bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Improved Harris Hawks Optimizer Combining Novel Nonlinear Convergence Factor and Mutation Strategy for Global Optimization
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhou Xuhu , Li Shigang , Song Yan , Wang Yagang
Published: October 2022

Harris Hawks Optimizer (HHO) is a novel meta-heuristic algorithm that simulates the cooperative hunting behavior of the Harris hawks. Behind the good performance of HHO, there are still problems of poor solution accuracy and unavoidable local optimization. A new variant of HHO called NMHHO is proposed by introducing improved nonlinear escaping energy (E) and jump strength (J) in the original optimizer, and incorporating the mutation strategy of Difffferential Evolution algorithm (DE) for solving the global optimization. The improvement of nonlinear parameters improves the diversity of populations and ameliorates the imbalance between global exploration and local exploitation. The mutation strategy makes full use of population distribution information, and is very effffective for algorithm to jumping out of local optima. To verify the optimized performance of NMHHO, scalability analysis with difffferent dimensions and comparison with other swarm intelligence algorithms are performed on 23 classical benchmark functions derived from the original HHO. In addition, the actual optimization performance of the algorithm is evaluated on three practical engineering problems. Experimental results indicate that the improved NMHHO algorithm shows strong competitiveness, excellent optimization ability and robustness.
A Comparative Study of CTG Monitoring One Hour before Labor in Infants Born with and without Asphyxia
Authors: Hosseini Seyedeh Tala Nabipour , Abbasalizadeh Fatemeh , Abbasalizadeh Shamsi , mousavi sanaz , Amiri Paria
Published: October 2022

Background and Aim: Asphyxia is a condition arising when the infant is deprived of oxygen, causing Fetal brain damage or death, which is associated with hypoxia and hypercapnia. Although fetal CTG can show the fetal health status during labor, some studies have reported cases of fetal asphyxia despite reassuring CTGs. This study hence aimed to compare FHR Monitoring and uterine contractions in the last hour before delivered between two groups of infants born with and without asphyxia.
Methodology: The study was conducted on 70 pregnant women who delivered Taleghani and Al-Zahra academic teaching hospitals of Tabriz for labor in 2020-2021.
Results: The study data showed no significant difference between mothers of infants with and without asphyxia in terms of demographics (p>0.05). The prevalence of asphyxia was significantly higher only in mothers with the gravidity of 3 and 4 (p=0.003). In terms of the methods for labor induction , the use of oxytocin was more common among mothers of infants with asphyxia (74.3%) than in those of infants without asphyxia (p=0.015). The results also revealed a significant difference between infants with and without asphyxia in the Apgar score (first, fifth, and tenth minutes), need for neonatal resuscitation, umbilical cord artery Acidosis (pH, bicarbonate, and BE), and severity of HIE between two groups of infants with asphyxia and without asphyxia (p<0.0001). The comparison of fetal CTG 0 to 20 minutes before the delivery indicated that normal variability was observed in 71.4% of infants born with asphyxia, whereas this figure for infants born without asphyxia was 91.4% (p=0.031). However, the results showed no significant difference between the two groups of infants in any of the studied indicators at 20 and 40 minutes before the labor (p>0.05). There was a significant difference between the two groups of infants in terms of deceleration at 40 and 60 minutes before the labor, as it was observed in 53.6% of infants born with asphyxia and only 11.1% of those born without asphyxia. The results also demonstrated a significant difference between the two groups in the type of deceleration (p=0.025). Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients showed a significant and direct relationship between interpretation the CTG of the three Perinatologists. (p<0.0001, r>0.8).
Conclusion: The study results demonstrated a significant difference between infants born with asphyxia and those born without asphyxia in variability at 0 to 20 minutes before the labor and deceleration at 40 to 60 minutes before the labor.
Implementing point-of-care medical information systems into surgical practice in a middle-income country: a qualitative study utilizing the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research
Authors: Wilson Stephanie N. , Noble Helen , Ordoñez Willy Jesús Neumann , Wong Gabriela Zavala , Rodríguez Manuel J , Checa David Ortega , Warne Maria , Senturia Kirsten , Lagrone Lacey Nicole
Published: October 2022

