bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and implementation of site-specific Hepatitis C Virus treatment workflows for treating vulnerable, high-risk populations: protocol of the Erase Hep C study, a prospective single-arm intervention trial
Authors: Desai Anmol , O’Neal Lauren , Reinis Kia , Chang Patrick , Brown Cristal , Stefanowicz Michael , Kuang Audrey , Agrawal Deepak , Bhavnani Darlene , Mercer Tim
Published: February 2023

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading indication for liver transplantation and liver-related mortality. The development of direct acting antivirals (DAA) and a simplified treatment algorithm with a >97% cure rate should make global elimination of HCV an achievable goal. Yet, vulnerable populations with high rates of HCV still have limited access to treatment. By designing locally contextualized site-specific HCV treatment workflows, we aim to cure HCV in vulnerable, high-risk populations, including people experiencing homelessness (PEH) and people who inject drugs (PWID), in Austin, Texas.
Methods: Our implementation science study will utilize a mixed methods approach to characterize patient and systemic barriers and facilitators to HCV treatment in vulnerable, high-risk populations seeking care across seven diverse primary care clinics serving PEHs and PWIDs. Qualitative interviews guided by the Practical, Robust Implementation and Suitability Model (1)framework will identify barriers and facilitators by leveraging knowledge and experience from both clinic staff and patients. Data synthesized using thematic analysis and design thinking will feed into workshops with clinic stakeholders for idea generation to design site-specific HCV treatment workflows. Providers will be trained on the use of a simplified HCV treatment algorithm with DAAs, and clinic staff on the new site-specific HCV treatment workflows. These workflows will be implemented by the seven diverse primary care clinics serving vulnerable, high-risk populations. Implementation and clinical outcomes will be measured using data collected through interviews with staff as well as through medical chart review.
Discussion: Our study provides a model of how to contextualize and implement site-specific HCV treatment workflows targeting vulnerable, high-risk populations in other geographic locations. This model can be adopted for future implementation research programs aiming to develop and implement site-specific treatment workflows for vulnerable, high-risk populations and in primary care clinical settings for other disease states beyond just HCV.
Trial Registration: Registered on ClinicalTrials.govon July, 14, 2022. Identifier: NCT05460130. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05460130
Quantitation of Dynamic Total-Body PET Imaging: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives
Authors: Gu Fengyun , Wu Qi
Published: February 2023

Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning is an important diagnostic imaging technique used in disease diagnosis, therapy planning, treatment monitoring and medical research. The standardized uptake value (SUV) obtained at a single time frame has been widely employed in clinical practice. Well beyond this simple static measure, more detailed metabolic information can be recovered from dynamic PET scans, followed by the recovery of arterial input function and application of appropriate tracer kinetic models. Many efforts have been devoted to the development of quantitative techniques over the last couple of decades.
The advent of new-generation total-body PET scanners characterized by ultra-high sensitivity and long axial field of view, i.e., uEXPLORER (United Imaging Healthcare), PennPET Explorer (University of Pennsylvania) and Biograph Vision Quadra (Siemens Healthineers), further stimulate valuable inspiration to map kinetics for multiple organs simultaneously. But some emerging issues also need to be addressed, e.g., the large-scale data size and organ-specific physiology. The direct implementation of classical methods for total-body PET imaging without proper validation may lead to less accurate results.
In this contribution, the published dynamic total-body PET datasets are outlined and several challenges/opportunities for quantitation of such types of studies are presented. An overview of the basic equation, calculation of input function (based on blood sampling, image, population or mathematical model) and kinetic analysis encompassing parametric (compartmental model, graphical plot and spectral analysis) and non-parametric (B-spline and piece-wise basis elements) approaches is provided. The discussion mainly focuses on the feasibilities, recent developments and future perspectives of these methodologies for a diverse-tissue environment.
PCM-based hybrid thermal management system for photovoltaic modules: A comparative analysis
Authors: Lamba Ravita , Montero Francisco Javier , Rehman Tauseef-ur , Singh Sarveshwar , Manikandan Sundararaj
Published: February 2023

Temperature regulation of photovoltaic (PV) modules increases their performance. Among various cooling techniques, phase change materials (PCMs) represent an effective thermal management route, thanks to their large latent heat at constant temperatures. Radiative cooling (RC) is also recently explored as a passive option for PV temperature regulation. In this paper, a heat sink (HS), phase change materials, and radiative cooling are integrated with photovoltaic modules to get low and uniform temperature distribution along the PV module and its improved performance. Eight different combinations are considered for the proposed system, including HS, PCM, and RC and their various combinations. The PCM is selected according to the environmental conditions of a specific location. A comprehensive 2-D model is developed and analyzed in COMSOL-Multiphysics software by solving the governing equations using the finite element method. The performance analysis is carried out for the climatic conditions of the Atacama Desert, having high solar radiation and ambient temperature. The effects of PCM height, ambient temperature, wind velocity, and solar radiation on the performance of the proposed system are studied. The performance of eight different configurations is also compared. The maximum reduction in PV temperature, maximum PV power and a minimum drop in PV conversion efficiency are observed to be 22 K, 152 W and 14% using a combined heat sink and radiative cooling systems, among all other configurations. The findings of this study can be used to select the best PV cooling method among different configurations.
Ageing restructures the basal transcriptome of the core hypothalamic osmoregulatory control centre and alters the response to dehydration
Authors: Elsamad Ghadir , Mecawi Andre , Pauža Audrys , Gillard Benjamin , Paterson Alex , Duque Victor , Šarenac Olivera , Žigon Nina , Greenwood Mingkwan , Greenwood Michael , Murphy David
Published: February 2023

