bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative measurement of blood glucose influenced by multiple factors via photoacoustic technique combined with optimized wavelet neural networks
Authors: Ren Zhong , Liu Tao , Xiong Chengxin , Huang Shuanggen , Zhang Jia , Peng Wenping , Wu Junli , Liang Gaoqiang , Sun Bingheng
Published: November 2022

In this work, the photoacoustic (PA) quantitative measurement of blood glucose concentration (BGC) influenced by multiple factors was firstly investigated. A set of PA detection system of blood glucose considering the comprehensive influence of five factors was established. The PA signals and peak‐to‐peak values (PPVs) of 625 rabbit whole blood were obtained under 625 influence combinations. Due to the accurate measurement of BGC limited by the overlap PA signals, wavelet neural network (WNN) was utilized to train the PPVs of blood glucose for 500 rabbit blood. The mean square error (MSE) of BGC for 125 testing blood was approximately 6.5782 mmol/L. To decrease the MSE, the parameters of WNN were optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO), that is, PSO‐WNN algorithm was employed. Under the optimal parameters, MSE of BGC was decreased to approximately 0.48005 mmol/L. To further improve the prediction accuracy of BGC, an improved nonlinear dynamic inertia weight (NDIW) strategy of PSO was proposed, and compared with other two kinds of dynamic inertia weight strategies. Under the optimal parameters, the MSE of BGC was decreased to approximately 0.2635 mmol/L. The comparison of nine algorithms demonstrate that the PA technique combined with PSO‐WNN and the improved NDIW strategy is significant in the quantitative measurement of blood glucose influenced by multiple factors.
Depletion of Tip60/Kat5 affects the hepatic antioxidant system in mice
Authors: Kocpinar Enver Fehim , Baltaci Nurdan Gonul , Akkemik Ebru , Budak Harun
Published: November 2022

Tat‐interactive protein 60 kDa (TIP60, also known as lysine acetyltransferase 5 [KAT5]) is a member of the MYST protein family with histone acetyltransferase activity. Recent studies have reported that TIP60 has multiple functions in many signal transduction mechanisms, especially p53‐mediated apoptosis. Although the activation of apoptosis signaling pathways requires the presence of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) at a certain level, an imbalance between the production and consumption of ROS in cells results in oxidative stress (OS). In this study, we investigated for the first time how the absence of the Tip60 gene in the liver affects gene expression, enzyme activity, and protein expression of the hepatic antioxidant members localized in the cytoplasm, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S‐transferase (GST). First, we successfully generated liver‐specific Tip60 knockout mice (mutants) using Cre/LoxP recombination. The reduced glutathione level and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (Nox4) expression, a marker of OS, increased significantly in the Tip60 mutant liver. Gene expression, activity, and protein expression of the enzymatic antioxidant system, including SOD, CAT, GR, GPx, and GST were investigated in mutants and control groups. Despite a significant correlation between the gene, enzyme activity, and protein content for CAT and GR, this was not true for SOD and GPx. The overall results suggest that TIP60 acts on the hepatic antioxidant system both at the gene and protein levels, but the actual effect of the deletion of Tip60 is observed at the protein level, especially for SOD and GPx.
Synthesis of carboxylic graphene oxide‐carboxymethyl chitosan composite and its applications toward the remediation of U6+, Pb2+, Cr6+, and Cd2+ ions from aqueous solutions
Authors: Patel Khilawan , Sutar Alekha Kumar , Maharana Tungabidya
Published: November 2022

The current research work deals with the synthesis of a novel composite material of carboxylic graphene oxide‐carboxymethyl chitosan (COOH‐GO‐CMC) composite by ultrasound and microwave‐assisted processes. The composite was characterized by Fourier Transform Infra‐red spectroscopy, X‐ray Powder Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The synthesized composite was used to remove heavy toxic metal ions (HTMIs) such as uranium (U6+), lead (Pb2+), chromium (Cr6+), and cadmium (Cd2+) ions from aqueous solutions. The HTMIs removal study was carried out to verify the effects of pH, contact time, amount of adsorbent dose, initial concentration, and temperature. The linear and nonlinear Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were fitted to the data of removal studies, and it was observed that the linear Langmuir adsorption isotherm (R2 > 0.99) was the best‐fitted model. The maximum adsorption capacities of COOH‐GO‐CMC were found to be 74.62, 416.66, 76.92, and 53.47 mg g−1 for U6+, Pb2+, Cr6+, and Cd2+ ions, respectively. The kinetics studies, including four types of models (linear and nonlinear pseudo‐first‐order, linear and nonlinear pseudo‐second‐order, Intraparticle diffusion, and Elovich kinetic models), were tested, and the results showed that the linear pseudo‐second‐order kinetics model (R2 > 0.99) was the best‐fitted model. The thermodynamic studies reveal that the adsorption of HTMIs is a spontaneous (ΔG < 0) and exothermic (ΔH < 0 and ΔS > 0) process in nature.
Tight globally simple nonzero sum Heffter arrays and biembeddings
Authors: Mella Lorenzo , Pasotti Anita
Published: November 2022

