bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“I Didn't See It as a Problem, I Thought It Was Going to Be Taken Away”: Narratives From Family Members of Users in Rehab
Authors: Almanza-Avendaño Ariagor Manuel , Romero Mendoza Martha , Gomez-San Luis Anel Hortensia
Published: August 2021

There are multiple discourses on addictions that influence the way in which relatives interpret the substance use of a family member. The purpose of this study is to understand the influence of these discourses on the construction of use as a problem by relatives of people in recovery. Narratives were obtained on the path of the illness to identify the phases in the construction of use as a problem and the influence of the discourses on each phase. The process has four successive phases: normalization, impasse, exasperation, and adoption of the treatment ideology. This process goes from the legitimization of use to its moral interpretation and subsequently to the transition to medical discourse. It is concluded that it is important to reduce the influence of the moral discourse in order to facilitate timely detection and early care, as well as to design interventions focused on the reconstruction of use as a problem.
Associations Between COVID-19 Symptoms and Psychological Distress
Authors: Kim Ju-Wan , Kang Hee-Ju , Jhon Min , Ryu Seunghyong , Lee Ju-Yeon , Kang Seung-Ji , Jung Sook-In , Shin Il-Seon , Kim Sung-Wan , Stewart Robert , Kim Jae-Min
Published: August 2021

Background: Hospital isolation for COVID-19 may cause significant psychological stress. The association between COVID-19 symptoms and psychological symptoms has not been systematically studied. We investigated the effects of telephonic intervention on the relationship between psychological symptoms and COVID-19 symptoms at the time of hospitalization and 1 week later.

Method: We screened 461 patients with COVID-19 for psychiatric symptoms from February 29, 2020, to January 3, 2021. In total, 461 patients were evaluated 2 days after admission, and 322 (69.8%) were followed 1 week later. To assess anxiety and depressive symptoms, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was administered to patients once per week. The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and item 9 of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-9) were used weekly to assess insomnia and suicidal ideation.

Results: Of 461 enrolled patients, we observed clinically meaningful psychological anxiety symptoms (in 75/16.3% of patients), depression (122/26.5%), insomnia (154/33.4%), and suicidal ideation (54/11.7%). Commonly reported COVID-19 symptoms are cough/sputum/sneezing (244, 52.9%), headache/dizziness (98, 21.3%), myalgia (113, 24.5%), and sore throat (89, 19.3%). Compared to baseline, significant improvements were found in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation at 1 week. No significant group differences in ISI score were observed.

Conclusions: COVID-19 symptoms at baseline had a significant and persistent negative impact on anxiety and depression at admission and at 1 week after hospitalization. Early intervention is essential to improve the outcomes of patients with mental illness.
Acceptability of COVID-19 Certificates: A Qualitative Study in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2020
Authors: Fargnoli Vanessa , Nehme Mayssam , Guessous Idris , Burton-Jeangros Claudine
Published: August 2021

Immunity certificates related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been under discussion since the beginning of the pandemic with conflicting opinions. In order to identify arguments in favor of and against the possible implementation of documents certifying immunity of an individual based on serological testing, we developed a qualitative study in Geneva, Switzerland. The study took place between two lockdowns with a sense of semi-normalcy during summer 2020 in Switzerland but at a time when no vaccine was available and seroprevalence was below 21%. Eleven focus groups with members of the public and 14 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders were conducted between July and November 2020, with a total of 68 participants with an age range between 24 and 77 years. Interviews and focus groups transcripts were coded with the ATLAS.ti CAQDAS. Few participants considered immunity certificates based on serological testing as an acceptable public health measure. Major concerns included the reliability of scientific data related to COVID-19 immunity and serological testing potential re-infection as well as the possibility that the use of certificates could result in deleterious outcomes. Discrimination, counterfeiting, incitement for self-infection, invasion of the private sphere, violation of personal integrity, and violation of medical secrecy were perceived as the major risks. Benefits of immunity certificates were more perceived when in relation to vaccination, and included gains in medical knowledge and protection in certain contexts involving leisure or work-related activities. The consequences of implementing immunity certificates are numerous, and the acceptability by the general population has to be considered when engaging in such policy. Even if the results provide a snapshot of arguments discussed around immunity certificates based on serological testing before the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine, most of the issues discussed are central in the current debates about vaccination certificates.
Anxiety and Depression in Chinese Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Yaoyao , Bao Xiuqin , Yan Jiaxin , Miao Hualing , Guo Cheng
Published: August 2021

Background: The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide and poses a global health threat.

Aims: This study assessed the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic and explored potential moderating factors.

Methods: We searched English and Chinese databases using pertinent keywords for articles published and unpublished, up until November 2020. The estimate of the overall prevalence of anxiety and depression was conducted through a random-effects model.

