bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurement of Pain and Related Symptoms in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Use of Validated Pain Measurement Tools
Authors: Farrukh Affifa
Published: February 2022

This paper reviews the tools available to assess outcomes of treatment in irritable bowel syndrome, especially the effect on abdominal pain. Tools were identified through a wide-ranging scrutiny of PubMed and Google Scholar, together with a review of further references quoted in those publications. It critically considers their development, relevance and reliability. The Irritable Bowel Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS) was the first simple method of monitoring the progress of the disease and its treatment. It led on to other instruments, such as The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life (IBS-QOL). It is easier to read and faster to complete than the IBS-SSS., However, these and other tools were developed for English speaking populations. This review considers the impact of ethnicity and gender, together with the lack of information on the effect of age on the potential validity of these tools in other populations. Issues with the adequacy and appropriateness of translations of such tools are discussed. The overall conclusion is that there are few tools which meet the criteria necessary to place confidence in their validity as appropriate measures of patient outcomes.
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Professional Nursing Practice in the Context of Hospitals
Authors: Lopes Ribeiro Olga Maria Pimenta Lopes , Trindade Letícia de Lima , Pinto Novo André Filipe Morais Pinto , da Rocha Carla Gomes da , Sousa Clemente Neves , Cabral Teles Paulo João Figueiredo Cabral , Reis Ana Catarina Rodrigues da Silva , Perondi Alessandro Rodrigues , Andrigue Karen Cristina Kades , Pereira Soraia Cristina de Abreu , Leite Paula Cristina da Silva , Ventura-Silva João Miguel Almeida
Published: February 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed challenges to health systems and institutions, which had to quickly create conditions to meet the growing health needs of the population. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on professional nursing practice environments and to identify the variables that affected their quality. Quantitative, observational study, conducted in 16 Portuguese hospitals, with 1575 nurses. Data were collected using a questionnaire and participants responded to two different moments in time: the pre-pandemic period and after the fourth critical period of COVID-19. The pandemic had a positive impact on the Structure and Outcome components, and a negative trend in the Process component. The variables associated with the qualification of the components and their dimensions were predominantly: work context, the exercise of functions in areas of assistance to COVID-19 patients, length of professional experience and length of experience in the service. The investment in professional practice environments impacted the improvement of organizational factors, supporting the development of nurses’ work towards the quality of care. However, it is necessary to invest in nurses’ participation, involvement and professional qualifications, which are aspects strongly dependent on the institutions’ management strategies.
A Cybersecurity Culture Survey Targeting Healthcare Critical Infrastructures
Authors: Gioulekas Fotios , Stamatiadis Evangelos , Tzikas Athanasios , Gounaris Konstantinos , Georgiadou Anna , Michalitsi-Psarrou Ariadni , Doukas Georgios , Kontoulis Michael , Nikoloudakis Yannis , Marin Sergiu , Cabecinha Ricardo , Ntanos Christos
Published: February 2022

Recent studies report that cybersecurity breaches noticed in hospitals are associated with low levels of personnel’s cybersecurity awareness. This work aims to assess the cybersecurity culture in healthcare institutions from middle- to low-income EU countries. The evaluation process was designed and performed via anonymous online surveys targeting individually ICT (internet and communication technology) departments and healthcare professionals. The study was conducted in 2019 for a health region in Greece, with a significant number of hospitals and health centers, a large hospital in Portugal, and a medical clinic in Romania, with 53.6% and 6.71% response rates for the ICT and healthcare professionals, respectively. Its findings indicate the necessity of establishing individual cybersecurity departments to monitor assets and attitudes while underlying the importance of continuous security awareness training programs. The analysis of our results assists in comprehending the countermeasures, which have been implemented in the healthcare institutions, and consequently enhancing cybersecurity defense, while reducing the risk surface.
Students’ and Examiners’ Experiences of Their First Virtual Pharmacy Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in Australia during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mak Vivienne , Krishnan Sunanthiny , Chuang Sara
Published: February 2022

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are routinely used in healthcare education programs. Traditionally, students undertake OSCEs as face-to-face interactions to assess competency in soft skills. Due to physical distancing restrictions during COVID-19, alternative methods were required. This study utilized a mixed-method design (online survey and interviews) to evaluate second-year pharmacy students’ and examiners’ experiences of their first virtual OSCEs in Australia. A total of 196 students completed their first virtual OSCE in June 2020 of which 190 students completed the online survey. However, out of the 190 students, only 88% (n = 167) consented to the use of the data from their online survey. A further 10 students and 12 examiners were interviewed. Fifty-five students (33%) who participated in the online survey strongly agreed or agreed that they preferred the virtual experience to face-to-face OSCEs while 44% (n = 73) neither agreed nor disagreed. Only 20% (n = 33) felt more anxious with the virtual OSCEs. Additionally, thematic analysis found non-verbal communication as a barrier during the OSCE. Positive aspects about virtual OSCEs included flexibility, decreased levels of anxiety and relevance with emerging telehealth practice. The need for remote online delivery of assessments saw innovative ways of undertaking OSCEs and an opportunity to mimic telehealth. While students and examiners embraced the virtual OSCE process, face-to-face OSCEs were still considered important and irreplaceable. Future opportunities for OSCEs to be delivered both face-to-face and virtually should be considered.
Reliability and Validity of the Malaysian English Version of the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder (M-English DC/TMD)
Authors: Tedin Ng Farah Nur , Kadir Kathreena , Yusof Zamros Yuzadi Mohd
Published: February 2022

