bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Larotinib in Patients with Advanced and Previously Treated Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Overexpression or Amplification: An Open-Label, Multicenter Phase 1b Study
Authors: Xu Jianming , Liu Lianke , Liu Rongrui , Bai Yuxian , Zheng Yulong , Zhang Shu , Li Ning , Yang Jianwei , Fan Qingxia , Wang Xiuwen , Zeng Shan , Zhang Yingjun , Zhang Weihong , Zhuang Yulei , Kang Ning , Zhou Qinghong , Jiang Yingzhi , Sun Hongmei
Published: July 2021

Background

Larotinib is a new first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor. This open-label, phase 1b study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety of larotinib in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with EGFR overexpression or amplification pretreated with one or more system regimens, and to recommend an appropriate dose for its further study.
Methods

Patients received larotinib orally at 3 doses (250, 300, 350 mg), once daily. Clinical response was evaluated every 8-weeks according to RECIST v1.1 criteria by both investigators and independent radiology review (IRC).
Results

81 patients were enrolled. The investigator-assessed overall response rate (ORR) was 13.7% (10/73), all responses were observed in the 350 mg group of which ORR up to 20.0% (10/50), with 10 of them having EGFR overexpression and 4 having EGFR amplification. Per IRC assessment, ORR for all patients and 350 mg group were 13.9% (10/72) and 16.3% (8/50). In the 350 mg group, median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 8.0 (95% CI, 4.9–10.2) months and 3.4 (95%CI, 2.4–3.7) months, respectively. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were diarrhea, rash, and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, elevated AST/ALT, vomiting, similarly with other EGFR TKIs.
Conclusions

Larotinib demonstrated promising antitumor activity and manageable safety profiles in patients with pre-treated advanced ESCC with EGFR overexpression or amplification, especially at the dose of 350 mg, which showed better efficacy and acceptable safety. A phase 3 study is underway on 350 mg larotinib in ESCC patients with EGFR overexpression.
Trial registration:

NCT03888092, registered on March 25, 2019, retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03888092
Challenges in eDNA Detection of the Invasive European Green Crab, Carcinus Maenas
Authors: Danziger Ariella M. , Frederich Markus
Published: July 2021

The early detection of invasive species is essential to cease the spread of the species before it can cause irreversible damage to the environment. The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a non-harmful method to detect the presence of a species before visual detection and is a promising approach to monitor invasive species. Few studies have investigated the use of eDNA for arthropods, as their exoskeleton is expected to limit the release of eDNA into the environment. We tested published primers for the invasive European green crab, Carcinus maenas, in the Gulf of Maine and found them not species-specific enough for reliable use outside of the area for which they were designed for. We then designed new primers, tested them against a broad range of local faunal species, and validated these primers in a field study. We demonstrate that eDNA analyses can be used for crustaceans with an exoskeleton and suggest that primers and probe sequences must be tested on local fauna at each location of use to ensure no positive amplification of these other species.
Pharmacologically Induced Weight Loss Is Associated With Distinct Gut Microbiome Changes In Obese Rats
Authors: Raineri Silvia , Sherriff Julia A , Thompson Kevin S.J. , Jones Huw , Pfluger Paul T , Ilott Nicholas E , Mellor Jane
Published: July 2021

Background: Obesity, metabolic disease and some psychiatric conditions are associated with changes to relative abundance of bacterial species and specific genes in the fecal microbiome. Little is known about the impact of pharmacologically induced weight loss on distinct gut microbiome species and their respective gene programs in obese individuals. Results: Using shotgun metagenomics, the composition of the microbiome was obtained for two cohorts of obese female Wistar rats (n=10-12, total of 82) maintained on a high fat diet before and after a 42-day treatment with a panel of four investigatory or approved anti-obesity drugs (tacrolimus/FK506, bupropion, naltrexone and sibutramine), alone or in combination. We found that sibutramine treatment induced consistent weight loss through reducing food intake. Weight loss in sibutramine-treated rats was associated with changes to the gut microbiome that included increased beta-diversity, increased Bacteroides/Firmicutes ratio and increased relative abundance of multiple Bacteroides species. In addition, the relative abundance of multiple genes was found to be differentially abundant, including significant reductions in components of flagellum and genes involved in flagellum assembly. Conclusions: This study provides a large resource comprising complete shotgun metagenomics datasets of the fecal microbiome coupled with weight change and food intake at day 3, day 15 and day 42 from 82 obese rats treated with a range of compounds used for weight loss, which are available to the community for detailed analysis. Furthermore, by conducting a detailed analysis of the microbiome associated with sibutramine-induced weight loss, we have identified multiple weight-loss associated microbial taxa and pathways. These include a reduction in components of flagellum and the flagellum assembly pathway that points to a potential role of sibutramine-induced weight-loss on regulating bacterially driven anti-inflammatory responses.
Changes in Positive Airway Pressure Use in Adults with Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional National Community-Based Survey
Authors: Kendzerska Tetyana , Saad Mysa , Ayas Najib , Robillard Rebecca
Published: July 2021

