bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic considering missing data: An input output hidden Markov model based solution
Authors: Shahin Kamrul Islam , Simon Christophe , Weber Philippe , Johansen Aslak , Kjærgaard Mikkel Baun
Published: September 2022

The remaining useful life of a system is unknown and uncertain due to the uncertainty of system failure. However, by monitoring the behaviour of the system, it is possible to predict the current health and also the near future health states. To make a correct prognostic, we need to understand the degradation process of similar systems from the historical data, which is often not easy to collect in huge amount because the degradation process is a slow progression. A complete sequence requires collecting data from the beginning of a system’s operation until its death or failure. However, in reality, most deployments will have to deal with missing data, misreading or sensor saturation. This paper works on handling the missing data for improving the model training by extracting as much information as possible even from the incomplete sequences. In this paper, we propose an IOHMM-based missing data processing method, which is shown to provide better results compared to the list deletion method. A bootstrap method is developed that resamples using replacement sequences picked by the learning algorithms. Two well-known learning algorithms: the Baum Welch and the forward-backward algorithm are adapted to handle the missing data. A numerical application is simulated to demonstrate the role of the proposed algorithm and the corresponding model performance in RUL prediction, which is the basis of the RUL management.
Public defenders versus private attorneys: A comparison of criminal case disposition outcomes by type of counsel in Mexico
Authors: Quintana-Navarrete Miguel , Fondevila Gustavo
Published: September 2022

Recent research on the effectiveness of public defenders vis-à-vis private attorneys in criminal cases has not exhaustively analyzed trial avoiding mechanisms and other pretrial outcomes and expanded beyond the United States. This article addresses these gaps using a novel data set from the Mexican criminal justice system, where trial avoiding mechanisms have been recently introduced. We show that both private and public defenders avoid trials, but at different costs. Cases with private attorneys are more likely to end in dismissals, especially via alternative procedures (dispute resolution mechanisms and diversion), while cases with public defenders are more likely to end in convictions through abbreviated procedures (guilty pleas). Resource constraints and their membership to the courtroom workgroup might incentivize or pressure public defenders to cooperate with the prosecution to secure a guilty plea, thus facilitating the conviction of defendants in administrative procedures that lack the full due process protections of trials.
Successful treatment of severe COVID-19 pneumonia, a case series with simultaneous interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 blockade with 1-month follow-up
Authors: Haibel Hildrun , Poddubnyy Denis , Angermair Stefan , Allers Kristina , Vahldiek Janis L. , Schumann Michael , Schneider Thomas
Published: September 2022

Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1 blockade showed beneficial results in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and evidence of cytokine release at the early disease stage. Here, we report outcomes of open-label therapy with a combination of blocking IL-6 with tocilizumab 8 mg/kg up to 800 mg and IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra 100–300 mg over 3–5 days. Thirty-one adult patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and signs of cytokine release, mean age 54 (30–79) years, 5 female, 26 male, and mean symptom duration 6 (3–10) days were treated. Patients with more than 10 days of symptoms, evidence of bacterial infection/elevated procalcitonin and other severe lung diseases were excluded. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the lung were performed initially and after 1 month; inflammatory activity was assessed on a scale 0–25. Twenty-five patients survived without intubation and mechanical lung ventilation, two patients died. C-reactive protein decreased in 19/31 patients to normal ranges. The mean activity CT score decreased from 14 (8–20) to 6 (0–16, n = 16). In conclusion, most of our patients recovered fast and sustained, indicating that early interruption of cytokine release might be very effective in preventing patients from mechanical ventilation, death, and long-term damage.
Frequency and anatomic distribution of magnetic resonance imaging lesions in the sacroiliac joints of spondyloarthritis and non-spondyloarthritis patients
Authors: Hecquet Sophie , Lustig Jean-Philippe , Verhoeven Frank , Chouk Mickaël , Aubry Sébastien , Wendling Daniel , Prati Clément
Published: September 2022

Background:

Lesions detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sacroiliac joints are critical to the diagnosis of non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. However, inflammatory and structural lesions may be encountered in other conditions.

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the frequency and localization of inflammatory and structural lesions on MRIs of the sacroiliac joint of spondyloarthritis (SpA) and non-spondyloarthritis (non-SpA) patients.

Design:

This is a retrospective study including 200 patients, each having undergone an MRI of the sacroiliac joints.

Methods:

Two experienced readers evaluated the whole set of images to detect erosions, subchondral sclerosis, fatty lesions, bone marrow edema (BME) and ankylosis according to the definitions established by the ASAS MRI working group. We divided sacroiliac joints into five segments: upper, antero-middle, intermediate-middle, postero-middle and lower.

