bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sequencing of Circulating Microbial Cell-Free DNA Can Identify Pathogens in Periprosthetic Joint Infections
Authors: Echeverria Adriana P. , Cohn Ian S. , Danko David C. , Shanaj Sara , Blair Lily , Hollemon Desiree , Carli Alberto V. , Sculco Peter K. , Ho Carine , Meshulam-Simon Galit , Mironenko Christine , Ivashkiv Lionel B. , Goodman Susan M. , Grizas Alexandra , Westrich Geoffrey H. , Padgett Douglas E. , Figgie Mark P. , Bostrom Mathias P. , Sculco Thomas P. , Hong David K. , Hepinstall Matthew S. , Bauer Thomas W. , Blauwkamp Timothy A. , Brause Barry D. , Miller Andy O. , Henry Michael W. , Ahmed Asim A. , Cross Michael B. , Mason Christopher E. , Donlin Laura T.
Published: July 2021

Background:

Over 1 million Americans undergo joint replacement each year, and approximately 1 in 75 will incur a periprosthetic joint infection. Effective treatment necessitates pathogen identification, yet standard-of-care cultures fail to detect organisms in 10% to 20% of cases and require invasive sampling. We hypothesized that cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragments from microorganisms in a periprosthetic joint infection can be found in the bloodstream and utilized to accurately identify pathogens via next-generation sequencing.

Methods:

In this prospective observational study performed at a musculoskeletal specialty hospital in the U.S., we enrolled 53 adults with validated hip or knee periprosthetic joint infections. Participants had peripheral blood drawn immediately prior to surgical treatment. Microbial cfDNA from plasma was sequenced and aligned to a genome database with >1,000 microbial species. Intraoperative tissue and synovial fluid cultures were performed per the standard of care. The primary outcome was accuracy in organism identification with use of blood cfDNA sequencing, as measured by agreement with tissue-culture results.

Results:

Intraoperative and preoperative joint cultures identified an organism in 46 (87%) of 53 patients. Microbial cfDNA sequencing identified the joint pathogen in 35 cases, including 4 of 7 culture-negative cases (57%). Thus, as an adjunct to cultures, cfDNA sequencing increased pathogen detection from 87% to 94%. The median time to species identification for cases with genus-only culture results was 3 days less than standard-of-care methods. Circulating cfDNA sequencing in 14 cases detected additional microorganisms not grown in cultures. At postoperative encounters, cfDNA sequencing demonstrated no detection or reduced levels of the infectious pathogen.

Conclusions:

Microbial cfDNA from pathogens causing local periprosthetic joint infections can be detected in peripheral blood. These circulating biomarkers can be sequenced from noninvasive venipuncture, providing a novel source for joint pathogen identification. Further development as an adjunct to tissue cultures holds promise to increase the number of cases with accurate pathogen identification and improve time-to-speciation. This test may also offer a novel method to monitor infection clearance during the treatment period.

Level of Evidence:

Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Surgical Management of a Pediatric Cuboid Nutcracker Fracture
Authors: Perloff Eric , Posner Andrew D , Haddad Stefanos , Arain Abdul , Bagchi Kaushik
Published: July 2021

Case:

Cuboid impaction fractures (nutcracker fractures) result from high-energy trauma and are exceedingly rare in children. We present a case of an 8-year-old boy who sustained a comminuted cuboid nutcracker fracture after a fall from height. The patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation with a locking plate. At 1 year postoperatively, lateral column length and articular congruency were maintained, and the patient return to full function and activity.

Conclusion:

Cuboid nutcracker fractures in children are rare and can be successfully treated with open reduction and internal fixation with locking plates, with excellent radiographic and functional outcomes.
Brain Activation of College Students in China With Premenstrual Syndrome Localized by BOLD-fMRI
Authors: Gao Dongmei , Gao Mingzhou , An Li , Yu Yanhong , Wang Jieqiong , Hou Yanjiao , Jian Huang , Xu Qiuqi , Ren Lvning , Qiao Mingqi
Published: July 2021

Background: Most studies on the mechanism behind premenstrual syndrome (PMS) have focused on fluctuating hormones, but little evidence exists regarding functional abnormalities in the affected brain regions of college students. Thus, the aim of this study is to localize PMS's abnormal brain regions by BOLD-fMRI in college students.Methods: Thirteen PMS patients and fifteen healthy control (HC) subjects underwent a BOLD-fMRI scan during the luteal phase induced by depressive emotion pictures. The BOLD-fMRI data were processed by SPM 8 software and rest software based on MATLAB platform. Each cluster volume threshold (cluster) was greater than 389 continuous voxels, and the brain area with single voxel threshold P < 0.05 (after correction) was defined as the area with a significant difference. The emotion report form and the instruction implementation checklist were used to evaluate the emotion induced by picture.Results: Compared to the HC, right inferior occipital gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, right lingual gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, right inferior temporal gyrus, cerebelum_crus1_R，cerebelum_6_R, culmen, the cerebellum anterior lobe, tuber, cerebellar tonsil of PMS patients were enhanced activation. Sub-lobar，sub-gyral，extra-nuclear，right orbit part of superior frontal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, right Orbit part of inferior frontal gyrus, limbic lobe, right insula, bilateral anterior and adjacent cingulate gyrus, bilateral caudate, caudate head, bilateral putamen, left globus pallidus were decreased activation.Conclusion: Our findings may improve our understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in PMS.
Repeated Sevoflurane Exposures in Neonatal Rats Increased the Brain Vulnerability to Future Stress Exposure and Resulted in Fear-extinction Deficit
Authors: Chen Ben-zhen , Jiang Li-hua , Zhang Ming-qiang , Tan Ling , Zhou Wen-qin , Shang Yu-chao , Li Fang , Liu Bin
Published: July 2021

