bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in Quality of Life Between Men and Women who Undergo Bladder Preservation with Trimodality Therapy
Authors: Ballas Leslie K. , Niemierko Andrzej , Mak Kimberley S. , Drumm Michael , Efstathiou Jason A.
Published: May 2021

PURPOSE:

Sex-specific differences exist in muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC): men have a higher incidence; women present with more advanced disease; and surgical options differ between men and women. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) for male versus female patients with MIBC is not well understood and limited data exists in patients who undergo bladder preservation with trimodality therapy (TMT). The purpose of this study was to compare long-term HRQoL between men and women who have undergone TMT.

METHODS AND MATERIALS:

This was a secondary analysis of a prior study that reported long-term HRQoL differences for patients who underwent TMT. We analyzed patient reported HRQoL data to assess differences in HRQoL between men and women.

RESULTS:

Of the 64/74 (86%) TMT patients that completed questionnaires, 14 (22%) were women. Median age at diagnosis was 60 years for women and 66 years for men ( p = 0.007). From six HRQoL instruments, there were two responses with a statistically significant difference between women and men –incidence of diarrhea and degree of sexual activity. Fifty percent of women compared to 86%of men reported no diarrhea ( p = 0.02). A greater percentage of women reported some degree of sexual activity in the 4 weeks prior to questionnaire completion ( p = 0.04), and sexual interest following TMT declined significantly with age in men, but not in women.

CONCLUSIONS:

In general, men and women report very good long-term HRQoL following TMT. There were, however, some differences between the sexes. Understanding this difference, especially related to sexual function, will allow more informed decision making by patients when choosing between treatment modalities.
Simulation analysis of aneurysm embolization surgery: Hemorheology of aneurysms with different embolization rates (CTA)
Authors: Bao Quan , Meng Xin , Hu Mingcheng , Xing Jian , Jin Dan , Liu He , Jiang Jie , Yin Yanwei
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND: Embolization degree acts as an important factor affecting recurrence of aneurysm. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the role of hemodynamics parameters of different degrees of embolization in the occurrence, development and post-treatment of aneurysms, and to determine the specific factors causing the occurrence and recurrence of aneurysms after hemodynamics treatment. Our study provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of aneurysms. METHODS: Computed tomography angiography data of a patient with cerebral aneurysm was used to model 0%, 24%, 52%, 84% and 100% of endovascular embolization, respectively. The time average wall shear stress, time average wall shear stress, oscillatory shear index, hemodynamics formation index and relative retentive time were used to analyze the changes of hemodynamics indexes in different embolic models. RESULTS: With the increase of embolic rate, the values of time average wall shear stress, time average wall shear stress grade and aneurysm index formation gradually increased, and the values of relative retention time gradually decreased. Oscillatory shear index was higher in patients with incomplete embolization and decreased in patients with complete embolization. CONCLUSIONS: As the degree of embolization increased, the blood flow tended to stabilize, reducing the risk of cerebral aneurysm rupture, and finding that the wall of the vessel junction was susceptible to injury.
Reliability of cervical vertebral maturation compared to hand-wrist for skeletal maturation assessment in growing subjects: A systematic review
Authors: Ferrillo Martina , Curci Claudio , Roccuzzo Andrea , Migliario Mario , Invernizzi Marco , de Sire Alessandro
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND: Radiographic methods to assess skeletal maturity (SM) have a key role in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) management, allowing to predict risk of spinal curve progression. Cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) has been recently introduced as an alternative tool to assess skeletal maturity; however, its clinical role is still debated. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to investigate the reliability of CVM in the SM assessment of growing subjects, comparing it to hand wrist maturation (HVM). METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched from inception until 31st December 2020 to identify observational studies presenting: growing subjects as participants; CVM methods as intervention; HVM methods as comparator; reliability for SM assessment as outcome. A 10-item quality tool has been used to assess study quality. RESULTS: Out of 205 papers, 12 papers were included in the data synthesis. We classified 10 studies (83.3%) as medium-quality studies and 2 studies (16.7%) as high-quality studies. Eight studies reported a significant correlation between CVM Baccetti and different HWM methods. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings suggested that CVM might be considered as reliable SM assessment method compared to HWM in growing subjects. However, further studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
Pathway to Reframing Environmental Law
Authors: Viñuales J.E. , Mercure J.-F.
Published: May 2021

This article provides a diagnostic of a major structural problem of environmental law before suggesting a way to address it. The problem is that environmental law, even avant la lettre, was and remains designed as a law of negative externalities: a body of laws fundamentally organized so as to minimize interference with the underlying transaction while mitigating its negative externalities. This article proposes instead to reframe environmental law not as the expression of allocative efficiency but as a means of steering socio-economic processes in directions that are more likely to avoid an irreversible change in Earth System dynamics.
A review of monoclonal antibodies in COVID-19: Role in immunotherapy, vaccine development and viral detection
Authors: Tabll Ashraf A. , Shahein Yasser E. , Omran Mohamed M. , Elnakib Mostafa M. , Ragheb Ameera A. , Amer Khaled E.
Published: May 2021

