bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In the borderland of the body: How home‐dwelling older people experience frailty
Authors: Søvde Bente Egge , Sandvoll Anne Marie , Natvik Eli , Drageset Jorunn
Published: May 2021

Rationale

The increasing number of frail home‐dwelling older people has sharpened the focus on discovering and implementing suitable treatment and care in clinical practice, aiming to prevent loss of physical functioning and preserve their autonomy and well‐being. People's embodied experiences may yield rich descriptions to help to understand frailty. Thoroughly understanding older people's individual perceptions is especially relevant because the numbers of home‐dwelling older people are increasing, and people tend to develop more health problems and become frailer as they age. Their perspectives are important to develop knowledge and high‐quality care.

Aim

To explore the lived experiences of frail home‐dwelling older people.

Methods

We conducted a phenomenological study to obtain in‐depth descriptions of the phenomenon. We interviewed 10 home‐dwelling older adults (seven women and three men, 72–90 years old) in depth about their lived experience of frailty. We analysed the data using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach described by van Manen.

Findings

The lived experience of frailty is described in one essential theme: frailty as being in the borderland of the body, including three interrelated subthemes: (1) the body shuts down; (2) living on the edge; and (3) not giving up.

Conclusions

Our study gives insight into lived experiences with frailty among home‐dwelling older people related to their own body. Older people's experience of meaningful activities strengthened their feeling of being themselves, despite their frail and deteriorating body. Healthcare providers must consider the strategies of frail older people to consider both their vulnerabilities and self‐perceived strengths. The resources and deficits of frail older people present in the state of being frail need to be recognised.
Immunodiagnosis and molecular validation of Toxoplasma gondii‐recombinant dense granular (GRA) 5 protein for the detection of toxoplasmosis in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Arab‐Mazar Zahra , Javadi Mamaghani Amirreza , Fallahi Shirzad , Rajaeian Simin , Koochaki Ameneh , Seyyed Tabaei Seyyed Javad , Rezaee Hanieh
Published: May 2021

Toxoplasmosis causes serious complications in immunocompromised and pregnant women. Serological tests for the detection of toxoplasmosis are often designed from parasitic tachyzoites antigens. The process of producing these antigens is very difficult. The purpose of this study was evaluation of T. gondii‐rGRA5 for the immunodiagnosis and molecular detection of Toxoplasma infection using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and LAMP methods in hemodialysis patients. The GRA5 gene was successfully expressed and purified by affinity chromatography assay and evaluated by western blot. Then it was used to design an ELISA assay. A total of 260 samples were tested for anti‐Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies using a commercial ELISA kit and designed ELISA kit. Finally, the LAMP method was used to evaluate the precision and reliability of the results obtained by commercial and designed ELISA kits. The consistency of the results of two methods was analyzed using the Kappa coefficient of agreement. The rGRA5 revealed higher immunoreactivity with 1:100 dilution of sera from toxoplasmosis patients. The specificity and sensitivity of the assay were 93% and 96%, respectively. According to the Kappa coefficient, there was a substantial correlation between the results of ELISA and LAMP based on rGRA5 (≈98%, p < 0.001). Also it showed that rGRA5 protein can be used as an antigenic protein for designing sero‐diagnostic tests to identify Toxoplasma infection especially in hemodialysis patients.
Leveraging cultural narratives to promote trait inferences rather than stereotype activation during person perception
Authors: Harris Lasana T.
Published: May 2021

Stereotypes are cognitive constructs that make available a suite of traits and behaviors relevant to a social target. However, they also fuel social biases against social targets based on their perceived social group membership. Traditional approaches to social bias reduction focus primarily on the affective component—prejudice—on cognitive control as a regulatory tool, and on changing stereotype content. Here, I focus instead on changing the initial categorization processes, moving away from stereotype activation to trait inferences during person perception. Specifically, I argue that traits, another cognitive construct, can be promoted instead as the default social categorization. This can occur if cultural narratives highlight behavior rather than social groups, making trait inferences more salient as an initial categorization process rather than stereotype activation.
Gaps in hypertension care and control: a population‐based study in low‐income urban Medellin, Colombia
Authors: Londoño Agudelo Esteban , Pérez Ospina Viviana , Battaglioli Tullia , Taborda Pérez Cecilia , Gómez‐Arias Rubén , Van der Stuyft Patrick
Published: May 2021

Objectives

To assess hypertension prevalence and the extent and associated factors of hypertension diagnosis, follow‐up, treatment and control gaps in low‐income urban Medellin, Colombia.

Methods

We randomly sampled 1873 adults aged 35 or older. Unaware hypertensive individuals were defined as those without previous diagnosis whose average blood pressure was equal to or above 140/90 mmHg. For aware hypertensive patients, control was delimited as average blood pressure below 140/90 if under 59 years old or diabetic, and as less than 150/90 otherwise. We used logistic regression to identify care gap‐associated factors.

