bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of suction drainage in the management of peri-operative bleeding in Total and Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a retrospective comparative study
Authors: Manta Nicola , Mangiavini Laura , Balbino Cristiana , Colombo Andrea , Pandini Elisa Giacomina , Pironti Pierluigi , Viganò Marco , D’Anchise Roberto
Published: December 2021

Background

Suction drainage is commonly applied after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) to reduce hematoma, swelling and to favor surgical wound healing. However, its efficacy remains controversial; thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate drainage efficiency in the management of postoperative bleeding in TKA and UKA.

Methods

The cohort comprised 134 clinical records of patients affected by knee osteoarthritis (OA) who underwent either TKA or UKA. All the patients were subdivided into 2 groups: the first one with drainage and the second one without drainage (respectively 61 and 73 patients). For each group, hemoglobin levels in the preoperative, first, second and third postoperative day were collected. Postoperative complications such as swelling, bleeding from the surgical wound or the need for blood transfusion, were also recorded.

Results

Our results did not show any significant difference of hemoglobin levels in the first (p = 0.715), second (p = 0.203) and third post-operative day (p = 0.467) between the two groups. Moreover, no significant correlation between knee swelling or transfusion rate and the drainage was observed (p = 0.703 and p = 0.662 respectively). Besides, a significant correlation was found between bleeding from the surgical wound and the absence of drainage (p = 0.006).

Conclusions

The study demonstrates how the routine use of suction drainage does not provide substantial benefits in the postoperative blood loss management after TKA or UKA.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04508101, 09/08/2020, Retrospectively registered

Level of evidence

III
Recombinant growth hormone therapy in children with Turner Syndrome in Korea: a phase III Randomized Trial
Authors: Kim Jinsup , Kim Min-Sun , Suh Byung-Kyu , Ko Cheol Woo , Lee Kee-Hyoung , Yoo Han-Wook , Shin Choong Ho , Hwang Jin Soon , Kim Ho-Seong , Chung Woo Yeong , Kim Chan Jong , Han Heon-Seok , Jin Dong-Kyu
Published: December 2021

Background

Short stature is the most consistent characteristic feature of Turner syndrome (TS). To improve final heights of children with TS effectively, it is important to provide them with early and appropriate treatment using growth hormone (GH). The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of a new recombinant human GH, Growtropin®-II (DA-3002, Dong-A ST Co., Ltd) versus a comparator (Genotropin®, Pfizer Inc.) for Korean children with TS.

Methods

This open-label, active-controlled, parallel-group, randomized controlled phase III trial was conducted at 11 hospitals in Korea. Eligible patients (n = 58) were randomized to two groups: 1) DA-3002 group (administrated with DA-3002 at 0.14 IU [0.0450–0.050 mg] /kg/day); and 2) comparator group (administrated with the comparator at 0.14 IU [0.0450–0.050 mg] /kg/day).

Results

The change from baseline in annualized height velocity (HV) after a 52-week treatment period was 4.15 ± 0.30 cm/year in the DA-3002 group and 4.34 ± 0.29 cm/year in the comparator group. The lower bound of 95% two-sided confidence interval for group difference in the change of annualized HV (− 1.02) satisfied the non-inferiority margin (− 1.5). The change in height standard deviation score (HtSDS) at 52-week was 0.70 ± 0.23 for the DA-3002 group and 0.66 ± 0.39 for the comparator group, showing no significant (p = 0.685) difference between the two groups. The change of skeletal maturity defined as change in bone age/change in chronological age between the two groups was not significantly different (1.25 ± 0.58 for the DA-3002 group and 1.47 ± 0.45 for the comparator group, p = 0.134). Changes from baseline in serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) after 52 weeks of treatment did not differ significantly between the two groups (p = 0.565 and p = 0.388, respectively) either. The occurrence of adverse events was not statistically different between groups.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that the efficacy and safety of GH treatment with DA-3002 in children with TS are comparable with those of the comparator. It is expected to analysis the long-term effect of DA-3002 on the increase of final adult height in children with TS and possible late-onset complications in the future.

Trial registration

The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01813630 (19/03/2013).
Knowledge, attitude, performance, and determinant factors of Vitamin D deficiency prevention behaviours among Iranian pregnant women
Authors: Aghaei Farideh , Heidarnia Alireza , Allahverdipour Hamid , Eslami Mohammad , Ghaffarifar Saeideh
Published: December 2021

Background

Pregnancy is a high-risk period for vitamin D (Vit D) deficiency, and there is a direct relationship between Vit D deficiency during this period and maternal and fetal complications. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of pregnant women concerning the adoption of behaviors to prevent Vit D deficiency and identify the determinant factors of such behaviors.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 185 pregnant women with a mean age of 27.52 ± 5.9 years were selected from the Health Centers in Tabriz, Iran, using the stratified random sampling between 2018 September 23 and 2019 June 21. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaires comprising demographic information, knowledge, attitude, and practice of pregnant women towards Vit D deficiency. The chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used to determine the relationship between the demographics of pregnant women and their knowledge and attitude. Moreover, the general linear model test was used to determine the predictors of performance. The p-value< 0.05 was considered to be significant in this study.

