bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Researching the operational properties of materials used in ECP
Authors: Alkhimenko A A , Shakhmatov A V , Shishkova M L
Published: December 2020

The goal of this research was to determine the corrosion resistance of metal materials used in ECP constructions as well as to determine the degree of degradation of the metal properties of rubber compounds (RS-3, TER-10, AF-15) after exposure to a corrosive environment. In order to assess the impact of a corrosive environment on changes in the mechanical properties of rubber compounds used in ECP constructions, tests were carried out for rubber samples of the compounds RS-3 (TU 2512-028-46521402-2014), TER-10 (TU 2512-028-46521402-2014), AF-15 (TU 2512-028-46521402-2014) in their initial state and after testing in a corrosive environment in an autoclave. Tests on samples of structural metal materials (05Cr16Ni4, 40Cr13, 40Cr, 22MnAl, Nirezist) in an aqueous saline solution containing ions of chlorides. According to these tests at 240, 480 and 720-hour exposure in the autoclave, the steel 05Cr16Ni4 is passive in the given corrosive environment and has a corrosion rate of ≤ 0.01 mm / year. Tests of samples of four steels of grades 05Cr16Ni4, 40Cr13, 40XCr and 22MnAl in a solution of hydrochloric acid with pH = 0 over 6 hours at room temperature showed.
Analysis of Technical Aspects of Choosing Air Conditioners and Temperature Parameter Control for Developing Air Conditioning Systems for Premises of Various Area at Fishery Enterprises
Authors: Kiryuha V V
Published: December 2020

This article considers the theoretical and practical aspects of optimal construction of air conditioning systems for production enterprises of various area. The importance of this task is determined by the requirements on providing a comfortable work environment for maintenance personnel. The data on air conditioner operation, the theoretical surveys, and the factors that influence the temperature conditions and distribution of air streams are used to propose a number of recommendations for optimizing the construction of noise-proof conditioning systems. In addition, some guidelines are proposed for upgrading remote control systems for split conditioning systems.
The Actualized Complex of Indicators of Quality Monitoring of New Cars in Operation
Authors: Kozlovsky V N , Aydarov D V , Shakursky M V , Kozhevnikov V A
Published: December 2020

The article devotes to the analysis and development of a modern analytical complex of quantitative indicators of the quality of new cars in operation.
Development of a method for multidisciplinary parametric optimization of vehicle hood reinforcement
Authors: Filina T V , Leontev A N , Kharaldin N A , Aleshin M V , Klyavin O I , Borovkov A I
Published: December 2020

The goal of this paper is to develop and test a multidisciplinary optimization technique for designing structures that are subjected to both static and dynamic loads, using the digital twin of a vehicle hood as an example. This method reduces the weight of the hood reinforcement and increases the probability of pedestrian survival when hitting the head. This is due to the implementation of technological and layout constraints, as well as the requirements for stiffness, frequency characteristics and hood denting.
The study of the fatigue strength characteristics of welded joints in car components
Authors: Nikolaev D V , Klyavin O I , Tarasov A V , Aleshin M V , Kharaldin N A , Borovkov A I
Published: December 2020

The computational study of the fatigue life of car body components and its spot welds was carried out using two methods in this article. Besides, there analyzes the impact of spot welds failure on the stiffness characteristics of the car and a comparison of the sites of breakdown that arose during computer modeling using a digital twin with the sites of a breakdown in a real test. The study resulted in a significant influence of fatigue life on the stiffness characteristics of the car body. This noticeable effect is explained by most of the failed spot welds are located in the areas of the front and rear suspension fastenings, experiencing significant stress both during the car operation and during bench tests for bending and torsional stiffness of the body.
Increment of steam turbine blades service life by means of erosion-resistant plasma coating deposition with meso-ordered structure
Authors: Bogdanovich V E , Giorbelidze M G
Published: December 2020

Main reasons and wear mechanism of steam turbine blades have been examined. Efficient recovery method of steam turbine blades allowing to increase their service life and enhance greatly service life of power units have been suggested. Materials to deposit coating layers have also been selected and deposition technology have been developed. Structure, porosity, micro-hardness, adhesion strength, erosion resistance and heat resistance of deposited coating have been researched. Suggested method can be used both for deposition of a coating on new turbine blades and for recovery of worn surfaces without overhaul of a turbine due to applying of a mobile compact plasma unit of in-house design. Composition of the coating featuring meso-arranged structure during deposition process greatly increases most operational performances of the whole ‘coating – substrate’ system.
Drop-on-demand printing of edge-enhanced and conductive graphene twin-lines by coalescence regulation and multi-layers overwriting
Authors: Lian Hongcheng , Qi Lehua , Luo Jun , Zhang Ruirui
Published: December 2020