Results

Hypertension prevalence was 43.5% (95% CI 41.2–45.7). We found 28.2% aware and 15.3% unaware hypertensive individuals, which corresponds to a 35.1% (95% CI 31.9–38.5) underdiagnosis. This gap was determined by age, sex, education and lifestyle factors. 14.4% (95% CI 11.6–17.6) of aware hypertensive patients presented a follow‐up gap, 93.4% (95% CI 90.9–95.2) were prescribed antihypertensive drugs, but 38.9% (95% CI 34.7–43.3) were not compliant. The latter was strongly associated with follow‐up. The hypertension control gap in aware hypertensive patients, 39.0% (95% CI: 34.9–43.2), was associated with being older, having diabetes, weakly adhering to pharmacological treatment and receiving poor non‐pharmacological advice. Overall, 60.4% (95% CI 57.0–63.8) of aware and unaware hypertensive participants had either diagnosed but uncontrolled or undiagnosed hypertension.

Conclusions

We found high hypertension prevalence coupled with, from an international perspective, encouraging awareness and control figures. Still, there remains ample room for improvement. Our findings can assist in designing integrated primary healthcare measures that further strengthen equitable and effective access to hypertension care and control.
Hyporegenerative anemia in anti‐M‐associated hemolytic disease of the fetus
Authors: Li Si , He Zhiming , Mo Chunyan , Ji Yanli , Luo Yanmin , Fang Qun , Gao Yu
Published: May 2021

Background

The anti‐M antibody can lead to hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) and adverse fetal outcomes, especially in the Asian population. However, fetal erythropoiesis resulting from M alloimmunization needs further investigation.

Study Design and Methods

We analyzed erythropoiesis in eight fetuses with M alloimmunization and compared them with the fetuses affected by anti‐D. They were matched as pairs according to the gestational age of diagnosis and the hematocrit before treatment. Paired t‐tests or paired Wilcoxon rank‐sum tests were conducted to compare the difference in the cord blood indexes. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlativity between hematocrit and the reticulocyte percentage in the two groups.

Results

The fetuses in the MN group had lower reticulocyte count and percentage than those in the RhD group (p < .05). All of the fetal reticulocyte production indexes (RPIs) in the MN group were less than 2, indicating an inadequate hemopoietic response to anemia, while the majority of the RPIs in the RhD group (85.7%) were significantly higher (p = .003), with 6 cases greater than 2.5. Hematocrit was negatively correlated with reticulocyte percentage (y = 54.7–171.7x, r2 = 0.825, p = .005) in the RhD group, while no significant correlation was found in the MN group. No difference in the number of IUT, interval, or the fetal outcome was found between the two groups.

Conclusion

Fetal reticulocytopenia provided direct evidence of an inadequate hemopoietic response in HDFN due to anti‐M, leading to hyporegenerative anemia. Once the IgG component of anti‐M is detected, close monitoring should be considered.
Introduction
Authors: Linn Andrew , Ahn Elise S.
Published: May 2021

This brief introduction opens with an overview of the region of Central Asia, its constituent countries and a discussion of how they do or do not constitute a discrete region, historically, politically, or linguistically. The introduction goes on to note previous work on Englishes in the region before providing an overview of the contents of the special issue, how the articles are organised, the key themes arising from them, and some potential avenues for further work.
Exercise temperature regulation following a 35‐day horizontal bedrest
Authors: Kounalakis Stylianos N. , Keramidas Michail E. , Eiken Ola , Mekjavic Igor B.
Published: May 2021

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Does a 35‐day horizontal bedrest impair thermoeffector responses during whole‐body submaximal exercise performed in temperate conditions?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Cardiovascular and muscular deconditioning ensuing from prolonged recumbency seems to augment, at least to a degree, exercise‐induced increase in body core temperature, most likely due to an impairment in non‐evaporative heat loss. The response is a function of the absolute exercise intensity imposed.

We examined the effects of a 35‐day horizontal bedrest on thermoregulation during whole‐body exercise. Fifteen healthy men were randomly assigned to either a bedrest (BR; n = 10) or a control (CON; n = 5) group. Prior to bedrest, both groups performed 40‐min constant‐load upright cycling at 30% of their peak workload (Wpeak; PRE). One and 2 days after bedrest, the BR group performed, in a randomised counterbalanced order, two 40‐min trials at 30% of (i) the pre‐bedrest Wpeak (i.e., at a fixed absolute intensity; POST‐A) and (ii) the post‐bedrest Wpeak (i.e., at a fixed relative intensity; POST‐R). The CON group conducted only the POST‐A trial, at the same time intervals. During the trials, rectal (Trec) and skin (sk) temperatures, and the forehead sweating rate (SwR) were monitored. In the CON group, no differences were observed between the trials. Bedrest potentiated moderately the Trec elevation during the latter part of POST‐A (∼0.10°C; P ≤ 0.05), but not of POST‐R (∼0.04°C; P = 0.11). In both post‐bedrest trials, sk was attenuated by ∼1.5–2.0°C throughout (P < 0.01), whereas the forehead SwR was not modulated. Trec and sk were similar in POST‐A and POST‐R, yet the forehead SwR was more dependent on the relative workload imposed (P = 0.04). The present findings therefore suggest that the cardiovascular and muscular deconditioning ensuing from a 35‐day bedrest may aggravate the exercise‐induced increase in body core temperature when working at a given absolute intensity, most likely due to an impairment in non‐evaporative heat loss.
Quantum simulation and computing with Rydberg-interacting qubits
Authors: Morgado M. , Whitlock S.
Published: May 2021

