bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protocol for the development of a core domain set for individuals with ankle osteoarthritis
Authors: Alanazi Sultan Ayyadah , Vicenzino Bill , Bergen Christiaan J.A. van , Hunter David , Wikstrom Erik , Menz Hylton B , Golightly Yvonne , Smith Michelle D
Published: May 2022

BackgroundAnkle osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating health condition that is increasing in prevalence. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines for managing ankle OA. One of the current challenges to establishing guidelines is the lack of a widely agreed-upon set of outcome measures that are consistently used in ankle OA research. Without a set of agreed-upon outcome measures, it is difficult to synthesise clinical trial outcomes through meta-analysis – an essential element of evidence-informed practice. In order to develop an appropriate set of outcome measures for ankle OA, it is important first to develop a core domain set. In this protocol, we describe the methodological approach that we will use to develop such a core domain set for ankle OA.MethodsWe established an international steering committee to guide the development of a core domain set for ankle OA. The core domain set development will follow a multi-staged approach consisting of three phases, involving participation by patients and clinicians/healthcare professionals. In Phase 1, a list of candidate domains will be gleaned from (a) a systematic review of outcome measures used in ankle OA research, (b) qualitative interviews with individuals with ankle OA, and (c) qualitative interviews with healthcare professionals with expertise in ankle OA. In Phase 2, the steering committee will review and generate a list of candidate domains from those gleaned in Phase 1. In Phase 3, this list of candidate domains will be considered in a Delphi process to reach a consensus on a core domain set. We anticipated this will involve 3 rounds of surveys.ConclusionThis protocol describes the methods that will be used to develop a core domain set of health-related aspects for ankle OA. Importantly, it will include both healthcare professional and patient involvement. This is a prerequisite step to developing a core outcome set for ankle OA that should be reported in all clinical trials for ankle OA. The findings will be widely disseminated across peer-refereed publication(s), national and international conferences, as well as via relevant professional societies, patient support group organisations and social media platforms.Project registrationThis project is registered with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) database on 17 March 2021. https://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/1837.
Evaluation of the contact surface between vertebral endplate and 3d printed patient-specific cages vs commercial cages.
Authors: Fernandes Renan Jose Rodrigues , Gee Aaron , Kanawati Andrew James , Siddiqi Fawaz , Rasoulinejad Parham , Zdero Radovan , Bailey Christopher Stewart
Published: May 2022

Study Design: Biomechanical study.Objective: To evaluate the performance of the contact surface for 3D printed patient-specific cages using CT-scan 3D endplate reconstructions in comparison to the contact surface of commercial cages.Summary of Background Data: Previous strategies to improve the surface of contact between the device and the endplate have been employed to attenuate the risk of cage subsidence. Patient-specific cages have been used to help, but only finite-element studies have evaluated the effectiveness of this approach. There is a possible mismatch between the CT-scan endplate image used to generate the cage and the real bony endplate anatomy that could limit the performance of the cages.Methods: A cadaveric model is used to investigate the possible mismatch between 3D printed patient-specific cages and the endplate and compare them to commercially available cages (Medtronic Fuse and Capstone). Contact area and contact stress were used as outcomes.Results: When PS cage was compared to the Capstone cage, the mean contact area obtained was 100±23.6 mm² and 57.5±13.7 mm², respectively (p<0.001). When compared to the Fuse cage, the mean contact area was 104.8±39.6 mm² and 55.2±35.1 mm², respectively(p<0.001).Conclusion: Patient-specific cages improve the contact area between the implant and the endplate surface, reducing the contact stress and the risk of implant subsidence during LIF surgeries.Level of Evidence: N/A
A pressure-sensitive rheological origin of high friction angles of Ottawa sand observed in NASA-MGM project
Authors: Cheng Xiaohui , Xiao Shize , Yang Sen , Hou Meiying , Cao Alex
Published: May 2022

An abnormally high peak friction angle of Ottawa sand was observed in NASA MGM tests in microgravity conditions on the space shuttle. Previous investigations have been unsuccessful in providing a constitutive insight into this behavior of granular materials under extremely low effective stress conditions. Here, a recently proposed unified constitutive model for transient rheological behavior of sand and other granular materials is adopted for the analytical assessment of high peak friction angles. For the first time, this long-eluded behavior of sand is attributed to a hidden rheological transition mechanism, that is not only rate-sensitive, but also pressure-sensitive. The NASA-MGM microgravity conditions show that shear-tests of sand can be performed under abnormally low confining stress conditions. The pressure-sensitive behavior of granular shearing that is previously ignored is studied based on the µ(I) rheology and its variations. Comparisons between the model and the NASA microgravity tests show a high degree of agreement. The research is highly valid for pressure-sensitive and rate-dependent problems that occur during earthquakes, landslides, and space exploration.
Evaluating Thera-101 as a Low Volume Resuscitation Adjunct in a Model of Traumatic Brain Injury and Hemorrhage
Authors: Shah Jessica Stukel , Macaitis Joseph , Lundquist Bridney , Johnstone Brian , Coleman Michael , Jefferson Michelle , Glaser Jacob , Rodriguez Annette , Cardin Sylvain , Wang Heuy-Ching , Burdette Alexander
Published: May 2022

