bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Emergency and Remote Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Group Therapy With Adolescents and Young Adults: Overcoming Lockdown With the Butterfly Hug
Authors: Lazzaroni Elisa , Invernizzi Roberta , Fogliato Elisa , Pagani Marco , Maslovaric Giada
Published: August 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has represented an individual and collective trauma with an impact on mental health. Restrictive measures such as lockdowns have increased risk factors for the development or triggering of various psychopathologies. Timely psychological intervention has constituted a protective factor that has been indicated as a form of prevention. The main objective of this study was to measure changes in the levels of traumatic stress and anxiety in a clinical population of adolescents and young adults aged 13 to 24 years – already assisted by the local primary and specialty care services before the pandemic – following a trauma-focused psychotherapeutic group intervention according to the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing protocol, conducted remotely before the end of the first lockdown. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scales, and the Emotion Thermometer were administered pre- and post-treatment. At the end of the treatment, the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) questionnaire was administered. The results show that there was a significant improvement pre- and post-intervention in the scores of the scales STAI, IES-R, and Emotion Thermometer with a reduction in post-traumatic symptoms related in particular to the domains of intrusiveness and hyperarousal. The domain of avoidance was less significantly modified by therapy. This overall clinical improvement did not correlate with any of the demographic variables of the sample. In addition, the results show a significant positive global perceived change (PTGI) that did not correlate with the reduction of anxiety or post-traumatic symptoms measured by the other self-report scales. The explored use of telemedicine has revealed a valuable clinical opportunity.
The Effectiveness of Facial Expression Recognition in Detecting Emotional Responses to Sound Interventions in Older Adults With Dementia
Authors: Liu Ying , Wang Zixuan , Yu Ge
Published: August 2021

This research uses facial expression recognition software (FaceReader) to explore the influence of different sound interventions on the emotions of older people with dementia. The field experiment was carried out in the public activity space of an older adult care facility. Three intervention sound sources were used, namely, music, stream, and birdsong. Data collected through the Self-Assessment Manikin Scale (SAM) were compared with facial expression recognition (FER) data. FaceReader identified differences in the emotional responses of older people with dementia to different sound interventions and revealed changes in facial expressions over time. The facial expression of the participants had significantly higher valence for all three sound interventions than in the intervention without sound (p < 0.01). The indices of sadness, fear, and disgust differed significantly between the different sound interventions. For example, before the start of the birdsong intervention, the disgust index initially increased by 0.06 from 0 s to about 20 s, followed by a linear downward trend, with an average reduction of 0.03 per 20 s. In addition, valence and arousal were significantly lower when the sound intervention began before, rather than concurrently with, the start of the activity (p < 0.01). Moreover, in the birdsong and stream interventions, there were significant differences between intervention days (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Furthermore, facial expression valence significantly differed by age and gender. Finally, a comparison of the SAM and FER results showed that, in the music intervention, the valence in the first 80 s helps to predict dominance (r = 0.600) and acoustic comfort (r = 0.545); in the stream sound intervention, the first 40 s helps to predict pleasure (r = 0.770) and acoustic comfort (r = 0.766); for the birdsong intervention, the first 20 s helps to predict dominance (r = 0.824) and arousal (r = 0.891).
The Effect of Child Quantity and Education on Parents' Well-Being in Vietnam
Authors: Vu Linh Hoang , Phung Tung Duc
Published: August 2021

Background: Vietnam currently has a rapidly aging population, while formal social protection has only covered a small fraction of older people. Therefore, many older people with insufficient income or poor health must rely on their children's support.

Method: This study uses the Vietnam National Aging Survey 2011 to determine whether the quality of children's education/employment and the number of children in a family impact older people's life satisfaction and health.

Results: We find that the number of children has no effect on parents' life satisfaction but is adversely related to parents' health across a range of physical and mental health measures. In contrast, children's education has beneficial impacts on the well-being of elderly parents. Parents with better-educated children are more satisfied with their lives and report better health and fewer illness issues. Among other factors, income and wealth are strong and consistent predictors of older people's life satisfaction and self-perceived physical and mental health.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the relationship between quantity and quality of children and the well-being of elderly parents. Our results show that the number of children has an adverse effect on older people's self-reported health and life satisfaction in Vietnam. Meanwhile, parental health and life satisfaction are significantly related to children's education. The findings of this study provide several practical implications. Most importantly, investment in education for children will have long-lasting impacts on the health and well-being of elderly adults. In addition, our paper indicates that the government program for reducing fertility has contributed to the longer-term health of people.
Requirements for a Product Lifecycle Management System Using Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics for Product-as-a-Service
Authors: Sakao Tomohiko , Nordholm Alex Kim
Published: August 2021

