bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurement of neurofilaments improves stratification of future disease activity in early multiple sclerosis
Authors: Uher Tomas , Havrdova Eva Kubala , Benkert Pascal , Bergsland Niels , Krasensky Jan , Srpova Barbora , Dwyer Michael , Tyblova Michaela , Meier Stephanie , Vaneckova Manuela , Horakova Dana , Zivadinov Robert , Leppert David , Kalincik Tomas , Kuhle Jens
Published: October 2021

Background:

The added value of neurofilament light chain levels in serum (sNfL) to the concept of no evidence of disease activity-3 (NEDA-3) has not yet been investigated in detail.

Objective:

To assess whether combination of sNfL with NEDA-3 status improves identification of patients at higher risk of disease activity during the following year.

Methods:

We analyzed 369 blood samples from 155 early relapsing-remitting MS patients on interferon beta-1a. We compared disease activity, including the rate of brain volume loss in subgroups defined by NEDA-3 status and high or low sNfL (> 90th or < 90th percentile).

Results:

In patients with disease activity (EDA-3), those with higher sNFL had higher odds of EDA-3 in the following year than those with low sNFL (86.5% vs 57.9%; OR = 4.25, 95% CI: [2.02, 8.95]; p = 0.0001) and greater whole brain volume loss during the following year (β = −0.36%; 95% CI = [−0.60, −0.13]; p = 0.002). Accordingly, NEDA-3 patients with high sNfL showed numerically higher disease activity (EDA-3) in the following year compared with those with low sNfL (57.1% vs 31.1%).

Conclusion:

sNfL improves the ability to identify patients at higher risk of future disease activity, beyond their NEDA-3 status. Measurement of sNfL may assist clinicians in decision-making by providing more sensitive prognostic information.
Effect of carbon nanotube-reinforced magneto-electro-elastic facings on the pyrocoupled nonlinear deflection of viscoelastic sandwich skew plates in thermal environment
Authors: Mahesh Vinyas
Published: October 2021

This work presents a finite-element-based numerical formulation to evaluate the nonlinear deflections of magneto-electro-elastic sandwich skew plates with a viscoelastic core and functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced magneto-electro-elastic face sheets. Meanwhile, the proposed formulation accommodates the geometrical skewness as well. The magneto-electro-elastic sandwich skew plate is operated in the thermal environment and subjected to various multiphysics loads, including electric and magnetic loads. The viscoelastic core is modelled via the complex modulus approach. Two different forms of viscoelastic cores, such as Dyad 606 and EC 2216, are considered in this study. Also, different thickness configurations of core and facing arrangements are taken into account. The plate kinematics is presumed through higher-order shear deformation theory, and von Karman's nonlinear strain displacement relations are incorporated. The global equations of motion are arrived at through the total potential energy principle and solved via the direct iterative method. Special attention is paid to assessing the influence of pyroeffects, coupling fields and electromagnetic boundary conditions on the nonlinear deflections of magneto-electro-elastic sandwich plates working in the thermal environment and subjected to electromagnetic loads, which is the first of its kind. Also, parametric studies dealing with the skew angles, carbon nanotube distributions and volume fractions, thickness ratio, and aspect ratio have been discussed. The results of this work are believed to be unique and serve as a guide for the design engineers towards developing sophisticated smart structures for various engineering applications.
Insight into friction and lubrication performances of surface-textured cylinder liners and piston rings
Authors: Ma Kai , Guo Zhiwei , Yuan Chengqing
Published: October 2021

The effects of surface-texture technology on the friction and lubrication mechanism of cylinder liner-piston rings (CLPR) were explored in this study. An inclined groove texture was machined on the CL of a S195 diesel engine and dimples designed on the gas ring. Friction and wear tests of nontextured (NT), CL textured (CLT), and PR textured (PRT) conditions were performed on a CLTR friction and wear tester under different temperatures. First, the characteristics of friction and lubrication at different temperatures were analyzed by examining friction and contact resistance. Then, the wear characteristics were analyzed by examining surface morphology parameters of the CL and the PR wear mass after testing. Finally, the friction and lubrication mechanisms of NT, CLT, and PRT were studied by analyses of real-time friction and contact resistance in one cycle. The results showed that, under the same temperature, CLT and PRT increased oil film thickness, improved the lubrication state, and reduced friction, with CLT better than PRT in these respects. With increased temperature, the wear degree of CL liners became larger. The existence of surface texture reduced CL wear, yielded CL surface morphology not excessively changed by temperature, and improved its supporting performance and oil storage capacity. The inlet suction effect, structural effect, micro-wedge action, balancing wedge action, squeezing effect, and cavitation effect should be taken into account together when exploring the mechanism of the influence of surface texture on friction pairs. This study provided a method for scholars to explore the friction and lubrication mechanism of different texture types and provided an experimental basis for improving the performance of CLPR friction pairs.
Influence of H2 enrichment for improving low load combustion stability of a Dual Fuel lightduty Diesel engine
Authors: Mattarelli Enrico , Alberto Rinaldini Carlo , Caprioli Stefano , Scrignoli Francesco
Published: October 2021

