bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening for Distress in Oncological Patients: The Revised Version of the Psychological Distress Inventory (PDI-R)
Authors: Rossi Alessandro Alberto , Marconi Maria , Taccini Federica , Verusio Claudio , Mannarini Stefania
Published: May 2022

Background

Psychological research in oncological settings is steadily increasing and the construct of psychological distress has rapidly gained popularity—leading to the development of questionnaires aimed at its measurement. The Psychological Distress Inventory (PDI) is one of the most used instruments, but its psychometric properties were not yet deeply evaluated. The present studies aimed at investigating the psychometric properties of the PDI (Study 1) and providing a revised version of the tool (Study 2).

Methods

Oncological outpatients were enrolled at the Department of Medical Oncology of the Presidio Ospedaliero of Saronno, ASST Valle Olona, Italy. For the first study (N= 251), an Exploratory Graph Analysis was used to explore the item structure of the PDI. In the second study (N= 902), the psychometric properties of the revised PDI (PDI-R) were deeply assessed.

Results

Study 1 showed that the PDI has a not clear structure and it should be reconsidered. On the opposite, Study 2 showed that the revised version (PDI-R) has a solid factorial structure, it is invariant across gender and age, and it has good psychometric properties.

Conclusion

Results suggest that the PDI-R is a reliable measure of psychological distress in different samples of oncological patients, with stronger psychometric properties than the original version. Its use in the clinical and research field is therefore recommended to improve the quality of both assessment and treatment of psychological distress in patients with oncological problems.
Mandarin and English Event Cognitive Alignment From Corpus-Based Semantic Fusion Model Perspective
Authors: Li Xiangling
Published: May 2022

The study explores the fusion of semantic roles and the different semantic fusion types, aiming at establishing a semantic fusion model to explain the cognitive alignment of events in Chinese and English simple sentence constructions containing two verbs. In total, 20,280 simple sentence constructions containing two verbs are collected from Chinese literary works, Peking University Chinese Corpus, and English classic literary works. The semantic fusion in the collected simple sentence constructions containing two verbs is classified into five major semantic fusion categories, which appear with different occurrence frequencies in the two languages. The semantic fusion model of event alignment is comprehensively supported by linguistic research in Chinese and English. From a cognitive linguistic perspective, it is found that the double semantic profiles of the same syntactic element N (noun) make N psychologically activated twice and enable it to enter two processes profiled by the two verbs as a participant. The two processes are combined into one event, which designates a cognitive occurrence of any degree of complexity. N’s entry into the two subevents is realized by its double semantic profiles that enable it to fuse two semantic roles into one syntactic element and explain the relationship between N’s double syntactic identities and double semantic roles. The semantic fusion model was used to explore event alignment in simple sentence constructions containing two verbs, and it was discovered that the fusion of two semantic roles is universal in languages and is a common psychological and cognitive behavior deeply rooted in the mental conceptualization of language users. The empirical discussion of simple sentence constructions containing two verbs proves that semantic fusion as an important psychological passage in event alignment has solid psychological reality and verifies the applicability of the semantic fusion model in the explanation of event alignment.
Engagement of Academic Staff Amidst COVID-19: The Role of Perceived Organisational Support, Burnout Risk, and Lack of Reciprocity as Psychological Conditions
Authors: van der Ross Melissa Reynell , Olckers Chantal , Schaap Pieter
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in radical changes within the higher education system, requiring academia to rapidly transition from the traditional learning model to a distance or blended model of learning to ensure continuity of educational processes. These changes have placed additional demands on academic staff who already have a heavy workload. According to the job demands-resources model, these additional demands may have an impact on the burnout risk, engagement, and well-being of academic staff. In alignment with the premises of positive psychology the primary objective of this study was to explore the interplay of three psychological conditions (meaningfulness, safety, and availability) needed to stimulate engagement. To investigate this interplay, the researchers connected Kahn’s theory on engagement with current concepts that focus on the person-role relationship, such as those dealt with in the job demands-resources model, organisational support theory, and perceptions of reciprocity. Mediating effects between burnout risk, engagement, and psychological well-being, as well as the moderating effect of lack of reciprocity, were tested using structural equation modelling. The study used a purposive, non-probability sampling method and a cross-sectional survey research design. Participants were 160 academic staff members employed at a university in South Africa. The findings of this study revealed that the three psychological conditions (meaningfulness, safety, and availability), which were operationalised as lack of reciprocity, perceived organisational support, and burnout risk, were significantly related to emotional engagement. Perceived organisational support (job resources), which met the criteria for psychological safety and some components of meaningfulness, displayed the strongest association with engagement. Policymakers within higher education institutions should be sensitive to the issues this study focused on, especially as regards the need to provide organisational support in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attitudes of Primary School Teachers Toward Inclusive Education
Authors: Radojlovic Jasmina , Kilibarda Tatjana , Radevic Svetlana , Maricic Milena , Parezanovic Ilic Katarina , Djordjic Milan , Colovic Sofija , Radmanovic Branimir , Sekulic Marija , Djordjevic Ognjen , Niciforovic Jovan , Simic Vukomanovic Ivana , Janicijevic Katarina , Radovanovic Snezana
Published: May 2022

Background

The aims of our study are related to examining the relevance of teachers' attitudes toward the implementation of inclusive education. In addition, its subject is related to the implications on inclusive education policies, limitations of the existing study along with the recommendations for our future research endeavors.

