bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
800 MPa Class HSLA Steel Block Part Fabricated by WAAM for Building Applications: Tensile Properties at Ambient and Elevated (600°C) Temperature
Authors: Fang Qian , Zhao Lin , Chen Cui-xin , Cao Yang , Song Liang , Peng Yun , Yin Fu-xing
Published: February 2022

An 800 MPa class high strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel block part was deposited on substrate with similar composition by gas metal arc welding (GMAW)-based wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). The base plate could be removed after deposition or retained as part of the additive manufacturing (AM) part, forming the hybrid additive manufacturing (HAM) part. Tensile tests of the AM part and the HAM part were performed at ambient temperature (AT) and elevated temperature (ET, 600°C held for 4 h) for potential applications in high-rise buildings. Microstructure observations and low temperature impact tests were also conducted. Results show that microstructure of the deposit mainly consists of lower bainite and granular bainite. AT yield strength (YS) of the deposit along the deposition, transverse, and vertical directions is ∼770 MPa. ET YS of the deposit along the lateral and building directions could reach 373 MPa, 48.4% of the AT YS. Fracture elongation along all directions could exceed 18.0% for both AT and ET. Low temperature (−50°C) impact absorbed energy of the deposit could exceed 84 J along all directions. Mechanical properties of the HAM part are similar or superior to those of the AM part along the vertical direction, except the AT fracture elongation, which is one-fifth lower. Good strength-ductility-toughness balance of the made part verified the feasibility of using WAAM to manufacture 800 MPa HSLA steel block parts that have potential applications in high-rise buildings, especially considering ET YS of the part might be improved by alloying redesign to meet the performance requirements of building steel.
Effects of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Zebrafish
Authors: d’Amora Marta , Schmidt Tiziana Julia Nadjeschda , Konstantinidou Soultana , Raffa Vittoria , De Angelis Francesco , Tantussi Francesco
Published: February 2022

Metal oxide nanoparticles (MO NPs) are increasingly employed in many fields with a wide range of applications from industries to drug delivery. Due to their semiconducting properties, metal oxide nanoparticles are commonly used in the manufacturing of several commercial products available in the market, including cosmetics, food additives, textile, paint, and antibacterial ointments. The use of metallic oxide nanoparticles for medical and cosmetic purposes leads to unavoidable human exposure, requiring a proper knowledge of their potentially harmful effects. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the possible toxicity of metallic oxide nanoparticles in zebrafish during both adulthood and growth stages, with an emphasis on the role of oxidative stress.
An Objective Diagnosis Model with Integrated Metabolic and Immunity Parameters for Phlegm-Dampness Constitution
Authors: Huang Yanchun , Guo Shanshan , Yang Jun , Tang Yangfan , Zhu Xinghua , Ren Sichong
Published: February 2022

Background. According to Chinese constitutional theory, people can be divided into nine constitutions, which represent distinctive vulnerability to different diseases such as metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, and immunity-related disease, and so forth in modern medicine, phlegm-dampness constitution (PDC) is one of the nine constitutions, which is susceptible to metabolic syndrome (MS) and atherosclerosis that associate with lipid metabolism and immunity dysregulation closely. Objectives. In this study, we aimed to investigate the metabolic and immunity profiles of phlegm-damp constitution (PDC), including metabolites, lymphocytes distribution, and inflammatory cytokines. Methods. A total of 74 patients with PDC and 66 individuals with gentle constitution (GC) were enrolled in this study. We utilized biochemical methods to detect metabolic parameters, flow cytometry to survey T/B/NK/NKT lymphocyte subgroups distribution, and ELISA to assay inflammatory cytokines. Results. The subjects with PDC had higher GLU, AI TC, TG, and LDL-C and lower HDL-C levels. The immunity profile indicated that PDC subjects had higher percentage of WBCs, neutrophils, lymphocytes, B cells, and natural killer T cells compared with subjects with GC (

P
<
0.05

). Serum levels of IL-10 decreased significantly in the subjects with phlegm-damp constitution, whereas IL-12 levels increased dramatically in the PDC group compared with the GC group (both

P
<
0.05

). Additionally, logistic regression identified four independent variables (GLU, TG, LDL-C, and lymphocytes) that were highly correlated with PDC (

P
<
0.05

). The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.878, which indicated the data were reliable to distinguish the subjects with PDC from the ones with GC. Conclusion. Phlegm-damp constitution was prone to hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia syndrome, promoting the occurrence and progression of metabolic-related diseases. Interestingly, proinflammatory cells and cytokines were activated in the PDC group as well. Our findings could offer a profile of early screening indicators to identify high-risk patients of metabolic- and immunity-related diseases from Chinese constitution.
Video Face Detection Technology and Its Application in Health Information Management System
Authors: Liao Yuxuan , Tang Zhenyu , Lei Jiehong , Chen Jiajia , Tang Zhong
Published: February 2022

