bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overall and COVID-19-specific citation impact of highly visible COVID-19 media experts: bibliometric analysis
Authors: Ioannidis John P , Tezel Alangoya , Jagsi Reshma
Published: October 2021

Objective

To evaluate whether the COVID-19 experts who appear most frequently in media have high citation impact for their research overall, and for their COVID-19 peer-reviewed publications in particular and to examine the representation of women among such experts.

Design

Cross-linking of data sets of most highly visible COVID-19 media experts with citation data on the impact of their published work (career-long publication record and COVID-19-specific work).

Setting

Cable news appearance in prime-time programming or overall media appearances.

Participants

Most highly visible COVID-19 media experts in the USA, Switzerland, Greece and Denmark.

Interventions

None.

Outcome measures

Citation data from Scopus along with discipline-specific ranks of overall career-long and COVID-19-specific impact based on a previously validated composite citation indicator.

Results

We assessed 76 COVID-19 experts who were highly visible in US prime-time cable news, and 50, 12 and 2 highly visible experts in media in Denmark, Greece and Switzerland, respectively. Of those, 23/76, 10/50, 2/12 and 0/2 were among the top 2% of overall citation impact among scientists in the same discipline worldwide. Moreover, 37/76, 15/50, 7/12 and 2/2 had published anything on COVID-19 that was indexed in Scopus as of 30 August 2021. Only 18/76, 6/50, 2/12 and 0/2 of the highly visible COVID-19 media experts were women. 55 scientists in the USA, 5 in Denmark, 64 in Greece and 56 in Switzerland had a higher citation impact for their COVID-19 work than any of the evaluated highly visible media COVID-19 experts in the respective country; 10/55, 2/5, 22/64 and 14/56 of them were women.

Conclusions

Despite notable exceptions, there is a worrisome disconnect between COVID-19 claimed media expertise and scholarship. Highly cited women COVID-19 experts are rarely included among highly visible media experts.
Review of current controversial issues in clinical trials
Authors: Chow Shein-Chung , Chow Susan S , Pong Annpey
Published: October 2021

In clinical development, adequate and well-controlled randomised clinical trials are usually conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of test treatment under investigation. The purpose is to ensure that there is an accurate and reliable assessment of test treatment under study. In practice, however, some controversial issues inevitably appear despite the compliance of good clinical practice. These debatable issues include, but are not limited to, (1) appropriateness of hypotheses for clinical investigation, (2) feasibility of power calculation for sample size requirement, (3) integrity of randomisation/blinding, (4) strategy for clinical endpoint selection, (5) demonstrating effectiveness or ineffectiveness, (6) impact of protocol amendments and (7) independence of independent data monitoring committee. In this article, these controversial issues are discussed. The impact of these issues in evaluating the safety and efficacy of the test treatment under investigation is also assessed. Recommendations regarding possible resolutions to these issues are provided whenever possible.
4-1BB and optimized CD28 co-stimulation enhances function of human mono-specific and bi-specific third-generation CAR T cells
Authors: Roselli Emiliano , Boucher Justin C , Li Gongbo , Kotani Hiroshi , Spitler Kristen , Reid Kayla , Cervantes Estelle V , Bulliard Yannick , Tu Nhan , Lee Sae Bom , Yu Bin , Locke Frederick L , Davila Marco L
Published: October 2021

Background

Co-stimulatory signals regulate the expansion, persistence, and function of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Most studies have focused on the co-stimulatory domains CD28 or 4-1BB. CAR T cell persistence is enhanced by 4-1BB co-stimulation leading to nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, while resistance to exhaustion is enhanced by mutations of the CD28 co-stimulatory domain.

Methods

We hypothesized that a third-generation CAR containing 4-1BB and CD28 with only PYAP signaling motif (mut06) would provide beneficial aspects of both. We designed CD19-specific CAR T cells with either 4-1BB or mut06 together with the combination of both and evaluated their immune-phenotype, cytokine secretion, real-time cytotoxic ability and polyfunctionality against CD19-expressing cells. We analyzed lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) recruitment by the different constructs by immunoblotting. We further determined their ability to control growth of Raji cells in NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice. We also engineered bi-specific CARs against CD20/CD19 combining 4-1BB and mut06 and performed repeated in vitro antigenic stimulation experiments to evaluate their expansion, memory phenotype and phenotypic (PD1+CD39+) and functional exhaustion. Bi-specific CAR T cells were transferred into Raji or Nalm6-bearing mice to study their ability to eradicate CD20/CD19-expressing tumors.

