bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and predictors of urine retention in such patients
Authors: Nabeeh Hossam , Ibrahim Ali , Taha Diaa‐Eldin , Talaat Mona , Abdelbaky Tarek M
Published: August 2021

Objectives

We assess the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Moreover, we delineate risk factors for urine retention in such patients.

Methods

All COVID‐19 infected males were expeditiously evaluated. All enrolled patients were assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), uroflowmetry, and pelvi‐abdominal ultrasonography for prostate volume and postvoiding residual urine (PVR) estimation.

Results

Fifty patients, who were diagnosed with BPH, were enrolled. The mean age (±SD) was 62.64 ± 7.69. In the pre‐ and post‐COVID‐19 group, the mean (±SD) IPSS was 13.42 ± 4.32 and 26.62 ± 5.77, respectively (P < .001), while PVR was 90.40 ± 32.75 and 185.42 ± 73.42, respectively (P < .001), and maximum flow rate was 14.40 ± 2.75 and 10.74 ± 3.43, respectively (P < .004). After infection with COVID‐19, 13 (26%) patients were managed by urethral catheter fixation owing to urine retention. On bivariate analysis, age, diabetes, large prostate on digital rectal examination, alpha‐blocker monotherapy, microscopic hematuria, positive urine culture, and pre‐COVID‐19 IPSS were significantly correlated with urine retention (P < .001, P = .01, P < .001, P = .06, P < .001, P = .04, and P < .001, respectively). On multivariate analysis, age, pre‐COVID‐19 IPSS, and positive urine culture were the independent predictors of urine retention (P = .05, P < .001, and P = .01, respectively).

Conclusion

LUTS in BPH patients were significantly affected by COVID‐19. COVID‐19 increases IPSS leading to a change in the treatment modality of BPH. On multivariate analysis, age, pre‐COVID‐19 IPSS, and positive urine culture were the independent predictors of urine retention post COVID‐19 infection.
Against the philosophical project of “biologizing” race
Authors: Peressini Anthony F.
Published: August 2021

This paper critiques philosophical efforts to biologize race asracial projects(Omi and Winant,Racial Formation in the United States). The paper argues that the deeply social phenomenon of race defies the analytic schema employed by biologizing philosophers. The very (social) act of theorizing race is already in an involuted relationship with its target concept: analyzing race must be seen as aracial project, in that it simultaneously helps to manage how race is represented in society and helps organize society’s resources along particular racial lines. Such biologizing projects are rife with moral and political dimensions and have a depoliticizing effect that has the potential to camouflage, defuse, or explain away the social‐structural reproduction of white power/privilege. The paper begins by considering two recent philosophic‐scientific biologizations of race, showing how they conform to the analytic schema, reviewing received critical points, and offering several novel ones.
Plant genome engineering from lab to field—a Keystone Symposia report
Authors: Cable Jennifer , Ronald Pamela C. , Voytas Daniel , Zhang Feng , Levy Avraham A. , Takatsuka Ayumu , Arimura Shin‐ichi , Jacobsen Steven E. , Toki Seiichi , Toda Erika , Gao Caixia , Zhu Jian‐Kang , Boch Jens , Van Eck Joyce , Mahfouz Magdy , Andersson Mariette , Fridman Eyal , Weiss Trevor , Wang Kan , Qi Yiping , Jores Tobias , Adams Tom , Bagchi Rammyani
Published: August 2021

Facing the challenges of the world's food sources posed by a growing global population and a warming climate will require improvements in plant breeding and technology. Enhancing crop resiliency and yield via genome engineering will undoubtedly be a key part of the solution. The advent of new tools, such as CRIPSR/Cas, has ushered in significant advances in plant genome engineering. However, several serious challenges remain in achieving this goal. Among them are efficient transformation and plant regeneration for most crop species, low frequency of some editing applications, and high attrition rates. On March 8 and 9, 2021, experts in plant genome engineering and breeding from academia and industry met virtually for the Keystone eSymposium “Plant Genome Engineering: From Lab to Field” to discuss advances in genome editing tools, plant transformation, plant breeding, and crop trait development, all vital for transferring the benefits of novel technologies to the field.
Phosphate availability regulates flavonoid accumulation associated with photosynthetic carbon partitioning in Cyclocarya paliurus
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyan , Zhang Mengjia , Zhao Tingting , Deng Bo
Published: August 2021

