bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Nonpharmacological Interventions on Disruptive Vocalisation in Nursing Home Patients With Dementia—A Systematic Review
Authors: Bilal Ahmed Saad , Obieta Alfredo , Santos Tamsin , Ahmad Saara , Elliot Ibrahim Joseph
Published: February 2022

Background

Vocally disruptive behaviour is a common and difficult to treat condition in older residents with dementia. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions in its management in persons with dementia residing in a nursing home.

Methodology

A systematic search was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases and reference lists from relevant publications on various nonpharmacological approaches to manage vocally disruptive behaviour in nursing home residents. The method of appraisal was through the National Institutes of Health scoring for the Quality Assessment of controlled intervention studies. Inclusion criteria included residents of nursing homes over the age of 65 with dementia and disruptive vocalisation. Only randomised controlled trials published in English were included.

Results

A total of 5,606 articles were identified, which cover 501 trials, of which 23 were selected. There were fourteen studies observed to have an impact of clinical and statistical significance with interventions including (i) a multidimensional approach with different nonpharmacological interventions, (ii) multisensory stimulation, (iii) staff education and training, (iv) personalised bathing, and (v) pain recognition and appropriate management. Seven studies demonstrated no observable effect whereas two showed worsening in vocally disruptive behaviour.

Conclusions

Many aspects of vocally disruptive behaviour management are poorly understood. Limited empirical evidence supports the use of several nonpharmacological interventions to reduce it. There is more robust evidence to support the use of a tailored approach to management over the universal approach.
Understanding and Addressing Problems in Research Collaboration: A Qualitative Interview Study From a Self-Governance Perspective
Authors: Meißner Florian , Weinmann Carina , Vowe Gerhard
Published: February 2022

For collaborative research to be successful, understanding and solving collaboration problems is of paramount importance. However, theory-driven research on this issue at a general level is scarce. Drawing from two micro-oriented approaches (i.e., club theory and commons theory) and relying on self-governance as the basic principle for addressing collaboration problems, we aim to develop theoretically informed, concise and generalizable catalogs of problems and solutions based on the experiences and expectations of research collaboration participants. A series of expert interviews (N = 18) were conducted with leading researchers in Germany. Seven typical problems (e.g., lack of commitment or fairness) and 12 possible solutions (e.g., continuous evaluation or creating cognitive common ground) that can be applied within the self-regulatory framework were identified. The results provide a useful framework to further investigate problems and solutions as well as interlinkages between the two, and to improve research collaboration.
Towards Open-Source Web-Based 3D Reconstruction for Non-Professionals
Authors: Dietz Oliver , Grubert Jens
Published: February 2022

Structure-from-motion and multi-view stereo can be used to create 3D models from image sequences, but are not widely adopted by consumers. We study how to address two challenges of such systems for non-professional users: 1) their technical complexity, and, 2) the computational demand needed for processing. To this end, we embed an open-source pipeline in a scalable cloud environment and create a user interface aimed at non-professional users of photogrammetry systems. Finally, we evaluate both the cloud-based infrastructure and the user interface and demonstrate its usability.
Gender Equity Perceptions Among School-Going Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Comparison Amongst Tribal and Non-Tribal Rural Areas of an Eastern State in India
Authors: Lahiri Arista , Jha Sweety Suman
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Gender equity is an important social determinant of population health. There are very few studies in the Indian context in this regard, and even less regarding the diversity in tribal-dominated and non-tribal regions. The current study was conducted to assess and compare the perceptions of adolescents going to selected schools of tribal-dominated and non-tribal rural areas in West Bengal, India, regarding gender equity. It also explored the teacher’s perceptions on gender equity in an attempt to contextualize the students’ perceptions.

Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted with a convergent parallel design in two co-education schools, each from tribal-dominated and non-tribal rural areas. In the quantitative survey total of 828 adolescents aged 14—19 years participated. The qualitative component involved 26 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with the selected teachers.

Results: Overall, the respondents from tribal area had a better perception regarding the equitable privilege of independence among genders, equity in decision roles, and especially financial decision roles of women. Perceptions related to girls access to education were better among the boys from non-tribal area than their counterparts from tribal area. The non-tribal respondents had a more inadequate perception regarding women’s limited role. In general, the respondents perceived favorably against gender dominance. The teacher’s perceptions in the context were mostly concordant, with some exceptions, e.g., regarding dominance and violence-related issues, the teachers perceived differently, contrasting the better perceptions exhibited by the students.

Conclusion: The teachers’ perceptions showed strict reliance on the deep-rooted social norms that can be taken up for behavior change interventions. Better perceptions from the tribal areas are an opportunity to further enhance on gender equity. The boys’ perceptions can still be improved more in favor of gender equity.
Case Report: Low Rectal Cancer With Incidental Pelvic Solitary Kidney
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Chen Chang , Wang Kexin , Dai Yong , Wang Yanlei
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Concurrence of pelvic solitary kidney and rectal cancer is a rare phenomenon. The presence of the kidney in a narrow pelvic cavity represents a great challenge for total mesenteric excision (TME) under laparoscopy.

