bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation between substrate selection and body color of neotropical katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)
Authors: Goodman Aaron
Published: September 2020

Leaf mimesis is the most common form of predator avoidance displayed by neotropical katydids. Such camouflage is expressed through various body and colour forms to resemble different leaf shapes within the rainforest. The objective of this work was to determine if roosting katydids select vegetation the same colour as their body during the day, and if this pattern differs in the nighttime.

I sampled katydids from the Monteverde Cloud Forest (Puntarenas, Costa Rica) by hand capture during the night and released them during the day, noting behaviour and final roosting vegetation. In total, I collected 61 katydids consisting of two monomorphic genera (Idiarthon,n = 16,Lophaspis,n = 8), and two polymorphic genera (Mimetica,n = 12,Orophus,n = 25).

I generated contingency tables of counts for monomorphic and polymorphic katydid genera, comparing body colour to daytime and nighttime roosting substrate colour, and vegetation type. I then conducted chi‐squared goodness‐of‐fit tests on the contingency tables. My results suggest that during the day, both monomorphic and polymorphic species select vegetation which matches their body, however, this pattern is absent during the nighttime.

However, species within the leaf‐mimicking genusMimeticadisplayed no colour‐matching behaviours during the day. This study is the first quantitative analysis of behavioural colour‐matching of neotropical katydids and provides useful insight into katydid functional coloration and evolution.
Effects of listening to music in digestive endoscopy: A prospective intervention study led by nursing
Authors: Spagnuolo Rocco , Corea Alessandro , Blumetti Mariantonietta , Giovinazzo Alessia , Serafino Massimiliano , Pagliuso Caterina , Pagnotta Raffaele , Curto Grazia , Cosco Cristina , Cosco Vincenzo , Mancina Rosellina Margherita , Garieri Pietro , Papaleo Anna , Grande Laura , Barilaro Anna , Garofalo Eugenio , Bruni Andrea , Doldo Patrizia
Published: September 2020

Aims

To explore whether music can reduce anxiety and pain in patients who underwent diagnostic endoscopic examinations in conscious and deep sedation and to assess degree of satisfaction and willingness to repeat the procedure.

Design

Prospective study led by nursing.

Methods

Between March 2019–June 2019, consecutive outpatients undergoing endoscopic examinations were simple matched into four groups: Group 1: conscious sedation with music; Group 2: conscious sedation without music; Group 3: deep sedation with music and Group 4: deep sedation without music. Ten minutes before the procedure, two trainee nurses applied music. State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to evaluate anxiety.

Results

Before and at the end of the procedure, patients who listened to music had a lower level anxiety than those who did not listen and, also, reported lower pain intensity during procedure. Only within Group 1 median anxiety, measured after the procedure, is lower than that measured before. In the bivariate logistic regression model, pain and listening to music were independent factors for satisfaction and willingness to repeat procedure.

Conclusion

music in digestive endoscopy reduce pain and anxiety in conscious sedation, thus could be used to reduce anxiety in support to conscious sedation leading to lower usage of deep sedation and consequently reduction of costs and adverse events.

Impact

Anxiety in digestive endoscopy limits patients’ satisfaction.

Music in digestive endoscopy as a specific nursing intervention could reduce anxiety of patients.

This nursing intervention study confirms positive effect of music in digestive endoscopy.

As part of nursing management, the addition of music to daily care practice in digestive endoscopy may reduce anxiety and increase the patient's degree of satisfaction.

Use of music could limit deep sedation use in digestive endoscopy with consequent reduction of risks for patients, execution times, and costs of procedures.
Recently increased prevalence of the human median artery of the forearm: A microevolutionary change
Authors: Lucas Teghan , Kumaratilake Jaliya , Henneberg Maciej
Published: September 2020

The median artery has been considered as an embryonic structure, which normally regresses around the 8th week of gestation. However, various prevalences have been reported in adults since the 18th century. Furthermore, in a study by Henneberg and George (1995; Am J Phys Anthropol 96, 329–334), has suggested that increasing prevalence of the median artery during the 20th century was a ‘possible secular trend’. The present study, conducted nearly a quarter of a century later, is a continuation of that study. A total of 26 median arteries were found in 78 upper limbs obtained from Australians aged 51 to 101 years, who died in the period 2015–2016, a prevalence rate of 33.3%. Analysis of the literature showed that the presence of the median artery has been significantly increasing (p = .001) over time, from approximately 10% in people born in the mid‐1880s to approximately 30% by the end of the 20th century. The significance of the prevalence increased to a p value <.0001, when the results of the present study and other studies conducted by our research team were combined. After removal of the studies that were possibly biased, because of their specific focus on the evolutionary aspects of the median artery, the significance remained at p = .018. The present study provides an example of microevolutionary changes in the internal anatomy of the human body. Second‐order polynomial regression of the median artery's prevalence on dates of birth shows that it is now present in 35% of people and predicts that people born 80 years from now will all carry a median artery if the trend continues. When the median artery prevalence reaches 50% or more, it should not be considered as a variant, but as a ‘normal’ human structure.
Psychometrics and diagnostic properties of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5‐min protocol in screening for Mild Cognitive Impairment and dementia among older adults in Tanzania: A validation study
Authors: Masika Golden M. , Yu Doris S. F. , Li Polly W. C. , Wong Adrian , Lin Rose S. Y.
Published: September 2020

Background

The prevalence of dementia in Tanzania, as in other developing countries, is progressively increasing. Yet international screening instruments for mild cognitive impairment are lacking.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the psychometrics and the diagnostic ability of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5 minutes protocol (MoCA‐5‐min) among older adults in the rural Tanzania.