Square relative nonzero sum Heffter arrays, denoted by , have been introduced as a variant of the classical concept of Heffter array. An is an partially filled array with elements in , where , whose rows and whose columns contain filled cells, such that the sum of the elements in every row and column is different from 0 (modulo ) and, for every not belonging to the subgroup of order , either or appears in the array. In this paper we give direct constructions of square nonzero sum Heffter arrays with no empty cells, , for every odd, when is a divisor of and when . The constructed arrays have also the very restrictive property of being “globally simple”; this allows us to get new orthogonal path decompositions and new biembeddings of complete multipartite graphs.
The role of AURKA/miR‐199b‐3p in hepatocellular carcinoma cells
Authors: Li Guogang , Tian Yang , Gao Zhenzhen
Published: November 2022

Background

Previous studies proved that AURKA functions as an oncogene in several cancers. This article aimed to probe the miRNA‐induced regulatory mechanism of AURKA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Differentially expressed genes in TCGA‐LIHC dataset were screened by bioinformatics methods. Levels of miR‐199b‐3p and AURKA mRNA were examined by qRT‐PCR. Western blot was utilized to evaluate protein levels of AURKA, p‐AKT, and AKT. Dual‐luciferase assay was introduced to explore their interaction. MTT, colony formation, scratch healing, transwell, and flow cytometry assays were introduced into cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis assessment. The impact of miR‐199b‐3p/AURKA axis on HCC tumor growth was determined in a tumor xenograft model.

Results

We found that AURKA was highly expressed in HCC and was coupled to poor prognosis of HCC. As manifested by cellular assays, compared to the normal cells HL‐7702, AURKA presented notably high expression in HCC cell lines. Overexpressed AURKA evidently impelled the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells while suppressing apoptosis. The regulatory gene upstream of AURKA was predicted to be miR‐199b‐3p by bioinformatics method, and there was a markedly negative correlation between the two. Overexpressed miR‐199b‐3p constrained HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while fostering apoptosis, which could be counteracted by upregulating AURKA. MiR‐199b‐3p repressed the tumor growth in vivo by targeting AURKA and affected PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Conclusion

To summarize, this study implied the regulatory mechanism of miR‐199b‐3p/AURKA axis in HCC, and supplied optional therapeutic targets for HCC patients.
Double Vizing fans in critical class two graphs
Authors: Cao Yan , Chen Guantao , Qi Xuli
Published: November 2022

Let be a simple graph and be the chromatic index of . We call a ‐critical graph if for every edge of , where is maximum degree of . Let be an edge of ‐critical graph and be an (proper) edge ‐coloring of . An e‐fan is a sequence of alternating vertices and distinct edges such that edge is incident with or , is another endvertex of and is missing at a vertex before for each with . In this paper, we prove that if , where and denote the degrees of vertices and , respectively, then colors missing at different vertices of are distinct. Clearly, a Vizing fan is an ‐fan with the restricting that all edges being incident with one fixed endvertex of edge . This result gives a common generalization of several recently developed new results on multifan, double fan, Kierstead path of four vertices, and broom. By treating some colors of edges incident with vertices of low degrees as missing colors, Kostochka and Stiebitz introduced ‐fan. In this paper, we also generalize the ‐fan from centered at one vertex to one edge.
Novel angularly substituted [1,4]thiazino[3,4‐a]isoquinoline carboxylic acids prepared by cyclic imine‐cyclic anhydride reaction
Authors: Pashev Aleksandar , Burdzhiev Nikola , Stanoeva Elena
Published: November 2022

The reaction between 1‐aryl‐3,4‐dihydroisoquinolines and monocyclic anhydrides was studied for the first time. The method is the first one‐step route to previously unknown angularly‐aryl substituted racemic [1,4]thiazino[3,4‐a]isoquinoline derivatives with trans configuration. It was found that electron‐withdrawing substituents in the p‐position of the aryl group in the starting 3,4‐dihydroisoquinoline led to higher yields and shorter reaction times, which is contrary to previous observations for the reactions of homophthalic anhydride and similar acyclic N‐arylmethanimines.
Foreign aid as a catalyst for improving productive capabilities in recipients
Authors: Arpaci‐Ayhan Sevde
Published: November 2022

This article empirically investigates the impact of foreign aid on recipients' productive capabilities. Panel data consists of 86 countries covering the period 2003–2019. The novelty of this study is in linking aid to a new proxy for measuring productive capabilities—the economic complexity index. Because of its ability to predict future growth, economic complexity is valuable in gauging aid effectiveness. The findings show that foreign aid benefits the recipients' economic complexity, although the results are mixed when aid is disaggregated by sector and type at different income levels. Trade openness and foreign direct investment are additional factors affecting economic complexity.
Prognostic Value of Cardiac‐MRI Scar Heterogeneity Combined With Left Ventricular Strain in Patients With Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zhao Xiaoying , Zhao Xinxiang , Jin Fuwei , Wang Lujing , Zhang Li
Published: November 2022

Background

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) after myocardial infarction (MI) is mostly caused by ventricular arrhythmias. As an arrhythmogenic substrate, infarct border zone (BZ) results in adverse electrophysiological properties.