Methods

We reported a male patient with low rectal cancer and incidental pelvic solitary kidney and reviewed relevant literature.

Results

The patient was successfully treated with laparoscopic surgery and was discharged on day 6 postoperatively without severe complications.

Conclusion

This case suggests the feasibility of laparoscopic TME with pelvic solitary kidney in a certain male patient with rectal cancer and emphasizes the importance of comprehensive preoperative radiological evaluation, a multidiscipline team, and careful intraoperative dissection.
Competitiveness of Early Vigour Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes Is Established at Early Growth Stages
Authors: Hendriks Pieter-Willem , Gurusinghe Saliya , Ryan Peter R. , Rebetzke Gregory J. , Weston Leslie A.
Published: February 2022

Weed competitiveness in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has previously been shown to be positively associated with shoot biomass. This study evaluated the impact of increased early shoot vigour on the weed competitiveness of Australian wheats. Breeding lines generated for early shoot vigour were top-crossed with two commercial wheat cultivars (Yitpi and Wyalkatchem) and the resulting high vigour lines (HV lines) were assessed for early growth and weed pressure in the field. These lines were directly compared with their parental lines, other commercial cultivars, and the tall heritage cultivar, Federation. Moreover, rye (Secale cereale L.) or triticale (× Triticosecale) was included in each trial as a positive control for vigour. The association between shoot growth and vigour and weed suppression was evaluated over 3 years in the cereal belt of south-eastern Australia during contrasting seasons. The HV lines consistently displayed greater leaf area, ground cover, and canopy light interception in both dry and wet seasons and suppressed weed growth significantly in contrast to commercial cultivars. Light interception at the first tiller stage, and ground cover at the end of tillering were identified as the most important variables for predicting weed suppression. This study demonstrated the enhancement of competitiveness in commercial wheat through the selection for early vigour, and identified traits that best predicted weed suppression.
Causes of Death and Pathological Findings in Stranded Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from Swedish Waters
Authors: Neimanis Aleksija , Stavenow Jasmine , Ågren Erik Olof , Wikström-Lassa Emil , Roos Anna Maria
Published: February 2022

Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are useful indicators of the health of their wild populations and marine ecosystems, yet their elusive nature makes studying them in their natural environment challenging. Stranded porpoises provide an excellent source of data to study the health and biology of these animals and identify causes of death, diseases and other threats. The aim of this study was to document pathology, and where possible, cause of death in porpoises from Swedish waters. Post-mortem examinations were performed on 128 stranded porpoises collected from 2006 to 2020. Overall, bycatch including definitive and probable cases was the most common cause of death (31.4%), followed by disease (21.3%), predominantly pneumonia. In adults, infectious disease was the most common cause of death. Bacteria with zoonotic potential such as Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and Brucella sp. were documented for the first time in porpoises from Swedish waters, as was the porpoise-adapted group B Salmonella enterica ST416/ST417. Three of four deaths from non-infectious diseases involved parturition complications. Four cases of suspected predation were documented, but further analyses are required to confirm these findings. Our results are consistent with those from other regions in Europe and serve as a reference for future monitoring for changing patterns of health and disease of porpoises and their environments.
Optimization of the Sowing Unit of a Piezoelectrical Sensor Chamber with the Use of Grain Motion Modeling by Means of the Discrete Element Method. Case Study: Rape Seed
Authors: Gierz Łukasz , Kruszelnicka Weronika , Robakowska Mariola , Przybył Krzysztof , Koszela Krzysztof , Marciniak Anna , Zwiachel Tomasz
Published: February 2022

Nowadays, in the face of continuous technological progress and environmental requirements, all manufacturing processes and machines need to be optimized in order to achieve the highest possible efficiency. Agricultural machines such as seed drills and cultivation units are no exception. Their efficiency depends on the amount of sowing material to be used and the patency of seed transport tubes or colters. Most available control systems for seed drills are optical ones whose operation is not effective when working close to the ground due to large dusting. Thus, there is still a need to provide seed drills with sensors to be equipped with control systems suitable for use under conditions of massive dusting that would shorten the time of reaction to clogging and be affordable for every farmer. This study presents an analysis of grain motion in the sowing system and an analysis of the operation efficiency of an original piezoelectric sensor with patent application. The novelty of this work is reflected in the new design of a specially designed piezoelectric sensor in the sowing unit, for which an analysis of indication errors was carried out. A seed arrangement of this type has not been described so far. An analysis of the influence of the seed tube tilt angle and the type of its exit hole end on the coordinates of the grain point of collision with the sensor surface and erroneous indications of the amount of sown grains identified by the piezoelectric sensor is presented. Low values of the sensor indication errors (up to 10%), particularly for small tilt angles (0° and 5°) confirm its high grain detection efficiency, comparable with other sensors used in sowing systems, e.g., photoelectric, fiber or infrared sensors and confirm its suitability for commercial application. The results presented in this work broaden the knowledge on the use of sensors in seeding systems and provide the basis for the development of precise systems with piezoelectric sensors.
A Keyword Detection and Context Filtering Method for Document Level Relation Extraction
Authors: Kuang Hailan , Chen Haoran , Ma Xiaolin , Liu Xinhua
Published: February 2022