Ageing is associated with altered neuroendocrine function. In the context of the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus, which makes the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin, ageing alters acute responses to hyperosmotic cues, rendering the elderly more susceptible to dehydration. Chronically, vasopressin has been associated with numerous diseases of old age, including type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Bulk RNAseq transcriptome analysis has been used to catalogue the polyadenylated supraoptic nucleus transcriptomes of adult (3 months) and aged (18 months) rats in basal euhydrated and stimulated dehydrated conditions. Gene ontology and Weighted Correlation Network Analysis revealed that ageing is associated with alterations in the expression of extracellular matrix genes. Interestingly, whilst the transcriptomic response to dehydration is overall blunted in aged animals compared to adults, there is a specific enrichment of differentially expressed genes related to neurodegenerative processes in the aged cohort, suggesting that dehydration itself may provoke degenerative consequences in aged rats.
An Novel Method for Solving Touring-polygons Problem with Obstacles
Authors: Ma wei , Liu Xiaojing , Luo Xiaohu
Published: February 2023

Abstract Touring-polygons problem with obstacles (TPPO) is a very open topic in drone routing problems, wireless sensor networks, robot automation etc. How to efficiently solve TPPO has caused huge attention in both academic and industry. Computationally speaking, touring a set of polygons across obstacles, with which agents need to avoid collision, is NP-hard. In this paper, we propose a discrete scheme that transforms the continuous space into a set of discrete points, which enables us to search the upper bound of optimal solution efficiently. Based on the proposed discrete scheme, a gradient descent algorithm is proposed to solve touringpolygons problem. Second, given a set of polygons and a set of obstacles, we propose a mixedinteger programming model to efficiently find the upper bound. An extensive computational tests demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed methods when comparing the existing methods, i.e., rubber-band algorithm.
Effects of Mangifera indica leaf hay on weaned lambs before and after a Haemonchus contortus infection
Authors: Macêdo Kaike Magno , Morais_Costa Franciellen , Júnior Valdo Soares Martins , Amaral Enzo Freire Santana , Silva Alessandro José , Geraseev Luciana Castro , Claves Amália Saturnino , Duarte Eduardo Robson
Published: February 2023

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Mangifera indica leaf hay on the control of Haemonchus contortus in lambs, Sixteen crossbred Santa Inês x Dorper lambs were divided into two homogeneous groups. One group was provisioned with 5g of leaf hay /Kg of body weight (BW) and other was not with the hay of this plant.On the 21st day, the animals of both groups were inoculated with infective larvae from H. contortus. The growth, intake and performance for animals were evaluated before and after the nematode infection. Lamb blood parameters were analyzed before the hay administration (day − 14), when the animals receiving the hay and were not-infected (day 7) and when receiving the hay and were infected with H. contortus (day 30). The faeces were collected on day 42, 44, 46, and 48 of the experiment to quantify the eggs per gram of faeces (EPG). The body weight gain was lower when the animals were infected to both groups. In the second period, the animals fed with the hay of M. indica showed higher feed efficiency than the un-treated group. The eosinophil concentrations were higher in the last two periods evaluated. However, the EPG averages were similar between lamb groups. Thus, the inclusion of hay from M. indica leaves in the lamb feed can lead to an improvement in feed efficiency of the animals infected with H. contortus. It can also increase their eosinophil concentration, which in turn could improve tolerance to the nematode infection.
WS2 Band Gap Renormalization Induced by Tomonaga Luttinger Liquid Formation in Mirror Twin Boundaries
Authors: Rossi Antonio , Thomas John , Küchle Johannes , Barré Elyse , Yu Zhuohang , Zhou Da , Kumari Shalini , Tsai Hsin-Zon , Wong Ed , Jozwiak Chris , Bostwick Aaron , Robinson Joshua , Terrones Mauricio , Raja Archana , Schwartzberg Adam , Ogletree D. Frank , Neaton Jeffrey , Crommie Michael , Allegrett Francesco , Auwärter Willi , Rotenberg Eli , Weber-Bargioni Alexander
Published: February 2023

Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid (TLL) behavior in one-dimensional systems has been predicted and shown to occur at semiconductor-to-metal transitions within two-dimensional materials. Reports of mirror twin boundaries (MTBs) hosting a Fermi liquid or a TLL have suggested a dependence on the underlying substrate, however, unveiling the physical details of electronic contributions from the substrate require cross-correlative investigation. Here, we study TLL formation in MTBs within defectively engineered WS2 atop graphene, where band structure and the atomic environment is visualized with nano angleresolved photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and non-contact atomic force microscopy. Correlations between the local density of states and electronic band dispersion elucidated the electron transfer from graphene into a TLL hosted by MTB defects. We find that MTB defects can be substantially charged at a local level, which drives a band gap shift by ∼0.5 eV.
Seroprevalence of brucellosis in humans, knowledge and practices among patients and medical practitioners in Wakiso district, Uganda
Authors: Namuwonge Alice Joy , Vudriko Patrick , Dione Michel , Afayoa Matthias , Kibirige Gordon , Mugizi Denis Rwabiita , Kungu Joseph M
Published: February 2023