Dual Fuel (DF) combustion can help to reduce the environmental impact of internal combustion engines, since it may provide excellent Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) combined with ultra-low emissions. This technique is particularly attractive when using biofuels, or fuels with a low Carbon content, such as Natural Gas (NG). Unfortunately, as engine load decreases and the homogeneous NG-air mixture tends to become very lean, the high chemical stability of NG can be a serious obstacle to the completion of combustion. As a result, BTE drops and UHC and CO emissions become very high. A possible way to address this problem could be the addition of hydrogen (H2) to the NG-air mixture. In this paper, a numerical study has been carried out on an automotive Diesel engine, modified by the authors in order to operate in both conventional Diesel combustion and DF NG-diesel mode. A previous experimental characterization of the engine is the basis for the CFD-3D modeling and calibration of the DF combustion process, using a commercial software. The effects on combustion stability and emissions of different NG-H2 mixtures (six blends with 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% by volume of hydrogen) are numerically investigated at a low load (BMEP = 2 bar, engine speed 3000 rpm). The results of the CFD-3D simulations demonstrate that NG-H2 blends are able to decrease strongly CO, UHC, and CO2 emissions at low loads. Advantages are also found in terms of thermal efficiency and NOx emissions.
Joseph John Thomson investigates the paranormal
Authors: Downard Kevin M.
Published: October 2021

Joseph John Thomson is best known for detecting two isotopes of neon within cathode ray tubes that lay the foundation of the field of mass spectrometry. He was awarded the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the electron and for his work on the conduction of electricity in gases in the same devices. He is less known for his strong religious beliefs and his interest in psychical research and the paranormal. Thomson served as a member of the Society for Psychical Research for over 50 years and even became its Vice President. During this time, he attended a number of séances and demonstrations by professed psychics and mediums. This article traces those who influenced his interest in the paranormal, from Balfour Stewart to Lord Rayleigh and William Crookes. It reports and illustrates his beliefs and experiences investigating the paranormal in his own words.
Interpretable convolutional sparse coding method of Lamb waves for damage identification and localization
Authors: Zhang Han , Lin Jing , Hua Jiadong , Tong Tong
Published: October 2021

Lamb wave-based damage identification and localization methods hold the potential for nondestructive evaluation and structural health monitoring. Dispersive and multimodal characteristics lead to complicated Lamb wave signals that are challenging to be analyzed. Deep learning architectures could identify damage-related features effectively. Convolutional neural network (CNN) is a promising architecture that has been widely applied in recent years. However, this data-driven approach still lacks a certain degree of physical interpretability and requires a large number of parameters. In this article, an interpretable Lamb wave convolutional sparse coding (LW-CSC) method is proposed for structural damage identification and localization. First, toneburst signals at different center frequencies are considered in the first convolutional layer. The network convolves the waveforms with a set of parametrized functions that implement band-pass filters, which performs more physical interpretability compared to conventional CNN model. Subsequently, the damage features are extracted according to the multi-layer iterative soft thresholding algorithm for multi-layer CSC model, which could realize a deeper network without adding parameters unlike CNN. Finally, Lamb wave-based damage localization is visualized using an imaging algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method not only enables improvement of the classification accuracy but also achieves structural damage localization accurately.
EIF3B Associates with Exacerbated Clinical Features, Poor Treatment Response and Survival in Adult Philadelphia Chromosome Negative Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients
Authors: Zhu Feiyue , Fu Yesong , He Xiaojuan
Published: October 2021

Objective: This study was undertaken to investigate eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit B (EIF3B) expression and its clinical value for indicating disease progression and prognosis in adult Philadelphia chromosome negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph− ALL) patients. Methods: Totally, 76 adult Ph− ALL patients and 30 healthy donors (HDs) were included. Bone marrow (BM) samples before therapy (baseline), after 4-week therapy of Ph− ALL patients and the BM samples of HDs were collected. Then, EIF3B expression in BM was detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: EIF3B expression was increased in Ph− ALL patients compared with HDs, which distinguished Ph− ALL patients from HDs (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.928; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.882−0.974) by receiver operating characteristic curve. Furthermore, higher baseline EIF3B expression was associated with elevated white blood cell and bone marrow blasts, while it was associated with lower complete remission (CR) within 4 weeks and less allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant achievements in Ph− ALL patients. Additionally, higher baseline EIF3B expression was associated with decreased disease-free survival but not overall survival. However, it was associated with raised 1-year mortality and 3-year mortality in Ph− ALL patients. After 4-week therapy, EIF3B expression was reduced in total Ph− ALL patients. Notably, the reduction of EIF3B expression was more obvious in Ph− ALL patients who achieved CR within 4 weeks compared with Ph− ALL patients who did not achieve CR within 4 weeks. Conclusion: EIF3B overexpression is related to worsened clinical features, poor treatment response and survival in adult Ph− ALL patients.
Prognostic Role of Carbohydrate Antigen 19 to 9 in Predicting Survival of Patients With Pancreatic Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kang Yong-Ming , Wang Hao , Li Ran , Pan Gu
Published: October 2021

