bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Small steps, strong shield: directly measured, moderate physical activity in 65 361 adults is associated with significant protective effects from severe COVID-19 outcomes
Authors: Steenkamp Lizelle , Saggers Robin Terence , Bandini Rossella , Stranges Saverio , Choi Yun-Hee , Thornton Jane S , Hendrie Simon , Patel Deepak , Rabinowitz Shannon , Patricios Jon
Published: February 2022

Objective

To determine the association between directly measured physical activity and hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ventilation and mortality rates in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19.

Methods

Directly measured physical activity data from 65 361 adult patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis from 19 March 2020 to 30 June 2021, were grouped by activity level: low (<60 min/week), moderate (60–149 min/week) and high activity (≥150 min/week). The association of physical activity levels and the risk of adverse outcomes was analysed using modified Poisson regression. We accounted for demographics and comorbidities including conditions known to influence COVID-19 outcomes, as well as patient complexity as measured by the Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Group system. The regression approach was further validated with a Bayesian network model built off a directed acyclic graph.

Results

High physical activity was associated with lower rates of hospitalisation (risk ratio, RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.70), ICU admission (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.66), ventilation (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.64) and death (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.68) due to COVID-19 than those who engaged in low physical activity. Moderate physical activity also was associated with lower rates of hospitalisation (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.91), admission to ICU (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.89), ventilation (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.84) and death (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.91).

Conclusions

Adults with high and moderate physical activity levels had significantly better outcomes than those with low activity when contracting COVID-19. The apparent protective effects of regular physical activity extended to those with concomitant chronic medical conditions.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention using a cross-sectoral couple-based intervention: results from a cluster randomised control trial in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: John Neetu A , Adebayo Ayodeji , Boychuk Natalie A , OlaOlorun Funmilola
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence women experience globally. Economic empowerment interventions have been implemented across countries to prevent and address IPV, with mixed results. A sociological ‘male-backlash’ model suggests that addressing unequal gender norms is crucial to reduce IPV. This study evaluates the impact of a multipronged intervention among heterosexual couples in urban and periurban Ibadan that aimed at reducing IPV by increasing financial and reproductive literacy, fostering gender equality and improving relationship quality.

Methods

A four-arm mixed-methods cluster randomised control trial was employed. Baseline data and end line data six months postintervention were collected to estimate changes in key outcomes. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 couples 2 years postintervention to explore the drivers of changes in outcomes. Difference-in-differences regression models were estimated to compare changes in IPV levels across the three intervention arms and control arm, and thematic analysis was conducted to understand drivers of change in IPV outcomes.

Results

Physical IPV decreased significantly in the gender socialisation (GS) (β: −4.63 (SE: 2.12)) and GS and financial literacy (β: −4.61 (SE: 2.02)) groups as compared with the control group. Changes in emotional and sexual IPV were marginally significant or insignificant, respectively, suggesting that the intervention did not have an impact on non-physical forms of IPV. In the in-depth interviews, couples reported improved communication and trust, enhanced conflict management skills, and increased mutual respect as a result of participation across intervention arms, which may have facilitated the reduction of violence in their relationships.

Conclusion

This study highlights the potential utility of gender transformative interventions for improving physical IPV outcomes. Future research should seek to understand the mechanisms that influence sexual and emotional IPV as their aetiology may be different from physical violence.

Trail registration number

The study protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID:NCT03888495).
Single-cell transcriptome analysis revealed a suppressive tumor immune microenvironment in EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Yang Lei , He Yun-Ting , Dong Song , Wei Xue-Wu , Chen Zhi-Hong , Zhang Bo , Chen Wei-Dong , Yang Xiao-Rong , Wang Fen , Shang Xue-Meng , Zhong Wen-Zhao , Wu Yi-Long , Zhou Qing
Published: February 2022

Backgrounds

Immunotherapy is less effective in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Lower programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and tumor mutation burden (TMB) are reported to be the underlying mechanism. Being another important factor to affect the efficacy of immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics of this subgroup of NSCLC are not comprehensively understood up to date. Hence, we initiated this study to describe the specific TME of EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) from cellular compositional and functional perspectives to better understand the immune landscape of this most common subtype of NSCLC.

Methods

We used single-cell transcriptome sequencing and multiplex immunohistochemistry to investigate the immune microenvironment of EGFR-mutant and EGFR wild-type LUADs and determined the efficacy of immunotherapy. We analyzed single cells from nine treatment-naïve samples and compared them to three post-immunotherapy samples previously reported from single cell perspective using bioinformatics methods.

Results

We found that EGFR-mutant malignant epithelial cells had similar characteristics to the epithelial cells in non-responders. EGFR-mutant LUAD lacked CD8+tissue-resident memory (TRM) cells, which could promote tertiary lymphoid structure generation by secreting CXCL13. In addition, other cell types, including tumor-associated macrophages and cancer-associated fibroblasts, which are capable of recruiting, retaining, and expanding CD8+TRM cells in the TME, were also deficient in EGFR-mutant LUAD. Furthermore, EGFR-mutant LUAD had significantly less crosstalk between T cells and other cell types via programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and PD-L1 or other immune checkpoints compared with EGFR wild-type LUAD.