Results:

A total of 96 subjects with SpA (mean age 37.4 ± 11.8 years) and 104 without SpA (mean age 39.9 ± 11.6 years) were included. Of the 96 SpA patients, 65% had inflammatory buttock pain compared with 25% in the non-SpA group. BME was seen in 65% of SpA patients, mainly in the intermediate-middle segment, and in 20% of non-SpA patients, predominantly in the antero-middle segment. Subchondral sclerosis occurred in 44% of non-SpA patients, mostly in the antero-middle segment, and in 36% of SpA patients. Fatty lesions were present in 34% of SpA and in 21% of non-SpA patients. Erosions were seen in 25% of non-SpA and in 60% of SpA patients. BME and structural lesions were minimally observed in the postero-middle segment in non-SpA patients.

Conclusion:

Inflammatory and structural lesions were observed in all segments of the joint in SpA, mainly in the middle segments, while lesions predominantly affected the antero-middle segment in non-SpA, and were uncommon in the postero-middle segment.
Uveitis in peripheral spondyloarthritis patients: an ancillary analysis of the ASAS-PerSpA study
Authors: Llop Maria , Gratacós Jordi , Moreno Mireia , Arévalo Marta , Calvet Joan , Dougados Maxime , López-Medina Clementina
Published: September 2022

Background:

Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) is the most frequent extra-musculoskeletal manifestation in spondyloarhtritis (SpA). Previous data on AAU focused on axial disease; therefore, it is not well known whether the clinical characteristics of patients with AAU and recurrent AAU differ between patients with axial and peripheral SpA.

Objective:

Primary objective was to compare the clinical characteristics of patients with AAU from patients without AAU in axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients. Secondary objectives were to describe the clinical features of patients with AAU in the subset of patients with peripheral SpA (pSpA) and the clinical characteristics of patients with recurrent AAU in SpA patients.

Design:

This is an ancillary analysis of the ASAS-PerSpA study which included 3152 patients, 2719 patients with axSpA and 433 with pSpA according to rheumatologist judgement.

Methods:

Recurrent AAU was defined as the presence of two or more episodes of AAU ever. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with the presence of AAU ever and the presence of recurrent AAU.

Results:

Overall, 663 patients (21%) presented AAU. Of them, 444 (66.9%) presented recurrent episodes. In patients with SpA, HLA-B27 positivity is the most important factor linked to the presence of AAU, odds ratio (OR) = 2.70 (95% CI = 2.04–3.6). In patients with pSpA, HLA-B27 positivity was also the most relevant factor linked to the presence of AAU, OR = 6.08 (95% CI = 2.72–15.68). Moreover, disease duration, younger age and higher body mass index (BMI) were the only factors slightly linked to the presence of recurrent episodes, OR = 1.03 (95% CI = 1.01–1.04), OR = 1.01 (95% CI = 1.00–1.03) and OR = 1.04 (95% CI = 1.01–1.08), respectively.

Conclusion:

HLA-B27 positivity is the most relevant factor linked to AAU risk in SpA patients, and this association is even stronger in those patients with pSpA. Moreover, our study did not find an association between HLA-B27 positivity and recurrent AAU in SpA patients.
An Analysis-Synthesis of the Pedagogical Literature on Intonation in Initial Learning of Violin and Viola: Pitch Contents, Teaching Approaches, and Auxiliary Resources
Authors: López-Calatayud Fernando , Macián-González Roberto , Tejada Jesús
Published: September 2022

This work presents an analysis of the didactic literature for the initial learning of intonation on violin and viola. Analysis has been conducted through a document-analysis design of 86 methods. The chosen analytic categories were: (a) contents (number of pitches and sequence of pitches presentation); (b) pedagogy (teaching approach and use of pizzicato); and (c) auxiliary learning resources (written accompaniments and audio resources). The results of the analysis allowed us to conclude that there is a great disparity in the number of pitches, which is reduced with the passage of time. Different sequences coexist in practically all the materials, and the traditional teaching approach occurs the most frequently in the documents analyzed. A homogeneous teaching approach is adopted in most of the documents, especially with the violin. Pizzicato is scarcely used as a didactic resource. There is a wide inclusion of written (accompaniments) and recorded (minus-one) auxiliary resources in the most modern documents. Based on these results, a methodological proposal for the initial learning of intonation on these instruments is presented.
Nonstring Music Teachers’ Comfort Teaching String Ensembles
Authors: Kim Ji-Eun (Jen)
Published: September 2022

