bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional Literacy of a Primary Schoolchildren: Ways to Overcome Difficulties in Its Formation
Authors: Vinogradova Natalya
Published: August 2021

The article discusses the problem of the formation of functional literacy of primary schoolchildren as the main learning outcome that meets the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard of Primary General Education. The article reveals the characteristics of the concept of “functional literacy”, which includes two groups of achievements of a younger student - subject and metasubject. The reader gets acquainted with the widespread pedagogical “mistakes” of the teacher, as well as the difficulties that children face in the learning process. The main types of educational activity are determined, which to the greatest extent contribute to the formation of functional literacy of primary schoolchildren, which primarily include search and research activities.
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State and Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Nivolumab-Induced Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Saleh Ahmed Osman , Taha Ruba , Mohamed Shehab Fareed A. , Bashir Mohammed
Published: August 2021

Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against programmed cell death-1 receptor. It has an increasing application in the treatment of various advanced metastatic cancers. The incidence of autoimmune side effects associated with such agents is expected to increase. New-onset autoimmune diabetes mellitus associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment is rare, occurring in less than 1% of patients. Nivolumab-induced diabetes often presents as diabetic ketoacidosis, which could be life-threatening if not recognized and treated promptly. We present the case of a patient who developed severe diabetic ketoacidosis concomitant with hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS) after receiving nivolumab for metastatic testicular lymphoma. Pre-nivolumab blood glucose levels were normal, apart from transient hyperglycaemia related to steroids as part of the chemotherapy protocol. The diagnosis was confirmed with extremely low C-peptide in the clinic.
Post-mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination Myocarditis
Authors: Matta Abhishek , Kallamadi Rekha , Matta Danielle , Banda Dinesh
Published: August 2021

A new trend of myocarditis among young adults who received mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 is emerging. We present the case of a young adult who presented with chest pain 3 days after the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. He had elevated troponin I and C-reactive protein levels at the time of admission. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram findings were unremarkable. The patient improved with conservative management and was discharged home the next day.
Role of microRNA in muscle regeneration and diseases related to muscle dysfunction in atrophy, cachexia, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis
Authors: Brzeszczyńska Joanna , Brzeszczyński Filip , Hamilton David F , McGregor Robin , Simpson A. Hamish R. W.
Published: August 2021

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that have emerged as potential predictive, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers, relevant to many pathophysiological conditions including limb immobilization, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, and cachexia. Impaired musculoskeletal homeostasis leads to distinct muscle atrophies. Understanding miRNA involvement in the molecular mechanisms underpinning conditions such as muscle wasting may be critical to developing new strategies to improve patient management. MicroRNAs are powerful post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in muscle and, importantly, are also detectable in the circulation. MicroRNAs are established modulators of muscle satellite stem cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation, however, there have been limited human studies that investigate miRNAs in muscle wasting. This narrative review summarizes the current knowledge as to the role of miRNAs in the skeletal muscle differentiation and atrophy, synthesizing the findings of published data.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(11):798–807.
An approach to quality analysis, gap filling and homogeneity of monthly rainfall series
Authors: Santos Janaina Cassiano dos , Lyra Gustavo Bastos , Abreu Marcel Carvalho , Menezes Daniel Carlos de
Published: August 2021

The aim of this work was to propose a method for the consistency of climatic series of monthly rainfall using a supervised and unsupervised approach. The methodology was applied for the series (1961-2010) of rainfall from weather stations located in the State of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and in the borders with the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo with the State of Rio de Janeiro. The data were submitted to quality analysis (physical and climatic limit and, space-time tendency) and gap filling, based on simple linear regression analysis, associated with the prediction band (p < 0.05 or 0.01), in addition to the Z-score (3, 4 or 5). Next, homogeneity analysis was applied to the continuous series, using the method of cumulative residuals. The coefficients of determination (r²) between the assessed series and the reference series were greater than 0.70 for gap filling both for the supervised and unsupervised approaches. In the analysis of data homogeneity, supervised and unsupervised approaches were effective in selecting homogeneous series, in which five out of the nine final stations were homogeneous (p > 0.9). In the other series, the homogeneity break points were identified and the simple linear regression method was applied for their homogenization. The proposed method was effective to consist of the rainfall series and allows the use of these data in climate studies.
Scintillation and bit error rate in bidirectional laser communications between an aerial vehicle and a satellite using annular optical beams in strong turbulent atmosphere
Authors: Gerçekcioğlu Hamza , Baykal Yahya
Published: August 2021

