bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical characteristics of patients with CRSwNP with intensely high eosinophil level
Authors: Ma Ling , Shi Jianbo , Wang Kanghua , Sun Yueqi , Xu Rui
Published: February 2022

Background

High tissue and blood eosinophils are linked to poor treatment outcome in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). However, the difference between the patients with different level of blood or tissue eosinophilia in relation to disease control is still lacking.

Objectives

This study aimed to characterize patients with CRSwNP with intensely high eosinophil level.

Methods

A retrospective study of CRSwNP patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery was conducted. The patients were subdivided with various cut‐off values of blood and tissue eosinophils. Tissue eosinophils of ≥50% and 10%–20% were defined as intensely high tissue eosinophils (IH‐tissue‐eos) and high tissue eosinophils (H‐tissue‐eos), respectively. Blood eosinophils of ≥0.6 × 109/L and 0.2 × 109/L–0.3 × 109/L were defined as intensely high blood eosinophils (IH‐blood‐eos) and high blood eosinophils (H‐blood‐eos). Clinical characteristics, Lund‐Mackay score (LMS), and disease control status were compared between subgroups.

Results

A total of 302 patients were enrolled. There was a trend toward a higher rate of uncontrolled disease when the patients subdivided by blood eosinophil cut‐off values ranged from 0.1 × 109/L to 0.6 × 109/L. The controlled patients accounted for 27%, 36%, 22%, and 31%, and the uncontrolled patients 46%, 32%, 52%, and 31% of patients in IH‐tissue‐eos, H‐tissue‐eos, IH‐blood‐eos, and H‐blood‐eos subgroup, respectively. The percentages of patients in the three categories of control were not significantly different between IH‐tissue‐eos and H‐tissue‐eos subgroups. By contrast, the IH‐blood‐eos subgroup had higher percentages of current smoker and asthma, preoperative LMS and tissue eosinophil percentage, and showed a trend toward a higher rate of uncontrolled subjects compare with the H‐blood‐eos subgroup.

Conclusion

CRSwNP patients with IH‐blood‐eos (≥0.6 × 109/L) may be possibly associated with a poorer disease control than those with levels near the threshold of blood eosinophilia (0.2 × 109/L–0.3 × 109/L). Further larger, preferably prospective studies are needed to confirm this relationship.

Level of Evidence: 4.
Nearly Perfect Transmission and Transformation of Entangled States in Topologically Protected Channels
Authors: Wang Bo , Tang Zan , Chen Tian , Zhang Xiangdong
Published: February 2022

Realization of robust transmission and transformation of entangled states with high fidelity is crucial for the applications in quantum information, computing, and communications. However, it is hard to achieve currently because of scattering loss and disorder. Here, an inverse‐design scheme is theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated to realize nearly perfect transmission and transformation of entangled photon states. The scheme is based on the determination of the transmission and transformation properties of entangled states, which depends on the overlap integrals among the initial states, eigenmodes of the system and target states. Thus, topologically protected channels are designed according to the requirements for the overlap integrals of these states. As a result, robust transmission and transformation of entangled states are achieved with high fidelity. The proposed scheme has been demonstrated experimentally using the constructed quantum walk platform. This work interconnects topology, quantum physics, and inverse design, and opens up a new avenue for quantum engineering.
Riemann–Liouville fractional operators of bicomplex order and its properties
Authors: Goswami Mahesh Puri , Kumar Raj
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we construct the Riemann–Liouville fractional integral and differential operator of bicomplex order and illustrate some examples to calculate the fractional integration and differentiation of bicomplex order of some elementary bicomplex‐valued functions. Also, we discuss some properties of these operators by proving analogues of the semigroup property, Leibniz rule, chain rule, etc.
Noise‐like pulse generation with tungsten trioxide/polydimethylsiloxane‐clad microfiber saturable absorber
Authors: Abdul Hadi Muhamad Amir Waliuddin , Muhammad Farah Diana , Mohd Yusoff Norita , Alresheedi Mohammed Thamer , Goh Chee Seong , Mahdi Mohd Adzir
Published: February 2022

We report the formation of noise‐like pulse (NLP) with tungsten trioxide/polydimethylsiloxane‐clad microfiber saturable absorber integrated in a ring‐cavity erbium‐doped fiber laser. The NLP operation was confirmed by the presence of a coherence spike on top of a broad pedestal in the autocorrelation trace, with the measured pulse width value of 410 fs and 3.56 ps respectively. By increasing the pump power from the mode‐locking threshold of 280–3300 mW, the spectral bandwidth was stretched from 22.3 to 22.8 nm, while the output power increased from to 1.9 to 24.3 mW. The maximum pulse energy of 3.5 nJ was generated at a repetition rate of 7 MHz. The signal‐to‐noise ratio was measured to be 53.8 dB, which indicated a good stability of pulse laser.
Paediatric nurses' burnout and perceived health: The moderating effect of the common work‐shift
Authors: Khatatbeh Haitham , Hammoud Sahar , Khatatbeh Moawiah , Oláh András , Pakai Annamária
Published: February 2022

Aims

This study aimed to: (1) explore the relationship between paediatric nurses' burnout, perceived health and common work‐shift, (2) examine the moderating effect of the common work‐shift on the relationship between paediatric nurses' burnout and perceived health, (3) compare burnout and perceived health between paediatric nurses working on day shifts and night/alternate shifts.

