bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving the estimation of alpine grassland fractional vegetation cover using optimized algorithms and multi-dimensional features
Authors: Lin Xingchen , Chen Jianjun , Lou Peiqing , Yi Shuhua , Qin Yu , You Haotian , Han Xiaowen
Published: September 2021

Background

Fractional vegetation cover (FVC) is an important basic parameter for the quantitative monitoring of the alpine grassland ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) acquisition of measured data and matching it with satellite remote sensing images at the pixel scale, the proper selection of driving data and inversion algorithms can be determined and is crucial for generating high-precision alpine grassland FVC products.

Methods

This study presents estimations of alpine grassland FVC using optimized algorithms and multi-dimensional features. The multi-dimensional feature set (using original spectral bands, 22 vegetation indices, and topographical factors) was constructed from many sources of information, then the optimal feature subset was determined based on different feature selection algorithms as the driving data for optimized machine learning algorithms. Finally, the inversion accuracy, sensitivity to sample size, and computational efficiency of the four machine learning algorithms were evaluated.

Results

(1) The random forest (RF) algorithm (R2: 0.861, RMSE: 9.5%) performed the best for FVC inversion among the four machine learning algorithms driven by the four typical vegetation indices. (2) Compared with the four typical vegetation indices, using multi-dimensional feature sets as driving data obviously improved the FVC inversion accuracy of the four machine learning algorithms (R2 of the RF algorithm increased to 0.890). (3) Among the three variable selection algorithms (Boruta, sequential forward selection [SFS], and permutation importance-recursive feature elimination [PI-RFE]), the constructed PI-RFE feature selection algorithm had the best dimensionality reduction effect on the multi-dimensional feature set. (4) The hyper-parameter optimization of the machine learning algorithms and feature selection of the multi-dimensional feature set further improved FVC inversion accuracy (R2: 0.917 and RMSE: 7.9% in the optimized RF algorithm).

Conclusion

This study provides a highly precise, optimized algorithm with an optimal multi-dimensional feature set for FVC inversion, which is vital for the quantitative monitoring of the ecological environment of alpine grassland.
Organizational contextual factors that predict success of a quality improvement collaborative approach to enhance integrated HIV-tuberculosis services: a sub-study of the Scaling up TB/HIV Integration trial
Authors: Gengiah Santhanalakshmi , Connolly Catherine , Yende-Zuma Nonhlanhla , Barker Pierre M. , Nunn Andrew J. , Padayatchi Nesri , Taylor Myra , Loveday Marian , Naidoo Kogieleum
Published: September 2021

Background

A quality improvement (QI) collaborative approach to enhancing integrated HIV-Tuberculosis (TB) services may be effective in scaling up and improving the quality of service delivery. Little is known of the role of organizational contextual factors (OCFs) in influencing the success of QI collaboratives. This study aims to determine which OCFs were associated with improvement in a QI collaborative intervention to enhance integrated HIV-TB services delivery.

Methods

This is a nested sub-study embedded in a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Sixteen nurse supervisors (clusters) overseeing 40 clinics were randomized (1:1) to receive QI training and mentorship, or standard of care support (SOC). In the QI arm, eight nurse supervisors and 20 clinics formed a “collaborative” which aimed to improve HIV-TB process indicators, namely HIV testing, TB screening, isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) initiations, viral load testing, and antiretroviral therapy for TB patients. OCFs measured at baseline were physical infrastructure, key staff, flexibility of clinic hours, monitoring data for improvement (MDI), and leadership support. Surveys were administered to clinic staff at baseline and month 12 to assess perceptions of supportiveness of contexts for change, and clinic organization for delivering integrated HIV-TB services. Linear mixed modelling was used to test for associations between OCFs and HIV-TB process indicators.

Results

A total of 209 clinic staff participated in the study; 97 (46.4%) and 112 (53.6%) from QI and SOC arms, respectively. There were no differences between the QI and SOC arms scores achieved for physical infrastructure (78.9% vs 64.7%; p = 0.058), key staff (95.8 vs 92; p = 0.270), clinic hours (66.9 vs 65.5; p = 0.900), MDI (63.3 vs 65; p = 0.875, leadership support (46.0 vs 57.4; p = 0.265), and perceptions of supportiveness of contexts for change (76.2 vs 79.7; p = 0.128 and clinic organization for delivering integrated HIV-TB services (74.1 vs 80.1; p = 0.916). IPT initiation was the only indicator that was significantly improved in the parent study. MDI was a significantly associated with increasing IPT initiation rates [beta coefficient (β) = 0.004; p = 0.004].

Discussion

MDI is a practice that should be fostered in public health facilities to increase the likelihood of success of future QI collaboratives to improve HIV-TB service delivery.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02654613. Registered 01 June 2015.
Treatment outcome and compliance to dose-intensified linac-based SBRT for unfavorable prostate tumors using a novel real-time organ-motion tracking
Authors: Lucchini Raffaella , Panizza Denis , Colciago Riccardo Ray , Vernier Veronica , Daniotti Martina Camilla , Faccenda Valeria , Arcangeli Stefano
Published: September 2021

Purpose/objectives

To report preliminary data on treatment outcome and compliance to dose-intensified organ sparing SBRT for prostate cancer using a novel electromagnetic transmitter-based tracking system (RayPilot® System) to account for intra-fractional organ motion.