Relation extraction (RE) is the core link of downstream tasks, such as information retrieval, question answering systems, and knowledge graphs. Most of the current mainstream RE technologies focus on the sentence-level corpus, which has great limitations in practical applications. Moreover, the previously proposed models based on graph neural networks or transformers try to obtain context features from the global text, ignoring the importance of local features. In practice, the relation between entity pairs can usually be inferred just through a few keywords. This paper proposes a keyword detection and context filtering method based on the Self-Attention mechanism for document-level RE. In addition, a Self-Attention Memory (SAM) module in ConvLSTM is introduced to process the document context and capture keyword features. By searching for word embeddings with high cross-attention of entity pairs, we update and record critical local features to enhance the performance of the final classification model. The experimental results on three benchmark datasets (DocRED, CDR, and GBA) show that our model achieves advanced performance within open and specialized domain relationship extraction tasks, with up to 0.87% F1 value improvement compared to the state-of-the-art methods. We have also designed experiments to demonstrate that our model can achieve superior results by its stronger contextual filtering capability compared to other methods.
Effect of Gamma Irradiation on the Optical Properties of the Conjugated Copolymer B-co-MP
Authors: Aldaghri Osamah A. , El-Badry Basma A. , Ali Mohammed Khalil M. , Ibnaouf Khalid H.
Published: February 2022

The conjugated polymer poly {[2-[2′,5′-bis(2″-ethylhexyloxy)phenyl]-1,4-phenylenevinylene]-co-[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene]} (B-co-MP) has been proven to be an excellent laser medium with a high photochemical stability. Moreover, the impact of γ-irradiation on its optical and chemical properties has been investigated. Herein, the spectral and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) characteristics of B-co-MP at various concentrations under γ-irradiation doses are studied. Various concentrations of B-co-MP in tetrahydrofuran (THF) were prepared. The samples were irradiated with various γ-doses from 5 to 20 kGy using a Co-60 source at room temperature. The absorption, fluorescence, and ASE spectra were dramatically blue-shifted after the γ-irradiation. This indicates that the increment in the γ-irradiation dose led to a widening in the energy gap and reduction in the number of carbon atoms (N). The change in the spectral profiles could be attributed to chain conformational alterations and/or chain scission induced by the γ-irradiation. We anticipate this study to boost our understanding of optical and structural profiles of B-co-MP under various conditions, including γ-irradiation and the potential utility of this copolymer in a variety of applications.
IoT-Enabled Smart Cities: A Review of Concepts, Frameworks and Key Technologies
Authors: Bellini Pierfrancesco , Nesi Paolo , Pantaleo Gianni
Published: February 2022

In recent years, smart cities have been significantly developed and have greatly expanded their potential. In fact, novel advancements to the Internet of things (IoT) have paved the way for new possibilities, representing a set of key enabling technologies for smart cities and allowing the production and automation of innovative services and advanced applications for the different city stakeholders. This paper presents a review of the research literature on IoT-enabled smart cities, with the aim of highlighting the main trends and open challenges of adopting IoT technologies for the development of sustainable and efficient smart cities. This work first provides a survey on the key technologies proposed in the literature for the implementation of IoT frameworks, and then a review of the main smart city approaches and frameworks, based on classification into eight domains, which extends the traditional six domain classification that is typically adopted in most of the related works.
Ontology-Based Production Simulation with OntologySim
Authors: May Marvin Carl , Kiefer Lars , Kuhnle Andreas , Lanza Gisela
Published: February 2022

Imagine the possibility to save a simulation at any time, modify or analyze it, and restart again with exactly the same state. The conceptualization and its concrete manifestation in the implementation OntologySim is demonstrated in this paper. The presented approach of a fully ontology-based simulation can solve current challenges in modeling and simulation in production science. Due to the individualization and customization of products and the resulting increase in complexity of production, a need for flexibly adaptable simulations arises. This need is exemplified in the trend towards Digital Twins and Digital Shadows. Their application to production systems, against the background of an ever increasing speed of change in such systems, is arduous. Moreover, missing understandability and human interpretability of current approaches hinders successful, goal oriented applications. The OntologySim can help solving this challenge by providing the ability to generate truly cyber physical systems, both interlocked with reality and providing a simulation framework. In a nutshell, this paper presents a discrete-event-based open-source simulation using multi-agency and ontology.
PrimPol: A Breakthrough among DNA Replication Enzymes and a Potential New Target for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Díaz-Talavera Alberto , Montero-Conde Cristina , Leandro-García Luis , Robledo Mercedes
Published: February 2022

