bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relevance of prediction scores derived from the SARS-CoV-2 first wave, in the evolving UK COVID-19 second wave, for safe early discharge and mortality: a PREDICT COVID-19 UK prospective observational cohort study
Authors: Ghani Hakim , Navarra Alessio , Pyae Phyoe K , Mitchell Harry , Evans William , Cama Rigers , Shaw Michael , Critchlow Ben , Vaghela Tejal , Schechter Miriam , Nordin Nazril , Barlow Andrew , Vancheeswaran Rama
Published: December 2022

Objective

Prospectively validate prognostication scores, SOARS and 4C Mortality Score, derived from the COVID-19 first wave, for mortality and safe early discharge in the evolving pandemic with SARS-CoV-2 variants (B.1.1.7 replacing D614) and healthcare responses altering patient demographic and mortality.

Design

Protocol-based prospective observational cohort study.

Setting

Single site PREDICT and multisite ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium) cohorts in UK COVID-19 second wave, October 2020 to January 2021.

Participants

1383 PREDICT and 20 595 ISARIC SARS-CoV-2 patients.

Primary outcome measures

Relevance of SOARS and 4C Mortality Score determining in-hospital mortality and safe early discharge in the evolving UK COVID-19 second wave.

Results

1383 (median age 67 years, IQR 52–82; mortality 24.7%) PREDICT and 20 595 (mortality 19.4%) ISARIC patient cohorts showed SOARS had area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8 and 0.74, while 4C Mortality Score had AUC of 0.83 and 0.91 for hospital mortality, in the PREDICT and ISARIC cohorts respectively, therefore, effective in evaluating safe discharge and in-hospital mortality. 19.3% (231/1195, PREDICT cohort) and 16.7% (2550/14992, ISARIC cohort) with SOARS of 0–1 were candidates for safe discharge to a virtual hospital (VH) model. SOARS implementation in the VH pathway resulted in low readmission, 11.8% (27/229) and low mortality, 0.9% (2/229). Use to prevent admission is still suboptimal, as 8.1% in the PREDICT cohort and 9.5% in the ISARIC cohort were admitted despite SOARS score of 0–1.

Conclusions

SOARS and 4C Mortality Score remains valid, transforming complex clinical presentations into tangible numbers, aiding objective decision making, despite SARS-CoV-2 variants and healthcare responses altering patient demographic and mortality. Both scores, easily implemented within urgent care pathways for safe early discharge, allocate hospital resources appropriately to the pandemic’s needs while enabling normal healthcare services resumption.
Staff experiences of diabetes care in residential care facilities for people with severe disabilities in Denmark: a mixed-methods assessment of access to screening for diabetes complications
Authors: Nexø Mette Andersen , Baumgarten Sofia Valeur , Willaing Ingrid , Olesen Kasper
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To identify the prevalence of diabetes among adults (>18 years) living in residential care facilities in Denmark and to identify the structural, practical, and individual barriers and drivers related to their participation in screening programmes.

Design

Setting

The register-based study included all residents living in residential care facilities in Denmark. The survey and qualitative analysis were carried out exclusively in the Capital Region of Denmark.

Participants

For the register-based study, we identified 11 620 residents of care facilities in Denmark (>18 years) and identified the number of residents with diagnosis codes of type 1 or type 2 diabetes or dispensed prescriptions of blood glucose-lowering medication. Staff from 102 psychiatric facilities housing adults with severe psychiatric disabilities were invited to participate in the survey. Of these, 56 facilities participated with one responder each, of which n=16 also participated in follow-up qualitative interviews.

Results

Register-based study: of the residents at the facilities, 954 (8%) were diagnosed with diabetes. Descriptive statistics of responses and results from content analysis of interviews were summarised in five themes that illuminated how a screening programme could be tailored to the care facilities: (1) characteristics of residents and care facilities, (2) the care needs of residents, (3) the way care was organised, (4) the specific barriers and drivers for participating in programmes, (5) number of hours and settings for screening programmes.

Conclusion

To increase the participation of people living in psychiatric care facilities in screening programmes, future programmes should be tailored to the identified needs and barriers experienced by the residential care staff.
Approaches to enabling rapid evaluation of innovations in health and social care: a scoping review of evidence from high-income countries
Authors: Norman Gill , Mason Thomas , Dumville Jo C , Bower Peter , Wilson Paul , Cullum Nicky
Published: December 2022

Objective

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the demand for rapid evaluation of innovation in health and social care. Assessment of rapid methodologies is lacking although challenges in ensuring rigour and effective use of resources are known. We mapped reports of rapid evaluations of health and social care innovations, categorised different approaches to rapid evaluation, explored comparative benefits of rapid evaluation, and identified knowledge gaps.

Design

Scoping review.

