bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discitis due to late-onset mesh infection 14 years after inguinal hernia repair: a case report
Authors: Maeda Chiyo , Kato Kai , Yamada Saki , Tanaka Mariko , Sujishi Ken , Sato Ryohei , Takanashi Shuichiro , Waseda Masahiro , Suzuki Tetsutaro , Ishida Yasuo , Kasahara Fumiko
Published: May 2022

Background

Mesh infection after inguinal hernia repair is a very rare complication. The incidence of late-onset mesh infection is approximately 0.1–0.2% of total hernia repair cases and can lead to serious complications if not treated promptly. Here, we report a rare case of discitis due to late-onset mesh infection, occurring 14 years after an inguinal hernia repair.

Case presentation

An 89-year-old man was brought to our hospital with right-sided abdominal pain and signs of hypoglycemia. He had a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and had undergone inguinal hernia repair 14 years ago. Upon admission, laboratory tests revealed no elevated inflammatory markers. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a peri-appendicular abscess. Although the patient was administered empiric antibiotics, on day 3 of admission, his white blood cell count and C-reactive protein levels increased to 38,000/µl and 28 mg/dl, respectively. CT-guided drainage was attempted but was not successful. Escherichia coli was detected in both blood culture collections. On day 7 of admission, the patient complained of back pain; CT on day 10 revealed a peri-appendicular abscess with a soft tissue shadow anterior to the thoracic vertebrae at the 8th/9th level. Thoracic discitis, due to bacteremia originating from the mesh abscess, was suspected. We surgically resected the appendix, followed by removal of the plug and mesh abscess. The post-operative course of the patient was uneventful. For treating discitis, it is known that antibiotic therapy is required for a minimum of 6 weeks. Therefore, on the 30th day post-surgery, the patient was transferred to the orthopedic ward for continued treatment.

Conclusions

This report discusses a rare case of late-onset mesh infection leading to thoracic discitis. Since late-onset mesh infection cannot be treated solely with antibiotics, expeditious surgery should be selected when subcutaneous drainage fails. When an immunocompromised patient with bacteremia has a complaint of back pain, purulent spinal discitis should also be suspected.
Seven new records of bee flies (Bombyliidae, Diptera) from Saudi Arabia
Authors: El-Hawagry Magdi , Al-Khalaf Areej A. , Soliman Ahmed M. , Abdel-Dayem Mahmoud S. , Al Dhafer Hathal M.
Published: May 2022

Background

Bombyliidae (bee flies) are one of the largest dipterous families in Saudi Arabia with 116 hitherto recorded species. Larvae of these flies are predators or parasitoids of different stages of other insects in the orders Orthoptera, Neuroptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera, in addition to spiders (order Araneae, class Arachnida), so they have potential use as biological control agents for pests belonging to these orders.

Results

In the present study, the list of Saudi Arabian fauna of bee flies (family Bombyliidae) is supplemented with seven new records in five genera and four subfamilies. The newly recorded species are Parageron lutescens (Bezzi, 1925) [Usiinae], Phthiria salmayensis Efflatoun, 1945 [Phthiriinae], Heterotropus bisglaucus Bezzi, 1925, Heterotropus maculiventris Bezzi, 1925, Heterotropus xanthothorax Efflatoun, 1945 [Heterotropinae], Anthrax greatheadi El-Hawagry, 1999, and Desmatoneura brevipennis (Bezzi, 1924) [Anthracinae]. World and local distributions of recorded species, diagnoses, remarks on feeding behaviors and some colored photographs were provided.

Conclusion

The present study supplements the bee fly fauna (family Bombyliidae) in Saudi Arabia with seven new records. This brings the total number of bee fly species in the country into 123 species classified in 40 genera, 12 tribes and 10 subfamilies.
A comprehensive review on bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) as a gold mine of functional bioactive components for therapeutic foods
Authors: Gayathry K. S. , John Jenny Ann
Published: May 2022

Bitter gourd is a tropical wine grown mainly in India, China and South East Asia. The plant is cultivated mainly for its fruit part which is edible. Bitter gourd is unaccepted widely due to its bitter taste. Nevertheless, the fruit is a source of several key nutrients. The plant, as a whole contains, more than 60 phyto-medicines that are active against more than 30 diseases, including cancer and diabetes. Currently, the incorporation of the bioactive compounds isolated from bitter gourd into functional foods and beverages finds a new horizon. Nanoencapsulation and novel green extraction methods can be employed to improve the yield and quality of extracted compounds and their stability while incorporation into food products. The present review is an attempt to throw light to nutritional aspects, various bioactive compounds present and important nutraceutical properties of the bitter gourd plant in detail.

