bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MRI diagnose post-operative anastomotic leak in patients with rectal cancer: preliminary experience
Authors: Yu Liang , Chen Guangliang , Wang Hua , Wang Xiaojie , Chen Zhifen , Huang Ying , Chi Pan
Published: December 2022

Background

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most serious postoperative complications after colorectal anastomosis. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the early detection of AL in patients with clinically suspected AL after rectal anterior resection.

Methods

This was a prospective study including patients who underwent anterior resection and postoperative MRI examination. AL was diagnosed by comprehensive indictors, which were mainly confirmed by clinical signs, symptoms, and retrograde contrast enema (RCE) radiography. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of diagnosing AL with MRI were calculated.

Results

In total, 347 patients received anterior resection for rectal cancer, and 28 patients were suspected to have AL. Finally, 23 patients were included and received MRI examination. The median time interval from surgery to MRI was 10 days (3–21 days). The median distance from anastomosis to anal verge was 4.0 cm (2.0–10 cm), and 11 patients underwent diverted ileostomy. Eighteen patients had an anastomotic leak, including one patient who had a pelvic abscess and five patients who had no evidence of AL in the MRI examination. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 94.4% (95% CI 70.6% to 99.7%) and 80% (95% CI 29.8% to 98.9%), respectively. The PPV was 0.94 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.99) and the NPV was 0.80 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.99). For patients who had anastomosis less than 5 cm, the diagnostic accuracy of MRI was 93.7% (15/16). T2-weighted imaging with fat suppression can effectively reveal the leak track.

Conclusions

The accuracy of plain MRI examination in diagnosing AL was favorable for patients with a suspected AL. T2-weighted imaging with fat suppression was the best imaging modality to diagnose AL. A multicenter prospective study with more samples is needed to further determine the safety and feasibility of MRI in the diagnosis of AL.
Investigation on forced vibration characteristics of Nitinol tracheal stent
Authors: Bao Yu dong , Qu Sheng qian , Wei Wen , Li Xun
Published: December 2022

Background

Tracheal stents can be placed in a narrow position in the human trachea to ensure smooth breathing. And the stent will deform during service by the influence of the physiological environment or random excitations, such as coughing.

Methods

This paper divides the vibration into periodic and random vibrations according to the different pressures. And a coupling vibration model was established by analyzing the contact relationship between the stent and the trachea tissue. And this study discusses the influence of tracheal diameter, respiratory pressure, and frequency on the stent vibration characteristics through Ansys simulation. In addition, the nonlinear equations were solved by the Matlab numerical analysis method, which could help analyze the influence of cough intensity on the stability of the tracheal stent system.

Results

The results showed that when tracheal stenosis occurred in the trachea's more significant grade, the trachea stent was more likely to fall off when treated with a tracheal stent. With the increase in respiratory frequency and pressure, the deformation of the tracheal stent is more considerable. Moreover, the frequency of normal cough hardly affects the stability of the stent system, while the excitation force and damping coefficient value greatly influence the system. When the excitation force of the cough exceeds the critical importance of 20 N, the tracheal stent is prone to fall off. This study comprehensively obtained the forced vibration characteristics of the stent under service conditions, which could make up for the shortage of the vibration theory of the stent.

Conclusion

The results can provide a theoretical basis for predicting the possibility of stent loss in clinical treatment.
Predicting neurological outcome in adult patients with cardiac arrest: systematic review and meta-analysis of prediction model performance
Authors: Amacher Simon A. , Blatter René , Briel Matthias , Appenzeller-Herzog Christian , Bohren Chantal , Becker Christoph , Beck Katharina , Gross Sebastian , Tisljar Kai , Sutter Raoul , Marsch Stephan , Hunziker Sabina
Published: December 2022

This work aims to assess the performance of two post-arrest (out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, OHCA, and cardiac arrest hospital prognosis, CAHP) and one pre-arrest (good outcome following attempted resuscitation, GO-FAR) prediction model for the prognostication of neurological outcome after cardiac arrest in a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic search was conducted in Embase, Medline, and Web of Science Core Collection from November 2006 to December 2021, and by forward citation tracking of key score publications. The search identified 1′021 records, of which 25 studies with a total of 124′168 patients were included in the review. A random-effects meta-analysis of C-statistics and overall calibration (total observed vs. expected [O:E] ratio) was conducted. Discriminatory performance was good for the OHCA (summary C-statistic: 0.83 [95% CI 0.81–0.85], 16 cohorts) and CAHP score (summary C-statistic: 0.84 [95% CI 0.82–0.87], 14 cohorts) and acceptable for the GO-FAR score (summary C-statistic: 0.78 [95% CI 0.72–0.84], five cohorts). Overall calibration was good for the OHCA (total O:E ratio: 0.78 [95% CI 0.67–0.92], nine cohorts) and the CAHP score (total O:E ratio: 0.78 [95% CI 0.72–0.84], nine cohorts) with an overestimation of poor outcome. Overall calibration of the GO-FAR score was poor with an underestimation of good outcome (total O:E ratio: 1.62 [95% CI 1.28–2.04], five cohorts). Two post-arrest scores showed good prognostic accuracy for predicting neurological outcome after cardiac arrest and may support early discussions about goals-of-care and therapeutic planning on the intensive care unit. A pre-arrest score showed acceptable prognostic accuracy and may support code status discussions.