Background: Point-of-care medical information systems (POCMIS) can provide an efficient and effective means of strengthening health systems globally through their encouragement of continued medical education. Using the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) as a guide, this research provides suggestions for improved implementation of POCMIS in low- and middle-income countries informed by an intervention implemented across public and military hospitals in Lima, Peru.
Methods: Analysis is based on qualitative interviews conducted with 12 Peruvian surgeons who received an intervention that provided free-access to UpToDate and Google Translate. The post-intervention interviews were transcribed, translated, and analyzed for themes overlapping with CFIR constructs to expose barriers to implementation and suggestions for improved implementation of future interventions.
Results: Barriers included a lack of seniority buy-in and engaging leadership, an overabundance of personal preferences for multiple POCMIS, and a culture of assumption that inhibited open communication regarding access to and use of POCMIS. Suggestions focused on intervention adaptability including both locally relevant adaptations and visual representation of information available via POCMIS.
Conclusions: In addition to explicit suggestions provided by surgeons, we also suggest actionable steps to overcome barriers identified in our data. Cultural barriers, such as the culture of assumption that emerged in our data, should be identified using rapid assessment procedures (RAP) prior to implementing similar interventions to minimize their negative impact on successful implementation. RAP may also help researchers identify key leaders in the implementation climate, allowing them to engage those leaders in the implementation process and ensure the presence of a learning climate during and following the intervention. Using RAP to guide the planning, engaging, and executing stages of the implementation process may not only help eliminate cultural barriers prior to them inhibiting successful implementation, but may also encourage regional- and specialty-specific adaptations necessary for success.
Manufacturing unclonable anti-counterfeiting labels using robust diamond microparticles on heterogeneous substrates
Authors: Zhang Tongtong , Wang Lingzhi , Wang Jing , Wang Zhongqiang , Gupta Madhav , Guo Xuyun , Zhu Ye , Yiu Yau Chuen , Hui Tony K.C. , Zhou Yan , Li Can , Lei Dangyuan , Li Kwai Hei , Wang Xinqiang , Wang Qi , Shao Lei , Chu Zhiqin
Published: October 2022

The growing prevalence of counterfeit products worldwide poses serious threats to economic security and human health. Developing advanced encryption materials with physical unclonable functions offers an attractive defense against counterfeiting. Here, we have successfully developed multimodal, dynamic and unclonable anti-counterfeiting labels based on high-quality diamond microparticles containing silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers. These chaotic microparticles were heterogeneously grown on silicon substrate by chemical vapor deposition, facilitating scalable and massive fabrication at low cost. Due to the non-deterministic nature of this growth method, the intrinsically unclonable function has been introduced by the randomized features of each individual particle. In particular, the extremely stable signals of SiV photoluminescence (PL) and light scattering from diamond microparticles are shown to enable high-capacity optical encryption. Moreover, time-dependent encryption has been achieved by dynamically modulating the SiV PL signals and/or controlling packed patterns of diamond microparticles via post air oxidation. Exploiting the robustness of diamond, the developed diamond-based labels exhibit ultrahigh stability in different extreme application scenarios, including harsh chemical environments, high temperature, mechanical abrasion, and UV light irradiation. Our proposed system, with its extreme randomness, multimode and dynamic encryption capability and outstanding robustness, can be practically applied immediately as anti-counterfeiting labels in diverse fields.
Possible contribution of phosphate to the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease in dolphins
Authors: Ohsaki Hiroyuki , Kaneko Kiyoko , Rahman Asadur , Nishiyama Takeshi , Koizumi Makoto , Yamanaka Shuichiro , Kitada Kento , Sugiura Yuki , Matsui Kenji , Yokoo Takashi , Hamano Takayuki , Kuro-o Makoto , Itou Takuya , Suzuki Miwa , Ueda Keiichi , Nishiyama Akira , Jahan Nourin
Published: October 2022

This study aimed to investigate whether phosphate also contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in dolphins. Renal necropsy tissue of an aged captive dolphin was analyzed and in vitro experiments using cultured immortalized dolphin proximal tubular (DolKT-1) cells were performed. An older dolphin in captivity died of myocarditis, but its renal function was within the normal range until shortly before death. In renal necropsy tissue, obvious glomerular and tubulointerstitial changes were not observed except for renal infarction resulting from myocarditis. However, a computed tomography scan showed medullary calcification in reniculli. Micro area X-ray diffractometry and infrared absorption spectrometry showed that the calcified areas were primarily composed of hydroxyapatite. In vitro experiments showed that treatment with both phosphate and calciprotein particles (CPPs) resulted in cell viability loss and lactate dehydrogenase release in DolKT-1 cells. However, treatment with magnesium markedly attenuated this cellular injury induced by phosphate, but not by CPPs. Magnesium dose-dependently decreased CPP formation. These data support the hypothesis that continuous exposure to high phosphate contributes to the progression of CKD in captive-aged dolphins. Our data also suggest that phosphate-induced renal injury is mediated by CPP formation in dolphins, and it is attenuated by magnesium administration.
WITHDRAWN: Clinical Oral Investigations Comparison of localized mandible morphology between patients with impacted and non-impacted mandibular second molars in three dimensions
Authors: Zhou Zhijie , Huang Jialiang , Zhang Fan , Xu Yan
Published: October 2022

