bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retracted: Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and associated risk behaviors in prisoners: A systematic review
Authors: SeyedAlinaghi SeyedAhmad , Pashaei Zahra , Rahimi Ensiyeh , Saeidi Solmaz , Mirzapour Pegah , Noori Tayebeh , Ghasemzadeh Afsaneh , Afzalian Arian , Dashti Mohsen , Habibi Pedram , Farhoudi Behnam , Aghaie Narjes , Shamsabadi Ahmadreza , Dadras Omid , Mehraeen Esmaeil
Published: September 2022

Background and Aims

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are one of the major health concerns globally. Generally, prisoners are at higher risks for STIs due to risk factors including; drug‐use, high‐risk sexual behaviors, densely populated prisons, and poor living conditions. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the existing data on STI prevalence, and its associated risk factors among prisoners.

Methods

We conducted a systematic search of the literature using the keywords in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar online databases. We selected all the relevant original studies in English through title/abstract and full‐text screening process.‎

Results

Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected and reviewed 32 studies out of 96 identified papers. The most important STI‐associated risk factors among prisoners were drug use, low educational levels, and unsafe sex. The prevalence of STIs was heterogenous in selected studies and was reported as follows; Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (0%−14.5%), hepatitis B viruses (HBV) (0.04%−27.23%), hepatitis C viruses (HCV) (0.17%−49.7%), Syphilis (0.2%−22.1%), Chlamydia Trachomatis (CT) (1.02%−6.7%), Gonorrhea (0.6%−7.8%), and herpes simplex virus‐2 (HSV‐2) 22.4%.

Conclusion

This systematic review indicates that the prevalence of STIs (HIV, HBV, HCV, Syphilis, Chlamydia Trachomatis, Gonorrhea, and HSV‐2) among prisoners appears to be higher than the general population, with drug abuse, low educational levels, and unsafe sex as major risk factors.
Analysis of couple stress nanofluid flow under convective condition in the temperature‐dependent fluid properties and Lorentz forces
Authors: Prasad Kerehalli Vinayaka , Choudhari Rajashekhar , Vaidya Hanumesh , Bhat Ashwini , Animasaun Isaac Lare
Published: September 2022

In recent years, a great deal of interest has been generated in modern micro‐ and nanotechnologies for micro/nano‐electronic devices. These technologies are increasingly utilizing sophisticated fluid media to enhance performance. Among the new trends is the simultaneous adoption of nanofluids and biological micro‐organisms. Motivated by bio‐nanofluid vertical channel oxygenators in medical engineering, in the current work, a mathematical model is developed to examine the flow of mixed convective couple‐stress nanofluids in a vertical channel with a transverse magnetic field, fluid viscosity that changes with temperature, and thermal conductivity. The non‐Newtonian model follows Brownian motion and heat spread by nanoparticles in a fluid under coupled stress. Highly linked, nonlinear regulating equations are translated into nondimensional equations using relevant variables. The governing equations are then turned into a form with no dimensions. The Keller‐box technique, a second‐order finite difference method for solving second‐order equations, is used to solve them numerically. On the other hand, the effects of different non‐Newtonian flow parameters, such as the couple stress fluid parameter, the magnetic parameter, the variable fluid viscosity, the variable thermal conductivity parameters, the Brinkman number, the nanofluid and buoyancy parameters, and the rate of chemical reaction parameter, are carefully studied. The velocity, temperature, and concentration fields are calculated over a wide range of possible values for the relevant parameters.
LSS‐net: 3‐dimensional segmentation of the spinal canal for the diagnosis of lumbar spinal stenosis
Authors: Altun Sinan , Alkan Ahmet
Published: September 2022