Design

A cross‐sectional, correlational design was used in this study.

Methods

A convenient sample of 225 paediatric nurses was selected from nine hospitals in Jordan. Participants were surveyed using a self‐administered questionnaire.

Results

The perceived health correlated negatively with paediatric nurses' burnout and their common work‐shift. Also, nurses' burnout and common work‐shift were significantly correlated. The common work‐shift moderated the relationship between paediatric nurses' burnout and their health. To control the impact of paediatric nurses' burnout on their health, the ratio of the night‐to‐day shifts should be observed and balanced.
Electro‐responsive shape‐memory composites obtained via dual‐curing processing
Authors: Russo Claudio , Ramírez José Luis , Fernández‐Francos Xavier , De la Flor Silvia
Published: February 2022

In this work, electro‐responsive shape‐memory actuators were developed by incorporating a conductive heater in a dual‐curing thiol‐acrylate‐epoxy shape‐memory polymer (SMP). A conductive heater, consisting of an electrically conductive silver‐ink track printed on Kapton® substrate, was assembled to the SMP, taking advantage of the dual‐curing processing. The shape‐memory effect (SME) was activated by the heat dissipated by the Joule effect in the conductive track. Boron nitride agglomerates were dispersed in the thiol‐acrylate‐epoxy layers to increase thermal conductivity and achieve faster shape‐recovery. A thermoelectric control unit was developed to control the shape recovery of the electro‐responsive actuators and provide different activation strategies. The electrically activated SME was investigated and compared to a traditional SME based on an external heating source given by the dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) apparatus. Electro‐responsive actuators were found extremely faster than the conventional SMPs based on external heating. The fastest recovery was obtained by the 15% boron nitride actuator, which recovered the 100% of the original shape in only 8 s. The thermoelectric controlling device provided an optimal control of the shape recovery speed based on the pulse width modulation of the heating current under the application of a low voltage (5 V).
Heat insulation and ablation resistance performance of continuous fiber reinforced composites with integrated gradient fabric
Authors: Li Weijie , Zhang Zhongwei , Zhu Mengdie , Zhang Jun , Dong Zhichao , Huang Haiming , Liang Jun
Published: February 2022

The continuous fiber reinforced porous resin‐based composites with integrated gradient fabric (CPIGF) were successfully prepared. From the bottom to the top surface, the fiber volume fraction of the integrated fabric gradually increased, as well as the fabric architecture changed, meanwhile the porosity of the resin gradually decreased. The temperature in the inner composite increased quite slowly during ablation, and the linear ablation rate ranged from 0.019 mm/s to 0.029 mm/s. The simulation results showed that the good heat insulation capacity of CPIGFs was attributed to the anisotropy properties of the fabric architecture. The microstructure analysis showed that the good ablation resistance came from both the thermal expansion of the integrated gradient fabric and the densification of the zone with 3D orthogonal woven fabric. This work is helpful for designing thermal protection materials having both heat insulation and ablation resistance for hypersonic aircrafts.
Synthesis and characterization of polybenzoxazine/silica‐based hybrid nanostructures for flame retardancy applications
Authors: Forchetti Casarino Agustin , Casis Natalia , Estenoz Diana Alejandra , Spontón Marisa Elisabet
Published: February 2022

The objective of this study is to develop polybenzoxazine‐silica nanocomposite systems endowed with greater thermal and fire performance. For this purpose, the 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and bisphenol A‐based benzoxazine (BA‐3aptms) was synthesized. Also, smooth and spherical silica nanoparticles of 50 nm size were prepared following the Stöber's method. The influence of the nanoparticle size and geometry on the properties (laminar morphology, thermal, dynamic‐mechanical, hydrophobicity, and flame retardancy) of the polybenzoxazine/polysilsesquioxane material was investigated. Also, nanocomposites from the conventional benzoxazine (BA‐a) and SiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized for comparative purposes. The addition of nanoparticles in both polybenzoxazines improved the mechanical, thermal and flammability properties. Likewise, the presence of these nanoparticles conferred to the material a more hydrophobic surface (contact angle around 95°). Particularly, the Pr(BA‐3aptms)/NP nanocomposites presented better properties than the BA‐a‐based systems, due to the presence of laminar‐oriented polysilsesquioxane networks chemically bonded to the silica nanoparticles at nanoscale.
Application of a high‐resolution in vitro human MDR1‐MDCK assay and in vivo studies in preclinical species to improve prediction of CNS drug penetration
Authors: Jiang Licong , Kumar Sanjeev , Nuechterlein Marc , Reyes Marissa , Tran Dao , Cabebe Clifford , Chiang Peggy , Reynolds James , Carrier Scott , Sun Yongkai , Eddershaw Peter , Hay Tanya , Chen Weichao , Feng Bo
Published: February 2022

