bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral administration of S-217622, a SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor, decreases viral load and accelerates recovery from clinical aspects of COVID-19
Authors: Sasaki Michihito , Tabata Koshiro , Kishimoto Mai , Itakura Yukari , Kobayashi Hiroko , Ariizumi Takuma , Uemura Kentaro , Toba Shinsuke , Kusakabe Shinji , Maruyama Yuki , Iida Shun , Nakajima Noriko , Suzuki Tadaki , Yoshida Shinpei , Nobori Haruaki , Sanaki Takao , Kato Teruhisa , Shishido Takao , Hall William W. , Orba Yasuko , Sato Akihiko , Sawa Hirofumi
Published: February 2022

In parallel with vaccination, oral antiviral agents are highly anticipated to act as countermeasures for the treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Oral antiviral medication demands not only high antiviral activity but also target specificity, favorable oral bioavailability, and high metabolic stability. Although a large number of compounds have been identified as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, few have proven to be effective in vivo. Here, we show that oral administration of S-217622, a novel inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro, also known as 3C-like protease), decreases viral load and ameliorates the disease severity in SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters. S-217622 inhibited viral proliferation at low nanomolar to sub-micromolar concentrations in cells. Oral administration of S-217622 demonstrated eminent pharmacokinetic properties and accelerated recovery from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamster recipients. Moreover, S-217622 exerted antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), including the highly pathogenic Delta variant and the recently emerged Omicron variant. Overall, our study provides evidence that S-217622, an antiviral agent that is under evaluation in a phase II/III clinical trial, possesses remarkable antiviral potency and efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and is a prospective oral therapeutic option for COVID-19.
Optimization of conditions for conjugation of outer membrane vesicles of Salmonella Typhimurium with oral delivery systems using response surface method
Authors: Sultana Anisha , Nath Rita , Tamuly Shantanu , Begum Yasmin , Boruah Jayanta Sarmah , Shome Arijit , Chowdhury Devashish , Deka Suraksha Subedi , Kalita Dhruba Jyoti
Published: February 2022

Background

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) released from Salmonella Typhimurium can become the effective vaccine candidate. For efficient delivery through oral route, the OMVs are conjugated with some delivery systems. The current study was aimed at optimization of conditions required for conjugation of OMVs with nano- or microparticles for maximum entrapment of OMV in terms of protein concentration.

Methods

The OMVs of Salmonella Typhimurium were conjugated under three optimum conditions of pH, temperature and ratio (nanoparticles or microparticles: OMVs) predicted by response surface method. The efficiency of conjugation was determined by entrapment of OMVs in nano/microparticles.

Result

The pH and temperature were not influential conditions in case of conjugation of OMVs with chitosan nanoparticles (Ch-NP) and poly-lactide co-glycolide microparticles (PLG-MP) while they had influence in case of poly(anhydride) nanoparticles. In case of Ch-NP and PLG-MP, the optimum ratio for maximum entrapment was found to be 1:10 and 1:9 respectively. The optimum pH and temperature was found to be 7 and 24°C respectively for conjugation of poly(anhydride) nanoparticles. The optimized conditions did not alter the protein profile and immunogenic potential of conjugated vaccines.
Nisin G is a novel nisin variant produced by a gut-derived Streptococcus salivarius
Authors: Lawrence Garreth W. , Garcia-Gutierrez Enriqueta , Walsh Calum J. , O’Connor Paula M. , Begley Máire , Cotter Paul D. , Guinane Caitriona M.
Published: February 2022

Fusobacterium nucleatum is an emerging human pathogen associated with a number of intestinal conditions including colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Screening for gut-derived strains that exhibit anti-F. nucleatum activity revealed Streptococcus salivarius DPC6487 as a strain of interest. Whole genome sequencing analysis of DPC6487 resulted in the identification of a gene predicted to encode a novel nisin variant designated nisin G. The structural nisin G peptide differs from the prototypical nisin A with respect to seven amino acids (Ile4Tyr, Ala15Val, Gly18Ala, Asn20His, Met21Leu, His27Asn and His31Ile), including differences that have not previously been associated with a natural nisin variant. The nisin G gene cluster consists of nsgGEFABTCPRK with transposases encoded between the nisin G structural gene (nsgA) and nsgF. The cluster lacked an equivalent to the nisI immunity determinant. S. salivarius DPC6487 exhibited a narrower spectrum of activity compared to the nisin A producer, Lactococcus lactis NZ9700, when assessed through deferred antagonism-based assays. Such narrow spectrum activity is desirable as it is less likely to lead to collateral damage to gut commensals.

Ultimately, this is the first report of a nisin variant produced by a representative of a species that is frequently a focus for probiotic development. The production of this bacteriocin by a gut-derived S. salivarius and its narrow spectrum activity against F. nucleatum indicates that this strain merits further attention to determine its potential for probiotic-related applications.
The missing builders: craftwork and crafty resistance in the “eco-metropolis” of Copenhagen
Authors: Ebsen Maia
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The paper ethnographically explores modes of urban resistance emerging in tandem with climate change mitigation programs in Copenhagen.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on 11 months of fieldwork with a Danish construction enterprise, the paper examines the politics of urban climate change mitigation programs through the lens of a group of builders' struggles to rethink and resolve dilemmas related to environmental concerns in construction and urban development.