Results: A total of 31 cross-sectional studies were included. The overall prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic was 24.0% (95% CI [20.0–29.0%]) and 22.0% (95% CI [18.0–27.0%]) respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that Chinese middle school students were at heightened risk of anxiety, while university students were at heightened risk of depression. Students who lived in higher-risk areas presented severe anxiety and depression, especially during the late period of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Conclusions: Overall, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high prevalence of anxiety in Chinese students and a high prevalence of depression among Chinese students in high-risk areas. Therefore, comprehensive and targeted psychological interventions should be developed to address the mental health of students in different grades, especially in high-risk areas and during the late period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nominal Operating Envelope of Pod and Pen Style Electronic Cigarettes
Authors: Hensel Edward C. , Eddingsaas Nathan C. , Saleh Qutaiba M. , Jayasekera Shehan , Sarles S. Emma , Thomas Mahagani , Myers Bryan T. , DiFrancesco Gary , Robinson Risa J.
Published: August 2021

Many Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) employ integrated sensors to detect user puffing behavior and activate the heating coil to initiate aerosol generation. The minimum puff flow rate and duration at which the ENDS device begins to generate aerosol are important parameters in quantifying the viable operating envelope of the device and are essential to formulating a design of experiments for comprehensive emissions characterization. An accurate and unbiased method for quantifying the flow condition operating envelope of ENDS is needed to quantify product characteristics across research laboratories. This study reports an accurate, unbiased method for measuring the minimum and maximum aerosolization puff flow rate and duration of seven pod-style, four pen-style and two disposable ENDS. The minimum aerosolization flow rate ranged from 2.5 to 23 (mL/s) and the minimum aerosolization duration ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 (s) across the ENDS studied. The maximum aerosolization flow rate was defined to be when the onset of liquid aspiration was evident, at flow rates ranging from 50 to 88 (mL/s). Results are presented which provide preliminary estimates for the effective maximum aerosolization flow rate and duration envelope of each ENDS. The variation in operating envelope observed between ENDS products of differing design by various manufacturers has implications for development of standardized emissions testing protocols and data reporting required for regulatory approval of new products.
Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis of Microscopic Phenotypic Characteristic Data Obtained Using Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging of Rice Bacterial Leaf Blight Infection in the Field
Authors: Du Xiao-Xuan , Park Jae-Ryoung , Kim Hyeree , Saleah Sm Abu , Yun Byoung-Ju , Jeon Mansik , Kim Kyung-Min
Published: August 2021

Rapid climate change has increased the incidence of various pests and diseases, and these threaten global food security. In particular, BLB (bacterial leaf blight) is caused by Xoo (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae) and its main characteristic is that the rice suddenly dries and withers. Recently, omics have been effectively used in agriculture. In particular, it is a key technology that can accurately diagnose diseases in the field. Until now, QTL (quantitative trait loci) mapping has been analyzed using only subjective phenotypic data by experts. However, in this study, diseases were accurately diagnosed using OCT (optical coherence tomography), and QTL mapping was performed using leaf thickness and leaf angles after Xoo inoculation. After Xoo inoculation of a 120 Cheongcheong/Nagdong double haploid (CNDH) population, QTL mapping was performed using the changing leaf angle, and OsWRKY34q1 was detected in RM811-RM14323 of chromosome 1. OsWRKY34q1 always had a higher expression level in the BLB-resistant population than in the susceptible population after Xoo inoculation. OsWRKY34q1 belongs to the WRKY family of genes. OsWRKY34q1 could be effectively used to develop BLB-resistant rice varieties in response to the current era of unpredictable climate change.
Rational Design of Constrained Peptides as Protein Interface Inhibitors
Authors: Murali Ramachandran , Zhang Hongtao , Cai Zheng , Lam Lian , Greene Mark
Published: August 2021

The lack of progress in developing targeted therapeutics directed at protein–protein complexes has been due to the absence of well-defined ligand-binding pockets and the extensive intermolecular contacts at the protein–protein interface. Our laboratory has developed approaches to dissect protein–protein complexes focusing on the superfamilies of erbB and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors by the combined use of structural biology and computational biology to facilitate small molecule development. We present a perspective on the development and application of peptide inhibitors as well as immunoadhesins to cell surface receptors performed in our laboratory.
Therapeutic Potential of Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Viral Infections, including COVID-19
Authors: Dragomanova Stela , Miteva Simona , Nicoletti Ferdinando , Mangano Katia , Fagone Paolo , Pricoco Salvatore , Staykov Hristian , Tancheva Lyubka
Published: August 2021

Oxidative stress (OS), resulting from a disrupted balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protective antioxidants, is thought to play an important pathogenetic role in several diseases, including viral infections. Alpha-lipoic acid (LA) is one of the most-studied and used natural compounds, as it is endowed with a well-defined antioxidant and immunomodulatory profile. Owing to these properties, LA has been tested in several chronic immunoinflammatory conditions, such as diabetic neuropathy and metabolic syndrome. In addition, a pharmacological antiviral profile of LA is emerging, that has attracted attention on the possible use of this compound for the cotreatment of several viral infections. Here, we will review the emerging literature on the potential use of LA in viral infections, including COVID-19.
Trust No One? A Framework for Assisting Healthcare Organisations in Transitioning to a Zero-Trust Network Architecture
Authors: Tyler Dan , Viana Thiago
Published: August 2021

