bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio predicts recurrence in patients with well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm based on the 2017 World Health Organization classification
Authors: Miura Takayuki , Ohtsuka Hideo , Aoki Takeshi , Aoki Shuichi , Hata Tatsuo , Takadate Tatsuyuki , Maeda Shimpei , Ariake Kyohei , Kawaguchi Kei , Masuda Kunihiro , Ishida Masaharu , Mizuma Masamichi , Nakagawa Kei , Morikawa Takanori , Fujishima Fumiyoshi , Kamei Takashi , Sasano Hironobu , Unno Michiaki
Published: March 2021

Background

The prognostic values of inflammation-based markers in well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, diagnosed according to the new 2017 World Health Organization classification, have remained unclear. Therefore, we assessed the ability to predict the recurrence of such markers after curative resection in patients with these neoplasms.

Methods

Circulating/systemic neutrophil–lymphocyte, monocyte–lymphocyte, platelet–lymphocyte, and platelet–white cell ratios were evaluated in 120 patients who underwent curative resection for well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms without synchronous distant metastasis between 2001 and 2018. Recurrence-free-survival and overall survival were compared using Kaplan–Meier analysis and log-rank tests. Univariate or multivariate analyses, using a Cox proportional hazards model, were used to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Univariate analysis demonstrated that preoperative neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio, tumor size, European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society TMN classification, 2017 World Health Organization classification, and venous invasion were associated with recurrence. The optimal preoperative neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio cut-off value was 2.62, based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. In multivariate analysis, a higher preoperative neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (HR = 3.49 95% CI 1.05–11.7; P = 0.042) and 2017 World Health Organization classification (HR = 8.81, 95% CI 1.46–168.2; P = 0.015) were independent recurrence predictors.

Conclusions

The circulating/systemic neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio is a useful and convenient preoperative prognostic marker of recurrence in patients with well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm based on the 2017 World Health Organization classification.
Antimicrobial and antibiofilm potentials of cinnamon oil and silver nanoparticles against Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from bovine mastitis: new avenues for countering resistance
Authors: Abd El-Aziz Norhan K. , Ammar Ahmed M. , El-Naenaeey El-sayed Y. M. , El Damaty Hend M. , Elazazy Asmaa A. , Hefny Ahmed A. , Shaker Asmaa , Eldesoukey Ibrahim E.
Published: March 2021

Background

Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae) is a contagious pathogen of bovine mastitis. It has financial implications for the dairy cattle industry in certain areas of the world. Since antimicrobial resistance increases in dairy farms, natural antimicrobials from herbal origins and nanoparticles have been given more attention as an alternative therapy. Hence, this study reported the antimicrobial and antibiofilm potentials of cinnamon oil, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and their combination against multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. agalactiae recovered from clinical bovine mastitis in Egypt.

Results

Our findings revealed that 73% (146/200) of the examined milk samples collected from dairy cows with clinical mastitis were infected with Streptococci species. Of these, 9.59% (14/146) were identified as S. agalactiae and categorized as MDR. S. agalactiae isolates expressed four virulence genes (Hyl, cylE, scpB, and lmb) and demonstrated an ability to produce biofilms. Cinnamon oil showed high antimicrobial (MICs ≤0.063 μg /mL) and antibiofilm (MBIC50 = 4 μg/mL) potentials against planktonic and biofilms of S. agalactiae isolates, respectively. However, AgNPs showed reasonable antimicrobial (MICs ≤16 μg/mL) and relatively low antibiofilm (MBIC50 = 64 μg/mL) activities against screened isolates. Synergistic antimicrobial or additive antibiofilm interactions of cinnamon oil combined with AgNPs were reported for the first time. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed that biofilms of S. agalactiae isolates treated with cinnamon oil were more seriously damaged than observed in AgNPs cinnamon oil combination. Moreover, reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) showed that cinnamon oil exerted a remarkable down-regulation of pili biosynthesis genes (pilA and pilB) and their regulator (rogB) against S. agalactiae biofilms, meanwhile the AgNPs cinnamon oil combination demonstrated a lower efficacy.

Conclusions

This is an in vitro preliminary approach that documented the antibiofilm potential of cinnamon oil and the inhibitory activity of cinnamon oil and its combination with AgNPs against MDR S. agalactiae recovered from clinical mastitis. Further in vivo studies should be carried out in animal models to provide evidence of concept for implementing these alternative candidates in the treatment of dairy farms infected by streptococcal mastitis in the future.
Spectrometric prediction of wood basic density by comparison of different grain angles and variable selection methods
Authors: Li Yanjie , Liu Wenjian , Cao Ruishu , Tan Zifeng , Liu Jun , Jiang Jingmin
Published: March 2021

Background

Wood basic density (WBD) is one of the most crucial wood property in tree and mainly determined the end use of wood for industry. However, the measurement WBD is time- and cost-consuming, which an alternatively fast and no-destructive measurement is needed. In this study, capability of NIR spectroscopy combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR) to quantify the WBD were examined in multiple wood species. To obtain more accurate and robust prediction models, the grain angle (0° (transverse surface), 45°, 90° (radial surface)) influence on the collection of solid wood spectra and a comparison of found variable selection methods for NIR spectral variables optimization were conducted, including significant Multivariate Correlation (sMC), Regularized elimination procedure (Rep), Iterative predictor weighting (Ipw) and Genetic algorithm (Ga). Models made by random calibration data selection were conducted 200 times performance evaluation.

