bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traumatic injuries on the crania from the Novo-Sasykul cemetery
Authors: Kufterin V.V. , Vorobyeva S.L.
Published: May 2020

This study is focused on the cranial sample from the Novo-Sasykul cemetery of the Pyany Bor Culture in the Lower Kama region (Bakaly District, Republic of Bashkortostan). The Novo-Sasykul cemetery is dated to the 1st–2nd c. AD, and it is fully excavated. The frequency of traumatic injuries has been analyzed in a sample consisting of 94 skulls of adult individuals (47 males, 47 females) stored in the Bashkortostan National Museum (Ufa). Injuries have been examined according to recommendations and methods used in the forensic medicine and paleopathology. The distribution of traumas was studied depending on sex and the side of the skull (left / right or frontal / dorsal). The intergroup variability of the ratios of combat traumas was studied with the involvement of a number of the Early Iron Age samples. The differences in frequencies were analyzed using the chi-squared test and two-tailed Fisher's exact test. It has been noted that the analysed sample is characterized by the high level of fatal combat injuries. In total, 16 injuries were recorded on 12 skulls (21.3 % in males, 4.3 % in females). A significantly larger number of traumas are localized on the left side of the skull, which may indicate a predominant strike direction from right to left. The identified traumatic injuries are grouped into five types. With the exception of one case of injury by a trilobate bone arrowhead, all injuries are qualified as blade weapon traumas. All traumas are perimortal, without any traces of healing. Against a comparative background, the studied sample is characterized by the high level of combat traumas, similar to those of the Late Sarmatian population from Esaulovskiy Aksai, the Hun from Ulangom, and the Bulan-Koba Culture sample from the Stepushka cemetery. However, archaeologically identified low level of armament of the Novo-Sasykul cemetery population, as well as the short period of the cemetery functioning, testify against the regular involvement of the analyzed group in armed conflicts. The high frequency of combat cranial traumas in this group, considering its low militarization, represented mainly by iron and bone arrowheads with a small amount of melee weapons, suggests that the Pyany Bor groups were more likely to be subjected to armed raids, acting more often as victims. Taking into account the planigraphy of the burials from which the injured skulls originate, it has been concluded that this part of the studied group died as a result of a possibly single armed conflict.
Analisis Nilai Karakter Religius dan Nilai Karakter Tanggung Jawab Pada Tembang Dolanan Lir-ilir dan Sluku-Sluku Bathok
Authors: Dewi Tyass Puspita , Purwadi Purwadi , Mudzanatun Mudzanatun
Published: May 2020

Negara Indonesia adalah bangsa yang mempunyai berbagai macam seni budaya. Sekarang ini kita telah masuk dalam arus modernisasi yang membawa kemajuan dalam berbagai hal dan tak jarang pula membawa dampak negatif bagi identitas  dan jati diri suatu bangsa jika kita tidak bisa menyikapinya dengan baik. Salah satu cara untuk memperbaiki penurunan kualitas karakter adalah dengan mengenalkan kembali budaya-budaya bangsa. Tembang dolanan anak Jawa merupakan salah satu sarana budaya yang mampu mengubah karakter generasi penerus bangsa Indonesia.

Tembang dolanan Jawa khususnya Lir-ilir dan Sluku-sluku Bathok memiliki makna, yang mengajarkan tentang pesan moral. Nilai karakter yang sering muncul dalam lirik lagu dapat dijadikan sarana bagi tenaga pendidik dan masyarakat  dalam pembentukan kepribadian seseorang sesuai dengan nilai-nilai karakter yang ada di negara Indonesia.
Peningkatan Ekonomi Rumah Tangga Melalui Budidaya Sayuran Organik Berbasis Kemitraan Dan Berwawasan Lingkungan di Kelurahan Jebres Surakarta
Authors: Purwanto Djoko , Sugiarto Catur , Suryanadi Pram , Risfandy Tastaftiyan , Sunarjanto Sunarjanto , Purnama Muhammad Yusuf Indra
Published: May 2020

Peningkatan Ekonomi Rumah Tangga Melalui Budidaya Sayuran Organik Berbasis Kemitraan dan Berwawasan Lingkungan di Kelurahan Jebres Surakarta dimaksudkan untuk memberikan salah satu alternatif bagi pemenuhan kebutuhan sayuran organik yang sehat bagi keluarga di wilayah Kelurahan Jebres Surakarta. Kegiatan tersebut dimaksudkan selain pemenuhan terhadap kebutuhan sayuran yang sehat, tetapi secara ekonomis juga memberikan manfaat terhadap penghematan pengeluaran belanja sehari-hari khususnya sayuran. Di sisi yang lain, budidaya tanaman sayuran organik yang sehat, segar dan hijau memberikan dampak positif terhadap lingkungan sekitarnya yang semakin asri dan sehat. Kegiatan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat ini melibatkan ibu-ibu PKK di wilayah Kelurahan Jebres termasuk ibu-ibu PKK RW 10 Jebres Surakarta sebagai salah satu mitra dalam berbudidaya sayuran organik. Ibu-ibu PKK RW 10 Jebres Surakarta nantinya akan memperoleh ilmu praktis tentang budidaya sayuran organik yang dapat diaplikasikan dikemudian hari. Disamping itu peserta akan memperoleh bekal bertanam yang berupa media tanam dan benih sayur, misalnya: sawi, kangkung atau selada.
Constrained Liners Implanted Simultaneously at the Time of Acetabular Shell Revision with a Highly Porous Implant
Authors: Bedard Nicholas A. , Brown Timothy S. , Lewallen David G. , Trousdale Robert T. , Berry Daniel J. , Abdel Matthew P.
Published: May 2020

Background:

Many surgeons are reluctant to use a constrained liner at the time of acetabular component revision because of concerns that doing so might result in early acetabular component loosening related to high bone-implant interface stresses transmitted from the constrained liner. We hypothesized that, with appropriate initial implant stabilization using highly porous acetabular components with robust supplemental screw fixation, constrained liners could be safely used at the time of acetabular revision.

