bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance and impact of disposable and reusable respirators for healthcare workers during pandemic respiratory disease: a rapid evidence review
Authors: Burton Christopher , Coles Briana , Adisesh Anil , Smith Simon , Toomey Elaine , Chan Xin Hui S , Ross Lawrence , Greenhalgh Trisha
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To synthesise evidence concerning the range of filtering respirators suitable for patient care and guide the selection and use of different respirator types.

Design

Comparative analysis of international standards for respirators and rapid review of their performance and impact in healthcare.

Data sources

Websites of international standards organisations, Medline and Embase, hand-searching of references and citations.

Study selection

Studies of healthcare workers (including students) using disposable or reusable respirators with a range of designs. We examined respirator performance, clinician adherence and performance, comfort and impact, and perceptions of use.

Results

We included standards from eight authorities across Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australasia and 39 research studies. There were four main findings. First, international standards for respirators apply across workplace settings and are broadly comparable across jurisdictions. Second, effective and safe respirator use depends on proper fitting and fit testing. Third, all respirator types carry a burden to the user of discomfort and interference with communication which may limit their safe use over long periods; studies suggest that they have little impact on specific clinical skills in the short term but there is limited evidence on the impact of prolonged wearing. Finally, some clinical activities, particularly chest compressions, reduce the performance of filtering facepiece respirators.

Conclusion

A wide range of respirator types and models is available for use in patient care during respiratory pandemics. Careful consideration of performance and impact of respirators is needed to maximise protection of healthcare workers and minimise disruption to care.
Comparison of left ventricular rotational mechanics between term and extremely premature infants over the first week of age
Authors: Smith Aisling , Bussmann Neidin , Levy Phillip , Franklin Orla , McCallion Naomi , EL-Khuffash Afif
Published: January 2021

Objective

Left ventricle (LV) rotational mechanics is an emerging tool to characterise LV function, but warrants further evaluation in neonates. The aim of this study was to compare LV rotational mechanics between term and extremely preterm babies over the first week of age.

Methods

In this prospective study, we serially assessed LV rotational parameters in 50 term infants and compared them with a historical dataset of 50 preterm infants born <29 weeks gestation. LV basal and apical rotation, LV twist, LV twist/untwist rate and torsion were derived using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography at three time points over the first week of age.

Results

There was no change in LV twist, LV torsion, basal rotation or apical rotation in term infants over the study period (all p>0.05). LV twist and torsion were higher in preterm infants, and increased over time. In preterm infants, basal rotation evolved from anticlockwise to clockwise rotation. Apical rotation remained anticlockwise in both groups (all p>0.05). LV twist rate (LVTR) and untwist rate was higher in preterm infants and increased over the three time points (all p>0.05). There was a strong positive correlation between LV torsion and LV untwist rate (LVUTR) in the entire cohort during the third scan.

Conclusion

Term infants exhibit minimal LV twist which remains unchanged over the first week of age. This is in contrast to premature infants who demonstrate increasing indices of twist, torsion, LVTR and LVUTR over the first week, likely as a compensatory mechanism for reduced LV compliance.
Sex disparities in the presentation, management and outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome: insights from the ACS QUIK trial
Authors: Khraishah Haitham , Alahmad Barrak , Alfaddagh Abdulhamied , Jeong Sun Young , Mathenge Njambi , Kassab Mohamad Bassam , Kolte Dhaval , Michos Erin D , Albaghdadi Mazen
Published: January 2021

Aims

Our aim was to explore sex differences and inequalities in terms of medical management and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes in a low/middle-income country (LMIC), where reports are scarce.

Methods

We examined sex differences in presentation, management and clinical outcomes in 21 374 patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in Kerala, India enrolled in the Acute Coronary Syndrome Quality Improvement in Kerala trial. The main outcomes were the rates of in-hospital and 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) defined as composite of death, reinfarction, stroke and major bleeding. We fitted log Poisson multivariate random effects models to obtain the relative risks comparing women with men, and adjusted for clustering by centre and for age, CVD risk factors and cardiac presentation.

Results

A total of 5191 (24.3%) patients were women. Compared with men, women presenting with ACS were older (65±12 vs 58±12 years; p<0.001), more likely to have hypertension and diabetes. They also had longer symptom onset to hospital presentation time (median, 300 vs 238 min; p<0.001) and were less likely to receive primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (45.9% vs 49.8% of men, p<0.001). After adjustment, women were more likely to experience in-hospital (adjusted relative risk (RR)=1.53; 95% CI 1.32 to 1.77; p<0.001) and 30-day MACE (adjusted RR=1.39; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.57, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Women presenting with ACS in Kerala, India had greater burden of CVD risk factors, including hypertension and diabetes mellitus, longer delays in presentation, and were less likely to receive guideline-directed management. Women also had worse in-hospital and 30-day outcomes. Further efforts are needed to understand and reduce cardiovascular care disparities between men and women in LMICs.
Planning virtual residency interviews as a result of COVID-19: insight from residency applicants and physicians conducting interviews
Authors: Shreffler Jacob , Platt Melissa , Thé Selena , Huecker Martin
Published: January 2021

Background

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–2021 residency interview process will undergo significant changes. Residency programme stakeholders would benefit from knowledge on what students and physicians expect from this process.

