bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hair Transplant with Strip Harvest: Indications, Contraindications, and Technique
Authors: Khanna Manoj
Published: December 2021

The evolutionary process of modern hair transplantation began with the plug era and, transitioning through a period of minigrafting and micrografting, finally led to follicular unit transplantation (FUT). Apart from the expansion of donor:recipient ratio, this technique produces an excellent esthetic result, indistinguishable from the natural hair. The merit of strip harvest lies in the maximum amount of follicular unit harvest, minimizing the amount of hair follicle transection, and producing a single scar, irrespective of number of sessions. This article summarizes the prerequisites, indications, contraindications, and technique of strip harvest.
Practical Consensus Recommendations for Optimizing Risk versus Benefit of Chemotherapy in Patients with HR Positive Her2 Negative Early Breast Cancer in India
Authors: Parikh Purvish M. , Bhattacharyya Gouri Shankar , Biswas Ghanshyam , Krishnamurty Arvind , Doval Dinesh , Heroor Anil , Sharma Sanjay , Deshpande Ramakant , Chaturvedi Harit , Somashekhar S. P. , Babu Govind , Reddy G. Krishna , Sarkar Diptendra , Desai Chirag , Malhotra Hemant , Rohagi Nitesh , Bapna Ajay , Alurkar S. S. , Krishna Prasad , Deo S. V.S. , Shrivastava Anurag , Chitalkar Prakash , Majumdar Saroj Kumar , Vijay Devanhalli , Thoke Aniket , Udupa K. S. , Bajpai Jyoti , Rath G. K. , Dattatreya Palanki Satya , Bondarde Shailesh , Patil Shekhar
Published: December 2021

Breast cancer is a public health challenge globally as well as in India. Improving outcome and cure requires appropriate biomarker testing to assign risk and plan treatment. Because it is documented that significant ethnic and geographical variations in biological and genetic features exist worldwide, such biomarkers need to be validated and approved by authorities in the region where these are intended to be used. The use of western guidelines, appropriate for the Caucasian population, can lead to inappropriate overtreatment or undertreatment in Asia and India. A virtual meeting of domain experts discussed the published literature, real-world practical experience, and results of opinion poll involving 185 oncologists treating breast cancer across 58 cities of India. They arrived at a practical consensus recommendation statement to guide community oncologists in the management of hormone positive (HR-positive) Her2-negative early breast cancer (EBC). India has a majority (about 50%) of breast cancer patients who are diagnosed in the premenopausal stage (less than 50 years of age). The only currently available predictive test for HR-positive Her2-negative EBC that has been validated in Indian patients is CanAssist Breast. If this test gives a score indicative of low risk (< 15.5), adjuvant chemotherapy will not increase the chance of metastasis-free survival and should not be given. This is applicable even during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Exploring electrospun nanofibers for physically unclonable functions: a scalable and robust method toward unique identifiers
Authors: Bai Jing , Tian Ye , Wang Yinjing , Fu Jiangyu , Cheng Yanyan , Qiang Shunfei , Yu Daoming , Zhang Wenkai , Yuan Ke , Chai Xiuli
Published: December 2021

Optical physically unclonable functions (PUFs) have great potential in the security identification of the internet of things. In this work, electrospun nanofibers are proposed as a candidate for a nanoscale, robust, stable and scalable PUF. The dark-field reflectance images of the polymer fibers are quantitatively analyzed by the Hough transform. We find that the fiber length and orientation distribution reach an optimal point as the fiber density (number of fibers detected by Hough ttansform) grows up over 850 in 400 × 400 pixels for a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofiber-based PUF device. Subsequently, we test the robustness and randomness of the PUF pattern by using the fiber amount as an encoding feature, generating a reconstruction success rate of over 80% and simultaneously an entropy of 260 bits within a mean size of 4 cm2. A scale-invariant algorithm is adopted to identify the uniqueness of each pattern on a 256-sensor device. Furthermore, the thermo-, moisture and photostability of the authentication process are systematically investigated by comparing the polyacrylonitrile to the PVP system.
Dual-band all-dielectric chiral photonic crystal
Authors: Du Lianlian , Liu Yahong , Zhou Xin , Tao Liyun , Li Meize , Ren Huiling , Ji Ruonan , Song Kun , Zhao Xiaopeng , Navarro-Cía Miguel
Published: December 2021

We present an all-dielectric chiral photonic crystal that guides the propagation of electromagnetic waves without backscattering for dual bands. The chiral photonic crystal unit cell is composed of four dielectric cylinders with increasing inner diameter clockwise or anticlockwise, which leads to chirality. It is demonstrated that the proposed chiral photonic crystal can generate dual band gaps in the gigahertz frequency range and has two types of edge states, which is similar to topologically protected edge states. Hence, the interface formed by the proposed 2D chiral photonic crystal can guide the propagation of electromagnetic waves without backscattering, and this complete propagation is immune to defects (position disorder or frequency disorder). To illustrate the applicability of the findings in communication systems, we report a duplexer and a power divider based on the presented all-dielectric chiral photonic crystal.
Piezoelectricity in two-dimensional aluminum, boron and Janus aluminum-boron monochalcogenide monolayers
Authors: Choopani Saeed , Alyörük Mustafa Menderes
Published: December 2021

