bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Radiomics-Based Tumor Volume Segmentation Algorithm for Lung Tumors in FDG-PET/CT after 3D Motion Correction—A Technical Feasibility and Stability Study
Authors: Bundschuh Lena , Prokic Vesna , Guckenberger Matthias , Tanadini-Lang Stephanie , Essler Markus , Bundschuh Ralph A.
Published: February 2022

Positron emission tomography (PET) provides important additional information when applied in radiation therapy treatment planning. However, the optimal way to define tumors in PET images is still undetermined. As radiomics features are gaining more and more importance in PET image interpretation as well, we aimed to use textural features for an optimal differentiation between tumoral tissue and surrounding tissue to segment-target lesions based on three textural parameters found to be suitable in previous analysis (Kurtosis, Local Entropy and Long Zone Emphasis). Intended for use in radiation therapy planning, this algorithm was combined with a previously described motion-correction algorithm and validated in phantom data. In addition, feasibility was shown in five patients. The algorithms provided sufficient results for phantom and patient data. The stability of the results was analyzed in 20 consecutive measurements of phantom data. Results for textural feature-based algorithms were slightly worse than those of the threshold-based reference algorithm (mean standard deviation 1.2%—compared to 4.2% to 8.6%) However, the Entropy-based algorithm came the closest to the real volume of the phantom sphere of 6 ccm with a mean measured volume of 26.5 ccm. The threshold-based algorithm found a mean volume of 25.0 ccm. In conclusion, we showed a novel, radiomics-based tumor segmentation algorithm in FDG-PET with promising results in phantom studies concerning recovered lesion volume and reasonable results in stability in consecutive measurements. Segmentation based on Entropy was the most precise in comparison with sphere volume but showed the worst stability in consecutive measurements. Despite these promising results, further studies with larger patient cohorts and histopathological standards need to be performed for further validation of the presented algorithms and their applicability in clinical routines. In addition, their application in other tumor entities needs to be studied.
Infection and Burn Injury
Authors: Kelly Edward J. , Oliver Mary A. , Carney Bonnie C. , Shupp Jeffrey W.
Published: February 2022

Burn injury is debilitating and among one of the most frequently occurring traumas. Critical care improvements have allowed for increasingly positive outcomes. However, infection, whether it be localized to the site of the wound or systemic in nature, remains a serious cause of morbidity and mortality. Immune suppression predisposes the burn population to the development of invasive infections; and this along with the possibility of inhalation injury puts them at a significant risk for mortality. Emerging multi-drug-resistant pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, and yeast spp., continue to complicate clinical care measures, requiring innovative therapies and antimicrobial treatment. Close monitoring of antimicrobial regimens, strict decontamination procedures, early burn eschar removal, adequate wound closure, proper nutritional maintenance, and management of shock and resuscitation all play a significant role in mitigating infection. Novel antimicrobial therapies such as ultraviolet light, cold plasma and topical antiseptics must continue to evolve in order to lower the burden of infection in burn.
Analysis and Design Multiple Layer Adaptive Kalman Filter Applied to Electro-Optical Infrared Payload Vision System
Authors: Lin Chun-Yi , Yao Wu-Sung
Published: February 2022

This study designs a trigger to determine the number of layers of a multi-layer adaptive Kalman filter and applies it to optoelectronic infrared payload system vision. This feature reduces the number of mechanically stabilized motors, equipment weight, CPU resources, and power for an electro-optical infrared payload system. The goal is to reduce the traditional use of multiple gyroscopes to perform calibration measurements on different gimbal frames by this design. In this study, mathematical modeling was carried out for the three-axis, three-frame camera stabilizer system, and the system foundation without motor and gimbal frame was established to achieve aperture-type camera mode. The exposure of the drone’s payload structure outside the aircraft can be reduced. This study provides the adaptive Kalman filter with the offset parameters of the camera image Minimum Output Sum of Squared Error and the three-axis degrees of freedom vector and angle data on the gyroscope. By using the image processing unit, the offset was corrected at each frame per second. The experimental results show that under the same hardware, failure limit and camera field of view constraints. The processing time by this method was compared to the traditional frame correction and full image stabilization methods. The results show that the proposed method can shorten 6 microseconds under the traditional method and can be used to provide lower power consumption, lower image delay, and a larger viewing angle range.
A Review of PCI Express Protocol-Based Systems in Response to 5G Application Demand
Authors: Lin Yen , Jeng Jeng-Ywan , Liu Yi-Yu , Huang Jheng-Jia
Published: February 2022

