bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Realization of a multinode quantum network of remote solid-state qubits
Authors: Pompili M. , Hermans S. L. N. , Baier S. , Beukers H. K. C. , Humphreys P. C. , Schouten R. N. , Vermeulen R. F. L. , Tiggelman M. J. , dos Santos Martins L. , Dirkse B. , Wehner S. , Hanson R.
Published: April 2021

A three-node quantum network

Future quantum networks will provide the means to develop truly secure communication channels and will have applications in many other quantum-based technologies. Pompili
et al.
present a three-node remote quantum network based on solid-state spin qubits (nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond) coupled by photons. The implementation of two quantum protocols on the network. entanglement distribution and entanglement swapping, illustrates a key platform for exploring, testing, and developing multinode quantum networks and quantum protocols.

Science
, this issue p.
259
The gut microbiomes of 180 species
Authors: Lind Abigail L. , Pollard Katherine S.
Published: April 2021

Animal microbiomes are a treasure trove of previously unknown bacteria and genes
Diagnosing nutritional stress in the oceans
Authors: Coleman Maureen
Published: April 2021

Phytoplankton genomes map marine nutrient scarcity
Broadly Reactive Human Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting the Pneumococcal Histidine Triad Protein Protect against Fatal Pneumococcal Infection
Authors: Huang Jiachen , Gingerich Aaron D. , Royer Fredejah , Paschall Amy V. , Pena-Briseno Alma , Avci Fikri Y. , Mousa Jarrod J.
Published: April 2021

Streptococcus pneumoniae
remains a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia despite the widespread use of vaccines. While vaccines are effective at reducing the incidence of most serotypes included in vaccines, a rise in infection due to nonvaccine serotypes and moderate efficacy against some vaccine serotypes have contributed to high disease incidence.
RNA Sequencing Reveals Distinct Immune Responses in the Chorioamniotic Membranes of Women with Preterm Labor and Microbial or Sterile Intra-amniotic Inflammation
Authors: Motomura Kenichiro , Romero Roberto , Galaz Jose , Tarca Adi L. , Done Bogdan , Xu Yi , Leng Yaozhu , Garcia-Flores Valeria , Arenas-Hernandez Marcia , Theis Kevin R. , Gershater Meyer , Jung Eunjung , Hsu Chaur-Dong , Gomez-Lopez Nardhy
Published: April 2021

Preterm labor precedes premature birth, the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Preterm labor can either occur in the context of microbe-associated intra-amniotic inflammation (i.e., intra-amniotic infection) or intra-amniotic inflammation in the absence of detectable microorganisms (i.e., sterile intra-amniotic inflammation).
Using
Wolbachia
to Eliminate Dengue: Will the Virus Fight Back?
Authors: Edenborough Kathryn M. , Flores Heather A. , Simmons Cameron P. , Fraser Johanna E.
Published: April 2021

Recent field trials have demonstrated that dengue incidence can be substantially reduced by introgressing strains of the endosymbiotic bacterium
Wolbachia
into
Aedes aegypti
mosquito populations. This strategy relies on
Wolbachia
reducing the susceptibility of
Ae. aegypti
to disseminated infection by positive-sense RNA viruses like dengue.
Recommendations by the European Network of Paediatric Research at the European Medicines Agency (Enpr-EMA) Working Group on preparedness of clinical trials about paediatric medicines process
Authors: Siapkara Angeliki , Fracasso Claudio , Egger Gunter F , Rizzari Carmelo , Trasorras Cristina Serén , Athanasiou Dimitrios , Turner Mark A
Published: April 2021

Conduct of clinical trials in babies, children and young people is often hindered by issues that could have been foreseen before the trial opened; that is, some clinical trials are often underprepared. In order to identify a good approach to trial preparedness, the European Network of Paediatric Research at the European Medicines Agency formed a working group. The Working Group included representation from regulators, industry, academics, paediatric clinical research networks and parents.

The Working Group consulted widely about how to prepare for paediatric clinical trials. The Group’s detailed recommendations have been published (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/other/preparedness-medicines-clinical-trials-paediatrics-recommendations-enpr-ema-working-group-trial_en.pdf).

This paper is a summary of the key recommendations including the following: start early, preferably in parallel to designing the medicine’s development plan and individual protocols; identify the rationale and clinical need; listen to the perspectives of children and families, and of patient advocacy groups; identify how many people will be eligible for the trial; identify the resources needed, such as clinical facilities (including play therapy) and out-of-pocket expenditure by participants and their families; use all available data to estimate what is possible; present information about preparedness in a structured way; deploy proportionate resources to support the preparation of trials.

