bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing a model to predict individualised treatment for gonorrhoea: a modelling study
Authors: Findlater Lucy , Mohammed Hamish , Gobin Maya , Fifer Helen , Ross Jonathan , Geffen Obregon Oliver , Turner Katy M E
Published: June 2021

Objective

To develop a tool predicting individualised treatment for gonorrhoea, enabling treatment with previously recommended antibiotics, to reduce use of last-line treatment ceftriaxone.

Design

A modelling study.

Setting

England and Wales.

Participants

Individuals accessing sentinel health services.

Intervention

Developing an Excel model which uses participants’ demographic, behavioural and clinical characteristics to predict susceptibility to legacy antibiotics. Model parameters were calculated using data for 2015–2017 from the Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme.

Main outcome measures

Estimated number of doses of ceftriaxone saved, and number of people delayed effective treatment, by model use in clinical practice. Model outputs are the predicted risk of resistance to ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, penicillin and cefixime, in groups of individuals with different combinations of characteristics (gender, sexual orientation, number of recent sexual partners, age, ethnicity), and a treatment recommendation.

Results

Between 2015 and 2017, 8013 isolates were collected: 64% from men who have sex with men, 18% from heterosexual men and 18% from women. Across participant subgroups, stratified by all predictors, resistance prevalence was high for ciprofloxacin (range: 11%–51%) and penicillin (range: 6%–33%). Resistance prevalence for azithromycin and cefixime ranged from 0% to 13% and for ceftriaxone it was 0%. Simulating model use, 88% of individuals could be given cefixime and 10% azithromycin, saving 97% of ceftriaxone doses, with 1% of individuals delayed effective treatment.

Conclusions

Using demographic and behavioural characteristics, we could not reliably identify a participant subset in which ciprofloxacin or penicillin would be effective. Cefixime resistance was almost universally low; however, substituting ceftriaxone for near-uniform treatment with cefixime risks re-emergence of resistance to cefixime and ceftriaxone. Several subgroups had low azithromycin resistance, but widespread azithromycin monotherapy risks resistance at population level. However, this dataset had limitations; further exploration of individual characteristics to predict resistance to a wider range of legacy antibiotics may still be appropriate.
Hypertension is the major predictor of poor outcomes among inpatients with COVID-19 infection in the UK: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Basu Ansu , Agwu Juliana Chizo , Barlow Nicola , Lee Brian
Published: June 2021

Objective

To assess the impact of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases on inpatient mortality from COVID-19, and its relationship to ethnicity and social deprivation.

Design

Retrospective, single-centre observational study

Setting

Birmingham, UK.

Participants

907 hospitalised patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from a multi-ethnic community, admitted between 1 March 2020 and 31 May 2020.

Main outcome measures

The primary analysis was an evaluation of cardiovascular conditions and diabetes in relation to ethnicity and social deprivation, with the end-point of inpatient death or death within 30 days of discharge. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to calculate HRs while adjusting for confounders.

Results

361/907 (39.8%) died in hospital or within 30 days of discharge. The presence of diabetes and hypertension together appears to confer the greatest mortality risk (OR 2.75; 95% CI 1.80 to 4.21; p<0.001) compared with either condition alone. Age >65 years (OR 3.32; 95% CI 2.15 to 5.11), male sex (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.47 to 2.82), hypertension (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.61) and cerebrovascular disease (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.31 to 2.68) were independently associated with increased risk of death. The mortality risk did not differ between the quintiles of deprivation. High-sensitivity troponin I was the best predictor of mortality among biomarkers (OR 4.43; 95% CI 3.10 to 7.10). Angiotensin-receptor blockers (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.33 to 0.96) and ACE inhibitors (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.43 to 0.97) were not associated with adverse outcome. The Charlson Index of Comorbidity scores were significantly higher in non-survivors.

Conclusions

The combined prevalence of hypertension and diabetes appears to confer the greatest risk, where diabetes may have a modulating effect. Hypertension and cerebrovascular disease had a significant impact on inpatient mortality. Social deprivation and ethnicity did not have any effect once the patient was in hospital.
Discrimination as a predictor of poor mental health among LGBTQ+ people during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analysis of the online Queerantine study
Authors: Kneale Dylan , Bécares Laia
Published: June 2021

Objectives

To assess the mental health and experiences of discrimination among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) people at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

Data come from a cross-sectional online survey targeted at LGBTQ+ people, which collected data on mental health, experiences of discrimination and a number of other pandemic-related experiences. To examine the association between sexual orientation and gender and mental health and experiences of discrimination, we conducted regression analyses that adjusted for a range of sociodemographic variables.

Setting

A web-based survey was used to collect data between the end of April and mid July 2020.

Participants

An analytical sample of 310 LGBTQ+ respondents aged 18 and above.

Main outcome measures

We assessed mental health with the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale and with the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D-10). We asked respondents about discriminatory experiences because of their LGBTQ+ identity during the coronavirus pandemic.

