bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inferring the stabilization effects of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the binding with ACE2 receptor
Authors: Miotto Mattia , Di Rienzo Lorenzo , Gosti Giorgio , Bo’ Leonardo , Parisi Giacomo , Piacentini Roberta , Boffi Alberto , Ruocco Giancarlo , Milanetti Edoardo 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAs the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) pandemic continues to spread, several variants of the virus, with mutations distributed all over the viral genome, are emerging. While most of the variants present mutations having little to no effects at the phenotypic level, some of these variants are spreading at a rate that suggests they may present a selective advantage. In particular, these rapidly spreading variants present specific mutations on the spike protein. These observations call for an urgent need to characterize the effects of these variants’ mutations on phenotype features like contagiousness and antigenicity. With this aim, we performed molecular dynamics simulations on a selected set of possible spike variants in order to assess the stabilizing effect of particular amino acid substitutions on the molecular complex. We specifically focused on the mutations that are both characteristic of the top three most worrying variants at the moment, i.e the English, South African, and Amazonian ones, and that occur at the molecular interface between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its human ACE2 receptor. We characterize these variants’ effect in terms of (i) residue mobility, (ii) compactness, studying the network of interactions at the interface, and (iii) variation of shape complementarity via expanding the molecular surfaces in the Zernike basis. Overall, our analyses highlighted greater stability of the three variant complexes with respect to both the wild type and two negative control systems, especially for the English and Amazonian variants. In addition, in the three variants, we investigate the effects a not-yet observed mutation in position 501 could provoke on complex stability. We found that a phenylalanine mutation behaves similarly to the English variant and may cooperate in further increasing the stability of the South African one, hinting at the need for careful surveillance for the emergence of these mutations in the population. Ultimately, we show that the proposed observables describe key features for the stability of the ACE2-spike complex and can help to monitor further possible spike variants.
Breakdown path control by barrier effect for improving withstand characteristics of air‐insulated gaps under alternating voltages
Authors: Zheng Yuesheng , Zhang Peibin , Wang Yilong , He Tongtong 
Published: January 2022

AbstractA polymer barrier inserted in the interelectrode gap can significantly improve the insulation performance of air‐insulated high‐voltage electrical equipment. With the development of power equipment towards integration and miniaturisation, multiple barriers can be used to further increase the insulation level. This paper investigated the withstand characteristics of the air‐insulated rod‐rod gap with multiple barriers by changing the barrier numbers, the barrier position and the barrier insertion direction. Four control modes were set up based on the assumed breakdown paths under alternating voltages. It was found that the control modes with barriers inserted from the opposite direction had a more significant improvement effect than that from the same direction. When the horizontal barrier position was closer to the electrode and the vertical barrier position was farther to the electrode axis, the breakdown voltage was higher. The vertical barrier position was a key factor affecting the probability of breakdown path type, and the breakdown voltages along different types of breakdown paths were almost the same when the barriers were at the same position. The increase of the breakdown voltage was mainly resulted from the change of electric field distribution in the insulated gap and the extension of the breakdown path length.
The advantage of modern progress on occupational safety and health with the help of online applications/platforms
Authors: Băbuț Andrada Denisa , Cioară Cristian Raul , Florea Daniel 
Published: January 2022

The evolution of information and communication technologies has led to the development of an increasing number of interactive online tools, and the occupational safety and health sector is no stranger to this trend. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transfer of a very large percentage of activities online, the idea of this paper starts from the need to easily manage the documentation on safety and health at work, staff and work points, thus reducing time and eliminating travel costs and last but not least avoiding physical contact as much as possible, by implementing an application or a platform at institution level. These online tools are addressed to all employers, employees, workers and public authorities with responsibilities in the field of occupational safety and health.
Although at present the specialists in the field of OSH face bureaucracy, being a rather complex field and at the same time so necessary in the practice of service activities, online training platforms or applications come to their aid to streamline the process of OSH training and testing of knowledge.