Methods

The research is a cross-sectional study type. The sample included 64 primary school teachers in the lower grades of primary school (grades 1–4), selected by using simple random sampling, in three primary schools on the territory of Belgrade, Serbia in 2021 (26, 17, and 21 primary school teachers). The Questionnaire for Teachers, which was used as a research instrument, was taken from the Master's Thesis Studen Rajke, which was part of the project “Education for the Knowledge Society” at the Institute for Educational Research in Belgrade. Dependent variables measured in the study referred to the attitudes of primary school teachers toward inclusive education. Categorical variables are represented as frequencies and the Chi-square test was used to determine if a distribution of observed frequencies differed from the expected frequencies.

Results

One in three teachers (32.8%) thought that inclusion was useful for children with disabilities (29.7%), of them thought that schools did not have the conditions for inclusive education, whereas one in four teachers (25.0%) believed that inclusion was not good. No statistically significant differences were found in the attitudes of professors, when observed in terms of their gender, age and length of service.

Conclusion

Investing more resources and time in developing and implementing special education policies can promote successful inclusive education.
The Impact of the Long-Term Care Insurance on the Medical Expenses and Health Status in China
Authors: Tang Yao , Chen Tianran , Zhao Yuan , Taghizadeh-Hesary Farhad
Published: May 2022

Based on the panel data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2011, 2015, and 2018, this paper used the difference-in-difference (DID) method to evaluate the implementation effect how the Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) policy impacted on the medical expenses and the health status of the middle-aged and elder population. The empirical results show that LTCI has reduced the outpatient and inpatient quantity by 0.1689 and 0.1093 per year, and cut the outpatient and inpatient expenses by 23.9% and 19.8% per year. Moreover, the implementation of LTCI has improved the self-rated health, the activity of daily living (ADL), as well as the mental health. These conclusions verify the implementation value of LTCI system and provide policy implications for the medical reform and the further LTCI implementation in a larger scale.
Vaccine Side Effects Following COVID-19 Vaccination Among the Residents of the UAE—An Observational Study
Authors: Ganesan Subhashini , Al Ketbi Latifa Mohammad Baynouna , Al Kaabi Nawal , Al Mansoori Mohammed , Al Maskari Noura Nasser , Al Shamsi Mariam Saif , Alderei Aysha Saeed , El Eissaee Hamada Nasser , Al Ketbi Rudina Mubarak , Al Shamsi Noura Saeed , Saleh Khuloud Mohammed , Al Blooshi Aysha Fahad , Cantarutti Flavia Martinez , Warren Katherine , Ahamed Faheem , Zaher Walid
Published: May 2022

COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be very safe in the clinical trials, however, there is less evidence comparing the safety of these vaccines in real-world settings. Therefore, we aim to investigate the nature and severity of the adverse effects reported and the differences based on the type of vaccine received. A survey was conducted among 1,878 adult (≥18 years) COVID-19 vaccine recipients through online survey platforms and telephonic interviews during March to September 2021. The factors potentially associated with the reported side effects like age, gender, ethnicity, comorbidities, and previous COVID-19 infection were analyzed based on the type of vaccine received. Differences in adverse events and the severity were compared between inactivated and mRNA vaccine recipients. The major adverse effects reported by the COVID-19 vaccine recipients were pain at the site of injection, fatigue and drowsiness, and headache followed by joint/muscle pain. The adverse effects were more common among recipients of mRNA Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine than among recipients of inactive Sinopharm vaccine with the odds ratio of 1.39 (95% CI 1.14–1.68). The average number of adverse effects reported between individuals who had received Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines was 1.61 ± 2.08 and 2.20 ± 2.58, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p <0.001). Severe adverse effects after COVID-19 vaccinations were rare and 95% of the adverse effects reported after either an inactivated or mRNA vaccine were mild requiring no or home-based treatment. The study found that individuals less than 55 years of age, female gender, with history of one or more comorbid conditions, who had received mRNA Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine, and with history of COVID-19 infections are at higher odds of developing an adverse effect post COVID-19 vaccination compared to the others.
Integrated Blockchain-Deep Learning Approach for Analyzing the Electronic Health Records Recommender System
Authors: Mantey Eric Appiah , Zhou Conghua , Srividhya S. R. , Jain Sanjiv Kumar , Sundaravadivazhagan B.
Published: May 2022

