bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of ultrasonic amplitude on the performance of ultrasonic vibration-assisted EDM micro-hole machining
Authors: Zhang Peng , Yin Zhen , Dai Chenwei , Cao Ziyang , Miao Qing , Zhang Kun
Published: May 2022

A study on ultrasonic vibration-assisted electrical discharge machining (UVEDM) micro-hole, which mainly includes three key designs, was conducted to improve the machining performance of the electric discharge machining (EDM) micro-holes on TC4 titanium alloy. First, a mathematical model for the velocity of the flow field in the interelectrode gap was established. Consequently, the effect of the presence or absence of ultrasonic vibration on the flow velocity was analyzed. Furthermore, based on COMSOL Multiphysics, the two distributions of the flow field and the debris in the interelectrode gap were simulated and the influence of ultrasonic amplitude on them was analyzed. Finally, the study of UVEDM micro-hole machining with different ultrasonic amplitudes was conducted. The machining performance of the UVEDM micro-hole was found to increase with the increment of the ultrasonic amplitude and the optimal value of 5.22 µm, while the performance decreases when the ultrasonic amplitude goes beyond the optimal value. Compared with EDM micro-hole, the MMR is increased by 2.4 times, and the electrode loss and hole taper are reduced by 56% and 24%, respectively.
Agreement of Ocular Parameters and Calculated Intraocular Lens between Three Biometric Devices and a Corneal Topographer
Authors: Lender Rivkah , Mirsky Devora , Greenberger Riki , Boim Zipora , Ben-Yaakov Lee , Kashtan Chaya , Naffar Ibrahim , Shine Shira , Chowers Itay , Ben-Eli Hadas
Published: May 2022

Cataract surgery is among the most common medical procedures, and accurate ocular biometry measurements are key for successful visual outcome. The current study evaluated agreement between the Eyestar 900, Anterion, IOLMaster700 biometers and the Pentacam corneal topographer. Clinical impact was assessed based on the calculated intraocular lens (IOL) of each biometry device. Compared values were axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), steep and flat K, cylinder and axis. IOL was calculated for each biometry device using the mean values of every parameter and the Barrett and Kane formulas. This study included 196 eyes (98 participants) of cataract surgery candidates. When comparing the IOLMaster to the Eyestar 900 (157 eyes), no difference was found in mean AL or ACD measurements (P > 0.05). Steep K measurements differed between these devices and the Pentacam (P = 0.01). AL and ACD measurements differed between the IOLMaster and Anterion (38 eyes; P < 0.05). Strong correlations (range 0.72–0.99) were found between all four devices. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated excellent agreement between biometry devices other than ACD between the IOLMaster and Eyestar 900. Spherical equivalent (SE) of the calculated IOL tended to be 0.50D lower with the IOLMaster, which could impact the residual refraction.
Application of adenosine deaminase combined with γ-interferon release test in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion in patients over 40 years old
Authors: ZS Li , JY Chen , Zeng J , Shi P , XM Xiong , Wang M , Zheng D , Zhao R , Dong LX
Published: May 2022

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of pleural biomarkers in patients with tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) of different ages is inconsistent, but specific studies in different age groups are lacking. Therefore, we investigated the cut-off value of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and its combined gamma interferon release assay (IGRA) in the diagnosis of TBE patients of different ages in aged≥40 years. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 176 patients who were hospitalized from 2015 to 2020 and had pleural effusion with or without fever,night sweats, fatigue,cough and other clinical manifestations and were highly suspected of tuberculous pleural effusion. The results of medical thoracoscopy and pleural effusion ADA and IGRA were analyzed. The patients were divided into 40-59-year-old group and≥60-year-old group. Results: Among the 176 patients, 85 were aged 40-59 years, and 91 were aged≥60 years. The cut-off value of ADA in ROC analysis is 31.5 U/L, the accuracy is higher than 40 U/L (85.80%vs.82.95%), but the diagnostic sensitivity in patients aged≥60 years is lower than that in the group of 40-59 years old (71%vs.83%).The sensitivity of IGRA detection in patients aged≥60 years was higher than that of ADA (93% vs.71%). The detection sensitivity of ADA combined with IGRA in pleural effusion was the highest in the 40-59-year-old group, reaching 100%. The specificity of ADA united IGRA detection in pleural effusion was the highest in the age≥60 years group, reaching 100%. Conclusions: The detection of ADA and IGRA in pleural effusion has good diagnostic value for patients with suspected TBE aged≥40 years. ADA unites IGRA detection is beneficial to the detection rate of TBE in patients with exudative pleural effusion aged 40-59 years, and it is beneficial to the differential diagnosis of TBE in patients aged≥60 years.
The association between serum lipid levels and histological type of breast cancer
Authors: Wang Xinru , Wang Yajie , Wang Miaomiao , Chen Xin , Cui Wenjing , Chen Xiao
Published: May 2022

