bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurogenic Appendicitis: A Reappraisal of the Clinicopathological Features and Pathogenesis
Authors: Hussein Mahmoud Rezk Abdelwahed , Al Bshabshe Ali , Elhakeem Ahmed Abdelsatar , Elsamman Mahmoud Kamal
Published: June 2022

In 1921; Masson and Maresch first coined the term “neurogenic appendicitis (NA)” to describe “neuroma-like” lesions in the appendix. To date, our knowledge about NA is limited; therefore, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the literature (1921 to 2020) to examine the clinicopathological features of NA. We also addressed the pathophysiology of acute abdominal pain and fibrosis in this entity. We performed a meta-analysis study by searching the PubMed database, using several keywords, such as: “appendix,” “neurogenic,” “obliterative,” “neuroma,” “fibrous obliteration,” “appendicopathy,” and “appendicitis.” Our study revealed that patients with NA usually present clinically with features of acute appendicitis, bud2t they have grossly unremarkable appendices. Histologically, the central appendiceal neuroma was the most common histological variant of NA, followed by the submucosal and intramucosal variants. To conclude, NA represents a form of neuroinflammation. The possibility of NA should be considered in patients with clinical features of acute appendicitis who intraoperatively show a grossly unremarkable appendix. Neuroinflammation and neuropeptides play roles in the development of pain and fibrosis in NA.
Multitarget Molecular Imaging in Metastatic Castration Resistant Adenocarcinoma Prostate Cancer with Therapy Induced Neuroendocrine Differentiation
Authors: Vargas Ahumada Joel , González Rueda Sofía D. , Sinisterra Solís Fabio A. , Pitalúa Cortés Quetzali , Torres Agredo Liliana P. , Miguel Jimenez Ríos , Scavuzzo Anna , Soldevilla-Gallardo Irma , Álvarez Avitia Miguel A. , Sobrevilla Nora , García Pérez Francisco Osvaldo
Published: June 2022

Neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer (NEDPC) includes de novo presentation and secondary to epigenetic changes, referred as therapy-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC). Molecular imaging with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and somatostatin analogues positron emission tomography (PET/CT) in NEDPC have not been validated. 18F-FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) PET/CT has numerous limitations in prostate cancer (PCa) and the utility in NEDPC has only been reported in a few series of cases. The objective of this study is to compare the lesions detection rate of the three radiotracers in metastatic t-NEPC patients. (1) Material and Methods: Retrospective evaluation of patients with prostate adenocarcinoma treated with androgen deprivation therapy, chemotherapy, a novel androgen receptor pathway inhibitor or a combination of them and a second tumour biopsy confirming t-NEPC was made. All patients underwent 18F PSMA-1007, 18F AlF-NOTA-Octreotide, and 18F-FDG PET/CT. Evaluation of positive lesions was determined and SUVmax of each radiotracer was estimated and correlated with computer tomography (CT) findings. (2) Results: A total of eight patients were included. The mean time from diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma to t-NEPC was 28.2 months, with a mean serum specific prostate antigen (PSA) of 16.6 ng/dl at the time of NEPC diagnosis. All patients were treated with antiandrogen therapy and 87.5% with chemotherapy. A total of 273 lesions were identified by CT from which 182 were detected by 18F-FDG PET/CT, 174 lesions by 18F PSMA-1007, and 59 by 18F AlF-NOTA-Octreotide. An interpatient analysis of the lesions was performed and dual tracer 18F-FDG PET/CT and 18F PSMA-1007 PET/CT detected a total of 270/273 lesions (98.9%). (3) Conclusions: NEDPC patients demonstrated wide inter and intrapatient molecular imaging heterogeneity within the three radiotracers. 18F-FDG detected most lesions in t-NEPC among all radiotracers, especially in visceral sites; 18F PSMA-1007 detected more bone lesions. 18F AlF-NOTA-Octreotide showed no significant utility.
Predicting CT-Based Coronary Artery Disease Using Vascular Biomarkers Derived from Fundus Photographs with a Graph Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Huang Fan , Lian Jie , Ng Kei-Shing , Shih Kendrick , Vardhanabhuti Varut
Published: June 2022