Computer face detection, as an early step and prerequisite for applications such as face recognition and face analysis, has attracted people's attention for a long time. With the popularization of computer applications, the improvement of performance, and the gradual maturity of research in the field of image processing and pattern recognition, face-related applications have become more and more a reality, so the research on face detection and positioning is also receiving more and more attention. Face detection and positioning are an important part of face analysis technology. Its goal is to search for the location of facial features (such as eyes, nose, mouth, and ears) in images or image sequences. It can be widely used in the fields of face tracking, face recognition, gesture recognition, facial expression recognition, head image compression and reconstruction, facial animation, etc. Based on the health information management system, this study mainly discusses the application of face recognition technology in video systems. Compared with other biological characteristics, such as fingerprints and eye masks, human faces are easier to obtain. In research and exploration, stable and effective face detection and face recognition algorithms have been proposed, which can achieve good recognition results even in real-time video surveillance. Aiming at the automatic face recognition technology in video surveillance, this study introduces in detail the video face detection technology in the health information management system of video image collection, image preprocessing, face detection, and face recognition. The prototype system of hygiene management is recognized.
DOA Estimation Method of Weak Signal under the Compound Background of Strong Interference and Colored Noise
Authors: Lin Bin , Hu Guoping , Zhou Hao , Zheng Guimei , Song Yuwei
Published: February 2022

The traditional algorithm performing direction of arrival (DOA) estimation under the background of strong interference and colored noise has the problems of low estimation accuracy and small measurement targets. Based on the construction of a fourth-order cumulant (FOC) matrix to suppress colored noise, this paper adopts the extended noise subspace (ENS) algorithm and the fixed projection blocking (FPB) algorithm to estimate the DOA of weak targets. Firstly, a FOC matrix of the received signal vector is established to curb the noise component, and the eigenvalue decomposition is performed. Then, two approaches of weak signal DOA estimation are proposed. One approach is to merge the space where the strong interference steering vector lies into the noise subspace to construct an extended noise subspace, and then, the multisignal classification (MUSIC) algorithm is used to obtain the DOA estimation of the weak signal on the basis of the extended noise subspace. Another approach is to build the orthogonal projection matrix of the interference subspace as the interference blocking matrix, and the receiving array signal is preprocessed, and on the basis of it, the eigen decomposition is performed again to obtain the DOA information of the weak signal. Both algorithms make breakthroughs in the aperture limitation of the traditional algorithm, effectively expand the aperture, and promote the accuracy of estimation. The simulation tests the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Application of 18F Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Monitoring Gastric Metastasis and Cancer Thrombi from Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Xiong Min , Zhang Weiguang , Zhou Chao , Bao Junjie , Zang Shengbing , Lin Xiaoping
Published: February 2022

Background. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with gastric metastasis is rare, particularly accompanied by multiple cancer thrombi. Methods. We reported a 66-year-old man with a history of a right radical nephrectomy because of RCC. The patient underwent 18F prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning after 6 months of targeted therapy because of gastric metastasis and cancer thrombi. We conducted a systematic review of the literature and identified 73 cases of RCC with gastric metastasis. We analyzed the clinicopathological characteristics, therapies, and outcomes of patients. Results. 18F-PSMA PET/CT showed a large mass in the gastric fundus and cancer thrombi in the right atrium, inferior vena cava, and splenic vein with intense tracer uptake. Other metastases with increased tracer uptake included multiple bones and abdominal lymph nodes. The majority of gastric metastasis of RCC were men (53/73, 72.6%), with a median age at presentation of 67 (from 48 to 87) years. Gastric metastasis of RCC was mainly metachronous, and presented with small polyps or mass appearance and often accompanied by multiple-site metastases and gastrointestinal symptoms. An overall median interval between nephrectomy and diagnosis of gastric metastasis was 6 (from 0.1 to 23) years, and an overall median survival time was 14 (from 0.25 to 72) months. The median interval time of solitary gastric metastasis was longer than gastric metastasis with multiple-site metastases (7 vs.5 years;

P
=
0.034

). Patients with gastric and multiple-site metastases had higher mortality than patients with solitary metastasis (17 vs.1;

P
=
0.028

). The patients with synchronous gastric metastasis had a shorter survival time than metachronous gastric metastasis (6 vs.17 months;

P
=
0.018

). Conclusions. Postoperative follow-up of multiple imaging modalities to monitor recurrence and metastasis is necessary and important. PSMA PET/CT can improve the detection sensitivity of RCC, especially in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), and could provide a basis for disease staging, restaging, and therapeutic efficacy evaluation.
Emergence of High Prevalence of Extended‐Spectrum Beta‐Lactamase and Carbapenemase‐Producing Enterobacteriaceae Species among Patients in Northwestern Ethiopia Region
Authors: Tadesse Selamyhun , Mulu Wondemagegn , Genet Chalachew , Kibret Mulugeta , Belete Melaku Ashagrie
Published: February 2022