Product-as-a-service (PaaS) offerings have advantages and potential for transforming societies to a circular economy and for improving environmental performance. Original equipment manufacturers providing PaaS offerings take higher responsibility for product performances in the use phase than those selling products. This responsibility can be supported by digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics (BDA). However, insights on how data of product designs and in-use services are managed for PaaS offerings in product lifecycle management (PLM) software are scarce. This mini-review first gives an account of extant major research works that successfully applied BDA, a specific technique of artificial intelligence (AI), to cases in industry through a systematic literature review. Then, these works are analyzed to capture requirements for a PLM system that will exploit the IoT and BDA for PaaS offerings. The captured requirements are summarized as (1) facilitate product and service integration, (2) address multiple lifecycles, (3) adopt an ontology approach encompassing several product standards, and (4) include reading data to process in an interoperation layer.
Variations in Elite Female Soccer Players' Sleep, and Associations With Perceived Fatigue and Soccer Games
Authors: Moen Frode , Olsen Maja , Halmøy Gunvor , Hrozanova Maria
Published: August 2021

The current study investigated the associations between female perceived fatigue of elite soccer players and their sleep, and the associations between the sleep of players and soccer games. The sample included 29 female elite soccer players from the Norwegian national soccer team with a mean age of ~26 years. Perceived fatigue and sleep were monitored over a period of 124 consecutive days. In this period, 12.8 ± 3.9 soccer games per player took place. Sleep was monitored with an unobtrusive impulse radio ultra-wideband Doppler radar (Somnofy). Perceived fatigue was based on a self-report mobile phone application that detected daily experienced fatigue. Multilevel analyses of day-to-day associations showed that, first, increased perceived fatigue was associated with increased time in bed (3.6 ± 1.8 min, p = 0.037) and deep sleep (1.2 ± 0.6 min, p = 0.007). Increased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was associated with subsequently decreased perceived fatigue (−0.21 ± 0.08 arbitrary units [AU], p = 0.008), and increased respiration rate in non-REM sleep was associated with subsequently increased fatigue (0.27 ± 0.09 AU, p = 0.002). Second, game night was associated with reduced time in bed (−1.0 h ± 8.4 min, p = <0.001), total sleep time (−55.2 ± 6.6 min, p = <0.001), time in sleep stages (light: −27.0 ± 5.4 min, p = <0.001; deep: −3.6 ± 1.2 min, p = 0.001; REM: −21.0 ± 3.0 min, p = <0.001), longer sleep-onset latency (3.0 ± 1.2 min, p = 0.013), and increased respiration rate in non-REM sleep (0.32 ± 0.08 respirations per min, p = <0.001), compared to the night before the game. The present findings show that deep and REM sleep and respiration rate in non-REM sleep are the key indicators of perceived fatigue in female elite soccer players. Moreover, sleep is disrupted during game night, likely due to the high physical and mental loads experienced during soccer games. Sleep normalizes during the first and second night after soccer games, likely preventing further negative performance-related consequences.
The Irish Johne's Control Programme
Authors: Gavey Lawrence , Citer Lorna , More Simon J. , Graham David
Published: August 2021

The Irish Johne's Control Programme (IJCP) provides a long-term approach to the voluntary control of Johne's disease (JD) in Ireland, strongly supported by Irish cattle industry leadership. It leverages the establishment of Animal Health Ireland for control of animal diseases not regulated by the European Union. The IJCP has four objectives: facilitate protection against spread of JD to uninfected farms; reduce the level of infection when present; assure markets of JD control in Ireland; and improve calf health and farm biosecurity. Key IJCP elements are an annual veterinary risk assessment and management plan (VRAMP), annual whole herd test (WHT) by ELISA on blood or milk samples with ancillary faecal PCR testing of ELISA reactors, and Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) investigations of infected herds. There are pathways for assurance of herds with continuing negative tests and for management of test-positive herds. Herdowners are responsible for on-farm activities, and specifically-trained (approved) veterinary practitioners have a pivotal role as technical advisors and service providers. The programme is supported by training of veterinarians, performance of testing in designated laboratories, documentation of policies and procedures, innovative data management for herd and test activities and for programme administration, training, and broad communication and awareness activities. Tools and systems are refined to address emerging issues and enhance the value of the programme. An Implementation Group comprising industry, government and technical leaders sets strategic direction and policy, advised by a Technical Working Group. Shared funding responsibilities are agreed by key stakeholders until 2022 to support herds in the programme to complete requirements. Herd registrations have increased steadily to exceed 1,800. National bulk tank milk surveillance is also being deployed to identify and recruit test-positive herds with the expectation that they have a relatively high proportion of seropositive animals. The programme will continue to innovate and improve to meet farmer and industry needs.
Cost-Effectiveness of a School-and Family-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Programme in China: The “CHIRPY DRAGON” Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Zanganeh Mandana , Adab Peymane , Li Bai , Pallan Miranda , Liu Wei Jia , Hemming Karla , Lin Rong , Liu Wei , Martin James , Cheng Kar Keung , Frew Emma
Published: August 2021

Objectives: Rapid socioeconomic and nutrition transitions in Chinese populations have contributed to the growth in childhood obesity. This study presents a cost-effectiveness analysis of a school- and family-based childhood obesity prevention programme in China.