Results

The findings showed that 85.6% of pregnant women were well aware of the importance and role of Vit D in pregnancy. In addition, 76.7 and 75% of the participants had good knowledge of getting enough Vit D from sunlight and preventing Vit D deficiency in pregnancy, respectively. Moreover, 91.7% of the pregnant women believed that Vit D has a vital role in maternal and fetal health, and 61.1% showed a high level of perceived self-efficiency in preventing Vit D deficiency. In addition, 67.2% of women regarded the unpleasant taste and price of Vit D rich foods, such as seafood, as barriers to get Vit D, and 91.7% mentioned the lack of public places specific to women and living in apartments as barriers to getting enough Vit D from sunlight. According to the results, 57.8 and 79.4% of pregnant women performed at a moderate level in getting Vit D from food and sunlight, respectively. In general, educational attainment (Pvalue = 0.02, B = 0.56), pregnancy age (Pvalue = 0.04, B = -0.26), parity (Pvalue = 0.03, B = -0.45), and perceived self-efficacy of mothers (Pvalue < 0.001, B = 0.340) were the determinant factors of getting Vit D from food and sunlight as behaviours to prevent Vit D deficiency in pregnancy.

Conclusion

The findings of the current study revealed that despite the good knowledge of women about the Vit D deficiency during pregnancy, their performance was moderate. The unpleasant taste and high price of seafood were barriers to using them, and the lack of public places specific to women and living in apartments, were barriers to using sunlight. The most important determinant of preventive behaviours was perceived self-efficacy. Developing an awareness program to promote best practices in pregnant women is essential to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
Impact of COVID-19 on maternal healthcare in Africa and the way forward
Authors: Ameyaw Edward Kwabena , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku , Seidu Abdul-Aziz , Njue Carolyne
Published: December 2021

Background

The impact of COVID-19 is weighing heavily on many African countries. As of November 14th 2021, 6,109,722 cases had been recorded with 151,173 deaths and 2.5% case fatality rate. Studies reveal substantial morbidity and socioeconomic impacts when accessing quality maternal healthcare including fear of infection and the containment measures in place, including social distancing and community containment. The pandemic has put additional strain on healthcare systems that are overburdened and under-resourced even in normal times and has exposed the vulnerabilities of high-risk population groups in addressing critical healthcare concerns. This study presents a mini review of how COVID-19 has disrupted maternal healthcare in Africa, and it further proposes ways to improve the situation.

Main body

COVID-19 has disrupted antenatal, skilled birth, and postnatal family planning services. Women and girls are vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19 on several fronts and represent a group whose needs including antenatal, skilled birth, and postnatal family planning services have been disrupted, leading to unmet needs for contraception and an increase in unintended pregnancies. Restricted travel due to the fear and anxiety associated with contracting COVID-19 has resulted in delays in accessing prompt skilled care and essential healthcare services such as pregnancy care, immunisation, and nutritional supplementation. Misconceptions relating to COVID-19 have prompted concerns and created distrust in the safety of the healthcare system. Innovative measures are required to address these obstacles and ensure women are not denied access to available, accessible, acceptable, and quality maternal healthcare services in spite of COVID-19.

Conclusions

In the immediate term while physical distancing measures remain in force, deliberate effort must be made to provide evidence-based guidelines, good practice and expert advice that addresses the unique sexual and reproductive health context of African countries. Efforts to train and motivate healthcare providers to adopt online, remote approaches such as use of telemedicine, and expand the involvement of frontline maternal healthcare providers to deliver information on the availability of services through phone-based referral networks, culturally appropriate social media, community radio and folklore messaging strategies are critical to mobilise and secure community confidence in the safety of sexual and reproductive health and maternal care services.
Beyond bacterial vaginosis: vaginal lactobacilli and HIV risk
Authors: Armstrong Eric , Kaul Rupert
Published: December 2021

HIV incidence continues to be unacceptably high in Eastern and Southern Africa, with women disproportionately affected. An increased per-contact risk of HIV acquisition among African, Caribbean, and other Black (ACB) women has been associated with the higher prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in these communities, wherein the vaginal microbiota is predominated by diverse pro-inflammatory anaerobic bacteria. However, while the vaginal microbiota in BV-free women is typically predominated by one of several different Lactobacillus spp., the degree of HIV protection afforded by a Lactobacillus-predominant vaginal microbiota also varies considerably. Specifically, L. crispatus is associated with an immunoregulatory genital immune environment, exclusion of BV-associated bacteria, and reduced HIV risk. In contrast, less HIV protection or exclusion of BV-associated bacteria and fewer immune benefits have been associated with L. iners—which is unfortunately the most common Lactobacillus species among ACB women. These species-specific clinical differences are underpinned by substantial genomic differences between Lactobacillus species: for instance, the much smaller genome of L. iners lacks the coding sequence for D-lactic acid dehydrogenase and cannot produce the D-lactate isomer that enhances HIV trapping in mucus but encodes for epithelial cell toxins and stress resistance proteins that may enhance bacterial survival in the context of microbiota and environmental fluctuations. While more studies are needed to elucidate whether differences in HIV protection between Lactobacillus species are due to direct genital immune effects or the exclusion of proinflammatory BV-associated bacteria, the current body of work suggests that for BV treatment to succeed as an HIV prevention strategy, it may be necessary to induce a vaginal microbiota that is predominated by specific (non-iners) Lactobacillus species.
Skulls, Tree Bark, Fossils
Authors: Zolkos Magdalena
Published: December 2021