Fabrication of straight and highly conductive graphene lines, the cornerstones of high-performance graphene-based printed electronics, still faces considerable challenges. We have developed a convenient and effective way to print edge-enhanced highly conductive graphene twin-lines by coalescence regulation and multi-layers overwriting (CRMO), which enhances both outline accuracy and electrical conductivity. The overlapping traces and wavy edges were eliminated by droplets coalescence at the expense of introducing discrete footprints, which were transformed into continuous lines by multi-layers overwriting. We successfully fabricated the edge-enhanced graphene twin-line with an edge width of 72.33 ± 7.96 μm and a linear resistivity of 0.188 ± 0.160 kΩ μm−1, yielding the coinstantaneous enhancement of outline accuracy, printing efficiency, and electrical conductivity. Printed graphene twin-lines achieve one of the lowest relative linear resistivity reported so far and a conductivity of 359.88 S m−1. We attributed the highly concentrated and tightly interconnected graphene flakes at the edge to the synergetic effect of CRMO. Finally, we have demonstrated the feasibility of CRMO by printing graphene line resistors with excellent linearity and broad resistance ranges. Such findings establish relationships among the printing method, line morphologies, flakes distribution, and electrical conductivity. This work will be of great significance for the self-assembly of graphene-based functional materials and graphene-based printed electronics development.
Assessment of the force attenuation capability of 3D printed hip protector in simulated sideways fall
Authors: Yahaya S A , Ripin Z M , Ridzwan M I Z
Published: December 2020

An innovative 3D printed hip protector has been designed and tested to decrease the possibility of hip fracture in a sideways fall to a hard surface. The main design purpose was to create custom fit hip protector, reduce the manufacturing period and make the protector comfortable to wear. This work compares the new energy shunting 3D printed hip protector design with an existing energy absorbing hip protector. A drop tower mechanical test rig was designed and developed to simulate a sideways fall with sufficient impact energy to fracture an unprotected greater trochanter (GT). The test rig incorporates the actual geometry of a femur made from steel and uses a foam to simulate trochanteric soft tissue over the greater trochanter. Similar impact energy was used for the testing of each hip protector. The weight of the striker mass was maintained, and the height was adjusted to obtain an impact energy of 21–43J to produce femoral neck force of 3–9 kN. Results illustrate that the 3D hip protector compares favorably in attenuating impact force capable of causing hip fracture to a value below the fracture threshold of 3.472 kN. The influence of the 3D hip protector on peak transmitted forces to the vulnerable site of the greater trochanter is shown to be positive. It is anticipated that future protectors can be 3D printed after optimizations to end the bundling of same hip protector for different body geometry.
Simulation and experimental study on microstructure evolution of 5CrNiMoV steel during multi-directional non-isothermal forging
Authors: Hu Zhiqiang , Wang Kaikun , Yang Li
Published: December 2020

Microstructure evolution during the hot forming shows a significant impact on material’s mechanical properties. To explore the deformation characteristics of 5CrNiMoV steel, numerical simulation and microscopic phase-field simulation of the multi-direction forgings were carried out. The strain distribution at each pass was investigated and the evolution of temperature, effective strain, effective strain rate, and grain size was acquired. The hot forging trials were carried out and three typical regions of forgings were taken to study the microstructure evolution. Detailed microstructure characterizations showed that the constructed parent austenite grain size of the forging in typical regions was slightly larger than the simulation results due to the grain coarsening during the air cooling. There were large amounts of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) for the occurrence of complete dynamic recrystallization and many bulging grain boundaries showed that discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) could be the governing mechanism of nucleation and growth of dynamic recrystallization (DRX). Besides, the hot deformation texture changed significantly during the non-isothermal forging and the texture component differed remarkably at different regions of the forging. The main hot deformation texture components were Cube {001}<100> and Goss{011}<100>.
Unbiased Approaches for Reviewing Entomology Literature: A Systematized Review
Authors: Oliveira Ana R S , Cohnstaedt Lee W , Cernicchiaro Natalia
Published: December 2020

Evidence synthesis and knowledge translation are scientific methodological approaches used across different disciplines for combining results from individual studies, interpreting them based on the body of evidence and with the objective of supporting decision-making. Systematic, rapid, and scoping reviews have a direct application in human health and social care, but also in veterinary medicine, which are areas that can overlap with medical and veterinary entomology. As a scientific field, the objective of medical and veterinary entomology is to identify and quantify the role of insects as transmitters of important arthropod-borne pathogens, thus contributing to the study of human and veterinary issues of public health importance. The main objectives of this review are to introduce to entomologists the most common knowledge translation and synthesis methods described in the literature, to then review the use of systematic, rapid, and scoping reviews applied in the medical and veterinary entomology field, using a systematized review approach. We found 120 relevant articles in the literature addressing topics related to medical and veterinary entomology and using systematic reviews of the literature or other evidence synthesis methods, which is concurrent with the ongoing trend towards the use of these methodologies. The application of unbiased approaches to entomology in general, and to medical and veterinary entomology in particular, will strengthen science- and evidence-based conclusions to be used as a tool for informing policy, decisions, and interventions.
Point: Reconciling Epidemiology’s Aspirations and Capabilities
Authors: Savitz David A
Published: December 2020