Data sources

MEDLINE, EMBASE and Health Management Information Consortium (HMIC) databases were searched through 13 September 2022.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

We included publications reporting primary research or methods for rapid evaluation of interventions or services in health and social care in high-income countries.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two reviewers developed and piloted a data extraction form. One reviewer extracted data, a second reviewer checked 10% of the studies; disagreements and uncertainty were resolved through consensus. We used narrative synthesis to map different approaches to conducting rapid evaluation.

Results

We identified 16 759 records and included 162 which met inclusion criteria.

We identified four main approaches for rapid evaluation: (1) Using methodology designed specifically for rapid evaluation; (2) Increasing rapidity by doing less or using less time-intensive methodology; (3) Using alternative technologies and/or data to increase speed of existing evaluation method; (4) Adapting part of non-rapid evaluation.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an increase in publications and some limited changes in identified methods. We found little research comparing rapid and non-rapid evaluation.

Conclusions

We found a lack of clarity about what ‘rapid evaluation’ means but identified some useful preliminary categories. There is a need for clarity and consistency about what constitutes rapid evaluation; consistent terminology in reporting evaluations as rapid; development of specific methodologies for making evaluation more rapid; and assessment of advantages and disadvantages of rapid methodology in terms of rigour, cost and impact.
Real price of health-experiences of out-of-pocket costs in Australia: protocol for a systematic review
Authors: Wang Shelley Ting-Li , Parkinson Anne , Butler Danielle , Law Hsei Di , Fanning Vanessa , Desborough Jane
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Australians have substantial out-of-pocket (OOP) health costs compared with other developed nations, even with universal health insurance coverage. This can significantly affect access to care and subsequent well-being, especially for priority populations including those on lower incomes or with multimorbidity and chronic illness. While it is known that high OOP healthcare costs may contribute to poorer health outcomes, it is not clear exactly how these expenses are experienced by people with chronic illnesses. Understanding this may provide critical insights into the burden of OOP costs among this population group and may highlight policy gaps.

Method and analysis

A systematic review of qualitative studies will be conducted using Pubmed, CINAHL Complete (EBSCO), Cochrane Library, PsycINFO (Ovid) and EconLit from date of inception to June 2022. Primary outcomes will include people’s experiences of OOP costs such as their preferences, priorities, trade-offs and other decision-making considerations. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and methodological appraisal of included studies will be assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. A narrative synthesis will be conducted for all included studies.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was not required given this is a systematic review that does not include human recruitment or participation. The study’s findings will be disseminated through conferences and symposia and shared with consumers, policymakers and service providers, and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022337538.
Management of Chlamydia Cases in Australia (MoCCA): protocol for a non-randomised implementation and feasibility trial
Authors: Goller Jane L , Coombe Jacqueline , Temple-Smith Meredith , Bittleston Helen , Sanci Lena , Guy Rebecca , Fairley Christopher , Regan David , Carvalho Natalie , Simpson Julie , Donovan Basil , Tomnay Jane , Chen Marcus Y , Estcourt Claudia , Roeske Lara , Hawkes David , Saville Marion , Hocking Jane S
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The sexually transmitted infection chlamydia can cause significant complications, particularly among people with female reproductive organs. Optimal management includes timely and appropriate treatment, notifying and treating sexual partners, timely retesting for reinfection and detecting complications including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). In Australia, mainstream primary care (general practice) is where most chlamydia infections are diagnosed, making it a key setting for optimising chlamydia management. High reinfection and low retesting rates suggest partner notification and retesting are not uniformly provided. The Management of Chlamydia Cases in Australia (MoCCA) study seeks to address gaps in chlamydia management in Australian general practice through implementing interventions shown to improve chlamydia management in specialist services. MoCCA will focus on improving retesting, partner management (including patient-delivered partner therapy) and PID diagnosis.

Methods and analysis

MoCCA is a non-randomised implementation and feasibility trial aiming to determine how best to implement interventions to support general practice in delivering best practice chlamydia management. Our method is guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and the Normalisation Process Theory. MoCCA interventions include a website, flow charts, fact sheets, mailed specimen kits and autofills to streamline chlamydia consultation documentation. We aim to recruit 20 general practices across three Australian states (Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland) through which we will implement the interventions over 12–18 months. Mixed methods involving qualitative and quantitative data collection and analyses (observation, interviews, surveys) from staff and patients will be undertaken to explore our intervention implementation, acceptability and uptake. Deidentified general practice and laboratory data will be used to measure pre-post chlamydia testing, retesting, reinfection and PID rates, and to estimate MoCCA intervention costs. Our findings will guide scale-up plans for Australian general practice.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was obtained from The University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (Ethics ID: 22665). Findings will be disseminated via conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications and study reports.
Double outlet ventricles: review of anatomic and imaging characteristics
Authors: Xu Zhuoyuan , Semple Thomas , Gu Hong , McCarthy Karen P , Yen Ho Siew , Li Wei
Published: December 2022

