Short Communication Research Articles

Potential of the domestic biosimile omalizumab in achievement of control in patients with severe asthma: short communication

BACKGROUND: Severe atopic asthma is a medical and social problem due to its prevalence, the tendency to exacerbations, the impact on the quality of life and on the work ability, and high treatment costs. The appearance biosimilar omalizumab among biologicals makes such therapy more accessible to patients. This article presents the results of an open prospective clinical study of the biosimilar omalizumab in patients with the severe atopic asthma.
 AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the domestically produced biosimilar omalizumab in the real clinical practice.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 15 adult patients (19–66 years) with a reliable history consistent with moderate to severe atopic asthma who hadn`t have asthma control at the time of inclusion in the study. All patients received the Genolar (omalizumab, Generic JSC, Russia) for 52 weeks at the dose calculated according to the instructions. The efficacy was evaluated taking into account changes in symptom severity, improved asthma control using the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-5), pulmonary function tests, peak flow measurements, assessment the asthma exacerbations number and the healthcare resources use.
 RESULTS: According to our study results, all patients demonstrated a decrease in the night and daytime attacks frequency and the shortness of breath severity due to omalizumab, which made it possible to reduce the basic therapy and refuse systemic glucocorticosteroids using in patients who previously received there. After 6 months we obtained an improvement in the asthma symptoms control: ΔACQ-5=-1.87 (p=0.0002) compared to baseline with a trend towards further improvement in indicators and reached ΔACQ-5=-2.18 (p=0.0001) to the 52nd week. We also obtained a statistically significant improvement in pulmonary function (after a year of treatment, the increase in forced expiratory volume in the first second was +19.85% compared to baseline, p=0.0001). No asthma exacerbation was registered during 12 months omalizumab treatment.
 CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the biosimilar treatment in patients with severe atopic asthma allowed to achieve asthma control, decrease the exacerbations number and reduce the basic therapy volume, including oral-corticosteroid elimination.

Why the mode departs from the mean—a short communication

The occasional departure of the mode from the mean testifies that some elements of the set, defining the “identity” of an observed random phenomenon, are recurrent while others have become random. This recognition has far-reaching implications to the modeling of univariate unimodal random variation. Some of these are explored and demonstrated in this comment.

Leveraging understandings of biogeomorphic river recovery to reframe river management philosophy and communication strategies

AbstractA philosophical and communication shift is needed in river management if we are to meet sustainable development goals and tackle environmental challenges brought about by ongoing anthropogenic and climate change. In some parts of the world, recovery‐enhancement approaches to river management have been adopted, communicated and used for many years. At the heart of these approaches lies an understanding of the biogeomorphic forms, processes and evolutionary trajectories of rivers that differs philosophically from notions of restoration, rewilding or creation of a utopian natural state. Instead, recovery‐enhancement approaches aim to improve the biogeomorphic condition of rivers, recognising that they are dynamic entities and new evolutionary trajectories and novel ecosystems are being created that are now part of the environment. Accepting shifting baselines and moving targets is inherent as boundary conditions (water, sediment and vegetation interactions) continue to be altered under the influence of anthropogenic and climate change, and the impacts of ‘unprecedented’ wildfires, floods, heatwaves and drought are manifested on the ground. The river management sector has not yet fully adapted to this reality with large amounts of applied science and on‐ground practice still focussed on restoration, re‐engineering and rewilding, words which in themselves produce a false impression of the aims, visions and achievability of river management. Embracing recovery‐enhancement approaches to river management requires a conscious shift in communication strategies and terminology to present more realistic expectations and possibilities for river condition improvement, a responsibility that is incumbent upon us, the scientists and practitioners, who work in the applied science and river management profession. In this Short Communication, I use a case study from eastern Australia to illustrate what biogeomorphic river recovery can look like. I use this to discuss the potential for adoption of a recovery‐enhancement approach to river management more broadly, and call on scientists and practitioners to make a conscious philosophical and communications shift when working in applied science and river management.

