bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MicroRNAs, Parkinson’s Disease, and Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Wang Hsiuying
Published: March 2021

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects 1% of the population over the age of 60. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that affects approximately 25% of adults over the age of 60. Recent studies showed that DM increases the risk of developing PD. The link between DM and PD has been discussed in the literature in relation to different mechanisms including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and protein aggregation. In this paper, we review the common microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers of both diseases. miRNAs play an important role in cell differentiation, development, the regulation of the cell cycle, and apoptosis. They are also involved in the pathology of many diseases. miRNAs can mediate the insulin pathway and glucose absorption. miRNAs can also regulate PD-related genes. Therefore, exploring the common miRNA biomarkers of both PD and DM can shed a light on how these two diseases are correlated, and targeting miRNAs is a potential therapeutic opportunity for both diseases.
The Circadian Protein PER1 Modulates the Cellular Response to Anticancer Treatments
Authors: Bellet Marina Maria , Stincardini Claudia , Costantini Claudio , Gargaro Marco , Pieroni Stefania , Castelli Marilena , Piobbico Danilo , Sassone-Corsi Paolo , Della-Fazia Maria Agnese , Romani Luigina , Servillo Giuseppe
Published: March 2021

The circadian clock driven by the daily light–dark and temperature cycles of the environment regulates fundamental physiological processes and perturbations of these sophisticated mechanisms may result in pathological conditions, including cancer. While experimental evidence is building up to unravel the link between circadian rhythms and tumorigenesis, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the response to antitumor agents is similarly dependent on the circadian clock, given the dependence of each drug on the circadian regulation of cell cycle, DNA repair and apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanisms that link the circadian machinery to the action of anticancer treatments is still poorly understood, thus limiting the application of circadian rhythms-driven pharmacological therapy, or chronotherapy, in the clinical practice. Herein, we demonstrate the circadian protein period 1 (PER1) and the tumor suppressor p53 negatively cross-regulate each other’s expression and activity to modulate the sensitivity of cancer cells to anticancer treatments. Specifically, PER1 physically interacts with p53 to reduce its stability and impair its transcriptional activity, while p53 represses the transcription of PER1. Functionally, we could show that PER1 reduced the sensitivity of cancer cells to drug-induced apoptosis, both in vitro and in vivo in NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice xenotransplanted with a lung cancer cell line. Therefore, our results emphasize the importance of understanding the relationship between the circadian clock and tumor regulatory proteins as the basis for the future development of cancer chronotherapy.
Epigenetic Regulation of Glycosylation in Cancer and Other Diseases
Authors: Indellicato Rossella , Trinchera Marco
Published: March 2021

In the last few decades, the newly emerging field of epigenetic regulation of glycosylation acquired more importance because it is unraveling physiological and pathological mechanisms related to glycan functions. Glycosylation is a complex process in which proteins and lipids are modified by the attachment of monosaccharides. The main actors in this kind of modification are the glycoenzymes, which are translated from glycosylation-related genes (or glycogenes). The expression of glycogenes is regulated by transcription factors and epigenetic mechanisms (mainly DNA methylation, histone acetylation and noncoding RNAs). This review focuses only on these last ones, in relation to cancer and other diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and IgA1 nephropathy. In fact, it is clear that a deeper knowledge in the fine-tuning of glycogenes is essential for acquiring new insights in the glycan field, especially if this could be useful for finding novel and personalized therapeutics.
Response Criteria in Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis: Evolution in the Era of KIT Inhibitors
Authors: Shomali William , Gotlib Jason
Published: March 2021

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare clonal hematologic neoplasm, driven, in almost all cases, by the activating KIT D816V mutation that leads to the growth and accumulation of neoplastic mast cells. While patients with advanced forms of SM have a poor prognosis, the introduction of KIT inhibitors (e.g., midostaurin, and avapritinib) has changed their outlook. Because of the heterogenous nature of advanced SM (advSM), successive iterations of response criteria have tried to capture different dimensions of the disease, including measures of mast cell burden (percentage of bone marrow mast cells and serum tryptase level), and mast cell-related organ damage (referred to as C findings). Historically, response criteria have been anchored to reversion of one or more organ damage finding(s) as a minimal criterion for response. This is a central principle of the Valent criteria, Mayo criteria, and International Working Group-Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Research and Treatment and European Competence Network on Mastocytosis (IWG-MRT-ECNM) consensus criteria. Irrespective of the response criteria, an ever-present challenge is how to apply response criteria in patients with SM and an associated hematologic neoplasm, where the presence of both diseases complicates assignment of organ damage and adjudication of response. In the context of trials with the selective KIT D816V inhibitor avapritinib, pure pathologic response (PPR) criteria, which rely solely on measures of mast cell burden and exclude consideration of organ damage findings, are being explored as more robust surrogate of overall survival. In addition, the finding that avapritinib can elicit complete molecular responses of KIT D816V allele burden, establishes a new benchmark for advSM and motivates the inclusion of definitions for molecular response in future criteria. Herein, we also outline how the concept of PPR can inform a proposal for new response criteria which use a tiered evaluation of pathologic, molecular, and clinical responses.
Hyalectanase Activities by the ADAMTS Metalloproteases
Authors: Fontanil Tania , Mohamedi Yamina , Espina-Casado Jorge , Obaya Álvaro J. , Cobo Teresa , Cal Santiago
Published: March 2021

