bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A compreensão da fibromialgia a partir da constelação familiar e visão sistêmica
Authors: Benelli Denise Aparecida de Almeida , Roman Crislaine
Published: April 2021

Contextualização: A Constelação sistêmica familiar é uma terapia holística que se destaca por tratar o indivíduo na sua totalidade, a manifestação sintomática no corpo físico, como um alerta de algo que precisa ser entendido e olhado, algo além do corpo. Ela ajuda no processo de despertar, mostrando que a doença é uma sinalização e que existe algo no sistema familiar do paciente que precisa ser olhado, entendido e acolhido. Objetivo: Compreender a fibromialgia a partir da constelação familiar e visão sistêmica dentro das ordens do amor: Pertencimento, equilíbrio e hierarquia no caso estudado. Métodos: A pesquisa foi realizada com uma paciente com 37 anos, com diagnóstico clinico de fibromialgia. Foi realizado duas intervenções com intervalo de dois meses entre elas, as intervenções foram filmadas para a descrição. A descrição foi de acordo com materiais de Bert Hellinger e Marusa Helena da Graça.. Resultados: Emrelação ao estudo de caso descrito neste artigo, a constelação sistêmica familiarmostrou-se efetiva na melhora das dores físicas relacionadas a fibromialgia da paciente constelada. Conclusão: Pode-se afirmar que a terapia da constelação realizada neste estudo foi benéfica para a saúde integral da constelada, melhorando o bem estar físico, mental e emocional, colaborando, assim, para umamelhor qualidade de vida.
Pilates como método para reabilitação de pacientes oncológicos - uma revisão sistemática
Authors: Mioto Barbara Beatriz Joei , Novacki Fabiano E.
Published: April 2021

Contextualização: O câncer é a segunda causa de morte mais comum na sociedade, e devido a sua alta prevalência, fizeram-se necessários avanços nos tratamentos antineoplásicos, porém eles carregam uma gama de efeitos colaterais ao organismo, sendo o mais comum a fadiga. Objetivo: Analisar, por meio de uma revisão de literatura, o uso do método Pilates na reabilitação da população oncológica, principalmente no que tange a qualidade de vida e o ganho de funcionalidade, além de verificar a incidência de sintomas decorrentes do tratamento oncológico, caracterizar as indicações e contraindicações do método. Métodos: Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática de bases de dados indexadas, os quais foram avaliados de forma descritiva, nas bases Cochrane, CAPES, LILACS, MEDLINE por meio das palavras-chave Pilates e Câncer, semrestrição quanto aos idiomas de busca. Resultados: Foram avaliados 12 artigos que relacionassem o método Pilates em pacientes oncológicos em fase pós operatória. Os artigos não descreviam a realização ou não de quimioterapia neo ou adjuvante, e nem de outros tratamentos antineoplásicos. Observou-se a atuação do Pilates em pacientes que trataram câncer de mama em dez estudos, e apenas dois estudos em pacientes com câncer de próstata. Conclusão: Desfechos positivos com relação à funcionalidade, melhora da amplitude de movimento, diminuição da dor, ganho de força e de resistência muscular, qualidade de vida e sensação de bem estar puderam ser notados nos estudos avaliados, sugerindo efetividade e segurança na aplicação do método aos pacientes comcâncer de mama e próstata tratados cirurgicamente.
Confinement discerns swarmers from planktonic bacteria
Authors: Chen Weijie , Mani Neha , Karani Hamid , Li Hao , Mani Sridhar , Tang Jay X
Published: April 2021

Powered by flagella, many bacterial species exhibit collective motion on a solid surface commonly known as swarming. As a natural example of active matter, swarming is also an essential biological phenotype associated with virulence, chemotaxis, and host pathogenesis. Physical changes like cell elongation and hyper-flagellation have been shown to accompany the swarming phenotype. Less studied, however, are the contrasts of collective motion between the swarming cells and their counterpart planktonic cells of comparable cell density. Here, we show that confining bacterial movement in circular microwells allows distinguishing bacterial swarming from collective swimming. On a soft agar plate, a novel bacterial strain Enterobacter sp. SM3 in swarming and planktonic states exhibited different motion patterns when confined to circular microwells of a specific range of sizes. When the confinement diameter was between 40 μm and 90 μm, swarming SM3 formed a single-swirl motion pattern in the microwells whereas planktonic SM3 formed multiple swirls. Similar differential behavior is observed across several other species of gram-negative bacteria. We also observed ‘rafting behavior’ of swarming bacteria upon dilution. We hypothesize that the rafting behavior might account for the motion pattern difference. We were able to predict these experimental features via numerical simulations where swarming cells are modeled with stronger cell–cell alignment interaction. Our experimental design using PDMS microchip disk arrays enabled us to observe bacterial swarming on murine intestinal surface, suggesting a new method for characterizing bacterial swarming under complex environments, such as in polymicrobial niches, and for in vivo swarming exploration.
Anticipation of temporally structured events in the brain
Authors: Lee Caroline S , Aly Mariam , Baldassano Christopher
Published: April 2021

