bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing trends in nutritional status of adolescent females: a cross-sectional study from urban and rural Bangladesh
Authors: Mostafa Ishita , Hasan Mahamudul , Das Subhasish , Khan Soroar Hossain , Hossain Md Iqbal , Faruque Abu , Ahmed Tahmeed
Published: February 2021

Objectives

Malnutrition remains a major problem among adolescents worldwide, but the types of nutritional problem impacting this group are changing significantly. This study aims to describe and analyse the trends in nutritional status and related epidemiological characteristics of 10 to 19 years old adolescent girls over time (2001 to 2018) in Bangladesh.

Methods

We extracted data from the Diarrhoeal Disease- Surveillance System of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh. We performed χ2test for trend to test for statistical significance of the changing trends of undernutrition and overnutrition among the study participants. Multivariable logistic regression model was fit to measure the strength of association, reported as adjusted OR (aOR) and corresponding 95% CIs.

Results

A total of 1224 and 628 adolescent females attended urban and rural treatment facilities, respectively, between 2001 and 2018. The proportion of stunting and thinness decreased substantially, whereas overweight has been observed to increase (1.7% to 7.4%, p<0.001) over the study period. Factors independently associated with stunting were illiteracy (aOR 2.39, 95% CI (1.68 to 3.39), p<0.001), monthly family income of less than US$100 (aOR 1.54, 95% CI (1.25 to 1.9), p<0.001) and family belonging to poorest wealth quintile (aOR 1.45, 95% CI (1.13 to 1.87), p=0.004). Younger participants (aOR 2.69, 95% CI (2.10 to 3.45), p<0.001), rural participants (aOR 1.71 95% CI (1.23 to 2.38), p<0.001), longer hospital stay (aOR 1.52, 95% CI (1.16 to 1.98), p=0.002) and monthly family income less than US$100 (aOR 1.44, 95% CI (1.09 to 1.89), p=0.009) were significantly associated with thinness. Conversely, overweight/obesity was associated with monthly family income more than US$100, duration of diarrhoea and rural participants.

Conclusion

Undernutrition in adolescent girls has decreased with time, but the burden of overweight has increased. Higher literacy and better wealth status were found to be associated with the improved nutritional status of the participants.
Cross-sectional observational study of epidemiology of COVID-19 and clinical outcomes of hospitalised patients in North West London during March and April 2020
Authors: Gopal Rao Guduru , Allen Alexander , Papineni Padmasayee , Wang Liyang , Anderson Charlotte , McGregor Alastair , Whittington Ashley , John Laurence , Harris Miriam , Hiles Stephen , Nicholas Thomas , Adams Katherine , Akbar Ayesha , Blomquist Paula , Decraene Valerie , Patel Bharat , Manuel Rohini , Chow Yimmy , Kuper Martin
Published: February 2021

Objective

The aim of this paper is to describe evolution, epidemiology and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in subjects tested at or admitted to hospitals in North West London.

Design

Observational cohort study.

Setting

London North West Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH).

Participants

Patients tested and/or admitted for COVID-19 at LNWH during March and April 2020

Main outcome measures

Descriptive and analytical epidemiology of demographic and clinical outcomes (intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation and mortality) of those who tested positive for COVID-19.

Results

The outbreak began in the first week of March 2020 and reached a peak by the end of March and first week of April. In the study period, 6183 tests were performed in on 4981 people. Of the 2086 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases, 1901 were admitted to hospital. Older age group, men and those of black or Asian minority ethnic (BAME) group were predominantly affected (p<0.05). These groups also had more severe infection resulting in ICU admission and need for mechanical ventilation (p<0.05). However, in a multivariate analysis, only increasing age was independently associated with increased risk of death (p<0.05). Mortality rate was 26.9% in hospitalised patients.

Conclusion

The findings confirm that men, BAME and older population were most commonly and severely affected groups. Only older age was independently associated with mortality.
COVID-19 in Ethiopia: a geospatial analysis of vulnerability to infection, case severity and death
Authors: Alene Kefyalew Addis , Gelaw Yalemzewod Assefa , Fetene Dagnachew Muluye , Koye Digsu N. , Melaku Yohannes Adama , Gesesew Hailay , Birhanu Mulugeta Molla , Adane Akilew Awoke , Muluneh Muluken Dessalegn , Dachew Berihun Assefa , Abrha Solomon , Aregay Atsede , Ayele Asnakew Achaw , Bezabhe Woldesellassie M , Gebremariam Kidane Tadesse , Gebremedhin Tesfaye , Gebremedhin Amanuel Tesfay , Gebremichael Lemlem , Geleto Ayele Bali , Kassahun Habtamu Tilahun , Kibret Getiye Dejenu , Leshargie Cheru Tesema , Mekonnen Alemayehu , Mirkuzie Alemnesh H. , Mohammed Hassen , Tegegn Henok Getachew , Tesema Azeb Gebresilassie , Tesfay Fisaha Haile , Wubishet Befikadu Legesse , Kinfu Yohannes
Published: February 2021

Background

COVID-19 has caused a global public health crisis affecting most countries, including Ethiopia, in various ways. This study maps the vulnerability to infection, case severity and likelihood of death from COVID-19 in Ethiopia.