The study population contains 145 patients who were prospectively recruited for coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and fundoscopy. This study first examined the association between retinal vascular changes and the Coronary Artery Disease Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) as assessed on CCTA. Then, we developed a graph neural network (GNN) model for predicting the CAD-RADS as a proxy for coronary artery disease. The CCTA scans were stratified by CAD-RADS scores by expert readers, and the vascular biomarkers were extracted from their fundus images. Association analyses of CAD-RADS scores were performed with patient characteristics, retinal diseases, and quantitative vascular biomarkers. Finally, a GNN model was constructed for the task of predicting the CAD-RADS score compared to traditional machine learning (ML) models. The experimental results showed that a few retinal vascular biomarkers were significantly associated with adverse CAD-RADS scores, which were mainly pertaining to arterial width, arterial angle, venous angle, and fractal dimensions. Additionally, the GNN model achieved a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and area under the curve of 0.711, 0.697, 0.704 and 0.739, respectively. This performance outperformed the same evaluation metrics obtained from the traditional ML models (p < 0.05). The data suggested that retinal vasculature could be a potential biomarker for atherosclerosis in the coronary artery and that the GNN model could be utilized for accurate prediction.
Thoracic Aortic Dilation: Implications for Physical Activity and Sport Participation
Authors: Monda Emanuele , Verrillo Federica , Rubino Marta , Palmiero Giuseppe , Fusco Adelaide , Cirillo Annapaola , Caiazza Martina , Guarnaccia Natale , Mauriello Alfredo , Lioncino Michele , Perna Alessia , Diana Gaetano , D’Andrea Antonello , Bossone Eduardo , Calabrò Paolo , Limongelli Giuseppe
Published: June 2022

Thoracic aortic dilatation is a progressive condition that results from aging and many pathological conditions (i.e., connective tissue, inflammatory, shear stress disorders, severe valvular heart disease) that induce degenerative changes in the elastic properties, leading to the loss of elasticity and compliance of the aortic wall. Mild aortic root enlargement may be also observed in athletes and is considered as a normal adaptation to regular exercise training. On the other hand, high-intensity physical activity in individuals with a particular genetic substrate, such as those carrying gene variants associated with Marfan syndrome or other inherited aortopathies, can favor an excessive aortic enlargement and trigger an acute aortic dissection. The evaluation of the aortic valve and aortic root diameters, as well as the detection of a disease-causing mutation for inherited aortic disease, should be followed by a tailored decision about sport eligibility. In addition, the risk of aortic complications associated with sport in patients with genetic aortic disease is poorly characterized and is often difficult to stratify for each individual athlete. This review aims to describe the relationship between regular physical activity and aortic dilation, focusing on patients with bicuspid aortic valve and inherited aortic disease, and discuss the implications in terms of aortic disease progression and sport participation.
Altered Transmission of Cardiac Cycles to Ductus Venosus Blood Flow in Fetal Growth Restriction: Why Ductus Venosus Reflects Fetal Circulatory Changes More Precisely
Authors: Seo Naomi , Kurihara Yasushi , Suekane Tomoki , Yokoi Natsuko , Nakagawa Kayoko , Tahara Mie , Hamuro Akihiro , Misugi Takuya , Nakano Akemi , Koyama Masayasu , Tachibana Daisuke
Published: June 2022

We aimed to investigate the relation between the time intervals of the flow velocity waveform of ductus venosus (DV-FVW) and cardiac cycles. We defined Delta A as the difference in the time measurements between DV-FVW and cardiac cycles on the assumption that the second peak of ductus venosus (D-wave) starts simultaneously with the opening of the mitral valve (MV). As well, we defined Delta B as the difference of the time measurements between DV-FVW and cardiac cycles on the assumption that the D-wave starts simultaneously with the closure of the aortic valve (AV). We then compared Delta A and Delta B in the control and fetal growth restriction (FGR) groups. In the control group of healthy fetuses, Delta A was strikingly shorter than Delta B. On the other hand, in all FGR cases, no difference was observed. The acceleration of the D-wave is suggested to be generated by the opening of the MV under normal fetal hemodynamics, whereas it precedes the opening of the MV in FGR. Our results indicate that the time interval of DV analysis might be a more informative parameter than the analysis of cardiac cycles.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage as a Diagnostic Tool in an Atypical Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
Authors: Fira-Mladinescu Ovidiu , Suppini Noemi , Olteanu Gheorghe-Emilian , Fira-Mladinescu Corneluta , Traila Daniel
Published: June 2022

Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is an uncommon diffuse cystic lung disease that occurs almost exclusively in young adult smokers. High-resolution computed tomography of the chest allows a confident diagnosis of PLCH in typical presentation, when nodules, cavitating nodules, and cysts coexist and show a predominance for the upper and middle lung. Atypical presentations require histology for diagnosis. Histologic diagnosis rests on the demonstration of increased numbers of Langerhans cells and/or specific histological changes. PLCH is one of the few diseases in which bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) has a high diagnostic value and can in some circumstances replace lung biopsy. We present a case of PLCH in an elderly non-smoker. Chest imaging revealed the presence of advanced interstitial lung disease with a fibrocystic pattern. BAL cellular analyses disclosed a macrophage pattern with CD1a phenotype that strongly supports the PLCH diagnosis, even in the setting of atypical clinical presentation and a lack of smoking exposure. PLCH is extremely rare in non-smokers and could represent a distinct phenotype.
Estimating Information Processing of Human Fast Continuous Tapping from Trajectories
Authors: Murakami Hiroki , Yamada Norimasa
Published: June 2022

