bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Hybrid Fuzzy Controller for Industrial Power Plants
Authors: de Sam Lazaro A. , Steffenhagan W.
Published: March 2021

The automation of the control to a power plant is indeed a challenge mainly because of the occurrences of random and unpredictable variations in output demands as well as because of highly non-linear behavior of the system itself [1]. It is sometimes argued that the ‘best’ control for a power plant is the operators themselves. Experienced operators are capable of taking decisions on the basis of incomplete and imprecise information. The extent to which these decisions are correct is a matter of speculation. Erroneous conclusions, established post facto, are chalked up to the learning process and in fact, contribute to the forming of a good, experienced control team. The need to automate the control process for a plant is even more acutely felt when considering the complexity of the plants themselves and the volume of data that would have to be processed before a control decision can be taken. Factored into this decision would also be several governing parameters such as costs, reliability, other constraints and their interdependancy, as well as planned and unscheduled outages for maintenance and so on. In this paper, however, only one facet of a power plant operation is considered. It is intended to demonstrate that thermal efficiency may be improved by better techniques for automated control of throttle valves in the steam turbine of the plant. One of these options, fuzzy logic, is selected, and defended, as being the more effective than current techniques. A comparative analysis is conducted of control techniques for plant operations followed by a brief overview of fuzzy control and its application to control of non-linear systems. A method of applying this ‘new’ computer-based technique to control of non-linear, somewhat erratic plants is presented and discussed.
Design of a Flexible Data Acquisition and Control System
Authors: Yip T. Gary , Loh Dennis
Published: March 2021

Automatic data acquisition and control have become an indispensable part of engineering but many data acquisition and control equipments remain relatively inflexible and cumbersome for most engineering applications. Hence, engineers often need to custom design and build their data acquisition and control system to support their in-house automatic testing and monitoring equipment.

This project investigates the design fundamentals and guidelines in setting up a flexible data acquisition and control system. A flexible data acquisition and control system (FDACS) is defined as one which possesses such characteristics as the ease of implementation, the ease of upgrading system’s capability (e.g. data volume and control channels) and the ability for information sharing. An experimental data acquisition system is used as the platform to facilitate the study. It consists of an IBM compatible personal computer, a remote host microprocessor and seven signal processors. Using this implementation, the system is able to provide up to 28 digital I/O lines, 28 analog input lines, 42 digital output lines and an average execution time per instruction of 1 ms.
A Prototype Multimedia Auto Broker
Authors: Birkes Angela Y. , Hsiung Chien H. , Cohen Tal , Fulton Robert E.
Published: March 2021

Intelligent, easy to use, and entertaining multimedia information brokers are vital to the explosive role of information technology. With the advent of interactive television and the information superhighway in the near future, information management systems (information brokers) for consumer services and products will be necessary.

This paper describes the application requirements process and subsequent prototyping efforts for a multimedia auto broker. The research activity presented has distinct phases which overlap and take place concurrently in some instances. The phases include a knowledge acquisition phase, applications requirements definition phase, and testing and validation phase. The details of each of these phases which led to the prototype multimedia auto broker are characterized, followed by a brief introduction of effort underway for the system architecture, and recommendations for generalizing the multimedia information broker to other applications.
Positional Match Running Performance and Performance Profiles of Elite Female Field Hockey
Authors: Kapteijns Jonne A. , Caen Kevin , Lievens Maarten , Bourgois Jan G. , Boone Jan
Published: March 2021

Purpose: To determine if there is a link between the demands of competitive game activity and performance profiles of elite female field hockey players. Methods: Global positioning systems (GPS) were used to quantify running performance of elite female field hockey players (N = 20) during 26 competitive games. Performance profiles were assessed at 2 time points (preseason and midseason) for 2 competitive seasons. A battery of anthropometric and performance field-based tests (30–15 intermittent fitness test, incremental run test, 10–30-m speed test, T test, and vertical jump test) were used to determine the performance profiles of the players. Results: Players covered a mean total distance of 5384 (835) m, of which 19% was spent at high intensities (zone 5: 796 [221] m; zone 6: 274 [105] m). Forwards covered the lowest mean total distance (estimated marginal means 4586 m; 95% confidence interval, 4275–4897), whereas work rate was higher in forwards compared with midfielders (P = .006, d = 0.43) and central defenders (P = .001, d = 1.41). Players showed an improvement in body composition and anaerobic performance from preseason to midseason. Aerobic performance capacity (maximal oxygen uptake and speed at the 4-mM lactate threshold) was positively correlated with high-intensity activities. Conclusions: There is a clear relationship between running performance and aerobic performance profiles in elite female hockey players. These results highlight the importance of a well-developed aerobic performance capacity in order to maintain a high performance level during hockey games.
Impact of T-Cell Xtend on T-SPOT.
TB
Assay in High-Risk Individuals after Delayed Blood Sample Processing
Authors: Feng Pei-Jean , Wu Yanjue , Ho Christine S. , Chinna Lance , Whelen Andrew Christian , Largen Angela , Brostrom Richard , Reves Randall , Belknap Robert , Cattamanchi Adithya , Banaei Niaz
Published: March 2021

