bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Italian species of the Chthonius ischnocheles group (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae), with reference to neighbouring countries1
Authors: GARDINI GIULIO
Published: June 2021

A taxonomic revision and a key to the Chthonius C.L. Koch, 1843 species of the ischnocheles group from Italy, with records from neighbouring countries, are provided. The following new species are described: Chthonius gallettii n. sp. (♂, locus typicus: Sicily, Ragusa Province, Ragusa, Grotta delle Lame 6009 Si/RG), Chthonius gentianae n. sp. (♂, Veneto, Treviso Province, Fregona, Pian del Cansiglio, Bus della Genziana 1000 V/TV), Chthonius herminii n. sp. (♂♀, Veneto, Treviso Province, Cavaso del Tomba, Costalunga, Speoncia del Diaol 1811 V/TV); Chthonius inguscioi n. sp. (♂♀, Apulia, Lecce Province, Presicce, Grotta Madonna della Rutta 533 Pu/LE), Chthonius lanai n. sp. (♂♀, Piedmont, Cuneo Province, Bernezzo, Pertus d’la Kassetta 1323 Pi/CN), Chthonius marciai n. sp. (♂, Sardinia, Nuoro Province, Dorgali, Grotta del Bue Marino 12 Sa/NU) and Chthonius nicolosii n. sp. (♂♀, Sicily, Catania Province, Nicolosi, Grotta Lunga 1029 Si/CT). The following new subjective synonymies are proposed: Chthonius malatestai Callaini, 1980 n. syn. of C. agazzii Beier, 1966; Chthonius ruffoi Caporiacco, 1951 n. syn. of C. densedentatus Beier, 1938; Chthonius mingazzinii Callaini, 1991 n. syn. of C. euganeus Gardini, 1991; Obisium megachelum Amary, 1840 n. syn. of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804); Chthonius dalmatinus Hadži, 1930 n. syn. of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804); Chthonius litoralis Hadži, 1933 n. syn. of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804); Chthonius rhodochelatus Hadži, 1937 of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804) (rest. syn.). Chthonius horridus Beier, 1934 (n. stat.) is upgraded from subspecies of C. doderoi Beier, 1930 and Chthonius reductus Beier, 1939 (n. stat.) from subspecies of C. ischnocheles (Hermann, 1804). A lectotype is designated for Chthonius rayi L. Koch, 1873. Twenty-eight species of Chthonius of the ischnocheles group are known at present from Italy, of which three are endemic to Sicily and two to Sardinia. New country records are established for Chthonius alpicola Beier, 1951 (Croatia and Slovenia); Chthonius guglielmii Callaini, 1986 (mainland France), Chthonius halberti Kew, 1916 and Chthonius ilvensis Beier, 1963 (Corsica); Chthonius pygmaeus Beier, 1934 (Switzerland), and Chthonius densedentatus Beier, 1938 (France, Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania and Greece).
Analysis of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Elastography in the Diagnosis of Benign and Malignant Apocrine Breast Tumors
Authors: Lu Qin , Sun Huihui , Yu Qian , Tang Dongdong
Published: June 2021

In the past thirty years, breast cancer in women has continued to rise. The age of onset for women has become lower. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can clearly show the blood perfusion and neovascularization of breast masses. Elastography provides information on the stiffness of
tissues. The combination of them shows a good advantage in the various early diagnosis of breast cancer. The combined electrograph can distinguish benign and malignant apocrine breast tumors. The shear wave electrograph (SWE) combined with CEUS has the strongest consistency in the diagnosis
and pathology of breast benign tumors. When they were diagnosed separately, it was found that SWE has higher diagnostic value than CEUS; the quantitative diagnosis of SWE is slightly higher than the qualitative diagnosis, and the qualitative diagnosis of CEUS is higher than the quantitative
diagnosis. Both SWE and CEUS are valuable in the diagnosis of benign and malignant apocrine breast tumor when combined treatment is made.
Clinical Application of Direct Radiographic Image in the Repair of Oral Cleft Pulpitis
Authors: Zheng Rongyu , Du Yueying , Xu Chen , Sun Yuchen
Published: June 2021

Cleft pulpitis is a clinically common oral disease. The teeth in the early stage mainly show small cracks. The patient has no obvious discomfort and is difficult to observe with the naked eye. At present, root canal treatment is the main method for clinical treatment of cracked pulpitis,
which means that the source of the medullary cavity is removed, and then the root canal is closed by filling with materials. Traditional root canal treatment of cracked pulpitis needs to be divided into multiple times. In order to determine the best clinical effect of root canal treatment
for patients with cracked pulpitis, they are treated with different treatment methods. In this article, we selected patients with repaired cleft pulpitis as the research object, all patients underwent radiographic imaging examination, and observed the crown, root, and root canal of the patients,
and selected the most appropriate treatment according to the details of the patients. The results show that in the research process, using direct-view radiography can determine the lesion more clearly than traditional X-ray imaging technology, and assist in the completion of tooth root cleaning
and treatment and wound treatment at the root of the disease. Its accuracy is improved by 25%. The repair success rate is more than 90%, which is much higher than the traditional method. In terms of bacterial suppression, the use of direct-view radiography can effectively inhibit the proliferation
of bacteria. Compared with the traditional control group (107/ml), the concentration of fungi is kept at around 105/mL one month after the repair experiment is completed, which is in line with the oral cavity. This shows that the application of direct-view radiography
in oral fixation and restoration has a significant effect, which can improve the success rate of the patient’s operation, and can ensure the curative effect and avoid the occurrence of adverse phenomena.
Clinical Application of Medical Imaging in Neurointerventional Treatment of Brain Diseases
Authors: Wu Qidong , Wu Zongliang , Zhang Lei , Wang Haiyang
Published: June 2021

