bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Fasciculation Potentials (FPs) in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Peripheral Nerve Hyperexcitability Syndromes (PNH)
Authors: Wang Hua , Liu Bin , Tang Jiyou
Published: May 2021

This study is aimed at investigating the features of fasciculation potentials (FPs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and peripheral nerve hyperexcitability syndromes (PNH). Needle electrophysiologic examination (EMG) was performed for 5‐15 muscles in the ALS and PNH patients. The spontaneous activity of fasciculations and fibrillations/sharp‐waves (fibs‐sw) was recorded. The distribution, firing frequency, and waveform parameters of FPs in muscles were calculated and compared. In total, 361 muscles in ALS patients and 124 muscles in PNH patients were examined, with the FP detection rates of 45.1% and 53.2%. Moreover, the ALS patients with the upper limb onset had the highest FP detection rate. Fasciculations occurred more frequently in the upper limbs than in the lower limbs in ALS and PNH. The detection rate of fibs‐sw in the bulbar muscle was relatively low, which could be elevated when combining fibs‐sw and FPs. Benign FPs in PNH were of smaller amplitude, shorter duration, and fewer phases/turns, compared with malignant FPs in ALS. The FP area in PNH was significantly smaller than that in ALS. The incidence of polyphasic FPs in ALS was distinctly greater than that in PNH. The firing frequency of FPs in PNH was higher than that in ALS. There was no significant difference in the amplitude, duration, phases and turns, and area of FPs between groups with and without fibs‐sw in the muscles of normal strength in ALS. Conclusively, it is necessary to detect the FPs in the thoracic and bulbar muscles of patients suspected having ALS. FP parameters in ALS are significantly different from PNH.
Deep Learning-Enabled Variational Optimization Method for Image Dehazing in Maritime Intelligent Transportation Systems
Authors: Hu Xianjun , Wang Jing , Zhang Chunlei , Tong Yishuo
Published: May 2021

Image dehazing has become a fundamental problem of common concern in computer vision-driven maritime intelligent transportation systems (ITS). The purpose of image dehazing is to reconstruct the latent haze-free image from its observed hazy version. It is well known that the accurate estimation of transmission map plays a vital role in image dehazing. In this work, the coarse transmission map is firstly estimated using a robust fusion-based strategy. A unified optimization framework is then proposed to estimate the refined transmission map and latent sharp image simultaneously. The resulting constrained minimization model is solved using a two-step optimization algorithm. To further enhance dehazing performance, the solutions of subproblems obtained in this optimization algorithm are equivalent to deep learning-based image denoising. Due to the powerful representation ability, the proposed method can accurately and robustly estimate the transmission map and latent sharp image. Numerous experiments on both synthetic and realistic datasets have been performed to compare our method with several state-of-the-art dehazing methods. Dehazing results have demonstrated the proposed method’s superior imaging performance in terms of both quantitative and qualitative evaluations. The enhanced imaging quality is beneficial for practical applications in maritime ITS, for example, vessel detection, recognition, and tracking.
Triglycerides to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio Is the Best Surrogate Marker for Insulin Resistance in Nonobese Middle-Aged and Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Yang Yumei , Wang Baomin , Yuan Haoyue , Li Xiaomu
Published: May 2021

Objective. Insulin resistance (IR) is closely associated with metabolic profiles, including obesity and dyslipidemia. The aim of the present study was to examine how lipid profiles were associated with IR in nonobese middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. Methods. This cross-sectional study included 1608 subjects. IR was defined by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) of at least 2.5. Results. In nonobese subjects (body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2, n = 996), triglyceride (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (odds ratio (OR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13–1.81,P=0.003) was an independent risk factor for IR. The best marker for predicting IR in nonobese subjects was TG/HDL-C ratio with the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of 0.73 (P<0.001). The optimal cut-off point to identifying IR for TG/HDL-C ratio was ≥1.50 in the nonobese population. Other markers like BMI, TG, and total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C also had acceptable discriminatory power for predicting IR in nonobese population (AUC ≥ 0.7 andP<0.001). BMI had the highest AUC of 0.647 (P<0.001) after being adjusted, but it was not effective enough to predict IR in obese subjects (BMI ≥ 25.0, n = 612). Conclusions. The TG/HDL-C ratio may be the best reliable marker for predicting IR in the nonobese middle-aged and elderly Chinese population.
Adaptive Integral‐Based Robust Q‐S Synchronization and Parameter Identification of Nonlinear Hyperchaotic Complex Systems
Authors: Din Sami Ud , Mufti Muhammad Rafiq , Afzal Humaira , Ali Majid , Moiz Zia Muhammad Abdul
Published: April 2021

This communique presents the Q‐S synchronization of two nonidentical complex nonlinear hyperchaotic systems with unknown parameters. An adaptive controller based on adaptive integral sliding mode control and parameter update laws are designed to realize the synchronization and parameter identification to a given map vector. The aforementioned strategy’s employment demands the transformation of a system into a specific structure containing a nominal part and some unknown terms (later on, these unknown terms will be computed adaptively). An integral sliding mode controller is used to stabilize the error system by designing nominal control accompanied by compensator control. For chattering suppression, a continuous compensator of smooth nature is used instead of conventional control. The stability of the proposed algorithm is established in an impressive way, using Lyapunov criteria. A numerical simulation is performed to illustrate the validity of the proposed synchronization scheme.
Emotion Label Enhancement via Emotion Wheel and Lexicon
Authors: Zeng Xueqiang , Chen Qifan , Chen Sufen , Zuo Jiali
Published: May 2021