Traditional networks are designed to be hard on the outside and soft on the inside. It is this soft inside which has made the traditional perimeter model laughable to attackers, who can easily breach a network and run away with the data without even having to deal with the hardened perimeter. The zero-trust security model, created by John Kindervag in 2010, addresses the security flaws of the traditional perimeter model and asserts that all network traffic on the inside should not be trusted by default. Other core principles of zero trust include verification and continuous monitoring of all communication, as well as encryption of all data in transit and data at rest, since the goal of zero trust is to focus on protecting data. Although the zero-trust model was created in 2010, with some of the associated security practices existing even before that, many healthcare organisations are still choosing to focus primarily on securing the perimeter instead of focusing on the vulnerabilities within them. The current COVID-19 pandemic which healthcare providers are struggling with further highlights the need for improvements to security within the network perimeter, as many healthcare providers and vaccine developers are still using vulnerable, outdated legacy systems which could become compromised and indirectly have a detrimental effect on patient care. Legacy systems which are technologically limited, as well as medical devices which cannot be controlled or managed by network administrators, create boundaries to transitioning to a zero-trust architecture. It is challenges like this that have been explored during the research phase of this project in order to gain a better understanding of how a health organisation can adopt zero-trust practices despite the limitations of their current architecture. From the information gathered during this research, a framework was developed to allow a health organisation to transition to a more secure architecture based on the concept of zero-trust. Aspects of the proposed framework were tested in Cisco Modelling Labs (CML), and the results were evaluated to ensure the validity of some of the recommendations laid out in the framework. The main objective of this research was to prove that if a host within the local area network (LAN) were to be compromised, the damage would be limited to that host and would not spread throughout the rest of the network. This was successful after the qualitative research performed in CML. One of the other takeaways from testing the framework in CML was that medical devices could be secured by placing firewalls directly in front of them. This placement of firewalls may seem like an unorthodox approach and was shown to increase latency, but the blocking of all unnecessary traffic on the rest of the network will result in a performance boost and should balance it out in a real-world application.
Characterization of RNA in Extracellular Vesicles
Authors: Fischer Silvia , Deindl Elisabeth
Published: August 2021

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important players in the communication between different kinds of cells by delivering their content, consisting of different types of RNA, proteins, bioactive lipids, or signaling nucleotides, into their target cells. Several types of EVs are distinguished: (1) exosomes with sizes from 30 to 150 nm originate from the endosomal pathway and form intracellular multivesicular bodies (MVBs), which fuse to the plasma membrane before their secretion. (2) EVs with sizes ranging from 100 to 1000 nm in diameter are formed during cell surface budding. (3) Apoptotic bodies with diameters from 500 to 2000 nm are released from blebbing of the cell membrane of apoptotic cells. It is well established that various RNA molecules such as coding RNAs and noncoding RNAs (long noncoding RNAs, microRNAs, circular RNAs, and rRNAs) are present in different amounts in EVs depending on the type and origin of EV. Here we will give an overview of methods to isolate different types of EVs and to quantify and characterize different RNA species.
Optimal Planning for Energy Stations and Networks in Distributed Energy Systems Based on Voronoi Diagram and Load Characteristics
Authors: Wu Jiazheng , Yuan Jiamin , Ruan Yingjun , Qian Fanyue , Meng Hua
Published: August 2021

In the existing station network planning of distributed energy systems (DESs), most of them determined the location of energy station in the alternative station site, there was a lack of a mature energy station location optimization method, and the factor load was not considered in the division of energy supply scope. This paper aimed to propose an optimal site approach for distributed energy stations based on Voronoi diagram, in which all possible candidates of energy station locations were considered. The candidate sites could be any point in the whole area. Simultaneously, after analyzing the limitations of the traditional energy supply partition method, we proposed a new energy supply partition optimization method, relative-load-distance. It was found that the annual cost of the whole system was significantly reduced by 1%, although the cost of the network in the optimized supply area was increased, compared with the supply area obtained by the partition method based on the principle of minimum distance. In addition, by adjusting the coefficient K in the relative-load-distance, the effectiveness of the optimization method in DES planning was verified.
The Fourth Fundamental Form IV of Dini-Type Helicoidal Hypersurface in the Four Dimensional Euclidean Space
Authors: Güler Erhan
Published: August 2021

We introduce the fourth fundamental form of a Dini-type helicoidal hypersurface in the four dimensional Euclidean space E4. We find the Gauss map of helicoidal hypersurface in E4. We obtain the characteristic polynomial of shape operator matrix. Then, we compute the fourth fundamental form matrix IV of the Dini-type helicoidal hypersurface. Moreover, we obtain the Dini-type rotational hypersurface, and reveal its differential geometric objects.
Is the Life History Flexibility of Cold Desert Annuals Broad Enough to Cope with Predicted Climate Change? The Case of Erodium oxyrhinchum in Central Asia
Authors: Liu Huiliang , Chen Yanfeng , Zhang Lingwei , Baskin Jerry M. , Baskin Carol C. , Zhang Lan , Liu Yan , Zhang Daoyuan , Zhang Yuanming
Published: August 2021