Studies of material objects in the field of memory studies have followed diverse epistemological and disciplinary trajectories, but their shared characteristic has been the questioning of philosophical assumptions concerning human relations with inanimate things and lower-level organic objects, such as plants, within the Aristotelian hierarchy of beings. Rather than accept at face value their categorizations as passive or deficient in comparison to the human subject, critical scholarship has reformulated the place and role of nonhuman entities in culture. This essay examines the nexus of materiality and memory in the work of the French philosopher and art historian Georges Didi-Huberman, with the focus on the questions of mnemonic affordance of things and plants. The essay proposes that Didi-Huberman’s project can be approached from the perspective of “undoing” the key binaries of Western historiography of art and material culture: surface/depth, exteriority/interiority, visibility/invisibility, and malleability/rigidity. Focusing on imaginal representations of memory objects in Didi-Huberman’s two essays Bark and Being a Skull, the essay situates these texts within the context of his philosophical reading of Aby Warburg’s iconology, and argues that Didi-Huberman’s undoing of the binaries that have traditionally structured thinking about materiality and memory could be productively approached as a philosophical project of transvaluating surface.
SAF-A promotes origin licensing and replication fork progression to ensure robust DNA replication
Authors: Connolly Caitlin , Takahashi Saori , Miura Hisashi , Hiratani Ichiro , Gilbert Nick , Donaldson Anne D. , Hiraga Shin-Ichiro
Published: December 2021

The organisation of chromatin is closely intertwined with biological activities of chromosome domains, including transcription and DNA replication status. Scaffold-attachment factor A (SAF-A), also known as heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (HNRNPU), contributes to the formation of open chromatin structure. Here, we demonstrate that SAF-A promotes the normal progression of DNA replication and enables resumption of replication after inhibition. We report that cells depleted of SAF-A show reduced origin licensing in G1 phase and, consequently, reduced origin activation frequency in S phase. Replication forks also progress less consistently in cells depleted of SAF-A, contributing to reduced DNA synthesis rate. Single-cell replication timing analysis revealed two distinct effects of SAF-A depletion: first, the boundaries between early- and late-replicating domains become more blurred; and second, SAF-A depletion causes replication timing changes that tend to bring regions of discordant domain compartmentalisation and replication timing into concordance. Associated with these defects, SAF-A-depleted cells show elevated formation of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) and tend to enter quiescence. Overall, we find that SAF-A protein promotes robust DNA replication to ensure continuing cell proliferation.
The cellular basis of compensatory muscle growth in the teleostOdontesthes bonariensis
Authors: Simó Ignacio , Faggiani Mariano , Fernandez Daniel A. , Sciara Andrés A. , Arranz Silvia E.
Published: December 2021

This study evaluates white muscle growth and in vivo cell proliferation during a fasting and refeeding trial, using pejerrey (Odontesthes bonariensis) as animal model, in order to better understand the cellular basis governing catch-up growth. Experiments consisted of two groups of fish, a control group continuously fed ad libitum, and a group fasted for 2 weeks and then fed for another 2 weeks. We examined how the formation of new muscle fibers and their increase in size were related to muscle precursor cell (MPC) proliferation under both experimental conditions. During fasting, the number of 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine-positive (EdU+) cells decreased along with myogenic regulatory factor (MRF) mRNA levels related to myoblast proliferation and differentiation, and the muscle stem cell marker Pax7 mRNA level increased. Analysis of myomere cross-sectional area, distribution of muscle fiber sizes and number of fibers per myomere showed that muscle hypertrophy but not hyperplasia was inhibited during fasting. Both higher igf2 mRNA level and the persistence of cell proliferation could be supporting new myofiber formation. In contrast, an exacerbated MPC proliferation occurred during catch-up growth, and this increase in cell number could be contributing to the growth of both pre-existing and newly formed small fibers. The findings that some MPCs proliferate during fasting and that muscle growth mechanisms, hyperplasia and hypertrophy are differentially regulated could help to explain why re-fed fish could grow at faster rates, and why they return to the lost growth trajectory.
Robotic Techniques in Esophagogastric Cancer Surgery: An Assessment of Short- and Long-Term Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Kamarajah Sivesh K. , Griffiths Ewen A. , Phillips Alexander W. , Ruurda Jelle , van Hillegersberg Richard , Hofstetter Wayne L. , Markar Sheraz R.
Published: December 2021

Background

Robotic esophagogastric cancer surgery is gaining widespread adoption. This population-based cohort study aimed to compare rates of textbook outcomes (TOs) and survival from robotic minimally invasive techniques for esophagogastric cancer.

Methods

Data from the United States National Cancer Database (NCDB) (2010–2017) were used to identify patients with non-metastatic esophageal or gastric cancer receiving open surgery (to the esophagus, n = 11,442; stomach, n = 22,183), laparoscopic surgery (to the esophagus [LAMIE], n = 4827; stomach [LAMIG], n = 6359), or robotic surgery (to the esophagus [RAMIE], n = 1657; stomach [RAMIG], n = 1718). The study defined TOs as 15 or more lymph nodes examined, margin-negative resections, hospital stay less than 21 days, no 30-day readmissions, and no 90-day mortalities. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox analyses were used to account for treatment selection bias.

