bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New PGE Modified Electrode Comprising Ni NPs/1,5-Diphenylcarbazide Film Capable for Analyzing Oxytocin
Authors: JaFari-Pouyani Mahsa , Kaki Samineh , Babakhanian Arash
Published: July 2021

This study focuses on the compatibility of square wave voltammetry technique with new modified graphite pencil electrode to quantify Oxytocin. Ni-Nano particles and 1,5-diphenylcarbazide modifiers were quickly electro-deposited by cyclic voltammetry sweeping technique on the bare surface of a graphite pencil electrode. The electrochemical and morphological assessments were accomplished with cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The proposed electrochemical sensor revealed a good electro catalytic response to Oxytocin concerning the parametersα= 0.42, log Ks=3.44 and Γ = 8.72×10−10in the optimized pH of 4 and the working potential of about 0.35 V. The new sensor also exhibited a linear response to Oxytocin over the concentration range of 125 to 350 nmolL−1with the limit of detection of 41.53 nmolL−1. Moreover, the applicability of the proposed sensor was successfully examined and it became usable to determine Oxytocin accurately and precisely in real samples such as human blood serum sample without any serious side interference.
Potentiometric Taste Sensing Using Reduced Graphene Oxide Screen Printed Electrodes
Authors: Patil Anil B. , Tupe Umesh. J. , Deshmane Vikas V. , Patil Arun V.
Published: July 2021

This paper reports the development of simple and economical reduced graphene oxide (rGO) based screen-printed electrodes (SPE) for five basic taste sensing applications. Twenty different test solutions for the five tastes of salty, sour, sweet, umami, and bitter at 1 ppm, 10 ppm, 100
ppm, 1000 ppm concentration levels were tested with the fabricated SPEs. From experimental results, electrical signals generated between the electrode and test solution interface were measured using the potentiometric method. Satisfactory potentiometric responses of SPEs to different ppm concentrations
for each sample were used to analyze the sample data. Histogram using the statistical tool was used to analyze the changes in the conductivity response. A multivariate Principal Component Analysis (PCA) statistical tool correlated using loading plots between variables and factors of all the
five basic tastes. The plot showed the interrelation between variables and test samples. The obtained experimental results from these rGO based SPEs make them suitable for their use in taste sensing applications such as for any taste disorder disability, food-producing industry, pharmaceutical
industries, etc.
An Overview of the Performance and Operational Applications of the MRMS and FLASH Systems in Recent Significant Urban Flash Flood Events
Authors: Gerard Alan , Martinaitis Steven M. , Gourley Jonathan J. , Howard Kenneth W. , Zhang Jian
Published: July 2021

The Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system is an operational, state-of-the-science hydrometeorological data analysis and nowcasting framework that combines data from multiple radar networks, satellites, surface observational systems, and numerical weather prediction models to produce a suite of real-time, decision-support products every 2 min over the contiguous United States and southern Canada. The Flooded Locations and Simulated Hydrograph (FLASH) component of the MRMS system was designed for the monitoring and prediction of flash floods across small time and spatial scales required for urban areas given their rapid hydrologic response to precipitation. Developed at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in collaboration with the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) and other research entities, the objective for MRMS and FLASH is to be the world’s most advanced system for severe weather and storm-scale hydrometeorology, leveraging the latest science and observation systems to produce the most accurate and reliable hydrometeorological and severe weather analyses. NWS forecasters, the public, and the private sector utilize a variety of products from the MRMS and FLASH systems for hydrometeorological situational awareness and to provide warnings to the public and other users about potential impacts from flash flooding. This article will examine the performance of hydrometeorological products from MRMS and FLASH and provide perspectives on how NWS forecasters use these products in the prediction of flash flood events with an emphasis on the urban environment.
The SALTENA Experiment: Comprehensive Observations of Aerosol Sources, Formation, and Processes in the South American Andes
Authors: Bianchi Federico , Sinclair Victoria A. , Aliaga Diego , Zha Qiaozhi , Scholz Wiebke , Wu Cheng , Heikkinen Liine , Modini Rob , Partoll Eva , Velarde Fernando , Moreno Isabel , Gramlich Yvette , Huang Wei , Koenig Alkuin Maximilian , Leiminger Markus , Enroth Joonas , Peräkylä Otso , Marinoni Angela , Xuemeng Chen , Blacutt Luis , Forno Ricardo , Gutierrez Rene , Ginot Patrick , Uzu Gaëlle , Facchini Maria Cristina , Gilardoni Stefania , Gysel-Beer Martin , Cai Runlong , Petäjä Tuukka , Rinaldi Matteo , Saathoff Harald , Sellegri Karine , Worsnop Douglas , Artaxo Paulo , Hansel Armin , Kulmala Markku , Wiedensohler Alfred , Laj Paolo , Krejci Radovan , Carbone Samara , Andrade Marcos , Mohr Claudia
Published: July 2021

