bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between indigenous status and Body Mass Index (BMI) in Australian adults: Does sleep duration affect the relationship?
Authors: Deacon-Crouch Melissa , Skinner Isabelle , Tucci Joseph , Begg Steve , Wallace Ruth , Skinner Timothy
Published: February 2022

Background

Overweight/obesity is a well-defined risk factor for a variety of chronic cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Sleep duration has been associated with overweight/obesity and other cardio metabolic and neurocognitive problems. Notably, overweight/obesity and many of the associated comorbidities are prevalent in Indigenous Australians. Generally, sleep duration has been associated with BMI for Australian adults but information about Australian Indigenous adults’ sleep is scant. A recent report established that sleep is a weak predictor of obesity for Indigenous Australian adults.

Aim

To determine whether sleep remains a predictor of obesity when physical activity, diet and smoking status are accounted for; and to determine whether sleep duration plays a mediating role in the relationship between Indigenous status and BMI.

Methods

Statistical analyses of 5,886 Australian adults: 5236 non-Indigenous and 650 Indigenous people aged over 18 years who participated in the Australian Health Survey 2011–2013. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics were described by χ2 and t-tests. ANOVA was used to determine the variables that significantly predicted BMI and sleep duration. Stepwise regression analyses were performed to determine the strongest significant predictors of BMI. Sleep duration was self-reported; BMI was calculated from measurement.

Results

The study revealed two main findings: (i) short sleep duration was an independent predictor of obesity (adjusted-R2 = 0.056, p <0.0001); and (ii) controlling for sleep duration and other possible confounders, Indigenous status was a significant predictor of BMI overweight/obesity. Sleep duration played a weak, partial mediator role in this relationship. Increased BMI was associated with lower socioeconomic status and level of disadvantage of household locality for non-remote Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Conclusion

Indigenous status strongly predicted increased BMI. The effect was not mediated by the socioeconomic indicators but was partially mediated by sleep duration.
Prognostic and immune-related value of STK17B in skin cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Shi Xueying , Zhou Qi , Huang Bingqian , Xia Shilin , Jiang Yuankuan , Fang Shifeng , Lin Jingrong
Published: February 2022

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a common cancer of which mortality is increasing continuously. Our study conducted a series of analyses on the clinical significance of Serine/threonine kinase 17B (STK17B) in SKCM to provide a new biomarker for diagnosis and treatment. The RNA-sequence data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression databases. The data of 468 SKCM patients were divided into STK17B high- and low-expression groups and analyzed by Bioconductor package to identify the differential expressed genes. The R package of “clusterProfiler” was used for Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and Gene-Set Enrichment Analysis analyses. A protein-protein interaction network and immune infiltration landscape were respectively constructed via STRING database and ssGSEA. STK17B had lower expression in SKCM than normal tissues. Besides, STK17B expression was significantly related to some clinicopathological characteristics in SKCM patients including T stage, Breslow depth, radiation therapy, melanoma Clark level, and pathologic stage. The Kaplan-Meier curve analyses revealed that the low expression of STK17B was correlated with poor overall survival and disease-specific survival. We constructed nomograms to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival of SKCM patients. The function enrichment analyses showed STK17B-related differential expressed genes were enriched in cellular differentiation and immune-related progress. STK17B expression level were positively correlated with infiltrating level of immune cells. In this study, we found that STK17B, which played an important role in immune infiltration, could be a new biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in SKCM patients.
Ethics in healthcare: Knowledge, attitude and practices of nurses in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana
Authors: Asare Patience , Ansah Edward W. , Sambah Francis
Published: February 2022

Background

Nursing is a profession that care for personal and private aspects of people’s lives. Therefore, nurses need to know the basic ethical aspects of nursing which is integral in nursing practices. The purpose of the study was to describe the ethical knowledge, attitude and practice of nurses in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana.

Method

A cross-section design was used to collect data from 264 nurses in three selected healthcare facilities in the Metropolis. A structured questionnaire was administered to all the categories of these nurses in the selected facilities. Frequency counts and multiple regression statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results

The results show 78% of nurses possess good ethical knowledge, 84% had a positive attitude, while 98% had good ethical practices. The results further show that nurses’ professional rank [F (1, 259), 2.35, p = .02] and academic qualification [F (1, 259), 2.67, p = .008] were significant predictors of their ethical knowledge and attitude, respectively.

Conclusion

Inadequate resources, poor set up of working areas and understaffing are the major barriers limiting the practice of good ethical standards among the nurses. The Regional Health Directorate, the Ministry of Health and the Managers in charge of the health facilities need to work together to eliminate these barriers as they have the potential to negatively impact quality healthcare delivery in the Metropolis.
Subjective well-being during the 2020–21 global coronavirus pandemic: Evidence from high frequency time series data
Authors: Foa Roberto Stefan , Fabian Mark , Gilbert Sam
Published: February 2022