Hearts with double outlet ventricles and concordant atrioventricular connections account for about 1%–3% of all cases of congenital heart disease. We review hearts with two ventricles and concordant atrioventricular connections with double outlet right ventricle (DORV), double outlet left ventricle (DOLV) and double outlet both ventricles (DOBV) from the morphological and clinical imaging perspectives. These hearts are a heterogeneous group of congenital cardiac malformations with a wide range of pathophysiologies that require an individualised surgical approach based on a precise understanding of the complex cardiovascular anatomy. Owing to their differing temporal, spatial and contrast resolutions, we propose that multimodality imaging provides optimal characterisation of various intracardiac morphological features of double outlet hearts. This approach aids clinical diagnosis for optimising treatment options across these malformations.
Serum albumin: a pharmacokinetic marker for optimizing treatment outcome of immune checkpoint blockade
Authors: Zheng Ming
Published: December 2022

As we look forward to the bright future of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, there is still lacking a pharmacokinetic marker to understand the inter-individual differences in ICB response. ICB therapy is based on IgG antibodies that share the same homeostatic pathway with serum albumin. Therefore, serum albumin level could reflect IgG catabolic rate that directly impacts the clearance of therapeutic IgG antibodies. Through interrogating a large, clinically representative pan-cancer cohort of 1,479 ICB-treated patients, this study found that higher baseline albumin levels were significantly associated with stepwise improvements in overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR) (p<0.001), with the variability and reproducibility confirmed in 1,000 bootstrap-resampled cohorts. Furthermore, these findings were also confirmed in most subgroups defined by patient demographics, baseline characteristics, treatments, and cancer types, even in those with low ICB-responsive cancer types and low tumor mutation burden (TMB) (TMB≤10 mut/Mb) that most of which have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ICB therapy. In summary, this study highlights the importance of pretreatment pharmacokinetic modeling for predicting ICB treatment outcomes. Based on serum albumin—an inexpensive, non-invasive, and easily accessible biomarker of IgG pharmacokinetics, we could take a step further towards optimizing ICB therapy.
Macro- and micromorphology reveal four entities in the highly variable Oxalis polymorpha Mart. ex Zucc. (Oxalidaceae)
Authors: Richetti Everton , Lima Duane Fernandes , Fiaschi Pedro , Lusa Makeli Garibotti
Published: December 2022

Leaf morphoanatomy can provide useful information for the taxonomy of morphologically similar species or the recognition of infraspecific taxa. Here, we evaluated the taxonomic utility of leaf morphological and anatomical characters for the recognition of distinct morphologies currently placed under Oxalis polymorpha Mart. ex Zucc., a highly polymorphic species of Oxalis from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We analyzed leaves of 13 specimens gathered from five populations throughout the species' geographic distribution. Leaf samples were analyzed under light and scanning electron microscopy. We observed differences in the leaf blade venation patterns, in the indumentum of petioles and leaf blades, in the pulvinar vascular tissue configuration, and in the midrib tissue organization. The variation in these characters allowed us to recognize four different morphotypes among these samples. These morphotypes are geographically disjunct and differ among each other in additional morphological features, such as leaf arrangement along the stem, leaflet shape, inflorescence position, petal color, and fruit shape. Oxalis polymorpha is a good candidate for investigating if phylogenetic relationships support recognition of each of its morphotypes at the species level.
Gliner vacuum, self-consistent theory of Ruppeiner geometry for regular black holes
Authors: Lan Chen , Miao Yan-Gang
Published: December 2022

In the view of the Gliner vacuum, we remove the deformations in the first law of mechanics for regular black holes, where one part of deformations associated with black hole mass will be absorbed into enthalpy or internal energy, and the other part associated with parameters rather than mass will constitute a natural V–P term. The improved first law of mechanics redisplays its resemblance to the first law of thermodynamic systems, which implies a restored correspondence of the mechanic variables to the thermodynamic ones. In particular, the linear relation between the entropy and horizon area remains unchanged for regular black holes. Based on the modified first law of thermodynamics, we establish a self-consistent theory of Ruppeiner geometry and obtain a universal attractive property for the microstructure of regular black holes. In addition, the repulsive and attractive interactions inside and outside regular black holes are analyzed in detail.
Testing time-delayed cosmology
Authors: Palpal-latoc C. J. , Bernardo Reginald Christian , Vega Ian
Published: December 2022

