bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial Risks, Work Engagement, and Job Satisfaction of Nurses During COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Giménez-Espert María del Carmen , Prado-Gascó Vicente , Soto-Rubio Ana
Published: November 2020

Context:COVID-19 pandemic is a serious health emergency that has affected countries all over the world. Health emergencies are a critical psychosocial risk factor for nurses. In general, psychosocial risks constitute serious problems as they impact workers' health, productivity, and efficiency. Despite their importance, few studies analyze nurses' psychosocial risks during a health emergency caused by a pandemic or analyze their perception of the emergency and its relation to such risks.

Objectives:To analyze the perception of COVID-19 by nurses, especially about measures, resources, and impact on their daily work. Also, to analyze these professionals' psychosocial risks and the relationship between perception of COVID-19 and these risks.

Methods:A descriptive correlational study was performed in a convenience sample of 92 nurses from two public hospitals in the Valencian Community (Spain), (74 women, 79.1%), aged 24–63 (M = 43.37, SD = 11.58). Data were collected via an online self-completed questionnaire during the rise of the pandemic from March 29 to April 8, when the number of infections went from 78,797 to 146,690.

Results:The measures and resources available about COVID-19 are relatively low, and the impact on their work is high. Similarly, the most prominent psychosocial risks appear to be emotional work and workload. In contrast, nurses' work engagement is medium, and their satisfaction is high. Finally, there seems to be a negative and significant relationship between the information available to nurses, the measures implemented, and resources with some of their psychosocial risks, and a positive one with job satisfaction and work engagement. There is also a positive and significant relationship only between the impact of COVID-19 and their work inequality, but not for other risks.

Conclusions:The resources, measures, and information can be a protective factor facing nurses' psychosocial risks, especially during a pandemic. Studying the relationships between psychosocial risk and perception of a health emergency would be relevant and fundamental to protecting and caring for nurses, health professionals, and society.
Isolation, Genotyping, and Mouse Virulence Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii From Free Ranging Iberian Pigs
Authors: Fernández-Escobar Mercedes , Calero-Bernal Rafael , Regidor-Cerrillo Javier , Vallejo Raquel , Benavides Julio , Collantes-Fernández Esther , Ortega-Mora Luis Miguel
Published: November 2020

The present study aimed to isolate and perform molecular and phenotypic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii strains infecting Iberian pigs bred under semi-free conditions and destined for human consumption. Blood and heart tissue samples from 361 fattening pigs from 10 various herds selected in the main areas of Iberian pig production were collected at a slaughterhouse; the sera were tested for anti-T. gondii antibodies using a commercial indirect ELISA kit, and a mouse bioassay was carried out using heart muscle of seropositive individual representatives from each geographical location. Seventy-nine (21.9%) of the 361 animals tested positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies according to the serology test. Fifteen samples of myocardial tissue were subjected to bioassay and 5 isolates (TgPigSp1 to TgPigSp5) were obtained. The isolates were characterized by using 11 PCR-RFLP genetic markers; three isolates had a ToxoDB #3 genotype (3/5) and two isolates had a ToxoDB #2 genotype (2/5). The TgPigSp1 and TgPigSp4 isolates were selected for virulence in mice characterization as instances of each different RFLP-genotype found. The TgPigSp1 isolate (#2 genotype) was virulent in mice with notable cumulative mortality (87.5%) and morbidity rates (100%); the TgPigSp4 (#3) was nonvirulent and triggered mild clinical signs in 42.1% of seropositive mice. Infection dynamics and organ distribution of both isolates were analyzed; the data revealed significant differences, including substantially higher parasite load in the lung during the acute phase of infection, in mice infected with TgPigSp1 than in the case of TgPigSp4 (median parasite load 7.6 vs. 0 zoites/mg, respectively; p < 0.05). Furthermore, degrees of severity of detected histopathological lesions appeared to be related to higher parasite burdens. Taking into account the unexpectedly high mortality rate and parasite load associated with the clonal genotype III, which is traditionally considered nonvirulent in mice, the need for further investigation and characterization of the T. gondii strains circulating in any host in Europe is emphasized.
The Mediation of miR-34a/miR-449c for Immune Cytokines in Acute Cold/Heat-Stressed Broiler Chicken
Authors: Li Tao , Song Yiping , Bao Xiuyu , Zhang Jianqin
Published: November 2020

