bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
D-dimer-to-platelet Ratio as a Novel Marker of in-hospital Adverse Outcomes Among Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism: a Single-center Retrospective Study
Authors: Li Xincheng , He Yaowu , Shang Yu , Yang Yi , Wang Menghan , Li Yupeng , Wang Xue , Wang Junwei , Chen Hong
Published: March 2021

Background: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the value of D-dimer to platelets ratio (DPR) in predicting the in-hospital prognosis of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE).Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 237 patients with APE admitted from January 2016 to August 2020. The associations between the DPR and other predictors and serious adverse events were analyzed with univariate and multivariate analyses.Results: A total of 134 (56.5%) patients were categorized into the low DPR group (DPR <4.55) and 103 (43.5%) in the high DPR group (DPR ≥4.55) according to the cut-off value for the DPR of 4.55 with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 62.0%, respectively. The model that included DPR revealed a significant improvement in the accuracy of the predictive value compared with the sPESI score alone (AUC: 0.721 [95% CI: 0.636-0.807]; P <0.001 vs AUC: 0.607 [95% CI: 0.496-0.718]; P=0.085; respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that DPR (P=0.001) and the pulmonary embolus position (P=0.011) were independent factors of serious adverse events (SAEs) of APE inpatients. The in-hospital SAEs rate was significantly higher in the high DPR group compared with the low DPR group.Conclusion: Our findings showed that DPR is seemed to be a novel marker of risk stratification in patients with APE. This parameter may be used to identify these patients at higher risk for clinical adverse events, and individualization of therapeutic interventions should be timely considered.
The “black-box” of Treatment. Clients’ Perspective on What Works in Medication-assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.
Authors: Silva Teresa C. , Andersson Fredrik
Published: March 2021

Background: A lack of conceptual modeling of how the components of medical-assisted treatment (MAT) for illegal opioid use work causes it to occasionally be labeled the “black-box” of treatment. This study had a two-fold objective: First, to analyze which factors related to MAT for opioid addiction contribute to the abstinence of illegal drug use and sustain recovery, from clients’ perspective; second, to understand which changes MAT produced in the individuals’ lives might significantly contribute to relapse prevention.Methods: We used qualitative methods of design, inquiry, and analysis from a convenience sample of 19 individuals in a Swedish treatment setting.Results: All the participants reported previous cycles of illegal drug abuse, treatment, abstinence, recovery, and relapse before starting the current MAT program. During the pre-treatment stage, specific events, internal processes, and social environments enhanced motivation toward abstinence and seeking treatment. During the treatment stage, participants perceived the quality of the human relationships established with primary social groups as important as medication and the individual plan of care in sustaining recovery. From the participants’ perspective, MAT was a turning point in their life course, allowing them a sense of self-fulfillment and the reconstruction of personal and social identity. However, they still struggled with the stigmatization produced by a society that values abstinence-oriented over medication-assisted treatments.Conclusion: MAT is not an isolated event in individuals’ lives but rather a process occurring within a specific social context. Structural factors and the sense of acceptance and belonging are essential to supporting the transformation. Treatment achievements and the risk for relapse most likely vary over time, so the objectives of the treatment plan must account for characteristics of the pre-treatment stage and the availability and capacity of individuals to restructure their social network, besides the opioid substitution treatment and institutional social care.
Performance of various pesticides against Yellow stem borer, Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker) of Basmati rice and effect on yield in Northern India
Authors: Kumar Sushant , Singh Hem
Published: March 2021

The present investigation was based on the management of Yellow stem borer which is a major pest of Basmati rice crop in India. All the treatments were applied to control this pest when it reached on its ETL level. The data recorded one day before of first spray and 3, 7, 10 days after of each spray. The observation revealed that all the treatments were found significantly superior over untreated control. Among the all treatments Fipronil 5 SC was found most effective followed by Imidacloprid 17.8 SC, Cartap hydrochlorid 4 G. Among the bio-pesticides B. bassiana was most effective after the chemical pesticides followed by M. anisopliae and V. lacani. The field treated with fipronil 5 SC produced the highest grain yield (38.35 q/ha) and Imidacloprid 17.8 SC was placed on second place with 37.26 q/ha grain yield followed by Thiamethoxam 25 WG (36.05q/ha) and Cartap hydrochloride 4G (33.87 q/ha).
The Effect of Extensor Muscle Strength on Meniscus Progression in Subjects Without Radiologic Knee Osteoarthritis -- Data From the Osteoarthritis Initiative
Authors: Li Mingyang , Nie Yong , Li Kang , Zeng Yi , Wu Yuangang , Liu Yuan , Wu Limin , Shen Bin
Published: March 2021