Results

Perceived stress scores among our LGBTQ+ sample were high (mean: 7.67; SD: 3.22). Based on a score of 10 or more on the CES-D-10, the majority of participants had high levels of depressive symptoms (72%). Around one-in-six respondents reported some form of discrimination since the start of the pandemic because they were LGBTQ+ (16.7%). The average score for perceived stress increased by 1.44 points (95% CI 0.517 to 2.354) for respondents who had experienced discrimination versus those who had not. Similarly, the odds of exhibiting significant depressive symptomology increased threefold among those who had experienced discrimination compared with those who had not (OR: 3.251; 95% CI 1.168 to 9.052).

Conclusions

The LGBTQ+ community exhibited high levels of depression, stress and experienced discrimination during the coronavirus pandemic. High levels of poor mental health were partially explained by experiences of discrimination, which had a large, consistent and pernicious impact on mental health.
Oncolytic parainfluenza virus combines with NK cells to mediate killing of infected and non-infected lung cancer cells within 3D spheroids: role of type I and type III interferon signaling
Authors: Varudkar Namita , Oyer Jeremiah L , Copik Alicja , Parks Griffith D
Published: June 2021

Background

There is intense interest in developing novel oncolytic viruses, which can be used in cancer therapies along with immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells. We have previously developed a particle-based method for in vitro expansion of highly cytotoxic human NK cells (PM21-NK cells). Here, we have tested the hypothesis that oncolytic parainfluenza virus 5 (P/V virus) can combine with PM21-NK cells for targeted killing of lung cancer cells.

Methods

PM21-NK cells were assayed for killing of P/V virus-infected A549, H1299 and Calu-1 lung cancer cells in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cultures using flow cytometry, luminescence and kinetic imaging-based methods. Blocking antibodies were used to evaluate NK cell activating receptors involved in PM21-NK cell killing of infected target cells. Media transfer experiments tested soluble factors that increase PM21-NK cell killing of both P/V virus-infected and uninfected tumor cells.

Results

In 2D cultures, PM21-NK cells efficiently killed P/V virus-infected cancer cells compared with non-infected cells, through involvement of the viral glycoprotein and NK cell receptors NKp30, NKp46 and NKG2D. In 3D spheroid cultures, P/V virus infection was restricted to the outer layer of the spheroid. However, PM21-NK cells were able to more efficiently kill both the outer layer of infected cells in the spheroid and progressing further to kill the uninfected interior cells. Media transfer experiments demonstrated that P/V virus infection produced both type I and type III interferons, which decreased cell growth, which contributed to a reduction in the overall number of uninfected tumor cells in conjunction with PM21-NK cells. Across five cancer cell lines, the contribution of P/V virus infection on PM21-NK cell killing of target cells correlated with interferon induction.

Conclusion

Our data support the potential of combining oncolytic parainfluenza virus with PM21-NK cell adoptive therapy against lung cancer.
Medical ethics when moving towards non-anonymous gamete donation: the views of donors and recipients
Authors: Pinto da Silva Sandra , de Freitas Cláudia , Silva Susana
Published: June 2021

Drawing on the views of donors and recipients about anonymity in a country that is experiencing a transition towards non-anonymous gamete donation mandated by the Constitutional Court, we explore how the intersection between rights-based approaches and an empirical framework enhances recommendations for ethical policy and healthcare. Between July 2017 and April 2018, 69 donors and 147 recipients, recruited at the Portuguese Public Bank of Gametes, participated in this cross-sectional study. Position towards anonymity was assessed through an open-ended question in a self-report questionnaire, which was subject to content analysis. Preference for an anonymous donation regime was mentioned by 82.6% of donors and 89.8% of recipients; and all those with children. Instead of the rights-based reasoning used by the Constitutional Court, donors highlighted concerns over future relationships and recipients focused on socioethical values linked with the safeguard of safety, privacy and confidentiality. The remaining participants advocated the choice between anonymity or non-anonymity (double-track policy), invoking respect for their autonomy. The complex, diverse ethical views and reasoning of donors and recipients expand a traditionally dichotomous discussion. Their perspectives challenge the transition towards non-anonymity and international guidelines, raising awareness to the need for their involvement in the design of policies to enable choice according to their values and preferences, and of psychosocial counselling responsive to their socioethical concerns and sensitive to their parental status. Empirical frameworks complement rights-based approaches to uphold justice, fairness and equal respect, and to incorporate utility, beneficence and non-maleficence in policymaking and healthcare in the transition towards non-anonymity.
Epistemic injustice, children and mental illness
Authors: Harcourt Edward
Published: June 2021

