bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tackle technique knowledge alone does not translate to proper tackle technique execution in training
Authors: den Hollander Steve , Lambert Mike , Jones Ben , Hendricks Sharief
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Effective tackle technique is associated with reduced injury risks and improved performance in contact. Injury prevention programmes aim to provide players with knowledge of effective technique. However, little is known of the impact of this knowledge on a player’s technique in the tackle. This study aimed to determine the association between knowledge of proper tackle technique and tackle technique proficiency in training.

Methods

Fifty-three rugby union players participated in a tackle contact drill and, thereafter, completed a questionnaire. The drill was filmed, and the players’ tackle and ball-carry technique were assessed using standardised technical proficiency. In the questionnaire, the players were asked to rate the importance of each tackle and ball-carry technique on a 5-point Likert scale, for both injury prevention and performance tackle outcomes. Linear regression was performed to assess the relationship between the knowledge of the importance of proper tackle technique and tackle technique proficiency during the drill.

Results

No association was found between players’ knowledge of the importance of proper technique and tackle contact technique in training for both injury prevention and performance.

Conclusion

The lack of association between players’ knowledge and actual tackle contact technique reveals the gap between the knowledge of safe and effective techniques and the knowledge of how to execute the said techniques.
Validation of intraosseous delivery of valproic acid in a swine model of polytrauma
Authors: Biesterveld Ben E , O’Connell Rachel , Kemp Michael T , Wakam Glenn K , Williams Aaron M , Pai Manjunath P , Alam Hasan B
Published: March 2021

Background

Intraosseous (IO) drug delivery may be necessary in emergency situations when intravenous access is unattainable. Valproic acid (VPA) is a histone deacetylase inhibitor that has previously been shown to improve survival in preclinical models of lethal polytrauma. In this study, we sought to compare serum levels of intravenously and IO-delivered VPA, and to analyze the effect of IO-delivered VPA.

Methods

Swine were subjected to 40% blood volume hemorrhage, brain injury, femur fracture, rectus crush injury and liver laceration. After 1 hour of shock, animals were randomized (n=3/group) to receive normal saline resuscitation (control), normal saline+intravenous VPA 150 mg/kg (intravenous group) or normal saline +IO VPA 150 mg/kg (IO group). Serum levels of VPA were assessed between groups, and proteomics analyses were performed on IO and control groups on heart, lung and liver samples.

Results

Intravenous and IO serum VPA levels were similar at 1, 3, 5 and 7 hours after starting the infusion (p>0.05). IO-delivered VPA induced significant proteomics changes in the heart, lung and liver, which were most pronounced in the lung. Biologic processes affected included inflammation, metabolism and transcriptional & translational machinery. The control group had 0% survival, and the intravenous and IO group both had 100% survival to the end of the experiment (p<0.05).

Discussion

IO-delivered VPA is noninferior to intravenous administration and is a viable option in emergent situations when intravenous access is unattainable.

Level of evidence

Not applicable (animal study).
High-dose-rate effects in the radiolysis of water at elevated temperatures
Authors: Sultana Abida , Meesungnoen Jintana , Jay-Gerin Jean-Paul
Published: March 2021

Monte Carlo track chemistry simulations were used to study the effects of high dose rates on the radical ([Formula: see text], H•, and •OH) and molecular (H2 and H2O2) yields in the low linear energy transfer (LET) radiolysis of liquid water at elevated temperatures between 25 and 350 °C. Our simulation model consisted of randomly irradiating water with single pulses of N incident protons of 300 MeV (LET ∼ 0.3 keV/μm), which penetrate at the same time perpendicular to this water within the surface of a circle. The effect of dose rate was studied by varying N. Our simulations showed that, at any given temperature, the radical products decrease with increasing dose rate and, at the same time, the molecular products increase, resulting from an increase in the inter-track, radical–radical reactions. Using the kinetics of the decay of hydrated electrons at 25 and 350 °C, we determined a critical time (τc) for each value of N, which corresponds to the “onset” of dose-rate effects. For our irradiation model, τc was inversely proportional to N for the two temperatures considered, with τc at 350 °C shifted by an order of magnitude to shorter times compared with its values at 25 °C. Finally, the data obtained from the simulations for N = 2000 generally agreed with the observation that during the track stage of radiolysis, free radical yields increase, whereas molecular products decrease with increasing temperatures from 25 to 350 °C. The exceptions of [Formula: see text] and H2 to this general pattern are briefly discussed.
Dual path integral: a non-perturbative approach to strong coupling
Authors: Vanchurin Vitaly
Published: March 2021

We develop a non-perturbative method for calculating partition functions of strongly coupled quantum mechanical systems with interactions between subsystems described by a path integral of a dual system. The dual path integral is derived starting from non-interacting subsystems at zeroth order and then by introducing couplings of increasing complexity at each order of an iterative procedure. These orders of interactions play the role of a dual time and the full quantum partition function is expressed as a transition amplitude in the dual system. More precisely, it is expressed as a path integral from a deformation-operators dependent initial state at zero time/order to the inverse-temperature dependent final state at later time/order. We provide examples of strongly coupled systems with up to first-order interactions (e.g. Ising model) and arbitrary high-order interactions (e.g. $$1+1\hbox {D}$$