Methods:

We retrospectively identified 148 revision total hip arthroplasties (THAs) in which a constrained liner of 1 design was cemented into a newly placed highly porous acetabular component fixed with supplemental screws (mean, 5 screws). The mean age at the time of revision THA was 69 years, and 68% of the patients were female. The most common indications for revision were 2-stage reimplantation (33%), recurrent dislocation (30%), and aseptic loosening of the acetabular component (22%) or both the acetabular and femoral components (9%). The mean duration of follow-up was 7 years.

Results:

There were no failures at the bone-implant interface. No cases of acetabular metal shell loosening were identified on radiographic analysis. The 10-year survival rates with acetabular revision and any reoperation as the end points were 75% and 67%, respectively. Overall, 33 hips (22%) required revision or reoperation because of infection or wound complications (n = 12), dislocation or mechanical failure of the constrained liner (n = 11), periprosthetic femoral fracture (n = 4), femoral loosening (n = 3), or other reasons (n = 3). The 10-year survival rate with re-revision for instability as the end point was 88% overall, which was similar to the 85% 10-year survival rate with re-revision for instability as the end point among hips that were specifically revised because of instability during index revision THA (p = 0.9).

Conclusions:

Implanting a constrained liner at the time of acetabular revision in high-risk patients resulted in no cases of aseptic metal acetabular component loosening in this large series. This finding is likely related to the fact that a highly porous acetabular component was utilized with robust supplemental screw fixation in each case. Such information is valuable as these data favor a paradigm shift when compared with some traditionally held tenets.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Volar Locked Plating Versus Closed Reduction and Casting for Acute, Displaced Distal Radial Fractures in the Elderly
Authors: Stephens Andrew R. , Presson Angela P. , McFarland Mary M. , Zhang Chong , Sirniö Kai , Mulders Marjolein A.M. , Schep Niels W.L. , Tyser Andrew R. , Kazmers Nikolas H.
Published: May 2020

Background:

It remains unclear whether volar locked plating (VLP) yields a better functional outcome than closed reduction and casting (CRC) for elderly patients with an acute, displaced distal radial fracture. Our purpose was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing outcomes of VLP and CRC for elderly patients (age, ≥60 years).

Methods:

Multiple databases, including MEDLINE, were searched for randomized controlled trials evaluating outcomes following distal radial fracture treatment. Raw data were obtained for studies that included patients of all ages, and the elderly subgroup was included for analysis. The primary outcome was the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score at ≥1 year of follow-up. Secondary outcomes included the 3-month DASH score, range of motion, final radiographic alignment, and complications. Effect sizes for the comparison of each outcome between groups were pooled across studies using random-effects models with the inverse variance weighting method. Changes in DASH score were compared with a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) estimate of 10 to assess clinical relevance.

Results:

Of 2,152 screened articles, 6 were included. Demographics were similar for the 274 VLP and 287 CRC patients. DASH scores were significantly better following VLP than CRC at the time of final follow-up (12 to 24 months postoperatively; score difference, −5.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], −8.7 to −3.1) and at 3 months (−8.9; 95% CI, −13.0 to −4.8). VLP yielded significantly better palmar tilt, radial inclination, and supination, with no differences in ulnar variance, flexion-extension, pronation, or total complication rates.

Conclusions:

Functional outcome was significantly better following VLP than CRC 3 months into the treatment of acute, displaced distal radial fractures in an elderly population and up to 2 years after injury. However, the observed differences in the final DASH score did not exceed published estimates of the MCID, suggesting that clinical outcomes are similar for both treatment options.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Pediatric Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor of the Flexor Hallucis Longus Tendon Sheath
Authors: Williams Richard D. , Honeycutt M. Wesley , Manci Elizabeth A. , Nimityongskul Prasit
Published: May 2020

Case:

An otherwise healthy 13-year-old girl presented with a firm nodule on the plantar right forefoot that was tender after cheerleading. Initial workup was unremarkable, but magnetic resonance imaging revealed a multilobulated mass surrounding the flexor hallucis longus tendon. Surgical resection revealed a tenosynovial mass without tendon infiltration. Pathologic examination was consistent with tenosynovial giant cell tumor. The patient resumed cheerleading and remained asymptomatic after 1 year.