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hemorrhage remain challenging to treat in austere conditions. Developing a therapeutic to mitigate the associated pathophysiology is critical to meet this treatment gap, especially as these injuries and associated high mortality are possibly preventable. Here, Thera-101 (T-101) was evaluated as an adjunct to low volume resuscitation in a rat model of TBI and hemorrhage. The therapeutic, T-101, is uniquely situated as a TBI and hemorrhage intervention. It contains a cocktail of proteins and microvesicles from the secretome of adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells that can act on numerous mechanisms associated with poly-trauma. T-101 efficacy was determined at four, 24, 48, and 72 hours after injury by evaluating blood chemistry, inflammatory chemo/cytokines, histology, and diffusion tensor imaging. Blood chemistry indicated that T-101 reduces markers of liver damage to Sham levels while the levels remain elevated with the vehicle control. Histology supports the potential protective effects of T-101 on the kidneys. Diffusion tensor imaging shows that the injury caused the most damage to the corpus callosum and the fimbria. Immunohistochemistry suggests that T-101 may mitigate astrocyte activation at 72 hours. Together, these data suggest T-101 could be a potential field deployable adjunct for low volume resuscitation.
Special Crystal Growth and Nucleation process of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Urea Solution for Efficient Removal of Pb(II) ions and Alizarin Red S
Authors: Godwin John , Abdus-Salam Nasir , Panda Prasanna Kumar , Tripathy Bankim Chandra
Published: May 2022

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNPs) were prepared from Zn(NO3)2.6H2O and CON2H4. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersion Atomic X-ray (EDAX), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Thermogravimetric-Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA/DTA) were utilized for determination of the composition, morphology, elemental analysis, crystallinity, and thermal stability respectively, while Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) method was used to determine the functional groups present in the ZNPs. The adsorption of Pb(II) and Alizarin Red S (ARS) onto ZNPs were investigated at different solution pH, concentration, adsorbent mass, temperature and contact time. The optimum adsorption capacity of Pb(II) on ZNPs was 341.65 mg/g at pH 10 in 180 minutes at 318 K. Similarly, the optimum adsorption capacity of ARS was found to be 18.84 mg/g at pH 4 in 180 minutes at 318 K. The Langmuir isotherm model fitted well with regression coefficient, R2 = 0.9252 and 0.9035 for Pb(II) and ARS respectively. Th pseudo-second-order kinetics with R2 = 0.9956 and 0.9549 for adsorption of Pb(II) and ARS respectively gave good fit to the adsorption processes. The ∆G◦ obtained were negative which is an indication of spontaneous adsorption processes, while the positive values of ∆H (+143.46 and +84.50 KJ/mol) and ∆S (+0.473 and +0.364 KJ/mol) for Pb(II) and ARS respectively, revealed endothermic and randomness at the ZnO-aqueous interface during the adsorption processes. The Ea were found to be +6.193 and +6.956 KJ/mol for adsorption of Pb(II) and ARS respectively which showed that the adsorption onto ZNPs is a physical process.
Case Report and Literature Review of the Sequential Treatment Involving Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA), Tissue-engineered Skin Graft (ADM), Autologous Skin Graft and Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) in Chronic Limb-threatening Ischemia (CLTI) Patients with Extensive Ulcers in the Donor Site after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Authors: Wang Jinjun , Huang Xianming , Wang Pinyi , Wang Linru , Zhang Juanzi , Liu Qiuxia , Geng Diyu , Li Wenwen , Chen Xiguang
Published: May 2022

This case report describes a 63-year-old male, who was admitted to the hospital due to “the ulceration in his left lower limb for more than 1 month and the pain exacerbation for 2 weeks”. The patient was diagnosed with “cerebral infarction, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes” nine years ago and subsequently treated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery. This time, he was admitted with an ulcer in the size of 4*45cm on the inner side of his left lower limb, with the wound covered by a dark scab, and the skin was red and swollen around the part where the pus percolated. According to the occlusion in the initiating terminal of his left superficial femoral artery, and the extensive stenosis and occlusion in popliteal and infrapopliteal arteries, this patient was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis obliterans of lower limbs, as shown by the Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA). Therefore, on the basis of supportive medical treatment and local debridement, he underwent two endovascular operations to open the “straight bloodstream” towards the affected part. Then, the 4-month sequential treatment of split-thickness skin and tissue-engineered skin grafts combined with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) was performed for wound repair. Finally, the wound healed completely, recovering the patient’s ability to walk with a walking aid. This was the first time that the sequential treatment, including Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA), autologous skin and tissue-engineered skin grafts, and negative pressure suction, was successfully used to cure a refractory ulcer in the donor site after the patient with critical limb ischemia received the coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
The prognostic nomograms in patients with nodular melanoma: a SEER population-based study
Authors: Xu Wen , Le Yijun , Zhang Jianzhong
Published: May 2022

