bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aspects of electric transmission implementation on a battle tank
Authors: Ilie C O , Barothi L , Marinescu M , Giurgiu I T
Published: January 2022

In the paper, a high performance electric transmission designed for heavy military vehicles is presented. The power source is a 1300 hp gas turbine and a 200 hp supercharged diesel engine. Both engines drive a synchronous generator. The electric current supplied by the generator is rectified. Each sprocket is mounted on the output shaft of a gearbox driven by an asynchronous electric motor. An Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) inverter control AC motors in a separate way to achieve dynamic performance. Diesel engine alone is used for driving on paved roads with speeds of up to 15 km/h with low fuel consumption. Gas turbine and diesel engine are automatically coupled to the generator to reach the maximum torque and dynamic performances. The tank can thus reach a maximum speed of 70 km/h.
New concept of car door reinforcement
Authors: Pascal I , Gaidur M , Rakosi E , Ulian T , Manolache Gh , Talif S
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study is to make a series of finite element analyses and to show if the new concept of car door reinforcement brings any improvements. For this reason, was made a comparison between the finite element analyses of the actual concept of car door reinforcement and of the new proposal. The conditions for analyses were chosen as to reflect the reality of the situation. The analyses are of a dynamic type. In this way, we took into consideration the same material type for the car door and different material types and dimensions for the reinforcements. With the help of this study, the authors want to prove the improvements that the new proposal of car door reinforcement can bring into the automotive industry.
Engine oil analysis to evaluate the degree of its wear during the period of operation of the vehicle
Authors: Zaharia C , Niculescu R , Năstase M , Clenci A , Iorga-Simăn V
Published: January 2022

The lubricating oil fulfills several purposes, such as: reducing friction processes, protecting the parts of the engine mechanism from wear, preventing the occurrence of corrosion phenomena, taking over and transporting or transferring impurities to the oil filter, lubricating the moving parts as well as their cooling.

The lubrication fluid of the internal combustion engine has a significant contribution on its service life and involves its proper functioning during operation. Changing the engine oil before reaching the manufacturer specified mileage and/or time corresponding to the planned preventive maintenance becomes an imperative action sometimes, but with negative effects on the operating costs of the vehicle.

Prolonged operation in different conditions could lead to the deterioration of the lubricating oil, respectively of its properties and quality. Thus, in order for the user to benefit from maximum engine performance, it is necessary to change the engine oil at well-defined time/running intervals. So, it is very important to know when the technical overhaul of the engine will be carried out because the late change of the engine oil can affect the parts of the engine mechanism and implicitly, the performance of the vehicle or the impossibility of driving. On the other hand, premature change of engine oil increases the costs, affects the environment considering the recycling process and resource depletion.

The authors of this paper used samples of SAE 5W30 engine oil and analyzed the following parameters: viscosity, density, flash point, contamination with fuel and solids, degree of oxidation, dispersion power. The information on the evolution during the period of operation (considered post-warranty period) of these parameters is the basis for the elaboration of engine maintenance strategies considering the following three goals: the reliability, the operating costs of the vehicle and environmental issues.
Study on a test bench of a vehicle rear axle fatigue behavior
Authors: Ionica V , Dumitru I , Bogdan M , Geonea I
Published: January 2022

This paper presents a study with finite elements of the rear axle of a car. The virtual model of the rear axle assembly of a vehicle is made. Based on this model we made a study of the state of stresses and strains that occur in the components of the rear suspension. When constructing the analysis model, we considered the bearing conditions, as well as the loads from the real operation of the assembly. The purpose of this finite element analysis is to determine the most requested areas of the rear axle assembly, as well as to compare the results obtained for specific deformations and stresses experimentally with those obtained by finite element analysis. Also, through the analysis with finite elements, we obtained and presented in the paper results regarding the fatigue behavior of the elements of the ensemble.
The Study of a Cost-Effective Developed System for the Comfort Testing of the Motor-Vehicle Driver and the Passengers
Authors: Voloacă Ş , Toma M F
Published: January 2022

The main goal of the actual research is to develop a cost-effective Data Acquisition System. The system can be used to measure accelerations, inside the vehicles, that can affect the comfort of the passengers or the driving pleasure, known as drivability. The study of comfort, influenced by the accelerations, is currently conducted on different types of vehicles equipped with thermal, electric engines or hybrid systems. This study can have two approaches, a subjective one and an objective one. The subjective study of the drivability must be made by a specialized person, with good skill and vast experience in this domain, but the results, sometimes, can be influenced by that person preferences or its moment feelings. The objective of the study is made by analysing the recoded accelerations by a data acquisition system. The paper starts from the main tendency on every industry, represented by the indirect ratio of growing performances versus the size reduction of the measuring devices. In the beginning, this tendency can have high costs but with good optimization will have a significant cost reduction. Thus, the paper combines three main parts of engineering like electronics, automatics and not least the automotive one. The research starts from a system developed inside the automotive engineering laboratories that was used to record data in real time, on a motor-vehicle, for different running regimes, met in the real life.
Comparative analysis of driver’s motion using different headrest positions during the rear-end collision
Authors: Gheorghe Marius Corbu , Ionut Alexandru Garnita , Daniel Dragos Trusca , Florin Daniel Toma
Published: January 2022

