bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of EMG-Triggered Robotic Movement on Walking, Muscle Force and Spasticity after an Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Lewandowska-Sroka Patrycja , Stabrawa Rafał , Kozak Dominika , Poświata Anna , Łysoń-Uklańska Barbara , Bienias Katarzyna , Roksela Anna , Kliś Marcin , Mikulski Michał
Published: March 2021

Background and Objectives: Application of the EMG-driven robotic training in everyday therapeutic processes is a modern and innovative form of neurorehabilitation among patients after stroke. Active participation of the patient contributes to significantly higher activation of the sensorimotor network during active motor control rather than during passive movement. The study objective was to determine the effect of electromyographic triggering (EMG-triggered) robotic rehabilitation device treatment on walking, muscle force, and spasticity after an ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 participants with impaired motor function and gait after subacute stroke were included in the study. Each patient was randomly assigned to an intervention or control group (IG or CG). All patients, except standard therapy, underwent 1 additional session of therapy per day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. IG had 30 min of training on the robot, while CG received exercises on the lower limb rotor. The subjects were assessed with Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Ashworth scale, knee range of motion (ROM), Lovett Scale, and tight circumference at baseline and at weeks 2, 4, and 6. Results: For seven parameters, the values credibly increased between consecutive measurements, and for the Ashworth scale, they credibly decreased. The biggest changes were observed for the measurements made with Lovett scale. The average thigh circumference as measured 5 and 15 cm above the knee increased credibly more in the robot condition, as compared to control condition. Additionally, the decrease in Ashworth values over time, although statistically credible in both groups, was credibly higher in the robot condition. Conclusion: The inclusion of the EMG-triggered neurorehabilitation robot in the patient’s daily rehabilitation plan has a positive effect on outcomes of the treatment. Both proposed rehabilitation protocols significantly improved patients’ condition regarding all measured outcomes, but the spasticity and thigh circumference improved significantly better in the robotic group in comparison to controls.
Multidrug Resistance Dissemination in Escherichia coli Isolated from Wild Animals: Bacterial Clones and Plasmid Complicity
Authors: Sabença Carolina , Igrejas Gilberto , Poeta Patrícia , Robin Frédéric , Bonnet Richard , Beyrouthy Racha
Published: March 2021

Objectives. Epidemiological data concerning third-generation cephalosporin (3GC) resistance in wild fauna are scarce. The aim of this study was to characterize the resistance genes, their genetic context, and clonal relatedness in 17 Escherichia coli resistant to 3GC isolated from wild animals. Methods. The isolates were characterized by short-read whole genome sequencing, and long-read sequencing was used for the hybrid assembly of plasmid sequences. Results. The 3GC resistance gene most identified in the isolates was the extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-encoding gene blaCTX-M-1 (82.3%), followed by blaCTX-M-32 (5.9%), blaCTX-M-14 (5.9%), and blaSHV-12 (5.9%). E. coli isolates mainly belonged to the sequence types (STs) rarely reported from humans. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based typing showed that most E. coli genomes from wild animals (wild boars, birds of prey, and buzzards) formed clonal clusters (<5 SNPs), showing a clonal dissemination crossing species boundaries. blaCTX-M-1-harboring IncI1-ST3 plasmid was the predominant ESBL-encoding plasmid (76.4%) in wild animal isolates. Plasmid comparison revealed a 110-kb self-transferable plasmid consisting of a conserved backbone and two variable regions involved in antimicrobial resistance and in interaction with recipient cells during conjugation. Conclusion. Our results highlighted the unexpected clonal dissemination of blaCTX-M-1-encoding clones and the complicity of IncI1-ST3 plasmid in the spread of blaCTX-M-1 within wild fauna.
The Selectivity for Tumor Cells of Nuclear-Directed Cytotoxic RNases Is Mediated by the Nuclear/Cytoplasmic Distribution of p27KIP1
Authors: García-Galindo Glòria , Castro Jessica , Matés Jesús , Bravo Marlon , Ribó Marc , Vilanova Maria , Benito Antoni
Published: March 2021

Although single targeted anti-cancer drugs are envisaged as safer treatments because they do not affect normal cells, cancer is a very complex disease to be eradicated with a single targeted drug. Alternatively, multi-targeted drugs may be more effective and the tumor cells may be less prone to develop drug resistance although these drugs may be less specific for cancer cells. We have previously developed a new strategy to endow human pancreatic ribonuclease with antitumor action by introducing in its sequence a non-classical nuclear localization signal. These engineered proteins cleave multiple species of nuclear RNA promoting apoptosis of tumor cells. Interestingly, these enzymes, on ovarian cancer cells, affect the expression of multiple genes implicated in metabolic and signaling pathways that are critic for the development of cancer. Since most of these targeted pathways are not highly relevant for non-proliferating cells, we envisioned the possibility that nuclear directed-ribonucleases were specific for tumor cells. Here, we show that these enzymes are much more cytotoxic for tumor cells in vitro. Although the mechanism of selectivity of NLSPE5 is not fully understood, herein we show that p27KIP1 displays an important role on the higher resistance of non-tumor cells to these ribonucleases.
Synthesis of Computationally Designed 2,5(6)-Benzimidazole Derivatives via Pd-Catalyzed Reactions for Potential E. coli DNA Gyrase B Inhibition
Authors: Aroso Rafael T. , Guedes Rita C. , Pereira Mariette M.
Published: March 2021