1
+
1
D

QFT). We also discuss a possible emergence of space-time, quantum field theories and general relativity in context of the dual path integral.
Investigation on steering of ultrarelativistic $$e^{\pm }$$ beam through an axially oriented bent crystal
Authors: Bandiera L. , Kyryllin I. V. , Brizzolari C. , Camattari R. , Charitonidis N. , De Salvador D. , Guidi V. , Mascagna V. , Mazzolari A. , Prest M. , Romagnoni M. , Shul’ga N. F. , Soldani M. , Sytov A. , Vallazza E.
Published: March 2021

An investigation on stochastic deflection of high-energy charged particles in a bent crystal was carried out. In particular, we investigated the deflection efficiency under axial confinement of both positively and negatively charged particles as a function of the crystal orientation, the choice of the bending plane, and of the charge sign. Analytic estimations and numerical simulations were compared with dedicated experiments at the H4 secondary beam line of SPS North Area, with 120 GeV/c electrons and positrons. In the work presented in this article, the optimal orientations of the plane of bending of the crystal, which allow deflecting the largest number of charged particles using a bent crystal in axial orientation, were found.
Sobolev–Kantorovich inequalities under CD(0,∞) condition
Authors: Bogachev Vladimir I. , Shaposhnikov Alexander V. , Wang Feng-Yu
Published: March 2021

We refine and generalize several interpolation inequalities bounding the [Formula: see text] norm of a probability density with respect to the reference measure [Formula: see text] by its Sobolev norm and the Kantorovich distance to [Formula: see text] on a smooth weighted Riemannian manifold satisfying [Formula: see text] condition.
The lower Carboniferous blastoid
Astrocrinus tetragonus
(Austin and Austin), from Grassington, Yorkshire, and the validity of
Astrocrinus benniei
(Etheridge)
Authors: Paul C. R. C. , Macurda D. B. , Savill J. J.
Published: March 2021

Despite surviving longer than any other blastozoans, blastoids were exceptionally conservative in their morphology and usually symmetrically pentaradiate.
Astrocrinus
is a rare exception that lacked a stem and some thecal plates, although differing interpretations of its morphology and taxonomy have been published.
Astrocrinus
had a flattened, tetralobate theca covered in minute spines, and with a plane of symmetry through the AB interray and the D ray. Four ambulacra are long, thin, and curved down deep sinuses between the thecal lobes to reach the basal surface. The D ambulacrum is short, broad and horizontal.
Astrocrinus tetragonus
was first described from the Carboniferous Limestone of Settle, Yorkshire. Here it is recorded for the first time from the Brigantian, near Grassington. The new specimens confirm that
A. tetragonus
had a single basal plate which is kite-shaped, entirely surrounded by four radials and separated from the D ray radial.
Astrocrinus benniei
was described from the Scottish Brigantian and its basal plate is elongate pentagonal with a short common suture with the D ray radial.
Astrocrinus
occurs in the Irish Asbian and Brigantian. To date, only
A. tetragonus
can be confirmed from Ireland.
A Survey of Computational Methods for Online Mental State Assessment on Social Media
Authors: Ríssola Esteban A. , Losada David E. , Crestani Fabio
Published: March 2021

Mental state assessment by analysing user-generated content is a field that has recently attracted considerable attention. Today, many people are increasingly utilising online social media platforms to share their feelings and moods. This provides a unique opportunity for researchers and health practitioners to proactively identify linguistic markers or patterns that correlate with mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia or suicide behaviour. This survey describes and reviews the approaches that have been proposed for mental state assessment and identification of disorders using online digital records. The presented studies are organised according to the assessment technology and the feature extraction process conducted. We also present a series of studies which explore different aspects of the language and behaviour of individuals suffering from mental disorders, and discuss various aspects related to the development of experimental frameworks. Furthermore, ethical considerations regarding the treatment of individuals’ data are outlined. The main contributions of this survey are a comprehensive analysis of the proposed approaches for online mental state assessment on social media, a structured categorisation of the methods according to their design principles, lessons learnt over the years and a discussion on possible avenues for future research.
Review—A Review of 2D Perovskites and Carbon-Based Nanomaterials for Applications in Solar Cells and Photodetectors
Authors: Omprakash Pravan , P. Viswesh , Bhat P. Devadas
Published: March 2021

