bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Observation on Curative Effect of Dahuang-Mudan Decoction among Patients Receiving Postoperative Chemotherapy of Colon Carcinoma
Authors: Liu Wuxuan
Published: March 2021

PURPOSE This thesis focuses on the research of the observation of curative effect of Dahuang-Mudan decoction(DMD) applied among the patients receiving chemotherapy in post operation of colon carcinoma. METHOD The selected cases of research have been 130 postoperative patients of colon carcinoma who had acquired hospitalization in some tertiary-grade A class hospital from June 2018 to December 2019, all of which are devided into two respetive groups by random number-- the Routine Group(RG) and the Contrast Group(CG), each containing 65 cases. Patients in RG get solely chemotherapy for rehabilitation, while the use of DMD is being added to patients in CG on the basis of standards in RG. After a certain period of treatment, some contrasts would be done in overall efficacy rate, the first anal exsufflation in post-operation, possibilities of complication and quality evaluation on life. RESULT After related treatment of DMD, patients in CG perform remarkably better in aspects of overall efficacy, the first anal exsufflation in post-operation, possibilities of complication occurence and quality evaluation on life than those in RG. CONCLUSION The use of DMD for postoperative patients of colon carcinoma who are receiving chemical treatment produces remarkable curative effect and vast value of clinical application, thus further promotion and practice could be positively adopted.

Colon carcinoma is clinically a malignant tumor frequently affecting in digestive system, occurring at the connection of sigmoid colon and rectum. With the continueous change of people’s diet constructure and tempo of life, the morbidity toll of colon carcinoma has seen a tendency of increase year by year. The age section of most of patients mainly lays between 35 to 55 years old in clinical, while male patients have suffered a higher morbidity than female ones, and the gender ratio could be a near 2:1[1]. The aetiological agent of colon carsinoma could be tightly connected to a diet that is high in fat and low in dietry fiber. A preference for high-fat food with low dietry fiber may incur chronic colonitis and intestinal polyps, which may further deteriorate into colon carcinoma. For clinical front line, the main method for the treatment of colon carcinoma is related operation at its core, along with a variety of postoperative adjuvant therapies. Western medicine tends to adopt chemotherapy, but the clinical effect could be less ideal for the patients while a number of side-effects may also emerge easily. The chinese traditional medicine tends to apply a dialectic therapy at core for the treatment, and the combination therapy including dialectic therapy and chemotherapy has gradually become a mainstream method for the treatment of colon carcinoma due to facual effectiveness of ameliorating curative-effects and reducing side-effects[2]. This research focuses on an analysis of the actual clinical curative-effects of DMD applied on patients who are receiving postoperative chemotherapy of colon carcinoma.
Research on the Neurobiology of COVID-19
Authors: Tong Yilun
Published: March 2021

More studies have shown the neurological manifestations of the novel corona virus (COVID-19) and have inferred the molecular mechanism by which it invades the nervous system. The neurological aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been differently interpreted and dealt with in different parts of the world. To review the neurological manifestations and the neurovirulent mechanism by which CoV attacks the human nervous system and to examine different perspectives on this very same topic, the research on PubMed and ScienceDirect is conducted. The mechanisms that CoV enter and attack the nervous system and the subsequent neurologic manifestations have been proposed and now seems quite clear. However, more studies have to be done directly on the effect of COVID-19 on the CNS as well as the PNS.
The scientific research progress of novel coronavirus—— SARS-COV-2
Authors: Yang LiuQing
Published: March 2021

A COVID-19 outbreak suddenly appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and then spread around the world quickly. So far, there have been a series of studies on SARS-COV-2 which has been confirmed as the cause of the outbreak. On account of the characteristic of spreading in droplet, SARS-COV-2 could be transmitted from person to person, causing the epidemic to become more and more severe all over the world. For SARS-COV-2, the spike S protein is essential for successfully infecting cells. In fact, most developmental strategies of vaccines are based on the structure of S proteins as well as host cell receptors. There are also vaccines based on the role of RNA molecules of SARS-COV-2 in host cells or the immune response of human body against the virus. This paper summarizes some research results of scholars on SARS-COV-2, aiming to provide people with a clear idea to understand SARS-COV-2, and hoping to make some contributions to the fight against the virus.
Study on antibacterial activity and self-assembly of ovalbumin-derived peptides
Authors: Tan Ao , Konno Hiroyuki
Published: March 2021

Antimicrobial activity and self-assembly of the modified TK913 peptide are described. We designed the peptides TK9Z1-4 and TKZ2-3 based on the TK913 sequence and prepared these peptides by Fmoc-SPPS. TKZ3 shows morphology change in the different concentration and potent antimicrobial activities. In addition, TKZ3 has stability in trypsin treatment.
Study on the strategy of three-dimensional anatomy of the duodenum and its surrounding organs
Authors: Feng Chengan , Fan Yan
Published: March 2021