Purpose

To explore myocardial scar entropy (BZ, infarct core [IC], BZ + IC, expressed as IBZ) and to investigate their prognostic value combined with left ventricular (LV) strain parameters (global radial strain [GRS], global circumferential strain [GCS], global longitudinal strain [GLS]) in patients after MI.

Study Type

Prospective.

Population

One hundred fifty‐seven patients with previous MI, 26 in primary endpoint events group, 30 in secondary endpoint events group, and 43 in total endpoint events (primary + secondary).

Field Strength/Sequence

3.0 T/cine, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).

Assessment

Three‐dimensional feature tracking analysis for three directions (radial, circumferential, and longitudinal), entropy and extent of infarct‐related areas (BZ, IC, and IBZ), LV functional parameters.

Statistical Tests

Student t‐test, Mann–Whitney U, Spearman or Pearson rank correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve, Kaplan–Meier event‐free survival curve, and Cox proportional hazards regression were used. Results were considered statistically significant at P < 0.05.

Results

LGE extent and entropy of all infarct‐related areas (BZ, IC, and IBZ) were significantly higher and GLS were lower in patients with endpoint events than those without. BZ and IBC entropy were further associated with LV strain in after‐MI patients. In the univariable and multivariable Cox analysis, BZ entropy manifested independent association with primary endpoint events (hazard ratio: 3.859; 95% confidence interval: 2.136–6.974). Primary and secondary endpoint events prognostic value was improved by the addition of BZ entropy and GLS to the LVEF model (Delong test, Z = 2.729 for primary endpoint events; Z = 3.230 for secondary endpoint events).

Data Conclusion

Entropy of myocardial fibrosis was associated with LV strain. Assessment of BZ entropy and GLS improved prognostic value for endpoint events of LVEF.

Level of Evidence

1

Technical Efficacy

Stage 5
Compensatory coping and depression in women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome
Authors: Sutherland Susanna , Grace Kelly Anna , Ryden Anna , Dmochowski Roger R. , Reynolds William S. , McKernan Lindsey C.
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Women with genitourinary pain, a hallmark symptom of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), are at a two‐ to four‐fold risk for depression as compared to women without genitourinary pain. Despite the pervasive impact of IC/BPS on psychological health, there is a paucity of empirical research on understanding the relation between IC/BPS and psychological distress. It has been previously reported that women with overactive bladder use increased compensatory coping and these behaviors are associated with heightened anxiety and stress. However, it is unknown whether a similar pattern emerges in IC/BPS populations, as ICBPS and OAB share many similar urinary symptoms. The current study examined the relationship between compensatory coping behaviors and symptoms of psychological distress in a sample of women with IC/BPS to inform understanding of risk and potential mechanisms for intervention.

Method

This was a secondary analysis of an observational cohort of women with bladder symptoms. Fifty‐five adult women with IC/BPS completed validated assessments of genitourinary symptoms, emotional distress, and bladder coping behaviors. Five compensatory coping behaviors were summed to create a total Bladder Coping Score. Linear regression examined associations between individual coping behaviors, total compensatory coping scores, and other risk variables.

Results

Most (93%) participants reported use of at least one compensatory coping behavior. Age, education level, history of vaginal birth, and symptom severity were all associated with greater compensatory coping scores, and anxiety was not. Beyond the influence of symptom severity, higher levels of depression were significantly associated with higher compensatory coping scores.

Discussion

Greater compensatory coping was associated with increased depression but not anxiety, suggesting different profiles of coping and psychological distress may exist among different types of bladder dysfunction.
Clinical hypnosis can reduce lower urinary tract symptoms in individuals with chronic pain
Authors: McKernan Lindsey C. , Connors Erin L. , Ryden Anna M. , Finn Michael T. M. , Kim Ahra , Vandekar Simon N. , Dmochowski Roger R. , Reynolds W. Stuart
Published: November 2022

Study Purpose

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) can occur in chronic pain populations at high rates and drastically affect quality of life. Hypnosis is a nonpharmacological treatment used in chronic pain known to have beneficial implications to health outside of pain reduction. This study evaluated the potential for hypnosis to reduce LUTS in a sample of individuals with chronic pain, if baseline LUTS severity affected outcomes, and specific LUTS that may respond to hypnosis.

Methods

Sixty‐four adults with chronic pain and LUTS at a level of detectable symptom change (American Urological Association Symptom Index, AUASI  3) participated in an 8‐week group hypnosis protocol. Participants completed validated assessments of LUTS, pain, and overall functioning before, after, 3‐ and 6‐months posttreatment. Linear mixed effects models assessed improvement in LUTS over time while accounting for known factors associated with outcome (e.g., age, gender). The interaction of baseline symptom severity and treatment assessed the potential effect of baseline symptoms on change scores.

Results

Participants experienced significant and meaningful improvements in LUTS following group hypnosis (p = 0.006). There was a significant interaction between baseline symptom severity and treatment (p < 0.001), such that those with severe symptoms experienced the most pronounced gains over time (e.g., an 8.8 point reduction). Gains increased over time for those with moderate and severe symptoms. Changes in LUT symptoms occurred independently of pain relief.

