bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low Cost Bubble CPAP Machine with Pressure Monitoring and Controlling System
Authors: Feleke Etagegnehu Dagnachew , Gebremaryam Eyerusalem Gebremeskel , Regassa Feven Tadele , Kuma Hawi Rorissa , Sabir Hayat Solomon , Abagaro Ahmed Mohammed , Dese Kokeb
Published: July 2021

Background

Africa contributed to one-third of the world’s neonatal mortality burden. In the Sub-Saharan region, preterm birth complications are the leading, in which a neonate is a higher risk of developing respiratory distress syndrome that will require extra oxygen and help with breathing. When compared to other respiratory supportive methods for treating infants in respiratory distress, bubble continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) is a safe, and effective system that is appealing to many resource-limited neonatal units in low and middle income countries. However, despite of its benefit, the accumulation of condensate in the patient's circuit's exhalation limb during a bubble CPAP can significantly increase pressure delivered to the serious physical consequences that can potentially lead to respiratory failure. Currently, existing technology in developing nations is expensive, and they will not control the accumulation of condensate in the exhalation limb. This quietly increases the mortality rate of neonates. Therefore, the objective of this project was to design, and develop a bubble CPAP device that able to monitor and control pressure delivered to the infant.
Methods

In this project, a low-cost bubble CPAP machine with a pressure monitoring and controlling system has been developed. When the neonate expires, the pressure sensor inserted into the expiratory tube reads the instant positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) and sends it to the microcontroller. The microcontroller decides whether to turn the relay (controls the electric power to the 2 - solenoid valve) to switch the way of expiration between the two expiratory tubes connected to the valves of two outlets. This depends on the pressure reading and the cutoff pressure value manually inserted by the physician.
Results

The prototype was built and subjected to various tests and iterations to determine the device's effectiveness. The developed prototype was tested for accuracy, safety, cost, ease of use, and durability. The prototype was accurate in 10 iterations that had been made to monitor and control the pressure. It was safe and provided accurate pressure for the neonate, and it was built for less than 193 USD.
Conclusion

The proposed design allows physicians, especially those in low resource settings, to easily monitor and control the accumulation of condensate in the exhalation limb of the CPAP machine accurately and safely. This helps to reduce the neonate mortality rate that may occur due to respiratory distress syndrome.
Path Integral based Non-equilibrium Quantum Field Theory of Non-relativistic Pairs inside an Environment
Authors: Binder Tobias
Published: July 2021

We derive differential equations from path integral based non-equilibrium quantum field theory, that cover the dynamics and spectrum of non-relativistic two-body fields for any environment. For concreteness of the two-body fields, we choose the full potential non-relativistic Quantum Electrodynamics Lagrangian in this work. After closing the correlation function hierarchy of these differential equations and performing consistency checks with previous literature under certain limits, we demonstrate the range of physics applications. This includes Cosmology such as Dark Matter in the primordial plasma, Quarkonia Physics inside a quark-gluon plasma, and Condensed and strongly Correlated Matter Physics such as Bose-Einstein condensation or Superconductivity. Since we always had to take limits or approximations of our equations in order to recover those known cases, our equations could contain new phenomena. In particular they are based on non-equilibrium Green's function that can deal with non-hermite potentials as well as dynamical formation of different extreme phases. We propose a scheme for other Lagrangian based theories or higher N-body states such as molecules to derive analogous equations.
The Characteristics of Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women with Vaginitis and the Correlation with Vaginitis
Authors: Zhang Feng , Zhu Hui , Zhao Yongxin , Wang Yanyan , Pan Wenjie , Zhang Tiehan , Yang Xiuzhen
Published: July 2021

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main cause of cervical cancer in women and vaginitis may affect HPV infection. In order to determine the characteristics as well as the relationship between HPV Infection and vaginitis, we retrospectively collected and analyzed the data from our hospital.Methods: We retrospectively collected the data of 1330 women who underwent twenty-three HPV DNA quantitative measurement and vaginal microecology examination at the same visit from May 2019 to April 2020 in our hospital.Results: The vaginal discharge infection rate was 37.67% in all cases. The total HPV infection rate in women with vaginitis was 39.60% and HPV58, 52, and 16 had the higher prevalence among 23 HPV types, with infection rates of 10.34%, 6.32% and 6.11% respectively. Single-type infection (77.26%) was more common than multiple-type infection (32%).There appeared the same trend in HPV positive cases and vaginitis, reaching the peak in women aged 31–40 years. Among four types of vaginitis, the HPV infection rates were 45.83%, 40.54%, 37.04% and 30.43% in patients with trichomonas vaginitis(TV) , vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC), intermediate bacterial vaginitis(IBV)and bacterial vaginitis(BV),respectively. Only26.17% women were infected with HPV in patients with normal vaginal micrabiota. Significant differences were found in HPV infection rate between normal vaginal micrabiota group and different vaginitis (P<0.05). There was a correlation between HPV infection and vaginitis(χ2=31.966,P<0.05；r=0.114, P<0.05).Furthermore, patients with BV showed a higher correlation with HPV infection when compared with other groups (r=0.537, P<0.05).Conclusions: This retrospective study demonstrated that HPV58, 52, and 16 are the most common infection subtypes. Our data provide valuable information for HPV-based screening and prevention strategies for women in vaginitis. The single HPV infection was still very common. There was a correlation between HPV infection and vaginitis and patients with BV showed a higher correlation with HPV infection.
An Integrated Approach for Displacement Prediction of Landslides Based on the Data Mining and VMD-FOA-BPNN Model
Authors: Miao Fasheng , Xie Xiaoxu , Wu Yiping , Li Linwei , Zhan Weiwei
Published: July 2021