With the development of science and technology, there are constantly new technologies used in medicine, and related medical technologies have also been greatly improved. Anatomy is one of them. This technology has been widely used in clinical practice, but traditional anatomy is evaluated before surgery. There shortcomings, and it is impossible to have a more accurate understanding of the disease. Therefore, improper operation may still cause some problems during the operation, such as bile duct and blood vessel damage, organ failure and other adverse consequences. Duodenum and its surrounding organs are a complex surgical method. Based on the characteristics of the site, it involves multiple organs such as the pancreas, duodenum, and bile ducts. The anatomical structure of the organism is destroyed, and the destroyed structure is artificially constructed to create a highly difficult surgical technique for new physiological channels. With the development of medicine, the application of three-dimensional visualization technology in this operation can accurately measure the pathology of the duodenum and its surrounding organs, and make preoperative planning and planning for the excision of the duodenum and its surrounding organs. The success of the operation plays an important role. This article mainly analyzes the current situation of the anatomy of the duodenum and its surrounding organs under the background of current medical technology, and proposes an idea on how to optimize and enhance the anatomy of the duodenum and its surrounding organs. Series recommendations. And try to find a new way out for the anatomy of the duodenum and its surrounding organs in the current era based on the results of these studies. Experimental research shows that the use of three-dimensional technology can greatly improve the anatomy of the duodenum and its surrounding organs. The use of this technology, combined with the doctor's solid foundation, can greatly improve the success rate of the operation.
Effects of Moisture on Mechanical and Piezoresistive Properties of Cement Composites containing Carbon Fiber during long age
Authors: Wangyanfeng  , Zhaoxiaohua  , Zhaoyi  , Bianyadong
Published: March 2021

This paper presents a compressive test program designed to determine the mechanical and self-sensing properties of cement-matrix composites containing carbon fiber. Two kinds of mixes with 0.5% and 0.75% carbon fiber （CF） were prepared. The mechanical and piezoresistive properties of the cement-matrix composites were evaluated at 28, 90, 180, 270, and 360 d. The results show that the mechanical properties were enhanced in most cases. However, the compressive strength of carbon fiber reinforced cement-matrix composites decreased compared with the reference mix at the early curing ages, which agrees with the results mentioned in the literature. What is worth to mention, the 360 d compressive strength of carbon fiber reinforced cement-matrix composites reached the same level as that of the reference. Moreover, both negative and positive piezoresistivity were observed during the experiments. The amplitude of piezoresistivity was found to change with the variation of moisture content, and was not directly proportional to the magnitude of the stress. In the elastic stage with smaller stress amplitude, the piezoresistivity amplitude was larger. When the stress amplitude was multiplied, the piezoresistivity change was not synchronous. The gauge factor for the composite with 0.75% CF was higher than that of the composite with 0.5% CF and commercially available strain gauges.
The Teaching Design and Application of Online - Offline Hybrid Curriculum under the Influence of the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic
Authors: Xie Wenjia , Han Kun , Zhang Xiaoli , Gao Xinwei , He Meimei
Published: March 2021

This paper analyzes the differences between online and offline courses in teaching organization, course content and practice, as well as the differences between hybrid teaching and hybrid courses in concept and emphasis. This paper puts forward the basic principles and requirements of hybrid courses teaching design, and discusses the key points and application scenarios of hybrid courses teaching design from three aspects: teaching objectives, teaching elements and teaching activities. And the key issues that need to be figured out are explained.
Establishment of plant regeneration system for young leaf explants of Cassia mimosoides
Authors: Yang Yali , He Peiting , Zhang Shengyuan , Lin Dadu , Liu Zhentao , Zhang Lubin , Zhai Ming , Liu Ying
Published: March 2021

In the present study, a plant regeneration system was established by using young leaf explants from aseptic seedlings of Cassia mimosoides. The results showed that when the explants were inoculated on the 1/2MS medium contained 2.0 mg/L 6-BA and 0.5 mg/L NAA, high rate of callus induction and good growth status of adventitious bud, and the highest number of buds were obtained. Further studies conclusively suggested that IBA could not promote root formation effectively, but the root regeneration could be induced by NAA. However, although the rooting of regeneration buds could be induced when adventitious buds were placed into 1/2MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA, the rate of rooting was reduced, and the roots became shorter. Therefore, the best medium for adventitious bud regeneration using young leaf as explants in C. mimosoides was 1/2MS medium contained 2.0 mg/L 6-BA and 0.5 mg/L NAA, and the best rooting medium was 1/2MS.
Adsorption and Photocatalytic Properties of Modified Rectorite-Titanium Dioxide Composites
Authors: Du Yuanyuan , Li Xinjun , Fu Ying , Zheng Linlin , Gao Xing , He Wen , Zheng Pengwu
Published: March 2021

