bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Devising a cost-effective method to improve the specificity and sensitivity of malaria detection
Authors: Sebastian Sanders
Published: November 2021

Background:

It has always been a challenge to increase the concentration of malaria parasites in blood without compromising on specificity. The conventional thick smear method is a good sensitive tool. But the disadvantage is that a lot of expertise and experience is needed to perform this. A pilot study was undertaken to improvise the quantitative buffy coat (QBC) method so that the advantages of both thick and thin smears could be combined.
Methods:

Used QBC capillary tubes were washed off the blood and the dye and thoroughly cleaned and dried. The floats were preserved. Blood samples of ten malaria positive patients collected already in EDTA bottles were drawn onto the washed and dried QBC capillaries. The float was re-inserted and centrifugation done as recommended by the QBC manufacturers. The capillary tubes were broken with the aid of a diamond pencil at the area were parasites infested cells were most likely to be seen ie just below the buffy coat area. Smears were made onto a slide with this material and stained using the conventional Romanowsky method of staining. Ordinary microscopy was carried out and parasitaemia were quantified as number per oil immersion field and the results were compared with the recorded thin film reports. Five known negative controls were treated similarly.
Results:

Parasites’ number was found to be on an average ten times higher per oil immersion field compared to the conventional methods. Negative controls yielded valid outcomes.
Conclusion:

This preliminary study promises to be a useful tool in screening for malaria in endemic areas where resources are limited. It also adds to the specificity compared with the original QBC method. Larger study involving more samples is required to further validate the results. Any easy method (preferably automated) to cut the capillary tube thereby eliminating the risk of infection to the operator would help a long way in making the method more user friendly.
Anatomical Boundaries in Plant Roots Form Important Barriers for Selection of the Soil Microbiome
Authors: Zhou Yi , Wei Yanli , Zhao Zhongjuan , Li Jishun , Li Hongmei , Yang Peizhi , Tian Shenzhong , Ryder Maarten , Toh Ruey , Yang Hetong , Denton Matthew
Published: November 2021

Background The microbiome in plant-soil systems has a significant influence in promoting plant growth. The extent of selectivity that the plant exerts on the microbiome in the continuum of internal plant tissues is not well understood. This study analysed the root microbiome of a legume, Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall., sweet clover, and focused on dynamic shifts in the microbial community structure through the niches of bulk soil, rhizosphere, periderm, phloem and xylem, and further examined the effects of environmental factors, root exudates and root cell wall development on the microbiome assemblages in different root compartments.ResultsYoung and mature plants were sampled at 24 field sites and the microbial communities in different niches from bulk soil and rhizosphere through to root compartments were analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The microbiome composition changed from periderm to phloem to a greater extent than across other boundaries (0.95 vs 0.71 based Bray–Curtis distance). Variation in microbiome composition was associated with geographic distance and soil properties for the bulk soil, rhizosphere and periderm niches. The composition of root exudate compounds were correlated with the rhizosphere microbiome assemblages in mature and young plants. The endophyte communities that occupied the phloem and xylem were most conserved and were independent of growing environments and root exudation. Symbiotic rhizobia able to nodulate M. officinalis were prominent colonisers of the periderm (~15%) and xylem (~6.2%), but were only a minor component in other soil-related niches (0.1%-2.5%). In xylem tissues, endophyte diversity was correlated with the total cell wall and lignin content across the sampled sites (r=0.29-0.62). Conclusions Our results demonstrate that selection of microbiome constituents occurs at different boundaries through bulk soil, rhizosphere, periderm, phloem and xylem, and is especially strong across the periderm boundary. The conserved endophyte community in the innermost tissues (phloem and xylem) was identified, and will be advantageous to the development of specific beneficial microbial inoculants.
Assessing The Effectiveness of Empirical Calibration Under Different Bias Scenarios
Authors: Hwang Hon , Quiroz Juan C , Gallego Blanca
Published: November 2021

Background: Estimations of causal effects from observational data are subject to various sources of bias. These biases can be adjusted by using negative control outcomes not affected by the treatment. The empirical calibration procedure uses negative controls to calibrate p-values and both negative and positive controls to calibrate coverage of the 95% confidence interval of the outcome of interest. Although empirical calibration has been used in several large observational studies, there is no systematic examination of its effect under different bias scenarios. Methods: The effect of empirical calibration of confidence intervals was analyzed using simulated datasets with known treatment effects. The simulations were for binary treatment and binary outcome, with simulated biases resulting from unmeasured confounder, model misspecification, measurement error, and lack of positivity. The performance of empirical calibration was evaluated by determining the change of the confidence interval coverage and bias of the outcome of interest. Results: Empirical calibration increased coverage of the outcome of interest by the 95% confidence interval under most settings but was inconsistent in adjusting the bias of the outcome of interest. Empirical calibration was most effective when adjusting for unmeasured confounding bias. Suitable negative controls had a large impact on the adjustment made by empirical calibration, but small improvements in the coverage of the outcome of interest was also observable when using unsuitable negative controls. Conclusions: This work adds evidence to the efficacy of empirical calibration on calibrating the confidence intervals of treatment effects in observational studies. We recommend empirical calibration of confidence intervals, especially when there is a risk of unmeasured confounding.
Prediction Candidates and Political Parties in the Presidential Election 2024 in Indonesia Based on Twitter
Authors: Syamsurrijal M , Nurmandi Achmad , Jubba Hasse , Hidayati Mega , Baharuddin Tawakkal , Qodir Zuly
Published: November 2021

