bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fetal umbilical artery thrombosis: prenatal diagnosis, treatment and follow-up
Authors: Wu Xiafang , Wei Chenchen , Chen Ruifeng , Yang Linxian , Huang Weifei , Huang Liang , Yan XinXin , Deng Xuedong , Gou Zhongshan
Published: November 2022

Background

To analyze the ultrasound imaging and clinical characteristics of fetuses with umbilical artery thrombosis (UAT), explore the potential causes of UAT and construct a prognostic prediction model to guide clinical practice.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of fetal UAT cases examined at two academic tertiary referral care centers from 2014 to 2020. The basic information of the participants was obtained by interview during follow-up, and data on clinical treatment, delivery conditions, diagnosis and confirmation were obtained through medical records. Probable causes of thrombosis were explored by comparative analysis of the UAT group to the control group and by further regression analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the prognostic prediction model.

Results

Thirty fetuses with UAT were included in this study. UAT occurred mostly in the third trimester of pregnancy, and there was an obvious predominance of right UAT. An abnormal pregnancy history (53.3%) was the most common comorbidity, followed by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (20.0%). GDM and umbilical cord (UC) abnormalities were found to be independent risk factors for the development of UAT. After comprehensive decision-making, over two-thirds of the patients with UAT received urgent treatment, and less than one-third received expectant management. Surprisingly, there were no significant differences in fetal outcomes between the urgent treatment and expectant management groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gestational age (GA) at clinical diagnosis and UC abnormalities were independent risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes (OR 0.781, p = 0.042; OR 16.779, p = 0.023, respectively). Based on this, we constructed a comprehensive prognostic prediction model. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.877 (95% CI 0.698–0.970; p < 0.001), which suggested that the combination of GA and UC abnormalities was a better predictor for fetal outcomes in our setting.

Conclusion

In summary, maternal GDM and fetal UC abnormalities are independent risk factors for UAT. UAT is more frequently observed on the right side. Moreover, poor clinical outcomes for fetuses with UAT are ascribed mainly to GA and UC abnormalities, which should be comprehensively evaluated to choose the appropriate treatment.
Phase 1 study of intraventricular 131I-omburtamab targeting B7H3 (CD276)-expressing CNS malignancies
Authors: Kramer Kim , Pandit-Taskar Neeta , Kushner Brian H. , Zanzonico Pat , Humm John L. , Tomlinson Ursula , Donzelli Maria , Wolden Suzanne L. , Haque Sophia , Dunkel Ira , Souweidane Mark M. , Greenfield Jeffrey P. , Tickoo Satish , Lewis Jason S. , Lyashchenko Serge K. , Carrasquillo Jorge A. , Chu Bae , Horan Christopher , Larson Steven M. , Cheung Nai-Kong V. , Modak Shakeel
Published: November 2022

Background

The prognosis for metastatic and recurrent tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) remains dismal, and the need for newer therapeutic targets and modalities is critical. The cell surface glycoprotein B7H3 is expressed on a range of solid tumors with a restricted expression on normal tissues. We hypothesized that compartmental radioimmunotherapy (cRIT) with the anti-B7H3 murine monoclonal antibody omburtamab injected intraventricularly could safely target CNS malignancies.

Patients and methods

We conducted a phase I trial of intraventricular 131I-omburtamab using a standard 3 + 3 design. Eligibility criteria included adequate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow, no major organ toxicity, and for patients > dose level 6, availability of autologous stem cells. Patients initially received 74 MBq radioiodinated omburtamab to evaluate dosimetry and biodistribution followed by therapeutic 131I-omburtamab dose-escalated from 370 to 2960 MBq. Patients were monitored clinically and biochemically for toxicity graded using CTCAEv 3.0. Dosimetry was evaluated using serial CSF and blood sampling, and serial PET or gamma-camera scans. Patients could receive a second cycle in the absence of grade 3/4 non-hematologic toxicity or progressive disease.

Results

Thirty-eight patients received 100 radioiodinated omburtamab injections. Diagnoses included metastatic neuroblastoma (n = 16) and other B7H3-expressing solid tumors (n = 22). Thirty-five patients received at least 1 cycle of treatment with both dosimetry and therapy doses. Acute toxicities included < grade 4 self-limited headache, vomiting or fever, and biochemical abnormalities. Grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia was the most common hematologic toxicity. Recommended phase 2 dose was 1850 MBq/injection. The median radiation dose to the CSF and blood by sampling was 1.01 and 0.04 mGy/MBq, respectively, showing a consistently high therapeutic advantage for CSF. Major organ exposure was well below maximum tolerated levels. In patients developing antidrug antibodies, blood clearance, and therefore therapeutic index, was significantly increased. In patients receiving cRIT for neuroblastoma, survival was markedly increased (median PFS 7.5 years) compared to historical data.

Conclusions

cRIT with 131I-omburtamab is safe, has favorable dosimetry and may have a therapeutic benefit as adjuvant therapy for B7-H3-expressing leptomeningeal metastases.

Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov NCT00089245, August 5, 2004.
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum: a surrogate of P-SILI in critically ill COVID-19 patients
Authors: Elabbadi Alexandre , Urbina Tomas , Berti Enora , Contou Damien , Plantefève Gaëtan , Soulier Quintana , Milon Audrey , Carteaux Guillaume , Voiriot Guillaume , Fartoukh Muriel , Gibelin Aude
Published: November 2022

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SP) has been described early during the COVID-19 pandemic in large series of patients with severe pneumonia, but most patients were receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) at the time of SP diagnosis. In this retrospective multicenter observational study, we aimed at describing the prevalence and outcomes of SP during severe COVID-19 with pneumonia before any IMV, to rule out mechanisms induced by IMV in the development of pneumomediastinum.

Among 549 patients, 21 patients (4%) developed a SP while receiving non-invasive respiratory support, after a median of 6 days [4–12] from ICU admission. The proportion of patients requiring IMV was similar. However, the time to tracheal intubation was longer in patients with SP (6 days [5–13] vs. 2 days [1–4]; P = 0.00002), with a higher first-line use of non-invasive ventilation (n = 11; 52% vs. n = 150; 28%; P = 0.02). The 21 patients who developed a SP had persisting signs of severe lung disease and respiratory failure with lower ROX index between ICU admission and occurrence of SP (3.94 [3.15–5.55] at admission vs. 3.25 [2.73–4.02] the day preceding SP; P = 0.1), which may underline potential indirect signals of Patient-self inflicted lung injury (P-SILI).

In this series of critically ill COVID-19 patients, the prevalence of SP without IMV was not uncommon, affecting 4% of patients. They received more often vasopressors and had a longer ICU length of stay, as compared with their counterparts. One pathophysiological mechanism may potentially be carried out by P-SILI related to a prolonged respiratory failure, as underlined by a delayed use of IMV and the evolution of the ROX index between ICU admission and the day preceding SP.
MEDICC2: whole-genome doubling aware copy-number phylogenies for cancer evolution
Authors: Kaufmann Tom L. , Petkovic Marina , Watkins Thomas B. K. , Colliver Emma C. , Laskina Sofya , Thapa Nisha , Minussi Darlan C. , Navin Nicholas , Swanton Charles , Van Loo Peter , Haase Kerstin , Tarabichi Maxime , Schwarz Roland F.
Published: November 2022

Aneuploidy, chromosomal instability, somatic copy-number alterations, and whole-genome doubling (WGD) play key roles in cancer evolution and provide information for the complex task of phylogenetic inference. We present MEDICC2, a method for inferring evolutionary trees and WGD using haplotype-specific somatic copy-number alterations from single-cell or bulk data. MEDICC2 eschews simplifications such as the infinite sites assumption, allowing multiple mutations and parallel evolution, and does not treat adjacent loci as independent, allowing overlapping copy-number events. Using simulations and multiple data types from 2780 tumors, we use MEDICC2 to demonstrate accurate inference of phylogenies, clonal and subclonal WGD, and ancestral copy-number states.
Phenotypic insecticide resistance status of the Culex pipiens complex: a European perspective
Authors: Vereecken Stien , Vanslembrouck Adwine , Kramer Isabelle Marie , Müller Ruth
Published: November 2022

Background

The common house mosquito Culex pipiens is known to be a major vector for West Nile virus. In order to decrease risks of West Nile virus outbreaks in Europe, insecticides and the bio-larvicide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) are commonly used for vector control. Alarmingly, insecticide resistance has been reported in Cx. pipiens populations from Southern Europe and several countries neighbouring Europe. For Central and Northern Europe, however, the phenotypic insecticide resistance status of Cx. pipiens has not yet been investigated.

Methods

A literature review was performed to assess the geographical distribution of insecticide resistance in Cx. pipiens. To fill the gap of knowledge for Central and Northern Europe, WHO susceptibility tests with permethrin, deltamethrin, malathion, bendiocarb and DDT and a larval toxicity test with Bti were performed with a Cx. pipiens population from Belgium, a country in Central Europe.

Results

This research provides the first evidence of widespread phenotypic insecticide resistance in Cx. pipiens. In general, Cx. pipiens developed resistance against multiple insecticides in several countries. Another Cx. pipiens population from Belgium was tested and showed insecticide resistance against deltamethrin, permethrin, DDT and possibly against bendiocarb. The bio-larvicide Bti caused lower mortality than reported for other Cx. pipiens populations in the literature.

Conclusions

These results indicate the urgent need for insecticide resistance monitoring against commonly used adulticides and larvicides in Europe, for the translation of knowledge gained regarding the limited efficiency and availability of insecticide into EU legislation and the need for innovative non-chemical vector control tools in order to counter the widespread insecticide resistance in Culex populations.

