bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) in Delaying or Avoiding Mechanical Ventilation in COVID-19 Respiratory Failure: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Cameron Allan , Fattah Sharif , Knox Laura , Grose Pauline
Published: August 2021

Background - During the winter of 2020-2021, the second wave of the COVID19 pandemic in the United Kingdom caused increased demand for intensive care unit (ICU) beds, and in particular, for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). To alleviate some of this pressure, some centres offered non-invasive continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), delivered on specialised COVID high dependency units (cHDUs). However, this practice was based largely on anecdotal reports, and it is not clear from the literature how effective CPAP is at delaying or preventing IMV. Methods - This was a retrospective observational cohort study of consecutive patients admitted to a specialised cHDU at Glasgow Royal Infirmary between November 2020 and February 2021. Each patient had a continuous record of the level of respiratory support required, and was followed up to hospital discharge or death. We examined patient outcomes according to age, sex and maximum level of respiratory support, using logistic regression and time-to-event analysis. The number of patients who could not be oxygenated by standard oxygen facemask but could be oxygenated by CPAP was counted and compared to the number of patients admitted to ICU for IMV over the same period.Results - There were 152 admissions to cHDU over the study period. Of these, 125 received CPAP treatment. Of the patients who received support in cHDU, the overall mortality rate was 37.9% (95% CI 30.3% - 46.1%)). Odds of mortality were closely correlated with increasing age and oxygen requirement. Of the 152 patients, 44 patients (28.8%, 95% CI 22.0 – 36.9%) went on to require IMV in ICU. This represents 77.2% of the 57 COVID-19 admissions to ICU during the same period. However, there were also 41 patients who received levels of respiratory support on cHDU which would normally necessitate ICU admission but who never went to ICU, potentially reducing ICU admissions by 41.8% (95% CI 32.1 – 52.2%).Conclusion - Providing respiratory support in cHDU reduced the number of potential ICU admissions by 41.8%, as well as delaying IMV for over 75% of ICU admissions. This represents a significant sparing of ICU capacity at a time when IMV beds were in high demand.
Neutrophil Percentage to Albumin Ratio Was Associated with Clinical Outcomes in Coronary Care Unit Patients
Authors: Cai Chenghui , Sun Tienan , Zhao Fang , Ma Jun , Pei Xin , He Chen , Che Hao , Zhao Liyun
Published: August 2021

Background: Neutrophil percentage to albumin ratio (NPAR) was proved to be correlated with the prognosis of a variety of diseases. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of NPAR on the prognosis of coronary care unit (CCU) dpatients.Method: All data of this study was extracted from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III, version1.4) database. All patients were divided into four groups according to NPAR quartiles. Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and secondary outcomes were 30-day mortality, 365-day mortality, length of CCU stay, length of hospital stay, acute kidney injury, renal replacement therapy. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was performed to confirm the independent effect of NPAR. Subgroup analysis was used to determine the effect of NPAR on in-hospital mortality in different subgroups. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to evaluate the ability of NPAR to predict in-hospital mortality. Kaplan–Meier curves were built to compare cumulative survival of different groups.Result: 2364 CCU patients were enrolled in this study. In-hospital mortality rate increased significantly as NPAR quartiles increased (P < 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression, NPAR was proved to be independently associated with in-hospital mortality (Quartile 4 vs Quartile 1: OR, 95% CI: 1.80, 1.19-2.72, P=0.005, P for trend = 0.001). Moderate ability of NPAR to predict in-hospital mortality was demonstrated through ROC curves, the AUC of NPAR was 0.653 (P<0.001), which is better than PLR (P<0.001), neutrophil (P<0.001) but lower than SOFA(P=0.046) and SAPS II (P<0.001). Subgroup analysis did not find obvious interaction in most subgroups. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier curves showed that as NPAR quartiles increased, 30-day (Log rank, P<0.001) and 365-day (Log rank, P<0.001) cumulative survival decreased significantly. NPAR was also proved to be independently associated with acute kidney injury (Quartile 4 vs Quartile 1: OR, 95% CI: 1.57, 1.19-2.07, P=0.002, P for trend = 0.001). Length of CCU and hospital stay were prolonged significantly in higher NPAR quartiles.Conclusion: NPAR was an independent risk factor of in-hospital mortality in CCU patients and had a moderate ability to predict in-hospital mortality.
Climate Change will Increase Ozone Levels and Unravel Air Quality Regulations
Authors: Bento Antonio , Adler David , Miller Noah , Severnini Edson
Published: August 2021

Using daily data for the United States over the period 1980-2019, we estimate the impacts of temperature on ambient ozone concentrations, accounting for adaptation to climatic change. We find that even with adaptation, rises in temperature will steeply increase ozone levels by over 9 ppb on days above 25◦ C. By mid-century, we calculate that 189 additional counties 15 will be violating the air quality standards, with 33 million more residents exposed to unhealthy levels of ozone. Climate change will thus likely increase the costs of compliance with existing ambient ozone standards. In light of a recent EPA ruling that would effectively remove cobenefits of ozone precursor reductions from the cost-benefit analysis of those standards, they will be in peril, further threatening public health.
‘I know my place’- The hidden curriculum of professional hierarchy in a South African undergraduate medical program: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Sons Jacob , Gaede Bernhard
Published: August 2021