Interpreting the results of epidemiologic studies calls for objectivity and rigorous scrutiny, acknowledging the limitations that temper the applicability of the findings to public health action. Current trends have posed new challenges to balancing goals of scientific objectivity and validity with public health applications. The ongoing tension between epidemiology’s aspirations and capability has several sources: the need to overpromise in research proposals, compromising methodological rigor because of public health importance, defending findings in the face of hostile critics, and appealing to core constituencies who have specific expectations from the research.
Alcohol Use By Women in Serbia—A First Report
Authors: Lugonja Sofija , Pantic Ivana , Dumic Igor , Milovanovic Tamara
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Alcoholism is a growing problem with increasing incidence on in women. The aim of our study was to evaluate drinking habits in women using Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and to look for differences in relations to respondents’ demographic, behavioral, and medical characteristics.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 327 adult women who did not visit a physician due to liver enzymes abnormalities or any other significant health issue. All subjects filled in a questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic survey and the AUDIT.

Results

The statistically significant influence of the respondents’ age on the answers to the AUDIT was observed in Q1-Q5, Q7, and Q8, and in alcohol use risk groups. It was observed that women with a university degree use alcohol more often, compared to those who have attended primary, or middle school. The effect of responders’ employment status demonstrated a statistically significant difference in response to Q3, Q5, Q7, and Q8, and in alcohol use risk groups. We found that marital status contributes to drinking patterns. We found statistically significant difference to the answers on Q1-Q3, Q5, Q7, and Q8. The effect of offspring on the answers on the AUDIT was analyzed and a statistically significant difference was noted in the answers to the Q1-Q3, Q5, Q7, Q8, and in alcohol use risk groups.

Conclusion

Alcohol use among women is commonly and severely overlooked. Our results showed younger women, the unemployed, those in domestic partnerships, single ones and those with no children deserve increased surveillance.
Ultrasonography Analysis of Vessels Around the Forehead Midline
Authors: Park Hyun Jin , Lee Ji-Hyun , Lee Kyu-Lim , Choi You-Jin , Hu Kyung-Seok , Kim Hee-Jin
Published: December 2020

Background

Filler injection into the glabella is well known to be a highly dangerous procedure due to the high risk of embolism and intravascular injection. Although it is conventional practice to insert the cannula into the middle of the forehead to perform injections into the glabella or radix, vascular structures can be observed in this region during anatomic dissection procedures.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to characterize the blood vessels around the forehead midline in order to provide crucial anatomic information for ensuring the safety of noninvasive procedures involving the forehead and glabella.

Methods

Ultrasonography image scanning was performed at the following 4 points on the forehead midline: trichion (P1), metopion (P2), halfway point between metopion and glabella (P3), and glabella (P4). The courses and locations of vessels were identified and classified according to their proximity to the forehead midline.

Results

Vessels coursing within 0.75 cm either side of the forehead midline were found in 34% to 50% of individuals. Arteries running near the forehead midline tended to be dominant on the right side of the forehead except in the P4 area. About half of the individuals had vessels in the P4 area, of which 96.7% were veins.

Conclusions

The present results indicate that there are superficial vessels running close to the midline of the forehead. This anatomic information can explain the higher incidence of vascular complications during conventional aesthetic procedures. To ensure safety, the cannula entry point or needle puncture point for glabella augmentation should be reconsidered.
PharmKG: a dedicated knowledge graph benchmark for bomedical data mining
Authors: Zheng Shuangjia , Rao Jiahua , Song Ying , Zhang Jixian , Xiao Xianglu , Fang Evandro Fei , Yang Yuedong , Niu Zhangming
Published: December 2020

Biomedical knowledge graphs (KGs), which can help with the understanding of complex biological systems and pathologies, have begun to play a critical role in medical practice and research. However, challenges remain in their embedding and use due to their complex nature and the specific demands of their construction. Existing studies often suffer from problems such as sparse and noisy datasets, insufficient modeling methods and non-uniform evaluation metrics. In this work, we established a comprehensive KG system for the biomedical field in an attempt to bridge the gap. Here, we introduced PharmKG, a multi-relational, attributed biomedical KG, composed of more than 500 000 individual interconnections between genes, drugs and diseases, with 29 relation types over a vocabulary of ~8000 disambiguated entities. Each entity in PharmKG is attached with heterogeneous, domain-specific information obtained from multi-omics data, i.e. gene expression, chemical structure and disease word embedding, while preserving the semantic and biomedical features. For baselines, we offered nine state-of-the-art KG embedding (KGE) approaches and a new biological, intuitive, graph neural network-based KGE method that uses a combination of both global network structure and heterogeneous domain features. Based on the proposed benchmark, we conducted extensive experiments to assess these KGE models using multiple evaluation metrics. Finally, we discussed our observations across various downstream biological tasks and provide insights and guidelines for how to use a KG in biomedicine. We hope that the unprecedented quality and diversity of PharmKG will lead to advances in biomedical KG construction, embedding and application.
XGSEA: CROSS-species gene set enrichment analysis via domain adaptation
Authors: Cai Menglan , Hao Nguyen Canh , Mamitsuka Hiroshi , Li Limin
Published: December 2020

Motivation

Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) has been widely used to identify gene sets with statistically significant difference between cases and controls against a large gene set. GSEA needs both phenotype labels and expression of genes. However, gene expression are assessed more often for model organisms than minor species. Also, importantly gene expression are not measured well under specific conditions for human, due to high risk of direct experiments, such as non-approved treatment or gene knockout, and then often substituted by mouse. Thus, predicting enrichment significance (on a phenotype) of a given gene set of a species (target, say human), by using gene expression measured under the same phenotype of the other species (source, say mouse) is a vital and challenging problem, which we call CROSS-species gene set enrichment problem (XGSEP).