Background. World Health Organization identified some Enterobacteriaceae as superbugs because of their high production and spread of extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases. Moreover, their resistance against commonly prescribed antibiotics left few choices of drugs to treat infection. This study is aimed at determining the magnitude of ESBL and carbapenemase‐producing Enterobacteriaceae pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance pattern. Materials and Methods. A hospital‐based cross‐sectional study was carried out from February to April 2019 in the Northwestern Ethiopia region. A total of 384 patients presumptive for bacterial infections were conveniently enrolled in the study. Specimens were collected and processed following standard bacteriological procedures. Drug susceptibility tests were performed using disk diffusion technique. ESBL and carbapenemase enzymes were tested by double disk diffusion and modified carbapenem inhibition methods, respectively. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 22 software, and descriptive statistics were summarized in tables and graphs. Results. Out of 384 clinical specimens processed 100 (26%) were culture positive for Enterobacteriaceae. The proportion of Enterobacteriaceae infection was relatively higher among in‐patients 86 (32.6%) than out‐patients 14 (11.7%). Overall, Escherichia coli 35 (9.1%) was the leading isolate followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae 31 (8.1%). Klebsiella pneumoniae 15 (15.6%) was the most frequent isolate from bloodstream infection and is the leading isolate from intensive care unit patients 15 (38.3%). Overall, 44 (44%) of Enterobacteriaceae were extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamase producers. Among them, Citrobacter spp. was the leading one 4 (80%) followed by Enterobacter cloacae 6 (60%) and K. pneumoniae 18 (58.1%). Furthermore, 6 (6%) of Enterobacteriaceae were carbapenemase‐producers, in which 5 (50%) of E. cloacae and 3 (9.7%) of K. pneumoniae had highest percentage. Conclusions. ESBL and carbapenemase‐producing isolates of Enterobacteriaceae are alarmingly spreading in the study area. Thus, improving the infection prevention strategy and further screening at the national level is recommended to develop the optimal use of antibiotics.
High Dietary Diabetes Risk Reduction Score Is Associated with Decreased Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease in Tehranian Adults
Authors: Mirmiran Parvin , Ramezan Marjan , Farhadnejad Hossein , Asghari Golaleh , Tahmasebinejad Zhaleh , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: February 2022

Aim. In the current study, we examined the association of dietary diabetes risk reduction score (DDRRS) with chronic kidney disease (CKD) among an Iranian adult population. Methods. We followed up 2076 ≥20-year-old participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (2006–2008), who were initially free of CKD for 5.98 years. The dietary diabetes risk reduction score was calculated based on scoring eight components, including cereal fiber, nuts, coffee, polyunsaturated fatty acids-to-saturated fatty acids ratio, glycemic index, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans fatty acids, and red and processed meat using a valid and reliable 168-item food frequency questionnaire. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to assess the association between the quartiles of DDRRS and CKD incidence. Results. Mean ± SD age of the study population (53% women) was 37.6 ± 12.61 years. During 5.98 years of follow-up, 357 incident cases of CKD were reported. The median (25–75 interquartile range) of DDRRS was 20 (18–22). After adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, total energy intake, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, eGFR, and physical activity, individuals in the highest versus lowest quartile of DDRRS were 33% less likely to have CKD (HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.48–0.96, P for trend: 0.043). Conclusion. The present study’s findings suggest that greater adherence to a dietary pattern with a higher score of DDRRS may be associated with a lower risk of CKD incident.
Fractal Study on the Failure Evolution of Concrete Material with Single Flaw Based on DIP Technique
Authors: Zheng Lulin , Liu Hao , Zuo Yujun , Zhang Quanping , Lin Wei , Qiu Qing , Liu Xiaorong , Liu Ziqi
Published: February 2022

Crack inclination and material heterogeneity have important effects on the meso-mechanical mechanism and macroscopic mechanical behavior of rock-like materials. In order to study the failure characteristics of shotcrete body during the process of using shotcrete bolt mesh support in the deep fractured rock mass of Lannigou Gold Mine, this paper combined the Digital Image Processing Technique (DIP) and RFPA2D (Rock Failure Process Analysis System) to establish a real meso-structure numerical model of concrete with different inclination angle cracks, simulating its crack propagation law and failure process, and studied the influence of crack geometry distribution and meso-heterogeneity on the effect of concrete structure. The findings reveal that the crack inclination angle has a substantial impact on concrete materials' compressive strength and elastic modulus, and both of them all show a nonlinear increase with the increase of crack angle; Because of the inhomogeneity of the materials, the inclination and propagation pathways of wing cracks are random, and the aggregate inhibits crack initiation and propagation. The wing crack's initiation position moves closer to the tip as the crack inclination angle increases, and the length gets shorter; Acoustic emission(AE) evolution characteristics are similar in samples with varying dip angles. In the early stages of loading, the AE energy is minimal, and increases rapidly when approaching the peak stress. The fractal dimension was used to describe the damage evolution process inside the material, and a damage variable index (ω) based on the fractal theory was proposed. The more the ω, the greater the material's degree of degradation. The proposed index provided a new method for quantitative study of the damage evolution characteristics of rock-like materials. It has guiding significance for the research on the stability of wet shotcrete in the deep fractured rock mass of Lannigou Gold Mine.
Upregulated IGFBP3 with Aging Is Involved in Modulating Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress, and Fibrosis: A Target of Age-Related Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Hu Daoyuan , Ge Yunlong , Cui Yubin , Li Ke , Chen Jialiang , Zhang Chi , Liu Qiwei , He Lizhao , Chen Weijun , Chen Jun , Hu Cheng , Xiao Hengjun
Published: February 2022