Conclusion:

As far as we know, this is the first report of a tenosynovial giant cell tumor of the flexor hallucis longus in a pediatric patient; it illustrates the importance of considering this lesion when diagnosing a pediatric plantar mass.
THE INFLUENCE OF READING AND WRITING ON THE PREVALENCE OF MYOPIA
Authors: Czepita Maciej , Safranow Krzysztof , Czepita Damian
Published: May 2020

Purpose: In this study we decided to answer the question of whether spending more time on reading and writing leads to higher prevalence of myopia.Material and methods: A total of 70 people (140 eyes) – 17 men and 53 women aged 18–29 years (mean 22.5 ±2.8) were examined. A questionnaire concerning the amount of time spent each day on reading and writing, as well as ophthalmic examination involving: visual acuity, anterior segment and fundus examination, keratometry, auto‍‑refractometry and axial length of the eyeball measurement (using IOL Master) were carried out in all participants. The refractive errors were described as spherical equivalents (SE). Hyperopia was defined to be SE higher than +0.5 Dsph, and emmetropia to be higher than –0.5 and lower than +0.5 Dsph. Myopia was defined to be with a SE lower than –0.5 Dsph. High myopia was defined as SE lower than –8, medium myopia in the range between –8 and –4, and low myopia lower than –0.5 and higher than –4 Dsph. The obtained results were typed into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed statistically using Statistica 10 software. P values of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: It was found that people with low myopia spent statistically more time on reading and writing than participants in the emmetropic group (5.8 ±2.4 vs 4.1 ±2.4 h/day, p = 0.003). A relationship between reading and writing and medium and high myopia and hyperopia was not observed (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Near visual work leads to higher prevalence of low myopia.
Osteogenic activity of lactoferrin and its application in contemporary dentistry
Authors: Trybek Grzegorz , Misiakiewicz-Has Kamila , Preuss Olga , Szumilas Kamila , Szumilas Paweł , Aniko-Włodarczyk Magda , Grocholewicz Katarzyna
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Lactoferrin (Lf) is a protein in the transfer-rin family with many biological functions. One novel activity of lactoferrin described recently is its regulatory function in bone morphogenesis. Lactoferrin has been shown to promote the growth, development, and differentiation of osteoblasts as well as to decrease osteoclast survival. Lactoferrin receptors (LfRs) mediate the multiple functions of lactoferrin. This review focuses on LfRs associated with bone and the intestines. The best known LfR is small intestine LfR (intelectin), which facilitates iron absorption and iron metabolism in humans. Many data fromin vitroandin vivostudies have indicated that lactoferrin promotes bone formation by increasing the proliferation of osteoblasts and the ability of cells to synthesize and mineralize the bone matrix. Lactoferrin additionally inhibits osteoclastogenesis, reducing the number of osteoclasts and thus bone resorption. Lactoferrin, with its numerous antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and also osteogenic properties has found a number of applications in contemporary dentistry, especially in dental surgery, in periodontology, and in pedodontics.

Summary: This review presents andin vivo in vitrostudies demonstrating the osteogenic and anti-inflammatory activity of Lf and its practical application in oral surgery and dentistry.
Navigating complexity through intuition and evidence-based guidelines: a mix-methods study among child and youth healthcare professionals
Authors: Erisman Jetske Charlotte , de Sabbata Kevin , Zuiderent-Jerak Teun , Syurina Elena V
Published: May 2020

Background: Dutch child and youth health care (CYHC) professionals monitor and assess the well-being of children. One of their main concerns is identifying cases of child abuse, which is an arduous and sensitive task. In these contexts, CYHC-professionals use both evidence-based guidelines aimed at increasing the quality of care through rationalised decision-making, and intuition. These two practices are seen as being at odds with each other, yet empirical research has shown that both are needed in healthcare. This study aims to unravel how intuition is perceived and used by Dutch CYHC-professionals when identifying and working with cases of child abuse, and how this relates to their evidence-based guidelines.Methods: A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design: in-depth semi-structured interviews with CYHC-practitioners focused on perceptions on intuition, which were followed by a survey amongst CYHC-professionals on the recognition and use of the concept.Results: The majority of CYHC-professionals recognise and use intuition in their daily work, stating that it is necessary in their profession. CYHC-professionals use intuition to: 1) sense that something is off, 2) differentiate between ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’, 3) assess risks, 4) weigh secondary information and 5) communicate with parents. At the same time, they warn for its dangers as it may lead to ‘tunnel vision’ and false accusations. Conclusion: Intuition is experienced as an integral part of the work of CYHC-professionals. It is stated to be particularly useful in the case of child abuse, which is inherently complex as signs and evidence of abuse are hidden, subtle and unique in each case. CYHC- professionals use intuition to manage and navigate this complexity. There is an opportunity for guidelines to support reflection and intuition as a ‘good care’ practice.
Genome-wide identification and characterization of multiple C2 domains and transmembrane region proteins in Gossypium hirsutum
Authors: Hao Pengbo , Wang Hantao , Ma Liang , Wu Aimin , Chen Pengyun , Cheng Shuaishuai , Wei Hengling , Yu Shuxun
Published: May 2020