Methods: A trial-based economic evaluation assessed cost-effectiveness at 12 months. Forty schools with 1,641 children were randomised to either receive the multi-component (diet and physical activity) intervention or to continue with usual activities. Both public sector and societal perspectives were adopted. Costs and benefits in the form of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were compared and uncertainty was assessed using established UK and US thresholds.

Results: The intervention cost was 35.53 Yuan (£7.04/US$10.01) per child from a public sector perspective and 536.95 Yuan (£106/US$151) from a societal perspective. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was 272.7 Yuan (£54/US$77)/BMI z-score change. The ICER was 8,888 Yuan (£1,760/US$2,502) and 73,831 Yuan (£14,620/US$20,796) per QALY from a public sector and societal perspective, respectively and was cost-effective using UK (£20,000) and US (US$50,000) per QALY thresholds.

Conclusion: A multi-component school-based prevention programme is a cost-effective means of preventing childhood obesity in China.
The Power of Human–Algorithm Collaboration in Solving Combinatorial Optimization Problems
Authors: Toivonen Tapani , Tukiainen Markku
Published: August 2021

Many combinatorial optimization problems are often considered intractable to solve exactly or by approximation. An example of such a problem is maximum clique, which—under standard assumptions in complexity theory—cannot be solved in sub-exponential time or be approximated within the polynomial factor efficiently. However, we show that if a polynomial time algorithm can query informative Gaussian priors from an expert poly(n) times, then a class of combinatorial optimization problems can be solved efficiently up to a multiplicative factor ϵ, where ϵ is arbitrary constant. In this paper, we present proof of our claims and show numerical results to support them. Our methods can cast new light on how to approach optimization problems in domains where even the approximation of the problem is not feasible. Furthermore, the results can help researchers to understand the structures of these problems (or whether these problems have any structure at all!). While the proposed methods can be used to approximate combinatorial problems in NPO, we note that the scope of the problems solvable might well include problems that are provable intractable (problems in EXPTIME).
Development of Green Storable Hybrid Rocket Propulsion Technology Using 98% Hydrogen Peroxide as Oxidizer
Authors: Okninski Adam , Surmacz Pawel , Bartkowiak Bartosz , Mayer Tobiasz , Sobczak Kamil , Pakosz Michal , Kaniewski Damian , Matyszewski Jan , Rarata Grzegorz , Wolanski Piotr
Published: August 2021

This paper presents the development of indigenous hybrid rocket technology, using 98% hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer. Consecutive steps are presented, which started with interest in hydrogen peroxide and the development of technology to obtain High Test Peroxide, finally allowing concentrations of up to 99.99% to be obtained in-house. Hydrogen peroxide of 98% concentration (mass-wise) was selected as the workhorse for further space propulsion and space transportation developments. Over the course nearly 10 years of the technology’s evolution, the Lukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Aviation completed hundreds of subscale hybrid rocket motor and component tests. In 2017, the Institute presented the first vehicle in the world to have demonstrated in-flight utilization for 98% hydrogen peroxide. This was achieved by the ILR-33 AMBER suborbital rocket, which utilizes a hybrid rocket propulsion as the main stage. Since then, three successful consecutive flights of the vehicle have been performed, and flights to the Von Karman Line are planned. The hybrid rocket technology developments are described. Advances in hybrid fuel technology are shown, including the testing of fuel grains. Theoretical studies and sizing of hybrid propulsion systems for spacecraft, sounding rockets and small launch vehicles have been performed, and planned further developments are discussed.
Conservation Agriculture Effects on Soil Water Holding Capacity and Water-Saving Varied with Management Practices and Agroecological Conditions: A Review
Authors: Abdallah Ahmed M. , Jat Hanuman S. , Choudhary Madhu , Abdelaty Emad F. , Sharma Parbodh C. , Jat Mangi L.
Published: August 2021

Improving soil water holding capacity (WHC) through conservation agriculture (CA)-practices, i.e., minimum mechanical soil disturbance, crop diversification, and soil mulch cover/crop residue retention, could buffer soil resilience against climate change. CA-practices could increase soil organic carbon (SOC) and alter pore size distribution (PSD); thus, they could improve soil WHC. This paper aims to review to what extent CA-practices can influence soil WHC and water-availability through SOC build-up and the change of the PSD. In general, the sequestered SOC due to the adoption of CA does not translate into a significant increase in soil WHC, because the increase in SOC is limited to the top 5–10 cm, which limits the capacity of SOC to increase the WHC of the whole soil profile. The effect of CA-practices on PSD had a slight effect on soil WHC, because long-term adoption of CA-practices increases macro- and bio-porosity at the expense of the water-holding pores. However, a positive effect of CA-practices on water-saving and availability has been widely reported. Researchers attributed this positive effect to the increase in water infiltration and reduction in evaporation from the soil surface (due to mulching crop residue). In conclusion, the benefits of CA in the SOC and soil WHC requires considering the whole soil profile, not only the top soil layer. The positive effect of CA on water-saving is attributed to increasing water infiltration and reducing evaporation from the soil surface. CA-practices’ effects are more evident in arid and semi-arid regions; therefore, arable-lands in Sub-Sahara Africa, Australia, and South-Asia are expected to benefit more. This review enhances our understanding of the role of SOC and its quantitative effect in increasing water availability and soil resilience to climate change.
Pre-Symptomatic Disease Detection in the Vine, Chrysanthemum, and Rose Leaves with a Low-Cost Infrared Sensor
Authors: Vagelas Ioannis , Papadimos Athanasios , Lykas Christos
Published: August 2021

