bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dependence of the fire retardant and fire extinguishing efficiency of compositions based on phosphates of bivalent and trivalent ammonium metals on their physicochemical properties
Authors: Богданова Валентина Владимировна , Кобец Ольга Игоревна , Врублевский Александр Васильевич
Published: December 2020

Purpose. The object of research were fire-retardant and fire-extinguishing agents based on ammonium phosphates of bivalent and trivalent metals used for the treatment of forest combustible materials (FCM), including wood and peat. The subject of the research was to determine the fire-retardant and fire-extinguishing effectiveness of these agents, depending on their physical and chemical properties determined by the conditions of synthesis. The aim was to establish common traits or difference in the mechanism of inhibition of combustion of FCM by metallophosphate systems of various chemical compositions, as well as to reveal the role of the processes occurring in the condensed phase under the influence of their thermal decomposition products. The main task was to study the physicochemical, thermal properties of fire-retardant and fire-extinguishing agents, as well as fire-protected samples of peat and other FCM in the temperature range on the burning surface of natural materials (200–500 °C).

Methods. X-ray phase analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, chemical analysis.

Findings. The factors determining the fire-retardant and fire-extinguishing efficiency of synthetic agents based on phosphates of bivalent and trivalent ammonium metals with controlled properties depending on the synthesis conditions with respect to FCM, wood and peat have been determined. A process has been established that has a dominant effect on stopping their combustion – inhibition of radical reactions in the gas phase by volatile nitrogen-containing products. At the same time, it was shown that when developing new fire-retardant and fire-extinguishing agents, it is necessary to take into account their properties such as the ability to form thermal insulating structures in the condensed phase.

Application field of research. The results obtained in this work can be used to create new fire-retardant and fire-extinguishing synthetic compositions based on ammonium phosphates of bivalent and trivalent metals for the treatment of forest fuels.
Enfoque Combinado de Word2Vec y 2-grams para la Recuperación de Avisos Clasificados Inmobiliarios Semánticamente Relacionados
Authors: Medrano José Federico
Published: December 2020

La publicación de avisos clasificados de inmuebles se ha convertido en el medio de publicidad preferido tanto  para particulares como empresas inmobiliarias. Esto ha provocado un crecimiento importante en la cantidad de avisos, tornando difícil la búsqueda un inmueble adecuado, mucho más si la búsqueda es en una gran ciudad. Este trabajo propone un enfoque basado en técnicas de minería de textos y procesamiento del lenguaje natural para la recuperación de avisos clasificados semánticamente relacionados. Para tal propósito se recolectaron los avisos publicados por el sitio web lavoz.com.ar, mediante un scraper. El título y la descripción de estos avisos fueron empleados para conformar un corpus textual modelado mediante Word2Vec, evaluando la similitud por medio de Word Mover’s Distance. El empleo de 2-grams (bigramas) frente a otros esquemas de agrupación de términos ofrecieron los mejores resultados comparando los resultados con búsquedas sintácticas
Evaluation of Fatigue, Sleep Quality and Activities of Daily Living in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure
Authors: Özberk Sema , Kocamaz Deniz
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Patients receiving hemodialysis treatment for chronic renal failure (CRF) develop various symptoms and experience lifestyle changes. CRF is a progressive disease characterized by irreversible loss of nephrons.
Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate fatigue, sleep quality and activities of daily living in patients with chronic renal failure.
Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Sixty-seven CRF patients aged over 18 years who admitted to a private dialysis center for hemodialysis treatment were included. Sociodemographic information was recorded and the 'Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue' was used to evaluate fatigue, the 'Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index' for assessment of sleep quality and the 'Katz Activities of Daily Living Scale' for evaluation of activities of daily living for all patients. All evaluations were conducted by the same investigator before hemodialysis session. Fatigue level assessment was repeated after hemodialysis session. The data obtained were analyzed using the SPSS 24.0 software package.
Results: Thirty (44.8%) females and 37 (55.2%) males were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the study population was 55.8 ± 15.75 years. 74.6% of the patients had poor sleep quality. The mean fatigue score of the patients was 4.82 ± 2.02 before hemodialysis and 8.79±1.67 after hemodialysis, as assessed by VAS-F. All participants were independent in activities of daily living. The average of Katz ADL Scale was 16.80 ± 1.76.
Discussion and Conclusion: In line with former studies, fatigue was the most common symptom in the study patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment for chronic kidney failure. Additionally, poor sleep quality and reduced performance in the activities of daily living in the study participants are noteworthy. Hemodialysis causes a number of symptoms that patients have to cope with in their daily lives. It is important to guide patients about individualized rehabilitation programs in the treatment of chronic renal failure.
Evaluation of the efficiency of enterprises in the transition to alternative (helio) energy sources
Authors: Perevozova Iryna , Maksimenko Tetiana , Bondarenko Svіtlana
Published: December 2020

The aim of the article is to study the main approaches and develop a methodology for assessing the efficiency of enterprises in the transition to alternative (helio) energy sources. The concepts of the ʻenergy efficiencyʼ and the ʻenergy savingʼ are the main characteristics of efficient use of energy resources. The term "energy efficiency" is a resultant indicator that captures the achieved level of efficiency of consumption and use of fuel and energy resources in the process of enterprise activity. The concept of ʻenergy savingʼ is a process indicator that indicates the way to achieve energy efficiency (implementation of a set of measures) of resource conservation in the enterprise. It is established that the key indicator for assessing the efficiency of the energy consumption system is the energy intensity indicator, the reduction of which should be considered as one of the main tasks in order to increase the efficiency of the enterprise.

