bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of mycorrhiza biofertilizer on anthocyanin contents and yield of various red rice genotypes under aerobic irrigation systems
Authors: Wangiyana W , Aryana I G P M , Dulur N W D
Published: April 2021

Red color in red rice kernels is because of anthocyanins, making red rice to have high health values. Mycorrhizas are reported to affect anthocyanin contents of other crops. This research aimed to examine the effects of mycorrhiza biofertilizer on grain anthocyanin contents and yield of various promising lines of red rice under aerobic irrigation systems, by conducting field experiment in Beleke, West Lombok, Indonesia, from March to July 2018, in Split Plot design with three blocks and two treatment factors, namely red rice genotypes as main plots (G04, G10, G15, G21) and AMF bio-fertilizer as sub-plots (M0= without, M1= with biofertilizer application). Results of data analysis using ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD test indicated that anthocyanin contents and almost all yield components were significantly higher on red rice supplied with AMF biofertilizer than without AMF, while those variables were mostly non-significantly different between red rice genotypes, except for 100 grain weight. Despite no interaction effects, there was a significantly positive correlation between anthocyanin contents and harvest biomass weight on red rice fertilized with AMF biofertilizers, but not on those receiving no AMF, which indicates positive effects of AMF in increasing harvest biomass and grain anthocyanins of those red rice genotypes.
Visualization of polygon topology in R2 by dividing the outer plane of the polygon
Authors: Panglipur I R , Putra E D D , Sulisawati D N
Published: April 2021

In geometric topology, it is very interesting to develop especially related to the visualization of similar polygons to show the existence of each topology in a two-dimensional plane (R2). The aim to be achieved is to evaluate the conceptual application through the application of the development of the theory of polygon duplication images that are similar with the aided triangle and rectangle. The method chosen in this study is basic research for aiming at discovering new knowledge that had not been previously known. of a visual illustration of a polygon where the number of duplications can be determined and the R2 field. The instrument used is a validated assessment sheet. The validity test result is 2.68 so it is included in the valid category. The visualization of polygon topology on R2 can determine the number of polygons produced by dividing the number of corner points (n) into 2 parts, namely even and odd. The phenomenon of the research result shows that the odd and even n shows an arithmetic sequence. With this division, the formula for the total polygon topology ∑ ?? is obtained using the formula for (Un) in the arithmetic sequence.
Discrete numerical solution for modelling of Phytoplankton growth
Authors: Dinnullah R N I , Fayeldi T
Published: April 2021

Phytoplankton growth model has been observed extensively to track the movement of elements through aquatic food webs and ecological processes. This study is purposed to find numerical solution of The modelling of phytoplankton growth and know the dynamic behavior. The method used to transform the phytoplankton growth model is Finite Difference Euler Method. We focused on the existence and stability of the fixed-points. We break into two cases. The result is that all of cases is dynamically consistent with its continous model only for relatively small-step size. We present some numerical simulation to illustrate those cases. We break into two cases. The result is that all cases is dynamically consistent with its continous model only for relatively small-step size. We present some numerical simulation to illustrate those cases.
Dynamical analysis of diphtheria epidemic model with natural immunity rate on exposed individuals
Authors: Izzati N , Andriani A
Published: April 2021

Diphtheria disease remains endemic in some countries due to the lack of immunization coverage, such as Indonesia, where health care are something need to be pursued and optimized. In the last three years, there are still some areas in Indonesia that its complete basic immunization coverage are less than 50%. Apart from being caused by low immunization coverage, other factors as nutritional adequacy, environmental hygiene and virulence levels of the disease also influence the occurrence of diphtheria outbreaks. In this study, we propose a mathematical model that considers natural immunity rate of the exposed individuals in the spread of diphtheria. This study aims to understand the dynamics of the proposed model. The behavior of the system is known by analysing the stability of its equilibrium points. Numerical simulations using Maple are also carried out to illustrate the dynamics of the system. The stability analysis and numerical simulations show that the disease-free equilibrium point is stable if ?0 < 1, whereas the endemic equilibrium point is only feasible and stable if ?0 > 1. The results shown that complete basic immunization coverage and natural immunity rate of the population affect the basic reproduction number.
Long exact sequence of U-extension modules
Authors: Mahatma Y , Hadi I , Sumargo B
Published: April 2021

Let R be commutative algebra with unit element. Given any R -modules M and N, and any nonzero submodule U of M, Mahatma and Muchtadi-Alamsyah defined the k -th U -extension module of N by M for every positive integer k. Further, Mahatma showed that given any short exact sequence of R -modules and R -module homomorphisms, there exists an exact sequence of U -extension modules of N by M. It is just that the sequence consists of only limited number of nonzero modules. In this paper we investigate the conditions needed by the sequence so that it can be extended into a longer one.
Root square mean labelling of some graphs obtained from path
Authors: Ramdani R , Fanisa A Y , Gumilar S , Sarbini S
Published: April 2021