Objectives
To investigate the morphological differences of localized mandible between patients with impacted mandibular second molars (MM2) and non-impacted patients through mandibular measurements in three dimensions.
Materials and methods
The 222 subjects who underwent cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) were included and divided into three groups. Group 1 (G1) comprised 64 patients with unilaterally impacted MM2, group 2 (G2) was composed of 54 patients with bilaterally impacted MM2, and group 3 (G3) was made up of 104 age- and sex-matched controls. 24 measurements were selected, including 21 linear measurements and 3 angular measurements.
Results
The width of mandibular first molar (MM1), the length and width of MM2, the angle between MM1 and MM2, the angle between MM2 and ascending mandibular ramus (MR) were higher in G1 and G2 than in G3 (P < 0.05). Also, the length of MM1 and MM2, the angle between MM1 and MM2 were statistically higher in the impacted side than in the non-impacted side for G1. There was positive correlation between impacted MM2 and the length, the width of MM2, the angle between MM2 and MR, but the length between MM1 and MR, the length of alveolar bone for eruption of MM2 had negative effects.
Conclusions
The crown of MM1 and MM2 were larger in the patient of impacted MM2. The eruption space of MM2 was insufficient, while the width of mandibular arch were not affected in impacted patients.
Clinical Relevance
Impacted mandibular second molars are more common in clinic.
Inter-implant distance and buccal wall thickness for a novel implant design: a preclinical study
Authors: Chen Stephen , Darby Ivan
Published: October 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to assess bone height between adjacent tapered implants of a novel design at different inter-implant distances, and to assess the impact on implant distance from the buccal bone wall.
Materials and Methods: Mandibular premolars (P2-P4) and first molar (M1) were extracted from ten minipigs. Fully-tapered implants with threads wider than the implant shoulder diameter were placed after 12 weeks. In the right hemi-mandible, four implants were placed with inter-implant thread distances of 1, 2, or 3 mm, while three implants were placed in the left hemi-mandible with distances from implant threads to outer buccal wall of >1 mm, 0.5 – 1 mm, or <0.5 mm. After 12 weeks, histomorphometrical analysis was performed to evaluate: a) first bone-to-implant contact (fBIC), total BIC, bone area-to-total area (BATA) and coronal bone height between implants (Bi ½ max) for inter-implant distance evaluation, and b) fBIC, BIC and perpendicular crest to implant shoulder (pCIS) for buccal wall evaluation.
Results: No significant differences in bone healing were noted for any of the inter-implant distances. Bone healing was significantly compromised when distance from the implant to the outer buccal wall was <0.5 mm.
Conclusions: In this experimental model, crestal bone level was maintained between two adjacent implants down to an inter-implant distance of 1 mm. However, minimum buccal wall thickness of 1 mm may be required to avoid bone loss.
Clinical relevance: Inter-implant distance and buccal bone thickness are relevant in daily clinical practice and requires additional preclinical research to clarify treatment concepts.
Unique targeted testing of the urogenital microbiome has potential as a predictive test during IVF for implantation outcome.
Authors: Evans Gloria Evelyn , Mahajan Vishakha , Wakeman Sarah , Slatter Tania , Ponnampalam Anna , Anderson Trevor , Sarwar Makhdoom , Evans John
Published: October 2022

The aim of this pilot study was to develop a method characterising the urogenital microbiome as a predictive test in the IVF workup. Using unique custom qPCRs we tested for the presence of specific microbial species from vaginal samples and First Catch Urines from the male. The test panel included a range of potential urogenital pathogens, STIs, ‘favourable’ (Lactobacilli spp.) and ‘unfavourable’ bacteria (anaerobes) reported to influence implantation rates. We tested couples attending Fertility Associates, Christchurch, New Zealand for their first round of IVF and found that some microorganisms affected implantation. The qPCR result was interpreted qualitatively using the Z proportionality test. Samples from women at the time of Embryo Transfer who did not achieve implantation had significantly higher percent of samples that were positive for Prevotella bivia and Staphylococcus aureus compared to women who did achieve implantation. The results provide evidence that most microorganisms chosen for testing had little functional effect on implantation rates. The addition of further microbial targets (yet to be determined) could be combined in this predictive test for vaginal preparedness on the day of Embryo Transfer. This methodology has a substantial advantage of being affordable and easily performed in any routine molecular laboratory. This methodology is most suitable as a foundation on which to develop a timely test of microbiome profiling. Using the indicators detected to have a significant influence, these results can be extrapolated to a rapid antigen test for a woman to self-sample prior to Embryo Transfer as an indicator of likely implantation.
Identification of a Prognostic Model for Breast Cancer Based on Genes Associated with Neutrophil Extracellular Traps
Authors: Chen Boyang , Li Yuexing , Yan Yiping , Guan Liancheng , Chen Yunzhi
Published: October 2022

We know that cancer is rich in neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and NETs can promote breast cancer (BC) metastasis, but whether NETs-related genes are associated with the prognosis of BC patients is unclear. As part of this study, we used the TCGA database to obtain 1113 BC samples and 113 normal samples and screened for 102 differentially expressed genes associated with NETs. Following that, we modeled the prognostic risk for six genes (CYBA, RAC2, ITGAL, C3 down-regulated and VDAC1, SLC25A5 up-regulated) using multivariate Cox regression and LASSO regression analyses. In order to determine the risk groups for BC patients, we calculated a risk score and then classified the patients into high and low risk groups based on their median risk value. A significant difference in survival rates was found between high-risk and low-risk BC patients (p < 0.001), according to Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The same conclusion was obtained for the dataset we obtained in the GEO database. An independent prognostic analysis of the constructed model revealed that the risk score correlated with BC survival independently of other clinical features. And the clinical correlation analysis showed that the change model correlated with the patient's age, gender, the stage of the tumor and the T-stage of the tumor. Furthermore, the risk values of our constructed Nomogram model were less than 0.01 in both univariate and multivariate, correlated with BC prognosis, and were independent of other clinical characteristics. According to the analysis of mutated genes in BC patients, the mutated genes in high and low risk BC patients were PIK3CA, TP53, TTN, CDH1, GATA3, MUC16, KMT2C, MAP3K1, HMCN1, RYR2, FLG, USH2A, SYNE2, ZFHX5 and PTEN. A comparison of immune cell differences between high and low risk groups revealed relatively lower levels of infiltrating immune cells in the high risk group. It is concluded that BC patients' prognosis can be independently predicted by risk profiles derived from the NET-related gene expression.
Effects of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain on antenatal mental disorders in China
Authors: Zhou Xuan , Rao Lin , Yang Dongjian , Wang Tong , Li Hong , Liu Zhiwei
Published: October 2022