Using rectorite as raw material, REC is modified by nitric acid, TiO2 is attached to the surface of the acidized modified REC tablet to form modified REC-TiO2 composite materials by the sol-gel method, and its adsorption performance and photocatalytic properties were studied. The results show that the adsorption of REC, modified REC, modified REC-TiO2 composite materialtoporads to methylene blue increased with the increase of equilibrium concentration. The process of adsorption MB of modified REC-TiO2 composite materials is an endothermic process. The adsorption of REC, modified REC, modified REC-TiO2 composite materials to MB increased with the increase of temperature. When the temperature is 25 degree, the maximum adsorption capacity of REC is 93.985 mg/g, the maximum adsorption capacity of modified REC is 107.006 mg/g, and the maximum adsorption capacity of modified REC-TiO2 is 120.773 mg/g. The degradation rate of MB and p-nitrophenol by modified REC-TiO2 composite under illumination are 99% and 98%, respectively. The decontamination rate of MB and 4-NP of modified REC-TiO2 composites under darkness was 50% and 0.8%, respectively. Under light conditions, the degradation rate of MB and 4-NP in modified REC-TiO2 composite materials is improved.
The Efficiencies of different Dust Collectors and Characteristics of PM2.5 Water-soluble Ions in Industrial Fluidized Bed Boilers
Authors: Liang Lin
Published: March 2021

PM2.5 were collected before and after dust collectors of five industrial fluidized bed boilers by PM2.5 sampler. The ELPI was used to monitored the number and mass concentrations of PM2.5 before and after the dust collectors, and the dust removal efficiencies of different dust collectors was analyzed. The efficiencies of electrostatic and bag filter dust collectors are high, and the efficiency of mechanical dust collector is low. NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ cations, and F-, Cl-, NO3-, SO42-anions were analyzed by ion chromatography. It was found that the contents of Ca2+ and SO42-were higher in PM2.5 samples, and the contents of Ca2+ and SO42-were different among different boilers, The content of Mg2+ in cations is relatively low, the content of F- in anions is relatively low, and NO3-is not detected in many samples.
Pharmacodynamic evaluation of Dezocine injection from Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group
Authors: Ye Rong-Rong , Wang Yu-Jun , Xu Xu , Lu Yan , Liu Jing-Gen
Published: March 2021

Intramuscular injection and intravenous injection are important routes of drug administration, which not only have a fast absorption rate, but also avoid the first pass effect of the drug. In 2009, Yangtze Pharmaceutical Group redeveloped Dezocine(13-Amino-5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12-octahydro-5-methyl-5,11-methanobenzocyclodecen-3-ol), molecular formula: C16H23NO, in the form of njection. Quickly, Dezocine injection becomes the first choice for perioperative pain management in China and accounts for 45 % of the analgesic market. This study mainly used animal pain models to study the analgesic effects of Dezocine injection. The results indicated that Dezocine produced potent analgesic effect in the hot plate and writhing tests.
Study on the Factors Affecting the Determination of Calcium in Limestone for Chemical Industry by AAS
Authors: He Wen , Dang Chengfeng , Gao Xing
Published: March 2021

The calcium content in limestone for chemical industry was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The effects of soaking time, soaking reagent and soaking temperature on the determination of calcium content in limestone for chemical industry were discussed by the method of controlling variables, and the optimum conditions for the determination of calcium content in limestone for chemical industry were analyzed. This method has the advantages of easy operation, low interference, high accuracy and sensitivity, and is widely used. The experimental results show that the optimum conditions for the determination of calcium content in limestone for chemical industry are as follows: soaking reagent is 0.6mol/L hydrochloric acid, soaking time is 0.5h, soaking temperature is 70～80 ℃.
Selectivity of Sample Preparation by Micro Carbon Residue Method with Heat Transfer Fluids
Authors: Yang Jianhua , Li Jingmiao , Jin Dong , Guo Linyuan
Published: March 2021

In heat transfer fluids, the carbon residue value is an indicator that provides its relative coking tendency. The micro carbon residue method is widely used because of the simple and convenient operation procedures and low pollution. However, when the carbon residue value is less than 0.1%, the sample needs to be prepared and then tested in the furnace. Therefore, this article aims at the measurement of carbon residue by the heat transfer fluids micro method. The heat transfer fluids is classified according to the product type and the maximum allowed temperature. The sample is prepared by pretreatment. In the method for determining micro carbon residue, whether the sample prepared by pretreatment is selective.
Determination of Ca3(PO4)2 in Bone China by Microwave Digestion-ICP-AES
Authors: Huang Zheng-gen , Yi He-ying , Wang Tao , An Lian-ying , Zhao Xiao-bin
Published: March 2021

The establishment of a microwave digestion method with the advantages of simple operation and complete digestion to process samples has shown that, high sensitivity, wide linear dynamic range, good precision, fast analysis speed and many other advantages of ICP-AES technology for rapid determination of tricalcium phosphate in bone china. Through the use of different P2O5 content of phosphate rock and kaolin national standard material configuration standard working solution for matrix matching to eliminate matrix interference, the microwave digestion sample processing condition selection, coexisting ion interference, method precision, accuracy, and detection limit tests were carried out. The results showed that the detection limit of the newly established method for tricalcium phosphate is 0.011mg.L-1; the HCl-HNO3-HF-H2O2 mixed acid decomposition system dissolves the best samples; the interference of the test results through the matrix matching coexisting ion pair is small; The relative standard deviation (RSD) is 1.08%~4.64%, and the recovery rate of standard addition is 92.4%~107.9%. The established method has high accuracy and precision; the bone china samples are analyzed and compared with the conventional digestion national standard method The t test method is used to prove that the two methods are not significantly different from the test results.
Psychosoziales Problemfeld-Assessment bei chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen – wer nutzt die online-Version unter www.CED-aktiv-werden.de?
Authors: Hüppe Angelika , Herzog Nina , Eisemann Nora , Langbrandtner Jana , Raspe Heiner
Published: March 2021

