bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Exogenous Melatonin Administration in Critically Ill Patients on Delirium and Sleep: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Bellapart Judith , Appadurai Vinesh , Lassig-Smith Melissa , Stuart Janine , Zappala Christopher , Boots Rob
Published: September 2020

Introduction. Sleep deprivation is a contributor for delirium in intensive care. Melatonin has been proposed as a pharmacological strategy to improve sleep, but studies have shown that the increase in plasma levels of melatonin do not correlate to a beneficial clinical effect; in addition, melatonin’s short half-life may be a major limitation to achieving therapeutic levels. This study applies a previously published novel regimen of melatonin with proven sustained levels of melatonin during a 12 h period. In this study, the aim is to determine if such melatonin dosing positively influences on the sleep architecture and the incidence of delirium in intensive care.Methods. Single center, randomized control trial with consecutive recruitment over 5 years. Medical and surgical patients were in a recovery phase, all weaning from mechanical ventilation. Randomized allocation to placebo or enteral melatonin, using a previously described regimen (loading dose of 3 mg at 21 h, followed by 0.5 mg hourly maintenance dose until 03am through a nasogastric tube). Sleep recordings were performed using polysomnogram at baseline (prior to intervention) and the third night on melatonin (postintervention recording). Delirium was assessed using the Richmond Agitation and the Confusion Assessment Method Scales. Environmental light and noise levels were recorded using a luxmeter and sound meter.Results. 80 patients were screened, but 33 were recruited. Sleep studies showed no statistical differences on arousal index or length of sleep. Baseline delirium scores showed no difference between groups when compared to postintervention scores. RASS scores were 1 in both groups at baseline, compared to zero (drug group) and 0.5 (placebo group) posttreatment. CAM scores were zero (drug group) and 1 (placebo group) at baseline, compared to zero (in both groups) postintervention.Conclusion. High levels of plasma melatonin during the overnight period of intensive care cohort patients did not improve sleep nor decreased the prevalence of delirium. This trial is registered withAnzctr.org.au/ACTRN12620000661976.aspx.
Fetal Growth Trajectories and Their Association with Maternal, Cord Blood, and 5-year Child Adipokines
Authors: Bartels H. C. , Geraghty A. A. , O’Brien E. C. , Kranidi A. , Mehegan J. , Yelverton C. , McDonnell C. M. , McAuliffe F. M.
Published: September 2020

Background. The growth of the fetus is a complex process influenced by multiple factors. Studies have highlighted the important role of biochemical growth markers such as leptin and adiponectin on fetal growth.Objective. To compare fetal growth trajectories with biochemical growth markers from maternal blood samples at 28 weeks’ gestation, cord blood samples at birth, and in child blood samples at 5 years of age from mother-infant pairs who were part of the longitudinal ROLO study.Methods. 781 mother-infant pairs from the ROLO and ROLO Kids study were included. Ultrasound measurements and birth weight were used to develop fetal growth trajectory groups for estimated abdominal circumference and estimated weight. Blood serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, insulin, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 from maternal, cord, and 5-year child samples were recorded. ANOVA and chi-square tests were applied to test the associations between fetal growth trajectory membership and maternal and child biochemical growth indicators. The influence of child sex was also investigated.Results. Male sex was associated with a faster weight trajectory compared to females (p=0.001). At 28 weeks’ gestation, maternal leptin levels were significantly higher in mothers with a fetus on a slower estimated abdominal circumference trajectory compared to fast (25616 [IQR: 11656.0 to 35341.0] vs. 14753.8 [IQR: 8565.4 to 24308.1],p<0.001) and maternal adiponectin levels were lower in fetuses on a slower estimated abdominal circumference trajectory compared to a fast trajectory (22.4 [IQR: 13.6 to 35.9] vs. 27.6 [IQR: 17.6 to 46.3],p=0.027). No associations were noted with inflammatory markers. No associations were identified between fetal growth trajectories and growth markers at 5 years of age.Conclusions. This study shows that male sex is associated with an accelerated estimated weight trajectory. Furthermore, high leptin and low adiponectin in maternal serum in late gestation are associated with a slower fetal growth trajectory. No associations were identified with blood growth markers after pregnancy.
Anthelmintic Efficacy of Strongyle Nematodes to Ivermectin and Fenbendazole on Working Donkeys (Equus asinus) in and around Hosaena Town, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Fesseha Haben , Mathewos Mesfin , Kidanemariam Friat
Published: September 2020

