bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rare chondroblastoma of the 6th left rib, video-assisted thoracoscopy resected: one case report and literature review
Authors: Wu Yonghui , Guan Jiexia , Zhang Kai , Chen Huiguo , Wu Weibin , Zhang Jian
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Chondroblastoma is a rare, benign locally but aggressive bone tumor. It accounts for < 1% of primary bony tumors, and mostly arises from long bones; the rib chondroblastoma is especial rare. Due to its rarity, there are no definitive or standard treatment guidelines. Case presentation: A case of a 24-year-old male with a chondroblastoma located on the 6th posterior left rib. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a rib tumor that was a well-defined oval lesion of 20 mm × 18 mm, with lytic bone destruction. The imaging first diagnosis was Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a giant cell tumor, or other type of neoplasm. The whole tumor and a part of the rib were resected by video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery (VATS). Pathological and immunohistochemical (IHC) examination made a diagnosis of chondroblastoma. Compared with traditional open thoracic surgery, VATS can achieve the same effects and cause less injury to patient. No postoperative adjuvant therapy was given, and had followed 23 months after surgery, there was no recurrence or metastasis.Conclusion: Chondroblastoma has a risk of recurrence and metastasis, surgery plays a role in the treatment of chondroblastoma, and VATS can achieve the same outcome as open thoracic surgery with less pain and lung function. Close follow-up is needed postoperative.
Evaluation of Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Effects of 5-amino-3-phenyl-1,3,5-thiadiazine-2-thione in Mice
Authors: Athar Junaid , Niazi Zahid Rasul , Niazi Hamid Rasul , Irfan Hafiz Muhammad , Ahmad Taseer , Shah Kiffayat Ullah , Khan kamran Ahmad , Khattak Humayun , yuchi alamgeer , Ali Gowhar , Khan Rasool , Khan Muhammad Javid
Published: April 2021

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of new synthetic compound: 5-amino-3-phenyl-1,3,5-thiadiazine-2-thione and to compare its effects with the available standard drug, diclofenac sodium in mice. Methods: This test compound was evaluated for its anti-nociceptive activity using hot plate and writhing models, while for antiinflammatory activity evaluation, carrageenan and histamine-induced paw edema models were used. Results: In hotplate test, the latency time (in seconds), at 90 minutes of the administered doses (60 and 120 mg/kg) of 5-amino-3- phenyl -1.3.5-thiadiazine-2-thione were 19.5 seconds (p < 0.05) (Mean latency time) and 21.5 seconds (p < 0.01) (Mean latency time) respectively. In writhing test maximum inhibitory effect was demonstrated at a dose of 120 mg/kg with an average of 1.4 (p < 0.001) wriths (this inhibition was more significant) followed by 60 mg/kg (Mean number of wriths = 1.6) (p < 0.001) . The anti-inflammatory effect of the compound for 60 and 120 mg/kg doses was found to be significant and was more significant for 120 mg/kg in both histamine and carrageenan-induced paw edema models. Conclusion: It has been concluded that 5-amino-3-phenyl-1,3,5-thiadiazine-2-thione represents, dose-dependent antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties, which are statistically significant. The test compound showed a significant in-vivo peripheral analgesic effect in the writhing test, in comparison to the diclofenac sodium.
Chromosomes Identification based Differential Evolution (CIDE): A New Bio-inspired Variant for Network Intrusion Detection
Authors: Nayer Md. , Pandey Subhash
Published: April 2021

Chromosomes identification is of the paramount importance. The centromeric location of chromosomes is used to classify different species. Plethora of research has already been done in the domain of Bio-inspired computation. However, a Bio-inspired variant of Differential Evolution (DE) is still not designed. In this work attempt has been made for this pursuit and a new variant named as “Chromosomes Identification based Differential Evolution (CIDE)” has been proposed. This technique is used to extract the knowledge from the databases and it constructs effective and reliable decision rules for the purpose of classification. Further, the testing accuracies of proposed CIDE technique has been compared with nearest neighbour classifier (1-NN) optimized by various existing variants of differential evolution and 1-R classifier using six-real datasets, mainly from medical field. The experimental analysis reveals the fact that proposed technique is superior to 1-NN and 1-R classifier. Over and above, Friedman test has also been conducted to validate the superiority of proposed CIDE technique. Moreover, the proposed CIDE algorithm is also tested on KDDCup’99 dataset and different parameters such as classification accuracy, false alarm rate and precision are computed.
Evaluation of the Formability of AA2198-T3 Al-Li alloy in Warm Sheet Hydroforming
Authors: Wang Hui , Cheng Sijia , Ye Zhuang , Wu Tianli , Jin Kai , Guo Xunzhong
Published: April 2021

This study aims to investigate the formability of the AA2198-T3 Al-Li alloy in hydrodynamic deep drawing (HMDD), through experimentation and finite element simulation. The effects of the most critical factors were studied: die cavity pressure and forming temperature. The Gurson−Tvergaard−Needleman model (GTN model) was employed to analyze the formability of AA2198-T3 Al-Li alloy and predict the fracture in the hydroforming of a cylindrical part. Both the numerical and experimental results showed that the increase of the pressure inside the liquid chamber, within a certain range, contributes to improve the formability of the alloy. Increasing the temperature would reduce the required pressure for sheet hydroforming. Notably, the appropriate chamber pressure was beneficial to form good quality parts with a relatively uniform wall thickness. By analyzing the fracture morphologies, the brittle fracture of AA2198-T3 plays a main role at room temperature, but the ductile fracture was shown at the elevated temperature.
Analysis on Damaging Mechanism of Sand-Mud Interbedded Strata Type Perilous Rock
Authors: Dong Ping , Zhou Yuntao , Liang Dan
Published: April 2021