This study evaluates the prognostic role of carbohydrate antigen 19 to 9 (CA19-9) in predicting survival of pancreatic cancer patients. Literature search was conducted in electronic databases (Google Scholar, Ovid, PubMed, and Science Direct) and study selection was based on precise eligibility criteria. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to achieve overall estimates of median survival and hazard ratios (HRs) of survival with cutoff defined lower and higher CA19-9 levels before and after surgery or chemotherapy (CT)/radiotherapy (RT) and the changes in CA19-9 levels after any treatment. A total of 41 studies (6519 patients; 42% females; age 63.3 years [95% confidence interval [CI]: 62.2, 64.4]) were included. A pooled HR of 1.79 with a narrow 95% CI (1.58, 2.01) showed that higher CA19-9 levels or less decrease in CA19-9 levels after treatment predicted shorter survival. Median survival in patients with lower and higher preoperative CA19-9 levels was 23.2 months [95% CI: 17.2, 29.2] and 14.0 months [95% CI: 10.9, 17.2], respectively, whereas median survival with lower and higher postoperative CA19-9 levels was 25.0 months [95% CI: 21.9, 28.0] and 13.0 months [95% CI: 10.9, 15.0] respectively. Median survival with lower and higher pre-CT/RT CA19-9 levels was 11.9 months [95% CI: 10.2, 13.6] and 7.7 months [95% CI: 6.2, 9.2], respectively, whereas median survival with lower and higher post-CT/RT CA19-9 levels was 15.1 months [95% CI: 13.2, 17.0] and 10.7 months [95% CI: 7.3, 14.0] respectively. A decrease in CA19-9 levels after treatment was also associated with longer survival. Thus, both pretreatment and posttreatment CA19-9 levels or their changes after treatment have good prognostic value in determining the survival of pancreatic cancer patients.
Hyperacute stroke and the specialist nursing impact: exploring the cause and context of feelings of secondary traumatic stress – a qualitative inquiry
Authors: Wilkinson Mark , Cox Nigel , Witham Gary , Haigh Carol
Published: October 2021

Background

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) has been defined as the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatised or suffering person. The hyperacute nature of stroke specialist nurses’ work places them at risk of developing STS.

Aims

To explore the factors that are influential in stroke specialist nurses' experience of STS development within hyperacute practice.

Methods

This study is qualitative with a narrative design. Data were collected from a purposive sample of stroke specialist nurses (20 female and 2 male) working in hyperacute services during the years 2016 and 2017. Data were analysed using Polkinghorne’s approach.

Results

This research identified four themes: exposure to acute suffering and death- young presentations; moral distress; interactions with relatives and problematic healthcare systems.

Conclusion

The findings from this study suggest that stroke specialist nurses are exposed to multiple triggers which are commensurate with the potential for STS development. The findings contribute a new understanding of the emotional burden of hyperacute specialist stroke nursing that has implications for patient safety and satisfaction, services provision and staff well-being.
Visual perspective-taking in complex natural scenes
Authors: Del Sette Paola , Bindemann Markus , Ferguson Heather J
Published: October 2021

Studies of visual perspective-taking have shown that adults can rapidly and accurately compute their own and other peoples’ viewpoints, but they experience difficulties when the two perspectives are inconsistent. We tested whether these egocentric (i.e., interference from one’s own perspective) and altercentric biases (i.e., interference from another person’s perspective) persist in ecologically valid complex environments. Participants ( N = 150) completed a dot-probe visual perspective-taking task, in which they verified the number of discs in natural scenes containing real people, first only according to their own perspective and then judging both their own and another person’s perspective. Results showed that the other person’s perspective did not disrupt self perspective-taking judgements when the other perspective was not explicitly prompted. In contrast, egocentric and altercentric biases were found when participants were prompted to switch between self and other perspectives. These findings suggest that altercentric visual perspective-taking can be activated spontaneously in complex real-world contexts, but is subject to both top-down and bottom-up influences, including explicit prompts or salient visual stimuli.
Finding Echoes: An Exploration of Empathy Among Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy Students in Singapore
Authors: Hiok Lim Elsie Kim , Ting Loh Gordon Jian , Ong Ren Yong , Tan Rachel Ruizhen , Kin Yan Clement Chee , Huang Katherin Shilin , Chan Melissa Yi Ching , Ling Yeung Meredith Tsz
Published: October 2021

Background

Empathy is an essential antecedent in motivating healthcare professionals to treat and care for their patients with compassion – few studies had explored empathy on healthcare workers. Currently, no data reported empathy amongst physiotherapists and physiotherapy students in Singapore.