Graphical Abstract
Methylation of the serotonin reuptake transporter gene and non-motor symptoms in dystonia patients
Authors: Timmers Elze R. , Plösch Torsten , Smit Marenka , Hof Ingrid H. , Verkaik-Schakel Rikst Nynke , Tijssen Marina A. J. , de Koning Tom J. , Niezen-Koning Klary E.
Published: December 2022

Background

Dystonia is a rare movement disorder, in which patients suffer from involuntary twisting movements or abnormal posturing. Next to these motor symptoms, patients have a high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity, suggesting a role for serotonin in its pathophysiology. This study investigates the percentage of DNA methylation of the gene encoding for the serotonin reuptake transporter (SLC6A4) in dystonia patients and the associations between methylation levels and presence and severity of psychiatric symptoms.

Methods

Patients with cervical dystonia (n = 49), myoclonus dystonia (n = 41) and dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) (n = 27) and a group of healthy controls (n = 56) were included. Psychiatric comorbidity was evaluated with validated questionnaires. Methylation levels of 20 CpG sites situated 69 to 213 base pairs upstream of the start codon of SLC6A4 were investigated. Methylation in dystonia patients was compared to healthy controls, correcting for age, and correlated with psychiatric comorbidity.

Results

Bootstrapped quantile regression analysis showed that being a dystonia patient compared to a healthy control significantly explains the methylation level at two CpG sites (CpG 24: pseudo-R2 = 0.05, p = 0.04, CpG 32: pseudo-R2 = 0.14, p = 0.03). Subgroup analysis revealed that being a DRD patient significantly explained a part of the variance of methylation levels at two CpG sites (CpG 21: pseudo-R2 = 0.03, p = 0.00, CpG 24: pseudo-R2 = 0.06, p = 0.03). Regression analysis showed that methylation level at CpG 38 significantly explained a small proportion of the variance of severity score for anxiety (R2 = 0.07, p = 0.04) and having a diagnosis of depression (Nagelkerke R2: 0.11, p = 0.00). Genotype of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism had no additional effect on these associations.

Conclusions

This study showed an association between percentage of methylation at several specific sites of the promoter region of SLCA64 and (dopa-responsive) dystonia patients compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, methylation levels were associated with severity of anxiety and presence of a depressive disorder in the dystonia group. This study suggests alterations in the serotonergic metabolism in dystonia patients, and its relation with the non-motor symptoms.
Five-year remission without disease progression in a patient with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma with extramedullary disease treated with LCAR-B38M chimeric antigen receptor T cells in the LEGEND-2 study: a case report
Authors: Wang Bai-Yan , Zhao Wan-Hong , Chen Yin-Xia , Cao Xing-Mei , Yang Yun , Zhang Yi-Lin , Wang Fang-Xia , Zhang Peng-Yu , Lei Bo , Gu Liu-Fang , Wang Jian-Li , Bai Ju , Xu Yan , Wang Xu-Geng , Zhang Rui-Li , Wei Li-Li , Zhuang Qiu-Chuan , Fan Frank , Zhang Wang-Gang , He Ai-Li , Liu Jie
Published: December 2022

Background

Multiple myeloma remains incurable despite treatment advancements over the last 20 years. LCAR-B38M Cells in Treating Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma was a phase 1, first-in-human, investigator-initiated study in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma conducted at four sites in China. The study used LCAR-B38M chimeric antigen receptor-T cells expressing two B-cell maturation antigen-targeting single-domain antibodies designed to confer avidity, and a CD3ζ signaling domain with a 4-1BB costimulatory domain to optimize T-cell activation and proliferation. This chimeric antigen receptor construct is identical to ciltacabtagene autoleucel. In the LEGEND-2 study (n = 57, Xi’an site), overall response rate was 88%; median (95% CI) progression-free survival and overall survival were 19.9 (9.6–31.0) and 36.1 (26.4–not evaluable) months, respectively; and median follow-up was 25 months. This case study reports on a patient with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (λ light chain type) who was treated with LCAR-B38M chimeric antigen receptor T cells in the LEGEND-2 study (Xi’an site); he had received five prior lines of treatment and had extensive extramedullary lesions.