Material/methods

Thirteen patients with intermediate unfavorable (9) and selected high-risk (4) prostate cancer underwent dose-escalated SBRT in 4 or 5 fractions (BED1.5 = 279 Gy and 253 Gy, respectively). The VMAT treatment consisted in two 6FFF or 10FFF full arcs optimized to have the 95% isodose covering at least 95% of the PTV (2 mm isotropic expansion of the CTV). Whenever the real-time tracking registered a displacement that exceeded 2 mm during the setup and/or the beam delivery, the treatment was interrupted and the prostate motion was promptly corrected. The incidence of treatment-related genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, patient QoL and PSA outcomes were computed from the start of treatment to the last follow-up date.

Results

All patients completed the treatment in the expected time (10.2 +/− 4.2 minutes) and their compliance to the procedure was excellent. No clinically significant acute Grade 2 or higher GI (rectal) and GU side effects were observed within 90 days from the treatment completion. The median IPSS increased from 8 at baseline to 12 one-month after treatment and settled to 6 at 3 months. EPIC-26 scores in the urinary domain decreased from a median baseline of 86 pre-treatment to 79 at one-month and returned to baseline at a later timepoint (median score of 85 at 3 months). EPIC-26 scores in the bowel domains did not show significant changes within 3 months following RT. The prostate was found within 1 mm from its initial position in 78% of the beam-on time, between 1 and 2 mm in 20%, and exceeded 2 mm only in 2%, after correction for motion which was performed in 45% of the fractions, either during setup or beam delivery.

Conclusions

Our preliminary findings show that dose intensified SBRT for unfavorable prostate tumors does not come at the cost of an increased toxicity, provided that a reliable technique for real time prostate monitoring is ensured. Fast FFF beams contributed to reduce intra-fractional motion. These observations need to be confirmed on a larger scale and a longer follow up.
Comparing the running subcuticular technique versus the Donati technique in open carpal tunnel release: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Suwannaphisit Sitthiphong , Aonsong Wachirakorn , Suwanno Porames , Yuenyongviwat Varah
Published: September 2021

Background

There are various skin suture techniques for wound closure following carpal tunnel release, and well-performed suturing will result in low post-operative scar tenderness. The aim of this study was to compare the Donati suture technique and running subcuticular technique in terms of surgical scar, post-operative pain and functional outcome in open carpal tunnel release.

Methods

One-hundred forty-two patients were randomized using a computer-generated random number table into two groups receiving either running subcuticular suturing or Donati suturing after surgical intervention. We evaluated postoperative scarring using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS), pain intensity using a verbal numerical rating scale, and functional outcomes using the Thai version of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire after surgical decompression for carpal tunnel syndrome at 2, 6, and 12 weeks. Continuous data are reported as mean ± SD while normally distributed or as median (interquartile range) when the distribution was skewed.

Results

Lower scores at 2 weeks were given by the patients receiving the running subcuticular suture technique than the Donati suture technique (15.3 ± 4.8 vs 17 ± 4.6, respectively, P < 0.05) while the observer scores were not significantly different (15.6 ± 5.8 vs 16.7 ± 5.2, respectively, P = 0.15). At both 6 and 12 weeks post-surgical decompression both patient and observer scores were not significantly different. There were no differences between the groups in terms of VNRS pain scores and functional Boston Carpal Tunnel Scores at all time points.

Conclusions

This randomized controlled trial found that although scarring assessments were slightly better in the earliest period following wound closure after surgical decompression in carpal tunnel syndrome using the running subcuticular suture, the final results at 3 months postoperative were not significantly different.

Trial registration

The study was registered at https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/ (TCTR20191204002).
Changes of lake organic carbon sinks from closed basins since the Last Glacial Maximum and quantitative evaluation of human impacts
Authors: Li Yu , Zhang Xinzhong , Xu Lingmei , Zhang Yuxin , Ye Wangting , Li Yichan
Published: September 2021

Background

Closed basins occupy 21% of the world’s land area and can substantially affect global carbon budgets. Conventional understanding suggests that the terminal areas of closed basins collect water and carbon from throughout the entire basin, and changes in lake organic carbon sinks are indicative of basin-wide organic carbon storages. However, this hypothesis lacks regional and global validation. Here, we first validate the depositional process of organic carbon in a typical closed-basin region of northwest China using organic geochemical proxies of both soil and lake sediments. Then we estimate the organic carbon sinks and human impacts in extant closed-basin lakes since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).

Results

Results show that 80.56 Pg organic carbon is stored in extant closed-basin lakes mainly found in the northern mid-latitudes. Carbon accumulation rates vary from 17.54 g C m−2 yr−1 during modern times, 6.36 g C m−2 yr−1 during the mid-Holocene and 2.25 g C m−2 yr−1 during the LGM. Then, we evaluated the influence by human activities during the late Holocene (in the past three thousand years). The ratio of human impacts on lake organic carbon storage in above closed basins is estimated to be 22.79%, and human-induced soil organic carbon emissions in the past three thousand years amounted to 207 Pg.