This paper presents an introduction to the Southern Hemisphere High Altitude Experiment on Particle Nucleation and Growth (SALTENA). This field campaign took place between December 2017 and June 2018 (wet to dry season) at Chacaltaya (CHC), a GAW (Global Atmosphere Watch) station located at 5,240 m MSL in the Bolivian Andes. Concurrent measurements were conducted at two additional sites in El Alto (4,000 m MSL) and La Paz (3,600 m MSL). The overall goal of the campaign was to identify the sources, understand the formation mechanisms and transport, and characterize the properties of aerosol at these stations. State-of-the-art instruments were brought to the station complementing the ongoing permanent GAW measurements, to allow a comprehensive description of the chemical species of anthropogenic and biogenic origin impacting the station and contributing to new particle formation. In this overview we first provide an assessment of the complex meteorology, airmass origin, and boundary layer–free troposphere interactions during the campaign using a 6-month high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulation coupled with Flexible Particle dispersion model (FLEXPART). We then show some of the research highlights from the campaign, including (i) chemical transformation processes of anthropogenic pollution while the air masses are transported to the CHC station from the metropolitan area of La Paz–El Alto, (ii) volcanic emissions as an important source of atmospheric sulfur compounds in the region, (iii) the characterization of the compounds involved in new particle formation, and (iv) the identification of long-range-transported compounds from the Pacific or the Amazon basin. We conclude the article with a presentation of future research foci. The SALTENA dataset highlights the importance of comprehensive observations in strategic high-altitude locations, especially the undersampled Southern Hemisphere.
Using deep learning to emulate and accelerate a radiative-transfer model
Authors: Lagerquist Ryan , Turner David , Ebert-Uphoff Imme , Stewart Jebb , Hagerty Venita
Published: July 2021

This paper describes the development of U-net++ models, a type of neural network that performs deep learning, to emulate the shortwave Rapid Radiative-transfer Model (RRTM). The goal is to emulate the RRTM accurately in a small fraction of the computing time, creating a U-net++ that could be used as a parameterization in numerical weather prediction (NWP). Target variables are surface downwelling flux, top-of-atmosphere upwelling flux (), net flux, and a profile of radiative-heating rates. We have devised several ways to make the U-net++ models knowledge-guided, recently identified as a key priority in machine learning (ML) applications to the geosciences. We conduct two experiments to find the best U-net++ configurations. In Experiment 1, we train on non-tropical sites and test on tropical sites, to assess extreme spatial generalization. In Experiment 2, we train on sites from all regions and test on different sites from all regions, with the goal of creating the best possible model for use in NWP. The selected model from Experiment 1 shows impressive skill on the tropical testing sites, except four notable deficiencies: large bias and error for heating rate in the upper stratosphere, unreliable for profiles with single-layer liquid cloud, large heating-rate bias in the mid-troposphere for profiles with multi-layer liquid cloud, and negative bias at lowzenith angles for all flux components and tropospheric heating rates. The selected model from Experiment 2 corrects all but the first deficiency, and both models run ~104 times faster than the RRTM. Our code is available publicly.
Angiographic and Clinical Profile of Patients With COVID-19 Referred for Coronary Angiography During SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak: Results From a Collaborative, European, Multicenter Registry
Authors: Montero-Cabezas J.M. , Córdoba-Soriano J.G. , Díez-Delhoyo F. , Abellán-Huerta J. , Girgis H. , Rama-Merchán J.C. , García-Blas S. , van Rees J.B. , van Ramshorst J. , Jurado-Román A.
Published: July 2021

Data regarding angiographic characteristics, clinical profile, and inhospital outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) referred for coronary angiography (CAG) are scarce. This is an observational study analyzing confirmed patients with COVID-19 referred for CAG from 10 European centers. We included 57 patients (mean age: 66 ± 15 years, 82% male) , of whom 18% had previous myocardial infarction (MI) and 29% had renal insufficiency and chronic pulmonary disease. ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was the most frequent indication for CAG (58%). Coronavirus disease 2019 was confirmed after CAG in 86% and classified as mild in 49%, with 21% fully asymptomatic. A culprit lesion was identified in 79% and high thrombus burden in 42%; 7% had stent thrombosis. At 40 days follow-up, 16 (28%) patients experienced a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE): 12 deaths (92% noncardiac), 1 MI, 2 stent thrombosis, and 1 stroke. In an European multicenter registry, patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection referred for CAG during the first wave of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic presented mostly with STEMI and were predominantly males with comorbidities. Severity of COVID-19 was in general noncritical and 21% were asymptomatic at the time of CAG. Culprit coronary lesions with high thrombus burden were frequently identified, with a rate of stent thrombosis of 7%. The incidence of MACE at 40 days was high (28%), mostly due to noncardiac death.
Multivariate Analysis Aided Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (MVA-SERS) Multiplex Quantitative Detection of Trace Fentanyl in Illicit Drug Mixtures Using a Handheld Raman Spectrometer
Authors: Wang Ling , Vendrell-Dones Mario O. , Deriu Chiara , Doğruer Sevde , de B. Harrington Peter , McCord Bruce
Published: July 2021