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS) is one of the main causes of chronic low back pain. Chronic low back pain not only reduces the quality of life of people but also can be an important expense item in the country's economy due to the inability of the person to participate in working life and treatment costs. As in other diseases, rapid diagnosis and early treatment of LSS significantly affect the quality of life of the person. Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging is one of the methods used to diagnose LSS. Diagnosis by interpreting MR images requires serious expertise, and it has been frequently studied by academics in recent years because it is a system that assists the doctor with an objective approach. This field of study is machine learning, which we can call the sub‐branch of Artificial Intelligence. Deep learning‐based machine learning is very successful in processing biomedical images such as MR. In this study, a model that performs 3‐dimensional automatic segmentation on T2 sequence Lumbar MR Images is proposed for the diagnosis of LSS. This 3D LSS segmentation study, according to our knowledge, has the feature of being the first in its field and will be an important resource for those who work in this field. In addition, with the proposed model, parts that cannot be fully opened in LSS surgical operations, especially in the nerve roots, can be fully determined beforehand which will ensure that the patient's complaints are completely eliminated after the operation. In MR images, a total of 6 classes were created and segmentation was carried out, including the spinal disc, canal, thecal sac, posterior element, and other regions and background in the image, which are important for LSS. To measure the success of segmentation, the Intersection over Union (IoU) metric was calculated for each class. 3D segmentation success for the validation set in the dataset; Background (IoU = 0.83), Canal (IoU = 0.61), Disc (IoU = 0.91), Other (IoU = 0.97), Posterior element (IoU = 0.82), and Thecal Sac (IoU = 0.81). The 3D automatic segmentation success rates obtained are quite high and show that a Computer Aided Diagnosis system can be created in LSS diagnosis.
Dysregulation of glutamine/glutamate metabolism in COVID‐19 patients: A metabolism study in African population and mini meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Xiao‐kun , Tu Bo , Zhang Xiao‐Ai , Xu Wen , Chen Jia‐hao , Zhao Guang‐Yu , Xu Biao , Zheng Jun‐Jie , Yan Yan‐Feng , Hao Peng‐Fei , Cole Reginald , Jalloh Mohamed Boie , Lu Qing‐Bin , Li Chang , Sevalie Stephen , Liu Wei , Chen Wei‐Wei
Published: September 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) remains a serious global threat. The metabolic analysis had been successfully applied in the efforts to uncover the pathological mechanisms and biomarkers of disease severity. Here we performed a quasi‐targeted metabolomic analysis on 56 COVID‐19 patients from Sierra Leone in western Africa, revealing the metabolomic profiles and the association with disease severity, which was confirmed by the targeted metabolomic analysis of 19 pairs of COVID‐19 patients. A meta‐analysis was performed on published metabolic data of COVID‐19 to verify our findings. Of the 596 identified metabolites, 58 showed significant differences between severe and nonsevere groups. The pathway enrichment of these differential metabolites revealed glutamine and glutamate metabolism as the most significant metabolic pathway (Impact = 0.5; −log10P = 1.959). Further targeted metabolic analysis revealed six metabolites with significant intergroup differences, with glutamine/glutamate ratio significantly associated with severe disease, negatively correlated with 10 clinical parameters and positively correlated with SPO2 (rs= 0.442, p = 0.005). Mini meta‐analysis indicated elevated glutamate was related to increased risk of COVID‐19 infection (pooled odd ratio [OR] = 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17–3.50) and severe COVID‐19 (pooled OR = 2.28; 95% CI: 1.14–4.56). In contrast, elevated glutamine related to decreased risk of infection and severe COVID‐19, the pooled OR were 0.30 (95% CI: 0.20–0.44), and 0.44 (95% CI: 0.19–0.98), respectively. Glutamine and glutamate metabolism are associated with COVID‐19 severity in multiple populations, which might confer potential therapeutic target of COVID‐19, especially for severe patients.
Detection of Polish cases of highly virulent subtype B of HIV‐1 originating in the Netherlands
Authors: Serwin Karol , Scheibe Kaja , Horecki Marcin , Aksak‐Wąs Bogusz , Jasik Monika Bociąga , Parczewski Miłosz
Published: September 2022

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) subtype B is most commonly acquired in Poland through men who have sex with men (MSM) comparable to the HIV epidemic in the Netherlands. Following a paper by Chris Wymant et al. on February 4, 2022 in Science on a highly virulent variant of HIV‐1 subtype‐B (VB‐variant) in the Netherlands raised concerns about the possibility of the variant dissemination to other European countries. We aim to report the spread of HIV‐1 VB‐variant, recently identified in the Netherlands, into other European regions. Subtype B pol gene fragments of protease (P), reverse transcriptase (RT), and integrase (IN) from our laboratory supplemented with publicly available sequences were inferred with VB samples from the Netherlands. For positively clustering samples, clinical observations were compiled. Between May 2009 and August 2014, three cases of VB sequences of Polish origin and one additional from Belgium were identified. Patients presented with elevated viral loads and fast CD4 decline as original characteristics. The mean number of base substitutions per site within the clade versus interclade variability showed a high intragroup sequence similarity, reflecting an ongoing MSM transmission cluster for Polish sequences. The sampling period coincides with the ongoing Dutch VB‐variant spread reported between 2003 and 2014. This study informs on phylogenetic descriptions, and clinical symptoms from the rare and emerging VBs placed in Poland. VB is not expanding since 2014 and the Inviduals infected with the VB virus can be treated successfully. Studies on the propagation of novel and potentially virulent virus variants in the undersampled regions add to the understanding of the pan‐European HIV‐1 transmission dynamics.
Battery‐Operated Mid‐Infrared Diode Laser Frequency Combs
Authors: Sterczewski Lukasz A. , Fradet Mathieu , Frez Clifford , Forouhar Siamak , Bagheri Mahmood
Published: September 2022

Mid‐wave infrared (MIR, 3–5 µm) optical frequency combs (OFC) are of critical importance for spectroscopy of fundamental molecular transitions in space and terrestrial applications. Although in this band OFCs can be obtained via supercontinuum or difference frequency generation using optical pumping schemes, unprecedented source miniaturization, and monolithic design are unique to electrically‐pumped semiconductor laser structures. To date, high‐brightness OFC generation in this region has been demonstrated in quantum‐ and interband cascade lasers (QCL/ICL), yet with sub‐optimal spectral properties. Here, an MIR quantum well diode laser (QWDL) OFC is shown, whose excellent spectral uniformity, narrow optical linewidths, and milliwatt optical power are obtained at a fraction of a watt of power consumption. The continuously tunable source offers ≈1 THz of optical span centered at 3.04 µm, and a repetition rate of 10 GHz. As a proof‐of‐principle, a directly‐battery‐operated MIR dual‐comb source is shown with almost 0.5 THz of optical coverage accessible in the electrical domain in microseconds. These results indicate the high suitability of QWDL OFCs for future chip‐based real‐time sensing systems in the mid‐infrared.
Investigation of the Impact of Hydrolytically Cleavable Groups on the Stability of Poly(ethylene glycol) Based Hydrogels Cross‐Linked via the Inverse Electron Demand Diels–Alder (iEDDA) Reaction
Authors: Ziegler Christian E. , Graf Moritz , Nagaoka Makoto , Goepferich Achim M.
Published: September 2022

