bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technical Study of Developing Floating Photovoltaic 145 MWac Power Plant Project In Cirata Reservoir
Authors: Sukmawan Toni , Nursyahbani Hanif , Wahyudi Hendras D , Gunawan Trenindya , Wijaya Adi A
Published: March 2021

This paper is concerning how the technical study of the 145 MWac Cirata solar Floating construction was built on the cirata dam. The Cirata floating solar power plant development plan starts with the Renewable Energy Mix target set by the Indonesian government as stipulated in the National Electricity General Planning Document 2018-2037 with a target of 23% renewable energy by 2025. Technical aspects of the study are carried out on several aspects such as availability land which will determine the type of PV Land Base or floating. with some technical considerations while eventually floating technology was chosen since has technical and financial advantages for the construction of solar power plants in this location. Subsequently, an evaluation was carried out to determine the potential for irradiation at the specific locationbju. After obtaining irradiation data and meteorological conditions, a projection of energy production in the location is carried out using the performance ratio parameters on several values to obtain the projection of annual energy production. An evaluation of interconnection was also carried out to find out whether the construction of the 145 MWac floating solar was safe against the reliability of the 150 kV and 500 kV systems in the West Java system.
Effect of Heat Input in Dissimilar Welding on SS304H and T22 to Hardness Distribution and Delta Ferrite Content with GTAW Process
Authors: Santosa A , Suwarno  , Laksana W A , Mantika F A
Published: March 2021

In this paper, a study was carried out on the effect of various heat input on the hardness distribution and delta ferrite content in dissimilar welding on T22 and SS304H tube boilers in power plants using Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). The heat input used in this study is 2.9 KJ/mm, 3.1 KJ/mm and 3.6 KJ/mm. Controlling the heat input parameter is one method to reduce problems in dissimilar welding. The general problem occurs in dissimilar welding is the failure on the weldment to occur due to differences in chemical composition, mechanical properties and thermal coefficients of the two materials where it makes degradation in the microstructure in the fusion zone and creating residual stress than susceptibility to fatigue in material or cracks. All variation of heat input in this study is safe to operate in the welding process and low tendency to hot cracking. Using the lowest variation of heat input 2.9 KJ/mm has the highest value of hardness distribution and lowest FN value.
Power Generation Fire Risk Evaluation Using House of Risk (HoR) Method With an Asset Management Approach
Authors: Hamka D H , Sutarto D S , Pariaman H , Hisjam M
Published: March 2021

The risk of fire in power generation is the latest issue of concern to the electricity business. Several preventive programs such as coal dust control and the improvement of coal handling facilities to the provision of fire fighting infrastructure have been carried out continuously, but the main problem in the implementation of further work programs is finding the right policy in the main risk and determining the priority of mitigation. Integrating the House of Risk method with ISO 55001 can become an alternative to the previous methods that already exist and will be able to support the establishment of fire safety risk mitigation policies. A holistic review of business processes taking into consideration emerging risk agents in addition to risk events, risk impacts, and the occurrence of risk agents, then the method used will be able to generate a selected list of prioritized preventive actions. The results showed 41 risk events with 28 identified risk agents, furthermore, 17 risk agents were chosen as a preventive measure, and finally 8 proposed preventive actions to reduce the probability of the occurrence of risk agents that can lead to business interruption.
Full Loop Numerical Simulation of Fluidization Characteristics at Cyclone and Furnace of 110 MW CFB
Authors: Wirahadi A , Batubara P
Published: March 2021

Circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler has strong points with its recognition when operating with low quality coal contrast to pulverized coal boiler. Boiler load could be improved by increasing coal input and air ratio combustion adjustment. That is why ratio combustion between secondary and primary air is one of valuable parameters influencing fluidization of CFB Boiler. CFB boiler is consist mainly of a furnace, two cyclones, and forced loop pipes, where cyclones are boiler parts that were indicated to have high velocity fluidization up to 30 m/s. Full loop 3D simulation of CFB with focusing on the furnace and cyclone by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) program was implemented using Eulerian multiphase model to investigate sand volume of fraction, air, and sand velocity including pressure distribution around Cyclone. Several air ratio combustions between primary and secondary air were simulated such as 55%-45%, 50%-50% with 63%, and 100% load variations. It was shown that operation with air combustion ratio 50%-50% and 55%-45% leads to good fluidization at 63% load, while 100% and 110% fluidization will cause an abundant sand entered to inlet cyclone and induce higher sands and air velocity.
Application of Theory of Constraints (TOC) in Power Generation to Increase Overhaul Maintenance Performance and to Strengthen Overhaul Management Process
Authors: Rahadi K B , Setyanto A , Rohmansyah D
Published: March 2021