The concept of epistemic (specifically testimonial) injustice is the latest philosophical tool with which to try to theorise what goes wrong when mental health service users are not listened to by clinicians, and what goes right when they are. Is the tool adequate to the task? It is argued that, to be applicable at all, the concept needs some adjustment so that being disbelieved as a result of prejudice is one of a family of alternative necessary conditions for its application, rather than a necessary condition all on its own. It is then argued that even once adjusted in this way, the concept does not fit well in the area where the biggest efforts have been made to apply it so far, namely the highly sensitive case of adult patients suffering from delusions. Indeed it does not serve the interests of service users struggling for recognition to try to apply it in this context, because there is so much more to being listened to than simply being believed. However, the concept is found to apply smoothly in many cases where the service users are children, for example, in relation to children’s testimony on the efficacy of treatment. It is suggested that further research would demonstrate the usefulness of the concept in adult cases of a similar kind.
Development of calix[4]arenes modified at their narrow- and wide-rims as potential metal ions sensor layers for microcantilever sensors: further studies
Authors: Georghiou Paris E. , Rahman Shofiur , Assiri Yousif , Valluru Gopi Kishore , Menelaou Melita , Alodhayb Abdullah N. , Braim Mona , Beaulieu L.Y.
Published: June 2021

The development of a microcantilever (MCL) sensing device capable of simultaneously detecting several metal ionic species in aqueous media with low limits of detection requires a variety of sensing layers that are ion specific. Calix[4]arenes are robust molecules that can be easily modified and have been extensively studied for their ion binding properties. They are also capable of forming self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the gold layers of MCLs and are capable of detecting various metal ions with different anionic counterions in aqueous solutions. In this paper, we report on the effect of the alkoxy group in the narrow rim [O-(alkoxycarbonyl)methoxy] substituents of bimodal calix[4]arenes, which have been used as metal ion MCL sensing layers, using classical solution state experimental studies. A DFT computational study to compare the experimental results with several metal ions is also reported herein.
Impact of sample collection on prokaryotic and eukaryotic diversity of niche environments of the oil-sand mining impacted Athabasca River
Authors: Bergsveinson Jordyn , Lawrence John R. , Schebel Alixandra , Wasserscheid Jessica , Roy Julie , Conly F. Malcolm , Sanschagrin Sylvie , Korber Darren R. , Tremblay Julien , Greer Charles W. , Droppo Ian G.
Published: June 2021

Microbial communities are an important aspect of overall riverine ecology; however, appreciation of the effects of anthropogenic activities on unique riverine microbial niches, and how the collection of these samples affects the observed diversity and community profile is lacking. We analyzed prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities from surface water, biofilms, and suspended load niches along a gradient of oil sands-related contamination in the Athabasca River (Alberta, Canada), with suspended load or particle-associated communities collected either via Kenney Sampler or centrifugation manifold. At the phylum level, different niche communities were highly similar to each other and across locations. However, there were significant differences in the abundance of specific genera among the different niches and across sampling locations. A generalized linear model revealed that use of the Kenney Sampler resulted in more diverse bacterial and eukaryotic suspended load community than centrifugal collection, though suspended load communities collected by any means remained stably diverse across locations. Although there was an influence of water quality parameters on community composition, all sampled sites support diverse bacterial and eukaryotic communities regardless of the degree of contamination, highlighting the need to look beyond ecological diversity as a means of assessing ecological perturbations, and consider collecting samples from multiple niche environments.
The dimensional reduction of linearized spin-2 theories invariant under transverse diffeomorphisms
Authors: Dalmazi D. , dos Santos R. R. Lino
Published: June 2021

Here we perform the Kaluza–Klein dimensional reduction from $$D+1$$

D
+
1

to D dimensions of massless Lagrangians described by a symmetric rank-2 tensor and invariant under transverse differmorphisms (TDiff). They include the linearized Einstein–Hilbert theory, linearized unimodular gravity and scalar tensor models. We obtain simple expressions in terms of gauge invariant field combinations and show that unitarity is preserved in all cases. After fixing a gauge, the reduced model becomes a massive scalar tensor theory. We show that the diffeomorphism (Diff) symmetry, instead of TDiff, is a general feature of the massless sector of consistent massive scalar tensor models. We discuss some subtleties when eliminating Stückelberg fields directly at action level as gauge conditions. A non local connection between the massless sector of the scalar tensor theory and the pure tensor TDiff model leads to a parametrization of the non conserved source which naturally separates spin-0 and spin-2 contributions in the pure tensor theory. The case of curved backgrounds is also investigated. If we truncate the non minimal couplings to linear terms in the curvature, vector and scalar constraints require Einstein spaces as in the Diff and WTDiff (Weyl plus Diff) cases. We prove that our linearized massive scalar tensor models admit those curved background extensions.
QCD phase diagram with a background magnetic field in an improved soft-wall AdS/QCD model
Authors: Fang Zhen , Li Ying-Ying , Wu Yue-Liang
Published: June 2021

We studied the magnetic effects on the chiral transition and the melting properties of vector and axial-vector mesons in the improved soft-wall AdS/QCD model under a charged magnetic background, which is solved perturbatively from an Einstein–Maxwell system with a negative cosmological constant. The phase diagrams for both chiral transition and meson melting have been obtained. We show that the inverse magnetic catalysis emerged naturally in the improved soft-wall model. We also find that the magnetic field can induce meson melting, at least for the vector and axial-vector mesons, in our holographic setup.
Coupling of quantum gravitational field with Riemann and Ricci curvature tensors
Authors: Cremaschini Claudio , Tessarotto Massimo
Published: June 2021