An increasing amount of evidence has revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs) participated in immune regulation and reaction to acute cold and heat stresses. As a new type of post-transcriptional regulatory factor, miRNA has received widespread attention; However, the specific mechanism used for this regulation still needs to be determined. In this study, thirty broilers at the same growth period were divided into three groups and treated with different temperature and humidity of CS (10–15 °C and 90% Relative Humidity (RH)), HS (39 °C and 90% RH), and NS (26 °C and 50–60% RH) respectively. After 6 h, splenic tissues were collected from all study groups. miRNA sequencing was performed to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) between HS, CS, and NS. We found 33, 37, and 7 DEMs in the HS-NS, HS-CS, CS-NS group. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that DEMs were significantly enriched in cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction and functioned as the cellular responders to stress. We chose two miRNA, miR-34a and miR-449c, from the same family and differential expressed in HS-CS and HS-NS group, as the research objects to predict and verify the target genes. The dual-luciferase reporter assay and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed that two cytokines, IL-2 and IL-12α, were the direct target genes of miR-34a and miR-449c. To further understand the mediation mechanism of miRNAs in acute cold/heat-stressed broiler chicken, a splenic cytokines profile was constructed. The results showed that IL-1β was strongly related to acute heat stress in broiler chicken, and from this we predicted that the increased expression of IL-1β might promote the expression of miR-34a, inducing the upregulation of interferon-γ (INF-γ) and IL-17. Our finds have laid a theoretical foundation for the breeding of poultry resistance and alleviation of the adverse effects of stress.
Using Autoregressive with Exogenous Input Models to Study Pulsatile Flows
Authors: Duran-Hernandez Carlos , Ledesma-Alonso Rene , Etcheverry Gibran
Published: November 2020

The content of this paper shows the first outcomes of a supplementary method to simulate the behavior of a simple design formed by two rectangular leaflets under a pulsatile flow condition. These problems are commonly handled by using Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) simulations; however, one of its main limitations are the high computational cost required to conduct short time simulations and the vast number of parameter adjustments to simulate different scenarios. In order to overcome these disadvantages, we propose a system identification method with hereditary computation—AutoRegressive with eXogenous (ARX) input method—to train a model with FSI simulation outcomes and then use this model to simulate the outputs that are commonly measured from this kind of simulation, such as the pressure difference and the opening area of the leaflets. Numerical results of the presented methodology show that our model is able to follow the trend with significant agreement with the FSI results, with an average correlation coefficient R of Rtr=90.14% and Rtr=92.27% in training; whereas for validation, the average R is Rval=93.31% and Rval=83.08% for opening area and pressure difference, respectively. The system identification model is efficiently capable of estimating the outputs of the FSI approach; however, it is not intended to substitute FSI simulations, but to complement them when the requirement is to conduct many repetitions of the phenomena with similar conditions.
Refined Seismic Design Method for RC Frame Structures to Increase the Collapse Resistant Capacity
Authors: Gao Mengmeng , Li Shuang
Published: November 2020

In current structural design codes, elastic vibration modes are used for seismic design. However, when a structure is subjected to strong earthquakes and inelastic response or even when collapse damage is observed, the damage state is always unevenly distributed along the height of the structure. Such a phenomenon implies the materials of stories with elastic response and slight damage are not fully utilized. In this paper, a new practical and effective method, which improves collapse resistant capacity by making full use of materials, is proposed for reinforcement concrete (RC) frame structures at a structural collapse state. In this method, incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) is used to evaluate the structural collapse capacity. Tangent_ratio (TR) is formulated based on the IDA curves, and the longitudinal reinforcement of columns is modified based on the TR to achieve uniform distribution of damage along the height of building. Fewer variables are optimized and constraints of the provisions in current codes are considered, which makes the proposed procedure more computationally efficient and practical. The proposed method is employed on a 5-story RC frame structure to illustrate its feasibility and practicality. Comparison work indicates that the refined seismic design method can significantly increase the collapse resistant capacity and decrease the maximum inter-story drift ratio response under strong ground motion in a few iterative steps without a cost increase.
Effect of Moderate Temperature Thermal Modification Combined with Wax Impregnation on Wood Properties
Authors: Zhang Jing-Wen , Liu Hong-Hai , Yang Lin , Han Tian-Qi , Yin Qin
Published: November 2020

Thermal modification (TM) improves the hydrophobicity, dimensional stability, and durability of wood, but TM commonly results in severe color change and mechanical strength loss as wood is treated at higher temperature. In this study, Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kurz wood was thermally modified at moderate temperature (150 °C) and higher temperature (200 °C), and subsequently TM wood at 150 °C was subjected to wax impregnation (WI), the effect of a combination of TM and WI on the hygroscopicity, dimensional stability, and mechanical properties, as well as the micro-structure of wood, were investigated and compared. The results showed that the mass loss of wood was slight at 150 °C TM, while it became severe at 200 °C TM conditions. TM conditions affected the amount of the subsequent wax impregnation; the equilibrium moisture content (EMC), water absorption ratio, and adsorption and absorption swelling of the 150 °C TM + WI group were lower than that of 200 °C TM, and presented the lowest value. Moderate temperature TM could improve the hydrophobicity and dimensional stability of wood, but WI played a key role in the improvement. TM decreased the modulus of rupture (MOR) of wood, while WI improved the MOR. TM increased the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of wood, but WI had little effect on MOE; Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation showed that the wax was successfully impregnated into the wood interior, and presented an even distribution on the internal surfaces of wood cells; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra verified the changes of –OH and C=O after TM and TM + WI, which contributed to decreasing hygroscopicity and improving the dimensional stability of the wood. Impregnated wax improved wood mechanical strength, but decreased the lightness, and deepened the color of wood. The combination of thermal modification at moderate temperature with subsequent wax impregnation is a practical approach for improving wood properties.
The Power of HPTLC-ATR-FTIR Hyphenation in Bioactivity Analysis of Plant Extracts
Authors: Agatonovic-Kustrin Snezana , Morton David W.
Published: November 2020

