bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Capturando sinais vitais pelo seu smartphone: uma tecnologia de reconhecimento facial para saúde
Authors: Furtado Isabela Crispim Brito
Published: June 2021

Em Belo Horizonte, capital mineira do país, uma tecnologia que promete monitorar os sinais vitais de uma pessoa através da câmera de celular foi implementada no atendimento a infectados pelo coronavírus no Sistema Público de Saúde – SUS. A partir desse caso, esse artigo procura investigar a relevância das tecnologias de reconhecimento facial para o atendimento à saúde. A partir da rede de relações sob as quais o aplicativo “Monitoramento de Sinais Vitais PBH” foi implementado, busco levantar de que maneira os responsáveis pela ação, os quais apresentarei ao longo do trabalho, manifestam (ou não) seus interesses em torno do vírus e das pessoas que são por ele infectadas. Sobretudo, ainda, de que maneira eles atuam diante das intempéries na escalada pelo progresso, elaborando estratégias para uma nova – o que não significa dizer inesperada – crise.
O Acesso a Bens e Serviços na Perspectiva de Mulheres em Vulnerabilidade Social
Authors: Souza Karine Nogueira de
Published: June 2021

Este trabalho objetiva compreender as representações sociais sobre acesso a bens e serviços para mulheres mães que vivem em situação de vulnerabildiade social. A abordagem escolhida foi a Teoria das Representações Sociais de Moscovici que nos possibilitou trazer a tona as impressões do objeto de estudo a partir das vivências do público investigado. A natureza da pesquisa é qualiquantitativa e os instrumentos utilizados foram os questionários de associação livre, com a identificação do campo semântico das representações e entrevistas semi-dirigidas, com o objetivo de capturar os elementos centrais das representações sociais. Participaram 30 mulheres que vivenciam situações de vulnerabilidade social, na faixa etária entre 18 a 55 anos. Como resultado temos, que a dificuldade de acessos e precarização dos serviços, acarretam uma preocupação grande com os filhos, seu futuro e o que poderão ter de possibilidades para garantia dos direitos, visto que a gratuidade dos serviços não corrobora para que sejam vistos com qualidade.
FTO (Fat-Mass and Obesity-Associated Protein) Participates in Hemorrhage-Induced Thalamic Pain by Stabilizing Toll-Like Receptor 4 Expression in Thalamic Neurons
Authors: Fu Ganglan , Du Shibin , Huang Tianfeng , Cao Minghui , Feng Xiaozhou , Wu Shaogen , Albik Sfian , Bekker Alex , Tao Yuan-Xiang
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose:

Hemorrhage-caused gene changes in the thalamus likely contribute to thalamic pain genesis. RNA N
6
-methyladenosine modification is an additional layer of gene regulation. Whether FTO (fat-mass and obesity-associated protein), an N
6
-methyladenosine demethylase, participates in hemorrhage-induced thalamic pain is unknown.

Methods:

Expression of
Fto
mRNA and protein was assessed in mouse thalamus after hemorrhage caused by microinjection of Coll IV (type IV collagenase) into unilateral thalamus. Effect of intraperitoneal administration of meclofenamic acid (a FTO inhibitor) or microinjection of adeno-associated virus 5 (AAV5) expressing Cre into the thalamus of
Fto
fl/fl
mice on the Coll IV microinjection–induced TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4) upregulation and nociceptive hypersensitivity was examined. Effect of thalamic microinjection of AAV5 expressing
Fto
(AAV5-
Fto
) on basal thalamic TLR4 expression and nociceptive thresholds was also analyzed. Additionally, level of N
6
-methyladenosine in
Tlr4
mRNA and its binding to FTO or YTHDF2 (YTH N
6
-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 2) were observed.

Results:

FTO was detected in neuronal nuclei of thalamus. Level of FTO protein, but not mRNA, was time-dependently increased in the ipsilateral thalamus on days 1 to 14 after Coll IV microinjection. Intraperitoneal injection of meclofenamic acid or adeno-associated virus-5 expressing Cre microinjection into
Fto
fl/fl
mouse thalamus attenuated the Coll IV microinjection–induced TLR4 upregulation and tissue damage in the ipsilateral thalamus and development and maintenance of nociceptive hypersensitivities on the contralateral side. Thalamic microinjection of AAV5-
Fto
increased TLR4 expression and elicited hypersensitivities to mechanical, heat and cold stimuli. Mechanistically, Coll IV microinjection produced an increase in FTO binding to
Tlr4
mRNA, an FTO-dependent loss of N
6
-methyladenosine sites in
Tlr4
mRNA and a reduction in the binding of YTHDF2 to
Tlr4
mRNA in the ipsilateral thalamus.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that FTO participates in hemorrhage-induced thalamic pain by stabilizing TLR4 upregulation in thalamic neurons. FTO may be a potential target for the treatment of this disorder.
Thomas Willis Lecture
Authors: Cipolla Marilyn J.
Published: June 2021