A well-prepared, well-designed trial is likely to require fewer changes during its course, be run in a shorter time frame and achieve expected objectives.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae-associated mucositis
Authors: Gonçalves Raquel , Gata Lia , Brett Ana
Published: April 2021

A 9-year-old boy presented to the emergency department of a paediatric hospital with non-painful lesions on his lips and inside his mouth, associated with lip swelling. On examination, his oral mucosa and lips showed numerous blisters with yellowish serofibrinous content and lip oedema. An eye examination revealed bilateral conjunctival injection. Genitalia was unaffected and no other skin lesions were found. He was on day 4 of clarithromycin prescribed for atypical pneumonia caused byMycoplasma pneumoniae. The patient was diagnosed withM. pneumoniae-associated mucositis and was started on topical treatment with fusidic acid and betamethasone, with gradual improvement of the oral lesions.
Hyperthyroidism precipitating cardiac arrest in a patient with Brugada pattern
Authors: Elgara Mohamed , Khalil Mohammed Omer , Raza Tasleem
Published: April 2021

A 38-year-old man previously healthy suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; he was resuscitated successfully and admitted to the intensive care unit. His initial ECG suggested a Brugada pattern; other laboratory tests revealed low potassium level, low Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and high FT4. He was started on carbimazole for hyperthyroidism, along with other supportive care. A comprehensive cardiac evaluation was done, including ajmaline and flecainide tests, results were inconclusive. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator device (ICD) was inserted to prevent such catastrophic events in the future. After discharge and on follow-up, our patient was doing well. His thyroid function test (TFT) was normal; moreover, a follow-up ICD interrogation did not record any arrhythmias. This case report highlighted asymptomatic hyperthyroidism as a precipitant for Brugada pattern resulting in sudden cardiac arrest.
Retained iron intraocular foreign body with late onset siderotic glaucoma: a clinical challenge
Authors: Gawas Lisika , Sahoo Nibedita , Padhi Tapas Ranjan
Published: April 2021

Siderotic glaucoma is a rare and challenging clinical scenario caused by a retained iron intraocular foreign body (IOFB), which results in irreversible vision loss. Presented here is a case of secondary open-angle glaucoma in a 36-year-old man that was refractory to maximal medical therapy. A meticulous history and careful clinical examination revealed that he had a penetrating trauma 15 years ago, a self-sealed corneal entry wound, open angles, a retained encapsulated metallic IOFB and siderosis bulbi. Removal of the foreign body not only controlled intraocular pressure, but also improved vision.
Resolution of hyperthyroidism and thyroid antibodies following struma ovarii resection: an uncommon entity
Authors: Padmanaban Preethi , Nylen Eric , Burman Kenneth , Sen Sabyasachi
Published: April 2021

We report a case of 34-year-old clinically asymptomatic woman who had been followed for 6 years for hyperthyroidism with thyroid stimulating hormone <0.006 uIU/mL, free T4 1.98 ng/mL, free T3 5.3 pg/mL, elevated thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin 1.70 IU/L, thyroid peroxidase antibody 38 IU/mL and thyroglobulin antibody 9.3 IU/mL. Radioiodine thyroid scan showed minimal uptake in both thyroid lobes (24-hour uptake was 0.3%). She subsequently underwent evaluation for lower abdominal pain and menstrual irregularities, which revealed a large left ovarian cyst measuring 15.9 cm × 10.8 cm × 13.2 cm and right-sided ovarian cyst measuring 2.7 cm × 3.3 cm × 3.5 cm. Laparoscopic bilateral ovarian cystectomy was performed and the final pathology revealed struma ovarii of the left ovarian cyst with the entire ovarian tumour made up of benign thyroid tissue. Thyroid function tests performed 3 months after surgical removal of struma ovarii showed euthyroidism. We present a rare case with detailed laboratory and immunological data before and after ovarian extirpation with resolution of hyperthyroidism associated with functional struma ovarii.
Pulmonary carcinoid presenting in pregnancy with an unusual radiological feature
Authors: Li Anna , Crocker Helen , Dougherty Brendan , Klebe Sonja , Au Virginia
Published: April 2021

Pulmonary carcinoid tumours are a rare form of malignancy that often present with clinical heterogeneity and are challenging to diagnose. Diagnosis during pregnancy is further complicated by delays in imaging and procedures to minimise harm to the fetus. This case describes a primigravid healthcare worker who was diagnosed with pulmonary carcinoid in her first trimester of pregnancy, with particular focus on the unique radiological findings of subpleural blebs as a feature.
Incompatibility of remimazolam besylate with Ringer’s acetate infusion resulting in total occlusion of an intravenous catheter
Authors: Matsuo Mitsuhiro , Okada Kotaro , Onuki Yoshinori , Yamazaki Mitsuaki
Published: April 2021

Remimazolam besylate is an ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine derivative recently approved in Japan for general anaesthesia. However, less attention has been paid to the compatibility of remimazolam with infusion solutions, and the mechanism underlying the incompatibility remains unknown. The patient was a 65-year-old man who underwent a high tibial osteotomy. After the induction of general anaesthesia using remimazolam solution (5 mg/mL), we noticed precipitate completely blocking the lumen of the intravenous tube connected to a Ringer’s acetate Physio140 drip. The mixture of remimazolam solution (5 mg/mL) with Physio140 solution immediately resulted in the formation of substantial precipitate. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis revealed that the precipitate was remimazolam. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry revealed that the mixture of remimazolam solution with higher ratios of Physio140 resulted in significantly lower solubility, concomitant with an increase in pH. It would be important to consider the remimazolam concentration and infusion solution pH to avoid the production of precipitates.
SMART syndrome: a late-onset and not always reversible complication of radiotherapy
Authors: Rocha Raquel , Ribeiro Luís , Correia Filipe
Published: April 2021

Stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation (SMART) syndrome is a rare and late complication of cerebral radiotherapy of unknown pathophysiology. It is characterised by hemicranial headache associated with persistent unilateral focal neurological signs and, occasionally, epileptic seizures. An increase in the frequency of SMART syndrome can be attributed to an increase in the survival rate of patients undergoing radiation therapy This study details the case of a 60-year-old woman with a history of small-cell lung carcinoma, who, in her late forties, was treated with prophylactic cranial irradiation. She presented at the emergency room with acute onset of global aphasia, lethargy and headache that started a few days before.
Intraorbital wooden foreign body, legacy of a notorious scrap: a case report
Authors: Modaboyina Sujeeth , Agrawal Sahil , Khan Ragib , Bhari Anju
Published: April 2021

Wooden foreign bodies are notorious to be fragile and get retained as bits and bobs in the orbit. A 50-year-old woman presented to casualty with complaints of loss of vision and pain in the right eye associated with discharge from a wound in right eye upper lid. On imaging, a wooden foreign body was seen as continuous track of air. Meticulous dissection and search were done to remove bits and bobs of the wood. Patient, however, after 15 days of primary surgery reported with pus collection over wound site. Keeping suspicion of remnant wooden body piece(s), imaging and further exploration were carried out, removal of a 1 cm residual wooden piece was done. Retained wooden foreign body should always be suspected in postoperative cases of intraorbital wooden foreign body with infection. A close follow-up and knowledge of the same stay useful to remove any needless apprehension both of patient and surgeon.
Subnational estimates of factors associated with under-five mortality in Kenya: a spatio-temporal analysis, 1993–2014
Authors: Macharia Peter M , Joseph Noel K , Sartorius Benn , Snow Robert W , Okiro Emelda A
Published: April 2021

Background

To improve child survival, it is necessary to describe and understand the spatial and temporal variation of factors associated with child survival beyond national aggregates, anchored at decentralised health planning units. Therefore, we aimed to provide subnational estimates of factors associated with child survival while elucidating areas of progress, stagnation and decline in Kenya.

Methods

Twenty household surveys and three population censuses conducted since 1989 were assembled and spatially aligned to 47 subnational Kenyan county boundaries. Bayesian spatio-temporal Gaussian process regression models accounting for inadequate sample size and spatio-temporal relatedness were fitted for 43 factors at county level between 1993 and 2014.

Results

Nationally, the coverage and prevalence were highly variable with 38 factors recording an improvement. The absolute percentage change (1993–2014) was heterogeneous ranging between 1% and 898%. At the county level, the estimates varied across space and over time with a majority showing improvements after 2008 which was preceded by a period of deterioration (late-1990 to early-2000). Counties in Northern Kenya were consistently observed to have lower coverage of interventions and remained disadvantaged in 2014 while areas around Central Kenya had and historically have had higher coverage across all intervention domains. Most factors in Western and South-East Kenya recorded moderate intervention coverage although having a high infection prevalence of both HIV and malaria.

Conclusion

The heterogeneous estimates necessitates prioritisation of the marginalised counties to achieve health equity and improve child survival uniformly across the country. Efforts are required to narrow the gap between counties across all the drivers of child survival. The generated estimates will facilitate improved benchmarking and establish a baseline for monitoring child development goals at subnational level.
Awareness on menstrual hygiene management in Bangladesh and the possibilities of media interventions: using a nationwide cross-sectional survey
Authors: Afiaz Awan , Biswas Raaj Kishore
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) has become a growing public health concern in many low-income and middle-income nations for its association with several health risks. This study observed types of menstrual absorbents used among women in Bangladesh and analysed the associated sociodemographic factors with the hypothesis that mass media can increase awareness regarding MHM. The study includes recommendations for possible intervention strategies designed to address this lack of awareness.

Design and participants

The analysis used the data from the nationally representative Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019 that employed a two-stage, stratified cluster sampling approach, with a study sample of 54 242 women aged between 15 and 49 years. A generalised linear model was fitted to the data adjusting for survey weights and cluster/strata variations along with bivariate analyses and spatial mapping.

Results

Only a quarter of women (24.3%) used modern absorbents for MHM with most resorting to unhygienic traditional practices. Spatial distribution showed that the use of modern absorbent of MHM was limited to the major cities. The women who had mobile phones and regular access to the media were nearly 43% (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.43 with 95% CI 1.33 to 1.54) and 47% (AOR 1.47 with 95% CI 1.35 to 1.60) more likely to use the modern absorbents of MHM, respectively. Furthermore, educated women living in urban solvent households with educated house heads were also found to use modern absorbents of MHM.

