bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying enablers and barriers to referral, uptake and completion of lifestyle modification programmes: a rapid literature review
Authors: Zurynski Yvonne , Smith Carolynn , Siette Joyce , Nic Giolla Easpaig Bróna , Simons Mary , Knaggs Gilbert Thomas
Published: March 2021

Objective

To identify current, policy-relevant evidence about barriers and enablers associated with referral, uptake and completion of lifestyle modification programmes (LMPs) for secondary prevention of chronic disease in adults.

Design

A rapid review, co-designed with policymakers, of peer-reviewed and grey literature using a modified Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework.

Data sources

Medline, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched for relevant studies and literature reviews. Grey literature was identified through Advanced Google searching and targeted searching of international health departments’ and non-government organisations’ websites.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Documents published 2010–2020, from high-income countries, reporting on programmes that included referral of adults with chronic disease to an LMP by a health professional (HP).

Data extraction and synthesis

Data from grey and peer-reviewed literature were extracted by two different reviewers. Extracted data were inductively coded around emergent themes. Regular meetings of the review group ensured consistency of study selection and synthesis.

Results

Twenty-nine documents were included: 14 grey literature, 11 empirical studies and four literature reviews. Key barriers to HPs referring patients included inadequate HP knowledge about LMPs, perceptions of poor effectiveness of LMPs and perceptions that referral to LMPs was not part of their role. Patient barriers to uptake and completion included poor accessibility and lack of support to engage with the LMPs. Enablers to HP referral included training/education, effective interdisciplinary communication and influential programme advocates. Support to engage with LMPs after HP referral, educational resources for family members and easy accessibility were key enablers to patient engagement with LMPs.

Conclusions

Factors related to HPs’ ability and willingness to make referrals are important for the implementation of LMPs, and need to be coupled with support for patients to engage with programmes after referral. These factors should be addressed when implementing LMPs to maximise their impact.
Development and validation of an A3 problem-solving assessment tool and self-instructional package for teachers of quality improvement in healthcare
Authors: Myers Jennifer S , Kin Jeanne M , Billi John E , Burke Kathleen G , Harrison Richard Van
Published: March 2021

Purpose

A3 problem solving is part of the Lean management approach to quality improvement (QI). However, few tools are available to assess A3 problem-solving skills. The authors sought to develop an assessment tool for problem-solving A3s with an accompanying self-instruction package and to test agreement in assessments made by individuals who teach A3 problem solving.

Methods

After reviewing relevant literature, the authors developed an A3 assessment tool and self-instruction package over five improvement cycles. Lean experts and individuals from two institutions with QI proficiency and experience teaching QI provided iterative feedback on the materials. Tests of inter-rater agreement were conducted in cycles 3, 4 and 5. The final assessment tool was tested in a study involving 12 raters assessing 23 items on six A3s that were modified to enable testing a range of scores.

Results

The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for overall assessment of an A3 (rater’s mean on 23 items per A3 compared across 12 raters and 6 A3s) was 0.89 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.98), indicating excellent reliability. For the 20 items with appreciable variation in scores across A3s, ICCs ranged from 0.41 to 0.97, indicating fair to excellent reliability. Raters from two institutions scored items similarly (mean ratings of 2.10 and 2.13, p=0.57). Physicians provided marginally higher ratings than QI professionals (mean ratings of 2.17 and 2.00, p=0.003). Raters averaged completing the self-instruction package in 1.5 hours, then rated six A3s in 2.0 hours.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence of the reliability of a tool to assess healthcare QI project proposals that use the A3 problem-solving approach. The tool also demonstrated evidence of measurement, content and construct validity. QI educators and practitioners can use the free online materials to assess learners’ A3s, provide formative and summative feedback on QI project proposals and enhance their teaching.
Predictors of 30-day readmission following hospitalisation with community-acquired pneumonia
Authors: Chakrabarti Biswajit , Lane Steven , Jenks Tom , Higgins Joanne , Kanwar Elizabeth , Allen Martin , Wotton Dan
Published: March 2021

Background

There is a paucity of UK data to aid healthcare professionals in predicting which patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are at greatest risk of 30-day readmission and to determine which readmissions may occur soonest.

Methods

An analysis of CAP cases admitted to nine UK hospitals participating in the Advancing Quality Pneumonia Programme.

Results

An analysis was performed of 12 157 subjects hospitalised with CAP in the Advancing Quality Programme Database. 26% of those discharged were readmitted within 30 days with readmission predicted by comorbidity including non-metastatic cancer, diabetes with complications and chronic kidney disease. 41% and 66% of readmissions occurred within 7 and 14 days of discharge, respectively. Patients readmitted within 14 days were more likely to have metastatic cancer (6.6% vs 4.5%; p=0.03) compared with those readmitted at 15–30 days.