We investigate how subjective well-being varied over the course of the global COVID-19 pandemic, with a special attention to periods of lockdown. We use weekly data from YouGov’s Great Britain Mood Tracker Poll, and daily reports from Google Trends, that cover the entire period from six months before until eighteen months after the global spread of COVID-19. Descriptive trends and time-series models suggest that negative mood associated with the imposition of lockdowns returned to baseline within 1–3 weeks of lockdown implementation, whereas pandemic intensity, measured by the rate of fatalities from COVID-19 infection, was persistently associated with depressed affect. The results support the hypothesis that country-specific pandemic severity was the major contributor to increases in negative affect observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that lockdowns likely ameliorated rather than exacerbated this effect.
Direct-from-specimen microbial growth inhibition spectrums under antibiotic exposure and comparison to conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing
Authors: Chen Jade , San Su Su Soe , Kung Amelia , Tomasek Michael , Liu Dakai , Rodgers William , Gau Vincent
Published: February 2022

Increasing global travel and changes in the environment may escalate the frequency of contact with a natural host carrying an infection and, therefore, increase our chances of encountering microorganisms previously unknown to humans. During an emergency, the etiology of infection may be unknown at the time of patient treatment. The existing local or global Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs may not be fully prepared for emerging/re-emerging infectious disease outbreaks, especially if they are caused by an unknown organism, engineered bioterrorist attack, or rapidly evolving superbug. We demonstrate an antimicrobial efficacy profiling method that can be performed in hours directly from clinical urine specimens. The antimicrobial potency was determined by the level of microbial growth inhibition and compared to conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing results. The oligonucleotide probe pairs on the sensors were designed to target Gram-negative bacteria, specifically Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A pilot study of 10 remnant clinical specimens from the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified labs of New York-Presbyterian Queens was conducted, and only one sample was not detected by the probes. The remaining nine samples agreed with reference AST methods (Vitek and broth microdilution), resulting in 100% categorical agreement. In a separate feasibility study, we evaluated a dual-kinetic response approach, in which we inoculated two antibiotic stripwells containing the same antimicrobial concentrations with clinical specimens at the original concentration (1x) and at a 10-fold dilution (0.1x) to cover a broader range of microbiological responses. The combined categorical susceptibility reporting of 12 contrived urine specimens was 100% for ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and meropenem over a range of microbial loads from 105 to 108 CFU/mL.
Cervical cancer screening and treatment, HIV infection, and age: Program implementation in seven regions of Namibia
Authors: Korn Abigail K. , Muzingwani Laura , O’Bryan Gillian , Ensminger Alison , Boylan Ashley D. , Kafidi Eva-Liisa , Kashali Matheus , Ashipala Laimi , Nitschke Anne-Marie , Dziuban Eric J. , Forster Norbert , Eckert Linda O. , O’Malley Gabrielle
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study was to assess differences in cervical cancer screening and treatment outcomes by HIV status in a routine programmatic setting with a high generalized HIV prevalence. Women living with HIV (WLHIV) are at heightened risk of developing cervical cancer and the World Health Organization recommends all WLHIV who are sexually active be screened, regardless of age. In 2018, Namibia’s Ministry of Health and Social Services introduced a screen-and-treat approach using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and ablative treatment with cryotherapy or thermocoagulation with a focus on screening HIV-positive women due to Namibia’s 11.5% prevalence of HIV in women aged 15–49. Using program data from October 2018 to March 2020 from seven of the country’s 14 regions, we calculated descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to test the statistical significance of differences in VIA-positivity, ineligibility for ablative treatment, treatment completion, and same day treatment completion by HIV status. Between October 2018 and March 2020, the program conducted 14,786 cervical cancer screenings. Among 8,150 women who received their first VIA screening, more WLHIV screened VIA-positive (17%) than HIV-negative women (15%). This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.02). Among 2,272 women who screened VIA-positive at any screening, 1,159 (82%) completed ablative treatment. This suggests ablative treatment is feasible and acceptable in resource-limited settings. WLHIV were also more likely to complete treatment than HIV-negative women (p<0.01). Differences in health seeking behavior of sub-populations as well as resource availability between service delivery points should be considered for further investigation. Going forward in order to strengthen program implementation and expand screening access and uptake further investigation is needed to determine cancer incidence by HIV status, age, and time since last screening to assess cases that are averted as well as potential rates of overtreatment.
Quality of life of COVID 19 patients after discharge: Systematic review
Authors: Nandasena H. M. R. K. G. , Pathirathna M. L. , Atapattu A. M. M. P. , Prasanga P. T. S.
Published: February 2022

Background

Understanding the impact of COVID 19 on patients’ quality of life (QOL) following discharge or recovery is essential for planning necessary interventions in advance. As such, this systematic review aimed to provide an overview of the QOL, and the factors associated with it in COVID-19 patients following discharge or recovery.

Methods

The Databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct were searched. The review included studies that (1) assessed the QOL of COVID 19 patients following discharge or recovery, (2) were written in English, (3) used a validated instrument to assess the quality of life and (4) used an observational or cohort study design. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. Following the initial search, 2866 articles were identified as being related. A total of 1089 articles were identified as duplicates. 1694 studies were excluded during the title and abstract screening stage, and 83 studies were screened at the full-text screening stage. Finally, 21 studies were included in this systematic review.

Results

This systematic review included 4408 patients who tested positive for COVID 19. Of them 50.2% (n = 2212) were males. Regardless of the time since discharge or recovery, COVID 19 patients’ QOL has been significantly impacted. Female sex, older age, co-morbidities, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, prolonged ICU stay, and being mechanically ventilated were the most frequently reported factors associated with the low level of QOL.

