bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using block-copolymer nanolithography as a tool to sensitively evaluate variation in chemical dry etching rates of semiconductor materials with sub-5 nm resolution
Authors: Ashley Elizabeth M. , Duda Peter J. , Nealey Paul F.
Published: October 2021

Ion implantation is a robust and established method to customize the electronic properties of Si. However, fabricating doped, ultrafine semiconductor nanostructures can be challenging. Ion implantation has well-established effects on the dry etch rates of Si, which becomes increasingly consequential as the target dimension shrinks below a few tens of nanometers. While dry etching arrays of block copolymer-templated nanoscale holes (pitch = 37.5 nm, diameter ∼25 nm) into p-type, n-type, and undoped Si, we observed that the lateral etch rate was notably larger for the n-type regions than p-type or undoped regions. By doing image analyses on high resolution electron micrographs of the nanostructured hole arrays, we were able to extract the porosity and average radii of the holes with subnanometer sensitivity and compare the relative etch rates between different doping conditions. We found that degenerately doped n-type silicon consistently etches between approximately 17% and 27% faster in the lateral direction than p-type Si, resulting in significantly larger porosity and, consequently, less mechanical stability. Here, we demonstrate that top-down dimensional analysis of a densely packed porous nanostructure is a robust method for assessing extremely small differences in the lateral, chemical etch rate of doped Si to a degree of sensitivity that was previously unachievable. The minute, dense-packed nature of block copolymer self-assembled nanostructures is shown to be ideal for this application. This proposed method could be useful for designing fabrication processes for heterogeneous nanostructures, as slight dry etch rate variations that may be within process tolerance at the micrometer-scale appear to have nontrivial consequences at the nanometer scale.
Electromagnetic articulography appears feasible for assessment of speech motor skills in cochlear-implant users
Authors: Masapollo Matthew , Nittrouer Susan , Goel Jessica , Oh Yonghee
Published: October 2021

The present investigation tested whether there is cross-interference between current electromagnetic articulography (EMA) and cochlear implants (CIs). In an initial experiment, we calibrated EMA sensors with and without a CI present in the EMA field, and measured impedances of all CI electrodes when in and out of the EMA field. In a subsequent experiment, head reference sensor positions were recorded during a speaking task for a normal-hearing talker with and without a CI present in the EMA field. Results revealed minimal interference between the devices, suggesting that EMA is a promising method for assessing speech motor skills in CI users.
CD4
+
T cells contribute to neurodegeneration in Lewy body dementia
Authors: Gate David , Tapp Emma , Leventhal Olivia , Shahid Marian , Nonninger Tim J. , Yang Andrew C. , Strempfl Katharina , Unger Michael S. , Fehlmann Tobias , Oh Hamilton , Channappa Divya , Henderson Victor W. , Keller Andreas , Aigner Ludwig , Galasko Douglas R. , Davis Mark M. , Poston Kathleen L. , Wyss-Coray Tony
Published: October 2021

Autoimmunity in Lewy body dementia

Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a brain disease that leads to progressive decline in thinking, movement, and independent function. It results from the build-up of microscopic deposits called Lewy bodies, which develop from the aggregation of a misfolded protein called α-synuclein. Gate
et al
. observed immune cells known as T cells in the brains of LBD patients (see the Perspective by Krot and Rolls). Genomics analysis revealed that T cells traffic to the LBD brain and are associated with neuronal damage. When stimulated with α-synuclein, LBD patient T cells secrete an inflammatory protein known to damage neurons. These findings suggest an unexpected detrimental role of the immune system in LBD. —SMH
All-trans retinoic acid overcomes solid tumor radioresistance by inducing inflammatory macrophages
Authors: Rao Enyu , Hou Yuzhu , Huang Xiaona , Wang Liangliang , Wang Jiaai , Zheng Wenxin , Yang Hengjin , Yu Xinshuang , Yang Kaiting , Bugno Jason , Ding Xingchen , Vokes Everett E. , Fu Yang-Xin , Weichselbaum Ralph R. , Liang Hua Laura
Published: October 2021

All-trans retinoic acid induces inflammatory myeloid cells to enhance antitumor adaptive immunity after radiation therapy.
When ER stress is bad for cancer
Authors: Wong Wei
Published: October 2021

A low-protein diet enhances tumor immunosurveillance in multiple cancer types.
Novel strategies to support global promotion of COVID-19 vaccination
Authors: Wood Stacy , Pate Muhammad Ali , Schulman Kevin
Published: October 2021