Conclusions

Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the immune landscape of EGFR-mutant LUAD at the single-cell level. Based on the results, many cellular components might have negative impact on the specific TME of EGFR-mutant LUAD through influencing CD8+TRM. Lack of CD8+TRM might be a key factor responsible for the suppressive TME of EGFR-mutant LUAD.
The association between gastrointestinal injury, complaints, and food intake in 60-km ultramarathon runners
Authors: van Venrooij Niek F.J. , Wardenaar Floris C. , Hoogervorst Daan , Senden Joan M.G. , van Dijk Jan-Willem , Jonvik Kristin L.
Published: February 2022

We aimed to assess the association between gastrointestinal (GI) injury, complaints, and food intake in 60-km ultramarathon runners. Thirty-three ultramarathon runners provided pre- and post-race blood samples for assessment of GI injury by intestinal fatty-acid binding protein (I-FABP), and inflammatory response by interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP). GI complaints and nutritional intake were reported by a post-race questionnaire. GI complaints were reported by 73% of the runners, of which 20% reported 1 or 2 severe complaints. IL-6, IL8, TNF-α, and CRP increased significantly from pre- to post-race (P < 0.001 for all biomarkers), while I-FABP did not (1375 [IQR: 1264–2073] to 1726 [IQR: 985–3287] pg/mL; P = 0.330). The ‘GI complaints score’, as the integral of the number and severity of GI complaints, did not correlate with ΔI-FABP (rs: –0.050, P = 0.790) or energy intake (rs: 0.211, P = 0.260). However, there was a significant negative correlation between energy intake and ΔI-FABP (rs: –0.388, P = 0.031). In conclusion, GI complaints were neither associated with food intake nor GI injury as assessed by plasma I-FABP response. Energy intake, however, was inversely related to the I-FABP response to exercise. This finding suggests that substantial energy intakes during exercise may prevent exercise-induced GI injury as assessed by the I-FABP response.

Novelty: No association between gastrointestinal complaints and gastrointestinal injury (I-FABP response) or food intake was present. There was an inverse correlation between energy intake and plasma I-FABP response, suggesting that higher energy intakes may prevent gastrointestinal injury as assessed by the I-FABP response.
Tainted ties: the structure and dynamics of corruption networks extracted from deferred prosecution agreements
Authors: Diviák Tomáš , Lord Nicholas
Published: February 2022

Corruption, bribery, and white-collar crime are inherently relational phenomena as actors involved in them exchange information, resources, and favours. These exchanges give rise to a network in which the actors are embedded. While this has been often emphasized in the literature, there is a lack of studies actually empirically examining the structural properties of corruption networks. We aim to fill this gap with this exploratory study analysing the networks of corporate and public sector bribery. We theoretically ground the network analysis in two compatible criminological frameworks: routine activity theory and analytical criminology. We extract information about relations and interactions among involved actors in three cases from Statements of Facts from Deferred Prosecution Agreements obtained from United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office. Our findings indicate that the bribery networks resemble core-periphery structure networks with ties predominantly concentrated between a few very central actors (core), who ad hoc engage with actors from the periphery. Moreover, we also see a strong tendency of actors to repeat interactions within certain dyads. In terms of temporal dynamics, we observe periods of relative inaction alternating with periods of frequent and repeated contacts triggered by the presence of contracts susceptible to corruption. We discuss these findings in terms of their policy implications for designing evidence-based intervention and prevention measures.
SofGAN: A Portrait Image Generator with Dynamic Styling
Authors: Chen Anpei , Liu Ruiyang , Xie Ling , Chen Zhang , Su Hao , Yu Jingyi
Published: February 2022

Recently, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have been widely used for portrait image generation. However, in the latent space learned by GANs, different attributes, such as pose, shape, and texture style, are generally entangled, making the explicit control of specific attributes difficult. To address this issue, we propose a
SofGAN
image generator to decouple the latent space of portraits into two subspaces: a geometry space and a texture space. The latent codes sampled from the two subspaces are fed to two network branches separately, one to generate the 3D geometry of portraits with canonical pose, and the other to generate textures. The aligned 3D geometries also come with semantic part segmentation, encoded as a semantic occupancy field (SOF). The SOF allows the rendering of consistent 2D semantic segmentation maps at arbitrary views, which are then fused with the generated texturemaps and stylized to a portrait photo using our semantic instance-wise module. Through extensive experiments, we show that our system can generate high-quality portrait images with independently controllable geometry and texture attributes. The method also generalizes well in various applications, such as appearance-consistent facial animation and dynamic styling.
Bayesian Optimisation vs. Input Uncertainty Reduction
Authors: Ungredda Juan , Pearce Michael , Branke Juergen
Published: February 2022