Objective

The purpose of the study was to describe and contrast the perspectives of student applicants and interviewing physicians related to the residency programme virtual interview process.

Methods

A survey consisting of 24 Likert statements was administered across listservs in summer 2020 to physicians (attendings and residents who interview medical students). Medical students also received an anonymous survey and were recruited via email to participate.

Results

A total of 155 individuals (104 fourth-year medical students and 51 physicians) completed a survey. Results showed students would prefer in-person interviews over virtual. Residency applicants had high agreement on the limited ability to fully assess the programme and city due to virtual interviews. Individuals with lower step 1 scores had higher agreement on preferring in-person interviews. Individuals in the lowest and highest scoring groups appear more worried about the representation of themselves as a result of virtual interviews. Furthermore, applicants feel that more weight will be placed on steps 1 and 2 scores and class ranks, and they may not be able to fully demonstrate their personality compared with interviewers.

Conclusion

The result of COVID-19 has created challenges and subsequent reshuffling of medical education requiring careful preparation and planning. This study provides insight for residency programmes to better understand the applicants' expectations for the 2020–2021 residency interview and matching process.
Service reconfiguration in the department of hand surgery during the UK COVID-19 lockdown: Birmingham experience
Authors: Picardo Natasha Emma , Walker Harriet , Vanat Qureish , Nizar Bafiq , Madura Tomas , Jose Rajive
Published: January 2021

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the UK and had a major impact on healthcare services. The Birmingham hand centre, one of the largest hand trauma units in the country, underwent a dramatic service reconfiguration to enable robust and safe provision of care that would withstand the peak of the pandemic. Streamlining our service significantly reduced patient footfall and hospital admission while preventing intra-hospital viral transmission. Many of the changes implemented have been kept as permanent adjustments to our practice as this new model of care yields higher patient satisfaction and efficacy to withstand the pressures of further peaks in the pandemic.
Validation of a bioabsorbable device that seals perforations after Tuohy needle dural puncture in an ovine model
Authors: García-Vitoria Carles , García -Roselló Mireia , Reina Miguel A , De Andres Jose , Gutiérrez-Bautista Álvaro Jesús , Esteve Vicente , Boezaart Andre , Redondo Jose I
Published: January 2021

Background

We designed a device to close accidental dural puncture via the offending puncturing epidural needle directly after diagnosis of the puncture and before removing the needle. The aim of this study was to quantify this device’s ability to seal cerebrospinal fluid leakage.

Methods

Forty-six anesthetized adult sheep were studied in a single-blind randomized controlled fashion in two equal groups.

An intentional dural puncture was performed with an 18-gage Tuohy needle on all the sheep between L6 and S1 levels. Contrast medium was injected through the needle. Twenty-three animals receive treatment with the sealing device. Two minutes after device placement, or dural puncture in the control group, a CT scan was performed on the animals to estimate contrast material leakage. A region of interest (ROI) was defined as the region that enclosed the subarachnoid space, epidural space, and neuroforaminal canal (the vertebral body above and half of its equivalent height in sacrum below the puncture site). In this region, the total contrast volume and the volumes in the epidural space (EPIDURAL) were measured. The primary outcome measure was the EPIDURAL/ROI ratio to ascertain the proportion of intrathecally injected fluid that passed into the epidural space in both groups. The secondary outcomes were the total amount of contrast in the ROI and the EPIDURAL.

Results

The device was deployed successfully in all but two instances, where it suffered from manufacturing defects.

Leakage was less in the study group (1.0 vs 1.4 mL, p=0.008). The median EPIDURAL/ROI ratio was likewise less in the study group (29 vs 46; p=0.013; 95% CI (−27 to –3.5)).

Conclusion

This novel dural puncture-sealing device, also envisaged to be used in other comparable iatrogenic leakage scenarios to be identified in the future, was able to reduce the volume of cerebrospinal fluid that leaked into the epidural space after dural puncture. The device is possibly a valuable way of preventing fluid leakage immediately after the recognition of membrane puncture.
Renin-angiotensin system blocker and outcomes of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lee Hyun Woo , Yoon Chang-Hwan , Jang Eun Jin , Lee Chang-Hoon
Published: January 2021

Background

The association of ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) with disease severity of patients with COVID-19 is still unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate if ACEI/ARB use is associated with the risk of mortality and severe disease in patients with COVID-19.

Methods

We searched all available clinical studies that included patients with confirmed COVID-19 who could be classified into an ACEI/ARB group and a non-ACEI/ARB group up until 4 May 2020. A meta-analysis was performed, and primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and severe disease.