Eight‐armed poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels cross‐linked via inverse electron demand Diels–Alder reaction between norbornene and tetrazine groups are promising materials for long‐term protein delivery. While a controlled release over 265 days is achieved for 15% w/v hydrogels in the previous study, the material shows high stability over 500 days despite having cleavable ester linkages between the PEG macromonomers and their functionalities. In this study, the hydrolyzable ester linkers in the PEG‐norbornene precursor structure are exchanged to reduce the degradation time. To this end, 3,6‐epoxy‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydrophthalimide, phenyl carbamate, carbonate ester, and phenyl carbonate ester are introduced as degradable functional groups. Oscillatory shear experiments reveal that they are not affected the in situ gelation. All hydrogel types have gel points of less than 20 s even at a low polymer concentration of 5% w/v. Hydrogels with varying polymer concentrations have similar mesh sizes, all of which fell in the range of 4–12 nm. The inclusion of phenyl carbonate ester accelerates degradation considerably, with complete dissolution of 15% w/v hydrogels after 302 days of incubation in
phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). Controlled release of 150 kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate‐dextran over a period of at least 150 days is achieved with 15% w/v hydrogels.
Oregon becomes first state to expand mobile crisis services via Medicaid
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: September 2022

In what's being referred to as “historic,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Sept. 12 announced that Oregon has become the first state to receive Medicaid reimbursement for mobile crisis intervention services. Oregon mental health advocates say they are hoping for stable funding to build the state's crisis services infrastructure.
Mental health provider shortages remain a concern in public schools
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: September 2022

Despite an unprecedented level of engagement in trying to address the mental health needs of school‐age children, many school districts still face considerable barriers to offering effective services as the 2022–23 school year gets rolling. A report released this month by the Kaiser Family Foundation states that a shortage of qualified mental health professionals continues to stymie schools’ mental health service response.
Implantable dual band semi‐circular slotted patch with DGS antenna for biotelemetry applications
Authors: Kangeyan Rajagopal , Karthikeyan Madurakavi
Published: September 2022

In this paper, an implantable antenna with a semi‐circular slotted patch and a Z‐shaped slotted defective ground structure antenna for biotelemetry applications have been proposed. The antenna resonates at WMTS and ISM bands of 1.42 and 2.42 GHz, respectively. The antenna is compact in size with dimensions of 8 × 9 × 0.635 mm3. To validate the semi‐circular dual band antenna structure, the optimized design is fabricated on Rogers RT/duroid 6010 high dielectric substrate material. The same substrate material is adopted as the superstrate. The experiment was carried out in skin mimicking gel for both WMTS and ISM frequency bands. The designed semi‐circular slotted antenna has peak gain values of −20 dBi, at 2.42 GHz. The observed front‐to‐back ratio at the ISM band is 15.8 dB. The maximum specific absorption rate computed is within safe limits and meets IEEE safety criteria.
Magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging of the adolescent rabbit growth plate of the knee
Authors: Kvist Ola , Damberg Peter , Dou Zelong , Berglund Johan Sanmartin , Flodmark Carl‐Erik , Nilsson Ola , Diaz Sandra
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To assess the ability of MRI‐DTI to evaluate growth plate morphology and activity compared with that of histomorphometry and micro‐CT in rabbits.

Methods

The hind limbs of female rabbits aged 16, 20, and 24 wk (n = 4 per age group) were studied using a 9.4T MRI scanner with a multi‐gradient echo 3D sequence and DTI in 14 directions (b‐value = 984 s/mm2). After MRI, the right and left hind limb were processed for histological analysis and micro‐CT, respectively. The Wilcoxon signed‐rank test was used to evaluate the height and volume of the growth plate. Intraclass correlation and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to evaluate the association between DTI metrics and age.

Results

The growth plate height and volume were similar for all modalities at each time point and age. Age was correlated with all tractography and DTI metrics in both the femur and tibia. A correlation was also observed between all the metrics at both sites. Tract number and volume declined with age; however, tract length did not show any changes. The fractional anisotropy color map showed lateral diffusion centrally in the growth plate and perpendicular diffusion in the hypertrophic zone, as verified by histology and micro‐CT.

Conclusion

MRI‐DTI may be useful for evaluating the growth plates.
Visual hydrogenation of palladium membranes on an elastic substrate and their applications in hydrogen sensing
Authors: She Xiaoyi , Yang Guowei , Shen Yang , Jin Chongjun
Published: September 2022

The study of metal‐hydrogen interaction is essential for hydrogen‐related applications. Due to the small permittivity variation of palladium (Pd), it is difficult to visualize its hydrogenation processes. Soft substrates can release the expansion stress of Pd membrane and form wrinkling during hydrogenation, which can be utilized to track the hydrogen diffusion. Here, we investigate the hydrogenation processes of Pd membranes with various shapes and sizes on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. It was found that the Pd membranes priorly wrinkles from the edges during hydrogenation and the saturation time of hydrogen absorption reduces with the decreasing size of Pd membranes. With these measurements, we fabricate a high‐performance optical hydrogen sensor consisted of a Pd nanostripe array on PDMS. Due to the transition from specular reflection to scattering during the surface wrinkling of the Pd nanostripe, when exposed to 4% hydrogen gas mixed with nitrogen gas, the sensor shows a high‐reflectance contrast of more than 800% with the absolute reflectance change exceeding 32% over the visible band, and the response time t90 is about 1.5 seconds. These results suggest that the Pd membranes on an elastic substrate is a promising platform for visualization of hydrogen diffusion and hydrogen detection.
The association between sleep duration and detailed measures of obesity: A cross sectional analysis in the ADDITION‐PRO study
Authors: Andersen Mie M. , Laurberg Tinne , Bjerregaard Anne‐Louise , Sandbæk Annelli , Brage Søren , Vistisen Dorte , Quist Jonas S. , Bruun Jens M. , Witte Daniel R.
Published: September 2022

Background

Sleep duration is associated with BMI and waist circumference. However, less is known about whether sleep duration affects different measurements of obesity differently.