The biggest problem regarding the safety of occupants during the rear-end collision is the occurrence of “Whiplash” phenomenon, which means that the human head moves backwards in relation to the thorax movement which is in the sitting position. In this case, only the headrest opposes the head movement. An important role in the attenuation of this phenomenon is played by the correct position of the headrest relative to the head position. If the headrest is adjusted correctly, to limit the angle and movement of the head and neck during a rear-end collision, it should reduce the injury risk caused by “Whiplash”, a phenomenon that can cause easy to dangerous injuries. This paper presents a comparative analysis during the rear-end collision between a driver with the headrest adjusted in optimal and wrong position. The analysis is based on the front quarter driver side of body car, using an anthropomorphic dummy. The quarter of car was positioned on a sledge that was located on the test stand. The data acquired during the tests were processed in order to evaluate the most common injury criteria, called HIC (Head Injury Criteria).
The connection between the quality of the periodic technical certification of lorries and the road traffic safety and other ecological and commercial aspects
Authors: Ionită T D , Ispas N , Chiru A , Motoc D L
Published: January 2022

The technical diversification of the current road traffic units in Romania is enhanced by the growth of the national fleet of road vehicles. According to APIA statistics, cars have the largest share in the volume of the car fleet in Romania. In 2019, the national car park increased by 7% compared to the previous year - 606,163 units, including 161,562 new and 444,601 used. The fleet of commercial vehicles registered an increase of 80,895 units (25,936 new and 54,959 used) or 6.1%, reaching a total nationwide at about 8 million units. The technical condition of these vehicles significantly determines road safety as well as the impact that road transport has on the environment. For each vehicle, the technical condition is validated by periodic technical inspection. In this paper, the findings of periodic technical inspections allowed the authors to develop significant scenarios related to road safety, environmental influences, but also related to commercial issues associated, for example, with the change of owner of the vehicle. The objectives we achieve in this paper are directly related to the direct link between the scope of European Union regulations certifying the compliant technical condition of a particular vehicle (result of periodic technical inspection) and road traffic safety in Romania today corroborated with projections of environmental influences and changes climate.
Road safety-related determining of time and space braking under different travel conditions
Authors: Victor Oţăt , Oana Victoria Oţăt , Diana Alexandra Oţăt
Published: January 2022

The present paper aims to determine the vehicle kinematic parameters during braking, namely the braking time and space needed. Considering different travel conditions, dry and wet roads, we put forward two methods to determine the braking capability. First, we resort to the analytical method; hence the total braking time needs to be considered as obtained from the necessary braking time until the vehicle stops, or the braking process is completed, i.e. the sum of the time due to physiological delays, the time due to involuntary delays and the actual braking time until the vehicle stops. Next, through the Virtual Crash software platform, we carried out a case study to determine the kinematic parameters of a braking vehicle under different travel conditions. The virtual modelling developed for our case study features braking analyses on a track in alignment. The initial parameters of the vehicle and the travel conditions, i.e. the adhesion coefficient value, are similar as in the analytical method. By processing the numerical results, we developed a comparative analysis of the vehicle kinematic parameters for the two methods used, focusing on validating the performance and effectiveness of the modelling method in terms of the time needed to set new initial parameters.
Influence of plasma-induced reflected wave variations on microwave transmission characterization of supersonic plasma excited in shock tube
Authors: TIAN Jing , MA Ping , CHEN Bo , HU Haoquan , ZENG Bin , LI Lutong , TANG Pu
Published: January 2022

In this work, the theoretical analysis and experiment results investigating the influence of plasma-induced reflected wave variations on microwave transmission characterization are presented. Firstly, an analytical transmission line model for transmission characterization of plasma in shock tube is derived and validated against full-wave simulation. Then, the theoretical analysis of transmission characterization based on a time-dependent reconstruction algorithm that takes into account the variations of reflected wave is presented and the influence of reflection variations under various states of plasma is also investigated. The unusual increase in the amplitude of transmitted wave is theoretically predicted and experimentally demonstrated as well. Finally, the experiment results are also presented to illustrate the effects of reflected wave variations in practical microwave transmission characterization of supersonic plasma excited in shock tube.
Average direct and indirect causal effects under interference
Authors: Hu Yuchen , Li Shuangning , Wager Stefan
Published: January 2022

