bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Caregivers’ Skills in Assisting People with Dementia during Mealtime: Portuguese Cultural Adaptation of the Feeding Skills Checklist
Authors: Passos Lígia , Tavares João , Figueiredo Daniela
Published: June 2021

In advanced dementia, individuals usually develop feeding difficulties. The Feeding Skills Checklist (FSC) is an instrument to assess caregivers’ skills when assisting people with dementia (PwD) at mealtimes. This study aimed to adapt and culturally validate a European Portuguese version of the FSC (FSC-PT) and test its reliability. Initially, translation and cultural validation of the FSC, with estimation of the content validity index (CVI), was conducted. Then, the FSC was applied to 23 female nursing assistants (mean age 44.73 ± 10.42 years) while offering lunch (n = 41 meals) to institutionalized PwD. Inter-rater reliability was determining using Cohen’s Kappa. FSC-PT showed excellent content validity, with item-content validity index ranging from 0.85 to 1, scale level average CVI = 0.94 and universal agreement CVI = 0.54. It also showed very satisfactory inter-observer reliability, with Cohen’s Kappa = 0.844. Of the 41 meals analyzed, only 37.7% of the actions/good practices in feeding PwD were observed. A positive and moderate correlation was found between the length of time working as nursing assistance and the FSC environment dimension (rs = 0.435; p = 0.038). The results supported the content validity of the FSC-PT, which shows considerable potential to be an instrument for verifying caregivers’ skills when helping PWD to eat and should be increasingly studied.
Infection Prevention Performance among In-Flight Cabin Crew in South Korea
Authors: Ryu Jaegeum , Kim Jungha , Choi-Kwon Smi
Published: June 2021

COVID-19 was declared a worldwide pandemic in 2020; thus, preventing in-flight infection transmission is important for stopping global spread via air travel. Infection prevention (IP) performance among aircraft cabin crew is crucial for preventing in-flight transmission. We aimed to identify the level of IP performance and factors affecting IP performance among aircraft cabin crew during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. An online survey was conducted with 177 cabin crew members between August and September 2020. The survey assessed IP performance, and IP awareness, using a five-point Likert scale, and also evaluated simulation-based personal protective equipment (PPE) training experience, and organizational culture. The average IP performance score was 4.56 ± 0.44. Although the performance level for mask-wearing was high (4.73 ± 0.35), hand hygiene (HH) performance (4.47 ± 0.56) was low. Multivariate analysis showed that IP performance was significantly associated with IP awareness (p < 0.05) and simulation-based PPE training experience (p < 0.05). Since HH performance was relatively low, cabin crew and airlines should make efforts to improve HH performance. Furthermore, a high level of IP awareness and PPE training experience can improve IP performance among cabin crew members. Therefore, simulation-based PPE training and strategies to improve IP awareness are essential for preventing in-flight infection transmission.
Copeptin in Patients with Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension
Authors: Marek Agnieszka , Stojko Rafał , Drosdzol-Cop Agnieszka
Published: June 2021

Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) occurs in 6–8% of pregnancies, and increases the risk of many severe obstetric complications. The etiology of PIH has not been fully explained, and hence, treatment is only palliative in nature, and prevention is not fully effective. It has been proposed that PIH development is influenced by the arginine vasopressin pathway, whose surrogate biomarker is copeptin. The aim of this study is a prospective assessment of the relationship between the level of copeptin in pregnant women and the occurrence of PIH, and to identify its usefulness in predicting complications. The study involved a group of 21 pregnant women who developed PIH and 37 women with uncomplicated pregnancies as a control group. Blood samples were collected at the three trimesters of gestation (<13 HBD, between 13 and 26 and >26 HBD) and then frozen. Copeptin levels [pg/mL] were measured in serum samples obtained in the first, second and third trimesters of gestation from women in the PIH and control groups. The concentration of copeptin in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy was statistically significantly higher in the PIH group (p < 0.05). For copeptin determined in the first trimester, which could be used to screen for PIH, the area under the ROC curve was 0.650. The highest risk of PIH occurred in patients with high concentrations of copeptin in the first trimester of pregnancy and obesity OR = 5.5 (95% CI 1.0–31.3). The risk of PIH was augmented in patients with high levels of copeptin and an abnormal Doppler result of the uterine arteries OR = 28.4 (95% CI 5.3–152). In conclusion, copeptin levels were found to be elevated in pregnant women before the diagnosis of PIH; however, copeptin should not be used as a stand-alone marker. The combination of copeptin concentration with the other risk factors (diabetes, maternal age and preeclampsia in previous pregnancy) did not improve the diagnostic values of the use of copeptin in the PIH risk assessment, but the combination of copeptin concentration with BMI may be useful in clinical practice. Measurement of copeptin together with a Doppler examination of uterine arteries in the first trimester of pregnancy may be a useful marker in predicting the development of PIH.
The Dynamic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Air Quality: The Beijing Lessons
Authors: Tao Chenlu , Diao Gang , Cheng Baodong
Published: June 2021