Findings

Based on an analysis of a specific construction project connected to a larger urban climate change mitigation program in Copenhagen, the paper shows how the builders deliberately move between different perspectives and positions as they navigate the shifting power relations of urban planning. The paper argues that this form of crafty resistance enables the builders to maneuver the political landscape of urban planning as they seek to appropriate the role of “urban planners” themselves.

Originality/value

Taking up recent discussions of “resistance” in anthropology and cognate disciplines (e.g. Theodossopoulos, 2014; Bhungalia, 2020; Prasse-Freeman, 2020), the paper contributes an ethnographic analysis of struggles between diverging and, at times, competing modes of engagement in urban climate change mitigation programs and thus sheds light on how professional actors negotiate the ambiguity of “sustainability” in urban planning.
Optimal production and financing strategies for capital-constrained closed-loop supply chain under risk aversion
Authors: Xia Xiaodong , Chen Weida , Liu Biyu
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimal production and financing strategies for the closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) composed of a capital-constrained original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and a risk-averse authorized remanufacturer (RM).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors formulate four models with different scenarios, namely, the OEM has sufficient capital; the OEM has limited capital without financing; the OEM adopts debt financing strategy; and the OEM adopts equity financing strategy. The equilibrium solutions of each scenario are obtained by backward induction method, the influences of risk aversion coefficient on the equilibrium solutions are examined and the OEM's optimal financing strategy is found by comparison analysis.

Findings

When the OEM's initial capital is limited and the equity dividend ratio is less than a certain threshold, the equity financing strategy is more advantageous for the OEM. However, if the OEM's initial capital is extremely scarce and the dividend proportion is large, the OEM prefers the debt financing strategy. When considering financing, consumer surplus always decreases as the risk aversion factor increases; the debt financing strategy is more environmentally friendly compared with the equity financing strategy. Only the debt financing strategy can make both members in the CLSC achieve a win-win situation in a certain region when the dividend ratio is sufficiently large.

Research limitations/implications

It will be more fascinating if the model extends to such a case that the production operation situation in the CLSC composed of multiple OEMs in multiple periods. Furthermore, the remanufacturer's risk-averse information is asymmetry may be more realistic in our daily life.

Originality/value

There are three main differences from the existing research. One is that the remanufacturer's risk aversion originates from the uncertain remanufacturing cost instead of the uncertain market demand. Another is that the boundary conditions of the OEM prefer to adopt debt financing is obtained through the envelope theorem with Lagrange multiplier method. Last but not the least, this paper provides a good theoretical reference and practical guidance for the OEM to make the rational financing strategy selection in face of different degree of capital scarcity in the CLSC system. The value of the three aspects provides a theoretical basis for the optimal operation decisions of capital-constrained manufacturer considering the remanufacturer's risk aversion in the CLSC operation system.
Is meaningful work always a resource toward wellbeing? The effect of autonomy, security and multiple dimensions of subjective meaningful work on wellbeing
Authors: Lips-Wiersma Marjolein , Haar Jarrod , Cooper–Thomas Helena D.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Using conservation of resources as a theoretical lens, the paper aims to investigate distinct objective meaningful work (OMW) and subjective meaningful work (SMW) domains as resources that contribute to wellbeing.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional questionnaire was conducted with 879 employees, measuring OMW resources (job security and autonomy), SMW using the well-validated multidimensional Comprehensive Meaningful Work Scale (CMWS) focusing on five dimensions (integrity with self, expressing full potential, unity with others, service to others and balancing tensions), and three wellbeing outcomes (positive affect, negative affect and job stress). The authors conducted structural equation modeling, mediation analysis with PROCESS macro including bootstrapping, and dominance analysis, to identify the core relationships between OMW and SMW dimensions and three wellbeing constructs.

Findings

OMW resources are largely beneficially related to SMW dimensions; both OMW and SMW resources are mostly beneficially related to wellbeing outcomes; and the overall associations of OMW with the three wellbeing constructs are partially mediated by SMW. The dominance analyses of SMW with wellbeing shows expressing full potential is the most important predictor of positive affect, and integrity with self is the most important (negatively related) predictor of negative affect and job stress.

Practical implications

Our research, in pulling apart the different dimensions of MW, shows that to enhance wellbeing, HR professionals should not just pay attention to practices that support self-transcendent MW but also those that support the self. When not balanced, MW can lead to a loss of wellbeing.