Graphical abstract
Predictive markers for clinical outcomes in a cohort of diabetic patients hospitalized for COVID-19
Authors: Madaschi Sara , Resmini Eugenia , Bonfadini Silvia , Massari Giulia , Gamba Paola , Sandri Marco , Calza Stefano , Cimino Elena , Zarra Emanuela , Dotti Silvia , Mascadri Cristina , Agosti Barbara , Garrafa Emirena , Girelli Angela
Published: November 2022

Introduction

The role of glycemic control, both prior and during hospitalization, on mortality from COVID-19 in diabetic patients is debated. Furthermore, it is not clear whether hyperglycemia has a direct effect or requires inflammatory mechanisms.

Objective

To identify predictors of clinical outcomes (in-hospital mortality, length of hospitalization, respiratory failure, need for intensive care), considering hyperglycemia, inflammation markers and clinical history.

Methods

Retrospective observational study of 291 diabetic patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Spedali Civili di Brescia from February 1th 2020 to March 31th 2021, with also outpatient electronic records. Glucose, inflammatory parameters, creatinine were collected within 24 h after admission to the hospital. A causal mediation analysis allowed the estimation of the direct and indirect effects of hyperglycemia on mortality.

Results

Glucose at admission ≥ 165 mg/dL and reduced renal function were associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality and length of hospitalization (all p < 0.001), while an increase in inflammatory parameters was significantly associated with an increased risk of all outcomes. High basophil count was associated with reduced mortality (p < 0.001). Hyperglycemia had a direct effect on mortality (p < 0.001); the indirect, through inflammatory markers, was significant only for absolute neutrophil count, C-Reactive protein and procalcitonin (p = 0.007, p = 0.029, p = 0.042). Patients with microvascular complications and with chronic kidney disease showed higher mortality (p = 0.03, p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Hyperglycemia at admission, renal function and inflammatory parameters were found to be predictors of in-hospital mortality, while an increased basophil count was protective. Hyperglycemia had a direct effect on mortality, the indirect effect was only through few markers and markedly lower than the direct one.
Selection of the optimal channel configuration for implementing wearable EEG devices for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Lee Kyeonggu , Choi Kang-Min , Park Seonghun , Lee Seung-Hwan , Im Chang-Hwan
Published: November 2022

Background

Early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is essential for timely treatment planning. With recent advances in the wearable technology, interest has increasingly shifted toward computer-aided self-diagnosis of MCI using wearable electroencephalography (EEG) devices in daily life. However, no study so far has investigated the optimal electrode configurations for the efficient diagnosis of MCI while considering the design factors of wearable EEG devices. In this study, we aimed to determine the optimal channel configurations of wearable EEG devices for the computer-aided diagnosis of MCI.

Method

We employed an EEG dataset collected from 21 patients with MCI and 21 healthy control subjects. After evaluating the classification accuracies for all possible electrode configurations for the two-, four-, six-, and eight-electrode conditions using a support vector machine, the optimal electrode configurations that provide the highest diagnostic accuracy were suggested for each electrode condition.

Results

The highest classification accuracies of 74.04% ± 4.82, 82.43% ± 6.14, 86.28% ± 2.81, and 86.85% ± 4.97 were achieved for the optimal two-, four-, six-, and eight-electrode configurations, respectively, which demonstrated the possibility of precise machine-learning-based diagnosis of MCI with a limited number of EEG electrodes. Additionally, further simulations with the EEG dataset revealed that the optimal electrode configurations had significantly higher classification accuracies than commercial EEG devices with the same number of electrodes, which suggested the importance of electrode configuration optimization for wearable EEG devices based on clinical EEG datasets.

Conclusions

This study highlighted that the optimization of the electrode configuration, assuming the wearable EEG devices can potentially be utilized for daily life monitoring of MCI, is necessary to enhance the performance and portability.
Effects of tobacco plant residue return on rhizosphere soil microbial community
Authors: Chen Jin , He Jiguang , Zhang Yang , Huang Jie , Chen Zhifeng , Zeng Weiai , Deng Xiaohua , Hu Qiulong
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Based on the recycling principle, returning of tobacco crop residues into the field is a common agronomic practice. However, comprehensive knowledge about the effects of tobacco plant residue return on the rhizosphere soil microbial community is very limited.

Methods

After tobacco crop residue returning into the potted soil, 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicon sequencing were employed to investigate the bacterial and fungal communities, respectively, from the tobacco rhizosphere soils.

Results

The results showed that tobacco residue returning increased the diversity of microbial communities (bacteria and fungi) and changed the species composition. It further increased the relative abundance of beneficial microorganisms. After tobacco residue returning, the structure of the rhizosphere soil microbial community network was found more complex with strong interactions among microbial species. In addition, the keystone species of bacterial and fungal communities associated with tobacco rhizosphere soil were altered. This had exerted a driving force to the beneficial bacteria such as Sphiningomonas and Psathyrella to the keystone microorganisms which played important roles in microbial species interaction.