Results

These results indicate that 90° angle models display relatively highest efficiency than other angle models, mixed angle model yield a satisfied WBD prediction results as well and could reduce the influence of grain angle. Rep method shows a higher efficiency than other methods which could eliminate the uninformative variables and enhance the predictive performance of 90° angle and mix angle models.

Conclusions

This study is potentially shown that the WBD (g/cm3) on solid wood across grain angles and varies wood species could be measured in a rapid and efficient way using NIR technology. Combined with the PLSR model, our methodology could serve as a tool for wood properties breeding and silviculture study.
Does coaching matter? Examining the impact of specific practice facilitation strategies on implementation of quality improvement interventions in the Healthy Hearts in the Heartland study
Authors: Walunas Theresa L. , Ye Jiancheng , Bannon Jennifer , Wang Ann , Kho Abel N. , Smith Justin D. , Soulakis Nicholas
Published: March 2021

Background

Practice facilitation is a multicomponent implementation strategy used to improve the capacity for practices to address care quality and implementation gaps. We sought to assess whether practice facilitators use of coaching strategies aimed at improving self-sufficiency were associated with improved implementation of quality improvement (QI) interventions in the Healthy Hearts in the Heartland Study.

Methods

We mapped 27 practice facilitation activities to a framework that classifies practice facilitation strategies by the degree to which the practice develops its own process expertise (Doing Tasks, Project Management, Consulting, Teaching, and Coaching) and then used regression tree analysis to group practices by facilitation strategies experienced. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess whether practice groups identified by regression tree analysis were associated with successful implementation of QI interventions and practice and study context variables.

Results

There was no association between number of strategies performed by practice facilitators and number of QI interventions implemented. Regression tree analysis identified 4 distinct practice groups based on the number of Project Management and Coaching strategies performed. The median number of interventions increased across the groups. Practices receiving > 4 project management and > 6 coaching activities implemented a median of 17 of 35 interventions. Groups did not differ significantly by practice size, association with a healthcare network, or practice type. Statistically significant differences in practice location, number and duration of facilitator visits, and early study termination emerged among the groups, compared to the overall practice population.

Conclusions

Practices that engage in more coaching-based strategies with practice facilitators are more likely to implement more QI interventions, and practice receptivity to these strategies was not dependent on basic practice demographics.
Aortotracheal fistula after slide tracheoplasty in a patient with dextrocardia, left pulmonary artery sling and tracheal stenosis: a case report
Authors: Chien Yu-san , Chao Yen-Chun , Lee Kuo-Sheng , Hsu Kang-Hong
Published: March 2021

Background

Aortotracheal fistula (ATF) is an uncommon and fatal complication of tracheal or aortic surgery, especially among pediatric patients.

Case presentation

We reported a case in a 1-year-old boy with dextrocardia, left pulmonary artery sling and long segment tracheal stenosis. He received slide tracheoplasty at 9 months of age and had post-operative refractory granulation at distal trachea status post repeated balloon dilatation and laser vaporization. Episodes of hemoptysis occurred on post-operative day 81. Bronchoscopy revealed a pulsating pseudoaneurysm at lower trachea which ruptured during the procedure

Urgent surgical repair under cardiopulmonary bypass with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest was done. No recurrent bleeding or significant neurologic deficits noticed at a 4-month follow-up.

Conclusion

Congenital anomaly that changes the spatial relationship between trachea and aorta could have contributed to formation of ATF. This warrant future attention when managing tracheal granulation with this not uncommon anatomy.
Cardiac herniation presenting as superior vena cava obstruction syndrome after intrapericardial pnemonectomy for locally advanced lung cancer---case report
Authors: He Gengxu , Yao Tong , Zhao Lei , Geng Hong , Ji Qiang , Zuo Kun , Luo Yuanzhi , Zhou Kai
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Cardiac herniation is a rare complication after pulmonary surgery, and there are only a few reports about it. We now report a case of cardiac herniation presenting as superior vena cava obstruction after pneumonectomy.

Case presentation

A-52-years old woman diagnosed right pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma was carried out right pneumonectomy, the pulmonary artery and right superior pulmonary vein were dissected and ligated intrapericardial. The patient developed tachycardia arrhythmias, hypotension, followed by loss of consciousness at about 18 h after operation. After resuscitation, the patient was conscious but developed cyanosis of the superior vena cava drainage area, uropenia, and hypotension (80/30 mmHg). Bedside-echocardiography showed that the SVC was obstructed due to thrombus formation. Chest radiography a shift of the heart into right hemithorax. Rethoracotomy was performed and the herniated heart was replaced into the pericardium, and the pericardium was repaired with Gore Tex patch. The patient recovered smoothly after the second surgery.

