bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid Antibody-Based COVID-19 Mass Surveillance: Relevance, Challenges, and Prospects in a Pandemic and Post-Pandemic World
Authors: Augustine Robin , Das Suvarthi , Hasan Anwarul , S Abhilash , Abdul Salam Shaheen , Augustine Priya , Dalvi Yogesh Bharat , Varghese Ruby , Primavera Rosita , Yassine Hadi Mohamad , Thakor Avnesh S. , Kevadiya Bhavesh D.
Published: October 2020

The aggressive outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) as COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-2019) pandemic demands rapid and simplified testing tools for its effective management. Increased mass testing and surveillance are crucial for controlling the disease spread, obtaining better pandemic statistics, and developing realistic epidemiological models. Despite the advantages of nucleic acid- and antigen-based tests such as accuracy, specificity, and non-invasive approaches of sample collection, they can only detect active infections. Antibodies (immunoglobulins) are produced by the host immune system within a few days after infection and persist in the blood for at least several weeks after infection resolution. Antibody-based tests have provided a substitute and effective method of ultra-rapid detection for multiple contagious disease outbreaks in the past, including viral diseases such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome). Thus, although not highly suitable for early diagnosis, antibody-based methods can be utilized to detect past infections hidden in the population, including asymptomatic ones. In an active community spread scenario of a disease that can provide a bigger window for mass detections and a practical approach for continuous surveillance. These factors encouraged researchers to investigate means of improving antibody-based rapid tests and employ them as reliable, reproducible, sensitive, specific, and economic tools for COVID-19 mass testing and surveillance. The development and integration of such immunoglobulin-based tests can transform the pandemic diagnosis by moving the same out of the clinics and laboratories into community testing sites and homes. This review discusses the principle, technology, and strategies being used in antibody-based testing at present. It also underlines the immense prospect of immunoglobulin-based testing and the efficacy of repeated planned deployment in pandemic management and post-pandemic sustainable screenings globally.
Biomarkers for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: From the Bench to the Bedside
Authors: de Mello Ramon Andrade , Amaral Giovanna Araújo
Published: October 2020

Lung cancer (LC) is inarguably one of the biggest battles to be fought in the field of oncology, and non-small cell lung cancer accounts for over 85% of all lung cancer cases [...]
The HLA Variant rs6903608 Is Associated with Disease Onset and Relapse of Immune-Mediated Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Caucasians
Authors: Mancini Ilaria , Giacomini Elisa , Pontiggia Silvia , Artoni Andrea , Ferrari Barbara , Pappalardo Emanuela , Gualtierotti Roberta , Trisolini Silvia Maria , Capria Saveria , Facchini Luca , Codeluppi Katia , Rinaldi Erminia , Pastore Domenico , Campus Simona , Caria Cinzia , Caddori Aldo , Nicolosi Daniela , Giuffrida Gaetano , Agostini Vanessa , Roncarati Umberto , Mannarella Clara , Fragasso Alberto , Podda Gian Marco , Birocchi Simone , Cerbone Anna Maria , Tufano Antonella , Menna Giuseppe , Pizzuti Michele , Ronchi Michela , De Fanti Alessandro , Amarri Sergio , Defina Marzia , Bocchia Monica , Cerù Silvia , Gattillo Salvatore , Rosendaal Frits R. , Peyvandi Flora
Published: October 2020

Immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a rare, life-threatening thrombotic microangiopathy caused by severe ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 13) deficiency, recurring in 30–50% of patients. The common human leukocyte antigen (HLA) variant rs6903608 was found to be associated with prevalent iTTP, but whether this variant is associated with disease relapse is unknown. To estimate the impact of rs6903608 on iTTP onset and relapse, we performed a case-control and cohort study in 161 Italian patients with a first iTTP episode between 2002 and 2018, and in 456 Italian controls. Variation in rs6903608 was strongly associated with iTTP onset (homozygotes odds ratio (OR) 4.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.67 to 8.23); heterozygotes OR 1.64 (95%CI 0.95 to 2.83)), which occurred over three years earlier for each extra risk allele (β −3.34, 95%CI −6.69 to 0.02). Of 153 survivors (median follow-up 4.9 years (95%CI 3.7 to 6.1)), 44 (29%) relapsed. The risk allele homozygotes had a 46% (95%CI 36 to 57%) absolute risk of relapse by year 6, which was significantly higher than both heterozygotes (22% (95%CI 16 to 29%)) and reference allele homozygotes (30% (95%CI 23 to 39%)). In conclusion, HLA variant rs6903608 is a risk factor for both iTTP onset and relapse. This newly identified biomarker may help with recognizing patients at high risk of relapse, who would benefit from close monitoring or intensified immunosuppressive therapy.
Use of Sublingual Immunotherapy for Aeroallergens in Children with Asthma
Authors: Caffarelli Carlo , Mastrorilli Carla , Procaccianti Michela , Santoro Angelica
Published: October 2020