In the Personal Computer (PC) industry, systems with updated configurations, components, and new technologies are introduced to the market each year. Resource arrangement and the prediction of market requirements for products are common challenges in each development phase of these products. Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud services influence the PC industry, and product strategies must be examined to fit the requirements of the market. Common designs and market predictions can influence product line resource arrangements, and 5G applications are causing an increasing demand for 5G-enabled products in the market. However, PC systems based on PCI Express, NVMe, USB, and TPM have been introduced into the market with more secure solutions, and common designs and predictable market demand can provide more reliable strategies for navigating these issues. The research reported here is based on the serial bus system, which should simplify protocol transition between PCI Express, CXL, USB 4, and NVMe. Serial bus behavior should also influence performance and power consumption. Product strategies could be based on securing demand with power and performance in AI, the IoT, cloud storage, and high-performance computing. Based on performance and power requirements, application layer devices can use PCIe-based systems to provide secure solutions to extend 5G system reliability.
Energy-Efficient Respiratory Anomaly Detection in Premature Newborn Infants
Authors: Paul Ankita , Tajin Md. Abu Saleh , Das Anup , Mongan William M. , Dandekar Kapil R.
Published: February 2022

Precise monitoring of respiratory rate in premature newborn infants is essential to initiating medical interventions as required. Wired technologies can be invasive and obtrusive to the patients. We propose a deep-learning-enabled wearable monitoring system for premature newborn infants, where respiratory cessation is predicted using signals that are collected wirelessly from a non-invasive wearable Bellypatch put on the infant’s body. We propose a five-stage design pipeline involving data collection and labeling, feature scaling, deep learning model selection with hyperparameter tuning, model training and validation, and model testing and deployment. The model used is a 1-D convolutional neural network (1DCNN) architecture with one convolution layer, one pooling layer, and three fully-connected layers, achieving 97.15% classification accuracy. To address the energy limitations of wearable processing, several quantization techniques are explored, and their performance and energy consumption are analyzed for the respiratory classification task. Results demonstrate a reduction of energy footprints and model storage overhead with a considerable degradation of the classification accuracy, meaning that quantization and other model compression techniques are not the best solution for respiratory classification problem on wearable devices. To improve accuracy while reducing the energy consumption, we propose a novel spiking neural network (SNN)-based respiratory classification solution, which can be implemented on event-driven neuromorphic hardware platforms. To this end, we propose an approach to convert the analog operations of our baseline trained 1DCNN to their spiking equivalent. We perform a design-space exploration using the parameters of the converted SNN to generate inference solutions having different accuracy and energy footprints. We select a solution that achieves an accuracy of 93.33% with 18x lower energy compared to the baseline 1DCNN model. Additionally, the proposed SNN solution achieves similar accuracy as the quantized model with a 4× lower energy.
A 56 GS/s 8 Bit Time-Interleaved ADC in 28 nm CMOS
Authors: Luan Jian , Zheng Xuqiang , Wu Danyu , Zhang Yuzhen , Wu Linzhen , Zhou Lei , Wu Jin , Liu Xinyu
Published: February 2022

This paper presents a real-time output 56 GS/s 8 bit time-interleaved analog-to-digital converter (ADC), where the full-speed converted data are output by 16-lane transmitters. A 64-way 8 bit asynchronous SAR array using monotonous and split switching strategy with 1 bit redundancy is utilized to achieve a high linearity and high-power efficiency. A low-power ring voltage-controlled oscillator-based injection-locked phase-locked loop combining with a phase interpolator-based time-skew adjuster is developed to generate the 8 equally spaced sampling phases. Digital gain correction, digital-detection-analog-correction offset calibration, and coarse–fine two-step time-skew calibration are combined to optimize the ADC’s performances. An edge detector and phase selector associated with a common near-end data-transmission position and far-end data-collection instant are designed to avoid reset competition and implement deterministic latency. Fabricated in a 28 nm CMOS process, the prototype ADC achieves an outstanding SNDR of 36.38 dB at 56 GS/s with a 19.9 GHz input, where 7.25 dB and 9.33 dB are optimized by offset-gain calibration and time-skew calibration, respectively. The ADC core occupies an area of 1.2 mm2 and consumes 432 mW power consumption.
A Minimally Intrusive Approach for Automatic Assessment of Parallel Performance Scalability of Shared-Memory HPC Applications
Authors: da Silva Vitor Ramos Gomes , da Silva Anderson Bráulio Nóbrega , Valderrama Carlos , Manneback Pierre , Xavier-de-Souza Samuel
Published: February 2022

High-performance computing systems have become increasingly dynamic, complex, and unpredictable. To help build software that uses full-system capabilities, performance measurement and analysis tools exploit extensive execution analysis focusing on single-run results. Despite being effective in identifying performance hotspots and bottlenecks, these tools are not sufficiently suitable to evaluate the overall scalability trends of parallel applications. Either they lack the support for combining data from multiple runs or collect excessive data, causing unnecessary overhead. In this work, we present a tool for automatically measuring and comparing several executions of a parallel application according to various scenarios characterized by the input arrangements, the number of threads, number of cores, and frequencies. Unlike other existing performance analysis tools, the proposed work covers some gaps in specialized features necessary to better understand computational resources scalability trends across configurations. In order to improve scalability analysis and productivity over the vast spectrum of possible configurations, the proposed tool features automatic instrumentation, direct mapping of parallel regions, accuracy-preserving data reductions, and ease of use. As it aims at accurately understanding scalability trends of parallel applications, detailed single-run performance analyses show minimal intrusion (less than 1% overhead).
The Influence of Alternating Lower and Higher Temperatures on the Bending Characteristics of Glued Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and European Larch (Larix decidua Mill.) Wood
Authors: Gašparík Miroslav , Karami Elham , Rezaei Fatemeh , Kytka Tomáš , Das Sumanta , Lesáková Doubravka
Published: February 2022