The harmful COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus imposes the scientific community to develop or find conventional curative drugs, protective vaccines, or passive immune strategies rapidly and efficiently. Passive immunity is based on recovering hyper-immune plasma from convalescent patients, or monoclonal antibodies with elevated titer of neutralizing antibodies with high antiviral activity, that have potential for both treatment and prevention. In this review, we focused on researching the potentiality of monoclonal antibodies for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection. Our research review includes antibody-based immunotherapy, using human monoclonal antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 viral protein regions, specifically the spike protein regions, and using hyper-immune plasma from convalescent COVID-19 patients, in which monoclonal antibodies act as immunotherapy for the cytokine storm syndrome associated with the COVID-19 infection. In addition, we will demonstrate the role of the monoclonal antibodies in the development of candidate vaccines for SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the recent progress of the diagnostic mouse monoclonal antibodies’ role will be highlighted, as an accurate and rapid diagnostic assay, in the antigen detection of SARS-CoV-2. In brief, the monoclonal antibodies are the potential counter measures that may control SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease, through immunotherapy and vaccine development, as well as viral detection.
Lunges activate the gluteus maximus muscles more than back squats when both exercises are standardized
Authors: Aniceto Rodrigo Ramalho , Pirauá André Luiz Torres , da Silva Leandro Leonardo , da Silva Hélen Cristina Ferreira , Silva Diego Mesquita , de Araújo Leandro Cândido , Costa Pablo Brando , dos Santos Heleodório Honorato
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND:

Squats are considered one of the main exercises for the lower limbs and are used in resistance training under different contexts, including rehabilitation and sports performance.

OBJECTIVE:

To compare the EMG activity of different muscles in back squat and lunge exercises in trained women.

METHODS:

Ten healthy women experienced in resistance training performed back squat and lunge exercises on a Smith machine (total work: 70% of 1RM, 1 set, 10 repetitions and 2-s/2-s of execution speed) with an interval of 20-min between exercises. Both exercises were standardized in relation to the trunk inclination and were performed with an erect trunk parallel to the cursor of the guided bar.

RESULTS:

The EMG activity of the vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), and gluteus maximus (GM) were analyzed. There were no significant differences in the EMG activity of the VM, VL, and BF muscles between the back squat and lunge exercises ([Formula: see text] 0.05); however, GM activation was greater during the lunge exercise (effect size [Formula: see text] 1.15; [Formula: see text] 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Lunges were more effective in recruiting the GM when compared to back squats. However, both exercises can be recommended when the goal is knee extensor and flexor muscle activity.
Multimorbidity and Subjective Cognitive Complaints: Findings from 48 Low- and Middle-Income Countries of the World Health Survey 2002–2004
Authors: Koyanagi Ai , Smith Lee , Shin Jae Il , Oh Hans , Kostev Karel , Jacob Louis , Abduljabbar Adel S. , Haro Josep Maria
Published: May 2021

Background: Data on the association between multimorbidity and subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) are lacking from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Objective: To assess the association between multimorbidity and SCC among adults from 48 LMICs. Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based data were analyzed from the World Health Survey 2002–2004. Ten chronic conditions (angina, arthritis, asthma, chronic back pain, depression, diabetes, edentulism, hearing problems, tuberculosis, visual impairment) were assessed. Two questions on subjective memory and learning complaints in the past 30 days were used to create a SCC scale ranging from 0 (No SCC) to 100 (worse SCC). Multivariable linear regression and mediation analyses were conducted to explore the associations. Results: A total of 224,842 individuals aged≥18 years [mean (SD) age 38.3 (16.0) years; 49.3% males] constituted the final sample. Compared to no chronic conditions, the mean SCC score was higher by 7.13 (95% CI = 6.57–7.69), 14.84 (95% CI = 13.91–15.77), 21.10 (95% CI = 19.49–22.70), 27.48 (95% CI = 25.20–29.76), and 33.99 (95% CI = 31.45–36.53) points for 1, 2, 3, 4, and≥5 chronic conditions. Estimates by sex and age groups (18–44, 45–64,≥65 years) were similar. Nearly 30% of the association between multimorbidity (i.e.,≥2 chronic conditions) and SCC was explained by psychological factors (i.e., perceived stress, sleep problems, anxiety symptoms). Conclusion: Multimorbidity is associated with SCC among adults in LMICs. Future studies should investigate whether addressing psychological factors in people with multimorbidity can improve cognitive function, and whether screening for SCC in individuals with multimorbidity can be a useful tool to identify individuals at particularly high risk for future cognitive decline.
Photobiomodulation Enhances Memory Processing in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study
Authors: Chan Agnes S. , Lee Tsz-lok , Hamblin Michael R. , Cheung Mei-chun
Published: May 2021