Piezoelectricity is a property of a material that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy or vice versa. It is known that group-III monochalcogenides, including GaS, GaSe, and InSe, show piezoelectricity in their monolayer form. Piezoelectric coefficients of these monolayers are the same order of magnitude as the previously discovered two-dimensional (2D) piezoelectric materials such as boron nitride and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) monolayers. Considering a series of monolayer monochalcogenide structures including boron and aluminum (MX, M = B, Al, X = O, S, Se, Te), we design a series of derivative Janus structures (AlBX2, X = O, S, Se, Te). Ab-initio density functional theory and density functional perturbation theory calculations are carried out systematically to predict their structural, electronic, electromechanical and phonon dispersion properties. The electronic band structure analysis indicate that all these 2D materials are semiconductors. The absence of imaginary phonon frequencies in phonon dispersion curves demonstrate that the systems are dynamically stable. In addition, this study shows that these materials exhibit outstanding piezoelectric properties. For AlBO2 monolayer with the relaxed-ion piezoelectric coefficients, d
11 = 15.89(15.87) pm V−1 and d
31 = 0.52(0.44) pm V−1, the strongest piezoelectric properties were obtained. It has large in-plane and out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficients that are comparable to or larger than those of previously reported non-Janus monolayer structures such as MoS2 and GaSe, and also Janus monolayer structures including: In2SSe, Te2Se, MoSeTe, InSeO, SbTeI, and ZrSTe. These results, together with the fact that a lot of similar 2D systems have been synthesized so far, demonstrate the great potential of these materials in nanoscale electromechanical applications.
Phase transitions of Ge12Sb88 thin films on high- and low-thermal-conductivity substrates and their potential applications in storage
Authors: Wang Xiao-Fang , Lin Pao-An , Wen Xue-miao , Lu Bing-Yuh , Li Tian-Le , Zhu Wei-Ling
Published: December 2021

This study examined the phase-change Ge12Sb88 films that are fabricated through radio-frequency reactive magnetron sputtering to substrates with varying thermal conductivity. The in situ resistance was measured, and x-ray diffraction was conducted to investigate the phase-change behavior of the films under adjustments to the heating and annealing temperature. Differences in the films’ band gaps were determined by a spectrometer. The results were as follows: (a) the initial resistance levels of the films on low-thermal-conductivity substrates were higher than those on high-thermal-conductivity substrates. Resistance ratios were in the range of 102–103. The substantial changes in resistance influenced the characteristics of accelerating switching time and reduced the power consumption of the investigated materials. (b) Because of the partial crystallization of the films, an additional phase transition (from face-centered cubic (fcc)1 to fcc2) was observed among thin films on low-thermal-conductivity substrates. This phase transition can be leveraged in the development of data storage devices.
Accelerated and outdoor weathering of silver nanowire transparent conductors under electrical stress in pseudo-modules
Authors: Chang Hung-Shuo , Feng Pan , Lyu Yadong , Lin Chiao-Chi
Published: December 2021

In realistic applications, silver nanowires (AgNWs) are encapsulated in optoelectrical devices to function as transparent conductors and electrodes. Environmental stressors along with the essential electrical stress are inevitably harmful to the AgNWs inside the devices. Herein, to investigate the degradation behavior discrepancy between materials-level and device-level tests, we adopted pseudo-module to mimic the encapsulation. The pseudo-module allows the application of electrical stress and facilitates the interim specimen access for materials characterization through assembly-disassembly. Indoor accelerated and outdoor weathering tests with applied electrical stress to the pseudo-module encapsulated AgNW networks were performed. The impaired optoelectrical properties and morphological changes of AgNWs due to multiple or individual stressor(s) are investigated. Results indicate UVA exposure at elevated temperature coupled with electrical stress is responsible for the electrical failure of AgNW networks. Sulfidation that depresses optical transparency of AgNW networks is prone to occur at lower temperature. This work provides unambiguous degradation behaviors of AgNWs inside encapsulants, helping to improve the design of AgNWs related optoelectrical devices in the applications of solar irradiation environments.
An analytical approach of heat transfer modelling with thermal stresses in circular plate by means of Gaussian heat source and stress function
Authors: Pimpare Sangita B , Sutar Chandrashekhar S , Chaudhari Kamini K
Published: December 2021

In the proposed research work we have used the Gaussian circular heat source. This heat source is applied with the heat flux boundary condition along the thickness of a circular plate with a finite radius. The research work also deals with the formulation of unsteady-state heat conduction problems along with homogeneous initial and non-homogeneous boundary condition around the temperature distribution in the circular plate. The mathematical model of thermoelasticity with the determination of thermal stresses and displacement has been studied in the present work. The new analytical method, Reduced Differential Transform has been used to obtain the solution. The numerical results are shown graphically with the help of mathematical software SCILAB and results are carried out for the material copper.
Nonlinear optical response in coupled quantum wells optomechanical microcavity
Authors: Yadav Surabhi , Bhattacherjee Aranya B
Published: December 2021

