bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and influencing factors of nonunion in patients with tibial fracture: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tian Ruifeng , Zheng Fang , Zhao Wei , Zhang Yuhui , Yuan Jinping , Zhang Bowen , Li Liangman
Published: September 2020

Objective

The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of nonunion in patients with tibia fracture and the association between influencing factors and tibia fracture nonunion.

Method

A database searches of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Weipu database, and Wanfang database from inception until June 2019 was conducted. The pooled prevalence, odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with Stata software.

Results

In this study, 111 studies involving 41,429 subjects were included. In the study of the relationship between influencing factors and tibia fracture nonunion, 15 factors significantly influenced the fracture union, including > 60 years old, male, tobacco smoker, body mass index > 40, diabetes, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) user, opioids user, fracture of middle and distal tibia, high-energy fracture, open fracture, Gustilo-Anderson grade IIIB or IIIC, Müller AO Classification of Fractures C, open reduction, fixation model, and infection.

Conclusion

The prevalence of nonunion in patients with tibia fracture was 0.068 and 15 potential factors were associated with the prevalence. Closed reduction and minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) have the low risks of nonunion for the treatment of tibial fractures.
Reflections on treatment of COVID-19 with traditional Chinese medicine
Authors: Luo Hua , Gao Yan , Zou Jian , Zhang Siyuan , Chen Hanbin , Liu Qiao , Tan Dechao , Han Yan , Zhao Yonghua , Wang Shengpeng
Published: September 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is spreading rapidly around the globe. By the establishment of an integrative system combining both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and western medicine, China has achieved good clinical efficacy in the prevention and control of the pandemic. The advantages of TCM in the treatment of COVID-19 include effective relief of symptoms, retarding the development from mild and moderate to severe, improvement of cure rate, reducing death rates, and promotion of rehabilitation. Besides, according to the different severity levels of individual cases, the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China issued treatment guidelines that provide corresponding prescriptions for patients. From the perspective of TCM, this review aims to analyze the role of a variety of TCM prescriptions in the treatment of COVID-19, focusing on the analysis of the “Three TCM prescriptions and three medicines” recommended by the Chinese authorities during the pandemic. We expect that this review will provide insights into the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 with TCM.
Advances in synthetic lethality for cancer therapy: cellular mechanism and clinical translation
Authors: Topatana Win , Juengpanich Sarun , Li Shijie , Cao Jiasheng , Hu Jiahao , Lee Jiyoung , Suliyanto Kenneth , Ma Diana , Zhang Bin , Chen Mingyu , Cai Xiujun
Published: September 2020

Synthetic lethality is a lethal phenomenon in which the occurrence of a single genetic event is tolerable for cell survival, whereas the co-occurrence of multiple genetic events results in cell death. The main obstacle for synthetic lethality lies in the tumor biology heterogeneity and complexity, the inadequate understanding of synthetic lethal interactions, drug resistance, and the challenges regarding screening and clinical translation. Recently, DNA damage response inhibitors are being tested in various trials with promising results. This review will describe the current challenges, development, and opportunities for synthetic lethality in cancer therapy. The characterization of potential synthetic lethal interactions and novel technologies to develop a more effective targeted drug for cancer patients will be explored. Furthermore, this review will discuss the clinical development and drug resistance mechanisms of synthetic lethality in cancer therapy. The ultimate goal of this review is to guide clinicians at selecting patients that will receive the maximum benefits of DNA damage response inhibitors for cancer therapy.
Implementation of strength-based case management for opioid-dependent patients presenting in medical emergency departments: rationale and study design of a randomized trial
Authors: Regis Amber , Meyers-Ohki Sarah E. , Mennenga Sarah E. , Greco Peter P. , Glisker Richard , Kolaric Rhonda , McCormack Ryan P. , Rapp Richard C. , Bogenschutz Michael P.
Published: September 2020

Background

As the USA grapples with an opioid epidemic, medical emergency departments (EDs) have become a critical setting for intervening with opioid-dependent patients. Brief interventions designed to bridge the gap from acute ED care to longer-term treatment have shown limited efficacy for this population. Strength-based case management (SBCM) has shown strong effects on treatment linkage among patients with substance use disorders in other healthcare settings. This study aimed to investigate whether SBCM is an effective model for linking opioid-dependent ED patients with addiction treatment and pharmacotherapy. Here, we describe the implementation and challenges of adapting SBCM for the ED (SBCM-ED). Study rationale, design, and baseline characteristics are also described.

Methods

This study compared the effects of SBCM-ED to screening, assessment, and referral alone (SAR) on treatment linkage, substance use, and functioning. We recruited participants from a public hospital in NYC. Working alliance between case managers and participants and the feasibility of SBCM implementation were evaluated. Baseline data from the randomized sample were analyzed for group equivalency. Outcomes analyses are forthcoming.

Results

Three hundred adult participants meeting DSM-IV criteria for opioid dependence were randomly assigned to either SBCM, in which they received a maximum of six case management sessions within 90 days of enrollment, or SAR, in which they received a comprehensive referral list and pamphlet outlining drug use consequences. No significant differences were found between groups at baseline on demographic or substance use characteristics. All SAR participants and 92.6% of SBCM-ED participants initiated their assigned intervention. Over half of SBCM-ED first sessions occurred in the ED on the day of enrollment. Case managers developed a strong working alliance with SBCM-ED participants after just one session.