This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of Graded Chronic Pain Scale 2.0 (GCPS 2.0) and Jaw Functional Limitation Scale-20 (JFLS-20) of the Malaysian English version of Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (M-English DC/TMD). GCPS 2.0 and JFLS-20 underwent psychometric analysis involving content, face, criterion, and construct (exploratory factor analysis (EFA), convergent, discriminant, known group) validity including internal and test-retest reliability on 208 samples. The construct validity was assessed against 14 hypotheses and non-parametric statistics were used to assess the data. The GCPS 2.0 and JFLS-20 had high internal consistencies (α = 0.85 and 0.96) with an intraclass correlation coefficient value of 0.95 and 0.97, respectively. The content validity index for GCPS 2.0 and JFLS-20 were 0.87 and 0.95, respectively. The EFA of GCPS 2.0 identified one factor whereas three factors were identified for JFLS-20. Both instruments had moderate to strong positive correlation with other instruments when assessing for concurrent (r = 0.75–0.80, p < 0.01) and convergent (r = 0.58–0.70, p < 0.01) validity, while moderate to high negative correlation (r = −0.86–−0.68, p < 0.01) against the global self-rating oral health items. Based on the study, GCPS 2.0 and JFLS-20 of the M-English DC/TMD proven to be reliable and valid for use in the Malaysian population with TMD.
Difficulties and Psychological Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Nationwide Patient Association Study
Authors: Scherlinger Marc , Zein Naimah , Gottenberg Jacques-Eric , Rivière Marianne , Kleinmann Jean-François , Sibilia Jean , Arnaud Laurent
Published: February 2022

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the difficulties encountered by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients during the early COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate their impact on patient mental health. Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey including SLE patients from France, recruited by their treating specialist or through a patient association. The survey was administered online or in paper form between November 2020 and April 2021 and included questions aiming at evaluating the difficulties encountered during the early COVID-19 pandemic (March to August 2020). The impact on mental health was evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Results: 536 SLE patients (91.9% women) of mean age 50 (±14.1) years responded to the survey. The main reported difficulties were issues regarding access to medical care (n = 136, 25.4%) or hydroxychloroquine treatment (n = 98/389, 25.2%), the loss of employment (n = 85/349, 24.4%), and financial difficulties (n = 75/536, 11%). In 328 patients with complete mental health assessments, 161 (47.2%) screened positive for anxiety, 141 (41.2%) screened positive for depressive syndrome, and 128 (38.7%) screened positive for PTSD. The multivariate analysis showed that female sex (OR = 4.29 [95%CI: 1.39–13.24]), financial issues (OR = 2.57 [1.27–5.22]), and difficulties accessing medical care (OR = 2.15 [1.26–3.69]) or hydroxychloroquine treatment (OR = 1.90 [1.06–3.40]) were independently associated with a positive screening for PTSD. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a severe burden in SLE patients, including difficulties accessing care and treatment along with high psychological distress. Better understanding these difficulties will allow for better prevention and care in times of crisis.
Comparative Analysis of Human Body Temperatures Measured with Noncontact and Contact Thermometers
Authors: Dolibog Patrycja , Pietrzyk Barbara , Kierszniok Klaudia , Pawlicki Krzysztof
Published: February 2022

Body temperature measurement is one of the basic methods in clinical diagnosis. The problems of thermometry—interpretation of the accuracy and repeatability of various types of thermometers—are still being discussed, especially during the current pandemic in connection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for causing the COVID-19 disease. The aim of the study was to compare surface temperatures of the human body measured by various techniques, in particular a noncontact thermometer (infrared) and contact thermometers (mercury, mercury-free, electronic). The study included 102 randomly selected healthy women and men (age 18–79 years). The Bland–Altman method was used to estimate the 95% reproducibility coefficient, i.e., to assess the degree of conformity between different attempts. Temperatures measured with contact thermometers in the armpit are higher than temperatures measured without contact at the frontal area of the head. The methods used to measure with contact thermometers and a noncontact infrared thermometer statistically showed high measurement reliability. In order to correctly interpret the result of measuring human body temperature, it is necessary to indicate the place of measurement and the type of thermometer used.
Comparison of Health Outcomes by Care Provider Type for Newly Diagnosed Mild Type 2 Diabetes Patients in South Korea: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Kang Hee-Chung , Hong Jae-Seok
Published: February 2022