Results

ACEI/ARB use did not increase the risk of all-cause mortality both in meta-analysis for 11 studies with 12 601 patients reporting ORs (OR=0.52 (95% CI=0.37 to 0.72), moderate certainty of evidence) and in 2 studies with 8577 patients presenting HRs. For 12 848 patients in 13 studies, ACEI/ARB use was not related to an increased risk of severe disease in COVID-19 (OR=0.68 (95% CI=0.44 to 1.07); I
2
=95%, low certainty of evidence).

Conclusions

ACEI/ARB therapy was not associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality or severe manifestations in patients with COVID-19. ACEI/ARB therapy can be continued without concern of drug-related worsening in patients with COVID-19.
Assessing the impact of the 13 valent pneumococcal vaccine on childhood empyema in Australia
Authors: Strachan Roxanne , Homaira Nusrat , Beggs Sean , Bhuiyan Mejbah U , Gilbert Gwendolyn L , Lambert Stephen B , Macartney Kristine , Marshall Helen , Martin Andrew C , McCallum Gabrielle B , McCullagh Angela , McDonald Tim , McIntyre Peter , Oftadeh Shahin , Ranganathan Sarath , Suresh Sadasivam , Wainwright Claire E , Wilson Angela , Wong Melanie , Snelling Thomas , Jaffé Adam
Published: January 2021

Background

Empyema is a serious complication of pneumonia frequently caused by
Streptococcus pneumoniae
(SP). We assessed the impact of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13vPCV) on childhood pneumonia and empyema after inclusion in the Australian National Immunisation Program.

Methods

For bacterial pneumonia and empyema hospitalisations, we ascertained incidence rates (IRs) using the National Hospital Morbidity Database International Statistical Classification of Disease discharge codes and relevant population denominators, and calculated incidence rate ratios (IRR) comparing the 13vPCV period (June 2012–May 2017) with the 7vPCV period (June 2007–May 2011). Blood and pleural fluid (PF) cultures and PF PCR of 401 children with empyema from 11 Australian hospitals during the 13vPCV period were compared with our previous study in the 7vPCV period.

Findings

Across 7vPCV and 13vPCV periods, IRs per million children (95% CIs) were 1605 (1588 to 1621) and 1272 (1259 to 1285) for bacterial pneumonia, and 14.23 (12.67 to 15.79) and 17.89 (16.37 to 19.42) for empyema hospitalisations. IRRs were 0.79 (0.78 to 0.80) for bacterial pneumonia and 1.25 (1.09 to 1.44) for empyema. Of 161 empyema cases with SP serotypes, 147 (91.3%) were vaccine types. ST3 accounted for 76.4% of identified serotypes in the 13vPCV period, more than double than the 7vPCV period (p<0.001); ST19A decreased from 36.4% to 12.4%. No cases of ST1 empyema were identified in the 13vPCV period versus 14.5% in the 7vPCV period.

Interpretation

13vPCV resulted in a significant reduction in all-cause hospitalisations for bacterial pneumonia but empyema hospitalisations significantly increased, with emergence of pneumococcal ST3 as the dominant serotype in empyema.

Trial registration number

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN 12614000354684.
Gravitational form factors of a baryon with spin-3/2
Authors: Kim June-Young , Sun Bao-Dong
Published: January 2021

The energy–momentum tensor (EMT) for a spin-3/2 baryon is related to seven mechanical quantities. In this work, we provide the general form of the gravitational form factors (GFFs) for a spin-3/2 baryon by using the multipole expansion and interesting relations between the EMT densities and the GFFs. To verify those general relations, we study the nucleon and the $$\Delta $$
Δ
GFFs within the SU(2) Skyrme model based on the large $$N_{c}$$

N
c

limit.
Learning multivariate new physics
Authors: D’Agnolo Raffaele Tito , Grosso Gaia , Pierini Maurizio , Wulzer Andrea , Zanetti Marco
Published: January 2021

We discuss a method that employs a multilayer perceptron to detect deviations from a reference model in large multivariate datasets. Our data analysis strategy does not rely on any prior assumption on the nature of the deviation. It is designed to be sensitive to small discrepancies that arise in datasets dominated by the reference model. The main conceptual building blocks were introduced in D’Agnolo and Wulzer (Phys Rev D 99 (1), 015014. 10.1103/PhysRevD.99.015014. arXiv:1806.02350 [hep-ph], 2019). Here we make decisive progress in the algorithm implementation and we demonstrate its applicability to problems in high energy physics. We show that the method is sensitive to putative new physics signals in di-muon final states at the LHC. We also compare our performances on toy problems with the ones of alternative methods proposed in the literature.
Numerical treatment for solving a model of non-Newtonian Casson fluid flow over an extensible sheet based on maritime field
Authors: Ghoneim Nourhan I.
Published: January 2021