Conclusion

Interventions that exceed SBIRT were accepted by an opioid-dependent patient population seen in an urban medical ED. At the time of study funding, this trial was one of the first to focus specifically on this population in this challenging setting. The successful implementation of SBCM demonstrates its adaptability to the ED and may serve as a potential model for EDs seeking to adopt an intervention that overcomes the barrier between the ED encounter and more intensive treatment.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govNCT02586896. Registered on 27 October 2015.
Genome sequences of two clinical Escherichia coli isolates harboring the novel colistin-resistance gene variants mcr-1.26 and mcr-1.27
Authors: Neumann Bernd , Rackwitz Wiebke , Hunfeld Klaus-Peter , Fuchs Stephan , Werner Guido , Pfeifer Yvonne
Published: September 2020

Background

Colistin is still a widely used antibiotic in veterinary medicine although it is a last-line treatment option for hospitalized patients with infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Colistin resistance has gained additional importance since the recent emergence of mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes. In the scope of a study on colistin resistance in clinical Escherichia coli isolates from human patients in Germany we characterized the mcr-1 gene variants.

Results

Our PCR-based screening for mcr-carrying E. coli from German patients revealed the presence of mcr-1-like genes in 60 isolates. Subsequent whole-genome sequence-based analyses detected one non-synonymous mutation in the mcr-1 gene for two isolates. The mutations were verified by Sanger sequencing and resulted in amino acid changes Met1Thr (isolate 803-18) and Tyr9Cys (isolate 844-18). Genotyping revealed no relationship between the isolates. The two clinical isolates were assigned to sequence types ST155 (isolate 803-18) and ST69 (isolate 844-18). Both mcr-1 variants were found to be located on IncX4 plasmids of 33 kb size; these plasmids were successfully conjugated into sodium azide resistant E. coli J53 Azir in a broth mating experiment.

Conclusions

Here we present the draft sequences of E. coli isolate 803-18 carrying the novel variant mcr-1.26 and isolate 844-14 carrying the novel variant mcr-1.27. The results highlight the increasing issue of transferable colistin resistance.
Stability of serum precipitins to Aspergillus fumigatus for the diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Lau Kevin S. K. , Yeung Chantane , Carlsten Chris
Published: September 2020

Background

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) reflects hypersensitivity and an exaggerated immune response to Aspergillus fumigatus. ABPA typically occurs in individuals with airway diseases such as asthma or cystic fibrosis and is associated with worse outcomes for individuals with these conditions. Each year, physicians across the province of British Columbia submit over 2600 diagnostic testing requests to a centralized location in Vancouver, requiring specimen collection, storage, and shipment from different clinics across the province. Timely and reliable testing of Aspergillus precipitins is critical to optimizing diagnosis and management of ABPA. At our centre, we analyzed sample stability in varying storage conditions to provide guidance to those using this routine diagnostic test.

Methods

To determine temperature and time stability, 31 serum specimens positive for Aspergillus fumigatus precipitins from routine clinical testing were each aliquoted and incubated at 4 and 37 °C. Samples were repeatedly assayed for precipitins to Aspergillus fumigatus via agarose gel double immunodiffusion (AGID) at 7, 14, and 28 days post-incubation.

To determine freeze–thaw stability, 39 serum specimens submitted for routine clinical testing for Aspergillus precipitins were randomly selected. Each specimen was aliquoted and stored at 4 or −20 °C. 4 °C samples were maintained at 4 °C while −20 °C samples were split into three groups corresponding to one, two, or three freeze–thaw cycles. −20 °C samples were thawed at room temperature in the morning and then immediately frozen overnight for up to a total of three freeze–thaw cycles.

Results

Regarding temperature and time stability, median stability time was 47 and 34 days at 4 and 37 °C, respectively. The log-rank model indicates no statistically significant difference between the two temperature storage conditions (p = 0.14) with a hazard ratio of 0.61 (95% CI, 0.31–1.2).

In terms of freeze–thaw stability, no indication of serum degradation with regards to Aspergillus fumigatus precipitins was found with repeated freeze–thaw cycles as compared to refrigerated storage.

Conclusions

The stability of serum precipitins to Aspergillus fumigatus was found to be dependent on time, but not temperature and freeze–thaw cycles. Specimens for Aspergillus fumigatus precipitins testing should be shipped at ambient temperature and tested within 2 weeks from collection.
The anti-fibrotic effect of human fetal skin-derived stem cell secretome on the liver fibrosis
Authors: Yao Xia , Wang Jing , Zhu Jiajing , Rong Xiaoli
Published: September 2020

Background

Liver fibrosis resulting from chronic liver injury is one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. Stem cell-secreted secretome has been evaluated for overcoming the limitations of cell-based therapy in hepatic disease, while maintaining its advantages.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the effect of human fetal skin-derived stem cell (hFSSC) secretome in the treatment of liver fibrosis. To determine the therapeutic potential of the hFSSC secretome in liver fibrosis, we established the CCl4-induced rat liver fibrosis model and administered hFSSC secretome in vivo. Moreover, we investigated the anti-fibrotic mechanism of hFSSC secretome in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).