Methods

The MoCA‐5‐min and the Identification and Intervention for Dementia in Elderly Africans (IDEA) cognitive screening were concurrently administered through face to face to 202 community‐dwelling older adults in Chamwino district. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal component method and oblique rotation was performed to determine the underlying factor structure of the scale. The concurrent and construct as well as predictive validities of the MoCA‐5‐min were examined by comparing its score with IDEA cognitive screening and psychiatrist's diagnosis using DSM‐V criteria, respectively.

Results

The EFA found that all the MoCA‐5‐min items highly loaded into one component, with factor loading ranging from 0.550 to 0.879. The intraclass correlation coefficient for 6 weeks test‐retest reliability was 0.85. Its strong significant correlation with the IDEA screening (Pearson's r = 0.614, p < 0.001) demonstrated a good concurrent validity. Using the psychiatrist's rating as the gold standard, MoCA‐5‐min demonstrated the optimal cut‐off score for MCI at 22, which yielded the sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 74%; and dementia at score of 16 giving a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 80%. Upon stratifying the sample into different age groups, the optimal cut‐off scores tended to decrease with the increase in age.

Conclusion

The MoCA‐5‐min is reliable and provides a valid and accurate measure of cognitive decline among older population in the rural settings of Tanzania. The use of varying cut‐off scores across age groups may ensure more precise discriminatory power of the MoCA‐5‐min.

Implications for practice

Availability of the MoCA‐5‐min in Tanzania will facilitate clinicians to timely detect dementia at both pre‐clinical and clinical stages. Its availability will also encourage further research and international collaborations in dementia prevention programs.
Concomitant changes in ventricular depolarization and repolarization and long‐term outcomes of biventricular pacing
Authors: Polcwiartek Christoffer , Friedman Daniel J. , Emerek Kasper , Graff Claus , Sørensen Peter L. , Kisslo Joseph , Loring Zak , Hansen Steen M. , Kragholm Kristian , Tayal Bhupendar , Jensen Svend E. , Søgaard Peter , Torp‐Pedersen Christian , Atwater Brett D.
Published: September 2020

Background

Biventricular (BiV) pacing increases transmural repolarization heterogeneity due to epicardial to endocardial conduction from the left ventricular (LV) lead. However, limited evidence is available on concomitant changes in ventricular depolarization and repolarization and long‐term outcomes of BiV pacing. Therefore, we investigated associations of BiV pacing‐induced concomitant changes in ventricular depolarization and repolarization with mortality (i.e., LV assist device, heart transplantation, or all‐cause mortality) and sustained ventricular arrhythmia endpoints.

Methods

Consecutive BiV‐defibrillator recipients with digital preimplantation and postimplantation electrocardiograms recorded between 2006 and 2015 at Duke University Medical Center were included. We calculated changes in QRS duration and corrected JT (JTc) interval and split them by median values. For simplicity, these variables were named QRSdecreased (≤ −12 ms), QRSincreased (> –12 ms), JTcdecreased (≤22 ms), and JTcincreased (> 22 ms) and subsequently used to construct four mutually exclusive groups.

Results

We included 528 patients (median age, 68 years; male, 69%). No correlation between changes in QRS duration and JTc interval was observed (P = .295). Compared to QRSdecreased/JTcincreased, increased risk of the composite mortality endpoint was associated with QRSdecreased/JTcdecreased (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09‐2.43), QRSincreased/JTcdecreased (HR = 1.86; 95% CI = 1.27‐2.71), and QRSincreased/JTcincreased (HR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.52‐3.35). No QRS/JTc group was associated with excess sustained ventricular arrhythmia risk (P = .400).

Conclusion

Among BiV‐defibrillator recipients, QRSdecreased/JTcincreased was associated with the most favorable long‐term survival free of LV assist device, heart transplantation, and sustained ventricular arrhythmias. Our findings suggest that improved electrical resynchronization may be achieved by assessing concomitant changes in ventricular depolarization and repolarization.
The Analysis of Occurrences Associated with Air Traffic Volume and Air Traffic Controllers’ Alertness for Fatigue Risk Management
Authors: Li Wen‐Chin , Kearney Peter , Zhang Jingyi , Hsu Yueh‐Ling , Braithwaite Graham
Published: September 2020