Conclusions

A quarter of patients hospitalised for CAP are readmitted within 30 days; of those, two-thirds are readmitted within 2 weeks. Further research is required to determine whether such readmissions might be preventable through imple menting measures including in-hospital cross-specialty comorbidity management, convalescence in intermediate care, targeted rehabilitation and advanced care planning.
Establishing a COVID-19 treatment centre in Israel at the initial stage of the outbreak: challenges, responses and lessons learned
Authors: Bar-On Elhanan , Segal Gad , Regev-Yochay Gili , Barkai Galia , Biber Asaf , Irony Avinoah , Luttinger Assaf , Englard Hindy , Grinberg Amir , Katorza Eldad , Rahav Galia , Afek Arnon , Kreiss Yitshak
Published: March 2021

Anticipating the need for a COVID-19 treatment centre in Israel, a designated facility was established at Sheba Medical Center—a quaternary referral centre. The goals were diagnosis and treatment of patients with COVID-19 while protecting patients and staff from infection and ensuring operational continuity and treatment of patients with non-COVID. Options considered included adaptation of existing wards, building a tented facility and converting a non-medical structure. The option chosen was a non-medical structure converted to a hospitalisation facility suited for COVID-19 with appropriate logistic and organisational adaptations. Operational principles included patient isolation, unidirectional workflow from clean to contaminated zones and minimising direct contact between patients and caregivers using personal protection equipment (PPE) and a multimodal telemedicine system. The ED was modified to enable triage and treatment of patients with COVID-19 while maintaining a COVID-19-free environment in the main campus. This system enabled treatment of patients with COVID-19 while maintaining staff safety and conserving the operational continuity and the ability to continue delivery of treatment to patients with non-COVID-19.
Understanding commercial actors’ engagement in policy debates on proposed e-cigarette regulation in Scotland
Authors: Ikegwuonu Theresa , Hilton Shona , Smith Katherine E. , Buckton Christina H. , Wong Mark , Weishaar Heide B.
Published: March 2021

Introduction

There is growing concern about transnational tobacco corporations’ (TTCs) and other commercial actors’ involvement in e-cigarette policy development. Previous analyses suggest that TTCs used e-cigarette debates to demonstrate alignment with public health and re-gain policy influence. Less is known about the engagement of other types of commercial actors in e-cigarette policy debates.

Methods

This paper is the first to empirically analyse commercial actors’ engagement in an e-cigarette policy consultation process and to examine their views on proposed regulation. It applies mixed methods, drawing on policy consultation submissions (n=32), semi-structured interviews (n=9) and a social network analysis of website links among 32 commercial actors.

Results

The results show that commercial actors’ positions on e-cigarette regulation aligned with business interests. TTCs, independent e-cigarette manufacturers and other non-licensed commercial actors were opposed to most aspects of potential e-cigarette regulation (except for age of sale restrictions), whereas licensed commercial actors, including pharmaceutical companies, supported more stringent regulation. While collaboration was viewed as strategically important to gain policy influence, distinct commercial interests and concerns about TTC credibility led to strategic distancing and to collaboration being largely confined to sector boundaries. In addition to reiterating arguments employed by TTCs in previous regulatory debates, commercial actors focused on highlighting the technical complexity and harm reduction potential of e-cigarettes.

Conclusion

Awareness of the various commercial interests and strategic positioning of commercial actors in e-cigarette policy should inform public health advocacy and policy development, including managing conflicts of interest in the context of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Article 5.3.
Testing anomalous $$H-W$$ couplings and Higgs self-couplings via double and triple Higgs production at $$e^+e^-$$ colliders
Authors: Gonzalez-Lopez M. , Herrero M. J. , Martinez-Suarez P.
Published: March 2021

In the present work we study the implications at the future $$e^+e^-$$

e
+

e
-

colliders of the modified interaction vertices WWH, WWHH, HHH and HHHH within the context of the non-linear effective field theory given by the Electroweak Chiral Lagrangian. These vertices are given by four parameters, a, b, $$\kappa _3$$

κ
3

and $$\kappa _4$$

κ
4

, respectively, that are independent and without any constraint from symmetry considerations in this non-linear effective Lagrangian context, given the fact the Higgs field is a singlet. This is in contrast to the Standard Model, where the vertices are related by $$V_{WWH}^\mathrm{SM}=v V_{WWHH}^\mathrm{SM}$$

V

WWH

SM

=
v

V

WWHH

SM

and $$V_{HHH}^\mathrm{SM}=v V_{HHHH}^\mathrm{SM}$$

V

HHH

SM

=
v

V

HHHH

SM

, with $$v=246$$

v
=
246

GeV. We investigate the implications of the absence of these relations in the Electroweak Chiral Lagrangian case. We explore the sensitivity to these Higgs anomalous couplings in the two main channels at these colliders: double and triple Higgs production (plus neutrinos). Concretely, we study the access to a and b in $$e^+e^- \rightarrow HH \nu {\bar{\nu }}$$

e
+

e
-

→
H
H
ν

ν

¯

and the access to $$\kappa _3$$

κ
3

and $$\kappa _4$$

κ
4

in $$e^+e^- \rightarrow HHH \nu {\bar{\nu }}$$

e
+

e
-

→
H
H
H
ν

ν

¯

. Our study of the beyond the Standard Model couplings via triple Higgs boson production at $$e^+e^-$$

e
+

e
-

colliders is novel and shows for the first time the possible accessibility to the quartic Higgs self-coupling.
Shifted Gegenbauer–Galerkin algorithm for hyperbolic telegraph type equation
Authors: Taghian H. T. , Abd-Elhameed W. M. , Moatimid G. M. , Youssri Y. H.
Published: March 2021