Simulators often require calibration inputs estimated from real-world data, and the estimate can significantly affect simulation output. Particularly when performing simulation optimisation to find an optimal solution, the uncertainty in the inputs significantly affects the quality of the found solution. One remedy is to search for the solution that has the best performance on average over the uncertain range of inputs yielding an optimal compromise solution. We consider the more general setting where a user may choose between either running simulations or querying an external data source, improving the input estimate and enabling the search for a more targeted, less compromised solution. We explicitly examine the trade-off between simulation and real data collection to find the optimal solution of the simulator with the true inputs. Using a value of information procedure, we propose a novel unified simulation optimisation procedure called
Bayesian Information Collection and Optimisation
that, in each iteration, automatically determines which of the two actions (running simulations or data collection) is more beneficial. We theoretically prove convergence in the infinite budget limit and perform numerical experiments demonstrating that the proposed algorithm is able to automatically determine an appropriate balance between optimisation and data collection.
From the President: So What’s the Plan?
Authors: Blom Gerard
Published: February 2022

Once in a while, for every organization and individual, the question arises, “So what’s the plan?” In order to answer this question, we first need to determine what is really important to us — ECS members and prospective members — and what can realistically be expected. I believe that three items are of prime importance to our membership: technical publications, semi-annual meetings, and Local Section meetings. Other benefits, such as career development and the tools required for that, are also of importance.
(Invited) Electrochemomechanical Coupling in Functional Oxides for Energy Conversion and Storage Devices
Authors: Van Vliet Krystyn J.
Published: February 2022

Complex functional oxides provide key functionality for electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices, chiefly as the electrodes or electrolytes of solid oxide fuel cells and lithium ion batteries. For both of these applications of energy conversion and storage, the functional response depends directly on ion transport through the materials. For portable energy conversion and storage devices, there is an additional motivation for thin film forms of such materials (for smaller and lighter devices), and for electrochemical cycling (energy conversion startup-shutdown or energy storage charge-discharge cycles). It is now appreciated that there can exist strong coupling between the electrochemistry and cycling history of such oxides and the mechanical properties and deformation of such oxides under operando conditions. Here we discuss recent progress in experimental and analytical approaches to quantify such coupling between mechanics and electrochemical cycling history in select oxides used as materials in solid oxide fuel cells -- which breathe oxygen and exhibit point defect-dependent mechanical and electronic properties -- and in batteries -- which includes the solid electrolytes considered in solid-state batteries. Through the range of in situ characterization approaches that can correlate mechanics and electrochemistry at the nanoscale, we discuss how this provides new opportunities for design of both key materials and new structures for electrochemically driven devices.
(Invited) Strain Engineering for Li and Oxygen Ionic Transport for Solid State Batteries in Energy Storage, Fuel Cells and Memristive Neuromorphic Computing Devices
Authors: Rupp Jennifer L.M.
Published: February 2022

Energy storage and neuromorphic computation concepts based on oxygen and lithium ionic movements rely in the device preformance on the available defects and their mobilities. Through this paper we explore novel concepts on the use of strain for crystalline or polyamorphic oxide films to engineer the ionic transference of either lithium of oxygen ionic carriers as electrolyte components for either solid state batteries, fuel cells or memristive neuromorphic computational devices. The interplay of structure-strain-lattice symmetry break ups-ionic transfer vs. device performance engineering is in focus.
Considering Realistic Microstructure Heterogeneity: Variational Multiscale Modeling of Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Liu Lin , Liu Changhong
Published: February 2022

The simulation of battery systems needs to consider structural heterogeneity in battery electrodes as the electrodes are highly irregular in shape and size while containing pores or even cracks at different length scales, which may result in non-uniform transport and kinetics throughout the electrodes. A more realistic battery model necessitates considering realistic microstructure heterogeneity as well as incorporating ongoing microscale phenomena (e.g., the predictability of diffusion, interfacial side reactions, and stress evolution) into numerical problems governing macroscale behaviors. However, developing such model with detailed 3D microstructure can be very computationally expensive for direct simulations, as shown in Figure 1. Here, we propose to reduce the computational cost by developing a more realistic battery model via the variational multiscale method (VMM). The VMM couples micro- and macro- scales by decomposing the problem into micro- and macro- scale problem. In detail, we apply the VMM to decompose the response (e.g., ) into coarse-scale (e.g., 1D macro-scale) and fine-scale (e.g., 3D micro-scale), as shown in Figure 1. The associated governing PDEs will accordingly be decomposed into coarse-scale components and fine-scale components. Without introducing the assumption of scale separation, one of the key features of VMM lies in that the relevant governing PDEs will be decomposed into coarse-scale and fine-scale components. Therefore, two sets of solution will be obtained on different domains, i.e., is the macro solution at, and is the micro solution at. The developed model aims at obtaining accurate micro-solution at micro-scale in a subdomain where it is known
a priori
that important physicochemical phenomena are likely to occur. The effect of micro-scale is then considered in the solution of the problem. Due to consideration of integrals or the weak formulation as distribution (i.e., average of functions over certain areas of the computational domain), we can perform integration operation on the function that represents the solution to the problem, regardless of existence of discontinuity points in the domain. Thus, one of the main advantageous of developed model is that it resolves the heterogeneities of micro-scale without considering the minor details (such as discontinuity points) but rather our focus in invested in the distribution of the function in the
a priori
areas of the subdomain, which reduces the computational costs of the numerical analysis. This is of significant importance, especially for cases that the effect of ongoing micro-scale phenomena is more significant than the minor details of the micro-scale.

