bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Importance of Examined Lymph Node Number in Accurate Staging and Enhanced Survival in Resected Gastric Adenocarcinoma—The More, the Better? A Cohort Study of 8,696 Cases From the US and China, 2010–2016
Authors: Huang Lei , Zhang Xinyue , Wei Zhijian , Xu Aman
Published: January 2021

Background

While most guidelines advocate D2 lymphadenectomy for non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma (nmGaC), it is not always performed as standard of care outside East Asia. The recommended minimal examined lymph node (ELN) count in nmGaC to stage cancer accurately varies largely across guidelines, and the optimal count to satisfactorily stratify patient survival has yet to be determined. This large cohort study aimed at robustly defining the minimal and optimal thresholds of examined lymph node (ELN) number in non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma (nmGaC).

Methods

Data on nmGaC patients operated in 2010–2016 and surviving ≥3 months were retrieved from the US SEER-18 Program and a Chinese multi-institutional gastric cancer database (MIGC). The correlation of ELN count with stage migration and patient survival were quantified with the use of the multivariable-adjusted logistic and proportional hazards Cox models, respectively. The sequences of odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) for each additional ELN were smoothed, and the structural breakpoints were determined.

Results

Together 7,228 patients from the US and 1,468 from China were analyzed, encompassing 23,114 person-years of follow-up. The mean ELN count was 20 in the US and 30 in China. With more ELNs, both cohorts significantly showed proportional increases from lower to higher nodal stage (ORSEER = 1.03, 95%-CI = 1.03–1.04; ORMIGC = 1.02, 95%-CI = 1.02–1.03) and sequential enhancements in postoperative survival (HRSEER = 0.97, 95%-CI = 0.97–0.97; HRMIGC = 0.98, 95%-CI = 0.97–0.99). Correlations for both stage migration and survival were still significant in most subgroups by patient, cancer, and management factors. Breakpoint analyses revealed a minimum threshold ELN count of 17 and an optimum count of 33, which were validated in both cohorts with good efficacy to differentiate probabilities of both stage migration and survival.

Conclusion

In resected nmGaC patients with anticipated survival ≥3 months, more ELNs are correlated with more accurate staging, which may partly explain the survival correlation. This observational investigation does not indicate causality. Our findings robustly conclude 17 ELNs as the minimum and propose 33 ELNs as the optimum thresholds, to assess the quality of lymph node examination and to stratify postsurgical survival.
Development of CAR-T Cell Persistence in Adoptive Immunotherapy of Solid Tumors
Authors: Fan Jiaqiao , Das Jugal Kishore , Xiong Xiaofang , Chen Hailong , Song Jianxun
Published: January 2021

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T (CAR-T) cell transfer has made great success in hematological malignancies, but only shown a limited effect on solid tumors. One of the major hurdles is the poor persistence of infused cells derived fromex vivoactivation/expansion and repeated antigen encounter after re-infusion. Bcl-xL has been demonstrated to play an important role on normal T cell survival and function as well as genetically engineered cells. In the current study, we developed a retroviral CAR construct containing a second-generation carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-targeting CAR with the Bcl-xL gene and tested the anti-CEA CAR-T cell immunotherapy for colorectal cancer.In vitro, the anti-CEA CAR-T cells destroyed CEA-expressing tumor cells and sustained survival.In vivo, adoptive cell transfer of anti-CEA CAR-T cells significantly enhanced the ability of the CAR-T cells to accumulate in tumor tissues, suppress tumor growth and increase the overall survival rate of tumor-bearing mice in a murine model of colorectal cancer. These results demonstrate a novel CAR-T platform that has the ability to increase the persistence of CAR-T cells in solid tumors through exogenous expression of persistent genes. The data provide a potentially novel approach to augment CAR-T immunotherapy for solid tumors.
Integrating Liquid Biopsy and Radiomics to Monitor Clonal Heterogeneity of EGFR-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Cucchiara Federico , Del Re Marzia , Valleggi Simona , Romei Chiara , Petrini Iacopo , Lucchesi Maurizio , Crucitta Stefania , Rofi Eleonora , De Liperi Annalisa , Chella Antonio , Russo Antonio , Danesi Romano
Published: January 2021

Background

EGFR-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is a dynamic entity and tumor progression and resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) arise from the accumulation, over time and across different disease sites, of subclonal genetic mutations. For instance, the occurrence of EGFR T790M is associated with resistance to gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib, while EGFR C797S causes osimertinib to lose activity. Sensitive technologies as radiomics and liquid biopsy have great potential to monitor tumor heterogeneity since they are both minimally invasive, easy to perform, and can be repeated over patient’s follow-up, enabling the extraction of valuable information. Yet, to date, there are no reported cases associating liquid biopsy and radiomics during treatment.