The incidence rate of cerebral infarction is high, and the risk of death is also grown significantly with age. Atherosclerotic stenosis is a part of the main causes of cerebral infarction. The effect of drug conservative therapy is not ideal. Interventional therapy is tantamount to send the guidewire, catheter and so on to the lesion site using imaging means, and operates the local area to achieve the purpose of a precise treatment. Therefore, it is important to explore the characteristics and high-risk factors of complications for clinical prevention and guidance of treatment righteousness. This study was to investigate the clinical effect of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Also, this paper discusses the clinical effect of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the treatment of cerebral infarction. It has been proved that the application of flat detector CT in the interventional room can not only obtain high-quality 3D angiography (3D rotational angiography), but also display the vessels and high-density structures (skeleton, vascular clamp, coil, stent, and ingenious plaque). Fd-ct has also been proved to be able to perform 3D reconstruction on the stent placed in the patient’s heart and the stent of the external carotid artery. Compared with multi-slice spiral CT, the stent is much clearer and can be used to evaluate the soil and stent placement in the treatment of aneurysms.
Efficient Medical Image Adaption via Axis-Aligned Mesh Deformation
Authors: Liu Qing-Fang , Kang Bao-Sheng , Liu Hai-Yun , Li Hong-An , Chen Rui , Liu Gui-Xian
Published: June 2021

Content-aware medical image adaptation can make medical images be well presented on different display devices. The existing adaption algorithms mainly consider the visual effect of salient regions, such as specific organ areas of the patient body, but either ignore the quality of unimportant
areas or execute more slowly. In order to enhance the effect of adaption and accelerate the speed of adaptation, we propose an efficient medical image adaptation method via axis-aligned mesh deformation. With this method, importance map is firstly produced by combing the weighted edge map
and saliency map. Then, integer programming is used to initialize and deform the axis-aligned mesh based on importance map. Finally, image adaptation is operated rapidly by bi-linear interpolation. With the proposed method, the real-time image adaptation can be realized, and not only the visual
effect of the significant areas but also the contour integrity and continuity of the non significant areas can be maintained. Experiments on open data-sets show that the proposed method has high efficiency, better effect and strong stability, and is suitable for real-time image adaptation.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Acute Abdomen Clinical Diagnosis and Differential Value of Ultrasonography
Authors: Tian Yu , Luo Hong , He Min
Published: June 2021

Acute abdomen in obstetrics and gynecology is a common disease in clinical emergency, most of the patients have the characteristics of complex condition and rapid progress, and need to be treated through clinical diagnosis. There are many traditional diagnosis methods, but the accuracy is not ideal. Ultrasound is a widely used imaging technique in recent years, which has the characteristics of simple operation and high accuracy, so it is favored by doctors and patients in obstetrics and gynecology. In this study, 200 patients with acute abdomen in obstetrics and gynecology were selected, and the results of pathological examination were taken as the gold standard to evaluate the clinical value of ultrasound examination. As a result, the misdiagnosed ultrasound group was significantly lower after the diagnosis than in the normal group, the difference was significant (P< 0.05). Therefore, the use of ultrasound imaging, the clinical diagnosis of acute abdominal diseases in gynecology and obstetrics achieves a clear diagnostic effect, improves the diagnostic accuracy of patients with acute abdominal disease in the clinical. It is very important for the development of targeted therapeutic programmes.
Imaging Analysis and Immunophenotype Study of Head Neck and Chest Extramedullary Plasmacytoma
Authors: Zhang Guobin , Yang Yue , Huang Qin
Published: June 2021

Extramedullar plasmacytoma refers to the primary plasmacytoma (plasmacytoma is a group of diseases, including multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytoma and extramedullary plasmacytoma), which is a rare soft tissue malignant tumor composed of plasmacytes, accounting for about 4% of all
plasmacytomas. The imaging data of 6 cases of extramedullary plasmacytoma confirmed by pathology were analyzed retrospectively. Results among the 6 cases, the mass was located in the oropharynx in 1 case, in the nasal cavity in 2 cases, in the lung in 2 cases, and in the mediastinum in 1 case.
CT revealed a soft, clear boundary, multiple density, and contrast scans from medium to medium. MRI showed that the T1 signal was equal or slightly longer, indicating that the T2 signal was equal or slightly longer, and the diffusion of DWI images was clearly limited and the signal separation
was low in some lesions. Tumor necrosis was not evident, and enhanced enhancement was observed in contrast enhanced scanning. In other words, there is a specific image characteristic in extramedullary plasmacytoma, but because of its specificity, diagnostic biopsy is necessary for diagnosis.
Preoperative CT and MRI examinations can remove lesions, adjacent tissues, and lymph node lesions. This is very important for early diagnosis, treatment and efficacy evaluation of the disease.
Effects of Interventional Therapy on Liver Metastases-Measurement of Liver Volume by Abdominal Computed Tomography
Authors: Hong Huang , Jianwei Jiang , Qinhua Wu , Yunjuan Yin , Chen Gu , Jiaqin Lu
Published: June 2021