Air pollution is one of the major environmental problems that endanger human health. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an excellent opportunity to investigate the possible methods to improve Beijing’s air quality meanwhile considering Beijing’s economic impact. We used the TVP-VAR model to analyze the dynamic relationship among the pandemic, economy and air quality based on the daily data from 1 January to 30 August 2020. The result shows that the COVID-19 pandemic indeed had a positive effect on air governance which was good for human health, while doing business as usual would gradually weaken this effect. It shows that the Chinese authority’s production restriction effectively deals with air pollution in a short period of time since the pandemic is just like a quasi-experiment that suddenly suspended all the companies. However, as the limitation stops, the improvement decreases. It is not sustainable. In addition, a partial quarantine also has a positive impact on air quality, which means a partial limitation was also helpful in improving air quality and also played an important role in protecting people’s health. Second, the control measures really hurt Beijing’s economy. However, the partial quarantine had fewer adverse effects on the economy than the lockdown. It is supposed to be a reference for air governance and pandemic control. Third, the more the lag periods were, the smaller their impact. Thus, restrictions on production can only be used in emergencies, such as some international meetings, while it is hard to improve the air quality and create a healthy and comfortable living environment only by limitation in the long-term.
Oxytocin Involvement in Body Composition Unveils the True Identity of Oxytocin
Authors: Camerino Claudia
Published: June 2021

The origin of the Oxytocin/Vasopressin system dates back about 600 million years. Oxytocin (Oxt) together with Vasopressin (VP) regulate a diversity of physiological functions that are important for osmoregulation, reproduction, metabolism, and social behavior. Oxt/VP-like peptides have been identified in several invertebrate species and they are functionally related across the entire animal kingdom. Functional conservation enables future exploitation of invertebrate models to study Oxt’s functions not related to pregnancy and the basic mechanisms of central Oxt/VP signaling. Specifically, Oxt is well known for its effects on uteri contractility and milk ejection as well as on metabolism and energy homeostasis. Moreover, the striking evidence that Oxt is linked to energy regulation is that Oxt- and Oxytocin receptor (Oxtr)-deficient mice show late onset obesity. Interestingly Oxt−/− or Oxtr−/− mice develop weight gain without increasing food intake, suggesting that a lack of Oxt reduce metabolic rate. Oxt is expressed in a diversity of skeletal muscle phenotypes and regulates thermogenesis and bone mass. Oxt may increases skeletal muscle tonicity and/or increases body temperature. In this review, the author compared the three most recent theories on the effects of Oxt on body composition.
Residue–Residue Interaction Prediction via Stacked Meta-Learning
Authors: Chen Kuan-Hsi , Hu Yuh-Jyh
Published: June 2021

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) are the basis of most biological functions determined by residue–residue interactions (RRIs). Predicting residue pairs responsible for the interaction is crucial for understanding the cause of a disease and drug design. Computational approaches that considered inexpensive and faster solutions for RRI prediction have been widely used to predict protein interfaces for further analysis. This study presents RRI-Meta, an ensemble meta-learning-based method for RRI prediction. Its hierarchical learning structure comprises four base classifiers and one meta-classifier to integrate predictive strengths from different classifiers. It considers multiple feature types, including sequence-, structure-, and neighbor-based features, for characterizing other properties of a residue interaction environment to better distinguish between noninteracting and interacting residues. We conducted the same experiments using the same data as previously reported in the literature to demonstrate RRI-Meta’s performance. Experimental results show that RRI-Meta is superior to several current prediction tools. Additionally, to analyze the factors that affect the performance of RRI-Meta, we conducted a comparative case study using different protein complexes.
Risk Factors of Patient-Related Safety Events during Active Mobilization for Intubated Patients in Intensive Care Units—A Multi-Center Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Katsukawa Hajime , Ota Kohei , Liu Keibun , Morita Yasunari , Watanabe Shinichi , Sato Kazuhiro , Ishii Kenzo , Yasumura Daisetsu , Takahashi Yo , Tani Takafumi , Oosaki Hitoshi , Nanba Tomoya , Kozu Ryo , Kotani Toru
Published: June 2021

The aim of this study is to clarify the incidence and risk factors of patient-related safety events (PSE) in situations limited to intubated patients in which active mobilization, such as sitting on the edge of the bed/standing/walking, was carried out. A multi-center retrospective observational study was conducted at nine hospitals between January 2017 and March 2018. The safety profiles and PSE of 87 patients were analyzed. PSE occurred in 10 out of 87 patients (11.5%) and 13 out of 198 sessions (6.6%). The types of PSE that occurred were hypotension (8, 62%), heart rate instability (3, 23%), and desaturation (2, 15%). Circulation-related events occurred in 85% of overall cases. No accidents, such as line/tube removal or falls, were observed. The highest incidence of PSE was observed during the mobilization level of standing (8 out of 39 sessions, 20.5%). The occurrence of PSE correlated with the highest activity level under logistic regression analysis. Close vigilance is required for intubated patients during active mobilization in the standing position with regard to circulatory dynamics.
Reduction of Conduction Velocity in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Heida Annejet , van Schie Mathijs S. , van der Does Willemijn F. B. , Taverne Yannick J. H. J. , Bogers Ad J. J. C. , de Groot Natasja M. S.
Published: June 2021