Conclusions

There appeared to be scope for interventions through a combined national effort to raise awareness using multifaceted media channels regarding MHM among women in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals 3.7 and 6.2 of addressing women’s healthcare and hygiene needs.
Effect of interventions based on educational technologies on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in incarcerated women: protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Carvalho Isaiane da Silva , Mendes Ryanne Carolynne Marques Gomes , Melo Priscila de Oliveira Cabral , Simões Caroline Ferraz , Leal Luciana Pedrosa , Guedes Tatiane Gomes , Ormeno Gabriela Isabel Reyes , Linhares Francisca Márcia Pereira
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Prisons are places with high vulnerability and high risk for the development of sexually transmitted infections. World Health Agencies recommend establishing intervention measures, such as information and education, on the prevention of diseases. Thus, technologies as tools for health education have been used to reduce sexually transmitted infections. However, no systematic review has investigated the effectiveness of these interventions. Therefore, this review’s objective is to examine the effect of educational technologies used for preventing sexually transmitted infections in incarcerated women.

Methods and analysis

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines will be strictly followed. The following electronic databases will be searched: Scopus; Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, Education Resources Information Center, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Randomised clinical trials of interventions that used educational technologies to prevent sexually transmitted infections in incarcerated women will be searched in the databases from the beginning of 2020 until December by two researchers independently. A narrative synthesis will be constructed for all included studies, and if there are sufficient data, a meta-analysis will be performed using the Review Manager software (V.5.3). Continuous results will be presented as the weighted mean difference or the standardised mean difference with 95% CIs. Under the heterogeneity of the included studies, a random-effects or fixed-effects model will be used. The studies’ heterogeneity will be assessed by the I2method. The sensitivity analysis will be carried out to examine the magnitude of each study’s influence on the general results. A significance level of p≤0.05 will be adopted.

Ethics and disclosure

Ethical approval is not required because no primary data will be collected. The results will be published in journals reviewed by peers.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020163820.
Assessment of burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis at a tertiary care centre in northern India: a prospective single centre cohort study
Authors: Misra Richa , Kesarwani Vasudha , Nath Alok
Published: April 2021

Objectives

We aim to define the burden of rifampicin monoresistant tuberculosis (TB) at a tertiary care centre in northern India as well as determine the second-line drug susceptibilities (SL-DST) in a subset of patients.

Methods

A total of 3045 pulmonary (n=1883) and extrapulmonary (n=1162) samples from likely patients with TB were subjected to microscopy, culture and the Xpert MTB/RIF assay from March 2017 to June 2019. SL-DST testing by line probe assay version 2 for fluoroquinolones (FQs) and second-line injectable drugs were performed on 62 samples.

Results

Out of 3045 samples processed in our laboratory during the study period, 36.1% (1101/3045) were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and 21.6% were rifampicin monoresistant (223/1032). The rate of rifampicin resistance in pulmonary samples was 23.5% (166/706) and in extrapulmonary cases, it was 17.4% (57/326). Out of 62 cases included for second-line testing, 48 were resistant to FQs (77.4%) while 11 were extensively drug resistant.

Conclusions

India urgently needs to arrest an emerging multidrug-resistant TB epidemic with associated resistance to FQs. A robust surveillance system is needed to execute the National Strategic Plan for 2017–2025.
Extracorporeal life support programme for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during competitive sport events: the experience of the Volleyball Men’s World Championship Final Six in Turin (Italy)
Authors: Fornaro Giancarlo , Canavosio Federico Giovanni , Contristano Maria Luisa , Pasero Daniela , Izzo Gennaro , Centofanti Paolo , Attisani Matteo , Trompeo Anna Chiara , Buono Gabriella , Martore Marcello , Rinaldi Mauro , Brazzi Luca
Published: April 2021

The high incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest refractory to standard resuscitation protocols, despite precompetitive screening, demonstrated the need for a prehospital team to provide an effective system for life support and resuscitation at the Volleyball Men’s World Championship. The evolution of mechanical circulatory support suggests that current advanced cardiovascular life support protocols no longer represent the highest standard of care at competitive sporting events with large spectator numbers. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) improves resuscitation strategies and offers a rescue therapy for refractory cardiac arrest that can no longer be ignored. We present our operational experience of an out-of-hospital ECLS cardiopulmonary resuscitation team at an international sporting event.
Mortality benefit of crystalloids administered in 1–6 hours in septic adults in the ED: systematic review with narrative synthesis
Authors: Xantus Gabor Zoltan , Allen Penny , Norman Sharon , Kanizsai Peter Laszlo
Published: April 2021

Background

Based on the 2018 update of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, the Committee for Quality Improvement of the NHSs of England recommended the instigation of the elements of the ‘Sepsis-6 bundle’ within 1 hour to adult patients screened positive for sepsis. This bundle includes a bolus infusion of 30 mL/kg crystalloids in the ED. Besides the UK, both in the USA and Australia, compliance with similar 1-hour targets became an important quality indicator. However, the supporting evidence may neither be contemporaneous nor necessarily valid for emergency medicine settings.