Photonic devices such as solar cells and photodetectors that produce electricity play a vital role in our daily life for applications such as fibre optic communication systems, process control, and also in defence related applications. Today, two-dimensional perovskites that belong to the class of emerging materials show promising energy applications. 2D perovskites have been investigated for their exceptional properties such as high optical absorption coefficients, structural diversity and tuneable bandgaps which allow their application as active light absorbing materials to develop solar cells and photodetectors. Carbon-based nanomaterials have also found applications as transparent electrodes, charge acceptors and photosensitive layers in solar cells and photodetectors due to properties such as excellent electrical conductivity, high optical transparency, high surface area and remarkable mechanical strength. There has been growing interest in research on devices using these materials to improve their feasibility, ease of production and performance. With the growing urgency of switching to alternate sources of energy and increasing demands for highly accurate and fast sensors, the development and application of such novel materials are essential. Hence, the current state of understanding of these materials and their applications in the field of solar cells and photodetectors are summarized in this review article.
Arm lean mass determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is superior to characterize skeletal muscle and predict sarcopenia-related mortality in cirrhosis
Authors: Eriksen Christian Skou , Kimer Nina , Suetta Charlotte , Møller Søren
Published: March 2021

Sarcopenia increases mortality in patients with end-stage liver disease. We show that arm lean mass determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is a better marker than the traditional appendicular skeletal muscle mass when predicting sarcopenia-related mortality in patients with cirrhosis of different severity. The findings add to the dispute about the optimal method for repeated assessments of skeletal muscle status in patients with cirrhosis and may have implications for clinical decision making.
Mechanical Behavior of Pericopsis elata Relative to Age during Growth
Authors: Emmanuel Foadieng , Christian Martial Fouotsa Woutsop , Ulrich Gaël Azeufack Tonfack , Kisito Talla Pierre , Medard Fogue
Published: March 2021

The assamela (afrormosia) whose scientific name is “Pericopsis elata” (Harms), a large tree of great commercial value, is an exploited species. It is considered “endangered” by the IUCN.” Trees ready for harvesting are scarce because the logging diameter, which has been set at 100 cm, is very big. The studies recommended by the Cameroonian government as part of the ITTO/CITES project activities should be carried out to determine a new minimum logging diameter as the diameter increases with age. No credible solution is provided in the scientific literature to compensate for its scarcity of exploitation. Moreover, little or no information is available for describing the variation of its mechanical properties over time in order to determine the age at which its wood mechanical properties are good enough to be marketable. It is in this context that this work was undertaken. In this study, we adopted an experimental approach to evaluate the mechanical properties of this species exploited in southeast Cameroon. We then studied the variations in these properties as a function of tree age in order to propose leads for their exploitation. Thus, the compression and bending tests allowed us to estimate the relationship between the mechanical properties in three main directions of the log (MOE in compression and bending, failure stress in compression and bending, and creep in compression) and age (or diameter). We also used the 10‐hour creep under low axial compressive loading data to implement the theoretical fractional Maxwell (MF) model, which was compared to the experimental data. For this purpose, after three months of natural drying in the laboratory, we evaluated the above mechanical properties according to age. This study shows that the mechanical properties change as the diameter increases and change very quickly from 70 cm diameter upwards. From the analysis of the experimental data, we deduced that the minimum diameter of exploitable trees should be equal to 80 cm corresponding to the age of about 200 years.
Tourism Destination Preference Prediction Based on Edge Computing
Authors: Deng Bin , Xu Jun , Wei Xin
Published: March 2021

In view of the fact that the important characteristics of tourism destination selection preference are not considered in the current prediction methods of tourism destination selection preference, resulting in low prediction accuracy and comprehensive accuracy and long prediction time, a tourism destination selection preference prediction method based on edge calculation is proposed. This paper uses edge computing to construct the characteristics of tourism destination selection preference and uses a random forest algorithm to select important features and carry out preliminary estimation and ranking. Using the multiple logit selection model, the tourists’ preference sequence for tourism destination selection is obtained and sorted and the tourism destination selection preference model is obtained. By calculating the weight value of tourism destination selection preference, the weight set of tourism destination selection preference is determined and the tourism destination selection preference is determined according to the link prediction method to realize the tourism destination selection preference prediction. The experimental results show that the comprehensive accuracy of the proposed method is good, which can effectively improve the prediction accuracy of tourism destination selection preference and shorten the prediction time of tourism destination selection preference.
Modeling and Simulation of Athlete’s Error Motion Recognition Based on Computer Vision
Authors: Dai Luo
Published: March 2021

