bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrocardiographic, hemodynamic, and biochemical evidence on the protective effects of exenatide against phosphine-induced cardiotoxicity in rat model
Authors: Bameri Behnaz , Armandeh Maryam , Baeeri Maryam , Haghi-Aminjan Hamed , Rahimifard Mahban , Hassani Shokoufeh , Hooshangi Shayesteh Mohammad Reza , Samadi Mahedeh , Gholami Mahdi , Nayebpour Mohsen , Ostad Seyed Nasser , Abdollahi Mohammad
Published: September 2021

Aluminum phosphide (AlP) poisoning can be deadly in most cases targeting the heart. To overcome AlP toxicity, exenatide has been studied in the present study due to its pleiotropic effects on cardiac damages. In this study, the rats were exposed to LD50 of AlP (10 mg/kg) by gavage, and exenatide at doses (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally 30 min after poisoning. The cardiac parameters including heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), QRS, corrected QT (QTc), and ST were monitored for 180 min. Blood glucose level was measured in the study groups 30 min after exenatide injection. Evaluation of biochemical parameters including mitochondrial complexes I, II, and IV activities, adenosine diphosphate (ADP)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio, malondialdehyde (MDA), apoptosis, lactate, troponin I, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was done on heart tissues after 12 and 24 h. Additionally, the tissues were analyzed for any pathological damages including necrosis, hemorrhage, or hyperemia 24 h post-treatment. Our results showed that AlP-induced HR, BP, and electrocardiographic changes were improved by exenatide at all doses. The blood glucose levels of poisoned animals reached control levels after exenatide treatment. Besides, treatment with exenatide at all doses improved complexes I and IV activity, ADP/ATP ratio, and apoptosis. Malondialdehyde, lactate, troponin I, and BNP levels were also diminished after exenatide co-treatment in poisoned animals. On the other hand, administration of exenatide doses improved the histopathology of AlP-induced tissues. Based on our findings, exenatide has a protective effect against phosphine-induced cardiotoxicity in an almost dose-dependent way. However, further investigations are needed on the potential clinical use of exenatide in this poisoning.
Selected transient receptor potential channel genes’ expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Çakır Murat , Saçmacı Hikmet , Sabah-Özcan Seda
Published: September 2021

Transient receptor potential channels have responsibilities in many cellular processes such as cytokine production, cell differentiation, and cytotoxicity by affecting intracellular cation levels or intracellular signal pathways. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disease caused by environmental and genetic factors. In this study, we aim to investigate TRPV1-TRPV4, TRPM2, TRPM4, TRPM7, TRPC6, and TRPA1 mRNA expression levels, which are associated with the inflammatory process, in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. Thirty-five healthy controls and age–gender matched thirty patients with RRMS were involved in the study. TRPC6, TRPA1, TRPM2, TRPM4, TRPM7, TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV3, and TRPV4 PBMCs mRNA expression levels were determined by qPCR. In the present study, the TRPC6, TRPM7, TRPV1, TRPV3, and TRPV4 mRNA expressions of RRMS patients in PBMCs decreased at a significant level compared to the healthy control group ( p = .000, p = .000, p = .044, p = .000, p = .004, respectively). The decreased expression of TRPC6, TRPM7, TRPV1, TRPV3, and TRPV4 in PBMCs may be associated with the pathogenesis of MS. Further studies are required to understand the mechanism of the relation between these TRP channels and MS and other autoimmune diseases.
Phenotype and synthesis activity of joint chondrocytes extracted from newborn rats with prenatal ethanol exposure
Authors: Cardoso Kênia Mara M C , Gomes Lorenna A , Reis Amanda Maria S , Silva Carla Maria O , Tamiasso Natalia V , Serakides Rogéria , Ocarino Natalia M
Published: September 2021

Thirteen female Wistar rats were divided into two groups: one treated with ethanol and the other of untreated. Four newborns from each mother were selected and weighed, measured, and evaluated for physical characteristics. From these neonates, chondrocytes were extracted from the articular cartilages of the femur and tibia, and cultivated in a chondrogenic medium at 37oC and 5% CO2. At 7, 14, and 21 days of cultivation, alkaline phosphatase activity tests, MTT conversion to formazan, and percentage area covered by cells per field were performed. At 21 days, the percentage of PAS+ areas in 3D cultures was performed, as well as the evaluation of gene transcript expression for aggrecan, SOX-9, collagen type II, collagen X, Runx-2, and VEGF by real-time RT-PCR. The means were compared by Student’s t-test. The weight of the ethanol group neonates was significantly lower than that of the controls. Chondrocyte cultures from the ethanol group showed significantly higher AP activity, MTT conversion, and cell percentage. There was higher expression of collagen type II and lower expression of SOX-9 in the ethanol group. There was no difference in the percentage of PAS+ areas in pellets and in expression of aggrecan, collagen X, Runx-2, or VEGF between groups. In conclusion, prenatal exposure to ethanol alters the phenotype and activity of offspring chondrocytes, which may be mechanisms by which endochondral bone formation is compromised by maternal ethanol consumption.
When do time perspectives promote wisdom? Exploring the moderating effects of internal dialogues
Authors: Puchalska-Wasyl Małgorzata M
Published: September 2021