Cyclocarya paliurus has traditionally been used as medicine and functional food. This study aims at investigating the flavonoid accumulation in C. paliurus dependent on phosphate (Pi) availability and its potential association with internal carbon partitioning. One‐year‐old seedlings of C. paliurus were planted in four different Pi levels. Low Pi resulted in low phosphorus content within plants, while the nitrogen content increased. Further analysis revealed that the surplus carbon pool was greater and was allocated to N‐metabolism and carbohydrate synthesis under low Pi conditions, as shown by the higher levels of free amino acids, starch, and soluble sugars. Low Pi availability also induced higher enzymatic activities of shikimate dehydrogenase (SDH) and flavonoid 3‐hydoxylase (FHT), and higher flavonoid accumulation in leaves. Our results indicated that the surplus carbon induced by low‐Pi levels can increase flavonoid synthesis in seedlings of C. paliurus. In addition, growth and biomass accumulation were increased by the elevated Pi levels. As a result, the highest flavonoid yield per plant was obtained under relative low Pi conditions. This study can provide the basis for developing new agricultural practices to maintain high yield while still keeping the quality of medicinal plants and crops.
Personality and functional impairment. Evidence from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe
Authors: Hajek André , König Hans‐Helmut
Published: August 2021

Background

To date, only a few studies have investigated the association between personality and functional impairment. Therefore, our purpose was to add to this knowledge.

Methods

Data from wave 7 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were used (70 028 individuals in the analytical sample). Personality was measured using the 10‐item Big Five Inventory (BFI‐10). Functional impairment was quantified using activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) indices. Multiple linear regressions were conducted.

Results

Regressions showed that an increased likelihood of limitations in ADL was associated with higher extraversion, higher agreeableness, lower conscientiousness, higher neuroticism, and higher openness to experience. Similarly, an increased likelihood of limitations in IADL was associated with higher agreeableness, lower conscientiousness, higher neuroticism, and higher openness to experience (only with one IADL index).

Conclusions

This knowledge of associations between personality and functional limitations may help in determining individuals at risk for increased functional impairment (e.g., individuals with low conscientiousness or high neuroticism). Future research is needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms.
Isotonic Distributional Regression
Authors: Henzi Alexander , Ziegel Johanna F. , Gneiting Tilmann
Published: August 2021

Isotonic distributional regression (IDR) is a powerful non-parametric technique for the estimation of conditional distributions under order restrictions. In a nutshell, IDR learns conditional distributions that are calibrated, and simultaneously optimal relative to comprehensive classes of relevant loss functions, subject to isotonicity constraints in terms of a partial order on the covariate space. Non-parametric isotonic quantile regression and non-parametric isotonic binary regression emerge as special cases. For prediction, we propose an interpolation method that generalizes extant specifications under the pool adjacent violators algorithm. We recommend the use of IDR as a generic benchmark technique in probabilistic forecast problems, as it does not involve any parameter tuning nor implementation choices, except for the selection of a partial order on the covariate space. The method can be combined with subsample aggregation, with the benefits of smoother regression functions and gains in computational efficiency. In a simulation study, we compare methods for distributional regression in terms of the continuous ranked probability score (CRPS) and L2 estimation error, which are closely linked. In a case study on raw and post-processed quantitative precipitation forecasts from a leading numerical weather prediction system, IDR is competitive with state of the art techniques.
The unanticipated effect of COVID‐19 on house apportionment
Authors: Cervas Jonathan , Grofman Bernard
Published: August 2021

It is well understood thateven small differences in population can have a disproportionate impact on representation in the U.S. House of Representatives after a decennial census because of the peculiarities of rounding rules that require integer allocations. While the COVID‐19 pandemic can be held responsible for accelerating the trend toward the increased use of mail‐in balloting, and it affected the ability of the census to collect in‐person information, here we call attention to an unanticipated effect of the pandemic on the electoral process that, as far as we are aware, has never previously been identified. By rerunning the apportionment numbers for all states under the assumption that deaths from COVID‐19 prior to the start of the Census had not occurred, we show that New York's congressional delegation would not have lost a seat. New York was the only state whose House seat allocation was affected by disproportionate COVID‐19 deaths.
Resource‐rational Models of Human Goal Pursuit
Authors: Prystawski Ben , Mohnert Florian , Tošić Mateo , Lieder Falk
Published: August 2021

Goal‐directed behavior is a deeply important part of human psychology. People constantly set goals for themselves and pursue them in many domains of life. In this paper, we develop computational models that characterize how humans pursue goals in a complex dynamic environment and test how well they describe human behavior in an experiment. Our models are motivated by the principle of resource rationality and draw upon psychological insights about people's limited attention and planning capacities. We find that human goal pursuit is qualitatively different and substantially less efficient than optimal goal pursuit in our simulated environment. Models of goal pursuit based on the principle of resource rationality capture human behavior better than both a model of optimal goal pursuit and heuristics that are not resource‐rational. We conclude that the way humans pursue goals is shaped by the need to achieve goals effectively as well as cognitive costs and constraints on planning and attention. Our findings are an important step toward understanding humans' goal pursuit as cognitive limitations play a crucial role in shaping people's goal‐directed behavior.
Continuous long‐term recording and triggering of brain neurovascular activity and behaviour in freely moving rodents
Authors: Yousef Yengej Dmitri N. , Ferando Isabella , Kechechyan Gayane , Nwaobi Sinifunanya E. , Raman Shrayes , Charles Andrew , Faas Guido C.
Published: August 2021