A pharmacophore model for inhibitors of Escherichia coli’s DNA Gyrase B was developed, using computer-aided drug design. Subsequently, docking studies showed that 2,5(6)-substituted benzimidazole derivatives are promising molecules, as they possess key hydrogen bond donor/acceptor groups for an efficient interaction with this bacterial target. Furthermore, 5(6)-bromo-2-(2-nitrophenyl)-1H-benzimidazole, selected as a core molecule, was prepared on a multi-gram scale through condensation of 4-bromo-1,2-diaminobenzene with 2-nitrobenzaldehyde using a sustainable approach. The challenging functionalization of the 5(6)-position was carried out via palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura and Buchwald-Hartwig amination cross-coupling reactions between N-protected-5-bromo-2-nitrophenyl-benzimidazole and aryl boronic acids or sulfonylanilines, with yields up to 81%. The final designed molecules (2-(aminophen-2-yl)-5(6)-substituted-1H-benzimidazoles), which encompass the appropriate functional groups in the 5(6)-position according to the pharmacophore model, were obtained in yields up to 91% after acid-mediated N-boc deprotection followed by Pd-catalyzed hydrogenation. These groups are predicted to favor interactions with DNA gyrase B residues Asn46, Asp73, and Asp173, aiming to promote an inhibitory effect.
Synthesis of Moracin C and Its Derivatives with a 2-arylbenzofuran Motif and Evaluation of Their PCSK9 Inhibitory Effects in HepG2 Cells
Authors: Masagalli Jagadeesh Nagarajappa , BasavanaGowda Melanayakanakatte Kuberappa , Chae Hee-Sung , Choi Won Jun
Published: March 2021

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a key factor in several cardiovascular diseases, as it is responsible for the elevation of circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in blood plasma by direct interaction with the LDL receptor. The development of orally available drugs to inhibit this PCSK9-LDLR interaction is a highly desirable objective. Here, we report the synthesis of naturally occurring moracin compounds and their derivatives with a 2-arylbenzofuran motif to inhibit PCSK9 expression. In addition, we discuss a short approach involving the three-step synthesis of moracin C and a divergent method to obtain various analogs from one starting material. Among the tested derivatives, compound 7 (97.1%) was identified as a more potent inhibitor of PCSK9 expression in HepG2 cells than berberine (60.9%). These results provide a better understanding of the structure–activity relationships of moracin derivatives for the inhibition of PCSK9 expression in human hepatocytes.
Identification of a Sesquiterpene Lactone from Arctium lappa Leaves with Antioxidant Activity in Primary Human Muscle Cells
Authors: El Khatib Nour , Morel Sylvie , Hugon Gérald , Rapior Sylvie , Carnac Gilles , Saint Nathalie
Published: March 2021

Many pathologies affecting muscles (muscular dystrophies, sarcopenia, cachexia, renal insufficiency, obesity, diabetes type 2, etc.) are now clearly linked to mechanisms involving oxidative stress. In this context, there is a growing interest in exploring plants to find new natural antioxidants to prevent the appearance and the development of these muscle disorders. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant properties of Arctium lappa leaves in a model of primary human muscle cells exposed to H2O2 oxidative stress. We identified using bioassay-guided purification, onopordopicrin, a sesquiterpene lactone as the main molecule responsible for the antioxidant activity of A. lappa leaf extract. According to our findings, onopordopicrin inhibited the H2O2-mediated loss of muscle cell viability, by limiting the production of free radicals and abolishing DNA cellular damages. Moreover, we showed that onopordopicrin promoted the expression of the nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) downstream target protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in muscle cells. By using siRNA, we demonstrated that the inhibition of the expression of Nrf2 reduced the protective effect of onopordopicrin, indicating that the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway mediates the antioxidant effect of onopordopicrin in primary human muscle cells. Therefore, our results suggest that onopordopicrin may be a potential therapeutic molecule to fight against oxidative stress in pathological specific muscle disorders.
Coumarin-Annulated Ferrocenyl 1,3-Oxazine Derivatives Possessing In Vitro Antimalarial and Antitrypanosomal Potency
Authors: Mbaba Mziyanda , Dingle Laura M. K. , Zulu Ayanda I. , Laming Dustin , Swart Tarryn , de la Mare Jo-Anne , Hoppe Heinrich C. , Edkins Adrienne L. , Khanye Setshaba D.
Published: March 2021