This article deals with the effect of alternating lower (freezing) and higher (heating) temperatures on the static bending characteristics of glued Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) wood. Two types of wood, PUR (polyurethane), and EPI (emulsion polymer isocyanate), were used for the experiment. The thermal loading of glued wood was carried out at temperatures −15 °C/70 °C and −25 °C/70 °C. Static bending characteristics were determined on glued wood samples and compared with the reference samples. Freezing causes an increase in the bending properties of both glued spruce and larch wood. The highest in bending strength was obtained for EPI-glued larch wood subjected to −25 °C/70 °C loading temperature, which is by as much as 20% increase from the reference value. The maximum improvement in the modulus of elasticity was achieved for EPI-glued larch with around 11% increase, although the increased values of bending strength and modulus of elasticity were not significant. The different densities, anatomical structures, and properties of spruce and larch wood can induce varying results between the two wood species.
Not Only Severe Events: Moderate Dry Periods Impact the Hydraulic Functioning and Survival of Planted Ponderosa Pine Seedlings
Authors: Koehn Carolyn R. , Petrie Matthew D. , Hubbard Robert M.
Published: February 2022

Juvenile tree survival will increasingly shape the persistence of ponderosa pine forests in the western United States. In contrast to severe pulse disturbances that induce widespread adult and juvenile tree mortality, moderate periods of low rainfall and warm temperatures may reduce forest persistence by killing juvenile trees at the seedling stage. Intensification of these periods in a changing climate could therefore increasingly restrict both natural regeneration and artificial regeneration of planted seedlings. We conducted a controlled field experiment at a single site in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, to determine the responses and survival of 3 Colorado subpopulations of <1 year old potted ponderosa pines to moderately dry conditions, variation in small rainfall events based on observed patterns, and shaded and unshaded microsite environments. Near surface soil moisture increased slightly following small rainfall events, but declined over the 45-day experimental period. Seedling transpiration and associated canopy cooling declined after ∼13 days, and further declines in transpiration and canopy cooling suggest that the majority of trees in lower rainfall treatments experienced hydraulic dysfunction between days ∼20–30. After 45 days, mortality across all subpopulations and treatments, inferred by relative water loss, exceeded 90–95%. Despite some uncertainty pertaining to the stress tolerance of nursery grown versus naturally germinated conifers, our results show that planted ponderosa pine seedlings <1 year old are unlikely to survive moderate dry periods of 20+ days relying on small rainfall events. Although microsite conditions and soil moisture availability shaped tree hydraulic functioning early in the experiment (days 1–13), later functioning was shaped predominately by the legacy of rainfall treatments. Our results illustrate the importance of moderate dry events that occur consistently as part of seasonal variation in climate, and show how their intensification may constitute a sustained press that limits opportunities for natural and artificial regeneration.
Irradiation Induces Tuft Cell Hyperplasia and Myenteric Neuronal Loss in the Absence of Dietary Fiber in a Mouse Model of Pelvic Radiotherapy
Authors: Voss Ulrikke , Malipatlolla Dilip , Patel Piyush , Devarakonda Sravani , Sjöberg Fei , Grandér Rita , Rascón Ana , Nyman Margareta , Steineck Gunnar , Bull Cecilia
Published: February 2022

Pelvic radiotherapy is associated with chronic intestinal dysfunction. Dietary approaches, such as fiber enrichment during and after pelvic radiotherapy, have been suggested to prevent or reduce dysfunctions. In the present paper, we aimed to investigate whether a diet rich in fermentable fiber could have a positive effect on radiation-induced intestinal damage, especially focusing on tuft cells and enteric neurons. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed either a purified non-fiber diet or the same purified diet with 5% or 15% oat fiber added, starting two weeks prior to sham-irradiation or irradiation with four fractions of 8 Gray. The animals continued on the diets for 1, 6 or 18 weeks, after which the gross morphology of the colorectum was assessed together with the numbers of enteric neurons, tuft cells and crypt-surface units. The results showed that dietary fiber significantly affected the intestinal morphometrics, both in the short and long-term. The presence of dietary fiber stimulated the re-emergence of crypt-surface unit structures after irradiation. At 18 weeks, the animals fed with the non-fiber diet displayed more myenteric neurons than the animals fed with the dietary fibers, but irradiation resulted in a loss of neurons in the non-fiber fed animals. Irradiation, but not diet, affected the tuft cell numbers, and a significant increase in tuft cells was found 6 and 18 weeks after irradiation. In conclusion, dietary fiber intake has the potential to modify neuronal pathogenesis in the colorectum after irradiation. The long-lasting increase in tuft cells induced by irradiation may reflect an as yet unknown role in the mucosal pathophysiology after pelvic irradiation.
Genetic and Environmental Factors in Ageing and Age-Related Disease
Authors: Mather Karen A.
Published: February 2022

