bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of food allergy oral immunotherapy in adults
Authors: Epstein‐Rigbi Na’ama , Levy Michael B. , Nachshon Liat , Koren Yael , Katz Yitzhak , Goldberg Michael R. , Elizur Arnon
Published: October 2022

Background

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is an emerging method for treating food allergy in children. However, data regarding adults undergoing this process are lacking.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with food allergy aged ≥17 years who completed OIT treatment between April 2010 and December 2020 at Shamir Medical Center. Data were compared with that of children aged 4 to <11 years and adolescents aged ≥11 to 17 treated during the same time period.

Results

A total of 96 adults at a median age of 22.3 years who underwent OIT for milk (n = 53), peanut (n = 18), sesame (n = 7), egg (n = 5), and tree nuts (n = 13) were analyzed and compared with 1299 children and 309 adolescents. Adults experienced more adverse reactions requiring injectable epinephrine, both during in‐clinic up‐dosing (49% vs. 15.9% and 26.5% for children and adolescents, respectively, p < 0.0001) and during home treatment (22.9% vs. 12.4%, p = 0.007 for children, and 17.5%, p = 0.23 for adolescents). Most adults (61.5%) were fully desensitized, but the rates of full desensitization were significantly lower than children (73.4%, p = 0.013). Significantly more adults (28.3%) undergoing milk OIT failed treatment than children (14.3%, p = 0.015) and adolescents (14.1%, p = 0.022), while failure rates in adults undergoing OIT for other foods were low (9.3%) and comparable with children and adolescents.

Conclusions

OIT is successful in desensitizing most adults with IgE‐mediated food allergy. Adults undergoing milk OIT are at increased risk for severe reactions and for OIT failure while failure rates in adults undergoing OIT for other foods are low.
COVID‐19: Clinical status of vaccine development to date
Authors: Kumar Sunny , Basu Malini , Ghosh Pratyasha , Ansari Aafreen , Ghosh Mrinal K.
Published: October 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2)‐induced COVID‐19 is a complicated disease. Clinicians are continuously facing difficulties to treat infected patients using the principle of repurposing of drugs as no specific drugs are available to treat COVID‐19. To minimize the severity and mortality, global vaccination is the only hope as a potential preventive measure. After a year‐long global research and clinical struggle, 165 vaccine candidates have been developed and some are currently still in the pipeline. A total of 28 candidate vaccines have been approved for use and the remainder are in different phases of clinical trials. In this comprehensive report, the authors aim to demonstrate, classify and provide up‐to‐date clinical trial status of all the vaccines discovered to date and specifically focus on the approved candidates. Finally, the authors specifically focused on the vaccination of different types of medically distinct populations.
What's Not to Love? Rethinking Appeals to Tradition in Contemporary Debates in Trinitarian Theology
Authors: McCall Thomas
Published: October 2022

Contemporary discussions of the doctrine of the Trinity are sometimes centered on debates between ‘Social Trinitarians’ and ‘Classical Trinitarians.’ Those who align with ‘Social Trinitarianism’ usually insist that an adequate doctrine of the Trinity demands an affirmation of intra‐Trinitarian mutual love – and thus reject the doctrine of divine simplicity and numerical sameness out of a commitment to being fully Trinitarian. Meanwhile, those who want to recover ‘Classical Trinitarianism’ insist that the doctrine of divine simplicity is true and salutary – and thus reject any notion of love shared between the Father and Son within the divine life. I argue that both alternatives are profoundly out of step with the theological tradition they claim to retrieve and represent, for simultaneous affirmations of divine simplicity and mutual love are found all across the tradition of Latin scholastic theology. Constructive Trinitarian theology that makes appeal to the ‘classical’ tradition should take this diversity and complexity into account.
Fostering proactive behaviour: The role of work‐related reflection, psychological empowerment, and participative safety for innovative behaviour and job crafting
Authors: Messmann Gerhard
Published: October 2022

This contribution aimed at investigating how work‐related reflection as cognitive efforts towards developing an understanding of work tasks, the surrounding work context, and one's professional competencies adds to the role of psychological empowerment and participative safety in predicting innovative behaviour and job crafting as two forms of proactivity. Quantitative data from 295 employees of micro, small, and medium‐sized organizations in the information sector were collected with a cross‐sectional questionnaire. For hypotheses testing, structural equation modelling was employed. The results of the study showed that work‐related reflection and psychological empowerment were substantially related to innovative behaviour and job crafting while participative safety only played a minor role. These findings imply that jobs need to contain empowering and sufficiently complex work tasks that require reflection and provide occasions for reflective interactions to enable employees to create efficient routines and adapt to changes at work. Furthermore, experiences of empowerment need to be rooted in social interactions at work. Likewise, the value of reflection will only unfold if employees and supervisors regularly engage in reflection.
Impact of strengths model training and supervision on the therapeutic practice of Australian mental health clinicians
Authors: Pullman John , Santangelo Peter , Molloy Luke , Campbell Steven
Published: October 2022