Interannual seasonal variability in precipitation may strongly affect the life history and growth of desert annual plants. We compared the effects of dry and wet springs and dry and wet autumns on growth and F2 seed dormancy of plants from spring (SG)- and autumn (AG)-germinated seeds of the cold desert annual Erodium oxyrhinchum. Vegetative and reproductive growth and F2 seed dormancy and germination were monitored from September 2016 to November 2020 in the sandy Gurbantunggut Desert in NW China in Central Asia. Dry autumns decreased the density of AG plants, and dry springs decreased the density of SG plants and growth of SG and AG plants. In dry springs, SG plants were more sensitive to precipitation than AG plants, while in wet springs SG and AG plants had similar responses to precipitation. During growth in both dry and wet springs, most morphological characters of SG and AG plants initially increased rapidly in size/number and then plateaued or decreased, except for SG plants in dry springs. In dry springs, most morphological characters of AG plants were larger or more numerous than those of SG plants, and they were larger/more numerous for SG plants in wet than in dry springs. The percentage biomass allocated to reproduction in SG plants was slightly higher in a wet than in a dry spring. A much higher proportion of dormant seeds was produced by AG plants in a wet spring than in a dry spring. Projected changes in precipitation due to climate change in NW China are not likely to have much of an effect on the biology of this common desert annual plant.
Antitumor Effect of Cabozantinib in Bone Metastatic Models of Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Iuliani Michele , Simonetti Sonia , Pantano Francesco , Ribelli Giulia , Di Martino Alberto , Denaro Vincenzo , Vincenzi Bruno , Russo Antonio , Tonini Giuseppe , Santini Daniele
Published: August 2021

Background: The presence of bone metastases in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) negatively affects patients’ survival. Data from clinical trials has highlighted a significant benefit of cabozantinib in bone metastatic RCC patients. Here, we evaluated the antitumor effect of cabozantinib in coculture models of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and osteoblasts (OBs) to investigate whether and how its antiproliferative activity is influenced by OBs. Methods: Bone/RCC models were generated, coculturing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Caki-1 and 786-O cells with human primary OBs in a “cell–cell contact” system. RCC proliferation and the OB molecular profile were evaluated after the cabozantinib treatment. Results: The Caki-1 cell proliferation increased in the presence of OBs (p < 0.0001), while the 786-O cell growth did not change in the coculture with the OBs. The cabozantinib treatment reduced the proliferation of both the Caki-1 (p < 0.0001) and 786-O (p = 0.03) cells cocultured with OBs. Intriguingly, the inhibitory potency of cabozantinib was higher when Caki-1 cells grew in presence of OBs compared to a monoculture (p < 0.001), and this was similar in 786-O cells alone or cocultured with OBs. Moreover, the OB pretreatment with cabozantinib “indirectly” inhibited Caki-1 cell proliferation (p = 0.040) without affecting 786-O cell growth. Finally, we found that cabozantinib was able to modulate the OB gene and molecular profile inhibiting specific proliferative signals that, in turn, could affect RCC cell growth. Conclusions: Overall, the “direct” effect of cabozantinib on OBs “indirectly” increased its antitumor activity in metastatic RCC Caki-1 cells but not in the primary 786-O model.
Phylogenomic Analyses of the Genus Pseudomonas Lead to the Rearrangement of Several Species and the Definition of New Genera
Authors: Saati-Santamaría Zaki , Peral-Aranega Ezequiel , Velázquez Encarna , Rivas Raúl , García-Fraile Paula
Published: August 2021

Pseudomonas is a large and diverse genus broadly distributed in nature. Its species play relevant roles in the biology of earth and living beings. Because of its ubiquity, the number of new species is continuously increasing although its taxonomic organization remains quite difficult to unravel. Nowadays the use of genomics is routinely employed for the analysis of bacterial systematics. In this work, we aimed to investigate the classification of species of the genus Pseudomonas on the basis of the analyses of the type strains whose genomes are currently available. Based on these analyses, we propose the creation of three new genera (Denitrificimonas gen nov. comb. nov., Neopseudomonas gen nov. comb. nov. and Parapseudomonas gen nov. comb. nov) to encompass several species currently included within the genus Pseudomonas and the reclassification of several species of this genus in already described taxa.
Acute Increase in Blood αCGRP at Maximal Exercise and Its Association to Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Carbohydrate Oxidation and Work Performed: An Exploratory Study in Young Men
Authors: Aracil-Marco Adolfo , Sarabia José , Pastor Diego , Guillén Silvia , López-Grueso Raúl , Gallar Juana , Moya-Ramón Manuel
Published: August 2021