Graphical Abstract
Summary of US Food and Drug Administration Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Biologics License Application Approvals From a Statistical Perspective
Authors: Lin Xue , Lee Shiowjen , Sharma Poornima , George Bindu , Scott John
Published: May 2022

The approval of tisagenlecleucel and axicabtagene ciloleucel in 2017 marked a milestone in the development of oncology therapies. Since 2017, the breakthrough in treatment or even cure of previously intractable diseases represented by this new class of cancer treatments has continued with subsequent chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T)-cell approvals. To date, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved five autologous CAR T-cell products for seven indications. A feature of autologous CAR T-cell products that differentiates them from traditional oncology drugs is that they need to be manufactured specifically for each patient. This feature has implications in study design, statistical analyses, and interpretation of study results. In this article, we share our experiences in the statistical review of CAR T-cell products and provide considerations for the design and statistical analyses of CAR T-cell trials. We also describe how the newly adopted estimand framework for clinical trials can help clarify nuanced issues in CAR T-cell trial design.
Utility of Homologous Recombination Deficiency Biomarkers Across Cancer Types
Authors: Takamatsu Shiro , Brown J.B. , Yamaguchi Ken , Hamanishi Junzo , Yamanoi Koji , Takaya Hisamitsu , Kaneyasu Tomoko , Mori Seiichi , Mandai Masaki , Matsumura Noriomi
Published: May 2022

PURPOSE

Homologous recombination DNA repair deficiency (HRD) is associated with sensitivity to platinum and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors in certain cancer types, including breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate. In these cancers, BRCA1/ 2 alterations and genomic scar signatures are useful indicators for assessing HRD. However, alterations in other homologous recombination repair (HRR)-related genes and their clinical significance in other cancer types have not been adequately and systematically investigated.

METHODS

We obtained data sets of all solid tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas and comprehensively analyzed HRR pathway gene alterations, their loss-of-heterozygosity status, per-sample genomic scar scores, ie, the HRD score and mutational signature 3 ratio, DNA methylation profiles, gene expression profiles, somatic TP53 mutations, sex, and clinical information including chemotherapeutic regimens.

RESULTS

Biallelic alterations in HRR genes other than BRCA1/ 2 were also associated with elevated genomic scar scores. The association between HRR-related gene alterations and genomic scar scores differed significantly by sex and the presence of somatic TP53 mutations. HRD cases determined by a combination of these indices also showed HRD features in gene expression analysis and were associated with better survival when treated with DNA-damaging agents.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence for the usefulness of HRD analysis in all cancer types, improves chemotherapy decision making and its efficacy in clinical settings, and represents a substantial advancement in precision oncology.
The long non-coding RNA MEG8 induces an endothelial barrier through regulation of microRNA-370 and -494 processing
Authors: Kremer Veerle , Stanicek Laura , van Ingen Eva , Bink Diewertje I. , Hilderink Sarah , Tijsen Anke J. , Wittig Ilka , Mägdefessel Lars , Nossent Anne Yaël , Boon Reinier A.
Published: May 2022

The 14q32 locus is an imprinted region in the human genome which contains multiple non-coding RNAs. We investigated the role of the long non-coding RNA maternally expressed gene 8 (MEG8) in endothelial function and its underlying mechanism. A 5-fold increase in MEG8 was observed with increased passage number in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), suggesting MEG8 is induced during aging. MEG8 knockdown resulted in a 1.8-fold increase in senescence, suggesting MEG8 might be protective during aging. The endothelial barrier was also impaired after MEG8 silencing. MEG8 knockdown resulted in reduced expression of microRNA (miRNA)-370 and -494 but not -127, -487b and -410. Overexpression of miRNA-370 or -494 partially rescued the MEG8-silencing-induced barrier loss. Mechanistically, MEG8 regulates expression of miRNA-370 and -494 at the mature miRNA level through interaction with the RNA-binding proteins cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP) and hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase trifunctional multi-enzyme complex subunit β (HADHB). Mature miRNA-370 and miRNA-494 were found to interact with CIRBP, whereas precursor miRNA-370 and miRNA-494 were found to interact with HADHB. Individual CIRBP and HADHB silencing resulted in downregulation of miRNA-370 and induction of miRNA-494. These results suggest MEG8 interacts with CIRBP and HADHB and contributes to miRNA processing at the post-transcriptional level.
The HERITAGE Family Study: A Review of the Effects of Exercise Training on Cardiometabolic Health, with Insights into Molecular Transducers
Authors: SARZYNSKI MARK A. , RICE TREVA K. , DESPRÉS JEAN-PIERRE , PÉRUSSE LOUIS , TREMBLAY ANGELO , STANFORTH PHILIP R. , TCHERNOF ANDRÉ , BARBER JACOB L. , FALCIANI FRANCESCO , CLISH CLARY , ROBBINS JEREMY M. , GHOSH SUJOY , GERSZTEN ROBERT E. , LEON ARTHUR S. , SKINNER JAMES S. , RAO D. C. , BOUCHARD CLAUDE
Published: May 2022