A tailored series of coumarin-based ferrocenyl 1,3-oxazine hybrid compounds was synthesized and investigated for potential antiparasitic activity, drawing inspiration from the established biological efficacy of the constituent chemical motifs. The structural identity of the synthesized compounds was confirmed by common spectroscopic techniques: NMR, HRMS and IR. Biological evaluation studies reveal that the compounds exhibit higher in vitro antiparasitic potency against the chemosensitive malarial strain (3D7 P. falciparum) over the investigated trypanosomiasis causal agent (T. b. brucei 427) with mostly single digit micromolar IC50 values. When read in tandem with the biological performance of previously reported structurally similar non-coumarin, phenyl derivatives (i.e., ferrocenyl 1,3-benzoxazines and α-aminocresols), structure-activity relationship analyses suggest that the presence of the coumarin nucleus is tolerated for biological activity though this may lead to reduced efficacy. Preliminary mechanistic studies with the most promising compound (11b) support hemozoin inhibition and DNA interaction as likely mechanistic modalities by which this class of compounds may act to produce plasmocidal and antitrypanosomal effects.
The Pluripotent Activities of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester
Authors: Olgierd Batoryna , Kamila Żyła , Anna Banyś , Emilia Morawiec
Published: March 2021

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a strong antioxidant extracted from honey bee-hive propolis. The mentioned compound, a well-known NF-κB inhibitor, has been used in traditional medicine as a potent anti-inflammatory agent. CAPE has a broad spectrum of biological properties including anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, and wound-healing activities. This review characterizes published data about CAPE biological properties and potential therapeutic applications, that can be used in various diseases.
Self-Driving Laboratories for Development of New Functional Materials and Optimizing Known Reactions
Authors: Soldatov Mikhail A. , Butova Vera V. , Pashkov Danil , Butakova Maria A. , Medvedev Pavel V. , Chernov Andrey V. , Soldatov Alexander V.
Published: March 2021

Innovations often play an essential role in the acceleration of the new functional materials discovery. The success and applicability of the synthesis results with new chemical compounds and materials largely depend on the previous experience of the researcher himself and the modernity of the equipment used in the laboratory. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are the next step in developing the solution for practical problems in science, including the development of new materials. Those technologies go broadly beyond the borders of a computer science branch and give new insights and practical possibilities within the far areas of expertise and chemistry applications. One of the attractive challenges is an automated new functional material synthesis driven by AI. However, while having many years of hands-on experience, chemistry specialists have a vague picture of AI. To strengthen and underline AI’s role in materials discovery, a short introduction is given to the essential technologies, and the machine learning process is explained. After this review, this review summarizes the recent studies of new strategies that help automate and accelerate the development of new functional materials. Moreover, automatized laboratories’ self-driving cycle could benefit from using AI algorithms to optimize new functional nanomaterials’ synthetic routes. Despite the fact that such technologies will shape material science in the nearest future, we note the intelligent use of algorithms and automation is required for novel discoveries.
Large Area Few-Layer Hexagonal Boron Nitride as a Raman Enhancement Material
Authors: Basu Nilanjan , Satya Bharathi Moram Sree , Sharma Manju , Yadav Kanchan , Parmar Avanish Singh , Soma Venugopal Rao , Lahiri Jayeeta
Published: March 2021

Increasingly, two-dimensional (2D) materials are being investigated for their potential use as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) active substrates. Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN), a layered 2D material analogous to graphene, is mostly used as a passivation layer/dielectric substrate for nanoelectronics application. We have investigated the SERS activity of few-layer hBN film synthesized on copper foil using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition. We have drop casted the probe molecules onto the hBN substrate and measured the enhancement effect due to the substrate using a 532 nm excitation laser. We observed an enhancement of ≈103 for malachite green and ≈104 for methylene blue and rhodamine 6G dyes, respectively. The observed enhancement factors are consistent with the theoretically calculated interaction energies of MB > R6G > MG with a single layer of hBN. We also observed that the enhancement is independent of the film thickness and surface morphology. We demonstrate that the hBN films are highly stable, and even for older hBN films prepared 7 months earlier, we were able to achieve similar enhancements when compared to freshly prepared films. Our detailed results and analyses demonstrate the versatility and durability of hBN films for SERS applications.
Comprehensive Review of Knee Osteoarthritis Pharmacological Treatment and the Latest Professional Societies’ Guidelines
Authors: Primorac Dragan , Molnar Vilim , Matišić Vid , Hudetz Damir , Jeleč Željko , Rod Eduard , Čukelj Fabijan , Vidović Dinko , Vrdoljak Trpimir , Dobričić Borut , Antičević Darko , Smolić Martina , Miškulin Mladen , Ćaćić Damir , Borić Igor
Published: March 2021