It is proved that the transition of an industrial enterprise to alternative (helio) energy sources is a guarantee of reducing its energy intensity. Therefore, the issues of implementation of energy saving programs are relevant for industrial enterprises. Energy saving measures will help reduce costs at the enterprise, conserve natural resources. The study found that solar energy in Ukraine in 2019 shows a bright positive trend. The ʻgreen tariffʼ was officially received by stations with a total capacity of 3537.382 MW, which is 5.48 times higher than in 2018. In 2019, the capacity of industrial solar power plants was put into operation 3.5 times more than in all previous years. The amount of electricity produced by industrial plants, in 2019, is 2.66 times higher than in 2018.

The transition to alternative energy sources for industrial enterprises is a rather complex technological task, which requires methodological developments for the optimization of energy resources to maximize the efficiency of enterprises. A method for assessing the efficiency of the enterprise in its transition to alternative (helio) energy sources based on the use of production functions and factor models, which include the entire evaluation apparatus and a set of indicators of efficiency (appropriateness) of resource use, i.e. resource conservation. This method of assessing the performance of the enterprise is based on the use of the Cobb-Douglas production function, which allows to justify the decision on the feasibility of the use of production resources and to adjust the deviations of the spent resources from the normative values.
Pemanfaatan Serbuk Kulit Kerang Sebagai Pengganti Agregat Halus Terhadap Kuat Tekan Beton
Authors: Karimah Rofikatul , Rusdianto Yunan , Susanti Desy Putri
Published: December 2020

Sejumlah penelitian teknologi kontruksi terus dikembangkan dengan tujuan dapat menghasilkan teknologi kontruksi yang tepat guna. Salah satunya dengan memanfaatkan serbuk kulit kerang yang dihasilkan oleh 89 unit pengolahan kerang di Desa Campurejo, Gresik. Dari 1 unit pengelolahan kerang mampu memanen ±100 kg setiap minggunya. Dari kegiatan tersebut dapat menghasilkan limbah padat berupa serbuk kulit kerang yang cukup tinggi. Untuk mengurangi dampak lingkungan dan kesehatan yang disebabkan oleh limbah tersebut, maka dilakukan pemanfaatan limbah serbuk kulit kerang sebagai bahan pengganti agregat halus pada campuran beton. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penggunaan serbuk kulit kerang sebagai pengganti agregat halus terhadap kuat tekan beton. Variasi penggunaan serbuk yang digunakan sebesar 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, dan 30% dari berat agregat halus dengan FAS 0,6. Hasil pengujian diperoleh nilai kuat tekan beton mengalami kenaikan pada prosentase 10% dan selanjutnya kuat tekan beton menurun seiring dengan pertambahan prosentase penggunaan serbuk kulit kerang. Sedangkan nilai absorbsi beton mengalami kenaikan pada prosentase 30% dari berat agregat halus.
Analisa Perbandingan Nilai Uji Marshall Pada Lapis Aspal Beton (Laston) Dengan Menggunakan Material PT. Pro Intertech Indonesia Dengan Material Batu Kapur
Authors: Aris Mohammad , Sukowati Dwi Guntoro , Sitorus Wilman Pandapotan
Published: December 2020

Lapis aspal beton (Laston) sebagai bahan untuk konstruksi jalan sudah lama. Jenis perkerasan ini merupakan campuran merata antara agregat dan aspal sebagai bahan pengikat jenis perkerasan ini mampu memikul beban lalu-lintas berat di bandingkan Lataston. Batu kapur adalah batuan yang banyak ditemukan didaerah maybrat, pada umumnya batu kapur memiliki kualitas yang kurang baik untuk dipakai sebagai bahan pembuat jalan contohnya seperti nilai abrasi yang rendah memiliki struktur yang berpori dan beratnya cenderung lebih ringan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui nilai uji marshall bila menggunakan batu kapur dan membandingkannya dengan material PT. Pro Intrtech Indonesia yang berada di sorong (saoka). Untuk mengetahui perbandingan nilai uji marshall, maka perlu dilakukan penelitan dengan cara menguji kedua jenis material tersebut dengan menggunakan variasi 4,5%, 5%, 5,5%, 6%, 6,5%. Material yang diuji pada penelitian ini adalah material PT. Pro Intertech Indonesia yang berada di saoka dan material batu kapur yang berada di quary ayawasi di daerah maybrat. Dari hasil penelitian diperoleh Perbandingan atau selisih dari pengujian marshall AC-WC di atas adalah sebagai : Kadar Aspal Optimum sebesar 0,05 %, Stabilitas sebesar 136 kg, Flow sebesar 0,6 mm, VIM sebesar 0,1 %, VFA sebesar 0,5 %, Marshal Quotient sebesar 170 Kg/mm, VMA sebesar 0,2 %, Density sebesar 0,025. Adapun nilai uji marshall kedua material tersebut masih memenuhi spesifikasi yang disyaratkan pada Spesifikasi Umum Bina Marga Tahun 2010 Revisi 3.
Predicting areas suitable for wheat and maize cultivation under future climate change scenarios in Pakistan
Authors: Khubaib N , Asad SA , Khalil T , Baig A , Atif S , Umar M , Kropp JP , Pradhan P , Baig S
Published: December 2020