Methods

Thirty-eight potential indicators of vulnerability to COVID-19 infection, case severity and likelihood of death, identified based on a literature review and the availability of nationally representative data at a low geographic scale, were assembled from multiple sources for geospatial analysis. Geospatial analysis techniques were applied to produce maps showing the vulnerability to infection, case severity and likelihood of death in Ethiopia at a spatial resolution of 1 km×1 km.

Results

This study showed that vulnerability to COVID-19 infection is likely to be high across most parts of Ethiopia, particularly in the Somali, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Tigray regions. The number of severe cases of COVID-19 infection requiring hospitalisation and intensive care unit admission is likely to be high across Amhara, most parts of Oromia and some parts of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region. The risk of COVID-19-related death is high in the country’s border regions, where public health preparedness for responding to COVID-19 is limited.

Conclusion

This study revealed geographical differences in vulnerability to infection, case severity and likelihood of death from COVID-19 in Ethiopia. The study offers maps that can guide the targeted interventions necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Ethiopia.
Effectiveness of an eHealth self-management tool for older adults with multimorbidity (KeepWell): protocol for a hybrid effectiveness–implementation randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kastner Monika , Makarski Julie , Hayden Leigh , Hamid Jemila S , Holroyd-Leduc Jayna , Twohig Margo , Macfarlane Charlie , Hynes Mary Trapani , Prasaud Leela , Sklar Barb , Honsberger Joan , Wang Marilyn , Kramer Gloria , Hobden Gerry , Armson Heather , Ivers Noah , Leung Fok-Han , Liu Barbara , Marr Sharon , Greiver Michelle , Desroches Sophie , Sibley Kathryn , Saunders Hailey , Isaranuwatchai Wanrudee , McArthur Eric , Harvey Sarah , Manawadu Kithara , Petricca Kadia , Straus Sharon E
Published: February 2021

Introduction

In response to the burden of chronic disease among older adults, different chronic disease self-management tools have been created to optimise disease management. However, these seldom consider all aspects of disease management are not usually developed specifically for seniors or created for sustained use and are primarily focused on a single disease. We created an eHealth self-management application called ‘KeepWell’ that supports seniors with complex care needs in their homes. It incorporates the care for two or more chronic conditions from among the most prevalent high-burden chronic diseases.

Methods and analysis

We will evaluate the effectiveness, cost and uptake of KeepWell in a 6-month, pragmatic, hybrid effectiveness–implementation randomised controlled trial. Older adults age ≥65 years with one or more chronic conditions who are English speaking are able to consent and have access to a computer or tablet device, internet and an email address will be eligible. All consenting participants will be randomly assigned to KeepWell or control. The allocation sequence will be determined using a random number generator.

Primary outcome is perceived self-efficacy at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, health background/status, lifestyle (nutrition, physical activity, caffeine, alcohol, smoking and bladder health), social engagement and connections, eHealth literacy; all collected via a Health Risk Questionnaire embedded within KeepWell (intervention) or a survey platform (control). Implementation outcomes will include reach, effectiveness, adoption, fidelity, implementation cost and sustainability.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval has been received from the North York General Hospital Research and Ethics Board. The study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Ontario Ministry of Health. We will work with our team to develop a dissemination strategy which will include publications, presentations, plain language summaries and an end-of-grant meeting.

Trial registration number

NCT04437238.
Medical crisis checklists in the emergency department: a simulation-based multi-institutional randomised controlled trial
Authors: Dryver Eric , Lundager Forberg Jakob , Hård af Segerstad Caroline , Dupont William D , Bergenfelz Anders , Ekelund Ulf
Published: February 2021

Background

Studies carried out in simulated environments suggest that checklists improve the management of surgical and intensive care crises. Whether checklists improve the management of medical crises simulated in actual emergency departments (EDs) is unknown.

Methods

Eight crises (anaphylactic shock, life-threatening asthma exacerbation, haemorrhagic shock from upper gastrointestinal bleeding, septic shock, calcium channel blocker poisoning, tricyclic antidepressant poisoning, status epilepticus, increased intracranial pressure) were simulated twice (once with and once without checklist access) in each of four EDs—of which two belong to an academic centre—and managed by resuscitation teams during their clinical shifts. A checklist for each crisis listing emergency interventions was derived from current authoritative sources. Checklists were displayed on a screen visible to all team members. Crisis and checklist access were allocated according to permuted block randomisation. No team member managed the same crisis more than once. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of indicated emergency interventions performed.

Results

A total of 138 participants composing 41 resuscitation teams performed 76 simulations (38 with and 38 without checklist access) including 631 interventions. Median percentage of interventions performed was 38.8% (95% CI 35% to 46%) without checklist access and 85.7% (95% CI 80% to 88%) with checklist access (p=7.5×10−8). The benefit of checklist access was similar in the four EDs and independent of senior physician and senior nurse experience, type of crisis and use of usual cognitive aids. On a Likert scale of 1–6, most participants agreed (gave a score of 5 or 6) with the statement ‘I would use the checklist if I got a similar case in reality’.

