bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Patients undergoing Open Nephrectomy: A Randomised Controlled Study
Authors: Bindra Soumya , Oberoi Deepak , Agarwal Rajat Kumar , Sarpal Rajeev
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Open nephrectomy poses a challenge for the anaesthesiologist due to its large subcostal incision and association with both somatic and visceral pain. While various methods exist for postoperative pain management, a single modality approach remains largely ineffective in adequate pain management. Epidural analgesia, intravenous Patient Controlled analgesia pumps, and ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks are commonly used. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) as a part of multimodal analgesia for postoperative pain in patients undergoing open nephrectomy, to enhance recovery after surgery. Materials and Methods: This randomised controlled study was conducted at Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, on 48 patients undergoing open nephrectomy. They were randomly assigned to two groups: Group I received ultrasound-guided ESPB, while Group II did not receive a block before anaesthesia reversal. In the Post-Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU), all patients were kept on intravenous Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) morphine, and pain was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scoring. The time of first analgesic requirement and the total morphine consumption in the first 24 hours were recorded. Patient satisfaction and quality of sleep at night were evaluated using a Likert scale. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Categorical data were assessed using the Chi-square test, while the Independent t-test/Mann-Whitney test was used to determine the association between continuous data. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There were no significant differences found between the two groups in terms of age (p-value=0.999) and ASA grade (p-value=0.336). The total morphine consumption was lower in the ESP group (11 versus 17.58 mg, p-value <0.0001) compared to the control group. The NRS scores during the follow-up period in the ESP group were consistently lower compared to the control group. The average number of analgesia attempts and demand for rescue analgesia were higher in the control group compared to the ESPB group. A higher proportion of ESPB patients agreed (p-value=0.002) that the overall pain management was good. More patients in the ESPB group agreed that they had slept well at night (41.7% versus 12.50%, p-value=0.023). Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided ESPB was more effective in reducing postoperative pain, facilitating enhanced recovery, and significantly reducing the requirement for opioids in the postoperative period after abdominal surgery such as open nephrectomy.
Accessory Hepatic Vein Stenting in the Management of Budd-Chiari Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Pawal Sambhaji , Arkar Rahul , Singh Amarjit , Badhe Padma
Published: November 2023

The Budd-Chiari Syndrome (BCS) is associated with hepatic venous outflow obstruction. A 22-year-old female patient presented with abdominal pain and backache for 12 days, along with generalised weakness. Physical examination revealed pitting pedal oedema and abdominal distension. An abdominal ultrasound with Doppler Ultrasonography (USG) was performed, revealing liver parenchymal disease with gross ascites and occlusion of all three Hepatic Veins (HV), suggestive of BCS. Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the liver, as well as a right hepatic venogram using Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA), showed chronic total occlusion at the ostium. An Accessory Hepatic Vein (AHV) was identified, joining the Right Hepatic Vein (RHV) to the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC). The accessory RHV exhibited high-grade stenosis (approximately 90-95%) at its junction with the IVC. Recanalisation of the AHV (balloon dilatation/stent insertion) was performed. Post-procedure accessory hepatic venogram showed a patent stented segment with a significant reduction in adjacent venous collaterals. No procedure-related complications were observed. The present case highlights the importance of AHV stenting in BCS patients, as it helps maintain normal physiology, in contrast to Direct Intrahepatic Porto-systemic Shunt (DIPS), which alters normal physiology by allowing portal venous blood to mix directly into the systemic circulation, bypassing the liver parenchyma.
PAIN MANAGEMENT IN AYURVEDIC CLASSICS: AN ANALYTICAL OVERVIEW
Authors: Thapliyal Sachin , Kumar Vimal , Gupta Ajay Kumar
Published: November 2023

Pain can be described as any physical and mental suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience arising from actual or potential tissue damage." Pain always lands a person in discomfort and interferes with daily tasks, regardless of severity or location. Different terminologies viz. vedana, shool, ruja, etc. are used for pain in Ayurvedic classics. It is mentioned as a premonitory sign as well as a symptom of many diseases. According to Acharya Sushruta “Vatat rute nasti ruja” i.e., the root cause of all types of pain is Vata dosha. The effectiveness and safety of the therapeutic drugs that are currently utilised to relieve pain are often limited. Therefore, there is an urgent need for research into novel analgesics that are safe, efficacious, and tolerated well. Description of a variety of therapeutic approaches for pain management is available in the Ayurvedic classical text. Agnikarma, Jalaukavacharana, Marma chikitsa, and other Ayurvedic treatment modalities provide immediate pain relief without untoward effects. Along with these therapies, there are descriptions of many other therapeutic procedures such as Vedhankarma, Bastikarma, Lepa, Snehana, Swedana, and internal use of medicine in Ayurvedic classical texts. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the concept of pain and its practical utility, which necessitates the development of pain management techniques recognised in Ayurveda.
PANCHAGAVYA IN HUMAN LIFE AND HEALTH: A REVIEW
Authors: Kaur Amandeep , Joshi Neha
Published: November 2023