Conclusions

While the magnitude of carbon storage is not comparable to those in peatland, vegetation and soil, lake organic carbon sinks from closed basins are significant to long-term terrestrial carbon budget and contain information of climate change and human impact from the whole basins. These observations improve our understanding of carbon sinks in closed basins at various time scales, and provide a basis for the future mitigation policies to global climate change.
Biomass, carbon stock and sequestration potential of Oxytenanthera abyssinica forests in Lower Beles River Basin, Northwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Abebe Shiferaw , Minale Amare Sewnet , Teketay Demel , Jayaraman Durai , Long Trinh Thang
Published: September 2021

Background

Given the large bamboo resource base with considerable potential to act as an important carbon sink, Ethiopia has included bamboo in the national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+) and Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) programs. However, little is known about the carbon stock and sequestration potential of bamboo forests. As a result, this research was conducted to quantify the carbon sequestration and storage capacity ofOxytenanthera abyssinicaforests in the Lower Beles River Basin, northwestern Ethiopia. To this end, a total of 54 circular plots, each measuring 100 m2with a radius of 5.64 m, were established to conduct the inventory in Assitsa and Eddida bamboo forests, the typical bamboo sites in Lower Beles River Basin. Biomass accumulation of bamboo was estimated using an allometric equation based on diameter at breast height (DBH) and age. Soil samples were taken from two different soil depths (0–15 and 15–30 cm) to determine soil organic carbon.

Results

Results indicate that the mean biomass of the bamboo forests in the study area accounted for about 177.1 $$\pm$$± 3.1 Mg ha−1. The mean biomass carbon and soil organic carbon stock of the bamboo forests were 83.2 $$\pm$$± 1.5 Mg C ha−1and 70 $$\pm$$± 1.7 Mg C ha−1, respectively. Therefore, the mean carbon stock of theO. abyssinicabamboo forests was 152.5 $$\pm$$± 2.5 Mg C ha−1to 559.8 $$\pm$$± 9.0 ton CO2 ha−1.

Conclusion

This study highlights the importance of assessing bamboo’s carbon stock and sequestration potential for enhancing its role in climate change mitigation and sustainable resource management. TheO. abyssinicabamboo forests of the study area have significant carbon stock and sequestration potential. Therefore, sustainable management of these crucial vegetation resources will enhance their role in providing ecosystem services, including climate change mitigation.
COVID-19 and multiple crises in Afghanistan: an urgent battle
Authors: Essar Mohammad Yasir , Hasan Mohammad Mehedi , Islam Zarmina , Riaz Mehr Muhammad Adeel , Aborode Abdullahi Tunde , Ahmad Shoaib
Published: September 2021

The political and military advance of the Taliban, reduced healthcare capacity, and imminent humanitarian crisis risk exacerbating an already very serious threat posed by COVID-19 in Afghanistan. The continued rise of COVID-19 cases in Afghanistan appears inevitable, but poor diagnostic capacity prevents accurate case measurement, while vaccine provision is extremely limited. This letter highlights how the recent changes in Afghanistan risk exacerbating the COVID-19 and ongoing health emergency in the country.
Isopsoralen ameliorates rheumatoid arthritis by targeting MIF
Authors: Han Yi , Wang Jinguang , Li Shufeng , Li Yi , Zhang Yongli , Zhang Ruojia , Zhang Yuang , Fan Huancai , Shi Haojun , Pan Jihong , Song Guanhua , Ge Luna , Wang Lin
Published: September 2021

Background

Isopsoralen (IPRN), one of the active ingredients of Psoralea corylifolia Linn, has anti-inflammatory properties. We attempted to investigate the inhibitory effects of IPRN on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and characterize its potential mechanism.

Methods

RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) and mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were used as in vitro and in vivo models to analyze the antiarthritic effect of IPRN. Histological analysis of the inflamed joints from mice with CIA was performed using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), network pharmacology analysis, molecular docking, drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay, and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) were performed to evaluate the targets of IPRN.

Results

IPRN ameliorated the inflammatory phenotype of RA FLSs by inhibiting their cytokine production, migration, invasion, and proangiogenic ability. IPRN also significantly reduced the severity of CIA in mice by decreasing paw thickness, arthritis score, bone damage, and serum inflammatory cytokine levels. A mechanistic study demonstrated that macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a key protein in the inflammatory process, was the specific target by which IPRN exerted its anti-inflammatory effects in RA FLSs.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates the antiarthritic effect of IPRN, which suggests the therapeutic potential of IPRN in RA.
Systemic lupus erythematous presenting with hemorrhagic shock caused by gastric penetration of pancreatic pseudocyst: a case report
Authors: Itagaki Hideya , Katuhiko Suzuki
Published: September 2021

Background

Systemic lupus erythematous that causes various organ damage is rarely associated with pancreatic lesion. To the best of our knowledge, no cases presenting with hemorrhage shock caused by gastric penetration of pancreatic pseudocyst due to lupus pancreatitis have been reported. Herein, we report a case of hemorrhage shock caused by gastric penetration of pancreatic pseudocyst due to lupus pancreatitis.