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of transhepatic arterial infusion (TAI) with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) on liver volume of patients with liver metastases, by liver volumetry using 256-slice CT (iCT 256, Philips Healthcare). Methods: A retrospective analysis
of 19 patients with liver metastases, who received combination treatment of TAI with TAE, were conducted. Residual liver volumes (LV) were measured before (LV0), after the first (LV1) and the second treatment (LV2) with iCT 256. Bland-Altman method was used
to evaluate the agreements of residual liver volume between two reviewers. Residual liver volume changes were compared by One-Way ANOVA. Results: For the first reviewer, LV0, LV1, LV2 were: 872.67±139.31, 960.63±143.91, 842.13±141.45
cc. LV1 > LV0, but the difference was not significant (P = 0.061). LV2 < LV0, the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.013). LV2 < LV0, and the difference was not statistically significant (P
= 0.509). For the second reviewer, LV0, LV1, LV2 were: 909.99±135.46, 996.36±180.10, 845.70±131.632 cc. LV1 > LV0, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.083). LV2 < LV1,
the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.003). LV2 < LV0, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.194). Conclusion: Combination treatment of TAI with TAE did not induce significant liver damage in patients with metastatic
liver cancer, and iCT256 volumetry provided a precise measurement of liver volume and may play a critical role in the development of interventional surgery.
Automatic Segmentation of Color Tongue Image Using Deep Asymmetric Convolution Skip Net
Authors: Huang He , Guan Xi , Zhang Wenbo , Zhou Juhua , Wu Bofeng , Lai Xiaobo
Published: June 2021

Segmentation of the tongue body from color images is vital for tongue diagnoses in traditional Chinese medicine. In tongue images, the tongue body is easily confused with the skin and lips, and the shadow also causes incorrect segmentation. To address these issues, we proposed a novel
ACS-Net for tongue image segmentation and implemented the end-to-end form. In our ACS-Net architecture, the following innovations proposed: (1) ordinary convolution was replaced with ACB Module, (2) decoder block restores the features extracted by the encoder block, (3) skip connections are
implemented between and within blocks. We use our own datasets named S1 and S2 that collected from the partner hospital. The collection methods of these two datasets are different: S1 was collected by professionals while S2 was taken by nurses. The method achieved state-of-the-art results
on both two datasets, we use two metrics to reflect the segmentation performance, which are accuracy (acc) and mean intersection over Union (mIoU), in which the acc reaches 0.984 on S1 and 0.981 on S2; the mIoU reaches 0.925 on S1 and 0.958 on S2.
An Automatic Magnetic Resonance Brain Image Segmentation Method Using a Multitask Weighted Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Hua Lei , Xue Jing , Xia Kaijian , Zhou Leyuan , Qian Pengjiang , Jiang Yizhang
Published: June 2021

In clinical assisted diagnosis, it is an important way to obtain information with the help of medical images. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of brain tissue has become a research hotspot for brain diseases. Therefore, image segmentation technology is an indispensable link in
medical image analysis. Due to the defects such as ambiguity, complexity, gray-scale unevenness, partial volume effect in magnetic resonance brain images, it is essential to improve the segmentation performance of classical algorithms in medical images. In this paper, multitasking and weighted
fuzzy clustering algorithm are combined as a new algorithm (MT-WFCM) for MRI brain image segmentation. The proposed MT-WFCM algorithm improve the clustering performance of all tasks through common information between different magnetic resonance brain images with correlation. Besides, the
difference between MT-WFCM and MT-FCM is that task weights are added to avoid negative effects between tasks in the segmentation process. According to five different comparative experiments, the MT-WFCM algorithm can mine the cooperative relationship among each task and the characteristics
of each task effectively. In magnetic resonance image (MRI) segmentation, multi-task weighted fuzzy c-means clustering method can make up for the shortcomings of single-task clustering algorithm, strengthen the relationship between tasks, and get more accurate segmentation results.
Application Value of Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytological Examination and Ultrasound Evaluation
Authors: Zhang Jingcheng , Chen Jili , Li Juanjuan , Yang Xuechen
Published: June 2021