Gomutra (cow ghee), gomaya (cow dung), ksheera (cow milk), dadhi (cow curd) and sarpi (cow ghee) cumulatively known as Panchagavya. In India, the cow is worshipped as mother and commonly known as ‘Gaumata’. The ratio of ksheera, dadhi, ghrita, gomutra and gomaya is 16:10:8:2:1 according to Shastra yoga, and in Rastargini, it is 1:1:1:1:1 in panchagavya. panchagavya holds traditional as well as ritual values in human life. Each component of panchagavya also has medicinal properties individually. To assess the role of panchagavya and its therapeutic benefits in our day-to-day life and health and to untapped hidden areas mentioned about panchagavya in Ayurveda. Different Ayurvedic classical textbooks, research papers and journals were referred to. After a review of many Ayurvedic literatures and other data sources, the importance of panchagavya was seen. In Ayurveda, panchagavya has a great role in GIT and skin disorders. Panchagavya is also used in havan karma, which also purifies the environment and devotees. Panchagavya products serve irreplaceable medicinal importance in Ayurveda. It is also used in traditional Hindu rituals. During a pandemic, the importance of panchagavya was noticeable. In Ayurveda, there are many Ayurvedic formulations where gomutra and sarpi are used. For example, gomutra is used as bhavana dravya in Sanjeevani vati.
TEXTUAL REFERENCES OF NYAYA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CHARAKA SAMHITA CHAKRAPANI TEEKA: A REVIEW
Authors: Sakkari Rekha , Phatage Puneetha D , Soman Athira
Published: November 2023

Nyayas (Maxims) are perceptive tools for many concepts. It is an expression of the general truth or principle. It conveys the ideas of the author easily and clearly. These Nyayas possess simple language to perceive the concepts. In ancient days, people used to understand the concepts by applying Nyayas wherever it looked complicated, and it may be related to Samhita Sutras, commentaries or other literature. Similarly, Ayurveda has also adopted many Nyayas to explain the concepts. Mainly, the commentators of Samhitas have taken the help of Nyayas to convey the hidden meaning. Here, the author tries to explain the Nyayas collectively and clearly, as mentioned in Charaka Samhita.
CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF AKSHI-TARPANA AND ITS ROLE IN MYOPIA: A REVIEW
Authors: Ahirwar Atul Kumar , Kumar Ruby
Published: November 2023

Myopia is a refractive error and a major eye health problem with significant social, personal, educational, and economic impacts. Globally, myopia affects 7.9 to 19.7% of the population. It is irreversible in progression and can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. All these treatments are not patient-friendly and are also not the actual solution to the pathology occurring in the eye. The symptoms of myopia closely resemble the disease Timira involving the prathama and dwitiya patala of netra (the eye's anatomical structures). Furthermore, both diseases share similar anatomical structures and pathogenesis. There is a great need to find an ocular procedure to prevent and treat myopia having no or least adverse effects. In Ayurveda, kriyakalpa includes different topical therapeutic procedures for treating eye diseases. Tarpana is one among seven kriyakalpa that not only nourishes the eyeball but cures the diseases of the eye. Preventative and curative effects can be achieved with Tarpana karma for eye diseases. Using a special arrangement, an oily substance (ghrita) is kept in the eye for a predetermined period in Tarpana karma. This article reviews Tarpana karma and its role in myopia prevention and progression.
A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON SIDDHA POLYHERBAL FORMULATION KEEDARI THAILAM
Authors: Deepika R , Selvi M Tamil , Hazel A M Amala , Sundaram M Meenakshi , Meenakumari R
Published: November 2023

Keedari thailam is the polyherbal Siddha formulation extensively used for puzhuvettu as external medicine mentioned in the Siddha literature “Theraiyar thaila varka surukkam”. The ingredients of keedari thailam are Poduthalai (Phyla nodiflora Linn), elumichai (Citrus limon Linn), nallennai (sesame oil) and milagu (Piper nigrum Linn). Puzhuvettu can be considered as alopecia areata according to conventional medicine. Due to adverse effects in the treatment of conventional medicine, world is looking for the management of alopecia in traditional medicines for safe drug use. In clinical practice, the ingredients present in the keedari thailam have effective in the treatment of alopecia areata. Hence, this study endeavors to review the essential data focusing on the actions, phytochemistry and pharmacological studies of ingredients of the keedari thailam. Through this extensive review on Siddha literatures and recent research reports, scientific validation has been carried out on various pharmacological actions and therapeutic benefits of each ingredient of keedari thailam. This review revealed the presence of antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, anti inflammatory, analgesic, anti cancer and anti diabetic activities in the ingredients of keedari thailam.
Unveiling the Path to Sustainable Behavior in Tourism through a Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Ernawati Hani , Rudiyanto Andeas
Published: November 2023

Environmental sustainability is a crucial focus in the contemporary tourism and hospitality industry due to its potential to protect the environment and benefit society. Despite extensive research on the environmental impact on the industry, there is a need for a comprehensive analysis. The lack of relevant studies on pro-environmental behavior of hospitality and tourism consumers underscores the importance of thorough review. This study utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol to conduct a systematic literature review, focusing on areas such as Local Communities' Commitment, Small Firms in Tourism, Consumer Behavior, and Sustainability Communication. The results of the studies suggest that various independent variables can influence sustainable behavior in tourism, including Difficulty Perception, Eco Concern, Effort Perception, and others. The dependent variables identified in this study are divided into three groups: Technology Adoption, Environmental Attitudes and Beliefs, and Self Expression and Well-being.
Technical Characteristics and Socio-Economic Importance of Beekeeping in the Far North Region, Cameroon
Authors: Kalsane Bienvenue Djobo , Firita Marie Ivonne , Solefack Marie Caroline Momo , Dongock Delphine Nguemo
Published: November 2023