Sevoflurane anesthesia during neonatal period was reported to sensitize the rodent animals to stress later in life. The authors tested the hypothesis that repeated sevoflurane exposures in neonatal rats increased the brain vulnerability to future stress exposure and resulted in fear-extinction deficit, and investigated whether the neonatal brain depolarizing γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAAR) is involved in mediating these abnormalities. Neonatal Sprague-Dawley male rats, pretreated with vehicle or the NKCC1 inhibitor, bumetanide, received sequential exposures to 3% sevoflurane for 2 hours on postnatal days (P) 5, 6, 7 and then were exposed to electric foot shock stress in fear conditioning training at P14. Juvenile rats at different developmental brain stage receiving identical sevoflurane exposures on P25, 26, 27 were also studied. The results showed repeated sevoflurane exposures in neonatal rats increased the cation-chloride cotransporters NKCC1/KCC2 ratio in the PFC at P14. Repeated exposures to sevoflurane in neonatal rather than juvenile rats enhanced the stress response and exacerbated neuroapoptosis in the PFC after exposed to electric foot shock in fear conditioning training. Neonatal rather than juvenile sevoflurane-exposed rats exhibited deficits in fear extinction training and recall. Pretreatment of neonatal rats prior to sevoflurane exposures with bumetanide reduced the NKCC1/KCC2 ratio at P14 and ameliorated most of the subsequent adverse effects. Our study indicates that repeated sevoflurane exposures in neonatal rats might increase the brain vulnerability to future stress exposure and resulted in fear-extinction deficit, which might be associated with the neonatal enhanced brain depolarizing GABAAR activity.
Predictive Model For Preliminary Assessment of Repeated Radioiodine Therapy Course Based On 131-I Suv
Authors: Bubnov Alexandr A , Trukhin Alexey A , Rumyantsev Pavel O , Degtyarev Mikhail V , Sirota Yaroslaw I , Serzhenko Sergey S , Sheremeta Marina S , Slashchuk Konstantin Yu , Mokrysheva Natalya G
Published: July 2021

Purposes: Current research design is dedicated to 131-I SUV evaluation on post therapeutic scintigrams and setting up predictive model for radioiodine therapy repeated course prescription in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Methods: Study includes 148 patients (f-105, m-43) with DTC treated with 131-iodine. Administered treatment activities of 131I calculated according to clinical features and tumor recurrence risk group. Patients were divided into three groups using ATA 2018 recommendations. Absolute risk groups: low risk (L), medium risk (M), high risk (H). Administered 131-I activity [MBq]:  = 3223±729,  = 3696±456,  = 4589±1078; Tg [ng/ml]:  = 7,4±1.7 ng/ml, = 14,8 ±5,9,  = 68,3 ±18,5; TgAb [IU/ml]:  = 124,3 ± 81.7,  = 29,2 ±15,9,  = 85,7 ±28,9. All null hypothesis were checked using paired Mann-Whitney U-test. Calibration of system SPECT/CT and evaluation SUVs completed according to protocols designed using Jaszczak phantom Deluxe. Model development based on logistic regression with ROC-analysis, regularization and cross-validation. Results: Reference intervals of SUVpeak and SUVmax calculated for all groups of risk. SUVpeak: low risk >155, medium risk 105-155, high risk 0-105 pL-M=0.069 pL-H=0.0037 pM-H=0.7514; SUVmax: low risk >38, medium risk 29-38, high risk 0-29 pL-M=0.052 pL-H=0.0033 pM-H=0.949. Logit model based on SUVpeak without regularization has: AUC = 0.67 (95%CI 0.33-1.00); Accuracy = 0.82; SE = 0.89; SP = 0.4; PPV = 0.41; NPV = 0.89, cross-validated AUC =0.67 (0.4-0.88), regression coefficients: B0=0.037, B1=0.001. Regularization (SUVpeak<100) lead to AUC = 0.75, (95%CI 0.44-1.00); accuracy = 0.89; SE =0.98; SP = 0.4; PPV = 0.76; NPV = 0.87, cross-validated AUC = 0.513 (0.36-0.71) regression coefficients: B0=0.473, B1=0.003.Conclusion: Study shows that SUV has wide range of values and can be matched with existed model of risk assessment of DTC. Algorithm of image segmentation and evaluation of SUVpeak and SUVmax for SPECT/CT systems was developed. According to the ROC analysis, developed predictive model shows an acceptable performance for further clinical investigation and advancement focused on refining model parameters and introducing additional predictors
Costs Related To Immunopreventable Diseases: Brazil And Its Geographic Areas (Immunopreventable Diseases’ Costs In Brazil)
Authors: Costa Elide Sbardellotto Mariano da , Hyeda Adriano , Maluf Eliane M Cesario Periera
Published: July 2021