It is unknown to what extent atrial fibrillation (AF) episodes affect intra-atrial conduction velocity (CV) and whether regional differences in local CV heterogeneities exist during sinus rhythm. This case-control study aims to compare CV assessed throughout both atria between patients with and without AF. Patients (n = 34) underwent intra-operative epicardial mapping of the right atrium (RA), Bachmann’s bundle (BB), left atrium (LA) and pulmonary vein area (PVA). CV vectors were constructed to calculate median CV in addition to total activation times (TAT) and unipolar voltages. Biatrial median CV did not differ between patients with and without AF (90 ± 8 cm/s vs. 92 ± 6 cm/s, p = 0.56); only BB showed a CV reduction in the AF group (79 ± 12 cm/s vs. 88 ± 11 cm/s, p = 0.02). In patients without AF, there was no predilection site for the lowest CV (P5) (RA: 12%; BB: 29%; LA: 29%; PVA: 29%). In patients with AF, lowest CV was most often measured at BB (53%) and ranged between 15 to 22 cm/s (median: 20 cm/s). Lowest CVs were also measured at the LA (18%) and PVA (29%), but not at the RA. AF was associated with a prolonged TAT (p = 0.03) and decreased voltages (P5) at BB (p = 0.02). BB was a predilection site for slowing of conduction in patients with AF. Prolonged TAT and decreased voltages were also found at this site. The next step will be to determine the relevance of a reduced CV at BB in relation to AF development and maintenance.
Disparities in ART Live Birth and Cumulative Live Birth Outcomes for Hispanic and Asian Women Compared to White Non-Hispanic Women
Authors: Kotlyar Alexander M. , Simsek Burcin , Seifer David B.
Published: June 2021

BACKGROUND: Conflicting disparities have been seen in assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes for Hispanic and Asian women compared to white, non-Hispanic (WNH) women. We, therefore, sought to clarify these disparities and calculated cumulative live birth rates (CLBR) for these racial or ethnic groups using the SARTCORS database. METHODS: We performed an analysis of the 2014–2016 SARTCORS database for member clinics doing at least 50 cycles of ART each year. RESULTS: In comparison to cycles in WNH women, cycles in Hispanic and Asian patients were in older (p < 0.001), more nulliparous women, that were less likely to have a history of endometriosis compared WNH women regardless of prior ART status. ART cycles in Hispanic and Asian women, exhibited lower rates of live birth (LB) per cycle start (p < 0.001) compared to cycles in WNH women. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that cycles from Hispanic and Asian women were less likely to have a LB and CLBR than white women (OR 0.86; p = 0.004, OR 0.69; p < 0.001, respectively) independent of age, parity, BMI, etiology of infertility, use of ICSI or number of embryos transferred. CONCLUSIONS: Race or ethnicity continues to be an independent prognostic factor for LB and CLBR for ART. Additional analysis of trends among Hispanic and Asian women is warranted to enable addressing disparities in outcomes in ART treatment.
Sex Hormones Related Ocular Dryness in Breast Cancer Women
Authors: Grasso Antonella , Di Zazzo Antonio , Giannaccare Giuseppe , Sung Jaemyoung , Inomata Takenori , Shih Kendrick Co , Micera Alessandra , Gaudenzi Daniele , Spelta Sara , Romeo Maria Angela , Orsaria Paolo , Coassin Marco , Altomare Vittorio
Published: June 2021

Background: Dry eye syndrome (DES) is strictly connected to systemic and topical sex hormones. Breast cancer treatment, the subsequent hormonal therapy, the subsequent hyperandrogenism and the early sudden menopause, may be responsible for ocular surface system failure and its clinical manifestation as dry eye disease. This local dryness is part of the breast cancer iatrogenic dryness, which affects overall mucosal tissue in the fragile population of those with breast cancer. Methods: A literature review regarding the role of sex hormone changes and systemic hormonal replacement treatments (SHRT) in DES available on PubMed and Web of Science was made without any restriction of language. Results: Androgens exert their role on the ocular surface supporting meibomian gland function and exerting a pro-sebaceous effect. Estrogen seems to show a pro/inflammatory role on the ocular surface, while SHRT effects on dry eye are still not well defined, determining apparently contradictory consequences on the ocular surface homeostasis. The role of sex hormones on dry eye pathogenesis is most likely the result of a strict crosstalk between the protective androgens effects and the androgen-modulating effects of estrogens on the meibomian glands. Conclusions: Patients with a pathological or iatrogenic hormonal imbalance, such as in the case of breast cancer, should be assessed for dry eye disease, as well as systemic dryness, in order to restore their social and personal quality of life.
White Spot, a Novel Endoscopic Finding, May Be Associated with Acid-Suppressing Agents and Hypergastrinemia
Authors: Nishiyama Noriko , Kobara Hideki , Ayaki Maki , Fujihara Shintaro , Nakatani Kaho , Tada Naoya , Koduka Kazuhiro , Matsui Takanori , Takata Tadayuki , Chiyo Taiga , Kobayashi Nobuya , Shi Tingting , Fujita Koji , Tani Joji , Yachida Tatsuo , Masaki Tsutomu , Haruma Ken
Published: June 2021

