bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lower resource utilization for patients with healed diabetic foot ulcers during participation in a prevention program with foot temperature monitoring
Authors: Isaac Adam L , Swartz Timothy D , Miller Mark L , Short Daniel J , Wilson Eleanor A , Chaffo Jamie L , Watson Eric S , Hu Haihong , Petersen Brian J , Bloom Jonathan D , Neff Nicole J , Linders David R , Salgado Simon J , Locke Jessica L , Horberg Michael A
Published: October 2020

Introduction

We assessed the impact of a diabetic foot ulcer prevention program incorporating once-daily foot temperature monitoring on hospitalizations, emergency department and outpatient visits, and rates of diabetic foot ulcer recurrence and lower extremity amputations for patients with recently healed foot ulcers.

Research design and methods

In this retrospective analysis of real-world data, we enrolled 80 participants with a healed diabetic foot ulcer in a year-long foot ulcer recurrence prevention program. Four outpatient centers within a large integrated healthcare system in the USA contributed to enrollment. We evaluated diabetic foot-related outcomes and associated resource utilization for participants during three periods: the 2 years before the program, the year during the program, and after the program ended. We reported unadjusted resource utilization rates during the program and the periods before and after it. We then adjusted rates of outcomes in each phase using an interrupted time series approach, explicitly controlling for overall trends in resource utilization and recurrence during the three periods.

Results

Our unadjusted data showed high initial rates of resource utilization and recurrence before enrollment in the program, followed by lower rates during the program, and higher rates of resource utilization and similar rates of recurrence in the period following the end of the program. The adjusted data showed lower rates of hospitalizations (relative risk reduction (RRR)=0.52; number needed to treat (NNT)=3.4), lower extremity amputations (RRR=0.71; NNT=6.4), and outpatient visits (RRR=0.26; absolute risk reduction (ARR)=3.5) during the program. We also found lower rates of foot ulcer recurrence during the program in the adjusted data, particularly for wounds with infection or greater than superficial depth (RRR=0.91; NNT=4.4).

Conclusions

We observed lower rates of healthcare resource utilization for high-risk participants during enrollment in a diabetic foot prevention program incorporating once-daily foot temperature monitoring.

Trial registration number

NCT04345016.
Normal alkaline phosphatase levels are dependent on race/ethnicity: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data
Authors: Gonzalez Humberto C , Imam Zaid , Wong Robert , Li Jia , Lu Mei , Trudeau Sheri , Gordon Stuart C , Imam Mohammad , Gish Robert G
Published: October 2020

Objective

The range of normal serum alkaline phosphatase is not well defined. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2009 to 2016 to generate normal ranges for a racially diverse sample of healthy adults.

Methods

Respondents 18 years or older were included. Conditions known to elevate alkaline phosphatase were cause for exclusion. Alkaline phosphatase was measured using a colorimetric method based on standardised National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey protocols. Because alkaline phosphatase values were not normally distributed, log transformation was used. We calculated upper limits of normal (97.5 percentile), stratified by sex and race/ethnicity, and 90% CIs for the upper limits of normal.

Results

1199 respondents (673 female, 526 male) had body mass index from 18.5 to less than 25. Upper limits of normal were highest among Hispanics (123.2 IU/L (90% CI 110.2 to 136.7) for females; 123.8 IU/L (90% CI 112.0 to 135.1) for males), followed by African Americans (109.9 IU/L (90% CI 97.3 to 122.4) for females; 116.3 IU/L (90% CI 105.0 to 126.1) for males) and whites (97.1 IU/L (90% CI 91.0 to 103.4) for females; 109.6 IU/L (90% CI 102.1 to 116.3) for males). Asian American/Pacific Islander respondents had the lowest results: 93.8 IU/L (90% CI 88.2 to 99.5) for females and 95.3 IU/L (90% CI 88.1 to 102.1) for males.

Conclusions

The upper limit of normal alkaline phosphatase varies by race/ethnicity in a large US sample with body mass index of 18.5<25.
Trends in sports-related emergency department visits in the Netherlands, 2009–2018
Authors: Olij Branko F , Kemler Ellen , Valkenberg Huib , Stam Christine , Gouttebarge Vincent , Verhagen Evert
Published: October 2020

Objectives

We aim to describe time trends of severe sports-related emergency department (ED) visits in the Netherlands, from 2009 to 2018.

Methods

Data were extracted from the Dutch Injury Surveillance System by age, gender, sports activity and injury diagnosis, from 2009 to 2018. Absolute numbers and time trends of severe sports-related ED visits were calculated.

Results

Between 2009 and 2018, the overall numbers of severe sports-related ED visits in the Netherlands have significantly decreased by 14% (95% CI −19% to −9%). This trend was seen among men (−12%; 95% CI −18% to −6%), women (−19%; 95% CI −26% to −11%) and individuals aged 18–34 years (−19%; 95% CI −28% to −10%). The number of ED visits has significantly decreased over time in soccer (−15%; 95% CI −24% to −6%), ice-skating (−80%; 95% CI −85% to −73%) and in inline/roller skating (−38%; 95% CI −55% to −15%). This was not the case in road cycle racing (+135%; 95% CI +85% to +198%) and mountain bike racing (+80%; 95% CI +32% to+146%). In terms of sports injury diagnoses, the number of fractured wrists (−15%; 95% CI −24% to −5%), fractured hands (−37%; 95% CI −49% to −21%), knee distortions (−66%; 95% CI −74% to −55%), and fractured lower legs (−38%; 95% CI −55% to −14%) significantly decreased over time.