Conclusion

In this multi-institution study, checklists markedly improved local resuscitation teams’ management of medical crises simulated in situ, and most personnel reported that they would use the checklists if they had a similar case in reality.
End of life in hospitalised prisoners: a group comparison of palliative medicine and hospital use
Authors: Panozzo Stacey , Bryan Tamsin , Marco David , Collins Anna , Lethborg Carrie , Philip Jennifer
Published: February 2021

Background

Providing optimal palliative and end-of-life care for people in prison with advanced progressive disease is a growing challenge. This study aimed to examine hospital and palliative care utilisation for people in prison who are hospitalised during the final 3 months of life and to compare with a disease-matched non-incarcerated patient cohort.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of people in prison who died between 2009 and 2019 in an Australian public hospital that provides tertiary-level healthcare for 18% of Australia’s prison population. Demographic, clinical and service use data were extracted from medical records of eligible patients experiencing incarceration (prison group) and a disease-matched, non-incarcerated patient comparator group (comparator group).

Results

At the time of death, patients in the prison group were aged a median of 20 years younger than the comparator group (median age 58 vs 78 years, p<0.01). The prison group experienced more than double the mean length of acute care hospital stay at the end of life. A higher proportion of patients in the prison group experienced an intensive care unit episode (22% vs 12%). More than two-thirds (71%) of the prison group patients were seen by palliative care prior to death, similar to the comparator group (p=0.44). Those transferred to the palliative care unit had a shorter length of stay and were admitted later, just prior to death (median 5 vs 8 days).

Conclusions

People in prison have prolonged acute care public hospital stays and are more likely to experience escalation of care at the end of life. Future opportunity may exist for increased access to formal subacute care settings for people in prison with life-limiting illness to receive optimal palliative and end-of-life care.
Palliative medicine in the intensive care unit: needs, delivery, quality
Authors: A Hill Stephanie , Dawood Abdul , Boland Elaine , Leahy Hannah E , EM Murtagh Fliss
Published: February 2021

Background

15%–20% of critical care patients die during their hospital admission. This service evaluation assesses quality of palliative care in intensive care units (ICUs) compared with national standards.

Methods

Retrospective review of records for all patients who died in four ICUs (irrespective of treatment limitation) between 1 June and 31 July 2019. Descriptive statistics reported for patient characteristics, length of stay, admission route, identification triggers and palliative care delivery.

Results

Forty-five patients died, two records were untraced, thus N=43. The dying process was recognised in 88% (n=38). Among those where dying was recognised (N=35), 97% (34) had documented family discussion before death, 9% (3) were offered religious/spiritual support, 11% (4) had review of hydration/nutrition and 6% (2) had documented preferred place of death. Prescription of symptom control medications was complete in 71% (25) opioids, 34% (12) haloperidol, 54% (19) midazolam and 43% (15) hyoscine. Combining five triggers—length of stay >10 days prior to ICU admission 7% (3), multiorgan failure ≥3 systems 33% (14), stage IV malignancy 5% (2), post-cardiac arrest 23% (10) and intracerebral haemorrhage requiring mechanical ventilation 12% (5)—identified 60% (26) of patients. Referral to the palliative care team was seen in 14% (5), and 8% (3) had specialist palliative care team review.

Conclusions

Recognition of dying was high but occurred close to death. Family discussions were frequent, but religious/spiritual needs, hydration/nutrition and anticipatory medications were less often considered. The ICUs delivered their own palliative care in conjunction with specialist palliative care input. Combining five triggers could increase identification of palliative care needs, but a larger study is needed.
Comparative genomics of the chitinase gene family in lodgepole and jack pines: contrasting responses to biotic threats and landscape level investigation of genetic differentiation
Authors: Peery Rhiannon M. , McAllister Chandra H. , Cullingham Catherine I. , Mahon Elizabeth L. , Arango-Velez Adriana , Cooke Janice E.K.
Published: February 2021

The sister species, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb), face pressures from a multitude of biotic agents, including mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, 1902) and their pathogenic fungal associates (e.g., Grosmannia clavigera (Rob.-Jeffr. & R.W. Davidson) Zipfel, Z.W. de Beer & M.J. Wingf.), mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex A.Gray), and the pathogen causing western gall rust (Cronartium harknessii E. Meinecke). Here, we report new stem tissue transcriptome resources developed for lodgepole and jack pines subjected to these biotic stresses. The annotated transcriptomes were compared to determine species-specific responses to the necrotrophic G. clavigera and the biotrophic Cronartium harknessii. We focused on chitinases, a family that includes members with well-documented roles in defense. Putative chitinase family members were identified via annotation, sequence similarity to reference chitinase genes, phylogenetic analyses, and in silico motif characterization. RNA-Seq revealed marked differences in the responses of lodgepole and jack pine chitinases to G. clavigera and Cronartium harknessii. The potential for adaptive variation in chitinases was investigated by assessing the level of genetic differentiation between and within lodgepole and jack pines using single nucleotide polymorphisms within chitinases. These analyses illustrate the potential of combining transcriptomic and genotyping resources to investigate genotype–phenotype correlations for non-model species.
Quantization of Einstein-aether scalar field cosmology
Authors: Dimakis N. , Pailas T. , Paliathanasis A. , Leon G. , Terzis Petros A. , Christodoulakis T.
Published: February 2021