Purpose: To better understand: i) a positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy use during the pandemic, ii) how PAP use may relate to sleep, health, and COVID-19-related outcomes, and iii) factors associated with PAP use during the pandemic. Methods: This study is based on data collected between Apr 2020 and Jan 2021 as part of the online cross-sectional national community-based survey. The included participants were located in North America, 18 years and older, with self-reported sleep-related breathing disorder (SBD) and usage of a PAP device in the last month before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (“in the past 7 days”). Results: Of all respondents, 7.2% (41/570) stopped using PAP during the pandemic. There were no significant differences between individuals who continued and stopped using PAP in the time elapsed since the pandemic declaration, age, sex, education level, occupational status, family income, or the proportions of individuals endorsing symptoms that could be related to COVID-19. Compared to individuals who continued using PAP, those who stopped had significantly shorter sleep time, lower sleep efficiency, and poorer sleep quality. Higher stress levels and living with someone who experienced symptoms that could be attributable to COVID-19 were independently associated with stopping using PAP. Conclusions: In this survey study, we found that most individuals with SBD continued PAP therapy during the pandemic. However, even 7% of participants who stopped using PAP cannot be ignored. Identifying individuals at risk of discontinuing PAP treatment would help design targeted interventions for patients and health professionals to improve PAP use.
Using Artificial Intelligence in IC Substrate Production Predicting
Authors: Liu Zhifang
Published: July 2021

Today's technology products are changing with each day, the purpose is to bring more convenience to people, but also the competition among the technology industries is more competitive. In such environment, whether the company's decision-making is correct or not will directly affect the future development of an enterprise. Therefore, how an enterprise can formulate and construct a set of appropriate decision-making systems to accurately predict the future market will be the first important issue for enterprises. This research proposed an artificial intelligence predicting system to estimate manufacturing capacities and client demands, and providing it to manufacturing managers as a reference for inventory arrangements so that inventory can be adjusted appropriately to avoid excessive inventory levels. In recent years, neural networks have been widely and effectively applied to many predicting problems. The main reason is that most of the predicting problems are nonlinear models. And the backward neural network has the ability to construct nonlinear models. In this study, a predicting model combining grey correlation and neural network will be used to establish a high-accuracy predition system for the production predict of IC product. First, grey correlation analysis will be used to screen out the most relevant factors among many factors. And then put these factors into the neural network prediction model for training and prediction. The results show that the training prediction error and the empirical error value are about 14%. This value indicates that the prediction ability is better, so the proposed prediction model can be applied to the prediction of IC substrate production. It provided a predictive reference material and provide decision making with a more accurate, convenient and a fast tool to enhance the company’s competitiveness.
Design and Analysis of Three-dimensional M-sequence Bipolar OCDMA Spectral Amplitude Code
Authors: GUPTA SUMIT KUMAR
Published: July 2021

This paper has been focused to utilize the m-sequence code in spectral/time/spatial OCDMA domain in a bipolar mode (Three Dimensional modes). The scheme has elegantly incorporated the design of an encoder and a decoder such that the system efficiently generates the code in three-dimensional bipolar mode. The decoder design is such that it effectively suppresses the multiple user interference (MUI) of three-dimensional code. System analyses are carried for defining the BER performance variation with users acceptability and received power. The observed results demonstrate that the cardinality of m-sequence three-dimensioanl bipolar code is larger than the existing 3D Pascal code, 2D -MDW,3D -PDC, 2D-PDC, 1D-CWH and 1D-MS codes. The received power in proposed system is -5.8dBm is lesser than the 3D Pascal Code at 10 -18 similarly the users adoption in system more than 210% can be accomplished as compared to 3D Pascal code.
RoFSO System Based on BCH and RS Coded BPSK OFDM for 5G Applications in Smart Cities
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Krishnan Prabu
Published: July 2021

In recent years, the radio over free space optical (RoFSO) communication system has become a popular research topic in the field of 5G communication. Atmospheric turbulence typically degrades the performance
of RoFSO system. Multiple input multiple output, aperture averaging, error correcting codes, and robust modulation are common mitigation techniques used to reduce the effects of atmospheric turbulence. In this paper, a Reed Solomon (RS) and Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) coded binary shift keying (BPSK) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based RoFSO system is proposed for 5G applications in smart cities. The average bit error rate (ABER) of the proposed system is investigated for various turbulence, weather, and pointing error cases. The ABER results for uncoded, BCH, and RS coded cases are compared. The results show that the BCH coded system outperforms the RS coded and uncoded systems in all turbulence regimes, weather conditions, and pointing error scenarios.
Implementation of Dimming controlled Visible Light Communication using Raspberry Pi
Authors: Das Sandip , Jana Biswajit , Mandal Soumitra Kumar
Published: July 2021