Landslide prediction is important for mitigating geohazards but is very challenging. The fluctuation of reservoir water level and rainfall are the main external triggering factors controlling the deformation of riverine landslides. In this paper, the Baishuihe landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, which has a typical “step-like” behavior, is taken as the study case, and an integrated approach for landslide displacement prediction combining data mining and Variational Mode Decomposition, Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm, Back Propagation Neural Network (VMD-FOA-BPNN) is proposed. Nine triggering factors including the reservoir level and rainfall are extracted. First, triggering factors and monthly velocity of the landslide are clustered into several categories by Two-step Clustering (TSC). Then, Apriori algorithm is used to mine the association rules between triggering factors and monthly velocity, and comprehensive contribution of each factor is calculated based on the data mining results. Next, the displacement of monitoring point ZG93 and triggering factors are decomposed by VMD based on the time series analysis of the landslide. Last, the trend term displacement is trained and predicted by the subsection functions, and FOA-BPNN models are used to train and predict the periodic and random term. The prediction results show that, compared with the current popular prediction models, the proposed model can effectively improve the prediction accuracy, which has high practicability and application value in the study of landslide displacement prediction.
Valuation of Variable Long-term Care Annuities with Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal and Limited Hospitalization Coverage Benefits and Two Investment Funds
Authors: Moosavi Sara , Payandeh Amir T
Published: July 2021

Population aging on the one hand and increasing of expenditures for medical services via technology development on the other hand have created some problems for the insurance industry and have converted it into one of the most risky areas. Thus, it is obvious that designing the innovative product is one of the most basic needs in the field of health insurance. This study proposes a new variable annuity product that includes the benefits of guaranteed lifelong withdrawal benefit option, long-term care coverage and limited hospitalization coverage. This innovative product has been evaluated under two investment funds. A Monte Carlo algorithm has been employed to calculate the fair value of the product and numerical study has been conducted to illustrate the capability of this product. The innovative product may provide a more comprehensive solution for the aging problem of the population that is challenging in the current societies.
Demonstration of Tunable Fano Resonances In A Meta-Material Absorber Composed of Asymmetric Double Bars With Bent Arms
Authors: Mashkour Aliakbar , Koochaki Amangaldi , Ziabari Ali Abdolahzadeh , Naeimi Azadeh Sadat
Published: July 2021

In this paper a Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) plasmonic absorber consisting of asymmetric double bars with bent arms located on top of a silica layer coated on a metal film is proposed, and its resonant features are analyzed. The suggested structure supports both Fano and dipole perfect absorption resonances at the Near-Infrared Region (NIR). The asymmetry introduced into the structure can be induced by changing the bending angle or rotation angle of one of the antennas while the other one remains fixed. Simulation results demonstrate that by applying both asymmetry factors to the structure, one can have two individual Fano peaks at the same time. It is shown that the magnitude, central wavelength and line-width of the Fano peaks are adjustable by controlling the geometrical parameters of the structure. It is also indicated that, the quality factor (Q-factor) of the Fano resonance is inversely related to the degree of asymmetry introduced into the structure. According to the simulations, an ultra-narrow resonance peak with a bandwidth of 1.87 nm at the wavelength of 710 nm (corresponding to a Q-factor of 387) can be obtained by controlling the geometrical parameters. It is also discussed that, the absorptivity of Fano and the dipole peaks can be adjusted inversely, by manipulating the grapheme chemical potential. The ratio of the absorptivity to the chemical potential of graphene about-275 %/eV and 226 %/eV is calculated for the Fano peak and dipole peak, respectively. Accordingly, the presented structure is an adjustable NIR absorber with a fully tunable absorption spectrum which can be utilized in various applications from tunable reflectors and photo-detectors to ultra-narrowband and broadband optical modulators.
Identifying Domestic Violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA) presentations and referral pathways at John Hunter Hospital Emergency Department: comparative analysis of DV and SA cases
Authors: Ghafournia Nafiseh
Published: July 2021