Wisdom is considered to be a prototype of positive functioning and flourishing. In the light of previous studies, wisdom correlates positively only with past-positive and future time perspectives. The main aim of this paper is testing whether adaptive types of internal dialogues weaken the negative relationships between the remaining time perspectives and wisdom or change their relationship to a positive one. To check this, 129 women and 105 men completed three methods: the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, the Internal Dialogical Activity Scale—Revised, and the Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale. It was confirmed that different types of internal dialogues can reduce negative and foster positive relationships between time perspectives and wisdom. The results can be used in psychological practice to support clients’ development in terms of wisdom. These findings can also encourage independent work on oneself, especially for those who conduct internal dialogues in everyday life but until now have not consciously used these dialogues as a tool for self-development.
Establishment and Validation of a Prognostic Immune Signature in Neuroblastoma
Authors: Yu Yunhu , Zeng Yu , Xia Xiangping , Zhou Jian-Guo , Cao Fang
Published: September 2021

Background

Neuroblastoma (NBL) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in childhood, and patients with high-risk neuroblastoma had a relatively poor prognosis despite multimodal treatment. To improve immunotherapy efficacy in neuroblastoma, systematic profiling of the immune landscape in neuroblastoma is an urgent need.

Methods

RNA-seq and according clinical information of neuroblastoma were downloaded from the TARGET database and GEO database (GSE62564). With an immune-related-gene set obtained from the ImmPort database, Immune-related Prognostic Gene Pairs for Neuroblastoma (IPGPN) for overall survival (OS) were established with the TARGET-NBL cohort and then verified with the GEO-NBL cohort. Immune cell infiltration analysis was subsequently performed. The integrated model was established with IPGPN and clinicopathological parameters. Immune cell infiltration was analyzed with the XCELL algorithm. Functional enrichment analysis was performed with clusterProfiler package in R.

Results

Immune-related Prognostic Gene Pairs for Neuroblastoma was successfully established with seven immune-related gene pairs (IGPs) involving 13 unique genes in the training cohort. In the training cohort, IPGPN successfully stratified neuroblastoma patients into a high and low immune-risk groups with different OS (HR=3.92, P = 2 × 10−8) and event-free survival (HR=3.66, P=2 × 10−8). ROC curve analysis confirmed its predictive power. Consistently, high IPGPN also predicted worse OS (HR=1.84, P = .002) and EFS in validation cohort (HR=1.38, P = .06) Moreover, higher activated dendritic cells, M1 macrophage, Th1 CD4+, and Th2 CD4+ T cell enrichment were evident in low immune-risk group. Further integrating IPGPN with age and stage demonstrated improved predictive performance than IPGPN alone.

Conclusion

Herein, we presented an immune landscape with IPGPN for prognosis prediction in neuroblastoma, which complements the present understanding of the immune signature in neuroblastoma.
Effect of Helicobacter Pylori on Plasma Metabolic Phenotype in Patients With Gastric Cancer
Authors: Wang Yan-Ping , Wei Ting , Ma Xiao , Zhu Xiao-Liang , Ren Long-Fei , Zhang Lei , Ding Fang-Hui , Li Xun , Wang Hai-Ping , Bai Zhong-Tian , Zhu Ke-Xiang , Miao Long , Yan Jun , Zhou Wen-Ce , Meng Wen-Bo , Liu Yu-Qin
Published: September 2021

Background

Although  Helicobacter pylori (Hp) as high risk factor for gastric cancer have been investigated from human trial, present data is inadequate to explain the effect of Hp on the changes of metabolic phenotype of gastric cancer in different stages.

Purpose

Herein, plasma of human superficial gastritis (Hp negative and positive), early gastric cancer and advanced gastric cancer analyzed by UPLC-HDMS metabolomics can not only reveal metabolic phenotype changes in patients with gastric cancer of different degrees (30 Hp negative, 30 Hp positive, 20 early gastric cancer patients, and 10 advanced gastric cancer patients), but also auxiliarily diagnose gastric cancer.

Results

Combined with multivariate statistical analysis, the results represented biomarkers different from Hp negative, Hp positive, and the alterations of metabolic phenotype of gastric cancer patients. Forty-three metabolites are involved in amino acid metabolism, and lipid and fatty acid metabolism pathways in the process of cancer occurrence, especially 2 biomarkers glycerophosphocholine and neopterin, were screened in this study. Neopterin was consistently increased with gastric cancer progression and glycerophosphocholine tended to consistently decrease from Hp negative to advanced gastric cancer.