The hyalectan family is composed of the proteoglycans aggrecan, versican, brevican and neurocan. Hyalectans, also known as lecticans, are components of the extracellular matrix of different tissues and play essential roles in key biological processes including skeletal development, and they are related to the correct maintenance of the vascular and central nervous system. For instance, hyalectans participate in the organization of structures such as perineural nets and in the regulation of neurite outgrowth or brain recovery following a traumatic injury. The ADAMTS (A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease domains, with thrombospondin motifs) family consists of 19 secreted metalloproteases. These enzymes also perform important roles in the structural organization and function of the extracellular matrix through interactions with other matrix components or as a consequence of their catalytic activity. In this regard, some of their preferred substrates are the hyalectans. In fact, ADAMTSs cleave hyalectans not only as a mechanism for clearance or turnover of proteoglycans but also to generate bioactive fragments which display specific functions. In this article we review some of the physiological and pathological effects derived from cleavages of hyalectans mediated by ADAMTSs.
Performance Evaluation of Electric Trolley Bus Routes. A Series Two-Stage DEA Approach
Authors: Tsolas Ioannis E.
Published: March 2021

A common concern for bus operators is efficiency measurement in order to monitor transit performance. The purpose of this paper is to propose a series two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach integrated with bootstrapping in order to evaluate the performance of electric trolley bus routes of Athens and Piraeus, Greece. Production and sales efficiency were measured in the first and second stages, respectively. In the light of the results, the routes assessed have a comparable higher DEA-based efficiency in both stages when compared to the perfect possible performance, but production and sales efficiency are not associated. Nevertheless, arterial bus routes have a marginally better performance in the production process on average, whereas the feeder–local bus routes produce a slightly better sales performance. The proposed modeling approach is an addition to the current literature, and can be employed by managers and operators.
Evaluation of Microsimulation Models for Roadway Segments with Different Functional Classifications in Northern Iran
Authors: Rahimi Amir Masoud , Dulebenets Maxim A. , Mazaheri Arash
Published: March 2021

Industrialization, urban development, and population growth in the last decades caused a significant increase in congestion of transportation networks across the world. Increasing congestion of transportation networks and limitations of the traditional methods in analyzing and evaluating the congestion mitigation strategies led many transportation professionals to the use of traffic simulation techniques. Nowadays, traffic simulation is heavily used in a variety of applications, including the design of transportation facilities, traffic flow management, and intelligent transportation systems. The literature review, conducted as a part of this study, shows that many different traffic simulation packages with various features have been developed to date. The present study specifically focuses on a comprehensive comparative analysis of the advanced interactive microscopic simulator for urban and non-urban networks (AIMSUN) and SimTraffic microsimulation models, which have been widely used in the literature and practice. The evaluation of microsimulation models is performed for the four roadway sections with different functional classifications, which are located in the northern part of Iran. The SimTraffic and AIMSUN microsimulation models are compared in terms of the major transportation network performance indicators. The results from the conducted analysis indicate that AIMSUN returned smaller errors for the vehicle flow, travel speed, and total travel distance. On the other hand, SimTraffic provided more accurate values of the travel time. Both microsimulation models were able to effectively identify traffic bottlenecks. Findings from this study will be useful for the researchers and practitioners, who heavily rely on microsimulation models in transportation planning.
Lessons from Drosophila: Engineering Genetic Sexing Strains with Temperature-Sensitive Lethality for Sterile Insect Technique Applications
Authors: Nguyen Thu N. M. , Choo Amanda , Baxter Simon W.
Published: March 2021

A major obstacle of sterile insect technique (SIT) programs is the availability of robust sex-separation systems for conditional removal of females. Sterilized male-only releases improve SIT efficiency and cost-effectiveness for agricultural pests, whereas it is critical to remove female disease-vector pests prior to release as they maintain the capacity to transmit disease. Some of the most successful Genetic Sexing Strains (GSS) reared and released for SIT control were developed for Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), Ceratitis capitata, and carry a temperature sensitive lethal (tsl) mutation that eliminates female but not male embryos when heat treated. The Medfly tsl mutation was generated by random mutagenesis and the genetic mechanism causing this valuable heat sensitive phenotype remains unknown. Conditional temperature sensitive lethal mutations have also been developed using random mutagenesis in the insect model, Drosophila melanogaster, and were used for some of the founding genetic research published in the fields of neuro- and developmental biology. Here we review mutations in select D. melanogaster genes shibire, Notch, RNA polymerase II 215kDa, pale, transformer-2, Dsor1 and CK2α that cause temperature sensitive phenotypes. Precise introduction of orthologous point mutations in pest insect species with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology holds potential to establish GSSs with embryonic lethality to improve and advance SIT pest control.
Special Issue: Natural Substances against Insect Pests: Assets and Liabilities
Authors: Conti Barbara
Published: March 2021