This study was designed to explore nonstring specialists’ comfort teaching students in string ensembles. Comfort was defined as an individual’s ease when teaching the subject matter. Data were gathered, using a 7-point Likert-type scale related to 15 string topics administered through a researcher-developed study. Participants ( N = 180), who were identified through the National Association for Music Education membership list, were contacted via email. Responses were analyzed using descriptive and parametric statistics. Results revealed that band specialists felt significantly more comfortable in string teaching situations than choir and elementary general music specialists. Participants who took a string methods course, as compared with those who did not, felt more comfortable teaching seven specific string topics. Participants who were currently teaching string ensembles felt more comfortable teaching all string topics, except for vibrato technique. Participants who had taught strings in the past were significantly more comfortable teaching string ensembles than those who had never taught strings. The findings of this study could help higher education string methods instructors select instructional activities and course topics that were revealed to provide the most beneficial experiences.
Post-authorisation safety study of burosumab use in paediatric, adolescent and adult patients with X-linked hypophosphataemia: rationale and description
Authors: Brandi Maria Luisa , Ariceta Gema , Beck-Nielsen Signe Sparre , Boot Annemieke M. , Briot Karine , de Lucas Collantes Carmen , Emma Francesco , Giannini Sandro , Haffner Dieter , Keen Richard , Levtchenko Elena , Mӓkitie Outi , Nilsson Ola , Schnabel Dirk , Tripto-Shkolnik Liana , Zillikens M. Carola , Liu Jonathan , Tudor Alina , Mughal M. Zulf
Published: September 2022

Background:

X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) is a rare, inherited, phosphate-wasting disorder that elevates fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), causing renal phosphate-wasting and impaired active vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) synthesis. Disease characteristics include rickets, osteomalacia, odontomalacia, and short stature. Historically, treatment has been oral phosphate and 1,25(OH)2D supplements. However, these treatments do not correct the primary pathogenic mechanism or treat all symptoms and can be associated with adverse effects. Burosumab is a recombinant human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody against FGF23, approved for treating XLH in several geographical regions, including Europe and Israel. Burosumab restores normal serum phosphate levels, minimising the clinical consequences of XLH. Safety data on long-term treatment with burosumab are lacking owing to the rarity of XLH. This post-authorisation safety study (PASS) aims to evaluate the safety outcomes in patients aged >1 year.

Methods:

The PASS is a 10-year retrospective and prospective cohort study utilising data from the International XLH Registry (NCT03193476), which includes standard diagnostic and monitoring practice data at participating centres. The PASS aims to evaluate frequency and severity of safety outcomes, frequency and outcomes of pregnancies in female patients, and safety outcomes in patients with mild to moderate kidney disease at baseline, in children, adolescents and adults treated with burosumab for XLH. It is expected that there will be at least 400 patients who will be administered burosumab.

Results:

Data collection started on 24 April 2019. The expected date of the final study report is 31 December 2028, with two interim reports.

Conclusion:

This PASS will provide data on the long-term safety of burosumab treatment for XLH patients and describe safety outcomes for patients receiving burosumab contrasted with those patients receiving other XLH treatments, to help inform the future management of XLH patients. The PASS will be the largest real-world safety study of burosumab.

Registry identification:

The International XLH Registry is registered with clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03193476 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03193476 ), and the PASS is registered with the European Union electronic Register of Post-Authorisation Studies as EUPAS32190 ( http://www.encepp.eu/encepp/viewResource.htm?id=32191 ).
The feasibility of an online educational lifestyle program for people with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative analysis of participant semi-structured interviews
Authors: Bevens William , Reece J , Jelinek PL , Weiland TJ , Nag N , Simpson-Yap S , Gray K , Jelinek GA , Neate SL
Published: September 2022

Objective

To explore the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial of a multiple sclerosis online course (MSOC) via qualitative analysis of participant semi-structured interviews.

Methods

The MSOC was developed in two arms: intervention arm which contained evidence-based lifestyle modification recommendations, and standard-care arm which delivered information from MS websites reflecting standard advice. Participants were recruited via online advertisements, completed a baseline questionnaire, and randomised. Seven modules were delivered over six weeks. Course completers were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Within a qualitative paradigm, interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Fourteen of the 17 course completers were interviewed: 86% (12/14) female; mean age 50 years; residing in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA, predominantly had relapsing-remitting MS, mean time from diagnosis 9.5 years, and patient-determined disease steps disability assessment distributed evenly across all three categories. Four themes were identified: 1) “Hearing our stories” (hope for the future, feeling represented, exploring the journey of others with MS, learning from diversity, and wanting to connect with others); 2) “Taking the plunge” (not wanting to be first, feelings of nervousness or reluctance and feeling confronted); 3) “The accessibility and safety of being online” (ease of access, going at your own pace, making it work and not letting others down); and 4) “unpacking the course” (ease of navigation, visuals, understandability, and length and timing).

Conclusion

Participants felt represented, found the course accessible and content was easy to understand. These experiences provide important insights and considerations for this digital health intervention.
Accuracy of wrist-worn wearable devices for determining exercise intensity
Authors: Ho Wei-Te , Yang Yi-Jen , Li Tung-Chou
Published: September 2022

Objective

As an indicator of exercise intensity, heart rate can be measured in a timely manner using wrist-worn devices. No study has attempted to estimate a target exercise intensity using wearable devices. The objective of the study was to evaluate the validity of prescribing exercise intensity using wrist-worn devices.

