bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inclusion of Spirulina platensis and Salvia verbenaca extracts to boost semen quality and fertilization ability in sheep
Authors: Ben Moula Anass , Rahim Abdellatif , Chentouf Mouad , Raes Marianne , Kirschvink Nathalie , El Amiri Bouchra
Published: February 2023

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Spirulina platensis (SP) and Salvia verbenaca (SV) extracts added to skimmed milk (SM) extender on ram sperm quality and fertility. Semen was collected using an artificial vagina, extended in SM to reach a final concentration of 0.8 × 109 spermatozoa/mL, stored at 4°C and evaluated at 0, 5 H and 24 H. The experiment has been performed in three steps. Firstly, from four extracts (methanol: MeOH, acetone: Ac, ethyl acetate: EtOAc and hexane: Hex) of SP and SV, only acetonic and hexanoic extracts of SP and acetonic and methanolic extracts of SV showed the highest in vitro antioxidant activities and were then selected for the following step. Thereafter, the effects of four concentrations (1.25, 3.75, 6.25, and 8.75 μg/mL) of each selected extract on stored sperm motility were evaluated. The output of this trial led to select the best concentrations having beneficial effects on sperm quality parameters (viability, abnormalities, membrane integrity, and lipid peroxidation) and fertility after insemination. The results showed that the same concentration (1.25 μg/mL) of both Ac‐SP and Hex‐SP, as well as 3.75 μg/mL of Ac‐SV and 6.25 μg/mL of MeOH‐SV, maintain all sperm quality parameters at 4°C during 24 H of storage. Besides, no difference was found in fertility between the selected extracts and the control. In conclusion, SP and SV extracts were shown to improve the quality of ram sperm and to maintain fertility rate after insemination as similar or competitive to many previous studies published in the field.
Egg yolk plasma enriched with β‐carotene through the diet of laying hens and adding it to the extender improves the quality of frozen semen in Arabic stallions
Authors: Hatami Maryam , Qasemi‐panahi Babak , Daghigh Kia Hossein , Moghaddam Gholamali , Janmohammadi Hossein
Published: February 2023

Equine semen cryopreservation is one of the major procedures for the genetic conservation of rare and endangered genotypes. The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of egg yolk plasma (EYP) enriched with β‐carotene as an antioxidant supplement on INRA‐96 extender regarding freezing Arabic stallion sperm. For this purpose, β‐carotene various concentrations were utilized as a supplementary ingredient in formulating the diets of laying hens. Birds were randomly divided into four groups, fed with 0 (control), 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg in a supplemented diet with β‐carotene. Subsequently, various variants of enriched extender (INRA‐96 + 2.5% glycerol [G]) were gained by adding 2% EYP from four treatment groups. The sperm characteristics, including motility, viability, morphology, plasma membrane integrity (HOS test), lipid peroxidation (MDA) and DNA fragmentation, were evaluated after thawing. According to the results obtained in this study, the addition of EYP from T2 and T4 (500 and 2000 mg/kg of β‐carotene in hens' diet) to the extender (INRA‐96 + 2.5% G) leads to an increase in total motility (50.50% and 49.49%, respectively), progressive motility (32.6% and 31.8%, respectively), viability (68.7% and 66.1%, respectively) and plasma membrane integrity (57.7% and 50.6%, respectively). Moreover, lipid peroxidation (1.3 and 1.4 nmol/mL, respectively) and DNA fragmentation (8.6% and 9.9%, respectively) were diminished using the mentioned treatments. However, sperm morphology was not affected by the treatments. In the current study, we concluded that the optimal concentration of β‐carotene in the laying hen's diet (500 mg/kg) could reveal the best results about sperm quality. So, EYP enriched with β‐carotene acts as a valuable natural and safe supplementary material that could be exploited for enhancing stallion sperm quality in cryopreservation conditions.
Narrative persuasion and psychological distance: Analyzing the effectiveness of distance‐framed narratives in communicating ocean plastic pollution
Authors: Liu Sixiao , Yang Janet Z.
Published: February 2023

Narratives have been identified as an effective tool to communicate seemingly abstract and uncertain risks. This study integrates the construal level theory of psychological distance and narrative persuasion to examine how distance‐framed narratives influence young adults’ attitude, behavioral intention, and policy support related to ocean plastic pollution. Results from an experimental survey (N = 889) indicate that the narrative featuring socially close characters and spatially close location is least effective in producing persuasive effects. Instead, the narrative depicting socially close characters’ encounters at a spatially distant location is more persuasive. Within narrative conditions, the findings support the mediating role of identification and transportation in facilitating narrative effects. Serial mediation of identification/transportation and psychological distance perception was also observed. Findings from this study offer meaningful theoretical and practical implications for strategic communication on ocean plastic pollution.
‘I wish I had asked for support earlier’ − Immigrant family caregivers' experiences of living with a person with dementia
Authors: Goodyear Ann‐Christine , Arola Annikki , Rosendahl Sirpa
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Immigrant family caregivers are increasing worldwide, likewise the number of older people with dementia. Caring for a person with dementia is demanding, with the carer's own life put on hold. Immigrant family caregivers have been less studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore immigrant family caregivers' experiences of living with an older person with dementia.