Scintillation index is examined for annular optical beams in a strong atmospheric medium of a slant path. On-axis scintillations have small- and large-scale components and are formulated for the uplink/downlink of aerial vehicle-satellite laser communications. For this purpose, the unified Rytov method and the amplitude spatial filtering of the atmospheric spectrum are utilized. Performances given by the average bit error rate (BER) are investigated by employing the corresponding scintillation index, which is found by using intensity having gamma-gamma distribution. Strong atmospheric turbulence effects on the scintillation index and BER of the collimated annular optical beam having various thicknesses are reported for the up/down vertical links, and these are compared with the scintillations of the collimated Gaussian optical beams against propagation length, source size, and the zenith angle with the selected thickness. Utilizing the scintillations found, BER changes against average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)are plotted for up/down vertical links. The scintillation index and BER in the downlink are found to be different than the scintillation index and BER in the uplink for strong atmospheric turbulence, mainly because the structure constant is a function of the altitude. Considering the location where the aerial vehicle and satellite are deployed as the reference points, annular beams are more advantageous than the Gaussian beams at up/down slant link lengths. The effect of the thickness of the annular beam is apparent for the uplink, where thin annular beams are more advantageous at small link lengths and thick annular beams are more advantageous at large link lengths. In the downlink, thin annular beams are more advantageous at all link lengths.
Nonlinear optical property and application of yttrium oxide in erbium-doped fiber lasers
Authors: Liu Wenjun , Shi Tuo , Liu Mengli , Wang Qian , Liu Ximei , Zhou Qin , Lei Ming , Lu Pengfei , Yu Li , Wei Zhiyi
Published: August 2021

Yttrium oxide (Y2O3) has garnered some attention in view of its potential to be integrated into a wide range of high-strength structural components, microelectronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the nonlinear optical research of this promising material has not been implemented yet. In this paper, not only the electronic band structures of Y2O3 are theoretically calculated but also the optical nonlinearity of Y2O3 is validated by using the fiber laser as a platform. Meanwhile, the influence of sample thickness on laser performance is further explored by using Y2O3 saturable absorbers with different thickness. Results indicate that Y2O3 not only has impressive optical nonlinearity but also is beneficial to the investigation of ultrafast photons by adjusting the thickness of Y2O3. Therefore, Y2O3 can be used as a potential saturable absorber candidate for in-depth research and application.
Reflection based coupling efficiency enhancement in a fluorescent planar concentrator for an optical wireless receiver
Authors: Cho Seonghyeon , Chun Hyunchae
Published: August 2021

Fluorescent planar concentrators have been proposed as optical concentrators that can have both a wide field of view and a high optical gain stemming from a large collection area for optical wireless communications. However, the fluorescent concentrators with such a large collection area often lead to a low light coupling efficiency due to the edge coupling mechanism leading to a considerable optical power loss. In this work, an analysis of the light coupling efficiency enhancement in the electrical power gain is presented. In particular, a practical method to improve the coupling efficiency by introducing edge and back reflection using Lambertian-, specular-, and retro-reflectors is presented. It is demonstrated that by choosing the optimal reflectors, the received signal strength can be improved by more than a factor of two. Also demonstrated with the proposed method is a data rate more than 1.12 Gbps with bit error rate less than 3.8 × 10−3 using a DC-biased optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first Gbps class demonstration using a commercial fluorescent planar concentrator.
Inner helical waveplate with angle-insensitive retardation
Authors: Zhang Chi , Niu Rui , Sha Pengfei , Li Xiaoshuai , Ma Hongmei , Sun Yubao
Published: August 2021

The angle-sensitivity is a serious defect of birefringent waveplate, and it draws lots of interest from researchers. In this paper, an angle-insensitive waveplate with inner helix structure is proposed. The super-twisted nematic liquid crystal polymer is used to fabricate the inner helical waveplate, and the retardation-shift is measured and analyzed. In the measured result, the retardation-shift is in the range from -0.311% to 0.194% at 45° polar angle, which is 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of the conventional waveplate. Theoretically, the retardation-shift is less than 0.5% in the polar angle range from 0° to 60°, and it will be less if the material with high refractive index is used. The analysis of the self-compensation effect explains the principle of angle-insensitivity, and the influence of tilt angle on angle-sensitivity is also investigated to guide the better design. At last, the application of the inner helical waveplate in wide color gamut display is taken as an example to show the broad application prospects.
Three-dimensional Dirac material anode enables concentrated solar thermionic converters
Authors: Zhang Xin , Li Jingwen , Wang Jicheng , Guo Juncheng , Ang Yee Sin
Published: August 2021

Concentrated solar thermionic converters (CSTCs) are proposed by using three-dimensional (3D) Dirac material (DM) as the novel anode, significantly improving device performance. A theoretical model is developed to investigate the optimal performance of CSTCs. Under a solar concentration of 500, the CSTC reaches a maximum conversion efficiency of 11.8%. Furthermore, the optimal working condition and parametric selection criteria of the CSTC parameters under different solar concentrations are determined. Importantly, we demonstrate that 3D DM as an anode has more advantages over metal and graphene in CSTCs. This work thus offers a theoretical foundation for the exploration of solar thermionic application in using 3D DMs as novel electrodes.
Characterization of rubidium thin cell properties with sandwiched structure using a multipath interferometer with an optical frequency comb
Authors: Wang Sandan , Yuan Jinpeng , Wang Lirong , Xiao Liantuan , Jia Suotang
Published: August 2021