Globally, the population is growing older [...]
Association of Genetically Predicted BCAA Levels with Muscle Fiber Size in Athletes Consuming Protein
Authors: Hall Elliott C. R. , Semenova Ekaterina A. , Bondareva Elvira A. , Andryushchenko Liliya B. , Larin Andrey K. , Cięszczyk Pawel , Generozov Edward V. , Ahmetov Ildus I.
Published: February 2022

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) levels are associated with skeletal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA). Serum BCAA levels are enhanced by whey protein supplementation (WPS), and evidence in clinical populations suggests an association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with BCAA metabolite levels. It is not known whether the same SNPs are associated with the ability to catabolise BCAAs from exogenous sources, such as WPS. The present study investigated whether possessing a higher number of alleles associated with increased BCAA metabolites correlates with muscle fiber CSA of m. vastus lateralis in physically active participants, and whether any relationship is enhanced by WPS. Endurance-trained participants (n = 75) were grouped by self-reported habitual WPS consumption and genotyped for five SNPs (PPM1K rs1440580, APOA5 rs2072560, CBLN1 rs1420601, DDX19B rs12325419, and TRMT61A rs58101275). Body mass, BMI, and fat percentage were significantly lower and muscle mass higher in the WPS group compared to Non-WPS. The number of BCAA-increasing alleles was correlated with fiber CSA in the WPS group (r = 0.75, p < 0.0001) and was stronger for fast-twitch fibers (p = 0.001) than slow-twitch fibers (p = 0.048). Similar results remained when corrected for multiple covariates (age, physical activity, and meat and dairy intake). No correlation was found in the Non-WPS group. This study presents novel evidence of a positive relationship between BCAA-increasing alleles and muscle fiber CSA in athletes habitually consuming WPS. We suggest that a high number of BCAA-increasing alleles improves the efficiency of WPS by stimulation of muscle protein synthesis, and contributes to greater fiber CSA.
Effect of Freezing-Thawing Cycles on the Elastic Waves’ Properties of Rocks
Authors: Gasc-Barbier Muriel , Merrien-Soukatchoff Véronique
Published: February 2022

Freezing thawing cycles are known to play an important role in fracture propagation on rock mass and thus in rock slope instabilities. In laboratories, this phenomenon can be studied through the measurement of the velocities of elastic waves. Seven types of rocks differing by their mineralogy and texture were tested (gneiss, basalt, amphibolite, dolomite, sandstone, marble limestone and calcite). Five samples of each rock were tested. All samples were submitted to freezing/thawing cycles following the European Standard describing the tests to determine the frost resistance of natural stone. Elastic waves were recorded on the samples every 14 cycles. The experimentation continued until the rock was macrofissurated. The evolution of the weight of the samples, the velocities of elastic waves, the evolution of the shapes of the waves were recorded to characterize changes over freeze-thaw cycles. In addition, signal processing on the waves allows to compute energy variations as well as the evolution of natural frequencies of the samples.
1st SOHO Italy, Clinical and Biological School of Multiple Myeloma
Authors:   Hematology Reports Editorial Office
Published: February 2022

The broad use of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) and the breakthrough of novel immunotherapies in MM [...]
Publisher’s Note: A New Chapter for Hematology Reports—Continued Publication by MDPI
Authors: Auwerter Liliane
Published: February 2022

Hematology Reports published its first volume in 2009, which included 10 publications: 8 original articles and 2 reviews [...]
Housing and Child Health in South Africa: The Value of Longitudinal Research
Authors: Chatindiara Kenneth , Marais Lochner , Cloete Jan
Published: February 2022

Research investigating the link between housing and health often produces mixed results. It does not always prove that good housing improves health. The results suggest a complex set of factors play a role, and the findings are sometimes contradictory. Two ways of addressing these concerns are longitudinal research, where the relationship between housing and health is measured in the short and medium terms, and a focus on children. We use the children’s housing and health data from the five waves of the National Income and Distribution Survey (NIDS) survey in South Africa, 2008 to 2017. We investigate the effect that continued living in informal housing over the five waves has had on these children’s health. Our results show a statistically significant relationship between prolonged residence in poor housing and poor health outcomes for some health indicators. The results call for a closer understanding of health issues in housing policy in South Africa.
Quantitative Analysis of Land Subsidence and Its Effect on Vegetation in Xishan Coalfield of Shanxi Province
Authors: Ma Ding , Zhao Shangmin
Published: February 2022