This paper is concerned with a numerical spectral solution to a one-dimensional linear telegraph type equation with constant coefficients. An efficient Galerkin algorithm is implemented and analyzed for treating this type of equations. The philosophy of utilization of the Galerkin method is built on picking basis functions that are consistent with the corresponding boundary conditions of the telegraph type equation. A suitable combination of the orthogonal shifted Gegenbauer polynomials is utilized. The proposed method produces systems of especially inverted matrices. Furthermore, the convergence and error analysis of the proposed expansion are investigated. This study was built on assuming that the solution to the problem is separable. The paper ends by checking the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm by solving some numerical examples.
THE COMPETITION ECONOMICS OF ONLINE PLATFORMS
Authors: VELJANOVSKI CENTO
Published: March 2021

This paper provides an overview of the competitive issues surrounding online platforms. The general theme is that while much has been made of the structural features of online platforms, there is little hard evidence that these are durable monopolies. Nonetheless, there are concerns about the behavior of large online digital platforms arising from their vertical integration, self-preferencing, killer acquisitions, and agglomeration. Developments in and relevance to ASEAN countries are discussed.
Impacts of vehicle-to-infrastructure communication on traffic flows with mixed connected vehicles and human-driven vehicles
Authors: Du Mengxiao , Yang Shiyao , Chen Qun
Published: March 2021

This paper explored the impacts of vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication on the mixed traffic flow consisting of connected vehicles (CVs) and human-driven vehicles (HVs). We developed a cellular automaton model for mixed flow at the signalized intersection. In addition to considering the motion characteristics of CVs and the influence of HVs on the motion behavior of CVs, the model also considered the influence of signal lights. CVs determine their velocities via V2I communication in order to pass the signal light with less delay and avoid stopping. Through simulations, we found that the presence, frequency and range of V2I communication all make a difference in the mixed flow. Also, 1-Hz communication reduces the number of vehicles within 300 m before the red light from 36 to 26, and the 10-Hz communication reduces one more; 1-Hz communication increases the number of accelerations, but when the frequency increases to 10 Hz, the number of accelerations decreases to the same value as without V2I communication, but the value of number of accelerations increases monotonously with the frequency; traffic delay decreases and capacity increases as the frequency increases. However, as the communication range increases, except that the number of accelerations first decreases and then increases, other traffic characteristics remain unchanged. The number of accelerations reaches a minimum at about 500 m.
Design and implementation for the PWM closed-loop feedback interface circuit of a sandwich capacitive accelerometer based on ARM
Authors: Chen Haitao , Che Lufeng
Published: March 2021

Owing to the advantages of small size and high integration that accelerometers made by MEMS technology, the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) closed-loop feedback interface circuit of a sandwich capacitive accelerometer based on ARM is designed. Based on the design, a simulation by SIMULINK and a PCB board-level circuit are conducted. Simulation and measurement are provided to support the design. The realization of Proportion Integral Differential (PID) control algorithm and the generation of PWM are performed by STM32 microcontroller instead of the circuit in the design. The output form of the interface circuit is PWM with different duty cycle and filtered DC voltage. According to the measurement results, the output of the PWM duty cycle change is 16.9%/g, and the sensitivity is 1.045 V/g.
A higher order slip flow of generalized Micropolar nanofluid with applications of motile microorganisms, nonlinear thermal radiation and activation energy
Authors: Usman  , Ijaz Khan M. , Ullah Khan Sami , Ghaffari Abuzar , Chu Yu-Ming , Farooq Shahid
Published: March 2021

This communication aims to develop the thermal flow model for generalized micropolar nanofluid with insensitive applications of bioconvection, activation energy and nonlinear thermal radiation. The generalized micropolar fluid model is the extension of traditional micropolar fluid model with viscoelastic relations. The viscous nature of non-Newtonian micropolar material can be successfully predicted with help of this model. The motivating idea for considering the motile microorganisms is to control the nanoparticles suspension effectively. The higher order slip relations are incorporated to examine the bio-convective phenomenon. The simplified coupled equations in terms of non-dimensional variables are numerically treated with shooting scheme. The reliable graphical outcomes are presented for flow parameters governed to the transported problem. The flow pattern of each parameter is highlighted in view of viscous nature of micropolar fluid.
Piecewise asymmetric exponential potential under-damped bi-stable stochastic resonance and its application in bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Zhang Gang , Tan Chunlin , He Lifang
Published: March 2021