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease that in children is often allergen-driven with a type 2 inflammation. Sublingual immunotherapy represents an important progress in the use of personalized medicine in children with allergic asthma. It is a viable option for house dust mite-driven asthma and in subjects with the asthma associated with allergic rhinitis. The use and indications for isolated asthma caused by other allergens are still controversial owing to heterogeneity of commercially available products and methodological limitations of studies in children. Nevertheless, most studies and meta-analyses found the efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy. Sublingual immunotherapy is safe but cannot be recommended in children with uncontrolled asthma.
Real-World Comparison of Human and Software Image Assessment in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients’ Qualification for Reperfusion Treatment
Authors: Lasocha Bartlomiej , Pulyk Roman , Brzegowy Pawel , Latacz Pawel , Slowik Agnieszka , Popiela Tadeusz J.
Published: October 2020

Our aim was to compare human and computer accuracy in reading medical images of acute stroke patients. We analyzed data of patients who underwent assessment of Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) and CT Perfusion (CTP) via Rapid Processing of Perfusion and Diffusion (RAPID) software RAPID ASPECTS, and RAPID CTP), compared to radiologist reports and manual measurements. We compared volumes calculated by RAPID CTP software with those selected by scanner-equipped software (GE). For reference, follow-up images were manually assessed in accordance with the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) territories retrospectively. Although exact ASPECTS score agreement between the automatic and manual methods, and between each method and follow-up, was poor, crossing of the threshold for reperfusion therapy was characterized by an 80% match. CT perfusion analyses yielded only slight agreement (kappa = 0.193) in the qualification of patients for therapy. Either automatic or manual scoring methods of non-contrast images imply similar clinical decisions in real-world circumstances. However, volume measurements performed by fully automatic and manually assisted systems are not comparable. Thresholds devised and validated for computer algorithms are not compatible with measurements performed manually using other software and should not be applied to setups other than those with which they were developed.
Hemodynamic Profiles of Cardiogenic Shock Depending on Their Etiology
Authors: Gaubert Mélanie , Laine Marc , Resseguier Noémie , Aissaoui Nadia , Puymirat Etienne , Lemesle Gilles , Michelet Pierre , Hraiech Sami , Lévy Bruno , Delmas Clément , Bonello Laurent
Published: October 2020

The pathophysiology of cardiogenic shock (CS) varies depending on its etiology, which may lead to different hemodynamic profiles (HP) and may help tailor therapy. We aimed to assess the HP of CS patients according to their etiologies of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute decompensated chronic heart failure (ADCHF). We included patients admitted for CS secondary to ADCHF and AMI. HP were measured before the administration of any inotrope or vasopressor. Systemic Vascular Resistances index (SVRi), Cardiac Index (CI), and Cardiac Power Index (CPI) were measured by trans-thoracic Doppler echocardiography on admission. Among 37 CS patients, 28 had CS secondary to ADCHF or AMI and were prospectively included. The two groups were similar in terms of demographic data and shock severity criteria. AMI CS was associated with lower SVRi compared to CS related to ADCHF: 2010 (interquartile range (IQR): 1895–2277) vs. 2622 (2264–2993) dynes-s·cm−5·m−2 (p = 0.002). A trend toward a higher CI was observed: respectively 2.13 (1.88–2.18) vs. 1.78 (1.65–1.96) L·min−1·m−2 (p = 0.067) in AMICS compared to ADCHF. CS patients had different HP according to their etiologies. AMICS had lower SVR and tended to have a higher CI compared to ADHF CS. These differences should be taken into account for patient selection in future research.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Paradigm of Revolution in Medicine
Authors: Merlo Marco , Cannatà Antonio , Sinagra Gianfranco
Published: October 2020

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) has a straightforward and apparently “simple” definition: a heart muscle disease characterized by left ventricular (LV) or biventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction in the absence of either pressure or volume overload or coronary artery disease sufficient enough to explain the dysfunction [...]
Potential Biomarkers in Systemic Sclerosis: A Literature Review and Update
Authors: Utsunomiya Akira , Oyama Noritaka , Hasegawa Minoru
Published: October 2020

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by dysregulation of the immune system, vascular damage, and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Patients with SSc show a heterogeneous phenotype and a range of clinical courses. Therefore, biomarkers that are helpful for precise diagnosis, prediction of clinical course, and evaluation of the therapeutic responsiveness of disease are required in clinical practice. SSc-specific autoantibodies are currently used for diagnosis and prediction of clinical features, as other biomarkers have not yet been fully vetted. Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), surfactant protein-D (SP-D), and CCL18 have been considered as serum biomarkers of SSc-related interstitial lung disease. Moreover, levels of circulating brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) can provide diagnostic information and indicate the severity of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Assessment of several serum/plasma cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, adhesion molecules, and other molecules may also reflect the activity or progression of fibrosis and vascular involvement in affected organs. Recently, microRNAs have also been implicated as possible circulating indicators of SSc. In this review, we focus on several potential SSc biomarkers and discuss their clinical utility.
Traction Therapy for Cervical Radicular Syndrome is Statistically Significant but not Clinically Relevant for Pain Relief. A Systematic Literature Review with Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis
Authors: Colombo Claudio , Salvioli Stefano , Gianola Silvia , Castellini Greta , Testa Marco
Published: October 2020