What's in a name? Political and economic concepts differ in social media references to harmful algae blooms

Policies and management decisions in the marine environment are driven in part by public sentiment which can grow more intense during hazard events like Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs). The public conversations on social media sites like Twitter (before X) reveal the polarized nature of HABs through nuanced language and sentiment. This article uses mixed methods of machine learned topic modeling and inductive qualitative coding to describe the ways the long-term 2017–2019 Karenia brevis “red tide” bloom were politicized across Florida's South West coast. It finds that there are topical differences in keywords related to place (e.g. beach, Florida, coast), agent (individual or organization), and epistemic values (reliance on scientific and/or media reports). These topical differences demonstrate different levels of politicization and partisanship in qualitative analysis. Conceptually, this research demonstrates the ways different dimensions of a long-duration marine hazard can be polarized. Regarding management, this research provides insights to political and organizational stakeholders and the gaps in the discourse shaping marine hazards which can be used to strategically guide future social media engagement to manage politicization.What if all the careful work that resource and environmental managers do can be undone by simple, seemingly uncontroversial words? In an era of increased environmental and marine distress—coupled with short format communication—the ways environmental managers choose their words is crucial, even between ostensibly inconsequential nouns like “red tide” or “algae bloom.” Policies and management decisions in the marine environment are driven in part by public sentiment which can grow more intense during hazard events like Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs). The public conversations on social media sites like Twitter (before X) reveal the polarized nature of HABs through nuanced language and sentiment. This article relies on mining social media posts, and uses mixed methods of machine-learned topic modeling and human-driven inductive qualitative coding to describe the ways the long-term 2017–2019 Karenia brevis “red tide” blooms were politicized across Florida's South West coast. It finds that there are topical differences in keywords related to place (e.g. beach, Florida, coast), agent (individual or organization), and epistemic values (reliance on scientific and/or media reports). These topical differences demonstrate different levels of politicization and partisanship in qualitative analysis. Conceptually, this research demonstrates the ways different dimensions of a long-duration marine hazard can be polarized. Regarding management, this research provides insights to political and organizational stakeholders and the gaps in the discourse shaping marine hazards which can be used to strategically guide future social media engagement to manage politicization.

Research on the influence mechanism of short video communication effect of furniture brand: Based on ELM model and regression analysis

The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and regression analysis were used to investigate the impact of furniture brands’ communication strategies on consumer behavior through short video platforms. The work examined a set of representative short videos, analyzing how key features—such as content theme, duration (16-60 seconds), graphics, subtitles, background music, and title style—affected communication effectiveness. The ELM model uncovered the correlation between these video characteristics and the Communication Effect Index (DCI), with statistical significance confirmed by regression. Findings indicated that live broadcasts, graphical presentations, subtitles/topics, upbeat music, and exclamatory titles significantly enhanced communication efficiency. Limitations, including time-period sampling bias, sample size, and item duplication in the ELM application, were also considered. Based on these findings, the research offers optimization suggestions and future directions for furniture enterprises in leveraging short video marketing.

“Ǫuantum Jump” and Their Effects on the Photo Whitening Technique

Recent research on tooth whitening aims to optimize whitening while minimizing its side effects, such as tooth hypersensitivity and damage to the soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Various research with methodology using colorimetric and spectrophotometric tests shows that the technique applying violet light, with a wavelength of 408 nm, produced better results than other sources normally used in tooth whitening. Scientific findings prove the results that simultaneously applying dental whitening in the office with transparent/colorless gels and violet LEDs allows the light to interact directly with the pigments, increasing the oxidation effect with the peroxide itself. So, there is a double effect: the photochemical action with the oxidation molecule with the peroxides promoting the optimization of the traditional use of chemical agents. This short communication aims to highlight the advantage of using violet light and provide more physical and chemical information about this whitening process. This is a new technique, without producing heat, roughness or sensitivity, with comfort and safety for the patient and professional. We can conclude that new studies become relevant for the evolution of this technique.

Adrenal Insufficiency after Long-term use of Topical Glucocorticoids in Patients with Advanced Cutaneous T-cell Lymphomas: A Case Series.

Abstract is missing (Short communication)

Successful Therapy of Severe and Refractory Cutaneous Sarcoidosis with Baricitinib.