DNA replication can encounter blocking obstacles, leading to replication stress and genome instability. There are several mechanisms for evading this blockade. One mechanism consists of repriming ahead of the obstacles, creating a new starting point; in humans, PrimPol is responsible for carrying out this task. PrimPol is a primase that operates in both the nucleus and mitochondria. In contrast with conventional primases, PrimPol is a DNA primase able to initiate DNA synthesis de novo using deoxynucleotides, discriminating against ribonucleotides. In vitro, PrimPol can act as a DNA primase, elongating primers that PrimPol itself sythesizes, or as translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerase, elongating pre-existing primers across lesions. However, the lack of evidence for PrimPol polymerase activity in vivo suggests that PrimPol only acts as a DNA primase. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of human PrimPol covering its biochemical properties and structure, in vivo function and regulation, and the processes that take place to fill the gap-containing lesion that PrimPol leaves behind. Finally, we explore the available data on human PrimPol expression in different tissues in physiological conditions and its role in cancer.
Early Auditory Processing Predicts Efficient Working Memory Functioning in Schizophrenia
Authors: Meiron Oded , David Jonathan , Yaniv Asaf
Published: February 2022

Early auditory processing (EAP) deficits have been consistently documented in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (SZ). However, a relationship between EAP and executive attention has not been confirmed in SZ versus healthy controls (HC). The current study aimed to demonstrate that unlike HC, in SZ patients, auditory change-detection event-related potentials (ERPs) are significantly associated with executive working memory (WM) functioning. Additionally, correlational analyses investigated the relationships between patients’ auditory ERPs, WM performance, and schizophrenia symptom severity scores. We examined verbal WM accuracy associated with “executive-control” prefrontal cortex mechanisms and EAP ERPs under midline prefrontal electrodes in 12 SZ patients versus 12 demographically matched HC. Mismatch negativity (MMN) amplitudes and latencies in SZ patients were not significantly different from HC, however, their verbal WM performance was significantly impaired versus HC. Importantly, prolonged MMN latencies in the SZ group were correlated with better WM accuracy. In the HC group, WM accuracy was unrelated to MMN latencies. Patients’ MMN parameters were unrelated to schizophrenia symptom-domain severity. However, patients’ WM RTs and accuracy were significantly related to illness severity and negative symptom severity, respectively. Therefore, inefficient sensory excitation related to EAP timing may underlie poor executive verbal WM functioning and might indirectly exacerbate the severity of negative symptoms in SZ. Treatments targeting prefrontal cortex dysfunction in schizophrenia are discussed.
Life Cycle Regional Economic Impacts of Bridge Repair Using Cross-Laminated Timber Floor Slabs: A Case Study in Akita Prefecture, Japan
Authors: Huzita Tomohumi , Sasaki Takanobu , Araki Shogo , Kayo Chihiro
Published: February 2022

Recently, cross-laminated timber (CLT) has attracted attention as a civil engineering material in Japan. In particular, the use of CLT floor slabs for bridge repair is expected to have regional economic impacts throughout their life cycle, but their economic impacts have not been evaluated. In this study, the life cycle regional economic impacts of using non-waterproofed CLT, waterproofed CLT, and reinforced concrete (RC) floor slabs for bridge repair in Akita Prefecture, Japan, were compared. Using past-to-present input–output tables, we quantitatively evaluated the economic impacts over the life cycle of floor slabs by estimating the future input–output tables for construction, maintenance, and disposal. The results showed that the construction and maintenance costs (final demand increase) of CLT floor slabs are higher than those of RC slabs, but the regional economic impact is larger. In addition, the non-waterproofed CLT must be renewed every time it is maintained. Therefore, the demand for CLT production in the prefecture will increase, and the economic impact will be larger than that of the other two floor slabs. This demand for CLT production will not only redound to the benefit of the forestry and wood industry but also the revitalization of regional economies.
Asphalt Mixture with Scrap Tire Rubber and Nylon Fiber from Waste Tires: Laboratory Performance and Preliminary M-E Design Analysis
Authors: Jin Dongzhao , Ge Dongdong , Zhou Xiaodong , You Zhanping
Published: February 2022