Conclusion

Our study shows a promising reduction in the number of severe sports-related ED visits across most age groups and sports activities. As the number of ED visits increased in road cycle and mountain bike racing, it is important to find out what caused these increases. Furthermore, it is essential to determine trends in exposure hours and to evaluate and implement injury prevention programmes specific for these sports activities.
Pre-emptive epidural analgesia for acute and chronic post-thoracotomy pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Park Sun-Kyung , Yoon Susie , Kim Bo Rim , Choe Suk Hyung , Bahk Jae-Hyon , Seo Jeong-Hwa
Published: October 2020

Background and objectives

Epidural analgesia is the gold standard for post-thoracotomy pain management and can be started before or after surgical incision. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated whether pre-emptive epidural analgesia before thoracotomy incision reduces acute and chronic post-thoracotomy pain in adults compared with epidural analgesia after incision.

Methods

We searched databases including MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL for randomized controlled trials comparing epidural analgesia initiated before (pre-emptive group) and after (control group) thoracotomy incision in adults. The primary outcomes were the pain intensity during rest and coughing within 72 hours after surgery and the incidence of pain 1 to 6 months after surgery. Data were combined with random-effects meta-analyses. We rated the quality of evidence as high, moderate, low, and very low using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method.

Results

We included 19 trials with 1062 participants involving 529 in the pre-emptive group and 533 in the control group. The pain intensity was significantly lower at rest within 72 hours after surgery (19 studies, n=1062) and during coughing within 48 hours after surgery (11 studies, n=638), and the incidence of pain was significantly lower 1 to 6 months after surgery (6 studies, n=276) in the pre-emptive group than in the control group. The quality of evidence was moderate or low in the primary outcomes.

Conclusions

Our review provides low-quality evidence that pre-emptive epidural analgesia reduces the intensity of acute pain and the incidence of chronic pain after thoracotomy in adults.

Protocol registration number

CRD42019131620.
Simple solvothermal approach to highly nanostructured hematite thin films
Authors: Platnich Casey M. , Slaby Jachym S. , O’Connell David , Trudel Simon
Published: October 2020

In this work, we present a solvothermal method for the synthesis of hematite thin films on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates. This simple method uses a precursor solution of iron(III) 2,4-pentanedionate dissolved in ethanol with a microliter-scale amount of water and yields hematite ∼500 nm thick films after annealing. The synthesized films were characterized using an array of methods, including scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance, and powder X-ray diffraction. Incorporating water into the precursor solution provides nucleation sites for the reaction and results show that by altering the amount of water used in the synthesis, it is possible to generate nanocrystalline films of different morphologies, nanocrystal size distributions, and surface areas. This synthetic procedure therefore provides control over the films’ physical and electrochemical characteristics. Doping of hematite thin films is also possible using this synthesis, as exemplified by doping with tin by adding tin(II) 2,4-pentanedionate to the precursor solution. To demonstrate utility, we build prototype photoelectrochemical cells using the synthesized hematite as the photoanode.
Magneto-optical properties of two-layer film systems based on Fe and Cr
Authors: Bezdidko Oleksandr , Yuriy Shkurdoda , Fedchenko Olena , Cheshko Iryna , Protsenko Serhiy
Published: October 2020

The results of the investigation of two-layer Fe/Cr systems using the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) are presented in this paper. The samples were obtained by thermal evaporation in a vacuum with a thickness of individual layers from 2 nm to 50 nm. It was found that the presence of the Cr layer significantly affects the values of the coercivity and the Kerr angle. At a substrate temperature of 450 K, the value of the coercivity is almost half that of the same sample obtained at room temperature of the substrate. In addition, the influence of the order of deposition of layers, as well as the effect of a thin gold protective layer on the parameters measured by the Kerr method, is shown. These studies have shown that the MOKE can be used as an additional method for studying the composition of multilayer systems, granular alloys and spin-valve systems, using specific software methods.
Elastic properties and electronic structure of tetragonal KDP crystal under polishing pressures from first principles
Authors: Jia Huiling , Wang Feng , Wu Jinxiu , Tan Xin , Cao Yanan
Published: October 2020

The elastic properties and electronic structure of tetragonal Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) under polishing pressures were investigated using the plane-wave pseudopotential method based on density functional theory. The results show that the calculated lattice constant, elastic constants and bandgap agreed well with the results of the experiments and the other calculations at ambient pressure. The elastic constants and the elastic moduli of KDP increase with increasing pressure, but Vickers hardness of KDP decreases. KDP crystal changes from brittleness to ductility beyond the pressure of 3 GPa. The anisotropy of KDP increases and the ratio of [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] increases with the increase of pressure. When the pressure reaches 4.5 GPa, the tetragonal KDP will undergo structural phase transition. As pressure increases, the bandgap between and O-2[Formula: see text] and P-3[Formula: see text] states increases. The interatomic distances were shortened under external pressure, and the interaction between K[Formula: see text] and the neighboring H2PO[Formula: see text] was enhanced, which leads to the increase of elastic mechanical properties.
FRACTAL ANALYSIS OF DIGIT ROCK CORES
Authors: LIU YONGHUI , XIAO BOQI , YU BOMING , SU HAIBO
Published: October 2020