Abstract is missing (Short communication)

Short communication: A novel multispecies bacteria-based direct-fed microbial supports in vitro gut barrier integrity challenged with a pathogen or pro-inflammatory cytokines.

We conducted two experiments to evaluate the effects of a novel bacterial-based direct-fed microbial (DFM) on intestinal barrier integrity using the in vitro transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) assay. In experiment 1, human-derived Caco-2 cells received or not (CON) a DFM containing Ligilactobacillus (formerly Lactobacillus) animalis 506, Propionibacterium freudenreichii 507, Bacillus paralicheniformis 809, and B. subtilis 597 (BDP; BOVAMINE DEFEND® Plus) at a rate of 1 × 108 CFU/transwell. Concurrently with treatment application (CON or BDP), a pathogenic challenge of Clostridium perfringens type A was added alone (PAT) or with BDP (PAT+BDP) at a rate of 2.8 × 107 CFU/transwell in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. In experiment 2, Caco-2 cells were also assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial design to CON or BDP and then, two hours post-treatment administration (CON and BDP), a mixture of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) was added alone (CYT) or with BDP (CYT+BDP) at a 10:1 ratio, respectively. In both experiments, TEER was measured for 18 hours. In experiment 1, a DFM × pathogen × hour interaction was observed for TEER (P < 0.0001). Adding the PAT alone initially tended to increase TEER vs. CON from 1.1 to 2.2h (P ≤ 0.09), increased TEER at 3.2h (P < 0.01), but reduced TEER from 5.4 to the end of the experimental period at 18.4h (P ≤ 0.01). On the other hand, adding DFM, with or without the pathogenic challenge, yielded greater TEER vs. CON-CON and CON-PAT for most of the experimental period (P ≤ 0.04). A similar interaction was detected and reported in experiment 2 (P < 0.0001). The CYT challenge reduced mean TEER compared with all other treatments from 3.2h to the remainder of the study (P ≤ 0.03). On the other hand, BDP-CYT was able to maintain the integrity of the epithelial cells when compared with CON-CON throughout the experimental period (P ≤ 0.03), the exception being at 3.2h (P = 0.20). Moreover, BDP-CON increased (P ≤ 0.04) TEER when compared with CON-CON from 3.2 to 18.4h, but also in comparison with BDP-CYT from 4.3 to 18.4h post-DFM and challenge administration into the cells. In summary, C. perfringens type A and a pro-inflammatory cytokine cocktail compromised the integrity of intestinal epithelial cell monolayers in vitro, whereas adding a multispecies bacteria-based DFM counteracted these damaging effects.

Microstrip antenna with reflector and air gap for short range communication in 900 MHz band

This paper proposes a microstrip antenna that was made of a microstrip fed slot with a complimentary stub on a single dielectric medium. This antenna was integrated with a reflector and air gap for the application of short range communication (SRC) in a 900 MHz band. Analyses were made on the dimension of the reflector and the height of the air gap towards the antenna performance. Besides, an antenna field test was done for the propagation distance of the proposed antenna. As a result, with the antenna size of 13,770 mm2 , the measured return loss was -10.79 dB and the directivity gain was 7.44 dBi. Besides, with the effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of 7.44 dBm, it was predicted that at 100 m, the received signal would be around 60 to 70 dBm. Therefore, a high gain was produced by using a reflector with air gap and a compact size was achieved if compared to conventional high gain antenna designs such as Yagi Uda. Thus, it is suitable for a communication device such as the SRC application.

Short communication: Characterizing arterial and venous blood gases over the gas exchange surface, the chorioallantoic membrane, of embryonic American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) at two points of development

Assessments of arterial and venous blood gases are required to understand the function of respiratory organs in animals at different stages of development. We measured blood gases in the arteries entering and veins leaving the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) in embryonic alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). The CAM accounts for virtually all gas exchange in these animals, and we hypothesized that the CAM vasculature would be larger in eggs incubated in hypoxia (10% O2 for 50% or 70% of incubation), which would be reflected in a lower partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2). Contrary to this hypothesis, our measurements revealed no effects of hypoxic incubation on PCO2, and seemingly no increase in vascularization of the CAM in response to incubation in 10% O2. PCO2 was lower on the venous side, but only significantly different from arterial blood at 70% of incubation. The calculated blood flow to the CAM increased with development and was lower in both groups of alligators that had been incubated in hypoxia. Future studies should include measurements of blood parameters taken from embryos held in conditions that mirror incubation O2 levels, in combination with direct measurements of CAM artery blood flow.