Aging has been deemed the primary factor in erectile dysfunction (ED). Herein, age-related changes in the erectile response and histomorphology were detected, and the relationship between aging and ED was investigated based on gene expression levels. Thirty male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, and intracavernous pressure (ICP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured. Subsequently, the corpus cavernosum (CC) was harvested and prepared for histological examinations of apoptosis, oxidative stress (OS), and fibrosis. Then, the microarray dataset (GSE10804) was analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ED progression, and hub genes were selected. In addition, aged CC smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) were isolated to evaluate the function of the hub gene by siRNA interference, qRT–PCR, immunofluorescence staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot analysis, CCK-8 assay, EdU staining, and flow cytometry approaches. The ICP/MAP and smooth muscle cell (SMC)/collagen ratios declined with aging, while apoptosis and OS levels increased with aging. The enriched functions and pathways of the DEGs were investigated, and 15 hub genes were identified, among which IGFBP3 was significantly upregulated. The IGFBP3 upregulation was verified in the CC of aging rats. Furthermore, aged CCSMCs were transfected with siRNA to knock down IGFBP3 expression. The viability and proliferation of the CCSMCs increased, while apoptosis, OS, and fibrosis decreased. Our findings demonstrate that the erectile response of SD rats declines in parallel with enhanced CC apoptosis, OS, and fibrosis with aging. Upregulation of IGFBP3 plays an important role; furthermore, downregulation of IGFBP3 improves the viability and proliferation of CCSMCs and alleviates apoptosis, OS, and fibrosis. Thus, IGFBP3 is a potential therapeutic target for age-related ED.
Sparse-Coding-Based Autoencoder and Its Application for Cancer Survivability Prediction
Authors: Huang Gang , Wang Hailun , Zhang Lu
Published: February 2022

Cancer-survivability prediction is one of the popular research topics, that attracted great attention from both the health service providers and academia. However, one remaining question comes from how to make full use of a large number of available factors (or features). This paper, accordingly, presents a novel autoencoder algorithm based on the concept of sparse coding to address this problem. The main contribution is twofold: the utilization of sparsity coding for input feature selection and a subsequent classification using latent information. Precisely, a typical autoencoder architecture is employed for reconstructing the original input. Then the sparse coding technique is applied to optimize the network structure, with the aim of selecting optimal features and enhancing the generalization capability. In addition, the refined latent information is further cast as alternative features for training a sparse classifier. To evaluate the performance of the proposed autoencoder architecture, we present a comprehensive analysis using a publicly available data repository (i.e., Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results, SEER). Experimental study shows that the proposed approach has the ability of extracting important features from high-dimensional inputs and achieves competitive performance than other state-of-the-art classification techniques.
Beta-caryophyllene as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and re-epithelialization activities in a rat skin wound excision model
Authors: Gushiken Lucas Fernando Sérgio , Beserra Fernando Pereira , Hussni Maria Fernanda , Gonzaga Murilo Tireli , Ribeiro Victor Pena , de Souza Patrícia Fernanda , Campos Jacqueline Costa Lima , Massaro Taís Nader Chrysostomo , Hussni Carlos Alberto , Takahira Regina Kiomi , Marcato Priscyla Daniely , Bastos Jairo Kenupp , Pellizzon Cláudia Helena
Published: February 2022

The skin is a critical organ for the maintenance of the integrity and protection of the organism. When a wound occurs, a sequence of healing mechanisms is triggered to reconstruct the wounded area. β-caryophyllene is a sesquiterpene in Copaifera langsdorffii oleoresin with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. On the basis of previous studies with C. langsdorffii, β-caryophyllene was selected to evaluate its wound healing potential and pharmacological mechanisms. The excision wound model was used with male Wistar rats and macroscopic, histological, immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses were performed with skin samples, comparing the β-caryophyllene-treated group with reference drugs. The results showed macroscopic retraction of the wounds treated with β-caryophyllene. Biochemical assays revealed the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of the β-caryophyllene-treated group with increasing levels of IL-10 and GPx and decreasing levels of pro-inflammatory molecules, including TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β and IL-6. After β-caryophyllene treatment, immunohistochemical assays showed enhanced re-epithelialization, through the increase in laminin-γ2 and desmoglein-3 immunolabeling. β-caryophyllene also act in the remodeling mechanism, increasing the collagen content in the Masson’s trichrome staining. These findings indicated the wound-healing potential of β-caryophyllene topical formulation in rat skin wounds, mediated by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and re-epithelialization mechanisms.
Design of Athlete’s Running Information Capture System in Space-Time Domain Based on Virtual Reality
Authors: Zhu Chun
Published: February 2022