Conclusion

Cardiac herniation is a rare and fatally complication after thoracic surgery, and the prompt recognition with timely intervention is life-saving. Cardiac herniation is a rare but fatal complication of pneumonectomy. The increasing frequency of surgical resection for locally advanced thoracic carcinoma has led to a renewed emphasis regarding early diagnosis and treatment for cardiac herniation. Here we discuss a case of cardiac herniation presented with acute superior vena cava obstruction syndrome and hemodynamic instability after intrapericradial right pneumonectomy.
Long-term outcomes of mitral valve replacement in patients weighing less than 10 kg
Authors: Yuan Haoyong , Wu Zhongshi , Lu Ting , Tang Yilun , Chen Jinlan , Yang Yifeng , Huang Can
Published: March 2021

Background

The outcomes of mitral valve replacement (MVR) in pediatrics especially in the patients weighing less than 10 kg are not always favorable. This study aimed to measure long-term outcomes of MVR in our institution.

Methods

Nine young children weighing less than 10 kg underwent MVR with mechanical prostheses were enrolled in this retrospectively study. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used for the prediction of freedom from death and adverse events. Chi-square test was performed to compare outcomes for patients with different ratios of mechanical prosthesis size and body weight. Fourteen related literatures were also reviewed to support our study.

Results

All patients received bileaflet mechanical prostheses replacement. The surgical technique varied among the patients with prostheses implanted in the intra-annular (n = 5), supra-annular (n = 1), or with a Dacron conduit segment in the supra-annular position (n = 3). The valve size/weight ratio ranged from 2.11 to 5.00. There were two early death and one late death post-operation. The mean follow-up period was 80.67 ± 63.37 months, the transvalvular gradient was 10.5 ± 1.76 mmHg (range 8 to 12) and the peak gradient of LVOT was 5.00 ± 0.64 mmHg. One (11.1%) patient underwent an immediate revision MVR after initial MVR due to the periprosthetic leak. No patients required surgical reintervention or permanent pacemaker placement during long-term follow-up.

Conclusions

The tailored surgical strategy utilized for MVR in infants resulted in reliable valve function and excellent survival. Although revision is inevitable due to somatic growth, the bileaflet mechanical prostheses displayed appropriate durability.
Design and implementation of botulinum toxin on cricopharyngeal dysfunction guided by a combination of catheter balloon, ultrasound, and electromyography (BECURE) in patients with stroke: study protocol for a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Xie Mengshu , Dou Zulin , Wan Guifang , Zeng Peishan , Wen Hongmei
Published: March 2021

Background

Cricopharyngeal dysfunction (CPD) occurs in various neurological disorders, especially stroke. The treatment approaches of CPD include swallowing training, cricopharyngeal dilation, botulinum toxin (BTX) injection, and cricopharyngeal myotomy. BTX injection into the cricopharyngeal muscle is effective and safe for some patients with dysphagia, with a success rate between 43 and 100% (mean = 76%). However, well-designed randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to verify its efficacy and safety for the treatment of CPD. The objective of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of BTX for neurogenic cricopharyngeal achalasia, when administering an injection into the cricopharyngeal muscle guided by a novel precise positioning method, that combines ultrasound, catheter balloon, and electromyography (BECURE).

Methods

BECURE is a single-center randomized, placebo controlled, double-blinded, superiority clinical trial. To detect a significant difference between the 2 groups, a sample size of 44 patients is estimated. The intervention is BTX versus placebo, with 1:1 randomization. The randomization sequence from 1 to 44 was generated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The study is divided into two phases. In the first phase, patients will be injected with BTX or the placebo. In the second phase, patients who received a placebo injection and those who did not respond to the first BTX injection will receive an injection of BTX. The primary outcome is the score of the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS). The secondary outcomes are as follows: upper esophageal sphincter (UES) residual pressure, UES resting pressure, duration of UES relaxation, velopharyngeal and laryngopharyngeal peak pressure, UES opening, pharyngeal construction ratio, residue of bolus in the epiglottis valley or piriform sinus, and penetration and aspiration.

Discussion

Dysphagia is a common complication of stroke. There is lack of high-quality evidence for the efficacy of BTX in treating neurogenic CPD. This study will clarify whether BTX injection into the cricopharyngeal muscle can be effective and safe for patients with stroke and CPD.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR1900025562). Registered on September 1, 2019.
A case of hand urticaria, lip angioedema, and oropharyngeal pruritus induced by Japanese radish through IgE-mediated immediate allergic reaction
Authors: Abe Sumiko , Ito Jun , Harada Sonoko , Sasano Hitoshi , Ueda Shoko , Sandhu Yuuki , Takeshige Tomohito , Katsura Yoko , Harada Norihiro , Takahashi Kazuhisa
Published: March 2021

Background

Although Japanese radish (Raphanus sativusL.) is a common Japanese ingredient, there are few reports of IgE-mediated immediate food allergy caused by Japanese radish.