Method

A qualitative approach was chosen, consisting of open‐ended interviews analysed using qualitative content analysis. The ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration were applied in the study, which was duly approved by a regional ethics review board.

Results

The content analysis resulted in three main categories: (i) the diverse roles of a family caregiver; (ii) the impact of language and culture on daily life and (iii) wish for support from society.

Conclusions

Living with a person with dementia is demanding and burdensome and the consequences of working without any rest may increase social isolation and impair quality of life. Immigrants and country‐born family caregivers living with a person with dementia seem to have similar care experiences, but immigrant family caregivers seem to receive help rather late due to a lack of information about the services available, language barriers and to financial reasons. A wish for support earlier on in the caring process was expressed, likewise for care services in the participants' native language. The various Finnish associations and peer support were important sources of information about support services. Together with culturally adjusted care services, these could contribute to better access to care, to quality and to equal care.
Polysaccharides and glycolipids of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and their induced immune responses
Authors: Gong Yang , Wang Juan , Li Fei , Zhu Bingdong
Published: February 2023

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease mainly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). The structures of polysaccharides and glycolipids at M. tuberculosis cell wall vary among different strains, which affect the physiology and pathogenesis of mycobacteria by activating or inhibiting innate and acquired immunity. Among them, some components such as lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) activate innate immunity by recognizing some kinds of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) like Toll‐like receptors, while other components like mannose‐capped lipoarabinomannan (ManLAM) could prevent innate immune responses by inhibiting the secretion of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and maturation of phagosomes. In addition, many glycolipids can activate natural killer T (NKT) cells and CD1‐restricted T cells to produce interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ). Furthermore, humoral immunity against cell wall components, such as antibodies against LAM, plays a role in immunity against M. tuberculosis infection. Cell wall polysaccharides and glycolipids of M. tuberculosis have potential applications as antigens and adjuvants for novel TB subunit vaccines.
Use of recombinant human factor VIIa in 2 patients with postoperative noncompressible, abdominal hemorrhage
Authors: Zorn Chelsea M. , Blong April E. , Walton Rebecca
Published: February 2023

Objective

To describe the clinical presentation, clinical course, and successful management of noncompressible, abdominal hemorrhage with recombinant human factor VIIa (rFVIIa) in 2 postoperative patients.

Case Summary

A 14‐year‐old neutered female Border Terrier and a 9‐year‐old neutered male domestic shorthair were treated with rFVIIa to treat noncompressible abdominal hemorrhage in the postoperative period. The dog presented for a septic abdomen following endoscopic intestinal biopsies 10 days prior and was found to have a jejunal perforation along with a fractured liver lobe and hepatic lymphoma at the time of exploratory laparotomy. The cat presented for a spontaneous hemoabdomen associated with hepatic amyloidosis. Clinically significant hemorrhage occurred in the perioperative and postoperative period and both patients received massive transfusions and antifibrinolytic therapy. Despite these interventions, the patients continued to have ongoing abdominal hemorrhage and surgical attempts at hemostasis were not attempted due to the friable nature of the liver at the time of surgery. Both patients received rFVIIa intravenously every 3 hours at a dose between 70 and 90 μg/kg as indicated by the clinical picture, which subsequently decreased transfusion requirements.

New or Unique Information Provided

This case report describes the use of rFVIIa in a cat and a dog with severe, noncompressible abdominal hemorrhage in combination with standard hemostatic interventions.
Discordant phylogenies in the Sorex araneus group (Soricidae, Mammalia): Footprints of past reticulations?
Authors: Raspopova Alexandra A. , Lebedev Vladimir S. , Searle Jeremy B. , Bannikova Anna A.
Published: February 2023

In the present study, we reconstruct phylogenetic relationships within the chromosomally variable Sorex araneus species group based on 20 nuclear loci and the mitochondrial cyt b gene. In the species tree, Nearctic S. arcticus represents the earliest offshoot of the group followed by Holarctic S. tundrensis and Siberian S. daphaenodon. Five other species distributed mostly in Europe form a well‐supported clade. Coding regions showed stronger phylogenetic signal than introns. The results suggest a high incidence of reticulation in the evolution of the group. The authentic mitochondrial lineage of the Iberian shrew S. granarius was found to be close phylogenetically to S. coronatus, which confirms that some populations of the Iberian shrew S. granarius were introgressed from S. araneus. Footprints of deeper reticulations are revealed for the first time, indicating the potential hybrid origin of the S. arcticus and S. coronatus lineages. Ancient hybridisations are hypothesised to be the source of discordance between molecular‐ and karyotype‐based phylogenetic reconstructions.
r$r$‐Cross t$t$‐intersecting families via necessary intersection points
Authors: Gupta Pranshu , Mogge Yannick , Piga Simón , Schülke Bjarne
Published: February 2023