In order to improve the training effect of athletes, aiming at the problems of inaccurate information capture results, poor real-time performance of sports information capture, and inability to effectively suppress noise interference in traditional methods, an athlete space-time running information capture system based on virtual reality is designed. Establish the athlete’s human skeleton, obtain the athlete’s sports joint points, design the overall architecture of the athlete’s space-time running information capture system, and realize the whole link design of sports information capture through RF chip, infrared camera, sports data acquisition module, data transmission module, and human-computer interaction module. Based on virtual reality technology, a virtual reality environment is built to obtain the characteristic parameters of athletes’ sports posture in space-time domain, and the median filtering algorithm is used to filter the original signal to eliminate the impact of noise signal on athletes’ sports information capture. Finally, the activity of the motion region is detected, and the motion information is captured combined with the Gaussian mixture model. The experimental results show that the system designed in this paper has high accuracy and anti-interference and can realize the real-time capture of motion information.
Microenvironment Is a Key Determinant of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Response
Authors: Cho Shih-Feng , Anderson Kenneth C. , Tai Yu-Tzu
Published: February 2022

Utilizing advanced RNA-sequencing techniques and rigorous bioinformatics analysis, this study identified gene signatures predicting responsiveness to pembrolizumab monotherapy. T-cell–inflamed gene expression profile was predictive for better treatment response, while angiogenesis, monocytic myeloid–derived suppressor cell, and stroma/epithelial–mesenchymal transition/TGFβ gene signatures were associated with lower treatment response.

See related article by Cristescu et al., p. 1680
CIDEC: A Potential Factor in Diabetic Vascular Inflammation
Authors: Song Fang-Qiang , Zhou Hui-Min , Ma Wei-Xuan , Li Yu-Lin , Hu Bo-Ang , Shang Yuan-Yuan , Wang Zhi-Hao , Zhong Ming , Zhang Wei , Ti Yun
Published: February 2022

Cell death-inducing DFF45-like effector C (CIDEC) is involved in diet-induced adipose inflammation. Whether CIDEC plays a role in diabetic vascular inflammation remains unclear. A type 2 diabetic rat model was induced by high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin. We evaluated its characteristics by metabolic tests, Western blot analysis of CIDEC and C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-3 (CTRP3) expression, and histopathological analysis of aortic tissues. The diabetic group exhibited elevated CIDEC expression, aortic inflammation, and remodeling. To further investigate the role of CIDEC in the pathogenesis of aortic inflammation, gene silencing was used. With CIDEC gene silencing, CTRP3 expression was restored, accompanied with amelioration of insulin resistance, aortic inflammation, and remodeling in diabetic rats. Thus, the silencing of CIDEC is potent in mediating the reversal of aortic inflammation and remodeling, indicating that CIDEC may be a potential therapeutic target for vascular complications in diabetes.
Plasma Isoagglutinin Depletion for Blood Group Independent Plasma Transfusion
Authors: Raster Johannes , Jacob Michelle , Greinacher Andreas , Aurich Konstanze
Published: February 2022

Background: Plasma transfusion is one of the basic treatments in patients with major blood loss. The anti-A and anti-B antibodies contained in the plasma demand ABO blood group compatibility. This is limiting the use of plasma in emergency situations and can cause a shortage in the supply of plasma of certain blood groups. We developed a method for anti-A and anti-B depletion by adsorbing plasma isoagglutinins using red blood cells. Materials and Methods: Three units of fresh frozen plasma were thawed after quarantine storage, pooled, and an aliquot of red cell concentrate was added. After 2 h of incubation at room temperature antibody-red-cell complexes were removed by centrifugation, the isoagglutinin-depleted plasma was split into three units and deep frozen. Isoagglutinin titers, free hemoglobin, residual red cells, clotting factor activity, and sterility of plasma units were determined after isoagglutinin depletion and a double freeze-thawing procedure. Results: Anti-B titers in group A plasma were reduced from values of 1:64 to 1:1 or lower, anti-A titers in group B plasma decreased from values of 1:128 to at least 1:16. Postprocedure clotting factor activities were preserved with 88.0 ± 7.3% (factor V), 106.9 ± 11.4% (factor VIII), and 84.0 ± 7.5% (factor XI) fulfilling the quality control requirements. No residual red cells were found, but free hemoglobin slightly increased to 53.7 ± 5.2 μmol/L. All units were sterile. Discussion: We described a method for the production of anti-A- and anti-B-depleted plasma in a closed system that uses standard equipment. The resulting isoagglutinin-depleted plasma may allow for blood group independent plasma transfusion.
Analgosedation before Less-Invasive Surfactant Administration: A Systematic Review
Authors: Tribolet Sophie , Hennuy Nadège , Snyers Diane , Lefèbvre Caroline , Rigo Vincent
Published: February 2022