Background: Recent studies of photobiomodulation (PBM) in patients with cognitive or psychological disorders (including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and dementia) have yielded some encouraging results. Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of a single stimulation on memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: After PBM, hemodynamic changes, as a measure of functional brain activity, were evaluated using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Eighteen subjects who met the criteria of MCI were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. A single real or sham PBM session was administered to the forehead of each patient in the experimental and control groups, respectively. All subjects performed a visual memory span test before and after the stimulation, and their hemodynamic responses during the tasks were measured using fNIRS. Results: The results showed that among the MCI subjects, only those who received PBM, but not those who received the sham stimulation, demonstrated significant improvement in the visual memory performance and a reduction in the hemodynamic response during the tasks. Conclusion: These findings suggest that PBM may reduce the cognitive efforts needed to complete tasks that require high memory loads, and thus improve the cognitive performance of individuals with MCI.
The Protective Mechanism of SIRT1 in the Regulation of Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Mitochondrial Autophagy in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Ye Fan , Wu Anshi
Published: May 2021

Silent information-regulated transcription factor 1 (SIRT1) is the most prominent and widely studied member of the sirtuins (a family of mammalian class III histone deacetylases). It is a nuclear protein, and the deacetylation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1 has been extensively implicated in metabolic control and mitochondrial biogenesis and is the basis for studies into its involvement in caloric restriction and its effects on lifespan. The present study discusses the potentially protective mechanism of SIRT1 in the regulation of the mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy involved in the modulation of Alzheimer’s disease, which may be correlated with the role of SIRT1 in affecting neuronal morphology, learning, and memory during development; regulating metabolism; counteracting stress responses; and maintaining genomic stability. Drugs that activate SIRT1 may offer a promising approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease.
Cortical Thickness and Its Association with Clinical Cognitive and Neuroimaging Markers in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy
Authors: Subotic Arsenije , McCreary Cheryl R. , Saad Feryal , Nguyen Amanda , Alvarez-Veronesi Ana , Zwiers Angela M. , Charlton Anna , Beaudin Andrew E. , Ismail Zahinoor , Pike G. Bruce , Smith Eric E.
Published: May 2021

Background: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) contributes to brain neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, but the relationship between these two processes is incompletely understood. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine cortical thickness and its association with cognition and neurodegenerative biomarkers in CAA. Methods: Data were collected from the Functional Assessment of Vascular Reactivity study and the Calgary Normative Study. In total, 48 participants with probable CAA, 72 cognitively normal healthy controls, and 24 participants with mild dementia due to AD were included. Participants underwent an MRI scan, after which global and regional cortical thickness measurements were obtained using FreeSurfer. General linear models, adjusted for age and sex, were used to compare cortical thickness globally and in an AD signature region. Results: Global cortical thickness was lower in CAA compared to healthy controls (mean difference (MD) –0.047 mm, 95% confidence interval (CI) –0.088, –0.005, p = 0.03), and lower in AD compared to CAA (MD –0.104 mm, 95% CI –0.165, –0.043, p = 0.001). In the AD signature region, cortical thickness was lower in CAA compared to healthy controls (MD –0.07 mm, 95% CI –0.13 to –0.01, p = 0.02). Within the CAA group, lower cortical thickness was associated with lower memory scores (R2 = 0.10; p = 0.05) and higher white matter hyperintensity volume (R2 = 0.09, p = 0.04). Conclusion: CAA contributes to neurodegeneration in the form of lower cortical thickness, and this could contribute to cognitive decline. Regional overlap with an AD cortical atrophy signature region suggests that co-existing AD pathology may contribute to lower cortical thickness observed in CAA.
Application of Big data scientific research analysis platform in clinical medical research
Authors: Wang Jing , Wei Jie , Li Long , Zhang Lijian
Published: May 2021

With the rapid development of evidence-based medicine, translational medicine, and pharmacoeconomics in China, as well as the country’s strong commitment to clinical research, the demand for physicians’ research continues to increase. In recent years, real-world studies are attracting more and more attention in the field of health care, as a method of post-marketing re-evaluation of drugs, RWS can better reflect the effects of drugs in real clinical settings. In the past, it was difficult to ensure data quality and efficiency of research implementation because of the large sample size required and the large amount of medical data involved. However, due to the large sample size required and the large amount of medical data involved, it is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also prone to human error, making it difficult to ensure data quality and efficiency of research implementation. This paper analyzes and summarizes the existing application systems of big data analytics platforms, and concludes that big data research analytics platforms using natural language processing, machine learning and other artificial intelligence technologies can help RWS to quickly complete the collection, integration, processing, statistics and analysis of large amounts of medical data, and deeply mine the intrinsic value of the data, real-world research in new drug development, drug discovery, drug discovery, drug discovery, and drug discovery. It has a broad application prospect for multi-level and multi-angle needs such as economics, medical insurance cost control, indications/contraindications evaluation, and clinical guidance.
Construction of innovative computer training education mode under the environment of multiple intelligences Internet of Things
Authors: Xie Xin
Published: May 2021