Fatigue is an inevitable hazard in the provision of air traffic services and it has the potential to degrade human performance leading to occurrences. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires air navigation services which providers establish fatigue risk management systems (FRMS) based on scientific principles for the purpose of managing fatigue. To develop effective FRMSs, it is important to investigate the relationship between traffic volume, air traffic management occurrences, and fatigue. Fifty‐seven qualified ATCOs from a European Air Navigation Services provider participated in this research by providing data indicating their alertness levels over the course of a 24‐hour period. ATCOs’ fatigue data were compared against the total of 153 occurrences and 962,328 air traffic volumes from the Eurocontrol TOKAI incident database in 2019. The result demonstrated that ATCO fatigue levels are not the main contributory factor associated with air traffic management occurrences, although fatigue did impact ATCOs’ performance. High traffic volume increases ATCO cognitive task load that can surpass available attention resources leading to occurrences. Furthermore, human resilience drives ATCOs to maintain operational safety though they suffer from circadian fatigue. Consequently, FRMS appropriately implemented can be used to mitigate the effects of fatigue. First‐line countermeasure strategies should focus on enough rest breaks and roster schedule optimization; secondary strategies should focus on monitoring ATCOs’ task loads that may induce fatigue. It is vital to consider traffic volume and ATCOs’ alertness levels when implementing effective fatigue risk management protocols.
Automatic filtering and 2D modeling of airborne laser scanning building point cloud
Authors: Tarsha Kurdi Fayez , Awrangjeb Mohammad , Munir Nosheen
Published: September 2020

This article suggests a new approach to automatic building footprint modeling using exclusively airborne LiDAR data. The first part of the suggested approach is the filtering of the building point cloud using the bias of the Z‐coordinate histogram. This operation aims to detect the points of roof class from the building point cloud. Hence, eight rules for histogram interpretation are suggested. The second part of the suggested approach is the roof modeling algorithm. It starts by detecting the roof planes and calculating their adjacency matrix. Hence, the roof plane boundaries are classified into four categories: (1) outer boundary; (2) inner plane boundaries; (3) roof detail boundaries; and (4) boundaries related to the missing planes. Finally, the junction relationships of roof plane boundaries are analyzed for detecting the roof vertices. With regard to the resulting accuracy quantification, the average values of the correctness and the completeness indices are employed in both approaches. In the filtering algorithm, their values are respectively equal to 97.5 and 98.6%, whereas they are equal to 94.0 and 94.0% in the modeling approach. These results reflect the high efficacy of the suggested approach.
Gallic and Ellagic Acids Are Promising Adjuvants to Conventional Amphotericin B for the Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: Alves Michel Muálem de Moraes , Arcanjo Daniel Dias Rufino , Figueiredo Kayo Alves , Oliveira Jéssica Sara de Sousa Macêdo , Viana Felipe José Costa , Coelho Elvilene de Sousa , Lopes Glaucia Lais Nunes , Gonçalves Juan Carlos Ramos , Carvalho André Luís Menezes , Rizzo Márcia dos Santos , Chaves Mariana Helena , Mendonça Ivete Lopes de , Carvalho Fernando Aécio de Amorim
Published: September 2020

In this study, we demonstrated the potential associative effect of combining conventional amphotericin B (Amph B) with gallic acid (GA) and with ellagic acid (EA) in topical formulations for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice. Preliminary stability tests of the formulations andin vitrodrug release studies with Amph B, GA, Amph B plus GA, EA, and Amph B plus EA were carried out, as well as assessment of thein vivotreatment of BALB/c mice infected withLeishmania major.
Update on Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry Identification of Filamentous Fungi
Authors: Wilkendorf Laura S. , Bowles Edmée , Buil Jochem B. , van der Lee Henrich A. L. , Posteraro Brunella , Sanguinetti Maurizio , Verweij Paul E.
Published: September 2020

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based species identification has found its place in many clinical routine diagnostic laboratories over the past years, allowing significantly reduced turnaround times and high-precision results. With regard to MALDI-TOF MS for filamentous fungi, here, we discuss different approaches for sample processing and growth conditions before analysis. In particular, we review the performances of different commercially available databases as well as the potential of complementary (self-constructed) in-house databases.
Type I Interferon Susceptibility Distinguishes SARS-CoV-2 from SARS-CoV
Authors: Lokugamage Kumari G. , Hage Adam , de Vries Maren , Valero-Jimenez Ana M. , Schindewolf Craig , Dittmann Meike , Rajsbaum Ricardo , Menachery Vineet D.
Published: September 2020

With the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, differences between SARS-CoV-2 and the original SARS-CoV could be leveraged to inform disease progression and eventual treatment options. In addition, these findings could have key implications for animal model development as well as further research into how SARS-CoV-2 modulates the type I IFN response early during infection.
The RNase J-Based RNA Degradosome Is Compartmentalized in the Gastric Pathogen Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Tejada-Arranz Alejandro , Galtier Eloïse , El Mortaji Lamya , Turlin Evelyne , Ershov Dmitry , De Reuse Hilde
Published: September 2020