It is difficult to extract weak signals in strong noise background, therefore a piecewise asymmetric exponential potential under-damped bi-stable stochastic resonance (PAEUBSR) system is proposed. First, the theoretical analysis of the steady-state probability density (SPD), mean first passage time (MFPT) and output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are derived under the adiabatic approximation theory. At the same time, the influence of different system parameters on system performance is explored. Then the PAEUBSR system is applied to the fault signal diagnosis of different types of bearings, and the parameters are optimized through the adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA). The test results are compared with the exponential potential over-damped symmetric bi-stable stochastic resonance (EOSBSR) system and the exponential potential under-damped symmetric bi-stable stochastic resonance (EUSBSR) system. Finally, the detection results on two sets of bearing fault data show that the PAEUBSR system has better effects on the enhancement and detection of bearing fault signals. This provides good theoretical support and application value for this system in subsequent theoretical analysis and practical engineering applications.
A local-realistic quantum mechanical model of spin and spin entanglement
Authors: Sciarretta Antonio
Published: March 2021

This paper aims at reproducing quantum mechanical (QM) spin and spin entanglement results using a realist, stochastic, and local approach, without the standard QM mathematical formulation. The concrete model proposed includes the description of Stern–Gerlach apparatuses and of Bell test experiments. Single particle trajectories are explicitly evaluated as a function of a few stochastic variables that they assumedly carry on. QM predictions are retrieved as probability distributions of similarly-prepared ensembles of particles. Notably, it is shown that the proposed model, despite being both local and realist, is able to violate the Bell–CHSH inequalities by exploiting the coincidence loophole and thus intrinsically renouncing to one of the Bell’s assumptions.
Late- to post-Variscan tectonics and the kinematic relationship with W–Sn vein-type mineralization: evidence from Late Carboniferous intramontane basins (Porto–Sátão syncline, Variscan Iberian belt)
Authors: Jacques Dominique , Muchez Philippe , Sintubin Manuel
Published: March 2021

Many studies have constrained that late-Variscan buckling produced the arcuate geometry of the Ibero-Armorican belt. Nonetheless, debate remains on the associated geodynamic framework. Poorly studied Late Carboniferous intramontane basins offer an excellent framework to decipher the timing and kinematics of the late- to post-Variscan tectonics. Understanding the latter also helps constrain the structural emplacement mode of contemporaneous W–Sn–Nb–Ta–Li mineralization. In Iberia, the Porto–Sátão syncline is an example of such a Late Carboniferous intramontane basin. We present a structural analysis of the syncline, its basement and the associated W–Sn deposits. The regional structure is dictated by the Alcudian angular unconformity, caused by Cadomian tectonics (575–555 Ma) and separating tilted Ediacaran and subhorizontal Lower Paleozoic formations. Superimposed Variscan deformation led to F
1
–F
3
folds with steep and gentle plunges, respectively. The late-orogenic D
3
fabric is locally affected by post-orogenic F
4
kink folds and an S
4
crenulation cleavage. W–Sn-bearing vein systems occur along granite-hosted cone sheets, or exploit cross-fold joints associated with the F
3
and F
4
fold generations, revealing a close kinematic relationship between granite-related mineralization and the late- to post-Variscan deformation style. This structural history is interpreted as a plate-scale geodynamic change from Late Carboniferous north–south (D
3
) to Early Permian WNW–ESE (D
4
) convergence.
Jointly Modeling Spatio–Temporal Dependencies and Daily Flow Correlations for Crowd Flow Prediction
Authors: Zang Tianzi , Zhu Yanmin , Xu Yanan , Yu Jiadi
Published: March 2021

Crowd flow prediction is a vital problem for an intelligent transportation system construction in a smart city. It plays a crucial role in traffic management and behavioral analysis, thus it has raised great attention from many researchers. However, predicting crowd flows timely and accurately is a challenging task that is affected by many complex factors such as the dependencies of adjacent regions or recent crowd flows. Existing models mainly focus on capturing such dependencies in spatial or temporal domains and fail to model relations between crowd flows of distant regions. We notice that each region has a relatively fixed daily flow and some regions (even very far away from each other) may share similar flow patterns which show strong correlations among them. In this article, we propose a novel model named Double-Encoder which follows a general encoder–decoder framework for multi-step citywide crowd flow prediction. The model consists of two encoder modules named ST-Encoder and FR-Encoder to model spatial-temporal dependencies and daily flow correlations, respectively. We conduct extensive experiments on two real-world datasets to evaluate the performance of the proposed model and show that our model consistently outperforms state-of-the-art methods.
User Embedding for Expert Finding in Community Question Answering
Authors: Ghasemi Negin , Fatourechi Ramin , Momtazi Saeedeh
Published: March 2021

The number of users who have the appropriate knowledge to answer asked questions in community question answering is lower than those who ask questions. Therefore, finding expert users who can answer the questions is very crucial and useful. In this article, we propose a framework to find experts for given questions and assign them the related questions. The proposed model benefits from users’ relations in a community along with the lexical and semantic similarities between new question and existing answers. Node embedding is applied to the community graph to find similar users. Our experiments on four different Stack Exchange datasets show that adding community relations improves the performance of expert finding models.
A Stochastic Algorithm Based on Reverse Sampling Technique to Fight Against the Cyberbullying
Authors: Yan Ruidong , Li Yi , Li Deying , Wang Yongcai , Zhu Yuqing , Wu Weili
Published: March 2021