Originality/value

The findings highlight that (1) while the current MW literature places a lot of emphasis on SMW, OMW remains an important consideration, and (2) while the MW literature often focuses on self-transcendent meanings, such as making a difference, the self-oriented dimensions of SMW are more dominant toward wellbeing. This is valuable to employees, managers, and HR professionals considering how to improve MW and wellbeing.
From gut to mud: dissemination of antimicrobial resistance between animal and agricultural niches
Authors: Jadeja Niti B. , Worrich Anja
Published: February 2022

With increasing reports on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans, animals and the environment, we are at risk of returning to a pre‐antibiotic era. Therefore, AMR is recognized as one of the major global health threats of this century. Antibiotics are used extensively in farming systems to treat and prevent infections in food animals or to increase their growth. Besides the risk of a transfer of AMR between the human and the animal sector, there is another yet largely overlooked sector in the One Health triad. Human‐dominated ecosystems such as agricultural soils are a major sink for antibiotics and AMR originating from livestock farming. This review summarizes current knowledge on the prevalence of AMR at the interface of animal and agricultural production and discusses the potential implications for human health. Soil resistomes are augmented by the application of manure from treated livestock. Subsequent transfer of AMR into plant microbiomes may likely play a critical role in human exposure to antibiotic resistance in the environment. Based on the knowledge that is currently available we advocate that more attention should be paid to the role of environmental resistomes in the AMR crisis.
Karoo Sanatorium: A Speculative Fiction Based on Many True Stories
Authors: Vale Beth
Published: February 2022

In the early twentieth century, with tuberculosis taking hold in many European cities, sanatoriums in South Africa’s semi‐arid Karoo region were emerging as prime healing destinations for “consumptive immigrants.” Today, the Karoo continues to be marketed as a reprieve from the pathogens of city life, most recently as a “low‐viral escape” amid the COVID‐19 pandemic. Inspired by ethnographic and archival research, this dystopian fiction imagines the contemporary re‐opening of a Karoo sanatorium and the everyday politics in which such a project might be enmeshed. The story is followed by an ethnographic statement that explains some of the research on which the story is based.
Pretreatment risk factors for endoscopic noncurative resection of gastric cancers with undifferentiated‐type components
Authors: Horiuchi Yusuke , Takizawa Kohei , Yoshio Toshiyuki , Mizusawa Junki , Ono Hiroyuki , Hasuike Noriaki , Yano Tomonori , Yoshida Naohiro , Miwa Hiroto , Boku Narikazu , Terashima Masanori , Muto Manabu
Published: February 2022

Background and Aim

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is recommended for the treatment of early gastric cancers with an undifferentiated‐type component, clinically diagnosed as intramucosal lesions ≤ 2 cm, without ulceration. In the JCOG1009/1010 trial, ESD could be performed with stomach preservation in 70% of such patients whose pathological findings met the curative resection criteria. However, additional gastrectomy was required for the remaining 30%. We identified the pretreatment risk factors for noncurative resection.

Methods

Post‐hoc analysis indicated that 336 patients were identified in the JCOG1009/1010 trial; among them, 243 and 93 patients were categorized into the curative or noncurative resection groups, respectively, based on the pathological findings of the resected specimens. We explored the pretreatment risk factors for noncurative resection and investigated their associated pathological findings.

Results

Multivariable analysis revealed that a pretreatment tumor size > 1 cm was an independent risk factor for noncurative resection (odds ratio, 3.538; 95% confidence interval, 2.020–6.198, P < 0.0001). Patients with a pretreatment tumor size > 1 cm (n = 172) had a histological tumor size > 2 cm (22.1% vs 4.3%, odds ratio, 6.313; 95% confidence interval, 2.73–14.599, P < 0.0001) and submucosal invasion (17.4% vs 9.1%, odds ratio, 2.000; 95% confidence interval, 1.032–3.877, P = 0.040) more frequently as noncurative resection findings compared with those with a tumor size < 1 cm (n = 164).

Conclusions

Because pretreatment tumor size > 1 cm is an independent risk factor for noncurative resection, endoscopists should be aware that noncurative resection is not uncommon in ESD and fully explain the potential necessity for additional gastrectomy to patients before the procedure.
Randomised controlled trial of nebulised gentamicin in children with bronchiectasis
Authors: Twiss Jacob , Stewart Alistair , Gilchrist Catherine A , Keelan Jeffrey A , Metcalfe Russell , Byrnes Catherine A
Published: February 2022

Aim

Following trials of inhaled antibiotics in adults, this study investigates the efficacy of nebulised gentamicin to improve respiratory function in children with bronchiectasis.

Methods

This is a randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover trial of 12‐week nebulised placebo/gentamicin, 6‐week washout, 12‐week gentamicin/placebo. Participants were children (5–15 years) with bronchiectasis, chronic infection (any pathogen), and able to perform spirometry from a hospital bronchiectasis clinic. Primary outcomes were change in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and hospitalisation days. Secondary outcomes included sputum bacterial density, sputum inflammatory markers, additional antibiotics and symptom severity. Analyses were on an intention‐to‐treat basis.