Ziel der Studie Die Berücksichtigung psychosozialer Problemfelder zählt zu den Merkmalen einer guten Versorgung, auch von Patienten mit Morbus Crohn (MC) oder Colitis ulcerosa (CU). Seit 2014 wird Betroffenen mit chronisch entzündlicher Darmerkrankung (CED) online ein kostenfreies fragebogengestütztes Problemfeld-Assessment mit Versorgungsempfehlungen angeboten. Primäres Ziel unserer Datenanalyse ist die vergleichende Beschreibung soziodemografischer wie krankheitsbezogener Merkmale von Nutzerinnen und Nutzern dieses Angebotes.

Methodik Für eine retrospektive Datenanalyse wurde die online-Stichprobe (OG) bestehend aus 2156 MC oder CU-Kranken mit 852 Personen aus 2 CED-Versorgungsforschungsstudien verglichen (VG). Neben deskriptiven Verfahren kamen Regressions- und Kovarianzanalysen zum Einsatz.

Ergebnisse Die OG unterscheidet sich hoch signifikant und teils klinisch relevant von der VG. Jeder dritte ist jünger als 30 Jahre (VG: 19%); 45% haben Abitur (VG: 36%). In der OG befinden sich weniger Kranke in Remission (OG 34%; VG 59%). Auch unter Kontrolle der Unterschiede zeigt sich die OG im Vergleich zur VG in 12 der 17 erfassten psychosozialen Problemfelder als stärker belastet. Zu 5 von 9 krankheitsbezogenen Themenbereichen äußert sie einen stärkeren Informationsbedarf.

Schlussfolgerung Die internetbasierte Version des Problemfeld-Assessments wird v. a. von jüngeren, besser ausgebildeten und körperlich wie psychosozial stärker belasteten CED-Kranken genutzt. Sie weisen ein hohes Informationsbedürfnis auf. Das Problemfeld-Assessment dürfte ihnen dabei helfen, sich selbst aktiv in die eigene Versorgung einzubringen. Unsere Daten werfen weiteres Licht auf Besonderheiten von Internet-basierten Untersuchungsgruppen.
RSO im klinischen Alltag: Statuserfassung in Deutschland 2020
Authors: Freudenberg Lutz S. , Klett Rigobert , Fischer Manfred , Boddenberg-Pätzold Barbara , Tönshoff Gregor , Czech Norbert J. , Kampen Willm Uwe
Published: March 2021

Einleitung Die Radiosynoviorthese (RSO) ist eine seit Jahrzehnten eingeführte nuklearmedizinische Lokalbehandlung entzündlicher Gelenkerkrankungen, die überwiegend ambulant in nichtuniversitären Einrichtungen durchgeführt wird. Trotz umfangreicher Erfahrungen in einzelnen Institutionen gibt es kaum fassbare oder vergleichbare Daten über die Durchführung und/oder Erfolge dieser Therapie.

Fragestellung Ziel der Untersuchung war es, möglichst belastbare Daten zur RSO in Deutschland zu erhalten.

Materialien und Methoden Es wurde ein webbasierter Fragebogen eingesetzt. In ihm wurden demografische Daten, Ausbildung/Erlernen der RSO, prätherapeutischer Diagnostik, klinischer Verfahren und Follow-up abgefragt. Die Umfrage stand 28 Tage lang zur Verfügung und wurde am 30. November 2020 geschlossen.

Ergebnisse Insgesamt 78 Fachärzte für Nuklearmedizin beantworteten den Fragebogen, was einer Rücklaufquote von 23 % entspricht. Neben den hier erstmals dokumentierten Unterschieden und Übereinstimmungen bei prätherapeutischer Diagnostik, Durchführung und Nachsorge der RSO zeigt sich, dass weniger als 70 Fachärzte in Deutschland mehr als 75 % aller RSO-Behandlungen durchführen, und dass diese meist älter als 50 Jahre sind. Hieraus ergibt sich die Notwendigkeit einer verstärkten Nachwuchsförderung, um dieses hilfreiche Therapieverfahren auch in Zukunft den Patienten anbieten zu können.

Schlussfolgerungen Zum Erreichen dieser Ziele ist ein Zusammenschluss von RSO-Experten sinnvoll, durch die unter anderem ein Ausbildungs-Curriculum RSO erarbeitet wird sowie Fortbildungen und Hospitationsmöglichkeiten organisiert werden. Darüber hinaus wären auch ambulant-stationäre Kooperationsmodelle im Rahmen der Facharztausbildung denkbar.
Entwicklung der Publikationsleistung der Universitätskliniken für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie im Jahr 2020 in Deutschland
Authors: Guderian D. , Leinung M. , Weiss R. , Diensthuber M. , Stöver T. , Loth A.
Published: March 2021

Einleitung Die SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie hat an den Universitätskliniken für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde (HNO) zu tiefgreifenden Einschränkungen im Bereich der Krankenversorgung und der studentischen Lehre geführt. Die Auswirkungen auf den Bereich Forschung sind dagegen uneinheitlich. Zur Einordnung der pandemiebedingten Effekte auf die Forschung wurde die Entwicklung der Anzahl der wissenschaftlichen Publikationen der HNO-Universitätskliniken in Deutschland vor und während der Pandemie analysiert.