It is of great significance for the monitoring and protection of the original ecological environment in coal mining areas to identify the ground subsidence and quantify its influence on the surface vegetation. The surface deformation and vegetation information were obtained by using spaceborne SAR and Landsat OLI images in the Xishan Coalfield. The relative change rate, coefficient of variation, and trend analysis methods were used to compare the vegetation growth trends in the subsidence center, subsidence edge, and non-subsidence zones; and the vegetation coverage was predicted by the pixel dichotomy and grey model from 2021 to 2025. The results indicated that the proportions of vegetation with high fluctuation and serious degradation were 6.60% and 5.64% in the subsidence center, and its NDVI values were about 10% lower than that in the subsidence edge and non-subsidence zones. In addition, vegetation coverage showed a wedge ascending trend from 2013 to 2020, and the prediction values of vegetation coverage obtained by GM (1,1) model also revealed this trend. The residuals of the predicted values were 0.047, 0.047, and 0.019 compared with the vegetation coverage in 2021, and the vegetation coverage was the lowest in the subsidence center, which was consistent with the law obtained by using NDVI. Research suggested that ground subsidence caused by mining activities had a certain impact on the surface vegetation in the mining areas; the closer to the subsidence center, the greater the fluctuation of NDVI, and the stronger the vegetation degradation trend; conversely, the smaller the fluctuation, and the more stable the vegetation growth.
Integrating Visualization and Interaction Tools for Enhancing Collaboration in Different Public Participation Settings
Authors: Postert Patrick , Wolf Anna E. M. , Schiewe Jochen
Published: February 2022

The demand for participant engagement in urban planning shows a great need for tools that enable communication between stakeholders and make planning processes more transparent. So far, common methods use different tools and platforms independently. This prevents the full potential for effective, efficient, and creative collaboration from being realized. Hence, this paper presents an approach that combines different participation settings (off-site, on-site, and online) by using an interactive touch table and an additional screen, as well as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices, and synchronizing them in real-time. To fulfill the collaboration requirements, three major technical aspects are addressed in the concept and prototype implementation: Firstly, the demands for various settings and devices require a uniform and cross-device interaction concept. Secondly, all changes in the course of the participation (e.g., adding, manipulating, or removing objects) must be synchronized across all devices in real-time, with very low latency. Thirdly, the various states should be saved persistently during the collaboration process. Detailed empirical usability studies are still pending; however, pretests indicate that the concept is appreciated, and the transferability to other planning processes is given.
RepDarkNet: A Multi-Branched Detector for Small-Target Detection in Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Zhou Liming , Zheng Chang , Yan Haoxin , Zuo Xianyu , Liu Yang , Qiao Baojun , Yang Yong
Published: February 2022

Recent years have seen rapid progress in target-detection missions, whereas small targets, dense target distribution, and shadow occlusion continue to hinder progress in the detection of small targets, such as cars, in remote sensing images. To address this shortcoming, we propose herein a backbone feature-extraction network called “RepDarkNet” that adds several convolutional layers to CSPDarkNet53. RepDarkNet considerably improves the overall network accuracy with almost no increase in inference time. In addition, we propose a multi-scale cross-layer detector that significantly improves the capability of the network to detect small targets. Finally, a feature fusion network is proposed to further improve the performance of the algorithm in the AP@0.75 case. Experiments show that the proposed method dramatically improves detection accuracy, achieving AP = 75.53% for the Dior-vehicle dataset and mAP = 84.3% for the Dior dataset, both of which exceed the state-of-the-art level. Finally, we present a series of improvement strategies that justifies our improvement measures.
Development of a Complex Intervention for Effective Management of Type 2 Diabetes in a Developing Country
Authors: Desse Tigestu Alemu , Namara Kevin Mc , Yifter Helen , Manias Elizabeth
Published: February 2022

There has been little focus on designing tailored diabetes management strategies in developing countries. The aim of this study is to develop a theory-driven, tailored and context-specific complex intervention for the effective management of type 2 diabetes at a tertiary care setting of a developing country. We conducted interviews and focus groups with patients, health professionals, and policymakers and undertook thematic analysis to identify gaps in diabetes management. The results of our previously completed systematic review informed data collection. We used the United Kingdom Medical Research Council framework to guide the development of the intervention. Results comprised 48 interviews, two focus groups with 11 participants and three co-design panels with 24 participants. We identified a lack of structured type 2 diabetes education, counselling, and collaborative care of type 2 diabetes. Through triangulation of the evidence obtained from data collection, we developed an intervention called VICKY (patient-centred collaborative care and structured diabetes education and counselling) for effective management of type 2 diabetes. VICKY comprised five components: (1) patient-centred collaborative care; (2) referral system for patients across transitions of care between different health professionals of the diabetes care team; (3) tools for the provision of collaborative care and documentation of care; (4) diabetes education and counselling by trained diabetes educators; and (5) contextualised diabetes education curriculum, educational materials, and documentation tools for diabetes education and counselling. Implementation of the intervention may help to promote evidence-based, patient-centred, and contextualised diabetes care for improved patient outcomes in a developing country.
A Psychometric Tool for Evaluating Executive Functions in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Borgnis Francesca , Baglio Francesca , Pedroli Elisa , Rossetto Federica , Meloni Mario , Riva Giuseppe , Cipresso Pietro
Published: February 2022