Conclusions

This pilot study suggests hypnosis has the potential to drastically improve LUTS in individuals with chronic pain, even when pain reduction does not occur. Results provide initial evidence for the treatment potential of hypnosis in urologic pain (and possibly non‐pain/benign) populations, with randomized trials needed for definitive outcomes.
Gender‐affirming vaginoplasty: Technical considerations in patients with genital skin deficiency
Authors: Huang Jason B. , Lai Andrew , Morgantini Luca A. , Smith John B. , Millman Alexandra L. , Cedeno Juan D. , Crivellaro Simone , Acar Omer , Kocjancic Ervin
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Gender dysphoria affects over 1 million American adults. Vaginoplasty is a critical step in gender affirmation, and many patients have insufficient genital skin for full‐depth penile inversion vaginoplasty (PIV). We reviewed the literature for technical considerations addressing this and present our data supporting the use of peritoneal flaps (Davydov technique).

Materials and Methods

A comprehensive review of modern literature was conducted. Second, we present a retrospective case review of our experience with PIV, including data from procedures utilizing peritoneal flaps.

Results

We identified 20 original articles, including retrospective and prospective case and cohort studies. Approaches included the application of local soft tissue grafts and flaps, peritoneal flaps, and intestinal segments. Between June 2018 and February 2021, 47 patients at our institution, underwent PIV for the treatment of gender dysphoria. Nineteen of those patients underwent robotic‐assisted peritoneal flap procedure in addition to PIV. In this cohort, the mean follow‐up was 200.6 ± 124.8 days. Mean neovaginal depth was 13.1 ± 3.0 cm intra‐operatively and 11.0 cm at the last follow‐up. Twenty‐six percent of complications were Clavien Grade 1 or 2; others included wound dehiscence (30.4%), perianal and urethral fistula (13.0%), and neovaginal stenosis (8.7%). The majority of patients reported satisfactory results in terms of sexual function with intact tactile and erogenous sensation. Almost half were able to have penetrative vaginal intercourse at the last follow‐up. We did not aim to perform statistical calculations to compare the outcomes of PIV with and without robotic‐assisted peritoneal flap augmentation, as the groups were not constructed in that manner. However, it is evident that anatomical and functional results as well as the distribution of postoperative complications seem similar.

Conclusion

Vaginoplasty is indicated in a growing population of patients with a wide range of medical histories and anatomic variations. Genitourinary reconstructive surgeons must have several methods to achieve full‐depth vaginoplasty in cases of inadequate genital skin. Peritoneal flaps serve as a versatile, safe, and functionally advantageous solution.
Health as expanding consciousness: Change of psychological situation in nursing students
Authors: Tang Lulu , Lu Shuting , Lai Yingtao , Deng Rudong
Published: November 2022

Aim

This study aims to explore the mind of Chinese nursing students transitioning to online education in the pandemic using health as expanding consciousness (HEC) as methodology.

Design

A qualitative, descriptive study based on interviews.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted from September to November 2021 by students in the Guangzhou university of Chinese medicine. Thirteen participants were recruited using purposive sampling. A questionnaire containing two sections with demographic information, the General Self‐Efficacy Scale (GSES) and the Connor‐Davidson resilience scale (CD‐RISC)‐10 was collected to explore the health of participants.

Results

A total of 13 participants were enrolled in the study (69% female). Students ranged in age between 19 and 24 years and the mean age was 22 years. All students lived with their families. Five participants (38%) had a master's degree in nursing, three (23%) were in fourth year of college, four (30%) were in third year of college and one (7%) was in their second year of college respectively. More than half of the participants had high levels of mental toughness and self‐efficacy. Four generic categories were identified form a unitary‐transformative paradigm perspective. The respondents reported three health pattern phases: Curriculum Transformation, Curriculum adaptation and Curriculum expansion.

Conclusion

This research backs up Newman's hypothesis, and supports the theoretical framework. HEC explains well the psychology of nursing students during the epidemic. More research is needed in the future to develop comprehensive, targeted emotional regulation therapies for nursing students.
The employment and redistributive effects of reducing or eliminating minimum wage tip credits
Authors: Neumark David , Yen Maysen
Published: November 2022

Recent policy debate on minimum wages has focused not only on raising the minimum wage, but on eliminating the tip credit for restaurant workers. We use data on past variation in tip credits—or minimum wages for restaurant workers—to provide evidence on the potential impacts of eliminating (or reducing) the tip credit. Our evidence points to higher tipped minimum wages (smaller tip credits) reducing jobs among tipped restaurant workers, without positive earnings effects on those who remain employed sufficiently large to raise total earnings in this sector. And most of our evidence provides no indication that higher tipped minimum wages would be well targeted to poor or low‐income families or reduce the likelihood of being poor or very low income.
Early outcome after craniospinal irradiation with pencil beam scanning proton therapy for children, adolescents and young adults with brain tumors
Authors: Vázquez Miriam , Bachmann Nicolas , Pica Alessia , Bolsi Alessandra , De Angelis Claudio , Lomax Antony J. , Weber Damien C.
Published: November 2022