Material und Methoden Es wurde die Publikationsleistung aus den Jahren 2015–2020 der derzeitigen 39 Klinikdirektoren mithilfe einer Literaturrecherche (PubMed) erhoben. Eingeschlossen wurden alle Nennungen der Klinikdirektoren als Erst-, Letzt- oder Co-Autor einer Arbeit. Es wurde die absolute und relative Entwicklung der Publikationsleistung jedes Autors ermittelt und statistisch ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse Die Literaturrecherche ergab 2420 Publikationen. Zwischen 2015 und 2019 wurden pro Jahr durchschnittlich 368 Publikationen von allen Autoren veröffentlicht. 2020 stieg diese Zahl um 57,9 % auf 581 Publikationen an. Während zwischen 2015 und 2019 die Anzahl der monatlichen Publikationen konstant blieb, zeigte sich ab Mai 2020 ein deutlicher Anstieg bis zu einem Maximum von 74 Veröffentlichungen im September 2020. 34 Arbeiten (5,9 %) aus dem Jahr 2020 wiesen einen thematischen Bezug zur SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie auf, wobei 7 dieser Arbeiten (20,6 %) durch standortübergreifende Veröffentlichungen entstanden sind.

Schlussfolgerung Im Jahr 2020 konnte die Zahl der wissenschaftlichen Publikationen auf mehr als das 1,5-fache der Veröffentlichungen der Vorjahre gesteigert werden. Diese Steigerung stand in einem deutlichen zeitlichen Zusammenhang zur Reduktion der elektiven Krankenversorgung während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie ab Mitte März 2020. Wahrscheinlich haben freie zeitliche Kapazitäten diese gesteigerte Publikationsleistung ermöglicht. Unsere Ergebnisse belegen das große wissenschaftliche Potenzial der universitären HNO-Kliniken, das trotz der Pandemie erfolgreich umgesetzt werden konnte.
An Unusual Cause of Sepsis: Infected Iliofemoral Junction False Aneurysm following Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Authors: Pelissier Bruno , Lebreton Guillaume , Leprince Pascal , Demondion Pierre
Published: March 2021

The article presents an unusual cause of sepsis happening several weeks after heart transplant (infected iliofemoral junction false aneurysm) requiring iliofemoral reconstruction with arterial homograft by both retroperitoneal and inguinal approaches combined with Sartorius myoplasty.
Staged Endovascular Repair of Aortic Coarctation followed by Double Valve Surgery
Authors: Avgerinos Dimitrios V. , Dayal Rajeev , Mack Charles , Lang Samuel , Mylonas Konstantinos S.
Published: March 2021

We present a unique case of late diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta in an adult, presenting with congestive heart failure associated with severe aortic and mitral valve insufficiency. To minimize operative risk, staged endovascular repair of the coarctation was initially performed, followed by aortic valve replacement and mitral valve repair. Six months postoperatively, the 41-year-old patient remains completely asymptomatic.
Echocardiographic Assessment of the Aorta: Tips and Pitfalls
Authors: Hull Sarah C.
Published: March 2021

This Yale Aortic Institute lecture provides “tips and pitfalls” regarding echocardiographic assessment of the aorta.
Management of ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) in Different Settings
Authors: Partow-Navid Rod , Prasitlumkum Narut , Mukherjee Ashish , Varadarajan Padmini , Pai Ramdas G.
Published: March 2021

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a life-threatening condition that requires emergent, complex, well-coordinated treatment. Although the primary goal of treatment is simple to describe—reperfusion as quickly as possible—the management process is complicated and is affected by multiple factors including location, patient, and practitioner characteristics. Hence, this narrative review will discuss the recommended management and treatment strategies of STEMI in the circumstances.
Pneumothorax in Neonates Born to COVID-19–Positive Mothers: Fact or Fortuity?
Authors: Kamity Ranjith , Nayak Amrita , Dumpa Vikramaditya
Published: March 2021

Neonates born to mothers with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been largely asymptomatic based on initial reports. All neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 have tested negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in our institution (published data as of April 12, 2020). As novel presentations of COVID-19, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children are being increasingly reported, we raise the possibility of increased incidence of pneumothorax in neonates born to SARS-CoV-2–positive mothers. Two recently described neonates with COVID-19 infection were noted to have pneumothoraces. We describe two SARS-CoV-2–negative neonates born to COVID-19–positive mothers at 38 and 33 weeks, respectively, admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit for respiratory distress and subsequently developed pneumothoraces. As diverse clinical presentations in various age groups are being described, it becomes difficult to differentiate the increased incidence of complications related to an underlying illness, from COVID-19–related illness. It remains to be seen if neonates with in utero exposure to SARS-CoV-2 have an elevated inflammatory response with pneumonitis and exaggerated lung disease, similar to adult COVID-19 patients, due to in utero exposure.
Is Early Extubation Associated with Better Outcomes After Neonatal Congenital Heart Disease Surgery?
Authors: Thompson Nathan E. , Wakeham Martin K.
Published: March 2021