Cerebral infarction or ischemic death of brain tissue, most notably neurons, is a primary response to vascular occlusion that if minimized leads to better stroke outcome. However, many cell types are affected in the brain during ischemia and reperfusion, including vascular cells of the cerebral circulation. Importantly, the structure and function of all brain vascular segments are major determinants of the depth of ischemia during the occlusion, the extent of collateral flow (and therefore amount of potentially salvageable tissue) and the degree of reperfusion. Thus, appropriate function of the cerebral circulation can influence stroke outcome. The brain vasculature is also directly involved in secondary injury to ischemia, including edema, hemorrhage, and infarct expansion, and provides a key delivery route for neuroprotective agents. Therefore, the cerebral circulation provides a therapeutic target for multiple aspects of stroke injury, including aiding neuroprotection. Understanding how ischemia and reperfusion affect the brain vasculature is key to this therapeutic potential, that is, vascular protection. This report is focused on regional differences in the cerebral circulation, how ischemia and reperfusion differentially affects these segments, and how the response of large versus small vessels in the brain to ischemia and reperfusion can influence stroke outcome. Last, how chronic hypertension, a common comorbidity in patients with stroke, affects the brain microvasculature to worsen stroke outcome will be described.
“A New Logic”: Bacon’s Novum Organum
Authors: Cassan Elodie
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this paper is to assess Bacon’s proclamation of the novelty of his Novum Organum. We argue that in the Novum Organum, Bacon reshapes the traditional representation of logic as providing tools for the building of philosophical discourse. For he refuses both an understanding of logic in terms of an ars disserendi, and an approach to philosophy in terms of a discourse of a certain type of necessity and universality. How can Bacon articulate a logic, that is, a set of rules with formal features, on the basis of a distrust of the paradigm of discourse? This seemingly paradoxical definition of logic follows from Bacon’s rejection of the conception of the scientific reasoning provided by the Organon. It also stems from his reworking of Aristotle’s semiotics, in an effort to deal with the gap between what reality consists in and what the mind perceives of it.
Inequality across Three Generations under Pressure from Sovietization Policies
Authors: Saar Ellu , Helemäe Jelena
Published: June 2021

This article explores the multigenerational impact of Sovietization policies on the reproduction of educational inequalities in Estonia. Estonia provides an opportunity to assess the multigenerational effect under conditions of regime changes after transitioning from the independent Estonian Republic to Soviet Estonia and thence to the newly independent post-Soviet Estonia. During Sovietization, a wide range of measures involving repressions and positive discrimination were applied to abruptly hinder intergenerational continuity. Analysis based on retrospective data from the Estonian Family and Fertility Survey 2004 indicates grandparents’ social positions are associated with grandchildren’s attainment of higher education. Their influence is only partially mediated through the parental generation. Overall, the Sovietization policies have not reduced either the two or three-generational reproduction of inequality. Moreover, these policies produced unintended consequences, facilitating the transmission of advantage in three generational perspectives. Our findings argue in favour of the importance of contextual sensitivity and a multigenerational perspective in research of social stratification.
“For I Say”: A Keeper at the Rabbinic Gates of Doubt
Authors: Baris Michael
Published: June 2021

The rabbinic idiom “for I say” (שאני אומר) has been construed philologically as a specific type of presumption, buttressed with first-person rhetoric. From the perspective of legal analysis, I contend that “for I say” and presumption are diametrically opposed decision-rules, employed consistently in tannaitic and amoraic literature. While presumptions are exclusionary rules, circumscribing doubt, “for I say” is an inclusionary rule, validating doubt. The versatility of the “for I say” rule testifies to its preliminary nature – while the outcome is determined by a robust set of primary decision rules. “For I say” should be read as: for I can say, legitimizing doubt and calling on primary rabbinic rules for treating cases of factual uncertainty, in contestable instances.
From the “Man of Jerusalem” to the Beit El Yeshiva: Late Nineteenth Century Rabbinic Leadership in the Jewish Community of Tripoli
Authors: Atia Ronel
Published: June 2021

This article details a polemic among the rabbinical leadership of the Jewish community of Tripoli, Libya, in the late nineteenth century. At stake was an initiative of the community’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Eliyahu Bechor Hazzan, to change the traditional educational system to include secular topics and foreign language. The communal rabbis who opposed the idea wrote the rabbinical leadership of Jerusalem, requesting support in overturning Rabbi Hazzan’s proposal. This study details the issues at stake in this aspect of the infiltration of modernism into Jewish communities in Muslim countries and presents the letter written to the rabbinic authorities of the land of Israel that led Rabbi Hazzan to abandon his initiative and, later, to resign from his leadership post.
Changes of Meaning in Biblical and Modern Given Names of the YIQTOL Noun Pattern
Authors: Yemini Bat-Zion
Published: June 2021

The biblical Hebrew tense system has two aspects: the perfective, indicating a completed action, and an imperfective aspect, denoting an action that has not yet ended. From the period of the rabbinic sages of the first centuries CE to today’s Modern Hebrew, an absolute tense system has been the norm, employing past, present, and future. This change in the system of tenses influenced the meaning of names created in the Qatal and Yiqtol patterns. The reason for the changed meanings is Modern Hebrew speakers’ lack of proficiency in the biblical system of tenses. To shed light on the language and culture of Modern Hebrew speakers, this article presents biblical and modern given names in the Yiqtol pattern and explains the changes in the modern names.
A Hundred Forms of Spirituality in the Least Religious Country in the World
Authors: Hiiemäe Reet
Published: June 2021