Learning about temporal structure is adaptive because it enables the generation of expectations. We examined how the brain uses experience in structured environments to anticipate upcoming events. During fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), individuals watched a 90 s movie clip six times. Using a hidden Markov model applied to searchlights across the whole brain, we identified temporal shifts between activity patterns evoked by the first vs. repeated viewings of the movie clip. In many regions throughout the cortex, neural activity patterns for repeated viewings shifted to precede those of initial viewing by up to 15 s. This anticipation varied hierarchically in a posterior (less anticipation) to anterior (more anticipation) fashion. We also identified specific regions in which the timing of the brain’s event boundaries was related to those of human-labeled event boundaries, with the timing of this relationship shifting on repeated viewings. With repeated viewing, the brain’s event boundaries came to precede human-annotated boundaries by 1–4 s on average. Together, these results demonstrate a hierarchy of anticipatory signals in the human brain and link them to subjective experiences of events.
The Challenging Integration Paths of Migrant Health Professionals: The Case of Filipino and Indian Nurses in the UK
Authors: Calenda Davide , Bellini Andrea
Published: April 2021

This article examines the role of institutional factors in shaping the integration paths of migrant health professionals. For this purpose, it draws on two studies focusing on Filipino and Indian nurses working in the UK, which rely on quantitative and qualitative methods, including a web survey and semi-structured interviews. The analysis shows that inequalities have arisen from differentiation processes induced by changes in the institutional settings. Furthermore, inequalities are often reflected in poor working conditions. The authors have identified restrictive rules on immigration and access to the profession as a source of uncertainty and reveal the differentiation of entry paths, with those arriving through an international recruitment agency more frequently disappointed with their working conditions.
Client Professionalization, a Resource for Heterogeneous Professionals: For a Pluralistic Account of Corporate Professions
Authors: Salman Scarlett
Published: April 2021

Drawing on the corporate professionalization model, the notion of client professionalization denotes new, client-oriented strategies of legitimization and claims relating to expertise, differentiation, regulation and dissemination. Based on the case of executive coaching in France and its professionalization process, the paper shows how these strategies enable heterogeneous categories of actors to become recognized as professionals. These strategies act as resources because they are grounded on principles other than exclusion and monopoly, such as extension and co-production, which give new value to heterogeneous socialization experiences and multiple activities. The emphasis on client-relationship skills affords atypical professionals’ access to rewarding positions that would otherwise have been unattainable for them. These strategies are important for occupations such as coaching that are practiced by self-employed individuals, who have been overlooked in the literature. They also tend to constitute an appealing access to professionalization, in a context where the power of the market is increasing.
A New Heterocyclic 1H-perimidine synthesized 2-(2,3-dihydro-1H-périmidin-2yl-)-6-methoxyphenol: Evaluation of Acute Toxicity in Wistar Rat
Authors: Tiéba Tuo Nanou , N’Go Pacôme Kouadio , Daouda Ballo , Baptiste Kangah Niameke Jean , Guillaume Kodjo Charles , Bernard Yapo Ossey , Nahossé Ziao
Published: April 2021

Background and Aim: The 1H-perimidne, as novel source carbene ligand, is well known for its anti-fungal, anti-microbial or anti-tumor activities. Here, we aimed to study the acute toxicity in Wistar rat of 2-(2,3-dihydro-1H-perimidin-2-yl)-6-methoxyphenol, a new heterocyclic 1H- perimidine synthetized in our laboratory.      

Materials and Methods: Five groups of males Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with 7 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg, 130 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and followed during 14 days. We noted any clinical signs of acute toxicity as body weight loss, salivation, tremor, convulsion among others, as well as food consumption and water intake level.

Results: The DL50 of the new 2-(2,3-dihydro-1H-perimidin-2-yl)-6-methoxyphenol was estimated to 65 mg/kg. The No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) dose was 7 mg/kg because it did not caused mortality, clinical signs of acute toxicity, and not affected feed and water intake behavior. However, significant abnormalities as inflammation and necrosis were observed at doses-effects dependent in liver, when compared to NOAEL dose and vehicle.

Conclusion: The new heterocyclic 2-(2,3-dihydro-1H-perimidin-2-yl)-6-methoxyphenol is considered as high toxicity grade product. From NOAEL dose, subsequent biological, toxicological, pharmacological and neurobehavioral studies are needed before using for clinical trials.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Review on Transmission, Clinical Presentations, Treatments and Vaccines
Authors: Rabbani Syed Arman , Sharma Shrestha , Mishra Supriya , Mahtab Asiya
Published: April 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become one of the most prevalent and significant global health concerns since its origin in Wuhan, China in the December 2019. As on 05th April, this disease has affected over 131 million people and has resulted in more than 2.85 million deaths worldwide till date. The disease is transmitted from the infected patients to the people in close contact through respiratory droplets. There are a number of factors which affect the transmission of this disease. The clinical presentation of COVID-19 can range from asymptomatic infections to critical disease leading to respiratory failure, septic shock and multiple organ failure. The disease essentially affects the respiratory system but other organ systems may also be involved. Currently, the therapeutic management of the disease is based on the severity of the infection and employs various strategies like monoclonal antibodies, corticosteroids, antivirals, stem cell therapy and immunomodulators. Scientists and researchers all around the world have raced against the time and developed a number of vaccines for COVID-19.  At present, there are many COVID-19 vaccines, which have been authorized or approved for use by the regulators of the different countries. This article reviews the current published data on the COVID-19 transmission, clinical presentations, treatments and vaccines.
Brazilian Nursing and Production in Palliative Care: A Bibliometric Study
Authors: Carvalho Dayara de Nazaré Rosa de , Aguiar Viviane Ferraz Ferreira de , Oliveira Manuela Furtado Veloso de , Souza Monique Lindsy Silva de , Oliveira Sandra Suely Silva de , Lima Paula Andreza Viana , Silva Tainan Fabrício da , Tavares Natalie Kesle Costa , Rodrigues Mainessa da Guia , Costa Fernanda de Nazaré Almeida , Dergan Marcela Raíssa Asevedo , Bendelaque Dandara de Fátima Ribeiro , Nascimento Marcia Helena Machado , Sá Antônia Margareth Moita , Peixoto Ivonete Vieira Pereira
Published: April 2021