Background: There are a number of negative and often long-term mental and physical health consequences of Domestic violence (DV) and Sexual assault (SA). Women experiencing DV and SA visit their health care professional more frequently than women not experiencing these abuses. Health care professionals in any health care settings can play crucial roles in identifying, managing and preventing DV and SA. In particular, those who work in emergency departments (EDs) are in a unique position to identify patients and initiate early interventions as they are often the first point of contact to access help. Methods: This is a retrospective observational cross-sectional study. Data was extracted from the site ED electronic information system (ipm) for all eligible females (alleged assault) who presented within the study period. Statistical analyses were programmed using SAS v9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, USA). All data were checked for completeness and discrepancies before analysis. Descriptive statistics are reported for all relevant variables. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test was used to determine the adequacy of fit between the final model and the data. Results: Study findings indicate the high level of mental health issues among women presenting with both DV and SA. More than half of the victims had recurrent presentations to ED. The majority of victims were referred to the related support services within hospital or external services. Most of injuries in the sample were sever physical injuries. Conclusions: As the first point of contact, ED health professionals have a crucial role to identify and respond to SA and DV cases. If identified early, the recurrent admissions can be prevented and any early intervention can have a positive benefit for the longer-term health of the DV and SA victims. It can also save health care system spending. The development of a DV/SA flowchart for identification of these cases in ED as well as a clear referral pathway and ideally mandatory DV routine screening at EDs in all hospitals would be some practical strategies for achieving early intervention. Keywords: Domestic Violence, Sexual assault, Emergency Department, Domestic Violence screening, recurrent presentations
Hybrid Necrosis of Wheat: Systematic Genetic Analysis, Fine Mapping, Distribution and Evolution in China
Authors: Zhang Min , Lv Shikai , Wang Yanzhen , Wang Siwen , Chen Chunhuan , Wang Changyou , Wang Yajuan , Zhang Hong , Ji Wanquan
Published: July 2021

Hybrid necrosis of wheat is caused by two incompatible natural alleles Ne1 and Ne2 residing in normal phenotype parents. It was regarded as a barrier of gene flow between crop species. However, the necrosis alleles were still frequent in modern wheat varieties. Here, we constructed two high-density genetic maps of Ne1 and Ne2 in winter wheat. Of which, Ne1 locus was located in a span interval of 0.50 centimorgan (cM) on chromosome 5BL delimited by markers Nwu_5B_4137 and Nwu_5B_5114, while Ne2 co-segregated with markers Lseq102 and TC67744 on 2BS. Genetic allelic tests confirmed that the Ne1 allele in N9134 is different from that in Spcia and TA4152-60, while Ne2 allele in Zhoumai 22 (ZH22), Manitou, WL711 and Pan555 are also varied. The statistics substantiated that the dosage effect of Ne alleles also existed in moderate and severe hybrid-necrosis system, and the necrotic symptom may also be affected by genetic background. Furthermore, we clarified the discrete distribution and proportion of the Ne1 and Ne2 in China's major wheat regions, and concluded that introduced modern cultivars directly affect the frequencies of necrosis genes in modern Chinese cultivars (lines), especially that of Ne2. Taking investigation in spring wheat together, we proposed that hybrid necrotic alleles could positively affect breeding owing to their linked excellent genes. Additionally, based on the pedigree, we speculated the Ne1 and Ne2 in winter wheat may directly originate from wild emmer and rye, respectively. Overall, this study makes an important step toward better understanding hybrid necrosis in wheat.
Biological Pretreatment of Corn Stover for Enhancing Enzymatic Hydrolysis Using Thermoalkalotolerant Cellulolytic Enzymes Produced by Bacillus sp. P3
Authors: Wu Yanwen , Guo Haipeng , Rahman Md. Shafiqur , Chen Xuantong , Zhang Jinchi , Liu Yun , Qin Wensheng
Published: July 2021

The biological pretreatment for the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomasses largely depends on an effective pretreatment process. A significant enhancement of enzymatic saccharification was obtained with corn stover using Bacillus sp. P3. The hemicellulose removal from corn stover by the strain Bacillus sp. P3 was evaluated for enhancing subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. Therefore, our study revealed that an alkaline resistant xylanase produced by Bacillus sp. P3 in fermentation broth led to a substantially enhanced hemicellulose removal rate from corn stover within pH 9.36–9.68. However, after 20 d pretreatment of corn stover by the strain P3, the glucan content was increased by 51% and the xylan content was decreased by 35%. After 72 h of saccharification using 20 U g− 1 of commercial cellulase, the yield of reducing sugar released from 20 d pretreated corn stover was increased by 56% in comparison to the untreated corn stover. Therefore, the use of the strain P3 could be a promising approach to pretreat corn stover for enhancing the enzymatic hydrolysis process of industrial bioenergy productions.
Integrative and Comparative Genomic Analysis and the Immune Microenvironment Features of Lung Cancer Patients with Tuberculosis
Authors: Xu Xiaoling , Bao Chaohui , Chen Da , Wang Tianxiang , Wang Changchun , Mao Weimin , Hu Xiao , Yang Yang , Fan Yun
Published: July 2021