Background
In Uganda, brucellosis remains an endemic public health concern that requires adequate knowledge among the public and medical practitioners to reduce risk of transmission, correctly diagnose and manage infected humans. This study investigated the seroprevalence of human brucellosis, assessed knowledge of patients and medical practitioners about human brucellosis, and evaluated factors that influence good self-reported practices of medical practitioners towards the disease.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire and key informant guide among 300 patients and 30 medical practitioners respectively from May to July 2019 at Zia Angelina Health Centre, Wakiso district. Serum samples were tested for Brucella antibodies using Rose Bengal Plate Test. Cross tabulation between the five categories of professionals (nurses, laboratory personnel, medical doctors, clinicians, and pharmacists) and their responses to knowledge and practices was performed using Chi-square test. Logistic regression analysis was performed to measure the strength of association between overall knowledge and practice scores and demographic characteristics of study participants using odds ratios at 95% confidence intervals. Variables with p-value < 0.05 were considered as predictors of outcome.
Results
Human brucellosis seroprevalence was 0.3% (n = 1, CI: 0.0-2.4). Only 6.3% (n = 19, CI: 4.1–9.7) of patients were knowledgeable about human brucellosis, and having secondary education [AOR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01–0.47, p = 0.007] was significantly associated with good knowledge. Overall, 26.7%, (n = 8, p = 0.414) of medical practitioners were considered to have good knowledge of human brucellosis, however, no predictor to good knowledge was found. About a third (33.3%, n = 10, p = 0.047) of respondents had an overall good self-reported practice score towards human brucellosis. Being at a certificate education level [AOR = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.00-0.78, p = 0.033], and level of knowledge about brucellosis [AOR = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.00-0.59, p = 0.020] were identified as predictors of good practices.
Conclusions
The prevalence of human brucellosis was very low among patients who participated in the study, with participants having poor overall knowledge and practices towards the disease. These findings suggest a need for sensitization programs to improve human brucellosis awareness, and to enhance management of the disease in the health facilities.
Implementation of a Longitudinal, Near-Peer ECG Didactic Curriculum in an Internal Medicine Residency Program and Impact on ECG Interpretation Skills
Authors: Kaye Matthew G. , Khan Hassan A. , Gudleski Gregory , Yatsynovich Yan , Graham Susan P. , Kwiatkowski Alysia V.
Published: February 2023

Background
To determine the impact of a longitudinal, near-peer, dedicated ECG didactic curriculum on internal medicine resident ability to accurately interpret ECGs.
Methods
This study employs a prospective cohort design. Internal medicine residents at University at Buffalo participated in monthly ECG didactic sessions over a 7-month period. Residents were invited to complete pre- and post-curriculum questionnaires. Responses were anonymous and participation voluntary. Data collected included basic demographics, career interest, exposure to clinical cardiology, and number of sessions attended. Residents were asked to interpret sixteen unique ECGs, divided evenly among eight common rhythms into both questionnaires. Pre- and post-curriculum cohorts were compared using t-tests and chi-square analyses. Associations between attendance, comfort level in interpretation, and number of correct interpretations were analyzed using Pearson correlations. Multivariate linear regression determined the strongest predictor of the number of correct ECG interpretations.
Results
The post-curriculum cohort correctly interpreted a significantly greater percentage of ECGs compared to pre-curriculum cohort (74.5% vs. 60.9%, p < 0.001). Didactic attendance was significantly associated with comfort level in interpreting ECGs (r = .328, p = .018) and trended towards an increased number of correct interpretations (r = .248, p = .077). Residents who attended three or more sessions demonstrated increased ECG interpretation skills compared to those who attended two or fewer sessions (80.0% vs. 71.1%, p = 0.048). Number of clinical cardiology rotations attended was significantly associated with correct interpretations (r = .310, p < .001) and was the strongest predictor of accurately interpreting ECGs (β = 0.29, p = .037).
Conclusions
Participation in a longitudinal, near-peer ECG didactic curriculum improved resident ability to interpret ECGs. A curriculum which contains both didactic sessions and clinical exposure may offer the greatest benefit in improving ECG interpretation skills.
Influencing factors for depressive and anxiety symptoms in Chinese student girls aged 10-19 years old: a community-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhang Xiaosong , Wang Xueyin , Song Bo
Published: February 2023