Background. Gastrointestinal helminth parasite infection is a major influencing factor against profitability of working equines all over the world. Objectives. A study was conducted from October 2016 to May 2017 in and around Hosaena to determine the efficacy of benzimidazole (BZ) and avermectin (AVM) chemical groups against strongyle nematodes in working donkeys. Methods. A total of 230 donkeys from Hosaena, Soro, Anlemo, and Gombora were randomly allocated into 5 groups of 46 donkeys in each group. All groups, except group 1 (control), were treated with ivermectin 1%, ivertong 10%, fenbendazole, and Fenacure 750 mg, respectively. Fecal samples were collected perrectally before treatment (day 0) and after treatment (day 14), and an egg per gram (EPG) value of >200 was used as a cutoff for inclusion to assess the efficacy of anthelmintics. Results. Accordingly, the study revealed that AVM was effective against strongyle nematodes of donkeys with the mean fecal egg count reduction (FECR) of 100% in three study areas and 97.2% in one study area, respectively, whereas BZ resistance was suspected in the areas where the drug was tested, with the mean FECR of less than 94% in the three study areas. The study also revealed that 73% of the donkeys were affected with a severe degree of strongyle infection as determined by EPG, while 10.4% of donkeys were affected with a mild degree of Parascaris equorum infection. Conclusions. The findings of the present study are expected to serve as baseline data for future investigations and control actions to design realistic control programs to minimize factors that favor emergence of anthelmintic resistance and improve the overall health of the donkeys. Thus, further detailed studies are needed to determine the factors that reduce anthelmintic efficacy and increase anthelmintic resistance in donkeys.
An Improved Grasshopper Optimizer for Global Tasks
Authors: Zhou Hanfeng , Ding Zewei , Peng Hongxin , Tang Zitao , Liang Guoxi , Chen Huiling , Ma Chao , Wang Mingjing
Published: September 2020

The grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA) is a metaheuristic algorithm that mathematically models and simulates the behavior of the grasshopper swarm. Based on its flexible, adaptive search system, the innovative algorithm has an excellent potential to resolve optimization problems. This paper introduces an enhanced GOA, which overcomes the deficiencies in convergence speed and precision of the initial GOA. The improved algorithm is named MOLGOA, which combines various optimization strategies. Firstly, a probabilistic mutation mechanism is introduced into the basic GOA, which makes full use of the strong searchability of Cauchy mutation and the diversity of genetic mutation. Then, the effective factors of grasshopper swarm are strengthened by an orthogonal learning mechanism to improve the convergence speed of the algorithm. Moreover, the application of probability in this paper greatly balances the advantages of each strategy and improves the comprehensive ability of the original GOA. Note that several representative benchmark functions are used to evaluate and validate the proposed MOLGOA. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of MOLGOA over other well-known methods both on the unconstrained problems and constrained engineering design problems.
Inference on Exponentiated Power Lindley Distribution Based on Order Statistics with Application
Authors: Shrahili Mansour , Alotaibi Naif , Kumar Devendra , Shafay A. R.
Published: September 2020

Exponentiated power Lindley distribution is proposed as a generalization of some widely well-known distributions such as Lindley, power Lindley, and generalized Lindley distributions. In this paper, the exact explicit expressions for moments of order statistics from the exponentiated power Lindley distribution are derived. By using these relations, the best linear unbiased estimates of the location and scale parameters, based on type-II right-censored sample, are obtained. Next, the mean, variance, and coefficients of skewness and kurtosis of some certain linear functions of order statistics are calculated and then used to derive the approximate confidence interval for the location and scale parameters using the Edgeworth approximation. Finally, some numerical illustrations and two real data applications are presented.
The Correlation between PSCA Expression and Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Xiang Qian , Zhu Zhiguo , Luo Lianmin , Wang Jiamin , Liu Yangzhou , Deng Yihan , Zhou Mingda , Zhao Zhigang
Published: September 2020

The prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), as a predominantly prostate‐specific marker, is overexpressed in most prostate cancer specimens, is positively correlated with prostate cancer androgen independence, and has the potential to be treated with castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) as a gene therapy target. Using the typical androgen deprivation therapy, most tumors will progress to CRPC, as well as develop into neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) characterized by the expression of neuroendocrine markers such as enolase 2 (NSE). Our study was aimed at investigating the expressions of PSCA and NSE and the relationship between the two markers, as well as the correlation between the PSCA and NSE expressions and the clinicopathological parameters in prostate cancer specimens from 118 patients by using immunohistochemistry. Our results demonstrated that the PSCA and NSE protein expressions did not correlate with the prostate cancer patients’ age or the hormone therapy but showed a significant correlation with the pathological tumor stage of prostate cancer, the Gleason score, and the presence of metastasis. There is a positive association between PSCA and NSE but a negative one between the prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and PSCA or between PSA and NSE. High PSCA and NSE expressions correlated with a poor prognosis in prostate cancer patients. PSCA may play an important role in the progression of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC).
Case of Primary Breast and Ipsilateral Axillary T-Cell Lymphoma: a Rare Occurrence
Authors: Afridi Faryal , Ruben Garry D. , Oristian Eric
Published: September 2020

Background. Malignant lymphomas of the breast are rare and can be primary or secondary. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma involving the breast is even rarer comprising 0.04-0.5% of all breast malignancies (Takemura). The incidence is even lower for T-cell lymphomas compared with B-cell subtype. We report the rare incidence of primary T-cell lymphoma involving both breast and ipsilateral axilla. Case. This is the case of an 80-year-old female who initially presented with asymmetry of her right breast. Initial mammograms were inconclusive. MRI could not be performed due to the patient’s severe claustrophobia. The patient was then lost to follow-up but re-presented with a new palpable density in the same breast. Subsequent mammogram showed a suspicious lesion with suspicious right axillary lymphadenopathy. Core biopsy was consistent with T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder involving both the breast and the axilla. She was then referred to medical oncology for management. Conclusion. Although rare, lymphoproliferative disorders of the breast can be encountered during workup for suspicious breast lesions. It is imperative that the surgeon is aware of this rare diagnosis to facilitate appropriate therapeutic intervention.
A 3D Reconstruction Method Using Multisensor Fusion in Large-Scale Indoor Scenes
Authors: Gu Panlong , Zhou Fengyu , Yu Dianguo , Wan Fang , Wang Wei , Yu Bangguo
Published: September 2020

