bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical Simulations of a Freely Falling Rigid Sphere in Bounded and Unbounded Water Domains
Authors: Pandey Deepak K. , Lim Hee-Chang
Published: January 2022

Numerical studies were conducted on the hydrodynamics of a freely falling rigid sphere in bounded and unbounded water domains to investigate the drag coefficient, normalized velocity, pressure coefficient, and skin friction coefficient as a function of dimensionless time. The bounded domain was simulated by bringing the cylindrical water container’s wall closer to the impacting rigid sphere and linking it to the blockage ratio (BR), defined as the ratio of the projection area of a freely falling sphere to that of the cross-sectional area of the cylindrical water container. Six cases of bounded domains (BR = 1%, 25%, 45%, 55%, 65%, and 75%) were studied. However, the unbounded domain was considered with a BR of 0.01%. In addition, the k–ω shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model was used, and the computed results of the bounded domain were compared with those of other studies on unbounded domains. In the case of the bounded domain, which has a higher value of BR, a substantial reduction in normalized velocity and an increase in the drag coefficient were found. Moreover, the bounded domain yielded a significant increase in the pressure coefficient when the sphere was half-submerged; however, an insignificant effect was found on the skin friction coefficient. In the case of the unbounded domain, a significant reduction in the normalized velocity occurred with a decrease in the Reynold number (Re), whereas the drag coefficient increases with a decrease in Reynolds number.
Aging: A Theory Based on Free Radical and Radiation Chemistry
Authors: Harman Denham
Published: January 2022

This 1956 paper describes a theory about mechanisms of aging that is based on free radical chemistry: "Aging and the degenerative diseases associated with it are attributed basically to the deleterious side attacks of free radicals on cell constituents and on the connective tissues. The free radicals probably arise largely through reactions involving molecular oxygen catalyzed in the cell by oxidative enzymes and in the connective tissues by traces of metals such as iron, cobalt, and manganese."

Copyright (c) The Gerontological Society of America. Reproduced by permission of the publisher.

Denham Harman, Aging: A Theory Based on Free Radical and Radiation Chemistry.
J. Gerontol.
11
, 298-300 (1956).
The Effects of Temperature and of Egg-Laying on the Longevity of
Drosophila subobscura
Authors: Smith J. Maynard
Published: January 2022

If an outbred population of adult
Drosophila
is kept from the time of emergence in a uniform and favourable environment there is a fairly protracted initial period during which very few individuals die, followed by a period during which the force of mortality rises rapidly until all individuals are dead. Similar life tables can be obtained for most animal species, provided that the environment is favourable and the population is neither genetically very diverse nor excessively inbred.

Such results show that progressive changes take place in individuals, starting at the time of emergence, and that these changes ultimately result in death or render individuals increasingly susceptible to various extrinsic causes of death.

As would be expected, in poikilotherms such changes proceed more rapidly at higher temperatures, as is shown by the decrease in the expectation of life with increasing temperature. It was the purpose of the present investigation to discover how far the processes responsible for death in
D. subobscura
are the same at different temperatures, differing only in the rate at which they proceed, and how far different processes are concerned at different temperatures. The results obtained strongly suggest that different processes are responsible for ageing at different temperatures; they also indicate a connexion between the rate of egg-laying and the rate of ageing, and this possibility has been confirmed by a study of ageing in virgin females and in females lacking ovaries.

Reproduced by permission.

J. Maynard Smith, The Effects of Temperature and of Egg-Laying on the Longevity of
Drosophila subobscura. J. Exp. Biol.
35
, 832-842 (1958).
Life-Span Study of SPF Fischer 344 Male Rats Fed
Ad Libitum
or Restricted Diets: Longevity, Growth, Lean Body Mass and Disease
Authors: Yu Byung Pal , Masoro Edward J. , Murata Ikuo , Bertrand Helen A. , Lynd Frederick T.
Published: January 2022

A life-span study was carried out on longevity, pathologic lesions, growth, lean body mass, and selected aspects of muscle of barrier-maintained SPF Fischer 344 rats fed either
ad libitum
(Group A) or 60% of the
ad libitum
intake (Group R). Food restriction was as effective in prolonging the life of already long-lived SPF rats as previously shown for rats maintained in conventional facilities. Food restriction not only increased the mean length of life but also acted to extend life-span since more than 60% of the Group R rats lived longer than the longest lived Group A rat. Renal lesions occurred at an earlier age in Group A rats than in Group R rats and progressed more rapidly. Death of most Group A rats was associated with severe renal lesions while few Group R rats showed such lesions at death. Food restriction was also found to delay or prevent interstitial cell tumors of the testes, bile duct hyperplasia, myocardial fibrosis and myocardial degeneration. Gastrocnemius muscle mass declined in advanced age and food restriction delayed this decline. Interestingly, however, lean body mass did not progressively decline with increasing age but rather decline occurred only after the onset of the terminal disease process.