Background The hidden curriculum of professional hierarchy refers a tacitly acquired perception of a power differential between medical students and their clinical teachers. This power gradient is enforced and maintained by means of humiliation and race- and gender prejudices. The consequences of these pedagogical approaches include disillusionment, anxiety, depression and suicide among student populations. Little is known about this phenomenon in the post- colonial African setting.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to explore the hidden curriculum of professional hierarchy as it is perceived by medical students. The objective was to define how it manifests and to describe the mechanism that enforce and maintain it.MethodsAn ethnographic study was conducted at a South African University. Through twelve in- depth interviews and 6 months’ participant observations in the clinical setting an understanding of the students’ experience was explored. NVivo software was used to perform a thematic analysis using an open coding method. The themes were then progressively refocussed as broader themes emerged and a deeper understanding of the hidden curriculum developed.ResultsFrom the interviews and the observations, we found that humiliation of students, racism and sexism was used to enforce the professional hierarchy between clinical teachers and students. Students felt discouraged and demotivated by such encounters.ConclusionsThe hidden curriculum of professional hierarchy plays a significant role in how students understand and find their place in the clinical setting. Humiliation continues to play a role despite institutional policies and guidelines and the transition to a democratic dispensation in 1994 in South Africa. Our findings resonated with the findings of international studies exploring the hidden curriculum. Using a historical perspective of the medical school where the study was conducted, the post-colonial lens offers a useful local analysis of the hidden curriculum in the local context of continued gender-based violence, racial, socio-political and economic inequalities in South Africa. It may allow for a more critical engagement with the students’ experience and hopefully assists in exploring institutional values in more profound ways.
CAR T cells targeting CD99 as an approach to eradicate T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia without normal blood cells toxicity
Authors: Shi Jiangzhou , Zhang Zijian , Cen Hong , Wu Han , Zhang Shangkun , Liu Jiaxing , Leng Yingqi , Ren Anqi , Liu Xiyu , Zhang Zhijie , Tong Xiqin , Liang Jinjue , Li Zhe , Zhou Fuling , Huang Liang , Qin You , Yang Kunyu , Zhang Tong-cun , Zhu Haichuan
Published: August 2021

CAR T cell therapy has shown dramatic clinical success in relapsed or refractory (r/r) B-ALL and other haematological malignancies. However, the loss of specific antigens, cell fratricide, T cell aplasia, and normal T cell separation are challenges in treating T cell leukemia/lymphoma with CAR T therapy. CD99 is a promising antigen to target T-ALL and AML as it is expressed on the majority of T-ALL and AML. Here, we isolated a low-affinity CD99 (12E7) antibody, which specifically recognizes leukemia cells over normal bone marrow cells. T cells transduced with an anti-CD99-specific CAR that contained the 12E7 scFv expanded with minor fratricide, maintained their cytotoxic function and mediated powerful antitumour effects. Subsequently, we conducted a pilot clinical study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of therapy with anti-CD99 CAR T cells in 4 patients with r/r T-LBL (n=1), AML (n=2) or myeloid sarcoma (MS) (n=1). The clinical overall response rate (ORR) was 50% (2/4 patients), and 1 patients (25%) achieved complete remission (CR) for 2 month. Mild cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 2 patients and the CRS no more than grade 2. Together, our results demonstrate that anti-CD99 CAR T cells specifically recognize and efficiently eliminate CD99+ leukemia cells.
A Computational Study of Ivermectin and Doxycycline Combination Drug Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Rana Meenakshi , Yadav Pooja , Chowdhury Papia
Published: August 2021

In the present study, we have described how by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies the combination drug of ivermectin and doxycycline can be used as a potential inhibitor for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) virus. In lieu of unavailability of specific cure of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) till now various possibilities for individual and combination drugs have been explored by the medical practitioners/scientists for the remedial purpose of CoV-2 infections. 3C-like protease (3CLpro) is the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 virus which plays an essential role in mediating viral replication in the human body. 3CLpro protein can serve as an attractive drug target. In this work, we have studied drug: 3CLpro interactions by in-silico molecular docking and MD simulation approaches. Common and easily available antiviral drugs ivermectin, doxycycline and their combination can regulate 3CLpro protein's function due to its easy inhibition.
Formic Acid Induces Hypertension-Related Hemorrhage in hSSAOTG in Mice and Stroke Patients
Authors: Di Yalan , yu yan , Zhao Shengjie , Huang Nayan , Fei Xuechao , Yao Dandan , Ai Li , lyu Jihui , He Rongqiao , Li Jianjun , Tong Zhiqian
Published: August 2021