Objectives

This study aims to: 1) measure and explore within- and between-group differences in empathy scores amongst physiotherapists and physiotherapy students in Singapore, and 2) compare the results with similar studies locally and overseas.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey recruited 187 participants (37 physiotherapists and 150 physiotherapy students) via convenience sampling. Participants completed the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) Health Professions (JSE-HP) and the JSE-Health Professions Students (JSE-HPS), correspondingly. The 20-item JSE-HP and JSE-HPS are validated self-reported questionnaires that measure clinical empathy using a 7-point Likert scale. Summed scores range from 20 to 140, with higher scores suggesting a higher level of empathy. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, independent-sample t-tests and one-way analyses of variance.

Results

The mean score of JSE-HP and JSE-HPS was 110.89±11.37 and 112.43±10.73, respectively. No statistically significant differences found between gender, physiotherapists and physiotherapy students, and years of study. However, physiotherapists scored significantly higher [5.08±1.24 (95% CI 4.67–5.49) vs 4.01±1.36 (95% CI 3.79–4.23), p < .001 ] in the JSE components ‘Walking in Patient's Shoes’.

Conclusion

Physiotherapists and physiotherapy students in Singapore have similar empathy scores to their counterparts locally and internationally. No statistically significant differences in empathy scores were found. However, physiotherapy students were less able to understand patients' perspectives. This warrants further exploration in developing this vital attribute amongst students.
Air-blast and ground shockwave parameters, shallow underground blasting, on the ground and buried shallow underground blast-resistant shelters: A review
Authors: Anas S M , Alam Mehtab , Umair Mohammad
Published: October 2021

Weak political systems and poor governance in certain developing countries are found to have a war-like environment where structures are being targeted by blasts and bombs. Industrial blasts due to frail know-how and mishandlings are also quite common. Recent accidental explosions like that occurred at the Beirut Port, Lebanon (August 2020); ammunition depot in the outskirt of the Ryazan City of Russia (November 2020) are of concern for the safety of adjacent building infrastructure and their users. Such intense loading events cause damage to certain elements of a structure which may result in disproportionate or progressive collapse. It necessitates a clear understanding of the phenomenon of the blast and extreme loads induced out of it, and response of the target structure under such loadings. In this study, the state of research on air-blast and ground shockwave parameters, shallow underground blasting, and on the ground and buried shallow blast-resistant shelters are presented. The phenomenon of the self-Mach-reflection of the explosion, loading parameters and empirical blast models available in the open literature followed by the damage criteria for the buildings subjected to the underground blasting and available peak particle velocity (PPV) prediction models have been discussed. To make the application of advanced materials such as fibrous concrete, ultra-high performance concrete, FRP composites, etc., it is important to comprehend the existing blast/shock-resistant shelters and their response under such loading. The shelters are primarily designed by incorporating features of the materials like high degree of deformability/ductility, use of the shock-isolation panels and the mechanism for controlling crack formations. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for future studies are summarised. This paper presents prospects to engineers, town planners, researchers, policymakers and members of the core drafting sectional committees to understand the phenomenon of the blast and extreme loads induced out of it.
Outcomes and Return to Sport and Work After Open Bankart Repair for Recurrent Shoulder Instability: A Systematic Review
Authors: AlSomali Khalid , Kholinne Erica , Van Nguyen Thanh , Cho Chang-Ho , Kwak Jae-Man , Koh Kyoung-Hwan , Jeon In-Ho
Published: October 2021

Background:

Open Bankart repair provides surgeons and patients with an alternative solution for managing recurrent instability in young athletes with or without minimal bone loss. Despite many studies that have reported low recurrence rates and good functional outcomes after open Bankart repair, we have limited knowledge about the return to sport and work for high-demand populations.

Purpose:

To assess the return to sport and work for high-demand populations after open Bankart repair for recurrent anterior shoulder instability, outcomes of open Bankart repair with regard to recurrence, and development of osteoarthritic (OA) changes.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases using keywords as well as Medical Subject Headings terms and Emtree using “(Open Bankart OR Bankart surgery) (NOT arthroscopy NOT revision)” for English-language studies. We conducted a systematic review in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.

Results:

In total, 11 articles (10 with level 4 and 1 with level 3 evidence) including 563 patients (566 shoulders) were identified. The majority of patients were male (82%), the average age at the time of surgery was 27.4 years, and the mean follow-up was 11.5 years (range, 2.5-29 years). The most common functional score used was the Rowe score (95%) for the reported outcome measures, which showed good to excellent results (mean, 88.5 points). The overall recurrent instability rate, including dislocation and subluxation as a postoperative complication, was 8.5%. A total of 87% of patients were able to return to sport and work postoperatively. Overall, OA changes were reported in 33% of the patients, and the overall revision rate was 1%.