Given integers  and  we call families  ‐cross ‐intersecting if for all , , we have . We obtain a strong generalisation of the classic Hilton–Milner theorem on cross‐intersecting families. In particular, we determine the maximum of  for ‐cross ‐intersecting families in the cases when these are ‐uniform families or arbitrary subfamilies of . Only some special cases of these results had been proved before. We obtain the aforementioned theorems as instances of a more general result that considers measures of ‐cross ‐intersecting families. This also provides the maximum of  for families of possibly mixed uniformities .
Hyperbolic angles in Lorentzian length spaces and timelike curvature bounds
Authors: Beran Tobias , Sämann Clemens
Published: February 2023

Within the synthetic‐geometric framework of Lorentzian (pre‐)length spaces developed in Kunzinger and Sämann (Ann. Glob. Anal. Geom. 54 (2018), no. 3, 399–447) we introduce a notion of a hyperbolic angle, an angle between timelike curves and related concepts such as timelike tangent cone and exponential map. This provides valuable technical tools for the further development of the theory and paves the way for the main result of the article, which is the characterization of timelike curvature bounds (defined via triangle comparison) with an angle monotonicity condition. Further, we improve on a geodesic non‐branching result for spaces with timelike curvature bounded below.
Acute Charcot arthropathy as a first presentation of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Byrne Ruth , Forde Hannah , Smith Diarmuid
Published: February 2023

Charcot arthropathy in people with diabetes is generally seen when diabetes has been well established, and therefore it is not routinely considered as a differential diagnosis in people presenting with erythematous and oedematous joints in primary care. We present two cases of acute Charcot arthropathy as a first presentation of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The first case describes a man in his 70s, who presented with a 5-week history of right foot pain, treated initially in the community as cellulitis. A diagnosis of acute Charcot arthropathy was made in the emergency department following review by the orthopaedic and podiatry department. The second case describes a woman in her 40s who presented with a 2-week history of ankle pain. Charcot arthropathy is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and these cases highlight the importance of including Charcot arthropathy in the differential diagnosis when people present with atypical joint swelling.
Is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease a sign of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Sicheng , Zhang Xiangyuan , Zhang Qiqi , Zhang Boxun , Zhao Linhua
Published: February 2023

Recent studies have associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with impaired cardiac function. However, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a high-risk group for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), were not analyzed as an independent study population. A systematic review was conducted to identify all published clinical trials using the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases from inception to September 14, 2022. Observational studies that reported echocardiographic parameters in T2DM patients with NAFLD compared with those without NAFLD were included for further selection. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality checklist was used to appraise the study quality. Ten observational studies (all cross-sectional in design) comprising 1800 T2DM patients (1124 with NAFLD, 62.4%) were included. We found that T2DM patients with NAFLD had a significantly lower E/A ratio, higher peak A velocity, higher E/e’ ratio, lower e’ velocity, greater left atrial maximum volume index, and greater left ventricular mass index than non-NAFLD patients. These findings reinforced the importance of NAFLD being associated with an increased risk of LVDD in the T2DM population, and NAFLD may be a sign of LVDD in patients with T2DM.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022355844.
Lower survival and higher rates of cirrhosis in patients with ROUX-EN-Y gastric bypass hospitalised with alcohol-associated hepatitis
Authors: Anugwom Chimaobi , Thomson Mary , Freese Rebecca L , Lake John R , Lim Nicholas
Published: February 2023

Objective

The incidence of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is increasing, and weight loss surgery is more common due to the obesity epidemic. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is associated with alcohol use disorder and ALD; however, its impact on outcomes in patients hospitalised for alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) is unclear.

Design

We performed a single-centre, retrospective study of patients with AH from June 2011 to December 2019. Primary exposure was the presence of RYGB. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality. Secondary outcomes included overall mortality, readmissions and cirrhosis progression.

Results

2634 patients with AH met the inclusion criteria; 153 patients had RYGB. Median age of the entire cohort was 47.3 years; median Model for End Stage Liver Disease - Sodium (MELD-Na) was 15.1 in the study group versus 10.9 in the control group. There was no difference in inpatient mortality between the two groups. On logistic regression, increased age, elevated body mass index, MELD-Na >20 and haemodialysis were all associated with higher inpatient mortality. RYGB status was associated with increased 30-day readmission (20.3% vs 11.7%, p<0.01), development of cirrhosis (37.5% vs 20.9%, p<0.01) and overall mortality (31.4% vs 24%, p=0.03).