Objective

To investigate the association between sleep duration and different measures of obesity.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional analysis 1309, Danish, older adults (55% men) completed at least 3 days of wearing a combined accelerometer and heart rate‐monitor for assessing sleep duration (hours/night) within self‐reported usual bedtime. Participants underwent anthropometry and ultrasonography to assess BMI, waist circumference, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, and fat percentage. Linear regression analyses examined the associations between sleep duration and obesity‐related outcomes.

Results

Sleep duration was inversely associated with all obesity‐related outcomes, except visceral‐/subcutaneous‐fat‐ratio. After multivariate adjustment the magnitude of associations became stronger and statistically significant for all outcomes except visceral‐/subcutaneous‐fat‐ratio, and subcutaneous fat in women. The associations with BMI and waist circumference demonstrated the strongest associations, when comparing standardized regression coefficients.

Conclusions

Shorter sleep duration were associated with higher obesity across all outcomes except visceral‐/subcutaneous‐fat‐ratio. No specifically salient associations with local or central obesity were observed. Results suggest that poor sleep duration and obesity correlate, however, further research is needed to conclude on beneficial effects of sleep duration regarding health and weight loss.
Telemedicine use among patients with metastatic breast cancer during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Differences by race, age, and region
Authors: Calip Gregory S. , Cohen Aaron , Rohrer Rebecca , Wang Xiaoliang , Wang Xiaoyan , Webster Amy , Wu Amy , Griffith Sandra D. , Showalter Timothy N. , Miksad Rebecca A.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Our objective was to describe differences in telemedicine use among women with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) by race, age, and geographic region.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of women with recurrent or de novo mBC treated in US community cancer practices that initiated a new line of therapy between March 2020 and February 2021. Multivariable modified Poisson regression models were used to calculate adjusted rate ratios (RR) and robust 95% confidence intervals (CI) associated with telemedicine visits within 90 days of therapy initiation.

Results

Overall, among 3412 women with mBC, 751 (22%) patients had telemedicine visits following therapy initiation, with lower risks observed among older women (<50 years: 24%; 50–64 years: 22%; 65–74 years: 21%; ≥75 years: 20%). Greater telemedicine use was observed among Asian women (35%) compared to White (21%), Black (18%), and Hispanic (21%) women. Fewer telemedicine visits occurred in Southern (12%) and Midwestern (17%) states versus Northeastern (37%) or Western (36%) states. In multivariable models, women ages ≥75 years had significantly lower risks of telemedicine visits (RR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.62–0.95) compared to ages <50 years. Compared to patients in Northeastern states, women in Midwestern (RR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.37–0.57) and Southern (RR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.26–0.37) states had significantly lower risks of telemedicine visits; but not women in Western states (RR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.83–1.12). No statistically significant differences in telemedicine use were found between racial groups in overall multivariable models.

Conclusions

In this study of community cancer practices, older mBC patients and those living in Southern and Midwestern states were less likely to have telemedicine visits. Preferences for communication and delivery of care may have implications for measurement of exposures and endpoints in pharmacoepidemiologic studies of cancer patients.
An investigation into remote sensing techniques and field observations to model hydraulic roughness from riparian vegetation
Authors: Chaulagain Smriti , Stone Mark C. , Dombroski Daniel , Gillihan Tyler , Chen Li , Zhang Su
Published: September 2022

Riparian vegetation provides many noteworthy functions in river and floodplain systems, including its influence on hydrodynamic processes. Traditional methods for predicting hydrodynamic characteristics in the presence of vegetation involve the application of static Manning's roughness, which does not directly account for vegetation characteristics and neglects changes in roughness due to local water depth and velocity. The objectives of this study were to (1) implement numerical routines for simulating vegetation‐induced hydraulic roughness in a two‐dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic model; (2) evaluate the performance of two vegetation roughness approaches; and (3) compare vegetation parameters and hydrodynamic model results based on field‐based and remote sensing acquisition methods. Two roughness algorithms were coupled to an existing 2D hydraulic solver, which requires vegetation parameters to calculate spatially distributed roughness coefficients. Vegetation parameters were determined by field survey and using airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data for San Joaquin River, California, USA. Water surface elevations modeled using vegetation‐based roughness approaches produced an acceptable overall performance, but the results were sensitive to the vegetation parameterization method (field based vs. LiDAR). Spatial variations in roughness and hydraulic conditions (water depth and velocity) were observed based on vegetation species and discharges for vegetation‐based approaches. The proposed approach accounts for the complexities of the physical environment instead of relying on traditional roughness as model inputs. Thus, the method proposed here is beneficial for describing the hydraulic conditions for the area having spatial variation of vegetation (e.g., species and density). However, additional research is needed to quantify model performance with respect to spatially distributed water depth and velocity and parameterization of vegetation characteristics.
Antimicrobial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Loaded Biomimetic Isomeric Short Lipopeptide Nanostructures
Authors: Kesharwani Khushboo , Singh Ramesh , Tripathi Satyendra Kumar , Kaul Grace , Akhir Abdul , Saxena Deepanshi , Kumar Vikas , Mishra Narendra Kumar , Chopra Sidharth , Joshi Khashti Ballabh
Published: September 2022