The theoretical problem of establishing the coupling properties existing between the classical and quantum gravitational field with the Ricci and Riemann curvature tensors of General Relativity is addressed. The mathematical framework is provided by synchronous Hamilton variational principles and the validity of classical and quantum canonical Hamiltonian structures for the gravitational field dynamics. It is shown that, for the classical variational theory, manifestly-covariant Hamiltonian functions expressed by either the Ricci or Riemann tensors are both admitted, which yield the correct form of Einstein field equations. On the other hand, the corresponding realization of manifestly-covariant quantum gravity theories is not equivalent. The requirement imposed is that the Hamiltonian potential should represent a positive-definite quadratic form when performing a quadratic expansion around the equilibrium solution. This condition in fact warrants the existence of positive eigenvalues of the quantum Hamiltonian in the harmonic-oscillator representation, to be related to the graviton mass. Accordingly, it is shown that in the background of the deSitter space-time, only the Ricci tensor coupling is physically admitted. In contrast, the coupling of quantum gravitational field with the Riemann tensor generally prevents the possibility of achieving a Hamiltonian potential appropriate for the implementation of the quantum harmonic-oscillator solution.
A Novel Adaptive Sampling Strategy for Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Liang Xingxing , Chen Li , Feng Yanghe , Liu Zhong , Ma Yang , Huang Kuihua
Published: June 2021

Reinforcement learning, as an effective method to solve complex sequential decision-making problems, plays an important role in areas such as intelligent decision-making and behavioral cognition. It is well known that the sample experience replay mechanism contributes to the development of current deep reinforcement learning by reusing past samples to improve the efficiency of samples. However, the existing priority experience replay mechanism changes the sample distribution in the sample set due to the higher sampling frequency assigned to a specific transition, and it cannot be applied to actor-critic and other on-policy reinforcement learning algorithm. To address this, we propose an adaptive factor based on TD-error, which further increases sample utilization by giving more attention weight to samples of larger TD-error, and embeds it flexibly into the original Deep Q Network and Advantage Actor-Critic algorithm to improve their performance. Then we carried out the performance evaluation for the proposed architecture in the context of CartPole-V1 and 6 environments of Atari game experiments, respectively, and the obtained results either on the conditions of fixed temperature or annealing temperature, when compared to those produced by the vanilla DQN and original A2C, highlight the advantages in cumulative rewards and climb speed of the improved algorithms.
The implications of mitochondria in doxorubicin treatment of cancer in the context of traditional and modern medicine
Authors: da Cunha Menezes Souza Leonardo , Chen Meng , Ikeno Yuji , Salvadori Daisy Maria Fávero , Bai Yidong
Published: June 2021

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an antibiotic anthracycline extensively used in the treatment of different malignancies, such as breast cancer, lymphomas and leukemias. The cardiotoxicity induced by DOX is one of the most important pathophysiological events that limit its clinical application. Accumulating evidence highlights mitochondria as a central role in this process. Modulation of mitochondrial functions as therapeutic strategy for DOX-induced cardiotoxicity has thus attracted much attention. In particular, emerging studies investigated the potential of natural mitochondria-targeting compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as adjunct or alternative treatment for DOX-induced toxicity. This review summarizes studies about the mechanisms of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, evidencing the importance of mitochondria and presenting TCM treatment alternatives for DOX-induced cardiomyopathy.
Understanding the Improbable: A Survey of Fat Tails in Environmental Economics
Authors: Conte Marc N. , Kelly David L.
Published: June 2021

We survey the growing literature on fat-tailed distributions in environmental economics. We then examine the theoretical and statistical properties of such distributions, focusing especially on when these properties are likely to arise in environmental problems. We find that a number of variables are fat tailed in environmental economics, including the climate sensitivity, natural disaster impacts, spread of infectious diseases, and stated willingness to pay. We argue that different fat-tailed distributions arise from common pathways. Finally, we review the literature on the policy implications of fat-tailed distributions and controversies over their interpretation. We conclude that the literature has made great strides in demonstrating when fat tails matter for optimal environmental policy. Yet, much is less well understood, including how alternative policies affect fat-tailed distributions, the optimal policy in a computational economy with many fat-tailed problems, and how to account for imprecision in empirical tests for fat tails.
Imaging the Retinal Vasculature
Authors: Burns Stephen A. , Elsner Ann E. , Gast Thomas J.
Published: June 2021

