bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Origin of glacial curvilineations by subglacial meltwater erosion: Evidence from the Stargard drumlin field, Poland
Authors: Hermanowski Piotr , Piotrowski Jan A. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractDeciphering the origin of subglacial landforms is crucial for understanding processes operating under ice sheets. Due to the inaccessibility of the ice/bed interface limiting real‐time observations, the origin of these landforms is typically interpreted from the morphological and sedimentological record exposed after ice retreat, which makes the conclusions conjectural. Here, we focus on a recently discovered new type of subglacial landform called glacial curvilineations (GCLs), whose formation generates some controversy. We use LiDAR imagery and geological data to constrain the origin of GCLs found in a tunnel valley in the Stargard drumlin field, Poland. The tunnel valley is about 3800 m long, 520 m wide, and it occupies about 2 km2. A total of 61 individual GCLs have been mapped there; they are up to 550 m long and typically 0.5–1.5 m high, but some reach a height of up to 5 m. The GCLs are composed of mostly massive till represented by either a single or several diamicton units occasionally separated by thin layers of meltwater sand. Till macrofabrics in the GCLs and in the nearby till plain are distinctly consistent, and have high and uniform clustering strengths. At all locations, the dominant till fabric direction broadly corresponds with the ice movement direction given by the drumlin orientations, but it is oblique to the orientation of the tunnel valley and independent of the orientations of the individual GCLs. The lack of correspondence between the orientation of the GCLs and the till fabrics in them suggests that the GCLs consist of an antecedent till deposited during the drumlinizing ice advance and subsequently carved by subglacial meltwater erosion in the tunnel valley. These results substantiate the hypothesis that GCLs are erosional features postdating the material constituting them, and emphasize the role of subglacial meltwater flows as a landforming agent.
Obese male Zucker rats exhibit dendritic remodeling in neurons of the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit as well as spatial memory deficits
Authors: Manuel Sánchez Dulce María , Limón Daniel , Silva Gómez Adriana Berenice 
Published: September 2022

AbstractObesity is characterized by excessive fat accumulation. The Zucker rat displays genetic obesity due to a mutation in the leptin receptor gene; this model is of great interest because of its similarity to human obesity. Brain regions may be affected by obesity, but detailed information is lacking. In the present study, we analyzed the morphology of neurons in the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit as well as the spatial memory of obese Zucker rats. We performed two experiments. Each experiment contained two experimental groups: the control group (male Long Evans rats) and the study group (obese male Zucker rats). We monitored the body weights of all rats over 4 weeks. In the first experiment, we analyzed the morphology of hippocampal neurons. Under anesthesia, we measured the abdominal and hip circumferences and collected at least 1 ml of blood to assess serum glucose (GLU), triglyceride (TGC), and cholesterol (COL) concentrations. We perfused the brains of these rats with 0.9% saline solution, incubated the brains in Golgi‐Cox solution, and subsequently evaluated the morphology of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus (the CA1‐CA3 regions) and the entorhinal cortex as well as the morphology of granule neurons in the dentate gyrus. In the second experiment, we assessed the spatial memory of animals with the Morris water maze. The Zucker rats had an obese phenotype, as indicated by their elevated body weight and increased abdominal and hip circumferences as well as elevated GLU, COL, and TGC concentrations. Analysis of neurons from the specified regions in obese male Zucker rats indicated reduced dendritic arborization and reduced dendritic spine density. In terms of spatial learning and memory, the obese Zucker rats exhibited intact spatial learning (i.e., of platform location) but deficits in spatial memory. These data provide evidence that obesity alters the morphology and function of hippocampal neurons.