Agriculture is greatly impacted by climate change, which can lead to situations of food security or insecurity at both regional and global levels. Pakistan is predicted to experience an area reduction and geographical shifting of major crops in the near future. In the present study, we assessed the potential future distribution of wheat and maize in Pakistan. Based on current locations of these crops, we ran a Maxent species distribution model to predict future changes in crop distributions. We used 58 presence records for wheat and 48 presence records for maize. The model simulated current and future climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) based on the CMIP5 model, MPI-ESM-LR. Results from our model showed a decline in production area, with a 30-35% reduction in wheat and a 23-36% reduction in maize in the year 2070, depending upon which climate change scenario was modelled (i.e. RCP 4.5 or RCP 8.5). The model predictions were highly accurate, with test AUC values of 0.88 for wheat and 0.89 for maize. A jackknife test for variable importance indicated that irrigation, precipitation seasonality and precipitation of the warmest quarter are the most important environmental variables determining the potential geographic distribution of the crops. Due to the varying severity and nature of climate impacts, adaptation strategies are needed. This study can aid policy makers in devising policies that can help reduce the threat of future food insecurity in the region.
Controls on diatom biogeography on South Carolina (USA) barrier island beaches
Authors: Plante CJ , Hill-Spanik K , Lowry J
Published: December 2020

Benthic microalgae are of great significance to coastal productivity and nutrient cycling, yet determinants of their biogeography and community assembly remain unclear. We identified and compared spatial and environmental mechanisms that shape beach diatom biogeography and diversity at regional scales. We sampled at various spatial scales (from 10 cm to 120 km) from 4 barrier island beaches in South Carolina, USA, and characterized diatom assemblages using DNA metabarcoding. Twelve environmental variables from sediments, adjacent waters, and atmosphere were recorded. Despite attempts to sample from similar habitat types, environmental factors varied among islands. Correspondingly, biomass and α-diversity metrics likewise varied and were positively related to sediment nutrient levels. Community composition also varied, with each island dominated by different diatom taxa. Redundancy analysis revealed that spatial influences, in addition to environmental factors (water temperature and porewater nutrients), were significantly related to community dissimilarity (β-diversity). Variation partitioning attributed only ~5% of community variation to geographic distance alone, whereas 22% was explained by combined spatial/environmental factors. A high proportion (73%) of community dissimilarity remained unexplained, which likely implicates stochastic processes, although unmeasured physico-chemical or biological factors cannot be discounted. Weak spatial effects suggest that dispersal limitation was relatively unimportant, likely due to extensive sediment transport between beaches. Instead, spatially structured environmental variables appeared to condition beach diatom biogeography. These findings broaden our understanding of microbial biogeography to less well-studied microorganisms and marine habitats. More practically, results suggest some degree of predictability in diatom community changes in the face of anthropogenic challenges.
Generation Mechanism of Diffuser Stall in a Centrifugal Compressor with Vaneless Diffuser
Authors: Fujisawa Nobumichi , Tajima Kenta , Miida Hiroshi , Ohta Yutaka
Published: December 2020

The generation mechanism of a diffuser stall in a centrifugal compressor with a vaneless diffuser was investigated by experimental and computational analyses. The diffuser stall generated as the mass flow rate decreased. The diffuser stall cell rotated at 25-30 % of the impeller rotational speed, with diffuser stall fluctuations observed at 180° from the cutoff. The diffuser stall fluctuation magnitude gradually increased near the cutoff. According to the CFD analysis, the mass flow fluctuations at the diffuser exit showed a low mass flow region, rotating at approximately 25% of the impeller rotational speed. They began at 180° from the cutoff and developed as this region approached the cutoff. Therefore, the diffuser stall could be simulated by CFD analysis. First, the diffuser stall cell originated at 180° from the cutoff by interaction with boundary separation and impeller discharge vortex. Then, the diffuser stall cell further developed by boundary separation accumulation and the induced low velocity area The low velocity region formed a blockage across the diffuser passage span. The diffuser stall cell expanded due to boundary separation caused by a positive flow angle. Finally, the diffuser stall cell vanished when it passed the cutoff, because mass flow recovery occurred.
THE INFLUENCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE GROWTH, INVESTMENT, AND LABOR ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN BATAM CITY
Authors: Sari Intan Utna , Saputra Asron
Published: December 2020