Blockchain is a recent revolutionary technology primarily associated with cryptocurrencies. It has many unique features including its acting as a decentralized, immutable, shared, and distributed ledger. Blockchain can store all types of data with better security. It avoids third-party intervention to ensure better security of the data. Deep learning is another booming field that is mostly used in computer applications. This work proposes an integrated environment of a blockchain-deep learning environment for analyzing the Electronic Health Records (EHR). The EHR is the medical documentation of a patient which can be shared among hospitals and other public health organizations. The proposed work enables a deep learning algorithm act as an agent to analyze the EHR data which is stored in the blockchain. This proposed integrated environment can alert the patients by means of a reminder for consultation, diet chart, etc. This work utilizes the deep learning approach to analyze the EHR, after which an alert will be sent to the patient's registered mobile number.
Adaptations in Muscular Strength for Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis Following Robotic Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review
Authors: Mannella Kailynn , Cudlip Alan C. , Holmes Michael W. R.
Published: May 2022

Muscular weakness and loss of motor function are common symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Robotic rehabilitation can improve sensorimotor function and motor control in this population. However, many studies using robotics for rehabilitation have overlooked changes in muscular strength, despite research demonstrating its utility in combating functional impairments. The purpose of this scoping review was to critically examine changes in muscular strength following robotic rehabilitation interventions for individuals with multiple sclerosis. A literature search of five databases was conducted and search terms included a combination of three primary terms: robotic rehabilitation/training, muscular strength, and multiple sclerosis. Thirty one articles were found, and following inclusion criteria, 5 remained for further investigation. Although muscular strength was not the primary targeted outcome of the training for any of the included articles, increases in muscular strength were present in most of the studies suggesting that robotic therapy with a resistive load can be an effective alternative to resistance training for increasing muscular strength. Outcome measures of isometric knee-extensor force (kg) (right: p < 0.05, left: p < 0.05), isometric knee flexion and extension torque (Nm) (p < 0.05), ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion torque (Nm) (all p < 0.05) and handgrip force (kg) (p < 0.05) all improved following a robotic training intervention. These adaptations occurred with sustained low resistive loads of hand grip or during gait training. This scoping review concludes that, despite a lack of studies focusing on strength, there is evidence robotics is a useful modality to improve muscular strength in combination with motor control and neuromotor improvements. A call for more studies to document changes in strength during robotic rehabilitation protocols is warranted.
Transit-Oriented Data: The Importance of Data and Coordination to Transit-Oriented Urban Transformation
Authors: Ray Rosalie Singerman , Garrick Norman , Atkinson-Palombo Carol
Published: May 2022

Planners, academics, and policy-makers recognize the importance of transit-oriented development (TOD) in building resilient and sustainable cities, though implementation has not always lived up to expectations. TOD is an example of a network governance problem as actors from multiple organizations (developers, lenders, and multiple government agencies at different scales), each with their own goals, must come together for an extended time to manage risk and implement a single solution. Less well-studied is the importance of spatial data and state-level coordination to this task, both in identifying sites and in developing policies at the state or regional level to encourage and prioritize TOD in certain areas. This study uses a 1+n case study model, focusing on a primary case (Connecticut's TOD efforts) but using the experience of other states (MassGIS and the New Jersey Transit Villages program) to inform the primary case. Working from interviews with Connecticut stakeholders and participant observation in TOD policy development, the study explores the coordination and governance challenges surrounding state intervention as well as the role that Connecticut's weak state geospatial data play in the efforts to develop TOD projects. Connecticut was until recently one of only five states without a state geographic information officer, making it a “black swan” case that can illuminate the perhaps unseen role that strong spatial data infrastructures play in other states' policymaking. Moreover, the comparison between New Jersey's Transit Villages Program and Connecticut's efforts signal that more work is needed to manage the difficult paradigm shift toward state support of TOD.
A Topic Modeling Comparison Between LDA, NMF, Top2Vec, and BERTopic to Demystify Twitter Posts
Authors: Egger Roman , Yu Joanne
Published: May 2022

The richness of social media data has opened a new avenue for social science research to gain insights into human behaviors and experiences. In particular, emerging data-driven approaches relying on topic models provide entirely new perspectives on interpreting social phenomena. However, the short, text-heavy, and unstructured nature of social media content often leads to methodological challenges in both data collection and analysis. In order to bridge the developing field of computational science and empirical social research, this study aims to evaluate the performance of four topic modeling techniques; namely latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), Top2Vec, and BERTopic. In view of the interplay between human relations and digital media, this research takes Twitter posts as the reference point and assesses the performance of different algorithms concerning their strengths and weaknesses in a social science context. Based on certain details during the analytical procedures and on quality issues, this research sheds light on the efficacy of using BERTopic and NMF to analyze Twitter data.
Intraoperative Monitoring Cerebral Blood Flow During the Treatment of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations in Hybrid Operating Room by Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging
Authors: Tao Sicai , Zhang Tingbao , Zhou Keyao , Liu Xiaohu , Feng Yu , Zhao Wenyuan , Chen Jincao
Published: May 2022

Background

Hemodynamic changes caused by hybrid surgery for brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVM) are usually related to long-term lesions from “blood stealing”. There are currently no viable low-cost, noninvasive procedures for assessing cerebral perfusion in the operating room. This study aims to investigate the use of intraoperative laser speckle contrast image (LSCI) software in AVM surgery.