Aiming at the sand-mud interbedded strata type perilous rock, this paper comprehensively analyzes the reason of formation of perilous rock and its structural characteristics, builds the physical and mechanical mode of the sand-mud interbedded strata type perilous rock, puts forward the base retreat mechanism that the mudstone’s softening, compression and deformation induce the tension damage of thin layer sandstone, explains slip-shear damage mode and dump-fall damage mode of perilous rock, and proposes mechanical criteria of two damage modes. According to the results of case analysis, the base retreat of perilous rock in Leijiagou conforms to the mechanical mechanisms of the tension and damage of thin layer sandstone induced by the softening, compression and deformation. Under current situations, there will be no slip-shear damage or dump-fall damage for the Leijiagou Perilous Rock. According to preliminary projections, the Leijiagou Perilous Rock will lose its stability after 15.2 years, with the damage mode being dump-fall damage and the critical depth of cavity being 4.1m.
Common ALS/FTD risk variants in UNC13A exacerbate its cryptic splicing and loss upon TDP-43 mislocalization
Authors: Brown Anna-Leigh , Wilkins Oscar , Keuss Matthew , Hill Sarah , Zanovello Matteo , Lee Weaverly , Lee Flora , Masino Laura , Qi Yue , Byrce-Smith Sam , Bampton Alexander , Gatt Ariana , Phatnani Hemali , Schiavo Giampietro , Fisher Elizabeth , Raj Towfique , Secrier Maria , Lashley Tammaryn , Ule Jernej , Buratti Emanuele , Humphrey Jack , Ward Michael , Fratta Pietro
Published: April 2021

Variants within the UNC13A gene have long been known to increase risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), two related neurodegenerative diseases defined by mislocalization of the RNA-binding protein TDP-43. Here, we show that TDP-43 depletion induces robust inclusion of a cryptic exon (CE) within UNC13A, a critical synaptic gene, resulting in nonsense-mediated decay and protein loss. Strikingly, two common polymorphisms strongly associated with ALS/FTD risk directly alter TDP-43 binding within the CE or downstream intron, increasing CE inclusion in cultured cells and in patient brains. Our findings, which are the first to demonstrate a genetic link specifically between loss of TDP-43 nuclear function and disease, reveal both the mechanism by which UNC13A variants exacerbate the effects of decreased nuclear TDP-43 function, and provide a promising therapeutic target for TDP-43 proteinopathies.
Genetic diversity of Dengue virus serotypes circulating among Aedes mosquitoes in selected regions of Nigeria
Authors: Isa Ibrahim , Ndams Iliya Shehu , Aminu Maryam , Chechet Gloria , Dotzauer Andreas , Simon Ayo Yila
Published: April 2021

The DENV mosquito vector is endemic to tropical and subtropical climates, placing ∼40% of the world’s population at direct risk of dengue infection. Currently, in Nigeria the status of DENV serotypes circulating among mosquitoes’ vectors is unknown. Our study was designed to identify and characterize the DENV serotypes circulating in Aedes mosquito populations collected in selected sites in Nigeria. The mosquitoes were collected, identified morphologically to species level using colored identification keys of Rueda. Generally, each species identified was tested in pools of 20 individuals of each Aedes species. RT-PCR and nested PCR were used to detected DENV serotypes in mosquitoes and characterized using Sanger sequencing methods. The results show that DENV serotypes were detected in 58.54% of the pools of mosquitoes screened. This corroborates with our unpublished report on the presence of DENV IgM antibodies in humans in the same study area. All DENV1-4 serotypes were detected in Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Ae. gaillosi with DENV4 serotype being reported for the first time in Nigeria. DENV2 (37.8%) was the most detected serotypes, while double and triple co-infections of serotypes were detected in 24.4% of the pools. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a strong evolutionary relatedness of DENV serotypes in our study with that of South and Southeast Asia, North America, and other African countries. This is the first reports on the co-infection of natural DENV in Aedes species pools in Nigeria. Thus, our study speculates a possible linkage between DENV serotypes and febrile flu-like disease burden being experienced by host communities in northern Nigeria.
Impedance Characterization of AlGaN/GaN/Si High Electron Mobility Transistors
Authors: MOSBAHI Hana , GASSOUMI Malek , ZAIDI MOhamed Ali
Published: April 2021

AlGaN/GaN HEMTs grown on high resistive silicon (111) substrate grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been investigated using impedance measurements. Passivation of the HEMT devices is made in order to improve the electron transport. As has been found from conductance data, the electron traps are eliminated after passivation. The impedance spectroscopy has been, on the other hand, studied from the electrical transport. As a result, a complex impedance plot was revealed an equivalent circuit models indicating single semicircles and the solid interface.
Experimental Study on the Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Saturated Sandstone Fractures with Different Orientations
Authors: Li Gangwei , Cheng Yunhai , Wang Yifan , Li Fenghui , Wang Xiangqian , Xiong Tenggen
Published: April 2021