This paper is mainly based on interviews and observations that the author made during the process of writing a book about a hundred forms of religious and spiritual movements, teachings, and techniques in Estonia, thus being a reflection of trends and transformations of spiritual thought and practice in a country that has been repeatedly called the least religious country in Europe or even the whole world. Bringing some topical case analyses from this empirical material, the article will offer an amended interpretative framework for discussing features that are relevant in the research of Western contemporary spiritualities, for example multiple, situational, and fluctuating spiritual identities incongruent with the use of stable categories in religiosity statistics; children as important spiritual agents; mediatized liquidity and hybridity of spiritual thought being part of the ‘all-inclusive’ and ‘open-ended’ spiritual environment; and public conflicts and private symbioses of scientific, spiritual, and religious worldviews.
The Confession as Retrospective Narrative: A Genre for Ethnographically-Driven Theology
Authors: Whitmore Todd
Published: June 2021

The fieldwork experience often manifests itself to the researcher as a tangled cluster of thoughts and feelings that is difficult to write into accessible prose. However, pre-set narratives reduce the subjects of the fieldwork to being mere exemplifications of arguments worked out in advance. This article offers the confession as a kind of retrospective narrative that at once renders the field experience accessible to the reader and maintains the three-dimensional fullness of the lives of the fieldwork subjects. The author draws on his work among persons with opioid use disorders to display the possibilities.
Revealers, Skeptics, and Witnesses: Advancing a Witness Methodology in Ethnographic Theology and Ethics
Authors: Juskus Ryan
Published: June 2021

Drawing on original ethnographic fieldwork with a Christian environmental initiative in Appalachia and Alabama, this article argues that moral theologians should conceive of ethnography as witnessing witnesses to aid and multiply witnesses. An ethnographic ‘witness methodology’ is contrasted with two other approaches that the author calls revealer and skeptic methodologies. This witness methodology is developed primarily by analyzing a creation care organization’s practice of citizen science in places devastated by coal mining and coal burning. The author develops the concept of witness by reflecting on his role in helping the organization develop a slogan to describe their work and how this slogan encapsulates their citizen science practice. Though developed primarily in conversation with the author’s fieldwork, the proposed witness methodology is also supported through dialogue with Scripture, Christian ethics, and cultural anthropology.
Imagining a Sacramental Method: Divine Presence in the Lives of the Crucified Peoples
Authors: Theuring Ashley
Published: June 2021

This article argues that an ethnographic method informed by a sacramental worldview and guided by the ethical imperative of the preferential option for the poor can give theologians a fundamental tool to access revelation found in our everyday lives. This article begins with a case study investigating the presence of God in the midst of suffering among a community of domestic violence survivors. Then, this article argues that the Divine presence found through this case study can be theologically investigated through an ethnographic methodology informed by a sacramental worldview and the preferential option for the poor. Finally, to embody this proposed methodology and its radical potential, this article brings the narratives of the domestic violence survivors into critical dialogue with the Markan ‘Empty Tomb’ tradition, to uncover a renewed sense of God’s presence in the ‘Empty Tomb.’
Ardisia pyrotechnica (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae), a new species from Borneo

Authors: JULIUS AVELINAH , TAGANE SHUICHIRO , KAJITA TADASHI , JELANI NUR SAFINAS , MOHAMAD MOHIZAH , UTTERIDGE TIMOTHY M.A.
Published: June 2021

Ardisia pyrotechnica Julius, Tagane & Utteridge (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) is described and illustrated as a new species from Sarawak, Borneo. The new species is assigned into Ardisia subgenus Pyrgus based on its inflorescence terminal on specialized lateral branches below the indeterminate primary axis, which is arising directly from the stem. Remarkable for the massive inflorescences subtended by two large elliptic foliose bracts and the large pinkish-white sepals; a preliminary conservation status, photographs and a line illustration are also provided.
The Mitridae (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda) of the Miocene Paratethys Sea
Authors: HARZHAUSER MATHIAS , LANDAU BERNARD
Published: June 2021

