bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flood vulnerability assessment in the Accra Metropolis, southeastern Ghana
Authors: Dekongmen Benjamin Wullobayi , Kabo-bah Amos Tiereyangn , Domfeh Martin Kyereh , Sunkari Emmanuel Daanoba , Dile Yihun Taddele , Antwi Eric Ofosu , Gyimah Rita Akosua Anima
Published: July 2021

Floods in Ghana have become a perennial challenge in the major cities and communities located in low-lying areas. Therefore, cities and communities located in these areas have been classified as potential or natural flood-prone zones. In this study, the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the Accra Metropolis was used to assess the drainage density and elevation patterns of the area. The annual population estimation data and flood damages were assessed to understand the damages and population trend. This research focused primarily on the elevation patterns, slope patterns, and drainage density of the Accra Metropolis. Very high drainage density values, which range between 149 and 1117 m/m2, showed very high runoff converging areas. High drainage density was also found to be in the range of 1117–1702 m/m2, which defined the area as a high runoff converging point. The medium and low converging points of runoff were also found to be ranging between 1702–2563 m/m2 and 2563–4070 m/m2, respectively. About 32% of the study area is covered by natural flood-prone zones, whereas flood-prone zones also covered 33% and frequent flood zones represent 25%. Areas in the Accra Metropolis that fall in the Accraian and Togo series rock types experience high floods. However, the lineament networks (geological structures) that dominate the Dahomeyan series imply that the geological structures in the Dahomeyan series also channel the runoffs into the low-lying areas, thereby contributing to the perennial flooding in the Accra Metropolis.
Heavy metal and metalloid contamination in the sediments of the Spekboom River, South Africa
Authors: Addo-Bediako Abraham , Nukeri Sophy , Kekana Millicent
Published: July 2021

The impact of anthropogenic activities such as mining, agriculture and urbanization is causing heavy metal contamination in many freshwater ecosystems. The concentrations of eight elements (As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the Spekboom River, South Africa, were studied using enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) to assess the extent of pollution in the river. Sediment samples were collected and analyzed using sequential inductively coupled plasma—optical emission spectrometry. The results showed deterioration of the sediment quality with high concentration of Cr and Ni at all the sites, this is a reflection of contamination from the various anthropogenic activities in the area. The current levels of Cr and Ni could be detrimental to the river and may pose a serious threat to the aquatic organisms and humans, as the sediment could act as a secondary source of metal pollution in the water. It is therefore recommended that urgent action should be taken to control effluents from anthropogenic activities to the river in order to prevent further pollution.
Religious Certainty as Social Capital
Authors: Wollschleger Jason
Published: July 2021

Background

Recent scholarship on the social embeddedness of religion indicate that religious choices are often best explained through social ties, and religious belief and practice is influenced by congregational embeddedness. Berger's theory of secularization argued that plausibility structures were maintained by interactions with others with the same worldview, and that outgroup ties can reduce one's certainty in religion and be detrimental to the religious group. Taken together these approaches suggest that religious certainty functions like Coleman's conceptualization of social capital.

Purpose

The purpose of this present study is to begin to conceptualize religious certainty as a form of social capital: something that inheres in social relationships and serves as a resource for future religious action of the individual; as well as potentially serving a resource for congregations.

Methods

Using the Baylor Religion Study 2005 data I operationalize religious certainty as the certainty in the belief of the existence of God, and then perform logistic regression on certainty in God's existence using social ties variables. Then I operationalize religious participation as attendance and run a multiple regression on attendance using certainty in the belief of God as an independent variable.

Results

The findings from the logistic regression on certainty indicate support for the hypotheses concerning social ties and certainty. The study finds that family religiosity and the number of friends one has who attend the same congregation the higher odds of certainty; whereas and the number of non-religious friends one has decreases the odds of certainty in the existence of God. The multiple regression on attendance suggests that religious certainty, net of all other variables, has a strong positive influence on attendance.

Conclusions and Implications

The results offer preliminary support for the argument: religious certainty does in fact appear to be a form of social capital since it inheres in social relationships and serves as a resource for individual action. This has important implications for congregations as those with higher stocks of social capital will have greater resources for religious action. It also offers some empirical support for the microfoundations of Berger's theory of secularization.
Chemical and mineral composition of ashes from wood biomass combustion in domestic wood-fired furnaces
Authors: Smołka-Danielowska Danuta , Jabłońska Mariola
Published: July 2021