Scrap tire rubber and nylon fiber are waste materials that could potentially be recycled and used to improve the mechanical properties of asphalt pavement. The objective of this research was to investigate the properties of scrap tire rubber and nylon fiber (R-F) modified warm mix asphalt mixture (WMA). The high-temperature performance was estimated by the Hamburg wheel-tracking testing (HWTT) device. The low-temperature cracking performance was evaluated by the disk-shaped compact tension (DCT) test and the indirect tensile strength (IDT) test. The stress and strain relationship was assessed by the dynamic modulus test at various temperatures and frequencies. The extracted asphalt binder was evaluated by the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). Pavement distresses were predicted by pavement mechanistic-empirical (M-E) analysis. The test results showed that: (1) The R-F modified WMA had better high-temperature rutting performance. The dynamic modulus of conventional hot mix asphalt mixture (HMA) was 21.8%~103% lower than R-F modified WMA at high temperatures. The wheel passes and stripping point of R-F modified WMA were 2.17 and 5.8 times higher than those of conventional HMA, respectively. Moreover, the R-F modified warm mix asphalt had a higher rutting index than the original asphalt. (2) R-F modified WMA had better cracking resistance at a low temperature. The failure energy of the R-F modified WMA was 24.3% higher than the conventional HMA, and the fracture energy of the R-F modified WMA was 7.7% higher than the conventional HMA. (3) The pavement distress prediction results showed the same trend compared with the laboratory testing performance in that the R-F modified WMA helped to improve the IRI, AC cracking, and rutting performance compared with the conventional HMA. In summary, R-F modified WMA can be applied in pavement construction.
Design of Islamic Parametric Elevation for Interior, Enclosed Corridors to Optimize Daylighting and Solar Radiation Exposure in a Desert Climate: A Case Study of the University of Sharjah, UAE
Authors: Maksoud Aref , Mushtaha Emad , Al-Sadoon Zaid , Sahall Hala , Toutou Ahmed
Published: February 2022

This study used innovative computational design tools to improve a corridor’s visual and environmental conditions, such as solar radiation exposure and optimal daylighting, at the University of Sharjah’s (UoS) campus in the United Arab Emirates. The research methodology used computational design software to develop two sets of codes. The first set was dedicated to conducting environmental study simulations that assessed the corridor’s performance and classified site-dependent parameters such as sun path analysis and wind rose diagrams, and pattern-dependent parameters such as solar radiation analysis and shadow study diagrams. The second code set generated Islamic geometric patterns, following the design scheme of the University. Varying typologies were produced using the two parameters to change the pattern’s porous size, shape, and gradient.
Challenges and Future Development Paths of Low Carbon Building Design: A Review
Authors: Xi Chang , Cao Shi-Jie
Published: February 2022

Excessive carbon emissions are causing the problems of global warming and the greenhouse effect, which urgently need to be controlled worldwide. It is crucial to reduce the carbon emissions of the construction industry as it is one of the main sources. Carbon is generated at all phases of the building life cycle, including in material production, building design, and building operation and maintenance. Notably, building design has various extents of influence on carbon emissions at each phase, for which a low carbon method urgently needs to be explored. This paper aims to summarize the current status of building design through literature review considering standard systems, carbon emission calculations, and building design optimization. The challenges of building design are as follows: lack of (1) a comprehensive standard system considering different factors, (2) lack of a carbon emission calculation method for the design phase, and a (3) no real-time optimization model aiming at carbon reduction. The path of “standard−calculation−prediction−optimization” (SCPO) for future building design is proposed to address these challenges. It takes standard system as the framework, the carbon calculation method as the foundation, the prediction model as the theory, and the low carbon building as the objective. This paper can provide theoretical guidance for low carbon building design.
Contribution of Infrastructure to the Township’s Sustainable Development in Southwest China
Authors: She Yujuan , Hu Changling , Ma Dejun , Zhu Yahui , Tam Vivian W. Y. , Chen Xiangjie
Published: February 2022

Townships in Southwest China are usually located in mountainous regions, which are abundant in natural and cultural landscape resources. There are additional requirements for the township’s sustainable development in these areas. However, insufficient infrastructures, due to limited resources, constrain the sustainable development of these townships. Sustainable contribution of infrastructure (SCOI) in this study is defined as the performance of infrastructure as a contribution to the coordinated development among economic, social, and environmental dimensions of township’s sustainable development. It is necessary to assess these infrastructures according to SCOI and provide choices for investment to maximize resource utilization. Therefore, an assessing model of SCOI with 26 general indicators was developed, which covers five most urgently needed infrastructures of these townships in Southwest China, including road transport, sewage treatment, waste disposal, water supply, and gas. In this model, quantitative and qualitative methods are combined to acquire different SCOI of each infrastructure. The result of the SCOI would be an important reference for infrastructure investment. A case study of Jiansheng Town, that is located in the Dadukou district of Chongqing, demonstrates the applicability of the model. It shows the assessing model of SCOI is efficient to identify the most valuable infrastructure that is appropriate for investment with the goal of township’s sustainable development. This study can provide insights for infrastructure investment and management in townships or areas.
Monocytes and Macrophages in Spondyloarthritis: Functional Roles and Effects of Current Therapies
Authors: Martínez-Ramos Sara , Rafael-Vidal Carlos , Pego-Reigosa José M. , García Samuel
Published: February 2022