This study explored the impact of Strengths Model training, supervision and mentorship on the practice of a group of multi‐disciplinary mental health clinicians that included mental health nurses, social workers, psychologists, and occupational therapists. A qualitative approach that combined critical realism and grounded theory was used. The findings demonstrated how a substantive category, Getting to Know Clients Better, facilitated participants' progression through a basic social psychological process, Becoming a Strengths‐Informed Practitioner. This process consisted of a discernible and sustained change towards more person‐centred, hopeful, and recovery‐oriented practice. The findings also described an underlying generative mechanism for this, the Client Becomes Visible, which accorded with theoretical models of empathy, based on enhanced cognitive processing. The strength‐based approach to practice facilitated the establishment of a collaborative relationship and a stronger therapeutic alliance between the client and clinician. The research demonstrated that Strengths Model is an effective vehicle for improving recovery‐orientated mental health services.
Have some confidence in contact: Self‐efficacy beliefs among children moderate the associations between cross‐group friendships and outgroup attitudes
Authors: Bagci Sabahat , Turnuklu Abbas , Tercan Mustafa , Cameron Lindsey , Turner Rhiannon
Published: October 2022

We investigated how and when individuals transform existing cross‐group interactions into more positive attitudes towards outgroups. Specifically focusing on the context of Syrian immigration to Turkey, we examined whether native children'scross‐group friendship self‐efficacy beliefs—the perception of their abilities about building successful cross‐group interactions—moderated the direct and indirect associations between cross‐group friendship quantity (measured by the number of Syrian friends), cross‐group friendship positivity and negativity, and attitudinal outcomes (outgroup attitudes, intergroup anxiety, and social distance). Analyses of correlational data (5th graders,N = 746) demonstrated that direct and indirect (through cross‐group friendship positivity) associations between cross‐group friendship quantity and positive intergroup outcomes were stronger among children who held greater self‐efficacy beliefs. Importantly, quantity of such friendships was related to more negative intergroup outcomes through negative contact experiences among children who reported lower self‐efficacy beliefs. Theoretical implications of the findings and possible interventions targeting self‐efficacy beliefs in intergroup contact strategies were discussed.
Eternal Friends or Jubilant Brexiteers? The Impact of Brexit on UK MEPs' Parliamentary Work in the European Parliament
Authors: Kantola Johanna , Miller Cherry
Published: October 2022

The aim of this article is to analyse the impact of Brexit on UK MEPs' parliamentary work in the European Parliament. The UK MEPs enjoyed full rights of MEPs, yet Brexit made their terms short and fixed. Furthermore, the Brexit process constituted a highly emotionally charged moment for politicians' parliamentary work. The article is based on a unique dataset of 130 MEP and political staff interviews and a parliamentary ethnography conducted in Brussels and Strasbourg in 2018–2020 at the time of Brexit. The empirical findings include the identification of four ways that MEPs and staff constructed the work of the outgoing UK MEPs: The Full MEP; The Scrupulous Brexit Scrutineer; The Eternal Friend; and The Jubilant Brexiteer. The empirical analysis provides a rich and nuanced account of the UK MEPs' parliamentary work differentiated by their political party and political group background.
Trading and liquidity in the catastrophe bond market
Authors: Herrmann Markus , Hibbeln Martin
Published: October 2022

We provide first insights into secondary market trading, liquidity determinants, and the liquidity premium of catastrophe bonds. Based on transaction data from TRACE (Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine), we find that cat bonds are traded less frequently during the hurricane season and more often close to maturity. Trading activity indicates that the market is dominated by brokers without a proprietary inventory. Liquidity is high in periods of high trading activity in the overall market and for bonds with low default risk or close to maturity, which results from lower order processing costs. Finally, using realized bid–ask spreads as a liquidity measure, we find that on average, 21% of the observable yield spread on the cat bond market is attributable to the liquidity premium, with a magnitude of up to 141 bps for high‐risk bonds.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetic interactions of orally administered oxfendazole and oxyclozanide tablet formulation to sheep
Authors: Ozdemir Kutahya Zeynep , Kandir Sinan , Eser Faki Hatice , Uney Kamil , Tras Bunyamin , Celik Mehmet , Torun Osman
Published: October 2022

The combination of oxfendazole and oxyclozanide is used to provide activity against fluke and gastrointestinal nematodes. This study aimed to determine both the pharmacokinetics of oxfendazole (7.5 mg/kg) and oxyclozanide (15 mg/kg) tablet formulation administered orally to sheep and whether there is a pharmacokinetic interaction between these two drugs. The study was conducted in a three‐period, crossover pharmacokinetic design and on six healthy Awassi sheep 1–3 years of age. The plasma concentrations of oxfendazole and its metabolites (fenbendazole and fenbendazole sulphone) and oxyclozanide were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography using an ultraviolet detector. Compounds recovered in plasma when oxfendazole was administered alone or combined with oxyclozanide were oxfendazole, fenbendazole sulphone, and fenbendazole, respectively. When oxfendazole was administered alone and co‐administered with oxyclozanide, the AUCFBZ/AUCOFZ was 0.26 and 0.23, respectively, and the AUCFBZSO2/AUCOFZ was 0.35 and 0.32, respectively. The volume of distribution (Vz/F) of oxfendazole was large in both groups. Oxyclozanide did not change the plasma disposition of oxfendazole. When the oxyclozanide tablet formulation was administered alone, the elimination half‐life (21.35 h) and the Vz/F (940.17 ml/kg) were long and large, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) and the maximum plasma concentration of oxyclozanide were significantly larger and higher, respectively, in the oxyclozanide plus oxfendazole group (1146.61 h × μg/ml and 29.80 μg/ml) compared with the oxyclozanide group (491.44 h × μg/ml and 14.24 μg/ml) while a significant decrease in apparent Vz/F (940.17 vs 379.14 ml/kg) and total clearance (30.52 vs 13.08 ml/h/kg) was detected. In conclusion, co‐administration with oxfendazole causing an increase in the plasma profile of oxyclozanide may increase the antiparasitic activity of oxyclozanide.
Covid‐19‐related ruminations: A qualitative study based on the perspectives of the cancer survivors
Authors: Üzar‐Özçetin Yeter Sinem , Öcalan Sinem
Published: October 2022