Results

Our results showed that hFSSC secretome effectively reduced collagen content in liver, improved the liver function and promoted liver regeneration. Interestingly, we also found that hFSSC secretome reduced liver fibrosis through suppressing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. In addition, we found that hFSSC secretome inhibited the TGF-β1, Smad2, Smad3, and Collagen I expression, however, increased the Smad7 expression.

Conclusions

In conclusions, our results suggest that hFSSC secretome treatment could reduce CCl4-induced liver fibrosis via regulating the TGF-β/Smad signal pathway.
Mesenchymal stem cell-based cell-free strategies: safe and effective treatments for liver injury
Authors: Hu Chenxia , Zhao Lingfei , Zhang Lingjian , Bao Qiongling , Li Lanjuan
Published: September 2020

Various hepatoxic factors, such as viruses, drugs, lipid deposition, and autoimmune responses, induce acute or chronic liver injury, and 3.5% of all worldwide deaths result from liver cirrhosis, liver failure, or hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver transplantation is currently limited by few liver donors, expensive surgical costs, and severe immune rejection. Cell therapy, including hepatocyte transplantation and stem cell transplantation, has recently become an attractive option to reduce the overall need for liver transplantation and reduce the wait time for patients. Recent studies showed that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) administration was a promising therapeutic approach for promoting liver regeneration and repairing liver injury by the migration of cells into liver sites, hepatogenic differentiation, immunoregulation, and paracrine mechanisms. MSCs secrete a large number of molecules into the extracellular space, and soluble proteins, free nucleic acids, lipids, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) effectively repair tissue injury in response to fluctuations in physiological states or pathological conditions. Cell-free-based therapies avoid the potential tumorigenicity, rejection of cells, emboli formation, undesired differentiation, and infection transmission of MSC transplantation. In this review, we focus on the potential mechanisms of MSC-based cell-free strategies for attenuating liver injury in various liver diseases. Secretome-mediated paracrine effects participate in the regulation of the hepatic immune microenvironment and promotion of hepatic epithelial repair. We look forward to completely reversing liver injury through an MSC-based cell-free strategy in regenerative medicine in the near future.
Quality and best practice in medical laboratories: specific requests for autoimmunity testing
Authors: Sack Ulrich , Bossuyt Xavier , Andreeva Hristina , Antal-Szalmás Péter , Bizzaro Nicola , Bogdanos Dimitrios , Borzova Elena , Conrad Karsten , Dragon-Durey Marie-Agnes , Eriksson Catharina , Fischer Katarzyna , Haapala Anna-Maija , Heijnen Ingmar , Herold Manfred , Klotz Werner , Kozmar Ana , Tesija Kuna Andrea , López Hoyos Marcos , Malkov Vladimir A. , Musset Lucile , Nagy Eszter , Rönnelid Johan , Shoenfeld Yehuda , Sundic Tatjana , Tsirogianni Alexandra , Uibo Raivo , Rego Sousa Maria José , Damoiseaux Jan ,   on behalf of the European Autoimmunity Standardisation Initiative
Published: September 2020

Special conditions associated with laboratory autoimmune testing are not well compatible with recent developments in regulatory frameworks such as EN/ISO 15189 accreditation or in vitro diagnostic medical device regulation (IVD-R). In addition, international recommendations, guidelines and disease criteria are poorly defined with respect to requirements on autoantibody testing. Laboratory specialists from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The Netherlands collected information, reported national experience, and identified quality issues in relation to autoantibody testing that require consensus on interpretation of the regulatory frameworks and guidelines. This process has been organized by the European Autoimmunity Standardisation Initiative (EASI). By identifying the critical items and looking for a consensus, our objective was to define a framework for, in particular, EN/ISO accreditation purposes. Here, we present a review of current publications and guidelines in this field to unify national guidelines and deliver in this way a European handout on quality control and accreditation for laboratories involved in autoantibody testing. We focus on quality items that can be checked during accreditation visits. Despite various local varieties, we encountered an overwhelming dedication to quality assurance in all contributing countries.
Canine Parvovirus is diagnosed and neutralized by chicken IgY-scFv generated against the virus capsid protein
Authors: Ge Shikun , Xu Long , Li Ben , Zhong Fagang , Liu Xiang , Zhang Xiaoying
Published: September 2020

Canine parvovirus (CPV) can cause acute and highly contagious bloody enteritis in dog. To obtain antibodies against CPV, hens were immunized with virus-like particles (VLP) of CPV-VP2. The IgY single chain fragment variables (scFv) were generated by T7 phage display system and expressed in E. coli system. The titer of the primary scFv library reached to 1.5 × 106 pfu/mL, and 95% of the phages contained the target fragments. The CPV-VLP and CPV-VP2 protein showed similar reaction values to the purified scFv in the ELISA test, and the results of ELISA analysis using IgY-scFv toward CPV clinical samples were consistent with commercial immunochromatographic assay (ICA) and PCR detection, the scFv did not show cross reactivity with canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine coronavirus (CCV). IgY-scFv was successfully expressed in CRFK cells, and in the virus suppression assay, 55% of CPV infections were eliminated within 24 h. Docking results demonstrated that the number of amino acids of the binding sides between scFv and VP2 were AA37 and AA40, respectively. This study revealed the feasibility of a novel functional antibody fragment development strategy by generating diversified avian IgY-scFv libraries towards the pathogenic target of interest for both detection and therapeutic purposes in veterinary medicine.
On a fractional q-differential inclusion on a time scale via endpoints and numerical calculations
Authors: Samei Mohammad Esmael , Rezapour Shahram
Published: September 2020