Beekeeping is a booming industry in Cameroon, thanks to the interests shown by the population in certain regions, notably Adamawa, West, North-West, and East, yet its productivity remains low. In the villages of the Far North region in particular, beekeeping is an age-old practice. A study on the technical characteristics and socio-economic importance of beekeeping has been carried out in the Far North region, with a view to contributing to the elaboration and facilitation of the development of the beekeeping sector in this zone. Ethno-beekeeping surveys of 52 beekeepers were carried out between July-August 2019 in six villages using snowball strategies, including four villages (Maga, Ngoulmoung, Modiogo, and Gamack) for the Maga subdivision and one village each for the Kaélé and Mindif subdivisions respectively. The main sections of the questionnaire concerned the socio-demographic characteristics of beekeepers, the use of hive products, and, finally, beekeepers' perception of their knowledge of beekeeping plants. It was noted that beekeeping in the area is a secondary activity (89%), mainly practiced by men (98%) and farmers (63.46%). Beekeeping practices are still predominantly traditional (68.57%). Apiaries are preferably located in orchards (37.14%). Swarm capture technical are still based on traditional technical, with satisfactory hive populating rates (94.28%); however, wax remains the most common bait used by beekeepers. Beekeepers make an average of 3 visits a month, mainly to stock the apiary, monitor the hives, and harvest the honey. Insufficient supervision, financial problems, humidity, hive theft, pesticides, wind, and bush fires are the main obstacles to beekeeping in the area. Honey is the main product exploited by all beekeepers. Honey is a key element in the treatment of cough/colds (25.83%), skin ailments, and wounds (25.95%). It is also used to soothe memory disorders. Some thirty plants have been recognized by beekeepers as food resources for bees. For sustainable beekeeping, there is an urgent need to review the issue of hive management and suitable technical for a better yield of hive products in the area.
Experimental Study and Determination of the Energy Performance of an Air Conditioning System Using Peltier Method
Authors: Adamon Gildas D. F. , Allavo Dimitri C. Babatounde , Chidikofan D. M. Grâce F. , Sylla M. , Godjo Thierry G. , Guidi Clotilde T.
Published: November 2023

Thermal comfort is one of man's natural needs. In order to ensure this comfort while being respectful towards the environment, we proceeded to an experimental study of an air conditioning system with Peltier modules. For this purpose, we considered a test room with a base temperature of 29 °C in which we installed a Peltier effect air conditioning system to lower its temperature to 25 °C, a useful threshold to ensure thermal comfort in a tropical zone. Through the two different tests carried out, we were able to approach 25 °C by making an improvement to the cooling circuit of the Peltier effect air conditioning system. Thus, we concluded from this study that this alternative air-conditioning system would be more interesting for demanding enclosures with small and medium cold powers for thermal comfort and that further research will be useful to improve the system.
Investigation of Physical Properties of Turmeric Rhizomes About to Design a Metering Mechanism for Turmeric Planting
Authors: Venkat Regatti , Reddy K. V. S. Rami , Kumar A. Ashok , Babu R. Ganesh , Rao Ch. Someswara
Published: November 2023

Aims: Turmeric production is facing the labour shortage during peak operations like planting and harvesting. There are different methods in turmeric planting which require different amount of manual energy. The objective of the study was to investigate the physical properties of turmeric seed rhizomes and to optimize the design parameters of Automatic turmeric planter.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Department of Farm machinery and power engineering, Dr NTR CAE Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh during the year 2021-22

Methodology: Turmeric seed material is not available directly in the market like other seeds or seedlings. There is some procedure is fallowed by farming community for turmeric seed rhizome preparation. To design a metering mechanism of a turmeric planter, information related to geometrical properties such as length, breadth, thickness and density are necessary. Frictional parameters are also measured to design hopper of the planter which facilitates free flow of seed rhizomes during planting operation.

Results: The length of finger rhizome used as seed material in turmeric cultivation ranged from 3.7 to 5.5 cm. Average breadth and thickness of seed rhizomes are 2.1 and 1.7 cm respectively. Average weight of turmeric seed rhizome was found to be 15.5 g with an equivalent diameter of 2.45 cm. Bulk density and true density of seed rhizome was found to be 640 and 1040 kg m-3, respectively. Angle of repose was noted as 36.80°. The coefficient of static friction on mild steel sheet for different varieties found to varied between of 0.75–0.85.

Conclusion: Familiarization of turmeric planting methods and seed material preparation procedures helps in proper investigation of seed rhizomes. By measuring all these physical properties, optimum values for the design of a turmeric planter which delivers the required seed rate at desired plant spacing was obtained.
Evaluation of Different Genotypes of Late Kharif Onion (Allium cepa L.) Under the Gangetic Plains of West Bengal, India
Authors: Jana Koushik , Thapa Umesh , Kundu Sourav , Hansda Narendra Nath , Ray Koushik , Tamang Dupchen
Published: November 2023

Aim: Onions, (Allium cepa L.) is one of the highly significant bulbs crops extensively cultivated in India. The investigation entitled “Evaluation of different genotypes of Late Kharif Onion (Allium Cepa L.) under the Gangetic plains of West Bengal”is aimed at suggesting the more locally suitable genotypes to the farmer as well as the researchers.