Background
Depression and anxiety are common mental health problems for adolescence girls,. A number of previous studies have reported that depression and anxiety are influenced by multiple factorial. This study was to evaluate the influencing factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms in Chinese student girls aged 10–19 years old.
Methods
This study was cross-sectional research including 4,658 student girls aged 10–19 years old, which conducted in 2018 from the Chinese eastern, central and western regions. Using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorders-7 to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. And using logistic regression models to estimated odds ratios (ORs) for depressive and anxiety symptoms about relation to sociodemographic, academic pressure, violence,interpersonal relationship problem and lifestyle.
Results
Among all girls, our study found that the prevalence rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms were 21.3% (990/4658)and 12.3% (573/4658), respectively. The logistic regression models showed that the risk factors of depressive symptoms were junior higher school and above, nighttime sleep duration ≤ 7 hours, no regular physical activity, drinking. And for anxiety symptoms, in addition to the above factors, smoking also had association with risk of anxiety symptoms.
Conclusion
Depressive and anxiety symptoms were common among Chinese adolescent girls, and sociodemographic, academic pressure, interpersonal relationship problem, and lifestyle have association with the risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms.
Early-life Gut Microbiota in Food Allergic Children and Its Impact on The Development of Allergic Disease
Authors: Yan Xiumei , Yan Jingbin , Xiang Qiangwei , Dai Huan , Wang Yinghui , Fang Lingjuan , Huang Kaiyu , Zhang Weixi
Published: February 2023

Background: The prevalence of food allergy (FA) has been increasing steadily over the past 2 decades to 3 decades, with diversified symptoms and increasing severity. The long-term outcome will affect the growth and development of children, and it may be associated with inflammatory bowel disease. However, its pathogenesis remains unclear. Previous studies have shown that early infancy is a crucial time when gut microbiota has an impact on the development of food allergy. However, there is no unified perspective on the characteristics on dysbiosis in early life link between dysbiosis and the future of allergic diseases.
Objective: We investigated the association between composition in gut microbiota in early life and long-term clinical manifestations in children with food allergy.
Methods: In this study, 16S rDNA gene high-through sequencing method was used to analyze the composition of gut microbiota in children with food allergy in early life in southern Zhejiang, and the clinical manifestations were followed up for 2 years to analyze the influence of gut microbiota changes in early life on the later clinical manifestations.
Results: we found that the diversity of gut microbiota in children with food allergy did not change, but the abundance of microbiota changed. The bacterial markers of food allergy may be Akkermansia, Parabacteroides, Blautia and Escherichia-Shigella, the lack of gut microbiota many be Bifidobacteriumand Clostridium. After two years，two of the ten children with food allergy still had symptoms of food allergy, the intestinal flora of these two cases in early childhood showed an increase in Escherichia-Shigella and a decrease in Bifidobacterium, The other eight cases had remission of allergic symptoms.
Conclusion: We concluded that food allergy is not associated with intestinal flora diversity. Most of the symptoms of food allergy can be relieved by the age of 3 years old, which is related to the composition of early intestinal flora. Escherichia-Shigellaand Bifidobacterium may affect the prognosis of food allergy.
Trends and COVID-19 Disruptions on Innovation Management Aspects in Fruits and Vegetables Preservation
Authors: Kydyrbekova Assel , Meiramkulova Kulyash , Kydyrbekova Aliya , Mkilima Timoth
Published: February 2023

The research aimed at analyzing several facets of innovation management in the field of fruit and vegetable preservation. The analysis was based on a review of the trends using the Web of Science database and a questionnaire survey to assess the potential influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the condition of innovation management in the field of fruits and vegetables preservation. A thorough analysis and evaluation of 256 journal articles retrieved from the Web of Science database were done. The results show that there has been an imbalance in the distribution of researchers by region and that research on fruit and vegetable preservation innovations did not increase until recent years. A total of 18.04% of the papers on the subject that the investigation could locate were generated by Italy and the USA, accounting for around 9.02% of them each. Furthermore, the results showed that, in terms of the demand for innovations and investment level in fruit and vegetable preservation, the COVID-19 innovation disruption had a bigger influence on large-scale firms than on small businesses. It is also worth pointing out that the research findings to now, which have primarily been based on laboratory-scale studies, have not fully taken into account the cost-effectiveness of the suggested preservation technologies. The goal of a cost-effective therapy can only be partially met by the different approaches that have been proposed. If sustainable innovation management in the field of fruits and vegetables preservation is to be achievable on a global scale, an effort must be made to fund more research activities, particularly in the cold and arid and semi-arid regions. Practical considerations dictate that small-scale research that uses readily available and affordable materials be encouraged. This will make it possible to do a logical cost-benefit analysis of a particular technique or strategy for addressing fruit and vegetable preservation.
Materials fatigue prediction using graph neural networks on microstructure representations
Authors: Thomas Akhil , Durmaz Ali , Alam Mehwish , Gumbsch Peter , Sack Harald , Eberl Chris
Published: February 2023