Let G be a graph with q edges. A labelling f of G is said to be root square mean labelling if f: V(G)UE(G)→{1,2,…,q+1} such that when each edge e = uv labelled with f(e)=[f(u)2+f(v)2/2] or f(e)=[f(u)2+f(v)2/2] then the resulting edge labels are distinct. A graph G is called a root square mean graph if G can be labelled by a root square mean labelling. In this paper we determine a root mean square labelling of two graphs obtained from path, which are corona product of ladder and complete graph with order 1, and a graph obtained from triangular snake by join one vertex with degree 2 in each triangle to a new vertex. The method of labelling construction is we need to do labeling to the vertices of the graph with label 1, 2, 3, …, q+1. The labels of the vertices are not necessarily different. The next step is we need to do labeling to the edges with the certain formula by using the vertex labeling. The edge labels must be different. By the labelling we construct, we proof that the two graphs are root square mean graphs.
Progress in climate change adaptation research
Authors: Sietsma Anne J , Ford James D , Callaghan Max W , Minx Jan C
Published: April 2021

The scientific literature on climate change adaptation has become too large to assess manually. Beyond standard scientometrics, questions about if and how the field is progressing thus remain largely unanswered. Here we provide a novel, inquisitive, computer-assisted evidence mapping methodology that combines expert interviews (n = 26) and structural topic modelling to evaluate open-ended research questions on progress in the field. We apply this to 62 191 adaptation-relevant scientific publications (1988–2020), selected through supervised machine learning from a comprehensive climate change query. Comparing the literature to key benchmarks of mature adaptation research, our findings align with trends in the adaptation literature observed by most experts: the field is maturing, growing rapidly, and diversifying, with social science and implementation topics arising next to the still-dominant natural sciences and impacts-focused research. Formally assessing the representativeness of IPCC citations, we find evidence of a delay effect for fast-growing areas of research like adaptation strategies and governance. Similarly, we show significant topic biases by geographic location: especially disaster and development-related topics are often studied in Southern countries by authors from the North, while Northern countries dominate governance topics. Moreover, there is a general paucity of research in some highly vulnerable countries. Experts lastly signal a need for meaningful stakeholder involvement. Expanding on the methods presented here would aid the comprehensive and transparent monitoring of adaptation research. For the evidence synthesis community, our methodology provides an example of how to move beyond the descriptive towards the inquisitive and formally evaluating research questions.
Adsorption behaviors of Congo red onto Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanoparticles prepared via an alcohol-assisted combustion process
Authors: Deng Peng , Wang Zhou , Pan Zhongjun , Zhang Shuanglong , Rong Guoxiang
Published: April 2021

Magnetic Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanoparticles were prepared through an alcohol-assisted combustion process. The composition, morphology and magnetic properties of the nanomaterials were characterized by XRD, TEM and VSM techniques. The magnetic Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanomaterials were soft magnetic nanoparticles with a saturation magnetization of 38.6 emu g−1 and an average particle size of approximate 29 nm. The adsorption behavior of Congo red (CR) onto Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanoparticles was examined by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, and the data for the kinetics and the isotherm of CR adsorption onto Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanoparticles were in good agreement with the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model, respectively, which suggested that the adsorption mechanism of CR onto Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterogeneous nanoparticles was the chemical and monolayer adsorption. Moreover, the influence of pH on the adsorption process was investigated, and when pH was equal to and less than 7, there would be larger adsorbances.
Hybrid nanomaterials-based biomedical phototheranostic platforms
Authors: Ye Jing , Dong Xiawei , Jiang Hui , Chen Yun , Wu Chunhui , Wang Xuemei
Published: April 2021

The new hybrid nanomaterials have unique nanoparticle surface modification or core characteristics, with two or more chemical, physical, and optical properties. They have shown more personalized application prospects in disease management and treatment, and can significantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. This article reviews the synthesis methods and structural characteristics of a series of new hybrid nanomaterials recently produced, including metallic oxide-containing hybrid nanomaterials, biopolymers-containing hybrid nanomaterials and in situ biosynthesis of hybrid nanomaterials. We focus on applying various types of hybrid nanomaterials in magnetic resonance imaging, photoacoustic, fluorescence imaging, and computed tomography imaging technology. At the same time, it summarizes the therapeutic effects of theranostics, cancer immunotherapy, photomedicine, and photothermal therapy under the guidance of imaging diagnosis. Finally, we briefly analyze the challenges in biomedical applications by hybrid materials as a nano-platform for imaging diagnosis and treatment and provides suggestions for future research in this field.
scConnect: a method for exploratory analysis of cell–cell communication based on single-cell RNA-sequencing data
Authors: Jakobsson Jon E T , Spjuth Ola , Lagerström Malin C
Published: April 2021

Motivation

Cell to cell communication is critical for all multicellular organisms, and single-cell sequencing facilitates the construction of full connectivity graphs between cell types in tissues. Such complex data structures demand novel analysis methods and tools for exploratory analysis.