Computer vision is widely used in manufacturing, sports, medical diagnosis, and other fields. In this article, a multifeature fusion error action expression method based on silhouette and optical flow information is proposed to overcome the shortcomings in the effectiveness of a single error action expression method based on the fusion of features for human body error action recognition. We analyse and discuss the human error action recognition method based on the idea of template matching to analyse the key issues that affect the overall expression of the error action sequences, and then, we propose a motion energy model based on the direct motion energy decomposition of the video clips of human error actions in the 3 Deron action sequence space through the filter group. The method can avoid preprocessing operations such as target localization and segmentation; then, we use MET features and combine with SVM to test the human body error database and compare the experimental results obtained by using different feature reduction and classification methods, and the results show that the method has the obvious comparative advantage in the recognition rate and is suitable for other dynamic scenes.
Optimization of Surface Electromyography-Based Neurofeedback Rehabilitation Intervention System
Authors: Sun Wenlin , Qi Yujun , Sun Yang , Zhao Tiantian , Su Xiaoyong , Liu Yang
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we study the effects of the neurofeedback method of surface EMG on electrophysiology and evaluate its effects on postural control, balance, and motor function using relevant scales. We optimize the neurofeedback rehabilitation intervention system based on surface EMG, study the objective assessment of neurofeedback rehabilitation intervention of surface EMG, and initially try to apply mirror therapy to the treatment of surface EMG. According to the different treatment methods, they were divided into the drug-only group, drug combined with electroacupuncture group, drug combined with facial muscle function training group, and drug combined with electroacupuncture combined with facial muscle function training group. Starting from the 10th day of the disease course, a course of 15 days contains three courses of treatment with a 3-day break for each course. Patients were tested on day 10, day 25, and day 40 of the disease course and the results of each test were recorded and analyzed. The results of each test were recorded and analyzed. The efficacy of four different methods for simple neurofeedback rehabilitation was compared according to the mean ratio of the root mean square of the patient’s affected and healthy sides. The close relationship between surface EMG neurofeedback rehabilitation intervention and rehabilitation efficacy was also investigated, and the effect of different feedback modes on neurofeedback rehabilitation intervention was explored for the neurofeedback protocol and whether the use of the optimized neurorehabilitation protocol could achieve improved efficacy and have a sustained effect. The study showed that neurofeedback training interventions based on optimized surface EMG can achieve good long-term results, as demonstrated by improved postural control, balance, and motor function of patients; optimized neurofeedback rehabilitation intervention systems; and guiding physicians or nurses to work more effective clinically.
Commodity Image Classification Based on Improved Bag‐of‐Visual‐Words Model
Authors: Sun Huadong , Zhang Xu , Han Xiaowei , Jin Xuesong , Zhao Zhijie
Published: March 2021

With the increasing scale of e‐commerce, the complexity of image content makes commodity image classification face great challenges. Image feature extraction often determines the quality of the final classification results. At present, the image feature extraction part mainly includes the underlying visual feature and the intermediate semantic feature. The intermediate semantics of the image acts as a bridge between the underlying features and the advanced semantics of the image, which can make up for the semantic gap to a certain extent and has strong robustness. As a typical intermediate semantic representation method, the bag‐of‐visual‐words (BoVW) model has received extensive attention in image classification. However, the traditional BoVW model loses the location information of local features, and its local feature descriptors mainly focus on the texture shape information of local regions but lack the expression of color information. Therefore, in this paper, the improved bag‐of‐visual‐words model is presented, which contains three aspects of improvement: (1) multiscale local region extraction; (2) local feature description by speeded up robust features (SURF) and color vector angle histogram (CVAH); and (3) diagonal concentric rectangular pattern. Experimental results show that the three aspects of improvement to the BoVW model are complementary, while compared with the traditional BoVW and the BoVW adopting SURF + SPM, the classification accuracy of the improved BoVW is increased by 3.60% and 2.33%, respectively.
On Multivalued Fuzzy Contractions in Extended
b
-Metric Spaces
Authors: Alamgir Nayab , Kiran Quanita , Aydi Hassen , Gaba Yaé Ulrich
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we establish a Hausdorff metric over the family of nonempty closed subsets of an extended

b

-metric space. Thereafter, we introduce the concept of multivalued fuzzy contraction mappings and prove related

α

-fuzzy fixed point theorems in the context of extended

b

-metric spaces that generalize Nadler’s fixed point theorem as well as many preexisting results in the literature. Further, we establish

α

-fuzzy fixed point theorems for Ćirić type fuzzy contraction mappings as a generalization of previous results. Moreover, we give some examples to support the obtained results.
Interferon‐Induced Transmembrane Protein 3 Expression Upregulation Is Involved in Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Hou Yuli , Wang Shanshan , Gao Mengdan , Chang Jing , Sun Jianping , Qin Ling , Li Ang , Lv Fudong , Lou Jinli , Zhang Yonghong , Zhao Yan
Published: March 2021

Purpose. Interferon‐induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) is a key signaling molecule regulating cell growth in some tumors, but its function and mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. Our study investigated the relationship between the expression of IFITM3 and HCC development. Material and Methods. IFITM3 expression was identified via multiple gene expression databases and investigated in HCC tissue samples. Then, PLC/PRF/5 cells were transfected with lentivirus to knock down and overexpress the expression of IFITM3. IFITM3 expression, cell proliferation, and migration were detected by qRT‐PCR, western blotting, QuantiGene Plex 2.0 assay, immunohistochemistry, CCK‐8, and wound healing tests. RNA‐seq technology identified the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway as an IFITM3‐related signaling pathway for investigation. Results. IFITM3 expression was higher in HCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues, and the level of IFITM3 was higher in HCC tissues with low differentiation and metastatic potential than in those with high/medium differentiation and without metastatic potential. A higher RNA level of IFITM3 was found in samples with IFITM3 rs12252‐CC genotype rather than the TT genotype. Knockdown of IFITM3 in PLC/PRF/5 cells inhibited cell proliferation and migration, blocked the expression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and decreased the expression of vimentin. The results were opposite with the overexpression of IFITM3. Conclusion. Upregulation of IFITM3 plays a role in the development of HCC. Possibly through regulating HCC cell proliferation and migration, these effects are associated with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Upregulation of IFITM3 is also associated with the IFITM3 rs12252‐CC genotype.
Gastrobronchial Fistula: A Rare Complication of Postlaparascopic Sleeve Gastrectomy—A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Sabawi Mohammed , Alhasson Alhassan , Abualruz Abdul-Rahman , Al-Taie Alaa Abdulsattar
Published: March 2021