The rock cores of low permeability reservoirs have special pore structures, which are the essential factors to determine the seepage capacity and oil displacement efficiency and directly affect oil and gas reserves and oil well productivity. This paper studies 16 digital rock core samples. Based on the fractal theory for porous media, we carried out the fractal characterization of the pore structure of the samples by an approach combined with binarized CT images and fractal theory. The computing software based on the Box-counting method was used to measure and calculate the fractal dimension and porosity of the samples, and the calculated results were compared with the binarized CT data from the laboratory. It was found that among the tested samples, the results of 12 rock core samples were in good agreement with the experimental data, indicating that the fractal theory is effective in the measurement of fractal dimension and in the calculation of porosity of digital rock core samples. For the results with larger errors compared to laboratory data, we also analyzed and elaborated the reasons from the relevant binarized images and pore distribution images of samples. It is also found that the minimum pore size has a significant impact on the results when the fractal theory was applied to analyze the digital rock core samples. Finally, a standard or criterion is established whether the pore/particle size distribution in a digit rock core/porous medium is fractal or non-fractal.
Downstream Water Management Strategy in Murray–Darling Basin to Improve Adelaide’s Water Quality and Agricultural Output — Feasibility Analysis of a Dual-Purpose Coastal Reservoir
Authors: Zhang Kun-Cheng , Yang Shu-Qing
Published: October 2020

Australia is the driest country in the world, and the lower Murray–Darling Basin and Adelaide have experienced extreme water scarcity crisis, especially during the Millennium Drought (2000–2010). Many counter measures have been proposed or implemented like desalination plants and water buyback, etc., some progress has been made, but far away from a complete solution. Different from existing measures, this research aims at using coastal reservoir technology to shift from upstream water development to downstream development, in order to solve a series of water supply and ecological environment problems by redesigning a coastal reservoir in the downstream area. It is suggested that high-quality water is stored in a “coastal reservoir” inside the Alexandrina Lake for Adelaide’s water supply. The lake water outside the “coastal reservoir” is used for agricultural development. A preliminary feasibility study was conducted in terms of water quantity and water quality, river’s environmental flow and agricultural output. The results show that if a small size (550–630[Formula: see text]GL) coastal reservoir was created inside the Lake Alexandrina in the mouth of Murray River, the Adelaide’s water supply could be secured and its water quality be improved even during droughts like the Millennium Drought. Besides, if the agricultural development is concentrated around the lake, its water demand can be fully met from the lake, rather than the river, thus the agricultural development has little negative impacts on the river’s ecosystem, it is a win-win solution for agricultural development and river ecosystem. It is suggested that Australian government should provide stimulus package for upstream farmers to relocate to areas around the lake.
Seismic expression of carbonate build-up karstification: karst modelling strategies and insights from synthetic seismic
Authors: Fournillon Arnaud , Fournier François , Vidal Olivier
Published: October 2020

Many ancient carbonate build-ups are impacted by meteoric diagenetic processes, including karstification. However, very little is known about the acoustic properties and seismic expression of karstified reservoirs. This paper investigates potential seismic expressions of karstified build-ups by means of synthetic seismic modelling. The overall stratigraphic architecture and physical properties of rock are derived from published examples of SE Asian carbonate build-ups. Various karst systems, corresponding to distinct stages of karstification of varying intensity, have been superimposed to the background facies-related acoustic model. Three-dimensional synthetic seismic cubes have been computed from the karst-bearing acoustic model and by testing various wavelet frequencies. The proposed approach allowed several types of palaeokarst to be reproduced, from dendritic karst and flank-margin caves to cave networks, in amplitude sections. However, geometrical seismic attributes, like coherency, cannot be accurately reproduced with modelling based on the available literature. In addition, the exploration of this synthetic seismic data shows that non-stratiform diagenetic bodies (i.e. leached carbonate wedges in a mixing zone) appear as stratiform even in very-high-resolution seismic. Thus, their detection and characterization require advanced techniques or prior knowledge, such as borehole data.
Finding Optimal Sequences for Area Aggregation—A
⋆
vs. Integer Linear Programming
Authors: Peng Dongliang , Wolff Alexander , Haunert Jan-Henrik
Published: October 2020

To provide users with maps of different scales and to allow them to zoom in and out without losing context, automatic methods for map generalization are needed. We approach this problem for land-cover maps. Given two land-cover maps at two different scales, we want to find a sequence of small incremental changes that gradually transforms one map into the other. We assume that the two input maps consist of polygons, each of which belongs to a given land-cover type. Every polygon on the smaller-scale map is the union of a set of adjacent polygons on the larger-scale map.

