bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Randomised controlled trial protocol for the PROTECT-CS Study: PROTein to Enhance outComes of (pre)frail paTients undergoing Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Rose Alexandra V , Duhamel Todd , Hyde Chris , Kent Dave E , Afilalo Jonathan , Schultz Annette S H , Chudyk Anna , Kehler Dustin S , Dave Mudra , Arora Rakesh C
Published: January 2021

Introduction

In the past 20 years, the increasing burden of heart disease in an ageing population has resulted in cardiac surgery (CS) being offered to more frail and older patients with multiple comorbidities. Frailty and malnutrition are key geriatric syndromes that impact postoperative outcomes, including morbidity, mortality and prolonged hospital length of stay. Enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs), such as prehabilitation, have been associated with a reduction in complications after CS in vulnerable patients. The use of nutritional ERPs may enhance short-term and long-term recovery and mitigate frailty progression while improving patient-reported outcomes.

Methods and analysis

This trial is a two-centre, double-blinded, placebo, randomised controlled trial with blinded endpoint assessment and intention-to-treat analysis. One-hundred and fifty CS patients will be randomised to receive either a leucine-rich protein supplement or a placebo with no supplemented protein. Patients will consume their assigned supplement two times per day for approximately 2 weeks pre-procedure, during in-hospital postoperative recovery and for 8 weeks following discharge. The primary outcome will be the Short Physical Performance Battery score. Data collection will occur at four time points including baseline, in-hospital (pre-discharge), 2-month and 6-month time points post-surgery.

Ethics and dissemination

The University of Manitoba Biomedical Research Ethics Board (20 March 2018) and the St Boniface Hospital Research Review Committee (28 June 2019) approved the trial protocol for the primary site in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The second site’s (Montreal, Quebec) ethics has been submitted and pending approval from the Research Ethics and New Technology Development Committee for the Montreal Heart Institute (December 2020). Recruitment for the primary site started February 2020 and the second site will begin January 2021. Data gathered from the PROTein to Enhance outComes of (pre)frail paTients undergoing Cardiac Surgery Study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. Knowledge translation strategies will be created to share findings with stakeholders who are positioned to implement evidence-informed change.

Potential study impact

Malnutrition and frailty play a crucial role in post-CS recovery. Nutritional ERPs are increasingly being recognised as a clinically relevant aspect of perioperative care. As such, this trial is to determine if leucine-rich protein supplementation at key intervals can mitigate frailty progression and facilitate enhanced postoperative recovery.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04038294).
Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in COVID-19: study protocol for a global registry of women with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy and their neonates, understanding natural history to guide treatment and prevention
Authors: Banerjee Jayanta , Mullins Edward , Townson Julia , Playle Rebecca , Shaw Caroline , Kirby Nigel , Munnery Kim , Bourne Tom , Teoh TG , Dhanjal Mandish , Poon Liona , Wright Alison , Lees Christoph
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Previous novel COVID-19 pandemics, SARS and middle east respiratory syndrome observed an association of infection in pregnancy with preterm delivery, stillbirth and increased maternal mortality. COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, is the largest pandemic in living memory.

Rapid accrual of robust case data on women in pregnancy and their babies affected by suspected COVID-19 or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection will inform clinical management and preventative strategies in the current pandemic and future outbreaks.

Methods and analysis

The pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in COVID-19 (PAN-COVID) registry are an observational study collecting focused data on outcomes of pregnant mothers who have had suspected COVID-19 in pregnancy or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and their neonates via a web-portal. Among the women recruited to the PAN-COVID registry, the study will evaluate the incidence of: (1) miscarriage and pregnancy loss, (2) fetal growth restriction and stillbirth, (3) preterm delivery, (4) vertical transmission (suspected or confirmed) and early onset neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Data will be centre based and collected on individual women and their babies. Verbal consent will be obtained, to reduce face-to-face contact in the pandemic while allowing identifiable data collection for linkage. Statistical analysis of the data will be carried out on a pseudonymised data set by the study statistician. Regular reports will be distributed to collaborators on the study research questions.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has received research ethics approval in the UK. For international centres, evidence of appropriate local approval will be required to participate, prior to entry of data to the database. The reports will be published regularly. The outputs of the study will be regularly disseminated to participants and collaborators on the study website (https://pan-covid.org) and social media channels as well as dissemination to scientific meetings and journals.

Study registration number

ISRCTN68026880.
Identifying co-occurrence and clustering of chronic diseases using latent class analysis: cross-sectional findings from SAGE South Africa Wave 2
Authors: Chidumwa Glory , Maposa Innocent , Corso Barbara , Minicuci Nadia , Kowal Paul , Micklesfield Lisa K , Ware Lisa Jayne
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To classify South African adults with chronic health conditions for multimorbidity (MM) risk, and to determine sociodemographic, anthropometric and behavioural factors associated with identified patterns of MM, using data from the WHO’s Study on global AGEing and adult health South Africa Wave 2.

Design

Nationally representative (for ≥50-year-old adults) cross-sectional study.