Helicobacter pylori
is a bacterial pathogen that chronically colonizes the stomach of half of the human population worldwide. Infection by
H. pylori
can lead to the development of gastric pathologies such as ulcers and adenocarcinoma, which causes up to 800,000 deaths in the world each year. Persistent colonization by
H. pylori
relies on regulation of the expression of adaptation-related genes. One major level of such control is posttranscriptional regulation, which, in
H. pylori
, largely relies on a multiprotein molecular machine, an RNA degradosome, that we previously discovered. In this study, we established that the two protein partners of this machine are associated with the membrane of
H. pylori
. Using cutting-edge microscopy, we showed that these complexes assemble into hubs whose formation is regulated by free RNA and scaled with bacterial size and growth phase. Organelleless cellular compartmentalization of molecular machines into hubs emerges as an important regulatory level in bacteria.
Mitochondrial Targeting of the Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Map Triggers Calcium Mobilization, ADAM10-MAP Kinase Signaling, and Host Cell Apoptosis
Authors: Ramachandran Rachana Pattani , Spiegel Chaya , Keren Yael , Danieli Tsafi , Melamed-Book Naomi , Pal Ritesh Ranjan , Zlotkin-Rivkin Efrat , Rosenshine Ilan , Aroeti Benjamin
Published: September 2020

Enteropathogenic
E. coli
(EPEC) is an important human diarrhea-causing bacterium. The pathogenic effects of EPEC largely depend upon its ability to inject a series of proteins, termed effectors, into the host cells. One such effector is the mitochondrion-associated protein (Map). Map has been shown to induce actin-rich projections (i.e., filopodia) on the infected cell surface and activate a Rho GTPase enzyme termed Cdc42. Nonetheless, although most injected Map localizes to host mitochondria, its functions in the mitochondria remain unknown. Here, we show that Map targeting of mitochondria stimulates the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential to induce Ca
2+
efflux into the host cytoplasm. The efflux stimulates the activity of a protein termed ADAM10, which induces activation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade leading to host cell apoptosis. As apoptosis plays a central role in host-pathogen interactions, our findings provide novel insights into the functions of mitochondrial Map in promoting the EPEC disease.
High-Throughput RNA Sequencing Analysis of Plasma Samples Reveals Circulating microRNA Signatures with Biomarker Potential in Dengue Disease Progression
Authors: Saini Jaya , Bandyopadhyay Bhaswati , Pandey Abhay Deep , Ramachandran V. G. , Das Shukla , Sood Vikas , Banerjee Arup , Vrati Sudhanshu
Published: September 2020

Dengue virus (DENV) infection usually causes dengue fever (DF) with flu-like illness affecting infants, young children, and adults. The DF occasionally evolves into a potentially lethal complication called dengue severe (DS) leading to a rapid fall in platelet count along with plasma leakage, fluid accumulation, respiratory distress, and severe bleeding. The diverse clinical spectrum of dengue disease, as well as its significant similarity to other febrile viral illnesses, makes early identification more challenging in this high-risk group. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small (∼19 to 21 nucleotides [nt] in length), noncoding RNAs, extremely stable and easily detectable in the plasma; thus, they have potential as biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring human diseases. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of miRNAs circulating in plasma of dengue virus-infected patients and identifies the miRNA signatures that have biomarker potential for dengue infection and disease progression.
Asynchronous video messaging promotes family involvement and mitigates separation in neonatal care
Authors: Kirolos Sandy , Sutcliffe Lynsey , Giatsi Clausen Maria , Abernethy Carolyn , Shanmugalingam Shanthi , Bauwens Nicole , Orme Judith , Thomson Kirsty , Grattan Rosemary , Patel Neil
Published: September 2020

Objective

To evaluate the parent and staff experience of a secure video messaging service as a component of neonatal care.

Design

Multicentre evaluation incorporating quantitative and qualitative items.

Setting

Level II and level III UK neonatal units.

Population

Families of neonatal inpatients and neonatal staff.

Intervention

Use of a secure, cloud-based asynchronous video messaging service to send short messages from neonatal staff to families. Evaluation undertaken July–November 2019.

Main outcome measures

Parental experience, including anxiety, involvement in care, relationships between parents and staff, and breastmilk expression.

Results

In pre-implementation surveys (n=41), families reported high levels of stress and anxiety and were receptive to use of the service. In post-implementation surveys (n=42), 88% perceived a benefit of the service on their neonatal experience. Families rated a positive impact of the service on anxiety, sleep, family involvement and relationships with staff. Qualitative responses indicated enhanced emotional closeness, increased involvement in care and a positive effect on breastmilk expression. Seventy-seven post-implementation staff surveys were also collected. Staff rated the service as easy to use, with minimal impact on workload. Seventy-one percent (n=55) felt the service had a positive impact on relationships with families. Staff identified the need to manage parental expectations in relation to the number of videos that could be sent.