The local prediction of fatigue damage within polycrystals in a high-cycle fatigue setting is a long-lasting and challenging task. It requires identifying grains tending to accumulate plastic deformation under cyclic loading. We address this task by transcribing ferritic steel microtexture and damage maps from experiments into a microstructure graph. Here, grains constitute graph nodes connected by edges whenever grains share a common boundary. Fatigue loading causes some grains to develop slip markings, which can evolve into microcracks and lead to failure. This data set enables applying graph neural network variants on the task of binary grain-wise damage classification. The objective is to identify suitable data representations and models with an appropriate inductive bias to learn the underlying damage formation causes. Here, graph convolutional networks yielded the best performance with a balanced accuracy of 0.71 and an F1-score of 0.34, outperforming phenomenological crystal plasticity (+68%) and conventional machine learning (+17%) models by large margins. Further, we present an interpretability analysis that highlights the grains along with features that are considered important by the graph model for the prediction of fatigue damage initiation, thus demonstrating the potential of such techniques to reveal underlying mechanisms and microstructural driving forces in critical grain ensembles.
Core-shell Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Nanoparticles: A Fast Tool for Physical Removal of Urea for Hemodialysis
Authors: Khodarahmi Mina , Amoabediny Ghassem , Mehrnejad Faramarz , Taherkhani Goudarz , Miri Mohana
Published: February 2023

Urea detection and elimination attracted great attention as a kind of representative toxin with the highest daily molar production for dialysis patients. Low molecular weight, high solubility, and low reactivity make it a challenge to absorb urea. Although there are different ways to for urea removal, there are some problems like causing side effects, being time-consuming, and wasting high amounts of absorbents. In the present research, urea adsorbents were prepared by synthesizing magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) by co-precipitation method, functionalizing with SiO2 (Fe3O4@SiO2), and then modifying by surface imprinting poly (methyl methacrylate) with urea (MMIPs). The Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs were nearly spherical (5-20 nm in diameter) and in size. In 10 minutes, the MMIPs could absorb 50% of dialysate. The urea binding capacity of the system at the NP: Urea ratio of 0.5 and initial urea concentrations of 100 mg dL-1 were calculated at 1.06 mmol g-1. Under the control of a pseudo-first-order equation, the adsorption process was determined. The Freundlich isotherm model was fitted to the equilibrium adsorption data. These MMIPs are proposed as promising tools for urea removal in hemodialysis to reduce dialysis time and improve patient compliance with the therapy and also for dialysate regeneration.
Nursing Home Geriatric Rehabilitation Care and Interprofessional Collaboration; a practice- based study
Authors: Drenth Hans , Krijnen Wim , Weerd Lourens van der , Reinders Jan Jaap , Hobbelen Hans
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND Frailty and multimorbidity are common among patients in geriatric rehabilitation care (GRC). Proper care of these patients involves multiple professionals which requires optimal interprofessional collaboration to provide the best possible support. Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) goes beyond multi-professional collaboration. It requires professionals to think beyond the expertise of their own discipline and work on joint outcomes in which the patient is actively involved. This study describes the development of the GRC teams of an elderly care organization towards the IPC.
METHODS Mixed method pre-post study of 15 months. The interprofessional training program comprised team trainings, webinars, and online team sessions. Data was aggregated by administering the EPIS (interprofessional identity) and QuickScan (QS) (aspects of collaboration) measurements to GRC staff and by observations of the multi-professional team consultation (MPC) meetings of six GRC teams of an organization for elderly care in the Netherlands. ADL independence (Barthel Index) and number of inpatient days were analyzed before and after the project.
RESULTS Pretest response was 106; posttest was 84. The EPIS shows improvement on "interprofessional belonging" (P=.001, 95%CI: .566 - 2.208), "interprofessional commitment" (P=.027, 95%CI: .117 – 1.899), and overall “interprofessional identity” (P=.013, 95%CI: .622 - 5.197). On the QS, all domains improved; "shared values" (P= .009, 95%CI: .067 - .474), "context" (P= .005, 95%CI: .077 - .435), "structure & organization" (P= .001, 95%CI: .141 - .560), “group dynamics & interaction” (P<.001, 95%CI: .179 - .576), and “entrepreneurship & management” (P= .039, 95%CI: .013 - .479). A qualitative analysis of the reflection responses and MPC observations indicate a shift from multi-professional to more IPC. The mean number of inpatient days was reduced by 11.8 (P<.001, 95%CI: -17.335 - - 6.305) days.
CONCLUSIONS Within the GRC teams, there was a shift observed to more IPC and better representation of the patient's wishes and needs. ADL independence did not change, yet there was a beneficial impact on the number of inpatient days. The basis for IPC was well established, however, it remains necessary that the teams continue to develop and invest in the collaboration with each other and the patient to further improve it.
A multidimensional analysis of well-being inequality in Italy, before and after the Great Recession
Authors: Bechini Tommaso , De Muro Pasquale
Published: February 2023

This paper presents an analysis of well-being inequality in Italy before and after the Great Recession of 2007 / 2008, utilising multidimen- sional measures that are an extension of the Atkinson index [1], as well as gender and regional decompositions, and a comparison with traditional unidimensional monetary measures. In the selection of well- being dimensions and indicators to be included, we adopted, under the constraint of available data (the household survey IT-SILC), both the capability approach [61] and the “Constitutional Approach” recently pro- posed by [13], that allows to select dimensions which enjoy broad and enduring political consensus in the country. For the aggregation of indi- cators within and between dimensions, we adopted a non-compensatory CES-type function and then studied the resulting vector using the Multidimensional Well-being Inequality Index (MWII), a multidimen- sional version of the Atkinson by [37] and [73] that uses the weights derived from the Italian Constitution. The main findings are: there has been a rise in inequality between 2005 and 2014, income inequal- ity has worsened less than non-monetary inequality, Southern Italy has both lower levels of well-being and much higher levels of inequality for any value of the parameter, thus confirming the historical Italian regional divide as well as the absence of convergence; 4) inequality between females is higher than between males for both 2005 and 2014.
Spray-Drying Optimization for Dunaliella salina and Porphyridium cruentum Biomass
Authors: Durmaz Yaşar , Konar Nevzat , Gurbuz Basak , Polat Derya Genc , Mert Behic
Published: February 2023