P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp, MDR1) is expressed at the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and restricts penetration of its substrates into the central nervous system (CNS). In vitro MDR1 assays are frequently used to predict the in vivo relevance of MDR1‐mediated efflux at the BBB. It has been well established that drug candidates with high MDR1 efflux ratios (ERs) display poor CNS penetration. Following a comparison of MDR1 transporter function between the MDR1‐MDCKI cell line from National Institutes of Health (NIH) and our internal MDR1‐MDCKII cell line, the former was found to provide better predictions of in vivo brain penetration than our in‐house MDR1‐MDCKII cell line. In particular, the NIH MDR1 assay has an improved sensitivity to differentiate the compounds with ERs of <3 in our internal cell line and is able to reduce the risk of false negatives. A better correlation between NIH MDR1 ERs and brain penetration in rat and non‐human primate (NHP) was demonstrated. Additionally, a comparison of brain penetration time course of MDR1 substrates and an MDR1 non‐substrate in NHP demonstrated that MDR1 interaction can delay the time to equilibrium of drug concentration in the brain with plasma. It is recommended to select highly permeable compounds without MDR1 interaction for rapid brain penetration to produce the maximal pharmacological effect in the CNS with a quicker onset.
Community college president shares insights about moving through pandemic, into future
Authors: Elfman Lois
Published: February 2022

Now in the third year of her presidency of Tarrant County College in Texas, Kenya Ayers‐Palmore, Ed.D., describes the past two years as exhilarating, at times exhausting, and the honor of a lifetime.
The taboo of retreat: The politics of sea level rise, managed retreat, and coastal property values in California
Authors: Anderson Ryan B.
Published: February 2022

This article uses anthropological and historical perspectives to explore ongoing conflicts over “managed retreat” and property values along the California coast. Proponents of managed retreat argue that coastal communities need to start planning for the impending effects of sea level rise, including retreating or relocating away from vulnerable coastal spaces. Some residents and organizations oppose such measures, often citing the need to protect coastal home and real estate values. One of the key arguments of some residents is that such coastal properties should be protected because they are so valuable. Drawing from sociological and anthropological theories of value, in addition to ethnographic research in California, this article explores how this situation in California came to be, what it can tell us about the politics of value and financialization, and finally, what it portends for the future as our highly financialized world faces the looming threat of climate change.
On the generation of MCs+ ions in SIMS with Cs+ primary beams
Authors: Oechsner Hans
Published: February 2022

The formation of MCs+ secondary ions in SIMS operated with Cs+ ion beams is discussed on the basis of a well‐confirmed quadratic dependence of MCs+ yields on the atomic polarizabilities of elements M contained in semiconductor samples. This behavior is understood by the generation of a dipole induced in M by the positive charge of a neighboring Cs+ projectile and the mutual induction of a dipole in Cs+, both dipoles depending on the atomic polarizability of M. An evaluation of the dipole–dipole interaction energy indicates that MCs+ ions generated at the target are emitted according to the direct emission model (DEM). This mechanism is in contrast with an association model where constituents of MCs+ are assumed to combine after their independent sputter emission.
Resveratrol alleviates aluminum‐induced intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice
Authors: Hao Wudi , Zhu Xiaoying , Liu Ziyue , Song Yushuai , Wu Shengwen , Lu Xiaobo , Yang Jinghua , Jin Cuihong
Published: February 2022

Background

Aluminum is mainly exposed to the general population through food and water, and is absorbed into the systemic circulation through intestine, which in turn damages the intestinal barrier.

Methods

The mice model of subchronic exposure to aluminum chloride (AlCl3) was established via oral. Tail suspension test was used to detect depressive behavior. H&E staining was performed to assess pathological intestinal injury. Intestinal permeability was estimated by exogenous Evans blue content. The level of inflammatory cytokines and tight junction protein were assessed via ELISA and western blotting. Simultaneously, resveratrol (Rsv, an agonist of Sirt1) was evaluated the protective role against intestinal barrier injuries caused by aluminum exposure.

Results

Our results showed that AlCl3 induced depressive‐like behavior, intestinal pathological damage and intestinal barrier permeability, resulting in intestinal barrier dysfunction. Besides, aluminum induced the expression of inflammatory cytokines, which further triggered IRF8‐MMP9‐mediated downregulation of tight junction proteins including CLD1, OCLD and ZO‐1. After Rsv treatment, SIRT1 expression was increased, depressive symptom was improved, pathological injury was reduced, inflammatory reaction was alleviated, and intestinal barrier function restored.