Introduction: the occurrence of the immunopreventable diseases in a population global reality.Objective: to discriminate the direct costs of the hospitalizations from the immunopreventable diseases in the Unified Health System (SUS), in Brazil and their areas, between 2008 and 2018.Methods: A population, observational, descriptive and retrospective study, with data from the information supplied by the DATASUS website, these data were collected during the 2019.Results: It was identified 457,479 hospitalizations in the period; with a total of 2,450,870 days of hospital stay, with total costs of R$389,243,264.85. Only the disease mumps presented a growing tendency in whole areas; the chickenpox was decreasing; the illness whooping cough, yellow fever and tetanus were stationary in this period. Conclusions: The costs related to immunopreventable diseases were relevant in all the Brazil areas, with tendencies different between the geographic areas and between the several illnesses analyZed.
In silico Screening of Some Compounds Derived from the Desert Medicinal Plant Rhazya stricta for Potential Treatment of COVID -19
Authors: Baeshen Nabih A. , Albeshri Abdulaziz O. , Baeshen Naseebh N. , Attar Roba , Karkashan Alaa , Abbas Basma , Bouback Thamer A. , Aljaddawi Abdullah A. , Refai Mohammed Y. , Abdelkader Hayam S. , Tamim Abdullah Al , Alowaifeer Abdullah , Baeshen Mohammed N.
Published: July 2021

The recent emerging SARS-CoV-2 pandemic which was identified as COVID-19 disease has become a global health concern. It resulted in a major pneumonia outbreak worldwide. Currently, there are no approved drugs and several attempts have been made to use computational program approaches in drug repurposing for COVID-19 treatment. The SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein receptor-binding domain (RBD) is vital for binding to the hACE2 receptor, which initiates entry into human cells, and thus is a key target for antiviral compound development. Many herbal natural products have been proved to exert virucidal activity against the vast majority of pathogenic viruses. Rhazya stricta, a folkloric medicinal desert plant of Saudi Arabia was shown to exhibit bactericidal activity against a verity of pathogens including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and some other Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDR’s). This study aims to test for antiviral activity of the folkloric medicinal desert plant Rhazya stricta against coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. We identified three non-alkaloid herbal natural compounds Lig230, Lig434, and Lig68 from Rhazya Stricta that bind and interact significantly with RBD (PDB: I.D. 6M0J) by using virtual screening and computer aiding program Autodock vina. Based on the results of docking scores, molecular docking simulations, RMSD, RMSF, and radius of gyration (Rg), the virtually screened antiviral compounds showed good binding interactions and high stability. Lig230 revealed the highest average of interaction energy during MD simulation (− 417.284 kJ/mol) followed by Lig434 (− 366.186 kJ/mol) and the lowest interaction energy was by Lig68 (− 352.5872 kJ/mol). To evaluate the oral bioavailability, a drug-likeness profile was performed by SwissADME and the results revealed that these compounds expected to confront permeability and solubility difficulties if they were introduced orally. In conclusion, the suggested three compounds can serve as potential anti- SARS-CoV-2 and should be furtherly tested in vitro and in vivo.
Geographical Variation In Common Orthopedic Procedures In Norway: A Cross-Sectional Population Based Study
Authors: Holsen Maria , Hovind Veronica , Bedane Haji Kedir , Osvoll Knut Ivar , Gjertsen Jan-Erik , Furnes Ove Nord , Walsh Mary E , Ingebrigtsen Tor
Published: July 2021

BackgroundStandardised surgery rates for common orthopedic procedures vary across geographical areas in Norway. The aim in this study is to explore whether area-level factors related to demand and supply in publicly funded healthcare are associated with geographical variation in surgery rates for six common orthopedic procedures. MethodsCross-sectional population based study of the 19 hospital referral areas in Norway. Adult admissions for arthroscopy for degenerative knee disease, arthroplasty for osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, surgical treatment for hip fracture, and decompression with or without fusion for lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spinal stenosis over 5 years (2012-2016) were included. Extremal quotients, coefficients of variation and systematic components of variance were used to estimate variation in age and sex standardised surgery rates. Linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the association between standardised surgery rates and proportion of population in urban areas, unemployment, proportion of persons living in low-income households, proportion of persons with a high level of education, and mortality. ResultsArthroscopy for degenerative knee disease showed the highest level of variation and the number of arthroscopies decreased during the period. There was considerable variation in procedures for lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spinal stenosis, moderate to low variation for arthroplasty for osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, and least variation in surgical treatment for hip fracture. Association between surgery rates and socioeconomic and supply factors were weak for arthroscopy for degenerative knee disease and decompression for lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis. Standardised surgery rates for arthroplasty for osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, and surgical treatment for hip fracture were not associated with the supply and demand factors included in this study.ConclusionsVariation in surgery rates were particularly high for arthroscopy for degenerative knee disease, and these rates decreased considerably during the five-year period. Factors reflecting socioeconomic circumstances, health and supply have a weak association to orthopedic surgery rates at an area-level. Whether this reflects the equity of universal health care services, or if area-level factors are not detailed enough to detect an existing association is being explored in two ongoing Norwegian studies.
The Subordination of Women and National Health Outcomes: A Cross-National Empirical Analysis
Authors: Hodgson Kaylee B. , Hudson Valerie M.
Published: July 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Therapeutic Effects of The As-Synthesized Polylactic Acid/Chitosan Nanofibers Decorated With Amphotricin B For In Vitro Treatment of Leishmaniasis
Authors: Bahraminegad Sina , Pardakhty Abbas , Sharifi Iraj , Ranjbar Mehdi
Published: July 2021