Conclusions

Tobacco residue return into soil showed significant effects on the microbial diversity, community composition, network structure, keystone microorganisms, and ecosystem functions of tobacco rhizosphere soils. This study provides a scientific basis for the improvement of tobacco field ecosystem functioning and ensuring soil health.
Correlation between the hysteresis of the pressure–volume curve and the recruitment-to-inflation ratio in patients with coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Nakayama Ryuichi , Bunya Naofumi , Katayama Shinshu , Goto Yuya , Iwamoto Yusuke , Wada Kenshiro , Ogura Keishi , Yama Naoya , Takatsuka Shintaro , Kishimoto Masumi , Takahashi Kanako , Kakizaki Ryuichiro , Sawamoto Keigo , Uemura Shuji , Harada Keisuke , Narimatsu Eichi
Published: November 2022

Background

Since the response to lung recruitment varies greatly among patients receiving mechanical ventilation, lung recruitability should be assessed before recruitment maneuvers. The pressure–volume curve (PV curve) and recruitment-to-inflation ratio (R/I ratio) can be used bedside for evaluating lung recruitability and individualing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). Lung tissue recruitment on computed tomography has been correlated with normalized maximal distance (NMD) of the quasi-static PV curve. NMD is the maximal distance between the inspiratory and expiratory limb of the PV curve normalized to the maximal volume. However, the relationship between the different parameters of hysteresis of the quasi-static PV curve and R/I ratio for recruitability is unknown.

Methods

We analyzed the data of 33 patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who received invasive mechanical ventilation. Respiratory waveform data were collected from the ventilator using proprietary acquisition software. We examined the relationship of the R/I ratio, quasi-static PV curve items such as NMD, and respiratory system compliance (Crs).

Results

The median R/I ratio was 0.90 [interquartile range (IQR), 0.70–1.15] and median NMD was 41.0 [IQR, 37.1–44.1]. The NMD correlated significantly with the R/I ratio (rho = 0.74, P < 0.001). Sub-analysis showed that the NMD and R/I ratio did not correlate with Crs at lower PEEP (− 0.057, P = 0.75; and rho = 0.15, P = 0.41, respectively). On the contrary, the ratio of Crs at higher PEEP to Crs at lower PEEP (Crs ratio (higher/lower)) moderately correlated with NMD and R/I ratio (rho = 0.64, P < 0.001; and rho = 0.67, P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

NMD of the quasi-static PV curve and R/I ratio for recruitability assessment are highly correlated. In addition, NMD and R/I ratio correlated with the Crs ratio (higher/lower). Therefore, NMD and R/I ratio could be potential indicators of recruitability that can be performed at the bedside.
Development of simultaneous analytical method for the determination of fluazaindolizine and its seven metabolites in agricultural products by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Lee Su Jung , Lee Han Sol , Gu Sun Young , Shin Hye-Sun , Kang Sung Eun , Yun Sang Soon , Jung Yong-Hyun , Youn Hye-Jung
Published: November 2022

A simultaneous analytical method has been developed for quantification and confirmation of the nematicide fluazaindolizine and its seven metabolites (IN-A5760, IN-F4106, IN-QEK31, IN-QZY47, IN-TMQ01, IN-UNS90 and IN-UJV12) in agricultural products. The compounds were extracted with acetonitrile/water (80/20, v/v) and purified using C18 cartridge, and analysis was conducted by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in the electrospray positive and negative ion mode. The method has been validated by verifying the performance characteristics such as selectivity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy and precision. To prevent the matrix effects, all analytes were quantified with matrix-matched calibration assessed by the determination coefficient (R2) of the range from 0.9988 to 1.0000. The LOD and LOQ were satisfactory to determine the low residual level in agricultural products. The accuracy and precision of the method were evaluated by recoveries with five replicates at three fortification levels (LOQ, 10 × LOQ and 50 × LOQ). The mean recoveries of fluazaindolizine and seven metabolites in agricultural products were 75.6–110.0% with the CV% of 0.2–9.1%. All optimized results were displayed excellent results assessed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety guidelines and the Codex Alimentarius Commission guidelines for pesticide residue analysis. This study could use as basic data for setting of residue definition and maximum residue limits of fluazaindolizine in agricultural products.
Automated meniscus segmentation and tear detection of knee MRI with a 3D mask-RCNN
Authors: Li Yuan-Zhe , Wang Yi , Fang Kai-Bin , Zheng Hui-Zhong , Lai Qing-Quan , Xia Yong-Fa , Chen Jia-Yang , Dai Zhang-sheng
Published: November 2022

Background

The diagnostic results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are essential references for arthroscopy as an invasive procedure. A deviation between medical imaging diagnosis and arthroscopy results may cause irreversible damage to patients and lead to excessive medical treatment. To improve the accurate diagnosis of meniscus injury, it is urgent to develop auxiliary diagnosis algorithms to improve the accuracy of radiological diagnosis.

Purpose

This study aims to present a fully automatic 3D deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) for meniscus segmentation and detects arthroscopically proven meniscus tears.