Conclusion

The QOL of the post COVID19 patients was significantly impacted, regardless of the time elapses since discharge or recovery. Thus, when implementing programs to improve the QOL of post COVID19 patients, the most affected domains of QOL and associated factors should be considered.
From work stress to disease: A computational model
Authors: Benthem de Grave Remco , Hasselman Fred , Bijleveld Erik
Published: February 2022

In modern society, work stress is highly prevalent. Problematically, work stress can cause disease. To help understand the causal relationship between work stress and disease, we present a computational model of this relationship. That is, drawing from allostatic load theory, we captured the link between work stress and disease in a set of mathematical formulas. With simulation studies, we then examined our model’s ability to reproduce key findings from previous empirical research. Specifically, results from Study 1 suggested that our model could accurately reproduce established findings on daily fluctuations in cortisol levels (both on the group level and the individual level). Results from Study 2 suggested that our model could accurately reproduce established findings on the relationship between work stress and cardiovascular disease. Finally, results from Study 3 yielded new predictions about the relationship between workweek configurations (i.e., how working hours are distributed over days) and the subsequent development of disease. Together, our studies suggest a new, computational approach to studying the causal link between work stress and disease. We suggest that this approach is fruitful, as it aids the development of falsifiable theory, and as it opens up new ways of generating predictions about why and when work stress is (un)healthy.
Outcomes of amoebic, fungal, and bacterial keratitis: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Moe Caitlin A. , Lalitha Prajna , Prajna N. Venkatesh , Mascarenhas Jeena , Srinivasan Muthiah , Das Manoranhan , Panigrahi Arun , Rajaraman Revathi , Seitzman Gerami D. , Oldenburg Catherine E. , Lietman Thomas M. , Keenan Jeremy D.
Published: February 2022

Background

Acanthamoeba keratitis is challenging to treat and thought to result in poor outcomes, but very few comparative studies exist to assess whether ulcers caused by Acanthamoeba are worse than those caused by bacteria or fungus.

Methods

In a retrospective cohort study, all cases of smear- or culture-proven Acanthamoeba keratitis diagnosed from January 2006 to June 2011 at an eye hospital in South India were identified from the microbiology database. Random samples of the same number of cases of bacterial and fungal keratitis, matched by year, were identified from the same database in order to compare outcomes between the three types of organism. The main outcomes were the time until the following events: re-epithelialization, discontinuation of antimicrobials, perforation/keratoplasty, elevated intraocular pressure, and new cataract.

Results

The median time until re-epithelialization was 113 days for Acanthamoeba keratitis, 30 days for fungal keratitis, and 25 days for bacterial keratitis, and the median time until discontinuation of antimicrobial therapy was 100 days for Acanthamoeba keratitis, 49 days for fungal keratitis, and 40 days for bacterial keratitis. Compared to the other two organisms, Acanthamoeba ulcers took significantly longer to re-epithelialize (adjusted HR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.6 relative to bacterial ulcers and HR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.5 relative to fungal ulcers; overall p<0.001) and had significantly longer courses of antimicrobials (adjusted HR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.6 relative to bacterial ulcers and HR 0.5, 95%CI 0.3 to 0.8 relative to fungal ulcers; overall p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was observed between the three organisms for the other time-to-event outcomes.

Conclusions

Acanthamoeba keratitis was more difficult to treat and had worse clinical outcomes than bacterial or fungal ulcers, highlighting the lack of adequate treatment regimens for this infection.
MicroRNA-200c-targeted contactin 1 facilitates the replication of influenza A virus by accelerating the degradation of MAVS
Authors: Xu Shuai , Han Lu , Wei Yanli , Zhang Bo , Wang Qian , Liu Junwen , Liu Minxuan , Chen Zhaoshan , Wang Zhengxiang , Chen Hualan , Zhu Qiyun
Published: February 2022

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) continuously challenge the poultry industry and human health. Elucidation of the host factors that modulate the IAV lifecycle is vital for developing antiviral drugs and vaccines. In this study, we infected A549 cells with IAVs and found that host protein contactin-1 (CNTN1), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, enhanced viral replication. Bioinformatic prediction and experimental validation indicated that the expression of CNTN1 was reduced by microRNA-200c (miR-200c) through directly targeting. We further showed that CNTN1-modulated viral replication in A549 cells is dependent on type I interferon signaling. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that CNTN1 specifically interacts with MAVS and promotes its proteasomal degradation by removing its K63-linked ubiquitination. Moreover, we discovered that the deubiquitinase USP25 is recruited by CNTN1 to catalyze the deubiquitination of K63-linked MAVS. Consequently, the CNTN1-induced degradation cascade of MAVS blocked RIG-I-MAVS-mediated interferon signaling, leading to enhanced viral replication. Taken together, our data reveal novel roles of CNTN1 in the type I interferon pathway and regulatory mechanism of IAV replication.
Részvétel a metamorfózisban – Avagy miért lóg egy Escher-kép a falamon?
Authors: Gosztonyi Márton
Published: February 2022

