bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Commentary on “De-fusing and re-fusing face-to-face encounters involving autistic persons in Hong Kong”
Authors: Nunkoosing Karl
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on Alex Cockain’s article “De-fusing and re-fusing face-to-face encounters involving autistic persons in Hong Kong”.

Design/methodology/approach

The commentary considers the issues raised in Cockain’s article primarily from a focus on Goffman’s concept of “stigma”. Cognitive, emotional and behavioural components of stigma are examined and its wider relevance considered.

Findings

There has been less research on the stigma of learning disability than on that of mental health, despite a very early study of learning disability (Edgerton, 1967) using the concept only four years after the publication of Goffman’s (1963) seminal work. A number of points of relevance of stigma are identified including to social role valorisation, visible and invisible stigmas, the concept of “passing”, microaggression, disablism and labelling.

Originality/value

The commentary illustrates the relevance of the concept of stigma to other aspects of learning disability and disability scholarship.
Fingermark visualization exploiting electrostatic detection apparatus (ESDA): The effect of the composition and age of the latent deposit
Authors: Zampa Francesco , Mancini Luca , Caligiore Gaetano
Published: February 2021

Paper evidence usually undergoes two consecutive examinations in forensic laboratories: ESDA (electrostatic detection apparatus) to detect indented impressions and a subsequent search for fingermarks by optical, physical, and chemical techniques. The ability of ESDA in visualizing fingermarks is well known. The aim of the present study is to understand better how long fingermarks can be developed with ESDA and if the different constituents of fingermarks show a different susceptibility to being developed. Several types of marks were collected from six donors on A4 standard office copy paper and tested with ESDA up to 69 days from deposition. A clear difference between natural, eccrine, and sebaceous marks emerged, being the latter ones better developed. ESDA developed standard sebaceous marks up to 16 days from deposition, whereas natural marks were visible within a few days. Eccrine marks were mainly visualized in reverse mode, despite the quality of these marks was not as good as the sebaceous marks. The appearance of the mark (standard/reverse) seemed to be correlated with time since deposition. Data suggest that the mechanism by which ESDA visualizes the fingermarks could be related to the residue (water‐soluble and/or non‐water‐soluble) available on the surface of the substrate and not yet absorbed by the paper. ESDA could act as a useful screening tool in fingermark visualization on porous surfaces, especially because it is a non‐destructive technique. Therefore, as a general procedure, it is highly recommended to acquire potential fingermarks developed by means of ESDA before proceeding with fingermark visualization.
Causes of admission to a raptor rehabilitation centre and factors that can be used to predict the likelihood of release
Authors: Maphalala Machawe I. , Monadjem Ara , Bildstein Keith L. , Hoffman Ben , Downs Colleen
Published: February 2021

Admission records of rescued birds are an important source of information for tracking the prevalence of human‐related threats to wildlife. In this study, we used admission records from January 2015 to December 2016 to review the causes for raptor admissions to a raptor rehabilitation centre in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and to determine factors that can be used to predict the outcome of rehabilitation. During the study period, 242 raptors were admitted to the centre, representing 33 species. The major causes of admission were collision‐related injuries (52%), grounded birds (12%) and orphaned chicks (10%). The most common casualties were spotted eagle‐owl Bubo africanus (23%), yellow‐billed kite Milvus migrans aegyptius/parasitus (12%), jackal buzzard Buteo rufofuscus (10%) and western barn owl Tyto alba (10%). The rehabilitation centre had a release rate of 48%. Reason for admission was a significant predictor of the outcome of rehabilitation while other variables were not. Raptors with no severe injuries such as orphaned chicks and grounded birds were more likely to have successful rehabilitation treatment than raptors suffering from collision injuries. Wildlife rehabilitators can use the results of the present study to develop triage guidelines for raptors admitted to rehabilitation centres.
Factors associated with medical students’ interest in remote and very remote practice in Australia: A national study
Authors: Raftery Dylan , Isaac Vivian , Walters Lucie
Published: February 2021

Objective

To investigate the factors that are associated with medical student interest in remote and very remote practice in Australia.

Design

Aggregated data of an annual cross‐sectional survey from 2013 to 2017.

Setting

Australia.

Participants

Medical students from 17 medical schools, at the point of finishing one year of clinical training in a rural or remote location in Australia.

Main outcome measures

Intention for working in a remote or very remote location as a doctor.

Results

Responses were analysed from 3328 medical students. From this cohort, 37.6%, 54.0% and 7.0% of students reported future career intent in capital or major cities; regional Australia; and remote or very remote Australia respectively. Multivariable analysis indicated students interested in remote and very remote practice compared to those interested in regional practice were more likely to be from a rural background, have prior generalist intentions, felt as though their rural clinical school (RCS) experience increased interest in remote and very remote practice, and had higher rural practice self‐efficacy. Odds ratios were larger for these factors when students interested in remote or very remote practice were compared with students interested in practicing in capital or major cities.