Inspired by nonlocal gravity theories, time-delayed cosmology proposes a delayed Friedmann equation that generically predicts an inflationary period with a natural end. The key parameter of this proposal is a time delay that is presumed to be very small in order for the model to evade potential astrophysical constraints. This work subjects this small-delay assumption to a test. We address the question of just how large a time delay can be accommodated within our current cosmological data. In order to do so, we do not restrict the model to the inflationary era and consider its possible operation in the late Universe as well, with an eye for any smoking-gun features that may indicate the presence of a time delay. We study the background evolution predicted by the delayed Friedmann equation and determine the growth of Newtonian perturbations in this delayed background. We show that a surprisingly large late-time cosmic delay is statistically consistent with Hubble expansion rate and growth data. Based on these observables, we also find that the standard $$\varLambda $$
Λ
CDM model has no advantage over time-delayed cosmology in terms of the Bayes factor.
Learning to cluster urban areas: two competitive approaches and an empirical validation
Authors: Vera Camila , Lucchini Francesca , Bro Naim , Mendoza Marcelo , Löbel Hans , Gutiérrez Felipe , Dimter Jan , Cuchacovic Gabriel , Reyes Axel , Valdivieso Hernán , Alvarado Nicolás , Toro Sergio
Published: December 2022

Urban clustering detects geographical units that are internally homogeneous and distinct from their surroundings. It has applications in urban planning, but few studies compare the effectiveness of different methods. We study two techniques that represent two families of urban clustering algorithms: Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), which operate on spatially distributed data, and Deep Modularity Networks (DMONs), which work on attributed graphs of proximal nodes. To explore the strengths and limitations of these techniques, we studied their parametric sensitivity under different conditions, considering the spatial resolution, granularity of representation, and the number of descriptive attributes, among other relevant factors. To validate the methods, we asked residents of Santiago, Chile, to respond to a survey comparing city clustering solutions produced using the different methods. Our study shows that DMON is slightly preferred over GMM and that social features seem to be the most important ones to cluster urban areas.
Barrow entropic quintessence and dilation dark energy models with generalized HDE cut-off
Authors: Garg Priyanka , Bhardwaj Vinod Kumar , Pradhan Anirudh
Published: December 2022

In this work, we have analyzed the behaviors of extension of generalized Barrow holographic dark energy (BHDE). A “generalized BHDE model based on the particle and the future horizon using infrared cut-off” was proposed by [Nojiri et al. Phys. Lett. B 825, 136844 (2022)]. In this work, we have reviewed the generalized BHDE extension under the assumption of a generalized HDE cut-off. Using a scale factor of the form [Formula: see text], the dynamics of the cosmos have been discussed through graphic demonstration. By applying the “open-source emcee Python package”, the values of the free parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are estimated on 57 OHD points by the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique. We have examined the behavior of the equation of state (EoS) parameter, [Formula: see text] and dark energy density [Formula: see text]. We have also discussed the equivalence of holographic dark energy (DE) with the Barrow entropic DE and its extension. Also, we have explained quintessence and dilation DE models in the context of Barrow entropic DE.
A Neural Network-Based Method for Surface Metallization of Polymer Materials
Authors: Liu Lina , Qiao Yuhao , Wang Dongxia , Tian Xiaoguang , Qin Feiyue
Published: December 2022

It’s no secret that polymers have been employed extensively in a variety of industries. Polymers, on the other hand, have faced difficulties in their development because of their complicated chemical composition and structure. Data-driven approaches in polymer science and technology have resulted in new directions in research leading to the implementation of deep learning models and vast data assets. In the growing area of polymer informatics, deep learning methods based on factual data are being used to speed up the performance assessment and process improvement of new polymers. Using a deep neural network (DNN), we can now forecast the surface metallization properties of polymer materials, which we describe in this research. First, we collect a raw dataset of polymer materials’ characteristics. The raw data are filtered and normalized using the min–max normalization approach. To convert normalized data into numerical characteristics, principal component analysis (PCA) is employed. Polymer surface metallization characteristics can then be predicted using a suggested DNN technique. The proposed and conventional approaches are also compared so that our research can be done to its full potential.
A Novel Image Encryption Algorithm Based on 2D Self-Coupling Sine Map
Authors: Shi Hang , Ji’e Musha , Li Changping , Yan Dengwei , Duan Shukai , Wang Lidan
Published: December 2022