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a family of chronic inflammatory diseases, being the most prevalent ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). These diseases share genetic, clinical and immunological features, such as the implication of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecule 27 (HLA-B27), the inflammation of peripheral, spine and sacroiliac joints and the presence of extra-articular manifestations (psoriasis, anterior uveitis, enthesitis and inflammatory bowel disease). Monocytes and macrophages are essential cells of the innate immune system and are the first line of defence against external agents. In rheumatic diseases including SpA, the frequency and phenotypic and functional characteristics of both cell types are deregulated and are involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases. In fact, monocytes and macrophages play key roles in the inflammatory processes characteristics of SpA. The aim of this review is analysing the characteristics and functional roles of monocytes and macrophages in these diseases, as well as the impact of different current therapies on these cell types.
Cytoskeletal Remodelling as an Achilles’ Heel for Therapy Resistance in Melanoma
Authors: Barreno Adrian , Orgaz Jose L.
Published: February 2022

Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer with a poor prognosis when diagnosed late. MAPK-targeted therapies and immune checkpoint blockers benefit a subset of melanoma patients; however, acquired therapy resistance inevitably arises within a year. In addition, some patients display intrinsic (primary) resistance and never respond to therapy. There is mounting evidence that resistant cells adapt to therapy through the rewiring of cytoskeleton regulators, leading to a profound remodelling of the actomyosin cytoskeleton. Importantly, this renders therapy-resistant cells highly dependent on cytoskeletal signalling pathways for sustaining their survival under drug pressure, which becomes a vulnerability that can be exploited therapeutically. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on cytoskeletal pathways involved in mainly targeted therapy resistance and future avenues, as well as potential clinical interventions.
Genomic and Metabolomic Landscape of Right-Sided and Left-Sided Colorectal Cancer: Potential Preventive Biomarkers
Authors: Su Ming-Wei , Chang Chung-Ke , Lin Chien-Wei , Chu Hou-Wei , Tsai Tsen-Ni , Su Wei-Chih , Chen Yen-Cheng , Chang Tsung-Kun , Huang Ching-Wen , Tsai Hsiang-Lin , Wu Chang-Chieh , Chou Huang-Chi , Shiu Bei-Hao , Wang Jaw-Yuan
Published: February 2022

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. The incidence and mortality rates of CRC are significantly higher in Taiwan than in other developed countries. Genes involved in CRC tumorigenesis differ depending on whether the tumor occurs on the left or right side of the colon, and genomic analysis is a keystone in the study and treatment of CRC subtypes. However, few studies have focused on the genetic landscape of Taiwanese patients with CRC. This study comprehensively analyzed the genomes of 141 Taiwanese patients with CRC through whole-exome sequencing. Significant genomic differences related to the site of CRC development were observed. Blood metabolomic profiling and polygenic risk score analysis were performed to identify potential biomarkers for the early identification and prevention of CRC in the Taiwanese population. Our findings provide vital clues for establishing population-specific treatments and health policies for CRC prevention in Taiwan.
The Oxygen Paradigm—Quantitative Impact of High Concentrations of Dissolved Oxygen on Kinetics and Large-Scale Production of Arthrospira platensis
Authors: Franke Sabine , Steingröwer Juliane , Walther Thomas , Krujatz Felix
Published: February 2022

The cultivation of Arthrospira platensis in tubular photobioreactors (tPBRs) presents a promising approach for the commercial production of nutraceuticals and food products as it can achieve high productivity and effective process control. In closed photobioreactors, however, high amounts of photosynthetically produced oxygen can accumulate. So far, there has been a wide range of discussion on how dissolved oxygen concentrations (DOCs) affect bioprocess kinetics, and the subject has mainly been assessed empirically. In this study, we used photorespirometry to quantify the impact of DOCs on the growth kinetics and phycocyanin content of the widely cultivated cyanobacterium A. platensis. The photorespirometric routine revealed that the illumination intensity and cell dry weight concentration are important interconnected process parameters behind the impact that DOCs have on the bioprocess kinetics. Unfavorable process conditions such as low biomass concentrations or high illumination intensities yielded significant growth inhibition and reduced the phycocyanin content of A. platensis by up to 35%. In order to predict the biomass productivity of the large-scale cultivation of A. platensis in tPBRs, a simple process model was extended to include photoautotrophic oxygen production and accumulation in the tPBR to evaluate the performance of two configurations of a 5000 L tPBR.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Children in 2021
Authors:   Children Editorial Office
Published: February 2022

Rigorous peer reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing, and thanks to the great efforts of our reviewers, Children was able to maintain its standards for the high quality of its published papers [...]
Development, Analytical, and Clinical Evaluation of Rapid Immunochromatographic Antigen Test for SARS-CoV-2 Variants Detection
Authors: Szekely Jidapa , Mongkolprasert Jenureeyah , Jeayodae Nitikorn , Senorit Chadarat , Chaimuti Panuttha , Swangphon Piyawut , Nanakorn Natthaphon , Nualnoi Teerapat , Wongwitwichot Paweena , Pengsakul Theerakamol
Published: February 2022