Leishmaniasis as a third most important vector-borne disease caused by different species of a Leishmania flagellum protozoan. Leishmaniasis as a one of the biggest concerns of the World Health Organization due to the severe side effects, the emergence of resistance, secondary bacterial infections, reports as epidemics especially in immunocompromised individuals. The main purpose of this study was synthesis and characterization of the polylactic acid/chitosan nanofibers decorated with amphotricin B as a new delivery system for in vitro treatment of Leishmania wounds. The prepared nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and in vitro drug release test. The anti leishmaniasis effect of nanofibers decorated with amphotricin B against Leishmania major promastigotes and its cytotoxicity on macrophages were determined respectively with flow cytometry test. The in-vitro drug release assay indicates 84% of the amphotricin B loaded in nanofibers after 400 minutes. The average concentration of the amphotricin B loaded in polylactic acid/chitosan nanofibers and conventional form of amphotricin B that prevented the growth of 50% of the promastigotes of L.major was 1.29 and 4.34 µg/ml, respectively.
Optimization of breath-holding time for intrahepatic fat quantification using proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 1.5-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Otsuka Yuhei , Sakamura Shiho , Watanabe Kazuhiro
Published: July 2021

Purpose We determined the minimum required breath-holding time (Modified 1H-MRS) and conducted a backward study on patients who underwent intrahepatic fat quantification using the point resolved spectroscopy method. We investigated the correlation between dual echo-MRI (DE-MRI) and liver attenuation index (LAI) measurements and evaluated the validity of the analysis results to determine whether breath-holding time (BHT) could be reduced.Methods In the MRS-fat fraction (MRS-FF) analysis, using only the reference datasets, the minimum required breath-holding time was set to 14 s. To evaluate the validity of the obtained MRS-FF, we compared the correlation using the dual echo-fat fraction (DE-FF) and LAI as a reference values, the correlation coefficient was investigated by obtaining the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Next, we compared the correlation in two subgroups of the abovementioned case groups: (1) those with a BHT of 23 s and (2) those with a BHT between 14 to 22 s.Results The correlation coefficients between MRS-FF and DE-FF and MRS-FF and LAI were 0.841 (p = 0.00) and − 0.726 (p < 0.01), respectively. Next, in the subgroup analysis, the correlation coefficients of MRS-FF and DE-FF and MRS-FF and LAI were 0.849 (p = 0.00) and − 0.733 (p = 0.00), respectively, in group (1) and 0.886 (p = 0.00) and − 0.761 (p = 0.00), respectively, in group (2).Conclusion In the imaging using Modified 1H-MRS, the present method suggested that the reduction in breath-holding time from 14 to 22 s did not affect the MRS-FF analysis results.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown on Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Neck Pain Among College Students: a Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Daher Amira , Halperin Ofra
Published: July 2021

Background: Neck pain (NP), one of the most reported musculoskeletal disorders, is a major cause of illness and absence from university lessons among students. The COVID-19 pandemic affected higher education institutions worldwide. Academic studies shifted to online-learning, changing students’ habits and lifestyle. Data demonstrated that the pandemic and consequent lockdowns can affect people’s physical and mental well-being. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on the prevalence of and risk factors of NP among college students compared to the pre-epidemic period. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the form of an online questionnaire survey that included sociodemographic data, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). NP was reported at four time points—lifetime, last year, last six months, and current—on a scale ranging from never/seldom to almost every day. Logistic regression models were calculated for all study variables and compared to the (NDI) cut-off score of 15. Results: A total of 295 college students were recruited. Among them, 35.6% reported at least moderate neck-related disability (NDI≥15) and significantly more NP than before the lockdown. NP increased gradually and significantly (on a scale 1-4), from a lifetime mean of 1.80 to a mean of 2.57 last year to 2.73 during the past six months to the current mean of 3.07 (p< .001). Participants’ scores on the PSS were moderate, with 59.3% reporting a high level of study-related stress. Logistic regression models revealed that sitting more than three hours a day, high study-related stress and higher PSS and VAS scores were associated with higher risk of at least a moderate level of neck-related disability (R2=.513, p< .001). Conclusions: The transition from on-campus studies to online learning had negative effects on students. It significantly increased study-related stress and the development of NP. Identifying risk factors at an early stage may prevent NP from becoming chronic and affecting students’ future careers, thereby improving students’ quality of life.
A Cross-Sectional Study of Mental Health and Suicidality Among Trans Women in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Reis Arianne , Sperandei Sandro , de Carvalho Paula Galdino Cardin , Pinheiro Thiago Félix , de Moura Ferdinando Diniz , Gomez José Luis , Porchat Patrícia , Bastos Francisco Inácio , McFarland Willi , Wilson Erin C. , Veras Maria Amélia
Published: July 2021