The characterization of the layer properties of multilayered structures has attracted research interest owing to advanced applications in fields of atom-based sensors, ultra-narrow optical filters, and composite films. Here, a robust non-destructive multipath interferometry method is proposed to characterize the features of a thin cell with a borosilicate glass–rubidium–borosilicate glass sandwiched structure using a femtosecond optical frequency comb. The multipath interference method serves as a powerful tool for identification of the layer number and physical thickness of a three-layered structure. Moreover, the global distribution map is obtained by scanning the entire region. Furthermore, the amplitude of sub-Doppler reflection spectra of the rubidium D2 line is confirmed at different target points to validate this method. This result promotes the development of thin-cell-based atomic devices with strong light–matter interaction at atomic scales.
Temperature-induced surface phonon polaritons dissipation in perovskite SrTiO3
Authors: Yang Jia-Yue , Cheng Tao , Fei Tianhao , Zhang Chun , Liu Linhua
Published: August 2021

Perovskite

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has emerged as a relevant technological material for nano-photonics that confines light to subdiffraction geometry with remarkably wide spectral tunability. Yet, the influence of lattice vibrations on its surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs) and localized surface phonon resonances (LSPhRs) receives little attention, and the underlying physics still remains elusive. Here, we apply spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) experiments and multiscale simulations spanning from first-principles to finite-difference time-domain (FDTD), and investigate the temperature influence on infrared dielectric functions, SPhPs and LSPhRs of

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. SE measurements find that the width of the Reststrahlen band lying between transverse and longitudinal oxygen-related optical phonons changes slightly, but infrared dielectric functions vary significantly as temperature increases. First-principles calculations confirm the coupling of the motion of oxygen atoms to incident photons, forming quasiparticles of SPhPs. FDTD simulations show that strong LSPhRs exist at 250 K in the

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nanodisks but dissipate as lattice vibration strengthens, mainly due to the reduced phonon relaxation lifetime. This work reveals the underlying physics of temperature influence on SPhPs and LSPhRs of

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and helps explore its potential applications as photonic resonators at high temperatures.
A strategy for mapping biophysical to abstract neuronal network models applied to primary visual cortex
Authors: Chizhov Anton V. , Graham Lyle J.
Published: August 2021

A fundamental challenge for the theoretical study of neuronal networks is to make the link between complex biophysical models based directly on experimental data, to progressively simpler mathematical models that allow the derivation of general operating principles. We present a strategy that successively maps a relatively detailed biophysical population model, comprising conductance-based Hodgkin-Huxley type neuron models with connectivity rules derived from anatomical data, to various representations with fewer parameters, finishing with a firing rate network model that permits analysis. We apply this methodology to primary visual cortex of higher mammals, focusing on the functional property of stimulus orientation selectivity of receptive fields of individual neurons. The mapping produces compact expressions for the parameters of the abstract model that clearly identify the impact of specific electrophysiological and anatomical parameters on the analytical results, in particular as manifested by specific functional signatures of visual cortex, including input-output sharpening, conductance invariance, virtual rotation and the tilt after effect. Importantly, qualitative differences between model behaviours point out consequences of various simplifications. The strategy may be applied to other neuronal systems with appropriate modifications.
Cholecystokinin-like peptide mediates satiety by inhibiting sugar attraction
Authors: Guo Di , Zhang Yi-Jie , Zhang Su , Li Jian , Guo Chao , Pan Yu-Feng , Zhang Ning , Liu Chen-Xi , Jia Ya-Long , Li Chen-Yu , Ma Jun-Yu , Nässel Dick R. , Gao Cong-Fen , Wu Shun-Fan
Published: August 2021

Feeding is essential for animal survival and reproduction and is regulated by both internal states and external stimuli. However, little is known about how internal states influence the perception of external sensory cues that regulate feeding behavior. Here, we investigated the neuronal and molecular mechanisms behind nutritional state-mediated regulation of gustatory perception in control of feeding behavior in the brown planthopper and Drosophila. We found that feeding increases the expression of the cholecystokinin-like peptide, sulfakinin (SK), and the activity of a set of SK-expressing neurons. Starvation elevates the transcription of the sugar receptor Gr64f and SK negatively regulates the expression of Gr64f in both insects. Interestingly, we found that one of the two known SK receptors, CCKLR-17D3, is expressed by some of Gr64f-expressing neurons in the proboscis and proleg tarsi. Thus, we have identified SK as a neuropeptide signal in a neuronal circuitry that responds to food intake, and regulates feeding behavior by diminishing gustatory receptor gene expression and activity of sweet sensing GRNs. Our findings demonstrate one nutritional state-dependent pathway that modulates sweet perception and thereby feeding behavior, but our experiments cannot exclude further parallel pathways. Importantly, we show that the underlying mechanisms are conserved in the two distantly related insect species.
Comparison between blood hemoglobin concentration determined by point-of-care device and complete blood count in adult patients with dengue
Authors: Wisanuvej Kantasit , Boonyawat Kochawan , Savetamornkul Chutchaiwat , Virapongsiri Sirapong , Krongvorakul Jatupon , Sungkanuparph Somnuek , Phuphuakrat Angsana
Published: August 2021