Visible light communication (VLC) is a technology of wireless optical communication, which combines lighting and communication simultaneously. In indoor VLC system, both data communication and lighting quality plays an important role and must be considered. Thus, to achieve the desired levels of illumination, dimming control in VLC is an efficient technology. In this paper, the authors have designed and implemented a dimming control VLC system employing multi header-hybrid pulse position modulation (MH-HPPM) to achieve dimming functionality. MH-HPPM supports various dimming levels and also doesn’t have flicker problems. In this paper, the authors present the implementation of MH-HPPM based VLC system using Raspberry pi. The prototype is designed using low-cost commodity hardware. Comprehensive experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of MH-HPPM based VLC under dimming levels 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75. The results demonstrate that designed prototype supports a communication distance up to 3m for dimming level 0.25 and 3.6m for dimming level 0.5 and 0.75. It is also observed that MH-HPPM based VLC system also achieves and maintains better throughput for different incidence angle.
Distinct Infection Forms of SARS-CoV-2 Among People Living With HIV
Authors: Wu Mengmeng , Ming Fangzhao , Wu Songjie , Liu Yanbin , Zhang Xiaoxia , Guo Wei , Marly Gifty , Tang Weiming , Liang Ke
Published: July 2021

Background

People living with HIV (PLWH) are immunodeficient, it is vague if they are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection than HIV negative individuals.
Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 857 PLWH and 1048 HIV negative individuals were enrolled from the Wuchang district in Wuhan, China. We compared the total rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the rate of COVID-19, asymptomatic carriers, and unapparent infectors in the two groups. The risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among PLWH were explored.
Results

Fourteen out of 857 (1.63%) PLWH were infected with SARS-CoV-2, while 68 of 1048 (6.49%) HIV negative individuals were infected. In PLWH, there were 6 confirmed COVID-19 (0.70%), 4 asymptomatic carriers (0.47%) and 4 unapparent infectors (0.47%). In the HIV negative group, the cases of COVID-19, asymptomatic carrier, and unapparent infector were 5 (0.48%), 0 (0.00%), and 63 (6.01%), respectively. After adjusting for age, gender, and chronic comorbidities, the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in PLWH was lower than that in HIV negative group (1.96% vs 5.74%, P = 0.001). The morbidity of COVID-19 was similar between the two groups (P = 0.107), but the rate of unapparent infection in PLWH was lower than that in the HIV negative group (0.54% vs 5.46%, P = 0.001). Older age (aOR = 4.50, 95%CI: 1.34–15.13, P = 0.015) and OIs (aOR = 9.59, 95%CI: 1.54–59.92, P = 0.016) were risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among PLWH.
Conclusions

PLWH has different infection forms of SARS-CoV-2 compared with the general population. Older age and OIs were considered to driving causes of SARS-CoV-2 infection among PLWH.
Diversity and Distribution of Potential Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Anthropogenic Disturbances Aquatic Environment and Their Relationship with Microbial Indicators
Authors: Zhao Xiang-Long , Qi Zhao , Huang Hao , Tu Jian , Song Xiang-Jun , Qi Ke-Zong , Shao Yin
Published: July 2021

Microbial indicators are often used as alternative indicators of microbial safety in water. However, information regarding the correlation between microbial indicators and ecotoxicological factors such as potential pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in anthropogenically impacted waters remains highly limited. Combining 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing data, we investigated the composition of bacterial community and potential pathogens, ARGs diversity, ARGs host and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) potential in water samples under the influence of different exogenous pollutants in Chaohu Lake basin. The water body that receives a large amount of domestic sewage showed a significant decrease in microbial diversity and a significant enrichment of potential pathogens. A total of 14 main types and 461 subtypes of ARGs were detected in all samples, dominated by multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pump (53.6%), aminoglycoside (6.0%), fluoroquinolone (5.8%) and polymyxin (5.46%). Host-tracking analysis showed that Escherichia coli and Bacteroides graminisolvens carried a wealth of ARG subtypes. Correlation analysis showed that potential pathogens and some ARG subtypes such as dfrE, sul2, PmrE exhibits significant correlation with indicator bacteria. Overall, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has the ability to conduct preliminary surveys of environmental samples to access potential health risks, thus providing ideas for water resources management.
A New Paradigm for South Pacific Climate Variability and Predictability
Authors: Lou Jiale , O'Kane Terence , Holbrook Neil
Published: July 2021

Pacific climate variability is largely understood based on El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Pacific focused Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) and/or the whole of Pacific region interdecadal Pacific oscillation – which respectively represent the dominant modes of interannual and decadal climate variability. However, the role of the South Pacific, including atmospheric drivers and cross-scale interactions between interannual and decadal climate variability, has received considerably less attention. Here we propose a new paradigm for South Pacific climate variability whereby the Pacific-South American (PSA) mode, characterised by two mid-tropospheric modes (PSA1 and PSA2), provides coherent noise forcing that acts to excite multiple spatiotemporal scales of oceanic responses in the upper South Pacific Ocean ranging from seasonal to decadal. While PSA1 has long been recognised as highly correlated with ENSO, we find that PSA2 is critically important in generating a sea surface temperature (SST) quadrupole pattern in the extratropical South Pacific. This sets up a precursor that optimally determines the predictability and evolution of SST 9 months in advance of the peak phases of both the leading South Pacific SST mode and ENSO. Our results show that the atmospheric PSA mode is the key driver of oceanic variability in the South Pacific subtropics.
Monitoring Metallothionein-Like Protein Concentrations And Cholinesterase Activity In Tropical Cup Oysters As Biomarkers of Exposure To Metals And Pesticides In The Southern Caribbean, Colombia
Authors: Moncaleano-Niño Angela M. , Gómez-Cubillos Maria Camila , Luna-Acosta Andrea , Villamil Luisa , Casseres-Ruiz Samuel , Ahrens Michael J.
Published: July 2021