T-SPOT.
TB
(T-SPOT) is an interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) used to detect infection with
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
based on the number of spot-forming T cells; however, delays in sample processing have been shown to reduce the number of these spots that are detected following laboratory processing. Adding T-Cell Xtend (XT) into blood samples before processing reportedly extends the amount of time allowed between blood collection and processing up to 32 h.
Distinct responses of late Miocene eolian and lacustrine systems to astronomical forcing in NE Tibet
Authors: Wang Zhixiang , Huang Chunju , Kemp David B. , Zhang Ze , Sui Yu
Published: March 2021

East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and winter monsoon (EAWM) variability on orbital time scales during the late Miocene remains poorly constrained. Climate models reveal variable responses of the EASM and EAWM to astronomical forcing, but there is a lack of empirical evidence from the geological record to validate these results. In this study, we used time series analysis to reconstruct climatic changes and orbital forcing from eolian and lacustrine sediment archives from NE Tibet during the late Miocene. Analysis of magnetic susceptibility data demonstrates that lacustrine sediments in the Tianshui Basin (Yaodian section) show dominant ∼100 k.y. eccentricity forcing in the late Miocene (ca. 10.25–8 Ma). In contrast, eolian deposits in the Jianzha Basin (Jiarang section) show significant 405 k.y. eccentricity and 41 k.y. obliquity forcing over the same interval with weak evidence for ∼100 k.y. eccentricity cycles. Grain size data from the Yaodian section support a lacustrine origin of these sediments and also support previous work demonstrating aridification in NE Tibet after ca. 8.6 Ma. Taken together, our analyses highlight markedly different orbital forcing responses of lacustrine and eolian sedimentary systems during the late Miocene. We suggest that the dominant ∼100 k.y. lacustrine cycles in the Yaodian section, which were mainly controlled by EASM variability, may have been linked to Antarctic ice sheet and/or low-latitude insolation modulations related to precession amplitude modulation by eccentricity. In contrast, the orbital signature of eolian sediments in the Jiarang section was significantly influenced by the EAWM and can be linked to variability in meridional temperature/pressure gradients.
Relationship of the Extent of Antarctic and Arctic Ice with Temperature Changes, 1979–2020
Authors: Mokhov I. I. , Parfenova M. R.
Published: March 2021

Quantitative estimates of the relationship between interannual variations in the extent of Antarctic and Arctic sea ice and changes in the surface air temperature in the Northern and Southern hemispheres are obtained using satellite, ground-based, and reanalysis data for the past four decades (1980–2019). It is shown that the previously noted general increase in the extent of Antarctic sea ice observed until recent years from satellite data (available only since the late 1970s) over the background global warming and a rapid decrease in the extent of Arctic sea ice is associated with a regional decrease in the surface temperature at Antarctic latitudes from the end of the 1970s. This is a result of regional manifestation of natural climate variations with periods of up to several decades against the background of global secular warming with a relatively weak temperature trend over the ocean in the Southern Hemisphere. Since 2016, a sharp decrease in the extent of Antarctic sea ice in the Southern Ocean has been observed. The results of the correlation and cross-wavelet analysis indicate significant coherence and negative correlation with the surface temperature of the extent of sea ice in recent decades, not only in the Arctic, but also in the Antarctic.
Determining Importance of Many-Objective Optimisation Competitive Algorithms Evaluation Criteria Based on a Novel Fuzzy-Weighted Zero-Inconsistency Method
Authors: Mohammed R. T. , Zaidan A. A. , Yaakob R. , Sharef N. M. , Abdullah R. H. , Zaidan B. B. , Albahri O. S. , Abdulkareem K. H.
Published: March 2021

Along with the developments of numerous MaOO algorithms in the last decades, comparing the performance of MaOO algorithms with one another is also highly needed. Many studies have attempted to manipulate such comparison to analyze the performance quality of MaOO. In such cases, the weight of importance is critical for evaluating the performance of MaOO algorithms. All evaluation studies for MaOO algorithms have ignored to assign such weight for the target criteria during evaluation process, which plays a key role in the final decision results. Therefore, the weight value of each criterion must be determined to guarantee the accuracy of results in the evaluation process. Multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methods are extremely preferred in solving weighting issues in the evaluation process of MaOO algorithms. Several studies in MCDM have proposed competitive weighting methods. However, these methods suffer from inconsistency issues arising from the high subjectivity of pairwise comparison. The inconsistency rate increases in an exorbitant manner when the number of criteria increases, and the final results are affected. The primary objective of this study is to propose a new method, called a Novel Fuzzy-Weighted Zero-Inconsistency (FWZIC) Method which can determine the weight coefficients of criteria with zero consistency. This method depends on differences in the preference of experts per criterion to compute its significance level in the decision-making process. The proposed FWZIC method comprises five phases for determining the weights of the evaluation criteria: (1) the set of evaluation criteria is explored and defined, (2) the structured expert judgement (SEJ) is used, (3) the expert decision matrix (EDM) is built on the basis of the crossover of criteria and SEJ, (4) a fuzzy membership function is applied to the result of the EDM and (5) the final values of the weight coefficients of the evaluation criteria are computed. The proposed method is applied to the evaluation criteria of MaOO competitive algorithms. The case study consists of more than 50 items distributed amongst the major criteria, subcriteria and indicators. The significant contribution of each item to the algorithm evaluation is determined. Results show that the criteria, subcriteria and their related indicators are weighted without inconsistency. The findings clearly show that the FWZIC method can deal with the inconsistency issue and provide accurate weight values to each criterion.
Controlling nonclassical properties of optomechanical systems under the Coulomb interaction effect
Authors: Lakhfif Abderrahim , El Qars Jamal , Nassik Mostafa
Published: March 2021