Recently there has been upsurge in reports that illicit seizures of cocaine and heroin have been adulterated with fentanyl. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) provides a useful alternative to current screening procedures that permits detection of trace levels of fentanyl in mixtures. Samples are solubilized and allowed to interact with aggregated colloidal nanostars to produce a rapid and sensitive assay. In this study, we present the quantitative determination of fentanyl in heroin and cocaine using SERS, using a point-and-shoot handheld Raman system. Our protocol is optimized to detect pure fentanyl down to 0.20 ± 0.06 ng/mL and can also distinguish pure cocaine and heroin at ng/mL levels. Multiplex analysis of mixtures is enabled by combining SERS detection with principal component analysis and super partial least squares regression discriminate analysis (SPLS-DA), which allow for the determination of fentanyl as low as 0.05% in simulated seized heroin and 0.10% in simulated seized cocaine samples.
COVID-19 and mental health services delivery at Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Zimbabwe: Lessons for psychiatric social work practice
Authors: Kurevakwesu Wilberforce
Published: July 2021

This qualitative study explores the factors affecting mental health services delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic at Ingutsheni Central Hospital. A descriptive phenomenological design was used. Data were collected from 16 participants using interview guides and were analysed through interpretative phenomenological analysis. Participants underlined several factors affecting mental health management and these were, inter alia, the congestion of wards and lack of resources. In riposte, they recommended several solutions towards curtailing these challenges. Based on the findings, the research then elucidates roles that psychiatric social workers can take towards improving mental health services delivery during the pandemic period.
Linkage to HIV Medical Care and Social Determinants of Health Among Adults With Diagnosed HIV Infection in 41 States and the District of Columbia, 2017
Authors: Gillot Myrline , Gant Zanetta , Hu Xiaohong , Satcher Johnson Anna
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To reduce the number of new HIV infections and improve HIV health care outcomes, the social conditions in which people live and work should be assessed. The objective of this study was to describe linkage to HIV medical care by selected demographic characteristics and social determinants of health (SDH) among US adults with HIV at the county level.

Methods

We used National HIV Surveillance System data from 42 US jurisdictions and data from the American Community Survey to describe differences in linkage to HIV medical care among adults aged ≥18 with HIV infection diagnosed in 2017. We categorized SDH variables into higher or lower levels of poverty (where <13% or ≥13% of the population lived below the federal poverty level), education (where <13% or ≥13% of the population had <high school diploma), and health insurance coverage (where <12% or ≥12% of the population lacked health insurance). We calculated prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs.

Results

Of 33 204 adults with HIV infection diagnosed in 2017, 78.4% were linked to HIV medical care ≤1 month after diagnosis. Overall, rates of linkage to care were significantly lower among men and women living in counties with higher versus lower poverty (PR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.97), with lower versus higher health insurance coverage (PR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.92-0.94), and with lower versus higher education levels (PR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.96-0.98).

Conclusions

Increasing health insurance coverage and addressing economic and educational disparities would likely lead to better HIV care outcomes in these areas.
Global analysis of gene expression signature and diagnostic/prognostic biomarker identification of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Jihan , Wang Yangyang , Xu Jing , Song Qiying , Shangguan Jingbo , Xue Mengju , Wang Hanghui , Gan Jingyi , Gao Wenjie
Published: July 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world. The landscape of HCC’s molecular alteration signature has been explored over the last few decades. Even so, more comprehensive research is still needed to improve understanding of tumorigenesis and progression of HCC, as well as to identify potential biomarkers for the malignancy. In this research, a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was conducted based on the publicly available databases from both the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program and the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. R/Bioconductor was used to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HCC tumor and normal control (NC) samples, and then a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was established through the STRING platform. Finally, the application of specific candidate genes as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers of HCC was explored and evaluated by ROC and survival analysis. A total of 310 DEGs were detected in the HCC tumor samples. Thirty-six hub DEGs in the PPI network and 10 candidates of the 36 genes showed significant alterations in tumor expression, including CDKN3, TOP2A, UBE2C, CDC20, PBK, ASPM, KIF20A, NCAPG, CCNB2, CYP3A4. The 10-gene signature had relatively significant effects when distinguishing tumors from normal samples (sensitivity >70%, specificity >70%, AUC >0.8, p <  0.001). Eight candidate genes were negatively correlated with the overall survival rate of the patients ( p <  0.05) and were all up-regulated in HCC tumor samples. The age and gender factors had no significant impact on the overall survival rate of HCC patients ( p >  0.05), and the TNM stage status factor had a significant negative prognosis correlation ( p <  0.05). This research provides evidence for a better understanding of tumorigenesis and progression of HCC and helps to explore candidate targets for disease diagnosis and treatment.
Prediction of clothing comfort sensation of an undershirt using artificial neural networks with psychophysiological responses as input data
Authors: Karasawa Yuki , Uemae Mayumi , Yoshida Hiroaki , Kamijo Masayoshi
Published: July 2021