Study Design: The experiment was conducted in randomized block design (RBD) with seven genotypes and they were randomized in three replications. This Experiment deals with seven different late kharif onion genotypes which consist of viz. Bhima Shakti, Bhima Kiran, Bhima Raj, DOGR-1605, NHRDF-Red-2, DOGR-1606 and PRO-7.

Place and Duration of Study: The research investigation was conducted at C-Block farm, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal during the year 2022- 2023.

Methodology: 30 days old seedlings were transplanted at 15 cm between lines and 10 cm within it. All other intercultural operations were done as and when necessary. Harvesting of bulbs was done at maturity stage. Biometrical observations and yield attributing characters were recorded from randomly selected 10 plants from each replication and the quality parameters were evaluated from randomly selected 5 plants.

Results: From the present investigation it was found that the late kharif onion genotype Bhima Shakti emerged with the highest yield (285.80 q-ha) but in terms of other quality parameters the genotype NHRDF-Red-2 found quite good in TSS (14.12 ̊ B) and pyruvic acid content of (6.24 µmol-g), whereas genotypes Bhima Raj, exhibits lowest total sugar of (2.40 %) and reducing sugar of (2.13%).

Conclusion: Although from the above experiment it may be concluded that in case of late kharif onion genotypes the genotypes Bhima Shakti, Bhima Raj and NHRDF-Red-2 performed well.
Therapeutic Itinerary of Patients with Chronic Heart Failure at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital, West Region, Cameroon
Authors: Sibylle Yimelong Tsayem , Charles Kouam Kouam , Kingue Samuel , Ngoufo Nguemaim Flore , Isah Mohamed , Eni Egbe Sangasu , Ivan Misonge Kapnang , Ekongefeyin Sintieh N. N.
Published: November 2023

Background: Cardiovascular diseases have emerged as a growing public health problem worldwide, with heart failure being the end point of a greater majority of poorly diagnosed and managed heart diseases. In Sub-Saharan Africa, traditional medicine still has a remarkable influence on health care systems, and in Cameroon, the referral/counter-referral system thought to be implemented is not efficiently applied. Heart failure patients fall amongst the group of victims affected by this problem. Many studies have been carried on heart failure in Cameroon, but data on this subject remains sparse.

Objective: To identify the therapeutic itinerary adopted by symptomatic patients with chronic heart failure seen at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital (BRH) and determine the outcome following management by cardiologists, so as to provide results-driven interventions to increase the rate of  early management of heart failure by appropriate health services and limit complications due to wrong therapeutic orientations.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study was carried, from February 2019 to May 2019 at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital. A consecutive sampling technique using objective-related structured questionnaire was used to select patients aged above 18 years seen at the study site.  Data was analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 23. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The BRH Cardiologist consultation was the 1st station sought by 32 (23.7%) of patients. We found 14.8% of cases and 8.9% who had as first therapeutic stations home management and traditional healers respectively. Majority of participants went through a total of 2 stations, 60 (44.4%), and only 5 (3.7%) went through 5 therapeutic stations. Most participants (36.3%), delayed for 1-3 weeks after onset of symptoms before seeking a means of intervention. NYHA (New York Heart Association) stages were generally improved after cardiologists’ follow up (54.1% and 26.7% for stages I and II respectively), compared to that before entry (0.7% stage I, 41.5% stage II, 38.5% stage 3, and 19.3% stage IV), which was statistically significant with P < 0.0005.

Conclusion: There is a high proportion of HF patients who do no adopt an ideal therapeutic itinerary following the health pyramid from the onset of symptoms, hence the need to educate the population on cardinal signs of heart failure, especially patients with known risk factors, and to encourage the referral of patients in order to limit complications between the onset of symptoms till cardiologist consultation.
A Stochastic SIRV Model to Estimate The Effective Reproductive Number for Measles Epidemic in Niger
Authors: SEYDOU Moussa , TESSA Ousmane MOUSSA
Published: November 2023

Aims/ objectives: Cyclic recurrence of measles epidemics in developing countries induced high mortality, especially among malnourished children. In Niger, as the disease exhibits clearly seasonal outbreaks, we observe increasing incidence during the dry season, from October to June. In this article, we perform an inference on reported cases during 2017-2018 measles outbreak to yield effective reproductive number,\(\mathit{R}\)\(\mathit{p}\), for each of the eight administrative regions in Niger. Our method is based on the stochastic model SIR with vaccination of measles, relying on the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm as an analysis tool. The choice of this model takes into account the random uctuations inherent to the epidemiological characteristics of rural populations of Niger, notably a high prevalence of measles in children under 5 years, coupled with very low immunization coverage. It follows from this analysis that some regions of Niger remained potentially vulnerable to measles outbreaks due to a very high \(\mathit{R}\)\(\mathit{p}\) value in these regions, As evidenced by our simulation of epidemic trends in these regions, this is the case of the regions of Tahoua and Zinder. However, the low birth rate had sheltered certain regions from measles outbreaks, such as the Diffa and Dosso regions. We have indeed noted two dominant factors that explain the high values of \(\mathit{R}\)\(\mathit{p}\) in these eight regions, the low vaccination coverage and the high birth rate. Mathematical models allow a better understanding of the dynamics of disease spread in a population. However, difficulty in data collection processes and estimation of statistics parameters limit their range in statistical analysis of epidemic spread. Other hand the numerical resolution takes a long time computationally.
Effects of Orientation Training Provided to Students Going Abroad with the Erasmus Program
Authors: Şahin Beyza , Göksoy Süleyman
Published: November 2023

