bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three‐Dimensional Seismic Response Analysis of Zhubi Reef in the South China Sea
Authors: Bao Xin , Liu Jingbo , Li Shutao , Wang Fei
Published: August 2021

Reef islands are valuable terrestrial resources for ocean exploitation and utilization but face the serious threat of earthquake disasters. This study takes Zhubi Reef in the South China Sea as the research object and establishes a three‐dimensional (3D) reef‐seawater model to investigate the seismic response of Zhubi Reef. The 3D local topography and the effect of fluid‐solid interaction are comprehensively considered. The artificial boundaries of fluid and solid domains are adopted to simulate the wave radiation and absorption of the semi‐infinite seabed and the infinite seawater layer. The boundary substructure method is used to input the seismic waves into the numerical reef models. The results indicate that the seismic responses, including the peak values of the ground motions and the acceleration response spectra, are significantly amplified over Zhubi Reef. The acceleration response spectra on the reef flat shift closer towards the low‐period direction compared with those of the seismic waves input from the subsea bedrock. In addition, the 3D topographic effect on the seismic response of Zhubi Reef is studied through a comparative analysis between two‐dimensional (2D) and 3D reef models. The distribution laws of the peak response in the middle region of the reef flat calculated by the 2D and 3D models agree well with each other, and the differences are obvious in the edge areas where the local 3D topographies change drastically.
Facial Emphysema following Closure of Oroantral Fistulae
Authors: Nizar Muhammad Aiman Mohd , Nabil Syed
Published: August 2021

Subcutaneous emphysema (SE) is a swelling which develops due to air entrapped underneath the subcutaneous tissue and facial planes causing distention of the overlying skin. SE can develop due to trauma, surgery, or infection. The diagnosis of SE is mostly based on clinical findings of crepitation upon palpation of the swelling. Once diagnosed, SE is usually managed by close observation and in some cases may require surgical decompression and antibiotic prophylaxis. We report a rare case of SE of the left malar which developed following closure of oroantral communication using the buccal fat pad.
Controlling an Anatomical Robot Hand Using the Brain-Computer Interface Based on Motor Imagery
Authors: Herath H. M. K. K. M. B. , de Mel W.R.
Published: August 2021

More than one billion people face disabilities worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Sri Lanka, there are thousands of people suffering from a variety of disabilities, especially hand disabilities, due to the civil war in the country. The Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka reports that by 2025, the number of people with disabilities in Sri Lanka will grow by 24.2%. In the field of robotics, new technologies for handicapped people are now being built to make their lives simple and effective. The aim of this research is to develop a 3-finger anatomical robot hand model for handicapped people and control (flexion and extension) the robot hand using motor imagery. Eight EEG electrodes were used to extract EEG signals from the primary motor cortex. Data collection and testing were performed for a period of 42 s timespan. According to the test results, eight EEG electrodes were sufficient to acquire the motor imagery for flexion and extension of finger movements. The overall accuracy of the experiments was found at 89.34% (mean = 22.32) at the 0.894 precision. We also observed that the proposed design provided promising results for the performance of the task (grab, hold, and release activities) of hand-disabled persons.
Association of HOTAIR Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Psoriasis in a Chinese Han Population
Authors: Yao Xinyu , Hao Siyu , Xue Tiankuo , Zhou Keren , Zhang Yu , Li Hang
Published: August 2021

Psoriasis is a common disease in dermatology, but its etiology and pathogenesis have not been fully elucidated. In recent years, researchers have found that HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) plays an important role in biological processes as an important long‐chain noncoding RNA (lncRNA). The goal of this study was to investigate the association between HOTAIR polymorphisms and psoriasis in a Chinese Han population by screening key candidate single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) sites in HOTAIR. A total of 269 patients diagnosed with psoriasis and 273 healthy control subjects were enrolled in this case‐control study. Three SNPs of HOTAIR were genotyped: SNP1 (rs12826786), SNP2 (rs1899663), and SNP3 (rs4759314). All polymorphisms were in Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium in both the control and patient groups, and the SNPs were in linkage disequilibrium. The distribution of the rs4759314 genotype in the control group and case group was statistically significant according to all the models except the recessive model (adjusted p value < 0.05), and the CCG haplotype group had a significant difference (OR (95%CI) = 2.907 (1.344 − 6.289), adjusted p value = 0.0263). rs12826786 was associated with a risk of psoriasis according to the dominant model (C/T‐T/T vs. C/C: OR (95%CI) = 0.70 (0.48 − 1.01), adjusted p value = 0.049) and overdominant model (C/T vs. C/C‐T/T: OR (95%CI) = 0.69 (0.47 − 1.01), adjusted p value = 0.048). The current work showed that a genomic variant within HOTAIR was associated with a risk of psoriasis, and the clinical value of this study should be further evaluated in the future.
Pleckstrin-2 as a Prognostic Factor and Mediator of Gastric Cancer Progression
Authors: Wang Jun , He Zhigang , Sun Bo , Huang Wenhai , Xiang Jianbin , Chen Zongyou , Li Zhenyang , Gu Xiaodong
Published: August 2021