This study aimed to explore if the acute variations in plasma concentration of α-calcitonin gene-related peptide (αCGRP) induced by a single maximal exercise bout may be associated to cardiorespiratory fitness and carbohydrate oxidation in humans. Twelve young adult Caucasian men (24.3 ± 0.9 years-old; 179.2 ± 1.9 cm of height; 23.9 ± 0.6 kg·m−2 body mass index) performed a graded exercise test. A venous catheter was placed before testing, and blood samples were taken at baseline, maximal effort and recovery. αCGRP was measured in plasma using a commercial double-sandwich enzyme-linked-immunoassay. A two-way repeated measurements ANOVA was used to compare the values obtained at baseline, maximal effort and recovery. In the whole sample, αCGRP increased at maximal effort and its concentration correlated directly, albeit non-significantly, with the muscle mass normalised VO2, VCO2, carbohydrate oxidation and relative power. Two thirds of the participants showed an increase in αCGRP concentration at maximal effort. Post hoc analysis showed that in these individuals, the muscle mass normalised VO2, VCO2, carbohydrate oxidation rate and relative power were higher than in the participants lacking this molecular response. Therefore, our data suggest that (a) a majority of young men respond to exercise with an increase in blood αCGRP concentration; and (b) individuals exhibiting this response also show a higher cardiorespiratory fitness, carbohydrate oxidation and work performed. These findings suggest that this neuropeptide could act as an exerkine with potential effects on physical performance.
Preventing Biofilm Formation and Development on Ear, Nose and Throat Medical Devices
Authors: Gheorghe Dan Cristian , Ilie Andrei , Niculescu Adelina-Gabriela , Grumezescu Alexandru Mihai
Published: August 2021

Otorhinolaryngology is a vast domain that requires the aid of many resources for optimal performance. The medical devices utilized in this branch share common problems, such as the formation of biofilms. These structured communities of microbes encased in a 3D matrix can develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR), thus making it a problem with challenging solutions. Therefore, it is of concern the introduction in the medical practice involving biomaterials for ear, nose and throat (ENT) devices, such as implants for the trachea (stents), ear (cochlear implants), and voice recovery (voice prosthetics). The surface of these materials must be biocompatible and limit the development of biofilm while still promoting regeneration. In this respect, several surface modification techniques and functionalization procedures can be utilized to facilitate the success of the implants and ensure a long time of use. On this note, this review provides information on the intricate underlying mechanisms of biofilm formation, the large specter of implants and prosthetics that are susceptible to microbial colonization and subsequently related infections. Specifically, the discussion is particularized on biofilm development on ENT devices, ways to reduce it, and recent approaches that have emerged in this field.
Memory-Guided Saccades in Psychosis: Effects of Medication and Stimulus Location
Authors: Smith Eleanor S. , Crawford Trevor J.
Published: August 2021

The memory-guided saccade task requires the remembrance of a peripheral target location, whilst inhibiting the urge to make a saccade ahead of an auditory cue. The literature has explored the endophenotypic deficits associated with differences in target laterality, but less is known about target amplitude. The data presented came from Crawford et al. (1995), employing a memory-guided saccade task among neuroleptically medicated and non-medicated patients with schizophrenia (n = 31, n = 12), neuroleptically medicated and non-medicated bipolar affective disorder (n = 12, n = 17), and neurotypical controls (n = 30). The current analyses explore the relationships between memory-guided saccades toward targets with different eccentricities (7.5° and 15°), the discernible behaviour exhibited amongst diagnostic groups, and cohorts distinguished based on psychotic symptomatology. Saccade gain control and final eye position were reduced among medicated-schizophrenia patients. These metrics were reduced further among targets with greater amplitudes (15°), indicating greater deficit. The medicated cohort exhibited reduced gain control and final eye positions in both amplitudes compared to the non-medicated cohort, with deficits markedly observed for the furthest targets. No group differences in symptomatology (positive and negative) were reported, however, a greater deficit was observed toward the larger amplitude. This suggests that within the memory-guided saccade paradigm, diagnostic classification is more prominent in characterising disparities in saccade performance than symptomatology.
Age of Diagnosis, Fidelity and Acceptability of an Early Diagnosis Clinic for Cerebral Palsy: A Single Site Implementation Study
Authors: te Velde Anna , Tantsis Esther , Novak Iona , Badawi Nadia , Berry Jane , Golland Prue , Korkalainen Johanna , McMurdo Robyn , Shehata Ronda , Morgan Catherine
Published: August 2021

Cerebral palsy (CP) diagnosis is historically late, at between 12 and 24 months. We aimed to determine diagnosis age, fidelity to recommended tests and acceptability to parents and referrers of an early diagnosis clinic to implement a recent evidence-based clinical guideline for the early diagnosis of CP. A prospective observational case series of infants <12 months with detectable risks for CP attending our clinic was completed with data analysed cross-sectionally. Infants had a high risk of CP diagnosis at a mean age of 4.4 (standard deviation [SD] 2.3) months and CP diagnosis at 8.5 [4.1] months. Of the 109 infants seen, 57% had a diagnosis of CP or high risk of CP, showing high specificity to our inclusion criteria. Parent and referrer acceptability of the clinic was high. Paediatricians had the highest rate of referral (39%) followed by allied health (31%), primary carer (14%) and other health workers (16%). Fidelity to the guideline was also high. All infants referred <5 mths had the General Movements Assessment (GMA) and all except one had the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) administered. N = 92 (84%) of infants seen had neuroimaging, including n = 53 (49%) who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), showing recommended tests are feasible. Referral to CP-specific interventions was at 4.7 [3.0] months, sometimes before referral to clinic. Clinicians can be confident CP can be diagnosed well under 12 months using recommended tools. This clinic model is acceptable to parents and referrers and supports access to CP-specific early interventions when they are likely to be most effective.
Effect of Calcium Doping Using Aqueous Phase Reforming of Glycerol over Sonochemically Synthesized Nickel-Based Supported ZrO2 Catalyst
Authors: Syuhada Ain , Ameen Mariam , Sher Farooq , Azizan Mohammad Tazli , Aqsha Aqsha , Yusoff Mohd Hizami Mohd , Ruslan Muhamad Syafiq Hazwan
Published: August 2021