Theory of Constraints (TOC) is a new concept of overhaul management in power generation. It has been effectively used in various industrial activities. This paper describes the idea of how the TOC is applicable to improve the overhaul management dealing with several constraints with a case of power plant overhaul performance. TOC uses all five application tools to analyze a system or situation to identify a core problem, develop a solution for it, and determine how to implement that solution. These applications are CRT (Current Reality Tree), EC (Evaporating Cloud), FRT (Future Reality Tree), PRT (Prerequisite Tree), and TT (Transition Tree). The result of the study has shown several main factors causing the achievement of power generation overhaul performance not optimum. Based on the main causes that have been identified, it will give also some recommendations for improving the power generation overhaul performance such as personnel competencies acceleration and overhaul management process strengthened.
A Reductive Pre-Treatment to Improve NCA Cathode Material Hydrometallurgical Recycle Process
Authors: Jumari A , Nizam M , Dyartanti E R , Suranto  , Yudha C S , Muzayanha S U , Apriliyani E , Purwanto A
Published: March 2021

NCA or LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) Battery is one lithium ion batteries (LIBs) that is often used in electric vehicles as an energy storage device due to its high capacity and energy density. But along with the popularity of electric vehicles, the production of NCA cathode materials has also increased so resulting in accumulation of LIBs waste in the future. The purpose of this study is to recycle NCA via hydrometallurgical route. The effect of reducing agent addition during the pretreatment process was investigated. Stearic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid and glucose were used as the reducing agent. Sulfuric acid and citric acid solution were used as the leaching agent. XRD analysis confirmed the occurrence divalent Ni due to reduction process. Based on the AAS analysis, it can be concluded that the reduction process affects the leaching behavior significantly. The highest leaching concentration of Ni and Co is obtained using glucose as the reducing agent during the pre-treatment.
Determination of Household Green Waste Fractions to Methane and its Economic Value
Authors: Joelianto E , Edyson H P
Published: March 2021

The methane gas produced at the landfills has become one of the main causes of the global warming. On the other hand, solid waste has potentials as a new energy. One of the well-known methods in processing solid waste into a new energy is methanation or anaerobic fermentation process. This paper considers calculation of the solid waste fraction of green waste that can be released as methane from traditional market. The gas volume is measured by using U-pipe filled with water. The difference of water height in the U-pipe is used to calculate the formed biogas volume used to calculate the weight fraction of the methane and amount of profit which can be generated from the solid waste processing by using anaerobic fermentation. The profits are obtained from the use of methane as the source of electricity energy and the profit of selling compost from the fermented trash residue. The results of this research show that the solid waste fraction which can be released as methane has the value range 0.11% - 0.18%, the benefits that can be generated from anaerobic process for organic solid waste are 300,899,290.00 IDR annually for electricity energy and 24,432,222,254.00 IDR annually for compost.
Synthesis of Modified Graphite with High Crystalline Na-LTO by Simple Doping Method.
Authors: Putra M I , Muzayanha S U , Rizal Y , Fadilah  , Widiyandari H , Purwanto A
Published: March 2021

Graphite doped with Na-Li4Ti5O12 (Na-LTO) for lithium-ion batteries with stable rateability were prepared in a short time by simple grounding which followed with the short calcination time. High crystalline Na-LTO improved the diffusivity of the Li-ion kinetics and stability. Therefore, Graphite/Na-LTO (G-NaLTO) was compared with the pure graphite to find out the differences in terms of XRD pattern and electrochemical performance. XRD analysis showed there was no significant differences pattern from G-NaLTO with commercial graphite. In terms of electrochemical performance, G-NaLTO which was doped by 1 wt% Na-LTO, presented a high initial charge capacity 356.69 mAh g−1 at 0.1C and stable discharge rate-capability at 0.2C and 1C were 264.64 mAh g−1 and 220.65 mAh g−1, respectively, after 15 cycles. G-NaLTO with a composition of 3 wt% Na-LTO shows a decreasing electrochemical performance so it can be concluded that the addition of 1 wt% LTO by the doping method is the most optimal.
Recent Development of Polyvinylidene Fluoride/Cellulose Membranes Electrolyte Separator for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Dyartanti E R , Sunaryati N , Alhakim R R , Putri L N , Putri A Y M , Nurohmah A R , Nisa S S
Published: March 2021

Lithium ion batteries (LIB) are an important energy storage system. As one component in a LIB, the separator has an important role in the safety of LIB. Separators have porous structures that make it possible to transfer lithium ions between anode and cathode. This paper discusses the method for making separators with the main material as PVdF and cellulose. Such as casting, phase inversion, paper making, and electrospinning. So, we found two potential methods that can be developed in preparing lithium-ion battery separators, casting and electrospinning. Casting has benefits like a simple preparation step and does not require much equipment, but the weaknesses are expensive processes. The electrospinning step has advantages such as an inexpensive process, but has the disadvantage of needing much equipment.
The entropy and Hausdorff dimension of self-similar sets
Authors: Evans James
Published: March 2021