BackgroundHigh extensor strength decreased knee osteoarthritis symptomatic progression in female was well demonstrated. However, few studies detected a significant association between extensor strength and structural progression when joint space narrowing or cartilage loss were the indicators. The pathological change in meniscus could come earlier than that in cartilage and JSN, but no studies have specifically investigated the association between extensor strength and meniscus progression. MethodsParticipants in Osteoarthritis Initiative with both muscle strength and meniscus assessment, KL grade ≤ 1, and BMI < 30, were enrolled. In separate-sex analysis, participants were divided into the high strength group and the low strength group referring to the median baseline maximum extensor muscle strength/weight. Overall and classified meniscus progression in MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score was compared between the two groups, at 12 months (622 knees) and 24 months (548 knees). ResultsIn females, less overall medial meniscus progression (11.1% [17/153] VS 23.2% [32/138], P=0.04), less medial meniscal medially extrusion (5.2 % [8/155] VS 12.5 % [18/144], P =0.04), and less medial meniscal anteriorly extrusion progression (0 % [0/108] VS 5.3% [6/113], P=0.03), was presented in the high strength group over 24 months. No significant difference was detected in other comparisons (in males, or in lateral meniscus, or in 12 months). Conclusion High baseline extensor strength in females was associated with a decreased risk of 24- month medial meniscus progression. High extensor strength does not only correlate with less symptomatic progression of KOA, but also with lower risk of structural progression.
Defective Allele of the Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene Increases Insulin Resistance During Acute Phase of Myocardial Infarction.
Authors: Nóbrega Otávio T , Campos-Staffico Alessandra M. , Oliveira Elayne Kelen , Munhoz Daniel B , Moura Filipe A. , Carvalho Luis Sérgio F. , Tonet-Furioso Audrey C. , Sposito Andrei C.
Published: March 2021

Background: glycemia disorders are a strong predictor of mortality in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) patients. Disruption in nitric oxide (NO) production is associated with insulin-resistant states. We evaluated whether NO production in carriers of a defective allele of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS or NOS1), whose in vivo expression is reduced by up to 50%, might influence the insulin response during acute phase of STEMI. Methods and Results: Consecutive patients with STEMI (n = 354) underwent clinical evaluations and genotyping for the promoter variation rs41279104. Blood tests were performed at admission (D1) and after five days (D5) of in-hospital follow up, with the disposition index assessed in the period. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was assessed by reactive hyperemia on the 30th day. Homozygotes for the defective allele (A) showed lower glycemia and insulin sensitivity at D1 while showing the highest b-cells function and no changes in the circulating NO pool, what is compatible with hyperresponsive b-cells to counteract the inherent glucose-resistant state of AA patients. At D5, glycemic scores shifted to indicate greater insulin sensitivity among A homozygotes, paralleled by a slight yet poor increase in NO bioavailability than that among G carriers. All in all, defective homozygotes showed greater insulin resistance expressed by the disposition index at admission, which was compensated 5 days after STEMI even though FMD of A carriers was lower compared to G homozygotes. Conclusion: a defective nNOS allele seems to elicit endocrine adaptation and to associate with insulin resistance during the acute phase of STEMI.
Extracellular Mutation Induces an Allosteric Effect Across the Membrane and Hampers the Activity of MRP1 (ABCC1)
Authors: Kanner Yuval Bin , Ganoth Assaf , Tsfadia Yossi
Published: March 2021

Dynamic conformational changes play a major role in the function of proteins, including the ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters. Multidrug Resistance Protein 1 (MRP1) is an ABC exporter that protects tissues from toxic molecules. Overexpression of MRP1 has been shown to confer Multidrug Resistance (MDR), a phenomenon in which cancer cells are capable to defend themselves against a broad variety of drugs. Despite an increasing number of structures of MRP1, including a relatively new bovine cryo-EM structure, the accurate molecular details for its drug extrusion mechanism remain vague. In this study, we used varied computational techniques to explore the unique F583A mutation that is known to essentially lock the transporter in a low-affinity solute binding state. We demonstrate how macro-scale conformational changes affect MRP1’s stability and dynamics, and how these changes correspond to micro-scale structural perturbations in helices 10–11 and the nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) of the protein in regions known to be crucial for its ATPase activity. We demonstrate how a single substitution of an outward-facing aromatic amino acid causes a long-range allosteric effect that propagates across the membrane, ranging from the extracellular ECL5 loop to the cytoplasmic NBD2 over a distance of nearly 75 Å, leaving the protein in a non-functional state, and provide the putative allosteric pathway. The identified allosteric structural pathway is not only in agreement with experimental data but enhances our mechanical understanding of MRP1, thereby facilitating the rational design of chemosensitizers toward the success of chemotherapy treatments.
Validating Online Approaches for Rare Disease Research Using Latent Class Mixture Modeling.
Authors: Dwyer Andrew A. , Zeng Ziwei , Lee Christopher S.
Published: March 2021