Conclusion

Our findings revealed that aluminum exposure induced intestinal barrier dysfunction by IRF8‐MMP9 signaling pathway. Rsv alleviated these injuries via activating SIRT1.
Comparison of methods for automated identification of wild turkey gobbles
Authors: Wightman Patrick H. , Henrichs Darren W. , Collier Bret A. , Chamberlain Michael J.
Published: February 2022

Autonomous recording units (ARUs) allow for collection of extensive acoustic data sets, while reducing costs and time associated with traditional surveys used to determine gobbling chronology of male wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). A challenge with ARUs is efficiently locating and identifying calls of interest, so autonomous call recognition (ACR) software such as Raven Pro have traditionally been used to identify wild turkey gobbles. However, ACR software often produces high false positive detections, requiring substantive time to verify selections as gobbles. We used ARUs across 3 study sites in the southeastern United States to collect 107,580 hours of ambient sound. We developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) to autonomously identify wild turkey gobbles and compared results of our CNN to results gathered using the commercially available program Raven Pro. After processing of ambient sound, the CNN detected 15,793 more gobbles than Raven Pro, and did so with 5,716,718 fewer selections. Collectively, our CNN improved precision from 0.01 to 0.32 relative to Raven Pro, while decreasing the time required for validation from 4,452 hours to 219. We found precision of our CNN varied across ARUs primarily due to differences in occurrence of ambient sounds similar to gobbles. Thus, we recommend that additional site‐specific training data should be considered when developing CNNs. Our results suggest that researchers interested in describing gobbling activity by male wild turkeys should consider developing and applying CNNs for automated call recognition.
A robust method for clustering football players with mixed attributes
Authors: D’Urso Pierpaolo , De Giovanni Livia , Vitale Vincenzina
Published: February 2022

A robust fuzzy clustering model for mixed data is proposed. For each variable, or attribute, a proper dissimilarity measure is computed and the clustering procedure combines the dissimilarity matrices with weights objectively computed during the optimization process. The weights reflect the relevance of each attribute type in the clustering results. A simulation study and an empirical application to football players data are presented that show the effectiveness of the proposed clustering algorithm in finding clusters that would be hidden unless a multi-attributes approach were used.
Sexual and Reproductive Health in Women with Pulmonary Hypertension: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Cipolletta Sabrina , Ravasio Giorgia , Bussotti Maurizio
Published: February 2022

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease characterized by elevation in pulmonary artery pressure causing progressive symptoms: shortness of breath, fatigue, and a decline in functional ability. Research on the impact of PAH on sexual and reproductive health was sparse. The aim of this study is to explore sexual and reproductive health of women with PAH in relation to their illness experience. Twenty-five women with PAH participated in semistructured interviews. A thematic analysis was conducted on the transcripts using the ATLAS.ti software. Four main themes were identified: illness experience, intimate relationship, sexuality, and attitudes toward pregnancy. Results showed that illness changed women’s self-perception, couples’ relationship, sexuality, and the idea of an eventual pregnancy. The relationship with the partner was usually indicated as an important resource, whereas communication with health care professionals was a critical but also potential key resource for the future. Results point to the need for intervention strategies to support women with PAH and help them make aware choices. Moreover, intervention strategies may inform health care interventions and policies for tackling the challenges posed by this illness.
Harnessing Indigenous Tweets: The Reo Māori Twitter corpus
Authors: Trye David , Keegan Te Taka , Mato Paora , Apperley Mark
Published: February 2022

Te reo Māori, the Indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand, is a distinctive feature of the nation’s cultural heritage. This paper documents our efforts to build a corpus of 79,000 Māori-language tweets using computational methods. The Reo Māori Twitter (RMT) Corpus was created by targeting Māori-language users identified by the Indigenous Tweets website, pre-processing their data and filtering out non-Māori tweets, together with other sources of noise. Our motivation for creating such a resource is three-fold: (1) it serves as a rich and unique dataset for linguistic analysis of te reo Māori on social media; (2) it can be used as training data to develop and augment Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools with robust, real-world Māori-language applications; and (3) it will potentially promote awareness of, and encourage positive interaction with, the growing community of Māori tweeters, thereby increasing the use and visibility of te reo Māori in an online environment. While the corpus captures data from 2007 to 2020, our analysis shows that the number of tweets in the RMT Corpus peaked in 2014, and the number of active tweeters peaked in 2017, although at least 600 users were still active in 2020. To the best of our knowledge, the RMT Corpus is the largest publicly-available collection of social media data containing (almost) exclusively Māori text, making it a useful resource for language experts, NLP developers and Indigenous researchers alike.
Students’ collaboration in technology-enhanced reciprocal peer tutoring as an approach towards learning mathematics
Authors: Oikarinen Riitta Maarit , Oikarinen Juho Kaleva , Havu-Nuutinen Sari , Pöntinen Susanna
Published: February 2022

Technology-enhanced Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT) was carried out with Finnish, nine to ten year-old primary school students (N=40). The RPT as a method of paired mathematics placed specific emphasis on electrical mathematical writing and drawing. Little is known about the important area of implementing digital mathematical skills at the primary level. The contribution of this study is to address the research gap in implementing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) into primary school students’ digital mathematics learning. Data was collected from one primary school mathematics lessons by videotaping student’s peer collaboration. In this empirical educational study, the data was analysed qualitatively with content analysis and quantified based on the Contact Summary Sheet (CSS)-instrument and TPACK -framework. This work sheds a light on how students’ collaboration such as instruction, thinking aloud, feedback, support and new ideas during their peer tutoring arouse students’ mathematical attainment and technological discourse. The results indicate that all dimensions of TPACK emerged during primary school students Technology-enhanced RPT. Data reveals that there was a high degree of PK in all videotaped episodes. More research on RPT with an empirical electrical mathematical focus is needed.
Less Partnering, Less Children, or Both? Analysis of the Drivers of First Birth Decline in Finland Since 2010
Authors: Hellstrand Julia , Nisén Jessica , Myrskylä Mikko
Published: February 2022