A numerical solution for steady-state, incompressible, laminar Casson fluid flow and heat transfer in the combined region of a boundary layer is presented for the case of mixed convection and slip velocity. Before introducing the present technique of non-Newtonian Casson model, reviewing the literature has been carefully performed, an improved technique for this model is studied, which has not been previously reported. The presented analysis involves the harness of a magnetic field, viscous dissipation, internal heat generation/absorption and the slip velocity. Finite difference method (FDM) has been used to get an accurate and complete numerical solution. In this novel study, it is proved by means of a finite difference technique, that the velocity and the thermal field may be influenced with the presence of mixed convection phenomenon. The results show that both the fluid velocity and temperature may be predicted from the values of the controlling parameters. Finally, the graphical output reveals that the fluid velocity is diminished by strengthening both the Hartman number and the Casson parameter while the reverse characteristics are observed for the Grashof number.
CAFFNet: Channel Attention and Feature Fusion Network for Multi-target Traffic Sign Detection
Authors: Liu Feng , Qian Yurong , Li Hua , Wang Yongqiang , Zhang Hao
Published: January 2021

The fact that the existing traffic sign images are easily affected by external factors, and the traffic signs are generally small targets on the images at different scales, has made it difficult in feature extraction when doing traffic sign detection. To achieve better detection results, a multi-target traffic sign detection method with channel attention and feature fusion network (CAFFNet in short) is proposed. This method effectively learns the correlation between feature channels through a lightweight channel attention network, realizes local cross-channel interaction without dimensionality reduction, and enhances the representation ability of the network. The feature pyramid network is used to achieve feature fusion and generate high-resolution multiscale semantic information. The dilated convolution is utilized to capture the multiscale context information to narrow the difference between features and improve the detection effect of the model. The experimental results show that the proposed method on the two datasets GTSDB and CTSD has achieved superior performance in the evaluation criteria compared with the existing detection algorithms.
Non-vacuum relativistic extensions of MOND using metric theories of gravity with curvature–matter couplings and their applications to the accelerated expansion of the universe without dark components
Authors: Barrientos Ernesto , Bernal Tula , Mendoza Sergio
Published: January 2021

We discuss the advantages of using metric theories of gravity with curvature–matter couplings in order to construct a relativistic generalization of the simplest version of Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND), where Tully–Fisher scalings are valid for a wide variety of astrophysical objects. We show that these proposals are valid at the weakest perturbation order for trajectories of massive and massless particles (photons). These constructions can be divided into local and non-local metric theories of gravity with curvature–matter couplings. Using the simplest two local constructions in an FLRW universe for dust, we show that there is no need for the introduction of dark matter and dark energy components into the Friedmann equation in order to account for type Ia supernovae observations of an accelerated universe at the present epoch.
Supercoherent states, simplest supergroups and associated supergeometries
Authors: Cirilo-Lombardo Diego Julio
Published: January 2021

In this paper, geometries and supergeometries are analyzed from the point of view of the coset coherent states. To this end, before detailing the different factorizations of the simplest cosets, the dynamics and structure of Supercoherent states of the Klauder–Perelomov type (that are defined taking into account the geometry of the coset based on the simplest supergroup [Formula: see text] in the context of extensions of the standard model that were given previously in [A. B. Arbuzov and D. J. Cirilo-Lombardo, Phys. Scr. 94 (2019) 125302] as structural basis of the electroweak sector of the standard model (SM)) are used. The supergeometrical descriptions with such coherent superstates which uses group representation from [Y. Ne’eman, S. Sternberg and D. Fairlie, Phys. Rept. 406 (2005) 303–377] for a beyond SM model, are also defined for the noncompact case [Formula: see text]
Magnifying elements in linear transformation semigroups with restricted range which nullity or co-rank are infinite
Authors: Prakitsri Pongsan
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we characterize left (right) magnifying elements in the semigroups of linear transformations with restricted range which nullity or co-rank are infinite. Furthermore, we also show that every left (right) magnifier in these semigroups is very good.
Modeling and optimal control analysis of malaria epidemic in the presence of temperature variability
Authors: Keno Temesgen Duressa , Obsu Legesse Lemecha , Makinde Oluwole Daniel
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we propose and analyze a nonlinear deterministic malaria disease model for the impact of temperature variability on malaria epidemics. Firstly, we analyzed the invariant region and the positivity solution of the model. The basic reproduction number with respect to disease free-equilibrium is calculated by the next-generation matrix method. The local stability and global stability of the equilibrium points are shown using the Routh–Hurwitz criterion and the Lyapunov function, respectively. A disease-free equilibrium point is globally asymptotically stable if the basic reproduction number is less than one and endemic equilibrium exists otherwise. Moreover, we have shown the sensitivity analysis of the basic reproduction number and the model exhibits forward and backward bifurcation. Secondly, we apply the optimal control theory to describe the model with incorporates three controls, namely using treated bed nets, treatment of infected with anti-malaria drugs and for vector killing using insecticide spray strategy. Pontraygin’s maximum principle is introduced to obtain the necessary condition for the optimal control problem. Finally, the simulation result of optimal control problem and analysis of cost-effectiveness show that a combination of using treated bed nets and treatment is the most effective and least-cost strategy to prevent the malaria disease.
An Exergetic Model for the Ambient Air Temperature Impacts on the Combined Power Plants and its Management Using the Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Khajehpour Hossein , Norouzi Nima , Fani Maryam
Published: January 2021