Pleckstrin-2 (PLEK2) is a crucial mediator of cytoskeletal reorganization. However, the potential roles of PLEK2 in gastric cancer are still unknown. PLEK2 expression in gastric cancer was examined by western blotting and real-time PCR. Survival analysis was utilized to test the clinical impacts of the levels of PLEK2 in gastric cancer patients. In vitro and in vivo studies were used to estimate the potential roles played by PLEK2 in modulating gastric cancer proliferation, self-renewal, and tumourigenicity. Bioinformatics approaches were used to monitor the effect of PLEK2 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signalling pathways. PLEK2 expression was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer as compared with nontumour samples. Kaplan-Meier plotter analysis revealed that gastric cancer patients with higher PLEK2 levels had substantially poorer overall survival compared with gastric cancer patients with lower PLEK2 levels. The upregulation or downregulation of PLEK2 in gastric cancer cell lines effectively enhanced or inhibited cell proliferation and proinvasive behaviour, respectively. Additionally, we also found that PLEK2 enhanced EMT through downregulating E-cadherin expression and upregulating Vimentin expression. Our findings demonstrated that PLEK2 plays a potential role in gastric cancer and may be a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer.
A Statistical Image Feature‐Based Deep Belief Network for Fire Detection
Authors: Sheng Dali , Deng Jinlian , Zhang Wei , Cai Jie , Zhao Weisheng , Xiang Jiawei
Published: August 2021

Detecting fires is of significance to guarantee the security of buildings and forests. However, it is difficult to fast and accurately detect fire stages in complex environment because of the large variations of the fire features of color, texture, and shapes for flame and smoke images. In this paper, a statistic image feature‐based deep belief network (DBN) is proposed for fire detections. Firstly, for each individual image, all the statistic image features extracted from a flame and smoke image in time domain, frequency domain, and time‐frequency domain are calculated to construct training and testing samples. Then, the constructed samples are fed into DBN to classify the multiple fire stages in complex environment. DBN can automatically learn fault features layer by layer using restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM). Experiments using the benchmark data of three groups of fire and fire‐like images are classified by the present method, and the classification results are also compared with those commonly used support vector machine (SVM) and convolutional deep belief networks (CDBNs) to manifest the superiority of the classification accuracy.
Malaysian Nurses’ Knowledge of Radiation Protection: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Rahimi Aisyah Mohd , Nurdin Intan , Ismail Shahrina , Khalil Azira
Published: August 2021

Radiology is a vital diagnostic tool for multiple disorders that plays an essential role in the healthcare sector. Nurses are majorly involved in a healthcare setting by accompanying patients during the examination. Thus, nurses tend to be exposed during inward X-ray examination, requiring them to keep up with radiation use safety. However, nurses’ competence in radiation is still a concept that has not been well studied in Malaysia. The study aimed to define the level of usage understanding and radiation protection among Malaysian nurses. In this research, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 395 nurses working in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare sectors in Malaysia. The survey is based on the developed Healthcare Professional Knowledge of Radiation Protection (HPKRP) scale, distributed via the online Google Forms. SPSS version 25.0 (IBM Corporation) was used to analyze the data in this study. Malaysian nurses reported the highest knowledge level in radiation protection with a mean of 6.03 ± 2.59. The second highest is safe ionizing radiation guidelines with 5.83 ± 2.77, but low knowledge levels in radiation physics and radiation usage principle (4.69 ± 2.49). Therefore, healthcare facilities should strengthen the training standards for all nurses working with or exposed to radiation.
Vehicle‐Mounted Photovoltaic System Energy Management in Intelligent Transportation Systems: A Maximum Power Point Tracking Control
Authors: Wang Jingao , Liu Qifei , Jing Silan
Published: August 2021

Electric vehicles have become the main contributor in terms of reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emission. Although the government is vigorously promoting the use of electric vehicles worldwide, the range anxiety still impedes the rapid development of electric vehicles, especially when air‐conditioning also adds battery power consumption and aggravates the range anxiety. To this end, this paper proposes an improved vehicle‐mounted photovoltaic system energy management in intelligent transportation systems, which is a maximum power point tracking control system. Meanwhile, since the power of solar panels is usually relatively small and the power changes at any time, low power density and poor controllability are difficult to avoid. In order to solve this problem, this paper offers a tracking control method to improve the output efficiency of solar panels. For improving photovoltaic conversion efficiency and maximizing output power, traditional photovoltaic power panels are often dominated by a centralized maximum power point tracing control, which is named MPPT. Although the cost under this case is lower, the output power of all photovoltaic panels cannot be maximized under the condition of uneven illumination or local mismatch. To improve the situation, a micro‐scale inverter is proposed to provide MPPT control of photovoltaic modules, which can effectively improve the output power of each photovoltaic panel. Moreover, our MPPT algorithm is applicable to cloud shadow, building shadow, and shade, and it is more suitable for the car roof. Firstly, the Diode 5‐parameter model is used to deduce the I‐U equation of the photovoltaic module considering shadow shading, and then the real‐time 5 parameter equation is formed by using the measured data group and selected. The reasonable initial value is used to iteratively solve the real‐time value of 5 parameters, which is further to judge the masking situation. The maximum power point (MPP) is solved directly by the mathematical method based on the mathematical model of I‐U relation mathematics, and the DC‐DC circuit is used to adjust the running point to MPP. Unlike the traditional MPPT method, the method in this paper is based on the physical model of solar cells, and MPP tracking is based on mathematical methods. Based on this, it does not need to cause multiple interference to the circuit, and the tracking efficiency is high. Finally, the relative experimental results are provided to verify the performance of the proposed method.
Criterion Validity and Reliability of SF-12 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-12v2) in a Student Population during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Ruotolo Ilaria , Berardi Anna , Sellitto Giovanni , Panuccio Francescaroberta , Polimeni Antonella , Valente Donatella , Galeoto Giovanni
Published: August 2021