Nodular melanoma (NM) is one of the most common subtype of malignant melanoma, usually with bad prognosis. In this study, we aim to develop a nomogram to predict 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with nodular melanoma. Patients diagnosed as NM were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2010–2015, and then they were randomly assigned to the training and validation cohorts. Several independent risk factors were found and merged to generate a nomogram using univariate and multivariate COX risk regression methods. To determine the nomogram's predictive ability, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, concordance index (C-index), area under curve (AUC) and calibration curves were calculated. In clinical practice, decision curve analysis (DCA) was employed to measure nomograms. A total of 8050 eligible patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: 70% training (n = 5635) or 30% validation (n = 2415). The Nomogram's construct was applied with the selected independent factors, and the validation indexes revealed that the nomogram had strong discriminative power. In the training cohort of OS, the C-index was 0.746, and in the validation cohort of OS, it was 0.745. In the training cohort of CSS, the C-index was 0.777, whereas in the validation cohort, it was 0.775. The AUCs for the 3- and 5-year OS rates, as well as the CSS rates, were above 0.78, and the calibration curves exhibited strong nomogram predictive power. The created nomograms could provide net clinical benefit, according to DCA. Our study has developed a nomogram to more accurately and comprehensively predict 3-year and 5-year OS and CSS in patients with nodular melanoma, which is critical for clinicians to make early assessments, improve individualized treatment, identify relevant prognostic factors, and improve survival of the affected population.
Incidence, risk factors and prognosis of acute kidney injury in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A retrospective study
Authors: Ji Ming-Su , Wu Rilige , Feng Zhe , Wang Yuan-Da , Wang Yong , Zhang Li , Sun Xue-Feng , Chen Xiang-Mei , He Kun-Lun , Cai Guang-Yan
Published: May 2022

Background
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) change the prognosis of many cancer patients. With the increasing use of ICIs, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are occurring, including acute kidney injury (AKI). This study aimed to assess the incidence of ICI-induced AKI and its risk factors and impact on mortality.
Method
Patients treated with ICIs at the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 1, 2014, to December 30, 2019, were consecutively enrolled, and risk factors affecting AKI development in patients treated with ICIs were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Medical record surveys and telephone inquiry were used for follow-up, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were used to analyze independent risk factors for death.
Results
Among 1615 patients, 114 (7.1%) had AKI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that anemia, Alb < 30 g/L, antibiotic use, diuretic use, NSAID use and proton pump inhibitor use were independent risk factors for AKI development in patients treated with ICIs. Stage 2 or 3 AKI was an independent risk factor for nonrecovery of renal function after AKI onset. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that anemia, Alb < 30 g/L, AKI occurrence, and diuretic use were independent risk factors for death in patients treated with ICIs, while higher baseline BMI, other tumor types, ACEI/ARB use, and chemotherapy use were protective factors for patient death.
Conclusion
AKI occurs in 7.1% of patients treated with ICIs. Anemia, Alb < 30 g/L, and combined medications are independent risk factors for AKI in patients treated with ICIs. Anemia, Alb < 30 g/L, AKI occurrence, and diuretic use were independent risk factors for death in patients treated with ICIs.
Determination of the Levels of Selected Essential Metals in Sycamore (Ficus sycomorus L) Fruit and Seed Using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
Authors: Tafere Dessie Ashagrie , Teshager Minbale Admas
Published: May 2022

Background
Edible wild fruits are nature’s gift to mankind. Considering the growing need to identify alternative bio-nutritional sources, some underutilized species of Ficus sycomorus L. of the family Moraceae were evaluated as wild edible fruits to study its nutritive and mineral composition in order to prioritize its edibility for indigenous people.
Methods
The concentration of macro (K, Ca and Mg) and trace (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) metals in sycamore fruit and seed samples was determined by using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS). Wet digestion procedure was evaluated using standard addition (spiking) method and an acceptable percentage recovery was obtained in the range of 81–119 and 80–118 for the metals in fruit and seed samples respectively. 0.5 g of oven dried samples was digested using 10 mL of conc. HNO3 and 5mL of H2O2 at 110°C for 1hours.
Results
Significant amounts of both the major and trace elements were found in both the fruit and seed samples. The highest levels of macro essential metals such as Mg (400 ± 10), K (133 ± 3.291), and Ca (33 ± 0.404) all in mg/kg; and micro essential elements: Fe (5.7 ± 0.5), Zn (2.3 ± 0.55) and Cu (3.6 ± 0.15), all in mg/kg, were found in fruit of Ficus sycomorus L., but the concentration of essential metals in seed sample was Mg (333 ± 5.7), K (122 ± 1.6), Ca (31 ± 0.77), Fe (4.19 ± 0.87), Zn (2.06 ± 0.42) and Cu (3.38 ± 0.15) all in mg/kg. Mn (3.04 ± 0.16 mg/kg) was found in equal amount in both the seed and fruit of F. sycomorus L.
Conclusion
In general, the concentration of macro and micro essential metals in F. sycomorus fruits were found; Mg > K > Ca and Fe > Cu > Zn respectively. Similarly, the concentration of macro and micro essential metals in Ficus sycomorus seeds were found; Mg > K > Ca and Fe > Cu > Zn respectively. The results were compared with values reported in the literature.
Formulation enhanced the stability of Foot-and-mouth virus and prolonged vaccine storage
Authors: Li Jing , Wei Yanming , Yang Shunli , Zhou Guangqing , Chang Yanyan
Published: May 2022