A minimally invasive, microchip‐based approach enables continuous long‐term recording of brain neurovascular activity, heart rate, and head movement in freely behaving rodents. This approach can also be used for transcranial optical triggering of cortical activity in mice expressing channelrhodopsin. The system uses optical intrinsic signal recording to measure cerebral blood volume, which under baseline conditions is correlated with spontaneous neuronal activity. The arterial pulse and breathing can be quantified as a component of the optical intrinsic signal. Multi‐directional head movement is measured simultaneously with a movement sensor. A separate movement tracking element through a camera enables precise mapping of overall movement within an enclosure. Data is processed by a dedicated single board computer, and streamed from multiple enclosures to a central server, enabling simultaneous remote monitoring and triggering in many subjects. One application of this system described here is the characterization of changes in of cerebral blood volume, heart rate and behaviour that occur with the sleep‐wake cycle over weeks. Another application is optical triggering and recording of cortical spreading depression (CSD), the slowly propagated wave of neurovascular activity that occurs in the setting of brain injury and migraine aura. The neurovascular features of CSD are remarkably different in the awake vs. anaesthetized state in the same mouse. With its capacity to continuously and synchronously record multiple types of physiological and behavioural data over extended time periods in combination with intermittent triggering of brain activity, this inexpensive method has the potential for widespread practical application in rodent research.

image

Key points

Recording and triggering of brain activity in mice and rats has typically required breaching the skull, and experiments are often performed under anaesthesia

A minimally invasive microchip system enables continuous recording and triggering of neurovascular activity, and analysis of heart rate and behaviour in freely behaving rodents over weeks

This system can be used to characterize physiological and behavioural changes associated with the sleep‐wake cycle over extended time periods

This approach can also be used with mice expressing channelrhodopsin to trigger and record cortical spreading depression (CSD) in freely behaving subjects. The neurovascular responses to CSD are remarkably different under anaesthesia compared with the awake state.

The method is inexpensive and straightforward to employ at a relatively large scale. It enables translational investigation of a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions in rodent models of neurological and systemic diseases.
Agreement Between StepWatch3 and ActiGraph wGT3X+ for Measuring Step-Based Metrics in People With Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Jéhannin Pierre , Le Faucheur Alexis , Chaudru Ségolène , Taoum Aline , Mahé Guillaume , de Müllenheim Pierre-Yves
Published: August 2021

The authors investigated the agreement between StepWatch3™ (SW3) and ActiGraph™ wGT3X+ monitors for measuring step-based metrics in patients with peripheral artery disease and older adults. In 23 patients with peripheral artery disease and 38 older participants, the authors compared the metrics obtained during an outdoor (400-m track) walking session (step count) and a 7-day free-living period (step count and 60/30/5/1-min maximal or peak step accumulation) using the SW3 (ankle) and the wGT3X+ (hip) with the low-frequency extension filter enabled (wGT3X+/LFE) or not (wGT3X+/N). During outdoor walking session, agreement was high, particularly for wGT3X+/LFE: correlations ≥.98, median absolute percentage errors <1%, and significant equivalence using a ± 15% equivalence zone or narrower. In free living, no wGT3X+ method was equivalent to SW3 for step count. The wGT3X+/LFE was equivalent to SW3 regarding all step accumulation metrics using a ± 20% equivalence zone or narrower, with median absolute percentage errors <11%. The wGT3X+/LFE method is the best option for comparisons with SW3 in peripheral artery disease and older adults.
Immune imprinting in utero
Authors: Amir Mohammed , Zeng Melody Y.
Published: August 2021

Mild maternal infection causes tissue-specific epigenetic imprinting in utero
Colleges must require vaccination
Authors: McRobbie Michael A.
Published: August 2021

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for individuals 16 years and older. This milestone decision, the first full approval of a vaccine for COVID-19, will almost certainly clear a path for businesses, hospitals, and government agencies that have not already done so to adopt vaccine mandates for their employees. For colleges and universities that have been on the fence about requiring the vaccine, the FDA’s decision may be especially welcome news.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Clinical Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Serotype 19 Strains from Pigs in Switzerland
Authors: Peterhans Sophie , Stevens Marc J. A. , Cernela Nicole , Sidler Xaver , Stephan Roger , Scherrer Simone
Published: August 2021

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
serotype 19 is a very recently described new serotype with a novel type II capsule locus. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of two
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
serotype 19 strains with a serogroup 3/6/8/12/15 O-antigen locus that were isolated in 2018 and 2021 from two different pig farms in Switzerland.
Genome Sequences of Bacteriophages cd2, cd3, and cd4, which Specifically Target Carnobacterium divergens
Authors: Zhang Peipei , Britton Angelle P. , Visser Kaitlyn A. , Welke Catherine A. , Wassink Heather , Prins Erica , Yang Xianqin , Martin-Visscher Leah A.
Published: August 2021