White globe appearance (WGA) is defined as a microendoscopic white lesion with a globular shape underlying the gastric epithelium and is considered a marker of gastric cancer. We recently reported that endoscopically visualized white spot (WS) corresponding to WGA appeared on the nonatrophic mucosa of patients with acid-suppressing agents (A-SA) use. We evaluated patients undergoing routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy and divided the patients into an A-SA group (n = 112) and a control group (n = 158). We compared the presence of WS in both groups. We also compared WS-positive- (n = 31) and -negative (n = 43) groups within the A-SA group regarding these patients’ backgrounds and serum gastrin concentrations. Comparing the A-SA group with controls, the prevalence of WS was significantly higher (31/112 vs. 2/158; p < 0.001). The number of patients with high serum gastrin concentrations was significantly higher in the WS-positive group (18/31) vs. the WS-negative group (5/43) (p < 0.001). Within the A-SA group, the prevalence of WS was also significantly higher in patients taking potassium-competitive acid blockers vs. proton-pump inhibitors (21/31 vs. 10/31, p < 0.001). The WS-positive group had a significantly greater percentage of patients, with a high serum gastrin level (p < 0.001). WS may be associated with hypergastrinemia and potassium-competitive acid blockers.
Contagion Management at the Méditerranée Infection University Hospital Institute
Authors: Fournier Pierre-Edouard , Edouard Sophie , Wurtz Nathalie , Raclot Justine , Bechet Marion , Zandotti Christine , Filosa Véronique , Raoult Didier , Fenollar Florence
Published: June 2021

The Méditerranée Infection University Hospital Institute (IHU) is located in a recent building, which includes experts on a wide range of infectious disease. The IHU strategy is to develop innovative tools, including epidemiological monitoring, point-of-care laboratories, and the ability to mass screen the population. In this study, we review the strategy and guidelines proposed by the IHU and its application to the COVID-19 pandemic and summarise the various challenges it raises. Early diagnosis enables contagious patients to be isolated and treatment to be initiated at an early stage to reduce the microbial load and contagiousness. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to deal with a shortage of personal protective equipment and reagents and a massive influx of patients. Between 27 January 2020 and 5 January 2021, 434,925 nasopharyngeal samples were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Of them, 12,055 patients with COVID-19 were followed up in our out-patient clinic, and 1888 patients were hospitalised in the Institute. By constantly adapting our strategy to the ongoing situation, the IHU has succeeded in expanding and upgrading its equipment and improving circuits and flows to better manage infected patients.
Biopsychosocial Factors Associated with Supportive Care Needs in Canadian Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors
Authors: Guirguis Steven , Fitch Margaret , Maganti Manjula , Gupta Abha A. , D’Agostino Norma , Korenblum Chana , Jones Jennifer M.
Published: June 2021

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) represent an overlooked population in cancer survivorship care. Identifying the needs of AYAs can guide the development of tailored programs for this population. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive analysis to identify biopsychosocial factors associated with AYA post-treatment supportive care needs and unmet needs using data obtained from the Experiences of Cancer Patients in Transitions Study of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, in collaboration with cancer agencies in the 10 Canadian provinces. The analysis focused on data from n = 530 AYAs between the ages of 18 and 34 who had undergone treatment within the past 5 years. Respondents reported a median of two moderate to big (MTB) physical needs (out of 9) and one unmet physical need, two MTB emotional needs (out of 6) with two unmet MTB emotional needs, and one (out of 5) practical need reported and one unmet MTB practical need. We found some common associations across supportive care domains. Income (lower) and more complex treatment were associated with high needs and unmet needs across the three domains. Respondents with a family doctor who was “very involved” in their cancer care had a lower number of unmet physical and emotional needs. Identifying those at risk of supportive care needs and developing tailored pathways in which they are proactively connected with tailored and appropriate resources and programs may help to reduce the number of unmet needs and improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
Hand Erosive Osteoarthritis and Distal Interphalangeal Involvement in Psoriatic Arthritis: The Place of Conservative Therapy
Authors: Poletto Elena , Tinazzi Ilaria , Marchetta Antonio , Smania Nicola , Rossato Elena
Published: June 2021

Hand erosive osteoarthritis (HEOA) and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) with DIP involvement are common diseases affecting the hand. Both of them evolve with a progressive limitation in grip due to limited range of motion of the affected joints and stenosing tenosynovitis. Pharmacological options currently available (corticosteroids and clodronate or Idrossicloroquine) for the treatment of EHOA are mostly symptomatic and currently there are no effective drugs able to modify the course of the disease. In addition, data on drug effectiveness of PsA with DIP involvement are lacking. Conservative therapy should be considered in order to reduce pain and improve hand functionality. There are many studies debating a wide range of non-pharmacological intervention in the management of HEOA: joint protection program, range of motion and strengthening exercise, hand exercise with electromagnetic therapy, application of heat with paraffin wax or balneotherapy, occupational therapy and education. Concerning conservative treatment strategies to treat PsA, on the contrary, current evidence is still weak. Further research is needed to find the correct place of physical therapy to prevent stiffness and ankylosis due to the vicious circle of inflammation-pain-immobility-rigidity.
Modified Vector Field Path-Following Control System for an Underactuated Autonomous Surface Ship Model in the Presence of Static Obstacles
Authors: Xu Haitong , Hinostroza Miguel A. , Guedes Soares C.
Published: June 2021