Setting

Adults in South Africa between 2014 and 2015.

Participants

1967 individuals (men: 623 and women: 1344) aged ≥45 years for whom data on all seven health conditions and socioeconomic, demographic, behavioural, and anthropological information were available.

Measures

MM latent classes.

Results

The prevalence of MM (coexistence of two or more non-communicable diseases (NCDs)) was 21%. The latent class analysis identified three groups namely: minimal MM risk (83%), concordant (hypertension and diabetes) MM (11%) and discordant (angina, asthma, chronic lung disease, arthritis and depression) MM (6%). Using the minimal MM risk group as the reference, female (relative risk ratio (RRR)=4.57; 95% CI (1.64 to 12.75); p =0.004) and older (RRR=1.08; 95% CI (1.04 to 1.12); p<0.001) participants were more likely to belong to the concordant MM group, while tobacco users (RRR=8.41; 95% CI (1.93 to 36.69); p=0.005) and older (RRR=1.09; 95% CI (1.03 to 1.15); p=0.002) participants had a high likelihood of belonging to the discordant MM group.

Conclusion

NCDs with similar pathophysiological risk profiles tend to cluster together in older people. Risk factors for MM in South African adults include sex, age and tobacco use.
Public knowledge of stroke and heart attack symptoms in China: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Luan Shenghua , Yang Yujia , Huang Yuqi , McDowell Michelle
Published: January 2021

Objective

Stroke and ischaemic heart disease have become the leading causes of death in China. We evaluated recognition of stroke and heart attack symptoms and stroke treatment-seeking behaviour in a large representative sample of the Chinese adult population and explored characteristics associated with recognition rates.

Design

Cross-sectional survey.

Setting

Household interviews.

Participant

3051 Chinese adults aged between 18 and 69 (50.7% female) were interviewed between January and March 2019.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary measures include recognitions of stroke and heart attack symptoms and stroke treatment-seeking behaviour. Secondary measures include numeracy level, sociodemographics and prior history of cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.

Results

Participants on average recognised 5.2 out of 14 stroke symptoms and 2.6 out of 6 heart attack symptoms. In the presence of stroke symptoms, three quarters of participants would take immediate action and call an ambulance, yet the second most common action was to advise the person to see a doctor (59%) rather than to consult a doctor immediately (34%). Recognition of atypical heartattack symptoms, such as nausea and feeling of anxiety, was poor. Symptom recognition rates were higher in females, people with a personal or family/friend history of cardiovascular events, those with higher numeracy scores, and for stroke symptoms, participants with high (versus low) education level. Furthermore, symptom recognition rate was negatively correlated with burden of cardiovascular diseases across the four economic regions of China.

Conclusion

Recognition of stroke and heart-attack symptoms was moderate and there remains a gap between recognising symptoms and taking immediate action. Interventions focusing on simple symptom detection tools and on building numerical competencies may help reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases in China.
Comparison of Hospital-at-Home models: a systematic review of reviews
Authors: Leong Man Qing , Lim Cher Wee , Lai Yi Feng
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To provide an overview of the safety and effectiveness of Hospital-at-Home (HaH) according to programme type (early-supported discharge (ESD) vs admission avoidance (AA)), and identify the model with higher evidence for addressing clinical, length of stay (LOS) and cost outcomes.

Methods

A systematic review of reviews was conducted by performing a search on PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Web of Science and Scopus (January 2005 to June 2020) for English-language systematic reviews evaluating HaH. Data on primary outcomes (mortality, readmissions, costs, LOS), secondary outcomes (patient/caregiver outcomes) and process indicators were extracted. Quality of the reviews was assessed using Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2. There was no registered protocol.

Results

Ten systematic reviews were identified (four high quality, five moderate quality and one low quality). The reviews were classified according to three use cases. ESD reviews generally revealed comparable mortality (RR 0.92–1.03) and readmissions (RR 1.09–1.25) to inpatient care, shorter hospital LOS (MD −6.76 to −4.44 days) and unclear findings for costs. AA reviews observed a trend towards lower mortality (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.54 to 1.09) and costs, and comparable or lower readmissions (RR 0.68–0.98). Among reviews including both programme types (ESD/AA), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease reviews revealed lower mortality (RR 0.65–0.68) and post-HaH readmissions (RR 0.74–0.76) but unclear findings for resource use.