Background: Limited information was known because of the low incidence of co-existence with lung cancer and tuberculosis (TB), it remains special challenging populations for clinical management of cancer immunotherapy. Thus, to investigate the difference on tumour immune microenvironment and genomics between patients with LC alone and LC patients with TB is urgently needed. Methods:Tumour specimens were collected from 87 patients who had LC, with or without TB, at two medical centres. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate PD-L1 expression and CD3+/CD4+/CD8+ T-cell infiltration. Whole-exome sequencing was performed using samples from 19 patients with LC&TB and 21 patients with LC. Results:Relative to patients with LC alone, patients with LC&TB had lower PD-L1 expression and CD4+/CD8+ T-cell infiltration (all P< 0.001). A tumour microenvironment with no PD-L1 expression and CD8- T-cell infiltration was most common in the LC&TB patients. Genomic alterations analysis revealed an increased mutation frequency among patients with LC and active TB, obsolete/cured TB, or no TB in terms of the TP53 (23.08% vs. 66.67% vs. 76.19%, P = 0.01), while a decreased trend of the number of single-nucleotide variants/insertions/deletions (P< 0.001), tumour mutation burden (P< 0.001), and number of neoantigens (P< 0.001). Patients with LC&TB had a higher frequency of a specific mutation signature (32.99% vs. 11.23%), as well as potential driver mutations involving the complement C1qB chain (C1QB) mutations. Conclusion: The present study revealed significant differences in the tumour microenvironment and genomic alterations between patients with LC&TB and patients with LC alone.
Clinical and Genetic Determinants of Heart Failure: Optimized by Machine Learning and Mendelian Randomization
Authors: zhen liao li , chong chen zhi , dong li wei , xue liao xin , dong zhuang xiao
Published: July 2021

Background: Identifying unrecognized, potentially modifiable risk factors is essential for heart failure (HF) management.Methods: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study was used for machine learning (ML) to establish the top 20 important variables as potential risk factors for HF. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed in an explorative manner to find independent factors for HF and Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to address causality.Results: Of the 14,842 participants included in the ARIC analysis, 20.4% of participants (3,028) were identified as HF. The 20 variables with the highest importance selected by ML were creatinine, glucose, age, previous coronary artery disease (CAD), systolic blood pressure, fibrinogen, albumin, income, diabetes, magnesium, insulin, white blood cell, hemoglobin, sodium, education, phosphorus, diastolic blood pressure, protein-c, heart rate and body mass index (BMI). Cox regression analysis demonstrated 19 independently associated variables except sodium. MR analysis provided evidence supporting that genetically determined BMI, CAD, diabetes and education was causally associated with HF.Conclusions: The ML plus MR framework was useful in identifying important causal factors of HF. BMI, CAD, diabetes, and education not only served as excellent prognostic factors for HF, but therapeutics targeted at these factors were likely to prevent HF effectively.
Effects of Postnatal Hydrocortisone Treatment on Cytokine Profile in Preterm Infants at Risk of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Authors: Tamura Kentaro , Nagaoka Mitsuhide , Inomata Satomi , Kawasaki Yukako , Makimoto Masami , Yoshida Taketoshi
Published: July 2021

Systemic hydrocortisone administration has been widely used in preterm infants who are at a risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However, the effects of hydrocortisone on cytokine profiles have not been examined. We aimed to investigate the effects of postnatal hydrocortisone treatment on serum cytokine levels in extremely preterm infants at risk for BPD. In 29 extremely preterm infants (born at less than 28 weeks of gestational age), we obtained serum from blood samples collected during an early phase (5–20 days) and a late phase (28‒60 days) after birth. We measured the levels of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factors α and β, interleukin [IL]-1β, and IL-6), T-helper (Th) 1 cytokines (interferon-γ, IL-2, and IL-12p70), Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10), Th17 cytokine IL-17A, and chemokine IL-8. We found that serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels were significantly higher during the early phase than during the late phase (both P = 0.03). Other cytokines concentrations did not change between the phases. Thirteen infants (45%) received systemic hydrocortisone treatment at a median age of 15 days (IQR 10.0–21.5) after birth due to respiratory deterioration, after which the serum IL-6 levels significantly decreased (P = 0.04). Median duration of treatment was 16.0 (IQR 8.0–34.5) days. Conclusion: Extremely preterm infants show high serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels in the early phase of life. Moreover, postnatal systemic hydrocortisone treatment might suppress IL-6 overproduction.
Client Satisfaction with Quality of Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV Services in The Oti Region Of Ghana: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Sam Michael , Manu Emmanuel , Anaman-Torgbor Judith , Tarkang Elvis Enowbeyang
Published: July 2021

Background: Client satisfaction with the quality of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) services is essential if continual utilisation of the services, leading to reduction in MTCT is to be achieved, especially in rural settings of Africa, including Ghana.Methods: A facility-based descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted, using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire to collect data from a systematic random sample of 567 pregnant women and postnatal mothers receiving PMTCT services from 44 health facilities. Data were analysed using STATA version 14.0 software. Simple frequency and percentages were used to present data on categorical variables. Chi- square was used to determine association between categorical and outcome variables and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the strength of the associations between categorical and outcome variables at a p- value <0.05 and a 95% confidence interval.Results: The overall satisfaction with PMTCT services among respondents was low (42.7%). After adjusting the multivariable logistic regression model for confounders, respondents who resided in urban areas [AOR=2.21(95% CI: 1.37-3.55); p<0.001] and those who experienced no language barrier [AOR=2.86(95% CI: 1.88-4.36); p<0.001] were more likely to be satisfied with PMTCT services respectively. Respondents who received services at health centers [AOR=0.33(95% CI: 0.18-0.60); p<0.001] and hospitals [AOR=0.41(95% CI: 0.23-0.72); p=0.002] and women who spend more than an hour in receiving PMTCT [AOR=0.41(95% CI: 0.21-0.75); p=0.004] and those who said they would not recommend the PMTCT services to others [AOR=0.25(95% CI: 0.22-0.90); p=0.019] were respectively less likely to be satisfied with PMTCT services.Conclusion: Improvement of PMTCT services in the Oti region should take into consideration the quality of services rendered in hospitals and health centres while striving to reduce the waiting time across all facilities to make clients recommend PMTCT services to others.
Comparison of Lumbopelvic Fixation and Iliosacral Screw Fixation for the Treatment of Bilateral Sacral Fractures
Authors: Wenning Katharina E. , Yilmaz Emre , Schildhauer Thomas A. , Hoffmann Martin F.
Published: July 2021