Case presentation

A 53-year-old Japanese man with a history of systemic lupus erythematous, pancreatic pseudocyst, and chronic pancreatitis complained of epigastric pain and had hematemesis. He visited our emergency room and was admitted in our hospital. Upper endoscopy showed that hemostasis was obtained; however, computed tomography scan was performed since he was suspected to have gastric penetration into hollow viscera. The computed tomography revealed accumulation of fluid around the pancreas and gastric penetration of pancreatic cyst. Blood test showed increased serum amylase level. These results suggest that the exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis causes the penetration. Surgery was considered; however, we took a wait-and-see approach since hemostasis was obtained. After that, he was in stable condition, although he suffered from fever and accumulation of left pleural effusion was observed by computed tomography. However, he had massive hematemesis and melena 9 days after hospitalization and died in spite of several treatments including blood transfusion. Autopsy revealed that he actually had pleural thickening, which is not caused by accumulation of left pleural effusion but by severe pleural inflammation. We therefore performed additional blood and urinary tests on the same day. The test results showed that he had a high titer of anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) antibody, hypocomplementemia, and erythrocyturia, indicating that he had systemic lupus erythematous with high disease activity considering his fever and pleural inflammation.

Conclusions

Patients who have systemic lupus erythematous with high disease activity have the potential to develop fatal complications due to pancreatitis, so appropriate treatments are required for such patients.
Analytical properties of type 2 degenerate poly-Bernoulli polynomials associated with their applications
Authors: Khan Waseem A. , Muhiuddin Ghulam , Muhyi Abdulghani , Al-Kadi Deena
Published: September 2021

Recently, Kim et al. (Adv. Differ. Equ. 2020:168, 2020) considered the poly-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials resulting from the moderated version of degenerate polyexponential functions. In this paper, we investigate the degenerate type 2 poly-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials which are derived from the moderated version of degenerate polyexponential functions. Our degenerate type 2 degenerate poly-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials are different from those of Kim et al. (Adv. Differ. Equ. 2020:168, 2020) and Kim and Kim (Russ. J. Math. Phys. 26(1):40–49, 2019). Utilizing the properties of moderated degenerate poly-exponential function, we explore some properties of our type 2 degenerate poly-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials. From our investigation, we derive some explicit expressions for type 2 degenerate poly-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials. In addition, we also scrutinize type 2 degenerate unipoly-Bernoulli polynomials related to an arithmetic function and investigate some identities for those polynomials. In particular, we consider certain new explicit expressions and relations of type 2 degenerate unipoly-Bernoulli polynomials and numbers related to special numbers and polynomials. Further, some related beautiful zeros and graphical representations are displayed with the help of Mathematica.
Towards an educational data literacy framework: enhancing the profiles of instructional designers and e-tutors of online and blended courses with new competences
Authors: Papamitsiou Zacharoula , Filippakis Michail E. , Poulou Marilena , Sampson Demetrios , Ifenthaler Dirk , Giannakos Michail
Published: September 2021

In the era of digitalization of learning and teaching processes, Educational Data Literacy (EDL) is highly valued and is becoming essential. EDL is conceptualized as the ability to collect, manage, analyse, comprehend, interpret, and act upon educational data in an ethical, meaningful, and critical manner. The professionals in the field of digitally supported education, i.e., Instructional Designers (IDs) and e-Tutors (eTUTs) of online and blended courses, need to be ready to inform their decisions with educational data, and face the upcoming data-related challenges; they need to update and enhance their profiles with relevant competences. This paper proposes a framework for EDL competence profiles of IDs/eTUTs and evaluates the proposal with the participation of worldwide professionals (N = 210) with experience in digitally supported education. The evaluation aims at validating the proposal and assesses (a) the current EDL-readiness of IDs/eTUTs; and (b) the extent to which the framework captures and describes the essential EDL competences. The findings indicate that professionals are not EDL-competent yet, but the proposed dimensions and related competences are offering a solid approach to support EDL development.
3-T MRI and clinical validation of ultrasound-guided transperineal laser ablation of benign prostatic hyperplasia
Authors: Manenti Guglielmo , Perretta Tommaso , Calcagni Antonello , Ferrari Donatella , Ryan Colleen P. , Fraioli Federico , Meucci Rosaria , Malizia Andrea , Iacovelli Valerio , Agrò Enrico Finazzi , Floris Roberto
Published: September 2021

Background

Transperineal laser ablation (TPLA) of the prostate is a novel, mini-invasive option for men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Our aim was to assess the impact of ultrasound-guided TPLA regarding urodynamic improvement and sexual function, monitoring clinical data, postprocedural complications and imaging findings at 3-T multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods

Forty-four patients aged ≥ 50 affected with moderate to severe LUTS (International Prostate Symptoms score ≥ 12) due to benign prostatic obstruction and refractoriness, intolerance or poor compliance to medical therapies underwent US-guided TPLA between May 2018 and February 2020. Clinical measurements included PSA, uroflowmetry, sexual function assessment (using the International Index of Erectile Function and Male Sexual Health Questionnaire-Ejaculatory Dysfunction short form) and quality of life questionnaire. Adverse events were evaluated using the Clavien-Dindo scale. Volume changes were measured by MRI and automatic segmentation software during 1-year follow-up. Registration: NCT04044573 – May 5th, 2018, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov

Results

MRI assessed the changes over time with a 53% mean reduction of adenoma volume and 71% of the ablated area, associated with clinical and functional improvement and resolution of LUTS in all cases. Five of 44 patients (11.3%) had urinary blockage due to clots and required re-catheterisation for 2 weeks. The overall adverse event rate was 7%.