Advances in retinal imaging are enabling researchers and clinicians to make precise noninvasive measurements of the retinal vasculature in vivo. This includes measurements of capillary blood flow, the regulation of blood flow, and the delivery of oxygen, as well as mapping of perfused blood vessels. These advances promise to revolutionize our understanding of vascular regulation, as well as the management of retinal vascular diseases. This review provides an overview of imaging and optical measurements of the function and structure of the ocular vasculature. We include general characteristics of vascular systems with an emphasis on the eye and its unique status. The functions of vascular systems are discussed, along with physical principles governing flow and its regulation. Vascular measurement techniques based on reflectance and absorption are briefly introduced, emphasizing ways of generating contrast. One of the prime ways to enhance contrast within vessels is to use techniques sensitive to the motion of cells, allowing precise measurements of perfusion and blood velocity. Finally, we provide a brief introduction to retinal vascular diseases.
From the Editor: The New Normal?
Authors: Kelly Rob
Published: June 2021

Hopefully, by the time you read this, the world will have turned the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic in reality instead of in press conferences, with the vaccines becoming more and more available, and vaccine hesitancy becoming less and less common. Looking back, I can see how much has changed. Some things will come back, and they will be great, with hugs and handshakes between friends and loved ones being one of my favorites. Masks are a pain in the rear, particularly for those who wear glasses, but having to greet from a distance is something that I will miss even less. Social gatherings will be back, including at in-person conferences (a word from our sponsor: maybe the 240th ECS Meeting in Orlando, October 10-14). I realize more than ever that these meetings are the only time that I see some people, especially those outside my specialty. Catching up over a meal and an adult beverage or two is the best way to spend evenings at the meetings.
Corrosion by Hot CO2 Gases
Authors: Young David J. , Zhang Jianqiang
Published: June 2021

Heat-resisting alloys are designed to survive high-temperature oxidation by forming a slow-growing scale, usually Cr2O3, which acts as a barrier between the metal and its environment. However, alloys that succeed in this way when exposed to hot oxygen or air fail to do so in CO2 gas. Instead, they exhibit rapid “breakaway” corrosion, developing oxides of alloy base metal iron and/or nickel. The growth of these non-protective scales is accompanied by internal carburization of the underlying alloy. Carbon passes through the oxide, dissolves in the alloy, and precipitates chromium as carbide. Removal of chromium from its matrix makes the alloy incapable of reforming chromia, and recovery from breakaway becomes impossible.
Long-term cerebrovascular dysfunction in the offspring from maternal electronic cigarette use during pregnancy
Authors: Burrage E. N. , Aboaziza E. , Hare L. , Reppert S. , Moore J. , Goldsmith W. T. , Kelley E. E. , Mills A. , Dakhlallah D. , Chantler P. D. , Olfert I. M.
Published: June 2021

These data established that vaping electronic cigarettes during pregnancy, with or without nicotine, is not safe and confers significant risk potential to the cerebrovascular health of offspring in early and adult life. A key finding is that vaping without nicotine does not protect offspring from cerebrovascular dysfunction and results in the same level of cerebrovascular dysfunction (compared with maternal vaping with nicotine), indicating that the physical and/or chemical properties from the base solution (other than nicotine) are responsible for the cerebrovascular dysfunction that we observed.
Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Alone and in Combination with Proprietary Chromium Complex on Endothelial Function in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Clinical Study
Authors: Pingali Usharani , Nutalapati Chandrasekhar , Gundagani Srinivas
Published: June 2021

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) represents a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that include hypertension, central obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia and is strongly associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and all-cause mortality. Early diagnosis is important to employ lifestyle and risk factor modification. Existing therapies are limited. Studies report positive effect of omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3FA) on symptoms of metabolic syndrome. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of ω-3FA alone and in combination with proprietary chromium complex (PCC) on endothelial function in subjects with metabolic syndrome. In this randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study, subjects were enrolled into the study after ethics committee (EC) approval and informed consent. Eligible subjects were randomized to receive ω-3FA concentrate 2000 mg (Group A-18 subjects), ω-3FA concentrate 2000 mg + PCC200 mcg (Group B-19 subjects), and ω-3FA concentrate 2000 mg + PCC400 mcg (Group C-21 subjects) daily for 12 weeks. Endothelial dysfunction as measured by reflection index (RI), biomarkers of oxidative stress (NO, MDA, and glutathione), and inflammation (hsCRP, endothelin-1, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1) were evaluated at baseline, 4, and 12 weeks. Lipid-profile and platelet-aggregation tests were performed at baseline and 12 weeks. Adverse drug reactions were recorded. Compliance was assessed by pill count method. GraphPad Prism8 was used for statistical analysis. Significant changes were seen from 4 weeks onwards in all the parameters evaluated. Significant improvement in RI% (mean ± SD = −2.56 ± 0.77 to −3.27 ± 0.67-group A, −2.33 ± 0.76 to 4.72 ± 0.79-group B; −2.39 ± 1.13 to 6.46 ± 1.00-group C) was seen at 12 weeks. Significant improvement in biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation was seen with all the treatment groups. Similarly, significant improvement in lipid profile was seen in group B and group C, while group A showed change in HDL, VLDL, and TG. Group C demonstrated the best response in the parameters evaluated. Three patients in group C reported gastrointestinal adverse events, which resolved spontaneously; none stopped the therapy. So, the addition of PCC to ω-3FA may prove to have beneficial effect in reducing cardiovascular morbidity in MetS patients.
[Retracted] Green Space Planning and Landscape Sustainable Design in Smart Cities considering Public Green Space Demands of Different Formats
Authors: Shan Juan , Huang Zhuo , Chen Sibo , Li Yue , Ji Wenli
Published: June 2021