Numerical and experimental analysis of the flat plate solar water heater systems' thermal performance
Authors: Freegah Basim 
Published: September 2022

AbstractIn this paper, improving the thermal performance of flat plate solar water heater systems by inserting different tube configurations inside the riser pipes has been numerically and experimentally studied. This study is focused on increasing the moving of energy from riser pipes to the operating fluid within the riser pipes. To achieve that, the diameter of the riser pipes was increased along with the insertion of different tube configurations within them, namely, smooth, helical, and wavy tubes, keeping the same amount of the operating liquid. A comparison was performed to determine the best in terms of coefficient of heat transfer of the operating liquid, mass flow rate of the operating liquid, pressure drop, and water temperature in the storage tank, as a thermal performance indication of the system under study. The findings show the model consisting of a straight tube inside the riser pipe provides the best thermal performance. In terms of thermal performance, the straight model outperforms the conventional model by 12.3%. An experimental and numerical comparison between the optimum model (straight model) was conducted. The study proves that the average difference between numerical results and experimental findings is 7.2%.
Impact of a pharmacist‐driven antimicrobial stewardship program on the prescription of antibiotics by intensive care physicians in a Latin American hospital: A retrospective study
Authors: Díaz‐Madriz José Pablo , Zavaleta‐Monestel Esteban , Chaverri‐Fernández José Miguel , Arguedas‐Chacón Sebastián , Arguedas‐Herrera Raquel , Leiva‐Montero Brayan , Vásquez‐Mendoza Ana Fernanda , Muñoz‐Gutiérrez Gabriel 
Published: September 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (AMS) has shown to be an effective tool for the rational use of antimicrobials, but this has been challenging in several Latin American countries, due to limited resources, such as the lack of trained clinical pharmacists in infectious disease. This study aims to determine the impact of a pharmacist‐driven AMS on the prescription of antibiotics by intensive care physicians (ICPs) and the bacterial resistance patterns in a Latin American hospital.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted that compared the optimal selection and the consumption (days of therapy/1000 ICP patient‐days) of antibiotics in patients treated by intensive care unit (ICU) physicians, before and after AMS implementation, defined as pre‐AMS (January–December 2014) and post‐AMS (January 2020–March 2021) at Hospital Clínica Bíblica, Costa Rica. Bacterial resistance patterns were also compared.Results333 patients met the inclusion criteria (52% pre‐AMS and 48% post‐AMS). After a five‐year intervention, the optimal antibiotic selection prescribed by ICP was 43.1% (n = 75) in the pre‐AMS period and 86.8% (n = 138) in the post‐AMS period (43.7% absolute improvement, P < 0.001). The prescription trends of some antibiotics showed an improvement, such as ertapenem in 45% (P < 0.001) and levofloxacin in 59% (P < 0.001). Also, there was an improvement in some empiric antibiotic prescriptions with the diagnosis, including an increase of 32% (P < 0.001) in Community‐Acquired Pneumonia. There was a reduction in the consumption of antimicrobials including a decrease of 66.9% (P = 0.017) for vancomycin and 64.7% (P = 0.033) for meropenem. Regarding bacterial resistance, the study found a decrease of 11% (P = 0.048) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to meropenem and a reduction in the detection of extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamase in Escherichia coli (11% decrease; P = 0.007).ConclusionThe pharmacist‐driven AMS showed a positive impact on antibiotic selection and consumption in ICU patients. In addition, strategies implemented through the AMS could have had a beneficial impact on antibiotic resistance.
Extracellular Vesicles as Communicators of Senescence in Musculoskeletal Aging
Authors: Alfonzo Monica Correa , Al Saedi Ahmed , Fulzele Sadanand , Hamrick Mark W. 