We propose a definition for the average indirect effect of a binary treatment in the potential outcomes model for causal inference under cross-unit interference. Our definition is analogous to the standard definition of the average direct effect and can be expressed without needing to compare outcomes across multiple randomized experiments. We show that the proposed indirect effect satisfies a decomposition theorem stating that in a Bernoulli trial, the sum of the average direct and indirect effects always corresponds to the effect of a policy intervention that infinitesimally increases treatment probabilities. We also consider a number of parametric models for interference and find that our nonparametric indirect effect remains a natural estimand when re-expressed in the context of these models.
Acquired prosopagnosia with structurally intact and functional fusiform face area and with face identity-specific configuration processing deficits
Authors: de Gelder Beatrice , Huis in ‘t Veldt Elizabeth , Zhan Minye , Van den Stock Jan
Published: January 2022

Prosopagnosia or loss of face perception and recognition is still poorly understood and rare single cases of acquired prosopagnosia can provide a unique window on the behavioural and brain basis of normal face perception. The present study of a new case of acquired prosopagnosia with bilateral occipito-temporal lesions but a structurally intact FFA and OFA investigated whether the lesion overlapped with the face network and whether the structurally intact FFA showed a face selective response. We also investigated the behavioral correlates of the neural findings and assessed configural processing in the context of facial and non-facial identity recognition, expression recognition and memory, also focusing on the face-selectivity of each specific deficit. The findings reveal a face-selective response in the FFA, despite lesions in the face perception network. At the behavioural level, the results showed impaired configural processing for facial identity, but not for other stimulus categories and not for facial expression recognition. These findings challenge a critical role of the FFA for face identity processing and support a domain-specific account of configural processing.
Social Media: Flattening Hierarchies for Women and Black, Indigenous, People Of Color (BIPOC) to Enter the Room Where It Happens
Authors: Titanji Boghuma K , Abdul-Mutakabbir Jacinda C , Christophers Briana , Flores Laura , Marcelin Jasmine R , Swartz Talia H
Published: January 2022

Social media platforms are widely used to connect people across multiple settings, including country of origin, profession, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, seniority, and training. Groups that have been marginalized or historically excluded from decision-making encounters may lack formal mentors/sponsors because of a lack of representation of women and Black, Indigenous, People Of Color (BIPOC) in senior leadership positions. This can serve as a barrier to professional advancement at all stages of career development. Identifying and connecting with these potential mentors/sponsors outside of one’s institutional space can be challenging. For this reason, leveraging social media to develop these professional relationships through flattened hierarchies can allow for professional networking beyond traditional mechanisms. Here we aim to describe how individuals can connect through social media to advance their careers and scientific and clinical expertise, advocate for communities, and provide high-quality communication to the public.
Adenovirus-Based Vaccines and Thrombosis in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Pischel Lauren , Patel Kavin M , Goshua George , Omer Saad B
Published: January 2022

Background

Rare cases of thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome [TTS]) have been associated with 2 coronavirus disease 2019 adenovirus vector vaccines: the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaxzevria vaccine (Oxford/AstraZeneca) and the JNJ-7836735 Johnson & Johnson vaccine (Janssen). It is unknown if TTS is a class-mediated effect of adenovirus-based vaccines or if it could worsen known hypercoagulable states. Since most cases of TTS happen in women of childbearing age, pregnancy is a crucial risk factor to assess. Understanding these risks is important for advising vaccine recipients and future adenovirus vector vaccine development.

Methods

To explore the potential associations of adenovirus-based vaccine components with symptoms of TTS in the general clinical trial population and in pregnant women in clinical trials, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of adenovirus-based vector vaccines to document cases of thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, and or pregnancy from 1 January 1966 to 9 August 2021.

Results

We found 167 articles from 159 studies of adenovirus vector–based vaccines, 123 of which targeted infectious diseases. In the general population, 20 studies reported an event of thrombocytopenia and 20 studies indicated some coagulopathy. Among pregnant women, of the 28 studies that reported a total of 1731 pregnant women, thrombocytopenia or coagulopathy were not reported.

Conclusions

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, there was no class-wide effect of adenovirus vector vaccines toward thrombocytopenia or coagulopathy events in the general population or in pregnant women.
Current Antiretroviral Treatment Among People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the United States: Findings from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinic Systems Cohort
Authors: Ma Jimmy , Nance Robin M , Delaney Joseph A C , Whitney Bridget M , Bamford Laura , Gravett Ronnie M , Moore Richard D , Napravnik Sonia , Mayer Kenneth H , Jacobson Jeffrey M , Christopoulos Katerina , Burkholder Greer A , Keruly Jeanne , Eron Joseph J , Martin Jeffrey , Cachay Edward R , Saag Michael S , Crane Heidi M , Kitahata Mari M
Published: January 2022

Among 14 049 people with human immunodeficiency virus in care in 2019–2020, 96% were treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Current antiretroviral treatment patterns highlight high uptake of guideline-recommended ART regimens including second-generation integrase strand transfer inhibitors (dolutegravir and bictegravir) and tenofovir alafenamide, especially in antiretroviral-naive individuals initiating ART.
Sex differences in chronic kidney disease prevalence in Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hockham Carinna , Bao Lexia , Tiku Anushree , Badve Sunil V , Bello Aminu K , Jardine Meg J , Jha Vivekanand , Toyama Tadashi , Woodward Mark , Jun Min
Published: January 2022

Background

Previous reports on the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Asia have suggested important sex disparities but have been inconsistent in nature. We sought to synthesize available sex-disaggregated CKD prevalence data in Asia to quantify sex disparities in the region.