Conclusion:

Open Bankart repair exhibited favorable results, with a low postoperative instability rate. It is a reliable surgical procedure that allows high-demand patients to return to sport and work.
Reliability of Plain Radiographs Versus Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Measure Tibial Slope in Sports Medicine Patients: Can They Be Used Interchangeably?
Authors: Jahn Ryan , Cooper Joseph D. , Juhan Tristan , Kang Hyunwoo P. , Bolia Ioanna K. , Gamradt Seth C. , Hatch George F. , Weber Alexander E.
Published: October 2021

Background:

The slope of the tibial plateau has been proposed as a reason for failure of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Purpose:

To evaluate the interobserver reliability of measurements of tibial slope on radiographs versus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and to assess whether the modalities can be used interchangeably for this purpose.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This retrospective study included 81 patients aged 18 to 30 years who were evaluated in a sports medicine setting for knee pain and who had lateral knee radiographs as well as knee MRI scans on file. Medial and lateral tibial plateau slope measurements were made by 3 blinded reviewers from the radiographs and MRI scans using graphic overlay software. The paired t test was used to compare measurements of the medial tibial plateau slope (MTPS) and lateral tibial plateau slope (LTPS) from radiographs and MRI scans. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to determine intra- and interobserver reliability of measurements within each imaging modality, and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the relationship between measurements on radiographs versus MRI scans.

Results:

Imaging from 81 patients were included. The average MTPS was significantly larger on radiographs compared with MRI scans (8.7° ± 3.6° vs 3.7° ± 3.4°; P < .001), and the average LTPS was also significantly larger on radiographs compared with MRI scans (7.9° ± 3.4° vs 5.7° ± 3.7°; P < .001). ICC values indicated good to excellent intraobserver agreement for all imaging modalities (ICC, 0.81-0.97; P ≤ .009). The ICCs for interobserver reliability of MTPS and LTPS measurements were 0.92 and 0.85 for radiographs, 0.87 and 0.83 for MRI based off the subchondral bone, and 0.86 and 0.71 for MRI based off the cartilage, respectively ( P < .001). Medium correlation was noted between radiographic and MRI measurements; Pearson correlation coefficients for radiographic versus subchondral MRI measurements were 0.30 and 0.37 for MTPS and LTPS, respectively.

Conclusion:

The average MTPS and LTPS were significantly larger on radiographs compared with MRI scans. Although tibial slope measurements using radiography and those using MRI are reliable between individuals, the measurements from radiographs and MRI scans cannot be used interchangeably, and caution should be used when interpreting and comparing studies using measurements of the tibial slope.
Auditory and Visual Integration for Emotion Recognition and Compensation for Degraded Signals are Preserved With Age
Authors: de Boer Minke J. , Jürgens Tim , Başkent Deniz , Cornelissen Frans W.
Published: October 2021

Since emotion recognition involves integration of the visual and auditory signals, it is likely that sensory impairments worsen emotion recognition. In emotion recognition, young adults can compensate for unimodal sensory degradations if the other modality is intact. However, most sensory impairments occur in the elderly population and it is unknown whether older adults are similarly capable of compensating for signal degradations. As a step towards studying potential effects of real sensory impairments, this study examined how degraded signals affect emotion recognition in older adults with normal hearing and vision. The degradations were designed to approximate some aspects of sensory impairments. Besides emotion recognition accuracy, we recorded eye movements to capture perceptual strategies for emotion recognition. Overall, older adults were as good as younger adults at integrating auditory and visual information and at compensating for degraded signals. However, accuracy was lower overall for older adults, indicating that aging leads to a general decrease in emotion recognition. In addition to decreased accuracy, older adults showed smaller adaptations of perceptual strategies in response to video degradations. Concluding, this study showed that emotion recognition declines with age, but that integration and compensation abilities are retained. In addition, we speculate that the reduced ability of older adults to adapt their perceptual strategies may be related to the increased time it takes them to direct their attention to scene aspects that are relatively far away from fixation.
Micro-machining: An overview (Part II)
Authors: Jain Vijay Kumar , Patel Divyansh Singh , Ramkumar J. , Bhattacharyya Bijoy , Doloi Biswanath , Sarkar Biplab Ranjan , Ranjan Prabhat , E. S. Sarath Sankar , Jayal Anshu Dhar
Published: October 2021

This article on ‘Micro-machining: An Overview (Part II)’ is in continuation to ‘Micro-machining: An Overview (Part I)’ published in this journal ( Journal of Micromanufacturing). It consists of four parts, namely, electrochemical micro-texturing, electrochemical spark micro-machining, molecular dynamics simulation and sustainability issues of micro-machining processes.

Electrochemical micro-texturing (ECMTex) deals with various techniques developed for micro-texturing on different types of workpiece-surfaces, namely, flat, curved and free-form surfaces. Here, basically two categories of techniques have been reviewed, namely, with mask and without mask. It also deals with ‘single point tool micro-texturing’ which turns out to be a single-step technique requiring minimum time, but the accuracy and repeatability obtained after micro-texturing need to be critically analysed. For mass production, one needs to go for sinking kind of ECMTex processes.

Electrochemical spark micro-machining (ECSMM) is an interesting hybrid (ECM+EDM) process which can be applied for electrically conducting as well as electrically non-conducting materials. However, the work reported in this article deals only with the electrically non-conducting materials for which this process was initially developed. This process has a lot of potential for theoretical work to be done. In this article, two theories of sparking/discharging have been briefly mentioned: single bubble discharging/sparking and single surface discharging. It also dicusses its applications for different types of electrically non-conducting materials.

Molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) of micro-/nano-machining processes is very important, but it is very cumbersome to understand at atomic/molecular scale. In these processes, the material behaviour at micro-/nano-level machining is completely different as compared to bulk-machining (macro-machining) processes. Hence, some fundamentals of MDS have been discussed. It just gives the idea of available techniques, softwares and models for different types of processes. However, there is the need of further research work to be done for clearly understanding the MDS of micro-/nano-machining.

In the end, the sustainability of micro-machining issues have been discussed, mainly based on the energy consumption per unit mass of production. It is concluded that the advanced micro-manufacturing processes are highly energy-intensive processes, and they need further studies to be done for making them more suitable from sustainability point of view.

At the end of each section, some potential areas of research for enhancing the accuracy and repeatability, and minimising the production time of each process have been discussed.
Trial of a Rare Diagnosis in a Core Needle Biopsy of Breast
Authors: Serhrouchni Karima Idrissi , Kharmoum Jinane , Chraibi Mariame , karmouni Ouafae , Rabhi Fayrouz , Soussi Fatima Zahra
Published: October 2021

Objective:

Mucinous carcinoma is a rare, special subtype of breast carcinoma associated with a good prognosis. It often presents a confusing appearance with a benign process. For all these reasons, differential diagnosis could be challenging.

Case Report:

Eighty years-old woman with a soft, lobulated, and well circumscribed mass at the left breast mimicking a benign process. Pathological examination of a core needle biopsy showed pure mucinous carcinoma.

Discussion:

It is a disease of elderly patient, over 60 years, and usually occurs in postmenopausal women. It accounts for only 2% of total breast carcinomas. On pathologic analysis, to be defined as pure mucinous carcinoma, a carcinoma must be made up of at least 90% intracellular or extracellular mucin.

Conclusion:

Examination of core biopsy material should be done carefully respecting this criteria to confirm the diagnosis of this rare entity and eliminate differential diagnosis.
Mental Health History and DECIDE (Decision-Making Education for Choices in Diabetes Everyday) Diabetes Support Program Outcomes Among African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Vrany Elizabeth A. , Jennings Arianne , Hossain Mian B. , Hill-Briggs Felicia
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine behavioral and clinical outcomes of the DECIDE (Decision-Making Education for Choices in Diabetes Everyday) diabetes support program trial participants with and without a mental health (MH) history by treatment arm.

Methods

A secondary analysis was conducted of data from the DECIDE trial sample of urban African American adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM; N = 137) who received the DECIDE diabetes support program in 1 of 3 delivery formats: self-study (n = 46), individual (n = 45), and group (n = 46). Positive screen on the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and/or reported MH diagnosis were coded as MH history. Self-management, knowledge, problem-solving, and A1C data at baseline and 1 week and 6 months postintervention were analyzed for participants with and without MH history.

Results

Prevalence of MH history was 37% in the sample. Among those with no MH history, knowledge and problem-solving improved at 6 months postintervention in all intervention arms. For those with MH history, knowledge and problem-solving improved in the self-study and individual arms but not in the group arm. Clinically but not statistically significant changes in A1C were observed at 6 months.

Conclusions

In an urban minority T2DM sample, those with an MH history benefited from the intervention, but delivery format mattered, with robust improvements when participants with an MH history received self-directed or one-on-one formats rather than group.
The role of ERBB4 mutations in the prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Hu Xilin , Xu Hanlin , Xue Qianwen , Wen Ruran , Jiao Wenjie , Tian Kaihua
Published: October 2021

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have witnessed the achievements of convincing clinical benefits that feature the significantly prolonged overall survival (OS) of patients suffering from advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to reports recently. Sensitivity to immunotherapy is related to several biomarkers, such as PD-L1 expression, TMB level, MSI-H and MMR. However, a further investigation into the novel biomarkers of the prognosis on ICIs treatment is required. In addition, there is an urgent demand for the establishment of a systematic hazard model to assess the efficacy of ICIs therapy for advanced NSCLC patients.

Methods

In this study, the gene mutation and clinical data of NSCLC patients was obtained from the TCGA database, followed by the analysis of the detailed clinical information and mutational data relating to two advanced NSCLC cohorts receiving the ICIs treatment from the cBioPortal of Cancer Genomics. The Kaplan–Meier plot method was used to perform survival analyses, while selected variables were adopted to develop a systematic nomogram. The prognostic significance of ERBB4 in pan-cancer was analyzed by another cohort from the cBioPortal of Cancer Genomics.

Results

The mutation frequencies of TP53 and ERBB4 were 54% and 8% in NSCLC, respectively. The mutual exclusive analysis in cBioPortal has indicated that ERBB4 does show co-occurencing mutations with TP53. Patients with ERBB4 mutations were confirmed to have better prognosis for ICIs treatment, compared to those seeing ERBB4 wild type (PFS: exact p = 0.017; OS: exact p < 0.01) and only TP53 mutations (OS: p = 0.021). The mutation status of ERBB4 and TP53 was tightly linked to DCB of ICIs treatment, PD-L1 expression, TMB value, and TIICs. Finally, a novel nomogram was built to evaluate the efficacy of ICIs therapy.