Objective: This study aims to quantify and describe the characteristics of scientific production in Brazilian Nursing on Palliative Care between the years 2015-2020.

Methodology: This is a descriptive, bibliometric study. At the end of the selection stage, the final sample of 98 publications emerged.

Results: Of the total number of publications, 28 (28.57%) in the VHL database and 70 (71.43%) in SciELO. Most publications occurred in 2018 with 26 (26.53%) and 2016 with 19 (19.39%) publications, followed by 2017 with 16 (15.36%) publications.

Conclusion: The findings in this study show that in the past 5 years, Brazilian nursing has been discussing and researching palliative care. However, it was also observed that the concentration of Brazilian nursing publications in palliative care is in the Southeast and South regions of Brazil, with the North region falling far short of study in the area.
Evaluation of an Augmented Reality Application for Learning Neuroanatomy in Psychology
Authors: Mendez‐Lopez Magdalena , Juan M. Carmen , Molla Ramon , Fidalgo Camino
Published: April 2021

Neuroanatomy is difficult for psychology students because of spatial visualization and the relationship among brain structures. Some technologies have been implemented to facilitate the learning of anatomy using three‐dimensional (3D) visualization of anatomy contents. Augmented reality (AR) is a promising technology in this field. A mobile AR application to provide the visualization of morphological and functional information of the brain was developed. A sample of 67 students of neuropsychology completed tests for visuospatial ability, anatomical knowledge, learning goals, and experience with technologies. Subsequently, they performed a learning activity using one of the visualization methods considered: a 3D method using the AR application and a two‐dimensional (2D) method using a textbook to color, followed by questions concerning their satisfaction and knowledge. After using the alternative method, the students expressed their preference. The two methods improved knowledge equally, but the 3D method obtained higher satisfaction scores and was more preferred by students. The 3D method was also more preferred by the students who used this method during the activity. After controlling for the method used in the activity, associations were found between the preference of the 3D method because of its usability and experience with technologies. These results found that the AR application was highly valued by students to learn and was as effective as the textbook for this purpose.
Biochar from slow pyrolysis of biological sludge from wastewater treatment: characteristics and effect as soil amendment
Authors: Vilas‐Boas Ana C M , Tarelho Luís A C , Kamali Mohammadreza , Hauschild Tailane , Pio Daniel T , Jahanianfard Dina , Gomes Ana Paula D , Matos Manuel A A
Published: April 2021

Biological sludge from wastewater treatment is a by‐product from the pulp and paper industry, for which several management approaches are being researched to develop added‐value applications and to decrease the disposal costs. This work studied biological sludge pyrolysis to produce biochar for further use as soil amendment. The pyrolysis was conducted in a bench‐scale fixed‐bed reactor using distinct operating conditions, namely heating rate between 2 °C min−1 and 30 °C min−1 and peak temperature between 300 °C and 600 °C. The results demonstrated that biochar yield was between 0.40 and 0.73 kg kg–1 dry sludge. A trend for biochar yield to decrease with increasing peak temperature and heating rate was observed. The carbon content of biochar was between 42.8 and 47.0 wt%. The biochar pH was between 6.9 and 11.2. The effect of the biochar produced by pyrolysis as a soil corrective was evaluated in this work. Samples of biochar produced at 450 °C and 10 °C min−1 were incubated in a selected soil and its influence on soil properties and plant growth was evaluated. It was observed that the biochar portion 2.5%, 5%, and 10% promoted an increase in soil pH and an increase in water retention. The biochar portion 2.5% and 5% promoted a higher growth of Lepidium sativum plants. The results demonstrated the potential of the pyrolysis of biological sludge from the pulp and paper industry to produce biochar to be further used as a soil amendment. This strategy is of major importance in this industrial sector, thus contributing to the European Union goals on circular economy and industrial sustainability. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Gypsum plasterboards under natural fire—Experimental investigations of thermal properties
Authors: Zehfuß Jochen , Sander Lisa
Published: April 2021