Methods

We systematically searched MEDLINE and Embase for observational studies involving ≥500 adults who reported sex-disaggregated CKD prevalence data in any of the 26 countries in East, Southeast and South Asia. For each study we calculated the female:male prevalence ratio (PR), with a ratio >1 indicating a higher female prevalence. For each country, log-transformed PRs were pooled using random effects meta-analysis. These were then combined using a fixed effects model, weighting by population size, to estimate a pooled PR for each of East, Southeast and South Asia and Asia overall.

Results

Sex-disaggregated data were available from 171 cohorts, spanning 15 countries and comprising 2 550 169 females and 2 595 299 males. Most studies (75.4%) came from East Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea). Across Asia, CKD prevalence was higher in females {pooled prevalence 13.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 11.3–14.9]} compared with males [pooled prevalence 12.1% (95% CI 10.3–14.1)], with a pooled PR of 1.07 (95% CI 0.99–1.17). Substantial heterogeneity was observed between countries. The pooled PRs for East, Southeast and South Asia were 1.11 (95% CI 1.02–1.21), 1.09 (0.88–1.36) and 1.03 (0.87–1.22), respectively.

Conclusions

Current evidence suggests considerable between-country and -region heterogeneity in the female:male PR of CKD. However, there remains a large part of the region where data on sex-specific CKD prevalence are absent or limited. Country-level assessment of the differential burden of CKD in females and males is needed to define locally relevant policies that address the needs of both sexes.
A New Method To Find All The High-Probability Word-Oriented Truncated Differentials: Application To Midori, SKINNY And CRAFT
Authors: Guo Hao , Zhang Zhiyu , Yang Qianqian , Hu Lei , Luo Yiyuan
Published: January 2022

This paper proposes a new method to find high-probability truncated differentials using matrix muliplication. For Markov cipher with similar round function, suppose that the transition probability matrix of round function is $\mathcal{D}$, then $\mathcal{D}^{r}$ contains all the differential probabilities of an $r$-round block cipher. To reduce the matrix dimension, we consider the word-oriented truncated differential and the truncated transition probability matrix $\mathcal{T}$. Regardless of the effect of the $S$-box, we focus on whether there is a non-zero difference on one cell instead of the value of the difference. In this case, the matrix dimension reduces significantly and we can calculate $\mathcal{T}^{r}$ using a workstation. Then all the $r$-round truncated differential probabilities can be found from $\mathcal{T}^{r}$. And the probability in $\mathcal{T}^{r}$ is the probability of the whole truncated differential hull but not a single or several truncated differential characteristics. Besides, we make a more accurate probability estimation of the truncated differential of lightweight block cipher. Combined with the truncated differential hull, we found some longer truncated differential distinguishers. And as $\mathcal{T}^{r}$ stores all the truncated differential probabilities, we can also find all the impossible truncated differentials.
Dragonfly Political Optimizer Algorithm-Based Rider Deep Long Short-Term Memory for Soil Moisture and Heat Level Prediction in IoT
Authors: Muppidi Satish , P G Om Prakash , B Kishore
Published: January 2022

Different computerized technologies to monitor plant health in the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm gained various benefits but generating accurate result in the soil moisture and heat level prediction is the potential challenge. Thus, an effective Dragonfly Political Optimizer Algorithm-based Rider Deep Long Short-Term Memory (DPOA-based Rider Deep LSTM) is developed for generating better prediction results of soil moisture and heat level. The proposed DPOA is the integration of the Dragonfly Algorithm and Political Optimizer. The proposed system maintains the Base Station (BS) that collects the information from the IoT nodes through Cluster Head. At BS, the data transformation is carried out using Yeo Johnson transformation. The transformed result is transferred to feature selection, which is evaluated by holoentropy, and finally, the prediction process of soil moisture and the heat level is done at BS using the proposed method. The proposed method achieved higher performance in terms of Packet Delivery Ratio, energy, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity with the values of 0.7156, 0.7123, 0.9474, 0.9523 and 0.9254, respectively.
Landowner Willingness to Accept Monetary Compensation for Managing Forests for Ecosystem Services in the Southern United States
Authors: Adhikari Ram K , Grala Robert K , Petrolia Daniel R , Grado Stephen C , Grebner Donald L , Shrestha Anusha
Published: January 2022

Distributional specifications of the willingness-to-accept function affect the accuracy of welfare estimates when the contingent valuation model includes unsure responses. By exponentiating the bid variable, we implemented an improved methodological approach to estimate four discrete choice models reflecting treatment of unsure responses. Landowners required an average compensation of $93 acre−1 year−1 to participate in a 10-year conservation program. The probability of participation was positively influenced by payment amount, concern about wildlife habitat loss, contact frequency with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and education level. Findings will help determine regional-level budgets for various conservation scenarios facilitating an increased production of ecosystem services.