Many insect pests directly compete with humans for food, damaging several crops in the field and during the processing and storage [...]
Plant Pathogen Invasion Modifies the Eco-Evolutionary Host Plant Interactions of an Endangered Checkerspot Butterfly
Authors: Severns Paul M. , Guzman-Martinez Melinda
Published: March 2021

New plant pathogen invasions typified by cryptic disease symptoms or those appearing sporadically in time and patchily in space, might go largely unnoticed and not taken seriously by ecologists. We present evidence that the recent invasion of Pyrenopeziza plantaginis (Dermateaceae) into the Pacific Northwest USA, which causes foliar necrosis in the fall and winter on Plantago lanceolata (plantain), the primary (non-native) foodplant for six of the eight extant Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly populations (Euphydryas editha taylori, endangered species), has altered eco-evolutionary foodplant interactions to a degree that threatens butterfly populations with extinction. Patterns of butterfly, larval food plant, and P. plantaginis disease development suggested the ancestral relationship was a two-foodplant system, with perennial Castilleja spp. supporting oviposition and pre-diapause larvae, and the annual Collinsia parviflora supporting post-diapause larvae. Plantain, in the absence of P. plantaginis disease, provided larval food resources throughout all butterfly life stages and may explain plantain’s initial adoption by Taylor’s checkerspot. However, in the presence of severe P. plantaginis disease, plantain-dependent butterfly populations experience a six-week period in the winter where post-diapause larvae lack essential plantain resources. Only C. parviflora, which is rare and competitively inferior under present habitat conditions, can fulfill the post-diapause larval feeding requirements in the presence of severe P. plantaginis disease. However, a germination timing experiment suggested C. parviflora to be suitably timed for only Washington Taylor’s checkerspot populations. The recent invasion by P. plantaginis appears to have rendered the ancestrally adaptive acquisition of plantain by Taylor’s checkerspot an unreliable, maladaptive foodplant interaction.
Image Preprocessing for Artistic Robotic Painting
Authors: Karimov Artur , Kopets Ekaterina , Kolev Georgii , Leonov Sergey , Scalera Lorenzo , Butusov Denis
Published: March 2021

Artistic robotic painting implies creating a picture on canvas according to a brushstroke map preliminarily computed from a source image. To make the painting look closer to the human artwork, the source image should be preprocessed to render the effects usually created by artists. In this paper, we consider three preprocessing effects: aerial perspective, gamut compression and brushstroke coherence. We propose an algorithm for aerial perspective amplification based on principles of light scattering using a depth map, an algorithm for gamut compression using nonlinear hue transformation and an algorithm for image gradient filtering for obtaining a well-coherent brushstroke map with a reduced number of brushstrokes, required for practical robotic painting. The described algorithms allow interactive image correction and make the final rendering look closer to a manually painted artwork. To illustrate our proposals, we render several test images on a computer and paint a monochromatic image on canvas with a painting robot.
Myocardium-Specific Deletion of Rac1 Causes Ventricular Noncompaction and Outflow Tract Defects
Authors: Leung Carmen , Engineer Anish , Kim Mella Y. , Lu Xiangru , Feng Qingping
Published: March 2021

Background: Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a cardiomyopathy that can lead to arrhythmias, embolic events and heart failure. Despite our current knowledge of cardiac development, the mechanisms underlying noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium are still poorly understood. The small GTPase Rac1 acts as a crucial regulator of numerous developmental events. The present study aimed to investigate the cardiomyocyte specific role of Rac1 in embryonic heart development. Methods and Results: The Nkx2.5-Cre transgenic mice were crossed with Rac1f/f mice to generate mice with a cardiomyocyte specific deletion of Rac1 (Rac1Nkx2.5) during heart development. Embryonic Rac1Nkx2.5 hearts at E12.5–E18.5 were collected for histological analysis. Overall, Rac1Nkx2.5 hearts displayed a bifid apex, along with hypertrabeculation and a thin compact myocardium. Rac1Nkx2.5 hearts also exhibited ventricular septal defects (VSDs) and double outlet right ventricle (DORV) or overriding aorta. Cardiomyocytes had a rounded morphology and were highly disorganized, and the myocardial expression of Scrib, a planar cell polarity protein, was reduced in Rac1Nkx2.5 hearts. In addition, cell proliferation rate was significantly decreased in the Rac1Nkx2.5 ventricular myocardium at E9.5. Conclusions: Rac1 deficiency in the myocardium impairs cardiomyocyte elongation and organization, and proliferative growth of the heart. A spectrum of CHDs arises in Rac1Nkx2.5 hearts, implicating Rac1 signaling in the ventricular myocardium as a crucial regulator of OFT alignment, along with compact myocardium growth and development.
Effects of an Innovative Head-Up Tilt Protocol on Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness Changes
Authors: Dorogovtsev Victor N. , Yankevich Dmitry S. , Goswami Nandu
Published: March 2021