The use of fire protection materials is a common approach to ensure the fire resistance of steel elements exposed to fire. In this article, experimental investigations regarding the thermal behavior of gypsum plasterboards for steel elements exposed to natural fires are presented. Material properties, such as the specific heat, the thermal conductivity, and the density of gypsum plasterboards, have been investigated yet, but not especially for natural fire scenarios with different heating rates and cooling phases. For this purpose, experimental investigations of gypsum plasterboards under natural fire exposure are presented. Based on our own experimental investigations, the thermal properties of the investigated gypsum plasterboard for both the heating and cooling phases are demonstrated. Additionally, results from a large‐scale fire test on loaded steel beams as well as unloaded steel columns protected with gypsum plasterboards are presented. The test results show a clear dependency on the heating and cooling rate. Furthermore, the thermal material properties change within the heating and cooling phase. So, the main objective of this article is to provide the thermal properties of selected gypsum plasterboard exposed to natural fires in the heating and cooling phases.
Calculation of maximum crack width for practical design of reinforced concrete
Authors: Schlicke Dirk , Dorfmann Eva Maria , Fehling Ekkehard , Tue Nguyen Viet
Published: April 2021

Cracks are an essential characteristic of reinforced concrete (RC) construction. Serviceability and durability, however, require a reasonable limitation of the maximum crack width. The prediction of the maximum crack width of RC, however, is not trivial and has been much debated over the past decades. This article starts with a fundamental comparison of basic procedures for determining the crack width, namely using a mechanical or calibrated model. Following, the behavior of reinforced concrete during crack formation is thoroughly discussed with a focus on the bond stress‐slip relation at the reinforcement‐concrete interface and with regard to the particular crack stage. Based on these fundamentals, a mechanical calculation model is then proposed for practical calculation of maximum crack width in RC members. The suitability of the proposed model is demonstrated by the comparison of predicted and experimentally obtained maximum crack widths for a database including 460 crack width measurements. It is shown that the current state of knowledge enables a mechanically plausible calculation of the maximum crack width. Although the formulation based on the bond law is not trivial, the calculation model can be prepared with appropriate simplifications in a practical way.
Enzyme‐free Electrochemical Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide Based on the Three‐Dimensional Flower‐like Cu‐based Metal Organic Frameworks and MXene Nanosheets†
Authors: Cheng Dan , Li Peipei , Zhu Xiaohua , Liu Meiling , Zhang Youyu , Liu Yang
Published: April 2021

Main observation and conclusion

Cu‐based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are regarded as promising sensing materials, which have abundant metal sites, large surface area and simple synthesis processes. In this work, a novel three‐dimensional flower‐like Cu‐MOF was synthesized, which was combined with ultra‐thin MXene nanosheets to construct a novel electrochemical sensor for H2O2. During the electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2, the catalytic activity of Cu‐MOF/MXene/GCE results in the ultra‐sensitive detection of H2O2 owing to the structure properties of MOFs, the nature of Cu‐contained nanomaterials as well as the high electrical conductivity of MXene. The Cu‐MOF/MXene/GCE showed a wide linear range from 1 μmol/L to 6.12 mmol/L using chronoamperometry at the detection potential of –0.35 V, and the detection limit is estimated to be 0.35 μmol/L. The sensor also shows good anti‐interference due to the lower detection potential, specific catalysis of Cu‐MOF to H2O2, which promises the sensor good selectivity in complexed samples. Meanwhile, the electrochemical sensor is capable to detect H2O2 in milk and serum samples with satisfactory recoveries. The ultra‐sensitivity, rapid detection, and easy operation of the proposed sensor present significant prospect for real‐time analysis and monitoring of H2O2 in foods and biological samples.
Bifunctional Fluoroalcohol Catalysts Enabled Sustainable Synthesis of Poly(amino acid)s†
Authors: He Wenjing , Tao Youhua
Published: April 2021

Main observation and conclusion

A series of novel bifunctional single‐molecule hydrogen‐bonding organocatalysts based on fluorinated tertiary alcohol were synthesized to mediate the metal‐free polymerization of α‐amino acid N‐carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomer. Through the screening of catalysts, the polymerization catalyzed by the preferred bifunctional fluoroalcohol catalyst proceeded in a fast and controlled manner, affording high molecular weight polypeptide up to 35.2 × 104 Da with relatively narrow molecular weight distribution (Đ < 1.20). A phenomenon of self‐accelerating effect of polymerization induced by α‐helical structure of polypeptides was observed, and a possible polymerization pathway has been discussed.
Association of Renal and Cardiovascular Safety With DPP‐4 Inhibitors vs. Sulfonylureas in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Yang Chun‐Ting , Lin Wei‐Hung , Li Lun‐Jie , Ou Huang‐Tz , Kuo Shihchen
Published: April 2021