Conclusion

For suitable patients, HaH generally results in similar or improved clinical outcomes compared with inpatient treatment, and warrants greater attention in health systems facing capacity constraints and rising costs. Preliminary comparisons suggest prioritisation of AA models over ESD due to potential benefits in costs and clinical outcomes. Nonetheless, future research should clarify costs of HaH programmes given the current low-quality evidence, as well as address evidence gaps pertaining to caregiver outcomes and adverse events under HaH care.
The impact of forest science in Chile: history, contribution, and challenges
Authors: Fuentealba Alvaro , Duran Leonardo , Morales Narkis S.
Published: January 2021

In this article we describe Chile’s transition from an agriculture productive model that originated in the 19th century into a more complex economic model that incorporates forest production, explaining the role of forest sciences in this process. Forest science has made great contributions to the country, especially in terms of improving forestation and forest management techniques that have allowed the rapid expansion of the forestry industry and prevented soil erosion on degraded lands. However, native forests have been neglected and vast areas of forest have been replaced with exotic plantations. This process has highlighted the imperative need for developing a new productive model to ensure not only a fair distribution of wealth but also the use of science-based sustainable forest management practices to protect native forest ecosystems nationwide. A national strategic plan for managing, conserving, and restoring native forests is needed not only to align the forest industry with sustainable development but also to develop sound climate change strategies to achieve the country’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Under this scenario forest science can play an important role by producing much needed evidence-based knowledge.
Karyotyping Dasypyrum breviaristatum chromosomes with multiple oligonucleotide probes reveals the genomic divergence in Dasypyrum
Authors: Yu Zhihui , Wang Hongjin , Jiang Wenxi , Jiang Chengzhi , Yuan Weiguang , Li Guangrong , Yang Zujun
Published: January 2021

The perennial species Dasypyrum breviaristatum (genome Vb) contains many potentially valuable genes for the improvement of common wheat. Construction of a detailed karyotype of D. breviaristatum chromosomes will be useful for the detection of Dasypyrum chromatin in wheat background. We established the standard karyotype of 1Vb–7Vb chromosomes through nondenaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization (ND-FISH) technique using 28 oligonucleotide probes from the wheat – D. breviaristatum partial amphiploid TDH-2 (AABBVbVb) and newly identified wheat – D. breviaristatum disomic translocation and addition lines D2138 (6VbS.2VbL), D2547 (4Vb), and D2532 (3VbS.6VbL) by comparative molecular marker analysis. The ND-FISH with multiple oligo probes was conducted on the durum wheat – D. villosum amphiploid TDV-1 and large karyotype differences between D. breviaristatum and D. villosum was revealed. These ND-FISH probes will be valuable for screening the wheat – Dasypyrum derivative lines for chromosome identification, and the newly developed wheat – D. breviaristatum addition lines may broaden the gene pool of wheat breeding. The differences between D. villosum and D. breviaristatum chromosomes revealed by ND-FISH will help us understand evolutionary divergence of repetitive sequences within the genus Dasypyrum.
Electrically charged localized structures
Authors: Bazeia D. , Marques M. A. , Menezes R.
Published: January 2021

This work deals with an Abelian gauge field in the presence of an electric charge immersed in a medium controlled by neutral scalar fields, which interact with the gauge field through a generalized dielectric function. We develop an interesting procedure to solve the equations of motion, which is based on the minimization of the energy, leading us to a first order framework where minimum energy solutions of first order differential equations solve the equations of motion. We investigate two distinct models in two and three spatial dimensions and illustrate the general results with some examples of current interest, implementing a simple way to solve the problem with analytical solutions that engender internal structure.
The gravitino problem in extended gravity cosmologies
Authors: Capozziello Salvatore , Lambiase Gaetano
Published: January 2021

The gravitino problem is investigated in the framework of extended gravity cosmologies. In particular, we consider f(R) gravity, the most natural extension of the Hilbert–Einstein action, and $$f({\mathcal{T}})$$

f
(
T
)

gravity, the extension of teleparallel equivalent gravity. Since in these theories, the expansion laws of the Universe are modified, as compared to the standard $$\Lambda $$
Λ
CDM cosmology, it follows that also the thermal history of particles gets modified. We show that f(R) models allow to avoid the late abundance of gravitinos. In particular, we found that for an appropriate choice of the parameters characterizing the f(R) model, the gravitino abundance turns out to be independent of the reheating temperature. A similar behavior is achieved also in the context of $$f({\mathcal{T}})$$

f
(
T
)

gravity. In this perspective, we can conclude that geometric corrections to standard General Relativity (and to Teleparallel Equivalent of General Relativity) can improve shortcomings both in cosmology and in unified theories beyond the standard model of particles.
Microscopic wormholes, extra-dimensions and cold dark matter from N = 2 maximal supergravity with Gauss–Bonnet corrections
Authors: El-Nabulsi Rami Ahmad
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we have discussed a (1 + 9)-dimensional open cosmological model motivated from N = 2 maximal supergravity arguments characterized by the presence of a wormhole connected to the extra dimensions part and a Gauss–Bonnet (GB) curvature corrections. The universe is dominated by dark energy and cold dark matter (CDM) which emerged from extra dimensions as supported by recent phenomenological and observational arguments. By assuming that the wormhole in the outer/inner regions of the halos of galaxies is characterized by a CDM profile density, it was revealed that the universe is expanding acceleratedly with time, dominated by a microscopic traversable wormhole and dark energy. The role of the dominance of the GB term is discussed and the model is confronted with astrophysical observations.
Noncommutative scalar field in de Sitter space–time and pair creation process
Authors: Mehdaoui Nabil , Khodja Lamine , Haouat Salah
Published: January 2021