Fitts studied the problem of information capacity and transfer in the speed–accuracy motor paradigm using a theoretical approach developed from Shannon and Weaver’s information theory. The information processing (bit/s) estimated in Fitts’ study is calculated from the movement time required to achieve the required task index of difficulty but is essentially different from Shannon’s information entropy. Thus, we estimated the information entropy of multiple human movement trajectories and the mutual information among trajectories for the continuous aiming task in Fitts’ paradigm. Further, we estimated the information processing moment by moment. Two methods were considered: (1) encoded values encompassing the coordinates of the three dimensions and (2) coordinate values associated with each direction in the three dimensions. Information entropy indicates the magnitude of variation at each time point, and the structure of this variation varies with the index of difficulty. The ratio of entropy to mutual information was examined, and it was found that information was processed from the first half of the trajectory in difficult tasks. In addition, since these values calculated from the encoded method were higher than those from the conventional method, this method may be able to estimate these values successfully.
Alpha-Beta Hybrid Quantum Associative Memory Using Hamming Distance
Authors: Sánchez-Manilla Angeles Alejandra , López-Yáñez Itzamá , Sun Guo-Hua
Published: June 2022

This work presents a quantum associative memory (Alpha-Beta HQAM) that uses the Hamming distance for pattern recovery. The proposal combines the Alpha-Beta associative memory, which reduces the dimensionality of patterns, with a quantum subroutine to calculate the Hamming distance in the recovery phase. Furthermore, patterns are initially stored in the memory as a quantum superposition in order to take advantage of its properties. Experiments testing the memory’s viability and performance were implemented using IBM’s Qiskit library.
Deep Learning-Based Context-Aware Video Content Analysis on IoT Devices
Authors: Gad Gad , Gad Eyad , Cengiz Korhan , Fadlullah Zubair , Mokhtar Bassem
Published: June 2022

Integrating machine learning with the Internet of Things (IoT) enables many useful applications. For IoT applications that incorporate video content analysis (VCA), deep learning models are usually used due to their capacity to encode the high-dimensional spatial and temporal representations of videos. However, limited energy and computation resources present a major challenge. Video captioning is one type of VCA that describes a video with a sentence or a set of sentences. This work proposes an IoT-based deep learning-based framework for video captioning that can (1) Mine large open-domain video-to-text datasets to extract video-caption pairs that belong to a particular domain. (2) Preprocess the selected video-caption pairs including reducing the complexity of the captions’ language model to improve performance. (3) Propose two deep learning models: A transformer-based model and an LSTM-based model. Hyperparameter tuning is performed to select the best hyperparameters. Models are evaluated in terms of accuracy and inference time on different platforms. The presented framework generates captions in standard sentence templates to facilitate extracting information in later stages of the analysis. The two developed deep learning models offer a trade-off between accuracy and speed. While the transformer-based model yields a high accuracy of 97%, the LSTM-based model achieves near real-time inference.
Performance Prediction of Induction Motor Due to Rotor Slot Shape Change Using Convolution Neural Network
Authors: Koh Dong-Young , Jeon Sung-Jun , Han Seog-Young
Published: June 2022

We propose a method to predict performance variables according to the rotor slot shape of a three-phase squirrel cage induction motor using a convolution neural network (CNN) algorithm suitable for utilizing image data. The set of performance variables was labeled according to the images of each training dataset, and this set was generated from the efficiency, power factor, starting torque, and average torque. To verify the accuracy of the trained deep learning model, the analysis and prediction results of the CNN model were compared and verified with nine untrained double cage slot shapes and shapes optimized based on the root mean square error (RMSE). Although a large number of training data are required for high accuracy in the existing image processing deep learning model, the proposed deep learning method can predict the performance variables for various shapes with the same level of accuracy as the finite element analysis results using a small number of training data. Therefore, it is expected to be applied in various engineering fields.
Nonlinear Modeling and Stability of a Doubly-Fed Variable Speed Pumped Storage Power Station with Surge Tank Considering Nonlinear Pump Turbine Characteristics
Authors: Zhang Nan , Xue Xiaoming , Sun Na , Gu Yanhui , Jiang Wei , Li Chaoshun
Published: June 2022

This paper investigates the nonlinear modeling and stability of a doubly-fed variable speed pumped storage power station (DFVSPSPS). Firstly, the mathematical model of DFVSPSPS with surge tank considering nonlinear pump turbine characteristics was derived and established. Then, Hopf bifurcation analysis of DFVSPSPS was performed. The stable region was identified and verified by example analysis. Moreover, the effect mechanism of nonlinear pump turbine characteristics on the stability of DFVSPSPS was explored. Finally, the influence of factors on the stability and dynamic response of DFVSPSPS was studied. The results indicate that the emerged Hopf bifurcation of DFVSPSPS is supercritical and the region on the low side of the bifurcation line is the stable region. Nonlinear head characteristics have a significant influence on the stability and dynamic response of DFVSPSPS. Nonlinear speed characteristics have an obvious effect on the stability and dynamic response of DFVSPSPS only under positive load disturbance and unstable surge tank. Nonlinear head characteristics are unfavorable for the stability of DFVSPSPS under positive load disturbance and favorable under negative load disturbance. A smaller flow inertia of penstock, a smaller head loss of penstock and a greater unit inertia time constant are favorable for the stability of DFVSPSPS. The stable region under the positive disturbance of active power is larger than that under the negative disturbance of active power. The time constant of the surge tank presents a saturation characteristic on the stability of DFVSPSPS.
Physicochemical Properties of Diethyl Ether—Sunflower Oil Blends and Their Impact on Diesel Engine Emissions
Authors: Górski Krzysztof , Smigins Ruslans , Matijošius Jonas , Rimkus Alfredas , Longwic Rafał
Published: June 2022