Cancer survivors can develop repetitive ruminations due to the unexpected and challenging effects of Covid‐19. This qualitative descriptive design study aimed to comprehend the Covid‐19‐related ruminations from the subjective perspective of cancer survivors (n = 33), accessed via online Facebook self‐help groups of a cancer association. A semi‐structured interview guide was used for data collection followed by systematic analysis. Based on the descriptive analysis of the data, three main themes emerged—“Welcome to my life,” “Cancer versus Covid‐19,” and “Fight versus lose”—based on cancer survivors’ experience and having two subthemes each. The findings suggested that cancer survivors have many ruminations about cancer and the pandemic. Their ruminations were mainly concerned with the possibility of suffering from cancer again and catching Covid‐19. Nonetheless, participants also had positive cognitions that they could overcome the pandemic as they have previously beat cancer. The findings may also offer a promising resource for nurses to understand the ruminations of cancer survivors and develop novel approaches and interventions to help cancer survivors replace their intrusive ruminations with deliberate ones.
Imaging Diagnosis: Thoracic radiographic features of toxoplasmosis in a 14‐month‐old Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
Authors: Lehman Kathleen , Cohen Eli B. , Ozawa Sarah M. , Keeney Caitlin Hepps , Sommer Samantha
Published: October 2022

A privately owned 14‐month‐old intact female red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) was presented for acute onset respiratory distress and lethargy. On presentation, the kangaroo was laterally recumbent, tachypneic, dyspneic, lethargic, and obtunded. Thoracic radiographs revealed a severe diffuse mixed pulmonary pattern (alveolar pattern superimposed on a bronchial pattern) and subjective mild generalized cardiomegaly. Due to the severity of clinical signs and grave prognosis, euthanasia was elected. Postmortem examination was consistent with systemic toxoplasmosis. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry staining on infected tissues confirmed Toxoplasma gondii. This is the first published report of radiographic findings for confirmed toxoplasmosis in a red kangaroo or marsupial.
Comparison of two postoperative complication grading systems after treatment of stifle and shoulder instability in 68 dogs
Authors: Barrett Faolain M. , Bleedorn Jason A. , Hutcheson Kyle D. , Torres Bryan T. , Fox Derek B.
Published: October 2022

Objective

(1) To adapt and apply the Clavien–Dindo (aCD) postoperative complication grading system to dogs experiencing complications following a single orthopedic procedure. (2) To compare the reliability of the Clavien–Dindo system to the Cook complication grading system.

Study design

Retrospective study.

Sample population

Sixty‐eight client‐owned dogs.

Methods

Scenarios derived from complications following TightRope stabilization of the stifle and shoulder were graded by four ACVS‐boarded surgeons using two systems; the Cook 3‐point scale and the aCD 5‐point scale. Because the aCD system distinguishes complications from outcomes (“sequelae” or “failure to cure”), two data sets were created: one with (n = 76) and without (n = 67) inclusion of “sequelae” and “failure to cure” cases. Interobserver reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) calculations.

Results

Seventy‐six scenarios from 68 records were evaluated. The ICC of the aCD system was 0.620 consistent with moderate reliability. The reliability of the Cook system was good, with an ICC of 0.848. Exclusion of cases with “sequelae” or “failure to cure” resulted in excellent reliability of the aCD system (ICC = 0.975) and good reliability of the Cook systems (ICC = 0.857).

Conclusion

The aCD grading system was less reliable than the Cook system when evaluating all cases but more reliable when evaluating cases of complications excluding “sequelae” and “failures to cure”.