Osteoarthritis is the most common musculoskeletal progressive disease, with the knee as the most commonly affected joint in the human body. While several new medications are still under research, many symptomatic therapy options, such as analgesics (opioid and non-opioid), nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, symptomatic slow-acting drugs in osteoarthritis, and preparations for topical administration, are being used, with a diverse clinical response and inconsistent conclusions across various professional societies guidelines. The concept of pharmacogenomic-guided therapy, which lies on principles of the right medication for the right patient in the right dose at the right time, can significantly increase the patient’s response to symptom relief therapy in knee osteoarthritis. Corticosteroid intra-articular injections and hyaluronic acid injections provoke numerous discussions and disagreements among different guidelines, even though they are currently used in daily clinical practice. Biological options, such as platelet-rich plasma and mesenchymal stem cell injections, have shown good results in the treatment of osteoarthritis symptoms, greatly increasing the patient’s quality of life, especially when combined with other therapeutic options. Non-inclusion of the latter therapies in the guidelines, and their inconsistent stance on numerous therapy options, requires larger and well-designed studies to examine the true effects of these therapies and update the existing guidelines.
Levothyroxine Interactions with Food and Dietary Supplements–A Systematic Review
Authors: Wiesner Agnieszka , Gajewska Danuta , Paśko Paweł
Published: March 2021

Levothyroxine (l-thyroxine, l-T4) is a drug of choice for treating congenital and primary hypothyroidism. Although clinically significant interactions between l-T4 and food can alter the safety and efficacy of the treatment, they still seem to be generally underestimated by patients, physicians and pharmacists. This review aimed to investigate the effects of meals, beverages, and dietary supplements consumption on l-T4 pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, to identify the most evident interactions, and to perform the recommendations for safe co-administering of l-T4 and food. A total of 121 studies were identified following a systematic literature search adhering to PRISMA guidelines. After full-text evaluation, 63 studies were included. The results proved that l-T4 ingestion in the morning and at bedtime are equally effective, and also that the co-administration of l-T4 with food depends on the drug formulation. We found limited evidence for l-T4 interactions with coffee, soy products, fiber, calcium or iron supplements, and enteral nutrition but interestingly they all resulted in decreased l-T4 absorption. The altered l-T4 efficacy when ingested with milk, juices, papaya, aluminium-containing preparations, and chromium supplements, as well as observed enhancement effect of vitamin C on l-T4 absorption, shall be further investigated in larger, well-designed studies. Novel formulations are likely to solve the problem of coffee, calcium and iron induced malabsorption of l-T4. Maintaining a proper time interval between l-T4 and food intake, especially for coffee and calcium, or iron supplements, provides another effective method of eliminating such interactions.
An Orchid in Retrograde: Climate-Driven Range Shift Patterns of Ophrys helenae in Greece
Authors: Charitonidou Martha , Kougioumoutzis Konstantinos , Halley John M.
Published: March 2021

Climate change is regarded as one of the most important threats to plants. Already species around the globe are showing considerable latitudinal and altitudinal shifts. Helen’s bee orchid (Ophrys helenae), a Balkan endemic with a distribution center in northwestern Greece, is reported to be expanding east and southwards. Since this southeastern movement goes against the usual expectations, we investigated via Species Distribution Modelling, whether this pattern is consistent with projections based on the species’ response to climate change. We predicted the species’ future distribution based on three different climate models in two climate scenarios. We also explored the species’ potential distribution during the Last Interglacial and the Last Glacial Maximum. O. helenae is projected to shift mainly southeast and experience considerable area changes. The species is expected to become extinct in the core of its current distribution, but to establish a strong presence in the mid- and high-altitude areas of the Central Peloponnese, a region that could have provided shelter in previous climatic extremes.
Understanding Dense Time Series of Sentinel-1 Backscatter from Rice Fields: Case Study in a Province of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Authors: Phan Hoa , Le Toan Thuy , Bouvet Alexandre
Published: March 2021

Rice is the primary staple food of more than half of the world’s population and plays an especially important role in global economy, food security, water use, and climate change. The usefulness of Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) for rice mapping and monitoring has been demonstrated locally in many studies, in particular in the last five years with the availability of an unprecedented amount of free Sentinel-1 data within the Copernicus program. However, although earlier studies from the 1990s have laid the foundations of the physical understanding of the SAR response of rice fields, the more recent studies tend to overlook this aspect and to favor instead approaches driven by supervised learning which provide accurate results locally but cannot necessarily be extended to wide areas. The objective of this study is to analyze in detail the backscatter temporal variation of rice fields, using Sentinel-1 from 2015 to 2020 and in-situ data for the 5 rice seasons over 2 years 2017–2018, in order to derive robust SAR-based indicators useful for rice monitoring applications, which are essential for planning, monitoring and food security applications. The test region is the An Giang province, in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam, one of the world’s major rice regions which presents a diversity in rice cultivation practices, in cropping density, and in crop calendar. The SAR data have been analyzed as a function of rice parameters, and the temporal and polarization behaviors of the radar backscatter of different rice varieties have been interpreted physically. New backscatter indicators for the detection of rice paddy area, the estimation of the sowing date, phenological stage and the mapping of the short cycle and long cycle rice varieties have been developed and discussed regarding the generality of the methods with respect to the rice cultural practices and the SAR data characteristics.
NOAA-AVHRR Orbital Drift Correction: Validating Methods Using MSG-SEVIRI Data as a Benchmark Dataset
Authors: Julien Yves , Sobrino José A.
Published: March 2021