This study, which was conducted with data obtained from students studying at Düzce University and benefiting from the Erasmus program, aimed to reveal how orientation training for students going abroad within the scope of the Erasmus Program contributes to students in academic, social and personal aspects.

Research results show that orientation training strengthens social relations between students, provides general satisfaction, and offers benefits in different educational fields. According to the results of the study, students state that the orientation training serves the purpose of introducing the local culture, meeting the authorities, adapting, getting to know international students and exploring the university.

The results of the study show that the duration of orientation training generally varies between two hours and one week, and this time is sufficient for students. However, some students stated that they did not make any personal contribution. This suggests that orientation programs need to be better designed and focus more on students' needs.

In conclusion, the research emphasizes that orientation training helps new students adapt to university life and encourages them to establish social relationships. The content, duration and methods of orientation programs should be arranged in accordance with the needs of the students. In this way, orientation training will help students have a more positive and successful university experience. This research provides an important guide for universities to develop their orientation programs.
Genetic Counseling For Predictive Retinal Imaging
Authors: De Silva Samantha R. , Mahroo Omar A. , Charbel Issa Peter
Published: November 2023

This Viewpoint discusses genetic counseling for predictive retinal imaging.
Rising Incidence of Syphilitic Uveitis–Related Hospitalizations in the US
Authors: Mir Tahreem A. , Kim Stephen J. , Fang Wei , Harvey Justin , Hinkle David M.
Published: November 2023

Importance

The number of syphilis cases continues to increase in the US every year since 2001 with a 74% increase observed since 2017. In addition, there remains a national shortage of injectable penicillin G. Despite the increase in reported cases, to the authors’ knowledge, there has been no recent nationwide study investigating the trends in incidence of syphilitic uveitis.

Objective

To evaluate the national and regional incidence of syphilitic uveitis–related hospitalizations in the US.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried to identify all inpatient admissions with a diagnosis of syphilitic uveitis in the US between the years 2010 and 2019. Analyses were performed to determine baseline sociodemographic characteristics and identify national and regional trends in incidence. All patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of syphilis, uveitis, and/or syphilitic uveitis were eligible for inclusion. Statistical analysis of study data took place in June 2023.

Exposure

Diagnosis of syphilis, uveitis, and/or syphilitic uveitis on inpatient admissions during the years 2010 to 2019 in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Main Outcome Measures

The primary outcome was to determine trends in the national and regional incidence of syphilitic uveitis–related hospitalizations in the US. Secondary outcome measures included sociodemographic characteristics of patients with syphilitic uveitis, incidence stratified by sex and race and ethnicity, and median charge per syphilitic uveitis hospital admission.

Results

From the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, inpatient data from 444 674 patients (median [IQR] age, 53 [37-67] years; 54.8% male) were analyzed. There were an estimated 5581 syphilitic uveitis–related hospitalizations during the 10-year study period. The median (IQR) age of individuals with syphilitic uveitis was 45 (35-55) years, and 4395 patients (78.9%) were male. Syphilitic uveitis disproportionately affected African American individuals (1787 patients [32%], although they compose 13.6% of the population) and those belonging to the lowest median household income quartile (2163 [38.8%]). The national incidence was 0.15 per 100 000 population and showed an increasing trend over the years, with the lowest incidence in 2011 (0.08 per 100 000 population) and the highest incidence in 2019 (0.23 per 100 000 population; P = .04). Regional analysis showed an increase in incidence across all 4 US geographical regions. A total of 1293 patients (23.2%) had comorbid AIDS.

Conclusion and Relevance

Although this cross-sectional study only captured inpatient diagnosis, an increasing incidence of syphilitic uveitis–related hospitalizations was observed in the US between 2010 and 2019. Given the concomitant national shortage of injectable penicillin G, results suggest that clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for syphilis when evaluating patients with intraocular inflammation.
Risk of Mortality Following Surgery in Patients With a Previous Cardiovascular Event
Authors: Chalitsios Christos V. , Luney Matthew S. , Lindsay William A. , Sanders Robert D. , McKeever Tricia M. , Moppett Iain
Published: November 2023

Importance

There is a lack of consensus regarding the interval of time-dependent postoperative mortality risk following acute coronary syndrome or stroke.