A cikkben Málovics György, Méreiné Berki Boglárka és Mihály Melinda „Rendszerszintű átalakulás helyett szakpolitikai reform?” című írása alapján teszek kísérletet arra, hogy megértsem miért függesztettem ki egy M.C. Escher képet a falamra, valamint mit is jelent a transzformáció a részvételi akciókutatásban. Málovics és mtsi. három fogalmon (autonómia, képessé tevés, szolidaritás) alapuló elemzését, a cikkben kiegészítem az átalakulás folyamatában résztvevők beemelésével, valamint a teljes folyamat rendszerszintű, nem-lineáris és így végpont nélküli értelmezésével.
Film Review - Anton (2019)
Authors: Kotichenko Anna
Published: February 2022

Historical drama “Anton” describes the events in southern Ukraine in the 1920s, when the Bolsheviks began their terror in Ukraine. The film is the latest work by Georgian director Zaza Urushadze and is based on real events, which were described in the book “Anton, a young boy, his friend and the Russian revolution”. The film “Anton” depicts the friendship of two boys who live in a carefree world of children's adventures, until their families face the cruelty of the Red Army.
Etika Utilitarianisme dalam Pluralisme Husein Muhammad
Authors: Isfaroh Isfaroh
Published: February 2022

This study discuses pluralism from the perspective of ethics. Pluralism is not only a matter of attitude or behavior with respect to interactions between groups and religions, but also covers the problems of the rules, boundaries, values, and norms that held where the attitude of pluralism goes on. Husein Muhammad is a Muslim thinker who pays attention to the ethical and practical aspects of pluralism. This research is a descriptive-analytic library research using interpretation method. The data was collected from two sources, namely the primary one which came from Husein Muhammad's works, and the secondary one which came from supporting works on pluralism and utilitarian ethics. The approach this study conduct is ethics of utilitarianism. This article discovers two dimensions of pluralism based on perspective of utilitarianism ethics, namely, action pluralism and regulatory pluralism. According to Husein Muhammad, action pluralism designates to the advantage that society will acquire from pluralism, while regulatory pluralism designates to the acceptability and restrictions of attitudes and behavior where pluralism goes on.
[Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat pluralisme dari sudut pandang etika. Pluralisme tidak hanya persoalan sikap atau perilaku dalam interaksi antar golongan maupun agama, melainkan juga menyangkut masalah peraturan-peraturan, batasan, nilai, dan norma yang berlaku dimana sikap pluralisme itu berlangsung. Husein Muhammad merupakan salah satu tokoh muslim yang memperhatikan aspek etis dan praktis dari pluralisme. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian pustaka (library research) yang bersifat deskriptif-analitik. Analisis data menggunakan metode interpretasi. Pengumpulan datanya dari dua sumber, yaitu sumber primer berupa karya-karya Husein Muhammad, dan sumber skunder berupa karya-karya pendukung seputar pluralisme dan etika utilitarianisme. Adapun pendekatan dalam penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan etika ulitarianisme. Artikel ini mengungkapkan dua dimensi pluralisme dalam tinjauan etika utilitarianisme, antara lain, pluralisme tindakan dan pluralisme peraturan. Menurut Husein Muhammad, pluralisme tindakan berimplikasi pada manfaat yang akan didapatkkan masyarakat dari sikap pluralisme, sedangkan pluralisme peraturan berimplikasi pada pembatasan-pembatasan sikap maupun perilaku dimana pluralisme masih dapat diterima.]
Adulto mayor: envejecimiento, discapacidad, cuidado y centros día. Revisión de tema.
Authors: Pinilla Cárdenas María Alejandra , Ortiz Álvarez María Alejandra , Suárez-Escudero Juan Camilo
Published: February 2022

Objetivo: Describir el proceso y modelos de envejecimiento, discapacidad, cuidado y centros día para atención de población adulta mayor. Metodología: Revisión narrativa de tema utilizando bases de datos como PubMed, información de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, guías de geriatría, revistas, artículos científicos y trabajos de grado acerca de los temas de vejez, aumento de la población y centros día. Resultados: El envejecimiento como proceso natural hace parte del ciclo de vida y comprende un amplio conjunto de procesos biológicos, psicológicos y sociales. Los centros día son una opción para no institucionalizar al adulto mayor dependiente, y en el adulto mayor sano, una opción de actividad, recreación y dignificación. Además, tienen objetivos dirigidos al cuidador. Actualmente el envejecimiento poblacional es una realidad mundial en la que los centros día pueden ser parte de la respuesta a la hora de cubrir las necesidades de cuidado, dignificación e integración de la población adulta mayor. Conclusión: Una opción para brindar cuidado integral de los adultos mayores son los centros día, los cuales son una alternativa intermedia entre conservar su ambiente habitual/familiar y casos de institucionalización. El tema de los centros día para adultos mayores es un tópico que continúa en desarrollo, respecto a los cuales existen varias definiciones, formas de trabajo y procesos terapéuticos que se pueden llevar a cabo en estos. Es necesario conservar y fortalecer la salud y bienestar de los adultos mayores, y promover procesos de envejecimiento exitoso, saludable y/o activo.
Through the Looking Glass of Intimate Friendship and Common Enemies: Images of Sino–Soviet Relations in Chinese and Soviet Political Cartoons of the 1950s
Authors: Guleva Mariia
Published: February 2022