Background: Surfactant therapy is the cornerstone of respiratory distress syndrome management. “Less-invasive surfactant administration (LISA)” is now recommended for spontaneously breathing preterm infants. Analgosedation remains controversial as 52% of European neonatologists do not use any. This systematic review aims to describe the efficacy and safety of different drugs for analgosedation during LISA. Methods: MEDLINE via Ovid, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library of Trials were searched independently by 2 reviewers for studies on sedation or analgesia for LISA, without filters or limits. Results: Eight studies (1 randomized controlled trial) recruiting 945 infants were included. Infant pain was significantly reduced, with more infants evaluated as comfortable. Failure, defined as need for intubation or for a second dose of surfactant, was not different between sedated and unsedated groups. Analgosedation was associated with a higher occurrence of desaturation and need for positive pressure ventilation during procedure, but the need for mechanical ventilation within 24 or 72 h of life was not significantly different. There does not seem to be any difference in clinical tolerance and complications (e.g., hypotension, mortality, air leaks, etc.). Procedural conditions were evaluated as good or excellent in 83% after sedation. Discussion and Conclusion: Analgesia or sedative drugs increase infant comfort and allow good procedural conditions, with a limited impact on the clinical evolution. Questions remain about the best choice of drugs and dosages, with the constraint to maintain spontaneous breathing and have a rapid offset. Further good quality studies are needed to provide additional evidence to supplement those limited existing data.
A Smarter Way to Use Your Smartphone: An Intervention to Limit Smartphone-Related Distractions Reduces Hyperactivity but Not Inattention Symptoms
Authors: Wasmuth Julian M. , Reinhard Iris , Hill Holger , Alpers Georg W. , Shevchenko Yury , Kiefer Falk , Leménager Tagrid
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Smartphones are often helpful in our everyday lives. Yet, they also tend to interrupt us during other activities. It has been argued that such distractions contribute to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-like symptoms. However, since there are mostly correlational studies, the causal nature of this relationship is unclear. Our aim was to test whether reducing smartphone-related distractions might have a beneficial effect on inattention and hyperactive symptoms. Methods: We conducted a 1-week field experiment with 37 healthy undergraduates and quasi-randomly assigned them to an intervention or control group (CG). The intervention group was given theory-based specific instructions that aimed at reducing smartphone-related distractions, whereas the CG received no intervention. The outcomes of interest were inattention level, hyperactive symptoms, and working memory accuracy. Results: Compared to those in the control condition, participants who limited their smartphone use showed considerable reductions in hyperactive symptoms after 1 week – particularly those who displayed high problematic smartphone use. However, there were no group differences regarding inattention symptoms and working memory accuracy. Discussion: The results give a first hint that strategically reducing smartphone-related distractions via specific but simple use modifications can mitigate hyperactive symptoms. Especially people with problematic smartphone use seem to profit from such an intervention. Remaining questions and directions are discussed.
Accuracy of a Novel Transcutaneous PCO2 and PO2 Sensor with Optical PO2 Measurement in Neonatal Intensive Care: A Single-Centre Prospective Clinical Trial
Authors: Baumann Philipp , Gotta Verena , Adzikah Stephanie , Bernet Vera
Published: February 2022

Background and Objectives: Transcutaneous PCO2 and PO2 measurement systems offer non-invasive blood gas trend monitoring. The aim of this prospective study was to assess bias and precision of a transcutaneous PCO2 and PO2 measurement system incorporating a novel pO2 sensor (Sentec OxiVenT™) in neonates ≥34 weeks of gestational age (GA) admitted to intensive care. Methods: Transcutaneous PCO2 and PO2 were compared to arterial and capillary blood gas measurements. Bias and precision were calculated by fitting linear mixed models to account for repeated measurements, and influence of clinical covariates on bias and precision was assessed. Results: We obtained 611 paired transcutaneous and blood gas measurements in 110 patients (median GA 38.3 [interquartile range 36.1–39.7] weeks; age 9 [4–15] days; weight 3,000 [2,500–3,500] g). Transcutaneous PCO2 showed significant bias to arterial PCO2 (+0.61; 95% confidence interval 0.46, 0.76 kPa), but not to capillary PCO2 (−0.23; −0.46, 0.002 kPa). Bias of transcutaneous PO2 was significant to arterial PO2 (−2.50; −2.94, −2.06 kPa), while no significant bias compared to capillary PO2 was observed (+0.17; −0.30, 0.64 kPa). Precision intervals were ±1.8/2.0 kPa for arterial versus capillary PCO2 and ±4.9/3.3 kPa for arterial versus capillary PO2 comparisons, respectively. Further, sensor operating temperature (43°C vs. 42°C), soft tissue oedema, vasoactive drugs, weight, and GA significantly altered bias (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The tested transcutaneous blood gas measurement system showed no significant bias compared to capillary PCO2 and PO2, acceptable bias to arterial PCO2, and limited agreement with arterial PO2. Precision intervals were wide for all comparisons.
Epidemiology of Hypertension among Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis Using Standardized Office and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Recordings
Authors: Vareta Georgia , Georgianos Panagiotis I. , Vaios Vasilios , Sgouropoulou Vasiliki , Roumeliotis Stefanos , Georgoulidou Anastasia , Dounousi Evangelia , Eleftheriadis Theodoros , Papagianni Aikaterini , Balaskas Elias V. , Zebekakis Pantelis E. , Liakopoulos Vassilios
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Prior studies conducted in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in the late 1990s provided considerably variable estimates of the prevalence and control of hypertension. The present study aimed to investigate the current state of hypertension management in this high-risk population. Methods: In 140 stable PD patients, we performed standardized automated office blood pressure (BP) measurements and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) using the Mobil-O-Graph device (IEM, Germany). Office and ambulatory hypertension was diagnosed in patients with office BP ≥140/90 mm Hg and 24-h BP ≥130/80 mm Hg, respectively. Patients treated with ≥1 BP-lowering medications were also classified as hypertensives. Results: The prevalence of office and ambulatory hypertension was 92.9% and 95%, respectively. In all, 92.1% of patients were being treated with an average of 2.4 BP-lowering medications daily. Adequate BP control was achieved in 52.3% and 38.3% of hypertensives by office BP and ABPM, respectively. The agreement between these 2 techniques in the identification of patients with BP levels above the diagnostic thresholds of hypertension was moderate (k-statistic: 0.524). In all, 5% of patients were normotensives with both techniques, 31.4% had controlled hypertension, 5% had white-coat hypertension, 19.3% had masked hypertension, and 39.3% had sustained hypertension. Isolated nocturnal hypertension was detected in 23.6% of patients, whereas no patient had isolated daytime hypertension. Conclusion: Among PD patients, hypertension is highly prevalent and remains often inadequately controlled. The use of ABPM enables the better classification of severity of hypertension and identification of isolated nocturnal hypertension, which is a common BP phenotype in the PD population.
Accurate Evaluation of Residual Common Bile Duct Stones by Endoscopic Ultrasound: A Two-Step Check Method for Residual Stone Clearance
Authors: Sagami Ryota , Hayasaka Kenji , Ujihara Tetsuro , Iwaki Tomoyuki , Katsuyama Yasushi , Harada Hideaki , Tsuji Hiroaki , Sato Takao , Nishikiori Hidefumi , Murakami Kazunari , Amano Yuji
Published: February 2022