Clinical significance

The Cook grading system is reliably good in grading postoperative complications in dogs. The aCD system can also be used to assess postoperative complications with excellent reliability but is less reliable when distinguishing complications from other postoperative outcomes.
A Novel Platform Orientation System for Proportional-Integral-Derivative-Controlled Ball-Catching Robot
Authors: Arif Tariq M. , McKay Stockton , Conklin Benjamin
Published: October 2022

Ball catching by a robot is one of the challenging and complex control tasks that is extensively studied to achieve human-like skills in robots. Over the last decade, several ball-catching robot designs have attained benchmarks in visual tracking and control algorithms. However, the coordination between the ball’s path tracking and the robot’s motion planning remains highly sensitive to environmental parameter changes. In general, ball-catching robots require a noise-free background with good lighting and multiple off-board tracking cameras. Also, a common failing point of these systems is the short flight time (or high-speed) of the ball and the uncertainties of throwing direction. To address these issues, in this study, we propose a ball-catching platform system that can rapidly orient the platform towards the throwing direction by utilizing two onboard cameras with multi-threading. A graphical user interface platform has been developed to implement the orientation algorithm and mask the ball with high accuracy. Our experimental results show that the proposed orientation platform system can be used in a low-light noisy background, and the overall ball-catching rate increases from 50% to 90% compared to the baseline design. The new system can also avoid erratic platform movements when masking is done in a noisy environment.
Film Cooling in the Cutback for Trailing Edge With Different Incident Angles
Authors: Du Wei , Luo Lei , Wang Songtao , Jiao Yinghou , Sunden Bengt
Published: October 2022

The cutback film cooling was important to decrease the trailing edge temperature and prolong the working life of gas turbines. Many investigations concerning cutback film cooling have already been done. However, only a few papers involve the influence of incident angle on the film cooling effectiveness (η) at the trailing region. In this work, detached eddy simulation (DES) is applied to calculate the η near the cutback region for different incident angles. Five different incident angles (0 deg, 5 deg, 10 deg, 15 deg, and 20 deg) and three blowing ratios (0.2, 0.8, and 1.25) are considered. The flow structure, temperature distribution, and η characteristics are analyzed in detail. Results imply that the incident angle changes the flow structure notably. As the incident angle increases, the separation region is suppressed, but the η was changed nonlinearly. At the low blowing ratio, the incident angle mainly affects the η near the slot. However, the incident angle changes the η downstream of the slot exit under a high blowing ratio. When the blowing ratio becomes large, the η near the centerline becomes larger.
Quantitative Comparison of Life Cycle Assessments of Advanced Recycling Technologies for End-of-Life Plastics
Authors: Creadore Lauren T. , Castaldi Marco J.
Published: October 2022

There is growing urgency to both increase plastic recycling rates and reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment. Mechanical recycling rates for plastics in the United States have only slightly increased from 6% to 9% between 2000 and 2015 and have plateaued near 9% despite continued efforts to increase the rate. Therefore, evaluation of additional options that can increase recycling rates must occur to establish a comprehensive approach to keeping used plastics in the economy. The advanced recycling (AR) technologies analyzed in this paper have the capability to address the unrecycled plastics, representing a viable future path that can improve the plastic recycling rate and reduce resource use and environmental impacts. A rigorous quantitative assessment has been done of a subset of recent life cycle assessments (LCAs) resulting in thirteen LCAs being selected using criteria based on processing capacity and technology readiness level. Comparisons across those LCAs resulted in a quantitative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction ranging from −267% to 566% with the implementation of AR technologies. Specifically, mixed plastic (MP) streams converted to polyolefins via pyrolysis produced 185% less carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) emissions compared to conversion to energy for heat and power production. Alternatively, MP processed via pyrolysis produced 267% more CO2eq emissions than landfilling. Importantly, 30 other comparative scenarios were presented by the chosen LCAs as sensitivity analyses, with GHG emissions similarly ranging from increases to reductions, with the preponderance of the data indicating reductions. The various impact categories assessed, in addition to GHG emissions, for the AR technologies ranged from favorable, with the pyrolysis of MP offering a 97% reduction in fossil depletion compared to waste to energy, to unfavorable with the pyrolysis of MP offering a 400% increase in fine particulate matter compared to 30% municipal solid waste incineration and 70% refuse-derived fuel.
Descriptor Aided Bayesian Optimization for Many-Level Qualitative Variables With Materials Design Applications
Authors: Iyer Akshay , Yerramilli Suraj , Rondinelli James M. , Apley Daniel W. , Chen Wei
Published: October 2022

Engineering design often involves qualitative and quantitative design variables, which requires systematic methods for the exploration of these mixed-variable design spaces. Expensive simulation techniques, such as those required to evaluate optimization objectives in materials design applications, constitute the main portion of the cost of the design process and underline the need for efficient search strategies—Bayesian optimization (BO) being one of the most widely adopted. Although recent developments in mixed-variable Bayesian optimization have shown promise, the effects of dimensionality of qualitative variables have not been well studied. High-dimensional qualitative variables, i.e., with many levels, impose a large design cost as they typically require a larger dataset to quantify the effect of each level on the optimization objective. We address this challenge by leveraging domain knowledge about underlying physical descriptors, which embody the physics of the underlying physical phenomena, to infer the effect of unobserved levels that have not been sampled yet. We show that physical descriptors can be intuitively embedded into the latent variable Gaussian process approach—a mixed-variable GP modeling technique—and used to selectively explore levels of qualitative variables in the Bayesian optimization framework. This physics-informed approach is particularly useful when one or more qualitative variables are high dimensional (many-level) and the modeling dataset is small, containing observations for only a subset of levels. Through a combination of mathematical test functions and materials design applications, our method is shown to be robust to certain types of incomplete domain knowledge and significantly reduces the design cost for problems with high-dimensional qualitative variables.
When Do Concurrent Design Facilities Need to Be Flexible? Understanding the Limits of Fit With Novel Problem Types
Authors: Szajnfarber Zoe , Joseph Nikolai , Gralla Erica
Published: October 2022