Study Implications

Conservation agencies can decrease landowner uncertainty that arises from limited information about conservation programs and motivate landowners to enroll in a conservation program facilitating an increased production of ecosystem services by offering adequate monetary incentives. Conservation agencies can provide similar financial compensation for conservation of bottomland hardwoods and pine stands but will most likely need to offer greater compensation for the protection of forests prone from impacts by wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Available funding should be prioritized for conservation of critical habitats and freshwater sources vulnerable to land disturbances.
Antarctica 3-D crustal structure investigation by means of the Bayesian gravity inversion: the Wilkes Land case study
Authors: Capponi M , Sampietro D , Ebbing J , Ferraccioli F
Published: January 2022

In this study, a Bayesian gravity inversion algorithm is applied to infer a complete 3-D density model of the crust in the region of the Wilkes Land. One of the main objective of this work is to provide information on the thickening/thinning of the crust beneath the basin or the amount and characteristics of sediment deposits in the area. After collecting all the latest available geophysical data and models of the study region, neglecting gravity derived information, a first 3-D model was defined in terms of principal geological horizons and density distribution together with an estimate of its accuracy. Then, two gravity observations, namely gravity disturbances and second radial derivative of the anomalous potential, were jointly inverted in order to adjust the a-priori 3-D model and obtain the so-called a posterior improved model, now coherent with gravity. The present work summarizes the principal results obtained within the inversion performed in the Wilkes Land region together with a sensitivity analysis to assess the reliability of the inverted 3-D model. The results show a crustal thickness below the Wilkes Land higher than 25 km, characterized by higher densities, sedimentary basins that reach in some zones thicknesses of about 7 km and geometries below the Trans-Antarctic Mountains that suggest a large root of the mountains and lighter mantle densities.
Assessment of the association between the Brazilian family health strategy and adult mortality
Authors: Diaz Maria Dolores Montoya , Teixeira Adriano Dutra , Postali Fernando Antonio Slaibe , Ferreira-Batista Natalia Nunes , Moreno-Serra Rodrigo
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to analyse a wide range of related health problems that respond favourably to efficient primary care treatment among adults. We evaluate the direct impact of the Family Health Strategy (ESF) in Brazil on mortality of adults aged 25–64 years related to conditions for which access to effective primary care can reduce the likelihood of more severe outcomes. Additionally, we discuss heterogeneous effects associated with different intensities of the programme. To address these issues, we estimated a model with variation at the municipal level of the ESF expansion, including municipal-fixed effects, municipal specific trends and year-fixed effects. Our results show that a higher intensity of ESF is associated with reduced mortality by all conditions sensitive to primary care and for some diseases, especially after some years: avoidable conditions, asthma, heart failure, cerebrovascular diseases and gastrointestinal ulcer, infectious gastroenteritis and complications, diseases of the lower airways, hypertension and diabetes. As a public policy view, these results help understand how a nationwide primary care strategy can help mitigate mortality and emphasize the role of having sufficient health teams to attend to the population.
Factors determining non-attendance in breast cancer screening among women in the Netherlands: a national study
Authors: Gong Jianxia , Kampadellis Georgia , Kong Qingxia , Spijker Wolfert
Published: January 2022

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women. National mammography screening programs can detect breast cancer early, but attendance rates have been decreasing in the Netherlands over the past decade. Non-attendees reported that overdiagnosis, the risk of false-negative results, x-ray exposure and mammography pain could be barriers to attendance, but it is not clear whether these disadvantages explain non-attendance and in which situations they are considered barriers. We conducted a national survey among 1227 Dutch women who did not attend mammography screening appointments in 2016. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors that influenced the likelihood of the abovementioned disadvantages leading to non-attendance. The results showed that the doctor’s opinion increased the likelihood of the risk of false-negative being perceived as a reason for non-attendance. Moreover, opportunistic screening increased the likelihood that the risk of false-negative, overdiagnosis and x-ray exposure would lead to non-attendance. Women with lower education levels were less likely to consider overdiagnosis and x-ray exposure as reasons for non-attendance, while women who had not undergone mammography screening before were more likely to reject the screening invitation because of concerns about x-ray exposure and mammography pain. These findings indicate how we can address the specific concerns of different groups of women in the Netherlands to encourage them to attend potentially life-saving breast-screening appointments. Screening organizations could provide accurate and unbiased information on the effectiveness of mammography screening to GPs, putting them in a better position to advise their patients.
Impact of the HeartMate 3 continuous-flow left ventricular assist device in patients with small body size
Authors: Tonai Kohei , Fukushima Satsuki , Tadokoro Naoki , Kainuma Satoshi , Kawamoto Naonori , Kakuta Takashi , Koga-Ikuta Ayumi , Watanabe Takuya , Seguchi Osamu , Tsukamoto Yasumasa , Fukushima Norihide , Fujita Tomoyuki
Published: January 2022

OBJECTIVES

Limited data are available for use of the HeartMate 3 (HM 3) left ventricular assist device in patients with a small body surface area (BSA). Because the HM 3 is currently the sole device available worldwide, we conducted a single-centre retrospective study of patients with a small BSA (<1.5 m2) who underwent HM 3 implantation to better understand the operative and postoperative management.