Background: Rare disease patients are geographically dispersed, posing challenges to research. Some researchers have partnered with patient organizations and used web-based approaches to overcome geographic recruitment barriers. Critics of such methods claim that samples are homogenous and do not represent the broader patient population - as patients recruited from patient organizations are thought to have high levels of needs. We applied latent class mixture modeling (LCMM) to define patient clusters based on underlying characteristics. We used previously collected data from a cohort of patients with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) who were recruited online in collaboration with a patient organization. Patient demographics, clinical information, Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) scores and Zung self-rating depression Scale (SDS) were used as variables for LCMM analysis. Specifically, we aimed to test the classic critique that patients recruited online in collaboration with a patient organization are a homogenous group with high needs. We hypothesized that distinct classes (clinical profiles) of patients could be identified - thereby demonstrating the validity of online recruitment and supporting transferability of findings. Results: In total, 154 patients with CHH were included. The LCMM analysis identified three distinct subgroups (Class I: n=84 [54.5%], Class II: n=41 [26.6%], Class III: n=29 [18.8%]) that differed significantly in terms of age, education, disease consequences, emotional consequences, illness coherence and depression symptoms (all p<0.001) as well as age at diagnosis (p=0.045). Classes depict a continuum of psychosocial impact ranging from severe to relatively modest. Additional analyses revealed later diagnosis (Class I: 19.2±6.7 yrs. [95%CI: 17.8-20.7]) is significantly associated with worse psychological adaptation and coping as assessed by disease consequences, emotional responses, making sense of one’s illness and SDS depressive symptoms (all p<0.001). Conclusions: We identify three distinct classes of patients who were recruited online in collaboration with a patient organization. Findings refute prior critiques of patient partnership and web-based recruitment for rare disease research. This is the first empirical data suggesting negative psychosocial sequelae of later diagnosis (“diagnostic odyssey”) often observed in CHH.
Organizational Commitment and Associated Factors Among Health Professionals Working in Public Health Facilities of Benchsheko Zone Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Alemayehu Dereje , Ololo Shimeles , Siraneh Yibeltal
Published: March 2021

Background: Organizational commitment is the relative strength of an individual’s identification with and involvement in a particular organization. It is an important predictor of absenteeism, turnover, organizational performance and success. Even though organizational commitment has a paramount importance for health care organizations, very few studies were done so far in Ethiopia particularly among health professionals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to measure level of organizational commitment and associated factors among health professionals working in public health facilities of Bench Sheko zone southwest Ethiopia. Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in 14 Public health facilities found in randomly selected districts of Bench Sheko zone. Structured self-administered questioner was used to collect data from a total of 610 Health professionals from 10th of March – 30th of April. Data were entered into Epi-data manager Version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 24 for further analysis. Factor analysis was done to create factor scores. Simple and multiple linear regression were done. Variables with p- value ≤ 0.25 in simple linear regression were candidate for multiple linear regression. Independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were done. Statistical significance was declared at p-value ≤ 0.05. Results: The response rate of the study was 96.8%. The percentages mean score of organizational commitment of health professionals’ was 74.6%. Perceived recognition of employees (B 0.806 [95% CI: 0.711 - 1.00, p=0.000], perceived conducive work climate (B: 0.421 [95%CI: .322 - 0.520], perceived transformational leadership style (B 0.749 [95%CI: .604 - .894, p=0.000], perceived transactional leadership styles (B: 0.294 [95%CI: .198 - .390 p=0.000] and not having managerial position(B:-.293 [95%CI:-.559 -0.028] were predictors of organizational commitment. Conclusion: Overall level of organization commitment of health professionals’ was higher than what is reported in many other studies. Organizational commitment was affected by job satisfaction, leadership styles and managerial position of health professionals. Hence, policy makers and human resource managers need to pay special attention to intervene on these factors.
Efficient aqueous remote loading of peptides in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)
Authors: Giles Morgan , Hong Justin , Liu Yayuan , Tang Jie , Li Tinghui , Beig Avital , Schwendeman Anna , Schwendeman Steven
Published: March 2021

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) long-acting release (LAR) depots are effective for extending the duration of action of peptide drugs. New market approvals have been slow with dated organic-solvent-based microencapsulation approaches. We describe efficient organic-solvent-free remote encapsulation based on the capacity of common acid-capped PLGA to bind, and absorb into the polymer phase, net positively charged peptides in aqueous solution after short exposure at modest temperature. Leuprolide encapsulated by this approach in low-molecular-weight PLGA 75/25 microspheres slowly and continuously released peptide for over 56 days in vitro and suppressed testosterone production in rats in an equivalent manner as the 1-month Lupron Depot®. The technique is generalizable to encapsulate a number of net cationic peptides of various size, including octreotide, with competitive loading and encapsulation efficiencies to traditional techniques. In certain cases, in vitro and in vivo performance of remote-loaded PLGA microspheres exceeded that relative to marketed products and displayed important features not currently possible with existing encapsulation strategies.
Characterization and Antibacterial Properties of Metal Borates Vectorized As Ceramic Glaze Additives
Authors: Aguş Osman , Arslan Osman , ABALI YÜKSEL
Published: March 2021