In an optomechanical system consisting of two Fabry–Pérot cavities fed by squeezed light and coupled via Coulomb interaction, we respectively use the logarithmic negativity, Gaussian discord and Gaussian coherence to analyze the behavior of three different indicators of nonclassicality, namely the entanglement, quantum discord and quantum coherence. We perform the rotating wave approximation and work in the resolved sideband regime. In two bi-mode states (optical and mechanical), the coherence is generally found to be greater than entanglement and discord. More interestingly, we show that the Coulomb interaction can be used either to degrade or enhance the nonclassical properties of the optical subsystem. In addition, compared with the discord and coherence, the mechanical entanglement is found strongly sensitive to both thermal and Coulomb effects, and it requires a minimum value of cooperativity to be generated. Remarkably, this minimum increases when increasing the Coulomb coupling strength. Finally, we notice that an optimal transfer of quantum correlations between the optical and mechanical subsystems is achieved in the absence of the Coulomb interaction.
Telomeres and Cancer: Resolving the Paradox
Authors: Nassour Joe , Schmidt Tobias T. , Karlseder Jan
Published: March 2021

Decades of study on cell cycle regulation have provided great insight into human cellular life span barriers, as well as their dysregulation during tumorigenesis. Telomeres, the extremities of linear chromosomes, perform an essential role in implementing these proliferative boundaries and preventing the propagation of potentially cancerous cells. The tumor-suppressive function of telomeres relies on their ability to initiate DNA damage signaling pathways and downstream cellular events, ranging from cell cycle perturbation to inflammation and cell death. While the tumor-suppressor role of telomeres is undoubtable, recent advances have pointed to telomeres as a major source of many of the genomic aberrations found in both early- and late-stage cancers, including the most recently discovered mutational phenomenon of chromothripsis. Telomere shortening appears as a double-edged sword that can function in opposing directions in carcinogenesis. This review focuses on the current knowledge of the dual role of telomeres in cancer and suggests a new perspective to reconcile the paradox of telomeres and their implications in cancer etiology.
Traditional Medicinal Uses, Phytoconstituents, Bioactivities, and Toxicities of Erythrina abyssinica Lam. ex DC. (Fabaceae): A Systematic Review
Authors: Obakiro Samuel Baker , Kiprop Ambrose , Kigondu Elizabeth , K’Owino Isaac , Odero Mark Peter , Manyim Scolastica , Omara Timothy , Namukobe Jane , Owor Richard Oriko , Gavamukulya Yahaya , Bunalema Lydia
Published: March 2021

Background. Many studies have been undertaken on the medicinal values of Erythrina abyssinica Lam. ex DC. (Fabaceae). The details, however, are highly fragmented in different journals, libraries, and other publication media. This study was therefore conducted to provide a comprehensive report on its ethnobotany, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemicals, and the available pharmacological evidence supporting its efficacy and safety in traditional medicine. Method. We collected data using a PROSPERO registered systematic review protocol on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and ethnopharmacology of Erythrina abyssinica from 132 reports that were retrieved from electronic databases. Documented local names, morphology, growth habit and habitat, ethnomedicinal and nonmedicinal uses, diseases treated, parts used, method of preparation and administration, extraction and chemical identity of isolated compounds, and efficacy and toxicity of extracts and isolated compounds were captured. Numerical data were summarized into means, percentages, and frequencies and presented as graphs and tables. Results. Erythrina abyssinica is harvested by traditional herbal medicine practitioners in East, Central, and South African communities to prepare herbal remedies for various human and livestock ailments. These include bacterial and fungal infections, tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS, diarrhea, cancer, meningitis, inflammatory diseases, urinary tract infections, wounds, diabetes mellitus, and skin and soft tissue injuries. Different extracts and phytochemicals from parts of E. abyssinica have been scientifically proven to possess anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, antiproliferative, antifungal, antimycobacterial, antidiarrheal, anti-HIV 1, antidiabetic, and antiobesity activities. This versatile pharmacological activity is due to the abundant flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids present in its different parts. Conclusion. Erythrina abyssinica is an important ethnomedicinal plant in Africa harboring useful pharmacologically active phytochemicals against various diseases with significant efficacies and minimal toxicity to mammalian cells. Therefore, this plant should be conserved and its potential to provide novel molecules against diseases be explored further. Clinical trials that evaluate the efficacy and safety of extracts and isolated compounds from E. abyssinica are recommended.
Solving the Modified Regularized Long Wave Equations via Higher Degree B-Spline Algorithm
Authors: Mohammed Pshtiwan Othman , Alqudah Manar A. , Hamed Y. S. , Kashuri Artion , Abualnaja Khadijah M.
Published: March 2021