In each step of the computed sequence, the smallest area is merged with one of its neighbors. We do not select that neighbor according to a prescribed rule but compute the whole sequence of pairwise merges at once, based on global optimization. We have proved that this problem is NP-hard. We formalize this optimization problem as that of finding a shortest path in a (very large) graph. We present the A
⋆
algorithm and integer linear programming to solve this optimization problem. To avoid long computing times, we allow the two methods to return non-optimal results. In addition, we present a greedy algorithm as a benchmark. We tested the three methods with a dataset of the official German topographic database ATKIS. Our main result is that A
⋆
finds optimal aggregation sequences for more instances than the other two methods within a given time frame.
Differentiating the Rate Capabilities of Lithium-Nickel-Manganese Oxide Li[Ni1/2Mn3/2]O4 Insertion Materials and Electrodes Using Diluted Electrode Methods
Authors: Ariyoshi Kingo , Sugawa Jun , Masuda Shumpei
Published: October 2020

Development of high-power lithium-ion batteries requires the optimization of the electrode kinetics of lithium-insertion materials to improve the rate capability of these devices. The rate capability of lithium-insertion electrodes is controlled by the concentration overvoltages that arise from changes in the Li+ concentration at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Two distinct rate-capability behaviors prevail depending on whether charge transport is limited by Li-ion mass transfer within the solid particles or within the interstitial spaces of the electrode. In this study, the diluted electrode method is employed to characterize the two types of rate-capability behavior exhibited by Li[Ni1/2Mn3/2]O4 (LiNiMO) electrodes. Low-LiNiMO electrodes exhibit better rate capabilities than high-LiNiMO electrodes indicating that lithium-ion transport is more effective (i.e., much faster) in the solid active material than in liquid electrolyte within the electrode pore. The results provide useful insights for understanding the electrode kinetics of lithium-insertion materials and designing electrodes for high-power lithium-ion batteries.
The β1-integrin plays a key role in LEC invasion in an optimized 3-D collagen matrix model
Authors: Kumaravel Subhashree , Abbey Colette A. , Bayless Kayla J. , Chakraborty Sanjukta
Published: October 2020

Lymphangiogenesis, or formation of new lymphatic vessels, is a tightly regulated process that is controlled by growth factor signaling and biomechanical cues. Lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) undergo remodeling, migration, and proliferation to invade the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) during both physiological and pathological lymphangiogenesis. This study optimized conditions for an in vitro three-dimensional (3-D) collagen-based model that induced LEC invasion and recapitulated physiological formation of lymphatic capillaries with lumens. Invasion of LECs was enhanced in the presence of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). Effects of various known lymphangiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), interleukin (IL)-8, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), were tested on LEC sprout formation synergistically with VEGF-C. Several of these growth factors significantly enhanced LEC invasion, and synergistic effects of some of these further enhanced the sprouting density and lumen volume. To determine the contribution of specific ECM components, we analyzed the expression of different integrin subunits. Basal expressions of the integrin α5- and integrin β1-subunits were high in LECs. The addition of fibronectin, which mediates cellular responses through these integrins, enhanced LEC sprouting density and sprout length dose-dependently. siRNA-mediated knockdown of the integrin β1-subunit suppressed LEC invasion and also inhibited VEGF receptor (VEGFR)3 and ERK activation. Furthermore, exposing LECs to the inflammatory mediator lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inhibited sprouting. This optimized model for LEC invasion includes S1P, VEGF-C, and fibronectin within a 3-D collagen matrix, along with VEGF-C, VEGF-A, bFGF, and HGF in the culture medium, and provides a useful tool to investigate the functional effect of various lymphangiogenic factors and inhibitors.
mTORC1/2 signaling is downregulated by amino acid-free culture of mouse preimplantation embryos and is only partially restored by amino acid readdition
Authors: Zamfirescu Radu C. , Day Margot L. , Morris Michael B.
Published: October 2020

Development of the mammalian preimplantation embryo is influenced by autocrine/paracrine factors and the availability of nutrients. Deficiencies of these during in vitro culture reduce the success of assisted reproductive technologies. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway integrates external and internal signals, including those by amino acids (AAs), to promote normal preimplantation development. For this reason, AAs are often included in embryo culture media. In this study, we examined how withdrawal and addition of AAs to culture media modulate mTORC1 pathway activity compared with its activity in mouse embryos developed in vivo. Phosphorylation of signaling components downstream of mTORC1, namely, p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K), ribosomal protein S6, and 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), and that of protein kinase B (Akt), which lies upstream of mTORC1, changed significantly across stages of embryos developed in vivo. For freshly isolated blastocysts placed in vitro, the absence of AAs in the culture medium, even for a few hours, decreased mTORC1 signaling, which could only be partially restored by their addition. Long-term culture of early embryos to blastocysts in the absence of AAs decreased mTORC1 signaling to a greater extent and again this could only be partially restored by their inclusion. This failure to fully restore is probably due to decreased phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTORC2 signaling in culture, as indicated by decreased P-AktS473. mTORC2 lies upstream of mTORC1 and is insensitive to AAs, and its reduced activity probably results from loss of maternal/autocrine factors. These data highlight reduced mTORC1/2 signaling activity correlating with compromised development in vitro and show that the addition of AAs can only partially offset these effects.
Hyperoxia and modulation of pulmonary vascular and immune responses in COVID-19
Authors: Hanidziar Dusan , Robson Simon C.
Published: October 2020