Thermography is a technique based on infrared imaging, which is used nowadays to detect plants under stress caused by biotic and abiotic factors. In many cases, temperature changes have already been correlated with pathogen attacks. In this sense, thermography offers the ability of early disease detection in plant pathology. In this work, a low-cost AMG8833 Grind-Eye infrared camera combined with a 1080P RGB web camera was used to develop an integrated infrared and RGB imaging system, to record temperature changes on vine, chrysanthemum, and rose plant leaf surfaces. Vine and chrysanthemum leaves were infected with Phomopsis viticola and Septoria ssp. respectively, respectively, whereas rose plants leaves were infected with Colletotrichum spp. as well as with Podosphaera pannosa. Measurements were performed using the integrated imaging system on infected and uninfected leaves, as well as on PDA plates with active and non-active mycelium. According to the results, vine leaf tissue infected with P. viticola and rose plants leaf tissue infected with P. pannosa had a pre-symptomatic (four days after infection) decrease in temperature up to 1.6 and 1.1 °C, respectively, compared with uninfected tissue. In contrast chrysanthemum leaf tissue infected with Septoria ssp. and rose plant leaf tissue infected with Colletotrichum spp. had a pre-symptomatic (four days after infection) increased temperature up to 1.1 °C and 1.0 °C, respectively, compared with uninfected tissue. In vitro measurements showed that the active fungi mycelium had approximately 1.1 to 2.1 °C lower temperature than the non-active mycelium. The results above show that the integrated infrared and RGB imaging system developed in this work can be used to detect early disease infection before visible symptoms appeared, facilitating the decision-making process.
Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization and Fungicide Application at Heading on the Gluten Protein Composition and Rheological Quality of Wheat
Authors: Landolfi Viola , Visioli Giovanna , Blandino Massimo
Published: August 2021

Optimizing the bread-making quality properties of flour is currently one of the main aims of the bakery industry. Therefore, this study has investigated the effects of N fertilization and fungicide application at wheat heading on the protein content (GPC), gluten composition and rheological properties of wheat. Field experiments were carried out in North-West Italy over a 3 year period, on a high protein cultivar of soft winter wheat. Grain samples were collected for each agronomic treatment at four ripening timings, from the milk stage to the final combine harvesting, and the contents of the different gluten fractions were quantified. The late N fertilization increased the GPC (+1.2%) and dough strength (W) (+22%) as a result of a similar enhancement of all the gluten protein fractions, while the fungicide application slightly reduced the GPC (−0.3%) and W (−4%), mainly because of a dilution of the gliadin content, due to the significantly higher grain yield (+8.6%) and thousand kernel weight (+5.5%). These agronomic practices did not modify the gluten composition significantly, expressed as the relative ratio between the gliadins (glia) and the high (HMW) and low (LMW) molecular weight glutenins (gs), and confirmed by the accumulation trend of the different protein fractions during ripening. The year resulted to have the most marked effect on the gluten protein fraction ratios and alveographic parameters. The lowest W was observed in 2015, and although the highest GPC was recorded for the same year, the lowest gs/glia ratio was also observed. Instead, 2016 showed the highest gs/glia and HMW-gs/LMW-gs (H/L) ratios, and also the highest P/L value (2.2). In 2015, a slightly higher temperature during the ripening stage resulted in a greater increase in the γ-gliadin enriched fraction than the α/β gliadin ones, and marked differences were noted in the rheological traits. This field experiment has highlighted the interactive role of environmental and agronomic factors on the content and quality of gluten proteins and their bread-making ability, thus making a further contribution to the development of an integrated crop strategy for the cultivation of high protein wheat in humid Mediterranean areas.
Optical DNA Mapping of Plasmids Reveals Clonal Spread of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Large Thai Hospital
Authors: KK Sriram , Sewunet Tsegaye , Wangchinda Walaiporn , Tangkoskul Teerawit , Thamlikitkul Visanu , Giske Christian G. , Westerlund Fredrik
Published: August 2021