This article examines Sino–Soviet relations in the 1950s through the medium of political cartoons in Manhua and Krokodil, satire magazines published in the People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union. Images of friendship and enmity produced an intricate narrative about world affairs and the paths of socialism and capitalism. By comparing the stories and visual representations in Krokodil and Manhua, this study underscores the similarities and contradictions existing between the Soviet Union and China in the years before their split. This approach provides an example of two ideological machines working to reflect unexpected shifts in alliances while maintaining a claim on the teleological coherence of socialist development. It also exemplifies the mechanics of visual propaganda under the stress of contradictory policies and purposes.
A Topology of Hope: Utopia, Dystopia, and Heterotopia in Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction
Authors: Song Mingwei
Published: February 2022

This essay investigates how utopian thinking met with dystopian variations in contemporary Chinese science fiction. The dystopian gaze into the utopian dreams, the alternative histories contending with the utopian narratives, and the heterotopian experiments challenging ideological orthodoxy are the focus of my analysis. Reading the dystopian fiction by Chan Koonchung and science fiction stories and novels by Han Song, Bao Shu and Hao Jingfang etc., I do not intend to illustrate the utopian/ dystopian interventions in the political sense, but rather to explore the vigorous, multifaceted variations of utopia, dystopia, and heterotopia that these authors have created as discursive constructs to suggest alternatives to the utopia/dystopian dualism. Contemporary science fiction authors write back to the usual literary practice taking words as reflections of the world. To these writers, words are worlds.
Aggregate Costs of a Gender Gap in the Access to Business Resources
Authors: Gonzalez Javier , Parro Francisco
Published: February 2022

We quantify the aggregate costs of a discriminatory restriction against women in the access to business resources. To do so, we develop a general equilibrium model with an endogenous size distribution of production units, which are run by either female or male entrepreneurs. In this setting, we introduce a distortion that limits the amount of capital that women can use to run their businesses. We calibrate the model to match data from benchmark economies that exhibit relatively egalitarian labor market results between women and men, except in entrepreneurship. Our counterfactual analyses show that a gender-specific capital constraint causes an output loss between 14% and 28% and a fall in aggregate productivity between 12% and 20%. Furthermore, we show that most of the output loss is accounted for by a fall in total factor productivity. Lastly, we show that the aggregate cost of the distortion is mainly triggered by preventing the most skilled women from running bigger businesses, and not the exit of women from entrepreneurship.
LINC00665 regulates hepatocellular carcinoma by modulating mRNA via the m6A enzyme
Authors: Lei Ming , Du Xinghua , Li Xiaokai , Wang Fuke , Gu Ling , Guo Feng
Published: February 2022

This study aimed to reveal the mechanism by which long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) modulate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by regulating mRNA via the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) enzyme. The expression and clinical data of 365 HCC patients and 50 healthy control samples were downloaded from the the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) screened using limma packages from the R. m6A2Target database were used to predict the relationship between m6A enzyme-lncRNA and m6A enzyme-mRNA. The mRNAs in the lncRNA-m6A enzyme-mRNA network were subjected to enrichment analysis. Cox regression analysis was used to screen for RNAs significantly related to HCC prognosis. The expression of differentially expressed RNAs (DERs) was verified using the TCGA dataset and GSE55092. Eighty-five DElncRNAs and 747 DEmRNAs were identified. The mRNAs in the lncRNA-m6A enzyme-mRNA network were primarily involved in mitotic cell division, the p53 signaling pathway, and the cell cycle. Three lncRNAs and 14 mRNAs were significantly associated with HCC prognosis. Furthermore, the expression of 12 DERs differed significantly between patients in the early and advanced stages. LINC00665 was predicted to regulate 11 mRNAs by modulating IGF2BP1, IGF2BP2, and YTHDF1. Thus, this study provides new insights into the roles of lncRNA and m6A enzymes in HCC.
Monocyte distribution width (MDW) as a screening tool for early detecting sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Agnello Luisa , Vidali Matteo , Lo Sasso Bruna , Giglio Rosaria Vincenza , Gambino Caterina Maria , Scazzone Concetta , Ciaccio Anna Maria , Bivona Giulia , Ciaccio Marcello
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Monocyte distribution has recently emerged as a promising biomarker of sepsis, especially in acute setting, such as Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of monocyte distribution width (MDW) for early detecting patients with sepsis by performing a systemic review and meta-analysis of published studies.

Methods

Relevant publications were identified by a systematic literature search on PubMed and Google Scholar from inception to September 07, 2021. Studies were divided into two groups based on the sepsis criteria applied, namely sepsis-2 or sepsis-3.

Results

Ten studies including 9,475 individuals, of whom 1,370 with sepsis (742 according Sepsis-2 and 628 according to Sepsis-3), met the inclusion criteria for our meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.789 and 0.777 for Sepsis-2 criteria, 0.838 and 0.704 for Sepsis-3 criteria.