Conclusions

Asynchronous video messaging improves parental experience, emotional closeness to their baby and builds supportive relationships between families and staff. Asynchronous video supports models of family integrated care and can mitigate family separation, which could be particularly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Twenty syndrome’ in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Authors: Ghosh Ritwik , Dubey Souvik , Chatterjee Subhankar , Lahiri Durjoy
Published: September 2020

A 30-year-old woman presented with recurrent hiccups, vomiting and painful diminution of vision and gait instability for 1 day. She had one-and-a-half syndrome, bilateral seventh cranial nerve paresis with bilateral symptomatic optic neuritis and left-sided ataxic haemiparesis. We described her disorder as the ‘twenty syndrome’ (11/2+7+7+2+2+½=20). MRI of her brain revealed demyelination predominantly in right posterolateral aspect of pons, medulla and bilateral optic nerves. Serum antiaquaporin-4 antibody came out positive. Thus, she was diagnosed as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). She responded brilliantly to immunosuppressive therapy. This is the first ever reported case of the ‘twenty syndrome’ secondary to cerebral NMOSD.
Unilateral right closed-lip schizencephaly
Authors: Alkareem Mohamed , Ahmed Hiba , Ahmed Gasim
Published: September 2020

Schizencephaly is a rare central nervous system (CNS) malformation secondary to neuronal migration defects. The pathogenesis is complex and is secondary to environmental and genetic factors. Clinically, the majority of patients present with varying degrees of motor and psychological disturbances. Imaging plays a cornerstone in the diagnosis by identifying the characteristic lesional features and recognising other associated abnormalities such as an absent septum pellucidum and corpus callosum dysgenesis. Here, we present a male paediatric case who presented with an interestingly asymptomatic unilateral right closed-lip schizencephaly and review the aetiology, clinical presentation and imaging characteristics of the disease and associated literature.
Interesting case of an abdominal wall Merkel cell carcinoma highlighting the importance of developing an Australian clinical practice guideline
Authors: Nassour Anthony-Joe , Ashrafi Darius , Lah Kevin , Sivananthan Suntharalingham
Published: September 2020

A 66-year-old Australian male farmer was referred for management of an asymptomatic, rapidly expanding, anterior abdominal wall mass. It was firm and well circumscribed. There were no overlying skin changes, constitutional symptoms or weight loss. His medical history included small bowel obstruction and resection from a Meckel’s diverticulitis and a 40-pack-year smoking history. Core biopsy was suggestive of a neuroendocrine tumour and Gallium-68-Dodecane-Tetraacetic-Acid (68GaTate) positron emission tomography revealed an avid solitary lesion confined to the subcutaneous space in the left anterior abdominal wall. Wide local excision was performed, and histopathology revealed Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Although classically regarded as a primary cutaneous neuroendocrine tumour, MCC may originate from the subcutaneous fat without obvious skin involvement. Older patients with asymptomatic, rapidly enlarging lesions, particularly if immunosuppressed, with significant ultraviolet sunlight exposure, should raise a high index of suspicion for MCC. Like melanoma, non-metastatic MCC should be treated aggressively for best prognosis.
Guillain-Barré syndrome presenting with COVID-19 infection
Authors: Ameer Nasir , Shekhda Kalyan Mansukhbhai , Cheesman Ann
Published: September 2020

A construction worker in his 30s presented three times in 4 days with progressive upper and then lower limb weakness. On the first two occasions he had no systemic symptoms, but on the third presentation he had fever and cough, starting from day 4 of weakness. Examination identified weakness in all four limbs and areflexia, suggesting a peripheral neuromuscular disorder. Investigations were consistent with Guillain-Barré syndrome and additional COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The patient improved after immunoglobulin treatment. At least four cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome have been reported in the literature with concurrent COVID-19 illness in whom respiratory signs appeared a few days after the onset of neurological signs. With the incubation period for COVID-19 respiratory symptoms believed to be up to 14 days, it is possible that neurological symptoms could develop before respiratory and other symptoms. During the current pandemic, presence of concurrent COVID-19 infection needs to be considered in patients presenting with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Cerebrospinal fluid leak from lateral orbit during exenteration for mucormycosis
Authors: Arora Kanika , Mehta Aditi , Virk Ramandeep Singh , Saini Manu
Published: September 2020

We describe an elderly diabetic patient presenting with sudden onset right-sided proptosis and vision loss secondary to rhino-orbital mucormycosis and central retinal vascular occlusion. He underwent orbital exenteration that was complicated by intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak from lateral orbital wall. The leak was surgically repaired and the patient recovered well. We postulate the cause of the CSF leak to be twofold: necrotic periorbital tissue due to mucormycosis rendering the thin bones susceptible to damage and second, intraoperative manipulation and dissection at the orbital apex with monopolar cautery and instruments. We describe measures taken to successfully repair the CSF leak and the possible precautions that can be taken to avoid it.
Massive pulmonary embolism following recovery from COVID-19 infection: inflammation, thrombosis and the role of extended thromboprophylaxis
Authors: Vadukul Prakash , Sharma Deepak S , Vincent Paul
Published: September 2020

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by a recently discovered SARS-CoV-2. Following an initial outbreak in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread globally culminating in the WHO declaring a pandemic on 11 March 2020. We present the case of a patient with an initial presentation of COVID-19 pneumonitis requiring mechanical ventilation for nearly 2 weeks and total admission time of 3 weeks. She was given prophylactic dose anticoagulation according to hospital protocol during this time. Following a week at home, she was readmitted with acute massive pulmonary embolism with severe respiratory and cardiac failure, representing the first such case in the literature.
Determinants of good metabolic control without weight gain in type 2 diabetes management: a machine learning analysis
Authors: Giorda Carlo Bruno , Pisani Federico , De Micheli Alberto , Ponzani Paola , Russo Giuseppina , Guaita Giacomo , Zilich Rita , Musacchio Nicoletta
Published: September 2020

Introduction

The aim of this study was to investigate the factors (clinical, organizational or doctor-related) involved in a timely and effective achievement of metabolic control, with no weight gain, in type 2 diabetes.