Conclusions

Patients with RYGB have higher rates of readmissions, cirrhosis and overall mortality after discharge from hospital for AH. Allocation of additional resources on discharge may improve clinical outcomes and reduce healthcare expenditure in this unique patient population.
UK consensus definitions for necrotising otitis externa: a Delphi study
Authors: Hodgson Susanne H , Khan Maha M , Patrick-Smith Maia , Martinez-Devesa Pablo , Stapleton Emma , Williams O Martin , Pretorius Pieter , McNally Martin , Andersson Monique I
Published: February 2023

Objective

To establish consensus definitions for necrotising otitis externa (NOE) to facilitate the diagnosis and exclusion of NOE in clinical practice and expedite future high-quality study of this neglected condition.

Design

The work comprised of a systematic review of the literature, five iterative rounds of consultation via a Delphi process and open discussion within the collaborative. An expert panel analysed the results to produce the final outputs which were shared with and endorsed by national specialty bodies.

Setting

Secondary care in the UK.

Participants

UK clinical specialists practising in infection, ear nose and throat (ENT) surgery or radiology.

Main outcome measures

Definitions and statements meeting the following criteria were accepted: (a) minimum of 70% of respondents in agreement or strong agreement with a definition/statement AND (b) <15% of respondents in disagreement or strong disagreement with a definition/statement.

Results

Seventy-four UK clinicians specialising in ENT, Infection and Radiology with a special interest in NOE took part in the work which was undertaken between 2019 and 2021. The minimum response rate for a Round was 76%. Consensus criteria for all proposed case definitions, outcome definitions and consensus statements were met in the fifth round.

Conclusions

This work distills the clinical opinion of a large group of multidisciplinary specialists from across the UK to create practical definitions and statements to support clinical practice and research for NOE. This is the first step in an iterative process. Further work will seek to validate and test these definitions and inform their evolution.
Top 10 priorities for Sexual Violence and Abuse Research: Findings of the James Lind Alliance Sexual Violence Priority Setting Partnership
Authors: Varese Filippo , White Catherine , Longden Eleanor , Charalambous Christina , Meehan Kate , Partington Imogen , Ashman Efa , Marsh Lowri , Yule Elizabeth , Mohamed Laila , Chevous Jane , Harewood Emma , Gronlund Toto , Jones Anne-Marie , Malik Samira , Maxwell Charlotte , Perot Concetta , Sephton Shani , Taggart Daniel , Tooze Lynne , Majeed-Ariss Rabiya
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To establish a James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) to identify research priorities relevant to the health and social care needs of adults with lived experience of recent and/or historical sexual violence/abuse.

Participants

Adults (aged 18+ years) with lived experience of sexual violence/abuse (ie, ‘survivors’) were consulted for this PSP, alongside healthcare and social care professionals who support survivors across the public, voluntary, community, independent practice and social enterprise sectors.

Methods

In line with standard JLA PSP methodology, participants completed an initial online survey to propose research questions relevant to the health and social care needs of survivors. Research questions unanswered by current evidence were identified, and a second online survey was deployed to identify respondents’ priorities from this list. Questions prioritised through the second survey were presented at a consensus meeting with key stakeholders to agree the top 10 research priorities using a modified nominal group technique approach.

Results

223 participants (54% survivors) provided 484 suggested questions. Seventy-five unique questions unanswered by research were identified and subsequently ranked by 343 participants (60% survivors). A consensus meeting with 31 stakeholders (42% survivors) examined the top-ranking priorities from the second survey and agreed the top 10 research priorities. These included research into forms of support and recovery outcomes valued by survivors, how to best support people of colour/black, Asian and minority ethnic and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) survivors, improving access to high-quality psychological therapies, reducing public misconceptions/stigma, the impact of involvement in the criminal justice system on well-being, and how physical and mental health services can become more ‘trauma informed’.

Conclusions

These research priorities identify crucial gaps in the existing evidence to better support adult survivors of sexual violence and abuse. Researchers and funders should prioritise further work in these priority areas identified by survivors and the professionals who support them.
Correlations between caregiver competence, burden and health-related quality of life among Chinese family caregivers of elderly adults with disabilities: a cross-sectional study using structural equations analysis
Authors: Niu Shuzhen , Ding Silian , Wu Songqi , Ma Jiajia , Shi Yan
Published: February 2023

Objective

To examine the relationship between caregiver competence and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among family caregivers of disabled elderly adults, and to evaluate the role of caregiver burden as a potential mediator of that relationship.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Two general hospitals in Shanghai, China.

Participants

Study participants were 135 family caregivers of disabled elderly adults listed on a roster for outpatient and emergency services utilisation from January to March 2022.

Data analysis and outcome measures

We used stratified linear regression and structural equation model analysis. HRQoL was the main outcome, measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short form Health Survey. Caregiver competence was assessed using the Family Caregiver Task Inventory, and caregiver burden was assessed with the Zarit Burden Interview.