Steel structure project to support research at the Butantan Institute

Aiming to achieve Objective 3 of Sustainable Developments of the UN 2030 Agenda (solution for health and well-being), this paper categorized as a short communication deal with a technical project that supported the Butantan Institute, based in São Paulo – Brazil, in research and development of vaccines and medicines. In this way, the structural and constructive proposal devised by the authors contributed to the development of an integral, cohesive, sustainable project suitable for the objectives of supporting the technical production of the aforementioned Institute and providing greater interaction with the general public. This project proposal was part of the 14th CBCA/ALACERO Competition for Architecture Students – Steel Structures 2021, promoted by CBCA – Centro Brasileiro da Construção em Aço, in Brazil, awarded 3rd place.

Efficient synthesis of tricaproin: catalyst and reaction optimization

Abstract This study presents a short communication on exploring, for the first time, a simple approach for the selective and highly effective synthesis of tricaproin by synergistically combining silicon tripolyphosphate and phosphoric acid in the catalytic esterification of glycerol with caproic acid. Results reveal that within the initial hour of the synthesis, the conversion in the presence of the proposed mixture achieved an efficiency of 62.99 %, whereas this figure for individual catalysts only modestly stopped at 27.50 and 11.74 %, respectively. Furthermore, the inherent shortcomings in the tricaprion synthesis, such as catalyst deactivation, resinification of the reaction solution, and generation of numerous by-products, were successfully addressed. The structure of the resultant tricaproin and the possible absence of undesired by-products were confirmed by NMR, mass spectrometry, FT-IR, and TLC. The optimal conditions for the synthesis were also investigated. The study not only contributes a practical and selective synthetic approach for tricaproin but also paves the way for exploring novel avenues to enhance the efficiency of the catalytic esterification.

Short Communication: Pregnant dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) stranding in Palk Bay, India: Insights and significance of stranding records

This Short Communication describes the stranding of a pregnant dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) in Palk Bay, India. The dwarf sperm whale is little understood in Indian waters and considered to be one of the most unusual and rare stranded cetaceans in some parts of Tamil Nadu. While these whales have been more common in Palk Bay over recent years, only few stranding events have been reported. This study focuses on the first-documented stranding of a pregnant dwarf sperm whale in Indian waters, highlighting the significance of Palk Bay and associated waters as breeding grounds which can impact the population status.

Short communication: Opportunities and challenges for Peruvian fine flavored cocoa

The notable increase in the price of cocoa globally has generated interest both in the scientific community and in the many actors involved in the production chain. The objective of this communication was to collect some opinions on the opportunities and challenges that must be addressed from the perspective of small producers, academia and government. The need to improve native varieties of fine-flavor cocoa to be highly productive and resilient to climate change is discussed, as well as the urgency of effective knowledge transfer from academia in optimizing the conditions of fermentation, drying, and roasting processes, according to cocoa variety and considering producers' conditions. Actions to promote cocoa consumption, such as its inclusion in gastronomy, promotion of its nutraceutical properties, redefinition of fair objectives, and formation of specialized taster schools, are also suggested. Finally, it is noted that it is necessary to clarify state interventions to avoid redundant efforts, as well as to allocate a budget to fulfil the "National Plan for the Development of the Cocoa and Chocolate Production Chain by 2030".