By using an endpoint result for set-valued maps, we study the existence of solutions for a fractional q-differential inclusion with sum and integral boundary value conditions on the time scale $\mathbb{T}_{t_{0}}= \{t_{0} q, t_{0} q^{2},\ldots \} \cup \{0\}$

T

t
0

=
{

t
0

q
,

t
0

q
2

,
…
}
∪
{
0
}
, where $t_{0}$

t
0

is a real number and $q \in (0,1)$
q
∈
(
0
,
1
)
. We provide an example involving some graphs and algorithms via numerical calculations to illustrate our main result.
On weak and strong convergence results for generalized equilibrium variational inclusion problems in Hilbert spaces
Authors: Rezapour Shahram , Zakeri Seyyed Hasan
Published: September 2020

We introduce a new iterative method for finding a common element of the set of fixed points of pseudo-contractive mapping, the set of solutions to a variational inclusion and the set of solutions to a generalized equilibrium problem in a real Hilbert space. We provide some results about strongly and weakly convergent of the iterative scheme sequence to a point $p\in \varOmega $
p
∈
Ω
which is the unique solution of a variational inequality, where Ω is an intersection of set as given by ${\varOmega }=F(S)\cap (A+B)^{-1}(0) \cap N^{-1}(0)\cap \operatorname{GEP}(F,M)\neq \emptyset $
Ω
=
F
(
S
)
∩

(
A
+
B
)

−
1

(
0
)
∩

N

−
1

(
0
)
∩
GEP
(
F
,
M
)
≠
∅
. This gives us a common solution. Also, We show that our results extend some published recent results in this field. Finally, we provide an example to illustrate our main result.
Extreme geomagnetic activities: a statistical study
Authors: Kataoka Ryuho
Published: September 2020

Statistical distributions are investigated for magnetic storms, sudden commencements (SCs), and substorms to identify the possible amplitude of the one in 100-year and 1000-year events from a limited data set of less than 100 years. The lists of magnetic storms and SCs are provided from Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, while the lists of substorms are obtained from SuperMAG. It is found that majorities of events essentially follow the log-normal distribution, as expected from the random output from a complex system. However, it is uncertain that large-amplitude events follow the same log-normal distributions, and rather follow the power-law distributions. Based on the statistical distributions, the probable amplitudes of the 100-year (1000-year) events can be estimated for magnetic storms, SCs, and substorms as approximately 750 nT (1100 nT), 230 nT (450 nT), and 5000 nT (6200 nT), respectively. The possible origin to cause the statistical distributions is also discussed, consulting the other space weather phenomena such as solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and solar energetic particles.
Severe proteinuria during the administration of bevacizumab plus mFOLFOX6 in a colorectal cancer patient after kidney transplantation: a case report
Authors: Onodera Ren , Nihei Satoru , Kimura Toshimoto , Tomita Takashi , Kudo Kenzo
Published: September 2020

Background

Bevacizumab (BEV) leads to proteinuria and renal damage. It is not clear whether the administration of immunosuppressive drugs after renal transplantation affects the safety of BEV administration. We report a case of severe proteinuria caused by BEV plus 5-fluorouracil, levofolinate, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6) in a patient who had previously undergone kidney transplantation and the administration of tacrolimus.

Case presentation

The patient was a 67-year-old man with a history of diabetes and hypertension. He developed chronic renal failure 14 years earlier and underwent right kidney transplantation from a living donor followed by the administration of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil for immunosuppression. After kidney transplantation, the patient was diagnosed with colorectal cancer with multiple lung and liver metastases and received BEV plus mFOLFOX6. After 5 cycles, proteinuria was observed, with a urinary protein concentration of > 300 mg/dL (urine protein creatinine ratio: 3.5), and after 16 cycles, the urinary protein concentration was > 1000 mg/dL (urine protein creatinine ratio: 7.1). Subsequently, BEV was discontinued, and only mFOLFOX6 administration was continued. Tacrolimus continued to be administered during chemotherapy. There was no association between serum tacrolimus concentration and proteinuria.

Conclusions

In this case, BEV administration caused severe proteinuria without affecting blood levels of tacrolimus. Patients with risk factors for renal impairment should be carefully evaluated for the risks and benefits of BEV administration.
Correction to: Wheat root transcriptional responses against Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici
Authors: Zhang Jie , Yan Haixia , Xia Mingcong , Han Xiaoyun , Xie Lihua , Goodwin Paul H. , Quan Xin , Sun Runhong , Wu Chao , Yang Lirong
Published: September 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Economics and Engineering
Authors: Blockley David
Published: September 2020

This article contends that knowing and doing have become artificially separated in Western intellectual culture. The emphasis on scientific knowing has led to an overconfidence in our ability to predict the future and a neglect of the need to control complex and often unforeseen, unintended consequences of our practical actions. My purpose here to explore the relationship between economics and engineering not in analogy but in actuality. The strategy is, first, to set the context for this discussion; second, to look at the nature of science and mathematics in relation to engineering; and third, to explore some of what I see as the main similarities and differences between engineering and economics.
A Century of Economics and Engineering at Stanford
Authors: Cherrier Beatrice , Saïdi Aurélien
Published: September 2020