Materials and methods

Our institution retrospectively included 533 patients with 546 knees who underwent knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and knee arthroscopy. Sagittal proton density-weighted (PDW) images in MRI of 382 knees were regarded as a training set to train our 3D-Mask RCNN. The remaining data from 164 knees were used to validate the trained network as a test set. The masks were hand-drawn by an experienced radiologist, and the reference standard is arthroscopic surgical reports. The performance statistics included Dice accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, FROC, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and bootstrap test statistics. The segmentation performance was compared with a 3D-Unet, and the detection performance was compared with radiological evaluation by two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists without knowledge of the arthroscopic surgical diagnosis.

Results

Our model produced strong Dice coefficients for sagittal PDW of 0.924, 0.95 sensitivity with 0.823 FPs/knee. 3D-Unet produced a Dice coefficient for sagittal PDW of 0.891, 0.95 sensitivity with 1.355 FPs/knee. The difference in the areas under 3D-Mask-RCNN FROC and 3D-Unet FROC was statistically significant (p = 0.0011) by bootstrap test. Our model detection performance achieved an area under the curve (AUC) value, accuracy, and sensitivity of 0.907, 0.924, 0.941, and 0.785, respectively. Based on the radiological evaluations, the AUC value, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.834, 0.835, 0.889, and 0.754, respectively. The difference in the areas between 3D-Mask-RCNN ROC and radiological evaluation ROC was statistically significant (p = 0.0009) by bootstrap test. 3D Mask RCNN significantly outperformed the 3D-Unet and radiological evaluation demonstrated by these results.

Conclusions

3D-Mask RCNN has demonstrated efficacy and precision for meniscus segmentation and tear detection in knee MRI, which can assist radiologists in improving the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis. It can also provide effective diagnostic indicators for orthopedic surgeons before arthroscopic surgery and further promote precise treatment.
Gut microbiome, cognitive function and brain structure: a multi-omics integration analysis
Authors: Liang Xinxiu , Fu Yuanqing , Cao Wen-ting , Wang Zhihong , Zhang Ke , Jiang Zengliang , Jia Xiaofang , Liu Chun-ying , Lin Hong-rou , Zhong Haili , Miao Zelei , Gou Wanglong , Shuai Menglei , Huang Yujing , Chen Shengdi , Zhang Bing , Chen Yu-ming , Zheng Ju-Sheng
Published: November 2022

Background

Microbiome-gut-brain axis may be involved in the progression of age-related cognitive impairment and relevant brain structure changes, but evidence from large human cohorts is lacking. This study was aimed to investigate the associations of gut microbiome with cognitive impairment and brain structure based on multi-omics from three independent populations.

Methods

We included 1430 participants from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS) with both gut microbiome and cognitive assessment data available as a discovery cohort, of whom 272 individuals provided fecal samples twice before cognitive assessment. We selected 208 individuals with baseline microbiome data for brain magnetic resonance imaging during the follow-up visit. Fecal 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, targeted serum metabolomics, and cytokine measurements were performed in the GNHS. The validation analyses were conducted in an Alzheimer’s disease case–control study (replication study 1, n = 90) and another community-based cohort (replication study 2, n = 1300) with cross-sectional dataset.

Results

We found protective associations of specific gut microbial genera (Odoribacter, Butyricimonas, and Bacteroides) with cognitive impairment in both the discovery cohort and the replication study 1. Result of Bacteroides was further validated in the replication study 2. Odoribacter was positively associated with hippocampal volume (β, 0.16; 95% CI 0.06–0.26, P = 0.002), which might be mediated by acetic acids. Increased intra-individual alterations in gut microbial composition were found in participants with cognitive impairment. We also identified several serum metabolites and inflammation-associated metagenomic species and pathways linked to impaired cognition.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal that specific gut microbial features are closely associated with cognitive impairment and decreased hippocampal volume, which may play an important role in dementia development.
Analysis of temperature variability utilising Mann–Kendall and Sen's slope estimator tests in the Accra and Kumasi Metropolises in Ghana
Authors: Frimpong Bernard Fosu , Koranteng Addo , Molkenthin Frank
Published: November 2022

Temperature variability may have direct and indirect impacts on the environments of the Accra and Kumasi Metropolises in Ghana. This study analysed temperature and trends in temperature in both cities using in-situ measurements from one meteorological station in both cities from 1986 to 2015. The temperature indices were computed using the RClimdex package from the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection Monitoring Indices (ETCCDMI). The temperature time series was pre-whitened before the Mann–Kendall trend and Sen’s slope estimator analysis were applied. Initial analysis revealed minimal variation in temperature in both cities. The results from the analysed temperature indices revealed an increase in warm days and a general rise in the minimum temperature compared to maximum temperatures. Mann Kendall and Sen’s slope revealed significant trends in the annual and seasonal (dry and wet seasons) in minimum temperature in both cities. These might lead to an increased rate of heat-stressed diseases and an overall rise in urban warming in both cities. The analysis of temperature, indices and trends provided comprehensive insights into the temperature of Accra and Kumasi. The results highlight the essence of evaluating temperature indices and trends in light of Climate Change concerns. It is recommended that urban green and blue spaces should be incorporated into land use plans as these policy directions can aid regulate the temperature in both cities.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Tensile Performance and Failure Process of a Modified Portland Cement
Authors: Chen Jianhang , Tao Kangming , Zeng Banquan , Liu Lei , Zhao Hongbao , Zhang Junwen , Li Danqi
Published: November 2022