In this work, we address the process of pair creation of scalar particles in [Formula: see text] de Sitter space–time in presence of a constant electromagnetic field by applying the noncommutativity on the scalar field up to first-order in [Formula: see text]. We calculate the density of particles created in the vacuum by the mean of the Bogoliubov transformations. In contrast to a previous result, we show that noncommutativity contributes to the pair creation process. We find that the noncommutativity plays the same role of chemical potential and gives an important interest for studies at high energies.
Types of gauge groups in six-dimensional F-theory on double covers of rational elliptic 3-folds
Authors: Kimura Yusuke
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we analyze gauge groups in six-dimensional [Formula: see text] F-theory models. We construct elliptic Calabi–Yau 3-folds possessing various singularity types as double covers of “1/2 Calabi–Yau 3-folds,” a class of rational elliptic 3-folds, by applying the method discussed in a previous study to classify the singularity types of the 1/2 Calabi–Yau 3-folds. One to three U(1) factors are formed in six-dimensional F-theory on the constructed Calabi–Yau 3-folds. The singularity types of the constructed Calabi–Yau 3-folds corresponding to the non-Abelian gauge group factors in six-dimensional F-theory are deduced. The singularity types of the Calabi–Yau 3-folds constructed in this work consist of [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-type singularities.
Constraints for the running index independent of the parameters of the model
Authors: Germán Gabriel
Published: January 2021

By writing the running of the scalar spectral index completely in terms of the scalar index [Formula: see text] and the tensor-to-scalar ratio [Formula: see text] we are able to impose constraints to models of inflation which are independent of the parameters of the model in question. We write analytical expressions for the running index of Natural Inflation, two models of the type Mutated Hilltop Inflation and the Starobinsky model. The resulting formulae for the running depend exclusively on [Formula: see text] and/or [Formula: see text] and will keep tightening the running index further as additional conditions and observations constrain the scalar and the tensor-to-scalar indices.
Numerical Studies on the Air–Membrane Interaction of ETFE Cushions
Authors: Wang Xiaofeng , Li Zhuoran , Yang Qingshan
Published: January 2021

Inflated membranes are popularly used in civil and aerospace engineering. They are flexible and their behaviors are featured by the interaction between the inner air pressure and deformation of the enveloping membrane (air–membrane interaction) which has not yet received attention in the literature. This paper aims at studying the air–membrane interaction and its influence on the static and dynamic properties of an inflated membrane by numerically analyzing a square ETFE (ethylene–tetrafluoroethylene) cushion. To account for the air–membrane interaction, the inner air was regarded as a linear potential fluid in developing the governing equations. The finite element model was derived from the discretized equations and verified through comparison with experimental results and those in the literature. Thereafter, the air–membrane interaction and its variation with influencing factors were investigated in the static and dynamic analysis by comparing results from the verified finite element model with the numerical solutions where the inner air was treated as the traction boundary conditions of the enveloping membrane. Results of this study indicate that (1) air–membrane interaction becomes more prominent with increasing external load and is gradually weakened with a rise in the frequency order; (2) air–membrane interaction makes the top membrane joined with the bottom membrane in the deformation and vibration; and (3) air–membrane interaction is strengthened with an increase in the initial inner pressure or geometric dimensions, but weakened when the membrane thickness or rise–span ratio increases. The present research is helpful to the understanding of the role the inner air plays in the behavior of inflated membranes, and may therefore improve the accuracy in analysis and the rationality in the design.
All Classical Adversary Methods Are Equivalent for Total Functions
Authors: Ambainis Andris , Kokainis Martins , Prūsis Krišjānis , Vihrovs Jevgēnijs , Zajakins Aleksejs
Published: January 2021

We show that all known classical adversary lower bounds on randomized query complexity are equivalent for total functions and are equal to the fractional block sensitivity fbs(
f
). That includes the Kolmogorov complexity bound of Laplante and Magniez and the earlier relational adversary bound of Aaronson. This equivalence also implies that for total functions, the relational adversary is equivalent to a simpler lower bound, which we call rank-1 relational adversary. For partial functions, we show unbounded separations between fbs(
f
) and other adversary bounds, as well as between the adversary bounds themselves.