The current article considers the sextic B-spline collocation methods (SBCM1 and SBCM2) to approximate the solution of the modified regularized long wave (

MRLW

) equation. In view of this, we will study the solitary wave motion and interaction of higher (two and three) solitary waves. Also, the modified Maxwellian initial condition into solitary waves is studied. Moreover, the stability analysis of the methods has been discussed, and these will be unconditionally stable. Moreover, we have calculated the numerical conserved laws and error norms

L

2

and

L

∞

to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the method. The numerical examples are presented to illustrate the applications of the methods and to compare the computed results with the other methods. The results show that our proposed methods are more accurate than the other methods.
Photobiomodulation and Oxidative Stress: 980 nm Diode Laser Light Regulates Mitochondrial Activity and Reactive Oxygen Species Production
Authors: Amaroli Andrea , Pasquale Claudio , Zekiy Angelina , Utyuzh Anatoliy , Benedicenti Stefano , Signore Antonio , Ravera Silvia
Published: March 2021

Photobiomodulation with 808 nm laser light electively stimulates Complexes III and IV of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, while Complexes I and II are not affected. At the wavelength of 1064 nm, Complexes I, III, and IV are excited, while Complex II and some mitochondrial matrix enzymes seem to be not receptive to photons at that wavelength. Complex IV was also activated by 633 nm. The mechanism of action of wavelengths in the range 900–1000 nm on mitochondria is less understood or not described. Oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by mitochondrial activity is an inescapable consequence of aerobic metabolism. The antioxidant enzyme system for ROS scavenging can keep them under control. However, alterations in mitochondrial activity can cause an increment of ROS production. ROS and ATP can play a role in cell death, cell proliferation, and cell cycle arrest. In our work, bovine liver isolated mitochondria were irradiated for 60 sec, in continuous wave mode with 980 nm and powers from 0.1 to 1.4 W (0.1 W increment at every step) to generate energies from 6 to 84 J, fluences from 7.7 to 107.7 J/cm2, power densities from 0.13 to 1.79 W/cm2, and spot size 0.78 cm2. The control was equal to 0 W. The activity of the mitochondria’s complexes, Krebs cycle enzymes, ATP production, oxygen consumption, generation of ROS, and oxidative stress were detected. Lower powers (0.1–0.2 W) showed an inhibitory effect; those that were intermediate (0.3–0.7 W) did not display an effect, and the higher powers (0.8–1.1 W) induced an increment of ATP synthesis. Increasing the power (1.2–1.4 W) recovered the ATP production to the control level. The interaction occurred on Complexes III and IV, as well as ATP production and oxygen consumption. Results showed that 0.1 W uncoupled the respiratory chain and induced higher oxidative stress and drastic inhibition of ATP production. Conversely, 0.8 W kept mitochondria coupled and induced an increase of ATP production by increments of Complex III and IV activities. An augmentation of oxidative stress was also observed, probably as a consequence of the increased oxygen consumption and mitochondrial isolation experimental conditions. No effect was observed using 0.5 W, and no effect was observed on the enzymes of the Krebs cycle.
Developing Species-Age Cohorts from Forest Inventory and Analysis Data to Parameterize a Forest Landscape Model
Authors: Odom Richard H. , Ford W. Mark
Published: March 2021

Simulating long-term, landscape level changes in forest composition requires estimates of stand age to initialize succession models. Detailed stand ages are rarely available, and even general information on stand history often is lacking. We used data from USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) database to estimate broad age classes for a forested landscape to simulate changes in landscape composition and structure relative to climate change at Fort Drum, a 43,000 ha U.S. Army installation in northwestern New York. Using simple linear regression, we developed relationships between tree diameter and age for FIA site trees from the host and adjacent ecoregions and applied those relationships to forest stands at Fort Drum. We observed that approximately half of the variation in age was explained by diameter breast height (DBH) across all species studied (r2 = 0.42 for sugar maple Acer saccharum to 0.63 for white ash Fraxinus americana). We then used age-diameter relationships from published research on northern hardwood species to calibrate results from the FIA-based analysis. With predicted stand age, we used tree species life histories and environmental conditions represented by ecological site types to parameterize a stochastic forest landscape model (LANDIS-II) to spatially and temporally model successional changes in forest communities at Fort Drum. Forest stands modeled over 100 years without significant disturbance appeared to reflect expected patterns of increasing dominance by shade-tolerant mesophytic tree species such as sugar maple, red maple (Acer rubrum), and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) where soil moisture was sufficient. On drier sandy soils, eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), red pine (P. resinosa), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), and white oak (Q. alba) continued to be important components throughout the modeling period with no net loss at the landscape scale. Our results suggest that despite abundant precipitation and relatively low evapotranspiration rates for the region, low soil water holding capacity and fertility may be limiting factors for the spread of mesophytic species on excessively drained soils in the region. Increasing atmospheric temperatures projected for the region could alter moisture regimes for many coarse-textured soils providing a possible mechanism for expansion of xerophytic tree species.
Cognitive Distraction State Recognition of Drivers at a Nonsignalized Intersection in a Mixed Traffic Environment
Authors: Hua Qiang , Jin Lisheng , Jiang Yuying , Gao Ming , Guo Baicang
Published: March 2021