Conclusions

MDW represents a reliable biomarker for sepsis screening.
Isomorphisms among quantum Grothendieck rings and propagation of positivity
Authors: Fujita Ryo , Hernandez David , Oh Se-jin , Oya Hironori
Published: February 2022

Let (

𝔤
,
𝗀
)

{\mathfrak{g},\mathsf{g})}

be a pair of complex finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras whose
Dynkin diagrams are related by (un)folding, with

𝗀

{\mathsf{g}}

being of simply-laced type.
We construct a collection of ring isomorphisms
between the quantum Grothendieck rings
of monoidal categories

𝒞
𝔤

{\mathscr{C}_{\mathfrak{g}}}

and

𝒞
𝗀

{\mathscr{C}_{\mathsf{g}}}

of
finite-dimensional representations over the quantum loop algebras of

𝔤

{\mathfrak{g}}

and

𝗀

{\mathsf{g}}

, respectively.
As a consequence, we solve long-standing problems: the positivity of the analogs of Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomials
and the positivity of the structure constants of the quantum Grothendieck rings for any non-simply-laced

𝔤

{\mathfrak{g}}

. In addition, comparing our isomorphisms with the categorical relations
arising from the generalized quantum affine Schur–Weyl dualities, we prove the analog of Kazhdan–Lusztig conjecture
(formulated in [D. Hernandez, Algebraic approach to

q
,
t

q,t

-characters,
Adv. Math. 187 2004, 1, 1–52])
for simple modules in remarkable monoidal subcategories of

𝒞
𝔤

{\mathscr{C}_{\mathfrak{g}}}

for any non-simply-laced

𝔤

{\mathfrak{g}}

, and for
any simple finite-dimensional modules in

𝒞
𝔤

{\mathscr{C}_{\mathfrak{g}}}

for

𝔤

{\mathfrak{g}}

of type

B
n

{\mathrm{B}_{n}}

.
In the course of the proof we obtain and combine several new ingredients. In particular, we establish a quantum analog of T-systems,
and also we generalize the isomorphisms of [D. Hernandez and B. Leclerc,
Quantum Grothendieck rings and derived Hall algebras,
J. reine angew. Math. 701 2015, 77–126, D. Hernandez and H. Oya,
Quantum Grothendieck ring isomorphisms, cluster algebras and Kazhdan–Lusztig algorithm,
Adv. Math. 347 2019, 192–272] to all

𝔤

{\mathfrak{g}}

in a unified way, that is, isomorphisms between subalgebras of the quantum group of

𝗀

{\mathsf{g}}

and subalgebras of the quantum Grothendieck ring of

𝒞
𝔤

{\mathscr{C}_{\mathfrak{g}}}

.
Crossing in linguistic communication
Authors: Lu Deping
Published: February 2022

Although “crossing” as a new concept comes from Rampton’s seminal work, this article argues that crossing defines linguistic communication in a perspective of process, act, and especially change. As a controlling principle for linguistic communication, it might be in a different way complementary to Husserl’s shared sense, Habermas’s reaching understanding, and Searle’s shared intentionality. Crossing denotes changes in phase, sphere, and universe, characterizing the process of communication and having a meaningful value for continuing interpersonal relationship and reinforcing communicative competence. Crossing is also constitutive of communicative order both in monolingual contexts and in superdiversity multilingual settings. Against the backdrop of globalization, a new communicative order is being shaped in the reality of mobility and diversity. This new order of linguistic communication is characterized by dramatic code-switching, rhetorical mirror effect, and focus on linguistic medium. The mobility of human resources requires crossing to take creative strategies to achieve what monolingual crossing could not.
Rapeseed oil gallate-amide-urethane coating material: Synthesis and evaluation of coating properties
Authors: Alam Manawwer , Altaf Mohammad , Ahmad Naushad
Published: February 2022

The present manuscript describes the synthesis of urethane (ROGAU) coating material from Rapeseed oil (RO), Gallic acid (GA) and Toluylene-2,4-diisocyanate [TDI], for the first time. The reaction was accomplished in the following steps: (i) amidation of RO, producing diol fatty amide, HERA, followed by (ii) gallation reaction of HERA with GA, resulting in RO-based gallate amide (ROGA). The structural elucidation by FTIR and NMR confirmed the insertion of amide and ester moieties in the ROGA backbone. To add applicational value to ROGA, it was then derivatized by urethanation reaction with TDI to develop ambient temperature-cured ROGAU, as a corrosion protective coating material. ROGAU coatings were scratch resistant, well-adherent, and flexible to a considerable extent and showed good corrosion resistance performance toward saline medium (3.5 wt% NaCl). ROGAU coatings can be safely used up to 200°C.
A Novel architecture for low-jitter multi-GHz frequency synthesis
Authors: Herzel Frank , Mausolf Thomas , Fischer Gunter
Published: February 2022

A phase-locked loop (PLL) cascade driven by a crystal oscillator and a free running dielectric resonator oscillator (DRO) is proposed. For minimizing phase noise, spurious tones and jitter, a programmable PLL1 in the lower GHz range is used to drive a millimeter-wave (mmW) PLL2 with a fixed frequency multiplication factor. The phase noise analysis results in two optimum bandwidths of the two PLLs for the lowest output jitter of the cascade. Phase noise and spurious tones (spurs) in PLL1 are further reduced by dividing the output frequency of PLL1 and up-converting it by means of a single-sideband (SSB) mixer driven by the DRO. By including the SSB mixer in the feedback loop of PLL1 manual tuning of the DRO is avoided, and a low-noise free running DRO can be employed. An exemplary design in SiGe BiCMOS technology is presented.
COVID-19 infection in pregnancy: a review of existing knowledge
Authors: Misra Swayam Swaroop , Ahirwar Ashok Kumar , Sakarde Apurva , Kaim Kirti , Ahirwar Pradeep , Jahid Mohd. , Sorte Smita R , Lokhande Suryabhan Lahanu , kaur Amar Preet , Kumawat Rajani
Published: February 2022