Early extubation (EE) of children after surgery (occurring within the operating room or ≤ 6 hours postadmission) for congenital heart disease (CHD) has been advocated to improve postoperative care. The objective of this study is to compare outcomes of neonates undergoing EE following CHD surgical repair with those extubated more than 6 hours after surgery. Retrospective cohort study utilizes data from the Virtual Pediatric Systems database. Data from neonates undergoing surgical repair for six common CHD lesions and admitted to 57 pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2015, were analyzed. A total of 1,274 neonates were analyzed; 100 (7.8%) had EE, and 146 (11.5%) were extubated > 6 hours but ≤ 24 hours. Most patients (80.4%) were extubated > 24 hours. The EE group had higher (p < 0.001) failed extubation rate than patients extubated at any other time; a multivariate analysis of linear regression showed no advantage in length of stay (LOS) of EE compared with those subjects who were extubated in the first 24 hours (p-value: 0.178). Extubation failure was found to impact ICU LOS in this analysis. The ICU LOS was increased by 3.5 days for every failed extubation attempt (p-value: <0.001, 95% confidence interval: 1.6–5.5 days). EE after CHD surgery is possible. Though it appears as an attractive option to decrease potential mechanical ventilation complications, this study of neonates shows that EE might result in worse outcomes than when performing extubation between 6 and 24 hours postoperatively.
Pro: Propofol Is a Better Induction Agent than Etomidate
Authors: Aggarwal Naresh
Published: March 2021

Induction refers to the start of anesthesia when the patient is rendered unconscious. The intravenous induction agents allow the patient to experience a pleasant loss of consciousness while also rapidly achieving surgical levels of anesthesia. An ideal induction agent must have a rapid onset and offset of action, and must be easy to administer and without significant side effects. Currently, the commonest used agents include sodium pentothal, propofol, ketamine, and etomidate. Unfortunately, none of these agents possess the characteristics of an ideal induction agent. In this article, we will discuss the merits of propofol as an ideal induction agent for cardiac surgery and how it scores over etomidate for the same purpose.
Multi-parameter coupling study of magnetron sputtering nickel–chromium thin film based on Taguchi-gray correlation method
Authors: Song Ding , Wu Wenge , Ren Zhiqiang , Cheng Yunping , Liu Lijuan
Published: March 2021

In this study, a nickel–chromium film for detecting strain stress was deposited on 304 stainless steel substrates by the magnetron sputtering technique. The sputtering process parameters were optimized to obtain a better nickel–chromium film. Orthogonal array L16(44) design, signal-to-noise ratio calculation, and variance analysis were performed on the experimental data by the Taguchi method. The influence of the coupling of process parameters such as power, pressure, bias, and substrate temperature on the surface roughness, deposition rate, and resistivity of the film was studied. The power is the most significant influence factor affecting the film’s performance indicators, and the contribution rates of each process parameter to the response variables and the regression equation of each response variable are obtained. Finally, the gray correlation analysis results of the response variables show that at conditions of 200 W power, 1.6 Pa pressure, −100 V bias, and 400 °C substrate temperature, the surface roughness of the nickel–chromium film is 55 nm, the deposition rate is 110 nm/min, and the resistivity is 1.10 × 10−4 Ω cm. It can be seen that the best film performance parameter group can be obtained using the Taguchi gray correlation method under the multi-parameter coupling of the nickel–chromium thin-film.
Beating back the coronavirus requires a bigger arsenal
Authors: Kramer David
Published: March 2021

More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers seek alternative targets to the spike protein, whose rapid mutations threaten the effectiveness of current vaccines.
Seamless climate change projections and seasonal predictions for bushfires in Australia
Authors: Dowdy Andrew J.
Published: March 2021

Spatio-temporal variations in fire weather conditions are presented based on various data sets, with consistent approaches applied to help enable seamless services over different time scales. Recent research on this is shown here, covering climate change projections for future years throughout this century, predictions at multi-week to seasonal lead times and historical climate records based on observations. Climate projections are presented based on extreme metrics with results shown for individual seasons. A seasonal prediction system for fire weather conditions is demonstrated here as a new capability development for Australia. To produce a more seamless set of predictions, the data sets are calibrated based on quantile-quantile matching for consistency with observations-based data sets, including to help provide details around extreme values for the model predictions (demonstrating the quantile matching for extremes method). Factors influencing the predictability of conditions are discussed, including pre-existing fuel moisture, large-scale modes of variability, sudden stratospheric warmings and climate trends. The extreme 2019–2020 summer fire season is discussed, with examples provided on how this suite of calibrated fire weather data sets was used, including long-range predictions several months ahead provided to fire agencies. These fire weather data sets are now available in a consistent form covering historical records back to 1950, long-range predictions out to several months ahead and future climate change projections throughout this century. A seamless service across different time scales is intended to enhance long-range planning capabilities and climate adaptation efforts, leading to enhanced resilience and disaster risk reduction in relation to natural hazards.
Self-management behaviours of older adults with chronic diseases: comparative analysis based on the daily activity abilities
Authors: Kong Dong , Zuo Meiyun , Chen Minder
Published: March 2021