One of the important benchmarks in determining the success of economic development is economic growth. The role of the government in achieving development success is to determine the direction of development policies and to achieve these development targets a good development plan is needed to realize stable economic growth in order to improve people's welfare, namely by increasing Small and Medium Enterprises, Investment and Manpower. This study aims to determine the simultaneous and partial effect of Small and Medium Enterprises, Investment and Labor on the economic growth of Batam City. The data source is secondary data using panel data consisting of time series data for three years and cross section data of nine districts which resulted in 45 observations. The analysis technique used to solve the problem in this study is the multiple linear regression analysis model. The results of this study indicate that in terms of small and medium enterprises, investment and labor have a significant effect on economic growth in Batam City. This indicates that the number of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), Investment and Manpower in Batam City can determine the level of economic growth in Batam City. This is because SMEs, investment and labor are activities that can produce goods or services. Partially Small and Medium Enterprises, Investment and Labor have a positive and significant effect on economic growth in Batam City, meaning that if the number of Small and Medium Enterprises, Investment and Labor is increased, economic growth will also increase.
Building Information Modeling-Based Building Energy Modeling: Investigation of Interoperability and Simulation Results
Authors: Elnabawi Mohamed H.
Published: December 2020

There is increasing need to apply building information modeling (BIM) to low energy buildings, this includes building energy modeling (BEM). If a building energy model can be flawlessly generated from a BIM model, the energy simulation process can be better integrated within the design, can be more competent, and timesaving. However, concerns about both the reliability and integrity of the data transfer process and the interoperability between the BIM and BEM prevent any implementation of BIM-based energy modeling on a large scale. This study addresses the accuracy and integrity of BIM-based energy modeling by investigating how well Autodesk's Revit (BIM), in conjunction with two of the most used energy modeling programs (BEM) known as DesignBuilder and Virtual Environment (IES-ve), were integrated in terms of interoperability, including location and weather files, geometry, construction and materials, thermal zones, occupancy operating schedules, and HVAC systems. All misrepresented data during the interoperability process were identified, followed by benchmarking between the BIM-based energy modeling simulation outcomes and the actual energy consumption of the case study, to assess the reliability of the process. The investigation has revealed a number of interoperability issues regarding the BIM data input and BEM data interpretation. Overall, BIM-based energy modeling proved to be a promising tool for sustainable and low energy building design, however, the BIM to BEM process is a non-standardized method of producing building energy models as it varies from one modeler to another, and the BIM to BEM process. All these might slow down any possible application for the process and might cause some uncertainties for the professionals in the field applying it.
The Role of Infill Walls in the Dynamic Behavior and Seismic Upgrade of a Reinforced Concrete Framed Building
Authors: De Angelis Alessandra , Pecce Maria Rosaria
Published: December 2020

Masonry infill walls are commonly used in the frames of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings around the world. The seismic performance of these buildings is strongly affected by the presence of the infill walls and partitions, as shown by the post-earthquake damage in many cases. The effect of these components is particularly important for RC frame constructions underdesigned for seismic actions that usually are characterized by deformable frames magnifying the contribution of the infill walls to the seismic response. Also the flexibility of the floors could be influenced by the collaboration of the infill walls to the transversal stiffness of the building. The paper addresses the seismic assessment of a typical infilled RC frame building designed only for gravity loads in the 1960s in the Southern of Italy that currently is a high-seismic zone. The structural identification of the building based on ambient vibration test has been already done pointing out the significant role of infill walls and partitions through the updating of the numerical model. Based on the results of the calibrated model, the effect of the floor flexibility on the dynamic behavior of the structure is discussed, and the seismic capacity at life safety limit state (LSLS) is assessed by means of the linear dynamic analyses. The effects of the infill walls on the seismic performance of the building are discussed in detail considering a strengthening solution that involves the infill panels as masonry walls cut from the RC columns to avoid the local interaction but strengthened by composite grids in mortar matrix (FRCM).
The Role of FoxG1 in the Inner Ear
Authors: Ding Yanyan , Meng Wei , Kong Weijia , He Zuhong , Chai Renjie
Published: December 2020

Sensorineural deafness is mainly caused by damage to the tissues of the inner ear, and hearing impairment has become an increasingly serious global health problem. When the inner ear is abnormally developed or is damaged by inflammation, ototoxic drugs, or blood supply disorders, auditory signal transmission is inhibited resulting in hearing loss. Forkhead box G1 (FoxG1) is an important nuclear transcriptional regulator, which is related to the differentiation, proliferation, development, and survival of cells in the brain, telencephalon, inner ear, and other tissues. Previous studies have shown that when FoxG1 is abnormally expressed, the development and function of inner ear hair cells is impaired. This review discusses the role and regulatory mechanism of FoxG1 in inner ear tissue from various aspects – such as the effect on inner ear development, the maintenance of inner ear structure and function, and its role in the inner ear when subjected to various stimulations or injuries – in order to explain the potential significance of FoxG1 as a new target for the treatment of hearing loss.
MicroRNA-16-1-3p Represses Breast Tumor Growth and Metastasis by Inhibiting PGK1-Mediated Warburg Effect
Authors: Ye Tianxing , Liang Yingchun , Zhang Deyu , Zhang Xuewu
Published: December 2020