Due to modern progress, training will be possible from any point of work, requiring only an internet connection.
Explosion prevention and mitigation in plants which process, generate and store combustible dusts
Authors: Jurca Adrian Marius , Părăian Mihaela , Vătavu Niculina 
Published: January 2022

Combustible dusts which are present in workplaces are a significant hazard which cannot be ignored by the plant owners, managers and workers. Combustible dust deflagrations and explosions have caused large numbers of deaths and catastrophic property damages in various industries, ranging from pharmaceutical plants to sugar factories. One may say that dust explosions in process industries always start inside process equipment such as mills, dryers, filters. Such events may occur in any process in which a combustible dust is handled, produced or stored, and can be triggered by any energy source, including static electricity, friction and hot surfaces.
For any combustible dust type, several important parameters have to be taken into account when designing and using protective systems: i.e. the ease with which dust clouds ignite and their burning rates, maximum explosion pressure, maximum rate of explosion pressure rise. These parameters vary considerably depending on the dust type, their knowledge being a first step for carrying out a proper explosion risk assessment in installations which circulate combustible dusts.
The paper presents the main aspects concerning explosion protection which have to be taken into account when designing protective systems intended to be used in explosive atmospheres generated by combustible dusts and the importance of selecting the proper explosion protection technique.
The role of numerical modeling in scientific fire investigation
Authors: Șuvar Marius Cornel , Munteanu Laurențiu , Vass Zoltan 
Published: January 2022

Fire risk is perhaps the most common risk in the category of special emergencies, being a phenomenon that affects important areas of economic and social life, such as buildings, industrial facilities, public spaces, forests, crops, or transportation. Scientific investigation of fires is constituted as a set of organized actions, of technical nature, undertaken to determine the causes that led to the occurrence of fires, the source of ignition, and the circumstances that favored the event.
Numerical fire modeling is a widely recognized and accepted tool for analysis in fire research. The results of the investigation carried out on-site are compared with the results of fire evolution obtained by computer simulation, using numerical models based on known input data, to verify different hypotheses regarding the cause of the fire. The advantages over experimental methods are expressed by low costs and substantial time savings. Moreover, several simulations can be run simultaneously, for different scenarios of the event or the analysis of different consequences.
The paper presents the main advantages that numerical modeling by FDS methods brings in the technical-scientific expertise of fire, with implications in the data analysis, development, and testing of hypotheses, respectively in the selection process of the final hypothesis. words.
Uniportal Full-Endoscopic versus Minimally Invasive Decompression for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Jiang Yuqing , Yin Jianjian , Nong Luming , Xu Nanwei 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Background In this study, we systematically analyze the effectiveness of the uniportal full-endoscopic (UPFE) and minimally invasive (MIS) decompression for treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis patients.
Methods We performed a systematic search in Medline, Embase, Europe PMC, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane databases, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China national knowledge infrastructure, and Wanfang Data databases for all relevant studies. All statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager version 5.3.
Results A total of 9 articles with 522 patients in the UPFE group and 367 patients in the MIS group were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the UPFE group had significantly better results in hospital stay time (mean difference [MD]: –2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: –2.87 to –1.23), intraoperative blood loss (MD: –36.56; 95% CI: –54.57 to –18.56), and wound-related complications (MD: –36.56; 95%CI: –54.57 to –18.56) compared with the MIS group, whereas the postoperative clinical scores (MD: –0.66; 95%CI: –1.79 to 0.47; MD: –0.75; 95%CI: –1.86 to 0.36; and MD: –4.58; 95%CI: –16.80 to 7.63), satisfaction rate (odds ratio [OR] = 1.24; 95%CI: 0.70–2.20), operation time (MD: 30.31; 95%CI: –12.55 to 73.18), complication rates for dural injury (OR = 0.60; 95%CI: 0.29–1.26), epidural hematoma (OR = 0.60; 95%CI: 0.29–1.26), and postoperative transient dysesthesia and weakness (OR = 0.73; 95%CI: 0.36–1.51) showed no significant differences between the two groups.