Background
Maternal obesity is the most common medical condition in women of reproductive age all over the world. Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) have been suggested to be associated with risk of maternal mental disorders. Our aim was to investigate the effects of pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG on antenatal depression, stress and anxiety.
Methods
4983 pregnant women were included in the present study based on an ongoing prospective cohort. We used self-reported pre-pregnancy weight and the last weight prior to delivery measured by professional instruments to calculate pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG. Questionnaires including The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the 10-item version of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were administered. We used Pearson product moment correlation and multivariable logistic regression models to examine the impacts of pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG on different maternal mental disorders.
Results
After adjustment for way of conception, annual household income, occupation, education, smoking status and drinking status, excessive weight gain during pregnancy was associated with higher risk of anxiety symptoms in the entire sample (adjusted model: OR = 1.479, 95% CI: 1.128, 1.938), especially in normal BMI women (adjusted model: OR = 1.668, 95% CI: 1.209, 2.302).Whereas the relationship between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and mental health was not significant.
Conclusions
Excessive GWG might increase the risk of anxiety symptoms in pregnant women, especially those with normal pre-pregnancy BMI, while the effects on depression or stress symptoms have not been observed. The maternal pre-pregnancy BMI might not be independently associated with maternal mental disorders.
Bioinspired, anisotropically highly thermoconductive silicon carbide/epoxy composite based on a nacre-mimetic architecture
Authors: Zhou Xiaonan , Xu Jiaoqian , Wu Mulun , Gao Junjie , Zhang Jianfei , Zhang Qiaogen , Shi Zhongqi , Wang Bo , Xu Chao , Yang Jianfeng
Published: October 2022

Although nature’s wisdom resides in achieving an exceptional functionality, such as anisotropic properties by constructing intelligently hierarchical architectures, the preparation of bulk biomimetic materials under environmental factors is still a great challenge. Inspired from the transport behavior of ions and water through the directionally aligned channels in trees, we demonstrate a facile, scalable approach to construct an anisotropic 3D biomorphic silicon carbide (bio-SiC) framework in epoxy resin (EP) matrices. The 3D bio-SiC framework has not only the highly dense elongated microchannels in the axial direction, which serves as a phonon “expressway” to facilitate thermal conduction of the whole composites, but also the robust latticed structure in the radial direction restricting the molecular chain motion. Consequently, the novel epoxy composite (bio-SiC/EP) with a nacre-mimetic architecture has a high thermal conductivity (TC) of 10.40 W m− 1 K− 1, an outstanding TC enhancement efficiency of 253 per 1 vol% filler at ~ 22 vol% bio-SiC loading, together with an extremely low coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) of 12.44 ppm K− 1 (~ 17 vol%), an excellent thermal stability, a remarkable anti-flaming performance, and a high flexural strength of 184 MPa (~ 17 vol%). Our finding gives a promising insight to achieve anisotropically highly thermoconductive polymer-based thermal management materials.
GWO-EFUCA: Grey Wolf Optimisation and Fuzzy Logic based Unequal Clustering and Routing protocol for sustainable WSN-based Internet of Things
Authors: Mehra Pawan Singh , Jain Khushboo , Chawla Diksha , Dagur Arvind , Singh Samayveer , Sharma Jatin
Published: October 2022