The objective of our study was to identify blood pressure (BP) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) changes during orthostatic loading, using a new the head-up tilt test (HUTT), which incorporates the usage of a standardized hydrostatic column height. Methods: 40 healthy subjects 20–32 years performed HUTT, which was standardized to a height of the hydrostatic column at 133 cm. Exposure time was 10 min in each of 3 positions: horizontal supine 1, HUTT, and horizontal supine 2. The individual tilt up angle made it possible to set the standard value of the hydrostatic column. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded beat to beat using “Task Force Monitor 3040 i”, pulse-wave velocity (PWV) was measured with a sphygmograph–sphygmomanometer VaSera VS1500N. Results: Orthostatic loading caused a significant increase in heart rate (HR) and a decrease in stroke volume (SV) (p < 0.05) but no significant reductions in cardiac output, changes in total vascular resistance (TVR), or BP. An analysis of personalized data on systolic blood pressure (SBP) changes in tilt up position as compared to horizontal position (ΔSBP) revealed non-significant changes in this index in 48% of subjects (orthostatic normotension group), in 32% there was a significant decrease in it (orthostatic hypotension group) and in 20% there was a significant increase in it (orthostatic hypertension group). These orthostatic changes were not accompanied by any clinical symptoms and/or syncope. During HUTT, all subjects had in the PWV a significant increase of approximately 27% (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The new test protocol involving HUTT standardized to a height of hydrostatic column at 133 cm causes typical hemodynamics responses during orthostatic loading. Individual analysis of the subjects revealed subclinical orthostatic disorders (OSD) in up to 52% of the test persons. During HUTT, all test subjects showed a significant increase in PWV. The new innovative HUTT protocol can be applied in multi-center studies in healthy subjects to detect preclinical forms of orthostatic disorders under standard gravity load conditions.
Iris-Claw Intraocular Lens Implantation in Various Clinical Indications: A 4-Year Study
Authors: Sędziak-Marcinek Bogumiła , Wylęgała Adam , Chełmecka Elżbieta , Marcinek Mateusz , Wylęgała Edward
Published: March 2021

An iris-claw intraocular lens (IOL) has been widely used as a secondary implant in aphakic patients. The study presents the results of implanting the anterior chamber iris-claw Artisan IOL in cases of where an appropriate posterior capsular support is lacking. The study included 132 patients subjected to primary IOL implantation during complicated cataract surgery with damage to the posterior capsule (I), secondary implantation in aphakia (II), secondary implantation during penetrating keratoplasty (III), and secondary implantation during pars plana vitrectomy with luxated IOL extraction (IV). We analyzed the records of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalent (SE), intraocular pressure (IOP), and corneal endothelial cell count (cECC), taken before and 1, 2, 3, and 4 years after the surgery. BCVA depended on the time after IOL implantation and the primary indication. Four years post-surgery, the SE values were the lowest in group III. IOP was the same in all groups both before and after the surgery, but 4 years after the surgery IOP values in group IV were higher than in group III. The cECC decreased every year after the surgery in all groups, but four years after the IOL implantation, the lowest cECC values were observed in group IV. At the same time, all groups of patients showed improved BCVA, stable refraction, and a low percentage of postoperative complications.
Factor XIII Activity Might Already Be Impaired before Veno-Venous ECMO in ARDS Patients: A Prospective, Observational Single-Center Cohort Study
Authors: Moerer Onnen , Huber-Petersen Jan Felix , Schaeper Joern , Binder Claudia , Wand Saskia
Published: March 2021

Direct complications in patients receiving extracorporeal (veno-venous) membrane oxygenation (vvECMO) are mainly either due to bleeding or thromboembolism. We aimed to evaluate the course of routine coagulation parameters and the activity of different coagulation factors—with special focus on factor XIII (F XIII)—before, during and after vvECMO in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. The activity of coagulation factors and rotational thrombelastometry were analyzed in 20 ECMO patients before (T-1) and 6 h (T0), one (T1), three (T3) and seven days (T7) after the implantation, as well as one and three days after the termination of ECMO. F XIII activity was already severely decreased to 37% (30/49) before ECMO. F XIII activity was the only coagulation factor continuously declining during vvECMO, being significantly decreased at T3 (31% (26/45) vs. 24% (18/42), p = 0.0079) and T7 (31% (26/45) vs. 23% (17/37), p = 0.0037) compared to T0. Three days after termination of vvECMO, platelet count and fibrinogen nearly doubled and factors II, V, XI and XIII showed spontaneous significant increases. Severe ARDS patients showed a considerably diminished factor XIII activity before vvECMO initiation and its activity continuously declined later on. Thus, incorporation of F XIII monitoring into the regular hemostaseologic routine during vvECMO therapy seems advisable. Due to the potential development of a hypercoagulatory state after the termination of vvECMO, tight hemostasiologic monitoring should persist in the initial phase after ECMO termination.
Membranous Nephropathy: From Research Bench to Personalized Care
Authors: Moszczuk Barbara , Kiryluk Krzysztof , Pączek Leszek , Mucha Krzysztof
Published: March 2021

