal and geographical resolution, can provide a proxy for wind measurements and allow for evaluation of reanalyses and weather model wind time series. We use a 7‐year‐long data set of hourly, plant‐level generation records from over 100 wind plants across Texas to evaluate two commonly used reanalysis data sets (MERRA2 and ERA5). Additionally, we use 1‐year of records (2019) to evaluate an operational, high‐resolution regional weather modeling product (HRRR v3). We find that across the region, and across all modeling products, the modeled representation of wind generation (i.e., wind speeds at hub heights passed through a power curve) has relatively small mean errors when aggregated daily, but that accuracy and hourly correlation have a strong diurnal sensitivity. Accuracy and correlation systematically decline through the evening and markedly improve after sunrise. These diurnal patterns persist even in the highest resolution model tested (HRRR v3). We hypothesize the nighttime decline in accuracy is mostly due to poorly represented boundary layer conditions, perhaps related to model representation of stability, while other uncertainties (such as wake effects) play a secondary role.