In the 2010s, fertility has declined in the Nordic countries, most strikingly in Finland, and first births drive the decline. It remains unclear whether this decline results from decreased fertility within unions, changing union dynamics, or both. Thus, we investigated changes in the union–first birth dynamics from 2000 through 2018 in Finland using full-coverage population register data and an incidence-based multistate model. To do so, we calculated the yearly age-specific transition probabilities across states of single, cohabitation, marriage, and first births among 15- to 45-year-old childless men and women. We found lower fertility rates in unions after 2010, increasing dissolution rates amongst cohabiting couples, and long-term declines in the transition to marriage. Counterfactual simulations showed that, for the decline in first births since 2010, fertility within unions matters more (three-quarters) than union dynamics (one-quarter): that is, lower fertility in cohabitating and married individuals explained 42% and 13% of the decline, respectively, and decreasing fertility rates among couples entering cohabitation explained a further 17%. Decreasing marriage (19%) and cohabitation rates (2–4%) as well as higher union dissolution rates (6%) explained a smaller share of the first birth decline. The decline in first births was somewhat sharper among the lower social strata, but across strata the decreasing first birth transitions in unions explained most of the decline. To conclude, while changing union dynamics provide a partial explanation, postponing or foregoing fertility within unions represents the primary reason for the fertility decline.
Behaviour Change Techniques in Computerized Cognitive Training for Cognitively Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review
Authors: Peeters Geeske , Black Irene L. , Gomersall Sjaan R. , Fritschi Juliette , Sweeney Aoife , Guedes de Oliveira Yasmin , Panizzutti Rogerio , McEvoy Claire T. , Lampit Amit
Published: February 2022

We aimed to describe behaviour change techniques (BCT) used in trials evaluating computerised cognitive training (CCT) in cognitively healthy older adults, and explore whether BCTs are associated with improved adherence and efficacy. The 90 papers included in a recent meta-analysis were reviewed for information about adherence and use of BCTs in accordance with the Behaviour Change Taxonomy. Studies using a specific BCT were compared with studies not using that BCT on efficacy (difference in Hedges’ g [Δg]) using three level meta-regression models and on median adherence using the Wilcoxon test. The median number of BCTs per study was 3 (interquartile range [IQR] = 2–5). ‘Feedback on behaviour’ (if provided by a person; Δg = -0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.31;-0.07) and ‘non-specific reward’ (Δg = -0.19, CI = -0.34;-0.05) were associated withlowerefficacy. Certain BCTs that involve personal contact may be beneficial, although none were statistically significantly associated withgreaterefficacy. The median percentage of adherence was 90% (IQR = 81–95). Adherence was higher in studies using the BCT ‘self-monitoring of behaviour’ and lower in studies using the BCT ‘graded tasks’ than studies not using these BCTs (p < 0.001). These findings provide first evidence that BCTs can influence both adherence to and efficacy of CCT programs in cognitively healthy older adults.
Improving the performance of city-scale hydrodynamic flood modelling through a GIS-based DEM correction method
Authors: Xing Yun , Chen Huili , Liang Qiuhua , Ma Xieyao
Published: February 2022

Flood modelling can provide useful information to support flood risk assessment and management. The accuracy of flood simulation results is highly dependent on the quality of input data. In particular, digital elevation models (DEMs) may directly influence the performance of flood predictions and improper representation of complex urban features including buildings and bridges may lead to incorrect prediction of flooding paths and extents, and consequently miscalculate flood risk. In this work, a geographic information system (GIS)-based correction method is proposed to make modifications in high-resolution DEMs by adding building complexes and removing unphysical representations of bridges for a more realistic description of flood paths in considering the flow connectivity in intensely urbanized areas and with the objective of obtaining more accurate flood simulation results. The proposed DEM correction method is applied to support large-scale urban flood modelling in Fuzhou City, China, using an established hydrodynamic flood model known as High-Performance Integrated hydrodynamic Modelling System (HiPIMS). Comparisons are made to the simulation results with and without the DEM improvements using the proposed correction method. The results demonstrate that correct representation of the artificial structures in the urban DEM can significantly improve the flood simulation results.
A systematic review of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia in individuals who received COVID-19 adenoviral-vector-based vaccines
Authors: Elberry Mostafa H. , Abdelgawad Hussien Ahmed H. , Hamdallah Aboalmagd , Abdella Walid Shaban , Ahmed Ahmed Sayed , Ghaith Hazem S. , Negida Ahmed
Published: February 2022