Membranous nephropathy is a glomerulopathy that causes nephrotic syndrome and, in at least a third of cases, lasting end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). It is also a rare case of revolutionary changes in our understanding of the disease, that translates from scientific findings to real diagnosis and treatment recommendations in less than ten years. In this review we present: (1) a short history and traditional approach to patients with membranous nephropathy, (2) current recommendations and treatment options that have emerged in recent years, (3) findings of new studies, with a particular focus on serological/immunological methods, genomic and proteomic studies, still requiring validation. With further development in this field, membranous nephropathy may become one of the first nephrological conditions that apply a truly personalized approach with the omission of invasive measures such as kidney biopsy.
Possible Advantages of S53P4 Bioactive Glass in the Treatment of Septic Osteoarthritis of the First Metatarsophalangeal Joint in the Diabetic Foot
Authors: Kastrin Matevž , Urbančič Rovan Vilma , Frangež Igor
Published: March 2021

Biomechanically, the great toe with its metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint plays a key role in standing and walking, making the first MTP joint one of the main predilection sites for ulcer formation, and consequently for bone and joint infection and even amputation. If conservative treatment fails, the main goal of surgery is to remove all infected tissue and preserve the first ray. To improve surgical outcomes, development of new biomaterials like Bioactive Glass S53P4 has begun. Bioactive Glass is useful because of its antibacterial properties; furthermore, its osteostimulative and osteoconductive qualities make the bone substitute particularly suitable as a bone defect filler for the treatment of osteomyelitis. The aim of our retrospective observational study was to compare the outcomes following ulcerectomy with segmental resection of the infected joint and bone and temporary stabilization with an external fixator, both with and without added Bioactive Glass. A comparison of added Bioactive Glass with the traditional surgical treatment in septic osteoarthritis of the first MTP joint showed Bioactive Glass to be effective. During a one-year follow-up, patients with Bioactive Glass required no additional antibiotic therapy or surgical intervention. Bioactive Glass, when applied to the diabetic foot, showed itself to be a safe bone substitute biomaterial.
Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survival Rate: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
Authors: Borkowska Magdalena J. , Jaguszewski Miłosz J. , Koda Mariusz , Gasecka Aleksandra , Szarpak Agnieszka , Gilis-Malinowska Natasza , Safiejko Kamil , Szarpak Lukasz , Filipiak Krzysztof J. , Smereka Jacek
Published: March 2021

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a challenge for medical staff, especially in the COVID-19 period. The COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is highly infectious, thus requiring additional measures during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Since CPR is a highly aerosol-generating procedure, it carries a substantial risk of viral transmission. We hypothesized that patients with diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 might have worse outcomes following OHCA outcomes compared to non-COVID-19 patients. To raise awareness of this potential problem, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that reported OHCA in the pandemic period, comparing COVID-19 suspected or diagnosed patients vs. COVID-19 not suspected or diagnosed group. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge (SHD). Secondary outcomes were the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital admission or survival with favorable neurological outcomes. Data including 4210 patients included in five studies were analyzed. SHD in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients were 0.5% and 2.6%, respectively (odds ratio, OR = 0.25; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.12, 0.53; p < 0.001). Bystander CPR rate was comparable in the COVID-19 vs. not COVID-19 group (OR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.63, 1.22; p = 0.43). Shockable rhythms were observed in 5.7% in COVID-19 patients compared with 37.4% in the non-COVID-19 group (OR = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.96; p = 0.04; I2 = 95%). ROSC in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients were 13.3% vs. 26.5%, respectively (OR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.81; p < 0.001). SHD with favorable neurological outcome was observed in 0% in COVID-19 vs. 3.1% in non-COVID-19 patients (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 0.07, 26.19; p = 0.84). Our meta-analysis suggests that suspected or diagnosed COVID-19 reduces the SHD rate after OHCA, which seems to be due to the lower rate of shockable rhythms in COVID-19 patients, but not due to reluctance to bystander CPR. Future trials are needed to confirm these preliminary results and determine the optimal procedures to increase survival after OHCA in COVID-19 patients.
How to Choose a Shunt for Patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: A Short Guide to Selecting the Best Shunt Assembly
Authors: Sahuquillo Juan , Rosas Katiuska , Calvo Helena , Alcina Aloma , Gándara Dario , López-Bermeo Diego , Poca Maria-Antonia
Published: March 2021

Most patients with hydrocephalus are still managed with the implantation of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt in which the CSF flow is regulated by a differential-pressure valve (DPV). Our aim in this review is to discuss some basic concepts in fluid mechanics that are frequently ignored but that should be understood by neurosurgeons to enable them to choose the most adequate shunt for each patient. We will present data, some of which is not provided by manufacturers, which may help neurosurgeons in selecting the most appropriate shunt. To do so, we focused on the management of patients with idiopathic “normal-pressure hydrocephalus” (iNPH), as one of the most challenging scenarios, in which the combination of optimal technology, patient characteristics, and knowledge of fluid mechanics can significantly modify the surgical results. For a better understanding of the available hardware and its evolution over time, we will have a second look at the design of the first DPV and the reasons why additional devices were incorporated to control for shunt overdrainage and its related complications. We try to persuade the reader that a clear understanding of the physical concepts of the CSF and shunt dynamics is key to understand the pathophysiology of iNPH and to improve its treatment.
The Relationships Between Serum DHEA-S and AMH Levels in Infertile Women: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Lin Li-Te , Tsui Kuan-Hao
Published: March 2021