Results

Co-stimulatory domains combining 4-1BB and mut06 confers CAR T cells with an increased central memory phenotype, expansion, and LCK recruitment to the CAR. This enhanced function was dependent on the positioning of the two co-stimulatory domains. A bi-specific CAR targeting CD20/CD19, incorporating 4-1BB and mut06 co-stimulation, showed enhanced antigen-dependent in vitro expansion with lower exhaustion-associated markers. Bi-specific CAR T cells exhibited improved in vivo antitumor activity with increased persistence and decreased exhaustion.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that co-stimulation combining 4-1BB with an optimized form of CD28 is a valid approach to optimize CAR T cell function. Cells with both mono-specific and bi-specific versions of this design showed enhanced in vitro and in vivo features such as expansion, persistence and resistance to exhaustion. Our observations validate the approach and justify clinical studies to test the efficacy and safety of this CAR in patients.
Signals from predators, injured conspecifics, and pesticide modify the swimming behavior of the gregarious tadpole of the Dorbigny’s Toad, Rhinella dorbignyi (Anura: Bufonidae)
Authors: Curi L.M. , Cuzziol Boccioni A.P. , Peltzer P.M. , Attademo A.M. , Bassó A. , León E.J. , Lajmanovich R.C.
Published: October 2021

Tadpoles detect chemical signals released from predators and conspecifics, as well as those present in the environment, and adjust their behavioral responses. This study evaluated the swimming activity of Dorbigny’s Toad (Rhinella dorbignyi (Duméril and Bibron, 1841)) tadpoles exposed to chemical signals, including cues from a predator fish, the marbled swamp eel (Synbranchus marmoratus Bloch, 1795), and an injured conspecific; sublethal concentration of insecticide cypermethrin; and their combination. Swimming behavior (total distance moved, mean speed, global activity, number of contacts between tadpoles) was evaluated in an individual (1) and groups of different size (3, 5, 7, and 10 tadpoles) using a video-tracking software tool. Predator exposure modified behavioral parameters, reducing encounters with predators and, therefore, mortality. Total distance moved and mean speed increased in trials involving 1 tadpole and 3 interacting tadpoles exposed to injured conspecifics, whereas global activity increased in all group sizes, showing that gregarious tadpoles may be affected by alarm cues and their behavior may be disrupted. The insecticide treatments (alone and combined) increased parameters in all group sizes, causing hyperactivity due to its neurotoxic effect. The different responses observed after exposure to alarm cues and environmental signals in the different group sizes modified the normal behavior and the ecological dynamics of gregarious tadpoles.
Memory efficient finite volume schemes with twisted boundary conditions
Authors: Bribián Eduardo I. , Dasilva Golán Jorge , García Pérez Margarita , Ramos Alberto
Published: October 2021

In this paper we explore a finite volume renormalization scheme that combines three main ingredients: a coupling based on the gradient flow, the use of twisted boundary conditions and a particular asymmetric geometry, that for SU(N) gauge theories consists on a hypercubic box of size $$l^2 \times (Nl)^2$$

l
2

×

(
N
l
)

2

, a choice motivated by the study of volume independence in large N gauge theories. We argue that this scheme has several advantages that make it particularly suited for precision determinations of the strong coupling, among them translational invariance, an analytic expansion in the coupling and a reduced memory footprint with respect to standard simulations on symmetric lattices, allowing for a more efficient use of current GPU clusters. We test this scheme numerically with a determination of the $$\Lambda $$
Λ
parameter in the SU(3) pure gauge theory. We show that the use of an asymmetric geometry has no significant impact in the size of scaling violations, obtaining a value $$\Lambda _{\overline{\mathrm{MS}}}\sqrt{8 t_0} =0.603(17)$$

Λ

MS
¯

8

t
0

=
0.603

(
17
)

in good agreement with the existing literature. The role of topology freezing, that is relevant for the determination of the coupling in this particular scheme and for large N applications, is discussed in detail.
The explanation of some exotic states in the $$cs{\bar{c}}{\bar{s}}$$ tetraquark system
Authors: Liu Xuejie , Huang Hongxia , Ping Jialun , Chen Dianyong , Zhu Xinmei
Published: October 2021

Inspired by the recent observation of $$\chi _{c0}(3930)$$

χ

c
0

(
3930
)

, X(4685) and X(4630) by the LHCb Collaboration and some exotic resonances such as X(4350), X(4500), etc. by several experiment collaborations, the $$cs{\bar{c}}{\bar{s}}$$

c
s

c

¯

s

¯

tetraquark systems with $$J^{PC}=0^{++}$$

J

PC

=

0

+
+

, $$1^{++}$$

1

+
+

, $$1^{+-}$$

1

+
-

and $$2^{++}$$

2

+
+

are systematically investigated in the framework of the quark delocalization color screening model(QDCSM). Two structures, the meson–meson and diquark–antidiquark structures, as well as the channel-coupling of all channels of these two configurations are considered in this work. The numerical results indicate that the molecular bound state $$D^{-}_{s}D_{s}^{+}$$

D
s
-

D

s

+

with $$J^{PC}=00^{++}$$

J

PC

=

00

+
+

can be supposed to explain the $$\chi _{c0}(3930)$$

χ

c
0

(
3930
)

. Besides, by using the stabilization method, several resonant states are obtained. Among these states, X(4350), X(4500) and X(4700) can be explained as the compact tetraquark states with $$J^{PC}=00^{++}$$

J

PC

=

00

+
+

, and the X(4274) is possible to be a candidate of the compact tetraquark state with $$J^{PC}=1^{++}$$