Background

Trans women have also been shown to experience disproportionately poor outcomes in physical and mental health. Although it is common to talk about the violence against trans people, little is still known about mental health outcomes and experiences of suicidality among trans women, particularly in developing countries. This study aims to investigate risk factors and associations with mental health, suicide ideation and suicide attempts among trans women in the largest metropolitan area in Brazil.
Methods

We surveyed 763 adult trans women living in São Paulo between May 2017 and July 2019. Multivariate regression models were used to investigate the associations with K10 score classification (logistic) and suicidal ideation/suicide attempt (ordinal logistic).
Results

Over one quarter of trans women had been diagnosed with anxiety in the past, and close to one in five trans women had received a diagnosis of depression. More than two in five trans women had moderate to severe psychological distress. More than half of all participating trans women reported having previously either experienced suicidal ideation or attempted to take their own lives. In multivariate regression, moderate to severe psychological distress was correlated with homelessness, income, current sex work, use of stimulant drugs, history of physical abuse, depression diagnosis and access to mental health treatment. Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were correlated with race, living arrangements, marital status, current sex work, history of sexual violence, depression and PTSD diagnoses, access to mental health treatment and psychological distress.
Conclusions

This study showed that there is a clear association between mental health conditions, lack of treatment for these conditions and suicidality among trans gender women. This is the largest published empirical study of trans women’s mental health outcomes and related socioeconomic risk factors in Brazil and, to our knowledge, one of the largest worldwide.
Association of Bacteria Species with Positive Predictive Value of Bacteria Isolated from Cerebrospinal Fluid Cultures: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ye Yi , Zheng Guanghui , Kong Yueyue , Ma Jiawei , Zhang Guojun , Shi Guangzhi
Published: July 2021

Background: Previous studies discuss the positive predictive value through whether the bacteria are coagulase-negative staphylococci. The view may need to be updated. The aim was to evaluate the positive predictive value of different bacteria species isolated from cerebrospinal fluid cultures and discuss the rationality to view coagulase-negative staphylococci as a group.Methods: This retrospective cohort study recruit all adults with positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures sampled by lumbar puncture 2012-2020 in the Department of Neurosurgery. The exposure was bacteria species, and the outcome was positive predictive value. An episode was defined as a patient with one bacteria. When episodes with a bacteria species reached five, the bacteria species was analyzed specifically. The positive predictive value was defined as the incidence of isolated-bacteria-related infected episodes. The isolated-bacteria-related infected episode was defined as the patient was with clinical features of bacterial meningitis, and the improvement was related to sensitive antibacterial agents. Then the differences of the positive predictive value of different bacteria in all specific bacteria species, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and non-coagulase-negative staphylococci bacteria were calculated, respectively. The results were statistically significant when P-value <.05.Results: 1180 episodes from 1133 patients with 79 bacteria were studied; the positive predictive value was 54.3%. The bacteria included 67 bacteria species, ten bacteria genus, viridans streptococci, and unclassified coagulase-negative staphylococci. Twenty-four specific bacteria species were analyzed. The range of positive predictive values of them was 29.4%-100.0% (P<.0001). The positive predictive value for Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, and Klebsiella oxytoca was the highest, while the positive predictive value for Staphylococcus cohnii was the lowest. Moreover, 767 (65.0%) were with coagulase-negative staphylococci, the positive predictive value was 46.4%, and the range was 29.4%-85.7% (P=.0020); 413 (35.0%) were with non-coagulase-negative staphylococci bacteria, the positive predictive value was 69.0%, and the range was 40.0%-100.0% (P<.0001).Conclusions: This study suggests that the positive predictive value of different bacteria species is different. It is more reasonable to discuss the positive predictive value of bacteria isolated from cerebrospinal fluid cultures through the bacteria species rather than whether they are coagulase-negative staphylococci.Trial registration: This is a retrospective study without interventions on participants.
Earf-YOLO:A Model for Recognizing Zhuang Minority Patterns Based on YOLOv3
Authors: WANG XIN , Yan Jingke , WANG QIN , QIN QIN , WANG JUN , SHI ZHUO , LI HUANGHE
Published: July 2021

With reference to the limitations of YOLOv3 in recognizing symbols on Zhuang pattern, such as slow detection speed, unable to detect small object, and inaccurate positioning of bounding box, we propose a new model: Earf-YOLO (Efficient Attention Receptive Field You only look once) in this paper. In EarF-YOLO, we present an attention module: CBEAM (Convolution Block Efficient Attention Module) at first, which provides feature maps from channel and spatial dimensions. In CBEAM module, a local cross-channel interaction strategy without reducing dimensionality is used to improve the performance of the convolutional neural network. Besides, we put forward the SRFB (Strength Receptive Field Block) structure. During its training, more branch structures will be generated to enrich the feature space of the convolutional block. During its prediction, the multi-branched structures will be reparametrized and fused into one main branch to improve the performance of the model. Finally, we adopt some advanced training techniques to improve the detection performance. Experiments on the dataset of Zhuang patterns and the COCO dataset show that the Earf-YOLO model can effectively reduce the error of the prediction box and the ground-truth box, and decrease the calculation time. The mAP value of this model on the dataset of Zhuang patterns and on the COCO dataset reaches 82.1 (IoU=0.5) and 62.14 (IoU=0.5) respectively.
Stable aqueous aluminum-manganese photoelectrochemical cells with high-rate and high-efficiency abilities
Authors: Jiao Shuqiang , Zhang Xuefeng , Song Wei-li , Wang Mingyong , Tu Jiguo , Jiao Handong
Published: July 2021