Introduction. Obesity is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in countries all over the world, and its prevalence has been increasing dramatically in recent years. Bariatric surgery is considered the gold standard of care for patients who failed conservative management. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is of increasing popularity. One of its vicious consequences is the development of acquired fistula between the stomach and the tracheobronchial tract due to intractable gastric leak. Case Report. We are presenting a case of a 25-year-old man who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity, which was complicated with the development of gastrobronchial fistula, despite an unremarkable postoperative course. Conclusion. Acquired gastrobronchial fistula due to bariatric surgery is not reported widely in radiologic literature; hence, there is lack of consensus of the diagnostic modality of choice. However, there is a myriad of tests available for diagnosing gastrobronchial fistula, with contrast study of the upper gastrointestinal tract which is the widely accepted diagnostic test.
Zero-Contrast Left Main Bifurcation PCI in an Elderly Patient with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Kumar Prathap , Roy Stalin , Jino Blessvin , Rajendran Manu , Villoth Sandheep G.
Published: March 2021

Patients with chronic kidney disease develop acute kidney injury (AKI) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We report a case highlighting the benefits of zero-contrast left main bifurcation PCI in an 82-year-old male with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and contrast-induced AKI following coronary angiography. The patient was on routine follow-up, and he was stable and asymptomatic at nine months follow-up.
The Functionality of a Novel Robotic Surgical Assistant for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Series
Authors: Alessi Alexandra , Fitzcharles Evan , Weber Ian C. , Cafferky Nathan L.
Published: March 2021

Conventional total knee arthroplasty and soft tissue balancing is based on a subjective unquantified assessment, which can lead to imperfect balancing and poor patient outcomes. Five case studies were used to present the functionality of a novel robotic system in allowing intraoperative adjustments based on objective measures for several primary total knee arthroplasty cases. The robotic system allows the surgeon to drive every step of the case, turning the subjective nature of conventional knee replacement into a more objective and scientific approach for restoration of alignment, gap balancing, joint space restoration, femoral rotation, and Q-angle restoration. The robotic system allowed precise intraoperative adjustments, as demonstrated by these cases, and is a promising step towards more personalized total knee arthroplasty made possible by utilizing real-time objective measures.
The Clinical Value of Multislice Spiral Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Upper Digestive Tract Diseases
Authors: Wang Huali , Cao Feng , Yang Jiaqi , Wu Yongjuan , Wang Lin
Published: March 2021

Imaging methods for gastrointestinal diseases were based on X-ray imaging until the 1970s, but the development of fiberoptic endoscopy in the 1980s has replaced X-ray imaging. Endoscopy can directly observe the location, size, scope, and color of lesions and obtain pathological results through biopsy, while ligation and other treatments can be performed on polyps and other lesions. Studies have shown that multilayer spiral computed tomography (CT) examination after standardized gastrointestinal preparation and full use of the advantages of various 3D postprocessing reconstruction techniques are of great clinical value in the detection of gastrointestinal diseases, determination of the nature of lesions, localization of lesions, and staging of gastrointestinal malignancies and can make up for the shortcomings of fiberoptic endoscopy, and various 3D postprocessing reconstruction modes have their own advantages and disadvantages. Among them, conventional CT cross-sectional images are the basic images for the diagnosis of various gastric testicular lesions. Axial images, especially thin-layer axial images, can detect the absolute majority of lesions, but there are limitations in observing the anatomical position of lesions, invasion of surrounding tissues, lymph node metastasis, vascularity, and determination of the stage of malignant tumors.
Clinical Evaluations of Intraoperative Injection of Platelet‐Rich Plasma in Arthroscopic Single‐Row Rotator Cuff Repair at 2‐Year Follow‐Up
Authors: Li Ming , Wang Kan , Zhang Haojun , Fang Chaohua , Liu Hua , Zhang Yunfeng
Published: March 2021