Cyberbullying has caused serious consequences especially for social network users in recent years. However, the challenge is how to fight against the cyberbullying effectively from the algorithmic perspective. In this article, we study the
fighting against the cyberbullying
problem, i.e., identify an initial witness set with a budget to spread the positive influence to protect the users in a specific target set such that the number of cybervictim users in the target set being activated by the seed set of cyberbullying is minimized. We first formulate this problem and show its NP-hardness. We further prove that the objective function is submodular with respect to the size of witnesses set when we convert the original problem into the maximal version. Then we propose a stochastic approach to solve this maximal version problem based on the
Reverse Sampling Technique
with a constant factor guarantee. In addition, we provide theoretical analysis and discuss the relationship between the optimal value and the value returned by the proposed algorithm. To evaluate the proposed approach, we implement extensive experiments on synthetic and real datasets. The experimental results show our approach is superior to the comparison methods.
Computation of Hadwiger Number and Related Contraction Problems
Authors: Fomin Fedor V. , Lokshtanov Daniel , Mihajlin Ivan , Saurabh Saket , Zehavi Meirav
Published: March 2021

We prove that the Hadwiger number of an
n
-vertex graph
G
(the maximum size of a clique minor in
G
) cannot be computed in time
n

o
(
n
)

, unless the Exponential Time Hypothesis (ETH) fails. This resolves a well-known open question in the area of exact exponential algorithms. The technique developed for resolving the Hadwiger number problem has a wider applicability. We use it to rule out the existence of
n

o
(
n
)

-time algorithms (up to the ETH) for a large class of computational problems concerning edge contractions in graphs.
Molecules from the Microbiome
Authors: Shine Emilee E. , Crawford Jason M.
Published: March 2021

The human microbiome encodes a second genome that dwarfs the genetic capacity of the host. Microbiota-derived small molecules can directly target human cells and their receptors or indirectly modulate host responses through functional interactions with other microbes in their ecological niche. Their biochemical complexity has profound implications for nutrition, immune system development, disease progression, and drug metabolism, as well as the variation in these processes that exists between individuals. While the species composition of the human microbiome has been deeply explored, detailed mechanistic studies linking specific microbial molecules to host phenotypes are still nascent. In this review, we discuss challenges in decoding these interaction networks, which require interdisciplinary approaches that combine chemical biology, microbiology, immunology, genetics, analytical chemistry, bioinformatics, and synthetic biology. We highlight important classes of microbiota-derived small molecules and notable examples. An understanding of these molecular mechanisms is central to realizing the potential of precision microbiome editing in health, disease, and therapeutic responses.
Procedural Telementoring in Rural, Underdeveloped, and Austere Settings: Origins, Present Challenges, and Future Perspectives
Authors: Wachs Juan P. , Kirkpatrick Andrew W. , Tisherman Samuel A.
Published: March 2021

Telemedicine is perhaps the most rapidly growing area in health care. Approximately 15 million Americans receive medical assistance remotely every year. Yet rural communities face significant challenges in securing subspecialist care. In the United States, 25% of the population resides in rural areas, where less than 15% of physicians work. Current surgery residency programs do not adequately prepare surgeons for rural practice. Telementoring, wherein a remote expert guides a less experienced caregiver, has been proposed to address this challenge. Nonetheless, existing mentoring technologies are not widely available to rural communities, due to a lack of infrastructure and mentor availability. For this reason, some clinicians prefer simpler and more reliable technologies. This article presents past and current telementoring systems, with a focus on rural settings, and proposes aset of requirements for such systems. We conclude with a perspective on the future of telementoring systems and the integration of artificial intelligence within those systems.
Modeling Food Particle Systems: A Review of Current Progress and Challenges
Authors: Fries Lennart
Published: March 2021

For many years, food engineers have attempted to describe physical phenomena such as heat and mass transfer in food via mathematical models. Still, the impact and benefits of computer-aided engineering are less established in food than in most other industries today. Complexity in the structure and composition of food matrices are largely responsible for this gap. During processing of food, its temperature, moisture, and structure can change continuously, along with its physical properties. We summarize the knowledge foundation, recent progress, and remaining limitations in modeling food particle systems in four relevant areas: flowability, size reduction, drying, and granulation and agglomeration. Our goal is to enable researchers in academia and industry dealing with food powders to identify approaches to address their challenges with adequate model systems or through structural and compositional simplifications. With advances in computer simulation capacity, detailed particle-scale models are now available for many applications. Here, we discuss aspects that require further attention, especially related to physics-based contact models for discrete-element models of food particle systems.
Adverse Effects of Thermal Food Processing on the Structural, Nutritional, and Biological Properties of Proteins
Authors: Zhang Yan , Dong Lu , Zhang Jinhui , Shi Jiaqi , Wang Yaya , Wang Shuo
Published: March 2021