Given the simplicity in sample preparation and application, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) as its most enhanced form are commonly used to separate and identify complex mixtures in solution [...]
Reduction in Robotic Arm Energy Consumption by Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Vysocký Aleš , Papřok Richard , Šafařík Jakub , Kot Tomáš , Bobovský Zdenko , Novák Petr , Snášel Václav
Published: November 2020

Improved energy usage efficiency is a common goal for economic and environmental reasons. In this manuscript, we present a new approach for the execution of a point-to-point robot motion. The energy efficiency of an industrial or collaborative robot is increased by the reduction of the energy consumption during nontechnological, path-independent movements. The novel trajectory generation method relies on particle swarm optimization with a Bezier curve interpolator. We present the effectiveness of the algorithm on several chosen trajectories, where the best result yields up to 40% energy saving, while the worst is still at least 10%. We verified the results of our method by real-world tests on a UR3 robotic arm.
Modeling and Forecasting Gender-Based Violence through Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Rodríguez-Rodríguez Ignacio , Rodríguez José-Víctor , Pardo-Quiles Domingo-Javier , Heras-González Purificación , Chatzigiannakis Ioannis
Published: November 2020

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a serious problem that societies and governments must address using all applicable resources. This requires adequate planning in order to optimize both resources and budget, which demands a thorough understanding of the magnitude of the problem, as well as analysis of its past impact in order to infer future incidence. On the other hand, for years, the rise of Machine Learning techniques and Big Data has led different countries to collect information on both GBV and other general social variables that in one way or another can affect violence levels. In this work, in order to forecast GBV, firstly, a database of features related to more than a decade’s worth of GBV is compiled and prepared from official sources available due to Spain’s open access. Then, secondly, a methodology is proposed that involves testing different methods of features selection so that, with each of the subsets generated, four techniques of predictive algorithms are applied and compared. The tests conducted indicate that it is possible to predict the number of GBV complaints presented to a court at a predictive horizon of six months with an accuracy (Root Median Squared Error) of 0.1686 complaints to the courts per 10,000 inhabitants—throughout the whole Spanish territory—with a Multi-Objective Evolutionary Search Strategy for the selection of variables, and with Random Forest as the predictive algorithm. The proposed methodology has also been successfully applied to three specific Spanish territories of different populations (large, medium, and small), pointing to the presented method’s possible use elsewhere in the world.
Automatic Extraction of Material Defect Size by Infrared Image Sequence
Authors: Yuan Lihua , Zhu Xiao , Sun Quanbin , Liu Haibo , Yuen Peter , Liu Yonghuai
Published: November 2020

A typical pulsed thermography procedure results in a sequence of infrared images that reflects the evolution of temperature over time. Many features of defects, such as shape, position, and size, are derived from single image by image processing. Hence, determining the key frame from the sequence is an important problem to be solved first. A maximum standard deviation of the sensitive region method was proposed, which can identify a reasonable image frame automatically from an infrared image sequence; then, a stratagem of image composition was applied for enhancing the detection of deep defects in the key frame. Blob analysis had been adopted to acquire general information of defects such as their distributions and total number of defects. A region of interest of the defect was automatically located by its key frame combined with blob analysis. The defect information was obtained through image segmentation techniques. To obtain a robustness of results, a method of two steps of detection was proposed. The specimen of polyvinyl chloride with two artificial defects at different depths as an example was used to demonstrate how to operate the proposed method for an accurate result. At last, the proposed method was successfully adopted to examine the damage of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. A comparative study between the proposed method and several state-of-the-art ones shows that the former is accurate and reliable and may provide a more useful and reliable tool for quality assurance in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
Novel Bionic Design Method for Skeleton Structures Based on Load Path Analysis
Authors: Wang Zhaohua , Wu Nan , Wang Qingguo , Li Yongxin , Yang Quanwei , Wu Fenghe
Published: November 2020

Biological structures have excellent mechanical performances including lightweight, high stiffness, etc. However, these are difficult to apply directly to some given complex structures, such as automobile frame, control arm, etc. In this study, a novel bionic design method for skeleton structures with complex features is proposed by the bio-inspired idea of “main-branch and sub-branch”. The envelope model of a given part is established by analyzing the structural functions and working conditions, and the load path is extracted by the load-transferred law as the structural main-branch. Then, the selection criterion of bionic prototype is established from three aspects: load similarity, structural similarity and manufacturability. The cross-sections with high similarities are selected as the structural sub-branch. Finally, the multi-objective size optimization is carried out and a new model is established. The bionic design of a control arm is carried out by the method: structural main-branch is obtained by the load path analysis and structural sub-branch is occupied by the fish-bone structure. The design result shows that the structural stiffness is increased by 62.3%, while the weight is reduced by 24.75%. The method can also be used for other fields including automobile, aerospace and civil engineering.
Seasonal Variations of High-Frequency Gravity Wave Momentum Fluxes and Their Forcing toward Zonal Winds in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere over Langfang, China (39.4° N, 116.7° E)
Authors: Tian Caixia , Hu Xiong , Liu Yurong , Cheng Xuan , Yan Zhaoai , Cai Bing
Published: November 2020