In order to investigate the mechanical characteristics of rocks under saturated water conditions, uniaxial loading experiments were conducted on rock specimens using the RMT-150B Rock Mechanics Experiment System based on theoretical analysis of the damage evolution mechanism of rock specimens considering saturation factors. And the damage of the specimens was monitored using the Soft Island DS5-16B acoustic emission system. During the test, the specimens were taken from six rock samples in different directions at the same roadway section location in a coal mine. The combined findings suggest that: The dispersion rate is positively correlated with the bearing capacity of rock specimens taken from different directions, AE ringing counts, amplitude, and energy appear to have a time-limited steady increase influenced by direction. For rock specimens in the same plane, the rock damage instantaneous energy lag amplitude and AE activity is proportional to the direction angle. The AE localization points in different directions are randomly distributed and scattered in various areas, and fracture beams and surface cracks are produced inside the rock corresponding to the AE acoustic emission.
The Effect of High Temperatures on Risk of Hospitalization in Northern Vietnam
Authors: Talukder Mohammad Radwanur , Chu Cordia , Rutherford Shannon , Huang Cunrui , Phung Dung
Published: April 2021

The evidence on the temperature and morbidity relationship is limited, especially from tropical regions including Vietnam. This study’s objective was to examine the high temperature-hospitalisation relationship in northern Vietnam. To assess ambient temperature hospitalizations associations in seven provinces of northern Vietnam Generalized Linear and Distributed Lag Models were used. Overall risk for all causes, and infectious, cardiovascular, and respiratory admissions in study provinces was estimated using a random-effects meta-analysis. The pooled estimates showed a significant effect of high temperature on same day (Lag 0) hospitalizations. A 1°C increase in temperature was significantly associated with 1.1% (95% Confidence Interval- CI, 0.9–1.4%) increase in risk for all-cause, 2.4% (95% CI, 1.9–2.9%) increase in risk for infectious, 1.3% (95% CI, 0.9–1.6%) increase in risk for respiratory, and 0.5% (95% CI, 0.1–0.9%) increase in risk for cardiovascular disease admissions. However, the province specific temperature-hospitalisation effect was variable and mostly inconsistent for cardiovascular diseases. Our research in northern Vietnam adds to the evidence of high temperatures associated with hospitalisations in a sub-tropical climate. Our findings have important implications for promoting appropriate adaptation strategies to reduce climate change associated health impacts in similar settings.
Predicting Hosts Based on Early SARS-CoV-2 Samples and Analyzing Later World-wide Pandemic in 2020
Authors: Guo Qian , Li Mo , Wang Chunhui , Guo Jinyuan , jiang xiaoqing , Tan Jie , Wu Shufang , Wang Peihong , Xiao Tingting , Zhou Man , Fang Zhencheng , Xiao Yonghong , Zhu Huaiqiu
Published: April 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has raised the concern for identifying hosts of the virus since the early-stage outbreak. To address this problem, we proposed a deep learning method, DeepHoF, based on extracting the viral genomic features automatically, to predict host likelihood scores on five host types, including plant, germ, invertebrate, non-human vertebrate and human, for novel viruses. DeepHoF made up for the lack of an accurate tool applicable to any novel virus and overcame the limitation of the sequence similarity-based methods, reaching a satisfactory AUC of 0.987 on the five-classification. Additionally, to fill the gap in the efficient inference of host species for SARS-CoV-2 using existed tools, we conducted a deep analysis on the host likelihood profile calculated by DeepHoF. Using the isolates sequenced in the earliest stage of COVID-19, we inferred minks, bats, dogs and cats were potential hosts of SARS-CoV-2, while minks might be one of the most noteworthy hosts. Several genes of SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated their significance in determining the host range. Furthermore, the large-scale genome analysis, based on DeepHoF’s computation for the later world-wide pandemic in 2020, disclosed the uniformity of host range among SARS-CoV-2 samples and the strong association of SARS-CoV-2 between humans and minks.
Accuracy of Institutional Orthopaedic Trauma Databases: A Retrospective Chart Review
Authors: Chopra Aman , Cortez Abigail , Naga Ashraf El , Ding Anthony , Morshed Saam
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Academic trauma institutions rely on fracture databases as research and quality control tools. Frequently, these databases are populated by trainees, but the completeness and accuracy of such databases has not yet been evaluated. The purpose of this study is to determine the capture rate of a resident-populated database in collecting extremity fractures and to determine the accuracy of assigned Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) classifications.Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed at a level one trauma center of all adult patients who underwent treatment for extremity fractures after an emergency department or inpatient consultation. A 20% random sample was taken from these entries and compared to a resident-populated fracture database designed to capture the same patients. For all matching records containing a resident-assigned OTA classification, relevant imaging was blindly reviewed by a trauma fellowship-trained orthopaedic attending surgeon for fracture pattern classification. Resident OTA classifications were compared to this gold standard to determine overall accuracy rate.Results: 318 (80%) out of 400 entries were captured by the resident-populated database. 231 of these 318 entries contained an OTA classification. 153 (66%) of these 231 entries demonstrated concordance between resident and attending assigned OTA classifications. On subgroup analysis, 133 (70%) of the 190 lower extremity classifications were accurately identified as compared to just 20 (49%) of the 41 upper extremity classifications (p = 0.009). 79 (65%) of the 121 end segment fractures showed agreement versus 42 (67%) of the 63 diaphyseal injury patterns (p = 0.85). Accuracy of classification did not significantly vary by resident year of training (p = 0.142). Conclusion: Trainee generated databases at academic institutions may be subject to incomplete data entry and inaccurate fracture classifications. Quality control measures should be instituted to ensure accuracy in such databases if efforts are invested with the expectation of useful information.
Endovascular Revascularization of Heavily Calcified Occlusion in Superior Mesenteric Artery using Transcollateral Approach
Authors: Horie Kazunori , Tanaka Akiko , Tada Norio
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND: Mesenteric ischemia is often a manifestation of severe vascular disease involving the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). Endovascular revascularization is still challenging in a chronic total occlusion (CTO) of SMA.CASE PRESENTATION: An-73-year-old male was referred to our hospital because of a 2-year history of abdominal angina after each meal. Computed tomography (CT) images revealed a heavily calcified CTO in the ostium of SMA. Angiography did not show the collateral route suitable for transcollateral approach (TCA); however, the three-dimension CT detected pancreaticoduodenal arcade from the celiac artery to the occluded SMA. According to CT imaging, transcollateral wire crossing from the celiac artery was successful in the SMA-CTO. After pull-through of the guide wire, two balloon-expandable stents were deployed in the ostium of SMA. During 3 months after the stent implantation, the patient had no further episodes of abdominal angina on dual-anti-platelet therapyCONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated a case of SMA occlusion with heavy calcification treated with stent implantation using TCA guided by CT imaging.
Landmark-Centered Coding in Frontal Cortex Visual Responses
Authors: Schütz Adrian , Bharmaurisa Vishal , Yan Xiaogang , Wang Hongying , Bremmer Frank , Crawford Doug
Published: April 2021