Emotion Distribution Learning (EDL) is a recently proposed multiemotion analysis paradigm, which identifies basic emotions with different degrees of expression in a sentence. Different from traditional methods, EDL quantitatively models the expression degree of the corresponding emotion on the given instance in an emotion distribution. However, emotion labels are crisp in most existing emotion datasets. To utilize traditional emotion datasets in EDL, label enhancement aims to convert logical emotion labels into emotion distributions. This paper proposed a novel label enhancement method, called Emotion Wheel and Lexicon-based emotion distribution Label Enhancement (EWLLE), utilizing the affective words’ linguistic emotional information and the psychological knowledge of Plutchik’s emotion wheel. The EWLLE method generates separate discrete Gaussian distributions for the emotion label of sentence and the emotion labels of sentiment words based on the psychological emotion distance and combines the two types of information into a unified emotion distribution by superposition of the distributions. The extensive experiments on 4 commonly used text emotion datasets showed that the proposed EWLLE method has a distinct advantage over the existing EDL label enhancement methods in the emotion classification task.
Efficient Segmentation of Lymphoblast in Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Ur Rahman Syed Ijaz , Jadoon Misbah , Ali Sikandar , Khattak Hizbullah , Huang Jiwei
Published: May 2021

Microscopic examination of peripheral blood smears and bone marrow is the preliminary step for the diagnosis of several life-threatening diseases. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common disease in children that also needs an early diagnosis for on-time treatment as it spreads rapidly in the blood and forms immature lymphocytes. This might cause death in some weeks if left untreated. Manual methods in clinical laboratory being applied for the diagnosis of these diseases are inefficient and expensive, and the results are less accurate. A computer-aided system is the need of the day in which the most important step is segmenting the region of interest in blood or bone marrow for the detection and cure of the diseases which is the most challenging task. This study aims to propose a simple threshold-based segmentation technique by processing the S component of the HSV color space to segment the lymphoblasts in the bone marrow images of ALL patients. The technique was applied to 230 RGB bone marrow images having all the three types of ALL, i.e., L1, L2, and L3 resulted in the overall accuracy of 96.8%.
Multiobjective Optimization of a Hybrid Wind/Solar Battery Energy System in the Arctic
Authors: Nguyen Thanh-Tuan , Boström Tobias
Published: April 2021

This paper presents an optimal design of a hybrid wind turbine/PV/battery energy system for a household application using a multiobjective optimization approach, namely, particle swarm optimization (PSO). The ultimately optimal component selection of the hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) is suggested by comprehensively investigating the effects of various factors on the cost-reliability relation, such as the mounting orientation, temperature on the PV modules, wind turbine hub height, different types of batteries, and different load profiles. The optimization results show the feasibility of HRES for a single-family household demand in the arctic region of Tromsø, Norway. As we will discuss in the results, an HRES operating in such a region can achieve great energy-autonomous levels at a reasonable cost partially thanks to the cold climate. The mounting structure and temperature effects on the PV modules and the battery type can significantly change the system performance in terms of cost and reliability, while a higher wind turbine hub offers little improvement. The result suggests an optimal HRES consisting of a wind turbine with a swept area of 21 m2 and a hub height of 12 m, a PV system of 12 m2 with 2-axis tracking, and a battery bank of 3 kWh. This system will achieve 98.2% in self-reliance. Assuming that the system lifetime is 20 years, the annual cost is about 900 USD. Even though this study focuses on an HRES for a single-family application in the arctic, such an approach can be extended for other applications and in other geographical areas.
[Retracted] Dance Movement Recognition Based on Feature Expression and Attribute Mining
Authors: Zhai Xianfeng
Published: May 2021

There are complex posture changes in dance movements, which lead to the low accuracy of dance movement recognition. And none of the current motion recognition uses the dancer’s attributes. The attribute feature of dancer is the important high‐level semantic information in the action recognition. Therefore, a dance movement recognition algorithm based on feature expression and attribute mining is designed to learn the complicated and changeable dancer movements. Firstly, the original image information is compressed by the time‐domain fusion module, and the information of action and attitude can be expressed completely. Then, a two‐way feature extraction network is designed, which extracts the details of the actions along the way and takes the sequence image as the input of the network. Then, in order to enhance the expression ability of attribute features, a multibranch spatial channel attention integration module (MBSC) based on an attention mechanism is designed to extract the features of each attribute. Finally, using the semantic inference and information transfer function of the graph convolution network, the relationship between attribute features and dancer features can be mined and deduced, and more expressive action features can be obtained; thus, high‐performance dance motion recognition is realized. The test and analysis results on the data set show that the algorithm can recognize the dance movement and improve the accuracy of the dance movement recognition effectively, thus realizing the movement correction function of the dancer.
Entropy‐Based Multiview Data Clustering Analysis in the Era of Industry 4.0
Authors: Gu Yi , Li Kang
Published: May 2021