We present, for the first time, the quantization process for the Einstein-aether scalar field cosmology. We consider a cosmological theory proposed as a Lorentz violating inflationary model, where the aether and scalar fields interact through the assumption that the aether action constants are ultra-local functions of the scalar field. For this specific theory there is a valid minisuperspace description which we use to quantize. For a particular relation between the two free functions entering the reduced Lagrangian the solution to the Wheeler–DeWitt equation as also the generic classical solution are presented for any given arbitrary potential function.
The mobility laws of location-based games
Authors: Tonetto Leonardo , Lagerspetz Eemil , Yi Ding Aaron , Ott Jörg , Tarkoma Sasu , Nurmi Petteri
Published: February 2021

Mobility is a fundamental characteristic of human society that shapes various aspects of our everyday interactions. This pervasiveness of mobility makes it paramount to understand factors that govern human movement and how it varies across individuals. Currently, factors governing variations in personal mobility are understudied with existing research focusing on explaining the aggregate behaviour of individuals. Indeed, empirical studies have shown that the aggregate behaviour of individuals follows a truncated Lévy-flight model, but little understanding exists of the laws that govern intra-individual variations in mobility resulting from transportation choices, social interactions, and exogenous factors such as location-based mobile applications. Understanding these variations is essential for improving our collective understanding of human mobility, and the factors governing it. In this article, we study the mobility laws of location-based gaming—an emerging and increasingly popular exogenous factor influencing personal mobility. We analyse the mobility changes considering the popular PokémonGO application as a representative example of location-based games and study two datasets with different reporting granularity, one captured through location-based social media, and the other through smartphone application logging. Our analysis shows that location-based games, such as PokémonGO, increase mobility—in line with previous findings—but the characteristics governing mobility remain consistent with a truncated Lévy-flight model and that the increase can be explained by a larger number of short-hops, i.e., individuals explore their local neighborhoods more thoroughly instead of actively visiting new areas. Our results thus suggest that intra-individual variations resulting from location-based gaming can be captured by re-parameterization of existing mobility models.
Fractional Schrödinger equation and anomalous relaxation: Nonlocal terms and delta potentials
Authors: Lenzi Ervin K. , Evangelista Luiz R. , Zola Rafael S. , Petreska Irina , Sandev Trifce
Published: February 2021

We review and extend some results for the fractional Schrödinger equation by considering nonlocal terms or potential given in terms of delta functions. For each case, we have obtained the solution in terms of the Green function approach.
Joint Pre-Trained Chinese Named Entity Recognition Based on Bi-Directional Language Model
Authors: Ma Changxia , Zhang Chen
Published: February 2021

The current named entity recognition (NER) is mainly based on joint convolution or recurrent neural network. In order to achieve high performance, these networks need to provide a large amount of training data in the form of feature engineering corpus and lexicons. Chinese NER is very challenging because of the high contextual relevance of Chinese characters, that is, Chinese characters and phrases may have many possible meanings in different contexts. To this end, we propose a model that leverages a pre-trained and bi-directional encoder representations-from-transformers language model and a joint bi-directional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) and conditional random fields (CRF) model for Chinese NER. The underlying network layer embeds Chinese characters and outputs character-level representations. The output is then fed into a bidirectional long short-term memory to capture contextual sequence information. The top layer of the proposed model is CRF, which is used to take into account the dependencies of adjacent tags and jointly decode the optimal chain of tags. A series of extensive experiments were conducted to research the useful improvements of the proposed neural network architecture on different datasets without relying heavily on handcrafted features and domain-specific knowledge. Experimental results show that the proposed model is effective, and character-level representation is of great significance for Chinese NER tasks. In addition, through this work, we have composed a new informal conversation message corpus called the autonomous bus information inquiry dataset, and compared to the advanced baseline, our method has been significantly improved.
Multiple Response Optimization in Machining (Milling) of Graphene Oxide-Doped Epoxy/CFRP Composite Using CoCoSo-PCA: A Novel Hybridization Approach
Authors: Kumar Jogendra , Verma Rajesh Kumar
Published: February 2021