A modified path-following control system using the vector field method for an underactuated autonomous surface ship model is proposed in the presence of static obstacles. With this integrated system, autonomous ships are capable of following the predefined path, while avoiding the obstacles automatically. It is different from the methods in most published papers, which usually study path-following and obstacle collision avoidance, separately. This paper considers the coupled path following and collision avoidance task as a whole. Meanwhile, the paper also shows the heading control design method in the presence of static obstacles. To obtain a strong stability property, a nonlinear autopilot is designed based on the manoeuvring tests of the free-running ship model. The equilibrium point of the controller is globally exponentially stable. For the guidance system, a novel vector field method was proposed, and the proof shows the coupled guidance and control system is uniform semi-global exponentially stable (USGES). To prevent the obstacles near the predefined path, the proposed guidance law is augmented by integrating the repelling field of obstacles so that it can control the ship travel toward the predefined path through the obstacles safely. The repelling field function is given considering the obstacle shape and collision risk using the velocity obstacle (VO) algorithm. The simulations and ship model test were performed to validate the integrated system of autonomous ships.
Inversion of the Degradation Coefficient of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Pollutants in Laizhou Bay
Authors: Huang Shengmao , Han Haiwen , Li Xiuren , Song Dehai , Shi Wenqi , Zhang Shufang , Lv Xianqing
Published: June 2021

When petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants enter the ocean, besides the migration under hydrodynamic constraints, their degradation due to environmental conditions also occurs. However, available observations are usually spatiotemporally disperse, which makes it difficult to study the degradation characteristics of pollutants. In this paper, a model of transport and degradation is used to estimate the degradation coefficient of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants with the adjoint method. Firstly, the results of a comprehensive physical–chemical–biological test of the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants in Laizhou Bay provide a reference for setting the degradation coefficient on the time scale. In ideal twin experiments, the mean absolute errors between observations and simulation results obtain an obvious reduction, and the given distributions can be inverted effectively, demonstrating the feasibility of the model. In a practical experiment, the actual distribution of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants in Laizhou Bay is simulated, and the simulation results are in good agreement with the observed ones. Meanwhile, the spatial distribution of the degradation coefficient is inverted, making the simulation results closer to the actual observations.
A Proteomic Study on the Personalized Protein Corona of Liposomes. Relevance for Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic DUCTAL Adenocarcinoma and Biomarker Detection
Authors: Digiacomo Luca , Giulimondi Francesca , Pozzi Daniela , Coppola Alessandro , La Vaccara Vincenzo , Caputo Damiano , Caracciolo Giulio
Published: June 2021

Due to late diagnosis, high incidence of metastasis, and poor survival rate, pancreatic cancer is one of the most leading cause of cancer-related death. Although manifold recent efforts have been done to achieve an early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, CA-19.9 is currently the unique biomarker that is adopted for the detection, despite its limits in terms of sensitivity and specificity. To identify potential protein biomarkers for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), we used three model liposomes as nanoplatforms that accumulate proteins from human plasma and studied the composition of this biomolecular layer, which is known as protein corona. Indeed, plasma proteins adsorb on nanoparticle surface according to their abundance and affinity to the employed nanomaterial, thus even small differences between healthy and PDAC protein expression levels can be, in principle, detected. By mass spectrometry experiments, we quantified such differences and identified possible biomarkers for PDAC. Some of them are already known to exhibit different expressions in PDAC proteomes, whereas the role of other relevant proteins is still not clear. Therefore, we predict that the employment of nanomaterials and their protein corona may represent a useful tool to amplify the detection sensitivity of cancer biomarkers, which may be used for the early diagnosis of PDAC, with clinical implication for the subsequent therapy in the context of personalized medicine.
Dexamethasone in the Treatment of COVID-19: Primus Inter Pares?
Authors: Romanou Vasiliki , Koukaki Evangelia , Chantziara Vasiliki , Stamou Panagiota , Kote Alexandra , Vasileiadis Ioannis , Koutsoukou Antonia , Rovina Nikoletta
Published: June 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread globally, becoming a huge public health challenge. Even though the vast majority of patients are asymptomatic, some patients present with pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), septic shock, and death. It has been shown in several studies that the severity and clinical outcomes are related to dysregulated antiviral immunity and enhanced and persistent systemic inflammation. Corticosteroids have been used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, as they are reported to elicit benefits by reducing lung inflammation and inflammation-induced lung injury. Dexamethasone has gained a major role in the therapeutic algorithm of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen or on mechanical ventilation. Its wide anti-inflammatory action seems to form the basis for its beneficial action, taming the overwhelming “cytokine storm”. Amid a plethora of scientific research on therapeutic options for COVID-19, there are still unanswered questions about the right timing, right dosing, and right duration of the corticosteroid treatment. The aim of this review article was to summarize the data on the dexamethasone treatment in COVID-19 and outline the clinical considerations of corticosteroid therapy in these patients.
Spatially Illustrating Leisure Agriculture: Empirical Evidence from Picking Orchards in China
Authors: Cui Jiaxing , Li Ruihao , Zhang Lingyu , Jing Ying
Published: June 2021