In the era of Industry 4.0, single‐view clustering algorithm is difficult to play a role in the face of complex data, i.e., multiview data. In recent years, an extension of the traditional single‐view clustering is multiview clustering technology, which is becoming more and more popular. Although the multiview clustering algorithm has better effectiveness than the single‐view clustering algorithm, almost all the current multiview clustering algorithms usually have two weaknesses as follows. (1) The current multiview collaborative clustering strategy lacks theoretical support. (2) The weight of each view is averaged. To solve the above‐mentioned problems, we used the Havrda‐Charvat entropy and fuzzy index to construct a new collaborative multiview fuzzy c‐means clustering algorithm using fuzzy weighting called Co‐MVFCM. The corresponding results show that the Co‐MVFCM has the best clustering performance among all the comparison clustering algorithms.
Monostotic Fibrous Dysplasia of the Mandible in a 9-Year-Old Male Patient Treated with a Conservative Surgical Treatment: A Case Report and 15-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Berberi Antoine , Aoun Georges , Khalaf Emile , Aad Georges
Published: May 2021

Fibrous dysplasia is a developmental disorder of the bone that originates from a genetic defect disturbing the osteogenesis leading to the replacement of normal bone with the excess proliferation of fibrous tissue. It can be associated with hyperpigmentation of the skin and endocrine disorders. Fibrous dysplasia can manifest in a monostotic form affecting one bone or in a polyostotic form involving several bones. Approximately 30% of monostotic forms are observed in the maxilla and the mandible. It frequently appears in the posterior region and is usually unilateral. It is found in teenagers and could become static after adulthood. Patients can present with swelling, facial asymmetry, pain, or numbness on the affected side. Treatment modalities vary between conservative surgical treatment, radical surgical approach, and medical treatment based on bisphosphonates. Here, we present a case of a monostotic form of fibrous dysplasia affecting the posterior left region of the mandible in a 9-year-old male complaining of gradually increased swelling on the left mandibular side of one-year duration. The diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia is established based on clinical, radiographical, and histopathological features. Conservative surgery is implemented with surgical shaving and reencountering of the bone excess to reduce the facial asymmetry. Recurrence is reported 10 years later and is also treated with a localized osteoplasty and remodeling of the bone contours. Five years later, the lesion remains stable. In conclusion, a conservative approach should be adopted as the first line of treatment for young patients suffering from monostotic fibrous dysplasia.
Data Collection and Analysis of Track and Field Athletes’ Behavior Based on Edge Computing and Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Han Di
Published: April 2021

With the development of multimedia technology, the computer auxiliary system has become an effective means of daily training in track and field. This paper designs a data acquisition and analysis system for track and field athletes. The system uses sensor modules attached to the athlete’s body to collect movement data for analysis. The whole system is implemented by edge computing architecture. In order to reduce average response time, the DDPG algorithm is used to optimize the resource allocation of the edge layer. Experimental results show that the response time of the proposed algorithm can be controlled within 1 s. Meanwhile, the SVM algorithm on the edge server is arranged to classify the data, and the overall recognition accuracy is over 90%.
Influence of Diode Laser for the Treatment of Dentin Hypersensitivity on Microleakage of Cervical Restorations
Authors: Ahmed Doaa R. M. , Shaath Diana G. , Alakeel Jomana B. , Samran Abdulaziz A.
Published: May 2021

Noncarious cervical lesions (NCCLs) are a common clinical finding often linked with dentin hypersensitivity (DH). Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of diode laser for the treatment of DH on microleakage of subsequent NCCL restorations. Materials and Methods. Forty‐eight extracted human premolars were collected. All teeth received standardized cervical preparation on both the buccal and palatal surfaces and were randomly divided into three groups (n = 16) according to the restorative material used: nanohybrid composite resin (CR), resin‐modified glass ionomer (RMGI), and conventional glass ionomer (GIC). The prepared cavities on the palatal surfaces were treated by diode laser using SIROlaser Blue (Sirona Dental Systems, Bensheim, Germany) prior to restoration, while preparations on the buccal surfaces were directly restored. After thermocycling, the teeth were immersed in methylene blue dye for microleakage evaluation under 40x magnification at both occlusal and cervical margins. The Kruskal‐Wallis test followed by the Bonferroni tests was conducted to determine inter‐ and intragroup differences (P < 0.05). Results. All restorative materials tested showed some degree of microleakage with no statistically significantly different scores with or without the use of laser desensitization prior to restorative treatment. Group CR showed the least microleakage, followed by group RMGI, while group GIC showed the highest. Cervical margins showed greater microleakage than the occlusal margins where the difference was statistically significant in the RMGI group without laser pretreatment (P = 0.006) and in both groups CR (P = 0.02) and RMGI (P = 0.006) with the laser pretreatment. Conclusion. Application of diode laser for the treatment of DH prior to the restoration of teeth with NCCL did not affect the microleakage of all the restorative materials tested. All the materials showed some degree of microleakage, which was higher in gingival margins compared to occlusal margins. The resin composite shows the least microleakage among all the tested materials.
New Players in the Regulation of DNA-PK Activity: Survivin Joins the Crowd
Authors: Iliakis George E.
Published: May 2021

The DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) is a large protein kinase and a member of the PI3K-related family of protein kinases that also includes ATM and ATR. DNA-PKcs is a unique evolutionary endowment of higher eukaryotes, as it is absent in lower eukaryotes. It is central to the processing of DNA double-strand breaks by classical nonhomologous end-joining, where through interaction with the Ku70/Ku80 heterodimer it generates the DNA-PK holoenzyme. DNA-PK coordinates and regulates the joining of DNA ends through essential structural contributions and by direct phosphorylation of key repair factors, including itself. Recent structural studies advance our understanding of the functions of this giant enzyme and reveal functional complexity and sophistication compatible with a broad spectrum of activities. Along these lines, the observations reported in the article by Güllülü and colleagues in this issue of Cancer Research reveal intriguing new facets in the regulation of DNA-PKcs and open horizons for further exciting research. Güllülü and colleagues found that in addition to known modes of regulation, DNA-PKcs is also regulated by a direct interaction with survivin. The observations expand the functional and regulatory spectrum of this intriguing kinase and suggest contributions to DNA damage response that remain to be characterized. They formed the foundations for the development of drugs disrupting this interaction, thereby potentially sensitizing tumor cells to radiation.

See related article by Güllülü et al., p. 2304
Emerging Roles for AKT Isoform Preference in Cancer Progression Pathways
Authors: Degan Seamus E. , Gelman Irwin H.
Published: April 2021

The phosphoinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)–AKT pathway is one of the most mutated in human cancers, predominantly associated with the loss of the signaling antagonist, PTEN, and to lesser extents, with gain-of-function mutations in PIK3CA (encoding PI3K-p110α) and AKT1. In addition, most oncogenic driver pathways activate PI3K/AKT signaling. Nonetheless, drugs targeting PI3K or AKT have fared poorly against solid tumors in clinical trials as monotherapies, yet some have shown efficacy when combined with inhibitors of other oncogenic drivers, such as receptor tyrosine kinases or nuclear hormone receptors. There is growing evidence that AKT isoforms, AKT1, AKT2, and AKT3, have different, often distinct roles in either promoting or suppressing specific parameters of oncogenic progression, yet few if any isoform-preferred substrates have been characterized. This review will describe recent data showing that the differential activation of AKT isoforms is mediated by complex interplays between PTEN, PI3K isoforms and upstream tyrosine kinases, and that the efficacy of PI3K/AKT inhibitors will likely depend on the successful targeting of specific AKT isoforms and their preferred pathways.
Imaging of T-cell Responses in the Context of Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Xiao Zebin , Puré Ellen
Published: May 2021

Immunotherapy, which promotes the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and enhances their infiltration into and function within tumors, is a rapidly expanding and evolving approach to treating cancer. However, many of the critical denominators for inducing effective anticancer immune responses remain unknown. Efforts are underway to develop comprehensive ex vivo assessments of the immune landscape of patients prior to and during response to immunotherapy. An important complementary approach to these efforts involves the development of noninvasive imaging approaches to detect immune targets, assess delivery of immune-based therapeutics, and evaluate responses to immunotherapy. Herein, we review the merits and limitations of various noninvasive imaging modalities (MRI, PET, and single-photon emission tomography) and discuss candidate targets for cellular and molecular imaging for visualization of T-cell responses at various stages along the cancer–immunity cycle in the context of immunotherapy. We also discuss the potential use of these imaging strategies in monitoring treatment responses and predicting prognosis for patients treated with immunotherapy.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Value of Hsa_circ_0002594 for T Helper 2-Mediated Allergic Asthma
Authors: Huang Zhenli , Fu Bohua , Qi Xuefei , Xu Yuzhu , Mou Yong , Zhou Min , Cao Yong , Wu Guorao , Xie Jungang , Zhao Jianping , Wang Yi , Xiong Weining
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are an endogenous mircoRNA sponge that could act as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. However, the role of circRNAs in asthma is far from clear. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic and therapeutic value of hsa_circ_0002594 for T helper (Th) 2-mediated allergic asthma. Methods: The expression profiles of hsa_circ_0002594 in CD4+ T cells were revealed by circRNA microarray. Hsa_circ_0002594 expression was confirmed via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in asthmatic patients and healthy subjects. Hsa_circ_0002594 levels were compared between subgroups. The clinical diagnostic abilities and therapeutic response of hsa_circ_0002594 were evaluated. The analyses utilized included a student’s t test, nonparametric tests, Spearman’s rank-order correlation, Fisher’s exact test, and the generation of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Hsa_circ_0002594 was upregulated and positively correlated with fraction of exhaled nitric oxide while negatively correlated with methacholine dose producing a decrease of 20% from baseline in forced expiratory volume in the first second (PD20) in CD4+ T cells of asthma. Furthermore, hsa_circ_0002594 expression was higher in subgroups with a family history, skin pricking test (SPT)-positive, or Th2-high. The hsa_circ_0002594-high subgroup was more frequently associated with Th2-high biomarker profiles and positive SPT. Hsa_circ_0002594 was decreased after inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) treatment. ROC curve analyses of hsa_circ_0002594 showed high area under the curve values in the presence of ICS or not. Conclusions: Our data suggested that hsa_circ_0002594 was upregulated in CD4+ T cells and might have potential value in the diagnosis and treatment of Th2-mediated allergic asthma.
Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy after Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Case Report with Long-Term Follow-Up
Authors: Steinemann Alexandra , Hoffmann Laura , Hatz Katja B.
Published: April 2021