Results

Fifteen children (mean 11.7‐years‐old) completed the study. There was no significant change in mean FEV1 (56%/55%, P = 0.38) or annual rate of hospital admissions (1.1/0, P = 0.12) between gentamicin and placebo, respectively. However, Haemophilus influenzae sputum growth (27% vs. 80%, P = 0.002) and bacterial density (2.4 log10 cfu/mL lower P < 0.001) improved with gentamicin. Sputum inflammatory markers interleukin‐1β (P < 0.001), interleukin‐8 (P < 0.001) and tumour necrosis factor‐α (P = 0.003) were lower with gentamicin. Poor recruitment limited study power and treatment adherence was challenging for this cohort.

Conclusions

In this crossover study of nebulised gentamicin in children with bronchiectasis, there was a reduction in sputum bacterial density and inflammation. However, there were no major improvements in clinical outcomes and adherence was a challenge.
Changes in the Rules of the Lawmaking Process and the Success of Presidential Bills: Chile, 1990–2018
Authors: Mimica Nicolás , Navia Patricio D. , Osorio Rodrigo
Published: February 2022

This article assesses the effect of changes in the lawmaking process on the success of the president’s legislative agenda, distinguishing between within‐term success (bills that passed during the term) and overall success (including bills that passed after the president left office). With the 2064 presidential bills introduced in seven terms (1990–2018) in Chile’s presidential system, we assess the impact of changes in lawmaking rules on within‐term (59.9%) and overall success (70.6%). Changes that decrease attributions of the president and create more opportunities for executive‐legislative bargaining—including concurrent elections—increase the chances of success of presidential bills. The use of presidential urgency motions, an agenda‐setting tool, makes bills more likely to pass, but the issuance of many urgency motions undermines the bill’s chances to succeed. Presidential bills introduced early in the term and those on issues where there is more policy convergence are more likely to pass.
Ultrafast structural response of shock‐compressed plagioclase
Authors: Gleason Arianna E. , Park Sulgiye , Rittman Dylan R. , Ravasio Alessandra , Langenhorst Falko , Bolis Riccardo M. , Granados Eduardo , Hok Sovanndara , Kroll Thomas , Sikorski Marcin , Weng Tsu‐Chien , Lee Hae Ja , Nagler Bob , Sisson Thomas , Xing Zhou , Zhu Diling , Giuli Gabriele , Mao Wendy L. , Glenzer Siegfried H. , Sokaras Dimosthenis , Alonso‐Mori Roberto
Published: February 2022

Meteor impacts can induce unique pressure‐dependent structural changes in minerals due to the propagation of shock waves. Plagioclase—ubiquitous throughout the Earth’s crust, extraterrestrial bodies, and meteorites—is commonly used for reconstructing the impact history and conditions of the parent bodies. However, there have been unresolved inconsistencies in the interpretation of shock transformations across previous studies: The pressure at which amorphization begins and the process by which it occurs is the subject of ongoing debate. Here, we utilize time‐resolved in situ X‐ray diffraction (XRD) to probe the phase transformation pathway of plagioclase during shock compression at a sub‐nanosecond timescale. Direct amorphization begins at pressures much lower than what was previously assumed, just above the Hugoniot elastic limit of 5 GPa, with full amorphization to a high‐density amorphous phase, observed at 32(10) GPa and 20 ns. Upon release, the material partially recrystallizes back into the original structure, demonstrating a memory effect.
Adverse motor outcome after paediatric ischaemic stroke: A nationwide cohort study
Authors: Svensson Katarina , Walås Anna , Bolk Jenny , Bang Peter , Sundelin Heléne E. K.
Published: February 2022

Background

Various frequencies of adverse motor outcomes (cerebral palsy and hemiplegia) after paediatric ischaemic stroke have been reported. Few reports on the risks of adverse motor outcomes in nationwide cohorts and contributing risk factors are available.

Objectives

To assess risk of adverse motor outcome and potential risk factors thereof after paediatric ischaemic stroke in a nationwide cohort.

Methods

This nationwide matched cohort study identified 877 children <18 years of age diagnosed with ischaemic stroke through the Swedish national health registers from 1997 to 2016. These children, exposed to ischaemic stroke, alive 1 week after stroke, were matched for age, sex and county of residence with 10 unexposed children. Using Cox regression, we estimated the risk of adverse motor outcomes in children with stroke compared to that in unexposed children. Logistic regression was applied to compare the characteristics of children with and without adverse motor outcomes after stroke.

Results

Out of the 877 children with ischaemic stroke, 280 (31.9%) suffered adverse motor outcomes compared with 21 (0.2%) of the 8770 unexposed: adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 167.78 (95% confidence interval (CI) 107.58, 261.66). There were no differences between risk estimates of adverse motor outcome according to age at stroke: perinatal stroke (aHR 124.11, 95% CI 30.45, 505.84) and childhood stroke (aHR 182.37, 95% CI 113.65, 292.64). An association between adverse motor outcome and childhood stroke aOR 1.56 (95% CI 1.05, 2.31) was found when analysing only children with ischaemic stroke. No associations were found between adverse motor outcome and sex, gestational age or parental age at birth.