Results

Caregivers of moderately and severely disabled elderly adults showed poorer scores in Physical Component Summary (F=20.463, p<0.05) and Mental Component Summary (F=17.062, p<0.05) compared with caregivers of older adults with mild disabilities. At the same time, those caregivers showed higher scores on the caregiving burden (F=19.533, p<0.05) and caregiving difficulties (F=16.079, p<0.05). A structural equation model was performed and successfully adjusted (χ2/df=1.175, p=0.261, NFI=0.970, RFI=0.949, IFI=0.995, CFI=0.995, GFI=0.963, TLI=0.992, AGFI=0.920, RMSEA=0.036). The total effect of Family Caregiver Task Inventory scores on HRQoL scores was −0.980, with a direct effect of −0.645. The mediating effect on HRQoL scores through the intermediate variable of caregiver burden scores was −0.335.

Conclusions

Family caregivers’ HRQoL is closely related to caregiver difficulties and burdens. Early identification and targeted measures are needed to reduce the burden and problems in caregiving.
Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of combined asynchronous telemonitoring and patient-initiated care for spondyloarthritis: protocol for a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial (TeleSpA Study)
Authors: Hermans Kasper , Boonen Annelies , Vonkeman Harald E , van Tubergen Astrid
Published: February 2023

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an accelerated uptake of remote monitoring strategies, replacing traditional face-to-face care, has been observed. However, data on the effects of remote care interventions for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases remain scarce and interpretation is hampered by study heterogeneity and research quality concerns. High-quality evidence is required to guide future implementation in clinical practice, with health economic analyses identified as an important knowledge gap. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing telemonitoring with conventional care for patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) are currently lacking.

Methods and analysis

TeleSpA is a pragmatic, multicentre RCT investigating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of combined asynchronous telemonitoring and patient-initiated follow-up for patients with SpA, compared with conventional care. Two-hundred patients will be recruited at two hospitals and randomised (1:1) to the study intervention or standard care. The primary endpoint is a reduction in the number of follow-up visits by ≥25% in the intervention compared with standard care group, during a 1-year period. Secondary endpoints are (a) non-inferiority of the study intervention with regard to health outcomes, quality of care and patient-reported experience with care; and (b) cost-effectiveness of the intervention, evaluated through a prospective trial-based cost-utility analysis. In addition, experiences with the study intervention will be assessed among patients and healthcare providers, and factors associated with primary and secondary endpoints will be identified.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee of the Academic Hospital Maastricht/Maastricht University (NL71041.068.19/METC 19-059). Results will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

NCT04673825.
Family coaching during Spontaneous Awakening Trials and Spontaneous Breathing Trials (FamCAB): pilot study protocol
Authors: Shahid Anmol , Johnstone Corson , Sept Bonnie G , Kupsch Shelly , Soo Andrea , Fiest Kirsten M , Stelfox Henry Thomas
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Many patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) require weaning from deep sedation (Spontaneous Awakening Trials, SATs) and mechanical ventilation (Spontaneous Breathing Trials, SBTs) in their journey to recovery. These procedures can be distressing for patients and their families. The presence of family members as ‘coaches’ during SATs/SBTs could provide patients with reassurance, reduce stress for patients and families and potentially improve procedural success rates.

Methods and analysis

This study will be executed in two phases:

Development of a coaching module: a working group including patient partners (i.e., former ICU patients or family members of former ICU patients), researchers, and ICU clinicians will develop an educational module on family coaching during SATs/SBTs (FamCAB). This module will provide families of critically ill patients basic information about SATs/SBTs as well as coaching guidance.

Pilot testing: family members of ICU patients will complete the FamCAB module and provide information on: (1) demographics, (2) anxiety and (3) satisfaction with care in the ICU. Family members will then coach the patient through the next clinically indicated SATs and/or SBTs. Information around duration of time and success rates of SATs and/or SBTs (ability to conduct a complete assessment) alongside feedback will be collected. ICU clinical staff (including physicians and nurses) will be asked for feedback on practicality and perceived benefits or drawbacks of family coaching during these procedures. Feasibility and acceptability of family coaching in SATs/SBTs will be determined.