Lipopeptide‐inspired lipidation of two short tripeptides, Phe‐Tyr‐β‐Ala and Tyr‐Phe‐β‐Ala leads to a pair of constitutional isomers of short peptide amphiphile (sPA). These two molecules were able to mimic lipopeptides properties and therefore could be used as potential drug delivery vehicles up to target sites. Further, these isomeric peptide amphiphiles were able to synthesize stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in presence of sunlight without using any reducing agents. Interestingly, the presence of AgNPs significantly controls the secondary structures of these two isomeric sPAs and hence their self‐assembly. Therefore, such AgNPs‐sPA nanostructures are further used to develop antibacterial materials. Various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques were used to characterize these nanostructures. The antibacterial analysis demonstrated that owing to high biocompatibility and less cytotoxicity, designed sPA exhibited great potential in locally addressing bacterial infections. Thus, such a strategic design of lipidated tripeptide fragments can be tuned for potential therapeutic value for future applications.
Selective Chemical Modification to the Higher‐Order Structures of Nucleic Acids
Authors: Nagatsugi Fumi , Onizuka Kazumitsu
Published: September 2022

DNA and RNA can adopt a variety of stable higher‐order structural motifs, including G‐quadruplex (G4 s), mismatches, and bulges. Many of these secondary structures are closely related to the regulation of gene expression. Therefore, the higher‐order structure of nucleic acids is one of the candidate therapeutic targets, and the development of binding molecules targeting the higher‐order structure of nucleic acids has been pursued vigorously. Furthermore, as one of the methodologies for detecting the higher‐order structures of these nucleic acids, developing techniques for the selective chemical modification of the higher‐order structures of nucleic acids is also underway. In this personal account, we focus on the following higher‐order structures of nucleic acids, double‐stranded DNA containing the abasic site, T−T/U−U mismatch structure, and G‐quadruplex structure, and describe the development of molecules that bind to and chemically modify these structures.
Partial substitution of alfalfa hay byBerberis vulgarisleaf modulated the growth performance, meat quality and antioxidant status of fattening lambs
Authors: Seyedin Seyed Morteza Vaghar , Mojtahedi Mohsen , Farhangfar Seyed Homayoun , Ghavipanje Navid
Published: September 2022

Background

Undoubtedly, global warming has caused a decrease in the production of agricultural commodities. This problem has increased the price of animal feed due to competition with human consumption. Meanwhile, the physiology of ruminants gives them the ability to use by‐products and agricultural waste and supply their requirements for growth, maintenance and even production.Berberis vulgarisis a plant native to Iran, and after separating the fruit, its waste (mainly leaf) is unused and causes environmental pollution. The leaves of this plant contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds, alkaloids and anthocyanins that have antioxidant properties.

Objectives

This experiment was conducted with the aim of determining the chemical properties of barberry leaves, such as crude protein, phenolic compounds, tannins and alkaloids. The effects of substituting ofB. vulgarisleaf (BVL) in the diet on performance characteristics of fattening Baluchi lambs were evaluated. The quality and antioxidant status of meat and blood parameters such as glucose, cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen and liver enzymes were investigated.

Material and methods

A total of 21 male of 5–6 months old lambs with a mean body weight of 30.60 ± 1.28 kg were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments with different levels of BVL: 1–diet without BVL (control), 2–diet containing 7.5% BVL (BVL7.5), and 3–diet containing 15% BVL (BVL15; dry matter [DM] basis). Blood samples were harvested after overnight fasting from the jugular vein at 0, 28, 56 and 84 days. The lambs were slaughtered after 84 days of feeding trial and longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was dissected. Meat quality and antioxidant stability status were measured.

Results

15% substitution of alfalfa hay by BVL (BVL15) increased DM intake) and decreased average daily gain (p ≤ 0.05). The LD muscle (p ≤ 0.05), liver (p ≤ 0.01) and plasma (p ≤ 0.05) samples of lambs fed either BVL7.5 or BVL15 displayed a greater total antioxidant capacity than that of lambs fed the control diet. Also, malondialdehyde concentration was decreased in plasma (p ≤ 0.01) and LD muscle of lambs (p ≤ 0.05) fed both BVL7.5 and BVL15. In addition, higher a* and C* values (p ≤ 0.05) were observed in the meat of lambs fed BVL15 than those fed with the control, while the lightness (L*) in BVL15 was lower, compared to other experimental diets

Conclusions

Overall, our results indicated that 7.5% substitution of alfalfa hay by BVL may positively modulate the antioxidant status of fattening lambs and improve the colour stability of meat without negative effects on performance characteristics.
Crystal structure and spectral characterization of La2(CO3)3 ⋅ 5H2O – an industrially relevant lanthanide carbonate
Authors: Çiftçi Esengül , Podjaski Filip , Gouder Andreas , Lotsch Bettina V. , Dinnebier Robert E. , Bette Sebastian
Published: September 2022

The conversion of La2O3 with HCl, subsequent neutralization and precipitation using (NH4)2CO3 in an industrial process leads to the previously unknown La2(CO3)3 ⋅ 5H2O. The phase was characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction leading to an averaged crystal structure model, thermal analysis, vibrational and optical spectroscopy. La2(CO3)3 ⋅ 5H2O crystallizes in space group Pbca(61) with a=9.0167(4) Å, b=12,842(3) Å, c=9.6331(4) Å and V=1115.4(3) Å3. The structure consists of
zig zag layers and a highly disordered interlayer space occupied by water molecules and carbonate anions. Partially occupied water‐related oxygen positions theoretically allow for a flexible hydrate water content La2(CO3)3 ⋅ xH2O, with x ranging from 1.5 to 5.0. Although a strong structural relationship between La2(CO3)3 ⋅ 5H2O and La2(CO3)3 ⋅ 8H2O and similar substance properties were found, the title compound cannot be obtained by partial dehydration of the octahydrate. Instead, both lanthanum carbonate hydrates transform into strongly disordered La2(CO3)3 in a one‐step dehydration process.
Site‐Preferences in the Mixed‐Valent Series FeMo1−nVnO4: Controlling the Formation of the α‐Polymorph and the Charge Localization
Authors: Osten Felix L. , Panthöfer Martin , Ksenofontov Vadim , Möller Angela
Published: September 2022