The clothing comfort sensation is a combination of complex components, including psychological and physiological responses. General linear analysis is not always sufficient for the evaluation of the clothing comfort sensation. The current study sought to predict the clothing comfort sensation of wearing an undershirt using an artificial neural network (ANN). We constructed ANN models with psychological sensation data and physiological response data as inputs, including electrocardiogram and thermo-physiological indicators, and the clothing comfort sensation as the output. For the input layer of the model, three conditions were used: the psychological response data only, the physiological response data only, and both the psychological and physiological data. The number of hidden layers in the models ranged from one to three, and the number of units in each hidden layer was changed when fixed values of 30, 60, and 90 were used, or according to the number of data points in the input conditions. The results revealed that, among the three conditions, the accuracy rate was higher when both psychological and physiological response data were used as input. The prediction results exhibited an accuracy rate of up to 85% for unknown test data. The results suggest that the method of evaluating the state of clothing comfort sensation when wearing an undershirt using psychophysiological response measurement was effective and that neural networks are useful for predicting the clothing comfort sensation.
Paternal Imprisonment and Father–Child Relationships: A Systematic Review
Authors: Venema Simon D. , Haan Marieke , Blaauw Eric , Veenstra René
Published: July 2021

Although father–child relationships (FCRs) are central to children’s experience of paternal imprisonment, few studies address this subject. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize the literature on paternal imprisonment and FCRs. Four academic databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies. Thirty studies were identified. It was found that FCRs most often deteriorate due to paternal imprisonment, but sometimes remain stable or change positively. Four key factors were found to influence FCRs: (a) the quality of preprison FCRs, (b) the frequency and experience of father–child contact during imprisonment, (c) the child’s primary caregivers’ role in facilitating father–child contact, and (d) prison barriers for maintaining FCRs during imprisonment. The interplay between these factors is essential for understanding FCRs in this context, which may explain children’s divergent experiences of paternal imprisonment. An integrated framework of FCRs in the context of paternal imprisonment is presented. Limitations and directions for research are discussed.
A developmental study of expressing simultaneous events in film-based narratives
Authors: Kupersmitt Judy R. , Nicoladis Elena
Published: July 2021

This study examines the expression of simultaneity in the film-based oral narratives of 100 English monolinguals in the following three age groups: preschoolers (4–6 years), school-aged children (7–10 years), and adults (19–48 years). Participants told a story of what happened in the film, in an off-line task, to an interviewer who had not seen the film. The film was rich in simultaneous events at various sites through the episodic structure. Focus was on quantitative and qualitative aspects of simultaneity, from the perspective of forms and functions. Quantitative results showed very little simultaneity at preschool and almost similar expression at school age and adulthood. Qualitative analyses revealed that perceptual, semantic, and discourse factors affected the profiles of development. Preschool children expressed local simultaneity between situations in adjacent clauses, more frequently between unbounded situations that are implicitly simultaneous. Besides, they tended to express more simultaneity in scenes that were perceived in a single screen shot. From age 7, children became more able to express simultaneity across larger stretches of the text, covering a wider scope on situations on parallel timelines. Top-down knowledge of narrative organization guided older narrators to take temporal perspectives that go beyond the semantic properties of events, giving way to discourse-motivated simultaneity where causality plays a substantial role. Language forms to express simultaneity showed a long developmental route – through verb semantic and tense-aspect alternations as the widest, basic usage to specific lexical forms like conjunctions (e.g. while), adverbs (e.g. meanwhile), and more sophisticated syntactic configurations. The form-function analyses enabled an exploration of the cognitive and language abilities in the production of simultaneous relations under the constraints of narrative discourse organization. The study reinforced the results of previous developmental studies of temporality, shedding further light on the relatively unexplored topic of simultaneity expression.
A new scale shoal-forming model and natural gas exploration implications in Feixianguan Formation, northwestern Sichuan Basin, China
Authors: Peng Hao , Yin Cheng , Zhong Yuan , Yang Yue-Ming , Xu Liang , Luo Yang , Hu Xin , Fan Jun
Published: July 2021