Graphene oxide (GO)-doped CFRP composites possess excellent mechanical properties for high-performance products of aircraft, defense, biomedical and chemical trades. This paper highlights a novel hybridization of the combined compromise solution-principal component analysis (CoCoSo-PCA) method to optimize multiple correlated responses during CNC milling of GO-doped epoxy/CFRP. The influence of process constraints like drill speed ([Formula: see text]), feed rate ([Formula: see text]), Depth of cut ([Formula: see text]) and GO wt.% (GO) on machining performances like MRR, cutting force ([Formula: see text]) and Surface roughness ([Formula: see text]) has investigated. Taguchi [Formula: see text] orthogonal array considered for machining (milling) of composite by using Titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN) milling cutter ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mm). A multivariate hybrid approach based on combined multiplication rule was utilized to evaluate the ranking of the alternatives decision process and optimize responses. ANOVA reveals that spindle speed (82.24%) is the most influential factor trailed by feed rate (5.02%), depth of cut (0.55%) and GO wt.% (2.17%). This module has fruitfully tackled critical issues such as response priority weight assignment and response correlation. Finally, CoCoSo-PCA shows the higher predicted value of 9.06 and confirmatory test performed on optimum settings as [Formula: see text] RPM, [Formula: see text]-160[Formula: see text]mm/rev [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mm and GO-1%, which show a satisfactory agreement with actual ones for favorable machining environment.
Effect of Rheological Fluid Parameters on Tool Vibration During Boring of Hardened Steel
Authors: Lawrance G. , Paul P. Sam , Vasanth X. Ajay , Varadarajan A. S.
Published: February 2021

In boring operations, tool vibration is a significant parameter which leads to poor surface finish, tool wear and damage of cutting tool. The relative dynamic motion between the cutting tool and work material induces vibration which accelerates tool wear, damage surface finish and produce irritating noise. In order to restrain tool vibration in metal cutting, it is necessary to develop and analyze suitable method which increases stability thereby improving cutting performance. The present investigation aims at developing a smart material controlled boring bar which will respond to an applied field with a dramatic change in rheological behavior. Magnetorheological fluid which was controlled by size of the particle, viscosity of fluid and positioning of rheological fluid is used as smart material in this paper. Magnetorheological fluid was developed and cutting experiments were conducted to arrive at a set of parameters that can reduce tool vibration and promote better cutting performance during boring of hardened AISI 4340 steel. From the results, it was observed that smart material controlled boring bar reduces tool vibration and also improves the cutting performance.
Thermo-Acoustic Effects on the Natural Frequencies of Vibration of an Elastic Rectangular Panel
Authors: Gascón-Pérez Manuel
Published: February 2021

In this paper, the thermo-acoustic behavior of a rectangular panel fully immersed in a compressible fluid at rest is investigated. A boundary element method (BEM) has been employed taking into account the Kirchhoff–Helmholtz (K-H) integral equation for the acoustic pressure and with the fluid-plate interface boundary condition the acoustic pressure jump over the panel is calculated. The thermal effects are considered regarding in the form of a uniform increment of temperature of the panel and are analyzed in order to prevent the buckling phenomena. The deformation modes of the panel correspond to the vacuum case. Applying a collocation method for the panel equation, the natural frequencies are obtained. The effects of several geometric parameters regarding different thermal loads on these frequencies are evaluated. Furthermore, the influence of the wave number for different temperatures of the panel on the acoustic damping ratio is evaluated, as well as the acoustic radiation efficiency for the different modes. The verification of the method is proven with other works.
A Thermodynamic-Consistent Model for the Thermo-Chemo-Mechanical Couplings in Amorphous Shape-Memory Polymers
Authors: Dai Lu , Xiao Rui
Published: February 2021

Chemically-responsive amorphous shape-memory polymers (SMPs) can transit from the temporary shape to the permanent shape in responsive to solvents. This effect has been reported in various polymer-solvent systems. However, limited attention has been paid to the constitutive modeling of this behavior. In this work, we develop a fully thermo-chemo-mechanical coupled thermodynamic framework for the chemically-responsive amorphous SMPs. The framework shows that the entropy, the chemical potential and the stress can be directly obtained if the Helmholtz free energy density is defined. Based on the entropy inequality, the evolution equation for the viscous strain, the temperature and the number of solvent molecules are also derived. We also provide an explicit form of Helmholtz free energy density as an example. In addition, based on the free volume concept, the dependence of viscosity and diffusivity on the temperature and solvent concentration is defined. The theoretical framework can potentially advance the fundamental understanding of chemically-responsive shape-memory effect. Meanwhile, it can also be used to describe other important physical processes such as the diffusion of solvents in glassy polymers.
Identification of the Model of Nonlinear Elasticity in Dynamic Experiments
Authors: Sokolova Marina , Astapov Yuri , Khristich Dmitrii
Published: February 2021

Dynamic methods for identifying a model of a nonlinearly elastic deformable body are considered. By the effective phase velocities of longitudinal and transverse waves propagating along and across the axis of the compressed bar, it is possible to determine five elastic constants of the second and third orders included in the model relations. Calculation formulae are obtained and an example of determining the dependence of phase velocities on the preliminary deformation for polyamide 6 is given. The influence of preliminary deformations on polar diagrams of wave velocities is investigated.
Structural and optical properties of ionic liquid-based hybrid perovskitoid: A combined experimental and theoretical investigation
Authors: Thawarkar Sachin , Rondiya Sachin R. , Rana Prem Jyoti Singh , Narayan Ramanuj , Dzade Nelson Y. , Singh Surya Prakash
Published: February 2021