This study assessed the effects of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors (DPP4is) vs. sulfonylureas (SUs) on composite renal, cardiovascular, and hospitalized hypoglycemia outcomes in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) who were underrepresented in previous clinical studies. The National Health Insurance Research Database was utilized. Patients with T2D and advanced CKD (stages 3b‐5) with stable use of DPP4is or SUs were identified during 2011–2015 and followed until death or December 31, 2016. The primary outcome was the composite renal outcome. Secondary outcomes included hospitalized heart failure (HHF), major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), hospitalized hypoglycemia, and all‐cause death. Subdistribution hazard models were employed to assess treatment effects on clinical outcomes. A total of 1,204 matched pairs of DPP4i and SU users were analyzed. Compared with SUs, DPP4is had no significant difference in the risks of the composite renal outcome, HHF, and three‐point and four‐point MACE (hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals): 1.10 (0.93–1.31), 1.11 (0.95–1.30), 0.97 (0.79–1.19), and 1.08 (0.94–1.24), respectively), but reduced risks of hospitalized hypoglycemia (0.53 (0.43–0.64)) and all‐cause death (0.71 (0.53–0.96)). In conclusion, among patients with T2D and advanced CKD, the use of DPP4is vs. SUs was associated with comparable safety profiles on renal and cardiovascular outcomes, and reduced risks of hospitalized hypoglycemia and all‐cause death. DPP4is may be preferred for patients with T2D and advanced CKD, and the regular monitoring on cardiac function remains crucial among this population who are at a higher risk of HHF.
Nested Case‐Control Study Utilizing MID‐NET® on Thrombocytopenia Associated With Pegfilgrastim in Patients Treated With Antineoplastic Agents
Authors: Kajiyama Kazuhiro , Ishiguro Chieko , Ando Takashi , Kubota Yuki , Kinoshita Natsumi , Oniyama Yukio , Iguchi Toyotaka , Uyama Yoshiaki
Published: April 2021

Although several spontaneous case reports on the occurrence of thrombocytopenia in patients treated with human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) preparations have been accumulated, its actual causality is still unclear. To investigate the association between G‐CSF preparations (filgrastim, nartograstim, lenograstim, and pegfilgrastim) available in Japan and thrombocytopenia in patients treated with antineoplastic agents, a nested case‐control study was conducted using the Medical Information Database NETwork (MID‐NET®) with the cohort of the Japanese population taking antineoplastic agents between 2009 and 2018. A case of thrombocytopenia was defined as a patient who had decreased platelet counts (< 50,000/mm3). We identified a maximum of 10 controls for each case matched on the index date. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of thrombocytopenia for the use of G‐CSF preparations compared with nonuse were estimated using conditional logistic regression. From the cohort in which 33,124 patients were included, 733 cases and 5,592 controls were identified. Compared with the nonuse of G‐CSF preparations, the use of any G‐CSF preparations increased the risk of thrombocytopenia (aOR: 5.7, 95% CI: 4.3‐7.5). More detailed analysis showed that a distinctive increased risk was observed when pegfilgrastim was prescribed at 2–7 days before the index date (aOR: 7.4 95% CI: 2.0–28.1). Associations of the other G‐CSF preparations with thrombocytopenia were unclear due to the inconsistent results among different analyses. A significantly increased risk of thrombocytopenia associated with pegfilgrastim was identified, leading to a revision of precautions in the package inserts of pegfilgrastim as a regulatory safety action.
Artificial Intelligence for Unstructured Healthcare Data: Application to Coding of Patient Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions
Authors: Létinier Louis , Jouganous Julien , Benkebil Mehdi , Bel‐Létoile Alicia , Goehrs Clément , Singier Allison , Rouby Franck , Lacroix Clémence , Miremont Ghada , Micallef Joëlle , Salvo Francesco , Pariente Antoine
Published: April 2021

Adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting is a major component of drug safety monitoring; its input will, however, only be optimized if systems can manage to deal with its tremendous flow of information, based primarily on unstructured text fields. The aim of this study was to develop an automated system allowing to code ADRs from patient reports. Our system was based on a knowledge base about drugs, enriched by supervised machine learning (ML) models trained on patients reporting data. To train our models, we selected all cases of ADRs reported by patients to a French Pharmacovigilance Centre through a national web‐portal between March 2017 and March 2019 (n = 2,058 reports). We tested both conventional ML models and deep‐learning models. We performed an external validation using a dataset constituted of a random sample of ADRs reported to the Marseille Pharmacovigilance Centre over the same period (n = 187). Here, we show that regarding area under the curve (AUC) and F‐measure, the best model to identify ADRs was gradient boosting trees (LGBM), with an AUC of 0.93 (0.92–0.94) and F‐measure of 0.72 (0.68–0.75). This model was run for external validation showing an AUC of 0.91 and a F‐measure of 0.58. We evaluated an artificial intelligence pipeline that was found able to learn how to identify correctly ADRs from unstructured data. This result allowed us to start a new study using more data to further improve our performance and offer a tool that is useful in practice to efficiently manage drug safety information.
Improved cell signaling analysis by biofunctionalized nanospheres and imaging flow cytometry
Authors: Koenig Alice , Charmetant Xavier , Barba Thomas , Sicard Antoine , Espi Maxime , Dussurgey Sébastien , Thaunat Olivier
Published: April 2021

The analysis of immune cell signaling is critical for the understanding of the biology and pathology of the immune system, and thus a mandatory step for the development of efficient biomarkers and targeted therapies. Phosflow, which has progressively replaced the traditional western blot approach, relies on flow cytometry to analyze various signaling pathways at a single‐cell level. This technique however suffers a lack of sensitivity largely due to the low signal/noise ratio that characterizes cell signaling analysis. In this study, we describe a new technique, which combines the use of biofunctionalized nanospheres (i.e., synthetic particulate antigens, SPAg) to stimulate the immune cells in suspension and imaging flow cytometry to identify homogenously‐stimulated cells and quantify the activity of the chosen signaling pathway in selected subcellular regions of interest. Using BCR signaling as model, we demonstrate that SIBERIAN (SPAg‐assIsted suB‐cEllulaR sIgnaling ANalysis) allows assessing immune cell signaling with unprecedented sensitivity and specificity.
Ocular elongation and retraction in foveated reptiles
Authors: Rasys Ashley M. , Pau Shana H. , Irwin Katherine E. , Luo Sherry , Kim Hannah Q. , Wahle Margaret Austin , Trainor Paul A. , Menke Douglas B. , Lauderdale James D.
Published: April 2021

