bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Prevalence of COVID-19 Fog and the Impact on Quality of Life After SARS-CoV-2 Infection (QoL-COVID): A Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Rego de Figueiredo Inês , Branco Ferrão Joana , Dias Sara , Drummond Borges Diogo , Fernandes Jorge , Bernardino Vera , Gruner Heidi , Panarra António
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Coronavirus has an impact on both the physical and mental health of individuals. The literature regarding the patient’s health status post-SARS-CoV-2 is still scarce with limited data on the prevalence of residual symptoms and quality of life (QoL) after the infection. The aim of this study was to understand the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on patient QoL, and remaining symptoms.Methods: Single center cross-sectional study of patients who had been admitted to our COVID-19 ward between March 2020 and March 2021. By applying a QoL questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) we assessed the overall sample, at three time points and in different groups of patients: those admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and the elderly.Results: A total of 125 participants were included in our study. Most patients who were admitted had a severe course of disease (51%), with 22% of admissions to the ICU, with 8% requiring prone ventilation, 10% experiencing thrombotic complications and 18% of nosocomial infections throughout the admission. As for persistent symptoms related with COVID-19 fog, the most frequent were fatigue (57%), memory loss (52%) and insomnia (50%). Regarding QoL, the average decrease was 0.08 ± 0.2 in the index and 8.7 ± 19 in the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The QoL index decrease correlated with age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and heart failure, and all persistent symptoms, significantly. QoL VAS correlated significantly with fatigue, mood changes, difficulty concentrating and memory loss. The decrease in QoL and the persistent symptoms remained overall stable over the three time points. The ICU group showed no statistically significant difference in QoL, but the most frequently persistent symptoms were mood changes and attention disturbances. However, the elderly experienced a worsening in QoL expressed by index (0.69 ± 0.3 vs 0.8 ± 0.2, p-value = 0.01).Conclusion: A decrease in QoL was observed following SARS-CoV-2 infection, correlating with both chronic conditions and persistent symptoms. The lack of difference through time points of both QoL and persistent symptoms suggests a long-standing effect.
Identificação de macro causas dos eventos perigosos para a proposição de medidas de controle nos planos de segurança da água (PSAs)
Authors:   Universidade de São Paulo, Dantas Angela Di Bernardo , Bernardo Luiz Di ,   Universidade de Ribeirão Preto, Santos Leonardo Vaz Galvão dos ,   Hidrosan Engenharia, Marque Mário Berni de ,   Universidade de São Paulo, Conceição Natalia Ribeiro da ,   Universidade de São Paulo, Killer Natalia Aparecida ,   Universidade de São Paulo
Published: February 2023

The Water Safety Planning developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a document in which all hazardous events and their associated hazards must be listed and given a score according to their frequency of occurency and severity, by a risk assessment approach. For the most critical problems (those with the highest scores), control measures must be proposed. So as to achieve assertive control measures, Hidrosan has created and defined the so-called macro causes (external to the water supply system, infrastructural, operational, and related to the standard operational processes) associated with each of the identified hazardous events.
Avaliação preliminar da tipologia de tratamento de água para o Rio Jundiaí baseado em dados históricos de qualidade
Authors:   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Araújo Larissa Silva , Mânica Alana Natalí ,   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Fonseca Camila Gomes Marchesini ,   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Isaac Ricardo de Lima ,   Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Published: February 2023

The raw water quality is the determining factor for a drinking water treatment plant technology selection. In this context, the purpose of this work was to present the most indicated water treatment type for surface water from the Jundiaí River, collected in Salto City (São Paulo State, Brazil), based on secondary historical data of water quality and technical-scientific literature. The range of historical monitoring data suggests that the assessed water resource is located in an environmentally unprotected and polluted watershed, suggesting that conventional treatment is the most appropriate for drinking water purposes, with potential optimizations even by operational improvements or the application of pre-treatment and/or advanced treatment steps. Nonetheless, treatability studies should be carried out to assist the water treatment technology selection, considering both technical, economic, and non-economic aspects.
Análise temporal do índice de qualidade da água (iqa) na bacia do rio Jundiaí e o impacto da pandemia de covid-19 no monitoramento de sistemas hídricos
Authors:   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Rocha Caio , Mânica Alana Natalí ,   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Gomes Renata Suzi ,   Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Isaac Ricardo de Lima ,   Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Published: February 2023

The water quality index (WQI) is a tool based on some physical, chemical and biological parameters, to directly qualify water in a single indexed value. The Jundiai River Basin, located in São Paulo State/Brazil, is an urbanized watershed and suffers from historical problems related to the quality of its water resources. This study aimed to analyze the WQI from 11 monitoring points along the Jundiai River Basin in two different periods (2010/2011) and (2020/2021). Secondary temporal data of water quality parameters were collected and the computed indexes were spatially interpolated. As results, improvements in water quality were observed in 4 sampling points, all of them located in the Jundiai River. Two, and two other sampling points, tributaries of the Jundiai River, has reduced in WQI category. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had a negative impact on field data collect for WQI measurement in Jundiai River Basin. This may affect the accuracy of WQI values for the period 2020/2021.
Análise crítica da gestão do lodo gerado em estações de tratamento de água – cenário brasileiro
Authors:   Universidade de Ribeirão Preto, Silva Luana Ribeiro da , Achon Cali Laguna ,   Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Isaac Ricardo de Lima ,   Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Published: February 2023

The Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy, Federal Law 12.305/2010 establishes, in addition to the principles, objectives and instruments, some guidelines on the management of solid waste. Waste from sanitation public services is the residue generated in this activity. Therefore, the waste from Water Treatment Plant (WTP) must be managed in according to the principles of this law. The availability of data on the generation and destination of this waste is essential for defining strategies and decision making. This work aims to perform a critical analysis of the indicators on the management of WTP sludge in the Brazilian scenario. The results show that the largest data collection system on sanitation services in Brazil does not have indicators related to the topic.
Apresentação do dossiê
Authors: Córdova Amália , Athias Renato , Lacerda Rodrigo
Published: February 2023

O objetivo deste dossiê é tomar o pulso dos debates contemporâneos sobre cinema indígena. Apesar de existirem mais artigos sobre esta produção no Brasil, incluímos também textos oriundos de outras geografias, predominantemente da América Latina, ou Abya Yala, com o intuito de catalisar comparações, contrastes e diálogos entre diversas experiências. O dossiê demonstra que o cinema indígena e as reflexões sobre este são heterogêneas, dando assim conta das múltiplas línguas, lógicas e perspectivas disciplinares de onde se está analisando este corpus e que são desafiadas pelas diversas práticas e processos que constituem esta produção.
Dos muros ao papel
Authors: Figueroa Silvia Fatima Roque
Published: February 2023

A análise ora apresentada trata de uma experiência de tradução ou transmutação intersemiótica de três pixos encontrados no bairro de Meireles, Fortaleza. É nessa passagem da forma que tem-se por objetivo rever conceitos de arte e obra de arte por meio de um diálogo entre autores da antropologia da arte, artistas e comunicadores. Trata-se de uma experiência que provoca repensar a apreensão estética que construímos dos objetos e as repercussões que isso pode significar na dinâmica social de uma cidade.
Semantic Search of E-Learning Documents Using Ontology Based System
Authors:   Semantic Search of E-Learning Documents Using Ontology Based System, Mr D.Elangovan , Ms K.Nirmala ,   Research supervisor & Associate professor, Department of computer science,Quaid-e-millath govt.college for women, Chennai
Published: February 2023

The keyword searching mechanism is traditionally used for information retrieval from Web based systems. However, this system fails to meet the requirements in Web searching of the expert knowledge base based on the popular semantic systems. Semantic search of E-learning documents based on ontology is increasingly adopted in information retrieval systems. Ontology based system simplifies the task of finding correct information on the Web by building a search system based on the meaning of keyword instead of the keyword itself. The major function of the ontology based system is the development of specification of conceptualization which enhances the connection between the information present in the Web pages with that of the background knowledge.The semantic gap existing between the keyword found in documents and those in query can be matched suitably using Ontology based system. This paper provides a detailed account of the semantic search of E-learning documents using ontology based system by making comparison between various ontology systems. Based on this comparison, this survey attempts to identify the possible directions for future research.
Long Covid and Neurodegenerative Disease
Authors: Chambers Patrick
Published: February 2023

Brain fog with compromised ability to concentrate has been the most frequent Long Covid (LC) complaint. This is due to an increased transforming growth factor (TGF) β/interferon (IFN)-γ ratio with consequently increased bradykinin (BKN), especially in Caucasian females. Brain and lung blood vessels “leak.” This same ratio is increased in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but decreased in Parkinson’s disease (PD), because CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are differentially affected by the invading associated viruses, e.g., SARS CoV2, HIV, Varicella Zoster (VZV) aka Human Herpesvirus 3 (HHV3), HBV, HCV, …. In Covid-19 CD147 receptors on immune cells are critical in generating the increased TGF-β/IFN-γ and those on endothelial cells, platelets, and erythrocytes are critical to the abnormal microvascular blood flow. ACE2 receptors on pneumocytes and enterocytes enable pulmonary and GI entry, initiating gut dysbiosis. Epigenetics, methylation, magnesium, vitamin D, the B vitamins, and antioxidants suggest that these issues can be surmounted. Biochemical, physiologic, and epidemiologic data are analyzed to answer these questions. An LC model is presented and discussed in the context of the most recent research. Suggestions to avoid these and other worrisome concerns are included. Other topics discussed include estrogen, the gut microbiome, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and homocysteine.
Comparisons of Initial Condition Perturbation Methods for Regional Ensemble Forecasts of Wind Speed in Gansu of China
Authors: Han Zifen , Hu Diangang , Lv Qingquan , Zhong And Xiaohui
Published: February 2023