Twitter is a popular platform on social media that is used to predict presidential candidates and political parties who will contest in the presidential election. This study uses a quantitative approach with descriptive content analysis. This approach describes the details of a text or message related to discussions and information on the Twitter social network in the 2024 presidential election. The research subjects are Twitter social media users based on the involvement of Twitter users in the 2024 presidential election discourse in Indonesia. The data is obtained from Twitter with Twitter Search focusing on the keyword “Pilpres 2024”. The analytical tool used is Nvivo 12 Plus software with Word Frequency Query and Text Search Query analysis features. This study predicts that candidates with a strong chance as official candidates are Anies Baswedan, Prabowo, and Ganjar Pranowo. The mapping of political parties indicates that there will be political contestation between nationalist parties and religious-based parties in the 2024 presidential election.
Twice vitrification-warming procedures has no effect on frozen-thawed embryo transfer outcomes
Authors: Shen xiaoyue , Ding Min , Yan Yuan , Wang Shanshan , Zhou jianjun , Xing Jun
Published: November 2021

Background

To evaluate the frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) outcomes of repeated cryopreservation by vitrification of blastocysts derived from vitrified-warmed day3 embryos in patients who experienced implantation failure previously.
Methods

We retrospect the files of patients who underwent single frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer cycles in our reproductive medical center from January 2013 to December 2019. 127 patients transfer of vitrified-warmed blastocysts derived from vitrified-warmed day3 embryos were defined as twice-cryopreserved group. 1567 patients who transfer blastocysts that had experienced once vitrified-warmed were used as once-cryopreserved group. None of them was pregnant at the previous FET. The outcomes were compared between two groups after a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM).
Results

The clinical pregnancy rate was 52.76%, live birth rate was 43.31% in twice-cryopreserved group. After PSM,108 pairs of patients were generated for comparison. The clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate or miscarriage rate was not significantly different between two groups. Logistic regression analysis indicated that double vitrification-warming procedures did not affect FET outcomes in terms of clinical pregnancy rate (OR 0.83, 95%CI 0.47-1.42), live birth rate (OR 0.93, 95%CI 0.54-1.59), miscarriage rate (OR 0.72 95%CI 0.28-1.85). Furthermore, the pregnancy complications rate, gestational age or neonatal abnormalities rate between two groups was also comparable, while twice vitrification-warming procedures might increase the macrosomia rate (19.6% vs. 6.3%, P = 0.05).
Conclusion

Transfer of double vitrified-warmed embryo at cleavage stage and subsequent blastocyst stage did not affect live birth rate and neonatal abnormalities rate, but there was a tendency to increase macrosomia rate, which needs further investigation.
Somatology Practices in Non-medical Aesthetic Treatments: Towards Development of Good Practice Guidelines for Somatology in South Africa: a Scoping Review Protocol
Authors: Borg Dorinda Raphine , Ross Ashley Hilton , Garosi Kabelo , Finlayson Avenal Jane , Mashamba-Thompson Tivani P.
Published: November 2021

Background: The medical aesthetics industry is a very profitable and rapidly growing branch of medicine. Currently, somatologists or beauty therapists who either independently perform or assist medical directors in these aesthetic procedures, are not regulated by a professional body in most countries including South Africa. The absence of a prescribed scope of practice, attributed to absence of formal professional regulation, has resulted in an increase in anecdotal reports of complications and malpractice being referred to medical professionals. Since the mandate of regulatory bodies is to guide the professions and to protect patients and the public, currently, the absence of regulation in the somatology profession exposes patients/clients to unsafe practices predominately in the private sector. The objective of this scoping review is to map evidence on the somatology practices and regulations for non-medical aesthetic treatments. Methods: We will conduct a scoping review using peer reviewed journal articles that present literature on the practice of non-medical aesthetic treatments. Grey literature including media reports, and unpublished theses will be included. Electronic searches of databases and search engines such as Scopus, CINAHL, EBSCOhost, Health Source - Consumer Edition; Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Open Dissertations, Google Scholar and MEDLINE will be undertaken to attain published articles and reports from all study designs. Duplicated documents will be deleted prior to title screening commencing. All retrieved literature will be exported into an Endnote X20 library. The quality of each publication will be appraised using the mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) – version 2018.Discussion: We will map the evidence of how non-medical treatments are commonly being performed by non-physicians and somatologists, including identifying which treatments and procedures are more at risk in resulting in adverse reactions if not administered ethically or correctly. Once summarised, the data could be used to develop relevant and current good practice guidelines that could be later integrated into a framework for somatologists performing non-medical aesthetics treatments in South Africa. Systematic review registration: Open Science Framework registration (https://osf.io/4fk8g/)
Resource Use, Availability and Cost in the Provision of Critical Care in Tanzania: A Systematic Review
Authors: Kazibwe Joseph , Shah Hiral A. , Kuwawenaruwa August , Schell Carl Otto , Khalid Karima , Tran Phuong Bich , Ghosh Srobana , Baker Tim , Guinness Lorna
Published: November 2021