Aim: We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of traction therapy in reducing pain by performing a systematic review with meta-analysis. We also explore the best modality for administering traction to patients with cervical radicular syndrome (CRS). Methods: We searched the Medline, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) electronic databases. Two reviewers independently selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared traction in addition to other treatments versus the effectiveness of other treatments alone for pain outcome. We calculated the mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used Cochrane’s tool to assess risk of bias and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system to evaluate the quality of evidence and summarize the study conclusions. Results: A total of seven studies (589 patients), one with low risk of bias, were evaluated. An overall estimate of treatment modalities showed low evidence that adding traction to other treatments is statistically significant (MD −5.93 [95% CI, −11.81 to −0.04] P = 0.05 and I2 = 57%) compared to other treatments alone. The subgroup analyses were still statistically significant only for mechanical and continuous modalities. Conclusions: Overall analysis showed that, compared to controls, reduction in pain intensity after traction therapy was achieved in patients with cervical radiculopathy. However, the quality of evidence was generally low and none of these effects were clinically meaningful.
Role of the Fatty Acid Binding Proteins in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nguyen Hien C. , Qadura Mohammad , Singh Krishna K.
Published: October 2020

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain a global pandemic and leading cause of deaths worldwide. While several guidelines have been developed to control the development of CVDs, its prevalence keeps on increasing until this day. Cardiovascular risk factors, such as reduced exercises and high fat or glucose diets, culminate in the development of the metabolic syndrome and eventually atherosclerosis, which is driven by high blood lipid and cholesterol levels, and by endothelial dysfunction. Late complications of atherosclerosis give rise to serious clinical cardiovascular manifestations such as myocardial infarction and hypertension. Therefore, endothelial functions and the lipid metabolism play critical roles in the pathogenesis of CVDs. Fatty acid-binding proteins are a family of intracellular proteins expressed in many cell types known mainly for their interaction with and trafficking of cellular lipids. The roles of a number of isoforms in this family have been implicated in lipid metabolic homeostasis, but their influence on endothelial function and vascular homeostasis remain largely unknown. This review’s purpose is to update fundamentals about the connection between cardiovascular disease, metabolism, endothelial function, and mainly the roles of fatty acid-binding proteins.
Profound Hypotension before Aortic Clamping Can Exacerbate Spinal Cord Ischemic Injury after Aortic Surgery in Rats
Authors: Koo Chang-Hoon , Ryu Jung-Hee , Hwang Jin-Young , Kim Jin-Hee , Shin Hyun-Jung , Han Sung-Hee
Published: October 2020

Spinal cord ischemia is one of the most serious complications of aortic repair in patients with acute aortic syndrome. However, the effect of hypotension before aortic clamping on spinal cord injury has not been documented. A total of 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: the sham group; control group (mean arterial pressure (MAP) < 90% of baseline value before aortic clamping); mild hypotension group (MAP < 80%); and profound hypotension group (MAP < 60%). Spinal cord ischemia was induced using a balloon-tipped catheter placed in the descending thoracic aorta. Neurological function of the hind limbs was evaluated for seven days after reperfusion and recorded using a motor deficit index (MDI). The spinal cord was then harvested for histopathological examination and evaluation of oxidative stress and inflammation. The profound hypotension group demonstrated a significantly higher MDI 48 h post-reperfusion and lower number of normal motor neurons than the other groups (p < 0.001). The levels of tissue malondialdehyde and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were also significantly increased in the profound hypotension group compared with other groups. Profound hypotension before aortic clamping can aggravate neurologic outcomes after aortic surgery by exacerbating neurologic injury and reducing the number of normal motor neurons.
Use of Clopidogrel, Prasugrel, or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcome after Acute Coronary Syndrome in Austria from 2015 to 2017
Authors: Sheikh Rezaei Safoura , Gleiss Andreas , Reichardt Berthold , Wolzt Michael
Published: October 2020

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy improves patient outcome after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but prescription differences of P2Y12 inhibitor treatments exist. The aim of the present investigation was to study the long-term utilization and patient outcomes of clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor in patients with ACS from 2015 to 2017 in Austria. Methods: Data from 13 Austrian health insurance funds of patients with a hospital discharge diagnosis of ACS for the years 2015 to 2017 were analyzed. The primary end point was to investigate the recurrence of ACS or death. Results: Of 49,124 P2Y12 inhibitor-naive patients with a hospital discharge diagnosis of ACS, 25,147 subjects filled a P2Y12 inhibitor prescription within 30 days after the index event. Of these patients, 10,626 (42.9%) subjects had a prescription for clopidogrel, 4788 (19.3%) for prasugrel, and 9383 (37.8%) for ticagrelor. Ticagrelor was the most frequently prescribed P2Y12 inhibitor among patients below 70 years old, and clopidogrel in those aged ≥70 years. Occurrence of an endpoint was highest in elderly patients. After adjustment for age, sex, and pre-existing medication as proxy for comorbidity, the hazard ratio for ACS or death for prasugrel vs. clopidogrel of 0.70 (95% CI: 0.61; 0.79) was similar to that of ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel (0.70; 95% CI: 0.64; 0.77). Conclusion: Prescription of ticagrelor or prasugrel after ACS were associated with a lower risk of ACS recurrence or death compared to clopidogrel.
Occurrence and Severity of Pain in Patients with Venous Leg Ulcers: A 12-Week Longitudinal Study
Authors: Mościcka Paulina , Cwajda-Białasik Justyna , Jawień Arkadiusz , Sopata Maciej , Szewczyk Maria T.
Published: October 2020