Background. The clinical evidence is conflicted on whether platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) therapies have a positive effect on tendon healing and improved functional outcomes. Purpose. To evaluate the potentials of intraoperative injection PRP on the speed and quality of healing in patients undergoing arthroscopic repair for small to medium rotator cuff tears. Methods. A total of 86 patients scheduled for arthroscopic single‐row repair of small to medium rotator cuff tears were assigned to undergo either PRP injection (PRP group) or conventional repair (control group). The PRP group (N = 43) consisted of patients who received an intraoperative injection of liquid PRP. The control group (N = 43) consisted of patients who did not receive that treatment. The visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain before treatment and at 1, 14 days, 3, 6, and 24 months after surgery were recorded. The clinical outcomes were assessed by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Constant scores before treatment and at 3, 6, and 24 months after surgery and magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound examination at 24 months. Patient satisfaction and retear rate were also assessed. Results. No statistical differences in baseline characteristics such as age, gender, dominant arm, and tear size were observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). For the PRP group, the mean operation time was 40.22 minutes, and for the control group, the mean operation time was 36.3 minutes. There was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.036). After surgery, all VAS measurements significantly decreased over time until final follow‐up in both groups. No significant difference between the 2 groups was found for any VAS pain measurement at any time point except for the VAS at 1 day postoperatively, which was significantly lower in the PRP group (2.39 ± 1.03) than that in the control group (3.21 ± 1.85) (P = 0.014). Analysis of the PRP and control groups demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in UCLA and Constant scores from baseline to the 3‐, 6‐, and 24‐month follow‐up assessments (P < 0.05). However, no significant intergroup differences were observed in the clinical scores between the three follow‐up time points (P > 0.05). At the 24‐month follow‐up, patient satisfaction rates reached 95.65% and 93.48% for the PRP and control groups, respectively. The retear rate of the PRP group (2/43, 4.65%) was lower than that of the control group (6/43, 13.95%). Conclusions. Although the pain at 1 day after surgery and the retear rate in the PRP group were significantly lower than those in the control group, the liquid PRP injection did not promote better clinical outcomes at the 2‐year follow‐up.
Cyclic Mechanical Stretch Ameliorates the Degeneration of Nucleus Pulposus Cells through Promoting the ITGA2/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wang Dandan , Chen Yuanzhen , Cao Shengnan , Ren Pengcheng , Shi Haojun , Li Huazhong , Xie Liangyu , Huang Weimin , Shi Bin , Han Jinxiang
Published: March 2021

Background. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is one of the major causes of low back pain and motor deficiency. Nucleus pulposus (NP) degeneration plays a key role in the process of IVDD. The mechanical and biological interactions involved in NP degeneration have not been elucidated. The present study is aimed at investigating the effect and mechanism of cyclic mechanical stretch in regulating the function and degeneration of NP cells. Methods. NP cells were subjected to cyclic tensile stress (10% deformation) of 0.1 Hz for 8640 cycles. Cell proliferation was conducted through the MTT assay. The cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. A gene expression profile chip was used to analyze the differentially expressed genes between the tensile stress group and the control group. Enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and signaling pathways were analyzed. Western blot and RNA interference were carried out to investigate the role of the ITGA2/PI3K/AKT pathway in the effect of cyclic mechanical stretch on NP cells. Results. NP cells exhibited a greater (P < 0.05) growth rate in the tensile stress group compared to the control group. Cyclic mechanical stress significantly promoted the cell cycle transition of NP cells from the S phase to the G2/M phase. A fewer proportion of apoptotic cells were found in the tensile stress group (P < 0.05), indicating that cyclic mechanical stretch inhibits NP cell apoptosis. Microarray analysis revealed 689 significant differentially expressed genes between the two groups (P < 0.05), of which 333 genes were upregulated and another 356 genes were downregulated. Cyclic mechanical stretch altered the expression of 31 genes involved in the ITGA2/PI3K/AKT pathway and remarkably promoted this pathway in NP cells. Downregulation of ITGA2 and AKT further demonstrated that the PI3K/AKT pathway was responsible for the proliferation and COL2A1 expression of NP cells upon cyclic mechanical stretch. Conclusions. Cyclic mechanical stretch promoted the proliferation and cell cycle and reversely inhibited the apoptosis of NP cells. Cyclic mechanical stretch promoted COL2A1 expression and ameliorated the degeneration of NP cells via regulation of the ITGA2/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Our results may provide a potential target and a possibility of IVDD disease treatment by ameliorating the degenerative changes.
Tetanus Complicated by Dysautonomia: A Case Report and Review of Management
Authors: Sharma Nishant , Li Si , Sravanthi Metlapalli Venkata , Kazmierski Dan , Wang Yichen , Sharma Amit , Dhaubhadel Pragya
Published: March 2021

Tetanus is a life-threatening infectious neurological disorder that is now a rare disease due to the institution of wide-spread vaccination strategies. We present an uncommon case of generalized severe tetanus with consequent respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, which was associated with dysautonomia. A 20-year-old unvaccinated female presented with neck stiffness and diffuse muscle spasms following a laceration sustained 3 weeks prior. She was admitted to the intensive care unit for mechanical ventilation and was treated with immunoglobulin, tetanus toxoid, metronidazole, and high doses of sedatives. She also developed dysautonomia, with alternating bradycardia and tachycardia, as well as fluctuating blood pressure. She was successfully extubated and discharged. We also review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of tetanus and discuss dysautonomia in the setting of tetanus.
In Vitro Cell Selectivity of Reversible and Irreversible
Authors: Hunter David W. , Kostecki Geran , Fish Jeffrey M. , Jensen James A. , Tandri Harikrishna
Published: March 2021

Background:

Pulmonary vein isolation is a common catheter ablation technique used to treat atrial fibrillation originating from the pulmonary veins. However, incomplete lesion formation, pulmonary vein reconnection, and collateral damage to the phrenic nerve and esophagus can occur. Electroporation is a new modality to ablate and has the potential for permanent pulmonary vein isolation and selective efficacy on cardiac tissue; however, strong evidence of selective myocardial injury using electroporation is lacking.