IntroductionCritical care is essential in saving lives of critically ill patients, however, provision of critical care across lower resource settings can be costly, fragmented and heterogenous. Despite the urgent need to scale-up the provision of critical care, little is known about its availability and cost. Here, we aim to systematically review and identify reported resource use, availability and costs for the provision of critical care and the nature of critical care provision in Tanzania. Methods The systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines; PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020221923. We searched Medline, Embase and global health databases. We included studies that reported on provision of critical care, cost and availability of resources used in the provision of critical care published after 2010. Costs were adjusted and reported in 2019 USD and TZS using the world bank GDP deflators. ResultsA total 31 studies were found to fulfil the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Critical care identified in Tanzania was categorised into: ICU delivered critical care and non-ICU critical care. The availability of ICU delivered critical care was limited to urban settings whereas non-ICU critical care was found in rural and urban settings. 15 studies reported on the costs of services related to critical care yet no study reported an average or unit cost of critical care. Costs of medication, equipment (e.g. oxygen, PPE), services, and human resources were identified as inputs to specific critical care services in Tanzania. ConclusionThere is limited evidence on the resource use, availability and costs of critical care in Tanzania. There is a strong need for further empirical research on critical care resources availability, utilization and costs across specialties and hospitals of different level in LMICs like Tanzania to inform planning, priority setting and budgeting for critical care services.
The Role of Decision Impact Studies in Genomic Medicine in Cancer Care: A Scoping Review and Bibliometric Analysis Protocol
Authors: Parker Gillian , Miller Fiona A
Published: November 2021

BackgroundDecision impact studies have become increasingly prevalent in oncology in recent years, particularly in breast cancer prognostic research. Such studies, which aim to evaluate the impact of a test on clinical decision-making, appear to be a new form of knowledge with the potential to impact clinical practice and regulatory decision-making in genomic medicine. Yet their origins, intended purpose and usage have not yet been explored. The objectives of this review are to identify and characterize decision impact studies in genomic medicine in cancer care. This review is comprised of two parts. First, we will conduct a scoping review to catalogue the characteristics of decision impact studies. The scoping review will be followed by a bibliometric analysis to understand the role of actors and institutions in the production and dissemination of this new knowledge, by identifying influential articles, authors, global research trends and collaboration networks. MethodsWe will conduct a scoping review and a bibliometric analysis of the scoping review results. The search will include four databases, Medline, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science, using a comprehensive search strategy developed through a preliminary review of the literature. Arksey & O’Malley’s scoping review methodology, with updates by Levac et al. will be used, and the review will be reported following the PRISMA-ScR checklist. The FT Model will be used to collect and analyze data on clinical utility of decision impact studies. Our bibliometric analysis, using Bibliometrix software, will elucidate the evolution of these studies and provide data on the trends, influences and networks emerging in the field.DiscussionThis review will be a first step in understanding the evolution and uses of these studies and their potential influence on the integration of emerging genomic technologies into clinical practice. By exploring their origin and evolution across space and time, this study will equip future research to investigate the role of these studies in decision-making for regulatory processes, including market access and public and private coverage decision-making. Systematic review registration: Open Science Framework osf.io/hm3jr
Clinical Features And Risk Factors For Infection In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Xie Yan , Lin Yiping
Published: November 2021

Background: To explore the infection characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA) and related risk factors for infection. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 648 hospitalized patients with RA, including related risk factors that may cause infection and infection sites, pathogens, and drug resistance. Chi-square test 、Mann-Whitney U test and binary Logistic-regression analysis were used to identify risk factors.Results: 648 patients with RA were 182 cases of infection, the infection rate 28.09%. Common infection were pneumonia(19.60%), urinary tract infection(5.25%), upper respiratory tract infection(5.09%). Gram-negative bacteria ranked first in the pathogen composition (67.57%), the main pathogenic bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli; Staphylococcus aureus was the main pathogenic bacteria among the Gram-positive bacteria . In addition, there were 7 strains of fungi, 3 strains each of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and herpes virus. The proportion of resistant strains was relatively high, and the gram-negative bacteria had a relatively high sensitivity to penicillins/cephalosporins+β-lactamase inhibitors, aminoglycosides, and carbopenems. The risk scores included higher age (P=0.020), long disesses duration (P=0.004), smoking (P=0.016), hypoproteinemia (P=0.010), use of corticosteroids (P<0.01).Use of nonbiologic DMARDs was negatively with infection(P= 0.006).Conclusions: Our results indicate that the common infection sites in patients with RA are the respiratory and urinary tract. Gram-negative bacteria are common pathogens. RA patients with higher age, long diseases duration, smoking, hypoproteinemia, and long-term use of corticosteroids are prone to infection. Nonbiologic DMARDs is significantly associated with a decreased risk for infection. The proportion of drug-resistant patients with RA co-infection is relatively high.
Microvascular Decompression for Patient With Coexistent of Trigeminal Neuralgia, Hemifacial Spasm and Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia- a Case Report
Authors: Sun Tao , Wang Wentao , He Longshuang , Su Yu , Li Ning , Liu Jinlong , Yang Chao
Published: November 2021