This work compared the performance of three methods for constructing a regional ensemble prediction system (EPS) for wind speed forecasts: dynamical downscaling, breeding of growth modes (BGM), and blending method. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to downscale the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) EPS. In addition, as the BGM method needs observation data for generating scaling factors, an alternative method for generating scaling factors was proposed to eliminate dependence on observation data. One-month tests between October 1st and October 30th, 2020, were implemented to evaluate the performance of three methods in the Gansu province of China. The results demonstrate that the blending method outperforms the other two methods. Furthermore, the difference in performance is evident mainly in early forecast lead time and becomes negligible as forecast time increases.
Interaction Analysis of Tobacco Leaf Microbial Community Structure and Volatiles during Cigar Stacking Fermentation
Authors: Wu Qiaoyin , Peng Zheng , Pan Yong , Liu Liping , Li Linlin , Zhang Juan , Wang Jian
Published: February 2023

Cigar stacking fermentation is a key step in tobacco aroma enhancement and miscellaneous gas reduction, which both have a great influence on increasing cigar flavor and improving industrial availability. To analyze the effect of cigar tobacco leaf (CTLs) microbial community structure on volatiles during cigar stacking fermentation, this study used multi-omics technology to reveal the changes in microbial community structure and volatiles of different cigar varieties during stacking fermentation, in addition to exploring the interaction mechanism of microbiome and volatiles. The results showed that the dominant microbial compositions of different CTL varieties during stacking fermentation were similar, which included Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium 1, Aerococcus, and Aspergillus. These dominant microbes mainly affected the microbial community structure and characteristic microorganisms of CTLs through microbial interactions, thereby influencing the transformation of volatiles. Characteristic microorganisms of different CTLs varieties such as Trichothecium, Trichosporon, Thioalkalicoccus and Jeotgalicoccus, were found to posively correlate with characteristic volatiles like megastigmatrienone 4, pyrazine, tetramethyl-, geranyl acetone, and 2-undecanone, 6,10-dimethyl-, respectively. This in turn affected the aroma and sensory quality of the CTLs. This study provides theoretical support for the analysis of the mechanism of microorganisms on volatiles and aroma, and development of microbial agents during cigar stacking fermentation.
An Innovative Fiber Optic Hydrophone for Seismology: Testing Detection Capacity for Very Low-Energy Earthquakes
Authors: Guardato Sergio , Riccio Rosario , Janneh Mohammed , Pisco Marco , Iannaccone Giovanni
Published: February 2023

We developed and experimented at sea an innovative fiber optic hydrophone (FOH) capable of operating at very low frequency of the seismic spectrum and for detecting small magnitude earthquakes. The FOH exploits an optical fiber coil wrapped around a sensitive mandrel in a Michelson interferometric configuration. The FOH operated for about seven days at a water depth of 40 m, in the Campi Flegrei volcanic area (Southern Italy), a few meters from a well calibrated PZT hydrophone used as a reference. Thirty-three local earthquakes occurred during the simultaneous operation of the two hydrophones, allowing a straightforward comparison of the recordings. The local earthquakes occurred at an epicentral distance shorter than 2.5 km from the site of recording, and were estimated to be in the range of magnitude from -0.8 to 2.7. The analysis of the recorded earthquake waveforms in the frequency and time domain allowed retrieving the response function of the FOH in the frequency range from 5 to 70 Hz. The FOH responsivity in terms of acoustic pressure reaches about 230 nm/Pa and is flat in the studied frequency range. The high quality of the FOH recordings make this equipment suitable for applications addressing submarine volcanic activity and the background seismicity of active faults in the ocean.
REDUCTION OF FUNCTION AND FORM IN AN ARCHITECTURAL OBJECT ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE LIGHTHOUSE
Authors:   West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Poland Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architectural Design, Szubryt Adriana
Published: February 2023

In this article, a relationship is sought between the obvious, externally perceived features of an architectural object - function and form - and the undefined "essence" of this object, which, however, expresses the basic meaning of its existence. As a result of the conducted analysis, the inalienable features of an architectural object have been distilled, which at the same time are a response to the needs underlying the creation of the object, i.e. its construction and use. As an example, the lighthouse was analyzed due to its simple functional and formal structure, as well as the ability to show, in this case, how to define the primary attributes of architecture in order to correctly establish a hierarchy of importance - be it functional or formal.
NATURAL LIGHT IN PUBLIC SPACES. THE EXAMPLE OF THE CITY CENTRE OF RZESZÓW
Authors:   Politechnika Rzeszowska, Poland Wydział Budownictwa, Inżynierii Środowiska i Architektury Zakład Urbanistyki i Architektury, Sikora Anna
Published: February 2023

The issue of existence and influencing the perception of space of the fourth dimensional elements, such as light, sound or digital reality, is extremely complex and difficult to diagnose. One of the phenomena affecting the quality of space is light, both natural and artificial. The article presents three examples of public spaces along with the assessment of selected light indicators such as: exposure, illumination, shadows, contrasts, colours, penetration and mood. The analyses were carried out for two weather conditions: cloudy and sunny, at three points in time: in the morning, noon and evening hours. The summary presents general and specific conclusions.
Clinical Practice Guideline: Clinical Efficacy of Nasal Surgery in the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Park Do-Yang , Cho Jae Hoon , Jung Yong Gi , Choi Ji Ho , Kim Dong-Kyu , Kim Sang-Wook , Kim Hyun Jun , Kim Hyo Yeol , Park Soo Kyoung , Park Chan Soon , Yang Hyung Chae , Lee Seung Hoon , Cho Hyung-Ju
Published: February 2023