In this paper, chronic inflammatory cell infiltration was seen during this period. The reason for the false-positive result may be the atypical proliferation of cells caused by chronic inflammatory stimulation with malignant cytology. 12 cases of false negative results, including 2
cases of type I nodules, 10 cases of type III nodules, postoperative histology and pathology were papillary carcinoma, there are many reasons for false negative results, including the size of the nodules, the puncture operator, the technical level, internal tissue composition and properties
of the nodules all affect the accuracy of puncture and cytopathology results. The satisfaction of puncture specimens of each group was calculated and compared. For thyroid nodules with the maximum diameter ≤5 mm, the satisfaction rate of puncture specimens was 87.2%, and the diagnostic
sensitivity and accuracy of ultras guided fine needle aspiration biopsy were relatively low. Cytological results were in poor agreement with postoperative histological and pathological results, so it was recommended to take active follow-up for thyroid nodules with the maximum diameter ≤5
mm to reduce unnecessary puncture. The overall puncture success rate is relatively high, ≤10 mm low-echo nodules or even ≤5 mm nodules can be cytological puncture, especially the kind of close to the capsule, trachea and recurrent laryngeal nerve nodules, for the largest diameter of
>5 mm, the satisfaction rate of puncture specimens is relatively high is 93.2%. Moreover, the sensitivity and accuracy of ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy were relatively high, and the cytological results were in good agreement with the postoperative histological and pathological
results. Therefore, it was feasible to confirm the diagnosis of suspected malignant nodules by ultrasound. The diagnostic in each group and the consistency between cytological diagnosis and histological diagnosis were analyzed by comparing the histological and pathological results after surgery.
Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy can be used more effectively in clinical practice.
Ureteroscopic Image Analysis of Double J-Tube Placement for Ureteral Stones During Pregnancy
Authors: Ye Li-Yin , Miao Xiao-Yan , Miao Xiao-Nan
Published: June 2021

Objective: To explore the effect of ureteroscopy with double J tube placement and drainage on ureteral stones during pregnancy, to compare the clinical effect of ureteroscope with double J tube placement on pregnancy complicated with ureteral stones, and using medical imaging
to diagnose the patient’s condition and design a treatment plan. Methods: Eighty pregnant patients with ureteral calculi treated in our hospital were selected as the research object, and were divided into a test group and a control group according to the random number table method,
40 cases in each group. The test group underwent ureteroscope double J tube placement, and the control group underwent ureteroscope lithotripsy. Combined with the ultrasound scan results of the patients before and after the operation, the operation time, time to get out of bed and hospitalization
time of the two groups of patients were compared. The operation success rate and the incidence of complications within 1 month after surgery were counted in the two groups of patients. Results: The total effective rate of the observation group was 100.0%, which is higher than that of
the control group of 90.0%. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The adverse reaction rate in the observation group was 5.0%, which was lower than 17.5% in the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant
(P < 0.05). The comparison results are then prepared. Conclusions: Double J tube placement under ureteroscopy has a significant effect on the treatment of ureteral stones during pregnancy, and it has good safety and is worthy of widespread application.
Investigation the Cooling Performance of Vehicle Engines Using Radiator with Nano-Fluid as a Coolant
Authors: Nabil Tamer , Elfarran M. , Farag Ahmed M.
Published: June 2021

In the cooling system of the automobile engine, the water which is used as a coolant is evaporated due to high engine temperature, so it needs to add some additives to the coolant water but they dont give high performance compared to adding some of Nano-particles. This work investigated
the heat transfer characteristics with Nano-fluid used in a radiator as vehicle engines coolant. The Nano-particles are introduced to a conventional coolantin certain concentrations resulted in, enhancing the ability to transfer heat, lowering the energy cost and theenvironmental impact. The
performance enhancement caused reduction of the radiator and the vehicle frontal areathat lowered the coefficient of drag consequently reduced the fuel consumption. Two types of Nano-particles; metal(Cu) and metal oxide (CuO) are used with different concentrations (1%, 2% and 4%) in conventional
coolant asa base fluid. Cooling of vehicle engine using radiator operated with different working fluids as water, coolant and modified coolant with Nano-particles are investigated. The conventional coolant with Nano Cu 2% had lowest exit temperature from the radiator and highest amount of
heat rejection, so it can be used as industrial Nano-coolant.
Development in the Heat Transfer Properties of Nanofluid Due to the Interaction of Inclined Magnetic Field and Non-Uniform Heat Source
Authors: Jena S. , Mishra S. R. , Pattnaik P. K.
Published: June 2021

In the current scenario a new mathematical model is designed and examined for the unsteady course of nanofluid through permeable vertical surface due to the interaction of inclined magnetic field. Radiative heat transfer properties is included assuming the Cogley radiation, dissipative
heat energy due to the conjunction o magnetic field i.e., Joule dissipation and the space and time-dependent heat source/sink amplifies the study as well. Depending upon todays need in various industries the implementation of nanofluid is vital. Therefore, present study involves the behavior
of both metal and oxide nanoparticles in the base fluid kerosene. Involvement of transformation rules the problem is converted into nonlinear set of ODEs and further these are solved employing approximate analytical technique such as Variational Iteration Method (VIM). The characteristics
of various flow parameters are analyzed via graphs and the numerical simulation along with the validation of the result is obtained through tables. The comparative study brings out the convergence criterion of the methodology adopted herein. However, the favorable results are; the fluid temperature
augments with increasing nanoparticle volume fraction and suction enriches both the fluid velocity and temperature whereas injection retards it significantly.
Are Political Attacks a Laughing Matter? Three Experiments on Political Humor and the Effectiveness of Negative Campaigning
Authors: Verhulsdonk Iris , Nai Alessandro , Karp Jeffrey A.
Published: June 2021