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) in patients admitted to hospitals pose a great challenge to treatment. The genes causing resistance to carbapenems are mostly found in plasmids, mobile genetic elements that can spread easily to other bacterial strains, thus exacerbating the problem. Here, we studied 27 CR-KP isolates collected from different types of samples from 16 patients admitted to the medical ward at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, using next generation sequencing (NGS) and optical DNA mapping (ODM). The majority of the isolates belonged to sequence type (ST) 16 and are described in detail herein. Using ODM, we identified the plasmid carrying the blaNDM-1 gene in the ST16 isolates and the plasmids were very similar, highlighting the possibility of using ODM of plasmids as a surrogate marker of nosocomial spread of bacteria. We also demonstrated that ODM could identify that the blaCTX-M-15 and blaOXA-232 genes in the ST16 isolates were encoded on separate plasmids from the blaNDM-1 gene and from each other. The other three isolates belonged to ST147 and each of them had distinct plasmids encoding blaNDM-1.
Potential for Phages in the Treatment of Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections
Authors: Cater Kathryn , Międzybrodzki Ryszard , Morozova Vera , Letkiewicz Sławomir , Łusiak-Szelachowska Marzanna , Rękas Justyna , Weber-Dąbrowska Beata , Górski Andrzej
Published: August 2021

Bacterial sexually transmitted infections (BSTIs) are becoming increasingly significant with the approach of a post-antibiotic era. While treatment options dwindle, the transmission of many notable BSTIs, including Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Treponema pallidum, continues to increase. Bacteriophage therapy has been utilized in Poland, Russia and Georgia in the treatment of bacterial illnesses, but not in the treatment of bacterial sexually transmitted infections. With the ever-increasing likelihood of antibiotic resistance prevailing and the continuous transmission of BSTIs, alternative treatments must be explored. This paper discusses the potentiality and practicality of phage therapy to treat BSTIs, including Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Treponema pallidum, Streptococcus agalactiae, Haemophilus ducreyi, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei. The challenges associated with the potential for phage in treatments vary for each bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Phage availability, bacterial structure and bacterial growth may impact the potential success of future phage treatments. Additional research is needed before BSTIs can be successfully clinically treated with phage therapy or phage-derived enzymes.
A Review on the Obtaining of Functional Beers by Addition of Non-Cereal Adjuncts Rich in Antioxidant Compounds
Authors: Paiva Rodrigo A. M. , Mutz Yhan S. , Conte-Junior Carlos A.
Published: August 2021

Beer is one of the oldest and most consumed beverages worldwide, and recent trends point to increased consumption of functional beers. However, there is a lack in the scientific literature on the effects of adding functional adjuncts in distinct steps of the manufacturing process and its implications on the final physicochemical and sensorial profile. Therefore, the present review analyzes the ingredients used and their insertion stage to achieve a functional beer with bioactive compounds, higher antioxidant activity, and improved sensory characteristics. The addition of fruits, herbal extracts, plants, and mushrooms in beers was documented. Furthermore, adjuncts were successfully added in wort boiling, fermentation, maturation, and packaging. The wort boiling step stands out among these four due to the superior extraction of phenolic compounds from the added adjuncts. On the other hand, adjunct addition in the maturation step induced low increases in antioxidant and phenolic content of the respective enriched beers. Fruits represented the majority of adopted adjuncts among the studies evaluated. Furthermore, the addition of fruits represented a positive increment in the beer’s volatile profile and an increase in sensory acceptability. A gap in the literature was found regarding the analysis of phenolic compounds with appropriate techniques such as HPLC-MS. Furthermore, there is a need to study the bioavailability of the incorporated bioactive compounds to prove the health claims inferred about these beers. In conclusion, functional beers are a little-explored relevant field, with potential for new studies.
A Review of the Current Knowledge of Thermal Stability of Anthocyanins and Approaches to Their Stabilization to Heat
Authors: Oancea Simona
Published: August 2021

Anthocyanins are colored valuable biocompounds, of which extraction increases globally, although functional applications are restrained by their limited environmental stability. Temperature is a critical parameter of food industrial processing that impacts on the food matrix, particularly affecting heat-sensitive compounds such as anthocyanins. Due to the notable scientific progress in the field of thermal stability of anthocyanins, an analytical and synthetic integration of published data is required. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms and the kinetic parameters of anthocyanin degradation during heating, both in extracts and real food matrices. Several kinetic models (Arrhenius, Eyring, Ball) of anthocyanin degradation were studied. Crude extracts deliver more thermally stable anthocyanins than purified ones. A different anthocyanin behavior pattern within real food products subjected to thermal processing has been observed due to interactions with some nutrients (proteins, polysaccharides). The most recent studies on the stabilization of anthocyanins by linkages to other molecules using classical and innovative methods are summarized. Ensuring appropriate thermal conditions for processing anthocyanin-rich food will allow a rational design for the future development of stable functional products, which retain these bioactive molecules and their functionalities to a great extent.
Chitosan/Graphene Oxide Composite Films and Their Biomedical and Drug Delivery Applications: A Review
Authors: Moradi Sara , Hamedi Hamid , Tonelli Alan E. , King Martin W.
Published: August 2021