Results

We propose a method to predict the putative ligand–receptor interactions between cell types from single-cell RNA-sequencing data. This is achieved by inferring and incorporating interactions in a multi-directional graph, thereby enabling contextual exploratory analysis. We demonstrate that our approach can detect common and specific interactions between cell types in mouse brain and human tumors, and that these interactions fit with expected outcomes. These interactions also include predictions made with molecular ligands integrating information from several types of genes necessary for ligand production and transport. Our implementation is general and can be appended to any transcriptome analysis pipeline to provide unbiased hypothesis generation regarding ligand to receptor interactions between cell populations or for network analysis in silico.

Availability and implementation

scConnect is open source and available as a Python package at https://github.com/JonETJakobsson/scConnect. scConnect is directly compatible with Scanpy scRNA-sequencing pipelines.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Essential Cases: Public Law
Authors: Webb Thomas E.
Published: April 2021

Essential Cases: Public Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. Essential Cases provides you with succinct summaries of some of the landmark and most influential cases in public law. Each summary begins with a review of the main case facts and decision. The summary is then concluded with expert commentary on the case from the author, Thomas Webb, including his assessment of the wider questions raised by the decision.
Essential Cases: Criminal Law
Authors: Herring Jonathan
Published: April 2021

Essential Cases: Criminal Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. Essential Cases provides you with succinct summaries of some of the landmark and most influential cases in criminal law. Each summary begins with a review of the main case facts and decision. The summary is then concluded with expert commentary on the case from the author, Jonathan Herring, including his assessment of the wider questions raised by the decision.
Analytical redundancy relationship generation on a progressive horizon for fault diagnosis of a labelled Petri net
Authors: Chouchane Amira
Published: April 2021

In this article, a diagnosis approach for partially observed labelled Petri nets is developed based on building a set of analytical redundancy relationships on a progressive horizon. A nominal model is used for fault detection based on a set of relationships linking the known data of the nominal behaviour. A fault model is used for fault isolation by establishing a set of relationships for each fault transition connecting the known data of the fault behaviour. The above-mentioned analytical redundancy relationships are established offline by eliminating unknown variables from the considered model. The proposed online procedure for fault diagnosis is polynomial with respect to the number of unobservable events.
The Criminalization of European Cartel Enforcement
Authors: Peter Whelan
Published: April 2021

Cartel activity is prohibited under EU law by virtue of Article 101(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Firms that violate this provision face severe punishment (including stiff fines) from those entities responsible for enforcing EU competition law. Such firm-focused punishment is an established feature of the antitrust enforcement landscape within the EU. It is increasingly recognized that punishment for cartel activity should be individual-focused as well as firm-focused. Accordingly, a growing tendency to criminalize cartel activity can be observed in the EU Member States. The existence of such criminal sanctions within the EU presents a number of crucial challenges that need to be met if the underlying enforcement objectives are to be achieved without violating prevailing legal norms. First, the employment of criminal antitrust punishment must be justifiable. Second, antitrust criminalization should only occur in a manner that respects the mandatory legalities applicable to the European jurisdiction in question. Finally, the correct practical measures need to be in place in order to ensure that the employment of criminal antitrust punishment actually achieves its aims while maintaining its legitimacy. This book analyses these three crucial challenges so that the complexity of the process of European antitrust criminalization can be understood more accurately. The book acknowledges that three challenges should not be considered in isolation. There is a dynamic relationship between the theoretical, legal, and practical challenges of European antitrust criminalization and an effective antitrust criminalization policy recognizes and respects this complex interaction.
Assessment of the cosmic distance duality relation using Gaussian process
Authors: Mukherjee Purba , Mukherjee Ankan
Published: April 2021

Two types of distance measurement are important in cosmological observations, the angular diameter distance dA and the luminosity distance dL. In this work, we carried out an assessment of the theoretical relation between these two distance measurements, namely the cosmic distance–duality relation, from type Ia supernova (SN-Ia) data, the cosmic chronometer (CC) Hubble parameter data, and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data using Gaussian Process (GP). The luminosity distance curve and the angular diameter distance curve are extracted from the SN-Ia data and the combination of BAO and CC data, respectively, using the GP. The distance duality relation is checked by a non-parametric reconstruction using the reconstructed H, dL, and the volume-averaged distance Dv. We compare the results obtained for different choices of the covariance function employed in the GP. It is observed that the theoretical distance duality relation is in well agreement with the present analysis in 2σ for the overlapping redshift domain 0 ≤ z ≤ 2 of the reconstruction.
Implications of feebly interacting dark sector on neutron star properties and constraints from GW170817
Authors: Sen Debashree , Guha Atanu
Published: April 2021