Background: Studies have investigated the association between serum lipid or apolipoprotein levels and breast cancer risk. However, the relationship between serum lipid and apolipoprotein levels and histological type of breast cancer remains unclear. In the present study, we observed the association between serum lipids and the histological type of breast cancer (BC), particularly to estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positive BC.Materials and methods: 220 cases of pathology-confirmed breast cancer were retrospectively collected in this study. Patients’ demographic information, clinical data, and pathological features were obtained from medical records. Serum levels including high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), ApoA, ApoB, ApoE and lipoprotein a(LP(a)) were collected before treatment. Logistic regression analyses were used to show the association between serum lipids and subtypes of breast cancer. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to analyze predictive performance.Results: There were 70 ER-negative and 73 PR-negative BC. Patients with ER-negative BC had higher HDL-c, higher LDL-c, and higher LP(a) than ER-positive one(p < 0.05). Patients with PR-negative BC were more likely to have high LDL-c and high LP(a) than patients with PR-positive one (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum HDL-c (odds ratio (OR): 0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.10-0.76), LDL-c (OR: 0.19, 95%CI: 0.04-0.93) and LP(a) (OR: 0.23,95%CI: 0.07-0.80) levels were negatively associated with ER-positive BC and serum HDL-c and LDL-c levels were significantly negatively associated with PR-positive BC(OR:0.32, 95%CI:0.12-0.82; OR:0.14, 95%CI:0.03-0.77). In addition, ER and PR positive BC was negatively associated with serum HDL-c and LDL-c levels (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17-0.91; OR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06-0.85) after adjusting with confounders. Furthermore, serum HDL-c (OR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.02-0.87) was still independently associated with ER and PR positive BC in postmenopausal women. The area under the curves (AUCs) of HDL-c to identify ER-positive BC, PR-positive BC and ER and PR positive BC were 0.65 (95%CI:0.58-0.73, P < 0.01), 0.62 (95%CI:0.54-0.69, P < 0.01) and 0.64 (95%CI:0.56-0.72, P < 0.01), respectively.Conclusion: Serum HDL and LDL levels were related to ER or PR positive BC.
The Relationship of T2 Hypointensity and Diffusion Restriction of Brain Metastases with the Presence and Amount of Vasogenic Edema in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Bilgin Ezel Yaltırık , Ünal Özkan , Çiledağ Nazan
Published: May 2022

Brain metastases are seen in 15–40% of patients diagnosed with cancer. We aimed to search the relationship between the T2 hypointensity, diffusion weighted imaging characteristics and the presence and amount of vasogenic edema of Brain metastasis in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). 292 patients with brain metastasis were included in the study. T2 signals of metastatic lesions, accompanying diffusion restriction and perilesional vasogenic edema findings were investigated. In metastases accompanied by vasogenic edema, the largest dimension of the vasogenic edema-mass complex on T2-weighted sequences and the largest dimension of the mass in contrast-enhanced T1-weighted series were measured and the edema-mass ratio (EMR) was calculated by comparing these two values.The incidence of vasogenic edema was statistically significantly higher in T2 hypointense metastases(89.1% vs 58.8%, χ2 = 18.949, p = < 0.001) and metastases accompanied by diffusion restriction(81% vs 61.5%, χ2 = 6.971, p = 0.008). EMR value were found to be statistically significantly higher in T2 hypointense metastases (EMR→ Z=-4.507, p = < 0.001 ) and metastases with diffusion restriction(EMR→ Z=-3.819, p = 0.001 ). The incidence of vasogenic edema and EMR rates were higher in patients in T2 hypointense metastases and metastases accompanied by diffusion restriction in MRI.
Remediation of zinc from mine tailing using electrokinetic method combined with washing solvents
Authors: Karimi Amirhossein , Soltani Fariddudin , Falamaki Amin , Homaee Mehdi , Shariatmadari Nader
Published: May 2022

Mining activities have resulted in a large amount of mineral tailings, which are potentially toxic and hazardous metals that contaminate the soils surrounding the mines. Because of the negative effects of potentially toxic elements on natural ecosystems, efficient solutions for soil and mineral tailings remediation are required. Several tailings samples were taken from various parts of the Anguran zinc mine to investigate the efficiency of electrokinetics. The total concentrations of soil elements were then determined using the standard ICP method. Several washing solutions with a fixed concentration of 0.1 M were used to assess the efficiency of electrokinetics in soil. The washing solutions included hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, and sulfuric acid. The solutions were mixed with soil in a 1:2 solution-to-solid ratio. Furthermore, for all experiments, a voltage of 1.5 V/cm was used. To prevent heavy metal deposition in the soil near the cathode chamber, the designated chemical filtration solutions were also used in the cathode chamber at a fixed concentration of 0.1 M. The experimental results revealed that metals such as zinc and lead were present in varying degrees in the tailed soil. The zinc heavy metal had the highest concentration in the tailed samples. The lowest zinc removal efficiency was obtained with distilled water, with a metal removal of 16%, indicating that electrokinetic remediation in soil has little effect. Our findings also show that electrokinetic soil remediation using a hydrochloric acid complexing agent is more effective than other agents, and that it can remove up to 64% of the zinc from mine tailing soil.
Estimating concentration of toxic ions Arsenic in water by using Photonic Crystal Fiber based on Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)
Authors: Mohammed Ghufran , Bassam Soudad S.Al –
Published: May 2022