Case presentation

A 48-year-old woman developed urticarial lesions on her hands after grating Japanese radish and also developed lip edema and oral itching when she ate a salad composed of raw Japanese radishes. Skin prick testing was positive to extract of grated Japanese radish. Moreover, immunoblotting analysis showed IgE reactivity in the patient’s serum to a single band at the 18 kDa in grated Japanese radish, suggesting that the heat-labile 18 kDa protein of raw Japanese radish may be a radish-specific antigen.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of a patient with hand urticaria, lip angioedema, and oropharyngeal pruritus to raw Japanese radish through IgE-mediated immediate allergic reaction.
Efficacy of topical and systemic transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells in a rat model of diabetic ischemic wounds
Authors: Yan Jianxin , Liang Jiaji , Cao Yingxuan , El Akkawi Mariya M. , Liao Xuan , Chen Xiaojia , Li Chengzhi , Li Kecheng , Xie Guanghui , Liu Hongwei
Published: March 2021

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exert positive effects in chronic wounds. However, critical parameters, such as the most effective administration routes, remain unclear. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to compare the effects of topical and systemic transplantation MSCs on diabetic ischemic wound healing and explored the underlying mechanisms.

Method

A diabetic ischemic wound model was created on the dorsal foot of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) were administered via two routes: topical injection and intravenous (IV) infusion. Wound healing outcomes and blood glucose level were assessed dynamically. Meanwhile, blood flow recovery was evaluated in ischemic gastrocnemius muscles. The homing and transdifferentiation of mKate2-labeled BM-MSCs were assessed by fluorescence imaging and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis.

Result

Both topical and systemic treatments had a positive effect on the diabetic ischemic wound showing a significant reduction in wound area at day 14. Histological results showed an increase in the length of epithelial edges, collagen content, microvessel density in the wound bed, and a higher expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Meanwhile, systemic administration can ameliorate hyperglycemia and improve the blood perfusion of the ischemic hindlimb. BM-MSCs administered systemically were found distributed in wounded tissue and transdifferentiated into endothelial cells. Furthermore, BM-MSCs stimulated angiogenesis at wound sites by downregulating phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and activation of AKT signaling pathway.

Conclusions

The results demonstrated that both transplantation delivery method (topical and systemic) of BM-MSCs accelerated wound healing remarkably under pathological conditions. Nevertheless, systemic administration has the potential to ameliorate hyperglycemia and repair the damaged tissue.
Mesenchymal stem cells and extracellular vesicles in therapy against kidney diseases
Authors: Huang Yuling , Yang Lina
Published: March 2021

Kidney diseases pose a threat to human health due to their rising incidence and fatality rate. In preclinical and clinical studies, it has been acknowledged that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are effective and safe when used to treat kidney diseases. MSCs play their role mainly by secreting trophic factors and delivering extracellular vesicles (EVs). The genetic materials and proteins contained in the MSC-derived EVs (MSC-EVs), as an important means of cellular communication, have become a research focus for targeted therapy of kidney diseases. At present, MSC-EVs have shown evident therapeutic effects on acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetic nephropathy (DN), and atherosclerotic renovascular disease (ARVD); however, their roles in the transplanted kidney remain controversial. This review summarises the mechanisms by which MSC-EVs treat these diseases in animal models and proposes certain problems, expecting to facilitate corresponding future clinical practice.
The role of CPEB family proteins in the nervous system function in the norm and pathology
Authors: Kozlov Eugene , Shidlovskii Yulii V. , Gilmutdinov Rudolf , Schedl Paul , Zhukova Mariya
Published: March 2021

Posttranscriptional gene regulation includes mRNA transport, localization, translation, and regulation of mRNA stability. CPEB (cytoplasmicpolyadenylationelementbinding) family proteins bind to specific sites within the 3′-untranslated region and mediate poly- and deadenylation of transcripts, activating or repressing protein synthesis. As part of ribonucleoprotein complexes, the CPEB proteins participate in mRNA transport and localization to different sub-cellular compartments. The CPEB proteins are evolutionarily conserved and have similar functions in vertebrates and invertebrates. In the nervous system, the CPEB proteins are involved in cell division, neural development, learning, and memory. Here we consider the functional features of these proteins in the nervous system of phylogenetically distant organisms:Drosophila, a well-studied model, and mammals. Disruption of the CPEB proteins functioning is associated with various pathologies, such as autism spectrum disorder and brain cancer. At the same time, CPEB gene regulation can provide for a recovery of the brain function in patients with fragile X syndrome and Huntington's disease, making the CPEB genes promising targets for gene therapy.
Extracellular matrix: an important regulator of cell functions and skeletal muscle development
Authors: Zhang Weiya , Liu Yuan , Zhang Hong
Published: March 2021