Figure 1
Modeling Mechanical Behaviors of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane in Fuel Cell Dynamic Operations
Authors: Hasan Mohammad Morshed Moshiur , Goshtasbi Alireza , Chen Jixin , Santare Michael H , Ersal Tulga
Published: February 2022

Mechanical failure of the polymer electrolyte membrane in the form of cracks, pin-holes and delamination has been identified as a limiting factor in the durability of the fuel cell. The hydration/dehydration cycling of the membrane during the fuel cell operation, and the resulting mechanical stress, are in general responsible for the mechanical failures. For example, the cyclic mechanical stresses have been shown to play a significant role in propagating a crack through the thickness of a membrane [1], although there is also a synergistic acceleration of the degradation from the chemical stressors [2]. To understand this degradation, it is critical to thoroughly investigate the mechanical behaviors of the membrane under in-situ cyclic conditions, so that alleviating strategies focusing on the fuel cell operating conditions can be developed.

In this work, we have interfaced a two-dimensional transient fuel cell transport/performance model (Grulke model) in Comsol [3] with a viscoelastic-plastic membrane mechanical model developed at the University of Delaware [4]. The modeling domain used for these two models is shown in Fig. 1. The Grulke model has been used to produce the spatiotemporal profiles of membrane water content in an operating cell which are then sent to the membrane mechanical model for calculating the mechanical parameters of interest. The Grulke model has comprehensive consideration of species transport and reaction kinetics in a fuel cell. Leveraging such strength leads to enhanced capability and fidelity in predicting the in-situ water distribution, and therefore the stress and strain, in the membrane. Using the combined model, we have studied the impacts of dynamically cycling hydration, current and voltage on a membrane.

References:

[1] G, Ding, M. Santare, A. Karlsson, and A. Kusoglu, “Numerical evaluation of crack growth in polymer electrolyte fuel cell membranes based on plastically dissipated energy”, Journal of Power Sources 316, 114-123 (2016).

[2] A. Kusoglu and A. Weber, “Electrochemical/Mechanical Coupling in Ion-Conducting Soft Matter”, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 6, 4547−4552 (2015).

[3] A. Goshtasbi, B. Pence, and T. Ersal, “A 2D through-the-membrane transient model for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells”, 232nd ECS meeting, National Harbor, MD, 2017.

[4] N. Khattra, A. Karlsson, M. Santare, P. Walsh, and F. Busby “Effect of time-dependent material properties on the mechanical behavior of PFSA membranes subjected to humidity cycling”, Journal of Power Sources 214, 365-376 (2012).

Figure 1
The atlas of ACE2 expression in fetal and adult human hearts reveals the potential mechanism of heart-injured patients infected with SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Shao Xiuli , Zhang Xiaolin , Zhang Ruijia , Zhu Rongli , Hou Xiuyang , Yi Weijue , Wu Fengmin , Hao Liying , Feng Rui
Published: February 2022

Numerous studies have shown that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect host cells through binding to angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expressing in various tissues and organs. In this study, we deeply analyzed the single-cell expression profiles of ACE2 in fetal and adult human hearts to explore the potential mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 harming the heart. The molecular docking software was used to simulate the binding of SARS-CoV-2 and its variant spike protein with ACE2. The genes closely related to ACE2 in renin-angiotensin system (RAS) were identified by constructing a protein-protein interaction network. Through the analysis of single-cell transcription profiles at different stages of human embryos, we found that the expression level of ACE2 in ventricular myocytes was increased with embryonic development. The results of single-cell sequencing analysis showed that the expression of ACE2 in ventricular myocytes was upregulated in heart failure induced by dilated cardiomyopathy compared with normal hearts. The upregulation of ACE2 increases the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 in fetal and adult human hearts. We also further confirmed the expression of ACE2 and ACE2-related genes in normal and SARS-CoV-2-infected human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. In addition, the pathway analysis revealed that ACE2 may regulate the differently expressed genes in heart failure through calcium signaling pathway and Wnt signaling pathway.
Sex differences and altered mitophagy in experimental pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Bazan Isabel S. , Kim So-Jin , Ardito Taylor A. , Zhang Yi , Shan Peiying , Sauler Maor , Lee Patty J.
Published: February 2022