Copyright (c) The Gerontological Society of America. Reproduced by permission of the publisher.

Byung Pal Yu, Edward J. Masoro, Ikuo Murata, Helen A. Bertrand, Frederick T. Lynd, Life Span Study of SPF Fischer 344 Male Rats Fed
Ad Libitum
or Restricted Diets: Longevity, Growth, Lean Body Mass and Disease.
J. Gerontol.
37
, 130-141 (1982).
Three Mutants That Extend Both Mean and Maximum Life Span of the Nematode,
Caenorhabditis elegans
, Define the
age-1
Gene
Authors: Friedman David B. , Johnson Thomas E.
Published: January 2022

Long-lived mutants in the nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans
have been studied to determine if the mutations responsible for extended life were allelic. Three of four mutant strains studied (MK31, MK542, MK546) contain recessive mutations that significantly lengthen life; MK542 and MK546 consistently fail to complement the long life phenotype of
age-1
and are therefore allelic. MK31, although longer lived than wild type, is equivocal, in some cases failing to complement
age-1
but not in others. All three long-lived strains have reduced hermaphrodite self-fertility and also fail to complement for this presumed pleiotropic effect of the
age-1
mutation. Each of these three strains also contains an independent mutation at
unc-31
IV. Since the mutants were isolated in the same mutant hunt (Klass, 1983) using protocols that did not guarantee independence, the mutations cannot be assumed to be independently isolated.

Copyright (c) The Gerontological Society of America. Reproduced by permission of the publisher.

David B. Friedman, Thomas E. Johnson, Three Mutants That Extend Both Mean and Maximum Life Span of the Nematode,
Caenorhabditis elegans
, Define the
age-1
Gene.
J. Gerontol.
43
, B102-B109 (1988).
Successful non-surgical treatment of pseudomonas choroidal abscess in cystic fibrosis with previous double lung transplantation
Authors: Pujari Rathin , Bhatia Bhairavi , Damato Erika Marie , Alexander Philip
Published: January 2022

Pseudomonas aeruginosa choroidal abscess is a rare condition which tends to affect patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have undergone double lung transplantation. Various surgical treatment strategies have been described but almost universally have had a dismal prognosis. We present a case of pseudomonas choroidal abscess in a CF patient with previous double lung transplantation who was managed with medical treatment, with intravitreal and systemic antibiotics, without surgical intervention, which led to successful resolution of the choroidal abscess, preservation of the eye and retention of vision.
Structural disconnectome analysis of acute freezing of gait due to parietal stroke: implications for FOG pathogenesis
Authors: Ferreira Axel , Coelho Paulo Simões , Alves Pedro Nascimento , Carvalho Vanessa
Published: January 2022

Acute onset isolated freezing of gait (FOG) is a rare and defying diagnosis. Its pathophysiology is not yet totally understood and several brain regions seem to be involved. Postlesional FOG can help to shed light on the networks involved.

We report a case of an 80-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with acute onset impairment of gait. Her medical history was unremarkable. On neurological examination she was presented with difficulties in gait initiation, turning and progressing through narrow spaces. Her remaining neurological examination was unremarkable. Brain CT showed a subacute cortico-subcortical right parieto-occipital infarction. Acute isolated FOG due to parieto-occipital stroke was diagnosed. A structural disconnectome analysis showed that the lesion disrupted structural connections with the ipsilateral ventral striatum. This case highlights that acute onset FOG might be a consequence of a parietal cortical lesion.
Newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes in a 93 year old
Authors: Ahmad Waqar , Bates Catherine , Dale Laura , Siddaramaiah Naveen
Published: January 2022

Type 1 diabetes is typically a disease of young but can present at any age. We present a case of a 93-year-old woman who presented with 10 days history of feeling lethargic, polydipsia and decreased appetite. Her capillary blood glucose was raised at 25 mmol/L with significant ketonaemia and venous blood gas showing metabolic acidosis. She had a background of primary hypothyroidism and vitamin B12deficiency with weakly positive parietal cell antibodies. Laboratory investigations confirmed diabetes with HbA1c of 117 mmol/mol (12.9%). In view of high clinical suspicion of type 1 diabetes, her diabetes autoantibodies were checked which showed strongly positive anti-GAD antibody with titre of >2000 IU/mL (range<10) confirming our diagnosis. She was treated with diabetic ketoacidosis protocol with intravenous fluids and intravenous insulin. On recovery, she was discharged home on once daily insulin with aim to self-manage diabetes with support from district nurses and to avoid hypoglycaemia.
Effect of pregnancy and lactation on a benign phyllodes tumour
Authors: Ooi Li Yin , Lim Geok Hoon , Gudi Mihir Ananta
Published: January 2022