In this work, an enhanced photonic crystal fiber based on Surface Plasmon Resonance sensor using a sided polished structure for detection of toxic ions arsenic in water is presented. The SPR curve can be obtained by polishing the side of the PCF after coating the Au film on the side of the polished area, the SPR curve can be obtained. The proposed sensor has a clear SPR effect, according to the findings of the experiments. The calculated the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Sensitivity, Resolution and Figures of Merit (FOM) are approaching, SNR is 0.0125, S 11.11 𝜇m/RIU, the Resolution is 1.8x10−4 and FOM is13.88 is a chivied, While the effective performance parameters for MMF-PCF-MMF such as the sensitivity is approaching 2.5 𝜇m/RIU, SNR is 0.0173, FOM is10.86 and the Resolution is 4x10−4 is a chivied. The proposed sensor is possesses a good mechanical strength, low cost, and an easy fabrication ,allowing it to provide a greater measurement range and action area to the measured samples without lengthening the sensor.
Study of Heterotopic Ossification after Alloplastic Temporomandibular Joint Replacement
Authors: Ding Ruoyi , Lu Chuan , Zhao Jieyun , He Dongmei
Published: May 2022

Background
Heterotopic ossification (HO) is one of the serious complications leading to the failure of alloplastic temporomandibular joint replacement (TJR). However, there was few research on its exact incidence and occurrence. Severe HO might result in pain and limited mouth opening after surgery. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify its clinical and imaging manifestations. The purpose of this study was to study the occurrence and classify HO after the alloplastic TJR.
Method
Patients who underwent standard TJR with fat graft and at least 1-year-follow-up were included. HO was classified into 4 types according to postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans. Type and occurrence in different TMJ disease were compared. Joint space was measured between HO and non-HO TJRs. Maximum mouth opening (MIO), pain, and quality of life (QoL) were recorded and their relevance with HO was analyzed statistically.
Result
81cases with 101 joints were included in the study. The mean follow-up time was 22.9 months. 48 joints (47.5%) had varying degrees of HO. Among them, 27 (56.3%) were type I (bone islands); 16 (33.3%) were type II (bone spurs from the mandibular ramus); 3 (6.3%) were type III (bone spurs from the fossa); and 2 (4.2%) were type IV (bone spurs from both the mandibular ramus and fossa). Joint space in type IV HO was significantly smaller than the other 3 types (9.9 ± 1.1mm, p = 0.01). Pain scores in HO were significantly greater than non-HO patients before and after operations (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
HO after alloplastic TJR with fat graft was not severe except for type IV, which was easy to cause ankylosis. Preserving sufficient TJR space was important for ankylosis prevention.
Healthy orthorexia vs orthorexia nervosa: associations with body appreciation, functionality appreciation, intuitive eating and embodiment
Authors: Anastasiades Elly , Argyrides Marios
Published: May 2022

PurposeCurrent conceptualizations and measures of orthorexia nervosa may not be accurately distinguishing between the healthy and pathological pursuit of a healthy diet, leading to very high prevalence rates and risking the pathologizing and stigmatizing of healthy eating more generally. Recent research has identified healthy orthorexia as a novel construct conceptually distinct from orthorexia nervosa, which represents the non-pathological pursuit of a healthy diet. In light of the strong body of evidence supporting the role of positive body image in eating behavior, the current study aimed to examine the associations between healthy orthorexia, orthorexia nervosa, intuitive eating and indices of positive body image.MethodsThe current study employed a cross-sectional design. An online community sample (N = 835; 62% women; Mage = 40.2) completed self-report questionnaires including the Teruel Orthorexia Scale, as well as measures of body appreciation, functionality appreciation, intuitive eating and embodiment. ResultsIndices of positive body image were found to be significantly positively associated with healthy orthorexia and inversely associated with orthorexia nervosa. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis found that indices of body image were uniquely associated with 13.3% of the variance of healthy orthorexia above and beyond that accounted for by orthorexia nervosa. Intuitive eating moderated the relationship between healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa. ConclusionThe findings of this study provide support for intuitive eating and indices of positive body image as worthy of further exploration as important factors which distinguish between healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa.
Climate change and nutrient enrichment altering sedimentary diatom assemblages since pre-industrial time: evidence from Canada’s most populated ecozone
Authors: Cheng Yuanyu , Baud Alexandre , Gregory-Eaves Irene , Simmatis Brigitte , Smol John P. , Griffiths Katherine
Published: May 2022

Lakes worldwide are under threat by a myriad of environmental stressors that have been increasing in number and magnitude. These stressors can be regional such as climate change, or local such as nutrient-rich runoff, invasive species, and road salt contamination, to name but a few. To protect lake ecosystems from further deterioration, we need long-term data to define pre-disturbance baselines and to identify stressors that are causing the greatest ecological changes. Paleolimnology is an effective approach to reconstruct limnological history, providing an important window of lake changes through time. Here, we applied paleolimnological tools to explore the pre-industrial and contemporary diatom assemblage changes of 27 lakes located in the most populated ecozone in Canada, the Mixedwood Plains. We also examined a full sediment core for Lac des Chicots (Southern Québec), aiming to disentangle the impacts of natural versus anthropogenic interactions and to assess their relative effects on the lake’s biotic structure. Our ordination analysis suggests that the Mixedwood Plains lakes have experienced varying lake-specific ecological changes over the past ~ 150 years, with two major trends across most study lakes: (1) a prevalent increase in planktic species, and (2) a rise in mesotrophic/eutrophic taxa in lakes receiving high human impacts. Our case study of Lac des Chicots identifies ecological impacts from both historical natural events and recent human activities, such as cultural eutrophication and climate warming. Overall, our study demonstrates that lakes in the Mixedwood Plains ecozone have experienced marked ecological changes that are mainly associated with human impacts.
Validation of the Asia-Pacific Colorectal Screening score and its modified versions in predicting colorectal advanced neoplasia in Chinese population
Authors: Kong Yunxin , Zhuo Lin , Dong Dong , Zhuo Lang , Lou Peian , Cai Ting , Chen Siting , Pan Jianqiang , Gao Yihuan , Lu Hang , Ma Yue , Dong Zongmei , Luo Xiaohu , Zhao Hongying
Published: May 2022