Case presentation

The patient, a 56-year-old Asian male, received cyclophosphamide (500 mg daily × 3 days) as lymphodepletion therapy and a total dose of 0.5 × 106 chimeric antigen receptor + T cells/kg split into three infusions (days 1, 24, and 84 from June to August 2016). He experienced grade 2 cytokine release syndrome after the first infusion; all symptoms resolved with treatment. No cytokine release syndrome occurred following the second and third infusions. His λ light chain levels decreased and normalized 20 days after the first infusion, and extramedullary lesions were healed as of January 2018. He has sustained remission for 5 years and received no other multiple myeloma treatments after LCAR-B38M chimeric antigen receptor T cell infusion. As of 30 October 2020, the patient is still progression-free and has maintained minimal residual disease-negative (10–4) complete response status for 52 months.

Conclusions

This case provides support that treatment with LCAR-B38M chimeric antigen receptor T cells can result in long-term disease remission of 5 or more years without disease progression in a heavily pretreated patient with extensive extramedullary disease and no other treatment options.
Lapatinib and lapatinib plus trastuzumab therapy versus trastuzumab therapy for HER2 positive breast cancer patients: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yuan Ye , Liu Xumei , Cai Yi , Li Wenyuan
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Trastuzumab, as the gold standard for HER2-positive BC treatment, was the first-line HER2 targeted drug. However, some studies reported patients benefited more from lapatinib and lapatinib plus trastuzumab therapy than standard trastuzumab therapy. This study presents an update of a systematic review and meta-analysis involving comparison of lapatinib and lapatinib plus trastuzumab therapy versus trastuzumab therapy.

Aim

We determined whether trastuzumab plus lapatinib or lapatinib therapy is not inferior to trastuzumab therapy in HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

Methods

Relevant trials were searched in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Sinomed, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases from inception until October 25, 2021. Primary outcomes were OS, DFS/EFS, and PFS while secondary outcomes were pCR (ypT0/is ypN0), pCR (ypT0/is ypN0/+), ORR, DCR, rate of BCS, RFS, cardiac toxicities, and other toxicities.

Results

Thirteen randomized controlled trials were included in this study. Trastuzumab combined with lapatinib therapy was found to be superior to standard trastuzumab therapy alone with regard to overall survival, disease-free survival/event-free survival, pathologic complete response (ypT0/is ypN0), pathologic complete response (ypT0/is ypN0/+), recurrence-free survival, higher incidences of diarrhea, and rash/skin toxicity. Lapatinib therapy was established to be inferior to trastuzumab therapy in overall survival, progression-free survival, disease-free survival/event-free survival, pathologic complete response (ypT0/is ypN0) and pathologic complete response (ypT0/is ypN0/+), diarrhea, and rash/skin toxicity and had a low incidence of left ventricular ejection fraction decline.

Conclusions

The efficacy of trastuzumab combined with lapatinib therapy is superior to standard trastuzumab therapy alone; however, it has more non-cardiac grade III/IV toxicities. Moreover, the efficacy of lapatinib therapy is inferior to that of standard trastuzumab therapy alone.
Awareness regarding antimicrobial resistance and confidence to prescribe antibiotics in dentistry: a cross-continental student survey
Authors: Bajalan Aya , Bui Tiina , Salvadori Gabriela , Marques Dalton , Schumacher Alison , Rösing Cassiano Kuchenbecker , Dahle Ulf Reidar , Petersen Fernanda Cristina , Ricomini-Filho Antônio Pedro , Nicolau Belinda Farias , Junges Roger
Published: December 2022

Background

The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis is a major global threat and one of its biggest drivers is the overuse of antibiotics in humans. Dentists are responsible for 5–10% antibiotic prescriptions worldwide and recent data suggest that knowledge and prescribing practices need improvement.

Methods

A cross-sectional web-survey was sent to dental students from six universities in Norway, Canada, and Brazil. Topics addressed covered awareness, confidence to prescribe antibiotics, and education needs. Data were presented descriptively and statistical testing was employed to compare group means when applicable.

Results

In total, 562 responses were collected across the three countries with a response rate of 28.6%. ‘Antibiotic resistance’ was among the highest priorities (scale 1–10) with an average of 8.86 (SEM ± 0.05), together with ‘Gender inequality’ (8.68 ± 0.07) and ‘Climate change’ (8.68 ± 0.07). Only 28.8% thought that Dentistry was engaged in national/international campaigns promoting awareness on the topic and 8.9% stated to have heard about the ‘One Health’ concept. Final year dental students showed an average confidence to prescribe antibiotics of 7.59 (± 0.14). Most students demonstrated interest in receiving additional education on all topics listed, with the three most pressing being ‘antibiotic prescription for treatment of infections’ (82.9%), ‘drug interactions’ (80.9%), and ‘spread of antibiotic resistance’ (79.6%). A trend was observed between higher awareness regarding the topic and higher confidence to prescribe.

Conclusions

There is a need to revisit dental education on antibiotic resistance with a global perspective and to create more stewardship initiatives that promote awareness on the topic.
Perceived social support and college student engagement: moderating effects of a grateful disposition on the satisfaction of basic psychological needs as a mediator
Authors: Xin Zhongyi
Published: December 2022

Background

Previous research has examined the role of support provided by the workplace in promoting employee engagement. This study aimed to extend this research to the academic environment by testing a proposed model of the relationship between perceived social support and student engagement and its underlying mechanisms, with the latter involving the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and a grateful disposition.