Research design and Methods

Overall, 5.5 million of Hab1c and corresponding weight were studied in the Associazione Medici Diabetologi Annals database (2005–2017 data from 1.5 million patients of the Italian diabetes clinics network). Logic learning machine, a specific type of machine learning technique, was used to extract and rank the most relevant variables and to create the best model underlying the achievement of HbA1c<7 and no weight gain.

Results

The combined goal was achieved in 37.5% of measurements. High HbA1c and fasting glucose values and slow drop of HbA1c have the greatest relevance and emerge as first, main, obstacles the doctor has to overcome. However, as a second line of negative factors, markers of insulin resistance, microvascular complications, years of observation and proxy of duration of disease appear to be important determinants. Quality of assistance provided by the clinic plays a positive role. Almost all the available oral agents are effective whereas insulin use shows positive impact on glucometabolism but negative on weight containment. We also tried to analyze the contribution of each component of the combined endpoint; we found that weight gain was less frequently the reason for not reaching the endpoint and that HbA1c and weight have different determinants. Of note, use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA) and glifozins improves weight control.

Conclusions

Treating diabetes as early as possible with the best quality of care, before beta-cell deterioration and microvascular complications occurrence, make it easier to compensate patients. This message is a warning against clinical inertia. All medications play a role in goal achievements but use of GLP1-RAs and glifozins contributes to overweight prevention.
Reaction model and thermodynamic properties between sulfur-containing active groups and oxygen during coal self-heating
Authors: Qi Xuyao , Chen Liangzhou , Tang Jie , Xin Haihui , Liang Zhongqiu
Published: September 2020

To further study the mechanism of coal self-heating, the reaction sequences and thermodynamic properties between sulfur-containing groups and oxygen during coal self-heating were analyzed. The benzyl mercaptan and diphenyl sulfide were selected as typical sulfur-containing structures existing in coal. Their structural parameters, frontier orbital characteristics, and thermodynamic parameters were analyzed through quantum chemistry calculation and their detailed reaction sequences with oxygen were proposed. The results indicate that the thiol structure in coal can easily react with oxygen at low temperatures and release large amounts of heat (146.70 kJ/mol) during coal self-heating, providing active free radicals and energy for subsequent chain reactions of coal spontaneous combustion. The oxidation reaction between the thioether structure and oxygen cannot occur at room temperature. With the accumulation of heat, thioether gradually becomes active and reacts with oxygen to form sulfoxide and release an enormous amount of heat (248.09 kJ/mol), which can be further oxidized to sulfone with an increase in temperature. The reaction models of thiol and thioether groups during coal self-heating were proposed, which involves eight main reaction sequences (R1∼R8). It indicates that the reactions of thiol and thioether groups play crucial roles during the evolution of coal self-heating, with a slow oxidation stage at low temperatures and an accelerated oxidation stage at high temperatures.
Revisiting a family of wormholes: geometry, matter, scalar quasinormal modes and echoes
Authors: Dutta Roy Poulami , Aneesh S. , Kar Sayan
Published: September 2020

We revisit a family of ultra-static Lorentzian wormholes which includes Ellis–Bronnikov spacetime as a special case. We first show how the required total matter stress energy (which violates the local energy conditions) may be split into a part due to a phantom scalar and another extra piece (which vanishes for Ellis–Bronnikov) satisfying the Averaged Null Energy Condition (ANEC) along radial null geodesics. Thereafter, we examine the effective potential for scalar wave propagation in a general setting. Conditions on the metric function, for which the effective potential may have double barrier features are written down and illustrated (using this class of wormholes). Subsequently, using numerous methods, we obtain the scalar quasinormal modes (QNMs). We note the behaviour of the QNMs as a function of n (the metric parameter) and $$b_0$$

b
0

(the wormhole throat radius). Thus, the shapes and sizes of the wormholes, governed by the metric parameter n and the throat radius $$b_0$$

b
0

are linked to the variation and the values of the QNMs. Finally, we demonstrate how, for large n, the time domain profiles exhibit, expectedly, the occurence of echoes. In summary, our results suggest that this family of wormholes may indeed be used as a template for further studies on the gravitational wave physics of exotic compact objects.
Late-time tails, entropy aspects, and stability of black holes with anisotropic fluids
Authors: Cuadros-Melgar B. , Fontana R. D. B. , de Oliveira Jeferson
Published: September 2020

In this work we consider black holes surrounded by anisotropic fluids in four dimensions. We first study the causal structure of these solutions showing some similarities and differences with Reissner–Nordström–de Sitter black holes. In addition, we consider scalar perturbations on this background geometry and compute the corresponding quasinormal modes. Moreover, we discuss the late-time behavior of the perturbations finding an interesting new feature, i.e., the presence of a subdominant power-law tail term. Likewise, we compute the Bekenstein entropy bound and the first semiclassical correction to the black hole entropy using the brick wall method, showing their universality. Finally, we also discuss the thermodynamical stability of the model.
Cellular automaton model for three-lane urban road considering Internet of Vehicles lane
Authors: Zhao Han-Tao , Zhao Xin , Xin Liu-Yan
Published: September 2020