Carnobacteria have been implicated in food spoilage, but also in protection against pathogenic bacteria. We report the isolation and complete genome sequences of three bacteriophages (phages cd2, cd3, and cd4) that specifically target
Carnobacterium divergens
. The genome sizes are approximately 57 kbp and have limited homology to known enterococcal and streptococcal phages.
Absence of renal remission portends poor long-term kidney outcome in lupus nephritis
Authors: Pirson Valérie , Enfrein Antoine , Houssiau Frédéric A , Tamirou Farah
Published: August 2021

Background

The very long-term consequences of absence of remission in lupus nephritis (LN) remain understudied.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis, we studied a selected cohort of 128 patients with biopsy-proven class III, IV or V incident LN followed for a median period of 134 months (minimum 25). Remission was defined as a urine protein to creatinine (uP:C) ratio <0.5 g/g and a serum creatinine value <120% of baseline. Renal relapse was defined as the reappearance of a uP:C >1 g/g, leading to a repeat kidney biopsy and treatment change. Poor long-term renal outcome was defined as the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Results

Twenty per cent of patients never achieved renal remission. Their baseline characteristics did not differ from those who did. Absence of renal remission was associated with a threefold higher risk of CKD (48% vs 16%) and a 10-fold higher risk of end-stage renal disease (20% vs 2%). Patients achieving early remission had significantly higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at last follow-up compared with late remitters. Accordingly, patients with CKD at last follow-up had statistically longer time to remission. Among patients who achieved remission, 32% relapsed, with a negative impact on renal outcome, that is, lower eGFR values and higher proportion of CKD (33% vs 8%).

Conclusion

Early remission should be achieved to better preserve long-term renal function.
Recombinant R2-pyocin cream is effective in treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected wounds
Authors: Alqahtani Abdulaziz , Mena London , Scholl Dean , Kruczek Cassandra , Colmer-Hamood Jane A. , Jeter Randall M. , Hamood Abdul N.
Published: August 2021

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, is one of the major species isolated from infected chronic wounds. The multidrug resistance exhibited by P. aeruginosa and its ability to form biofilms that are difficult to eradicate, along with the rising cost of producing new antibiotics, has necessitated the search for alternatives to standard antibiotics. Pyocins are antimicrobial compounds produced by P. aeruginosa that protect themselves from their competitors. We synthesized and purified recombinant P. aeruginosa R2 pyocin and used it in an aqueous solution (rR2P) or formulated in polyethylene glycol (rR2PC) to treat P. aeruginosa-infected wounds. Clinical strains of P. aeruginosa were found to be sensitive (completely), partially sensitive, or resistant to rR2P. In the in vitro biofilm model, rR2P inhibited biofilm development by rR2P-sensitive isolates, while rR2PC eliminated partial biofilms formed by these strains in an in vitro wound biofilm model. In the murine model of excision wounds, and at 24 h post-infection, rR2PC application significantly reduced the bioburden of the clinical isolate BPI86. Application of rR2PC containing two glycoside hydrolase antibiofilm agents eliminated BPI86 from infected wounds. These results suggest that the topical application of rR2PC is an effective therapy for treating wounds infected with R2P-senstive P. aeruginosa strains.
Cosmological consequences of Rényi, Sharma–Mittal holographic and new agegraphic dark energy models in generalized Rastall gravity
Authors: Sardar Alok , Debnath Ujjal
Published: August 2021

The main motivation of our study is to explore Rényi holographic dark energy, Sharma–Mittal holographic dark energy, Rényi new agegraphic dark energy, and Sharma–Mittal new agegraphic dark energy in the context of generalized Rastall gravity with the two-fluid system, dark energy, and dark matter. In this regard, we have considered the scale factors into two distinct categories, one of which corresponds to the future singularity, whereas the other represents initial singularity. By employing future event horizon as infrared (IR)-cutoff, different cosmological quantities like deceleration parameter, equation of state (EoS) parameter are evaluated, and their ramifications have been described graphically. Analyzing the squared speed of sound, we have seen classically stable and unstable behavior for each of the considered models. Finally, we study [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] plane and find the thawing/freezing regions.
COVID-19: Inflammatory Profile
Authors: Wang Yuhang , Perlman Stanley
Published: August 2021

Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in a pandemic that has had widespread effects on human activities. The clinical presentation of severe COVID-19 includes a broad spectrum of clinical disease, most notably acute respiratory distress syndrome, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), multiorgan failure, and death. Direct viral damage and uncontrolled inflammation have been suggested as contributory factors in COVID-19 disease severity. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the critical role of an effective host immune response in controlling a virus infection and demonstrated the devastating effect of immune dysregulation. Understanding the nature of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is key to developing effective treatments for COVID-19. Here, we describe the nature of the dysregulated host immune response in COVID-19, identify potential mechanisms involved in CRS, and discuss potential strategies that can be used to manage immune dysregulation in COVID-19.
Introducing a Rheology Model for Non-Newtonian Drilling Fluids
Authors: Rashidi Masoud , Sedaghat Ahmad , Misbah Biltayib , Sabati Mohammad , Vaidyan Koshy , Mostafaeipour Ali , Dehshiri Seyyed Shahabaddin Hosseini , Almutairi Khalid , Issakhov Alibek
Published: August 2021