The aim of the HERITAGE Family Study was to investigate individual differences in response to a standardized endurance exercise program, the role of familial aggregation, and the genetics of response levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors. Here we summarize the findings and their potential implications for cardiometabolic health and cardiorespiratory fitness. It begins with overviews of background and planning, recruitment, testing and exercise program protocol, quality control measures, and other relevant organizational issues. A summary of findings is then provided on cardiorespiratory fitness, exercise hemodynamics, insulin and glucose metabolism, lipid and lipoprotein profiles, adiposity and abdominal visceral fat, blood levels of steroids and other hormones, markers of oxidative stress, skeletal muscle morphology and metabolic indicators, and resting metabolic rate. These summaries document the extent of the individual differences in response to a standardized and fully monitored endurance exercise program and document the importance of familial aggregation and heritability level for exercise response traits. Findings from genomic markers, muscle gene expression studies, and proteomic and metabolomics explorations are reviewed, along with lessons learned from a bioinformatics-driven analysis pipeline. The new opportunities being pursued in integrative -omics and physiology have extended considerably the expected life of HERITAGE and are being discussed in relation to the original conceptual model of the study.
Diagnostic test accuracies of F-18 FDG PET for characterisation of cardiac masses compared to conventional imaging techniques: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kim Keunyoung , Ko Woo Seog , Kim Seong-Jang
Published: May 2022

Objective:

The present systematic review and meta-analysis compared the diagnostic performance of F-18 fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) and conventional imaging, including MRI, echocardiography, and CT, in characterising cardiac masses.

Methods:

A literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases for studies comparing the diagnostic accuracies of 18F-FDG PET and conventional imaging in characterising cardiac masses, from inception of indexing to 31 July 2020, was performed. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool was used to assess study quality. Sensitivity and specificity across the studies were determined, positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-, respectively) were calculated, and summary receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed.

Results:

Of six included studies (n = 212 patients), 18F-FDG PET demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81–0.94) and a pooled specificity of 0.89 (95% CI 0.80–0.94). LR syntheses yielded an overall LR+ of 7.9 (95% CI 4.3–14.6) and LR- of 0.12 (95% CI 0.07–0.22). The calculated pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 64 (95% CI 23–181). For conventional imaging, the pooled sensitivity was 0.70 (95% CI 0.57–0.81) and the pooled specificity was 0.96 (95% CI 0.88–0.98). LR syntheses yielded an overall LR+ of 16.1 (95% CI 5.8–44.5) and LR- of 0.31 (95% CI 0.21–0.46). The evaluated pooled DOR was 52 (95% CI 17–155).

Conclusion:

18F-FDG PET and conventional imaging demonstrated comparable diagnostic accuracies for the characterisation of cardiac masses. Further large multicentre studies are, however, required to corroborate the diagnostic performances of 18F-FDG PET and conventional imaging for the characterisation of cardiac masses.

Advances in knowledge:

No previous studies have comprehensively analysed the diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT compared with conventional imaging techniques including echocardiography, CT, and MRI. According to the current study, 18F-FDG PET/CT yielded a pooled DOR of 64, whereas other conventional imaging techniques demonstrated a DOR of 52. As such, 18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated sensitivity and specificity, with a high pooled DOR comparable with other conventional imaging modalities.
Nomogram based on ultrasound radiomics score and clinical variables for predicting histologic subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Yao Fei , Ding Jie , Lin Feng , Xu Xiaomin , Jiang Qi , Zhang Li , Fu Yanqi , Yang Yunjun , Lan Li
Published: May 2022

Objective:

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common causes of death in gynecological tumors, and its most common type is epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). This study aimed to establish a radiomics signature based on ultrasound images to predict the histopathological types of EOC.

Methods:

Overall, 265 patients with EOC who underwent preoperative ultrasonography and surgery were eligible. They were randomly sorted into two cohorts (training cohort: test cohort = 7:3). We outlined the region of interest of the tumor on the ultrasound images of the lesion. Then, the radiomics features were extracted. Clinical, Rad-score and combined models were constructed based on the least absolute shrinkage, selection operator, and logistic regression analysis. The performance of the models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and decision curve analysis (DCA). A nomogram was formulated based on the combined prediction model.

Results:

The combined model had good performance in predicting EOC histopathological types, with an AUC of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.77–0.90) and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.71–0.93) in the training and test cohorts, respectively. The calibration curves showed that the nomogram estimation was consistent with the actual observations. DCA also verified the clinical value of the combined model.

Conclusions:

The combined model containing clinical and ultrasound radiomics features showed an excellent performance in predicting type I and type II EOC.

Advances in knowledge:

This study presents the first application of ultrasound radiomics features to distinguish EOC histopathological types. The proposed clinical-radiomics nomogram could help gynecologists non-invasively identify EOC types before surgery.
Brain and spine MRI findings in children presenting with TMCO1 mutation
Authors: Ratnayake Charith , Narayanan Srikala , Gaesser Jenna , Subramanian Subramanian
Published: May 2022

Cerebrofaciothoracic dysplasia (CFTD) is a developmental disorder characterized by distinctive craniofacial dysmorphism, global developmental delay, and skeletal anomalies. CTFD is the result of biallelic autosomal recessive loss of function mutations in the transmembrane and coiled-coil domains one protein (TMCO1) gene. Based on a population of 27 molecularly confirmed cases, classic brain morphologies associated with CFTD have been described in the literature. Previous studies have demonstrated only mild ventriculomegaly, corpus callosum abnormalities, frontotemporal atrophy, and three cases of associated epilepsy. We present previously undescribed brain MRI findings in two children presenting with seizures due to TMCO1 mutation. MR Imaging demonstrated hippocampal malrotation, olfactory bulb agenesis and olfactory sulcus hypoplasia in both children, pontine hypoplasia, and cochlear nerve agenesis in one child. We demonstrate that TMCO1 may play a more extensive and previously undescribed role in neurodevelopment thereby expanding the phenotype associated with CFTD.
avaliação no Ensino Superior como parte do processo formativo: reflexões e possibilidades
Authors: Ferreira Aguiar Leonardo
Published: May 2022