Results

For XGSEP, we propose the CROSS-species gene set enrichment analysis (XGSEA), with three steps of: (1) running GSEA for a source species to obtain enrichment scores and $p$-values of source gene sets; (2) representing the relation between source and target gene sets by domain adaptation; and (3) using regression to predict $p$-values of target gene sets, based on the representation in (2). We extensively validated the XGSEA by using five regression and one classification measurements on four real data sets under various settings, proving that the XGSEA significantly outperformed three baseline methods in most cases. A case study of identifying important human pathways for T -cell dysfunction and reprogramming from mouse ATAC-Seq data further confirmed the reliability of the XGSEA.

Availability

Source code of the XGSEA is available through https://github.com/LiminLi-xjtu/XGSEA.
ProkSeq for complete analysis of RNA-Seq data from prokaryotes
Authors: Mahmud A K M Firoj , Delhomme Nicolas , Nandi Soumyadeep , Fällman Maria
Published: December 2020

Since its introduction, RNA-Seq technology has been used extensively in studies of pathogenic bacteria to identify and quantify differences in gene expression across multiple samples from bacteria exposed to different conditions. With some exceptions, tools for studying gene expression, determination of differential gene expression, downstream pathway analysis and normalization of data collected in extreme biological conditions is still lacking. Here, we describe ProkSeq, a user-friendly, fully automated RNA-Seq data analysis pipeline designed for prokaryotes. ProkSeq provides a wide variety of options for analysing differential expression, normalizing expression data and visualizing data and results.

Availability and implementation

ProkSeq is implemented in Python and is published under the MIT source license. The pipeline is available as a Docker container https://hub.docker.com/repository/docker/snandids/prokseq-v2.0, or can be used through Anaconda: https://anaconda.org/snandiDS/prokseq. The code is available on Github: https://github.com/snandiDS/prokseq and a detailed user documentation, including a manual and tutorial can be found at https://prokseqV20.readthedocs.io.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
UniBioDicts: Unified access to Biological Dictionaries
Authors: Zobolas John , Touré Vasundra , Kuiper Martin , Vercruysse Steven
Published: December 2020

We present a set of software packages that provide uniform access to diverse biological vocabulary resources that are instrumental for current biocuration efforts and tools. The Unified Biological Dictionaries (UniBioDicts or UBDs) provide a single query-interface for accessing the online API services of leading biological data providers. Given a search string, UBDs return a list of matching term, identifier and metadata units from databases (e.g. UniProt), controlled vocabularies (e.g. PSI-MI) and ontologies (e.g. GO, via BioPortal). This functionality can be connected to input fields (user-interface components) that offer autocomplete lookup for these dictionaries. UBDs create a unified gateway for accessing life science concepts, helping curators find annotation terms across resources (based on descriptive metadata and unambiguous identifiers), and helping data users search and retrieve the right query terms.

Availability and implementation

The UBDs are available through npm and the code is available in the GitHub organisation UniBioDicts (https://github.com/UniBioDicts) under the Affero GPL license.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Virxicon: a lexicon of viral sequences
Authors: Kudla Mateusz , Gutowska Kaja , Synak Jaroslaw , Weber Mirko , Bohnsack Katrin Sophie , Lukasiak Piotr , Villmann Thomas , Blazewicz Jacek , Szachniuk Marta
Published: December 2020

Motivation

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities and constitute a large reservoir of genetic diversity. In recent years, knowledge about them has increased significantly as a result of dynamic development in life sciences and rapid technological progress. This knowledge is scattered across various data repositories, making a comprehensive analysis of viral data difficult.

Results

In response to the need for gathering a comprehensive knowledge of viruses and viral sequences, we developed Virxicon, a lexicon of all experimentally acquired sequences for RNA and DNA viruses. The ability to quickly obtain data for entire viral groups, searching sequences by levels of taxonomic hierarchy—according to the Baltimore classification and ICTV taxonomy—and tracking the distribution of viral data and its growth over time are unique features of our database compared to the other tools.