Several adjunct therapies to the gold standard anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injections have been discussed for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Low-dose stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) showed the potential to lower the treatment burden by reducing the anti-VEGF treatment frequency at least over 2–3 years but was associated with retinal microvascular abnormalities in a few cases. We report a 6-year follow-up of a case with bilateral nAMD under anti-VEGF treatment which developed multiple polypoid choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) lesions in the eye adjunct treated with low-dose SRT. The fellow eye suffering from nAMD for the same period of time but never been treated with SRT did not show PCV during the long-term follow-up. We hope to increase the awareness of possible choroidal changes such as PCV in similar patients by sharing this report.
Bilateral Severe Corneal Ulcer in a Patient with Lung Adenocarcinoma Treated with Gefitinib
Authors: Gozzi Fabrizio , Tiseo Marcello , Facchinetti Francesco , Gandolfi Stefano , Rubino Pierangela
Published: April 2021

We describe the case of Gefitinib-related bilateral corneal perforation. An 86-year-old female patient had bilateral painless and progressive vision loss due to neurotrophic corneal ulcer, following a 2-month treatment with Gefitinib, a selective epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung with confirmed EGFR gene mutation. She had no signs of ocular infection, inflammation, or lid problems to account for the development of corneal damage. Neurotrophic ulcer evolved into a frank perforation in one eye and an impending perforation on the other eye. EGFR inhibitors have been associated with dry eye, epithelial erosions, ulcerative keratitis, and corneal edema. However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of bilateral severe corneal ulcer due to Gefitinib. The patient went on to have bilateral corneal graft surgery. This case aims to raise awareness among ophthalmologists and oncologists of the association between EGFR inhibitors, corneal neurotrophic ulcers, and possible evolution in corneal perforation.
Association between Frailty and 90-Day Outcomes amongst the Chinese Population: A Hospital-Based Multicentre Cohort Study
Authors: Jiao Jing , Guo Na , Xie Lingli , Ying Qiaoyan , Zhu Chen , Guo Xinying , Wen Xianxiu , Jin Jingfen , Wang Hui , Lv Dongmei , Zhao Shengxiu , Wu Xinjuan , Xu Tao
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Frailty has gained increasing attention as it is by far the most prevalent geriatric condition amongst older patients which heavily impacts chronic health status. However, the relationship between frailty and adverse health outcomes in China is far from clear. This study explored the relation between frailty and a panel of adverse health outcomes. Methods: We performed a multicentre cohort study of older inpatients at 6 large hospitals in China, with two-stage cluster sampling, from October 2018 to April 2019. Frailty was measured according to the FRAIL scale and categorized into robust, pre-frail, and frail. A multivariable logistic regression model and multilevel multivariable negative binomial regression model were used to analyse the relationship between frailty and adverse outcomes. Outcomes were length of hospitalization, as well as falls, readmission, and mortality at 30 and 90 days after enrolment. All regression models were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, surgery, and hospital ward. Results: We included 9,996 inpatients (median age 72 years and 57.8% male). The overall mortality at 30 and 90 days was 1.23 and 1.88%, respectively. At 30 days, frailty was an independent predictor of falls (odds ratio [OR] 3.19; 95% CI 1.59–6.38), readmission (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.25–1.67), and mortality (OR 3.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.10–5.96), adjusted for age, sex, BMI, surgery, and hospital ward clustering effect. At 90 days, frailty had a strong predictive effect on falls (OR 2.10; 95% CI 1.09–4.01), readmission (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.21–1.57), and mortality (OR 6.50; 95% CI 4.00–7.97), adjusted for age, sex, BMI, surgery, and hospital ward clustering effect. There seemed to be a dose-response association between frailty categories and fall or mortality, except for readmission. Conclusions: Frailty is closely related to falls, readmission, and mortality at 30 or 90 days. Early identification and intervention for frailty amongst older inpatients should be conducted to prevent adverse outcomes.
Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation in Chronic Post-Surgical Anorectal Pain: A Case Report
Authors: Pacheco Marta , Xavier João , Santos Olga , Raposo Carina , Regalado Ana Margarida
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Anorectal pain is a symptom with a negative impact on quality of life and it can sometimes develop into a chronic pain syndrome. Structural anorectal pain is treated according to the underlying pathology. In situations of chronic post-surgical pain that is refractory to conventional therapeutic approaches, percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is an option. PTNS is a neurostimulation technique used in the treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction. There has been increasing evidence of its benefits for improving other conditions, such as chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and faecal incontinence (FI). Case Presentation: We report a case of a 45-year-old woman with chronic post-surgical anorectal pain (CPAP) treated with PTNS. The patient reported a consistent and dramatic decrease in both the frequency and intensity of pain, assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). A decrease in the pain interference with mood, normal work, and walking/mobility was also noted, as evaluated by BPI and EQ-5D-3L questionnaires. Discussion: Neuromodulation treatments have been reported as effective for anorectal pain, but reports on the use of PTNS are rare. The tibial nerve is easily accessible and provides an optimal site for neurostimulation without the need of an operating room or anaesthesia. The overall improvement observed in this case of chronic anorectal pain suggests a potential new area of research for PTNS.
Risk of Depression among Early Onset Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients
Authors: Riaz Baizid Khoorshid , Selim Shahjada , Neo Megan , Karim Md Nazmul , Zaman M. Mostafa
Published: April 2021