Conclusions

The risk of adverse motor outcome is substantial after paediatric ischaemic stroke, especially childhood stroke, confirming results of previous smaller studies. This study found no associations between sex, gestational age or parental age and adverse motor outcome after paediatric ischaemic stroke.
Navigational Experience and the Preservation of Spatial Abilities into Old Age Among a Tropical Forager‐Farmer Population
Authors: Davis Helen E. , Gurven Michael , Cashdan Elizabeth
Published: February 2022

Navigational performance responds to navigational challenges, and both decline with age in Western populations as older people become less mobile. But mobility does not decline everywhere; Tsimané forager‐farmers in Bolivia remain highly mobile throughout adulthood, traveling frequently by foot and dugout canoe for subsistence and social visitation. We, therefore, measured both natural mobility and navigational performance in 305 Tsimané adults, to assess differences with age and to test whether greater mobility was related to better navigational performance across the lifespan. Daily mobility was measured by GPS tracking, regional mobility through interview, navigational performance through pointing accuracy and perspective taking in environmental space, and mental rotation by a computerized task. Although mental rotation and spatial perspective taking declined with age, mobility and pointing accuracy remained high from mid‐life through old age. Greater regional mobility was associated with greater accuracy at pointing and perspective taking, suggesting that spatial experience at environmental scales may help maintain navigational performance in later adulthood.
A Product-Oriented Synchronization and Effective Information Extraction of Continuous Streaming Data for Relationship Mining in a Hot Rolling Process
Authors: Miao Huihui , Wang Andi , Chang Tzyy-Shuh , Shi Jianjun
Published: February 2022

Massive continuous streaming data are generated over time during production in a multistage manufacturing process. This paper aims to develop a product-oriented synchronization and effective information extraction of continuous streaming data and further model the relationships among variables for knowledge discovery. Take the steel rolling process as an example; this paper proposes a three-step data analytics procedure for product-oriented synchronization of continuous streaming data, effective information extraction, and further conducting relationship mining between the roll gap adjustment operations and product shapes based on the product-oriented data. The developed procedure first converts the continuous streaming data generated over time in a production process to product-oriented data set, then extracts the information related to the causes and effects of roll gap adjustments, and finally fits the model describing the relationship among the roll gap adjustments, the change of rolling torques, and the change of product dimensions. This data analytics procedure facilitates the decision-making in the steel rolling process and illustrates an effective application of massive in-situ sensing data towards intelligent decision-making in data-rich manufacturing processes.
Application of the B-Spline Method to Solve Nonlinear Problem of Heat Conduction With Radiation Boundary Conditions Using Kirchhoff Transformation
Authors: Annasabi Z. , Erchiqui F. , Souli M.
Published: February 2022

This paper concerns the joint application of the B-spline method and the Kirchhoff transformation to solve the nonlinear problem of thermal conduction with radiation type boundary conditions. The proposed method requires few iterations, sometimes none, for solids subjected to prescribed temperature boundary conditions. This method can be deployed by other numerical approaches (boundary element method, finite element method, finite element method, etc.) for the resolution of the heat conduction equation (linear or nonlinear), in terms of the Kirchhoff transformation θ. For numerical implementation, the steady-state finite element method is considered. The numerical validation was performed for a hollow aluminum cylinder whose outer surface is subjected to radiation. Three types of thermal conductivities are considered: (i) constant, (ii) linear, and (iii) nonlinear. As an application, we studied the thermal response of an aluminum reactor, in the form of an annular disk with cooling tubes, exposed to thermal radiation.
A Deep-Learning Based Generalized Empirical Flow Model of Glottal Flow During Normal Phonation
Authors: Zhang Yang , Jiang Weili , Sun Luning , Wang Jian-Xun , Zheng Xudong , Xue Qian
Published: February 2022

This paper proposes a deep-learning based generalized empirical flow model (EFM) that can provide a fast and accurate prediction of the glottal flow during normal phonation. The approach is based on the assumption that the vibration of the vocal folds can be represented by a universal kinematics equation (UKE), which is used to generate a glottal shape library. For each shape in the library, the ground truth values of the flow rate and pressure distribution are obtained from the high-fidelity Navier-Stokes (N-S) solution. A fully-connected deep neural network (DNN) is then trained to build the empirical mapping between the shapes and the flow rate and pressure distributions. The obtained DNN based EFM is coupled with a finite-element method (FEM) based solid dynamics solver for flow-structure-interaction (FSI) simulation of phonation. The EFM is evaluated by comparing to the N-S solutions in both static glottal shapes and FSI simulations. The results demonstrate a good prediction performance in accuracy and efficiency.
A Forward Feedback Control Scheme for a Solar Thermochemical Moving Bed Counter-Current Flow Reactor
Authors: Sahlani Assaad Al , Randhir Kelvin , Ozalp Nesrin , Klausner James
Published: February 2022