Background: The aim of the study was to analyze the dynamics of pain severity and its predictors in a group of patients with chronic venous leg ulcers. Methods: A 12-week longitudinal study included 754 patients with chronic venous leg ulcers. Subjective severity of pain was measured at weekly intervals with an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: A significant decrease in VAS scores has been observed throughout the entire analyzed period. Higher severity of pain during follow-up was independently predicted by the presence of pus and/or unpleasant smell from the ulceration during the first visit, as well as by the occurrence of posterior and/or circumferential ulcers. The presence of ulcer redness during the first visit was associated with lesser pain severity; also, a significant interaction effect between the ulceration redness and warmth was observed. Conclusions: Implementation of complex holistic care may contribute to a substantial decrease in the occurrence and severity of pain in a patient with venous leg ulcers. Pain control seems to depend primarily on clinical parameters and topography of venous ulcers. The predictors of pain severity identified in this study might be considered during the planning of tailored care for patients with venous leg ulcers.
Muscle Synergies Reliability in the Power Clean Exercise
Authors: Santos Paulo D. G. , Vaz João R. , Correia Paulo F. , Valamatos Maria J. , Veloso António P. , Pezarat-Correia Pedro
Published: October 2020

Muscle synergy extraction has been utilized to investigate muscle coordination in human movement, namely in sports. The reliability of the method has been proposed, although it has not been assessed previously during a complex sportive task. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate intra- and inter-day reliability of a strength training complex task, the power clean, assessing participants’ variability in the task across sets and days. Twelve unexperienced participants performed four sets of power cleans in two test days after strength tests, and muscle synergies were extracted from electromyography (EMG) data of 16 muscles. Three muscle synergies accounted for almost 90% of variance accounted for (VAF) across sets and days. Intra-day VAF, muscle synergy vectors, synergy activation coefficients and individual EMG profiles showed high similarity values. Inter-day muscle synergy vectors had moderate similarity, while the variables regarding temporal activation were still strongly related. The present findings revealed that the muscle synergies extracted during the power clean remained stable across sets and days in unexperienced participants. Thus, the mathematical procedure for the extraction of muscle synergies through nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) may be considered a reliable method to study muscle coordination adaptations from muscle strength programs.
Learning Descriptors Invariance through Equivalence Relations within Manifold: A New Approach to Expression Invariant 3D Face Recognition
Authors: Al-Osaimi Faisal R.
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a unique approach for the dichotomy between useful and adverse variations of key-point descriptors, namely the identity and the expression variations in the descriptor (feature) space. The descriptors variations are learned from training examples. Based on labels of the training data, the equivalence relations among the descriptors are established. Both types of descriptor variations are represented by a graph embedded in the descriptor manifold. Invariant recognition is then conducted as a graph search problem. A heuristic graph search algorithm suitable for the recognition under this setup was devised. The proposed approach was tested on the FRGC v2.0, the Bosphorus and the 3D TEC datasets. It has shown to enhance the recognition performance, under expression variations, by considerable margins.
Fully 3D Active Surface with Machine Learning for PET Image Segmentation
Authors: Comelli Albert
Published: October 2020

In order to tackle three-dimensional tumor volume reconstruction from Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images, most of the existing algorithms rely on the segmentation of independent PET slices. To exploit cross-slice information, typically overlooked in these 2D implementations, I present an algorithm capable of achieving the volume reconstruction directly in 3D, by leveraging an active surface algorithm. The evolution of such surface performs the segmentation of the whole stack of slices simultaneously and can handle changes in topology. Furthermore, no artificial stop condition is required, as the active surface will naturally converge to a stable topology. In addition, I include a machine learning component to enhance the accuracy of the segmentation process. The latter consists of a forcing term based on classification results from a discriminant analysis algorithm, which is included directly in the mathematical formulation of the energy function driving surface evolution. It is worth noting that the training of such a component requires minimal data compared to more involved deep learning methods. Only eight patients (i.e., two lung, four head and neck, and two brain cancers) were used for training and testing the machine learning component, while fifty patients (i.e., 10 lung, 25 head and neck, and 15 brain cancers) were used to test the full 3D reconstruction algorithm. Performance evaluation is based on the same dataset of patients discussed in my previous work, where the segmentation was performed using the 2D active contour. The results confirm that the active surface algorithm is superior to the active contour algorithm, outperforming the earlier approach on all the investigated anatomical districts with a dice similarity coefficient of 90.47 ± 2.36% for lung cancer, 88.30 ± 2.89% for head and neck cancer, and 90.29 ± 2.52% for brain cancer. Based on the reported results, it can be claimed that the migration into a 3D system yielded a practical benefit justifying the effort to rewrite an existing 2D system for PET imaging segmentation.
Internal Waves Study on a Narrow Steep Shelf of the Black Sea Using the Spatial Antenna of Line Temperature Sensors
Authors: Serebryany Andrey , Khimchenko Elizaveta , Popov Oleg , Denisov Dmitriy , Kenigsberger Genrikh
Published: October 2020