With the ever-growing application of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN)-based Internet of Things (IoT), it has gained enormous attention in the public and research domains. The energy constraint of WSN limits its applicability. In the paper, we have proposed a hybrid of Grey Wolf Optimisation along with Fuzzy Logic (FL) for energy-efficient Cluster Head (CH) selection, cluster formation, and cost-effective routing which improves Quality of Service (QoS) that can enhance the applicability of WSN in the diverse domains of IoT. The proposed work is simulated, and performance assessment is done on the basis of QoS metrics namely FND, HND, throughput, average energy, average node load and latency. The obtained results exhibit significant enhancement in the network lifetime with an enhanced stability period, higher throughput, reduced latency, and lessen traffic load and load-balanced network towards its comparative making it suitable for wide applicability in WSN based IoT.
Study the Effect of Cannabidiol Topical on Antinociceptive and Anti-inflammatory Activities in Animal Model
Authors: Bunman Sitthiphon , Muengtaweepongsa Sombat , Piyayotai Dilok , Charlermroj Ratthaphol , Phuengwas Sudtida , Makornwattana Manlika , Kanjana Korawit , Kim Sanghyun
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound of cannabis. Due to the therapeutic potential of CBD, there were given drugs through oral administration to treat pain and anti-inflammatory. The bioavailability of CBD has been reported to be poor when given through oral administration because of the high first-pass effect with cytochrome P450. Transdermal delivery systems of CBD may increase bioavailability and decrease first-pass metabolism with cytochrome P450. This study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of CBD cream in an animal model. Formalin test and Antinociceptive activity.
Materials and Methods: We examined the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory of CBD cream in an animal model. Formalin and writhing tests were used for the antinociceptive activity, and Acute inflammatory was used carrageenan-induced edema test.
Result: In this study, we tested the efficacy of CBD topical for antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory in an animal model. For the formalin test, in the early phase, AUC values in all treatments were significantly decreased when compared with placebo cream (P<0.0001, P<0.0001, P<0.0001, respectively), which were the same results in the late phase. Moreover, mice treated with CBD and CBD+levomenthol group showed less pain than with diclofenac usage. For the acetic induce writhing response test, The results have demonstrated that diclofenac, CBD, and CBD+levomenthol cream showed an ability to reduce writhes compared with a placebo group. Carrageenan-induced edema, The 1% CBD cream could significantly decrease paw volume from 1 to 4 h compared to the placebo group. Overall, 1% CBD cream treatment may have a high efficacy in decreasing paw volume from 1 to 4 h.
Conclusion: The study demonstrated that 1% CBD cream has potential effects for analgesia and anti-inflammation. Even though the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of a new formulation of CBD has not been completely understood, the topical of 1%CBD cream may also be a good candidate for treatment for analgesic and anti-inflammatory conditions.
The relationship between Islamic marketing and competitive advantage: an empirical study on Jordanian banks
Authors: Ismaeel Bader M , Alzubi Mohammad , Alsariera Wael
Published: October 2022

This paper aimed to investigate the relationship between the marketing mix from an Islamic perspective and competitive advantage in Jordanian banks. The study also attempts to determine the role of demographic variables (gender, qualifications, experience, and career level) on the relationship between marketing mix and competitive advantage. The population of the study consisted of 13 banks in Jordan; three banks are categorized as Islamic banks that follow the rules of Islamic Shariah, and ten of them are categorized as commercial banks. The researcher distributed 80 questionnaires; 56 questionnaires were retrieved with a percentage of 70%. The researcher found that banks use the marketing mix to a high degree by providing services and products that express the customer's needs in accordance with the requirements of Islamic Sharia. The study also showed that a small group of banks avoid providing products and services to customers that are not Shariah-compliant. Moreover, most banks are catering to the needs of consumers, regardless of their awareness of the product from an Islamic point of view. The results also showed that a simple category of Jordanian banks set a reasonable and easy profit rate in line with the current and fair custom between the seller and the buyer under the so-called simple profit compatible with the perspective of Islamic Sharia. In addition to providing an attractive and clear pricing system for customers in line with Islamic Sharia regulations.
Target region preserving smoothing for selective image segmentation
Authors: Zhao Wenxiu , Li Xiaofang , Yang Chunyu , Huo Leigang
Published: October 2022

Selective image segmentation is an important and challenging task, which aims to segment a subset of target objects or regions of interests in an image. In this paper, we propose a two-stage selective segmentation method. In the first stage, we propose a new smoothing model, which aims to reduce the influence of noise or cluttered background on segmentation. The model consists of a regular term and a fidelity term. First, we define a plug-and-play regular term by incorporating the trained fractional optimal control network. Then we introduce the fidelity term a weight dependent on the distance function of a set of marker points in the target region. In addition, the proposed model has a closed-form solution, which is easy to implement. In the second stage, the smooth image obtained in the first stage is divided into background region and target region with a simple threshold value. Extensive experiments show that our smoothing model can greatly facilitate the second phase, and our method performs better than some existing related methods in terms of either visual assessment or quantitative evaluation.
Acquisition time reduction in pediatric 99mTc-DMSA planar imaging using deep learning
Authors: Ichikawa Shota , Sugimori Hiroyuki , Ichijiri Koki , Yoshimura Takaaki , Nagaki Akio
Published: October 2022