Oxygen is the most commonly used therapy in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. In those patients who develop worsening pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), high concentrations of oxygen may need to be administered for prolonged time periods, often together with mechanical ventilation. Hyperoxia, although lifesaving and essential for maintaining adequate oxygenation in the short term, may have adverse long-term consequences upon lung parenchymal structure and function. How hyperoxia per se impacts lung disease in COVID-19 has remained largely unexplored. Numbers of experimental studies have previously established that hyperoxia is associated with deleterious outcomes inclusive of perturbations in immunologic responses, abnormal metabolic function, and alterations in hemodynamics and alveolar barrier function. Such changes may ultimately progress into clinically evident lung injury and adverse remodeling and result in parenchymal fibrosis when exposure is prolonged. Given that significant exposure to hyperoxia in patients with severe COVID-19 may be unavoidable to preserve life, these sequelae of hyperoxia, superimposed on the cytopathic effects of SARS-CoV-2 virus, may well impact pathogenesis of COVID-19-induced ARDS.
Effects of antenatal dexamethasone and hyperglycemia on cardiovascular adaptation to asphyxia in preterm fetal sheep
Authors: Lear Christopher A. , Davidson Joanne O. , Dhillon Simerdeep K. , King Victoria J. , Lear Benjamin A. , Magawa Shoichi , Maeda Yoshiki , Ikeda Tomoaki , Gunn Alistair J. , Bennet Laura
Published: October 2020

Antenatal glucocorticoids improve outcomes among premature infants but are associated with hyperglycemia, which can exacerbate hypoxic-ischemic injury. It is still unclear how antenatal glucocorticoids or hyperglycemia modulate fetal cardiovascular adaptations to severe asphyxia. In this study, preterm fetal sheep received either saline or 12 mg im maternal dexamethasone, followed 4 h later by complete umbilical cord occlusion (UCO) for 25 min. An additional cohort of fetuses received titrated glucose infusions followed 4 h later by UCO to control for the possibility that hyperglycemia contributed to the cardiovascular effects of dexamethasone. Fetuses were studied for 7 days after UCO. Maternal dexamethasone was associated with fetal hyperglycemia ( P < 0.001), increased arterial pressure ( P < 0.001), and reduced femoral ( P < 0.005) and carotid ( P < 0.05) vascular conductance before UCO. UCO was associated with bradycardia, femoral vasoconstriction, and transient hypertension. For the first 5 min of UCO, fetal blood pressure in the dexamethasone-asphyxia group was greater than saline-asphyxia ( P < 0.001). However, the relative increase in arterial pressure was not different from saline-asphyxia. Fetal heart rate and femoral vascular conductance fell to similar nadirs in both saline and dexamethasone-asphyxia groups. Dexamethasone did not affect the progressive decline in femoral vascular tone or arterial pressure during continuing UCO. By contrast, there were no effects of glucose infusions on the response to UCO. In summary, maternal dexamethasone but not fetal hyperglycemia increased fetal arterial pressure before and for the first 5 min of prolonged UCO but did not augment the cardiovascular adaptations to acute asphyxia.
Exercise-mediated alteration of hippocampal Dicer mRNA and miRNAs is associated with lower BACE1 gene expression and Aβ1-42 in female 3xTg-AD mice
Authors: Dungan Cory M. , Valentino Taylor , Vechetti Ivan J. , Zdunek Christopher J. , Murphy Michael P. , Lin Ai-Ling , McCarthy John J. , Peterson Charlotte A.
Published: October 2020

Previous studies have outlined the beneficial effects of exercise on lowering BACE1 expression and reducing Aβ plaques. This study extends upon the work of others by outlining a new potential mechanism by which exercise elicits beneficial effects on Alzheimer’s disease pathology, specifically through modulation of Dicer and miRNA expression. This is the first study to examine Dicer and miRNA expression in the hippocampus of the 3xTg model within the context of exercise.
Prediction of mild parkinsonism revealed by neural oscillatory changes and machine learning
Authors: Bore Joyce Chelangat , Campbell Brett A. , Cho Hanbin , Gopalakrishnan Raghavan , Machado Andre G. , Baker Kenneth B.
Published: October 2020

Neurophysiological biomarkers that correlate with motor symptoms or disease severity are vital to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and for the development of more effective treatments, including deep brain stimulation (DBS). This work provides direct insight into the application of these biomarkers in training classifiers to discriminate between brain states, which is a first step toward developing closed-loop DBS systems.
Air Pollution-Induced Autonomic Modulation
Authors: Taylor-Clark Thomas E.
Published: October 2020

Air pollutants pose a serious worldwide health hazard, causing respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Pollutants perturb the autonomic nervous system, whose function is critical to cardiopulmonary homeostasis. Recent studies suggest that pollutants can stimulate defensive sensory nerves within the cardiopulmonary system, thus providing a possible mechanism for pollutant-induced autonomic dysfunction. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved would likely improve the management and treatment of pollution-related disease.
Translation and Validation of the Korean Version of the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Score QoR‐15
Authors: Kim Donggyeong , Kim Jay Kyoung , Yeo Jinseok
Published: October 2020