We investigate the optical properties of a hybrid solid-state optomechanical microcavity containing two coupled quantum wells interacting with the cavity mode in the presence of a third-order nonlinear medium and a mechanically compliant distributed Bragg reflector (MC-DBR). The MC-DBR interacts with the cavity mode via the nonlinear radiation pressure effect. The steady state mean-field analysis shows the existence of optical bistability, which can be utilized to design all optical tunable switch. The coupling between the two quantum wells, the interaction between the excitons and the optical mode, the Kerr nonlinearity, and the optomechanical interaction can be tuned to operate the optical switch at lower input laser power. The fluctuation dynamics demonstrate the presence of optomechanically induced transparency (OMIT) and optomechanically induced absorption (OMIA). We find that both OMIT and OMIA can be manipulated efficiently by optomechanical coupling strength and the quantum well tunneling rate.
Design and simulation of liquid infiltrated photonic crystal fibre in terahertz frequencies
Authors: Yakasai Izaddeen , Abas Pg Emeroylariffion , Maidi Abdul Mu’iz , Kaijage Shubi , Begum Feroza
Published: December 2021

Since ethanol, methanol, and water are polar solvents with similar physical properties albeit contrasting chemical properties, it is essential to have a method of accurately and reliably detecting and differentiating the liquids. In this paper, a unique-structured liquid infiltrated photonic crystal fibre (PCF) for sensing ethanol, methanol and water, has been introduced. The structure has been modelled, simulated and analysed in the terahertz (THz) region using the full vectorial finite element method. It has been shown that the THz light, which is guided using modified total internal reflection (M-TIR), is confined within the infiltrated analytes with negligible losses. For the detection of infiltrated liquids at 1.6 THz operating frequency, the proposed PCF shows sensitivity levels above 99% and effective material losses (EMLs) in the order of 10−4 dB m−1. Manufacturing of the proposed fibre has been shown to be feasible using the existing PCF fabrication technologies. It is envisaged that the proposed PCF will provide a solution to the existing challenges in detecting common polar solvents.
Influence of divalent metal ion (Zn2+) on magnetic properties, curie temperature and DC electrical properties in Ce3+ substituted Ni-Zn ferrites
Authors: M V Santhosh Kumar , Alhadhrami A , G J Shankarmurthy , Thriveni M G , Prasanna B M
Published: December 2021

Nanoparticles of Ni1−xZnxCe0.1Fe1.9O4 ferrite substituted with Zn2+ ion concentrations (0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 & 1.0) have been synthesised via aqueous citrate precursor auto combustion method. The obtained Powder x-ray diffraction data suggests a good crystalline phase; the crystallite size exists in the range of 14 ∼ 38 nm. The lattice constant of samples increases with Zn2+ concentration. It validates Vegard’s law and the decreasing trends in porosity of the samples were identified. The inhomogeneity in the grains was confirmed from FE-SEM. The EDS spectrogram attributes the good stoichiometry in the product. The Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that the crystallization occurred within the temperature 800 °C. The high-temperature DC conductivity of the samples shows that NTC behaviour. The Curie temperature and activation energy are estimated and the activation energy of carriers are found to be more at the paramagnetic region. The magnetic saturation (‘Ms*’) has maximum for Zn2+ = 0.2 (57.7 emu g−1) and coercive field (Hc) related with a radius of occupancy of Zn2+ ion validates the relation

H
c
∝

1
r

and also, the value of the remanence ratio suggests that isotropic magnetization took place in the heterogeneous material.
Photoelectrochemical activity of ZnO:Ag/rGO photo-anodes synthesized by two-steps sol-gel method
Authors: Jemia D Ben , Karyaoui M , Wederni M A , Bardaoui A , Martinez-Huerta M V , Amlouk M , Chtourou R
Published: December 2021

This work investigated the influence of silver plasmon and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the photoelectrochemical performance (PEC) of ZnO thin films synthesized by the sol-gel method. The physicochemical properties of the obtained photo-anodes were systematically studied by using several characterization techniques. The x-ray diffraction analysis showed that all samples presented hexagonal wurtzite structure with a polycrystalline nature. Raman and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) studies confirmed the existence of both Ag and rGO in ZnO:Ag/rGO thin films. The estimated grain size obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis decreased with Ag doping, then increased to a maximum value after rGO addition. The UV-vis transmission spectra of the as-prepared ZnO:Ag and ZnO:Ag/rGO thin films have shown a reduction in the visible range with a redshift at the absorption edges. The bandgaps were estimated to be around 3.17 eV, 2.7 eV, and 2.52 eV for ZnO, ZnO:Ag, and ZnO:Ag/rGO, respectively. Moreover, the electrical measurements revealed that the charge exchange processes were enhanced at the ZnO:Ag/rGO/electrolyte interface, accompanied by an increase in the (PEC) performance compared to ZnO and ZnO:Ag photo-anodes. Consequently, the photocurrent density of ZnO:Ag/rGO (0.2 mA⋅cm−2) was around 4 and 2.22 times higher than photo-anodes based on undoped ZnO (0.05 mA⋅cm−2) and ZnO:Ag (0.09 mA⋅cm−2), respectively. Finally, from the flat band potential and donor density, deduced from the Mott–Schottky, it was clear that all the samples were n-type semiconductors with the highest carrier density for the ZnO:Ag/rGO photo-anode.
Association of In Utero Exposures With Risk of Early Natural Menopause
Authors: Langton Christine R , Whitcomb Brian W , Purdue-Smithe Alexandra C , Sievert Lynnette L , Hankinson Susan E , Manson JoAnn E , Rosner Bernard A , Bertone-Johnson Elizabeth R
Published: December 2021