This article documents the disciplinary exchanges between economists and engineers at Stanford throughout the twentieth century. We outline the role of key scholars such as Kenneth Arrow and Robert Wilson, as well as engineers turned administrators like Frederick Terman. We show that engineers drew upon economic theories of decision and allocation to improve practical industrial management decisions. Reciprocally, economists found in engineering the tools that they needed to rethink production and growth theory (including linear programming, optimal control theory, an epistemology of “application” that emphasized awareness to institutional details, trials and errors and experiments). By the 2000s, they had turned into economic engineers designing markets and other allocation mechanisms. These cross-disciplinary exchanges were mediated by Stanford’s own institutional culture, notably its use of joint appointments, the development of multidisciplinary “programs” for students, the ability to attract a variety of visitors every year, the entrepreneurial and contract-oriented vision of its administrators, and the close ties with the industrial milieu that came to be called the Silicon Valley.
Research and Development, Testing, and the Economics of Information, 1937–63
Authors: Thomas William
Published: September 2020

American mathematicians’ contributions to the engineering and production of equipment in World War II included the exploration of ways to improve choices between competing designs and maximize the value of experimental testing of prototypes. After the war, these contributions were extended, particularly at the RAND Corporation. Working on such matters, Kenneth Arrow took a keen interest in testing as a paradigm for information gathering in economic decision-making and in encouraging investment in R&D as an information-gathering exercise essential to making informed choices in military systems acquisition. He later extended insights about the shortcomings of information gathering as a market activity to his touchstone analysis of disparities of information between physician and patient as a crucial aspect of the economics of medical care. While it is difficult to trace the precise influence of the work of Arrow and others around him on engineering and R&D management, the issues they grappled with have remained relevant for more than half a century.
From Varieties of Capitalism to European Growth Models: towards a critical synthesis
Authors: Tsigkou Dimitra
Published: September 2020

The widespread belief that globalization would lead to the gradual convergence of advanced capitalist economies was challenged by the emergence of the Comparative Capitalism (CC) literature. Arguably the most influential approach within CC is the Varieties of Capitalism (VoC) model which argues that differences among advanced capitalist economies not only do not fade away but may be amplified due to the disparate comparative institutional advantages that various socioeconomic models may hold. VoC, nonetheless, was soon criticized -among others- for its binary ontological framework and heuristic shortcomings by the second generation CC. Contemporary writings within the third generation CC suggest a radical break from VoC as the focus should be, it is argued, on the demand, rather than the supply, side of the economy. This article posits that while the third generation CC has shifted attention to other institutional and policy fields, emphasizing essentially macroeconomic issues vis-à-vis economic policy reform, an epistemological rapprochement between the two main strands of CC could offer a more contextualized understanding of the different proposals put forward by the member states regarding the on-going Eurozone reform effort.
Cardiometabolic health during early adulthood and risk of miscarriage: a prospective study
Authors: Magnus Maria C. , Ferreira Diana D. S. , Borges Maria Carolina , Tilling Kate , Lawlor Deborah A. , Fraser Abigail
Published: September 2020

Background: Several studies have found that women who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of miscarriage. There is also some evidence of associations of other aspects of cardiometabolic health, including blood pressure and lipids, with miscarriage risk, although these have not been examined to the same extent as body-mass index (BMI).

Methods: Our objective was to investigate the risk of miscarriage according to pre-pregnancy cardiometabolic health. We examined pre-pregnancy levels of BMI, blood pressure, fasting insulin and metabolites profile at age 18 and risk of miscarriage by age 24. The study included adult female offspring in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children with a pregnancy between 18 and 24 years of age (n=434 for BMI and blood pressure; n=265 for metabolites). We used log-binomial regression to calculate adjusted associations between cardiometabolic health measures and miscarriage.

Results: The overall risk of miscarriage was 22%.  The adjusted relative risks for miscarriage were 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92-1.00) for BMI (per unit increase), 0.98 (0.96-1.00) for systolic blood pressure, and 1.00 (0.97-1.04) for diastolic blood pressure (per 1 mmHg increase).  Total cholesterol, total lipids and phospholipids in HDL-cholesterol were associated with increased likelihood of miscarriage, but none of the p-values for the metabolites were below the corrected threshold for multiple testing (p-value ≤0.003).

Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy cardiometabolic health in late adolescence was not associated with miscarriage risk in young, healthy women who became pregnant before age 24.
IMMUNOLOGICAL DIAGNOSTICS SYSTEMIC CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASES
Authors: Borisova O.
Published: September 2020

Modern clinical immunology makes it possible to conduct fairly effective laboratory diagnostics of immuno-inflam-matory rheumatic diseases (IVRS). The applied methods make it possible to obtain objective information about the nature of immunopathological changes, being an important tool for diagnosis, assessment of activity, determining the prognosis, choosing a treatment method for the disease and monitoring the effectiveness of therapy. Currently, the optimal choice and use of immunological methods is possible. The main goal of laboratory diagnostics of IVRS is to obtain objective information about the presence and nature of immunopathological changes in the examined patient, which is an important tool for early diagnosis, assessment of activity, severity of the course, prognosis of the disease and the effectiveness of therapy.
Improvement of Lipid Profile and Antioxidant of Hyperlipidemic albino Rats by Functional Plantago psyllium Cake
Authors: Ismael Naglaa M. M. , Shehata Mohamed G.
Published: September 2020