J

PC

=

1

+
+

. Apart from that, the $$J^{PC}=0^{++}$$

J

PC

=

0

+
+

resonance state with energy range 4028–4033 MeV, the two $$J^{PC}=2^{++}$$

J

PC

=

2

+
+

resonance states with energy range of 4394–4448 MeV and 4526–4536 MeV are possible to be new exotic states, which are indeed worthy of attention. More experimental tests are expected to check the existence of all these possible resonance states.
A New Hybrid Kinematic/Dynamic Whole-Body Control for Humanoid Robots with Real-Time Experiments
Authors: Galdeano D. , Chemori A. , Krut S. , Fraisse P.
Published: October 2021

In this paper, a new hybrid kinematic/dynamic control scheme for humanoid robots is proposed. Its basic idea lies in the tracking of several values in both operational and joint spaces. These values include (i) the relative pose of the robot’s feet, (ii) the position of the center of mass, (iii) the body’s orientation, and (iv) the admissible range of variation of the joints. A zero-moment point (ZMP)-based dynamic feedback is included in the proposed scheme to improve the stability of dynamic motions. The proposed stabilizer is based on a spherical projection of a nonlinear PID regulation control law. Through the proposed study, it is shown that these objectives allow us to produce smooth dynamically stable whole-body motions. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed control scheme are demonstrated through four real-time experimental scenarios conducted on the HOAP-3 humanoid robot.
The Application of Nanozymes in the Diagnosis and Treatment of TUMOR: A Review
Authors: Yang Wenbo , Hu Hongzhi , Wang Peng , Huang Wei , Shao Zengwu
Published: October 2021

Nanozyme is a kind of nanomaterial with simulated enzyme activity. Due to its high catalytic efficiency, better stability and modifiability, the role of nanozymes in medicine, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors, is receiving more and more attention. Nanozymes usually contain metals and are often used in combination with drugs or antigens/antibodies to become multifunctional materials for the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. At present, the detailed synthesis, classification and function of nanozymes need to be supplemented. In our review, we introduce the research status, synthesis and classification of nanozymes roundly. Then we summarized and introduced some characteristic nanozymes according to their functions, mainly including tumor diagnosis, tumor therapy, tumor surgical adjuvant therapy and multifunctional complexes. We believe that many breakthroughs have been made in the research of nanozymes, and more and more multifunctional nanozymes have been studied. However, there are still some shortcomings in the current research on nanozymes such as the lack of solutions to some of the insufficient properties of nanoparticles, like spontaneous aggregation, nonspecific phagocytosis, etc. At the same time, the catalytic reaction is relatively simple, which limits the further application of nanozyme. In our review, we made our own comments and prospects on the diagnostic, therapeutic and application of nanozymes. In the future, nanozymes will play an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors due to their potential modifiability and versatility as well as their increasingly perfect physicochemical properties.
Enhanced magneto-dielectric response in La-doped Co2U hexaferrite
Authors: Malhi Parambir Singh , Singh Anupinder , Singh Mandeep , Kumar Sachin , Kaur Shubhpreet , Arora Mehak , Sood Ashwani Kumar
Published: October 2021

The U-type hexaferrites ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Co2[Formula: see text][Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25) have been synthesized by auto-combustion method. The work involves the study of structural, microstructural, dielectric, magnetic and magneto-dielectric properties of the prepared materials. The structural analysis has been done by X-ray diffraction technique along with Le Bail refinement which confirmed the pure hexagonal phase for all the samples. The microstructural analysis has been carried out by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The vibrating sample magnetometer is used to measure the magnetic properties. The sample with a composition of [Formula: see text] 0.15 has shown the maximum magnetization of approximately 73.31 emu/g with the remnant magnetization of 38.89 emu/g and coercive field of 1.77 kOe at room temperature. Moreover, the same sample has delivered the maximum magneto-dielectric response of about 54.18% at 1.5-T field.
Teaching evidence-based medicine with electronic databases for preclinical education
Authors: Ma Kevin Sheng-Kai , Chang Hui-Chin , Krupat Edward
Published: October 2021

To evaluate the efficacy of an educational module on evidence-based medicine (EBM) assisted with electronic medical databases (EMDs) for preclinical education, medical students ( n = 111) were matriculated in a program consisted of 16 2-h sessions on EBM plus hands-on experience on EMDs in a problem-based learning-type format. Students were required to make an oral presentation on designated clinical scenarios before and after the sessions, without prior notice, as an indicator of performance. In addition, questionnaires focusing on behavioral changes, awareness, and confidence of mastering EBM were administered before and after the sessions to assess the attitudinal and behavioral impact of the intervention on the participants. We found evidence of better postprogram performance in utilizing EBM-relevant concepts and resources when the enrolled medical students were giving oral presentations. Moreover, the participants reported increased awareness of EBM and, behaviorally, increased utilization of EBM-relevant resources provided by libraries. Also, they reported improvement on appropriately using EBM-relevant resources, and 99% of the participants reported strong confidence in practicing EBM. In conclusion, modules on EBM implemented with EMDs benefitted medical students in scenario-oriented PBL tutorials. Improvements in awareness, behavior, confidence, and performance in mastering EBM were noted.
miR-19b-3p is associated with a diametric response to resistance exercise in older adults and regulates skeletal muscle anabolism via PTEN inhibition
Authors: Rivas Donato A. , Peng Fei , Benard Townsend , Ramos da Silva Adelino Sanchez , Fielding Roger A. , Margolis Lee M.
Published: October 2021