In 2021, many countries have begun distribution of COVID-19 vaccines but are hampered by significant levels of vaccine hesitancy or apathy. Experts recommend that standard health communication campaigns be expanded to include a more holistic approach of behaviourally oriented strategies. We constructed a large-scale Delphi panel of marketing and behavioural science university faculty to assess 12 previously reported US vaccination promotion strategies, asking respondents to assess applicability of the strategy in their country, how efficacy might compare to the USA and recommendations for local adaptations necessary to successful implementation. Separately, we sought to determine whether strategies based on cognitive mechanisms (eg, ‘nudges’) are more readily generalisable than strategies based on social identity. Ninety-two marketing and behavioural science faculty from universities worldwide participated. Globally, all 12 behavioural strategies were validated; a majority of respondents reported that they would or could work well in their country. While all strategies were strongly validated at a global level, specific need for regional adaptation was identified. Also, open-ended responses suggested the addition of three emergent strategies to a global effort. Finally, we see that strategies based on some types of cognitive mechanisms are more readily generalisable across regions than mechanisms based on social identity, however, this is not always true of ‘nudge’ strategies. All 12 strategies are robust to global use and consensus exists on adaptation for optimal efficacy in different regions; specific strategy recommendations are posited. Use of these strategies can accelerate individual country efforts to achieve desired vaccination rates to protect global public health.
How can rural community-engaged health services planning achieve sustainable healthcare system changes?
Authors: Johnston Campbell Stuart , Belanger Erika , Wong Krystal , Snadden David
Published: October 2021

Objectives

The objectives of the Rural Site Visit Project (SV Project) were to develop a successful model for engaging all 201 communities in rural British Columbia, Canada, build relationships and gather data about community healthcare issues to help modify existing rural healthcare programs and inform government rural healthcare policy.

Design

An adapted version of Boelen’s health partnership model was used to identify each community’s Health Care Partners: health providers, academics, policy makers, health managers, community representatives and linked sectors. Qualitative data were gathered using a semistructured interview guide. Major themes were identified through content analysis, and this information was fed back to government and interviewees in reports every 6 months.

Setting

The 107 communities visited thus far have healthcare services that range from hospitals with surgical programs to remote communities with no medical services at all. The majority have access to local primary care.

Participants

Participants were recruited from the Health Care Partner groups identified above using purposeful and snowball sampling.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

A successful process was developed to engage rural communities in identifying their healthcare priorities, while simultaneously building and strengthening relationships. The qualitative data were analysed from 185 meetings in 80 communities and shared with policy makers at governmental and community levels.

Results

36 themes have been identified and three overarching themes that interconnect all the interviews, namely Relationships, Autonomy and Change Over Time, are discussed.

Conclusion

The SV Project appears to be unique in that it is physician led, prioritises relationships, engages all of the healthcare partners singly and jointly in each community, is ongoing, provides feedback to both the policy makers and all interviewees on a 6-monthly basis and, by virtue of its large scope, has the ability to produce interim reports that have helped inform system change.
Efficacy of a Low-threshold, Culturally-Sensitive Group Psychoeducation Programme for Asylum Seekers (LoPe): study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Weise Cornelia , Grupp Freyja , Reese Jens-Peter , Schade-Brittinger Carmen , Ehring Thomas , Morina Nexhmedin , Stangier Ulrich , Steil Regina , Johow Johannes , Mewes Ricarda
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Despite high levels of mental distress, accessing psychological treatment is difficult for asylum seekers in Western host countries due to a lack of knowledge about mental disorders, and the health system, as well as due to cultural and language barriers. This study aims to investigate whether brief culturally sensitive and transdiagnostic psychoeducation is effective in increasing mental health literacy.

Methods and analysis

The study is a parallel two-group randomised controlled trial with 1:1 individual allocation to either culturally sensitive, low-threshold psychoeducation (‘Tea Garden’ (TG)) or a waitlist (WL) control group. It takes place at four study sites in Germany. A total of 166 adult asylum seekers who report at least mild mental distress will be randomly assigned. The TG consists of two 90 min group sessions and provides information about mental distress, resources and mental health services in a culturally sensitive manner. The primary outcome is the percentage of participants in the TG, as compared with the WL, achieving an increase in knowledge concerning symptoms of mental disorders, individual resources and mental healthcare from preintervention to postintervention. The further trajectory will be assessed 2 and 6 months after the end of the intervention. Secondary outcomes include changes in mental distress, openness towards psychotherapy and resilience. Furthermore, healthcare utilisation and economics will be assessed at all assessment points.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the Ethics Commission of the German Psychological Society (ref: WeiseCornelia2019-10-18VA). Results will be disseminated via presentations, publication in international journals and national outlets for clinicians. Furthermore, intervention materials will be available, and the existing network will be used to disseminate and implement the interventions into routine healthcare.

Trial registration number

DRKS00020564; Pre-results.

Protocol version

2020-10-06, version number: VO2F.
Climate change, climate-related disasters and mental disorder in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review
Authors: Sharpe Isobel , Davison Colleen M
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Climate change and climate-related disasters adversely affect mental health. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and climate-related disasters and often lack adequate mental healthcare infrastructure. We used the scoping review methodology to determine how exposure to climate change and climate-related disasters influences the presence of mental disorders among those living in LMICs. We also aimed to recognise existing gaps in this area of literature.