(1) Background: Although the beneficial impacts of primary care on patients’ health outcomes have been reported, it is still difficult to limit patients’ herd behavior in seeking tertiary or large hospital services in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the use of primary care clinics was longitudinally beneficial for mild diabetes. (2) Methods: Using claims data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) program, this population-based retrospective cohort study compared health outcomes over a 4-year period from 2011 to 2015 by type of health care institution as a usual source of care in diabetic patients who were newly diagnosed in 2011, i.e., without any diagnosis between 2005 and 2010. (3) Results: Compared to those attending hospitals, general hospitals (GHs), or tertiary general hospitals (TGHs), patients who visited primary clinics were more likely to experience better health outcomes such as the lower risk of hospitalization and death. (4) Conclusions: These results provide additional evidence that higher-value from primary care clinics would be highly expected for early and mild type 2 diabetics. Promoting the Informed, patient-centered decision toward primary care clinics would contribute to improving the value of the healthcare delivery system.
Mental Health Interventions among Adolescents in India: A Scoping Review
Authors: Mehra Devika , Lakiang Theophilus , Kathuria Nishtha , Kumar Manish , Mehra Sunil , Sharma Shantanu
Published: February 2022

Early adolescence is the period of the emergence of most mental disorders contributing significantly to the mental health burden globally, including India. The major challenges in India are early identification of mental health problems, treatment gap, lack of professionals, and interventions that address the same. Our review aimed to assess the effectiveness of mental health interventions among adolescents in India. We systematically searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane databases and used cross-referencing to review the interventions published from 2010 to 2020. Eleven interventions were included in this review; nine were school-based, one community, and one digital. Most of the school-based programs used a life skills curriculum. Additionally, coping skills and resilience curricula showed improvement in depressive symptoms, cognitive abilities, academic stress, problem-solving, and overall mental well-being. The multi-component whole-school intervention was quite promising and helped in improving the overall school climate and various other mental health outcomes. Hence, school-based programs should be implemented as an entry point for screening mental health problems. However, there is a need for a more comprehensive mental health program in the country for adolescents. Additionally, there is a need to address the gap by conducting more interventions for early and out-of-school adolescents.
Optical Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage
Authors: Fernandez-Balbuena Antonio A. , Vazquez-Molini Daniel
Published: February 2022

Who knows about light [...]
Compositional and Morphological Investigations of Roman Glass from Cremation Deposits at Birdoswald Fort on Hadrian’s Wall, UK
Authors: Gherardi Francesca
Published: February 2022

Several different types of burial were identified during the excavation of the Roman military cemetery associated with the fort at Birdoswald, on Hadrian’s Wall (UK). Fragments of glass vessels and glass beads were recovered from many of the cremation deposits, as they were commonly used during cremation rituals, and many of these had been affected by heat. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the raw materials, colorants and opacifiers employed to produce the glass assemblage. Most of the large fragments are transparent with a blue-green colour, with a composition typical of recycled glass. The smaller fragments are from beads and are coloured and sometimes opaque. Colourants and opacifiers characteristic of Roman glass were added in this glass formulation, including cobalt-based compounds (blue glass), copper alloys (green glass), white calcium antimonate, and yellow lead antimonate. The multianalytical approach of this research has allowed for the distinguishing of the extreme depletion of sodium on the surface of the melted glass fragments due to the exposure to high temperatures during the cremation process, followed by surface weathering in a burial environment. Based on the chemical composition of the bulk of the samples, a model of high temperature viscosity of glass was applied in order to assess the cremation temperature in the pyre, providing relevant information about funerary rituals and cremation technology in Roman Britain.
Identification of Fruit Traits Related QTLs and a Candidate Gene, CaBRX, Controlling Locule Number in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)
Authors: Ma Xiao , Qiao Yi-Ming , Li Yang , Yu Ya-Nan , Gong Zhen-Hui
Published: February 2022

Fruit traits are important in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and affect its quality and yield. These traits are controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). In this study, we identified many major QTLs that control fruit length (Ftl), fruit diameter (Ftd), fruit shape (Fts), fruit weight (Ftw) and locule number (Lcn) in the F2 and F2:3 populations developed from the QTL mapping of GS6 (P1) and Qiemen (P2). A total of 111 simple sequence repeats and insertion/deletion markers were utilized to construct a linkage map with 12 linkage groups over a length of 1320.72 cM. An inclusive composite interval mapping analysis indicated that many QTLs were detected and included ftl2.1, ftd2.1, fts1.1, ftw2.1 and lcn1.1. As a novel QTL, lcn1.1 was located between HM1112 and EPMS709, and the genetic distance was 3.18 cM covering 60 predicted genes. Within the region, we identified Capana01g004285 as a candidate gene by functional annotation and expression analysis and found that it encodes the BREVIS RADIX (BRX) protein. Knockdown of CaBRX through the virus-induced gene silencing approach in GS6 reduced the number of locules and influenced the expressions of genes related to flower and locule development, suggesting that CaBRX plays an important function in the development of locules.
Weekly Monitoring and Forecasting of Hydropower Production Coupling Meteo-Hydrological Modeling with Ground and Satellite Data in the Italian Alps
Authors: Corbari Chiara , Ravazzani Giovanni , Perotto Alessandro , Lanzingher Giulio , Lombardi Gabriele , Quadrio Matteo , Mancini Marco , Salerno Raffaele
Published: February 2022