Objective

To determine the magnitude and duration of risk associated with the time interval between a preoperative cardiovascular event and 30-day postoperative mortality.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This is a longitudinal retrospective population-based cohort study. This study linked data from the Hospital Episode Statistics for National Health Service England, Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project and the Office for National Statistics mortality registry. All adults undergoing a National Health Service–funded noncardiac, nonneurologic surgery in England between April 1, 2007, and March 31, 2018, registered in Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care were included. Data were analyzed from July 2021 to July 2022.

Exposure

The time interval between a previous cardiovascular event (acute coronary syndrome or stroke) and surgery.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were postoperative mortality at 60, 90, and 365 days. Multivariable logistic regression models with restricted cubic splines were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios.

Results

There were 877 430 patients with and 20 582 717 without a prior cardiovascular event (overall mean [SD] age, 53.4 [19.4] years; 11 577 157 [54%] female). Among patients with a previous cardiovascular event, the time interval associated with increased risk of postoperative mortality was surgery within 11.3 months (95% CI, 10.8-11.7), with subgroup risks of 14.2 months before elective surgery (95% CI, 13.3-15.3) and 7.3 months for emergency surgery (95% CI, 6.8-7.8). Heterogeneity in these timings was noted across many surgical specialties. The time-dependent risk intervals following stroke and myocardial infarction were similar, but the absolute risk was greater following a stroke. Regarding surgical urgency, the risk of 30-day mortality was higher in those with a prior cardiovascular event for emergency surgery (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.34-1.37) and an elective procedure (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.78-1.89) than those without a prior cardiovascular event.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, surgery within 1 year of an acute coronary syndrome or stroke was associated with increased postoperative mortality before reaching a new baseline, particularly for elective surgery. This information may help clinicians and patients balance deferring the potential benefits of the surgery against the desire to avoid increased mortality from overly expeditious surgery after a recent cardiovascular event.
Prediction of patient‐specific quality assurance for volumetric modulated arc therapy using radiomics‐based machine learning with dose distribution
Authors: Ishizaka Natsuki , Kinoshita Tomotaka , Sakai Madoka , Tanabe Shunpei , Nakano Hisashi , Tanabe Satoshi , Nakamura Sae , Mayumi Kazuki , Akamatsu Shinya , Nishikata Takayuki , Takizawa Takeshi , Yamada Takumi , Sakai Hironori , Kaidu Motoki , Sasamoto Ryuta , Ishikawa Hiroyuki , Utsunomiya Satoru
Published: November 2023

Purpose

We sought to develop machine learning models to predict the results of patient‐specific quality assurance (QA) for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), which were represented by several dose‐evaluation metrics—including the gamma passing rates (GPRs)—and criteria based on the radiomic features of 3D dose distribution in a phantom.

Methods

A total of 4,250 radiomic features of 3D dose distribution in a cylindrical dummy phantom for 140 arcs from 106 clinical VMAT plans were extracted. We obtained the following dose‐evaluation metrics: GPRs with global and local normalization, the dose difference (DD) in 1% and 2% passing rates (DD1% and DD2%) for 10% and 50% dose threshold, and the distance‐to‐agreement in 1‐mm and 2‐mm passing rates (DTA1 mm and DTA2 mm) for 0.5%/mm and 1.0%.mm dose gradient threshold determined by measurement using a diode array in patient‐specific QA. The machine learning regression models for predicting the values of the dose‐evaluation metrics using the radiomic features were developed based on the elastic net (EN) and extra trees (ET) models. The feature selection and tuning of hyperparameters were performed with nested cross‐validation in which four‐fold cross‐validation is used within the inner loop, and the performance of each model was evaluated in terms of the root mean square error (RMSE), the mean absolute error (MAE), and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

Results

The RMSE and MAE for the developed machine learning models ranged from <1% to nearly <10% depending on the dose‐evaluation metric, the criteria, and dose and dose gradient thresholds used for both machine learning models. It was advantageous to focus on high dose region for predicating global GPR, DDs, and DTAs. For certain metrics and criteria, it was possible to create models applicable for patients’ heterogeneity by training only with dose distributions in phantom.

Conclusions

The developed machine learning models showed high performance for predicting dose‐evaluation metrics especially for high dose region depending on the metric and criteria. Our results demonstrate that the radiomic features of dose distribution can be considered good indicators of the plan complexity and useful in predicting measured dose evaluation metrics.
Exploration on 3D imaging model construction of clothing fitting based on virtual reality technology
Authors: Ren Jingyuan , Hu Xiaoyan
Published: November 2023

With the continuous development of virtual reality technology (VRt), the clothing industry has begun to use VRt to build three‐dimensional clothing fitting models, which provide consumers with a comprehensive range of fitting effects. However, the traditional 3D (three‐dimensional) imaging model construction method for clothing has certain shortcomings. For example, the construction of fitting models is a process from planar to three‐dimensional, while the three‐dimensional fitting model is a process from two‐dimensional to three‐dimensional, which makes it impossible for users to obtain a more intuitive, visual, and comprehensive fitting effect during fitting. On the basis of summarizing the existing methods for building 3D imaging models of clothing, this paper proposed a method for building 3D clothing fitting models based on VRt and applied it to actual clothing fitting. This provided consumers with a comprehensive method for fitting clothing, thereby improving the shopping efficiency and quality of consumers when purchasing clothing. The research results show that the proportion of positive evaluations using VRt systems was 92%, while the proportion of positive evaluations using conventional technology systems was only 10%, indicating a positive relationship between VRt and the construction of 3D imaging models for clothing fitting. The VRt‐based clothing fitting system has strong practical significance, but it is still in the preliminary exploration stage. The system proposed in this paper does not include face modeling function. Therefore, in the future, we can consider adding a face reconstruction module to build a more personalized human model through photo reconstruction and other ways.
Back Contact Plasma Treatment Enables 14.5% Efficient Solution‐Processed CuIn(S,Se)2 Solar Cells
Authors: Li Xinyu , Ma Chengfeng , Liu Naiyun , Xiang Chunxu , Wei Shuxia , Yan Weibo , Huang Wei , Xin Hao
Published: November 2023