Background

Pronounced asymmetric changes in ocular globe size during eye development have been observed in a number of species ranging from humans to lizards. In contrast, largely symmetric changes in globe size have been described for other species like rodents. We propose that asymmetric changes in the three‐dimensional structure of the developing eye correlate with the types of retinal remodeling needed to produce areas of high photoreceptor density. To test this idea, we systematically examined three‐dimensional aspects of globe size as a function of eye development in the bifoveated brown anole, Anolis sagrei.

Results

During embryonic development, the anole eye undergoes dynamic changes in ocular shape. Initially spherical, the eye elongates in the presumptive foveal regions of the retina and then proceeds through a period of retraction that returns the eye to its spherical shape. During this period of retraction, pit formation and photoreceptor cell packing are observed. We found a similar pattern of elongation and retraction associated with the single fovea of the veiled chameleon, Chamaeleo calyptratus.

Conclusions

These results, together with those reported for other foveated species, support the idea that areas of high photoreceptor packing occur in regions where the ocular globe asymmetrically elongates and retracts during development.
A Cartesian grid method with improvement of resolving the boundary layer structure for two‐dimensional incompressible flows
Authors: Tong Xin , Wang Lipo , Chen Jinqiang , Ouyang Hua
Published: April 2021

The Cartesian gird has its unique advantages in computational fluid dynamics, especially for complicated boundary cases. However, the boundary layer structures can not be resolved efficiently and effectively using the Cartesian mesh. To overcome such a problem, a new boundary layer structure resolving (BLSR) algorithm is proposed on the basis of the boundary layer physics and force balance analysis. For the present two‐dimensional test cases, numerical results justify that the surface friction and drag force can be more accurately calculated without refining the near‐wall resolution. In principle this BLSR algorithm is easy to implement with negligible increase of the computational cost.
Determinants of postnatal care coverage among mothers and new‐borns in India: Evidence from a nationally representative survey
Authors: Krishnamoorthy Yuvaraj , Majella Marie Gilbert
Published: April 2021

Despite efforts taken by the Government of India, still mothers and new‐borns are excluded from the postnatal care services, especially during the critical first 24 h after delivery. Hence, we have done this study to find the determinants of postnatal care for mothers and new‐borns in India. We have analysed the NFHS‐4 data gathered from Demographic Health Survey programme. Stratification and clustering in the sample design was accounted using svyset command. Point estimates were reported as proportions with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). In total, 190,797 women who had at least one live birth were included. About 25.2% and 27.1% of the new‐born received post‐natal care within 24 and 48 h of delivery. The proportion of women who received post‐natal care within 24 and 48 h after delivery was 63.4% and 65.2% respectively. Higher socioeconomic status, women living in Southern region, utilization of proper antenatal and intranatal care, and Caesarian mode of delivery had significantly higher postnatal care coverage among mothers and new‐borns. This finding informs the policy makers regarding the status of postnatal care coverage, that can be incorporated to identify target populations for further strengthening of service delivery.
Effects of changes in canopy interception on stream runoff response and recovery following clear‐cutting of a Japanese coniferous forest in Fukuroyamasawa Experimental Watershed in Japan
Authors: Oda Tomoki , Egusa Tomohiro , Ohte Nobuhito , Hotta Norifumi , Tanaka Nobuaki , Green Mark B. , Suzuki Masakazu
Published: April 2021

Understanding changes in evapotranspiration during forest regrowth is essential to predict changes of stream runoff and recovery after forest cutting. Canopy interception (Ic) is an important component of evapotranspiration, however Ic changes and the impact on stream runoff during regrowth after cutting remains unclear due to limited observations. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of Ic changes on long‐term stream runoff in a regrowth Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress forest following clear‐cutting. This study was conducted in two 1‐ha paired headwater catchments at Fukuroyamasawa Experimental Watershed in Japan. The catchments were 100% covered by Japanese coniferous plantation forest, one of which was 100% clear‐cut in 1999 when the forest was 70 years old. In the treated catchment, annual runoff increased by 301 mm/year (14% of precipitation) the year following clear‐cutting, and remained 185 mm/year (7.9% of precipitation) higher in the young regrowth forest for 12–14 years compared to the estimated runoff assuming no clear‐cutting. The Ic change was −358 mm/year (17% of precipitation) after cutting and was −168 mm/year (6.7% of precipitation) in the 12–14 years old regrowth forest compared to the observed Ic during the pre‐cutting period. Stream runoff increased in all seasons, and the Ic change was the main fraction of evapotranspiration change in all seasons throughout the observation period. These results suggest that the change in Ic accounted for most of the runoff response following forest cutting and the subsequent runoff recovery in this coniferous forest.
The use of regional and alluvial groundwater by riparian trees in the wet‐dry tropics of northern Australia
Authors: Canham Caroline A. , Duvert Clément , Beesley Leah S. , Douglas Michael M. , Setterfield Samantha A. , Freestone Fiona L. , Clohessy Steven , Loomes Robyn C.
Published: April 2021