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the most common solid malignancies in children and adolescents and young adults (C‐AYAs). Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) is an essential treatment component for some malignancies, but it can also lead to important toxicity. Pencil beam scanning proton therapy (PBSPT) allows for a minimization of dose delivered to organs at risk and, thus, potentially reduced acute and late toxicity. This study aims to report the clinical outcomes and toxicity rates after CSI for C‐AYAs treated with PBSPT. Seventy‐one C‐AYAs (median age: 7.4 years) with CNS tumors were treated with CSI between 2004 and 2021. Medulloblastoma (n = 42: 59%) and ependymoma (n = 8; 11%) were the most common histologies. Median prescribed total PBSPT dose was 54 GyRBE (range: 18–60.4), and median prescribed craniospinal dose was 24 GyRBE (range: 18–36.8). Acute and late toxicities were coded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. After a median follow‐up of 24.5 months, the estimated 2‐year local control, distant control, and overall survival were 86.3%, 80.5%, and 84.7%, respectively. Late grade ≥3 toxicity‐free rate was 92.6% at 2 years. Recurrent and metastatic tumors were associated with worse outcome. In conclusion, excellent tumor control with low toxicity rates was observed in C‐AYAs with brain tumors treated with CSI using PBSPT.
Association of delirium and spatial neglect in patients with right‐hemisphere stroke
Authors: Ott Jamie , Oh‐Park Mooyeon , Boukrina Olga
Published: November 2022

Background

Delirium, an acute and fluctuating decline in cognitive functioning, increases mortality and length of hospital stays (LOS) and adversely affects functional outcomes. Previous studies suggested that the incidence of delirium may be increased in right‐hemisphere strokes. Similarly, spatial neglect, a disabling deficit in unilateral spatial processing, is more common and more severe following a right‐sided stroke. Spatial neglect has been established as a risk factor for delirium.

Objective

It was hypothesized that functionally relevant spatial neglect and delirium are associated in patients with right‐hemisphere stroke during acute inpatient rehabilitation. Data were examined from consecutive unilateral stroke patients evaluated with the 3‐minute diagnostic interview for confusion assessment method (3D‐CAM) and the Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS) via the Kessler Foundation Neglect Assessment Process (KF‐NAP).

Design

A retrospective, cohort study.

Setting

Data collected in an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility.

Participants

Six hundred twenty six patients with stroke were included.

Main Outcome Measures

The measures were the relative risk of patients with right‐hemisphere stroke having delirium when also positive for spatial neglect compared to patients with right‐hemisphere stroke without spatial neglect, the incidence of 3D‐CAM positive results by stroke hemisphere, and the effect of spatial neglect and delirium on functional outcomes for patients with right‐brain stroke patients.

Results

There was a significantly higher risk of delirium in patients with right‐hemisphere stroke with spatial neglect compared to patients with right‐hemisphere stroke without spatial neglect. The rates of 3D‐CAM positive results were not statistically different for left‐ compared to right‐hemisphere strokes. Both delirium and spatial neglect had significant adverse effects on right‐hemisphere stroke patients' functional independence.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate an association between spatial neglect and delirium in patients with right hemisphere stroke in the acute inpatient rehabilitation setting. Because of the negative effect of these impairments on functional outcomes after stroke, prevention, early detection, and targeted treatments should be prioritized for these patients.
Outcomes of infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia who received tracheostomy and home ventilation
Authors: Akangire Gangaram , Lachica Charisse , Noel‐MacDonnell Janelle , Begley Addie , Sampath Venkatesh , Truog William , Manimtim Winston
Published: November 2022

Objective

To describe the survival rate, timing of liberation from the ventilator, and factors favorable for decannulation among infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) who received tracheostomy.

Methods

Demographics and clinical outcomes were obtained through retrospective chart review of 98 infants with sBPD who were born between 2004 and 2017, received tracheostomy at <1 year of age, and were followed in the Infant Tracheostomy and Home Ventilator clinic up to 4 years of age.

Results

The number of infants with sBPD who received tracheostomy increased significantly over the study period. The median age at tracheostomy was 4 months (IQR 3, 5) or 43 weeks corrected gestational age; the median age at NICU discharge was 7 months (IQR 6, 9). At 48 months of age, all subjects had been liberated from the ventilator, at a median age of 24 months (IQR 18, 29); 52% had been decannulated with a median age at decannulation of 32 months (IQR 26, 39). Only 1 (1%) infant died. Multivariate logistic regression showed infants who were White, liberated from the ventilator by 24 months of age and have public insurance had significantly greater odds of being decannulated by 48 months of age. Tracheobronchomalacia was associated with decreased odds of decannulation.