This paper presents a system for supporting hydropower production on mountainous areas. The system couples the outputs of a numerical weather prediction model and a snow melting and accumulation temperature-based model. Several procedures are presented for interpolating meteorological variables and calibrating and validating model parameters that can be generalized to any other mountainous area where the estimation of current and forecasted snow water equivalent and melting amount is required. The system reliability has been assessed through the validation of three components: spatial interpolation of meteorological data, mathematical modeling, and quantitative meteorological forecast. The results show that good accuracy of meteorological data spatial interpolation can be achieved when the data from snow gauges are used for assessing the precipitation lapse rate at higher altitudes, and the temperature lapse rate is computed from data at each time step. The temperature-based hydrological model proved to be effective in simulating lake inflow water volume and energy production. No clear result has been found for snow melt forecast due to the difficulties in providing reliable quantitative weather forecast in complex alpine area.
Similarities in Evolution of Aggregate Size Distributions during Successive Wetting and Drying Cycles of Heavy Textured Soils of Variable Clay Mineralogy
Authors: Snyder Victor A. , Vázquez Miguel A.
Published: February 2022

A phenomenon causing instability of soil structure and associated hydraulic properties in recently tilled soils is aggregate fragmentation induced by wetting and drying cycles. We analyzed data from three experiments in Puerto Rico, the UK and China measuring fragmentation and resulting evolution of aggregate size distributions during successive wetting and drying cycles in heavy textured soils. Aggregate distributions were represented as the cumulative fraction F of aggregates passing through successively larger sieve sizes X. To a good approximation, all distributions exhibited similarity in that the aggregate diameter X(F) corresponding to F in a given test distribution was always a characteristic multiple α¯ of X(F) in a fixed reference distribution, where α¯ for a distribution was calculated as its mean weight aggregate diameter (MWD) divided by the MWD of the reference distribution. In most cases, α¯ for a given soil varied inversely with the square of the number of wetting and drying cycles. For different soils of similar initial aggregate sizes, α¯ for a given wet–dry cycle decreased with increasing activity coefficient, reflecting the enhancing effect of soil shrink–swell potential on fragmentation. Results highlight usefulness of the van Bavel mean weight diameter as a natural scaling parameter for characterizing aggregate distributions.
Fragile X Syndrome: From Molecular Aspect to Clinical Treatment
Authors: Protic Dragana D. , Aishworiya Ramkumar , Salcedo-Arellano Maria Jimena , Tang Si Jie , Milisavljevic Jelena , Mitrovic Filip , Hagerman Randi J. , Budimirovic Dejan B.
Published: February 2022

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the full mutation as well as highly localized methylation of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene on the long arm of the X chromosome. Children with FXS are commonly co-diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, attention and learning problems, anxiety, aggressive behavior and sleep disorder, and early interventions have improved many behavior symptoms associated with FXS. In this review, we performed a literature search of original and review articles data of clinical trials and book chapters using MEDLINE (1990–2021) and ClinicalTrials.gov. While we have reviewed the biological importance of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), the FXS phenotype, and current diagnosis techniques, the emphasis of this review is on clinical interventions. Early non-pharmacological interventions in combination with pharmacotherapy and targeted treatments aiming to reverse dysregulated brain pathways are the mainstream of treatment in FXS. Overall, early diagnosis and interventions are fundamental to achieve optimal clinical outcomes in FXS.
Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of SET Domain Family Genes in Brassica napus L.
Authors: Sehrish Sarfraz , Sumbal Wahid , Xie Meili , Zhao Chuanji , Zuo Rong , Gao Feng , Liu Shengyi
Published: February 2022

SET domain group encoding proteins function as histone lysine methyltransferases. These proteins are involved in various biological processes, including plant development and adaption to the environment by modifying the chromatin structures. So far, the SET domain genes (SDGs) have not been systematically investigated in Brassica napus (B. napus). In the current study, through genome-wide analysis, a total of 122 SDGs were identified in the B. napus genome. These BnSDGs were subdivided into seven (I–VII) classes based on phylogeny analysis, domain configurations, and motif distribution. Segmental duplication was involved in the evolution of this family, and the duplicated genes were under strong purifying selection. The promoter sequence of BnSDGs consisted of various growth, hormones, and stress-related cis-acting elements along with transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) for 20 TF families in 59 of the 122 BnSDGs. The gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that BnSDGs were closely associated with histone and non-histone methylation and metal binding capacity localized mostly in the nucleus. The in silico expression analysis at four developmental stages in leaf, stem root, floral organ, silique, and seed tissues showed a broad range of tissue and stage-specific expression pattern. The expression analysis under four abiotic stresses (dehydration, cold, ABA, and salinity) also provided evidence for the importance of BnSDGs in stress environments. Based on expression analysis, we performed reverse transcription-quantitative PCR for 15 target BnSDGs in eight tissues (young leaf, mature leaf, root, stem, carpel, stamen, sepal, and petals). Our results were in accordance with the in silico expression data, suggesting the importance of these genes in plant development. In conclusion, this study lays a foundation for future functional studies on SDGs in B. napus.
METTL21A, a Non-Histone Methyltransferase, Is Dispensable for Spermatogenesis and Male Fertility in Mice
Authors: Li Jinmei , Feng Shenglei , Ma Xixiang , Yuan Shuiqiao , Wang Xiaoli
Published: February 2022