Arrays of optically trapped atoms excited to Rydberg states have recently emerged as a competitive physical platform for quantum simulation and computing, where high-fidelity state preparation and readout, quantum logic gates, and controlled quantum dynamics of more than 100 qubits have all been demonstrated. These systems are now approaching the point where reliable quantum computations with hundreds of qubits and realistically thousands of multiqubit gates with low error rates should be within reach for the first time. In this article, the authors give an overview of the Rydberg quantum toolbox, emphasizing the high degree of flexibility for encoding qubits, performing quantum operations, and engineering quantum many-body Hamiltonians. The authors then review the state-of-the-art concerning high-fidelity quantum operations and logic gates as well as quantum simulations in many-body regimes. Finally, the authors discuss computing schemes that are particularly suited to the Rydberg platform and some of the remaining challenges on the road to general purpose quantum simulators and quantum computers.
Influence of plasma power on deposition mechanism and structural properties of MoOx thin films by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition
Authors: Wang Chen , Bao Chun-Hui , Wu Wan-Yu , Hsu Chia-Hsun , Zhao Ming-Jie , Lien Shui-Yang , Zhu Wen-Zhang
Published: May 2021

In this study, amorphous films of molybdenum oxide (MoOx) had been prepared by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) technique using molybdenum hexacarbonyl (Mo(CO)6) as a metal precursor and the mixture gas of O2/Ar as reactants. The influence of plasma power from 1000–3000 W on PEALD-MoOx films’ structure properties was investigated, and the deposition mechanism was proposed. Based on the results, the plasma power playing a crucial role in depositing MoOx films is concluded. A maximum deposition rate of MoOx films is 0.76 Å/cycle, which is achieved at the optimal plasma power of 2000 W owing to the enhancement of plasma radicals’ intensity. The Mo5+ and Mo6+ oxidation states that emerged in all the films were illustrated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies, which means oxygen deficiency in substoichiometric MoOx films. The proportion of no-lattice oxygen decreases first and then increases with the increase of the plasma power. A low power and a high power may lead to deficient oxidation and obvious ion bombardment effect, respectively, which lead to the reduction of MoOx film quality, as indicated by the refractive index, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The clarification of the effect of plasma power on PEALD-MoOx thin films is greatly beneficial to the application in high performance electronic devices.
High-Throughput Approaches for the Identification of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Antivirulents
Authors: Kang Donghoon , Zhang Liyang , Kirienko Natalia V.
Published: May 2021

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious medical threat, particularly given the decreasing rate of discovery of new treatments. Although attempts to find new treatments continue, it has become clear that merely discovering new antimicrobials, even if they are new classes, will be insufficient.
Insulin resistance and liver histopathology in metabolically unhealthy subjects do not correlate with the hepatic abundance of NLRP3 inflammasome nor circulating IL-1β levels
Authors: Quezada Nicolas , Valencia Ilse , Torres Javiera , Maturana Gregorio , Cerda Jaime , Arab Juan Pablo , Fuentes Juan José , Pinto Claudio , Turiel Dannae , Cortés Victor
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Systemic chronic low-grade inflammation has been linked to insulin resistance (IR) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and its final product, interleukin (IL)-1β, exert detrimental effects on insulin sensitivity and promote liver inflammation in murine models. Evidence linking hepatic NLRP3 inflammasome, systemic IR and NASH has been scarcely explored in humans. Herein, we correlated the hepatic abundance of NLRP3 inflammasome components and IR and NASH in humans.

Research design and methods

Metabolically healthy (MH) (n=11) and metabolically unhealthy (MUH) (metabolic syndrome, n=21, and type 2 diabetes, n=14) subjects were recruited. Insulin sensitivity (homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) and Oral Glucose Sensitivity (OGIS120)), glycemic (glycated hemoglobin), and lipid parameters were determined by standard methods. Plasma cytokines were quantified by Magpix. Hepatic NLRP3 inflammasome components were determined at the mRNA and protein levels by reverse transcription–quantitative PCR and western blot, respectively. Liver damage was assessed by histological analysis (Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Activity Score (NAS) and Steatosis, Inflammatory Activity, and Fibrosis (SAF) scores). IR and liver histopathology were correlated with NLRP3 inflammasome components as well as with liver and plasma IL-1β levels.