Objective. The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, led to strict domestic quarantine, social isolation policies, and consequently significant psycho-emotional and lifestyle changes. The individual and societal fear and anxiety cause significant stress affecting health-related quality of life (HRQOL). There is evidence of the psychological and mental health effects of the current pandemic on students, who are known to be a vulnerable population. A decrease in physical activity was reported among students, and it is known to contribute to stress levels, which is strongly associated with HRQOL. This study is aimed at evaluating the validity and reliability of SF-12 Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2) in the assessment of self-perceived quality of life of Italian students following lifestyle changes due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted with university students attending the faculty of Medicine and Surgery or Health Professions. The Physical Component Summary (PCS12) and the Mental Component Summary (MCS12) of SF-12v2 were compared to the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient. Concurrent validity was evaluated comparing SF-12v2 values to PSS scores, and the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) was calculated. Cross-cultural validity was investigated through several analyses for correlations between SF-12v2 scores and the gender of participants, University of Italy, body mass index (BMI), and time spent sitting and exercising. Results. The SF-12v2 questionnaire was administered to 583 medical and health professionals’ students in July 2020. Cronbach’s Alpha showed acceptable reliability for PCS12 and MCS12. In line with expectations, PCS12 scores differed by BMI groups, while the MCS12 was associated with PSS score and showed differences between genders, BMI groups, time spent sitting, and time spent exercising. Conclusion. The Italian version of SF-12v2 is a valid and reliable instrument to assess health-related quality of life among medical and health professionals’ students.
Plasma Lipids and Lipoproteins in Sickle Cell Disease Patients in the Northern West Bank, Palestine
Authors: Samarah Fekri , Srour Mahmoud A. , Dumaidi Kamal
Published: August 2021

Background. Lipid metabolism may be altered in red cell genetic disorders. The erythrocyte and plasma lipids are defected which may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the present study, we hypothesized a possible link between severity of anemia and altered lipid profile in SCD. Methods. A total of 151 SCD patients, including 62 patients with sickle cell anemia (SS), 54 patients with sickle β‐thalassemia (ST), and 35 individuals with sickle cell trait (AS), were studied. The control group consisted of 160 healthy individuals. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) were enzymatically measured. Results. Total cholesterol and LDL‐C were significantly lower (P value < 0.001) in SS and ST patients compared to AS individuals and AA controls. However, LDL‐C was significantly lower in AS individuals (both males and female) compared to AA controls (P value < 0.001). The HDL‐C in SS and ST patients (both males and females) was significantly lower than that in AS individuals (P value < 0.001). In addition, the HDL‐C was significantly higher in SS and ST males and AS (males and females) compared to AA controls (P value < 0.001). The HDL‐C was also significantly higher in SS males (P value < 0.001) and females (P value < 0.05) compared to ST patients. The HDL‐C was significantly higher in AS individuals (P value < 0.001) compared to AA controls. The triglycerides in SS males was significantly lower than that in ST patients (P value < 0.001), but there was no significant difference when compared to AS individuals and AA controls. In contrast, triglycerides in SS females were significantly lower than those in ST (P value < 0.05), AS (P value < 0.001), and AA controls (P value < 0.001). In males of ST patients, triglycerides were significantly higher than those observed in AS males and AA males (P value < 0.001). In contrast, females of ST patients have a significantly lower triglycerides compared to AS and AA females (P value < 0.001). Conclusions. In SCD, the plasma is affected in some way, especially the plasma cholesterol that was investigated in this study. Further prospective studies should examine the contribution of an altered lipid profile to the severity and clinical complications in SCD patients.
Construction of a Potentially Functional circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA Network in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Huo Zhenxin , Li Hao , Tian Lijun , Li Jianhua , Zhang Kaihui , Li Zhenhua , Li Guowang , Du Lilong , Xu Haiwei , Xu Baoshan
Published: August 2021

Background. The competing endogenous RNA‐ (ceRNA‐) mediated regulatory mechanisms are known to play a pivotal role in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Our research intended to establish a ceRNA regulatory network related to IDD through bioinformatics analyses. Methods. The expression profiles of circRNA, miRNA, and mRNA were obtained from the public Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Then, we use sequence‐based bioinformatics methods to select differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), microRNAs (DEmiRNAs), or circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) related to IDD. We used ChEA3 to verify the targets of transcription factors (TFs). Then, we used DAVID to annotate the DEmRNAs. Finally, we constructed a potentially circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA network related to IDD by predicting in the database (ENCORI, TargetScan, miRecords, miRmap, and circBank). Results. We identified 31 common DEmRNAs by Venn analysis, of which MMP2 was regarded as the key hub genes. Simultaneously, miR‐423‐5p and miR‐185‐5p were predicted as the upstream molecules of MMP2. Furthermore, a total of six DEcircRNAs were predicted as the upstream circRNAs of miR‐423‐5p and miR‐185‐5p. Then, a potential circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA network related to IDD was constructed by bioinformatics analysis. Conclusion. A comprehensive ceRNA regulatory network was constructed, which was found to be significant in IDD progression.
Role of ssDNA as a Noninvasive Indicator for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Zhao Qi , Xu Yiqiu , Yuan Dandan , Yang Junjun , Wang Ying , Shen Guorong , Huang Xuewen
Published: August 2021