METHODS

This study enrolled 64 consecutive patients who had undergone HM 3 implantation from August 2018 to July 2021. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on their BSA before the operation: BSA of <1.5 m2 (small BSA group, n = 18) and BSA of ≥1.5 m2 (regular BSA group, n = 46). The primary study endpoint was survival free of events such as disabling stroke and pump failure. The secondary endpoint was the frequency of adverse events.

RESULTS

The average BSA was 1.38 m2 in the small BSA group. The overall event-free survival rate at 12 months was 100% and 86.7% in the small BSA group and regular BSA group, respectively, and no significant difference was found between the 2 groups (log-rank P = 0.2). The number of cumulative adverse events of death, stroke of any severity, driveline infection, pump infection, ventricular arrhythmia, gastrointestinal Haemorrhage and pump failure was similar between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The HM 3 was safely implanted in patients with a small BSA, and postoperative outcomes were acceptable regardless of BSA. However, further research is needed to confirm the indications for HM 3 implantation in even smaller patients.
Antibody Course and Memory B-Cell Response in the First Year After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection
Authors: Kannenberg Judith , Trawinski Henning , Henschler Reinhard , Buhmann Raymund , Hönemann Mario , Jassoy Christian
Published: January 2022

Background

The possibility of repeat infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) raises questions regarding quality and longevity of the virus-induced immune response.

Methods

The antibody course and memory B-cell (MBC) response against SARS-CoV-2 proteins, influenza virus nucleoprotein (NP), and tetanus toxin were examined in adults with mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first year after infection.

Results

The concentration of SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD)-specific antibodies was low compared with the concentration of influenza virus NP-specific antibodies. The SARS-CoV-2 RBD antibody half-life increased from 95 days in the first 6 months to 781 days after 9–12 months. The SARS-CoV-2 NP antibody half-life increased from 88 to 248 days. Two thirds of the subjects had SARS-CoV-2-specific MBC responses 12 months after infection. The SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels correlated with the MBC frequency at 12 months.

Conclusions

The low concentration of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibodies indicates that re-exposure to the virus or vaccination are required to use the B-cell immunity to full capacity. The existence of a robust SARS-CoV-2 MBC response at 12 months in most subjects and the substantially increasing antibody half-life provide evidence that the immune response is developing into long-term immunity. The early antibody reaction and the ensuing MBC response are interdependent.
Intracellular islatravir pharmacology differs between species in an in vitro model: implications for preclinical study design
Authors: Sykes Craig , Van Horne Brian , Jones Justin , Kashuba Angela D. M. , Gatto Gregory , Van Der Straten Ariane , Johnson Leah , Cottrell Mackenzie L.
Published: January 2022

Background

Islatravir (4′-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2′-deoxyadenosine; EFdA) is a first-in-class nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor (NRTTI) being investigated for HIV treatment and prevention. EFdA is intracellularly phosphorylated to EFdA-triphosphate (EFdA-tp), a competitive substrate of deoxyadenosine-triphosphate (dATP). Thus, translating safety and efficacy findings from preclinical studies relies on the assumption that EFdA’s intracellular pharmacology can be extrapolated across species.

Objectives

We investigated how EFdA is phosphorylated across animal species commonly used for preclinical models in drug development to identify those that most closely matched humans.

Methods

PBMCs were isolated from whole blood of six species (human, rhesus macaque non-human primate (rmNHP), rat, minipig, dog, and rabbit) using Ficoll separation and counted on a haemocytometer by Trypan blue staining. One million live cells were cultured in media supplemented with 10 U/mL human IL-2, 10% FBS and 1% antibiotics and treated with 0, 17, 170, and 1700 nM EFdA (n = 3 replicates per concentration). After 24 h, representative cell counts were derived from untreated control wells (as above), cells were washed in PBS, and lysed with 70:30 methanol:water. EFdA-tp and dATP concentrations were quantified by HPLC-MS/MS and normalized to the representative live cell counts for each species.

Results

When compared to human values, EFdA-tp concentrations for each EFdA treatment concentration were lower in all species (rmNHP 1.5–2.1-fold, rat 4.5–15-fold, minipig 37–71-fold, dog and rabbit >100-fold). Additionally, rmNHP and dog PBMCs exhibited significantly higher (7–10-fold; P < 0.001) dATP when compared with human PBMCs.