Riparian trees play a critical role in the ecological function of rivers, yet are threatened by anthropogenic change to the hydrological cycle. Identifying the sources of water used by riparian trees can inform sustainable water policy. We used isotopic analysis complemented by measurements of plant water relations to assess water sources for riparian trees at two sites with contrasting hydrogeological processes; one with an alluvial aquifer overlaying an aquitard, and one where fault‐induced preferential pathways in the aquitard allowed the flow of deeper, older groundwater from a regional aquifer to the alluvium. At both sites, plant water potential, stomatal conductance, and plant water isotope composition in the xylem sap of riparian trees were collected from two landscape positions, the riverbank and floodplain. We used a Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR) to assess differences in the proportion of water sources for sites and landscape positions. We found that xylem water isotope values differed between the two sites in line with their hydrogeological characteristics, with trees at the regional aquifer site using water sourced from the regional groundwater and trees at the site with only an alluvial aquifer present using a mixture of water sources, with no dominant source identified. Higher plant predawn water potential values at the regional site indicated greater water availability and support the inference that plants were using more groundwater at the regional site compared to the alluvial site. Trees closer to the river had higher isotope values, indicative of surficial water sources i.e. shallow soil water and river water. Our findings show that the water sources used by riparian trees reflect local hydrogeology and resource availability. Water managers should identify and protect plant water sources to ensure maintenance of riparian trees.
A snapshot of the prevalence of endocrine disorders in pregnancies complicated by coronavirus disease 2019: A narrative review with meta‐analysis
Authors: Reichelt Angela J. , Hirakata Vânia N. , Genro Vanessa K. , Oppermann Maria Lúcia R.
Published: April 2021

Background

Some maternal characteristics indicate worse prognosis in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19).

Objective

To describe the prevalence of endocrine disorders in pregnancies involving COVID‐19, and its impact on maternal outcomes.

Search strategy

Search terms were “pregnancy” and “COVID‐19”.

Selection

PubMed, Embase, medRxiv, and Cochrane worksheet from February to July 2020 were searched.

Data collection and analysis

Articles describing endocrine disorders in pregnancies with and without COVID‐19 involvement were considered. We performed meta‐analyses of prevalence using random‐effect models and estimated relative risk and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of maternal outcomes relative to presence of endocrine disorders.

Main results

Articles included (n = 141) were divided into three data sets: individual (119 articles, 356 women), case series (17 articles, 1064 women), and national registries (7 articles, 10 178 women). Prevalence of obesity ranged from 16% to 46% and hyperglycemia in pregnancy (HIP) ranged from 8% to 12%. In data set 1, HIP and obesity were risk factors for severe disease in crude and age‐adjusted models, although not for intensive care unit admission. In data from two national registries, risk of dying was 5.62 (95% CI 0.30–105.95) in women with diabetes and 2.26 (95% CI 1.03–4.96) in those with obesity.

Conclusion

Obesity and HIP were prevalent in pregnant women with severe COVID‐19.
Hybrid multiple access for channel allocation‐aided eMBB and URLLC slicing in 5G and beyond systems
Authors: dos Santos Junior Elço J. , Souza Richard D. , Rebelatto João L.
Published: April 2021

In this work, we propose a hybrid multiple access (HMA) scheme that combines heterogeneous non‐orthogonal multiple access (H‐NOMA) with heterogeneous orthogonal multiple access (H‐OMA), aiming at increasing the sum‐rate of 5G and beyond (B5G) networks. More specifically, the HMA strategy is applied in the network slicing of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and grant‐free ultra‐reliable low‐latency communications (URLLC), two important use cases in the scope of B5G. By considering that the max‐matching diversity (MMD) algorithm is used to allocate channels to eMBB users, we show that the proposed HMA scheme can achieve considerable gains when compared to the standalone MMD‐aided H‐OMA and H‐NOMA schemes.
Injectable open‐porous PLGA microspheres as cell carriers for cartilage regeneration
Authors: Qu Moyuan , Liao Xiaoling , Jiang Nan , Sun Wujin , Xiao Wenqian , Zhou Xingwu , Khademhosseini Ali , Li Bo , Zhu Songsong
Published: April 2021

Minimally invasive treatment via injectable delivery of cells has drawn extensive attention for tissue regeneration because it reduces the need for substantial open surgery and fits tissue defects with complex shapes, making it a suitable option for repairing articular cartilage defects. This work presents an alkaline treatment method to fabricate open‐porous poly (lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) microspheres (OPMs) as bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) carriers for cartilage regeneration. OPMs have better biodegradation property and the extended pores can provide easier access for cells to the internal space. The BMSCs cultured with OPMs can display enhanced cell proliferation, up‐regulated expression of cartilage‐related mRNAs and proteins, and improved cartilage regeneration in vitro and in vivo. These results highlight the advantage and potential of using OPMs fabricated via simple alkaline treatment as injectable stem cell carriers for cartilage regeneration through minimally invasive procedures.
Characterization and optimization of de‐esterified Tragacanth‐chitosan nanocomposite as a potential carrier for oral delivery of insulin: In vitro and ex vivo studies
Authors: Shirzadian Touraj , Nourbakhsh Mohammad Sadegh , Fattahi Ali , Bahrami Gholamreza , Mohammadi Ghobad
Published: April 2021