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Several studies suggest using the Asia-Pacific colorectal screening (APCS) score and its modified versions to select high-risk populations for early colonoscopy, but external validation remains rare, and which score should be selected for CRC screening in China is unclear. Validation of multiple scores in the same population might help to choose the best performing score.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study under the framework of Cancer Screening Program in Urban China, data from asymptomatic colorectal cancer screening in Xuzhou was used to validate the APCS score, the colorectal neoplasia predict (CNP) score, the Korean colorectal screening (KCS) score, the Modified APCS score and the 8-point risk score in predicting colorectal advanced neoplasia (CAN). Results: 1,804 subjects were included in the analysis and 112 CAN (6.21%) was detected. In each score, the detection rate of CAN was higher in the high-risk group than in the non-high-risk group (P<0.05), and the RR (95%C.I.) ranged 2.20 (1.50-3.22) [8-point risk] to 4.00 (2.41-6.65) [Modified APCS]. The c-statistics (95%C.I.) of the scoring systems ranged from 0.58 (0.53-0.62) [8-point risk] to 0.65 (0.61-0.69) [KCS]. The sensitivity (95%C.I.) of these systems ranged from 31.25 (22.83-40.70) [8-point risk] to 84.82 (76.81-90.90) [Modified APCS], while the specificity (95%C.I.) ranged from 43.50 (41.12-45.90) [Modified APCS] to 83.81 (81.96-85.53) [8-point risk]. Using the APCS scoring system as a comparator, the net reclassification improvement (NRI) of each modified version was statistically similar. The colonoscopy resource load (95%C.I.) ranged from 9 (8-10) [8-point risk] to 11 (10-12) [APCS and Modified APCS]. Conclusions: The APCS score and its modified versions have certain ability to predict the risk of advanced neoplasia and reduce the resource load. The modified APCS score and the KCS score seemed the preferable systems to classify high risk subjects based on its high RR and sensitivity in the selected population. Future research could focus on adding risk factors or combining with laboratory test results to improve the predictive power of the scoring system.
Short-Term Epileptic Seizures Prediction based on Cepstrum Analysis and Signal Morphology
Authors: Tajadini Bahar , Nejad Saeid Reza Seyd , Rezakhani Soheila
Published: May 2022

This article aims to provide and implement apatient-specific seizure (for Intervention Time (IT) detection)prediction algorithm using non-invasive data to develop warningdevices to prevent further patient injury and reduce stress.Employing algorithms with high initial data volume and computationstime to increase the accuracy is an important problem inprediction issues. Consequently, reduction of calculations is metby applying only two effective EEG signal channels without manualremoval of artifacts by visual inspection as the algorithm’sinput. AR modeling and Cepstrum detect changes due to ITperiod. We carry out the goal of higher accuracy by increasingsensitivity to interictal epileptiform discharges or artifacts andreduce errors caused by them, taking advantage of the discretewavelet transform and the comparison of two channels epochsby applying the median filter. Averaging and positive envelopemethods are introduced to patient-specific thresholds becomemore differentiated as soon as possible and can be lead to soonerprediction. We examined this method on a mathematical modelof adult epilepsy as well as on 10 patients with EEG data.The results of our experiments confirm that performance of theproposed approach in accuracy and average false prediction rateis superior to other algorithms. Simulation results have beenshown the robustness of our proposed method to artifacts anderrors, which is a step towards the development of real-timealarm devices by non-invasive techniques.
Spatial clusters of type 2 diabetes and their individual and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics among participants of the ELSA-Brasil Cohort
Authors: de Oliveira Fernando Luiz Pereira , Pimenta Adriano Marçal , Duncan Bruce Bartholow , Griep Rosane Harter , Souza Gustavo , Barreto Sandhi Maria , Giatti Luana
Published: May 2022

Background: This study identified spatial clusters of T2DM among participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) residing in two cities, and verified individual and neighborhood socioeconomic environmental characteristics associated with spatial clusters of T2DM. Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted with 4,335 participants in ELSA-Brasil (2,486 from the city of Belo Horizonte; 1,849 from the city of Salvador), using baseline data collected from 2008 to 2010. T2DM was defined as fasting glycaemia ≥ 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L), or oral glucose tolerance test ≥ 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L), or glycated hemoglobin ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/L); or by antidiabetic drug use; or by the self-reported medical diagnosis of T2DM. The neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics were obtained from the Brazilian census 2011. The levels per geographic area were defined punctually according to the individual’s place of residence. A spatial data analysis was conducted with the SaTScanTM method to detect the T2DM cluster areas. This study also analyzed the individual and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics of participants living inside and outside of identified T2DM clusters, using the hierarchical logistic regression model. Results: A total of 336 and 343 participants had T2DM in Belo Horizonte (prevalence = 13.5%) and Salvador (prevalence = 18.5%), respectively. Two cluster areas showing a high chance of T2DM were identified in the Northeastern region of Belo Horizonte and the Northern region of Salvador. In the latter city, a cluster area of low chance of T2DM was also identified, located in the Southern region. In both cities, participants living in the high T2DM cluster area were more likely to report brown or black skin color, a low level of education, and a manual work occupation; these were also considered to be low income areas. By contrast, participants in the low T2DM cluster area of Salvador were less likely to be black and to have university degrees; this was considered to be a high income area. Conclusion: More vulnerable individual and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics were associated with living in clusters of higher occurrence of T2DM, while better individual and contextual profiles were associated with clusters of a lower prevalence of T2DM.
Analysis of influencing factors for prognosis of patients with ventricular septal perforation: a single-center retrospective study
Authors: Duan Ming-Xuan , Zhao Xi , Li Shao-Lin , Tao Jun-Zhong , Yue Zhen-Zhen , Zhao Xiao-Yan
Published: May 2022