Methods

A total of 622 Chinese college students were selected by convenience sampling. I adopted the Perceived Social Support Scale, Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale, Gratitude Questionnaire, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student to collect their responses. The data were analyzed by using a moderated mediation model with SPSS and the Process 4.0 macro.

Results

The results showed that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs played a mediating role in the association between perceived social support and student engagement, while a grateful disposition played a moderating role. The moderating mediation model further revealed that this effect was more robust for students with a higher grateful disposition than for those with a lower level.

Conclusion

Perceived social support can significantly and positively predict student engagement through the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs. Students with a high grateful disposition benefit more than those with a low grateful disposition from using social support, as well as can use the received social support fully in order to meet their psychological needs and promote academic engagement.
A comparison of machine learning methods to predict porosity in carbonate reservoirs from seismic-derived elastic properties
Authors: Zou Caifeng , Zhao Luanxiao , Hong Fei , Wang Yirong , Chen Yuanyuan , Geng Jianhua
Published: December 2022

Porosity prediction from seismic data in carbonate reservoirs is challenging because the common presence of heterogeneities in carbonates makes it difficult to establish a clear physical relationship between reservoir properties and elastic responses. Regarding the strong nonlinearities underlying the relationship, machine learning is considered to be a good alternative to traditional methods. We compare several representative supervised machine learning algorithms (light gradient boosting machine [LightGBM], extreme gradient boosting, categorical boosting, random forest, multilayer perceptron, and convolutional neural network) in terms of predictive accuracy and runtime for crosswell blind tests and seismic prediction in a heterogeneous carbonate reservoir, offshore Brazil. The machine learning models are trained with the porosity and elastic parameters (P-impedance and [Formula: see text] ratio) from the smoothed and standardized logging data. Then, we apply the trained model on the inverted elastic properties to predict the porosity profile from seismic data. In the crosswell blind tests for the studied reservoir, LightGBM clearly stands out from the compared machine learning methods with the highest predictive accuracy and the shortest runtime, showing potential for fast and reliable porosity prediction from seismic data. In addition, we analyze the geologic factors (clay content, oil saturation, and relative depth) that possibly affect the predictive accuracy. We find that, with the constraints from clay content and fluids saturation, the performance of porosity prediction from elastic parameters can be further improved to a certain degree.
A new semianalytical algorithm for rapid simulation of triaxial electromagnetic logging responses in multilayered biaxial anisotropic formations
Authors: Wang Lei , Qiao Ping , Li Zhiqiang , Zhang Pan , Deng Shaogui , Fan Yiren
Published: December 2022

A set of compact and stable formulas are developed for the computation of triaxial electromagnetic (EM) logging responses in multilayered formations with biaxial anisotropy. These formulas are based on a new global amplitude propagator matrix (GAPM) algorithm, which derives the amplitudes of upgoing/downgoing waves at the boundaries rather than the reflection/transmission coefficients of each layer. The kernel of the GAPM algorithm is assembling the local continuity equations into a global linear system, which has addressed the notorious overflow problems commonly encountered by the traditional coefficient propagator matrix approach. To fast and accurately convert the EM fields from the spectral domain into the spatial domain, an efficient twofold inverse Fourier transform (IFT) technique is established for the computation of triaxial EM logging responses. Two main techniques are developed to significantly improve the computation accuracy and speed of IFT. On the one hand, the spectral fields at the first integral quadrant can be used to express the fields at the other three quadrants. Consequently, the original twofold infinite integral is analytically simplified to a semiinfinite one and the computation cost can be reduced by three-fourths. On the other hand, a two-level subtraction scheme is developed to reduce the integral singularity. The first-level subtraction is achieved by separating the primary fields from the total fields. The second-level process includes subtracting the spectral scattered fields of an equivalent transverse isotropic (TI) layered medium, integrating the residual fields, and computing the spatial fields of the TI model. The subtractions on the primary and scattered fields can make the integral convergence increase by more than 10 orders of magnitude in favorable conditions. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the new semianalytical formulas are well suited for any dipping angle and an arbitrary number of layers, as well as for thin and thick formations. The modeling method is efficient and robust, which can provide a fast simulator for the interpretation of triaxial EM logging data.
Least-squares interferometric migration of microseismic source location with a deblurring filter
Authors: Wu Shaojiang , Wang Yibo
Published: December 2022