4E analysis is used on a Brayton–Rankine combined cycle power plant (CCPP) with a dual pressure heat recovery steam generation (HRSG) system. A multi-objective genetic-based evolutionary optimization has been used to estimate the most optimal exergy efficiency status, exergy cost reduction, carbon emission reduction, and NOx emission reduction. For the validation of the data, the simulation results are compared with the plant’s data. This study investigates the effect of every decisive parameter on the objective performance parameters of the CCPP. The primary estimated results are the emission rates, efficiencies, and the exergoeconomic cost of the system. At the optimum operational state, the exergy efficiency may increase by 10%, while the total emissions may decrease by 14.6%. The conventional technical measures’ effectiveness to improve the combined cycle power plant’s energy performance is applied to the simulated case study. Results have shown that the main source of the exergy destruction in this system is the HRSG and the combustion chamber, and also the overall performance of the plant shows great sensitivity to the ambient air temperature. This fact has shown that climate change and global warming are effective in thermal power plants’ performance. Therefore, the effect of the climate change on the ambient air temperature impact on the power plant and the 4E performance of the simulated combined cycle power plant is also studied. The results show that, due to the global warming effect, the exergy efficiency of the CCPP unit is decreased by over 0.2% in the last two decades, which can be generalized to all thermal electricity generation units throughout the world based on the mean global temperature rise in the last decades.
Chapter 2.3 Dronning Maud Land Jurassic volcanism: volcanology and petrology
Authors: Luttinen Arto V.
Published: January 2021

The Jurassic igneous rocks of Dronning Maud Land represent Karoo flood basalt magmatism in Antarctica. Fifty years of research has documented systematic differences between magmas associated with the Karoo rift-zone (Vestfjella and Ahlmannryggen) and the rift-shoulder (Sembberget, Kirwanveggen) settings. The 189–182 Ma rift-zone tholeiites were chemically diverse and mainly formed compound-braided flow fields which record several magnetic polarity reversals. In contrast, the
c.
181 Ma rift-shoulder tholeiites were chemically uniform and formed thick tabular sheet lavas within a single normal polarity period. The volcanic architecture records a long initial phase of slow eruptions from shield volcanoes in the initial rift and a brief phase of voluminous fissure eruptions flooding the rift shoulder. All of the major magma types in the rift-zone and rift-shoulder settings belong to a Nb-depleted category of Karoo flood basalts and were mainly derived from depleted convective upper mantle by magmatic differentiation. Pyroxenite-rich mantle components may have been significant sources for the most enriched magma types. Geochemical fingerprints of recycled crustal material imply that the Nb-depleted Karoo tholeiites may have been derived from mildly subduction-modified parts of the same overall upper-mantle reservoir which has been associated with the Ferrar tholeiites.
Emoji-powered Sentiment and Emotion Detection from Software Developers’ Communication Data
Authors: Chen Zhenpeng , Cao Yanbin , Yao Huihan , Lu Xuan , Peng Xin , Mei Hong , Liu Xuanzhe
Published: January 2021

Sentiment and emotion detection from textual communication records of developers have various application scenarios in software engineering (SE). However, commonly used off-the-shelf sentiment/emotion detection tools cannot obtain reliable results in SE tasks and misunderstanding of technical knowledge is demonstrated to be the main reason. Then researchers start to create labeled SE-related datasets manually and customize SE-specific methods. However, the scarce labeled data can cover only very limited lexicon and expressions. In this article, we employ emojis as an instrument to address this problem. Different from manual labels that are provided by annotators, emojis are self-reported labels provided by the authors themselves to intentionally convey affective states and thus are suitable indications of sentiment and emotion in texts. Since emojis have been widely adopted in online communication, a large amount of emoji-labeled texts can be easily accessed to help tackle the scarcity of the manually labeled data. Specifically, we leverage Tweets and GitHub posts containing emojis to learn representations of SE-related texts through emoji prediction. By predicting emojis containing in each text, texts that tend to surround the same emoji are represented with similar vectors, which transfers the sentiment knowledge contained in emoji usage to the representations of texts. Then we leverage the sentiment-aware representations as well as manually labeled data to learn the final sentiment/emotion classifier via transfer learning. Compared to existing approaches, our approach can achieve significant improvement on representative benchmark datasets, with an average increase of 0.036 and 0.049 in macro-F1 in sentiment and emotion detection, respectively. Further investigations reveal that the large-scale Tweets make a key contribution to the power of our approach. This finding informs future research not to unilaterally pursue the domain-specific resource but try to transform knowledge from the open domain through ubiquitous signals such as emojis. Finally, we present the open challenges of sentiment and emotion detection in SE through a qualitative analysis of texts misclassified by our approach.
Use of Circulating Cell-Free DNA to Guide Precision Medicine in Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Morris Van K. , Strickler John H.
Published: January 2021