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder characterized by upper airway obstruction during sleep. To reduce the morbidity of OSA, sleep specialists have explored various methods of managing the condition, including manifold positive airway pressure (PAP) techniques and surgical procedures. Nasal obstruction can cause significant discomfort during sleep, and it is likely that improving nasal obstruction would enhance the quality of life and PAP compliance of OSA patients. Many reliable studies have offered evidence to support this assumption. However, few comprehensive guidelines for managing OSA through nasal surgery encompass all this evidence. In order to address this gap, the Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (KORL-HNS) and the Korean Society of Sleep and Breathing designated a guideline development group (GDG) to develop recommendations for nasal surgery in OSA patients. Several databases, including OVID Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed, were searched to identify all relevant papers using a predefined search strategy. The types of nasal surgery included septoplasty, turbinate surgery, nasal valve surgery, septorhinoplasty, and endoscopic sinus surgery. When insufficient evidence was found, the GDG sought expert opinions and attempted to fill the evidence gap. Evidence-based recommendations for practice were ranked according to the American College of Physicians’ grading system. The GDG developed 10 key action statements with supporting text to support them. Three statements are ranked as strong recommendations, three are only recommendations, and four can be considered options. The GDG hopes that this clinical practice guideline will help physicians make optimal decisions when caring for OSA patients. Conversely, the statements in this guideline are not intended to limit or restrict physicians’ care based on their experience and assessment of individual patients.
Efficacy of Steroid-Impregnated Spacers After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery in Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Hwang Se Hwan , Kim Sung Won , Basurrah Mohammed Abdullah , Kim Do Hyun
Published: February 2023

Objectives. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of steroid-impregnated spacers to that of conventional management after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).Methods. Six databases were searched from inception until November 2022. Sixteen studies were found that compared the improvement of chronic sinusitis-related symptoms and postoperative outcomes between a steroid-impregnated spacer group and a control group (non-steroid-impregnated spacers). The Cochrane risk of bias tool (for randomized controlled studies) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (for non-randomized controlled studies) were used to assess the quality of the works included.Results. Regarding the endoscopic findings, the degree of mucosal edema, ethmoid inflammation, crust formation at 2–3 months postoperatively, nasal discharge, polyposis, and scarring/synechia were significantly lower in the steroid-impregnated spacer group. The steroid-impregnated spacer group also showed significantly lower Lund–Kennedy scores and perioperative sinus endoscopy scores than the control group at 2–3 weeks postoperatively. Furthermore, the steroid-impregnated spacer group had lower rates of adhesions, middle turbinate lateralization, polypoid changes, the need for oral steroid use, the need for postoperative therapeutic interventions, and lysis of adhesions than controls. However, no significant between-group differences were found in short-term (2–3 weeks postoperatively) endoscopic findings regarding nasal discharge, postoperative crusting, polyposis, or scarring/synechia.Conclusion. Steroid-impregnated nasal packing reduced the rates of postoperative intervention and recurrent polyposis and inflammation in CRS patients undergoing ESS.
Orthopaedic Operating Room Fire Risks
Authors: Carmack David , Hegeman Erik , Vizurraga David
Published: February 2023

» Inadvertent activation of electrosurgical device was more likely to result in patient burns and harm.

» There are significant knowledge gaps in the orthopaedic surgery community relating to fire prevention, fire safety, and fire management.

» Arthroplasty was the most common procedure with reported fire events.

» It is the responsibility of the orthopaedic surgeon to understand the risks of surgical fire in the operating room and implement actions to reduce those risks.
Custeio Baseado em Atividade e Tempo (TDABC) em um Departamento de Endoscopia de um hospital privado
Authors: Dossin Adriana , Aguiar Geraldo , Goulart Luis Fernando , Bazzanelo Juliana , Etges Ana Paula
Published: February 2023

Contexto: A gestão da saúde baseada em valor (VBHC) vem sendo a estratégia de diversas instituições de saúde no mundo todo, como forma de melhorar a qualidade dos serviços entregues de forma sustentável. Medir os resultados em saúde e custos é fundamental para a manutenção do VBHC e é um passo essencial para a sua implementação. Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo de caso é retratar a aplicação do método TDABC em um procedimento de endoscopia ambulatorial com colonoscopia de um hospital privado do Sul do Brasil. Métodos: Este estudo aplicou o método Time-driven Activity-based Costing (TDABC) como técnica de microcusteio em um centro da saúde suplementar brasileira para avaliar o custo de procedimentos realizados na endoscopia. Foram analisados descritivamente os custos e tempos dos procedimentos e identificados os recursos e atividades de maior representatividade financeira. Por fim, foi feita uma comparação entre o custo aferido e a taxa de reembolso dos procedimentos. Resultados: O custo por procedimento apurado por meio do método é de R$ 684,77, e seu valor de reembolso médio é de R$ 993,91, mostrando-se lucrativo para a instituição. Conclusões: A aplicação do TDABC gerou melhor entendimento sobre todos os custos envolvidos no procedimento e representa o primeiro passo para a difusão do método aos demais processos e departamentos do hospital.
The cost of total hip replacement: a multicentric TDABC comparison in Brazil
Authors: Zanotto Bruna , Etges Ana Paula , Sugo Arthur , Cardoso Ricardo , Picado Celso Hermínio , Nunes Altacilio , Cruz Luciane , Lima Ana Flávia
Published: February 2023