Methods

In Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 14 patients who underwent surgery with LSCI were collected. To analyze the hemodynamic features of AVM and the influence on the peripheral cortex of AVM embolization and resection, we assessed the transit time between feeding arteries and drainage veins by intraoperative digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Meanwhile, LSCI was performed at pre-embolization, post-embolization, and after complete resection of bAVM.

Results

In this study, the transit time of bAVM before and after embolization was compared, the transit time before embolization was significantly shorter than that after embolization (p < 0.05). We also got good visualization of relative CBF, in addition, to flow imaging in the cortical vasculature round bAVM with LSCI. The flux of post-surgery was significantly higher than pre-embolization (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Hemodynamic variable assessment plays an important role in the resection of AVM in the hybrid operative room and LSCI can be used to visualize and evaluate cortical cerebral blood flow to detect pathological hyperperfusion in real-time with a good spatial-temporal resolution in a sensitive and continuous, non-invasive mode.
Histomonosis in Poultry: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Beer Lesleigh C. , Petrone-Garcia Victor M. , Graham B. Danielle , Hargis Billy M. , Tellez-Isaias Guillermo , Vuong Christine N.
Published: May 2022

Histomonas meleagridis, the etiological agent of histomonosis, is a poultry parasite primarily detrimental to turkeys. Characteristic lesions occur in the liver and ceca, with mortalities in turkey flocks often reaching 80–100%. Chickens and other gallinaceous birds can be susceptible but the disease was primarily considered sub-clinical until recent years. Treating and preventing H. meleagridis infection have become more difficult since 2015, when nitarsone was voluntarily removed from the market, leaving the poultry industry with no approved prophylactics, therapeutics, or vaccines to combat histomonosis. Phytogenic compounds evaluated for chemoprophylaxis of histomonosis have varied results with in vitro and in vivo experiments. Some recent research successes are encouraging for the pursuit of antihistomonal compounds derived from plants. Turkeys and chickens exhibit a level of resistance to re-infection when recovered from H. meleagridis infection, but no commercial vaccines are yet available, despite experimental successes. Safety and stability of live-attenuated isolates have been demonstrated; furthermore, highly efficacious protection has been conferred in experimental settings with administration of these isolates without harming performance. Taken together, these research advancements are encouraging for vaccine development, but further investigation is necessary to evaluate proper administration age, dose, and route. A summary of the published research is provided in this review.
The Bacteriophage vB_CbrM_HP1 Protects Crucian Carp Against Citrobacter braakii Infection
Authors: Huang Chunzheng , Feng Chao , Liu Xiao , Zhao Rihong , Wang Zijing , Xi Hengyu , Ou Hongda , Han Wenyu , Guo Zhimin , Gu Jingmin , Zhang Lei
Published: May 2022

Citrobacter braakii is an opportunistic pathogen that induces aquatic infections in fish and turtles. In this study, a bacteriophage that infects C. braakii, named vB_CbrM_HP1, was isolated from sewage. This phage belongs to Myoviridae family, Ounavirinae subfamily, Mooglevirus genus. We also used the phage to treat crucian carp infection caused by C. braakii for the first time. vB_CbrM_HP1 was relatively stable at temperatures ranging from 4 to 60°C and pH values ranging from 3 to 11 but float slightly. When the multiplicities of infection (MOI) was 0.0001, the titer reached a maximum of 4.20 × 1010 PFU/ml. As revealed from the results of whole genomic sequence analysis, the total length of vB_CbrM_HP1 was 89335 bp, encoding 135 ORFs, 9 of which were <75% similar to the known sequences in NCBI. The phage vB_CbrM_HP1 showed a highly efficient bactericidal effect against C. braakii both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, vB_CbrM_HP1 was capable of effectively killing bacteria (the colony count decreased by 4.7 log units at 5 h). In vivo, administration of vB_CbrM_HP1 (1 × 109 PFU) effectively protected crucian carp against fatal infection caused by C. braakii. Phage treatment reduced the levels of inflammatory factors. All these results demonstrated the potential of vB_CbrM_HP1 as an alternative treatment strategy for infections caused by C. braakii.
MEOX2 Regulates the Growth and Survival of Glioblastoma Stem Cells by Modulating Genes of the Glycolytic Pathway and Response to Hypoxia
Authors: Proserpio Carla , Galardi Silvia , Desimio Maria Giovanna , Michienzi Alessandro , Doria Margherita , Minutolo Antonella , Matteucci Claudia , Ciafrè Silvia Anna
Published: May 2022