Phyllodes tumours occurring in pregnancy are very rare. While most cases presented as rapidly enlarging masses, we present a benign phyllodes tumour which had the most growth in the first half of pregnancy followed by gradual growth in the latter half of pregnancy and lactation, as characterised on ultrasound imaging. This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, which has objective measurements of the lesion before, during and after pregnancy. It also highlighted the need for a vigilant approach to fibroepithelial lesions in pregnancy, instead of attributing the growth of these lesions solely to hormonal changes.
Macro-B12masking B12deficiency
Authors: Wolffenbuttel Bruce H R , Muller Kobold Anneke C , Sobczyńska‐Malefora Agata , Harrington Dominic J
Published: January 2022

In clinical practice, the finding of an elevated serum B12concentration is often the consequence of supplementation with B12in either oral form or injections. Also, elevated serum B12may be associated with underlying disorders, like liver diseases or a (haematologic) malignancy. Only a few studies have shown that it may also be the consequence of complex formation of B12-vitamin binding proteins with immunoglobulins, the so-called macro-B12. We describe a young woman who previously was diagnosed with B12deficiency, and in whom, after cessation of B12injection treatment, neurologic symptoms re-appeared, and despite this, repeatedly elevated serum B12concentrations above the upper limit of the assay were found. We demonstrated that this was caused by the presence of macro-B12, which not only resulted in erroneous and longstanding elevated serum B12, but also masked her underlying B12deficiency.
Venous cystic adventitial disease: to cure or manage? A case series
Authors: Flynn David , Tesar Joshua , Peden Samantha , Quinn Simon , Kruger Allan , Jenkins Jason
Published: January 2022

Venous cystic adventitial disease is a rare vascular condition that can have significant effects on a patient’s quality of life. The clinical presentation of venous cystic adventitial disease is variable, and there are no established guidelines on investigation or treatment of the disease. We present a series of three patients with venous cystic adventitial disease of the common femoral vein, treated within a single vascular surgery unit. Each of the three patients presented within 18 months of each other, despite the rarity of the disease. These are the only known cases treated within this vascular surgery unit. The investigation, management and treatment of each patient are individualised, with a management focus on quality of life.
HIV testing behaviour and associated factors in men who have sex with men by level of urbanisation: a cross-sectional study in the Netherlands
Authors: Leenen Jeanine , Wijers Juliën N A P , Den Daas Chantal , de Wit John , Hoebe Christian J P A , Dukers-Muijrers Nicole H T M
Published: January 2022

Objectives

Regular HIV testing in men who have sex with men (MSM) enables timely entry into care and reduces the likelihood of HIV transmission. We aimed to assess HIV-testing behaviour and associated factors in MSM by urbanisation of place of residence.

Design

Data were derived from online survey (‘Men & Sexuality’) in the Netherlands, which was mainly advertised on social media (Facebook and Instagram), dating websites, apps for MSM (Grindr and PlanetRomeo) and gay media.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

HIV testing was defined as recent (<1 year), not recent (≥1 year) or never. Using multinominal regression analyses, factors associated with not recent testing and never testing, compared with recent testing, were assessed among MSM living in highly (>2500 residences/km2) or non-highly (≤2500 residences/km2) urbanised areas.

Participants

The study sample included 3815 MSM, currently living in the Netherlands. The mean age was 36 years (SD 14.7), and 67.6% were highly educated.

Results

In highly urbanised areas, 11.8% was never and 19.8% was not recently HIV-tested. In non-highly urbanised areas, this was 25.2% and 19.6%. Among MSM living in highly urbanised areas, independently associated with never and not recent testing were younger age, self-identification as bisexual, fewer sex partners, never notified of HIV and no recent condomless anal intercourse. Among MSM living in non-highly urbanised areas, lower perceived HIV severity, higher perceived HIV risk and a lower proportion gay friends were associated with never and not recent testing. Among never tested MSM, those in non-highly urbanised areas preferred self-sampling/self-testing over facility-based testing; those in highly urbanised areas preferred testing at healthcare facilities.

Conclusions

The proportion of never tested MSM was high (25%) in non-highly urbanised areas in the Netherlands. MSM living in non-highly urbanised areas may possibly be reached with targeted approaches to increase HIV testing uptake such as self-testing/self-sampling strategies.
Immediate acupuncture with GB34 for biliary colic: protocol for a randomised controlled neuroimaging trial
Authors: Sun Ning , He Dong-Mei , Ye Xiangyin , Bin Lei , Zhou Yuanfang , Deng Xiaodong , Qu Yuzhu , Li Zhengjie , Cheng Shirui , Shao Shuai , Zhao Feng-Juan , Zhang Tie-Huan , Cai Jing , Sun Ruirui , Liang Fan-rong
Published: January 2022

Introduction

As the main manifestation of gallstone disease, biliary colic (BC) is an episodic attack that brings patients severe pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant. Although acupuncture has been documented with significance to lead to pain relief, the immediate analgesia of acupuncture for BC still needs to be verified, and the underlying mechanism has yet to be covered. Therefore, this trial aims first to verify the immediate pain-alleviation characteristic of acupuncture for BC, then to explore its influence on the peripheral sensitised acupoint and central brain activity.