Since the current general image encryption algorithms based on chaotic systems and classical permutation diffusion structures typically suffer from stochastic degradation, simple algorithm structures, and reduced execution efficiency when dealing with images with large data, this paper proposes a new multiprocess image encryption algorithm based on a new hyperchaotic coupled sine map. To begin with, by performing dynamic analyses of the map, including equilibrium points, bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov exponent diagrams, and phase diagrams, associated performance analyses show high spectral entropy (SE) values and permutation entropy (PE) values. Meanwhile, sequences generated by the proposed map are able to pass the NIST randomness test, which shows its suitability for the design of encryption algorithms. Then, a chaos-based image encryption algorithm is proposed in this paper: In the preprocessing stage, the images are sparsely sampled using a compressed-sensing method; in the permutation stage, the image is decomposed into eight bit-plane images containing only 0s and 1s and a clockwise cyclic shift operation based on a chaotic sequence is applied in each bit-plane image to achieve a bit-level permutation effect; in the diffusion stage, the block DNA random computing is applied to the permuted image to modify the pixel values and the final cipher image is obtained. In addition, the initial value of the map is determined by the preset initial value, user-defined strings, and the Hash value of the plain image, where the Hash value of the plain image is calculated by the SHA-256 algorithm. Finally, the analysis of the algorithm demonstrates that the algorithm exhibits extremely strong plaintext correlation externally and excellent encryption performance in terms of attack resistance and execution efficiency.
Parameteric Estimation for Reliability Function of Phased Mission Systems with Series Network
Authors: Dewan Isha , Jain Kanchan , Kapoor Harmanpreet Singh , Rani Monika
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we consider a phased mission system consisting of [Formula: see text] phases (subsystems) wherein the control flows sequentially. The mission is successful if tasks associated with every phase are successful. Density and reliability functions of the lifetime of such a system are worked out when the lifetimes of components of the subsystems follow exponential distribution. It is assumed that components in different subsystems are in series configuration and function independently. The subsystems are assumed to operate independently. A simulation study is conducted to find bias of the estimates of the parameters and the reliability function. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the estimates is also calculated.
CNS: Hybrid Explainable Artificial Intelligence-Based Sentiment Analysis on COVID-19 Lockdown Using Twitter Data
Authors: Priya C. , Vincent P. M. Durai Raj
Published: December 2022

COVID-19 preventive measures have been a hindrance to millions of people over the globe not only affecting their daily routine but also affecting the mental stability. Among several preventive measures for COVID-19 spread, the lockdown is an important measure which helps considerably reduce the number of cases. The updated news about the COVID-19 is drastically spread in social media. Particularly, Twitter is widely used to share posts and opinions about the COVID-19 pandemic. Sentiment analysis (SA) on tweets can be used to determine different emotions such as anger, disgust, sadness, joy, and trust. But transparence is needed to understand how a given sentiment is evaluated with the black-box machine learning models. With this motivation, this paper presents a new explainable artificial intelligence (XAI)-based hybrid approach to analyze the sentiments of the tweets during different COVID-19 lockdowns. The proposed model attempted to understand the public’s emotions during the first, second, and third lockdowns in India by analyzing tweets on social media, and demonstrates the novelty of the work. A new hybrid model is derived by integrating surrogate model and local interpretable model-agnostic explanation (LIME) model to categorize and predict different human emotions. At the same time, the TopjSimilarity evaluation metric is employed to determine the similarity between the original and surrogate models. Furthermore, top words using the feature importance are identified. Finally, the overall emotions during the first, second, and third lockdowns are also estimated. For validating the enhanced outcomes of the proposed method, a series of experimental analysis was performed on the IEEE port and Twitter API dataset. The simulation results highlighted the supremacy of the proposed model with higher average precision, recall, F-score, and accuracy of 95.69%, 96.80%, 95.04%, and 96.76%, respectively. The outcome of the study reported that the public initially had a negative feeling and then started experiencing positive emotions during the third lockdown.
Unleashing the Role of Green Finance, Clean Energy, and Environmental Responsibility in Emission Reduction
Authors: Minh Tien Cao , Naderi Niki
Published: December 2022

Green finance (GFIN) has become a viable option for dealing with climate change in recent years. However, it is yet unknown how well it will affect low-carbon paths in recipient nations. As a result, the main goal of this study is to determine the causal relationship between clean energy (CENE), GFIN, and environmental responsibility (ERES) by using the innovative time-varying causality test on daily data from August 25, 2014, to September 12, 2021. The study is based on S&P Dow Jones Global Clean Energy, Green Bond, and Environmental and Social Indices. Adopting a time-varying technique should be trustworthy and resilient since the data exhibit consistent rising and negative trends. The findings demonstrate that GFIN helps to reduce carbon emissions. This research demonstrates the need to develop a thorough strategy to enhance ERES and GFIN by acquiring green technologies to achieve effective energy transition and sustainable development objectives.
Are We Cobblers without Shoes?
Authors: Noy Natasha , Goble Carole
Published: December 2022

In search of more efficient data sharing.
Maximal Cocktails
Authors: Shasha Dennis
Published: December 2022

Poring over possible mixtures.
Biomechanical Analysis of Foot–Ankle Complex during Jogging with Rearfoot Strike versus Forefoot Strike
Authors: Zhang Yaoyong , Zhang Dan
Published: December 2022