Background

Hematocrit measurement has been an indispensable tool for monitoring plasma leakage and bleeding in dengue patients. However, hematocrit measurement by automated methods is hampered by frequent venipunctures. Utility of point-of-care hemoglobin (POC-Hb) test for monitoring dengue patients has not been established. We evaluated the relationship between hemoglobin measured by POC-Hb testing and hematocrit measured by the automated method in adult dengue patients.

Methodology and principal findings

Adult dengue patients were recruited at two university hospitals in Thailand from October 2019 to December 2020. POC-Hb test was performed using capillary blood simultaneously with venipuncture to obtain whole blood for an automated complete blood count (CBC) analysis. The correlation of hemoglobin and hematocrit measurement was evaluated. A total of 44 dengue patients were enrolled. Twenty-nine patients (65.9%) were female, with a median age of 31 years (interquartile range 22–41). Of the enrolled patients, 30 (68.2%), 11 (25.0%), and 3 (6.8%) were classified as dengue without warning signs, with warning signs, and severe dengue, respectively. Seven patients (15.9%) had hemoconcentration, and five patients (11.3%) had bleeding. A total of 216 pairs of POC-Hb and CBC were evaluated. A significant positive correlation was observed between hemoglobin measured by POC-Hb testing and hematocrit measured by an automated CBC (r = 0.869, p <0.001). Bland-Altman analysis between hemoglobin measured by POC-Hb testing and an automated CBC showed a bias of -0.43 (95% limit of agreement of -1.81 and 0.95). Using the cutoff of POC-Hb ≥20% as a criteria for hemoconcentration, the sensitivity and specificity of hemoconcentration detected by POC-Hb device were 71.4% and 100.0%, respectively.

Conclusions

Hemoglobin measurement by POC-Hb testing has a strong correlation with hematocrit in adult patients with dengue fever. However, the sensitivity in detecting hemoconcentration is fair. The adjunct use of capillary POC-Hb testing can decrease the frequency of venipuncture. Further study in children is encouraged.
Schistosome eggs stimulate reactive oxygen species production to enhance M2 macrophage differentiation and promote hepatic pathology in schistosomiasis
Authors: Yu Yanxiong , Wang Junling , Wang Xiaohong , Gu Pan , Lei Zhigang , Tang Rui , Wei Chuan , Xu Lei , Wang Chun , Chen Ying , Pu Yanan , Qi Xin , Yu Beibei , Chen Xiaojun , Zhu Jifeng , Li Yalin , Zhang Zhijie , Zhou Sha , Su Chuan
Published: August 2021

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease of public health concern. The most devastating pathology in schistosomiasis japonica and mansoni is mainly attributed to the egg-induced granulomatous response and secondary fibrosis in host liver, which may lead to portal hypertension or even death of the host. Schistosome eggs induce M2 macrophages-rich granulomas and these M2 macrophages play critical roles in the maintenance of granuloma and subsequent fibrosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are highly produced by stimulated macrophages during infection and necessary for the differentiation of M2 macrophages, are massively distributed around deposited eggs in the liver. However, whether ROS are induced by schistosome eggs to subsequently promote M2 macrophage differentiation, and the possible underlying mechanisms as well, remain to be clarified during S. japonicum infection. Herein, we observed that extensive expression of ROS in the liver of S. japonicum-infected mice. Injection of ROS inhibitor in infected mice resulted in reduced hepatic granulomatous responses and fibrosis. Further investigations revealed that inhibition of ROS production in S. japonicum-infected mice reduces the differentiation of M2, accompanied by increased M1 macrophage differentiation. Finally, we proved that S. japonicum egg antigens (SEA) induce a high level of ROS production via both nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2 (NOX2) and mitochondria in macrophages. Our study may help to better understand the mechanism of schistosomiasis japonica-induced hepatic pathology and contribute to the development of potential therapeutic strategies by interfering with ROS production.
Potential of in vivo- and in vitro-cultured entomopathogenic nematodes to infect Lobesia vanillana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) under laboratory conditions
Authors: du Preez Francois , Malan Antoinette Paula , Addison Pia
Published: August 2021