We also show that, for partial functions, fractional block sensitivity cannot give lower bounds larger than √
n
⋅ bs(
f
), where
n
is the number of variables and bs(
f
) is the block sensitivity. Then, we exhibit a partial function
f
that matches this upper bound, fbs(
f
) = Ω (√
n
⋅ bs(
f
)).
Task Scheduling for Multiunit Parallel Test Using Mixed-Integer Linear Programming
Authors: Yang Zhao , Xiao Han-Shan , Guan Rui , Yang Yang , Ji Hong-Liang
Published: January 2021

Parallel test is an efficient approach for improving test efficiency in the aerospace field. To meet the challenges of implementing multiunit parallel test in practical projects, this paper presented a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for solving the task scheduling problem. A novel sequence-based iterative (SBI) method is proposed to solve the model in reasonable time. The SBI method is composed of an implied sequence finding procedure (ISF) and a sequence-based iterative optimization (SBIO) procedure. The first procedure can reduce the search space by fixing free sequence variables according to the original test flowcharts, and the second procedure can solve the model iteratively in a reasonable amount of time. In addition, two indexes, namely, speed rate and average resource utilization rate, are introduced to evaluate the proposed methods comprehensively. Computational results indicate that the proposed method performs well in real-world test examples, especially for larger examples that cannot be solved by the full-space method. Furthermore, it is proved that the essence of the parallel test is trading space for time.
Rare Case of Spinal Neurosarcoidosis with Concomitant Epidural Lipomatosis
Authors: Jaafar Nesreen , Khoueiry Maria , Khoury Samia J. , Makki Achraf
Published: January 2021

Introduction. Spinal neurosarcoidosis is a rare disease that can manifest as myelopathy, radiculopathy, or cauda equine syndrome. Spinal epidural lipomatosis is also a rare condition resulting from overgrowth of epidural fat tissue causing compressive myelopathy. To our knowledge, there are no reports linking epidural lipomatosis and spinal neurosarcoidosis. Case Report. We describe a case of progressive myelitis in the presence of concomitant spinal neurosarcoidosis and epidural lipomatosis which was a challenging diagnosis with complete response to treatment after addressing both diseases. Both etiologies are inflammatory in nature and share similar expression of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-1β. Conclusion. The common inflammatory process involved in these two diseases might explain a pathophysiological interconnection between both diseases that may underlie their concomitant development in our patient. If these two diseases are interconnected, in their pathophysiological mechanism remains a hypothesis that will need further investigation.
Coupled Fixed-Point Theorems in Theta-Cone-Metric Spaces
Authors: Mohamed Ali Abou Bakr Sahar
Published: January 2021

This paper gives further generalizations of some well-known coupled fixed-point theorems. Specifically, Theorem 3 of the paper is the generalization of the Baskar–Lackshmikantham coupled fixed-point theorem, and Theorem 5 is the generalization of the Sahar Mohamed Ali Abou Bakr fixed-point theorem, where the underlying space is complete

θ

-cone-metric space.
Development and Quality Evaluation of Freeze-Dried Instant Green Smoothie Powder
Authors: Dilrukshi S. H. B. , Senarath H. P. S.
Published: January 2021

Fruits and vegetables are healthy food sources which contain nutrients and phytochemicals with health-promoting properties. The production of healthy and more convenient products can be contributed to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables. In this study, a novel, instant food product which is more nutritive was developed using locally available fruits and green leafy vegetables and the physicochemical, microbial, and sensory qualities of the product were studied. The most acceptable formula for the fresh green smoothie was 28.6% green content with 71.4% fruit content. The developed green smoothie was freeze dried to obtain an instant green smoothie powder. The instant green smoothie powder was analyzed for proximate composition: protein (

2.67
±
0.00

), fat (

1.96
±
0.001

), moisture (

4.82
±
0.003

), ash (

1.22
±
0.000

), and fiber (

28.57
±
0.008

). This instant powder contained 129.5 ppm vitamin C content and higher amount of minerals such as K (

0.98
±
0.12
 
mg
/
g

), Ca (

1.74
±
0.03
 
mg
/
g

), and Fe (

0.04
±
0.004
 
mg
/
g

). The powder properties revealed that the powder has very good flowability (

6.665
±
2.354

) according to the Carr Index and it has low cohesiveness (

1.0713
±
0.0264

) according to the Hausner ratio. The solubility (

94.71
±
2.4253

) of the powder complied with the SLS (668: 1984). The microbiological analysis revealed that this powder only contains 1 log CFU/ml of total plate count. This instant powder can be introduced as a more convenient and healthy choice for the consumers which has acceptable sensory properties, better microbiological stability, and very good powder properties.
An Artificial Neural Networks Model for Early Predicting In‐Hospital Mortality in Acute Pancreatitis in MIMIC‐III
Authors: Ding Ning , Guo Cuirong , Li Changluo , Zhou Yang , Chai Xiangping
Published: January 2021

Background. Early and accurate evaluation of severity and prognosis in acute pancreatitis (AP), especially at the time of admission is very significant. This study was aimed to develop an artificial neural networks (ANN) model for early prediction of in‐hospital mortality in AP. Methods. Patients with AP were identified from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care‐III (MIMIC‐III) database. Clinical and laboratory data were utilized to perform a predictive model by back propagation ANN approach. Results. A total of 337 patients with AP were analyzed in the study, and the in‐hospital mortality rate was 11.2%. A total of 12 variables that differed between patients in survivor group and nonsurvivor group were applied to construct ANN model. Three independent variables were identified as risk factors associated with in‐hospital mortality by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The predictive performance based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.769 for ANN model, 0.607 for logistic regression, 0.652 for Ranson score, and 0.401 for SOFA score. Conclusion. An ANN predictive model for in‐hospital mortality in patients with AP in MIMIC‐III database was first performed. The patients with high risk of fatal outcome can be screened out easily in the early stage of AP by our model.
Purinergic Signaling Mediates PTH and Fluid Flow‐Induced Osteoblast Proliferation
Authors: Xing Yanghui , Song Liang , Zhang Yingying , Zhang Tengyu , Li Jian , Tao Chunjing
Published: January 2021