The paper presents the results of studies on ashes produced from burning wood biomass in closed wood-fired furnaces, in individual household furnaces (Silesian Province, Poland). Dry sieve analysis and detailed granulometric analysis were performed with the Analysette 22 Micro Tec plus analyser. Content of the basic elements (Al, Si, P, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe) and potentially toxic elements (As, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Hg) was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Relative enrichment factors (REFs) were calculated for the elements (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, As, Hg, and Cr), and the emissions (E) of Pb, Cd, Hg, and As to the environment were estimated. The carbon content (40.2%–45.8%), H (3.7%–6.1%), O (46.2%–50.2%), N (0.12%–0.32%), and S (0.11%–0.96%) in wood biomass varies and depends on the wood species and drying period. The content of volatile parts in wood biomass ranges between 69.3 and 81%. Ash content varies between 2.6 and 18.3%. The wood calorific value ranges from 13.6 MJ/kg to 17.4 MJ/kg. Moisture content in the wood biomass ranges from 13.7% (briquette) to 46.7% (fresh birch). Identification of mineral composition and phases yields a high share of calcite, monetite, fairchildite, and quartz in the examined ashes. The combustion of wood biomass in fireplaces results in increased emissions of Pb and Cd to the atmosphere and may be the cause of introducing pollutants to waters and soils during ash storage.
Development and testing of a novel geothermal wall system
Authors: Baralis Matteo , Barla Marco
Published: July 2021

Shallow geothermal energy systems have the potential to contribute to the decarbonization of heating and cooling demands of buildings. These systems typically present drawbacks as high initial investments and occupancy of wide areas. In this study, a novel energy wall system is proposed to overcome the limitations of conventional geothermal applications in urban areas. The system is characterized by ease of installation, low initial costs and applicability to existing buildings undergoing energy retrofitting. The paper illustrates the implementation of the prototype of such a system to an existing structure in Torino (Italy). An overview of the components is given together with the interpretation of an illustrative test carried out in heating mode. The data from both heating and cooling experimental campaigns allow us to highlight the potential of the proposed technology. The results suggest that an average thermal power of about 17 W per unit area can be exchanged with the ground in heating mode, while an average of 68 W per unit area is exchanged in cooling operations. The negligible impact on the stress–strain state of the wall and the surrounding soil thermal and hygrometric regime is also testified by the results collected. These aspects are associated with a reduced probability of interferences with other installations in highly urbanized areas, easiness of installation and affordable cost.
Fermatean fuzzy TOPSIS-based approach for occupational risk assessment in manufacturing
Authors: Gul Muhammet , Lo Huai-Wei , Yucesan Melih
Published: July 2021

The importance of risk assessment in the context of occupational health and safety by manufacturing operators strengthens their hands in solving the problems they may encounter in business processes related to health and safety. One of the most important phases of conducting an exhaustive occupational risk assessment is to analyze potential hazards and associated risks quantitatively. Since manufacturing is one of the industries that require workers to be highly exposed to work, creating a safer environment to reduce occupational injuries is an important task. This study proposes a novel fuzzy risk assessment approach developed by integrating Fermatean fuzzy sets (FFSs) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method for ranking potential hazards in manufacturing. FFSs are a new version of fuzzy set theory that covers the intuitionistic fuzzy sets and Pythagorean fuzzy sets. This version of the fuzzy set is crucial in the decision-making process to handle uncertain information more easily and reflect uncertainty better. A linguistic scale under Fermatean fuzzy documentation has also been developed for experts/decision makers to disclose their judgments easily. Occupational risk analysts can benefit from this approach since FFSs are used for the first time in occupational risk assessment, and the approach is presented in integration with TOPSIS. The proposed approach is applied in the aluminum plate-manufacturing process risk assessment. In the conclusion of the implementation, risks arising in the production are prioritized. In addition, this study made comparisons with other fuzzy methods to demonstrate the proposed approach’s difference and practicality. This study’s results can support practitioners and risk analysts in formulating the improvement measures to increase the safety of the work environment further.
Large-scale manufacturing route to metamaterial coatings using thermal spray techniques and their response to solar radiation
Authors: Faisal Nadimul Haque , Sellami Nazmi , Venturi Federico , Hussain Tanvir , Mallick Tapas , Muhammad-Sukki Firdaus , Bishop Alex , Upadhyaya Hari , Katiyar Nirmal Kumar , Goel Saurav
Published: July 2021

Metamaterials, an artificial periodic two- or three-dimensional configuration, can change propagation characteristics of electromagnetic waves (i.e., reflection, transmission, absorption). The current challenges in the field of metamaterial coatings are their manufacturing in a large-scale and large-length scale. There is a clear need to enhance process technologies and scalability of these. Thermal spraying is a method used to deposit small- to large-scale coatings where the sprayed layer is typically formed by the successive impact of fully or partially molten particles of a material exposed to various process conditions. This work aims to investigate the feasibility to manufacture large scale metamaterial coatings using the thermal spray technique and examine their response to solar radiation. Two types of coatings namely, Cr2O3 and TiO2, were deposited onto various substrates (e.g., steel, aluminium, glass, indium tin oxide (ITO)–coated glass) with a fine wire mesh (143 µm and 1 mm aperture sizes) as the masking sheet to manipulate the surface pattern using suspension high-velocity oxy-fuel thermal spraying (S-HVOF) and atmospheric plasma-sprayed (APS) methods, respectively. Post deposition, their responses subjected to electromagnetic wave (between 250 and 2500 nm or ultraviolet (UV)-visible (Vis)-infrared (IR) region) were characterised. The additional microstructural characterisation was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), three-dimensional profilometry, and optical spectroscopy. It is demonstrated that through novel application of thermal spray techniques, large-scale manufacturing of metamaterial coating is possible, and such material can affect electromagnetic wave propagation. Comparison between Cr2O3 and TiO2 coatings on aluminium substrates showed reduced three orders of reduced reflectance for Cr2O3 coatings (for 1-mm aperture size) throughout the spectrum. It was concluded that for a similar bandgap, Cr2O3 coatings on aluminium substrate will yield improved optical performance than TiO2 coating, and hence more useful to fabricate opto-electronic devices.