Objective: Monitoring costs is critical in searching for a more effective healthcare system. This study aimed to comprehend the care pathway and measure the costs associated with hip replacement surgeries in different hospitals in Brazil. Methods: The time-driven activity-based costing method was applied for cost data collection and analyses. Data on 62 patients were retrieved from five public hospitals. A descriptive cost analysis was followed by a comprehensive analysis of the variability in each hospital’s care process, leading to suggestions for cost-saving opportunities along with the surgical care pathway. As a final analysis, the cost of surgical treatment was contrasted with the national reimbursement fee. Results: The mean cost per patient of the total sample was $5,784 (MIN-MAX $2,525.9-$9,557.8). Pre- and post-surgery hospitalization periods demonstrated the highest variability in length of time and resource consumption among centers. Compared to the national best practice fee, the average cost per inpatient total hip arthroplasty (THA) pathway from all six hospitals was approximately 7x the national reimbursement. Conclusion: The application of the TDABC allowed us to identify differences in the surgical care pathway among hospitals, which could be explored in further studies aimed at designing a benchmark surgical pathway. Differences in how the treatment is delivered to patients also justified the high-cost variability among centers.
Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible y Geografía: concepciones alternativas y actividades propuestas en situaciones de aprendizaje por maestros en formación
Authors: Sánchez Emeterio Gema , Plaza Tabasco Julio José
Published: February 2023

La LOMLOE recoge la necesidad de atender al Desarrollo Sostenible en línea con la Agenda 2030 e insta a la formación de docentes de acuerdo con la misma. En este sentido, la Didáctica de la Geografía como ciencia holística supone un área fundamental de trabajo. Debido a ello, se analizan las concepciones alternativas de los maestros en formación inicial sobre sostenibilidad y el tipo de actividades que planifican para abordar contenidos geográficos, utilizando los ODS como centros de interés. Se emplea el cuestionario como instrumento de recogida de información. Antes, con una muestra de 115 estudiantes, y después de una intervención educativa, con una muestra de 133 estudiantes, siendo la fuente para categorizar y analizar dichas concepciones. En segundo lugar, se analizan las actividades propuestas por los estudiantes en situaciones de aprendizaje. Los principales resultados muestran que las concepciones alternativas que presenta la muestra son comunes, en la media en que se repiten entre la muestra, son diferentes de la visión de la realidad que tienen los científicos, pues solo un 14 % de la muestra define de forma correcta la sostenibilidad, y, a pesar de trabajarlas en el aula, no cambian fácilmente. Entre las actividades que proponen los maestros en formación inicial, un total de 155, dominan las actividades no indagatorias, con 114 propuestas (que suponen 73,5 % del total de las actividades propuestas), frente a las indagatorias, con 41 (26,5%) actividades propuestas. Fomentado estas últimas un aprendizaje más activo al implicar un mayor grado de investigación. Ello implica la necesidad de avanzar en el diseño de situaciones de aprendizaje centradas en el desarrollo de las capacidades de indagación, en torno a los problemas de la sostenibilidad, pues son necesarias para activar aprendizajes en una ciudadanía con pensamiento crítico capaz de tomar decisiones conscientes. Tal y como reclama el currículo de la etapa de educación primaria.
The Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study (SwiSCI) Biobank: from concept to reality
Authors: Stoyanov Jivko , Zeh Ramona , Glisic Marija , Capossela Simona , Bertolo Alessandro , Valido Ezra , Stucki Gerold , Pannek Jürgen , Eriks-Hoogland Inge , Jordan Xavier , Hund-Georgiadis Margret
Published: February 2023

Objectives
To describe the concept, establishment and the operationalization of the biobank of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study (SwiSCI), the available biosamples, and demographic and clinical characteristics of study participants.
Setting:
The SwiSCI biobank is a platform for research within SwiSCI. It collects and processes serum, plasma, PBMCs, RNA, DNA, and urine from three rehabilitation centers. Samples are collected at admission to first rehabilitation and at discharge. Additionly, the biobank provides services to projects nested in SwiSCI or otherclinical trials among Spinal Cord Injury population.
Methods
Descriptive statistics were used for an overview of available biosamples, study participant characteristics, and comparison of the participating centers.
Results
Since the biobank establishment 232 (49.5%) individuals agreed to provide biosamples. As of 22nd March 2022, 217 SCI individuals went through first inpatient rehabilitation. Among these, the mean age of study participants was 50.74 (± 17.1) years old, the majority were male (78.34%) with traumatic injury (65.44%) and paraplegic (56.22%), 47.93% with motor-complete injury. The median SCIM score was 29 (IQR 19–49). The percentage of individuals with paired samples at both time points (beginning and end of rehabilitation) ranged from 63.59% (for RNA) to 68.66% (for urine and urine sediment).
Conclusions
The SwiSCI Biobank is a unique platform designed to serve as a basis for collaborative SCI research, including multi-omics approaches. Longitudinality of biosamples collection and cryopreservation of multiple aliquots per individual are key for studying temporality of associations, assuring reproducibility of research and acheiving adequate sample size.
“Because it is a rare disease…it needs to be brought to attention that there are things out of the norm”: A qualitative study of patient and physician experiences of Wilson disease diagnosis and management in the US
Authors: Bailey Karen , Sahota Navdeep , To Uyen , Hedera Peter
Published: February 2023