Background and Aim. This exploratory study explored single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis and prognosis. Methods. This prospective study enrolled 102 patients with newly diagnosed HCC, 21 with cirrhosis, 20 with chronic hepatitis, 284 with nonliver diseases, and 45 healthy individuals at the Affiliated Wuxi No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (May-October 2018). ssDNA was extracted using magnetic beads and quantified using the Qubit ssDNA assay. ssDNA levels were compared among the disease groups and in HCC vs. non-HCC. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the diagnostic value of ssDNA. In patients with resectable HCC, ssDNA and α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were measured during follow-up and compared with HCC recurrence detected by imaging. Results. The median ssDNA levels were higher in HCC than in healthy individuals, cirrhosis, and chronic hepatitis (median, 23.20 vs. 9.36, 9.64, and 9.76 ng/μL, respectively,

P
<
0.001

). ssDNA levels in HCC were higher than those in cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis (both

P
<
0.001

); there were no differences in ssDNA levels between healthy controls and patients with cirrhosis (

P
=
0.15

) or chronic liver disease (

P
=
0.39

). The area under the curve of ssDNA for HCC diagnosis was 0.909 (95% CI: 0.879-0.933). The ssDNA levels decreased by 3.19-fold (

P
<
0.001

) after HCC radical resection. In six patients, the ssDNA levels increased about 3-6 months before a recurrence was detected by AFP and imaging. Conclusions. ssDNA might be a noninvasive indicator for HCC diagnosis and prognosis. ssDNA could eventually be complementary to AFP levels and imaging, but confirmatory studies are necessary.
An Interesting Case of Bilateral Facial Palsy due to Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
Authors: Shil Rajish Sanjit Kumar , Teir Jamal Ali
Published: August 2021

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly called Wegener’s granulomatosis) is a systemic autoimmune disease, which can lead to necrotizing vasculitis affecting small vessels and cause inflammation of blood vessels in the nose, sinuses, throat, lungs, and kidneys. In rare instances, it has shown involvement of the brain and cranial nerves as well. We are reporting a case of granulomatosis with polyangiitis, complicated by bilateral facial palsy due to lower motor neuron involvement of the facial nerve, which has responded well to immunosuppressive treatment, particularly rituximab. It is prudent to be vigilant in investigating patients with atypical presentation for systemic autoimmune diseases, as this approach would affect the patient morbidity and mortality with early initiation of treatment for the disease.
Surgical Treatment of Congenital Dermal Sinus: An Experience of 56 Cases
Authors: Song YunHai , Xia ZeYang , Qiu ShanShan , Gao PingPing , Yang Bo , Bao Nan
Published: August 2021

Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of early diagnosis and surgery on children with congenital dermal sinus, investigate the relationship between MRI findings and extent of surgical exploration, and summarize our clinical experience with the surgical management in cases with central nervous system (CNS) infection. Methods: The skin features, preoperative MRI images, intraoperative findings, postoperative pathological characteristics, and prognoses of 56 children with congenital dermal sinus were analyzed retrospectively. Results: All the children had a pinpoint ostium in the skin, and 52 out of the 56 children (92.9%) had intraspinal dermoid cysts or epidermoid cysts. Before surgery, MRI did not show intraspinal lesions in 13 children, and surgery revealed intradural lesions in 9 of these children (69.2%). Among 46 children without CNS infection, 16 children had neurological impairment before surgery. After surgery, recovery was complete in 36 children, partial in 9 children, and absent in 3 children. All children with CNS infection had neurological impairment before surgery. After surgery, the condition improved in 8 children and exacerbated in 2 children. Children without CNS infection had statistically significantly better prognosis than children with CNS infection (p = 0.03). Conclusion: A pinpoint ostium in the dorsal midline is the characteristic feature of congenital dermal sinus. In cases without intraspinal lesions on MRI, the spinal canal should be explored intraoperatively to ensure complete removal of the lesion and prevent recurrences. In cases without CNS infection, early diagnosis and timely surgery are beneficial to the recovery of nerve function.
The Difficulties Encountered by Pediatric Cochlear Implant Patients and Their Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Telmesani Laila M. , Said Nithreen M. , Mahrous Mahmoud M. , Alrusayyis Danah F.
Published: August 2021