Background: Given the potential risk of motion artifacts, acquisition time reduction is desirable in pediatric 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of predicted full-acquisition-time images from short-acquisition-time pediatric 99mTc-DMSA planar images with only 1/5th acquisition time using deep learning in terms of image quality and quantitative renal uptake measurement accuracy.
Methods: One hundred fifty-five cases, who underwent pediatric 99mTc-DMSA planar imaging as dynamic data for 10 min, were retrospectively collected for the development of three deep learning models (DnCNN, Win5RB, and ResUnet), and generation of full-time images from short-time images. We used the normalized mean squared error (NMSE), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and structural similarity index metrics (SSIM) to evaluate the accuracy of the predicted full-time images. Furthermore, renal uptake of 99mTc-DMSA was calculated, and the difference in renal uptake with respect to the reference full-time images was assessed using scatter plots with Pearson correlation and Bland–Altman plots.
Results: The predicted full-time images from the deep learning models exhibited notable enhancement in image quality compared to short-time images with respect to the reference full-time images. In particular, the predicted full-time images obtained by ResUnet showed the lowest NMSE (0.4 [0.4−0.5] %) and the highest PSNR (55.4 [54.7−56.1] dB) and SSIM (0.997 [0.995−0.997]). As for renal uptake, an extremely high correlation was achieved in all short-time and three predicted full-time images (R2 > 0.999 for all). The Bland–Altman plots showed the lowest bias (−0.10) of renal uptake in ResUnet, while short-time images showed the smallest variance (95% confidence interval: 0.45, −0.14) of renal uptake.
Conclusions: Our proposed method is capable of generating images that are comparable to the original full-acquisition-time images, which enables the acquisition time/injected dose reduction in pediatric 99mTc-DMSA planar imaging.
Integrability and exact solutions for a nonlocal matrix nonlinear Schrödinger equation with self-induced $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric potentials
Authors: Zhou Tong , Zhao Hai-qiong
Published: October 2022

A nonlocal matrix nonlinear Schrödinger equation with the self-induced parity-time $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric potentials and its Darboux transformation have been studied. We obtain several types of solutions as taking different spectral parameter and seeds, include localized soliton solutions, dark-antidark soliton solutions, exact solutions which describe the onset and nonlinear development of the modulational instability of continuous wave states, parallel traveling wave solution, and rogue wave solutions. Besides, the Infinite conservation laws have been derived.
Potentially modifiable risk factors of acute kidney injury after emergency abdominal surgery
Authors: Jung Ji-Yoon , Cho Hyeyeon , Yoon Hyun-Kyu , Yang Seong-Mi , Lee Ho-Jin , Kim Won Ho
Published: October 2022

Emergency abdominal surgery has high rates of mortality and morbidity. However, perioperative strategies to mitigate adverse outcomes are not well established yet. Given the frequent comorbidities and pathophysiology of these patients, the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) could be high. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the incidence and prognosis of AKI and potentially modifiable risk factors of AKI after emergency abdominal surgery. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients who underwent emergency open abdominal surgery at a single tertiary care university hospital. The overall incidence of AKI was 20.3% (n = 96). Postoperative AKI is significantly associated with clinical outcomes including admission to ICU, length of hospital and ICU stay, and in-hospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regression analysis for postoperative AKI revealed that age, body-mass index and ASA classification class 3 or 4 versus 2 were significant predictors. Furthermore, intraoperative vasopressin infusion (odds ratio 4.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19–13.9), preoperative platelet count (odds ratio 0.72, 95% CI 0.57–0.90, p = 0.003) and maximal serum lactate level (and odds ratio 1.14, 95% CI 1.04–1.26, p = 0.006) were identified as potentially modifiable risk factors. Further prospective clinical trials are required to investigate whether modification of these risk factors could mitigate the risk of AKI.
Long- COVID and General Health Status in Hospitalized COVID-19 Survivors: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Mohtasham-Amiri Zahra , Keihanian Fatemeh , Homaei-Rad Enayatollah , Shakib Reza Jafari , –Eramsadati Leila Kouchakinejad , Kanafi-Vahed Leila , Rezvani Seyed Mahmoud , Nikkar Rastin
Published: October 2022

Background: Despite advances in clinical research, the long-term effects of COVID-19 on patients are not clear. Many studies revealed persistent long-term signs and symptoms after recovery that continue for more than months after infection with SARS-CoV-2 and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis.
Methods: In a prospective cohort study,259 hospitalized patients between 18 to 59 years, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection by molecular RT-PCR were interviewed. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and complaints were studied by telephone interviews. Any patient-reported symptoms that continued or developed from 4 weeks up to 12 weeks after the onset of the COVID-19 were recorded only if they did not exist prior to infection. The 12-Item General Health Questionnaire was used for screening and assessing mental symptoms and psychosocial well-being. Analyses were done using Excel and STATA SE software v13.1.
Results: The mean age of participants was 43.8 ± 9.9 years, the mean length of hospital stay was 4.4 ± 4 days, and 58.3% were women. About 37% had at least one underlying disease, The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus in 38.1%, hypertension in 32%, and hypothyroidism in 13.4%. 92.5 % showed ongoing symptoms that the most prevalent complications were hair loss (61.4%), fatigue (54.1%), shortness of breath (40.2%), altered smell (34.4%), aggression (34.4%), memory impairment (29 %), and depression (25.1%), respectively. The mean total score based on GHQ-12 was 1.53 ± 2.66 in the range of 0 and 12. In terms of factors affecting patients' complaints, there were significant differences between gender and underlying disease (ρ <0.0001 and ρ = 0.005, respectively).
Conclusion: This study shows a high rate of long COVID conditions in patients which should be considered by physicians, policymakers, and managers.
Influence of sports activity, thoracolumbar fascia morphology and myofascial release treatment on lumbar microcirculation: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Brandl Andreas , Egner Christoph , Reer Rüdiger , Schmidt Tobias , Schleip Robert
Published: October 2022