Given a

k
k

-self-similar set

X
⊂
[
0
,
1

]

d

X\subset [0,1]^{d}

we calculate both its Hausdorff dimension and its entropy, and show that these two quantities are in fact equal. This affirmatively resolves a conjecture of Adamczewski and Bell [Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 363 (2011), pp. 4421–4442].
Association of Stage 1 Hypertension Defined by the ACC/AHA 2017 Guideline With Asymptomatic Coronary Atherosclerosis
Authors: Yoon Yong-Hoon , Park Gyung-Min , Lee Jong-Young , Lee Jae-Hwan , Lee Hanbyul , Roh Jae-Hyung , Kim Ju Hyeon , Lee Pil Hyung , Choe Jaewon , Kim Young-Hak , Lee Seung-Whan
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND

This study sought to assess the relationship between stage 1 hypertension and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

METHODS

A total of 4,666 individuals with available coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) results from a health checkup were enrolled. The classification of hypertension was adapted from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) 2017 guideline. The presence of coronary plaques and its characteristics, and other CCTA findings were assessed.

RESULTS

There was a linear relationship between blood pressure (BP), both systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), and the presence of coronary plaque. Patients were classified into 4 groups according to the BP category: normal BP (SBP <120 mm Hg and DBP <80 mm Hg; n = 2,395; 51.3%), elevated BP (SBP 120–129 mm Hg and DBP <80 mm Hg; n = 467; 10.0%), stage 1 hypertension (SBP 130–139 mm Hg or DBP 80–89 mm Hg; n = 1,139; 24.4%), and stage 2 hypertension (SBP ≥140 mm Hg or DBP ≥90 mm Hg; n = 665; 14.2%). Compared with the normal BP group after multivariate adjustment, the stage 1 hypertension group was significantly associated with the presence of atherosclerotic plaque (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidential interval], 1.37 [1.17–1.62]; P < 0.001), especially in noncalcified and mixed plaques. The relationship between stage 1 hypertension and stenosis >50% was not statistically significant. Isolated diastolic and isolated systolic stage 1 hypertensions were significantly related to the presence of coronary plaque. The elevated BP group was not associated with any positive CCTA findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Stage 1 hypertension was independently associated with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.
Understanding the Broader Impacts Of Alcohol Marketing: Time For a Research Agenda Which Includes Adults
Authors: Critchlow Nathan , Moodie Crawford
Published: March 2021

Most research on alcohol marketing involves young people. Consequently, gaps remain in our understanding of how alcohol marketing reaches, engages and influences adults, who are the legitimate and primary targets for marketing communications. Responding to these lacunae in knowledge is necessary to help inform and evaluate population-level controls on alcohol marketing.
The Development and Commercialization of Medical Technologies
Authors: Bertrand Anthony A , DeLong Michael R , Chandawarkar Akash , Robinson Chandler
Published: March 2021

It is not uncommon for physicians to think of ways to improve the delivery of care, which may take the form of a new medical device, drug, test, or service. In recent years, structured approaches to the identification of unmet needs and the development of solutions have been introduced to the medical community. Yet, due to gaps in exposure and training, there remains an opportunity to improve the level of understanding within the medical community regarding how to develop an innovation, once conceived, to the point of commercialization. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to provide an overview of some of the relevant considerations and requirements when bringing an idea for a new medical technology to market.
Integrative-omics for discovery of network-level disease biomarkers: a case study in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Xie Linhui , He Bing , Varathan Pradeep , Nho Kwangsik , Risacher Shannon L , Saykin Andrew J , Salama Paul , Yan Jingwen
Published: March 2021

A large number of genetic variations have been identified to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related quantitative traits. However, majority of existing studies focused on single types of omics data, lacking the power of generating a community including multi-omic markers and their functional connections. Because of this, the immense value of multi-omics data on AD has attracted much attention. Leveraging genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data, and their backbone network through functional relations, we proposed a modularity-constrained logistic regression model to mine the association between disease status and a group of functionally connected multi-omic features, i.e. single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), genes and proteins. This new model was applied to the real data collected from the frontal cortex tissue in the Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project cohort. Compared with other state-of-art methods, it provided overall the best prediction performance during cross-validation. This new method helped identify a group of densely connected SNPs, genes and proteins predictive of AD status. These SNPs are mostly expression quantitative trait loci in the frontal region. Brain-wide gene expression profile of these genes and proteins were highly correlated with the brain activation map of ‘vision’, a brain function partly controlled by frontal cortex. These genes and proteins were also found to be associated with the amyloid deposition, cortical volume and average thickness of frontal regions. Taken together, these results suggested a potential pathway underlying the development of AD from SNPs to gene expression, protein expression and ultimately brain functional and structural changes.
Elucidating transcriptomic profiles from single-cell RNA sequencing data using nature-inspired compressed sensing
Authors: Yu Zhuohan , Bian Chuang , Liu Genggeng , Zhang Shixiong , Wong Ka-Chun , Li Xiangtao
Published: March 2021