Distracted driving has become a growing traffic safety concern. With advances in autonomous driving and connected vehicle technology, a mixture of various types of intelligent vehicles will become normal in the near future, while more factors that may cause driver cognitive distraction are emerging. However, there are rarely studies on distracted driving in mixed traffic environments. To fill this gap, we conducted a natural driving experiment with three representative events at a nonsignalized intersection in a mixed traffic environment and proposed a novel method of identifying cognitive distraction based on bidirectional long short‐term memory (Bi‐LSTM) with attention mechanism. Forty participants were recruited for each event, who completed three different cognitive distraction experiments induced by three different secondary tasks in contrast with a normal driving process when passing a nonsignalized intersection. Related driving performance and eye movement data were collected to train and test the Bi‐LSTM with attention mechanism model. Compared with the support vector machine (SVM) model, its recognition accuracy rate is 94.33%, which is 3.83% higher than that of the SVM in the total event, which has reasonable applicability for distraction recognition in a mixed traffic environment. Potential applications of this model include distraction alarm and autonomous driving assistance systems, which could avoid road traffic accidents.
Clinical Significance of Lymph Node Micrometastasis in pN0 Gastric Cancer Patients
Authors: Li Yu , Wang Dongsheng , Li Yi , Liu Xiaodong , Chen Dong , Yuan Chentong , Zhou Yanbing
Published: March 2021

Purpose. To investigate the relationship between lymph node micrometastasis (LNMM) and clinicopathological factors and to evaluate the prognostic effects of LNMM in pN0 gastric cancer (GC) patients. Methods. One hundred and seventy-two GC patients who received radical gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection were enrolled in the present study. 1371 negative lymph nodes from level 2 station confirmed by pathology were examined. The LNMM was diagnosed by telomeric repeat amplification protocol/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (TRAP-ELISA). The relationship between clinicopathological factors and LNMM was investigated by multivariate analysis. Survival analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of LNMM on prognosis. Results. LNMM was detected in 423 lymph nodes from 72 patients. The results showed that invasion depth (

OR
=
3.755

,

P
=
0.004

), TNM staging (

OR
=
3.152

,

P
=
0.002

), lymphatic invasion (

OR
=
2.178

,

P
=
0.009

), and tumor differentiation (

OR
=
1.266

,

P
=
0.013

) were independent risk factors associated with LNMM. Survival analysis showed that patients with LNMM had significantly worse 5-year survival compared with those without LNMM (42% vs. 76.4%,

P
<
0.05

). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that LNMM, tumor size, Lauren type, invasion depth, and lymphatic invasion (

P
<
0.05

) were independently factors associated with 5-year survival. Conclusions. The findings showed that tumor invasion depth, TNM staging, lymphatic invasion, and tumor differentiation were independent risk factors associated with LNMM occurrence. Moreover, LNMM is a clinically negative prognostic factor in pN0 GC patients.
Design of energy-efficient multiplier based on 3:2 compressor
Authors: Hussain Inamul , Chaudhury Saurabh
Published: March 2021

A multiplier circuit is one of the most important functional blocks of many nano-electronic, control and automation applications. In this work, an energy-efficient multiplier is reported based on a 3:2 compressor. The multiplier has been designed in three different parts. In the first part, a partial product (PP) generator is used. In the second part, the partial products are reduced which is termed as PPP (partial product processing). Whereas in the third step final addition is performed. PPs are produced by using AND gates. The PPP is designed in two-phase. In the first phase, the Wallace tree logarithm has been used to reduce the PPs. Whereas, in the second phase the PPs are reduced by using energy-efficient half adder and 3:2 compressor. At last, in the third step, by using a carry-save adder final addition has been computed. The performance analysis of the designed multiplier is evaluated and compared with other multiplier circuits. The multiplier shows performance improvements by 20.55%-46% for the power supply variation from 1.2 V to 0.6 V. All the simulations and analyses have been carried out by using the Synopsys EDA tool.
Diabetes and Metabolic Drivers of Trained Immunity
Authors: Choudhury Robin P. , Edgar Laurienne , Rydén Mikael , Fisher Edward A.
Published: March 2021

Accumulating evidence shows how diverse physiological functions, such as metabolism, immunity, tissue homeostasis, and hematopoiesis, are intricately and profoundly intertwined at multiple levels. This brief review will present evidence from a rapidly expanding field of immunometabolism, highlighting how cells that are relevant to processes at play in determining vascular health and disease can be programmed by changes in their metabolic environment. It will focus on how such changes can be imprinted or trained, particularly through epigenetic modifications, such that adaptations driven by metabolic signals can cause persistent changes in cell function, even after the original stimulus has been corrected or removed. Recognition of these processes and elucidation of the mechanisms underlying them stand to have far-reaching implications for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and related metabolic states.
Invasive Management of Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Authors: Henry Timothy D. , Tomey Matthew I. , Tamis-Holland Jacqueline E. , Thiele Holger , Rao Sunil V. , Menon Venu , Klein Deborah G. , Naka Yoshifumi , Piña Ileana L. , Kapur Navin K. , Dangas George D. ,   On behalf of the American Heart Association Interventional Cardiovascular Care Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology; and Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing
Published: March 2021