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is a kind of connective tissue in the cell microenvironment, which is of great significance to tissue development. ECM in muscle fiber niche consists of three layers: the epimysium, the perimysium, and the endomysium (basal lamina). These three layers of connective tissue structure can not only maintain the morphology of skeletal muscle, but also play an important role in the physiological functions of muscle cells, such as the transmission of mechanical force, the regeneration of muscle fiber, and the formation of neuromuscular junction. In this paper, detailed discussions are made for the structure and key components of ECM in skeletal muscle tissue, the role of ECM in skeletal muscle development, and the application of ECM in biomedical engineering. This review will provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of ECM, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the structure, physiological function, and application of ECM in skeletal muscle tissue.
Inter-hospital transport of critically ill patients to manage the intensive care unit surge during the COVID-19 pandemic in France
Authors: Painvin Benoit , Messet Hélène , Rodriguez Maeva , Lebouvier Thomas , Chatellier Delphine , Soulat Louis , Ehrmann Stephane , Thille Arnaud W. , Gacouin Arnaud , Tadie Jean-Marc
Published: March 2021

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic led authorities to evacuate via various travel modalities critically ill ventilated patients into less crowded units. However, it is not known if interhospital transport impacts COVID-19 patient’s mortality in intensive care units (ICUs). A cohort from three French University Hospitals was analysed in ICUs between 15th of March and the 15th of April 2020. Patients admitted to ICU with positive COVID-19 test and mechanically ventilated were recruited.

Results

Among the 133 patients included in the study, 95 (71%) were male patients and median age was 63 years old (interquartile range: 54–71). Overall ICU mortality was 11%. Mode of transport included train (48 patients), ambulance (6 patients), and plane plus helicopter (14 patients). During their ICU stay, 7 (10%) transferred patients and 8 (12%) non-transferred patients died (p = 0.71). Median SAPS II score at admission was 33 (interquartile range: 25–46) for the transferred group and 35 (27–42) for non-transferred patients (p = 0.53). SOFA score at admission was 4 (3–6) for the transferred group versus 3 (2–5) for the non-transferred group (p = 0.25). In the transferred group, median PaO2/FiO2 ratio (P/F) value in the 24 h before departure was 197 mmHg (160–250) and remained 166 mmHg (125–222) in the first 24 h post arrival (p = 0.13). During the evacuation 46 (68%) and 21 (31%) of the patients, respectively, benefited from neuromuscular blocking agents and from vasopressors. Transferred and non-transferred patients had similar rate of nosocomial infections, 37/68 (54%) versus 34/65 (52%), respectively (p = 0.80). Median length of mechanical ventilation was significantly increased in the transferred group compared to the non-transferred group, 18 days (11–24) and 14 days (8–20), respectively (p = 0.007). Finally, ICU and hospital length of stay did not differ between groups.

Conclusions

In France, inter-hospital evacuation of COVID-19 ventilated ICU patients did not appear to increase mortality and therefore could be proposed to manage ICU surges in the future.
Correction to: A new method for the conservation of ancient colored paintings on ramie textiles
Authors: Liu Jiaojiao , Li Yuhu , Hu Daodao , Xing Huiping , Chao Xiaolian , Cao Jing , Jia Zhihui
Published: March 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Assessment of intention to use postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in ambo town public health institutions, Ethiopia, 2018
Authors: Daba Gurmessa , Deressa Jembere Tesfaye , Sinishaw Workinesh
Published: March 2021

Background

Maternal mortality tragedy is the issue of both developed and developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia, which is due to poor quality of maternal health care services. Therefore family planning especially the use of Postpartum intrauterine contraceptive devices can tackle unintended pregnancy and maternal death. However,the intention to use PPIUCD and the use of IUCD in general is not well practiced in Ethiopia according to evidences of the literatures. For this reason, many mothers are exposed to unintended pregnancy and pregnancy related complications. The main purpose of the study was to assess the intention to use Post-partum intra uterine contraceptive devices and its associated factors among pregnant women attending Antenatal Clinics in Ambo Town Public Health Institutions, Ethiopia, 2018.

Methods

A facility-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from March – April 2018 to assess the intention of pregnant women about Postpartum intrauterine contraceptive devices and associated factors in 422 pregnant women. Study subjects were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected by structured questionnaire, entered into a computer using Epi-info 3.5.4 statistical program, and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. A Logistic regression model was used to predict the intention of pregnant women about Postpartum intrauterine contraceptive devices and associated factors. Lastly, a significant statistical association was tested using 95% confidence interval (CI) and p value (p < 0.05).

Results

The response rate was 417 (98.3%) and this study showed that 145(34.9%) of pregnant women intended to use Postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device. Age of pregnant women [AOR = 8.348(CI: 3.602–19.347], educational level [AOR = 3.249(1.057–9.985)], occupational status [AOR = 4.101(CI: 1.788–9.405)], monthly income [AOR = 3.175(CI: 1.423–7.082)] and knowledge [A0R = 5.408(2.994–9.767)] have shown significant associations with intention to use Postpartum intrauterine contraceptive devices.