Understanding paradoxical responses to anabolic stimulation and identifying the mechanisms for this inconsistency in mobility-limited older adults may provide new targets for the treatment of sarcopenia. Our laboratory has discovered that dysregulation in microRNA (miRNA) that target anabolic pathways is a potential mechanism resulting in age-associated decreases in skeletal muscle mass and function (sarcopenia). The objective of the current study was to assess circulating miRNA expression profiles in diametric response of leg lean mass in mobility-limited older individuals after a 6-mo progressive resistance exercise training intervention (PRET) and determine the influence of differentially expressing miRNA on regulation of skeletal muscle mass. Participants were dichotomized by gain (Gainers; mean +561.4 g, n = 33) or loss (Losers; mean −589.8 g, n = 40) of leg lean mass after PRET. Gainers significantly increased fat-free mass 2.4% vs. −0.4% for Losers. Six miRNA (miR-1-3p, miR-19b-3p, miR-92a, miR-126, miR-133a-3p, and miR-133b) were significantly identified to be differentially expressed between Gainers and Losers, with miR-19b-3p being the miRNA most highly associated with increases in fat-free mass. Using an aging mouse model, we then assessed if miR-19b-3p expression was different in young mice with larger muscle mass compared with older mice. Circulating and skeletal muscle miR-19b-3p expression was higher in young compared with old mice and was positively associated with muscle mass and grip strength. We then used a novel integrative approach to determine if differences in circulating miR-19b-3p potentially translate to augmented anabolic response in human skeletal muscle cells in vitro. Results from this analysis identified that overexpression of miR-19b-3p targeted and downregulated PTEN by 64% to facilitate significant ∼50% increase in muscle protein synthetic rate as measured with SUnSET. The combine results of these three models identify miR-19b-3p as a potent regulator of muscle anabolism that may contribute to an inter-individual response to PRET in mobility-limited older adults.
Suppression of ventral hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neuronal activities enhances water intake
Authors: Han Bingxuan , Cui Shuang , Liu Feng-Yu , Wan You , Shi Yan , Yi Ming
Published: October 2021

Thirst is an important interoceptive response and drives water consumption. The hippocampus actively modulates food intake and energy metabolism, but direct evidence for the exact role of the hippocampus in modulating drinking behaviors is lacking. We observed decreased number of c-Fos-positive neurons in the ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) after water restriction or hypertonic saline injection in rats. Suppressed vCA1 neuronal activities under the hypertonic state were further confirmed with in vivo electrophysiological recording, and the level of suppression paralleled both the duration and the total amount of water consumption. Chemogenetic inhibition of vCA1 pyramidal neurons increased water consumption in rats injected with both normal and hypertonic saline. These findings suggest that suppression of vCA1 pyramidal neuronal activities enhances water intake.
Human lung cDC1 drive increased perforin-mediated NK cytotoxicity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Pallazola Alexander M. , Rao Jessica X. , Mengistu Dawit T. , Morcos Maria S. , Toma Mariam S. , Stolberg Valerie R. , Tretyakova Alexandra , McCloskey Lisa , Curtis Jeffrey L. , Freeman Christine M.
Published: October 2021

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung natural killer cells (NKs) lyse autologous lung epithelial cells in vitro, but underlying mechanisms and their relationship to epithelial cell apoptosis in vivo are undefined. Although this cytolytic capacity of lung NKs depends on priming by dendritic cells (DCs), whether priming correlates with DC maturation or is limited to a specific DC subset is also unknown. We recruited ever-smokers (≥10 pack-years; n = 96) undergoing clinically indicated lung resections. We analyzed lung NKs for cytotoxic molecule transcripts and for cytotoxicity, which we correlated with in situ detection of activated Caspase-3/7+ airway epithelial cells. To investigate DC priming, we measured lung DC expression of CCR2, CCR7, and CX3CR1 and cocultured peripheral blood NKs with autologous lung DCs, either matured using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (nonobstructed smokers) or separated into conventional dendritic cell type-1 (cDC1) versus cDC type-2 (cDC2) (COPD). Lung NKs in COPD expressed more perforin ( P < 0.02) and granzyme B ( P < 0.03) transcripts; inhibiting perforin blocked in vitro killing by lung NKs. Cytotoxicity in vitro correlated significantly ( Sr = 0.68, P = 0.0043) with numbers of apoptotic epithelial cells per airway. In nonobstructed smokers, LPS-induced maturation enhanced DC-mediated priming of blood NKs, reflected by greater epithelial cell death. Although CCR7 expression was greater in COPD in both cDC1 ( P < 0.03) and cDC2 ( P = 0.009), only lung cDC1 primed NK killing. Thus, rather than being intrinsic to those with COPD, NK priming is a capacity of human lung DCs that is inducible by recognition of bacterial (and possibly other) danger signals and restricted to the cDC1 subset.
Changes in hemoglobin function and isoform expression during embryonic development in the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis
Authors: Bautista Naim M. , Petersen Elin E. , Jensen Rasmus J. , Natarajan Chandrasekhar , Storz Jay F. , Crossley Dane A. , Fago Angela
Published: October 2021