With the emergence of the Internet of Things technology and the rapid development of computer technology and network communication technology, a profound technological change is taking place in the education model. Based on the current problems in the teaching of computer network courses and the improvement needs of the innovative computer training platform of the Internet of Multiple Intelligences, this article summarizes the ideas for improving the innovative computer training platform of the Internet of Multiple Intelligences of the computer network, and explores the mobile learning environment of computer network courses. Based on the multi-level feedback teaching mode, each type of experiment in the innovative computer training system is divided into theoretical tests, basic experiments, improved experiments and inquiry experiments. After each level is completed, the problem will be fed back to the teacher through the system, the results and suggestions will be fed back to the students, and the students will increase their interest in learning, improve the performance of innovative computer training, cultivate the students’ ability to explore and innovate, and help teachers to grasp the students’ innovation in computer training. This article demonstrates the teaching effect of the system through quasi-experimental research methods and interview methods. According to the results of quasi-experimental research and interviews, it is found that this system can improve the teaching effect of teachers, stimulate students’ interest in learning and improve academic performance. The construction and application research of this system will provide support for the construction and practical teaching of an innovative computer training system for the multi-dimensional Internet of Things.
Face recognition and tracking for security surveillance
Authors: Nair Sreelu P. , Abhinav Reddy K. , Alluri Prithvi Krishna , Lalitha S.
Published: May 2021

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 63,407 children have gone missing in the year 2016, which makes almost 174 children go missing in India every day, out of which only 50% are ever found again. This brings up a need for an efficient solution to trace missing children. The proposed solution uses machine assistance during these search activities with face recognition technologies and can be used for essential development of applications which use CCTV footage across a camera network to identify the person lost. In our solution we use One Shot learning for face recognition to identify stranded people in places such as mass gatherings. The same technology can be used for identification of criminals across the city. The paper also talks about the tracking of people across a network of multiple non-overlapping cameras, with a feature of shifting the target tovehicle, if the target gets into one. The experimentation is performed using mobile cameras and thus, helps in monitoring actions of criminals and finding their hideout.
Optimization of cold chain distribution path of fresh agricultural products under carbon tax mechanism: A case study in China
Authors: Ning Tao , An Lu , Duan Xiaodong
Published: May 2021

According to the problem of large amount of carbon emissions during the cold chain distribution process, a cold chain distribution route optimization method for fresh agricultural products under the carbon tax mechanism was proposed. Firstly, with the goal of minimizing carbon emission cost and comprehensive cost, quantitative analysis of carbon tax mechanism is introduced, considering the demand quantity, demand time and unloading time constraints, a mathematical model of the problem is established. In addition, an improved quantum bacterial foraging optimization algorithm is put forward, which uses the bacterial optimization algorithm information update strategy to maintain group memory, and uses the carbon tax cost as the decision variable of the improved algorithm. Through experimental simulation, comparative analysis of the shortest distribution path, uninitialized pheromone bacterial foraging optimization algorithm and quantum bacterial foraging optimization algorithm on the last selected study model, the method proposed in this thesis can effectively optimize the distribution path, reduce carbon tax cost and comprehensive cost.
Adaptive particle swarm optimization algorithm based long short-term memory networks for sentiment analysis
Authors: Shobana J. , Murali M.
Published: May 2021

Text Sentiment analysis is the process of predicting whether a segment of text has opinionated or objective content and analyzing the polarity of the text’s sentiment. Understanding the needs and behavior of the target customer plays a vital role in the success of the business so the sentiment analysis process would help the marketer to improve the quality of the product as well as a shopper to buy the correct product. Due to its automatic learning capability, deep learning is the current research interest in Natural language processing. Skip-gram architecture is used in the proposed model for better extraction of the semantic relationships as well as contextual information of words. However, the main contribution of this work is Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization (APSO) algorithm based LSTM for sentiment analysis. LSTM is used in the proposed model for understanding complex patterns in textual data. To improve the performance of the LSTM, weight parameters are enhanced by presenting the Adaptive PSO algorithm. Opposition based learning (OBL) method combined with PSO algorithm becomes the Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization (APSO) classifier which assists LSTM in selecting optimal weight for the environment in less number of iterations. So APSO - LSTM ‘s ability in adjusting the attributes such as optimal weights and learning rates combined with the good hyper parameter choices leads to improved accuracy and reduces losses. Extensive experiments were conducted on four datasets proved that our proposed APSO-LSTM model secured higher accuracy over the classical methods such as traditional LSTM, ANN, and SVM. According to simulation results, the proposed model is outperforming other existing models.
Sanitizing hidden activations for improving adversarial robustness of convolutional neural networks
Authors: Mu Tianshi , Lin Kequan , Zhang Huabing , Wang Jian
Published: May 2021