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been successfully applied as biological control agents against above ground and soil stages of insect pests. However, for commercial application, it is crucial to mass culture these nematodes usingin vitroliquid culture technology, as it is not attainable when using susceptible insects as hosts.Lobesia vanillana(Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is regarded a sporadic pest of wine grapes in South Africa. Thein vivo-andin vitro-cultured South African EPNs,Steinernema yirgalemenseandSteinernema jeffreyense(Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), were evaluated against larvae and pupae ofL.vanillanain laboratory bioassays. For larvae, high mortality was observed for all treatments:In vitro-culturedS.yirgalemense(98%) performed better thanS.jeffreyense(73%), while withinin vivocultures, there was no difference between nematode species (both 83%). No significant difference was detected betweenin vivo-andin vitrocultures of the same nematode species. The LD50of thein vitro-culturedS.yirgalemense, was 7.33 nematodes per larva. Mortality by infection was established by dissectingL.vanillanacadavers and confirming the presence of nematodes, which was > 90% for all treatments. Withinin vitrocultures, bothS.yirgalemenseandS.jeffreyensewere able to produce a new cohort of infective juveniles fromL.vanillanalarvae. Pupae, however, were found to be considerably less susceptible to EPN infection. This is the first study on the use of EPNs to controlL.vanillana. The relative success ofin vitro-cultured EPN species in laboratory assays, without any loss in pathogenicity, is encouraging for further research and development of this technology.
Molecular Characterization and Demographic Study on Infectious Bursal Disease Virus in Faisalabad District
Authors: Sajid Sanaullah , Rahman Sajjad ur , Mohsin Gilani Mashkoor , Sindhu Zia ud Din , Ali Manel Ben , Hedfi Amor , Almalki Mohammed , Mahmood Shahid
Published: August 2021

The re-emergence of virulent strains of the Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) leads to significant economic losses of poultry industry in Pakistan during last few years. This disease causes the infection of bursa, which leads to major immune losses. A total number of 30 samples from five IBD outbreaks during the period of 2019–20 were collected from different areas of Faisalabad district, Pakistan and assayed by targeting the IBD virus VP2 region through RT-PCR. Among all the outbreaks, almost 80% of poultry birds were found positive for the IBDV. The bursa tissues were collected from the infected birds and histopathological examination of samples revealed severe lymphocytic depletion, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and necrosis of the bursa of Fabricius (BF). Positive samples were subjected to re-isolation and molecular characterization of IBDV. The Pakistan IBDV genes were subjected to DNA sequencing to determine the virus nucleotide sequences. The sequences of 100 Serotype-I IBDVs showing nearest homology were compared and identified with the study sequence. The construction of the phylogenetic tree for nucleotide sequences was accomplished by the neighbor-joining method in MEGA-6 with reference strains. The VP2 segment reassortment of IBDVs carrying segment A were identified as one important type of circulating strains in Pakistan. The findings indicated the molecular features of the Pakistan IBDV strains playing a role in the evolution of new strains of the virus, which will contribute to the vaccine selection and effective prevention of the disease.
Understanding community member and health care professional perspectives on gender-affirming care—A qualitative study
Authors: Loo Stephanie , Almazan Anthony N. , Vedilago Virginia , Stott Brooke , Reisner Sari L. , Keuroghlian Alex S.
Published: August 2021

Background

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people experience significant barriers to accessing affirming health services. There is a paucity of literature examining how both community members and health care professionals (HCPs) understand potential causes and solutions for these barriers, particularly in non-urban settings.

Objective

We present the first systematic examination of perspectives from community members and HCPs regarding barriers to and solutions for promoting access to gender-affirming health care.

Design

Study activities were conducted through the Plan and Act for Transgender Health (PATH) Project, a health needs assessment of TGD people. Community members in the catchment area were recruited to participate in focus group discussions about access to gender-affirming health care and optimal health service delivery models in March-October 2019. HCPs were recruited to participate in focus group discussions or in-depth interviews about experiences working with TGD clients. Data were analyzed using an inductive grounded theory approach.

Setting

25 rural counties in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

Participants

Study participants included 61 adult TGD community members and 23 HCPs working in the catchment area.

Results

Both community members and HCPs spoke of the need for connectedness and linkages among disparate health system components for gender-affirming health care. Participants expressed this priority through calls for systems-level improvements within existing services (e.g., expanded data collection, expanded mental health services, inclusive and affirming health care environments, and TGD staff). They also expressed the need for expanded TGD community outreach and engagement (e.g., incorporation of a patient feedback process, TGD health navigators, and resource mapping).

Limitations

Findings specifically reflect the perspectives of community members and HCPs in the rural New England area. Furthermore, the study sample was predominantly White non-Hispanic.

Conclusion

Interventions to achieve accessible gender-affirming health care must address the diverse perspectives and needs of both community members and HCPs.
Risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection following exposure to fluoroquinolones, common antibiotics, and febrile illness using a self-controlled case series study design: Retrospective analyses of three large healthcare databases in the US
Authors: Londhe Ajit A. , Holy Chantal E. , Weaver James , Fonseca Sergio , Villasis Angelina , Fife Daniel
Published: August 2021

Objective

Recent observational studies suggest increased aortic aneurysm or dissection (AAD) risk following fluoroquinolone (FQ) exposure but acknowledge potential for residual bias from unreported patient characteristics. The objective of our study is to evaluate the potential association between FQ, other common antibiotics and febrile illness with risk of AAD using a self-controlled case series (SCCS) study design.