Discussion

The results of this work will inform whether a larger study to explore family coaching during SATs/SBTs is warranted.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has received ethical approval from the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board. Results from this pilot study will be made available via peer-reviewed journals and presented at critical care conferences on completion.
On the teleparallel frame problem
Authors: Formiga J. B.
Published: February 2023

The role played by the congruence in the prediction of the gravitational energy in the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity is discussed. It is shown that some congruences yield unphysical predictions. It is also shown that the energy–momentum tensor density predicted by the proper reference frame of an arbitrary accelerated observer vanishes along the observer’s worldline, regardless of its acceleration. The latter result is discussed and arguments both against and in favor of the use of this type of frame to describe the gravitational energy are presented; arguments against the belief that the principle of equivalence is incompatible with the localization of the gravitational energy are also presented. A gauge condition is applied to the teleparallel frame and its consistence is discussed: using three different tetrads for the pp-wave spacetimes, it is shown that the most consistent prediction comes from the tetrad that satisfies this gauge. The possibility of having a well-defined concept of absolute vacuum is also discussed.
Thermophysical and lattice vibrational study of thorium telluride (ThTe) by use of three-body force shell model
Authors: Srivastava Umesh Chandra
Published: February 2023

In this paper, a complete lattice study of thorium telluride (ThTe) in the effects of three-body interaction (TBI) in the framework of RIM and RSM models is reported. By use of the present model, I have theoretically reported elastic constants, pressure derivatives, dispersion relation curve, specific heat curve, combined density of states (CDS) and equation of state of the ThTe compound. The achieved results are good with experimentally reported results and have given very important information about this compound for further investigation.
STRUCTURE PRESERVING SPLITTING TECHNIQUES FOR EBOLA REACTION–DIFFUSION EPIDEMIC SYSTEM
Authors: AHMED NAUMAN , SHAIKH TAHIRA SUMBAL , RAFIQ MUHAMMAD , ELDIN SAYED M. , GANIE ABDUL HAMID , ALI MUBASHER , RAZA ALI , KHAN ILYAS , KHAN M. I.
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we deal with the numerical solution of the reaction–diffusion Ebola epidemic model. The diffusion which is an important phenomenon for the epidemic model is included in the model. This inclusion has made the model more comprehensive for studying the disease dynamics in the human population. The quantities linked with the model indicate the population sizes which are taken as absolute, therefore, the numerical schemes utilized to solve the underlying Ebola epidemic system should sustain the positivity. The numerical approaches used to solve the underlying epidemic models are explicit nonstandard finite difference operator splitting (ENSFD-OS) and implicit nonstandard finite difference operator splitting (INSFD-OS) techniques. These schemes preserve all the physical features of the state variables, i.e. projected schemes hold the positive solution acquired by the Ebola diffusive epidemic model. The underlying epidemic model illustrates two stable steady states, a virus-free state, and a virus existence state. The suggested approaches retain the stability of each of the steady states possessed by the assumed epidemic model. A numerical example and simulations for validation of all the characteristics of suggested techniques are also investigated.
Prevalence and the Influence of Trapeziometacarpal Osteoarthritis on Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: SUGIURA Kaori , OMURA Takao , MIYAGI Michihito , SHIBATA Yosuke , MATSUYAMA Yukihiro
Published: February 2023

Background: The coexistence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and trapeziometacarpal (TMC) osteoarthritis have been previously described. The influence of TMC osteoarthritis in the outcomes of CTS surgery is yet to be elucidated. The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of TMC osteoarthritis in patients who underwent open carpal tunnel release (OCTR) and to analyse the influence of osteoarthritis on the postoperative outcomes of CTS.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 134 procedures on 113 patients who underwent OCTR between 2002 and 2017. The presence of TMC osteoarthritis was based upon preoperative plain radiograph. For the evaluation of CTS, pre- and postoperative muscle power of abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle by manual muscle testing (MMT) and distal motor latency (DML) detected on the APB muscle was examined.

Results: The mean follow-up period was 11.4 months. The prevalence of radiographic TMC osteoarthritis was 40% in patients who underwent OCTR. In electrophysiological study, the mean pre- and postoperative DML showed no statistical difference regardless of the coexistence of TMC osteoarthritis. However, there was a significantly higher incidence of poorer muscle strength of the APB in patients with TMC osteoarthritis. No patients complained of TMC joint pain prior to OCTR, but four cases developed TMC joint pain during the postoperative follow-up period, all of whom had full recovery of APB muscle strength.

Conclusions: The presence of asymptomatic TMC osteoarthritis may affect the postoperative outcomes of OCTR, so preoperative evaluation of TMC osteoarthritis should be considered in patients undergoing OCTR. In addition, the symptoms of TMC osteoarthritis may worsen in some patients after CTS surgery and should be taken into consideration during the postoperative follow-up.

Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic)
Closed Traumatic Zone 2 Flexor Tendon Injury of the Long Finger – A Case Report
Authors: KRISHNA Sathya Vamsi , UMESH Shreyas , HS Chandrashekar
Published: February 2023

Closed rupture of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon causes loss of flexion at the distal interphalangeal joint. Following trauma, these are known to present as avulsion fractures (Jersey finger) commonly in ring fingers. Traumatic tendon ruptures at the other flexor zones are seldom noted and are often missed. In this report, we present a rare case of closed traumatic tendon rupture of the long finger FDP at zone 2. Though it was missed initially, was confirmed with Magnetic Resonance Imaging and underwent successful reconstruction using an ipsilateral palmaris longus graft.