Methods

This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. To identify relevant studies, we searched five electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, APA PsycInfo and Sociological Abstracts) from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2019. We also searched the grey literature. Included studies had an adult-focused LMIC population, a climate change or climate-related disaster exposure and a mental disorder outcome. Relevant study information was extracted and synthesised.

Results

Fifty-eight studies were identified, most of which (n=48) employed a cross-sectional design. The most commonly studied exposure–outcome combinations were flood-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (n=28), flood-related depression (n=15) and storm-related PTSD (n=13). The majority of studies identified a positive exposure–outcome association. However, few studies included a baseline or comparator (ie, unexposed) group, thereby limiting our understanding of the magnitude or nature of this association. There was also great heterogeneity in this literature, making studies difficult to pool or compare. Several research gaps were identified including the lack of longitudinal studies and non-uniformity of geographic coverage.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this was the first scoping review to investigate the relationship between climate change and climate-related disaster exposures and mental disorder outcomes in LMICs. Our findings support the need for further research, but also highlight that mental health should be a priority within LMIC climate change policy considerations.
Design and reporting characteristics of clinical trials investigating sedation practices in the paediatric intensive care unit: a scoping review by SCEPTER (Sedation Consortium on Endpoints and Procedures for Treatment, Education and Research)
Authors: Lee Jennifer Jooyoung , Price Jerri C , Gewandter Jennifer , Kleykamp Bethea A , Biagas Katherine V , Naim Maryam Y , Ward Denham , Dworkin Robert H , Sun Lena S
Published: October 2021

Objectives

To conduct a scoping review of sedation clinical trials in the paediatric intensive care setting and summarise key methodological elements.

Design

Scoping review.

Data sources

PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and grey references including ClinicalTrials.gov from database inception to 3 August 2021.

Study selection

All human trials in the English language related to sedation in paediatric critically ill patients were included. After title and abstract screening, full-text review was performed. 29 trials were eligible for final analysis.

Data extraction

A coding manual was developed and pretested. Trial characteristics were double extracted.

Results

The majority of trials were single centre (22/29, 75.9%), parallel group superiority (17/29, 58.6%), double-blinded (18/29, 62.1%) and conducted in an academic setting (29/29, 100.0%). Trial enrolment (≥90% planned sample size) was achieved in 65.5% of trials (19/29), and retention (≥90% enrolled subjects) in 72.4% of trials (21/29). Protocol violations were reported in nine trials (31.0%). The most commonly studied cohorts were mechanically ventilated patients (28/29, 96.6%) and postsurgical patients (11/29, 37.9%) with inclusion criteria for age ranging from 0±0.5 to 15.0±7.3 years (median±IQR). The median age of enrolled patients was 1.7 years (IQR=4.4 years). Patients excluded from trials were those with neurological impairment (21/29, 72.4%), complex disease (20/29, 69.0%) or receipt of neuromuscular blockade (10/29, 34.5%). Trials evaluated drugs/protocols for sedation management (20/29, 69.0%), weaning (3/29, 10.3%), daily interruption (3/29, 10.3%) or protocolisation (3/29, 10.3%). Primary outcome measures were heterogeneous, as were assessment instruments and follow-up durations.

Conclusions

There is substantial heterogeneity in methodological approach in clinical trials evaluating sedation in critically ill paediatric patients. These results provide a basis for the design of future clinical trials to improve the quality of trial data and aid in the development of sedation-related clinical guidelines.
Using positive deviance to improve timely access in primary care
Authors: DeRocher MaryBeth , Davie Sam , Kiran Tara
Published: October 2021

Background

Improving timely access in primary care is a continued challenge in many countries. We used positive deviance to try and identify best practices for achieving timely access in our primary care organisation in Toronto, Canada.

Methods

Semistructured interviews were used to identify practice strategies used by physicians who successfully maintained a low third next available appointment (TNA) (positive deviants, n=6). We then conducted a cross-sectional survey to understand the prevalence of identified promising practices among all physicians (n=70) in the practice. We used χ2testing to understand whether uptake of promising practices among survey respondents was different for those with a median TNA of 7 days or less vs a median TNA over 7 days.

Results

We identified seven promising practice strategies used by positive deviants: adjusting the appointment template based on demand; reviewing the appointment schedule in advance; max-packing of visits; using phone, email and secure messaging; customising care for complex patients; managing planned absences; and involving the interprofessional team. 65 of 70 physicians responded to the survey on promising practices. Uptake of the promising practices was variable among survey respondents. In general, we found no association between uptake of promising practices and median TNA. One exception was that those with a median TNA of 7 or less were more likely to review the schedule in advance to potentially mitigate a visit using phone/email (62% vs 31%, p=0.0159).