Both parathyroid hormone (PTH) and mechanical signals are able to regulate bone growth and regeneration. They also can work synergistically to regulate osteoblast proliferation, but little is known about the mechanisms how PTH and mechanical signals interact with each other during this process. In this study, we investigated responses of MC3T3‐E1 osteoblasts to PTH and oscillatory fluid flow. We found that osteoblasts are more sensitive to mechanical signals in the presence of PTH according to ERK1/2 phosphorylation, ATP release, CREB phosphorylation, and cell proliferation. PTH may also reduce the osteoblast refractory period after desensitization due to mechanical signals. We further found that the synergistic responses of osteoblasts to fluid flow or ATP with PTH had similar patterns, suggesting that synergy between fluid flow and PTH may be through the ATP pathway. After we inhibited ATP effects using apyrase in osteoblasts, their synergistic responses to mechanical stimulation and PTH were also inhibited. Additionally, knocking down P2Y2 purinergic receptors can significantly attenuate osteoblast synergistic responses to mechanical stimulation and PTH in terms of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, CREB phosphorylation, and cell proliferation. Thus, our results suggest that PTH enhances mechanosensitivity of osteoblasts via a mechanism involving ATP and P2Y2 purinergic receptors.
Psychometric Properties of Preference-Based Measures for Economic Evaluation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Peters Nicole , Bello-Haas Vanina Dal , Packham Tara , Mehdipour Ava , Kuspinar Ayse
Published: January 2021

Objective. The aim of this review was to synthesize the psychometric properties of generic preference-based measures (PBMs) of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Methods. A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Four databases were searched from inception to April 2019: OVID Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Studies were included if (1) the sample represented individuals with ALS, (2) a generic PBM was utilized and reported on, and (3) information on the psychometric property of a generic PBM was provided. Results. Ninety-one articles were screened, and 39 full-text articles were reviewed. Seven full-text articles were included in this review. The mean age of participants ranged from 58.1 to 63.8 years, and mean time since diagnosis ranged from 20.5 to 44.6 months. Two generic PBMs were found, the EQ-5D-3L (n = 6) and the Quality of Well-Being Self-Administered (QWB-SA) scale (n = 1). Convergent validity of the EQ-5D-3L was large against a global scale of self-perceived health (r = 0.60) and small to large against ALS specific HRQL measures (r = 0.19 to 0.75). For the QWB-SA scale, correlations were small against a generic measure (r = 0.21) and large against ALS specific measures (r = 0.55). The EQ-5D-3L discriminated across different disease severity; however, floor effects were reported. Conclusion. This review highlights the need for more rigorously designed studies to assess the psychometric properties of generic PBMs in ALS and the development of an ALS specific PBM that adequately reflects the health concerns of individuals with ALS.
[Retracted] Museum Display Showcase Furniture System Research Based on Internet of Things Technology in Intelligent Environment
Authors: Hu Jiaojiao , Wu Zhihui , Jin Lei
Published: January 2021

The protection of cultural relics has always been an important issue in the field of museums and archaeology. With the development of Internet of Things technology, the security system of the museum is more intelligent and integrated. In order for the museum display system to keep up with the intelligent age, this article mainly studies the research and realization of the museum showcase system based on the Internet of Things technology in a smart environment. Before the start of the experiment, we developed the overall design of the system, including three functional modules: temperature module, illumination module, and monitoring module. The experiment is done mainly for system testing. The performance test of the sensor module needs to sample the temperature and humidity sensor to verify the accuracy of the temperature and humidity signal collected in the instrument circuit. The light information collection test uses the ADC sampling inside the CC2530 to obtain the required data and judges whether these temperature, humidity, and light intensity values exceed the preset values. The serial port needs to be initialized to carry out data communication and transmission normally. After the receiving end finishes receiving, the sending end will clear the data buffer to prepare for the next data transmission. The experimental data show that the error between the predicted value and measured value of the temperature system is about 3°C, which is within the allowable error range of the experiment. The results show that the system has perfect functions, is safe and reliable, meets the expected requirements, and has good practicability.
Protective Effect and Mechanism of Bone Morphogenetic Protein‐4 on Apoptosis of Human Lens Epithelium Cells under Oxidative Stress
Authors: Du Bei , Zheng Jia-Lin , Huang Liang-Yu , Zhang Hong , Wang Qiong , Hong Ya-Ru , Zhang Xiao-min , Li Xiao-Rong , Dong Li-Jie
Published: January 2021