The results of investigations into internal waves on a narrow steep shelf of the northeastern coast of the Black Sea are presented here. To measure the parameters of internal waves, the spatial antenna of three autonomous line temperature sensors were equipped in the depth range of 17 to 27 m. In observations that lasted for 10 days, near-inertial internal waves with a period close to 17 h and short-period internal waves with periods of 2–8 min, regularly approaching the coast, were revealed. The wave amplitudes were 4–8 m for inertial waves and 0.5–4 m for short-period internal waves. It was determined that most of the short-period internal waves approached from the southeast direction, from Cape Kodor. A large number of short waves reflected from the coast were also recorded. The intensification of short-period waves with inertial periodicity and the belonging of trains of short waves to crests of inertial waves were identified. In general, it was shown that the internal wave field at a narrow shelf significantly differs in its features from analogs of ordinary shelves of the Black Sea.
Visualization Investigation of Energy Dissipation Induced by Eddy Currents for a Solitary-Like Wave Passing over Submerged Breakwater Sets
Authors: Li Chi-Yu , Shih Ruey-Syan , Weng Wen-Kai
Published: October 2020

Wave attenuation for the purpose of coastal protection has been an important topic in coastal engineering. Wave attenuation in relation to the vortices induced by a solitary-like wave propagating over submerged breakwaters (BWs) is discussed in this paper. A series of hydraulic model experiments was conducted to investigate the occurrence of eddies, the types and combinations of submerged BWs, and related phenomena of the range expansion of vortices. The microscopic changes in the flow field, the variation of eddies, and the distributions of streamlines were analyzed using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. The measured transmission and reflection coefficients, along with the concept of energy conservation, were also examined to support the results. The results indicate that the attenuated wave energy is related to the induced vortices, and show that the total relative vortex energy for rectangular submerged BWs is larger than that for undulating submerged BWs in both the single and composite sets. The magnitude of the maximum vorticity of the undulating BW sets is larger and more concentrated than that of the rectangular BW sets; however, the total vortex energy is slightly smaller owing to the narrower vortex area range.
Host Defense Peptides as Templates for Antifungal Drug Development
Authors: Basso Virginia , Tran Dat Q. , Ouellette André J. , Selsted Michael E.
Published: October 2020

Current treatment for invasive fungal diseases is limited to three classes of antifungal drugs: azoles, polyenes, and echinocandins. The most recently introduced antifungal class, the echinocandins, was first approved nearly 30 years ago. The limited antifungal drug portfolio is rapidly losing its clinical utility due to the inexorable rise in the incidence of invasive fungal infections and the emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) fungal pathogens. New antifungal therapeutic agents and novel approaches are desperately needed. Here, we detail attempts to exploit the antifungal and immunoregulatory properties of host defense peptides (HDPs) in the design and evaluation of new antifungal therapeutics and discuss historical limitations and recent advances in this quest.
Hepatic Encephalopathy and Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis Improve Cirrhosis Outcome Prediction: A Modified Seven-Stage Model as a Clinical Alternative to MELD
Authors: Huang Chien-Hao , Tseng Hsiao-Jung , Amodio Piero , Chen Yu-Ling , Wang Sheng-Fu , Chang Shang-Hung , Hsieh Sen-Yung , Lin Chun-Yen
Published: October 2020

Classification of cirrhosis based on clinical stages is rapid and based on five stages at present. Two other relevant events, hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), can be considered in a clinical perspective but no study has implemented a seven-stage classification and confirmed its value before. In addition, long-term validation of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) in large cohorts of patients with cirrhosis and comparison with clinical findings are insufficient. Therefore, we performed a study to address these items. From the Chang-Gung Research Database (CGRD), 20,782 patients with cirrhosis were enrolled for an historical survival study. The MELD score, the five-stage clinical score (i.e., occurrence of esophageal varices (EV), EV bleeding, ascites, sepsis) and a novel seven-stage clinical score (i.e., occurrence of EV, EV bleeding, ascites, sepsis, HE, SBP) were compared with their Cox models by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The addition of HE and SBP to the seven-stage model had a 5% better prediction result than the five-stage model did in the survival ROC analysis. The result showed that the seven clinical stages are associated with an increased risk for mortality. However, the predicted performances of the seven-stage model and MELD system are likely equivalent. In conclusion, the study (i) proved that clinical staging of cirrhosis based on seven items/stages had higher prognostic value than the five-stage model and (ii) confirmed the validity of the MELD criteria vs. clinical assessment.
False Alarms in Consumer Genomics Add to Public Fear and Potential Health Care Burden
Authors: Liu Xiaoming , Cragun Deborah , Pang Jinyong , Adapa Swamy R. , Fonseca Renee , Jiang Rays H. Y.
Published: October 2020