Conclusions

Rural background, prior generalist intentions, rural practice self‐efficacy and the overall influence of the RCS experience are associated with interest in remote and very remote practice.
Magnetic fields as a potential therapy for diabetic wounds based on animal experiments and clinical trials
Authors: Lv Huanhuan , Liu Junyu , Zhen Chenxiao , Wang Yijia , Wei Yunpeng , Ren Weihao , Shang Peng
Published: February 2021

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder with various complications that poses a huge worldwide healthcare burden. Wounds in diabetes, especially diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), are difficult to manage, often leading to prolonged wound repair and even amputation. Wound management in people with diabetes is an extremely clinical and social concern. Nowadays, physical interventions gain much attention and have been widely developed in the fields of tissue regeneration and wound healing. Magnetic fields (MFs)‐based devices are translated into clinical practice for the treatment of bone diseases and neurodegenerative disorder. This review attempts to give insight into the mechanisms and applications of MFs in wound care, especially in improving the healing outcomes of diabetic wounds. First, we discuss the pathological conditions associated with chronic diabetic wounds. Next, the mechanisms involved in MFs’ effects on wounds are explored. At last, studies and reports regarding the effects of MFs on diabetic wounds from both animal experiments and clinical trials are reviewed. MFs exhibit great potential in promoting wound healing and have been practised in the management of diabetic wounds. Further studies on the exact mechanism of MFs on diabetic wounds and the development of suitable MF‐based devices could lead to their increased applications into clinical practice.
Taking the next step: Improving care transitions from a first‐episode psychosis service
Authors: Gallagher Keith , Ferrara Maria , Pollard Jessica , Yoviene Sykes Laura , Li Fangyong , Imetovski Shannon , Cahill John , Mathis Walter , Srihari Vinod H.
Published: February 2021

Aims

First‐episode services (FES) improve outcomes in recent onset psychosis, but there is growing concern about how patients fare after discharge from these time‐limited services.

Methods

A quality improvement approach (QI) was used to improve patient engagement in the discharge planning process (disposition), and successful engagement in care 3 months after discharge from the FES (transfer). Data from 144 consecutive discharges over 62 months are presented. A planning phase was followed by recurrent Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act cycles (PDSA) that included the introduction of proactive efforts targeting disposition planning (with patients and families) and follow‐up to facilitate transfer after discharge. Fisher's exact test was used to compare disposition and transfer outcomes across the QI phases.

Results

This QI approach was sustained through a three‐fold escalation in discharge volume. Transfer status at 3 months was significantly different between the pre‐ and post PDSA phases (p = .02). A greater proportion were confirmed transfers post‐PDSA (54.3 vs. 37%), but of those with known status at 3 months, similar proportions were successfully transferred (76, 73%). Patients discharged post‐PDSA were less likely to have unknown treatment status (26 vs. 51%). Disposition outcomes were also significantly improved post‐PDSA (p = .03). Patients were more likely to engage with discharge planning (69.7 vs. 48.6%) and less likely to be lost to follow‐up (13.8 vs. 25.7%), or to refuse assistance (11.0 vs. 20.0%).

Conclusion

This QI approach offers a feasible way to improve disposition and transfer after FES and can be built upon in efforts to sustain functional gains in onward pathways.
Antibiotic misuse and compliance with infection control measures during COVID‐19 pandemic in community pharmacies in Egypt
Authors: Elsayed Asmaa A. , Darwish Samar F. , Zewail Moataz B. , Mohammed Marwa , Saeed Haitham , Rabea Hoda
Published: February 2021

Background

Globally, antibiotics misuse by the public has been reported in the era of COVID‐19, despite the discouraging instructions of the World Health Organization, especially for mild cases.

Objective

Is to describe this antibiotic misuse and its contributing factors. Also, to measure the pharmacists' application of infection preventive practices during the pandemic.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted among randomly selected Egyptian community pharmacists (Center, East, Delta, and Upper Egypt) using a questionnaire and direct interviews from 1 to 30 August 2020. The questionnaire consisted of two parts, the first covered pharmacist's demographic data and their application of basic infection preventive practices (eg, wearing face masks, regular hand sanitization, etc), and the other part was related to antibiotic dispensing patterns. Data were descriptively analyzed and the impact of participant experience on the responses was evaluated using the χ2 test.

Results

From 480 randomly selected Egyptian community pharmacists, 413 (87%) consented to participate in the study. 86.7% of the participants were keen to wear face masks (n = 358) and 86.2% kept regular hand sanitization (n = 356); whereas, 46.9% (n = 194) maintained adequate antibiotic stock supply during the pandemic. Nearly 67% (n = 275) of the pharmacists reported that patients were more likely to be given antibiotics for showing any sign or symptom of COVID‐19 infection, and 82% (n = 74 278) of the dispensed antibiotics were given upon physician recommendation. Azithromycin, Ceftriaxone, and Linezolid were the major antibiotics dispensed to COVID‐19 presumptive patients Azithromycin was given to ~40% of presumptive patients showing only mild or moderate symptoms for 5‐10 days. Additionally, antibiotic combinations were given to 74% (n = 62 479) of home‐isolated patients for a maximum of 2 weeks.