Background
Wilson disease (WD) is a genetic disorder of copper metabolism that leads to copper accumulation in various organs, primarily the liver and brain, resulting in heterogenous hepatic, neurologic, and psychiatric symptoms. Diagnosis can occur at any age, often leading to lifelong treatment. This qualitative study aims to understand the wider patient and physician experience of the diagnosis and management of WD in the US.
Methods
Primary data were collected from 1:1 semi structured interviews with US-based patients and physicians and thematically analyzed with NVivo.
Results
Twelve WD patients and 7 specialist WD physicians (hepatologists and neurologists) were interviewed. Analysis of the interviews revealed 18 themes, which were organized into 5 overarching categories: 1) Diagnosis journey, 2) Multidisciplinary approach, 3) Medication, 4) The role of insurance, and 5) Education, awareness, and support. Patients who presented with psychiatric or neurological symptoms reported longer diagnostic journeys (range 1 to 16 years) than those presenting with hepatic symptoms or through genetic screening (range 2 weeks to 3 years). All were also affected by geographical proximity to WD specialists and access to comprehensive insurance. Exploratory testing was often burdensome for patients, but receipt of a definitive diagnosis led to relief for some. Physicians emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary teams beyond hepatology, neurology, and psychiatry and recommended a combination of chelation, zinc, and a low-copper diet; however, only half the patients in this sample were on a chelator, and some struggled to access prescription zinc due to insurance issues. Caregivers often advocated for and supported adolescents with their medication and dietary regimen. Patients and physicians recommended more education and awareness for the healthcare community.
Conclusions
WD requires the coordination of care and medication among several specialists due to its complex nature, but many patients do not have access to multiple specialties due to geographical or insurance barriers. Because some patients cannot be treated in Centers of Excellence, easy access to reliable and up-to-date information is important to empower physicians, patients, and their caregivers in managing the condition, along with general community outreach programs.
Controlling needle insertion inside hydrogel structures to generate vascularized tissue engineered constructs
Authors: Barua Ranjit , Chowdhury Amit Roy , Datta Pallab
Published: February 2023

Vascularization is a critical limitation for the translation of tissue engineered constructs. However, automated, direct fabrication of hollow, vascular-like channels inside tissue-like gel substances remains a challenge for manufacturing science. A proposed method is to employ a robotic-arm controlled 3D printer to navigate user-defined needle tips within the gel materials. In this work, a simulation model for the needle-gel contact process is developed and experimentally validated, to generate hollow channel inside gels. Optimization of navigation forces is performed to predict the amount of insertion force and deflection. It has been found that needle navigation depends on parameters such as geometrical shape of needle tip, variation in speed and gel properties. Insertion force was found to increase with increase in needle speed while large needle diameters were found to generate large insertion forces. On the other hand, needle deflection was found to decrease with increase in the needle diameter as well as velocity of the insertion. Moreover, due to the non-isometric shape, a bevel-shaped needle tip showed larger deflection than conical needle tip. It is concluded that the developed model can simulate needle navigation process in different gel material and thus, lays the foundation for further development of manufacturing modality for fabrication of hollow channels in tissue engineered constructs. This may also find application for fabrication of sub-surface, enclosed microfluidic channels.
Self-supervised robot self-modeling using a single egocentric camera
Authors: Hu Yuhang , Chen Boyuan , Lipson Hod
Published: February 2023

The ability of robots to model their own dynamics is key to autonomous planning and learning, as well as for autonomous damage detection and recovery. Traditionally dynamic models are pre-programmed, or learned from external observations and IMU data. Here, we demonstrate for the first time how a task-agnostic dynamic self-model can be learned using only a single first-person-view camera in a self-supervised manner, without any prior knowledge of robot morphology, kinematics, or task. We trained an egocentric visual self-model using random motor babbling on a 12-DoF robot. We then show how the robot can leverage its visual self-model to achieve various locomotion tasks, such as moving forward, backward and turning, all without any additional physical training. The accuracy of the egocentric model exceeds that of a model trained using an IMU. We also show how a robot can automatically detect and recover from damage. We suggest that self-supervised egocentric visual self-modeling could allow complex systems to continuously model themselves without additional sensors and prior knowledge.
Comparison of earthquake catalogs declustered from three different methods in the Korean Peninsula
Authors: Kim Sung Kyun
Published: February 2023