Conclusion

Promising practices used by a small group of physicians (‘positive deviants’) to maintain good access were generally not associated with timely access among a larger sample of physicians in the practice. Our findings highlight the difficulty of untangling physician practice style and its contribution to timely access in primary care.
Teaching end-of-life communication: priorities, challenges, scope—systematic review
Authors: Pun Jack K H , Cheung Ka Man , Chow Chung Hang James
Published: October 2021

Background

Without a well-rounded syllabus to teach end-of-life (EOL) communication, medical providers find it challenging to enhance their patients’ quality of life at the final stage of life.

Aim

The aim of this scoping review was to explore studies about the teaching of EOL communication and to detail how educators can approach the teaching of EOL communication.

Methods

A scoping review of both qualitative and quantitative studies was conducted according to the methodological framework of scoping review. The PsycINFO, PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL and EMBASE databases were searched for studies using the keywords ‘teach’, ‘educat*’, ‘end of life’, ‘terminal care’, ‘communication’ and ‘palliative care’. Sixteen studies were appraised, and none was rejected on the grounds of quality.

Results

The search strategy yielded 22 278 entries and 16 studies were included. Two themes were identified from the priorities in teaching EOL communication: (1) challenges to teaching EOL communication and (2) methods of teaching EOL communication. To present a comprehensive overview of EOL communication teaching, we provide directions for priorities of topics and approaches when teaching EOL communication.

Conclusions

The review detailed the complexity of teaching EOL communication, which indicates the need for a well-rounded syllabus that includes skills such as non-verbal social cues, communication strategies and understanding EOL communication in various cultural contexts to facilitate a well-rounded EOL communication experience for students’ future practice.
Wish to die and hasten death in palliative care: a cross-sectional study factor analysis
Authors: Belar Alazne , Martinez Marina , Centeno Carlos , López-Fidalgo Jesús , Santesteban Yolanda , Lama Marcos , Arantzamendi Maria
Published: October 2021

Objectives

The wish to die (WTD) is a complex experience sometimes accompanied by intention to hasten death. The aim of this study is to identify the predictive factors for WTD and hastening death intention (HDI) in Spanish patients with advanced illness.

Methods

This is a subanalysis of a larger cross-sectional study conducted on patients experiencing advanced illness (N=201). Sociodemographic data and data related to symptom burden (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised), depressive and anxious symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), demoralisation (Spanish version of the Demoralisation Scale), perceived loss of dignity (Patient Dignity Inventory) and WTD (Assessing Frequency and Extent of Desire to Die) were collected. The analysis used univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

The prevalence of WTD in the sample was 18%, with 8 out of 36 patients reporting HDI. The independent factors predictive of WTD were (1) knowledge of approximate prognosis (OR=4.78; 95% CI 1.20 to 10.8; p=0.001); (2) symptom burden (OR=1.05; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.09; p=0.038); and (3) the Demoralisation Scale subsection ‘lack of meaning and purpose in life’ (OR=1.61; 95% CI 1.30 to 1.99; p=0.000). An independent predictive factor for HDI was the Demoralisation Scale subsection ‘patients’ distress and coping abilities’ (OR=1.47; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.08; p=0.028), while having religious beliefs was a protective factor (OR=0.13; 95% CI0.17 to 0.97; p=0.047).

Conclusions

Demoralisation was found to be the only common triggering factor for WTD and HDI, although experiences share certain features. Identification of the predictive factors for WTD and HDI may contribute to their prevention and management.
Prospective feasibility study of indigo naturalis ointment for chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis
Authors: Hirata Kenro , Yamada Yuka , Hamamoto Yasuo , Tsunoda Kazuyuki , Muramatsu Hiroshi , Horie Sara , Sukawa Yasutaka , Naganuma Makoto , Nakagawa Taneaki , Kanai Takanori
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Indigo naturalis, a herbal medicine effective against ulcerative colitis, exhibits anti-inflammatory effects and induces interleukin-22-mediated antimicrobial peptide production. Anti-inflammatory activity and the prevention of secondary infection are essential for the management of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (CIOM); therefore, we developed an indigo naturalis ointment to be administered topically for CIOM and evaluated its feasibility.

Methods

We performed a single-centre, open-label, prospective feasibility study from March 2017 to December 2018. The key eligibility criteria for the subjects were as follows: (1) receiving chemotherapy for a malignant tumour; (2) grade 1 or 2 CIOM and (3) receiving continuous oral care. The treatment protocol comprised topical indigo naturalis ointment application three times a day for 7 days. The primary endpoint assessed was feasibility. The secondary endpoints assessed were the changes in oral findings, oral cavity pain and safety.

Results

Nineteen patients with CIOM were enrolled. The average feasibility (the proportion of prescribed applications that were carried out) observed in this study was 94.7%±8.9% (95% CI 90.5% to 99.0%), which was higher than the expected feasibility. The revised oral assessment guide scores of the mucous membrane domain and total scores were significantly improved. All patients reported a reduction in oral cavity pain, with a median pain resolution duration of 6 days. No serious adverse events were observed.