Introduction: The daily escalation in incidence and mortality caused by Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has mandated forced curfew in our country (same as many other countries) to limit the spread of infection. This is predicted to have a more negative impact on cochlear implant (CI) patients since this group of patients needs a unique type of psychological, medical, and technical care in addition to a daily rehabilitation program. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on Arabic questionnaire that looked into the collateral consequences of COVID-19 on the pediatric CI patients. The questionnaire was designed to highlight different problems such as exposure to head trauma or ear infection, difficulties in device maintenance and getting spare parts, impacts of the delay of programing or switch on appointments, and the impacts of missing rehabilitation sessions. Different ways of management of these problems are presented and discussed. Results: A total of 174 parents responded to the questionnaire. The main problem met by the patients was missing their device programing and rehabilitation sessions. Many children had device maintenance and spare parts problems. Virtual clinics were helpful in solving different problems. Additionally, children who needed device programing were scheduled for remote programing sessions. Conclusion: Although the inevitable consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are catastrophic, they are forcing the medical field to explore new opportunities by sitting up an infrastructure for future usage of telemedicine. Telemedicine is cost-effective and more convenient and enables health-care providers to be immune to future circumstances.
Uncoupling of the Infancy Life History Stage
Authors: Hochberg Ze’ev
Published: August 2021

Background: The life history of Homo sapiens is unique in having a comparatively short stage of infancy which lasts for 2–3 years. Infancy is characterized by suckling of breast milk, the development of sensorimotor cognition, the acquisition of language, mini-puberty, deciduous dentition, and almost complete skull growth. Infancy ends with the infancy-childhood growth transition (ICT) and separation from the mother. In modern-day affluent societies, breastfeeding depends on the mother’s decision and may happen at any age, and the characteristic traits of infancy have uncoupled. The data and theory for this contention are presented. Summary: The biological traits of mini-puberty and ICT characteristic of infancy occur before age 1 along with language acquisition. The cognitive (sensorimotor) component occurs by age 2, and the social component of separation from the mother by any age from 1 to 3 years. Key Messages: Human life history is based on a coherent stage of infancy which assumes coupling between the biological, cognitive, and social maturation of a baby. This is no longer the case in industrial societies and might never be so again. The upbringing of an infant needs to consider the new biology of this dissociated infancy and a new timetable of the infant’s life-history events.
A Nationwide Study of the Prevalence and Initial Management of Atypical Genitalia in the Newborn in Scotland
Authors: Rodie Martina E. , Ali Salma R. , Jayasena Arundathi , Alenazi Naser R. , McMillan Martin , Cox Kathryn , Cassim Sumaiya M. , Henderson Stuart , McGowan Ruth , Ahmed S. Faisal ,   on behalf of the Scottish DSD Network & the Scottish Paediatric Endocrine Group
Published: August 2021

Provision of optimum healthcare for infants with atypical genitalia requires a clear understanding of the occurrence of this condition. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of atypical genitalia and its initial management. A prospective, electronic survey of clinicians within managed clinical networks in Scotland was undertaken between 2013 and 2019. Notification from clinicians was sought for term neonates requiring specialist input for atypical genitalia. Additional information was also sought from the 4 regional genetics laboratories that provided details for neonates who had an urgent karyotype performed for atypical genitalia or sex determination. In total, the study identified 171 term infants who required some investigation for atypical genitalia in the neonatal period, providing a birth prevalence of 1:1,881 term births. Of the 171 infants, 97 (57%) had specialist input over the first 3 months of life, providing a birth prevalence of 1:3,318 term births that received specialist input for atypical genitalia. A total of 92 of these 97 cases had complete 3-month follow-up data, 62 (67%) presented within 24 h of birth, and age at presentation ranged from birth to 28 days. Age at sex assignment ranged from birth to 14 days, and in 63 cases (68%), sex assignment occurred at birth. Thus, the birth prevalence of a case of atypical genitalia where sex assignment was reported to be delayed beyond birth was estimated at 1:11,097 births. In 1 case sex was re-assigned at 3 months. Atypical genitalia requiring specialist input within the first month of life are rare in term newborns, and in only a third of these cases, sex assignment is delayed beyond birth. This study provides new clinical benchmarks for comparing and improving the delivery of care in centres that manage these conditions.
Cerebrovascular Accident and SARS-CoV-19 (COVID-19): A Systematic Review
Authors: Athanasios Amira , Daley Ivy , Patel Anjali , Oyesanmi Olu , Desai Parth , Frunzi Johnathan
Published: August 2021

Background: While the most common neurologic symptoms reported in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 are headache, dizziness, myalgia, mental fog, and anosmia, there is a growing basis of published peer-reviewed cases reporting stroke in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The peer-reviewed literature suggests an increased risk of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in the setting of COVID-19 infection. Methods: We searched 3 databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, and CINAHL) with search terms COVID-19, novel coronavirus, stroke, and cerebrovascular accident. Case series and case studies presenting patients positive for both COVID-19 and CVA published from January 1 through September 1, 2020, were included. Data collection and analysis was completed and risk of bias assessed. Results: The search identified 28 studies across 7 counties comprising 73 patients. Amongst patients hospitalized for COVID-19 infection and CVA, the average age was 60; the most common preexisting conditions were hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and those without preexisting conditions were significantly younger with an average age of 47. Amongst hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and CVA, there was a bimodal association with COVID-19 infection severity with majority of patients classified with mild or critical COVID-19 infection. Discussion: The data suggest SARS-CoV-2 is a risk factor for developing stroke, particularly in patients with hypertension and diabetes. Furthermore, the younger average age of stroke in patients with SARS-CoV-2, particularly those patients with zero identifiable preexisting conditions, creates high suspicion that SARS-CoV-2 is an independent risk factor for development of stroke; however, this cannot yet be proven without comparable control population. The data suggest the risk of developing CVA in the setting of COVID-19 infection is not dependent upon severity of illness. Continued studies must be done to understand the epidemiologic factors of COVID-19 infection and stroke and the pathophysiology of the COVID-associated hypercoagulable state.
Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Authors: Hill Sophie F. , Meisler Miriam H.
Published: August 2021