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals. Vaccination is the most effective measure to control FMD. However, FMDV particles are prone to dissociation during general production process owing to its distinctive structural instability. Based on this characteristic, combinational use of stabilizers was developed to improve viral stability. Heating-resistance test showed that FMDV infectivity was maintained with supplement of stabilizers. Additionally, the time induced 50% virus inactivation was prolonged remarkably. Sequencing analysis demonstrated that viral genome could not be altered in serial passages with additives. Compared with normal vaccine, the residual 146s content in formulated vaccine was much higher when stored at 4℃ for up to 1 year. This study suggested that the formulation could protect FMDV against massive structural breakdown and extend the shelf life of vaccine. Our findings will contribute to vaccine development and reduce our dependence on cold chain transport.
N-Acetylcysteine Treatment Accelerates Patient-Reported Outcomes Improvement in Patients With COVID-19 A Prospective Study
Authors: Li Lifang , He Hangzhi , Chai Chunwei , Zhang Jing , Qu Mengrui , Wang Ying , Zhao Aibin , Duan Huiping , Zhang Yanbo , Zhao Hui
Published: May 2022

Background: Since its outbreak in late December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has culminated in a global pandemic, and its causative virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has continued to mutate, with increasing rates of transmission and pathogenicity, having a serious worldwide impact. This study aims to assess the benefits of the health-related quality of life of using N-acetylcysteine(NAC).Methods: In this prospective observational research, 63 confirmed COVID-19 patients who were treated between the ends of January and March 2020 were divided into patients treated with NAC-treatment (32 cases) and non-NAC-treatment groups (31 cases). Patients were followed up at discharge and at 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge. The clinical treatment effects of the two groups were compared, and the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) evaluated patient-reported outcomes.Results: There were strong correlations between SGRQ component scores (0.728, 0.749, 0.850; P < 0.001 for all items) as well as between each SGRQ component score and the total patient score (0.822, 0.958, 0.957; P < 0.001 for all items). In the univariate analysis, the change differences of one month after discharge compared with discharge between two groups patients were statistically significant in the impacts and total scores (753.000, P < 0.001; 644.000, P = 0.042); the change differences of three months after discharge compared with discharge were also significant in the activity, impacts, and total scores (660.500, P = 0.022; 800.000, P < 0.001; 707.000, P = 0.004). In the multivariate analysis, the factors that have statistically significant influence on the unit value of SGRQ total score difference (UVDSGRQ) is NAC treatment (β = 1.954, P < 0.001), disease severity (β = 3.179, P < 0.001), follow-up duration (β = -0.232, P = 0.001), as well as NAC treatment and follow-up duration interaction item (β = -0.436, P = 0.004).Conclusion: Our study shows as the follow-up time increases, the SGRQ total scores of patients treated with NAC decreases significantly faster than those who were treated without NAC. In the treatment of COVID-19 patients, increasing the use of NAC has clinical significance.
An in vitro antiviral evaluation of punicalagin toward influenza A virus
Authors: Javadi-Farsani Fatemeh , Moradi Mohammad-Taghi , Tabarraei Alijan , Karimi Ali , Nikoo Mohammad-hadi Razavi
Published: May 2022

Background: Influenza complications are mild to serious, and can cause death in some cases. A great deal of attention has been paid in recent years to the development and use of new antiviral compounds for drug resistance in certain strains of the influenza virus and the clinical implications. This study was aimed to investigate the antiviral effect of punicalagin and associated mechanism against influenza A (H1N1) virus at cell culture. Methods and Results: The ant-influenza activity of punicalagin was studied in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells using influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) (PR8) by means of Hemagglutinin assay (HA) and 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50). Then, the inhibition of haemagglutination, virucidal activity, effect at different times, replication of viral RNA and expression of viral genes were investigated. Our results indicated that punicalagin decreased virus titers (P<0.05) with an inhibitory effect on virus hemagglutination and the activity of viral polymerase, but did not affect the replication of viral RNA. Punicalagin also inhibited the virus adsorption stage of influenza in terms of the different times addition assay. Conclusions: Punicalagin was effective against influenza infection most probably associated with inhibition of haemagglutination activity and virus binding. Further studies are needed to establish possible synergistic effects with existing anti-influenza, aiming to develop novel agents to treat severe influenza infection.
Sizes of atmospheric particulate matters determine the outcomes of their interactions with rainfall processes
Authors: Maboa Relotilwe , Yessoufou Kowiyou , Tesfamichael Solomon , Shiferaw Yegnanew A.
Published: May 2022