Conclusions

The indigo naturalis ointment was feasible, and showed the potential for efficacy and safety. Larger randomised controlled trials are needed to further assess the efficacy and safety of indigo naturalis compared with a placebo.

Trial registration number

UMIN000024271.
Three Year Review Following Bone Anchor Repair of Acute Biceps Tendon Insertion Rupture
Authors: Hand C J , Howell G E D
Published: October 2021

Three patients with acute biceps brachii tendon insertion ruptures were treated (less than 7 days post injury) using bone anchor anatomical repair. Dynamometer assessment of strength in both limbs was performed after completion of rehabilitation and again at 3.3 years after surgery.

All patients were male, age 34, 35 and 53 years. Early isokinetic assessment was performed at 6, 7 and 12 months post surgery and medium assessment at 3.3 years post surgery. A full range of movement was achieved at early assessment and maintained into medium term assessment. All patients returned to their full premorbid occupation and sporting activity. Dynamometer strength of a repaired dominant limb equated to two thirds of a normal non dominant limb at early assessment, equal power was found at medium term assessment and a measurable increase in strength in both affected and unaffected arms was seen.
Lisfranc Injury - Surgical Fixation Facilities An Early Return To Work
Authors: Brinsden M D , Smith S R , Loxdale P H
Published: October 2021

Background

Lisfranc injury is rare and the diagnosis maybe easily missed. This study reviews the experience of a single centre.

Methods

A prospective review of patients with Lisfranc injuries presenting to a single surgeon with a specialist interest in foot and ankle surgery over a one year period.

Results

Five patients were identified-four men and one woman with a median age of 31 years (range 22-50 years). Presentation was a mean of 25 days after injury (range 3-56 days). The left foot was affected in three cases and the right in two. There was joint diastasis in four patients and fracture-dislocation in one. Three patients presented early and were treated by internal fixation and two presented late and were managed conservatively. Mean follow-up was eight months (range 4.5-12 months). Surgery resulted in a return to work by 6 months with no symptoms. The two patients managed conservatively continued to experience pain at 12 months and were unable to return to their original occupations.

Conclusion

Injury to the Lisfranc joint should be excluded in any foot injury. Early diagnosis and internal fixation appears to result in an earlier return to work when compared to nonoperative management.
Comparative root transcriptome analysis of two soybean cultivars with different cadmium sensitivities reveals the underlying tolerance mechanisms
Authors: Ma Yuan , Liu Kuichen , Zhang Chunyu , Lin Feng , Hu Wenbo , Jiang Yue , Tao Xianliang , Han Yulin , Han Litao , Liu Chen
Published: October 2021

Soybean can provide rich protein and fat and has great economic value worldwide. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal to organisms. It can accumulate in plants and be transmitted to the human body via the food chain. Cd is a serious threat to soybean development, particularly root growth. Some soybean cultivars present tolerant symptoms under Cd stress; however, the potential mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we optimized RNA-seq to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Cd-sensitive (KUAI) and Cd-tolerant (KAIYU) soybean roots and compared the DEGs between KAIYU and KUAI. A total of 1506 and 1870 DEGs were identified in the roots of KUAI and KAIYU, respectively. Through Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and gene function analyses, we found that genes related to antioxidants and sequestration were responsible for Cd tolerance in KAIYU. In addition, overexpression of Glyma11g02661, which encodes a heavy metal-transporting ATPase, significantly improved Cd tolerance in transgenic hairy roots. These results provide a preliminary understanding of the tolerance mechanisms in response to Cd stress in soybean root development and are of great importance in developing Cd-resistant soybean cultivars by using the identified DEGs through genetic modification.
Road Detection Based on Edge Feature with GAC Model in Aerial Image
Authors: Zhou Linying , Zhou Zhou , Ning Hang
Published: October 2021

Road detection from aerial images still is a challenging task since it is heavily influenced by spectral reflectance, shadows and occlusions. In order to increase the road detection accuracy, a proposed method for road detection by GAC model with edge feature extraction and segmentation is studied in this paper. First, edge feature can be extracted using the proposed gradient magnitude with Canny operator. Then, a reconstructed gradient map is applied in watershed transformation method, which is segmented for the next initial contour. Last, with the combination of edge feature and initial contour, the boundary stopping function is applied in the GAC model. The road boundary result can be accomplished finally. Experimental results show, by comparing with other methods in [Formula: see text]-measure system, that the proposed method can achieve satisfying results.
EFFECTS OF A DEEP LEARNING-BASED SMARTPHONE APPLICATION ON SHOULDER ABDUCTION KINEMATICS AND BRAIN ACTIVATION IN ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Authors: AN YEONGSANG , PARK CHANHEE
Published: October 2021