Suboptimal pregnancy conditions may affect ovarian development in the fetus and be associated with early natural menopause (ENM) for offspring. A total of 106,633 premenopausal participants in Nurses’ Health Study II who provided data on their own prenatal characteristics, including diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure, maternal cigarette smoking exposure, multiplicity, prematurity, and birth weight, were followed from 1989 to 2017. Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of in utero exposures with ENM. During 1.6 million person-years of follow-up, 2,579 participants experienced ENM. In multivariable models, women with prenatal DES exposure had higher risk of ENM compared with those without it (HR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.67). Increased risk of ENM was observed for those with low (<5.5 pounds (<2.5 kg)) versus normal (7.0–8.4 pounds (3.2–3.8 kg)) birth weight (HR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.45). Decreasing risk was observed per 1-pound (0.45-kg) increase in birth weight (HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.97). Prenatal smoking exposure, being part of a multiple birth, and prematurity were not associated with ENM. In this large cohort study, lower birth weight and prenatal DES exposure were associated with higher risk of ENM. Our results support a need for future research to examine in utero exposures that may affect offspring reproductive health.
Proteoform identification based on top-down tandem mass spectra with peak error corrections
Authors: Zhan Zhaohui , Wang Lusheng
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we study the problem for finding complex proteoforms from protein databases based on top-down tandem mass spectrum data. The main difficulty to solve the problem is to handle the combinatorial explosion of various alterations on a protein. To overcome the combinatorial explosion of various alterations on a protein, the problem has been formulated as the alignment problem of a proteoform mass graph (PMG) and a spectrum mass graph (SMG). The other important issue is to handle mass errors of peaks in the input spectrum. In previous methods, an error tolerance value is used to handle the mass differences between the matched consecutive nodes/peaks in PMG and SMG. However, such a way to handle mass error can not guarantee that the mass difference between any pairs of nodes in the alignment is approximately the same for both PMG and SMG. It may lead to large error accumulation if positive (or negative) errors occur consecutively for a large number of consecutive matched node pairs. The problem is severe so that some existing software packages include a step to further refine the alignments. In this paper, we propose a new model to handle the mass errors of peaks based on the formulation of the PMG and SMG. Note that the masses of sub-paths on the PMG are theoretical and suppose to be accurate. Our method allows each peak in the input spectrum to have a predefined error range. In the alignment of PMG and SMG, we need to give a correction of the mass for each matched peak within the predefined error range. After the correction, we impose that the mass between any two (not necessarily consecutive) matched nodes in the PMG is identical to that of the corresponding two matched peaks in the SMG. Intuitively, this kind of alignment is more accurate. We design an algorithm to find a maximum number of matched node and peak pairs in the two (PMG and SMG) mass graphs under the new constraint. The obtained alignment can show matched node and peak pairs as well as the corrected positions of peaks. The algorithm works well for moderate size input instances and takes very long time as well as huge size memory for large input size instances. Therefore, we propose an algorithm to do diagonal alignment. The diagonal alignment algorithm can solve large input size instances in reasonable time. Experiments show that our new algorithms can report alignments with much larger number of matched node pairs. The software package and test data sets are available at https://github.com/Zeirdo/TopMGRefine.
PHR-search: a search framework for protein remote homology detection based on the predicted protein hierarchical relationships
Authors: Jin Xiaopeng , Luo Xiaoling , Liu Bin
Published: December 2021

Protein remote homology detection is one of the most fundamental research tool for protein structure and function prediction. Most search methods for protein remote homology detection are evaluated based on the Structural Classification of Proteins-extended (SCOPe) benchmark, but the diverse hierarchical structure relationships between the query protein and candidate proteins are ignored by these methods. In order to further improve the predictive performance for protein remote homology detection, a search framework based on the predicted protein hierarchical relationships (PHR-search) is proposed. In the PHR-search framework, the superfamily level prediction information is obtained by extracting the local and global features of the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) profile through a convolution neural network and it is converted to the fold level and class level prediction information according to the hierarchical relationships of SCOPe. Based on these predicted protein hierarchical relationships, filtering strategy and re-ranking strategy are used to construct the two-level search of PHR-search. Experimental results show that the PHR-search framework achieves the state-of-the-art performance by employing five basic search methods, including HHblits, JackHMMER, PSI-BLAST, DELTA-BLAST and PSI-BLASTexB. Furthermore, the web server of PHR-search is established, which can be accessed at http://bliulab.net/PHR-search.
Therapeutic implications of exosomes in the treatment of radiation injury
Authors: Dai Shijie , Wen Yuzhong , Luo Peng , Ma Le , Liu Yunsheng , Ai Junhua , Shi Chunmeng
Published: December 2021