Solution‐processed chalcopyrite thin film solar cells have made great progress but still lag behind the vacuum‐based ones due to inferior absorber quality and non‐ideal interfaces. Here, plasma treatment of the molybdenum (Mo) substrate is reported to modify the back interface and improve the efficiency of solution‐processed copper indium sulfoselenide (CuIn(S,Se)2, CISSe) solar cells. The results show plasma treatment oxides the surface Mo/MoO2 to high oxidation oxides MoO3‐x (0 ≤ x < 1). The higher surface polarity greatly improves the wettability of the substrate to the precursor solution and results in formation of more compact and uniform precursor film, which grows to void‐free larger grains absorber film with better adhesion to the substrate. In addition, the much higher chemical stability of MoO3‐x than Mo significantly reduces the thickness of high resistive MoSe2 layer. The improved absorber quality and back interface property decreases charge carrier recombination in the absorber and back contact interface, resulting in 14.53% efficiency solution‐processed CISSe solar cell, which is improved by 13% compared to device without plasma treatment.
Microenvironment Modulation of Ultrathin Bronze‐Phase TiO2 Nanosheets for Highly Selective Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction in Water
Authors: Jia Changchao , Wan Bingjie , Liu Wengang , Qi Linguang , Liu Xiaoxue , Han Xinxin , Gao Ailin , Liu Jian
Published: November 2023

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 with H2O provides a promising and sustainable pathway to produce valuable chemicals and fuels. However, the low efficiency of CO2 reduction and the concomitant competition of H2 evolution pose serious challenges to practical applications. Herein, a novel approach is proposed to modulate the surface microenvironment of photocatalysts by utilizing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). A bronze‐phase TiO2 (TB) composed of ultrathin nanosheet with a thickness of ∼3 nm is fabricated and employed as the model catalyst for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. H2O2 molecules are presumed to be bonded to the ultrathin TB surface to form the TB‐H2O2 (TBHO) active specie. The newly generated TBHO enhances the CO2 adsorption and accelerates mass transfer, and the weakly acidic microenvironment of the catalyst surface serves the purpose of mediating the proton‐coupled electron transfer path. Consequently, ultrathin TB nanosheets assisted by H2O2 show an excellent CO generation rate of 29.1 µmol−1 g−1 h−1 (which is 11.2‐fold higher than that of pure TB) in water, and the selectivity toward CO is nearly 100%. This work underscores the importance of tailoring the catalyst surface microenvironment to promote the CO2 reduction while minimizing the H2 generation in pure water.
High‐Resolution Additive Manufacturing of a Biodegradable Elastomer with A Low‐Cost LCD 3D Printer
Authors: Karamzadeh Vahid , Shen Molly L. , Ravanbakhsh Hossein , Sohrabi‐Kashani Ahmad , Okhovatian Sargol , Savoji Houman , Radisic Milica , Juncker David
Published: November 2023

Artificial organs and organs‐on‐a‐chip (OoC) are of great clinical and scientific interest and have recently been made by additive manufacturing, but depend on, and benefit from, biocompatible, biodegradable, and soft materials. Poly(octamethylene maleate (anhydride) citrate (POMaC) meets these criteria and has gained popularity, and as in principle, it can be photocured and is amenable to vat‐photopolymerization (VP) 3D printing, but only low‐resolution structures have been produced so far. Here, a VP‐POMaC ink is introduced and 3D printing of 80 µm positive features and complex 3D structures is demonstrated using low‐cost (≈US$300) liquid‐crystal display (LCD) printers. The ink includes POMaC, a diluent and porogen additive to reduce viscosity within the range of VP, and a crosslinker to speed up reaction kinetics. The mechanical properties of the cured ink are tuned to match the elastic moduli of different tissues simply by varying the porogen concentration. The biocompatibility is assessed by cell culture which yielded 80% viability and the potential for tissue engineering illustrated with a 3D‐printed gyroid seeded with cells. VP‐POMaC and low‐cost LCD printers make the additive manufacturing of high resolution, elastomeric, and biodegradable constructs widely accessible, paving the way for a myriad of applications in tissue engineering and 3D cell culture as demonstrated here, and possibly in OoC, implants, wearables, and soft robotics.
Multifunctional Separator Enables High‐Performance Sodium Metal Batteries in Carbonate‐Based Electrolytes
Authors: Liu Haoxuan , Zheng Xiaoyang , Du Yumeng , Borrás Marcela Chaki , Wu Kuan , Konstantinov Konstantin , Pang Wei Kong , Chou Shulei , Liu Huakun , Dou Shixue , Wu Chao
Published: November 2023