Cardiogenic shock (CS) remains the most common cause of mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The SHOCK trial (Should We Emergently Revascularize Occluded Coronaries for Cardiogenic Shock) demonstrated a survival benefit with early revascularization in patients with CS complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMICS) 20 years ago. After an initial improvement in mortality related to revascularization, mortality rates have plateaued. A recent Society of Coronary Angiography and Interventions classification scheme was developed to address the wide range of CS presentations. In addition, a recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association recommended the development of CS centers using standardized protocols for diagnosis and management of CS, including mechanical circulatory support devices (MCS). A number of CS programs have implemented various protocols for treating patients with AMICS, including the use of MCS, and have published promising results using such protocols. Despite this, practice patterns in the cardiac catheterization laboratory vary across health systems, and there are inconsistencies in the use or timing of MCS for AMICS. Furthermore, mortality benefit from MCS devices in AMICS has yet to be established in randomized clinical trials. In this article, we outline the best practices for the contemporary interventional management of AMICS, including coronary revascularization, the use of MCS, and special considerations such as the treatment of patients with AMICS with cardiac arrest.
Quantitative Assessment of Motor Neglect
Authors: Toba Monica N. , Pagliari Chiara , Rabuffetti Marco , Nighoghossian Norbert , Rode Gilles , Cotton François , Spinazzola Lucia , Baglio Francesca , Migliaccio Raffaella , Bartolomeo Paolo
Published: March 2021

Background and Purpose:

We used differential actigraphy as a novel, objective method to quantify motor neglect (a clinical condition whereby patients mimic hemiplegia even in the absence of sensorimotor deficits), whose diagnosis is at present highly subjective, based on the clinical observation of patients’ spontaneous motor behavior.

Methods:

Patients wear wristwatch-like accelerometers, which record spontaneous motor activity of their upper limbs during 24 hours. Asymmetries of motor behavior are then automatically computed offline. On the basis of normal participants’ performance, we calculated cutoff scores of left/right motor asymmetry.

Results:

Differential actigraphy showed contralesional motor neglect in 9 of 35 patients with unilateral strokes, consistent with clinical assessment. An additional patient with clinical signs of motor neglect obtained a borderline asymmetry score. Lesion location in a subgroup of 25 patients was highly variable, suggesting that motor neglect is a heterogenous condition.

Conclusions:

Differential actigraphy provides an ecological measure of spontaneous motor behavior, and can assess upper limb motricity in an objective and quantitative manner. It thus offers a convenient, cost-effective, and relatively automatized procedure for following-up motor behavior in neurological patients and to assess the effects of rehabilitation.
Amorphophallus calcicolus (Thomsonieae, Araceae), a new species from the Bohol island, Central Visayas, Philippines

Authors: TAMAYO MAVERICK N. , MAGTOTO LIEZEL M. , SUMALINOG, JR. MELCHOR S. , REYES, JR. TOMAS D. , AUSTRIA CELIA M.
Published: March 2021

Amorphophallus calcicolus from the forest over karst of Bohol island, Central Visayas, Philippines is hereby described and illustrated. The species is closely related to A. longispathaceus but distinct in having shorter leaves, smaller male zone, depressed disk-shaped ovary, longer styles, ovoid or irregularly shaped warts inside the spathe base, and shallowly 2–3-lobed stigma. Due to anthropogenic factors and a relatively confined distribution, it is hereby proposed as Critically Endangered (CR) following IUCN guidelines.
Association of Spicy Chilli Food Consumption With Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
Authors: Ofori-Asenso Richard , Mohsenpour Mohammad Ali , Nouri Mehran , Faghih Shiva , Liew Danny , Mazidi Mohsen
Published: March 2021

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the association between spicy food (chilli pepper, chilli sauce, or chilli oil) consumption with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Medline and EMBASE were searched from their inception until February 2020 to identify relevant prospective cohort studies. Hazard ratios (HRs)/relative risk (RRs) were pooled via random-effect meta-analysis. Of the 4387 citations identified, 4 studies (from the United States, China, Italy, and Iran) were included in the meta-analysis. The included studies involved a total of 564 748 adults (aged ≥18 years; 51.2% female) followed over a median duration of 9.7 years. The pooled data suggested that compared with people who did not regularly consume spicy food (none/<1 d/wk), regular consumers of spicy food experienced a 12% (HR/RRpooled 0.88, 95% CI, 0.86-0.90; I 2 = 0%) lower risk of all-cause mortality. Moreover, spicy food consumption was associated with significant reduction in the risk of death from cardiac diseases (HR/RRpooled 0.82, 0.73-0.91; I 2 = 0%), but not from cerebrovascular disorders (HR/RRpooled 0.79, 0.53-1.17; I 2 = 72.2%). In conclusion, available epidemiological studies suggest that the consumption of spicy chilli food is associated with reduced risk of all-cause as well as heart disease–related mortality. Further studies in different populations are needed to confirm this association.
Removal of Airway Foreign Body in a Premature Neonate
Authors: Reed Leighton , Larson Stephen , Sheyn Anthony , McLevy Jennifer
Published: March 2021