Methods and analysis

This is a randomised controlled, paralleled clinical trial, with patients and outcome assessors blinded. Seventy-two patients with gallbladder stone disease presenting with BC will be randomised into a verum acupuncture group and the sham acupuncture group. Both groups will receive one session of immediate acupuncture treatment. Improvements in patients’ BC will be evaluated by the Numeric Rating Scale, and the pain threshold of acupoints will also be detected before and after treatment. During treatment, brain neural activity will be monitored with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and the needle sensation will be rated. Clinical and fNIRS data will be analysed, respectively, to validate the acupuncture effect, and correlation analysis will be conducted to investigate the relationship between pain relief and peripheral–cerebral functional changes.

Ethics and dissemination

This trial has been approved by the institutional review boards and ethics committees of the First Teaching Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with the ethical approval identifier 2019 KL-029, and the institutional review boards and ethics committees of the First People’s Hospital of Longquanyi District, with the ethical approval identifier AF-KY-2020071. The results of this trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference abstracts or posters.

Trial registration number

CTR2000034432.
Effects of diet on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults: a protocol for an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Fu Shunlian , Zhou Qian , Yuan Lijun , Li Zinan , Chen Qiu
Published: January 2022

Introduction

There have been many meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials on the influence of different diets on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults. However, whether diet interventions can effectively decrease obesity-related anthropometric characteristics remains unclear. The objective of this study is to summarise and synthesise the evidence on the effects of diet on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults by an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials.

Methods and analysis

We will first retrieve English articles only published before 15 December 2021 by searching PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. Only articles that are meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials will be included. Three researchers will independently screen the titles and abstracts of retrieved articles and check the data extracted from each eligible meta-analysis. In each meta-analysis, we will consider calculating the effect size of the mean difference of the effect of each diet on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults using a random-effect model or a fixed-effect model according to heterogeneity. Study heterogeneity (Cochrane’s Q and I2 statistics) and small-study effects (Egger’s test or Begg’s test) will be considered. Evidence of each effect size will be graded according to the NutriGrade scoring system. We will use AMSTAR-2 (A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews V.2) to assess the methodological quality of each meta-analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

This umbrella review will provide information on the effects of different diets on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults. Ethical approval is not necessary for this study. We will publish the completed umbrella review and related data online.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021232826.
Healthcare resource utilisation for chronic kidney disease and other major non-communicable chronic diseases in China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Yang Chao , Long Jianyan , Shi Ying , Zhou Zhiye , Wang Jinwei , Zhao Ming-Hui , Wang Haibo , Zhang Luxia , Coresh Josef
Published: January 2022

Objective

To evaluate the healthcare resource utilisation for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other major non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) in China.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

A national inpatient database of tertiary hospitals in China.

Participants

The study included a total of 19.5 million hospitalisations of adult patients from July 2013 to June 2014. Information on CKD and other major NCDs, including coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancer, was extracted from the unified discharge summary form.

Outcome measures

Cost, length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality.

Results

The percentages of hospitalisations with CKD, CHD, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, COPD and cancer were 4.5%, 9.2%, 8.2%, 18.8%, 7.9%, 2.3% and 19.4%, respectively. For each major NCD, the presence of CKD was independently associated with longer hospital stay, with increased percentages ranging from 7.69% (95% CI 7.11% to 8.28%) for stroke to 21.60% (95% CI 21.09% to 22.10%) for CHD. Hospital mortality for other NCDs was also higher in the presence of CKD, with fully adjusted relative risk ranging from 1.91 (95% CI 1.82 to 1.99) for stroke to 2.65 (95% CI 2.55 to 2.75) for cancer. Compared with other NCDs, CKD was associated with the longest hospital stay (22.1% increase) and resulted in the second highest in-hospital mortality, only lower than that of cancer (relative risk, 2.23 vs 2.87, respectively).