Background: Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is a serious and fatal mechanical complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), once AMI patients are complicated with VSR, the mortality rate is as high as 90%. In this study, we explored the factors affecting the long-term prognosis of VSR patients from many aspects, and evaluated the evaluation performance of multiple scoring systems such as European Heart Surgery Risk Assessment System II (EuroSCORE II). Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 188 patients with VSR between Dec 9, 2011 and Nov 21, 2021at First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. All patients were followed up until Jan 27, 2022 for clinical data, angiographic characteristics, echocardiogram outcomes, intraoperative, postoperative characteristics and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) (30-day mortality, all-cause readmissions, recurrent MI, and unstable angina). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to explore the predictors of long-term mortality. Results: The median age of 188 VSR patients was 66.2±9.1 years and 97 (51.6%) were males. And there were 103 (54.8%) patients in the medication group, 34 (18.1%) patients in the percutaneous TCC group, and 51 (27.1%) patients in the surgical repair group. The average follow-up time was 857.4 days. The long-term mortality of the medically managed group, percutaneous TCC group, and surgical management group was 94.2, 32.4, and 35.3%, respectively. Whether combined with cardiogenic shock (OR 0.023, 95% CI 0.001–0.054, p=0.019), NT-pro BNP level (OR 0.027, 95% CI 0.002–0.34, p=0.005), EuroSCORE II (OR 0.530, 95% CI 0.305–0.918, p=0.024) and therapy group (OR 3.518, 95% CI 1.079–11.463, p=0.037) were independently associated with long-term mortality in patients with VSR. The cutoff point of EuroSCORE II was determined to be 14, and there were statistically significant differences between EuroSCORE II ＜ 14 group and EuroSCORE II≥14 group (HR=0.2596, 95%CI: 0.1800-0.3744, Logrank P＜ 0.001). Conclusions: The prognosis of VSR patients without operative management remains poor, more research is needed to determine the optimal timing of surgery in patients with VSR to improve clinical outcomes. Moreover, EuroSCORE II could be used as a prognostic factor for VSR patients.
Senescence-Accelerated Mice Prone 8 (SAMP8) in male as a spontaneous osteoarthritis model
Authors: Sanada Yohei , Ikuta Yasunari , Ding Chenyang , Shinohara Masahiro , Yimiti Dilimulati , Ishitobi Hiroyuki , Nagira Keita , Lee Minjung , Akimoto Takayuki , Shibata Sachi , Ishikawa Masakazu , Nakasa Tomoyuki , Matsubara Kiminori , Lotz Martin , Adachi Nobuo , Miyaki Shigeru
Published: May 2022

Background: Animal models of spontaneous osteoarthritis (OA) are sparse and not well characterized. The purpose of the present study is to examine OA-related changes and mechanisms in senescence-accelerated mouse-Prone 8 (SAMP8) that displays a phenotype of accelerated aging. Methods: Knees of male SAMP8 and SAM-resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice as control from 6 to 33 weeks of age were evaluated by histological grading systems for joint tissues (cartilage, meniscus, synovium and subchondral bone), and µCT analysis. Gene expression patterns in articular cartilage were analyzed by real-time PCR. Immunohistochemistry was performed for OA-related factors, senescence markers and apoptosis. Results: Starting at 14 weeks of age, SAMP8 exhibited mild OA-like changes such as proteoglycan loss and cartilage fibrillation. From 18 to 33 weeks of age, SAMP8 progressed to partial or full-thickness defects with exposure of subchondral bone on the medial tibia and exhibited synovitis. Histological scoring indicated significantly more severe OA in SAMP8 compared with SAMR1 from 14 weeks [median (interquartile range):　SAMR1:0.89 (0.56-1.81) vs SAMP8:1.78 (1.35-4.62)] to 33 weeks of age [SAMR1:1.67 (1.61-1.04) vs SAMP8:13.03 (12.26-13.57)]. Subchondral bone sclerosis in the medial tibia, bone mineral density (BMD) loss of femoral metaphysis and meniscus degeneration occurred much earlier than the onset of cartilage degeneration in SAMP8 at 14 weeks of age. Conclusions: SAMP8 are a spontaneous OA model that is useful for investigating the pathogenesis of primary OA and evaluating therapeutic interventions.
The interactive dynamics of a binary asteroid and ejecta after medium kinetic impact
Authors: Gao Yunfeng , Cheng Bin , Yu Yang
Published: May 2022