Graphical abstract
Exposure of the cytoplasm to low-dose X-rays modifies ataxia telangiectasia mutated-mediated DNA damage responses
Authors: Maeda Munetoshi , Tomita Masanori , Maeda Mika , Matsumoto Hideki , Usami Noriko , Kume Kyo , Kobayashi Katsumi
Published: July 2021

We recently showed that when a low X-ray dose is used, cell death is enhanced in nucleus-irradiated compared with whole-cell-irradiated cells; however, the role of the cytoplasm remains unclear. Here, we show changes in the DNA damage responses with or without X-ray microbeam irradiation of the cytoplasm. Phosphorylated histone H2AX foci, a surrogate marker for DNA double-strand breaks, in V79 and WI-38 cells are not observed in nucleus irradiations at ≤ 2 Gy, whereas they are observed in whole-cell irradiations. Addition of an ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase inhibitor to whole-cell irradiations suppresses foci formation at ≤ 2 Gy. ABL1 and p73 expression is upregulated following nucleus irradiation, suggesting the induction of p73-dependent cell death. Furthermore, CDKN1A (p21) is upregulated following whole-cell irradiation, indicating the induction of cell cycle arrest. These data reveal that cytoplasmic radioresponses modify ATM-mediated DNA damage responses and determine the fate of cells irradiated at low doses.
Improvement of n-butanol Guerbet condensation: a reaction integration of n-butanol Guerbet condensation and 1,1-dibutoxybutane hydrolysis
Authors: Han Xiaoxu , Li Shuaiqi , An Hualiang , Zhao Xinqiang , Wang Yanji
Published: July 2021

n-Butanol Guerbet condensation is a green route to 2-ethylhexanol (2EHO).
Fabrication of an injectable hydrogel with inherent photothermal effects from tannic acid for synergistic photothermal-chemotherapy
Authors: Zhu Xiao , Guan Binggang , Sun Ziling , Tian Xin , Li Xinming
Published: July 2021

An injectable hydrogel with excellent photothermal effects was prepared from 4-arm-PEG-SH and tannic acid via the Michael addition reaction for synergistic photothermal-chemotherapy.
Extinction rate of continuous state branching processes in critical Lévy environments
Authors: Bansaye Vincent , Pardo Juan Carlos , Smadi Charline
Published: July 2021

We study the speed of extinction of continuous state branching processes in a Lévy environment, where the associated Lévy process oscillates. Assuming that the Lévy process satisfies Spitzer’s condition, we extend recent results where the associated branching mechanism is stable. The study relies on the path analysis of the branching process together with its Lévy environment, when the latter is conditioned to have a non-negative running infimum. For that purpose, we combine the approach developed in Afanasyevet al.[2], for the discrete setting and i.i.d. environments, with fluctuation theory of Lévy processes and a result on exponential functionals of Lévy processes due to Patie and Savov [28].
Outcomes of Adult Ewing Sarcoma Treated with Multimodality Therapy: A Single-Institute Experience
Authors: Chandran Ravi , Kuruva Siva Prasad , Chennamaneni Rachana , Bala Stalin , Konatam Meher Lakshmi , Gundeti Sadashivudu
Published: July 2021

Introduction Ewing sarcoma (ES) is more common in children and relatively rare in adults. Adult ES has poor prognosis than children. Treatment approaches for adults have been extrapolated from pediatric experience. Data on adult ES are very few because of its rarity in adults. The present study was done to analyze the clinical profile and outcome of adult ES.

Aims The aim was to study the clinical and pathological treatment and outcomes in adult ES.

Subjects and Methods Between 2010 and 2017, a total of 73 ES patients with age more than 18 years were retrospectively analyzed. Survival analysis was done by plotting Kaplan–Meier curves.

Results A total of 73 patients were diagnosed with ES during 2010 to 2017. Among them, 43 (58.9%) had localized disease with a median age of 24.5 years. Males were 44 (60.3%) and females were 29 (39.7). Pain (75.3%) was the most common symptom at presentation. Nine patients had incomplete details and were excluded from the analysis. Among 21 (28.8%) patients, the lung (61.9%) was the most common site of metastasis followed by the bone, bone marrow, and brain. The median number of chemotherapy cycles in the localized disease was 14 (range 1–17), and in metastatic disease, it was 4 (range 1–7). Univariate analysis was done with respect to age (< 25 vs. ≥25), gender, elevated or normal serum lactate dehydrogenase level, tumor size (< 8 cm versus ≥8 cm), site (axial versus extremity), and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) given or not. NACT had a significant impact on overall survival (OS) and the rest had no effect. At a median follow-up of 40 months, the 3-year OS in localized disease was 87.4%. In metastatic disease, the median OS was 13 months with 3-year OS of 26%.