Conclusions

The presence of diagnosed CKD alongside each major NCD was associated with an additional burden on the healthcare system. Healthcare resource utilisation and prognosis of CKD were comparable with those of other major NCDs, which highlights the importance of CKD as a major public health burden.
Human assumed central sensitisation (HACS) in patients with chronic low back pain radiating to the leg (CLaSSICO study)
Authors: Schuttert Ingrid , Timmerman Hans , Groen Gerbrand J , Petersen Kristian Kjær , Arendt-Nielsen Lars , Wolff Andre P
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Patients with chronic low back pain radiating to the leg (CLBPr) are sometimes referred to a specialised pain clinic for a precise diagnosis based, for example, on a diagnostic selective nerve root block. Possible interventions are therapeutic selective nerve root block or pulsed radiofrequency. Central pain sensitisation is not directly assessable in humans and therefore the term ‘human assumed central sensitisation’ (HACS) is proposed. The possible existence and degree of sensitisation associated with pain mechanisms assumed present in the human central nervous system, its role in the chronification of pain and its interaction with diagnostic and therapeutic interventions are largely unknown in patients with CLBPr. The aim of quantitative sensory testing (QST) is to estimate quantitatively the presence of HACS and accumulating evidence suggest that a subset of patients with CLBPr have facilitated responses to a range of QST tests.

The aims of this study are to identify HACS in patients with CLBPr, to determine associations with the effect of selective nerve root blocks and compare outcomes of HACS in patients to healthy volunteers.

Methods and analysis

A prospective observational study including 50 patients with CLBPr. Measurements are performed before diagnostic and therapeutic nerve root block interventions and at 4 weeks follow-up. Data from patients will be compared with those of 50 sex-matched and age-matched healthy volunteers. The primary study parameters are the outcomes of QST and the Central Sensitisation Inventory. Statistical analyses to be performed will be analysis of variance.

Ethics and dissemination

The Medical Research Ethics Committee of the University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands, approved this study (dossier NL60439.042.17). The results will be disseminated via publications in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences.

Trial registration number

NTR NL6765.
Understanding the cost of care of type 2 diabetes mellitus - a value measurement perspective
Authors: Doyle Gerardine Anne , O'Donnell Shane , Cullen Kate , Quigley Etáin , Gibney Sarah
Published: January 2022

Objectives

We explore the cost of care of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) and connect that cost to resulting patient health outcomes.

Design

We construct six care pathways varying from low-risk to high-risk patients over a 12-month cycle of care. We collect time, resource and cost data on activities in each care pathway and compute a time-driven estimate of cost. Use of patient outcome data highlights the health outcomes achieved.

Setting

Primary, secondary and tertiary care.

Participants

Medical staff involved in the care of patients with T2DM.

Primary and secondary measures

Primary: resources consumed to provide T2DM care. Secondary: health outcomes for representative patient within each patient category.

Results

By computing cost of T2DM care and associated complications of chronic kidney disease, active foot disease, moderate risk of active foot disease and myocardial infarction, we show that when patients develop acute complications, significant costs are incurred, as compared with the cost of maintaining a patient at low or moderate risk. Variance analysis further informs decision making by showing the need to have the right personnel doing the right tasks at the right time to control costs.

Conclusions

A TDABC approach facilitates an understanding of the drivers of cost in chronic illness care. Our paper highlights the stages in the care pathway where different settings, decision making and a more optimal use of resources could assist with achievement of better patient outcomes.
Quantifying within-city inequalities in child mortality across neighbourhoods in Accra, Ghana: a Bayesian spatial analysis
Authors: Bixby Honor , Bennett James E , Bawah Ayaga A , Arku Raphael E , Annim Samuel K , Anum Jacqueline D , Mintah Samilia E , Schmidt Alexandra M , Agyei-Asabere Charles , Robinson Brian E , Cavanaugh Alicia , Agyei-Mensah Samuel , Owusu George , Ezzati Majid , Baumgartner Jill
Published: January 2022

Objective

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa suffer the highest rates of child mortality worldwide. Urban areas tend to have lower mortality than rural areas, but these comparisons likely mask large within-city inequalities. We aimed to estimate rates of under-five mortality (U5M) at the neighbourhood level for Ghana’s Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) and measure the extent of intraurban inequalities.

Methods

We accessed data on >700 000 women aged 25–49 years living in GAMA using the most recent Ghana census (2010). We summarised counts of child births and deaths by five-year age group of women and neighbourhood (n=406) and applied indirect demographic methods to convert the summaries to yearly probabilities of death before age five years. We fitted a Bayesian spatiotemporal model to the neighbourhood U5M probabilities to obtain estimates for the year 2010 and examined their correlations with indicators of neighbourhood living and socioeconomic conditions.

Results

U5M varied almost five-fold across neighbourhoods in GAMA in 2010, ranging from 28 (95% credible interval (CrI) 8 to 63) to 138 (95% CrI 111 to 167) deaths per 1000 live births. U5M was highest in neighbourhoods of the central urban core and industrial areas, with an average of 95 deaths per 1000 live births across these neighbourhoods. Peri-urban neighbourhoods performed better, on average, but rates varied more across neighbourhoods compared with neighbourhoods in the central urban areas. U5M was negatively correlated with multiple indicators of improved living and socioeconomic conditions among peri-urban neighbourhoods. Among urban neighbourhoods, correlations with these factors were weaker or, in some cases, reversed, including with median household consumption and women’s schooling.