Metal borate nanoparticles Silver (Ag), copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) were produced for a novel boron containing antibacterial ceramic applications. Different concentration, temperature, time parameters were varied for obtaining hierarchical metal borate embedded formulations. Synthesized nanostructures showed interesting crystalline and optical properties since temperature and concentration adjustments provided correlated shape and surface properties. Chemical analysis and crystallinity of both copper and silver formulations were defined using XRD and confirmed that temperature plays a deep role on the production of nanostructures. XPS analysis together with TEM investigations comprehensively provided all atomic compositions with their corresponding energy values in survey and high resolution region. Morphology and atomic purity was analyzed using EDX and SEM measurements revealed the morphological orientation of the nanostructures without other impurities. FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy provided optical information about the obtained metal borate nanoparticles. Finally metal borate nanoparticles were utilized for 1x1 cm ceramic glazing samples for antibacterial applications. Silver borate nanoparticles were found to be more active in low concentrations than copper and zinc borate structures after the antibacterial test results were unveiled against to gram positive and gram negative microorganisms.
Rationale and study-design of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase 2b trial to Evaluate Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of an oral glutaminyl cyclase inhibitor Varoglutamstat (PQ912) in Study participants With MCI and Mild AD -  VIVIAD
Authors: Vijverberg E.G.B. , Axelsen T.M. , Bihlet A.R. , Henriksen K. , Weber F. , Fuchs K. , Harrison J.E. , Kühn-Wache K. , Alexandersen P. , Prins N.D. , Scheltens Philip
Published: March 2021

Background: Varoglutamstat (formerly PQ912) is a small molecule that inhibits the activity of the glutaminyl cyclase to reduce the level of pyroglutamate-A-beta (pGluAB42). Recent studies confirm that pGluAB42 is a particular amyloid form that is highly synaptotoxic and plays a significant role in the development of AD. Methods:This paper describes the design and methodology behind the VIVIAD-trial. The aim of this study is to evaluate varoglutamstat in a state-of-the-art phase 2b, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial on safety and tolerability, efficacy on cognition, brain activity and AD biomarkers. In addition to its main purpose, the trial will explore potential associations between novel and established biomarkers and their individual and composite relation to disease characteristics. Results: to be expected early 2023Conclusion: This state of the art phase 2b study will yield important results for the field and the treatment of AD with a small molecule directed against pyroglutamate-A-beta.
Uranyl-catalyzed C-H Alkynylation and Olefination
Authors: Mao Yu , Liu Yeqing , Yu Lei , Ni Shengyang , Wang Yi , Pan Yi
Published: March 2021

Uranyl cation (UO22+) has been identified as highly oxidizing agent to abstract hydrogen atoms from C-H bonds for the formation of carbon-centered radicals. This work described a photocatalytic strategy to utilize uranyl peroxo complexes for direct alkynylation and olefination of C(sp3) aliphatics. Crystallographic analysis revealed that the in situ generated uranyl peroxide accelerated the reaction.
Effects of Bone Cement Distribution on Adjacent Endplates After Percutaneous Vertebroplasty for Thoracolumbar Fractures: A Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Han Ye , Wu Jincheng , Wang Xiaodong , Gao Wenshan , Wang Jianzhong , Sun Shaosong , Zhang Zepei , Li Kepeng , Jun Miao
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is a common surgical method for the treatment of thoracolumbar compression fractures. Currently, no biomechanical analysis has been performed examining the effects of cement distribution and positioning on the overall thoracolumbar range of motion (ROM) and the stress applied to adjacent endplates.METHODS: A model of PVP following vertebral compression fracture was established based on computed tomography data. Cement was injected into the T12 vertebral body. Depending on the location of the injection site, the model was divided into a median cement model, a left cement model, an upper-left cement model, and a lower-left cement model. The postoperative thoracolumbar ROM and biomechanical changes to the adjacent endplates were analyzed.RESULTS: After cement injection, the overall ROM for the thoracolumbar region increased compared with that before cement injection. The maximum ROM of flexion was 9.28° for the left model; the maximum ROM of extension was 10.90° for the upper-left model; the maximum left and right rotations were 8.47° and 8.52°, respectively, for the left model; the maximum left bending was 13.10° for the left model; and the maximum right bending was 13.43° for the left model. The stress applied to the adjacent vertebral endplate in the median cement model increased compared with the intact model, and the von Mises stress (VMS) value changed with different cement positions.CONCLUSION: After cement injection, the overall stress value of the endplate adjacent to the vertebral body increased, and when the position of the cement shifts, the maximum VMS increased further for some positions, and the stress value for the endplate adjacent to the vertebral body increased, which may cause fractures in the relative position.
Consolidated Bioprocessing for Bioethanol Production by Metabolically Engineered Bacillus Subtilis Strains
Authors: Maleki Fatemeh , Changizian Mohammad , Zolfaghari Narges , Rajaei Sarah , Noghabi Kambiz Akbari , Zahiri Hossein Shahbani
Published: March 2021