Method

A systematic review was designed and registered at PROSPERO to assess available emergency medicine/prehospital evidence published between 2012 and 2020, investigating the clinical benefits associated with a bolus infusion of a minimum 30 mL/kg crystalloids within 1 hour to adult patients screened positive for sepsis. Due to the small number of papers that addressed this volume of fluids in 1 hour, we expanded the search to include studies looking at 1–6 hours.

Results

Seven full-text articles were identified, which investigated various aspects of the fluid resuscitation in adult sepsis. However, none answered completely to the original research question aimed to determine either the effect of time-to-crystalloids or the optimal fluid volume of resuscitation. Our findings demonstrated that in the USA/UK/Australia/Canada, adult ED septic patients receive 23–43 mL/kg of crystalloids during the first 6 hours of resuscitation without significant differences either in mortality or in adverse effects.

Conclusion

This systematic review did not find high-quality evidence supporting the administration of 30 mL/kg crystalloid bolus to adult septic patients within 1 hour of presentation in the ED. Future research must investigate both the benefits and the potential harms of the recommended intervention.
Identifying clot composition using intravascular diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in a porcine model of endovascular thrombectomy
Authors: Skyrman Simon , Burström Gustav , Aspegren Oskar , Lucassen Gerald , Elmi-Terander Adrian , Edström Erik , Arnberg Fabian , Ohlsson Marcus , Mueller Manfred , Andersson Tommy
Published: April 2021

Background

Endovascular thrombectomy has revolutionized the management of acute ischemic stroke and proven superior to stand-alone intravenous thrombolysis for large vessel occlusions. However, failed or delayed revascularization may occur as a result of a mismatch between removal technique and clot composition. Determination of clot composition before thrombectomy provides the possibility to adapt the technique to improve clot removal efficacy. We evaluated the application of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) for intravascular determination of clot composition in vivo.

Methods

Three clot types, enriched in red blood cells or fibrin or with a mixed content, were prepared from porcine blood and injected into the external carotids of a domestic pig. A guidewire-like DRS probe was used to investigate the optical spectra of clots, blood and vessel wall. Measurement positions were confirmed with angiography. Spectra were analyzed by fitting an optical model to derive physiological parameters. To evaluate the method’s accuracy, photon scattering and blood and methemoglobin contents were included in a decision tree model and a random forest classification.

Results

DRS could differentiate between the three different clot types, blood and vessel wall in vivo (p<0.0001). The sensitivity and specificity for detection was 73.8% and 98.8% for red blood cell clots, 80.6% and 97.8% for fibrin clots, and 100% and 100% for mixed clots, respectively.

Conclusion

Intravascular DRS applied via a custom guidewire can be used for reliable determination of clot composition in vivo. This novel approach has the potential to increase efficacy of thrombectomy procedures in ischemic stroke.
Catheter tip distensibility substantially influences the aspiration force of thrombectomy devices
Authors: Li Jiahui , Castaño Oscar , Tomasello Alejandro , de Dios Lascuevas Marta , Canals Pere , Engel Elisabeth , Ribo Marc
Published: April 2021

Background

A direct aspiration first pass thrombectomy (ADAPT) is a fast-growing technique for which a broad catalog of catheters that provide a wide range of aspiration forces can be used. We aimed to characterize different catheters' aspiration performance on stiff clots in an in vitro vascular model. We hypothesized that labeled catheter inner diameter (labeled-ID) is not the only parameter that affects the aspiration force (asp-F) and that thrombus–catheter tip interaction and distensibility also play a major role.

Methods

We designed an experimental setup consisting of a 3D-printed carotid artery immersed in a water deposit. We measured asp-F and distensibility of catheter tips when performing ADAPT on a stiff clot analog larger than catheter labeled-ID. Correlations between asp-F, catheter ID, and tip distensibility were statistically assessed.

Results

Experimental asp-F and catheter labeled-ID were correlated (r=0.9601; P<0.01). The relative difference between experimental and theoretical asp-F (obtained by the product of the tip’s section area by the vacuum pressure) correlated with tip’s distensibility (r=0.9050; P<0.01), evidencing that ADAPT performance is highly influenced by catheter tip shape-adaptability to the clot and that the effective ID (eff-ID) may differ from the labeled-ID specified by manufacturers. Eff-ID showed the highest correlation with experimental asp-F (r=0.9944; P<0.01), confirming that eff-ID rather than labeled-ID should be considered to better estimate the device efficiency.

Conclusions

Catheter tip distensibility can induce a significant impact on ADAPT performance when retrieving a stiff clot larger than the device ID. Our findings might contribute to optimizing thrombectomy strategies and the design of novel aspiration catheters.
Lung cancer probability and clinical outcomes of baseline and new subsolid nodules detected on low-dose CT screening
Authors: Kim Yeon Wook , Kwon Byoung Soo , Lim Sung Yoon , Lee Yeon Joo , Park Jong Sun , Cho Young-Jae , Yoon Ho Il , Lee Kyung Won , Lee Jae Ho , Chung Jin-Haeng , Ji Eunjeong , Lee Choon-Taek
Published: April 2021

Background

Limited data are available regarding the management of subsolid nodules detected on lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT). We aimed to determine the characteristics of screen-detected subsolid nodules, and to evaluate the probability of lung cancer and the clinical course of subsolid nodules detected at baseline and during follow-up screening.