Thermal processing is one of the most important processing methods in the food industry. However, many studies have revealed that thermal processing can have detrimental effects on the nutritional and functional properties of foods because of the complex interactions among food components. Proteins are essential nutrients for humans, and changes in the structure and nutritional properties of proteins can substantially impact the biological effects of foods. This review focuses on the interactions among proteins, sugars, and lipids during thermal food processing and the effects of these interactions on the structure, nutritional value, and biological effects of proteins. In particular, the negative effects of modified proteins on human health and strategies for mitigating these detrimental effects from two perspectives, namely, reducing the formation of modified proteins during thermal processing and dietary intervention in vivo, are discussed.
Electrodeposition as a Powerful Tool for the Fabrication and Characterization of Next-Generation Anodes for Sodium Ion Rechargeable Batteries
Authors: Gimble Nathan J. , Nieto Kelly , Prieto Amy L.
Published: March 2021

As the number of markets, as well as the overall market size, for rechargeable batteries continues to grow, it is clear that there is no one perfect battery to suit every application. In the best case, we would have batteries that store a very large amount of energy per unit mass or volume (energy density), can charge and discharge very quickly (power density), can cycle many times with very low loss of efficiency (cycle life), and are safe. Ideally, such a battery would be made from Earth-abundant, recyclable, sustainably mined or made materials, and could be scaled using inexpensive, safe manufacturing. There is, as of now, no such battery. Because we do not have a battery that is one size fits all, the wide range of potential applications for energy storage is a significant driving force for discovering and implementing a diversity of new battery chemistries to meet a wide range of requirements. In this Interface article, we describe the use of electrodeposition as a synthesis method for battery materials to enable and accelerate the design, understanding, and optimization of electrodes for sodium ion and sodium metal rechargeable batteries for applications where cost is more important than the overall weight of the battery.
Exercise in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: restrict or rethink
Authors: Weissler Snir Adaya , Connelly Kim A. , Goodman Jack M. , Dorian David , Dorian Paul
Published: March 2021

The detailed physiological consequences of aerobic training, in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), are not well understood. In athletes and nonathletes with HCM, there are two hypothetical concerns with respect to exercise: exercise-related worsening of the phenotype (e.g., promoting hypertrophy and fibrosis) and/or triggering of arrhythmia. The former concern is unproven and animal studies suggest an opposite effect, where exercise has been shown to be protective. The main reason for exercise restriction in HCM is fear of exercise-induced arrhythmia. Although the safety of sports in HCM has been reviewed, even more recent data suggest a substantially lower risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in HCM than previously thought, and there is an ongoing debate about restrictions of exercise imposed on individuals with HCM. This review outlines the pathophysiology of HCM, the impact of acute and chronic exercise (and variations of exercise intensity, modality, and athletic phenotype) in HCM including changes in autonomic function, blood pressure, cardiac dimensions and function, and cardiac output, and the underlying mechanisms that may trigger exercise-induced lethal arrhythmias. It provides a critical evaluation of the evidence regarding risk of SCD in athletes and the potential benefits of targeted exercise prescription in adults with HCM. Finally, it provides considerations for personalized recommendations for sports participation based on the available data.
Financial Risk Early-Warning Model Based on Kernel Principal Component Analysis in Public Hospitals
Authors: Qu Manxiang , Li Yuexin
Published: March 2021

Public hospitals are facing the dual pressure of coping with external medical market competition and performing public health duties. Due to the influence of various risk factors, public hospitals are facing increasing financial risks. How to effectively prevent and control financial risks and maintain the normal operation and sustainable development of the hospital is a very important topic that needs to be studied in the development of public hospitals. Because the traditional principal component analysis method only pays attention to the global structural features and ignores the local structural features, a financial risk early-warning model based on improved kernel principal component analysis in public hospitals is proposed to improve the ability of risk assessment. The core ideas of the method in this paper for financial risk forecasting are as follows: the nonlinear features of the financial data are firstly extracted under different conditions, and then the feature matrix and the optimal feature vector are calculated to construct the distance statistics so as to determines the threshold by kernel density estimation; finally the Fisher discriminant analysis is used for similarity measurement to identify the risk types. Through experiments on the financial data of a number of public hospitals and listed companies, the experimental results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the method used in this paper for financial risk analysis. This further shows that this research has a certain display significance.
Antioxidant Properties and Fatty Acid Profile of Cretan Extra Virgin Bioolive Oils: A Pilot Study
Authors: Nowak Dariusz , Gośliński Michał , Popławski Cezary
Published: March 2021

Olive oil is considered a valuable ingredient of human diet. It is a good source of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as other bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols. The composition of olive oil depends mainly on the variety of plant, cultivation practices, and manufacturing conditions. Traditional processing methods may ensure better quality and health benefits. Therefore, the aim of the study was the evaluation of antioxidant properties and fatty acid profile of Cretan extra virgin bioolive oils. These ones were compared with commercial Spanish, Italian, and Greek extra virgin olive oils. Obtained results showed that sample Cretan 1 had about 15% higher antioxidant capacity and about 60% higher total polyphenol content than commercial counterparts. This one had also a favorable profile of fatty acids, especially 20% more linoleic acid. We concluded that traditional production methods, using millstones, cold pressing, and without centrifugation and filtration ensure better olive oil quality and related health benefits.
Curcumin Ameliorates Palmitic Acid-Induced Saos-2 Cell Apoptosis Via Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Autophagy
Authors: Ma Baicheng , Guan Gaopeng , Lv Qizhuang , Yang Lei
Published: March 2021