Protein methyltransferases play various physiological and pathological roles through methylating histone and non-histone targets. Many histone methyltransferases have been reported to regulate the development of spermatogenic cells. However, the specific function of non-histone methyltransferases during spermatogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we found that METTL21A, a non-histone methyltransferase, is highly expressed in mouse testes. In order to elucidate the role of METTL21A in spermatogenesis, we generated a Mettl21a global knockout mouse model using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Unexpectedly, our results showed that knockout males are fertile without apparent defects in the processes of male germ cell development, including spermatogonial differentiation, meiosis, and sperm maturation. Furthermore, the ablation of METTL21A does not affect the expression and localization of its known targeting proteins in testes. Together, our data demonstrated that METTL21A is not essential for mouse spermatogenesis and male fertility.
Role of Silica Nanoparticles in Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance in Plants: A Review
Authors: Wang Lei , Ning Chuanchuan , Pan Taowen , Cai Kunzheng
Published: February 2022

The demand for agricultural crops continues to escalate with the rapid growth of the population. However, extreme climates, pests and diseases, and environmental pollution pose a huge threat to agricultural food production. Silica nanoparticles (SNPs) are beneficial for plant growth and production and can be used as nanopesticides, nanoherbicides, and nanofertilizers in agriculture. This article provides a review of the absorption and transportation of SNPs in plants, as well as their role and mechanisms in promoting plant growth and enhancing plant resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. In general, SNPs induce plant resistance against stress factors by strengthening the physical barrier, improving plant photosynthesis, activating defensive enzyme activity, increasing anti-stress compounds, and activating the expression of defense-related genes. The effect of SNPs on plants stress is related to the physical and chemical properties (e.g., particle size and surface charge) of SNPs, soil, and stress type. Future research needs to focus on the “SNPs–plant–soil–microorganism” system by using omics and the in-depth study of the molecular mechanisms of SNPs-mediated plant resistance.
Effect of Progranulin on Proliferation and Differentiation of Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells after Oxygen/Glucose Deprivation
Authors: Horinokita Ichiro , Hayashi Hideki , Nagatomo Takamasa , Fushiki Yuna , Iwatani Yui , Takagi Norio
Published: February 2022

We previously demonstrated that sivelestat, a selective neutrophil elastase inhibitor, attenuates the cleavage of progranulin (PGRN) and ischemia-induced cell injury in the brain. To obtain further insight into the role of PGRN, in the present study we evaluated the direct effects of sivelestat and recombinant PGRN (rPGRN) on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in cultures of neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PC) under the ischemic condition in vitro. We demonstrated that oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced cell proliferation of NS/PC was increased by rPGRN treatment. In addition, this increase was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β (Ser9) after OGD. But none of these responses occurred by treatment with sivelestat. Therefore, activation of the Akt/GSK-3β pathway could well be involved in this proliferative effect of rPGRN. Although OGD and reoxygenation-induced changes in the differentiation of NS/PC into neurons or astrocytes was not affected by treatment with rPGRN or sivelestat, it is noteworthy that rPGRN enhanced neurite outgrowth of β3-tubulin-positive neurons that had differentiated from the NS/PC. These findings suggest that enhancement of proliferation of endogenous NS/PC and neurite outgrowth of differentiated neurons from NS/PC by PGRN could be useful for a new therapeutic approach for cerebral ischemia.
Assessing the Performance of a Subsurface Water Retention System (SWRS) Prototype: First Evaluation of Work Productivity and Costs
Authors: Pari Luigi , Stefanoni Walter , Palmieri Nadia , Latterini Francesco
Published: February 2022

The potential to use Subsurface Water Retention Systems (SWRSs) to combat desertification and improve agriculture in arid and semiarid areas has already been investigated and proved promising. Nevertheless, a lack of specific machinery has prevented this technology from demonstrating its effectiveness on vast areas. In the present study, a specific prototype is presented along with the results obtained from a preliminary study conducted to assess effectiveness, performance and associated cost. During the test, the machinery permitted the construction of a SWRS 100 cm belowground using a 140 kW tractor. The effective field capacity (EFC) averaged at 0.19 ha h−1 whilst total cost was estimated to be as high as 4800.00 € ha−1. However, 93% of the cost was associated with the purchase cost of the removable impermeable film. A removal operation was also investigated using a 42 kW excavator for evaluating the EFC and cost which averaged at 0.2 ha h−1 and 655.79 € ha−1, respectively.
Assessment of Excessive Acceleration of the IMO Second Generation Intact Stability Criteria for the Tanker
Authors: Shin Dong-Min , Moon Byung-Young
Published: February 2022