A better understanding of the tensile performance and tensile failure mechanism of cement paste is significant in preventing rock reinforcement failure. Therefore, this paper aims to reveal the tensile performance and failure mechanism of a modified Portland cement: Stratabinder HS cement. To achieve this objective, the split tensile test was conducted on specimens followed by simulating the failure mechanism numerically. The results indicated that the water–cement rate significantly influenced the tensile performance of the cement paste. When the water–cement rate increased from 0.35 to 0.42, the tensile strength declined from 1.9 MPa to 1.5 MPa. It was also observed that vertical tensile failure constantly occurred regardless of the water–cement rate. During the testing process, tensile cracks and shear cracks occurred. The increasing rate in the number of specimen cracks was dependent on the tensile stress state. Before the tensile stress reached the peak, the crack quantity increased slightly. After the peak, the crack quantity increased dramatically. During the vertical loading process, horizontal tensile stress occurred in the specimen. This horizontal tensile stress zone showed a diamond shape. The higher the tensile stress is, the larger the area of the horizontal tensile stress zone. When the tensile strength was reached, horizontal tensile stress mainly concentrated at the vertical centre of the specimen. This finally led to tensile failure of the specimen. This paper indicated that the water–cement rate was the key factor in evaluating the tensile strength of the Stratabinder HS cement.
Job insecurity and mental health related outcomes among the humanitarian workers during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Sultana Naznin , Asaduzzaman Md. , Siddique Abu Bakkar , Khatun Hafeza , Bari Farzana Sultana , Islam Md. Nazrul , Tabassum Arifa , Mondol Abdus Salam , Sayem Md. Abu , Abdullah Abu Yousuf Md , Hossain M. Pear , Biracyaza Emmanuel
Published: November 2022

Background

The COVID-19 remains a public health burden that has caused global economic crises, jeopardizing health, jobs, and livelihoods of millions of people around the globe. Several efforts have been made by several countries by implementing several health strategies to attenuate the spread of the pandemic. Although several studies indicated effects of COVID-19 on mental health and its associated factors, very little is known about the underlying mechanism of job insecurity, depression, anxiety, and stress in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence of job insecurity and depression, anxiety, stress as well as the association between job insecurity, mental health outcomes also contributing determinants amongst humanitarian workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.

Methods

We conducted a web-based cross-sectional study among 445 humanitarian workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in six sub-districts of Cox’s bazar district of Bangladesh between April and May 2021. The questionnaire was composed of socio-demographic, lifestyle and work related factors. Psychometric instruments like job insecurity scale and depression, anxiety also stress scale (DASS-21) were employed to assess the level of job insecurity and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety and stress). STATA software version 14 was employed to perform statistical analyses.

Results

The prevalence of job insecurity was 42%. The odds of job insecurity was higher in Kutubdia and Pekua (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.36, 7.22) Teknaf (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.33, 6.41), the impact of dissatisfaction on salary (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.49, 3.58) was evident with job insecurity. The prevalence of moderate to severe depression, anxiety and stress among humanitarian worker were (26%, 7%), (25%, 10%) and (15%, 7%) respectively. Further, the region of work, being female, marital status, work environment, and salary dissatisfaction were contributing factors for poor mental health outcomes. Those with job insecurity were almost 3 times more likely to experience depression (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.85, 4.04), anxiety (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.76, 3.71) and stress (AOR: 2.8; 95% CI 1.89, 4.26), respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight that job security remains essential to help tackle the severity of depression, anxiety and stress in humanitarian workers. The results reflected the critical importance of local and international NGOs addressing poor mental health conditions of their employees to prevent mental health outbreaks.
Characteristics of learning tasks in accounting textbooks: an AI assisted analysis
Authors: Stütz Simone , Berding Florian , Reincke Sven , Scheper Lena
Published: November 2022

Tasks in accounting textbooks play a vital role when it comes to learning processes. However, hardly any empirical evidence on the quality of accounting tasks exists regarding accounting-relevant characteristics. This is why a new category system containing accounting-relevant aspects was developed to analyze a total of 3,361 tasks from 14 different German accounting textbooks. Descriptive analysis and correlation analysis were performed to assess task characteristics and identify relationships between categories. In addition, in light of the large number of tasks to be analyzed, AI assisted the content analysis, and its usefulness was evaluated. The results indicate that tasks are not sufficiently able to instill accounting competencies such as interpreting data, assessing the relevance of information, or identifying and solving underlying accounting problems. The findings further show that AI and human coding yield similar results in most categories, suggesting that AI assistance is useful for content analysis when evaluating a large number of tasks.
A novel Multi-Layer Attention Framework for visual description prediction using bidirectional LSTM
Authors: Naik Dinesh , Jaidhar C. D.
Published: November 2022