Radiotherapy is one of the main cancer treatments, but it may damage normal tissue and cause various side effects. At present, radioprotective agents used in clinics have side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and hypotension, which limit their clinical application. It has been found that exosomes play an indispensable role in radiation injury. Exosomes are lipid bilayer vesicles that carry various bioactive substances, such as proteins, lipids and microRNA (miRNA), that play a key role in cell-to-cell communication and affect tissue injury and repair. In addition, studies have shown that radiation can increase the uptake of exosomes in cells and affect the composition and secretion of exosomes. Here, we review the existing studies and discuss the effects of radiation on exosomes and the role of exosomes in radiation injury, aiming to provide new insights for the treatment of radiation injury.
CO2-capture research and Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute (CETRI) of University of Regina, Canada: history, current status and future development
Authors: Tontiwachwuthikul Paitoon (P T) , Wilson Malcolm , Idem Raphael
Published: December 2021

Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute (CETRI) was formerly known as the International Test Centre for CO2 Capture in the early 2000s. The original focus of the centre was to help lower the carbon intensity of the current energy sources to low-carbon ones in Canada. Currently, CETRI’s mandates have expanded and now include most of the low-carbon and near-carbon-free clean-energy research activities. Areas of research focus include carbon (CO2) capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), near-zero-emission hydrogen (H2) technologies, and waste-to-renewable fuels and chemicals. CETRI also brings together one of the most dynamic teams of researchers, industry leaders, innovators and educators in the clean and low-carbon energy fields.
Use of Tenofovir Diphosphate Levels to Predict Viremia During the Postpartum Period in Women Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): A Nested Case-Control Study
Authors: Odayar Jasantha , Orrell Catherine , Phillips Tamsin K , Hu Nai Chung , Kabanda Siti , Malaba Thokozile R , Allerton Joanna , Wiesner Lubbe , Hsiao Nei yuan , Castillo-Mancilla Jose , Lesosky Maia , Myer Landon
Published: December 2021

Background

There are few data on the utility of tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) in dried blood spots (DBSs) to predict future viral load (VL) in postpartum women with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods

We conducted a nested case-control study within a trial of postpartum ART delivery strategies. Participants started ART containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in pregnancy, were <10 weeks postpartum, and had a VL <400 copies/mL. VL and TFV-DP samples were taken every 3–6 months over 24 months. Cases had ≥1 VL ≥20 copies/mL; controls were randomly sampled from women with persistent viral suppression (VS; VL <20 copies/mL). Generalized estimating equations were used to calculate likelihood odds ratios (LORs) for future VL ≥20 copies/mL by TFV-DP concentration at the preceding visit.

Results

61 cases and 20 controls contributed 365 DBS-VL pairs (median ART duration, 16 months). Sensitivity and specificity of TFV-DP <700 fmol/punch to detect future viremia were 62.9% (95% CI, 54.7–70.6%) and 89.7% (84.9–93.4%), respectively. Adjusting for age, ART duration, previous VL, and duration between the TFV-DP and VL measures, LORs of viremia for TFV-DP concentrations 350–699 and <350 fmol/punch versus TFV-DP ≥1850 fmol/punch were 3.5 (95% CI, 1.1–10.8; P = .033) and 12.9 (3.6–46.6; P < .0001), respectively. Including only samples taken during VS, the LOR of future viremia for TFV-DP concentration <350 fmol/punch versus TFV-DP ≥1850 fmol/punch was 9.5 (1.9–47.0).

Conclusions

TFV-DP concentrations in DBSs were strongly associated with future viremia and appear useful to identify nonadherence and predict future elevated VL.
Tobacco Use and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence Among People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Practical Guide for Clinicians
Authors: Reddy Krishna P , Kruse Gina R , Lee Stephanie , Shuter Jonathan , Rigotti Nancy A
Published: December 2021

More than 40% of people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) in the United States smoke tobacco cigarettes. Among those on antiretroviral therapy, smoking decreases life expectancy more than human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) itself. Most PWH who smoke want to quit, but tobacco dependence treatment has not been widely integrated into HIV care. This article summarizes the epidemiology of tobacco use among PWH, health consequences of tobacco use and benefits of cessation in PWH, and studies of treatment for tobacco dependence among the general population and among PWH. We provide practical guidance for providers to treat tobacco dependence among PWH. A 3-step Ask-Advise-Connect framework includes asking about tobacco use routinely during clinical encounters, advising about tobacco cessation with emphasis on the benefits of cessation, and actively connecting patients to cessation treatments, including prescription of pharmacotherapy (preferably varenicline) and direct connection to behavioral interventions via telephone quitline or other means to increase the likelihood of a successful quit attempt.
Frequency and outcome of acute coronary syndrome during the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Mousavi R A , Wallmueller C , Stratil P , Pichler G , Piringer F , Delle Karth G , Schober A
Published: December 2021

Introduction

In 2020 the Austrian government has ordered two complete lockdowns and two lockdown lights to maintain control over the infection rate of Covid-19. Several studies have analysed the frequency and outcome of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) during the pandemic. Some have described a decrease in the admission rate of patients with ST-elevated-myocardial-infarction (STEMI) and no-ST-elevated-myocardial-infarction (NSTEMI), with the reasons still being discussed.

Purpose

The aim of this study is to analyse possible differences in frequency, comorbidities and outcome of all STEMI and NSTEMI admissions over various lockdown (L) periods in Austria and to provide a possible explanation for the results.