Managing chronic diseases is an important issue for older adults to pursue healthy aging. Prior studies have found that self-management has positive results. A better understanding of the self-management behaviours of older adults with chronic diseases and different activities of daily living abilities will lead to effective support and assistance. This qualitative study used interview data from Chinese older adults with chronic diseases to compare self-management behaviours between different activities of daily living groups. A self-management behavioural model was constructed that included three behaviours: self-monitoring, self-evaluating and self-intervening. The similarities and differences in these behaviours between three types of older adults (i.e. energetic, self-care and semi self-care) were identified. Study findings enrich the research on self-management behaviour from a patient perspective, providing insights for older adults and care providers in understanding and supporting chronic disease self-management.
Pursuing effective vaccines against cattle diseases caused by apicomplexan protozoa
Authors: Florin-Christensen Monica , Schnittger Leonhard , Bastos Reginaldo G. , Rathinasamy Vignesh A. , Cooke Brian M. , Alzan Heba F. , Suarez Carlos E.
Published: March 2021

Apicomplexan parasites are responsible for important livestock diseases that affect the production of much needed protein resources, and those transmissible to humans pose a public health risk. Vaccines, recognized as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for the prevention of infectious diseases in livestock, can avert losses in food production and decrease the exposure of humans to zoonotic pathogens. This review focuses on the need for and advances in vaccine development against the apicomplexan parasites
Theileria
spp.,
Babesia
spp.,
Toxoplasma gondii
,
Neospora caninum
,
Eimeria
spp.,
Besnoitia
spp.,
Sarcocystis
spp., and
Cryptosporidium parvum
. Together, the effect of these parasites on the cattle industry worldwide causes an enormous burden, yet they remain poorly controlled and very few effective and practical vaccines against them are available. Vaccine development is hampered by our scarce and limited knowledge of the biology and mechanisms of pathogenesis of these microorganisms, and the absence of correlates of host immune protection. More studies focused on these aspects as well as on the identification of parasite vulnerabilities that can be exploited for vaccine design are needed. Novel “omics” and gene editing approaches in understanding complex parasite biology together with advances in vaccinology will facilitate the development of effective, sustainable, and practical vaccines against cattle diseases caused by apicomplexan parasites. Such vaccines will help prevent animal and human diseases and allow production of enough animal protein to feed the growing human population in the twenty-first century and beyond.
Coarse-grained simulations on interactions between spectrins and phase-separated lipid bilayers*
Authors: Lin Xuegui , Chen Xiaojie , Liang Qing
Published: March 2021

Spectrin, the principal protein of the cytoskeleton of erythrocyte, plays a crucial role in the stability and flexibility of the plasma membrane of erythrocyte. In this work, we investigate the interactions between spectrins and phase-separated lipid bilayers using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation. We focus on the preference of spectrins with different lipids, the effects of the anionic lipids and the residue mutation on the interactions between spectrins and the lipid bilayers. The results indicate that spectrins prefer to contact with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids rather than with phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipids, and tend to contact with the liquid-disordered (Ld) domains enriched in unsaturated PE. Additionally, the anionic lipids, which show specific interaction with the positively charged or polar amino acids on the surface of the spectrins, can enhance the attraction between the spectrins and lipid domains. The mutation leads to the decrease of the structural stability of spectrins and increases the curvature of the lipid bilayer. This work provides some theoretical insights into understanding the erythrocyte structure and the mechanism of some blood diseases.
CNN-based classification of fNIRS signals in motor imagery BCI system
Authors: Ma Tengfei , Wang Shasha , Xia Yuting , Zhu Xinhua , Evans Julian , Sun Yaoran , He Sailing
Published: March 2021

Objective. Development of a brain–computer interface (BCI) requires classification of brain neural activities to different states. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can measure the brain activities and has great potential for BCI. In recent years, a large number of classification algorithms have been proposed, in which deep learning methods, especially convolutional neural network (CNN) methods are successful. fNIRS signal has typical time series properties, we combined fNIRS data and kinds of CNN-based time series classification (TSC) methods to classify BCI task. Approach. In this study, participants were recruited for a left and right hand motor imagery experiment and the cerebral neural activities were recorded by fNIRS equipment (FOIRE-3000). TSC methods are used to distinguish the brain activities when imagining the left or right hand. We have tested the overall person, single person and overall person with single-channel classification results, and these methods achieved excellent classification results. We also compared the CNN-based TSC methods with traditional classification methods such as support vector machine. Main results. Experiments showed that the CNN-based methods have significant advantages in classification accuracy: the CNN-based methods have achieved remarkable results in the classification of left-handed and right-handed imagination tasks, reaching 98.6% accuracy on overall person, 100% accuracy on single person, and in the single-channel classification an accuracy of 80.1% has been achieved with the best-performing channel. Significance. These results suggest that using the CNN-based TSC methods can significantly improve the BCI performance and also lay the foundation for the miniaturization and portability of training rehabilitation equipment.
Annual Behavior of Electron Density and Critical Frequency Parameters During Maximum and Minimum Years of Solar Cycles 22, 23 and 24
Authors: Hamied Asma’a A. , Hadi Khalid A.
Published: March 2021