The compositions and cultivation advantages of microalgae increase their importance as sustainable food and feed sources. However, drying and encapsulation processes are needed for widespread use. In this study, Dunaliella salina and Porphyridium cruentum biomass were encapsulated by using spray-dryer (SD) and combined D-optimal methods. The independent variables were SD inlet temperature (170-190°C), maltodextrin (25-75%, w/w, in dm) and microalgae biomass (25-75%, w/w, in dm). Prior to spray drying, P. cruentum and D. salina were cultivated in a pilot scale tubular photobioreactor (PBR) and than harvested using a conical plate centrifuge. Significant models were determined for the effects of independent variables on total carotenoids, chlorophyll-a, crude protein, moisture content and encapsulation yield, water activity, average particle size, wettability, hygroscopity, L* and C* properties for both microalgae species (P<0.05). It was determined that biochemical and cell properties and composition need to developed unique spray-drying process for each alga. Also, due to the low moisture content (>6.27 g 100 g-1) and water activity (>0.277), the average particle sizes (>143.7 µm) of the samples with high stability were advantageous for various food applications and storage. However, due to the low encapsulation yield (11.1-33.1%), we recommend encapsulation and drying of P. cruentum biomass with alternative methods to spray dryer. The extracellular, as well as the cell wall and storage polysaccharides released into the culture medium of these microalgae are possible reasons for the low encapsulation yield.
Identification of Key Gene and Pathways Associated with Oxidative Stress in Keloids
Authors: Zhang Yu , Zhang Zhe , Tang Yinke , Chu Feifei , Yu Zhou , Ma Xianjie
Published: February 2023

Introduction: The keloids are fibroproliferative disorder and characterized by abnormal proliferation of fibroblasts. In addition, it had been demonstrated that oxidative stress played an important role in autophagy in human fibrotic disorders. However, few researches about oxidative stress had been performed in keloids. Therefore, we performed this study to identify the oxidative stress related signatures and explore their potential mechanisms in keloids. The differential expression genes (DEGs) are obtained from GEO database, and the oxidative stress related genes (OS-genes) were obtained from GeneCards database. The crossed genes, between DEGs and OS-genes, were named as oxidative stress related differential expression genes (OS-DEGs). Then we selected the key OS-DEG and performed the enrichment analysis, interactive network analysis, immune cell infiltration, and correlation between key OS-DEG and Keloids.
Results: A total of 105 DEGs were obtained by crossing the DEGs between GSE7890 and GSE145725. And, CDK1, which was downregulated in keloids, was identified as the key OS-DEG. The functional enrichment showed that CDK1 was mainly associated with lysosome, DNA replication, and cell cycle et al. The Human Protein Atlas database delivered that CDK1 was mainly expressed in normal skin and highly expressed in fibroblasts. In addition, many immune cells, including memory resting CD4+ T cells, memory B cells, and CD8+ T cells, were obtained by immune infiltration analysis. Finally, CDK1 showed a strong association with keloids.
Conclusion: CDK1 was first stablished to play vital roles in the pathogenesis and treatment of keloids. However, the specific mechanisms of this gene in keloids have not been researched. Therefore, CDK1 provided novel research targets for further analyses in keloids.
Plasma-discharge-integrated structure for microwave power limiter
Authors: Woo Jeong Min , Ju Mun No , Lee Jae-Bok
Published: February 2023

A slot structure was combined with a discharge electrode to limit incident high-power microwaves via the integration of plasma discharge. At the target resonating frequency of 9.45 GHz, the surface current was concentrated at an electrode, and the electric field was enhanced by the proposed design to lower the response power level of the incident signal. When a low-power signal is injected, plasma is not generated, and the incident wave travels without insertion loss. Double-stage slot structures were utilized to broaden the band-pass characteristics in the frequency domain, and the demonstrated plasma limiter exhibited an insertion loss of 1.01 dB at 9.45 GHz. The xenon gas pressure was optimized with the shortest distance of 100 µm between the upper and lower electrodes to reduce the discharge power of the plasma. In the case of a high-power signal input, as xenon-gas breakdown occurred, the transmitted signal was close to zero, and most of the high-power signal was reflected with a blocking efficiency of 40.55 dB.
Phenome-wide investigation of the causal associations of cheese intake with obesity and obesity traits: a two-sample mendelian randomization analyses
Authors: HUANG Yu-qing , HUANG Ze , HE Guo , FENG Ying
Published: February 2023