In the developing embryos of egg-laying vertebrates, O2 flux takes place across a fixed surface area of the eggshell and the chorioallantoic membrane. In the case of crocodilians, the developing embryo may experience a decrease in O2 flux when the nest becomes hypoxic, which may cause compensatory adjustments in blood O2 transport. However, whether the switch from embryonic to adult hemoglobin isoforms (isoHbs) plays some role in these adjustments is unknown. Here, we provide a detailed characterization of the developmental switch of isoHb synthesis in the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis. We examined the in vitro functional properties and subunit composition of purified alligator isoHbs expressed during embryonic developmental stages in normoxia and hypoxia (10% O2). We found distinct patterns of isoHb expression in alligator embryos at different stages of development, but these patterns were not affected by hypoxia. Specifically, alligator embryos expressed two main isoHbs: HbI, prevalent at early developmental stages, with a high O2 affinity and high ATP sensitivity, and HbII, prevalent at later stages and identical to the adult protein, with a low O2 affinity and high CO2 sensitivity. These results indicate that whole blood O2 affinity is mainly regulated by ATP in the early embryo and by CO2 and bicarbonate from the late embryo until adult life, but the developmental regulation of isoHb expression is not affected by hypoxia exposure.
Epidural electrical stimulation to facilitate locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury
Authors: Audet Johannie , Lecomte Charly G.
Published: October 2021

Tonic or phasic electrical epidural stimulation of the lumbosacral region of the spinal cord facilitates locomotion and standing in a variety of preclinical models with severe spinal cord injury. However, the mechanisms of epidural electrical stimulation that facilitate sensorimotor functions remain largely unknown. This review aims to address how epidural electrical stimulation interacts with spinal sensorimotor circuits and discusses the limitations that currently restrict the clinical implementation of this promising therapeutic approach.
An open-source application for the standardized burst identification from the integrated muscle sympathetic neurogram
Authors: Foster Glen E. , Shafer Brooke M. , Shing Conan
Published: October 2021

The basic analysis of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) requires the identification of pulse-synchronous bursts from the integrated neurogram before standard MSNA metrics can be quantified. This process is a time-consuming task requiring an experienced microneurographer to visually identify and manually label bursts. We developed an open-source, cross-platform application permitting a standardized approach for sympathetic burst identification and present the performance of this application against a manual scorer under basal conditions and during sympathoexcitatory stresses.
The early development and physiology of Xenopus laevis tadpole lateral line system
Authors: Saccomanno Valentina , Love Heather , Sylvester Amy , Li Wen-Chang
Published: October 2021

We studied Xenopus tadpole motor responses to anterior lateral line stimulation using high-speed videos, electrophysiology and calcium imaging. Activating the lateral line reliably started swimming. At high stimulation intensities, turning was observed behaviorally but suitable motor nerve discharges were seen only occasionally in immobilized tadpoles. Suction applied during swimming produced a halting response. We analyzed afferent and efferent activities of the tadpole anterior lateral line nerve and located sensory interneurons using calcium imaging.
Ion Transporter Gene Families as Physiological Targets of Natural Selection During Salinity Transitions in a Copepod
Authors: Lee Carol Eunmi
Published: October 2021

Salinity is a key factor that structures biodiversity on the planet. With anthropogenic change, such as climate change and species invasions, many populations are facing rapid and dramatic changes in salinity throughout the globe. Studies on the copepod Eurytemora affinis species complex have implicated ion transporter gene families as major loci contributing to salinity adaptation during freshwater invasions. Laboratory experiments and population genomic surveys of wild populations have revealed evolutionary shifts in genome-wide gene expression and parallel genomic signatures of natural selection during independent salinity transitions. Our results suggest that balancing selection in the native range and epistatic interactions among specific ion transporter paralogs could contribute to parallel freshwater adaptation. Overall, these studies provide unprecedented insights into evolutionary mechanisms underlying physiological adaptation during rapid salinity change.
COVID-19 in Early Life: Infants and Children Are Affected Too
Authors: Leibel Sandra L. , Sun Xin
Published: October 2021

Compared with adults, children are less likely infected with SARS-CoV-2 and are often asymptomatic when infected. However, infection in children can lead to severe disease. The pandemic affects the lives of all children, especially those with lower socioeconomic status. This review highlights the physiological impacts of COVID-19 in early life.
Explore the Lipid-Lowering and Weight-Reducing Mechanism of Lotus Leaf Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking
Authors: Zhou Guangjiao , Feng Xuehua , Tao Ali
Published: October 2021