In this paper, an analysis of the physico-chemical properties of diethyl ether/sunflower oil blends, as well as changes in emissions in work with AD3.152 diesel engine, were realized. The following properties of tested blends have been examined in detail: density (ρ) at 15 °C; kinematic viscosity (v) at 40 °C; cold filter plugging point (CFPP); lower heating value (LHV); flash point (FP); and surface tension (ϭ). In this research, different blends of diethyl ether (DEE) with sunflower oil (SO) in ratios of 10:90, 20:80 and 30:70% by volume were chosen. It was confirmed that DEE impacts significantly on reducing of SO viscosity. Furthermore, the density, as well as the surface tension of tested blends, have been reduced significantly when DEE was blended with SO. In this way, DEE impacts on better atomization of the SO injected into the combustion chamber. It was confirmed that DEE addition improves the low-temperature properties of SO significantly, which indicates the possibility of also using such blends in the winter season. On the other hand, the flammable DEE additive significantly lowers the flash point of the tested blends, which requires compliance with the transport safety rules applicable to gasoline. An engine tests carried out in condition of its partial load i.e., for 80 and 120 Nm, showed that combustion process of DEE/SO blends is more and more similar to the combustion of diesel fuel when adequately higher content of DEE is blended with SO. In particular, it was confirmed that the highest smoke concentration was observed for the engine operated with SO. However, 30% addition of DEE to SO brings this smokiness significantly closer to the value typical for the engine operated with diesel fuel. Additionally, concentration of unburned hydrocarbons (THC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are comparable for diesel fuel and DEE/SO blends.
Identification of Generators’ Economic Withholding Behavior Based on a SCAD-Logit Model in Electricity Spot Market
Authors: Sun Bo , Cheng Siyuan , Xie Jingdong , Sun Xin
Published: June 2022

The effective identification of the economic withholding behavior of the generators can help ensure the fair operation of the electricity market. A SCAD-logit model is proposed to improve the performance of the logit model for the massive data of electricity market. First, a social network analysis method is used to construct an equity relationship graph of the generators to obtain a set of key monitoring generators. An indicator system for identifying the economic withholding behavior of the generators is constructed based on structure conduct performance (SCP) theory. The indicators are screened by the smoothed clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) penalty regression method to reduce the collinearity and improve identification efficiency. Then, a SCAD-logit model is established to identify the economic withholding of key monitoring generators, so that the boundary contributions of each indicator to the economic withholding behavior are obtained. The confusion matrix, ROC curve, and AUC values are used to evaluate the model’s performance. Finally, the model is applied to the electricity spot market, and the method can identify the generators that exercise economic withholding behavior with a correct rate of 96.83%. Indicators such as market share, quotation fluctuation degree, high quotation index, and volume price index can be used as important indicators for identifying the economic withholding behavior.
Distributed Weight Adaptive Control for Frequency Regulation of Islanded Microgrid
Authors: Yu Guoxing , Song Huihui , Liu Meng , Song Zongxun , Qu Yanbin
Published: June 2022

The consensus control method based on a multi-agent system has been widely applied in the distributed control and optimization of microgrids. However, the following drawbacks are still common in current research: (1) ignoring the influence of consensus control commands on the synchronization stability of the physical grid under primary control; (2) only focusing on improving one property ofcontrol performance, lacking comprehensive considerations of multiple properties. With the aim of solving these problems, in this paper we propose a weight-adaptive robust control strategy for implementing distributed frequency regulation of islanded microgrids. Firstly, the frequency synchronization stability of the physical layer is analyzed by means of a coupled oscillator theory and the design objectives of the controllable parameters for the information layer are formed. Subsequently, the relationship between the weight coefficients and the two important control performances of convergence speed and delay robustness is strictly analyzed. Based on this, an adaptive coefficient that can be autonomously adjusted according to the frequency deviation is designed to achieve a trade-off between convergence speed and delay robustness. Finally, three simulation studies are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
Comparative Analysis of the Optimization and Implementation of Adjustment Parameters for Advanced Control Techniques
Authors: Ganzaroli Cleber Asmar , de Carvalho Douglas Freire , Coimbra Antonio Paulo , do Couto Luiz Alberto , Calixto Wesley Pacheco
Published: June 2022