Hypertension is a confirmed risk factor for cerebral hemorrhage in humans. Which endogenous factor directly induces hypertension-related stroke is unclear. In this study, 42 hemorrhagic stroke patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia and 42 age-matched healthy controls were recruited. The contents of serum semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) and formic acid (FC, a final product of SSAO metabolism) were examined in the patients after stroke. Hemorrhagic areas were quantified by computer tomography. In the animal study, hemorrhagic degree was assessed by hemotoxylin & eosin or tissue hemoglobin kits. The relationship between FC and blood pressure/hemorrhagic degree was explored in wild-type mice and hSSAOTG mice fed with high-fat diets or high-fat and -salt diets. The results showed that the levels of serum FC were positively correlated with blood pressure and hemorrhagic areas in stroke patients. Transfection of microRNA-134 could enhance SSAO expression in human vascular smooth muscle cells. Consistently, after treatment with high-fat and -salt diets, hSSAOTG mice exhibited higher levels of miR134 and FC, higher blood pressure, and more severe hemorrhage than wild-type mice. Interestingly, folic acid reduced hypertension and hemorrhage in hSSAOTG mice fed with high-fat diets. These findings suggest that FC is a crucial endogenous factor for hypertension and hemorrhage.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation promotes neural functional recovery via upregulation of synaptic plasticity-related proteins in rats with traumatic brain injury
Authors: Qian Fangfang , He Youhua , Du Xiaohui , Lu Huaxiang , He Renhong , Fan Jianzhong
Published: August 2021

Background

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has become a popular approach for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study aimed to assess the efficacy and underlying mechanism of rTMS in TBI model rats.
Methods

Forty-five rats were randomized into SHAM, TBI, and rTMS (TBI and rTMS therapy) groups. Moderate TBI was established using Feeney's weight-dropping method. High-frequency rTMS (20 Hz) was administered to the damaged area in the rTMS group for two weeks. Neural function was assessed by modified neurological severity score (MNSS) at 3, 9, and 16 days after TBI. Synaptic ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy and levels of synaptic plasticity-related proteins (BDNF, TrkB, NMDAR1, P-CREB, and SYN) were assessed by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and real-time PCR.
Results

The rTMS group showed a lower MNSS than the TBI group at 16 days (P < 0.05). Compared to the TBI group, the postsynaptic density (PSD) was increased, the width of the synaptic cleft was decreased, and the synaptic active zone was lengthened in the rTMS group (all P < 0.05). Compared with the sham group, protein levels and mRNA expression of BDNF, TrkB, NMDAR1, and P-CREB were increased in the TBI group (P < 0.05) and further upregulated after rTMS treatment (P < 0.05). In addition, rTMS partially reversed downregulation of SYN (P < 0.05).
Conclusions

Taken together, these findings support that rTMS improves neural functional recovery in TBI rats. The possible mechanism is that rTMS modulates synaptic structural plasticity by reducing loss of SYN and alters synaptic functional plasticity by increasing cortical levels of BDNF, TrkB, NMDAR1, and P-CREB.
Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Spectroscopy Combined With Chemical Imaging Analysis For The Early Detection of Apple Valsa Canker
Authors: Fang Shiyan , Li Junmeng , Wang Yan , Zhao Yanru , Yu Keqiang
Published: August 2021

Background: Apple Valsa Canker (AVC) with early incubation characteristics is a severe apple tree disease. Therefore, early detection of the infected trees is necessary to prevent the rapid development of the disease. Surface enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is a promising technique that simplifies detection procedures and reduces detection time. Meanwhile, SERS enhance signals at low laser powers and suppress biological fluorescence. In this study, the early detection of the AVC disease was carried out by combining SERS spectroscopy with the chemometrics methods and machine learning algorithms, and then chemical distribution imaging was successfully applied to the analysis of disease dynamics.Results: Firstly, the microstructure, UV-Vis spectrum, and Raman spectrum of SERS metallic nano-substrates were proved to investigate the enhancement effects of the synthesized AgNPs. Secondly, the multiple spectral baseline correction (MSBC), the asymmetric least squares (AsLS), and the adaptive iterative reweighted penalized least squares (air-PLS) were adopted to eliminate the disturbances of the baseline offset. The correlation analysis method was employed to identify the best baseline correction algorithm, which was the air-PLS algorithm herein. Meanwhile, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to perform clustering analysis based on the healthy, early disease, and late disease sample datasets, demonstrating obvious clustering effects. After that, optimal spectral variables were selected to build machine learning models to detect AVC disease, incorporating the BP-ANN, ELM, RForest, and LS-SVM algorithms. The accuracy of these models was above 90%, showing excellent discriminant performance. Finally, SERS chemical imaging provided the spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of changes in the cellulose and lignin of the phloem disease-health junction under AVC stress. The results suggested that cellulose and lignin in the cell walls of infected tissues reduced significantly.Conclusions: SERS spectroscopy combining with chemical imaging analysis for early detection of the AVC disease was considered feasible and promising. This study provided a practical method for the rapid diagnosis of apple orchard diseases.
Association Between Subtalar Articular Surface Typing and Flat Foot Deformity: Which Type is More Likely to Cause Flat Foot Deformity
Authors: Zhang Lei , Peng Xiaoyao , He Siyuan , Zhou Xin , Yi Gang , Tang Xiaogao , Li Bingkun , Wang Guoyou , Zhao Wanxue , Yang Yuening
Published: August 2021