The relationship between serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels has not been fully established. Therefore, we performed a large-scale cross-sectional study to investigate the association between serum DHEA-S and AMH levels. The study included a total of 2155 infertile women aged 20 to 46 years who were divided into four quartile groups (Q1 to Q4) based on serum DHEA-S levels. We found that there was a weak positive association between serum DHEA-S and AMH levels in infertile women (r = 0.190, p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, serum DHEA-S levels positively correlated with serum AMH levels in infertile women (β = 0.103, p < 0.001). Infertile women in the highest DHEA-S quartile category (Q4) showed significantly higher serum AMH levels (p < 0.001) compared with women in the lowest DHEA-S quartile category (Q1). The serum AMH levels significantly increased across increasing DHEA-S quartile categories in infertile women (p = 0.014) using generalized linear models after adjustment for potential confounders. Our data show that serum DHEA-S levels are positively associated with serum AMH levels.
The Sankara Nethralaya Tamil Nadu Essilor Myopia (STEM) Study—Defining a Threshold for Non-Cycloplegic Myopia Prevalence in Children
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Aparna , Hussaindeen Jameel Rizwana , Sivaraman Viswanathan , Swaminathan Meenakshi , Wong Yee Ling , Armitage James Andrew , Gentle Alex , Backhouse Simon
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the agreement between cycloplegic and non-cycloplegic autorefraction with an open-field auto refractor in a school vision screening set up, and to define a threshold for myopia that agrees with the standard cycloplegic refraction threshold. The study was conducted as part of the Sankara Nethralaya Tamil Nadu Essilor Myopia (STEM) study, which investigated the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for myopia among children in South India. Children from two schools aged 5 to 15 years, with no ocular abnormalities and whose parents gave informed consent for cycloplegic refraction were included in the study. All the children underwent visual acuity assessment (Pocket Vision Screener, Elite school of Optometry, India), followed by non-cycloplegic and cycloplegic (1% tropicamide) open-field autorefraction (Grand Seiko, WAM-5500). A total of 387 children were included in the study, of whom 201 were boys. The mean (SD) age of the children was 12.2 (±2.1) years. Overall, the mean difference between cycloplegic and non-cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) open-field autorefraction measures was 0.34 D (limits of agreement (LOA), 1.06 D to −0.38 D). For myopes, the mean difference between cycloplegic and non-cycloplegic SE was 0.13 D (LOA, 0.63D to −0.36D). The prevalence of myopia was 12% (95% CI, 8% to 15%) using the threshold of cycloplegic SE ≤ −0.50 D, and was 14% (95% CI, 11% to 17%) with SE ≤ −0.50 D using non-cycloplegic refraction. When myopia was defined as SE of ≤−0.75 D under non-cycloplegic conditions, there was no difference between cycloplegic and non-cycloplegic open-field autorefraction prevalence estimates (12%; 95% CI, 8% to 15%; p = 1.00). Overall, non-cycloplegic refraction underestimates hyperopia and overestimates myopia; but for subjects with myopia, this difference is minimal and not clinically significant. A threshold of SE ≤ −0.75 D agrees well for the estimation of myopia prevalence among children when using non-cycloplegic refraction and is comparable with the standard definition of cycloplegic myopic refraction of SE ≤ −0.50 D.
Predictors of Worse Prognosis in Young and Middle-Aged Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Multi-Center Italian Study (COVID-UNDER50)
Authors: Bonifazi Martina , Mei Federico , Skrami Edlira , Latini Lara Letizia , Amico Donatella , Balestro Elisabetta , Bini Francesco , Bonifazi Floriano , Caminati Antonella , Candoli Piero , Cinti Saverio , Contucci Susanna , Di Marco Berardino Alessandro , Harari Sergio , Levi Guido , Lococo Sara , Menditto Vincenzo , Marchetti Giampietro , Piciucchi Sara , Poletti Venerino , Ravaglia Claudia , Saetta Marina , Svegliati-Baroni Gianluca , Tomassetti Sara , Tamburrini Mario , Zanforlin Alessandro , Zuccon Umberto , Zuccatosta Lina , Gasparini Stefano , Carle Flavia
Published: March 2021

Obesity as well as metabolic and cardiovascular comorbidities are established, significant predictors of worse prognosis in the overall COVID-19 population, but limited information is available on their roles in young and middle-aged adults (aged ≤ 50 years). The main objectives of the present Italian multi-center study were to describe clinical characteristics and role of selected prognostic predictors in a large cohort of young and middle-aged hospitalized patients. Nine pulmonology units, across north and center of Italy, were involved in this retrospective study. Comorbidities were classified according to their known or potential association with COVID-19. A total of 263 subjects were included. The prevalence of obesity was 25.9%, mechanical ventilation (MV) was needed in 27.7%, and 28 in-hospital deaths occurred (10.6%). Obesity and older age were the only independent, significant predictors for MV. Comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and increased D-dimer levels were significantly associated with higher mortality risk, regardless of age, body mass index, and MV. Obesity in young and middle-aged adults is a strong predictor of a more complicated COVID-19, without, however, evidence of a significant effect on in-hospital mortality. Selected comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes and asthma, significantly impact survival even in a younger population, suggesting the need for prompt recognition of these conditions.
Gender Differences in the Atherosclerosis Profile by Coronary CTA in Coronary Artery Calcium Score Zero Patients
Authors: Senoner Thomas , Plank Fabian , Beyer Christoph , Langer Christian , Birkl Katharina , Steinkohl Fabian , Widmann Gerlig , Barbieri Fabian , Adukauskaite Agne , Friedrich Guy , Bauer Axel , Dichtl Wolfgang , Feuchtner Gudrun M.
Published: March 2021