The massive influx of text, images, and videos to the internet has recently increased the challenge of computer vision-based tasks in big data. Integrating visual data with natural language to generate video explanations has been a challenge for decades. However, recent experiments on image/video captioning that employ Long-Short-Term-Memory (LSTM) have piqued the interest of researchers studying its possible application in video captioning. The proposed video captioning architecture combines the bidirectional multilayer LSTM (BiLSTM) encoder and unidirectional decoder. The innovative architecture also considers temporal relations when creating superior global video representations. In contrast to the majority of prior work, the most relevant features of a video are selected and utilized specifically for captioning purposes. Existing methods utilize a single-layer attention mechanism for linking visual input with phrase meaning. This approach employs LSTMs and a multilayer attention mechanism to extract characteristics from movies, construct links between multi-modal (words and visual material) representations, and generate sentences with rich semantic coherence. In addition, we evaluated the performance of the suggested system using a benchmark dataset for video captioning. The obtained results reveal superior performance relative to state-of-the-art works in METEOR and promising performance relative to the BLEU score. In terms of quantitative performance, the proposed approach outperforms most existing methodologies.
Development and validation of a new LC–MS/MS method for the determination of mefatinib in human plasma and its first application in pharmacokinetic studies
Authors: Xu Yichao , Chen Jinliang , Shao Rong , Ruan Zourong , Jiang Bo , Lou Honggang
Published: November 2022

Mefatinib (MET306) is a novel second-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) designed to address the highly unmet clinical need of gefitinib-induced resistance and irreversibly bind to mutated tyrosine kinase domain of EGFR and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). In this study, a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was established and validated for determining MET306 in non-small cell lung cancer patients and a backpropagation artificial neural network was developed and constructed to predict the pharmacokinetic process. The mobile phase was water containing 5 mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.3 mL min−1, within a 4.5 min run time. MET306 was separated on a Hypersil Gold-C18 at 40 °C and subjected to mass analysis using positive electrospray ionization. A total of 524 data were used as development groups and 145 data were used as testing groups. The final established Northern Goshawk Optimization-Backpropagation Artificial Neural Network (NGO-BPANN) model consisted of one input layer with 6 neurons, 1 hidden layer with 10 nodes, and 1 output layer with one node processed by MATLAB2021a.The calibration range of MET306 was 0.5–200 ng mL−1 with the correlation coefficient r ≥ 0.99. Accuracies ranged from 97.20 to 110.80% and the inter- and intra-assay precision were less than 15%. The ranges of extraction recoveries were 104.95% to 112.09% for analyte and internal standard and there was no significant matrix effect. The storage stability under different conditions was in accordance with the bioanalytical guidelines. The time-concentration profiles of the measured and predicted concentrations of MET306 by NGO-BPANN agree well. An NGO-BPANN model was developed to predict the plasma concentration and pharmacokinetic parameters of MET306 in the first time.
Assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices of physicians on antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in Iran: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Sami Ramin , Sadegh Raheleh , Fani Fataneh , Atashi Vajihe , Solgi Hamid
Published: November 2022

Background

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health issue. Physicians should play a key role to fight AMR, and medical education is a fundamental issue to combat it. Understanding the knowledge, attitudes and practices of physicians regarding antibiotic prescription and antibiotic resistance is fundamental for controlling the irrational antibiotic use. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes and the practices of physicians in Iran with respect to antibiotic resistance and usage.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed from June to October 2021 among physicians at primary care centers and academic hospitals in the region of Isfahan, Iran. A total of 182 physicians were surveyed. Participants were invited to complete a self-reported questionnaire (paper based or online questionnaire). The questions were based on knowledge, attitude, and practice toward antibiotic usage and AMR. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18 software following the objective of the study.

Results

Out of 182 study participants, 100, 50 and 32 responders were medical doctors (MD), internist and other specialists, respectively. Regarding the knowledge section of the questionnaire, almost less than 10% of participants declared to know the antibiotics of Iran's antimicrobial stewardship program. Also, the percentage of participants who correctly responded to clinical quizzes was 23% for treatment of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers, 59.3% about the treatment of severe sepsis, 22% about the intrinsic resistance of Proteus mirabilis and 43.4% for experimental treatment with vancomycin in community-acquired pneumonia. Regarding attitude, most participants (97.2%) were aware of the antimicrobial resistance problem in Iran, and 95.6% agreed that prescribing antimicrobials was not the appropriate in our country. Regarding practice, only 65.9% of participants said that before prescribing antibiotics they use of local and international antimicrobial therapy guidelines and less than 50% of physicians were in contact with a microbiology laboratory.