The earthquake catalog includes both dependent earthquakes, which are spatio-temporally related to each other, and independent or background earthquakes. In order to predict the long-term seismicity or perform seismic hazard research, the dependent earthquakes must be removed to generate a declustered earthquake catalog. However, several declustering methods have been proposed, and the evaluation of seismic hazard may vary depending on the selected declustering method. In the present study, the catalog of earthquakes that were observed between 2016 and 2021 in and around the Korean peninsula is declustered using the methods of Gardner and Knopoff (1974), Reasenberg (1985), and Zhuang et al. (2002), and the resultant catalogs are compared. The values of the seismicity parameters (a and b) in the Gutenberg-Richter relationship are estimated from the declustered catalogs, and are seen to vary depending on the declustering method, thereby affecting the results of long-term earthquake prediction or seismic hazard analysis.
In addition, three approaches are used to test whether the original (raw) and declustered catalogs follow the Poisson process or not. The minimum magnitude (Mp) above which the null hypothesis of the Poisson process cannot be rejected in the earthquake catalog is shown to range from 1.6 to 2.2 depending on the declustered catalog and the test method used. Further, the Mp obtained herein shows a large value compared to the completeness magnitude estimated in the present study. A comparison of the curves representing the cumulative number of background earthquakes versus the elapsed time for the various declustered catalogs shows that the method of Zhuang et al. (2002) gives the closest agreement with the real background seismicity curve.
Quality of Life and Psychometric Characteristics of Syrian Refugee Physicians Who Migrated to Turkey: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: KESKIN Ahmet , DAGCIOGLU Basri Furkan
Published: February 2023

Background: The concept of migration comes with various problems, affecting the quality of life and psychological state of immigrants. This study aimed to investigate the quality of life and depression and anxiety states of physicians who immigrated to Turkey after the civil war that started in Syria in 2011.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a socio-demographic questionnaire form, the short version of the World Health Organization’s quality of life assessment tool (WHOQOL-BREF), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were applied to Syrian doctors who received integration training to work in refugee health centers established for immigrants in Turkey.
Results: A total of 570 participants were included in the study. The median scores of WHOQOL-BREF domains of the participants were 75 for DOM1 (min:25, max:100, IQR:18), 69 for DOM2 (min:6, max:100, IQR:25), 69 for DOM3 (min:0, max:100, IQR:19) and 63 for DOM4 (min:0, max:94, IQR:19). The median BDI score of the participants was 7 (min:0, max:41, IQR:8), and the median BAI score was 5 (min:0, max:50, IQR:8). Having primary care experience, having knowledge about the Turkish health system, believing that they can adapt to work in refugee health centers and not having a plan to return to their country were found to be associated with a higher score in at least one of the WHOQOL-BREF sub-domains. Planning to turn back their country was significantly associated with higher BAI scores.
Conclusions: The quality of life of refugee physicians in Turkey was higher than that of refugees in a similar situation. In addition, BDI and BAI scores were below the expected values. Further qualitative studies that allow in-depth analyses may reveal underlying factors for this situation.
The REBURN model: Simulating system-level forest succession and wildfire dynamics
Authors: Prichard Susan J , Salter R. Brion , Hessburg Paul F. , Povak Nicholas A. , Gray Robert W
Published: February 2023

Background: Historically, reburn dynamics from cultural and lightning ignitions were central to the historical ecology of fire in the western United States (wUS), whereby past fire effects limited future fire growth and severity. Over millennia, reburns created heterogenous patchworks of vegetation and fuels that provided avenues and impediments to the flow of future fires, and feedbacks to future fire event sizes and their severity patterns. These dynamics have been significantly altered after more than a century of settler colonization, fire exclusion, and past forest management, now compounded by rapid climatic warming. Under climate change, the area impacted by large and severe wildfires will likely increase – with further implications for self-regulating properties of affected systems. An in-depth understanding of the ecology of reburns and their influence on system-level dynamics provides a baseline for understanding current and future landscape fire-vegetation interactions.
Results: Here, we present a detailed characterization of REBURN – a geospatial modeling framework designed to simulate reburn dynamics over large areas and long time frames. We interpret fire-vegetation dynamics for a large testbed landscape in eastern Washington State, USA. The landscape is comprised of common temperate forest and nonforest vegetation types distributed along broad topo-edaphic gradients. Each pixel in a vegetation type is represented by a pathway group (PWG), which assigns a specific state-transition model (STM) based on that pixel’s biophysical setting. STMs represent annualized vegetation and fuel succession, and wildfire effects on succession. Wildfire dynamics are driven by annual ignitions, fire weather and topographic conditions, and annual vegetation and fuel successional states of burned and unburned pixels.
Conclusions: Our simulation study is the first to evaluate how fire exclusion and forest management altered the active fire regime of this landscape, its surface and canopy fuel patterns, forest and nonforest structural conditions, and the dynamics of forest reburning. The REBURN framework will be used in future studies to evaluate future climate change scenarios and compare the efficacy of fire management strategies that either enable the return of active fire regimes or depend on fire suppression and their effects on forest burning.
Loss of HES1 Expression is Associated with Extracellular Matrix Remodeling and Tumor Immune Suppression in KRAS Mutant Colon Adenocarcinomas
Authors: Wang Lei , Gu Wenchao , Kalady Matthew , Xin Wei , Zhou Lan
Published: February 2023