Concurrent design facilities hold the promise of shorter design cycles with efficient cross-disciplinary integration. However, when an atypical design problem is encountered, the standard organization may be a poor fit to solve it, resulting in problems during the design process. This study examines the extent to which different types of novelty in design problems lead to poor fit with a standard organization, with implications for design process performance. We use an empirical study of a NASA concurrent design team to identify common perturbations in design problems, then a computational simulation to examine their effect on fit. The findings suggest that perturbations localized to one or a few designers are manageable within standard structures, but those with diffuse impacts may generate difficult-to-predict issues in the design process. These results suggest when concurrent design facilities can accommodate novel design problems and when they may need to adapt their design approaches.
La ciudad desplazada: el desplazamiento en (y de) los estudios urbanos a través de una mirada etnográfica desde la periferia urbana de Bogotá
Authors: Morado Candela
Published: October 2022

Los procesos de desplazamiento por el conflicto armado han tenido un papel central en la conformación de la ciudad de Bogotá, que se vió abocada a urbanizar y extender sus límites ante la urgencia de generar refugio con la llegada masiva de población. Trabajaremos desde las periferias autoconstruidas para interrogar y amplificar la noción de urbanismo más allá (o, mejor, “más acá”) de los diseños urbanos planificados canónicos y de los discursos institucionales e institucionalizados. El objetivo de esta comunicación será aprovechar el potencial del relato etnográfico para amplificar el entendimiento del urbanismo hacia una mirada al sostenimiento de la vida en la ciudad.Para ello, en primer lugar, a través de una breve revisión de la literatura urbana crítica y de los estudios sobre informalidad, abordaremos una sensibilidad teórico-metodológica que apueste por el desplazamiento en (y de) los estudios urbanos y cuestione los paradigmas del urbanismo desde donde tradicionalmente se ha imaginado e investigado la ciudad. Después, aterrizaremos nuestra propuesta en prácticas cotidianas concretas de sostenimiento material que ponen la vida en el centro. Desplegaremos para ello material etnográfico recogido tras más de un año de trabajo de campo en la periferia bogotana.Pretendemos así abrir un espacio de enunciación desde la periferia que desplace geográficamente y epistemológicamente el locus de la ciudad, con el objetivo de contribuir a una teoría urbana más plural y cuidadosa con las diversas formas de vida que se dan en lo urbano.
Deposition of tungsten oxide films by reactive magnetron sputtering on different substrates
Authors: Hrubantova A. , Hippler R. , Wulff H. , Cada M. , Olejnicek J. , Nepomniashchaia N. , Helm C. A. , Hubicka Z.
Published: October 2022

Tungsten oxide films are deposited with the help of reactive magnetron sputtering in an argon/oxygen gas mixture. Films are deposited on different substrates, in particular, on soda lime glass, fluorine-doped tin oxide coated glass, silicon (Si), and quartz (SiO2). Thin films from three different discharge modes, in particular, high power impulse magnetron sputtering, midfrequency magnetron sputtering, and radiofrequency magnetron sputtering, are compared. Deposited films are characterized by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Composition, crystal structure, and optical properties of as-deposited and annealed films are found to depend on the deposition mode and on the substrate.
Inhibitory and Injury-Protection Effects of O-Glycan on Gastric Epithelial Cells Infected with Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Chen Yuzuo , Tang Zhihui , Fu Lifa , Liu Renjie , Yang Lu , Wang Baoning
Published: October 2022

Helicobacter pylori
(
H. pylori
) is an important pathogen that can cause gastric cancer. Multiple adhesion molecules mediated
H. pylori
adherence to cells is the initial step in the infection of host cells.
H. pylori
cholesterol-α-glucosyltransferase (CGT) recognizes and extracts cholesterol from cell membranes to destroy lipid raft structure, further promotes
H. pylori
adhesion to gastric epithelial cells.
Development of an Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) to Aid Diagnosis of Histoplasmosis
Authors: Datta Kausik , LaRue Richard , Permpalung Nitipong , Das Sukanya , Zhang Sean , Mehta Steinke Seema , Bushkin Yuri , Nosanchuk Joshua D. , Marr Kieren A.
Published: October 2022

Establishing diagnosis of latent and active histoplasmosis is challenging. Interferon gamma-release assays (IGRAs) may provide evidence of latent and active infection.
Colicins of Escherichia coli Lead to Resistance against the Diarrhea-Causing Pathogen Enterotoxigenic E. coli in Pigs
Authors: Wang Leli , Wu Yuwei , Xu Juan , Huang Qiuyun , Zhao Ying , Dong Sheng , Wang Xuxiang , Cao Xiaoni , Wang Chuni , Wu Anqi , Zhou Diao , Chen Cang , Yang Huansheng , Li Jianzhong , Konstantinos Papadimitriou , Tu Qiang , Zhang Gaihua , Yin Jia
Published: October 2022