Objective:

Airway foreign bodies are the leading cause of infantile deaths and fourth among preschool children. Airway foreign bodies in extremely premature neonates represent a rare but potentially lethal entity. There are very few reports in the literature describing the treatment of such a condition in premature neonates. The objectives of this report are to describe the safe removal of an airway foreign body in an extremely premature infant using urologic instruments in a trans-endotracheal tube fashion and to review the literature for other techniques that have proven safe and effective, thereby adding technical options for future cases.

Methods:

We reviewed the case reported and reviewed pertinent literature.

Results:

A 2-week old, ex-24 3/7-week, 820-g pre-mature infant was intubated with a 2.5 endotracheal tube. After intubation, a 2-cm foreign body was discovered in the distal trachea by chest x-ray. The child’s respiratory status continuously deteriorated with increasing oxygen and positive pressure requirements. While remaining intubated, the child underwent direct suspension laryngoscopy, the ventilator circuitry was disconnected, and the object was successfully removed using a 1.2 mm rigid ureteroscope and 1.1 mm grasping forceps through the 2.5 endotracheal tube.

Conclusion:

This case report demonstrates the effectiveness of using a 1.2 mm ureteroscope and 1.2 mm urologic graspers to extract an airway foreign body from an extremely premature neonate through an endotracheal tube without paralyzing the patient. This method provides a safe and effective means of visualizing and, if necessary, manipulating the airway in a population prone to respiratory complications.
Autologous Free Dermal-Fat-Fascial Graft for Parotidectomy Defects: A Case Series
Authors: Mianroodi Aliasghar A. , Mohtashami Sadaf , Romero Nahir , Fuson Andrew , Joshi Arjun , Sadeghi Nader
Published: March 2021

Background:

Frey’s syndrome and facial asymmetry from loss of parotid tissue are long-term sequelae of parotid surgeries causing significant morbidity. Various techniques have been used to fill the parotidectomy defect, preserve facial contour symmetry, and prevent Frey’s syndrome. Free dermal-fat-fascial graft (DFFG) is one such technique; however, its use is largely undocumented in the literature. In this case series, we investigate the efficacy of free DFFG in reconstructing parotidectomy defects at 2 tertiary care centers.

Materials and methods:

Medical records of 54 patients who underwent primary parotidectomy and immediate reconstruction with autologous abdominal free DFFG by 2 surgeons in George Washington University Hospital and McGill University Health Centre between 2007 and 2019 were collected prospectively. Patients responded to 2 questionnaires addressing postoperative outcomes.

Results:

Fifty-four patients were included; 32 superficial parotidectomies and 22 total parotidectomies were performed for 39 benign and 15 malignant tumors. Thirty-seven patients could be reached. Out of 37 patients who responded to the first questionnaire, 59% (22) reported complete facial symmetry, 27% (10) reported mild hollowness, and 14% (5) reported mild fullness. None declared noticeable hollowness or fullness. While 81% (30) did not experience Frey’s syndrome, 5.4% (2) experienced mild symptoms without disability, and 13.5% (5) experienced debilitating symptoms. Out of 37 patients, 8 patients responded to a second questionnaire addressing the outcome of the abdominal graft donor site. In regard to the donor site, 87.5% (7) were satisfied or very satisfied from its cosmetic appearance, 75% (6) were not bothered by its cosmetic appearance, and 87.5% (7) had no discomfort at the graft donor site. Patients did not report any other symptom at the graft donor site.

Conclusion:

In this large series of total parotidectomies including malignant pathologies, autologous abdominal free DFFG effectively prevented Frey’s syndrome and preserved facial cosmesis in most patients.
« Aimez vos ennemis » – une utopie devenue réalité (passagère) en Pologne
Authors: Nowicki Joanna
Published: March 2021

Dans cet article, nous retraçons l'histoire d'une doctrine directement issue de l'éthique chrétienne qui, pendant un moment de l'histoire récente de la Pologne, a pu être traduite en projet politique. Elle s'exprime dans l'injonction « Aimez vos ennemis », reprise par la dissidence anticommuniste qui s'est inspirée d'une longue tradition nationale, mais qui réagit également contre l'esprit de lutte (de classes ennemies) prôné par le régime faussement pacifique qu'elle combattait. Ce cheminement a abouti à une politique de réconciliation et du pardon portée par le personnaliste Tadeusz Mazowiecki - le premier premier ministre non communiste dans l'ancien bloc de l'Est. Après avoir décrit l'importance de cette doctrine pour la politique internationale menée par la Pologne après la chute du communisme, nous montrons comment cette utopie devenue réalité a été mise à mal par le parti Droit et Justice (PIS), qui l'a abandonnée de fait en choisissant son contraire, l'esprit de revanche, de rancune et de règlement de comptes.
Exploring the Peak-End Effects in Air Traffic Controllers’ Mental Workload Ratings
Authors: Qiao Han , Zhang Jingyu , Zhang Liang , Li Yazhe , Loft Shayne
Published: March 2021

Objective

This study examined whether professional air traffic controllers (ATCos) were subject to peak-end effects in reporting their mental workload after performing an air traffic control task, and in predicting their mental workload in future scenarios.