Gene-expression profiling can define the cell state and gene-expression pattern of cells at the genetic level in a high-throughput manner. With the development of transcriptome techniques, processing high-dimensional genetic data has become a major challenge in expression profiling. Thanks to the recent widespread use of matrix decomposition methods in bioinformatics, a computational framework based on compressed sensing was adopted to reduce dimensionality. However, compressed sensing requires an optimization strategy to learn the modular dictionaries and activity levels from the low-dimensional random composite measurements to reconstruct the high-dimensional gene-expression data. Considering this, here we introduce and compare four compressed sensing frameworks coming from nature-inspired optimization algorithms (CSCS, ABCCS, BACS and FACS) to improve the quality of the decompression process. Several experiments establish that the three proposed methods outperform benchmark methods on nine different datasets, especially the FACS method. We illustrate therefore, the robustness and convergence of FACS in various aspects; notably, time complexity and parameter analyses highlight properties of our proposed FACS. Furthermore, differential gene-expression analysis, cell-type clustering, gene ontology enrichment and pathology analysis are conducted, which bring novel insights into cell-type identification and characterization mechanisms from different perspectives. All algorithms are written in Python and available at https://github.com/Philyzh8/Nature-inspired-CS.
Bioinformatics and system biology approaches to identify the diseasome and comorbidities complexities of SARS-CoV-2 infection with the digestive tract disorders
Authors: Nashiry Md Asif , Sumi Shauli Sarmin , Sharif Shohan Mohammad Umer , Alyami Salem A , Azad A K M , Moni Mohammad Ali
Published: March 2021

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), although most commonly demonstrates respiratory symptoms, but there is a growing set of evidence reporting its correlation with the digestive tract and faeces. Interestingly, recent studies have shown the association of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection with gastrointestinal symptoms in infected patients but any sign of respiratory issues. Moreover, some studies have also shown that the presence of live SARS-CoV-2 virus in the faeces of patients with COVID-19. Therefore, the pathophysiology of digestive symptoms associated with COVID-19 has raised a critical need for comprehensive investigative efforts. To address this issue we have developed a bioinformatics pipeline involving a system biological framework to identify the effects of SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA expression on deciphering its association with digestive symptoms in COVID-19 positive patients. Using two RNA-seq datasets derived from COVID-19 positive patients with celiac (CEL), Crohn’s (CRO) and ulcerative colitis (ULC) as digestive disorders, we have found a significant overlap between the sets of differentially expressed genes from SARS-CoV-2 exposed tissue and digestive tract disordered tissues, reporting 7, 22 and 13 such overlapping genes, respectively. Moreover, gene set enrichment analysis, comprehensive analyses of protein–protein interaction network, gene regulatory network, protein–chemical agent interaction network revealed some critical association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the presence of digestive disorders. The infectome, diseasome and comorbidity analyses also discover the influences of the identified signature genes in other risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection to human health. We hope the findings from this pathogenetic analysis may reveal important insights in deciphering the complex interplay between COVID-19 and digestive disorders and underpins its significance in therapeutic development strategy to combat against COVID-19 pandemic.
Understanding Successes and Failures of Family Group Conferencing: An in-Depth Multiple Case Study
Authors: Bredewold F , Tonkens E
Published: March 2021

Family group conferencing (FGC) is considered to be a promising method for empowerment and community building of people in need of care and their families. However, empirical studies on the effects of FGC show mixed results, and often fail to explain these. In this article, we critically reflect under which conditions FGCs may or may not become successful, on the basis of a small-scale longitudinal research of four cases in which FGC was used, supplemented by analysis of research on FGC, interviews with social workers and observations of trainings of social workers who intend to apply FGC. Our data point to four conditions for successful application of FGC, concerning (i) the presence of a (positive) network, (ii) the need for formal care in addition to informal care by way of the FGC, (iii) active protection against paternalism and humiliation and (iv) taking seriously client’s reluctance to ask social network members for help. The possible risks and conditions, we formulate, hopefully help social workers to decide case by case whether the use of FGC indeed promises to be helpful or, conversely, it may be harmful.
Ethics of ICU triage during COVID-19
Authors: Vinay Rasita , Baumann Holger , Biller-Andorno Nikola
Published: March 2021

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has placed intensive care units (ICU) triage at the center of bioethical discussions. National and international triage guidelines emerged from professional and governmental bodies and have led to controversial discussions about which criteria—e.g. medical prognosis, age, life-expectancy or quality of life—are ethically acceptable. The paper presents the main points of agreement and disagreement in triage protocols and reviews the ethical debate surrounding them.

Sources of data

Published articles, news articles, book chapters, ICU triage guidelines set out by professional societies and health authorities.

Areas of agreement

Points of agreement in the guidelines that are widely supported by ethical arguments are (i) to avoid using a first come, first served policy or quality-adjusted life-years and (ii) to rely on medical prognosis, maximizing lives saved, justice as fairness and non-discrimination.

Areas of controversy

Points of disagreement in existing guidelines and the ethics literature more broadly regard the use of exclusion criteria, the role of life expectancy, the prioritization of healthcare workers and the reassessment of triage decisions.