Reports of thrombotic response after receiving COVID-19 Adenoviral-Vector Based Vaccines raise concerns about vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT); therefore, we conduct this systematic review to report susceptible demographics outcomes, commonalities, and prognosis of reporting cases. We identified published articles by searching PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science from December 2020 till May 2021, with an updated search in September 2021. All case reports and case series reporting thrombotic response after receiving COVID-19 Adenoviral-Vector Based Vaccines were eligible for including. In addition, two authors independently extracted data and assessed the quality of the included studies. A total of 157 patients with thrombotic events after the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine and 16 patients with thrombotic events after Ad26.COV2. S vaccine was included in our study. 72% of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 cases were females, while in Ad26.COV2.S subgroup, all reported patients were females. The commonest presentations were deep vein thrombosis 20 (12.7%) and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis 18 (11.5%) in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 subgroup while cerebral venous sinus thrombosis 14 (87.5%) and pulmonary embolism 2 (12.5%) in the Ad26.COV2. S subgroup. In this study, we described the certain demographics associated with VITT and the clinical presentations of those cases in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and Ad26.COV2. S vaccines. Young individuals, particularly females, may be more susceptible to VITT, and future studies should seek to confirm this association. In addition, the clinical presentation of VITT commonly includes cerebral thrombi, pulmonary embolism, and deep venous thrombosis, but other presentations are also possible, highlighting the importance of clinical vigilance in recent vaccine recipients.
Bipartite graph capsule network
Authors: Zhang Xianhang , Wang Hanchen , Yu Jianke , Chen Chen , Wang Xiaoyang , Zhang Wenjie
Published: February 2022

Graphs have been widely adopted in various fields, where many graph models are developed. Most of previous research focuses on unipartite or homogeneous graph analysis. In this graphs, the relationships between the same type of entities are preserved in the graphs. Meanwhile, the bipartite graphs that model the complex relationships among different entities with vertices partitioned into two disjoint sets, are becoming increasing popular and ubiquitous in many real life applications. Though several graph classification methods on unipartite and homogenous graphs have been proposed by using kernel method, graph neural network, etc. However, these methods are unable to effectively capture the hidden information in bipartite graphs. In this paper, we propose the first bipartite graph-based capsule network, namely Bipartite Capsule Graph Neural Network (BCGNN), for the bipartite graph classification task. BCGNN exploits the capsule network and obtains information between the same type vertices in the bipartite graphs by constructing the one-mode projection. Extensive experiments are conducted on real-world datasets to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Automatic detection and classification of peri-prosthetic femur fracture
Authors: Alzaid Asma , Wignall Alice , Dogramadzi Sanja , Pandit Hemant , Xie Sheng Quan
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Object classification and localization is a key task of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) tool. Although there have been numerous generic deep learning (DL) models developed for CAD, there is no work in the literature to evaluate their effectiveness when utilized in diagnosing fractures in proximity of joint implants. In this work, we aim to assess the performance of existing classification systems on binary and multi-class problems (fracture types) using plain radiographs. In addition, we evaluated the performance of object detection systems using the one- and two-stage DL architectures.

Methods

A data set of 1272 X-ray images of Peri-prosthetic Femur Fracture PFF was collected. The fractures were annotated with bounding boxes and classified according to the Vancouver Classification System (type A, B, C) by two clinical specialists. Four classification models such as Densenet161, Resnet50, Inception, VGG and two object detection models such as Faster RCNN and RetinaNet were evaluated, and their performance compared. Six confusion matrix-based measures were reported to evaluate fracture classification. For localization of the fracture, Average Precision and localization accuracy were reported.

Results

The Resnet50 showed the best performance with $$95\%$$

95
%

accuracy and $$94\%$$

94
%

F1-score in the binary classification: fracture/normal. In addition, the Resnet50 showed $$90\%$$

90
%

accuracy in multi-classification (normal, Vancouver type A, B and C).

Conclusions

A large data set of PFF images and the annotations of fracture features by two independent assessments were created to implement a DL-based approach for detecting, classifying and localizing PFFs. It was shown that this approach could be a promising diagnostic tool of fractures in proximity of joint implants.
Lens-Free Optical Scanners for Metal Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Bibas Charles
Published: February 2022

Galvanometer scanners (GSs) driving selective laser sintering (SLS)/selective laser melting (SLM) printers for additive manufacturing (AM) have mechanical limits. They provide inconsistent energy density across the print surface because of changes in optical path length, surface beam speed, and angle of incidence. The resulting thermal gradients may be particularly problematic for metal, whose high heat conductivity makes temperature prediction during printing critical. In this paper, we mathematically analyze and compare GSs with a new lens-free optical scanner. The results show that the latter can facilitate metal printing by providing consistent energy deposition across the print surface.
Recognition and Capability – Prerequisites for Empowerment for Children with Disabilities?
Authors: Andersen Christina Strandholdt
Published: February 2022