Background
Previous studies have shown a wide range of anatomical classifications of the subtalar joint (STJ) in the population and this is related to the different force line structures of the foot. Different subtalar articular surface morphology may affect the occurrence and development of flat foot deformity, and there are fewer studies in this area. The main objective of our study was to determine the association of different subtalar articular surface with the occurrence and severity of flat foot deformity.
Methods
We analyzed the imaging data of 289 cases of STJ. The articular surface area, Gissane's angle and Bohler's angle of subtalar articular surface of different types were counted. The occurrence and severity of flat foot deformity in different subtalar articular surface were judged by measuring the Meary angle of foot.
Results
We classified 289 cases of subtalar articular surface into five types according to the morphology. According to Meary angle, the flat foot deformity of Type Ⅰ and Type Ⅳ are significantly severer than Type Ⅱ (P < 0.05). Type II (7.65 ± 1.38 cm2) was significantly smaller than Type I (8.40 ± 1.79 cm2) in the total joint facet area(P < 0.05). Type III (9.15 ± 1.92 cm2) was smaller than Type I (8.40 ± 1.79 cm2), II(7.65 ± 1.38 cm2) and Ⅳ(7.81 ± 1.74 cm2 ) (P < 0.05).Type II (28.81 ± 7.44∘) was significantly smaller than Type I (30.80 ± 4.61 degrees), and IV (32.25 ± 5.02 degrees) in the Bohler’s angle (P < 0.05). Type II (128.49 ± 6.74 degrees) was smaller than Type I (131.58 ± 7.32 degrees), and IV (131.94 ± 5.80 degrees) in the Gissane’s angle (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
After being compared and analyzed the measurement of morphological parameters, joint facet area and fusion of subtalar articular surface were closely related to the severity of flat foot deformity and Type I and IV were more likely to develop severer flat foot deformity.
Level of evidence:
Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Optimisation of the ratio of chitosan, tea polyphenols, and citric acid for avocado preservation and validation of the changes in quality
Authors: Luo Lina , Lu Jiaju , He Erqi , Wang Xiaomin , Han Shuquan
Published: August 2021

The effect of chitosan, tea polyphenols, and citric acid on avocado storage duration was investigated using a central composite design and response surface methodology by using Design-Expert software. A quadratic polynomial regression mathematical model was constructed with time as the response value to obtain the best concentration combination of chitosan, tea polyphenol, and citric acid for developing the basis of a low-cost, high-efficiency storage preservative for avocados. The results show that the analysis of variance of the regression model of the avocado storage duration has a p = 0.0003, indicating that the model reaches an extreme level of statistical significance, and the regression coefficient of R2 = 0.9629 indicates a good fit between the model and the equation (96.29%). The optimisation results show that the preservative effect on avocados was the best when chitosan, tea polyphenols, and citric acid were combined at a concentration of 1%, 2% and 2%, respectively, and when the storage duration was 19.2 days. Validation tests confirmed that this composite agent effectively delayed the decrease in hardness, the weight loss rate, the soluble solids, soluble protein and vitamin C（VC） content of avocados and decreased their browning index, similar to the predicted results. These results carry practical significance for guiding avocado storage and preservation technology development.
Research on Force Sensing and Zero Gravity Motion Simulation Technology of Industrial Robot
Authors: Hu Ruiqin , Meng Shaohua , Zhang Lijian , Dong Que , Zhang Chengli
Published: August 2021

Towards the zero-gravity simulation test requirements of spacecraft for on-orbit service missions, the zero-gravity motion simulation technology based on industrial robot was studied. In order to realize the accurate force sensing of load on robot, the BP neural network was used to establish the force prediction model. The model uses the robot pose, acceleration, angular velocity, and angular acceleration as input layer parameters, and uses the data from force/torque sensor on robot wrist as the output layer parameter. In order to realize the accurate force perception in whole working space of the robot, the orthogonal experiment design method was adopted to determine the path points of the robot for sample data collection. Based on the established force prediction model, the accurate force sensing of the end load of the robot under moving conditions is realized. In experiment, for the load with 100kg mass on robot, the maximum error of force sensing is 39.8N, and the root mean square error of force sensing is 9.3N. The maximum error of torque sensing is 18.7Nm, and the root mean square error of torque sensing is 4.4Nm. Furthermore, according to the real-time force sensing results of the robot load, the motion speed of the load in zero-gravity state is calculated by dynamics theory. Then the robot is driven to execute the corresponding motion of the load, and the zero gravity motion simulation of the load is realized.
Potential Role of The Upregulation of The Zinc Finger Protein of The Cerebellum 2 In Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Peng Yun-Xi , Li Jian , Ding Hua , Fang Ye-Ying , Qin Wen , Liao Jin-Lian , Jiang Li , Mo Miao , Lin Cai-Xing , Wu Ji-Yun , Huang Su-Ning , Wei Zhu Xin
Published: August 2021