Methods

Analysis of prospectively gathered data on ACS patients in our heart center in the year 2020. Patients were split into 4 groups: no lockdown (NL): n=136; duration (dur): 36 weeks (w); lockdown 1 (L1): n=24; dur: 7w; lockdown 2 (L2): n=16; dur: 2.5w; lockdown light (LL): n=22; dur: 5.5w. To account for the different durations, we divided patients by lockdown duration (n/w). End of a L was defined as re-opening of shops; in LL period schools and restaurants were closed but shops were open. To compare the different groups, age, sex, BMI, comorbidities, cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) duration of preclinical-symptomatic phase (onset of chest pain to PCI), blood parameters, indication, vascular access (femoral/radial) and target vessel were recorded. As outcome we defined CPR, shock and in hospital death.

Results

Out of 198 patients 126 were male (63.6%) and 72 female (36.4%), with a mean age of 65±12 years. There were no statistically significant differences in age, BMI or CVRF between the 4 groups. A 50% higher number of diabetics in the LL group as compared to 25.3% in the NL group (p=0.005) was noticed. STEMI admissions from 2.2 patients/week (n/w) without L decreased to 1.4/w during L1. During L2, the frequency rate rose to 3.2/w in the LL group and admission rates to 2/w, which is almost as high as in the NL group. No differences in NSTEMI admissions between the NL (1.3/w), the L1 (1.4/w) and the LL group (1.8/w) were found. During L2 the frequency of NSTEMI patients increased to 3.2/w. We found a rise in in-hospital death rates from 4.4% without L to 9.1% during LL, though with boarder line statistical significance (p=0.05).

Conclusion

Compared to the NL group, our data show a decrease of STEMI and NSTEMI admissions during L1. This trend was not confirmed during L2, despite identical government's restrictions. We, thus, postulate that the decrease of ACS admissions in L1 was caused by patients' concern regarding in-hospital Covid-19 infection rather than by actual restrictions.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.
Historical exposomics and high resolution mass spectrometry
Authors: Aurich Dagny , Miles Owen , Schymanski Emma L
Published: December 2021

Awareness of the exposome and its influence on health has increased in the last decade. As past exposures can cause changes in human health many years later, delving into the past is relevant for both diagnostic and prevention purposes, but remains a challenging task. Lifestyle, diet, and socioeconomic information of the past should be well documented and compatible with modern data science methods. While chemical analysis nowadays makes use of high resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) for highly sensitive and comprehensive coverage of samples plus retrospective analysis, these data archives are in the very early stages. Since past measurements are often only available for a limited set of chemicals, adding to this knowledge requires careful selection of sample types and sampling sites, which may not always be available. The choice of analytes and analytical methods should be suitable for the study question which is not always clear in advance in exposomics. Data interpretation and the use of appropriate databases are indispensable for a proper exposure assessment, and as databases and knowledge grow, re-analysis of physically or digitally archived samples could enable “continuous monitoring” efforts. This review focuses on the chemical analytical approaches necessary to capture the complexity of the historical exposome. Various sample types, analytes as well as analyses and data interpretation methods are discussed in relation to chemical exposures, while the connection to health remains in focus. It ends with perspectives and challenges in assessing the historical exposome, discussing how we can “learn from the past” to build a better future.
Strengthening Resident, Proxy, and Staff Engagement in Injury Prevention in Skilled Nursing Facilities
Authors: Xue Tingzhong (Michelle) , Colón-Emeric Cathleen S , Herndon Laurie , Hecker Emily J , Berry Sarah D , Little Milta O , McConnell Eleanor S
Published: December 2021

Background and Objectives

Engaging residents, their proxies, and skilled nursing facility (SNF) staff through effective communication has potential for improving fall-related injury prevention. The purpose of this study was to understand how multiple stakeholders develop and communicate fall-related injury prevention plans to enhance sustained implementation.

Research Design and Methods

Descriptive qualitative study using framework analysis applied to open-ended semistructured interviews (n = 28) regarding experiences of communication regarding fall-related injury prevention, guided by the Patient and Family Engaged Care framework. Participants included residents at high risk of injury and their proxies, nursing assistants, nurses, and a nurse practitioner from 3 SNFs in the Eastern United States (Massachusetts and North Carolina).

Results

Interdisciplinary teams were viewed as essential for injury prevention. However, the roles of the interdisciplinary team members were sometimes unclear. Communication structures were often hierarchical, which reduced engagement of nursing assistants and frustrated proxies. Practices that enhanced engagement included knowing the residents, active listening skills, and use of strategies for respecting autonomy. Engagement was inhibited by time constraints, lack of proactive communication among staff, and by challenges eliciting the perspectives of residents with dementia. Resident barriers included desire for autonomy, strong preferences, and language differences.