The most widely accepted hypothesis for the development of glioblastoma suggests that glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs) are crucially involved in tumor initiation and recurrence as well as in the occurrence of chemo- and radio-resistance. Mesenchyme homeobox 2 (MEOX2) is a transcription factor overexpressed in glioblastoma, whose expression is negatively correlated with patient survival. Starting from our observation that MEOX2 expression is strongly enhanced in six GSC lines, we performed shRNA-mediated knock-down experiments in two different GSC lines and found that MEOX2 depletion resulted in the inhibition of cell growth and sphere-forming ability and an increase in apoptotic cell death. By a deep transcriptome analysis, we identified a core group of genes modulated in response to MEOX2 knock-down. Among these genes, the repressed ones are largely enriched in genes involved in the hypoxic response and glycolytic pathway, two strictly related pathways that contribute to the resistance of high-grade gliomas to therapies. An in silico study of the regulatory regions of genes differentially expressed by MEOX2 knock-down revealed that they mainly consisted of GC-rich regions enriched for Sp1 and Klf4 binding motifs, two main regulators of metabolism in glioblastoma. Our results show, for the first time, the involvement of MEOX2 in the regulation of genes of GSC metabolism, which is essential for the survival and growth of these cells.
A Novel Estrogen Receptor β Agonist Diminishes Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells via Suppressing the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
Authors: Banerjee Ananya , Cai Shurui , Xie Guozhen , Li Na , Bai Xuetao , Lavudi Kousalya , Wang Kevin , Zhang Xiaoli , Zhang Junran , Patnaik Srinivas , Backes Floor J. , Bennett Chad , Wang Qi-En
Published: May 2022

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal malignancy of the female reproductive tract. A healthy ovary expresses both Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) and β (ERβ). Given that ERα is generally considered to promote cell survival and proliferation, thereby, enhancing tumor growth, while ERβ shows a protective effect against the development and progression of tumors, the activation of ERβ by its agonists could be therapeutically beneficial for ovarian cancer. Here, we demonstrate that the activation of ERβ using a newly developed ERβ agonist, OSU-ERb-12, can impede ovarian cancer cell expansion and tumor growth in an ERα-independent manner. More interestingly, we found that OSU-ERb-12 also reduces the cancer stem cell (CSC) population in ovarian cancer by compromising non-CSC-to-CSC conversion. Mechanistically, we revealed that OSU-ERb-12 decreased the expression of Snail, a master regulator of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is associated with de novo CSC generation. Given that ERα can mediate EMT and facilitate maintenance of the CSC subpopulation and that OSU-ERb-12 can block the transactivity of ERα, we conclude that OSU-ERb-12 reduces the CSC subpopulation by inhibiting EMT in an ERα-dependent manner. Taken together, our data indicate that the ERβ agonist OSU-ERb-12 could be used to hinder tumor progression and limit the CSC subpopulation with the potential to prevent tumor relapse and metastasis in patients with ovarian cancer.
Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer: A Comparison between Multimodality Treatment vs. Androgen Deprivation Therapy Alone
Authors: Mistretta Francesco A. , Luzzago Stefano , Conti Andrea , Verri Elena , Marvaso Giulia , Collà Ruvolo Claudia , Catellani Michele , Di Trapani Ettore , Cozzi Gabriele , Bianchi Roberto , Ferro Matteo , Cordima Giovanni , Brescia Antonio , Cossu Rocca Maria , Mirone Vincenzo , Jereczek-Fossa Barbara A. , Nolè Franco , de Cobelli Ottavio , Musi Gennaro
Published: May 2022

Background: We compared multimodality treatment (MMT, defined as robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), with or without adjuvant radiotherapy (RT)) vs. ADT alone in oligometastatic prostate cancer (OPC) patients. Methods: From 2010 to 2018, we identified 74 patients affected by cM1a-b OPC (≤5 metastases). Kaplan–Meier (KM) plots depicted cancer-specific mortality (CSM), disease progression, metastatic castration-resistant PC (mCRPC), and time to second-line systemic therapy rates. Multivariable Cox regression models (MCRMs) focused on disease progression and mCRPC. Results: Forty (54.0%) MMT and thirty-four (46.0%) ADT patients were identified. On KM plots, higher CSM (5.9 vs. 37.1%; p = 0.02), mCRPC (24.0 vs. 62.5%; p < 0.01), and second-line systemic therapy (33.3 vs. 62.5%; p < 0.01) rates were recorded in the ADT group. No statistically significant difference was recorded for disease progression. ForMCRMs adjusted for the metastatic site and PSA, a higher mCRPC rate was recorded in the ADT group. No statistically significant difference was recorded for disease progression. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 5 (12.5%) MMT vs. 15 (44.1%) ADT patients (p < 0.01). Conclusions: MMT was associated with lower CSM, mCRPC, and second-line therapy rates. A lower rate of treatment-related adverse events was recorded for the MMT group.
Osseous Union after Mandible Reconstruction with Fibula Free Flap Using Manually Bent Plates vs. Patient-Specific Implants: A Retrospective Analysis of 89 Patients
Authors: Knitschke Michael , Sonnabend Sophia , Roller Fritz Christian , Pons-Kühnemann Jörn , Schmermund Daniel , Attia Sameh , Streckbein Philipp , Howaldt Hans-Peter , Böttger Sebastian
Published: May 2022