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration–Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (NOAA-AVHRR) data provides the possibility to build the longest Land Surface Temperature (LST) dataset to date, starting in 1981 up to the present. However, due to the orbital drift of the NOAA platforms, no LST dataset is available before 2000 and the arrival of newer platforms. Although numerous methods have been developed to correct this orbital drift effect on the LST, a lack of validation has prevented their application. This is the gap we bridge here by using the 15 min temporal resolution of Meteosat Second Generation–Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infra-Red Imager (MSG-SEVIRI) data to simulate drifted and reference LST time series. We then use these time series to validate an orbital drift correction method based on solar zenith angle (SZA) anomalies that we presented in a previous work (C1), as well as two variations of this approach (C0 and C2). Our results show that the C0 method performs better than the two others, although its overall bias absolute value ranges up to 1 K, while standard deviation values remain around 3 K. This is verified for most land covers, for all NOAA platforms, and these statistics remain mostly stable with noise on SZA time series (from 0° to ±10°). With this study, we show that orbital drift correction methods can be thoroughly validated and that such validation should aim toward bias absolute values below 0.1 K and standard deviation values around 1.4 K at coarse spatial resolution. To validate other orbital drift correction approaches, the drifted and reference time series used in this work are freely available for download from the first author’s webpage. This will be the first step toward the building of an orbital-drift-corrected long-term LST dataset.
A Space-Division Multiplexing Method for Fading Noise Suppression in the Φ-OTDR System
Authors: Zhang Yixin , Liu Jingxiao , Xiong Fei , Zhang Xuping , Chen Xiaohong , Ding Zhewen , Zheng Yunyin , Wang Feng , Chen Mengmeng
Published: March 2021

Phase-sensitive time-domain reflectometry (Φ-OTDR) can be used for fully distributed long-distance vibration monitoring. There is a fading phenolmenon in the Φ-OTDR, which will cause the signal intensity somewhere to be too low to extract the phase of the signal without distortion. In this paper, the Φ-OTDR based on space-division multiplexing (SDM) is proposed to suppress fading and we used multi-core optical fiber (MCF) to realize SDM. While inheriting the previous optimization strategy, we proposed a strategy based on frequency spectral similarity to process multiple independent signals obtained by SDM. And we compared the two methods. Through the experiments, the distortion rate can be reduced from an average level of 9.34% to less than 2% under continuous running of 270 s, which proves that SDM is a reliable technical route to achieve fading suppression. This method can effectively improve the fading suppression capability of the existed commercial systems.
Triboelectric Rotary Motion Sensor for Industrial-Grade Speed and Angle Monitoring
Authors: Zhang Xiaosong , Gao Qi , Gao Qiang , Yu Xin , Cheng Tinghai , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: March 2021

Mechanical motion sensing and monitoring is an important component in the field of industrial automation. Rotary motion is one of the most basic forms of mechanical motion, so it is of great significance for the development of the entire industry to realize rotary motion state monitoring. In this paper, a triboelectric rotary motion sensor (TRMS) with variable amplitude differential hybrid electrodes is proposed, and an integrated monitoring system (IMS) is designed to realize real-time monitoring of industrial-grade rotary motion state. First, the operating principle and monitoring characteristics are studied. The experiment results indicate that the TRMS can achieve rotation speed measurement in the range of 10–1000 rpm with good linearity, and the error rate of rotation speed is less than 0.8%. Besides, the TRMS has an angle monitoring range of 360° and its resolution is 1.5° in bidirectional rotation. Finally, the applications of the designed TRMS and IMS prove the feasibility of self-powered rotary motion monitoring. This work further promotes the development of triboelectric sensors (TESs) in industrial application.
Digital Prospects of the Contemporary Feminist Movement for Dialogue and International Mobilization: A Case Study of the 25 November Twitter Conversation
Authors: Larrondo Ureta Ainara , Orbegozo Terradillos Julen , Morales i Gras Jordi
Published: March 2021

The feminist movement is experiencing the rise of a new generation characterized by specific phenomena linked to technological progress, such as hashtivism, i.e., mobilization through social media. With the aim of contributing to extending our knowledge of the implications of Twitter for this as well as other social movements, this article examined eight of the most common Spanish- and English-language hashtags used to commemorate the 25 November 2018 event, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Employing big data analysis to study social and communications phenomena, the results offer a picture of contemporary feminism through the kind of international digital dialogue or conversation that it creates, as well as questioning Twitter’s validity in terms of cohesion when it comes to uniting forces in relation to one of the movement’s most urgent struggles: eliminating violence against women in all its forms.
Heat Capacities of Nanostructured Wurtzite and Rock Salt ZnO: Challenges of ZnO Nano-Phase Diagram
Authors: Kamenev Konstantin V. , Courac Alexandre , Sokolov Petr S. , Baranov Andrei N. , Sharikov Felix Yu. , Solozhenko Vladimir L.
Published: March 2021