The fast urban development leads to many complex problems. A smart city aims to solve these problems using scientific approaches. Urban Green Space (UGS) is a fundamental component of urban infrastructure. It needs to be upgraded simultaneously with the concept of the smart city. Methods of smart UGS planning and sustainable landscape design help integrate ecological performance and other functions of UGS. Smart UGS planning is a technical management tool and a human‐centered smart application. A novel UGS classification method based on function combinations is proposed in the present work. Five types of UGS (Scenic UGS, Residential UGS, Commercial UGS, Office UGS, and Road UGS) in Baqiao District of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, are selected as sample sites. Interviewees’ socio‐economic attributes, visiting frequencies, and differences in demands are investigated. Eventually, the UGSs researched in this work are optimized based on public preferences and the current conditions of the sites. Results demonstrate the following. (1) The public’s preference for different types of UGS is different considerably. (2) Based on the public’s preference, Scenic UGS is improved in terms of quantity, function, and management; Residential UGS is upgraded regarding quantity and accessibility; and Commercial UGS, Office UGS, and Road UGS are improved in terms of quality. The results could provide methodological references for planning different types of UGS and innovative insights for smart UGS planning and sustainable landscape design.
L
-Fuzzy Prime Spectrums of ADLs
Authors: Teshale Amare Natnael , Gonnabhaktula Srikanya , Santhi Sundar Raj Ch.
Published: June 2021

The notion of an Almost Distributive Lattice (ADL) is a common abstraction of several lattice theoretic and ring theoretic generalizations of Boolean algebra and Boolean rings. In this paper, the set of all

L

-fuzzy prime ideals of an ADL with truth values in a complete lattice

L

satisfying the infinite meet distributive law is topologized and the resulting space is discussed.
Comparison of Functional Outcome of Total and Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty Using Computer-Assisted Patient-Specific Templating
Authors: Morsy Atef Mohamed , Elbana Emad Gaber , Mostafa Ahmed Gaber , Edward Mark Ashraf , Hafez Mahmoud A.
Published: June 2021

Background. Knee arthroplasty surgeries are in ever-increasing demand. With unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), patients may benefit from a higher range of flexion and a better Knee Society Score (KSS). Aim. In this study, we compared the short-term clinical outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and UKA using the patient-specific templating (PST) technique. Methods. Two groups of 20 knees each were divided into UKA and TKA groups depending on the Oxford criteria of UKA. Only patients with medial compartmental osteoarthritis were included. KSS, functional knee score (FKS), and ROF were assessed preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. Results. The TKA group has shown a significant improvement compared to the UKA group in KSS (MD = 39.35 vs. 31.2, respectively,p=0.003). Both TKA and UKA have shown no significant difference concerning both the FKS (MD = 32 and 31.75, respectively,p=0.926) and ROF (MD = 10.25 and 7.25, respectively,p=0.072). Discussion. The higher improvement of KSS in the TKA group can be attributed to the fact that patients in the TKA had significantly worse KSS preoperatively. Also, the small improvement in ROF in the UKA group might be related to their wider preoperative ROF. Conclusion. Preoperatively, the TKA group had lower KSS and ROF compared to UKA. The improvement of KSS from preoperative to postoperative was more significant in TKA. However, the TKA group has shown less range of flexion postoperatively.
The Protective Effect of Aspirin Eugenol Ester on Oxidative Stress to PC12 Cells Stimulated with H2O2 through Regulating PI3K/Akt Signal Pathway
Authors: Zhang Zhen-Dong , Yang Ya-Jun , Liu Xi-Wang , Qin Zhe , Li Shi-Hong , Bai Li-Xia , Li Jian-Yong
Published: June 2021