Deep learning is gaining significant traction in a wide range of areas. Whereas, recent studies have demonstrated that deep learning exhibits the fatal weakness on adversarial examples. Due to the black-box nature and un-transparency problem of deep learning, it is difficult to explain the reason for the existence of adversarial examples and also hard to defend against them. This study focuses on improving the adversarial robustness of convolutional neural networks. We first explore how adversarial examples behave inside the network through visualization. We find that adversarial examples produce perturbations in hidden activations, which forms an amplification effect to fool the network. Motivated by this observation, we propose an approach, termed as sanitizing hidden activations, to help the network correctly recognize adversarial examples by eliminating or reducing the perturbations in hidden activations. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we conduct experiments on three widely used datasets: MNIST, CIFAR-10 and ImageNet, and also compare with state-of-the-art defense techniques. The experimental results show that our sanitizing approach is more generalized to defend against different kinds of attacks and can effectively improve the adversarial robustness of convolutional neural networks.
Preparation and application of two novel supramolecular polyoxmetalates with adsorption of organic contaminants in wastewater
Authors: Yang Wen-Hao , Pei Ying , Du Hao-Yu , Xiao Shang-Hao , Wu Xiu-Jun , You Ze-Wei , Li Yuan-Yuan , Wang Xiao-Jia , Niu Yun-Yin
Published: May 2021

Two new supramolecular polyoxmetalates were synthesized from 1, 4-bis[4-nitrile-pyridine)-N-methylene]phenyldibromide (L1) and 1, 2-bis[4-nitrile-pyridine)-N-methylene]phenyldibromide (L2) and (NH4)6Mo7–O24·4H2O under hydrothermal conditions. They are named p-[C20H18N2O4][Mo8O26] 0.5·H2O (1) and o-[C20H18N2O4][Mo8O26] ċ 0.5·H2O (2) respectively. The structures have been confirmed through single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and further characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra. The adsorption test of compound 1 and compound 2 in organic dyes were carried out. It was found that compound 1 had a good adsorption effect on methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB). The adsorption effect of compound 2 on MB is stronger than that of compound 1.
Can prism adaptation effects generalize to wheelchair maneuvering?
Authors: Wyatt Lindsay E. , Champod Anne Sophie , Haidar Gabrielle M. , Eskes Gail A.
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND: While prism adaptation (PA) has been recognized as a promising tool for treating spatial neglect, implementation as a standard treatment in clinical care has been lagging. Limited evidence for the generalization of after-effects to everyday activities has been a barrier towards implementation. OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether a home-friendly standardized PA protocol (Peg-the-Mole, PTM) induces after-effects that can transfer to wheelchair maneuvering. We also examined the impact of using constant (1 starting hand position) or variable (3 starting hand positions) training conditions on the transfer of after-effects to wheelchair maneuvering. METHODS: Sixty participants were randomly assigned to one of four PTM conditions: 1) prisms/constant training; 2) prisms/variable training; 3) sham goggles/constant training; 4) sham goggles/variable training. RESULTS: The use of PTM with rightward shifting prisms induced after-effects on proprioceptive and visual pointing outcome tasks. Groups using PTM with prism goggles showed a leftward shift in their position within a wheelchair course and a reduction in the number of right-sided collisions. The training condition did not have an impact on the transfer of after-effects to wheelchair driving. CONCLUSION: PTM is a clinically appealing PA protocol that induces after-effects that can transfer to an everyday activity relevant to patients with neglect.
Physical exercise increases peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factors in patients with cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Hong , Li Wenyang , Qin Zheng , Shen Hui , Li Xiaomeng , Wang Wei
Published: May 2021

Background:

Physical exercise can improve cognitive dysfunction. Its specific mechanism remains unknown. Recent studies have indicated that elevating or peripherally overexpressing brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) improve cognitive impairment.

Objective:

This meta-analysis aimed to investigate whether physical exercise improves cognitive performance in patients with cognitive dysfunction, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD), by increasing peripheral BDNF.

Methods:

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched up to June 2020 for studies that assayed the changes in peripheral BDNF levels in MCI and AD patients after exercise training.

Results:

Peripheral BDNF levels were significantly elevated after a single exercise session (SMD = 0.469, 95% CI: 0.150–0.787, P = 0.004) or regular exercise interventions (SMD = 0.418, 95% CI: 0.105–0.731, P = 0.009). Subgroup analysis showed that only regular aerobic exercise interventions (SMD = 0.543, 95% CI: 0.038–1.049, P = 0.035) and intervention duration of 16 weeks or greater (SMD = 0.443, 95% CI: 0.154 –0.733, P = 0.003) significantly increased peripheral BDNF levels. Only plasma BDNF levels (SMD = 0.365, 95% CI:0.066–0.664, P = 0.017) were significantly increased after exercise interventions.