Conclusion

This method could be used for the development of rapid targeted methods for biomarker identification and a potential diagnosis of gastric cancer.
Research Progress of Autofluorescence Imaging Technology in the Diagnosis of Early Gastrointestinal Tumors
Authors: Bi Yiliang , Min Min , Cui Yinshu , Xu Yuanyuan , Li Xiaosong
Published: September 2021

Early diagnosis and early treatment of gastrointestinal tumors are helpful to improve the prognosis of patients. Endoscopy is the best method for the diagnosis of early gastrointestinal tumors, but some early flat tumors may be missed under conventional white-light endoscopy. In order to improve the accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis of gastrointestinal tumors, especially early flat tumors, endoscopic autofluorescence imaging (AFI) as a new technique has been widely used in clinics in recent years. This article reviews the progress of the clinical application of AFI in the diagnosis of various gastrointestinal tumors.
Active vibration control for GyroWheel based on sliding mode observer and adaptive feedforward compensator
Authors: Chen Shuo , Huo Xin , Zhao Hui , Yao Yu
Published: September 2021

This article proposes an active vibration control method for the GyroWheel to ensure the attitude stability precision of the spacecraft. The method includes sliding mode disturbance observer and adaptive feedforward compensator. First, considering the disturbance torque caused by rotor imbalance, the dynamic equation adopting complex coefficients is derived with synchronous disturbances. To reduce the influence of model parameter perturbation, a finite time sliding mode observer is designed to estimate the rotor imbalance owing to its robustness. An integrator for the switching term is introduced in the sliding manifold, which attenuates the chattering phenomenon. Then, the observed unbalanced torque is utilized to generate the reference compensation tilting angle, which is fedforward to the command value to offset the synchronous frequency current. A variable step size seeking algorithm is adopted to tune the feedforward compensator gain adaptively. Finally, both numerical simulations and experiments have verified the effectiveness of the active vibration control scheme, achieving clean vibration torque.
Adaptive boundary control of a flexible-link flexible-joint manipulator under uncertainties and unknown disturbances
Authors: Zhu Jiahao , Zhang Jian , Tang Xiaobin , Pi Yangjun
Published: September 2021

In this article, we consider the trajectory tracking and vibration suppression of a flexible-link flexible-joint manipulator under uncertainties and external time-varying unknown disturbances. The coupled ordinary differential equation and partial differential equation model dynamic of the system is presented by employing the Hamilton principle. Using the singular perturbation theory, the dynamic is decomposed into a no-underactuated slow ordinary differential equation and fast partial differential equation subsystem, which solves the problem of the underactuated ordinary differential equation subsystem of the ordinary differential equation and partial differential equation cascade and reduces the analytical complexity. For the slow subsystem, to guarantee the trajectory tracking of the joint, an adaptive global sliding mode controller without gain overestimation is designed, which can guarantee the global stability of the slow system and reduce the chattering of the sliding mode control. For the fast subsystem, an adaptive boundary controller is developed to suppress the elastic vibration of the flexible link during the trajectory tracking. The stability of the whole closed-loop system is rigorously proved via the Lyapunov analysis method. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Current Trends of Practices in Nonclinical Toxicology: An Industry Survey
Authors: Authier Simon , Brock William J , Halpern Wendy , Harris Stephanie N , Jones David , McGovern Timothy , McGovern Pamela D , Pugsley Michael K
Published: September 2021

The growth in drug development over the past years reflects significant advancements in basic sciences and a greater understanding of molecular pathways of disease. Benchmarking industry practices has been important to enable a critical reflection on the path to evolve pharmaceutical testing, and the outcome of past industry surveys has had some impact on best practices in testing. A survey was provided to members of SPS, ACT, and STP. The survey consisted of 37 questions and was provided to 2550 participants with a response rate of 24%. Most respondents (∼75%) came from the US and Europe. The survey encompassed multiple topics encountered in nonclinical testing of pharmaceuticals. The most frequent target indications were oncology (69%), inflammation (55%), neurology/psychiatry/pain (46%), cardiovascular (44%), and metabolic diseases (39%). The most frequent drug-induced toxicology issues confronted were hepatic, hematopoietic, and gastrointestinal. Toxicological effects that impacted the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) were most frequently based on histopathology findings. The survey comprised topics encountered in the use of biomarkers in nonclinical safety assessment, most commonly those used to assess inflammation, cardiac/vascular, renal, and hepatic toxicity as well as common practices related to the assessment of endocrine effects, carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, juvenile and male-mediated developmental and female reproductive toxicity. The survey explored the impact of regulatory meetings on program design, application of the 3 Rs, and reasons for program delays. Overall, the survey results provide a broad perspective of current practices based on the experience of the scientific community engaged in nonclinical safety assessment.
Procedural Justice and Demographic Diversity: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Police Recruitment
Authors: Aiello Michael F.
Published: September 2021