Background: Multiple C2 domains and transmembrane region proteins (MCTPs) may act as transport mediators of other regulators. Although increased number of MCTPs in higher plants implies their diverse and specific functions in plant growth and development, only a few plant MCTPs have been studied and no study on the MCTPs in cotton has been reported.Results: In this study, we identified 31 MCTPs in G. hirsutum, which were classified into five subfamilies according to the phylogenetic analysis. GhMCTPs from subfamily V exhibited isoelectric points (pIs) less than 7, whereas GhMCTPs from subfamily I, II, III and IV exhibited pIs more than 7.5, implying their distinct biological functions. In addition, GhMCTPs within subfamily III, IV and V exhibited more diverse physicochemical properties, domain architectures and expression patterns than GhMCTPs within subfamily I and II, suggesting that GhMCTPs within subfamily III, IV and V diverged to perform more diverse and specific functions. Analyses of conserved motifs and pIs indicated that the N-terminus was more divergent than the C-terminus and GhMCTPs’ functional divergence might be mainly contributed by the N-terminus. Furthermore, yeast two-hybrid assay indicated that the N-terminus was responsible to interact with target proteins. Phylogenetic analysis classified multiple N-terminal C2 domains into four subclades, suggesting that these C2 domains performed different molecular functions in mediating the transport of target proteins.Conclusions: Our systematic characterization of MCTPs in G. hirsutum will provide helpful information to further research GhMCTPs’ molecular roles in mediating other regulators’ transport to coordinate growth and development of various cotton tissues.
Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity of Chlorinated Maprotiline Analogues 
Authors: Sultan Mujeeb A. , Karama Usama , Almansour Abdulrahman I. , El-Taher Kamal Eldin , Elnakady Yasser A. , Mohaya Talal Abdulaziz , Galil Mansour S. A.
Published: May 2020

A novel chlorinated tetracyclic compound 13 of the class ethanoanthracene, as analogue of maprotiline, was prepared via multistep syntheses. The tetracyclic key intermediates 4 and 5 with its [2.2.2] system were built via a Diels-Alder reaction between acrolein and 1,8-dichloroanthracene.The synthesized chlorinated maprotiline analogues 6, 7 and 13 as well intermediates 4 and 5 exerted antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines A549 and HepG2 at low micromolar concentrations. In addition, the intermediates 4 and 5 were also exerted high antiproliferative activity against HCT cell line. Interestingly, the intermediate 4 was the most active against all treated cell lines.
Hearing loss and cognitive function among Chinese older adults: Therole of participation in leisure activities
Authors: Gao Jiamin , Armstrong Nicole M. , Deal Jennifer A. , Lin Frank R. , He Ping
Published: May 2020

Background Hearing loss, a highly prevalent sensory impairment affecting older adults, is a risk factor for cognition decline. However, there were very limited studies on this association in low-resource countries. This study aimed to assess the association between self-reported hearing loss and cognitive decline, and whether engagement in leisure activities moderated this association among older adults in China.Methods Data were obtained from two waves of the nationally representative survey of China Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) between 2011/12-2014. 8,844 individuals aged 65 years old or above with a dichotomized measure of self-reported hearing status were included. Modified Mini-Mental Examination (MMSE) was used to measure global cognition. Fixed-effects models were used to estimate whether leisure activity engagement moderated the association of self-perceived hearing loss with global cognitive change in the overall sample and sex subsamples.Results Self-reported hearing loss was associated with cognitive impairment, with an odds ratio of 2.48 [1.22, 5.06]. Sex difference in the association of hearing loss and cognitive impairment was not found. Self-reported hearing loss was associated with cognitive decline, with 8% [-1.22, -0.39] increase in risk compared with those with normal hearing. Frequent engagement in leisure activities moderated the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline for the whole and male samples.Conclusion Hearing loss was associated with cognitive decline, and leisure activities engagement moderated the association among males rather than females.
Trends of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and rifampicin Resistance in Adigrat General Hospital, Eastern zone of Tigrai, North Ethiopia
Authors: Abay Getachew Kahsu , Hailay Bahlibi
Published: May 2020

Background: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease usually caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. The global emergence of mono- or multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and extensively drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis poses a considerable challenge to tuberculosis control programs. There has been no reliable and organized data on trends and drug Resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the trends of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin Resistance in the Adigrat General Hospital, eastern zone of Tigrai, North Ethiopia.Methods: A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Adigrat General Hospital from January 2015 to 2018. Data were collected retrospectively from the GenexpertTM TB registration book using a data extraction format. Data was entered into Epi-Info 3.1 and subsequently exported and analyzed using SPSS Version 20. The results were summarized using descriptive statistics, tables, and figures. Bivariate and multi-variant regression analysis were employed to measure the association between dependent and independent variables. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Result: A total of 5,944 Mycobacterium tuberculosis presumptive patients were included in the study. The majority of the study participants were male (58.1%) with participants’ median age of 40.0 (IQR 26-57) years, the majority were 30-44 years. The overall positive cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was 24.3% (1446) with a total of 132 (9.1%) found to be resistant to Rifampicin. Within the total Rifampicin resistant sub-group, 129/1385 (9.3 %) were newly identified cases and the rest were previously treated, tuberculosis patients. Age, the reason for diagnosis, site of presumptive tuberculosis, and/or being HIV infected showed significant association with our dependent variable; however, only age and being HIV infected were associated with Rifampicin Resistance.Conclusion: In our study, the overall trends of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin Resistance were found to be constant. HIV co-infected and previously treated patients were more likely to develop Rifampicin Resistance. Therefore, maximizing early detection of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and strengthening tuberculosis infection control activities are recommended to reduce the burden of this contagious and potentially deadly disease.
Multiple Cross Displacement Amplification-a more applicable technique in detecting Pseudomonas Aeruginosa of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia ( VAP)
Authors: Wang Juxiang , Chen Huimin , Lin Xiaomin , Ji Chengyi , Chen Bin
Published: May 2020