Background: Bioethanol produced by fermentative microorganisms is regarded as an alternative to fossil fuel. Bioethanol to be used as a viable energy source must be produced cost-effectively by removing expense-intensive steps such as the enzymatic hydrolysis of substrate. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is believed to be a practical solution combining saccharification and fermentation in a single step catalyzed by a microorganism. Bacillus subtills with innate ability to grow on a diversity of carbohydrates seems promising for affordable CBP bioethanol production using renewable plant biomass and wastes. Results: In this study, the genes encoding alcohol dehydrogenase from Z. mobilis (adhZ) and S. cerevisiae (adhS) were each used with Z. mobilis pyruvate decarboxylase gene (pdcZ) to create ethanologenic operons in a lactate-deficient (Δldh) B. subtilis resulting in NZ and NZS strains, respectively. The S. cerevisiae adhS caused significantly more ethanol production by NZS and therefore was used to make two other operons including one with double copies of both pdcZ and adhS and the other with a single pdcZ but double adhS genes expressed in N(ZS)2 and NZS2 strains, respectively. In addition, two fusion genes were constructed with pdcZ and adhS in alternate orientations and used for ethanol production by the harboring strains namely NZ:S and NS:Z, respectively. While the increase of gene dosage was not associated with elevated carbon flow for ethanol production, the fusion gene adhS:pdcZ resulted in more than two times increase of productivity by strain NS:Z as compared with NZS during 48 h fermentation. The CBP ethanol production by NZS and NS:Z using potatoes resulted in 16.3 g/L and 21.5 g/L ethanol during 96 h fermentation, respectively. Conclusion: In this study for the first time, Bacillus subtilis was successfully used for CBP ethanol production with S. cerevisiae alcohol dehydrogenase. The results of the study provide insights on the potentials of B. subtilis for affordable bioethanol production from inexpensive plant biomass and wastes. However, the potentials need to be improved by metabolic and process engineering for higher yields of ethanol production and plant biomass utilization.
The therapeutic effect of a novel anti-TNF-α/IL-6R triple-specific fusion protein under experimental septic condition
Authors: Chen Xiaole , Tan Shuangyu , Yan Mengru , Nie Kaimei , Zheng Qingmei , Wang Yaduan , Liu Rui , Wang He , Yang Juhua , Zhang Nanwen
Published: March 2021

A novel anti-TNF-α/IL-6R triple-specific fusion protein, by linking 3 single domain chains, was designed and constructed in our lab. The high purity fusion proteins were obtained by our developed prokaryotic expression system process with high binding affinity with TNF-α (94.75 pM), Human Serum Albumin (1.83 nM) and IL-6R (2.29 nM). In this study, the anti-TNF-α/IL-6R triple-specific fusion protein protected the mouse fibroblast fibrosarcoma cell line (L929) from the apoptosis effects induced by TNF-α, establishing that the expressed fusion proteins can selectively combine with TNF-α in vitro. In vivo, the survival rate of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was notably increased in the group with anti-TNF-α/IL-6R triple-specific fusion protein treatment, and meaningfully higher compared with the single-targeted IL-6R and TNF-α fusion protein at the same dose. After the treatment with anti-TNF-α/IL-6R triple-specific fusion protein, the level of serum TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly decreased, and sepsis-induced pathological injuries in the kidney were remarkably attenuated. The anti-TNF-α/IL-6R triple-specific fusion protein can be the potential candidate for the development of new drug design against sepsis.
On-machine measurement and error analysis for narrow neck thickness based on ultra-precision machine tool
Authors: Jin Xin , Gao Ruilin , Li Chaojiang , Zheng Zhongpeng , Xiao Muzheng , Zuo Zhen
Published: March 2021

As flexible joint is a typical low-rigidity micro part, which have four narrow neck structures evenly distributed around its central axis, it is necessary to strictly control the dimensional accuracy of the narrow necks to improve the consistency of stiffness. However, the radius of the arc of the narrow necks is less than 2mm , and the thickness of thinnest part of the necks formed by two adjacent arcs is only tens of microns, which also has sub-micron accuracy requirement. These cross-scale dimensional characteristics and accuracy requirements give rise to extremely difficulty on the measuring process. In this paper, an on-machine measurement method for the semicircular narrow necks was presented and a measuring device was developed based on the comparative principle by making full use of the high linearity characteristic in the small measuring range of the sensor probes. Meanwhile, the on-machine measurement process based on ultra-precision machine tools was also introduced in details. The experiments results show that the measurement error of the method proposed is less than 0.2 µm , and the repeatability is less than 0.1 μm , which meet the measuring requirement of flexible joint. Furthermore, the theoretical error and the uncertainty caused by probe position, measurement force, environmental factor and the accuracy of the sensor was analyzed, which could provide further evidences to improve the measuring accuracy of micro-scale hybrid surface texture.
Culture in Iranian Non-Native High school English Textbooks versus Native Institutes English Textbooks
Authors: Rostami Farzad , zakidizaji َََAmirhassan
Published: March 2021