Research on the effectiveness of negative campaigning offers mixed results. Negative messages can sometimes work to depress candidate evaluations, but they can also backfire against the attacker. In this article, we examine how humor can help mitigate the unintended effects of negative campaigning using data from three experimental studies in the United States and the Netherlands. Our results show that (1) political attacks combined with “other-deprecatory humor” (i.e., jokes against the opponents) are less likely to backfire against the attacker and can even increase positive evaluations of this latter—especially when the attack is perceived as amusing. At the same time and contrary to what we expected, (2) humor does not blunt the attack: humorous attacks are not less effective against the target than serious attacks. All in all, these results suggest that humor can be a good strategy for political attacks: jokes reduce harmful backlash effects against the attacker, and humoros attacks remain just as effective as humorless ones. When in doubt, be funny. All data and materials are openly available for replication.
Application of preliminary high-pressure processing for improving bioactive characteristics and reducing antigenicity of whey protein hydrolysates
Authors: Landim Ana PM , Matsubara Natália K , da Silva-Santos José E , Mellinger-Silva Caroline , Rosenthal Amauri
Published: June 2021

This study investigated the use of Novo Pro-D® (NPD) and Ficin (FC) as alternative proteases for the production of bioactive peptides with reduced allergenicity from whey protein concentrate (WPC). In addition, the use of high hydrostatic pressure processing as pre-treatment of WPC and its impact on the final characteristics of hydrolysates were also evaluated. NPD treatments generated hydrolysates with a 98% reduction of soluble proteins, greater in vitro antioxidant capacity, and less immunoreactivity when compared to FC ones. However, pre-treatment was an essential tool to improve WPC hydrolysis when FC was used, resulting in hydrolysates with less soluble proteins, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and less allergenicity compared with conventional hydrolysis. As for NPD, the pre-treatment of WPC improved the in vitro antioxidant capacity and resulted in a 100% reduction in immunoreactivity to β-lactoglobulin in a shorter processing time. Importantly, bioactive peptides generated by FC displayed an improved ability to induce in vitro arterial relaxation, compared with those obtained from NPD process. Therefore, this study provides innovative evidence regarding how the proteases used for production of whey hydrolysates can improve its biological effects, and discloses the use of high hydrostatic pressure combined with enzymatic hydrolysis as a promising alternative to produce hydrolysates with improved properties.
Disrupting the Traffic Stop–to-Deportation Pipeline: The New York State Greenlight Law’s Intent and Implementation
Authors: Smith Robert Courtney , Rayas Andrés Besserer , Flores Daisy , Cabrera Angelo , Barbosa Guillermo Yrizar , Weinstein Karina , Xique Maria , Bialeck Michelle , Torres Eduardo
Published: June 2021

This article analyzes the traffic stop–to-deportation pipeline in New York State, how it harms children of immigrants, and how New York’s Greenlight Law seeks to disrupt it but has been hobbled by an implementation gap. It first establishes the phenomenon of the traffic stop–to-deportation pipeline by documenting how traffic stops are a key cause of deportations in New York State. Second, it analyzes how the pipeline harms (mostly US citizen) children of undocumented immigrants in New York State, who are more than 7 percent (more than 300,000) of New York State’s children. The pipeline makes these children fear and mistrust the police; harms their educational, social, and brain development; and consumes family income with the Mexican driver tax (costs incurred because parents could not get a driver’s license). Third, the article analyzes how the Greenlight Law should help remedy these harms, and how an implementation gap leaves many parents and children vulnerable to the pipeline. The implementation gap is partly due to the pandemic, but also driven by political and other factors that could be addressed by policy. Finally, the article analyzes how variation in implementing the Greenlight Law could leave the pipeline undisrupted and lead to unequal protection of the law by place in New York State. The article makes policy recommendations for stronger enactment to reduce the pipeline’s harms.
Simultaneous changes in anthocyanin, chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents produce green variegation in pink–leaved ornamental kale
Authors: Liu Yang , Feng Xin , Zhang Yuting , Zhou Fuhui , Zhu Pengfang
Published: June 2021

Background

Anthocyanin, chlorophyll, and carotenoid pigments are widely distributed in plants, producing various colors. Ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala DC) which has colorful inner leaves is an ideal plant to explore how these three pigments contribute to leaf color. The molecular mechanisms of the coloration in ornamental kale could provide reference for exploring the mechanisms of pigmentation in other plants.

Results

In this study, we sequenced the transcriptome and determined the pigment contents of an unusual cultivar of ornamental kale with three different types of leaf coloration: pink (C3), light pink (C2), and variegated pink–green (C1). A total of 23,965 differentially expressed genes were detected in pairwise comparisons among the three types of leaves. The results indicate that Bo9g058630 coding dihydroflavonol 4–reductase (DFR) and Bo3g019080 coding shikimate O–hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT) acted in anthocyanin biosynthesis in pink leaves. Bo1g053420 coding pheophorbidase (PPD) and Bo3g012430 coding 15–cis–phytoene synthase (crtB) were identified as candidate genes for chlorophyll metabolism and carotenoid biosynthesis, respectively. The transcription factors TT8, MYBL2, GATA21, GLK2, and RR1 might participate in triggering the leaf color change in ornamental kale. Anthocyanin content was highest in C3 and lowest in C1. Chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were lowest in C2 and highest in C1.