Background: Primary trigeminal neuralgia (TN), hemifacial spasm (HFS) and glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GN) are common diseases of nervous system, with similar pathogenesis and treatment strategies. Coexistent of such disease, especially coexistent of TN-HFS-GN simultaneously, is very rare. To date, only nine cases have been reported.Case Presentation: A 70-year-old male with a history of hypertension and diabetes complained of severe involuntary contraction for about 10 years, knife-like and lighting-like pain, which was restricted to the distribution of the second and third branches of trigeminal nerve and pharynx and root of tongue, for about 2 years. Coexistent of TN HFS and GN was diagnosed and MVD was carried out. After MVD, the patient completely free from symptoms and no recurrence and hypoesthesia were recorded in 18 months follow up.Conclusion: Here we report the tenth and oldest male patient with coexistent of TN-HFS-GN. Despite limited reports, MVD is the preferred choice for such diseases which can free patients from spasm and neuralgia.
DPP4 rs16822665 and rs2268694 had Protective Effect on Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head
Authors: Liu Chang , Liu Xuan , Li Xiaolin
Published: November 2021

Background: It is reported that DPP4 is associated with bone metabolism, osteoporosis and other orthopedic diseases, but the correlation between DPP4 and osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is not clear. It was the purpose of this study that was to explore the relationship between DPP4 gene and ONFH.Methods: We genotyped four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from DPP4 gene using the Agena MassARRAY platform. The association between DPP4 variants and ONFH susceptibility was assessed using odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) via logistic regression. Results: The results showed that the allele C of rs16822665 was related to a lower risk of ONFH (OR = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.63-0.92, p = 0.006). In the case of stratified analysis, we found that rs16822665 could reduce the incidence of ONFH risk in four genetic models (dominant, codominant, log-additive, and recessive models) in drinkers and people age ≤51 years (p < 0.05). In gender stratification analysis, both rs2268694 and rs16822665 were contributed to bring down the risk of disease, which were mainly reflected in the codominant, dominant and log-additive models in female (p < 0.05). The subgroup analysis was conducted based on smokers revealing that rs2268894 was vitally correlated with a decreased risk of ONFH in the codominant (C vs. T: OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.34-0.76, p = 0.001), dominant (TC-CC vs. TT: OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.36-0.77, p = 0.001), and log-additive (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.48-0.88, p = 0.006) models, while it was not found in the non-smokers.Conclusions: This finding provide evidence that DPP4 variants play a key role in the occurrence of ONFH among the Chinese Han population.
Suggestions for Escaping The Dark Ages for Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma Treated with Radiotherapy: Analysis of Prognostic Factors From The National Multicenter Study
Authors: Kim Hyun Ju , Lee Joo Ho , Kim Youngkyong , Lim Do Hoon , Park Shin-Hyung , Ahn Seung Do , Kim In Ah , Im Jung Ho , Chung Jae Wook , Kim Joo-Young , Kim Il Han , Suh Chang-Ok , Yoon Hong In
Published: November 2021

Purpose
This multicenter retrospective study aimed to investigate prognostic factors for survival, encompassing clinical and radiologic features and treatments, in newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) patients treated with radiotherapy.
Methods
Patients <30 years of age who underwent radiotherapy as an initial treatment for DIPG between 2000 and 2018 were included; patients who did not undergo an MRI at diagnosis and those with pathologically diagnosed grade I glioma were excluded. We examined medical records of 162 patients collected from 10 participating centers in Korea. The patients’ clinical and radiological variables, molecular and histopathologic data, and treatment response were evaluated to identify the prognosticators for DIPG and estimate survival outcomes.
Results
The median follow-up period was 10.8 months (interquartile range, 7.5–18.1). The 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) rates were 53.5% and 19.0%, respectively, with a median OS of 13.1 months. Long term survival rate (≥2 years) was 16.7%, and median OS was 43.6 months. Age (<10 years), poor performance status, treatment before 2010, and post-radiotherapy necrosis were independent prognostic factors related to poor OS in the multivariate analysis. In patients with increased post-radiotherapy necrosis, the median OS was 13.3 months for bevacizumab group and 11.4 months for no-bevacizumab group (P = 0.138).
Conclusion
Therapeutic strategy for DIPG has remained unchanged over time, and its prognosis remains poor. Our findings suggest that appropriate efforts are needed to reduce the occurrence of post-radiotherapy necrosis. Further well-designed clinical trials are recommended to improve the poor prognosis observed in DIPG patients.
Development and Validation of Prognostic Nomograms Predicting Recurrence and Survival in Patients with Solitary Hepatocellular Carcinoma Following Curative Liver Resection
Authors: Chen Xinxin , Qiu Wenxia , Xie Xuekun , Chen Zefeng , Han Zhiwei , Long Peiyun , Chen Chuang
Published: November 2021