Conclusions

The study found that 34.9% women intended to use PPIUCD. Maternal age, maternal educational level, occupational status, monthly income and knowledge were significantly associated with pregnant women intention to use PPIUCD.
The role of analytical reasoning and source credibility on the evaluation of real and fake full-length news articles
Authors: Pehlivanoglu Didem , Lin Tian , Deceus Farha , Heemskerk Amber , Ebner Natalie C. , Cahill Brian S.
Published: March 2021

Aim

Previous research has focused on accuracy associated with real and fake news presented in the form of news headlines only, which does not capture the rich context news is frequently encountered in real life. Additionally, while previous studies on evaluation of real and fake news have mostly focused on characteristics of the evaluator (i.e., analytical reasoning), characteristics of the news stimuli (i.e., news source credibility) and the interplay between the two have been largely ignored. To address these research gaps, this project examined the role of analytical reasoning and news source credibility on evaluation of real and fake full-length news story articles. The project considered both accuracy and perceived credibility ratings as outcome variables, thus qualifying previous work focused solely on news detection accuracy.

Method

We conducted two independent but parallel studies, with Study 2 as a direct replication of Study 1, employing the same design but in a larger sample (Study 1:N = 292 vs. Study 2:N = 357). In both studies, participants viewed 12 full-length news articles (6 real, 6 fake), followed by prompts to evaluate each article’s veracity and credibility. Participants were randomly assigned to view articles with a credible or non-credible source and completed the Cognitive Reflection Test as well as short demographic questions.

Findings

Consistent across both studies, higher analytical reasoning was associated with greater fake news accuracy, while analytical reasoning was not associated with real news accuracy. In addition, in both studies, higher analytical reasoning was associated with lower perceived credibility for fake news, while analytical reasoning was not associated with perceived credibility for real news. Furthermore, lower analytical reasoning was associated with greater accuracy for real (but not fake) news from credible compared to non-credible sources, with this effect only detected in Study 2.

Conclusions

The novel results generated in this research are discussed in light of classical vs. naturalistic accounts of decision-making as well as cognitive processes underlying news articles evaluation. The results extend previous findings that analytical reasoning contributes to fake news detection to full-length news articles. Furthermore, news-related cues such as the credibility of the news source systematically affected discrimination ability between real and fake news.
An end-to-end text spotter with text relation networks
Authors: Jiang Jianguo , Wei Baole , Yu Min , Li Gang , Li Boquan , Liu Chao , Li Min , Huang Weiqing
Published: March 2021

Reading text in images automatically has become an attractive research topic in computer vision. Specifically, end-to-end spotting of scene text has attracted significant research attention, and relatively ideal accuracy has been achieved on several datasets. However, most of the existing works overlooked the semantic connection between the scene text instances, and had limitations in situations such as occlusion, blurring, and unseen characters, which result in some semantic information lost in the text regions. The relevance between texts generally lies in the scene images. From the perspective of cognitive psychology, humans often combine the nearby easy-to-recognize texts to infer the unidentifiable text. In this paper, we propose a novel graph-based method for intermediate semantic features enhancement, called Text Relation Networks. Specifically, we model the co-occurrence relationship of scene texts as a graph. The nodes in the graph represent the text instances in a scene image, and the corresponding semantic features are defined as representations of the nodes. The relative positions between text instances are measured as the weights of edges in the established graph. Then, a convolution operation is performed on the graph to aggregate semantic information and enhance the intermediate features corresponding to text instances. We evaluate the proposed method through comprehensive experiments on several mainstream benchmarks, and get highly competitive results. For example, on the , our method surpasses the previous top works by 2.1% on the word spotting task.
Outcome of the use of 0.9% saline versus 0.45% saline for fluid rehydration in moderate and severe diabetic ketoacidosis in children
Authors: Badawi Nora El Said , Hafez Mona , Eldin Heba Sharaf , Abdelatif Hend Mehawed , Atef Shimaa , Ismail Mohamed Mohamed , Arafa Noha
Published: March 2021

Background

The debate for the optimum sodium concentration in the rehydration solution in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) persists till the moment. The aim was to compare the outcome of 0.9% saline versus 0.45% saline in children with moderate and severe (DKA) regarding the effect on serum electrolytes, duration of DKA resolution and the incidence of hyperchloremia.

Results

A retrospective analysis of 121 children with moderate or severe DKA was done. After the initial 4 h in which both groups received normal saline, patients were divided into two groups continuing on 0.9% (N=72) or switched to 0.45% saline (N=49). Serum chloride and Cl/Na ratios were significantly higher in 0.9% saline group at 4 and 8 h. The 0.9% saline group had significantly higher proportion of hyperchloremia at 4 and 8 h (P value: 0.002, 0.02). The median duration of correction of DKA (14 h among 0.9% saline versus 10 h among 0.45% saline) without significant difference (P value= 0.43). The change in plasma glucose, effective osmolarity, corrected Na levels were comparable between groups.