Methods

Thirty healthy subjects completed a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test. Their heart rates were recorded using an electrocardiogram and two devices—Apple Watch Series 6 and Garmin Forerunner 945. Exercise intensity with the target heart rate was defined as resting heart rate + (maximal heart rate − resting heart rate) * n% ( n%: 40–60% for moderate-intensity exercise and 60–89% for vigorous-intensity exercise). Heart rate was analyzed at the lower and upper limits of each exercise intensity (HR40, HR60, and HR89). The mean absolute percentage error and concordance correlation coefficient were calculated, and Bland–Altman plots and scatterplots were constructed.

Results

Both devices showed a low mean absolute error (1.16–1.48 bpm for Apple and 1.35–2.25 for Garmin) and mean absolute percentage error (<1% for Apple and 1.16–1.39% for Garmin) in all intensities. A substantial correlation with electrocardiogram-measured heart rate was observed for moderate to vigorous intensity with concordance correlation coefficient > 0.95 for both devices, except that Garmin showed moderate correlation at the upper limit of vigorous activity with concordance correlation coefficient = 0.936. Moreover, Bland–Altman plots and scatterplots demonstrated a strong correlation without systematic error when the values obtained via the two devices were compared with electrocardiogram measurements.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate the high validity of exercise prescriptions based on the heart rate measured by the two devices. Additional research should explore other populations to confirm these findings.
Inside China’s state-owned enterprises: Managed competition through a multi-level structure
Authors: Chan Kyle
Published: September 2022

China's state-owned enterprises are among the largest firms in the world, dominating key sectors of the Chinese economy and playing a major role in Chinese projects abroad through the Belt and Road Initiative. This article describes a system of “managed competition” among China's state-owned enterprises that attempts to harness the forces of competition while intervening to ensure a robust field of capable competitors. This system is implemented through a multi-level structure where parent state-owned enterprises coordinate and balance competition among a set of similarly resourced subsidiaries through the allocation of management personnel and resources. This article examines how this approach works in practice through an in-depth empirical case study of two of China's largest infrastructure construction firms: China Railway Group Limited and China Railway Construction Corporation. Understanding the internal structure and operations of China's state-owned enterprises sheds light on a crucial part of China's political economy and on China's efforts to extend its influence globally.
A Discriminant Analysis of Personality Traits and Cluster Types of Physical Education Teachers
Authors: Chia Fan , Huang Wei-Yang , Wu Liang-Min , Wu Cheng-En
Published: September 2022

This paper understands the personality traits and cluster types of physical education (PE) teachers in elementary schools. A total of 393 elementary PE teachers volunteered to participate in this study. The Personality Trait Questionnaire for PE teachers in elementary school was summarized and compiled on the basis of the theory of the Big Five personality traits. The researchers used the discriminant analysis method to analyze and obtain the data. The results show that the Big Five personality traits of PE teachers in elementary schools was agreeableness. Classification of the Big Five personality traits through discriminant analysis revealed a Wilk’s λ value of .199, an eigenvalue of 3.254, and 94.7% of the variance explained. Use of Ward’s minimum variance method indicated that the participants’ personalities were characterized by steady and pioneering type, sensitive and cautious type, and moderate and peaceful type. There were more males than females in the steady and pioneering type, more steady and pioneering type under the age of 30 years old, and more moderate and peaceful type with more than 16 years of work experience. In conclusion, most the personality traits of PE teachers in elementary school were agreeableness, moderate and peaceful type, which shows that most PE teachers have calm emotions, appropriate expressions of emotions, regularity, optimism, and enjoy interacting and collaborating with others.
Self-Leadership and Psychological Capital as Mediators in the Influence of Leader Motivating Language on Everyday Innovative Behavior
Authors: Su Wei , Hahn Juhee
Published: September 2022

Innovation is critical to the growth and prosperity of an organization. In daily work, everyday innovation is more often developed by employees than large-scale institutional innovation. This research builds a multi-level framework to investigate how leader motivating language (LML) influences the everyday innovative behavior of employees in the international freight forwarding industry. In addition, we examined the mediating effect of individual-level self-leadership and psychological capital (PsyCap). We used HLM6.8 to perform hierarchical linear modeling on 551 valid questionnaires from 88 teams. The results showed that: (1) LML was a positive predictor of employees’ innovative behaviors, (2) LML positively affects employees’ self-leadership and PsyCap, and (3) self-leadership and PsyCap partially mediated the relationship between LML and employees’ innovative behaviors. We also used Mplus8.3 to conduct a multi-level path analysis to verify the robustness of the results. Further, we investigated the sequential mediation effects of self-leadership and PsyCap between LML and innovative behavior. These findings complement existing research and emphasize the importance of motivational language in organizational management.
Ownership diversity and fragmentation: A barrier to urban centre resilience
Authors: Orr Allison M , Stewart Joanna L , Jackson Cath , White James T
Published: September 2022