Case presentation

In this case series, seven patients with metastatic EGFR-positive NSCLC have been monitored during target therapy. Plasma-derived cell free DNA (cfDNA) was analyzed by a digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), while radiomic analyses were performed using the validated LifeX® software on computed tomography (CT)-images. The dynamics of EGFR mutations in cfDNA was compared with that of radiomic features. Then, for each EGFR mutation, a radiomic signature was defines as the sum of the most predictive features, weighted by their corresponding regression coefficients for the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were computed to estimate their diagnostic performance. The signatures achieved promising performance on predicting the presence of EGFR mutations (R2 = 0.447, p <0.001 EGFR activating mutations R2 = 0.301, p = 0.003 for T790M; and R2 = 0.354, p = 0.001 for activating plus resistance mutations), confirmed by ROC analysis.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, these are the first cases to highlight a potentially promising strategy to detect clonal heterogeneity and ultimately identify patients at risk of progression during treatment. Together, radiomics and liquid biopsy could detect the appearance of new mutations and therefore suggest new therapeutic management.
Routine Chest X-Rays Are Inaccurate in Detecting Relevant Intrapulmonary Anomalies During Medical Assessments of Fitness to Dive
Authors: Wingelaar Thijs T. , Bakker Leonie , Nap Frank J. , van Ooij Pieter-Jan A. M. , Endert Edwin L. , van Hulst Rob A.
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Intrapulmonary pathology, such as bullae or blebs, can cause pulmonary barotrauma when diving. Many diving courses require chest X-rays (CXR) or high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) to exclude asymptomatic healthy individuals with these lesions. The ability of routine CXRs and HRCT to assess fitness to dive has never been evaluated.

Methods: Military divers who underwent yearly medical assessments at the Royal Netherlands Navy Diving Medical Center, including CXR at initial assessment, and who received a HRCT between January and June 2018, were included. The correlations of CXR and HRCT results with fitness to dive assessments were analyzed using Fisher's exact tests.

Results: This study included 101 military divers. CXR identified bullae or blebs in seven divers, but HRCT found that these anomalies were not present in three subjects and were something else in four. CXR showed no anomalies in 94 subjects, but HRCT identified coincidental findings in 23 and bullae or blebs in seven. The differences between CXR and HRCT results were statistically significant (p = 0.023). Of the 34 subjects with anomalies on HRCT, 18 (53%) were disqualified for diving.

Discussion: Routine CXR in asymptomatic military divers does not contribute to the identification of relevant pathology in fitness to dive assessments and has a high false negative rate (32%). HRCT is more diagnostic than CXR but yields unclear results, leading to disqualification for diving. Fitness to dive tests should exclude routine CXR; rather, HRCT should be performed only in subjects with clinical indications.
From Trash to Luxury: The Potential Role of Plant LncRNA in DNA Methylation During Abiotic Stress
Authors: Urquiaga Maria Clara de Oliveira , Thiebaut Flávia , Hemerly Adriana Silva , Ferreira Paulo Cavalcanti Gomes
Published: January 2021

Remarkable progress has been made in elucidating important roles of plant non-coding RNAs. Among these RNAs, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have gained widespread attention, especially their role in plant environmental stress responses. LncRNAs act at different levels of gene expression regulation, and one of these mechanisms is by recruitment of DNA methyltransferases or demethylases to regulate the target gene transcription. In this mini-review, we highlight the function of lncRNAs, including their potential role in RNA-directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) silencing pathway and their potential function under abiotic stresses conditions. Moreover, we also present and discuss studies of lncRNAs in crops. Finally, we propose a path outlook for future research that may be important for plant breeding.
The Role of Attitudes, Affect, and Income in Predicting COVID-19 Behavioral Intentions
Authors: Clemens Kelly S. , Matkovic John , Faasse Kate , Geers Andrew L.
Published: January 2021

Handwashing is important in preventing infectious diseases like COVID-19. The current public health emergency has required rapid implementation of increased handwashing in the general public; however, rapidly changing health behavior, especially on this scale, is difficult. This study considers attitudes and affective responses to handwashing as possible factors predicting COVID-19 related changes to handwashing behavior, future intentions, and readiness to change during the early stages of the pandemic in the United States. Income was explored as a potential moderator to these relationships. To explore these issues, data from 344 community participants were analyzed. Results indicate that stronger affective responses toward handwashing relate to increases in handwashing since the outbreak of COVID-19, and both attitudes and affect uniquely predict handwashing intentions. Income significantly moderated the relationship between affect and readiness to change. Those with low income were more influenced by both affective responses and attitudes. These results suggest messages targeting both cognitions and affective responses are needed to increase the handwashing behavior during a global pandemic and these variables are critical in increasing readiness to change in low-income individuals.
Children Only 3 Years Old Can Succeed at Conditional “If, Then” Reasoning, Much Earlier Than Anyone Had Thought Possible
Authors: Ling Daphne S. , Wong Cole D. , Diamond Adele
Published: January 2021