Kinetic impacts on a binary asteroid will produce ejecta debris as well as causing a disturbance to the spin-orbit motion of the binary components. Understanding the complex interactions between the ejecta and the binary system can be crucial to both theoretical study and mission design. In this paper, we develop a detailed model for the dynamical evolution of ejecta within a binary asteroid system, in which we combined various perturbations on the ejecta and considered the collisional process with the asteroid. Taking an example scenario like the DART impact, we calculated the fate of ejecta from size 0.01 mm to 10 m and analyzed the distribution of their final deposition locations. The results show that ejecta with diameter less than 0.1 mm escape quickily under the influence of solar radiation pressure, while ejecta of larger size survive longer, i.e., a few cycles in the binary system for more than 400 days. We analyzed the influence of the coefficient of restitution between ejecta and asteroid, and found more damped collisions would allow the ejecta to survive longer in orbit. We also studied the effect of the tumbling rotation of the secondary on the distribution of ejecta on the surface of the secondary, the results suggest that a tumbling rotational state causes obvious changes in Dimorphos' surface slope, which, however, are not sufficient for triggering surface landslides. In addition, the influence of the internal structure of the primary on the evolution of the ejecta is studied, and we show it has little effect on the evolution of the ejecta but does affect the distribution of ejecta on the surface of the primary. This is due to the change of the distribution of relative acceleration on the surface of the primary, which changes the regions where the ejecta can remain.
The non-volatile electrostatic doping effect in MoTe2 field-effect transistors controlled by hexagonal boron nitride and a metal gate
Authors: Eom Jonghwa , Khan Muhammad Asghar , Khan Muhammad Farooq , Rehman Shania , Patil Harshada , Dastgeer Ghulam , Ko Byung Min
Published: May 2022

The electrical and optical properties of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can be effectively modulated by tuning their Fermi levels. To develop a carrier-selectable optoelectronic and memory device, we investigated intrinsically p-type MoTe2, which can be changed to n-type by charging a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) substrate through the application of a writing voltage using a metal gate under deep ultraviolet light. The n-type part of MoTe2 can be obtained locally using the metal gate pattern, whereas the other parts remain p-type. Furthermore, we can control the transition rate to n-type by applying a different writing voltage (i.e., − 2 to − 10 V), where the n-type characteristics become saturated beyond a certain writing voltage. Thus, MoTe2 was electrostatically doped by a charged h-BN substrate, and it was found that a thicker h-BN substrate was more efficiently photocharged than a thinner one. We also fabricated a p-n diode using a 0.8 nm-thick MoTe2 flake on a 167 nm-thick h-BN substrate, which showed a high rectification ratio of ~ 104. Finally, we demonstrate the fabrication of a non-volatile memory device using a MoTe2 field-effect transistor (FET) on h-BN with a floating metal (Au) gate. Our observations pave the way for expanding the application of TMD-based FETs to non-volatile memory devices, along with optoelectronic applications.
Cloning and Expression Analysis of Seven VvGA2ox Genes in Ovule Development of Seeded and Seedless Grapes (Vitis vinifera)
Authors: Kong Jixiang , Zhao Ting , Liu Bingchen , Li Yan , zhang chaohong
Published: May 2022

The GA2ox proteins in plants play important roles in the regulation of growth and development, involving in the conversion of physiologically active gibberellins to inactive gibberellins. In this study, we identified 13 VvGA2ox genes in a grape genome-wide analysis and performed bioinformatics analysis for these genes. Phylogenetic analysis of VvGA2ox with homologous in Arabidopsis, maize, and peach showed that these protein can be divided into three subfamilies. Gene structure analysis and synteny analysis of GA2ox gene family revealed that VvGA2ox genes have undergone a complex evolutionary process. Gene expression analysis of tissue-specific for seven VvGA2ox genes suggested that these were lower expression in the vigorous growth tissues. Considering that gibberellin can regulate seed development, in order to further determine the influence of VvGA2ox on seed development, seven VvGA2ox genes were performed with qRT-PCR. The expression profiling of VvGA2ox genes in ‘Pinot noir’ and ‘Thompson seedless’ during various stages of seed development revealed that VvGA2ox3c, VvGA2ox4 and VvGA2ox7 may participate in seed-specific regulation. In summary, these results show that VvGA2ox has a significant difference between seedless and seeded varieties, which may be related to seedless traits.
Human intracranial pulsatility during the cardiac cycle: a computational modelling framework
Authors: Causemann Marius , Vinje Vegard , Rognes Marie E.
Published: May 2022