The current study attempted to compare two series of textbooks written by native English speaker authors and Iranian non-native English authors in terms of their inclusion of the cultural elements. The issue of culture was divided into two categories of culture beginning with the small letter ‘c’ and big letter ‘C’ (Chen, 2004; Lee, 2009). From these frameworks, seven themes for big ‘C’ and five themes for small ‘c’ culture were selected. Taking a discourse analytic design, the study closely examined the content of the samples selected from two sets of textbooks and compared the frequency of the distribution of the cultural elements to find the answer to research questions. The non-parametric statistical analysis of the collected data showed that the textbooks written by non-native (Iranian) English authors did not deal with English culture as much as the native speaker authors did. The results also showed that the themes of big ‘C’ interpretation of culture were more frequently found in both sets of textbooks. The study could offer some pedagogical implications and also suggestions for further study in the future.
Dexmedetomidine reduces the incidence of postoperative delirium after cardiac surgery: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Li Peng , Li Lu-xi , Zhao Zhen-zhen , Xie Jian , Zhu Cheng-long , Deng Xiao-ming , Wang Jia-feng
Published: March 2021

Background

The role of dexmedetomidine in preventing delirium after cardiac surgery remains controversial because of several recent trials with negative results. We aimed to perform an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to clarify this controversy.
Methods

RCTs investigating the perioperative administration of dexmedetomidine in cardiac surgery were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane library until August,27,2020. Two researchers independently screened the literature, collected the data and evaluated the bias risk of the included studies. The meta-analysis was performed with the RevMan 5.3.
Results

A total of 15 studies including 2813 patients were included in the study. A pooled result showed that dexmedetomidine could reduce the risk of delirium in adult population underwent cardiac surgery (OR 0.56, 95%CI 0.35–0.89, P = 0.0003, I = 64%). The subgroup analysis demonstrated that the protective effect of dexmedetomidine was only present in the patients injected with dexmedetomidine after surgery but not from the start of surgery, in the adult patients without specific age limitation but not in the elderly, and in the studies in comparison with other sedatives but not with placebo. There were no statistical differences when analyzing the secondary outcomes including hypotension (OR 1.13; 95% CI 0.54–2.37, P < 0.00001, I²=85%), bradycardia (OR 1.72; 95% CI 0.84–3.53, P = 0.04, I²=58%) and atrial fibrillation (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.70–1.08, P = 0.43, I²=0).
Conclusions

Dexmedetomidine can reduce the incidence of delirium compared to other sedatives and opioids after cardiac surgery in adult patients. The proper population and timing for perioperative use of dexmedetomidine after cardiac surgery remain to be further investigated.
Branching and Stability of Elasic Rod Equilibrium Forms
Authors: Skubov Dmitrii , Kopnin Dmitry Yu.
Published: March 2021

In our article from the positions of branching theory the classical Euler task about stability of thin elastic rod under action of vertical compressive load is considered. With using of turn-tensor and accompanying vector the deformation of rod is described. In result the conditions of equilibrium in a case of linear determining equation are reduced to boundary problem relatively turn angle of cross section, described by the differential equation of pendulum. With help elliptic functions the diagrams of branching are constructed and are received the exact formulas of rod deformation at the loss of stability of vertical position. Analogy the task of stability of rod at turned force on end of rod is considered. Also, the oscillating loss of rod stability at tracking load is studied.
The association of triglyceride and glucose index, triglyceride to high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio with prehypertension and hypertension in normoglycemic subjects: a large cross-sectional population study 
Authors: zhang fomin , zhang yingyi , guo zhigang , yang hua , ren min , xing xiaomeng , cong hongliang
Published: March 2021

Background

Triglyceride and glucose index (TYG) and triglyceride to high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-c) not only were significant association with hypertension, but also were related to prehypertension. However, few of these studies have large subjects to study the relationship between TyG ,TG/HDL and hypertension, prehypertension in the same population. Therefore, We conducted a large cross-sectional study to explore the association of TG/HDL-c, TyG index with prehypertension and hypertension in the same normoglycemic subjects from China, Tianjin .
Methods

A total of 32,124 adults were eligible for this study. According to the level of blood pressure, the enrolled individuals were divided into three groups, Which were normotension, prehypertension and hypertension. All participants completed a questionnaire, followed by a physical examination and blood sample test. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between TyG index, TG/HDL-c and their related parameters, Multiple Logistic regression analyses were applied to explore the association of TyG indexes and TG/HDL quartiles with prehypertension and hypertension.
Results

The association between TyG index ,TG/HDL-c and age, heart rate(HR),Body Mass Index(BMI), systolic blood pressure(SBP), diastolic blood pressure(DBP), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), LDL-cholesterol(LDL-c), fasting glucose(GLU) were positive correlation, while HDL-cholesterol(HDL-c) was negative correlation in spearman correlation analysis(p < 0.001). In multiple logistic regression analysis, there was a significant difference in the risk of prehypertension and hypertension when comparing the highest TyG index to the lowest TyG index and corresponding ORs were 1.795(1.638,1.968) and 2.439(2.205,2.698), respectively. For TG/HDL-c, the corresponding ORs were 1.514(1.382,1.658) and 1.934(1.751,2.137), respectively. Furthermore, When comparing the fourth quartile to the first quartile of TyG and TG/HDL, respectively, and both corresponding ORs of hypertension were higher than prehypertension.
Conclusions