Herein, we report a novel layered lead bromide, (CH3CH[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text]Br[Formula: see text](CH[Formula: see text]NH[Formula: see text]PbBr3, where bulky organic cations, (CH3CH[Formula: see text]N[Formula: see text]Br[Formula: see text](CH[Formula: see text]NH[Formula: see text], amino-ethyl triethyl ammonium [aetriea] were not only incorporated between the inorganic layers but also sandwiched within the inorganic [PbBr6][Formula: see text] octahedral layered structure. The UV-Visible, photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) result show that the new perovskitoid has a microrod shape with an estimated bandgap of [Formula: see text]3.05 eV. The structural and optoelectronic properties of the [aetriea]PbBr3perovskitoid were further corroborated by first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data show good stability of the [aetriea]PbBr3perovskitoid. Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) decays from new [aetriea]PbBr3perovskitoid showing 6 ns average lifetime. These results suggest that doubly charged cation hybrid perovskite materials are potential candidates for optoelectronic applications.
Simultaneous events, singularity in the space of models and chicken game
Authors: Raczynski Stanislaw
Published: February 2021

The discrete event simulation with simultaneous events is discussed. Discrete models are treated as some points in the general space of models. The main topic of this paper is the convergence of sequences of continuous models to the corresponding discrete event model. It is pointed out that the discrete event models may represent some singularities in the space of models. This fact is related to the problem of validity of discrete event simulation. The models presented here are not the topic of the paper. These are known models, used as examples. The model of the “chicken game” and multiple elastic collisions are considered. It is shown that if a discrete event model is some special limit case of a sequence of continuous models with finite event duration, then that limit model is a singularity. It may provide results very different from the expected limit value of the results from the converging sequence of models.
Kienbock’s Disease: Treatment Options – A Search for the Apt!
Authors: Bhardwaj Praveen , Varadharajan Vigneswaran , Godora Neeraj , Sabapathy S. Raja
Published: February 2021

Kienbock’s disease remains a condition of uncertain etiology and our understanding about the pathogenesis is still evolving. However, a lack of consensus on the treatment is the most striking as there are wide array of treatment options described ranging from ‘doing nothing’ to a free vascularized bone graft reconstruction of the lunate. Furthermore, most treatment modalities report equivalent success rate but cumulative evidence is lacking. This ‘black hole’ in the literature presents difficulties to surgeons treating the condition and even patient’s confidence with the treatment. All the treatment options described reliably relieve pain, thus improving function and patient satisfaction. However, the disease process is not reliably altered by any of the treatment options described till date. The operative treatment chosen depends on the stage of the disease, ulnar variance, age of the patient and surgeon preference. The treatment options in early stage (before lunate collapse) aim to preserve the lunate while once the lunate is collapsed its removal is performed. The lunate preserving operations basically are either decreasing the load on the lunate to possibly permit its revascularization or are the procedures which are aimed at augmenting the vascularity of the lunate. Radius shortening osteotomy is the most popular treatment in the early stages especially in the patients’ with negative ulnar variance and the proximal row carpectomy is most popular in the advanced stages of the disease. Authors present their algorithm of management of Kienbock’s disease and discuss the various treatment options described in the literature in an attempt to find the apt in 2020.
Intramedullary Cannulated Compression Screws for Extra-Articular Phalangeal Fractures
Authors: Reid Alex W. N. , Sood Manu K.
Published: February 2021

Background: There is no consensus as to which is the best way to fix unstable extra-articular phalangeal fractures. We performed a literature review to determine outcomes using intramedullary cannulated compression screws.

Methods: PubMed, Medline and Embase databases were searched for English language articles reporting the use of one or more intramedullary screw(s) for fixation of an acute extra-articular phalangeal fracture in adults that reported outcome data.

Results: A total of 62 abstracts were identified, of which 14 full-text articles were eligible for full-text screening for the inclusion criteria. Of these 14 articles, seven articles were included in the final study. Data on 146 phalangeal fractures were aggregated with an average patient age of 36 (18–84). 89% (130/146) fractures were of the proximal phalanx, the remainder of the middle phalanx. Surgical technique was mostly a minimally invasive technique under fluoroscopy guidance using an anterograde technique. One paper described a retrograde method. Screw diameter varied from 2.2 mm to 3.2 mm. Where the radiographic union was reported, all fractures united. Range of motion averaged 231° (range 95°–295°) in four studies. Return to work was reported as 6.4 weeks (range 0.9–16.7 weeks) in one study. Different quality-of-life scores were reported by the studies (DASH 3.52 (range 1–45), QuickDASH score of 3.9 and DASH score of 3.9). Complications rate was 5% (8/146) including 5 major complications and 3 minor in the pooled results.