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a debilitating condition characterized by increased pulmonary arterial pressures and remodeling of pulmonary arteries, leading to right heart failure. Women have a higher prevalence of PH, whereas men have more severe disease and poorer outcomes. Animal models also show female-predominant disease. Despite the known sex differences in PH, little is known about how pathogenesis differs between the sexes. There is growing evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as altered mitophagy in PH. We hypothesized that sexual dimorphism contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction and altered mitophagy in PH. Using mouse lung endothelial cells, we exposed both wild-type and Parkin−/− cells to hypoxia and measured the effects on mitochondrial function and mitophagy-associated proteins. Our results show that females have more Parkin expression at baseline as well as increased mitochondrial respiratory capacity when exposed to oxidative stress. Inhibition of Parkin increased metabolic activity but reduced cell proliferation but to different degrees depending on sex, with results differing by sex. Our findings demonstrate sexual dimorphism in mitophagy-associated proteins and in mitochondrial respiration, which may help shed light on how the pathogenesis of PH may differ between the sexes.
Cardiac cycle and respiration phase affect responses to the conditioned stimulus in young adults trained in trace eyeblink conditioning
Authors: Waselius Tomi , Xu Weiyong , Sparre Julia I. , Penttonen Markku , Nokia Miriam S.
Published: February 2022

We report, for the first time, that the rhythms of breathing and the beating of the heart have a phase combination that is indicative of a neural state beneficial for cognition. This suggests that bodily rhythms not only modulate cognition but that this phenomenon can also be noninvasively harnessed to improve learning in humans.
[Retracted] Music Emotion Research Based on Reinforcement Learning and Multimodal Information
Authors: Hu Yue
Published: February 2022

Music is an important carrier of emotion and an indispensable factor in people’s daily life. With the rapid growth of digital music, people’s demand for music emotion analysis and retrieval is also increasing. With the rapid development of Internet technology, digital music has been derived continuously, and automatic recognition of music emotion has become the main research focus. For music, emotion is the most essential feature and the deepest inner feeling. Under the ubiquitous information environment, revealing the deep semantic information of multimodal information resources and providing users with integrated information services has important research and application value. In this paper, a multimodal fusion algorithm for music emotion analysis is proposed, and a dynamic model based on reinforcement learning is constructed to improve the analysis accuracy. The model dynamically adjusts the emotional analysis results by learning the user’s behavior, so as to realize the personalized customization of the user’s emotional preference.
Introducing MRAC-PSS-VI to Increase Small-Signal Stability of the Power System after Wind Power Integration
Authors: He Ping , Zheng Mingming , Jin Haoran , Gong Zhijie , Dong Jie
Published: February 2022

With the gradual increase of wind power penetration in the power system, the impact of wind farm on system stability is becoming more significant. This study designs the power system stabilizer (PSS) based on the model reference adaptive control (MRAC) method and virtual impedance (VI) control strategy. Then, the active power difference of the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) is selected as input signal of MRAC-PSS-VI. The small-signal stability of the power system with the DFIG is enhanced by installing MRAC-PSS-VI on the rotor side control (RSC) control link. The controller model is built in DigSILENT/PowerFactory. The improvement effect of the controller on the low-frequency oscillation (LFO) characteristics of the power system is verified by using eigenvalue analysis and the time domain simulation method under different transmission powers of the tie line and different installed positions of the DFIG.
Current Limitation Method for
V
/
f
Control of Five-Phase Induction Machines
Authors: Kyslan Karol , Lacko Milan , Ferková Želmíra , Petro Viktor , Padmanaban Sanjeevikumar , Perduková Daniela
Published: February 2022

Five-phase induction machines (5pIMs) are a viable alternative for a wide range of industrial applications. The penetration of drives with 5pIM into industrial applications is slow because of the complexity of the proposed control algorithms. In standard

V
/
f

control of induction machines, the stator current is not controlled directly and options for current limitation are restricted. This paper hence addresses a novel current limitation technique for the

V
/
f

control algorithm of 5pIM. In addition, a simple speed sensorless control algorithm based on the slip compensation is introduced. A combination of both algorithms is suitable for low-cost medium-precision drive applications. Experimental results, realized on Texas Instruments F28335 DSP, illustrating the performance of novel current limitation technique and sensorless control, are included.
Application of Circular Economy and Uncertainty Planning in Analyzing the Sustainable Closed-Loop Supply Chain Network Design
Authors: Zhang Yuchun , Wang Yanan , Yadav Bharosh Kumar
Published: February 2022

Supply chain sustainability as a new and very effective approach has recently attracted the attention of researchers in the field of supply chain management. Also, a circular economy helps to reduce the waste materials and products in a supply chain. In order to include circular economy in supply chain network design, it is necessary to use the concept of closed-loop network design. Therefore, designing a sustainable closed-loop supply chain network that works well even by changing some parameters seems to be necessary. This paper presents a multiproduct, sustainable closed-loop supply chain network under uncertainty. First, a mathematical model is proposed to design a closed-loop network, and then a set of possible scenarios is used to deal with the uncertainty of the parameters. In order to show the validity and applicability of the proposed model, numerical examples are presented and analyzed. In this regard, numerical results show the appropriate performance of the proposed model. Finally, sensitivity analysis is performed to assess the role of customer demand in different aspects of sustainability. It is revealed that increasing customer demand will have a strong impact on economic and environmental objectives.
Orthogonally Fixed Points and (m, m)‐Hom‐Derivation Equations
Authors: Dinmohammadi Abdollah
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we introduce the concept of m‐Hom‐m‐derivation (briefly (m, m)‐Hom‐derivation) equations in orthogonally Banach algebras. We use the orthogonally fixed point to investigate the hyperstability of (m, m)‐Hom‐derivation equations.
Jianpi Qingchang Decoction Ameliorates Chronic Colitis in Piroxicam-Induced IL-10 Knockout Mice by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Chen Qian , Zhang Ya-Li , Zhang Zi-Wei , Chen Yu-Jun , Tang Ying-Jue , Qiao Dan , Dai Yan-Cheng , Tang Zhi-Peng
Published: February 2022