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in using 360° virtual-reality video for an ecologically valid assessment of executive functioning in the neurologic population. In this framework, we have developed the EXecutive-functions Innovative Tool (EXIT 360°), an original 360°-based instrument for a multicomponent, ecologically valid evaluation of executive functioning in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This work aimed to test the usability and user experience of EXIT 360° in patients with PD (PwPD). Twenty-seven PwPD and twenty-seven healthy controls underwent an evaluation that involved: (1) usability assessment by the System Usability Scale and (2) evaluation of user experience using the ICT—Sense of Presence and User Experience Questionnaire. Results showed a satisfactory level of usability for patients (mean = 76.94 ± 9.18) and controls (mean = 80 ± 11.22), with good scores for usability and learnability. Regarding user experience, patients provided a positive overall impression of the tool, evaluating it as attractive, enjoyable, activating, and funny. Moreover, EXIT 360° showed good pragmatic (e.g., efficient, fast, clear) and hedonic quality (e.g., exciting, interesting, and creative). Finally, PwPD considered EXIT 360° as an original tool with high ecological validity (mean = 4.29 ± 0.61), spatial presence (mean = 3.11 ± 0.83) and engagement (mean = 3.43 ± 0.54) without relevant adverse effects. Technological expertise had no impact on performance. Overall, EXIT 360° appeared to be a usable, easy-to-learn, engaging, and innovative instrument for PD. Further studies will be conducted to deepen its efficacy in distinguishing between healthy subjects and patients with executive dysfunctions.
eLoriCorps Immersive Body Rating Scale and eLoriCorps Mobile Versions: Validation to Assess Body Image Disturbances from Allocentric and Egocentric Perspectives in a Nonclinical Sample of Adolescents
Authors: Monthuy-Blanc Johana , Corno Giulia , Ouellet Marilou , Touré Fadel , Bourbeau Francisca , Rousseau Michel , Charette Audrey , Moreau Nicolas , Roy Normand , Drapeau Vicky , Mathieu Marie-Eve , Bouchard Stéphane
Published: February 2022

A growing number of studies have used virtual reality (VR) for the assessment and treatment of body image disturbances (BIDs). This study, conducted in a community sample of adolescents, documents the convergent and discriminant validity between (a) the traditional paper-based Figure Rating Scale (paper-based FRS), (b) the VR-based Body Rating Scale (eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.1), and (c) the mobile app-based Body Rating Scale (eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.1-Mobile). A total of 93 adolescents (14 to 18 years old) participated in the study. Body dissatisfaction and body distortion were assessed through the paper-based FRS, the eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.1 and the eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.1-Mobile. Eating disorder symptoms, body image avoidance, and social physique anxiety were also measured. Correlation analyses were performed. Overall, the results showed a good and statistically significant convergence between allocentric perspectives as measured by the paper-based FRS, the eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.1 and the eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.1-Mobile. As expected, the egocentric perspective measured in VR produced different results from the allocentric perspective, and from cognitive–attitudinal–affective dimensions of BIDs, with the exception of body distortion. These differences support the discriminant validity of the egocentric perspective of eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.1 and are consistent with emerging evidence, highlighting a difference between experiencing the body from an egocentric (i.e., the body as a subject) and allocentric (i.e., the body as an object) perspective. The egocentric perspective could reflect a perceptual–sensory–affective construction of BIDs, whereas allocentric measures seem to be more related to a cognitive–affective–attitudinal construction of BIDs. Moreover, the results support the validity of the eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.1-Mobile with promising perspectives of implementation among young populations.
Effects of Integrated Moral Reasoning Development Intervention for Management of Violence in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Hsu Mei-Chi , Ouyang Wen-Chen
Published: February 2022

Moral cognition is an important and multidimensional, but often overlooked, determinant of violence. Very few interventions have systematically examined the role of moral reasoning, anger management and problem-solving together in violence. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to comprehensively evaluate the sustained effects of an integrated Moral Reasoning Development Intervention (MRDI) in the management of repetitive violence in schizophrenia. This study placed special emphasis on essential components related to moral reasoning and violence in patients with schizophrenia. Evaluations, including measures of violence, moral reasoning, ethical valuation and judgement, decision-making, conflict management style, and personality traits, were performed at baseline, end of intervention, and 1-month follow-up after intervention. We found that MRDI was superior to treatment-as-usual, in improving moral reasoning and related variables and violence outcomes (p < 0.05). In comparison with the treatment-as-usual group (n = 22), patients in the MRDI group (n = 21) showed improved levels of moral reasoning, with decreased levels of violent behaviors. The MRDI participants also experienced significantly greater improvements or changes (p < 0.05) in their ethical valuation and judgement, decision-making style and preferences, and conflict management style. Our findings provide important implications for risk assessment and violence management and prevention.
Risk Factors of Urrets-Zavalia Syndrome after Penetrating Keratoplasty
Authors: Wang Ping , Gao Qingqin , Su Guanyu , Wang Wei , Xu Lingjuan , Li Guigang
Published: February 2022