Meteor radar data collected over Langfang, China (39.4° N, 116.7° E) were used to estimate the momentum flux of short-period (less than 2 h) gravity waves (GWs) in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT), using the Hocking (2005) analysis technique. Seasonal variations in GW momentum flux exhibited annual oscillation (AO), semiannual oscillation (SAO), and quasi-4-month oscillation. Quantitative estimations of GW forcing toward the mean zonal flow were provided using the determined GW momentum flux. The mean flow acceleration estimated from the divergence of this flux was compared with the observed acceleration of zonal winds displaying SAO and quasi-4-month oscillations. These comparisons were used to analyze the contribution of zonal momentum fluxes of SAO and quasi-4-month oscillations to zonal winds. The estimated acceleration from high-frequency GWs was in the same direction as the observed acceleration of zonal winds for quasi-4-month oscillation winds, with GWs contributing more than 69%. The estimated acceleration due to Coriolis forces to the zonal wind was studied; the findings were opposite to the estimated acceleration of high-frequency GWs for quasi-4-month oscillation winds. The significance of this study lies in estimating and quantifying the contribution of the GW momentum fluxes to zonal winds with quasi-4-month periods over mid-latitude regions for the first time.
Predictors of HbA1c among Adipocytokine Biomarkers in African-American Men with Varied Glucose Tolerance
Authors: Barengolts Elena , Akbar Arfana , Layden Brian T. , Eisenberg Yuval , Priyadarshini Medha , Borgia Jeffrey A. , Fhied Cristina L. , Salim Michael , Dugas Lara R.
Published: November 2020

This study explored adipocytokine associations with acute and chronic hyperglycemia in African-American men (AAM). Fourteen adipocytokines were measured from men with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) or type 2 diabetes (T2D, drug-naïve MF(−) or using metformin MF(+)). Acute and chronic hyperglycemia were evaluated by 120 min oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). AAM with T2D (n = 21) compared to NGT (n = 20) were older, had higher BMI and slightly higher glucose and insulin. In the fasted state, TNF-α, IL-6, PAI-1, IL-13, adiponectin, adipsin, and lipocalin were lower in T2D vs. NGT. At 120 min post-glucose load, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-13, IL-8, PAI-1, adiponectin, adipsin, lipocalin, and resistin were lower in T2D vs. NGT. There were no statistical differences for GM-CSF, IL-7, IL-10, IP-10, and MCP-1. Regression analysis showed that fasting IL-8, TNF-α, adiponectin, lipocalin, resistin, adipsin, and PAI-1 were associated with HbA1c. After adjusting for age, BMI, glucose tolerance, and metformin use, only adipsin remained significantly associated with HbA1c (p = 0.021). The model including adipsin, TNF-α, age, BMI, and group designation (i.e., NGT, MF(−), MF(+)) explained 86% of HbA1c variability. The data suggested that adipsin could be associated with HbA1c in AAM with varied glucose tolerance.
Electrochemical Biosensors for Detection of MicroRNA as a Cancer Biomarker: Pros and Cons
Authors: El Aamri Maliana , Yammouri Ghita , Mohammadi Hasna , Amine Aziz , Korri-Youssoufi Hafsa
Published: November 2020

Cancer is the second most fatal disease in the world and an early diagnosis is important for a successful treatment. Thus, it is necessary to develop fast, sensitive, simple, and inexpensive analytical tools for cancer biomarker detection. MicroRNA (miRNA) is an RNA cancer biomarker where the expression level in body fluid is strongly correlated to cancer. Various biosensors involving the detection of miRNA for cancer diagnosis were developed. The present review offers a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in electrochemical biosensor for miRNA cancer marker detection from 2015 to 2020. The review focuses on the approaches to direct miRNA detection based on the electrochemical signal. It includes a RedOx-labeled probe with different designs, RedOx DNA-intercalating agents, various kinds of RedOx catalysts used to produce a signal response, and finally a free RedOx indicator. Furthermore, the advantages and drawbacks of these approaches are highlighted.
Combined Effects of Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Alcohol Drinking on the Neuroinflammatory Cytokine Response and Cognitive Behavioral Outcomes
Authors: Hoffman Jessica , Yu Jin , Kirstein Cheryl , Kindy Mark S.
Published: November 2020