The mixed‐valent, solid solution series FeMo1−nVnO4 (0≤n≤0.3) was synthesized and characterized by x‐ray diffraction, and thermal analysis. Assignments of individual Fe‐species stem from 57Fe‐Mössbauer spectroscopy and DFT‐calculations of the electric field gradients. The incorporation of smaller ions (FeIII, VV) represents an internal “chemical pressure” effect stabilizing the low‐temperature α‐polymorph with increasing n. The site‐preference and distribution of vanadium on individual Mo‐sites impacts the α→β transition temperatures around 650 K, and causes distinct differences in charge mobility in this hole‐doped semiconductor around 225 K. We assign the charge localization in α‐FeMo1−nVnO4 to enhanced electron‐phonon coupling within a polaronic scenario.
Dynamically Self-adjusting Gaussian Processes for Data Stream Modelling
Authors: Hüwel Jan David , Haselbeck Florian , Grimm Dominik G. , Beecks Christian
Published: September 2022

One of the major challenges in time series analysis are changing data distributions, especially when processing data streams. To ensure an up-to-date model delivering useful predictions at all times, model reconfigurations are required to adapt to such evolving streams. For Gaussian processes, this might require the adaptation of the internal kernel expression. In this paper, we present dynamically self-adjusting Gaussian processes by introducingEvent-TriggeredKernelAdjustments in Gaussian process modelling (ETKA), a novel data stream modelling algorithm that can handle evolving and changing data distributions. To this end, we enhance the recently introduced Adjusting Kernel Search with a novel online change point detection method. Our experiments on simulated data with varying change point patterns suggest a broad applicability of ETKA. On real-world data, ETKA outperforms comparison partners that differ regarding the model adjustment and its refitting trigger in nine respective ten out of 14 cases. These results confirm ETKA’s ability to enable a more accurate and, in some settings, also more efficient data stream processing via Gaussian processes.
Efficient Pix2Vox++ for 3D Cardiac Reconstruction from 2D Echo Views
Authors: Stojanovski David , Hermida Uxio , Muffoletto Marica , Lamata Pablo , Beqiri Arian , Gomez Alberto
Published: September 2022

Accurate geometric quantification of the human heart is a key step in the diagnosis of numerous cardiac diseases, and in the management of cardiac patients. Ultrasound imaging is the primary modality for cardiac imaging, however acquisition requires high operator skill, and its interpretation and analysis is difficult due to artifacts. Reconstructing cardiac anatomy in 3D can enable discovery of new biomarkers and make imaging less dependent on operator expertise, however most ultrasound systems only have 2D imaging capabilities. We propose both a simple alteration to the Pix2Vox++ networks for a sizeable reduction in memory usage and computational complexity, and a pipeline to perform reconstruction of 3D anatomy from 2D standard cardiac views, effectively enabling 3D anatomical reconstruction from limited 2D data. We evaluate our pipeline using synthetically generated data achieving accurate 3D whole-heart reconstructions (peak intersection over union score $$> 0.88$$

>
0.88

) from just two standard anatomical 2D views of the heart. We also show preliminary results using real echo images.
Veränderungen und Entwicklungen in der präklinischen Notfallversorgung: Zentrale Herausforderungen für das Rettungsdienstmanagement
Authors: Lauer Daniel , Bandlow Stephan , Rathje Maik , Seidl Andreas , Karutz Harald
Published: September 2022

Der Rettungsdienst in Deutschland und das Management der gesamten präklinischen Notfallversorgung sehen sich aktuell mit zahlreichen Herausforderungen konfrontiert. Im letzten Jahrzehnt stiegen die Einsatzzahlen in nahezu allen Rettungsdienstbereichen kontinuierlich an, so dass die Vorhaltung von Rettungsmitteln vielerorts bereits deutlich verstärkt worden ist. Das Personalmanagement fällt jedoch zunehmend schwer und auch die technischen sowie medizinischen Anforderungen wachsen stetig. Zunehmend werden Stimmen laut, die eine grundlegende Reform der Notfallversorgung fordern.

Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, einen Überblick über die aktuellen Entwicklungen, Trends und zukünftigen Herausforderungen zu geben, um die Anforderungen an das heutige und zukünftige Rettungsdienstmanagement deutlich zu machen. Verschiedene Themen und Handlungsfelder wurden dazu anhand einer nichtsystematischen Literaturrecherche herausgearbeitet. Die Anforderungen an das Rettungsdienstmanagement werden iterativ zusammengeführt.