Recently, the IMO (International Maritime Organization) has reviewed technical issues considering the second generation intact stability criteria in the design stage of ships. In this paper, the evaluation procedure for Lv1 (Level 1) and Lv2 (Level 2) was introduced by focusing on the excessive acceleration mode. Based on real ship data, the calculation process has been explained in detail to make it easy to understand. When the Lv1 criteria considering simple hydrostatic calculations are not satisfied, the computational results of the Lv2 criteria based on mathematical modeling and the hydrodynamics are presented. The relatively low ship roll periods and large changes in the hull shape in the vertical direction make the ships potentially vulnerable to excessive acceleration phenomena. Therefore, the minimum value of height KG that satisfies the stability criteria evaluation in consideration of loading conditions for actually navigating of the ship in the sea should be estimated and operated. In particular, roll damping coefficients using the Ikeda’s method, which are essential for Lv2 vulnerability calculation, were obtained and verified by comparing them with other ship results.
Multi-Objective Optimization of a Hydrogen Hub for the Decarbonization of a Port Industrial Area
Authors: Pivetta Davide , Dall’Armi Chiara , Taccani Rodolfo
Published: February 2022

Green hydrogen is addressed as a promising solution to decarbonize industrial and mobility sectors. In this context, ports could play a key role not only as hydrogen users but also as suppliers for industrial plants with which they have strong commercial ties. The implementation of hydrogen technologies in ports has started to be addressed as a strategy for renewable energy transition but still requires a detailed evaluation of the involved costs, which cannot be separated from the correct design and operation of the plant. Hence, this study proposes the design and operation optimization of a hydrogen production and storage system in a typical Italian port. Multi-objective optimization is performed to determine the optimal levelized cost of hydrogen in environmental and techno-economic terms. A Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer powered by a grid-integrated photovoltaic (PV) plant, a compression station and two-pressure level storage systems are chosen to provide hydrogen to a hydrogen refueling station for a 20-car fleet and satisfy the demand of the hydrogen batch annealing in a steel plant. The results report that a 341 kWP PV plant, 89 kW electrolyzer and 17 kg hydrogen storage could provide hydrogen at 7.80 €/kgH2, potentially avoiding about 153 tCO2,eq/year (120 tCO2,eq/year only for the steel plant).
The Dune Engineering Demand Parameter and Applications to Forecasting Dune Impacts
Authors: Janssen Matthew S. , Miller Jon K.
Published: February 2022

Breaching or overtopping of coastal dunes is associated with greater upland damages. Reliable tools are needed to efficiently assess the likelihood of dune erosion during storm events. Existing methods rely on numerical modeling (extensive investment) or insufficiently parameterize the system. To fill this gap, a fragility curve model using a newly developed dune Engineering Demand Parameter (EDP) is introduced. Conceptually, the EDP is similar to the Shield’s parameter in that it represents the ratio of mobilizing terms to stabilizing terms. Physically, the EDP is a measure of storm intensity over the dune’s resilience. To highlight potential applications, the proposed EDP fragility curve models are fit to a spatially and temporally robust dataset and used to predict dune response subjected to varying storm intensities including both extratropical and tropical storm. This approach allows for the probabilistic prediction of dune impacts through an innovative, computationally efficient model. Several different forms of the EDP are tested to determine the best schematization of the dune resilience. The final recommended EDP is the Peak Erosion Intensity (PEI) raised to the fourth power over the product of the dune volume and berm-width squared. Including both storm intensity and resilience terms in the EDP enables comparison of different beach configurations in different storm events fulfilling a need existing vulnerability assessors cannot currently account for directly.
Special Issue: Alternative Therapeutic Approaches of Candida Infections
Authors: Kovács Renátó
Published: February 2022

In recent decades, the prevalence of resistant fungal isolates has been steadily increasing both in veterinary and human medicine as well as in agriculture [...]
Comparison of Publishing and Consumption Patterns in Greek Media Websites
Authors: Avraam Evangelia , Veglis Andreas , Dimoulas Charalampos
Published: February 2022

The web publishing strategy of media organizations is a very important factor in their success. The aim of the strategy is to cover their audience’s news article consumption needs, but is this valid? In order to address this question, this paper compares data from two studies, namely a study that explored the publishing patterns of the top 22 Greek media websites and a second study that focused on web news article consumption habits. The results indicate that there are various deviations between the compared data, and thus the study concludes that Greek media organization publishing strategy is not aligned with the audience consumption needs. The identified discrepancies have to do with the published news articles after 14:00 during weekdays as well as the news articles that are available during weekends. Additionally, it seems that media organizations publish a very limited number of articles on specific thematic categories that the audience is interested in reading. Specific actions were also proposed in order to alleviate those deviations and thus improve the readability of the media organizations.
Discrete-Time Takagi-Sugeno Stabilization Approach Applied in Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Jemmali Mohamed Ali , Mouftah Hussein T.
Published: February 2022