We investigate the effect of feeble interaction of dark matter (DM) with hadronic matter on the equation of state (EoS) and structural properties of neutron stars (NSs) in static conditions. For the purpose, we adopt the effective chiral model for the hadronic sector and for the first time in the context of possible existence of DM inside NSs, we introduce the DM–SM interaction through light new physics mediator. Moreover, the mass of DM fermion, the mediator and the coupling are adopted from the self-interaction constraint from Bullet cluster and from present day relic abundance. Within the considered framework, the work highlights the underlying stiffening of EoS in the presence of DM fermion of mass of the order of a few GeV compared to the no-DM scenario. Consequently, the maximum gravitational mass of NS is obtained consistent with the bounds from the most massive pulsars that were not satisfied with the hadronic matter EoS alone. The estimates of radius and tidal deformability of 1.4-M⊙ NS and the tidal deformabilities of the individual components of the binary neutron stars (BNS) associated with GW170817 are all in good agreement with the individual constraints obtained from GW170817 observation of BNS merger.
Morpho-kinematics of the circumstellar envelope of the AGB star R Dor: a global view
Authors: Nhung P T , Hoai D T , Tuan-Anh P , Darriulat P , Diep P N , Ngoc N B , Phuong N T , Thai T T
Published: April 2021

We analyse new ALMA observations of the 29SiO (ν = 0, J = 8–7) and SO2 (ν = 0, 343,31−342,32) line emissions of the circumstellar envelope (CSE) of the oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star, R Dor. With a spatial resolution of ∼2.3 au, the observations cover distances below ∼30 au from the star providing a link between earlier observations and clarifying some open issues. The main conclusions are the following. (i) Rotation is confined below ∼15 au from the star, with velocity reaching a maximum below 10 au and morphology showing no significant disc-like flattening. (ii) In the south-eastern quadrant, a large Doppler velocity gas stream is studied in more detail than previously possible and its possible association with an evaporating planetary companion is questioned. (iii) A crude evaluation of the respective contributions of rotation, expansion and turbulence to the morpho-kinematics is presented. Significant line broadening occurs below ∼12 au from the star and causes the presence of high Doppler velocity components near the line of sight pointing to the centre of the star. (iv) Strong absorption of the continuum emission of the stellar disc and its immediate dusty environment is observed to extend beyond the disc in the form of self-absorption. The presence of a cold SiO layer extending up to some 60 au from the star is shown to be the cause. (v) Line emissions from SO, 28SiO, CO and HCN molecules are used to probe the CSE up to some 100 au from the star, revealing the presence of two broad back-to-back outflows, the morphology of which is studied in finer detail than in earlier work.
The Kurdish Movement in Turkey
Authors: Okcuoglu Dilan
Published: April 2021

The prolonged conflict between the Turkish state and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), spanning four decades, has resulted in 4,000 villages evacuated, and more than 3 million people displaced. Despite this profound impact on people’s everyday lives, studies on people’s perceptions of the Kurdish movement are still limited. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Kurdish participants in Turkey, this chapter explores how Kurds from different backgrounds, of different ages, and politicized to different degrees, perceive the Kurdish movement and what motivates their commitment to it. Guided by an interpretivist methodology and drawing on findings from fieldwork, the chapter proposes that everyday experiences and understandings of the Kurdish movement are embedded and salient in a political sense. It concludes that by mobilizing people’s everyday perceptions and experiences and translating them into political engagement, the Kurdish movement shifts the scale of politics from a national to transnational and local levels. This shift implies that conducting extensive qualitative research among ordinary people brings a novel understanding of political movements and ethnic conflict in terms of both people’s motivations and movements’ strategic choices.
Varieties of Secularity
Authors: Zemmin Florian
Published: April 2021

Modern societies in the Middle East have been shaped by processes of secularization, leading to a state of secularity on two levels: structural differentiations and conceptual distinctions between religion and the secular. Overt promotion of secularism failed to gain wider societal acceptance, especially among those who perceive a tension or contradiction between secularity and Islam. While some scholars share this view, recent works point out conceptual distinctions between the religious and the secular in Islam. After a snapshot of scholarly approaches, this chapter attends first to structural differentiations and then to conceptual distinctions of secularity. It largely focuses on the formative period of modernity but also adds a historical and contemporary dimension. Acknowledging the hegemony of colonial powers in configuring secularity both historically and conceptually, but highlighting Islamic variations and precolonial resources of secularity in the Middle East, this chapter furthers a research perspective on the varieties of secularity in global modernity and their plural genealogies.
The “New Flowers” of Bulgarian Punk: Cultural Translation, Local Subcultural Scenes, and Heritage
Authors: Draganova Asya
Published: April 2021