Published: September 2022

ABSTRACTExtracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, are released by numerous cell types. EVs are now acknowledged as playing a critical role in cell–cell communication in healthy aging as well as in age‐related diseases. Recently it was shown that senescence, a key hallmark of aging, increases the secretion of EVs. Moreover, EVs can transport proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs) that are key components of the senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Here we review evidence that SASP‐related miRNAs are involved in musculoskeletal degeneration with aging. Specifically, senescence‐related miRNAs are elevated in EVs released by skeletal muscle myocytes and fibro‐adipogenic progenitor cells with aging and disuse atrophy, respectively. Many of these same senescence‐related miRNAs are detected in EVs from the synovial fluid of patients with osteoarthritis, and these miRNAs can contribute to cartilage degeneration. Finally, senescence‐associated miRNAs are secreted from bone marrow–derived stem (stromal) cells impacting neighboring hematopoietic stem cells and circulating in the blood. The senescence‐associated miRNA mir‐34a, which is known to target Wnt and Notch pathways as well as the cell survival factors Sirt1 and Bcl2, is detected in EVs from human and animal subjects with muscle atrophy, bone loss, and osteoarthritis. These findings suggest that suppressing the secretion of EV‐derived, senescence‐related miRNAs, such as miR‐34a, or increasing levels of competing endogenous long noncoding RNAs, such as MALAT1 that inhibit miR‐34a, may help to improve musculoskeletal function with aging. © 2022 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Wastewater treatment potential, light penetration profile and biomass settling performance of a photo‐sequencing batch reactor
Authors: García Alfonso , Valenzuela Edgardo I. , Vargas Alejandro , de Godos Ignacio , Muñoz Raúl , Wang Meng , Vital‐Jácome Miguel , Quijano Guillermo 
Published: September 2022

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe performance of microalgal and bacterial systems devoted to wastewater treatment might be limited by the poor settling of microalgal biomass and the inhibition of nitrifying bacteria under high irradiance conditions. This work implemented a photo‐sequencing batch bioreactor (PSBR) treating medium‐ and low‐strength wastewaters. The impact of a short settling time on the formation of microalgal–bacterial aggregates (MABAs) was evaluated. Moreover, online photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) measurements at the bottom of the PSBR were used to identify potential nitrifying activity inhibition.RESULTSA chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency of up to 88% was obtained for the medium‐ and low‐strength wastewaters. Photoinhibition of the nitrifying activity was observed at PAR values from 73 to 480 μmol m−2 s−1, and it was confirmed under non‐limiting dissolved oxygen conditions. The PSBR operating conditions, including a short settling time (30 min) and treatment of medium‐strength wastewater, favored the rapid formation of MABAs in only 19 days, with a biomass settling velocity (vs) of 0.74 m h−1. The microalgal genera Acutudesmus, Desmodesmus, and Chlorella were predominant in the MABAs. Experimental estimation of the light extinction coefficient (λ = 0.056 m2 g−1 total suspended solids) allowed the simulation of light penetration profiles at different reactor liquid depths and biomass concentrations.CONCLUSIONA short settling time favors the rapid formation of MABAs in PSBR‐type reactors treating medium‐strength wastewater. Online monitoring and simulation of light penetration is a valuable tool to determine photoinhibition of the nitrifying activity in microalgal and bacterial systems. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Prevalence and factors associated with mild depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults living with HIV from the Kenyan coast
Authors: Mwangala Patrick N. , Nasambu Carophine , Wagner Ryan G. , Newton Charles R. , Abubakar Amina 
Published: September 2022

AbstractIntroductionEmpirical research on the burden and determinants of common mental disorders (CMDs), especially depression and anxiety, among older adults living with HIV (OALWH) in sub‐Saharan Africa is inadequate. To bridge the gap in Kenya we: (1) determined the prevalence of CMDs among OALWH on routine HIV care compared to HIV‐negative peers; (2) investigated HIV status as an independent predictor of CMDs in older adults; and (3) investigated CMD determinants.MethodsIn a cross‐sectional study conducted between 2020 and 2021, the prevalence of CMDs and associated determinants were investigated at the Kenyan coast among 440 adults aged ≥50 years (257 OALWH). The Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were administered alongside measures capturing biopsychosocial information. Logistic regression was used to examine the correlates of CMDs.ResultsNo significant differences were found in the prevalence of mild depressive symptoms, 23.8% versus 18.2% (p = 0.16) and mild anxiety symptoms, 11.7% versus 7.2% (p = 0.12) among OALWH compared to HIV‐negative peers, respectively. HIV status was not independently predictive of CMDs. Among OALWH, higher perceived HIV‐related stigma, ageism, increasing household HIV burden, loneliness, increasing functional disability, sleeping difficulties, chronic fatigue and advanced age (>70 years) were associated with elevated CMDs. Among HIV‐negative older adults, loneliness, increased medication burden and sleeping difficulties were associated with elevated depressive symptoms. Easier access to HIV care was the only factor associated with lower CMDs among OALWH.ConclusionsOn the Kenyan coast, the burden of moderate and severe CMDs among older adults is low; however, both OALWH and their HIV‐negative peers have a similar relatively high burden of mild depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our results also suggest that determinants of CMDs among OALWH in this setting are predominantly psychosocial factors. These results highlight the need for psychosocial interventions (at the family, community and clinical levels) to mitigate the risks of mild CMDs as they are known to be potentially debilitating.