Background and Aim. In order to reduce foot and ankle injuries induced by jogging, two-foot strike patterns, rearfoot strike (RFS), and forefoot strike (FFS), were adopted and compared. First, RFS jogging and FFS jogging were experimentally studied, so as to acquire kinematic and kinetic data, including foot strike angle, knee flexion angle, and ground reaction force (GRF). Then, a 3D finite element model of foot–ankle complex was reconstructed from the scanned 2D-stacked images. Biomechanical characteristics, including plantar pressure, stress of metatarsals, midfoot bone, calcaneus and cartilage, and tensile force of plantar fascia and ligaments, were obtained. The results showed that RFS jogging and FFS jogging had a similar change trend and a close peak value of GRF. Since possessing more momentum in the push stage and less momentum in the brake stage, FFS jogging could be in favor of a higher jogging speed. However, FFS jogging produced larger metatarsal stress in the 5th metatarsal and much larger tensile force of plantar fascia, which might cause metatarsal fracture and heel pain. While RFS jogging produced larger plantar pressure in the hindfoot area, larger calcaneus stress, and much larger tarsal navicular stress, which might cause heel tissue injury, calcaneus damage, and stress fracture of naviculocuneiform joint. In addition, talocrural and talocalcaneal joint cartilage could bear jogging loads, as the peak contact pressure were both small in RFS jogging and FFS jogging. Therefore, jogging with rearfoot or FFS pattern should be chosen according to the health condition of foot–ankle parts.
A Comparative Study on Ascorbic Acid Concentration, Total Phenol, and Flavonoid Content in Citrus Species Grown in a Different Region of Western Nepal
Authors: Gurung Roshani , Baral Sabina , Parajuli Santosh , Dhami Dhana , Ghimire Sushila
Published: December 2022

Different genetic and environmental factors like altitude, temperature, light radiation, etc. affect the production of phytoconstituents like ascorbic acid, phenol, flavonoid, tannin, etc. So, it is necessary to evaluate phytoconstituents quantitatively and qualitatively because of their different medicinal values. This study is aimed at evaluating and comparing ascorbic acid concentration, total phenol, and flavonoid content in citrus species grown in different places in Western Nepal. For this, fruit collected from Lamjung and Nawalparasi was peeled, and collected juice was extracted with ethanol. Ascorbic acid was estimated using titration with dichlorophenolindophenol dye, and total phenol was estimated using Folin reagent; whereas, flavonoid content was determined by aluminum chloride colorimetric assay. The result showed the maximum ascorbic acid concentration in the fruit juice of Citrus maxima collected from Lamjung, i.e.,

2.98
±
0.161
 
mg
/
100
 
ml

, and the least concentration was recorded on extract of Citrus limon collected from Nawalparasi, i.e.,

1.005
±
0.205
 
mg
/
100
 
ml

. The total phenol content was comparatively higher in Citrus maxima and Citrus aurantifolia collected from Lamjung, i.e.,

12.48
±
0.40
 
mg

GAE/gm, respectively. Flavonoid content was comparatively higher in Citrus maxima collected from Nawalparasi, i.e.,

484.466
±
3.055
 
mg

QE/gm. This study showed a variation in the concentration of chemical constituents between different places in Western Nepal. This might be due to differences in climatic conditions, environmental factors, altitude, temperature, etc. This study helps to reflect the best-suited altitude for commercial cultivation of the citrus species as these phytochemicals have different medicinal values. Also, this study can help the food industry to use an alternative source of synthetic antioxidant such as ascorbic acid, phenol, and flavonoid. And local people will economically benefit by the commercial cultivation of citrus fruits.
Burden of Diabetes Mellitus in Nepal: An Analysis of Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Pandey Achyut Raj , Aryal Krishna Kumar , Shrestha Niraj , Sharma Dikshya , Maskey Jasmine , Dhimal Meghnath
Published: December 2022

Globally, the number of people living with diabetes mellitus (DM) increased by 62% between 1990 and 2019, affecting 463 million people in 2019, and is projected to increase further by 51% by 2045. The increasing burden of DM that requires chronic care could have a considerable cost implication in the health system, particularly in resource constraint settings like Nepal. In this context, this study attempts to present the burden of DM in terms of prevalence, mortality, and disability adjusted life years (DALYs). The study is based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, a multinational collaborative research, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluations. In the study, the overall prevalence of DM was estimated using DisMod MR-2.1, a Bayesian metaregression model. DALYs were estimated summing years of life lost due to premature death and years lived with disability. There were a total of 1,412,180 prevalent cases of DM, 3,474 deaths and 189,727 DALYs, due to DM in 2019. All-age prevalence rate and the age-standardized prevalence rate of DM stood at 4,642.83 (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 4,178.58-5,137.74) and 5,735.58 (95% UI: 5,168.74-6327.73) cases per 100,000 population, respectively, in 2019. In 2019, 1.8% (95% UI: 1.54, 2.07) of total deaths were from DM, which is a more than three-fold increase from the proportion of deaths attributed in 1990 (0.43%, 95% UI: 0.36, 0.5) with most of these deaths being from DM type 2. In 2019, a total of 189,727 disability adjusted life years (DALYs) were attributable to DM of which 105,950 DALYs were among males, and the remaining 83,777 DALYs were among females. Overall, between 1990 and 2019, the DALYs, attributable to Type 1 and 2 DM combined and for Type 2 DM only, have increased gradually across both sexes. However, the DALYs per 100,000 attributable to DM have slightly reduced across both sexes in that time. There is a high burden of DM in Nepal in 2019 with a steep increase in the proportion of deaths attributable to DM in Nepal which could pose a serious challenge to the health system. Primary prevention of DM requires collaborative efforts from multiple sectors. Meanwhile, the current federal structure could be an opportunity for integrated, locally tailored public health and clinical interventions for the prevention of the disease and its consequences.
Molecular Characterization and Clinical Characteristics of m5C-Based RNA Methylation in Spinal Cord Injury: Validated by qPCR
Authors: Cao Liang , Pi Wen Jun , Zhang Qiang , Li Qing
Published: December 2022