Background: This work was designed to establish and verify our nomograms integrating clinicopathological characteristics with hematological biomarkers to predict both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients following hepatectomy.Methods: We scrutinized the data retrospectively from 414 patients with a clinicopathological diagnosis of solitary HCC from Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital (Nanning, China) between January 2004 and December 2012. Following the random separation of the samples in a 7:3 ratio into the training set and validation set, the former set was assessed by Cox regression analysis to develop two nomograms to predict the 1-year and 3-year DFS and OS (3-years and 5-years). This was followed by discrimination and calibration estimation employing Harrell’s C-index (C-index) and calibration curves, while the internal validation was also assessed.Results: In the training cohort, the tumor diameter, tumor capsule, macrovascular invasion, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were included in the DFS nomogram. Age, tumor diameter, tumor capsule, macrovascular invasion, microvascular invasion, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were included in the OS nomogram. The C-index was 0.691 (95% CI: 0.644-0.738) for the DFS-nomogram and 0.713 (95% CI: 0.670-0.756) for the OS-nomogram. The survival probability calibration curves displayed a fine agreement between the predicted and observed ranges in both data sets. Conclusion: Our nomograms combined clinicopathological features with hematological biomarkers to emerge effective in predicting the DFS and OS in solitary HCC patients following curative liver resection. Therefore, the potential utility of our nomograms for guiding individualized treatment clinically and monitor the recurrence monitoring in these patients.
Lipid Productivity and Biosynthesis Genes Response of Indigenous Chlorella sp. T4 Strain under Different Nitrogen and Phosphorus Load
Authors: Gumbi S’fiso Thuthukani , Kumar Ajit , Olaniran Ademola Olufolahan
Published: November 2021

Microalgae can synthesize and accumulate high neutral lipids upon exposure to abiotic stress such as nutrient starvation or limitation. In this study, indigenous microalgae Chlorella sp. T4 was cultivated in nitrogen and phosphorus under both limiting and replete conditions. Growth, lipid yield, fatty acid profiles and biosynthetic gene expression levels were determined to ascertain cell’s response under these conditions. An impaired cell growth was observed under nitrogen limiting condition, evident by the lowest biomass yield (0.58±0.03 g L−1) as revealed by low quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) value and chlorophyll a content. An increase in lipid content yield was observed under nitrogen and phosphorus limiting conditions as compared to the control. Nutrient limiting conditions produced fatty acid methyl ester that is suitable for biodiesel production compared to the control (BG-11). Gene expression analysis using real time q-PCR for photosynthesis (rbcL) and lipid biosynthesis (accD, KAS-1, ω-6 FAD, ω-3 FAD) genes revealed different expression levels under both limiting and replete conditions. Under nutrient limiting conditions, increase in the expression of accD, KAS-1, ω-6 FAD and ω-3 FAD genes was observed, whereas a decrease in rbcL gene expression level was noted. A significant correlation could be drawn between the expression levels of the biosynthetic genes and growth rate, biomass yield, physiological response, lipid yield and fatty acid composition. These results provide an insight into the physiological response and gene expression level under different nutrient levels, which could be harnessed for future genetic engineering of Chlorella sp. T4 for improved lipid production.
Peri-prosthetic Bone Remodeling of Hydroxyapatite-coated Compaction Short Stem was Not Affected by Stem Alignment
Authors: Hayashi Shinya , Kuroda Yuichi , Nakano Naoki , Matsumoto Tomoyuki , Kamenaga Tomoyuki , Maeda Toshihisa , Niikura Takahiro , Kuroda Ryosuke
Published: November 2021