An API standard drilling fluid was investigated from laminar to turbulent flow conditions using an in-house-built viscometer at speeds from 200 to 1600 RPM. A power-based method was applied to obtain the apparent viscosity and the shear stress of the water-based drilling mud (WBM) in the annulus of the viscometer. Then, a MATLAB optimization program was developed to obtain model parameters for five rheology models integrated in a generalized Herschel-Bulkley-Extended (HBE) model and two widely used 4-parameter models in drilling industry. It is found that the Bingham, Cross, and HBE rheology models have precisely matched the WBM measurements in the viscometer. A generalized Reynolds number was applied to determine the Darcy friction factor although the PL (power law model) and the HB (Herschel-Bulkley model) exhibited a nonrealistic negative shift from the laminar friction factor.
Numerical Simulation of Nanosilica Sol Grouting for Deep Tunnels Based on the Multifield Coupling Mechanism
Authors: Pan Dongjiang , Hong Kairong , Fu Helin , Li Zhiguo , Zhang Limeng , Lu Gaoming , Sun Feixiang , Wen Shiyu
Published: August 2021

Grouting is an effective technical way for the construction of deep tunnels in unfavorable geological conditions. The fluid-solid-chemical coupling mechanism of grouting process is analyzed from the following three aspects: influence of physical properties of silica sol on permeability coefficient, dynamic changes of porosity and permeability of geotechnical media with seepage pressure, and governing equations for flow and mass transfer characteristics. A dynamically changing model for nanosilica sol grouting in deep tunnels is established, considering the changing physical properties of grout and surrounding rock. Based on the Xianglushan Tunnel of Yunnan Water Diversion Project, the temporal and spatial evolution of silica sol grout is studied. The effect characteristics of grouting pressure and initial permeability are clarified. The rationality of this model is verified by classical Newtonian fluid grouting theory. The main conclusions: with the molar concentration as the index, the grout range can be divided into the raw grout region and the transition region; with the decrease of the grouting pressure, the growth rate of the normal grouting radius and the axial grouting radius will gradually decrease; due to the mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion, the range of the transition region will gradually increase with time. The ratio of the transition region to grouting radius fluctuates slightly with time under the initial permeability of 5 D. The fluctuation increases with the decrease of initial permeability, and the average ratio increases with the decrease of grouting pressure. This study can provide theoretical guidance for grouting design of deep tunnel engineering.
Research on the Collaborative Application of BIM in EPC Projects: The Perspective of Cooperation between Owners and General Contractors
Authors: Sun Chengshuang , Wang Min , Zhai Fengyong
Published: August 2021

As an effective way to reduce costs and increase efficiency of EPC projects, BIM technology has drawn a lot of attention in numerous countries. Existing studies have failed to reveal the BIM decision‐making mechanisms of owners and general contractors in EPC projects in a dynamic method. This study investigates the underlying logic of the collaboration application of BIM by analyzing the dynamic behaviors of owners and general contractors based on evolutionary game model. The results show that the most effective suggestions to promote the BIM collaboration application in EPC projects are “increasing the proportion of BIM application initially strategies,” “increasing incremental revenue of BIM collaborative application,” “reducing costs of BIM collaboration application,” “avoiding excessive hitchhiking,” and “establishing reasonable reward and punishment mechanism.” On the basis of numerical simulation to illustrate the influence of the different initial strategies and parameters on the final decision in different situations, five solutions were proposed for the effective BIM collaboration application between owners and general contractors. This article can facilitate researchers pondering the dynamics of collaboration among stakeholders in projects, and it can also facilitate participants picking up proper strategies for improved collaboration.
Histological Analysis of Bone Callus in Delayed Union Model Fracture Healing Stimulated with Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMF)
Authors: Umiatin U. , Hadisoebroto Dilogo Ismail , Sari Puji , Kusuma Wijaya Sastra
Published: August 2021

Delayed union and nonunion fractures are clinical challenges for orthopedic surgeons. The development of fracture complications, such as delayed union and nonunion fractures, is still difficult to predict. Various methods are being investigated to improve fracture healing and prevent complications in patients. There are various methods to promote fracture healing, broadly divided into biological, chemical, and physical methods. One of the most widely used physical methods to promote fracture healing is the pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF). This study aimed to evaluate the healing process of delayed union fracture after being stimulated by PEMF. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (n = 12) and the PEMF group (n = 12). Delayed union fracture was performed on the left femur of all rats. Subsequently, the PEMF group was given PEMF stimulus with a magnetic field intensity of 1.6 mT and a frequency of 50 Hz for 4 hours/day and 7 days/week. The fracture healing process was evaluated on days 5, 10, 18, and 28 based on the bone callus histology using safranin O fast green (SOFG) staining. The results of the histological analysis showed that bone cartilage was higher in the PEMF group than in the control group throughout the observation period. In addition, the PEMF group had less fibrous tissue at the beginning of the healing. This finding indicates PEMF stimulation has an effect on inducing osteogenesis on fracture healing and reducing the risk of delayed union.
Identification of Immune-Related Risk Signatures for the Prognostic Prediction in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Zou Chen , Huang Dahong , Wei Haigang , Wu Siyuan , Song Jing , Tang Zhe , Li Xia , Ai Yilong
Published: August 2021