Background: Today's availability of medical imaging and computational resources set the scene for high-fidelity computational modelling of brain biomechanics. The brain and its environment feature a dynamic and complex interplay between the tissue, blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid (ISF). Here, we design a computational platform for modelling and simulation of intracranial dynamics, and assess the models' validity in terms of clinically relevant indicators of brain pulsatility. Methods: We develop finite element models of fully coupled cardiac-induced pulsatile CSF flow and tissue motion in the human brain environment. The three-dimensional model geometry is derived from magnetic resonance images (MRI), features a high level of detail including the brain tissue, the ventricular system, and the cranial subarachnoid space (SAS). We model the brain parenchyma at the organ-scale as an elastic medium permeated by an extracellular fluid network and describe flow of CSF in the SAS and ventricles as viscous fluid movement. Representing vascular expansion during the cardiac cycle, a pulsatile net blood flow distributed over the brain parenchyma acts as the driver of motion. Additionally, we investigate the effect of model variations on a set of clinically relevant quantities of interest. Results: Our model predicts a complex interplay between the CSF-filled spaces and poroelastic parenchyma in terms of ICP, CSF flow, and parenchymal displacements. Variations in the ICP are dominated by their temporal amplitude, but with small spatial variations in both the CSF-filled spaces and the parenchyma. Induced by ICP differences, we find substantial ventricular and cranial-spinal CSF flow, some flow in the cranial SAS, and small pulsatile ISF velocities in the brain parenchyma. Moreover, the model predicts a funnel-shaped deformation of parenchymal tissue in dorsal direction at the beginning of the cardiac cycle. Conclusions: Our model accurately depicts the complex interplay of ICP, CSF flow and brain tissue movement and is well-aligned with clinical observations. It offers a qualitative and quantitative platform for detailed investigation of coupled intracranial dynamics and interplay, both under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
Effective communication for message prioritization in DTN for disaster scenarios
Authors: Rosas Erika , Andrade Orlando , Hidalgo Nicolás
Published: May 2022

When disaster strikes, effective communication is crucial for emergency responses and accessing a victim’s location. Using smartphone-based Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) is the prevalent proposed approach to work around network disruptions. One of the challenges in these networks is high-traffic congestion, since buffer limitation produces message drop before they are delivered. In this article, a congestion control strategy using message prioritization is presented for DTNs to increase network resilience facing high message congestion. We measure congestion considering the free space in the buffers of the nodes involved in the routing or by counting the messages deleted from the buffer in a fixed period to improve the availability and immediacy of information for disaster scenarios. We evaluated the proposed strategies using The ONE simula-tor to test different mobility models and communication protocols. Results show that the strategy improved delivery rate, buffer usage, eliminated messages, overhead, and latency for the highest priority messages. The best results were obtained in terms of latency, which fits our disaster scenario since timely information is vital. The trade-offs are a slightly lower average delivery rate and a decrease in the lowest priority message delivery rate.
Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency within the third decade after Compulsory Iodine Supplementation Policy in South of IRAN
Authors: Jeddi Marjan , Habib Ashkan , Salehi Alireza
Published: May 2022

Background: Recently, some studies in Iran have shown mild to moderate iodine levels in the adults and pregnant population despite iodine sufficiency in children. We designed this study to evaluate the urine iodine status and salt intake of adult household of the city of Sadra, Fars province in southern Iran and to assess its possible influencing factors.Method: Participant households for this cross-sectional study were chosen based on randomized cluster sampling. Two subjects over 18 years of age from each household were invited. 92 subjects (24 men, 68 women) were enrolled. Subjects were asked for 24-hour urine collection, examined for thyroid disorders and sent for thyroid ultrasonography and thyroid function tests. Urine samples were tested for iodine, sodium and creatinine levels. Household salt intakes were estimated.Results: Median urine iodine content (UIC) in the population was 175 (IQR: 117 – 250) µg/L and the median salt consumption per person per day was 9.59 (IQR: 7.34 – 14.55) gr. Gender, methods of salt storage, goiter or thyroid nodules, salt added by cooking stage or subclinical hypothyroidism had no effect on UIC while individuals with hypertension and lower education levels had significantly lower iodine levels. UIC had a significant positive correlation with urine sodium and TSH levels and a negative correlation with thyroid volume and T4. Conclusion: Iodine status in the adult population of city of Sadra is categorized as sufficient despite inadequate iodine levels in Tehran. Contributing factor can be the higher use of salt or possible high environmental iodine concentrations in Sadra.
Obstructive sleep apnea severity is associated with decreased bone mineral density in patients with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective study
Authors: Chen Qingshi , chen zhiyu , Cai Donglu , Chen Yanfeng , Liu dexin
Published: May 2022

BackgroundThere is currently no literature detailing whether diabetes mellitus (DM) combined with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) accelerates the loss of bone mineral density (BMD). This study, therefore, aimed to explore the association between the severity of respiratory disorders and decreased BMD in T2DM patients with OSA.MethodsA total of 144 T2DM patients were evaluated between 2013 and 2021. Among them, 69 patients with combined T2DM and OSA were selected as the case group, while the other 75 were chosen as the control group. OSA was diagnosed making use of polysomnography (PSG), with its severity evaluated by an apnea hypopnea index (pAHI). Lumbar spine and femoral neck (FN) BMD, and hip geometry parameters were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Serum HbA1c levels were surveyed using a glucometer. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate ANOVA was used for studies.ResultsLow BMD and osteoporosis were prevalent in 59.4% of the patients. Univariate analysis revealed that increasing age was significantly correlated with decreasing lumbar bone mineral density (P < 0.05). The prevalence of low BMD and osteoporosis, as indicated by femoral and lumbar spine BMD and hip geometry parameters, was increased remarkably in the severe OSA group than in the mild and moderate OSA groups (P < 0.05). The hip joint geometry parameters found to be significant in the one-way ANOVA were not significant in the multiple regression analysis.ConclusionOSA severity is significantly associated with a change in the incidence of diabetics with osteoporosis. Our results, together with the strong existing evidence, suggest that close attention should be paid to BMD in T2DM patients with OSA.Clinical Trial RegistrationchiCTR2100048363
Morphology and phylogeny of Neokamalomyces indicus—an addition of Septoria-like new genus and species to Mycosphaerellaceae from India
Authors: Yadav Sanjay , Verma Sanjeet Kumar , Singh Raghvendra , Singh Vinay Kumar , Chaurasia Balmukund , Singh Paras Nath , Kumar Shambhu
Published: May 2022