Inflammatory processes in the thoracolumbar fascia lead to thickening, compaction, and fibrosis and are thought to contribute to the development of nonspecific low back pain (nLBP). The blood circulation of fascial tissue may play a critical role in this process, as it may promote hypoxia-induced inflammation. This study examined the influence of thoracolumbar fascia morphology (TLFM), sports activity (SA), body mass index (BMI), pain, and a set of myofascial release (MFR) techniques on blood flow data (BFD) of lumbar myofascial tissue. This study was a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Thirty pain-free subjects (40.5 ± 14.1 years) were randomly assigned to two groups treated with MFR or a placebo intervention. Correlations between pain, SA, BMI, and TLFM were calculated at baseline. The effects of TFLM and MFR on BFD were determined. There were strong correlations between pain (r = -0.648), SA (d = 0.681), BMI (r = -0.798), and TLFM. Blood flow was significantly different between disorganized and organized TLFM (p < 0.0001). The MFR group had a significant increase in blood flow after treatment (31.6%) and at follow-up (48.7%) compared with the placebo group. Circulatory restrictions caused by disorganized TFLM could lead to hypoxia-induced inflammation, which likely results in pain and impaired proprioceptive function and contributes to the development of nLBP. The deformation and altered morphology associated with dysfunction of blood vessels and free nerve endings could be positively affected by the intervention in this study.
Adiabatic light propagation in nonlinear waveguide couplers via resonance-locked inverse engineering
Authors: Dou Fu-quan , Wei Ya-Ting , Yan Zhi-Ming
Published: October 2022

We investigate the adiabatic evolution of light in nonlinear waveguide couplers via resonance-locked inverse engineering based on stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP). The longitudinal varying propagation coefficients of the waveguides are designed to eliminate dynamically the nonlinear effect, which induce the non-adiabatic oscillations. We show that different light evolutions such as complete light transfer, light split and light return can be realized adiabatically with appropriate choices of the detunings even in the nonlinear regime. The features open new opportunities for the realization of all-optical nonlinear devices with high fidelity in integrated optics.
The Comparison Between Clevidipine and Nicardipine in Cerebrovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Seifi Ali , Jafari Amirhossein Azari , Mirmoeeni Seyyedmohammadsadeq , Shah Muffaqam , Jafari Mohammadjavad Azari , Nazari Shahrzad , Godoy Daniel Agustin
Published: October 2022

Background: The term "cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs)" refers to a broad category of diseases that affect the brain's blood vessels and cerebral circulation. According to a substantial body of evidence, controlling acute hypertension (HTN) by antihypertensive drugs such as clevidipine and nicardipine can be a highly efficient method of lowering the incidence of CVDs. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare and analyze the outcomes of clevidipine and nicardipine in CVD patients for the first time.
Methods: For identifying potential eligible studies, two independent researchers systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science online databases, and the gray literature search, including Google scholar and hand-searching, were performed. Included studies were any observational (Retrospective/prospective cohort and cross-sectional) literature that compares adult patients receiving clevidipine or nicardipine for controlling HTN in the setting of CVD.
Results: We reviewed 487 articles and finally included 5 studies, including 546 patients (211 received clevidipine, and 335 received nicardipine). The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) for time to goal SBP was -0.04 (95% CI: [-0.66; 0.58], p-value: 0.86, I2: 79.0%, pooled MD: -12.90 min), meaning that the clevidipine group has shorter time to goal systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared to nicardipine. The pooled SMD for total volume infusion was -0.52 (95% CI: [-0.93; -0.12], p-value: 0.03, I2: 0.0%, pooled MD: -1118.81 mL), showing a notable less total volume infused to patients in the clevidipine group.
Conclusion: We found that clevidipine reaches the SBP goal faster than nicardipine; however, there is no statistically significant difference between the two drugs. The total volume infused to achieve the goal SBP is significantly less in the clevidipine group. Both clevidipine and nicardipine are safe, and their adverse effects are comparable. Further prospective studies in a blinded and protocolized condition are needed to compare clevidipine and nicardipine in CVD patients on a large scale.
“I want to do more in life than just…be a disability person”: Young people with intellectual disability speak out about life after school
Authors: Mogensen Lise , Drake Gabrielle , McDonald Jenny , Sharp Nicole
Published: October 2022

Background
The transition from school to adult life is challenging for young people with intellectual disability. The study aim was to explore young people’s experiences of transition and post-school options and whether experiences were influenced by the ‘choice and control’ impetus in current disability policy in Australia.
Methods
A co-designed, qualitative study. Thematic data analysis of surveys, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups with 27 young people with intellectual disability.
Results
Participants found transition planning at school inconsistent or lacking and felt excluded from decision-making about their lives. Accessing meaningful services, training, and employment beyond volunteering was challenging and enduring, leaving participants in perpetual state of transition, feeling lost, and missing out of adult milestones.
Conclusions
Policy, system, and service gaps must be addressed with a nationally consistent and accountable approach that truly supports choice and control for young people with intellectual disability in transitioning from school into meaningful adult lives.
Independent double-center observational study of minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion for sacroiliac joint dysfunction: one-year results
Authors: Hermans Sem M. M. , Knoef Rob J.H. , Schuermans Valérie N.E. , Schotanus Martijn G.M. , Nellensteijn Jorm M. , Santbrink Henk , Curfs Inez , Hemert Wouter L.W.
Published: October 2022