Conclusion

Infants with sBPD who received tracheostomy had an excellent survival rate. Liberation from home ventilation and decannulation are likely to occur by 4 years of age.
Functional impact on adults and older people after hospitalization by Covid‐19
Authors: Ochiai Gabriela Sayuri , de Godoy Caroline Gil , Silva Érika Christina Gouveia e , de Oliveira Danielle Brancolini , da Silva Elizabeth Mendes , Viana Bianca de Oliveira Candido , da Silva Juliana Magalhães , de Souza Roberta Oliveira Bueno , dos Santos Michelle Didone , de Campos Camila Machado , Schmitt Ana Carolina Basso , de Carvalho Celso Ricardo Fernandes , Fu Carolina , Tanaka Clarice , Toufen Carlos , de Carvalho Carlos Roberto Ribeiro , Pompeu José Eduardo
Published: November 2022

Background and Objectives

Hospitalization by Covid‐19 can cause persistent functional consequences after hospital discharge due to direct and indirect effects of SARS‐COV‐2 in several organs and systems of the body added to post‐intensive care syndrome and prolonged bed rest. These impacts can lead to dependency in activities of daily living, mainly in older people due to aging process and functional decline. This study aimed to compare the effects of hospitalization by Covid‐19 on functional capacity of adults and older people and to identify its associated factors.

Methods

Cross‐sectional observational study of 159 survivors of hospitalization by Covid‐19 after 1 month from discharge at Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo, divided into groups: adults (aged < 60 years) and older people (aged ≥ 60 years). Those who did not accept to participate, without availability or without ability to understand the questionnaires were excluded. Functional capacity was assessed by the Barthel Index and patients were classified according to their scores. Data analysis was performed in JASP Statistics program and the sample was compared between the age groups. Wilcoxon test was applied to compare before and after periods, Mann–Whitney test was used for between groups comparison. We adopted alpha = 0.05.

Results

The total Barthel Index median score was lower 1 month after hospital discharge than in the pre‐Covid‐19 period. Older people had worse functional status than adults before and also showed greater impairment after hospital discharge. Both groups showed lower Barthel Index classification than before, and older people presented more functional dependence than adults in both periods. Age, sarcopenia and frailty were associated factors.

Discussion

Hospitalization by Covid‐19 impacts functional capacity after 1 month from discharge, especially in older people. Age, sarcopenia and frailty are associated factors. These results suggest need for care and rehabilitation of Covid‐19 survivors.
Cellmetry: A first‐principle pKa determination by plane‐wave functions
Authors: Purgel Mihály , Schuur Jan Heinrich
Published: November 2022

We developed a methodology to analyze and determine acid dissociation pKa values by using plane wave functions and density functional theory. The periodicity of the PW functions allows us to scan the energies as well as the derived pK values. Explicit and implicit solvent effects were also taken into account to study the pK tendencies along the cell sizes. Some well‐known molecules (water, ammonia, alcohols, peroxides, phenol, amines, and N‐heterocyclic compounds) were studied which covered a wide range of structural/electronic properties to analyze the accuracy and the limit of the methodology. Some motifs were found by scanning the cell size‐dependent pK values which belong to the cell size range where the experimental pK value or range can be found. Several strategies were carried out which can do good or even excellent (±0.3) predictions for other compounds based on our study. Our detailed computational “titration” was made by the Quantum Espresso software package.
Superconductor/Ferromagnet Heterostructures: A Platform for Superconducting Spintronics and Quantum Computation
Authors: Cai Ranran , Žutić Igor , Han Wei
Published: November 2022

The interplay between superconductivity and ferromagnetism in the superconductor/ferromagnet (SC/FM) heterostructures generates many interesting physical phenomena, including spin‐triplet superconductivity, superconducting order parameter oscillation, and topological superconductivity. The unique physical properties make the SC/FM heterostructure as promising platforms for future superconducting spintronics and quantum computation applications. In this article, important research progress of SC/FM heterostructures from superconducting spintronics to quantum computation is reviewed, and it is organized as follows. First, the progress of spin current carriers in SC/FM heterostructures including Bogoliubov quasiparticles, superconducting vortex, and spin‐triplet Cooper pairs which might be used for long‐range spin transport is discussed. Then, the π Josephson junctions and their application for constructing π qubits are described. Finally, experimental signatures of Majorana states in the SC/FM heterostructures and the theoretically proposed manipulation are briefly reviewed, which could be useful to realize fault‐tolerant topological quantum computing.
Indirect effects of cytomegalovirus infection: Implications for vaccine development
Authors: Moseley Philip , Klenerman Paul , Kadambari Seilesh
Published: November 2022

Development of a cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine is a high priority due to its significant global impact—contributing to mortality in immunosuppressed individuals, neurodevelopmental delay in infected neonates and non‐genetic sensorineural hearing loss. The impact of CMV on the general population has been less well studied; however, a wide range of evidence indicates that CMV may increase the risk of atherosclerosis, cancer, immunosenescence, and progression of tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus. Due to the high seroprevalence of CMV worldwide, any modulation of risk by CMV is likely to have a significant impact on the epidemiology of these diseases. This review will evaluate how CMV may cause morbidity and mortality outside of the neonatal and immunosuppressed populations and consider the potential impact of a CMV vaccine on these outcomes.
Clinical efficacy and effectiveness of alternative varicella vaccination strategies: An overview of reviews
Authors: Ahern Susan , Walsh Kieran A. , Paone Simona , Browne John , Carrigan Marie , Harrington Patricia , Murphy Aileen , Teljeur Conor , Ryan Máirín
Published: November 2022