Conclusions

Based on these findings, we suspected that the decrease in anthocyanin biosynthesis and the increase in chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis might be the reason for the leaf changing from pink to variegate pink–green in this unusual cultivar. Our research provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of leaf coloration in ornamental kale, contributing to a theoretical foundation for breeding new varieties.
The genomes of precision edited cloned calves show no evidence for off-target events or increased de novo mutagenesis
Authors: Jivanji Swati , Harland Chad , Cole Sally , Brophy Brigid , Garrick Dorian , Snell Russell , Littlejohn Mathew , Laible Götz
Published: June 2021

Background

Animal health and welfare are at the forefront of public concern and the agricultural sector is responding by prioritising the selection of welfare-relevant traits in their breeding schemes. In some cases, welfare-enhancing traits such as horn-status (i.e., polled) or diluted coat colour, which could enhance heat tolerance, may not segregate in breeds of primary interest, highlighting gene-editing tools such as the CRISPR-Cas9 technology as an approach to rapidly introduce variation into these populations. A major limitation preventing the acceptance of CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene-editing, however, is the potential for off-target mutagenesis, which has raised concerns about the safety and ultimate applicability of this technology. Here, we present a clone-based study design that has allowed a detailed investigation of off-target and de novo mutagenesis in a cattle line bearing edits in the PMEL gene for diluted coat-colour.

Results

No off-target events were detected from high depth whole genome sequencing performed in precursor cell-lines and resultant calves cloned from those edited and non-edited cell lines. Long molecule sequencing at the edited site and plasmid-specific PCRs did not reveal structural variations and/or plasmid integration events in edited samples. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of de novo mutations across the edited and non-edited cloned calves revealed that the mutation frequency and spectra were unaffected by editing status. Cells in culture, however, appeared to have a distinct mutation signature where de novo mutations were predominantly C > A mutations, and in cloned calves they were predominantly T > G mutations, deviating from the expected excess of C > T mutations.

Conclusions

We found no detectable CRISPR-Cas9 associated off-target mutations in the gene-edited cells or calves derived from the gene-edited cell line. Comparison of de novo mutation in two gene-edited calves and three non-edited control calves did not reveal a higher mutation load in any one group, gene-edited or control, beyond those anticipated from spontaneous mutagenesis. Cell culture and somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning processes contributed the major source of contrast in mutational profile between samples.
Hand hygiene during facility-based childbirth in Cambodia: a theory-driven, mixed-methods observational study
Authors: Nalule Yolisa , Buxton Helen , Ir Por , Leang Supheap , Macintyre Alison , Pors Ponnary , Samol Channa , Dreibelbis Robert
Published: June 2021

Background

Despite current efforts to improve hand hygiene in health care facilities, compliance among birth attendants remains low. Current improvement strategies are inadequate, largely focusing on a limited set of known behavioural determinants or addressing hand hygiene as part of a generalized set of hygiene behaviours. To inform the design of a facility –based hand hygiene behaviour change intervention in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia, a theory-driven formative research study was conducted to investigate the context specific behaviours and determinants of handwashing during labour and delivery among birth attendants.

Methods

This formative mixed-methods research followed a sequential explanatory design and was conducted across eight healthcare facilities. The hand hygiene practices of all birth attendants present during the labour and delivery of 45 women were directly observed and compliance with hand hygiene protocols assessed in analysis. Semi-structured, interactive interviews were subsequently conducted with 20 key healthcare workers to explore the corresponding cognitive, emotional, and environmental drivers of hand hygiene behaviours.

Results

Birth attendants’ compliance with hand hygiene protocol was 18% prior to performing labour, delivery and newborn aftercare procedures. Hand hygiene compliance did not differ by facility type or attendants’ qualification, but differed by shift with adequate hand hygiene less likely to be observed during the night shift (p = 0.03). The midwives’ hand hygiene practices were influenced by cognitive, psychological, environmental and contextual factors including habits, gloving norms, time, workload, inadequate knowledge and infection risk perception.

Conclusion

The resulting insights from formative research suggest a multi-component improvement intervention that addresses the different key behaviour determinants to be designed for the labour and delivery room. A combination of disruption of the physical environment via nudges and cues, participatory education to the midwives and the promotion of new norms using social influence and affiliation may increase the birth attendants’ hand hygiene compliance in our study settings.
Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of respiratory viruses in 4403 pediatric patients from multiple hospitals in Guangdong, China
Authors: Zhang Yajie , Qiao Lin , Yao Jinxiu , Yu Nan , Mu Xiaoping , Huang Shengqi , Hu Bo , Li Weixuan , Qiu Feng , Zeng Fangyin , Chen Cong , Zhou Yuqiu , Zhang Bashan , Cai Tian , Wang Weijia , Wu Xianjin , Zhou Yiwen , Wang Guochang , Situ Bo , Lan Shuling , Li Na , Li Xiu , Li Zihua , Li Xin , Wang Congrong , Yang Chao , Feng Pingfeng , Wang Hongxia , Zhu Sijing , Xiong Yufeng , Luo Min , Shen Wenjuan , Hu Xiumei , Zheng Lei
Published: June 2021

Background

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) cause considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in children. Unfortunately, there are limited multi-center data on common viral respiratory infections in south China.