Conclusions The UPFE decompression is associated with shorter hospital stay time and lower intraoperative blood loss and wound-related complications compared with MIS decompression for treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis patients. The postoperative clinical scores, satisfaction rate, operation time, complication rates for dural injury, epidural hematoma, and postoperative transient dysesthesia and weakness did not differ significantly between two groups.
Five-Year Prospective Study on Implant Failure and Marginal Bone Remodeling Expected Using Bone Level Implants with Sandblasted/Acid-Etched Surface and Conical Connection
Authors: Tallarico Marco , Lumbau Aurea Maria Immacolata , Meloni Silvio Mario , Ieria Irene , Park Chang-Joo , Zadrożny Lukasz , Xhanari Erta , Pisano Milena 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Objective The purpose of the present prospective, case-series study was to report implant survival rate and marginal bone remodeling expected 5 years after loading using dental implants placed in daily practice.
Materials and Methods This research was designed as an open-cohort, prospective, case-series evaluation. Any partially or completely edentulous patient, scheduled to receive at least one bone level implant, was considered eligible for this study. Primary outcome measurements were: implant and prosthetic cumulative survival rate and any complications experienced up to the 5-year follow-up. Secondary outcome measures were: thickness of gingival biotype, implant insertion torque, implant stability quotient, and marginal bone loss (MBL).
Results Ninety consecutive patients (34 males and 56 females, aged between 24 and 81 years old [mean: 53.2 ± 15.4]) with 243 inserted implants were followed for at least 5 years after loading (mean: 65.4 ± 3.1 months; range from 60 to 72). At the 1-year follow-up, no drop-outs were recorded, but 17 patients (18.9%) with 18 restorations (12.6%) delivered on 34 implants (14%) were lost at the 5-year examination. At the 5-year follow-up examination, six implants lost osseointegration (97.5%). In the same period, four prostheses failed (97.2%). Five complications were reported in five different patients (prosthetic success rate was 96.5%, at patient level). Five years after loading, the mean MBL was 0.41 ± 0.30 mm. The difference from the 1-year data was 0.04 ± 0.19 mm. A statistically significant higher MBL was found for smokers, and patients with thin gingival biotype. The mean implant insertion torque was 42.9 ± 4.8 Ncm (range from 15 to 45 Ncm). Two-hundred and three implants (83.5%) were inserted with an insertion torque ≥35 and ≤45 Ncm.
Conclusions High implant survival and success rate could be expected with stable marginal bone remodeling up to 5 years after loading. Smoking and thin tissue biotype were the most important variabilities associated with higher MBL. Further research studies are needed to confirm these results.
Clinical Significance of Vascular Occlusive Events following Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: An Observational Cohort Study
Authors: Fletcher-Sandersjöö Alexander , Tatter Charles , Tjerkaski Jonathan , Bartek Jr Jiri , Svensson Mikael , Thelin Eric Peter , Bellander Bo-Michael 
Published: January 2022

AbstractPreventing hemorrhage progression is a potential therapeutic opportunity in traumatic brain injury (TBI) management, but its use has been limited by fear of provoking vascular occlusive events (VOEs). However, it is currently unclear whether VOE actually affects outcome in these patients. The aim of this study was to determine incidence, risk factors, and clinical significance of VOE in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI. A retrospective observational cohort study of adults (≥15 years) with moderate-to-severe TBI was performed. The presence of a VOE during hospitalization was noted from hospital charts and radiological reports. Functional outcome, using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), was assessed at 12 months posttrauma. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used for endpoint assessment. In total, 848 patients were included, with a median admission Glasgow Coma Scale of 7. A VOE was detected in 54 (6.4%) patients, of which cerebral venous thrombosis was the most common (3.2%), followed by pulmonary embolism (1.7%) and deep vein thrombosis (1.3%). Length of ICU stay (p < 0.001), body weight (p = 0.002), and skull fracture (p = 0.004) were independent predictors of VOE. VOE development did not significantly impact 12-month GOS, even after adjusting for potential confounders using propensity score matching. In conclusion, VOE in moderate-to-severe TBI patients was relatively uncommon, and did not affect 12-month GOS. This suggests that the potential benefit of treating bleeding progression might outweigh the risks of VOE.