Availabilityand implementation

Virxicon is a publicly available resource, updated weekly. It has an intuitive web interface and can be freely accessed at http://virxicon.cs.put.poznan.pl/.
Consistency guarantees for greedy permutation-based causal inference algorithms
Authors: Solus L , Wang Y , Uhler C
Published: December 2020

Directed acyclic graphical models are widely used to represent complex causal systems. Since the basic task of learning such a model from data is NP-hard, a standard approach is greedy search over the space of directed acyclic graphs or Markov equivalence classes of directed acyclic graphs. As the space of directed acyclic graphs on $p$ nodes and the associated space of Markov equivalence classes are both much larger than the space of permutations, it is desirable to consider permutation-based greedy searches. Here, we provide the first consistency guarantees, both uniform and high dimensional, of a greedy permutation-based search. This search corresponds to a simplex-like algorithm operating over the edge-graph of a subpolytope of the permutohedron, called a directed acyclic graph associahedron. Every vertex in this polytope is associated with a directed acyclic graph, and hence with a collection of permutations that are consistent with the directed acyclic graph ordering. A walk is performed on the edges of the polytope maximizing the sparsity of the associated directed acyclic graphs. We show via simulated and real data that this permutation search is competitive with current approaches.
Real-Time Lived Experience of Social Work Students in Their Field Training during the Coronavirus Crisis: Insights from Photovoice-Based Research
Authors: Malka Menny
Published: December 2020

The present paper is based on a photovoice study conducted with sixteen undergraduate social work students in their third year of study, examining their real-time lived experience of their fieldwork training in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The findings of the study, based on an analysis of sixty-six photovoices, indicate four main narratives encapsulating the students’ real-time lived experiences: (i) the challenges of encountering the crisis; (ii) conceptualizing the experience; (iii) coping practices; (iv) perspectives for the future. The findings are discussed in the light of shared traumatic reality theory and transformative learning theory. Following the use of the photovoice methodology, the research conclusions encourage the assimilation of creative and entrepreneurial models of teaching and practice, in order to enable the inclusion of different types of knowledge and life experiences in different learning and research spaces.
Nucleus Accumbens Stimulation Modulates Inhibitory Control by Right Prefrontal Cortex Activation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Lopez-Sosa Fernando , Reneses Blanca , Sanmartino Florencia , Galarza-Vallejo Ana , Garcia-Albea Julia , Cruz-Gomez Alvaro J , Yebra Mar , Oliviero Antonio , Barcia Juan A , Strange Bryan A , Gonzalez-Rosa Javier J
Published: December 2020

Inhibitory control is considered a compromised cognitive function in obsessive-compulsive (OCD) patients and likely linked to corticostriatal circuitry disturbances. Here, 9 refractory OCD patients treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) were evaluated to address the dynamic modulations of large-scale cortical network activity involved in inhibitory control after nucleus accumbens (NAc) stimulation and their relationship with cortical thickness. A comparison of DBS “On/Off” states showed that patients committed fewer errors and exhibited increased intraindividual reaction time variability, resulting in improved goal maintenance abilities and proactive inhibitory control. Visual P3 event-related potentials showed increased amplitudes during Go/NoGo performance. Go and NoGo responses increased cortical activation mainly over the right inferior frontal gyrus and medial frontal gyrus, respectively. Moreover, increased cortical activation in these areas was equally associated with a higher cortical thickness within the prefrontal cortex. These results highlight the critical role of NAc DBS for preferentially modulating the neuronal activity underlying sustained speed responses and inhibitory control in OCD patients and show that it is triggered by reorganizing brain functions to the right prefrontal regions, which may depend on the underlying cortical thinning. Our findings provide updated structural and functional evidence that supports critical dopaminergic-mediated frontal-striatal network interactions in OCD.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Is Associated With Higher Levels of Systemic Inflammation Among Kenyan Adults Despite Viral Suppression
Authors: Masyuko Sarah J , Page Stephanie T , Polyak Stephen J , Kinuthia John , Osoti Alfred O , Otieno Fredrick C , Kibachio Joseph M , Mogaka Jerusha N , Macharia Paul M , Chohan Bhavna H , Wogner Jessica , O’Connor Aidan , Temu Tecla M , Zifodya Jerry S , Otedo Amos , Nakanjako Damalie , Hughes James P , Farquhar Carey
Published: December 2020

Background

Systemic inflammation independently predicts future cardiovascular events and is associated with a 2-fold increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV). We examined the association between inflammatory markers, HIV status, and traditional CVD risk factors.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of Kenyan adults with and without HIV seeking care at Kisumu County Hospital. Using a multiplex immunoassay, we measured interleukin (IL) 1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentrations. We compared inflammatory marker concentrations by HIV status using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate associations between inflammatory biomarkers and HIV status, adjusting for CVD risk factors.

Results

We enrolled 286 PLHIV and 277 HIV-negative participants. Median duration of antiretroviral therapy for PLHIV was 8 years (interquartile range, 4–10) and 96% were virally suppressed. PLHIV had a 51% higher mean IL-6 concentration (P < .001), 39% higher mean IL-1β (P = .005), 40% higher mean TNF-α (P < .001), and 27% higher mean hsCRP (P = .008) compared with HIV-negative participants, independent of CVD risk factors. Male sex, older age, and obesity were associated with higher concentrations of inflammatory markers. Restricting to PLHIV, viral load of ≥1000 copies/mL was associated with higher TNF-α levels (P = .013).