Methods:

Monolayers of neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes, rat cortical neurons, and esophageal smooth muscle cells were stained with propidium iodide to measure shock-induced cell death. Biphasic shocks (10 ms) were delivered from line electrodes (1 mm separation). Neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes were optically mapped to evaluate postelectroporation electrical conduction.

Results:

Conduction block occurred when 50% to 80% of the cells near the electrode were killed and required 400±50 V/cm with the electrodes in contact versus 690±70 V/cm with the electrodes 1 mm above the cells (
P
<0.01). For 400 V/cm shocks applied in contact with cells, neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocyte cultures yielded the highest degree of cell death (≈60%) compared with rat cortical neurons (≈40%) and smooth muscle cells (≈20%). When the electrode was raised 1 mm, smooth muscle cells were nearly unaffected by the shock.

Conclusions:

Cell type alone yielded selective efficacy to electroporation without the confounding influences present in clinical studies, but electrode proximity to the target tissue remains important for efficacy. This exciting result suggests that electroporation may be a more selective modality for pulmonary vein isolation.

Graphic Abstract:

A
graphic abstract
is available for this article.
Descriptions of Trichodorus lownsberyi sp. n., Nanidorus minor (Colbran, 1956) Siddiqi, 1974 (Nematoda: Trichodoridae) and Longidorus quercus sp. n. (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from Mexico
Authors: Cid del Prado Vera Ignacio , Subbotin Sergei A. , Decraemer Wilfrida
Published: March 2021

A new species of stubby root nematode, Trichodorus lownsberyi sp. n., collected from soil around Buxus sempervirens at Montecillo Campus, Colegio de Postgraduados, Mexico, is described and illustrated. Trichodorus lownsberyi sp. n. is characterised by the abundant males with a characteristic spicule shape, the narrower part about mid-blade having visible bristles in most specimens, and the presence and position of the three ventromedian cervical papillae, which are all anterior to the secretory-excretory pore. Females possess a rhomboid-shaped vagina and oval to rounded triangular vaginal sclerotised pieces with a pore-like vulva. The phylogenetic relationships of T. lownsberyi sp. n. with related species were constructed using the ITS2 rRNA and the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA gene sequences. Trichodorus lownsberyi sp. n. was a sister species to T. viruliferus in the phylogenetic trees. A Mexican population of Nanidorus minor from a peach orchard is also described and illustrated. The new needle nematode, Longidorus quercus sp. n., was recovered from soil around roots of oak, Quercus crassipes, from Cerro Jusda ‘El Diablo’ in Mexico State. Longidorus quercus sp. n. females are characterised by the C-shaped posterior end of the body after fixation, L = 4.9 (3.9-5.6) mm, a = 71 (60.8-93.2), lip region rounded, sometimes slightly flattened, marked by depression, odontostylet 170 (144-206) μm long, hemispherical to bluntly conoid tail and no males. The new species was characterised using the D2-D3 of 28S rRNA and COI gene sequences. The phylogenetic relationships of L. quercus sp. n. with other Longidorus species were reconstructed using the D2-D3 of 28S rRNA gene sequences.
Women Living a Discourse of Resistance: South African Islamist Biographies as Journeys of Everyday Political Islam
Authors: Ahjum Gadija
Published: March 2021

For many Muslim South African antiapartheid activists, a renewed understanding of religion in the form of Islamist ideology provided purpose, perseverance, and direction. Becoming part of a collective shaped and informed their public engagement with religion. This paper shows how they used religious discourse to navigate the complexities and ambiguities within their private domains while embarking on an Islamist journey. By suggesting that South African Islamism can best be viewed as the sum of a multitude of journeys of everyday political Islam, this paper argues for an approach that examines a long-term narrative, takes heed of perfectionist ideals, and remains cognizant of everyday realities.
Understanding Religion and Politics in Africa: A Call for the Re-enchantment of the Scholarly Imagination
Authors: Fast Anicka
Published: March 2021

In his 2015 book Christianity, Development, and Modernity in Africa, Paul Gifford argues that Christianity in Africa is bifurcated into an ‘enchanted’ and a ‘disenchanted’ form. He presents the conundrum that the enchanted form is pervasive yet incompatible with modernity and consistently ignored by scholars. In this review article I draw on Gifford’s conundrum as a springboard to propose a new angle from which to analyse religion and politics in postcolonial Africa: one that moves beyond received dichotomies between tradition and modernity, public and private life, or this-worldly and otherworldly concerns. The work of Michael Schatzberg, Peter Geschiere, Ogbu Kalu, and Emmanuel Katongole moves in various ways past the oppositions that undermine Gifford’s work. In dialogue with these scholars, I articulate a plea to scholars of religion and politics in Africa to develop an appreciation for the powerful role of the religious imagination in African and global arenas of power.
The 1951–52 Benin City Catholic Church Crisis: Irish Catholic Clergy versus African Nationalism
Authors: Usuanlele Uyilawa
Published: March 2021