Background: Early and rapid identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) in patients with suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) provides theoretical clinical advantages in therapeutic optimization strategies. Methods: The P. aeruginosa-multiple cross displacement amplification (PA-MCDA) assay was conducted at an isothermal temperature during the amplification stage, and products were visually detected by color changes. The entire process was completed within 1 h. A total of 77 strains, including P. aeruginosa species and various other species of non-P. aeruginosa were used to evaluate PA-MCDA assays. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of suspected VAP patients were examined by the MCDA assay. Results: The MCDA assay exhibited a 100 percent analytical specificity in detecting PA from all 77 strains, and the limit of detection were as low as 100 fg DNA per reaction. A temperature of 65ºC was recommended as standard during the amplification stage. The agreement between PA-MCDA and bacteria culture was 91.18% (κ= 0.787; p =0.000) in identification of P. aeruginosa in BALF from suspected VAP. The PA-MCDA assay showed values of 92.31%, 90.78%, 77.41% and 97.18% for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, respectively. PA-MCDA had higher detective rate of P. aeruginosa than bacteria culture in patients with antipseudomonal therapy. Conclusions: The instrument-free platform of the MCDA assay makes it a simple, rapid and applicable procedure for “on-site” diagnosis and point-of-care testing for the presence of P. aeruginosa without the need for specific bacterial culture.
Differential long-term retention of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by age group from the FIRST registry
Authors: Kawabe Akio , Nakano Kazuhisa , Kubo Satoshi , Asakawa Takeshi , Tanaka Yoshiya
Published: May 2020

Background. The effectiveness and safety of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) by age group (<65, 65–74, and ≥75 years) are uncertain. We examined retention rates reflecting the effectiveness and safety of bDMARDs in actual clinical practice for clarifying optimal therapeutic strategies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by age groups.Methods. Data of patients who were treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), abatacept (ABA), and tocilizumab (TCZ) between February 2011 and April 2017 were collected from a prospective observational registry of RA patients. A total of 1,362 patients were enrolled, of which 695 were aged <65 years, 402 were aged 65–74 years, and 265 were aged ≥75 years. Primary outcome was the drug retention rate in adjusted data using inverse probability of treatment weighting based on generalized propensity scores.Results. In patients aged <65 years, three-year retention rates of TNFi, ABA, and TCZ were 43%, 47%, and 69%, respectively (ABA versus TCZ, p = 0.017; TNFi versus TCZ, p = 0.002). In patients aged 65–74 years, three-year retention rates of TNFi, ABA, and TCZ were 44%, 53%, and 60%, respectively (TCZ versus TNFi, p = 0.034). In patients aged ≥75 years, three-year retention rates for TNFi, ABA, and TCZ were 38%, 63%, and 58%, respectively (ABA versus TNFi, p = 0.017).Conclusions. We found that the effectiveness and safety of TCZ were maximal in patients aged <75 years and that patients aged ≥75 years might be suitable candidates for TCZ and ABA therapy. The use of therapeutic strategies appropriate to each age group might improve the outcomes of bDMARD therapy for RA.
User scheduling for multicast transmission in High Throughput Satellite systems
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Jia Min , Wei Yuming , Guo Qing
Published: May 2020

Adopting full frequency reuse in High Throughput Satellite (HTS) systems is expected to cope with huge communication demands and large user populations. Moreover, a kind of multicast transmission, which embeds the data of several users in each frame, can be employed to increase the efficiency of HTS systems. Multicast precoding is usually utilized in such systems to mitigate the co-frequency interference between beams and improve the efficiency of transmission. In this context, considering that the number of users may exceed the number of available communication resources in the system, we investigate user scheduling for the multicast transmission in HTS systems with full frequency reuse and multicast precoding. We perform user scheduling according to the user channel state information and decouple the scheduling problem into two phases: intra-beam and inter-beam scheduling. Intra-beam scheduling determines the users involved in the transmission of each frame with the purpose of reducing the influence of the multicast fashion. For intra-beam scheduling, we put forth a fixed-size user grouping algorithm. In contrast to previous studies, this algorithm takes the interference among beams into consideration during the scheduling. In inter-beam scheduling, user groups belonging to different beams are scheduled to improve the performance of the multiplexed transmission. An inter-beam scheduling algorithm is proposed to improve the fairness among users. The simulation results verify the superiority of the proposed algorithms in terms of fairness and spectral efficiency.
In-situ formed and low-temperature deposited Nb: TiO2 compact-mesoporous layer for hysteresis-less perovskite solar cells with high performance
Authors: Yu Miao , Sun Haoxuan , Huang Xiaona , Yan Yichao , Zhang Wanli
Published: May 2020