Elevated TyG index and TG/HDL-c levels were associated with an increased risk of incident Prehypertension and Hypertension in normoglycemic individuals. They have the potential to become cost-effective and complementary monitors in the hierarchical management of prehypertension and hypertension.
Protective effect of Impella on left ventricular function after acute broad anterior wall ST elevation myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock: cardiaovascular magnetic resonance imaging strain analysis
Authors: Fukamachi Daisuke , Yamada Akimasa , Ohgaku Akihito , Koyama Yutaka , Fujito Hidesato , Arai Riku , Ebuchi Yasunari , Migita Suguru , Morikawa Tomoyuki , Monden Masaki , Tamaki Takehiro , Kojima Keisuke , Akutsu Naotaka , Murata Nobuhiro , Yuki Saito , Kitano Daisuke , Sudo Mitsumasa , Okumura Yasuo , Takei Norio
Published: March 2021

Background

The clinical efficacy of Impella for high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention and cardiogenic shock remains under debate. We thus sought to investigate the protective effects on the heart by the early use of Impella before percutaneous coronary intervention using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).
Methods

We evaluated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging results in 22 broad anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction cases between 2017 and 2019. A mechanical circulation system (Impella or intra-aortic balloon pump) was implanted before percutaneous coronary intervention if needed; all patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging 2 weeks later.
Results

There were 6 patients in the Impella group and 16 in the non-Impella group; no differences were found in the door-to-balloon time (60 ± 17 vs. 58 ± 25 min, P = 0.58), peak creatine kinase (7922 ± 4864 vs. 6950 ± 4801 IU/L, P = 0.74), and hospital admission days (28 ± 8 vs. 25 ± 7 days, P = 0.40) between the two groups; however, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging-derived left ventricular end-diastolic volume was significantly smaller in the Impella group (140.6 ± 28 vs. 182.5 ± 45 ml, P = 0.004). Overall diastolic strain rate (SR) at the non-infarcted area in the IMPELLA group was significantly higher as compared to non IMPELLA group (longitudinal diastolic SR: 1.1 ± 0.4 vs 0.7 ± 0.3 S− 1, P = 0.04, radial diastolic SR: -1.8 ± 0.4 vs -1.1 ± 0.4 S− 1, P = 0.004, circumferential diastolic SR: 1.0 ± 0.1vs 0.6 ± 0.2 S− 1, P = 0.001).
Conclusions

Early implantation of Impella before percutaneous coronary intervention for anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction acutely prevented enlargement of left ventricular end-diastolic volume and worsening of diastolic SR in the remote myocardium. This study provides clinical insight into understanding the usefulness of Impella to prevent future heart failure.
Extra pituitary midline structural abnormalities associated with ectopic posterior pituitary detected on a new rapid MR protocol (FAST1.2)
Authors: Lyra Arthur , Guimarães Daniel de Faria , Meira Altino Sá , Nunes Arthur Castello Berchielli , Peixoto Guilherme Vieira , Zamot Stella Gallucci , Silva Tatiane Sousa e , Longui Carlos Alberto , Kochi Cristiane , Rocha Antônio José da
Published: March 2021

Background

Ectopic posterior pituitary (EPP) is a malformation of the hypothalamic-pituitary region. Our goal was to describe midline structural brain abnormalities in patients with EPP using a dedicated protocol (FAST1.2 protocol) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, highlighting their clinical-laboratory correlations.
Methods

A cross-sectional study of patients diagnosed with EPP, and a control group. All individuals were submitted to a dedicated MRI protocol called FAST1.2, which combines the FAST1 protocol developed by our group with 3D T2DRIVE imaging.
Results

We evaluated 36 individuals with EPP and 78 individuals as a control group. One patient had two posterior pituitary lobes, one inside the sella turcica and the other along the pituitary stalk; in five patients, the EPP was along the pituitary stalk; in 28 the EPP was at the infundibular recess of the third ventricle, and in two the EPP was hypothalamic. In the EPP group, eleven individuals had interhypothalamic adhesion (IHA), three septo-optic dysplasia, one a cerebellar malformation, and one a pineal cyst. We did not observe a higher frequency of severe hormonal deficiency or developmental delay in patients with IHA. In the control group, eleven patients had a pineal cyst, three pars intermedia cysts, one hydrocephalus, and one hypothalamic hamartoma.
Conclusion

FAST1.2 acquisition allows confident recognition of regional anatomy and recognition of midline structural abnormalities on T2DRIVE, particularly including the pituitary stalk and IHA, thereby making MRI acquisition faster with no need for intravenous contrast administration. We suggest that IHA could be associated with defects in neuronal migration, as might occur in patients with EPP.
Effects of Different Inflow Rate Patterns and Distributions of Grass Strips on Runoff and Sediment in an Engineering Accumulation Body
Authors: YongCai Lou , ZhaoLiang Gao , Wu Tong , Qi XingYuan
Published: March 2021