Objectives. We aimed to determine the effects of curcumin on palmitic acid- (PA-) induced human osteoblast-like Saos-2 cell apoptosis and to explore the potential molecular mechanisms in vitro level. Methods. Saos-2 cell were cultured with PA with or without curcumin, N-acetylcysteine (NAC, anti-oxidant), 3-methyladenine (3-MA, autophagy inhibitor) AY-22989 (autophagy agonist) or H2O2. Then, the effects of PA alone or combined with curcumin on viability, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and autophagy in were detected by CCK-8, flow cytometry assay and western blot. Results. We found that autophagy was induced, oxidative stress was activated, and apoptosis was promoted in PA-induced Saos-2 cells. Curcumin inhibited PA-induced oxidative stress, autophagy, and apoptosis in Saos-2 cells. NAC successfully attenuated oxidative stress and apoptosis, and 3-MA attenuated oxidative stress and apoptosis in palmitate-induced Saos-2 cells. Interestingly, NAC inhibited PA-induced autophagy, but 3-MA had no obvious effects on oxidative stress in PA-treated Saos-2 cells. In addition, curcumin inhibited H2O2 (oxidative stress agonist)-induced oxidative stress, autophagy, and apoptosis, but curcumin had no obvious effect on AY-22989 (autophagy agonist)-induced autophagy and apoptosis. Conclusion. The present study demonstrated that oxidative stress is an inducer of autophagy and that curcumin can attenuate excess autophagy and cell apoptosis by inhibiting oxidative stress in PA-induced Saos-2 cells.
Fentanyl Exerts an Antitumor Effect on Papillary Thyroid Cancer by Regulating the miR-204/KLF5 Axis
Authors: Lu Dahao , Jiang Lulu , Dai Chen , Yan Keshi , Gao Ju
Published: March 2021

Fentanyl is a strong anesthetic analgesic drug that plays important roles in many types of cancers. However, the role of fentanyl in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) tumor development remains ambiguous. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential antitumor effects of fentanyl on PTC cell viability and invasion. Results of cell counting kit-8 and Transwell assays demonstrated that fentanyl treatment (5 ng/ml) reduced the viability and invasion of two PTC cells, TCP-1 and BCPAP. Our data subsequently showed that fentanyl induced antitumor effects by increasing miR-204 expressions. Furthermore, the results of luciferase reporter assays identified that miR-204 directly targets Krüppel-like transcription factor 5 (KLF5), which serves as tumor-promoting genes in many cancers. Further mechanistic analyses revealed that fentanyl performs its tumor-suppressive functions by regulating the miR-204/KLF5 axis in PTC cells. These results contribute to understanding the important role of fentanyl in treating PTC.
Effects of Starvation on the Levels of Triglycerides, Diacylglycerol, and Activity of Lipase in Male and Female Drosophila Melanogaster
Authors: Chauhan Ved , Anis Asaba , Chauhan Abha
Published: March 2021

We studied the effects of starvation on changes in neutral lipids in male and female Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) at different ages. When flies were subjected to starvation, the mortality rate was observed to be age- and gender-dependent: male flies died earlier as compared to female flies, and older flies died earlier than younger flies. There was an increase in the number of dead flies and the levels of diacylglycerol (DG) with starvation time. This increase in DG was observed much earlier in male flies as compared to female flies, which correlated with earlier death in male flies during starvation in comparison to female flies. We also analyzed the levels of triglycerides (TG) and lipase activity during starvation of flies. The levels of TG decreased depending upon the duration of starvation in both male and female flies. Interestingly, we observed that like DG, there was also an increase in lipase activity due to starvation, which also correlated with earlier death in male flies as compared to female flies. Our results suggest that increase in DG levels and lipase activity due to starvation may be the main cause of death in the flies.
Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for the Determination of Vardenafil and Its Application of Bioequivalence
Authors: Gan Kok Zheng , Widodo Riyanto Teguh , Chik Zamri , Teh Lay Kek , Rofiee Mohd Salleh , Mohamad Yusof Mohd Izwan
Published: March 2021

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of vardenafil in rabbit plasma. A simple protein precipitation method with ice-cold acetonitrile was used for plasma extraction. The mass transitions m/z 489⟶151 and m/z 390⟶169 were used to measure vardenafil and tadalafil (internal standard), respectively, with a total assay run time of 6 min. The limit of detection was 0.2 ng/mL. The assay was reproducible with intra-assay and interassay precision ranging 1.17%–9.17% and 1.31%–5.86%, respectively. There was also good intra-assay and interassay accuracy between 89.3%–105.3% and 94%–102% of the expected value, respectively. The linearity range was 0.5–60 ng/mL in rabbit plasma (

r

2

 ≥ 0.99). The measured AUC from 0 to 24 h

AUC

0
−
24

t

for the test and reference formulations were 174.38 ± 95.91 and 176.45 ± 76.88, respectively. For the test,