Low-temperature heat capacities (Cp) of nanostructured rock salt (rs-ZnO) and wurtzite (w-ZnO) polymorphs of zinc oxide were measured in the 2–315 K temperature range. No significant influence of nanostructuring on Cp of w-ZnO has been observed. The measured Cp of rock salt ZnO is lower than that of wurtzite ZnO below 100 K and is higher above this temperature. Using available thermodynamic data, we established that the equilibrium pressure between nanocrystalline w-ZnO and rs-ZnO is close to 4.6 GPa at 300 K (half as much as the onset pressure of direct phase transformation) and slightly changes with temperature up to 1000 K.
Managing Rather Than Avoiding “Difficulties” in Building Landscape Resilience
Authors: Xu Hongzhang , Peng Meng , Pittock Jamie , Xu Jiayu
Published: March 2021

Building landscape resilience inspires the cultivation of the landscape’s capacity to recover from disruption and live with changes and uncertainties. However, integrating ecosystem and society within such a unified lens—that is, socio–ecological system (SES) resilience—clashes with many cornerstone concepts in social science, such as power, democracy, rights, and culture. In short, a landscape cannot provide the same values to everyone. However, can building landscape resilience be an effective and just environmental management strategy? Research on this question is limited. A scoping literature review was conducted first to synthesise and map landscape management change based on 111,653 records. Then, we used the Nuozhadu (NZD) catchment as a case study to validate our findings from the literature. We summarised current critiques and created a framework including seven normative categories, or common difficulties, namely resilience for “whom”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “why”, as well as “can” and “how” we apply resilience normatively. We found that these difficulties are overlooked and avoided despite their instructive roles to achieve just landscape management more transparently. Without clear targets and boundaries in building resilience, we found that some groups consume resources and services at the expense of others. The NZD case demonstrates that a strategy of building the NZD’s resilience has improved the conservation of the NZD’s forest ecosystems but overlooked trade-offs between sustaining people and the environment, and between sustainable development for people at different scales. Future researchers, managers, and decision-makers are thereby needed to think resilience more normatively and address the questions in the “seven difficulties” framework before intervening to build landscape resilience.
Match Experience at the Danish Women’s Soccer National A-Team Matches: An Explorative Study
Authors: Kringstad Morten , Olsen Tor-Eirik , Jakobsen Tor Georg , Storm Rasmus K. , Schelde Nikolaj
Published: March 2021

Women’s soccer is more popular than ever, but match attendance is still relatively low. In order to develop sustainable revenue streams for women’s football, and help it grow further, it is necessary to understand what drives spectator’s overall demand. We explore factors that affect the overall match experience for spectators (i.e., spectator satisfaction) attending Danish women’s national soccer A-team games in the 2016 to 2019 period as a proxy for this. Using survey data gathered by the Danish Football Association (DBU) consisting of 4010 individuals and 13 matches, coupled with other match-specific data, we employ multilevel regression modelling. The results at the individual level suggest that female spectators are significantly more content with the overall match experience, while several additional factors are also important at the match-specific level, such as kick-off time and the result. Furthermore, there are indications that match significance and derby matches affect overall match experience. An important implication of these results is that they can aid national and international federations and other governing bodies in promoting women’s soccer in general, and women’s national A-team soccer specifically, in order to help the sport to become more financially viable. Although numerous initiatives have been designed to increase the attractiveness of women’s soccer, these are yet to materialize into long-term effects.
Modeling a Distance-Based Preferential Fare Scheme for Park-and-Ride Services in a Multimodal Transport Network
Authors: Chen Xinyuan , Yin Ruyang , An Qinhe , Zhang Yuan
Published: March 2021

This paper investigates a distance-based preferential fare scheme for park-and-ride (P&R) services in a multimodal transport network. P&R is a sustainable commuting approach in large urban areas where the service coverage rate of conventional public transport modes (e.g., train and bus) is poor/low. However, P&R services in many cities are less attractive compared to auto and other public transport modes, especially for P&R facilities sited far away from the city center. To address this issue, this paper proposes a distance-based preferential fare scheme for P&R services in which travelers who choose the P&R mode get a discount. The longer the distance they travel by train, the better the concessional price they get. A multimodal transport network equilibrium model with P&R services is developed to evaluate the impacts of the proposed distance-based fare scheme. The travelers’ mode choice behavior is modeled by the multinomial logit (MNL) discrete choice model, and their route choice behavior is depicted by the user equilibrium condition. A mathematical programming model is then built and subsequently solved by the outer approximation method. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed distance-based preferential fare scheme can effectively motivate travelers to use a P&R service and significantly enhance the transport network’s performance.
Analysis of EMG Electrode Locations Using 3D Body Scanning for Digital Pattern Construction of a Smart EMG Suit
Authors: Lee Sojung , Kim Siyeon , Lim Daeyoung , Kim Dong-Eun , Jeong Wonyoung
Published: March 2021