The aim of this monocentric, retrospective clinical study was to evaluate the status of osseous union in uni- and poly-segmental mandible reconstructions regarding conventional angle-stable manually bent osteosynthesis plates (Unilock 2.0 mm) versus titan laser-melted PSI patient-specific implant’s (PSI). The clinical impact of PSI’s high stiffness fixation methods on bone healing and regeneration is still not well addressed. The special interest was in evaluating the ossification of junctions between mandible and fibula and between osteotomized fibula free flap (FFF) segments. Panoramic radiograph (OPT), computed tomography (CT) scans, or cone-beam CTs (CBCT) of patients who underwent successful FFF for mandible reconstruction from January 2005 to December 2020 were analyzed. A total number of 89 cases (28 females (31.5%), 61 males (68.5%), mean age 58.2 ± 11.3 years, range: 22.8–82.7 years) fulfilled the chosen inclusion criteria for analysis (conventional: n = 44 vs. PSI: n = 45). The present study found an overall incomplete ossification (IOU) rate of 24.7% (conventional: 13.6% vs. PSI: 35.6%; p = 0.017) for mandible to fibula and intersegmental junctions. Between osteotomized FFF segments, an IOU rate of 16% was found in the PSI-group, while no IOU was recorded in the conventional group (p = 0.015). Significant differences were registered for IOU rates in poly-segmental (p = 0.041), and lateral (p = 0.016) mandibular reconstructions when PSI was used. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified plate exposure and type of plate used as independent risk factors for IOU. Previous or adjuvant radiotherapy did not impact incomplete osseous union in the evaluated study sample. PSI is more rigid than bent mini-plates and shields functional mechanical stimuli, and is the main reason for increasing the rate of incomplete ossification. To enhance the functional stimulus for ossification it has to be discussed if patient-specific implants can be designed to be thinner, and should be divided into segmental plates. This directs chewing forces through the bone and improves physiological bone remodeling.
Helminth Community of the Black Margate Anisotremus surinamensis (Teleostei: Haemulidae), from Coral Reefs off the Veracruz Coast, Mexico, Southern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Montoya-Mendoza Jesús , Salgado-Maldonado Guillermo , Blanco-Segovia Carlos Roberto , Mendoza-Franco Edgar F. , Lango-Reynoso Fabiola
Published: May 2022

We describe the composition and structure of the helminth community of the black margate Anisotremus surinamensis in coral reefs from the Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano (PNSAV) off the Veracruz coast. We examined a total of 78 specimens (total length TL range 21.7–77.9, mean 33.7 cm) (28 males, TL range 22.5–51.5, mean 32.7 cm; 50 females, TL range 21.7–77.9, mean 34.3 cm) of A. surinamensis. At least nine helminth taxa (seven intestinal) were found, for all of which A. surinamensis is a new host. Our inventory includes two new geographic records for the southern Gulf of Mexico: the digeneans Cainocreadium oscitans (Linton, 1910) and Infundiburictus longovatus (Hopkins, 1941). Observed component community richness (S = 9) and infracommunity richness (mean ± SD, S = 2.8 ± 1.3) for A. surinamensis were lower than previously recorded richness for the sympatric A. virginicus and other coral reef fishes from the PNSAV. Numerically dominant taxa were trematodes (four taxa) and monogeneans (two), followed by nematodes (one), acanthocephalans (and) and cestodes (one). The trematode Monorchis latus was the more prevalent, more abundant and numerically dominant helminth species in the community of parasites of A. surinamensis.
KEADA: Identifying Key Classes in Software Systems Using Dynamic Analysis and Entropy-Based Metrics
Authors: Wang Liuhai , Du Xin , Jiang Bo , Pan Weifeng , Ming Hua , Liu Dongsheng
Published: May 2022

Software maintenance is indispensable in the software development process. Developers need to spend a lot of time and energy to understand the software when maintaining the software, which increases the difficulty of software maintenance. It is a feasible method to understand the software through the key classes of the software. Identifying the key classes of the software can help developers understand the software more quickly. Existing techniques on key class identification mainly use static analysis techniques to extract software structure information. Such structure information may contain redundant relationships that may not exist when the software runs and ignores the actual interaction times between classes. In this paper, we propose an approach based on dynamic analysis and entropy-based metrics to identify key classes in the Java GUI software system, called KEADA (identifying KEy clAsses based on Dynamic Analysis and entropy-based metrics). First, KEADA extracts software structure information by recording the calling relationship between classes during the software running process; such structure information takes into account the actual interaction of classes. Second, KEADA represents the structure information as a weighted directed network and further calculates the importance of each node using an entropy-based metric OSE (One-order Structural Entropy). Third, KEADA ranks classes in descending order according to their OSE values and selects a small number of classes as the key class candidates. In order to verify the effectiveness of our approach, we conducted experiments on three Java GUI software systems and compared them with seven state-of-the-art approaches. We used the Friedman test to evaluate all approaches, and the results demonstrate that our approach performs best in all software systems.
An Efficient Online Trajectory Generation Method Based on Kinodynamic Path Search and Trajectory Optimization for Human-Robot Interaction Safety
Authors: Liu Hongyan , Qu Daokui , Xu Fang , Du Zhenjun , Jia Kai , Liu Mingmin
Published: May 2022