Growing points

Improve outcome predictions, possibly aided by Artificial intelligence (AI); develop participatory approaches to drafting, assessing and revising triaging protocols; learn from experiences with implementation of guidelines with a view to continuously improve decision-making.

Areas timely for developing research

Examine the universality vs. context-dependence of triaging principles and criteria; empirically test the appropriateness of triaging guidelines, including impact on vulnerable groups and risk of discrimination; study the potential and challenges of AI for outcome and preference prediction and decision-support.
Paclitaxel increases axonal localization and vesicular trafficking of Nav1.7
Authors: Akin Elizabeth J , Alsaloum Matthew , Higerd Grant P , Liu Shujun , Zhao Peng , Dib-Hajj Fadia B , Waxman Stephen G , Dib-Hajj Sulayman D
Published: March 2021

The microtubule-stabilizing chemotherapy drug paclitaxel (PTX) causes dose-limiting chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), which is often accompanied by pain. Among the multifaceted effects of PTX is an increased expression of sodium channel Nav1.7 in rat and human sensory neurons, enhancing their excitability. However, the mechanisms underlying this increased Nav1.7 expression have not been explored, and the effects of PTX treatment on the dynamics of trafficking and localization of Nav1.7 channels in sensory axons have not been possible to investigate to date. In this study we used a recently developed live imaging approach that allows visualization of Nav1.7 surface channels and long-distance axonal vesicular transport in sensory neurons to fill this basic knowledge gap. We demonstrate concentration and time-dependent effects of PTX on vesicular trafficking and membrane localization of Nav1.7 in real-time in sensory axons. Low concentrations of PTX increase surface channel expression and vesicular flux (number of vesicles per axon). By contrast, treatment with a higher concentration of PTX decreases vesicular flux. Interestingly, vesicular velocity is increased for both concentrations of PTX. Treatment with PTX increased levels of endogenous Nav1.7 mRNA and current density in dorsal root ganglion neurons. However, the current produced by transfection of dorsal root ganglion neurons with Halo-tag Nav1.7 was not increased after exposure to PTX. Taken together, this suggests that the increased trafficking and surface localization of Halo-Nav1.7 that we observed by live imaging in transfected dorsal root ganglion neurons after treatment with PTX might be independent of an increased pool of Nav1.7 channels. After exposure to inflammatory mediators to mimic the inflammatory condition seen during chemotherapy, both Nav1.7 surface levels and vesicular transport are increased for both low and high concentrations of PTX. Overall, our results show that PTX treatment increases levels of functional endogenous Nav1.7 channels in dorsal root ganglion neurons and enhances trafficking and surface distribution of Nav1.7 in sensory axons, with outcomes that depend on the presence of an inflammatory milieu, providing a mechanistic explanation for increased excitability of primary afferents and pain in CIPN.
A decision-neuroscientific intervention to improve cognitive recovery after stroke
Authors: Studer Bettina , Timm Alicja , Sahakian Barbara J , Kalenscher Tobias , Knecht Stefan
Published: March 2021

Functional recovery after stroke is dose-dependent on the amount of rehabilitative training. However, rehabilitative training is subject to motivational hurdles. Decision neuroscience formalizes drivers and dampers of behaviour and provides strategies for tipping motivational trade-offs and behaviour change. Here, we used one such strategy, upfront voluntary choice restriction (‘precommitment’), and tested if it can increase the amount of self-directed rehabilitative training in severely impaired stroke patients. In this randomized controlled study, stroke patients with working memory deficits (n = 83) were prescribed daily self-directed gamified cognitive training as an add-on to standard therapy during post-acute inpatient neurorehabilitation. Patients allocated to the precommitment intervention could choose to restrict competing options to self-directed training, specifically the possibility to meet visitors. This upfront choice restriction was opted for by all patients in the intervention group and highly effective. Patients in the precommitment group performed the prescribed self-directed gamified cognitive training twice as often as control group patients who were not offered precommitment [on 50% versus 21% of days, Pcorr = 0.004, d = 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI95%) = 0.31 to 1.42], and, as a consequence, reached a 3-fold higher total training dose (90.21 versus 33.60 min, Pcorr = 0.004, d = 0.83, CI95% = 0.27 to 1.38). Moreover, add-on self-directed cognitive training was associated with stronger improvements in visuospatial and verbal working memory performance (Pcorr = 0.002, d = 0.72 and Pcorr = 0.036, d = 0.62). Our neuroscientific decision add-on intervention strongly increased the amount of effective cognitive training performed by severely impaired stroke patients. These results warrant a full clinical trial to link decision-based neuroscientific interventions directly with clinical outcome.
Innate immunity stimulation via CpG oligodeoxynucleotides ameliorates Alzheimer’s disease pathology in aged squirrel monkeys
Authors: Patel Akash G , Nehete Pramod N , Krivoshik Sara R , Pei Xuewei , Cho Elizabeth L , Nehete Bharti P , Ramani Margish D , Shao Yongzhao , Williams Lawrence E , Wisniewski Thomas , Scholtzova Henrieta
Published: March 2021