The gastropod family Mitridae in the Miocene Paratethys Sea is revised. In total, 35 species in eight genera are reported. 75% of the species are so far known only from the Paratethys Sea. Biogeographic relations with the adjacent Proto-Mediterranean Sea are moderate and are mainly documented within Cancilla, but nearly absent in the other genera. A slight South-North trend in diversity is observed within the Paratethyan basins, with an outstandingly high diversity of 22 species in the Romanian Făget Basin, but only nine species in the Polish and Ukrainian parts of the Fore-Carpathian Basin.                Fraudiziba nov. gen. and Wormsina nov. gen. are introduced as new genera. Twelve species are described as new: Episcomitra antibellardii nov. sp., Episcomitra leopoldiana nov. sp., Episcomitra pseudoincognita nov. sp., Episcomitra missile nov. sp., Episcomitra neubaueri nov. sp., Domiporta amoena nov. sp., Domiporta pulchra nov. sp., Domiporta turpis nov. sp., Nebularia soliphila nov. sp., Cancilla nanostriatula nov. sp., and Cancilla wagreichi nov. sp. Fraudiziba ottomanica nov. sp. is described as new species from the middle Miocene of the Karaman Basin in Turkey.                Lectotypes are designated for M. austriaca Csepreghy-Meznerics, 1950, Mitra brusinai Hoernes & Auinger, 1880, M. cochlearella Mayer-Eymar, 1890, M. friedbergi Cossmann, 1912, Mitra hoernesi Mayer, 1864, Mitra perangulata Peyrot, 1928, M. praenigra Mayer-Eymar, 1890, and Mitra transsylvanica Hoernes & Auinger, 1880. Fraudiziba paratethyca nov. nom. is proposed as new name for Mitra austriaca Csepreghy-Meznerics 1950 [non Mayer-Eymar, 1898].
Age-related changes in the hyoid bone: An autopsy-based radiological analysis
Authors: Jadav Devendra , Shedge Rutwik , Kanchan Tanuj , Meshram Vikas , Garg Pawan Kumar , Krishan Kewal
Published: June 2021

Forensic age estimation is a crucial aspect of the biological profile of unidentified cadavers. The utility of age-related changes of hyoid bone fusion in forensic age estimation has not been explored much in the past. These age-related changes can be visualised in both the living and the dead using conventional radiography. These changes can assist medico-legal professionals and forensic anthropologists in the identification of unknown deceased, especially when the cadaver is mutilated or charred or when the other well-established indicators of skeletal and dental maturity are absent. The aims of this study were to evaluate age-related changes in the hyoid bone and to ascertain whether these changes may be utilised for age estimation in forensic examinations. The hyoid bone was carefully dissected using a standard procedure from 75 cadavers during post-mortem examination. The hyoid bone was radiographed, and the bone was replaced in the body cavity before the post-mortem examination was completed. Hyoid bone fusion was studied by using a standard grading method. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was calculated between the fusion scores and chronological age to assess their relationship. Box and whisker plots of fusion stage-wise age distribution were constructed to demonstrate the gradual linear relationship between hyoid bone fusion and the chronological age of the study participants. The present study concludes that hyoid bone fusion is an indicator of the chronological age of an individual and can be used in conjunction with other methods of age estimation such as the skeletal and dental age.
circVAPA promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of oral cancer cells through the miR-132/HOXA7 axis
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhang Ye , Wu Kankui , Qiu Xiaoyong
Published: June 2021

Objective

To study the relationship between the circular RNA vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein A (circVAPA) and the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods

The expression of circVAPA was detected by RT-qPCR. In vitro loss-of-function experiments were performed in Cal-27 cells. The malignant phenotype of cells was evaluated by cell counting kit-8, clone formation and transwell assays. Luciferase reporter assays were used to assess the circVAPA/miR-132/homeobox A (HOXA) regulatory axis.

Results

circVAPA expression was significantly increased in oral cancer tissues and cells. The overall survival and progression-free survival of patients with oral cancer who exhibited high circVAPA expression were significantly shorter compared with those with low expression. circVAPA expression was closely related to tumor size, TNM stage and distant metastasis. circVAPA knockdown reduced the proliferation, invasion and migration of Cal-27 cells. MiR-132 was identified as a target of circVAPA in Cal-27 cells. Cotransfection with si-circVAPA and miR-132 inhibitor reversed the inhibitory effect of circVAPA knockdown on cell malignant phenotypes. HOXA7 was further identified as a downstream target of miR-132.

Conclusion

circVAPA is highly expressed in oral cancer, and its abnormal expression might affect the proliferation, invasion and migration of oral cancer cells by modulating the miR-132/HOXA7 signaling axis.
Measurement of Pharmacist-Physician Collaborative Care on Therapeutic Inertia in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Cowart Kevin , Emechebe Nnadozie , Pathak Rashmi , Abbruzese Lucas , Hann James , Lloyd Andie , Roetzheim Richard , Zgibor Janice , Updike Wendy H.
Published: June 2021

Background

Team-based care practice models have been shown to improve diabetes-related therapeutic inertia, yet the method and type of antidiabetic treatment intensification (TI) leading to improvements in glycemic control are not well understood.

Objective

To evaluate time to TI in a pharmacist-physician practice model (PPM) as compared with usual medical care (UMC), explore the method and type of antidiabetic TI, and evaluate achievement of hemoglobin A1C (A1C) goal among each cohort.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study conducted between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018. Median time to TI was calculated and compared between patients in the PPM and UMC groups using the log rank test. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the method and type of TI and A1C goal achievement.

Results

A total of 56 patients were included. The median (interquartile range) time to antidiabetic TI among the PPM cohort was 37.5 days (8, 216.5), as compared with 142 days (16, 465) in the UMC cohort ( P = 0.19). At 1 year post–index date, 25% of patients in the PPM cohort reached their A1C goal compared with 18.8% of patients in the UMC cohort. This effect was maintained in the subgroup (n = 49) of patients receiving TI (23.1% vs 17.8%).