In the context of rural revitalization strategies and humans’ increasing leisure pursuit, leisure agriculture starts to act as a new engine of rural economic growth and industrial upgradation. Unraveling the agri-leisure developmental regularity from a spatial perspective facilitates urban-rural integration and poverty alleviation in rural regions. Given the lack of spatially analyzing agri-leisure (e.g., sightseeing picking orchards) especially at the macro-spatial scale (e.g., the national scale), this study aims to explore the spatiality of leisure agriculture and its fundamental driving mechanisms based on geo-visual (spatially visualizing) analytical tools looking at 20,778 picking orchards in China. Results show that: (1) Picking orchards are distributed in the form of clusters with striking disparity at multiple spatial scales; (2) Five spatial agglomerations are found involving the regions around Beijing and Tianjin, Shandong hinterland, Henan hinterland, the core district of the Yangtze Delta, and the core district of the Pearl River Delta; (3) The driving mechanisms are revealed, and the spatial pattern of picking orchards is found to be largely influenced by morphology, distance to central cities, traffic conditions, economic level, and tourism resources. This study is conducive to optimizing the spatial planning of rural eco-tourism towards sustainable agro-development.
Integrating Spatial Markov Chains and Geographically Weighted Regression-Based Cellular Automata to Simulate Urban Agglomeration Growth: A Case Study of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area
Authors: Zhao Yabo , Xie Dixiang , Zhang Xiwen , Ma Shifa
Published: June 2021

Urban agglomeration is an important spatial organization mode in China’s attempts to attain an advanced (mature) stage of urbanization, and to understand its consequences, accurate simulation scenarios are needed. Compared to traditional urban growth simulations, which operate on the scale of a single city, urban agglomeration considers interactions among multiple cities. In this study, we combined a spatial Markov chain (SMC) (a quantitative composition module) with geographically weighted regression-based cellular automata (GWRCA) (a spatial allocation module) to predict urban growth in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), an internationally important urban agglomeration in southern China. The SMC method improves on the traditional Markov chain technique by taking into account the interaction and influence between each city to predict growth quantitatively, whereas the geographically weighted regression (GWR) gives an empirical estimate of urban growth suitability based on geospatial differentiation on the scale of an urban agglomeration. Using the SMC model to forecast growth in the GBA in the year 2050, our results indicated that the rate of smaller cities will increase, while that of larger cities will slow down. The coastal belt in the core areas of the GBA as well as the region’s peripheral cities are most likely to be areas of development by 2050, while established cities such as Shenzhen and Dongguan will no longer experience rapid expansion. Compared with traditional simulation models, the SMC-GWRCA was able to consider spatiotemporal interactions among cities when forecasting changes to a large region like the GBA. This study put forward a development scenario for the GBA for 2050 on the scale of an urban agglomeration to provide a more credible scenario for spatial planning. It also provided evidence in support of using integrated SMC-GWRCA models, which, we maintain, offer a more efficient approach for simulating urban agglomeration development than do traditional methods.
A Geo-Spatial Analysis for Characterising Urban Sprawl Patterns in the Batticaloa Municipal Council, Sri Lanka
Authors: Seevarethnam Mathanraj , Rusli Noradila , Ling Gabriel Hoh Teck , Said Ismail
Published: June 2021

Urban sprawl related to rapid urbanisation in developed and developing nations affects sustainable land use. In Sri Lanka, urban areas have mostly expanded in a rather spontaneous, unplanned manner (based on the current settlers’ subjective movement) rather than conforming to the local government’s development plan. This growth inevitably leads to uncontrolled urban sprawl in many Sri Lankan cities, including Batticaloa. So far, Sri Lanka’s planners or researchers have not yet tackled the sprawling developments in this city. Understanding the different forms and patterns of urban sprawl is the key to address sprawling growth. This study aims to identify the characteristics of urban sprawl in the Batticaloa municipal council using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technology. Landsat satellite images for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 as well as 2002, 2011, and 2019 population data were used and analysed using ArcGIS’ maximum likelihood classification tool and the density function, respectively, to delineate the characteristics of urban sprawl. The results revealed that low-density development, leapfrog development, commercial ribbon development, and scattered growth are the influencing characteristics of urban sprawl in the Batticaloa municipality. These characteristics were found mainly in the urban edge of the city and have led to urban sprawl. The finding provides knowledge into recognising the characteristics of urban sprawl with empirical evidence. It affords a clear direction for future studies of urban sprawl in rapidly growing cities that are numerous in Sri Lanka, and the identified characteristics of urban sprawl can be useful in minimising future sprawl. This result can be a tool for future urban planning and management in the Batticaloa municipality.
Media and Responsibility for Their Effects: Instrumental vs. Environmental Views
Authors: Miroshnichenko Andrey
Published: June 2021