The aqueous phase reforming (APR) of glycerol was studied using sonochemically synthesized 10%Ni-x%Ca/ZrO2 catalysts (where x = 0, 0.5, 3, and 5) for the production of value-added liquid products. The APR reaction was performed in a batch reactor under the following conditions: 20 bar, 230 °C 450 rpm, and 1 h of reaction time. The synthesized catalysts were characterized using XRD, FESEM, BET, and H2-TPR to observe the effect of Ca doping on the physio-chemical properties of the catalysts. The results revealed that, at higher Ca loading, the catalysts experienced serious particles’ agglomeration, which resulted in a larger particles’ size, smaller surface area, and smaller pore volume owing to uneven distribution of the particles. The characterization results of the catalysts confirmed that the Us catalysts have a slightly higher surface area, pore volume, and pore size, as well as highly reducible and fine crystalline structure, compared with WI catalysts. The catalytic performance of the catalysts shows that 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) and 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) were the two main liquid products produced from this reaction. The highest selectivity of 1,3-PDO (23.84%) was obtained over the 10%Ni/ZrO2 catalyst, while the highest selectivity of 1,2-PDO (25.87%) was obtained over the 10%Ni-5%Ca/ZrO2 catalyst.
Improvement of Alkali Metal Resistance for NH3-SCR Catalyst Cu/SSZ-13: Tune the Crystal Size
Authors: Chen Zexiang , Shen Meiqing , Wang Chen , Wang Jianqiang , Wang Jun , Shen Gurong
Published: August 2021

To improve the alkali metal resistance of commercial catalyst Cu/SSZ-13 for ammonia selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) reaction, a simple method to synthesize Cu/SSZ-13 with a core–shell like structure was developed. Compared with smaller-sized counterparts, Cu/SSZ-13 with a crystal size of 2.3 μm exhibited excellent resistance to Na poisoning. To reveal the influence of the crystal size on Cu/SSZ-13, physical structure characterization (XRD, BET, SEM, NMR) and chemical acidic distribution (H2-TPR, UV-Vis, Diethylamine-TPD, pyridine-DRIFTs, EDS) were investigated. It was found that the larger the crystal size of the molecular sieve, the more Cu is distributed in the crystal core, and the less likely it was to be replaced by Na to generate CuO. Therefore, a 2.3 μm sized Cu/SSZ-13 well-controlled the reactivity of the side reaction NH3 oxidation and the generation of N2O. The result was helpful to guide the extension of the service life of Cu/SSZ-13.
V2O5/Carbon Nanotube/Polypyrrole Based Freestanding Negative Electrodes for High-Performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Jyothibasu Jincy , Chen Ming-Zhu , Tien You-Ching , Kuo Chi-Ching , Chen Erh-Chiang , Lin Yi-Chun , Chiang Tai-Chin , Lee Rong-Ho
Published: August 2021

In this study, the vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), functionalized carbon nanotubes (f-CNT), and polypyrrole (PPy) based composites films have been prepared through a facile synthesis method and their electrochemical performance were evaluated as freestanding negative electrodes of supercapacitor. A hydrous V2O5 gel prepared by treating V2O5 powder with H2O2 was mixed with f-CNT to obtain V2O5/f-CNT composite film. V2O5/f-CNT composite was then coated with PPy through vapor phase polymerization method. The PPy deposited on the V2O5/f-CNT prevented the dissolution of V2O5 and thus resulted in an improved the capacitance and cycle life stability for V2O5/f-CNT/PPy composite electrode. V2O5/f-CNT/PPy freestanding negative electrode exhibited a high areal capacitance value (1266 mF cm−2 at a current density of 1 mA cm−2) and good cycling stability (83.0% capacitance retention after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles). The superior performance of the V2O5/f-CNT/PPy composite electrode can be attributed to the synergy between f-CNT with high conductivity and V2O5 and PPy with high-energy densities. Thus, V2O5/f-CNT/PPy composite based electrode can effectively mitigate the drawbacks of the low specific capacitance of CNTs and the poor cycling life of V2O5.
Role of Irisin in Myocardial Infarction, Heart Failure, and Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Ho Ming-Yun , Wang Chao-Yung
Published: August 2021