A number of countries have implemented universal childhood varicella vaccination programmes over the past 30 years. However, strategies differ in terms of dosing schedule (one‐ or two‐dose), type of vaccine(s) recommended (monovalent, quadrivalent measles‐mumps‐rubella‐varicella, or both), age at vaccination, and dosing interval for a two‐dose schedule. An overview of reviews was undertaken to assess the existing systematic review evidence of the clinical efficacy/effectiveness of alternative varicella vaccination strategies. A comprehensive search of databases, registries and grey literature was conducted up to 2 February 2022. Two reviewers independently screened, extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of included reviews. A total of 20 reviews were included in the overview; 17 assessed the efficacy/effectiveness of one‐dose strategies and 10 assessed the efficacy/effectiveness of two‐dose strategies. Although the quality of most reviews was deemed ‘critically low’, there was clear and consistent evidence that vaccination is very effective at reducing varicella. While the analysis was restricted due to lack of detail in reporting of the reviews, the evidence suggests that two‐dose strategies are more efficacious/effective than one‐dose strategies in preventing varicella of any severity, but that both strategies have similar high efficacy/effectiveness in preventing moderate or severe varicella. Based on this evidence in this overview of reviews, a key consideration for policymakers on the possible introduction of a childhood varicella vaccination programme and the choice between a one‐ or two‐dose strategy, will be whether the objective of a programme is to prevent varicella of any severity or to prevent moderate to severe varicella.
Robust consensus control of nonlinear multi‐agent systems based on convergence rate estimation
Authors: Ma Qingwen , Xu Xin , Zhang Ronghua , Xiong Quan , Zhang Xinglong , Zhang Xianjian
Published: November 2022

Convergence rate is an important performance criterion for consensus control of multi‐agent systems (MASs). It has been an important and difficult problem to accelerate the convergence rate of MASs. In this article, a robust consensus control scheme based on the convergence rate estimation for a nonlinear high‐order MAS is proposed to accelerate the convergence rate as well as improve the control performance of the MAS. In the proposed control scheme, a novel convergence rate indicator (CRI) is defined to measure the influence of the model nonlinearity, the state couplings within a single agent and among multiple agents in the MAS on convergence rate. Then, a distributed consensus controller with a CRI‐based additive term is designed by the backstepping technique with disturbance observers to enhance the robustness of the closed‐loop system. Furthermore, from a theoretical perspective, the robustness and the stability of the MAS are proved. Finally, the consensus control problem of the multi‐agent control system composed of five single‐link robot arms is simulated to validate the effectiveness of the proposed controller. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed consensus control approach with CRI has better performance than conventional backstepping consensus control techniques of the MAS in the same conditions.
The digital future of men's health
Authors: Ringrose Tim , Wang Ruby Congjiang
Published: November 2022

Men's physical and mental health problems require a male‐focused approach. This article describes how and where technology can support men to take ownership and responsibility for their own health, and shares examples of best practice thus far.
Genomics makes prostate cancer personal
Authors: Kulkarni Anjana , Wafik Mohamed
Published: November 2022

Advances in genomics are enabling the early recognition of hereditary prostate cancer with important diagnostic and prognostic implications, helping with access to personalised targeted therapies and opportunities for early cancer detection and prevention.
Children's multimodal language development from an interactional, usage‐based, and cognitive perspective
Authors: Morgenstern Aliyah
Published: November 2022

Through daily exposure to the surrounding input structured in conversations, children's language gradually develops into rich linguistic constructions that contain multiple cross‐modal elements subtly used together for rich communicative functions. Children demonstrate their skills to resort to multiple semiotic resources in their daily interactions and expertly use them according to their expressive needs and communicative intents. Usage‐based (Tomasello, 2003) and cognitive linguistics (Langacker, 1988) as well as construction grammar (Goldberg, 2006) have enriched our comprehension of the processes at work. Those approaches need to be combined to gesture studies (Kendon, 1988; McNeill, 1992) and multimodal approaches (Andren, 2010; Morgenstern, 2014) to fully capture the orchestration of the semiotic resources at play (Cienki, 2012; Müller, 2009). But child language development cannot be understood outside its interactional, dialogic context (Bakhtin, 1981) and without taking into account the role of expert languagers (Vygotsky, 1934) in routines or formats (Bruner, 1975). The first section thus extensively focuses on a productive combination of theoretical approaches and methods, which have been essential to understand child language development, but analyzing child language is also necessary in turn to ground socio‐cognitive and interactional approaches to language. The salient features of the variably multimodal child's development are presented in the second section. The third section illustrates longitudinal pathways into multimodal languaging thanks to detailed analyses of adult‐child interactive sequences.