That conditional, if-then reasoning does not emerge until 4–5 years has long been accepted. Here we show that children barely 3 years old can do conditional reasoning. All that was needed was a superficial change to the stimuli: When color was a property of the shapes (line drawings of a star and truck) rather than of the background (as in all past conditional discrimination [CD] testing), 3-year-olds could succeed. Three-year-olds do not seem to use color to inform them which shape is correct unless color is a property of the shapes themselves. While CD requires integrating color and shape information, the dimensional change card sort (DCCS) task requires keeping those dimension cognitively separate – inhibiting attention to one (e.g., shape) when sorting by the other (e.g., color). For DCCS, a superficial change to the stimuli that is the inverse of what helps on CD enables 3-year-olds to succeed when normally they do not until ∼4⁤12 years. As we and others have previously shown, 3-year-olds can succeed at DCCS when color is a property of the background (e.g., a white truck on a red background), instead of a property of the stimulus (e.g., a red truck on a white background, as in standard DCCS). Our findings on CD and DCCS suggest that scaffolding preschoolers’ emerging conceptual skills by changing the way stimuli look (perceptual bootstrapping) enables 3-year-olds to demonstrate reasoning abilities long thought beyond their grasp. Evidently, children of 3 years have difficulty mentally separating dimensions (e.g., color and shape) of the same object and difficulty mentally integrating dimensions not part of the same object. Our present CD findings plus our earlier DCCS findings provide strong evidence against prominent cognitive complexity, conditional reasoning, and graded memory theories for why 3-year-olds fail these two tasks. The ways we have traditionally queried children may have obscured the budding reasoning competencies present at 3 years of age.
Metacognitive Awareness Scale, Domain Specific (MCAS-DS): Assessing Metacognitive Awareness During Raven’s Progressive Matrices
Authors: Song John H. H. , Loyal Sasha , Lond Benjamin
Published: January 2021

Metacognition, the cognition about cognition, is closely linked to intelligence and therefore understanding the metacognitive processes underlying intelligence test performance, specifically on Raven’s Progressive Matrices, could help advance the knowledge about intelligence. The measurement of metacognition, is often done using domain-general offline questionnaires or domain-specific online think-aloud protocols. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between metacognitive awareness and intelligence via the design and use of a novel Meta-Cognitive Awareness Scale – Domain Specific (MCAS-DS) that encourages reflection of task strategy processes. This domain-specific scale was first constructed to measure participants’ awareness of their own metacognition linked to Raven’s Progressive Matrices (SPM). Following discriminatory index and Exploratory Factor Analysis, a 15-item scale was derived. Exploratory Factor Analysis showed five factors: Awareness of Engagement in Self-Monitoring, Awareness of Own Ability, Awareness of Responding Speed/Time, Awareness of Alternative Solutions and Awareness of Requisite Problem-Solving Resources. The intelligence level of ninety-eight adults was then estimated using Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices. Participants also completed the MCAS-DS, and further items that examined their test-taking behavior and Confidence level. Metacognitive awareness was positively correlated to standardized IQ scores derived from the SPM whilst Over-Confidence derived using the Confidence level measure was negatively correlated to SPM. Despite some limitations, this study shows promise for elucidating the relationship between metacognitive awareness and intelligence using the task-specific scale.
Q-Finder: An Algorithm for Credible Subgroup Discovery in Clinical Data Analysis — An Application to the International Diabetes Management Practice Study
Authors: Esnault Cyril , Gadonna May-Line , Queyrel Maxence , Templier Alexandre , Zucker Jean-Daniel
Published: January 2021

Addressing the heterogeneity of both the outcome of a disease and the treatment response to an intervention is a mandatory pathway for regulatory approval of medicines. In randomized clinical trials (RCTs), confirmatory subgroup analyses focus on the assessment of drugs in predefined subgroups, while exploratory ones allow a posteriori the identification of subsets of patients who respond differently. Within the latter area, subgroup discovery (SD) data mining approach is widely used—particularly in precision medicine—to evaluate treatment effect across different groups of patients from various data sources (be it from clinical trials or real-world data). However, both the limited consideration by standard SD algorithms of recommended criteria to define credible subgroups and the lack of statistical power of the findings after correcting for multiple testing hinder the generation of hypothesis and their acceptance by healthcare authorities and practitioners. In this paper, we present the Q-Finder algorithm that aims to generate statistically credible subgroups to answer clinical questions, such as finding drivers of natural disease progression or treatment response. It combines an exhaustive search with a cascade of filters based on metrics assessing key credibility criteria, including relative risk reduction assessment, adjustment on confounding factors, individual feature’s contribution to the subgroup’s effect, interaction tests for assessing between-subgroup treatment effect interactions and tests adjustment (multiple testing). This allows Q-Finder to directly target and assess subgroups on recommended credibility criteria. The top-k credible subgroups are then selected, while accounting for subgroups’ diversity and, possibly, clinical relevance. Those subgroups are tested on independent data to assess their consistency across databases, while preserving statistical power by limiting the number of tests. To illustrate this algorithm, we applied it on the database of the International Diabetes Management Practice Study (IDMPS) to better understand the drivers of improved glycemic control and rate of episodes of hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetics patients. We compared Q-Finder with state-of-the-art approaches from both Subgroup Identification and Knowledge Discovery in Databases literature. The results demonstrate its ability to identify and support a short list of highly credible and diverse data-driven subgroups for both prognostic and predictive tasks.
Physical Crop Postharvest Storage and Protection Methods
Authors: Kopacki Marek , Pawłat Joanna , Skwaryło-Bednarz Barbara , Jamiołkowska Agnieszka , Stępniak Patrycja Maria , Kiczorowski Piotr , Golan Katarzyna
Published: January 2021