Recurrent Isolated Sixth Nerve Palsy in Childhood—Review on a Rare Phenomenon
Authors: Kingma Sandra D. K. , Ceulemans Berten 
Published: January 2022

AbstractSixth nerve palsy is an ominous sign in pediatric neurology. Due to the long and tortuous course of the sixth (abducens) nerve, it is generally considered a sign of intracranial pathology. Sixth nerve palsy is associated with increased intracranial pressure and neoplasms, among other less frequent causes. In ∼5 to 15% of cases, no cause can be identified. These cases are classified as idiopathic or “benign” and recovery is typically complete. A recurrence of symptoms is very rare. We provide a rare case report of recurrent benign sixth nerve palsy in a 5-year-old child. In addition, we provide an overview of all earlier published cases of recurrent isolated sixth nerve palsy. To date, only 72 pediatric patients with recurrent isolated sixth nerve palsy have been reported. Young females with left-sided sixth nerve palsy and recent immunization are at risk of recurrence. Pathophysiological mechanisms have been discussed, but have yet to be clarified. Recurrent isolated sixth nerve palsy is only rarely associated with severe causes and the need for extensive investigation may be questioned.
Analysis of Serum Cholesterol, Statins and Atherosclerotic Plaque in Ruptured and Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysm
Authors: Pipek Leonardo Zumerkorn , Rabelo Nícollas Nunes , Pipek Henrique Zumerkorn , Telles Joao Paulo Mota , Barbat Natalia Camargo , Coelho Antônio Carlos Samaia da Silva , Yoshikawa Marcia Harumy , Barbosa Guilherme Bitencourt , Teixeira Manoel Jacobsen , Figueiredo Eberval Gadelha 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Introduction Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a major healthcare concern. The use of statin to reduce serum cholesterol has shown evidence to reduce cardiovascular risk in various diseases, but the impact on IA has not been described. This study aims to determine whether statin use, and serum cholesterol levels interfere with outcomes after IA event.
Methods A cohort of patients with IA was analyzed. Patients social and demographics data were collected. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) score after 6 months of follow-up was the endpoint. The data regarding statins use, presence or not of atherosclerotic plaque in radiological images and serum cholesterol of 35 patients were included in our study. Linear regression models were used to determine the influence of those 6 variables in the clinical outcome.
Results The prevalence of atherosclerotic plaque, high cholesterol and use of statins was 34.3%, 48.5%, and 14.2%, respectively. Statins and serum cholesterol did not impact the overall outcome, measured by mRS after 6 months (p > 0.05), but did show different tendencies when separated by IA rupture status. Serum cholesterol shows an important association with rupture of aneurysm (p = 0.0382). High cholesterol and use of statins show a tendency for worse outcome with ruptured aneurysm, and the opposite is true for unruptured aneurysm. The presence of atherosclerotic plaques was not related with worse outcomes.
Conclusions Multiple and opposite mechanisms might be involved in the pathophysiology of IA. Ruptured aneurysms are associated with higher levels of serum cholesterol. Serum cholesterol and statins use were not correlated with worse outcomes, but further studies are important to clarify these relationships.