Visual landmarks influence spatial cognition, navigation and goal-directed behavior, but their influence on visual coding for action is poorly understood. Here, we tested landmark influence on prefrontal visual responses by recording from 568 neurons in the frontal (FEF) and supplementary (SEF) eye fields of rhesus macaques. The response field (the area of visual space that modulates activity) for each neuron was tested in the presence
of a landmark placed at one of four configurations. We then fit the spatially tuned response fields against a spatial coordinate continuum between gaze- and landmark-centered models. When response fields were fit separately for each target-landmark configuration, the best fits shifted (mean 37% / 40%) toward landmark-centered coding in FEF / SEF respectively, confirming a configuration-dependent intermediate coding scheme. Overall, these data show that external landmarks influence prefrontal visual responses, possibly helping to stabilize movement goals in the presence of noisy internal egocentric signals.
Revisit the Effectiveness of Educational Kinesiology on Stress and Anxiety Amelioration in Kindergarteners With Special Needs: A Nonrandomized Trial
Authors: TAI Pui Lun Alan , LAU Kwok Wai Way
Published: April 2021

Although educational kinesiology is a popular intervention aims to improve brain functioning via physical movements, it lacks supporting scientific evidence. This study explores the effect of educational kinesiology on the changes in stress and anxiety markers in kindergarteners with special needs using psychometrics and biological measures. This open label non-randomized clinical trial was registered retrospectively in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2000036305, url: http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=58067, registration date: 22/08/2020). Thirty-seven kindergarteners with special needs (3.5-6.5 years old) were assigned to either the intervention group, which received one-hour educational kinesiology intervention weekly for a total of 10 weeks, or the wait-list control group. Scores of Parent-rated Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS-TC), salivary cortisol and oxytocin levels were obtained pre- and post-intervention. After controlling baseline, the changes in oxytocin levels remained significantly different between groups (F1,35 = 5.590, p = 0.020, eta2 = 0.145), but not in cortisol levels (F1,35 = 0.364, p = 0.550, eta2 = 0.01). PAS-TC showed significant improvement in anxiety levels after the intervention in the intervention group (X2 = 4.367, p = 0.037, φ = 0.344, p = 0.037). Findings from both subjective and objective measures indicate a plausible anti-stress and anxiety effect in kindergarteners with special needs.
Comparative transcriptional analysis site-directed mutagenesis of transcriptional regulator SinR boosts productivity of menaquinone synthesis in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Wu Jing , Li Wei , Zhao Shiguang , Qian Sen-he , Wang Zhou , Zhou Meng-jie , Hu Wen-song , Wang Jian , Hu Liu-xiu , Liu Yan , Xue Zheng-lian
Published: April 2021