With the rapid development of robot perception and planning technology, robots are gradually getting rid of fixed fences and working closely with humans in shared workspaces. The safety of human-robot coexistence has become critical. Traditional motion planning methods perform poorly in dynamic environments where obstacles motion is highly uncertain. In this paper, we propose an efficient online trajectory generation method to help manipulator autonomous planning in dynamic environments. Our approach starts with an efficient kinodynamic path search algorithm that considers the links constraints and finds a safe and feasible initial trajectory with minimal control effort and time. To increase the clearance between the trajectory and obstacles and improve the smoothness, a trajectory optimization method using the B-spline convex hull property is adopted to minimize the penalty of collision cost, smoothness, and dynamical feasibility. To avoid the collisions between the links and obstacles and the collisions of the links themselves, a constraint-relaxed links collision avoidance method is developed by solving a quadratic programming problem. Compared with the existing state-of-the-art planning method for dynamic environments and advanced trajectory optimization method, our method can generate a smoother, collision-free trajectory in less time with a higher success rate. Detailed simulation comparison experiments, as well as real-world experiments, are reported to verify the effectiveness of our method.
Pyrolysis Characteristics of Hailar Lignite in the Presence of Polyvinyl Chloride: Products Distribution and Chlorine Migration
Authors: Fan Hui , Ren Menglin , Feng Caiyun , Jiao Yue , Bai Yonghui , Ma Qingxiang
Published: May 2022

This study investigated the effects of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) addition on low-rank coal’s pyrolysis characteristics, especially the products distribution and chlorine migration. Hailar lignite (HLE) with different industrial, pure, PVC-content additions were prepared (the mass percentage of PVC addition was from 5% to 25%), and the co-pyrolysis characteristics of HLE and PVC were performed on a fixed-bed reactor and thermogravimetric analyzer. The chars were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis. The gas and tar compositions were analyzed by using gas chromatography (GC) and a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) system, respectively. The results indicate that the addition of PVC can increase the release amounts of CH4, C2H4, and C2H6, simultaneously reducing the release amount of CO2 and CO; the quality of pyrolysis tar was also improved, especially the alkane content in tar, which increased by 6.9%. The migration of chlorine in PVC was analyzed with the different PVC additions and terminal pyrolysis temperatures. It showed that the content of chlorine in the gas phase first increased with the increasing pyrolysis temperature, but at the terminal temperature of 600 °C, the chlorine in the gas phase began to decrease. The results of the co-pyrolysis char characterization show that the content of the alkali metal oxide gradually decreases in the char, and metal chloride appears during the pyrolysis process. In the co-pyrolysis reaction of coal and PVC, chlorine was fixed in the char, thereby reducing the distribution of chlorine in the gas phase. This also proves that the PVC pyrolysis process, with the participation of low-rank coal, can enrich chlorine into the solid phase, thus reducing the emission of chlorine in the gas phase.
Distribution Characteristics of Micro Remaining Oil of Class III Reservoirs after Fracture Flooding in Daqing Oilfield
Authors: Jiang Nan , Zhang Zilu , Qu Guohui , Zhi Jiqiang , Zhang Rongzhou
Published: May 2022

The class III reservoir in the Daqing Oilfield has poor sand body development, poor reservoir physical properties, and poor effects of measures. Its water drive recovery degree is low and the remaining reserves are large. It is the key target oil layer of the Daqing Oilfield. Due to the sedimentary characteristics and reservoir physical properties of class III reservoirs, conventional EOR technology (chemical flooding) and conventional stimulation and injection measures (fracturing) have poor potential tapping effects on class III reservoirs. According to the special reservoir conditions and development characteristics of the class III reservoir in the Daqing Oilfield, fracture-flooding technology is innovatively proposed, which greatly improves the recovery of remaining oil in class III reservoirs. The rapid injection of hydraulic surface activators into the formation and displacement of the remaining oil in class III reservoirs through rock core flooding experiments were simulated in this paper. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), confocal scanning laser, and computed tomography (CT)-scanning technologies were applied to study the remaining oil distribution after fracture flooding. The results show that: (1) After fracture flooding, the peak value of the T2 spectrum curve of NMR shifts to the left and the degree of middle and small pore space production increases obviously. (2) Confocal scanning laser study shows that the remaining oil in thin membranous and clustered forms on pore surfaces is highly utilized. (3) CT scan study shows that the remaining oil in membranous and clustered forms is effectively utilized after fracture flooding. In summary, fracture-flooding technology can improve the washing efficiency and sweep volume of class III reservoirs, thus enhancing the recovery efficiency of class III reservoirs.
Sedimentary Characteristics of Lacustrine Beach-Bars and Their Formation in the Paleogene Weixinan Sag of Beibuwan Basin, Northern South China Sea
Authors: He Jie , Wang Hua , Jiang Tao , Liu Entao , Chen Si , Jiang Ping
Published: May 2022