Conclusion

ERBB4 mutations could serve as a predictive biomarker for the prognosis of ICIs treatment. The systematic nomogram was proven to have the great potential for evaluating the efficacy of ICIs therapy for advanced NSCLC patients.
New Inverse Method for Determining Uniaxial Flow Properties by Spherical Indentation Test
Authors: Chen Guoyao , Zhang Xiaocheng , Zhong Jiru , Shi Jin , Wang Qiongqi , Guan Kaishu
Published: October 2021

The spherical indentation test has been successfully applied to inversely derive the tensile properties of small regions in a non-destructive way. Current inverse methods mainly rely on extensive iterative calculations, which yield a considerable computational costs. In this paper, a database method is proposed to determine tensile flow properties from a single indentation force-depth curves to avoid iterative simulations. Firstly, a database that contain numerous indentation force-depth curves is established by inputting varied Ludwic material parameters into the indentation finite elements model. Secondly, for a given experimental indentation curve, a mean square error (MSE) is designated to evaluate the deviation between the experimental curve and each curve in the database. Finally, the true stresses at a series of plastic strain can be acquired by analyzing these deviations. To validate this new method, three different steels, i.e. A508, 2.25Cr1Mo and 316L are selected. Both simulated indentation curves and experimental indentation curves are used as inputs of the database to inversely acquire the flow properties. The result indicates that the proposed approach provides impressive accuracy when simulated indentation curves are used, but is less accurate when experimental curves are used. This new method can derive tensile properties in a much higher efficiency compared with traditional inverse method and are therefore more adaptive to engineering application.
Reliability of the MOCART score: a systematic review
Authors: Migliorini Filippo , Maffulli Nicola , Eschweiler Jörg , Driessen Arne , Tingart Markus , Baroncini Alice
Published: October 2021

Background

The present systematic review analysed the available literature to assess reliability of the Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) score in the evaluation of knee and ankle osteochondral lesions.

Methods

All the studies using the MOCART score for knee and/or talus chondral defects were accessed in March 2021. A multivariate analysis was performed to assess associations between the MOCART score at last follow-up and data of patients at baseline, clinical scores and complications. A multiple linear model regression analysis was used.

Results

The MOCART score evidenced no association with patient age (P = 0.6), sex (P = 0.1), body mass index (P = 0.06), defect size (P = 0.9), prior length of symptoms (P = 0.9) or visual analogue scale (P = 0.07). For chondral defects of the knee, no statistically significant association was found between the MOCART score and the International Knee Documentation Committee (P = 0.9) and with the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scales (P = 0.2), Tegner Activity Scale (P = 0.2), visual analogue scale P = 0.07), rate of failure (P = 0.2) and revision (P = 0.9). For chondral defect of the talus, no statistically significant associations were found between the MOCART score and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Score (P = 0.3), Tegner Activity Scale (P = 0.4), visual analogue scale (P = 0.1), rate of failure (P = 0.1) and revision (P = 0.7).

Conclusion

The MOCART score demonstrated no association with patient characteristics and with the surgical outcome in patients who underwent surgical management for knee and talus chondral defects.

Level of evidence

Level IV.
Haplotype genomic prediction of phenotypic values based on chromosome distance and gene boundaries using low-coverage sequencing in Duroc pigs
Authors: Bian Cheng , Prakapenka Dzianis , Tan Cheng , Yang Ruifei , Zhu Di , Guo Xiaoli , Liu Dewu , Cai Gengyuan , Li Yalan , Liang Zuoxiang , Wu Zhenfang , Da Yang , Hu Xiaoxiang
Published: October 2021

Background

Genomic selection using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers has been widely used for genetic improvement of livestock, but most current methods of genomic selection are based on SNP models. In this study, we investigated the prediction accuracies of haplotype models based on fixed chromosome distances and gene boundaries compared to those of SNP models for genomic prediction of phenotypic values. We also examined the reasons for the successes and failures of haplotype genomic prediction.

Methods

We analyzed a swine population of 3195 Duroc boars with records on eight traits: body judging score (BJS), teat number (TN), age (AGW), loin muscle area (LMA), loin muscle depth (LMD) and back fat thickness (BF) at 100 kg live weight, and average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate (FCR) from 30 to100 kg live weight. Ten-fold validation was used to evaluate the prediction accuracy of each SNP model and each multi-allelic haplotype model based on 488,124 autosomal SNPs from low-coverage sequencing. Haplotype blocks were defined using fixed chromosome distances or gene boundaries.