The world has been coping up with the grave pandemic of COVID-19 since its inception into the human race in December, 2019. By entering the host through the spike (S) glycoprotein, it paves way for its own survival and multiplication. Respiratory tract being the point of entry causes pulmonary compromise and leads to development of ARDS. Having non-specific clinical features that resemble flu makes the clinical diagnosis much more difficult. Pregnancy being an immunocompromised and a hypercoagulable state is prone to be a high-risk group for COVID-19. This study is an attempt to understand the maternal and fetal outcomes in COVID-19 and the vertical transmissibility of the virus. Evidence suggests that the contribution of COVID-19 is not very significant in maternal morbidity and mortality. However, due to some factors such as the immunological response in the mother, certain complications may arise in the neonate in the post-natal period. No vertical transmission of the virus has been reported yet. However, the management remains crucial as two lives are at stake. Some of the precautionary measures that can be implemented to prevent COVID-19 can be segregation of medical services from that of the general population in settings of outpatient care, inpatient care and labor room care. Also, triaging the patients into low risk, moderate risk and high risk can aid in faster delivery of health-care facilities to the pregnant and the newborn.
Low Temperature Carburizing of Stainless Steels and the Development of Carbon Expanded Austenite*
Authors: Werner K. V. , Che H. L. , Lei M. K. , Christiansen T. L. , Somers M. A. J.
Published: February 2022

Low-temperature carburizing dramatically enhances the inherently low wear resistance of austenitic stainless steels due to the formation of a carbon-supersaturated solid solution, i.e. expanded austenite. The formation of expanded austenite from low-temperature carburizing has been intensively investigated. However, the influence of chemical composition of the stainless steel on the carburizing response has not received the same interest. This contribution addresses the effect of the chemical composition on low-temperature carburizing in terms of carbon solubility, decomposition of expanded austenite upon exceeding the solubility limit and the elasto-plastic accommodation of the carbon-induced lattice expansion. The results demonstrate that the carbon solubility increases with an increasing Cr-equivalent and that higher Cr- and Ni-equivalents favor the formation of Cr-based M7C3 over Fe-based Hägg (M5C2) carbide.
Interrelation between Microstructure and Residual Stresses for Low-Pressure Carburizing of Steel AISI 5120 under Defined Process Parameter Variation
Authors: Zuern M. G. , Tapar O. B. , Ho P. , Epp J. , Gibmeier J.
Published: February 2022

Low-pressure carburizing (LPC) is a recipe-controlled process for surface layer hardening. These recipes are mainly based on experience and contain the process parameters used to achieve the desired hardening result. The process parameters influence the chemical gradients which have set in the boundary layer, the local microstructure and the depth distribution of the process-induced residual stresses. Within the scope of this work, a systematic parameter study and advanced characterization was carried out to quantify the influence of these process parameters on the resulting material state. The varied parameters include the carburizing temperature, the hardening temperature, the quenching rate as well as the number of repetitions and durations of the carburizing cycles’ steps. The results obtained should help to extend the fundamental process understanding of the LPC process. The analyses showed that the retained austenite content and its depth profile change significantly for certain process parameter variations, reaching contents of up to 45 vol% in the near-surface region. The differences regarding the residual stress states of the case-hardened samples can first and foremost be related to the formation of varying depth distributions of the retained austenite.
Deformation and Microstructure of Titanium Chips and Workpiece
Authors: Siemers Carsten , Mukherji Debashis , Bäker Martin , Rösier Joachim
Published: February 2022

In order to improve the machinability of titanium alloys, a better understanding of the chip formation process is needed. Microstructur alanalysis of chips produced at high cutting speeds can lead to an estimate of temperatures and the deformation state in the chips if structural changes can be observed. Two-dimensional cross-sectional analyses are performed by means of optical microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To study the deformation state of the finished workpiece, a scratch-grid method in combination with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used. The results of the different analyses for Ti 6A14V are presented in this paper and are compared with a finite element simulation of an orthogonal cutting process.
Grain Growth in the Nanocrystalline W–Cu and Cu–Pb Composite Powders Prepared by Mechanical Alloying
Authors: Moon In Hyung , Ryu Sung-Soo , Kim Soon-Wook , Won Dong Mook , Jang Won Suck
Published: February 2022

The thermal behavior of the nanocrystalline W–Cu and Cu–Pb powders was investigated in order to gain thermal stability information for further application and also to elucidate the grain growth kinetics in an immiscible alloy system. The nanocrystalline alloy powders were prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) and characterized. Thermal behavior of this nanocrystalline alloy was analysed by DSC, XRD, SEM, TEM and EXAFS. The time exponent n and the activation energy for grain growth were determined from the grain size data. The nanocrystalline W, Cu and Pb have revealed lower n values than the polycrystalline ones. The activation energy of the nanocrystalline W, Cu, and Pb grain growth in MAW–Cu and Cu–Pb powders is 186.5 ± 1.0, 55.6 ±10.5 and 42.0 ± 3.9 kJ/mol, respectively. The melting point suppression of Pb crystalline embedded in Cu matrix in MA Cu–Pb powders can be estimated. On the basis of the grain growth parameter obtained in this study and available data in the literature, the grain growth features and kinetics in the nonequilibrium state of the immiscible alloy system are discussed.
Internal Friction and Creep of Titanium Aluminides with Different Microstructure
Authors: Weller Manfred , Chatterjee Anita , Haneczok Grzegorz , Arzt Eduard , Appel Fritz , Clemens Helmut
Published: February 2022