Background. Excessive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) may lead to impaired intestinal mucosal barrier function and then participate in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). Jianpi Qingchang decoction (JPQCD) has been shown to have protective effects on UC. However, further studies are needed to determine whether JPQCD regulates PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathways to play a role in treating UC. Methods. IL-10−/− mice were randomly assigned into five groups: control, model, low-dose JPQCD (JPQCD L), middle-dose JPQCD (JPQCD M), and high-dose JPQCD (JPQCD H). All groups except for the control group were given model feed containing 200 ppm piroxicam for 10 d to induce colitis. As a comparison, we used wild-type mice that were the progeny of IL-10+/− matings, bred in the same facility. The control group and wild-type mice were fed with common feed. At the same time, mice in each group were given corresponding drugs by gavage for 14 d. The disease activity index of mice in each group was evaluated daily. Colon tissues of mice were collected, colon length was measured, and pathological changes and ultrastructure of colon epithelial cells were observed. The effects of JPQCD on the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathways were evaluated by western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of CHOP in colon tissue was detected by tissue immunofluorescence assay. The expression of NF-κB, p-NF-κB p65 protein was analyzed by western blotting; the level of IL-17 in colon tissue was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and verified by examining NF-κB and IL-17 mRNA levels by RT-PCR. Results. Compared with the control group, the model group showed significant colitis symptoms and severe colonic tissue damage. The results showed that JPQCD significantly reduced body weight loss, ameliorated disease activity index, and restored colon length in IL-10−/− mice with piroxicam-induced colitis. Western blotting and RT-PCR showed that the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathway was activated in colon tissue of model mice, suggesting that the pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) and could become a potential therapeutic target. The JPQCD treatment inhibited the activation of the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathway, alleviated the ER stress, and played a role in preventing and treating UC. In addition, JPQCD can also downregulate the protein of NF-κB, p-NF-κB p65, downregulate the mRNA expression of NF-κB, and reduce the content of IL-17 and its mRNA expression in colon tissues. Conclusion. JPQCD may play a protective role in UC by regulating the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway and relieving endoplasmic reticulum stress.
Combined Endoscopy-Assisted Muscle-Sparing Latissimus Dorsi Flap Harvesting with Lipofilling Enhancement as a New Volume Replacement Technique in Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Ahmed Yasser S. , Abd El Maksoud Walid M.
Published: February 2022

Introduction. This study evaluated the feasibility and patient satisfaction of combined endoscopy-assisted muscle-sparing latissimus dorsi flap harvesting, with lipofilling enhancement for skin-preserving mastectomy. Methods. This is a prospective study that included 21 female patients with small breasts (cup size A-B), subjected to skin-preserving mastectomy as a management of breast cancer. Combined endoscopy-assisted muscle-sparing latissimus dorsi flap harvesting with lipofilling enhancement was performed for immediate breast reconstruction. Patients were followed up for early and late postoperative complications including recurrence for at least 24 months. Postoperative patient satisfaction was assessed using the Kyungpook National University Hospital breast reconstruction satisfaction questionnaire. Results. The study included 21 female patients with a mean age of 42.10 ± 8.46 years. Patients were followed up for 26.67 ± 3.38 months. The procedure was successful in all patients with a mean duration of 172.05 ± 28.22 minutes. Local recurrence was encountered in one patient (4.67%). Eighteen patients declared their satisfaction 6 months after the operation, while two patients were satisfied only after the second session of lipofilling. The overall postoperative patient satisfaction was 95.24%. The majority of the patients (93.3%) who underwent NSM surgery were satisfied, while only two-thirds (66.6%) of the patients who underwent SSM surgery were satisfied. Conclusions. Combined endoscopy-assisted muscle-sparing latissimus dorsi flap harvesting with lipofilling enhancement seems to be a feasible and encouraging technique for the volume adjustment of small breasts, especially in nipple-sparing mastectomy. It leaves a minor back scar and has an acceptable rate of postoperative complications. The procedure showed high postoperative patient satisfaction.
Vehicle Image Detection Method Using Deep Learning in UAV Video
Authors: Wang Xiangqian
Published: February 2022