Level of Evidence: Level V (Therapeutic)
POETS: An Event-driven Approach to Dissipative Particle Dynamics
Authors: Brown Andrew D. , Beaumont Jonathan R. , Thomas David B. , Shillcock Julian C. , Naylor Matthew F. , Bragg Graeme M. , Vousden Mark L. , Moore Simon W. , Fleming Shane T.
Published: February 2023

HPC clusters have become ever more expensive, both in terms of capital cost and energy consumption; some estimates suggest that competitive installations at the end of the next decade will require their own power station. One way around this looming problem is to design bespoke computing engines, but while the performance benefits are good, the design costs are huge and cannot easily be amortized. Partially Ordered Event Triggered System (POETS)—the focus of this article—seeks to exploit a middle way: The architecture is tuned to a specific algorithmic pattern but, within that constraint, is fully programmable. POETS software is quasi-imperative: The user defines a set of sequential event handlers, defines the topology of a (typically large) concurrent ensemble of these, and lets them interact. The “solution” may be exfiltrated from the emergent behaviour of the ensemble. In this article, we describe (briefly) the architecture, and an example computational chemistry application, dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). The DPD algorithm is traditionally implemented using parallel computational techniques, but we re-cast it as a concurrent compute problem that is then ideally suited to POETS. Our prototype system is realised on a cluster of 48 FPGAs providing 50K concurrent hardware threads, and we report performance speedups of over two orders of magnitude better than a single thread baseline comparator and scaling behaviour that is almost constant. The results are validated against a “conventional” implementation.
MCSH, a Lock with the Standard Interface
Authors: Hesselink Wim H. , Buhr Peter A.
Published: February 2023

The MCS lock of Mellor-Crummey and Scott (1991), 23 pages. is a very efficient first-come first-served mutual-exclusion algorithm that uses the atomic hardware primitives fetch-and-store and compare-and-swap. However, it has the disadvantage that the calling thread must provide a pointer to an allocated record. This additional parameter violates the standard locking interface, which has only the lock as a parameter. Hence, it is impossible to switch to MCS without editing and recompiling an application that uses locks.

This article provides a variation of MCS with the standard interface, which remains FCFS, called MCSH. One key ingredient is to
stack
allocate the necessary record in the
acquire
procedure of the lock, so its life-time only spans the delay to enter a critical section. A second key ingredient is communicating the allocated record between the
acquire
and
release
procedures through the lock to maintain the standard locking interface. Both of these practices are known to practitioners, but our solution combines them in a unique way. Furthermore, when these practices are used in prior papers, their correctness is often argued informally. The correctness of MCSH is verified rigorously with the proof assistant PVS, and experiments are run to compare its performance with MCS and similar locks.
Dynamic fluctuations in ascending heart-to-brain communication under mental stress
Authors: Candia-Rivera Diego , Norouzi Kian , Ramsøy Thomas Zoëga , Valenza Gaetano
Published: February 2023

Dynamical information exchange between central and autonomic nervous systems, as referred to functional brain-heart interplay, occurs during emotional and physical arousal. It is well documented that physical and mental stress lead to sympathetic activation. Nevertheless, the role of autonomic inputs in nervous system-wise communication under mental stress is yet unknown. In this study, we estimated the causal and bidirectional neural modulations between electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillations and peripheral sympathetic and parasympathetic activities using a recently proposed computational framework for a functional brain-heart interplay assessment, namely the sympathovagal synthetic data generation model. Mental stress was elicited in 37 healthy volunteers by increasing their cognitive demands throughout three tasks associated with increased stress levels. Stress elicitation induced an increased variability in sympathovagal markers, as well as increased variability in the directional brain-heart interplay. The observed heart-to-brain interplay was primarily from sympathetic activity targeting a wide range of EEG oscillations, whereas variability in the efferent direction seemed mainly related to EEG oscillations in the γ band. These findings extend current knowledge on stress physiology, which mainly referred to top-down neural dynamics. Our results suggest that mental stress may not cause an increase in sympathetic activity exclusively as it initiates a dynamic fluctuation within brain-body networks including bidirectional interactions at a brain-heart level. We conclude that directional brain-heart interplay measurements may provide suitable biomarkers for a quantitative stress assessment and bodily feedback may modulate the perceived stress caused by increased cognitive demand.
[Retracted] Music Similarity Detection Guided by Deep Learning Model
Authors: Wang Xiuli
Published: February 2023