Fragmentation of ownership has long been a recognised constraint to UK city centre development, a complexity that is growing in significance as centres try to manage the decline in physical retailing and transform obsolete retail units. Yet, our understanding of the structure of ownership and how that might be facilitating or inhibiting urban change remains weak. In this paper, the objective is to address this gap by examining the structure and diversity of land ownership in five retailing centres - Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Liverpool, and Nottingham – between 2000–2017 using original databases created by linking administrative and commercial property data sets. Overall, the analysis finds property ownership to be spatially complex with ownership richness and diversity generally rising over the study period. The study also reveals that ownership structure has been shifting away from financial institutions towards overseas investors, private individuals and unlisted property companies, implying greater fragmentation of ownership. While the greater diversity in ownership should stimulate competition and innovation in property market practices, the shift in balance from equity-rich larger investors towards smaller and sometimes unknown investors makes urban centre management harder to manage. This suggests policymakers need to rethink the urban governance model to find a better way to galvanise the actions of this increasing disparate group of stakeholders if their visions of more resilient, mixed use city centres are to be realised.
COVID-19 impacts on non-work travel patterns: A place-based investigation using smartphone mobility data
Authors: Song Yang , Lee Sungmin , Park Amaryllis H , Lee Chanam
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to our mobility. It has not only changed our work-related travel patterns but also impacted leisure and other utilitarian activities. Non–work-related trips tend to be more seriously affected by the neighborhood/contextual factors such as socioeconomic status (SES), and destination accessibility, and COVID-19 impact on non-work trips may not be equal across different neighborhood SES. This study compares non–work-related travel patterns between the pre- and during COVID-19 pandemic in the City of El Paso, Texas. By utilizing smartphone mobility data, we captured the visitation data for major non-work destinations such as restaurants, supermarkets, drinking places, religious organizations, and parks. We used Census block groups ( n = 424) within the city and divided them into low- and high-income neighborhoods based on the citywide median. Overall, the total frequency of visitations and the distances traveled to visit these non-work destinations were influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, significant variations existed in their visitation patterns by the type of non-work destinations. While the overall COVID-19 effects on non-work activities were evident, its effects on the travel patterns to each destination were not equal by neighborhood SES. We also found that COVID-19 had differently influenced non-work activities between high- and low-income block groups. Our findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate neighborhood-level inequalities in non-work trips. Thus, safe and affordable transportation options together with compact and walkable community development appear imperative to support daily travel needs for various utilitarian and leisure purposes, especially in low-income neighborhoods.
Further discussion on the complexity  of synonymic interchange of characters  in the Chu bamboo slips
Authors: Feng Xiaorui , Yu Shaohong
Published: September 2022

The synonymic interchange of characters in the Chu bamboo slips could be combined with other language phenomena, such as jiajie (假借), showing complexity as follows: one character was synonymously interchanged as another character, and then it was borrowed as the loan graph of a third character, which was same in pronunciation as the other character, or one character was borrowed as the loan graph of another character, and then it was synonymously interchanged as a third character, which is the same as or close in meaning to the other character. After one character was synonymously interchanged as another character, the interchanged character could be used as the phonetic component to construct new characters.
Research Development on Fish Swimming
Authors: Liu Yanwen , Jiang Hongzhou
Published: September 2022

Fishes have learned how to achieve outstanding swimming performance through the evolution of hundreds of millions of years, which can provide bio-inspiration for robotic fish design. The premise of designing an excellent robotic fish include fully understanding of fish locomotion mechanism and grasp of the advanced control strategy in robot domain. In this paper, the research development on fish swimming is presented, aiming to offer a reference for the later research. First, the research methods including experimental methods and simulation methods are detailed. Then the current research directions including fish locomotion mechanism, structure and function research and bionic robotic fish are outlined. Fish locomotion mechanism is discussed from three views: macroscopic view to find a unified principle, microscopic view to include muscle activity and intermediate view to study the behaviors of single fish and fish school. Structure and function research is mainly concentrated from three aspects: fin research, lateral line system and body stiffness. Bionic robotic fish research focuses on actuation, materials and motion control. The paper concludes with the future trend that curvature control, machine learning and multiple robotic fish system will play a more important role in this field. Overall, the intensive and comprehensive research on fish swimming will decrease the gap between robotic fish and real fish and contribute to the broad application prospect of robotic fish.
Kinematics Analysis and Singularity Avoidance of a Parallel Mechanism with Kinematic Redundancy
Authors: Shen Chaoyu , Qu Haibo , Guo Sheng , Li Xiao
Published: September 2022