Conclusion

Reducing child mortality in high-burden urban neighbourhoods in GAMA, where a substantial portion of the urban population resides, should be prioritised as part of continued efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goal national target of less than 25 deaths per 1000 live births.
User interface approaches implemented with automated patient deterioration surveillance tools: protocol for a scoping review
Authors: Wan Yik-Ki Jacob , Del Fiol Guilherme , McFarland Mary M , Wright Melanie C
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Early identification of patients who may suffer from unexpected adverse events (eg, sepsis, sudden cardiac arrest) gives bedside staff valuable lead time to care for these patients appropriately. Consequently, many machine learning algorithms have been developed to predict adverse events. However, little research focuses on how these systems are implemented and how system design impacts clinicians’ decisions or patient outcomes. This protocol outlines the steps to review the designs of these tools.

Methods and analysis

We will use scoping review methods to explore how tools that leverage machine learning algorithms in predicting adverse events are designed to integrate into clinical practice. We will explore the types of user interfaces deployed, what information is displayed, and how clinical workflows are supported. Electronic sources include Medline, Embase, CINAHL Complete, Cochrane Library (including CENTRAL), and IEEE Xplore from 1 January 2009 to present. We will only review primary research articles that report findings from the implementation of patient deterioration surveillance tools for hospital clinicians. The articles must also include a description of the tool’s user interface. Since our primary focus is on how the user interacts with automated tools driven by machine learning algorithms, electronic tools that do not extract data from clinical data documentation or recording systems such as an EHR or patient monitor, or otherwise require manual entry, will be excluded. Similarly, tools that do not synthesise information from more than one data variable will also be excluded. This review will be limited to English-language articles. Two reviewers will review the articles and extract the data. Findings from both researchers will be compared with minimise bias. The results will be quantified, synthesised and presented using appropriate formats.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics review is not required for this scoping review. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.
Emergency department use for mental and substance use disorders: descriptive analysis of population-based, linked administrative data in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Lavergne M Ruth , Shirmaleki Mehdi , Loyal Jackson P , Jones Wayne , Nicholls Tonia L , Schütz Christian G , Vaughan Adam , Samji Hasina , Puyat Joseph H , Kaoser Ridhwana , Kaulius Megan , Small Will
Published: January 2022

Objectives

Information on emergency department (ED) visits for mental and substance use disorders (MSUDs) is important for planning services but has not been explored in British Columbia (BC), Canada. We describe all MSUD ED visits for people ages 15 and older in the province of BC in 2017/2018 and document trends in MSUD ED visits between 2007/2008 and 2017/2018 by disorder group.

Design

Population-based linked administrative data comprised of ED records and physician billings capturing all MSUD ED visits in BC.

Setting

BC is Canada’s westernmost province with a population of approximately 5 million. Permanent residents receive first-dollar coverage for all medically necessary services provided by licensed physicians or in hospitals, including ED services.

Population

All people age >15 with MSUD ED visits during the study period.

Measures

All claims with a service location in the ED or corresponding to fee items billed only in the ED were examined alongside ED visits reported through a national reporting system. Patient characteristics (sex/gender, age, location of residence, income, treated disorders and comorbidities) and previous outpatient service use for all ED visits by visit diagnosis are also described.

Results

A total of 72 363 people made 134 063 visits to the ED in 2017/2018 for needs related to MSUD. MSUD ED visits have increased since 2010, particularly visits for substance use and anxiety disorders. People with more frequent visits were more likely to be male, on public prescription drug plans for income assistance, prescribed psychiatric medications, and living in lower-income neighbourhoods. They used more community-based primary care and psychiatry services and had lower continuity of primary care.

Conclusions

MSUD ED visits are substantial and growing in BC. Findings underscore a need to strengthen and target community healthcare services and adequately resource and support EDs to manage growing patient populations.
From Intricacy to Conciseness: A Progressive Transfer Strategy for EEG-Based Cross-Subject Emotion Recognition
Authors: Cai Ziliang , Wang Lingyue , Guo Miaomiao , Xu Guizhi , Guo Lei , Li Ying
Published: January 2022

Emotion plays a significant role in human daily activities, and it can be effectively recognized from EEG signals. However, individual variability limits the generalization of emotion classifiers across subjects. Domain adaptation (DA) is a reliable method to solve the issue. Due to the nonstationarity of EEG, the inferior-quality source domain data bring negative transfer in DA procedures. To solve this problem, an auto-augmentation joint distribution adaptation (AA-JDA) method and a burden-lightened and source-preferred JDA (BLSP-JDA) approach are proposed in this paper. The methods are based on a novel transfer idea, learning the specific knowledge of the target domain from the samples that are appropriate for transfer, which reduces the difficulty of transfer between two domains. On multiple emotion databases, our model shows state-of-the-art performance.
Encoding classical information in gauge subsystems of quantum codes
Authors: Nemec Andrew , Klappenecker Andreas
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we show how to construct hybrid quantum-classical codes from subsystem codes by encoding the classical information into the gauge qudits using gauge fixing. Unlike previous work on hybrid codes, we allow for two separate minimum distances, one for the quantum information and one for the classical information. We give an explicit construction of hybrid codes from two classical linear codes using Bacon–Casaccino subsystem codes, as well as several new examples of good hybrid code.
Representations of Bihom-Lie Algebras
Authors: Cheng Yongsheng , Qi Huange
Published: January 2022