Background: We aimed to investigate the relationship between stem insertion alignment and postoperative bone mineral density (BMD) changes in patients with full hydroxyapatite-coated (HA) compaction short stem and short tapered-wedge stem. Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 115 consecutive patients (115 joints) undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) using the full HA compaction short (n=59) and short tapered-wedge (n=56) stems. Stem alignment including anteversion, valgus, and anterior tilt were measured by 3D-template using computed tomography (CT) data. Post-operative peri-prosthetic BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The relationship between stem alignment and BMD changes in the stems were analyzed.Results: Both groups showed similar patterns of peri-prosthetic BMD changes. Stem insertion alignments of anteversion, valgus, and anterior tilt were different between the two types of stems. Stem alignment of valgus and anterior tilt did not affect peri-prosthetic BMD in either type of stem. An absolute anteversion difference between stem anteversion and original canal anteversion caused significant peri-prosthetic BMD loss in Gruen zones 1 and 7 in the tapered-wedge stem. However, stem alignment of absolute anteversion difference did not affect BMD changes in the HA compaction stem.Conclusion: Peri-prosthetic bone remodeling remained unaffected by stem alignment after THA with the new short full HA compaction stem.
The Cole Relaxation Frequency as a Parameter to Identify Cancer in Lung Tissue: Preliminary Animal and ex vivo Patient Studies
Authors: Bogdanowicz Les , Fidaner Onur , Ceres Donato , Grycuk Alex , Demos Davis
Published: November 2021

Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer deaths, and diagnosis remains challenging. Lung cancer starts as small nodules; early and accurate diagnosis allows timely surgical resection of malignant nodules while avoiding unnecessary surgery in patients with benign nodules. The Cole Relaxation Frequency (CRF) is a derived electrical bioimpedance signature, which may be utilized to distinguish cancerous tissues from normal tissues. Here we show that CRF allows for diagnosis of cancer in human subjects, based on evaluation of 60 specimens obtained from 30 patients. We observed clear discrimination of CRF values in tumor and distant normal tissues, resulting in a high degree of sensitivity (97%) and specificity (87%) in cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, we tested 20 xenograft small animal model specimens, observing a similar separation of CRF values as in the human in-vivo measurements. We also obtained CRF measurements in pressurized and unpressurized lungs by implanting tumors into ex-vivo porcine lungs. CRF measurements align with previous tests in human and small animal models.
Multi-motor Drive Control Method of Upper-Retort-Robot Based on Machine Vision
Authors: Xiao Jie , Kang Wanjie , He Guofeng , Li Xiangchen , Yan Genglong
Published: November 2021

A research on the multi-motor drive control method of the upper-retort-robot based on machine vision is proposed in this paper for wine brewing automation to suffice the demand of military areas situated in cold regions as wine is recommended to keep the body temperature of soldiers normal in highly cold regions of China. Based on machine vision, the target is converted into an image signal by an image pickup device and is sent to the image processing system. The pixel distribution, brightness, color and other information are converted into digital signals and the target features are extracted to control the actions of the field equipment. The Monte-Carlo method is exploited to randomly generate joint variables within the variation range of each joint. The positive aspects of kinematics model are utilized and the working space of the upper-retort-robot is calculated using multi-motor drive control method. The multi-motor drive compensates the harmonic ripple torque, and establishes the fault-tolerant automatic control of the system to maintain quality of the liquor. The experimental results show that the robot arm can reach at any position in the barrel within the defined range. The robot will work in an automated mode to control the quality of the liquor. The transmission performance of the robot can meet the requirements of the automated quality control of the liquor during processing of wine from grapes. The results are obtained for robot transmission performance and robot dexterity which proves the robustness and viability of the proposed multi-motor drive control method (MMDCM).
Enhancing Microalgae Cultivation using Biowastes as Growth Media for High Added-Value Co-Products Generation
Authors: Amouri Mohammed , Kaidi Fayrouz , Ounnar Amel , Aziza Majda
Published: November 2021

This paper aims to study a new growth media using cheese whey and drainage water from agriculture for indigenous microalgae cultivation for value-added product generation. In this context, four combinations are studied beside the BG11 as reference, where BG11/Cheese whey (60/40, %v/v), drainage water 100%, drainage water/Cheese whey (60/40, % v/v), and Cheese whey 100 % have been used. Moreover, investigated parameters are biomass dry weight, pH variation, total chlorophyll and carotenoid content. Results showed that used growth media have a significant impact on microaglae culture, particularly in terms of cells growth, pigment content and pH variation. Moreover, the mixture BG11/Cheese whey (60/40, %v/v) shows the best impact for total chlorophylls and carotenoids content. Likewise, the mixture cheese whey/drainage water (60/40, %v/v) presents a positive effect on pigments content. The use of cheese whey and drainage water lead to enhance the biomass and pigment production. This study showed that using agro-industrial C-rich wastes and drainage water enhanced microalgae biomass and pigment content, thus contributing to pollution abatement. This will contribute to both reducing the cost of production and resources recycling.
Change point detection for clustered expression data
Authors: Sieg Miriam , Sciesielski Lina Katrin , Kirschner Karin Michaela , Kruppa Jochen
Published: November 2021