Aberrant patterns of 5-methylcytosine (m5C)-based ribonucleic acid (RNA) methylation have critical roles in various human diseases, but their importance in spinal cord injury (SCI) is largely unknown. We explore the expression patterns and potential roles of m5C-based regulators of RNA modification after SCI. We analyzed 16 m5C-based regulators of RNA modification in tissues with SCI and normal rats from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. We constructed a “gene signature” of m5C-based regulators of RNA modification to predict the prognosis of SCI using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and random-forest strategy. We found that the m5C-related genes, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methyltransferase1 (Dnmt1), methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2 (Mbd2), ubiquitin-like with PHD and ring finger domains 1 (Uhrf1), uracil-N-glycosylase (Ung), and zinc finger and BTB(brica-brac, tramtrack, and broad) domain containing 38 (Zbtb38) had high expression, and zinc finger and BTB domain containing 4 (Zbtb4) had low expression in SCI. Analysis of the correlation between the gene sets of m5C-based regulators of RNA modification and immune-cell infiltration and immune response revealed Dnmt1, DNA methyltransferases 3A (Dnmt3a), Mbd2, and Ung to be positive regulators of the immune microenvironment, and Zbtb4 may negatively regulate the immune environment. Then, two molecular subtypes were identified based on 16 m5C-regulated genes. Functional-enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes between different patterns of m5C-based modification was undertaken. Through the creation of a protein–protein interaction network, we screened 11 hub genes. We demonstrated their importance between SCI group and sham group using real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in rat model. Expression of hub genes did not correlate with mitophagy but was positively correlated with endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), which suggested that there may be differences in ERS between different patterns of m5C-based modification. This present study explored and discovered the close link between m5C regulators-related genes and SCI. We also hope our findings may contribute to further mechanistic and therapeutic research on the role of key m5C regulators after SCI.
An Overview of Vibration Analysis Techniques for the Fault Diagnostics of Rolling Bearings in Machinery
Authors: Burda Evgeny A. , Zusman George V. , Kudryavtseva Irina S. , Naumenko Alexander P.
Published: December 2022

The perfection of methods and means of nondestructive testing and technical diagnostics is determined by the level of development of science and modern industrial technologies. The desire to develop technologies determines the extent and degree to which the monitoring of the state of substances, materials, products—and now the state of the natural environment—are becoming increasingly relevant. The methods and means of condition monitoring and the diagnostics of rolling bearings have been in development for more than 60 years. Despite some successes, however, there is currently no information concerning the veracity of means to completely resolve the bearing diagnostics problem. This paper provides a fairly brief overview of methods and means for monitoring the condition and diagnosis of rolling bearings and also describes one of the newest trends in this field—the analysis of the properties of the characteristic function of vibroacoustic (VA) signals in order to determine the condition of the objects of control and, in particular, rolling bearings. It is shown that the magnitude of the module and the area of the characteristic function of the VA signal are very effective criteria for assessing the technical condition of a rolling bearing.
Ultrasound Measurement of the Distance between the Breast Tumor and the Skin: A Cut-Off Value for Safe Skin Preservation – Diagnostic Accuracy Study
Authors: Brandão Rodrigo Gregório , Elias Simone , Waitzberg Ângela Flavia Logullo , Facina Gil , Sanvido Vanessa Monteiro , Nazário Afonso Celso Pinto
Published: December 2022