Online recruitment materials are often the first encounter for individuals considering a police career. Procedural justice (PJ) theory argues that how police officers treat the public is an important predictor for future citizen cooperation. Taking steps towards becoming a police officer is a unique form of organizational cooperation. This project examined job interest for a sample of 993 respondents in Amazon’s mTurk, experimentally manipulating whether the presented recruitment materials emphasized PJ policing or not (PJ content) in a quasi-experimental vignette design. The PJ content significantly increased two of the four job interest outcomes. PJ theory also argues fair and respectful treatment should impact all groups similarly, deemed the invariance thesis. The results largely showed groups being influenced in similar ways. This study’s findings largely support this extension of PJ theory, and are useful to practitioners interested in building their recruitment pool through economical changes in recruitment materials.
Work and purpose: A return to Sisyphus and Bartleby
Authors: Bendassolli Pedro F
Published: September 2021

Work is a semiotically oriented activity, that is, when working, individuals anticipate aspects of their activity using a network of signs and meanings and project themselves in time with the aim to achieve certain goals. This study proposes a discussion on the relationship between purpose and work and distinguishes purpose as objective, related to actions aimed at goals, and purpose as a glimpse or a hyper-generalized sign. Both of these purposes are related to other dimensions of an individual’s relationship, with their work that are not contained in their actions aimed at situated ends. From a methodological viewpoint, the arguments are developed based on the analysis of two fictional characters, inspired by the cultural psychology of semiotic orientation: Sisyphus, extracted from classical literature, and Bartleby, the scrivener of the novel of the same name written by Herman Melville. Based on this analysis, we propose considering the purpose–work relationship on two axes: (1) what articulates sense-meaning in the process of meaning-making, and (2) the axis of action potency and its relationship with the concepts of emptiness and contingency based on a human agent’s experiences in culture. The paper aims to contribute both to the cultural psychology of semiotic orientation and to the literature on the meaning of work.
Virus reactivation in a non-cirrhotic HBV patient requiring liver transplantation after cessation of nucleoside analogue therapy
Authors: Zhang Han , Chen Fang , Giang Erick , Bao Fei , Lauer Georg M , Marsh Christopher , Law Mansun , Pockros Paul J
Published: September 2021

Nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) are a mainstay of therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infections and have a profound effect on hepatitis B virus (HBV) suppression. We report a rare case of HBV reactivation in a CHB patient without cirrhosis following cessation of NA therapy that resulted in acute liver failure requiring liver transplantation. Investigation of the viral genetics and host immune responses suggest that viral mutations known to promote virus replication are associated with reactivation, whereas adaptive immunity to HBV remained defective in this patient. Viral sequencing may be useful for identifying mutations that are unfavorable for therapy withdrawal.
The role of migration processes and cultural factors in the classification of personality disorders
Authors: Najjarkakhaki Ardalan , Ghane Samrad
Published: September 2021

Migrants and ethnic minorities are at risk of being under- and overdiagnosed with personality disorders (PDs). A culturally informed approach to the classification of PDs guides clinicians in incorporating migration processes and cultural factors, to arrive at a reliable and valid assessment of personality pathology. In this article, we provide a tentative framework to highlight specific interactions between personality disorders, migration processes, and cultural factors. It is argued that migration processes can merely resemble personality pathology, activate certain (latent) vulnerabilities, and aggravate pre-existing personality pathology. We propose that these migration processes can include manifestations of grief about the loss of pre-migratory psychosocial and economic resources, and the struggle to attain psychosocial and economic resources in the host culture. Moreover, several cultural dimensions are outlined that can either resemble or mask personality pathology. The term “culturally masked personality disorder” is coined, to delineate clinical cases in which cultural factors are overused or misused to rationalize behavioral patterns that are consistently inflexible, distressing, or harmful to the individual and/or significant others, lead to significant impairment, and exceed the relevant cultural norms. Additionally, the role of historical trauma is addressed in the context of potential overdiagnosis of personality disorders in Indigenous persons, and the implications of misdiagnosis in migrants, ethnic minorities, and Indigenous populations are elaborated. Finally, clinical implications are discussed, outlining various diagnostic steps, including an assessment of temperament/character, developmental history, systemic/family dynamics, migration processes, cultural dimensions, and possible historical trauma.
A new deck arch bridge and a study on its mechanical properties by FE and experiment methods
Authors: Qin Xia , Pang Mulin , Xie Xiaoli , Yan Chenyu , Liang Mingzhe
Published: September 2021