The Warburg effect (aerobic glycolysis) is a hallmark of cancer and is becoming a promising target for diagnosis and therapy. Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) is the first adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-generating glycolytic enzyme in the aerobic glycolysis pathway and plays an important role in cancer development and progression. However, how microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate PGK1-mediated aerobic glycolysis remains unknown. Here, we show that miR-16-1-3p inhibits PGK1 expression by directly targeting its 3′-untranslated region. Through inhibition of PGK1, miR-16-1-3p suppressed aerobic glycolysis by decreasing glucose uptake, lactate and ATP production, and extracellular acidification rate, and increasing oxygen consumption rate in breast cancer cells. Aerobic glycolysis regulated by the miR-16-1-3p/PGK1 axis is critical for modulating breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. In breast cancer patients, miR-16-1-3p expression is negatively correlated with PGK1 expression and breast cancer lung metastasis. Our findings provide clues regarding the role of miR-16-1-3p as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer through PGK1 suppression. Targeting PGK1 through miR-16-1-3p could be a promising strategy for breast cancer therapy.
Ice Mass Loss in the Central Andes of Argentina Between 2000 and 2018 Derived From a New Glacier Inventory and Satellite Stereo-Imagery
Authors: Ferri Lidia , Dussaillant Inés , Zalazar Laura , Masiokas Mariano H. , Ruiz Lucas , Pitte Pierre , Gargantini Hernán , Castro Mariano , Berthier Etienne , Villalba Ricardo
Published: December 2020

Based on the recently released National Glacier Inventory (NGI), we analyzed the characteristics and the mass balance rates of ice masses in the Argentinean Central Andes (ca. 30°–37° S). The NGI provides unprecedented information on area, number and distribution of different ice masses, including debris-covered glaciers and rock glaciers. In the Central Andes, a number of 8,076 ice masses were identified covering a total area of 1767 km2. For the period 2000–2018, a general lowering of the ice surface was observed with a region-wide mass balance rate of −0.18 ± 0.19 m w.e. yr−1. Clear differences depending on the debris coverage of the different ice masses were identified, with mass balance rates ranging from −0.36 ± 0.19 m w.e. yr−1 for partly debris-covered glaciers to −0.02 ± 0.19 m w.e. yr−1 for rock glaciers. Considering different sub-periods, the region-wide mass balance rate was slightly positive (+0.12 ± 0.23 m w. e. yr−1) from 2000 to 2009 and negative (−0.21 ± 0.30 m w.e. yr−1) from 2009 to 2018. A comparison with the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI version 6.0) indicates that the NGI provides more detailed information regarding different type of ice masses whereas region-wide mass balance rates show limited sensitivity to the choice of the inventory. The inclusion of rock glaciers and “debris-covered ice with rock glacier” in the NGI causes mass balance rates to be slightly less negative than when using the RGI. Since the Central Andes are experiencing an unprecedented decade-long drought, our study provides crucial information to estimate current and future hydrological contribution of the different type of ice masses to river discharge in the arid subtropical Andes.
High BMI and Insulin Resistance Are Risk Factors for Spontaneous Abortion in Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Sun Yi-Fei , Zhang Jie , Xu Yue-Ming , Cao Zi-Yu , Wang Yi-Zhuo , Hao Gui-Min , Gao Bu-Lang
Published: December 2020

Background

The risk of spontaneous abortion in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing assisted reproductive treatment (ART) is higher than that in patients without PCOS, however, no definitive risk factors have been confirmed to associate with the high spontaneous abortion rate in PCOS patients undergoing ART. This study was performed to assess the impact of relevant risk factors on spontaneous abortion in patients with PCOS. Clinical questions were formulated and organized according to the PICOS principle.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on all published studies on PCOS and spontaneous abortion in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. Related risk factors included body mass index (BMI), age, insulin resistance (IR), hyperandrogenism, and chromosome aberrations. All patients were diagnosed as PCOS using the Rotterdam criteria. The primary endpoint was miscarriage and live birth rate. Fixed-effect models were used to analyze homogeneous data, and subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed on heterogeneous data. The source of heterogeneity was evaluated, and the random effect model was used to summarize the heterogeneity.

Results

Among 1836 retrieved articles, 22 were eligible and included in the analysis with 11182 patients. High BMI (OR = 1.48, 95% CI [1.32, 1.67], MD = 1.35, 95% CI [0.58,2.12]) and insulin resistance (MD = 0.32, 95% CI [0.15, 0.49]) were associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion in PCOS patients undergoing ART. Older age (OR = 0.29, 95% CI [0.29, 0.44], MD = 2.01, 95% CI [0.04, 4.18]), embryonic chromosomal aberrations (OR = 0.75, 95%CI [0.31,1.77]), and hyperandrogenism (MD = 0.10, 95% CI [- 0.02, 0.22]) were not associated with the high spontaneous abortion rate in patients with PCOS. A subgroup analysis of BMI showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the effect between overweight and obesity on spontaneous abortion in PCOS patients undergoing ART (OR = 1.34, 95% [0.97, 1.85]).