Sustainable and organic plant production uses natural products and natural self-regulation processes occurring in the ecosystem. The awareness is growing and the demands of consumers are higher and higher. One solution is to use various methods, as an alternative to pesticides. It is also very important to care for the stored crops after harvesting especially using non-chemical methods. The physical method of plant protection consists in treating the harmful organism with physical factors such as temperature, its same light and radiation, controlled atmosphere, special packaging, pressure, various sounds, ozone, and low-temperature plasma. The availability of effective application techniques opens up new possibilities for the storage of crops in order to maintain their health and quality for a long time. This review focuses on the analysis of physical methods of postharvest protection, especially the latest methods using ozone and low-temperature plasma. As a result, consumers of agricultural crops will be able to consume food free of insects, mycotoxins and pesticide residues.
The Ex Situ Conservation and Potential Usage of Crop Wild Relatives in Poland on the Example of Grasses
Authors: Dostatny Denise F. , Żurek Grzegorz , Kapler Adam , Podyma Wiesław
Published: January 2021

The Poaceae is the second most abundant family among crop wild relatives in Poland, representing 147 taxa. From these species, 135 are native taxa, and 11 are archeophytes. In addition, one taxon is now considered to be extinct. Among the 147 taxa, 8 are endemic species. Central Europe, including Poland, does not have many endemic species. Only a few dozen endemic species have been identified in this paper, mainly in the Carpathians and the adjacent uplands, e.g., the Polish Jura in southern Poland. The most numerous genera among the 32 present in the crop wild relatives (CWR) of Poaceae family are: The genus Festuca (33 species), Poa (19), and Bromus (11). In turn, ten genera are represented by only one species per genus. A good representative of groups of grasses occur in xerothermic grasslands, and other smaller groups can be found in forests, mountains, or dunes. CWR species from the Poaceae family have the potential for different uses in terms of the ecosystem services benefit. They can impart for humans, animals, and the environment, including fodder, edibles, biomass grasses (fuels and raw material), and amenity grasses, and are used for ecological purposes. In the central Polish gene bank in Radzików (NCPGR), all accessions are represented by approximately 30% of grasses germplasm, 10% of which are CWR grasses. In the case of CWR grasses, 56% are stored in the NCPGR gene bank, and approximately 80% in botanical gardens, but frequently in a single accessions. Together, crop gene banks and botanical gardens can maintain a large range of ex situ collections useful for the preservation, breeding, and research of crop wild relatives along with the necessary information for plant breeders.
OsNAC300 Positively Regulates Cadmium Stress Responses and Tolerance in Rice Roots
Authors: Hu Shubao , Shinwari Kamran Iqbal , Song Yuxinrui , Xia Jixing , Xu Heng , Du Binbin , Luo Le , Zheng Luqing
Published: January 2021

Transcriptional regulation is involved in responding to cadmium (Cd) stress in plants. However, the molecular mechanisms of Cd stress responses regulated by transcription factors remain largely unknown in plants. In this study, a rice (Oryza sativa) NAC (no apical meristem [NAM]; Arabidopsis transcription activation factor [ATAF]; cup-shaped cotyledon [CUC]-related) family transcription factor, OsNAC300, was isolated and functionally characterized for its involvement in Cd stress responses and tolerance. OsNAC300 was localized to the nucleus. OsNAC300 was mainly expressed in roots and significantly induced by Cd treatment. Knockout of OsNAC300 resulted in increased sensitivity to Cd stress, while its overexpression lines enhanced tolerance to Cd stress. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that the mutant is impaired in regulating some important genes that were responsive to Cd stress in wild-type rice, such as the pathogenesis-related genes 10a (OsPR10a), OsPR10b, chalcone synthase 1 (OsCHS1), and several others, which was validated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCR assays and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that OsNAC300 directly binds to the promoters of OsPR10a, OsPR10b, and OsCHS1 and activates their transcription. Overall, OsNAC300 is an important regulatory factor in Cd stress responses and tolerance in rice.
Influence of Atomization Nozzles and Spraying Intervals on Growth, Biomass Yield, and Nutrient Uptake of Butter-Head Lettuce under Aeroponics System
Authors: Tunio Mazhar H. , Gao Jianmin , Lakhiar Imran A. , Solangi Kashif A. , Qureshi Waqar A. , Shaikh Sher A. , Chen Jiedong
Published: January 2021