Conclusion and Relevance

A shorter time to TI and improvement in A1C goal achievement was observed with pharmacist-physician care compared with UMC. These findings suggest that pharmacist-physician care may be one of several interventions necessary to overcome therapeutic inertia in diabetes care.
Survival in severe pulmonary hypertension due to chronic lung disease: influence of in‐hospital platelet distribution width
Authors: Wang Lan , Shen Li , Zhao Ya‐Lin , Pudasaini Bigyan , Zhao Qin‐Hua , Gong Su‐Gang , Zhang Rui , Yuan Ping , He Jing , Luo Ci‐Jun , Qiu Hong‐Ling , Liu Jin‐Ming , Jiang Rong
Published: June 2021

Platelet distribution width has been recognized as risk predictors of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. This study aims to investigate whether in‐hospital platelet distribution width would be useful to predict all‐cause death in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension due to chronic lung diseases (CLD‐PH). Early in‐hospital platelet distribution width was measured in 67 severe CLD‐PH patients who were confirmed by right heart catheterization and followed up. Event‐free survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and analyzed with the log‐rank test. Cox proportional hazards models were performed to determine the association between the platelet distribution width level and all‐cause death. During median of 2.4 (2.5, 3.7) years of follow‐up, 44 patients died. A significant association was noted between in‐hospital platelet distribution width level and the adjusted risk of all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.245; 95% confidence interval: 1.117–1.386, P < 0.001). Compared with those with platelet distribution width <16.1%, the hazard ratio for all‐cause death increased by 5.278 (95% confidence interval: 2.711–10.276, P < 0.0001) among patients with platelet distribution width ≥16.1%. Higher levels of platelet distribution width were also associated with increased risk of all‐cause death. In‐hospital platelet distribution width was independently associated with all‐cause death in patients with severe CLD‐PH. This potentially could be used to estimate the severity of severe CLD‐PH.
Accessibility and generalizability: Are social media effects moderated by age or digital literacy?
Authors: Munger Kevin , Gopal Ishita , Nagler Jonathan , Tucker Joshua A.
Published: June 2021

An emerging empirical regularity suggests that older people use and respond to social media very differently than younger people. Older people are the fastest-growing population of Internet and social media users in the US, and this heterogeneity will soon become central to online politics. However, many important experiments in this field have been conducted on online samples that do not contain enough older people to be useful to generalize to the current population of Internet users; this issue is more pronounced for studies that are even a few years old. In this paper, we report the results of replicating two experiments involving social media (specifically, Facebook) conducted on one such sample lacking older users (Amazon’s Mechanical Turk) using a source of online subjects which does contain sufficient variation in subject age. We add a standard battery of questions designed to explicitly measure digital literacy. We find evidence of significant treatment effect heterogeneity in subject age and digital literacy in the replication of one of the two experiments. This result is an example of limitations to generalizability of research conducted on samples where selection is related to treatment effect heterogeneity; specifically, this result indicates that Mechanical Turk should not be used to recruit subjects when researchers suspect treatment effect heterogeneity in age or digital literacy, as we argue should be the case for research on digital media effects.
Understanding Poor Adjustment in Schizotypy: A Prospective Study of the Role of Self During Late Adolescence and Early Adulthood
Authors: Hazan Hadar , Reese Elaine , Linscott Richard J.
Published: June 2021

Our aims were to (a) examine whether emerging adults on the schizophrenia spectrum ( schizotypy) differed from non-spectrum peers in social, emotional, and academic adjustment to university; and (b) determine the role of the basic and narrative selves in adjustment. Schizotypy ( n = 30) and non-schizotypy comparison ( n = 29) participants, who were selected from a larger pool of undergraduates ( n = 310) screened in a baseline assessment, completed measures of adjustment and of basic and narrative selves. The schizotypy group had lower academic and emotional adjustment scores but did not differ in social adjustment. The basic sense of self explained the differences in levels of social and emotional adjustment for cognitive–perceptual but not for disorganized and interpersonal schizotypy. That is, poor adjustment is explained via basic self in positive but not negative components of schizotypy. Narrative self did not explain any of the adjustment scores associated with schizotypy.
Return to Play After Open Calcaneoplasty for Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy With Haglund Deformity in Competitive Professional Athletes
Authors: Lee Kyung Tai , Hyuk Jegal , Kim Sung Jae
Published: June 2021

Background:

Surgical treatment of insertional Achilles tendinopathy with Haglund deformity in highly competitive professional athletes has not been previously investigated.

Purpose:

To assess clinical outcomes, including return to play (RTP), after surgical treatment of insertional Achilles tendinopathy in professional athletes.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This retrospective study included 20 professional athletes who were surgically treated for insertional Achilles tendinopathy and had at least 2 years of follow-up. An open longitudinal lateral approach was used for the operation, without violation of the Achilles tendon. Outcome evaluation included American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot score, subjective patient satisfaction, mean time of return to competition (RTC), and rate of RTP. We defined RTC as return to an official match for at least 1 minute and RTP rate as the percentage of patients who were able to participate in at least 2 full seasons. A subgroup analysis was performed to compare the RTP and no-RTP groups.