Conclusion

US-guided TPLA performed as a safe, manageable and effective treatment for LUTS. It could be considered an alternative effective mini-invasive procedure to standard treatments for BPH in the outpatient setting.
Isolation and evaluation of bacterial endophytes against Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet, the causal of pearl millet downy mildew
Authors: Sangwan Pooja , Raj Kushal , Wati Leela , Kumar Anil
Published: September 2021

Background

Pearl millet remains prone to many diseases; among them downy mildew caused by Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet is economically more important. The use of endophytic bacteria for management of downy mildew of pearl millet as eco-friendly approach is increasing attention as sustainable alternative to pesticides. The objective of the present study was to isolate endophytic bacteria from roots of pearl millet cultivars and assess for biocontrol activity against Sclerospora graminicola.

Results

Thirty pearl millet root bacterial endophytes (PMRBEs) were isolated and screened in vitro for biocontrol activities such as: siderophore production, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production and 1-amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity. Sixteen isolates possessed siderophore production potential, 3 isolates were found to be HCN producers, and 30% of the bacterial endophytes showed a good growth on ACC supplemented plates. On the basis of biocontrol activities, promising endophyte PMRBE6 was selected for seed treatment as well as a foliar spray to manage downy mildew of pearl millet in screen house experiment. The isolate PMRBE6 was found to be effective in managing downy mildew disease. Grain yield, test weight, plant height and average number of productive tillers were found to be maximum on inoculation of seeds of different pearl millet cultivars with PMRBE6, and the results were statistically significant as compared to control.

Conclusions

On the basis of biochemical characterization and partial 16S rRNA sequencing, the isolate PMRBE6 was identified as Bacillus subtilis strain PD4 (Accession no. MN400209). Pearl millet root bacterial endophyte (PMRBE6) exhibiting biocontrol activities could be exploited in friendly, sustainable organic agriculture.
Density of quasi-localized modes in athermal glasses
Authors: Kumar Avanish , Procaccia Itamar , Singh Murari
Published: September 2021

A careful examination of the Quasi-Localized Modes (QLMs) that exist in a generic atomistic model of a glass former reveals at least two types of them, each exhibiting a different density of states, one depending on the frequency as

and the other as

. The properties of the glassy energy landscape that is responsible for the two types of modes is examined here, explaining the analytic feature responsible for the creations of (at least) two families of QLMs. It is argued that the QLMs that are revealed by diagonalizing the Hessian matrix are not related to possibly existing Two-Level Systems (TLS).
Burrowing star-nosed moles (Condylura cristata) are not hypoxia tolerant
Authors: Devereaux Maiah E. M. , Campbell Kevin L. , Munro Daniel , Blier Pierre U. , Pamenter Matthew E.
Published: September 2021

Star-nosed moles (Condylura cristata) have an impressive diving performance and burrowing lifestyle, yet no ventilatory data are available for this or any other talpid mole species. We predicted that, like many other semi-aquatic and fossorial small mammals, star-nosed moles would exhibit: (i) a blunted (i.e. delayed or reduced) hypoxic ventilatory response, (ii) a reduced metabolic rate and (iii) a lowered body temperature (Tb) in hypoxia. We thus non-invasively measured these variables from wild-caught star-nosed moles exposed to normoxia (21% O2) or acute graded hypoxia (21–6% O2). Surprisingly, star-nosed moles did not exhibit a blunted HVR or decreased Tb in hypoxia, and only manifested a significant, albeit small (<8%), depression of metabolic rate at 6% O2 relative to normoxic controls. Unlike small rodents inhabiting similar niches, star-nosed moles are thus intolerant to hypoxia, which may reflect an evolutionary trade-off favouring the extreme sensory biology of this unusual insectivore.
Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on Retinal Surgeries
Authors: Awan Muhammad Amer , Shaheen Fiza , Mohsin Fatima
Published: September 2021

Objectives: To determine the frequency and severity of surgical Vitreo-Retinal diseases during COVID-19 lockdown period (LP) and compare it with same period last year.

Methods: Single hospital based retrospective Cohort Study. Data of the patients that underwent retinal surgeries during the COVID-19 LP i.e., 23-03-2020 till 23-06-2020 and same period last year i.e., 23-03-2019 till 23-06-2019 was analyzed.

Results: One hundred thirty-six eyes of 105 patients were included. Among these eyes, 48 (35.3%) were operated during the COVID-19 LP while 88 (64.7%) were operated during the same time last year. A decline of 45.5% (p=0.023) was observed in the frequency of surgeries during the LP. Mean age of patients during the LP was 43.2 ± 20.3 years compared to 48.4 ± 17.9 years last year. There was reduction in the surgeries for Diabetic Tractional Retinal Detachment (11.4% vs 4.2% during LP, p=0.166), Vitreous hemorrhage (10.2% vs 8.3% during LP, p=0.04), Full thickness macular hole (3.4% vs 0% during LP) and Epiretinal membrane (12.5% vs 0% during LP). While Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (27.3% vs 58.3% during LP, p<0.001) among other disorders had a higher proportion during the LP.