This paper deals with a new robust control design for autonomous vehicles. The goal is to perform lane-keeping under various constraints, mainly unknown curvature and lateral wind force. To reach this goal, a new formulation of Parallel Distributed Compensation (PDC) law is given. The quadratic Lyapunov stability and stabilization conditions of the discrete-time Takagi–Sugeno (T-S) model representing the autonomous vehicles are discussed. Sufficient design conditions expressed in terms of strict Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) extracted from the linearization of the Bilinear Matrix Inequalities (BMIs) are proposed. An illustrative example is provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
An AI-Empowered Home-Infrastructure to Minimize Medication Errors
Authors: Naeem Muddasar , Coronato Antonio
Published: February 2022

This article presents an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based infrastructure to reduce medication errors while following a treatment plan at home. The system, in particular, assists patients who have some cognitive disability. The AI-based system first learns the skills of a patient using the Actor–Critic method. After assessing patients’ disabilities, the system adopts an appropriate method for the monitoring process. Available methods for monitoring the medication process are a Deep Learning (DL)-based classifier, Optical Character Recognition, and the barcode technique. The DL model is a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classifier that is able to detect a drug even when shown in different orientations. The second technique is an OCR based on Tesseract library that reads the name of the drug from the box. The third method is a barcode based on Zbar library that identifies the drug from the barcode available on the box. The GUI demonstrates that the system can assist patients in taking the correct drug and prevent medication errors. This integration of three different tools to monitor the medication process shows advantages as it decreases the chance of medication errors and increases the chance of correct detection. This methodology is more useful when a patient has mild cognitive impairment.
Dynamic Evolution and the Mechanism behind the Coupling Coordination Relationship between Industrial Integration and Urban Land-Use Efficiency: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Economic Zone in China
Authors: Ge Kun , Zou Shan , Lu Xinhai , Ke Shangan , Chen Danling , Liu Zhangsheng
Published: February 2022

It is of great significance to explore the dynamic coupling relationship between industrial integration and urban land-use efficiency (ULUE) in order to promote high-quality urban development. This paper presents a system for evaluating industrial integration and ULUE which combines the internal theoretical relationships between the two. Based on this system, this paper analyzes the evolution process and the mechanism behind the coupling coordination relationship between industrial integration and ULUE with the help of the coupling coordination model, nonparametric kernel density estimation, and the geographical detector method. The results indicate the following: (1) The coupling coordination relationship between industrial integration and ULUE in the Yangtze River Economic Zone experienced an overall steady increase during the investigation period. However, there were great spatial differences in the coupling coordination relationship among cities. (2) The lag of the industrial integration level was the key area of resistance to the improvement of the coupling coordination level. (3) The interaction between industrial integration and ULUE in the Yangtze River Economic Zone was very significant. In particular, the impact of industrial agglomeration and factor flow on the ULUE and the impact of land on industrial integration in terms of ecological environment were prominent. In addition, the interaction of different detection factors was mainly manifested as a double factor enhancement effect and nonlinear enhancement effect.
A Study on Early Stages of White Etching Crack Formation under Full Lubrication Conditions
Authors: Holweger Walter , Schwedt Alexander , Rumpf Viktorija , Mayer Joachim , Bohnert Christof , Wranik Jürgen , Spille Joshua , Wang Ling
Published: February 2022

The appearance of White Etching Cracks (WEC), not covered by the ISO 281 modified failure rate calculation, leads to difficulties in predicting bearing reliability. This uncertainty in bearing applications leads to a worldwide activity in order to understand and prevent this situation since the WEC failure mode deviates from the traditional Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) mode. Plenty of factors have been found to influence this phenomenon over the years, however the precise initiation of the WEC is still under debate. In order to understand the initiation and analyze the temporal evolution, interrupted tests on the same material were performed under conditions that were known to lead to WEC formation and RCF. To avoid the added complexity of boundary lubrication, a Deep Groove Ball Bearing (DGBB) test rig under full lubrication (Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication, EHL) was chosen. Within a standard operating mode, named Mode 1 (RCF), the bearings are solely subjected to a radial load. By suspending the tests at different time steps, a continuous progress of changes in the subsurface material structure seen as equiaxed grains with low dislocation densities, identified as ferrite, is observed. The bearings did not fail up to load cycles of 109. In contrast, a Mode 2 Electrical Charged Contact Fatigue (ECCF) test provoked the early formation of cracks and crack networks, first without WEA, then later with WEA. It became obvious when comparing Mode 1 (RCF) with Mode 2 (ECCF) that Mode 2 (ECCF) achieves far fewer load cycles until failure occurs.
(1R,2R,3S,4R)-1-(Acetylamino)-2,4,5-tris(acetyloxy)-1-((2S)-4-(benzyloxy)-5-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-yl)pentan-3-yl Acetate
Authors: Fitzgerald Liam S. , O’Malley Ciaran , Murphy Paul V.
Published: February 2022