Methods

We evaluated 50 132 asymptomatic adults (22 631 never-smokers and 27 501 ever-smokers) who underwent LDCT screening for lung cancer between May 2003 and June 2019 at a tertiary centre in South Korea. The incidence, characteristics and clinical outcomes of the baseline and new screen-detected subsolid nodules were determined.

Results

A total of 6725 subsolid nodules (5116 pure ground glass opacity nodules and 1609 part-solid nodules) were detected in 4545 participants (1484 new subsolid nodules detected in 937 (1.9%) participants; the overall incidence of subsolid nodules: 10.7% in never-smokers and 7.7% in ever-smokers, p<0.001). Among 4918 subsolid nodules that underwent follow-up with CT scans (the mean number of CT scans, including the baseline LDCT scan: 4.6), 2116 nodules (30.0% of baseline subsolid nodules and 78.9% of new subsolid nodules) resolved spontaneously. Among 293 biopsied subsolid nodules, 227 (77.5%) nodules were diagnosed as lung cancer, of which 226 (99.6%) were adenocarcinomas. No significant difference was observed in pathological invasiveness or the initial stage between the baseline and new cancerous subsolid nodules. Multivariable analyses revealed that new detection at follow-up screening was significantly associated with a lower probability of lung cancer (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.49) and overall growth (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.59), but with a higher probability of resolution (OR 6.30, 95% CI 5.09 to 7.81).

Conclusions

LDCT screening led to a considerably high rate of subsolid nodule detection, particularly in never-smokers. Compared with the baseline subsolid nodules, the new subsolid nodules were associated with a lower probability of lung cancer and higher probability of spontaneous resolution, indicating their more inflammatory nature. Less aggressive follow-up may be allowed for new subsolid nodules, particularly in screening programmes for Asian populations.
Inhaled nitric oxide improves the hepatopulmonary syndrome: a physiologic analysis
Authors: Gupta Samir , Tang Rosalind , Al-Hesayen Abdul
Published: April 2021

The hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is defined by liver dysfunction, intrapulmonary vasodilatation and abnormal oxygenation. Hypoxaemia is progressive and liver transplant is the only effective treatment. Severe hypoxaemia is a life-threatening HPS complication, particularly after transplant. We evaluated gas-exchange and haemodynamic effects of invasive therapies in a consecutive sample of 26 pre-transplant patients. Inhaled nitric oxide significantly improved partial pressure of oxygen (12.4 mm Hg; p=0.001) without deleterious effects on cardiac output. Trendelenburg positioning resulted in a small improvement, and methylene blue did not, though individual responses were variable. Future studies should prospectively evaluate these strategies in severe post-transplant hypoxaemia.
Dung analysis of the East Milford mastodons: dietary and environmental reconstructions from central Nova Scotia at ∼75 ka years BP
Authors: Cocker Scott L. , Pisaric Michael F.J. , McCarthy Francine M.G. , Vermaire Jesse C. , Beaupre Patrick , Cwynar Les C.
Published: April 2021

To reconstruct a mastodon diet and provide a snapshot view of environmental conditions in eastern Canada prior to the onset of the Wisconsinan glaciation, we analysed the faunal and floral components of dung associated with juvenile mastodon remains from East Milford, Nova Scotia, dated to 74.9 ± 5.0 ka cal BP. The diverse assemblage of pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, plant macrofossils, and macroinvertebrate remains in the dung suggests that the mastodons lived in a spruce-dominated mixed coniferous–deciduous forest with a strong boreal aspect interspersed with wetlands rich in charophytes, sedges, cattails, bulrushes, and bryophytes. The abundance of spruce needles and birch samaras in the dung sample is consistent with an inferred browsing behaviour, having been reported for other mammutid species previously. The limited diversity and near-absence of coprophilous fungi, such as Sporormiella, in the dung could have an impact on understanding the influence of feeding strategies on the presence of coprophilous taxa in sedimentary records, and thus interpretations of megafaunal abundance. The dung also yielded the earliest known Canadian remains of the bark beetle Polygraphus cf. rufipennis, gemmulae of the freshwater sponge Eunapius cf. fragilis, and loricae of the rotifer Keratella cochlearis.
Classical analytical description of negative hydrogen ions
Authors: Oks E.
Published: April 2021

Studies of negative hydrogen ions (NHI), such as, H– and D–, are important from both practical and fundamental points of view. One of the reasons for their practical importance has to do with heating tokamak plasmas by external beams of NHI. Another practical use is the injection of NHI in high-power proton accelerator facilities to enhance their performance. In addition, NHI are also important for studies of opacities of the atmospheres of the Sun and of A-type stars. We present a classical analytical description of NHI in the situation where the underlying hydrogen (or deuterium) atom constitutes a rapid subsystem while the outer electron represents a slow subsystem. We focus on the case where the inner electron is in a circular state, so that the subsystem “nucleus plus inner electron” does not have the average electric dipole moment — in distinction to previous studies where the presence of the average dipole moment was the crucial requirement. By using the separation of rapid and slow subsystems, we show analytically that there is a classical bound state in such system and studied its parameters. In particular, we calculate analytically the primary frequency of the radiation of such system. This could be used for its experimental detection. The states that we found for the above systems could be considered as classical counterparts of the double-excited states of NHI previously studied in the literature in frames of quantum mechanics. The existence of classical counterparts of the double-excited states of NHI is a counterintuitive result.
Asymptotic expansions through the loop-tree duality
Authors: Plenter Judith , Rodrigo Germán
Published: April 2021