Environmental sustainability remains at risk, given the coupled trends of economic development with air pollution. The risk is even greater in the water-stressed world, given the debated suppression effects of air pollutants on rain formation. Here, we tested this suppression in the water-stressed South Africa, by fitting generalized linear models to a 21-year historical dataset of rainfall and air pollutants. Some gaseous pollutants and PM10 show a significant negative correlation with rainfall, perhaps due to the temperature inversion they cause, which might prevent the upward rise of humid air and convective clouds to grow high enough to produce rain. Surprisingly, as opposed to PM10, we found a rather positive significant effect of PM2.5. Altogether, our study confirms the hypothesis of rain prevention by pollutants but provides some nuances that are dependent on the size of air particle matters. To achieve environmental sustainability while growing the economy, we can only rely on emission purification technologies to strike this trade-off.
Transition of preferences, perception and barriers towards E learning during COVID-19 pandemic among medical students in India -A Mixed method study
Authors: Suryawanshi Deodatt M , A Suguna , A Surekha , V Raghuram , R Divya , Gunasekaran Kalaipriya
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Though E learning among medical students has been well received in other parts of the globe, challenges to implementation can only be documented through a longer duration study which can truly fathom the learning experiences of medical students and how their perceptions, preferences and barriers change over a period of time. Objectives: To assess the transition of preferences, perceptions and barriers among medical students towards E-learning during the six months and to explore the perception towards E learning using qualitative method Methodology: The present study used Mixed Method approach to find out the transition of e learning experiences through their perception, preferences and barriers among medical students over the period of 6 months from April to Nov 2020. A total of 296 students belonging to the second year MBBS and Prefinal year were recruited using complete enumeration method.286 students returned the questionnaire in phase 1 and 277 students in Phase 2. The investigators conducted Focused group discussion (FGD) in two batches of 10 students. Results: There was a significant increase of 20.4% (p =0.007) in students’ preference to classroom teaching in Phase 2 as compared to phase 1. Lack of personal interaction was perceived as a barrier in phase 1 by 180(62.9%) students, only 71(25.6%) students perceived it as a barrier in phase 2. There was significant increase in participants 96 (34.6%) in Phase 2 as compared to phase 1 (19.9%) who replied negatively about its inclusion in the curriculum (p =0.0003). In phase two there was a significant increase in number of students as compared to Phase 1 who perceived that lack of access to internet and data availability as a barrier to E learning (p=0.002). Continuity of education during pandemic time and distractive environment with lack of motivation was quoted by many students when asked about merits and demerits of e learning in FGD. Conclusion: The present study raises certain important questions regarding the utility of E learning during extended periods of lockdown which needs to be addressed if we have to adopt this new method of learning. Any new method of learning has to consider students preferences and perceptions if it has to yield satisfactory outcomes with respect to knowledge and skill acquisition.
Accelerating Inhibitor Discovery for Multiple
SARS-CoV-2 Targets with a Single,
Sequence-Guided Deep Generative Framework
Authors: Chenthamarakshan Vijil , Hoffman Samuel , Owen C. David , Lukacik Petra , Strain-damerell Claire , Fearon Daren , Malla Tika , Tumber Anthony , Schofield Christopher , Duyvesteyn Helen , Ddejnirattisai Wanwisa , Carrique Loic , Walter Thomas , Screaton Gavin , Matviyuk Tetiana , Mojsilovic Aleksandra , Crain Jason , Walsh Martin , Stuart David , Das Payel
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgency for developing more efficient molecular discovery pathways. As exhaustive
exploration of the vast chemical space is infeasible, discovering novel inhibitor molecules for emerging drug-target proteins
is challenging, particularly for targets with unknown structure or ligands. We demonstrate the broad utility of a single deep
generative framework toward discovering novel drug-like inhibitor molecules against two distinct SARS-CoV-2 targets — the
main protease (Mpro) and the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. To perform target-aware design, the
framework employs a target sequence-conditioned sampling of novel molecules from a generative model. Micromolar-level
in vitro inhibition was observed for two candidates (out of four synthesized) for each target. The most potent spike RBD
inhibitor also emerged as a rare non-covalent antiviral with broad-spectrum activity against several SARS-CoV-2 variants in live
virus neutralization assays. These results show that a broadly deployable machine intelligence framework can accelerate hit
discovery across different emerging drug-targets.
A Machine Learning Analysis of Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Alcohol Consumption Habit Changes Among Healthcare Workers in the U.S.
Authors: Rezapour Mostafa
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on alcohol consumption habit changes among healthcare workers in the United States. We utilize multiple supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods and models such as Decision Trees, Logistic Regression, Naive Bayes classifier, k-Nearest Neighbors, Support Vector Machines, Multilayer perceptron, Random Forests, XGBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM, Synthetic Minority Oversampling, Chi-Squared Test and mutual information method on a mental health survey data obtained from the University of Michigan Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research to find out relationships between COVID-19 related negative effects and alcohol consumption habit changes among healthcare workers. Our findings suggest that COVID-19-related school closures, COVID-19-related work schedule changes and COVID-related news exposure may lead to an increase in alcohol use among healthcare workers in the United States.
COVID-19: Monitoring of patients’ laboratory data during a 90-day length of hospital stay
Authors: Perraud Eunice Bobô de Carvalho , Oliveira Breno Douglas Dantas , Meireles Lilia Sousa Martins Alcantara , Moreira Thainá Bastos Mangueira , Loureiro Vinicius Lopes , Rocha Hermano Alexandre Lima , Martins Filadélfia Passos Rodrigues
Published: May 2022