Treatment of N-acetylneuraminic acid with excess base in the presence of benzyl bromide gives a polyhydroxylated 1,4 lactone which after acetylation gave the title compound in 20% overall yield. The structure of the product was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, as well as FT-IR, NMR spectroscopic and HRMS analysis.
Ethyl 7-Acetyl-8a-methyl-3-(1-phenyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-1,4,4a,5,6,8a-hexahydro-7H-pyrano[2,3-c]pyridazine-1-carboxylate
Authors: Lopes Susana M. M. , Lemos Américo , Paixão José A. , Pinho e Melo Teresa M. V. D.
Published: February 2022

The Diels–Alder reaction of ethyl 3-(1-phenyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl-1,2-diaza-1,3-butadiene-1-carboxylate with 2-acetyl-6-methyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-pyran (methyl vinyl ketone dimer) regioselectively afforded the corresponding 3-(tetrazol-5-yl)-hexahydro-7H-pyrano[2,3-c]pyridazine in quantitative yield. An X-ray crystal structure of this cycloadduct is reported.
Research on Guide Line Identification and Lateral Motion Control of AGV in Complex Environments
Authors: Zhang Houzhong , Xu Lin , Liang Jiasheng , Sun Xiaoqiang
Published: February 2022

During actual operations, Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV) will inevitably encounter the phenomena of overexposure or shadowy areas, and unclear or even damaged guide wires, which interfere with the identification of guide wires. Therefore, this paper aims to solve the shortcomings of existing technology at the software level. Firstly, a Fast Guide Filter (FGF) is adopted with the two-dimensional gamma function with variable parameters, and an image preprocessing algorithm in a complex illumination environment is designed to get rid of the interference of illumination. Secondly, an ant colony edge detection algorithm is proposed, and the guide wire is accurately extracted by secondary screening combined with the guide wire characteristics; A variable universe Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control (FSMC) algorithm is designed as a lateral motion control method to realize the accurate tracking of AGV. Finally, the experimental platform is used to comprehensively verify the series of algorithms designed in this paper. The experimental results show that the maximum deviation can be limited to 1.2 mm, and the variance of the deviation is less than 0.2688 mm2.
Antimicrobial Activities of Conducting Polymers and Their Composites
Authors: Maruthapandi Moorthy , Saravanan Arumugam , Gupta Akanksha , Luong John H. T. , Gedanken Aharon
Published: February 2022

Conducting polymers, mainly polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPY) with positive charges bind to the negatively charged bacterial membrane to interfere with bacterial activities. After this initial electrostatic adherence, the conducting polymers might partially penetrate the bacterial membrane and interact with other intracellular biomolecules. Conducting polymers can form polymer composites with metal, metal oxides, and nanoscale carbon materials as a new class of antimicrobial agents with enhanced antimicrobial properties. The accumulation of elevated oxygen reactive species (ROS) from composites of polymers-metal nanoparticles has harmful effects and induces cell death. Among such ROS, the hydroxyl radical with one unpaired electron in the structure is most effective as it can oxidize any bacterial biomolecules, leading to cell death. Future endeavors should focus on the combination of conducting polymers and their composites with antibiotics, small peptides, and natural molecules with antimicrobial properties. Such arsenals with low cytotoxicity are expected to eradicate the ESKAPE pathogens: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.
On Cyclic Associative Semihypergroups and Neutrosophic Extended Triplet Cyclic Associative Semihypergroups
Authors: Hu Minghao , Zhang Xiaohong
Published: February 2022

This paper introduces a new concept called cyclic associative semihypergroup (CA-semihypergroup). The relationships among CA-semihypergroups, Semihypergroups and LA-semihypergroups are studied through some interesting examples. The relationships among various NET-CA-semihypergroups are also studied. The main properties of strong pure neutrosophic extended triplet CA-semihypergroups (SP-NET-CA-semihypergroups) are obtained. In particular, the algorithm of a generated CA-semihypergroup of order tm+n by two known CA-semihypergroups of order m and n is proven, and a CA-semihypergroup of order 19 is obtained by using a Python program. Moreover, it is proven that five different definitions, which can all be used as the definition of SP-NET-CA-Semihypergroup, are equivalent.
The Complex Systems for Conflict Interaction Modelling to Describe a Non-Trivial Epidemiological Situation
Authors: Bekesiene Svajone , Samoilenko Igor , Nikitin Anatolij , Meidute-Kavaliauskiene Ieva
Published: February 2022

This study investigates a complex system that describes a non-trivial epidemiological model with integrated internal conflict (interregional migration) on the example of cyclic migration using the software. JetBrains PyCharm Community Edition 2020.3.3, a free and open-source integrated development environment (IDE) in the Python programming language, was chosen as the software development tool. The Matplotlib 3.5 library was used to display the modelling results graphically. The integration of internal conflict into the model revealed significant and notable changes in its behavior. This study’s results prove that not only the characteristics of the interaction factors but also the size of the values determine the direction of migration concerning relation to competitors.