Objective. To predict the target of the active ingredient of lotus leaf for lowering fat and losing weight. Explore its multicomponent, multitarget, multipath mechanism. Methods. Screen the main active ingredients of lotus leaves through the TCMSP database, and use the TCMSP database to predict the potential targets of the active ingredients. Obtain obesity-related targets from the human genome annotation (GeneCards) database. Use Venn software to take the intersection of the two to obtain the effect target of the lotus leaf lipid-lowering and weight-reducing effects. Use Cytoscape 3.6.0 software to construct an effective ingredient-target network. Use the STRING database to construct an intersection target protein interaction (PPI) network, visualize it with Cytoscape 3.6.0 software, and perform network topology analysis to obtain the core target. Use the DAVID database to perform gene ontology (GO) and metabolic pathway (KEGG) enrichment analysis for the above targets. Use AutoDockTools software for molecular docking to verify the binding strength. Results. A total of 15 main active ingredients such as quercetin, isorhamnetin, sitosterol, and kaempferol were obtained, which can act on 135 targets related to obesity. These targets are significantly enriched in multiple GO and KEGG entries such as hypoxia response, positive regulation of gene expression, response to toxic substances, aging, and positive regulation of RNA polymerase II promoter transcription. Molecular docking shows that flavonoids such as quercetin have better binding to the target protein Akt1. Conclusion. The lipid-lowering and weight-reducing effects of lotus leaf embody the characteristics of multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway of traditional Chinese medicine, which provides a certain scientific basis for the screening and in-depth study of the effective ingredients of lotus leaf.
Synergistic Antibiofilm Effect of Thymol and Piperine in Combination with Aminoglycosides Antibiotics against Four Salmonella enterica Serovars
Authors: Tokam Kuaté Christian Ramsès , Bisso Ndezo Borel , Dzoyem Jean Paul
Published: October 2021

Biofilms related to human infection have high levels of pathogenicity due to their resistance to antimicrobial agents. The discovery of antibiofilm agents is necessary. One approach to overcome this problem is the use of antibiotics agents’ combination. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of the combination of natural products thymol and piperine with three aminoglycosides antibiotics, amikacin, kanamycin, and streptomycin against biofilm-forming Salmonella enterica. The microtiter plate assay method was used to evaluate the biofilm-producing capacity of the isolates. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined by the broth microdilution method. The inhibition of biofilm formation and biofilm eradication was determined using the microtiter broth method. The checkerboard method was used to determine the combined effects of natural products with aminoglycosides antibiotics. All the tested isolates showed various levels of biofilm formation. Overall, combinations provided 43.3% of synergy in preventing the biofilm formation and 40% of synergy in eradicating preformed biofilms, and in both cases, no antagonism was observed. The combination of thymol with kanamycin showed a synergistic effect with 16- to 32-fold decrease of the minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) of kanamycin. The interaction of piperine with amikacin and streptomycin also revealed a synergistic effect with 16-fold reduction of the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC). The combination of thymol with the three antibiotics showed a strong synergistic effect in both inhibiting the biofilm formation and eradicating the preformed biofilm. This study demonstrates that thymol and piperine potentiate the antibiofilm activity of amikacin, kanamycin, and streptomycin. These combinations are a promising approach therapeutic to overcome the problem of Salmonella enterica biofilm-associated infections. In addition, these combinations could help reduce the concentration of individual components, thereby minimizing the nephrotoxicity of aminoglycosides antibiotics.
Integrating Optimized Multiscale Entropy Model with Machine Learning for the Localization of Epileptogenic Hemisphere in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Using Resting-State fMRI
Authors: Fu Xiaoxuan , Wang Youhua , Belkacem Abdelkader Nasreddine , Zhang Qirui , Xie Chong , Cao Yingxin , Cheng Hao , Chen Shenghua
Published: October 2021

The bottleneck associated with the validation of the parameters of the entropy model has limited the application of this model to modern functional imaging technologies such as the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rfMRI). In this study, an optimization algorithm that could choose the parameters of the multiscale entropy (MSE) model was developed, while the optimized effectiveness for localizing the epileptogenic hemisphere was validated through the classification rate with a supervised machine learning method. The rfMRI data of 20 mesial temporal lobe epilepsy patients with positive indicators (the indicators of epileptogenic hemisphere in clinic) in the hippocampal formation on either left or right hemisphere (equally divided into two groups) on the structural MRI were collected and preprocessed. Then, three parameters in the MSE model were statistically optimized by both receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve value in the sensitivity analysis, and the intergroup significance of optimized entropy values was utilized to confirm the biomarked brain areas sensitive to the epileptogenic hemisphere. Finally, the optimized entropy values of these biomarked brain areas were regarded as the feature vectors input for a support vector machine to classify the epileptogenic hemisphere, and the classification effectiveness was cross-validated. Nine biomarked brain areas were confirmed by the optimized entropy values, including medial superior frontal gyrus and superior parietal gyrus (

p

 < .01). The mean classification accuracy was greater than 90%. It can be concluded that combination of the optimized MSE model with the machine learning model can accurately confirm the epileptogenic hemisphere by rfMRI. With the powerful information interaction capabilities of 5G communication, the epilepsy side-fixing algorithm that requires computing power can be integrated into a cloud platform. The demand side only needs to upload patient data to the service platform to realize the preoperative assessment of epilepsy.
Effect of Bloodletting at Shaoshang and Shangyang Acupuncture Points on Outcome and Prognosis of Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia in the Elderly
Authors: Fu Yuefeng , Yang Zhe , Cai Yangping , Liu Hongshuan , Li Shuo , Kou Nan , Wu Jingqin , Zhang Qing
Published: October 2021