Quality of recovery after anesthesia is an important measure of the early postoperative health status of patients. The Quality of Recovery‐15 (QoR‐15) questionnaire is a self‐rated questionnaire used to assess the quality of postoperative recovery. This study is aimed at translating and validating the Korean version of QoR‐15 (QoR‐15K). One hundred fifty patients were included in this study. We translated the original version of QoR‐15 into QoR‐15K and evaluated its validity, reliability, responsiveness, and clinical feasibility. QoR‐15K showed acceptable criterion, structure, and construct validities. Reliability was verified using Cronbach’s α (0.856), standard error of measurement (10.78), split‐half reliability (0.831), test‐retest reliability (ρ = 0.945, P ≤ 0.001), and intraclass correlation test‐retest (ρ = 0.903, P ≤ 0.001). These results represent an acceptable reliability. Responsiveness was verified using Cohen’s effect size (1.39), standardized response mean (1.03), and the correlation between QoR‐15K score and duration of anesthesia (ρ = −0.197, P = 0.016). These results show acceptable responsiveness. The mean ± standard deviation time to complete QoR‐15K was 138.1 ± 30.7 s. QoR‐15K was rated more than adequate on the COnsensus‐based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments checklist. In conclusion, QoR‐15K shows acceptable validity, reliability, responsiveness, and clinical feasibility and may help evaluate postoperative quality of recovery in Korean populations.
Possible Susceptibility Genes for Intervention against Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity
Authors: Yang Xinyu , Li Guoping , Yang Tao , Guan Manke , An Na , Yang Fan , Dai Qianqian , Zhong Changming , Luo Changyong , Gao Yonghong , Das Saumya , Xing Yanwei , Shang Hongcai
Published: October 2020

Recent therapeutic advances have significantly improved the short- and long-term survival rates in patients with heart disease and cancer. Survival in cancer patients may, however, be accompanied by disadvantages, namely, increased rates of cardiovascular events. Chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction is an important side effect of anticancer therapy. While advances in cancer treatment have increased patient survival, treatments are associated with cardiovascular complications, including heart failure (HF), arrhythmias, cardiac ischemia, valve disease, pericarditis, and fibrosis of the pericardium and myocardium. The molecular mechanisms of cardiotoxicity caused by cancer treatment have not yet been elucidated, and they may be both varied and complex. By identifying the functional genetic variations responsible for this toxicity, we may be able to improve our understanding of the potential mechanisms and pathways of treatment, paving the way for the development of new therapies to target these toxicities. Data from studies on genetic defects and pharmacological interventions have suggested that many molecules, primarily those regulating oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy, apoptosis, and metabolism, contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiotoxicity induced by cancer treatment. Here, we review the progress of genetic research in illuminating the molecular mechanisms of cancer treatment-mediated cardiotoxicity and provide insights for the research and development of new therapies to treat or even prevent cardiotoxicity in patients undergoing cancer treatment. The current evidence is not clear about the role of pharmacogenomic screening of susceptible genes. Further studies need to done in chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity.
Existence, Uniqueness, and Mittag–Leffler–Ulam Stability Results for Cauchy Problem Involving
ψ
-Caputo Derivative in Banach and Fréchet Spaces
Authors: Derbazi Choukri , Baitiche Zidane , Benchohra Mouffak , N’Guérékata G.
Published: October 2020

Our aim in this paper is to investigate the existence, uniqueness, and Mittag–Leffler–Ulam stability results for a Cauchy problem involving

ψ

-Caputo fractional derivative with positive constant coefficient in Banach and Fréchet Spaces. The techniques used are a variety of tools for functional analysis. More specifically, we apply Weissinger’s fixed point theorem and Banach contraction principle with respect to the Chebyshev and Bielecki norms to obtain the uniqueness of solution on bounded and unbounded domains in a Banach space. However, a new fixed point theorem with respect to Meir–Keeler condensing operators combined with the technique of Hausdorff measure of noncompactness is used to investigate the existence of a solution in Banach spaces. After that, by means of new generalizations of Grönwall’s inequality, the Mittag–Leffler–Ulam stability of the proposed problem is studied on a compact interval. Meanwhile, an extension of the well-known Darbo’s fixed point theorem in Fréchet spaces associated with the concept of measures of noncompactness is applied to obtain the existence results for the problem at hand. Finally, as applications of the theoretical results, some examples are given to illustrate the feasibility of the main theorems.
Medicinal Effect, In Silico Bioactivity Prediction, and Pharmaceutical Formulation of Ageratum conyzoides L.: A Review
Authors: Kotta Jasvidianto C. , Lestari Agatha B. S. , Candrasari Damiana S. , Hariono Maywan
Published: October 2020