Methodology: Biochemically confirmed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients (n = 1,114) were recruited from the outpatient department of 2 tertiary care hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Face-to-face interview was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire containing sociodemographic parameters and relevant information about depression and diabetes. Biochemical test results and treatment-related information were taken from patients’ records. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to screen all patients for psychiatric manifestation. Those diagnosed by HADS were subsequently reassessed using structured clinical interview for DSM-5 Disorders – Clinician Version. T2DM diagnosed at age <40 years were considered as early onset T2DM. Association between age of onset category and depression was assessed using multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression adjusting for random variation of the area of residence and plausible confounders. Results: Around a third of the participants (32.5%) were diagnosed with T2DM before the age of 40 years. Early onset T2DM patients were found to have 57% increase in the risk of developing depression (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.13–2.28; p = 0.011) in comparison to those with usual onset T2DM (≥40 years). Among other factors a positive family history for diabetes (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.03–1.78; p = 0.038), poor glycemic control (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.03–1.68; p = 0.028), presence of 1, or more diabetic complications (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.03–1.78; p = 0.011) also showed increased risk of depression. Conclusion: Early onset T2DM patients are at greater risk of developing depression. The finding is likely to help in setting preventive strategies aiming to reduce the presence of concomitant depression symptoms among diabetes.
CRISPR/dCas9 as a Therapeutic Approach for Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Innovations and Limitations Compared to Traditional Strategies
Authors: Ricci Raffaele , Colasante Gaia
Published: May 2021

Brain development is a complex process that requires a series of precise and coordinated events to take place. When alterations in some of those events occur, neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) may appear, with their characteristic symptoms, including cognitive, social motor deficits, and epilepsy. While pharmacologic treatments have been the only therapeutic options for many years, more recently the research is turning to the direct removal of the underlying genetic cause of each specific NDD. This is possible thanks to the increased knowledge of genetic basis of those diseases and the enormous advances in genome-editing tools. Together with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-based strategies, there is a great development also of nuclease defective Cas9 (dCas9) tools that, with an extreme flexibility, allow the recruitment of specific protein functions to the desired genomic sites. In this work, we review dCas9-based tools and discuss all the published applications in the setting of therapeutic approaches for NDDs at the preclinical level. In particular, dCas9-based therapeutic strategies for Dravet syndrome, transcallosal dysconnectivity caused by mutations in C11orf46 gene, and Fragile X syndrome are presented and discussed. A direct comparison with other possible therapeutic strategies, such as classic gene replacement or CRISPR/Cas9-based strategies, is provided. We also highlight not only those aspects that constitute a clear advantage compared to previous strategies but also the main technical hurdles related to their applications that need to be overcome.
Niñez migrante en Chile: metasíntesis de experiencias educativas con enfoque de derechos
Authors: Grau Rengifo María Olaya , Díaz Bórquez Daniela , Muñoz Reyes Carla
Published: April 2021

(analítico)Este artículo presenta el resultado de una metasíntesis cualitativa de experiencias educativas de la niñez migrante en Chile, realizada a partir del análisis de los principales estándares de cumplimiento de los derechos de los niños y niñas, específicamente de los principios derivados del derecho a la educación. Durante septiembre de 2019 se realizó una revisión sistemática de artículos en las bases de datos Ebscohost, SciELO, Dialnet y Redalyc, principalmente. Se incluyeronartículos originales derivados de investigaciones realizadas en Chile sobre niñez migrante y educación. Los resultados indican que, si bien los principios de acceso y disponibilidad están más bien resueltos en materia de educación, los desafíos radican en fortalecer procesos de inclusión educativa desde una perspectiva intercultural.
Palabras clave: Niñez migrante, experiencias educativas, educación intercultural, derecho a la educación, Chile.
Provider Care Team Segregation and Operative Mortality Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Hollingsworth John M. , Yu Xianshi , Yan Phyllis L. , Yoo Hyesun , Telem Dana A. , Yankah Ekow N. , Zhu Ji , Waljee Akbar K. , Nallamothu Brahmajee K.
Published: April 2021

Background:

Black patients die more frequently following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) than their White counterparts for reasons not explained by disease severity or comorbidity. We analyzed medical claims to determine the contribution of provider care team segregation within hospitals contributes to this inequity.