Background: Bilateral sacral fractures result in traumatic disruption of the posterior pelvic ring. Treatment for unstable posterior pelvic ring fractures should aim for fracture reduction and rigid fixation to facilitate early mobilization. Iliosacral screw fixation (ISF) and lumbopelvic fixation (LPF) were recommended for the treatment of these injuries. No algorithm or gold standard exists for surgery of these fractures. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences between ISF and LPF in bilateral sacral fractures regarding intraoperative procedures, complications, and postoperative mobilization. The secondary aim was to determine if demographics influence surgical treatment.Methods: Over a 4-year period (2016-2019) 188 consecutive patients with pelvic ring injuries were treated at one academic level-1 trauma center and retrospectively identified. Fractures were classified according to the AO/OTA classification system. 77 patients were treated with LPF or ISF in combination with internal fixation of pubic rami fractures and could be included in this study. Comparisons were made between demographic and perioperative data. Infection, hematoma, and hardware malpositioning were used as complication variables. Mobilization with unrestricted weight-bearing was used as outcome variable. Follow-up was at least 6 months postoperatively.Results: Operative stabilization of bilateral posterior pelvic ring injuries was performed in 77 patients. Thereof, 29 patients (females 59%) underwent LPF whereas 48 patients (females 83%) had bilateral ISF. The ISF group was older (76 yrs.) compared to the LPF group (62 yrs.) (p=0.001), but no differences regarding BMI or comorbidities were detected. Time for surgery was reduced for patients who were treated with ISF compared to lumbopelvic fixation (165 min vs. 73 min; respectively, p<0.001). But this did not result in reduced fluoroscopic time or radiation exposure. Overall complication rate was not different between the groups. Patients with LPF had a greater length of stay (p=0.008) but were all weight-bearing as tolerated when discharged (p<0.001). Conclusion: Bilateral posterior pelvic ring injuries of the sacrum can be sufficiently treated by LPF or ISF. LPF allows immediate weight-bearing which may benefit younger patients and patients with an elevated risk for pneumonia or other pulmonary complications. Treatment with ISF reduces operative time, length of stay and postoperative wound infection. Elderly patients may be better suited for treatment with ISF if there is concern that the patient may not tolerate the increased operative time.
Autophagy Activation Induces Resistance to FLT3 Inhibitors in Acute Myeloid Leukemia with FLT3-ITD Mutation
Authors: Xu Dan , Yin Zhao , Yang Ying , Chen Yishan , Huang Changfen , Wang Qiang , Jiang Ling , Jiang Xuejie , Yin Changxin , Liu Qifa , Yu Guopan
Published: July 2021

Background: Autophagy plays a critical role in drug resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including the subtype with FLT3-ITD mutation. Yet how autophagy is activated and mediates resistance to FLT3 inhibitors in FLT3-ITD-positive AML remains unsure. Methods: We detected the alteration of autophagy in FLT3-ITD-positive leukemic cells after versus before acquired resistance to FLT3 inhibitors; tested the stimulative effect of acquired D835Y mutation and bone marrow micro-environment (BME) on autophagy; explored the mechanism of autophagy mediating FLT3 inhibitor resistance. Results: Sorafenib-resistant cells markedly overexpressed autophagy in comparison with sorafenib-sensitive cells or the cells before sorafenib treatment. Both acquired D835Y mutation and BME activated cytoprotective autophagy to induce FLT3 inhibitor resistance. Autophagy activation decreased the suppression efficacy of FLT3 inhibitors on FLT3 downstream signaling and then weakened their anti-leukemia effect. Inhibition of autophagy with CQ significantly enhanced the suppressive effect of FLT3 inhibitor on FLT3 downstream signaling, in the end overcame FLT3 inhibitor resistance. Conclusions: Autophagy might be stimulated by acquired mutation or BME, and bypass activate FLT3 downstream signaling to mediate FLT3 inhibitor resistance in FLT3-ITD-positive AML. Targeting autophagy could be a promising strategy to overcome resistance.
East Meets West in the Western Carpathians: Contact Zone Between Alpine and Carpathian Caddisfly Lineages Evidenced by COI Barcodes
Authors: Bozáňová Jana , Čiampor Fedor , Mamos Tomasz , Grabowski Michal , Čiamporová-Zat'ovičová Zuzana
Published: July 2021