Patients with adhesive capsulitis (AC) demonstrate limited shoulder movement, often accompanied by pain. Common treatment methods include pain medication, and continuous passive movement (CPM). However, it is sometimes difficult to improve the reduction of pain and movement using a CPM intervention because the patient’s interest is diminished. In this study, we developed an innovative deep learning-based smartphone application (Funrehab exercise game (FEG)) to provide accurate kinematics movement and motivation as well as high-intensity and repetitive movements using deep learning. We compared the effects of CPM and FEG on brain activity and shoulder range of motion in patients with AC. Sixteen patients (males, [Formula: see text]; females, [Formula: see text]; mean age, [Formula: see text] years) with acute AC were randomized into either CPM group or FEG group 4 days/week for 2 weeks. The outcome measures were shoulder abduction kinematics movement and electroencephalography (EEG) brain activity (bilateral prefrontal, bilateral sensorimotor cortex, and somatosensory association cortex) during the intervention. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was performed at [Formula: see text], and the analysis demonstrated that FEG showed superior effects on shoulder abduction kinematics and brain [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]-wave activations compared to CPM. Our results provide a novel and promising clinical evidence that FEG can more effectively improve neurophysiological EEG data and shoulder abduction movements than CPM in patients with AC.
Reinforced birnessite derived from spinel Mn3O4 for sustainable energy storage
Authors: Wang Tong , Zhu Xiaohui , Savilov Serguei V. , Aldoshin Sergey M. , Xia Hui
Published: October 2021

The layered birnessite derivatives as intercalation cathode materials for rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors receive great attention due to the abundant, low-cost, highly safe, and environmentally friendly manganese element. However, the practical application of chemically synthesized birnessite in energy storage has been restricted by low specific capacity and poor cyclability because of the limited interlayer metal ions intercalation and inferior structural stability during cycling. In this focused review, we discuss the origin of unsatisfying charge storage performance of the chemically synthesized birnessite and disclose the reinforced birnessite structures derived from spinel Mn3O4 by in-situ electrochemical conversion. With enhanced structural stability and large interlayer distance, the electrochemically converted birnessite shows promising electrochemical performance in various batteries and supercapacitors. Finally, critical perspectives on the future development of layered birnessite from spinel Mn3O4 are provided, which may guide advanced electrode design for high-performance sustainable batteries.
Tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphite (TMSPi) as an electrolyte additive for LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode materials at elevated voltage and temperature
Authors: Yu Xiao , Yu Zhiyong , Hao Jishen , Liu Hanxing
Published: October 2021

Electrolyte additive tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphite (TMSPi) was used to promote the electrochemical performances of LiNi[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O2 (NCM523) at elevated voltage (4.5 V) and temperature (55[Formula: see text]C). The NCM523 in 2.0 wt.% TMSPi-added electrolyte exhibited a much higher capacity (166.8 mAh/g) than that in the baseline electrolyte (118.3 mAh/g) after 100 cycles under 4.5 V at 30[Formula: see text]C. Simultaneously, the NCM523 with 2.0 wt.% TMSPi showed superior rate capability compared to that without TMSPi. Besides, after 100 cycles at 55[Formula: see text]C under 4.5 V, the discharge capacity retention reached 87.4% for the cell with 2.0 wt.% TMSPi, however, only 24.4% of initial discharge capacity was left for the cell with the baseline electrolyte. A series of analyses (TEM, XPS and EIS) confirmed that TMSPi-derived solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) stabilized the electrode/electrolyte interface and hindered the increase of interface impedance, resulting in obviously enhanced electrochemical performances of NCM523 cathode materials under elevated voltage and/or temperature.
Midlife aerobic exercise and dynamic cerebral autoregulation: associations with baroreflex sensitivity and central arterial stiffness
Authors: Tomoto Tsubasa , Repshas Justin , Zhang Rong , Tarumi Takashi
Published: October 2021

Middle-aged athletes (MA) showed intact dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) during sit-stand maneuvers when compared with young (YS) and middle-aged sedentary (MS) adults. Conversely, MA showed the significant attenuation of age-related carotid distensibility and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) impairments. In MA and YS groups, BRS was positively associated with dCA gain at rest and carotid distensibility. Our findings suggest that midlife aerobic exercise improves BRS by reducing central arterial stiffness, which contributes to CBF regulation through dCA.
Positive expiratory pressure: a potential therapy to mitigate acute bronchoconstriction in the asthma of obesity
Authors: Bhatawadekar Swati A. , Dixon Anne E. , Peters Ubong , Daphtary Nirav , Hodgdon Kevin , Kaminsky David A. , Bates Jason H. T.
Published: October 2021

Standard pharmacological treatments are not effective in people with obesity and asthma. We assessed the efficacy of positive expiratory pressure (PEP) as a therapy to mitigate airway hyperresponsiveness in the asthma of obesity. Our results indicate that PEP might serve as a nonpharmacological therapy to manage acute airway narrowing in obese individuals with late-onset nonallergic asthma.
Impact of cervical spinal cord injury on the relationship between the metabolism and ventilation in rats
Authors: Chiu Tzu-Ting , Lee Kun-Ze
Published: October 2021