Background: MK-7 is a highly valuable vitamin K2 produced by Bacillus subtilis. Biofilm forming caused by quorum sensing (QS) system was beneficial for MK-7 synthesis. However, the specific regulator in QS system which play the most significant role in biofilm formation and MK production have not been revealed at genetic level, and this limits the possibility of further increasing MK-7 production.Results: In this study, the influence of different mutants in QS system on biofilm formation and MK-7 production was investigated. The transcriptional regulator SinR was chosen finally because the complete knocking out of sinR (KO-SinR) maximized the biofilm biomass and increased the yield of MK-7. However, KO-SinR led to a large number of spore and wrinkle forming, which slow down even stop the MK-7 biosynthesis. Five SinR mutants (E97K, Y101L, W104K, R105S, SinRquad) were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis of four aromatic residues (Glu97, Tyr101, Trp104 and Arg105). Among these, SinRquad formed more wrinkly but smooth biofilm, and obtained the maximum MK-7 value (102.56±2.84 mg/L), which was ten times of the parent strain. Comparative transcriptional analysis showed that SinRquad promoted the synthesis of extracellular polymeric substances and inhibited the swimming motility of late-flagellar. In addition, SinRquad upregulated the expression level of ctaC-G operator and qcrA-C operator which encode the cytochromes. Upregulation of components in the oxidative respiratory chain of B. subtilis was due to the upregulation of NADH dehydrogenases. Most NADH dehydrogenases especially sdhA-C and glpD, increased 1.01-, 3.93-, 1.87-, 1.11- fold, respectively. The increase in expression level of NADH dehydrogenases indicated the ratio of NADH/NAD+ decreased and more electrons produced for the electron transport system (ETM). Wrinkly and smooth biofilm formed a network of interconnected channels with low resistance to liquid flow was beneficial to obtain a more stable state of electron transport chain, which facilitate the metabolic flux of four modules of MK-7 synthesis pathways.Conclusions: In this study, we report for the first time that SinRquad has significant effects on the MK-7 synthesis by forming wrinkly and smooth biofilm, upregulating the expression level of most NADH dehydrogenases, providing more stable state of the electron transport.
Ultrasonic Shear Device versus Monopolar Electric Cautery in Conservative Breast Surgery Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Comparative Study
Authors: Khaled Islam , Saad Ihab , Soliman Hany , Faisal Mohammed
Published: April 2021

Background: Surgical devices are commonly used during breast-conservative surgery (BCS) to provide better hemostasis. Ultrasonic shear has recently gained momentum as an effective tool for intraoperative bleeding reduction. This comparative study was designed to determine the efficacy of Harmonic focus in reducing postoperative complications of BCS following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CTH), in comparison to the conventional method using monopolar diathermy.Methods: We conducted a prospective, non-randomized, comparative, study on patients scheduled to undergo BCS with axillary dissection or sentinel lymph node biopsy after neoadjuvant CTH. Patients were recruited consecutively throughout the study period and were divided in an equal manner to undergo either monopolar electrocautery or Harmonic focus®.Results: Patients in the Harmonic Focus group had significantly shorter operative time than the monopolar electrocautery group (101.32 ± 27.3 versus 139.3 ± 31.9 minutes, respectively; p <0.001). Besides, the blood loss was significantly lower in the Harmonic Focus group (117.14 ± 35.6 versus 187 ± 49.8mL, respectively; p <0.001). Postoperatively, patients in the Harmonic Focus group had a significantly lower volume of chest wall drain (p <0.001) and shorter rime till drain removal (p <0.001). Likewise, patients in the Harmonic Focus group had a significantly lower volume of axillary drain and shorter rime till drain removal than monopolar electrocautery (p <0.001). The incidence of postoperative complications was comparable between both groups (p =0.128). Conclusions: In conclusion, the current study confirms the superiority of Harmonic Focus, compared to monopolar electrocautery, amongst patients receiving neoadjuvant CTH before BCS.
Burnout Among Physicians and Medical Interns: Comparing Time-periods of Coronavirus Disease Outbreak in Shiraz
Authors: Sarikhani Yaser , Khatami Kiana , Salehi-Marzijarani Mohammad , Estedlal AliReza , Sivandzadeh Gholam Reza , Kouhi Pariya , Shahabi Saeed , Zarei Leila , Heydari Seyed Taghi , Lankarani Kamran Bagheri
Published: April 2021

Background: Physician burnout is a serious issue associated with physician attrition, mental and physical problems, and medical errors. This study aimed to investigate prevalence of overall burnout among Interns-Residents and general physician (GPs)-Specialist during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 Interns-Residents and 212 GPs-Specialists in university affiliated hospitals and clinics in Shiraz, Iran. A random sampling method used to recruit the samples and the data gathered using a valid questionnaire. We used covariance analysis and multiple logistic regression to analyze the data.Results: Multiple logistic regression for GPs-Specialists showed that working in COVID-19 wards during June-July (OR = 13.93) was associated with increasing odds of overall burnout. However, older age was associated with decrease odds overall burnout (OR = 0.94). Multiple logistic regression for Interns-Residents revealed that age (OR = 1.24) and being single (OR = 1.66) were positively associated with overall burnout.Conclusions: The present finding could remind policy makers the importance of burnout issue among physicians during the pandemics and could persuade them for taking appropriate action in order to prevent this phenomenon. It is suggested that focusing on strategies such as improving organizational resilience, improvement of healthcare working environment, and development of coping skills among physicians could be helpful in this regard.
Influence of pH on the DSSC Performance of Template Assisted SnO2 Nanostructures
Authors: R vasanthapriya , N NEELAKANDESWARI , Uthayarani K. , Chitra M.
Published: April 2021