Aspirin eugenol ester (AEE) is a new pharmaceutical compound esterified by aspirin and eugenol, which has anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and other pharmacological activities. This study is aimed at identifying the protective effect of AEE against H2O2‐induced apoptosis in rat adrenal pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and the possible mechanisms. The results of cell viability assay showed that AEE could increase the viability of PC12 cells stimulated by H2O2, while AEE alone had no significant effect on the viability of PC12 cells. Compared with the control group, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) were significantly decreased, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly increased in the H2O2 group. By AEE pretreatment, the level of MDA was reduced and the levels of SOD, CAT, and GSH‐Px were increased in H2O2‐stimulated PC12 cells. In addition, AEE could reduce the apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by H2O2 via reducing superoxide anion, intracellular ROS, and mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) and increasing the levels of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Furthermore, the results of western blotting showed that compared with the control group, the expression of p‐PI3K, p‐Akt, and Bcl‐2 was significantly decreased, while the expression of Caspase‐3 and Bax was significantly increased in the H2O2 group. In the AEE group, AEE pretreatment could upregulate the expression of p‐PI3K, p‐Akt, and Bcl‐2 and downregulate the expression of Caspase‐3 and Bax in PC12 cells stimulated with H2O2. The silencing of PI3K with shRNA and its inhibitor‐LY294002 could abrogate the protective effect of AEE in PC12 cells. Therefore, AEE has a protective effect on H2O2‐induced PC12 cells by regulating the PI3K/Akt signal pathway to inhibit oxidative stress.
Povidone Iodine Disinfection Associated with Hypothyroidism and Potentially Contributing to Prolonged Kidney Failure
Authors: Vercammen Yasmine , Dauwe Dieter , De Vlieger Greet , Houthoofd Sabrina , Desmet Lars , Casaer Michael P.
Published: June 2021

Objectives. To report a case of povidone-iodine (PVP-I, Iso-Betadine®) disinfection of lower leg fasciotomy wounds resulting in iodide absorption and possibly contributing to hypothyroidism and prolonged kidney injury. Design. Case report. Setting. Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), university hospital. Patients. A 13-year-old patient presenting with prolonged oligoanuric kidney failure and unexplained primary hypothyroidism three weeks after severe abdominal sepsis with multiple organ dysfunction and major rhabdomyolysis due to bilateral lower leg compartment syndrome, necessitating moderate size fasciotomies, disinfected daily with PVP-I. Interventions. Interruption of PVP-I exposure and initiation of thyroid hormone substitution. Measurements and Main Results. Hypothyroidism was revealed during diagnostic work-up for persistent hypertriglyceridemia. Thyroxine (T4) (4.0 mg/L) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) (64 ng/L) were moderately low, yet thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (16.8 mIU/L) was fourfold the maximal normal range value. This pattern, atypical for prolonged critical illness-related hypothyroidism, prompted interruption of PVP-I exposure and initiation of thyroid hormone substitution. Urinary production and creatinine clearance recovered during the following days, and one week later, intermittent renal replacement therapy could be terminated, suggesting that PVP-I toxicity and/or hypothyroidism may have contributed to the persistent renal failure three weeks after resolved septic shock and rhabdomyolysis. Elevated serum and urinary anion gap normalized simultaneously, but this evolution of rather nonspecific indices could be multifactorial. Conclusion. PVP-I is a commonly used broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent for prevention and treatment of wound infections. Toxic complications due to PVP-I absorption, after disinfection of extended thermal injuries larger than 20% of the body surface, have been described. In critically ill children, however, toxic effects of PVP-I may occur due to repeated disinfection of less extended wounds. Proposed screening strategies include: monitoring of the volumes of PVP-I applied daily; of the thyroid function, the serum, and/or urinary anion gap and the urinary iodide concentrations. These strategies, however, remain to be validated. This case report should be a wake-up call for daily integration of wound management in the clinical evaluation of critically ill patients.
Evaluation of Soil Drainage Methods for the Productivity of Waterlogged Vertisols in Jama District, Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Lebay Muluken , Abiye Wudu , Taye Tilahun , Belay Seid
Published: June 2021

Vertisols are important agricultural soils in the Ethiopian highlands. The highland part of the Jama district is one of which Vertisols have huge coverage and are underutilized due to waterlogging. Such potential Vertisol areas need to be put under wise cultivation. Thus, a study was conducted to investigate the effects of soil drainage methods on surface runoff, soil loss, and yield of wheat crop as indicators of productivity improvement of typical Vertisol in the Jama district of Amhara Region, Ethiopia, during the rainy season of 2017/18. The treatment comprised three soil drainage methods (BBF120, BBF80, and BBF40) arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications on standard runoff plots. Statistical Analysis System, version 9.0, was used to perform analysis of variance and mean separation of the collected data on yield, soil loss, and runoff. The result indicated that the effect of BBF120 brought significantly (

P
<
0.05

) higher difference on surface runoff, yield, and biomass of wheat over BBF40. The rainfall of about 55.05%, 51.45%, and 48.07% was lost as runoff from BBF120, BBF80, and BBF40, respectively. Drainage method BBF120 gave 34.6% and 17.3% of grain yield advantage over the drainage methods of BBF40 and BBF80, respectively, whereas soil loss was not significantly (

P
>
0.05

) different among all treatments; it is still in the range of soil loss tolerance in Ethiopia. As enhanced drainage is a requirement for successful crop production on Vertisol areas, BBF120 is recommended for draining excess runoff and consequently maximizing the yield of wheat in the study area and others with a similar farming system and agroecology.
Bullet Subtitle Sentiment Classification Based on Affective Computing and Ensemble Learning
Authors: Yu Lei , Wu Yu , Yang Jie , Zhang Yunkai
Published: June 2021