RGBD camera-based VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithm is usually applied to assist robots with real-time mapping. However, due to the limited measuring principle, accuracy, and distance of the equipped camera, this algorithm has typical disadvantages in the large and dynamic scenes with complex lightings, such as poor mapping accuracy, easy loss of robot position, and much cost on computing resources. Regarding these issues, this paper proposes a new method of 3D interior construction, which combines laser radar and an RGBD camera. Meanwhile, it is developed based on the Cartographer laser SLAM algorithm. The proposed method mainly takes two steps. The first step is to do the 3D reconstruction using the Cartographer algorithm and RGBD camera. It firstly applies the Cartographer algorithm to calculate the pose of the RGBD camera and to generate a submap. Then, a real-time 3D point cloud generated by using the RGBD camera is inserted into the submap, and the real-time interior construction is finished. The second step is to improve Cartographer loop-closure quality by the visual loop-closure for the sake of correcting the generated map. Compared with traditional methods in large-scale indoor scenes, the proposed algorithm in this paper shows higher precision, faster speed, and stronger robustness in such contexts, especially with complex light and dynamic objects, respectively.
A Novel Prognostic Index Based on the Analysis of Glycolysis-Related Genes in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Liu Yuchao , Yin Shihua
Published: September 2020

Aims. The preferential dependence on glycolysis as a pathway of energy metabolism is a hallmark of cancer cells. However, the prognostic significance of glycolysis-related genes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains obscure. The purpose of this study was to identify glycolysis-related genes of prognostic value in HNSCC. Results. Transcriptional and clinical data of 544 HNSCC samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. By gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and by employing a univariate and subsequently a stepwise multivariate Cox proportional regression model, eight glycolysis-related genes of prognostic significance in HNSCC (KIF2A, JMJD8, HMMR, STC2, HK1, EXT2, GPR8, and STC1) were identified. The patients were clustered into two groups (high and low risk) based on the expression of these genes. High-risk patients had significantly a shorter overall survival than low-risk patients. Furthermore, a new prognostic indicator based on selected glycolysis-related genes was developed by multivariate Cox analysis that proved to be a better predictor of patient outcome compared to other clinical factors. Conclusion. Our findings provide new insights into the role of glycolysis in HNSCC. The identified genes predict the patient prognosis and might substantially contribute to the development of individualized treatments.
Detrimental and Beneficial Effect of Autophagy and a Potential Therapeutic Target after Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Wang Meng , Lee Hangil , Elkin Kenneth , Bardhi Redina , Guan Longfei , Chandra Ankush , Geng Xiaokun , Ding Yuchuan
Published: September 2020

Autophagy, a physiologic mechanism that promotes energy recycling and orderly degradation through self‐regulated disassembly of cellular components, helps maintain homeostasis. A series of evidences suggest that autophagy is activated as a response to ischemia and has been well‐characterized as a therapeutic target. However, the role of autophagy after ischemia remains controversial. Activated‐autophagy can remove necrotic substances against ischemic injury to promote cell survival. On the contrary, activation of autophagy may further aggravate ischemic injury, causing cell death. Therefore, the present review will examine the current understanding of the precise mechanism and role of autophagy in ischemia and recent neuroprotective therapies on autophagy, drug therapies, and nondrug therapies, including electroacupuncture (EA).
Deep Learning-Based Efficient Model Development for Phishing Detection Using Random Forest and BLSTM Classifiers
Authors: Wang Shan , Khan Sulaiman , Xu Chuyi , Nazir Shah , Hafeez Abdul
Published: September 2020

With the increase in the number of electronic devices and developments in the communication system, security becomes one of the challenging issues. Users are interacting with each other through different heterogeneous devices such as smart sensors, actuators, and many other devices to process, monitor, and communicate different scenarios of real life. Such communication needs a secure medium through which users can communicate in a secure and reliable way so that their information may not be lost. The proposed study is an endeavor toward the detection of phishing by using random forest and BLSTM classifiers. The experimental results of the proposed study are promising in phishing detection, and the study reflects the applicability of the proposed algorithms in the information security. The experimental results show that the BLSTM-based phishing detection model is prominent in ensuring the network security by generating a recognition rate of 95.47% compared to the conventional RF-based model that generates a recognition rate of 87.53%. This high recognition rate for the BLSTM-based model reflects the applicability of the proposed model for phishing detection.
Renal Angiomyolipoma Mimicking a Well-Differentiated Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma
Authors: Fuse Honoka , Ito Masaya , Takemura Kosuke , Ikuta Shuzo , Motoi Toru , Okuma Tomotake , Kataoka Madoka , Koga Fumitaka
Published: September 2020