Results

Body Mass Index, waist circumference, and arterial hypertension frequency were significantly higher in MUH subjects. These patients also had increased high-sensitivity C reactive protein levels compared with MH subjects. No differences in the plasma levels of IL-1β nor the hepatic content ofNlrp3, apoptosis-associated speck-like (Asc),Caspase-1, andIL-1βwere detected between MUH and MH individuals. MUH subjects had significantly higher NAS and SAF scores, indicating more severe liver damage. However, histological severity did not correlate with the hepatic content of NLRP3 inflammasome components norIL-1βlevels.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that NLRP3 inflammasome activation is linked neither to IR nor to the inflammatory status of the liver in MUH patients.
Evidence of integrated health service delivery during COVID-19 in low and lower-middle-income countries: protocol for a scoping review
Authors: Neill Rachel , Hasan Md Zabir , Das Priyanka , Venugopal Vasuki , Jain Nishant , Arora Dinesh , Gupta Shivam
Published: May 2021

Introduction

The importance of integrated, people-centred health systems has been recognised as a central component of Universal Health Coverage. Integration has also been highlighted as a critical element for building resilient health systems that can withstand the shock of health emergencies. However, there is a dearth of research and systematic synthesis of evidence on the synergistic relationship between integrated health services and pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery in low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, the authors are organising a scoping review aiming to explore the application of integrated health service delivery approaches during the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs.

Methods and analysis

This scoping review adheres to the six steps for scoping reviews from Arksey and O’Malley. Peer-reviewed scientific literature will be systematically assembled using a standardised and replicable search strategy from seven electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL Plus, the WHO’s Global Research Database on COVID-19 and LitCovid. Initially, the title and abstract of the collected literature, published in English from December 2019 to June 2020, will be screened for inclusion which will be followed by a full-text review by two independent reviewers. Data will be charted using a data extraction form and reported in narrative format with accompanying data matrix.

Ethics and dissemination

No ethical approval is required for the review. The study will be conducted from June 2020 to May 2021. Results from this scoping review will provide a snapshot of the evidence currently being generated related to integrated health service delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs. The findings will be developed into reports and a peer-reviewed article and will assist policy-makers in making pragmatic and evidence-based decisions for current and future pandemic responses.
Fall incidents in nursing home residents: development of a predictive clinical rule (FINDER)
Authors: Milosevic Vanja , Linkens Aimee , Winkens Bjorn , Hurkens Kim P G M , Wong Dennis , van Oijen Brigit P C , van der Kuy Hugo M , Mestres-Gonzalvo Carlota
Published: May 2021

Objectives

To develop (part I) and validate (part II) an electronic fall risk clinical rule (CR) to identify nursing home residents (NH-residents) at risk for a fall incident.

Design

Observational, retrospective case–control study.

Setting

Nursing homes.

Participants

A total of 1668 (824 in part I, 844 in part II) NH-residents from the Netherlands were included. Data of participants from part I were excluded in part II.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Development and validation of a fall risk CR in NH-residents. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the fall risk-variables in part I. With these, three CRs were developed (ie, at the day of the fall incident and 3 days and 5 days prior to the fall incident). The overall prediction quality of the CRs were assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC), and a cut-off value was determined for the predicted risk ensuring a sensitivity ≥0.85. Finally, one CR was chosen and validated in part II using a new retrospective data set.

Results

Eleven fall risk-variables were identified in part I. The AUROCs of the three CRs form part I were similar: the AUROC for models I, II and III were 0.714 (95% CI: 0.679 to 0.748), 0.715 (95% CI: 0.680 to 0.750) and 0.709 (95% CI: 0.674 to 0.744), respectively. Model III (ie, 5 days prior to the fall incident) was chosen for validation in part II. The validated AUROC of the CR, obtained in part II, was 0.603 (95% CI: 0.565 to 0.641) with a sensitivity of 83.41% (95% CI: 79.44% to 86.76%) and a specificity of 27.25% (95% CI 23.11% to 31.81%).

Conclusion

Medication data and resident characteristics alone are not sufficient enough to develop a successful CR with a high sensitivity and specificity to predict fall risk in NH-residents.

Trial registration number

Not available.
Trends in the prescription of systemic anticancer therapy and mortality among patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a real-world retrospective observational cohort study from the I-O optimise initiative
Authors: Snee Michael , Cheeseman Sue , Thompson Matthew , Riaz Majid , Sopwith Will , Lacoin Laure , Chaib Carlos , J Daumont Melinda , Penrod John R , O’Donnell John C , Hall Geoff
Published: May 2021

Objectives

To assess how a decade of developments in systematic anticancer therapy (SACT) for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) affected overall survival (OS) in a large UK University Hospital.

Design

Real-world retrospective observational cohort study using existing data recorded in electronic medical records.

Setting

A large National Health Service (NHS) university teaching hospital serving 800 000 people living in a diverse metropolitan area of the UK.

Participants

2119 adults diagnosed with advanced NSCLC (tumour, node, metastasis stage IIIB or IV) between 2007 and 2017 at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Main outcomes and measures

OS following diagnosis and the analysis of factors associated with receiving SACT.

Results

Median OS for all participants was 2.9 months, increasing for the SACT-treated subcohort from 8.4 months (2007–2012) to 9.1 months (2013–2017) (p=0.02); 1-year OS increased from 33% to 39% over the same period for the SACT-treated group. Median OS for the untreated subcohort was 1.6 months in both time periods. Overall, 30.6% (648/2119) patients received SACT; treatment rates increased from 28.6% (338/1181) in 2007–2012 to 33.0% (310/938) in 2013–2017 (p=0.03). Age and performance status were independent predictors for SACT treatment; advanced age and higher performance status were associated with lower SACT treatment rates.