Background Cheese intake has been observed to be associated with obesity, but whether this relationship was causal was still unclear. To evaluate whether cheese intake have an causality effect on obesity and related traits. Methods We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Summary statistics from published Genome-wide association study (GWAS) associated with obesity and related traits including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were obtained from FinnGen Biobank, IEU OpenGWAS database and UK Biobank. The cheese intake summary dataset was obtained from a UK Biobank database including 451,486 participants. Effect estimates were evaluated using inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. Other MR analyses, including MR Egger (bootstrap), weighted median and weighted mode methods were performed in sensitivity analyses. Results In the MR analysis, genetically predicted cheese intake were associated with a 60% decreased risk of obesity (95% CI: 0.25, 0.63, P = 9.76E-5), 72% of obesity class 1 (95% CI: 0.16, 0.51, P = 1.75E-5), 74% of obesity class 2 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.55, P = 4.12E-4), 79% of obesity class 3 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.64, P = 6.25E-3) and 52% of overweight (95% CI: 0.33, 0.71, P = 2.39E-4) per 1-standard deviation (SD) increment of cheese intake by IVW. The results also provided strong evidence that cheese intake was causally and negatively associated with BMI (β=-0.60, 95% CI: -0.90, -0.29; P = 0.000), WC (β=-0.28, 95% CI: -0.40, -0.17; P = 2.13E-6), HC (β=-0.27, 95% CI: -0.41, -0.13; P = 2.13E-4) and WHR (β=-0.39, 95% CI: -0.50, -0.27; P = 5.92E-11). Results were robust using other MR methods in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions This two-sample MR analysis found that genetically predicted cheese intake had causal effect on an decreased risk of obesity and related traits. The improvement of dietary behavior may be beneficial to prevent obesity.
Fine mapping of a Fusarium crown rot resistant locus on chromosome arm 6HL in barley by exploiting near isogenic lines, transcriptome profiling and a large near isogenic line-derived population
Authors: Gao Shang , Jiang Yunfeng , Zhou Hong , Liu Yaxi , Li Huihui , Liu Chunji , Zheng Zhi
Published: February 2023

Fusarium crown rot (FCR), caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, is a chronic and serious disease affecting semi-arid regions globally. The increasing prevalence of this disease in recent years is attributed to the widespread adoption of minimum tillage and stubble retention practices. In the study reported here, we generated eight pairs of near isogenic lines (NILs) targeting a putative QTL (Qcrs.caf-6H) conferring FCR resistance in barley. Assessing the NILs confirmed the large effect of this locus. Aimed to develop markers that can be reliably used in incorporating this resistant locus into breeding programs and identify candidate genes, transcriptomic analyses were conducted against three of the NIL pairs and a large NIL-derived population consisting of 1,085 F7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was generated. By analysing the transcriptomic data and the fine mapping population, Qcrs.caf-6Hwas delineated into an interval of 0.9 cM covering a physical distance of ~547 kb. Six markers co-segregating with this locus were developed. Based on differential gene expression and SNP variations between the two isolines among the three NIL pairs, candidate genes underlying the resistance at this locus were detected. These results would improve the efficiency of incorporating the targeted locus into barley breeding programs and facilitate the cloning of causal gene(s) responsible for the resistance.
Platinum-Tin Anode for Direct Sugarcane Juice Fuel Cell, a Viable Alternative for Bioenergy Systems: Clean Energy without Production of Vinasse
Authors: Villardi Bruno D.Q. , Maia Victoria A. , Nandenha Julio , Zambiazi Priscilla J. , Souza Rodrigo F.B. , Neto Almir O.
Published: February 2023

In this study, a bioenergy system utilizing sugarcane juice as fuel was developed using PtSn/C as an anode in various atomic compositions. Results showed that the Pt90Sn10/C composition exhibited a high maximum power density 8.7 mW cm− 2 and open circuit potential of 0.75 V. This research suggests that PtSn/C is a promising material for power devices due to its electronic and bifunctional properties. Analysis of XRD results showed that the lattice parameters expanded, indicating the insertion of Sn into Pt. TEM images and histograms also revealed an increase in average particle size and the presence of tin oxide on the material surface, indicating the effect of tin enrichment in the composition. Overall, this study presents a viable alternative for bioenergy systems that eliminate the production of vinasse.
Microaglae-based wastewater treatment for circular economy: Efficiency of indigenous green microalgae for nutrient removal and resource recovery
Authors: Umetani Ikumi , Sposób Michał , Tiron Olga
Published: February 2023

Microalgae biotechnology can strengthen circular economy
concepts in the wastewater treatment sector. This study
demonstrated the potential of the Norwegian microalgae strains of
Tetradesmus wisconsinensis, Lobochlamys segnis,
and Klebsormidium flaccidum for wastewater nutrient
removal and valuable biomass generation. In the laboratory
batch-experiment with synthetic municipal wastewater, all strains
accomplished total removal of nitrogen and phosphorus. L.
segnis removed all NH4+ and
PO43- (initial concentration of 28 and 15 mg
L–1, respectively) earliest among others (within 4 days)
and the harvested biomass had the highest total fatty acid (TFA)
content (193 ± 12 mg g-1 dry cells). T.
wisconsinensis biomass on the other hand was superior in total
carbohydrates content (40%) while K. flaccidum produced a
protein-rich (53%) cells and accumulated fatty acids that consisted
largely of polyunsaturated fatty acids (82% of TFA). Observed
variations in biomass components can be used for a strategic
production of targeted compound in resource recovery scenarios for
the studied strains.
Integrated analyses reveal a hinge glycan regulates coronavirus spike tilting and virus infectivity
Authors: Chmielewski David , Wilson Eric , Pintilie Grigore , Zhao Peng , Chen Muyuan , Schmid Michael , Simmons Graham , Wells Lance , Jin Jing , Singharoy Abhishek , Chiu Wah
Published: February 2023