This study revealed the heterogeneity of
E. coli
strains from pigs, including two strains studied by both
in silico
and wet experiments in detail and 14 strains studied by bioinformatics analysis.
E. coli
Y18J may improve the adaptability of pigs toward disease resistance through the production of colicins B and M. Our findings could shed light on the pathogenic and harmless roles of
E. coli
in modern animal husbandry, leading to a better understanding of intestinal-microbe–pathogen interactions in the course of evolution.
Neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 Spike Antibodies against Omicron in Paired Samples after Two or Three Doses of mRNA Vaccine
Authors: Debes Amanda K. , Xiao Shaoming , Egbert Emily R. , Caturegli Patrizio , Gadala Avinash , Colantuoni Elizabeth , Sitaras Ioannis , Pekosz Andrew , Milstone Aaron M.
Published: October 2022

This study found little to no neutralizing capability following a 2-dose mRNA vaccine series against the omicron variant, and neutralizing capacity to any variant strain tested was lost by 8-months post 2-dose series. However, the mRNA booster dose eliminated the immune escape observed by the Omicron variant, following the 2-dose series.
A Unique Set of Auxiliary Metabolic Genes Found in an Isolated Cyanophage Sheds New Light on Marine Phage-Host Interactions
Authors: Wang Qiong , Cai Lanlan , Zhang Rui , Wei Shuzhen , Li Fang , Liu Yuanfang , Xu Yongle
Published: October 2022

Cyanophages play important ecological roles in aquatic ecosystems. Genomic and proteomic characterizations of the T4-like cyanophage S-SCSM1 indicate that novel and diverse viral genes and phage-host interactions in the marine environment remain unexplored.
Hydroquinones Including Tetrachlorohydroquinone Inhibit Candida albicans Biofilm Formation by Repressing Hyphae-Related Genes
Authors: Kim Yong-Guy , Lee Jin-Hyung , Park Sunyoung , Khadke Sagar Kiran , Shim Jae-Jin , Lee Jintae
Published: October 2022

Persistence in chronic infections by
Candida albicans
is due to its ability of biofilm formation that endures conventional antifungals and host immune systems. Hence, the inhibition of biofilm formation and virulence characteristics is another mean of addressing infections. This study is a distinctive one since 18 hydroquinone analogues were screened and TCHQ efficiently inhibited the biofilm formation by
C. albicans
with significantly changed expressional profile of hyphae-forming and biofilm-related genes. The antibiofilm efficacy was confirmed using a porcine skin model and chemical toxicity was investigated using plant seed germination and nematode models.
Optimization and Validation of Candida auris Short Tandem Repeat Analysis
Authors: de Groot Theun , Spruijtenburg Bram , Parnell Lindsay A. , Chow Nancy A. , Meis Jacques F.
Published: October 2022

The emerging fungal pathogen
Candida auris
poses a threat to public health, mainly causing outbreaks in intensive care units. Genotyping is essential for investigating potential outbreaks and preventing further spread.
An Intrinsic Alkalization Circuit Turns on
mntP
Riboswitch under Manganese Stress in Escherichia coli
Authors: Kalita Arunima , Mishra Rajesh Kumar , Kumar Vineet , Arora Amit , Dutta Dipak
Published: October 2022

Riboswitch RNAs are
cis
-acting elements that can adopt alternative conformations in the presence or absence of a specific ligand(s) to modulate transcription termination or translation initiation processes. In the present work, we show that manganese and alkaline pH are both necessary for maximal
mntP
riboswitch activation to mitigate the manganese toxicity.
Metastatic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour in a patient with neurofibromatosis 1 and review of contemporary systemic treatments
Authors: Hones Keegan , Krekora Urszula , Nasri Elham , Altshuler Ellery
Published: October 2022

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours are rare soft tissue sarcomas commonly seen in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. They typically manifest in the fibrous sheaths of major nerve trunks in the extremities or in an axial location. Presenting symptoms are generally non-specific, including pain and weakness, and survival is dependent on size and location of the tumour. Surgical resection is the primary treatment modality followed by radiotherapy or chemotherapy; however, prognosis is poor. Medications such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway inhibitors are increasingly being recognised as potentially effective therapy for these malignancies. We report a case of a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 presenting with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour along the tibial nerve that was initially diagnosed as a muscle strain. We discuss the utility of diagnostic imaging and pathology in correctly identifying this aggressive tumour as well as review the drugs used in her care.
New take on the post-take ward round: a quality improvement project undertaken in a district general hospital
Authors: Galloway Georgia Kate , Choudhury Sarah Nahin
Published: October 2022

A patient’s first encounter with a consultant clinician, known as the post-take ward round (PTWR), is a pivotal encounter at the start of their hospital journey. It is a chance for a review of history, examination and investigations, formulation of preliminary diagnosis and management plan. High-quality patient care is reliant on effective communication of clinical information between teams, and the PTWR record is an integral part of this handover of information across different clinicians, medical teams and wards.

Consensus of consultant opinion allowed for the formation of a standard against which the quality of PTWR documentation could be measured. This project aimed to assess and improve compliance with the devised standard.

Following a survey of referrals made to the medical team after the move to electronic record keeping, it was found that important information was being missed from PTWR records. For example, of the 446 records analysed, only 34% had a documented potential discharge date (PDD) and 20% had a documented escalation plan. Analysis showed overall compliance to core criteria was 63%.