Constructing a teaching capability maturity model for content and language integrated learning teachers in Taiwan
Authors: Luo Wen-Hsing , Chen Yin-Che 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe national policy of bilingual education will inevitably entail a demand for content and language integrated learning (CLIL) teachers. Consequently, feasible and sustainable CLIL teacher education in Taiwan will be required. This study explored a teaching capability maturity model for CLIL teachers based on the level of maturity of teachers’ teaching capabilities. The modified Delphi method and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process were used. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit 33 interdisciplinary professional CLIL teachers. The three most important levels in the model were the basic course management, advanced course management and implementation, and initial levels. Implications of the results are discussed and suggestions for CLIL teacher education are proposed, such as emphasising the development of course management capabilities and providing teachers with practical experience in teaching content subjects.
Speak, memory: the postphenomenological analysis of memory-making in the age of algorithmically powered social networks
Authors: Kudina Olya 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis paper explores the productive role that social network platforms such as Facebook, play in the practice of memory-making. While such platforms facilitate interaction across distance and time, they also solidify human self-expression and memory-making by systematically confronting the users with their digital past. By relying on the framework of postphenomenology, the analysis will scrutinize the mediating role of the Memories feature of Facebook, powered by recurring algorithmic scheduling and devoid of meaningful context. More specifically, it will show how this technological infrastructure mediates the concepts of memory, control and space, evoking a specific interpretation of the values of time, remembering and forgetting. As such, apart from preserving memories, Facebook appears as their co-producer, guiding the users in determining the criteria for remembering and forgetting. The paper finishes with suggestions on how to critically appropriate the memory-making features of social network platforms that would both enable their informed use and account for their mediating role in co-shaping good memories.
Mapping and assessing sexual and reproductive health policy changes over time in Colombia: measuring their impact on pregnancy terminations
Authors: Nazif-Munoz José Ignacio , Chabot Rose 
Published: January 2022

AbstractSexual and reproductive health and rights policies (SRHRPs) and their association with reproductive and non-reproductive behavior require precise theoretical and methodological frames. By studying the case of Colombia, we move forward with a comprehensive framework that considers simultaneously multiple SRHRP conceptualizations and their impacts over time on induced pregnancy terminations (IPT). With a mixed-method approach, we first map the evolution of SRHRPs and then analyze their direct and indirect effects on IPTs, using the provision of contraceptive methods by the government, female use of contraceptive methods, and conversations with health professionals in a mediation approach. We build a unique data set from more than 2100 policy documents, and then use data on 81,760 women (20–40 years) from four waves (2000–2015) of Colombia’s Demographic and Health Surveys. We find that SRHRPs are directly associated with an 18% reduction in reported IPTs. Associations between these variables are explained by the increased use of modern contraceptive methods (6%), and the government’s provision of those contraceptive methods (13%). Studies interested in the impact of SRHRPs need to consider not only the direct effects of legal changes on abortion outcomes but also show changes over time may operate through different sub-programs embedded in these policies, such as access to contraceptive methods and family planning. This will add further nuances to how SRHRPs are both multilayered and implemented.
The production of social science research in Nigeria: status and systemic determinants
Authors: Egbetokun Abiodun , Olofinyehun Adedayo , Sanni Maruf , Ayo-Lawal Aderonke , Oluwatope Omolayo , Yusuff Utieyineshola 
Published: January 2022

AbstractNigeria has a very large research system, with nearly 200 universities that employed more than 60,000 academic staff at the end of 2019. The country is also one of Africa’s largest producers of scientific research across all disciplines, surpassed only by South Africa and Egypt. In the social sciences, in particular, Nigeria is Africa’s second-largest producer of published research, after South Africa. However, the country’s social science research (SSR) production does not match the size of its SSR system. Using mixed methods, we come up with two important reasons for this: (i) research inputs are low, mainly because research is poorly funded and researchers devote too little time to research as a result of poor organisational climate, and (ii) the research support system is weak. No single institution currently has a clear mandate to centrally coordinate SSR in Nigeria. Consequently, research efforts are often duplicated and the limited research resources are spread too thin. Moreover, logistical support for research is missing or inefficient in most organisations. Therefore, improving research productivity in the country would require much stronger research coordination and wide-ranging improvements in the research climate.