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β) superfamily, are abundant in human ocular tissues and play an important role in lens development. Targeted deletion of BMP‐4 in mice results in failure of lens placode formation. Following lens maturation, the formation of senile cataracts is demonstrably associated with free radical‐related oxidative stress. Previous studies reported that BMPs play an antiapoptotic role in cells under oxidative stress, and the BMP‐4 signal is important in inflammation regulation and homeostasis. BMP‐4 evidently suppressed the apoptosis of human lens epithelial cells (HLECS) under oxidative stress induced by H2O2. This protective antiapoptotic effect is partly due to a decrease in caspase‐3 activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Furthermore, the expression of activating transcription factor‐ (ATF‐) 6 and Krüppel‐like factor‐ (KLF‐) 6 increased under oxidative stress and decreased after BMP‐4 treatment.
Multisensor‐Weighted Fusion Algorithm Based on Improved AHP for Aircraft Fire Detection
Authors: Wang Rui , Li Yahui , Sun Hui , Yang Kaixin
Published: January 2021

Aiming at the high false alarm rate when using single sensor to detect fire in aircraft cabin, a multisensor data fusion method is proposed to detect fire. First, the weights of multiple factors, that is, temperature, smoke concentration, CO concentration, and infrared ray intensity in the event of fire, were calculated by using the improved analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method on each sensor node of wireless sensor network, and the probability of fire event in the cabin was evaluated by multivariable‐weighted fusion method. Second, based on the mutual support among the evaluation data of fire probabilities of each node, the adaptive weight coefficient is assigned to each evaluation value, and the weighted fusion of all evaluation values of each node is conducted to obtain the fire probability. In the end, compared to the threshold of probability, the fire alarm is determined. Comparing the proposed algorithm to the grey fuzzy neural network fusion algorithm and fuzzy logic fusion algorithm in terms of the time consumption for fire detection and sending alarm and the accuracy of fire alarm perspectives, the experiments demonstrate that the proposed fire detection algorithm can detect the fire within 10s and reduce the false alarm rate to less than 0.5%, which verifies the superiority of the algorithm in promptness and accuracy. In the meanwhile, the fault tolerance of the algorithm is proved as well.
Design and Evaluation of a Wearable Smart Blanket System for Monitoring Vital Signs of Patients in an Ambulance
Authors: Rezayi Sorayya , Safaei Ali Asghar , Mohammadzadeh Niloofar
Published: January 2021

Objectives. Considering the advantages of the wearable systems (such as continuous monitoring, ease of installation, and significant efficiency), they can also be used to monitor patients in emergency situations and, particularly, in the ambulance. This study is aimed at specifying, modeling, and evaluating a wearable smart blanket system for monitoring vital signs in emergency circumstances. Method. At first, all the smart blanket system requirements were specified using an author‐made questionnaire, and the essential requirements were specified in the software requirements specification format. Such an anticipated smart wearable blanket is then modeled by Unified Modeling Language. Finally, the most important quality attributes (i.e., the nonfunctional requirements) of the proposed wearable smart blanket system were evaluated using a descriptive‐analytical study. Results. Evaluation results of the proposed system show that using the smart blanket system could not only provide the required functionalities, but also, it improved the important quality attributes such as response time and delay in sending data packets (14% improvement), accuracy, energy consumption (18% improvement), reliability and fault‐tolerance, and performance (28% improvement) in contrast to the compared related work. Conclusion. Using a smart wearable blanket in an ambulance instead of such in a huge ambulance cabin would be beneficial in terms of time and space, ease of use, and maybe cost while providing the required functionalities besides having proper quality attributes.
Multiple Osteochondritis Dissecans in Multiple Joints
Authors: Takeda Takuto , Akagi Ryuichiro , Sato Yusuke , Enomoto Takahiro , Nakagawa Ryosuke , Kimura Seiji , Yamaguchi Satoshi , Nishikawa Satoru , Sasho Takahisa
Published: January 2021

Background. Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) rarely occurs in multiple joints. Furthermore, the existence of left-right asymmetric OCDs in different joints of the contralateral side of the body and lesions occurring with a temporal difference is rare. Here, we report a rare case with multiple OCDs sequentially detected in various joints. Case Presentation. The 15-year-old male patient was referred to our hospital for an OCD in the medial femoral condyle of the left knee. He had a history of an OCD in his right elbow, and his father had a history of surgically treated OCDs in both knees. One year and five months after, surgery was performed to the lesion in his left medial femoral condyle, a new OCD lesion occurred in the femoral trochlea of the same knee, which was again treated surgically. Five months after the second surgery, the patient returned with pain in the right knee, and an OCD on the right femoral trochlea was detected by an MRI scan. This lesion remained stable without any further restriction in physical activities for 17 months until detachment occurred and was again treated surgically. Conclusion. In cases with history and a family history of multiple OCDs, in particular, with a short stature, an MRI scan should be performed for the symptomatic joint to detect and treat the lesion before progression.
A Study on Travel Time Estimation of Diverging Traffic Stream on Highways Based on Timestamp Data
Authors: Kim Sunghoon , Yu Hwapyeong , Yeo Hwasoo
Published: January 2021