Background: The coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is a powerful tool for cardiovascular risk stratification. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) allows for a more distinct analysis of atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to assess gender differences in the atherosclerosis profile of CTA in patients with a CACS of zero. Methods: A total of 1451 low- to intermediate-risk patients (53 ± 11 years; 51% females) with CACS <1.0 Agatston units (AU) who underwent CTA and CACS were included. Males and females were 1:1 propensity score-matched. CTA was evaluated for stenosis severity (Coronary Artery Disease – Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) 0–5: minimal <25%, mild 25–49%, moderate 50–69%, severe ≥70%), mixed-plaque burden (G-score), and high-risk plaque (HRP) criteria (low-attenuation plaque, spotty calcification, napkin-ring sign, and positive remodeling). All-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and major cardiovascular events (MACEs) were collected. Results: Among the patients, 88.8% had a CACS of 0 and 11.2% had an ultralow CACS of 0.1–0.9 AU. More males than females (32.1% vs. 20.3%; p < 0.001) with a CACS of 0 had atherosclerosis, while, among those with an ultralow CACS, there was no difference (88% vs. 87.1%). Nonobstructive CAD (25.9% vs. 16.2%; p < 0.001), total plaque burden (2.2 vs. 1.4; p < 0.001), and HRP were found more often in males (p < 0.001). After a follow-up of mean 6.6 ± 4.2 years, all-cause mortality was higher in females (3.5% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.023). Cardiovascular mortality and MACEs were low (0.2% vs. 0%; p = 0.947 and 0.3% vs. 0.6%; p = 0.790) for males vs. females, respectively. Females were more often symptomatic for chest pain (70% vs. 61.6%; p = 0.004). (4) Conclusions: In patients with a CACS of 0, males had a higher prevalence of atherosclerosis, a higher noncalcified plaque burden, and more HRP criteria. Nonetheless, females had a worse long–term outcome and were more frequently symptomatic.
Secure and Privacy-Aware Blockchain Design: Requirements, Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Aslam Sidra , Tošić Aleksandar , Mrissa Michael
Published: March 2021

During the last decade, distributed ledger solutions such as blockchain have gained significant attention due to their decentralized, immutable, and verifiable features. However, the public availability of data stored on the blockchain and its link to users may raise privacy and security issues. In some cases, addressing these issues requires blockchain data to be secured with mechanisms that allow on-demand (as opposed to full) disclosure. In this paper, we give a comprehensive overview of blockchain privacy and security requirements, and detail how existing mechanisms answer them. We provide a taxonomy of current attacks together with related countermeasures. We present a thorough comparative analysis based on various parameters of state-of the-art privacy and security mechanisms, we provide recommendations to design secure and privacy-aware blockchain, and we suggest guidelines for future research.
Smoothed Shock Filtering: Algorithm and Applications
Authors: Vacavant Antoine
Published: March 2021

This article presents the smoothed shock filter, which iteratively produces local segmentations in image’s inflection zones with smoothed morphological operators (dilations, erosions). Hence, it enhances contours by creating smoothed ruptures, while preserving homogeneous regions. After describing the algorithm, we show that it is a robust approach for denoising, compared to related works. Then, we expose how we exploited this filter as a pre-processing step in different image analysis tasks (medical image segmentation, fMRI, and texture classification). By means of its ability to enhance important patterns in images, the smoothed shock filter has a real positive impact upon such applications, for which we would like to explore it more in the future.
Numerical Study on the Expansion and Variation of Changjiang Diluted Water in Summer and Autumn
Authors: Hou Wanli , Ba Menglin , Bai Jie , Yu Jianghua
Published: March 2021

In view of the expansion and directional change mechanisms of Yangtze River water diluted with sea water in the shelf region (also known as Changjiang diluted water [CDW]) during summer and autumn, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE) and its adjacent waters was established based on the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM). Compared with the measured data, the model accurately simulates the hydrodynamic characteristics of the YRE. On that basis, the influence of the expansion patterns of the CDW in both summer and autumn was studied. It was found that, in 2019, the CDW expanded to the northeast in the summer and to the southeast in the autumn, and that the route of the CDW is mainly controlled by the wind, not the runoff. Current seasonal winds also change the transportation route of the CDW by affecting its hydrodynamic field. Typhoons are frequent in both summer and autumn, causing abnormalities in both the transportation route and expansion of the CDW. During a typhoon, a large amount of the CDW is transported in a continuous and abnormal manner, accelerating the path turning of the CDW. This paper enhances the existing theoretical research of the CDW and provides a reference with respect to the expansion of diluted water all over the world.
Acoustic Method for Estimation of Marine Low-Speed Engine Turbocharger Parameters
Authors: Varbanets Roman , Fomin Oleksij , Píštěk Václav , Klymenko Valentyn , Minchev Dmytro , Khrulev Alexander , Zalozh Vitalii , Kučera Pavel
Published: March 2021