The atomized nutrient solution droplet sizes and spraying intervals can impact the chemical properties of the nutrient solution, biomass yield, root-to-shoot ratio and nutrient uptake of aeroponically cultivated plants. In this study, four different nozzles having droplet sizes N1 = 11.24, N2 = 26.35, N3 = 17.38 and N4 = 4.89 µm were selected and misted at three nutrient solution spraying intervals of 30, 45 and 60 min, with a 5 min spraying time. The measured parameters were power of hydrogen (pH) and electrical conductivity (EC) values of the nutrient solution, shoot and root growth, ratio of roots to shoots (fresh and dry), biomass yield and nutrient uptake. The results indicated that the N1 presented significantly lower changes in chemical properties than those of N2, N3 and N4, resulting in stable lateral root growth and increased biomass yield. Also, the root-to-shoot ratio significantly increased with increasing spraying interval using N1 and N4 nozzles. The N1 nozzle also revealed a significant effect on the phosphorous, potassium and magnesium uptake by the plants misted at proposed nutrient solution spraying intervals. However, the ultrasonic nozzle showed a nonsignificant effect on all measured parameters with respect to spraying intervals. In the last, this research experiment validates the applicability of air-assisted nozzle (N1) misting at a 30-min spraying interval and 5 min of spraying time for the cultivation of butter-head lettuce in aeroponic systems.
Legal Complexities of Animal Welfare in Australia: Do On-Animal Sensors Offer a Future Option?
Authors: Manning Jaime , Power Deborah , Cosby Amy
Published: January 2021

The five freedoms and, more recently, the five domains of animal welfare provide internationally recognised frameworks to evaluate animal welfare practices which recognise both the physical and mental wellbeing needs of animals, providing a balanced view of their ability to cope in their environment. Whilst there are many techniques to measure animal welfare, the challenge lies with how best to align these with future changes in definitions and expectations, advances in science, legislative requirements, and technology improvements. Furthermore, enforcement of current animal welfare legislation in relation to livestock in Australia and the reliance on self-audits for accreditation schemes, challenges our ability to objectively measure animal welfare. On-animal sensors have enormous potential to address animal welfare concerns and assist with legislative compliance, through continuous measurement and monitoring of an animal’s behavioural state and location being reflective of their wellbeing. As reliable animal welfare measures evolve and the cost of on-animal sensors reduce, technology adoption will increase as the benefits across the supply chain are realised. Future adoption of on-animal sensors by producers will primarily depend on a value proposition for their business being clear; algorithm development to ensure measures are valid and reliable; increases in producer knowledge, willingness, and trust in data governance; and improvements in data transmission and connectivity.
Innovative Seafood Preservation Technologies: Recent Developments
Authors: Kontominas Michael G. , Badeka Anastasia V. , Kosma Ioanna S. , Nathanailides Cosmas I.
Published: January 2021

Fish and fishery products are among the food commodities of high commercial value, high-quality protein content, vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to health. However, seafood products are highly perishable and thus require proper processing to maintain their quality and safety. On the other hand, consumers, nowadays, demand fresh or fresh-like, minimally processed fishery products that do not alter their natural quality attributes. The present article reviews the results of studies published over the last 15 years in the literature on: (i) the main spoilage mechanisms of seafood including contamination with pathogens and (ii) innovative processing technologies applied for the preservation and shelf life extension of seafood products. These primarily include: high hydrostatic pressure, natural preservatives, ozonation, irradiation, pulse light technology and retort pouch processing.
Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems for Nitrogen Management: A Multi-Scale Spatial Analysis
Authors: Ghimire Suraj , Wang Jingjing , Fleck John R.
Published: January 2021

The size and productivity of the livestock operations have increased over the past several decades, serving the needs of the growing human population. This growth however has come at the expense of broken connection between croplands and livestock operations. As a result, there is a huge disconnect between the nutrient needs of croplands and the availability of nutrients from livestock operations, leading to a range of environmental and public health issues. This study develops a theoretical framework for multi-scale spatial analysis of integrated crop-livestock systems. Using New Mexico, USA as a case study, we quantify the amount of nitrogen produced by dairy farms in the state and examine if the available nitrogen can be assimilated by the croplands and grasslands across spatial scales. The farm-level assessment identifies that all the farms under study do not have adequate onsite croplands to assimilate the nitrogen produced therein. The successive assessments at county and watershed levels suggest that the among-farm integration across operations could be an effective mechanism to assimilate the excess nitrogen. Our study hints towards the multi-spatial characteristic of the problem that can be pivotal in designing successful policy instruments.
Susceptibility Testing of Colistin for Acinetobacter baumannii: How Far Are We from the Truth?
Authors: Sacco Federica , Visca Paolo , Runci Federica , Antonelli Guido , Raponi Giammarco
Published: January 2021