This paper proposes the implementation, analysis and comparison of the control techniques Proportional, Integral and Derivative, Nonlinear Predictive, Fuzzy control and Sliding Mode Control technique applied to the speed control of an independent excited DC motor driven by a three-phase fully controlled rectifier of six pulses. The methodology proposes the design of the bench, modeling of the real system by the system identification method and the adjustments of the parameters of the controllers using an optimization process. Comparisons are made between the techniques, highlighting their characteristics and performances when executed under similar conditions. The robustness of each control, when acting on a nonlinear system, is investigated. All control techniques are applied in three different tests: (i) reference signal of step type without load application, (ii) reference signal with amplitude variation without load application and (iii) reference signal of step type with load application. The smallest value of the integral of the absolute percentage error for the first test is 2.01% with the Fuzzy control, for the second test is 3.34% with the nonlinear predictive control and for the third test it is 1.41% also with the nonlinear predictive control. The techniques present satisfactory performance in the execution of the proposed control, depending, therefore, on the analysis of the system to be implemented to determine the appropriate method.
Oblique Detonation Wave Control with O3 and H2O2 Sensitization in Hypersonic Flow
Authors: Vashishtha Ashish , Panigrahy Snehasish , Campi Dino , Callaghan Dean , Nolan Cathal , Deiterding Ralf
Published: June 2022

This numerical study investigates the effects of adding a small amount of ignition promoters for controlling the wedge-induced oblique shock wave (OSW) to oblique detonation wave (ODW) transition in a premixed hydrogen–air mixture at hypersonic speeds. The time-dependent two-dimensional compressible Euler equations for multiple thermally perfect species with a reactive source term are solved using adaptive mesh refinement and detailed chemical kinetics. The wedge with a fixed angle of 26° exhibits abrupt to smooth transitions for freestream Mach numbers 7–9 (speeds 2.8–3.2 km/s) at a pressure of 20 kPa and a temperature of 300 K. The small amount (1000 PPM by vol.) of H2O2 and O3 is found to be effective at significantly reducing the initiation length for the oblique detonation transition for all Mach numbers, which suggests a practical approach to increase the operating flight range for oblique detonation wave engine with a finite length wedge. At Mach number 8, the abrupt OSW to ODW transition turns towards a smooth transition with a small amount of H2O2 and O3 addition. Comparatively, O3 addition was found to be effective in reducing the ODW initiation length by promoting reactivity behind even a weaker oblique shock at low Mach number 7, for abrupt transition, while H2O2 addition was more effective than O3 at high Mach numbers 8 and 9, during a smooth transition. The maximum 73% and 80% reduction in initiation length of ODW was observed with 10,000 PPM H2O2 and O3 addition, respectively, during an abrupt OSW to ODW transition at Mach 7.
Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Applied to AC Railways
Authors: Mariscotti Andrea
Published: June 2022

Non-intrusive load monitoring takes place in residential and industrial contexts to disaggregate and identify loads connected to a distribution grid. This work studies the applicability and effectiveness for AC railways, considering the highly dynamic behavior of rolling stock as an electric load, immersed in varying contexts of moving loads. Both voltage–current diagrams and harmonic spectra were considered for identification and extraction of features relevant to classification and clustering. Principal components were extracted, approaching the problem using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square regression (PLSR). Clustering methods were then discussed, verifying separability performance and applicability to the railway context, checking the performance by means of the balanced accuracy index. Based on more than one hundred measured spectra, PLSR has been confirmed with superior performance and lower complexity. Independent verification based on dispersion and correlation were used to spot relevant spectrum components to use as clustering features and confirm the PLSR outcome.
Determination of Film Cooling Effectiveness and Heat Transfer Coefficient Simultaneously on a Flat Plate
Authors: Zhang Mingjie
Published: June 2022

In this paper, flat plate film cooling with two rows of compound angle cylindrical film cooling holes was investigated. A data processing method was evaluated which could determine the film cooling effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient simultaneously from the transient wall temperature data. The method was based on solving an inverse problem of the one-dimensional transient heat conduction equation. To evaluate the performance of the method, wall temperature data were obtained using the known film cooling effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient data as the convection boundary condition. Then, the method was applied to calculate the film cooling effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient based on the wall temperature data. Different blowing ratios, heat transfer coefficients, mainstream temperatures, and material thermal conductivities were investigated. In general, the data and calculation were in good agreement. It was found that the error decreased when the heat transfer coefficient increased and the material thermal conductivity decreased. The percentage error of the span-wise averaged film cooling effectiveness was mainly between 0% and 10%, and the percentage error of the span-wise averaged heat transfer coefficient was mainly between 0% and 4%.
Investigating the Country of Origin and the Role of the .eu TLD in External Trade of European Union Member States
Authors: Giannakoulopoulos Andreas , Pergantis Minas , Limniati Laida , Kouretsis Alexandros
Published: June 2022