First formed in the late 1970s, the Bulgarian punk band Novi Tsvetya was considered one of the first in the country, and they challenged restrictions associated with the totalitarian regime at the time. Focusing on Novi Tsvetya—or “New Flowers”—who are still active on the scene in the small town of Kyustendil where they first started, this chapter seeks to explore the genesis of the translation of “Western” subcultural music scenes into Eastern European Cold War contexts. It is argued that DIY politics of access, creation, and music performance enabled opportunities for youth agency and expression. They were in symbolic opposition to perceived repressive aspects of Cold War social and political environments in Bulgaria. The chapter also interrogates contemporary developments in relation to the wider interpretation of Bulgarian subcultural scenes, particularly a move towards a DIY cultural heritage discourse: a process of mythologizing youth resistance and creativity. While New Flowers and other bands discussed in this chapter are mostly musically and aesthetically engaged with punk and post-punk, the symbol of flowers in their name highlights the connectedness of subcultural scenes with other, earlier youth cultures, particularly the hippie culture. As the word flowers appears elsewhere in Bulgarian punk/post-punk, such as the song “Flowers of the Late 80s” (1987) by Revu, this chapter seeks to develop the notion of flowers as a conceptual and metaphorical device to understand how pre-1989 subcultural youth practices are holistically memorialized. The study is based on ethnographic interviews and observations, alongside analysis of musical, lyrical, and visual content, interpreting punk as an evolving intergenerational global language with a DIY ethos.
Transnational Internet Law
Authors: Marsden Christopher
Published: April 2021

The greatest, and certainly to a Westphalian nation-state-centered universe most revolutionary, challenge for regulation is the increasing co-operation between national, regional, and international networks of regulators, to regulate the internet. Reidenberg coined the term “lex informatica” to explain its transnational legal nature, based on Berman and Kaufman’s analysis of mediaeval lex mercatoria, rather than Jessup’s transnational law. This chapter briefly considers the technical standards that permit inter-networking and thus the internet, then examines how standards—including commercial and legal standards—have created a transnational lex informatica. The chapter then focuses on two phenomena of the transnational internet law evolution. The first is governance by contract for all commercial transactions, even those that are ostensibly free of monetary value, in which the contractors are trading private information for advertising revenue. The second is the “open internet,” laws protecting some aspects of network neutrality.
The Period of Inflation, 1919–1923
Authors: Geyer Martin H.
Published: April 2021

The years after the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty on 28 June and the adoption of the Weimar Constitution on 11 August 1919 were dominated by inflation, which culminated in hyperinflation in 1923 and resulted in a currency reform. The republic mastered severe political crises such as the Kapp putsch in 1920, upheavals, and hyperinflation. At the same time, political life remained almost permanently in post-revolutionary crisis mode, suffering from both internal and external uncertainties, including reparations, which played a major role. Between 1919 and 1923, the government changed eight times. In particular, the year 1923 was marked by economic, political, and social states of emergency. After the political revolution in November 1918, inflation proved to be a revolution of a different kind, which contemporaries saw as crisis of the social order, but also as the expression of destructive modernity.
Religious Cultures and Confessional Politics
Authors: Weir Todd H. , Greenberg Udi
Published: April 2021

This chapter argues that the role of religion in the political and social dynamics of the Weimar Republic was determined by two axes of confessional conflict. Alongside the Catholic–Protestant antagonism, there were also significant tensions between secularism and Christianity. Both axes contributed to the formation of different social milieus during the Kaiserreich and supported their continued articulation during the Weimar Republic. The chapter explores developments within the milieus, such as the significant growth and radicalization of freethought within the socialist and communist parties, as well as the shifting relationships between them, which created a fractured and complex set of political struggles, compromises, and alliances. The republic was bookended by efforts to overcome confessional divides in Germany through revolutionary means, on the one hand through the aborted attempt to fully secularize the German state in 1918 and, on the other, the campaign by the National Socialists to win Christian support by calling for ‘positive Christianity’ to heal Germany’s confessional divide by unifying Protestants and Catholics and destroying secularism.
The setting of heartbeat acceptance windows on gated myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography using CZT camera: effect of left ventricular functional parameters in patients with arrhythmia
Authors: Tsuboi Kunihito , Nagaki Akio , Shibutani Takayuki , Kawakami Yuji , Onoguchi Masahisa
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Consistently variable with several peaks in heart rate histogram (e.g. bigeminy and trigeminy) is one of the arrhythmia types. We investigated the effects of gating error by consistently variable patients on left ventricular (LV) functional with cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) camera. The purpose of this study is to evaluate LV functional parameters by setting different heartbeat acceptance windows on gated myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) (MPS) in consistently variable patients, using echocardiography (echo) as a reference.

Materials and methods

Sixteen consistently variable patients underwent the gated MPS using a D-SPECT. The MPS images were obtained by setting two different types of heartbeat acceptance windows. The heartbeat acceptance windows were set to include only one peak and two peaks of the maximum count peaks, respectively.