Traditional machine learning algorithms are susceptible to objective factors such as video quality and weather environment in the vehicle detection of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) videos, resulting in poor detection results. A vehicle image detection method using deep learning in UAV video is proposed. The algorithm in this paper treats surveillance video as many frames of images for vehicle detection in the image. First, perform HSV (Hue-Saturation-Value) spatial brightness translation operation on the original sample to increase the adaptability to different light conditions and sample diversity. Then, the Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD) model framework is used as the basis for vehicle detection. In order to obtain a better feature extraction effect, focus loss is added to the basic SSD for optimization. Finally, the trained network model is used to analyze the UAV video, and the detection performance is analyzed experimentally. The results show that the vehicle detection rate of this algorithm has reached 96.49%. It can ensure that the vehicle is accurately detected from the drone video.
Ischemic Priapism Progressing to Penile Gangrene in a Patient with COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report with Literature Review
Authors: Alsaedi Saad M. , Alsarwani Rakan M. , Ali Ahmed I. , Aladhrai Saleem A.
Published: February 2022

Priapism is considered a rare disorder and even more rare when it occurs as a complication of COVID-19. To the best of our knowledge, only eight studies have reported priapism as a complication of COVID-19. Here, we report the case of a 66-year-old male with COVID-19 who presented with neglected priapism for three days. On local examination, penile erection was apparent in association with blackened areas on the glans penis extending to the midpenile shaft denoting penile gangrene. A clear line of demarcation was noticed at the midpenile shaft. Penile duplex was performed, showing no blood flow in both cavernosal arteries. Penile aspiration was performed, and the cavernosal blood sample showed evidence of ischemic priapism. Given the presence of penile gangrene extending to the midshaft of the penis and the poor general condition of the patient, the decision was made to perform partial penectomy and suprapubic tube placement. We recommend the establishment of a guideline for the diagnosis and prevention of thrombotic diseases in patients with COVID-19 infection as there is increasing evidence of COVID-19-related thrombotic manifestations.
The Association of Flow-Mediated Dilatation and Blood Parameters in Primary Raynaud’s Phenomenon
Authors: Uzun Süheyla , Kaya İlker
Published: February 2022

Introduction. Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is a multifactorial disorder. If any underlying disease cannot be determined to be responsible for RP, then it is considered to be the primary RP (pRP). We aimed to investigate the differences between laboratory markers and impaired endothelial function in pRP. Materials and Methods. Forty-two pRP patients and 30 healthy individuals were included as the study and control groups, respectively. The endothelial function was evaluated with flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery. The blood samples were obtained from both groups, and white blood cell (WBC), hemoglobin, platelets, mean platelet volume (MPV), creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), D-dimer, fibrinogen, albumin, fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), D-dimer-to-albumin ratio (DDAR), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) parameters were studied. The blood parameters and FMD values obtained were compared between groups. Results. The groups were similar in regard to age, gender, and smoking history (

p
<
0.05

). There was no difference between the two groups in regard to hemoglobin, platelet, MPV, creatinine, ALT, D-dimer, albumin, FAR, NLR, and DDAR levels (

p
<
0.05

). AST levels were slightly higher in the pRP group (

p
=
0.027

). Markedly increased WBC, fibrinogen, MPV, and MCP-1 values were detected in the pRP group (

p
=
0.001

), as well as higher abnormal FMD responses (

p
=
0.001

). There was a direct correlation between abnormal FMD response and serum MCP-1 values in patients with pRP (R: 0.308, R2: 0.095,

p

: 0.044). Conclusion. It seems to be that MCP-1 levels are higher in patients with pRP, and increased values of MCP-1 levels seem to be related to impaired endothelial functions.
In an Era of ctDNA, Is Metabolomics the New Kid on the Block?
Authors: Van Tine Brian A. , Lyssiotis Costas A.
Published: February 2022

Mass action drives the serum homeostasis of metabolites. Recent developments in biofluid metabolomics suggest the potential to harness these changes using small volumes of blood to diagnose, monitor, and risk stratify patients with cancer. This current study may represent a complementary technology to circulating tumor DNA detection.

See related article by Larkin et al., p. 1651
Echinoderms from Santa Catarina, southern Brazil: an update on biodiversity and distribution
Authors: Slivak Nataly Nunes , Lindner Alberto , Romanowski Helena Picolli
Published: February 2022

We provide an update, based on literature records, on biodiversity and distribution of echinoderms along the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Sixty-one echinoderms taxa are reported, in 36 families. We present information on habitat distribution, taxonomy and possible threats to these species. The highest number of echinoderm records was between 25°19′S and 28°11′S latitudes, and sites of the Continental Shelf and the Reserva Biológica Marinha of Arvoredo area had the most species records (30 and 26 species, respectively). In addition, Santa Catarina is the southernmost record, in the Atlantic Ocean, for 40 echinoderm species; of these, 10 are on the regional list of endangered species. Eight species are endemic to Brazil and one ophiuroid species was reported herein for the first time at Santa Catarina: Ophiacantha pentacrinus Lütken, 1869.
Comparative Integumentary Morphology in Four Species of Pipa (Anura: Pipidae) from Colombia
Authors: Perez-Rojas Sebastian Enrique , Jerez Adriana
Published: February 2022