The Internet, and specifically the World Wide Web, has always been a useful tool in the effort to achieve more outward-looking economies. The launch of the .eu TLD (top-level domain) in December of 2005 introduced the concept of a pan-European Internet identity that aimed to enhance the status of European citizens and businesses on the global Web. In this study, the countries of origin of websites that choose to use the .eu TLD are investigated and the reasoning behind that choice, as well as its relation to each country’s economy and external trade are discussed. Using the Web as a tool, information regarding a vast number of existing .eu websites was collected, through means of Web data extraction, and this information was analyzed and processed by a detailed algorithm that produced results concerning each website’s most probable country of origin based on a multitude of factors. This acquired knowledge was then used to investigate relations with each member-state’s presence in its local ccTLD, its GDP and its external trade revenue. The study establishes a correlation between presence in the .eu TLD and external trade that is both independent of a country’s GDP and stronger than the relation between its local ccTLD presence and external trade.
Ultrasound-Assisted Synthesis of Potentially Food-Grade Nano-Zinc Oxide in Ionic Liquids: A Safe, Green, Efficient Approach and Its Acoustics Mechanism
Authors: Zhang Lei , Hu Yang , Wang Xue , Zhang Ao , Gao Xianli , Yagoub Abu El-Gasim A. , Ma Haile , Zhou Cunshan
Published: June 2022

In food application, nano-zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) is a very important nano metal material; thus, it is necessary to prepare potentially food-grade nano-ZnO. Nano-ZnO synthesized by the ultrasound-assisted method can reach a safe level because of its import physical processing characteristics. Firstly, the micromorphology and microstructure of nano-ZnO synthesized by the ultrasonic method were compared with that by the mechanical stirring method through atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared. Secondly, the on-line monitoring of different ultrasonic fields in real-time was studied during the whole synthesis process of nano-ZnO by polyvinylidene fluoride sensor, and two control groups (water medium) were set. The results showed that nano-ZnO obtained by the ultrasonic method were smaller in size and had less surface roughness compared with the mechanical stirring method. The nucleation and crystallization process of nano-ZnO was controlled by the ultrasonic method with sharp diffraction peaks of higher intensities. Moreover, for the ultrasonic mechanism, it was found that the oscillation behavior of bubbles varied from liquid to liquid, and variation was also found in the same liquid under different restraint of interfaces. Based on voltage waveforms monitored in the three liquid media, differences in the life cycle of cavitation bubble oscillation, cycle of collapse stage, maximum voltage amplitude, and acoustic intensity were observed. The physical mechanism of ultrasound-assisted synthesis of nano-ZnO was revealed through voltage fluctuations of the acoustics signal, which can lay a theoretical foundation for the controllability of food ultrasonic physical processing.
Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine as an Exercise-Induced Gene: Towards Novel Molecular Therapies for Immobilization-Related Muscle Atrophy in Elderly Patients
Authors: Ghanemi Abdelaziz , Yoshioka Mayumi , St-Amand Jonny
Published: June 2022

Long periods of immobilization, among other etiologies, would result is muscle atrophy. Exercise is the best approach to reverse this atrophy. However, the limited or the non-ability to perform the required physical activity for such patients and the limited pharmacological options make developing novel therapeutic approaches a necessity. Within this context, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) has been characterized as an exercise-induced gene. Whereas the knock-out of this gene leads to a phenotype that mimics number of the ageing-induced and sarcopenia-related changes including muscle atrophy, overexpressing SPARC in mice or adding it to muscular cell culture produces similar effects as exercise including enhanced muscle mass, strength and metabolism. Therefore, this piece of writing aims to provide evidence supporting the potential use of SPARC/SPARC as a molecular therapy for muscle atrophy in the context of immobilization especially for elderly patients.
Physiological Study of the Efficacy of Archer® Eclipse in the Protection against Sunburn in Cucumber Plants
Authors: Navarro-Morillo Iván , Garcia-Sanchez Francisco , Camara-Zapata Jose Maria , Navarro-León Eloy , Izquierdo-Ramos María José , Blasco Begoña , Ruiz Juan Manuel
Published: June 2022