O presente artigo tem por objetivo refletir sobre a Universidade no Brasil enquanto organismo formativo em nível de Ensino Superior e quais instrumentos de avaliação poderiam ser utilizados em relação ao perfil do aluno, ao planejamento do curso e aos objetivos no que se refere a um processo de ensino e aprendizagem de qualidade. Compreendendo que avaliar não é uma etapa burocrática qualquer, propomos uma reflexão que vai ao encontro da inovação nas formas de avaliação, inclusive a partir do uso da tecnologia e com uma perspectiva interdisciplinar.
Case Report: A case of Dilated Cardiomyopathy in COVID-19; A case report
Authors: Dhakal Bishal , Sharma Neeraj , Pathak Bishnu Deep , Simkhada Nabin , limbu Binod
Published: May 2022

As of 2022, myocardial injury associated with COVID-19 has been one of the most discussed topics in literature. Though variety of cardiac manifestations have been reported and described in scientific literature, case of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has not been well reported and described. We present a case of DCM post-COVID-19 without any co-morbidities who was admitted several times for cardiac symptoms post-COVID-19. As it was a new finding associated with COVID-19, it has been worth understanding the variations in which cardiac conditions manifest in COVID-19.
Behavioural patterns of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study of the effects of active transportation, uninterrupted sitting time, and screen use on physical activity and sitting time
Authors: Marchant Gonzalo , Chevance Guillaume , Ladino Andrés , Lefèvre Brice , Jacquemond Nicolas
Published: May 2022

Background: The closure of universities due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may alter the behaviour of students. This study aimed to determine the effect of the pandemic on physical activity and sitting time in French students prior to confinement and during confinement.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on data collected via an online questionnaire for university students during the second confinement in France (between October and December 2020). Participants (N= 2873) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, which assessed physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and contained questions about modes of transport, and perception of uninterrupted sitting time and screen time prior to confinement and during confinement. Multiple regression models assessed how active transportation, uninterrupted sitting time, and screen time studying increased or reduced confinement effects on physical activity and sitting time.

Results: The regression models showed that physical activity decreased during confinement for students who engaged in more prolonged periods of active transportation prior to confinement. Moreover, the perception of long, uninterrupted sitting time and high screen time prior to confinement significantly increased sitting time during confinement. Students who adopted the most active transport time prior to confinement were the least likely to increase their screen time during confinement.

Conclusions: Confinement reduced physical activity levels and increased sitting time, mainly among students who adopted active transport and accumulated longer uninterrupted sitting time. Students who combined-long periods of uninterrupted sitting time with high screen use could be a riskier profile for health. Analysis of physical activity time and sitting position should include its accumulation patterns.
Comparison between the effects of older versus newer generations of antiepileptic drugs on bone metabolism in adult Iraqi patients: an observational study
Authors: Jafer Muhammad Sara , H Ali Shatha , G. Shareef Laith
Published: May 2022

Background:Metabolic bone disorder is a significant endocrine system disorder that encompasses any disorder that alters the natural skeleton's mineralization process. Epilepsy is a prevalent central nervous system disorder that can cause biochemical abnormalities involving bone metabolism in the epileptic patients. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic use of older compared to the newer generations of antiepileptic drugs on bone metabolism-related biomarkers.

Methods:The study included fifty-one epileptic outpatients who attended the Consultation Clinic of Baghdad Teaching Hospital at the Medical City Complex from October/2021 to December/2021. The selected patients were on antiepileptic drugs for more than 2 years, hence were grouped according to their antiepileptic therapy into: Group-1: 24 epileptic patients on old antiepileptic drugs (Carbamazepine or Valproate). Group-2: 27 epileptic patients on new antiepileptic drugs (Levetiracetam), compared with Group-3: 28 healthy control subjects. Serum was obtained from their blood specimens to measure: calcium and inorganic phosphate by colorimetric assays, parathyroid hormone, and level of bone alkaline phosphatase activity.

Results:Data analysis revealed that the median value of serum parathyroid hormone levels was significantly elevated in the epileptic patients' groups compared to the healthy control group. However, group-2 (new generation antiepileptic drugs) presented higher values. Whereas serum calcium and inorganic phosphate levels showed non-significant variation for all the studied groups. Furthermore, serum bone alkaline phosphatase activity exhibited significantly higher values in the patients compared to the healthy subjects group, with more significant elevation among those on old generation antiepileptic drugs (Carbamazepine or Valproate).

Conclusion:Epileptic individuals who had been on AEDs for more than two years had increased parathyroid hormone levels, which were boosted by the newer antiepileptic drug Levetiracetam. Furthermore, BAP serum levels were considerably greater in epileptic patients than in healthy control participants, with larger values generated by older antiepileptic medications.
T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 in unexposed South African women
Authors: Nunes Marta C. , Johnson Michael J. , Kwatra Gaurav , Weinberg Adriana , Madhi Shabir A.
Published: May 2022

Background: A potential explanation for the fact that the high rate of infection of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa did not translate into high rates of severe illness and death may be the presence of cross-reactive immunity induced by common cold coronaviruses (CCoV).