In this study, a new type of deck arch bridge was proposed based on the triangle stability principle, and its mechanical properties were tested. The new deck arch bridge—named the superposed truss arch bridge—consists of main arches, auxiliary arches, a girder, and web members. These components adopt steel structures and are connected into a series of triangles to form a superposed truss structure. The new structural system design retains the advantages of the truss and arch structure. Additionally, the rise-span ratio of the main arch can be smaller in the new system design, so the rise height is smaller, which can decrease construction difficulty. The underlying mechanical principles of the new bridge were explained. A new type of railway deck arch bridge with a 650 m span was designed, and the finite element method was used to analyze its stiffness, strength, stability, and dynamic properties and the corresponding effects of the arch-axis coefficient, rise-span ratio, and span length on the mechanical properties. An experiment was carried out on a new deck arch bridge and a conventional deck arch bridge with the same span (10 m) to compare their performance. The results showed that the new deck arch bridge exhibited good mechanical properties while being inexpensive and easy to construct, which makes it suitable for high-speed railway bridges.
On the use of particle image velocimetry (PIV) data for the validation of Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations during the intake process of a spark ignition direct injection (SIDI) engine
Authors: Shen Li , Willman Christopher , Stone Richard , Lockyer Tom , Magnanon Rachel , Virelli Giuseppe
Published: September 2021

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the in-cylinder flow field are widely used in the design of internal combustion engines (ICEs) and must be validated against experimental measurements to enable a robust predictive capability. Such validation is complicated by the presence of both large-scale cycle-to-cycle variations and small-scale turbulent fluctuations in experimental measurements of in-cylinder flow fields. Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations provide overall flow structures with acceptable accuracy and affordable computational cost for widespread industrial applications. Due to the nature of averaging physical parameters in RANS, its validation against experimental results obtained by particle image velocimetry (PIV) requires consideration of how best to average or filter the measured turbulent flows. In this paper, PIV measurements on the cross-tumble plane were recorded every five crank angle degrees for [Formula: see text] cycles during the intake process of a motored, optically accessible spark ignition direct injection (SIDI) engine. Several methods including ensemble averaging, speed-based averaging and low-order proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) reconstruction were applied to remove the fluctuations from experimental PIV vector fields and thus enable comparison to RANS simulations. Quantitative comparison metrics were used to evaluate the performances of each method in representing the intake jet. Recommendations are made on how to provide a fair validation between measured data and simulation results in highly fluctuating flow fields such as the engine intake jet.
A breakthrough of Ethnic Groups and Boundaries – reality or a myth? (On amnesia in ethnicity studies)
Authors: Jakoubek Marek
Published: September 2021

There is universal agreement in the scholarly community on the crucial position of the book Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference (ed. F Barth, 1969) in the modern study of ethnicity. General consensus goes that this work has a status of a founding work that developed a theoretical paradigm and model of ethnic groups, on which the study of ethnicity draws until today. This study critically reviews this reputation. The author, drawing on the works of authors who had published their works before Ethnic Groups and Boundaries, suggests that theoretical positions proposed by Barth and his colleagues in the famous book were not at all new by that time, neither were they considered novel by contemporary readers. Ethnic Groups and Boundaries acquired the status of a ground-breaking work, founding a new era of anthropological study of ethnicity only later, and not because of the results the book really provided, but rather thanks to statements about the contribution of this work to the study of ethnicity made by its editor, F Barth in his famous ‘Introduction’. This conceptualization of the history of ethnicity studies was, thanks to the immense influence of F Barth´s book, gradually accepted and the results of all work that had been previously done in the field of ethnicity studies, was covered by amnesia, continuing until today.
Receiving visits in prison and aggressive and contraband misconduct among Dutch prisoners
Authors: Berghuis Maria L. , Sentse Miranda , Palmen Hanneke , Nieuwbeerta Paul
Published: September 2021

Although scholars have emphasised the implications of social support for in-prison behaviour, and prison administrators worldwide use visitation as a correctional tool to manage prisoner behaviour, a few empirical studies have provided an articulate account of the visitation–misconduct relationship. This study expands research in this field by (a) addressing various features of visits, such as whether, from whom and how often prisoners receive visits and (b) examining two specific types of misconduct: aggressive and contraband. Using a combination of survey and administrative data from 3885 Dutch prisoners, multilevel analyses were conducted. Receiving visits in prison is associated with the higher probabilities of contraband misconduct, especially when partner or friends visit. Receiving visits is, however, not significantly associated with aggressive misconduct, but weekly visits from friends increased the likelihood of aggressive misconduct. Post hoc analyses suggest that visits are particularly not associated with verbally aggressive behaviours, but they are associated with lower likelihoods of physically aggressive behaviours. No significant associations were found between child or family visits and any type of misconduct. Policy implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Trends in Mortality Rates for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Over 30 Years in China
Authors: Bai Ruhai , Dong Wanyue
Published: September 2021