A 37-year-old Burmese woman presented with an incidentally found retroperitoneal fat-containing tumor. The tumor was 9 cm in the longest diameter, surrounding the right kidney, and composed of homogenous adipose tissue with thickened septum-like structures and spotty nonadipose structures, which were enhanced on contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The tumor did not show either a beak sign or synchronous angiomyolipoma-like lesion in the kidneys. The tumor had irregular septa, thin blood vessels, and spotty small soft-tissue nodules. The tumor did not contain any heterogeneously enhanced solid lesions suspicious for dedifferentiated liposarcomas. Based on these imaging findings, a clinical diagnosis of a well-differentiated liposarcoma was made. Under the consensus of a multidisciplinary cancer board, she was recommended to undergo core-needle biopsy to confirm the clinical diagnosis. However, she declined to undergo biopsy for financial reasons. She underwent kidney-sparing retroperitoneal tumor resection. Histopathologically, the tumor was an angiomyolipoma with positive immunostaining for HMB45 and Melan A. The present case suggests the importance of core-needle biopsy prior to surgical intervention for retroperitoneal fat-containing tumors.
The Influence of Demographic Characteristics on Employee Promotion: Research Based on Data Mining and Game Theory
Authors: Zhang Chang , Lv Ting-jie , Yuan Chun-hui , Ren Yuan-yuan , Wang Shuo
Published: September 2020

The motivation of the paper is to find out the influence of demographic characteristic factors on employees’ career promotion in China’s state-owned enterprises and study the relationship between promotion mechanism and enterprise benefits. More than 6,500 pieces of human resource data from China’s state-owned enterprises were studied. Logistic regression is adopted to analyze the correlation between demographic characteristics and promotion. Meanwhile, different data mining methods are used to summarize the characteristics of promotion. On this basis, this study uses the principal-agent model of game theory to analyze the profits of employees and enterprises under different promotion mechanisms and demonstrates the conditions for enterprises to obtain the maximum benefit from the employees’ promotion. The results provide a theoretical reference for the assessment indicator selection of enterprise promotion and help executives better understand the impact of promotion mechanism on enterprises and employees. The application of results can reduce the information asymmetry in promotion incentive, prevent the emergence of adverse selection, and achieve a win-win situation for enterprises and employees.
Accessibility of Medical Facilities in Multiple Traffic Modes: A Study in Guangzhou, China
Authors: Wu Juhua , Cai Zeqian , Li Honglei
Published: September 2020

One of the major contradictions in China’s healthcare service is the serious imbalance between the supply and demand of medical resources and the uneven distribution of medical resources. Although the government intended to provide equal access for all, in the final evaluation, fairness of the distribution of services was usually dictated by location. Measuring and predicting access to social services can help to adjust and better accommodate underserved regions. 3SFCA modes based on the Gaussian function are proposed to delineate the service area of providers delivering social services and produce a probability metric that maps the equity of the medical services in multiple traffic modes. We identified the types of medical shortage areas and analyzed the distribution characteristics of medical accessibility in Guangzhou. The results showed that the accessibility of medical facilities in the multiple traffic modes varied greatly. The accessibility level of medical service resources was the highest in the driving mode, followed by the public traffic mode and bike-riding mode. The walking mode had the lowest accessibility. Finally, the paper provided advice for further improvement of the equal distribution of medical service resources in Guangzhou.
Efficient Strategy Mining for Football Social Network
Authors: Zhao Taige , Cui Ningning , Chen Yunliang , Li Man
Published: September 2020

With the growing popularity of social network in sport, it expresses the social relationships between individuals and facilitates realistic applications, e.g., social event mining and discovery. Sport network as a specific social network has been widely studied in research and commercial fields. However, most of the existing works utilize a simplex strategy to improve certain indicators in the team and do not consider the effect of strategy adjustment based on the current situation. In this paper, we study the problem of efficient strategy mining in football social network. To address this problem, we propose a quantitative way to combine the aspects of coordination, adaptability, flexibility, and tempo into a passing network, which notably improves the timeliness and information content of the existing network. On this basis, we design a suppression function to express the impact of strategy. Then, we propose a novel passing network and group cooperation scheme based on quantified team performance to obtain the efficient strategies. At last, the experimental results show that, based on the performance of the same team, our optimized passing network has a higher winning rate in practice.
Environmental Evaluation of Coal Mines Based on Generalized Linear Model and Nonlinear Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy
Authors: Du Xueming , Fang Hongyuan , Liu Kang , Xue Binghan , Cai Xin
Published: September 2020

To create a good working environment for workers in coal mines and ensure that they can work safely and comfortably, environmental assessments of coal mines represent an important method used to achieve this goal. In this paper, a comprehensive environmental evaluation model of coal mines was established based on generalized linear theory and fuzzy analytic hierarchy processes. First, the importance degree of each index factor was obtained by analyzing the statistical source data of air, water, soil, ecological compensation, and other indexes that affect the ecological environmental safety of coal mines using generalized linear theory. Based on the importance degree of each index factor, a pairwise comparison matrix was constructed by the logarithmic fuzzy preference programming method, and the influence weight value of each index factor was accurately obtained through MATLAB software. The results indicated that the model can effectively reduce the impact of expert subjectivity on the evaluation results, which is consistent with the reality of coal mines. In addition, in the process of environmental assessment of coal mines, the model is proven to be convenient, precise, and easy to operate.
A New Model to Calculate Oil-Water Relative Permeability of Shaly Sandstone
Authors: Bian Huiyuan , Li Kewen , Hou Binchi , Luo Xiaorong
Published: September 2020