Methods: We used SARS-CoV-2 peptide pools and whole virus antigen to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected pre-2020 from South African women. Dual-colour FluoroSpot assay was used to measure interferon gamma (IFNγ) and interleukin 2 (IL2) production.

Results: Among the 97 study participants, IFNγ responses were observed in 29.9% of the women and IL2 among 39.2%. Overall, 51.6% of women demonstrated response to at least one stimulant.

Conclusion: We demonstrate the presence of cross-reactive immunity to SARS-CoV-2, which might have been induced by past exposure to CCoV.
Tangrams: a simple visual tool for communicating the complexities of professionalism
Authors: Neve Hilary , Hanks Sally
Published: May 2022

Professionalism is vital for high quality healthcare and fundamental to health profession education. It is however complex, hard to define and can be challenging to teach, learn about and assess.

We describe the development and use of an innovative visual tool, using a tangram analogy, to introduce and explore core professionalism concepts, which are often troublesome for both learners and educators. These include the hidden curriculum, capability, professional identity and the difference between unprofessionalism and high professional standards.  Understanding these concepts can help individuals to see professionalism differently, encourage faculty to design professionalism programmes which focus on professional excellence, support assessors to feel more confident in identifying and addressing underperformance and facilitate learners to appreciate the complexity and uncertainty inherent in professionalism and to become more alert to the hidden curriculum and its potential impact.

We have used the tangram model to educate for professionalism in multiple contexts with learners and educators. Participants regularly report that it leads to a deeper understanding and important new insights around professionalism and helps them identify ways of changing their practice.  We believe this approach has relevance across the health professions and suggest ways it could be further developed to explore wider professionalism issues such as reflective practice, resilience and teamworking.
A protocol for analysing the effects on health and greenhouse gas emissions of implemented climate change mitigation actions
Authors: Hassan Syreen , Cuevas Garcia-Dorado Sol , Belesova Kristine , Murage Peninah , Whitmee Sarah , Huxley Rachel , Green Rosemary , Haines Andrew
Published: May 2022

Background: It is crucial to understand the benefits to human health from decarbonisation to galvanise action among decision makers. Most of our existing evidence comes from modelling studies and little is known about the extent to which the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation actions are realised upon implementation. We aim to analyse evidence from mitigation actions that have been implemented across a range of sectors and scales, to identify those that can improve and sustain health, while accelerating progress towards a zero-carbon economy.

Objectives: To understand the implementation process of actions and the role of key actors; explain the contextual elements influencing these actions; summarise what effects, both positive and negative, planned and unplanned they may have on emissions of greenhouse gases and health; and to summarise environmental, social, or economic co-benefits.

Data: We will review evidence collected through partnership with existing data holders and an open call for evidence. We will also conduct a hand search of reference lists from systematic reviews and websites of organisations relevant to climate change mitigation.

Screening: Screening will be done by two reviewers according to a pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Analysis: We will identify gaps where implementation or evaluation of implementation of mitigation actions is lacking. We will synthesise the findings to describe how actions were implemented and how they achieved results in different contexts, identifying potential barriers and facilitators to their design, implementation, and uptake. We will also synthesise their effect on health outcomes and other co-benefits. Quantitative synthesis will depend on the heterogeneity of outcomes and metrics.

Conclusions: Findings will be used to identify lessons that can be learned from successful and unsuccessful mitigation actions, to make inferences on replicability, scalability, and transferability and will contribute to the development of frameworks that can be used by policy makers.
Utopian cartographies for the comprehension of urban areas. The underground map of Green Bay (WI, USA)
Authors: Garcia-Gonzalez Juan Antonio , Cruz Marcelo
Published: May 2022

Underground maps have become an iconic image that has transcended the function for which they were created. Among its multiple visual and spatial possibilities, it allows to be a cartography that simplifies and organizes the perception we have of the territory. A study of the geography of perception based on the preparation of underground plans to analyse the city of Green Bay (WI, USA) is presented. The methodological and educational possibilities of this utopian cartography are explored for its use as a mental map. The knowledge and perception of a group of citizens about the city they reside through a synthetic cartography is analysed.
Constant Approximation for the Lifetime Scheduling Problem of p-Percent Coverage
Authors: Zhang Zhao , Liang Wei , Du Hongmin W. , Liu Siwen
Published: May 2022

It has been an open question for some time whether there exists a polynomial-time constant approximation for the lifetime scheduling problem of p-percent coverage. In this paper, we give a positive answer to this question.
Experiences of women who gave birth during the pandemic
Authors: Hancock Dave
Published: May 2022

The Care Quality Commission surveyed women who had gone through pregnancy and birth during the national lockdown in 2021. Dave Hancock looks at some positive results and key areas for improvement in maternity care
IJAHP Embraces Rolling Article Publication
Authors: Mu Enrique
Published: May 2022