As an important exploration target in the Sichuan Basin, the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation has been previously interpreted to be deposited in the trough-platform margin system according to the genetic model of classic lithofacies paleogeography. However, this model does not apply to the northwestern Sichuan Basin. Accordingly, this study proposed a new genetic model that highlighted the carbonate ramp based on the outcrop sections, drilling and logging data, and seismic sections. A large-scale regional regression was found to occur in Sichuan Basin at the end of the Late Permian, leading to the evolution of the original Kaijiang-Liangping Trough into a very shallow tidal flat/lagoon environment at the beginning of the Early Triassic. The sedimentary pattern during the Early Triassic was different from that during the Late Permian. A total of six long-term cycles (LSC1-LSC6) were identified within the Feixianguan Formation. The deposition of LSC1-LSC3 witnessed the filling of the trough to a large extent, and the depositional periods of LSC4 and LSC5 were the main shoal-forming periods. The Feixianguan Formation in the study area was speculated to be deposited in the continuous continental carbonate ramp. With the intensified uplifting of the Longmenshan island chain and the Kangdian ancient land on the northwestern margin of the Upper Yangtze Platform, a large number of terrigenous materials were input into the study area from west to east, leading to the continuous eastward migration of the carbonate facies belt during the deposition of the Fei 1 and Fei 2 Members. Meanwhile, large-area inner-ramp shoal bodies were formed during the deposition of LSC5. It became possible to find a giant gas reservoir belt in the Feixianguan Formation of the northwestern Sichuan Basin and the results of this study provide a new complement to the existing classic trough-platform margin shoal-forming model.
Parathyroid Carcinoma in a Patient With Secondary Hyperparathyroidism and Thyroid Hemiagenesis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Kada Shinpei , Tanaka Miho , Yasoda Akihiro
Published: July 2021

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare endocrine tumor. Parathyroid carcinoma in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism due to chronic kidney disease is also rare. In addition, thyroid hemiagenesis is a rare congenital anomaly. We report an extremely rare case of parathyroid carcinoma in a patient with secondary hyperparathyroidism and thyroid hemiagenesis. We also present a review of the literature of this rare entity. We also discuss the surgical procedure performed for this patient. Our review of the literature found 34 case reports of parathyroid carcinoma in patients undergoing dialysis due to chronic renal failure; 14 reports of thyroid hemiagenesis with parathyroid disease; and no previous reports of thyroid hemiagenesis with secondary hyperparathyroidism and parathyroid carcinoma. Although surgical treatment of parathyroid carcinoma requires combined resection with the thyroid, peritracheal dissection with total parathyroidectomy, and monitoring intact parathyroid hormone as a tumor marker, our procedure preserved the patient’s thyroid function. There has been no evidence of recurrence for over 8 years.
When Extracting Is Not Subtracting: Accounting for Organism-technologies as Stakeholders in Microbial Resource Extraction through an Experiment in Discursive Biomimicry
Authors: Szymanski Erika Amethyst
Published: July 2021

This paper concerns how digitizing biological resources enables disentangling information technologies from biological bodies and, thus, from response-abilities among creatures from which they are derived. Extracting (digital) information from (biological) bodies makes it possible to stabilize, freeze, circulate, and control that information independently from creaturely activities—multiplying, not subtracting from the originating material. Such extractions tend to attenuate human interdependencies with other creatures even while expanding the scope of their utility as resources, to the effect of limiting those who have a stake in their development to humans alone. Where conventional natural resource extraction does violence to places and those interdependent with them, digital resource extractions may instead do violence to human capacities to recognize and act on multispecies interdependencies. Here, I argue that choosing to realize connections among organisms and organismal resources makes it possible to envision how creatures may be stakeholders in their own development, with joined ethical and epistemic consequences. I trace that possibility through a case study of the essential laboratory yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae via the physical metaphor of snowflake yeast, an S. cerevisiae variant that maintains multicellular connections as it reproduces.
Beyond the Visible, the Material and the Performative: Shifting Perspectives on the Visual in Organization Studies
Authors: Quattrone Paolo , Ronzani Matteo , Jancsary Dennis , Höllerer Markus A.
Published: July 2021

Visual organizational research has burgeoned over the past decade. Despite an initially hesitant engagement with visuality in organization and management studies, it is now only proper to speak of a ‘visual turn’ in this domain of scholarly inquiry. We wish to take the opportunity provided by the Perspectives format to engage with prominent work published in Organization Studies, in appreciation of the diversity of approaches to the visual in organizational research, and highlight some generative tensions across this body of work. In particular, we have scrutinized six articles based on their treatment of signification (how the visual mode enables meaning-making and meaning-sharing in and around organizations), manifestation (how visual organizational artefacts and their properties relate to affordances) and implication (how visualization practices produce organizational outcomes). Inspired by the frictions and gaps across these articles, we developed three distinct perspective shifts that highlight the importance of the invisible, the immaterial and the performance within visualization. We conclude with a comparative matrix that maps different conceptualizations of visualization, and suggest opportunities for future research based on how we see the field of visual organizational studies evolving.
Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with concomitant Impella versus concomitant intra-aortic-balloon-pump for cardiogenic shock
Authors: Au Shek-yin , Fong Ka-man , Tsang Chun-Fung Sunny , Chan Ka-Chun Alan , Wong Chi Yuen , Ng Wing-yiu George , Lee Kang Yin Michael
Published: July 2021

Introduction:

The intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) and Impella are left ventricular unloading devices with peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in place and later serve as bridging therapy when VA-ECMO is terminated. We aimed to determine the potential differences in clinical outcomes and rate of complications between the two combinations of mechanical circulatory support.