Results

Patients receiving robotic surgery were more commonly treated in high-volume academic centers with advanced clinical T and N stage disease. From 2010 to 2017, TO rates increased for esophageal and gastric cancer treated via all surgical techniques. Compared with open surgery, significantly higher TO rates were associated with RAMIE (odds ratio [OR], 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27–1.58) and RAMIG (OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.17–1.45). For esophagectomy, long-term survival was associated with both TO (hazard ratio [HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.60–0.67) and RAMIE (HR 0.92; 95% CI 0.84–1.00). For gastrectomy, long-term survival was associated with TO (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.56–0.60) and both LAMIG (HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.85–0.94) and RAMIG (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.81–0.96). Subset analysis in high-volume centers confirmed similar findings.

Conclusion

Despite potentially adverse learning curve effects and more advanced tumor stages captured during the study period, both RAMIE and RAMIG performed in mostly high-volume centers were associated with improved TO and long-term survival. Therefore, consideration for wider adoption but a well-designed phase 3 randomized controlled trial (RCT) is required for a full evaluation of the benefits conferred by robotic techniques for esophageal and gastric cancers.
Η εξέλιξη του γραπτού λόγου των αποφοίτων Λυκείου μετά τη γλωσσική μεταρρύθμιση του 1976
Authors: Τζιώγα Ειρήνη-Μαρία
Published: December 2021

Μεταδικτατορικά, άρχισε να αναπτύσσεται -με επίκεντρο την καθιέρωση της δημοτικής ως επίσημης γλώσσας της εκπαίδευσης- και να αποκτά μεγάλη δυναμική από τη δεκαετία του ’80 κι ύστερα ένα σύμπλεγμα ιδεών και απόψεων περί προϊούσας φθοράς, αλλοίωσης, ευτελισμού και επικείμενης καταστροφής της ελληνικής γλώσσας, οφειλόμενων κατά βάση στην αδυναμία της γλωσσικής εκπαίδευσης, όπως παρέχεται μετά τη Μεταπολίτευση, να διαμορφώσει επαρκείς χρήστες του γραπτού λόγου. Οι απόψεις αυτές, οι οποίες προβάλλονται σε επιστημονικά κείμενα και στον δημόσιο λόγο ως αυταπόδεικτες αλήθειες μιας σταδιακής έκπτωσης των ικανοτήτων των αποφοίτων Λυκείου να χρησιμοποιούν στον γραπτό λόγο τη γλώσσα «ορθά» σε όλα της τα επίπεδα, το μορφολογικό, το γραμματικό, το λεξιλογικό, το συντακτικό …, ενισχύονται στις δυο δεκαετίες του 21ου αιώνα από τις εκθέσεις διεθνών οργανισμών και επίσημων φορέων αποτίμησης και διασφάλισης της ποιότητας στην εκπαίδευση, που δείχνουν τάσεις μείωσης των επιδόσεων των μαθητών στο γλωσσικό μάθημα. Τις εν λόγω απόψεις επιδιώκει και επιχειρεί να διερευνήσει η παρούσα εργασία, η οποία εντάσσεται στο πλαίσιο της γενικότερης επίκαιρης προβληματικής σχετικά με την αποτελεσματικότητα της ελληνικής εκπαίδευσης να αναπτύξει ικανότητες και να καλλιεργήσει δεξιότητες των μαθητών που είναι κομβικής σημασίας για την ανταπόκρισή τους στις προκλήσεις της σύγχρονης κοινωνίας της γνώσης και της ανεπτυγμένης τεχνογνωσίας και για την ενεργή συμμετοχή τους στο κοινωνικό γίγνεσθαι. Για την υλοποίηση των στόχων της, βασίζεται σε ένα πλούσιο σχετικό βιβλιογραφικό υλικό και τα πορίσματα της ενσωματωμένης σ’ αυτή έρευνας, η οποία αρθρώνεται στη γενική ερευνητική υπόθεση ότι στο διάστημα από τη γλωσσική μεταρρύθμιση του 1976 μέχρι σήμερα παρατηρείται στους αποφοίτους της Δευτεροβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης σταδιακή κάμψη της επάρκειάς τους στην παραγωγή επεξεργασμένου γραπτού λόγου. Για τον έλεγχο της ερευνητικής υπόθεσης αξιοποιήθηκαν ως εμπειρικό υλικό 1150 γραπτά δοκίμια φοιτητών –δυνητικά μελλοντικών φιλολόγων- του Πανεπιστημίου Ιωαννίνων, τα οποία προέρχονται από το αρχείο του Εργαστηρίου Εμπειρικής Εκπαιδευτικής Έρευνας του Τομέα Παιδαγωγικής του Τμήματος Φιλοσοφίας, Παιδαγωγικής και Ψυχολογίας του Πανεπιστημίου Ιωαννίνων και καλύπτουν την χρονική περίοδο 1986-2015. Τα εν λόγω δοκίμια επελέγησαν με τυχαίο τρόπο από ένα κατά πολύ ευρύτερο corpus γραπτών σε τρόπον ώστε να επιτευχθεί ισορροπία 50 γραπτών ανά έτος, επί των οποίων εφαρμόσθηκαν λεπτομερής ανάγνωση και μεθοδικός έλεγχος όσον αφορά στις αποκλίσεις τις οποίες παρουσίαζαν συνολικά στις κατηγορίες «ορθογραφία», «μορφολογία», «λεξιλόγιο», «συντακτικό», «ύφος» και «τονισμό». Πέραν των βασικών αυτών κατηγοριών, τα δοκίμια υποβλήθηκαν σε μια περισσότερο «επιφανειακή» εξέταση όσον αφορά στον ακριβή αριθμό των σελίδων, των παραγράφων, των περιόδων και των κομμάτων που εμπεριείχαν, ενώ ελέγχθηκαν ως προς τις ιδιότητες της αναγνωσιμότητας και της αισθητικής τις οποίες διέθεταν με τη βοήθεια μιας τετράβαθμης κλίμακας από το 1 (προχειρότητα) έως το 4 (άριστη εμφάνιση).
Practices, awareness, and perception towards home-based COVID-19 management among the general population in south India
Authors: Joseph Nitin , Singh Vijay Pratap , Murthy Impana Venkatesha , Raman Vishaan , Banihatti Nagaraj Meera , Shetty Rahul Vishwanath , Sai Vemuri Krishna , Shreedhara Shruthi , Manja Maranakatte Shridhar Sumukha
Published: December 2021