The kinematic redundancy is considered as a way to improve the performance of the parallel mechanism. In this paper, the kinematics performance of a three degree-of-freedom parallel mechanism with kinematic redundancy (3-DOF PM-KR) and the influence of redundant parts on the PM-KR are analyzed. Firstly, the kinematics model of the PM-KR is established. The inverse solutions, the Jacobian matrix, and the workspace of the PM-KR are solved. Secondly, the influence of redundancy on the PM-KR is analyzed. Since there exists kinematic redundancy, the PM-KR possesses fault-tolerant performance. By locking one actuating joint or two actuating joints simultaneously, the fault-tolerant workspace is obtained. When the position of the redundant part is changed, the workspace and singularity will be changed. The results show that kinematic redundancy can be used to avoid singularity. Finally, the simulations are performed to prove the theoretical analysis.
Exosome application in treatment and diagnosis of B-cell disorders: leukemias, multiple sclerosis, and arthritis rheumatoid
Authors: Karami Fath Mohsen , Azami Jalil , Jaafari Niloofar , Akbari Oryani Mahsa , Jafari Nafiseh , Karim poor Alireza , Azargoonjahromi Ali , Nabi-Afjadi Mohsen , Payandeh Zahra , Zalpoor Hamidreza , Shanehbandi Dariush
Published: September 2022

Exosomes, known as a type of extracellular vesicles (EVs), are lipid particles comprising heterogeneous contents such as nucleic acids, proteins, and DNA. These bi-layered particles are naturally released into the extracellular periphery by a variety of cells such as neoplastic cells. Given that exosomes have unique properties, they can be used as vectors and carriers of biological and medicinal particles like drugs for delivering to the desired areas. The proteins and RNAs being encompassed by the circulating exosomes in B-cell malignancies are deemed as the promising sources for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic agents. Exosomes can also provide a “snapshot” view of the tumor and metastatic landscape at any particular time. Further, clinical research has shown that exosomes are produced by immune cells such as dendritic cells can stimulate the immune system, so these exosomes can be used in antitumor vaccines. Despite the great potential of exosomes in the fields of diagnostic and treatment, further studies are in need for these purposes to reach a convergence notion. This review highlights the applications of exosomes in multiple immune-related diseases, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple sclerosis, and arthritis rheumatoid, as well as explaining sundry aspects of exosome therapy and the function of exosomes in diagnosing diseases.
Predictors of neurological outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: sex-based analysis: do males derive greater benefit from hypothermia management than females?
Authors: Awad Emad M. , Humphries Karin H. , Grunau Brian E. , Norris Colleen M. , Christenson Jim M.
Published: September 2022

Background

Previous studies of the effect of sex on after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) outcomes focused on survival to hospital discharge and 1-month survival. Studies on the effect of sex on neurological function after OHCA are still limited. The objective of this study was to identify the predictors of favorable neurological outcome and to examine the association between sex as a biological variable and favorable neurological outcome OHCA.

Methods

Retrospective analyses of clustered data from the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium multi-center randomized controlled trial (2011–2015). We included adults with non-traumatic OHCA and EMS-attended OHCA. We used multilevel logistic regression to examine the association between sex and favorable neurological outcomes (modified Rankin Scale) and to identify the predictors of favorable neurological outcome.

Results

In total, 22,416 patients were included. Of those, 8109 (36.2%) were females. The multilevel analysis identified the following variables as significant predictors of favorable neurological outcome: younger age, shorter duration of EMS arrival to the scene, arrest in public location, witnessed arrest, bystander CPR, chest compression rate (CCR) of 100–120 compressions per minute, induction of hypothermia, and initial shockable rhythm. Two variables, insertion of an advanced airway and administration of epinephrine, were associated with poor neurological outcome. Our analysis showed that males have higher crude rates of survival with favorable neurological outcome (8.6 vs. 4.9%, p < 0.001). However, the adjusted rate was not significant. Further analyses showed that hypothermia had a significantly greater effect on males than females.

Conclusions

Males had significantly higher crude rates of survival with favorable neurological outcome. However, the adjusted rate was not statistically significant. Males derived significantly greater benefit from hypothermia management than females, but this can possibly be explained by differences in arrest characteristics or in-hospital treatment. In-depth confirmatory studies on the hypothermia effect size by sex are required.
Oral to nasal endotracheal tube exchange using tracheal tube guide and video laryngoscope in a pediatric patient with facial burns: a case report
Authors: Yogo Naoki , Sasaki Taeko , Kozumi Masato , Kinoshita Yuya , Muto Yuichiro , Hirai Katsuki , Yoshino Yuichiro
Published: September 2022

Background

Airway management in children with severe burns is difficult because of airway edema and prolonged duration of ventilatory management. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that tracheostomy is beneficial for children.