Background
In March 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. In this study, patients were selected through the chest HRCT diagnosis. Laboratory tests such as blood count, fibrinogen, D-dimer, AST, ALT, troponin, LDH, albumin, CRP, electrolytes and ferritin were analyzed.
Aims
To monitor the laboratory evolution of COVID-19 in patients during hospitalization.
Method
Of 115 patients, 93 were selected and analyzed every three days for 90 days. Data were analyzed using the IBM, SPSS, Statistics for Windows, 23.0 software.
Results
34.4% were female, and 65.6% male; Hct and Hb dropped after the 13th day of hospitalization; leukocyte levels remained up to 15,000, increasing to > 20,000 after the 55th day of hospitalization; lymphopenia occurred in 10 to 15% of the patients, with increased eosinophils; platelet levels decreased at the end of hospitalization. Fibrinogen, D-dimer, LDH, CRP and ferritin levels increased throughout the hospitalization period. Urea and creatinine increased slightly from the 30th day onwards. There were no alterations in PTA, troponin, chlorine, potassium and albumin levels, with a decrease throughout the hospitalization period.
Conclusion
Knowledge of the behavior of laboratory tests together with the disease evolution give support to the clinical and therapeutic management of COVID-19.
The social penalty paid by teetotallers
Authors: Walker Benjamin , Munford Luke
Published: May 2022

Background: Recent trends suggest that the proportion of individuals in Britain who do not drink alcohol is increasing. Despite this, British culture is still fairly dominated by alcohol as a cultural norm, and as an instigator/focus of social activities. Little is known about the effects of stopping drinking alcohol on social outcomes, which are important factors that also help protect health.Aims: Examine if drinking alcohol has a causal effect on an individual’s social life.Methods:We use data from 11,631 individuals in the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) and adopt the outcome-wide longitudinal framework detailed by VanderWeele et al. (2020) to examine the causal relationship between alcohol consumption and social outcomes. Our two exposures are a binary variable for drinking and a categorical variable for frequency of drinking. We look at five binary social outcomes; being able to visit friends when feels like it, feeling isolated, lacking companionship, feeling left out, and feeling lonely. We control for past values of the outcome and exposure, and many covariates. We report E-values, the minimum strength of association that an unmeasured confounder would need to have with both the treatment and the outcome to fully explain away our treatment-outcome association.Results:We find that being a drinker has a most likely causal protective effect against not visiting friends when feels like it with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.71 (E -value: 2.18) and against feeling isolated often with an OR of 0.71 (E-value: 2.18). We also find evidence that it is not simply about drinking vs. non-drinking, and that the frequency of drinking matters. Drinking monthly or less had no statistically significant effect on social outcomes relative to not drinking, while drinking 2-3 times a week had the biggest protective effect against adverse social outcomes, including against not visiting friends when you feel like it with an OR of 0.59 (E-value: 2.81).Conclusions:Our results suggest a positive relationship between drinking and social interaction, and that this relationship may be causal. This could be due to alcohol being the norm for socialization in the UK disadvantaging teetotallers.
The Effect of Cash Transfer on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Ngamasana Emery L , Bowling Jessamyn
Published: May 2022

Background: Evidence-based policies are critical to navigate the time post-COVID-19. Improving maternal and child health is core to any recovery strategy. Cash Transfer programs can improve maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. However, studies assessing the effectiveness of these programs on maternal and child health outcomes, beyond service utilization, remain inconclusive. This synthesis fills a gap in the existing literature on the effectiveness of these programs in improving mothers and children’s health outcomes beyond service utilization and suggests a framework for reporting such health outcomes. We focused on Sub-Saharan Africa because of substantial operational differences between regions, and the need for maternal and child health advancement in this region.Methods: This review searched PubMed Central and Google Scholar, and supplemented with a backward citation search, for studies conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa using a combination of MeSH terms and key words for the period between 2000 – 2021. The review included only studies on cash transfer programs that reported health outcomes beyond service utilization among women of reproductive age and children below 18 years old. Findings: The synthesis pulled data from 17 articles conducted in 6 Sub-Saharan African countries. All studies reported health outcomes measures other than service utilization, and programs targeted women of reproductive age and children under 18 years of age. Of the 17 articles, 1 reported measures of mortality, 9 reported measures of functional status; 3 reported subjective measures of well-being, and 4 reported behavioral health outcomes. Across all categories of reported measures, evidence emerges that cash transfer programs are associated with improved health outcomes (e.g., improved infant and child survival, reduced incidence of illnesses, improved cognitive and motor development, improved general health, delayed sexual debut, lower transactional sex, etc.).Conclusion: Cash Transfer programs are effective, with great potential to improve maternal and child health outcomes in Sub-Saharan African countries. However, further research is needed to address implementation challenges, which include data collection, and program management.
An association study of IL2RA polymorphisms with cerebral palsy in a Chinese population
Authors: Qiao Yimeng , Wang Yangong , Xu Yiran , Zhang Jin , Su Yu , Cheng Ye , Bi Dan , Song Juan , Xia Lei , Li Ming , Zhang Xiaoli , Zhu Dengna , Wang Ting , Ding Jian , Wang Xiaoyang , Zhu Changlian , Xing Qinghe
Published: May 2022