Conclusions Outcomes with multimodality therapy in adult ES patients with localized disease are comparable to that of a pediatric cohort. However, metastatic disease has poor survival.
Demographic Trends in Carcinoma Esophagus from India along with a Brief Comparative Review of the Global Trends
Authors: Krishnamurthy Arvind , Behuria Siva Shankar
Published: July 2021

Background Esophageal cancers (ECs) are more prevalent in the East Asian countries of the world, wherein squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are the predominant histological subtype. In contrast, the patterns in the West are a bit heterogeneous, with esophageal adenocarcinoma (AC) being the more frequent histological subtype. There is very sparse published Indian data pertaining to the demographic trends of ECs.

Materials and Methods Our study was a retrospective analysis of the demographic trends of 917 patients afflicted with ECs who were managed at our center over a 10-year period.

Results and Discussion EC accounted for nearly 4.1% of the total cancer burden managed at our center from January 2002 to December 2011. The mean age of our patient cohort was 54.2 years. The male:female ratio was nearly 1.7:1. Tobacco chewing was noted in 25.4%, smoking in 37%, while alcohol consumption was noted in approximately 20% of the patients. SCC was the most common histological subtype (78.3%), while ACs constituted only 9.9%. Eighty-nine percent of our patients presented with locally advanced staged tumors. Definitive chemoradiation was the most common modality of definitive management then; however, over the years, our preferred choice of the management of ECs has shifted to neoadjuvant chemoradiation, followed by surgery in the carefully selected patients of locally advanced resectable ECs.

Conclusion Our study clearly shows SCC to be the most common histological subtype among ECs, a trend that has been observed in the vast majority of the East Asian nations. The epidemic rise in the incidence of esophageal ACs as seen in the West is not seen in our study. Periodic monitoring of the demographic trends of ECs is of great importance both for clinicians and policymakers. We hope that our study will enlighten both policy holders and clinicians to better channelize the efforts toward prevention and more effective management of this deadly cancer.
Marathi Translation and Linguistic Validation of an Updated European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Module for Head and Neck
Authors: Waghmare Chaitali M. , Pawar Hemant J. , Jain Vandana S. , Bhanu Arya , Thakur Pradeep K. , Nirmal Padmini H.
Published: July 2021

Aim This study was aimed to translate an updated European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life module for head and neck (EORTC QLQ-H&N43) in grammatically and conceptually acceptable Marathi language and its linguistic validation.

Materials and Methods Approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee. The permission for translation was obtained from the EORTC translation unit (TU). The EORTC guidelines for the translation were followed to form a translation for pilot testing which was administered to 10 Marathi speaking head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) patients who gave informed written consent for the participation in the study. Patients were interviewed personally. The final Marathi translation was prepared and sent to EORTC TU for approval. Statistical analysis was performed using SYSTAT version 12 by Cranes software, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

Results After getting permission, the translation files were received from EORTC TU, including Marathi EORTC QLQ-H&N35 for reference. Two forward translations, reconciled translation, back translations, first interim translation, translation for proof editing, and second interim translation (SIT) were prepared. This SIT was pilot tested in 10 Marathi-speaking HNSCC patients. Each patient was interviewed regarding difficulty in answering, confusing or offensive word, and reframing sentence. The questionnaire was well understood by patients reflecting its linguistic validity. After incorporating the changes as per the patient’s interview, updated translation was prepared and sent to EORTC TU which was accepted and approved by EORTC. The psychometric analysis of pilot testing showed that the questionnaire is acceptable.

Conclusion Marathi translation of EORTC QLQ-H&N43 is well accepted and understandable. It can be used for future studies.
Real-World Data on the Effectiveness and Safety of wilate for the Treatment of von Willebrand Disease
Authors: Sholzberg Michelle , Khair Kate , Yaish Hassan , Rodgers George , Cruz Maria Sol , Mejía Cesar Montaño , Čermáková Zuzana , Matino Davide , Teitel Jerome , Barrie Alpha , Werner Sylvia , Prondzinski Mario von Depka
Published: July 2021

Background The efficacy and safety of wilate (human von Willebrand factor/coagulation factor VIII) in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) has been demonstrated in clinical trials. Here, we present real-world data on the use of wilate for the routine care of patients with VWD.

Objectives The objectives of this observational, prospective, phase 4 study were to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of wilate in on-demand treatment of bleeding episodes (BEs), long-term prophylaxis, and surgical prophylaxis among patients with any type of VWD.

Methods Patients were enrolled at 31 study centers in 11 countries and followed for up to 2 years. Safety endpoints included adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and drug tolerability. Effectiveness was assessed using annualized bleeding rates (ABRs) during prophylaxis and predefined criteria for the treatment of BEs and surgical prophylaxis.