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the clinical features and risk factors of Urrets-Zavalia syndrome (UZS) after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP). Methods: The medical records of 152 patients who underwent PKP at the Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, between January 2014 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. UZS was diagnosed based on pre- and post-operative pupillary findings. The relationships among the primary disease, postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), and the incidence of UZS were statistically analyzed. The pupillary changes during the follow-up period were studied. Results: Among the 152 included patients, 23 were diagnosed with UZS, with an incidence of 15.13%. The primary diseases of the UZS patients were keratoconus (eight cases, 34.78%), viral keratitis (six cases, 26.08%), leukoma (four cases, 17.39%), fungal corneal ulcer (two cases, 8.70%), corneal endothelial decompensation (two cases, 8.70%), and corneal degeneration (one case, 4.35%). The incidence of UZS in keratoconus patients was higher than that in patients with fungal corneal ulcer (42.11% versus 6.25%, p = 0.003); In addition, the transient postoperative high IOP was not significantly related to the incidence of UZS in keratoconus patients in our study (p = 0.319). Twenty-one patients with UZS were followed up for >6 months, seven of whom (33.33%) recovered spontaneously (within the range of 48 days to 1.5 years). Conclusion: In our study, the incidence of UZS after PKP was 15.13%, and 33.33% of these patients recovered spontaneously. UZS may be more likely to occur in patients with keratoconus. Postoperative transient high IOP may increase the incidence of UZS after PKP for keratoconus.
Update on Management of Cardiovascular Diseases in Women
Authors: Lucà Fabiana , Abrignani Maurizio Giuseppe , Parrini Iris , Di Fusco Stefania Angela , Giubilato Simona , Rao Carmelo Massimiliano , Piccioni Laura , Cipolletta Laura , Passaretti Bruno , Giallauria Francesco , Leone Angelo , Francese Giuseppina Maura , Riccio Carmine , Gelsomino Sandro , Colivicchi Furio , Gulizia Michele Massimo
Published: February 2022

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have a lower prevalence in women than men; although, a higher mortality rate and a poorer prognosis are more common in women. However, there is a misperception of CVD female risk since women have commonly been considered more protected so that the real threat is vastly underestimated. Consequently, female patients are more likely to be treated less aggressively, and a lower rate of diagnostic and interventional procedures is performed in women than in men. In addition, there are substantial sex differences in CVD, so different strategies are needed. This review aims to evaluate the main gender-specific approaches in CVD.
Underwater Target Detection Algorithm Based on Improved YOLOv5
Authors: Lei Fei , Tang Feifei , Li Shuhan
Published: February 2022

Underwater target detection plays an important role in ocean exploration, to which the improvement of relevant technology is of much practical significance. Although existing target detection algorithms have achieved excellent performance on land, they often fail to achieve satisfactory outcome of detection when in the underwater environment. In this paper, one of the most advanced target detection algorithms, YOLOv5 (You Only Look Once), was first applied in the underwater environment before being improved by combining it with some methods characteristic of the underwater environment. To be specific, the Swin Transformer was treated as the basic backbone network of YOLOv5, which makes the network suitable for those underwater images with blurred targets. It is possible for the network to focus on fusing the relatively important resolution features by improving the method of path aggregation network (PANet) for multi-scale feature fusion. The confidence loss function was improved on the basis of different detection layers, with the network biased to learn high-quality positive anchor boxes and make the network more capable of detecting the target. As suggested by the experimental results, the improved network model is effective in detecting underwater targets, with the mean average precision (mAP) reaching 87.2%, which makes it advantageous over general target detection models and fit for use in the complex underwater environment.
Stigma towards People with Mental Illness among Portuguese Nursing Students
Authors: Fernandes Júlio Belo , Família Carlos , Castro Cidália , Simões Aida
Published: February 2022

Stigma is a substantial obstacle when caring for people with mental illness. Nursing students’ negative attitudes towards people with mental illness may impact the quality of care delivered and consequentially patient outcomes. In this study, we assessed the stigmatising attitudes and beliefs of nursing students towards people with mental illness and examined its relationship with several psycho-socio-demographic variables. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive correlational study, which was developed with a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 110 nursing students. Stigmatising attitudes and beliefs were assessed using the Portuguese version of the Attribution Questionnaire AQ-27. Results show that the dimensions of stigma with higher scores were help, pity, coercion and avoidance. However, significant differences were only observed depending on the year of study (fourth-year students, who already had clinical placements in this area, are less likely to show stigma), the relationship (family is less prone to show coercion), the history of mental health treatment (students with a history of mental health treatment have more tendency to help) and whether they considered working in the mental health field (students who have considered working in this field are less prone to show anger, avoidance and think of patients as dangerous). Therefore, we conclude that education in a classroom setting alone is not enough to reduce stigma in nursing students, clinical placement in the area is required to achieve such results. It is thus essential to improve nursing curricula worldwide so that students are exposed to both psychiatric nursing theory and clinical practice in the first years of the nursing degree.
Biased β-Agonists Favoring Gs over β-Arrestin for Individualized Treatment of Obstructive Lung Disease
Authors: Tokmakova Alina , Kim Donghwa , Goddard William A. , Liggett Stephen B.
Published: February 2022