Several changes within the department of acute medicine were trialled, including the introduction of a checklist, prompt cards for clinical staff to carry and finally the implementation of an electronic form for PTWR records.

Over the course of several cycles of data collection, compliance with core criteria improved from 63% to 86%. Most notably, improvement was seen in documentation of social history (42%–87%), frailty score (0%–63%), PDD (41%–81%) and escalation plan (21%–66%).

This work demonstrates the value of development of a standard for PTWR documentation, and of a proforma. The actions taken in this hospital may be of benefit to other medical departments.
Aligning work-as-imagined and work-as-done using FRAM on a hospital ward: a roadmap
Authors: Tresfon Jaco , Brunsveld-Reinders Anja H , van Valkenburg David , Langeveld Kirsten , Hamming Jaap
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Modern safety approaches in healthcare differentiate between daily practice (work-as-done) and the written rules and guidelines (work-as-imagined) as a means to further develop patient safety. Research in this area has shown case study examples, but to date lacks hooking points as to how results can be embedded within the studied context. This study uses Functional Analysis Resonance Method (FRAM) for aligning work-as-imagined with the work-as-done. The aim of this study is to show how FRAM can effectively be applied to identify the gap between work prescriptions and practice, while subsequently showing how such findings can be transferred back to, and embedded in, the daily ward care process of nurses.

Methods

This study was part of an action research performed among ward nurses on a 38 bed neurological and neurosurgical ward within a tertiary referral centre. Data was collected through document analysis, in-field observations, interviews and group discussions. FRAM was used as an analysis tool to model the prescribed working methods, actual practice and the gap between those two in the use of physical restraints on the ward.

Results

This study was conducted in four parts. In the exploration phase, work-as-imagined and work-as-done were mapped. Next, a gap between the concerns named in the protocol and the actual employed methods of dealing with physical restraint on the ward was identified. Subsequently, alignment efforts led to the co-construction of a new working method with the ward nurses, which was later embedded in quality efforts by a restraint working group on the ward.

Conclusion

The use of FRAM proved to be very effective in comparing work-as-done with work-as-imagined, contributing to a better understanding, evaluation and support of everyday performance in a ward care setting.
The production of medicoethical misconduct: medical ethics and vivisection in Wilkie Collins’sHeart and Science
Authors: Cole Thomas G
Published: October 2022

Even as Wilkie Collins’sHeart and Sciencecontinues in the tradition of cautionary tales of medicine and science, it also integrates nineteenth-century discussions of medical ethics, vivisection and women, further building on earlier criticisms of scientific hubris. By indicting a fictional medical doctor and his methodology,Heart and Sciencedepicts the extremes of good and bad, ethical and unethical medicine—whether the doctor can care, and not simply solve the medical enigma—in light of a changing medical field that prized objectivity and distance from the subject over the old holistic way of listening to a patient in order to understand her malady. In reading Collins within his historical context and against a changing environment within the medical sciences, literary critics discern a gendered doctor-patient relationship and observe a Victorian author’s attempts to combat the fears of scientific advancement by using or aligning himself with a proto-feminist perspective.
Blast damage zone influence on groundwater fluxes through backfilled open pits
Authors: Rousseau Moïse , Pabst Thomas
Published: October 2022

The blast damage zone (BDZ) surrounding backfilled pits could significantly influence groundwater flow, increase flowrate through backfilled wastes, and potentially increase the dispersion of contaminants to the environment. A conceptual model of the fracture network of the BDZ was first proposed, which consisted of circular fracture oriented along the pit walls, and with a decreasing density with the distance to it. Realistic model parameters were also estimated based on the literature; BDZ equivalent permeability was analytically derived and used in 3D numerical models of conic open pits considering different backfilling scenarios. A total of 16 500 BDZ models were generated to assess the general influence of the BDZ on the flow and the influence of each parameter (fracture trace and attenuation length and fracture radius, aperture, and anisotropy). Results showed that the BDZ generally contributes to reduce (up to three orders of magnitude) the groundwater flow through backfilled tailings, but contributes to increase (by up to 250%) the flow in backfilled waste rocks, especially for wide and fractured BDZ in small pits. This study therefore suggests that the BDZ could be a self-sufficient containment structure to limit contaminant transports from backfilled tailings to the environment, but increases the risk considering waste rock.
Comparing equivalent gravities: common features and differences
Authors: Capozziello Salvatore , De Falco Vittorio , Ferrara Carmen
Published: October 2022