Metallothionein-like protein concentrations (MT) and three functionally defined fractions of cholinesterase activity (ChE: total, eserine-sensitive, eserine-resistant) were quantified in gill and digestive gland homogenates of tropical cup oysters from 5 nearshore locations in the Colombian Caribbean and correlated with sediment and tissue metal (9 metals) and pesticide (22 organophosphates, OPs, and 20 organochlorines- OCPs), as well as water physical-chemical parameters (salinity, pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen). Tissue and sediment pesticide concentrations were below detection limits in all samples, whereas sediment and tissue metal concentrations exceeded environmental thresholds at several locations. Tissue MT and ChE biomarkers varied by a factor of 5-6 between locations and correlated with tissue and sediment concentrations. However, statistically significant covariance between biomarkers and water chemistry parameters was also observed, indicating that both, metal concentrations and physical-chemical variables, are likely to be responsible for generating the observed spatial-temporal variations in biomarker patterns.
Alleviation of Cadmium Toxicity in Zea Mays L. through Up-Regulation of Antioxidant Defense System and Organic Osmolytes under Supplemental Calcium
Authors: Kaleem Muhammad , Hussain Iqbal , Hameed Mansoor , Ahmad Muhammad Sajid Aqeel , Mehmood Anam , Maqsood Muhammad Faisal , Iqbal Ummar , Anwar Zunaira , Shah Syed Mohsan Raza , Ashfaq Waseem
Published: July 2021

Calcium (Ca) is a macronutrient and work as a modulator to mitigate oxidative stress induced by heavy metals. Present work was conducted to elucidate the role of Ca in modulating growth, physio-biochemical traits, and cellular antioxidant defense system in Zea mays L. seedlings under Cd stress. The experiment was designed in a complete randomized design with two levels of Cd (0 and 150 µM) and six levels of Ca (0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 mM). Maize seedlings exposed to Cd at150 µM concentration showed a notable decrease in growth, biomass, anthocyanins, chlorophylls, and antioxidant enzymes activities. Higher level of Cd (150 µm) also caused an upsurge in oxidative damage observed as higher electrolyte leakage (increased membrane permeability), H2O2 production and MDA accumulation. Supplementation of Ca notably improved growth traits, photosynthetic pigments, cellular antioxidants (APX, POD and ascorbic acid), anthocyanins and level of osmolytes. The significant improvement in the osmolytes (proteins and amino acids), and enzymatic antioxidative defense system enhanced the membrane stability and mitigated the damaging effects of Cd. The present results concluded that exogenously applied Ca can potentially improve growth by regulating antioxidants and enable maize plants to withstand the Cd toxicity.
The Effects of Mixing Pulp and Paper Mill Sludge Into Wood Bark on Storage-Related Environmental Impacts and Heating Value
Authors: Oksanen Juha , Keskinen Riikka , Heikkinen Jaakko , Kaseva Janne , Rasa Kimmo
Published: July 2021

The pulping industry generates vast amounts of bark residues and wastewater treatment sludges, which are combined and stored for varying periods in stacks, often in the open air, prior to utilization for energy via combustion. In order to optimize the storage strategy, the effects of incorporating sludge into bark on heating value and storage-related environmental impacts were investigated in laboratory and outdoor studies. Biological degradation activity was found to be higher in treatments containing 25% sludge (B75S25) and 50% sludge (B50S50) on a fresh mass basis, in comparison with pure bark (B100). Mean monthly dry mass loss was 2.1% (B100), 3.3% (B75S25), and 3.7% (B50S50) in the laboratory and 2.7%, 4.2%, and 4.8%, respectively, outdoors. Sludge addition was found to maintain degradation activity at low temperatures (+ 3°C). Co-storage of sludge and bark led to loss of energy, mainly due to increased loss of biomass and increased moisture content. Overall, biomass moisture content governed the heating value. Cumulative methane emissions over the storage period were higher from the sludge-containing treatments than from pure bark, but emissions of nitrogen-containing gases (N2O and NH3) were negligible throughout. Sludge addition roughly halved the cumulative chemical oxygen demand (COD) of leachate and minimized its concentration of phosphate-P. However, larger amounts of inorganic elements were released to the percolating water from the sludge-containing treatments. Overall, these results indicate that finding alternative uses for the sludge fraction would be beneficial.
Gravity cells as a necessary link in string theory. Energy and frequency of vibrations of gravitational strings. Obtaining a formula for determining the gravitational constant and a formula for determining the mass of an electron. The coincidence of the results obtained with the experimental data.
Authors: Chernov Andrey
Published: July 2021