Die Herausforderungen an den Rettungsdienst sind vielfältig und komplex, ebenso die Anforderungen an dessen Management. Die heterogene und kleingliedrige Organisationsstruktur des Rettungsdienstes im Bundesgebiet stellt eine wesentliche Herausforderung für Reformprozesse dar. Fehlende wissenschaftliche Kompetenzen im Rettungsdienst erschweren die Prozessoptimierung ebenfalls. Die zunehmende Akademisierung und Erforschung des Themenfeldes sind ausdrücklich zu begrüßen.
Sex-specific effects of maternal metformin intervention during glucose-intolerant obese pregnancy on body composition and metabolic health in aged mouse offspring
Authors: Schoonejans Josca M. , Blackmore Heather L. , Ashmore Thomas J. , Pantaleão Lucas C. , Pellegrini Pisani Luciana , Dearden Laura , Tadross John A. , Aiken Catherine E. , Fernandez-Twinn Denise S. , Ozanne Susan E.
Published: September 2022

Aims/hypothesis

Metformin is increasingly used to treat gestational diabetes (GDM) and pregnancies complicated by pregestational type 2 diabetes or polycystic ovary syndrome but data regarding long-term offspring outcome are lacking in both human studies and animal models. Using a mouse model, this study investigated the effects of maternal metformin intervention during obese glucose-intolerant pregnancy on adiposity, hepatic steatosis and markers of metabolic health of male and female offspring up to the age of 12 months.

Methods

C57BL/6J female mice were weaned onto either a control diet (Con) or, to induce pre-conception obesity, an obesogenic diet (Ob). The respective diets were maintained throughout pregnancy and lactation. These obese dams were then randomised to the untreated group or to receive 300 mg/kg oral metformin hydrochloride treatment (Ob-Met) daily during pregnancy. In male and female offspring, body weights and body composition were measured from 1 month until 12 months of age, when serum and tissues were collected for investigation of adipocyte cellularity (histology), adipose tissue inflammation (histology and quantitative RT-PCR), and hepatic steatosis and fibrosis (histochemistry and modified Folch assay).

Results

At 12 months of age, male Ob and Ob-Met offspring showed increased adiposity, adipocyte hypertrophy, elevated expression of proinflammatory genes, hyperleptinaemia and hepatic lipid accumulation compared with Con offspring. Male Ob-Met offspring failed to show hyperplasia between 8 weeks and 12 months, indicative of restricted adipose tissue expansion, resulting in increased immune cell infiltration and ectopic lipid deposition. Female Ob offspring were relatively protected from these phenotypes but Ob-Met female offspring showed increased adiposity, adipose tissue inflammation, hepatic lipid accumulation, hyperleptinaemia and hyperinsulinaemia compared with Con female offspring.

Conclusions/interpretation

Maternal metformin treatment of obese dams increased offspring metabolic risk factors in a sex- and age-dependent manner. These observations highlight the importance of following up offspring of both sexes beyond early adulthood after interventions during pregnancy. Our findings illustrate the complexity of balancing short-term benefits to mother and child vs any potential long-term metabolic effects on the offspring when prescribing therapeutic agents that cross the placenta.

Graphical abstract
Impfung gegen coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Authors: Weinberger Birgit
Published: September 2022

Die klinischen Präsentationen von Infektionen mit SARS-CoV‑2 („severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2“) sind sehr heterogen, und das Risiko für einen schweren Verlauf steigt mit zunehmendem Alter deutlich an. Ältere Erwachsene sind deshalb eine wichtige Zielgruppe für Impfungen. In Europa sind derzeit 2 mRNA-Impfstoffe, 2 adenovirale Vektorimpfstoffe und ein Proteinimpfstoff für ältere Erwachsene zugelassen. Die Immunogenität und klinische Wirksamkeit dieser Impfstoffe waren in den ersten Zulassungsstudien bei älteren Erwachsenen ähnlich oder nur geringfügig niedriger als in jüngeren Altersgruppen. Allerdings nehmen die Konzentration neutralisierender Antikörper und der Schutz vor Infektion im Laufe der Zeit deutlich ab und sind gegen Virusvarianten, besonders gegen Omicron, stark reduziert. Der Schutz vor schwerer Krankheit und Hospitalisierung ist jedoch langlebiger und nach 3 Impfdosen im Schema 2 + 1 auch für Omicron gegeben. Weitere Auffrischungsimpfungen sind derzeit für Risikopatienten, insbesondere für ältere Erwachsene, empfohlen. Bezüglich der konkreten, aktuell gültigen Empfehlungen für verschiedene Alters- und Risikogruppen wird auf die Bekanntmachungen der nationalen Impfgremien verwiesen.

Alle derzeit verfügbaren Impfstoffe beruhen auf der ursprünglichen Virusvariante. Impfstoffe, die an die neuen Virusvarianten angepasst sind, werden derzeit erprobt, und ein zeitnaher Wechsel zu diesen Impfstoffen ist wahrscheinlich. Allerdings schreitet auch die Veränderung der Viruspopulationen voran, sodass voraussichtlich eine kontinuierliche Weiterentwicklung der Impfstoffe notwendig sein wird.
Ultra-low-dose CBCT scan: rational map for ear surgery
Authors: Tamminen Pekka , Järnstedt Jorma , Lehtinen Antti , Numminen Jura , Lehtimäki Lauri , Rautiainen Markus , Kivekäs Ilkka
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study will evaluate the clinical quality and usability of peripheral image data from the temporal bone area obtained using a sinonasal ultra-low-dose (ULD) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan and compare them to those obtained using a high-resolution (HR) CBCT.

Methods

The population consisted of 66 anatomical sites (ears of 33 subjects) imaged using two modalities: an HR CBCT (Scanora 3Dx scanner; Soredex, Tuusula, Finland) and a ULD CBCT (Promax 3D Mid scanner; Plandent, Helsinki, Finland). The image quality (IQ) for every anatomical site in each image was rated using a Likert scale from 0 to 5.