Patient-specific biomarkers form the foundation of precision medicine strategies. To realize the promise of precision medicine in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), access to cost-effective, convenient, and safe assays is critical. Improvements in diagnostic technology have enabled ultrasensitive and specific assays to identify cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from a routine blood draw. Clinicians are already employing these minimally invasive assays to identify drivers of therapeutic resistance and measure genomic heterogeneity, particularly when tumor tissue is difficult to access or serial sampling is necessary. As cfDNA diagnostic technology continues to improve, more innovative applications are anticipated. In this review, we focus on four clinical applications for cfDNA analysis in the management of CRC: detecting minimal residual disease, monitoring treatment response in the metastatic setting, identifying drivers of treatment sensitivity and resistance, and guiding therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance.
Review—Influence of Processing Parameters to Control Morphology and Optical Properties of Sol-Gel Synthesized ZnO Nanoparticles
Authors: Arya Sandeep , Mahajan Prerna , Mahajan Sarika , Khosla Ajit , Datt Ram , Gupta Vinay , Young Sheng-Joue , Oruganti Sai Kiran
Published: January 2021

ZnO has several potential applications into its credit. This review article focuses on the influence of processing parameters involved during the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles by sol-gel method. During the sol-gel synthesis technique, the processing parameters/experimental conditions can affect the properties of the synthesized material. Processing parameters are the operating conditions that are to be kept under consideration during the synthesis process of nanoparticles so that various properties exhibited by the resulting nanoparticles can be tailored according to the desired applications. Effect of parameters like pH of the sol, additives used (like capping agent, surfactant), the effect of annealing temperature and calcination on the morphology and the optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles prepared via sol-gel technique is analyzed in this study. In this study, we tried to brief the experimental investigations done by various researchers to analyze the influence of processing parameters on ZnO nanoparticles. This study will provide a platform to understand and establish a correlation between the experimental conditions and properties of ZnO nanoparticles prepared through sol-gel route which will be helpful in meeting the desired needs in various application areas.
Microglia and bradykinin cross talk in poststroke cognitive impairment in diabetes
Authors: Barić Anja , Dobrivojević Radmilović Marina
Published: January 2021

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and the leading cause of long-term disability worldwide. Although cognitive impairment is a common consequence of stroke, the underlying pathophysiological processes that lead to it are still poorly understood. Recently, more studies have shown evidence of the involvement of diabetes in producing a chronic neuroinflammatory state, which ultimately alters the recovery of function and cognition after stroke. To better understand the impact of diabetes on poststroke recovery, here we highlight the recent insights on the role of diabetes in neuroinflammation, especially regarding its effect on microglial function, and the emerging data on the involvement of kinins in both diabetes and neuroinflammation.
Estimating Macrofracture Toughness of Sandstone Based on Nanoindentation
Authors: Zhou Zilong , Lei Boxiang , Cai Xin , Rui Yichao
Published: January 2021

An upscaling method for estimating macrofracture toughness by nanoindentation results was proposed in this study. Grid nanoindentation tests were conducted on sandstone samples to obtain micromechanical properties of indents, including elastic modulus, hardness, and stiffness. Multifactor cluster analysis was then carried out to categorize the sandstone into five mechanical phases. Finally, the macrofracture toughness was predicted by using the macroelastic modulus of the sample and the critical energy release rate of the weakest phase. To verify this method, the upscaling result was compared with the macrofracture toughness measured by the notched semicircular bending (NSCB) test. The discrepancy in the macrofracture toughness from our method and the NSCB test was 8.8%, which was acceptable. Also, it is proved that our method can provide more accurate upscaling results compared to other methods.
Optimizing Network Controllability with Minimum Cost
Authors: Wang Xiao , Xiang Linying
Published: January 2021

In this paper, the issue of optimally modifying the structure of a directed network to guarantee its structural controllability is investigated. Given a directed network, in order to obtain a structurally controllable system, a framework for finding the minimum number of directed edges that need to be added to the network is proposed. After we get these edge‐addition configurations, we further calculate the network cost of each optimization scheme and choose the one with the minimum cost. Our main contribution is twofold: first, we provide an algorithm able to find all optimal network modifications in polynomial time; second, we provide a way to calculate the cost of optimizing the network based on the node betweenness. Numerical simulations are given to illustrate the theoretical results.
Nonlinear Dynamics of Cournot Duopoly Game: When One Firm Considers Social Welfare
Authors: Askar S. S. , Elsadany A. A.
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we study the competition between two firms whose outputs are quantities. The first firm considers maximization of its profit while the second firm considers maximization of its social welfare. Adopting a gradient-based mechanism, we introduce a nonlinear discrete dynamic map which is used to describe the dynamics of this game. For this map, the fixed points are calculated and their stability conditions are analyzed. This includes investigating some attracting set and chaotic behaviors for the complex dynamics of the map. We have also investigated the types of the preimages that characterize the phase plane of the map and conclude that the game’s map is noninvertible of type