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are short oligonucleotides that can modify gene expression and mRNA splicing in the nervous system. The FDA has approved ASOs for treatment of ten genetic disorders, with many applications currently in the pipeline. We describe the molecular mechanisms of ASO treatment for four neurodevelopmental and neuromuscular disorders. The ASO nusinersen is a general treatment for mutations of SMN1 in spinal muscular atrophy that corrects the splicing defect in the SMN2 gene. Milasen is a patient-specific ASO that rescues splicing of CNL7 in Batten’s disease. STK-001 is an ASO that increases expression of the sodium channel gene SCN1A by exclusion of a poison exon. An ASO that reduces the abundance of the SCN8A mRNA is therapeutic in mouse models of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. These examples demonstrate the variety of mechanisms and range of applications of ASOs for treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders.
The Association of “GOOP” on Gross Examination of Fine Needle Aspiration Samples and On-Site Adequacy
Authors: Meena Nikhil , Bartter Thaddeus , Mathew Roshen , Kumar Abhishek , Roy Winnie Elma , Kakadia Sunil Kumar , Machiarella Maggie
Published: August 2021

Background: Rapid on-site cytologic evaluation (ROSE) is not always available for fine needle aspiration (FNA) specimens. We have examined the relationships between the presence of “GOOP” (defined as gooey white material) on FNA aspirates, on-site adequacy (OSA), and diagnosis. Methods: Consecutive FNA samples obtained over the study interval were included. Samples were assessed macroscopically for the presence or absence of GOOP (GOOP+ or GOOP−). GOOP+ samples were further characterized as shiny (G+S) or cheesy (G+C). Gross descriptors were correlated with OSA and final diagnoses. Results: Of the 204 sites biopsied, 102 were malignant, 94 benign, and 8 nondiagnostic. The presence of GOOP was highly predictive for adequacy (positive predictive value 98%). While these correlations for GOOP positivity were significant, the absence of GOOP did not rule out adequacy or malignancy. The presence of GOOP was also significantly correlated with a malignant diagnosis. Conclusions: We have prospectively demonstrated that the presence of GOOP correlates strongly with adequacy. This may be of value for those for whom ROSE is not available and, when available, may help prioritize specimens for on-site review.
De Rossellini a Rossellini: dois processos de criação que se sobrepõem
Authors: Roque Isabel Rebelo
Published: August 2021

O cineasta italiano Roberto Rossellini foi, de todos os cineastas neorrealistas, quem levou ao cinema de ficção a estética documental em sua maior radicalidade. Em sua “trilogia da guerra”, constituída por Roma, cidade aberta, Paisà e Alemanha, ano zero, essa estética documental deriva em grande medida do uso de atores não profissionais, recrutados entre a população local, e da filmagem em locação.  Na trilogia e em vários de seus filmes, anteriores e posteriores, seu irmão mais novo, o compositor Renzo Rossellini, assina as trilhas sonoras. No presente artigo, discutiremos os processos de criação e as escolhas estéticas de um e de outro, de modo a evidenciar o quanto, frequentemente, parecem chocar-se ou no mínimo sobrepor-se. Tomando por objeto o trabalho desenvolvido por ambos em Alemanha, ano zero, apresentaremos como ponto fulcral um gráfico – por nós elaborado – em que relacionaremos cinquenta e cinco sequências fílmicas à respectiva banda sonora, como meio de demonstrar nossa tese.
El manuscrito literario en la época de su (multi)reproductibilidad técnica
Authors: Mastache Emiliano
Published: August 2021

El presente artículo tiene como objeto dar cuenta del proceso de transcripción del primer cuaderno manuscrito de una de las novelas más significativas de la literatura mexicana del siglo XX: El libro vacío (1958), escrita por Josefina Vicens. Asimismo, procura problematizar la noción de transcripción. En primer lugar se describen las características generales del corpus objeto de la transcripción y se proporcionan informaciones sobre las condiciones y repercusiones de su hallazgo, así como de la obra respectiva. En segunda instancia, se exponen las fases por las que atravesó la transcripción, haciendo énfasis tanto en los diversos soportes utilizados como en algunos inconvenientes que se presentaron durante el proceso, con el propósito de destacar que el resultado final (una transcripción diplomática de carácter híbrido: electrónica y manual), si bien fue producto de replanteamientos diversos, encontró su forma definitiva gracias a la previa realización de una transcripción apógrafa. Por ello, en la última parte se propone como método no sólo técnico sino también propiamente hermenéutico, en relación con un manuscrito literario, la realización de una transcripción apógrafa, en tanto enriquece su desciframiento y estudio, así como redunda en una consolidación más precisa de los criterios para una eventual edición genética del mismo.
Aquilo que a dobra guarda
Authors: Cuartas Villalobos Ángela María , Andrade Geysiane Aparecida de , Maffeis Juliana
Published: August 2021