The healing of wounds is still a challenging clinical problem for which an efficient and fast treatment is needed. Therefore, recent studies have created a new generation of wound dressings that can accelerate the wound healing process with minimal side effects. Chitosan, a natural biopolymer, is an attractive candidate for preparing biocompatible dressings. The biodegradability, non-toxicity, and antibacterial activities of chitosan have made it a promising biopolymer for treating wounds. Graphene oxide has also been considered by researchers as a non-toxic, inexpensive, and biocompatible material for wound healing applications. This review paper discusses the potential use of chitosan/graphene oxide composite films and their application in wound dressing and drug delivery systems.
Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw—A Continuing Issue
Authors: Wróbel Krzysztof , Sikora Maciej , Chęciński Maciej , Jas Maria , Chlubek Dariusz
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a condition that is becoming more common in the everyday practice of both dental and maxillofacial surgeons. Materials and methods: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and easy to read by clinicians presentation of comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date data on MRONJ. The individual chapters focus on the etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and recurrence of MRONJ. Results and discussion: It has been observed over the years that among drugs that increase the risk of the disease, apart from bisphosphonates, angiogenesis inhibitors and anti-RANKL monoclonal antibodies should also be included. A thorough physical and subjective examination, periodic correction of dental prostheses, and an adequate preparation for even the simplest of procedures in the oral cavity area can prevent or minimize the risk of MRONJ. Conclusions: It is extremely difficult to treat once it occurs and oftentimes is a recurring problem that leads to a multitude of symptoms that gradually decrease the quality of a patient’s life.
Solution to Solid Wood Board Cutting Stock Problem
Authors: Tang Min , Liu Ying , Ding Fenglong , Wang Zhengguang
Published: August 2021

In the production process for wooden furniture, the raw material costs account for more than 50% of furniture costs, and the utilization rate of raw materials depends mainly on the layout scheme. Therefore, a reasonable layout is an important measure to reduce furniture costs. This paper investigates the solid wood board cutting stock problem (CSP) and establishes an optimization model, with the goal of the highest possible utilization rate for original boards. An ant colony-immune genetic algorithm (AC-IGA) is designed to solve this model. The solutions of the ant colony algorithm are used as the initial population of the immune genetic algorithm, and the optimal solution is obtained using the immune genetic algorithm after multiple iterations are transformed into the accumulation of global pheromones, which improves the search ability and ensures the solution quality. The layout process of the solid wood board is abstracted into the construction process of the solution. At the same time, in order to prevent premature convergence, several improved methods, such as a global pheromone hybrid update and adaptive crossover probability, are proposed. Comparative experiments are designed to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the AC-IGA, and the experimental results show that the AC-IGA has better solution precision and global search ability compared with the ant colony algorithm (ACA), genetic algorithm (GA), grey wolf optimizer (GWO), and polar bear optimization (PBO). The utilization rate increased by more than 2.308%, which provides effective theoretical and methodological support for furniture enterprises to improve economic benefits.
On the Sequence of Unmasked Reflections in Shoebox Concert Halls
Authors: Gómez Juan Óscar García , Wright Oliver , van den Braak Elisabeth , Sanz Javier , Kemp Liam , Hulland Thomas
Published: August 2021

Highly appreciated concert halls have their own acoustic signature. These signatures may not often be consciously appraised by general audiences, but they have a significant impact on the appreciation of the hall. Previous research indicates that two of the most important defining elements of a hall’s acoustic signature are (i) the reflection sequence and relative reflection levels at the listener position and (ii) the perceptibility of the reflections based on perception thresholds. Early research from Sir Harold Marshall identified the importance of unmasked early reflections to enhance a concert hall’s acoustic signature. The authors see an opportunity to extend the existing research by further examining the sequence of unmasked reflections. By analysing the cross-sections of three concert halls, this manuscript quantifies potential links between a hall’s architectural form, the resultant skeletal reflections, and the properties of its acoustic signature. While doing so, the manuscript identifies potential masking reflections through visual and analytical assessment of a hall’s skeletal reflections. It is hypothesized that the “rhythm” of the reflection sequence could hold key insights into the hall’s “personality” and acoustic signature. If so, this could present new design tools and considerations for new concert halls and the diagnosis of underperformance in existing halls.
Application of a Novel Attachable Magnetic Nerve Stimulating Probe in Intraoperative Lumbar Pedicle Screw Placement: A Porcine Model Study
Authors: Goh Tae Sik , Shin Sung-Chan , Kwon Hyun-Keun , Sung Eui-Suk , Jun Se Bin , Lee Byung-Joo , Lee Jung Sub
Published: August 2021