Short communication: morphophysiological response of kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix DC) subjected to defoliation and drought stress

ABSTRACT Renowned for its leaf-spice attributes, kaffir lime has economic value that is worthy of intensifying amidst environmental threats, such as drought stress. This study aimed to analyze the morpho-physiological traits of kaffir lime in response to defoliation and drought stress. Kaffir lime was subjected to drought, defoliation, and a combination of both arranged in a randomised complete block design. Concerning morphology, defoliated lime produced a new flush that grows like a crown, while drought-treated plants displayed a bent pose with withered, edge-rolled, and drooping leaves. Higher leaf drop incidences were also noticed in drought-stressed plants. A combination of defoliation and drought stress produced severe flushing disruption by reducing 61% flush number, 77% flush fresh weight, and 74% flush dry weight, compared to undefoliated plants in normal irrigated conditions. Regardless of drought stress conditions, leaf production did not show significant differences among all defoliated plants. Defoliated plants maintained their photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency, leading to the absence of bent flush and rolling leaves as morphological markers of drought-treated plants. It is implied that defoliation can be a practical strategy for adapting kaffir lime in a drought environment.

Short Communication: Taurine Long-Term Treatment Prevents the Development of Cardiac Hypertrophy, and Premature Death in Hereditary Cardiomyopathy of the Hamster Is Sex-Independent.

Recently, we reported that during the hypertrophic phase (230 days old) of hereditary cardiomyopathy of the hamster (HCMH), short-term treatment (20 days) with 250 mg/kg/day of taurine prevents the development of hypertrophy in males but not in females. However, the mortality rate in non-treated animals was higher in females than in males. To verify whether the sex-dependency effect of taurine is due to the difference in the disease's progression, we treated the 230-day-old animals for a longer time period of 122 days. Our results showed that long-term treatment with low and high concentrations of taurine significantly prevents cardiac hypertrophy and early death in HCMH males (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05, respectively) and females (p < 0.01 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Our results demonstrate that the reported sex dependency of short-term treatments with taurine is due to a higher degree of heart remodeling in females when compared to males and not to sex dependency. In addition, sex-dependency studies should consider the differences between the male and female progression of the disease. Thus, long-term taurine therapies are recommended to prevent remodeling and early death in hereditary cardiomyopathy.

Prediction of mortality in patients with secondary pulmonary embolism based on primary admission indication: A short communication.

We evaluated the prediction of mortality in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) who subsequently developed a pulmonary embolism (PE) (i.e., secondary PE) using three PE-specific scores, the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI), simplified PESI (sPESI), and modified sPESI (ICU-sPESI) and compared them to the gold standard for the assessment of ICU all-cause mortality, the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-IV (APACHE-IV). All critical care admission indications were grouped into four major categories: post-operative, cardiovascular, infectious (sepsis), and other. The APACHE-IV displayed better discriminative ability to predict in-hospital mortality than the PESI and ICU-sPESI, but these two scores still performed fair for the ICU admissions related to postoperative, cardiovascular, and other admission types. Meanwhile, the sPESI displayed poor predictive performance across all four admission categories. Notably, discriminatory performance for patients with an infection-related admission was consistently low regardless of which score was used.

Optimizing Hybrid V2X Communication: An Intelligent Technology Selection Algorithm Using 5G, C-V2X PC5 and DSRC

Cooperative communications advancements in Vehicular-to-Everything (V2X) are bolstering the autonomous driving paradigm. V2X nodes are connected through communication technology, such as a short-range communication mode (Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) and Cellular-V2X) or a long-range communication mode (Uu). Conventional vehicular networks employ static wireless vehicular communication technology without considering the traffic load on any individual V2X communication technology and the traffic dynamics in the vicinity of the V2X node, and are hence inefficient. In this study, we investigate hybrid V2X communication and propose an autonomous and intelligent technology selection algorithm using a decision tree. The algorithm uses the information from the received Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) Cooperative Awareness Messages (CAMs) to collect statistics such as inter vehicular distance, one-way end-to-end latency and CAM density. These statistics are then used as input for the decision tree for selecting the appropriate technology (DSRC, C-V2X PC5 or 5G) for the subsequent scheduled C-ITS message transmission. The assessment of the intelligent hybrid V2X algorithm’s performance in our V2X test setup demonstrates enhancements in one-way end-to-end latency, reliability, and packet delivery rate when contrasted with the conventional utilization of static technology.

Dermatological Comorbidities in Patients with Acute Urticaria.

Abstract is missing (Short communication)