Results:

The AOFAS score improved significantly from preoperatively to the final follow-up (from 65.1 to 88.4; P < .001), and 75% of the patients reported good to excellent satisfaction. The mean time of RTC was 7.45 months (range, 4-18 months), and the rate of RTP was 60%. The RTP group had a significantly lower mean body mass index than did the no-RTP group (22.03 vs 23.86, respectively; P = .005) and faster mean RTC (5.0 vs 11.1 months, respectively; P < .001).

Conclusion:

Open calcaneoplasty for surgical treatment of insertional Achilles tendinopathy with Haglund deformity in highly competitive professional athletes should be approached cautiously. Our patients had a 7.5-month recovery period before return to their first official match, and only 60% of the patients returned to their sports activity and participated in at least 2 full seasons. Lower body mass index and a faster RTC after surgery were related to longer functional maintenance.
Application of Digital Twin in Smart Battery Management Systems
Authors: Wang Wenwen , Wang Jun , Tian Jinpeng , Lu Jiahuan , Xiong Rui
Published: June 2021

Lithium-ion batteries have always been a focus of research on new energy vehicles, however, their internal reactions are complex, and problems such as battery aging and safety have not been fully understood. In view of the research and preliminary application of the digital twin in complex systems such as aerospace, we will have the opportunity to use the digital twin to solve the bottleneck of current battery research. Firstly, this paper arranges the development history, basic concepts and key technologies of the digital twin, and summarizes current research methods and challenges in battery modeling, state estimation, remaining useful life prediction, battery safety and control. Furthermore, based on digital twin we describe the solutions for battery digital modeling, real-time state estimation, dynamic charging control, dynamic thermal management, and dynamic equalization control in the intelligent battery management system. We also give development opportunities for digital twin in the battery field. Finally we summarize the development trends and challenges of smart battery management.
Self-Adaptive Control System for Additive Manufacturing Using Double Electrode Micro Plasma Arc Welding
Authors: Li Nan , Fan Ding , Huang Jiankang , Yu Shurong , Yuan Wen , Han Miaomiao
Published: June 2021

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) has been investigated to deposit large-scale metal parts due to its high deposition efficiency and low material cost. However, in the process of automatically manufacturing the high-quality metal parts by WAAM, several problems about the heat build-up, the deposit-path optimization, and the stability of the process parameters need to be well addressed. To overcome these issues, a new WAAM method based on the double electrode micro plasma arc welding (DE-MPAW) was designed. The circuit principles of different metal-transfer models in the DE-MPAW deposition process were analyzed theoretically. The effects between the parameters, wire feed rate and torch stand-off distance, in the process of WAAM were investigated experimentally. In addition, a real-time DE-MPAW control system was developed to optimize and stabilize the deposition process by self-adaptively changing the wire feed rate and torch stand-off distance. Finally, a series of tests were performed to evaluate the control system’s performance. The results show that the capability against interferences in the process of WAAM has been enhanced by this self-adaptive adjustment system. Further, the deposition paths about the metal part’s layer heights in WAAM are simplified. Finally, the appearance of the WAAM-deposited metal layers is also improved with the use of the control system.
A Comparative Study on Asperity Peak Modeling Methods
Authors: Zhou Wei , Zhao Daiyan , Tang Jinyuan , Yi Jun
Published: June 2021

The peak identification scheme based method (three-point definition) and the spectral moments based method (spectral moment approach) are both widely used for asperity peak modeling in tribology. To discover the differences between the two methods, a great number of rough surface profile samples with various statistical distributions are first randomly generated using FFT. Then the distribution parameters of asperity peaks are calculated for the generated samples with both methods. The obtained results are compared and verified by experiment. The variation rules of the differences between the two methods with statistical characteristics of rough surfaces are investigated. To explain for the discovered differences, the assumptions by spectral moment approach that the joint distribution of surface height, slope and curvature is normal and that the height distribution of asperities is Gaussian, are examined. The results show that it is unreasonable to assume a joint normal distribution without inspecting the correlation pattern of [z], [z′] and [z′′], and that the height distribution of asperities is not exactly Gaussian before correlation length of rough surface increases to a certain extent, 20 for instance.
Revisiting the condensation reaction of lignin in alkaline pulping with quantitativity part I: the simplest condensation between vanillyl alcohol and creosol under soda cooking conditions
Authors: Komatsu Toshihiro , Yokoyama Tomoya
Published: June 2021