From the perspective of media ecology, this paper explores the question of responsibility for the effects that media have on society. To explain these media effects, two approaches are singled out. (1) The instrumental approach assumes that a medium works as a tool used by a user for a purpose. (2) The environmental approach focuses on the capacity of a medium to become an environmental force that reshapes both the habitat and the inhabitants. The instrumental approach to media, when taken too broadly and without an understanding of its limits, leads to conspiracy theories and inadequate social and political assessments. The more advanced and sophisticated environmental approach allows for an adequate understanding of media evolution and its effects but does not comply with the traditional legal notions of guilt and responsibility for actions, as there is no jurisdictional human or institutional agency when environmental forces are in play. After charting the distinction between the instrumental and environmental views of media, the paper focused on how the instrumental effects of media turn into environmental effects. The purpose of the paper is to develop and offer a media ecological apparatus for possible further juridical discussions regarding the regulation of the networking society.
Profiling and Characterization of Localized Cytokine Response in Congenital Cleft Affected Lip Tissue
Authors: Reiser Sophie Charlotte , Tellermann Jonas , Akota Ilze , Pilmane Māra
Published: June 2021

(1) Background: Despite cleft lips and palates belonging to the most common orofacial congenital anomalies, their morphopathogenesis is not yet fully understood. The study aimed to determine the distribution and relation of cytokines interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-2, IL-7, IL-12, and IL-13 in the cleft affected mucosa of the lip. (2) Materials and Methods: Twenty cleft lip (CL) mucosal samples and seven control tissues of oral cavity mucosa were included in the study. Specimen were obtained during reconstruction surgeries and processed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry for IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-7, IL-12, and IL-13. (3) Results: The distribution of cytokines was higher overall in the cleft affected epithelium compared to the connective tissue, with TNF-a, IL-2, and IL-12 displaying the highest number of immunopositive cells. With the exception of IL-2, CL specimen showed higher immunoreactivity. IFN-γ displayed only minor immunoreactivity, with no expression in the control epithelium. Correlation analysis was strongest between CL epithelial IL-13 and IFN-γ (z = 0.71, p < 0.0001). (4) Conclusions: The CLP affected epithelium displays high degrees of plasticity in expressing different cytokines, pointing towards the stimulation of a local adaptive immune response based on consistent inflammatory processes.
Cutaneous Metastases from Primary Liver Cancers: The Need for Knowledge and Differential Diagnosis
Authors: Cazzato Gerardo , Colagrande Anna , Cimmino Antonietta , De Marco Aurora , Romita Paolo , Foti Caterina , Resta Leonardo , Ingravallo Giuseppe
Published: June 2021

Primary skin tumors are certainly more frequent than metastatic tumors, but the latter can sometimes be the first sign of otherwise unrecognized neoplastic pathology and always correspond to an advanced stage of the disease. Among the various neoplasms that can metastasize in cutaneous districts, skin metastases from primary malignant neoplasms from the liver and biliary tract are infrequent, and when they do occur they can pose differential diagnosis problems to the pathologist. Here we present two cases of metastatic skin lesions, respectively originating from the liver and the intrahepatic biliary tract, and we conduct a brief review of the current literature.
Screening, Diagnostic and Prognostic Tests for COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Ulinici Mariana , Covantev Serghei , Wingfield-Digby James , Beloukas Apostolos , Mathioudakis Alexander G. , Corlateanu Alexandru
Published: June 2021

While molecular testing with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the gold-standard test for COVID-19 diagnosis and screening, more rapid or affordable molecular and antigen testing options have been developed. More affordable, point-of-care antigen testing, despite being less sensitive compared to molecular assays, might be preferable for wider screening initiatives. Simple laboratory, imaging and clinical parameters could facilitate prognostication and triage. This comprehensive review summarises current evidence on the diagnostic, screening and prognostic tests for COVID-19.
Pygidial Glands in Carabidae, an Overview of Morphology and Chemical Secretion
Authors: Giglio Anita , Vommaro Maria Luigia , Brandmayr Pietro , Talarico Federica
Published: June 2021

Predator community structure is an important selective element shaping the evolution of prey defence traits and strategies. Carabid beetles are one of the most diverse families of Coleoptera, and their success in terrestrial ecosystems is related to considerable morphological, physiological, and behavioural adaptations that provide protection against predators. Their most common form of defence is the chemical secretion from paired abdominal pygidial glands that produce a heterogeneous set of carboxylic acids, quinones, hydrocarbons, phenols, aldehydes, and esters. This review attempts to update and summarise what is known about the pygidial glands, with particular reference to the morphology of the glands and the biological function of the secretions.
Understanding the Adoption of Halal Logistics through Critical Success Factors and Stakeholder Objectives
Authors: Haleem Abid , Khan Mohd Imran , Khan Shahbaz
Published: June 2021