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common type of cancer mainly caused by EB virus infection in southern China and Southeast Asia. Zinc finger protein of the cerebellum 2 has been reported to be dysregulated in numerous cancers. However, its role in NPC has not yet been completely investigated. Methods: ZIC2 mRNA expression and clinical role of NPC was explored by Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and tissue microarrays. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was used to assessed the protein expression level of ZIC2 in NPC. Moreover, functional enrichment analyses were performed by the overlapping genes of differentially expressed genes in NPC and ZIC2 related co-expressed genes. Cistrome Data Browser (Cistrome DB) and scatter diagrams displayed the possibility of ATAD2 as a target gene of ZIC2. Last, characteristic phenotype was identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA).Results: The mRNA expression levels of ZIC2 were significantly increased in NPC within genechips and tissue microarrays (SMD = 2.14; 95% CI = 1.85–2.44). Increased ZIC2 correlated with poor prognosis in NPC patients. The IHC results also showed that ZIC2 protein expression in NPC tissues was remarkably higher than in control tissues. Enrichment analysis showed that genes positively related to ZIC2 are mainly enriched in cell division and in the cell cycle. WGCNA analysis discovered that NPC dataset GSE12452 may be positive correlated with N stage and nagetive correlated with grade. Conclusion: ZIC2 upregulation may promote NPC tumorigenesis through cancer cell proliferation and cell cycle regulation. ATAD2 may produce a marked effect as the downstream target of ZIC2.
Diagnostic Utility of Antigen Detection Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Covid- 19: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Ghasemi Somayeh , Harmooshi Narges Nazari , Rahim Fakher
Published: August 2021

Background: Early detection of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection to improve disease management, becomes the greatest challenge. Despite high sensitivity of RT-PCR, not only it was reported that 20-67% of infected patients have false negative results. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are widely used as a point-of-care test for SARS-CoV-2 detection in both pharyngeal and blood specimens. To be less time-consuming, not seem so costly, and requiring no special training make it more favorable, but the low sensitivity is the main limitation. Several reports indicated rapid test of blood and pharyngeal samples has the same sensitivity as the RT-PCR, but some reports have lower sensitivity especial in asymptomatic patients. Methods: In the present survey, we investigate the eligible studies for sensitivity and specificity of rapid tests and explore the factors that influence the result to help better diagnose COVID-19 infection. 20 studies met the inclusion criteria, which impose 33 different tests. Results: Our findings showed, type of sample, type of assay, time of sampling, and load of virus influence on sensitivity of RDTs. Conclusion: This research extends our knowledge of how to improve the sensitivity of RDTs to better diagnose of infected patients to address the controlling COVID-19 pandemic.
Implementation of a Novel Malaria Management Strategy Based on Self-testing and Self-treatment in Remote Areas in the Amazon (Malakit): Confronting a-priori Assumptions With Reality
Authors: GALINDO Muriel Suzanne , Lambert Yann , Mutricy Louise , Garancher Laure , Miller Jane Bordalo , Gomes José Hermenegildo , Sanna Alice , Peterka Cassio , Cairo Hedley , Hiwat Helene , Adenis Antoine , Nacher Mathieu , Suárez-Mutis Martha Cecilia , Vreden Stephen , Douine Maylis
Published: August 2021

Background: An innovative strategy to combat malaria was tested with a methodology adapted to a complex setting in the Amazon region and a hard-to-reach, mobile population. The intervention strategy tested was the distribution, after training, of self-diagnosis and self-treatment kits to gold miners who cross the Surinamese and Brazilian borders with French Guiana to work illegally in the remote mining sites in the forest of this French overseas territory. The main evaluation criterion was the reported behavioral change in case of malaria symptoms, measured by pre- and post-intervention surveys. Method: This article informs on the quality of delivery, content adherence and facilitation strategies, exposure to the intervention, participants responsiveness and unintended consequences. The information sources are the post-intervention survey, a short data collection carried out in a very isolated gold mining site, continuous data collection during the intervention, observations made during supervision visits, and in-depth feedback from the project players. Results and Discussion: As expected, being part of or close to the study community was an essential condition for facilitators to overcome the usual wariness of this population. Regarding the content of the delivered messages, the main issue with facilitators was the excess of information rather than the omission of information but was corrected over time. The content of the intervention was overall in line with what was planned. With an estimation of one third of the population reached, the exposure was satisfactory considering the challenging context, but improvable by increasing ad hoc offsite distribution according to the needs. Participants’ responsiveness was the main strength of the intervention but could be enhanced by reducing the duration of the process to get a kit, which can be disincentive in some places. The expected decrease in malaria became a source of reduced interest in the kit. Expanding the remit of facilitators may be a suitable response. Better integration of the articulation with the existing malaria management services is recommended for sustainability.Conclusion: These findings provide valuable implementation outcomes to complement the evaluation outcomes for assessing the relevance of the strategy and information useful to sustain and transfer it in analogous contexts.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Registration number: NCT03695770Date of registration: 10/02/2018 “Retrospectively registered”
Research on the Digital Twin for Thermal Characteristics of Motorized Spindle
Authors: Xiao Jianying , Kai-Guo Fan
Published: August 2021