Results

Compared to the best SNP model, the accuracy of predicting phenotypic values using a haplotype model was greater by 7.4% for BJS, 7.1% for AGW, 6.6% for ADG, 4.9% for FCR, 2.7% for LMA, 1.9% for LMD, 1.4% for BF, and 0.3% for TN. The use of gene-based haplotype blocks resulted in the best prediction accuracy for LMA, LMD, and TN. Compared to estimates of SNP additive heritability, estimates of haplotype epistasis heritability were strongly correlated with the increase in prediction accuracy by haplotype models. The increase in prediction accuracy was largest for BJS, AGW, ADG, and FCR, which also had the largest estimates of haplotype epistasis heritability, 24.4% for BJS, 14.3% for AGW, 14.5% for ADG, and 17.7% for FCR. SNP and haplotype heritability profiles across the genome identified several genes with large genetic contributions to phenotypes: NUDT3 for LMA, LMD and BF, VRTN for TN, COL5A2 for BJS, BSND for ADG, and CARTPT for FCR.

Conclusions

Haplotype prediction models improved the accuracy for genomic prediction of phenotypes in Duroc pigs. For some traits, the best prediction accuracy was obtained with haplotypes defined using gene regions, which provides evidence that functional genomic information can improve the accuracy of haplotype genomic prediction for certain traits.
Msx1 haploinsufficiency modifies the Pax9-deficient cardiovascular phenotype
Authors: Khasawneh Ramada R. , Kist Ralf , Queen Rachel , Hussain Rafiqul , Coxhead Jonathan , Schneider Jürgen E. , Mohun Timothy J. , Zaffran Stéphane , Peters Heiko , Phillips Helen M. , Bamforth Simon D.
Published: October 2021

Background

Successful embryogenesis relies on the coordinated interaction between genes and tissues. The transcription factors Pax9 and Msx1 genetically interact during mouse craniofacial morphogenesis, and mice deficient for either gene display abnormal tooth and palate development. Pax9 is expressed specifically in the pharyngeal endoderm at mid-embryogenesis, and mice deficient for Pax9 on a C57Bl/6 genetic background also have cardiovascular defects affecting the outflow tract and aortic arch arteries giving double-outlet right ventricle, absent common carotid arteries and interruption of the aortic arch.

Results

In this study we have investigated both the effect of a different genetic background and Msx1 haploinsufficiency on the presentation of the Pax9-deficient cardiovascular phenotype. Compared to mice on a C57Bl/6 background, congenic CD1-Pax9–/– mice displayed a significantly reduced incidence of outflow tract defects but aortic arch defects were unchanged. Pax9–/– mice with Msx1 haploinsufficiency, however, have a reduced incidence of interrupted aortic arch, but more cases with cervical origins of the right subclavian artery and aortic arch, than seen in Pax9–/– mice. This alteration in arch artery defects was accompanied by a rescue in third pharyngeal arch neural crest cell migration and smooth muscle cell coverage of the third pharyngeal arch arteries. Although this change in phenotype could theoretically be compatible with post-natal survival, using tissue-specific inactivation of Pax9 to maintain correct palate development whilst inducing the cardiovascular defects was unable to prevent postnatal death in the mutant mice. Hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage formation were abnormal in Pax9–/– mice.

Conclusions

Msx1 haploinsufficiency mitigates the arch artery defects in Pax9–/– mice, potentially by maintaining the survival of the 3rd arch artery through unimpaired migration of neural crest cells to the third pharyngeal arches. With the neural crest cell derived hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage also being defective in Pax9–/– mice, we speculate that the pharyngeal endoderm is a key signalling centre that impacts on neural crest cell behaviour highlighting the ability of cells in different tissues to act synergistically or antagonistically during embryo development.
AutoCNV: a semiautomatic CNV interpretation system based on the 2019 ACMG/ClinGen Technical Standards for CNVs
Authors: Fan Chunna , Wang Zhonghua , Sun Yan , Sun Jun , Liu Xi , Kang Licheng , Xu Yingshuo , Yang Manqiu , Dai Wentao , Song Lijie , Wei Xiaoming , Xiang Jiale , Huang Hui , Zhou Meizhen , Zeng Fanwei , Huang Lin , Xu Zhengfeng , Peng Zhiyu
Published: October 2021

Background

The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) presented technical standards for interpretation and reporting of constitutional copy-number variants in 2019 (the standards). Although ClinGen developed a web-based CNV classification calculator based on scoring metrics, it can only track and tally points that have been assigned based on observed evidence. Here, we developed AutoCNV (a semiautomatic automated CNV interpretation system) based on the standards, which can automatically generate predictions on 18 and 16 criteria for copy number loss and gain, respectively.

Results

We assessed the performance of AutoCNV using 72 CNVs evaluated by external independent reviewers and 20 illustrative case examples. Using AutoCNV, it showed that 100 % (72/72) and 95 % (19/20) of CNVs were consistent with the reviewers’ and ClinGen-verified classifications, respectively. AutoCNV only required an average of less than 5 milliseconds to obtain the result for one CNV with automated scoring. We also applied AutoCNV for the interpretation of CNVs from the ClinVar database and the dbVar database. We also developed a web-based version of AutoCNV (wAutoCNV).

Conclusions

AutoCNV may serve to assist users in conducting in-depth CNV interpretation, to accelerate and facilitate the interpretation process of CNVs and to improve the consistency and reliability of CNV interpretation.