Microseismic source locations play an important role in monitoring hydraulic fracturing in unconventional oil and gas exploration. Waveform-based source location methods can reliably and automatically image source locations without phase identification. A widely used and representative waveform-based method is interferometric migration (IM), which can eliminate the excitation-time term and image the source location in space by using correlograms of pairwise receivers. IM can avoid the trade-off between the inversions of excitation time and source location, but provides low-resolution source location images with strong migration artifacts. To improve the spatial resolution, we first developed a least-squares interferometric migration (LSIM). LSIM iteratively minimizes the correlogram residuals using the conjugate-gradient (CG) method. It provides a significant improvement in spatial resolution compared with conventional IM but requires a large number of iterations and high computational costs. To overcome this drawback, we develop an efficient least-squares interferometric migration with a deblurring filter (DLSIM) for high-resolution microseismic source locations. We introduce the Hessian matrix into the microseismic source location problem and approximate the inverse Hessian with a relatively inexpensive deblurring filter. The deblurring filter is applied to the updated gradient matrix in the CG algorithm. It could significantly accelerate the convergence rate of the least-squares inversion and meanwhile, provide a high spatial resolution. We use synthetic and real hydraulic fracturing data to demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of DLSIM. Data noise, velocity error, and wavelet error are considered in the synthetic tests to simulate actual situations. The inverted results find that DLSIM achieves high-resolution source location images after 5–10 iterations that are equivalent to those of LSIM after approximately 50 iterations. Therefore, DLSIM can dramatically reduce the computational cost owing to its fewer number of iterations compared with LSIM.
Least-squares reverse time migration with shifted total variation regularization
Authors: Zand Toktam , Ghasemzadeh Hasan , Gholami Ali , Malcolm Alison
Published: December 2022

Reverse time migration (RTM), as a state-of-the-art imaging technique, provides outstanding imaging capabilities due to its use of a full wave equation. Least-squares RTM (LSRTM) seeks the solution of a linearized wave equation via the minimization of a data misfit term; however, the quality of the results decreases when the assumptions of the method are not satisfied. This occurs, for example, when we use an erroneous velocity model or inadequate physics for inverting the data. In such cases, appropriate regularization is required to mitigate these shortcomings and stabilize the LSRTM solution. However, even for structurally simple earth models, the reflectivity images are complicated and may not be explained properly by particular regularization methods such as the Tikhonov, total variation (TV), or sparse regularization. Reflectivity images can be thought of as the difference between two structurally simpler components: a piecewise-constant component (the true squared slowness) and a smooth component (the background model). We have used a combined Tikhonov-TV regularizer to regularize these components separately, leading to an effective regularization for the reflectivity image. Because the background model is known in advance, this combined regularization reduces to a shifted TV regularization for which the associated optimization problem is solved efficiently using a new implementation of the Bregmanized operator splitting algorithm applied to the shifted TV method and the usual TV method. We determine the performance of our method with a set of numerical examples. The results confirm that our shifted regularization increases the robustness of LSRTM and allows us to estimate high-quality reflectivity images and properly update the background velocity model.
Controlled-source electromagnetic modeling using a high-order finite-difference time-domain method on a nonuniform grid
Authors: Yang Pengliang , Mittet Rune
Published: December 2022

Simulation of 3D low-frequency electromagnetic (EM) fields propagating in the earth is computationally expensive. We have developed a fictitious wave-domain high-order finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) modeling method on nonuniform grids to compute frequency-domain 3D controlled-source EM data. The method overcomes the inconsistency issue widely present in the conventional second-order staggered-grid finite-difference scheme over a nonuniform grid, achieving high accuracy with an arbitrarily high-order scheme. The finite-difference coefficients adaptive to the node spacings can be accurately computed by inverting a Vandermonde matrix system using an efficient algorithm. A generic stability condition applicable to nonuniform grids is established, revealing the dependence of the time step and these finite-difference coefficients. A recursion scheme using fixed-point iterations is designed to determine the stretching factor to generate the optimal nonuniform grid. The grid stretching in our method reduces the number of grid points required in the discretization, making it more efficient than the standard high-order FDTD with a densely sampled uniform grid. Instead of stretching in vertical and horizontal directions, better accuracy of our method is observed when the grid is stretched along the depth without horizontal stretching. The efficiency and accuracy of our method are demonstrated by numerical examples.
2D frequency-domain finite-difference acoustic wave modeling using optimized perfectly matched layers
Authors: Lei Wen , Liu Yutao , Li Gang , Zhu Shuang , Chen Guoxin , Li Chunfeng
Published: December 2022

Seismic forward modeling is fundamental in sensitivity analysis and full-waveform inversions. In finite-difference acoustic wavefield simulation, the absorption boundary, especially the perfectly matched layer (PML), is widely used, but the setting of PML parameters is empirical. An optimized complex frequency-shift PML (CFS-PML) for the modeling of acoustic fields has been developed. It refines the selection of parameters for improving the artificial attenuation. The improved CFS-PML boundary condition is applied to a 2D frequency-domain acoustic wave simulation using an optimal 17-point finite-difference scheme. Numerical results are compared with a conventional nine-point scheme in terms of computational time and physical memory consumption. These tests indicate that our CFS-PML absorption boundary can effectively improve numerical accuracy without increasing the computational burden remarkably.
Comparison of sparse Gabor-based methods for detection of microseismic events
Authors: Bui Hanh , van der Baan Mirko , Sacchi Mauricio D.
Published: December 2022