Design

Retrospective database analysis–SCCS.

Setting

Primary and Secondary Care.

Study population

51,898 patients across 3 US claims databases (IBM® MarketScan® commercial and Medicare databases, Optum Clinformatics).

Exposure

FQ or other common antibiotics or febrile illness.

Outcome

AAD.

Methods

We studied patients with exposures and AAD between 2012 and 2017 in 3 databases. Risk windows were defined as exposure period plus 30 days. Diagnostic analyses included p-value calibration to account for residual error using negative control exposures (NCE), and pre-exposure outcome analyses to evaluate exposure-outcome timing. The measure of association was the incidence rate ratio (IRR) comparing exposed and unexposed time.

Results

Most NCEs produced effect estimates greater than the hypothetical null, indicating positive residual error; calibrated p (Cp) values were therefore used. The IRR following FQ exposure ranged from 1.13 (95% CI: 1.04–1.22 –Cp: 0.503) to 1.63 (95% CI: 1.45–1.84 –Cp: 0.329). An AAD event peak was identified 60 days before first FQ exposure, with IRR increasing between the 60- to 30- and 29- to 1-day pre-exposure periods. It is uncertain how much this pre-exposure AAD event peak reflects confounding versus increased antibiotic use after a surgical correction of AADs.

Conclusion

This study does not confirm prior studies. Using Cp values to account for residual error, the observed FQ-AAD association cannot be interpreted as significant. Additionally, an AAD event surge in the 60 days before FQ exposure is consistent with confounding by indication, or increased use of antibiotics post-surgery.

Registration

NCT03479736.
Dimensionality reduction for classification of object weight from electromyography
Authors: Lashgari Elnaz , Maoz Uri
Published: August 2021

Electromyography (EMG) is a simple, non-invasive, and cost-effective technology for measuring muscle activity. However, multi-muscle EMG is also a noisy, complex, and high-dimensional signal. It has nevertheless been widely used in a host of human-machine-interface applications (electrical wheelchairs, virtual computer mice, prosthesis, robotic fingers, etc.) and, in particular, to measure the reach-and-grasp motions of the human hand. Here, we developed an automated pipeline to predict object weight in a reach-grasp-lift task from an open dataset, relying only on EMG data. In doing so, we shifted the focus from manual feature-engineering to automated feature-extraction by using pre-processed EMG signals and thus letting the algorithms select the features. We further compared intrinsic EMG features, derived from several dimensionality-reduction methods, and then ran several classification algorithms on these low-dimensional representations. We found that the Laplacian Eigenmap algorithm generally outperformed other dimensionality-reduction methods. What is more, optimal classification accuracy was achieved using a combination of Laplacian Eigenmaps (simple-minded) and k-Nearest Neighbors (88% F1 score for 3-way classification). Our results, using EMG alone, are comparable to other researchers’, who used EMG and EEG together, in the literature. A running-window analysis further suggests that our method captures information in the EMG signal quickly and remains stable throughout the time that subjects grasp and move the object.
Uptake of oral fluid-based HIV self-testing among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Thailand
Authors: Girault Philippe , Misa Wong Christina , Jittjang Siroat , Fongkaew Kangwan , Cassell Michael M. , Lertpiriyasuwat Cheewanan , Vannakit Ravipa , Avery Matthew , Linjongrat Danai , Sumalu Saman , Phromsombat Somchai , Mainoy Nuttakrit , Patpeerapong Pongpeera , Potasin Phonpiphat , Brutrat Pornpichit , Mills Stephen , Phanuphak Nittaya , Phanuphak Praphan
Published: August 2021

Background

Suboptimal uptake of HIV testing remains a primary bottleneck to HIV prevention and treatment for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in Thailand. The World Health Organization has recommended HIV self-testing (HIVST) as an additional strategic HIV service. However, HIVST has not been fully endorsed and implemented in many countries in Southeast Asia. The aim of this study was to assess the uptake of oral fluid-based HIVST in MSM and TGW populations in Thailand.

Methods

During 2017 and 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study using convenience sampling to enroll 2,524 participants from three major urban areas. Participants were recruited during outreach and online activities and were offered unassisted or assisted HIVST, or referral to HIV testing services. A descriptive analysis was performed for summarizing data.