Background. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of oral cancer, which remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with head and neck cancers. However, the critical immune-related signatures and their prognostic values have rarely been investigated. Materials and Methods. Gene differential analysis was used to measure the differences of gene expression between the groups. Correlation analysis was used to assess the association between the gene expression levels and immune-related risk score/DNA methylation levels. The gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to identify the pathways or cell types enriched by those identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Results. In this study, we identified four immune-related gene signatures, including CTSG, TNFRSF4, LCORL, and PLAU, that were significantly associated with the overall survival in OSCC patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) OSCC cohort. Moreover, these four immune-related signatures were differentially expressed between the OSCC and nontumor tissues. The two groups (high and low risk) stratified by the immune-related risk scores had significantly different OS and mortality rates. The gene expression patterns and prognostic values of these immune-related signatures were also verified in two independent validation cohorts. Furthermore, the downregulated genes in the high-risk group (which were also upregulated in the low-risk group) were significantly enriched in the cell type-specific signatures of type 2 T helper cell (Th2), plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC), and memory B cell. In contrast, the upregulated genes in the high-score group were enriched in growth factor receptor-related signaling pathways, such as the VEGFA-VEGFR2 signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, focal adhesion-PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway, and PDGF pathway, suggesting that those pathways were inversely correlated with immune cell infiltration. Conclusion. In summary, the immune-related signatures had the potential for predicting the risk of OSCC patients. Moreover, the present study also improved our understanding of the association between the growth factor receptor pathways and immune cell infiltration in OSCC.
3D‐QSAR‐Based Pharmacophore Modeling, Virtual Screening, and Molecular Docking Studies for Identification of Tubulin Inhibitors with Potential Anticancer Activity
Authors: Mirzaei Salimeh , Ghodsi Razieh , Hadizadeh Farzin , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: August 2021

In this study, we aimed to develop a pharmacophore‐based three‐dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D‐QSAR) for a set including sixty‐two cytotoxic quinolines (1‐62) as anticancer agents with tubulin inhibitory activity. A total of 279 pharmacophore hypotheses were generated based on the survival score to build QSAR models. A six‐point pharmacophore model (AAARRR.1061) was identified as the best model which consisted of three hydrogen bond acceptors (A) and three aromatic ring (R) features. The model showed a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.865), cross‐validation coefficient (Q2 = 0.718), and F value (72.3). The best pharmacophore model was then validated by the Y‐Randomization test and ROC‐AUC analysis. The generated 3D contour maps were used to reveal the structure activity relationship of the compounds. The IBScreen database was screened against AAARRR.1061, and after calculating ADMET properties, 10 compounds were selected for further docking study. Molecular docking analysis showed that compound STOCK2S‐23597 with the highest docking score (‐10.948 kcal/mol) had hydrophobic interactions and can form four hydrogen bonds with active site residues.
A Hierarchical View Pooling Network for Multichannel Surface Electromyography‐Based Gesture Recognition
Authors: Wei Wentao , Hong Hong , Wu Xiaoli
Published: August 2021

Hand gesture recognition based on surface electromyography (sEMG) plays an important role in the field of biomedical and rehabilitation engineering. Recently, there is a remarkable progress in gesture recognition using high‐density surface electromyography (HD‐sEMG) recorded by sensor arrays. On the other hand, robust gesture recognition using multichannel sEMG recorded by sparsely placed sensors remains a major challenge. In the context of multiview deep learning, this paper presents a hierarchical view pooling network (HVPN) framework, which improves multichannel sEMG‐based gesture recognition by learning not only view‐specific deep features but also view‐shared deep features from hierarchically pooled multiview feature spaces. Extensive intrasubject and intersubject evaluations were conducted on the large‐scale noninvasive adaptive prosthetics (NinaPro) database to comprehensively evaluate our proposed HVPN framework. Results showed that when using 200 ms sliding windows to segment data, the proposed HVPN framework could achieve the intrasubject gesture recognition accuracy of 88.4%, 85.8%, 68.2%, 72.9%, and 90.3% and the intersubject gesture recognition accuracy of 84.9%, 82.0%, 65.6%, 70.2%, and 88.9% on the first five subdatabases of NinaPro, respectively, which outperformed the state‐of‐the‐art methods.
High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Is a Risk Factor for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality: A 9.5-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Wang Xiaona , Wang Peiqi , Cao Ruihua , Yang Xu , Xiao Wenkai , Zhang Yun , Sheng Li , Ye Ping
Published: August 2021