Although the technology of Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is developing rapidly, it will still take a long time to realize its overall popularization. Aimed at this transition phase, this paper proposes to set up an IoV lane on the urban road, which is specially designed for the connected vehicles, to provide a better driving environment for the connected vehicles. Considering the operation characteristics of traffic flow under traditional and IoV environment, this paper establishes a three-lane cellular automata model for urban road traffic flow considering IoV lane, modified on the basis of the Modified Comfortable Driving (MCD) model and symmetric two-lane cellular automata (STCA) model, and then takes simulation by MATLAB and makes analysis. The result shows that the setting of IoV lane can improve the velocity of networked vehicles to a great extent with no or just a bit decline in the ordinary vehicles’ speed, and it has a great effect on the mixture traffic flow, including the increase in both traffic volume and the average speed. What’s more, when the networking proportion is between 0.2 and 0.76, and the space occupation ranges from 0.18 to 0.56, the traffic benefit of IoV special lane can reach the best.
Design of Imprecise Multipliers by Using Approximate Technique for Error Resilient Applications
Authors: Priyadharshni M. , Kumaravel S.
Published: September 2020

Approximate computing is the perfect way for error resilient applications with progress in speed and power but tradeoff with computational accuracy. In this paper, Imprecise Multipliers (IMs) are realized by segregating the partial products into two segments. The most significant bit (MSB) segment is accumulated as per Dadda tree structure and the least significant bit (LSB) segment is accumulated by approximate technique. The proposed Imprecise Multipliers, namely [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are realized using Verilog HDL and simulated using TSMC 65[Formula: see text]nm process. For sake of comparison, the proposed multipliers [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are compared with existing approximate multipliers. From the reported results, it may be noted that [Formula: see text] performs better in terms of area–delay product, power–delay product. While [Formula: see text] achieves a higher peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) among all the multipliers existing in the literature.
Regional hydrocarbon potential of the northeastern Caribbean based on integration of sediment thickness and source rock maturity data
Authors: Tillman Travis , Mann Paul
Published: September 2020

Over 72 exploration wells have been drilled on the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico over the past century, but with no commercial success. A question is whether these Caribbean oceanic islands have experienced sufficient subsidence and burial for any potential source rocks to reach maturity and produce commercial hydrocarbons. Subsurface data from previous studies were compiled into a regional depth to basement and sediment thickness map for Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and their offshore areas. The thickest basins include the Enriquillo/Cul-de-Sac basin (6.3 km), San Juan/Plateau Central basin (5 km), Azua basin (2.8 km), Cibao basin (5 km), North Coast basin (2.5 km), South Coast basin (1.3 km), Haiti sub-basin (3.7 km), Hispaniola basin (3.5 km) and San Pedro basin (3 km). One-dimensional modelling for six onland basins shows that only the Azua basin of the south-central Dominican Republic has reached sufficient maturity to place potential source rocks into the oil window. Our study shows that commercial hydrocarbons are possible in the deeper basins – Azua basin, San Juan–Plateau Central basin and Cibao basin of Hispaniola – but unlikely in the shallower basins that lack sufficient overburden for organic maturity.
Models of Prosecutor-Led Diversion Programs in the United States and Beyond
Authors: Wright Ronald F. , Levine Kay L.
Published: September 2020

Diversion programs allow criminal justice actors to send defendants out of the court system, compelling them instead to attend treatment programs, participate in educational opportunities, and/or perform community service. These programs exist for both adult and juvenile offenders. Although some diversion programs are administered within the court system, prosecutors design and operate a substantial number of these programs themselves. Because the prosecutor does not need to obtain input from judges or other actors in these programs, they carry higher risks of performance problems, such as net widening and unequal application of program criteria. Furthermore, because of the local focus of most prosecutors’ offices in the United States, their diversion programs differ from place to place. The published program evaluations are too often site-specific, offering few general insights about this category of programs. The fragmented literature about prosecutor-led diversion programs should expand the metrics of success for these programs and monitor the effects of the prosecutor-dominated governance structure.
Navigation Along Windborne Plumes of Pheromone and Resource-Linked Odors
Authors: Cardé Ring T.
Published: September 2020

Many insects locate resources such as a mate, a host, or food by flying upwind along the odor plumes that these resources emit to their source. A windborne plume has a turbulent structure comprised of odor filaments interspersed with clean air. As it propagates downwind, the plume becomes more dispersed and dilute, but filaments with concentrations above the threshold required to elicit a behavioral response from receiving organisms can persist for long distances. Flying insects orient along plumes by steering upwind, triggered by the optomotor reaction. Sequential measurements of differences in odor concentration are unreliable indicators of distance to or direction of the odor source. Plume intermittency and the plume's fine-scale structure can play a role in setting an insect's upwind course. The prowess of insects in navigating to odor sources has spawned bioinspired virtual models and even odor-seeking robots, although some of these approaches use mechanisms that are unnecessarily complex and probably exceed an insect's processing capabilities.
Astragaloside IV ameliorates preeclampsia-induced oxidative stress through the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in a rat model
Authors: Yang Shuangyan , Zhang Ruixue , Xing Baoheng , Zhou Ling , Zhang Peipei , Song Lili
Published: September 2020