The relationship between alcohol consumption and traumatic brain injury (TBI) often focuses on alcohol consumption increasing the likelihood of incurring a TBI, rather than alcohol use outcomes after TBI. However, patients without a history of an alcohol use disorder can also show increased problem drinking after single or multiple TBIs. Alcohol and mild TBI share diffuse deleterious neurological impacts and cognitive impairments; therefore, the purpose of these studies was to determine if an interaction on brain and behavior outcomes occurs when alcohol is consumed longitudinally after TBI. To examine the impact of mild repetitive TBI (rmTBI) on voluntary alcohol consumption, mice were subjected to four mild TBI or sham procedures over a 2 week period, then offered alcohol (20% v/v) for 2 weeks using the two-bottle choice, drinking in the dark protocol. Following the drinking period, mice were evaluated for neuroinflammatory cytokine response or tested for cognitive and behavioral deficits. Results indicate no difference in alcohol consumption or preference following rmTBI as compared to sham; however, increases in the neuroinflammatory cytokine response due to alcohol consumption and some mild cognitive behavioral deficits after rmTBI and alcohol consumption were observed. These data suggest that the cytokine response to alcohol drinking and rmTBI + alcohol drinking is not necessarily aggregate, but the combination does result in an exacerbation of cognitive behavioral outcomes.
ColorViz, a New and Rapid Tool for Assessing Collateral Circulation during Stroke
Authors: Verdolotti Tommaso , Pilato Fabio , Cottonaro Simone , Monelli Edoardo , Giordano Carolina , Guadalupi Pamela , Benenati Massimo , Ramaglia Antonia , Costantini Alessandro Maria , Alexandre Andrea , Di Iorio Riccardo , Colosimo Cesare
Published: November 2020

Prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke is strictly related to the patency and prominence of the collateral leptomeningeal pathways distal to the arterial occlusion. The gold standard for assessment of collateral circulation is conventional angiography, but it is invasive and used in selected cases. To date, the most reliable technique is multiphase CTA; currently, the available classifications of collateral circles are often complex, time-consuming, and require a trained observer. The purpose of our work is to establish the effectiveness of a new semi-automatic post-processing software (ColorViz FastStroke, GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) in evaluation of collateral circulation compared to the six-point classifications of multiphase CTA already validated in literature. We selected 86 patients with anterior ischemic stroke symptoms who underwent multiphasic CTA in our emergency department. Two radiologists separately evaluated the collateral leptomeningeal vessels, analyzing respectively, the multiphase CTA (using the six-point scale and its trichotomized form) and ColorViz (using a three-point scale). Then the results were matched. We found a good correlation between the two different analyses; the main advantage of ColorViz is that, while maintaining fast diagnostic times, it allows a simpler and more immediate evaluation of collateral circulation, especially for less experienced radiologists.
Neuroimaging Markers for Studying Gulf-War Illness: Single-Subject Level Analytical Method Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Guan Yi , Cheng Chia-Hsin , Chen Weifan , Zhang Yingqi , Koo Sophia , Krengel Maxine , Janulewicz Patricia , Toomey Rosemary , Yang Ehwa , Bhadelia Rafeeque , Steele Lea , Kim Jae-Hun , Sullivan Kimberly , Koo Bang-Bon
Published: November 2020

Gulf War illness (GWI) refers to the multitude of chronic health symptoms, spanning from fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and neurological complaints to respiratory, gastrointestinal, and dermatologic symptoms experienced by about 250,000 GW veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War (GW). Longitudinal studies showed that the severity of these symptoms often remain unchanged even years after the GW, and these veterans with GWI continue to have poorer general health and increased chronic medical conditions than their non-deployed counterparts. For better management and treatment of this condition, there is an urgent need for developing objective biomarkers that can help with simple and accurate diagnosis of GWI. In this study, we applied multiple neuroimaging techniques, including T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T1W-MRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and novel neurite density imaging (NDI) to perform both a group-level statistical comparison and a single-subject level machine learning (ML) analysis to identify diagnostic imaging features of GWI. Our results supported NDI as the most sensitive in defining GWI characteristics. In particular, our classifier trained with white matter NDI features achieved an accuracy of 90% and F-score of 0.941 for classifying GWI cases from controls after the cross-validation. These results are consistent with our previous study which suggests that NDI measures are sensitive to the microstructural and macrostructural changes in the brain of veterans with GWI, which can be valuable for designing better diagnosis method and treatment efficacy studies.
Efficacy of Intravenous Hydrocortisone Treatment in Refractory Neonatal Seizures: A Report on Three Cases
Authors: Di Rosa Gabriella , Dicanio Daniela , Nicotera Antonio Gennaro , Mondello Patrizia , Cannavò Laura , Gitto Eloisa
Published: November 2020

Neonatal seizures are the most common neurological emergency, and neonatal status epilepticus (NSE) remains a controversial entity, with no general consensus about its definition and treatment. Here, we report on three newborns with NSE refractory to first- and second-line antiepileptic drugs successfully treated with intravenous (IV) hydrocortisone. The patients had previously failed therapy with levetiracetam, phenobarbital and midazolam, showing persistent clinical and electrical seizures. Modulation of brain inflammation triggered during prolonged epileptic activity has been thought to potentially explain the beneficial effects of anti-inflammatory treatment.
Vestibular Functioning in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using the Functional Head Impulse Test
Authors: Caldani Simona , Baghdadi Moetez , Moscoso Ana , Acquaviva Eric , Gerard Christophe-Loïc , Marcelli Vincenzo , Peyre Hugo , Atzori Paola , Delorme Richard , Bucci Maria Pia
Published: November 2020