We have entered an era of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomics. Patients have relayed many success stories of DTC genomics about finding causal mutations of genetic diseases before showing any symptoms and taking precautions. However, consumers may also take unnecessary medical actions based on false alarms of “pathogenic alleles”. The severity of this problem is not well known. Using publicly available data, we compared DTC microarray genotyping data with deep-sequencing data of 5 individuals and manually checked each inconsistently reported single nucleotide variants (SNVs). We estimated that, on average, a person would have ~5 “pathogenic” alleles reported due to wrongly reported genotypes if using a 23andMe genotyping microarray. We also found that the number of wrongly classified “pathogenic” alleles per person is at least as significant as those due to wrongly reported genotypes. We show that the scale of the false alarm problem could be large enough that the medical costs will become a burden to public health.
Agroecological Entrepreneurship, Public Support, and Sustainable Development: The Case of Rural Yucatan (Mexico)
Authors: Blanco-Gregory Rocío , López-Canto Leonor Elena , Sanagustín-Fons María Victoria , Martínez-Quintana Violante
Published: October 2020

This paper offers an approach to Yucatecan social reality in terms of entrepreneurship and the process of creating companies dedicated to the production and/or commercialization of agroecological products, considering its contribution to sustainable rural development. The key actors’ perspective towards the existence of policies that favor land sustainability, assist in the development of rural areas and their population, and support these business initiatives is also presented. Likewise, it illustrates the small entrepreneurs’ standpoint on the role of public institutions in promoting wealth generation and sustainable development in lower growth areas, such as the state of Yucatan, in Mexico. A qualitative methodology was used for this research, based on in-depth interviews with a group of businessmen and -women from the region. The main results give a pessimistic view of institutional concern regarding both production and consumption of agroecological products and, therefore, the promotion of these enterprises for the socioeconomic development of Yucatan. From these findings, we detect: (a) A policy of scarce support for this type of production, due to political priorities; (b) inadequate management that prevents the consolidation of certain structures needed to support agroecological enterprises; (c) a lack of confidence in the Yucatecan government, which does not promote or support a social network of collaboration between agroecological producers and marketers; (d) a difficulty in undertaking agroecological enterprises because of social and cultural norms and poor environmental awareness among the population; (e) significant training deficiencies among entrepreneurs in agroecological agriculture; (f) absence of adequate distribution channels for agroecological products; and (g) excessive bureaucratic obstacles through laws that hinder entrepreneurial processes.
Informal Caregivers’ Roles in Dementia: The Impact on Their Quality of Life
Authors: Frias Cindy E. , Cabrera Esther , Zabalegui Adelaida
Published: October 2020

The constantly changing process of caring for a person with dementia affects the informal caregivers’ role due to its psychosocial impact. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the impact of the Person with Dementia informal caregiver’s role caregiver to a person with dementia on the self-perceived quality of life (QoL) of the caregiver. In total, 160 informal caregivers were recruited between January and December 2019. Informal caregivers’ quality of life was assessed using the European Quality of Life 5-Dimension scale, burden with the Zarit Burden Scale, emotional wellbeing using the General Health Questionnaire, and caregiver reactions using Caregiver Reaction Aspects. Patients’ cognitive impairment was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination, their quality of life using Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease, and neuropsychiatric symptoms using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Outcomes were studied using the Pearson correlation coefficient and ANOVA test. Most informal caregivers’ outcomes were significantly associated with their quality of life. Male informal caregivers have a slightly better quality of life than female caregivers (p < 0.001). Caregiver burden (p < 0.001), psychological wellbeing (p < 0.001) and negative aspects of caregiving on health (p < 0.001) correlated moderately with informal caregivers’ quality of life. Factors associated with dementia, including the course of the illness and its severity with the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms can negatively affect the informal caregiver’s role and produce a low self-perception of quality of life; thus, social and professional support for informal caregivers is essential.
Color Stability of Dental Reinforced CAD/CAM Hybrid Composite Blocks Compared to Regular Blocks
Authors: Kang Yeong-Ah , Lee Han-Ah , Chang Joseph , Moon Wonjoon , Chung Shin Hye , Lim Bum-Soon
Published: October 2020