Conclusions

Pharmacists applied suitable sanitation and infection control protocols. Meanwhile, antibiotics were dispensed heavily during this pandemic without proper clinical indication and for long durations supporting the idea of antibiotic misuse.
Protection of the esophagus during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Houmsse Mahmoud , Daoud Emile G.
Published: February 2021

Esophageal injury still occurs with high frequency during ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this study is to provide a review of methods to protect the esophagus from injury during AF ablation. Despite advances in imaging and ablation, the potential risk of esophageal injury during AF ablation remains an important concern with a high occurrence of esophageal injury (≈15%). There have been numerous studies evaluating varied techniques for esophageal protection including active cooling and displacement of the esophagus. These techniques are reviewed in this manuscript as well as the role of esophageal protection in managing patients undergoing AF ablation procedure.
Genomic signatures of UV resistance evolution in Escherichia coli depend on the growth phase during exposure
Authors: Selveshwari S , Lele Kasturi , Dey Sutirth
Published: February 2021

Physiological states can determine the ability of organisms to handle stress. Does this mean that the same selection pressure will lead to different evolutionary outcomes, depending on the organisms’ physiological state? If yes, what will be the genomic signatures of such adaptation(s)? We used experimental evolution in Escherichia coli followed by whole‐genome whole‐population sequencing to investigate these questions. The sensitivity of Escherichia coli to ultraviolet (UV) radiation depends on the growth phase during which it experiences the radiation. We evolved replicate E. coli populations under two different conditions of UV exposures, namely exposure during the lag and the exponential growth phases. Initially, the UV sensitivity of the ancestor was greater during the exponential phase than the lag phase. However, at the end of 100 cycles of exposure, UV resistance evolved to similar extents in both treatments. Genome analysis showed that mutations in genes involved in DNA repair, cell membrane structure and RNA polymerase were common in both treatments. However, different functional groups were found mutated in populations experiencing lag and exponential UV treatment. In the former, genes involved in transcriptional and translational regulations and cellular transport were mutated, whereas the latter treatment showed mutations in genes involved in signal transduction and cell adhesion. Interestingly, the treatments showed no phenotypic differences in a number of novel environments. Taken together, these results suggest that selection pressures at different physiological stages can lead to differences in the genomic signatures of adaptation, which need not necessarily translate into observable phenotypic differences.
Consensus of physician behaviours to target for early diagnosis of cerebral palsy: A Delphi study
Authors: McNamara Lynda , Scott Karen M , Boyd Roslyn N , Novak Iona
Published: February 2021

Aims

Historically, the diagnosis of cerebral palsy has been made after 12 months of age, delaying access to crucial early intervention that optimises functional outcomes. This study aimed to identify and specify priority physician diagnostic behaviours to target in implementation interventions to increase the rate of diagnosis of cerebral palsy under 6 months of age in Australia.

Methods

We conducted a two‐round online Delphi study with a multi‐professional expert panel of cerebral palsy researchers and clinicians. A reference group identified a six‐item list of potential diagnostic behaviours, which were modifiable at the individual level, that could lead to an early cerebral palsy diagnosis. In the first survey, participants rated the importance of each item on a 10‐point Likert scale and supplied their reasoning for this, and were able to suggest new behaviours. In the second survey, participants ranked items in order of priority.

Results

All six items reached consensus for inclusion (100%). No new items were added to the list. Ranking identified the top three priorities for online physician implementation interventions: (i) refer for or conduct the General Movements Assessment; (ii) refer for or conduct the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination; and (iii) communication of the diagnosis.

Conclusion

An online Delphi method can effectively inform tailored implementation intervention development. A consensus was achieved on the priority physician diagnostic behaviours to target in interventions to lower the age of cerebral palsy diagnosis in Australia.
Benefit of transaminase elevations in establishing functional cure of HBV infection during nap‐based combination therapy
Authors: Bazinet Michel , Pântea Victor , Placinta Gheorghe , Moscalu Iurie , Cebotarescu Valentin , Cojuhari Lilia , Jimbei Pavlina , Iarovoi Liviu , Smesnoi Valentina , Musteata Tatiana , Jucov Alina , Dittmer Ulf , Krawczyk Adalbert , Vaillant Andrew
Published: February 2021

Treatment of HBV infection with nucleic acid polymers and pegIFN is accompanied by transaminase elevations in 95% of participants. HBV viral rebound, partial cure (HBV DNA < 2000 IU/mL, normal ALT) or functional cure (HBV DNA target not detected, HBsAg <LLOQ, normal ALT) occurred in 27%, 38% and 35% of participants. Correlations between ALT, AST and GGT elevations, virologic baseline, response during therapy and HBV therapeutic outcome were investigated. A retrospective analysis of all 40 participants in the REP 401 study (NCT02565719) included maxima and area under the curve for ALT, AST and GGT, baseline virology, HBsAg and anti‐HBs response and HBV therapeutic outcomes. ALT, AST and GGT elevations were asymptomatic, independent of baseline virologic status and anti‐HBs response but correlated with HBsAg reduction ≥3 log10 from baseline. Functional cure was associated with significantly lower HBsAg during the nadir of ALT flares versus viral rebound or partial cure. ALT elevations >3X ULN while HBsAg was <1 IU/mL occurred in 3/11 (27%), 11/15 (74%) and 14/14 (100%) of participants experiencing viral rebound, partial or functional cure. ALT elevation >3X ULN during HBsAg <1 IU/mL and <10 IU/mL were the best predictors of partial and functional cure. In conclusion, elevations in ALT, AST or GGT while HBsAg <10 IU/ml during therapy with REP 2139 + pegIFN are associated with partial and functional cure. More potent HBsAg reduction during flare nadir is associated with the establishment of functional cure, suggesting a critical role for HBsAg‐specific immunity to achieve this outcome. These on‐therapy milestones may have similar positive prognostic value with other combination therapies.
Dual‐chamber pacing using a hybrid transvenous and leadless pacing approach
Authors: Nona Paul , Altawil Mahmoud , Khan Essaq , Maskoun Waddah
Published: February 2021