With the increase of spindle speed, heat generation becomes the crucial problem of high-speed motorized spindle. In order to obtain the actual thermal behavior of a motorized spindle, a digital twin system for thermal characteristics is developed in this paper. The mechanism of digital twin for thermal characteristics is to simulate the thermal behavior of a machine tool through mapping and correcting the thermal boundary conditions using the data acquisition system and correction models. The proposed digital twin system includes three modules which are the digital twin software, the data acquisition system, and the physical model with embedding sensors. The digital twin software is developed based on the Qt with the C++ programming language and the secondary development of ANSYS. Correction models for thermal boundaries are proposed to correct the heat generation and thermal contact resistance using the temperatures measured by the data acquisition system at thermal key points. To verify the prediction accuracy of the digital twin system, an experiment is carried out on a motorized spindle. The experimental results show that the prediction accuracy of the digital twin system is greater than 95%. It is of great significance to improve the accuracy of thermal characteristics simulation and thermal optimization.
Biohydrogen Production From Agro-industrial Wastes Using Clostridium Beijerinckii and Isolated Bacteria as Inoculum
Authors: Martinez-Burgos Walter José , Junior Jair Rosário do Nascimento , Medeiros Adriane Bianchi Pedroni , Herrmann Leonardo Wedderhoff , Sydney Eduardo Bittencourt , Soccol Carlos Ricardo
Published: August 2021

The search for renewable and sustainable sources of energy has been one of the main goals of society in recent years, especially to reduce the environmental impacts of fossil fuels. One promising alternative is the production of hydrogen, which does not emit greenhouse gases and can be produced from agro-industrial wastes. The Clostridium genus is recorded as having high hydrogen yields compared to other genus, with several producing species. The objective of this work was to evaluate biohydrogen production potential of four agro-industrial residues, which were soft drink wastewater, corn steep liquor, cheese whey, and expired Guaraná soft drink, using one model strain Clostridium beijerinckii ATCC 8260 and newly isolated Clostridium butyricum DEBB-B348. The agro-industrial wastes were characterised in terms of monosaccharide, organic acid, amino acid, cation, and anion concentrations and compared to the literature. After performing subsequent experimental designs, the significant factors were cheese whey concentration, corn steep liquor concentration, and fermentation time for C. beijerinckii, and corn steep liquor concentration and fermentation time for C. butyricum (p ≤ 0.05), with an R2 of 0.950 and 0.895, respectively. The maximum hydrogen volume production was 18.5 ± 1.68 mL and 27.4 ± 1.84 mL for each strain, respectively. The C. butyricum 16s rRNA gene phylogenetic tree and the carbohydrate, organic acid, and amino acid kinetics of the optimum medium are also presented. These results indicate a potential hydrogen production process utilising less expensive substrates, proposing more proper disposal for agro-industrial wastes and using an isolated strain with high yield.
Urgent Care Study of the LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test for Rapid Diagnosis of COVID-19
Authors: Gresh Jared , Kisner Harold , DuChateau Brian
Published: August 2021

BackgroundTesting individuals suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection is essential to reduce the spread of disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the false negativity rate of the LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test when utilized for testing individuals suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection within 12 days of symptom onset. MethodsConcurrent swab samples were collected from patients suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection by their healthcare provider within two different urgent care centers. One swab was tested using the LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test. Negative results in patients considered at moderate to high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection were confirmed at a regional reference laboratory by PCR using the additional swab sample. ResultsFrom October 19, 2020 – January 3, 2021, a total of 2241 tests were performed using the LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test, with 549 (24.5%) testing positive and 1692 (75.5%) testing negative. A subset (800) of the samples rendering a negative LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test were also tested using a PCR-based test for SARS-CoV-2. Of this subset, 770 (96.3%) tested negative, and 30 (3.8%) tested positive. A cycle threshold (CT) was available for 17 of the 30 specimens that yielded discordant results, with an average CT value of 31.2, an SD of 3.0, and a range of 25.2–36.3. CT was >30.0 in 11/17 specimens (64.7%). ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that negative results obtained with the LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test had 96.3% agreement with PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 tests, with a low false negative rate of 3.8% when used in a community-based setting.
Potential Use of Pregnancy-associated Plasma Protein-A and IMA as Biomarkers for the Early Stage of COVID-19
Authors: Sánchez Belén G , Gasalla Jose M , Sanchez-Chapado Manuel , Bort Alicia , Diaz-Laviada Ines
Published: August 2021