Results A total of 111 patients (76 [68%] female) including 41 (37%) children were treated with wilate. Twenty-five patients received prophylaxis, 29 on-demand treatment, and 62 surgical prophylaxis. Tolerability was rated by patients as “excellent” for 96.2% of 6,497 infusions. No unexpected ADRs or thrombotic events were reported. Median ABR during prophylaxis was 1.9. Effectiveness was assessed as “excellent” or “good” by patients and investigators for 100% of BEs treated on-demand, 98% (patient rating) and 99% (investigator rating) of breakthrough BEs, and 99% of surgical procedures (investigator rating).

Conclusion wilate was safe, well tolerated, and effective for the prevention and treatment of bleeding in pediatric and adult VWD patients in a real-world setting.
Lower Antiplatelet Effect of Aspirin in Essential Thrombocythemia than in Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Pedersen Oliver Buchhave , Hvas Anne-Mette , Ommen Hans Beier , Kristensen Steen Dalby , Grove Erik Lerkevang
Published: July 2021

Background Patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and coronary artery disease (CAD) have increased risk of thromboembolic complications. In addition, a reduced antiplatelet effect of aspirin has been demonstrated in both patient groups. As ET is a platelet disorder, platelets may be more important for the thromboembolic risk in ET than in CAD. We aimed to investigate the antiplatelet effect of aspirin and platelet turnover in ET versus CAD patients.

Methods We included 48 ET patients and an age-matched group of 48 CAD patients. The effect of aspirin was evaluated by thromboxane B2 (TXB2) levels and platelet aggregation. Platelet turnover was assessed by immature platelet count (IPC) and immature platelet fraction (IPF).

Results ET patients had reduced effect of aspirin compared with CAD patients, demonstrated by significantly higher TXB2 levels (median of differences = 22.3 ng/mL, p < 0.0001) and platelet aggregation (median of differences = 131.0 AU*min, p = 0.0003). Furthermore, ET patients had significantly higher IPC (p < 0.0001) and IPF (p = 0.0004) than CAD patients.

Conclusion ET patients have lower 24-hour antiplatelet effect of aspirin than CAD patients. This may be explained by an increased platelet production and turnover counteracting the antiplatelet effect of aspirin. These findings strengthen the rationale for exploring novel antiplatelet regimens in ET patients to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.
CyberKnife Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Recurrent or Oligometastatic Gynecological Cancers
Authors: Kataria Tejinder , Naga Pushpa , Banerjee Susovan , Gupta Deepak , Narang Kushal , Tayal Manoj , Bisht Shyam Singh
Published: July 2021

Purpose Use of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) in the treatment of recurrent or metastatic lesions from a primary gynecologic cancer is a relatively new concept. The present study aims to assess the safety, efficacy, and possible toxicity profile of CyberKnife SABR, recurrent or metastatic disease.

Materials/Methods CyberKnife VSI-based SABR was offered to 20 oligometastatic/recurrent gynecological cancer patients between 2013 and 2019. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics including radiotherapy details, clinical outcome in terms of local control rates, and toxicities are reported in this study.

Results Twenty-five recurrent or oligometastatic lesions for 20 primary gynecologic cancer patients including cervical (n = 8), ovarian (n = 6), endometrial (n = 5), and vulvar (n = 1) cancers were analyzed. Of these, 4 (16%) were intracranial lesions and remaining 21 (84%) were extracranial, consisting of 14 (67%) extrapelvic and 7 (33%) pelvic lesions. The median SABR dose delivered was 60 Gy biologically effective dose (range 42–133 Gy) in an average of four fractions (range 1–6). The mean follow-up was 18 (range 2–70) months. Local tumor control was achieved in 82% of patients. There was no grade ≥ 3 toxicity recorded.

Conclusion Our study results suggest that CyberKnife SABR is an effective treatment modality with no major morbidity in patients with recurrent or oligometastatic gynecological cancers.
Endothelium Activation Markers in Severe Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: Role in Mortality Risk Prediction
Authors: Marchetti Marina , Gomez-Rosas Patricia , Sanga Eleonora , Gamba Sara , Verzeroli Cristina , Russo Laura , Restuccia Francesco , Schieppati Francesca , Bonanomi Ezio , Rizzi Marco , Fagiuoli Stefano , D'Alessio Andrea , Lorini Luca , Falanga Anna
Published: July 2021

Introduction Endothelial damage and hypercoagulability are major players behind the hemostatic derangement of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Aim In this prospective study we assessed endothelial and inflammatory biomarkers in a cohort of COVID-19 patients, aiming to identify predictive factors of in-hospital mortality.

Methods COVID-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care (ICU) and non-ICU units at 2 Bergamo (Italy) hospitals from March 23 to May 30, 2020, were enrolled. Markers of endothelium activation including von-Willebrand factor (vWF), soluble thrombomodulin (sTM), and fibrinolytic proteins (t-PA and PAI-1) were measured. Additionally, D-dimer, Fibrinogen, FVIII, nucleosomes, C reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin were assessed.