An elderly gentleman with a dual‐chamber pacemaker presented to our institution with symptoms of symptomatic bradycardia and high‐grade atrioventricular (AV) block. Device interrogation revealed failure to capture in the right ventricle (RV) lead with bipolar pacing, high RV pacing threshold with unipolar pacing, and high impedance suggesting lead fracture. The atrial lead function was normal. Given his advanced age, gait instability, and dementia, the decision was made to proceed with Micra AV pacemaker implantation, while programming his dual‐chamber pacemaker to AAIR mode, thus maintaining AV synchrony by tracking paced atrial impulses and providing ventricular pacing.
Investor‐state dispute settlement and multinational firm behavior
Authors: Schjelderup Guttorm , Stähler Frank
Published: February 2021

This paper shows that investor‐state dispute settlements (ISDS) make multinational firms more aggressive by increasing cost‐reducing investments with the aim to enlarge the potential compensation an ISDS provision may offer. While a larger investment reduces the market distortion, it will also make potential compensations larger. Consequently, potential compensations to a foreign investor do not imply a zero‐sum game. ISDS may decrease domestic welfare, in particular if the investment leads to the establishment of an export platform, and we find that even global welfare may decline.
Molecular beam epitaxy of polar III-nitride resonant tunneling diodes
Authors: Encomendero Jimy , Islam SM , Jena Debdeep , Grace Xing Huili
Published: February 2021

Advances in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) have been crucial for the engineering of heterostructures in which the wave nature of electrons dictates carrier transport dynamics. These advances led to the first demonstration of negative differential conductance (NDC) in arsenide-based resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) in 1974. In contrast to the 17 years elapsed between the initial MBE growth of arsenide semiconductors and the first demonstration of room-temperature GaAs/AlAs RTDs, the development of polar III-nitride RTDs has been remarkably different. After pioneering growths of nitride materials by MBE in 1973, it would take 43 years—until 2016—to demonstrate the first GaN/AlN RTD that exhibits repeatable NDC at room temperature. Here, we discuss, from the crystal growth point of view, the key developments in the epitaxy of III-nitride heterostructures that have led us to the demonstration of robust resonant tunneling transport and reliable NDC in III-nitride semiconductors. We show that in situ tracking of the crystal electron diffraction allows us to deterministically control the number of monolayers incorporated into the tunneling barriers of the active region. Employing this technique, we fabricate various GaN/AlN RTD designs showing the exponential enhancement of the resonant tunneling current as a function of barrier thickness. In addition, we experimentally demonstrate that tunneling transport in nitride RTDs is sensitive to epitaxial parameters such as the substrate growth temperature and threading dislocation density. This new insight into the MBE growth of nitride resonant tunneling devices represents a significant step forward in the engineering of new functionalities within the family of III-nitride semiconductors, allowing to harness quantum interference effects for the new generation of electronic and photonic devices.
Cooling During Endurance Cycling in the Heat: Blunted Core Temperature but Not Inflammatory Responses
Authors: Keller Sebastian , Kohne Simon , Notbohm Hannah L. , Bloch Wilhelm , Schumann Moritz
Published: February 2021

Purpose: This study assessed the effects of cooling during endurance cycling (percooling) on changes in core body temperature (Tcore), inflammatory, and metabolic responses. Methods: A total of 12 male cyclists (peak oxygen uptake 60 [4] mL·kg−1·min−1) completed a 60-minute constant workload trial (55% of peak power output and ambient temperature 30.4°C [0.6°C]) in a randomized order both with (ICE) and without (CON) an ice vest. An ingestible capsule was used to measure Tcore. Blood samples were collected immediately before and after each trial to determine concentrations of blood lactate, serum cortisol, interleukin-6, and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Results: Tcore increased statistically (P < .001) both in CON (7.0% [1.4%], effect size [ES] = 6.3) and ICE (5.1% [1.1%], ES = 5.7). The increase in CON was statistically larger compared with ICE (P = .006, ES = 1.4). Concentrations of blood lactate (CON: 163% [63%], ES = 1.3; ICE: 149% [91%], ES = 1.3), cortisol (CON: 138% [123%], ES = 1.7; ICE: 81% [102%], ES = 1.0), and interleukin-6 (CON: 661% [324%], ES = 2.1; ICE: 624% [368%], ES = 1.2) statistically increased in both conditions (P < .01) to a similar extent. In addition, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species statistically decreased in both conditions (CON: −19.2% [14.9%], P = .002, ES = 0.9; ICE: −15.1% [16.5%], P = .02, ES = 0.9). No correlations were found between the changes of Tcore and blood parameters across the conditions. Conclusions: Despite attenuated Tcore, similar inflammatory and metabolic responses were observed. Our findings suggest percooling to be a promising strategy to attenuate thermal strain without compromising physiological function.
Migratory earthquake precursors are dominant on an ice stream fault
Authors: Barcheck G. , Brodsky E. E. , Fulton P. M. , King M. A. , Siegfried M. R. , Tulaczyk S.
Published: February 2021