Conclusions:

Acute and chronic physical exercises may improve cognitive impairment by increasing peripheral BDNF levels. Aerobic exercises and a longer duration of exercising increased BDNF levels. These findings also suggest that BDNF may be a suitable biomarker for evaluating the effect of exercise in patients with cognitive impairment, such as AD or MCI.
Effect of home-based rehabilitation of purposeful activity-based electrical stimulation therapy for chronic stroke survivors: a crossover randomized controlled trial
Authors: Minami Seigo , Fukumoto Yoshihiro , Kobayashi Ryuji , Aoki Hideaki , Aoyama Tomoki
Published: May 2021

Background:

In this trial we combined the effect of purposeful activity and electrical stimulation therapy (PA-EST) to promote transition of severely hemiparetic upper limb to auxiliary upper limb in chronic stroke survivors in a single-case study.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of PA-EST on the upper limb motor function in a crossover randomized controlled trial.

Methods:

The study included eight stroke survivors (age: 63.1±10.9 years) who were receiving home-based visiting occupational therapy. The average time since stroke onset was 8.8±5.6 years. All participants had severely hemiparetic upper limb, with the Fugl–Meyer Assessment upper extremity (FMA-U) score of 21.3±8.5. Participants were randomly assigned to group A or B. Group A received PA-EST for 3 months (phase 1), followed by standard stretching and exercise for 3 months (phase 2), whereas group B had the inverse order of treatments. To avoid carry-over effect, 1-month washout period was provided between the phase 1 and 2. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures was used for the analysis. The primary outcome was FMA-U, and the secondary outcomes were, Motor Activity Log (MAL; amount of use [AOU] and quality of movement [QOM]), and Goal attainment scale-light (GAS-light).

Results:

Repeated measures-ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between type of intervention and time for FMA-U (F = 16.303, P = 0.005), MAL AOU (F = 7.966, P = 0.026) and QOM (F = 6.408, P = 0.039), and GAS-light (F = 6.905, P = 0.034), where PA-EST was associated with significantly improved motor function and goal achievement compared with standard stretching.

Conclusions:

The PA-EST may have greater effects than stretch/exercise in the recovery of hand function as reflected in FMA-U, MAL, and GAS-light. Our results suggest that PA-EST is an important and useful home-based rehabilitation program for promoting the use of the severely hemiparetic upper limb in chronic stroke survivors.
Well-being in urban and rural areas, challenges, general policies, and their monitoring: Some evidence for Germany before and during the COVID-19 pandemic1
Authors: Schnorr-Baecker Susanne
Published: May 2021

Major changes in society, the economy, the natural environment and the government haven taken place. The current pandemic demonstrates even more their social importance and positive or negative effects worldwide. In particular, an increasingly cross-generational awareness of sustainability, new information and communication channels and growing international interdependencies as well as comprehensive policies fostering well-being are gaining worldwide importance and pervade all activities. Germany has – as many nations worldwide – besides its national strategies committed to implement major strategies at United Nations’ and European Union’s levels. In the following, it will be examined which differences exist in the living conditions from a spatial point of view. Using selected indicators and current data mainly from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, an urban-rural comparison is made for Germany at the lowest federal level ‘Kreise’ (NUTS 3 of the European spatial classification). Even if it is still unclear what the long-term consequences of the drastic measures of the current global COVID-19 pandemic will be, current trends will be briefly presented. Furthermore, this study presents the latest data mainly before the worldwide outbreak of the pandemic and thus will offer starting points for later analysis of opportunities and risks for urban or rural areas post COVID-19.
A proposal to enhance national capability to manage epidemics: The critical importance of expert statistical input including official statistics
Authors: Fisher Nicholas I. , Trewin Dennis J.
Published: May 2021

Given the high level of global mobility, pandemics are likely to be more frequent, and with potentially devastating consequences for our way of life. With COVID-19, Australia is in relatively better shape than most other countries and is generally regarded as having managed the pandemic well. That said, we believe there is a critical need to start the process of learning from this pandemic to improve the quantitative information and related advice provided to policy makers. A dispassionate assessment of Australia’s health and economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic reveals some important inadequacies in the data, statistical analysis and interpretation used to guide Australia’s preparations and actions. For example, one key shortcoming has been the lack of data to obtain an early understanding of the extent of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases or the differences across age groups, occupations or ethnic groups. Minimising the combined health, social and economic impacts of a novel virus depends critically on ongoing acquisition, integration, analysis, interpretation and presentation of a variety of data streams to inform the development, execution and monitoring of appropriate strategies. The article captures the essential quantitative components of such an approach for each of the four basic phases, from initial detection to post-pandemic. It also outlines the critical steps in each stage to enable policy makers to deal more efficiently and effectively with future such events, thus enhancing both the social and the economic welfare of its people. Although written in an Australian context, we believe most elements would apply to other countries as well.
Conducting population and housing censuses during the pandemic: An overview
Authors: Mrkić Srdjan
Published: May 2021