Results

Mean end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were 112.7 mL, 62.2 mL and 51.3% for one peak, 114.5 mL, 66.1 mL and 47.1% for two peak, and 113.0 mL, 54.2 mL and 54.1% for echo, respectively. The mean differences between two peaks and echo in LVEF were larger than those of between one peak and echo.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that setting the heartbeat acceptance window of one peak was suitable for accurate measurement of LV function in consistently variable patients.
Burkholderia cepacia infection in a non-cystic fibrosis patient: an arcane presentation
Authors: Ibrahim Sufyan , Madigubba Haritha , N Himanshu Y. , Chawla Kiran
Published: April 2021

Introduction.

Burkholderia cepacia

is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacillus, which exhibits innate resistance to multiple antibiotics and disinfectants. Although it is a chronic colonizer of the respiratory tract, it may rarely present with fatal necrotizing pneumonia-like features in immunosuppressed individuals, as those with chronic granulomatous disease, or patients with significant pulmonary compromise, like cystic fibrosis.

Case Presentation. A 76-year-old male presented with complaints of breathlessness, cough with mucoid expectoration and fever for 3 days. He had a history of coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus and hypertension, under treatment. Pulmonary function tests were suggestive of very severe obstruction (FEV1/FVC was 55 %). So, clinical diagnosis of acute exacerbation of COPD was established. Sputum culture grew

B. cepacia

. The patient was treated with ceftazidime and meropenem along with inhalational bronchodilators and steroids, and showed symptomatic response to therapy.

Conclusion. There is paucity of the literature describing

B. cepacia

as a potential cause for acute exacerbations in relatively common clinical conditions, such as COPD. This case report highlights the speculation of this rare possibility, thereby alerting a clinician dealing with such cases.
REACT-1 round 10 report: Level prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 swab-positivity in England during third national lockdown in March 2021
Authors: Riley Steven , Eales Oliver , Haw David , Walters Caroline E. , Wang Haowei , Ainslie Kylie E. C. , Atchison Christina , Fronterre Claudio , Diggle Peter J. , Ashby Deborah , Donnelly Christl A. , Cooke Graham , Barclay Wendy , Ward Helen , Darzi Ara , Elliott Paul
Published: April 2021

Background

In England, hospitalisations and deaths due to SARS-CoV-2 have been falling consistently since January 2021 during the third national lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first significant relaxation of that lockdown occurred on 8 March when schools reopened.

Methods

The REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-1 (REACT-1) study augments routine surveillance data for England by measuring swab-positivity for SARS-CoV-2 in the community. The current round, round 10, collected swabs from 11 to 30 March 2021 and is compared here to round 9, in which swabs were collected from 4 to 23 February 2021.

Results

During round 10, we estimated an R number of 1.00 (95% confidence interval 0.81, 1.21). Between rounds 9 and 10 we estimated national prevalence has dropped by ∼60% from 0.49% (0.44%, 0.55%) in February to 0.20% (0.17%, 0.23%) in March. There were substantial falls in weighted regional prevalence: in South East from 0.36% (0.29%, 0.44%) in round 9 to 0.07% (0.04%, 0.12%) in round 10; London from 0.60% (0.48%, 0.76%) to 0.16% (0.10%, 0.26%); East of England from 0.47% (0.36%, 0.60%) to 0.15% (0.10%, 0.24%); East Midlands from 0.59% (0.45%, 0.77%) to 0.19% (0.13%, 0.28%); and North West from 0.69% (0.54%, 0.88%) to 0.31% (0.21%, 0.45%). Areas of apparent higher prevalence remain in parts of the North West, and Yorkshire and The Humber. The highest prevalence in March was found among school-aged children 5 to 12 years at 0.41% (0.27%, 0.62%), compared with the lowest in those aged 65 to 74 and 75 and over at 0.09% (0.05%, 0.16%). The close approximation between prevalence of infections and deaths (suitably lagged) is diverging, suggesting that infections may have resulted in fewer hospitalisations and deaths since the start of widespread vaccination.

Conclusion

We report a sharp decline in prevalence of infections between February and March 2021. We did not observe an increase in the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 following the reopening of schools in England, although the decline of prevalence appears to have stopped. Future rounds of REACT-1 will be able to measure the rate of growth or decline from this current plateau and hence help assess the effectiveness of the vaccination roll-out on transmission of the virus as well as the potential size of any third wave during the ensuing months.
IL-1 Mediates Tissue Specific Inflammation and Severe Respiratory Failure In Covid-19: Clinical And Experimental Evidence
Authors: Renieris Georgios , Karakike Eleni , Gkavogianni Theologia , Droggiti Dionysia- Eirini , Kafousopoulos Dionysios , Netea Mihai G. , Eugen-Olsen Jesper , Simard John , Giamarellos-Bourboulis Evangelos J.
Published: April 2021

Background

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in COVID-19 has been associated with dysregulated immune responses leading to catastrophic inflammation. The activation pathways remain to be fully elucidated. We investigated the ability of circulating to induce dysregulated immune responses.