The loss of HES1, a canonical Notch signaling target, may cooperate with KRAS mutations to remodel the extracellular matrix and to suppress the anti-tumor immune response. While HES1 expression is normal in benign hyperplastic polyps and normal colon tissue, HES1 expression is often lost in sessile serrated adenomas/polyps (SSAs/SSPs) and colorectal cancers (CRCs) such as those right-sided CRCs that commonly harbor BRAF or KRAS mutations. To develop a deeper understanding of interaction between KRAS and HES1 in colorectal carcinogenesis, we selected microsatellite stable (MSS) and KRAS mutant or KRAS wild type CRCs that show aberrant expression of HES1 by immunohistochemistry. By comparing the transcriptional landscapes of microsatellite stable (MSS) CRCs with or without nuclear HES1 expression, we investigated differentially expressed genes and activated pathways. We identified pathways and markers in the extracellular matrix and immune microenvironment that are associated with mutations in KRAS. We found that loss of HES1 expression positively correlated with matrix remodeling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) but negatively correlated with tumor cell proliferation. Furthermore, loss of HES1 expression in KRAS mutant CRCs correlates with a higher M2 macrophage polarization and activation of IL6 and IL10 immunosuppressive signature. Identifying these HES1-related markers may be useful for prognosis and developing treatment of KRAS-mutant CRCs.
Smartphone intervention to optimize medication assisted treatment outcomes for opioid use disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Thompson Ron G , Bollinger Mary , Mancino Michael J , Hasin Deborah , Han Xiaotong , Bush Keith A , Kilts Clint D , James George Andrew
Published: February 2023

Background: Opioids accounted for 75% of drug overdoses in the United States in 2020, with rural states particularly impacted by the opioid crisis. While medication assisted treatment (MAT) with Suboxone remains one of the more efficacious treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD), approximately 40% of people receiving Suboxone for outpatient MAT for OUD (MOUD) relapse within the first 6 months of treatment. We developed the smartphone app-based intervention OptiMAT as an adjunctive intervention to improve MOUD outcomes. The aims of this study are to (1) evaluate the efficacy of adjunctive OptiMAT use in reducing opioid misuse among people receiving MOUD; and (2) evaluate the role of specific OpitMAT features in reducing opioid misuse, including the use of GPS-driven just-in-time intervention.
Methods: We will conduct a two-arm, single-blind, randomized controlled trial of adults receiving outpatient MOUD in the greater Little Rock AR area. Participants are English-speaking adults ages 18 or older recently enrolled in outpatient MOUD at one of our participating study clinics. Participants will be allocated via 1:1 randomized block design to (1) MOUD with adjunctive use of OptiMAT (MOUD+OptiMAT) or (2) MOUD without OptiMAT (MOUD-only). Our blinded research statistician will evaluate differences between the two groups in opioid misuse (as determined by quantitative urinalysis conducted by clinical lab staff blinded to group membership) during the 6-months following study enrolment. Secondary analyses will evaluate if OptiMAT-usage patterns within the MOUD+OptiMAT group predict opioid misuse or continued abstinence.
Discussion: This study will test if adjunctive use of OptiMAT improve MOUD outcomes. Study findings could lead to expansion of OptiMAT into rural clinical settings, and the identification of OptiMAT features which best predict positive clinical outcome could lead to refinement of this and similar smartphone appbased interventions.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05336188, registered March 21, 2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05336188.
Diurnal rhythmicity of wearable device-measured wrist temperature predicts future disease incidence in the UK Biobank
Authors: Brooks Thomas , Lahens Nicholas , Grant Gregory , Sheline Yvette , FitzGerald Garret , Skarke Carsten
Published: February 2023

Many chronic disease symptomatologies involve desynchronized sleep-wake cycles, indicative of disrupted biorhythms. This can be interrogated using body temperature rhythms, which are well-established biomarkers for circadian clock function. Here, we investigated the association of wrist temperature amplitudes with a future onset of disease in the UK Biobank one year after actigraphy. Among 425 disease conditions (range n = 200-6,728) compared to controls (range n = 62,107 − 91,134), a total of 73 (36.5%) disease phenotypes were significantly associated with decreased amplitudes of wrist temperature (Benjamini-Hochberg FDR q < 0.05) and 26 (13%) PheCODEs passed a more stringent significance level (Bonferroni-correction α < 0.05). Here, for example, a two-standard deviation (1.8° Celsius) lower wrist temperature amplitude corresponded to hazard ratios of 1.91 (1.58–2.31 95% CI) for NAFLD, 1.69 (1.53–1.88) for type 2 diabetes, 1.25 (1.14–1.37) for renal failure, 1.23 (1.17–1.3) for hypertension, and 1.22 (1.11–1.33) for pneumonia. A comprehensive phenome-wide atlas of the identified mappings has been made available at http://bioinf.itmat.upenn.edu/biorhythm_atlas/. These findings strongly suggest peripheral thermoregulation as a digital biomarker.