The antigen rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) is a useful diagnostic tool for the detection and management of COVID-19 spread. Global SARS-CoV-2 variant outbreaks have highlighted the need for a test capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2 variants with high sensitivity and a low limit of detection. This study aimed to develop and evaluate, both analytically and clinically, an antigen rapid diagnostic test (the KestrelTM COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test) for professional use. A lateral flow immunoassay-based diagnostic test kit was developed, and various aspects of its analytical performance were evaluated. This test kit was clinically evaluated by two independent laboratories and showed closely related results of 96.49% and 98.33% of sensitivity, 100% and 100% of specificity, and 99.01% and 99.44% of accuracy, respectively. A limit of detection was observed at values as low as 0.156 ng/mL for recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. Moreover, the test kit successfully detected the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP) of wild-type, Alpha-, Beta-, Gamma-, Delta-, Epsilon-, Kappa-, and Omicron-variants as positive results. Therefore, the KestrelTM COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test may have potential use for effective COVID-19 screening, surveillance, and infection control in a variety of global SARS-CoV-2 variant outbreaks.
The Strengths and Obstacles in the Differential Diagnosis of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy—Parkinsonism Predominant (PSP-P) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Perfusion Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)
Authors: Alster Piotr , Nieciecki Michał , Migda Bartosz , Kutyłowski Michał , Madetko Natalia , Duszyńska-Wąs Karolina , Charzyńska Ingeborga , Koziorowski Dariusz , Królicki Leszek , Friedman Andrzej
Published: February 2022

Multiple System Atrophy—Parkinsonism Predominant (MSA-P) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy—Parkinsonism Predominant (PSP-P) are the clinical manifestations of atypical parkinsonism. Currently, there are no efficient in vivo methods available relating to neuroimaging or biochemical analysis in the examination of these entities. Among the advanced methods available, using positron emission tomography is constrained by high cost and low accessibility. In this study the authors examined patients with two types of atypical parkinsonism—MSA-P and PSP-P, which are difficult to differentiate, especially in the early years of their development. The aim of this study was to assess whether the examination of patients in the period following the early years (3–6-year duration of symptoms) could be enhanced by perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or evaluation of cognitive abilities. Extended examination using MRI and perfusion SPECT showed that the evaluation of the mesencephalon/pons ratio, mesencephalic volume decrease, the Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index (MRPI) and frontal perfusion should be considered more feasible than screening cognitive evaluation in MSA-P and PSP-P with a 3–6-year duration of symptoms.
Outcome Prediction at Patient Level Derived from Pre-Treatment 18F-FDG PET Due to Machine Learning in Metastatic Melanoma Treated with Anti-PD1 Treatment
Authors: Flaus Anthime , Habouzit Vincent , de Leiris Nicolas , Vuillez Jean-Philippe , Leccia Marie-Thérèse , Simonson Mathilde , Perrot Jean-Luc , Cachin Florent , Prevot Nathalie
Published: February 2022

(1) Background: As outcome of patients with metastatic melanoma treated with anti-PD1 immunotherapy can vary in success, predictors are needed. We aimed to predict at the patients’ levels, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) after one year of immunotherapy, based on their pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET; (2) Methods: Fifty-six metastatic melanoma patients—without prior systemic treatment—were retrospectively included. Forty-five 18F-FDG PET-based radiomic features were computed and the top five features associated with the patient’s outcome were selected. The analyzed machine learning classifiers were random forest (RF), neural network, naive Bayes, logistic regression and support vector machine. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to compare model performances, which were validated by cross-validation; (3) Results: The RF model obtained the best performance after validation to predict OS and PFS and presented AUC, sensitivities and specificities (IC95%) of 0.87 ± 0.1, 0.79 ± 0.11 and 0.95 ± 0.06 for OS and 0.9 ± 0.07, 0.88 ± 0.09 and 0.91 ± 0.08 for PFS, respectively. (4) Conclusion: A RF classifier, based on pretreatment 18F-FDG PET radiomic features may be useful for predicting the survival status for melanoma patients, after one year of a first line systemic treatment by immunotherapy.
Analysis of Traditional and Alternative Methods for Solving Voltage Problems in Low Voltage Grids: An Estonian Case Study
Authors: Rosin Argo , Drovtar Imre , Mõlder Heigo , Haabel Kaija , Astapov Victor , Vinnal Toomas , Korõtko Tarmo
Published: February 2022