BackgroundThis study has been undertaken with the urgent need for exploring reliable biomarkers for early infection of SARS-CoV-2. We performed a retrospective study analyzing the serum levels of the cardiovascular biomarkers N-terminal pro-B natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), Ischemia Modified Albumin (IMA) and pregnancy associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), in 84 patients with COVID-19. MethodsPatients were divided in three groups according to their RT-qPCR and IgG values in acute infection (n=35), early infection (n=25) or control subjects (n=24). Levels of biomarkers were analyzed in patient’s serum samples by commercially available ELISA kits.ResultsMultivariate analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve showed that IMA and PAPP-A, had an excellent discrimination value for the early stage of COVID-19. Serum levels of IMA in early SARS-CoV-2 infected patients were significantly higher than in the control group with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) value of 0.94 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.881- 0.999). Likewise, the serum level of PAPP-A was significantly higher in patients with early infection than in controls [AUC = 0.801 (95% CI: 0.673–0.929)]. The combined use of IMA and PAPP-A enhanced the sensitivity for total SARS-CoV-2 infected patients to 93%. ConclusionsThese results suggest that the levels of PAPP-A and IMA might be used as efficient biomarkers for the early stage of COVID-19 with high sensitivity and specificity. Importantly, when monitoring pregnancy and cardiovascular diseases by PAPP-A or IMA levels, an infection by SARS-CoV-2 should be discarded for proper interpretation of the results.
Morphological and vascular characteristics of the optic nerve head in normal guinea pigs
Authors: Guo Lei , Tao Jun , Tong Yang , Chen Shichao , Zhao Xin , Hua Rui
Published: August 2021

The morphological and vascular characteristics of the optic nerve head (ONH) in normal guinea pigs remain unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate these parameters using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). We measured the refractive error, axial length, and intraocular pressure (IOP), and performed OCT and OCTA of the ONH in 3- and 4-week-old tricolour guinea pigs. A total of 208 right eyes from 208 normal guinea pigs were examined. The refractive error in the 3-week group was significantly larger than that in the 4-week group (p < 0.001), the IOP in the 3-week group was significantly lower than that in the 4-week group (p = 0.014), and the circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (cpRNFL) thickness in the 3-week group was significantly larger than that in 4-week group (p = 0.048). There were no significant differences in the average vessel area, vascular density, total number of junctions, total vessel length, total number of endpoints, and vascular diameter between the two groups. However, an age-adjusted linear regression analysis revealed that total vessel length was positively associated with the cpRNFL thickness (p = 0.024) and negatively associated with IOP (p = 0.016). This is the first report on morphological and vascular characteristics of the ONH in normal guinea pigs based on in vivo OCT and OCTA imaging and quantification of ONH parameters. These results may contribute to further research on myopia and glaucoma using guinea pig models.
Assessment of Physical, Microstructural, Thermal, Techno-Functional, And Rheological Characteristics of Apple (Malus Domestica) Seeds of Northern Himalayas
Authors: Manzoor Mehnaza , Singh Jagmohan
Published: August 2021

The study examined the physical, morphological, thermal, techno-functional, and rheological properties of two apple seed cultivars viz: red delicious (RD) and golden delicious (GD). Physical properties showed that red delicious seeds were significantly (p≤0.05) different in width, geometric mean diameter, arithmetic mean diameter, volume, and surface area than golden delicious seeds. The proximate composition of RD seed flour showed a higher amount of crude protein and fat content than GD seed flour. RD seed flour was significantly different in L*, a*, b* values, bulk density, water/oil absorption capacity and the emulsifying ability than GD seed flour. From particle size analysis it was possible to found that GD was significantly (p≤0.05) lower than RD flour macromolecules. Scanning electron micrographs showed oval/spherical starch granules of small size embedded in a continuous protein matrix. Thermograph revealed exothermic transition enthalpy for both RD and GD seed flour, which indicates a high energy requirement for crystallite melting. The rheological assays revealed high elastic modulus (G′), of seed flours that will help in modifying the texture of foods. This study suggests the potential of apple seeds in the formulation of protein-enriched foods to combat malnutrition while contributing to the reduction in industrial wastage.
Parametric Investigation of Functionally Gradient Wave Springs Designed For Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Haq Muhammad Rizwan ul , Nazir Aamer , Jeng Jeng-Ywan
Published: August 2021

Functionality and design of mechanical springs are simple and limited due to manufacturing constraints of conventional fabrication methods being used for making helical and wave springs. In recent era, design for additive manufacturing has proven its great worth to design and manufacture optimal, complex as well as intricate structures with better mechanical and lightweigting properties. This study aims to investigate the mechanical behaviour of functionally gradient wave springs as a function of variation in thickness and morphology of each wave. Functionally gradient wave springs incorporated with different morphology and cross-sections including circular, rectangular and combination of both were designed and printed by keeping mass and height constant to investigate their mechanical properties. Loading-unloading experimentation were conducted within the elastic range ( 90 % of compressible distance) in order to study energy absorption/loss, load-bearing capacity and stiffness of all designs. The experimental results were validated by finite element anaylsis by providing the identical boundary conditions of experimental setup. The results revealed that the stiffness of wave spring having rectangular cross-section is increased significantly while energy absorption is almost 90 % increased due to circular cross-section of waves. Overall, the design with combination of round and rectangular cross-sectional waves has better stiffness and energy absorption properties. For further investigation of mechanical properties due to variation in cross-section of waves, more designs including semi-circular and filleted waves, were designed and finite element of those showed that 786 N of load-bearing capacity is achieved in the wave spring having semicircular cross-section of waves which is double than the wave spring having variable circular cross-section of waves.
Taguchi Optimization of Fracture Toughness of Silicon Carbide Extracted From Agricultural Wastes
Authors: Thakur Amit Kumar , Kaviti Ajay Kumar , Siddiqi Mohd Tariq , Aseer J. Ronald , Singh Rajesh , Gehlot Anita
Published: August 2021