Background
A substantial part of patients with chronic low back pain, the origin is located in the sacroiliac joint (SIJ). Minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion (MISJF) is increasingly being implemented as a treatment option in SIJ dysfunction. Despite remaining controversy, evidence continues to increase. This study evaluates the clinical results and safety of MISJF in a double-center consecutive case series in patients with SIJ dysfunction over a one-year observation period.
Methods
SIJ complaints were diagnosed after history taking, physical examination and least a 50% reduction of SIJ pain 30 to 60 minutes following image-guided injection. Primary outcome measures were patient reported outcome measurements (PROMs), consisting of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score and EuroQol 5-dimensions 3-levels (EQ-5D-3L). Patients’ perspectives on the effects of surgery were collected through questionnaires. Secondary outcome measures were implant positioning and (serious) adverse events ((S)AE’s).
Results
A total of 29 patients were included. In 44.8% of patients SIJ dysfunction was of postpartum origin. The mean VAS-pain score improved from 7.83 (± 1.71) to 4.97 (± 2.63) postoperatively (p < 0.001). EQ-5D-3L score improved from 0.266 (± 0.129) to 0.499 (± 0.260) postoperatively (p < 0.001). Opioid consumption decreased from 44.8–24.1% postoperatively (p = 0.026). In 13.7% of patients an (S)AE occurred.
Conclusion
MISJF appears to be an effective and safe procedure in this cohort. Statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements in pain and QoL were observed one-year postoperatively. Future studies should focus on the long-term outcomes to further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of MISJF.
Switching Anti-Windup Design for Discrete-Time Switched Systems Under Input Saturation
Authors: HOUTI Smail , Berdjag Denis , Defoort Michael , Lauber Jimmy
Published: October 2022

In this paper, the tracking problem for discrete-time switched systems subject to actuator saturation and exogenous input is considered. The considered class of systems encompasses discrete-time systems subject to asymmetric saturation or time-varying saturation. Using switched Lyapunov functions and L2-gain analysis, a one-step method is proposed to design the controller and the anti-windup compensator. Some sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee local asymptotic stability and L2-performance of the closed-loop system in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMI). To illustrate the advantages of the proposed scheme, comparisons with existing schemes are provided. At last, the effectiveness of the proposed scheme is illustrated on the velocity tracking problem of a heavy train with asymmetric saturation constraints.
Longitudinal study of sexual dysfunction and its influencing factors in breast cancer patients: a trajectory analysis model
Authors: Wang Yingyin , Zhang XiaoLu , Chen ShouLi , Wang GuoRong , Zhang Tian , Liu Yao , Li Qiao qiao
Published: October 2022

Objective: This study aims to explore the trajectory of sexual dysfunction (FSD) in breast cancer patients up to 9 months after diagnosis and to analyze factors influencing the trajectory.
Methods: A longitudinal study was used to investigate 225 patients with a first diagnosis of breast cancer in a tertiary care hospital in Sichuan. Patients were dynamically assessed with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) at baseline, 1 month after diagnosis (T1), 3 months after diagnosis (T2), 6 months after diagnosis (T3), and 9 months after diagnosis (T4).
Results: The incidence of FSD in breast cancer patients at each follow-up time point in this study was 30.7%（T0), 80.4%(T1), 81.8%(T2), 87.5%(T3), and 78%(T4), with the greatest severity of FSD at T3. The trajectory of FSD development in the 3 groups of trajectories was the optimal model, accounting for the "FSD improvement group" (22.9%), "FSD severe group" (56.1%), and "FSD worsening group" (21%). Age less than 40 years (β=2.811, P=0.048), occupation as cadre and professional (β=1.740, P=0.033), pre-treatment poorer sexual arousal (β=-2.625, P=0. 011), poorer sexual satisfaction (β=-1.555, P=0.033), and higher sexual pain (β=-1.465, P=0.032) were influencing factors for the "FSD severe group". Chemotherapy cycles ≥8 cycles (β=-1.274, P=0.040), cadre and professional occupation (β=2.172, P=0.009) were the influencing factors in the "FSD worsening group".
Conclusion: Early detection of those at risk for FSD is advised for effective intervention due to the high incidence of FSD in breast cancer patients during treatment and the inability of sexual function to return to pretreatment levels at month nine of treatment. Trajectory analysis revealed that the trajectory of FSD development in breast cancer patients showed a large heterogeneity, suggesting that clinical interventions should be tailored to the individual. Priority treatment targets for intervention included patients who were under 40, ≥8 cycles of chemotherapy, professionals, low levels of pre-treatment sexual arousal and sexual satisfaction, and high levels of pre-treatment sexual pain.