Background/Aims: Residual common bile duct (CBD) stones occasionally become symptomatic after stone removal with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) upon removal of the endoscopic biliary stent (EBS). An accurate evaluation of residual stones before stent removal is necessary. This study evaluated a new two-step check method using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for the detection of residual stones after ERCP stone removal. Methods: Fifty-six patients who underwent CBD stone removal and EBS placement were prospectively enrolled. Residual stones were evaluated by the check method. EBS was removed at the time of the check method or at a later time of residual stone removal. The primary outcome was to evaluate the efficacy of this check method. Results: Residual CBD stone/sludge was detected in 20 of 56 patients (35.7%; stones: 28.6%, sludge: 7.1%) by the check method and removed by the ERCP procedure at a later time. After stent and final stone removal, patients were followed for an average of 211 days; cholangitis recurred in only 1.8% of patients. There were no adverse events associated with the check method. Temporary EBS prevented the recurrence of cholangitis by residual stone and caused no adverse events in the pancreatobiliary tract until the two-step check method (median, 113 days; range, 17–232 days). Conclusion: The new check method may be ideal and feasible for EBS removal because recurrences are very rare when a clear CBD has been verified, and an additional ERCP procedure is also possibly avoided.
Inflammatory Cytokine Levels in Patients with Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Sun Qionghua , Huo Yunyun , Bai Jiongming , Wang Haoran , Wang Hongfen , Yang Fei , Cui Fang , Song Han , Huang Xusheng
Published: February 2022

Objectives: In the present study, inflammatory factors, including interleukin (IL) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the peripheral blood of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS), were evaluated, and the issue of whether these variables were associated with the progression and severity of the disease examined. Methods: Data on inflammatory factors, including IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α, were retrospectively collected from 248 sALS patients admitted to the Chinese PLA General Hospital between March 2018 and March 2021. The relationships between the variables and clinical features, including gender, age at onset, site of onset, time from onset to hospital admission, ALS functional rating scale score, and diagnostic category were analyzed. Results: IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α levels were elevated in 43.75%, 7.04%, 16.42%, 25.35%, 1.41%, and 50.72% of ALS patients, respectively, compared with the normal value range. IL-2 and IL-6 levels were inversely associated with the ALS functional rating scale score (r = −0.280, p = 0.004 and r = −0.198, p = 0.048). Conclusion: Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines support the hypothesis of an inflammatory response in ALS, and IL-2 and IL-6 may be used as an inflammation-related biomarker for disease severity.
Stress and Diabetes Mellitus: Pathogenetic Mechanisms and Clinical Outcome
Authors: Ingrosso Diletta Maria Francesca , Primavera Marina , Samvelyan Sona , Tagi Veronica Maria , Chiarelli Francesco
Published: February 2022