Pedicle screw instrumentation is a fundamental technique in lumbar spine surgery. However, several complications could occur when placing a pedicle screw, the most serious being damage to the neural structures. We developed an attachable magnetic nerve stimulating probe used for triggered electromyography (t-EMG) to avoid these. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of this probe for intraoperative neuromonitoring (ION) during lumbar pedicle screw placement in a porcine model. Forty pedicle screws were inserted bilaterally into the pedicles of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae of five pigs; 20 were inserted typically into the pedicle without nerve damage (Group A), and the other 20 were inserted through the broken medial wall of the pedicle to permit contact with the neural structures (Group B). We measured the triggered threshold for pedicle screw placement through the conventional nerve probe and our newly developed magnetic probe. There was no significant difference in the triggered threshold between the two instruments (p = 0.828). Our newly developed magnetic stimulating probe can be attached to a screwdriver, thus preventing real-time screw malpositioning and making it practical and equally safe. This probe could become indispensable in revision spine surgeries with severe adhesions or endoscopic spine surgeries.
Decreased Cerebrospinal Fluid Antioxidative Capacity Is Related to Disease Severity and Progression in Early Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Voortman Margarete M. , Damulina Anna , Pirpamer Lukas , Pinter Daniela , Pichler Alexander , Enzinger Christian , Ropele Stefan , Bachmaier Gerhard , Archelos Juan-Jose , Marsche Gunther , Khalil Michael
Published: August 2021

Background: Oxidative stress-induced neuronal damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) results from an imbalance between toxic free radicals and counteracting antioxidants, i.e., antioxidative capacity (AOC). The relation of AOC to outcome measures in MS still remains inconclusive. We aimed to compare AOC in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum between early MS and controls and assess its correlation with clinical/radiological measures. Methods: We determined AOC (ability of CSF and serum of patients to inhibit 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride-induced oxidation of dihydrorhodamine) in clinically isolated syndrome (CIS)/early relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) (n = 55/11) and non-inflammatory neurological controls (n = 67). MS patients underwent clinical follow-up (median, 4.5; IQR, 5.2 years) and brain MRI at 3 T (baseline/follow-up n = 47/34; median time interval, 3.5; IQR, 2.1 years) to determine subclinical disease activity. Results: CSF AOC was differently regulated among CIS, RRMS and controls (p = 0.031) and lower in RRMS vs. CIS (p = 0.020). Lower CSF AOC correlated with physical disability (r = −0.365, p = 0.004) and risk for future relapses (exp(β) = 0.929, p = 0.033). No correlations with MRI metrics were found. Conclusion: Decreased CSF AOC was associated with increased disability and clinical disease activity in MS. While our finding cannot prove causation, they should prompt further investigations into the role of AOC in the evolution of MS.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Colorectal Cancer: Challenges and Future Prospects
Authors: Makaremi Shima , Asadzadeh Zahra , Hemmat Nima , Baghbanzadeh Amir , Sgambato Alessandro , Ghorbaninezhad Farid , Safarpour Hossein , Argentiero Antonella , Brunetti Oronzo , Bernardini Renato , Silvestris Nicola , Baradaran Behzad
Published: August 2021

Immunotherapy is a new pillar of cancer therapy that provides novel opportunities to treat solid tumors. In this context, the development of new drugs targeting immune checkpoints is considered a promising approach in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment because it can be induce specific and durable anti-cancer effects. Despite many advances in the immunotherapy of CRC, there are still limitations and obstacles to successful treatment. The immunosuppressive function of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is one of the causes of poor response to treatment in CRC patients. For this reason, checkpoint-blocking antibodies have shown promising outcomes in CRC patients by blocking inhibitory immune checkpoints and enhancing immune responses against tumors. This review summarizes recent advances in immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as CTLA-4, PD-1, PD-L1, LAG-3, and TIM-3 in CRC, and it discusses various therapeutic strategies with ICIs, including the double blockade of ICIs, combination therapy of ICIs with other immunotherapies, and conventional treatments. This review also delineates a new hopeful path in the combination of anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 with other ICIs such as anti-CTLA-4, anti-LAG-3, and anti-TIM-3 for CRC treatment.
Salivary miR-30c-5p as Potential Biomarker for Detection of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Mehterov Nikolay , Vladimirov Boyan , Sacconi Andrea , Pulito Claudio , Rucinski Marcin , Blandino Giovanni , Sarafian Victoria
Published: August 2021