Z

4

−

Z

2

.
Measures of Adiposity and Risk of Testing Positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the UK Biobank Study
Authors: Christensen Rebecca A. G. , Sturrock Shelby L. , Arneja Jasleen , Brooks Jennifer D.
Published: January 2021

Objective. To assess if body mass index (BMI) and high waist circumference (HWC) are associated with testing positive for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods. 9,386 UK Biobank study participants tested for SARS-CoV-2 from March 16th 2020 to June 29th 2020 were analyzed. A forward model building approach was used to estimate adjusted risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Analyses were stratified by age due to a significant first-order interaction between age and HWC. Results. Approximately 17% (n = 1,577) of participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. BMI category had a linear association with testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 among participants <65 years (RR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.02–1.17). For participants ≥65 years, only obesity class II (RR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.10–1.74) had a significantly greater risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 than those who were underweight/normal weight. While HWC was not associated with testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 in those <65 years, having an HWC was associated with an increased risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 in participants ≥65 years (RR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.00–1.27). Conclusion. The associations of BMI and HWC with testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 differed by age. Notably, HWC was associated with testing positive in those ≥65 years, but not those who were younger, independent of BMI. This suggests that measures of adiposity in addition to BMI may be used to identify older individuals at greater risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Initial Whole-Genome Sequencing of Plasma Cell Neoplasms in First Responders and Recovery Workers Exposed to the World Trade Center Attack of September 11, 2001
Authors: Maura Francesco , Diamond Benjamin , Maclachlan Kylee H. , Derkach Andriy , Yellapantula Venkata D. , Rustad Even H. , Hultcrantz Malin , Shah Urvi A. , Hong Jessica , Landau Heather J. , Iacobuzio-Donahue Christine A. , Papaemmanuil Elli , Irby Shani , Crowley Laura , Crane Michael , Webber Mayris P. , Goldfarb David G. , Zeig-Owens Rachel , Giricz Orsi , Verma Amit , Prezant David J. , Dogan Ahmet , Shah Sohrab P. , Zhang Yanming , Landgren Ola
Published: January 2021

Purpose:

The World Trade Center (WTC) attack of September 11, 2001 created an unprecedented environmental exposure to known and suspected carcinogens. High incidence of multiple myeloma and precursor conditions has been reported among first responders to the WTC disaster. To expand on our prior screening studies, and to characterize the genomic impact of the exposure to known and potential carcinogens in the WTC debris, we were motivated to perform whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of WTC first responders and recovery workers who developed a plasma cell disorder after the attack.

Experimental Design:

We performed WGS of nine CD138-positive bone marrow mononuclear samples from patients who were diagnosed with plasma cell disorders after the WTC disaster.

Results:

No significant differences were observed in comparing the post-WTC driver and mutational signature landscapes with 110 previously published WGSs from 56 patients with multiple myeloma and the CoMMpass WGS cohort (n = 752). Leveraging constant activity of the single-base substitution mutational signatures 1 and 5 over time, we estimated that tumor-initiating chromosomal gains were windowed to both pre- and post-WTC exposure.

Conclusions:

Although limitations in sample size preclude any definitive conclusions, our findings suggest that the observed increased incidence of plasma cell neoplasms in this population is due to complex and heterogeneous effects of the WTC exposure that may have initiated or contributed to progression of malignancy.
Early Discontinuation of Endocrine Therapy and Recurrence of Breast Cancer among Premenopausal Women
Authors: Collin Lindsay J. , Cronin-Fenton Deirdre P. , Ahern Thomas P. , Goodman Michael , McCullough Lauren E. , Waller Lance A. , Kjærsgaard Anders , Damkier Per , Christiansen Peer M. , Ejlertsen Bent , Jensen Maj-Britt , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Lash Timothy L.
Published: January 2021

Purpose:

Premenopausal women diagnosed with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer are prescribed 5–10 years of endocrine therapy to prevent or delay recurrence. In this study, we evaluated the association between early discontinuation of endocrine therapy and breast cancer recurrence in a cohort of premenopausal women.

Experimental Design:

We identified 4,503 patients with premenopausal ER-positive breast cancer who initiated adjuvant endocrine therapy and were registered in the Danish Breast Cancer Group clinical database (2002–2011). Women were excluded if they had a recurrence or were lost to follow-up less than 1.5 years after breast cancer surgery. Endocrine therapy was considered complete if the patient received at least 4.5 years of treatment or discontinued medication less than 6 months before recurrence. Exposure status was updated annually and modeled as a time-dependent variable. We accounted for baseline and time-varying confounders via time-varying weights, which we calculated from multivariable logistic regression models, and included in regression models to estimate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associating early discontinuation with recurrence.

Results:

Over the study follow-up, 1,001 (22%) women discontinued endocrine therapy. We observed 202 (20%) recurrences among those who discontinued endocrine therapy, and 388 (11%) among those who completed the recommended treatment. The multivariable-adjusted estimated rate of recurrence was higher in women who discontinued endocrine therapy relative to those who completed their treatment (hazard ratio, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.25–2.14).