Ventilation and metabolism are tightly coupled to maintain appropriate energy expenditure under physiological conditions. Our findings demonstrate that cervical spinal cord injury results in the differential reduction of ventilation and metabolism at the various injury stages and leads to alterations in the relationship between ventilation and metabolism. These results from an animal model provide fundamental knowledge for understanding how cervical spinal cord injury impacts energy homeostasis.
Spinal Tuina Improves Cognitive Impairment in Cerebral Palsy Rats through Inhibiting Pyroptosis Induced by NLRP3 and Caspase-1
Authors: Niu Feng , Wang Cuiting , Zhong Hequan , Ren Ningna , Wang Xiaokun , Li Bing
Published: October 2021

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a severe cerebral disease with high mortality and morbidity, which leads to great challenges for the suffering children and their families. Hence, the need for the efficacious and safe treatments is urgent. As a physical therapy arising from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Tuina has shown multiple effects on various diseases, including cerebral palsy. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanisms of Tuina on CP remain unknown, which impedes its further clinical application. Herein, we explored the effects of Tuina on CP and its potential mechanisms. Thirty Sprague Dawley (SD) male rats were randomly divided into sham, model, and Tuina groups (model + Tuina). CP rat model was established by hypoxia-ischemia via permanent occlusion of left common carotid artery and hypoxia for 2.5 hours caused by anaerobic environment, which was subsequently followed by onset of Tuina treatment from postnatal day 7 (P7) to P49. After completion of Tuina treatment, the behavioral tests showed that Tuina treatment not only improved the retarded body weight and impaired motor balance function, but also ameliorated weakened learning and memory function of CP rats. Moreover, immunohistochemistry and western blot also revealed a reduced expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and corresponding pyroptosis-related molecules induced by NLRP3 in CP rats after Tuina treatment. Therefore, our study indicated that Tuina treatment may improve impaired neurocognitive function of CP rats, which was possibly realised via inhibiting NLRP3-induced pyroptosis.
LightGBM Low-Temperature Prediction Model Based on LassoCV Feature Selection
Authors: Duan Shangqi , Huang Shuangde , Bu Wei , Ge Xingke , Chen Haidong , Liu Jing , Luo Jiqiang
Published: October 2021

Icing disasters on power grid transmission lines can easily lead to major accidents, such as wire breakage and tower overturning, that endanger the safe operation of the power grid. Short-term prediction of transmission line icing relies to a large extent on accurate prediction of daily minimum temperature. This study therefore proposes a LightGBM low-temperature prediction model based on LassoCV feature selection. A data set comprising four meteorological variables was established, and time series autocorrelation coefficients were first used to determine the hysteresis characteristics in relation to the daily minimum temperature. Subsequently, the LassoCV feature selection method was used to select the meteorological elements that are highly related to minimum temperature, with their lag characteristics, as input variables, to eliminate noise in the original meteorological data set and reduce the complexity of the model. On this basis, the LightGBM low-temperature prediction model is established. The model was optimized through grid search and crossvalidation and validated using daily minimum surface temperature data from Yongshan County (station number 56489), Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. The root mean square error, MAE, and MAPE of the model minimum temperature prediction after feature selection are shown to be 1.305, 0.999, and 0.112, respectively. These results indicate that the LightGBM prediction model is effective at predicting low temperatures and can be used to support short-term icing prediction.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Comorbidities and Mechanisms
Authors: Pacurari Maricica , Mitra Amal , Turner Timothy
Published: October 2021

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease with an unknown etiology mainly characterized by a progressive decline of lung function due to the scarring of the tissue deep in the lungs. The overall survival after diagnosis remains low between 3 and 5 years. IPF is a heterogeneous disease and much progress has been made in the past decade in understanding the disease mechanisms that contributed to the development of two new drugs, pirfenidone and nintedanib, which improved the therapeutic management of the disease. The understanding of the cofactors and comorbidities of IPF also contributed to improved management of the disease outcome. In the present review, we evaluate scientific evidence which indicates IPF as a risk factor for other diseases based on the complexity of molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the disease development and of comorbidities. We conclude from the existing literature that while much progress has been made in understating the mechanisms involved in IPF development, further studies are still necessary to fully understand IPF pathogenesis which will contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for IPF management as well as other diseases for which IPF is a major risk factor.
Fixed Points and Stability for Integral-Type Multivalued Contractive Mappings
Authors: An Zhefu , Li Mengyao , Zhao Liangshi
Published: October 2021