Objectives. The aim of this study was to explore, whether treatment with bloodletting at Shaoshang and Shangyang acupuncture points would affect therapy outcome and prognosis for severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) in the elderly. Methods. A total of 62 patients, who met the diagnostic criteria for SCAP, were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into two groups, i.e., treatment group (

n
=
31

) and control group (

n
=
31

). All patients received a therapy according to the Chinese Clinical Practice and Expert Consensus of Emergency Severe Pneumonia from 2016. In addition to that, a bloodletting at Shaoshang (LU11) and Shangyang (LI1) acupuncture points was applied for the treatment group. This intervention was repeated for three times (ones daily), bloodletting a volume of 2-3 ml at each time point. Differences in a main index of clinical efficacy, body temperature (T), respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (Hr), white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil percentage (N%), and C-reactive protein level (CRP) as well as different scores (CURB-65 score, SOFA score, and Apache II score) were compared between groups. Moreover, the 28-day mortality was compared between treatment and control group. The statistical methods involved in carrying out the current study include

t

-test, Wilcoxon test, and chi-square test. Results. The clinical effective rate of the treatment group was 82.9%, which was significantly higher than the 17.1% in the control group (

P
<
0.05

). After finishing the intervention, the treatment group showed significantly lower T (

37.28
±
0.54

vs.

37.82
±
0.81

), RR (

20.06
±
2.67

vs.

23.71
±
6.85

), Hr (

81.71
±
10.38

vs.

93.84
±
15.39

), CUBR-65 score (

2.16
±
0.74

vs.

3.03
±
0.98

), and SOFA score (

5.84
±
3.83

vs.

8.16
±
4.2

) compared to the control group (

P
<
0.05

). The 28-day mortality rate of the treatment group was significantly lower than in the control group (12.9% vs. 45.2%,

P
=
0.05

). Conclusions. Bloodletting at Shaoshang and Shangyang acupuncture points can support improving the clinical treatment efficacy for SCAP and reduce the 28-day mortality rate in the elderly.
Evaluating Thresholds to Adopt Hypofractionated Preoperative Radiotherapy as Standard of Care in Sarcoma
Authors: Valle Luca F. , Bernthal Nicholas , Eilber Fritz C. , Shabason Jacob E. , Bedi Meena , Kalbasi Anusha
Published: October 2021

Introduction. Data supporting hypofractionated preoperative radiation therapy (RT) for patients with extremity and trunk soft tissue sarcoma (STS) are currently limited to phase II single-institution studies. We sought to understand the type and thresholds of clinical evidence required for experts to adopt hypofractionated RT as a standard-of-care option for patients with STS. Methods. An electronic survey was distributed to multidisciplinary sarcoma experts. The survey queried whether data from a theoretical, multi-institutional, phase II study of 5-fraction preoperative RT could change practice. Using endpoints from RTOG 0630 as a reference, the survey also queried thresholds for acceptable local control, wound complication, and late toxicity for the study protocol to be accepted as a standard-of-care option. Responses were logged from 8/27/2020 to 9/8/2020 and summarized graphically. Results. The survey response rate was 55.3% (47/85). Local control is the most important clinical outcome for sarcoma specialists when evaluating whether an RT regimen should be considered standard of care. 17% (8/47) of providers require randomized phase III evidence to consider hypofractionated preoperative RT as a standard-of-care option, whereas 10.6% (5/47) of providers already view this as a standard-of-care option. Of providers willing to change practice based on phase II data, most (78%, 29/37) would accept local control rates equivalent to or less than those in RTOG 0630, as long as the rate was higher than 85%. However, 51.3% (19/37) would require wound complication rates superior to those reported in RTOG 0630, and 46% (17/37) of respondents would accept late toxicity rates inferior to RTOG 0630. Conclusion. Consensus building is needed among clinicians regarding the type and threshold of evidence needed to evaluate hypofractionated RT as a standard-of-care option. A collaborative consortium-based approach may be the most pragmatic means for developing consensus protocols and pooling data to gradually introduce hypofractionated preoperative RT into routine practice.
Design and Implementation of Rural Community Elderly Culture Platform Based on Real‐Time Social Media Data Mining
Authors: Zhou Yangang , Hu Xiao
Published: October 2021