Methods:

We analyzed national Medicare data, identifying beneficiaries who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting at hospitals where procedures were performed between 2008 and 2014 (n=12 414). After determining the providers who delivered perioperative care, we examined the extent to which Black and White patients were cared for by unique provider care team networks within the same hospital. We evaluated whether a lack of overlap in composition of these networks treating Black versus White patients (ie, high segregation) was associated with higher 90-day operative mortality among Black patients.

Results:

Levels of provider care team segregation were moderate (median, 0.493) and varied across hospitals (interquartile range, 0.439–0.542). Compared with patients treated at low segregation hospitals, those treated at medium and high segregation hospitals were more likely to be older, white, and undergo an elective procedure (
P
<0.01 for each comparison). After controlling for these and other differences, Black patients treated at high segregation hospitals had numerically higher mortality than those treated at low segregation hospitals (6.4% [95% CI, 3.4%–11.6%] versus 4.4% [95% CI, 2.3%–8.1%], respectively), but this difference was nonsignificant (
P
=0.495). In contrast, White patients treated at high segregation hospitals had significantly lower mortality than those treated at low segregation hospitals (4.9% [95% CI, 4.1%–5.8%] versus 7.5% [95% CI, 5.8%–6.3%];
P
=0.007).

Conclusions:

There are often unique systems of provider care teams, which treat Black patients but do not overlap with those of White patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Provider care team differences may contribute to surgical outcome variability between Black and White patients.
Pulse Wave Calibration and Implications for Blood Pressure Measurement: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Jedrzejewski Dawid , McFarlane Ewan , Lacy Peter S. , Williams Bryan
Published: May 2021

Central aortic systolic pressure (CASP) can be estimated via filtering of the peripheral pulse wave (PPW) following calibration to brachial blood pressure. Recent studies suggest PPW calibration to mean arterial pressure (MAP) and diastolic BP (DBP) provides more accurate CASP estimates (CASP
MD
) versus conventional calibration to systolic BP (SBP) and DBP (CASP
SD
). However, the peak of the MAP-DBP calibrated PPW, that is, SBP
MD
, is rarely reported or used for BP amplification calculations, despite CASP
MD
being derived from it. We aimed to calculate the unreported SBP
MD
from studies using MAP-DBP calibration for estimation of CASP
MD
and compared it with oscillometric brachial SBP (brSBP). Medline database was searched to March 18, 2020. Meta-analysis includes studies reporting noninvasive CASP
SD
, CASP
MD
, brSBP, and brachial DBP. SBP
MD
was calculated using linear function equations. Data from 21 studies used 8 different BP monitors (13 460 participants, mean age: 54±10 years, 57% female, brachial blood pressure: 130±14/79±9 mm Hg). Weighted mean difference between SBP
MD
and brSBP was 10 mm Hg (range, −2 to 17 mm Hg) and appeared device specific. Calibration of brachial versus radial PPWs to brachial blood pressure showed a greater disparity between SBP
MD
and brSBP (14 versus 2 mm Hg). BP amplification was similar comparing SBP-DBP versus MAP-DBP calibrations (brSBP-CASP
SD
versus SBP
MD
-CASP
MD
: 9 versus 11 mm Hg), with no instances of reverse BP amplification. PPWs calibrated to MAP-DBP to derive CASP
MD
generates SBP
MD
that differs markedly from brSBP with some oscillometric BP monitors. These findings have important implications for BP monitor accuracy, BP amplification, PPW calibration recommendations, and studies of associations between CASP versus SBP and outcomes.
A new species of Smythea (Rhamnaceae) from New Guinea

Authors: UTTERIDGE TIMOTHY M.A. , CAHEN DANIEL
Published: April 2021

A new species of the genus Smythea is described and illustrated from Papua New Guinea. This new taxon, Smythea papuana, is morphologically similar to S. oblongifolia, a species widespread in Malesia reaching the Lesser Sunda Islands and Maluku Islands. It is the first inland species of Smythea in New Guinea to be described – the only other species known to occur on the island is the widely distributed and coastal S. lanceata. An amendment to the key to the genus is provided.
A checklist of Scoliidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) from China
Authors: LIU ZHEN , VAN ACHTERBERG CORNELIS , HE JUN-HUA , CHEN XUE-XIN
Published: May 2021

A checklist of all confirmed species of the family Scoliidae (Hymenoptera) from China is made based on the Chinese specimens in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center (RMNH, Leiden) and on additional specimens from the Chinese Academy of Insect Science (IOZ, Beijing), the Zhejiang University (ZJUH, Hangzhou), and the Sun Yat-sen University (SYSUBM, Guangzhou). The Scoliid species from China belong to one subfamily, two tribes, 11 genera and 52 species. Two species are deleted from the fauna of China: Campsomeriella ilanensis (Tsuneki, 1972) and Scolia (Discolia) quadripustulata Fabricius, 1782. One subspecies, i.e., Carinoscolia vittifrons nipponensis Uchida, 1933, status nov., is elevated to species rank. Scolia (Discolia) formosicola Betrem, 1928, status nov. and S. (D.) inouyei Okamoto, 1924 are re-instated valid species.
Revised nomenclature of the sea pen genus Balticina Gray, 1870 (= Halipteris Kölliker, 1870) (Anthozoa: Octocorallia)
Authors: PÉREZ CARLOS DANIEL , CORDEIRO RALF TARCISO SILVA , WILLIAMS GARY C. , GOMES PAULA BRAGA
Published: May 2021