Recently, reported perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with high power conversion efficiency (PCE) are mostly based on mesoporous structures containing mesoporous titanium oxide (TiO2 ) which is the main factor to reduce the overall hysteresis. However, existing fabrication approaches for mesoporous TiO2 generally require a high temperature annealing process. Moreover, there is still a long way to go for improvement in terms of increasing the electron conductivity and reducing the carrier recombination. Herein, a facile one-step, in situ and low-temperature method was developed to prepare an Nb: TiO2 compact-mesoporous layer to serve as both scaffold and electron transport layer (ETL) in PSCs. The Nb: TiO2 compact-mesoporous ETL based PSCs exhibit suppressed hysteresis, which is attributed to the synergistic effect of the large interface surface area caused by nano-pin morphology and the improved carrier transportation caused by Nb doping. Such a high-quality compact-mesoporous layer allows the PSC to achieve a remarkable PCE of 19.74%. This work promises an effective approach for creating hysteresis-less and high-efficiency PSCs based on compact-mesoporous structures with lower energy consumption and cost.
Prevalence of dyslipidemia and associated risk factors among adults aged ≥ 35 years in northern China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Xi Yunfeng , Niu Liwei , Cao Ning , Bao Han , Xu Xiaoqian , Zhu Hao , Yan Tao , Zhang Nan , Qiao Liying , Han Ke , Hang Gai , Wang Wenrui , Zhang Xingguang
Published: May 2020

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence has increased continuously over the last 30 years in China. Dyslipidemia is an important modifiable risk factor in CVD. We aimed to collect current data on the prevalence of dyslipidemia in northern China and explore potential influencing factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we selected a representative sample of 65,128 participants aged ≥35 years in Inner Mongolia during 2015–2017. All participants completed a questionnaire and were examined for risk factors. Dyslipidemia was defined according to 2016 Chinese guidelines for adults. The associated factors for dyslipidemia were estimated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The age-standardized prevalence of dyslipidemia was 31.2% overall, with 4.3%, 2.4%, 14.7%, and 17.4% for high total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), respectively. The dyslipidemia prevalence was significantly higher in men than women (37.9% vs. 27.5%, P <0.001), but postmenopausal women had a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia components (except low HDL-C). Compared with Han participants, Mongol participants had a lower prevalence of dyslipidemia (29.1% vs. 31.4%, P <0.001). Male sex, living in urban areas, Han ethnicity, smoking, obesity, central obesity, hypertension, and diabetes were all positively correlated with dyslipidemia; alcohol consumption was linked to lower risk of dyslipidemia. Conclusions: Our study revealed that dyslipidemia is a health problem in northern China. Greater efforts to prevent and manage dyslipidemia, especially in men under age 55 years, postmenopausal women, and people with unhealthy lifestyles or chronic diseases.
Morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients with invasive Group A streptococcus infection: an observational study
Authors: Björck Viveka , Påhlman Lisa I , Bodelsson Mikael , Petersson Ann_Cathrine , Kander Thomas
Published: May 2020

Background Group A streptococci (GAS) are known to cause serious invasive infections but little is known about outcomes when patients with these infections are admitted to intensive care. We wanted to describe critically ill patients with severe sepsis or septic shock due to invasive GAS (iGAS) and compare them with other patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. Methods Adult patients admitted to a general intensive care unit (ICU) in Sweden (2007-2019) were screened for severe sepsis or septic shock according to Sepsis 2 definition. Individuals with iGAS infection were identified. The outcome variables were mortality, days alive and free of vasopressors and invasive mechanical ventilation, maximum acute kidney injury score for creatinine, use of continuous renal replacement therapy and maximum sequential organ failure assessment score during the ICU stay. Age, simplified acute physiology score (SAPS 3) and iGAS were used as independent, explanatory variables in regression analysis. Cox regression was used for survival analyses. Results iGAS was identified in 53 of 1021 (5.2%) patients. Patients with iGAS presented lower median SAPS 3 score (62 [56–72]) vs 71 [61–81]), p < 0.001), had a higher frequency of cardiovascular cause of admission to the ICU (38 [72%] vs 145 [15%], p < 0.001) and had a higher median creatinine score (173 [100–311] vs 133 [86–208] µmol/L, p < 0.019). Of the GAS isolates, 50% were serotyped emm 1/T1 and this group showed signs of more pronounced circulatory and renal failure than patients with non- emm 1/T1, ( p = 0.036 and p = 0.007, respectively). After correction for severity of illness (SAPS 3) and age, iGAS infection was associated with lower mortality risk; 95% confidence interval (CI) of hazard ratio (HR) 0.204–0.746, p < 0.001. Morbidity analyses demonstrated that iGAS patients were more likely to develop renal failure. Conclusion Critically ill patients with iGAS infection had a lower mortality risk but a higher degree of renal failure compared to similarly ill sepsis patients. emm 1/T1 was found to be the most dominant serotype and patients with emm1 /T1 demonstrated more circulatory and renal failure than patients with other serotypes of iGAS.
Transcriptome-based Selection and Validation of Optimal House-keeping Genes for Skin Research in Goats (Capra hircus)
Authors: ZHANG JIPAN , Deng Chengchen , Li Jialu , Zhao Yong-Ju
Published: May 2020