Smart Cities can benefit from existing municipal low voltage (LV) distribution grids by supporting public services with permanent power supply and providing grid connection points to distributed generators (DG). The increased integration of DGs and inverter based non-linear loads increases voltage quality issues, thus the cost-efficient assurance of voltage quality in LV grids with long radial lines is of increasing importance for the operators of municipal electricity distribution systems. Conventional methods for mitigating voltage quality issues (e.g., power line renovation) might not be optimal solutions either technologically or economically. Existing studies do not address all relevant issues related to the assurance of required voltage quality in such LV grids. This paper provides an overview of the applicability and rationality of traditional as well as alternative methods to solve voltage problems in LV grids. The authors use DIgSILENT PowerFactory software to simulate the performance of voltage stabilisers under different conditions. The authors propose a robust method for the classification of LV feeders and provide recommendations on how to resolve voltage quality problems, with the help of different power quality improvement devices, where the traditional methods of upgrading to medium voltage and grid reinforcement are economically infeasible. Based on our results, recommendations for mitigating voltage quality problems in LV distribution grids with radial lines of different lengths are given.
Dealing with Negative Inflows in the Long-Term Hydrothermal Scheduling Problem
Authors: Larroyd Paulo Vitor , Pedrini Renata , Beltrán Felipe , Teixeira Gabriel , Finardi Erlon Cristian , Picarelli Lucas Borges
Published: February 2022

The long-term hydrothermal scheduling (LTHS) problem seeks to obtain an operational policy that optimizes water resource management. The most employed strategy to obtain such a policy is stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP). The primary source of uncertainty in predominant hydropower systems is the reservoirs inflow, usually a linear time series model (TSM) based on the order-p periodic autoregressive [PAR(p)] model. Although the linear PAR(p) can represent the seasonality and autocorrelation of the inflow datasets, negative inflows may appear during SDDP iterations, leading to water balance infeasibilities in the LTHS problem. Different from other works, the focus of this paper is not avoiding negative inflows but instead dealing with the negative values that cause infeasibilities. Hence, three strategies are discussed: (i) inclusion of a slack variable penalized in the objective function, (ii) negative inflow truncation to zero, and (iii) optimal inflow truncation, among which the latter is a novel approach. The strategies are compared individually and combined. Methodological conditions and evidence of the algorithm convergence are presented. Out-of-sample simulations show that the choice of negative inflow strategy significantly impacts the performance of the resultant operational policy. The combination of strategy (i) and (iii) reduces the expected operation cost by 15%.
The Mittag–Leffler Functions for a Class of First-Order Fractional Initial Value Problems: Dual Solution via Riemann–Liouville Fractional Derivative
Authors: Ebaid Abdelhalim , Al-Jeaid Hind K.
Published: February 2022

In this paper, a new approach is developed to solve a class of first-order fractional initial value problems. The present class is of practical interest in engineering science. The results are based on the Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative. It is shown that the dual solution can be determined for the considered class. The first solution is obtained by means of the Laplace transform and expressed in terms of the Mittag–Leffler functions. The second solution was determined through a newly developed approach and given in terms of exponential and trigonometric functions. Moreover, the results reduce to the ordinary version as the fractional-order tends to unity. Characteristics of the dual solution are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the advantages of the second solution over the first one is declared. It is revealed that the second solution is real at certain values of the fractional-order. Such values are derived theoretically and accordingly, and the behavior of the real solution is shown through several plots. The present analysis may be introduced for obtaining the solution in a straightforward manner for the first time. The developed approach can be further extended to include higher-order fractional initial value problems of oscillatory types.
DNA Methylation and Asthma Acquisition during Adolescence and Post-Adolescence, an Epigenome-Wide Longitudinal Study
Authors: Rathod Aniruddha , Zhang Hongmei , Arshad Syed Hasan , Ewart Susan , Relton Caroline L. , Karmaus Wilfried , Holloway John W.
Published: February 2022

The role of epigenetics in the pathogenesis of asthma acquisition in adolescence and post-adolescence has been unknown. We carried out a longitudinal epigenome-wide association study, using data from the Isle of Wight Birth Cohort (IOWBC). To improve statistical power, we first screened CpGs based on associations of DNA methylation (DNAm) at an age of 10 years (pre-adolescence) with asthma acquisition at 10–18 years (during adolescence). A logistic regression with repeated measures was applied to CpGs that passed screening to examine the associations of pre-adolescence DNAm with asthma acquisition from 10–18 years and 18–26 years, with an interaction term to evaluate transition period specificity. Findings were further tested in an independent birth cohort, ALSPAC. In total, 205 CpGs (with 150 being females) showed associations with asthma acquisition (main or interaction effects) at FDR = 0.05 in IOWBC, of which 112 (90 being females) showed consistent associations in the ALSPAC. Genes that the identified CpGs were mapped to, e.g., AKAP1 and ENO1, have been shown to be associated with the risk of asthma. Our findings indicated that DNAm at specific CpGs was associated with asthma acquisition. CpGs showing such associations were likely to be different between males and females and, at certain CpGs, were unique to a specific transition period.