Background: In longitudinal studies, observations are made over time. Hence, the single observations at each time point are dependent, making them a repeated measurement. In this work, we explore a different, counterintuitive setting: At each developmental time point, a lethal observation is performed on the pregnant or nursing mother. Therefore, the single time points are independent. Furthermore, the observation in the offspring at each time point is correlated with each other because each litter consists of several (genetically linked) littermates. In addition, the observed time series is short from a statistical perspective as animal ethics prevent killing more mother mice than absolutely necessary, and murine development is short anyway. We solve these challenges by using multiple contrast tests and visualizing the change point by the use of confidence intervals.Results: We used linear mixed models to model the variability of the mother. The estimates from the linear mixed model are then used in multiple contrast tests.There are a variety of contrasts and intuitively, we would use the Changepoint method. However, it does not deliver satisfying results. Interestingly, we found two other contrasts, both capable of answering different research questions in change point detection: i) Should a single point with change direction be found, or ii) Should the overall progression be determined? The Sequen contrast answers the first, the McDermott the second. Confidence intervals deliver effect estimates for the strength of the potential change point. Therefore, the scientist can define a biologically relevant limit of change depending on the research question.Conclusion: We present a solution with effect estimates for short independent time series with observations nested at a given time point. Multiple contrast tests produce confidence intervals, which allow determining the position of change points or to visualize the expression course over time. We suggest to use McDermott’s method to determine if there is an overall significant change within the time frame, while Sequen is better in determining specific change points. In addition, we offer a short formula for the estimation of the maximal length of the time series.
Evaluating Effect of Metallic Ions On Aggregation Behavior of Amyloid Aβ42 By AFM Imaging and SERS
Authors: Xie Yang , Yu Lin , Fu Yuna , Sun Heng , Wang Jianhua
Published: November 2021

Background: Excessive aggregation of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ) is regarded as the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Exploring the underlying mechanism regulating Aβ aggregation remains challenging and investigating aggregation events of Aβ in the presence and absence of metal ions at molecular level would be meaningful in elucidating the role of metal cations on interactions between Aβ molecules. In this study, chemical self-assembled monolayer (SAM) method was employed to fabricate monolayer of β-amyloid peptides Aβ42 on gold substrate with a bolaamphiphile named 16-Mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA). Firstly, the samples of gold substrate (blank control), the MHA-modified substrate and the Aβ42-modified substrate were detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to track the self-assembly process. Aggregation behaviors of Aβ42 before and after metallic ions (Zn2+、Ca2+、Al3+) treated were monitored by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the interaction between Aβ42 and metallic ions (Zn2+、Ca2+、Al3+) was investigated by surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), respectively.Results: The XPS spectra of binding energy of gold substrate (blank control), the MHA-modified substrate and the Aβ42-modified substrate are well fitted with the corresponding monolayer’s composition, which indicates that Aβ42 monolayer is well formed. The recorded surface morphology of different experimental groups obtained by AFM showed markedly different nanostructures, indicating occurrence of aggregation events between Aβ42 molecules after adding metal ions to the solution. Compared to the control group, the presence of metal ions resulted in the increased size of surface structures on the observed 3D topography. Further study by SERS showed that the Raman strength of Aβ42 changes significantly after the metal cation treatment. A considerable part of the amide bonds interacts with metal cations, leading to a structural change, which is characterized by the weakened β-fold Raman peak.Conclusion: The AFM imaging results suggest that aggregation events occurred between Aβ42 molecules with the addition of metal cations. Furthermore, the effect of metallic cations on the conformational change of Aβ42 studied by SERS supported the results obtained by AFM imaging. Taken together, the results showed that the presence of substoichiometric metal cations promotes aggregation behavior between Aβ42 molecules on the substrate at pH 7.4.
The Relationship Between The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and The Urucuia Aquifer System Recharge
Authors: Vieira Myrla de Souza Batista , Campos José Eloi Gimarães , Pinto Eber José de Andrade , Santos Marcus Suassuna
Published: November 2021

This study investigates and detects links between the precipitation characteristics with meteorological systems and teleconnections around the Urucuia Aquifer System (UAS). Several studies show the influence of meteorological systems and teleconnections on the volume and intensity of precipitation in South America, mainly the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), the El Niño South Oscillation (ENSO), and the Pacific Decadal Oscillations (PDO). Then, the precipitation series’ statistical characterization impacted the aquifer system’s recharge from 1973 to 2006. Monthly and annual series were analyzed and tested the correlation analysis with the indexes of the AMO, PDO, and ENSO. Finally, the series of maximum daily rainfall on the UAS was determined, and the 15 largest events were chosen to analyze the retroactive trajectories of air masses and thus try to estimate which atmospheric systems was acting and their origin. It concluded that the total annual precipitation data indicated a decreasing linear trend and that external climatic phenomena can influence precipitation characteristics. The correlation with the AMO index revealed a potential teleconectivity between climate circulation patterns with average annual precipitation over the UAS (p-value ≤ 0.03). Moreover, the analysing of precipitation trajectories observed a greater amount of specific humidity in the atmosphere during the AMO negative period concerning the AMO positive period. Also, the negative AMO phase’s trajectories had higher latitudes closer to the Intertropical Convergence Zone, as opposed to the positive AMO phase, where the trajectory altitudes were lower and closer to the Capricorn tropic.
Screening and Purification of NanB Sialidase From Pasteurella Multocida With Activity in Hydrolyzing Sialic Acid Neu5Acα(2-6)Gal
Authors: Nugroho Christian Marco Hadi , Kurnia Ryan Septa , Tarigan Simson , Silaen Otto Sahat Martua , Widyaningtyas Silvia Tri , Wibawan I Wayan Teguh , Natalia Lily , Takdir Andi Khomeini , Soebandrio Amin
Published: November 2021