Background
Cerebral palsy (CP), the most common physical disability of childhood, is a nonprogressive movement disorder syndrome. Eighty percent of cases are considered idiopathic without a clear cause. Evidence has shown that cytokine abnormalities are widely thought to contribute to CP.
Methods
An association between IL2RA (rs12244380, rs2025345, rs12722561, rs4749926, rs2104286 and rs706778) and CP was investigated using a case-control method based on 782 CP cases and 778 controls. The allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies of SNPs were assessed using the SHEsis program. Subgroup analyses based on complications and clinical subtypes were also conducted.
Results
Globally, no differences in genotype or allele frequencies for any SNPs remained significant after Bonferroni correction between patients and controls, except rs706778, which deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and was excluded from further analyses. However, subgroup analysis revealed a significant association of rs2025345 with spastic tetraplegia (P genotype = 0.048 after correction) and rs12722561 with CP accompanied by global developmental delay (P allele = 0.045 after correction), even after Bonferroni correction.
Conclusions
These findings indicated that genetic variations in IL2RA are significantly associated with CP susceptibility in the Chinese Han population, suggesting that IL2RA is likely involved in the pathogenesis of CP. Further investigation with a larger sample size in a multiethnic population is needed to confirm the association.
Methods for assessing the epistemic uncertainty captured in ground-motion models
Authors: Bustos Guillermo Aldama , Douglas John , Strasser Fleur , Daví Manuela , MacGregor Alice
Published: May 2022

A key task when developing a ground-motion model (GMM) is to demonstrate that it captures an appropriate level of epistemic uncertainty. This is true whether multiple ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) are used or a backbone approach is followed. The GMM developed for a seismic hazard assessment for the site of a UK new-build nuclear power plant is used as an example to discuss complementary approaches to assess epistemic uncertainty. Firstly, trellis plots showing the various percentiles of the GMM are examined for relevant magnitudes, distances and structural periods to search for evidence of “pinching”, where the percentiles narrow excessively. Secondly, Sammon’s maps, including GMPEs that were excluded from the logic tree, are examined to check the spread of the GMPEs for relevant magnitudes and distances in a single plot. Thirdly, contour plots of the standard deviation of the logarithms of predicted ground motions from each branch of the logic tree (σµ) are compared with plots drawn for other relevant hazard studies. Fourthly, uncertainties implied by a backbone GMM derived using the Campbell (2003)’s hybrid stochastic empirical method are compared to those of the proposed multi-GMPE GMM. Finally, the spread of the percentile of hazard curves resulting from implementing the GMM are examined for different return periods to check whether any bands of lower uncertainty in ground-motion space resulted in bands of lower uncertainty in hazard space. These five approaches enabled a systematic assessment of the level of uncertainty captured by the proposed GMM.
WITHDRAWN: Identifying and analyzing the relationship between attractive spots in Tehran at the regional level: based on Twitter data and human mobility
Authors: Dorostkar Ehsan , Najarsadeghi Mahsa
Published: May 2022

Cities attractive spots affect human mobility. Understanding the pattern of human mobility and its stimulant factors for planning and designing cities is very important. The cyberspace as well as Twitter social media with capabilities such as record users life events with accurate time and location data reflect human mobility in the city. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze attractive urban spots based on the content and location data of residents in Tehran. Also the question is what is the connection rate of Twitter social media with attractive urban spots based on the behavior and performance of residents in the city? First, the data are collected through the Twitter API. The trend analysis method, the period and the changes made are analyzed and then the regression of the correlation between the rates of tweets extracted with transportation (trip production and absorption) is evaluated and is calculated, and a GWA spatial weighted regression model map for the city of Tehran is presented. Finally, it was found that Twitter's social media could play a role in human mobility and used as an important variable in field studies and analytical studies from urban spaces.
Significant Atmospheric CO2 Uptake by Antarctic Polynyas
Authors: Rhee Tae , Zappa Christopher , Kwon Young
Published: May 2022