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and the only illness among the top 10 causes of death for which there is no disease-modifying therapy. The failure rate of clinical trials is very high, in part due to the premature translation of successful results in transgenic mouse models to patients. Extensive evidence suggests that dysregulation of innate immunity and microglia/macrophages plays a key role in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. Activated resident microglia and peripheral macrophages can display protective or detrimental phenotypes depending on the stimulus and environment. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of innate immune regulators known to play an important role in governing the phenotypic status of microglia. We have shown in multiple transgenic Alzheimer’s disease mouse models that harnessing innate immunity via TLR9 agonist CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) modulates age-related defects associated with immune cells and safely reduces amyloid plaques, oligomeric amyloid-β, tau pathology, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) while promoting cognitive benefits. In the current study we have used a non-human primate model of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease pathology that develops extensive CAA—elderly squirrel monkeys. The major complications in current immunotherapeutic trials for Alzheimer’s disease are amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, which are linked to the presence and extent of CAA; hence, the prominence of CAA in elderly squirrel monkeys makes them a valuable model for studying the safety of the CpG ODN-based concept of immunomodulation. We demonstrate that long-term use of Class B CpG ODN 2006 induces a favourable degree of innate immunity stimulation without producing excessive or sustained inflammation, resulting in efficient amelioration of both CAA and tau Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies in association with behavioural improvements and in the absence of microhaemorrhages in aged elderly squirrel monkeys. CpG ODN 2006 has been well established in numerous human trials for a variety of diseases. The present evidence together with our earlier, extensive preclinical research, validates the beneficial therapeutic outcomes and safety of this innovative immunomodulatory approach, increasing the likelihood of CpG ODN therapeutic efficacy in future clinical trials.
Left-Handers Are Less Lateralized Than Right-Handers for Both Left and Right Hemispheric Functions
Authors: Johnstone Leah T , Karlsson Emma M , Carey David P
Published: March 2021

Many neuroscientific techniques have revealed that more left- than right-handers will have unusual cerebral asymmetries for language. After the original emphasis on frequency in the aphasia and epilepsy literatures, most neuropsychology, and neuroimaging efforts rely on estimates of central tendency to compare these two handedness groups on any given measure of asymmetry. The inevitable reduction in mean lateralization in the left-handed group is often postulated as being due to reversed asymmetry in a small subset of them, but it could also be due to a reduced asymmetry in many of the left-handers. These two possibilities have hugely different theoretical interpretations. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging localizer paradigms, we matched left- and right-handers for hemispheric dominance across four functions (verbal fluency, face perception, body perception, and scene perception). We then compared the degree of dominance between the two handedness groups for each of these four measures, conducting t-tests on the mean laterality indices. The results demonstrate that left-handers with typical cerebral asymmetries are less lateralized for language, faces, and bodies than their right-handed counterparts. These results are difficult to reconcile with current theories of language asymmetry or of handedness.
Maintaining Low Prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni: Modeling the Effect of Less Frequent Treatment
Authors: Ayabina Diepreye , Kura Klodeta , Toor Jaspreet , Graham Matt , Anderson Roy M , Hollingsworth T Deirdre
Published: March 2021

Background

The World Health Organization previously set goals of controlling morbidity due to schistosomiasis by 2020 and attaining elimination as a public health problem (EPHP) by 2025 (now adjusted to 2030 in the new neglected tropical diseases roadmap). As these milestones are reached, it is important that programs reassess their treatment strategies to either maintain these goals or progress from morbidity control to EPHP and ultimately to interruption of transmission. In this study, we consider different mass drug administration (MDA) strategies to maintain the goals.

Methods

We used 2 independently developed, individual-based stochastic models of schistosomiasis transmission to assess the optimal treatment strategy of a multiyear program to maintain the morbidity control and the EPHP goals.

Results

We found that, in moderate-prevalence settings, once the morbidity control and EPHP goals are reached it may be possible to maintain the goals using less frequent MDAs than those that are required to achieve the goals. On the other hand, in some high-transmission settings, if control efforts are reduced after achieving the goals, particularly the morbidity control goal, there is a high chance of recrudescence.