Conclusion

There is an unavoidable iatrogenically induced rise in serum chloride with higher incidence of hyperchloremia with the use of normal saline in rehydration of children presenting in DKA and shock. The use of 0.45% saline as post-bolus rehydration fluid is not associated with a decline in the corrected serum sodium concentration and does not affect the rate of correction of acidosis or rate of drop in blood glucose or duration of DKA resolution when compared to normal saline.
Lifelong Exercise in Age Rats Improves Skeletal Muscle Function and MicroRNA Profile
Authors: GAO HAO-EN , LI FANG-HUI , XIE TIAN , MA SONG , QIAO YI-BO , WU DA-SHUAI , SUN LEI
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Lifelong exercise is known to attenuate sarcopenia (age-associated reduction in muscle mass and function); however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. As microRNAs are widely involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle growth and development, we aimed to evaluate the effects of lifelong regular exercise on age-related alterations in muscle microRNA expression profiles as well as on skeletal muscle atrophy, apoptosis, and mitochondria and autophagy dysfunction.

Methods

Female 8-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups; 1) 18 months of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) initiated at 8 months (adult-MICT, n = 12), 2) 8 months of MICT initiated at 18 months (presarcopenia-MICT, n = 12), 3) 8-month-old adult sedentary controls (adult-SED), and 4) 26-month-old aging sedentary controls (old-SED). Age skeletal muscles were then subjected to quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, immunoblotting, and miR-486 3′ untranslated region luciferase reporter gene analyses.

Results

Age-related loss of miR-486 expression was improved, skeletal muscle atrophy and apoptosis were downregulated, and mitochondrial activity and autophagy were upregulated in the adult-MICT group. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that the PI3K/Akt pathway was upregulated in adult-MICT rats compared with that in old-SED. In vitro analyses in rat skeletal muscle L6 cells further confirmed that miR-486 targets PTEN, not SAV1, thereby activating the PI3K/Akt pathway and indirectly inhibiting HIPPO signaling.

Conclusions

Compared with presarcopenia-MICT rats, adult-MICT rats experienced greater beneficial effects regarding ameliorated age-related alterations in muscle miRNA expression profile, skeletal muscle atrophy, apoptosis, and mitochondria and autophagy dysfunction, which is potentially associated with the increased miR-486 expression and concomitant targeting of the PTEN/Akt signaling pathway.
Feasibility and validation of trans-valvular flow derived by four-dimensional flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Mills Mark T , Grafton-Clarke Ciaran , Williams Gareth , Gosling Rebecca C , Al Baraikan Abdulaziz , Kyriacou Andreas L , Morris Paul D , Gunn Julian P , Swoboda Peter P , Levelt Eylem , Tsampasian Vasiliki , van der Geest Rob J , Swift Andrew J , Greenwood John P , Plein Sven , Vassiliou Vass , Garg Pankaj
Published: March 2021

Background: Four-dimensional (4D) flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an emerging technique used for intra-cardiac blood flow assessment. The role of 4D flow cardiovascular MRI in the assessment of trans-valvular flow in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has not previously been assessed. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility, image quality, and internal validity of 4D flow cardiovascular MRI in the quantification of trans-valvular flow in patients with AF.

Methods: Patients with AF and healthy controls in sinus rhythm underwent cardiovascular MRI, including 4D flow studies. Quality assurance checks were done on the raw data and streamlines. Consistency was investigated by trans-valvular flow assessment between the mitral valve (MV) and the aortic valve (AV).

Results: Eight patients with AF (88% male, mean age 62±13 years, mean heart rate (HR) 83±16 beats per minute (bpm)) were included and compared with ten healthy controls (70% male, mean age 41±20 years, mean HR 68.5±9 bpm). All scans were of either good quality with minimal blurring artefacts, or excellent quality with no artefacts. No significant bias was observed between the AV and MV stroke volumes in either healthy controls (–4.8, 95% CI –15.64 to 6.04; P=0.34) or in patients with AF (1.64, 95% CI –4.7 to 7.94; P=0.56). A significant correlation was demonstrated between MV and AV stroke volumes in both healthy controls (r=0.87, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.97; P=0.001) and in AF patients (r=0.82, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.97; P=0.01).

Conclusions: In patients with AF, 4D flow cardiovascular MRI is feasible with good image quality, allowing for quantification of trans-valvular flow.
Preferences and Prejudice: Does Empathy Affect Preferences for Microaggression Training?
Authors: Romero Rafael
Published: March 2021

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“Unenthusiastic” Proselytization: The Unitarian Effort to Merge National Identity and Religion
Authors: McCain Connor
Published: March 2021

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Optimal Priority-Based Allocation Mechanisms
Authors: Shi Peng
Published: March 2021

This paper develops a tractable methodology for designing an optimal priority system for assigning agents to heterogeneous items while accounting for agents’ choice behavior. The space of mechanisms being optimized includes deferred acceptance and top trading cycles as special cases. In contrast to previous literature, I treat the inputs to these mechanisms, namely the priority distribution of agents and quotas of items, as parameters to be optimized. The methodology is based on analyzing large market models of one-sided matching using techniques from revenue management and solving a certain assortment planning problem whose objective is social welfare. I apply the methodology to school choice and show that restricting choices may be beneficial to student welfare. Moreover, I compute optimized choice sets and priorities for elementary school choice in Boston.