Results Sixty-three (45 ICU, and 18 non-ICU) patients, with a median age of 62 years were analyzed. Increased plasma levels of D-dimer, FVIII, fibrinogen, nucleosomes, CRP, and procalcitonin were observed in the whole cohort. Extremely elevated vWF levels characterized all patients (highest values in ICU-subjects). After a median time of 30 days, death occurred in 13 (21%) patients. By multivariable analysis, vWF-activity, neutrophil-count and PaO2/FiO2 were significantly associated with death. Using these variables, a linear score with 3-risk groups was generated that provided a cumulative incidence of death of 0% in the low-, 32% in the intermediate-, and 78% in the high-risk group.

Conclusions COVID-19-induced hemostatic abnormalities are exacerbated by the severity of the disease and strongly correlate with the inflammatory status, underlying the link between coagulation, endothelial activation, and inflammation. Our study provides evidence for a role of vWF, together with neutrophils and PaO2/FiO2, as a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality by SARSCoV-2 infection.
Megakaryocyte Cytoskeletal Proteins in Platelet Biogenesis and Diseases
Authors: Mbiandjeu Serge , Balduini Alessandra , Malara Alessandro
Published: July 2021

Thrombopoiesis governs the formation of blood platelets in bone marrow by converting megakaryocytes into long, branched proplatelets on which individual platelets are assembled. The megakaryocyte cytoskeleton responds to multiple microenvironmental cues, including chemical and mechanical stimuli, sustaining the platelet shedding. During the megakaryocyte's life cycle, cytoskeletal networks organize cell shape and content, connect them physically and biochemically to the bone marrow vascular niche, and enable the release of platelets into the bloodstream. While the basic building blocks of the cytoskeleton have been studied extensively, new sets of cytoskeleton regulators have emerged as critical components of the dynamic protein network that supports platelet production. Understanding how the interaction of individual molecules of the cytoskeleton governs megakaryocyte behavior is essential to improve knowledge of platelet biogenesis and develop new therapeutic strategies for inherited thrombocytopenias caused by alterations in the cytoskeletal genes.
Enhanced formation of bromophenols by anthraquinone-2-sulfonate and benzophenone: implications for photochemical production of organobromine compounds by dissolved organic matter in a marine environment
Authors: Liu Hui , Qiu Xiaojun , Zhu Xiaomei , Sun Bing , Zhang Xiaoxing
Published: July 2021

Environmental context Organobromine compounds are a potential environmental hazard, but there are many uncertainties about their natural sources. This paper investigated the photochemical generation of bromophenols in the presence of dissolved organic matters (DOMs) and proxies, and demonstrated that DOMs enhance the photobromination reaction. The result indicates that the bromination process induced by sunlit DOMs likely contributes to the natural sources of organobromine compounds in the marine environment. Abstract Organobromine compounds are substantial environmental hazards owing to their high toxicity on organisms. Here we study the photochemical formation of bromophenols from phenol in bromide aqueous solutions (0.8–80 mM) in the presence of anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQ2S) and benzophenone (BP), which were adopted as the proxies of dissolved organic matter (DOM) having quinones and aromatic ketones structures. The formation of bromophenols increased with the increase of the concentrations of AQ2S and BP, and the promotion effect was in the order AQ2S > BP. Bromide and chloride ions were found to promote the formation of bromophenols. Moreover, natural DOM from Suwannee River was found to enhance this photobromination reaction at a low concentration (1 mg L−1). These results demonstrate the generation of reactive halogen species from sunlit DOM, and such a process could account for the abiotic source of organobromine compounds in a marine environment, as terrestrial DOM distributes universally in estuaries and coastal seawater and could diffuse to the open sea.
HEMDAG: a family of modular and scalable hierarchical ensemble methods to improve Gene Ontology term prediction
Authors: Notaro Marco , Frasca Marco , Petrini Alessandro , Gliozzo Jessica , Casiraghi Elena , Robinson Peter N , Valentini Giorgio
Published: July 2021

Motivation

Automated protein function prediction is a complex multi-class, multi-label, structured classification problem in which protein functions are organized in a controlled vocabulary, according to the Gene Ontology (GO). ‘Hierarchy-unaware’ classifiers, also known as ‘flat’ methods, predict GO terms without exploiting the inherent structure of the ontology, potentially violating the True-Path-Rule (TPR) that governs the GO, while ‘hierarchy-aware’ approaches, even if they obey the TPR, do not always show clear improvements with respect to flat methods, or do not scale well when applied to the full GO.

Results

To overcome these limitations, we propose Hierarchical Ensemble Methods for Directed Acyclic Graphs (HEMDAG), a family of highly modular hierarchical ensembles of classifiers, able to build upon any flat method and to provide ‘TPR-safe’ predictions, by leveraging a combination of isotonic regression and TPR learning strategies. Extensive experiments on synthetic and real data across several organisms firstly show that HEMDAG can be used as a general tool to improve the predictions of flat classifiers, and secondly that HEMDAG is competitive versus state-of-the-art hierarchy-aware learning methods proposed in the last CAFA international challenges.