According to recent trends, smart clothing products that can receive electromyography (EMG) signals during the wearer’s muscle activity are being developed and commercialized. On the other hand, there is a lack of knowledge on the way to specify the electrode locations on the clothing pattern. Accurately located EMG electrodes in the clothing support the reliability and usefulness of the products. Moreover, a systematic process to construct anatomically validated smart clothing digitally should be performed to facilitate the application of a mass-customized manufacturing system. The current study explored the EMG measurement locations of nine muscles and analyzed them in association with various anthropometric points and even postures based on the 3D body scan data. The results suggest that several line segments of the patterns can be substituted by size-dependent equations for the electrodes in place. As a final step, a customized pattern of a smart EMG suit was developed virtually. The current study proposes a methodology to develop body-size dependent equations and patterns of a smart EMG suit with well-located electrodes using 3D scan data. These results suggest ways to produce smart EMG suits in response to impending automation and mass customization of the clothing manufacturing system.
Multiple Hazards and Governance Model in the Barranquilla Metropolitan Area, Colombia
Authors: Milanes Celene B. , Martínez-González Marina B. , Moreno-Gómez Jorge , Saltarín J. Ana , Suarez Andres , Padilla-Llano Samuel E. , Vasquez Alex , Lavell Allan , Zielinski Seweryn
Published: March 2021

The Barranquilla Metropolitan Area is exposed and often vulnerable to various natural and anthropogenic hazards. The paper’s main objective is to identify the level of understanding that local and regional institutions have of such a multi-hazard scenario, as well as the effectiveness of governance arrangements in minimizing impacts. Research employed a questionnaire applied to 115 stakeholders from government and a survey of 391 households from four communities in the study area. Four focus groups were held during the update of the Barranquilla Development Plan 2020–2023. The results allowed the identification of an updated set of hazards and the levels of government response capacity. The overall level of capacity and effectiveness of local government to respond to hazards was classified as regular. Seventy-seven percent of epistemic ‘experts considered that the institutions responsible for risk management did not undertake sufficient analysis for identifying and managing multiple hazards. Finally, the research team developed a new model of risk management.
Public Perceptions of Climate Change in the Peruvian Andes
Authors: Brügger Adrian , Tobias Robert , Monge-Rodríguez Fredy S.
Published: March 2021

How people subjectively perceive climate change strongly influences how they respond to its challenges. To date, relatively little is known about such perceptions in the Global South. This research examines public perceptions of climate change in the Peruvian Andes, a semi-arid high-mountain region that is highly exposed and vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change. Based on questionnaire data collected through face-to-face interviews (N = 1316), we found that respondents identify various climate-related issues as the most important challenges for their country. Many of these issues are related to water. Respondents also noticed more subtle changes and expected them to continue (e.g., extreme temperatures, food shortages). Climate impacts were clearly seen as negative, which was also reflected in the presence of emotions. When compared to previous research, more respondents had personally experienced extreme weather events (80%) and they were more certain that the climate is already changing, is caused by human activity, and is affecting distant and close places similarly. A comparison of the perceptions along different socioeconomic characteristics suggests that more vulnerable groups (e.g., rural, low income and education levels) tended to perceive climate change as more consequential, closer, and as a more natural (vs. anthropogenic) phenomenon than those from less vulnerable groups. The salience of water-related problems and personal experiences of climate-related events, as well as differences between various subgroups, could be used to improve measures to adapt to the consequences of climate change by correcting misconceptions of the population and of decisionmakers.
Feature Point Matching Method for Aerial Image Based on Recursive Diffusion Algorithm
Authors: Shen Jiayan , Guo Xiucheng , Zhou Wenzong , Zhang Yiming , Li Juchen
Published: March 2021

Aerial images are large-scale and susceptible to light. Traditional image feature point matching algorithms cannot achieve satisfactory matching accuracy for aerial images. This paper proposes a recursive diffusion algorithm, which is scale-invariant and can be used to extract symmetrical areas of different images. This narrows the matching range of feature points by extracting high-density areas of the image and improving the matching accuracy through correlation analysis of high-density areas. Through experimental comparison, it can be found that the recursive diffusion algorithm has more advantages compared to the correlation coefficient method and the mean shift algorithm when matching accuracy of aerial images, especially when the light of aerial images changes greatly.
Wound Infections from Taiwan Cobra (Naja atra) Bites: Determining Bacteriology, Antibiotic Susceptibility, and the Use of Antibiotics-A Cobra BITE Study
Authors: Yeh Heng , Gao Shi-Ying , Lin Chih-Chuan
Published: March 2021