Goat weed (Ageratum conyzoides L.), or bandotan in Indonesia, is an herbaceous plant that broadly grows up in both subtropical as well as tropical areas. This herb contains many phytoconstituents which have many benefits in different aspects. The essential oil contains phytochemicals such as phenol, phenolic ester, and coumarin, whereas many compounds can been identified in the whole part such as terpenoid, steroid, chromene, pyrrolizidine alkaloid, and flavonoid. Empirically, this herb has been used as an antihemorrhagic, antiseptic, antileprosy, and wound-healing agent. This article reviews the potency of the herb in medication according to the chemical substances being deposited, which are collected from numerous studies, followed by its in silico bioactivity prediction as well as its pharmaceutical dosage form formulation.
The Recognition of Teacher Behavior Based on Multimodal Information Fusion
Authors: Wu Dongli , Chen Jia , Deng Wei , Wei Yantao , Luo Heng , Wei Yangyu
Published: October 2020

Teaching reflection based on videos is the main method in teacher education and professional development. However, it takes a long time to analyse videos, and teachers are easy to fall into the state of information overload. With the development of “AI + education,” automatic recognition of teacher behavior to support teaching reflection has become an important research topic. In this paper, taking online open classroom teaching video as the data source, we collected and constructed a teacher behavior dataset. Using this dataset, we explored the behavior recognition methods based on RGB video and skeleton information, and the information fusion between them is carried out to improve the recognition accuracy. The experimental results show that the fusion of RGB information and skeleton information can improve the recognition accuracy, and the early-fusion effect is better than the late-fusion effect. This study helps to solve the problems of time-consumption and information overload in teaching reflection and then helps teachers to optimize the teaching strategies and improve the teaching efficiency.
Comparison of Flow Solutions for Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Using Complex Analysis Methods (CAM) and Embedded Discrete Fracture Models (EDFM): Fundamental Design Differences and Improved Scaling Method
Authors: Khanal Aaditya , Weijermars Ruud
Published: October 2020

The present study compares flow paths in reservoirs with natural fractures, solved with Complex Analysis Methods (CAM), to those solved with Embedded Discrete Fracture Models (EDFM). One aim is to define scaling rules for the strength (flux) of the discrete natural fractures used in CAM models, which was previously theoretically defined based on the expected flow distortion. A major hurdle for quantitative benchmarks of CAM with EDFM results is that each of the two methods accounts for natural fractures with different assumptions and input parameters. For example, EDFM scales the permeability of the natural fractures based on a cubic equation, while CAM uses a flux strength. The results from CAM and EDFM are used to scale the flux strength of the natural fractures and improve the equivalent permeability contrast estimation for CAM. The permeability contrast for CAM is calculated from the ratio of the enhanced velocity inside natural fractures to the unperturbed matrix fluid velocity. A significant advantage of flow and pressure models based on CAM is the high resolution without complex gridding. Particle tracking results are presented for fractures with different hydraulic conductivity ranging from highly permeable to impervious.
Increased Succinate Accumulation Induces ROS Generation in In Vivo Ischemia/Reperfusion‐Affected Rat Kidney Mitochondria
Authors: Kamarauskaite Justina , Baniene Rasa , Trumbeckas Darius , Strazdauskas Arvydas , Trumbeckaite Sonata
Published: October 2020

Mitochondria are recognized as main reactive oxygen species (ROS) producers, involving ROS generation by mitochondrial complexes I and III. Lately, the focus has been shifting to the ROS generation by complex II. Contribution of complex II (SDH) to ROS generation still remains debatable, especially in in vivo settings. Moreover, it is not completely defined at what time of ischemia the first alterations in mitochondria and the cell begin, which is especially important with renal arterial clamping in vivo during kidney surgery, as it predicts the postischemic kidney function. The aim of this study on an in vivo rat kidney ischemia/reperfusion model was to determine if there is a connection among (a) duration of kidney ischemia and mitochondrial dysfunction and (b) succinate dehydrogenase activity, succinate accumulation, and ROS generation in mitochondria at low and saturating succinate concentrations. Our results point out that (1) mitochondrial disturbances can occur even after 30 min of kidney ischemia/reperfusion in vivo and increase progressively with the prolonged time of ischemia; (2) accumulation of succinate in cytosol after ischemia/reperfusion correlated with increased H2O2 generation mediated by complex II, which was most noticeable with physiological succinate concentrations; and (3) ischemia/reperfusion induced cell necrosis, indicated by the changes in LDH activity. In conclusion, our new findings on the accumulation of succinate in cytosol and changes in SDH activity during kidney ischemia/reperfusion may be important for energy production after reperfusion, when complex I activity is suppressed. On the other hand, an increased activity of succinate dehydrogenase is associated with the increased ROS generation, especially with physiological succinate concentrations. All these observations play an important role in understanding the mechanisms which occur in the early phase of ischemia/reperfusion injury in vivo and may provide new ideas for novel therapeutic approaches or injury prevention; therefore, more detailed studies are necessary in the future.
Research on Composition of Social Credibility Index Based on Artificial Intelligence Model
Authors: Liu Na , Ye Nanke
Published: October 2020