Conclusion

Although developments in SACT during 2007–2017 correspond to some changes in survival for treated patients with advanced NSCLC, treatment rates remain low and the prognosis for all patients remains poor.
Depression, anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a New Zealand cohort study on mental well-being
Authors: Gasteiger Norina , Vedhara Kavita , Massey Adam , Jia Ru , Ayling Kieran , Chalder Trudie , Coupland Carol , Broadbent Elizabeth
Published: May 2021

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to daily life. This study investigated depression, anxiety and stress in New Zealand (NZ) during the first 10 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated psychological and behavioural factors. It also compares the results with a similar cross-sectional study in the UK.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

NZ community cohort.

Participants

N=681 adults (≥18 years) in NZ. The cohort was predominantly female (89%) with a mean age of 42 years (range 18–87). Most (74%) identified as NZ European and almost half (46%) were keyworkers. Most were non-smokers (95%) and 20% identified themselves as having clinical risk factors which would put them at increased or greatest risk of COVID-19.

Main outcome measures

Depression, anxiety, stress, positive mood and engagement in health behaviours (smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption).

Results

Depression and anxiety significantly exceeded population norms (p<0.0001). Being younger (p<0.0001) and most at risk of COVID-19 (p<0.05) were associated with greater depression, anxiety and stress. Greater positive mood, lower loneliness and greater exercise were protective factors for all outcomes (p<0.0001). Smoking (p=0.037) and alcohol consumption (p<0.05) were associated with increased anxiety. Pet ownership was associated with lower depression (p=0.006) and anxiety (p=0.008). When adjusting for age and gender differences, anxiety (p=0.002) and stress (p=0.007) were significantly lower in NZ than in the UK. The NZ sample reported lower perceived risk (p<0.0001) and worry about COVID-19 (p<0.0001) than the UK sample.

Conclusions

The NZ population had higher depression and anxiety compared with population norms. Younger people and those most at risk of COVID-19 reported poorer mental health. Interventions should promote frequent exercise, and reduce loneliness and unhealthy behaviours.
Association of frailty status with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19: protocol for a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis
Authors: Pei Hanjun , Wang Ying , Zhang Xinghui , Luo Wenlong , Zhou Chenghui
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Frailty status has been recognised as an important prognostic factor of adverse clinical outcomes in various clinical settings. Recently, the role of frailty status in adverse clinical outcomes for COVID-19-infected patients has received increasing attention with controversial results. Hence, we will conduct a comprehensive dose–response meta-analysis to quantitatively evaluate the association between frailty status and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

Methods

The researchers will systematically search PubMed, EMBase, Cochrane Library, ISI Knowledge via Web of Science and MedRxiv or BioRxiv databases (from inception until December 2020) to identify all retrospective and prospective cohort studies. All-cause mortality during hospitalisation will be set as the primary outcome. Univariable or multivariable meta-regression and subgroup analyses will be conducted for the comparison between frail versus non-frail categories. Sensitivity analyses will be used to assess the robustness of our results by removing each included study one at a time to obtain and evaluate the remaining overall estimates of all-cause mortality. To conduct a dose–response meta-analysis for the potential linear or restricted cubic spline regression relationship between frailty status and all-cause mortality, studies with three or more categories will be included.

Ethics and dissemination

In accordance with the Institutional Review Board/Independent Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, ethical approval is not an essential element for the systematic review protocol. This meta-analysis will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020220226.
Impact of disasters, including pandemics, on cardiometabolic outcomes across the life-course: a systematic review
Authors: De Rubeis Vanessa , Lee Jinhee , Anwer Muhammad Saqib , Yoshida-Montezuma Yulika , Andreacchi Alessandra T , Stone Erica , Iftikhar Saman , Morgenstern Jason D , Rebinsky Reid , Neil-Sztramko Sarah E , Alvarez Elizabeth , Apatu Emma , Anderson Laura N
Published: May 2021

Background

Disasters are events that disrupt the daily functioning of a community or society, and may increase long-term risk of adverse cardiometabolic outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to determine the impact of disasters, including pandemics, on cardiometabolic outcomes across the life-course.

Design

A systematic search was conducted in May 2020 using two electronic databases, EMBASE and Medline. All studies were screened in duplicate at title and abstract, and full-text level. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they assessed the association between a population-level or community disaster and cardiometabolic outcomes ≥1 month following the disaster. There were no restrictions on age, year of publication, country or population. Data were extracted on study characteristics, exposure (eg, type of disaster, region, year), cardiometabolic outcomes and measures of effect. Study quality was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools.

Results

A total of 58 studies were included, with 24 studies reporting the effects of exposure to disaster during pregnancy/childhood and 34 studies reporting the effects of exposure during adulthood. Studies included exposure to natural (n=35; 60%) and human-made (n=23; 40%) disasters, with only three (5%) of these studies evaluating previous pandemics. Most studies reported increased cardiometabolic risk, including increased cardiovascular disease incidence or mortality, diabetes and obesity, but not all. Few studies evaluated the biological mechanisms or high-risk subgroups that may be at a greater risk of negative health outcomes following disasters.