Methods:

This was a retrospective, single institutional cohort study conducted in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong. Inclusion criteria included all patients aged ⩾18 years, who had VA-ECMO support, and who had left ventricular unloading by either IABP or Impella between January 1, 2018 and October 31, 2020. Patients <18 years old, with central VA-ECMO, who did not require left ventricular unloading, or who underwent surgical venting procedures were excluded. The primary outcome was ECMO duration. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS) in the ICU, hospital LOS, mortality, and complication rate.

Results:

Fifty-two patients with ECMO + IABP and 14 patients with ECMO + Impella were recruited. No statistically significant difference was observed in terms of ECMO duration (2.5 vs 4.6 days, p = 0.147), ICU LOS (7.7 vs 10.8 days, p = 0.367), and hospital LOS (14.8 vs 16.5 days, p = 0.556) between the two groups. No statistically significant difference was observed in the ECMO, ICU, and hospital mortalities between the two groups. Specific complications related to the ECMO and Impella combination were also noted.

Conclusions:

Impella was not shown to offer a statistically significant clinical benefit compared with IABP in conjunction with ECMO. Clinicians should be aware of the specific complications of using Impella.
Ocular manifestations and refractive errors among people living with HIV in Pune, India: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ghate Manisha , Gogate Parikshit , Phadke Supriya , Shaikh Gausiya , Shidhaye Pallavi , Gurav Shraddha , Gadhe Keshav , Bhusnawar Mahima , Mane Arati , Panda Samiran
Published: July 2021

Objective

We aimed to determine the ocular manifestation and refractive error prevalences among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Pune, India.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included HIV-infected adults attending a National AIDS Research Institute clinic. Ophthalmologic examination included visual acuity estimation, refraction, orthoptic evaluation, slit lamp and fundus examination, and photography.

Results

In total, 441 HIV-infected individuals were enrolled. The participants' median age was 44 (interquartile range 38–49) years and 227 (51.5%) were men. Refractive errors occurred in 132 (29.9%) individuals. Ocular manifestations were present in 93 (21.1%) participants and the most frequent was cataract in 59 (13.4%) participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that participants who were illiterate (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.47–5.33) and those aged greater than 40 years (AOR 5.59, 95% CI 2.69–11.61) were more likely to have ocular manifestations. The odds of having ocular manifestations were greater in participants with treatment substitution or changes (AOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.16–3.82).

Conclusions

Cataract and refractive errors were prevalent among PLHIV. PLHIV should be encouraged to have regular ophthalmic checkups. Individuals with lower education levels and older age should be counseled regarding eye care and timely reporting of ocular symptoms.
Population mobility, urban centrality and subnetworks in China revealed by social sensing big data
Authors: Guo Hongwei , Han Ji , Wang Jian
Published: July 2021

Studying the spatial pattern of population flows is important to gain insights into economic connections, city networks and traffic demand. The dearth of integrative data suggests that the spatial pattern of population migration has still received relatively scant research with modified algorithms despite its vital guidance in epidemic control. To address this gap, we employ unique social sensing data from the Tencent migration platform to investigate the spatial configuration of population migration in China. Based on the identified 2,555,596 aggregated origin-destination records in 2018, we map the spatial pattern of population flow with the algorithm of eigenvector centrality. The geovisualisation illustrates that population flows present an uneven spatial pattern with a clear east/west divide. The geovisualisation depicts that the cities with higher administrative levels show corresponding high centrality to a certain extent. The results also show that subnetworks of migration flow demonstrate that population flows are near movements.
Development and Evaluation of Computable Phenotypes in Pediatric Epilepsy:3 Cases
Authors: Pan Sabrina , Wu Alan , Weiner Mark , M Grinspan Zachary
Published: July 2021

Introduction:

Computable phenotypes allow identification of well-defined patient cohorts from electronic health record data. Little is known about the accuracy of diagnostic codes for important clinical concepts in pediatric epilepsy, such as (1) risk factors like neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy; (2) clinical concepts like treatment resistance; (3) and syndromes like juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. We developed and evaluated the performance of computable phenotypes for these examples using electronic health record data at one center.

Methods:

We identified gold standard cohorts for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, pediatric treatment-resistant epilepsy, and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy via existing registries and review of clinical notes. From the electronic health record, we extracted diagnostic and procedure codes for all children with a diagnosis of epilepsy and seizures. We used these codes to develop computable phenotypes and evaluated by sensitivity, positive predictive value, and the F-measure.