Materials & Methods

Calprotectin and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) were associated with ARDS in 60 COVID-19 patients. In a second cohort of 40 COVID-19 patients calprotectin at hospital admission was associated with serum levels of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR). A COVID-19 animal model was developed by intravenous injection of plasma from healthy volunteers or patients with COVID-19 ARDS into C57/BL6 mice once daily for 3 consecutive days. In separate experiments, mice were treated with a) the IL-1 receptor antagonist Anakinra or vehicle and b) Flo1-2a anti-murine anti-IL-1α monoclonal antibody or the specific anti-human IL-1α antibody XB2001, or isotype controls. Mice were sacrificed on day 4. Cytokines and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in tissues were measured.

Results

Calprotectin, but not HMGB1, was elevated ARDS. Higher suPAR readouts indicated higher calprotectin levels. CHallenge of mice with COVID-19 plasma led to inflammatory reactions in murine lung and intestines as evidenced by increased levels of TNFα, IL-6, IFNγ and MPO. Anakinra treatment brought these levels down. Similar decrease was found in mice treated with Flo1-2a but not with XB2001.

Conclusion

Circulating alarmins, specifically calprotectin, of critically ill COVID-19 patients induces tissue-specific inflammatory responses through an IL-1α mediated mechanism. This could be attenuated through inhibition of IL-1 receptor or specific inhibition of IL-1α.
Modeling COVID-19 in Iran using Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm
Authors: Sahafizadeh Ebrahim , Khajeian MohammadAli
Published: April 2021

Background

The first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Iran were reported on February 19, 2020. The coronavirus expanded rapidly in all Iranian provinces and three waves of COVID-19 cases have been observed since the pandemic took effect and the fourth wave of Covid-19 cases will likely be observed soon. This study aimed to model the spread of COVID-19 in Iran and to estimate the epidemic parameters and to predict the short-term future trend of COVID-19 in Iran.

Methods

We proposed a modified SEIR epidemic spreading model and we used data from February 20, 2020, to April 9, 2021, on the number of cases reported by Iranian governments to fit the proposed model on the reported data. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm was employed to estimate the parameters of the proposed model and the numerical simulation results were obtained by Runge-Kutta method. The estimated parameters were employed to calculate the effective reproduction number and to predict the short-term future trends of COVID-19 cases.

Results

The results indicated that the effective reproduction number has increased during Nowruz (Persian New Year) and it was estimated to be 1.28. Considering only two exposed cases as the initial cases in the model, the cumulative number of exposed cases was estimated to be 15,252,372 individuals since the beginning of the outbreak. The prediction of the short-term future trends of COVID-19 cases with different scenarios showed that another peak of the pandemic cases occurs in the next weeks. By immediate lockdown implementation the number of active infected cases was estimated to be 397,585.

Conclusion

Different scenarios of short-term prediction of the future trends of COVID-19 cases indicated that immediate strict social distancing policies need to be implemented to prevent a tremendous burden of the fourth major wave of COVID-19 infections on the health care system of Iran.
Vaccination of Front-Line Workers with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine: Benefits in the Face of Increased Risk for Prothrombotic Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Adibi Amin , Mozafarihashjin Mohammad , Sadatsafavi Mohsen
Published: April 2021

Background

In March 2021, a number of regulatory and advisory bodies around the world recommended against using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in younger adults pending further review of the risk for vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT). As an example, we consider the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) which halted its front-line workers vaccination program with the AstraZeneca vaccine. The province received an additional 246,700 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in the weeks before April 11th, enough to provide the first dose of vaccine to all unvaccinated front-line workers. It is unclear whether the alternative, mRNA vaccines can be immediately made available to front-line workers.

Methods

We reviewed the latest available evidence and used compartmental modelling to 1) compare the expected number of deaths due to COVID-19 and VIPIT under the scenarios of immediately continuing vaccination of front-line workers with the AstraZeneca vaccine or delaying it in favour of mRNA vaccines from a societal perspective, and 2) compare the individual mortality risk of immediately receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine with waiting to receive an mRNA vaccine later from a personal perspective.

Results

We estimate that if British Columbia continues the front-line worker vaccination program with the AstraZeneca vaccine, we expect to see approximately 45,000 fewer cases of COVID-19, 800 fewer hospitalizations, 120 fewer COVID-related deaths, and 2,300 fewer cases of Long COVID from April 15th to October 1st, 2021, for an expected number of VIPIT-related deaths of 0.674 [95% CI 0.414-0.997]. In the same period and in areas of high transmission (R0=1.30), the projected excess risk of mortality due to COVID-19 and VIPIT was significantly higher in the delayed vaccination with mRNA vaccines scenario (3.5 to 4.5 times higher risk) than that of immediate vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine for those between 30 and 69 years of age. In areas with lower levels of transmission (R0=1.15), the projected excess risk of mortality was 1.8 to 3.4 times higher in the delayed vaccination with mRNA vaccines scenario for those between 30 and 69 years of age. For those under 30, immediate vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine posed a higher risk than delayed vaccination with an mRNA vaccine, regardless of the level of transmission in the community.