Pelletized thermochemical energy storage media has a potential for long-duration energy storage. Production of solid-state energy storage media can be done within a cavity chemical reactor that captures concentrated solar radiation from a solar thermal field. The temperature stability of a solar reactor is directly influenced by the solar flux intercepted. This paper presents a low-order physical model to simulate the dynamic response of temperature inside a tubular plug-flow reactor prototype. Solid granular particles are fed to the reactor from the top whereas a counter-current flowing gas enters the reactor from the bottom. An in-house code was developed to model transient heat transfer of the reactor wall, gas, and moving particles. The model was preliminarily validated with packed beds for different temperature ranges and two gas flowrates. Dynamic response of the reactor temperature is simulated for different input power and gas/particle flowrates. The results show that the system response can be controlled efficiently by utilizing input power (solar flux) as a control parameter. A conventional proportional integral (PI) controller is designed to control the temperature inside the reactor and to maintain it during the solar flux intermittency. The controller parameters are tuned using the Ziegler–Nichols method to ensure optimal system response. The results show that the feedback control model is successful in tracking different reference reactor temperatures within a reasonable settling time of 30 min and eliminated overshoot. This study can be extended to include a hybrid reactor with a multi-input, multi-output variable system.
Imaging findings of a spindle epithelial tumor with thyroid thymoid differentiation
Authors: Pang Maohua , Yuan Mingyuan , Yu Min
Published: February 2022

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Ultrasonographic diagnosis and guided treatment of erector spinae aponeurosis enthesopathy
Authors: Liu I-Chun , Mathieu Boudier-Revéret , Chang Min  Cheol , Hsiao Ming-Yen
Published: February 2022

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Lung ultrasound for ever
Authors: Dietrich Christoph F .
Published: February 2022

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Photon scattering from a quantum acoustically modulated two-level system
Authors: Hahn Thilo , Groll Daniel , Krenner Hubert J. , Kuhn Tilmann , Machnikowski Paweł , Wigger Daniel
Published: February 2022

We calculate the resonance fluorescence signal of a two-level system coupled to a quantized phonon mode. By treating the phonons in the independent boson model and not performing any approximations in their description, we also have access to the state evolution of the phonons. We confirm the validity of our model by simulating the limit of an initial quasi-classical coherent phonon state, which can be compared to experimentally confirmed results in the semiclassical limit. In addition, we predict the photon scattering spectra in the limit of purely quantum mechanical phonon states by approaching the phononic vacuum. Our method further allows us to simulate the impact of the light scattering process on the phonon state by calculating Wigner functions. We show that the phonon mode is brought into characteristic quantum states by the optical excitation process.
In vivo macromolecular crowding is differentially modulated by aquaporin 0 in zebrafish lens: Insights from a nanoenvironment sensor and spectral imaging
Authors: Vorontsova Irene , Vallmitjana Alexander , Torrado Belén , Schilling Thomas F. , Hall James E. , Gratton Enrico , Malacrida Leonel
Published: February 2022

Macromolecular crowding is crucial for cellular homeostasis. In vivo studies of macromolecular crowding and water dynamics are needed to understand their roles in cellular physiology and fate determination. Macromolecular crowding in the lens is essential for normal optics, and an understanding of its regulation will help prevent cataract and presbyopia. Here, we combine the use of the nanoenvironmental sensor [6-acetyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (ACDAN)] to visualize lens macromolecular crowding with in vivo studies of aquaporin 0 zebrafish mutants that disrupt its regulation. Spectral phasor analysis of ACDAN fluorescence reveals water dipolar relaxation and demonstrates that mutations in two zebrafish aquaporin 0s, Aqp0a and Aqp0b, alter water state and macromolecular crowding in living lenses. Our results provide in vivo evidence that Aqp0a promotes fluid influx in the deeper lens cortex, whereas Aqp0b facilitates fluid efflux. This evidence reveals previously unidentified spatial regulation of macromolecular crowding and spatially distinct roles for Aqp0 in the lens.
Accuracy of Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction in COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Lawrence Panchali Merlin Jayalal , Oh Hyeon Jeong , Lee You Mi , Kim Choon-Mee , Tariq Misbah , Seo Jun-Won , Kim Da Young , Yun Na Ra , Kim Dong-Min
Published: February 2022

Numerous research campaigns have addressed the vast majority of clinical and diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of various primer sets of SARS-CoV2 viral detection. Despite the impressive progress made to resolve the pandemic, there is still a need for continuous and active improvement of primers used for diagnosis in clinical practice. Our study significantly exceeds the scale of previously published research on the specificity and sensitivity of different primers comparing with different specimens and is the most comprehensive to date in terms of constant monitoring of primer sets of current usage.
Head-to-Head Comparison of DH3 HPV Test and HC2 Assay for Detection of High-Risk HPV Infection in Residual Cytology Samples from Cervical Cancer Screening Setting: Baseline and 3-Year Longitudinal Data
Authors: Fu Yunfeng , Li Xiao , Li Ying , Lu Weiguo , Xie Xing , Wang Xinyu
Published: February 2022