Objective: This study examines trends in the mortality of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in China from 1990 to 2019. Methods: The data were drawn from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019), and an age–period–cohort model was used for analysis. Results: The net drift was .152% (95% confidence interval [CI]: .069%, .235%) per year for men ( P < .05) and .024% (95% CI: −.078%, .126%) per year for women. The local drift values were below 0 in both genders for people aged 45–54 years ( P < .05), and above 0 for males aged 60–94 years and females aged 60–79 years ( P < .05). In the same birth cohort, the risk of mortality of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias exponentially increases with age for both genders. Conclusion: More rapid and effective efforts are needed to mitigate the substantial impact of Alzheimer's and other dementias on the health of China’s elderly.
A Prospective Assessment of Knee Arthroscopy Skills Between Medical Students and Residents—Simulator Exercises for Partial Meniscectomy and Analysis of Learning Curves
Authors: Putzer David , Dammerer Dietmar , Baldauf Martina , Lenze Florian , Liebensteiner Michael C. , Nogler Michael
Published: September 2021

Background

The Covid-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education in history. In a response to this, we aimed to evaluate the knee arthroscopy learning curve among medical students and orthopaedic residents.

Methods

An arthroscopy simulator was used to compare the learning curves of two groups. Medical students with any prior knowledge of arthroscopy ( n=24) were compared to a residents group ( n=16). Analyzed parameters were “time to complete a task,” assessment of the movement of tools and values scoring damage to the surrounding tissues.

Results

After several repetitions, both groups improved their skills in terms of time and movement. Residents were on average faster, had less camera movement, and touched the cartilage tissue less often than did students. Students showed a steeper improvement curve than residents for certain parameters, as they started from a different experience level.

Conclusion

The participants were able to reduce the time to complete a task. There was also a decrease in possible damage to the virtual surrounding tissues. In general, the residents had better mean values, but the students had the steeper learning curve. Particularly less experienced surgeons can especially train their hand–eye coordination skills required for arthroscopy surgery. Training simulators are an important training tool that supplements cadaveric training and participation in arthroscopic operations and should be included in training.
New Chest Drainage Unit with Integrated CO2-Detector Demonstrates False Air Leak
Authors: Eckardt Jens , Lijkendijk Marike , Licht Peter B. , Stenger Michael
Published: September 2021

Background

Postoperative observed air leakage does not always originate from parenchymal defects but may arise from defects in the chest drainage unit, connections or reverse airflow in water seals. We investigated such false air leakage using a new chest drainage unit with a built-in CO2-detector and an electronic chest drainage unit.

Methods

Two types of chest drainage units were tested in a simple porcine model: A well-known electronic chest drainage unit and a new chest drainage unit with integrated CO2-detector. We created a setup of true air leakage—a parenchymal lesion, and false air leakage—allowing air to flow into the thoracic cavity alongside the chest drain.

Results

We demonstrated that the new chest drainage unit with a built-in CO2-detector can distinguish between experimentally induced true air leakage and false air leakage.

Conclusion

Available chest drainage systems do not allow direct assessment of true or false air leakage, which may increase chest drain duration unnecessarily. The integration of a CO2-sensitive color indicator into a chest drainage unit allows simple distinction between false air leak and true air leak, which may improve postoperative management.
Love, Hate, and Controversy in a School District: A Teacher Couple’s Messy Divorce
Authors: Robert Catherine
Published: September 2021

Teachers who are married to other teachers within a school district often experience their personal life events in full view of the school community. How should a principal respond when a math teacher wants to leave due to her divorce, knowing that math teachers are hard to find? Challenges in this case for campus principals and human resource administrators include (a) hiring high-quality teachers in a tight labor pool, (b) providing new teacher induction, and (c) evaluating and responding to performance issues of teachers during times of high emotional stress.
Building Emotionally Resilient Schools and Educators During Crises
Authors: Brion Corinne
Published: September 2021

This teaching case study illustrates the increasing need for school leaders to offer and foster adult social emotional learning (SEL) in schools, particularly in the context of crises. This scenario takes place in an urban high school that is representative of many other American schools. In particular, I examine the challenges educational leaders commonly face when they do not take SEL for adults into consideration prior to implementing SEL for students. This teaching case study aims at encouraging meaningful conversations about adult SEL, equity, and leadership in times of crisis. The hope is to better understand how school leaders can lead and embrace adult SEL during crises. I also pose questions designed to prepare prospective and current educational leaders for similar situations.
Comparisons of Adaptations in Grounded Theory and Phenomenology: Selecting the Specific Qualitative Research Methodology
Authors: Urcia Ivan Aldrich
Published: September 2021