The existence and iterative approximations of fixed points concerning two classes of integral-type multivalued contractive mappings in complete metric spaces are proved, and the stability of fixed point sets relative to these multivalued contractive mappings is established. The results obtained in this article generalize and improve some known results in the literature. An illustrative example is given.
Short-Term Traffic Prediction considering Spatial-Temporal Characteristics of Freeway Flow
Authors: Wang Jiaqi , Ma Yingying , Yang Xianling , Li Teng , Wei Haoxi
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a short-term traffic prediction method, which takes the historical data of upstream points and prediction point itself and their spatial-temporal characteristics into consideration. First, the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) based on Kullback–Leibler divergence and Grey relation analysis coefficient calculated by the data in the corresponding period is proposed. It can select upstream points that have a great impact on prediction point to reduce computation and increase accuracy in the next prediction work. Second, the hybrid model constructed by long short-term memory and K-nearest neighbor (LSTM-KNN) algorithm using transformed grey wolf optimization is discussed. Parallel computing is used in this part to reduce complexity. Third, some meaningful experiments are carried out using real data with different upstream points, time steps, and prediction model structures. The results show that GMM can improve the accuracy of the multifactor models, such as the support vector machines, the KNN, and the multi-LSTM. Compared with other conventional models, the TGWO-LSTM-KNN prediction model has better accuracy and stability. Since the proposed method is able to export the prediction dataset of upstream and prediction points simultaneously, it can be applied to collaborative management and also has good potential prospects for application in freeway networks.
Research on the Influencing Factors of Film Consumption and Box Office Forecast in the Digital Era: Based on the Perspective of Machine Learning and Model Integration
Authors: He Qi , Hu Bin
Published: October 2021

The film industry is one of the core industries of the digital creative industry, which has great positive externalities to the digital creative economy. Movie box office revenue is an important indicator to measure the realization of the market value of movie consumption, and it is also the basic guarantee for the sustainable development of the movie industry. This paper relies on the professional database of the Maoyan movie market to use Python software to collect a total of 830 domestic movie‐related consumption characteristic data from 2017 to 2019. In this study, the stacking method in the machine learning ensemble algorithm combines the fivefold crossfolding training method based on distributed random forest, extremely randomized trees, and generalized linear models. The model is good at handling different data types. It has higher fitting and model accuracy in feature mining and model construction, so as to effectively grasp the relevant feature factors affecting movie consumption and accurately predict the future movie box office. Based on the innovative design method of model fusion, the extracted feature vector is used to build a more accurate movie box office prediction model through stacking with a fivefold crossfolding training method. It is aimed at opening the black box that affects the realization of the value of the film content consumption market in the digital age and putting forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions.
Spacecraft Intelligent Fault Diagnosis under Variable Working Conditions via Wasserstein Distance-Based Deep Adversarial Transfer Learning
Authors: Xiang Gang , Tian Kun
Published: October 2021

In recent years, deep learning methods which promote the accuracy and efficiency of fault diagnosis task without any extra requirement of artificial feature extraction have elicited the attention of researchers in the field of manufacturing industry as well as aerospace. However, the problems that data in source and target domains usually have different probability distributions because of different working conditions and there are insufficient labeled or even unlabeled data in target domain significantly deteriorate the performance and generalization of deep fault diagnosis models. To address these problems, we propose a novel Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network with Gradient Penalty- (WGAN-GP-) based deep adversarial transfer learning (WDATL) model in this study, which exploits a domain critic to learn domain invariant feature representations by minimizing the Wasserstein distance between the source and target feature distributions through adversarial training. Moreover, an improved one-dimensional convolutional neural network- (CNN-) based feature extractor which utilizes exponential linear units (ELU) as activation functions and wide kernels is designed to automatically extract the latent features of raw time-series input data. Then, the fault model classifier trained in one working condition (source domain) with sufficient labeled samples could be generalized to diagnose data in other working conditions (target domain) with insufficient labeled samples. Experiments on two open datasets demonstrate that our proposed WDATL model outperforms most of the state-of-the-art approaches on transfer diagnosis tasks under diverse working circumstances.
Numerical Study on Propagative Waves in a Periodically Supported Rail Using Periodic Structure Theory
Authors: Sheng Xi , Zeng Huike , Zhang Sara Ying , Wang Ping
Published: October 2021

This paper presents the numerical study on propagative waves in a periodically supported rail below 6000 Hz. A periodic rail model, which considers the effects of both the periodic supports and the rail cross section deformation, has been established based on the periodic structure theory and the finite element method. Two selection approaches are proposed to obtain the concerned dispersion curves from the original calculation results of dispersion relations. The differences between the dispersion curves of different support conditions are studied. The propagative waves corresponding to the dispersion curves are identified by the wave modes. The influences of periodic supports on wave modes in pass bands are revealed. Further, the stop band behaviors are investigated in terms of the bounding frequencies, the standing wave characteristics, and the cross-sectional modes. The results show that eight propagative waves with distinct modes exist in a periodically supported rail below 6000 Hz. The differences between the dispersion curves of periodically and continuously supported rails are not obvious, apart from the stop band behaviors. All the bounding-frequency modes of the stop bands are associated with the standing waves. Two bounding-frequency modes of the same stop band can be regarded as two identical standing waves with the longitudinal translation of the quarter-wavelength, one of which is the so-called pinned-pinned resonance.