Results:

For neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, the best-performing computable phenotype (HIE ICD-9 /10 and [brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or electroencephalography (EEG) within 120 days of life] and absence of commonly miscoded conditions) had high sensitivity (95.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 85-99), positive predictive value (100%, 95% CI 95-100), and F measure (0.98). For treatment-resistant epilepsy, the best-performing computable phenotype (3 or more antiseizure medicines in the last 2 years or treatment-resistant ICD-10) had a sensitivity of 86.9% (95% CI 79-93), positive predictive value of 69.6% (95% CI 60-79), and F-measure of 0.77. For juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, the best performing computable phenotype (JME ICD-10) had poor sensitivity (52%, 95% CI 43-60) but high positive predictive value (90.4%, 95% CI 81-96); the F measure was 0.66.

Conclusion:

The variable accuracy of our computable phenotypes (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy high, treatment resistance medium, and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy low) demonstrates the heterogeneity of success using administrative data to identify cohorts important for pediatric epilepsy research.
Children With Trisomy 21 and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome With Predominant Myoclonic Seizures
Authors: Macdonald Matthew , Crawford Jacqueline , Datta Anita N.
Published: July 2021

Introduction:

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a severe form of pediatric epilepsy that is classically defined by a triad of drug-resistant seizures, including atonic, tonic, and atypical absence seizures; slow spike-and-wave discharges and paroxysmal fast activity on electroencephalography (EEG); and cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. In the vast majority, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome develops in patients with an identified etiology, including genetic or structural brain abnormalities. Long-term prognosis is generally poor with progressive intellectual deterioration and persistent seizures. At present, there are few reported cases of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and trisomy 21 in the literature. To further delineate the spectrum of epilepsy in trisomy 21, we reviewed children with trisomy 21 and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome at one center over 28 years.

Methods:

This is a retrospective case series. At our institution, all EEG results are entered into a database, which was queried for patients with trisomy 21 from 1992 to 2019. Pertinent electroclinical data was obtained from medical records.

Results:

Of 63 patients with trisomy 21 and epilepsy, 6 (10%) had Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and were included in the study. Four of the 6 patients were male and 5 of 6 had neuroimaging, which was normal. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 20 years. Notably, 5 of 6 had predominant myoclonic seizures throughout the course of their epilepsy, associated with generalized spike-wave discharges, <100 milliseconds.

Conclusion:

We observed myoclonic seizures to be a predominant seizure type in patients with trisomy 21, suggestive that trisomy 21 patients may have a unique pattern of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
A Neurodegenerative Phenotype Associated With Sjögren-Larsson Syndrome
Authors: Warrack Simone , Love Terri , Rizzo William B.
Published: July 2021

Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is a rare neurologic disorder caused by pathogenic sequence variants in ALDH3A2 and characterized by ichthyosis, spasticity, intellectual disability, and a crystalline retinopathy. Neurologic symptoms develop in the first 2 years of life. Except for worsening ambulation due to spastic diplegia and contractures, the neurologic disease has been considered static and a neurodegenerative course is distinctly unusual. We describe a young child with Sjögren-Larsson syndrome who exhibited an early and severely progressive neurologic phenotype that may have been triggered by a febrile rotavirus infection. Together with 7 additional published cases of these atypical patients, we emphasize that a neurodegenerative course can be an extreme outcome for a minority of patients with Sjögren-Larsson syndrome.
Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Spirituality and Perceived Ability to Provide Spiritual Care: A Mixed-Method Study
Authors: O’Connell-Persaud Shannon , Isaacson Mary J.
Published: July 2021

Study purpose: This study's purpose was to explore nursing students’ spirituality and perceived ability to provide spiritual care. Design and methods: A convergent mixed method, cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample included traditional nursing students in their second quarter ( n = 53) and final quarter ( n = 43) attending a faith-based university and accelerated final quarter nursing students ( n = 45) attending a private secular university from two accredited nursing programs. Quantitative data were analyzed using a pairwise Spearman rank correlation and multivariate analysis of variance. Open-ended questions were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Quantitatively, as a student's spirituality increases, their perceived ability to provide spiritual care decreases. Qualitative findings revealed three categories: guidance to recognize spiritual needs, empathy and openness, and intertwined with religion. Conclusion: Quantitatively, nursing students reported their spirituality did not influence their perceived ability to provide spiritual care. Yet, qualitatively, students reported their spirituality assisted in their ability to provide spiritual care. However, students were unable to differentiate between spirituality and religion. Colleges of nursing need to ensure students learn the art of holistic nursing, which includes spirituality and religion along with opportunities to apply and reflect on their spirituality and perceived ability to provide spiritual care.
Introduction: Moral and Market disordering in the time of Covid-19
Authors: Crichlow Michaeline A , Philipsen Dirk
Published: July 2021