Sunburn is an important issue affecting the yield of many crops, mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. Excessive solar radiation and high temperatures can reduce growth and cause leaf chlorosis, oxidative stress, and photosynthesis impairment. It is thus necessary to develop agricultural techniques to protect plants in a cost-effective and reproducible manner. A potential method is through the spray of protective compounds based on particulate films, such as those based on kaolin. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of spraying the protective product Archer® Eclipse, created by Atlántica Agrícola S.A. (Alicante, Spain), on sunburn damage in a sensitive species such as the cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.). To evaluate the effects of sunburn on the plants, parameters related to biomass, leaf temperature, photosynthesis, and oxidative stress were analysed. Plants sprayed with Archer® Eclipse showed fewer sunburn symptoms and obtained 43% more shoot biomass than those that were not treated. In addition, plants sprayed with Archer® Eclipse showed 3 °C lower leaf temperatures, higher photosynthesis performance, 88% more water use efficiency, and 21% more chlorophyll concentration. Finally, plants treated with Archer® Eclipse presented 6% less accumulations of carotenoids and 67% less total phenols, but lower oxidative stress indicators. In conclusion, this study confirms the efficiency of Archer® Eclipse in protecting a sensitive vegetable plant such as the cucumber from sunburn-inducing conditions.
Evaluation of Fungicides and Application Strategies for the Management of the Red Leaf Blotch Disease of Almond
Authors: Torguet Laura , Zazurca Lourdes , Martínez Guillem , Pons-Solé Gemma , Luque Jordi , Miarnau Xavier
Published: June 2022

Red leaf blotch (RLB) of almond, caused by Polystigma amygdalinum, is an important foliar disease of this nut tree in the Mediterranean basin and especially in Spain. In recent years, the control of this disease has become a key factor in the management of Spanish almond orchards. The management of RLB is not easy due to intrinsic factors of the disease (e.g., long infection and latency periods) and the low number of registered fungicides in this country. From 2015 to 2019, different field trials were conducted in the Lleida region, NE Spain, to evaluate the efficacy of several fungicide products and of application strategies to control this disease. Systemic fungicides, which included fluopyram, trifloxystrobin, and mixtures of fluopyram + trifloxystrobin and pyraclostrobin + boscalid, performed better than contact and penetrant products and showed up to 90% control against RLB. However, the efficacy of the tested fungicides varied depending on the year. In terms of application strategies, when fungicide applications were conducted following specific meteorological conditions (after 15 days from >15 mm rainfalls with ≈10–15 °C as the minimum average temperature), their efficacy was comparable to that of calendar-based treatments (every 14, 21, or 31 days from petal fall) but with fewer applications (depending on the year, 2–4 applications as compared with 5–9 for calendar treatments).
The Effects of Sickle Cell Disease on the Quality of Life: A Focus on the Untold Experiences of Parents in Tanzania
Authors: Kilonzi Manase , Mwakawanga Dorkasi L. , Felician Fatuma Felix , Mlyuka Hamu J. , Chirande Lulu , Myemba David T. , Sambayi Godfrey , Mutagonda Ritah F. , Mikomangwa Wigilya P. , Ndunguru Joyce , Jonathan Agnes , Ruggajo Paschal , Minja Irene Kida , Balandya Emmanuel , Makani Julie , Sirili Nathanael
Published: June 2022

Tanzania is among the top five countries with a high burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) in the world. Even though the effects of SCD on quality of life have been documented in other countries including Nigeria and the United States of America, few are known from Tanzania. Therefore, this study focused on evaluating the effects of SCD on the quality of life among children living with SCD and their parents. The study employed a qualitative approach to interview purposively selected parents of children who have lived with SCD and have used hydroxyurea (HU) for more than 3 years. The in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 parents of children with SCD at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania. A semi-structured interview guide was used. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Three themes were generated including psycho-social effects: family conflicts and divorce, limited access to education, stress and fear; financial effects: Employment limitation, reduced efficiency and productivity, loss of job and lack of self-keeping expenses; and physical effects: physical disability and dependence, and burden of the frequent crisis. Children living with SCD and their parents suffer psycho-social, financial, and physical impacts of the disease. Appropriate interventions should be introduced to minimize the observed effects as ways of improving the quality of life of the individuals living with SCD and their caregivers.
From Physical Distancing to Social Loneliness among Gay Men and Other Men Having Sex with Men in Belgium: Examining the Disruption of the Social Network and Social Support Structures
Authors: Thunnissen Estrelle , Buffel Veerle , Reyniers Thijs , Nöstlinger Christiana , Wouters Edwin
Published: June 2022

Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, levels of loneliness have increased among the general population and especially among sexual minorities, such as gay men and other men who have sex with men, who already experienced more problems with social isolation before the pandemic. We analyzed how the disruption of the social network and social support structures by containment measures impact loneliness among gay and other men having sex with men. Our sample consisted of gay and other men having sex with men who had in person communication with family as well as heterosexual friends and homosexual friends before the lockdown (N = 461). Multivariate regression analyses were performed with social provisions (social interaction and reliable alliance) and loneliness as dependent variables. A change from in-person communication with gay peers before the pandemic to remote-only or no communication with gay peers during the pandemic, mediated by change in social integration, was related to an increased feeling of loneliness during the pandemic compared with before the pandemic. There were some unexpected findings, which should be interpreted in the specific social context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. On average, social integration and reliable alliance among MSM increased during the lockdown, even though in-person communication decreased and loneliness increased. Our results show it is critical to maintain a view of social support and social loneliness as lodged within larger social and cultural contexts that ultimately shape the mechanisms behind them.
Educational Interventions to Promote Cervical Cancer Screening among Rural Populations: A Systematic Review
Authors: Zhang Mengyue , Sit Janet W. H. , Chan Dorothy Ngo Sheung , Akingbade Oluwadamilare , Chan Carmen W. H.
Published: June 2022