The most widely used qualitative research methodologies are grounded theory and phenomenology. Both methodologies have expanded over time to several adaptations aligning with different paradigms, complex philosophical assumptions, and varying methodological strategies. Novice researchers either mistakenly mix the strategies of both methodologies or blend specific assumptions of methodologies’ different adaptations. Choosing the appropriate methodology and the specific adaptation in line with research inquiry and congruent with the researchers’ worldview is crucial in undertaking rigorous qualitative study. To date, there is limited literature that compared and contrasted the varying philosophical underpinnings of the two methodologies’ different adaptations. The purpose of this methodological paper is to provide a general overview of the two methodologies’ different adaptations to illustrate how they differ in approach. By immersing into the origins, philosophical assumptions, and utility of the two methodologies’ adaptations, novice researchers will develop a general overview of the foundations that support those specific adaptations. Finally, the considerations in choosing a specific adaptation of a methodology are discussed and applied by underpinning a research question on the care experiences of patients in the Accountable Care Unit. Thus, this methodological paper may assist novice researchers in deciding which specific adaptation of the two methodologies is the appropriate qualitative methodology for their research.
‘I Do Not Appear to Have had Previous Letters’. The Potential and Pitfalls of Using a Qualitative Correspondence Method to Facilitate Insights Into Life in Prison During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Maycock Matthew
Published: September 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown represents a significant challenge for qualitative researchers due to social distancing measures restricting face-to-face data collection. At the time of ethical approval (early April 2020), all face-to-face research projects facilitated by the Scottish Prison Service and most prison jurisdictions were paused. In response to these methodological challenges, a participatory action correspondence methodology was designed in order for people in custody to influence the direction of this project by suggesting research questions and themes. This article analyses the potential of this approach, what this illuminated and critically engages with the challenges of implementing this qualitative methodology. Eight participants were selected due to previous participation in a Participatory Action Research project at one Scottish prison. After consent was given via post, eight letters were sent to the participants. This paper analyses the questions relating to, and aspects of Covid-19 that were important to the participants, in the hope that these insights will influence other qualitative research on the impacts of Covid-19 within prison settings. Methodologically and theoretically, this paper illustrates the potential and challenges relating to using a qualitative correspondence method to facilitate unique insights into life in custody during what emerges as a particularly challenging time in prison settings. More widely the paper reiterates and restates the importance of qualitative research methods as methods that provide unique and rich insights into the Covid-19 pandemic.
Discouraging climate action through implicit argumentation: An analysis of linguistic polyphony in the Summary for Policymakers by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Authors: Kanerva Julia , Krizsán Attila
Published: September 2021

In this paper, we study on the ways the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) communicates scientific knowledge on climate change to policymakers in the Summary for Policymakers of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5); the most recent Assessment Report issued by the IPCC. We investigate implicit argumentation with a special focus on the ways the summary may direct the orientation of the discourse towards the evasion of climate action while appearing to be pro-action on the surface. The results of a systematic analysis of polyphonic constructions in the language of the text indicate that implicit argumentation represents climate action inevitably subordinate to economic goals. In a number of constructions, the discourse reconstructs pro-economic-growth-based frames in contrast to prioritising environmental values when encouraging political action in the context of climate change. Through such language use, the discourses mediated by an institution of such high societal importance and authority as the IPCC arguably have a considerable impact in maintaining conservative climate policies and delaying, even hindering, a transition into a carbon-neutral society. Thus, we conclude that even the most authoritative climate-science-policy institutions should reconsider their use of linguistic representations in terms of implicit argumentation in their communication in order to encourage climate action in a more straightforward manner. As long as the most authoritative actors in science-policy discourse on climate change continue to reinforce cognitive frames evading urgent action to mitigate climate change, it is questionable whether we can expect the policymakers to have the courage to take ambitious action even if the figures in the natural-scientific evidence sections of the reports were demonstrating clear worsening trends.
Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in pregnancy
Authors: Wilson-Morkeh Harold , Frise Charlotte , Youngstein Taryn
Published: September 2021

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory syndrome defined by persistent fever, cytopenia and multi-organ dysfunction. Primary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis classically presents in childhood as a result of genetically abnormal perforin or inflammasome function, leading to the aberrant release of pro-inflammatory cytokines causing a hyperinflammatory state. Secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is an acquired phenomenon occurring at any age as a result of immune dysregulation to a specific trigger such as infection, haematological malignancy or autoimmune disease. Secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis occurring in the pregnant woman represents a diagnostic challenge and carries a significant mortality. This has led to its first inclusion in the fourth Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the United Kingdom annual maternal report in 2017. This article presents an overview of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, reviews the literature on haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in pregnancy, suggests diagnostic pathways and explores the safety and efficacy of existing and potential treatment strategies for haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis occurring during pregnancy.
A prototype of textile wastewater treatment using coagulation and adsorption by Fe/Cu nanoparticles: Techno-economic and scaling-up studies
Authors: Mahmoud Ahmed S , Mostafa Mohamed K , Peters Robert W
Published: September 2021