Conclusion

High BMI and insulin resistance are two risk factors for an increased risk of spontaneous abortion in PCOS patients undergoing ART, and losing weight and mitigating insulin resistance may decrease the spontaneous abortion rate in these patients undergoing ART.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus—Innovative Approach to Prediction, Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Future NCD—Mother and Offspring
Authors: McIntyre H. David , Kapur Anil , Divakar Hema , Hod Moshe
Published: December 2020

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the commonest medical complication of pregnancy. The association of GDM with immediate pregnancy complications including excess fetal growth and adiposity with subsequent risk of birth trauma and with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is well recognized. However, the associations with wide ranges of longer-term health outcomes for mother and baby, including the lifetime risks of obesity, pre-diabetes, and diabetes and cardiovascular disease have received less attention and few health systems address these important issues in a systematic way. This article reviews historical and recent data regarding prediction of GDM using demographic, clinical, and biochemical parameters. We evaluate current and potential future diagnostic approaches designed to most effectively identify GDM and extend this analysis into a critical evaluation of lifestyle and nutritional/pharmacologic interventions designed to prevent the development of GDM. The general approach to management of GDM during pregnancy is then discussed and the major final focus of the article revolves around the importance of a GDM diagnosis as a future marker of the risk of non-communicable disease (NCD), in particular pre-diabetes, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, both in mother and offspring.
Biochar-Terracotta Conductive Composites: New Design for Bioelectrochemical Systems
Authors: Cristiani Pierangela , Goglio Andrea , Marzorati Stefania , Fest-Santini Stephanie , Schievano Andrea
Published: December 2020

Research in the field of bioelectrochemical systems is addressing the need to improve components and reduce their costs in the perspective of their large-scale application. In this view, innovative solid separators of electrodes, made of biochar and terracotta, are investigated. Biochar-based composites are produced from giant cane (Arundo Donax L.). Two different types of composite are used in this experiment: composite A, produced by pyrolysis of crushed chipping of A.donax L. mixed clay; and composite B, produced by pyrolysis of already-pyrolyzed giant cane (biochar) mixed with clay. Electrical resistivity, electrical capacity, porosity, water retention, and water leaching of the two composites types (A and B) with 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 mass percentages of carbon (w/w) are characterized and compared. Less than 1 kΩ cm of electrical resistance is obtained for composite A with a carbon content greater than 10%, while physical and electrical performances of composite B do not significantly change. SEM micrographs and 3D microcomputed tomography of different composite materials are provided, demonstrating a different matrix structure of carbon in the terracotta matrix. The possibility of suitably decreasing electric resistance and increasing water retention/leaching of composite A opens the way for a new class of resistive materials that can be simultaneously used as electrolytic separators and as external electric circuits, allowing a compact microbial fuel cell design. A proof of concept of such an MFC design was provided for different tested composites. Although all the anolytes become anaerobic, only the MFCs equipped with the composite A30% were able to produce power, reaching the maximum power peak in correspondence to resistance of about 1 kΩ. The low, but significant, produced power (about 40 mW m−2, cathode area) confirm that the proposed solution is particularly suitable for nutrient recovery and environment pollution bioremediation, where energy harvesting is not requested.
An Integrative Computational Approach Based on Expression Similarity Signatures to Identify Protein–Protein Interaction Networks in Female-Specific Cancers
Authors: Pane Katia , Affinito Ornella , Zanfardino Mario , Castaldo Rossana , Incoronato Mariarosaria , Salvatore Marco , Franzese Monica
Published: December 2020

Breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers have a major impact on mortality in women. These tumors share hormone-dependent mechanisms involved in female-specific cancers which support tumor growth in a different manner. Integrated computational approaches may allow us to better detect genomic similarities between these different female-specific cancers, helping us to deliver more sophisticated diagnosis and precise treatments. Recently, several initiatives of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) have encouraged integrated analyses of multiple cancers rather than individual tumors. These studies revealed common genetic alterations (driver genes) even in clinically distinct entities such as breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. In this study, we aimed to identify expression similarity signatures by extracting common genes among TCGA breast (BRCA), ovarian (OV), and uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) cohorts and infer co-regulatory protein–protein interaction networks that might have a relationship with the estrogen signaling pathway. Thus, we carried out an unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA)-based computational approach, using RNA sequencing data of 2,015 female cancer and 148 normal samples, in order to simultaneously capture the data heterogeneity of intertumors. Firstly, we identified tumor-associated genes from gene expression profiles. Secondly, we investigated the signaling pathways and co-regulatory protein–protein interaction networks underlying these three cancers by leveraging the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. In detail, we discovered 1,643 expression similarity signatures (638 downregulated and 1,005 upregulated genes, with respect to normal phenotype), denoted as tumor-associated genes. Through functional genomic analyses, we assessed that these genes were involved in the regulation of cell-cycle-dependent mechanisms, including metaphase kinetochore formation and estrogen-dependent S-phase entry. Furthermore, we generated putative co-regulatory protein–protein interaction networks, based on upstream regulators such as the ERBB2/HER2 gene. Moreover, we provided an ad-hoc bioinformatics workflow with a manageable list of intertumor expression similarity signatures for the three female-specific cancers. The expression similarity signatures identified in this study might uncover potential estrogen-dependent molecular mechanisms promoting carcinogenesis.
Vi-Vaccinations Induce Heterogeneous Plasma Cell Responses That Associate With Protection From Typhoid Fever
Authors: Cross Deborah L. , Verheul Marije K. , Leipold Michael D. , Obermoser Gerlinde , Jin Celina , Jones Elizabeth , Starr Joshua S. , Mohorianu Irina , Blohmke Christoph J. , Maecker Holden T. , Napolitani Giorgio , Hill Jennifer , Pollard Andrew J.
Published: December 2020