Conclusions

We found higher levels of systemic inflammatory biomarkers among PLHIV who were virally suppressed, and this was independent of traditional CVD risk factors. Further longitudinal analyses to determine whether these inflammatory markers predict future CVD events, and are possible therapeutic targets among PLHIV, are warranted.
Biomarkers to Distinguish Bacterial From Viral Pediatric Clinical Pneumonia in a Malaria-Endemic Setting
Authors: Gillette Michael A , Mani D R , Uschnig Christopher , Pellé Karell G , Madrid Lola , Acácio Sozinho , Lanaspa Miguel , Alonso Pedro , Valim Clarissa , Carr Steven A , Schaffner Stephen F , MacInnis Bronwyn , Milner Danny A , Bassat Quique , Wirth Dyann F
Published: December 2020

Background

Differential etiologies of pediatric acute febrile respiratory illness pose challenges for all populations globally, but especially in malaria-endemic settings because the pathogens responsible overlap in clinical presentation and frequently occur together. Rapid identification of bacterial pneumonia with high-quality diagnostic tools would enable appropriate, point-of-care antibiotic treatment. Current diagnostics are insufficient, and the discovery and development of new tools is needed. We report a unique biomarker signature identified in blood samples to accomplish this.

Methods

Blood samples from 195 pediatric Mozambican patients with clinical pneumonia were analyzed with an aptamer-based, high-dynamic-range, quantitative assay (~1200 proteins). We identified new biomarkers using a training set of samples from patients with established bacterial, viral, or malarial pneumonia. Proteins with significantly variable abundance across etiologies (false discovery rate <0.01) formed the basis for predictive diagnostic models derived from machine learning techniques (Random Forest, Elastic Net). Validation on a dedicated test set of samples was performed.

Results

Significantly different abundances between bacterial and viral infections (219 proteins) and bacterial infections and mixed (viral and malaria) infections (151 proteins) were found. Predictive models achieved >90% sensitivity and >80% specificity, regardless of number of pathogen classes. Bacterial pneumonia was strongly associated with neutrophil markers—in particular, degranulation including HP, LCN2, LTF, MPO, MMP8, PGLYRP1, RETN, SERPINA1, S100A9, and SLPI.

Conclusions

Blood protein signatures highly associated with neutrophil biology reliably differentiated bacterial pneumonia from other causes. With appropriate technology, these markers could provide the basis for a rapid diagnostic for field-based triage for antibiotic treatment of pediatric pneumonia.
Low dialysis potassium bath is associated with lower mortality in end-stage renal disease patients admitted to hospital with severe hyperkalemia
Authors: Singh Tripti , Alagasundaramoorthy Sayee , Gregory Andrew , Astor Brad C , Maursetter Laura
Published: December 2020

Background

Hyperkalemia is a modifiable risk factor for sudden cardiac death, a leading cause of mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The optimal treatment of hyperkalemia in hospitalized end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients is nonexistent in literature, which has prompted studies from outpatient dialysis to be extrapolated to inpatient care. The goal of this study was to determine if low-potassium dialysate 1 mEq/L is associated with higher mortality in hospitalized ESRD patients with severe hyperkalemia (serum potassium >6.5 mmol/L).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of all adult ESRD patients admitted with severe hyperkalemia between January 2011 and August 2016.

Results

There were 209 ESRD patients on HD admitted with severe hyperkalemia during the study period. Mean serum potassium was 7.1 mmol/L. In-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest in ESRD patients with severe hyperkalemia was 12.4%. Median time to dialysis after serum potassium result was 2.0 h (25, 75 interquartile range 0.9, 4.2 h). Totally, 47.4% of patients received dialysis with 1 mEq/L concentration potassium bath. The use of 1 mEq/L potassium bath was associated with significantly lower mortality or cardiac arrest in ESRD patients admitted with severe hyperkalemia (odds ratio 0.27, 95% confidence interval 0.09–0.80, P = 0.01).

Conclusion

We conclude that use of 1 mEq/L potassium bath for treatment of severe hyperkalemia (>6.5 mmol/L) in hospitalized ESRD patients is associated with decreased in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest.
CorkOakDB—The Cork Oak Genome Database Portal
Authors: Arias-Baldrich Cirenia , Silva Marta Contreiras , Bergeretti Filippo , Chaves Inês , Miguel Célia , Saibo Nelson J M , Sobral Daniel , Faria Daniel , Barros Pedro M
Published: December 2020

Quercus suber (cork oak) is an evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean basin, which plays a key role in the ecology and economy of this area. Over the last decades, this species has gone through an observable decline, mostly due to environmental factors. Deciphering the mechanisms of cork oak’s response to the environment and getting a deep insight into its biology are crucial to counteract biotic and abiotic stresses compromising the stability of a unique ecosystem. In the light of these setbacks, the publication of the genome in 2018 was a major step towards understanding the genetic make-up of this species. In an effort to integrate this information in a comprehensive, accessible and intuitive format, we have developed The Cork Oak Genome Database Portal (CorkOakDB). The CorkOakDB is supported by the BioData.pt e-infrastructure, the Portuguese ELIXIR node for biological data. The portal gives public access to search and explore the curated genomic and transcriptomic data on this species. Moreover, CorkOakDB provides a user-friendly interface and functional tools to help the research community take advantage of the increased accessibility to genomic information. A study case is provided to highlight the functionalities of the portal. CorkOakDB guarantees the update, curation and data collection, aiming to collect data besides the genetic/genomic information, in order to become the main repository in cork oak research.