This overview focuses on the implementation of the 2020 World Population and Housing Census Programme in 2020 and 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic; impact on census-taking in terms of adapting data collection instruments and techniques to the new pandemic reality; comparability with the previous census; and the long-terms impact on census-taking after the 2020 round.
White matter connectivity for early prediction of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Savarraj Jude P.J. , Kitagawa Ryan , Kim Dong H. , Choi Huimahn A.
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains challenging. It is speculated that structural atrophy in white matter tracts commences prior to the onset of AD symptoms. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesize that disruptions in white matter tract connectivity precedes the onset of AD symptoms and these disruptions could be leveraged for early prediction of AD. METHODS: Diffusion tensor images (DTI) from 52 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were selected. Subjects were dichotomized into two age and gender matched groups; the MCI-AD group (22 subjects who progressed to develop AD) and the MCI-control group (who did not develop AD). DTI images were anatomically parcellated into 90 distinct regions ROIs followed by tractography methods to obtain different biophysical networks. Features extracted from these networks were used to train predictive algorithms with the objective of discriminating the MCI-AD and MCI-control groups. Model performance and best features are reported. RESULTS: Up to 80% prediction accuracy was achieved using a combination of features from the ‘right anterior cingulum’ and ‘right frontal superior medial’. Additionally, local network features were more useful than global in improving the model’s performance. CONCLUSION: Connectivity-based characterization of white matter tracts offers potential for early detection of MCI-AD and in the discovery of novel imaging biomarkers.
Emotional intelligence and well-being: Associations and sex- and age-effects during adolescence
Authors: Costa Henrique , Saavedra Francisco , Fernandes Helder Miguel
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested that trait and ability-based measures of emotional intelligence (EI) contribute to the promotion of well-being in adults. However, this relationship has not been sufficiently explored among adolescents. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to: i) investigate the associations between EI dimensions and well-being indicators (self-esteem, life satisfaction and social anxiety) in adolescents; and ii) analyze the effect of sex and age on dimensions of EI. METHODS: The sample consisted of 1066 adolescents (57.9%girls and 42.1%boys), aged between 11 and 18 years (M = 14.36; SD = 1.58). Participants completed sociodemographic and validated psychosocial measures. RESULTS: Correlation analysis indicated that EI dimensions (self-emotion appraisal, use of emotions and regulation of emotions) were positively and moderately correlated with self-esteem and life satisfaction, whereas associations between EI and social anxiety dimensions were small and negative. Boys reported higher levels of self-emotion appraisal, use of emotions and regulation of emotions, whereas girls showed higher levels of other-emotions appraisal. Age was negatively associated with the use of the emotions dimension and positively correlated with the emotional appraisal of others, although both correlation coefficients were small. CONCLUSIONS: Our study findings suggest the need and importance of implementing emotional education practices during adolescence.
Food and inhalation sensitization in atopic dermatitis
Authors:   Surgut State University, Surgut, Russian Federation, Vasilyeva E.A. , Rusak Yu.E. ,   Surgut State University, Surgut, Russian Federation, Efanova E.N. ,   Surgut State University, Surgut, Russian Federation, Lebedeva L.N. ,   Surgut State University, Surgut, Russian Federation
Published: May 2021

Aim: to study the association of food and inhalation sensitization with the severity of atopic dermatitis (AtD) in order to improve its treatment and prevention methods. Patients and Methods: the study included 50 patients with AtD from 2 to 44 years old. The study included clinical and laboratory research methods. The survey analyzed the history and anamnesis vitae, estimated the age at the AtD onset, determined the nature of concomitant pathology, the possible causes of cutaneous exacerbation, the allergic severity in the family history, the severity score on the SCORAD (Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis) scale and the efficacy of previous therapy. The immunological examination consisted of the quantitative determination of specific IgE and IgG antibodies in the blood serum to inhaled and food allergens by immunochemiluminescence assay on an IMMULITE 2000 XPi analyzer. Results: according to the detection frequency of IgE to food allergens in patients with AtD: the leading positions were taken by the chicken egg (egg white in 26% of cases, egg yolk in 20%); IgE to banana was detected in 17% of cases; in 12% — to cow’s milk, more common — to the β-lactoglobulin fraction. When studying the activity of inhaled allergens, respiratory sensitization to the cat epithelium was detected in 26% of cases, and to black birch — in 24%. Hypersensitivity to herbs (wormwood, herbal mixture) and house dust allergens (8%, respectively) was found much less common. In severe AtD, IgE to respiratory allergens prevailed: at n=38, the IgE concentration to cat epithelium and black birch was 12.4±1.4 IU/mL each. Besides, there was a significant sensitization to food allergens, namely, the IgE concentration to egg white — 5.4±0.9 IU/mL. Conclusion: the study revealed the sensitization of patients with AtD to food (mainly egg white, egg yolk, banana and cow’s milk) and respiratory (mainly cat epithelium, black birch) allergens. Determination of the IgE concentration in the blood serum of patients showed that there was a significant concentration increase to egg white, cat and black birch in severe AtD. Therefore, it is advisable to test for specific allergens in all patients with moderate to severe AtD. KEYWORDS: food sensitization, inhalation sensitization, atopic dermatitis, allergy, allergens, antibodies, immunochemiluminescence assay, IgE, triggers. FOR CITATION: Vasilyeva E.A., Rusak Yu.E., Efanova E.N., Lebedeva L.N. Food and inhalation sensitization in atopic dermatitis. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2021;5(1):17–20. DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2021-5-1-17-20.
The phytochemical investigation from n-hexane extract of the lichen Roccella montagnei
Authors: Nguyen Thu Thi-Hoai , Thuc Huy Duong
Published: May 2021