The benefits of testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) in cervical cancer screening have already been demonstrated. Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) is the best validated HPV assay and has been considered the gold standard for hrHPV testing.
Paraphocaeicola brunensis
gen. nov., sp. nov., Carrying Two Variants of
nimB
Resistance Gene from Bacteroides fragilis, and
Caecibacteroides pullorum
gen. nov., sp. nov., Two Novel Genera Isolated from Chicken Caeca
Authors: Kralova Stanislava , Davidova-Gerzova Lenka , Valcek Adam , Bezdicek Matej , Rychlik Ivan , Rezacova Veronika , Cizek Alois
Published: February 2022

This study represents follow-up research on three difficult-to-cultivate anaerobic isolates originally isolated within a project focused on strains that are able to stably colonize newly hatched chickens, thus representing possible probiotics. This project is exceptional in that it successfully isolates several miscellaneous strains that required modified and richly supplemented anaerobic media, as information on many gut-colonizing bacteria is based predominantly on metagenomic studies.
SARS-CoV-2 Virus-Like Particle Neutralizing Capacity in Blood Donors Depends on Serological Profile and Donor-Declared SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination History
Authors: Drews Steven J. , Hu Queenie , Samson Reuben , Abe Kento T. , Rathod Bhavisha , Colwill Karen , Gingras Anne-Claude , Yi Qi-Long , O’Brien Sheila F.
Published: February 2022

In the first 3 months of 2021 as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination was in the initial stages of a mass rollout, Canadian blood donors had various levels of humoral protection against wild-type and variant of concern (VOC) SARS-CoV-2. Very few Canadians would have received a second dose of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
Global architecture for the nutrition training of health professionals: a scoping review and blueprint for next steps
Authors: Lepre Breanna , Trigueiro Helena , Johnsen Jørgen Torgerstuen , Khalid Ali Ahsan , Ball Lauren , Ray Sumantra
Published: February 2022

Background

This paper provides an overview of capacity-building efforts in the context of nutrition education for medical and healthcare professionals.

Methods

Content analysis of eighteen reports related to nutrition education and capacity building, and interviews with key personnel from the WHO and NNEdPro Global Centre for Nutrition and Health were synthesised. Recommendations to improve nutrition education and subsequent nutrition capacity of healthcare professionals were identified based on policy guidance and interviews.

Findings

Most included documents noted the importance of nutrition education and capacity building for medical and healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals and the ‘health sector’ were positioned as central to achieving improved public health, and the promotion of nutrition knowledge and awareness in the general population.

Conclusion

Increased focus on nutrition education and capacity of the health workforce are key to improvements in population health and well-being. The WHO is well placed to support global nutrition education.

Recommendations

Key recommendations from the literature review and interviews include improved global data collection mechanisms, a pledge from governments to prioritise nutrition education and capacity building, along with implementation of standardised nutrition curricula for all healthcare sectors. This would include the development and expansion of on-line resources.
Changes in youth care use after the implementation of community-based support teams: repeated measurement study using registry data and data on team characteristics
Authors: Mieloo Cathelijne L , van der Ende Jan , van Zijl Alissa Lysanne , Schuring Merel , Steijn Bram , Jansen Wilma
Published: February 2022

Objectives

New legislation on youth care in the Netherlands led to the implementation of community-based support teams, providing integrated primary youth care. Important aims of the new Youth Act were more integrated, timely care and less use of intensive forms of care. Our aim was to study changes in youth care use in time and the role of newly introduced community-based support teams herein.

Setting

Register data (2015–2018) on youth of a large city were linked and combined with administrative and aggregated data on team characteristics.

Participants

Data on 126 095 youth (0–18 years) were available for analyses.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary, specialised and residential youth care use were the primary outcomes.

Results

Generalised estimating equations analyses adjusted for individual characteristics demonstrated that over 4 years, use of primary youth care increased from 2.2% to 8.5% (OR 1.70; 99% CI 1.67 to 1.73), specialised youth care decreased from 7.2% to 6.4% (OR 0.98; 99% CI 0.97 to 1.00) and residential youth care increased slightly (OR 1.04; 99% CI 1.01 to 1.06). Gender, age, family status, migrant background and educational level were all associated with the types of youth care use and also with some trends in time. Likelihood to receive care increased in time for preschool and younger children but did not improve for migrant children.

Case load, team size, team turnover, team performance and transformational leadership showed significant associations with different types of youth care use but hardly with trends in time.

Conclusion

Patterns of youth care use changed towards more locally provided primary youth care, slightly less specialised and slightly more residential youth care. Furthermore, youth care use among younger children increased in time. These trends are partly in line with the trends intended by the Youth Act. Little evidence was found for the role of specific team characteristics on changes in youth care use in time.
Development of the German version of the patient safety climate inventory to the Austrian context
Authors: Draganović Šehad , Offermanns Guido
Published: February 2022

Objectives

In recent years, patient safety culture (PSC) in hospitals, including its development and measurement, has increasingly received attention in Europe. Even though several instruments have been developed for PSC measurement in European countries, there is, to date, no validated measure to assess PSC in Austria. The study at hand addresses this gap in the evidence base by psychometrically assessing the German ‘Patient Safety Climate Inventory’ (PaSKI) in terms of its potential suitability for the Austrian healthcare system. The goal is to theoretically develop and empirically verify a separate instrument for PSC measurement in Austria.