Database URL:  http://corkoakdb.org/
A case report of coronary artery spasm and takotsubo syndrome: exploring the hidden side of the moon
Authors: Lombardi Marco , Vergallo Rocco , Liuzzo Giovanna , Crea Filippo
Published: December 2020

Background 

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a disease characterized by an acute and reversible myocardial injury typically precipitated by stressful and/or emotional triggers. Despite extensive research, its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Spasm of epicardial coronary arteries has been proposed as a potential pathogenic factor in TTS.

Case summary 

Herein, we report the case of a 68-year-old female admitted to the emergency department after developing chest pain in concomitance with an intense emotional stress. A diagnosis of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was made. Coronary angiography disclosed normal coronary arteries, and left ventriculography showed an inferior focal akinesia with basal and apical hyperkinesis, so that a diagnosis of ‘focal TTS’ was made. Two months later, the patient was re-admitted with NSTEMI, and repeat coronary angiography showed an irregular subocclusive stenosis of a well-developed first obtuse marginal branch. After intracoronary nitroglycerine infusion, a complete recover of the vessel patency was noted, and a diagnosis of epicardial spasm was made. Intracoronary optical coherence tomography was performed to assess a residual ‘hazy’ region, which confirmed a normal vessel morphology and a residual focal area of spasm without signs of instability.

Discussion 

Whether TTS and coronary artery spasm are two expressions of the same disease, or rather two separate entities with overlapping mechanisms remains unknown, and further research is warranted to solve this issue. Meanwhile, the opportunity of performing provocative tests for coronary spasm in patients with suspected TTS might be considered to gain more insights into this hypothesis.
Acute aortic dissection as a late and fatal complication of transcatheter persistent ductus arteriosus occlusion: a case report
Authors: Baker David W , Celermajer David S
Published: December 2020

Background 

Persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a common congenital heart defect, of which, the preferred treatment in children and adults is transcatheter occlusion. This report describes the first reported case of acute aortic dissection as a late complication of transcatheter PDA occlusion.

Case summary 

A 66-year-old healthy woman, with a history of transcatheter PDA closure 12 years previously, died suddenly at home. Post-mortem revealed pericardial tamponade complicating an acute aortic dissection, with a large intimal tear identified adjacent to the PDA occluder.

Discussion 

Transcatheter occlusion is accepted as a safe and effective treatment in older children and adults, important in preventing haemodynamic sequelae such as heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. Complications are uncommon and mostly acute, including device embolization and haemolysis. Aortic dissection has been reported as an acute complication but only in the setting of incorrect device deployment. This is the first description of aortic dissection as a late complication of transcatheter PDA occlusion and although rare has important ramifications given it is a potentially fatal outcome of a common procedure.
Aortic intervention guided by contrast-enhanced transoesophageal ultrasound whist waiting for cardiac transplantation: a case report
Authors: Castro Verdes Mireya , Yuan Xun , Li Wei , Senior Roxy , Nienaber Christoph A
Published: December 2020

Background 

Aortic complications can happen during left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) insertion and its treatment remains challenging. Percutaneous aortic interventions can be an alternative to surgery in such high-risk cases.

Case summary 

We present a patient with idiopatic dilated cardiomyopathy and advanced heart failure requiring LVAD insertion as a bridge to transplant, who developed an aortic pseudoaneurysm below the anastomosis of the LVAD tube. He was successfully treated with percutaneous coiling under contrast-enhanced transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) guidance, reaching destination therapy (heart transplantation) a year later.

Discussion 

Left ventricular assist devices provide haemodynamic support for patients with advanced heart failure waiting for heart transplantation. Although uncommon, aortic complications can happen as a result of LVAD insertion and be life-threatening. Percutaneous aortic interventions can be performed in such cases to promote thrombosis and remodelling of false lumen or aneurysmatic spaces, hence potentially reducing the risk of sudden death. Contrast-enhanced TOE can be easily and safely used to monitor the intervention in order to improve anatomic definition, guide positioning of wires and catheters and assess early results.
A ‘Less than Enthusiastic’ Friendship: John Morley, George Eliot, and George Henry Lewes
Authors: Morrison Kevin A
Published: December 2020