This paper reports the performance of alizarin based SnO2 dye-sensitized solar cells. A novel template assisted method has been applied for the preparation of tin oxide nanoparticles. For the first time, onion (Allium cepa) was used as a template for the synthesis of tin oxide nanostructures at different pH values. Tin oxide nanostructures were used for the photoanode preparation. A sandwich cell was prepared by using the dye soaked SnO2 film as a photoanode and platinum as a counter electrode. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the nanoparticles were studied using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron microscope (SEM), Photoluminescence (PL), Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) spectra and UV-visible spectroscopic techniques. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics have been measured using electrochemical workstation under the presence of solar illumination. Characteristic parameters of the fabricated cell were determined on the basis of the measured I-V curves.
Presepsin as a Biomarker for Risk Stratification and Prognosis of Acute Cholangitis:A Single Center Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Hanyu , Lu Zhaoqing , Wang Guoxing , Wu Di , Ge Xu , Xie Miaorong , Li Chunsheng
Published: April 2021

Background: Presepsin is currently a promising biomarker for the early diagnosis and prognosis of acute bacterial infection. Acute cholangitis is caused by bacterial infection and has high morbidity and mortality. The study engaged to assess the grading and prognostic value of presepsin in patients with acute cholangitis. Methods: This study enrolled patients with acute cholangitis in the emergency department from May 1, 2019 to December 20, 2020. The patients were evaluated for severity by the 2018 Tokyo Guidelines for Acute Cholangitis. Patients’ baseline features and routine clinical data were collected. On admission, presepsin, procalcitonin (PCT) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were determined; and blood cultures were performed. IBM SPSS software (version 22.0) was used. The comparation of values was performed by Pearson chi-square test or Fisher's exact test or Mann-Whitney U test. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), multivariate logistic regression, and correlation analysis were used to analyze this importance of determining the presepsin levels on admission for acute cholangitis. Results: In total, 330 patients, including 109, 101, and 120 patients classified as having mild, moderate, and severe cholangitis, respectively, were examined. The AUCs of presepsin were 0.713 in predicting severe acute cholangitis, better than those of white blood cell (WBC 0.411), C-reactive protein (CRP 0.615), PCT 0.608, and total bilirubin (T-Bil 0.441) (P<0.05). The AUC of presepsin in predicting 28-day mortality was higher than that of WBC, CRP, PCT, and T-Bil. The presepsin level in the positive blood culture group was higher than that in the negative blood culture group (P=0.000). The P values for correlations of presepsin with SIRS and SOFA scores were 0.002 and 0.000, respectively. Conclusions: Presepsin levels on admission were correlated with SIRS and SOFA scores. Presepsin may predict positive blood culture and 28-day mortality in patients with acute cholangitis, and it is superior to WBC, CRP, PCT, and T-Bil in the risk stratification and prognostic assessment of severe cholangitis. Trial registration: Ethical code of this study is 2018-P2-063-01 and acquired on May, 22, 2018.
Energy Saving Diagnosis Model of Petrochemical Plant Based on Intelligent Curvelet Support Vector Machine
Authors: zhao bin , qin dou , Gao Diankui , xu lizhi
Published: April 2021

The energy and resources saving has become a major task of petrochemical enterprises, it is necessary to construct the energy saving diagnostic system for understand the real time operation information of petrochemical plant and provide theoretical basis for taking energy saving measures. The energy saving diagnosis process of petrochemical plant based on twin Curvelet support vector machine optimized by hybrid glowworm swarm algorithm is designed. The Curvelet kernel function is constructed based on curvelet transform to establish theory model of twin curvelet support vector machine. In order to improve the prediction precision of the twin curvelet support vector machine, the hybrid glowworm swarm optimization algorithm is constructed based on simulated annealing simulation to optimize the parameters of the twin Curvelet support vector machine. Finally, a petrochemical plant is used as research object to carry out diagnosis simulation analysis, and results showed that the proposed prediction model can effectively improve diagnostic effectiveness of the energy saving effect of petrochemical plant.
Improved Clinical Outcomes of Outpatient Enhanced Recovery Hip and Knee Replacements in Comparison to Standard Inpatient Procedures: A Study of Patients Who Experienced Both
Authors: Hardy Alexandre , Courgeon Margaux , Pellei Karina , Desmeules François , Loubert Christian , Vendittoli Pascal-André
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND: The benefits of combining enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) interventions with an outpatient program for total hip/knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) are uncertain. The primary objective was to compare adverse event rate and secondly to compare pain management, functional recovery, PROMs and satisfaction in patients who experienced both an ERAS-outpatient protocol and standard-inpatient care.METHODS: We conducted an ambidirectional single subject cohort study on 48 consecutive patients who experienced both a standard-inpatient and an ERAS-outpatient THA/TKA (contralaterally). We compared complications according to Clavien-Dindo scale and Comprehensive Complications Index (CCI), and unplanned episodes of care. Postoperative pain assessed with a numeric rating scale, opioid consumption in morphine milligram equivalents, functional recovery, patient-reported outcome measures (WOMAC, KOOS, HOOS, Forgotten Joint Score and Patient Joint Perception) and patients’ satisfaction were also evaluated.RESULTS: Following the ERAS-outpatient surgery, complication rates were reduced by more than 50% (2.1 vs 4.4, p<0.001), CCI was significantly lower (12.3 vs 19.1, p<0.001), and similar unplanned episodes of care were observed (p>0.999). In the first 8 postoperative hours, perceived pain was similar (p>0.805) while opioid consumption was significantly reduced (9.3 vs 26.5, p<0.001). Patients walked, climbed stairs, showered, performed activities of daily living, practised sports, went back to work sooner (p<0.001), but PROMs were similar between groups at the last follow-up (p> 0.188). Patients were more satisfied of the ERAS-outpatient pathway and recommended it significantly more (p <0.002). CONCLUSION: Compared to the conventional inpatient care, our ERAS-outpatient protocol proved to be safer, enable faster functional recovery, and improve patients’ satisfaction which highlight the importance of following ERAS principles when implementing an outpatient THA/TKA program.
The structure of black holes
Authors: Devadithya Nalin de Silva
Published: April 2021