Vi-polysaccharide conjugate vaccines are efficacious against cases of typhoid fever; however, an absolute correlate of protection is not established. In this study, we investigated the leukocyte response to a Vi-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (Vi-TT) in comparison with a plain polysaccharide vaccine (Vi-PS) in healthy adults subsequently challenged withSalmonellaTyphi. Immunological responses and their association with challenge outcome was assessed by mass cytometry and Vi-ELISpot assay. Immunization induced significant expansion of plasma cells in both vaccines with modest T follicular helper cell responses detectable after Vi-TT only. The Vi-specific IgG and IgM B cell response was considerably greater in magnitude in Vi-TT recipients. Intriguingly, a significant increase in a subset of IgA+plasma cells expressing mucosal migratory markers α4β7 and CCR10 was observed in both vaccine groups, suggesting a gut-tropic, mucosal response is induced by Vi-vaccination. The total plasma cell response was significantly associated with protection against typhoid fever in Vi-TT vaccinees but not Vi-PS. IgA+plasma cells were not significantly associated with protection for either vaccine, although a trend is seen for Vi-PS. Conversely, the IgA-fraction of the plasma cell response was only associated with protection in Vi-TT. In summary, these data indicate that a phenotypically heterogeneous response including both gut-homing and systemic antibody secreting cells may be critical for protection induced by Vi-TT vaccination.
Practical Application of a Bioenergetic Model to Inform Management of a Declining Fur Seal Population and Their Commercially Important Prey
Authors: McHuron Elizabeth A. , Luxa Katie , Pelland Noel A. , Holsman Kirstin , Ream Rolf , Zeppelin Tonya , Sterling Jeremy T.
Published: December 2020

Food availability is a key concern for the conservation of marine top predators, particularly during a time when they face a rapidly changing environment and continued pressure from commercial fishing activities. Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) breeding on the Pribilof Islands in the eastern Bering Sea have experienced an unexplained population decline since the late-1990s. Dietary overlap with a large U.S. fishery for walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) in combination with changes in maternal foraging behavior and pup growth has led to the hypothesis that food limitation may be contributing to the population decline. We developed age- and sex-specific bioenergetic models to estimate fur seal energy intake from May–December in six target years, which were combined with diet data to quantify prey consumption. There was considerable sex- and age-specific variation in energy intake because of differences in body size, energetic costs, and behavior; net energy intake was lowest for juveniles (18.9 MJ sea-day–1, 1,409.4 MJ season–1) and highest for adult males (66.0 MJ sea-day–1, 7,651.7 MJ season–1). Population-level prey consumption ranged from 255,232 t (222,159 – 350,755 t, 95% CI) in 2006 to 500,039 t (453,720 – 555,205 t) in 1996, with pollock comprising between 41.4 and 76.5% of this biomass. Interannual variation in size-specific pollock consumption appeared largely driven by the availability of juvenile fish, with up to 81.6% of pollock biomass coming from mature pollock in years of poor age-1 recruitment. Relationships among metabolic rates, trip durations, pup growth rates, and energy intake of lactating females suggest the most feasible mechanism to increase pup growth rates is by increasing foraging efficiency through reductions in maternal foraging effort, which is unlikely to occur without increases in localized prey density. By quantifying year-specific fur seal consumption of pollock, our study provides a pathway to incorporate fur seals into multispecies pollock stock assessment models, which is critical for fur seal and fishery management given they were a significant source of mortality for both juvenile and mature pollock.
Patterns of Deterioration in Moderate Patients With COVID-19 From Jan 2020 to Mar 2020: A Multi-Center, Retrospective Cohort Study in China
Authors: Chen Sheng-long , Feng Hui-ying , Xu Hui , Huang Shan-shan , Sun Jiu-feng , Zhou Lin , He Jun-lei , Song Wen-liang , Wang Rui-jie , Li Xin , Fang Ming
Published: December 2020

Background: Around the globe, moderate cases account for the largest proportion of all coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, and deteriorated moderate patients contribute the most in mortality. However, published articles failed to address the deterioration details of moderate cases, especially on when and how they deteriorated.

Methods: All moderate COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Guangdong Province from January 14 to March 16, 2020, were included in this multicenter retrospective cohort study and were divided into deteriorated and non-deteriorated groups according to clinical status. Symptoms and demographic, therapeutic, and laboratory test result characteristics were collected to explore the features of disease deterioration.