Aqueous aluminum-ion batteries (AAIBs) are potential candidates for large-scale energy storage devices for their advantages of high energy density, resource abundance, low cost, safety, and environmental friendliness. Due to various redox procedures, good reversibility, and high discharge potential, the aqueous aluminum-manganese oxide battery has drawn wide attention, while the critical issues induced from slow kinetics and undesired soluble Mn2+ lead to slow charging, poor rate capability, and low energy density. However, there is very limited progress for performance improvement via conventional chemical or physical modification approaches. To overcome these challenges, an efficient photo-regulation strategy has been proposed in terms of direct radiating visible light on the cell during the galvanostatic charging and discharging. The efficient separation and transmission of photoelectrons in the photo positive electrode dramatically improves the dynamics, and fast charging and enhanced rate performance could be achieved. Photo-oxidation behavior can effectively promote the conversion of soluble Mn2+, thus further enhancing the energy density of the as-assembled aluminum-manganese battery. Furthermore, a photo-conversion efficiency of up to 1.2% has been acquired. Based on the photo-regulation strategy, the mechanism of the photoelectrochemical coupling system has been understood, which opens a promising route for achieving photoelectrochemical batteries with high energy density and fast charge.
Major Effective-damping Reduction Achieved by Metallic Coating on YIG Thin Films
Authors: Hermanny E. , González-Chávez D. E. , Sommer R. L.
Published: July 2021

Since its discovery, yttrium iron garnet (YIG) has been object of great interest because of its peculiarly low magnetic damping. Magnetic materials with reduced damping promote microwave power efficiency, longer magnon lifetime and longer spin-wave propagation. Owing to research on charge-to-spin current conversion, the control of magnetic damping in ferromagnetic thin films has recently been achieved by inducing charge current on adjacent metal layer with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC). We report damping reduction in metallized YIG thin films (YIG/Ag/Ni) without the need of applied charge current and suggest that the origin of this unexpected effect is a strengthening of the FMR uniform mode in the YIG layer, due to frequency- and phase-locking that result from self-synchronization mediated by nonzero spin densities transiting the metallic layers.
The SEED study of dorzagliatin in drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial
Authors: Chen Li , Zhu Dalong , Li Xiaoying , Yang Wenying , Ma Jianhua , Zeng Jiao’e , Gan Shenglian , Dong Xiaolin , Yang Jing , Lin Xiaohong , Cai Hanqing , Song Weihong , Li Xuefeng , Zhang Keqin , Zhang Qiu , Lu Yibing , Bu Ruifang , Shao Huige , Wang Guixia , Yuan Guoyue , Ran Xingwu , Liao Lin , Zhao Wenjuan , Sun Li , Shi Lixin , Jiang Zhaoshun , Xue Yaoming , Jiang Hongwei , Li Quanmin , Li Zongbao , Fu Maoxiong , Liang Zerong , Guo Lian , Liu Ming , Xu Chun , Li Wenhui , Yu Xuefeng , Qin Guijun , Yang Zhou , Su Benli , Zeng Longyi , Geng Houfa , Shi Yongquan , Zhao Yu , Zhang Yi
Published: July 2021

Improvement of glucose and insulin sensitivity remains an unmet medical need in diabetes management, in which the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes(T2D) was not well addressed by current treatment. We report the findings of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 clinical trial (NCT03173391) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dorzagliatin, a dual-acting glucokinase (GK) allosteric modulator, which enhances the GK activity in T2D patients in a glucose dependent manner, and has demonstrated its effects in blood glucose control through improvement of glucose sensitivity in T2D patients. Eligible drug-naïve T2D patients (n=463) were randomly assigned to dorzagliatin group or placebo group in a 2:1 ratio for a 24-week double-blind treatment, then followed by a 28-week open-label treatment with dorzagliatin in all patients. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline in the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level at week 24. Safety was assessed throughout the trial. At week 24, the change from baseline in HbA1c was -1.07% in the dorzagliatin group and -0.50% with placebo (ETD, -0.57%; 95%CI, -0.79 to -0.36; P<0.001), and the effects sustained through 52 weeks. Improvement of β-cell function was demonstrated by an increase of HOMA2-β in dorzagliatin group over placebo group (2.56 vs -0.72; 95% CI, 0.44 to 6.11; P<0.05) at week 24. The incidence of adverse events(AEs) was similar between the two groups during the 24 weeks and most AEs were mild during 52 weeks. There were no severe hypoglycemia events and drug related serious adverse events. The incidence of hypoglycemia was 1 of 310 patients (0.3%) in the dorzagliatin group during the 24 weeks. There was no body weight gain during the study period. In drug-naïve T2D patients, dorzagliatin demonstrated fast onset and sustained glycemic control with a good safety and tolerability profile for 52 weeks.
SARS-CoV-2 spike protein 13-mer subdomain corresponds to the drug-binding domain of glutamyl-propyl-tRNA synthetase 1 and is targetable by halofuginone
Authors: Benoit Lora , Shenoy Vinayak , Meykler Simon , Mohseni Ali
Published: July 2021