Sodium metal has become one of the most promising anodes for next‐generation cheap and high‐energy‐density metal batteries; however, challenges caused by the uncontrollable sodium dendrite growth and fragile solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) restrict their large‐scale practical applications in low‐cost and wide‐voltage‐window carbonate electrolytes. Herein, a novel multifunctional separator with lightweight and high thinness is proposed, assembled by the cobalt‐based metal–organic framework nanowires (Co‐NWS), to replace the widely applied thick and heavy glass fiber separator. Benefitting from its abundant sodiophilic functional groups and densely stacked nanowires, Co‐NWS not only exhibits outstanding electrolyte wettability and effectively induces uniform Na+ ion flux as a strong ion redistributor but also favors constructing the robust N,F‐rich SEI layer. Satisfactorily, with 10 µL carbonate electrolyte, a Na|Co‐NWS|Cu half‐cell delivers stable cycling (over 260 cycles) with a high average Coulombic efficiency of 98%, and the symmetric cell shows a long cycle life of more than 500 h. Remarkably, the full cell shows a long‐term life span (over 1500 cycles with 92% capacity retention) at high current density in the carbonate electrolyte. This work opens up a strategy for developing dendrite‐free, low‐cost, and long‐life‐span sodium metal batteries in carbonate‐based electrolytes.
A Piezo‐Tribovoltaic Nanogenerator with Ultrahigh Output Power Density and Dynamic Sensory Functions
Authors: Qin Siyao , Chen Jiaqi , Yang Peng , Liu Zhaoqi , Tao Xinglin , Dong Xuanyi , Hu Jun , Chu Xiangcheng , Wang Zhong Lin , Chen Xiangyu
Published: November 2023

Tribovoltaic nanogenerator (TVNG) mainly collects energy from sliding motions of two semiconducting materials, but it cannot effectively react to the pressure change in the vertical direction. Here, a piezo‐tribovoltaic nanogenerator (P‐TVNG) is proposed by integrating piezoelectric and tribovoltaic effects to collect energy from both the sliding motion and the variation of applied pressure. Hence, this P‐TVNG can gain extra performance improvement on the top of the original output limit of TVNG. The maximum output power density of P‐TVNG is up to 3.61 W m−2, which is 28.9 % higher than the highest record of the TVNG using similar materials. Additionally, the piezo‐module can work as a separated sensory component by switching the circuit, which can monitor and analyze various working parameters of TVNG. A series of dynamic characteristics of TVNG during its operation have been identified, including the hysteresis between output current and applied pressure, the influence and incompatibility of interface stress to output performance, and so on. As a multifunction of devices, this P‐TVNG system is possible to be applied in semiconductor industry, smart manufacturing, and many other fields. This work improves the performance of the TVNGs while extending its functionality, which broadens the application field of TVNG devices.
Cooperative Effect of Redox Mediator and Ion Selective Membrane to Inhibit the Shuttle Effect for Li–O2 Battery with Large Cyclic Capacity
Authors: Zhou Danzheng , Zhang Jian , Bian Tengfei , Tao Yuanfang , Liu Xiao , Han Qing , Liu Zewen , Chen Silei , Wang Jin , Zhang Peng , Zhao Yong
Published: November 2023

Aprotic lithium‐oxygen (Li–O2) batteries hardly cycle at the condition of high area capacity for realizing their high energy density, because the unconducive lithium peroxide (Li2O2) discharge product limits the electron transfer between electrode and O2/Li2O2. Here, it is demonstrated that one of redox mediator (RM), triethylene glycol bis‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐oxyl radical (D‐TEMPO), can be effectively used to promote the electron transfer between electrode and Li2O2, which the shuttle effect of RM can be cooperatively inhibited by regulating the size of RM and the thickness of ion‐selective membrane. As a result, the Li–O2 battery coupled with double cathodes, D‐TEMPO, and ion‐selective membrane can be stably operated for 46 days at a capacity of 5 mAh cm−2. The concept in this work provides the cooperative design of a stable solution‐mediated pathway for high‐capacity Li–O2 battery with long cycle stability.
Automated Analysis of Nano‐Impact Single‐Entity Electrochemistry Signals Using Unsupervised Machine Learning and Template Matching
Authors: Zhao Ziwen , Naha Arunava , Ganguli Sagar , Sekretareva Alina
Published: November 2023

Nano‐impact (NIE) (also referred to as collision) single‐entity electrochemistry is an emerging technique that enables electrochemical investigation of individual entities, ranging from metal nanoparticles to single cells and biomolecules. To obtain meaningful information from NIE experiments, analysis and feature extraction on large datasets are necessary. Herein, a method is developed for the automated analysis of NIE data based on unsupervised machine learning and template matching approaches. Template matching not only facilitates downstream processing of the NIE data but also provides a more accurate analysis of the NIE signal characteristics and variations that are difficult to discern with conventional data analysis techniques, such as the height threshold method. The developed algorithm enables fast automated processing of large experimental datasets recorded with different systems, requiring minimal human intervention and thereby eliminating human bias in data analysis. As a result, it improves the standardization of data processing and NIE signal interpretation across various experiments and applications.