Serum thrombin‐activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor levels and its relation with pathogenesis and bleeding and prognosis in patients with Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever
Authors: Altin Nilgun , Altay Fatma Aybala , Albayrak Murat , Sahingoz Seyda Ozdemir , Sencan Irfan 
Published: September 2022

AbstractCrimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral hemorrhagic fever, which is common in Turkey and globally. The pathogenesis of coagulation disorders, which is seen in viral hemorrhagic fevers remains to be elucidated. Thrombin‐activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) has a key role in this process In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether TAFI levels contributed to bleeding and whether it is related to prognosis in CCHF patients. Eighty‐four patients older than 15 years of age, who were admitted to our hospital who had positive immunoglobulin M (enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) and/or polymerase chain reaction test results for CCHF between 2009 and 2010, were included in the study. The control group included 30 healthy adults. The plasma TAFI levels were compared between patients and controls, and also between patients with bleeding and no bleeding, and between patients with mild‐moderate and severe disease. The mean TAFI levels were lower in patients (mean: 87.82 ng/ml, median: 61.69 ng/ml (interquartile range [IQR] 30.49–537.95) than controls (mean: 313.5 ng/ml with a median: 338.5 ng/ml (IQR 182–418). However, median TAFI levels were significantly higher in patients with bleeding compared to those without bleeding (78.99 and 50.28 ng/ml, respectively; p = 0.032). Median IQR TAFI levels were similar between patients with mild‐moderate and severe disease (64.72 (41.37–113.85), and, 58.66 (42.44–118.93) ng/ml, respectively; p = 0.09) and survivors and nonsurvivors (86.14 ± 77.98 and 103.48 ± 69.92, respectively; p = 0.3). Although TAFI levels were lower in the patients with CCHF compared to healthy controls, it does not seem to be a major player in the prognosis.
Serum ferritin diagnosis and prediction of hepatitis B virus‐related acute‐on‐chronic liver failure
Authors: Luo Jinjin , Liang Xi , Xin Jiaojiao , Li Peng , Li Jiaqi , Jiang Jing , Wang Yifan , Lu Yingyan , Shi Dongyan 
Published: September 2022

AbstractEarly diagnosis and prediction of hepatitis B virus‐related acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (HBV‐ACLF) is important to reduce mortality. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic and predictive value of serum ferritin (SF) in HBV‐ACLF patients. Clinical data from 1905 hospitalized patients with acute deterioration of HBV‐related chronic liver diseases were analyzed to explore the association between SF and ACLF. A co‐expression network based on transcriptomics data for 20 HBV‐ACLF patients was constructed to investigate biological processes related to ferritin. Of 1270 patients in the derivation group, 440 and 830 were diagnosed with and without ACLF, respectively, based on Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B‐ACLF criteria. SF levels showed high diagnostic accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic [AUROC]: 0.820) for ACLF at admission. In patients with ACLF, SF was associated with liver and coagulation failure. In patients without ACLF, SF predicted risk for 28‐day progression to ACLF (AUROC: 0.808). A validation group of 635 patients confirmed the above results. Moreover, SF was significantly associated with the immune response based on transcriptomics analysis. SF is a potential diagnostic and predictive marker for HBV‐ACLF and might play a crucial role in immune disorders in HBV‐ACLF.