Engineering accumulation bodies are critical sources of artificial soil and water loss. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of different inflow rate patterns and distributions of grass strips on runoff and sediment in engineering accumulation bodies. A field runoff plot (20 m long, 1 m wide, and 0.5 m deep) was used for inflow simulation experiments under four inflow rate patterns (even, rising, falling, and rising-falling) and five grass strip patterns (patterns Ⅰ-Ⅴ). The results showed that the changing trends of runoff rate and sediment yield increased with increasing inflow rate and decreased with reduction for the same grass strip pattern. Although the inflow rate pattern affected runoff and sediment yield, it had no significant effect on the total runoff and sediment. The influence of the grass strip pattern on runoff and sediment was significantly higher than that of the inflow rate pattern. The runoff reduction and sediment reduction effects of grass strip patterns were 12.23 to 49.62% and 12.92 to 80.54%, respectively. When grass strips were distributed on a slope in bands (pattern Ⅴ), the soil and water conservation effects were ideal, reducing the average runoff and sediment by 44.98% and 58.09%, respectively. Sediment reduction caused by decreasing runoff (SRR) was the main factor controlling erosion and sediment yield. This study can guide the configuration of vegetation control measures for soil and water loss in engineering accumulation bodies.
Long-Term Joint Operation of Cascade Reservoirs Using Enhanced Progressive Optimality Algorithm and Dynamic Programming Hybrid Approach
Authors: Chen Jia
Published: March 2021

Dynamic programming (DP) is one of the most classical methods adopted for reservoir operation. It reduces the computational efforts of complex high-dimensional problems by piecewise dimensionality reduction and provides the global optimums of the problems, but it suffers the “curse of dimensionality”. Progressive optimality algorithm (POA) has been used repeatedly in reservoir operation studies during last decades because it alleviates the “curse of dimensionality” of DP and has good convergence and extensive applicability. Nonetheless, POA encounters two difficulties in multi-reservoir operation applications. One is the transfer interrupt problem that makes the search procedure hard to achieve free allocation of water between two nonadjacent stages, and the latter is the dimensionality problem that leads to a low convergence rate. In order to overcome these deficiencies, this paper makes some enhancements to POA and proposes a hybrid approach combining the enhanced POA and DP (EPOA-DP) for long-term operation of cascade reservoir systems. In EPOA-DP, EPOA is employed to improve the quality of the solutions and DP is used to reduce the computational effort of the two-stage problem solution. The proposed approach was tested using a real world four-reservoir cascade system and a ten-reservoir benchmark test example, and the results demonstrate that it outperforms POA both in computational time and quality of the solution.
 A Multi-Layered LSTM for Predicting Physician Stress During an ED Shift
Authors: Prabhu Vishnunarayan Girishan , Taaffe Kevin , Pirrallo Ronald
Published: March 2021

Emergency Department (ED) physicians are faced with complex care settings, including a high level of uncertainty and intensity. Burnout among physicians is increasing every year, and ED physicians are one of the groups most prone to burnouts and work-related stress in the US. This research focused on developing a supervised Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) artificial neural network model to predict a physician’s stress level based on their physiological data. Twelve attending physicians working a 3:00 pm - 11:00 pm shift at Greenville Memorial Hospital (GMH) in Greenville, SC, participated in the study. Stress levels were estimated using physiological measures, including heart rate and electrodermal activity. Over 100 hours of physiological data were collected from 12 eight-hour shifts. Initially, an 80:20 split was used on the 12 individual datasets for training and testing the model. Further, to develop a generalizable model, the data were merged, and a 60:20:20 split was used for training, validating, and testing the model. On the test set, the model achieved values of 0.98, 0.17, and 0.005 as the R-squared, RMSE, and loss for EDA data and 0.99, 0.41, and 0.002 for HR data.
Stages of the artistic realia introduction into english literary texts
Authors: Chernyk Maryna
Published: March 2021

The article is devoted to the differentiation of the stages of the artistic realia introduction into English literary texts based on the artistic communicative situations, taking into account the peculiarities of the communicants’ interaction, artworks actualisation, and realisation of time and space characteristics in the artistic discourse. The stage by stage differentiation of the artworks introduction into the literary text is developed based on the structural analysis of the artistic communicative situations. Accordingly, there are preintroductive, introductive, and postintroductive stages. The completeness of each stage representation is determined by the form of the artwork in the literary text and can be complete, compressed, or zero.
In the article, the peculiarities of each stage are defined based on the analysis of the illustrative material. There are preintroductive (determining the time and space parameters of the communicative situation before artwork mentioning, introduction of the participants and description of their appearance and inner state), introductive (introduction of the artwork into the communicative situation, description of such components as form, meaning, artwork characteristics, and emotions connected with it), and postintroductive stages (reaction to the artwork after its perception, realised in the form of the verbalised or non-verbalised communication and capable of stimulating the discussion of the perceived information).
Special attention is given to the peculiarities of the artworks introduction from the performer’s and the recipient’s points of view; the details and aspects of their descriptions are considered. Depending on the person who tells the story, the stages of introduction can be prerepresentational, representational, and postrepresentational (in the performer’s descriptions) or preperceptive, perceptive, and postperceptive (in the recipient’s descriptions).