Conclusions

The findings from this study suggest that the burden of disasters extend beyond the known direct harm, and attention is needed on the detrimental indirect long-term effects on cardiometabolic health. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, these findings may inform public health prevention strategies to mitigate the impact of future cardiometabolic risk.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020186074.
Expression of p16Ink4aprotein in pleomorphic adenoma and carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma proves diversity of tumour biology and predicts clinical course
Authors: Bartkowiak Ewelina , Piwowarczyk Krzysztof , Bodnar Magdalena , Kosikowski Paweł , Chou Jadzia , Woźniak Aldona , Wierzbicka Małgorzata
Published: May 2021

Aims

The aim of the study is to correlate p16Ink4aexpression with the clinical courses of pleomorphic adenoma (PA), its malignant transformation (CaexPA) and treatment outcomes.

Methods

Retrospective analysis (1998–2019) of 47 CaexPA, 148 PA and 22 normal salivary gland samples was performed. PAs were divided into two subsets: clinically ‘slow’ tumours characterised by stable size or slow growth; and ‘fast’ tumours with rapid growth rate.

Results

Positive p16Ink4aexpression was found in 68 PA and 23 CaexPA, and borderline expression in 80 and 20, respectively. All 22 (100%) normal salivary gland samples presented with no p16Ink4aexpression. Significant difference in p16Ink4aexpression was observed between normal tissue, PA and CaexPA (χ2(4)=172,19; p=0.0001). The PA clinical subgroups were also evaluated separately, revealing additional statistical relations: ‘fast’ PA and CaexPA differed significantly in p16Ink4a expression (χ2(2)=8.06; p=0.01781) while ‘slow’ PA and CaexPA did not (χ2(2)=3.09; p=0.2129). 3-year, 5-year and 10-year survival among p16Ink4apositive CaexPA patients was 100%, 90.56% and 60.37%, respectively, and in CaexPA patients with borderline p16Ink4aexpression was 90.0%, 73.64% and 22.20%, respectively. Statistically significant difference between expression pattern and survival rate was observed (F Cox test – F (16, 24)=2.31; p=0.03075).

Conclusions

Our study confirms no p16Ink4aexpression in normal tissue, but reveals differences in expression between ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ PA. We suggest that p16Ink4aoverexpression is connected to PA proliferation and subsequent malignant transformation to CaexPA. Borderline p16Ink4astaining correlates with worse prognosis of CaexPA.
Spin tensor and pseudo-gauges: from nuclear collisions to gravitational physics
Authors: Speranza Enrico , Weickgenannt Nora
Published: May 2021

The relativistic treatment of spin is a fundamental subject which has an old history. In various physical contexts it is necessary to separate the relativistic total angular momentum into an orbital and spin contribution. However, such decomposition is affected by ambiguities since one can always redefine the orbital and spin part through the so-called pseudo-gauge transformations. We analyze this problem in detail by discussing the most common choices of energy-momentum and spin tensors with an emphasis on their physical implications, and study the spin vector which is a pseudo-gauge invariant operator. We review the angular momentum decomposition as a crucial ingredient for the formulation of relativistic spin hydrodynamics and quantum kinetic theory with a focus on relativistic nuclear collisions, where spin physics has recently attracted significant attention. Furthermore, we point out the connection between pseudo-gauge transformations and the different definitions of the relativistic center of inertia. Finally, we consider the Einstein–Cartan theory, an extension of conventional general relativity, which allows for a natural definition of the spin tensor.
Fluctuations of anisotropic flow from the finite number of rescatterings in a two-dimensional massless transport model
Authors: Roch Hendrik , Borghini Nicolas
Published: May 2021

We investigate the fluctuations of anisotropic transverse flow due to the finite number of scatterings in a two-dimensional system of massless particles. Using a set of initial geometries from a Monte Carlo Glauber model, we study how flow coefficients fluctuate about their mean value at the corresponding eccentricity, for several values of the scattering cross section. We also show how the distributions of the second and third event planes of anisotropic flow about the corresponding participant plane in the initial geometry evolve as a function of the mean number of scatterings in the system.
MLPF: efficient machine-learned particle-flow reconstruction using graph neural networks
Authors: Pata Joosep , Duarte Javier , Vlimant Jean-Roch , Pierini Maurizio , Spiropulu Maria
Published: May 2021

In general-purpose particle detectors, the particle-flow algorithm may be used to reconstruct a comprehensive particle-level view of the event by combining information from the calorimeters and the trackers, significantly improving the detector resolution for jets and the missing transverse momentum. In view of the planned high-luminosity upgrade of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), it is necessary to revisit existing reconstruction algorithms and ensure that both the physics and computational performance are sufficient in an environment with many simultaneous proton–proton interactions (pileup). Machine learning may offer a prospect for computationally efficient event reconstruction that is well-suited to heterogeneous computing platforms, while significantly improving the reconstruction quality over rule-based algorithms for granular detectors. We introduce MLPF, a novel, end-to-end trainable, machine-learned particle-flow algorithm based on parallelizable, computationally efficient, and scalable graph neural network optimized using a multi-task objective on simulated events. We report the physics and computational performance of the MLPF algorithm on a Monte Carlo dataset of top quark–antiquark pairs produced in proton–proton collisions in conditions similar to those expected for the high-luminosity LHC. The MLPF algorithm improves the physics response with respect to a rule-based benchmark algorithm and demonstrates computationally scalable particle-flow reconstruction in a high-pileup environment.
Characterization of the electrical and optical properties of a gliding arc tornado device
Authors: Barni R. , Alex P. , Salanti A. , Canevali C. , Zoia L. , Orlandi M. , Riccardi C.
Published: May 2021