Conclusions

Given intracellular pharmacology differences, these preclinical models may be a conservative estimate of EFdA’s intracellular pharmacokinetics and efficacy in humans.
Dynamic modeling of hospitalized COVID-19 patients reveals disease state–dependent risk factors
Authors: Soper Braden C , Cadena Jose , Nguyen Sam , Chan Kwan Ho Ryan , Kiszka Paul , Womack Lucas , Work Mark , Duggan Joan M , Haller Steven T , Hanrahan Jennifer A , Kennedy David J , Mukundan Deepa , Ray Priyadip
Published: January 2022

Objective

The study sought to investigate the disease state–dependent risk profiles of patient demographics and medical comorbidities associated with adverse outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections.

Materials and Methods

A covariate-dependent, continuous-time hidden Markov model with 4 states (moderate, severe, discharged, and deceased) was used to model the dynamic progression of COVID-19 during the course of hospitalization. All model parameters were estimated using the electronic health records of 1362 patients from ProMedica Health System admitted between March 20, 2020 and December 29, 2020 with a positive nasopharyngeal PCR test for SARS-CoV-2. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, vital signs, and laboratory test results were retrospectively evaluated to infer a patient’s clinical progression.

Results

The association between patient-level covariates and risk of progression was found to be disease state dependent. Specifically, while being male, being Black or having a medical comorbidity were all associated with an increased risk of progressing from the moderate disease state to the severe disease state, these same factors were associated with a decreased risk of progressing from the severe disease state to the deceased state.

Discussion

Recent studies have not included analyses of the temporal progression of COVID-19, making the current study a unique modeling-based approach to understand the dynamics of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.

Conclusion

Dynamic risk stratification models have the potential to improve clinical outcomes not only in COVID-19, but also in a myriad of other acute and chronic diseases that, to date, have largely been assessed only by static modeling techniques.
Authentication and Quality Assessment of Plumeriae Rubrae Flos by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and UHPLC-DAD Combined With Chemometrics
Authors: Yao Yufeng , Xie Yuanyuan , Dai Pengyu , Ma Yunxia , Zhu Chenchen , Liu Fangle , Lin Chaozhan
Published: January 2022

Background

Plumeriae rubrae flos, the dried flowers of Plumeria rubra cv. acutifolia (PRCA), is one of the most important materials of herbal tea in China. Recently, due to the lack of effective quality evaluation standards, it has been found that Plumeria rubra (PR) and Plumeria rubra var. alba (PRVA) were pretended to be PRCA in herbal material markets.

Objective

To establish an effective method for comprehensive quality assessment on plumeriae rubrae flos, and distinguishing PRCA from its common adulterants, PR and PRVA.

Method

In this study, a method combined application of ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS), UHPLC with a diode array detector (UHPLC-DAD), and chemometrics was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of PRCA, PR, and PRVA, based on their multiple components.

Results

A total of 26 components were identified by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS, including nine flavonoids, eight iridoids, seven phenolic acids, and two coumarins from PRCA. Quantified fingerprints were established and validated using UHPLC-DAD based on 18 chemical markers in PRCA, PR, and PRVA samples. The multivariate statistical analysis of quantitative results demonstrated clear discrimination of PRCA, PR, and PRVA, which indicated that isoquercetin, luteolin-3ʹ-O-β-D-glucoside, 15-demethylplumieride P-E-coumarate, and 4-O-beta-glucopyranosyl-cis-coumaric acid could be considered the most obvious characteristic components for distinguishing PRCA from PR and PRVA.

Conclusions

A combination of quantitative fingerprint and chemometrics analysis provided an effective and reliable strategy for the quality control of PRCA.

Highlights

The current study was prospected to apply a comprehensive quality control method for plumeriae rubrae flos.
Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the Atlantic seabob shrimpXiphopenaeus kroyeriHeller, 1862 (Decapoda: Dendrobranchiata: Penaeidae), with insights into the phylogeny of Penaeidae
Authors: Cronin Timothy J , Conrad Isabelle , Kerkhove Thomas R H , Hellemans Bart , De Troch Marleen , Volckaert Filip A M , Baeza J Antonio
Published: January 2022

The Atlantic seabob shrimp, Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller, 1862) (Penaeidae), is commonly found on western Atlantic coasts and of high commercial importance in Brazil, Suriname, and Guyana. Current genetic resources on X. kroyeri are scarce and no genomic studies are available. This study reports the complete mitochondrial genome of X. kroyeri. Using the pipeline NOVOPlasty, we assembled and circularized the complete mitochondrial genome of X. kroyeri with an average coverage of 68x per nucleotide. The AT-rich mitochondrial genome of X. kroyeri is 15,999 bp in length and comprised of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. A single 1,030 bp long intergenic space is assumed to be the D-loop/Control region (CR). Selective pressure analysis indicated that the PCGs were under purifying selection. The KA/KS ratios observed for cox1, cox2, atp6, cox3, and cob were found to be much lower than the ratios observed in the other PCGs, suggesting strong purifying selection upon the former genes. The secondary structures of the tRNA genes exhibited a standard ‘cloverleaf’ structure, with the exception of trnS1. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on all PCGs indicated that X. kroyeri is more closely related to penaeids (Penaeidae) belonging to the genera TrachypenaeusAlcock, 1901, PenaeopsisSpence Bate, 1881, and MierspenaeopsisK. Sakai & Shinomiya, 2011. This study contributes new genomic resources for this commercially important species which may aid in distinguishing cryptic species and elucidating phylogeographic patterns.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the pink shrimpFarfantepenaeus duorarum(Burkenroad, 1939) (Decapoda: Dendrobranchiata: Penaeidae)
Authors: Collins Stormie B , Bracken-Grissom Heather D , Baeza J Antonio
Published: January 2022