Asymptotic expansions of Feynman amplitudes in the loop-tree duality formalism are implemented at integrand-level in the Euclidean space of the loop three-momentum, where the hierarchies among internal and external scales are well-defined. The ultraviolet behaviour of the individual contributions to the asymptotic expansion emerges only in the first terms of the expansion and is renormalized locally in four space-time dimensions. These two properties represent an advantage over the method of Expansion by Regions. We explore different approaches in different kinematical limits, and derive explicit asymptotic expressions for several benchmark configurations.
Testing weakest force with coldest spot
Authors: Cai Rong-Gen , Wang Shao-Jiang , Yi Su , Yu Jiang-Hao
Published: April 2021

Ultra-cold atom experiment in space with microgravity allows for realization of dilute atomic-gas Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with macroscopically large occupation number and significantly long condensate lifetime, which allows for a precise measurement on the shape oscillation frequency by calibrating itself over numerous oscillation periods. In this paper, we propose to measure the Newtonian gravitational constant via ultra-cold atom BEC with shape oscillation, although it is experimentally challenging. We also make a preliminary perspective on constraining the modified Newtonian potential such as the power-law potential, Yukawa interaction, and fat graviton. A resolution of frequency measurement of $$(1-100)\,\mathrm {nHz}$$

(
1
-
100
)

nHz

at most for the occupation number $$10^9$$

10
9

, just one order above experimentally achievable number $$N\sim 10^6{-}10^8$$

N
∼

10
6

-

10
8

, is feasible to constrain the modified Newtonian potential with Yukawa interaction greatly beyond the current exclusion limits.
Quasilocal Smarr relation for an asymptotically flat spacetime
Authors: Lee Yein , Richards Matthew , Stotyn Sean , Park Miok
Published: April 2021

We investigate the thermodynamics of Einstein–Maxwell (-dilaton) theory for an asymptotically flat spacetime in a quasilocal frame. We firstly define a quasilocal thermodynamic potential via the Euclidean on-shell action and formulate a quasilocal Smarr relation from Euler’s theorem. Then we calculate the quasilocal energy and surface pressure by employing a Brown–York quasilocal method along with Mann–Marolf counterterm and find entropy from the quasilocal thermodynamic potential. These quasilocal variables are consistent with the Tolman temperature and the entropy in a quasilocal frame turns out to be same as the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy. As a result, we found that a surface pressure term and its conjugate variable, a quasilocal area, do not participate in a quasilocal thermodynamic potential, but should be present in a quasilocal Smarr relation and the quasilocal first law of black hole thermodynamics. For dyonic black hole solutions having dynamic dilaton field, a non-trivial dilaton contribution should occur in the quasilocal first law but not in the quasilocal Smarr relation.
An evolution in six stages based on triality: A mathematical memoir
Authors: Wallach Nolan R.
Published: April 2021

Starting with the complexes, quaternions and the octonions we study five families of groups and homogeneous spaces each building geometrically on the previous families. For each family a particular theorem is studied from the perspective of the structure developed. The evolution of the spaces and the corresponding results form a sort of mathematical memoir of a career spanning more than 50 years.
A supervised similarity measure for link prediction based on KNN
Authors: Li Longjie , Wang Hui , Fang Shiyu , Shan Na , Chen Xiaoyun
Published: April 2021

As a research hotspot of complex network analysis, link prediction has received growing attention from various disciplines. Link prediction intends to determine the connecting probability of latent links based on the observed structure information. To this end, a host of similarity-based and learning-based link prediction methods have been proposed. To attain stable prediction performance on diverse networks, this paper proposes a supervised similarity-based method, which absorbs the advantages of both kinds of link prediction methods. In the proposed method, to capture the characteristics of a node pair, a collection of structural features is extracted from the network to represent the node pair as a vector. Then, the positive and negative [Formula: see text]-nearest neighbors are searched from existing and nonexisting links, respectively. The connection likelihood of a node pair is measured according to its distances to the local mean vectors of positive and negative [Formula: see text]-nearest neighbors. The prediction performance of the proposed method is experimentally evaluated on 10 benchmark networks. The results show that the proposed method is superior to the compared methods in terms of accuracy and stableness.
The Impact of Search Engines on Virus Propagation
Authors: Fu Cai , Ke Zhaokang , Zhang Yunhe , Chen Xiwu , Cao Liqing , Yin Mingjun
Published: April 2021