Background: In Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) experiments, accurate and reliable target gene expression data is dependent on optimal amplification of house-keeping genes (HKGs). RNA-seq technology offers a novel approach to detect new HKGs with improved stability. Goat (Capra hircus) is an economically important livestock species and plays an indispensable role in the world animal fiber and meat industry. Unfortunately, uniform and reliable HKGs for use in goat skin research have not been identified. Therefore, this study seeks to identify a set of stable HKGs for the skin tissue of C. hircus using high-throughput sequencing technology.Results: Based on the transcriptome dataset of 39 goat skin tissue samples, 8 genes (SRP68, NCBP3, RRAGA, EIF4H, CTBP2, PTPRA, CNBP, and EEF2) with relatively stable expression levels were identified and selected as new candidate HKGs. Commonly used HKGs including SDHA and YWHAZ from a previous study, and 2 conventional genes (ACTB and GAPDH) were also examined. Four different experimental variables: (1) different development stages, (2) hair follicle cycle stages, (3) breeds and (4) sampling sites, were used for determination and validation. Four algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and ΔCt method) and a comprehensive algorithm (ComprFinder, developed in-house) were used to assess the stability of each HKG. It was shown that NCBP3+SDHA+PTPRA were more stably expressed than previously used genes in all conditions analysed, and that this combination was effective at normalizing target gene expression. Moreover, a new algorithm for comprehensive analysis, ComprFinder, was developed and released.Conclusion: This study presents the first data of candidate HKGs for C. hircus skin tissues based on an RNA-seq dataset. We propose that the NCBP3+SDHA+PTPRA combination be used as a triplet set of HKGs in skin molecular biology experiments in C. hircus and other closely related species to standardize analyses across studies. In addition, we also encourage researchers who perform candidate HKG evaluations and who have the need for comprehensive analysis to adopt our new algorithm, ComprFinder.
Development and Validation of a New Method for Visual Acuity Assessment on Tablet in Pediatric Population: eMOVA Test
Authors: STOLL NOEMIE , SPEEG-SCHATZ Claude , Foggia Elsa Di , Sauer Arnaud
Published: May 2020

Background Amblyopia is a major public health problem. Its screening and management require reliable methods of assessing visual acuity. Many tests are available, some of which are used as a reference and the advent of new technologies sees many others whose validity is not proven. The objective of our study was to develop a tablet-based visual acuity test adapted to the pediatric population: the eMOVA test (electronic Measurement Of Visual Acuity). Methods We did a study comparing the eMOVA test with the Rossano-Weiss test. All children aged 3 to 8 attending the ophthalmic and pediatric consultation between September 2016 and June 2017 were included. The results in terms of visual acuity were compared as well as the duration of each test, its comprehension, its acceptability and the attention of the child during the test. Results The eMOVA test overestimated visual acuity by 0.06 logMAR. This difference, statistically significant, was not clinically relevant. The duration of the eMOVA test was longer than the reference test, but it was less painful and more appreciated by children and their parents. Conclusion The e-MOVA test appears as a reliable method of assessing visual acuity that could be used both in consultation and on a larger scale in the context of screening as well as for the care of the most difficult children.
Prognostic factors in patients with thyroid carcinoma: a competing-risks analysis
Authors: Wang Junhu , Heng Lisong , Yang Jie , Tian Feng , Liang Xiaojun , wang xinwen
Published: May 2020

Background: Cox proportional-hazards models are widely used to describe survival trends and identify prognostic factors for thyroid carcinoma, but the prognostic model is not accurate enough. This study therefore used a competing-risks model to identify the significant prognostic factors for different types of thyroid carcinoma.Methods: We identified 38,444 eligible patients in the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result) database. The potential prognostic factors for thyroid carcinoma were analyzed by Cox regression analysis, cause-specific hazard function (CS) analysis, and subdistribution hazard function (SD).Results: Cox regression analysis, CS analysis and SD analysis found identifying age, being unmarried, no regional lymph nodes examined, AJCC-6 II, III, IV vs I , having follicular, medullary, anaplastic vs Papillary carcinomas, no surgery, no radioiodine, liver metastasis, and lung metastasis as the significant risk factors for thyroid carcinoma, while being female was protective factor. However, the results from the three multivariate models for being black, tumor size >1 cm, and brain metastasis were inconsistent.Conclusion: In addition to finding that age, pathological type, tumor size, AJCC-6 stage, surgery status, radioiodine status, metastasis as common factors affected the prognosis, we also found that women, being unmarried and had their regional lymph nodes examined can improve the prognosis of thyroid cancer. The discovery of these factors will provide evidences for the prevention and treatment of thyroid cancer.
Effects Of Health Education On Spousal Knowledge And Participation In Birth Preparedness In Farafenni Regional Hospital, The Gambia: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Bah Haddy Tunkara , Adeyemo Florence O. , Okonofua Friday E.
Published: May 2020