Conclusion: The decline in the frequency of retinal surgeries during the LP is indicative of complex pathologies presenting later with more advanced disease. However, earlier presentation and an increase trend in surgeries for RRD during the LP shows the positive impact of free time on the health concerns of our population.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.7.4291

How to cite this:Awan MA, Shaheen F, Mohsin F. Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on Retinal Surgeries. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(7):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.7.4291

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Próba rekonstrukcji socjotopografii średniowiecznego Chełmna na przykładzie kwartału większego
Authors: Superczyński Mateusz
Published: September 2021

Artykuł ukazuje problemy związane z opracowaniem struktury społecznej i zawodowej średniowiecznego Chełmna w świetle zachowanych ksiąg miejskich. W tekście omówiono źródła do badań nad socjotopografią tego miasta oraz możliwości i metody badawcze. W aneksie przedstawiony został wykaz mieszczan kwartału wielkiego, który został sporządzony na podstawie kilku rejestrów podatkowych oraz innych źródeł archiwalnych. Na znajdującym się na końcu artykułu planie miasta przedstawiono siatkę działek kolorystycznie zaznaczając zawody uprawiane przez osoby zamieszkujące znajdujące się na nich domy.
Rzut oka na dzieje archiwów w Polsce w latach 1944–1989
Authors: Tandecki Janusz
Published: September 2021

Bezpośrednio po wojnie starano się w Polsce odtworzyć sieć archiwów, która bazowała na wzorach sprzed 1939 r. i jednocześnie uwzględniała dokonane w 1945 r. zmiany terytorialne. Wiele wysiłku w tę odbudowę włożyli wówczas dawni, wykształceni jeszcze przed wojną archiwiści z archiwów państwowych, samorządowych i prywatnych oraz ludzie nowi, którzy podjęli pracę w placówkach archiwalnych już po 1945 r. Sytuacja uległa radykalnej zmianie w okresie stalinizmu, szczególnie po wydaniu w 1951 r. Dekretu o archiwach państwowych, który zdecydowanie zerwał z modelem przedwojennym. Wprowadził on m.in. centralizację państwowej sieci archiwalnej i zapewnił archiwom państwowym kontrolę nad zasobem przechowywanym w innych placówkach publiczno-prawnych. Zmiany polityczne i społeczne w Polsce doprowadziły do uchwalenia 14 lipca 1983 r. nowej Ustawy o narodowym zasobie archiwalnym i archiwach. Wprowadziła ona m.in. pojęcie narodowego zasobu archiwalnego, uregulowała sprawę zarządzania tym zasobem oraz umocniła centralizację nadzoru nad nim. W prawie tym generalnie utrzymano wcześniej obowiązujące postanowienia dotyczące organizacji sieci archiwalnej i form działalności archiwów.
Using Machine Learning to Improve Public Reporting on U.S. Government Contracts
Authors: Muir William A. , Reich Daniel
Published: September 2021

The U.S. government procures more than $500 billion annually in goods and services on public contracts, which it classifies using a hierarchical product and service taxonomy. Classification serves several purposes, including transparency in the use of taxpayer funding; reporting, tracing, and segmenting government expenditures; budgeting; and forecasting. Government acquisition personnel have historically performed these classifications manually, resulting in a process that is time-consuming and error-prone and offers limited visibility into government purchases. The problem faced is not unique to the public sector and is common across retail, manufacturing, and healthcare, among other settings. Using almost 4 million historical data records on governmental purchases, we fit a series of classifiers and demonstrate (a) superior performance when explicitly modeling the hierarchical structure of information domains through the use of top-down strategies and (b) the effectiveness of character-level convolutional neural networks when textual inputs are terse and contain irregularities such as abnormal character combinations and misspellings, which are common in government contracts. Our machine learning models are embedded in multiple software applications, including a web application that we developed, used by federal government personnel and other contracting professionals.
Transfer of passive immunity in dairy calves
Authors: Glover Ian
Published: September 2021

Colostrum intake is vital for the transfer of immunoglobulins from dam to calf, enabling a functional immune response when required during early life. Colostrum management is therefore a key part of preventing disease and mortality in young dairy calves. Additional benefits of adequate colostrum provision include improved growth and future milk yield. Research indicates the need for more stringent targets with respect to both colostrum provision for calves and when monitoring calves for transfer of passive immunity (TPI). The extent of TPI in calves is reflected in the concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in serum, and is under the influence of a multitude of factors, many of which may be managed by farmers and veterinary surgeons in order to improve TPI on farms.
Sheep abortion – a roundtable discussion
Authors: Crilly JP , Carson Amanda , Gascoigne Emily , Griffiths Bryan , Griffiths Liz , Henry Joseph , Hamer Kim , Hovers Kate , Lovatt Fiona , Richey Moyna
Published: September 2021