Event detection and selection is a challenging and time-consuming step in microseismic data processing because signals often are embedded in noisy recordings. Automated triggering-based algorithms can detect many potential events in the data. However, their precision rates often are low, thus requiring substantial manual labor to select desired events of interest. This study investigates two time-frequency methods which combine signal enhancement with automated event detection and selection, namely, (1) the sparse Gabor transform and (2) the neighboring block thresholding. Both methods use thresholding in the time-frequency domain to increase signal enhancement, followed by an energy detection criterion, leading to improved event detection with higher precision rates. However, the neighboring block thresholding causes amplitude fidelity issues and we observe changes in the relative and maximum amplitudes of the waveforms reconstructed from the thresholded coefficients. Conversely, the sparse Gabor transform attenuates the noise significantly while preserving the signals. Thus, this time-frequency method is suitable for enhanced event detection and subsequent processing, including magnitude estimation and moment tensor inversion.
Research and application of 5D seismic prediction technology
Authors: Pei Jiaxue , Guo Xiaoyu , Hu Yingjie , Guo Feng , Liu Baohong , Hao Liang , Zhang Ruixue , Zheng Fengzan
Published: December 2022

With the development of wide orientation, wide band, and high-density acquisition and processing technology, the original 3D (time, line number, and track number) seismic data have expanded to two dimensions — the addition of offset distance information and azimuth information, resulting in 5D seismic data. In this paper, we explore three aspects. Identifying microfaults through subazimuth superposition and poststack coherent body techniques; predicting fractures by means of prestack anisotropy, poststack dip, azimuth, coherence, and curvature; and inscribing river channels with pure longitudinal wave near-zero incidence angle reflection information — that is, the exploration of 5D seismic prediction techniques. Field applications in different types of geological bodies in the Lujiabao Depression and Ordos Basin proved that the 5D seismic prediction technology greatly improved the accuracy of reservoir prediction and the degree of implementation of microfaults, effectively guiding the deployment of wells and improving the drilling success rates.
A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Traumatic Alopecia Among B-Boys and B-Girls to Other Dance Styles and Its Impact on Dance Performance and Health
Authors: Hall Marshall , Lim Henry , Kim Suhhyun , Fulda Kimberly G. , Surve Sajid A.
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Breaking, often mislabeled as breakdancing in the media, is a dance style originating from the Bronx of New York in the early 1970s. A unique condition in this population is a form of alopecia known as “headspin hole,” or “breakdancer overuse syndrome” of the scalp. This form of hair loss may show a variety of patterns based on the activities of the dancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between alopecia and breaking, the level of concern dancers have regarding hair loss, barriers to medical treatment, and how it affects their dancing.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using an online survey. The survey addressed participants’ demographics, hair, dancing styles, training, and health history. Questions about the effects of hair loss on the participants were also asked.Results: This study found that there was a significant difference in hair loss among breakers compared to non-breakers. This was not seen after controlling for age and sex. However, the concern for hair loss was significant even after controlling for these variables. Similarly, hair loss was significantly associated with the frequency of headspins. Despite these concerns, breakers were less likely to seek medical attention.Conclusions: This study showed that there are significant disparities in hair loss between breaking and other dance styles. Hair loss due to breaking has been shown to have significant effects on an individual’s concerns, which may be compounded by the fact that this population is less likely to seek out medical care and have significantly greater substance use compared to the other dancers surveyed. Further research is necessary to investigate interventions to prevent and treat hair loss in this population and the means to decrease the gap in health care in the dance population.
Chronic Ankle Instability and Associated Self-Reported Function in South African Professional Ballet Dancers
Authors: Stander Cherezane , van der Merwe Anke , Nel Mariette
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Ankle sprains are the most common acute injury among dancers and may result in the development of chronic ankle instability (CAI). Chronic ankle instability is characterized by recurrent ankle sprains, incidents of the ankle “giving way,” and sensations of instability and has been reported to negatively impact functioning and psychosocial status. The large number of ankle sprains in addition to contextual factors relating to professional dancing, suggests that CAI may be a significant problem in professional ballet dancers. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of CAI and describe the ankle injury history and level of self-reported function in South African ballet dancers. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included all professional ballet dancers employed by three professional South African ballet companies (n = 65). The Identification of Functional Ankle Instability Questionnaire (IdFAI), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), Dance Functional Outcome Survey (DFOS), and a researcher-developed injury history questionnaire were completed by consenting participants. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: A CAI prevalence of 73.3% CI [55.6%, 85.8%] was calculated among 30 participants. Twenty-five (83.3%) participants reported sustaining at least one significant ankle sprain with 88% (n = 22) indicating dance related activities as the cause. Dancers with CAI demonstrated a tendency to have less control over their ankles giving way and tended to take longer to recover from their ankles giving way than those dancers not affected. Eight participants (36.4%) with CAI were identified as having a significant level of disability on the FAAM activities of daily living (ADL) subscale and six participants (27.3%) on the sport subscale. Participants with CAI had a median total score of 83.5; IQR [80 - 90] on the DFOS.Conclusion: The self-reported function of South African professional ballet dancers is not severely affected, however, the high prevalence of CAI and reported symptoms is concerning. Education on CAI symptoms, prevention, and evidence-based management is recommended.
A Systematic Review of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Tests Used in Dance
Authors: Tiemens Annemiek , van Rijn Rogier M. , Koes Bart W. , Stubbe Janine H.
Published: December 2022