Several studies in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), reading impairment, or attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD) pointed toward a potential dysfunction of the vestibular system, specifically in its complex relationship with the cerebellum. The aim of the present study was to test the functional vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) responses in children with NDDs to measure functional performance of the vestibular system. The VOR is specifically involved in this stabilization of the image on the retina during rapid movements of the head. To perform this study, four groups of children with ASD, ADHD, reading impairment, and with neurotypical development (TD) were enrolled (n = 80). We performed the functional head impulse test (fHIT), which measured the percentage of correct responses by asking the child to identify an optotype briefly presented during passive head impulse in each direction of each semicircular canal plane. We observed significantly lower correct answers in children with NDDs compared with those with TD (p < 0.0001). Surprisingly, there was no significant difference between the three groups of children with NDDs. Our study fostered preliminary evidence suggesting altered efficiency of vestibular system in children with NDDs. VOR abnormalities estimated using the fHIT could be used as a proxy of NDD impairments in children, and represent a potential biomarker.
Therapeutic Strategies to Target Calcium Dysregulation in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Calvo-Rodriguez Maria , Kharitonova Elizabeth K. , Bacskai Brian J.
Published: November 2020

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide. Unfortunately, none of the current treatments are effective at improving cognitive function in AD patients and, therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of new therapies that target the early cause(s) of AD. Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) regulation is critical for proper cellular and neuronal function. It has been suggested that Ca2+ dyshomeostasis is an upstream factor of many neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. For this reason, chemical agents or small molecules aimed at targeting or correcting this Ca2+ dysregulation might serve as therapeutic strategies to prevent the development of AD. Moreover, neurons are not alone in exhibiting Ca2+ dyshomeostasis, since Ca2+ disruption is observed in other cell types in the brain in AD. In this review, we examine the distinct Ca2+ channels and compartments involved in the disease mechanisms that could be potential targets in AD.
Corrosion Resistance of Mild Steel Coated with Phthalimide-Functionalized Polybenzoxazines
Authors: Aly Kamal I. , Mahdy Abdulsalam , Hegazy Mohamed A. , Al-Muaikel Nayef S. , Kuo Shiao-Wei , Gamal Mohamed Mohamed
Published: November 2020

Herein, we synthesized two new phthalimide-functionalized benzoxazine monomers, pPP-BZ and oPP-BZ, through Mannich reactions of 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)isoindoline-1,3-dione (pPP) and 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)isoindoline-1,3-dione (oPP), respectively, with p-toluidine and paraformaldehyde. The structures of these two monomers were confirmed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We used differential scanning calorimetry, FTIR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis to study the polymerization behavior and thermal stability of the monomers and their corresponding polybenzoxazines. Poly(pPP-BZ) and poly(oPP-BZ) were formed on mild steel (MS) through spin-coating and subsequent thermal curing polymerization. We used various corrosion testing methods to examine the effect of the curing temperature on the corrosion resistance of the coated MS samples in 3.5 wt.% aqueous solution of NaCl. Among our tested systems, the corrosion rate reached a low of 2.78 µm·Y−1 for the MS coated with poly(pPP-BZ)180 (i.e., the coating that had been cured at 180 °C); this value is much lower than that (4.8 µm·Y−1) reported for a maleimide-based benzoxazine compound (MI-Bz)/33 wt.% ACAT (amine-capped aniline trimer) blend. Thus, the incorporation of the imide functional group into the PBZ coatings is an effective strategy for affording high-performance corrosion resistance.
The Beneficial Mechanical and Biological Outcomes of Thin Copper-Gallium Doped Silica-Rich Bio-Active Glass Implant-Type Coatings
Authors: Stan George E. , Tite Teddy , Popa Adrian-Claudiu , Chirica Iuliana Maria , Negrila Catalin C. , Besleaga Cristina , Zgura Irina , Sergentu Any Cristina , Popescu-Pelin Gianina , Cristea Daniel , Ionescu Lucia E. , Necsulescu Marius , Fernandes Hugo R. , Ferreira José M. F.
Published: November 2020