This study compares the color stability of dental reinforced computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) hybrid composite blocks to that of regular blocks. One hundred fifty disc-type specimens (n = 15) were prepared from five sets of hybrid composite blocks (Cerasmart-200/Cerasmart-300, KZR-CAD HR/KZR-CAD HR3, Estelite Block/ Estelite-P Block, Avencia Block/Avencia-P Block, Mazic Duro/Duro Ace). The specimen color and translucency parameter (TP) were assessed using a spectrophotometer before and after immersion in staining solutions (water, 10% ethanol, simulated red wine). Changes in color (ΔE) and translucency (ΔTP) of specimens were calculated. The data were analyzed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s post hoc test (p < 0.05). Microstructural features of the hybrid composite blocks were also examined using FE-SEM. Immersion in deionized water or 10% ethanol made no significant color or translucency changes (except for Avencia-P Block); however, the simulated red wine caused significant changes to the color and translucency of almost all specimens, especially after 4 weeks of immersion. The reinforced hybrid blocks (except for Estelite-P Block and Duro Ace) showed lower color stability than corresponding regular blocks. Avencia-P Block showed significantly reduced color stability compared to Avencia Block. Even in deionized water and 10% ethanol, Avencia-P Block showed perceptible ΔE and decreased translucency. Estelite Block/ Estelite-P Block and Mazic Duro/Duro Ace showed better color stability than the other materials tested.
Bonding Performance of a Hydrophilic Amide Monomer Containing Adhesive to Occlusal and Cervical Dentin
Authors: Seitoku Eri , Hoshika Shuhei , Ikeda Takatsumi , Abe Shigeaki , Tanaka Toru , Sano Hidehiko
Published: October 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the bonding performance of a new one-step self-etching adhesive system containing a novel hydrophilic amide monomer. Clearfil Universal Bond Quick (CUB) and Clearfil Megabond 2 (CMB) were used as the one-step and two-step adhesive systems, respectively. Flat dentin surfaces of human premolars were exposed using #600 SiC (silicon carbide) and bonded with the respective adhesives of each system. The teeth were sectioned to obtain beams (1 mm × 1 mm) after 24 h of water storage. The mean bond strength and standard deviations (MPa) on an occlusal surface were as follows: CUB: 45.9 ± 19.7 and CMB: 67.9 ± 25.3. The values for cervical ones were CUB: 56.0 ± 20.3 and CMB: 67.6 ± 16.0, respectively. In both conditions, the microtensile bond strength (μTBS) value was lower than that of CMB. As seen during the microscopic observation, no adhesive failure was observed after μTBS testing because CUB formed a firm and tight adhesive interface.
Printability, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate)-Poly(Lactic Acid)-Plasticizer Blends for Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing
Authors: Kontárová Soňa , Přikryl Radek , Melčová Veronika , Menčík Přemysl , Horálek Matyáš , Figalla Silvestr , Plavec Roderik , Feranc Jozef , Sadílek Jiří , Pospíšilová Aneta
Published: October 2020

This paper investigates the effect of plasticizer structure on especially the printability and mechanical and thermal properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-poly(lactic acid)-plasticizer biodegradable blends. Three plasticizers, acetyl tris(2-ethylhexyl) citrate, tris(2-ethylhexyl) citrate, and poly(ethylene glycol)bis(2-ethylhexanoate), were first checked whether they were miscible with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-poly(lactic acid) (PHB-PLA) blends using a kneading machine. PHB-PLA-plasticizer blends of 60-25-15 (wt.%) were then prepared using a corotating meshing twin-screw extruder, and a single screw extruder was used for filament preparation for further three-dimensional (3D) fused deposition modeling (FDM) printing. These innovative eco-friendly PHB-PLA-plasticizer blends were created with a majority of PHB, and therefore, poor mechanical properties and thermal properties of neat PHB-PLA blends were improved by adding appropriate plasticizer. The plasticizer also influences the printability of blends, which was investigated, based on our new specific printability tests developed for the optimization of printing conditions (especially printing temperature). Three-dimensional printed test samples were used for heat deflection temperature measurements and Charpy and tensile-impact tests. Plasticizer migration was also investigated. The macrostructure of 3D printed samples was observed using an optical microscope to check the printing quality and printing conditions. Tensile tests of 3D printed samples (dogbones), as well as extruded filaments, showed that measured elongation at break raised, from 21% for non-plasticized PHB-PLA reference blends to 84% for some plasticized blends in the form of filaments and from 10% (reference) to 32% for plasticized blends in the form of printed dogbones. Measurements of thermal properties (using modulated differential scanning calorimetry and oscillation rheometry) also confirmed the plasticizing effect on blends. The thermal and mechanical properties of PHB-PLA blends were improved by the addition of appropriate plasticizer. In contrast, the printability of the PHB-PLA reference seems to be slightly better than the printability of the plasticized blends.
Corrosion-Resistant Steel–MgO Composites as Refractory Materials for Molten Aluminum Alloys
Authors: Malczyk Piotr , Zienert Tilo , Kerber Florian , Weigelt Christian , Sauke Sven-Olaf , Semrau Hubertus , G. Aneziris Christos
Published: October 2020