Oil-water relative permeability curves are the basis of oil field development. In recent years, the calculation of oil-water relative permeability in sandstone reservoirs by resistivity logging data has received much attention from researchers. This article first analyzed the existing mathematical models of the relationship between relative permeability and resistivity and found that most of them are based on Archie formula, which assumes the reservoir is clean sandstone. However, in view of the fact that sandstone reservoir is commonly mixed with shale contents, this research, based on the dual water conductivity model, Poiseuille’s equation, Darcy’s law, and capillary bundle model, derived a mathematical model (DW relative permeability model) for shaly sandstone reservoir, which calculates the oil-water relative permeability with resistivity. To test and verify the DW relative permeability model, we designed and assembled a multifunctional core displacement apparatus. The experiment of core oil-water relative permeability and resistivity was designed to prove the effectiveness of the DW relative permeability model in shaly sandstone reservoirs. The results show that the modified Li model can well express the transformational relation between resistivity and relative permeability in sandstone reservoir with low clay content. Compared with the modified Li model and the Pairoys model, the DW relative permeability model is more helpful to collect better results of relative permeability in shaly sand. These findings will play a significant role in the calculation of oil-water relative permeability in reservoirs based on resistivity logging data and will provide important data and theory support to the shaly sandstone reservoir characterized oil field development.
Equity-Oriented Train Timetabling with Collaborative Passenger Flow Control: A Spatial Rebalance of Service on an Oversaturated Urban Rail Transit Line
Authors: Gong Chaoqi , Mao Baohua , Wang Min , Zhang Tong
Published: September 2020

On an oversaturated urban rail transit line, passengers at downstream stations have to wait for more trains until they get aboard, resulting in service imbalance problem. To improve the service quality, this paper proposes an integrated optimization approach combining the train timetabling and collaborative passenger flow control, with the aim of minimizing indicators associated with the passenger service imbalance and train loading capacity utilization. Considering train regulation constraints and passenger loading dynamics, a mixed-integer linear programming model is formulated. Based on the linear weighting technique, an iterative heuristic algorithm combining the tabu search and Gurobi solver is designed to solve the proposed model. Finally, a simple case with different-scale instances is used to verify that the proposed algorithm can obtain near-optimal solution efficiently. Moreover, a real-world case of Beijing Subway Batong Line is implemented to compare performances of the proposed approach with those under the original timetable and noncollaborative passenger flow control.
Identifying Heat Shock Protein Families from Imbalanced Data by Using Combined Features
Authors: Jing Xiao-Yang , Li Feng-Min
Published: September 2020

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are ubiquitous in living organisms. HSPs are an essential component for cell growth and survival; the main function of HSPs is controlling the folding and unfolding process of proteins. According to molecular function and mass, HSPs are categorized into six different families: HSP20 (small HSPS), HSP40 (J-proteins), HSP60, HSP70, HSP90, and HSP100. In this paper, improved methods for HSP prediction are proposed—the split amino acid composition (SAAC), the dipeptide composition (DC), the conjoint triad feature (CTF), and the pseudoaverage chemical shift (PseACS) were selected to predict the HSPs with a support vector machine (SVM). In order to overcome the imbalance data classification problems, the syntactic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) was used to balance the dataset. The overall accuracy was 99.72% with a balanced dataset in the jackknife test by using the optimized combination feature SAAC+DC+CTF+PseACS, which was 4.81% higher than the imbalanced dataset with the same combination feature. The Sn, Sp, Acc, and MCC of HSP families in our predictive model were higher than those in existing methods. This improved method may be helpful for protein function prediction.
Evaluation of the Associations of GC and CYP2R1 Genes and Gene-Obesity Interactions with Type 2 Diabetes Risk in a Chinese Rural Population
Authors: Zhao Yanting , Wang Gaoshuai , Li Yuqian , Liu Xiaotian , Liu Li , Yang Kaili , Wang Chongjian , Wei Sheng
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Group-specific component (GC) and cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily R member 1 (CYP2R1) gene polymorphisms and obesity have been associated with an increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Asian populations. Objective: This study assessed the associations of interactions between GC gene variants and CYP2R1 gene variants and between genes and obesity with T2DM risk. Methods: A study that included 2,271 subjects was performed. Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms in the GC and CYP2R1 genes were genotyped. Interaction analysis was performed using rs7041 in the GC gene and rs1993116 in the CYP2R1 gene. The effects of multiplicative and additive gene-gene and gene-environment interactions on T2DM risk were assessed. Results: The T2DM risk was significantly associated with being overweight/obese, abdominal obesity, rs7041, and rs1993116. A significant additive interaction between rs1993116 and rs7041 was associated with T2DM. In addition, there was a significant multiplicative interaction between rs7041 and body mass index (BMI) associated with elevated blood glucose levels, and at a higher BMI (>28.47), the G allele carrier showed a stronger effect than the TT genotype. Conclusions: The interactions between GC rs7041-CYP2R1 rs1993116 and GC rs7041-BMI may explain the mechanisms by which these factors increase the risk of T2DM development.
Can Use of Silymarin Improve Inflammatory Status in Patients with β-Thalassemia Major? A Crossover, Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Darvishi-Khezri Hadi , Kosaryan Mehrnoush , Karami Hossein , Salehifar Ebrahim , Mahdavi Mohammadreza , Alipour Abbas , Aliasgharian Aily
Published: September 2020