Silica-based bioactive glasses (SBG) hold great promise as bio-functional coatings of metallic endo-osseous implants, due to their osteoproductive potential, and, in the case of designed formulations, suitable mechanical properties and antibacterial efficacy. In the framework of this study, the FastOs®BG alkali-free SBG system (mol%: SiO2—38.49, CaO—36.07, P2O5—5.61, MgO—19.24, CaF2—0.59), with CuO (2 mol%) and Ga2O3 (3 mol%) antimicrobial agents, partially substituting in the parent system CaO and MgO, respectively, was used as source material for the fabrication of intentionally silica-enriched implant-type thin coatings (~600 nm) onto titanium (Ti) substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The physico-chemical and mechanical characteristics, as well as the in vitro preliminary cytocompatibility and antibacterial performance of an alkali-free silica-rich bio-active glass coating designs was further explored. The films were smooth (RRMS < 1 nm) and hydrophilic (water contact angle of ~65°). The SBG coatings deposited from alkali-free copper-gallium co-doped FastOs®BG-derived exhibited improved wear performance, with the coatings eliciting a bonding strength value of ~53 MPa, Lc3 critical load value of ~4.9 N, hardness of ~6.1 GPa and an elastic modulus of ~127 GPa. The Cu and Ga co-doped SBG layers had excellent cytocompatibility, while reducing after 24 h the Staphylococcus aureus bacterial development with 4 orders of magnitude with respect to the control situations (i.e., nutritive broth and Ti substrate). Thereby, such SBG constructs could pave the road towards high-performance bio-functional coatings with excellent mechanical properties and enhanced biological features (e.g., by coupling cytocompatibility with antimicrobial properties), which are in great demand nowadays.
Fractional Dynamics Identification via Intelligent Unpacking of the Sample Autocovariance Function by Neural Networks
Authors: Szarek Dawid , Sikora Grzegorz , Balcerek Michał , Jabłoński Ireneusz , Wyłomańska Agnieszka
Published: November 2020

Many single-particle tracking data related to the motion in crowded environments exhibit anomalous diffusion behavior. This phenomenon can be described by different theoretical models. In this paper, fractional Brownian motion (FBM) was examined as the exemplary Gaussian process with fractional dynamics. The autocovariance function (ACVF) is a function that determines completely the Gaussian process. In the case of experimental data with anomalous dynamics, the main problem is first to recognize the type of anomaly and then to reconstruct properly the physical rules governing such a phenomenon. The challenge is to identify the process from short trajectory inputs. Various approaches to address this problem can be found in the literature, e.g., theoretical properties of the sample ACVF for a given process. This method is effective; however, it does not utilize all of the information contained in the sample ACVF for a given trajectory, i.e., only values of statistics for selected lags are used for identification. An evolution of this approach is proposed in this paper, where the process is determined based on the knowledge extracted from the ACVF. The designed method is intuitive and it uses information directly available in a new fashion. Moreover, the knowledge retrieval from the sample ACVF vector is enhanced with a learning-based scheme operating on the most informative subset of available lags, which is proven to be an effective encoder of the properties inherited in complex data. Finally, the robustness of the proposed algorithm for FBM is demonstrated with the use of Monte Carlo simulations.
Debt-Growth Nexus in the MENA Region: Evidence from a Panel Threshold Analysis
Authors: Daher Alshammary Mohammed , Abdul Karim Zulkefly , Khalid Norlin , Ahmad Riayati
Published: November 2020

This study examines whether a debt-to-GDP threshold exists in the public debt and economic growth relationship for 20 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries from 1990 to 2016 using the threshold estimation technique. The empirical results reveal that there is a threshold effect in the public debt and economic growth relationship. The MENA region’s debt-to-GDP threshold value as a developing region is lower than the debt threshold computed by earlier studies for developing countries. We found that the effect of public debt on economic growth is significant and positive only below the threshold value of debt-to-GDP. More precisely, debt has a promoting influence on economic growth when the debt is less than 58% of the GDP. This finding indicates that the relationship between public debt and economic growth is contingent on the debt-to-GDP ratio. Importantly, policymakers need to be more prudent when establishing a policy regarding debt issues.
Knowledge and Innovation in Mexican Agricultural Organizations
Authors: Ochoa Jiménez Sergio , Cervantes Hurtado Gimena Vianey , Jacobo Hernández Carlos Armando , Flores López José Guadalupe
Published: November 2020

Knowledge is a determining factor in the creation of competitive advantage by generating new ways of working, which has been widely studied. However, in the agricultural sector, the contributions are minimal. Given the importance of the topic and the sector, the objective of this study is to determine the relationship between knowledge management and innovation in rural agricultural organizations in the state of Sonora in northern Mexico. A quantitative, correlational study was carried out, in which a questionnaire of 36 items with answers on a Likert scale was applied to 91 companies. The information was processed and analyzed in the SPSS program using correlation and linear regression. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between the variables under study, which supports that knowledge management in these companies, has as a consequence, innovations in them; however, it was not possible to determine the impact in economic terms. This can be taken up again in subsequent studies and in a practical sense in the companies by promoting knowledge management actions that encourage new processes, services and/or products that allow a monetary impact on them.
Developing Multimodal Narrative Genres in Childhood: An Analysis of Pupils’ Written Texts Based on Systemic Functional Linguistics Theory
Authors: Pacheco-Costa Alejandra , Guzmán-Simón Fernando
Published: November 2020