Digital music has become a hot spot with the rapid development of network technology and digital audio technology. The general public is increasingly interested in music similarity detection (MSD). Similarity detection is mainly for music style classification. The core MSD process is to first extract music features, then implement training modeling, and finally input music features into the model for detection. Deep learning (DL) is a relatively new feature extraction technology to improve the extraction efficiency of music features. This paper first introduces the convolutional neural network (CNN) of DL algorithms and MSD. Then, an MSD algorithm is constructed based on CNN. Besides, the Harmony and Percussive Source Separation (HPSS) algorithm separates the original music signal spectrogram and decomposes it into two components: time characteristic harmonics and frequency characteristic shocks. These two elements are input to the CNN together with the data in the original spectrogram for processing. In addition, the training‐related hyperparameters are adjusted, and the dataset is expanded to explore the influence of different parameters in the network structure on the music detection rate. Experiments on the GTZAN Genre Collection music dataset show that this method can effectively improve MSD using a single feature. The final detection result is 75.6%, indicating the superiority of this method compared with other classical detection methods.
Seismic Behavior of Qinghai-Tibetan Railway Embankment in Permafrost Regions: A Case Study
Authors: Chen Tuo , Wang Jianzhou , Wang Bo
Published: February 2023

The temperature is a critical factor that determines the unfrozen water content and ice content in the frozen soil. In view of mechanical properties of the frozen soil depend on the volume of components of the four-phase systems, thus the temperature has a significant impact on the mechanical behaviors and deformation properties. The thermal state of the embankment in permafrost regions has a significant seasonal difference, then the seismic performance of the embankment alters with the season. In addition, the seismic performance is highly influenced by the properties of the earthquake motion, especially the seismic intensity. Combining these factors, a numerical simulation was conducted in this study. In this study, taking a typical section of Qinghai-Tibet Railway as an example, a numerical case study on the seismic behavior of embankment was carried out using the dynamic explicit FEM code ABAQUS/Explicit. The El Centro excitation with different intensities was performed in numerical analysis and two distinct thermal states of the embankment in extreme cold and warm days were considered as well. The seismic behaviors of the embankment, including the acceleration responses, the strain response, and the displacement response, were studied effectively. This paper proposes approaches and methods to study the seismic failure mechanism of the infrastructures, and the results can serve as a scientific basis for resisting earthquakes and preventing disasters in cold regions.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Scheduling and Offloading in UAV-Assisted Mobile Edge Networks
Authors: Tian XianZhong , Miao PingTing , Zhang LuoMing
Published: February 2023

The low deployment cost and high mobility of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have given UAVs widespread attention in mobile edge computing (MEC). Aiming at the characteristics of dynamic changes in computing tasks generated by the urban transportation network, this paper proposes an UAV-assisted edge computing offloading model; i.e., when the number of tasks is within the capacity of edge servers (ES), most of the tasks are processed by ESs, but when the amount exceeds the capacity, some tasks will be offloaded to UAV and processed by on-board servers on UAVs. To minimize the task delay and the cost of computing tasks, this paper formulates a mathematical model according to the task amount generated by the urban transportation network, in which the task delay is computed by using queueing theory. A deep reinforcement learning algorithm with double deep neural networks (DNN) is used to optimize the model and obtains the resource allocation strategy of UAVs and on-board servers and the offloading strategy of edge computing. Simulation experiments verify the effectiveness of these strategies.
Integrating Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation to Elucidate the Mechanism of Yiqi Yangyin Decoction in Suppressing Non‐Small‐Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Jiao Pengfei , Wang Yingrui , Ren Gaofei , Chu Dan , Li Yameng , Sang Tianqing
Published: February 2023

Yiqi Yangyin Decoction (YYD) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation to treat lung cancer in clinic. Nevertheless, the active ingredients, key targets, and molecular mechanisms for YYD are still poorly understood. This study is focused on elucidating the pharmacological mechanism of YYD in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by using a combined network pharmacology approach and biological experiment validation. Online bioinformatics tools showed that 40 bioactive compounds and 229 putative targets of YYD were associated with anti‐NSCLC activity. Protein‐Protein Interaction (PPI) network demonstrated AKT1, SRC, JUN, TP53, and EGFR as the top five key targets for YYD against NSCLC. Through enrichment analysis, YYD was found to affect cell proliferation and apoptosis in NSCLC possibly by PI3K‐AKT signaling. Molecular docking confirmed a strong binding between the main compounds (quercetin or luteolin) and EGFR. As demonstrated by CCK‐8, EdU, and colony formation assays, we found a significant inhibition of YYD on cell proliferation. Moreover, YYD treatment induced cell cycle arrest by affecting p53, p21, and cyclin D1 expression. YYD administration enhanced apoptosis by changing the expression of cleaved caspase‐3, Bax, and Bcl‐2. Mechanistically, YYD resulted in a significant inactivation of EGFR‐PI3K‐AKT signaling. Furthermore, EGFR activator significantly reversed YYD‐mediated proliferation inhibition and apoptosis. YYD also showed an inhibitory effect on tumor growth in mice. Together, YYD might target the EGFR‐PI3K‐AKT pathway to repress NSCLC progression.