With the popularization of computers and the development of information engineering, the emergence of search engines makes it possible to get the information needed from big data quickly and efficiently. However, in recent years, a multiplicity of new viruses have been propagated by search engines. Many researchers choose to cut off the source of virus propagation, ignoring the virus immunization strategy based on the search engine. In this paper, we analyze the impact of search engines on virus propagation. First, considering the immune effect and cost, two kinds of immune mechanisms based on the search engine that have greater practicability are defined. Second, immune mechanisms based on the search engine are theoretically analyzed by the iteration method and the dynamic method. The results show that this immunization strategy can slow down or eliminate the propagation of a virus to a certain extent. Third, three real social network data sets are used to simulate and analyze the immune mechanism. We find that when the proportion of nodes being infected and the proportion of infected nodes being identified by the search engine satisfy a certain relationship, our immune mechanism can inhibit the spread of viruses, which confirms our theoretical analysis results.
Approximate Full Adders for Energy Efficient Image Processing Applications
Authors: Parameshwara M. C.
Published: April 2021

This paper proposes six novel approximate 1-bit full adders (AFAs) for inexact computing. The six novel AFAs namely AFA1, AFA2, AFA3, AFA4, AFA5, and AFA6 are derived from state-of-the-art exact 1-bit full adder (EFA) architectures. The performance of these AFAs is compared with reported AFAs (RAAs) in terms of design metrics (DMs) and peak-signal-to-noise-ratio (PSNR). The DMs under consideration are power, delay, power-delay-product (PDP), energy-delay-product (EDP), and area. For a fair comparison, the EFAs and proposed AFAs along with RAAs are described in Verilog, simulated, and synthesized using Cadences’ RC tool, using generic 180 nm standard cell library. The unconstrained synthesis results show that: among all the proposed AFAs, the AFA1 and AFA2 are found to be energy-efficient adders with high PSNR. The AFA1 has a total [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]W, [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]ps, [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]fJ, [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Js, [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m2, and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB. And the AFA2 has the total [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]W, [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]ps, [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]fJ, [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Js, [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m2, and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB.
DYNAMICS OF AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN THE PRESENCE OF SATURATED MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HOLLING TYPE III AND SELF-PROTECTION
Authors: MANDALE ROSHAN , KUMAR ANUJ , VAMSI D. K. K. , SRIVASTAVA PRASHANT K
Published: April 2021

A nonlinear SEIR model is formulated and analyzed. This model accounts for three important interventions — the saturated treatment on infective individuals, the screening on the exposed individuals and the information induced self-protection on susceptible individuals. Existence and stability of equilibria are discussed. A sensitivity analysis for the model parameters is performed and we identified the parameters which are more sensitive to the model system. The sensitivity analysis is further followed up with the two parameters heat plot that determines the regions for the parametric values in which the system is either stable or unstable. Further, an optimal control problem is formulated by considering screening and treatment as control variables and corresponding cost functional is constructed. Using Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle, paths of optimal controls are obtained analytically. A comparative study is conducted numerically to explore and analyze analytical results. We note that in absence of treatment, screening policy may be a cost-effective choice to keep a tab on the disease. However, comprehensive effect of both screening and treatment has a huge impact, which is highly effective and least expensive. It is also noted that treatment is effective for mild epidemic whereas screening has a significant effect on the disease burden while epidemic is severe. For a range of basic reproduction number, effect of self-protection and saturation in treatment is also explored numerically.
Applications of the deferred de la Vallée Poussin means of Fourier series
Authors: Krasniqi Xh. Z.
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we have proved four theorems on deferred generalized De la Vallée Poussin summability of Fourier series. Some results obtained previously by others, pertaining to generalized De la Vallée Poussin summability of Fourier series, are particular cases of ours.
Radius of starlikeness for some classes containing non-univalent functions
Authors: Yadav Shalu , Sharma Kanika , Ravichandran V.
Published: April 2021

A starlike univalent function [Formula: see text] is characterized by [Formula: see text]; several subclasses of starlike functions were studied in the past by restricting [Formula: see text] to take values in a region [Formula: see text] on the right-half plane, or, equivalently, by requiring [Formula: see text] to be subordinate to the corresponding mapping of the unit disk [Formula: see text] to the region [Formula: see text]. The mappings [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], defined by [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] map the unit disk [Formula: see text] to certain nice regions in the right-half plane. For normalized analytic functions [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are subordinate to the function [Formula: see text] for some analytic functions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], we determine the sharp radius for them to belong to various subclasses of starlike functions.
Fast Linear Interpolation
Authors: Zhang Nathan , Canini Kevin , Silva Sean , Gupta Maya
Published: April 2021

We present fast implementations of linear interpolation operators for piecewise linear functions and multi-dimensional look-up tables. These operators are common for efficient transformations in image processing and are the core operations needed for lattice models like deep lattice networks, a popular machine learning function class for interpretable, shape-constrained machine learning. We present new strategies for an efficient compiler-based solution using MLIR to accelerate linear interpolation. For real-world machine-learned multi-layer lattice models that use multidimensional linear interpolation, we show these strategies run 5-10× faster on a standard CPU compared to an optimized C++ interpreter implementation.