Case presentation

A male child aged 1 year and 4 months was injured when he accidentally fell into a bathtub filled with boiling water. Furthermore, 85% of the burnt area, including the face and neck, consisted of second-degree burns; hence, oral tracheal intubation and resuscitative infusion were required. In this case, the patient was safely switched from oral to nasotracheal intubation using a tracheal tube guide and video laryngoscope, without the use of a bronchoscope, and ventilatory management could be continued for 2 weeks.

Conclusion

Oral to nasal endotracheal tube exchange using a tracheal tube guide and video laryngoscope may be useful not only for pediatric burn patients but also for adult patients who need to be safely switched from oral to nasotracheal intubation.
An update on efficacy and safety of alpha-blockers in the treatment of distal ureteric stones: narrative review
Authors: K Shreyas , L Ananthesh , Sathish Varshini , Achar M Ujwala , Raj K C Bharath , Pai Narendra
Published: September 2022

Background

Alpha-blockers prescribed as medical expulsion therapy (MET) have replaced minimally invasive procedures as the primary line of treatment for minor ureteric stones. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of MET with alpha-blockers in terms of stone expulsion rate and time and evaluate the safety of several alpha-blockers.

Methodology

Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant publications using keywords published between December 2013 and August 2021. Additional relevant research was found by looking through the references in the articles.

Results

To determine the efficacy and safety of alpha-blockers as a medical expulsive therapy for the management of distal ureteral stones, 15 studies were included, 12 randomized control trials, 2 retrospective observational studies, and 1 prospective study. The most commonly studied primary endpoint was stone expulsion rate and time. According to findings, silodosin appears to be more effective than other alpha-blockers. The data revealed no life-threatening adverse effects were associated with alpha-blockers.

Conclusion

Alpha-blockers are recommended as the first-line therapy for distal ureteral stones. Silodosin was the most efficacious medicine, according to the data. The side effects of alpha-blockers, on the other hand, were minor, consisting primarily of orthostatic hypotension. The alpha-blocker choice differs from urologist to urologist in the management of MET, depending on their experience and the patient's condition.
Transcriptome profiling in rice reveals a positive role for OsNCED3 in defense against the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens
Authors: Sun Litong , Li Jitong , Liu Yongyan , Noman Ali , Chen Lin , Liu Jinglan
Published: September 2022

9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is the rate-limiting enzyme for abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis in higher plants. In rice, OsNCED3 was shown to promote ABA synthesis, and improve abiotic stress tolerance, but the function of OsNCED3 in regulating rice defense against the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens; BPH) has been unclear. In this study, several parameters were used to assess rice resistance to BPH, including the average injury level, the functional plant loss index, and electrical penetration graph analysis. Rice lines overexpressing OsNCED3 (OE) were more resistant to BPH than the wild-type cv. Zhonghua11 (WT). Transcriptome analysis was performed on WT, OE, and a RNAi transgenic line silenced for OsNCED3; these three lines were either infested or non-infested with BPH. Seventeen RNA libraries were compared, and most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were upregulated. The number of DEGs in the RNAi line infested with BPH was significantly higher than the OE, and WT lines, and many DEGs were related to the stress response, and biosynthesis of jasmonic acid. This study shows that overexpression of OsNCED3 in rice improves resistance to BPH, and has potential merit in rice breeding programs.
Elevated serum ferritin levels are associated with severity and prognosis of severe acute pancreatitis: a preliminary cohort study
Authors: Wang Jie , Liu Qing-xie , Teng Dong-ling , Ding Yan-bing , Lu Guo-tao , Gong Wei-juan , Zhu Qing-tian , Han Fei , Xiao Wei-ming
Published: September 2022

Background

Serum ferritin (SF), as an acute-phase response protein, is used to reflect the degree of oxidative stress and systemic inflammatory responses. This study was designed to assess the effect of elevated SF levels on the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP).

Methods

From January 2013 to December 2020, 200 consecutive patients with AP were retrospectively reviewed to analyze the relationships among the etiologies of pancreatitis, the severity of the disease and SF levels. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and logistic regression analysis were used to assess whether elevated SF levels could predict the onset of organ failure in AP.

Results

92 (46%) had high SF levels (> 275 ng/ml). SF levels were not associated with the etiology of AP disease. Among patients with high SF levels, there was a significant increase in the proportion of patients with severe AP (23.1% vs. 76.9%) and a higher proportion of systemic inflammatory response scores (25.9% vs. 44.6%) in comparison to patients with normal SF levels. The area under the ROC curve for SF in predicting persistent organ failure was 0.812 [95% confidence interval 0.721–0.904].