Prevalence of drug resistant HIV‐1 forms in patients without any history of antiretroviral therapy in the Republic of Guinea
Authors: Shchemelev Alexander N. , Boumbaly Sanaba , Ostankova Yulia V. , Zueva Elena B. , Semenov Alexander V. , Totolian Areg A. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractTo study the structure of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 drug resistance (DR) in patients with newly diagnosed infection. Residents of the Republic of Guinea (N = 2168) were tested for HIV using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Individuals with a positive result were further examined for the presence of viral load in blood plasma. HIV was analyzed using Sanger sequencing. The obtained sequences were genotyped using REGA (version 3.0) and analyzed in MEGA 7. Analysis for the presence of DR mutations was performed using the Stanford University HIV DR Database. Serological markers of HIV were detected in 239 people, which represents 11.02% of the entire sample. HIV RNA was detected in 58 people. The following subtypes were seen: HIV CRF02_AG (41.9%); A1 (29.1%); A3 (12.9%); URF A1_G (12.9%); and G (3.2%). In 25% of patients, at least one significant mutation was encountered leading directly to HIV DR. The mutations encountered cause resistance to NRTI and NNRTI; one case of multiple resistance was identified. Major resistance to protease inhibitor was not seen. The detection of HIV‐1 mutations associated with DR, in individuals who have never received antiretroviral therapy, is a cause for concern. It suggests that: new infections are occurring with strains that already have resistance; and the expansion of resistance is not always directly associated with selective drug pressure. Among the likely reasons for the high prevalence of primary HIV DR in the Republic of Guinea, drug availability is probably the key. The consequence of this is the lack of adherence of patients to treatment, the formation and transmission of resistant variants of the virus in the population. These findings suggest the need to test patients for resistant virus variants before initiating treatment.
Utility of telemedicine in tracheostomy‐dependent children
Authors: Li Lilun , Jo Stacy , Kawai Kosuke , Yacovone Laura , Jackmin Mary , Nuss Roger C. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractObjectivesTelemedicine can improve access to pediatric otolaryngology care by decreasing travel time and cost, and lowering the risk of viral transmission during the SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) pandemic. This study aims to identify the clinical role and outcomes of telemedicine for tracheostomy‐dependent children before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsRetrospective chart review of 42 tracheostomy‐dependent pediatric patients who utilized telemedicine between October 2013 and April 2020 (pre‐COVID‐19), and 111 patients who utilized telemedicine between May 2020 and July 2021 (during COVID‐19) at a tertiary free‐standing children's hospital outpatient clinic.ResultsThe majority of pre‐COVID‐19 telecommunication solely addressed tracheostomy stomal concerns as compared with during COVID‐19 (99% vs. 3%, p < .001), while telecommunication during COVID‐19 was mainly used for routine follow‐up as compared with pre‐COVID‐19 (99% vs. 0%, p < .001). Telemedicine visits during COVID‐19 were significantly less likely to result in the need for in‐person office visits as compared with those pre‐COVID‐19 (4% vs. 22%; p < .001). There was no significant difference in urgent emergency department (ED) evaluation following telemedicine pre‐ and during COVID‐19 (16% vs. 11%). The most common reasons for ED presentation both pre‐ and during COVID‐19 following telemedicine visit included respiratory distress, dislodged tracheostomy tube, and tracheostomy bleeding.ConclusionThe clinical role of telemedicine has evolved from problem‐based evaluation to routine follow‐up during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Although telemedicine can decrease the need for in‐person office evaluation of routine tracheostomy concerns, respiratory complications and tracheostomy bleeding still require urgent in‐person ED evaluation.Level of evidenceLevel 4.