In this study, a new concept is introduced - gravitational cells. The body of a black hole consists of a huge number of such cells. This hypothesis from particle physics has been organically built into string theory. As a result of this addition, using the Schwarzschild radius formula and the Coulomb formula, a formula for the gravitational constant in the region of black holes was obtained on the basis of two fundamental constants. Its value has been determined, and the value of the usual gravitational constant has been confirmed. In this study, the mass of the gravitational cell of a black hole was obtained. The introduction of the hypothesis of gravitational cells into string theory allowed us to apply Planck's formula to gravitational interaction. As a result, the formula for the quantum of the gravitational field was obtained, the frequency of vibrations of gravitational strings was determined. It was proved that the ratio of the energy of the gravitational quantum to the fourfold value of the Planck constant is directly proportional to the ratio of the masses of the electron and the proton inside the gravitational cell (inside the atom). On this basis, a formula for the mass of an electron was obtained on the basis of three fundamental constants. The electron mass calculated by the formula coincided with the known experimental value. Also, a formula was obtained for the dependence of the gravitational constant on Planck's constant, the magnitude of the mass of an electron and a proton, and calculations confirming this formula were made.
Fuzzy Species Borders of Glacial Survivalists Revealed using a Multimarker Approach - a Case Study of Amphipod Crustaceans in the Carpathian Biodiversity Hotspot
Authors: Mamos Tomasz , Jazdzewski Krzysztof , Ciamporova-Zatovicova Zuzana , Ciampor Fedor , Grabowski Michal
Published: July 2021

The Carpathians are one of the key biodiversity hotspots in Europe. The mountain chain uplifted during Alpine orogenesis and is characterised by a complex geological history. Its current biodiversity was highly influenced by Pleistocene glaciations. The goal of the current study was to examine the phylogenetic and demographic history of Gammarus balcanicus species complex in the Carpathians using multiple markers as well as to delimit, using an integrative approach, and describe new species hidden so far under the name G. balcanicus. Results shown that divergence of the studied lineages reaches back to the Miocene, which supports the hypothesis of their survival in multiple micro refugia. Moreover, the increase of their diversification rate in the Pleistocene suggests that glaciation was the driving force of their speciation. The climatic changes during and after the Pleistocene also played a major role in the demography of the local Carpathian lineages. Comparison of diversity patterns and phylogenetic relationships of both, the mitochondrial and nuclear markers, provide evidence of putative hybridisation and retention of ancient polymorphism (i.e., incomplete lineage sorting). The morphological examination supported the existence of two morphological types; one we describe as G. stasiuki sp. nov. and another we redescribe as G. tatrensis (S. Karaman, 1931).
Digital Analysis of External Fixation Area of Proximal Humerus Fractures in Elderly Patients
Authors: Zhang Yadi , Xing Baorui , Hou Xiuxiu , Li Yunmei , Li Guoliang , Han Guangpu
Published: July 2021

Background:The purpose is based on anatomical basis, combined with three-dimensional measurement, to guide the clinical repositioning of proximal humeral fractures, select the appropriate nail entry point and angle, and simulate surgery.Methods: 11 fresh cadaveric specimens were collected, the distance of the marked points around the shoulder joint was measured anatomically, and the vertical distance between the inferior border of the acromion and the superior border of the axillary nerve, the vertical distance between the apex of the humeral head and the superior border of the axillary nerve, the vertical distance between the inferior border of the acromion and the superior border of the anterior rotator humeral artery, and the vertical distance between the apex of the humeral head and the superior border of the anterior rotator humeral artery were marked on the 3D model based on the anatomical data to find the relative safety zone for nail placement.Results:Contralateral data can be used to guide the repositioning and fixation of that side of the proximal humerus fracture, and uniform data cannot be used between male and female patients. For lateral nailing, the distance of the inferior border of the acromion from the axillary nerve (5.90±0.43) cm, range (5.3-6.9) cm, was selected for nailing along the medial axis of the humeral head, close to the medial cervical cortex, and the nailing angle was measured in the coronal plane (42.84±2.45)°, range (37.02°~46.31°), and in the sagittal plane (28.24±2.25)°, range ( 19.22°~28.51°). The nail was advanced laterally in front of the same level of the lateral approach point to form a cross-fixed support with the lateral nail, and the nail angle was measured in the coronal plane (36.14±1.75)°, range (30.32°~39.61°), and in the sagittal plane (28.64±1.37)°, range (22.82°~32.11°). Two pins were taken at the greater humeral tuberosity for fixation, with the proximal pin at an angle (159.26±1.98) to the coronal surface of the humeral stem, range (155.79°~165.08°), and the sagittal angle (161.76±2.15)°, with the pin end between the superior surface of the humeral talus and the inferior surface of the humeral talus. The distal needle of the greater humeral tuberosity was parallel to the proximal approach trajectory, and the needle end was on the inferior surface of the humeral talus.Conclusion: Based on the anatomical data, we can accurately identify the corresponding bony structures of the proximal humerus and mark the location of the nail on the 3D model for nail placement, which is simple and practical to meet the relevant individual parameters.
Risk Factors for Hemorrhage in The Third Stage of Labor: A Systematic Review Protocol
Authors: de Souza Maria de Lourdes , Chipindo Adalia Edna Fernando , Teixeira Eneida Patrícia , Souza Anna Carolina Raduenz Huf , Rangel Rita de Cássia Teixeira , Rodrigues Débora Batista , de Andrade Zannis Benevides , Nóbrega Juliana Fernandes da , Costa Inácio Alberto Pereira , Bentes Cheila Maria Lins , Chipindo Helder Lucas
Published: July 2021

BackgroundPostpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the most common form of obstetric hemorrhage. This is the main cause of maternal death around the world: the incidence varies among countries and accounts for 27% (in some countries, more than 50%) of direct obstetric maternal deaths, mainly in the postpartum period. Recognizing risk factors for PPH in prenatal care and during childbirth care is the first stage to prevent maternal death from PPH. The objective this review is: To identify the risk factors for hemorrhage in the third stage of labor described in the literature from 2000 to 2020. MethodsA protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis study was developed, supported by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and, registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). The research question for conducting the review was structured according to the PEOS strategy (P — Populations/People/Patient/ Problem, E — Exposure (s), O — Outcome, S — Study design): P — women aged from 10 to 49 years, in labor; E — risk factors for hemorrhage in the third stage of labor; O — women with hemorrhage during birth and postpartum; S — observational studies (case control and cohort). Thus, the defined question was: what are the risk factors for hemorrhage in the third stage of labor described in the literature from 2000 to 2020? As for the planning of electronic searches, databases were consulted by using the platform of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel in Brazil (CAPES, as per its Portuguese acronym). Due to the characteristics of each database, specific search strategies were chosen for each database. After applying the eligibility criteria, the articles that are selected will have the quality of the evidence evaluated by applying the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), with the online tool GRADEpro GDT.Discussion Prevention and control of hemorrhage must be initiated in the prenatal period, requiring competent professionals to carry out the appropriate clinical evaluation to classify the degree of risk to which the woman is exposed. This systematic review will support the studies of professionals who working in Angola and Brazil.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021219303
Mitigating Effects of Beta-Carotene on Hydroponic Growth and Productivity of Amaranthus Hybridus L. under Aluminium Toxicity Induced Stress
Authors: Egedigwe Uchenna Oliver , Udengwu Obi Sergius
Published: July 2021

Aluminium (Al) toxicity is one of the major sources of environmental stress that limit plant growth and productivity in many acidic soils, especially in the tropics and sub-tropics. Al toxicity subsequently leads to food insecurity in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Though plants can synthesize their antioxidants; the need exists to investigate whether under Al toxicity-induced stress; beta-carotene (β-Carotene) supplementation could ameliorate the stress situation and enhance growth and productivity. A 3× 10− 2 mM aluminium chloride (AlCl3) at pH 4.6 was used to stress plants. β-Carotene was extracted from carrots and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine its peak absorbance at 295 nm. β-Carotene's activity was determined using the thiobarbituric acid method. The effects of 50 and 200 µM concentrations of β-Carotene on the hydroponic growth of Amaranthus hybridus, subjected to Al stress, were evaluated in this study. Pre- and post- β-Carotene treatments were applied to A. hybridus seedlings before and after Al treatment for 72 h. Results showed that post- β-Carotene treatments significantly ameliorated plants from Al stress when compared to pre- β-Carotene treatments. Higher doses of β-Carotene significantly increased leaf number, plant height, length and number of inflorescence, fresh and dry weights of shoot, root and inflorescence but significantly decreased root length. The present study suggests that plants of A. hybridus were susceptible to Al toxicity-induced stress and post-β-Carotene supplementation could significantly ameliorate the stress situation and enhance growth and productivity. However, intrinsic antioxidants could be adequate for plants not subjected to stress.
A Novel Clean Biopolymer-Based Additive To Improve Mechanical And Microstructural Properties of Clayey Soil
Authors: Ghasemzadeh Hasan , Modiri Farzaneh , Darvishan Ehsan
Published: July 2021

Conventional soil additives, as a sector of construction materials, can cause serious environmental problems due to their cement-dependent nature. To eliminate destroying effects of these kinds of additives, environmentally friendly ones have gained great consideration. Although polysaccharides are considered as powerful biocompatible soil additives in recent studies, the effect of their crosslinked hydrogel with elevated rheological and adhesive properties has been very rarely investigated in soil stabilization. In this paper, calcium chloride was used as ionic crosslinker to enhance recently proposed Persian gum biopolymer as a novel polysaccharide-based additive for clayey soil stabilization. A group of macro and micro scale tests including unconfined compressive strength (UCS), direct shear test (DS), freeze thaw durability, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), stereo zoom microscopy (SZM), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (N2-BET) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were conducted. The tests were also performed on soil treated with xanthan gum as a common hydrocolloid of soil stabilization. As the results show, the introduced ionic crosslinked hydrogel at its optimum content has superior performance than well-known xanthan gum in terms of soil strength and ductility. Crosslinking has also positive effects on durability results of pure Persian gum to make it comparable to xanthan gum. Consumption of lower amounts of Persian gum at presence of ionic crosslinker can make stabilization projects more economical efficient. Microscale tests also confirmed the powerful impact of optimum modified hydrogel on soil interstructure by filling the pores, agglomeration of soil particles and formation of new cementitious compounds in the mineralogical structure of the soil.
COVID-19: visualizing peaks and waves in recorded cases across the globe
Authors: Dayal Vikram
Published: July 2021