In India, agricultural wastes such as palm ash and rice husk, which are abundant which have a high potential for usage as usable renewable energy and silica. Silicon carbide (SiC) is utilized for various applications due to its high hardness, compressive strength, and good wear resistance. In this work, a cleaner and green methodology was adopted to produce SiC from various agricultural wastes like peanut shells, rice husks, sugar cane extracts, and corn cob. Pyrolysis experiments were carried out by varying parameters such as heating temperature (600 to 800 0C), heating time (160 to 180 min), and quantity of waste (450 to 550 g) to convert agricultural wastes into powder SiC. X-ray diffraction, Raman, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscope confirms the formation of SiC phase in SiC. The sintering process parameters such as heating rate (5 to 150C/min), cooling rate (5 to 150C/min), and pressure (60 to 80 MPa) were selected for finding fracture toughness of sintered SiC. The process parameters for the pyrolysis and sintering process were optimized by the Taguchi optimization technique. Confirmations tests were conducted with optimum process parameters and the results indicated that confirmations results are correlated with predicted results.
Ectopic gas in the fibular graft after anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion
Authors: Nozawa Satoshi , Kato Hiroki , Kawaguchi Masaya , Nozawa Asae , Iwai Chizuo , Fushimi Kazunari , Miyamoto Kei , Hosoe Hideo , Shimizu Katsuji , Matsuo Masayuki , Akiyama Haruhiko , Yamada Kazunari
Published: August 2021

Ectopic gas in the graft is occasionally encountered upon follow-up computed tomography (CT) after anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF). However, most cases lack inflammatory responses and manifestations of infection. We reviewed 112 patients who underwent ACCF and follow-up CT, with a minimum follow-up period of 2 years. CT images were retrospectively reviewed to confirm the presence of ectopic gas in the graft and bone fusion. Bone fusion was defined as follows: mobility less than 2 mm between spinous processes on the flection-extension radiograph or a bone bridge on CT images. Of the 112 patients, 30 (27%) patients had ectopic gas in the fibular grafts. Among them, ectopic gas was initially observed 3 months after surgery (early onset) in 23 (77%) patients and 6 months after surgery (late onset) in the remaining seven (23%) patients. Upon the latest follow-up CT, ectopic gas more frequently remained in late-onset (4/7, 57%) rather than in early-onset (3/23, 13%) cases (p = 0.033). Bone fusion was not observed when CT images exhibited ectopic gas in the graft, whereas ectopic gas was not observed when CT images exhibited bone fusion. Late-onset gas tended to significantly remain. The remaining gas was strongly associated with pseudoarthrosis.
The Optimal Formula for Organic Oil Immobilization in Algerian Petroleum Drill Cuttings Using Solidification/Stabilisation Treatment
Authors: Abbas Abbas Hadj , Aissa Abidi Saad , Mohamed Khodja , Farad Sagala , Messaoud Hacini
Published: August 2021

Hassi Messaoud oil field is one of the most important fields in Algeria and the world, because it covers an important quantity of total Crude Oil Production in Algeria. Furthermore, two-thirds of this oil field is underexplored or not explored. Therefore, the drilling process of petroleum wells in this field is a continuous process that results in significant drilling waste. This implies that, enormous noxious quantities of drilling waste are produced daily that require treatment via solidification/stabilization (S/S) process before being landfilled. These types of wastes have pollution concentration that significantly exceeds the safety standards. In this study, we focus on the factors affecting the solidification/stabilization treatment of the drill cuttings obtained from Hassi Messaoud oil field and the process optimization. The solidification/stabilization is performed using the cement as binder, sand, silicate, organophilic clay and activated carbon as additives. The study is divided in two steps: (i) aims to determine the optimum ratio of each element used in the S/S process for the organic element (hydrocarbon) elimination, (ii) aims to combine the optimum ratios found in the previous step to determine the optimal mixture. The obtained results in the first step showed that the optimum ratio for the cement-to-drill cuttings mass ratio is 0.09:1. For the additives-to-drill cuttings mass ratio are 0.04:1, 0.006:1, 0.013:1 and 0.013:1 for the sand, sodium silicate, Organophilic clay and activated carbon, respectively. An optimum formula is found which its main finding shows that the hydrocarbon content of our sample is dropped from 9.40 to 1.999%. Many tests results before landfilling were investigated such as matrix permeability, resistance to free compression and heavy metals rate before and after S/S process. Besides that, in the light of outcomes achieved by this assessment these harmful cuttings can be converted into a useful product that helps in reducing the environmental foot prints.