Dancers need adequate cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels in order to cope with the demands of dance classes and choreographies. Screening and monitoring of CRF is advised. The aim of this systematic review was to provide an overview of tests used to assess CRF in dancers and to examine the measurement properties of these tests. A literature search was performed in three online databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and SPORTDiscus) up until August 16, 2021. Study inclusion criteria were: 1. a CRF test was used; 2. participants were ballet, contemporary or modern, or jazz dancers; and 3. English full-text peer-reviewed article. General study information, participant information, CRF test used, and study outcome were extracted. If available, measurement property data were extracted (i.e., test reliability, validity, responsiveness, and interpretability). Of the 48 articles included in the review, most used a maximal treadmill test (n = 22) or the multistage Dance Specific Aerobic Fitness test (DAFT; n = 11). Out of the 48 included studies, only six examined the measurement properties of CRF tests: Aerobic Power Index (API), Ballet-specific Aerobic Fitness Test (B-DAFT), DAFT, High-Intensity Dance Performance Fitness Test (HIDT), Seifert Assessment of Functional Capactiy for Dancers (SAFD), and the 3-minute step test. Good test-retest reliability was found for the B-DAFT, DAFT, HIDT, and SAFD. Criterion validity was determined for the VO2peak of the API, the 3-MST, HIDT, and SAFD. For HRpeak, criterion validity was studied for the 3-MST, HIDT, and SAFD. While different CRF tests are being used in descriptive and experimental research within dance populations, the body of research supporting the measurement properties of such tests is very small. As many studies have methodological flaws (e.g., small participant numbers or no statistical analysis for validity or reliability), additional good quality research is required to re-examine and complement current measurement property results of the API, B-DAFT, DAFT, HIDT, SAFD, and 3-MST.
Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence and Other Pelvic Floor-Related Symptoms in Female Professional Dancers
Authors: Winder Brooke , Lindegren Kari , Blackmon Amanda
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common issue in female athletes and is known to negatively impact quality of life and sport performance. However, the prevalence of UI in dancers has not been widely investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of UI as well as other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in female professional dancers. Methods: An anonymous online survey that included the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) was developed and distributed via e-mail and social media. Two hundred and eight female professional dancers between the ages of 18 and 41 years (mean: 25.4 ± 5.2 years) who had a typical dance training and performance schedule of 25 hours or more per week completed the survey. Results: A total of 34.6% of participants reported experiencing UI, with 31.9% of the dancers who reported UI reporting symptoms consistent with urge UI, 52.8% reporting UI with coughing or sneezing, and 54.2% reporting UI with physical activity or exercise. For those reporting UI, the mean ICIQ-UI SF score was 5.4 ± 2.5 points and the mean score for impact on everyday life was 2.9 ± 1.9. A report of pain with sexual activity and intercourse was significantly associated with presence of UI (p = 0.024), but the effect size was not notable (phi = 0.159).Conclusion: The prevalence of UI in female professional dancers is similar to that found in other high-level female athletes. Based on the notable prevalence of UI, health care professionals working with professional dancers should consider regularly screening for UI and other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.
SGLT-2 inhibitors: new effective drugs for treatment of heart failure
Authors: Król Olgierd , Gładysz Konrad , Szydłowska Justyna , Żuchnik Olga , Kwiatkowski Piotr , Czelej Magdalena , Kłos Aleksander , Gieroba Krzysztof , Szydłowski Marcin , Zuchniak Paweł
Published: December 2022