COVID-19 has affected different parts of the globe in waves. Yet, waves are not specifically defined. Using a simple and transparent approach, I provide a bird’s-eye view of waves of recorded cases of COVID-19 at different locations across the globe. Using a widely available dataset, I compile and visualize the peak size and number of waves for over 150 locations, with a population of at least a million each. Most locations experienced one to three waves. Whether the waves increased or decreased in size within locations varies. I have created a Shiny app that helps the reader interact with the data graphs.
Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Breastfeeding: A Scoping Review of the Literature
Authors: Beggs Bridget , Koshy Liza , Neiterman Elena
Published: July 2021

Background Despite public health efforts to promote breastfeeding, global rates of breastfeeding continue to trail behind the goals identified by the World Health Organization. While the literature exploring breastfeeding beliefs and practices is growing, it offers various, and sometimes conflicting, explanations regarding women’s attitudes towards and experiences of breastfeeding. This research explores existing empirical literature suggestions regarding women’s perceptions about and experiences with breastfeeding. The overall goal of this research is to identify what barriers mothers face when attempting to breastfeed and what supports they need to guide their breastfeeding choices. Methods This paper uses a scoping review methodology developed by Arksey and O’Malley. PubMed, CINAHL, Sociological Abstracts, and PsychInfo databases were searched utilizing a predetermined string of key words. After removing duplicates, papers published in 2010-2020 in English were screened for eligibility. A literature extraction tool and thematic analysis were used to code and analyze the data.Results In total, 59 papers were included in the review. Thematic analysis showed that mothers tend to assume that breastfeeding will be easy and find it challenging to cope with breastfeeding challenges. A lack of partner support and social networks, as well as advice from health care professionals, play critical roles in women’s decision to breastfeed. Conclusion While breastfeeding mothers are generally aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, they experience barriers at individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. Acknowledging that breastfeeding is associated with challenges and providing adequate institutional support can improve breastfeeding rates and have a positive impact on women’s breastfeeding experiences.
The Effects of Intermittent Feeding And Cold Water On Welfare Status And Meat Quality In Broiler Chickens Reared Under Daily Heat Stress
Authors: Erensoy Kadir , Sarıca Musa , Noubandiguim Moise , Aslan Resul
Published: July 2021

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of feeding type (ad-libitum: AF and intermittent: IF) and water temperature (normal: NW and cold: CW) treatments on welfare status and meat quality in fast-growing broiler chickens reared under daily heat stress between 22-42 days of age. Panting rate and rectal temperature of the chickens were determined at 4, 5 and 6 weeks of age and twice a week in 3 female and 3 male chickens in each pen. Welfare traits such as foot pad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn (HB), breast burn (BB) and leg problems (LP) were examined individually at 42 days of age. At day 43, 3 male and 3 female chickens per pen were randomly selected and slaughtered after an 8-h fasting period, pH and color [lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*)] of breast and thigh meat were determined. AF×CW chickens had significantly higher panting rates at all ages compared to the other groups (P < 0.05). While FPD and LP were not affected by feeding type and water temperature treatments, interaction effects on HB and BB were found significant (P < 0.05). The HB and BB levels were the lowest in AF×NW chickens (P < 0.05). While treatments did not change to any color traits in breast meat (P > 0.05), interactions significantly affected the yellowness (b*) value in thigh (P < 0.05). In conclusion, management practices such as IF and CW in fast-growing broilers could not completely reduce the detrimental effects of heat stress on some welfare and meat quality traits, and in some cases even caused more negativity.
A Stepped-Wedge Randomized trial Investigating the Effect of the Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation (LOCI) Intervention on Implementation and Transformational Leadership, and Implementation Climate
Authors: Skar Ane-Marthe Solheim , Braathu Nora , Peters Nadina , Bækkelund Harald , Endsjø Mathilde , Babaii Aida , Borge Randi Hovden , Wentzel-Larsen ToRe , Ehrhart Mark G. , Sklar Marisa , Brown C. Hendricks , Aarons Gregory A. , Egeland Karina M.
Published: July 2021