A new hyaline coelomycetous fungus was discovered on living leaves of Ficus benghalensis (Moraceae) is described and illustrated. Morphologically, it is similar to Septoria or Septoria-like genus, but based on cultural characteristics and multigene (LSU-RPB2-ITS) phylogenetic analysis, this strain represents an additional lineage in Mycosphaerellaceae. Hence, a new genus and species as Neokamalomyces indicus is proposed.
Relationship of ROX and Modified ROX index with High Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen therapy in COVID-19 patients: An observational, pilot study
Authors: Ka Habib Md Reazaul , Bharadwaj Abhishek , Mujahid Omer Mohammed , Borthakur Manas Pratim , Panda Chinmaya Kumar , Kalbande Jitendra V
Published: May 2022

Background and aim: Delayed intubation and mechanical ventilation are associated with poor outcomes. High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is increasingly used with variable success, including COVID-19. Early failure detection is crucial; ROX and modified ROX (mROX) index have been proposed. The present study evaluated the utility and relationship of ROX and mROX indexes in COVID-19 patients started on HFNC oxygen therapy.Methods: the present, prospective, observational pilot study collected data from adult COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care with acute respiratory failure and requiring HFNC oxygenation from 29 Jan - 29 Jun 2021. Clinico-demographic data related to ROX and mROX was collected and calculated. The patients were divided into two cohorts based on the HFNC therapy success, and ROX and mROX were compared as screening tools for predicting failure. Further, the area under the curve for ROX and mROX was also assessed for mean values and accuracy. Epitools and MedCalc software were used online for different statistical analyses, and p <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Twenty-seven out of 32 patients during the observation period fulfilled inclusion criteria; 13 (48.15%) of the HFNC oxygenation therapy failed. The majority (74.1%) of the patients were male; the cohort's mean + standard deviation age was 53.93 + 10.67 years. Both mean ROX and mROX at admission and six-hour time-point showed fair-to-good sensitivity and specificity; the accuracies for predicting failure for ROX versus mROX at baseline values 4.78 and 3.98, and six-hour values of 4.5 and 4.05 were 59.81 versus 70.68, and 67.42 versus 74.88 respectively (all p >0.05). Only mROX of 4.05 (mean value) and 3.34 (Youden’s J cut-off) had a sensitivity plus specificity at 1.56 and 1.63 (i.e., 156% and 163%), respectively. The mROX values between HFNC success and failure at baseline and six hours differed significantly. However, the area under the ROC for ROX and mROX at baseline and six hours were statistically indifferent.Conclusion: Both ROX and mROX at baseline and six hours had fair-to-good sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and area under the ROC; the differences were statistically insignificant. The accuracies of the indices were better at six hours than the baseline. Although both the indices can be used, only mROX of 4.05 at six-hour had a sensitivity plus specificity of 156% to be considered a clinically valuable screener.CTRI: CTRI/2021/01/030431
Stress and Coping Issues in Management Students Post COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: CHIB SHINEY , CHIB SHINEY
Published: May 2022

COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a very challenging issue for everybody. Education system received a big blow, and the whole system was transferred into virtual mode. Transition from online to offline was not very smooth and easy After the initial hick ups, students have become comfortable, with the online classes and the online evaluations. Post Lockdown was again a time of transition, and students were finding it difficult to cope up with the changes. This research deals with the identification of the various matters which led to stress and anxiety among MBA Students. Sample size was 253 MBA students. Primary data was collected with structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out, in order to identify the factors affecting stress level, in coping up with the post Covid-19 Lockdown academic life.
Comparative Analysis in Drilling Performance of AA7075 in Different Temper Conditions
Authors: YARAR ESER , ERTURK Alpay Tamer , KOÇ Funda Gül , VATANSEVER Fahri
Published: May 2022

The main objective of this study is to examine the machinability and the surface quality conditions of the AA7075 material with different temper conditions. For this purpose, various temper treatments are implemented to evaluate the impact of microstructural properties on tool wear and the surface quality of the drilled holes. The drilling operations have been done on 0, F, T4, T6, and T7 temper conditions. Process parameters were three different spindle speeds (715, 1520, and 3030 rev/min) and three feed rates (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mm/rev) with HSS-G high-performance ground standard twist drill bit. The present work deals with the effects of temper conditions on thrust force, drilling temperature, tool wear, surface integrity, and chip morphology. Response surface methodology was used in the evaluation of experiment results. The optimization results showed that while thrust force and torque are not significantly affected by a change in spindle speed, they are sensitive to an increase in feed rate. Heat-generation on the drill bit is the lowest at low levels of both the feed rate and spindle speed parameters. The AA7075-T6 condition specimen was machined with continuous chip formation, resulting in the best hole surface quality. The 3D finite element modeling of the drilling process was carried out, and the drilling performance of AA7075-T6 was evaluated in terms of thrust force, heat generation, and chip formation.