Introduction: R occella montagnei is widely distributed in subtropical regions. As the continuous study on the hexane extract of Roccella montagnei lichen, the isolation and structural determination of five compounds were addressed.
Method: The crude extract was obtained from the dried lichen powder's extraction at room temperature. The n-hexane, n-hexane-ethyl acetate, and ethyl acetate extracts were obtained by the liquid-liquid partition method. The organic compounds were isolated from n-hexane extract by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Their chemical structures were identified by the NMR and HR-ESI-MS data analysis and the comparison of their NMR data with the published data.
Results: Five compounds were isolated and chemically structural identified, consisting of 3b -hydroxy-7a-methoxystigmast-5-ene (1), sekikaic acid (2), lichenxanthone (3), (+)-6,8-dihydroxy-3-propyl-3,4-dihydroisocoumarin (4), and ar-turmerone (5).
Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, except 3 which was reported from this species for the first time, four isolated compounds left did not known to be present in Roccella genus before.
Effect of an Eight-week High-intensity Interval Training Program on Serum Cardiac Troponin I Level of Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats
Authors:   Department of Sport Sciences, Allameh Qazvini Institute of Higher Education, Qazvin, Iran., Miraghaee Najmeh , Sadeghi Abbas ,   Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran, Mohammadi Navid ,   Children Growth Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
Published: May 2021

Background: One of the complications of diabetes, as a chronic metabolic disorder, is cardiovascular diseases. Objective This study aims to investigate the effect of an eight-week High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program on serum Cardiac troponin I (CtnI) level in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods: In this experimental clinical trial, 30 rats were randomly assigned into three groups of healthy Control (C), Diabetic (D), and diabetic+training (D+T). The third group performed the training which included a treadmill running at an intensity of 85%-90% of maximum speed in 6-12 sessions of 2 min for 8 weeks, 5 days per week. Blood glucose level and high-sensitive CtnI levels were measured 48 hours after the last training session and 12 hours of fasting. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test were used to analyze the collected data, considering a significance level of P<0.05. Findings: The induction of diabetes caused a significant increase in blood glucose (P=0.01) and high-sensitive CtnI (P=0.01) levels in the D group. Also, a significant difference was observed in the blood glucose level of D+T group compared to the D group (P=0.001). The CtnI level also slightly reduced (11%) in the D+T group compared to the D group, but it was not statistically significant (P=0.591). Conclusion: he HIIT program can reduce the fasting blood glucose and increase the serum level of high-sensitive CtnI to some extent in diabetic rats; therefore, it can be an appropriate strategy for diabetics. However, there is a need for more studies in this area.
The Impact of 2020 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods on Fire Service Emergency Response Times, in London, UK
Authors: Goodman Anna , Laverty Anthony A. , Thomas Asa , Aldred Rachel
Published: May 2021

Between March and September 2020, 72 ‘Low Traffic Neighbourhoods’ (LTNs) were implemented in London. We examined the impact on fire brigade emergency response times in October 2020-February 2021 (‘post’), as compared to the same months in the previous two years (‘pre’). We found no evidence that response times inside the LTNs or on boundary roads were affected (e.g. pre/post change for first engine: -14 seconds inside LTNs; -11 seconds in the rest of London; p=0.4 for difference). Fire crews reported more delays due to ‘traffic calming measures’ in LTNs, but this was entirely offset by a decrease in delays for other reasons, particularly ‘traffic’. This was true both in LTNs that predominately blocked motor traffic using physical barriers (e.g. planters) and in LTNs using camera enforcement. These findings add to evidence that LTNs do not adversely affect emergency response times.
Investigation of insect attraction effect of lamps with different color temperatures
Authors: Gyarmathy István , Korompai Tamás , Novák Richárd , Varga János , Dombos Miklós
Published: May 2021

The aim of our research is to analyze the ecological effects of light sources of different colors. Quantity and size of arthropods captured by light traps are continuously recorded by the Zoolog auto sampler, along with temperature and humidity data. By statistically analyzing large amounts of data, it is possible to estimate the amount of biomass removed by different types of lamps from their habitat, to monitor daily and longer-term activity changes, and to analyze the attractiveness of LEDs of different color temperatures. This will also allow conclusions to be drawn for conservation management.