In the current big data environment, science and technology not only provide a new governance model for rural community governance but also put forward higher requirements for rural community governance level. Under the background of rural revitalization, promoting the construction of rural community cultural service system is not only an important choice to realize the equalization of urban and rural basic public services but also an important way to protect the cultural rights and interests of rural residents. On the basis of analyzing the real‐time data of social media, this paper studies the design and implementation method of rural community culture platform and then puts forward the strategy of community public culture informatization construction under the background of aging. From a global perspective, all countries have their own ways and means to invest in public cultural services. Especially from the perspective of countries with better development of public cultural services, multichannel funding sources are an important indicator of the quality of cultural undertakings. With the development of China’s social economy, the rural endowment insurance system is becoming more and more perfect, and the basic living needs of the elderly are basically met.
Analysis of Clinical Characteristics of 52 Patients with Uveitis before and after Vitrectomy and Factors Affecting Clinical Efficacy
Authors: Liu Qian , Zhou Yinghong , Deng Hongxia , Xiang Xiaoxia , Chen Chaohua , Wang Chao , Huang Ran
Published: October 2021

Objective. To investigate the pre- and postsurgical clinical characteristics and clinical efficacy of patients with uveitis. Methods. The clinical data of patients with uveitis who underwent vitrectomy in our hospital from March 2019 to February 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 52 cases of 64 eyes in total. The data on patient’s gender, age, etiology, course of disease, anatomical classification, number of recurrences, changes in vision before and after surgery, changes in eye signs before and after surgery, and occurrence of postoperative complications were collected. The clinical features before and after vitrectomy were compared, and the influencing factors of clinical efficacy were analyzed. Results. The ocular signs of patients with uveitis after vitrectomy were significantly improved compared with before operation, and the difference was statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

). The visual acuity after vitrectomy in patients with uveitis was significantly improved compared with that before operation, and the difference was statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

). There was no significant difference in the surgical treatment of uveitis patients of different gender, age, and etiology (

P
>
0.05

). There are significant differences in the clinical efficacy of vitrectomy in patients with different anatomical classifications. Among them, patients with panuveitis have the best clinical efficacy with vitrectomy and patients with posterior uveitis have the worst clinical efficacy with vitrectomy (

P
<
0.05

). There is a significant difference in the clinical efficacy of vitrectomy in patients with recurrence times. The lower the number of recurrences, the better the clinical efficacy of vitrectomy in patients (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. There are significant differences in the clinical signs of patients with uveitis before and after vitrectomy. Vitrectomy is effective in the treatment of uveitis. The type of anatomy and the number of recurrences are influencing factors for the clinical efficacy of vitrectomy. For patients with posterior uveitis, the surgical method should be carefully considered or a more reasonable treatment method should be selected, and for patients with uveitis with less recurrence, vitrectomy should be considered for active treatment.
Truncated Cauchy Power Odd Fréchet‐G Family of Distributions: Theory and Applications
Authors: Shrahili M. , Elbatal I.
Published: October 2021

The truncated Cauchy power odd Fréchet‐G family of distributions is presented in this article. This family’s unique models are launched. Statistical properties of the new family are proposed, such as density function expansion, moments, incomplete moments, mean deviation, Bonferroni and Lorenz curves, and entropy. We investigate the maximum likelihood method for predicting model parameters of the new family. Two real‐world datasets are used to show the importance and flexibility of the new family by using the truncated Cauchy power odd Fréchet exponential model as example of the family and compare it with some known models, and this model proves the importance and the flexibility for the new family.
Mobile Edge Computing Enabled Efficient Communication Based on Federated Learning in Internet of Medical Things
Authors: Zheng Xiao , Shah Syed Bilal Hussain , Ren Xiaojun , Li Fengqi , Nawaf Liqaa , Chakraborty Chinmay , Fayaz Muhammad
Published: October 2021

The rapid growth of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has led to the ubiquitous home health diagnostic network. Excessive demand from patients leads to high cost, low latency, and communication overload. However, in the process of parameter updating, the communication cost of the system or network becomes very large due to iteration and many participants. Although edge computing can reduce latency to some extent, there are significant challenges in further reducing system latency. Federated learning is an emerging paradigm that has recently attracted great interest in academia and industry. The basic idea is to train a globally optimal machine learning model among all participating collaborators. In this paper, a gradient reduction algorithm based on federated random variance is proposed to reduce the number of iterations between the participant and the server from the perspective of the system while ensuring the accuracy, and the corresponding convergence analysis is given. Finally, the method is verified by linear regression and logistic regression. Experimental results show that the proposed method can significantly reduce the communication cost compared with the general stochastic gradient descent federated learning.
Bedside Transcatheter Patent Ductus Arteriosus Device Occlusion in an Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate: A Novel Approach in a High-Risk Population
Authors: Pouldar Tiffany M. , Wong Robert , Almeida-Jones Myriam , Zahn Evan , Lubin Lorraine
Published: October 2021

Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants weighing less than 1 kilogram are at a high-risk for delayed patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure. Percutaneous PDA closure offers a less invasive approach when compared with surgical PDA closure, which may provide faster recovery times and less transfusion requirements. However, this procedure involves transporting tenuous, unstable patients from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the catheterization laboratory which introduces many potential risks for the neonate. Performing percutaneous PDA closure at the bedside offers a successful alternative to performing the procedure in the catheterization laboratory and avoiding risk associated with transporting ELBW neonates.