The Southern Ocean plays a pivotal role in controlling the most critical greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), in the atmosphere. However, insufficient observations, particularly in the Antarctic Sea Ice Zone (ASIZ; south of 60°S), hinders accurate estimation of the Southern Ocean sink strength of atmospheric CO2. Here, we show that Antarctic polynyas play a significant role in the CO2 budget of the Southern Ocean based on the 5-year continuous observations at the Korean Antarctic Station, Jang Bogo, in the Terra Nova Bay (TNB) polynya, Ross Sea, Antarctica and on the compilation of shipboard observations in the major Antarctic polynyas. The seasonal variation of the fugacity of dissolved CO2 (fCO2) between them shows in accordance, which was dominated by biological and physical processes in different seasons. Antarctic polynyas absorb atmospheric CO2 at a rate of 9 to 14 Tg C a-1, that is comparable to or more than the amount outgassed in the ASIZ, concentrating in the summer season from December to March. As the summer drawdown of fCO2 in the polynya is dominantly driven by phytoplankton blooms which is in turn maintained by the supply of iron from circumpolar deep water and glacier melt water, we expect this CO2 sink in the Antarctic polynyas to be enhanced in the future, resulting in a negative feedback with future climate change.
Novel insights on association and reactivity of Bispectral Index, frontal electromyogram, and autonomic responses in nociception- sedation monitoring of critical care patients
Authors: Stewart Juhani A. , Särkelä Mika O. K. , Wennervirta Johanna , Vakkuri Anne P.
Published: May 2022

Background: Assessing nociception and sedation in mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU is challenging, with few reliable methods available for continuous monitoring. Measurable cardiovascular and neurophysiological variables, such as frontal EEG, frontal EMG, and blood pressure, are potential methods for sedation and nociception monitoring. The hypothesis of this explorative study is that the aforementioned variables predict the level of sedation, as described by the Richmond Agitation-Sedation score (RASS).Methods: Thirty adult postoperative ICU patients on mechanical ventilation and receiving intravenous sedation, excluding patients with primary neurological disorders, head injury, or need for continuous neuromuscular blockage. Bispectral Index (BIS), EMG power (EMG), EMG-derived Responsiveness Index (RI), and averaged blood pressure variability (ARV) were tested against RASS measurements. The aforementioned variables together with blood pressure and Surgical Pleth Index (SPI) were explored before and after painful stimuli (for example bronchoscopy, or pleural puncture) at varying RASS levels, to test variable responsiveness.Results: BIS, EMG, and RI predicted RASS levels with a prediction probability (PK) of 0.776 for BIS, 0.761 for EMG, and 0.763 for RI. In addition, BIS, EMG, and ARV demonstrated responsiveness to painful stimuli during deep sedation (RASS score ≤-3). Conclusion: Variables derived from EEG and EMG are associated with sedation levels, as described by the RASS score. Furthermore, these variables, along with ARV, react with consistency to painful stimuli during deep sedation (RASS -5 to -3), offering novel tools for nociception-sedation monitoring of mechanically ventilated ICU patients requiring deep sedation.
The theoretical model of straightness error in gun drilling of small diameter and long deep hole
Authors: Zhang Ying , Liang Li , Xie Chen , Lou Jiacheng
Published: May 2022

Deep-hole drilling (depth-diameter ratio > 10) accounts for about 40% of hole processing. As an important hole processing technology, the gun drill has a complex structure and weak relative stiffness, which makes it difficult to avoid the straightness deviation of the hole. In addition, the current theoretical model of straightness deviation is inconsistent with the actual working condition of long and deep hole gun drilling, so the prediction of straightness error is still a difficulty in deep hole machining. Based on the analysis of influencing factors of straightness deviation of gun drilling, this paper establishes the theoretical model of the straightness error of the middle four supports by using the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and reveals the relationship between the bit deflection and the deviation of the hole axis. In this paper, the influence of support clearance, support spacing, support stiffness, axial force, and drill pipe stiffness on straightness error is analyzed through simulation and experiments. The method to reduce straightness deviation by controlling support clearance is proposed and verified by experiments.
Long Variation in Voltage and Supply Interruption in a Distribution System
Authors: Amoo Abdullahi Lanre , Okelola Muniru , Said Dalila
Published: May 2022

The paper examines a distribution system field data for the assessment of voltage variation and supply interruption. The under voltage has severe impacts on the consumer loads working conditions causing overloading and high transmission losses. The under-voltage limit has been set for voltage below 0.9p.u. The measurement was conducted in the control room for the duration of one week for logging interval of 1-min using Fluke VR1710 that monitors single-phase voltage quality of power network. Long duration variations are considered to be present when the limits are exceeded for greater than 1 minute time lapse. In this paper, the lowest interruption duration recorded was 20 minutes while the number of under-voltage was 41 occurrences. A simple mathematical analysis of power flow deviation was determined for correlation with the frequency disturbances recorded by the equipment. Both measurements and simulation results show that frequency rapidly changes in the network. The lowest and highest frequency vary between (48.7665 Hz to 51.196 Hz) and (48.843 Hz to 51.263 Hz) respectively. Thus, voltage and frequency disturbance statistics vindicate the voltage variation in the site to be within the ±10% limits but the overall performance of frequency monitored in the site violated the operational limits of ± 0.2 Hz (i.e. 49.8 Hz to 50.2 Hz) and ± 0.5 Hz (i.e. 49.5 Hz to 50.5 Hz) for the statutory regulatory. The paper would provide repository data as point of reference for Electric power sector reform act No.6 2005.