Acinetobacter baumannii is involved in life-threatening nosocomial infections, mainly in the intensive care units (ICUs), and often colistin may represent the last therapeutic opportunity. The susceptibility to colistin of 51 epidemiologically typed A. baumannii strains isolated in 2017 from clinical samples of patients hospitalized in the ICU of a tertiary care academic hospital was investigated. All isolates were carbapenem-resistant due to the presence of the blaOXA-23 gene in sequence group 1 (international clonal lineage II) and sequence group 4 (related to international clonal lineage II) isolates, and to the blaOXA-24/40 gene in sequence group 2 (international clonal lineage I) isolates. Vitek®2, agar diffusion, and broth microdilution tests showed major discordancy (≥2 dilution factors) in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for colistin in 24 out of 51 isolates, resulting in erroneous reporting of qualitative susceptibility data for eight isolates. In growth kinetics experiments in the presence of colistin, five isolates grew with drug concentrations above the susceptibility breakpoint when incubated for >12 h, and three isolates showed the presence of heteroresistant subpopulations. This study highlights that the high frequency of isolation of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains in high-risk infectious wards requires an accurate application of methods for detecting susceptibility to antibiotics, in particular to colistin, so as to ensure a correct therapeutic approach.
Anticapsular and Antifungal Activity of α-Cyperone
Authors: Horn Connor , Vediyappan Govindsamy
Published: January 2021

Fungal infections affect 300 million people and cause 1.5 million deaths globally per year. With the number of immunosuppressed patients increasing steadily, there is an increasing number of patients infected with opportunistic fungal infections such as infections caused by the species of Candida and Cryptococcus. In fact, the drug-resistant Can. krusei and the emerging pan-antifungal resistant Can. auris pose a serious threat to human health as the existing limited antifungals are futile. To further complicate therapy, fungi produce capsules and spores that are resistant to most antifungal drugs/host defenses. Novel antifungal drugs are urgently needed to fill unmet medical needs. From screening a collection of medicinal plant sources for antifungal activity, we have identified an active fraction from the rhizome of Cyperus rotundus, the nut grass plant. The fraction contained α-Cyperone, an essential oil that showed fungicidal activity against different species of Candida. Interestingly, the minimal inhibitory concentration of α-Cyperone was reduced 8-fold when combined with a clinical antifungal drug, fluconazole, indicating its antifungal synergistic potential and could be useful for combination therapy. Furthermore, α-Cyperone affected the synthesis of the capsule in Cryp. neoformans, a causative agent of fungal meningitis in humans. Further work on mechanistic understanding of α-Cyperone against fungal virulence could help develop a novel antifungal agent for drug-resistant fungal pathogens.
Mapping the Primary and Secondary Metabolomes of Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Fruit and Its Postharvest Antioxidant Potential at Critical Stages of Ripening
Authors: Kyriacou Marios C. , Antoniou Chrystalla , Rouphael Youssef , Graziani Giulia , Kyratzis Angelos
Published: January 2021

Six critical stages corresponding to major morphophysiological events in carob fruit ripening were defined, and changes in the primary and secondary metabolome and in vitro antioxidant capacity were examined in two genotypes collected at low (15 m) and high (510 m) altitudes from genetically identified and georeferenced trees. Soluble carbohydrates were analyzed by HPLC-RI, macro-minerals by ion chromatography coupled to conductivity detection and polyphenols by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS. spectroscopy facilitated assays for condensed tannins and in vitro free-radical scavenging capacity of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The fruit respiration rate and moisture content declined sharply during the transition from the breaker to green pedicel stage. Sugar accumulation spiked at the onset of fruit coloration and culminated at 498.7 ± 8.4 mg g−1 dry weight (dw) in the late ripe stage, while the ratio of reducing sugars to sucrose decreased from 3.45 ± 0.32 to 0.41 ± 0.02. The total phenolic compounds and condensed tannins declined with ripening, particularly during the transition from the breaker to green pedicel stage. Eighteen polyphenols were identified and quantitated, with catechins and hydrolyzable tannins being dominant until the onset of fruit coloration. The transition to the green pedicel stage signaled a precipitous decline (90.9%) in catechins, hydrolyzable tannins (60.2%) and flavonol glycosides (52.1%) concomitant to the rise in gallic acid, which was putatively fueled by the enzymatic hydrolysis of gallotannins in immature fruit. Catechins, hydrolyzable tannins and flavone glycosides were more abundant at higher altitudes and gallic acid at lower altitudes. An antioxidant capacity was also favored by higher elevations and declined with ripening, particularly after the breaker stage. Correlations with FRAP and DPPH assays were significant for the total phenolic content, condensed tannins, catechins and hydrolyzable tannins. The highest correlation factors were obtained for epigallocatechin-gallate (r = 0.920 and r = 0.900; p < 0.01). Although the sharp drop in hydrolyzable and nonhydrolyzable tannins and catechins compromised the in vitro antioxidant capacity at physiological maturity, it also reduced the astringency and configured a palatable organoleptic fruit profile. These changes unraveled significant episodes in the ripening-related secondary metabolism of the carob fruit. They further highlighted the value of immature carob as a potent source of gallotannins, with putative in vivo anti-inflammatory action, and of catechins beneficial in preventing and protecting against diseases caused by oxidative stress.
The Total Antioxidant Status, Serum Selenium Concentrations and the Ultrasound Assessment Carotid Intima Media Thickness in Patients with Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Gać Paweł , Poręba Małgorzata , Januszewska Lidia , Prokopowicz Adam , Martynowicz Helena , Mazur Grzegorz , Poręba Rafał
Published: January 2021