IJAHP has adopted a rolling article publication format as well as removed the registration requirement for our readers...
Clinical label-free endoscopic imaging of biochemical and metabolic autofluorescence biomarkers of benign, precancerous, and cancerous oral lesions
Authors: Duran-Sierra Elvis , Cheng Shuna , Cuenca Rodrigo , Ahmed Beena , Ji Jim , Yakovlev Vladislav V. , Martinez Mathias , Al-Khalil Moustafa , Al-Enazi Hussain , Jo Javier A.
Published: May 2022

Early detection is critical for improving the survival rate and quality of life of oral cancer patients; unfortunately, dysplastic and early-stage cancerous oral lesions are often difficult to distinguish from oral benign lesions during standard clinical oral examination. Therefore, there is a critical need for novel clinical technologies that would enable reliable oral cancer screening. The autofluorescence properties of the oral epithelial tissue provide quantitative information about morphological, biochemical, and metabolic tissue and cellular alterations accompanying carcinogenesis. This study aimed to identify novel biochemical and metabolic autofluorescence biomarkers of oral dysplasia and cancer that could be clinically imaged using novel multispectral autofluorescence lifetime imaging (maFLIM) endoscopy technologies. In vivo maFLIM clinical endoscopic images of benign, precancerous, and cancerous lesions from 67 patients were acquired using a novel maFLIM endoscope. Widefield maFLIM feature maps were generated, and statistical analyses were applied to identify maFLIM features providing contrast between dysplastic/cancerous vs. benign oral lesions. A total of 14 spectral and time-resolved maFLIM features were found to provide contrast between dysplastic/cancerous vs. benign oral lesions, representing novel biochemical and metabolic autofluorescence biomarkers of oral epithelial dysplasia and cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of clinical widefield maFLIM endoscopic imaging of novel biochemical and metabolic autofluorescence biomarkers of oral dysplasia and cancer, supporting the potential of maFLIM endoscopy for early detection of oral cancer.
Simultaneous super-resolution estimation of single-molecule position and orientation with minimal photon fluxes
Authors: Zhan Zhengyi , Li Chuankang , Liu Xin , Sun Xiaofan , He Chenyin , Kuang Cuifang , Liu Xu
Published: May 2022

The orientation of a single molecule provides valuable information on fundamental biological processes. We report a technique for the simultaneous estimation of single-molecule 2D position and 2D orientation with ultra-high localization precision (∼2-nm precision with ∼500 photons under a typical 100-nm diameter of excitation beam pattern), which is also compatible with tracking in living cells. In the proposed method, the theoretical precision limits are calculated, and the localization and orientation performance along with potential applications are explored using numerical simulations. Compared to other camera-based orientation measurement methods, it is confirmed that the proposed method can obtain reasonable estimates even under very weak signals (∼15 photons). Moreover, the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) is found to converge to the theoretical limit when the total number of photons is less than 100.
Parameter sensitivities in tilted-pulse-front based terahertz setups and their implications for high-energy terahertz source design and optimization
Authors: Kroh Tobias , Rohwer Timm , Zhang Dongfang , Demirbas Umit , Cankaya Huseyin , Hemmer Michael , Hua Yi , Zapata Luis E. , Pergament Mikhail , Kärtner Franz X. , Matlis Nicholas H.
Published: May 2022

Despite the popularity and ubiquity of the tilted-pulse-front technique for single-cycle terahertz (THz) pulse generation, there is a deficit of experimental studies comprehensively mapping out the dependence of the performance on key setup parameters. The most critical parameters include the pulse-front tilt, the effective length of the pump pulse propagation within the crystal as well as effective length over which the THz beam interacts with the pump before it spatially walks off. Therefore, we investigate the impact of these parameters on the conversion efficiency and the shape of the THz beam via systematically scanning the 5D parameter space spanned by pump fluence, pulse-front-tilt, crystal-position (2D), and the pump size experimentally. We verify predictions so far only made by theory regarding the optimum interaction lengths and map out the impact of cascading on the THz radiation generation process. Furthermore, distortions imposed on the spatial THz beam profile for larger than optimum interaction lengths are observed. Finally, we identify the most sensitive parameters and, based on our findings, propose a robust optimization strategy for tilted-pulse-front THz setups. These findings are relevant for all THz strong-field applications in high demand of robust high-energy table-top single-cycle THz sources such as THz plasmonics, high-harmonic generation in solids as well as novel particle accelerators and beam manipulators.
Integrated 1 × 3 MEMS silicon nitride photonics switch
Authors: Sharma Suraj , Kohli Niharika , Brière Jonathan , Nabki Frederic , Ménard Michaël
Published: May 2022

We present a 1 × 3 optical switch based on a translational microelectromechanical system (MEMS) platform with integrated silicon nitride (SiN) photonic waveguides. The fabricated devices demonstrate efficient optical signal transmission between fixed and suspended movable waveguides. We report a minimum average insertion loss of 4.64 dB and a maximum average insertion loss of 5.83 dB in different switching positions over a wavelength range of 1530 nm to 1580 nm. The unique gap closing mechanism reduces the average insertion loss across two air gaps by a maximum of 7.89 dB. The optical switch was fabricated using a custom microfabrication process developed by AEPONYX Inc. This microfabrication process integrates SiN waveguides with silicon-on-insulator based MEMS devices with minimal stress related deformation of the MEMS platform.
A vertical CsPbBr3/ZnO heterojunction for photo-sensing lights from UV to green band
Authors: Su Longxing , Li Tingfen , Zhu Yuan
Published: May 2022