Conclusions: This literature review demonstrates that fixation of extra-articular fractures of the proximal and middle phalanges with cannulated compression screws is a safe and successful surgical treatment with faster mobilization and return to work with fewer complications, including stiffness, than have been reported with plates and screws and percutaneous K-wires. This application is limited to transverse and short oblique extra-articular fractures.
Swallowing dysfunction following radiation to the rat mylohyoid muscle is associated with sensory neuron injury
Authors: King Suzanne N. , Hurley Justin , Carter Zachary , Bonomo Nicholas , Wang Brian , Dunlap Neal , Petruska Jeffrey
Published: February 2021

Radiation-based treatments for head and neck cancer can cause significant impairments in swallowing mobility. This study provides new evidence supporting the possibility of a neural contribution to the mechanisms of swallowing dysfunction in postradiation dysphagia. Our data demonstrated that radiation to the mylohyoid muscle, which induces functional deficits in swallowing, also provokes an injury/stress-like response in the ganglion, innervating the irradiated muscle.
TrkB signaling contributes to transdiaphragmatic pressure generation in aged mice
Authors: Pareja-Cajiao Miguel , Gransee Heather M. , Sieck Gary C. , Mantilla Carlos B.
Published: February 2021

TrkB signaling is necessary for generating maximal forces by the diaphragm muscle. In 19- to 21-mo-old TrkBF616Amice susceptible to 1NMPP1-induced inhibition of TrkB kinase activity, maximal Pdi generated by bilateral phrenic nerve stimulation was ∼20% lower after 1NMPP1 compared with vehicle-treated mice. Treatment with the TrkB agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone did not affect Pdi generation when compared with age-matched mice. Inhibition of TrkB kinase activity did not affect the forces generated during lower force behaviors in old age.
The UK Crop Plant Bioinformatics Network (UK CropNet)
Authors: Bradnam Keith , May Sean
Published: February 2021

UK CropNet currently provides a range of databases (and database-mining tools) to the plant community that are all freely accessible through our website (http://ukcrop.net/). Recent upgrades have meant that we can now expand the range of available facilities (e.g. addition of new databases) whilst also strengthening and improving access to existing services (e.g. providing a BLAST search facility against sequences in our databases). This article will briefly outline these and other new developments in our service.
The Dual Origin of the Yeast Mitochondrial Proteome
Authors: Karlberg Olof , Canbäck Björn , Kurland Charles G. , Andersson Siv G. E.
Published: February 2021

We propose a scheme for the origin of mitochondria based on phylogenetic reconstructions with more than 400 yeast nuclear genes that encode mitochondrial proteins. Half of the yeast mitochondrial proteins have no discernable bacterial homologues, while one-tenth are unequivocally of α-proteobacterial origin. These data suggest that the majority of genes encoding yeast mitochondrial proteins are descendants of two different genomic lineages that have evolved in different modes. First, the ancestral free-living α-proteobacterium evolved into an endosymbiont of an anaerobic host. Most of the ancestral bacterial genes were lost, but a small fraction of genes supporting bioenergetic and translational processes were retained and eventually transferred to what became the host nuclear genome. In a second, parallel mode, a larger number of novel mitochondrial genes were recruited from the nuclear genome to complement the remaining genes from the bacterial ancestor. These eukaryotic genes, which are primarily involved in transport and regulatory functions, transformed the endosymbiont into an ATP-exporting organelle.
Imaging Analysis of Prosthesis Angle after Hip Replacement with Direct Anterior Approach in Lateral Position
Authors: Zhang Daojian , Pan Liping , Maimaitijuma Talatibaike , Liu Heng , Wu Hao
Published: February 2021

The use of lateral DAA-THA for the treatment of end-stage hip disorders has good recent clinical efficacy, does not require special surgical beds and traction equipment, uses traditional surgical instruments, reduces the requirements for surgical beds and surgical instruments, enters through the nerve and muscle anatomical gap without cutting any muscle or nerve tissue, is minimally invasive, and has good surgical maneuverability, low bleeding, low postoperative pain, short hospitalization time, and rapid recovery. It is a safe and effective minimally invasive procedure because of its light weight, short hospital stay, and rapid recovery. In this paper, we used imaging to observe the angle of the posterior prosthesis. And the results showed that hip arthroplasty using the direct anterior approach improved hip mobility in early stages compared with other approaches and reduced pain. The direct anterior approach and length between total hip arthroplasty using direct lateral and posterior lateral approach and partial data (surgical time, blood loss, etc.) were significantly worse than those using direct forward approach. In addition, the direct anterior approach to total hip arthroplasty is subject to a learning curve and requires at least 33 cases of experience to achieve a lower complication rate.
Numerical Simulation of Fine Particle Solid‐Liquid Two‐Phase Flow in a Centrifugal Pump
Authors: Wang Yanping , Chen Bozhou , Zhou Ye , Ma Jianfeng , Zhang Xinglin , Zhu Zuchao , Li Xiaojun
Published: February 2021

To study the effect of fine particle size and volume concentration on the performance of solid‐liquid two‐phase centrifugal pump, the mixture multiphase flow model, RNG k-ε turbulence model, and SIMPLEC algorithm were used to simulate the two‐phase flow of the centrifugal pump. The effects of particle size and volume concentration on internal pressure distribution, solid volume distribution, and external characteristics were analyzed. The results show that under the design discharge conditions, with the increase of particle size and volume concentration, the internal pressure of the flow field will decrease, and the volume fraction of solid phase in the impeller passage will also decrease as a whole. The solid particles gradually migrate from the suction surface to the pressure surface, and the particles in the volute channel are mainly concentrated in the flow channel near the outlet side of the volute. With the increase of particle size and volume concentration, the negative pressure value at the inlet of centrifugal pump increases, the total pressure difference at the inlet and outlet decreases, and the head and efficiency decrease accordingly.
Microtensile Bond Strength of Etch-and-Rinse Adhesives in Different Hydroabrasion Conditionings
Authors: Tepedino Michele , Iancu Potrubacz Maciej , Imperiale Antonella , Chimenti Claudio , Capogreco Mario , D’Amario Maurizio
Published: February 2021