Background: In superficial tumors of the breast, it is necessary to plan the thickness of surgical skin flaps, and whether skin can be preserved for esthetics results. This study aimed to find an ultrasound-measured cut-off distance between tumor and skin (TSD) that allows patients to have the skin over the tumor spared. Methods: This is a diagnostic accuracy study comparing preoperative ultrasound TSD with pathological TSD and the thickness of the skin flaps. We recruited all consecutive women diagnosed with breast cancer between January 2017 and December 2019 whose surgical planning allowed to have the tumor and overlying skin to be removed in bloc (reconstruction procedures, situations where skin removal would not lead to esthetic problems, and superficially located tumors). Measurements were made: preoperatively (by ultrasound), during surgery (using a metal caliper to obtain the thickness of surgical skin flap), and after surgery (pathological). A pathological tumor-skin distance greater than surgical skin flap thickness would indicate preservation of skin above the tumor. Results: We evaluated 95 consecutive patients with 102 lesions. The average surgical flap thickness was 5.5 mm (3–10 mm). The ultrasound-measured cut-off TSD of 2.1 mm obtained 96.0% accuracy in predicting free anterior margin, considering a 5-mm-thick surgical flap. Conclusion: In breast superficial tumors, a cut-off distance of 2.1 mm or more measured preoperatively by ultrasound allows safe preservation of the skin above the tumor. Future studies need to follow up for longer the women submitted to skin preservation surgeries, especially those not undergoing radiotherapy.
Glomerulonephritis Secondary to Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia that Resolved after Induction Therapy
Authors: Regino Carlos Andrés , Torres José Domingo , Galvis Camilo Cáceres , Cabrera Huxlhey Braulio , Sanz Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2022

The association of glomerulonephritis and malignant hematological disease is uncommon, but well known in chronic leukemias, lymphomas, and monoclonal gammopathies. However, only a few cases of glomerulonephritis and acute myeloid leukemia have been reported in the literature. We describe the first case of a genetically diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia presenting with nephrotic range proteinuria that resolved with induction therapy with ATRA and ATO and performed a comprehensive review of the literature.
Antithrombin Activity Is Associated with Persistent Thromboinflammation and Mortality in Patients with Severe COVID-19 Illness
Authors: Chen-Goodspeed Amber , Dronavalli Goutham , Zhang Xu , Podbielski Jeanette M. , Patel Bela , Modis Katalin , Cotton Bryan A. , Wade Charles E. , Cardenas Jessica C.
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Severe COVID-19 illness can lead to thrombotic complications, organ failure, and death. Antithrombin (AT) regulates thromboinflammation and is a key component of chemical thromboprophylaxis. Our goal was to examine the link between AT activity and responsiveness to thromboprophylaxis, markers of hypercoagulability, and inflammation among severe COVID-19 patients. Methods: This was a single-center, prospective observational study enrolling SARS-CoV-2-positive patients admitted to the intensive care unit on prophylactic enoxaparin. Blood was collected daily for 7 days to assess AT activity and anti-factor Xa levels. Patient demographics, outcomes, and hospital laboratory results were collected. Continuous variables were compared using Mann-Whitney tests, and categorical variables were compared using χ2 tests. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association between AT activity and mortality. Results: In 36 patients, 3 thromboembolic events occurred, and 18 (50%) patients died. Patients who died had higher fibrinogen, D-dimer, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and lower AT activity. Reduced AT activity was independently associated with mortality and correlated with both markers of hypercoagulability (D-dimer) and inflammation (CRP). Conclusion: Low AT activity is associated with mortality and persistent hypercoagulable and proinflammatory states in severe COVID-19 patients. The anti-thromboinflammatory properties of AT make it an appealing therapeutic target for future studies.
The Effectiveness of the Intermediate and Therapeutic Doses of Enoxaparin in COVID-19 Patients: A Comparative Study of Factor Xa Inhibition
Authors: Masjedi Mansoor , Azadikhah Sina , Zand Farid , Asmarian Naeimehossadat , Sabetian Golnar , Ostovan Mina , Naderi-boldaji Vida
Published: December 2022

Background: Management of anticoagulant therapy in COVID-19 patients is critical. Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) thromboprophylaxis is already recommended, and anti-Factor Xa (anti-FXa) monitoring has been used to titrate LMWH doses. Methods: Through a cross-sectional study, we evaluated anti-FXa activity in patients admitted to the ICU, receiving intermediate dose (30, 40, 50 mg, subcutaneously [SC], twice daily) or therapeutic dose (1 mg/kg, SC, Q12h) of enoxaparin to find whether the patients in these two groups achieved anti-FXa levels in the accepted thromboprophylaxis range. Results: The occurrence of deep vein thrombosis was 26% in the therapeutic-dose group and 17% in the intermediate-dose group. D-dimer values were nearly 3.5-fold higher in those who received a therapeutic dose of anticoagulants than in those who received intermediate-dose thromboprophylaxis. Patients in the therapeutic-dose group had significantly higher IL-6 levels (p ≤ 0.001). More than one-third of the patients in the therapeutic-dose group (n = 8; 42.18%) and approximately half of the patients in the intermediate-dose group (n = 12; 52.2%) achieved the target range level of anti-FXa. Patients who received therapeutic doses were more likely to have anti-FXa levels above the expected range (47.4 vs 13% in the intermediate-dose group; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Therapeutic dose of enoxaparin in critically ill COVID-19-infected patients did not reduce the incidence of thromboembolic events and, on the other hand, may predispose these patients to increased risk of bleeding by increasing anti-FXa activity above the desired level. Administration of intermediate-dose thromboprophylaxis is suggested to achieve anti-FXa levels in the accepted thromboprophylaxis range.