Este ensaio criado a seis mãos indaga a participação da instância crítica no processo de criação literária. A princípio, nosso diálogo é provocado por algumas reflexões de Agamben acerca da potência-de-não entranhada no ato de criação, que por sua vez foram provocadas por uma conferência de Deleuze sobre o ato de criação como ato de resistência. Porém, o principal catalisador da indagação e da construção do ensaio é a observação do nosso percurso individual e coletivo, como escritoras que transitam entre o âmbito acadêmico, o âmbito literário e outros espaços ou ritmos envolvidos na criação. Para a composição do texto, usamos o método de montagem, por meio do contraponto de imagens, fragmentos das nossas narrativas do processo, reflexões teóricas e leituras suscitadas pelo desenrolar do diálogo na tela. O procedimento tenta representar o movimento, a complexidade, a descontinuidade e as fraturas do processo criativo.
Processos de criação e procedimentos de criação
Authors: Rayel Mara Lafourcade
Published: August 2021

Nossa proposta é analisar as obras de Cecilia Salles, Gesto inacabado e Redes da criação, à luz do que Espinosa apresenta na Ética como sendo o segundo e o terceiro gêneros de conhecimento. A intenção é avaliar em que medida as ideias de Salles, sobre processo de criação, e de Espinosa podem ser complementares. Nosso problema se constitui em avaliar os processos de criação descritos por Salles e colocá-los lado a lado com os gêneros de conhecimento de Espinosa por ambos abarcarem aspectos relacionados a uma teoria do conhecimento. Nossa hipótese é de que esse movimento é possível pelas características intrínsecas às descrições desenvolvidas pelos autores. Nosso método é de apropriação livre dos conceitos de Salles, como demonstração de procedimentos criativos, e posterior análise das obras em tela para concluir por suas ideias comuns em alguns pontos e por sua complementaridade.
Clinical Performance Measures for Stroke Rehabilitation: Performance Measures From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
Authors: Stein Joel , Katz Douglas I. , Black Schaffer Randie M. , Cramer Steven C. , Deutsch Anne F. , Harvey Richard L. , Lang Catherine E. , Ottenbacher Kenneth J. , Prvu-Bettger Janet , Roth Elliot J. , Tirschwell David L. , Wittenberg George F. , Wolf Steven L. , Nedungadi T. Prashant ,   on behalf of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
Published: August 2021

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association released the adult stroke rehabilitation and recovery guidelines in 2016. A working group of stroke rehabilitation experts reviewed these guidelines and identified a subset of recommendations that were deemed suitable for creating performance measures. These 13 performance measures are reported here and contain inclusion and exclusion criteria to allow calculation of rates of compliance in a variety of settings ranging from acute hospital care to postacute care and care in the home and outpatient setting.
A Knowledge Graph Based Approach to Social Science
Surveys
Authors: Pan Jeff Z. , Edelstein Elspeth , Bansky Patrik , Wyner Adam
Published: August 2021

Recent success of knowledge graphs has spurred interest in applying them in open science, such as on intelligent survey systems for scientists. However, efforts to understand the quality of candidate survey questions provided by these methods have been limited. Indeed, existing methods do not consider the type of on-the-fly content planning that is possible for face-to-face surveys and hence do not guarantee that selection of subsequent questions is based on response to previous questions in a survey. To address this limitation, we propose a dynamic and informative solution for an intelligent survey system that is based on knowledge graphs. To illustrate our proposal, we look into social science surveys, focusing on ordering the questions of a questionnaire component by their level of acceptance, along with conditional triggers that further customise participants' experience. Our main findings are: (i) evaluation of the proposed approach shows that the dynamic component can be beneficial in terms of lowering the number of questions asked per variable, thus allowing more informative data to be collected in a survey of equivalent length; and (ii) a primary advantage of the proposed approach is that it enables grouping of participants according to their responses, so that participants are not only served appropriate follow-up questions, but their responses to these questions may be analysed in the context of some initial categorisation. We believe that the proposed approach can easily be applied to other social science surveys based on grouping definitions in their contexts. The knowledge-graph-based intelligent survey approach proposed in our work allows online questionnaires to approach face-to-face interaction in their level of informativity and responsiveness, as well as duplicating certain advantages of interview-based data collection.
Advanced Placement and Initial College Enrollment: Evidence from an Experiment
Authors: Conger Dylan , Long Mark C. , McGhee, Jr. Raymond
Published: August 2021

To evaluate how Advanced Placement (AP) courses affect college-going, we randomly assigned the offer of enrollment into an AP science course to over 1,800 students in twenty-three schools that had not previously offered the course. We find no AP course effects on students’ college entrance exam scores (SAT/ACT). As expected, AP course-takers are substantially more likely to take the AP exam than their control group counterparts. At the same time, treatment group students opt out of the exam at very high rates and most do not earn a passing score on the AP exam. Though less precisely estimated, the results also suggest that taking the AP course increases students’ aspirations to attend higher-quality colleges but does not lead to enrollment in such institutions.
A new species of the fishfly genus Neochauliodes van der Weele discovered from southwestern China through an integrative approach based on morphological and molecular evidence (Megaloptera: Corydalidae: Chauliodinae)
Authors: TU YUEZHENG , LIU XINGYUE
Published: August 2021