Discussion and Implications

Strengthening team meeting processes and cultivating open communication and collaboration could facilitate staff, resident, and proxy engagement in injury prevention planning and implementation. Skill building and targeting resources to improve communication can address barriers related to staff practices, resident characteristics, and time constraints.
Developing a Copyright Curriculum for Nigerian Universities for the Creative Digital Space
Authors: Andrews Samuel Samiai
Published: December 2021

This paper explores the significance of teaching and learning digital copyright laws within a reformed Nigerian copyright regime. It further analyzes how an experiential and clinical teaching pedagogy, developed as part of a copyright law curriculum, will become an agency to protect, safeguard, and impel the development of Nigerian creative industries, particularly the film sector. Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and an emerging creative industrial power. The training and expertise of its legal professionals in the knowledge and creative economy have significant impact beyond Nigeria, across the length and breadth of the other African countries. The article sets out to provide a recipe for a functional approach to the development of a digital copyright curriculum in the law faculties of Nigerian universities as a pragmatic and industry-focused way of teaching while adding value to the creative industries. The paper further examines how the law faculties of Nigerian universities could redesign their copyright curriculum to teach not just theories but, more importantly, the wider policy framework. The paper also explores how to understand the practical, business and economic systems of the creative industries. The paper uses ‘Nollywood’, the contemporary Nigerian film industry, as a case study to continue the discussion on the sustainable development of the Nigerian creative industries.
Efficacy of an Experimental Gonococcal Lipooligosaccharide Mimitope Vaccine Requires Terminal Complement
Authors: Lewis Lisa A , Gulati Sunita , Zelek Wioleta M , Morgan B Paul , Song Wen-Chao , Zheng Bo , Nowak Nancy , DeOliveira Rosane B , Sanchez Bryan , DeSouza Silva Leandro , Schuurman Janine , Beurskens Frank , Ram Sanjay , Rice Peter A
Published: December 2021

A safe and effective vaccine against multidrug-resistant gonorrhea is urgently needed. An experimental peptide vaccine called TMCP2 that mimics an oligosaccharide epitope in gonococcal lipooligosaccharide, when adjuvanted with glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant–stable emulsion, elicits bactericidal immunoglobulin G and hastens clearance of gonococci in the mouse vaginal colonization model. In this study, we show that efficacy of TMCP2 requires an intact terminal complement pathway, evidenced by loss of activity in C9−/− mice or when C7 function was blocked. In conclusion, TMCP2 vaccine efficacy in the mouse vagina requires membrane attack complex. Serum bactericidal activity may serve as a correlate of protection for TMCP2.
Intestinal Persistence of Colonizing Escherichia coli Strains, Especially ST131-H30, in Relation to Bacterial and Host Factors
Authors: Johnson James R , Clabots Connie , Porter Stephen B , Bender Tricia , Johnston Brian D , Thuras Paul
Published: December 2021

Background

Superior gut colonization may underlie the pandemic emergence of the resistance-associated H30 subclone of Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131-H30). Little is known about the associated host and bacterial characteristics, or the comparative persistence of non-ST131 intestinal E. coli.

Methods

Generic and fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli isolates from volunteers’ serial fecal samples underwent clonal analysis and extensive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based characterization (phylogroup, selected sequence types, virulence genes). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards survival analysis using penalized regression (a machine-learning method) were used to identify correlates of strain persistence.

Results

Screening of 2005 subjects at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center identified 222 subjects (117 veterans, 105 human and animal household members) for longitudinal fecal surveillance. Analysis of their 585 unique-by-subject fecal E. coli strains identified multiple epidemiological, ecological, and bacterial correlates of strain persistence. ST131-H30, a strong univariable correlate of persistence, was superseded in multivariable analysis by outpatient status, fluoroquinolone resistance, and diverse (predominantly iron uptake-related) virulence genes.

Conclusions

ST131-H30 exhibits exceptional intestinal persistence, possibly due to a combination of fluoroquinolone resistance and virulence factors, which may be primarily colonization factors. This identifies both likely contributors to the ST131-H30 pandemic and potential targets for interventions against it.
JC Polyomavirus Whole Genome Sequencing at the Single-Molecule Level Reveals Emerging Neurotropic Populations in Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
Authors: L’Honneur Anne Sophie , Pipoli Da Fonseca Juliana , Cokelaer Thomas , Rozenberg Flore
Published: December 2021

Background

JC polyomavirus (JCV) mostly causes asymptomatic persistent renal infections but may give rise in immunosuppressed patients to neurotropic variants that replicate in the brain, causing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Rearrangements in the JCV genome regulator noncoding control region (NCCR) and missense mutations in the viral capsid VP1 gene differentiate neurotropic variants from virus excreted in urine.

Methods

To investigate intrahost emergence of JCV neurotropic populations in PML, we deep sequenced JCV whole genome recovered from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine samples from 32 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected and non-HIV-infected PML patients at the single-molecule level.

Results

JCV strains distributed among 6 of 7 known genotypes. Common patterns of NCCR rearrangements included an initial deletion mostly located in a short 10-nucleotide sequence, followed by duplications/insertions. Multiple NCCR variants present in individual CSF samples shared at least 1 rearrangement, suggesting they stemmed from a unique viral population. NCCR variants independently acquired single or double PML-specific adaptive VP1 mutations. NCCR variants recovered from urine and CSF displayed opposite deletion or duplication patterns in binding sites for transcription factors.