Optical emission spectroscopy was used to characterize the gas phase in a gliding arc tornado reactor used for plasma applications. Results concerning the transition between spark and fully developed arc regimes are presented, by comparing with the electrical characteristics of the discharge. An extended analysis of spectra of air and helium discharges mixed with water and hexamethyldisiloxane vapors was performed, with the identification of active radical species involved in the surface functionalization of polymeric nanoparticles.

Graphic abstract
GGATB-LSTM: Grouping and Global Attention-based Time-aware Bidirectional LSTM Medical Treatment Behavior Prediction
Authors: Cheng Lin , Shi Yuliang , Zhang Kun , Wang Xinjun , Chen Zhiyong
Published: May 2021

In China, with the continuous development of national health insurance policies, more and more people have joined the health insurance. How to accurately predict patients future medical treatment behavior becomes a hotspot issue. The biggest challenge in this issue is how to improve the prediction performance by modeling health insurance data with high-dimensional time characteristics. At present, most of the research is to solve this issue by using Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) to construct an overall prediction model for the medical visit sequences. However, RNNs can not effectively solve the long-term dependence, and RNNs ignores the importance of time interval of the medical visit sequence. Additionally, the global model may lose some important content to different groups. In order to solve these problems, we propose a Grouping and Global Attention based Time-aware Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (GGATB-LSTM) model to achieve medical treatment behavior prediction. The model first constructs a heterogeneous information network based on health insurance data, and uses a tensor CANDECOMP/PARAFAC decomposition method to achieve similarity grouping. In terms of group prediction, a global attention and time factor are introduced to extend the bidirectional LSTM. Finally, the proposed model is evaluated by using real dataset, and conclude that GGATB-LSTM is better than other methods.
Preserve Integrity in Realtime Event Summarization
Authors: Lin Chen , Ouyang Zhichao , Wang Xiaoli , Li Hui , Huang Zhenhua
Published: May 2021

Online text streams such as Twitter are the major information source for users when they are looking for ongoing events. Realtime event summarization aims to generate and update coherent and concise summaries to describe the state of a given event. Due to the enormous volume of continuously coming texts, realtime event summarization has become the de facto tool to facilitate information acquisition. However, there exists a challenging yet unexplored issue in current text summarization techniques: how to preserve the integrity, i.e., the accuracy and consistency of summaries during the update process. The issue is critical since online text stream is dynamic and conflicting information could spread during the event period. For example, conflicting numbers of death and injuries might be reported after an earthquake. Such misleading information should not appear in the earthquake summary at any timestamp. In this article, we present a novel realtime event summarization framework called IAEA (i.e., Integrity-Aware Extractive-Abstractive realtime event summarization). Our key idea is to integrate an inconsistency detection module into a unified extractive–abstractive framework. In each update, important new tweets are first extracted in an extractive module, and the extraction is refined by explicitly detecting inconsistency between new tweets and previous summaries. The extractive module is able to capture the sentence-level attention which is later used by an abstractive module to obtain the word-level attention. Finally, the word-level attention is leveraged to rephrase words. We conduct comprehensive experiments on real-world datasets. To reduce efforts required for building sufficient training data, we also provide automatic labeling steps of which the effectiveness has been empirically verified. Through experiments, we demonstrate that IAEA can generate better summaries with consistent information than state-of-the-art approaches.
Reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion following a 1-wk IGF-1 infusion in late gestation fetal sheep is due to an intrinsic islet defect
Authors: White Alicia , Stremming Jane , Boehmer Brit H. , Chang Eileen I. , Jonker Sonnet S. , Wesolowski Stephanie R. , Brown Laura D. , Rozance Paul. J.
Published: May 2021

After a 1-wk infusion of IGF-1 LR3, late gestation fetal sheep had lower plasma insulin and glucose concentrations, reduced fetal glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, and decreased fractional insulin secretion from isolated fetal islets without differences in pancreatic insulin content.
Toxocara Myopericarditis and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Young Girl
Authors: Gearhart Addison , Savage Timothy J. , Sandora Thomas J. , Lamb Gabriella S. , Powell Andrew J. , Breitbart Roger E.
Published: May 2021

Cardiac infection with Toxocara is rarely diagnosed, especially in children, and corresponding cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has not been reported. We present a probable case, a 9-year-old girl with myopericarditis, eosinophilia, positive Toxocara serology, and CMR findings consistent with myocardial edema.
Terminal Value Problem for Implicit Katugampola Fractional Differential Equations in
b
-Metric Spaces
Authors: Krim Salim , Abbas Saïd , Benchohra Mouffak , Karapinar Erdal
Published: May 2021