Honesty refers to the fairness, justice, and responsibility of public power in social life. In order to enhance the trust of public power in society, it is necessary to analyze the social credibility indicator system. In order to achieve an accurate evaluation of social credibility, this article uses big data mining and artificial intelligence analysis methods to construct a social credibility evaluation index system for public power. First of all, this paper analyzes the distribution structure model of the public power social credibility index and analyzes the empirical mode decomposition and factor analysis of the public power social credibility evaluation data sequence in the social credibility feature distribution model. Secondly, this article constructs the public power social credit evaluation and artificial intelligence data sequence model. Using high-order cumulant features as a constraint operator, the accurate evaluation and consistent estimation of the social credibility index system of public power can be realized. The grey model is used to predict the social credibility of public power and realizes the optimized design of the evaluation model of public power social credibility. The simulation results show that the model has higher accuracy, better error convergence, and objectivity when designing the social reputation index system.
ARSS: A Novel Aerial Robot Performs Tree Pruning Tasks
Authors: Xu Hao , Yang Zhong , Chang Le , Lu Kaiwen , Xu Changliang , Zhang Qiuyan
Published: October 2020

In this article, we present a novel aerial robot with a suspended saw (ARSS) for pruning trees that are close to electric power lines. The Robot’s movement process includes free flight and aerial pruning. We first established a dynamic model and designed a controller based on the Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) on the model. Aiming at the problem of saw swing and residual oscillation during the free flight movement, we adopt the linear state feedback to design a swing angle controller. Finally, we use Matlab/Simulink and CoppeliaSim for simulation, and the simulation results verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the controller.
Oxidative Stability, Color, and Physicochemical and Sensorial Properties of Raw Stacked and Ground Meat Treated with Shahpouri Orange Juice
Authors: Moemeni Ferdous , Yazdanpanah Sedigheh
Published: October 2020

Shahpouri orange juice (SOJ) is a rich source of bioactive compounds including flavonoids and phenolic acids. However, limited studies have been done to determine its effect on stacked and ground meat quality. The study was performed to determine and compare the effects of 0, 200, 400, 600, and 800 ppm SOJ with 200 ppm BHA on stacked and ground beef quality. The flavonoid compounds of SOJ were quantified as well as its antioxidant activity. Surface color, pH, lipid oxidation (peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA)), and sensorial properties of stacked and ground beef were determined at a day of SOJ incorporation and then after 6 days of storage at 4°C. The addition of SOJ affected pH compared to the control sample. Incorporating SOJ in stacked and ground meat improved redness and decreased lipid oxidation (PV and TBA) during storage compared with control. SOJ at 800 ppm improved overall sensorial properties after 6 days of storage. These results suggested that SOJ could be used as a natural antioxidant in stacked and ground meat to limit lipid oxidation and discoloration.
Efficacy and Safety of Intralesional Bleomycin in the Management of Ungual Warts
Authors: Singal Archana , Grover Chander
Published: October 2020

Introduction: Ungual warts are common fibroepithelial tumours of the nail unit caused by human papillomavirus. Although various treatment modalities are available, their management is challenging due to high potential for recurrence and treatment-related nail dystrophy. Objective: This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of intralesional bleomycin injections in the treatment of ungual warts. Methods: Medical records of 80 patients with ungual warts, treated by us from 2015 to 2019, were analysed retrospectively with respect to the number of warts, site, morphology, and treatment outcome. Children <5 years of age, and pregnant and lactating women were excluded. All ungual warts were treated with intralesional injections of bleomycin 3 Units/mL, given at 3–4 weeks interval. Results and Conclusions: A total of 250 periungual and subungual warts were treated in 80 patients. An average of 2.61 sessions per patient was required for complete resolution. Moderate pain was reported by 65 patients (81.2%), and transitory perilesional hyperpigmentation was observed in 155 lesions (62%). Severe pain and necrosis developed in 3 lesions (1.2%) that were reversible without any residual scarring and deformity. We conclude that intralesional bleomycin is an effective and safe therapeutic modality for ungual warts.
Baked Tolerance in Cow’s Milk Allergy: Quite Frequent, Hard to Predict!
Authors: Vilar Lisis Karine , Araújo Flávia Alves , Santos Thalita Pereira , Menezes Thatiana Tavares , Cheik Marina F. , Segundo Gesmar Rodrigues Silva
Published: October 2020

Introduction: Cow’s milk protein allergy (CMA) is the most common type of food allergy in childhood and exclusion diet is a challenge for patients. Objective: The study aim was to investigate the frequency of tolerance to baked foods containing milk and evaluate immediate skin prick test (SPT) and specific IgEs for different cow’s milk (CM) protein types as predictors of tolerance to baked foods containing milk for CMA patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed. Fifty-four CMA patients were enrolled and oral food challenge (OFC) was performed with baked product, 6 different milk SPTs and specific IgEs to CM, casein, α-lactalbumin, and β-lactoglobulin. Results: Thirty-nine (72.2%) patients tolerated OFC with baked milk cupcake. CM-specific IgE and casein SPT showed statistical difference between positive and negative OFC groups. Probability curves for baked milk tolerance were created for specific CM IgE (Z = 2.542, p < 0.0110) and casein SPT (Z = 2.290, p < 0.0220) using logistic regression. Conclusions: The high percentage of patients able to tolerate baked goods enables an improvement in intake possibilities and quality of life of CMA patients and families. Specific CM IgE and casein SPT demonstrated to be useful predictors in relation to baked milk tolerance.