Conclusions

Long-read deep sequencing shed light on emergence of neurotropic JCV populations in PML.
Lidocaine relieves spinal cord ischemia–reperfusion injury via long non-coding RNA MIAT-mediated Notch1 downregulation
Authors: Hou Junkai , Li Huixin , Xue Changjiang , Ma Junqi
Published: December 2021

Microglial activation and inflammatory response play a critical role in spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury (SCIRI). This study aimed to investigate whether lidocaine relieves SCIRI via modulating myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT)-mediated Notch1 downregulation. Mouse SCIRI was induced by the obstruction of the aortic arch. Lidocaine was injected after reperfusion. Microglial activation and inflammatory response were assessed by Iba1, interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels. The interaction between MIAT and Notch1 was assessed by RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Lidocaine treatment relieved SCIRI by reducing Iba1 and serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels. After lidocaine treatment, MIAT expression was elevated in lipopolysaccharide-induced BV2 cells. The interference of MIAT and the overexpression of MIAT and Notch1 restored TNF-α and IL-1β levels in supernatants. Notch1 protein was existent in MIAT-pull-down compounds, and the expression of MIAT was markedly elevated in Notch1-immunoprecipitants. The overexpression of MIAT markedly promoted the degradation of Notch1 and increased the level of ubiquitin-bound Notch1 complex. The therapeutic effect of lidocaine on SCIRI mice could be reversed by adeno-associated virus-mediated MIAT knockdown. In conclusion, lidocaine treatment relieved SCIRI via inhibiting microglial activation and reducing the inflammatory response. The molecular mechanism was partly through MIAT-mediated Notch1 downregulation.
Backplate-reinforced structures for enhancing solder joint reliability of server CPU assembly under thermal cycling
Authors: Liao M C , Huang P S , Huang T C , Tsai M Y
Published: December 2021

To meet the requirement of the high I/O and fine-pitch interconnects, the conventional insertion-mount socket for central processing unit (CPU) has been changed to surface-mount one with ball grid array. The solder ball joint reliability of the socket used in the CPU assembly becomes very important. In this study, the socket's solder joint reliability of the backplate-reinforced CPU assembly and its related mechanics under mechanical and thermal loadings are investigated experimentally using strain gauge and shadow moiré, and numerically by a finite element method (FEM). The validated FEM results have suggested that maximum stress of solder balls increases almost linearly with decreasing the backplate thickness under mechanical loading during the CPU assembly, but is insensitive to the backplate thickness under thermal loading during the thermal cycling. It is also found that the residual (bending) strain on the PCB proportional to the maximum von Mises stresses of solder joints (or balls) can be used as a key parameter to correlate with the solder joint failures or cracks during the thermal cycling. Overall, experimental and FEM results in this study reveal that solder joint reliability in the CPU assembly during thermal cycling can be improved by adopting the thicker reinforced backplate.
Synergism, Bifunctionality, and the Evolution of a Gradual Sensory Trade-off in Hummingbird Taste Receptors
Authors: Cockburn Glenn , Ko Meng-Ching , Sadanandan Keren R , Miller Eliot T , Nakagita Tomoya , Monte Amanda , Cho Sungbo , Roura Eugeni , Toda Yasuka , Baldwin Maude W
Published: December 2021

Sensory receptor evolution can imply trade-offs between ligands, but the extent to which such trade-offs occur and the underlying processes shaping their evolution is not well understood. For example, hummingbirds have repurposed their ancestral savory receptor (T1R1–T1R3) to detect sugars, but the impact of this sensory shift on amino acid perception is unclear. Here, we use functional and behavioral approaches to show that the hummingbird T1R1–T1R3 acts as a bifunctional receptor responsive to both sugars and amino acids. Our comparative analyses reveal substantial functional diversity across the hummingbird radiation and suggest an evolutionary timeline for T1R1–T1R3 retuning. Finally, we identify a novel form of synergism between sugars and amino acids in vertebrate taste receptors. This work uncovers an unexplored axis of sensory diversity, suggesting new ways in which nectar chemistry and pollinator preferences can coevolve.
Effective therapy of tocilizumab on systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis–associated refractory macrophage activation syndrome
Authors: Wu Jianqiang , Sun Li , Tang Xuemei , Zheng Qi , Guo Li , Xu Li , Li Yandie , Lu Meiping
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of tocilizumab (TCZ) on refractory macrophage activation syndrome (rMAS) associated with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA-rMAS).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 14 patients diagnosed with sJIA-rMAS, who were treated with TCZ after failing conventional therapies at three hospital centres from January 2016 to December 2020. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics were recorded at the onset of MAS, before TCZ (pre-TCZ), and 14 days after TCZ (post-TCZ).

Results

The clinical manifestation of sJIA-rMAS included fever (100%), skin rashes (35.7%), lymphadenomegaly (42.9%), hepatomegaly (57.1%), splenomegaly (7.1%), gastrointestinal symptoms (28.6%), arthritis (14.3%), myalgia (28.6%), and polyserositis (14.3%). After TCZ treatment, fever (100%, 14/14), gastrointestinal symptoms (100%, 4/4), and myalgia (100%, 4/4) were significantly improved after 1 week (P < 0.05). Skin rashes, lymphadenomegaly, and arthritis also improved in many patients, but these parameters did not reach statistical significance. In post-TCZ group, decreases in levels of C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and serum ferritin of sJIA-rMAS were observed compared with pre-TCZ (P < 0.05). No disease relapse or fatality was recorded during the follow-up (25 months, range 3–60 months).

Conclusions

TCZ is safe and effective for the treatment of sJIA-rMAS after failure of conventional therapies.