Plantago psyllium (PP) seed (black psyllium) is a valuable medicinal plant with plenty of biologically effective compounds. In this study, We investigated the dose-dependent effects of PP-based cakes on hyperlipidemia and oxidative damage in male Albino rats. The PP-based cakes 10% and 30% were administered with a hyperlipidemic diet for 28 days. The consumption of PP-based cakes by hyperlipidemic rat caused a reduction in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels and an increase in HDL-cholesterol. Utilization of PP-based cakes improved the antioxidant enzyme activities of the liver (GSH, SOD, GPx, and CAT) and caused a reduction in peroxidation of lipids. Additionally, there were no significant changes in liver enzymes levels (ALT and AST) in both the control and treatment groups. Beneficial effects of PP seeds resulted from their content of sterols, fibers, flavonoids and polyphenols. Overall, the results indicate that Plantago psyllium (PP) seed are promising sources of natural antioxidants and hyperlipidemic that can be used as additives in functional foods.
A INVESTIGAÇÃO E O INSÓLITO EM “TLÖN, UQBAR, ORBIS TERTIUS”
Authors: Dos Reis Murilo Eduardo
Published: September 2020

O tema do artigo é o estudo do insólito em uma narrativa de mistério da autoria de Jorge Luis Borges. O objetivo é verificar como se dá o entrelaçamento de eventos estranhos com uma história de investigação. O corpus é composto por “Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius”, conto que integra o volume Ficções (2007) e tem como um de seus temas a hesitação de personagens leitores que se deparam com uma edição de enciclopédia que apresenta artigo sobre Uqbar, país que não consta no mapa. Assim, tomamos como apoio teórico textos críticos e analíticos de estudiosos que tratam de narrativas detetivescas e fantásticas, da obra de Jorge Luis Borges e de aspectos da narrativa, tais como Boileau e Narcejac (1990), Sandra Lúcia Reimão (1983), Tzvetan Todorov (2013) e Ricardo Piglia (2006).
BREVES CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE FERRAMENTA PSICOPEDAGÓGICA: CONTRIBUIÇÕES DA LITERATURA INFANTIL
Authors: Da Silva Bento Priscila Ferreira , Da Silva Vieira Sheila Venancia
Published: September 2020

Neste trabalho destaca-se que o uso da Literatura Infantil e seus elementos imagéticos, aliados ao conhecimento de técnicas psicopedagógicas, corrobora o processo de ensino-aprendizagem, apresentando-se como um recurso educativo de eficácia na escolarização de alunos com transtornos do neurodesenvolvimento. Apoiados pela perspectiva histórico-cultural de Vygotsky (2010), reafirma-se a relação desse processo com a mediação social. Com base na concepção do pensamento simbólico, busca-se o “entrelugar” das interações sociais e do estímulo a capacidade de aprendizagem e memorização. Como resultados, observaram se ganhos construídos na inserção de leituras e dinâmicas no ambiente escolar, nas habilidades afetivas, cognitivas e psíquicas, atendendo às especificidades do sujeito.
RENOVANDO O TEXTO LITERÁRIO: A ADAPTAÇÃO DE CLÁSSICOS PARA O PÚBLICO INFANTIL
Authors: Knapp Cristina Loff , Zinani Cecil Jeanine Albert , Acosta Carolina
Published: September 2020

Este estudo visa investigar como a adaptação de clássicos da literatura contribui para a formação de leitores, tendo como objeto de análise a comédia Sonho de uma noite de verão, de William Shakespeare, e a adaptação de Telma Guimarães Castro Andrade. Observa-se a relevância de evidenciar como os livros infantis, a partir da renovação de textos canônicos, possibilitam que uma nova geração reconheça a tradição literária e, futuramente, leia as obras originais. A metodologia empregada na realização da pesquisa foi, com base no levantamento bibliográfica, a interpretação e a comparação dos textos selecionados, focalizando nos enredos. As conclusões indicaram que o texto adaptado visa à adequação do texto primitivo ao leitor criança, a fim de aproximar seus destinatários da literatura.
Ações de extensão universitária: educação nutricional para idosas
Authors: Coutinho França Franciele , Da Conceição Sanches Leide , Da Lozzo Garbelini Maria Cecilia
Published: September 2020