Preeclampsia (PE) can cause serious health problems for pregnant women and their infants. Astragaloside IV has been shown to exert cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative effects on various disorders. We aimed to study the effects of Astragaloside IV on PE symptoms using an NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME)-induced rat model of PE. The pregnant rats’ physiological features, including blood pressure, urine protein, serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase- 1 ( sFlt - 1)/placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio, and weight of placenta, as well as the weight, length, and survival of pups, were documented. The expression levels of target genes were analyzed by Western blot and qRT-PCR assays. The levels of target secreted proteins were determined by ELISA. We demonstrated that the administration of Astragaloside IV might exert a multitude of beneficial effects on attenuated PE symptoms in a rat model of PE. We further revealed that the effects of Astragaloside IV on PE rats were achieved, at least partially, through elimination of oxidative stress and stimulation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway. Our study indicated that Astragaloside IV may serve as a promising candidate for the development of new therapeutic methods for patients with PE.
Resolvability in Subdivision of Circulant Networks Cn1,k
Authors: Wei Jianxin , Bokhary Syed Ahtsham Ul Haq , Abbas Ghulam , Imran Muhammad
Published: September 2020

Circulant networks form a very important and widely explored class of graphs due to their interesting and wide-range applications in networking, facility location problems, and their symmetric properties. A resolving set is a subset of vertices of a connected graph such that each vertex of the graph is determined uniquely by its distances to that set. A resolving set of the graph that has the minimum cardinality is called the basis of the graph, and the number of elements in the basis is called the metric dimension of the graph. In this paper, the metric dimension is computed for the graph Gn1,k constructed from the circulant graph Cn1,k by subdividing its edges. We have shown that, for k=2, Gn1,k has an unbounded metric dimension, and for k=3 and 4, Gn1,k has a bounded metric dimension.
Removal of Ammonium from Aqueous Solutions Using Zeolite Synthesized from Electrolytic Manganese Residue
Authors: Li Changxin , Yu Yuan , Zhang Qingwu , Zhong Hong , Wang Shuai
Published: September 2020

This paper carried out the study on removal of ammonium from aqueous solutions by zeolite derived from electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) via a fusion method. The variables of pH, contact time, EMRZ (EMR-based zeolite) dosage, initial ammonium concentration, and competitive cations and anions on the ammonium uptake capacity were systematically investigated in an attempt to illustrate adsorption performance of EMRZ. The results show that these influence factors had a remarkable impact on the ammonium uptake capacity of EMRZ. Maximum ammonium uptake capacity was achieved at pH value 8.0, EMRZ dosage 0.2 g/100 mL, contact time 100 min, initial ammonium concentration 200 mg/L, and temperature 35°C. Under optimized conditions, ammonium uptake capacity onto EMRZ was up to 27.89 mg/g. The competitive degree of cations in ammonium adsorption process follows the sequence of Na+>K+>Ca2+>Mg2+, and the sequence of anion effect on ammonium removal onto EMRZ is CO32− > Cl− > SO42− > PO43−. The adsorption kinetic was explored and best represented by pseudo-second-order kinetic model. And the adsorption isotherm experimental data had best fitness with the Freundlich and Koble–Corrigan model, suggesting that heterogeneous uptake was the principal mechanism adopted in the process of ammonium adsorption. Moreover, calculation of thermodynamic parameters such as change in free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH), and entropy (ΔS) was carried out and it was determined to be −15.77∼−14.03 kJ·mol−1, +37.66 kJ·mol−1, and +173.38 J·mol−1·K−1, respectively. These parameters confirmed that ammonium uptake onto EMRZ was an endothermic and spontaneous process. Moreover, no obvious deterioration tendency was observed for the regenerated EMRZ compared with fresh EMRZ. These results indicate that EMRZ has wide application prospects in removing ammonium from wastewater.
Theoretical Background to Automated Diagnosing of Oral Leukoplakia: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Jurczyszyn Kamil , Gedrange Tomasz , Kozakiewicz Marcin
Published: September 2020

Oral leukoplakia represents the most common oral potentially malignant disorder, so early diagnosis of leukoplakia is important. The aim of this study is to propose an effective texture analysis algorithm for oral leukoplakia diagnosis. Thirty-five patients affected by leukoplakia were included in this study. Intraoral photography of normal oral mucosa and leukoplakia were taken and processed for texture analysis. Two features of texture, run length matrix and co-occurrence matrix, were analyzed. Difference was checked by ANOVA. Factor analysis and classification by the artificial neural network were performed. Results revealed easy possible differentiation leukoplakia from normal mucosa (p<0.05). Neural network discrimination shows full leukoplakia recognition (sensitivity 100%) and specificity 97%. This objective analysis in the neural network revealed that involving 3 textural features into optical analysis of the oral mucosa leads to proper diagnosis of leukoplakia. Application of texture analysis for leukoplakia is a promising diagnostic method.