Introduction: SGLT-2 inhibitors having selectivity to sodium glucose cotransporter 2 were introduced on the market in 2012 as drugs for the pharmacotherapy of type 2 diabetes.Aim of the work: To summarize the current state of knowledge about the drugs: SGLT-2 inhibitors and their mechanism of action and application in cardiology.Materials and Methods: A review of the literature available in PubMed and Google Scholar database was conducted.Results: In addition to glucosuria, the diuretic effect is caused by natriuresis. A study was conducted, after which it was deduced that the natriuretic effect of empagliflozin did not depend on the degree of renal dysfunction, and was exacerbated under the influence of loop diuretics.SGLT-2 inhibitors reduce cardiac preload. Flozins also lead to a reduction in afterload.The DAPA-HF study of 4744 patients with HF, taking 10 mg of dapagliflozin or placebo. The primary outcome of the study, was data in the form of death from cardiovascular causes or exacerbation of heart failure. These accounted for 16.3% in the flozin group compared to 21.2% in the control group. Adverse events were rare. Dapagliflozin was effective in 55% of subjects, in both patients and non-diabetics with type 2 diabetes.EMPEROR-REDUCED studied the effect of taking 10 mg of emagliflozin or placebo in 3730 patients. Flozin reduced the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalizations. Fewer deaths from any cause were also observed.Summary: Both studies highlighted significant benefits of SGLT-2 inhibitors- they reduced the risk of death from any cause and from cardiovascular causes. The therapeutic benefits, regardless of the degree of renal dysfunction, the synergy with other drugs in heart failure, and the low number of serious side effects, led to the inclusion of flozins in the latest ESC 2021 guidelines for therapy in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, regardless of the presence of diabetes.
EVRENSELCİ DİKOTOMİ BAĞLAMINDA ARI HAAN DESTANI
Authors: ÖZPINAR Berna , KOÇAK Aynur
Published: December 2022

Türkler kendine özgü bir hikmet oluşturabilmiş milletlerdendir. Hikmet ise kolektif tefekkürün en yüce eseridir. Hikmetin bir açıdan dünya görüşü olması onu bir yönüyle kozmogoni ile ilişkilendirmektedir.

Türk düşüncesi dünyayı bir bütün olarak algılamakta, evreni oluşturan tüm varlıkları bütünün parçaları olarak saymaktadır. Bununla birlikte Türk düşüncesinde Dünya, Yer ve Göğün birleşiminden oluşur. İkisi zıt karakterde olsalar da birbirine uyum sağlayarak birlik oluştururlar. İkisi birbirine denktir, biri diğerinden üstün değildir. Yer ve Göğün oluşturduğu bu sistem evrenselci dikotomi, evrensel iki ilke, iki ilkeli sistem gibi adlarla anılır.

Türk düşüncesinin en temel anlayışı olan evrenselci dikotomi, zıtlıklar içinde uyumu ve birliği oluşturacak şekilde Türk yaşamının her alanında etkisini gösterir. Anlatılar da buna dahildir. Türk mitolojik anlatılarının olay örgüsü içinde yer alan semboller, görünürdeki konunun derinlerinde evrensel iki ilkeyi barındırmaktadır. İki ilkenin varlığı ancak semboller çözümlendiğinde ortaya çıkmaktadır ve anlatıların temeli bu sisteme oturmaktadır. Bu çalışmada Tuva Türklerine ait, arkaik özellikleri barındıran Arı Haan Destanı’ndaki sembollerin çözümlenmesi yapılarak ve destan evrenselci dikotomi bağlamında incelenecektir.
SOFTWARE PROCESS ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION: APPLICATION OF THE ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS FOR PRIORITY DETERMINATION
Authors: Packeer Mohamed Shafinah Farvin , Baharom Fauziah , Deraman Aziz , Tarawneh Omar , Yusof Yuhanis
Published: December 2022

Software certification involves assessing and certifying the quality of the software process based on multiple evaluation criteria where each criterion has different importance values on the quality of the software. However, the different importance values of the evaluation criteria have not been addressed in the existing software process certification models. A systematic technique is needed to ensure that the certification results are consistent, accurate and not made arbitrarily. To address this issue, the Extended Software Process Certification (ESPAC) model was introduced by adopting the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique to determine the priorities of the evaluation criteria. There were three main phases in this study: (a) theoretical study, (b) expert review and (c) focus group discussion. Ultimately, a mutual agreement was achieved about the evaluation criteria and the AHP was shown to be a suitable technique to be employed in software process assessment and certification. Furthermore, the acquired priorities were used as the ideal priorities for the ESPAC model, which can be used by assessors during the assessment and certification process. The outcome of this study benefits researchers in the AHP and software process assessment fields.
Comparison of Quality and Microstructure of Strawberry Powders Prepared by Two Different Drying Methods: Low Temperature Drying with Convection Dryer and Vacuum Freeze Drying
Authors: Castro Issasi Cinthya Soreli , Nishizono Masayo , Nishizono Masayo , Mizukami Hiroyuki , Sasaki Mitsuru , Sasaki Mitsuru
Published: December 2022

Convection dryers are the most affordable and most commonly used dryers for processing of agricultural products. However, since the temperature is high or the drying time is long, materials such as fruits and vegetables may turn brown and the nutrients deteriorate, therefore this method is not suitable for the production of dry powders for fruits and vegetables, which are expected to have bright colors and nutritional functions. Low temperature drying (LTD) has made it possible to produce strawberry dry powder with the equivalent functional components as powder by vacuum freeze drying (FD). In addition, the processing time is shorter and the cost is lower than vacuum FD.

In this study, we demonstrate the superiority of LTD by comparing the quality and microstructure of strawberry powders produced by LTD and vacuum FD.