C

max

and

T

max

were 75.36 ± 59.53 ng/mL and 1.42 ± 0.19 h, whereas, for the reference, these were 58.22 ± 36.11 ng/mL and 2.04 ± 0.33 h, respectively. The test formulation achieved a slightly lower

AUC

0
−
24

t

value (

p

 > 0.05), higher

C

max

values (

p

 > 0.05), faster

T

max

(

p

 < 0.05), and almost equal bioavailability compared with the reference formulation.
Low‐Dose Copper Exposure Exacerbates Depression‐Like Behavior in ApoE4 Transgenic Mice
Authors: Xu Jia , He Kaiwu , Zhang Kaiqin , Yang Chao , Nie Lulin , Dan Ding , Liu Jianjun , Zhang Chang-E. , Yang Xifei
Published: March 2021

Depression is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders. Although the pathogenesis of depression is still unknown, environmental risk factors and genetics are implicated. Copper (Cu), a cofactor of multiple enzymes, is involved in regulating depression‐related processes. Depressed patients carrying the apolipoprotein ε4 allele display more severe depressive symptoms, indicating that ApoE4 is closely associated with an increased risk of depression. The study explored the effect of low‐dose Cu exposure and ApoE4 on depression‐like behavior of mice and further investigates the possible mechanisms. The ApoE4 mice and wild‐type (WT) mice were treated with 0.13 ppm CuCl2 for 4 months. After the treatment, ApoE4 mice displayed obvious depression‐like behavior compared with the WT mice, and Cu exposure further exacerbated the depression‐like behavior of ApoE4 mice. There was no significant difference in anxiety behavior and memory behavior. Proteomic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed proteins between Cu‐exposed and nonexposed ApoE4 mice were mainly involved in the Ras signaling pathway, protein export, axon guidance, serotonergic synapse, GABAergic synapse, and dopaminergic synapse. Among these differentially expressed proteins, immune response and synaptic function are highly correlated. Representative protein expression changes are quantified by western blot, showing consistent results as determined by proteomic analysis. Hippocampal astrocytes and microglia were increased in Cu‐exposed ApoE4 mice, suggesting that neuroglial cells played an important role in the pathogenesis of depression. Taken together, our study demonstrated that Cu exposure exacerbates depression‐like behavior of ApoE4 mice and the mechanisms may involve the dysregulation of synaptic function and immune response and overactivation of neuroinflammation.
Typical Fault Estimation and Dynamic Analysis of a Leader-Follower Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Formation
Authors: Shen Jian , Zhu Qingyu , Wang Xiaoguang , Chen Pengyun
Published: March 2021

In this paper, the typical fault estimation and dynamic analysis are presented for a leader-follower unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) formation system with external disturbances. Firstly, a dynamic model with proportional navigation guidance (PNG) control of the UAV formation is built. Then, an intermediate observer design method is adopted to estimate the system states and faults simultaneously. Based on the graph theory, the topology relationship between each node in the UAV formation has been also analyzed. The estimator and the system error have been created. Moreover, the typical faults, including the components failure, airframe damage, communication failure, formation collision, and environmental impact, are also discussed for the UAV system. Based on the fault-tolerant strategy, five familiar fault models are proposed from the perspectives of fault estimation, dynamical disturbances, and formation cooperative control. With an analysis of the results of states and faults estimation, the actuator faults can be estimated precisely with component failure and wind disturbances. Furthermore, the basic dynamic characteristics of the UAV formation are discussed. Besides, a comparison of two cases related to the wind disturbance has been accomplished to verify the performance of the fault estimator and controller. The results illustrate the credibility and applicability of the fault estimation and dynamic control strategies for the UAV system which are proposed in this paper. Finally, an extension about the UAV formation prognostic health management system is expounded from the point of view of the fault-tolerant control, dynamic modeling, and multifault estimation.
Countermeasures to Decrease Water Cut and Increase Oil Recovery from High Water Cut, Narrow-Channel Reservoirs in Bohai Sea
Authors: Feng Gaocheng , Zhou Yuhui , Yao Weiying , Liu Lingtong , Feng Zhao , Yi Yanjun , Feng Yi
Published: March 2021

Most multilayer sandstone reservoirs in the Bohai Sea have already entered the middle or high water cut production stage with large amounts of remaining oil being scattered distributed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find a suitable countermeasure to reduce water cut and increase oil recovery. In this study, taking the narrow-channel reservoirs in the M oilfield as an example, we qualitatively described the sand body scale and the contact relationships between different sand bodies, in addition to carefully analyzing the material base and remaining oil distribution characteristics. Accordingly, we proposed a countermeasure based on the injection-production structural adjustment to reduce water cut and increase oil recovery from high water cut, narrow-channel reservoirs. Herein, three optimization strategies were developed based on the proposed development mode: a seepage field optimization strategy was developed based on the quantified injection-production index; a well pattern optimization strategy for narrow-channel reservoirs was developed to overcome the production energy refueling problem; an injection-production measure optimization strategy was developed to tap the different types of remaining oil. Additionally, the well pattern optimization and injection-production optimization strategies were integrated to optimize and adjust the seepage field system. The findings reported herein this paper help understand the development of similar offshore oilfields with a high water cut.