The objective of the study was to establish the correlation between serum selenium concentrations, total antioxidant status, and the carotid intima media thickness in ultrasound assessment in patients with arterial hypertension. A group of 76 people suffering from arterial hypertension was qualified to participate in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 53.48 ± 12.78. Serum selenium concentrations (Se-S) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were determined in all respondents. Se-S were determined by hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (HGAAS). The antioxidant status was assessed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, an ultrasound exam of the carotid arteries was performed, and the intima media thickness (cIMT) was measured. In the study group, Se-S and TAS were 89.73 ± 18.99 µg/L and 1.18 ± 0.35 mM. However, the cIMT measured using ultrasound was 0.68 ± 0.15 mm. cIMT was significantly greater in patients with arterial hypertension with Se-S < median in comparison to patients with arterial hypertension with Se-S ≥ median (0.73 ± 0.19 mm vs. 0.65 ± 0.10 mm, p < 0.05), as well as in patients with arterial hypertension with TAS < median than in patients with arterial hypertension with TAS ≥ median (0.79 ± 0.18 mm vs. 0.56 ± 0.13 mm, p < 0.05). In regression analysis, older age, higher BMI, smoking, and lower serum selenium concentrations were independently correlated with the greater cIMT. Higher BMI and smoking were independent risk factors for the lower TAS, and the use of ACE inhibitors, β-blockers, and higher Se-S were independent factors of protection against the lower TAS. In patients with arterial hypertension, the lower total antioxidant status due to lower serum selenium concentrations may be correlated with an increase of the carotid intima media thickness measured using ultrasound.
Advanced Control and Fault Detection Strategies for District Heating and Cooling Systems—A Review
Authors: Buffa Simone , Fouladfar Mohammad Hossein , Franchini Giuseppe , Lozano Gabarre Ismael , Andrés Chicote Manuel
Published: January 2021

Peak shaving, demand response, fast fault detection, emissions and costs reduction are some of the main objectives to meet in advanced district heating and cooling (DHC) systems. In order to enhance the operation of infrastructures, challenges such as supply temperature reduction and load uncertainty with the development of algorithms and technologies are growing. Therefore, traditional control strategies and diagnosis approaches cannot achieve these goals. Accordingly, to address these shortcomings, researchers have developed plenty of innovative methods based on their applications and features. The main purpose of this paper is to review recent publications that include both hard and soft computing implementations such as model predictive control and machine learning algorithms with applications also on both fourth and fifth generation district heating and cooling networks. After introducing traditional approaches, the innovative techniques, accomplished results and overview of the main strengths and weaknesses have been discussed together with a description of the main capabilities of some commercial platforms.
Deterioration of Coal Microstructure under Discontinuous Cyclic Loading Based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Authors: Xiang Zhe , Zhang Nong , Xie Zhengzheng , Zhang Chenghao
Published: January 2021

To study the damage and destruction behavior of small coal pillars in coal mine roadway driving along gobs under long-term in-situ stress and multiple engineering disturbances, an unconfined compression experiment under a discontinuous cyclic load was designed, with the holding time as a variable. An electro-hydraulic servo rock testing machine was used to impose a discontinuous cyclic load on the coal sample and perform a final uniaxial compressive strength test. The changes in pore number and diameter in the coal under stress were monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. An increase in holding time in the discontinuous cyclic loading resulted in a significant increase in the number and diameter of pores in the coal sample; the coal porosity continued to increase, and the proportion of pores in the coal changed. The proportion of micropores decreased gradually, whereas the proportion of mesopores and macropores (cracks) increased. The degree of internal specimen damage increased with an increase of holding time, which resulted in a gradual decrease in final uniaxial compressive strength. Therefore, under the action of a long-term stress, to improve the bearing capacity of the coal pillar while avoiding gas and water influx into the working face in the goaf, the coal pillar should be reinforced with multi-layer and multi-grain grouting.
Technical and Structural Problems Related to the Interaction between a Deep Excavation and Adjacent Existing Buildings
Authors: Dmochowski Grzegorz , Szolomicki Jerzy
Published: January 2021

Currently, new housing in city centers is more and more often developed on small plots of land, or existing buildings on such plots are rebuilt to such an extent that only their façade walls remain. In both cases, as a rule, a deep excavation is also made, either at the existing object or within its area. Serious damage often occurs because of the carried out work. It is not possible to accurately determine the response of a building to the deformation associated with the excavation due to the variability of many factors that influence it. As a result, the response of the building must be estimated on the basis of constant monitoring and approximate calculations. Depending on the size of the predicted ground displacements and the technical condition of buildings, it is often necessary to protect or strengthen their structural elements. In the paper, the authors analyzed various risk factors for the implementation of infill buildings and the revitalization of historic buildings using only their façade walls. In addition, examples of contemporary solutions for securing the walls of existing buildings, and the method of monitoring vertical deformations using the Hydrostatic Levelling Cell (HLC) system, are presented.
Influence of Water Addition on the Latent Heat Degradation of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate
Authors: Beaupere Noe , Soupremanien Ulrich , Zalewski Laurent
Published: January 2021