Conclusions

To reduce the risk of recrudescence after the goals are achieved, programs have to re-evaluate their strategies and decide to either maintain these goals with reduced efforts where feasible or continue with at least the same efforts required to reach the goals.
The Matching Preclusion of Enhanced Hypercubes
Authors: Wang Shiying , Ma Xiaolei
Published: March 2021

The (conditional) matching preclusion number of a graph is the minimum number of edges whose deletion leaves the resulting graph (with no isolated vertices) that has neither perfect matchings nor almost perfect matchings. The (conditional) strong matching preclusion number of a graph is the minimum number of vertices and edges whose deletion makes the resulting graph (with no isolated vertices) without perfect matching or almost perfect matching. The enhanced hypercube $Q_{n,k}$  $(1\leq k\leq n-1)$ is an extension of hypercube. In this paper, we prove that the matching preclusion number of $Q_{n,k}$ is $n+1$  $(1\leq k\leq n-1)$, the strong matching preclusion number of $Q_{n,k}$ is $n+1$  $(2\leq k\leq n-1)$, the conditional matching preclusion number of $Q_{n,n-1}$ is $2n-1$, the conditional matching preclusion number of $Q_{n,k}$ is $2n$  $(1\leq k\leq n-2)$ and the conditional strong matching preclusion number of $Q_{n,n-2}$ is $2n-3$  $(n\geq 4)$.
Ad Singularitatem: Multiplicity, Commonplaced Selves, and Miscellanies in Siri Hustvedt’s The Blazing World
Authors: Ha Inhye
Published: March 2021

This essay focuses on the intertextual engagement of Siri Hustvedt’s The Blazing World with Margaret Cavendish’s seventeenth-century fiction. Going beyond a single-text reading, the essay argues that Hustvedt’s critical interventions in the making of a woman’s subjectivity—paratextual and intermedial—are informed by early modern manuscript culture and ekphrasis. As commonplacing affords opportunities for a compiler to assume plural voices, the commonplace books created by Burden, the protagonist, present a nuanced unfolding of a woman’s subjectivity on textual and visual levels. Notably, Burden’s self-fashioning and ensuing self-dissolution are prompted by deep-seated anger. Hustvedt, even in the face of her protagonist’s tragic end, celebrates the multiplicity that attends a woman’s heroic journey in attaining singularity.
Population trends in achalasia diagnosis and management: a changing paradigm
Authors: Trieu Judy A , Dua Arshish , Enofe Ikponmwosa , Shastri Nikhil , Venu Mukund
Published: March 2021

The Chicago Classification of esophageal motility disorders improved the differentiation of achalasia subtypes and tailored treatment. Heller myotomy (HM) and pneumatic dilation are two established treatments for achalasia. Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has become a third definitive option and is on the rise. Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we evaluated patients hospitalized with achalasia and associated surgical and endoscopic interventions from 2013 to 2017 and compared patients undergoing HM versus POEM. The NIS database was queried to include patients with achalasia. Patients who underwent HM, POEM (only 2017 due to lack of distinct procedure code in 2013), pneumatic dilation, or esophagectomy were identified. Adverse events during the hospitalization were also queried using diagnosis codes. From 2013 to 2017, patients hospitalized with achalasia increased from 16 850 to 19 485. There were reductions in the number of esophageal dilations (10.6–5.4%, P < 0.001) and HM (18.7–13.1%, P < 0.001). In 2017, 580 POEMs were performed. Compared with patients undergoing HM in 2017, patients who had POEM had higher mean age > 64 (P = 0.004), Charlson comorbidity index (P < 0.001), disease severity (P < 0.001), and likelihood of mortality (P < 0.001). There were no differences in length of stay, mortality, or total costs between the HM and POEM groups. Patients hospitalized with achlasia increased from 2013 to 2017, possibly due to the growth and accessibility of high-resolution esophageal manometry. As expertise in POEM increases, the number of POEM performed is anticipated to rise with possible further reductions in other treatment modalities for achalasia.
An endogenous emissions cap produces a green paradox
Authors: Gerlagh Reyer , Heijmans Roweno J R K , Rosendahl Knut Einar
Published: March 2021

The European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is complemented by a Market Stability Reserve (MSR). After a major revision of the EU ETS in 2018, the MSR effectively makes the supply of allowances responsive to demand. In this paper, we show that a cap-and-trade scheme with an endogenous cap, such as the EU ETS produces a green paradox. Abatement policies announced early but realized in the future are counter-effective because of the MSR, they increase cumulative emissions. We present the mechanisms in a two-period model, and then provide quantitative evidence of our result for an annual model disciplined on the price rise in the EU ETS that followed the introduction of the MSR. Our results point to the need for better coordination between different policies, such as the “European Green Deal.” We conclude with suggestions to improve the workings of an endogenous cap, ahead of the MSR review scheduled for 2021.
Management of antithrombotic therapy in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a consensus document of the ESC Working Group on Thrombosis and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), in collaboration with the ESC Council on Valvular Heart Disease
Authors: ten Berg Jurrien , Sibbing Dirk , Rocca Bianca , Van Belle Eric , Chevalier Bernard , Collet Jean-Philippe , Dudek Dariusz , Gilard Martine , Gorog Diana A , Grapsa Julia , Grove Erik Lerkevang , Lancellotti Patrizio , Petronio Anna Sonia , Rubboli Andrea , Torracca Lucia , Vilahur Gemma , Witkowski Adam , Mehilli Julinda
Published: March 2021