Evidence suggests that psychological and physical stress are relevant triggering factors for the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The underlying mechanisms involve a complex neuroendocrine structure, involving the central nervous system and the periphery. Psychological stress leads to an increase of serum glucocorticoid concentrations and catecholamines release increasing the insulin need and the insulin resistance. According to the β-cell stress hypothesis, also causes of increased insulin demand, such as rapid growth, overweight, puberty, low physical activity, trauma, infections, and glucose overload, are potentially relevant factors in development of T1D. It has also been demonstrated that chronic stress and obesity form a vicious circle which leads to a definitive metabolic failure, increasing the risk of developing T2D. In this review, we will provide the most recent data concerning the role of stress in the outcomes of T1D and T2D, with a focus on the role of physical and psychological stress on the onset of T1D.
The Effect of Employer Brand on Employer Of Choice (EOC) Mediated By Per-son Organization Fit (PO-FIT) And The Moderation Role Of Social Media On The Relationship Of Person Organization Fit (PO-FIT) And Employer Of Choice (EOC) At STIBISNIS Polytechnic
Authors: Pujiastuti Endah
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of the dimensions of the employer brand (work culture, ethics & CSR, diversity and salary & incentives) on person organization fit (PO-Fit). In addition, this study aims to analyze the dimensions of employer brand on employer of choice (EOC) mediated by person organization fit (PO-Fit). Furthermore, this study also aims to analyze the influence of person organization fit (PO-Fit) on employer of choice (EOC) and the role of social media moderation on the relationship of person organization fit (PO-Fit) and employer of choice ( EOC) on students of STIBISNIS Polytechnic. The method of data analysis used in this study was Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using the SmartPLS application version 3.0. Data obtained through questionnaires distributed to 150 students of STIBISNIS Polytechnic. The first result shows that dimension of employer brand namely work culture and ethics & CSR has no effect on person organization fit (PO-Fit) while the other dimensions of employer brand are diversity and salary & incentives had a positive effect on person organization fit ( PO-Fit). Second result shows that Person Organization Fit (PO-Fit) are able to mediate the dimensions of employer brand (work culture, Ethics & CSR, Diversity and Salary & Incentives) towards employer of choice (EOC). The third result shows person organization fit (PO-Fit) has a positive effect on employer of choice (EOC). And the fourth result of this study shows that social media is able to moderate the influence of person organization fit (PO-Fit) on employer of choice (EOC) on students of STIBISNIS polytechnic from management and accounting program
Climate Governance Antagonisms: Policy Stability and Repoliticization
Authors: Paterson Matthew , Tobin Paul , VanDeveer Stacy D.
Published: February 2022

In this forum, we highlight a discord in strategies around climate change policy and politics. On one hand, there is widespread concern for the pursuit of climate policy stability: stability in the design of policy and institutions, but particularly making policy and institutional development irreversible. However, much recent literature has revived an insistence on the inevitability of political conflict for pursuing the often large transitions needed to mitigate and adapt to accelerating climate change. Here, addressing climate change requires conflict, to weaken the power of incumbent actors that have blocked ambitious climate policy enactment for decades. Scholarship deploying each perspective tends to explicitly accept the need for radical sociotechnical transformations to address the climate crisis, but each entails radically different approaches to how to pursue decarbonization. The article outlines a research agenda focused on thinking about how these two apparently contradictory dynamics in climate politics interact, to advance our understanding of what sorts of strategies might open up political space for rapid transformations.
From Progress to Delay: The Quest for Data in the Negotiations on Greenhouse Gases in the International Maritime Organization
Authors: Aalbu Kjersti , Longva Tore
Published: February 2022

This article examines the quest for data in the negotiations on the reduction of greenhouse gases in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) from 2012 to 2020. We find that the collection of data was invoked in two different manners: holding back decision-making on emission-reduction regulations and helping the greenhouse gas negotiations move forward out of gridlock. We draw on insights from literature in science and technology studies on the politics of data and boundary objects to explore how these strategies are entangled over time. We argue that aligning around data collection and an ambiguous “three-step approach” to decision-making initially facilitated collaboration between IMO delegations despite disagreement on details. We examine how the three-step approach later morphs into what we call a mechanism for delay over the course of the negotiation period, challenging regulatory development at the pace required by opening for continuous calls for more data.
Labeling (Reduced) Structures: When VPs Are Sentences
Authors: Cecchetto Carlo , Donati Caterina
Published: February 2022

In this article, we analyze five reduced structures in Italian that display morphological agreement between their past participle and their internal argument. Three of the five structures have full illocutionary force despite lacking the middle field and the left periphery. We explain this fact (and the differences with the two remaining participial structures) by extending to object agreement cases Chomsky’s (2019) hypothesis that clauses are exocentric but can be labeled by a mechanism of feature sharing. This goes against the hypothesis that all reduced structures interpreted as clauses must be elliptical.
Transmission of Income Variations to Consumption Variations: The Role of the Firm
Authors: Jin Miao , Liu Yu-Jane , Meng Juanjuan , Zhang Yu
Published: February 2022

We use matched employer-employee data to study the role of the firm in the transmission of income growth into consumption growth. We find that growth in income relative to the firm average (the within-firm component) translates significantly less into consumption than growth in firm average income (the between-firm component). These findings are explained by the lower persistence of the within-firm component of income, better self-insurance for workers more exposed to variations in income growth from the within-firm component, and peer effects in the workplace. Quantitatively, income persistence provides 43% of the explanatory power, self-insurance provides 35%, and peer effects provide 22%.
Fiscal Multipliers and Financial Crises
Authors: Faria-e-Castro Miguel
Published: February 2022

I study the effects of the U.S. fiscal policy response to the Great Recession, accounting for both standard tools and financial sector interventions. A nonlinear model calibrated to the United States allows me to study the state-dependent effects of different fiscal policies. I combine the model with data on the fiscal policy response to find that the fall in consumption would have been one-third larger in the absence of that response, for a cumulative loss of 7.18%. Transfers and bank recapitalizations yielded the largest fiscal multipliers through new transmission channels that arise from linkages between household and bank balance sheets.