Background: In β-thalassemia major (β-TM) patients, iron overload is one of the main causes of inflammation. This study investigated whether use of silymarin could improve inflammatory status in patients with β-TM and iron overload, through a placebo-controlled, crossover study. Methods: Silymarin (140 mg, 3 times a day) or placebo were prescribed to all patients (n = 82) for 12 weeks, and after a 2-week washout period, patients were crossed over to the other group. The efficacy of silymarin was assessed by measuring serum C-reactive protein (CRP) (mg/dL), interleukin (IL)-6 (pg/mL), and IL-10 (pg/mL). Results: Sixty-nine patients completed the study. Data analysis showed that compared to the placebo, silymarin could decrease CRP, IL-6, and raise IL-10 signiﬁcantly (the p values for all variables were <0.001). Cohen’s d for CRP adjusted according to the baseline CRP value was –1.72, the 95% confidence interval (CI) –2.12 to –1.33. The adjusted Cohen’s d equal to –1.12, 95% CI –1.48 to –0.76, and 0.78, 95% CI 0.43–1.12, were also estimated for IL-6 and IL-10, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the current study demonstrate that the combination of iron chelation therapy with silymarin can improve inflammatory status in patients with β-TM in the clinical setting.
Kombinierte Lungenfibrose und Emphysem: Exazerbationen für die Prognose differenzieren
Authors: Drakopanagiotakis Fotios , Günther Andreas
Published: September 2020

Rationale: Patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) may develop acute exacerbations of IPF (AE-IPF) or COPD (AE-COPD). The incidence and the characteristics of exacerbations in patients with CPFE (e.g., COPD vs IPF) have not been well described. Objectives: To compare the incidence and rate of exacerbations in patients with CPFE vs. IPF and evaluate their effect on clinical outcomes. Methods: Comprehensive clinical data from CPFE and IPF patients were retrospectively reviewed. Baseline characteristics including lung function data, oxygen requirements, and pulmonary hemodynamics, were collected. Acute exacerbation events in both groups were defined clinically and radiographically. In the CPFE group, two patterns of exacerbations were identified. AE-COPD was defined clinically by symptoms of severe airflow obstruction causing respiratory failure and requiring hospitalization. Radiographic data were also defined based on previously published literature. AE-IPF was defined clinically as an acute hypoxic respiratory failure, requiring hospitalization and treatment with high dose corticosteroids. Radiographically, patients had to have a change in baseline imaging including presence of ground-glass opacities, interlobular septal thickening or new consolidations; that is not fully explained by other etiologies. Results: Eighty-five CPFE patients were retrospectively compared to 112 IPF patients. Of 112 patients with IPF; 45 had AE-IPF preceding lung transplant (40.18%) compared to 12 patients in the CPFE group (14.1%) (p < 0.05). 10 patients in the CPFE group experienced AE-COPD (11.7%). Patients with AE-IPF had higher mortality and more likely required mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) compared to patients with AE-COPD, whether their underlying disease was IPF or CPFE. Conclusions: CPFE patients may experience either AE-IPF or AE-COPD. Patients with CPFE and AE-COPD had better outcomes, requiring less intensive therapy compared to patients with AE-IPF regardless if underlying CPFE or IPF was present. These data suggest that the type of acute exacerbation, AE-COPD vs AE-IPF, has important implications for the treatment and prognosis of patients with CPFE.
Objetos Chucros
Authors: Braga Geslline Giovana
Published: September 2020

O ensaio fotográfico Objetos chucros reúne restos de insumos de uso de insulina para o controle de diabetes com objetos familiares, propondo discussões sobre consumo de medicamentos e açúcar, memória e objetos e diálogos entre a arte contemporânea e a antropologia.
Antropologia e Fotografia no Brasil: o início de uma história (1840-1970)
Authors: Gama Fabiene
Published: September 2020

Este artigo trata do início da relação entre antropologia e fotografia no Brasil. O objetivo é sistematizar uma história da produção fotográfica de caráter etnográfico no país, entre meados do século XIX e meados do século XX, para fins didáticos. Ou seja, o artigo foca no período que antecede a institucionalização da disciplina no país e a criação dos primeiros núcleos de pesquisa dedicados à Antropologia Visual, na década de 1980. Ao mesmo tempo em que tais produções são organizadas, o texto aponta lacunas encontradas na história levantada, indicando importantes desdobramentos futuros. Trata-se, assim, de uma história a ser reconstruída que, ainda assim, vale a pena ser contada.
Predictors of Bleeding in the Perioperative Anticoagulant Use for Surgery Evaluation Study
Authors: Tafur Alfonso J. , Clark Nathan P. , Spyropoulos Alex C. , Li Na , Kaplovitch Eric , MacDougall Kira , Schulman Sam , Caprini Joseph A. , Douketis James
Published: September 2020

Background

In the PAUSE (Perioperative Anticoagulant Use for Surgery Evaluation) Study, a simple, standardized, perioperative interruption strategy was provided for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Our objective was to define the factors associated with perioperative bleeding.