Conclusions

The benefits of continuing immunization of front-line workers with the AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh the risk both at a societal level and at a personal risk level for those over 40, and those over 30 in high-risk areas.
Effective connectivity during faces processing in major depression – distinguishing markers of pathology, risk, and resilience
Authors: Sacu Seda , Wackerhagen Carolin , Erk Susanne , Romanczuk-Seiferth Nina , Schwarz Kristina , Schweiger Janina I. , Tost Heike , Meyer-Lindenberg Andreas , Heinz Andreas , Razi Adeel , Walter Henrik
Published: April 2021

Background

Aberrant brain connectivity during emotional processing, especially within the fronto-limbic pathway, is one of the hallmarks of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, a lack of systematic approaches in previous studies made it difficult to determine whether a specific alteration in brain connectivity reflects a cause, correlate, or effect of the disorder. The current study aimed to investigate neural mechanisms that correspond to disease, risk and resilience in major depression during implicit processing of emotion cues.

Methods

Forty-eight patients with MDD, 49 first-degree relatives of patients with MDD and 103 healthy controls performed a face-matching task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used dynamic causal modelling to estimate task-dependent effective connectivity at the subject level. Parametric empirical Bayes was then performed to quantify group differences in effective connectivity.

Results

Depressive pathology was associated with decreased effective connectivity from the left amygdala and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to the right fusiform gyrus, whereas familial risk for depression corresponded to decreased connectivity from the right orbitofrontal cortex to the left insula and from the left orbitofrontal cortex to the right fusiform gyrus. Resilience for depression was related to increased connectivity from the anterior cingulate cortex to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the depressive state alters top-down control of higher visual regions during the processing of emotional faces, whereas increased connectivity within the cognitive control network promotes resilience to depression.
A distinct metabolic profile associated with a fatal outcome in COVID-19 patients during early epidemic in Italy
Authors: Saccon Elisa , Bandera Alessandra , Sciumè Mariarita , Mikeloff Flora , Lashari Abid Ali , Aliberti Stefano , Sachs Michael , Billi Filippo , Blasi Francesco , Gabriel Erin , Costantino Giorgio , De Roberto Pasquale , Krishnan Shuba , Gori Andrea , Peyvandi Flora , Scudeller Luigia , Lorson Christian L. , Valenti Luca , Singh Kamal , Baldini Luca , Fracchiolla Nicola Stefano , Neogi Ujjwal
Published: April 2021

Leveraging the unique biological resource based upon the initial COVID-19 patients in Policlinico di Milano (Italy), our study provides the first metabolic profile associated with a fatal outcome. The identification of potential predictive biomarkers offers a vital opportunity to employ metabolomics in a clinical setting as diagnostic tool of disease prognosis upon hospital admission.
Effect of COVID-19 on Lipid Profile and its Correlation with Acute Phase Reactants
Authors: Malik Jahanzeb , Laique Talha , Ishaq Uzma , Ashraf Amna , Malik Asmara , Ali Mommana , Zaidi Syed Muhammad Jawad , Javaid Muhammad , Mehmood Asad
Published: April 2021

Background and Objective

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) manifests as multiple clinical and pathological organ dysfunctions. It also disrupts metabolic profile due to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines causing a systemic inflammation reaction. However, the development and correlation of dyslipidemia with acute phase reactants is unknown. This investigation was performed to assess the pathological alterations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides, and total cholesterol levels in COVID-19 patients.

Methods

This was a prospective study performed on real-world patients to assess serum levels of LDL-C, HDL, TG, TC on COVID-19 patients (mild: 319; moderate: 391; critical: 357) hospitalized at our center between April 2020 through January 2021. Age- and gender-matched controls who had their lipid profiles in the same period were included as the control group.

Results

LDL-C, HDL, TG, and TC levels were significantly lower in COVID-19 patients when compared with the control group (P < 0.001, 0.047, 0.045, < 0.001, respectively). All parameters decreased gradually with COVID-19 disease severity (LDL-C: median (IQR), mild: 98 (91,134); moderate: 97 (81,113); critical: 68 (68,83); HDL: mild: 45 (37,50); moderate: 46 (41,50); critical: 40 (37,46); TG: mild: 186 (150,245); moderate: 156 (109,198); critical: 111 (98,154); TC: mild: 224 (212,238); moderate: 212 (203,213); critical: 154 (125,187)). LDL-C, TC, and TG were inversely correlated with acute phase reactants (interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimers). Logistic regression demonstrated lipid profile, thyroid profile, and acute phase reactants as predictors of severity of COVID-19 disease.

Conclusion

Hypolipidemia develops in increasing frequency with severe COVID-19 disease. It inversely correlates with levels of acute-phase reactants, indicating SARS-COV-2 as the causative agent for alteration in lipid and thyroid levels.