In this work, we have reported a vertical CsPbBr3/ZnO heterojunction photodetector for photo-sensing lights from UV to visible band. The ZnO thin film is deposited on the c-sapphire substrate through a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique, and then the CsPbBr3 thin film is synthesized on the as-prepared ZnO film layer by using a solution processing method. The as-prepared CsPbBr3/ZnO heterostructure presents type-II energy band structure induced by the energy band offset effect, which can promote the separation and extraction efficiencies of the photo-generated electron-hole pairs. Compared with the CsPbBr3 based metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structure photodetector, the heterojunction photodetector presents higher responsivity and detectivity of 630 µA/W and 7 × 109 Jones. While compared with the ZnO based MSM structure photodetector, the heterojunction device reveals much faster response speeds of 61 µs (rise time) and 1.4 ms (decay time). These findings demonstrate that the CsPbBr3/ZnO heterojunction photodetector is promising for constructing next generation perovskite based optoelectronic devices.
Generation and compression of 10-fs deep ultraviolet pulses at high repetition rate using standard optics: erratum
Authors: Bruder Lukas , Wittenbecher Lukas , Kolesnichenko Pavel V. , Zigmantas Donatas
Published: May 2022

We present an erratum regarding the calculated phase matching bandwidths for achromatic second harmonic generation presented in our paper [Opt. Express 29, 25593 (2021)10.1364/OE.425053].
Distinct neuronal types contribute to hybrid temporal encoding strategies in primate auditory cortex
Authors: Liu Xiao-Ping , Wang Xiaoqin
Published: May 2022

Studies of the encoding of sensory stimuli by the brain often consider recorded neurons as a pool of identical units. Here, we report divergence in stimulus-encoding properties between subpopulations of cortical neurons that are classified based on spike timing and waveform features. Neurons in auditory cortex of the awake marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) encode temporal information with either stimulus-synchronized or nonsynchronized responses. When we classified single-unit recordings using either a criteria-based or an unsupervised classification method into regular-spiking, fast-spiking, and bursting units, a subset of intrinsically bursting neurons formed the most highly synchronized group, with strong phase-locking to sinusoidal amplitude modulation (SAM) that extended well above 20 Hz. In contrast with other unit types, these bursting neurons fired primarily on the rising phase of SAM or the onset of unmodulated stimuli, and preferred rapid stimulus onset rates. Such differentiating behavior has been previously reported in bursting neuron models and may reflect specializations for detection of acoustic edges. These units responded to natural stimuli (vocalizations) with brief and precise spiking at particular time points that could be decoded with high temporal stringency. Regular-spiking units better reflected the shape of slow modulations and responded more selectively to vocalizations with overall firing rate increases. Population decoding using time-binned neural activity found that decoding behavior differed substantially between regular-spiking and bursting units. A relatively small pool of bursting units was sufficient to identify the stimulus with high accuracy in a manner that relied on the temporal pattern of responses. These unit type differences may contribute to parallel and complementary neural codes.
Survival outcomes with warfarin compared with direct oral anticoagulants in cancer-associated venous thromboembolism in the United States: A population-based cohort study
Authors: Khan Adeel M. , Chiasakul Thita , Redd Robert , Patell Rushad , McCarthy Ellen P. , Neuberg Donna , Zwicker Jeffrey I.
Published: May 2022

Background

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have comparable efficacy with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for the treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE). Whether there is a mortality benefit of DOACs compared with warfarin in the management of VTE in cancer is not established.

Methods and findings

Utilizing the United States’ Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked databases from 2012 through 2016, we analyzed overall survival in individuals diagnosed with a primary gastric, colorectal, pancreas, lung, ovarian, or brain cancer and VTE who received a prescription of DOAC or warfarin within 30 days of VTE diagnosis. Patients were matched 1:2 (DOAC to warfarin) through exact matching for cancer stage and propensity score matching for age, cancer site, cancer stage, and time interval from cancer to VTE diagnosis. The analysis identified 4,274 patients who received a DOAC or warfarin for the treatment of VTE within 30 days of cancer diagnosis (1,348 in DOAC group and 2,926 in warfarin group). Patients were of median age 75 years and 56% female. Within the DOAC group, 1,188 (88%) received rivaroxaban, and 160 (12%) received apixaban. With a median follow-up of 41 months, warfarin was associated with a statistically significantly higher overall survival compared to DOACs (median overall survival 12.0 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 10.9 to 13.5] versus 9.9 months [95% CI: 8.4 to 11.2]; hazard ratio (HR) 0.85; 95% CI: 0.78 to 0.91; p < 0.001). Observed differences in survival were consistent across subgroups of cancer sites, cancer stages, and type of VTE. The study limitations include retrospective design with potential for unaccounted confounders along with issues of generalizability beyond the cancer diagnoses studied.