Setting

Ten hospitals.

Participants

Healthcare professionals (n=1202); doctors (n=142), nurse (n=645), other health workers (n=51), medical technology professions (n=170), management/administration (n=76), other (n=20), no response (n=98).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The pretest was conducted with 101 health professionals. Psychometric evaluations, including exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, were performed with both an original version of the PaSKI and an adapted one. The original PaSKI and the newly adapted ‘Austrian Patient Safety Climate Inventory’ (A-PaSKI) were then compared.

Results

The A-PaSKI’s factor structure developed in our study differs from the original 14-factor structure (49 items) of the PaSKI. The new instrument consists of 10 factors (30 items), comprising seven departmental factors, two hospital factors, and one outcome factor. The new instrument A-PaSKI revealed satisfactory results on the model-level and internal consistency. The confirmatory factor analysis for the A-PaSKI (χ2 (360)=1408.245, p=0.0001) showed a good model fit, and the absolute and relative fit indices showed an excellent model adjustment. The construct validity was acceptable for nine and unacceptable for one factor.

Conclusions

This is the first validation study of a standardised safety culture measure in Austrian hospitals. The Austrian version of PaSKI demonstrated good psychometric properties, with acceptable to good internal consistency and construct validity for use in Austrian hospitals.
Patient characteristics and disease burden of alopecia areata in the Danish Skin Cohort
Authors: Andersen Yuki M F , Nymand Lea , DeLozier Amy M , Burge Russel , Edson-Heredia Emily , Egeberg Alexander
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common disorder of patchy hair loss which carries a substantial psychological burden for patients. The current understanding of AA prevalence, disease course and burden is limited, and further research is needed to improve patient care. This prospective cohort of AA patients within the Danish Skin Cohort was established to provide data that can serve as a tool in future studies of for example, AA epidemiology and disease burden.

Participants

A total of 1494 patients with dermatologist-verified AA were included in the cohort. Patients were invited and included through electronic or phone-based questionnaires. Information regarding demographics, biometrics, lifestyle factors, skin type, AA onset and development, health-related quality of life and self-reported severity assessment was collected.

Findings to date

The mean (SD) age of AA onset was 32.7 (17.6) years. The mean body mass index and history of cigarette smoking was comparable with the general population. The majority (92.5%) of participants were Caucasian. In total, 72.4% of patients received their diagnosis by a physician within a year after onset of symptoms, and 66.9% reported to still have symptoms of AA within the past year. A total of 12% reported to have a first-degree family member with AA. In total, 31.4% of patients were missing all or nearly all hairs on their scalp, 32.2% had no or barely no eyelashes and 36.2% had no or barely no eyebrow hairs. Overall, most patients (55.7%) did not experience irritated eyes, but 30% reported slight eye irritation and 47.2% reported no damage to finger nails or toenails.

Future plans

Observational studies regarding comorbidities, psychosocial burden of AA and efficacy of pharmacological interventions will be carried out and additional data will be linked from nationwide registries of routinely collected data. Furthermore, follow-up survey data will be added for longitudinal analyses.
First clinical multicenter experience with the new Pipeline Vantage flow diverter
Authors: Vollherbst Dominik F , Cekirge H Saruhan , Saatci Isil , Baltacioglu Feyyaz , Onal Baran , Koc Osman , Rautio Riitta , Sinisalo Matias , Tomasello Alejandro , Vega Pedro , Martínez-Galdámez Mario , Lynch Jeremy , Mendes Pereira Vitor , Bendszus Martin , Möhlenbruch Markus A
Published: February 2022

Background

Flow diversion is an innovative and increasingly used technique for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. New flow diverters (FDs) are being introduced to improve the safety and efficacy of this treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of the new Pipeline Vantage (PV) FD.

Methods

Patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with the PV at 10 international neurovascular centers were retrospectively analyzed. Patient and aneurysm characteristics, procedural parameters, complications, and the grade of occlusion were assessed.

Results

60 patients with 70 aneurysms (5.0% with acute hemorrhage, 90.0% located in the anterior circulation) were included. 82 PVs were implanted in 61 treatment sessions. The PV could be successfully implanted in all treatments. Additional coiling was performed in 18.6%, and in-stent balloon angioplasty (to enhance the vessel wall apposition) in 24.6%. Periprocedural technical complications occurred in 24.6% of the treatments, were predominantly FD deployment problems, and were all asymptomatic. The overall symptomatic complication rate was 8.2% and the neurological symptomatic complication rate was 3.3%. Only one symptomatic complication was device-related (perforator artery infarctions leading to stroke). After a mean follow-up of 7.1 months, the rate of complete aneurysm occlusion was 77.9%. One patient (1.7%) died due to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage which occurred before treatment, unrelated to the procedure.

Conclusions

The new PV FD is safe and feasible for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. The short-term occlusion rates are promising but need further assessment in prospective long-term follow-up studies.