To promote the development of thermal energy storage (TES), the sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT) presents interesting thermal properties. However, this material may suffer from aging throughout thermal cycles. Various solutions were explored in the literature to limit this aging, mainly based on the use of additives such as water. In this study, two samples were prepared. The first one consisted of raw SAT material whereas 3 wt.% of supplementary water has been added to the second one. They were then poured into 350 cm3 bricks, which were placed in an experimental test bench. After 35 cycles between 20 and 70 °C, a drop of about 10% of the latent heat was observed for the first sample. This behavior was like the literature data. For the second sample, the decrease of latent heat was more rapid (about 30%). Contrary to our expectations, the water addition seems not beneficial for the improvement of thermal stability. Interestingly, we noticed that the drop of the latent heat was fully reversible after sample stirring. This degradation might not be related to a thermal destructive mechanism but rather to a global segregation phenomenon. This segregation may be due to the breaking of hydrogen bonding between anhydrous sodium acetate and water, resulting in the separation of the two species.
Refractive Indices of Ge and Si at Temperatures between 4–296 K in the 4–8 THz Region
Authors: Naftaly Mira , Chick Steve , Matmon Guy , Murdin Ben
Published: January 2021

Refractive indices of high resistivity Si and Ge were measured at temperatures between 4–296 K and at frequencies between 4.2–7.7 THz using a Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) in transmission mode. A phenomenological model of the temperature dependence of the refractive index is proposed.
Research on Improved OEE Measurement Method Based on the Multiproduct Production System
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , Liu Guangfu , Hao Xinyu
Published: January 2021

The multiproduct production system has been applied extensively in factories worldwide due to the diverse consumption habits of consumers. However, current Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) measurement methods are not suitable for it properly. With the prevailing of multiproduct production system, it is essential to measure the effectiveness accurately in this kind of production system. In order to fill this gap, based on analyzing former OEE models, we propose the multiproduct production system effectiveness (MPSE), including the calculating steps and application framework, in this paper using the heuristic method. This MPSE is verified by a case study. The principal results show that the proposed MPSE can significantly enhance overall production effectiveness and improve the measurement of indicators in the multiproduct production system, which enriches the theory of OEE at the theoretical level and proposes a novel way to measure and improve the effectiveness of the multiproduct production system effectively at the practical level.
Physical, Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Dew and Rainwater during the Dry Season of Tropical Islands
Authors: Muselli Marc , Clus Owen , Ortega Pascal , Milimouk Iryna , Beysens Daniel
Published: January 2021

In order to establish data to be used for comparison with future evolution related to climate change, physical, chemical and biological characteristics of dew and rainwater as collected during the 2005 dry season (plus a few data during the 2004 dry season) are reported. They have been collected in two characteristic tropical islands of French Polynesia, Tikehau (TKH), a low-lying coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, and the mountainous Tahiti island at the University of French Polynesia (TAH). Trade winds dominate the trajectory of air masses, ensuring constant temperature and humidity to the lower layers of the atmosphere where dew forms. In addition to the comparison of dew yields with a physical model using simple meteorological data (air and dew point temperatures, windspeed, cloud cover), the following parameters were studied: pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness, suspended matter, ion concentration with major cations (Ca2+, K+, Na+, Mg2+, NH4+) and major anions (Cl−, SO42−, NO3−), reviviscible aerobe microorganisms and compared to two Polynesian spring waters (“Eau Royale” and “Vaimato”). Dew, with a chemical composition mainly consisting of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl− and SO42−, exhibits much higher ion concentration than rain and compares well with the composition of local spring waters. The values of pH, EC and TDS are larger in dew than in rainwater. At TAH, the volume weighted mean (VWM) pH values of dew were 6.05 in 2004 and 5.23 in 2005, larger than the pH of rain (4.69). The VWM dew EC (at TAH, 203 μS·cm−1 in 2004 and 237 μS·cm−1 in 2005; 321 μS·cm−1 at TKH in 2005) and dew TDS (152 mg·L−1 at TAH and 225 mg·L−1 at TKH) were higher than the corresponding quantities in rain. Mean total hardness (TH) values of dew water are much higher than in rainwater (2.8 for dew versus 0.5 for rain at TAH and 5.7 for dew versus 0.5 for rain at TKH). Ions Na+, Mg2+ and Cl− are clearly of sea origin while the presence of Ca2+ is due to coral particles. From their chemical characteristics, dew and rainwater could be used as an alternative source of water in dry season but, due to the presence of reviviscible aerobe microorganisms at 22 °C and 36 °C (>300 CFU·mL−1), water must be disinfected to be potable.