Background: Most patients with COVID-19 experience mild illness which can be managed in a home environment. This study was done to assess the perception, awareness and practices regarding home-based management of COVID-19 among the general population in India.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in May and June 2021. Data were collected using a Google Form.

Results: Mean age of the 294 participants was 36.6 ± 12.1 years. Of these participants, 45 (15.3%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 anytime in the past. Among them, 37 (82.2%) underwent home-based management for COVID-19. Monitoring of body temperature and oxygen saturation was performed just once a day by 15.2% and 5.9% of COVID-19 patients respectively. Self-medication was practiced by 11 (29.7%) patients.

Disposable face masks were worn by 23 (62.2%) patients beyond eight hours of continuous usage. The disposable type of face mask was not discarded despite becoming wet and cloth masks were worn by eight (21.6%) patients. Disposable gloves were only worn by 14 (37.8%) care providers of COVID-19 patients. As many as 10 (27%) patients were tested for COVID-19 after completion of home isolation.

Awareness of all mild symptoms and signs of the disease were known to only 19 (6.5%) participants. Normal oxygen saturation in the blood was known to 40 (13.6%) participants. Just six (2%) participants were aware of the correct duration of home isolation in a symptomatic patient with COVID-19. The recommended duration of hand washing with soap and water was known to 102 (34.7%) participants.

As many as 17.4% and 32.7% participants were not confident in using thermometer and pulse oximeter respectively.

Conclusion: Practices, awareness and perception regarding certain essential measures in COVID-19 home management were found lacking among a number of participants. These need to be addressed by suitable training programs among the general population.
Case Report: Aortic to right ventricular fistula after TAVR in a patient with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: Garcia-Gomez Sergio , Gonzalez-Lopez Esther , Oteo Juan Francisco
Published: December 2021

Aortic to right ventricular fistula formation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a rare complication. We describe the first case of an aorto-RV fistula after TAVR, conservatively managed, in a patient with concomitant aortic stenosis and wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. Given that the underlying pathology may have implications, transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis screening in patients undergoing TAVR is warranted.
Digitalization of the Economy and Efficiency of Tax Control
Authors: Ahmadeev R. , Morozova T.
Published: December 2021

The annually developed in the Russian Federation main directions of the budget policy of the state, on the one hand, are aimed at maintaining the necessary level of tax burden on various categories of taxpayers, taking into account industry specifics. On the other hand, the ongoing control over the observance of the minimum values of the fiscal burden. These circumstances provide the necessary monetary resources to the revenue part of budgets of all levels. In addition, the implementation of functions by public institutions at the appropriate level is taken into account. These measures are aimed at ensuring a steady increase in the welfare of citizens. They stimulate the competitiveness of the domestic economy in the medium term. At the same time, the number of field tax audits as of July 01, 2021 decreased by 31% as compared to the same period as of July 01, 2017. The total number of additional accruals revealed by field tax inspections increased 2.5 times, reaching an average of 40.2 million rubles per inspection unit. At the same time, control and enforcement of tax compliance measures are increasing. The introduction of elements of digitalization is now an effective mechanism in the collection of information about the levels of consumption of individuals or households. It also takes into account the amount of capital and the amount of assets, grouped according to individual categories of households. Digitalization allows the transfer of information received from third parties, including the amount of income received, as well as the amount of consumption for the tax period. According to the results of the study, the dependence of digital technologies used by the fiscal authorities, the number of field tax audits and additional tax assessments were identified. In addition, possible areas of improvement of tax control methods in today's digital relationships were identified.
Study of the Patterns of Organizational Development of Construction Organizations in the Russian Federation Using Cluster Analysis
Authors: Bobkov Aleksandr
Published: December 2021

The article is devoted to the research of regularities of organizational development of construction companies of the Russian Federation and verification of the developed theoretical model of evolution of production (operational) structure. The proposed theoretical model is based on the hypothesis of the existence of two basic types of production (operational) structures - sequential and parallel - which dialectically change each other, qualitatively changing in the process of growth and development of organizations. The object of the study were construction companies (OKVED-2021 codes 41.2, 42.2, 42.9, 43.1, 43.2, 43.9 and 71.1) that are located in the Russian Federation. The cluster analysis was used as a method of research. The results of the study generally confirmed the hypothesis of two basic types of organizational structures and the theoretical model of the evolution of the production structure. The results of the study can be the basis for the development of business models of organizations in the construction industry.
Development Trends of Joint Stock Companies
Authors: Galanov Vladimir , Galanova A.
Published: December 2021