Migratory nucleation of earthquakes is dominant, and self-nucleation is rare over many repeats of a natural stick-slip cycle.
Thalamic projections to the subthalamic nucleus contribute to movement initiation and rescue of parkinsonian symptoms
Authors: Watson Glenn D. R. , Hughes Ryan N. , Petter Elijah A. , Fallon Isabella P. , Kim Namsoo , Severino Francesco Paolo Ulloa , Yin Henry H.
Published: February 2021

Selective activation of Pf-STN pathway initiates actions in normal mice and restores movement in a mouse model of PD.
ATDC KEAPs NRF2 active
Authors: VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: February 2021

ATDC promotes pancreatic cancer progression and chemoresistance by disrupting KEAP1-mediated ubiquitylation of NRF2.
Building Excellence in Scientific Teaching: How Important Is the Evidence for Evidence-Based Teaching when Training STEM TAs?
Authors: Patrick Lorelei E. , Barron Hillary A. , Brown Julie C. , Cotner Sehoya
Published: February 2021

Evidence-based teaching practices (EBTP)—like inquiry-based learning, inclusive teaching, and active learning—have been shown to benefit all students, especially women, first-generation, and traditionally minoritized students in science fields. However, little research has focused on how best to train teaching assistants (TAs) to use EBTP or on which components of professional development are most important.
Coexistence of TDP-43 and C5b-9 staining of muscle in a patient with inclusion body myositis
Authors: Law Christina , Li Huili , Bandyopadhyay Sankar
Published: February 2021

While sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is the most commonly acquired inflammatory myopathy above 50 years of age, its refractory response to conventional immunosuppressive treatments raises questions about its perplexing pathogenesis. Muscle biopsy typically reveals major histocompatibility complex I antigens and CD8+ T cell endomysial infiltrates invading non-necrotic muscle fibres early in the disease course with rimmed vacuoles, protein aggregates and amyloid inclusions later in the disease. Transactive response DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43), a protein implicated in transcriptional repression in neurodegenerative diseases, is also found in sIBM. C5b-9 membrane attack complex, an effector protein involved in the complement cascade of the immune response, is commonly found in dermatomyositis, but has rarely been reported in IBM. We describe a novel case of IBM with simultaneous C5b-9 and TDP-43 staining on quadriceps biopsy, raising the question of a possibility of concurrent immune-mediated inflammatory and myodegenerative pathogenesis.
Pickering syndrome: a rare presentation in emergency department
Authors: Shrimal Prawal , Sahu Ankit Kumar , Mathew Roshan , Bansal Abhinav
Published: February 2021

Sympathetic crash acute pulmonary edema (SCAPE) is a life-threatening injury, which requires early recognition and intervention to prevent mortality. We present a case of 18-year-old woman with no previous comorbidity, presenting with SCAPE who was successfully resuscitated and eventually diagnosed with renal artery stenosis. Pickering syndrome is a rare cause of hypertensive emergency and should be considered in a young patient presenting with SCAPE in emergency department.
High-dose steroid and heparin: a novel therapy for cerebral vasculitis associated with presumed group AStreptococcusmeningitis
Authors: Hummel Brian Alexander , Blackburn Julie , Pham-Huy Anne , Muir Katherine
Published: February 2021

Cerebral vasculitis is a serious complication of bacterial meningitis that can cause significant morbidity and mortality due to stroke. Currently, there are no treatment guidelines or safety and efficacy studies on the management of cerebral vasculitis in this context. Herein, we report a case of a previously well 11-year-old girl who presented with acute otitis media that progressed to mastoiditis and fulminant meningitis. Group AStreptococcuswas found in blood and ear-fluid cultures (lumbar puncture was unsuccessful). Her decreased level of consciousness persisted despite appropriate antimicrobial treatment, and repeat MRI revealed extensive large vessel cerebral vasculitis. Based on expert opinion and a presumed inflammatory mechanism, her cerebral vasculitis was treated with 7 days of pulse intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral prednisone taper. She was also treated with intravenous heparin. Following these therapies, she improved clinically and radiographically with no adverse events. She continues to undergo rehabilitation with improvement.
The neighbourhood social environment correlates with meeting 24-h movement behaviour recommendations in females: a cross-sectional study using the 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health
Authors: Burns Ryan D. , Pfledderer Christopher D. , Fu You
Published: February 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the neighbourhood social environment and meeting recommendations for 24-h movement behaviours in youth. Participants were a sample of children and adolescents from the 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health (N = 21 259; 48.2% female). Knowing where to go for help (odds ratio (OR) = 2.66, p = 0.006) and a safe school environment (OR = 1.99, p = 0.020) correlated with high probability of meeting 24-h movement behaviour recommendations in females.