This study aims to investigate the efficiency of a pilot prototype system comprising coagulation/flocculation, filtration, and nano-bimetallic iron/copper (Fe/Cu) degradation and adsorption units for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), color, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and TSS from real textile wastewater. The total removal efficiencies of the system were 96, 98, 82, 69, 88, and 97%, respectively, using 0.5 g/L ferric chlorides as a coagulant under an optimum adsorption condition of pH 6.0, nano-dosage 1.4 g/L, contact time 80 min, and stirring rate 250 r/min at room temperature. Adsorption isotherms indicated that the removal of COD and TP obeys both Koble–Corrigan and Freundlich adsorption models, removal of color obeys both Koble–Corrigan and Hill adsorption models, and removal of TN and TSS obeys Koble–Corrigan and Khan models, respectively. Avrami kinetic models adequately describe the adsorption data for COD, BOD, TN, and TSS, while pseudo-second-order and intraparticle models described the removal mechanism of color and TSS, respectively. An artificial neural network (ANN) with r2-value exceeding 0.98 is accurate and can be used with confidence in predicting removal efficiencies of the targeted parameters. Sensitivity analysis results showed that the initial concentration was the most influential parameter for TSS removal with relative importance greater than 25%, while the bimetallic Fe/Cu dosage was the most influential factor for all other studied parameters with relative importance greater than 40%. The total treatment cost of the proposed system per m3 after scaling up was found to be US$4.5 for reuse of the treated water for the irrigation of forest trees.
Reconstruction of cardiovascular black-blood T2-weighted image by deep learning algorithm: A comparison with intensity filter
Authors: Ogawa Ryo , Kido Tomoyuki , Nakamura Masashi , Nozaki Atsushi , Lebel R Marc , Mochizuki Teruhito , Kido Teruhito
Published: September 2021

Background

Deep learning–based methods have been used to denoise magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a deep learning reconstruction (DL Recon) in cardiovascular black-blood T2-weighted images and compare with intensity filtered images.

Material and Methods

Forty-five DL Recon images were compared with intensity filtered and the original images. For quantitative image analysis, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the septum, contrast ratio (CR) of the septum to lumen, and sharpness of the endocardial border were calculated in each image. For qualitative image quality assessment, a 4-point subjective scale was assigned to each image (1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = good, 4 = excellent).

Results

The SNR and CR were significantly higher in the DL Recon images than in the intensity filtered and the original images ( p < .05 in each). Sharpness of the endocardial border was significantly higher in the DL Recon and intensity filtered images than in the original images ( p < .05 in each). The image quality of the DL Recon images was significantly better than that of intensity filtered and original images ( p < .001 in each).

Conclusions

DL Recon reduced image noise while improving image contrast and sharpness in the cardiovascular black-blood T2-weight sequence.
A scoping review of the pathophysiology of COVID-19
Authors: Marik Paul E , Iglesias Jose , Varon Joseph , Kory Pierre
Published: September 2021

COVID-19 is a highly heterogeneous and complex medical disorder; indeed, severe COVID-19 is probably amongst the most complex of medical conditions known to medical science. While enormous strides have been made in understanding the molecular pathways involved in patients infected with coronaviruses an overarching and comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 is lacking. Such an understanding is essential in the formulation of effective prophylactic and treatment strategies. Based on clinical, proteomic, and genomic studies as well as autopsy data severe COVID-19 disease can be considered to be the connection of three basic pathologic processes, namely a pulmonary macrophage activation syndrome with uncontrolled inflammation, a complement-mediated endothelialitis together with a procoagulant state with a thrombotic microangiopathy. In addition, platelet activation with the release of serotonin and the activation and degranulation of mast cells contributes to the hyper-inflammatory state. Auto-antibodies have been demonstrated in a large number of hospitalized patients which adds to the end-organ damage and pro-thrombotic state. This paper provides a clinical overview of the major pathogenetic mechanism leading to severe COVID-19 disease.
Complete blood cell count-derived ratios can be useful biomarkers for neurological diseases
Authors: Novellino Fabiana , Donato Annalidia , Malara Natalia , Madrigal Jose LM , Donato Giuseppe
Published: September 2021

Complete blood cell count-derived parameters such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) have recently shown to be highly sensitive biomarkers. Their usefulness has been proven as prognostic factors in several cancers, in the stratification of mortality in major cardiac events, as predictors and markers of infectious or inflammatory pathologies, and in many other conditions. Surprisingly, the study of these biomarkers in neurological diseases is somewhat limited. This paper aims to take stock of the data present in the literature regarding the complete blood cell count-derived ratios in this group of pathologies and to formulate a hypothesis, based on the most recent data concerning innate and acquired immunity, on which diseases of the nervous system could benefit in diagnostic and prognostic terms from the in-depth study of these new biomarkers.