European mountains are important areas regarding biodiversity of the continent, and they also harbour diverse freshwater fauna, which is critically endangered in terms of the current species extinction. However, sufficient knowledge of this valuable part of European biota is no longer possible without molecular data. This study focuses on the genetic diversity and distribution patterns of the classical representative of the mountain freshwater fauna, caddisfly Rhyacophila tristis, in the Western Carpathians. Based on the COI mitochondrial marker, two genetic lineages (separate BINs) were identified. BIN_W was found in 16 localities in the western part of the study area, BIN_E in 44 eastern localities. The data obtained indicate that BIN_W occurs in a significantly narrower altitude range, BIN_E is more closely related to the Balkan populations than to co-occurring BIN_W, and that the contact zone of the lineages passes through the Western Carpathians. The study revealed phylogeographic and demographic differences between lineages, supporting hypothesis of their evolutionary independence and specific ecological preferences. The obtained genetic data shifted our knowledge on the populations of the studied caddisfly and suggested patterns that could be common to other freshwater species. This could help us to protect unique freshwater ecosystems and preserve European biodiversity.
Plasma guiding using a chaperone pre-pulse for stable wakefield generation
Authors: Gupta Devki Nandan , Yoffe Samuel Robert , Jain Arohi , Ersfeld Bernhard , Jaroszynski Dino Anthony
Published: July 2021

Achieving high quality electron beams in laser wakefield accelerators requires stable guiding of the intense driving laser pulse, which is challenging because of mode mismatching due to relativistic self-focusing. Here we show how an intense pre-pulse can be used to prepare the phase-space distribution of plasma electrons encountered by a trailing laser pulse so that it produces its own well-matched guiding channel, while minimising wakefield evolution. Controlling the propagation of high intensity laser pulses is an essential step in developing useful wakefield accelerators and compact radiation sources.
Optimizing the Prediction of Venous Thromboembolis by a Risk Assessment Model in Patients with Glioblastoma
Authors: Huang Yong , Ding Haixia , Luo Min , Li Zhiqiang , Li Sirui , Xie Conghua , Zhong Yahua
Published: July 2021

PurposeTo find an optimal model to predict venous thromboembolism specially for glioblastoma by a prospective research.Methods Patients with newly histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiform (GBM) were recruited for this study. Status of IDH1, PTEN, P53, BRAF, MGMT and TERT were determined using genetic sequencing through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Amplification of EGFR was established through fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Competing-risks regression model was performed to calculate the risk of VTE. Clinical and laboratory parameters that were independently predicted risk of VTE were used to develop a risk assessment model (RAM).Results145 patients with GBM were included in the present analysis. A total of 48/145 patients (33.1%) developed VTE, all 48 patients were found to be IDH1wt . D-dimer, ECOG score and EGFR staus were sugggested to be significantly associtaed with the VTE risk in multivariable analysis. High ECOG score (>2), high D-dimer (>1.6 μg/mL) and EGFR amplification were used as the strongest independent predictors of increased risk of VTE. The cumulative incidence of VTE was 17.2% for patients with score 0 (n =29), 23.6% for patients with score 1 (n =55 ) and 63.8% for patients with score 2 (n = 35) or score 3 (n = 12) by application of a RAM .Conclusion GBM patients with IDH1 mutation were at very low risk of VTE. In IDHwt patients, by applying a VTE risk assessment model, we could identify patients with a very high and low risk of VTE.
Three Patients With Disseminated Mycobacterial Infections Due to Severe Defects in Interferon Gamma Receptor Signaling: A Challenging Diagnosis
Authors: Zhou Zijun , Hollink Iris H.I.M. , Bouman Arjan , Lourens Mirthe S. , Brooimans Rik A. , Ham Tjakko J. van , Fraaij Pieter L.A. , Rossum Annemarie M.C. van , Zijtregtop Eline A.M. , Dik Willem A. , Dalm Virgil A.S.H. , Hagen P. Martin van , IJspeert Hanna , Vermont Clementien L.
Published: July 2021

IFN–gamma receptor (IFNGR) signaling via STAT1 is crucial in the defense against intracellular pathogens. Defects in this pathway enhance the susceptibility to infection by otherwise weak pathogenic mycobacteria, resulting in a primary immunodeficiency called mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease (MSMD). Here we describe three patients with MSMD caused by variants in the IFNGR1 or STAT1 genes. All three patients presented with disseminated non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections caused by M. avium , M. persicum or M. bovis BCG respectively. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was used as the first line diagnostic approach, however in all patients additional analysis was crucial to make the definite diagnosis. In Patient 1, only one heterozygous autosomal recessive variant p.(Val63Gly) in the IFNGR1 gene was identified. Patient 2 was compound heterozygous for the pathogenic null p.(Val68Lysfs*6) variant and the hypomorphic p.(Ile37Thr) variant in IFNGR1. In Patient 3 a novel variant in the STAT1 gene c.1379A>T, p.(Asn460Ile) was identified. Additional genetic analysis identified a second novel complex Alu-insertion in the IFNGR1 gene in Patient 1. Functional analysis showed that Patients 1 and 2 had reduced expression of IFNGR1. All patients had reduced phosphorylation of STAT1 and absent induction of SOCS1 mRNA after IFN-γ stimulation. While STAT1 phosphorylation was normal after IFN–α stimulation in Patient 1 and 2, it was mildly reduced in Patient 3. We conclude that functional assays are crucial to assess the extent of IFNGR signaling defects when new combinations of bi-allelic or non-conclusive genetic variants are found, which is important in the determination of clinical treatment.
Electrospun Hybrid Microfibers of Polylactic Acid with Plasma Polypyrrole Particles with Ultrahydrophobic Surface for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Flores-Nava Fernando G. , Cruz Guillermo J. , Colín-Orozco Elena , Palacios J. Cuauhtémoc , Valdivia-Barrientos Ricardo , Ramírez Rosario , González-Torres Maribel , Guadalupe Olayo M.
Published: July 2021