Conclusions:

These results highlight the importance of clinical follow-up and behavioral interventions that support persistence of adjuvant endocrine therapy to prevent breast cancer recurrence.
Application of Percutaneous Holmium Laser Lithotripsy in the Treatment of Bladder Calculi with Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction or Pelvic Joint Disease
Authors: Yang Xingguo , Huang Pinxin , Cao Jun , Cao Zhixiu , Nie Yong
Published: January 2021

Objective: The aim was to summarize the experience of percutaneous holmium laser lithotripsy in the treatment of bladder calculi with lower urinary tract obstruction or pelvic joint disease in our hospital, explore its efficacy and safety, and improve the minimally invasive surgical technique for bladder calculi. Methods: The clinical data of 61 patients with bladder calculi combined with lower urinary tract obstructive diseases, including urethral stricture, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and bladder neck contracture or pelvic joint diseases in our hospital from 2017 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients with bladder stones measuring 1.5–9 cm were placed in supine or lithotomy position. B-scan was conducted to locate the puncture above the pubic symphysis, establishing a 16–30 Fr bladder channel, and Lumenis holmium laser lithotripsy was subsequently performed through a Li Xun Nephroscope. The crushed stones were flushed out through the percutaneous bladder channel or taken out with foreign body forceps. After surgery, the cystostomy tube was indwelled for 3 days. Results: All the 61 cases were operated successfully with an average lithotripsy time of 25 min, and there was no conversion to open surgery. Postoperative reexamination showed neither residual calculi nor complications such as severe infection, massive hemorrhage, and intestinal injury. Conclusion: Percutaneous holmium laser lithotripsy is an improved minimally invasive surgical technique for the treatment of bladder calculi with the advantages of clear surgical field, high stone removal efficiency, less trauma, low-pressure bladder perfusion, and low incidence of accessory injury and infection. For patients with lower urinary tract obstructive disease resulting in obstruction of transurethral surgery and patients with pelvic joint disease resulting in difficult lithotomy position placement, this procedure is more advantageous than transurethral surgery. It is also suitable for bladder calculus with a long diameter >5 cm or multiple calculi.
Growth of Intramedullary Spinal Cord Dermoid Cyst from a Congenital Thoracic Dermal Sinus Tract after Negative Screening Ultrasound Imaging
Authors: Coulthard Liam G. , Vonhoff Craig Robert , Badran Ahmad M. , Robertson Thomas E. , Wood Martin J.
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Intramedullary thoracic dermoid cysts are rare lesions that are associated with dermal sinus tracts (DSTs). Current recommendations advocate for imaging-based screening of suspected DSTs shortly after birth to exclude associated inclusion lesions. Case Presentation: A 6-year-old male child presented with a 2-week history of progressive ataxia, lower limb weakness, and hyperreflexia. He was suspected to have a thoracic DST at birth, though initial screening ultrasound was negative for an inclusion lesion or intradural tract. On representation, MRI demonstrated a 3.9-cm intramedullary thoracic dermoid cyst causing significant spinal cord compression. Intraoperatively, a DST extending intradurally was found. The associated dermoid cyst was removed via intracapsular resection. Conclusions: Whilst dermoid cysts are presumed to progressively develop from DSTs, to our knowledge, this is the first case in English literature documenting a thoracic spinal cord intramedullary dermoid cyst following a negative screening ultrasound for a suspected DST. We use this case to highlight the false-negative rates associated with postnatal screening and advocate for early neurosurgical referral of suspected DSTs, regardless of imaging findings.
Acute Mesenteric Infarction: The Chameleon of Acute Abdomen Evaluating the Quality of the Diagnostic Parameters in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia
Authors: Grotelueschen Rainer , Miller Verena , Heidelmann Lena M. , Melling Nathaniel , Ghadban Tarik , Grupp Katharina , Reeh Matthias , Welte Maria-Noemi , Uzunoglu Faik Güntac , Izbicki Jakob R. , Bachmann Kai A.
Published: January 2021

Introduction/Objective: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is difficult to diagnose. Since the established parameters have low sensitivity and specificity, the aim of this study is to analyze the diagnostic quality of the established parameters of AMI. Methods: All patients that underwent emergency surgery due to suspected diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf between 2008 and 2014 were evaluated. Overall, 275 patients were enrolled and pre-, intra- and postoperative data were evaluated. Results: In 200 patients, a mesenteric ischemia was confirmed intraoperatively, and 75 patients had no ischemia. Comparing these groups, the rate of patients with pH < 7.2 (25 vs. 12%; p = 0.021) and elevated mean CRP level (175 ± 117 mg/L vs. 139 ± 104 mg/L; p = 0.019) was significantly higher in ischemic patients. There was no significant difference in the level of preoperative lactate. Concerning abdominal CT scan, a sensitivity and specificity of 61 and 68%, respectively, was found. Conclusion: New diagnostic parameters are needed. So far, explorative laparotomy is the only reliable diagnostic method to detect mesenteric infarction.