Methods

A total of 4403 nasal swabs were collected from children in 10 cities in Guangdong, China in 2019. Seven respiratory viruses, influenza A virus (IFA), influenza B virus (IFB), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenoviruses (ADV) and parainfluenza virus types 1–3 (PIV1, PIV2 and PIV3), were detected by direct immunofluorescence antibody assay. The personal information and clinical characteristics were recorded and analyzed.

Results

The results showed that at least one virus was detected in 1099 (24.96 %) samples. The detection rates of RSV, IFA, ADV, PIV3, PIV1 and PIV2 were 7.13 % (314/4403), 5.31 % (234/4403), 4.02 % (177/4403), 3.04 % (134/4403), 1.70 % (75/4403) and 1.16 % (51/4403), respectively. The detection rate of RSV was highest in 0–6-month-old children at 18.18 % (106/583), while the detection rate of IFA was highest in 12–18-year-old children at 20.48 % (17/83). The total detection rates in winter and spring were 35.67 % (219/614) and 34.56 % (403/1166), higher than those in summer, 17.41 % (284/1631), and autumn, 19.46 % (193/992).

Conclusions

RSV and IFA were the main respiratory viruses in children. With increasing age the detection rate of RSV decreased in children, but the trends for the detection rates of IFA and IFB were the opposite. This study provided the viral etiology and epidemiology of pediatric patients with ARI in Guangdong, China.
Structural inequities in seasonal influenza vaccination rates
Authors: Brewer Lara I. , Ommerborn Mark J. , Nguyen Augustina Le , Clark Cheryl R.
Published: June 2021

Background

Influenza immunization is a highly effective method of reducing illness, hospitalization and mortality from this disease. However, influenza vaccination rates in the U.S. remain below public health targets and persistent structural inequities reduce the likelihood that Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, Latina/o, Asian groups, and populations of low socioeconomic status will receive the influenza vaccine.

Methods

We analyzed correlates of influenza vaccination rates using the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in the year 2020. Our analysis compared influenza vaccination as the outcome of interest with the variables age, sex, race, education, income, geographic location, health insurance status, access to primary care, history of delaying care due to cost, and comorbidities such as: asthma, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, body mass index, cancer and diabetes.

Results

Non-Hispanic White (46.5%) and Asian (44.1%) participants are more likely to receive the influenza vaccine compared to Non-Hispanic Black (36.7%), Hispanic (33.9%), American Indian/Alaskan Native (36.6%), and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (37.9%) participants. We found persistent structural inequities that predict influenza vaccination, within and across racial and ethnic groups, including not having health insurance [OR: 0.51 (0.47–0.55)], not having regular access to primary care [OR: 0.50 (0.48–0.52)], and the need to delay medical care due to cost [OR: 0.75 (0.71–0.79)].

Conclusion

As COVID-19 vaccination efforts evolve, it is important for physicians and policymakers to identify the structural impediments to equitable U.S. influenza vaccination so that future vaccination campaigns are not impeded by these barriers to immunization.
Mechanical power normalized to lung-thorax compliance predicts prolonged ventilation weaning failure: a prospective study
Authors: Ghiani Alessandro , Paderewska Joanna , Walcher Swenja , Neurohr Claus
Published: June 2021

Background

Mechanical power (MP) of artificial ventilation, the energy transferred to the respiratory system, is a chief determinant of adequate oxygenation and decarboxylation. Calculated MP, the product of applied airway pressure and minute ventilation, may serve as an estimate of respiratory muscle workload when switching to spontaneous breathing. The aim of the study was to assess MP’s discriminatory performance in predicting successful weaning from prolonged tracheostomy ventilation.

Methods

Prospective, observational study in 130 prolonged mechanically ventilated, tracheotomized patients in a specialized weaning center. Predictive weaning outcome ability of arterial blood gas analyses and indices derived from calculated MP at beginning and end of weaning was determined in terms of area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and measures derived from k-fold cross-validation (likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio, F1 score, and Matthews correlation coefficient [MCC]).

Results

Forty-four (33.8%) patients experienced weaning failure. Absolute MP showed poor discrimination in predicting outcome; whereas specific MP (MP normalized to dynamic lung-thorax compliance, LTCdyn-MP) had moderate diagnostic accuracy (MCC 0.38; AUROC 0.79, 95%CI [0.71‒0.86], p < 0.001), further improved by correction for corresponding mechanical ventilation PaCO2 (termed the power index of the respiratory system [PIrs]: MCC 0.52; AUROC 0.86 [0.79‒0.92], p < 0.001). Diagnostic performance of MP indices increased over the course of weaning, with maximum accuracy immediately before completion (LTCdyn-MP: MCC 0.49; AUROC 0.86 [0.78‒0.91], p < 0.001; PIrs: MCC 0.68; AUROC 0.92 [0.86‒0.96], p < 0.001).