The bullet subtitle reflects a kind of instant feedback from the user to the current video. It is generally short but contains rich sentiment. However, the bullet subtitle has its own unique characteristics, and the effect of applying existing sentiment classification methods to the bullet subtitle sentiment classification problem is not ideal. First, since bullet subtitles usually contain a large number of buzzwords, existing sentiment lexicons are not applicable, we propose Chinese Bullet Subtitle Sentiment Lexicon on the basis of existing sentiment lexicons. Second, considering that some traditional affective computing methods only consider the text information and ignore the information of other dimensions, we construct a bullet subtitle affective computing method by combining the information of other dimensions of the bullet subtitle. Finally, aiming at the problem that existing classification algorithms ignore the importance of sentiment words in short texts, we propose a sentiment classification method based on affective computing and ensemble learning. Our experiment results show that the proposed method has higher accuracy and better practical application effect.
Factors Associated with Fluid Sequestration in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis: A Prospective Study in Tertiary Centre Hospital in Nepal
Authors: Bhandari Raju , Sapkota Krishna , Subedi Seema , Shrestha Som Kumar , Sutanto Edward , Jha Prabhat , Bhandari Ramesh Singh
Published: June 2021

Background. Acute pancreatitis (AP) is associated with extensive fluid sequestration. The aim of this study was to determine association of fluid sequestration at 48 hours after hospital admission (FS48) in AP patients with demographics, clinical parameters, and outcomes of AP. Methods. A prospective observational study was carried out on all adult patients with AP admitted to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Nepal, from January to September 2017. FS48 was calculated as the difference between fluid input and output in the first 48 hours of admission. The Kruskal-Wallis test with post hoc Dunn’s test examined the difference in FS48 between mild AP, moderately severe AP, and severe AP. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate association between FS48 with patients’ characteristics and outcomes of AP. Outcomes of AP assessed included pancreatic necrosis, persistent organ failure, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. Results. Eighty patients (median age 44 years; 57% male) with a median FS48 of 1610 mL were evaluated. The median FS48 for mild AP, moderately severe AP, and severe AP were 1,180 mL, 2,380 mL, and 3,500 mL, respectively. There was a significant difference in pairwise comparisons between mild AP and moderately severe AP, along with mild AP and severe AP. Younger age, other etiology, and higher creatinine were independently associated with increased FS48. Increased FS48 was significantly associated with pancreatic necrosis, persistent organ failure, and in-hospital mortality. Conclusions. In our study population, younger age and higher creatinine were predictors of increased FS48. Increased FS48 was associated with poorer outcomes of AP.
Multisource Ground Motion Attenuation Relationship Model for the Vertical Component of the Wenchuan Earthquake on May 12, 2008
Authors: Liu Ping , Ren Tongjie , Wang Hai , Li Chunfeng , Wang Baoqiang , Xu Zhengwei
Published: June 2021

In order to extend the multisource model to vertical ground motion, we fit the vertical ground motion attenuation relationship of the Wenchuan earthquake. Different from traditional attenuation relationship forms, we propose a simplified ground motion attenuation function including site effect via a flag related to VS30. The regression results show that it has site effect on the vertical ground motion of the Wenchuan earthquake and gradually weakens with the increase in periods. According to residuals analysis, the hanging‐wall effect on vertical ground motion is strong for the Wenchuan earthquake, especially in short periods. The result analysis indicates that the shape of the vertical response spectrum based on regression is different from that of the horizontal component and complies with the recommended design vertical response spectrum of FEMA P‐1050. V/H (vertical‐to‐horizontal ratios), as a main way to estimate vertical ground motion, cannot be simply fixed as 2/3. Therefore, site location, site condition, and frequency spectrum have to be considered comprehensively. The regression accuracy of the vertical ground motion of the multisource model is slightly higher than that of the point‐source model and lower than that of the finite fault source model. It is expected that this model will serve as an alternative for source‐to‐site distance when multiple asperities are to be modeled in the absence of the detail fault model to get a general scenario of the future ground motions.
Novel Concepts of Domination in Vague Graphs with Application in Medicine
Authors: Qiang Xiaoli , Akhoundi Maryam , Kou Zheng , Liu Xinyue , Kosari Saeed
Published: June 2021

VG can manage the uncertainty relevant to the inconsistent and indeterminate information of all real-world problems, in which FGs possibly will not succeed in bringing about satisfactory results. The previous definitions’ restrictions in FGs have made us present new definitions in VGs. A wide range of applications have been attributed to the domination in graph theory for several fields such as facility location problem, school bus routing, modeling biological networks, and coding theory. Therefore, in this research, we study several concepts of domination, such as restrained dominating set (RDS), perfect dominating set (PDS), global restrained dominating set (GRDS), total

k

-dominating set, and equitable dominating set (EDS) in VGs and also introduce their properties by some examples. Finally, we try to represent the application and importance of domination in the field of medical science and discuss the topic in today’s world, namely, the corona vaccine.