Beach-bar reservoirs have been promising hydrocarbon-bearing exploration advances in the Beibuwan Basin, especially in the WZ12-2 area within the Weixinan sag. The sedimentary characteristics, distribution and formation mechanisms of beach-bar sand bodies in Mbr2 (Member 2) of the Paleogene Liushagang Fm. in the WZ12-2 area within the Weixinan sag were analyzed based on well-log, seismic and core data on thin section and heavy mineral data. Mbr2 in the WZ12-2 area comprises a third-order sequence, which consists of three systems tracts (lowstand systems tract, transgressive systems tract and a locally developed highstand systems tract). Thick beach-bar sand bodies are developed in the WZ12-2 area during the lowstand systems tract stage. The formation of sandy beach-bar sand bodies can be divided into five stages. By integrating lithology, mineral composition, sedimentary structures and geophysical characteristics, it can be concluded that the beach-bar sand bodies in the study area were controlled by paleotopography, hydrodynamic environment, sediment provenance and lake-level variation. The gentle slope of the Qixi uplift and relatively stable passive tectonic background during the deposition of Mbr2 of the Liushagang Fm. laid a solid paleogeomorphological foundation for beach-bar deposition. Strong hydrodynamic forces and shallow water further contributed to beach-bar sand bodies formation. In addition, the sands in the fan delta in the northwestern part of the area served as point provenance and the deposits in the southeast acted as linear provenance in providing sediments to the beach-bars. High-frequency variations of the lake level drove vertical stacking of the beach-bar sand bodies and considerable lateral extension over a large area. The sedimentary characteristics and formation mechanism of lacustrine beach-bars in this study may provide a reference for hydrocarbon exploration in other similar basins in the world.
Multi-Objective Optimal Scheduling of CHP Microgrid Considering Conditional Value-at-Risk
Authors: Jia Shiduo , Kang Xiaoning
Published: May 2022

A combined heating and power (CHP) microgrid has high flexibility and economy, but the output of renewable energy is uncertain. Meanwhile, excessive flexible load adjustment in the demand response process will increase user dissatisfaction. In order to solve the above problems, this paper quantifies uncertainty with the conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) of relative disturbance. Additionally, a multi-objective optimal scheduling model that takes into account both the operating economy and the demand-side power consumption satisfaction is established. In order to solve the multi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem well, we propose an improved sparrow search algorithm (ISSA), which solves the problem that the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) is prone to low accuracy, insufficient in population diversity and easy to be trapped in local optimum. Combined with the non-dominated solution ranking method, ISSA has the ability of multi-objective optimization. Finally, simulation on a typical CHP microgrid is performed. The optimization results under different confidence levels and risk preference coefficients are compared and analyzed. When the risk preference coefficient is 0.1, 2 and 5, the minimum rotating reserve capacity is 75.17 kW, 82.83 kW, and 105.70 kW in the electric part and 40.08 kW, 59.89 kW, and 61.94 kW in the thermal part. The effectiveness of the proposed CVaR of relative disturbance is verified.
The Impact of Oil Price Fluctuations on Consumption, Output, and Investment in China’s Industrial Sectors
Authors: Sun Zhaoyong , Cai Xinyu , Huang Wei-Chiao
Published: May 2022

This paper aims to simulate and evaluate the impacts of increases and decreases in oil price on industrial sectors in China. We develop an oil-economy computable general equilibrium (OE-CGE) model with crude oil as an important factor in production. The transmission mechanism of crude oil price swings to various industrial sectors is described in the model. We calibrate parameters in the model parameters using input-output data. In addition, we simulate the rise and fall of oil prices in the model and assess the impact of crude oil prices on various industrial sectors. The results show that crude oil price changes have the greatest impact on the output and consumption of crude oil and gas extraction products sector, crude oil refined coke products, and processed nuclear fuel products sector. The investment of public utilities sector is the most sensitive to changes in crude oil price. When the price of crude oil changes, its investment drops significantly. Crude oil price stability is extremely important for investment and output stability in all sectors.
Similarity Index–Probabilistic Confidence Estimation of SARS-CoV-2 Strain Relatedness in Localized Outbreaks
Authors: Bilal Mahmood Y.
Published: May 2022

Outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 can be attributed to expanding small-scale localized infection subclusters that eventually propagate into regional and global outspread. These infections are driven by spatial as well as temporal mutational dynamics wherein virions diverge genetically as transmission occurs. Mutational similarity or dissimilarity of viral strains, stemming from shared spatiotemporal fields, thence serves as a gauge of relatedness. In our clinical laboratory, molecular epidemiological analyses of strain association are performed qualitatively from genomic sequencing data. These methods however carry a degree of uncertainty when the samples are not qualitatively, with reasonable confidence, deemed identical or dissimilar. We propose a theoretical mathematical model for probability derivation of outbreak-sample similarity as a function of spatial dynamics, shared and different mutations, and total number of samples involved. This Similarity Index utilizes an Essen-Möller ratio of similar and dissimilar mutations between the strains in question. The indices are compared to each strain within an outbreak, and then the final Similarity Index of the outbreak group is calculated to determine quantitative confidence of group relatedness. We anticipate that this model will be useful in evaluating strain associations in SARS-CoV-2 and other viral outbreaks utilizing molecular data.