Contrary to the general belief that a black hole has only an event horizon and a singularity it is shown that it has a structure. The structure of a black hole is worked out using Schwarzschild interior solution. It is shown that there is an attraction towards the centre of the distribution when the radius r of the sphere is greater than 9m /4 where m= GM/c2 , M being the mass of the distribution of matter. When the radius is between 9m /4 and 2m the attraction is replaced by a repulsion first at the centre and then in a core gradually increasing in radius up to 2m. The matter is repelled towards the surface ending up with a spherical shell of radius 2m and of infinite density, forming a black hole.
Incidence of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in adults in Germany – a retrospective study using health claims data
Authors: Jacob Josephine , Klamroth Robert , Ploner Tina , Harder Thomas , Koch Judith , Wichmann Ole , Walker Jochen
Published: April 2021

In March 2021 several cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) accompanied by thrombocytopenia were reported that occurred within two weeks after immunization with a viral vector-based COVID-19 vaccine. This study aimed to assess the background incidence of CVST and CVST with concurrent thrombocytopenia in adults using anonymized claims data from 2015-2019 in Germany. The average annual CVST incidence was 1.9 per 100,000 individuals (95%-CI 1.4-2.3). It was higher in women aged 18 to 59 years as compared to same-aged men. In contrast to the currently reported immunization-related cases, CVST was rarely associated with concurrent thrombocytopenia or death.
5 THz bandwidth photonic radio frequency spectrum analyzer based on a CMOS-compatible high-index doped silica waveguide
Authors: LI YUHUA , KANG ZHE , ZHU KUN , AI SHIQI , WANG XIANG , DAVIDSON ROY R. , WU YAN , MORANDOTTI ROBERTO , LITTLE BRENT E. , Moss David , CHU SAI TAK
Published: April 2021

We report an all-optical radio-frequency (RF) spectrum analyzer with a bandwidth greater than 5 terahertz (THz), based on a 50-cm long spiral waveguide in a CMOS-compatible high-index doped silica platform. By carefully mapping out the dispersion profile of the waveguides for different thicknesses, we identify the optimal design to achieve near zero dispersion in the C-band. To demonstrate the capability of the RF spectrum analyzer, we measure the optical output of a femtosecond fiber laser with an ultrafast optical RF spectrum in the terahertz regime.
Cow dung and tea waste amendments enhance the biotransformation of textile mill sludge into vermicomposts using Eisenia fetida
Authors: Badhwar Vinay Kumar , Singh Charanjit
Published: April 2021

Vermicomposting of textile mill sludge (TMS) with cow dung (CD) and tea waste (TW) as amendments was done in seven different combinations using Eisenia fetida for 90 days. Results revealed that pH decreased from 7.68–8.63 to 7.09–7.59. TOC content and C/N ratio reductions were in range of 15.71–20.08% and 39.33–50.05% respectively (P < 0.05). The macronutrients in the form of TN, TP and TK increased 0.38–0.64 folds, 1.07–2.27 folds and 0.56–1.98 folds respectively after the end of bioconversion process (P < 0.05), among increases in ash content and EC. The biomass and cocoon production of E.fetida increased significantly (P < 0.05), while increasing mortality rate of earthworms was observed in treatments containing 50% or more TMS content. The bacterial population beneficial for degradation of organic matter increased significantly over initial substrates (P < 0.05). Increased humification index in the end product indicated better maturity of vermicompost as observed in treatments containing higher proportions of amendments. The addition of amendments favored earthworm activity which significantly decreased the heavy metal concentration (Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn) in the end product. The study concluded that sustainable utilization of TMS could be achieved for the cleaner and enriched vermicompost production by addition of amendments CD and TW in proportions of 50% and above.
Research of Forecasting Information Time Delays with Nenural Network in Telecontrol System
Authors: Shuping Xu , Jinfe Wu , Xiaohui Su , Xiaodun Xiong
Published: April 2021

Aiming at the issues of random delay and delay uncertainty in both the before channel and feedback channel for network control system, the root causes of random delay influence closed-loop control system by case is analysis, and the predictive control method based on neural network to solve the feasibility of existence network random delay in control system closed-loop control has provided. Simulation results show that the method can reflect and predict the delay characteristics of between measurement data represents the network path, and can effectively substitute for the actual network in the design of closed-loop control system based on Internet to research; the method used fast and accurate can be used for online learning network model and forecast the network delay value, provides a new way to remote closed-loop control based on Internet.
Deep Periocular Recognition Method via Multi-Angle Data Augmentation
Authors: Liu Bo , Lei Songze , Li Yonggang , Shan Aokui , Dong Baihua
Published: April 2021