This work presents a study on the formation of hybrid electrospun fibers of polylactic acid (PLA) with insoluble polypyrrole (PPy) particles inside with the objective to prepare ultrahydrophobic fibers for biomedical applications. Krebs-Ringer and phosphate-buffered saline solutions were used as test solutions of human fluids. The PPy particles were synthesized by plasma with diameter in the 60-1000 nm range and were suspended in a PLA-chloroform solution with a PPy/PLA = 0.027 mass ratio. PLA fibers with PPy particles inside were formed electrospinning this suspension obtaining diameters in the 0.12-9.0 µm range with average between 1.65 and 1.85 µm. Contact angles of the fibers with the test solutions were measured in the 113°-147° interval, most of them in the ultrahydrophobic (120°-150°) region. The lowest angles were obtained with particles synthesized at the lowest power (20 W) and were like those obtained on PLA fibers. The highest angles were measured on the fibers with the particles synthesized at the highest synthesis power (100 W), with difference up to 15°. This difference in the angles was correlated with the resonant ≈ C ≈ groups of the particles through the fiber ultraviolet absorption.
How effective are drain tip cultures at predicting surgical site infections after hip arthroplasty?
Authors: Toga Akira , Balaji Ayush , Hemmi Osamu , Ishii Ken , Tokunaga Shigeyuki , Katoh Shojiro , Izumida Ryoichi
Published: July 2021

Background
Postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common complication of surgical procedures; however, the use of drain tip cultures to diagnose SSIs in patients is controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of drain tip cultures for the prediction of postoperative SSIs in patients recovering from hip arthroplasty.
Methods
The data was compiled from 1,204 patients over a 15-year period. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of drain tip culture in determining surgical site infection. We also used this data to evaluate whether preexisting conditions such as hypertension or diabetes affected the probability of a patient getting an SSI.
Results
Drain tip cultures were positive in 12 of 1,112 cases of primary hip arthroplasty, but only one of these 12 patients were ultimately diagnosed with an SSI (sensitivity, 12.5%; specificity, 99.0%; p = 0.0834). Results from postoperative drain tip cultures performed in patients undergoing revision arthroplasty included two false positives and three false negatives; interestingly, no true positives were detected in any of the revision arthroplasty cases we evaluated (sensitivity, 0%; specificity, 97.8༅; p = 0.9355).
Conclusions
Our results indicate that drain tip cultures have no statistically significant predictive value for the diagnosis of post-operative SSIs and thus should not be used as a primary diagnostic or predictive tool for SSIs. We recommend that other diagnostic tools for the postoperative diagnosis of SSIs be explored. Standardized guidelines should therefore be established to improve the predictive value of alternative methods.
A New Approach for In Silico Prediction of Oral Drug Concentration Profiles in Human for Drug Candidates Lack Experimental Pharmacokinetic Data
Authors: Zhai Jingchen , Ji Beihong , Liu Shuhan , Zhang Yuzhao , Wang Junmei
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study is to develop a novel protocol to preliminarily predict the concentration profiles of a target drug based on the PBPK model of a structurally similar template drug by combining two software for PBPK modeling, the SimCYP simulator and ADMET Predictor. The method was evaluated by utilizing 13 drug pairs which come from 18 drugs in the built-in database of the SimCYP software. All drug pairs have their Tanimoto scores no less than 0.5. As each drug in a drug pair can serve both the target and template roles, in total, there are 26 sets studied in this work. Three versions (V1, V2 and V3) of models for the target drug were constructed by replacing the corresponding parameters of the template drug step by step with those predicted by ADME Predictor for the target drug. Normalized RMSE (NRMSE) were introduced for the evaluation of the model performance. We found that the performance of the three versions of models depends on structure similarity of the drug pairs. For Group I drug pairs (TS ≤ 0.7), V2 and V3 perform better than V1 in term of NRMSE; for Group II drug pairs (0.7 < TS ≤ 0.9), 8 out of 10 V3 models have NRMSE lower than 0.2, the cutoff we applied to judge if the simulated C-T curve is satisfactory or not. Obviously, V3 outperforms the V1 and V2 versions. For the two drug pairs belong to Group III (TS > 0.9), V2 outperforms V1 and V3, suggesting more unnecessary replacement can lower the performance of PBPK models. We also investigated how the prediction accuracy of ADMET Predictor as well as its collaboration with SimCYP influence the quality of PBPK models constructed using SimCYP. In conclusion, we generated a practical guidance on applying two mainstream software packages, ADMET Predictor and SimCYP, to construct PBPK models for drugs or drug candidates which lack of ADME parameters in model construction.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A One-Year Survey in The West of Iran
Authors: Goodarzi Afshin , Khodaveisi Masoud , Abdi Alireza , Salimi Rasoul , Oshvandi Khodayar
Published: July 2021