A alimentação incorpora aspectos da vida humana, quais sejam emocionais, culturais e sociais, associados a momentos de prazer. O presente estudo se insere no âmbito da extensão universitária visando à educação nutricional para idosas. O objetivo do estudo foi promover atividade sobre educação nutricional para idosas em comunidade rural, por meio de troca de receitas trazidas pelas mesmas, para maior sensibilização e troca de experiências. Trata-se de uma pesquisa ação desenvolvida com um grupo de 130 idosas que se reúnem semanalmente no salão paroquial de uma cidade localizada na região metropolitana de Curitiba - PR. Para subsidiar as atividades educacionais, os extensionistas reuniram-se nos meses de agosto e setembro de 2018 para a elaboração de quatro atividades: pirâmide alimentar, orientação sobre o consumo de açúcar, gordura e sal encontrado em alimentos industrializados; modelo do prato saudável e paródia sobre alimentação saudável. O encontro com a comunidade ocorreu em outubro de 2018, por meio de uma prática reflexiva, com a de troca de saberes entre os acadêmicos extensionistas e as idosas. A atividade nutricional despertou vários questionamentos, não somente sobre a alimentação, mas também sobre patologias inerentes à idade tais como hipertensão e diabetes, bem como a rotina das participantes. A extensão possibilita a percepção da realidade e, por meio dela, a construção de novos e diferentes saberes a partir da fusão do conhecimento popular com o científico, além de favorecer a promoção da saúde a partir de um prisma holístico, com melhora na qualidade de vida, onde as diversas visões de mundo são respeitadas.
Processo de internação em clínica cirúrgica de um hospital público universitário
Authors: Albuquerque Nadja Maria Queiroz de , Castelo Branco Alba Lucia , Pimentel Maria Regina Araujo Reicherte , Silva Frances Valeria Costa e , Assad Luciana Guimarães , Santos Matheus De Albuquerque
Published: September 2020

Objetivos: descrever o atual processo de convocação de pacientes para procedimento cirúrgico, bem como a comunicação entre a equipe multiprofissional e o paciente no período pré-operatório e identificar a linha de cuidados prestados pela equipe multiprofissional no período pré-operatório. Método: pesquisa exploratória, descritiva e qualitativa. Amostra contemplou 28 participantes, membros da equipe multidisciplinar da clínica cirurgia geral de um hospital universitário do Rio de Janeiro. Os dados foram coletados por dois roteiros de entrevista semiestruturada, de fevereiro a abril de 2019, após autorização do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa. Resultados: a falta de planejamento, protocolos e fluxo intenso de pacientes levou a dúvidas, estresse, cancelamento de cirurgias no decorrer da internação. Conclusão: a ausência de protocolos articulados com ações e treinamentos prejudicou o processo de internação, bem como a comunicação entre a equipe multiprofissional e paciente. Fizeram parte da linha de cuidados: anamnese, sinais vitais, conciliação medicamentosa e orientações gerais.
Safety huddle in a community nursing setting
Authors: Gray Toni
Published: September 2020

A safety huddle is a meeting held among district nurses, allied health professionals, specialist nurses, administrative staff, community matrons and healthcare assistants, also known as the wider multidisciplinary team. This article aims to identify and discuss the importance of safety huddles within a community nursing team. The author, a Specialist Community Practitioner District Nurse (SCPDN), explores why safety huddles were introduced and the implications of staff and patient safety if a safety huddle is not performed. The article also discusses the role of the SCPDN, how patient harm is sustained when communication failures occur within a team, new technologies implemented into practice and the implementation of safety huddles electronically.
Single wavelength measurements of absorption coefficients based on iso-pathlength point
Authors: Feder Idit , Duadi Hamootal , Fixler Dror
Published: September 2020

In optical sensing, to reveal the chemical composition of tissues, the
main challenge is isolating absorption from scattering. Most
techniques use multiple wavelengths, which adds an error due to the
optical pathlength differences. We suggest using a unique measurement
angle for cylindrical tissues, the iso-pathlength (IPL) point, which
depends on tissue geometry only (specifically the effective radius).
We present a method for absorption assessment from a single wavelength
at multiple measurement angles. The IPL point presented similar
optical pathlengths for different tissues, both in simulation and
experiments, hence it is optimal. Finally, in
vivo measurements validated our proposed method.
Narrowband and ultra-wideband modulation instability in nonlinear metamaterial waveguides
Authors: Linale N. , Fierens P. I. , Hernandez S. M. , Bonetti J. , Grosz D. F.
Published: September 2020

Waveguides based on metamaterials may exhibit strongly frequency-dependent nonlinearities. In this work, we focus on the phenomenon of modulation instability in this type of waveguide, departing from a new modeling equation that ensures strict conservation of both the energy and photon number of the parametric process. In particular, we analyse the case of a waveguide with a linearly frequency-dependent nonlinear coefficient, revealing unique features such as narrowband and ultra-wideband gain spectra and the suppression of the power cutoff giving rise to an ever-growing MI gain. These markedly distinct regimes are enabled by self-steepening (SS) and manifest themselves depending upon the magnitude and sign of the SS parameter. We believe these findings to be most relevant in the context of mid-IR supercontinuum sources.
Strong second-harmonic generation in dielectric optical nanoantennas resulting from the hybridization of magnetic dipoles and lattice resonances
Authors: Jiang Hui , Cai Yangjian , Han Zhanghua
Published: September 2020

Magnetic dipole resonances supported by high refractive index dielectric nanoparticles have appeared recently as a new alternative to plasmonic nanostructures to manipulate light–matter interactions. The volume field enhancement within the particles significantly boosts some nonlinear processes, mitigating the need for conventional phase-matching conditions. In this paper, we show that by using an AlGaAs nanocylinder array whose lattice resonance spectrally matches the magnetic resonance of individual particles, the two resonances will couple with each other, leading to their strong hybridization and helping achieve a stronger circulation of the electric fields within the particles. As a result of this mode hybridization, at a low pump laser power intensity of

0.