Wound necrosis and secondary infection are common complications after Naja atra bites. Clinical tools to evaluate the infection risk after Taiwan cobra bites are lacking. In this Cobra BITE study, we investigated the prevalence of wound infection, bacteriology, and corresponding antibiotic usage in patients presenting with Taiwan cobra snakebites. Patients with wound infection lacking tissue necrosis were included in developing Cobra BITE score utilizing univariate and multiple logistic regression, as patients with wound necrosis require antibiotics for infection treatment. 8,295,497 emergency department visits occurred in the span of this study, with 195 of those patients being diagnosed as having cobra bites. Of these patients, 23 had wound necrosis, and 30 had wound infection, resulting in a wound infection rate of 27.2% (53/195). Enterococcus faecalis and Morganella morganii were the main bacteria identified in the culture report regardless of whether patients’ wounds had necrosis. As per our Cobra BITE score, the three factors predicting secondary wound infection after cobra bites are hospital admission, a white blood cell count (in 103/µL) × by neu-trophil-lymphocyte ratio value of ≥114.23, and the use of antivenin medication. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the Cobra BITE score system was 0.88; ideal sensitivity and specificity were 0.89 and 0.76. This scoring system enables the assessment of wound infections after N. atra bites, and it could be modified and improved in the future for other Naja spp. bites.
The Novel Genetic Background of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Strains Emerging from the Action of Positive Selection
Authors: Pikuła Anna , Lisowska Anna , Jasik Agnieszka , Perez Lester J.
Published: March 2021

The circulation in Europe of novel reassortant strains of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), containing a unique genetic background composition, represents a serious problem for animal health. Since the emergence of this novel IBDV mosaic was first described in Poland, this scenario has become particularly attractive to uncover the evolutionary forces driving the genetic diversity of IBDV populations. This study additionally addressed the phenotypic characterization of these emergent strains, as well as the main features affecting the viral fitness during the competition process of IBDV lineages in the field. Our results showed how different evolutionary mechanisms modulate the genetic diversity of co-existent IBDV lineages, leading to the error catastrophe effect, Muller ratchet effect, or prevalence, depending on their genetic compositions. We also determined that the action of the positive selection pressure, depending on the genomic segment on which it is acting, can drive two main phenotypes for IBDV: immune-escaping strains from the selection on segment A or strains with functional advantages from the selection on segment B. This last group seems to possess an increased fitness landscape in the viral quasispecies composition, presenting better adaptability to dissimilar environmental conditions and likely becoming the dominant population. The reassortant strains also exhibited a lower mortality rate compared with the well-known vvIBDV strains, which can facilitate their spreading.
Change Point Analysis for Detecting Vaccine Safety Signals
Authors: You Seung-Hun , Jang Eun Jin , Kim Myo-Song , Lee Min-Taek , Kang Ye-Jin , Lee Jae-Eun , Eom Joo-Hyeon , Jung Sun-Young
Published: March 2021

It is important to detect signals of abrupt changes in adverse event reporting in order to notice public safety concerns and take prompt action, especially for vaccines under national immunization programs. In this study, we assessed the applicability of change point analysis (CPA) for signal detection in vaccine safety surveillance. The performances of three CPA methods, namely Bayesian change point analysis, Taylor’s change point analysis (Taylor-CPA), and environmental time series change point detection (EnvCpt), were assessed via simulated data with assumptions for the baseline number of events and degrees of change. The analysis was validated using the Korea Adverse Event Reporting System (KAERS) database. In the simulation study, the Taylor-CPA method exhibited better results for the detection of a change point (accuracy of 96% to 100%, sensitivity of 7% to 100%, specificity of 98% to 100%, positive predictive value of 25% to 85%, negative predictive value of 96% to 100%, and balanced accuracy of 53% to 100%) than the other two CPA methods. When the CPA methods were applied to reports of syncope or dizziness following human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization in the KAERS database, Taylor-CPA and EnvCpt detected a change point (Q2/2013), which was consistent with actual public safety concerns. CPA can be applied as an efficient tool for the early detection of vaccine safety signals.
Reduced Virus Load in Lungs of Pigs Challenged with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus after Vaccination with Virus Replicon Particles Encoding Conserved PRRSV Cytotoxic T-Cell Epitopes
Authors: Welner Simon , Ruggli Nicolas , Liniger Matthias , Summerfield Artur , Larsen Lars Erik , Jungersen Gregers
Published: March 2021

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes severe respiratory distress and reproductive failure in swine. Modified live virus (MLV) vaccines provide the highest degree of protection and are most often the preferred choice. While somewhat protective, the use of MLVs is accompanied by multiple safety issues, why safer alternatives are urgently needed. Here, we describe the generation of virus replicon particles (VRPs) based on a classical swine fever virus genome incapable of producing infectious progeny and designed to express conserved PRRSV-2 cytotoxic T-cell epitopes. Eighteen pigs matched with the epitopes by their swine leucocyte antigen-profiles were vaccinated (N = 11, test group) or sham-vaccinated (N = 7, control group) with the VRPs and subsequently challenged with PRRSV-2. The responses to vaccination and challenge were monitored using serological, immunological, and virological analyses. Challenge virus load in serum did not differ significantly between the groups, whereas the virus load in the caudal part of the lung was significantly lower in the test group compared to the control group. The number of peptide-induced interferon-γ secreting cells after challenge was higher and more frequent in the test group than in the control group. Together, our results provide indications of a shapeable PRRSV-specific cell-mediated immune response that may inspire future development of effective PRRSV vaccines.