Coronavirus spike glycoproteins presented on the virion surface mediate receptor binding, and membrane fusion during virus entry and constitute the primary target for vaccine and drug development. How the structure dynamics of the full-length spikes incorporated in viral lipid envelope correlates with the virus infectivity remains poorly understood. Here we present structures and distributions of native spike conformations on vitrified human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) virions without chemical fixation by cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) and subtomogram averaging, along with site-specific glycan composition and occupancy determined by mass spectroscopy. The higher oligomannose glycan shield on HCoV-NL63 spikes than on SARS-CoV-2 spikes correlates with stronger immune evasion of HCoV-NL63. Incorporation of cryoET-derived native spike conformations into all-atom molecular dynamic simulations elucidate the conformational landscape of the glycosylated, full-length spike that reveals a novel role of stalk glycans in modulating spike bending. We show that glycosylation at N1242 at the upper portion of the stalk is responsible for the extensive orientational freedom of the spike crown. Subsequent infectivity assays support the hypothesis that this glycan-dependent motion impacts virus entry. Our results suggest a potential therapeutic target site for HCoV-NL63.
Clinical characterization and immunosuppressive regulation of IL15RA in Kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma through 324 samples
Authors: Liu Ziwei , Zou Wenda , Xu Yong , Wu Peng
Published: February 2023

Stimulation of renal cell carcinoma with exogenous IL-15Rα, encoded by IL15RA, could induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promote cell migration and invasion. To assess the validity of IL15RA in predicting the prognosis of kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) and to explore its therapeutic potential for KIRP, we performed a retrospective RNA-seq data analysis of a cohort of 290 patients with KIRP from the TCGA database and 34 patients from the GEO database. We found that IL15RA is downregulated in KIRP samples compared to normal samples, but upregulated in KIRP samples with relatively higher malignancy and later stages. Univariate cox analysis and multivariate cox regression analysis suggested that upregulated IL15RA is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis of KIRP. Functional enrichment analysis showed that IL15RA in KIRP may play an essential role in inflammatory and immune response through rap1 signaling pathway. Immune cell infiltration analysis revealed that the infiltration level of M2 macrophages was positively correlated with IL15RA expression. Moreover, IL15RA showed a strong positive relationship with known inhibitory immune checkpoints, which may represent a novel mechanism of immune escape and provide new insights into the potential of immunotherapy for KIRP.
The rocky road of 55 years of change in the relationship of cardiovascular risk factors to cognition
Authors: Meirelles Osorio , Arnette Anthony , Gudnason Vilmundur , Launer L.
Published: February 2023

The mixed evidence that high levels of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) are associated with lower cognitive test scores of may be due to confounding of age across studies. We pooled and harmonized individual-level data (30,967 persons, age range 42-96y) from five prospective cohorts to examine the trajectories of betas estimating 1-year-age associations of a cognitive outcome (Digit Symbol Substitution Test; DSST) to five CVRF: systolic and e blood pressure, total cholesterol, fasting glucose and body mass index. Linear and quadratic piecewise regression models were fit to the trajectory patterns of these betas. The trajectories showed with each 1-year age increment, higher CVRF were associated with lower DSST, but associations attenuated toward zero as age increased. In addition, the pattern across age of each CVRF-DSST trajectory ranged from linear to non-liner. Without accounting for participant age in cohort comparisons, conclusions about the potential benefit on cognitive function of modifiable CVRF control will continue to be mixed and lead to delays in developing prevention programs.
Conceptual Similarity Promotes Memory Generalization At the Cost of Detailed Recollection
Authors: Melega Greta , Sheldon Signy
Published: February 2023

A cardinal feature of episodic memory is the ability to generalize knowledge across similar experiences to make inference about novel events. Here, we tested if this ability to apply generalized knowledge exists for experiences that are similar in terms of underlying concepts, prior knowledge, and if this comes at the expense of another feature of episodic memory: forming detailed recollection of events Over three experiments, healthy participants performed a modified version of the acquired equivalence test in which they learned overlapping object-scenes associations (A-X, B-X and A-Y) and then generalized the acquired knowledge to indirectly learned associations (B-Y) and novel objects (C-X and C-Y) that were from the same conceptual category (e.g. A - pencil; B - scissors) and different categories (e.g. A - watch; B - fork). In a subsequent recognition memory task, participants made old/new judgements to old (targets), similar (lures) and novel items. Across all experiments, we found that indirect associations that were rooted in conceptual similarity knowledge led to higher rates of generalisation but reduced detailed object memory. Our findings suggest that activating prior conceptual knowledge emphasizes the generalization function of episodic memory at the expense of detailed recollection. We discuss how this trade-off between generalization and recollection functions of episodic memory result from engaging different representations during learning.