This theoretical study explores the empowerment perspective regarding children with disabilities. Article 12 of the UNCRC states children’s right to express their views and be listened to. Meanwhile, studies show that children with disabilities are at risk of overprotection, which may restrict their participation and influence. Honneth’s theory of recognition and Sen’s Capability Approach are discussed together with the empowerment perspective when it comes to fulfilling article 12 regarding children with disabilities alongside empirical studies. Finally, a new model of dynamic empowerment is suggested to illuminate the interrelational complexity in this matter, as well as a way of identifying and understanding the possible mechanisms that may affect children with disabilities and their participation and influence.
Genetic resistance to Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni in wild boar (Sus scrofa L.)
Authors: Cecchi Francesca , Fabbri Maria Chiara , Tinacci Lara , Nuvoloni Roberta , Marotta Francesca , Di Marcantonio Lisa , Cilia Giovanni , Macchioni Fabio , Armani Andrea , Fratini Filippo , Pedonese Francesca
Published: February 2022

We studied the genetic resistance to Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni in wild boar using both STR analysis and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A total of 60 wild boars hunted in Tuscany (Italy) during the 2018/2019 hunting season were analyzed and genotyped. During postmortem operations, fecal swabs, liver samples and kidneys were collected. Two groups of animals were considered for the statistical analysis: 28 Campylobacter positive (22 for C. coli and 6 for C. jejuni) and 32 Campylobacter negative. Regarding STR analysis, 15 markers belonging to a marker panel validated by the International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG) for swine were used: for each marker, alleles and genotype frequencies between the two groups of animals were compared using the Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact tests. To analyze the genetic variability within groups, the following parameters were computed: molecular coancestry coefficients (fij), kinship distance (Dk), inbreeding coefficient (Fi), and genetic similarities (GS). The internal relatedness (IR) was also calculated, and ANOVA was used to verify the relationships between IR and Campylobacter groups. For GWAS, the Geneseek Genomic Profiler Porcine HD (70 k), containing 62,330 SNPs, was used. No differences in the internal relatedness (IR) were observed between the two groups (F = 5.64, P = 0.065) and no significant association between STRs and SNPs and Campylobacter positivity was observed. Although genetic resistance to bacterial diseases is often regulated by multiple genes controlling different processes of the host–pathogen interaction, in our studies no candidate genes that could be directly or indirectly involved in the development of the disease were identified.
Indian Ocean Ridge System and Seafloor Hydrothermal Activity
Authors: John Kurian, P. , Rajan S. , Agarwal Deepak Kumar , Linsy P.
Published: February 2022

This paper presents a short review of some of the notable contributions by scientists from several parts of the world in furthering our understanding of the seafloor hydrothermal activity on the Indian Ocean ridges (IOR). Studies to date on the hydrothermal plumes and vents on the IOR and the marine sediments around the vents highlight the complex nature of hydrothermal activity on the Indian Ocean ridge system which is characterised by varying spreading rates, differences in the host rock system and perceptible variations in the chemical composition of the hydrothermal fluids.
Placer Magnetite-sand and By-product Iron, Generated during the Beneficiation of Mineral Sand Ilmenite to High-Titanium Products, as Potential Alternatives to the High-Grade Fe-ore for Steel Making
Authors: Dhana Raju R.
Published: February 2022

Iron is the most important of all metals and ~ 98% of it, in the form of iron ore/pellets, is used as the key raw material in making steel, with its per-capita consumption often seen as an Index for a nation’s Prosperity. Salient aspects of the industries of iron ore mining and steel-production are presented. These include deposit-types and grades of iron-ore, iron ore minerals with Fe-contents, major producing-exporting-importing countries, international/national prices of iron ore; and major producing countries of steel, international/national production figures, processes of steel-making, including recent hydrogen-energy based green steel/iron ore under de-carbonisation. The less available high-grade Fe ore (> 63.5% Fe), as compared to that of the benchmark or standard grade (62% Fe) and low-grade (<59% Fe) iron ores, has many beneficial features in steel-making, carries a premium price of US $ 1-2/tonne for every 1% increase in Fe-grade over that of the standard grade and, hence, is much sought after. In this communication, two low-cost, potential alternatives to the high-grade Fe ore for steel-making are proposed from the mineral sand industry. These are: (i) placer magnetite-sand, with an example from the coastal Nizampatnam heavy mineral sand deposit in Andhra Pradesh, and (ii) by-product Fe, generated during the beneficiation of ilmenite-sand for high Ti-products such as synthetic rutile/anatase, titanium dioxide pigment, Ti-sponge, Ti-metal etc.A brief account of the mineral sand deposits, including the processes to obtain the above proposed alternatives and the consequent multiple benefits for both the steel and mineral sand industries, is presented in this paper.
Characters of Liptinites in Different Seams of Talcher Coalfield, Odisha, India
Authors: Bhatta Rajesh , Dash Nilima , Nayak Bibhuranjan
Published: February 2022

Lower Gondwana coals of Talcher coalfield extends along the south-eastern part of the Mahanadi valley. Coal samples from six different seams, viz. Seam-I, II, III, IV, VIII and IX of Nandira, Lingaraj and Hingula colliery of Talcher coalfield were taken for study. The detailed petrographic study was carried out with special emphasis on identifying and calculating the distribution of various types of liptinite macerals. The coal seams overall are found to be dominated by vitrinite followed by inertinite and liptinite. The liptinite group macerals were characterized with the help of fluorescence microscopy. It is observed that sporinites, particularly microspores, were predominant in all the above seams. Megaspores and resinites were identified in Seams-I and II only. Seams-I and VIII with comparatively higher liptinite content (3-16 vol.%) could be considered favourable for coal liquefaction and gasification. However, the overall low liptinite content (<5 vol.%) of Talcher coals indicates a telmatic swampy paleoenvironment of deposition. The generated data on various liptinite types can serve as facies indicators and help in seam correlation.
Co-creating Knowledge with Robots: System, Synthesis, and Symbiosis
Authors: Hautala Johanna , Jauhiainen Jussi S.
Published: February 2022