Signals from G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most frequently targeted pathways of currently prescribed therapeutics. Rather than being a simple switch, it is now evident that a given receptor can directly initiate multiple signals, and biasing to achieve signal selectivity based on agonist structure is possible. Biased agonists could direct therapeutically favorable pathways while avoiding counterproductive or adverse reaction pathways. For obstructive lung diseases, β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonists act at these receptors on airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells to open the airways by relaxing ASM, improving airflow and morbidity. However, these receptors signal to the G protein Gs (increasing cAMP and promoting relaxation), but also to β-arrestin (promoting desensitization and a loss of effectiveness). Indeed, β-agonist use is associated with adverse events in asthma pathogenesis and clinical outcomes which are related to desensitization. β-agonists favoring Gs coupling over β-arrestin binding would provide a means of tailoring bronchodilator therapy. In this review, we show how combinatorial methods with a 40 million compound agnostic library led to a new class of biased β-agonists that do not desensitize, providing an opportunity to personalize therapy in patients who experience poor efficacy or adverse effects from traditional balanced agonists.
Legal Aspects of Social Infrastructure for Housing and Care for the Elderly—The Case of Slovenia
Authors: Drobež Eneja , Bogataj David
Published: February 2022

On 17 June 2021, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a Bill on Long-term Care. This legislative activity also raised the question of the existence and effectiveness of a legal environment to promote social infrastructure development for housing and care of older adults. Social infrastructures include the facilities in which long-term care services are provided. Therefore, the new legislative proposal also raised the issue of the regulation of this social infrastructure and the housing and care solutions as a part of the social infrastructure since they benefit individuals and communities. Furthermore, in line with the growing trend towards deinstitutionalisation, the legal environments should enhance alternative housing solutions for the elderly. The purpose of this article is to describe the foundations of the social infrastructure for older adults and examine the legal basis for its provision. The research belongs to legal geography studies, which means that the substance of laws and materialisation in space are considered. We identified two primary spatial–legal barriers to overcome, which are (a) the separate treatment of the housing and health aspects and (b) the absence of the guarantee schemes for the construction of housing-with-care solutions. The results would be helpful for the optimal organisation of integrated care, which individual research groups in Slovenia are studying.
High-Performance and Water Resistant PVA-Based Films Modified by Air Plasma Treatment
Authors: Rao Xin , Zhou Qi , Wen Qin , Ou Zhiqiang , Fu Lingying , Gong Yue , Du Xueyu , Huo Chunqing
Published: February 2022

Plasma treatment is considered a straightforward, cost-effective, and environmental-friendly technique for surface modification of film materials. In this study, air plasma treatment was applied for performance improvement of pure PVA, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)/PVA, and CNC/oxalic acid (OA)/PVA films. Compared with the original performance of pure PVA, the mechanical properties and water resistance of air plasma treated films were greatly improved. Among them, the CNC/OA/PVA film treated by three minutes of air plasma irradiation exhibits the most remarkable performance in mechanical properties (tensile strength: 132.7 MPa; Young’s modulus: 5379.9 MPa) and water resistance (degree of swelling: 47.5%; solubility: 6.0%). By means of various modern characterization methods, the wettability, surface chemical structure, surface roughness, and thermal stability of different films before and after air plasma treatment were further revealed. Based on the results obtained, the air plasma treatment only changed the surface chemical structure, surface roughness, and hydrophobicity, while keeping the inner structure of films intact.
Atomic Simulations of the Interaction between a Dislocation Loop and Vacancy-Type Defects in Tungsten
Authors: Li Linyu , Wang Hao , Xu Ke , Li Bingchen , Jin Shuo , Li Xiao-Chun , Shu Xiaolin , Liang Linyun , Lu Guang-Hong
Published: February 2022

Tungsten (W) is considered to be the most promising plasma-facing material in fusion reactors. During their service, severe irradiation conditions create plenty of point defects in W, which can significantly degrade their performance. In this work, we first employ the molecular static simulations to investigate the interaction between a 1/2[111] dislocation loop and a vacancy-type defect including a vacancy, di-vacancy, and vacancy cluster in W. The distributions of the binding energies of a 1/2[111] interstitial and vacancy dislocation loop to a vacancy along different directions at 0 K are obtained, which are validated by using the elasticity theory. The calculated distributions of the binding energies of a 1/2[111] interstitial dislocation loop to a di-vacancy and a vacancy cluster, showing a similar behavior to the case of a vacancy. Furthermore, we use the molecular dynamics simulation to study the effect of a vacancy cluster on the mobility of the 1/2[111] interstitial dislocation loop. The interaction is closely related to the temperature and their relative positions. A vacancy cluster can attract the 1/2[111] interstitial dislocation loop and pin it at low temperatures. At high temperatures, the 1/2[111] interstitial dislocation loop can move randomly. These results will help us to understand the essence of the interaction behaviors between the dislocation loop and a vacancy-type defect and provide necessary parameters for mesoscopic scale simulations.
Electrorefining in Sustainable Metals Production
Authors: Aromaa Jari
Published: February 2022

Electrorefining of metals was developed in the second half of the 19th century [...]