Conclusions

In this analysis of a population-based registry, warfarin was associated with prolonged overall survival compared to DOACs for treatment of cancer-associated VTE.
Role of biochar and compost in cadmium immobilization and on the growth of Spinacia oleracea
Authors: Tanveer Kinza , Ilyas Noshin , Akhtar Nosheen , Yasmin Humaira , Hefft Daniel Ingo , El-Sheikh Mohamed A. , Ahmad Parvaiz
Published: May 2022

This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of biochar and compost application onSpinacia oleraceagrowth in cadmium contaminated soil. Cd toxicity decreased plant growth and biomass significantly and also negatively affected the physiological and biochemical attributes of plants. However, the application of biochar and compost improved the contaminated soil by reducing Cd toxicity and causing its immobilization, which in turn improved plant growth. The combined application of biochar and compost significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced biomass and photosynthetic pigments development in plants. The treatments also increased membrane stability index by 45.12% and enhanced water using efficiency by 218.22%, respectively. The increase in antioxidant activities was 76.03%, 29.02%, and 123.27% in superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, respectively. The combined application also reduced the cadmium content (reduced 40.14% in root and 51.16% shoot), its translocation (19.67% decrease), and bioaccumulation (52.63% and 40.32% decrease in Cd content in shoot and root, respectively) in spinach plant. Among the two selected varieties ofS.oleracea, Desi palak (V1) performed better as compared to Kanta palak (V2). It can be concluded that the combined application of biochar and compost is one of the best strategies to reduce the toxicity level of Cd in plants and to improve their growth.
Soft computing models to predict the compressive strength of GGBS/FA- geopolymer concrete
Authors: Ahmed Hemn U. , Mohammed Azad A. , Mohammed Ahmed
Published: May 2022

A variety of ashes used as the binder in geopolymer concrete such as fly ash (FA), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), rice husk ash (RHA), metakaolin (MK), palm oil fuel ash (POFA), and so on, among of them the FA was commonly used to produce geopolymer concrete. However, one of the drawbacks of using FA as a main binder in geopolymer concrete is that it needs heat curing to cure the concrete specimens, which lead to restriction of using geopolymer concrete in site projects; therefore, GGBS was used as a replacement for FA with different percentages to tackle this problem. In this study, Artificial Neural Network (ANN), M5P-Tree (M5P), Linear Regression (LR), and Multi-logistic regression (MLR) models were used to develop the predictive models for predicting the compressive strength of blended ground granulated blast furnace slag and fly ash based-geopolymer concrete (GGBS/FA-GPC). A comprehensive dataset consists of 220 samples collected in several academic research studies and analyzed to develop the models. In the modeling process, for the first time, eleven effective variable parameters on the compressive strength of the GGBS/FA-GPC, including the Activated alkaline solution to binder ratio (l/b), FA content, SiO2/Al2O3(Si/Al) of FA, GGBS content, SiO2/CaO (Si/Ca) of GGBS, fine (F) and coarse (C) aggregate content, sodium hydroxide (SH) content, sodium silicate (SS) content, (SS/SH) and molarity (M) were considered as the modeling input parameters. Various statistical assessments such as Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Scatter Index (SI), OBJ value, and the Coefficient of determination (R2) were used to evaluate the efficiency of the developed models. The results indicated that the ANN model better predicted the compressive strength of GGBS/FA-GPC mixtures compared to the other models. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the alkaline liquid to binder ratio, fly ash content, molarity, and sodium silicate content are the most affecting parameter for estimating the compressive strength of the GGBS/FA-GPC.
Skeletal muscle and abdominal circumference explain intramuscular fat, independent of exercise frequency, in middle-aged Japanese men
Authors: Akima Hiroshi , Maeda Hisashi , Suwa Masataka , Imoto Takayuki , Tanaka Noriko
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine how intramuscular adipose tissue (IntraMAT) can be characterized using physical and functional characteristics, muscle size, and/or adipose tissue in four different exercise frequency groups of middle-aged Japanese men. One thousand twenty-eight middle-aged men (age, 47.5 ± 8.1 years; height, 170.5 ± 5.8 cm; body mass, 67.0 ± 9.3 kg; body mass index, 21.9 ± 5.3 kg/m2) were allocated to four groups on the basis of their weekly exercise frequency: Group 1, no exercise, n = 334; Group 2, once a week, n = 271; Group 3, a few days a week, n = 269; and Group 4, every day, n = 154. Their body composition, blood pressure, and handgrip strength were assessed. A single-slice computerized tomography image at the level of the umbilicus was acquired and the CSAs of IntraMAT, muscle tissue, and subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues (SCAT and VAT) were calculated. The %IntraMAT significantly correlated with physical characteristics, such as age, BMI, abdominal circumference, and muscle tissue CSA. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed, with the %IntraMAT as the dependent variable. Muscle tissue CSA and abdominal circumference were the common independent variables across groups to explain the variability of the %IntraMAT. It was also extracted %body fat and age for Group 2, age, handgrip strength, and BMI for Group 3, and smoking category for Group 4. These results suggested that muscle tissue size and abdominal circumference would be the strong predictors to explain %IntraMAT of the trunk muscle across four groups, and that age, %body fat, BMI, and SCAT, handgrip strength and smoking category were also good predictors for each group with different exercise frequency in middle-aged Japanese men.