Novelty: The neighbourhood social environment associates with meeting 24-h movement recommendations in females.
Networks of Conflict and Cooperation
Authors: Larson Jennifer M.
Published: February 2021

Conflict and cooperation do not result from isolated individual actions. In settings such as insurgency, interstate conflict, protest mobilization, and informal governance, actors are highly interdependent. The study of networks aims to identify what the relevant interdependencies are and, crucially, how they shape conflict and cooperation outcomes. Although this is a relatively new research area, its early results convincingly establish that networks matter. Social networks provide information, transmit peer pressure, and structure interactions in ways that help groups overcome social dilemmas. With much research documenting the importance of particular outcomes in particular areas, the next major step will be putting the pieces together. Which connections between actors matter in which circumstances and how? The groundwork has been well laid for this large future research endeavor.
Identification of Novel SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors: A Structure-Based Virtual Screening Approach
Authors: El Aissouq Abdellah , Chedadi Oussama , Bouachrine Mohammed , Ouammou Abdelkrim
Published: February 2021

The recent outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) in the last few months raised global health concern. Previous research described that remdesivir and ritonavir can be used as effective drugs against COVID-19. In this study, we applied the structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) on the high similar remdesivir- and ritonavir-approved drugs, selected from the DrugBank database as well as on a series of ritonavir derivatives, selected from the literature. The aim was to provide new potent SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitors with high stability. The analysis was performed using AutoDock VINA implicated in the PyRx 0.8 tool. Based on the ligand binding energy, 20 compounds were selected and then analyzed by AutoDock tools. Among the 20 compounds, 3 compounds were selected as high-potent anti-COVID-19.
Semisupervised SVM by Hybrid Whale Optimization Algorithm and Its Application in Oil Layer Recognition
Authors: Pan Yong-ke , Xia Ke-wen , Niu Wen-jia , He Zi-ping
Published: February 2021

In many fields, such as oil logging, it is expensive to obtain labeled data, and a large amount of inexpensive unlabeled data are not used. Therefore, it is necessary to use semisupervised learning to obtain accurate classification with limited labeled data and many unlabeled data. The semisupervised support vector machine (S3VM) is the most useful method in semisupervised learning. Nevertheless, S3VM model performance will degrade when the sample number of categories is not even or have lots of unlabeled samples. Thus, a new semisupervised SVM by hybrid whale optimization algorithm (HWOA-S3VM) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a tradeoff control parameter is added in S3VM to deal with an uneven sample of category which can cause S3VM to degrade. Then, a hybrid whale optimization algorithm (HWOA) is used to optimize the model parameters of S3VM to increase the classification accuracy. For HWOA improvement, an opposition-based cubic mapping is used to initialize the WOA population to improve the convergence speed, and the catfish effect is used to help WOA jump out of the local optimum and obtain the global optimization ability. In the experiments, firstly, the HWOA is tested by 12 classic benchmark functions of CEC2005 and four functions of CEC2014 compared with the other five algorithms. Then, six UCI datasets are used to test the performance of HWOA-S3VM and compared with the other four algorithms. Finally, we applied HWOA-S3VM to perform oil layer recognition of three oil well datasets. These experimental results show that (1) HWOA has a higher convergence speed and better global searchability than other algorithms. (2) HWOA-S3VM model has higher classification accuracy on UCI datasets than other algorithms when combined, labeled, and unlabeled data are used as the training dataset. (3) The recognition accuracy and speed of the HWOA-S3VM model are superior to the other four algorithms when applied in oil layer recognition.
I‐κB Kinase‐ε Deficiency Attenuates the Development of Angiotensin II‐Induced Myocardial Hypertrophy in Mice
Authors: Cao Yide , Li Liangpeng , Liu Yafeng , Chen Ganyi , Tao Zhonghao , Wang Rui , Chen Wen
Published: February 2021

I‐κB kinase‐ε (IKKε) is a member of the IKK complex and a proinflammatory regulator that is active in many diseases. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a vasoconstricting peptide hormone, and Ang II‐induced myocardial hypertrophy is a common cardiovascular disease that can result in heart failure. In this study, we sought to determine the role of IKKε in the development of Ang II‐induced myocardial hypertrophy in mice. Wild‐type (WT) and IKKε‐knockout (IKKε‐KO) mice were generated and infused with saline or Ang II for 8 weeks. We found that WT mouse hearts have increased IKKε expression after 8 weeks of Ang II infusion. Our results further indicated that IKKε‐KO mice have attenuated myocardial hypertrophy and alleviated heart failure compared with WT mice. Additionally, Ang II‐induced expression of proinflammatory and collagen factors was much lower in the IKKε‐KO mice than in the WT mice. Apoptosis and pyroptosis were also ameliorated in IKKε‐KO mice. Mechanistically, IKKε bound to extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and the mitogen‐activated protein kinase p38, resulting in MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) phosphorylation, and IKKε deficiency inhibited the phosphorylation of MEK‐ERK1/2 and p38 in mouse heart tissues after 8 weeks of Ang II infusion. The findings of our study reveal that IKKε plays an important role in the development of Ang II‐induced myocardial hypertrophy and may represent a potential therapeutic target for the management of myocardial hypertrophy.
Sharp Estimation Type Inequalities for Lipschitzian Mappings in Euclidean Sense on a Disk
Authors: Rostamian Delavar M. , Dragomir S. S. , De La Sen M.
Published: February 2021