Methods and Results

We analyzed bleeding as the composite of major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Putative predictors of bleeding, and preoperative DOAC level were prospectively collected during recruitment. We used stratified logistic regression models for analysis. All statistical analyses were performed in R version 3.6.0. There were 3007 patients requiring perioperative DOAC interruption. More than one third of the included patients underwent a high bleeding risk procedure. The 30‐day rates of major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding were 3.02% in apixaban (n=1257), 2.84% in dabigatran (n=668), and 4.16% for rivaroxaban (n=1082). Multivariate analysis stratified by region found more bleeding for hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; 95% CI 1.07‐2.99;
P
=0.027), and prior bleeding (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.08‐2.71;
P
=0.021). Surgical bleed risk classification (high‐ versus low‐risk) as a predictor of bleeding was only significant in the univariate analysis. The prediction model for major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding had an area under the curve of 0.71, and the preoperative DOAC level did not improve the area under the curve of the model.

Conclusions

In patients treated with DOACs who required an elective surgery/procedure and were managed with standardized DOAC interruption and resumption, there we did not find reversible risk factors for bleeding, suggesting that adjustment of the PAUSE management protocol to mitigate against bleeding is not needed.
‘Blackened face’: Emotional Community and the Hindu Nationalist Interpretation of History
Authors: Vanina Eugenia
Published: September 2020

When in 1664 the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb appointed a Rajput general, Mirza Raja Jai Singh Kachwaha, as commander-in-chief of a punitive army sent against the Maratha warlord Shivaji, contemporary authors recorded it dispassionately as a trivial occurrence. Emotional perception of the event had changed drastically by the early twentieth century, when the proponents of Hindu nationalism began to view Jai Singh with disgust and anger as a ‘traitor to the Hindu nation’. Analysis of ‘Letter of Maharaja Shivaji to Mirza Raja Jai Singh’ (‘Mahārāj Śivājī kā patr Mirzā Rājā Jai Siṅgh ke nām’), by the Hindi classic poet Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, discloses the communicative means employed by the author to ‘reboot’ the emotional attitudes of his readers and to rope them into the emotional community of Hindu nationalists.
Stabilized Ortho-Silicic Acid as a Modifier of Tissue—Preliminary Comparative Biomaterial Studies
Authors: Pielesz Anna , Biniás Dorota , Machnicka Alicja , Bobínski Rafał , Laane Henk-Maarten , Tjon Jerome , Ulman-Włodarz Izabela , Waksmánska Wioletta
Published: September 2020

The ortho-silicic acid (H4SiO4) plays an essential role in delivering silicon to body cells and the monomeric ortho-silicic acid is the most bioavailable source of silicon for humans. This study reveals that the ortho-silicic acid (OSA) modifies the tissue of a
healthy and pathological hypotrophic amnion, thermal burn skin and, additionally, the OSA-incubated serum. Changes in the tissue modified by the ortho-silicic acid were traced on the molecular level with the use of FTIR spectroscopy. The most interesting area of tissue modification with the
use of OSA acid solutions is the appearance of the 1085 cm–1 Si–O–Si band which is optimal for the 1:6000 OSA concentration. Microbiological studies aiming at anticipating anti-inflammatory and antibacterial bioactivity revealed that the skin samples and amniotic
samples were characterised by good resistance to the following bacteria: Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (medium growth inhibition zone: 0.5–4 mm). The present study determined the concentration and the composition of the solutions
to be used in the future to create innovative modifiers (active dressings or new dietary supplements) enhancing tissue regeneration.
Cyclone Wind Retrieval Based on X-Band SAR-Derived Wave Parameter Estimation
Authors: Shao Weizeng , Hu Yuyi , Nunziata Ferdinando , Corcione Valeria , Migliaccio Maurizio , Li Xiaoming
Published: September 2020