Neochauliodes van der Weele, 1909 is the largest genus of the subfamily Chauliodinae of the megalopteran family Corydalidae, currently with 47 described species. Here we report Neochauliodes triangulatus sp. nov. from western Yunnan, China. The new species belongs to the Neochauliodes bowringi species-group and is confirmed to be different from the other species of this group based on morphological and molecular evidence.
Folic Acid-Conjugated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and MicroRNA-128-3p Combined with Adriamycin Alleviates the Progression of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Zhu Zhijun , Ni Da , Teng Jiping , Cheng Youshuang , Zhuang Bufeng , Yang Zhiyin
Published: August 2021

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still a threat to people worldwide. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of folic acid (FA) and Adriamycin on NSCLC. Our work modified Adriamycin with microRNA (miR)-128-3p-loaded FA-mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) (Adriamycin/miR/MSN-FA)
or with Adriamycin/miR/MSN. The synthesized nanoparticles’ in vitro drug release and hydrodynamic characteristics were detected. Then Adriamycin and nanoparticles were applied to treat NSCLC cells followed by analysis of cell proliferation by MTT, cytometry and clone formation
assay, apoptosis-related proteins by Western blot, and in vitro absorption by Rhodamine B staining. Animal model was set up to detect in vivo impact of nanoparticles. Adriamycin/miR/MSN-FA nanoparticles released Adriamycin in a controlled manner, inhibited colony formation and
cell proliferation. Besides, nanoparticles promoted cell apoptosis and upregulated cleaved Caspase-3 and PARP. Moreover, Adriamycin/miR/MSN-FA significantly aggregated in tumor with high concentration of Adriamycin, thereby inhibiting NSCLC tumor progression with low toxicity and side effects.
Adriamycin/miR/MSN-FA nanoparticles could effectively inhibit the progression of NSCLC with low toxicity and side effects.
Research on Action of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells (BMSC) Modified by Toll-Like Receptor for Myocardial Function of Rats with Myocardial Infarction (MI)
Authors: Li Zhongkui , Liu Wenbo , Gao Lufang , Xiang Daokang
Published: August 2021

MI could affect myocardial function seriously. The action and mechanism of BSMC modified by the transplantation of Toll-like receptor on myocardial function of rats with MI was studied. The sixty SD rats were divided into sham-operation group and model group randomly. The isolated and
cultivated BMSC was divided into three groups such as group with added by TLR4 agonist, group with added by TLR-4 antagonist as TAK-242, group with only BMSC. The model of rats with MT was established in model group. BMSC in different group was transplanted into rats respectively. The cardiac
function of rats in sham-operation group and model group was observed. The distribution condition of surface molecule in BMSC was detected by FCM. There was expression CD44 (+), CD54 (+), CD90 (+), no expression CD34 (−) from results. It could indicated that BMSCs with high purity was
cultivated successfully. The high MT expression was affected by TLR-4 generally which could also illustrate the degree of deformation and necrosis of cardiac muscle cell, could be enhanced in established rat model because of negative regulatory action. The zone of MI in rats could be amplified
by TLR-4. The cytobiological function of BMSC could be adjusted by TLR-4 through the transplantation of TLR-4 after there was MI in rats. The cytobiological function of BMSC could be adjusted by TLR-4 through modification of the transplantation of TLT-4 in rats after there was MI in rats.
The BMSCs modified by high TLR-4 expression had negative regulatory action on the treatment on MI.
Long Non-Coding RNA F11-Antisense 1 (F11-AS1) Suppresses Ovarian Cancer Biological Activity by Regulating Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog Deleted on Chromosome Ten (PTEN)
Authors: Song Fang , Li Fengshuang
Published: August 2021

Aim: To discuss F11-AS1’s effects and mechanisms in ovarian cancer development. Methods: Evaluating F11-AS1 expression by ISH assay and F11-AS1 mRNA level in difference cell lines by RT-qPCR assay. Using MTT, flow cytometry, transwell and wound healing assay to evaluate
SKOV3 cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, invasion and migration. And using WB assay to measure PTEN, p-PI3K, AKT, P53 and MMP-9 proteins expressions. Results: F11-AS1 was significantly down-regulation with stage increasing in cancer tissues (P <0.01, respectively). With F11-AS1
transfection, the SKOV3 cell proliferation rate was significantly depressed with cell apoptosis and G1 phase rate significantly increasing (P <0.001, respectively). And then, invasion cell number and wound healing rate of lncRNA group which transfected with F11-AS1 significantly
down-regulation (P <0.001). By WB assay, PTEN and P53 proteins expressions significantly up-regulation and p-PI3K, AKT and MMP-9 proteins expressions were significantly down-regulation (P <0.001). Conclusion: F11-AS1 depresses ovarian cancer biological activity by regulating
PTEN by vitro study.