This special issue composed of essays that brainstorm the triadic relationship between Covid-19, Race and the Markets, addresses the fundamentals of a world economic system that embeds market values within social and cultural lifeways. It penetrates deep into the insecurities and inequalities that have endured for several centuries, through liberalism for sure, and compounded ineluctably into these contemporary times. Market fundamentalism is thoroughly complicit with biopolitical sovereignty-its racializing socioeconomic projects, cheapens life given its obsessive focus on high growth, by any means necessary. If such precarity seemed normal even opaque to those privileged enough to reap the largess of capitalism and its political correlates, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic with its infliction of sickness and death has exposed the social and economic dehiscence undergirding wealth in the U.S. especially, and the world at large. The essays remind us of these fissures, offering ways to unthink this devastating spiral of growth, and embrace an unadulterated care centered system; one that offers a more open and relational approach to life with the planet. Care, then becomes the pursuit of a re-existence without domination, and the general toxicity that has accompanied a regimen of high growth. The contributors to this volume, join the growing global appeal to turn back from this disaster, and rethink how we relate to ourselves, to our neighbors here and abroad, and to the non-humans in order to dwell harmoniously within socionature.
Another economy calls for another perspective
Authors: Klamer Arjo
Published: July 2021

Economics makes sense of the economy. Another economy that may or may not come about in response to the Corona crisis will require another sense making. This article provides a possible alternative perspective, a value-based approach. It includes a model with five spheres that encourages a visualization and conceptualization of the economy beyond the market and governmental spheres that dominate the standard economic perspective. By including social and cultural spheres as well as the sphere of the oikos (home) we are encouraged to think of social arrangements, relationships and other “shared goods,” sense making, culture and other qualities of living. The exploration of another perspective includes two concrete proposals for alternative institutions to deal with problematic debts and creating work for people with limitations.
Research on the unified preview decision model for the longitudinal control of the intelligent vehicle
Authors: Hsin Guan , Fei He , Wengfeng Cui , Xin Jia
Published: July 2021

Aiming at the problems of heavy workload and unstable switching process caused by the design algorithm of separate working conditions in the existing longitudinal control strategy, this paper proposes a unified preview decision-making model, which imitates human driving behavior, and comprehensively decides the optimal longitudinal acceleration through safety, legality, and evaluation indicators; in addition, for the safe distance model based on kinematics analysis that has poor traffic efficiency and does not consider the driver’s driving habits, this paper proposes a safe distance model based on the driver’s preview characteristics and a safety judgment method based on predicted lanes; the human-vehicle-road closed-loop simulation test shows that the preview decision-making proposed in this paper can meet the expected acceleration decision of various traffic conditions. The safety distance model and safety judgment method based on the preview characteristics are scientific, reasonable, and effective.
Rituximab use in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: Indications, efficacy and safety in an Indian cohort
Authors: Sawhney Sujata , Agarwal Manjari
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Children with systemic lupus erythematosus have a more challenging and difficult course as compared to their adult counterparts. Today, the aim of therapy for any child with lupus is to keep the child in a state of sustained remission with minimal or no use of steroids. This laudable goal is often difficult to achieve for the child with lupus. In addition to the use of disease modifying agents, sometimes in combination, Rituximab (RTX) is also used as an off-label indication to manage such patients.

Objectives: To study the use, efficacy and safety of RTX in a cohort of patients with pediatric lupus followed at a single tertiary level center in Northern India.

Methods: This paper is a retrospective review looking at the use of RTX in children with systemic lupus at a tertiary level pediatric rheumatology center in North India over a period of seventeen years. This paper describes the indications, use, efficacy and safety of RTX in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus.

Results: RTX was used in 17 of 225 pediatric lupus patients (7.5%), with the most common indication being resistant renal disease (53%). Significant improvement was seen in all domains studied: The mean SLEDAI was 16.25 prior to RTX and reduced to 1.43 six months after the RTX (p value 0.001), steroid use dropped from 100% pre- RTX to 33% at 2 years, there was a sustained reduction in proteinuria in the patients with nephritis from a mean urine spot protein creatinine ratio of 3.1 pre RTX to 0.4 at one year post RTX (p= .006). Finally, 82% of the children had no flare during the follow up (median 24 months). No patient had any adverse event.

Conclusions: This study confirms that RTX is very effective in childhood lupus and can be safely used even in a country with a very high burden of infectious diseases. This data adds to the scarce literature in this area from the developing world.
A novel model-checking approach for dose-response relationships
Authors: Wu Shunyao , Li Xinmin , Xia Yu , Liang Hua
Published: July 2021

We propose a test for assessing nonlinear dose-response models based on a Crámer–von Mises statistic. We establish the asymptotic distribution of the test and demonstrate that the test can detect the local alternative converging to the null at the parametric rate [Formula: see text]. We provide a bootstrap resampling technique to calculate the critical values. It is observed that the test has good power performance in small sample sizes. We apply the proposed method to analyze 250 datasets from a pharmacologic study and conduct two small simulation experiments to explore the numerical performance of the proposed test and compare one commonly used test in practice.