The pennatulacean genus Balticina has had a long and confusing taxonomic history, with serious nomenclatural problems that remain unresolved. Owing to disagreements about authorships and dates of publication, the names Pavonaria, Norticina and Halipteris have all been used as valid in place of Balticina, or else been regarded as its junior synonyms, even simultaneously. In this paper, after an extensive literature review, we determine the authorships and dates for all the taxa involved in accordance with the provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and establish Balticina Gray, 1870 (=Halipteris) and Balticinidae Balss, 1910 (=Halipteridae) as the valid genus and family names, respectively, for this group of sea pens. We also propose the replacement name Rakollikeria for the preoccupied genus name Pavonaria Kölliker, 1870 (Balticinidae) (nec Schweigger, 1819 - Funiculinidae).
Variability in Isolated Convective Activity between Louisville, Kentucky, and Nearby Rural Locations
Authors: Naylor Jason , Kennedy Aaron D.
Published: May 2021

This study analyzes the frequency of strong, isolated convective cells in the vicinity of Louisville, Kentucky. Data from the Severe Weather Data Inventory are used to compare the frequency of convective activity over Louisville with the observed frequency at nearby rural locations from 2003 to 2019. The results show that Louisville experiences significantly more isolated convective activity than do the rural locations. The difference in convective activity between Louisville and the rural locations is strongest during summer, with peak differences occurring between May and August. Relative to the rural locations, Louisville experiences more isolated convective activity in the afternoon and early evening but less activity after midnight and into the early morning. Isolated convective events over Louisville are most likely during quiescent synoptic conditions, whereas rural events are more likely during active synoptic patterns. To determine whether these differences can be attributed primarily to urban effects, two additional cities are shown for comparison—Nashville, Tennessee, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Both Nashville and Cincinnati experience more isolated convective activity than all five of their nearby rural comparison areas, but the results for both are statistically significant at four of the five rural locations. In addition, the analysis of Cincinnati includes a sixth comparison site that overlaps the urbanized area of Columbus, Ohio. For that location, differences in convective activity are not statistically significant.
A Lagrangian Study of Interfaces at the Edges of Cumulus Clouds
Authors: Nair Vishnu , Heus Thijs , van Reeuwijk Maarten
Published: April 2021

Interfaces at the edge of an idealized, nonprecipitating, warm cloud are studied using direct numerical simulation (DNS) complemented with a Lagrangian particle tracking routine. Once a shell has formed, four zones can be distinguished: the cloud core, visible shell, invisible shell, and the environment. The union of the visible and invisible regions is the shell commonly referred to in literature. The boundary between the invisible shell and the environment is the turbulent–nonturbulent interface (TNTI), which is typically not considered in cloud studies. Three million particles were seeded homogeneously across the domain and properties were recorded along individual trajectories. The results demonstrate that the traditional cloud boundary (separating cloudy and noncloudy regions using thresholds applied on liquid condensate or updraft velocity) are some distance away from the TNTI. Furthermore, there is no dynamic difference between the traditional liquid-condensate boundary and the region extending to the TNTI. However, particles crossing the TNTI exhibit a sharp jump in enstrophy and a smooth increase in buoyancy. The traditional cloud boundary coincides with the location of minimum buoyancy in the shell. The shell premixes the entraining and detraining air and analysis reveals a highly skewed picture of entrainment and detrainment at the traditional cloud boundary. A preferential entrainment of particles with velocity and specific humidity higher than the mean values in the shell is observed. Large-eddy simulation of a more realistic setup detects an interface with similar properties using the same thresholds as in the DNS, indicating that the DNS results extrapolate beyond their idealized conditions.
How Professionals Construct Moral Authority: Expanding Boundaries of Expert Authority in Stem Cell Science
Authors: Evans Joelle
Published: April 2021

Negotiations over professional boundaries are often contests about controlling technical expertise and authority. Less is known about the role of moral judgments in such contests because well-trained professionals often silence their moral commitments or engage moral debates outside the boundaries of their profession. Drawing on an ethnographic study of a science laboratory at the forefront of moral controversy, this article shows how professionals manage moral challenges by reconfiguring their conventional domain of expert authority to include moral as well as technical expertise. Scientists drew on their plural moral views to develop, apply, and mobilize abstract knowledge about morals as resources to claim authority in debates over the moral definition of their work. Collective learning and collaboration ensured the cohesion of the professional community throughout the process of developing authority despite continued moral pluralism. By unpacking one mechanism for the pursuit of moral authority, the study elaborates our understanding of the moral foundations of professionalism and of the emergence of morally complex work activities.