Results

A total of 2,502 participants (1,422 MSM and 1,082 TGW) were included in the analysis with about one-third (36.1%) of them being first-time testers. Among all participants enrolled in the study, a total of 2,486 participants (99.3%) selected HIVST versus referral to HIV testing services. Of those who selected HIVST, 2,095 (84.3%) opted for assisted HIVST while the rest opted for unassisted HIVST: 1,148 of 1,411 MSM (81.4%) and 947 of 1,075 TGW (88.1%) selected assisted HIVST. While no serious adverse events were reported during the study, we found that among 179 participants who needed a confirmatory test and were referred to HIV testing services, 108 (60.3.4%) accessed these later services.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated a high uptake of oral fluid-based HIVST among MSM and TGW populations in Thailand and that HIVST could be scaled up through the national epidemic control program. However, a better understanding of HIV testing-seeking behavior and innovative follow-up solutions are needed to improve and monitor linkages to services for people who undertake HIVST.
Characterization of the fecal microbiota of sows and their offspring from German commercial pig farms
Authors: Lührmann Anja , Ovadenko Ksenia , Hellmich Justinus , Sudendey Christoph , Belik Vitaly , Zentek Jürgen , Vahjen Wilfried
Published: August 2021

Strategies to combat microbiota-associated health problems are of high interest in pig production. Successful intervention strategies with beneficial long-term effects are still missing. Most studies on pig microbiota have been conducted under standardized experimental conditions, but the situation in commercial farms differs dramatically. This study describes the fecal microbiota in German commercial pig farms under practical conditions. The study is part of the larger project “Optibiom” that aims to use bacterial composition and farm metadata to formulate tailor-made solutions for farm-specific health maintenance strategies. Special consideration is given to the sow-piglet relationship. Fecal samples from sows and their piglets were collected at two time points each in 20 different farms (sows ante- and postpartum and piglets before and after weaning). The extracted DNA was sequenced with Illumina 16S rDNA sequencing. For data analysis and visualization, differential abundance analyses, as well as hierarchical clustering and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) were performed. A new “family unit” was implemented to compare farms based on the association between the microbiota in sows and their offspring. There are distinct changes in the microbial communities in sows before and after birth as well as in suckling and post-weaning piglets. The suckling pig microbiota is particularly different from all other groups and shows a lower bacterial diversity. While dominant genera in antepartum sows further displace the abundance of non-dominant genera postpartum, the opposite was true for piglets, where non-dominant bacteria in the suckling phase became dominant after weaning. The family unit for sows and their piglets led to separate cluster formation for some farms. The results indicate that the sow-piglet relationship is one driving force for the observed differences of the pig farms. The next step in the analysis will be the combination of metadata (feeding, housing and management practices) to find farm-specific differences that can be exploited to formulate a farm-specific health maintenance strategy.
Structural change detection in ordinal time series
Authors: Li Fuxiao , Hao Mengli , Yang Lijuan
Published: August 2021

Change-point detection in health care data has recently obtained considerable attention due to the increased availability of complex data in real-time. In many applications, the observed data is an ordinal time series. Two kinds of test statistics are proposed to detect the structural change of cumulative logistic regression model, which is often used in applications for the analysis of ordinal time series. One is the standardized efficient score vector, the other one is the quadratic form of the efficient score vector with a weight function. Under the null hypothesis, we derive the asymptotic distribution of the two test statistics, and prove the consistency under the alternative hypothesis. We also study the consistency of the change-point estimator, and a binary segmentation procedure is suggested for estimating the locations of possible multiple change-points. Simulation results show that the former statistic performs better when the change-point occurs at the centre of the data, but the latter is preferable when the change-point occurs at the beginning or end of the data. Furthermore, the former statistic could find the reason for rejecting the null hypothesis. Finally, we apply the two test statistics to a group of sleep data, the results show that there exists a structural change in the data.
Calculation model and bearing capacity optimization method for the soil settlement between piles in geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankments based on the membrane effect
Authors: Liu Zhen , Zhang Aobo , Xu Jiangping , Zhou Cuiying , Zhang Lihai
Published: August 2021

The geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankment (GRPSE) system has been widely used in road construction on soft soil. However, the application of the GRPSE system is often restricted by its high-cost. The reason is that they are designed for bearing control as defined in the past. During the construction process, the pile spacing is reduced to meet the requirements for the embankment bearing capacity and settlement. These factors cause the membrane effect to not be exploited. As a result, the utilization efficiency of the bearing capacity of the soil between the piles is low and the project cost is high. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of insufficient bearing capacity of soil between piles, we established a settlement calculation model of soil between piles based on membrane effect. The model considers the relationship between the geosynthetic reinforcement (GR) and the pile spacing. Based on the obtained model, a method for optimizing the soil bearing capacity of GRPSEs is proposed. By controlling the settlement of soil between piles, the bearing capacity of soil between piles and the membrane effect of embankment can be fully utilized. Therefore, the project cost can be reduced. Finally, the method is applied to field tests for comparison. The results show that the method is reasonable and applicable. This method can effectively exploit the membrane effect and improve the utilization efficiency of the bearing capacity of the soil between piles. An economical and reasonable arrangement scheme for the piles and GR was obtained. This scheme can not only ensure the safety of the project, but also fully utilize the bearing capacity of the soil between the piles and provide a new method for engineering design.
The comparisons of inhibitory control and post-error behaviors between different types of athletes and physically inactive adults
Authors: Yu Chia-Chuan , Muggleton Neil G. , Chen Chiao-Yun , Ko Cheng-Hung , Liu Suyen
Published: August 2021