Background. The relationship between high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and different cardiovascular events has been observed in several large community studies, and the results have been controversial. However, there is currently no cross-sectional or longitudinal follow-up study on hs-cTnT in the Chinese population. Methods. We analyzed the association of plasma hs-cTnT levels with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and all-cause mortality in 1325 subjects from a longitudinal follow-up community-based population in Beijing, China. Results. In the Cox proportional hazards models analysis, the risk of MACEs increased with the increase of hs-cTnT levels (HR, 1.223, 95% CI, 1.054–1.418,

P
=
0.008

). Increased hs-cTnT levels were associated with coronary events (HR, 1.391, 95% CI, 1.106–1.749,

P
=
0.005

) in Model 4. Cox proportional risk regression model analysis revealed that increased hs-cTnT levels were associated with an increased risk of mortality (HR, 1.763, 95% CI, 1.224–2.540,

P
=
0.002

), even after adjusting hs-CRP and NT-proBNP. The area under the ROC curve for predicting MACEs was 0.559 (95% CI, 0.523–0.595,

P
=
0.001

). The areas under the ROC curve for predicting coronary events and mortality were 0.629 (95% CI, 0.580–0.678,

P
<
0.001

) and 0.644 (95% CI, 0.564–0.725,

P
<
0.001

), respectively. Conclusions. Our findings in the Chinese cohort support that hs-cTnT is a risk factor for major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.
Clavicular Metastasis as an Initial Presentation of Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Fung Russell , Fasen Madeline , Warda Firas , Natter Patrick , Nedrud Stacey , Fernandes Rui , Alkhasawneh Ahmad , Gandhi Gunjan Y.
Published: August 2021

Objective. We present the case of a 44-year-old man with a large neck mass to highlight the unique presentation of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) metastatic to the clavicle. Methods. We reviewed the medical record for a detailed history and physical examination findings. Our radiology colleagues examined the diagnostic imaging studies performed. The pathology team reviewed the neck mass biopsy and the confirmatory surgical pathology after total resection of the mass. Results. A 44-year-old man presented with an enlarging neck mass. Initial X-rays revealed a large soft tissue density mass that extended to the midline of the right clavicle. A neck ultrasound established a 5.4 × 3.6 cm mass with increased vascularity and calcification extending from the thyroid. A CT scan noted the extension of the mass into the adjacent sternoclavicular junction with osteolysis of the middle third of the clavicle and the superior aspect of the sternal body. Fine-needle aspiration revealed a thyroid neoplasm with follicular features and positive immunostaining consistent with thyroid carcinoma. The patient underwent a composite resection of the tumor, including a segmental osteotomy of approximately two-thirds of the medial clavicle. The pathology report confirmed PTC with extrathyroidal extension and clavicle involvement (staged pT4a pN0), with further genomic findings showing positive KRAS mutation. Conclusion. Clavicular metastasis from differentiated thyroid cancer is rare. While the prognosis is generally favorable, various factors, including age greater than 45 years, poor differentiation, follicular thyroid carcinoma, Hurthle cell variant, and extrapulmonary metastasis, have typically been associated with poorer cancer-specific survival.
Numerical Simulation for Fracture Propagation in Elastoplastic Formations
Authors: Hu Yafei , Zhao Jin , Cao Lihu , Zhao Jinzhou , Li Junshi , Wu Zhiying , Hou Jianfeng
Published: August 2021

Current hydraulic fracture models are mainly based on elastic theories, which fail to give accurate prediction of fracture parameters in plasticity formation. This paper proposes a fluid–solid coupling model for fracture propagation in elastoplastic formations. The rock plastic deformation in the model satisfies the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion and plastic strain increment theory. The extended finite-element method (XFEM) combined with the cohesive zone method (CZM) is used to solve the coupled model. The accuracy of the model is validated against existing models. The effects of stress difference, friction angle, and dilation angle on fracture shape (length, width), injection pressure, plastic deformation, induced stress, and pore pressure are investigated through the model. The results indicate that compared with elastic formation, fracture propagation in elastoplastic formation is more difficult, the breakdown pressure and extending pressure are greater, and fracture shape is wider and shorter. The plastic deformation causes the fracture tip to become blunt. Under the condition of high stress difference or low friction angle formation, it is prone to occur large plastic deformation zones and form wide and short fracture. Compared with friction angle, dilation angle is less sensitive to plastic deformation, fracture parameters, and fracture geometry. For the formation with high stress difference and friction angle, the effect of plasticity deformation on fracture propagation should not be ignored.
Failure Mode and Effect Analysis for a Programmable Logic Controller-Based Control Unit for a Miniature Neutron Source Reactor Pneumatic Transfer System
Authors: Obeng H. K. , Amponsah-Abu E. O. , Nayrko B. J. B. , Edziah R. , Gasu P. D. , Ampong A.G.
Published: August 2021