This article is categorized under:

Cognitive Biology > Cognitive Development

Computer Science and Robotics > Natural Language Processing

Linguistics > Language Acquisition

Linguistics > Cognitive Linguistics
Factors influencing the availability of artificial hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) shelters in North Carolina, USA
Authors: Diaz Lauren , Unger Shem D. , Williams Lori A. , Jachowski Catherine M. Bodinof
Published: November 2022

The hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is a fully aquatic giant salamander experiencing population declines throughout the eastern United States. Hellbender declines are likely due to a loss of cover and breeding habitat, therefore artificial shelters have been designed for hellbenders to supplement breeding habitat and monitor reproductive success. Although several artificial shelter designs are currently in use throughout the hellbender range, no previous study has compared different designs in the field. We compared three shelter designs (modified boot design with an open bottom, modified boot design with a closed bottom, and a modified hydrodynamic design) to estimate their probability of availability (remaining in place and not obstructed by sediment) to hellbenders during variable stream conditions. We deployed 180 shelters of the three designs (n = 60 each) across six stream reaches in western North Carolina, measured habitat variables at installation points, and monitored shelters for sediment blockage, dislodgement, and hellbender occupancy. Shelter availability averaged 71% across all sampled occasions (67% modified boot closed, 69% modified boot open, 77% modified hydrodynamic). Blockage of shelters by sediment was responsible for the majority (96%) of occasions when shelters were deemed unavailable. Hellbenders rarely (range = 0 to 11% of occasions per site) used artificial shelters which precluded our ability to evaluate hellbender preference among shelter designs. Our findings suggest modified hydrodynamic shelters are slightly more resilient to the stream environment relative to modified boot designs, presumably due to their heavier weight and larger inner chamber. Additionally, our results highlight the need to consider site characteristics such as hellbender density and availability of natural cover before deploying artificial hellbender shelters.
Spinal Cord Stimulation to Enable Leg Motor Control and Walking in People with Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Seáñez Ismael , Capogrosso Marco , Minassian Karen , Wagner Fabien B.
Published: November 2022

Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts the communication between the brain and the spinal circuits that control movement and integrate sensory feedback, which are usually located below the lesion. The disruption of the different anatomical sources of descending motor control and ascending sensory afferents can result in complete or partial, but permanent motor paralysis. For decades, recovery of motor function after long-standing SCI was thought impossible because of the severe and multi-modal failure of these bidirectional communication pathways. This conclusion was supported by overwhelming and disappointing empirical evidence showing poor recovery in people with chronic (>6 months post-injury), severe SCI despite intensive rehabilitation. However, a recent wave of clinical studies has reported unprecedented outcomes in people with both incomplete and complete SCI, independently demonstrating the long-term recovery of voluntary motor function in the chronic stage after SCI. These studies utilized a combination of intensive rehabilitation and electrical spinal cord stimulation (SCS), which was delivered via epidural multi-electrode arrays implanted between the vertebral bone and the dura mater of the lumbosacral spinal cord. SCS has a long history of applications in motor control, which started soon after its first applications as interventional studies in pain management. To date, SCS has been applied in thousands of individuals with neuromotor disorders ranging from multiple sclerosis to SCI. However, even though the motor-enabling effects of SCS were first observed about half a century ago, the lack of a coherent conceptual framework to interpret and expand these clinical findings hindered the evolution of this technology into a clinical therapy. More importantly, it led to substantial variability in the clinical reports ranging from anecdotal to subjective descriptions of motor improvements, without standardized methods and rigorous statistical analyses. For several decades, these limitations clouded the potential of SCS to promote long-term recovery in individuals with SCI. In this chapter, we present the historical background for the development of SCS to treat motor disorders and its evolution toward current applications for neurorehabilitation in individuals with SCI (Sect. 18.1). We then provide an overview of the conjectured mechanisms of action (Sect. 18.2), and how this collective knowledge has been used to develop SCS into a promising approach to treat motor paralysis after SCI, ranging from tonic stimulation to more sophisticated spatiotemporal protocols (Sect. 18.3). Finally, we open up this review to the recent development of non-invasive methods to deliver SCS, namely transcutaneous SCS, and its comparison with epidural SCS in terms of functional effects and underlying mechanisms (Sect. 18.4).
Impact of first-order phase transitions on dark matter production in the scotogenic model
Authors: Shibuya Hiroto , Toma Takashi
Published: November 2022

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the effects of first-order phase transitions on the singlet fermionic dark matter in the scotogenic model. It is known that this dark matter candidate tends to conflict with the relevant constraints such as the neutrino oscillation data and charged lepton flavor violating processes if its thermal production mechanism is assumed. We find that the dark matter production mechanisms are modified by first-order phase transitions at some specific parameter regions, where the phase transitions can be one-step or two-step depending on the parameters. If the phase transition is one-step, a sufficiently low nucleation temperature is required to reproduce the observed relic abundance of dark matter. If the phase transition is two-step, the dark matter should never be thermalized, otherwise the abundance would remain too much and overclose the universe. This is because the nucleation temperature cannot be low as in the one-step case. Therefore we require another way of dark matter production, the freeze-in mechanism for the two-step case. We show that the freeze-in mechanism is modified by the temporary vacuum expectation value of the inert scalar field. In both cases, the first-order phase transitions could produce observable gravitational wave spectra. In particular for the one-step phase transition, the generated gravitational waves with sizable energy density are intrinsically correlated with the dark matter production mechanism, and can be detectable by future space-based interferometers.