For roughly a decade, John Morley enjoyed a warm and deferential sociality with George Henry Lewes and George Eliot. The basis for their friendship was the positivist philosophy of Auguste Comte, which initially held great appeal to Morley, who had lost his religious faith while studying as an undergraduate at Balliol, Oxford. While Lewes and Eliot’s views on Comte were largely fixed by middle age, Morley, still in his twenties, was searching for a substitute belief system. As Morley began to embrace the liberal philosophy of (and form a friendship with) John Stuart Mill, who had declared himself to be an antagonist of Comte’s, Morley, Lewes, and Eliot increasingly held less in common. This lack of commonality gave Morley the critical distance to reassess the couple both personally and intellectually. Embracing a new philosophy and divergent aesthetic preferences, Morley developed an equivocal view of his friends, roughly two decades his senior. Utilizing letters, diary entries, published writings, and a previously untranslated document in French, this essay provides a complex portrait of an intergenerational friendship among three nineteenth-century intellectuals.
Long-Term Heterogeneity in Immigrant Naturalization: The Conditional Relevance of Civic Integration and Dual Citizenship
Authors: Vink Maarten , Tegunimataka Anna , Peters Floris , Bevelander Pieter
Published: December 2020

What are the long-term differences in the propensity of immigrants to acquire destination country citizenship under different institutional contexts and how do these vary between migrant groups? This article draws on micro-level longitudinal data from administrative registers in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden—three countries with widely different and changing requirements for the acquisition of citizenship—to track the naturalization propensity of eight complete migrant cohorts (1994–2001) up to 21 years after migration. We find that after two decades in the destination country, cumulative naturalization rates vary remarkably with over 80 per cent of migrants in Sweden, two-thirds in the Netherlands, and only around a third in Denmark having acquired citizenship. We observe lower rates and delayed naturalization for migrants, especially among those with lower levels of education, after language requirements and integration tests were introduced in Denmark and the Netherlands. Dual citizenship acceptance in the Netherlands and Sweden, by contrast, is associated with durably higher citizenship acquisition rates, especially, among migrants from EU and highly developed countries. These findings highlight the long-term but conditional relevance of citizenship policy for immigrant naturalization.
Optimized implementation of cardiac resynchronization therapy: a call for action for referral and optimization of care
Authors: Mullens Wilfried , Auricchio Angelo , Martens Pieter , Witte Klaus , Cowie Martin R , Delgado Victoria , Dickstein Kenneth , Linde Cecilia , Vernooy Kevin , Leyva Francisco , Bauersachs Johann , Israel Carsten W , Lund Lars H , Donal Erwan , Boriani Giuseppe , Jaarsma Tiny , Berruezo Antonio , Traykov Vassil , Yousef Zaheer , Kalarus Zbigniew , Nielsen Jens Cosedis , Steffel Jan , Vardas Panos , Coats Andrew , Seferovic Petar , Edvardsen Thor , Heidbuchel Hein , Ruschitzka Frank , Leclercq Christophe
Published: December 2020

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is one of the most effective therapies for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and leads to improved quality of life, reductions in heart failure hospitalization rates and all-cause mortality. Nevertheless, up to two-thirds of eligible patients are not referred for CRT. Furthermore, post-implantation follow-up is often fragmented and suboptimal, hampering the potential maximal treatment effect. This joint position statement from three European Society of Cardiology Associations, Heart Failure Association (HFA), European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), focuses on optimized implementation of CRT. We offer theoretical and practical strategies to achieve more comprehensive CRT referral and post-procedural care by focusing on four actionable domains: (i) overcoming CRT under-utilization, (ii) better understanding of pre-implant characteristics, (iii) abandoning the term ‘non-response’ and replacing this by the concept of disease modification, and (iv) implementing a dedicated post-implant CRT care pathway.
Characterization of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains isolated from clinically asymptomatic seafood workers
Authors: Chonsin Kaknokrat , Supha Neunghatai , Nakajima Chie , Suzuki Yasuhiko , Suthienkul Orasa
Published: December 2020

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) is a major cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks in Thailand and other countries due to the consumption of contaminated and undercooked seafood. However, there have been few reports of the molecular epidemiology of VP isolates from asymptomatic seafood handlers. Here, we report the phenotypic and genetic characterization of 61 VP isolates obtained from asymptomatic workers in two seafood-processing plants. We found 24 O:K serotypes, of which O11:KUT, O1:KUT and O3:KUT were the dominant serotypes. Analysis by PCR showed that 12 isolates harbored either tdh or trh genes with the potential to be pathogenic VP strains. The presence of T3SS2α and T3SS2β genes was correlated with the presence of tdh and trh, respectively. Four tdh+ isolates were positive for pandemic marker. In this study, VP isolates were commonly resistant to ampicillin, cephazolin, fosfomycin and novobiocin. Phylogenetic analysis of VP1680 loci in 35 isolates from 17 asymptomatic workers, 6 gastroenteritis patients, 7 environmental samples and 5 genomes from a database showed 22 different alleles. Gene VP1680 was conserved in tdh+ isolates and pandemic strains, while that of trh + isolates was diverse. Asymptomatic workers carrying VP were the most likely source of contamination, which raises concerns over food safety in seafood-processing plants.