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with high risk of cardiac arrest (CA). Therefore, assessing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) success among patients with COVID-19 and employing effective strategies for its improvement are essential. The present study aimed at assessing the one-year epidemiology and outcomes of CPR among patients with COVID-19.
Methods

This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in January 2021 in the emergency departments of two hospitals in Hamadan and Kermanshah, Iran. Participants were 487 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and CA who had undergone CPR during the one-year period between January 20, 2020 and January 20, 2021. Data were collected using the available CPR documentation forms developed based on the Utstein Style. Data analysis was performed via the Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and Mann-Whitney U tests and the logistic regression analysis.
Results

Participants’ age was 69.31 ± 14.73 years and most of them were male (61.8%) and suffered from at least one underlying disease (58.1%). The rate of total and in-hospital CA was 9.67% and 9.39%, respectively. The most prevalent first documented rhythm was asystole and the highest responsivity to CPR was for shockable rhythms. The rate of the return of spontaneous circulation was 9% and the rate of survival to hospital discharge was 2%. The significant predictors of CPR success were age, epinephrine administration time interval, and CPR duration.
Conclusion

CPR outcomes among patients with COVID-19 are poor, particularly among those with asystole and bradycardia. Old age and high or low doses of epinephrine can reduce CPR success, while CPR prolongation can improve CPR outcomes.
A High Throughput Assay of Lichenase Activity with Congo Red Dye in Plants
Authors: Tyurin Alexander , Suhorukova Aleksandra V. , Deineko Igor V. , Pavlenko Olga S. , Fridman Viktoriia A. , Goldenkova-Pavlova Irina V.
Published: July 2021

Background : To elucidate the functional role of regulatory sequences and contexts identified and predicted during omics studies in the complex mechanisms of gene expression regulation, experimental verification methods in a plant cell are required. For this, the method of transient expression of reporter genes fused with the tested sequences is widely used. Several reporter systems are available that have shown good performance in the studies including the thermostable lichenase Clostridium thermocellum . However, each reporter system has its own limitations with respect to the quantification of the protein product of a reporter gene and, in particular, for the use of high-throughput approaches. Results: In this study, we report the design a high throughput fluorometric method for quantification of thermostable lichenase C. thermocellum using Congo red and further experimental verification of its relevance and efficiency in assessment of the functional role of regulatory sequences in the plant cell. Conclusion: The specific interaction between the dye Congo red and β -D-glucans formed the background for designing a high-throughput fluorometric assay for quantification of C. thermocellum thermostable lichenase as a reporter protein for plants. This assay (i) makes it possible to precisely measure the amount of reporter protein in a plant sample; (ii) has shown a high sensitivity for quantification of thermostable lichenase; (iii) is more time- and cost-efficient as compared with the Somogyi–Nelson assay; and (iv) is to the least degree dependent on the presence of the tested buffer components as compared with the Somogyi–Nelson assay.
Meningiomas with Hemorrhagic Onset: A New Bleeding Classification and its Clinical Significance
Authors: Xie Zuo-run , Wang Hong-Cai , Tong Yi-Lei , Li Shi-Wei , Chen Mao-Song , Wang Bo-Ding
Published: July 2021

Meningiomas are the commonest benign intracranial tumors and frequently present with a gradual onset of neurological deficits; however, their acute presentation with hemorrhagic onset appears to be a rare event. Nonetheless, because the mainstay of treatment is early surgical evacuation, prompt diagnosis of this rare category of intracranial hemorrhage is imperative. The purpose of this single-center study was to investigate the radiological characteristics and proposed a new bleeding classification for guiding diagnosis and treatment. A total of 19 consecutive patients diagnosed with hemorrhagic meningioma were enrolled in this retrospective study. Intracranial extra-axial mass, tumor-associated hemorrhage, and peritumoral brain edema were the three main radiological features. The site of tumor-associated hemorrhage included peritumoral space, subarachnoid space, subdural space, brain parenchyma, and/or intratumor. Based on the anatomical relationship between meningioma and hematoma, the spontaneous hemorrhage stemming from meningiomas were further summarized into three bleeding patterns involving purely intratumoral hemorrhage (type I), purely extratumoral hemorrhage (type II), and combined intra/extratumoral hemorrhage (type III); moreover, the type III hemorrhage usually came from the type I bleeding that extended into the surrounding regions. The symptoms in type I patients were generally mild, and early surgery was performed following adequate preoperative evaluations; the symptoms in type II patients were sometimes mild and may be sometimes moderate to severe, so early or emergency surgery was chosen according to the patients’ clinical statuses; almost all type III patients had moderate to severe symptoms, and these patients usually needed emergency surgery. In addition, the patients with different bleeding types may have different pathological mechanisms underlying the bleeding. Apart from being convenient for diagnosis, this concise and practical bleeding classification could offer some implications for the treatment strategy and facilitate understanding of the associated mechanisms.