Joint-stock company is the pinnacle of development of organizational forms of functioning of private capital. Having emerged at a certain stage in the development of the market, a joint-stock company has become the leading form of concentration of private capital and the main source of their further growth including the form of citizens' money savings. The expansion of the size and circle of private capital owners, in turn, required further development of the specific composition of joint-stock companies, on the one hand, towards increasing their publicity and increasing the number of shareholders, and, on the other hand, in order to ensure the processes of the fastest, cheapest, complete and the relatively “safe” inclusion of small private savings in total equity. This revealed the specific process of the division of labor in the field of investment. Investment funds that specialized in "collecting" private savings for their investment in stakes in different companies have emerged, and professional financial intermediaries have developed in order to provide all the necessary services to ensure the process of mass investment in shares. Taken together, all these processes reflect the growth of the social character of modern private capital uniting in joint-stock companies and similar organizations. However, this process of growth of "socialization" of private capital has its own internal limit, which is that any form of pooling of private capital should not cease to be a source of growth of private capital and personal wealth of members of modern society.
Sagittal balance: from theory to clinical practice
Authors: Cirillo Totera Juan I. , Fleiderman Valenzuela José G. , Garrido Arancibia Jorge A. , Pantoja Contreras Samuel T. , Beaulieu Lalanne Lyonel , Alvarez-Lemos Facundo L.
Published: December 2021

Adequate sagittal balance (SB) is essential to maintain an upright, efficient, and painless posture. It has been shown that sagittal profile alterations affect quality of life of patients with a similar or even greater impact than chronic disease.

Evaluation of the SB has gained much relevance in recent years, with recognition of its importance in the evaluation of spinal pathology.

This review summarizes the basic principles of SB, aiming to obtain a practical, simple and understandable evaluation of the sagittal profile of a patient.

SB is a dynamic process that involves a varying degree of energy expenditure. Distinguishing between a balanced, compensated imbalance or decompensated imbalanced patient, is relevant to diagnosis and therapeutic decision-making.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:1193-1202. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.210062
Design and Performance Assessment of Dual-Speed Axial Threshing and Separation for Paddy Rice Combines
Authors: Tian Quan Li , Feng Xin , Wang Zhiming , Zhang Zhengzhong , Xiong Yongsen
Published: December 2021

Highlights

Dual-speed axial threshing and separation was designed to improve performance.

Loosely connected grains were removed firstly for reducing opportunity for breakage.

Machine is complex but a lower effective cylinder speed can reach a good performance.

Reasonable feed rate and concave clearance could maintain quality and throughput.

ABSTRACT. This research was conducted to assess the performance of a combine, model number 4LZ-4.0 under different threshing functional parameters such as speed of high/low speed cylinder, cylinder-concave clearance and linear speed of concave sieve. An indoor experiment was conducted using the dual-speed axial threshing and separation. These functional parameters were set at five levels. The responses were obtained in terms of broken rate, impurity rate and loss rate. Multi-objective variable optimization was performed using Design-Expert 6.0.10 software. Analysis of variance was done to determine the significant effects of the factor variations on the response values. Design-Expert 6.0.10 software was used to present response surface graphs that were used to describe the variations of the responses as the factors changed from one level to the other. Results showed that with an increase in speed of high/low speed cylinder from 15.42/18.50-22.92/27.50m/s, the percentage of broken rate increased significantly from 0.15% to 1.13%, respectively. At cylinder speeds of 15.42/18.50m/s and 22.92/27.50 m/s rpm, the impurity rate increased from 0.31% to 1.62%, respectively. It was also realized that varying the speed of high/low speed cylinder had a significant effect on the broken rate and impurity rate. The impurity rate increased with an increase in Linear speed of concave sieve from 0.40 to 1.60 m/s, the percentage of impurity rate increased significantly from 0.31% to 1.62% respectively. However, the lowest impurity rate was obtained at an average linear speed of concave sieve of 0.99 m/s. Furthermore, it was realized that increasing the cylinder-concave clearance from 16 to 30 mm, equally increased the percentage of loss rate from 1.78% to 2.93%. From the results obtained, it was suggested that operating the threshing cylinder at a speed of high/low speed cylinder of 18.31/21.97 m/s, cylinder-concave clearance of 22.60 mm and linear velocity of rotary concave of 0.99 m/s, gave a better performance of the machine. Keywords: Axial threshing and separation, Cylinder-concave clearance, Dual-speed, Functional parameters, Linear speed of concave sieve, Speed of high/low speed cylinder.
Thermophysical Properties of Baled Switchgrass
Authors: Schiavone Drew F , Montross Michael D
Published: December 2021

Highlights

Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of baled switchgrass were measured with a dual thermal probe.

Specific heat of baled switchgrass was estimated based on other thermophysical parameters.

Thermophysical parameters were modeled as functions of the material properties using multiple regression.

Anisotropism was observed with different heat transfer rates occurring in each directional orientation.