In this study, a novel metal matrix composite based on 60 vol% 316L stainless steel and 40 vol% MgO manufactured by powder metallurgy technology was developed. The corrosion resistance of the developed steel–MgO composite material against molten aluminum alloy AlSi7Mg0.3 was investigated by means of wettability tests and long-term crucible corrosion tests. The wettability tests were carried out using the sessile drop method with the capillary purification technique in a hot-stage microscope (HSM). Static corrosion tests were performed in molten aluminum alloy at 850 °C for 168 h to evaluate the impact of pre-oxidation of the composite surface on the corrosion resistance. The pre-oxidation of steel–MgO composites was carried out at 850 and 1000 °C for 24 h, based on preliminary investigations using thermogravimetry (TG) and dilatometry. The influence of the pre-oxidation on the composite structure, the corrosion resistance, and the phase formation at the interface between the steel–MgO composite and aluminum alloy was analyzed using SEM/EDS and XRD. The impact of the steel–MgO composite material on the composition of the aluminum alloy regarding the type, size, and quantity of the formed precipitations was investigated with the aid of ASPEX PSEM/AFA and SEM/EBSD. It was revealed that the pre-oxidation of the steel–MgO composite at 1000 °C induced the formation of stable MgO-FeO solid solutions on its surface, leading to a significant increase of long-term corrosion resistance against the liquid aluminum alloy.
Modeling Recovery Rates of Small- and Medium-Sized Entities in the US
Authors: Min Aleksey , Scherer Matthias , Schischke Amelie , Zagst Rudi
Published: October 2020

A sound statistical model for recovery rates is required for various applications in quantitative risk management, with the computation of capital requirements for loan portfolios as one important example. We compare different models for predicting the recovery rate on borrower level including linear and quantile regressions, decision trees, neural networks, and mixture regression models. We fit and apply these models on the worldwide largest loss and recovery data set for commercial loans provided by GCD, where we focus on small- and medium-sized entities in the US. Additionally, we include macroeconomic information via a predictive Crisis Indicator or Crisis Probability indicating whether economic downturn scenarios are expected within the time of resolution. The horserace is won by the mixture regression model which regresses the densities as well as the probabilities that an observation belongs to a certain component.
Barrakuda: A Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithm for Minimum Capacitated Dominating Set Problem
Authors: Pinacho-Davidson Pedro , Blum Christian
Published: October 2020

The minimum capacitated dominating set problem is an NP-hard variant of the well-known minimum dominating set problem in undirected graphs. This problem finds applications in the context of clustering and routing in wireless networks. Two algorithms are presented in this work. The first one is an extended version of construct, merge, solve and adapt, while the main contribution is a hybrid between a biased random key genetic algorithm and an exact approach which we labeled Barrakuda. Both algorithms are evaluated on a large set of benchmark instances from the literature. In addition, they are tested on a new, more challenging benchmark set of larger problem instances. In the context of the problem instances from the literature, the performance of our algorithms is very similar. Moreover, both algorithms clearly outperform the best approach from the literature. In contrast, Barrakuda is clearly the best-performing algorithm for the new, more challenging problem instances.
A Distributed Quantum-Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization Using Opposition-Based Learning on Spark for Large-Scale Optimization Problem
Authors: Zhang Zhaojuan , Wang Wanliang , Pan Gaofeng
Published: October 2020

In the era of big data, the size and complexity of the data are increasing especially for those stored in remote locations, and whose difficulty is further increased by the ongoing rapid accumulation of data scale. Real-world optimization problems present new challenges to traditional intelligent optimization algorithms since the traditional serial optimization algorithm has a high computational cost or even cannot deal with it when faced with large-scale distributed data. Responding to these challenges, a distributed cooperative evolutionary algorithm framework using Spark (SDCEA) is first proposed. The SDCEA can be applied to address the challenge due to insufficient computing resources. Second, a distributed quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization algorithm (SDQPSO) based on the SDCEA is proposed, where the opposition-based learning scheme is incorporated to initialize the population, and a parallel search is conducted on distributed spaces. Finally, the performance of the proposed SDQPSO is tested. In comparison with SPSO, SCLPSO, and SALCPSO, SDQPSO can not only improve the search efficiency but also search for a better optimum with almost the same computational cost for the large-scale distributed optimization problem. In conclusion, the proposed SDQPSO based on the SDCEA framework has high scalability, which can be applied to solve the large-scale optimization problem.
High Dimensional Hyperbolic Geometry of Complex Networks
Authors: Yang Weihua , Rideout David
Published: October 2020

High dimensional embeddings of graph data into hyperbolic space have recently been shown to have great value in encoding hierarchical structures, especially in the area of natural language processing, named entity recognition, and machine generation of ontologies. Given the striking success of these approaches, we extend the famous hyperbolic geometric random graph models of Krioukov et al. to arbitrary dimension, providing a detailed analysis of the degree distribution behavior of the model in an expanded portion of the parameter space, considering several regimes which have yet to be considered. Our analysis includes a study of the asymptotic correlations of degree in the network, revealing a non-trivial dependence on the dimension and power law exponent. These results pave the way to using hyperbolic geometric random graph models in high dimensional contexts, which may provide a new window into the internal states of network nodes, manifested only by their external interconnectivity.