Conclusion

This data revealed that our physicians' level of knowledge about AMR and antimicrobial stewardship is poor, so there is the need to increase training on antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial stewardship.
Mesoscopic-scale grain formation in HfO2-based ferroelectric thin films and its impact on electrical characteristics
Authors: Kobayashi Masaharu , Wu Jixuan , Sawabe Yoshiki , Takuya Saraya , Hiramoto Toshiro
Published: November 2022

Ferroelectric memory devices are expected for low-power and high-speed memory applications. HfO2-based ferroelectric is attracting attention for its CMOS-compatibility and high scalability. Mesoscopic-scale grains, of which size is almost comparable to device size, are formed in HfO2-based ferroelectric poly-crystalline thin films, which largely influences electrical characteristics in memory devices. It is important to study the impact of mesoscopic-scale grain formation on the electrical characteristics. In this work, first, we have studied the thickness dependence of the polarization switching kinetics in HfO2-based ferroelectric. While static low-frequency polarization is comparable for different thickness, dynamic polarization switching speed is slower in thin Hf0.5Zr0.5O2(HZO) capacitors. Based on the analysis using the NLS model and physical characterization, thinner HZO contains smaller grains with orientation non-uniformity and more grain boundaries than thicker HZO, which can impede macroscopic polarization switching. We have also theoretically and experimentally studied the polar-axis alignment of a HfO2-based ferroelectric thin film. While in-plane polar orientation is stable in as-grown HZO, out-of-plane polarization can be dominant by applying electric field, which indicates the transition from in-plane polar to out-of-plane polar orientation in the ferroelectric phase grains. This is confirmed by calculating kinetic pathway using ab-initio calculation.
Vikrahraun—the 1961 basaltic lava flow eruption at Askja, Iceland: morphology, geochemistry, and planetary analogs
Authors: Blasizzo Aline Y. , Ukstins Ingrid A. , Scheidt Stephen P. , Graettinger Alison H. , Peate David W. , Carley Tamara L. , Moritz Adam J. , Thines Jennifer E.
Published: November 2022

We examine the morphology and chemistry of the Vikrahraun basaltic eruption emplaced at Askja Volcano, Iceland, from Oct. 26–Dec. 17, 1961. The eruption had three eruptive events, initiating with aʻa and followed by alternating aʻa and pahoehoe lava flow emplacement. We determine that while the eruption is chemically homogenous (Fe/Mg = 1.9–2.2, 47–52 wt.% SiO2), it demonstrates transitions from high to low viscosity lava flow morphologies. Aʻa flows have a total crystallinity (phenocryst and microlite abundance by area) ranging from 85–100%, which increases by 1% per km from the vents, while pahoehoe flows range from 55–86% and increase at a higher rate of 5% per km. Vesicularity systematically decreases with distance from the vent by 3% per km. Pahoehoe and vent samples have calculated temperatures 50 °C higher than aʻa samples, which we interpret to be due to the difference between tube fed pahoehoe and open channel aʻa lavas. The homogenous nature of the Vikrahraun lava makes it an excellent testbed to study the effects of observational scale and satellite resolution on the interpretation of surficial textures. Festoons, which are downslope pointed convex ridges from 1 to 5 m high and ~ 10 m long, are observed in event 2 aʻa lavas in satellite imagery and topographic profiles. Features of this scale have previously only been documented in terrestrial rhyolitic lavas, leading planetary researchers to infer that festooned lava flows on Venus and Mars may be silicic. The diverse morphologies and homogenous composition make Vikrahraun an important planetary analog, where morphological complexity is over-attributed to chemical variation and suggests the need to re-evaluation planetary lava flow interpretations.

Graphical Abstract
In vivo measurement of three-dimensional load exerted on dental implants: a literature review
Authors: Assoratgoon Itt , Yoda Nobuhiro , Iwamoto Maya , Sato Tomoya , Kawata Tetsuo , Egusa Hiroshi , Sasaki Keiichi
Published: November 2022

Background

For biomechanical consideration of dental implants, an understanding of the three-dimensional (3D) load exerted on the implant is essential, but little information is available on the in vivo load, including the measuring devices.

Purpose

This review aimed to evaluate studies that used specific load-measuring devices that could be mounted on an implant to measure the functional load in vivo.

Materials and methods

An electronic search utilizing the internet research databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus was performed. The articles were chosen by two authors based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

In all, 132 studies were selected from the database search, and 16 were selected from a manual search. Twenty-three studies were finally included in this review after a complete full-text evaluation. Eleven studies were related to the force measurements using the strain gauges, and 12 were related to the piezoelectric force transducer. The principles of the two types of devices were completely different, but the devices produced comparable outcomes. The dynamics of the load magnitude and direction on the implant during function were clarified, although the number of participants in each study was small.

Conclusions

The load exerted on the implant during function was precisely measured in vivo using specific measuring devices, such as strain gauges or piezoelectric force transducers. The in vivo load data enable us to determine the actual biomechanical status in more detail, which might be useful for optimization of the implant prosthetic design and development of related materials. Due to the limited data and difficulty of in vivo measurements, the development of a new, simpler force measurement device and method might be necessary.