Abstract.Although the thermophysical properties of baled biomass play a critical role in developing postharvest quality models, these parameters have not been investigated for many bulk agricultural feedstocks including switchgrass. In this study, a dual thermal probe, consisting of a thermal conductivity probe and separate thermal diffusivity probe, was used to determine the thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat of lab-scale rectangular bales of switchgrass (~10.16 × 10.16 × 30.48 cm). Thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat ranged from 1.04E-2 to 6.10E-2 W m-1 °C-1, 0.863E-7 to 2.284E-7 m2 s-1, and 0.40 to 2.51 kJ kg-1 °C-1, respectively, depending on temperature (20.3°C, 30.2°C, and 40.1°C), moisture content (11.4%, 20.8%, 29.0%, and 42.3% on a wet basis), bulk density (157.2, 172.4, 197.2, and 230.1 kg m-3) and directional orientation (lateral or transverse). The results of this study promote a practical understanding of heat transfer within baled switchgrass while defining the dynamic relationship to material properties through multiple regression analysis. Anisotropism between the lateral and transverse bale orientations was observed with different heat transfer rates observed in both directional orientations. This anisotropism was attributed to the unique physical composition of the bulk material in the axial direction of bale compression (i.e., variation in porosity, discontinuous porous cavities, and material heterogeneity) compared to the composition of continuous stem material forming a layered flake of the rectangular bale. Keywords: Biomass, Bioprocessing, High solids, Thermal conductivity, Thermal diffusivity.
Design and Experiment of Stubble Chopping and Scattering Device Based on 2BMFJ-12 No-tillage Precision Planter
Authors: Hou Shouyin , Zhu Yifan , Zhu Xiaoxin , Fu Chuang , Ji Wenyi , Chen Haitao
Published: December 2021

Highlights

A stubble chopping and scattering device based on 2BMFJ-12 no-tillage precision planter was modelled and developed.

The optimal working parameters were obtained through theoretical analysis, flow field simulation, field test, and optimization combination test,

The device improves the straw chopping and scattering ability of no-tillage planter.

Technical support is provided for the development of conservation tillage equipment.

Abstract.Aiming at the problems of poor stubble chopping quality of 2BMFJ-12 no-tillage precision planter, leading to slow stubble degradation rate, inconsistent seedlings emergence, and partial surface exposure, affecting tillage and crop yield at seedling stage, the stubble chopping and dispersal device was designed. The theoretical analysis of the corn stubble picking and chopping processes was carried out. The flow field characteristics in the volute were simulated by SolidWorks Flow Simulation. The main parameters and value range affecting the working performance of the device were determined. The orthogonal experiment method of three factors and three levels was used to carry out the field experiment with the angle of broken cutter, the rotation speed of cutter shaft and the inclination angle of negative pressure blade as the experiment factors, and the qualified broken rate, the uneven coverage, the scattering distance and the power consumption as the evaluation indexes. The variance analysis and optimization of the experiment results were carried out by Design-Expert 6.0.10. The optimized combination of parameters is that when the inclination angle of the chopping knife is -10.5°, the rotational speed of the knife shaft is 1120 r·min-1, and the inclination angle of the negative pressure blade is -15°, the qualified rate of chopping is greater than 93.01%, the coverage unevenness is less than 17.11%, the scattering distance is greater than 6.80 m, and the power consumption is less than 6.79 kW. The research results provide technical support for 2BMFJ no-tillage precision planter to improve stubble chopping and covering quality. Keywords: Corn stubble, No-tillage sowing, Scattering distance, Stubble broken, Uniform coverage.
Pump-efficient flattop O+E-bands bismuth-doped fiber amplifier with 116 nm –3 dB gain bandwidth
Authors: Ososkov Yan , Khegai Aleksandr , Firstov Sergei , Riumkin Konstantin , Alyshev Sergey , Kharakhordin Alexander , Lobanov Alexey , Guryanov Alexey , Melkumov Mikhail
Published: December 2021

We report on a new record in the field of broadband BDFA in the O+E spectral range. Using only 250 mW single wavelength pump at 1256 nm and a low-OH bismuth-doped fiber containing two types of bismuth active centers, we achieved >23 dB gain from 1325 nm to 1441 nm with flatness <3 dB and a NF of <6.8 dB. Three different pump wavelengths were considered: 1230, 1256, 1270 nm. Pumping at the shortest wavelength enabled wider gain bandwidth – 125 nm but required pump power up to ∼620 mW, whereas the longest one provided higher pump efficiency but narrower gain bandwidth. We also studied multiple wavelength amplification effects in the BDFA to reveal potential problems with simultaneous broadband signal amplification in such amplifiers.
Measurement error model of the bio-inspired polarization imaging orientation sensor
Authors: Wan Zhenhua , Zhao Kaichun , Li Yahong , Chu Jinkui
Published: December 2021

This article studies the measurement error model and calibration method of the bio-inspired polarization imaging orientation sensor (BPIOS), which has important engineering significance for promoting bio-inspired polarization navigation. Firstly, we systematically analyzed the measurement errors in the imaging process of polarized skylight and accurately established an error model of BPIOS based on Stokes vector. Secondly, using the simulated Rayleigh skylight as the incident surface light source, the influence of multi-source factors on the measurement accuracy of BPIOS is quantitatively given for the first time. These simulation results can guide the later calibration of BPIOS. We then proposed a calibration method of BPIOS based on geometric parameters and the Mueller matrix of the optical system and conducted an indoor calibration experiment. Experimental results show that the measurement accuracy of the calibrated BPIOS can reach 0.136°. Finally, the outdoor performance of BPIOS is studied. Outdoor dynamic performance test and field compensation were performed. Outdoor results show that the heading accuracy of BPIOS is 0.667°.
Sub-sampling generation of ultra-high baud rate PAM/QAM signals via high-order partial response narrowing
Authors: Zhu Yixiao , Fang Xiansong , Zhang Lei , Zhang Fan , Hu Weisheng
Published: December 2021