Results: Of 1,168 moderate patients included, 148 (13%) deteriorated to severe (130 cases) or critical (18 cases) status. Over 20% of the older subgroup (>50 years old) showed deterioration. The median time for deterioration was 11 days after onset [interquartile range (IQR) 9–14 days]. In addition, 12.2% severe cases could further develop to critical status after 3 days (IQR 2–6.5 days) of having a severe condition. Respiratory dysfunction and hypoxia were the major manifestations as disease deterioration, while 76 cases (52.1%) showed respiratory rate >30 breaths/min, 119 cases (80.4%) showed SaO2 <93%, 100 cases (67.5%) had 201 < PaO2/FiO2 < 300, and 27 cases (18.9%) had blood lactic acid >2.0 mmol/L. In view of multiple organ dysfunction, 87.8% of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), 20.2% of acute kidney injury (AKI), 6.8% of coagulopathy, 4% of acute heart failure (AHF), 3.4% of acute hepatic injury (AHI), and 5.4% of shock occurred in deteriorated patients, while organ injury occurred in the following sequence: ARDS, AKI, AHF, coagulopathy, AHI, and shock.

Conclusions: The deteriorated pattern of moderate COVID-19 patients is characterized as the 11th day from onset (IQR 9–14 days) being an important time point of disease deterioration with further exacerbation to critical condition in 3 days (IQR 2–6.5 days), A RDS followed by AKI being the typical modes of sequential organ damage.
Understanding Microbial Community Dynamics in Up-Flow Bioreactors to Improve Mitigation Strategies for Oil Souring
Authors: Dutta Avishek , Smith Ben , Goldman Thomas , Walker Leanne , Streets Matthew , Eden Bob , Dirmeier Reinhard , Bowman Jeff S.
Published: December 2020

Oil souring occurs when H2S is generated in oil reservoirs. This not only leads to operational risks and health hazards but also increases the cost of refining crude oil. Sulfate-reducing microorganisms are considered to be the main source of the H2S that leads to oil souring. Substrate competition between nitrate-reducing and sulfate-reducing microorganisms makes biosouring mitigation via the addition of nitrate salts a viable strategy. This study explores the shift in microbial community across different phases of biosouring and mitigation. Anaerobic sand-filled columns wetted with seawater and/or oil were used to initiate the processes of sulfidogenesis, followed by mitigation with nitrate, rebound sulfidogenesis, and rebound control phases (via nitrate and low salinity treatment). Shifts in microbial community structure and function were observed across different phases of seawater and oil setups. Marine bacterial taxa (Marinobacter, Marinobacterium, Thalassolituus, Alteromonas, and Cycloclasticus) were found to be the initial responders to the application of nitrate during mitigation of sulfidogenesis in both seawater- and oil- wetted columns. Autotrophic groups (Sulfurimonas and Desulfatibacillum) were found to be higher in seawater-wetted columns compared to oil-wetted columns, suggesting the potential for autotrophic volatile fatty acid (VFA) production in oil-field aquifers when seawater is introduced. Results indicate that fermentative (such as Bacteroidetes) and oil-degrading bacteria (such as Desulfobacula toluolica) play an important role in generating electron donors in the system, which may sustain biosouring and nitrate reduction. Persistence of certain microorganisms (Desulfobacula) across different phases was observed, which may be due to a shift in metabolic lifestyle of the microorganisms across phases, or zonation based on nutrient availability in the columns. Overall results suggest mitigation strategies for biosouring can be improved by monitoring VFA concentrations and microbial community dynamics in the oil reservoirs during secondary recovery of oil.
The Composition and Predictive Function of the Fecal Microbiota Differ Between Young and Adult Donkeys
Authors: Xing Jingya , Liu Guiqin , Zhang Xinzhuang , Bai Dongyi , Yu Jie , Li Lanjie , Wang Xisheng , Su Shaofeng , Zhao Yiping , Bou Gerelchimeg , Dugarjaviin Manglai
Published: December 2020

The community of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of monogastric herbivores played critical roles in the absorption of nutrients and keeping the host healthy. However, its establishment at different age groups has not been quantitatively and functionally examined. The knowledge of microbial colonization and its function in the intestinal tract of different-age donkeys is still limited. By applying the V3–V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and functional prediction on fecal samples from different-age donkeys, we characterized the gut microbiota during the different age groups. In contrast to the adult donkeys, the gut microbiota diversity and richness of the young donkeys showed significantly less resemblance. The microbial data showed that diversity and richness increased with age, but a highly individual variation of microbial composition was observed at month 1. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed a significant difference across five time points in the feces. The abundance of Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Odoribacter tended to decrease, while the proportion of Streptococcus was significantly increased with age. For functional prediction, the relative abundance of pathways had a significant difference in the feces across different age groups, for example, Terpenoids and Polyketides and Folding, Sorting, and Degradation (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The analysis of beta diversity (PCoA and LEfSe) and microbial functions predicted with PICRUSt (NSTIs) clearly divided the donkeys into foals (≤3 months old) and adults (≥7 months old). Microbial community composition and structure had distinctive features at each age group, in accordance with functional stability of the microbiota. Our findings established a framework for understanding the composition and function of the fecal microbiota to differ between young and adult donkeys.