Conclusions

F concentrations were positively correlated with the severity of AP, and quantitative assessment of SF can predict disease severity and organ failure in patients with AP.
Concomitant Guillain–Barré Syndrome in a young Sri Lankan male with severe ulcerative colitis
Authors: Jayasundara Jayasundara Mudiyanselage Hishali D , Samarawickrama Vajira Tharanga , Peiris Ranjith , Aponso Tilan , Abeynayake Danushi
Published: September 2022

Background

Guillain–Barré Syndrome is an immune mediated polyneuropathy. Ulcerative Colitis is an immune mediated chronic inflammatory condition mainly of the large intestine. Guillain–Barré Syndrome can present as a rare extraintestinal manifestation of Ulcerative Colitis when in remission or in a relapse. However, the concomitant presentation of Guillain–Barré Syndrome during a relapse of Ulcerative Colitis is very rare and only a few cases are reported to date.

Case presentation

A 24 year old young male diagnosed of Ulcerative Colitis presented with bloody diarrhea of frequency more than six times a day. He had been in clinical remission even after defaulting treatment for more than a year. He had also noted difficulty in walking prior to admission to the hospital. He was managed as for a severe relapse of Ulcerative Colitis and Guillain–Barré Syndrome. Appropriate management of both the illnesses helped him to recover.

Conclusion

Immune mediated diseases can have rare coexisting presentations. We report a case of Ulcerative Colitis with concomitant Guillain–Barré Syndrome. It is essential to be open minded and timely, appropriate treatment led to successful management of both the illnesses.
Association between HIV duration and symptom distress among middle-aged and elderly people with HIV-infected in China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Xie Meilian , Wang Aiping , Wang Kerong , Yu Yanping , Lin Zhaoxia
Published: September 2022

Background

Debate has persisted regarding whether PLWH with longer HIV durations have lower levels of prevalence and severity of symptoms compared with their newly diagnosed counterparts. Whether and how the HIV duration impact the symptom distress among middle-aged and older PLWH has not been explored clearly.

Methods

The patients with HIV-infected aged more than 40 years old were included from seven designated medical institutions of seven regions in China. Outcome was the score of symptom distress. We used the multiple regression model to calculate adjusted Coefficient of Regression (β) with 95% CI in this study.

Results

Among 210 participants (mean age 50.8 years; 71.0% male; 68.1% at asymptomatic stage) in the study, the median number of symptoms was 5. Of all symptoms reported, the most distressed symptoms were sleep disturbance (33.33%), followed by memory loss (31.90%), fatigue (26.67%), slow reactions (22.86%), and vision blur (21.90%). All participants were divided into four groups according to HIV duration, and the median of total score of symptom ditress among all participants was 0.1(0.0,0.9). Difference of total scores and clusters’ scores of symptom distress among four HIV duration groups were statistically significant. 51 participants with 6–10 years HIV duration were more likely to be higher level of education, at asymptomatic stage and have higher CD4 + T cell count. After adjustment for gender, age, race, education, marital status, employment, family income, region, stage of disease and CD4 + T cell count, the score of symptom distress among participants with 6–10 years HIV duration had was higher with the extension of HIV duration. Specially in physical symptoms and psychological symptoms,participants with 6–10 years HIV duration reported the persisting worse burdensome.

Conclusions

HIV duration with 6–10 yearsmay be a key period that the medical team needs to pay special attention to among middle-aged and elderly PLWH. There is a need to provide medical and psychosocial services targeting middle-aged and elderly PLWH according to their changing symptom distress.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov: ChiCTR2100046225. Registered 11 May 2021.
Truncation effect reduction for fast iterative reconstruction in cone-beam CT
Authors: Aootaphao Sorapong , Thongvigitmanee Saowapak S. , Puttawibul Puttisak , Thajchayapong Pairash
Published: September 2022

Background

Iterative reconstruction for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been applied to improve image quality and reduce radiation dose. In a case where an object’s actual projection is larger than a flat panel detector, CBCT images contain truncated data or incomplete projections, which degrade image quality inside the field of view (FOV). In this work, we propose truncation effect reduction for fast iterative reconstruction in CBCT imaging.

Methods

The volume matrix size of the FOV and the height of projection images were extrapolated to a suitable size. These extended projections were reconstructed by fast iterative reconstruction. Moreover, a smoothing parameter for noise regularization in iterative reconstruction was modified to reduce the accumulated error while processing. The proposed work was evaluated by image quality measurements and compared with conventional filtered backprojection (FBP). To validate the proposed method, we used a head phantom for evaluation and preliminarily tested on a human dataset.

Results

In the experimental results, the reconstructed images from the head phantom showed enhanced image quality. In addition, fast iterative reconstruction can be run continuously while maintaining a consistent mean-percentage-error value for many iterations. The contrast-to-noise ratio of the soft-tissue images was improved. Visualization of low contrast in the ventricle and soft-tissue images was much improved compared to those from FBP using the same dose index of 5 mGy.

Conclusions

Our proposed method showed satisfactory performance to reduce the truncation effect, especially inside the FOV with better image quality for soft-tissue imaging. The convergence of fast iterative reconstruction tends to be stable for many iterations.