The Pneumatic Transfer System (PTS) is an auxiliary system of Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) used to transfer the sample capsule in and out of the reactor irradiation sites. The PTS′ controller unit design and construction was carried out because the original transfer system was not designed to operate in Cyclic Neutron Activation Analysis (CNAA). To address these situations, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) has been used to design and construct a control unit to facilitate a CNAA application for GHARR-1. The design has been simulated successfully using LOGO! Soft Comfort software, version 8. A Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) was conducted on the PTS Control Unit (PTSCU) to evaluate and document, by item failure mode analysis, the potential impact of each functional or hardware failure of the control unit, personnel and system safety, system performance, maintainability, and maintenance requirements. Each potential failure is ranked by the severity of its effect so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken to eliminate or control the high-risk items. The result obtained upon the analysis shows that the likelihood of occurrence of failures, detection, and severity on the control unit is low per the risk priority number. The paper outlines the severity classification and description used in FMEA, the likelihood of detecting various failures of components, and failure causes and effect.
Intracranial Calcification Associated with 3-Methylcrotonyl-CoA Carboxylase Deficiency
Authors: Şahin Süleyman , Yıldırım Miraç , Bektaş Ömer , Sürücü Kara İlknur , Ceylan Ahmet Cevdet , Teber Serap
Published: August 2021

3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (3-MCC) deficiency is the most frequent organic aciduria detected in newborn screening programs. It demonstrates a variable heterogeneous clinical phenotype, ranging from neonatal onset with severe neurological disorders to asymptomatic adult forms. Herein, we report the first 2 related cases of 3-MCC deficiency presenting with intracranial calcification in the literature. A girl and a boy aged 3 years, 9 months and 4 years were included in the study. The main clinical manifestations were acquired microcephaly, global developmental delay, intractable seizures, mild feeding difficulty, and intermittent dystonic contractions. On physical and neurological examinations, their weights, heights, and head circumferences were below the 3rd percentile, they had acquired microcephaly, truncal hypotonia, upper and lower limb spasticity, hyperreflexia, positive bilateral Babinski signs, and clonus. The detailed biochemical and metabolic tests were unremarkable, except blood 3-hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine (C5OH) was slightly increased in case 1. Cranial computed tomography demonstrated mild cerebral and cerebellar atrophy as well as bilateral periventricular and thalamic calcifications in both cases. We identified a homozygous mutation of c.1015G>A (p.V339M) in the MCCC2gene, and the mutation was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. To the best of our knowledge, our cases are the first reported describing intracranial calcification in cases with 3-MCC deficiency. This report expands on the underlying causes of intracranial calcifications and suggests that 3-MCC deficiency may have intracranial calcifications on bilateral thalamus and periventricular white matters. If clinical findings show intracranial calcification, 3-MCC deficiency should also be kept in mind.
The Regulation of Prototype Foamy Virus 5′Long Terminal Repeats and Internal Promoter by Endogenous Transcription Factors
Authors: Wei Jie , Sun Yan , Wang Ting-ting , Zhu Gui , Liu Wan-hong , He Xiao-hua , Li Zhi
Published: August 2021

Background: For foamy virus, the transactivator of spumaretrovirus (Tas) could bind directly to target DNA sequences termed as Tas responsive elements and trigger the viral internal promoter (IP) and long terminal repeat (LTR) promoters. The cellular endogenous factors also play an important role in viral gene expressions. We hypothesized that except the viral transcription factor Tas, the cellular endogenous factors also affect the viral gene expression. Methods: The full length of the prototype foamy virus (PFV) genome (U21247) was used to predict the potential binding sites of the transcription factors by online software JASPAR (http://jaspar.genereg.net) and Softberry (http://linux1.softberry.com/berry.phtml?topic=index&group=programs&subgroup=promoter). The Dual-Luciferase® Reporter Assay System (Promega, USA) was used to confirm the relative luciferase activities of the test groups. The different representative activating agents or inhibitors of each canonical signal pathway were used to identify the impact of these pathways on PFV 5′LTR and IP promoters. Results: The results showed different cellular endogenous factors might have respective effects on PFV 5′LTR and IP. It is worth mentioning that activator protein-1 and BCL2-associated athanogene 3, 2 kinds of vital proteins associated with NF-κB and PKC pathways, could activate the basal activity of 5′LTR and IP promoters but inhibit the Tas-regulated activity of both promoters. Furthermore, PFV Tas was identified to trigger the transcription of the NF-κB promoter. Conclusion: NF-κB had a negative effect on PFV 5′LTR and IP promoter activities, the PKC pathway might upregulate 5′LTR and IP promoter activities, and the JNK and NF-AT signal pathway could increase the Tas-regulated promoter activity of PFV 5′LTR. This study sheds light on the interaction between PFV and the host cell and may help utilize the viral promoters in retroviral vectors designed for gene transfer experiments.