The article presents the acoustic method of marine low-speed engine turbocharger parameter estimation under operating conditions when a prompt assessment of instantaneous turbocharger speed and rotor vibration level is required. The method lies in the analysis of the acoustic signal that is generated by the compressor of the turbocharger with the diesel engine running under load. The spectral analysis reveals that the compressor blades generate acoustic oscillations that are always present in the overall acoustic spectrum of the turbocharger regardless of its technical condition. The harmonic components corresponding to the blades can be detected in the spectrum using the limit method. The calculated instantaneous turbocharger speed makes it possible to analyze the main harmonic amplitude in the spectrum. The method presented in this paper helps eliminate discrete Fourier transform (DFT) spectral leakage so that the amplitude of the main harmonic can be estimated. Further analysis of the amplitude of the main harmonic allows for efficient estimation of the turbocharger rotor vibration level when in operation. The method can be practically applied by means of a smartphone or a computer that has the dedicated software installed. The proposed method lays the foundations for a permanent monitoring system of turbocharger speed and vibration in industrial and marine diesel engines.
Spatial Analysis of the Fishing Behaviour of Tuna Purse Seiners in the Western and Central Pacific Based on Vessel Trajectory Data
Authors: Zhang Han , Yang Sheng-Long , Fan Wei , Shi Hui-Min , Yuan San-Ling
Published: March 2021

The Western and Central Pacific Oceans are the primary operational areas of tuna purse seiners worldwide. Describing and analysing the fishing behaviour of vessels is highly significant for the protection of sustainable tuna resources. This study uses Automatic Identification System (AIS) data of 130 tuna purse seiners from July 2017 to May 2018 and uses data mining methods to identify the operating status of tuna purse seiners; describes the spatial characteristics of fishing intensity and the distribution of hot spots; and analyses vessel spatial characteristics to describe their fishing behaviour. The results show that the tuna purse seiner speed has a marked bimodal distribution, which corresponds to high-speed transiting and low-speed seine operation. Additionally, from July to September 2017, the amount of fishing effort invested by tuna purse seiners was lower than that in other months. The tuna purse seiner activity range includes 120° E–60° W, 30° S–30° N, and the activities for fish and seine operations are primarily concentrated at 140° E–150° W, 15° S–15° N. There are differences between the space for fishing search operations and space where fishing events took place in each month. Spatial analysis shows that the high-speed transiting fishing effort map covers a large area, while seine fishing covers a small area. The global spatial autocorrelation analysis shows that the fishing effort devoted to searching for fish stocks has a spatial distribution pattern of aggregation and close aggregation. The results of a hot-spot analysis show that the hot spots on a heat map for finding fish, which are closely spatially clustered, correspond to vessels searching for fish concentration areas and seine operation areas. Correlation testing shows that under a 5° × 5° grid, there is a high positive correlation between the fishing effort invested in finding fish stocks and the yield data, nets (r > 0.8), and a moderate correlation with catch per unit of effort(CPUE) (r > 0.3). Based on vessel behaviour, the location of the fish school can be directly determined, and the distribution of fish clusters and fishing grounds can be predicted. This study can aid in managing tuna purse seiners in the Western and Central Pacific Oceans and analysing changes in fishery resources.
X-ray Computed Tomography as a Tool for Screening Sediment Cores: An Application to the Lagoons of the Po River Delta (Italy)
Authors: Zonta Roberto , Fontolan Giorgio , Cassin Daniele , Dominik Janusz
Published: March 2021

Lagoon sediments have heterogeneous structure and texture, contain shells and plants and are often highly bioturbated and disturbed by human activities. In such sediments, the selection of representative cores and the choice of a subsampling strategy are important but difficult. In this study, we examine the usefulness of X-ray computed tomography (CT) for inferring sediment features that will help in making optimal decisions prior to core opening (24 cores from seven lagoons). Various algorithms (intensity projections, slice thickness, axial and sagittal images, CT number profiles and volumetric region of interest) are tested to visualise low- and high-density volumes or objects and to quantify the relations between the average volumetric CT number and the bulk density of the sediment matrix. The CT number is related mainly to water content and indirectly to total nitrogen and <16-μm grain-size fraction (model R2 = 0.94). The outliers are attributed to a weak correspondence between the fraction of sediment sampled for water content determination and the volume of sediment matrix used for CT number measurements in highly heterogeneous sediment slices. In conclusion, CT is a powerful tool for the initial screening of cores recovered from heterogeneous lagoon sediments. The adequate use of available algorithms may provide quantitative information on various sediment features, allowing the purposeful selection of cores and subsamples for further investigation.