Since its emergence, SARS-CoV-2 has been the subject of intense investigation. Early sequence analysis identified a unique 13 amino acid region (13-mer) nested within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein that directly interacts with the ACE2 receptor. Blasting with the 13-mer identified a highly conserved segment in propyl-tRNA synthetase enzymes. Comparison with the human analogue, glutamyl-propyl-tRNA synthetase 1, showed a high level of identity with its drug binding domain, which is targeted by halofuginone, a drug recently shown to block SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. In silico experiments predicted a high affinity interaction between halofuginone and the 13-mer. In vitro addition of halofuginone effectively inhibited binding of recombinant S1 monomer to ACE2. Accordingly, it appears that halofuginone inhibits viral infection by preventing correct interactions between spike protein and ACE2. These findings indicate that viral entry can potentially be drug-targeted and support the application of halofuginone in mitigation of COVID-19.
The impact of ambient pressure and tunnel inclination angle on the smoke transport in a subway tunnel
Authors: Chen Guang
Published: July 2021

The subway tunnel will be built in the plateau where the pressure is relatively low, and the tunnel will tilt at a certain angle due to topographic factors. In order to investigate the smoke transport characteristics of moving subway trains caught fire under different ambient pressures and different tunnel inclination angles, three-dimensional full-scale calculation models of subway trains, two stations and one tunnel are established, and three different environmental pressures (50kPa, 75kPa, 100kPa) and three different tunnel inclination angles (− 1.5 °, 0 °, + 1.5 °) are simulated. The IDDES turbulence model based on kω-sst RANS combined with the overset grid technology is used to simulate the subway train movement and the detailed flow field. The velocity and temperature distribution characteristics and smoke concentration field are studied in detail. The soot density of smoke and temperature increases with reduced ambient pressure due to the weakening of air entrainment and the decreased air density and the influence of ambient pressure on smoke diffusion decreases with the increase of pressure. The longitudinal airflow induced by the stack effect under the negative inclination angle of the tunnel is helpful to prevent the flowing back of smoke.
The Effect of Iron Deficiency and Supplementation on Players Performance: In Case of Lemo and Ambericho Super League Football Clubs.
Authors: Getu Samson
Published: July 2021

This study was aimed to examine the effect of iron deficiency and supplementation on player’s performance: in case of lemo and Ambericho super league football clubs. Experimental study design was employed. Sampling size determination and sampling technique was used purposive sampling technique method and sampling size was determined by classifying player’s age level. The instrument of data collection were anthropometric (age, height, weight and BMI) measured by meter and kilogram, cardiovascular endurance test measured by 12 minute run test and Astrand tridmile test resting heart rate measured by counting heart beat after interval training. The analyses were carried out by using paired sample T test to analyze player’s hematological change and performance change before and after supplementations by using. The result show that there is significant change was scored on hematological and performance efficiency after supplementation of Iron and 12 week training. Based on the result football players in addition to daily food menu they should have supplement iron with managed training intensity.
The Role of Ethnicity in Expression, Prevalence, and Severity of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and their Overlap with Depressive Symptoms: Epidemiological Evidence from a Rapidly Developing Middle Eastern Country
Authors: Khaled Salma M. , Zolezzi Monica
Published: July 2021

IntroductionQatar is a small but high-income Middle Eastern country with a large influx of migrants each year. However, the impact of changing population structure and urbanization on prevalence of generalized anxiety symptoms remains unexplored to date. Materials & MethodsA total of 2,640 participants interviewed by phone using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2). Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the associations of ethnicity (Arab versus Non-Arab) with severity and symptom profile of GAD and overlap with depressive symptoms. ResultsThe point prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe symptoms were 13.4% (95% CI: 11.9 – 15.0), 2.7% (95% CI: 2.0 – 3.5), and 0.9% (95% CI: 0.6– 1.4), respectively. Arab ethnicity was associated with mild GAD (OR=1.78, p=0.009) and moderate-to-severe GAD (OR=2.36, p=0.044). Relative to non-migrants, migrant types were not significantly associated with mild or with moderate-to- severe GAD. Interactions between depressive symptoms and ethnicity were evident and statistically significant for the association with mild GAD versus no GAD (OR=0.34, p=0.003). ConclusionsEthnicity moderated the association of depression symptoms and GAD severity, with potential implications for early screening and community intervention.
Selection of potato clones derived from seed tubers for nutritional efficiency to phosphorus
Authors: Sausen Darlene , Carvalho Ivan Ricardo , Tavares Miriam da Silva , Schorr Márcio Renan Weber , Schwalbert Raíssa , Tarouco Camila Peligrinotti , Mambrin Ritieli Baptista , Marques Anderson Cesar Ramos , Lautenchleger Francine , Nicosolo Fernando Teixeira
Published: July 2021