Farfantepenaeus duorarum (Burkenroad, 1939) is a commercially harvested decapod shrimp that ranges from the eastern coast of the United States, through the Gulf of Mexico, and as far south as Isla Mujeres, Mexico. We report for the first time the complete mitochondrial genome of F. duorarum. The mitochondrial genome is 15,971 base pairs in length and is comprised of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. An intergenic space 982 bp in length located between the rrnS (12S) and trnI (Isoleucine) genes is presumed to be the D-loop. The mitochondrial gene order in F. duorarum is identical to that reported for congeners. To assess selection pressures within the mitochondrial genome, KA/KS ratios were calculated for all PCGs, and show values < 1, indicating that all genes are evolving under purifying selection. This work contributes one more mitochondrial genome to the penaeid shrimps, an economically targeted group.
Nonstationary pattern-based signal–noise separation using adaptive prediction-error filter
Authors: Zheng Zhisheng , Liu Yang , Liu Cai
Published: January 2022

Complex field conditions always create different interferences during seismic data acquisition, and there exist several types of noise in the recorded data, which affect the subsequent data processing and interpretation. To separate an effective signal from the noisy data, we adopted a pattern-based method with a two-step strategy, which involves two adaptive prediction-error filters (APEFs) corresponding to a nonstationary data pattern and noise pattern. By introducing shaping regularization, we first constructed a least-squares problem to estimate the filter coefficients of the APEF. Then, we solved another constrained least-square problem corresponding to the pattern-based signal–noise separation, and different pattern operators are adopted to characterize random noise and ground-roll noise. In comparison with traditional denoising methods, such as FXDECON, curvelet transform and local time–frequency (LTF) decomposition, we examined the ability of the proposed method by removing seismic random noise and ground-roll noise in several examples. Synthetic models and field data demonstrate the validity of the strategy for separating nonstationary signal and noise with different patterns.
Meaningful Change and Treatment Responsivity in Intervention Research: A Targeted Review of Studies Published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology
Authors: Dolgin, PhD Michael J , Asper, BA Ariel , Greizer, BA Yair , Kariel, BA Yisca , Malka, BA Meshi , Peretz, BA Or , Rosenzweig, BA Natan , Shalev, BA Shani , Sandberg, PhD David E
Published: January 2022

Objective

Randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) in pediatric psychology form the foundation for evidence-based treatment and best practices in the field. Relying heavily on continuous outcome measures and group comparisons, questions concerning meaningful clinical change and treatment response rates remain open. This targeted review aimed to provide an initial description of the current state of intervention research in pediatric psychology in terms of attention to meaningful clinical change and efforts to assess and characterize participants in terms of treatment responsivity;

Methods

Online databases were used to identify a sample of RCT published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology from 2010 to 2021 using the term “randomized” in the title. Using predefined eligibility and exclusion criteria, 43 studies were identified and analyzed with regard to characteristics of intervention, population, measurement, data reporting, and reference to indicators of clinical significance, meaningful change, treatment responsivity rates, and predictors;

Results

26 studies (60%) made no reference at all to meaningful clinical change, treatment response criteria and rates, or characteristics of treatment responders. 15 studies (35%) reported measures of meaningful change in their interpretation of group differences, to calculate sample size, in relation to baseline data only, or in describing a measure. 2 studies (5%) reported criteria for assessing meaningful change to determine individual response rates and characteristics of responders;

Conclusions

These findings highlight the need for greater emphasis on defining standards and analyzing treatment outcome research in terms of metrics of meaningful change and treatment response in order to better target intervention and optimize limited resources.
The Great Mimicker
Authors: Rafei Abdelghani El , Sharain Korosh , Cawcutt Kelly A. , Temesgen Zelalem
Published: January 2022

Q fever is a zoonotic infection caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Inhalation of contaminated aerosols is the primary route of infection. Acute infection is typically asymptomatic but may present with an influenza-like illness, with evidence of pneumonia or hepatitis (or both). The diagnosis is often missed because symptoms are nonspecific. Progression to chronic infection may occur in immunocompromised patients or those with underlying valve disease. Infective endocarditis is the most common form of chronic Q fever. Serologic testing is the most valuable diagnostic tool.