Travel time is valuable information for both drivers and traffic managers. While properly estimating the travel time of a single road section, an issue arises when multiple traffic streams exist. In highways, this usually occurs at the upstream of diverge bottleneck. The aim of this paper is to provide a new framework for travel time estimation of a diverging traffic stream using timestamp data only. While providing the framework, the main focus of this paper is on performing a few analyses on the stage of travel time data classification in the proposed framework. Three sequential steps with a few statistical approaches are provided in this stage: detection of data divergence, classification of divergent data, and outlier filtering. First, a divergence detection index (DDI) of data has been developed, and the analysis results show that this new index is useful in finding the threshold of determining data divergence. Second, three different methods are tested in terms of properly classifying the divergent data. It is found that our modified method based on the approach used by Korea Expressway Corporation shows superior performance. Third, a polynomial regression-based method is used for outlier filtering, and this shows reasonable performance even at a relatively low market penetration rate (MPR) of probe vehicles. Then, the overall performance of the travel time estimation framework is tested, and this test demonstrates that the proposed framework can show improved performance in distinctively estimating the travel times of two different traffic streams in the same road section.
Evidence of Helicobacter spp. in Saliva and Gastric Mucosa of Domestic Dogs in the Central Region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Authors: Guerra Segundo Daniel D. , Mello Camila B. E. , Cargnelutti Juliana F. , Flores Mariana M. , Pedrotti Luís F. , Antunes Bernardo N. , Milech Vanessa , Velasquez Omar G. , Martins Letícia R. , Pinto Filho Saulo T. L.
Published: January 2021

Helicobacter pylori is a spiral-shaped bacterium, which plays a role in the aetiology of gastric diseases in humans. Non-H. pylori Helicobacter (NHPH) species naturally colonise the stomach of animals and also induce gastric lesions in humans, highlighting their zoonotic importance. We evaluated the gastric bacterial colonisation density and gastric lesions and sought to identify the main phylogenetic groups of the Helicobacter spp. obtained from dogs in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with this study aiming to investigate the occurrence of Helicobacter spp. in saliva and gastric samples from these dogs. This study included 35 dogs and used analysis such as cytology, histopathology, PCR, rapid urease testing, and phylogenetic analysis. Of the dogs, 94.3% were positive for Helicobacter spp., and these bacteria were present in the stomach of 32 dogs and saliva of eight. Respectively, eight, 15, and nine dogs had mild, moderate, and severe colonisation. Lymphocytic-plasmacytic infiltrate was the main gastric lesion. However, the presence of Helicobacter and the density appeared to be unrelated to the gastric lesions. The samples possessed a high nucleotide identity with remarkably similar sequences among some of the species of NHPH such as H. heilmannii s.s., H. salomonis, H. felis, and H. bizzozeronii. The saliva of domestic dogs, even of those who appear clinically healthy, can cause Helicobacter infection in humans and other animals, with, in these dogs, increased density, occurrence rate, and predominance of NHPH of zoonotic importance being found in the stomach with a lower occurrence of Helicobacter spp. in the saliva.
Bioinformatics Analysis of Potential Therapeutic Targets and Prognostic Biomarkers amid CXC Chemokines in Ovarian Carcinoma Microenvironment
Authors: Jin Yunfeng , Lin Qiwang , Fei He , Xue Lujie , Li Li , Xi Qinghua , Jiang Hua
Published: January 2021

Background. Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the leading lethal gynecologic cancers of women around the world. More than 70% of patients are diagnosed with stage III or IV with poor outcome. This is partly because of lacking early effective screening techniques and potential biomarkers of OC. CXC chemokines in tumor microenvironment (TME) and their interaction with relative receptors can excite the downstream signaling pathways to influence tumor progression. However, the role of CXC chemokines in OC has not been identified. Methods. ONCOMINE, GEPIA, Kaplan–Meier plotter, cBioPortal, TIMER, Metascape, and LinkedOmics were applied in our study. Results. The transcriptional levels of CXCL1/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/16/17 were significantly elevated while CXCL3 was obviously reduced in OC vs normal ovarian tissue. CXCL8/9/11/13 were correlated with clinic pathological stage. Patients with low expression of CXCL8/9/11/13 were associated with better prognosis. We also found that CXCL3 and CXC12 could be used as potential prognostic markers of OC through Kaplan–Meier plotter. Patients with high expression of CXCL3/12 had a significantly better prognosis. Their functions focus on locomotion, signaling, response to stimulus, undergoing the process of multiorganism, immune system, biological regulation, etc. The differentiated CXC chemokines mainly participate in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Our results showed that CXC chemokines were highly correlated with infiltration of immune cells. The kinase targets of differentially expressed CXC chemokines are mainly in ATM, LYN, LCK, PLK1, FYN, CDK2, and ATR. Conclusions. Our results may provide a new insight for selecting precision biomarkers of targeted therapy of OC.