Periocular recognition technology is a biometric recognition technology widely used in identity verification. Because of its high precision, high ease of use and high security, Periocular recognition has a broad application prospect and scientific research value. In order to solve the problem of angular rotation of eyes in practical application, this paper proposes a deep learning periocular recognition method based on multi-angle data augmentation. The method is to rotate the original data set from small angle to large angle, so that the amount of data is expanded to 7 times of the original, and the diversity of data is increased at the same time. The InceptionV3 network and MobileNetV2 lightweight network are used for experimental verification respectively, and good results are obtained from multi-angle tests, indicating that the proposed method can improve the generalization ability of the model and has good robustness.
Performance Analysis of Heat-Based Smart Phone Charger
Authors: Mgbachi C. A.
Published: April 2021

Smart phone services have become all encompassing in these modern life activities. These phones operate with batteries that provide the necessary electrical power. The batteries’ stored energy often got used up; and the conventional electrical power charging sources like public power supply, generating sets, solar devices among others are not only unreliable but most times totally unavailable in some villages and camp settlements. There was then the need to produce simple, inexpensive and easily accessible battery chargers for the phones. This paper therefore studies and analyzes the performance of a locally-made, off-grid and renewable energy power phone charger. The device output voltage, current and hence power has been tested at varying degrees of temperatures. Finally it was tested with different heat sources like, charcoals, Gas- burner, kerosene stove, wood stove, and Camp and Barbecue fires for heat source efficiencies. The results prove that charcoals and gas-burner heat sources are the most efficient heat source for operating the heat-smart- phone charger.
Research on User Dynamic Selection Network Technology
Authors: Jian Wang , Yubian Wang
Published: April 2021

As the world has entered the Internet era, more and more network operators have also developed one after another, which has been widely used in communities, schools, banks and other regions. Due to the uneven distribution of network providers in different regions, a certain network line is not running smoothly. In order to solve this problem, this paper puts forward a method that users can dynamically choose networks according to their preferences, and the problem can be solved by static routing and network address translation. At first, set the internal IP addresses of different users and the external IP addresses provided by internet providers on the ports on both sides of the user LAN router. During network address translation, a fixed one-to-one relationship established by the internal IP and the external IP is loaded into the routing table of the user LAN as a static route. Finally, users can actively and dynamically set the internal IP of the user LAN router in the router list in the user computer and realize the method that the user dynamically selects different interconnection networks.
Application Research of Decimal Network Technology
Authors: Liu Zhang , Li Shuyang
Published: April 2021

The current Internet technology is IPv4 Protocol suite, and it is completely developed by the U.S. the IPv4 protocol address space is 232, and it has some shortcoming with the development of the Internet, and IPv6 Protocol suite proposed to expand the address of IPv4, but the two protocols are not compatible, which brings certain difficulties to the final application. The decimal network standard working group of Ministry of Industry Information Technology of China has researched about the future network for more than twenty years since 2001 and developed a whole set of decimal network system, and completed the future network IPV9 series. This paper introduces the basic technology of decimal network and its related applications. The practical application shows that the decimal network has realized the characteristics of “autonomous, controllable, high-speed and compatibility”.
Gamma radiation effects on quartz Al and Ti center electron spin resonance signal intensity: Implications for quartz provenance discrimination
Authors: Wei Chuanyi , Yin Gongming , Liu Chunru , dit Jacques Dembele N’dji , Yu Lupeng , Jiang Huajun , Li Yawei , Guo Rujun , Cheng Li , Li Wenpeng
Published: April 2021

Quartz is one of the most common rock-forming minerals and crystallizes over a wide range of temperature and pressure conditions. This diversity of quartz crystallization environments is reflected by trace-element compositional variations, which can be used to distinguish between different source sediments. Trace elements that are incorporated into the quartz lattice form corresponding paramagnetic centers (impurity centers, such as Al and Ti centers), which can be detected using the electron spin resonance (ESR) method. However, whether the quartz impurity center ESR signal intensity (quartz ESR-SI) can be used for quartz sediment provenance tracing remains uncertain. In the present study, five present-day (modern) fluvial sediments from the Songhua, Yellow, Yangtze, Huai, and Pearl rivers in China and eight ancient fluvial sand lenses from the Yichang Gravel Layer (YGL) located in the middle Yangtze River were sampled for major- and trace-element determinations by ICP-OES and ICP-MS for the purpose of provenance discrimination. A total of 1404 ESR spectra were also collected to evaluate the effect of γ-ray dose (varying from 50 to 50 000 Gy) on quartz ESR-SI to establish the relationship between quartz element contents and quartz ESR-SIs and thereby to assess the potential utility of quartz ESR-SI for sediment provenance analysis. Results indicate that: (1) quartz collected from the different studied locations can be distinguished by element contents; (2) the quartz Al center ESR-SI increases with increasing γ-ray dose from 50 to 50 000 Gy; (3) the quartz Ti center ESR-SI increases within a γ-ray dose of 10 000 Gy and decreases beyond 10 000 Gy; (4) quartz Al and Ti center ESR-SIs are closely related to the contents of Al and Ti in quartz; and (5) a plot of quartz Ti center ESR-SI vs. Al center ESR-SI using data for a γ-ray dose range of 4000–7000 Gy is the best indicator of fluvial sediment provenance using the ESR method.