Social sustainability embraces literacy development as a means by which children integrate their knowledge in society and become powerful and meaningful. In this context, the development of writing among young children requires the design of new teaching strategies that allow for the multimodal repertoire brought by children into the classroom. Systemic Functional Linguistics offers tools for the analysis of children’s multimodal writing, which plays an important role in their literacy development. Our research was carried out in an urban context, the participants being 12 children aged 7 to 8. Data were collected through participant observation, conversations, and the analysis of documents and products generated by the children. From them, we analysed two stories written by two girls, which showed the way in which the children created meaning by combining verbal and visual modes, and how these modes interact (intersemiosis). The performance of a literacy task in which children are able to integrate their knowledge and heritage into the classroom, may constitute an interdisciplinary tool for their participation and engagement in the school, thus leading to a more equal society. In consequence, we propose that the integration of a genre-based pedagogy in the classroom should include greater awareness in teachers of the value of pupils’ multimodal assessments.
Cache-Enabled Data Rate Maximization for Solar-Powered UAV Communication Systems
Authors: Thanh Pham Duy , Hoan Tran Nhut Khai , Giang Hoang Thi Huong , Koo Insoo
Published: November 2020

Currently, deploying fixed terrestrial infrastructures is not cost-effective in temporary circumstances, such as natural disasters, hotspots, and so on. Thus, we consider a system of caching-based UAV-assisted communications between multiple ground users (GUs) and a local station (LS). Specifically, a UAV is exploited to cache data from the LS and then serve GUs’ requests to handle the issue of unavailable or damaged links from the LS to the GUs. The UAV can harvest solar energy for its operation. We investigate joint cache scheduling and power allocation schemes by using the non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique to maximize the long-term downlink rate. Two scenarios for the network are taken into account. In the first, the harvested energy distribution of the GUs is assumed to be known, and we propose a partially observable Markov decision process framework such that the UAV can allocate optimal transmission power for each GU based on proper content caching over each flight period. In the second scenario where the UAV does not know the environment’s dynamics in advance, an actor-critic-based scheme is proposed to achieve a solution by learning with a dynamic environment. Afterwards, the simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods, compared to baseline approaches.
Numerical Investigation on Flow Field Distribution of Eccentric Compressors Based on Steady and Unsteady CFD Methods
Authors: Jiang Chao , Hu Jun , Wang Jiayu , Cong Longteng
Published: November 2020

The tip clearance has an important effect on the performance of an engine compressor. While the impact of tip clearance on a concentric compressor has been widely explored in previous research, the flow field distribution of an eccentric compressor has only been minimally explored. Both the steady and unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods have been widely used in the studies of concentric axial-compressors, and they have similar simulation results in terms of flow field. However, they have been rarely applied to axial-compressors with non-uniform tip clearance to investigate their flow field. In this paper, ANSYS CFX is used as CFD software, and both steady and unsteady CFD methods are applied to study a single rotor of ROTOR67 to investigate the compressor characteristic line and flow field under different eccentricity conditions. The results show that non-uniform tip clearance creates a non-uniform flow field at the inlet and tip regions over the whole operating range. The circumferential position where the flow coefficient and the axial velocity are the smallest occurs at a position close to the maximum tip clearance and is located on the side deviating toward the direction of rotation of the rotor. Compared with steady CFD, unsteady CFD has better predictive capability for the flow field distribution in axial compressors with non-uniform tip clearance.
The Felling of Hung Up Trees—A Work Safety and Productivity Issue
Authors: Câmpu Răzvan V. , Bratu Mihai A. , Ciocirlan Mihai
Published: November 2020

Research Highlights: The felling of hung up trees is considered by literature in the field as an activity with a high injury risk. The low work productivity in the felling of hung up trees is wrongly cited by workers in order to justify various more or less safe work techniques. Background and objectives: The purpose of this paper was to determine work productivity in the felling of hung up trees when this activity has a well-defined structure with stages and specific activities that would allow workers to assess injury risk correctly. In addition, this paper aims to identify the moment when workers should give up the manual felling of hung up trees with a hand winch and start using specialized logging equipment. Materials and methods: The research was conducted in the Eastern Carpathians in a spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) tree stand where clear cutting normally takes place. A single team of workers was used consisting of two chainsaw operators—a main one and a secondary one. This team had a high level of qualification and experience in the operations performed. For the felling of hung up trees, the technique based on rotating the tree around a pivot with a hand winch was used. Time was measured in seconds by using the continuous time study method. Results: The results indicated that work productivity decreases with the number of times the traction line needs to be repositioned. It decreases from 3.477 trees·h−1 (in trees where no repositioning is necessary) to 1.402 trees·h−1 (when the repositioning takes place twice). In trees that needed the repositioning of the traction line, safety rules were broken in the following ways: crossing over the tensioned cable of the traction line, the main chainsaw operator being positioned inside the triangle formed by the hung up trees and the anchorage points of the pulley and the hand winch as well as the operator being positioned very close to the hung up tree stem base while the latter is being tied. That is why, if the repositioning of the traction line is necessary, the question is—would it be better to give up the manual felling of hung up trees and start using specialized equipment? Conclusion: The felling of hung up trees must be regarded and understood, first and foremost, through the perspective of reducing injury risk and protecting workers. Thus, the work productivity of 3.477 trees·h−1 can be considered acceptable for trees that need no extra repositioning of the traction line or when the time consumed does not go over 17 min·tree−1.