Foreword

Abortion takes a heavy toll on the sheep industry, not only economically, but in emotional terms too. Enzootic abortion in ewes is consistently the most frequent diagnosis followed in descending order by infection with Toxoplasma gondii, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp. Causes of abortion also lead to increased barren rates, and the birth of weak lambs, so the impact of these pathogens is greater than just abortion. Fortunately there are vaccines for the two most common causes of abortion, providing farmers and the veterinary surgeons advising them with effective and sustainable tools in the control of enzootic abortion and toxoplasmosis. The uptake of these vaccines, however, remains lower than might reasonably be expected. In this roundtable discussion the barriers to the implementation of the extant measures of abortion control were discussed and suggestions made as to how abortion can better be prevented.
The CQC's new five-year strategy
Authors: Halliwell Amanda
Published: September 2021

What does the Care Quality Commission's new five-year strategy hold for providers? What kind of inspection regime might you expect? Amanda Halliwell reports
Taking on a new GP partner
Authors: Cumberlege Justin
Published: September 2021

Justin Cumberlege, a partner in the healthcare law firm Hempsons, highlights some considerations when a new partner joins you
Aesthetic Uniqueness of Public Space. Based on the Example of the Region of Łódź(Poland) Basic Terminological Issues
Authors: Mróz Jowita
Published: September 2021

The concept of uniqueness can be an important critical tool. But as related to architecture, buildings, or the entire architectural and visual landscape of the city it appears frequently in many different contexts.

One can state that describing objects in public space and even entire urban complexes in terms of uniqueness plays a marketing role – it increases the tourist attractiveness of the area – as well as socio-cultural role, because it helps to strengthen the city and build its community’s sense of identity. Indicating these goals or the intention to create uniqueness in the region of Łódź draws attention to another, more fundamental theoretical-linguistic issue, namely, what it means that something is unique.

Taking into account etymology, theoretical approach, as well as possible values attributed to ‛uniqueness,’ I will consider main terminological problems with the notion. Bearing in mind these basic theoretical-linguistic issues, I will consider whether there are unique objects in the city of Łódź and the region. Trying to answer this question I will review phenomena and objects that could be considered as unique. Identifying possible uniqueness of the places and objects located in public spaces of the region of Łódź, I will consider what can create a unique panorama of urban space in Łódź and its region, and on what scale this uniqueness can be considered in order to avoid the feeling that in some sense everything is unique, or nothing is, because it imitates or resembles existing solutions, ideas in other cities of Poland or Europe.
The image of contemporary architecture of Wrocław depicted in recent tourist commercial and Internet media
Authors: Bursiewicz Natalia
Published: September 2021

The aim of the paper is to present the tourist and image potential of contemporary public architecture. Wrocław was chosen as the research subject, as it is a historical center with an extremely rich architectural heritage, which has enjoyed great interest among visitors for centuries. With the announcement of Wrocław as the European Capital of Culture 2016, and then the European Best Destination in 2018, its attractiveness increased significantly, which was reflected not only in the number of visitors, but also in the advertising materials themselves. Both before and after arrival, millions of tourists encounter a multitude of various advertising forms, both virtual and printed, which determine the direction of sightseeing and shape a specific image and perception of the city. In general opinion, Wrocław is considered a historic city, the most interesting places of which are concentrated around the Old Town and Ostrów Tumski. The Centennial Hall, built at the beginning of the 20th century, stands out from the „newer heritage”. The idea of the study, however, was to answer the question whether contemporary architecture is used in any way in the current tourist advertisement of the city. Another goal was to identify and list the most frequently appearing objects from the adopted group, and to analyze the manner of their presentation. Based on the collected materials, efforts were made to assess the role of the media in creating a tourist product in terms of promoting local architecture in recent years. At the same time, an attempt was made to evaluate the role of architecture in creating the city’s progressive brand. In the research, the author used the method of analyzing the existing statistical data, iconographic research and the method of analyzing the content of advertising materials, as well as scientific studies on cultural heritage and tourism in the city. The final part of the paper shows that modern architecture can be a significant element increasing the tourist attractiveness of the city.
Optical response and spill-out effects of metal nanostructures with arbitrary shape
Authors: Zhang Heng , Huang Chuanfu
Published: September 2021

In this paper, we propose a simple model to incorporate the spill-out effect of metal nanostructures, which can impact the nanostructure plasmonic properties prominently. Based on Maxwell’s equations, this model divides the smeared-out area into a certain number of thinner layers, and thereby the spatial variable of dielectric function can be adjusted into an integer number. In principle, through the finite element method, the model can be applied to arbitrarily shaped metal nanostructures with spill-out effects. As demonstrative examples, the optical resonance spectra of sodium and potassium metal spheres were computed using the proposed model, and the redshifted plasmon peaks were attained and compared to previous research to support the model. Last, we successfully applied the proposed method to particles with lower symmetry relative to sphere particles, such as prolate spheroids and coned particles, and achieved redshift resonance with the consideration of spill-out layers.
Analysis of laser plasma dynamics using the time resolved nonlinear optical response of ablated carbon nanocomposites mixed with epoxy resin
Authors: Kim Vyacheslav V. , Ganeev Rashid A. , Rao Konda Srinivasa , Yu Weili , Li Wei
Published: September 2021