Availability and implementation

Fully tested R code freely available at https://anaconda.org/bioconda/r-hemdag. Tutorial and documentation at https://hemdag.readthedocs.io.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A seismic petrophysical classification study of the 2-D SEAM model using semisupervised techniques and detrended attributes
Authors: Dunham Michael W , Malcolm Alison E , Welford J Kim
Published: July 2021

For many machine learning problems, there are sufficient data to train a wide range of algorithms. However, many geoscience applications are challenged with limited training data. Seismic petrophysical classification, mapping seismic data to litho-fluid classes, is one of these examples because the training data labels are based on data gathered from wells. Supervised machine learning algorithms are prone to overfitting in scarce training data situations, but semisupervised approaches are designed for these problems because the unlabelled data are also used to inform the learning process. We adopt label propagation (LP) and self-training methods to solve this problem, because they are semisupervised methods that are conceptually simple and easy to implement. The supervised method we consider for comparison is the popular extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) classifier. The data set we use for our study is one we generate ourselves from the SEG Advanced Modelling (SEAM) Phase 1 model. We first synthesize seismic data from this model and then perform pre-stack seismic inversion to recover seismic attributes. We formulate a classification problem using the seismic attributes as unlabelled data, with training labels from a single well. The benefit of this being a synthetic problem is that we have full control and the ability to quantitatively assess the machine learning predictions. Our initial results reveal that the inherent depth-dependent background trends of the input attributes produce artefacts in each of the machine learning predictions. We address this problem by using a simple median filter to remove these background trends. The predictions using the detrended inputs improve the performance for all three algorithms, in some cases on the order of 10 to 20 per cent. XGBoost and LP perform similarly in some situations, but our results indicate that XGBoost is rather unstable depending on the attributes used. However, LP coupled with self-training outperforms XGBoost by up to 10 per cent in some instances. Through this synthetic study, our results support the premise that semisupervised algorithms can provide more robust, generalized predictions than supervised techniques in minimal training data scenarios.
The Realization Problem for Dilation Surfaces
Authors: Wang Jane
Published: July 2021

Dilation surfaces, or twisted quadratic differentials, are variants of translation surfaces. In this paper, we study the question of what elements or subgroups of the mapping class group can be realized as affine automorphisms of dilation surfaces. We show that dilation surfaces can have exotic Dehn twists in their affine automorphism groups and will establish that only certain types of mapping class group elements can arise as affine automorphisms of dilation surfaces. We also generalize a construction of Thurston that constructs a translation surface from a pair of filling multicurves to dilation surfaces. This construction will give us dilation surfaces that realize a pair of Dehn multitwists in their affine automorphism groups.
Addressing overestimation and insensitivity in the 85% target for average bed occupancy
Authors: Pratt Adrian C , Wood Richard M
Published: July 2021

Background

An established finding suggests that, in balancing variability in patient demand and length of stay, an average bed occupancy of 85% should be targeted for acute hospital wards. The notion is that higher figures result in excessive capacity breaches, while anything lower fails to make economic use of available resources. Although concerns have previously been raised regarding the generic use of the 85% target, there has been little research interest into alternative derivations that may better represent the diverse range of conditions that exist in practice.

Objective

To quantify a continuum of average occupancy targets for use within the acute hospital setting.

Methods

Computer simulation is used to model the process of acute patient admission and discharge. Patient arrivals are assumed to be independent of one another (i.e. random) with length of stay distributions obtained through fitting to patient-level data from all of England.

Results

Target average occupancy increases with ward size, ranging from 45% to 79% for a relatively small 15-bed ward to 64–84% for a relatively large 50-bed ward. Regarding ward speciality, for a typical 25-bed ward, values range from 57–58% for Gynaecology to 67–74% for Adult Mental Health. These increase to 62–63% and 75–82%, respectively, if the tolerance on breaching capacity is relaxed from 2% to 5% of days per year.

Conclusion

An unconditional 85% target serves as an overestimate across the vast majority of settings that typically exist in practice. Hospital planners should consider ward size, speciality and capacity-breach tolerance in determining a more sensitive assessment of bed occupancy requirements. This study provides hospital planners with a means to reliably assess the operational performance and readily calculate optimal capacity requirements.
Reception and practice of diplomacy in modern Japan: power, interests, and norms
Authors: Sasaki Yuichi
Published: July 2021

This article re-examines Japan’s entry into international society, focusing on leading Japanese diplomats. It has been believed that Meiji leaders’ interpretation of international society and diplomacy was characterized by power-political and zero-sum thinking, and they took a realistic approach in an imperialistic system. However, the present article demonstrates that Japanese diplomacy in and after the 1890s was basically guided by interest-oriented and non–zero-sum thinking which was closely tied to the international order. Leading Japanese diplomats, who learned from their experiences in diplomacy with Western countries, understood the significance of norms as well as the importance of military power, and pursued Japan’s national interests within the rules and norms of international society. These findings offer a new image of the principles of modern Japanese diplomacy, the mechanisms of Japanese imperial expansion, and the process of the spread of norms in international society.
Driving antibiotic stewardship awareness through the minibus-taxi community across the Tshwane District, South Africa—a baseline evaluation
Authors: Mokoena Tumelo T W , Schellack Natalie , Brink Adrian J
Published: July 2021

Background

The minibus-taxi community plays an integral role within society, and for years this community has been neglected. Of late, studies on minibus-taxi operators’ health and their perceptions of HIV have emerged. Antibiotic resistance is a global problem and to help curb its spread studies have looked into the knowledge, attitude and perceptions amongst students and healthcare professionals, and yet little to nothing is known about the minibus-taxi community.