Irisin is a myokine derived from the cleavage of fibronectin type III domain-containing 5. Irisin regulates mitochondrial energy, glucose metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, and fat browning. Skeletal muscle and cardiomyocytes produce irisin and affect various cardiovascular functions. In the early phase of acute myocardial infarction, an increasing irisin level can reduce endothelial damage by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress. By contrast, higher levels of irisin in the later phase of myocardial infarction are associated with more cardiovascular events. During different stages of heart failure, irisin has various influences on mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, metabolic imbalance, energy expenditure, and heart failure prognosis. Irisin affects blood pressure and controls hypertension through modulating vasodilatation. Moreover, irisin can enhance vasoconstriction via the hypothalamus. Because of these dual effects of irisin on cardiovascular physiology, irisin can be a critical therapeutic target in cardiovascular diseases. This review focuses on the complex functions of irisin in myocardial ischemia, heart failure, and cardiac hypertrophy.
Relationship between the Affordances for Motor Behavior of Schoolchildren (AMBS) and Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) in Brazilian Children
Authors: Flôres Fábio Saraiva , Rodrigues Luis Paulo , Cordovil Rita
Published: August 2021

During growth, children are influenced by an extensive network, in which more favorable contexts provide better affordance landscapes, and consequently have a better potential to foster child development. We aimed to examine the affordances provided to children using the Affordances for Motor Behavior of Schoolchildren (AMBS) tool, estimating its association with children’s motor competence, as assessed by the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) battery. Seventy-two Brazilian children were evaluated using the MCA instrument. Their parents/guardians completed the AMBS. The correlations between the two instruments (sub-scales and total scores) were investigated. ANOVAs were used to compare the motor competence performance of children with Low, Average, and High AMBS scores. Positive associations were found between AMBS and MCA, although weak to moderate in nature. In addition, children whose environments were richer in motor affordances (higher AMBS scores) showed significantly higher levels on the MCA. This study provides evidence that AMBS is a valid tool for assessing motor affordances for schoolchildren, and that those affordances are related to children’s motor competence.
Image Definition Evaluations on Denoised and Sharpened Wood Grain Images
Authors: Mao Jingjing , Wu Zhihui , Feng Xinhao
Published: August 2021

Decorative paper and wood veneer have been widely used in the surface decoration of wood-based panels. These surface decoration methods require two-dimensional image acquisition of natural wood grain to obtain the digital grain. However, optically scanned images sometimes produce noise during the process of image acquisition and transmission. In this situation, scanned images cannot be used directly in wood grain reproductions. To reduce noise and retain or strengthen the image sharpness, studies are mostly aimed at the improvement of classic denoising algorithms and edge width-based sharpness evaluation algorithms. To enhance accessibility for common users, four kinds of wood grain images with distinct colors were chosen, and the noise filter (Dust & Scratches) and sharpen filter (Unsharp Mask, USM) were used to denoise and sharpen the images. According to the properties of the two filters, image definition in this study was considered from two aspects: detail retention and sharpness retention. To have an objective evaluation on the definition of denoised and sharpened images, two types of evaluation functions Roberts gradient function (RGF) and modulation transfer function (MTF) were introduced. The purpose of this study was to estimate the image definition by exploring the relationships between the evaluation functions and the commonly used filters in order to allow the required wood grain images to be quickly and accurately processed by common users. The results showed that RGF was only applicable to the case where the two parameters in Dust & Scratches were changed individually, while MTF was not suitable in any case. When both parameters were changed, the required denoising scheme could be obtained through PSNR and SSIM. For the images with distinct colors, even if they were acquired in the same way, denoising them with the same parameter setting was not recommended. For sharpness retention, the values of Radius and Amount in USM were given, and when the Threshold value was set to 20 (levels), the sharpness of the wood grain images barely changed. In this case, both RGF and MTF were suitable to evaluate the sharpness of the wood grain images sharpened by USM.
Enhanced Photoresponsivity of 2H-MoTe2 by Inserting 1T-MoTe2 Interlayer Contact for Photodetector Applications
Authors: Lin Der-Yuh , Hsu Hung-Pin , Liu Guang-Hsin , Dai Ting-Zhong , Shih Yu-Tai
Published: August 2021

The 2H molybdenum telluride (MoTe2) photodetector structures were made with inserting 1T-MoTe2 interlayer contacts. The optical response properties such as photoconductivity (PC) spectroscopy, illumination intensity dependent photoresponsivity, frequency dependent photocurrent, and time-resolved photoresponse were carried out in this study. In PC spectra, a much higher photoresponsivity of 2H-MoTe2 were observed by inserting 1T-MoTe2 interlayer contact. The frequency dependent photocurrent and time-resolved photoresponse investigations explore the carrier kinetic decay process of MoTe2 with different electrode contact. The Schottky barrier heights (SBH) extracted by thermionic emission theory were also investigated by inserting 1T-MoTe2 interlayer contacts. The results show the potential applicability for photodetection devices based MoTe2 layered transition metal dichalcogenides semiconductors.
A Novel Quantitative Method for Tooth Grinding Surface Assessment Using 3D Scanning
Authors: Sagl Benedikt , Besirevic-Bulic Ferida , Schmid-Schwap Martina , Laky Brenda , Janjić Klara , Piehslinger Eva , Rausch-Fan Xiaohui
Published: August 2021