Nonlinear optical properties of carbon nanostructures attract attention due to the unique response of these materials during interactions with ultrashort laser pulses. Here we probe the carbon nanocomposites mixed with epoxy resin in laser-induced plasmas using the high-order harmonics generation (HHG) method. We analyze the nanosecond pulses induced plasmas containing three carbon nanostructures (fullerenes, multiwalled carbon nanotubes and diamond nanoparticles) using 40 fs pulses propagating through these plasmas. HHG efficiencies in ablated graphite and nanocomposites are compared. We utilize two digitally synchronized (nanosecond and femtosecond) laser sources allowing for the HHG-based analysis of the evolution of different plasma plumes up to 10 µs delay from the beginning of ablation. The role of different carbon-containing nanocomposites is analyzed and the evidence for the presence of various nanomaterials in laser-induced plasma at the moment of propagation of the driving femtosecond pulses is demonstrated.
Spectrally combined three-diode-pumped compact femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser exceeding 1 W mode-locked power
Authors: Song Dong Hoon , Seo Hong-Seok
Published: September 2021

The achievement of a high average power exceeding 1 W remains a major challenge for direct-diode pumped and mode-locked femtosecond Ti:sapphire lasers. Herein, we demonstrate high-power soliton-like pulses from a direct spectrally combined three-diode-pumped and semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM)-based mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. Its mode-locked output power of up to 1 W was obtained in correspondence with a 68.8 MHz repetition rate and 55 fs pulse duration; thus, the pulse energy and peak power are 14.5 nJ and 264 kW, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest reported output power and pulse energy from a Ti:sapphire laser with three spectrally combined pump diodes (471 nm, 491 nm, and 525 nm) and a simple beam expander. For efficient pumping, the combined pump beam, directed into the lens (f = 60 mm), which comprised three aspheric lenses along the fast axis and a shared cylindrical beam telescope (8× magnification) along the slow axis, resulting in a circular-focused beam in the Ti:sapphire crystal. The beam waist was measured to be 39 μm ×38 μm along the slow and fast axes.
Ultrafast attosecond-magnetic-field generation of the charge migration process based on HeH2+ and H2
+ electronically excited by circularly polarized laser pulses
Authors: Xu Qing-Yun , Yang Zhi-Jie , He Yong-Lin , Gao Fang-Yan , Lu Hui-Zhong , Guo Jing
Published: September 2021

The ultrafast process by the electron in molecular ions from one site or region to another that has come to be known as charge migration (CM), which is of fundamental importance to photon induced chemical or physical reactions. In this work, we study the electron current and ultrafast magnetic-field generation based on CM process of oriented asymmetric (HeH2+) and symmetric (H2+) molecular ions. Calculated results show that they are ascribed to quantum interference of electronic states for these molecular ions under intense circularly polarized (CP) laser pulses. The two scenarios of (i) resonance excitation and (ii) direct ionization are considered through appropriately utilizing designed laser pulses. By comparison, the magnetic field induced by the scenario (i) is stronger than that of scenario (ii) for molecular ions. However, the scheme (ii) is very sensitive to the helicity of CP field, which is opposite to the scenario (i). Moreover, the magnetic field generated by H2+ is stronger than that by HeH2+ through scenario (i). Our findings provide a guiding principle for producing ultrafast magnetic fields in molecular systems for future research in ultrafast magneto-optics.
Designing optical fields in inhomogeneous media
Authors: Aborahama Yousuf , Mojahedi Mo
Published: September 2021

Designing optical fields with predetermined properties in source-free inhomogeneous media has been a long-sought goal due to its potential utilization in many applications, such as optical trapping, micromachining, imaging, and data communications. Using ideas from the calculus of variations, we provide a general framework based on the Helmholtz equation to design optical fields with prechosen amplitude and phase inside an inhomogeneous medium. The generated field is guaranteed to be the closest physically possible rendition of the desired field. The developed analytical approach is then verified via different techniques, where the approach’s validity is demonstrated by generating the desired optical fields in different inhomogeneous media.
Is left-behind a real reason for children’s social cognition deficit? An fNIRS study on the effect of social interaction on left-behind preschooler’s prefrontal activation
Authors: Ding Keya , Li Chuanjiang , Jia Huibin , Zhang Mingming , Yu Dongchuan
Published: September 2021

The left-behind phenomenon, caused by parent out-migration, has become a common social issue and might lead to long-term and potential risks for children in rural areas of China. It is important to investigate the effect of social interaction on prefrontal activation of left-behind children in China because of possible effects of parent out-migration on children’s social cognition. We recruited 81 rural Chinese preschoolers aged 52–76 months (mean = 64.98 ± 6.321 months) preschoolers with three different statuses of parental out-migration (including non-, partially, and completely left-behind children). Using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), we compared behavior and brain activation and in three groups (non-, partially-, completely-left-behind children) under two different social interaction conditions (child-teacher and child-stranger situation). Results revealed that initiating joint attention (IJA) may evoke higher brain activation than responding to joint attention (RJA) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), especially in the case of initiating joint attention with the stranger. In addition, the activation of joint attention was positively correlated with children’s language score, cognitive flexibility, and facial expression recognition. More importantly, partially-left-behind children evoked higher brain activation in the IJA condition and presented a higher language level than completely/non-left-behind children. The current study provides insight into the neural basis of left-behind children’s development and revealed for the first time that family economic level and left-behind status may contribute to the lower social cognition.