ATi-46.5 Al-4 (Cr, Nb, Ta, B) alloy (at.%) with different microstructures (fine-grained primary annealed or coarsegrained fully lamellar) was examined both by mechanical-loss (internal-friction) and creep experiments. The mechanical-loss spectra (0.01– 10 Hz), ranging from 300 up to 1300 K, show two phenomena: (i) A loss peak at about 900 K (0.01 Hz) which occurs only in samples with a lamellar microstructure. The activation enthalpy, determined from the frequency shift, is 3.0 eV. The Debye-type peak is related to thermally activated reversible local movement of dislocation segments which are pinned at the lamellae interfaces and within gamma lamellae, (ii) A high-temperature damping background above 1000 K which is controlled by an activation enthalpy of 3.8 to 3.9 eV. This value agrees well with the activation enthalpy determined by creep tests and is in the range of values reported for self-diffusion of Al. These results indicate that both properties (high-temperature background and creep) are controlled by volume diffusion-assisted climb of dislocations.
Niobium bulk and grain boundary diffusion in alpha-iron
Authors: Herzig Chr. , Geise J. , Divinski S.V.
Published: February 2022

Bulk and grain boundary (GB) diffusion of Nb in α-Fe were studied in the temperature interval from about 700 to 1100 K by the radiotracer method combined with serial sectioning. A non-Arrhenius temperature dependence of Nb bulk diffusion was established below the Curie temperature T
c. This observation was discussed in relation to the well-known magnetically-induced diffusion anomaly in α-Fe and to the contribution of dislocation diffusion. In contrast, a practically linear Arrhenius temperature dependence was found for Nb GB diffusion. At Tc, bulk and GB diffusion of Nb are about one order of magnitude faster than the corresponding self-diffusivities of α-Fe. The effect of matrix purity on Nb GB diffusion in α-Fe was studied.
Modelling the continuous cooling transformation diagram of engineering steels using neural networks
Authors: van der Wolk Pieter J. , Wang Jiajun , Sietsma Jilt , van der Zwaag Sybrand
Published: February 2022

A neural network model for the calculation of the phase regions of the continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram of engineering steels has been developed. The model is based on experimental CCT diagrams of 459 low-alloy steels, and calculates the CCT diagram as a function of composition and austenitisation temperature. In considering the composition, 9 alloying elements are taken into account. The model reproduces the original diagrams rather accurately, with deviations that are not larger than the average experimental inaccuracy of the experimental diagrams. Therefore, it can be considered an adequate alternative to the experimental determination of the CCT diagram of a certain steel within the composition range used. The effects of alloying elements can be quantified, either individually or in combination, with the model. Nonlinear composition dependencies are observed.
The effect of grain size on the mechanical properties of nanonickel examined by nanoindentation
Authors: Yang Bo , Vehoff Horst
Published: February 2022

Nanocrystalline nickel produced by pulsed electrolysis was heat-treated to produce grain sizes from nanoscale to microscale. A special polish allowed to image the specimen with an atomic force microscope (AFM) down to a grain size of 30 nm. Micro- and instrumented nanohardness of these specimens were examined. A NI-AFM (Nanoindenting AFM) was used to measure the interaction between grain boundaries and dislocations. Nanoindentation was performed always in the center of the grains. When the size of the indent was kept constant (constant strain) it could be shown that the hardness scales with the dislocation density within the grains. However, when the size of the indent approached the grain size, the plastic zone spread over several grains and a decrease in hardness was observed. In addition, with deceasing grain size, grain boundary sliding was observed even at room temperature.
Deformation behaviour and microscopic investigations of cyclically loaded railway wheels and tyres
Authors: Walther Frank , Eifler Dietmar , Mosler Ulrike , Martin Ulrich
Published: February 2022

Railway wheel and tyre steels were investigated by specimens from defined volume sections representing the local microstructure of original components. As a consequence of the industrial heat treatment and the size of the components, microstructural gradients exist in the wheel rim and tyre crosssection. The ferrite fraction of the ferritic – pearlitic microstructure and the cementite lamellae spacing vary depending on the distance to the running surface (tread). Stress-controlled load increase and single-step push– pull tests were carried out at ambient temperature with servohydraulic testing systems to study fatigue phenomena with special consideration of microstructural details. Mechanical stress– strain hysteresis, thermometrical, and electrical measurements were used for a comprehensive characterization and evaluation of the cyclic deformation behaviour. The measured physical quantities show a strong interrelation with the underlying fatigue process. Light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), together with digital image processing, allow to interpret the measured data on the basis of microstructural details. In defined fatigue states, TEM investigations were performed to correlate the loading conditions with the appearing dislocation structures.