The condensation reaction of lignin is believed to interfere with delignification in alkaline pulping processes, without any clear evidence, which has motivated us to quantitatively revisit it. This paper is the first of a series, and hence we employed the simplest model system using 4-hydroxymethyl-2-methoxyphenol (vanillyl alcohol, Va) and 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol (creosol, Cr) under soda cooking conditions. Theα-5-type condensation product between these compounds [VaCr, 2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-6-methoxy-4-methylphenol] was identified and quantified as exclusive. VaCr was yielded with a mole amount of 24%, 46%, 62%, or 72% based on that of disappearing Va at a reaction time of 120 min when the ratio of the initial concentration of Cr to that of Va was 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, or 7.5, respectively. These yields and an HPLC analysis of the reaction solution obtained by a treatment of Va as the sole compound under the same soda cooking conditions suggested the formation of self-condensation products of Va even in the treatments containing Cr. The obtained results comprehensively suggested that the self-condensation of Va progresses more readily than the condensation between Va and Cr. The factors behind this will be the topic of our next paper.
Expanding the taxonomic range in the fecal metagenome
Authors: Allnutt Theo R. , Roth-Schulze Alexandra J. , Harrison Leonard C.
Published: June 2021

Background

Except for bacteria, the taxonomic diversity of the human fecal metagenome has not been widely studied, despite the potential importance of viruses and eukaryotes. Widely used bioinformatic tools contain limited numbers of non-bacterial species in their databases compared to available genomic sequences and their methodologies do not favour classification of rare sequences which may represent only a small fraction of their parent genome. In seeking to optimise identification of non-bacterial species, we evaluated five widely-used metagenome classifier programs (BURST, Kraken2, Centrifuge, MetaPhlAn2 and CCMetagen) for their ability to correctly assign and count simulations of bacterial, viral and eukaryotic DNA sequence reads, including the effect of taxonomic order of analysis of bacteria, viruses and eukaryotes and the effect of sequencing depth.

Results

We found that the precision of metagenome classifiers varied significantly between programs and between taxonomic groups. When classifying viruses and eukaryotes, ordering the analysis such that bacteria were classified first significantly improved classification precision. Increasing sequencing depth decreased classification precision and did not improve recall of rare species.

Conclusions

Choice of metagenome classifier program can have a marked effect on results with respect to precision of species assignment in different taxonomic groups. The order of taxonomic classification can markedly improve precision. Increasing sequencing depth can decrease classification precision and yields diminishing returns in probability of species detection.
Quantitative proteomic analyses reveal that energy metabolism and protein biosynthesis reinitiation are responsible for the initiation of bolting induced by high temperature in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)
Authors: Hao Jing-hong , Su He-Nan , Zhang Li-li , Liu Chao-jie , Han Ying-yan , Qin Xiao-xiao , Fan Shuang-xi
Published: June 2021

Background

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), one of the most economically important leaf vegetables, exhibits early bolting under high-temperature conditions. Early bolting leads to loss of commodity value and edibility, leading to considerable loss and waste of resources. However, the initiation and molecular mechanism underlying early bolting induced by high temperature remain largely elusive.

Results

In order to better understand this phenomenon, we defined the lettuce bolting starting period, and the high temperature (33 °C) and controlled temperature (20 °C) induced bolting starting phase of proteomics is analyzed, based on the iTRAQ-based proteomics, phenotypic measurement, and biological validation by RT-qPCR. Morphological and microscopic observation showed that the initiation of bolting occurred 8 days after high-temperature treatment. Fructose accumulated rapidly after high-temperature treatment. During initiation of bolting, of the 3305 identified proteins, a total of 93 proteins exhibited differential abundances, 38 of which were upregulated and 55 downregulated. Approximately 38% of the proteins were involved in metabolic pathways and were clustered mainly in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Furthermore, some proteins involved in sugar synthesis were differentially expressed and were also associated with energy production.

Conclusions

This report is the first to report on the metabolic changes involved in the initiation of bolting in lettuce. Our study suggested that energy metabolism and ribosomal proteins are pivotal components during initiation of bolting. This study could provide a potential regulatory mechanism for the initiation of early bolting by high temperature, which could have applications in the manipulation of lettuce for breeding.
Chloroplast phylogenomics and divergence times of Lagerstroemia (Lythraceae)
Authors: Dong Wenpan , Xu Chao , Liu Yanlei , Shi Jipu , Li Wenying , Suo Zhili
Published: June 2021

Background

Crape myrtles, belonging to the genusLagerstroemiaL., have beautiful paniculate inflorescences and are cultivated as important ornamental tree species for landscaping and gardening. However, the phylogenetic relationships withinLagerstroemiahave remained unresolved likely caused by limited sampling and the insufficient number of informative sites used in previous studies.

Results

In this study, we sequenced 20Lagerstroemiachloroplast genomes and combined with 15 existing chloroplast genomes from the genus to investigate the phylogenetic relationships and divergence times withinLagerstroemia. The phylogenetic results indicated that this genus is a monophyletic group containing four clades. Our dating analysis suggested thatLagerstroemiaoriginated in the late Paleocene (~ 60 Ma) and started to diversify in the middle Miocene. The diversification of most species occurred during the Pleistocene. Four variable loci,trnD-trnY-trnE,rrn16-trnI, ndhF-rpl32-trnLandycf1, were discovered in theLagerstroemiachloroplast genomes.