Study on sialidases as antiviral agents has been widely performed, but many types of sialidase had not been tested for their antiviral activity. One of such sialidase is the NanB sialidase of Pasteurella multocida, which has never been isolated for further study. In this study, the activity of NanB sialidase was investigated in silico by docking the NanB sialidase of Pasteurella multocida to the Neu5Acα(2-6)Gal ligand. Additionally, some local isolates of Pasteurella multocida, which had the NanB gene were screened, and the proteins were isolated for further testing regarding their activity in hydrolyzing Neu5Acα(2-6)Gal. In silico studies showed that the NanB sialidase possesses an exceptional affinity towards forming a protein-ligand complex with Neu5Acα(2-6)Gal. This was further confirmed by showing that a dose of 0.258 U/ml (100%) NanB sialidase of Pasteurella multocida B018 can hydrolyze up to 44.28% of Neu5Acα(2-6)Gal in chicken red blood cells and 81.95% in rabbit red blood cells. This study suggested that the NanB sialidase of Pasteurella multocida B018 has a potent antiviral activity that can inhibit avian influenza virus infection.
Embolization of a Superior Mesenteric Arteriovenous Fistula Identified During Consultation for a Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Procedure: A Case Report
Authors: Shinagawa Austin , Billah Zaeem , Kansagra Kartik , Lam Ken , Vatakencherry Geogy
Published: November 2021

Superior mesenteric arteriovenous fistula is a rare vascular anomaly often presenting with sequelae of portal hypertension, heart failure, or mesenteric ischemia. This report describes a 75-year-old woman with a history of extensive small bowel resection who presented with variceal bleeding. She was referred to vascular and interventional radiology for a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure; however, her history was inconsistent with cirrhosis. This prompted further review of her imaging, which identified a superior mesenteric arteriovenous fistula as the probable etiology of her varices. This was subsequently embolized with a vascular plug and follow-up upper endoscopy at 1-month demonstrated complete resolution of her varices. This patient was able to avoid a procedure with potentially catastrophic consequences, highlighting the necessity of comprehensive consultations by interventional physicians. Level of Evidence: Level 4, Case Report.
Designating Appropriate Areas for Determining Potential Rainwater Harvesting in Arid Region Using a GIS-based Multi-criteria Decision Analysis ‏
Authors: Abd-el-Kader Mohamed , Elfeky Ahmed , Saber Mohamed , AlHarbi Maged , Alataway abed
Published: November 2021

Flash floods are highly devastating, however there is no effective management for their water in Saudi Arabia, therefore, it is crucial to adopt Rainfall Water Harvesting (RWH) techniques to mitigate the flash floods and manage the available water resources from the infrequent and rare rainfall storms. The goal of this study is to create a potential flood hazard map and a map of suitable locations for RWH in Wadi Nisah, Saudi Arabia for future water management and flood prevention plans and to identify potential areas for rainwater harvesting and dam construction for both a flood mitigation and water harvesting. This research was carried out using a spatiotemporal distributed model based on multi-criteria decision analysis by combining Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making tools (MCDM). The flood hazard mapping criteria were elevation, drainage density, slope, direct runoff depth at 50 years return period, Topographic witness index, and Curve Number, according to the Multi-criteria decision analysis, while the criteria for RWH were Slope, Land cover, Stream order, Lineaments density, and Average of annual max-24hr Rainfall. The weight of each criteria was estimated based on Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). In multi-criteria decision analysis, 21.55 % of the total area for Wadi Nisah was classified as extremely dangerous and dangerous; 65.29 % of the total area was classified as moderate; and 13.15 % of the total area was classified as safe and very safe in flash flood hazard classes. Only 15% of Wadi Nisah has a very high potentiality for RWH and 27.7%, 57.31% of the basin has a moderate and a low or extremely low potentiality of RWH, respectively. According to the developed RWH potentiality map, two possible dam sites were proposed. The maximum height of the proposed dams, which corresponded to the cross section of dam locations, ranged from 6.2 to 9 meters; the maximum width of dams ranged from 573.48 to 725 meters; the maximum storage capacity of reservoirs, which corresponded to the distribution of topographic conditions in the surrounding area, ranged from 3976104.499 m3 to 4328509.123 m3; and the maximum surface area of reservoirs ranged from 1268372.625 m2 to 1505825.676.14 m2. These results are highly important for the decision makers for not only flash flood mitigation but also water management in the study area.