In this study, a method for retrieving wind speed from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery collected under extreme weather conditions is proposed. The rationale for this approach relies on the fact that, although copolarized channels exhibit saturation for wind speed >~20 m s−1, the wave growth can be successfully exploited to gather information on wind speed under extreme weather conditions. Hence, in this study, the intrinsic relationship among the wind-wave triplets [wind speed at 10 m above the sea surface, significant wave height (SWH), and peak wave period] is exploited in order to retrieve wind speeds under tropical cyclone conditions. Experiments, undertaken on actual X-bandTerraSAR-X(TS-X) SAR images of tropical cyclones (Typhoon Megi, Hurricane Sandy, and Hurricane Miriam) and using collocated WAVEWATCH-III (WW3) simulations, revealed the robustness of the proposed approach, which resulted in a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 2.54 m s−1when comparing the retrieved wind speeds with the values from products delivered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hurricane Research Division (HRD). However, the applicability of the algorithm herein will be further confirmed at very strong storms.
Does Level of Blood Alcohol Content Affect Clinical Outcomes After Trauma in Older Adult Patients?
Authors: Bryant Mary K. , Reynolds Katherine , Brittain Connor , Patel Zachery , Reid Trista D.S. , Maine Rebecca G. , Udekwu Pascal
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Preinjury alcohol use and older age have independently been associated with poor outcomes. This study examined whether higher levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) correlated with an increased likelihood of poor outcomes in older trauma patients.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of injured patients ≥65 years with BAC testing presenting to a Level 1 trauma center between 2015 and 2018. Patients were stratified by BAC at 4 thresholds of intoxication: BAC ≧10 mg/dL, BAC ≧80 mg/dL, BAC ≧150 mg/dL, and BAC ≧200 mg/dL. Propensity score matching using inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to estimate outcomes. Logistic and Poisson regression models were performed for each threshold of the BAC level with the matched cohort to assess clinical outcomes.

Results

Of all older patients (n = 3112), 32.5% (n = 1012) had BAC testing. In the matched cohort of 883 patients (76.7 ± 8.2 years; 48.1% female), 111 (12.5%) had BAC ≧10 mg/dL, 83 (74.8%) had BAC ≧80 mg/dL, 60 (54.1%) had BAC ≧150 mg/dL, and 37 (33.3%) had BAC ≧200 mg/dL. Falls (60.5%) and motor vehicle crashes (28.9%) were the most common mechanisms of injury. Median (IQR) of Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 5 (1-10). The risk of severe injury (ISS ≧15) was similar between alcohol-positive and alcohol-negative patients (9.9% vs 15.0%, P = .151). BAC ≧10 g/dL was not associated with length of stay, intensive care unit admission, or in-hospital complication, nor was any of the other 3 analyzed BAC thresholds.

Conclusion

Overall, any detectable BAC along and increasing thresholds of BAC was not associated with poor in-hospital outcomes of older patients after trauma. Alcohol screening was low in this population, and intoxication may bias injury assessment, leading to mistriage of older trauma patients.
Impact of Young Age and Gender on Outcomes of Transradial Versus Transfemoral Access Coronary Angiography
Authors: Singh Kuljit , Tavella Rosanna , Air Tracy , Worthley Matthew , Sinhal Ajay , Arstall Margaret , Zeitz Christopher , Beltrame John
Published: September 2020

The differential impact of young age and female gender on transradial access (TRA) outcomes remains to be confirmed. The primary objective was to assess the impact of young age and female gender on in-hospital net adverse cardiovascular events (NACE). Among 12 346 patients from the Coronary Angiogram Database of South Australia (CADOSA) Registry, the impact of gender; men (transfemoral access [TFA] 1995, TRA 6168) and women (TFA 1249, TRA 2934), and a median split of age, ≤63 years (TFA 1617, TRA 4727) and >63 years (TFA 1627, TRA 4375) were analyzed on in-hospital outcomes by creating 5 separate propensity-matched cohorts (entire cohort, men, women, ≤63 and > 63 years). Net adverse cardiovascular event reduction with TRA was limited to the >63 years old cohort (odds ratio [OR] = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.34-0.93, P = .02) and women (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18-0.76, P = .007). In both the age groups and genders, TRA was associated with a lower risk of bleeding and all-cause mortality. On multivariate logistic regression, TRA was associated with a significant reduction in NACE, major bleeding, and mortality in the overall cohort. In conclusion, a reduction in bleeding and mortality was noted with TRA in all the subgroups in this observational study.
The critique and its critical moments: The recent pragmatic turn in French sociology
Authors: Silva Corrêa Diogo , de Castro Dias Rodrigo
Published: September 2020

The aim of this article is to present the pragmatic turn in French sociology as outlined in Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot’s book, On Justification. First, the article gives a general introduction to the main focal points of the French sociological field in the 1980s. Then, it presents De la justification, regarded as a landmark in the pragmatic turn of French sociology. Next, the article presents two of its key concepts: cité and proof. Finally, through an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the model, the article questions some of its limits and challenges, such as integrating pragmatic intuition with issues such as the sociologist’s critical engagement, and the analysis of long-term processes, problems and dispositions.
Delivery of Time-Bound Public Services to Citizens: Indian Experience
Authors: Pareek Urvashi , Sole Nagendra Ambedkar
Published: September 2020

The delivery of public services to the citizens is the most critical function of the government, among the other functions being development and regulation. The three essential pillars of public service delivery are timelines, quality and grievance redressal. The concept of public service delivery emerged in the 1990s, with New Public Management and Citizen Charter’s evolution in the UK. With the shift in the role of the state from provider to facilitator and regulator of public services, the focus is to ensure transparency, accountability and citizen centricity in administration and maintain citizen’s satisfaction and trust in the government.

This article highlights the concept of public service delivery, and time-bound delivery practices, adopted internationally and nationally. The article concludes that India needs to look beyond Information and Communications Technology and capitalise on other options as listed in suggestions.