Conclusions

The chloroplast genome information was successfully utilized for molecular characterization of diverse crape myrtle samples. Our results are valuable for the global genetic diversity assessment, conservation and utilization ofLagerstroemia.
Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales among elderly residents in long-term care facilities with joint contractures
Authors: Chen Yi-chang , Lin Keh-chung , Chen Chen-Jung , Yeh Shu-Hui , Pan Ay-Woan , Chen Hao-Ling , Wang Chih-Hung
Published: June 2021

Background

Joint contractures, which affect activity, participation, and quality of life, are common complications of neurological conditions among elderly residents in long-term care facilities. This study examined the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales in a population with joint contractures.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design was used. The sample included elderly residents older than 64 years with joint contractures in an important joint who had lived at one of 12 long-term care facilities in Taiwan for more than 6 months (N = 243). The Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales for joint contractures was generated from the English version through five stages: translation, review, back-translation, review by a panel of specialists, and a pretest. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity were evaluated, and the results were compared with those for the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule.

Results

The Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales had excellent reliability, with a Cronbach α coefficient of 0.975 (mean score, 28.98; standard deviation, 17.34). An exploratory factor analysis showed three factors and one factor with an eigenvalue > 1 that explained 75.176 and 62.83 % of the total variance in the Activity subscale and Participation subscale, respectively. The subscale-to-total scale correlation analysis showed Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.881 for the Activity subscale and 0.843 for the Participation subscale. Pearson’s product-moment correlation revealed that the correlation coefficient (r) between the Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule was 0.770, whereas that for the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale was − 0.553; these values were interpreted as large coefficients.

Conclusions

The underlying theoretical model of the Chinese version of the PaArticular Scales functions well in Taiwan and has acceptable levels of reliability and validity. However, the Chinese version must be further tested for applicability and generalizability in future studies, preferably with a larger sample and in different clinical domains.
Containing pandemics through targeted testing of households
Authors: Voigt André , Martyushenko Nikolay , Karlsen Emil , Hall Martina , Nyhamar Kristen , Omholt Stig William , Almaas Eivind
Published: June 2021

Background

While invasive social distancing measures have proven efficient to control the spread of pandemics failing wide-scale deployment of vaccines, they carry vast societal costs. The development of a diagnostic methodology for identifying COVID-19 infection through simple testing was a reality only a few weeks after the novel virus was officially announced. Thus, we were interested in exploring the ability of regular testing of non-symptomatic people to reduce cases and thereby offer a non-pharmaceutical tool for controlling the spread of a pandemic.

Methods

We developed a data-driven individual-based epidemiological network model in order to investigate epidemic countermeasures. This models is based on high-resolution demographic data for each municipality in Norway, and each person in the model is subject to Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) dynamics. The model was calibrated against hospitalization data in Oslo, Norway, a city with a population of 700k which we have used as the simulations focus.

Results

Finding that large households function as hubs for the propagation of COVID-19, we assess the intervention efficiency of targeted pooled household testing (TPHT) repeatedly. For an outbreak with reproductive number R=1.4, we find that weekly TPHT of the 25% largest households brings R below unity. For the case of R=1.2, our results suggest that TPHT with the largest 25% of households every three days in an urban area is as effective as a lockdown in curbing the outbreak. Our investigations of different disease parameters suggest that these results are markedly improved for disease variants that more easily infect young people, and when compliance with self-isolation rules is less than perfect among suspected symptomatic cases. These results are quite robust to changes in the testing frequency, city size, and the household-size distribution. Our results are robust even with only 50% of households willing to participate in TPHT, provided the total number of tests stay unchanged.

Conclusions

Pooled and targeted household testing appears to be a powerful non-pharmaceutical alternative to more invasive social-distancing and lock-down measures as a localized early response to contain epidemic outbreaks.
Prevalence of neonatal near miss and associated factors in Nepal: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Sushma Rajbanshi , Norhayati Mohd Noor , Nik Hazlina Nik Hussain
Published: June 2021

Background

The rate of neonatal mortality has declined but lesser than the infant mortality rate and remains a major public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries. There is an urgent need to focus on newborn care, especially during the first 24 h after birth and the early neonatal period. Neonatal near miss (NNM) is an emerging concept similar to that of maternal near miss. NNM events occur three to eight times more often than neonatal deaths. The objective of this study was to establish the prevalence of NNM and identify its associated factors.

Methods

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Koshi Hospital, Morang district, Nepal. Neonates and their mothers of unspecified maternal age and gestational age were enrolled. Key inclusion criteria were pragmatic and management markers of NNM and admission of newborn infants to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Koshi Hospital. Non-Nepali citizens were excluded. Consecutive sampling was used until the required sample size of 1,000 newborn infants was reached. Simple and multiple logistic regression was performed using SPSS® version 24.0.

Results

One thousand respondents were recruited. The prevalence of NNM was 79 per 1,000 live births. Severe maternal morbidity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.52; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.07–9.84) and no formal education (aOR 2.16; 95% CI 1.12–4.14) had a positive association with NNM, while multiparity (aOR 0.52; 95% CI 0.32–0.86) and caesarean section (aOR 0.44; 95% CI 0.19–0.99) had negative associations with NNM.

Conclusions

Maternal characteristics and complications were associated with NNM. Healthcare providers should be aware of the impact of obstetric factors on newborn health and provide earlier interventions to pregnant women, thus increasing survival chances of newborns.