To properly behave and correct mistakes, individuals must inhibit inappropriate actions and detect errors for future behavioral adjustment. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that athletes are superior in cognitive functions and this benefit varied dependent on the types of sport that individuals involved in, but less is known on whether athletes have a different error-related behavioral pattern. The purpose of this study was to compare the behavioral performance of inhibition and error monitoring between individuals who participated in an open-skill sport (n = 12), a closed-skill sport (n = 12), and a sedentary lifestyle (n = 16). A combined flanker/stop signal task was presented and the derived stop signal reaction time (SSRT), post-correct accuracy and reaction time (RT), as well as post-error accuracy and RT were compared across groups. Our findings indicated there was no difference in SSRT between groups. Surprisingly, significant post-error slowing (PES) was observed only in controls but not in sport groups, the controls also exhibited significantly longer post-error RT compared with the open-skill group. However, there was no difference in the post-error accuracy between groups, indicating a higher efficiency in the post-error processing among open- and closed-skill groups by requiring comparatively less time for behavioral adjustments. The present study is the first to disclose the discrepancies in PES between different types of athletes and controls. The findings suggest that sport training along with higher amounts of physical activity is associated with a more efficient behavioral pattern for error processing especially when the sport requires open skills in nature.
The influence of childhood adversities on mid to late cognitive function: From the perspective of life course
Authors: Ma Jing , Yang Yuanyuan , Wan Yang , Shen Chao , Qiu Peiyuan
Published: August 2021

Background

The effects of childhood adversities on cognitive function in later life are well reported. However, few studies have examined the cumulative mechanism, especially in Chinese population. This study aims to explore this cumulative effects of childhood adversities on mid to late cognitive decline in China.

Methods

Data were drawn from the second and third wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We included 9,942 respondents aged 45 and above and retrospectively collected information on childhood adversities. Cognitive function was measured in three dimensions: orientation and calculation, immediate memory, and delayed memory. A structural equation model was employed for analysis.

Results

Age (β = -0.155, P<0.001) and mid to late depressive symptoms (β = -0.041, P<0.001) showed direct effects on cognitive decline. Low mid to late life socioeconomic status (SES) showed a direct effect on mid-late cognitive impairment (β = 0.603, P<0.001) and an indirect effect through depression (β = 0.007, P<0.001). Low childhood SES (β = 0.310, P<0.001), lack of friends (β = 0.208, P<0.001), parental mental health problems (β = 0.008, P<0.001), and poor relationship with parents (β = 0.001, P<0.001) had an indirect effect on cognitive impairment.

Conclusions

Childhood adversities had negative effects on cognitive function among middle aged and elderly population in China. The findings suggest that early counter measures on childhood adversities may lead to an effective reduction of cognitive impairment.
Nurses’ experiences and preferences around shift patterns: A scoping review
Authors: Ejebu Ourega-Zoé , Dall’Ora Chiara , Griffiths Peter
Published: August 2021

Objective

To explore the evidence on nurses’ experiences and preferences around shift patterns in the international literature.

Data sources

Electronic databases (CINHAL, MEDLINE and Scopus) were searched to identify primary studies up to April 2021.

Methods

Papers reporting qualitative or quantitative studies exploring the subjective experience and/or preferences of nurses around shift patterns were considered, with no restrictions on methods, date or setting. Key study features were extracted including setting, design and results. Findings were organised thematically by key features of shift work.

Results

30 relevant papers were published between 1993 and 2021. They contained mostly qualitative studies where nurses reflected on their experience and preferences around shift patterns. The studies reported on three major aspects of shift work: shift work per se (i.e. the mere fact of working shift), shift length, and time of shift. Across all three aspects of shift work, nurses strive to deliver high quality of care despite facing intense working conditions, experiencing physical and mental fatigue or exhaustion. Preference for or adaptation to a specific shift pattern is facilitated when nurses are consulted before its implementation or have a certain autonomy to self-roster. Days off work tend to mitigate the adverse effects of working (short, long, early or night) shifts. How shift work and patterns impact on experiences and preferences seems to also vary according to nurses’ personal characteristics and circumstances (e.g. age, caring responsibilities, years of experience).

Conclusions

Shift patterns are often organised in ways that are detrimental to nurses’ health and wellbeing, their job performance, and the patient care they provide. Further research should explore the extent to which nurses’ preferences are considered when choosing or being imposed shift work patterns. Research should also strive to better describe and address the constraints nurses face when it comes to choice around shift patterns.