BackgroundThe Gambia is a male-dominant society in which husbands decide when and where their wives seek care, yet they are not involved in maternal health care services. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design and measure the effects of antenatal health education on spousal participation in birth preparedness in Farafenni and satellite villages.MethodsThe study used a quasi-experimental design, and the participants were 300 spouses of pregnant women attending their antenatal care booking at Farafenni Hospital. A multistage sampling method was used to select the study participants who were then equally distributed to the intervention and comparison groups. Pre-test data were collected from both groups. Thereafter, the intervention group was exposed to two health education sessions on obstetric danger signs and birth preparedness. The post-test data were collected immediately prior to discharge of the participants’ wives after institutional delivery or within two weeks post-delivery for those who did not accompany their wives to the health care institution, or whose wives delivered at home. IBM SPSS version 21 software was used to analyze the data.ResultsThe differences between the demographic characteristics of participants in the intervention and comparison groups were not statistically significant except for highest level of education achieved. After controlling for the demographic variables, the health education administered to the intervention group effectively increased knowledge on birth preparedness among them (F (1, 255) = 376.108, p < .001). Every unit increase in the intervention led to a unit increase in the spouses’ knowledge on birth preparedness (β = 0.789, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the participants in the intervention group had higher mean score (M = 4.4; SD = 0.8) on participation in birth preparedness than those in the comparison group (M = 0.9; SD = 0.8). The spouses in the intervention group were four times more likely to be prepared for the delivery of their wives after being exposed to the health education than those in the comparison group (F (1, 255) = 522.414, p < .001).ConclusionThe study provide evidence that educating men on maternal health care can improve their level of participation in birth preparedness.Name of Registry:Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (www.pactr.org)Registry Number:PACTR202004752273171.Date of Registration:19th April, 2020Retrospectively Registered
Non-active implantable device treating acid reflux with a new dynamic treatment approach: 1-year results
Authors: Bjelović Miloš , Harsányi László , Altorjay Áron , Kincses Zsolt , Forsell Peter
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND RefluxStop™ is an implantable, non-active, single use device to be used in the laparoscopic treatment of GERD. RefluxStop™ aims to block the movement of the LES up into the thorax and keep the angle of His in its original anatomically correct position. This new device restores normal anatomy, leaving the food passageway unaffected. METHODS In prospective, single arm, multicentric clinical investigation analyzing safety and effectiveness of the RefluxStop™ device to treat GERD, 50 subjects with chronic GERD had been included. They were operated using standardized surgical technique between December 2016 and September 2017 and followed up for one year (CE-mark investigation 6-months). Primary safety outcome was the prevalence of serious adverse events related to the device and primary effectiveness outcome reduction of GERD symptoms based on the GERD HRQL score. Secondary outcomes were the prevalence of the adverse events apart from serious, reduction of the total acid exposure time on 24-hour pH monitoring, reduction in average daily PPI dosage and subject satisfaction. RESULTS There were no serious adverse events related to the device. Average GERD-HRQL total score at 1 year improved 86% from baseline (p<0.001). 24-h pH monitoring compared to baseline showed a mean reduction percentage of overall time with pH<4 from 16.35% to 0.80% at the 6-month visit (p<0.001). At 1-year: No new cases of dysphagia were recorded, occurred in 2 subjects, both significantly reduced compared to baseline. Regular daily PPI use before surgery occurred in all 50 subjects. At the 1-year follow-up only 1 subject took regular daily PPIs due to too low placement of the device thereby prohibiting its function. None or minimal occasional episodes of regurgitation occurred in 97.8% of evaluable subjects. Gas bloating disappeared in 30 subjects and improved in 7 subjects. CONCLUSION The new principle of RefluxStop™ is safe and effective to treat GERD according to investigation results. At 1-year follow up visit, both the GERD-HRQL score and 24-h pH monitoring results indicate success for the new treatment principle. In addition, with the dynamic treatment for acid reflux, which avoids compressing the food passageway, prevalence of dysphagia and gas bloating are significantly reduced.
First metatarsophalangeal joint range of motion is associated with lower limb kinematics in individuals with first metatarsophalangeal joint osteoarthritis
Authors: Allan Jamie J , McClelland Jodie A , Munteanu Shannon E , Buldt Andrew K , Landorf Karl B , Roddy Edward , Auhl Maria , Menz Hylton
Published: May 2020

Background Osteoarthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (1st MTP joint OA) is a common and disabling condition that results in pain and limited joint range of motion. There is inconsistent evidence regarding the relationship between clinical measurement of 1st MTP joint maximum dorsiflexion and dynamic function of the joint during level walking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between passive non-weightbearing (NWB) 1st MTP joint maximum dorsiflexion and sagittal plane kinematics in individuals with radiographically confirmed 1st MTP joint OA. Methods Forty-eight individuals with radiographically confirmed 1st MTP joint OA (24 males and 24 females; mean age 57.8 years, standard deviation 10.5) underwent clinical measurement of passive NWB 1st MTP joint maximum dorsiflexion and gait analysis during level walking using a 10-camera infrared Vicon motion analysis system. Sagittal plane kinematics of the 1st MTP, ankle, knee, and hip joints were calculated. Associations between passive NWB 1st MTP joint maximum dorsiflexion and kinematic variables were explored using Pearson’s r correlation coefficients. Results Passive NWB 1st MTP joint maximum dorsiflexion was significantly associated with maximum 1st MTPJ dorsiflexion (r=0.486, p<0.001), ankle joint maximum plantarflexion (r=0.383, p=0.007), and ankle joint excursion (r=0.399, p=0.005) during gait. There were no significant associations between passive NWB 1st MTP joint maximum dorsiflexion and sagittal plane kinematics of the knee or hip joints. Conclusions These findings suggest that clinical measurement of 1st MTP joint maximum dorsiflexion provides useful insights into the dynamic function of the foot and ankle during the propulsive phase of gait in this population.