Some sharp trapezoid and midpoint type inequalities for Lipschitzian bifunctions defined on a closed disk in Euclidean sense are obtained by the use of polar coordinates. Also, bifunctions whose partial derivative is Lipschitzian are considered. A new presentation of Hermite-Hadamard inequality for convex function defined on a closed disk and its reverse are given. Furthermore, two mappings

H

t

and

h

t

are considered to give some generalized Hermite-Hadamard type inequalities in the case that considered functions are Lipschitzian in Euclidean sense on a disk.
Quantitative Determination of 7 Saikosaponins in Xiaochaihu Granules Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Charged Aerosol Detection
Authors: Liu Aoxue , Xu Tongtong , Yang Wenning , Zhou Dandan , Sha Yiwei
Published: February 2021

Bupleuri Radix (Chaihu, in Chinese) is the principal drug in Xiaochaihu granules (XGs) that is a famous Chinese medicine preparation in China. Since previous analytical methods have not focused on the multiactive saikosaponins of Chaihu, it is difficult to effectively control the quality of XG on the market. In this manuscript, the simultaneous determination of 7 saikosaponins (saikosaponins C, I, H, A, B2, G, and B1) in XG by HPLC with charged aerosol detection (CAD) and confirmation by LC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS were described. The saikosaponins were purified on an SPE cartridge and determined on a Waters CORTECTS C18 column (4.6 mm × 150 mm, 2.7 μm) by gradient elution using 0.01% acetic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile. The results showed good linearity with the r2 values higher than 0.998 for all analytes. The average recoveries at three different concentration levels ranged from 80% to 109% and the intraday and interday precision (relative standard deviations, RSD%) were in the range of 1.0%∼1.9% and 1.4%∼2.1%, respectively. The established HPLC-CAD method was subsequently applied to 15 batches of XG to investigate the batch-to-batch consistency and controllability. The proposed method could potentially be used for the quality control of XG and also be helpful in the quality evaluation of Chaihu and its related preparations.
Analysis of the Vibration of the Ground Surface by Using the Layered Soil: Viscoelastic Euler Beam Model due to the Moving Load
Authors: Huang Hong-Yuan , Zhao Ming-Jie , Rong Yao , Sun Yang , Xiao Xiao
Published: February 2021

Moving loads will have a certain impact on the safety of the structures. Since concrete is a viscoelastic material, the elastic concrete model cannot describe its viscoelastic characteristics under moving loads. It is necessary to establish a model that can describe the viscoelastic characteristics of concrete materials. In addition, the layered of the soil is also an important factor affecting the propagation of subway vibration waves. Considering the effects of the properties of the concrete material of the subway tunnel structure and the layered soil foundation as well as the load velocity on the vibration of the ground surface caused by the moving load, the standard linear elastic solid Euler beam model is described for the subway tunnel structure in this paper. The equivalent stiffness of the layered soil-viscoelastic beam coupling system subjected to a moving load is formed by using the transmission and reflection matrix (TRM) method. The numerical solution of ground surface displacement caused by subway tunnel in time-space domain is obtained by IFFT algorithm. The correctness of the algorithm is verified by comparing with the reference results. Numerical results show that, with the increase of the viscous coefficient of the viscoelastic Euler beam, the vibration amplitude of the ground surface will decrease. Up to a certain value of the increasing the viscous coefficient of the Euler beam, it will have little effect on the vibration amplitude of the ground surface. Therefore, the standard solid model of viscoelastic Euler beam can well describe the creep and relaxation of materials. The model of viscoelastic beam is reasonable for the working condition of subway tunnel concrete structure. At high speed of moving load, the maximum value of ground surface displacement spectrum will appear at the smaller frequency domain and the maximum value of displacement spectrum will also increase for the soft layer soil, while it is opposite to that of the stiffer layer soil.
Antioxidative Stress: Inhibiting Reactive Oxygen Species Production as a Cause of Radioresistance and Chemoresistance
Authors: Chen Yanchi , Li Yiling , Huang Linyang , Du Yu , Gan Feihong , Li Yanxi , Yao Yang
Published: February 2021

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the most effective nonsurgical treatments for cancer treatment. They usually induce regulated cell death by increasing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumour cells. However, as intracellular ROS concentration increases, many antioxidant pathways are concurrently upregulated by cancer cells to inhibit ROS production, ultimately leading to drug resistance. Understanding the mechanism of antioxidant stress in tumour cells provides a new research direction for overcoming therapeutic resistance. In this review, we address (1) how radiotherapy and chemotherapy kill tumour cells by increasing the level of ROS, (2) the mechanism by which ROS activate antioxidant pathways and the subsequent cellular mitigation of ROS in radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments, and (3) the potential research direction for targeted treatment to overcome therapeutic resistance.
Ketogenic Diet-Induced Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Young Adult with Unrecognized Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Charoensri Suranut , Sothornwit Jin , Trirattanapikul Akeatit , Pongchaiyakul Chatlert
Published: February 2021