053

G
W

/

c
m

2

, the efficiency of second-harmonic generation can be further enhanced by more than 2 orders of magnitude compared to that from an individual nanocylinder.
Emission of R6G dye in Fabry–Perot cavities in weak and strong coupling regimes
Authors: Faruk Md Omar , Jerop Nelly , Noginov Mikhail A.
Published: September 2020

We have studied spectra and angular distribution of emission in
Fabry–Perot cavities formed by two silver mirrors separated by a layer
of poly (methyl methacrylate) polymer doped with rhodamine 6G (R6G)
dye in low (

20

g

/

l

) and high (

200

g

/

l

) concentrations. The frequency of
emission radiated to a cavity mode was larger at large outcoupling
angles—the “rainbow” effect. At the same time, the angle of the
strongest emission was also determined by the cavity size: the larger
the cavity, the larger the angle. The angular distribution of emission
is commonly dominated by two symmetrical lobes (located at the
intersection of the three-dimensional emission cone with a horizontal
plane) pointing to the left and to the right of the normal to the
sample. Despite the strong Stokes shift in R6G dye, the branch of the
cavity dispersion curve obtained in the emission experiment is
positioned above the one obtained in the reflection (extinction)
experiment. Some dye molecules are poorly coupled to cavity modes.
Their emission has very broad angular distribution with the maximum at

θ
=

0

∘

. The signatures of strong
cavity–exciton coupling were observed at high dye concentration (

200

g

/

l

) but not at low concentration (

20

g

/

l

). The evidence of the effect of
strong coupling on emission is exemplified by a strong difference in
the angular distribution of emission in two almost identical cavities,
one with and another without strong coupling. Most importantly, we
have demonstrated the possibility to control the ground state
concentration, the coupling strength, and the dye emission spectra
with Q-switched laser pulses.
Geometric phase of dielectric multilayers
Authors: Gutiérrez-Vega Julio C.
Published: September 2020

We characterize the geometric and dynamic phase introduced by a lossless dielectric multilayer into an elliptically polarized input wave with oblique incidence. The phases are conveniently mapped on the Poincaré sphere as a function of the Stokes vector of the input field. The geometric phase interval of the transmitted wave is determined by the difference of the phases of the overall transmission coefficients for the TE and TM waves. The same conclusion is obtained for the reflected wave. To exemplify the theory, we show the surface plots of the geometric phase intervals as a function of the incident angle and the phase thickness of a single layer and a periodic multilayer.
Frequency comb enhanced Brillouin microscopy
Authors: Aleman Ademir , Muralidhar Shreyas , Awad Ahmad A. , Åkerman Johan , Hanstorp Dag
Published: September 2020

Brillouin light scattering (BLS) microscopy is a well established and powerful technique to study acoustic and magnetic excitations in the frequency domain with sub-micron spatial resolution. Many other spectroscopic techniques have benefited from the introduction of femtosecond laser sources to optically pump and stimulate the sample under investigation. In BLS microscopy, the use of femtosecond lasers as the excitation source introduces several challenges, primarily since the measured frequency shift is small and the signal levels are weak due to the low duty cycle of typical femtosecond lasers. Here we present a method to evade these challenges. A strong enhancement of the weak scattering amplitude on selected modes is observed by pumping the sample with a high repetition rate frequency comb laser source. The laser beam can be focused to the diffraction limit, providing a micron pumping area. We can thus preserve the innate high frequency and spatial resolution of BLS microscopy. Furthermore, we are able to induce a point-like source of mode-selected elementary excitations which propagate away from the pumping spot. We conclude that we have demonstrated frequency comb pumped BLS microscopy as an attractive tool for studies of ultrafast induced laser dynamics directly in the frequency domain.
Experimental observation of tunable Wood type resonances in an all-ferrodielectric periodical metasurface
Authors: Ivzhenko L. I. , Polevoy S. Yu. , Tarapov S. I. , Yachin V. V. , Kurselis K. , Kiyan R. , Chichkov B. N.
Published: September 2020

In this Letter, a completely ferrodielectric metasurface consisting of an array of cylinders on a substrate is studied. All structural elements are made of ferrodielectric material. The conditions for the excitation of Wood’s anomaly mode, obtained for different geometric parameters of the metasurface, are revealed. By continuously changing the structure parameters, we can change the position of the resonance at the Wood anomaly, thereby setting the position of the resonance at the frequency we need. It is shown that there is a resonant increase in the polarization plane rotation of the transmitted waves at the corresponding resonant frequency of the lattice mode excitation. Such polarization rotation is demonstrated both experimentally and theoretically.
In vivo combined virtual histology and vascular imaging with dual-wavelength photoacoustic remote sensing microscopy
Authors: Restall Brendon S. , Haven Nathaniel J. M. , Kedarisetti Pradyumna , Zemp Roger J.
Published: September 2020

Histological evaluation of tissues is currently a lengthy process that typically precludes intraoperative margin assessment. While numerous approaches have aimed to address the need for intraoperative virtual histology, none have yet proved sufficiently efficacious. We demonstrate the use of a new all-optical imaging modality, photoacoustic remote sensing (PARS), capable of virtual histopathological imaging, while simultaneously providing visualization of microvasculature in both freshly resected tissues and live animal subjects. We demonstrate high resolutions of 0.44µm and 1.2µm for 266-nm and 532-nm excitation wavelengths, respectively, as well as the characterization of maximum permissible exposure limits for both excitation wavelengths.