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is effective in older patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, while the indication has recently broadened to younger patients at lower risk. Although thromboembolic and bleeding complications after TAVI have decreased over time, such adverse events are still common. The recommendations of the latest 2017 ESC/EACTS Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease on antithrombotic therapy in patients undergoing TAVI are mostly based on expert opinion. Based on recent studies and randomized controlled trials, this viewpoint document provides updated therapeutic insights in antithrombotic treatment during and after TAVI.
Sex differences in disease progression and arrhythmic risk in patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Rootwelt-Norberg Christine , Lie Øyvind H. , Chivulescu Monica , Castrini Anna I. , Sarvari Sebastian I. , Lyseggen Erik , Almaas Vibeke M. , Bogsrud Martin P. , Edvardsen Thor , Haugaa Kristina H.
Published: March 2021

Aims

We aimed to assess sex-specific phenotypes and disease progression, and their relation to exercise, in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) patients.

Methods and results

In this longitudinal cohort study, we included consecutive patients with AC from a referral centre. We performed echocardiography at baseline and repeatedly during follow-up. Patients’ exercise dose at inclusion was expressed as metabolic equivalents of task (MET)-h/week. Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) was defined as aborted cardiac arrest, sustained ventricular tachycardia, or appropriate therapy by implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. We included 190 AC patients (45% female, 51% probands, age 41 ± 17 years). Ventricular arrhythmia had occurred at inclusion or occurred during follow-up in 85 patients (33% of females vs. 55% of males, P = 0.002). Exercise doses were higher in males compared with females [25 (interquartile range, IQR 14–51) vs. 12 (IQR 7–22) MET-h/week, P < 0.001]. Male sex was a marker of proband status [odds ratio (OR) 2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–5.0, P = 0.003] and a marker of VA (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.4–5.0, P = 0.003), but not when adjusted for exercise dose and age (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.9–3.6, P = 0.12 and 1.5, 95% CI 0.7–3.1, P = 0.30, by 5 MET-h/week increments). In all, 167 (88%) patients had ≥2 echocardiographic examinations during 6.9 (IQR 4.7–9.8) years of follow-up. We observed no sex differences in deterioration of right or left ventricular dimensions and functions.

Conclusion

Male AC patients were more often probands and had higher prevalence of VA than female patients, but not when adjusting for exercise dose. Importantly, disease progression was similar between male and female patients.
Effects of the prey landscape on the fitness of the bacterial predators Bdellovibrio and like organisms
Authors: Sathyamoorthy Rajesh , Huppert Amit , Kadouri Daniel E , Jurkevitch Edouard
Published: March 2021

Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs) are obligate predatory bacteria commonly encountered in the environment. In dual predator–prey cultures, prey accessibility ensures optimal feeding and replication and rapid BALO population growth. However, the environmental prey landscape is complex, as it also incorporates non-prey cells and other particles. These may act as decoys, generating unproductive encounters which in turn may affect both predator and prey population dynamics. In this study, we hypothesized that increasing decoy:prey ratios would bring about increasing costs on the predator's reproductive fitness. We also tested the hypothesis that different BALOs and decoys would have different effects. To this end, we constructed prey landscapes including periplasmic or epibiotic predators including two types of decoy under a large range of initial decoy:prey ratio, and mixed cultures containing multiple predators and prey. We show that as decoy:prey ratios increase, the maximal predator population sizes is reduced and the time to reach it significantly increases. We found that BALOs spent less time handling non-prey (including superinfection-immune invaded prey) than prey cells, and did not differentiate between efficient and less efficient prey. This may explain why in multiple predator and prey cultures, less preferred prey appear to act as decoy.
Abusive advertising of food and drink products on Brazilian television
Authors: Guimarães Julia S , Mais Laís A , M. Leite Fernanda H , Horta Paula M , Santana Marina O , Martins Ana P B , Claro Rafael M
Published: March 2021

In Brazil, any advertising strategies that take advantage of the child’s judgment or induce consumers to make harmful health choices are considered abusive. However, the efficacy of restrictions on their use on television (TV) food advertising remains poorly understood. This study analysed the extent and nature of abusive techniques according to national regulations and patterns in their use in food-related ads. Cross-sectional studyrecorded the programming of the three most popular TV channels (6 am–12 am), during eight non-consecutive days, in April 2018. Data collection was based on the INFORMAS protocol and two national regulations. Descriptive analyses were used to describe the types of food ads and abusive techniques used in ultra-processed products (UPP) ads. Principal component analysis was applied to identify patterns of abusive marketing techniques and to relate them to specific food groups. More than 90% of food ads included at least one UPP. Overall, 10.1% of UPP ads targeted children and 57.7% used some kind of abusive technique directed to children and adolescents. Most ads contained messages inducing harmful health choices did not present adequate and clear information about the product and contained more than one type of abusive technique. Four out of five patterns in the use of abusive techniques in UPP ads were specifically directed to children, and fast-food meals were associated with three out of five patterns. The high abusiveness of food advertising in UPP ads should be considered a public health concern given their impact on children’s food choices and health.