The levels of different classes of extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) remain stable in bodily fluids. The detection of either enriched or depleted specific subsets of salivary microRNAs (miRNAs) has the potential to serve as a non-invasive approach for biomarker development. Thus, salivary miRNAs have emerged as a promising molecular tool for early diagnosis and screening of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Total RNA was extracted from saliva supernatant of 33 OSCC patients and 12 controls (discovery set), and the differential expression of 8 cancer-related miRNAs was detected by TaqMan assay. Among the screened miRNAs, miR-30c-5p (p < 0.04) was significantly decreased in OSCC saliva. The same transcriptional behavior of miR30c-5p was observed in an additional validation set. miR-30c-5p showed a significant statistical difference between cases and controls with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.71–0.89). The sensitivity and the specificity of miR-30c-5p were 86% and 74%, respectively. The target identification analysis revealed enrichment of miR-30c-5p targets in p53 and Wnt signaling pathways in OSCC. Additionally, the miR-30c-5p targets had clinical significance related to overall survival. In conclusion, these findings show that downregulated miR-30c-5p has the potential to serve as a novel, non-invasive biomarker for early OSCC detection.
Advances in Gene Delivery Methods to Label and Modulate Activity of Upper Motor Neurons: Implications for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Haidar Mouna , Viden Aida , Turner Bradley J.
Published: August 2021

The selective degeneration of both upper motor neurons (UMNs) and lower motor neurons (LMNs) is the pathological hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Unlike the simple organisation of LMNs in the brainstem and spinal cord, UMNs are embedded in the complex cytoarchitecture of the primary motor cortex, which complicates their identification. UMNs therefore remain a challenging neuronal population to study in ALS research, particularly in the early pre-symptomatic stages of animal models. A better understanding of the mechanisms that lead to selective UMN degeneration requires unequivocal visualization and cellular identification of vulnerable UMNs within the heterogeneous cortical neuronal population and circuitry. Here, we review recent novel gene delivery methods developed to cellularly identify vulnerable UMNs and modulate their activity in various mouse models. A critical overview of retrograde tracers, viral vectors encoding reporter genes and transgenic reporter mice used to visualize UMNs in mouse models of ALS is provided. Functional targeting of UMNs in vivo with the advent of optogenetic and chemogenetic technology is also discussed. These exciting gene delivery techniques will facilitate improved anatomical mapping, cell-specific gene expression profiling and targeted manipulation of UMN activity in mice. These advancements in the field pave the way for future work to uncover the precise role of UMNs in ALS and improve future therapeutic targeting of UMNs.
Comparing Different Filter-Parameter for Pre-Processing of Brain-Stimulation Evoked Motor Potentials
Authors: Zschorlich Volker R. , Qi Fengxue , Wolff Norbert
Published: August 2021

Background: Brain stimulation motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) are transient signals and not periodic signals, and thus, they differ significantly in their properties from classical surface electromyograms. Unsuitable pre-processing of MEPs due to inappropriate filter settings leads to distortions. Filtering of extensor carpi radialis MEPs with transient signal characteristics of 20 subjects was examined. The effects of a 1st-order Butterworth high-pass filter (HPF) with different cut-off frequencies 1 Hz, 20 Hz, 40 Hz, and 80 Hz and a 5 Hz Butterworth high-pass filter with degrees 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th-order are investigated for the filter output. Results: The filtering of the MEPs with an inappropriate filter setting led to distortions on the parameters peak-to-peak amplitudes of the MEP (MEPpp) and the absolute integral of the MEP (MEParea). The lowest distortions of all of the examined filter parameters were revealed after filtering with the lowest filter order and the lowest cut-off frequency. The 1st-order 1 Hz HPF calculation results in a difference of −0.53% (p < 0.001) for the MEPpp and −1.94% (p < 0.001) for the MEParea. Significance: Reproducibility is a major concern in science, including brain stimulation research. Only the filtering of the MEPs with appropriate filter settings led to mostly undistorted MEPs.
COVID-19 Pandemic: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Levels Highest amongst Indigenous Peoples in Alberta
Authors: Lawal Mobolaji A. , Shalaby Reham , Chima Chidi , Vuong Wesley , Hrabok Marianne , Gusnowski April , Surood Shireen , Greenshaw Andrew J. , Agyapong Vincent I. O.
Published: August 2021

This study explores differences in stress, anxiety, and depression experienced by different ethnic groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional online survey of subscribers of the COVID-19 Text4Hope text messaging program in Alberta. Stress, anxiety, and depression were measured among Caucasian, Indigenous, Asian, and other ethnic groups using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)-10, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 scales, respectively. The burden of depression and stress were significantly higher in Indigenous populations than in both Caucasian and Asian ethnic groups. The mean difference between Indigenous and Caucasian for PHQ-9 scores was 1.79, 95% CI of 0.74 to 2.84, p < 0.01 and for PSS-10 it was 1.92, 95% CI of 0.86 to 2.98, p < 0.01). The mean difference between Indigenous and Asian for PHQ-9 scores was 1.76, 95% CI of 0.34 to 3.19, p = 0.01 and for PSS-10 it was 2.02, 95% CI of 0.63 to 3.41, p < 0.01. However, Indigenous participant burden of anxiety was only significantly higher than Asian participants’ (mean difference for GAD-7 was 1.91, 95% CI of 0.65 to 3.18, p < 0.01). Indigenous people in Alberta have higher burden of mental illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings are helpful for service planning and delivery.