Results

The quality of ULD CBCT scans was clinically sufficient in over 95% of the assessed images of the sigmoid sinus, jugular bulb, epitympanum and mastoid antrum as well as external acoustic meatus (all p > 0.05 compared to HR CBCT). The IQ was clinically sufficient in 75–94% of the assessed images of the scutum, mastoid segment of the facial nerve, cochlea and semicircular canals (all p < 0.05 compared to HR CBCT). The overall IQ of the HR CBCT scans was good or excellent.

Conclusion

CBCT imaging and the data at image margins are underutilized. CBCT can produce excellent structural resolution with conventional imaging parameters, even with off-focus images. Using ultra-low doses of radiation, the produced IQ is clinically sufficient. We encourage ear surgeons to check the patients’ imaging history and to consider the use of imaging modalities that involve lower radiation doses especially when conducting repetitive investigations and with children.
Anxiety and depression in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: data from the Italian CMT national registry
Authors: Bellofatto Marta , Bertini Alessandro , Tramacere Irene , Manganelli Fiore , Fabrizi Gian Maria , Schenone Angelo , Santoro Lucio , Cavallaro Tiziana , Grandis Marina , Previtali Stefano C. , Allegri Isabella , Padua Luca , Pazzaglia Costanza , Calabrese Daniela , Saveri Paola , Quattrone Aldo , Valentino Paola , Tozza Stefano , Gentile Luca , Russo Massimo , Mazzeo Anna , Vita Giuseppe , Piacentini Sylvie , Pisciotta Chiara , Pareyson Davide ,   for the Italian CMT Network, Schirinzi Giulia , Montesano Maria , Nuzzo Sara , Oggiano Francesca , Gemelli Chiara , Scarlato Marina , Spina Emanuele , Longo Maria
Published: September 2022

Background

There is little information about neuropsychiatric comorbidities in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). We assessed frequency of anxiety, depression, and general distress in CMT.

Methods

We administered online the Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale (HADS) to CMT patients of the Italian registry and controls. HADS-A and HADS-D scores ≥ 11 defined the presence of anxiety/depression and HADS total score (HADS-T) ≥ 22 of general distress. We analysed correlation with disease severity and clinical characteristics, use of anxiolytics/antidepressants and analgesic/anti-inflammatory drugs.

Results

We collected data from 252 CMT patients (137 females) and 56 controls. CMT patient scores for anxiety (mean ± standard deviation, 6.7 ± 4.8), depression (4.5 ± 4.0), and general distress (11.5 ± 8.1) did not differ from controls and the Italian population. However, compared to controls, the percentages of subjects with depression (10% vs 2%) and general distress (14% vs 4%) were significantly higher in CMT patients. We found no association between HADS scores and disease duration or CMT type. Patients with general distress showed more severe disease and higher rate of positive sensory symptoms. Depressed patients also had more severe disease. Nineteen percent of CMT patients took antidepressants/anxiolytics (12% daily) and 70% analgesic/anti-inflammatory drugs. Patients with anxiety, depression, and distress reported higher consumption of anxiolytics/antidepressants. About 50% of patients with depression and/or general distress did not receive any specific pharmacological treatment.

Conclusions

An appreciable proportion of CMT patients shows general distress and depression. Both correlated with disease severity and consumption of antidepressants/anxiolytics, suggesting that the disease itself is contributing to general distress and depression.
Point process statistics improves particle size analysis
Authors: Stoyan Dietrich , Unland Georg
Published: September 2022

This paper re-considers the foundations of particle size statistics. While traditional particle size statistics consider their data as samples of random variables and use methods of classical mathematical statistics, here a particle sample is treated as a point process sample, and a suitable form of statistics is recommended. The whole sequence of ordered particle sizes is considered as a random variable in a suitable sample space. Instead of distribution functions, point process intensity functions are used. The application of point process data analysis is demonstrated for samples of fragments from single-particle crushing of glass balls. Three cases of data handling with point processes are presented: statistics for oversize particles, pooling of independent particle samples and pooling of piecewise particle data. Finally, the problem of goodness-of-fit testing for particle samples is briefly discussed. The point process approach turns out to be an extension of the classical approach, is simpler and more elegant, but retains all valuable traditional ideas. It is particularly strong in the analysis of oversize particles.

Graphical abstract
Erneuerbare Energien effizient und wirksam fördern
Authors:   Arbeitsgruppe „Energiesysteme der Zukunft“, Haucap Justus , Kühling Jürgen , Amin Munib , Brunekreeft Gert , Fouquet Dörte , Grimm Veronika , Gundel Jörg , Kment Martin , Ketter Wolfgang , Kreusel Jochen , Kreuter-Kirchhof Charlotte , Liebensteiner Mario , Moser Albert , Ott Marion , Rehtanz Christian , Wetzel Heike , Meinhof Jonathan , Wagner Marlene , Borgmann Miriam , Stephanos Cyril
Published: September 2022

Das Jahr 2021 hat in Deutschland neuen Schwung in die Bemühungen zum Klimaschutz gebracht. Die Novelle des Klimaschutzgesetzes schreibt eine Reduktion der Treibhausgasemissionen um 65 % bis zum Jahr 2030 gegenüber 1990 fest. Maßgeblich dazu beitragen soll ein massiver Ausbau der Stromerzeugung aus erneuerbaren Energien. Nach Verschärfung der Klimaschutzmaßnahmen stellt sich die Frage, ob das bisherige Strommarktdesign und die damit einhergehenden Vergütungsregeln für die Stromerzeugung auch bei einem von erneuerbaren Energien dominierten Strommarkt weiterhin geeignet sind, um die im Energiewirtschaftsgesetz festgeschriebenen Ziele der Versorgungssicherheit und Preisgünstigkeit bestmöglich zu erreichen.