A Bihom-Lie algebra is a generalized Hom-Lie algebra endowed with two commuting multiplicative linear maps. In this paper, we study representations of Bihom-Lie algebras. In particular, derivations, central extensions, derivation extensions, the trivial representation and the adjoint representation of Bihom-Lie algebras are studied in detail.
On the upper bounds for complexities of discrete functions
Authors: Shtrakov Slavcho
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we study two classes of complexity measures induced by new data structures (abstract reduction systems) for representing [Formula: see text]-valued functions (operations), namely subfunction and minor reductions. When assigning values to some variables in a function, the resulting functions are called subfunctions, and when identifying some variables, the resulting functions are called minors. The number of the distinct objects obtained under these reductions of a function [Formula: see text] is a well-defined measure of complexity denoted by [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. We examine the maximums of these complexities and construct functions which reach these upper bounds.
Some of the geological challenges and opportunities associated with the dynamics of the Cenozoic East African Rift System
Authors: Hearn G. J.
Published: January 2022

The Cenozoic East African Rift System (EARS) is the largest continental rift valley system on Earth. Extending over a total distance of
c.
4500 km, and with an average width of about 50 km, it is home to some of East Africa's largest urban populations and some of its most important transport, energy and water supply infrastructure. Rifting commenced during the Early Miocene and crustal extension has continued to the present day, posing seismic and volcanic hazards throughout its history of human occupation. Deep-seated landslides also present significant challenges for public safety, land management and infrastructure development on the flanks of rift margins. The rift floor itself poses a range of geohazards to community livelihood and engineering infrastructure, including ground fissuring and cavity collapse, flooding and sedimentation. On the positive side, the development of the EARS has created hydrocarbon and geothermal energy resources, and geomaterials for use as aggregates and cement substitutes in road and building construction. Optimizing the use of these resources requires careful planning to ensure sustainability, while land use management and infrastructure development must take full consideration of the hazards posed by the ground and the fragility and dynamism of the human and physical environment.
EmoMix+: An Approach of Depression Detection Based on Emotion Lexicon for Mobile Application
Authors: Li Ran , Zhang Yuanfei , Yin Lihua , Sun Zhe , Lin Zheng , Fu Peng , Wang Weiping , Shi Gang
Published: January 2022

Emotion lexicon is an important auxiliary resource for text emotion analysis. Previous works mainly focused on positive and negative classification and less on fine-grained emotion classification. Researchers use lexicon-based methods to find that patients with depression express more negative emotions on social media. Emotional characteristics are an effective feature in detecting depression, but the traditional emotion lexicon has limitations in detecting depression and ignores many depression words. Therefore, we build an emotion lexicon for depression to further study the differences between healthy users and patients with depression. The experimental results show that the depression lexicon constructed in this paper is effective and has a better effect of classifying users with depression.
Using a Selective Ensemble Support Vector Machine to Fuse Multimodal Features for Human Action Recognition
Authors: Tang Chao , Tong Anyang , Zheng Aihua , Peng Hua , Li Wei
Published: January 2022

The traditional human action recognition (HAR) method is based on RGB video. Recently, with the introduction of Microsoft Kinect and other consumer class depth cameras, HAR based on RGB-D (RGB-Depth) has drawn increasing attention from scholars and industry. Compared with the traditional method, the HAR based on RGB-D has high accuracy and strong robustness. In this paper, using a selective ensemble support vector machine to fuse multimodal features for human action recognition is proposed. The algorithm combines the improved HOG feature-based RGB modal data, the depth motion map-based local binary pattern features (DMM-LBP), and the hybrid joint features (HJF)-based joints modal data. Concomitantly, a frame-based selective ensemble support vector machine classification model (SESVM) is proposed, which effectively integrates the selective ensemble strategy with the selection of SVM base classifiers, thus increasing the differences between the base classifiers. The experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed method is simple, fast, and efficient on public datasets in comparison with other action recognition algorithms.
Activation of Transcription Factor EB Alleviates Tubular Epithelial Cell Injury via Restoring Lysosomal Homeostasis in Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Wang Shujun , Jing Kaipeng , Wu Hongluan , Li Xiaoyu , Yang Chen , Li Tingting , Tang Haoxuan , Zou Ting , She Yao , Liu Hua-feng
Published: January 2022