In this work, the annual behavior of critical frequency and electron density parameters of the ionosphere have been studied for the years (1989, 2001 and 2014) and (1986, 1996 and 2008) which represent the maximum and minimum of years in the solar cycles (22, 23 and 24) respectively. The annual behavior of (Ne, fo ) parameters have been investigated for different heights of Ionosphere layer (100 -1000) Km. The dataset was created both of critical frequency and electron density parameters by using the international reference ionosphere model (IRI-2016 model). This study showed result that during the maximum solar cycles the values of the (Ne) parameter change with altitude. Where the electron density increases with altitude, and its highest value reaches 400 km during the maximum solar cycles and 300 km during the minimum solar cycles, whereas the critical frequency indicates differences in values over different years and locations.
Local scour around a monopile in reciprocating tidal current considering the effect of water depth
Authors: Shi-Yang Yu , Xia Yue-Zhang , Wang Shao-Hua
Published: March 2021

Despite most of sea-crossing bridges and offshore wind farms being located in areas dominated by tides, researches about the effects of tidal current on the scour process around these buildings are still limited to this date. A three-dimensional sediment transport numerical model was established to investigate the local scour around a monopile under reciprocating tidal flow. The standard turbulence equation RNG (Renormalization-group) κ – ε was adopted to close the N-S equation and the finite difference method was applied to discretize the governing equation in the numerical model. Tidal currents were adapted by bidirectionally reversing sinusoidal currents. It showed in the results the scour pits grew periodically in the process of repeated scour and deposition with the change of the flow velocity and direction. Besides, it implied that tidal scour depth around the monopile deepened with the water depth, but the impact of water depth diminished gradually. The change of the maximum scour depth was less than 5% if water depth is more than 4 times pile diameter. It indicated that the scour depth around the pile will be almost no longer influenced by water depth if water depth is more than 4 times pile diameter. Therefore, the research results emphasize the significance of selecting suitable water depth conditions for the design process of offshore structures.
Enhanced wound healing using a 3D printed VEGF-mimicking peptide incorporated hydrogel patch in a pig model
Authors: Jang M J , Bae S K , Jung Y S , Kim J C , Kim J S , Park S K , Suh J S , Yi S J , Ahn S H , Lim J O
Published: March 2021

There is a need for effective wound healing through rapid wound closure, reduction of scar formation, and acceleration of angiogenesis. Hydrogel is widely used in tissue engineering, but it is not an ideal solution because of its low vascularization capability and poor mechanical properties. In this study, gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) was tested as a viable option with tunable physical properties. GelMA hydrogel incorporating a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mimicking peptide was successfully printed using a three-dimensional (3D) bio-printer owing to the shear-thinning properties of hydrogel inks. The 3D structure of the hydrogel patch had high porosity and water absorption properties. Furthermore, the bioactive characterization was confirmed by cell culture with mouse fibroblasts cell lines (NIH 3T3) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. VEGF peptide, which is slowly released from hydrogel patches, can promote cell viability, proliferation, and tubular structure formation. In addition, a pig skin wound model was used to evaluate the wound-healing efficacy of GelMA-VEGF hydrogel patches; the results suggest that the GelMA-VEGF hydrogel patch can be used for wound dressing.
Poisson–Hopf deformations of Lie–Hamilton systems revisited: deformed superposition rules and applications to the oscillator algebra
Authors: Ballesteros Angel , Campoamor-Stursberg Rutwig , Fernández-Saiz Eduardo , Herranz Francisco J , Lucas Javier de
Published: March 2021

The formalism for Poisson–Hopf (PH) deformations of Lie–Hamilton (LH) systems, recently proposed in Ballesteros Á et al (2018 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor.
51 065202), is refined in one of its crucial points concerning applications, namely the obtention of effective and computationally feasible PH deformed superposition rules for prolonged PH deformations of LH systems. The two new notions here proposed are a generalization of the standard superposition rules and the concept of diagonal prolongations for Lie systems, which are consistently recovered under the non-deformed limit. Using a technique from superintegrability theory, we obtain a maximal number of functionally independent constants of the motion for a generic prolonged PH deformation of a LH system, from which a simplified deformed superposition rule can be derived. As an application, explicit deformed superposition rules for prolonged PH deformations of LH systems based on the oscillator Lie algebra

h

4

are computed. Moreover, by making use that the main structural properties of the book subalgebra

b

2

of

h

4

are preserved under the PH deformation, we consider prolonged PH deformations based on

b

2

as restrictions of those for

h

4

-LH systems, thus allowing the study of prolonged PH deformations of the complex Bernoulli equations, for which both the constants of the motion and the deformed superposition rules are explicitly presented.