Sleep bruxism is an oral parafunction that involves involuntary tooth grinding and clenching. Splints with a colored layer that gets removed during tooth grinding are a common tool for the initial diagnosis of sleep bruxism. Currently, such splints are either assessed qualitatively or using 2D photographs, leading to a non-neglectable error due to the 3D nature of the dentition. In this study we propose a new and fast method for the quantitative assessment of tooth grinding surfaces using 3D scanning and mesh processing. We assessed our diagnostic method by producing 18 standardized splints with 8 grinding surfaces each, giving us a total of 144 surfaces. Moreover, each splint was scanned and analyzed five times. The accuracy and repeatability of our method was assessed by computing the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) as well reporting means and standard deviations of surface measurements for intra- and intersplint measurements. An ICC of 0.998 was computed as well as a maximum standard deviation of 0.63 mm2 for repeated measures, suggesting an appropriate accuracy of our proposed method. Overall, this study proposes an innovative, fast and cost effective method to support the initial diagnosis of sleep bruxism.
Application of Euler Neural Networks with Soft Computing Paradigm to Solve Nonlinear Problems Arising in Heat Transfer
Authors: Khan Naveed Ahmad , Khalaf Osamah Ibrahim , Romero Carlos Andrés Tavera , Sulaiman Muhammad , Bakar Maharani A.
Published: August 2021

In this study, a novel application of neurocomputing technique is presented for solving nonlinear heat transfer and natural convection porous fin problems arising in almost all areas of engineering and technology, especially in mechanical engineering. The mathematical models of the problems are exploited by the intelligent strength of Euler polynomials based Euler neural networks (ENN’s), optimized with a generalized normal distribution optimization (GNDO) algorithm and Interior point algorithm (IPA). In this scheme, ENN’s based differential equation models are constructed in an unsupervised manner, in which the neurons are trained by GNDO as an effective global search technique and IPA, which enhances the local search convergence. Moreover, a temperature distribution of heat transfer and natural convection porous fin are investigated by using an ENN-GNDO-IPA algorithm under the influence of variations in specific heat, thermal conductivity, internal heat generation, and heat transfer rate, respectively. A large number of executions are performed on the proposed technique for different cases to determine the reliability and effectiveness through various performance indicators including Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), error in Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (ENSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and Thiel’s inequality coefficient (TIC). Extensive graphical and statistical analysis shows the dominance of the proposed algorithm with state-of-the-art algorithms and numerical solver RK-4.
Internet of Things: The Optimal Generation Rates under Preemption Strategy in a Multi-Source Queuing System
Authors: Zhang Tianci , Chen Shutong , Chen Zhengchuan
Published: August 2021

With the rapid development and wide application of the Internet of Things (IoT), how to provide timely and fresh information for strategic analysis and decision-making has become a key issue. Recent studies have shown that preemption strategies are of great importance to the improvement of information freshness. In view of this, we focus on the multi-source preemptive queuing model and investigate how to control the generation rate of each source to achieve the optimal overall information freshness. Specifically, we consider two typical preemption strategies: self-preemption strategy and global-preemption strategy. Noting that the urgency requirements of the systems on the data of each source are different, we propose the weighted average age of information (AoI) to characterize the overall information freshness of the system. For the self-preemption strategy, we prove that the optimal generation rate allocation is a convex problem and present an efficient algorithm to find the optimal solution. Additionally, we also derive a closed-form approximate optimal solution under light load cases to meet the demands for rapid deployment. For the global-preemption strategy, we directly derive the closed-form optimal solution of the corresponding problem. By comparing the optimized weighted average AoIs, the performance achieved by the global-preemption system was better than that achieved by the self-preemption system in terms of the overall timeliness. The numerical analysis verified the correctness of the theoretical analysis and that the proposed approximate solution had high accuracy not only under light load cases but also under other cases.
Multi-Target Tracking Algorithm Based on 2-D Velocity Measurements Using Dual-Frequency Interferometric Radar
Authors: Ishtiaq Saima , Wang Xiangrong , Hassan Shahid
Published: August 2021

Multi-target tracking (MTT) generally requires either a network of Doppler radar receivers distributed at different locations or a phased array radar. The targets moving with small/no radial velocity or angular velocity only cannot be detected and localized completely by deploying Doppler radar without antenna arrays or multiple receivers. To resolve this issue, we present a new MTT algorithm based on 2-D velocity measurements, namely, radial and angular velocities, using dual-frequency interferometric radar. The contributions of the proposed research are twofold: First, we introduce the mathematical model and implementation of the proposed algorithm by explicitly establishing the relationship between 2-D velocity measurements and kinematic state of the target in terms of Cartesian coordinates. Based on 2-D velocity measurement function, the proposed MTT algorithm comprises the following steps: (i) data association using global nearest neighbor (GNN) method (ii) target state estimation using interacting multiple model (IMM) estimator combined with square-root cubature Kalman filter (SCKF) (iii) track management using rule-based M/N logic. Second, performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated in terms of tracking accuracy, computational complexity and IMM mean model probabilities. Simulation results for different scenarios with multiple targets moving in different tracks have been presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.