We discuss equivalent representations of gravity in the framework of metric-affine geometries pointing out basic concepts from where these theories stem out. In particular, we take into account tetrads and spin connection to describe the so called Geometric Trinity of Gravity. Specifically, we consider General Relativity, constructed upon the metric tensor and based on the curvature R; Teleparallel Equivalent of General Relativity, formulated in terms of torsion T and relying on tetrads and spin connection; Symmetric Teleparallel Equivalent of General Relativity, built up on non-metricity Q, constructed from metric tensor and affine connection. General Relativity is formulated as a geometric theory of gravity based on metric, whereas teleparallel approaches configure as gauge theories, where gauge choices permit not only to simplify calculations, but also to give deep insight into the basic concepts of gravitational field. In particular, we point out how foundation principles of General Relativity (i.e. the Equivalence Principle and the General Covariance) can be seen from the teleparallel point of view. These theories are dynamically equivalent and this feature can be demonstrated under three different standards: (1) the variational method; (2) the field equations; (3) the solutions. Regarding the second point, we provide a procedure starting from the (generalised) second Bianchi identity and then deriving the field equations. Referring to the third point, we compare spherically symmetric solutions in vacuum recovering the Schwarzschild metric and the Birkhoff theorem in all the approaches. It is worth stressing that, in extending the approaches to f(R), f(T), and f(Q) gravities respectively, the dynamical equivalence is lost opening the discussion on the different number of degrees of freedom intervening in the various representations of gravitational theories.
Instability of de-Sitter black hole with massive scalar field coupled to Gauss–Bonnet invariant and the scalarized black holes
Authors: Yang Zhen-Hao , Fu Guoyang , Kuang Xiao-Mei , Wu Jian-Pin
Published: October 2022

The black hole scalarization in a special Einstein-scalar–Gauss–Bonnet (EsGB) gravity has been widely investigated in recent years. Especially, the spontaneous scalarization of scalar-free black hole in de-Sitter (dS) spacetime possesses interesting features due to the existence of cosmological horizon. In this work, firstly, we focus on the massive scalar field perturbation on Schwarzschild dS (SdS) black hole in a special EsGB theory. By analyzing the fundamental QNM frequency and time evolution of the scalar field perturbation, we figure out the unstable/stable regions in $$(\Lambda ,\alpha )$$

(
Λ
,
α
)

-plane as well as in $$(m,\alpha )$$

(
m
,
α
)

-plane for various perturbation modes, where $$\Lambda $$
Λ
, $$\alpha $$
α
and m denote the cosmological constant, the GB coupling strength and the mass of scalar field, respectively. Then by solving the static perturbation equation, we analyze the bifurcation point at which the SdS black hole supports spherical scalar clouds, and we find that the bifurcation points match well with $$\alpha _c$$

α
c

on the border of unstable/stable region. Finally, after addressing that the scalarised solutions could only emerge from the scalar could with node $$k\ge 1$$

k
≥
1

. we explicitly construct the scalarized hairy solutions for different scalar masses and compare the profile of scalar field to the corresponding scalar clouds.
Cannel coal systems and low gradient drainage through British Carboniferous mires: informing structural backgrounds, mire longevities, and Pennine Basin palaeoslopes
Authors: Rippon J.H. , France A.A. , Rowland D.A.D.
Published: October 2022

This paper re-introduces a forgotten subject, cannel coal, formed within very low gradient mire drainage systems. A minute part of the British Carboniferous rock volume, cannel was prized in the early Industrial Revolution for oil and gas, notably hydrogen. In this paper it is revisited to reveal under-reported palaeogeography, using modern mining and drilling data to give regional depositional insights. The focus is on the English East Midlands, in the SE of the Pennine Basin. Early literature on other areas emphasized deposition in small lakes, assuming little connectivity. In the East Midlands, large lake deposits are connected by cannel-filled channels, from the basin's southern margins up to 100 km north into Yorkshire. Interplays with fluvio-clastic systems are spread over a subtle but simple palaeoslope, north and NE to the Gainsborough Trough sub-basin, with negligible structural disturbance during deposition of the Pennine Coal Measures Group. A gentle basement tilt is indicated. Mire drainage tangential to the central basin invites discussion on wider issues, including marine flooding into the basin. Mire longevity is discussed, this also being relevant to research on contaminant contents through coal-forming times.
Scientific Research Management Helping the Development of Regional Cultural Industry from the Perspective of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Wang Jun , Hu Xuying
Published: October 2022

In order to solve the problem that traditional scientific research management is restricted by management methods and tools, and it is difficult to realize the development of cultural industry, this paper proposes a research method that scientific research management helps the development of the regional cultural industry from the perspective of artificial intelligence. Based on a wavelet neural network based on artificial intelligence, this paper establishes the goodwill value evaluation of cultural industry development under scientific research management. Firstly, the paper uses the hierarchical structure theory to construct the theoretical analysis framework and evaluation index system of cultural value and divides the influencing factors of cultural industry value into three levels: input layer network structure, hidden layer network structure, and output layer network structure. Then the wavelet neural network method is used to analyze, and the three-layer network structure is superimposed to reflect the hierarchical relationship between the index systems. Through the combination of normative analysis and empirical analysis, it verifies that the method has unique advantages and feasibility and realizes the promotion of scientific research management to the development of the regional cultural industry.
Electronic Impacts on the Solvent-Free Mechanochemical Synthesis of Salophen Ligands in Ball Mill
Authors: Tigineh Getinet Tamiru
Published: October 2022

To realize the scope of the solid-solid reaction, the functional solid diamines reacted with solid 3-ethoxysalicylaldehyde under high-speed ball milling in a solvent-free environment. The findings showed that a wide range of Salophen ligands could be produced in good to excellent yields. In comparison to the similar Salophen synthesis to date, the current study provided solvent-free, fast reaction, high yield, and easy work-up.