Catering to Halal in the industry requires the explicit adoption of Halal Logistics (HL) to avoid the risk of cross-contamination and ensure that Halal products are safe, hygienic, nutritious, pure, unadulterated, and consistent with their labelling. We identify the need for meaningful research constructs relating to the appropriate adoption of Halal logistics through an extensive literature review. This paper identifies Critical Success Factors (CSF) and develops corresponding constructs that are fundamental for understanding the adoption of Halal logistics. This research also identifies the stakeholders involved and their objectives to facilitate the system design. As a starting point, from the existing literature, we adopt a structural model of CSFs to implement Halal Logistics. After that, this paper identifies and validates these CSFs with the support of extensive literature-based reviews, senior managers of Halal exporting organisations, Halal accrediting bodies, and professionals working in logistics and the cold chain. The research findings indicate that logistics service providers need to successfully upgrade their facilities to adopt Halal practices in their operations. Moreover, the role of governments is to reduce bureaucratic complexity so as to improve the ease with which businesses can implement HL. It becomes clear, from the analysis, that logistics service providers have the most prominent role in the effective adoption of the Halal supply chain. Consumers have a more prominent role than government support in the growing market of Halal products. This paper contributes to the identification of stakeholders’ objectives, which will facilitate the efficient adoption of Halal logistics and provide a direction for undertaking associated future work.
(E)-4-Oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-2-carbaldehyde Oxime
Authors: Kalogirou Andreas S. , Kourtellaris Andreas , Koutentis Panayiotis A.
Published: June 2021

Reaction of 4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-2-carbaldehyde with hydroxylamine hydrochloride (1.1 equiv) in the presence of K2CO3 (1 equiv) gave (E)-4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-2-carbaldehyde oxime (8) in 58% yield. The compound was fully characterized and the conformation of the oxime was supported by single crystal x-ray diffractometry.
(E)-2-(2-Oxo-4-phenylbut-3-en-1-yl)benzo[d]thiazole-3(2H)-carboxylates
Authors: Stremski Yordan , Statkova-Abeghe Stela
Published: June 2021

An convenient one-pot approach for the synthesis of new (E)-2-(2-oxo-4-phenylbut-3-en-1-yl)benzo[d]thiazole-3(2H)-carboxylates is demonstrated. The method is based on a three-component reaction of benzylideneacetone with electrophilic N-alkoxycarbonylbenzothiazolium species formed in situ. The newly synthesized compounds were fully characterized by 1D 1H, 13C- NMR, IR and MS.
A New Method of Testing the Dynamic Deformation of Metals
Authors: Pawlicki Jacek , Stanik Zbigniew , Płachta Adam , Kubik Andrzej
Published: June 2021

This paper presents the characteristics of a modernized rotary hammer equipped with a new measuring system based on strain gauges for recording short-term signals. The stand makes it possible to carry out dynamic tensile and bending tests in the range of linear speed of the exciting element from 5 to 40 m/s. Initial tests of dynamic deformation and structural studies in the form of fractures carried out on a representative group of metallic materials allowed determining the correlation “strain rate–strain structure”. The proposed new methodology of dynamic materials testing is an original achievement of the authors and may be an effective tool for assessing the properties of construction materials under conditions of dynamic deformation. In practice, the test results can be used to design the structures of energy-consuming elements of vehicles and aircraft load-bearing elements subjected to dynamic loads. Having an extensive database of results from dynamic tests will allow verifying the correctness of calculations of the structure with the use of the finite element method.
Multiple Attribute Decision-Making Based on Three-Parameter Generalized Weighted Heronian Mean
Authors: Hu Ximei , Yang Shuxia , Zhu Ya-Ru
Published: June 2021

For the aggregation problem of attributes with a correlation relationship, it is often necessary to take the correlation factor into account in order to make the decision results more objective and reasonable. The Heronian mean is an aggregation operator which reflects the interaction between attributes. It is of great theoretical and practical significance to study and popularize the multiple attribute decision-making methods based on the Heronian mean operator. In this paper, we first give a new three-parameter generalized weighted Heronian mean (TPGWHM), which has a series of excellent properties such as idempotency, monotonicity and boundedness. At the same time, the relationship between the TPGWHM and the existing aggregation operators is given. Then, we propose the intuitionistic fuzzy three-parameter generalized weighted Heronian mean (IFTPGWHM) and give its idempotency, monotonicity, boundedness and limit properties. On this basis, a multiple attribute decision-making method based on the TPGWHM and a multiple attribute decision-making method based on the IFTPGWHM are given, and corresponding examples are given and analyzed.
Generalized Strongly Increasing Semigroups
Authors: García Barroso E. R. , García-García J. I. , Vigneron-Tenorio A.
Published: June 2021

In this work, we present a new class of numerical semigroups called GSI-semigroups. We see the relations between them and other families of semigroups and we explicitly give their set of gaps. Moreover, an algorithm to obtain all the GSI-semigroups up to a given Frobenius number is provided and the realization of positive integers as Frobenius numbers of GSI-semigroups is studied.