Background: This study evaluates the Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation (LOCI) strategy and its effect on implementation leadership, transformational leadership, and implementation climate. Methods: A stepped wedge cluster randomized trial enrolled 47 first-level leaders from child- and adult-specialized mental health clinics within Norwegian health trusts across three cohorts. All therapists (n = 804) received training in screening of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress, and a subgroup (n = 249) of therapists received training in evidence-based treatment methods for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). First-level leaders and therapists were asked to complete surveys at baseline, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 months assessing leadership and implementation climate. General linear mixed effects models were used to investigate whether engagement in the LOCI strategy would lead to greater therapist-rated scores on implementation leadership, transformational leadership, and implementation climate.Results: There was a significant increase in therapist-rated implementation and transformational leadership as well as implementation climate after the leaders were introduced to the LOCI strategy. This increase was sustained at all measurement time point compared to non-LOCI conditions which demonstrated a steady decrease in scores before LOCI was introduced. Conclusions: The LOCI strategy can develop better transformational and implementation leadership skills as well as contribute to a more positive implementation climate to enhance successful evidence-based practice implementation. Thus, LOCI can help leaders create an organizational context conducive for effective EBP implementation. Trial registration: NSD 60036/3/LH, NSD 60059/3/OOS The full trial protocol can be accessed from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6417075/
Role of IGF-1 in Neuroinflammation and Cogniton Deficits Induced by Sleep Deprivation
Authors: Wan Yahui , Gao Wei , Zhou Kaili , Liu Xuan , Zheng Pei , Xue Rong , Wu Wei
Published: July 2021

Background: Sleep deprivation negatively influences cognition, although inflammatory and immune responses participate in sleep deprivation,the molecular regulators of neuroinflammation after sleep deprivation remain to be defined. IGF-1 have shown anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties in models of CNS injury. This study investigated the role of IGF-1 on neuroinflammation and cognition deficits after sleep deprivation.Methods: Human periphery blood were obtained from chronic insomia(CI) patients to evaluated the levels of IGF-1. Mouse model of modified multiple platforms method (MMPM) was used to examine the role of IGF-1 in sleep deprivation. Behavior was evaluated by water maze tests.Inflammatory markers, and neuroinflammation were assessed by western blot and quantitative real-time PCR.Results: We found down-regulation of IGF-1 in human peripheral blood and in mice subjected to sleep deprivation for 5 days, and reduced activation of downstream the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway in mice brain. In conjunction, we found reduced levels of anti-apoptosis enzyme Bcl-2 and increased levels of pro-apoptosis enzyme Caspase-9, together with increased pro-inflammatory factors. Administration of IGF-1 induced activation of the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway, reversed changes in Bcl-2, Caspase-9 and pro-inflammatory factors, and prevented cognitive decline.Conclusion: These findings indicate that the IGF-1 reduces neuroinflammation and cogniton deficits after sleep deprivation. The effects may be mediated by the interaction among IGF-1 and PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signaling. IGF-1 may be a viable therapeutic target that requires further investigations in sleep deprivation.
Prognosis Stratification Tools in Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer: Could We Improve Their Accuracy?
Authors: Ramon-Patino Jorge Luis , Ruz-Caracuel Ignacio , Heredia-Soto Victoria , Calle Luis Eduardo Garcia de la , Zagidullin Bulat , Wang Yinyin , Berjon Alberto , Lopez-Janeiro Alvaro , Miguel Maria , Escudero Javier , Gallego Alejandro , Castelo Beatriz , Yebenes Laura , Hernandez Alicia , Feliu Jaime , Pelaez-García Alberto , Tang Jing , Hardisson David , Mendiola Marta , Redondo Andres
Published: July 2021

BackgroundThere are 3 prognostic stratification tools used in clinics for endometrial cancer: ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO 2016, ProMisE, and ESGO-ESTRO-ESP 2020. However, these methods are not sufficiently accurate to address the prognosis and adjuvant therapy. Some other previously explored biomarkers have also shown prognostic relevance. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the integration of molecular classification and other biomarkers could be used to refine the prognosis in early-stage endometrial cancer. MethodsThis was a retrospective single-institution cohort of patients with early-stage endometrial cancer to evaluate these stratification tools. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival of each classifier were analysed, and the c-index was employed to assess accuracy. Other biomarkers were explored to improve the precision of risk classifiers.ResultsWe analysed 294 patients: 88% had endometrioid histology, 69% stage Ia, and 15% had a relapse. A comparison between the 3 classifiers showed a slightly improved accuracy in ESGO-ESTRO-ESP 2020 when RFS was evaluated (c-index = 0.79), although we did not find differences between intermediate prognostic groups. However, the inclusion of CTNNB1 status to stratify patients of intermediate groups allowed a better discrimination between the intermediate prognostic groups, resulting in a c-index of 0.82. Therefore, we propose a novel classifier based on ESGO-ESTRO-ESP 2020 and CTNNB1, which achieved statistically significant and clinically relevant differences in 5-year RFS: 93.4% for low risk, 79.6% for intermediate merged group/CTNNB1 wild type, and 37.3% for high risk (including patients from the merged intermediate groups with CTNNB1 mutation).ConclusionsThe incorporation of molecular classification in risk stratification of endometrial cancer resulted in better discriminatory capability, which was improved even further with the addition of CTNNB1 mutational evaluation.