Disruption of lysosomal homeostasis contributes to the tubulopathy of diabetic nephropathy; however, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we report that decreased activity of transcription factor EB (TFEB) is responsible for the disturbed lysosome biogenesis and clearance in this pathological process. This was confirmed by the findings that insufficient lysosomal replenishment and damaged lysosomal clearance coincided with TFEB inactivation, which was mediated by mTOR hyperactivation in the renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) of diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, either TFEB overexpression or pharmacological activation of TFEB enhanced lysosomal clearance via promoting lysosomal biogenesis and protected TECs by reducing apoptosis in vitro. In addition, pharmacological activation of TFEB attenuated renal tubule injury, apoptosis, and inflammation in db/db mice. In conclusion, diabetes-induced mTOR activation represses TFEB function, thereby perturbing lysosomal homeostasis through impairing lysosomal biogenesis and clearance in TECs. Moreover, TFEB activation protects TECs from diabetic injuries via restoring lysosomal homeostasis.
Identification of Aging-Related Genes Associated with Prognostic Value and Immune Microenvironment Characteristics in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Luo Cancan , Nie Han , Yu Li
Published: January 2022

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a complex invasive tumour that occurs mainly among the elderly. Therefore, we analysed the relationship between ageing-related genes (AG) and DLBCL prognosis. Datasets related to DLBCL and human AGs were downloaded and screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and HAGR website, respectively. LASSO and Cox regression were used to analyse AGs in the dataset and construct an AG predictive model related to DLBCL prognosis. Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment were used to analyse the function of the AG predictive model. The immune microenvironment and immune cell infiltration in DLBCL and their relationship with the AG prediction model were also analysed. After the analysis, 118 AGs were identified as genes related to DLBCL prognosis. Using the LASSO and Cox regression analyses, 9 AGs (PLAU, IL7R, MYC, S100B, IGFBP3, NR3C1, PTK2, TBP, and CLOCK) were used to construct an AG prognostic model. In the training and verification sets, this model exhibited excellent predictive ability for the prognosis of patients with DLBCL who have different clinical characteristics. Further analysis revealed that the high- and low-risk groups of the AG prognostic model were significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration and tumour microenvironment in DLBCL. Functional enrichment analysis also showed that the genes in the AG model were associated with immune-related functions and pathways. In conclusion, we constructed an AG model with a strong predictive function in DLBCL, with the ability to predict the prognosis of patients with different clinical features. This model provides new ideas and potential therapeutic targets for the study of the pathogenesis of DLBCL.
Research on Efficacy Evaluation of Large-Scale Networked Intelligent Perception System
Authors: Ge Suqiong , Huang Xiaopeng
Published: January 2022

Under the smart engineering system (SES), there is a huge demand for evaluating the efficacy of a large-scale networked intelligent perception system (IPS). Considering the large-scale, distributed, and networked system characteristics and perception task demands, this paper proposes a conceptual system for IPS efficacy evaluation and, on this basis, designs the architecture of the efficacy evaluation system. A networked IPS model is constructed based on domain ontology, an index system is quickly established for efficacy evaluation, the evaluation methods are assembled automatically, and adaptive real-time organization strategies are generated for networked perception based on efficacy estimate. After exploring these key technologies, a prototype system is created for the service-oriented integrated efficacy evaluation platform and used to verify and integrate research results. The research provides support for the efficacy evaluation theories and methods of large-scale networked IPS.
Online Teaching Wireless Video Stream Resource Dynamic Allocation Method considering Node Ability
Authors: Lu Jingrong , Gao Hongtao
Published: January 2022

At present, wireless network technology is advancing rapidly, and intelligent equipment is gradually popularized, which rapidly developed the mobile streaming media business. All kinds of mobile video applications have enriched people’s lives by carrying huge traffic randomly. Wireless networks (WNs) are facing an unprecedented burden, which allocates very important wireless video resources. Similarly, in WNs, the network status is dynamic and the terminal is heterogeneous, which causes the traditional video transmission system to fail to meet the needs of users. Hence, Scalable Video Coding (SVC) has been introduced in the video transmission system to achieve bit rate adaptation. However, in a strictly hierarchical traditional computer network, the wireless resource allocation strategy usually takes throughput as the only way to optimize the target, and it is terrible to make more optimizations for scalable video transmission. This article proposed a cross-layer design to enable information to be transmitted between the wireless base station and the video server to achieve joint optimization. To improve users’ satisfaction with video services, the wireless resource allocation problem and the video stream scheduling problem are jointly considered, which keep the optimization space larger. Based on the proposed architecture, we further study the design of wireless resource allocation algorithms and rate-adaptive algorithms for the scenario of multiuser transmission of scalable video in the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) downlink. Experimental outcomes have shown substantial performance enhancement of the proposed work.