The aim of the present study was to in vitro evaluate the effect of dentin conditioning with hydroabrasion on the microtensile bond strengths of three adhesive systems, compared to the standard etch-and-rinse technique. Sixty extracted human third molars were collected, and their midcoronal occlusal dentin was used for the microtensile bond strength test. Teeth were randomly assigned to three groups according to the adhesive system used: ExciTE F DSC, ENA Bond, and Scotchbond Universal. Specimens from each group were further divided into four subgroups: control specimens were treated with standard adhesive procedures; hydroabraded (HA) specimens were subjected to preventive hydroabrasion with three different intensity levels. After bonding procedures, composite crowns were incrementally built up. After thermocycling, specimens were subsequently sectioned into 1 × 1 mm sticks, and microtensile bond strengths were measured. Data were statistically analyzed. Failure mode analysis was performed. There were no significant differences in terms of bond strength between standard adhesion protocols and adhesion with HA preconditionings. On the other hand, the type of adhesive used had a significant effect on the tensile bond strength. Subgroups treated with hydroabrasion at higher intensity showed a slightly increased frequency of cohesive fractures. In conclusion, hydroabrasion can be used for dentin cavity preparation or finishing, since it does not seem to affect the bonding effectiveness.
Viscoelastic Equivalent Creep Behavior and Its Influencing Factors of Basalt Fiber‐Reinforced Asphalt Mixture under Indirect Tensile Condition
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyuan , Zhang Yu , Wu Yichun , Xia Peng
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study is to further investigate the effect of different basalt fiber (BF) factors on the viscoelastic equivalent creep behavior of fiber‐reinforced asphalt mixture (FRAM) under indirect tensile (IDT) condition. A two‐dimension mesostructural model composed of different components including fiber mortar polymer and coarse particle aggregate is constructed via the section image processing for the IDT FRAM specimen, where BF is considered as random distribution in the mortar polymer. Furthermore, the stress distribution and equivalent creep of the IDT mesostructural model in simulation software are analyzed to discuss the influence of components on the creep behavior of FRAM. Moreover, the laboratory creep test of IDT specimens under 0% and 0.3% BF contents for FRAM is carried out to validate the simulated values. Research results indicate that the simulated creep deformation of the IDT mesostructural model is in agreement with that of the experiment. Finally, creep simulations are further conducted to discuss the effect of BF (e.g., fiber content, length‐diameter ratio, and fiber modulus) and aggregate on the creep characteristic of FRAM. The increase of fiber content and length‐diameter ratio has a significant reinforcing effect on the equivalent mechanical behavior, but the change in the modulus of fiber and aggregate has slight effects.
Temporomandibular Joint Ankylosis among Patients at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Ethiopia: A 9-Year Retrospective Study
Authors: Mekonnen Dereje , Gizaw Andamlak , Kebede Bruktawit
Published: February 2021

Background. Temporomandibular joint ankylosis (TMJA) is a gradually developing pathological condition manifested by a limited mouth opening. It can result in an extremely disabling deformity that may affect mastication, swallowing, speech, oral hygiene, and facial cosmetic appearance. The present study aimed to determine the pattern of TMJA at St. Paul’s Hospital millennium medical college (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods. A retrospective descriptive study design was conducted at SPHMMC. All medical records of patients with the diagnosis of TMJA that visited the Maxillofacial Surgery unit from September 2010 through August 2019 were reviewed. Sociodemographic and clinical data including age, sex, place of residency, duration of TMJA cases, etiology, clinical presentations, imaging results, type of surgical operation, and complications after surgery were collected and analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 20 for Windows (Armonk, NY, USA: IBM Corp) computer program. Results. A total of 130 patients’ medical records were reviewed. Out of this, 95 were included in the study. Forty-two (44.2%) of the TMJA cases were males, while the remaining 53 (55.8%) were females with a male to female ratio of 0.79 : 1. 20–29-year-old patients were the most affected, 36 (37.9%), followed by the 30 to 39 years age group, 33 (34.7%). Trauma (77.9%) was identified as the most common cause of TMJA. Notably, bilateral ankylosis (72.6%) was more common than unilateral (27.3%), and micrognathia was the most common (23.0%) deformity observed. The majority 52 (54.7%) of TMJA patients were treated with gap arthroplasty. Conclusions. TMJA was predominant among females than their male counterparts. Of note, 20–29-year-old patients were the most affected group. The majority of TMJA cases were treated by gap arthroplasty with almost no postoperative complications. Early detection and intervention to release the ankylosed joint is needed to improve patients’ quality of life.