This paper was accepted by Gabriel Weintraub, revenue management and market analytics.
Discharging patients with COVID-19 to designated settings: infection control and the Department of Health and Social Care
Authors: Halliwell Amanda
Published: March 2021

COVID-19 positive patients are being discharged from hospital to care homes approved by the Care Quality Commission for safe, high-quality care. What assurance does this provide that infection will not be spread, as it was in the first wave, and has sufficient capacity been created? Amanda Halliwell examines the Department of Health and Social Care’s scheme.
The importance of year-round flea and roundworm prevention in lockdown and beyond
Authors: Wright Ian
Published: March 2021

Whether routine preventative deworming regimens for Toxocara spp. in cats and dogs should be used to reduce zoonotic risk, continues to be a subject of much debate. Nurses are on the frontline of giving preventative parasite control advice and it is vital that this is based on the latest evidence to minimise zoonotic risk while ensuring over treatment does not take place. The need for routine year-round flea treatment is also fundamental to parasite control protocols in cats and dogs. The benefits of routine flea treatment need to be considered against the possible environmental impact and drug resistance issues that may be associated with long-term use. Veterinary nurses play a pivotal role in giving accurate parasite control to clients and balancing these factors based on the latest evidence.
ARDS: acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Doyle Elizabeth
Published: March 2021

Respiratory distress is a common presentation in an emergency and critical care setting. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an acute onset condition where the lungs cannot provide the patient's vital organs with enough oxygen. ARDS can occur as a result of several underlying triggers. It is important that veterinary nurses know what to look out for in these patients, and how to appropriately nurse them to ensure they are not compromised further.
Empathic care and healing the wounds of war in Ukraine
Authors: Wanner Catherine
Published: March 2021

This article analyses the religiously infused talk therapy provided by military chaplains to soldiers as they transition to civilian life. They offer a form of empathic care that centres on dialogue and existential engagement, which often begins in hospital and extends beyond physical healing. Proposals to treat the emotional distress soldiers experience include creating residential centres in monasteries and the use of a religiously oriented therapeutic idiom to ‘work on the self’ so as to hear and obey the ‘voice of one’s soul’. State-sponsored military chaplains harness religion for therapeutic purposes with the goal of transforming soldiers into high-functioning, religiously committed, patriotic, moral citizens dedicated to protecting a newly fortified sovereign country. This normativises a spiritual dimension to care, healing and understandings of the sources of wellbeing. More broadly, this injects religious practices and symbolism into secular social institutions and shifts the emotional tenor of public domains by mobilising the therapeutic qualities of religion for the purposes of social healing.
Simultaneous realization of electromagnetically induced transparency and electromagnetically induced reflectance in a metasurface
Authors: Liu Wenbing , Li Hanhui , Li Chengquan , Ding Jifei , Luo Yi , Wu Wei , Guo Min , Hong Wei , Huang Lirong
Published: March 2021

The analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT-like) and electromagnetically induced reflectance (EIR-like) effects have been intensively studied and achieved by using metasurfaces. Nevertheless, previous designs could realize only one of them and were unable to support both effects in a metasurface. Here we numerically and experimentally demonstrate a metasurface simultaneously exhibiting EIT-like and EIR-like effects. Qualitative analyses and quantitative calculations based on the electromagnetic multipole decomposition method are performed to reveal their formation mechanisms. Our work offers a simple avenue for simultaneously realizing EIT-like and EIR-like effects in a metasurface, which may find potential applications in sensing, filtering, and slow wave devices.
Modeling the circadian regulation of the immune system: Sexually dimorphic effects of shift work
Authors: Abo Stéphanie M. C. , Layton Anita T.
Published: March 2021

The circadian clock exerts significance influence on the immune system and disruption of circadian rhythms has been linked to inflammatory pathologies. Shift workers often experience circadian misalignment as their irregular work schedules disrupt the natural light-dark cycle, which in turn can cause serious health problems associated with alterations in genetic expressions of clock genes. In particular, shift work is associated with impairment in immune function, and those alterations are sex-specific. The goal of this study is to better understand the mechanisms that explain the weakened immune system in shift workers. To achieve that goal, we have constructed a mathematical model of the mammalian pulmonary circadian clock coupled to an acute inflammation model in the male and female rats. Shift work was simulated by an 8h-phase advance of the circadian system with sex-specific modulation of clock genes. The model reproduces the clock gene expression in the lung and the immune response to various doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Under normal conditions, our model predicts that a host is more sensitive to LPS at circadian time (CT) CT12 versus CT0 due to a dynamic change of Interleukin 10 (IL-10), an anti-inflammatory cytokine. We identify REV-ERB as a key modulator of IL-10 activity throughout the circadian day. The model also predicts a reversal of the times of lowest and highest sensitivity to LPS, with males and females exhibiting an exaggerated response to LPS at CT0, which is countered by a blunted immune response at CT12. Overall, females produce fewer pro-inflammatory cytokines than males, but the extent of sequelae experienced by males and females varies across the circadian day. This model can serve as an essential component in an integrative model that will yield mechanistic understanding of how shift work-mediated circadian disruptions affect the inflammatory and other physiological responses.