To develop agricultural systems that produce more food with limited availability of phosphorus (P) it is necessary to explore the genetic variability of plants and select potato clones that are more efficient at P use. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of four potato clones for P nutritional efficiency in closed off-soil growing system using native soil as substrate. Therefore, seed tubers from the four potato clones (Asterix, Atlantic, SMIC 148-A and SMINIA 793101-3) were planted in plastic pots with native soil as a substrate, where the treatments consisted of two levels of P (0.025 and 0.11g kg-1 KH2PO4). 52 days after planting, the concentration of P in the shoot, the shoot and the total dry mass, the rooting efficiency, P absorption, P translocation and use of P were evaluated. SMIC 148 -A is the clone that most concentrates P in the shoot and that produces more total dry mass under low P, while SMINIA 793101-3 is the most efficient clone in the absorption and translocation of P under low nutrient level, however, the Asterix and Atlantic clones showed greater efficiency in the use of P
The effect of temperature on the okra drying process: kinetic study and physical properties of powders
Authors: Santos Francislaine Suelia dos , Figueirêdo Rossana Maria Feitosa de , Queiroz Alexandre José de Melo , Lima Ana Raquel Carmo de , Lima Thalis Leandro Bezerra de
Published: July 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of drying temperature (50, 60, 70 and 80 °C) on okra dehydration by comparing its powder’s physical properties obtained from a sample produced by a lyophilization process. Ten drying models were adjusted to the experimental data of the drying kinetics. As a result, effective diffusivity and activation energy were determined in addition to thermodynamic parameters: entropy, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy. A physical characterization, as well as the pigments and colorimetry analyses of the aforementioned powders were made, by comparing them with samples produced by lyophilization. The powders were characterized for hygroscopicity, solubility, wettability, apparent and compacted density, fluidity and cohesiveness, pigments, colorimetric, morphological analysis (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. Midilli model was the one that best adjusted to the drying kinetic curves. There was a booster in the effective diffusion coefficient with the increase of temperature. Enthalpy and entropy were reduced with the increase of both drying temperature and Gibbs free energy. The powders presented high luminosity, and the lyophilized powder had higher pigments retention and greater solubility. All powders presented poor fluidity and intermediate cohesiveness, with amorphous, irregular and asymmetric particles. Thus, from the present study it was possible to evaluate the best drying method, the one that should be applied for the drying of okra, considering the costs involved, its quality and the final application of the product, meeting the specific needs of each consumer
Plant biomass and fruit quality response of greenhouse tomato under varying irrigation level and water quality
Authors: Chand Jeet B. , Hewa Guna , Hassanli Ali , Myers Baden
Published: July 2021

The impact of water quality with varying deficit irrigation level on the plant biomass and fruit quality parameters of greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv Izmir) was investigated. A pot-based experiment was carried out over two growing seasons (2017-2018 and 2018-2019). Three water qualities: groundwater, recycled wastewater and an equal mix of both were applied in four irrigation scenarios which aimed to maintain soil moisture levels at 60%, 70%, 80% and 100% of field capacity. A surface drip irrigation system was designed maintaining irrigation frequency of two days. Results showed that both water quality and deficit irrigation significantly affected plant biomass. The fresh fruit weight was rather uniform, ranged from 53.2 to 85.4 gram and found highest in full irrigation. Most of the fruit quality parameters were not significantly affected by water quality.The significantly higher values of total soluble solid (7.87 degree brix), fruit firmness (9.28 kg/cm2), fruit pH (4.24) and vitamin C content (68.33 mg/kg) were measured in treatments maintaining soil moisture content at 60% of field capacity (most water-stressed conditions). Based on these findings, it recommended that by adopting deficit irrigation and maintaining soil moisture at 60% of field capacity, fruit quality parameters can be significantly improved. In contrast, fresh fruit weight and plant biomass were reduced.
Evaluation of the sole and integrated application of nano-graphene oxide, zeolite, and chitosan on gas exchanges and silymarin content of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) under salinity stress
Authors: Safikhan Sara , Chaichi Mohammad Reza
Published: July 2021

Identifying environmental factors, plant characteristics, and agronomic activities plays an essential role in medicinal plant production. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) is a well-known medicinal plant with extensive use in diverse liver diseases and is economically a significant crop. This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of the sole and integrated applications of graphene oxide (GO), zeolite, and chitosan as modifying materials on gas exchange and the secondary metabolites of milk thistle under severe salinity stress. Seven sole and integrated combinations of nano-materials comprised of T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, and control (T8, no nano-materials application) and two levels of saline water (12 ds/m) and tap water (control, 0.8 ds/m) were applied to the soil of experimental plots based on a factorial design with three replications. The results showed that the highest photosynthesis rate was obtained with T7 treatment for both water treatments. The highest plant silymarin concentration was obtained from the T6 treatment under both saline and tap water conditions. This treatment increased the silymarin concentration by 15.9% compared to the T8. The highest plant silymarin yield (180 mg per plant) was recorded for the T7 under tap water (control) condition, and 130.3 mg/plant for T6 under salinity stress, respectively. The Transmission Electron Microscope technology indicated that GO at low concentration (0.01%) could be safely used to enhance milk thistle germination and growth under severe salinity stress conditions