As most neotropical pipids, the four species of Pipa present in Colombia are poorly understood despite their particular biology. The tegument of these New-World pipids presents particular structures which variations have been hardly analyzed. Therefore, we aim to describe the morphological variations of the dermal flap, barbels, fingertips, and the lateral line pattern among these four species, focusing on changes during the ontogeny. The results of the study show that the dermal flap was exclusively found in P. pipa, while barbels are usually present in P. pipa but seldom in P. snethlageae. The lateral line pattern in the dorsum is shared by the four species, but P. pipa present more neuromast lines along the snout than P. snethlageae. These species were different from P. parva and P. myersi, which cannot be distinguished based on external morphology, as they were more similar in all lateral line elements and exhibited the same fingertip morphology. On the other hand, the fingertips of young individuals of P. pipa and P. snethlageae presented four simple distal lobes which bifurcate twice during the ontogeny, so that adults present sixteen lobes. The difference between species is observed in the fingertip morphology: P. pipa has all four lobes distally placed, but P. snethlageae has one pair more proximal. The tegument structures analyzed here have a taxonomic utility using external morphology for P. pipa and P. snethlageae, but for P. parva and P. myersi additional studies are necessary. For future research, evaluating the function and anatomy of these structures is important to the understanding these integumentary structures in Pipa.
Bernard Flynn, leitor de Claude Lefort
Authors: Ramos Silvana de Souza
Published: February 2022

Claude Lefort é um dos mais inovadores filósofos políticos de nossa época. Sua obra apresenta-se em grande parte, excetuando-se o livro dedicado a Maquiavel, por meio da compilação de ensaios escritos em períodos diversos e que giram em torno de problemas centrais, especialmente a caracterização da democracia e do totalitarismo. A tarefa de dar sentido a este projeto filosófico, dado o seu caráter assistemático, é bastante difícil. Assim, o trabalho de Bernard Flynn mostra-se extremamente fecundo para a interpretação do pensamento de Lefort. Ele defende que a junção entre a fenomenologia, filosofia que permite dissecar nosso acesso ao real ao interpretar a experiência vivida no interior do dispositivo simbólico democrático, e a leitura da tradição da filosofia política, capaz de produzir uma interpretação dos acontecimentos que marcam a modernidade, permite a Lefort criar uma nova compreensão do político. Este artigo pretende apresentar os principais aspectos dessa interpretação da obra de Lefort.
Sobre a Europa e sua lida com os outros
Authors: Staudigl Michael , Mileli Diego Ramos
Published: February 2022

O artigo empreende a tentativa de refletir criticamente sobre a possibilidade de um contato não danoso com o outro, indicada sob o mote da interculturalidade, à luz do pensamento radical de Lévinas e Derrida sobre a alteridade. Essa reflexão se encontra sob a suspeita de que as filosofias ou fenomenologias da interculturalidade não dão conta da negatividade do encontro intercultural de fato com o outro irredutível, como a história do imperialismo e colonialismo europeus produziram. Para comprovar isso, eu refletirei sobre as funções, as quais o conceito de cultura assumiu nos discursos sobre a Europa. No centro da questão se encontra a comprovação de que a identificação da superioridade europeia sob o signo da cultura implica na constituição do outro como um outro ameaçador, a qual promove a brutalidade desta lida, ou seja, a história da violência – tanto interna quanto externa – da Europa. Sobre este plano de fundo eu concluo com o rascunho de alguns contornos de uma política da não-indiferença cultural, cujas raízes vejo remeterem ao pensamento de uma descolonização do imaginário da Europa.
Liberdade e territorialidade: os limites do poder do Estado e da sociedade em Constant, Mill e Tocqueville
Authors: Chaves Rosângela Almeida
Published: February 2022

Benjamin Constant, John Stuart Mill e Alexis de Tocqueville foram três grandes nomes do liberalismo do século XIX, reconhecidos pela relevância de suas reflexões sobre a liberdade. O objetivo do artigo é discutir a concepção de liberdade nestes três autores – com base na relação que eles estabelecem entre liberdade individual e liberdade política e a extensão territorial das comunidades políticas – e os limites do poder do Estado e da sociedade sobre os indivíduos. Para tanto, será confrontada a perspectiva de Constant e Mill, os quais concebem a liberdade nos tempos modernos como sinônimo das liberdades individuais, com a de Tocqueville, cuja concepção de liberdade conjuga a autonomia individual com a participação política. No que tange à territorialidade, nosso esforço será mostrar que, enquanto para Constant e Mill, a maior extensão dos Estados modernos é um fator que favorece a liberdade individual – em contraposição aos limites estreitos das repúblicas antigas, as quais exerciam um maior controle sobre os cidadãos –, para Tocqueville, é justamente o poder comunal, representado pelos corpos municipais ou comunas, que proporciona aos cidadãos a chance de ter uma maior participação política.