Objectives

To assess the knowledge and understanding of the minibus-taxi community on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, and document indigenous antibiotic terminology used across the Tshwane District in Gauteng, South Africa.

Methods

A semi-structured questionnaire was adopted from WHO, translated into commonly spoken languages and administered to 83 minibus-taxi community members: 27 minibus-taxi operators and 56 commuters. A convenience sampling method was utilized in selecting the minibus-taxi ranks and routes. The questionnaire was later adapted to the minibus-taxi community’s busy lifestyle and a section added to document antibiotic terms.

Results

Seventy-one percent (n = 59) of the participants knew the importance of taking antibiotics as directed, while 64% (n = 53) believed it’s correct to share antibiotics. Seventy-five percent (n = 62) thought antibiotic resistance occurred in the human body. One misconception noted was that the minibus-taxi community thought antibiotics treated cold/flu and fever. Over 80% of the community were unfamiliar with antibiotic terminology.

Conclusions

Several misconceptions were documented amongst the minibus-taxi community and, whilst highlighting the linguistic barriers for the term antibiotic resistance, we identified several enablers for public awareness and empowerment. Further studies are required to define appropriate indigenous terms for future educational antibiotic campaigns.
Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Mitochondrial Genome Sequence ofNisia fuliginosa(Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Meenoplidae)
Authors: Lv Sha-Sha , Zhang Yu-Jie , Gong Nian , Chen Xiang-Sheng
Published: July 2021

We explored characterization of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome or mtGenome) and phylogenetic analysis between 32 Fulgoroid species by sequencing and analyzing the mitogenome of Nisia fuliginosa Yang and Hu, 1985 (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Meenoplidae), thereby making it the first determined mitogenome from the family Meenoplidae. The mitogenome was found to be 15,754 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and a control region. All PCGs started with typical ATN codons, except for nad1, which used GTG as the start codon. Canonical TAA termination codons were found in 10 PCGs and the remaining three genes (cox2, nad6, and nad1) had incomplete stop codons T. All tRNAs could fold into typical cloverleaf secondary structures, with the exception of trnC, trnV, and trnS1. Additionally, we compared the AT and GC skews of 13 PCGs of 32 Fulgoroidea mitogenomes, on the L-strand, the AT and GC skews were negative and positive, respectively. However, on the H-strand, the AT skew could be positive or negative and the GC skew was always negative. Phylogenetic results showed that the eight families of Fulgoroidea were divided into two large groups. Delphacidae formed a monophyletic group sister to a clade comprising Meenoplidae and other six families (Fulgoridae, Ricaniidae, Flatidae, Issidae, Caliscelidae, and Achilidae). Meenoplidae was located near the clade of Delphacidae, and Fulgoridae was located near the clade of Meenoplidae. Furthermore, Caliscelidae, Issidae, Ricaniidae, and Flatidae are closely related and they collectively formed a sister group to Achilidae.
Validity of skeletal muscle mass index measurements for assessing sarcopenia in patients with gynecological cancer
Authors: Yamada Ryutaro , Tsuruta Tomohiko , Todo Yukiharu , Kurosu Hiroyuki , Minowa Kaoru , Minobe Shinichiro , Matsumiya Hiroko , Kato Hidenori , Mori Yoichi , Osanai Toshihisa
Published: July 2021

Background

The current study investigated an optimal method for using CT scan in detection of low skeletal muscle mass quantity (SMQ).

Methods

In total, 82 consecutive patients with gynecological cancers were examined using computed tomography (CT) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) before treatment. Low SMQ was defined as a DEXA-based skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) of <5.40 kg/m2. Furthermore, CT-based SMI values were measured by six evaluators, and each evaluator measured SMI values two times for each subject. The first SMI value and the average SMI value were used for analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to evaluate the performance of CT-based SMI measurements for detecting low SMQ. Interobserver agreement was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results

In total, 23 patients (28.0%) were diagnosed with low skeletal muscle mass. All areas under the curve (AUC) values from twelve (six evaluators × two measurements) ROC curves were within the range of 0.8–0.9. AUC values based on a single measurement and those based on two measurements were almost the same. The ICC was 0.828 (95% CI 0.777–0.874, P < 0.001) when using a single measurement value and increased to 0.959 (95% CI 0.944–0.971, P < 0.001) when using the average of the two measurements.

Conclusions

A single measurement CT-based SMI efficiently identified patients with low SMQ in a daily clinical setting. The reliability of SMI measurements might be further improved by using a mean value of two measurements compared with the use of a single measurement value.