Ultra-high baud rate signal generation and detection is of great importance for future intra-data-center interconnect (intra-DCI). In this work, based on a single digital-to-analog convertor (DAC) with 120GSa/s sampling rate, we experimentally demonstrate sub-sampling generation of pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) signals by using high-order partial response narrowing (HPRN) scheme. High-order partial response is utilized to concentrate most of the signal energy into the Nyquist region of DAC sampling rate. A digital brick-wall filter is then employed to avoid spectral overlap by removing the out-of-band components in the frequency domain. The manually induced inter-symbol interference (ISI) can be eliminated by maximum likelihood sequence detection (MLSD) at the receiver. In the experiment, 210Gbaud on-off keying (OOK) signal can be successfully generated and transmitted over 500m standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) with bit-error rate (BER) below the 20% hard-decision forward error correction (HD-FEC) threshold of 1.5×10−2, achieving sub-sampling rate of 0.571. For high-order modulation formats, 217.5Gb/s (145Gbaud) PAM-3 BTB generation and 256Gb/s (128Gbaud) PAM-4 500m transmission are also realized, respectively. Furthermore, for coherent detection systems, 160Gbaud quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signal generation is demonstrated by applying HPRN on the in-phase and quadrature components separately, and using carrier phase recovery including pilot symbol group-based coarse estimation and shaped constellation-based blind phase search (BPS) algorithm. The results reveal that the HPRN scheme can extend the usage of DAC at the expense of higher optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) for 200G high-speed optical links and beyond.
Temperature-dependent photon detection efficiency model for InGaAs/InP SPADs
Authors: Telesca Fabio , Signorelli Fabio , Tosi Alberto
Published: December 2021

InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are nowadays employed in many photon-counting applications in the near-infrared range. Photon detection efficiency (PDE) is one of the most important parameters of these detectors and here we present a model to precisely estimate it at different temperatures. Starting from optical and electrical TCAD simulations, we selected the most suitable models for the complex refractive indexes, ionization coefficients and minority carrier lifetime from the literature, and adjusted them so to include temperature and doping dependences. The good agreement between measured and simulated curves shows that our model is a valid tool to estimate PDE before device fabrication.
Six-primary-laser projection display system: demonstration and stereo color gamut measurement
Authors: Zhu Liquan , Wang Guan , Yang Yuhua , Yao Binghui , Gu Chun , Xu Lixin
Published: December 2021

The mainstream light sources of display systems currently include LEDs, OLEDs, micro-LEDs, and lasers, primarily based on the three primary color systems with different color rendering abilities. A narrow-spectrum light source, such as laser, is typically used to enlarge the color gamut of a display system. Another approach is to add more primaries. In this regard, we develop a six-primary-laser projection display system compatible with 2D and 3D display, with wavelengths of 445 nm, 465 nm, 520 nm, 550 nm, 638 nm and 660 nm. We propose a simple, fast method to determine the luminance of each primary laser, by which the gamut volume can be calculated. We also propose a gamut measurement method for the six-primary-laser display system, describe the gamut boundary, and measure the gamut volume. The calculated maximum color gamut of the proposed system is 2347400, corresponding to 184.49% NTSC, while the measured color gamut is 2269900, corresponding to 178.4% NTSC. These results are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations, indicating the accuracy of the proposed analytical and experimental methods. Moreover, the time-multiplexed stereoscopic display technology and the spectral separation method would allow the development of a remarkable three-dimensional visual experience with high light efficiency and low crosstalk in full-field of view.
GCAEMDA: Predicting miRNA-disease associations via graph convolutional autoencoder
Authors: Li Lei , Wang Yu-Tian , Ji Cun-Mei , Zheng Chun-Hou , Ni Jian-Cheng , Su Yan-Sen
Published: December 2021

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs related to a number of complicated biological processes. A growing body of studies have suggested that miRNAs are closely associated with many human diseases. It is meaningful to consider disease-related miRNAs as potential biomarkers, which could greatly contribute to understanding the mechanisms of complex diseases and benefit the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of extraordinary diseases. In this study, we presented a novel model named Graph Convolutional Autoencoder for miRNA-Disease Association Prediction (GCAEMDA). In the proposed model, we utilized miRNA-miRNA similarities, disease-disease similarities and verified miRNA-disease associations to construct a heterogeneous network, which is applied to learn the embeddings of miRNAs and diseases. In addition, we separately constructed miRNA-based and disease-based sub-networks. Combining the embeddings of miRNAs and diseases, graph convolutional autoencoder (GCAE) was utilized to calculate association scores of miRNA-disease on two sub-networks, respectively. Furthermore, we obtained final prediction scores between miRNAs and diseases by adopting an average ensemble way to integrate the prediction scores from two types of subnetworks. To indicate the accuracy of GCAEMDA, we applied different cross validation methods to evaluate our model whose performances were better than the state-of-the-art models. Case studies on a common human diseases were also implemented to prove the effectiveness of GCAEMDA. The results demonstrated that GCAEMDA was beneficial to infer potential associations of miRNA-disease.