Conclusions

MP normalized to dynamic lung-thorax compliance, a surrogate for applied power per unit of ventilated lung volume, accurately discriminated between low and high risk for weaning failure following prolonged mechanical ventilation.
Real-world effectiveness of early intervention with fixed-dose tiotropium/olodaterol vs tiotropium in Japanese patients with COPD: a high-dimensional propensity score–matched cohort analysis
Authors: Muro Shigeo , Suzuki Masaru , Nakamura Shuhei , Wang Jocelyn Ruoyi , Garry Elizabeth M. , Sakamoto Wataru , de Souza Sabrina
Published: June 2021

Background

Escalation to triple therapy (long-acting muscarinic antagonist/β2-agonist, inhaled corticosteroid [ICS]) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) is recommended for patients on LAMA/LABA combinations with frequent exacerbations and severe symptoms. An extended time-to-escalation to triple therapy suggests patients are in a stable condition and is an indicator of treatment effectiveness. No studies in Japanese clinical practice have compared the effectiveness of LAMA/LABA fixed-dose combination therapies with LAMA monotherapy in terms of time-to-escalation to triple therapy. The primary objective of this real-world study in Japan was to compare time-to-escalation to triple therapy among new users of tiotropium/olodaterol or tiotropium monotherapy for COPD without asthma.

Methods

In this active-comparator cohort study, new users of tiotropium/olodaterol (n = 1436) and tiotropium monotherapy (n = 5352) were identified from a large Japanese hospital-based database (Medical Data Vision Co., Ltd., Tokyo; prespecified study period: 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2019); patients in each group were matched 1:1 using high-dimensional propensity scores (hdPS). The primary outcome was time-to-escalation to triple therapy.

Results

For the prespecified study period in the hdPS-matched cohort, escalation to triple therapy was infrequent among new users of tiotropium/olodaterol (n = 1302, 7 escalation events) and tiotropium monotherapy (n = 1302, 8 escalation events). The difference in time-to-escalation to triple therapy between groups was not statistically significant (median [interquartile range]: 28 days [15.0–139.2] for tiotropium monotherapy vs 193 days [94.5–302.0] for tiotropium/olodaterol; hazard ratio: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.32–2.46). Similar findings (hazard ratio: 0.71; 95% Cl: 0.36–1.40) were observed in a post hoc analysis, which extended the study period by 1 year to 31 March 2020. Risks of first moderate and/or severe COPD exacerbation were lower for tiotropium/olodaterol than tiotropium monotherapy (between-group differences not significant). There were no significant between-group differences for the risks of all-cause inpatient mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events, and first use of home oxygen therapy.

Conclusions

ICS monotherapy or ICS/LABA added to tiotropium or tiotropium/olodaterol is limited in Japanese clinical settings. The number of escalations to triple therapy was very limited in the dataset and there was insufficient power to detect differences between the treatment groups in the primary hdPS-matched cohort.
LIQA: long-read isoform quantification and analysis
Authors: Hu Yu , Fang Li , Chen Xuelian , Zhong Jiang F. , Li Mingyao , Wang Kai
Published: June 2021

Long-read RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technologies can sequence full-length transcripts, facilitating the exploration of isoform-specific gene expression over short-read RNA-seq. We present LIQA to quantify isoform expression and detect differential alternative splicing (DAS) events using long-read direct mRNA sequencing or cDNA sequencing data. LIQA incorporates base pair quality score and isoform-specific read length information in a survival model to assign different weights across reads, and uses an expectation-maximization algorithm for parameter estimation. We apply LIQA to long-read RNA-seq data from the Universal Human Reference, acute myeloid leukemia, and esophageal squamous epithelial cells and demonstrate its high accuracy in profiling alternative splicing events.
Development of a digital learning program for physiotherapists to enhance clinical implementation of aerobic exercise in stroke rehabilitation
Authors: Thornton Marianne , Harris Jennifer , Breithaupt Krista , Dyks Tracey , Finestone Hillel , MacKay-Lyons Marilyn
Published: June 2021

Background

This paper describes the initial development process of an eLearning continuing professional education program primarily for post-licensure physiotherapists –“Electronic Aerobic Exercise Recommendations to Optimize Best Practices in Care after Stroke” (eAEROBICS). Our objective was to develop an evidence-based, clinically relevant, user-friendly eLearning program for online delivery tailored to facilitate prescription of aerobic exercise post-stroke by physiotherapists. The Demand Driven Learning Model guided curriculum design, delivery, and evaluation. Based on previously identified gaps in physiotherapists’ knowledge of aerobic exercise, four learning modules were developed and delivered using an eLearning platform to maximize cost-effectiveness and flexibility. Five physiotherapists volunteered to pilot eAEROBICS, providing preliminary feedback on strengths and suggestions for improvement.

Results

Theoretical information and clinical applications addressed the learning objectives of each module in a logical manner. All technical or administrative issues encountered during program delivery were addressed. The feedback from the pilot end-users informed modifications to the eAEROBICS program.

Conclusions

Processes used in developing eAEROBICS have the potential to serve as a model of electronic continuing professional education for other areas of physiotherapy practice. Further investigation of end-user perspectives and clinical impact of the program is warranted to determine the overall effectiveness of the program.