Oral administration of insulin is one of the most challenging topics within this area, because insulin is degraded in stomach before it enters the bloodstream. In this study, for the first time, a nano‐carrier for controlled and targeted oral delivery of insulin was developed using de‐esterified Tragacanth and chitosan. The fabricated nanoparticles were synthesized using coacervation technique and their properties were optimized using response surface methodology. The effect of experimental variables on the particle size and loading efficiency was examined. In addition, the interactions between components were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared. The thermal stability of nanoparticles was studied by thermal gravimetric analysis. The insulin loading efficiency was measured and in vitro release profile and ex vivo insulin permeability was determined. Optimized nanoparticles showed spherical shape with a size less than 200 nm and zeta potential of +17 mV. Owing to their nanoscale dimensions and mucoadhesiveness, nanoparticles were synthesized using medium molecular weight of Chitosan. The insulin loading efficacy for the system was 6.4%, released under simulated gastrointestinal conditions in a pH‐dependent manner. Based on all of the obtained results, it can be concluded that these nanoparticles can potentially be utilized as a carrier for the oral insulin delivery.
Development and optimization of multicolumn chromatography for mAb perfusion processes
Authors: Gillette Keith , Bisschops Marc , Schofield Mark
Published: April 2021

The maturation of the bioprocessing industry is driving the desire to reduce manufacturing costs through process intensification. Here we discuss the motivation for more productive upstream perfusion processes and the implications for downstream purification. The focus of the article is how to optimize the downstream process chromatography steps based on perfusion upstream. A range of different chromatography solutions are explored and their possible impact on the purification process discussed. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry
Production of aroma and flavor‐rich fusel alcohols by cheese whey fermentation using the Kluyveromyces marxianus and Debaryomyces hansenii yeasts in monoculture and co‐culture modes
Authors: Valdez Castillo Mariana , Tahmasbi Hamed , Pachapur Vinayak L , Brar Satinder K , Vuckovic Dajana , Sitnikov Dimitri , Arriaga Sonia , Blais Jean‐François , Avalos Ramirez Antonio
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

Whey is one of the main agro‐industrial by‐products generated in the production of cheese. It is a residue with low pH and high content of organic and inorganic compounds, such as lactose, proteins, and minerals that can be used as nutrients in fermentation. The aim of the present study was to produce biomolecules with aroma and flavor properties by whey fermentation using Kluyveromyces marxianus (KM) and Debaryomyces hansenii (DH).

RESULTS

These yeasts produced and accumulated in the culture broth aroma and flavor compounds, the main ones being ethanol, glycerol, propanoic acid, dihydroxyacetone, methionol, isopentanol, and 2‐phenylethanol (2PE). This last one was retained as the target biomolecule, because of its potential to be commercialized industrially. Both yeasts were able to metabolize L‐phenylalanine (Lphe) to produce 2PE, in monoculture and co‐culture modes. When yeasts were used under monoculture mode, KM produced the highest 2PE concentration 82 ± 28 mg/L under aerobic fermentation, with yield of 0.16 ± 0.08 g2PE/gLphe and a productivity of 0.86 ± 0.18 mg2PE/L*h at a fermentation time of 96 h. Whereas in co‐culture mode the 2PE yield was 0.38 g2PE/gLphe, twice as high as the maximum yield for monocultures. This yield corresponded to a productivity of 1.93 ± 0.02 mg2PE/L*h.

CONCLUSION

The whey fermentation using KM and DH in co‐culture mode is technically feasible. The KM yeast is apparently dominant and the co‐culture of both yeasts led to increase in the 2PE yield and the productivity. The faster kinetics of KM quickly induced substrate starvation triggering early production and accumulation of 2PE. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Dynamic control of heat pump assisted extractive distillation process for separation of ethyl acetate/isopropanol/water mixture
Authors: Shan Baoming , Niu Chengqun , Meng Dapeng , Zhao Qing , Huo Bingjie , Ma Yixin , Wang Yinglong , Zhang Fangkun , Zhu Zhaoyou
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

Controlling the behavior of processes for the recovery of ethyl acetate and isopropanol from industrial wastewater is a hot topic. In this work, dynamic control structures of the extractive distillation process and heat pump combined with feeding preheating extractive distillation process are researched. The control performance of the proposed control structures is tested by adding feed flow and composition disturbance. In these two processes, two‐point temperature control structure is first used.

RESULTS

The results show that this structure can maintain product purity within a reasonable range under disturbance. Furthermore, the composition controller is used to improve control performance.

CONCLUSION

The improved structure can effectively meet the requirements of product purity. The heat pump combined with feeding preheating extractive distillation process can use the same control structure as the extraction process and show good controllability. This study has a certain guiding value for the research of chemical dynamic control. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).