This paper draws attention to the neglected episode of a crisis that engulfed the Benin City Roman Catholic Station from 1951 to 1952. It examines how a disagreement between an Irish priest and an African catechist degenerated into a crisis that pitted the majority of the African laity against the Irish clergy. This crisis was not only reported in national newspapers and taken up by nationalist agitators, but also attracted the concern of Roman Catholics outside the diocese as well as the Vatican. This paper contends that the disagreement became a crisis because of the Irish clergy’s upholding of their policy of gradual incorporation of the African laity into participation in the administration of the diocese, and the African laity’s determination to pursue their aspirations of full and unhindered participation in the administration on their own terms. The crisis was also fueled by African nationalist ferment of the period, which prolonged the issue. The argument is supported with archival sources, newspaper reports and oral interviews with participants and members of the diocese.
Parallelism and Beyond: The Relationship between Targum Psalms and Rabbinic Literature
Authors: Berkovitz Abraham Jacob
Published: March 2021

This study examines six manners in which rabbinic literature and Targum Psalms interact. 1. An earlier rabbinic tradition provides the backdrop against which the Targum’s translation must be understood. 2. The Targum applies a tradition it uses to translate one part of a psalm towards translating another verse in that same psalm. 3. The Targum revises earlier rabbinic traditions to suit its own ideological and literary concerns. 4. The Targum adapts interpretations that were originally generated well beyond the confines of the psalm being translated and even the Psalter as a whole. 5. The Targum inserts itself into popular late antique exegetical discourses of particular psalms. 6. It rejects a widespread interpretive trend attested to in rabbinic literature. Overall, by moving beyond the mere notation of parallelism, we gain a clearer portrait of the translator’s relationship with rabbinic literature, his working methods, and the ideologies that impelled his creative endeavours.
Expanding Waltillia: an addition to a previously monotypic genus of Bromeliaceae from the Espinhaço range, Brazil
Authors: MACHADO TALITA M. , PIVARI MARCO OTÁVIO D. , VERSIEUX LEONARDO M.
Published: March 2021

We describe Waltillia itambana, a new species placed in the previously monotypic genus Waltillia, presenting as main differences from Waltillia hatschbachii features such as a water-impounding rosette, shorter and broader leaves, divergent non-secund flowers and the light-green petals. The species is, as far as known, restricted to Pico do Itambé State Park, in Minas Gerais, growing above 1500 m of elevation in the rupestrian grasslands, of the Diamantina Plateau, Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais State. We compare W. itambana with other similar species that occur in the rupestrian grasslands and provide illustrations, information on geographic distribution, a map, and ecological and conservation observations on the new species.
Correction of the name Hymenaea osanigraseminae (Detarioideae, Leguminosae)
Authors: AGUILAR-SANDÍ DIEGO
Published: March 2021

A new tree species of Hymenaea L. (Detarioideae, Leguminosae) from Costa Rica, named H. osanigraseminae, was validly published by Aguilar Fernández, Poveda Álvarez & Santamaría-Aguilar (2018) on March 28, 2018. The intention of the authors was to include in the specific epithet a mention of the type locality as well as the color of the seeds. Nevertheless, their final choice (“osanigraseminae”) was wrong, since this epithet does not follow the grammatical Latin rules. Consequently, an orthographical correction is required in accordance with the articles 23.5, 32.2, and 60.1 of the International code of nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Turland et al. 2018).
Flowers to Òsanyìn: Lychnophora osanyiniana (Asteraceae: Vernonieae) a new “arnica da serra” from Minas Gerais, Brazil

Authors: MARQUES DANILO , QUARESMA ALINE SILVA , MEYER PABLO BURKOWSKI , NAKAJIMA JIMI
Published: March 2021

Lychnophora osanyiniana is a new species from “campos rupestres”, a Brazilian savanna ecosystem constantly threatened by agriculture and mining, despite it having a high number of plant species, particularly endemic and microendemic species. The new species was collected from Sítio Serra da Rita, Serra dos Alves, municipality of Itabira, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The species is recognized by its glomerulate capitulescence with subinvolucral bracts surrounding sessile heads, giving the appearance of a single head. Another distinct character, although it is not exclusive, is an uniseriate pappus, shared by just three species, Lychnophora grisea, L. haplopappa and L. uniflora, of which only L. haplopappa has similar habit, becoming the closest species.
Phlomoides liangwangshanensis (Lamiaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China
Authors: ZHAO YUE , CHEN YA-PING , ZHENG HAI-LEI , PENG HUA , XIANG CHUN-LEI
Published: March 2021

Phlomoides liangwangshanensis, a new species of Lamiaceae from Liangwang Mountain in central Yunnan, southwest China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically most similar to P. franchetiana and P. ruptilis, but can be easily distinguished by its bracts 6–7 mm long, calyx teeth triangular and with spines 4–6 mm long, and without teeth-like sinuses between the teeth.