Background

In affective experience studies, people’s evaluation of a period of experience is strongly influenced by the most intense (peak) point and the endpoint. However, whether the effects exist in mental workload evaluations made by professional operators is still not known.

Method

In Study 1, 20 ATCos performed air traffic control scenarios on high-fidelity radar simulators and reported their mental workload. We used a 2 (high peak, low peak) × 2 (high end, low end) within-subject design. In Study 2, another group of 43 ATCos completed a survey asking them to predict their mental workload given the same air traffic control scenarios.

Results

In Study 1, ATCos reported higher mental workload after completing the high-peak and the high-end scenarios. In contrast, in Study 2, ATCos predicted the peak workload effect but not the end workload effect when asked to predict their experience in dealing with the same scenarios.

Conclusion

Peak and end effects exist in subjective mental workload evaluation, but experts only had meta-cognitive awareness of the peak effect, and not the end effect.

Application

Researchers and practitioners that use subjective workload estimates for work design decisions need to be aware of the potential impact of peak and end task demand effects on subjective mental workload ratings provided by expert operators.
Structural and mechanical characterization of polyurethane-CaCO3 composites synthesized at high calcium carbonate loading: An experimental and theoretical study
Authors: de Moura Ana P , da Silva Enio HP , dos Santos Vanessa S , Galera Miguel F , Sales Flaminio CP , Elizario Sayonara , de Moura Márcia R , Rigo Vagner A , da Costa Romeu RC
Published: March 2021

Due to its exceptional biocompatibility, Polyurethane (PU) reinforced with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is a composite material with significant biomedical applications. However, much of the currently known mechanical and chemical information regarding composites has been obtained at low and moderate CaCO3 content levels. This study employs experimental and theoretical tools to evaluate the structural, morphological, and mechanical properties of pristine polyurethane, and when doped with CaCO3 at 25 and 50 wt.%. In the experiments the samples are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile and flexural mechanical tests, while theoretical calculations are performed to evaluate the carbonate-polymer interaction. The XRD and FT-IR results indicate that CaCO3 is at the calcite phase and that PU-CaCO3 materials exhibit a broadening of bands related to the NH2 group. This result is explained using theoretical calculations that demonstrate a weak interaction between those molecules with the CaCO3 surface, where the molecule-calcite interaction occurs primarily through the NH2 molecular link. With respect to mechanical behaviour, the results show less fracture resistance and greater stiffness for the materials containing CaCO3, compared to those containing only PU. These results are explained in terms of the stress concentration due to CaCO3 within the polymer. Finally, the results detailed in this paper show that a high calcium carbonate loading is suitable for increasing the rigidity and decreasing the fracture toughness of the biomaterial, in association with a reduction of the plastic region.
Construction of an immune-related gene signature to predict survival and treatment outcome in gastric cancer
Authors: Zhang Shuairan , Li Zhi , Dong Hang , Wu Peihong , Liu Yang , Guo Tianshu , Li Ce , Wang Shuo , Qu Xiujuan , Liu Yunpeng , Che Xiaofang , Xu Ling
Published: March 2021

Immune cells have emerged as key regulators in the occurrence and development of multiple tumor types. However, it is unclear whether immune-related genes (IRGs) and the tumor immune microenvironment can predict prognosis for patients with gastric cancer (GC). The mRNA expression data in GC tissues ( n = 368) were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed IRGs in patients with GC were determined using a computational difference algorithm. A prognostic signature was constructed using COX regression and random survival forest (RSF) analyses. In addition, datasets related to “gemcitabine resistance” and “trastuzumab resistance” (GSE58118 and GSE77346) were obtained for GEO database, and DEGs associated with drug-resistance were screened. Then, we analyzed correlations between gene expression and cancer immune infiltrates via Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) site. The cBioportal database was used to analyze drug-resistant gene mutation status and survival. One hundred and fifty-five differentially expressed IRGs were screened between GC and normal tissues, and a prognostic signature consisting of four IRGs (NRP1, PPP3R1, IL17RA, and FGF16) was closely related to the overall survival (OS). According to cutoff value of risk score, patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk group. Patients in the high-risk group had shorter OS compared to the low-risk group in both the training ( p < 0.0001) and testing sets ( p = 0.0021). In addition, we developed a 5-IRGs (LGR6, DKK1, TNFRSF1B, NRP1, and CXCR4) signature which may participate in drug resistance processes in GC. Survival analysis showed that patients with drug-resistant gene mutations had shorter OS ( p = 0.0459) and DFS ( p < 0.001). We constructed four survival-related IRGs and five IRGs related to drug resistance which may contribute to predict the prognosis of GC.