This manuscript deals with a class of Katugampola implicit fractional differential equations in

b

-metric spaces. The results are based on the

α
−
φ

-Geraghty type contraction and the fixed point theory. We express an illustrative example.
Development and Validation of a Robust Immune-Related Prognostic Signature for Gastric Cancer
Authors: Huo Junyu , Wu Liqun , Zang Yunjin
Published: May 2021

Background. An increasing number of reports have found that immune-related genes (IRGs) have a significant impact on the prognosis of a variety of cancers, but the prognostic value of IRGs in gastric cancer (GC) has not been fully elucidated. Methods. Univariate Cox regression analysis was adopted for the identification of prognostic IRGs in three independent cohorts (GSE62254,n=300; GSE15459,n=191; and GSE26901,n=109). After obtaining the intersecting prognostic genes, the three independent cohorts were merged into a training cohort (n=600) to establish a prognostic model. The risk score was determined using multivariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses. Patients were classified into low-risk and high-risk groups according to the median risk score. The risk score performance was validated externally in the three independent cohorts (GSE26253,n=432; GSE84437,n=431; and TCGA,n=336). Immune cell infiltration (ICI) was quantified by the CIBERSORT method. Results. A risk score comprising nine genes showed high accuracy for the prediction of the overall survival (OS) of patients with GC in the training cohort (AUC>0.7). The risk of death was found to have a positive correlation with the risk score. The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that the risk score was an independent indicator of the prognosis of patients with GC (p<0.001). External validation confirmed the universal applicability of the risk score. The low-risk group presented a lower infiltration level of M2 macrophages than the high-risk group (p<0.001), and the prognosis of patients with GC with a higher infiltration level of M2 macrophages was poor (p=0.011). According to clinical correlation analysis, compared with patients with the diffuse and mixed type of GC, those with the Lauren classification intestinal GC type had a significantly lower risk score (p=0.00085). The patients’ risk score increased with the progression of the clinicopathological stage. Conclusion. In this study, we constructed and validated a robust prognostic signature for GC, which may help improve the prognostic assessment system and treatment strategy for GC.
A Series of Frequency Shift Antennas Based on Shape Blending
Authors: Wu Aiting , Sun Yuebin , Zhang Pengquan , Du Tiejun
Published: May 2021

In this paper, an automatic antenna design method based on the shape blending algorithm is proposed. The algorithm is used to construct the shape of the wide slot of a CPW-fed antenna. Firstly, two basic shapes are chosen as the initial shape and the target shape. The shape blending process is then applied on them to get a series of shapes, which are used as the geometry structure of the wide slot. In this way, a series of CPW-fed wide slot antennas are obtained. And they have similar but gradually changing characteristics. The bandwidth ranges are 8.00–9.24 GHz, 7.95–9.05 GHz, 7.05–8.55 GHz, 6.95–8.13 GHz, and 6.55–7.50 GHz, respectively. The overall size of the antenna is 26 mm 

∗

 20 mm 

∗

 0.6 mm. Experimental results show that the resonant frequencies vary (via translation) with the change of slot shape in a specific frequency band. The experiments also validate that the antennas have omnidirectional radiation characteristics. The radiation gains and aperture efficiencies of the antennas are about 3.8–5.5 dBi and 57.7–83.0% at their centre frequencies, respectively. The experiment results show that the proposed antennas could be used in C-band and X-band radar applications.
Electromagnetic Environment Portrait Based on Big Data Mining
Authors: Guo Lantu , Wang Meiyu , Lin Yun
Published: May 2021

With the development of IoT in smart cities, the electromagnetic environment (EME) in cities is becoming more and more complex. A full understanding of the characteristics of past spectrum resource utilization is the key to improving the efficiency of spectrum management. In order to explore the characteristics of spectrum utilization more comprehensively, this paper designs an EME portrait model. By checking the statistical information of the spectrum data, including changes in the noise floor and channel utilization in each individual wireless service, the correlation between the spectrum and time or space of different channels and the information is merged into a high‐dimensional model through consistency transformation to form the EME portrait. The portrait model is not only convenient for storage and retrieval but also beneficial for transfer and expansion, which will become an important foundation for intelligent electromagnetic spectrum management.
Fibula-Assisted Segment Transport (FAST) for Defect Reconstruction after Resection of Tibial Adamantinoma: Report of Two Treatments
Authors: Rachbauer A. , Laufer A. , Gosheger G. , Toporowski G. , Frommer A. , Jacob E. , Deventer N. , Roedl R. , Vogt B.
Published: May 2021

Intramedullary limb lengthening via lengthening nails has been performed for more than three decades to overcome leg length inequalities. Plate-assisted bone segment transport (PABST) has recently been described for the reconstruction of segmental bone defects. We modified this procedure by using the ipsilateral fibula as a “biological plate” and report on its technical particularities and application in the reconstructive treatment of adamantinomas of the tibia in two patients. Both patients were successfully treated by wide resection and reconstruction of the tibial bone via bone segment transport through an expandable intramedullary nail using the remaining ipsilateral fibula to provide stabilization and guidance. This procedure was titled “fibula-assisted segment transport” (FAST). This is a new and promising technique that allows an entirely biological reconstruction of large bone defects of the tibia.