The urban–rural gap in cervical cancer screening uptake is a significant public health consideration. Educational interventions are commonly adopted to promote cervical cancer screening among females in rural areas; however, the characteristics and effectiveness of these educational interventions remain unclear. In this review, we aimed to identify the characteristics of educational interventions used in rural populations and to evaluate the effects of these interventions on cervical cancer screening-related outcomes. Seven English databases were searched in January 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies were included. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials and the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Quasi-Experimental Studies were used for quality appraisal. RevMan 5.4 software was used for the meta-analysis. A narrative synthesis was conducted in instances where a meta-analysis was inappropriate. Three RCTs and seven quasi-experimental studies conducted in six countries were included. A social cognitive theory-based framework, the community setting, group sessions, healthcare professional-led approaches, and culture-tailored materials were implemented in the educational interventions for cervical cancer screening. The educational content mainly included basic information on cervical cancer screening, psychological issues, barriers and strategies to overcome them, and locally available resources. Educational interventions increased the knowledge and uptake of cervical cancer screening in the rural population. However, the studies only evaluated the short-term effects of these educational interventions, with the cervical screening behavior only being assessed in one instance for each participant. Educational interventions promote cervical cancer screening among females in rural areas. Theory-driven, community-involved, group-based, and healthcare professional-led approaches should be prioritized in the application of educational interventions in rural populations. Both the short- and long-term, influences of educational interventions on the cervical cancer screening behavior of females in rural areas need to be recognized.
Sun Protection and Tanning Behaviors in Caregivers: Prevalence, Determinants, and Associations with Children’s Behaviors
Authors: Diehl Katharina , Thoonen Karlijn , Breitbart Eckhard W. , Pfahlberg Annette B. , Görig Tatiana
Published: June 2022

The association between skin cancer and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is well established, and sun protection behavior represents an important preventative measure. In children, caregivers play a key role in this regard. The subject of this study was threefold: whether caregivers of 1 to 11 year-old children are more likely to use sun protection measures compared to non-caregivers, whether considering oneself a role model is associated with sun protection behaviors, and whether their sun protection and risk behaviors are related to children’s behaviors. We used data from the 2020 wave of the National Cancer Aid Monitoring (NCAM) comprised of 4000 individuals (including 554 caregivers of at least one child aged 1–10 years) aged 16 to 65 years and living in Germany. Data were collected through telephone interviews between October and December 2020. No significant differences between caregivers and non-caregivers regarding sun protection and risk behaviors were identified (except tanning on vacation). In both groups, sun protection behaviors were deficient. Caregivers who considered themselves role models concerning sun safety were more likely to use sun protection measures (e.g., using sunscreen on the face: OR = 5.08, p < 0.001). In addition, caregivers’ sun protection behaviors were positively associated with children’s behaviors. Caregivers being highly protected against UVR were more likely to report the use of different measures by/in the child (mean = 4.03), compared to caregivers with medium (3.41) and low (2.97, p < 0.001) protection levels. However, we also found that caregivers’ risk behavior was associated with children’s reported risk behavior. For future prevention, it might be worth focusing on the aspect of caregivers serving as role models. A comprehensive public-health strategy is needed, including key figures such as pediatricians to prevent today’s children from developing skin cancer in later life.
Parent-Child Separations and Mental Health among First Nations and Métis Peoples in Canada: Links to Intergenerational Residential School Attendance
Authors: McQuaid Robyn J. , Schwartz Flint D. , Blackstock Cindy , Matheson Kim , Anisman Hymie , Bombay Amy
Published: June 2022

First Nations children are over 17 times more likely to be removed from their families and placed in the child welfare system (CWS) than non-Indigenous children in Canada. The high rates of parent-child separation have been linked to discriminatory public services and the Indian Residential School (IRS) system, which instigated a multi-generational cycle of family disruption. However, limited empirical evidence exists linking the IRS to subsequent parent-child separations, the CWS, and mental health outcomes among First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations in Canada. The current studies examine these relationships using a nationally representative sample of First Nations youth (ages 12–17 years) living in communities across Canada (Study 1), and among First Nations and Métis adults (ages 18+ years) in Canada (Study 2). Study 1 revealed that First Nations youth with a parent who attended IRS had increased odds of not living with either of their biological parents, and both IRS and not living with biological parents independently predicted greater psychological distress. Similarly, Study 2 revealed that First Nations and Métis adults with familial IRS history displayed greater odds of spending time in the CWS, and both IRS and CWS predicted elevated depressive symptoms. The increased distress and depressive symptoms associated with parent-child separations calls for First Nations-led interventions to address the inequities in the practices of removing Indigenous children and youth from their families.