In the contemporary robotizing knowledge economy, robots take increasing responsibility for accomplishing knowledge-related tasks that so far have been in the human domain. This profoundly changes the knowledge-creation processes that are at the core of the knowledge economy. Knowledge creation is an interactive spatial process through which ideas are transformed into new and justified outcomes, such as novel knowledge and innovations. However, knowledge-creation processes have rarely been studied in the context of human–robot co-creation. In this article, we take the perspective of key actors who create the future of robotics, namely, robotics-related students and researchers. Their thoughts and actions construct the knowledge co-creation processes that emerge between humans and robots. We ask whether robots can have and create knowledge, what kind of knowledge, and what kind of spatialities connect to interactive human–robot knowledge-creation processes. The article’s empirical material consists of interviews with 34 robotics-related researchers and students at universities in Finland and Singapore as well as observations of human–robot interactions there. Robots and humans form top-down systems, interactive syntheses, and integrated symbioses in spatial knowledge co-creation processes. Most interviewees considered that robots can have knowledge. Some perceived robots as machines and passive agents with rational knowledge created in hierarchical systems. Others saw robots as active actors and learning co-workers having constructionist knowledge created in syntheses. Symbioses integrated humans and robots and allowed robots and human–robot cyborgs access to embodied knowledge.
Managing the U.S.-China Relationship in Three (and Three Alternative) Dimensions
Authors: Zhou Jingyuan (Joey)
Published: February 2022

Gregory Shaffer's article discussing the legal aspects of the multifaceted U.S.-China relationship is comprehensive, pragmatic, and timely at the twentieth anniversary of China's World Trade Organization (WTO) accession. Shaffer provides a surgical analysis of the “three central dimensions of this relationship: (i) the economic dimension; (ii) the geopolitical/national security dimension; and (iii) the normative/social policy dimension.” He also offers a targeted roadmap to reconceptualize a world where policies are increasingly securitized and to revitalize domestic safety valves embedded in the post-war economic system. Under Shaffer's proposed “Rebalancing Within a Multilateral Framework,” states enjoy more policy space and accommodation, subject to the proportionality principle and protection of third parties. Supplementing Shaffer's analysis, I offer three alternative dimensions, namely, the perceptions of businesses, states, and international organizations and how they complicate the successful delivery of Shaffer's proposal. I echo Shaffer's call for empathy between the United States and China regarding their respective domestic challenges and approaches to each other. Yet I contend that adequate trust and understanding of each other and the agreement over Shaffer's identification of interfaces/dimensions by decisionmakers of the two nations are susceptible to disruptions caused by the three alternatives I offer. Furthermore, I argue that a thorough and inclusive policy and legal analysis—designed in a coordinated way (“统筹” in Chinese)—should reduce negative externalities from the management of the U.S.-China relationship and minimize impacts for developing and least developed countries.
The long-term effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis
Authors: Marra Alexandre R. , Kobayashi Takaaki , Suzuki Hiroyuki , Alsuhaibani Mohammed , Schweizer Marin L. , Diekema Daniel J. , Tofaneto Bruna Marques , Bariani Luigi Makowski , Auler Mariana de Amorim , Salinas Jorge L. , Edmond Michael B. , Pinho João Renato Rebello , Rizzo Luiz Vicente
Published: February 2022

Background:

Although multiple studies revealed high vaccine effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines within 3 months after the completion of vaccines, long-term vaccine effectiveness has not been well established, especially after the δ (delta) variant became prominent. We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of long-term vaccine effectiveness.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science from December 2019 to November 15, 2021, for studies evaluating the long-term vaccine effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 or COVID-19 hospitalization among individuals who received 2 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccines, or 1 dose of the Janssen vaccine. Long-term was defined as >5 months after the last dose. We calculated the pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) with 95% confidence interval for COVID-19 between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated as 100% × (1 − DOR).

Results:

In total, 16 studies including 17,939,172 individuals evaluated long-term vaccine effectiveness and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled DOR for COVID-19 was 0.158 (95% CI: 0.157-0.160) with an estimated vaccine effectiveness of 84.2% (95% CI, 84.0- 84.3%). Estimated vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization was 88.7% (95% CI, 55.8%–97.1%). Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 during the δ variant period was 61.2% (95% CI, 59.0%–63.3%).

Conclusions:

COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing COVID-19 and COVID-19 hospitalization across a long-term period for the circulating variants during the study period. More observational studies are needed to evaluate the vaccine effectiveness of third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccine effectiveness of mixing COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19 breakthrough infection, and vaccine effectiveness against newly emerging variants.