Ketogenic diet, a very low-carbohydrate diet and high-fat diet, has emerged as a popular approach for weight reduction, particularly in young adults. However, a serious but rare complication of the ketogenic diet is ketoacidosis associated with low carbohydrate intake, which should be cautiously monitored in people with a predisposition to the condition. We report a 22-year-old Thai woman with an unremarkable past medical history who presented with an acute onset of dyspnea of 2 days’ duration. Diabetic ketoacidosis was diagnosed by elevated capillary blood glucose, significant metabolic acidosis, and a high serum beta-hydroxybutyrate level. Low C-peptide level and positive islet autoantibodies confirmed the new diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in this patient. After her conditions were stabilized, the patient revealed that she began a ketogenic diet for weight reduction 4 days before her illness. Other precipitating factors were not identified. This highlights that ketogenic diet may increase diabetic ketoacidosis risk at the presentation of previously unrecognized type 1 diabetes.
Managing Cost Reduction Efforts in Supplier Encroachment
Authors: Wu Xunbo , Zhao Jinling , Wang Ming
Published: February 2021

The extant literature has indicated that upstream supplier encroachment on the incumbent retailer could be beneficial to the supplier, the retailer, and the entire industry, when the supplier’s marketing disadvantage satisfies specific conditions. This study extends the previous investigations about supplier encroachment to the circumstance where the supplier is capable of managing and mitigating her marketing disadvantage, which further intensifies the retail competition and provides new managerial implications about the encroachment. We find that encroachment with cost reduction efforts does not necessarily hurt the retailer and the industry but always benefit the supplier and consumers. Compared to encroachment without the cost reduction effort, encroachment with cost reduction efforts does not necessarily benefit the supplier and the industry. Between encroachment with and without cost reduction efforts, the retailer and consumers always prefer the latter and the former, respectively. Our findings provide meaningful insights to manage cost reduction efforts in supply chain encroachment.
On a Deep Learning Method of Estimating Reservoir Porosity
Authors: Zhang Zhenhua , Wang Yanbin , Wang Pan
Published: February 2021

Porosity is an important parameter for the oil and gas storage, which reflects the geological characteristics of different historical periods. The logging parameters obtained from deep to shallow strata show the stratigraphic sedimentary characteristics in different geological periods, so there is a strong nonlinear mapping relationship between porosity and logging parameters. It is very important to make full use of logging parameters to predict the shale content and porosity of the reservoir for precise reservoir description. Deep neural network technology has strong data structure mining ability and has been applied to shale content prediction in recent years. In fact, the gated recurrent unit (GRU) neural network has further advantage in processing serialized data. Therefore, this study proposes a method to predict porosity by combining multiple logging parameters based on the GRU neural network. Firstly, the correlation measurement method based on Copula function is used to select the logging parameters most relevant to porosity parameters. Then, the GRU neural network is used to identify the nonlinear mapping relationship between logging data and porosity parameters. The application results in an exploration area of the Ordos basin show that this method is superior to multiple regression analysis and recurrent neural network method, which indicates that the GRU neural network is more effective in predicting a series of reservoir parameters such as porosity.
Effect of Fe3O4 and CuO Nanoparticles on Morphology, Genotoxicity, and miRNA Expression on Different Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Genotypes
Authors: Petrova Anastasija , Plaksenkova Ilona , Kokina Inese , Jermaļonoka Marija
Published: February 2021

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have an influence on plant growth and development. They can alter plant shoot and root length, fresh biomass production, and even influence the genome. Nanoparticles are also able to affect expression levels of plant microRNAs. MicroRNAs are able to protect plants from biotic stress, including pathogens which cause powdery mildew. In this study, Hordeum vulgare L. varieties “Marthe” and “KWS Olof” were grown in hydroponics with magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) and copper oxide (CuO) NPs added at 17, 35, and 70 mg/L. Plant morphology, genotoxicity, and expression of miR156a were investigated. The Fe3O4 and CuO NPs demonstrated different effects on the barley varieties, namely, Fe3O4 nanoparticles increased plant shoot and root lengths and fresh biomass, while CuO nanoparticles decreased them. CuO NPs presence caused larger changes on barley genome compared to Fe3O4 NPs. Thus, Fe3O4 NPs reduced genome stability to 72% in the “Marthe” variety and to 76.34% in the “KWS Olof” variety, while CuO NPs reduced genome stability to 53.33% in “Marthe” variety and in the “KWS Olof” variety to 68.81%. The miR156a expression levels after Fe3O4 NPs treatment did not change in the “Marthe” variety, but increased in the “KWS Olof” variety, while CuO NPs treatment increased miRNA expression levels in the “Marthe” variety but decrease them in the “KWS Olof” variety. As NPs are able to influence miRNA expression and miRNAs can affect the plant resistance, obtained results suggest that tested NPs may alter plant resistance response to pathogens.
Interior GE-Algebras
Authors: Lee Jeong-Gon , Bandaru Ravikumar , Hur Kul , Jun Young Bae
Published: February 2021

The concepts of (commutative, transitive, left exchangeable, belligerent, antisymmetric) interior GE-algebras and bordered interior GE-algebras are introduced, and their relations and properties are investigated. Many examples are given to support these concepts. A semigroup is formed using the set of interior GE-algebras. An example is given that the set of interior GE-algebras is not a GE-algebra. It is clear that ifXis a transitive (resp., commutative, belligerent, and left exchangeable) GE-algebra, then the interior GE-algebraX,fis transitive (resp., commutative, belligerent, and left exchangeable), but examples are given to show that the converse is not true in general. An interior GE-algebra is constructed using a bordered interior GE-algebra with certain conditions, and an example is given to explain this.